ABC NewsTen years ago, David Archuleta was the runner-up on American Idol season seven. Monday, he talked to ABC's Good Morning America about Sunday night's episode, where contestants sang for America's vote for the first time. Afterward, David told ABC Radio that when the viewers start voting, there's even more pressure. "Just watching last night...you could feel the tension...it really affects them," David noted. He then laughed, "But I don't think you should hold that against them. ...[T]he first time I was live, I completely forgot the words to my song!" David was most impressed by contestants Catie Turner and Gabby Barrett. "[T]hey both really stand out," he said. "Catie... she's just so personable 'cause she has a unique personality and she can't help but be herself...it's just fun, it's refreshing." As for Gabby, David said "she just has a full package, I think she connects, and you can see that she's just about to [blow up]." David also praised judge Katy Perry, who told Catie to stop reading social media comments. David's own struggle with that, and the pressure he felt to please everybody, is one reason why he took two years off and went to Chile to serve as a missionary. "I just needed...some one-on-one time," says David. "I need[ed] to remind myself what I think of myself and what God thinks of [me]." The experience helped inspire his current album, Postcards In the Sky. "[It] that was beyond anything I can even describe, how much that was of value to my life, and to my career moving forward," he says of this two years away. "I realized I could say what I wanted to say and not just be told to just shut up and sing." Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Fall army worm is back: season two After over-wintering in Queensland's sweet corn growing districts the recent pest Fall Army Worm is set to wreak havoc on NSW cropping with the first confirmed sighting west of the range at Croppa Creek this week. Beijing on Sunday said it would welcome a visit from US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who said he was considering a trip to the Chinese capital to hold talks on the trade dispute seen as a threat to the global economy. Tensions between the world's two largest economies have cast a shadow over the gathering of finance ministers in Washington, with concerns a trade war could undercut the global recovery. Mnuchin had said Saturday during the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in the US capital that "a trip is under consideration". The Chinese Commerce Ministry on Sunday welcomed the move. "China has received the information that the US side wish to come in Beijing in order to conduct economic and trade consultations. China welcomes this." US President Donald Trump last month approved steep tariffs on tens of billions of dollars of Chinese imports, while Beijing has slapped duties on key US agricultural exports and has threatened to do likewise for the sensitive American soybean industry. Among 18 bilateral meetings with his counterparts this week, Mnuchin said he had met with Chinese central bank chief Yi Gang. While the meeting with Yi did not focus on trade with China, Mnuchin said he remains "cautiously optimistic" about the issue. "The discussions were really around the governor's actions at the PBOC and certain actions they've announced in terms of opening their markets which we very much encourage and appreciate," Mnuchin said. He also confirmed that the United States now supports a $13 billion capital increase for the World Bank in tandem with a set of reforms, including reducing lending to wealthier countries -- a move widely seen as targeting China. "I look at this as a package transaction... we support a capital increase on the World Bank along with the associated reforms that they're talking about making," Mnuchin said, adding that he was hopeful Congress would approve the increase. The heated trade rhetoric between the US and China comes at a delicate moment, as Washington and Beijing are seeking to address North Korea's nuclear programme. Pyongyang announced Saturday it would halt nuclear tests intercontinental ballistic missile launches. By Anna Mehler Paperny and Allison Martell TORONTO (Reuters) - A driver plowed his white Ryder rental van into a crowd, killing nine people and injuring 16 along a roughly mile-long stretch of busy Toronto sidewalk during lunch hour on a sunny Monday afternoon, police said. Officials declined to answer questions about what motivated the driver to steer his vehicle toward people just before 1:30 p.m. (1730 GMT). They said the driver was in custody and stopped short of calling it a deliberate act. But at least one witness described the driver as appearing to deliberately target victims on his roughly mile-long (1.6 km-long) rampage, according to media reports. "This is going to be a long investigation," Toronto Deputy Chief Peter Yuen told a news conference after disclosing the death toll. A Reuters witness saw at least two tarp-covered bodies at the site of the incident. Five people remained in critical condition at Sunnybrook Health Services Centre on Monday afternoon, the hospital said. Canada's public safety minister, Ralph Goodale, declined to comment on what may have motivated the attack. "The investigation is at a stage where no further information can be confirmed at this point," Goodale told a news conference said. "The police are conducting obviously their thorough investigation to determine what happened and why it happened, the motivations involved." Ryder System Inc spokeswoman Claudia Panfil confirmed that one of the company's rental vehicles had been involved and said the company was cooperating with authorities. There have been a string of deadly vehicle attacks in the United States and Europe, including an Oct. 31 attack in New York that killed eight. Islamic State militant group encourages its supporters to use vehicles for attacks. 'IT'S UNPRECEDENTED' The incident was one of the most violent in recent Canadian history. A former Canadian university student last month pleaded guilty to killing six men praying in a Quebec City mosque in January 2017. In September, a Somali refugee who was charged with attempted murder on allegations he ran down four pedestrians with a car and stabbed a police officer outside a sports stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. "It's unprecedented," said John Flengas, acting superintendent in the city's paramedic services. We've never seen anything like this in the city of Toronto." The incident occurred about 30 kms (18 miles) away from the site where Toronto is hosting a Group of Seven foreign ministers. A man who gave his name as Ali told CNN he saw the van and that the driver appeared to have been targeting people. "This person was intentionally doing this, he was killing everybody," the man said. "He kept going, he kept going. People were getting hit, one after another." He said a number of the victims were older people and at one point he saw a stroller fly into the air. At least one person was struck outside on the sidewalk outside an Anglican church, north of where the van came to rest in front of a currency exchange in a condominium tower. Yonge Street is large, divided boulevard at the point where the incident occurred, its center meridian dotted with planter boxes and sculptures. Some of the victims were struck in a public square popular with office workers on lunch breaks. Aerial photos of the scene posted on social media showed a food truck parked just a few feet away from where emergency workers busily transferred people onto stretchers. There was no noticeable change in security around the Intercontinental Hotel where the ministers of Canada, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan were meeting on Monday. (Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny and Allison Martell in Toronto; Additional reporting by Jim Finkle, Nichola Saminather, Carlo Allegri and Julie Gordon; Writing by Andrea Hopkins and Scott Malone; Editing by Grant McCool) Toronto (Canada) (AFP) - Canadian police sought a motive Tuesday for a van attack on a bustling downtown Toronto street that left at least 10 pedestrians dead. The driver of the van, who was arrested, was to appear in court Tuesday at 10am (1400 GMT), Canadian media said. Police said the incident during the busy lunch hour Monday appeared to be deliberate, but that they had not identified a terror link. It took place in broad daylight around 16 kilometers (10 miles) from a conference center hosting a meeting of G7 ministers, but officials said they had no evidence of a link to the event. "The actions definitely looked deliberate," Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders told journalists. Ralph Goodale, the minister of public security, added that "on the basis of all available information at the present time, there would appear to be no national security connection to this particular incident." "Horrible day in Toronto," he posted earlier on Twitter. "Senseless violence takes heavy toll." Police arrested a suspect at the scene, who police identified later as 25-year-old Alek Minassian from a northern Toronto suburb. The suspect and a police officer faced off, their guns drawn. The suspect eventually surrendered his weapon and was taken into custody. Fifteen people remained in hospitals throughout the city, Saunders said, adding that local, provincial and federal investigators were probing the case. Two South Koreans were among the dead, a Seoul foreign ministry official told AFP, with another of its citizens seriously injured. At the scene, at least three bodies could be seen under orange sheets and a long stretch of road was sealed off with police incident tape. Vehicle attacks have been carried out to deadly effect by extremists in a number of capitals and major cities, including London, Paris, New York and Nice. Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said the G7 meeting would continue as planned into Tuesday, with officials discussing ways to secure democratic societies from foreign interference. Story continues "The work of the ministers obviously goes on. This is a very sad day for the people of Toronto and the people of Canada," she said. - 'Really fast' - Officers were called to the scene -- on Yonge Street at the corner with Finch Avenue -- around 1:30 pm (1730 GMT), police said. A white rental van with a dented front bumper was stopped on the sidewalk of a major intersection, surrounded by police vehicles. "He was going really fast," witness Alex Shaker told CTV television. "All I could see was just people one by one getting knocked out, knocked out, one by one," Shaker said. "There are so many people lying down on the streets." Another witness, Jamie Eopni, told local Toronto television station CP24: "It was crashing into everything. It destroyed a bench. If anybody was on that street, they would have been hit on the sidewalk." - 'Deliberate' but no terror link - Though the act seemed "deliberate," officials did not identify a terror link. Canada has only rarely been the scene of terror attacks. In October, a man stabbed a police officer in the western city of Edmonton before slamming his van into a group of pedestrians, hurting four people. And in Quebec in October 2014, a Canadian man ran over two soldiers in a parking lot with his car, killing one of them. The driver was shot dead by police when he attacked them with a knife. In March 2016, a Canadian who claimed to have radical Islamist sympathies attacked two soldiers at a military recruitment center in Toronto. bur-sab-dc-mdo/oh/dw/wdb Brussels (AFP) - A Belgian court will give its verdict Monday on Salah Abdeslam, the last surviving suspect in the Paris Islamist attacks, over a bloody 2016 shootout with police in Brussels that led to his capture. Prosecutors asked at the trial in February for Abdeslam and his co-defendant Sofiane Ayari to be jailed for up to 20 years if found guilty on charges of terrorist-related attempted murder and possession of banned weapons. Neither Abdeslam, who is being held in jail in France pending a separate trial over the 2015 Paris attacks in which 130 people died, nor Ayari is expected to be in court in Brussels for the verdict, a court spokesman told AFP. Belgian security forces will mount a major operation around the imposing Palace of Justice building in Brussels for the verdict, which judges are due to start reading out at 0645 GMT. Abdeslam, 28, a Belgian-born French national, was transported to the court from France for the first day of the trial amid tight security including a helicopter escort, while Tunisian national Ayari, 24, is in jail in Belgium. On the first day of the trial, Abdeslam proclaimed that he would only put his "trust in Allah" and accused the court of being biased against Muslims. He then refused to attend the rest of the proceedings. Three police officers were wounded in the gun battle after police acting on a tip-off over the Paris attacks raided a flat in the Forest area of Brussels on March 15, 2016. Abdeslam was arrested three days later in the largely immigrant Molenbeek area of the Belgian capital, near his family home. - 'Mocking' trial - On March 22 suicide bombers from a cell linked to the Paris attacks killed 32 people and wounded hundreds more at Brussels airport and a metro station in the Belgian capital. Investigators say Abedeslam's arrest spurred the Brussels bombers to bring forward the attacks, which had originally been planned for a later date, as they feared they could be captured. Story continues Prosecutors have said that DNA links Abdeslam to the apartment in the Forest district of Brussels where the shooting took place, but not to the weapons themselves that were used. After Abdeslam refused to return to court for the trial in February, his lawyer Sven Mary sought the case's dismissal on a technicality over how the judges were named to investigate the gun battle, and said media leaks had denied him a fair trial. But lawyers for police wounded in the gun battle accused Abdeslam of "mocking" the trial. One of the injured police officers was still suffering from after-effects including brain lesions, epileptic fits and vision and balance problems. An organisation representing victims of the Brussels attacks and their families has asked for symbolic damages of one euro from the trial. The Belgian trial is a prelude to a bigger one that Abdeslam will face in France at a later date over the November 13, 2015, Paris attacks, which were claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. Abdeslam's brother Brahim was one of the suicide bombers. Brussels (AFP) - A Belgian court on Monday said the sole surviving suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, remained "dangerous" as it sentenced him to 20 years in prison over a gunbattle with police in Brussels that led to his capture. Abdeslam's co-defendant Sofiane Ayari received the same sentence, the maximum demanded by Belgian prosecutors, after the pair were convicted of terrorism-related attempted murder over the bloody shootout. Four police officers were wounded in the gun fight, which came four months after the November 2015 Paris attacks, and days before suicide bombings in Brussels as a wave of Islamic State-inspired terror swept Europe. Judges at the court in Brussels said that "there can be no doubt about their commitment to radicalism" as they handed down the maximum jail term as demanded by Belgian prosecutors at the opening of the trial in February. "The terrorist nature of the facts under question in March 2016 appears to be established," the judgment said. Neither Abdeslam, 28, a Belgian-born French national, nor Ayari, a 24-year-old Tunisian citizen, was in court to hear the verdict. Abdeslam is being held in jail in France pending a separate trial over the Paris attacks, claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group, in which 130 people died. - 'Dangerousness remains intact' - On the first day of the trial, Abdeslam proclaimed that he would put his "trust in Allah" and accused the court of being biased against Muslims, before refusing to answer or attend any more days of the hearing. The judges said on Monday that "Abdeslam's silence outside his statements to the hearing on February 5 allow us to fear that he has not taken the full measure of the seriousness of his behaviour, or worse, that he is staying silent for ideological reasons." "His dangerousness remains intact." The pair were convicted of opening fire on a team of Belgian and French police who raided a flat in the Forest area of Brussels on March 15, 2016, following a tip-off about the Paris attacks. Story continues An Algerian jihadist was killed in the raid as he provided covering fire for Abdeslam -- at the time the most wanted man in Europe -- and Ayari to escape. Abdeslam was arrested and shot in the leg in a dramatic police operation three days later in the largely immigrant Molenbeek area of the Belgian capital, near his family home. On March 22, suicide bombers from a cell linked to the Paris attacks killed 32 people and wounded hundreds more at Brussels airport and a metro station in the Belgian capital. Abdeslam's lawyer Sven Mary told reporters outside the Palace of Justice -- where police had mounted tight security -- that he would consult with his client at the French prison where he is being held "and then we will see if he wants to lodge an appeal." He said Abdeslam would likely have to serve the full Belgian 20-year term on top of any sentence that arises from the French trial over the Paris attacks. - 'Allah guided me' - The judgment said Abdeslam had written a document addressed to his mother saying that "Allah guided me and chose me among his servants to open his path. It is for that reason that I had to fight the enemies of Allah with all my strength." He added that his brother Brahim, who blew himself up during the Paris attacks, "did not commit suicide -- he is a hero of Islam." An Islamic State flag was also found at the scene, the judgment said, adding that a total of 34 shots were fired during the shootout. Abdeslam has spent most of the last two years in jail in France. He was transported to the court from France for the start of the trial in February amid tight security including a helicopter escort, while Ayari is in jail in Belgium. Investigators say Abdeslam's arrest spurred the Brussels bombers to bring forward the 2016 attacks, which had originally been planned for a later date, as they feared the police were closing in on them. Lawyers for police wounded in the gun battle accused Abdeslam of "mocking" the trial with his silence. One of the injured police officers was still suffering from after-effects including brain lesions, epileptic fits and vision and balance problems. Legendary investor Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is bullish on the potential of women in the U.S. to boost the economy. I have two sisters that are absolutely smart as I am and better personalities, Buffett told Yahoo Finances editor-in-chief Andy Serwer in a wide-ranging interview. And, they were born around my time of 1930. And they were told, Marry early and marry well. According to Buffett, 87, that was the unseen message his sisters received growing up. I mean, nobody ever said it that way. So, I have seen half of the United States talent basically put off to the side, he said. That means that women hold the key to unlocking economic growth in the U.S. A recent report from S&P Global argued that promoting the entry and retention of more women in the workforce in the U.S., particularly in STEM fields, could create a substantial growth opportunity, with the potential to add 5% to 10% to nominal GDP in a just few decades. Its one of the things that makes me optimistic about America because when I look at what we have accomplished using half our talent for a couple of centuries, and now I think of doubling the talent that is effectively employed or at least has the chance to be it makes me very optimistic about this country, Buffett said. Watch Warren Buffett LIVE at the 2018 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting exclusively on the Yahoo Finance app and desktop. Coverage begins May 5 at 9:45am ET. Set a reminder now! Berkshire Hathaways annual meeting will be held on May 5. Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter. The world's oldest person has died at the age of 117. Nabi Tajima, a Japanese woman, died in a hospital Saturday evening in the town of Kikai, an official said. She had been hospitalized since January and had lived in a nursing home for many years before that. "She passed away as if falling asleep. As she had been a hard worker, I want to tell her 'rest well,'" Tajima's 65-year-old grandson, Hiroyuki, told reporters. Tajima was born on Aug. 4, 1900, and was the last known person born in the 19th century, reports said. She had seven sons and two daughters and reportedly had more than 160 descendants. She became the world's oldest person after Violet Brown, of Jamaica, died at the age of 117 in September. Another Japanese woman, Chiyo Miyako, is now the world's oldest person, according to the U.S.-based Gerontology Research Group. Miyako turns 117 on May 2. RELATED STORIES Is This the Tallest Teen in the World? 16-Year-Old Stands at 7 Feet, 4 Inches Hot Wheels! Driver Goes into Guinness World Records for Tightest Reverse Parallel Park Sandra Bullock, Robert Downey Jr. Named Highest-Paid Actors By Guinness World Records Related Articles: Aden (AFP) - Five pro-government soldiers were killed and 19 wounded in clashes with jihadists in Yemen's southern city of Taez on Monday after the killing of an aid worker with the International Committee of the Red Cross, medics said. It was unknown if there were any casualties among the jihadists. Fighting in the city's Jahmaliah district came after the governor of Taez launched an operation against jihadists he suspected were behind the murder of the ICRC employee over the weekend. Jahmaliah is controlled by pro-government forces but there is a jihadist presence in the area, a police officer told AFP. A large portion of Yemen's third city Taez is held by pro-government fighters, but the entrances to the city are controlled by Huthi rebels. Fierce clashes broke out after the operation was launched on Monday morning, according to the officer, who was unable to provide further details. On Sunday, Taez governor Amin Ahmad Mahmud, loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, created a special force of police and army units tasked with battling jihadists he believes killed the ICRC employee on Saturday. The Lebanese aid worker, Hanna Lahoud, was shot in Taez by unidentified assailants. In March, Yemen entered its fourth year of war between the Iran-backed Huthi rebels and pro-government forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has triggered what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Sunni jihadists, including from Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, have taken advantage of the chaos to expand their influence in parts of Yemen, particularly in the south. Sanaa (AFP) - The political leader of Yemen's Huthi rebels, Saleh al-Sammad, was killed last week in an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition, the Iran-allied rebels said on Monday. Sammad, head of the Huthis' supreme political council, was "martyred" in the eastern province of Hodeida on Thursday, the rebels said in a statement published on the Huthi-run Saba news agency. His death comes as a big blow to the Shiite rebels who since March 2015 have been fighting pro-government forces backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia. At the beginning of April, Sammad dubbed 2018 "the year of ballistic excellence", referring to missiles the rebels have fired across the border. Since November, the Huthis have launched several ballistic missiles at neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which have been intercepted by anti-aircraft defence. The Huthis' supreme leader Abdel Malek al-Huthi rarely appears in public. Sanaa (AFP) - Yemen's Huthi militias vowed Monday to avenge the killing of their top political leader in what they said was a Saudi-led coalition air strike, the highest-ranking rebel to die in the three-year conflict. Saleh al-Sammad, head of the Huthis' supreme political council, was "martyred" last Thursday in the eastern province of Hodeida, the Iran-allied rebels said via their Saba news agency. Sammad's death is a major blow to the Shiite rebels who have been fighting forces of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia. The most senior rebel to have been killed since the coalition intervened in March 2015, his name was on a Saudi list of 40 Huthi leaders that put bounties on their heads totalling $440 million. The rebels named Sammad's successor as Mehdi Hussein al-Mashat. "This crime won't go unanswered," said the Huthis' overall leader, Abdul Malek al-Huthi, adding that six other people were killed in the same raid. The news came hours after officials in Yemen said dozens of people were killed and wounded in an air raid on a wedding party in the country on Sunday, in another attack the Huthis blamed on the coalition. Medical sources and local officials put the number of dead between 22 and 33, with at least 40 to 50 wounded, while the circumstances of the raid remained unclear. Doctors Without Borders tweeted that a hospital it supports in Hajjah received at least 65 patients, including at least 13 children, wounded in the air strikes, which it said were "among the most devastating in the area in recent months". - Iran denounces 'invaders' - Rescue teams said the wedding was being held in the Huthi-controlled Bani Qais area of Hajjah province, north of Sanaa, when jets carried out the raid. A local official said at least 23 civilians, including women and children, were killed. The official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said a double air strike on the venue had left a number of bodies buried beneath the rubble. Story continues Huthi-run television said at least 33 people, including women and children, were killed and as many as 55 people wounded. The coalition's spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said they were following media reports of the bombing, and will investigate the allegations. Iran, which is accused of supplying arms to the Huthis, swiftly condemned the raid. "The escalated bombardment of residential areas proves the desperation and inability of the invaders in achieving their goals," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said. Also on Monday, the coalition said it downed two new ballistic missiles fired by the Huthis, who claimed to target facilities belonging to the kingdom's oil giant Aramco in southern Jizan city. The coalition reported no damage or loss of life from the strikes, the latest in a string of bombardments on Saudi Arabia by the Huthis. Saudi forces said they intercepted a rebel ballistic missile targeting its southern border city of Najran on Sunday, which set a farm ablaze, after another aimed at Jizan was shot down on Friday. - 'Year of ballistics' - At the beginning of April, Huthi political head Sammad dubbed 2018 "the year of ballistics", referring to cross-border missile attacks. Sunday's deadly strike in Hajjah was one of a series to have struck weddings in Yemen's conflict, which has killed nearly 10,000 people and wounded 54,000 others since March 2015. In late 2015, coalition air strikes on two wedding parties in northern Yemen killed at least 159 civilians. Violence has also hit funerals. In October 2016, 140 mourners were killed in an air strike on a house in Sanaa. Elsewhere in Yemen on Monday, five pro-government soldiers were killed and 19 wounded in clashes with jihadists in the southern city of Taez, medics said. Fighting in the city's Jahmaliah district came after the governor of Taez launched an operation against jihadists he suspected were behind the murder of a Red Cross aid worker over the weekend. The Lebanese aid worker, Hanna Lahoud, was shot dead in Taez on Saturday by unidentified assailants who sprayed his Red Cross vehicle with bullets. President Hadi's government was driven out of Sanaa in 2014 by the Huthis, who still control the capital and much of northern Yemen. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since the coalition's intervention three years ago, triggering what the UN has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis. jj-oh-sh-ac/ceb Zendays speaks out on colorism at Beautycon Festival NYC 2018 on April 22. (Photo: Getty) Over the weekend, beauty enthusiasts attended BeautyCon Festival in New York City to celebrate beauty through self-expression and engaging panel discussions, meet-ups, and big brand activations. This year, Zendaya sat down for a conversation with Bozama Saint John, the chief brand officer at Uber, and discussed beauty standards and the lack of diversity in Hollywood. A clip of Zendaya sharing her feelings on inclusion was shared on Twitter. She said, As a black woman, as a light-skinned black woman, its important that I say, Listen, Im using my privilege and my platform to show you how much beauty there is in the African-American community.' She continued, I am Hollywoods, I guess you could say, acceptable version of a black girl, and that has to change. Were vastly too beautiful and too interesting for me to just be the only representation of that. You hear the audience applauding and cheering on Zendayas candour, which clearly illuminates the underlying issue with the choice of black women commonly cast in television roles and other opportunities. "I am Hollywood's acceptable version of a Black girl and that has to change. We're vastly too beautiful and too interesting for me to be the only representation of that." #Zendaya in conversation with @BadAssBoz at #BeautyconNYC pic.twitter.com/wZaIrJm1Tw Danielle (@theislandiva) April 22, 2018 Since Theislanddiva shared her Tweet featuring Zendaya and Bozamas chat at Beautycon, it has been liked over 9,300 times and shared more than 4,000 times. This is why Zendaya will continue to be a legend in my eyes as she creates her own wave, openly says her opinion on things whether it be about racial problems/politics or not and shes so talented yet extremely beautiful and smartGod did that, one person commented. Another wrote, I think zendaya is incredible. I am so proud of how she is all inclusive. She recognizes that there needs to be more representation of colored people in Hollywood. And shes doing her best to have everyone recognize it. What an angel! Story continues The issue of colorism in Hollywood isnt new, and this actually isnt the first time Zendaya has spoken up about it. In a 2016 Cosmopolitan cover story when she was 19 years old, she said, I feel a responsibility to be a voice for the beautiful shades my people come in. Unfortunately, I have a bit of a privilege compared to my darker sisters and brothers. She added, If I get put in a position because of the color of my skin where people will listen to me, then I should use that privilege the right way. Further affirming Zendayas thoughts, actress Lupita Nyongo has also opened up about colorism in Hollywood. In a 2014 interview with The Telegraph, she discussed her reaction to seeing the film adaptation of Alice Walkers novel The Color Purple, It was the first time Id seen someone like me on screen. Whoopi Goldberg had my kind of hair and was dark like me. I thought, maybe I could do this for a living. The Oscar-winning actress also delivered a moving speech at the Essence magazines seventh annual Black Woman in Hollywood Luncheon: I remember a time when I too felt unbeautiful. I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin. And my one prayer to God, the miracle worker, was that I would wake up lighter-skinned. And when I was a teenager, my self-hate grew worse, as you can imagine happens with adolescence. She continued, but around me, the preference for light skin prevailed. To the beholders that I thought mattered, I was still unbeautiful. Colorism isnt dead, and thanks to beauty chameleons such as Zendaya, Lupita, and more, its being talked about on a mainstream level to bring about change. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. 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. A Holocaust survivor told people at a counter-rally held Saturday in a Polish city where far-right groups marched a week earlier that Poland's leaders tolerate organizations with Nazi-inspired ideologies. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Some 1,500 people gathered in Gdansk, the cradle of Poland's pro-democracy Solidarity movement in the 1980s, to protest the convention the far-right groups held in the city and to alert Poland's government to the growing threat of fascism. Gdansk Mayor Pawel Adamowicz (Photo: AP) Magdalena Wyszynska, 96, a Jewish survivor of the Lvov ghetto, told the crowd that the lack of reaction by Poland's right-wing government could suggests its leaders are "more concerned for the widening of their electorate than for our security." Gdansk Mayor Pawel Adamowicz, who organized the rally Saturday, said it was a "shame" that many Poles haven't learned from history and don uniforms of nationalist and fascist organizations that sowed hatred before and during World War II. Polish counter-rally (Photo: AP) Hidden camera footage recently shown on Poland's TVN24 showed neo-Nazis celebrating Adolf Hitler's birthday in Nazi uniforms in southwestern Poland. There was no condemnation from the authorities. Wyszynska said Polish authorities are giving "silent consent" to groups such as All-Poland Youth and the National Radical Camp that promote ideas that should be banned. Last year, an annual Independence Day march the groups hold parallel to Poland's official celebrations featured nationalist and racist slogans. Poland lost some 6 million citizens, half of them Jews, under Nazi German occupation during the war. Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations were united in opposing Russia's destabilizing behavior while agreeing to leave the door open for dialogue with Moscow, a senior US official said on Sunday. The ministers, meeting in Toronto for two days, discussed tensions with Moscow, Iran and North Korea, while also addressing political problems in Venezuela and Myanmar. "There was G7 unity on opposing Russia's malign behavior," the senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters at the end of the first day of meetings in Toronto. The tires of several vehicles have been vandalized in the Palestinian village of Rammun, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, in a suspected hate crime. Hebrew graffiti reading "Let us deal with them" and "We'll take our fate into our own hands" were spray-painted on vehicles and on a fence surrounding one of the village's homes. Cars belonging to Palestinians in two separate West Bank towns were spray painted with malicious graffiti and had their tires slashed overnight Sunday in what appear to be hate crimes. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter In the Palestinian town of Rammun in the central West Bank, graffiti, in Hebrew, read: "We'll take our fate into our own hands" and "Let us deal with them." Palestinian residents of the village reported the incident to the police in the early hours of the morning. 'We'll take our fate into our own hands' Meanwhile, in the Palestinian village of Beit Iksa, tires were slashed and homes were spray-painted, with the graffiti reading "administrative revenge." A string of hate-related incidents have aroused the IDFs attention in the West Bank in recent weeks. In the early hours of Friday morning, two suspects were caught on CCTV cameras slashing the tires of vans in the village of Burqa, spraying them with slogans such as, "God is the king," "Stop the administrative orders" and "Here live terror supporters to be expelled and killed." Tires punctured in Rammun Earlier this month, two assailants were captured on security camera setting fire to the front door of a mosque near Nablus. In the CCTV footage, recorded directly above the door, the arsonists could be seen approaching the entrance of the mosque in the village of Kfar Aqraba, and covering it with flammable substances before igniting the flames by throwing a match. CCTV footage of Friday's vandalism X Security forces said that the arson attack in Kfar Aqraba constituted an escalation in the severity of the nature of the attacks, since it was launched not merely against private property, but against a place of worshipthe first since June 2015 when the Church of Loaves and Fishes on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel was set alight The IDF and police have issued repeated warnings in recent weeks against acts of violence and vandalism carried out by Israeli right-wing extremists, which risks sparking an escalation in violence in the West Bank as Israel faces a volatile Gaza border. CCTV footage of the arsonists X While by April 2017 the security forces recorded eight instances of hate crime, more than a dozen have already taken place this year, which have included nationalistically-motivated attacks on Palestinian property. Destruction at the church (Photo: Avihu Shapira) According to the Shin Bet, 63 administrative restriction orders were issued last year against extremist right-wing activists, while 13 have been issued so far in 2018. The Shin Bet statistics also show that this year five terror attacks have been carried out against Palestinians, which were believed to have been committed by Jewish extremists, while only two were carried out throughout the entire last year. Malaysian police on Monday released facial composites of two suspects behind the mysterious assassination of Hamas electrical engineer Fadi Albatsh in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. The pictures were distributed by the authorities at all of the country's exit points. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Mohamad Fuzi Harun, inspector general of the Royal Malaysia Police, said the photofits were compiled based on eyewitnesses' testimonies. "We have experts who say the facial composites match the eyewitnesses' testimonies, but we cant reveal any additional information." Facial composites of the suspects behind the assassination of Palestinian electrical engineer Fadi Albatsh (Photo: Malaysian Police) According to the Malaysian police's description, the two suspects are well-built, fair-skinned men, approximately 180 centimeters tall, and it is still uncertain whether they are still in the country or left after the assassination. The inspector general added that the two suspects were believed to be of European or Middle Eastern descent. "We retrieved 14 bullets from the victim's body and sent them to our weapons experts here for an analysis," he said. He added that no threats had been made against Albatsh's family, but said police may ask to take a statement from his brother, Dr. Rami Albatsh, who arrived in Malaysia earlier Monday morning. Fadi Albatsh (Photo: EPA) According to Malaysian reports, 35-year-old Albatsh was gunned down by two assailants who shot at least eight bullets from a motorbike as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian police said closed-circuit television footage showed him targeted by assassins, who had waited for him for almost 20 minutes. Hamas said Saturday Albatsh was one of its own "loyal" members, describing him as a "shahid (martyr) who was characterized by his excellence and scientific creations. He made important contributions in this field. He participated in international conferences in the field of energy. The shahid set an example by growing closer to Allah and in his activity for the Palestinian issue." Hamas stopped short of blaming Israel, saying only that he had been "assassinated by the hand of treachery." But media affiliated with Hamas claimed Albatsh was "assassinated by the Mossad." Hamas encourages young children, some of them aged no more than 10, to take part in riots on the Gaza border fenceusing them as glorified human shields with the knowledge that the IDF will refrain from shooting at them, the Israeli army has said. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter In a demonstration last Friday on the Gaza border, four Palestinians were killed, including 15-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim Ayoub , who ran toward the fence and was shot by a sniper. Ayoub's death was captured by a photographer who was at the scene and drew severe condemnation. Palestinian child throwing rocks at IDF forces and the Gaza security fence during Gaza border riot (IDF Spokesperson's Unit) In the video, the boy ran between people near the fence, but did not touch it, when he was suddenly shot in the head. The video became viral on social media and caused serious damage to Israel's image, with many accusing the IDF of purposefully killing children. Footage from social media purporting to show Ayoub's killing X According to military sources, there was a drop in the number of participants in the last Friday demonstrations on the Gaza Strip border, which were called the "March of Return", but on the other hand they became much more violent and involved more women and children. "The children are sent to the front to face the (IDF) snipers," a senior IDF official said. "And under the cover of the smoke, they throw Molotov cocktails or sabotage the (security) fence, out of an understanding that we will not hurt them." According to the IDF, a sniper in the Israeli army is given authorization to shoot only from an officer at the level of a battalion commander or above. In such a case, they are permitted to open fire on a central instigator, aiming at his ankle or below his knee. Full data on each sniper fire is recorded in real time via the rifle's telescopic sights lens. The official stressed that the sniper directive is clear. "There is no permit to fire at all at children, women or journalists," he made clear. "It is permitted to fire at primary instigators, but only at the lower parts of their body and only after approval is obtained. There is no IDF commander who will order shooting at children." The source added that the IDF is now reviewing all the footage in order to learn what happened at last Friday's demonstration, and that it may eventually turn out to be a case of mistaken identity. "One has to understand what situation we are operating in," he said. "That we face a terrorist organization that sends children at us." Other senior military officials echoed the source's assertions. "We do not want to play into their hands and do everything so that every Friday there will be no casualties," one senior officer said. "From week to week we become more accurate, but one must remember that the situation in which we operate in is not a simple one." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to move up the Knesset elections in a bid to replace Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh with a more "convenient" police chief in light of the criminal investigations against him, a senior Likud member has been claiming in recent weeks in private conversations. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter According to the source, Netanyahu plans to prevent Alsheikh from landing a fourth year in office, unlike previous police commissioners. Netanyahu and Alsheikh. A Likud official says the prime minister has yet to give up on his mission to replace the police chief (Photos: Reuters, Alex Kolomoisky) The senior official said that was one of the reasons Netanyahu had tried to move up the elections at the end of the Knesset's winter session in March, adding that the prime minister had yet to give up on his mission. Will Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan be replaced with Miri Regev or Yariv Levin? (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) "Netanyahu's goal in moving up the elections is replacing Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan with one of his two loyalists in the party: Miri Regev or Yariv Levin," the official added. "In such an event, he will be certain that he handed the ministry over to one of the people who would know how to show the police chief the way out, or at least avoid extending his term." Erdan took to Twitter on Sunday to comment on the speculations concerning Alsheikh's fourth year in office. "I haven't been dealing with the length of the police commissioner's term, and I have no opinion on the matter yet," he wrote. "On the contrary, dealing with this issue is premature." Yemeni health officials say an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in the country's north hit a wedding party, killing at least 15 people the previous day. Khaled al-Nadhri, the top health official in the northern province of Hajja, told The Associated Press on Monday that most of the dead were women and children who were gathered in one of the tents set up for the wedding party in the district of Bani Qayis. He says the bride was also among the dead. Hospital chief Mohammed al-Sawmali says the groom and 45 of the wounded were brought to the local al-Jomhouri hospital. The Saudi-led coalition has been waging a war on Yemen's Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who control much of the north, to restore the internationally recognized government to power. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked vowed to help Ethiopia's Jews immigrate to Israel as soon as possible during a rare visit to Ethiopia. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Shaked visited the synagogue in Addis Ababa on Sunday. "These programs that will eventually reunite Ethiopian Jews with their families in Israel are not generally easy," said Shaked to the group gathered in the synagogue. "But I will try everything within my power to work with relevant offices to make this happen in the shortest time possible," she said. Justice Minister Shaked (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch) Shaked, on what is reported to be her first official visit to Africa, said she came to find out more about the situation of Ethiopia's estimated 8,000 remaining Jews. Members of the Ethiopian Jews who attended the meeting told her that they want to move to Israel, where many family members moved years ago. They said they want " aliya ," the Hebrew term for the immigration of Jews in other parts of the world to Israel. "We know aliyah for Jews that are descendants in other countries happened so swiftly that sometimes even their dogs were also included as they moved to Israel. Are we less important than these dogs?" asked Meles Sidisto, the community head of Ethiopia's Jews in Addis Ababa. Ethiopians protesting in front of the Knesset, calling for the government to permit their family into Israel (Photo: AFP) In an emotional speech, Sidisto reaffirmed that members of Ethiopia's Jewish population plan to stage a mass hunger strike should Israel fail to reunite them with their families soon. "We are unhappy here. We have had enough here. If our situation is not resolved in a very short time, we will hold a momentous mass hunger strike that will help us present our voice to Israel and the world," he said. The Ethiopian Jews met with Shaked in the small hall decorated with Israeli flags and scriptures. Some said they have been separated for decades from close family members who moved to Israel. Tigabu Worku, one of the synagogue's most active members, read a letter to Shaked in which he complained that he has been separated from his family for years. "I have been torn from my younger sisters Leah and Sarah for 18 years," said Tigabu. "Eighteen years I have missed them. Eighteen years I have waited to see their faces that I no longer remember." Ethiopia's Falashmuras are believed to be descendants of one of the Ten Lost Tribes of ancient Israel. Ethiopia's Jewish people mainly live in the Amhara and Tigray provinces. Thousands of Falashmuras moved to Israel following the Law of Return in April 1975 and most of those who remain in Ethiopia have been separated from family members who moved to Israel for well over a decade. Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz warned Syria Monday of allowing an attack on Israel to leave from Syrian soil. "If Assad as the Syrian ruler would allow anyone, Iran or anyone else, to declare war on Israel from Syria, his blood will be on his own head," he said quoting a bible verse, meaning those who are hostile bear the responsibility for hostilities. Steinitz added in his interview with Ynet that such action will endanger "the very existence" of Assad's regime, as well as of Assad himself. The minister said this on the backdrop of rising tensions with Tehran over an Israel's air strike on the T-4 airbase in Syria earlier this month, which claimed 14 lives, including seven Iranian "military advisors." A letter penned by Richard Wagner warning of Jewish influence in culture will be auctioned next week in Israel, where public performances of German anti-Semitic composer's works are effectively banned. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Wagner, whose grandiose and nationalistic 19th century work is infused with anti-Semitism, misogyny and proto-Nazi ideas of racial purity, was Adolf Hitler's favorite composer. While there is no law in Israel banning his works from being played in Israel, orchestras and venues refrain from doing so because of the public outcry and disturbances accompanying past attempts. Meron Eren, co-founder and owner of the Kedem auction house, holding Wagner's letter (Photo: AFP) Tuesday's sale of the handwritten letter, dated April 25, 1869 and addressed to French philosopher Edouard Schure, could rekindle the debate in Israel on the controversial composer. Wagner wrote in the letter that Jewish assimilation into French society prevents the observation of "the corroding influence of the Jewish spirit on modern culture", adding that the French know "very little" about the Jews. In 1850, Wagner published under a pseudonym his infamous anti-Semitic pamphlet, "Judaism in Music", in which he lambasted Jews. It was re-issued in 1869 under his full name. Meron Eren, a co-founder and owner of the Kedem auction house which will be selling the letter on Tuesday, said this was the first time he was dealing with a Wagner item. "Wagner would roll over in his grave" if he knew that a bearded Jew in Jerusalem was going to profit from his letter, Eren said. Wagner's letter (Photo: AFP) Ruth HaCohen, a musicology professor at Hebrew University, said the letter shows Wagner's desire to have his anti-Semitic views accepted by the public, describing its sale in Jerusalem of all places an "irony." But there are those in Israel who are trying to break the taboo surrounding Wagner and promote his music, like Jonathan Livny, an attorney and hear of the Israel Wagner Society. He said although Israelis embrace German products like Volkswagen and Mercedes cars and Israeli trains and submarines are made in Germany, they continue to boycott Wagner. "It's easy to boycott him because most of the people don't listen to his music," said Livny. Wagner has become a "symbol of the Holocaust", Livny added. US allies and rivals spoke out in support of the Iran nuclear deal on Monday, bolstering French President Emmanuel Macron's pitch to US President Donald Trump that there was no "Plan B" for keeping a lid on Tehran's atomic ambitions. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Macron is on something of a rescue mission for the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Trump has vowed to scrap unless European allies strengthen it by mid-May. A nuclear non-proliferation conference in Geneva heard repeated calls for parties to the dealthe United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germanyto ensure its implementation and preservation. Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi (Photo: AP) "The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action continues to be the best way to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program and to realize the promised tangible economic benefits for the Iranian people," UN High representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said. But US non-proliferation envoy Christopher Ford said Iran presented a very real long-term challenge to the non-proliferation regime. "Iran (is) a country that for years illegally and secretly sought to develop nuclear weapons, suspended its weaponization work only when confronted by the potentially direst of consequences without ever coming clean about its illicit endeavours," he said. "For several more years (it) continued its efforts to enrich uranium in violation of legally-binding UN Security Council requirements, and retains the ability to position itself, several years hence, dangerously close to rapid weaponization." US President Donald Trump (Photo: EPA) On a visit to Beijing, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had agreed with his Chinese counterpart to block any US attempt to sabotage the deal. "We are against revising these agreements, we consider it very counterproductive to try to reduce to zero years of international work carried out via talks between the six major powers and Iran," Lavrov said after talks with the Chinese government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi. "We will obstruct attempts to sabotage these agreements which were enshrined in a UN Security Council resolution," Lavrov said. EU disarmament envoy Jacek Bylica said the deal strengthened the international non-proliferation regime, contributed to regional and international security and ensured the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. Cornel Seruta, a senior official at the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the deal had significantly improved access to Iran. "In short, Iran is now subject to the most robust nuclear verification regime and Iran is implementing its nuclear related commitments under the JCPOA," he said. "It is essential that Iran continues to fully implement those commitments." Berlin's Jewish community is organizing a "kippah march" Wednesday following the assault of a Adam Arush, a 21-year-old Israeli Arab wearing a skullcap, by a 19-year-old Muslim refugee in the German capital last Tuesday. The precession will take place next to the Jewish community building. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The Jewish community plans to hand out thousands of kippahs to everyone interested in expressing solidarity with the Jewish community in Germany by wearing them proudly across the city. Screenshot of attack (Photo: Jewish Forum for Democracy and Against anti-Semitism) Arush said in an interview to German television that he had worn the kippah as an "experiment" following a conversation he had had with a Jewish friend residing in Berlin. "My friend told me that wearing Jewish symbols in public is not safe in Berlin," Arush explained. Arush filmed a video of his assault on his phone. The video shows a young Muslim hitting him with a belt and yelling "Jew" in Arabic. "I couldn't sleep all night after the assault, my body was sore and I don't feel as safe as I felt before and had to be rushed to the hospital to receive medical care," Arush lamented. Footage of Muslim regugee whipping a Jewish man (: ) X Arush said in an interview to German television that he had worn the kippah as an "experiment" following a conversation he had had with a Jewish friend residing in Berlin. "My friend told me that wearing Jewish symbols in public is not safe in Berlin," Arush explained. Deputy Mayor of Frankfurt Uwe Becker with his kippah (Photo: Rafael Herlich) The 21-year-old asked his girlfriend, who was with him during the attack, to call the police. The Berlin Police Department confirmed receiving a report of the incident and launched an investigation. Arush gave the police the video he had filmed, showing the assailant's face. Head of the Jewish Community in Germany, Joseph Schuster, Berlin Mayor Michael Muller and the Jewish community leader Dr. Gideon Yaffe will speak during the kippah march. Kippah march ad The commissioner recently appointed by the German government to coordinate government activities against anti-Semitism, Felix Klein, has also showed his supoort of the event. The head of the Charlottenburg neighborhood in Berlin expressed his solidarity with the Jewish community, writing on his Facebook page that he planned to wear a kippah he had bought in Jerusalem several years ago even though he was not going to be in town on the day of the march. Frankfurt Deputy Mayor Uwe Becker called on the city's residents to also wear a kippah on Wednesday and show their support of the Jewish community, in addition to posting his own photo wearing a kippah. Arush told in an interview to German television that he wore the kippah as an 'experiment' following a conversation he had had with his Jewish friend who resides in Berlin. The German Minister of Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas, who attended an event in Berlin marking Israel 70th Independence Day, condemned the incident and called it a "disgrace." The Kremlin on Monday declined to comment on media reports that Russia planned to soon supply Syria with S-300 missile systems, but said a Western missile strike on Syria had soured the atmosphere in the region. Russia's daily Kommersant newspaper, citing unnamed military sources, reported earlier on Monday that Russia might start supplying S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Syria in the near future. It said experts believed that Israel would react negatively to the development and might bomb the area where the missile systems would be deployed. Education Minister Naftali Bennett acknowledged the existing gaps in the Arab sector's education system on Monday, saying efforts were being invested to narrow them down. "I predict that in five to seven years, the education gaps in the Arab sector will be significantly narrowed," Bennett said at an inauguration of the Israeli Hope program at the President's Residence. Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said Monday that if Syrian President Bashar Assad let anyone declare war on Israel from Syrian territory, he would suffer the consequences. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter In an interview to the Ynet studio, Steinitz was asked about Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's clarification Sunday that Tehran saw no possibility of widespread military conflict. "The Iranians may be trying to lower tensions in the United States, but in the region they are increasing tensions and instability, in Syria and in the entire region," the minister replied. Steinitz. 'Iran increasing regional tensions' (Photo: Avi Moalem) "What Zarif says in English may be important, but the more important thing is that Iran has already sent a drone strapped with explosives to infiltrate Israel's borders. Even more important is the Iranian attempt to turn Syria into a military base for Iran, the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian army, and that is something we won't allow of course." He added that "if Assad, as the Syrian leader, allows anyone, Iran or anyone else, to declare war on Israel from Syrian territory, he will suffer the consequences. He is jeopardizing his regime and his actual existence. Why it's unthinkable that Assad will keep sitting quietly in his palace while a war is being declared on Israel. "I believe that what is taking place in Syria could be critical for our future and security. Naturally, I hope things won't develop into a comprehensive war, but our determination to prevent an Iranian military base on our northern border is clear. I hope it's clear to the Iranians too, and I hope it's clear to Assad, who may be taking risks he will live to regret. Steinitz says Assad 'won't be able to keep sitting quietly in his palace while a war is being declared on Israel' (Photo: AP) "The same applies to Hamas and to the Palestinian Authority," Steinitz added. "The aggression comes from the other side, the attempts to challenge us come from the other side, so our determination should be clear both on the ground and in a verbal and rhetoric manner. "Our battle against Hamas is successful. We have developed technological scientific ways of removing Hamas' tunnel threat . Just like we are removing tunnel threats underground, we will remove threats above the ground, in the air, by rockets or armed drones. The people of Israel will find solutions to the terror threats just like they have done in the past." Asked whether he recognized the photofits of the suspects involved in the assassination of Hamas electrical engineer Fadi Albatsh, which were released by the Malaysian police Monday, Steinitz replied: "I am unfamiliar with the citizens of Finland or Sweden. I think someone raised the possibility that it came from there. But really, I dont want to comment on any specific rumor, report or incident." A more balanced 'notwithstanding clause' Steinitz also told Ynet he was in favor of a more moderate "notwithstanding clause," aimed at preventing the High Court of Justice (HCJ) from striking down legislation, than the override power suggested by Education Minister Naftali Bennett. "The current situation must be fixed," Steinitz told Ynet on Monday morning. "Not only is judicial activism is unhelpful, but it harms democracy, contradicts the values of democracy and contradicts the proper separation of powers. But when one distortion is fixed, there is no need to another extremism and create a different distortion. "I dont think that judicial control should be prevented altogether, which is why I'm in favor of a moderate and balanced notwithstanding clause. I thought the right number should be a majority of around 65 Knesset members. More importantly, the system I'm thinking about requires a vote by two Knessets before the notwithstanding clause actually goes into effect." According to Steinitz, this proposal is more balanced than the education minister's suggestion that a 61-MK majority would allow the law's enactment. While Turkey has in recent years become the seat of Hamas' central headquarters, Malaysia has for years served as the training center for operatives of the military wing of the terrorist organization that controls the Gaza Strip. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Should Saturday's killing of Palestinian engineer and member of Hamas Fadi Albatsh be revealed as a plan orchestrated and executed by the Mossad, as Hamas claims, it could very well be an attempt to strike at the safe haven enjoyed by Hamas operatives in the Asian country, or to hinder their initial training stage. In recent years, the Shin Bet has uncovered a large number of cases in which Hamas terrorists have been trained in Malaysia and received regular military training with the tacit agreement between Hamas and the Muslim state. Hamas militants at Albatsh's funeral (Photo: EPA) In January 2013, a few months after Operation Pillar of Defense, Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia visited the Gaza Strip. He expressed regret over the assassination of Hamas chief of staff Ahmed Jabari at the beginning of the operation and laid a cornerstone for the rebuilding of a Hamas government building that was destroyed in an Israeli attack. A year later, the Shin Bet arrested Wassim Kawasma, who was recruited with several other Palestinians during their academic studies in Malaysia. The IDF arrested another member of the Hamas military wing in Khan Yunis, who admitted that he had been sent by Hamas to Malaysia along with ten other militants to train in paragliding for an attack in Israel. The training in Malaysia was conducted under strict secrecy and was revealed by Israel only after the arrest of one of the militants who took part in it and was captured during Operation Protective Edge. The Malaysian government has officially and consistently denied Israeli allegations that it is providing a sanctuary for Hamas terrorist operatives to practice in its territory, and has repeatedly claimed that the Malaysian aid to Hamas is strictly for political, morale and humanitarian reasons. Malaysian police showing portraits of the two suspected in the shooting (Photo: AP) According to Israel, the interrogation of Kawasma and subsequent investigation revealed that under the cover charitable committees at the International Islamic University in Malaysia, Palestinian students are secretly recruited to the Hamas military wing, sent to Turkey for military training, which is paid for by the Gaza-based terror group, and from there continue to the West Bank to establish terrorist cells. The Shin Bet estimates that dozens of students have been recruited in this way in Malaysia in recent years to Hamas' military wing. Kawasma was arrested by the Shin Bet on his return from Malaysia via the Allenby crossing in February 2015, and was later accused of receiving terror funds from another Hamas operative. The indictment against him revealed that he had also passed a week-long military course in Turkey on Hamas's tab. According to the findings of his interrogation, his handler in Malaysia instructed him how to behave in the event that he is interrogated after returning to Israel via Jordan. Scene of the shooting (Photo: AFP) Kawasma's indictment also named two operatives that have been in the crosshairs of Israeli intelligence for years for allegedly being behind the recruitment of many young Palestinians studying in MalaysiaDr. Ma'an Khatib and Dr. Radwan al-Atrash. Both, according to the Shin Bet security service, swore in Kawasma when he joined Hamas. Another affair involved Hamas' attempt to topple the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank by means of a violent coup in mid-2014, in the months preceeding Operation Protective Edge. According to the Shin Bet, 93 militants arrested in the affairhalf of them by Israelplanned terror attacks against Israel in order to undermine stability in the West Bank in the hope that it would precipitate the fall of Mahmoud Abbas' rule. Albatsh's funeral (Photo: AFP) Among the main militants arrested were Palestinians who studied chemistry and engineering in Malaysia, which was supposed to help them create precision and other lethal weapons, such as explosive charges and rockets. Ultimately, their plan was foiled and 24 rifles, six pistols, seven rocket launchers, large quantities of ammunition and NIS 2 million for the purchase of additional weapons were seized in a massive raid by Israeli security forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin is particularly fond of matzah and eats the unleavened flatbread, which is part of the Jewish cuisine during Passover, all year round, according to Russia's Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, a close associate of the Russian leader. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Lazar told reporters during the Limmud FSU festival, which is aimed at strengthening the Jewish identity of Russian-speaking Jews, that Putin eats matzah while drinking tea. Vladimir Putin (Photo: EPA) "Putin said matzah is tasty, easy and healthy to eat. He eats the matzah I bring him," the rabbi said. The Limmud FSU festival took place in Moscow to mark Israel's 70th Independence Day. Some 2,000 people attended the festival, including Immigrant Absorption Minister Sofa Landver, Israel's Ambassador to Russia Gary Koren and Deputy Director General of the Euro-Asia Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Alexander Ben-Zvi. Chaim Chesler, the founder of Limmud FSU, said the festival, the flagship event of the organization, is being held in Russia's capital, Moscow, for the 12th consecutive year. "The festival is the most important event for Russia's Jewry and I hope the organization will continue strengthening the young Jewish generation in Russia for many years to come," Chesler added. Chief Rabbi Lazar emphasized Putin's involvement in the Jewish community in Russia. "Putin knows which city has a synagogue and which city doesn't. The Jewish museum was inaugurated following his visit to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem where he was very moved. He even contributed one of his salaries to the Jewish museum project," Lazar elaborated. A mortar shell fired from Syria, likely the result of errant fire from the raging civil war, landed inside Israeli territory in the Golan Heights on Monday, prompting the IDF to carry out a precision artillery strike on a Syrian military position. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter No one was hurt in the stray mortar fire, which landed east of the border fence near Quneitra. The IDF sees the Syrian civil regime as responsible for all that happens on its territory and will not tolerate any attempt to harm the sovereignty of the State of Israel or the security of its citizens, an IDF statement read after the retaliatory strike. Israel-Syria border (Photo: Avihu Shapira) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad'ss army has been seeking in recent weeks to create a logistical disconnect between areas in his war-torn country controlled by the rebels near the border with Israel in a possible preparatory move to stage a major maneuver to regain control of the Syrian Golan Heights. Three months ago, Assads army scored a victory with the capture of the Syrian Hermon and regained control over the Syrian town of Beit Jann by, inter alia, dropping explosives from helicopters flying a few kilometers from the Israeli border. Around 80 percent of the territory adjacent to the Israeli border is controlled by a combination of fighters from various Syrian rebel groups and the Free Syria Army, with ISIS being pushed to the the southern end of the Hermon. Assad controls the northern Hermon. The attack took place a day after Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Sunday that Tehran saw no possibility of widespread military conflict. "I do not believe that we are headed towards regional war," Zarif told CBS's Face the Nation in the full interview released Sunday afternoon. He did, however, qualify his statement by saying that "Israel has continued its violations with international law, hoping to be able to do it with impunity because of US support and trying to find smokescreens to hide behind." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Public Diplomacy Division launched a new public relations animated three dimensional 10-minute movie marking Israel's 70th Independence Day that tells the world Israel's story. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Entitled "The Resurrection of a nation", the movie aims to explain the historic bond created throughout generations between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. Animated video ( ) X The clip, which lasts over ten minutes, is narrated by Gila Almagor, and it was translated into 12 languages including Chinese, Russian, French, Spanish, Persian, Portuguese and German. "The beautiful thing about this movie is that it has no militant elements. I can really relate to the movie's titlethe resurrection of a nation. The part that moved me the most was Isreal's declaration of independence. I was a child at that time," Almagor reflected about the clip, which meant for Jewish and non-Jewish communities, schools, shows and fairs around the world. A Jewish family's story (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs) The short movie tells the story of a Jewish family, taking its viewers through the generations, from the Kingdom of Judah to the present. Its goal is to emphasize the indelible bond between the Jewish people and its land as well as its longing to return to Israel. Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yuval Rotem initiated the production of the movie which showcases the main events that paved the way to the establishment of the State of Israel such as the First Zionist Congress, the Balfour Declaration and events occurring after Israel's establishment, including Jerusalem's reunification and Egypt's president Anwar Sadat's visit to Jerusalem. The historic visit of Egypt's president Anwar Sadat to Israel (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs) "We work tirelessly to convey Israel's message to the entire world. This is the heart of our work in public diplomacy," Rotem explained. One hundred people participated in the production of the movie, a process that lasted for one year and that was led by Zug Production Company and the Fixlers Animation Studio. Gila Almagor (Photo: Shaul Golan) The Director of Information and Communication Production Department in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Mordechai Rodgold said the movie focuses on the Jewish people's cultural uniqueness and on their contribution to the world. Israel has asked Moscow not to supply the Syrian military with advanced S-300 missile systems, according to a Russian diplomat. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter An Israeli government spokesman declined comment on the claim that was made by the Russian diplomat on condition on anonymity. Israel has made repeated efforts to persuade Moscow not to sell the system to Syria, as it fears this would hinder its aerial capabilities against arms shipments to Iranian-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah. Israel has carried out scores of air strikes against suspected shipments. S-300 missile test Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Russia had not yet decided whether it would deliver the S-300 missile systems to Syria, but would not make a secret of the matter if it took such a decision, the TASS news agency reported. Russias daily Kommersant newspaper, citing unnamed military sources, reported earlier on Monday that Russia might start supplying the anti-aircraft missile systems to Syria in the near future. The Kremlin declined to comment. Kommersant said on Monday that experts believed that Israel would react negatively to any decision to supply the missiles and might bomb the area where they would be deployed. Lavrov said on Friday that Western military strikes on Syria this month had removed any moral obligation Russia had to withhold the missile systems from its ally Syrian President Bashar Assad. Well have to wait to see what specific decisions the Russian leadership and representatives of Syria will take, TASS cited Lavrov as saying on Monday during a visit to Beijing. There is probably no secret about this and it can all be announced (if a decision is taken), added Lavrov. Minister of Immigration and Absorption Sofa Landver (Yisrael Beytenu) shared with an audience in Moscow last week that she concealed a diamond by swallowing it when she immigrated to Israel. spoke at a conference in Moscow Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "When I moved to Israel, I came with nothing and started from rock bottom. I even swallowed a diamond and never found it," said Landver during a conference in the Russian capital as she revealed some surprising anecdotes about Aliyah experience. Landver was in Russia representing the government at events marking Israel's 70th anniversary including a historic visit by the Habima Theatre troupe in Moscow and an event organized by the Israeli Embassy in Moscow. She also revealed that her father was a Russian war hero who killed 26 Nazis in WWII, she told her audience. Sofa Landver (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) Participating in the Limmud FSU (a Jewish education organization in the former Soviet Union) festival in Moscow, Landver addressed a crowd of some 2,000 people about the travails that accompanied her Aliyah to Israel in 1978, comparing past and current day immigration conditions. "When I came I lived in a 15 square meter apartment. Today, immigrants have a lot of assistance. Immigrants have many options and we help them with employment, studies and housing. I came to this office to ensure that today's immigrants do not have to endure what I endured," Landver said. "Each wave of immigration harms the previous wave of immigrants, who are not always enthusiastic towards the newcomers," she continued. "Only our country can absorb so many people so successfully. The last wave of immigrants had many more options than I had." Many Jews come to Israel, she added, out of national yearning similarly felt by the lone soldiers who come to serve in the IDF. Landver pointed out that many immigrants attain senior government positions like Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelsein, a fact which she said demonstrated their successful integration and that the sky is the limit. Her father, Hirsh Kuchin, was a Red Army war hero. According to documents from the Russian Defense Ministry, he reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was decorated for the killing of 26 Nazi soldiers and capturing another seven during WWII. Landver said that her father, who died in 1978, avoided talking about his experiences with her. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah has blamed Israel for the mysterious assassination of Palestinian Hamas electrical engineer Fadi al-Batsh in Malaysia over the weekend, slamming it as a Zionist crime. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter We must condemn this Israeli assassination of a Palestinian-Arab scientist and the martyr Fadi al-Batsh, Nasrallah said during a speech delivered at an event organized by the Hezbollah terror group ahead of the Lebanese parliamentary elections next month. The Gaza-ruling terror group, Hamas has also attributed 35-year-old Dr. Fadi al-Batshs murder to Israel. Hassan Nasrallah (Photo: EPA) This is an expression of the ongoing Israeli plan that does not spare any Arab minda mind that contains knowledge, expertise, experience, or a mind that may one day be part of the Arab nation, Nasrallah said in his speech. According to the secretary-general, this is the reason that they are pursuing Arab scientists and academics, from Iran to Tunisia to Malaysia. Even a number of Lebanese minds were killed in the last weeks and months under mysterious circumstances around the world. In the past few days, Nasrallah has increased the number of speeches delivered in a bid to shore up public support for the elections, particularly in electoral districts which identify with the terror group. Dr. Fadi al-Batsh (Photo: EPA) Malaysian police on Monday released facial composites of two suspects behind the assassination of al-batsh in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. The pictures were distributed by the authorities at all of the country's exit points. Mohamad Fuzi Harun, inspector general of the Royal Malaysia Police, said the photofits were compiled based on eyewitnesses' testimonies. "We have experts who say the facial composites match the eyewitnesses' testimonies, but we cant reveal any additional information." Facial composites of the suspects behind the assassination. (Photo: Malaysian Police) According to the Malaysian police's description, the two suspects are well-built, fair-skinned men, approximately 180 centimeters tall, and it is still uncertain whether they are still in the country or left after the assassination. The inspector general added that the two suspects were believed to be of European or Middle Eastern descent. "We retrieved 14 bullets from the victim's body and sent them to our weapons experts here for an analysis," he said. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - The Wildland Firefighter Guardian Institute (WFGI) has been recognized in Returning The Favor -- a Facebook Watch series. WFGI is featured for its work to champion firefighter safety through independent investigations, education, and real-life support for firefighters, families and the fire Community. Mike Rowe, internationally recognized host of Dirty Jobs, featured WFGI and Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park on his Facebook Watch series, Returning the Favor. The show follows Rowe as he travels the country in search of remarkable people making a difference in their communities. Returning the Favor gives back to those who pay it forward with humor, heart and surprise. The most recent episode was released this morning. The Wildland Firefighter Guardian Institutes founders, Deborah Pfingston and Roxanne Preston, are the mother of Granite Mountain Hotshot Andrew Ashcraft and the wife of Hotshot William Warneke. Both Hotshots lost their lives, along with 17 of their Hotshot brothers, during the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30, 2013. The tragedy was the largest loss of firefighter life since 9/11. The important work the WFGI does to remember the ultimate sacrifice of the Hotshots and their work to help Wildland Firefighters across the country is worthy of this honor, said Governor Doug Ducey. In recognition of the work the WFGI has done to support Wildland Firefighters, Governor Ducey joined host Mike Rowe at Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park to surprise the two women with donations for their organization, including a full-size bronze statue of a Hotshot from Big Statues out of Provo, Utah and $5,000 worth of equipment from STIHL Chainsaws. The statue will remain on display at the parks trailhead. More than 36,000 visitors have come to the park since we opened it in November 2016, said Arizona State Parks & Trails Executive Director Sue Black. With the recognition from Mike Rowe and this statue honoring the fallen Hotshots, we know even more people will want to come to pay their respects. To view the show, visit https://facebook.com/ReturningTheFavor . To learn more about WFGI and the work they do, visit https://wfgi.org Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced a State Grand Jury indicted 40-year-old Robert Aguayo for allegedly stealing $4.75 million in an oil investment scam. Aguayo is facing 50 felony charges including Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, Theft, and Misconduct Involving Weapons. Special Agents with the Arizona Attorney Generals Office investigated the case along with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Aguayo operated a business called IGot Oil Co, LLC, which claimed to offer investment opportunities for oil wells in Oklahoma. Aguayo solicited investments from 48 individuals totaling $4.75 million between January 2016 to February 2018. It is alleged that the oil wells in Oklahoma were not in production or were not producing oil as Aguayo had represented to the investors. The investigation revealed that Aguayo used new investor money to pay earlier investors. Investors were from Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Texas. All defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Tuesday, U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell sentenced Harold Halman, II, 58, and Alexander Schaap, 62, to 36 and 30 months in prison, respectively. Both must serve 3 years of supervised release following their prison sentences. The Court also ordered them to pay $4.5 million in restitution. Craighton Boates, 44, New River, Ariz., was also sentenced to 5 years probation. Evidence showed that Halman, Schaap, and Boates were principals in a now defunct company known as Global Medical Equipment of Arizona (GMEA). They defrauded the Small Business Administration, Metro Phoenix Bank, and Republic Bank of Arizona by submitting loan applications containing false information that included the percentage of GMEA ownership, the use of the loans for pre-existing debts, forged emails and letters misrepresenting that down payments had been made by the principals, and a concealed kickback. The defendants defaulted on nearly $4.5 million in loans. "These loans should have been granted to qualified small business owners. Instead the defendants effectively denied an opportunity to legitimate small businesses deserving access to capital, stated Elizabeth A. Strange, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. The United States Attorneys Office will continue to aggressively investigate and seek criminal prosecution or civil remedies when fraud is perpetrated by corrupt borrowers who attempt to obtain financial assistance through the SBAs guaranteed loan programs. We would like to thank the SBA-OIG, IRS-CID, and the FBI for their thoroughness and dedicated professionalism throughout this investigation." SBAs 7(a) program is intended to provide capital to grow the nations small businesses not line ones pockets, said Acting Inspector General Hannibal Mike Ware. Schemes to unjustly enrich oneself will be rooted out, and those responsible will be brought to justice. I want to thank the U.S. Attorneys Office for their dedication and leadership throughout this investigation. A sophisticated scheme involving millions in illegally obtained loans does not happen without forethought and criminal intent. The defendants made false statements and omissions to the banks who relied on them to be truthful, stated IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Ismael Nevarez, Jr. We hope this prosecution discourages others from taking the path of fraud in their business ventures." "These three individuals knowingly executed a scheme to defraud banks out of more than $6 million then conspired to launder the money," said Michael DeLeon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. "The guilty pleas of these individuals should send a message. The FBI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of crimes and protect the community from schemes to defraud financial institutions insured by the FDIC." The investigation in this case was conducted by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Kevin M. Rapp Assistant United States Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix. Arizona News Phoenix, Arizona - Earlier this month, Douglas Dane Jones, 41, of Tsaile, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 20 years imprisonment, to be followed by lifetime supervised release with mandatory sex offender registration and conditions. Jones had previously pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor and production of child pornography. Jones sexually abused the victim over the course of several months in 2017. Jones also produced child pornography. The victims family brought the matter to the attention of law enforcement authorities. Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation promptly began an investigation, which led to Jones arrest and prosecution. Jones and the victim are both members of the Navajo Nation, and the abuse occurred both within the Navajo Nation Reservation and outside of it, including in the city of Chandler, Arizona. The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Chandler Police Department, with the assistance of other federal, state, and tribal agencies. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix. Arizona News Tucson, Arizona - On April 18, 2018, Steve Martan, 58, of Tucson, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to 15 months imprisonment. Martan had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threatening. On May 2, 4, and 10, 2017, Martan left a total of six threatening messages for Congresswoman Martha McSally on her congressional office voicemail. Martan was identified through caller identification and subscriber information and was in possession of the phone used to leave these messages when he was arrested on May 11, 2017. The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the United States Capitol Police. The prosecution was handled by Angela W. Woolridge, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson. Health News Washington, DC - Omega-3 fatty acid supplements taken orally proved no better than placebo at relieving symptoms or signs of dry eye, according to the findings of a well-controlled trial funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health. Dry eye disease occurs when the film that coats the eye no longer maintains a healthy ocular surface, which can lead to discomfort and visual impairment. The condition affects an estimated 14 percent of adults in the United States. The paper was published online April 13 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Annual sales of fish- and animal-derived supplements amount to more than a $1-billion market in the United States, according to the Nutrition Business Journal. Many formulations are sold over-the-counter, while others require a prescription or are available for purchase from a health care provider. The trial provides the most reliable and generalizable evidence thus far on omega-3 supplementation for dry eye disease, said Maryann Redford, D.D.S., M.P.H., program officer for clinical research at NEI. Despite insufficient evidence establishing the effectiveness of omega-3s, clinicians and their patients have been inclined to try the supplements for a variety of conditions with inflammatory components, including dry eye. This well-controlled investigation conducted by the independently-led Dry Eye Assessment and Management (DREAM) Research Group shows that omega-3 supplements are no better than placebo for typical patients who suffer from dry eye. The 27-center trial enrolled 535 participants with at least a six-month history of moderate to severe dry eye. Among them, 349 people were randomly assigned to receive 3 grams daily of fish-derived omega-3 fatty acids in five capsules. Each daily dose contained 2000 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 1000 mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This dose of omega-3 is the highest ever tested for treating dry eye disease. The 186 people randomly assigned to the placebo group received 5 grams daily of olive oil (about 1 teaspoon) in identical capsules. Study participants and the researchers did not know their group assignment. Blood tests at 12 months confirmed that 85 percent of people in the omega-3 group were still compliant with the therapy. In the omega-3 group, mean EPA levels quadrupled versus no change in the placebo group. Mean levels of oleic acid, the constituent of olive oil, remained stable in both treatment groups. Importantly, unlike in most industry-sponsored trials, all participants were free to continue taking their previous medications for dry eye, such as artificial tears and prescription anti-inflammatory eye drops. Omega-3s are generally used as an add-on therapy. The study results are in the context of this real-world experience of treating symptomatic dry eye patients who request additional treatment, said study chair for the trial, Penny A. Asbell, M.D., of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Patient-reported symptoms were measured as change from baseline in the Ocular Surface Disease Index, a 100-point scale for assessing dry eye symptoms, with higher values representing greater severity. After 12 months, mean symptoms scores for people in both groups had improved substantially, but there was no significant difference in the degree of symptom improvement between the groups. Symptom scores improved by a mean of 13.9 points in the omega-3 group and 12.5 points in the placebo group. A reduction of at least 10 points on the index is considered significant enough for a person to notice improvement. Overall, 61 percent of people in the omega-3 group and 54 percent of those in the control group achieved at least a 10-point improvement in their symptom score, but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. Likewise, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of improvement in signs of dry eye. Signs of dry eye were evaluated by the clinician using standardized tests that measure the amount and quality of tears and the integrity of the cornea and the conjunctiva, the surface tissue that covers the front of the eye. The findings also emphasize the difficulty in judging whether a treatment really helps a particular dry eye patient, said the leader of the coordinating center for the study, Maureen G. Maguire, Ph.D., of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. More than half the people taking placebo reported substantial symptom improvement during the year-long study. The results of the DREAM study do not support use of omega-3 supplements for patients with moderate to severe dry eye disease, Dr. Asbell concluded. The study was funded by NEI grants U10EY022879 and U10EY022881. For more information about dry eye, visit https://www.nei.nih.gov/health/dryeye Health News Washington, DC - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will hold its 67th Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Conference April 16-19, 2018 in Atlanta. The annual gathering of disease detectives showcases cutting-edge investigations and often life-saving outbreak responses by EIS officers and their laboratory counterparts, the Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS) fellows. CDCs EIS officers are our front line of defense for health threats both domestically and abroad, said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D. These dedicated professionals deploy more than 200 times in any given year to help investigate outbreaks and respond to other public health crises, and the knowledge we gain during EIS investigations helps inform future prevention efforts that save lives and protect peoples health. CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat, M.D. (RADM U.S. Public Health Service) will open the conference with remarks on Monday morning, April 16. This year, the conference incorporates four special sessions that will explore critical public health topics, including the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh, the need for innovative use of big data in public health, the 1918 influenza centenary, and the U.S. opioid overdose epidemic. Another new feature: on April 17, four EIS officers will give a behind-the-scenes look at their investigations in a TED-style talk. The TED-style talks will cover: Using geographic information systems (GIS) to conduct a vaccination campaign in Somalia. Tracking, testing, and building lab capacity for Legionella. Preventing HIV and the untold story of men who have sex with men in rural America. Discovering the inadequate nutritional value of food among incarcerated people during a foodborne outbreak investigation. On April 18, the 20th Surgeon General of the United States, Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H., will give this years Alexander D. Langmuir Lecture on Better Health through Better Partnerships. Dr. Adams is committed to maintaining strong relationships with the public health community and forging new partnerships with non-traditional partners, including business and law enforcement. He oversees the operations of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, which has approximately 6,500 uniformed health officers who serve in nearly 600 locations around the world to promote, protect and advance the health and safety of our nation and our world. Disease detectives at work During the past year, EIS and LLS officers have conducted responses to numerous public health threats. Noteworthy presentations at this years conference include: Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the Foothills Library! On Thursday, May 4th, learn about the Battle of Puebla and the significance of the fifth of May in Mexican history at 11:00 a.m. There is no charge to attend. Please note, this program will be offered in English and Spanish. The Foothills Library is located at 13226 E South Frontage Road. For more information, call (928) 342-1640. This week, Ghanaians woke up to the news that Shatta Wale and Shatta Michy have broken up. Shatta Wale and Shatta Michy: Happier times The power couple had apparently been having relationship challenges behind the scenes for some time now, and on Monday, their acrimony spilled onto social media, stunning the nation. Shatta and Michy, in a typical "fire for fire" fashion, exchanged several unflattering revelations about each other, including allegations of domestic abuse. For fans of the celebrities who watched the episode unfold on social media and on YEN.com.gh, it was - and is still - shocking to learn that the much vaunted relationship of two leading members of the Shatta Movement has "paska (ed)". Shatta Michy supports Shatta Wale on stage at a social event In a sign that the breakup is permanent, Shatta Wale has vowed never to return to Michy. He has even bragged about sleeping with another lady. Michy also swears that she has had it with the dancehall star. Does this mean it is really the end of the road for them? Not so fast, we dare say. The two share so much history that it will be tough for them to quit at this time. For Shatta Wale, especially, it will be tougher, as Michy has been his rock in the last several years. Here are photos that explain why Shatta Wale may soon run back into the warm arms of Michy: 1. She has been an incredible mother to their son, Majesty Shatta Michy with her son Majesty 2. Wale has admitted that Michy has been a great force in his life, supporting him when he was a poor and struggling musician. 3. She is not only stunning, but also supportive, and Shatta will want her to remain in his corner. 4. Shatta Michy is full of life, and has a positive outlook. READ ALSO: I have deep feelings for Patapaa Beautiful Nigerian musician confesses 5. She slays without any effort. 6. She is heavily endowed. Shatta likes that. 7. She can turn on the party anytime she wants. READ ALSO: 14 unique photos that will show you a different side of Nana Ama McBrown Whatever Shatta and Michy decide, we simply wish them all the best. What do you make of this? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. YEN news' Charles Ayitey brings you the latest news in Ghana in the video below: Do you have a shocking story, hot news or a scandal you want us to publish? Send it to us now on Facebook! Source: Yen YEN.com.gh has sighted a video of radio personality Sammy Forson proposing to his girlfriend Pearl Johnson. In the video, the Joy FM presenter was seen kneeling down in front of a counter of a Fidelity Bank to pop the question. A surprised Pearl responded in the affirmative after which the two got locked in a warm embrace. READ ALSO: If your man can't make you orgasm, leave him - Actress tells women It is not known where exactly the proposal took place, but the video, according to AmeyawDebrah.com, was first shared by star actress Yvonne Nelson who is a known friend of Sammy Forson. Sammy and Pearl have been dating for some time now. READ ALSO: Dating one man is risky; Handle 3-5 at a time Gospel artiste advises Initially based in London, Pearl is said to have relocated to Ghana to set up Girl Play, a shop that sells body shapers and other beauty enhancers for women. It will be recalled that a lovestruck Sammy Forson once took to social media to express his love for Pearl. I remember there were those nights I would pray and seek Gods face asking him for that one person He came through and for I grateful Thank u @blvck.pearl for being my peace and love #loveislove #couplesgoals #committed #peaceofmind, he posted on Instagram last October. READ ALSO: I'm crushing on Patapaa, I'd like to 'taste' him - Actress reveals This should therefore come as the icing on the cake for such a beautiful union. Check out some of the trending news in Ghana in YEN.com.gh's video below: Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now Source: Yen - Prince David Osei has opened up to share experiences from his love and sex life. -The actor also revealed when and why he first had sex. Ghanaian actor Prince David Osei has opened up on his life and shared details and experiences that the public have not known about him. In an interview with UTVs Abeiku Santana on the ATUU' show, one of the striking questions that the actor wanted to answer and put all rumours to rest about his bad boy lifestyle had to do with his love and sex life. The first time I had sex was in 2007. I was a virgin by then and I did that with my wife, who was then my girlfriend, Prince David Osei said in response to a question whether he led a promiscuous life before getting married to his wife. Prince David Osei READ ALSO: 5 fierce, powerful lawyers we have in Ghana today According to him, he made a covenant with God that he should bless him to be a great person in future and so for that reason, he will remain chaste to fulfill his part of the covenant. I broke this covenant out of pure pressure because my friends didnt understand why I should be dating a girl for four years without doing anything to her. They even thought I was gay, so I have to do that to prove them wrong, he recounted. Prince David Osei told Abeiku Santana that even though he had been kissing and caressing his girlfriend at the time he always had in mind the covenant he had with his maker. READ ALSO: We played free shows for 10 years - Popular music group reveals Kissing is different from copulation but for the in and out movement it was until 2007, he said. He added that he got engaged to his girlfriend in 2011 and he has three kids with her and no other lady. Prince David Osei had been trolled on social media about two years ago for saying he remained a virgin until he was 26. Prince David Osei has featured in several award winning Ghanaian movies such as 'The Dead' and 'Devilish Angel'. READ ALSO: I have a crush on Patapaa Nigerian musician Guudy confesses Check out some of the trending news in Ghana in YEN.com.gh's video Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook now. Source: Yen Newspaper - Chairman of the Church of Pentecost is angry over Britain's gay comments - He believes the poverty of Ghana is the reason this pressure to legalize homosexuality is mounting - The UN official believes there are so many gays and lesbians in Ghana Chairman of the Church of Pentecost in Ghana, Apostle Professor Opoku Onyinah says comments by the British prime minister to help legalize homosexuality in Ghana is an insult to Ghanaians. For me, that is an insult to Ghanaians. Insult to the extent that they [are] trying to dictate to us [Ghanaians]. It is against the belief of Christians, Muslims, and Traditionalists," he argued in an interview with Joy FM. The pastor revealed that the reasons why Ghana continues to receive such pressure from the West are clearly because the country is poor and still begging Western leaders for help. READ ALSO: Photos of Shatta Michy that Shatta Wale won't forget easily Apostle Onyinah believes government's 'Ghana beyond aid' agenda will go a long way to deal with this issue. Also, senior law lecturer at the Ghana School of Law is sad about what he terms the chance government is giving to the West to demand Ghana legalizes homosexuality. Lawyer Moses Foh Amoaning is particularly mad about the recent comments made by a UN official against the stance of the speaker of parliament when it comes to gay rights. I am sick and tired of this arrogant bigotry being thrown around by Europeans and because we ourselves are not thinking through these things, we allow them to insult us poke down upon us and to say anything they like even Ghanaians dont seem to appreciate what is happening. He revealed in an interview with Starr FM. It all happened when the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Prof. Philip Alston, says the speaker of parliament does not know what is happening in Ghana when it comes to homosexuality. The speaker of parliament had earlier revealed that homosexuality is not in Ghana and that it is a strange activity that will not be accepted in the country but the UN official says Ghana's speaker of parliament has no idea of what is happening in Ghana. According to the UN official, the number of gays and lesbians in Ghana is overwhelming and that enforcing gay rights could help safeguard the interests of the community. If you tell me that a man must sleep with a man so as to show his human rights for Ghana, I can assure you that our Parliament is a real micropause of the rule of Ghana. Ghanaians do not support gay rights and nobody is going to make any law that will support this kind of thing, he revealed to the media after the UN held a fact-finding visit to Ghana about human rights and administrative justice. he criticism closely follows the speech by the British prime minister, Theresa May, who has pledged UK's resolve to help Ghana and other African countries legalize homosexuality. Theresa May, during the Commonwealth Heads of State conference in London, revealed that Britain introduced anti-gay laws in Ghana and therefore is prepared to reverse these laws. In the midst of all these pressure, the seat of the presidency is still committed to keeping homosexuality illegal in Ghana. READ ALSO: 5 fierce, powerful lawyers we have in Ghana today In fact, the minister of information, Mustapha Hamid, has stated that government is not considering legalizing homosexuality in the next hundred years. But amidst the assurance by the government, it is very clear that the pressure to enforce gay laws is mounting. Check out some of the trending news in Ghana in YEN.com.gh's video below: Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now. Source: Yen.com.gh - Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams has predicted that West Africa may soon experience its version of the Arab Spring - According to him, this could happen between 5 to 10 years - This, he explained, is because the private sector isn't creating enough wealth The Presiding Archbishop and General Overseer of the Action Chapel International ministry, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, has predicted that West Africa will soon experience its version of the Arab Spring. According to a report by MyNewsGH.com, he stated that the root cause of the event, which will happen between 5 to 10 years, will be the prevailing despondency of the youth in the sub-region. This formed part of the message he preached at church on Sunday, April 22, 2018, during church service. Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams READ ALSO: Photos of Shatta Michy that will give Shatta Wale sleepless nights He is reported to have stated that the Arab uprising is something that is in the pipeline, and its coming to West Africa. He went on to say that based on his knowledge as a student of history, prophecy and paradigms, he is convinced the revolution will happen soon. Explaining his prediction, the man of God noted that there is a serious challenge in West Africa, and from the long-term perspective, it may result in unpleasant circumstances. The private sector is not creating wealth because for whatever reason, we are destroying the private sector through this vicious cycle of malicious prosecution, he added. The Arab Spring, also known as the Arab Revolution, was a revolutionary wave of both violent and non-violent protests, foreign interventions and civil wars in North Africa and the Middle East. It began on December 18, 2010 in Tunisia, with the Tunisian Revolution. Several other countries experienced major uprisings, social violence and the toppling of regimes. READ ALSO: I have no business with Kennedy Agyapong - Ibrah In this video, Ebonys father names some people he believes are guilty of his daughters death. The question of whether homosexuality should be legalized in Ghana becomes a bone of contention: Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos Source: Yen - Parliament has called back all MPs to discuss "urgent business" - There are suspicions the recall is about the controversial military deal - So far, the opposition NDC has waged fierce opposition against the deal YEN.com.gh can confirm that all legislators in the country have been ordered back in parliament for an emergency meeting. The meeting has been described as "urgent business" and information minister, Mustapha Hamid hints the meeting could see parliament deal with the controversial Ghana-US military deal. READ ALSO: Patapaas job before fame; 4 other facts you never knew about him It all happened when the speaker of parliament, Prof. Mike Ocquaye, wrote an emergency letter to all minister ordering them to report to work on Friday, April 27 for the meeting. Recalls are however costly as the taxpayer would have to foot the bill of transporting all 275 MPs back to the capital, Accra. This is the first time parliament is embarking on such order since 2017. So far, the opposition NDC argued that not only is the agreement dangerous but also a sell-out of Ghana's sovereignty to the United States. But in a fierce response to these claims and criticisms, the defense minister, Dominic Nitiwul revealed that past administrations under Mahama and Jerry Rawlings saw the controversial agreement passed. According to the minister, the recent agreement signed by the government with the US is just a renewal of the same contract signed by the former minister of foreign affairs, Hanna Tetteh. The NDC went to sign this thing in the dark but we said we will take it to Parliament before we will sign it. We havent sold Ghana, they are the people who sold Ghana, he revealed in a press conference. There are fears that the deal between Ghana and the US to "establish a military base in the country" could spell doom for Ghana's security. Security expert, Dr. Vladmir Antwi Danso, is warning that the decision by Ghana to host US troops could expose the country to terrorist attacks. So far, America remains the major country in the world very exposed to terrorist groups like ISIS. It is for this reason that almost all countries that openly declare their allegiance to America expose themselves to terrorist attacks from the enemy of America. READ ALSO: Bullet caused Ebonys death, 3 other allegations Ebonys father has made against Rufftown Records Meanwhile, the former minister for foreign affairs, Hanna Tetteh, is yet to respond to these claims and so it the case with the leadership of the NDC is yet to officially respond to these claims by the government. Check out some of the trending news in Ghana in YEN.com.gh's video below: Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now. Source: Yen Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang's Regular Press Conference on April 23, 2018 2018/04/24 Q: The Foreign Ministry website said in a press release that there was a serious traffic accident in the DPRK last night which has already caused heavy casualties. Can you give us more information, including the cause of the accident? What has been done on the part of the Chinese government as well as on the DPRK side? A: Last night, a major traffic accident occurred in North Hwanghae Province of the DPRK. 32 Chinese nationals and four DPRK staff members were killed in the accident. Two additional Chinese citizens were in a critical condition due to serious injuries. We express our deep condolences to the deceased compatriots and the DPRK nationals and offer our heartfelt sympathies to the families of the deceased and the injured. The Foreign Ministry has already dispatched a task force accompanied by medical experts to the DPRK this noon to work with the DPRK side on rescue operations, medical treatment and other matters. The Chinese government always attaches great importance to the safety of Chinese citizens overseas. The Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK activated the emergency response mechanism at the earliest time possible upon learning about the accident and have been working with the relevant departments and local authorities to deal with the emergencies and make follow-up arrangements. The DPRK side also takes this case very seriously. Its relevant departments are coordinating closely with the Chinese side in rescuing and treating the affected, in arranging for the follow-up matters, and in investigating the cause. China will remain in close communication and coordination with the DPRK to do whatever needs to be done in the next step. Q: Can you confirm whether the death toll was 32? Were they all Chinese or does that also include DPRK nationals? Is the Chinese government helping to arrange for the relatives of those who died to the DPRK? Do you know where in China they came from? A: So far, there are 32 Chinese nationals and four staff members from the DPRK that were killed in the accident. Since learning about the information last night, the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK have launched the emergency response procedures and made all-out efforts to cure the injured and protect as necessary the corpses of the deceased. We are also in close communication and coordination with the DPRK side on follow-up matters and investigation. At this moment, the relevant work is still proceeding against time. When we get more information, we will let you know timely. Q: The Indian Prime Minister Modi will be coming for an informal meeting with President Xi at the end of this week. A lot of people, including the media, are very curious. I remember the last time Prime Minister Modi came, President Xi Jinping took him to Xi'an, because there are some historical sites that are deeply connected with India, historically speaking. What is the reason for choosing Wuhan this time? A: The relevant arrangements for the meeting between the Chinese and Indian leaders are made upon consultations between the two sides. The aim is to ensure that their in-depth talks could take place in a good environment. When preparing for the meeting, the Chinese and Indian sides maintained close coordination and worked along very well in finalizing the time and place for the meeting, among other matters. Both sides have demonstrated good faith and a lot of consensus have been reached. We are convinced that the meeting will turn out to be a success and inject new impetus into the development of our bilateral ties. Q: The Foreign Ministry yesterday released the news that former Myanmar President Thein Sein met with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. I understood that Thein Sein had already stepped down. So why was he in China and was he here as the special representative of the Myanmar government? A: We have released relevant information on State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's meeting with former President Thein Sein of Myanmar yesterday. Their meeting was one for friendship. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the "paukphaw" friendship between the two peoples runs long and deep. With the joint efforts of the two leaderships, the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries has made substantial strides. We stand ready to work with Myanmar in moving forward the building of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor and implementing major projects to inject new vitality into Myanmar's economy. The two sides also talked about some issues of mutual concern, such as Myanmar's peace and reconciliation process and Myanmar-Bangladesh relations. China supports Myanmar's peace and reconciliation process at home. We support better ties between Myanmar and Bangladesh and a proper settlement of issues between the two countries. You mentioned that Mr. Thein Sein has already stepped down. But he is also an old friend to the Chinese people, and you know how we Chinese people treat an old friend. So, whether he holds that office or not, as long as he is making efforts for better cooperative relations between China and his country, we are more than pleased to continue our friendly contacts with him. Q: We have noted that yesterday State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi released the information that the Chinese and Indian leaders will hold an informal meeting. What will be discussed during the meeting? A: Yesterday, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, when holding a joint press conference, announced that President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold an informal meeting in Wuhan from April 27 to 28. Since then, that announcement has attracted great attention from the two countries and the international community. As important neighbors to each other, China and India share a lot of common features, like time-honored civilization and one-billion-plus population. As the international situation undergoes profound changes and presents an obvious tendency for destabilization and uncertainty, China and India, as the two largest developing countries and important emerging markets, also share common interests, concerns and propositions. Our two countries are the mainstays for a multi-polar world and economic globalization. We are important champions for regional and global peace, stability and development. At yesterday's joint press conference, the two sides also agreed that the strategic and global significance of China-India relations has become more prominent and that our common interests far outweigh our differences. Everlasting friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development represent the inevitable choice for the two countries. When the two leaders meet, they will have strategic communication on the most profound and unprecedented changes the world has seen in a century and thoroughly exchange views on the overall, long-term and strategic issues of China-India relations. This will chart the course, set new goals and break new ground for bilateral ties. We believe that their meeting will move forward China-India relations, which will not only benefit our two countries and two peoples, but also contribute to regional and global peace and development. Q: Could you offer more details regarding the traffic accident in the DPRK? What is the main cause of the accident? Some reports say that the bus fell from a bridge. Can you confirm that? How many passengers were on that bus? A: This serious accident weighs not only on the minds and hearts of the families of the deceased and injured, but also on the thoughts of the whole society. As I just said, the priority at the moment is to properly handle the emergency needs and in particular help and treat the injured. China and the DPRK are also cooperating closely on other follow-up matters, including investigating the cause of the accident. I hope I could count on your understanding that it is not very convenient to disclose more until solid facts are established via investigation. Q: Last Saturday, the DPRK decided to stop nuclear and missile tests and the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson made remarks on this. Do you have any further comments? Against such a backdrop, how does China view the international community's imposition of pressure on the DPRK? Some Chinese media believed that the international community should show some encouragement to the DPRK by lifting part of the sanctions. What is your comment? A: Regarding the major decision announced by the 3rd Plenary Session of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has made a timely response. I would like to reiterate that China welcomes the decision made by the Workers' Party of Korea to suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missiles tests and focus on developing its economy and improving people's livelihood. I believe that you may have noted that all parties of the international community have expressed their welcome. Up to now, we have seen not a single party that opposes or does not welcome this decision. We believe that the DPRK's decision is conducive to further ameliorating the situation on the Korean Peninsula, realizing denuclearization of the Peninsula, and promoting the political settlement process of the Korean Peninsula issue. Achieving denuclearization of the Peninsula and enduring peace for the region serves the common interests of the people on the Peninsula and in the region and meets the shared aspirations of the international community. As to whether the international community should ease or lift some sanctions on the DPRK following that major decision, as some opinions suggested, China is consistent in its position. Firstly, all the DPRK-related resolutions of the UN Security Council should be implemented in an accurate and complete manner. The relevant resolutions not only spell out sanctions on the DPRK's nuclear and missile programs but also encourage the adoption of all possible measures to help realize denuclearization and regional peace and stability. Secondly, the DPRK's decision meets the shared aspirations of the international community. The international community has every reason to encourage all parties to move in the same direction and make concerted efforts to ultimately bring the Korean Peninsula issue to the track of peaceful settlement through political dialogue. Q: Are you saying that China would encourage other members of the Security Council to act and ease sanctions on the DPRK in some way? A: Like what I said just now, first, all parties of the international community, including China, expressed welcome to the DPRK's decision. Second, the international community should give positive consideration to all efforts that are conducive to further easing the situation on the Peninsula and bringing the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue to the track of peaceful settlement through negotiation and dialogue. Q: We noted that the US State Department has issued the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017. Some analysts believe that the US augments criticism on its "strategic rivals" in the report while keeping silent about the human rights problems of its allies and itself. By doing this, the US has forgone its moral legitimacy in criticizing others on the human rights issue. What's your comment? A: The comments you cited in your question faithfully represent a long-standing view held by vast members of the international community. This annual report that the US keeps issuing to make irresponsible accusations against others has been an object of aversion for most members of the international community. The China-related contents of this year's report are just like their previous ones, void of facts but full of bias. We have lodged stern representations with the US side and made it clear that their previous attempts to interfere in China's internal affairs and impede China's development in this way have all failed, and their future ones are doomed to fail, too. The Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting and promoting human rights. Since the establishment of the New China, in particular over the past four decades of reform and opening-up, historic progress has been made in China's human rights cause. For this, the Chinese people have the biggest say. We agree that countries could conduct equal-footed dialogues and exchanges on the human rights issues on the basis of mutual trust so as to learn from each other and improve together. Meanwhile, most members of the international community, China included, oppose politicalizing the human rights issues. Q: You mentioned that the leaders of China and India will discuss the profound changes in the current international situation and the common challenges they face. What has changed in the international situation? Why did the Chinese and Indian leaders choose to meet now? Will they discuss such issues as free trade, protectionism, US leadership, and the Korean Peninsula? A: At the press conference yesterday, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi talked about the significance and relevant considerations for President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi's upcoming informal meeting in Wuhan. Leaders of the two countries will fully exchange opinions on issues of mutual concern. This is also the original intention of arranging this informal meeting. As for your reference to the international background of the informal meeting and what issues will be discussed in this context, in fact, you are very clear that the international community is indeed facing an upsurge of unilateralism and protectionism. Such a trend has generally concerned and worried the international community. China and India share many common attributes. Both are big developing countries, emerging markets, and largely-populated states. When it comes to international affairs, especially on the multilateral stage, both sides believe in a multi-polar world and advocate efforts to promote economic globalization and make it more open, inclusive and balanced for the benefit of all. As I said just now, China and India share a wide array of common interests, common concerns and common propositions. The leaders of the two countries will have an in-depth exchange of views on the overall, long-term, and strategic issues of the Sino-Indian relations, and they will also discuss the trending issues of today's world. Stronger cooperation between China and India will make the world more peaceful, stable and prosperous. Follow-up: Are the leaders of the two countries intending to release signals to the US that its protectionism will pose a danger to the international community? A: I cannot predict what the leaders will specifically talk about. I can only say that the leaders of China and India will exchange views on some global and strategic issues. As for the results, I cannot predict now, but I believe that you will get very positive messages. The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless. The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well. By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism. (WB) Maryland state Del. Meagan Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel County) was having dinner with fellow lawmakers last month in Annapolis when she overheard state Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-Montgomery County) talking about a bill that seeks to ban so-called conversion therapy for minors. State Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery County) introduced Senate Bill 1028 in the Maryland Senate. Cullison sponsored it in the House of Delegates. Cullison told Simonaire that SB 1028 was basically dead in the state Senate. Cullison added it was being held up by a certain senator who turned out to be Simonaires father, state Sen. Bryan Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel County). Meagan Simonaire in a speech she gave on the House floor on April 4 before SB 1028 passed said her parents suggested she undergo conversion therapy after she told them she had been in a relationship with another woman. Meagan Simonaire also came out as bisexual. I was in complete shock, of course, she told the Washington Blade on Thursday during an interview at her office in Northwest D.C., noting she had less than two days notice that SB 1028 was moving in the state House. [It was] kind of an out of body experience. Senator father never said go to conversion therapy Meagan Simonaire in 2014 was elected to represent House District 31B in Anne Arundel County after she campaigned on a platform that included fighting human trafficking and advocating on behalf of homeless youth. She is currently the youngest member of the General Assembly. Meagan Simonaire, who holds a cosmetology degree from Bob Jones University in South Carolina, is not seeking re-election. Meagan Simonaire told the Blade she was completely closeted when she was with her first girlfriend, whose parents kicked her out when she was a teenager after she came out to them. Everything was on the DL, she said. Meagan Simonaire spent most of her time with her girlfriend at her home in Baltimore. She said she brought her to a Christmas tree lighting when she was running for office. Meagan Simonaire also told the Blade that a Baltimore taxi driver once kicked them out of his cab after he saw them holding hands and was grossed out. I was already feeling guilt and shame of how I was raised, she told the Blade, recalling the incident and what she had been taught about homosexuality. We never talked about being gay, added Meagan Simonaire. I just knew it was one of the sins. Meagan Simonaire and her girlfriend had already broken up by the time she was elected. Meagan Simonaire came out to her parents in January 2015 and told them about their relationship The following few months were the hardest, worst months of my life, she said, noting she was suffering from depression and had contemplated taking her own life. I couldnt drive in the car without wanting to drive into a tree. It was horrible. Meagan Simonaire stressed her father never said go to conversion therapy, we need to fix you. He said, You can get help. Im going to try and help you because I love you,' Meagan Simonaire throughout the interview repeatedly stressed her parents are not anti-gay. My parents werent hateful, she told the Blade. They werent mean. They were broken-hearted. They were sad and that sometimes is worse because theyve been the best parents. Ive always been my moms best friend and my daddys little girl, added Meagan Simonaire. It was really, really difficult at the same time and then add onto that oh, and I ran as a Republican. Father was in shock after House speech Meagan Simonaire said she listened to her fathers comments in opposition to SB 1028 before she wrote the speech that she ultimately delivered on the House floor. Obviously [I] wanted to be as respectful and loving as possible and not paint him as this monster, because hes not, she told the Blade. But I just realized I said you know what, I have four days left in session . . . four more days in session, I knew that there was no option of me hiding who I am for the ret of my life. Im not going to be 39 years old in my office with bills up on the wall and be single and/or hiding who I am dating. Thats not an option. Meagan Simonaire texted her father before she gave her speech and then put her phone in airplane mode. Meagan Simonaire said her father did not hear it because he was voting in the Senate. He was obviously in shock, she told the Blade. He didnt hear my speech first so all he saw were these press releases going online and it stabbed him in the heart. He felt really betrayed and hurt because thats what he saw and that was the hardest thing for me, added Meagan Simonaire. I am daddys little girl and I just want him to love me and be proud of me. Meagan Simonaire said her father accused her of lying before she told him to watch her speech. Meagan Simonaire told the Blade he wasnt hurt over the fact she had come out or supported SB 1028, but rather she wasnt clear enough on the details and how that gave a lot of room to interpret things. She pointed out her father had said conversion therapy can be done lovingly, which she stressed is never going to be received well. Meagan Simonaire also said some of the press coverage of her speech was not accurate. I was like I never thought that you were trying to send me away to some torture camp, she said, referring to the conversations she had with her father after her speech. But I dont think it makes a difference between Christian counselor or conversion therapy when the outcome is the same. Meagan Simonaire acknowledged these conversion conversations were super painful, but she told the Blade they are slowly getting easier. Meagan Simonaire also said some of the comments that she has read about her father have been horrible. I adore him and we strongly disagree on this, she said. We strongly disagree that conversion therapy can be done lovingly, 100 percent, and weve disagreed on other things in the past too. But to say that hes not a good father and hes a sperm donor, you know, of course, thats really hurtful. Bryan Simonaire has yet to return the Blades requests for comment. The Anne Arundel County Republican during an interview with Bruce DePuyt, senior reporter at MarylandMatters.org, echoed Meagan Simonaires criticism of how the media covered the speech. Im seeing reports that we sent her to conversion therapy when she was a child, Bryan Simonaire told DePuyt. This was a simple family conversation when she was 25 or 26 years old. She was an adult child talking to her parents. It was one simple conversation. She was dealing with depression and anxiety after she had revealed that she was bisexual, added Bryan Simonaire. So, she was asking for advice. We gave her some advice for Christian counseling. She decided not to go to it. She never attended. And that was the end of the conversation. Bryan Simonaire also described those who criticized him for recommending conversion therapy to his daughter as so-called tolerant people. They just spew hateful comments and they dont really have all the facts, he told DePuyt. Meagan Simonaire hopes to become involved with LGBT rights Eleven states and D.C. currently ban conversion therapy for minors. The New Hampshire Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would ban the widely discredited practice in the state. A similar measure passed in the Hawaii House of Representatives earlier this month. The California Assembly on Thursday approved a bill that would classify conversion therapy as a fraudulent business practice in the state. Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has yet to sign SB 1028, but he publicly supports it. Im so happy its being talked about, said Meagan Simonaire, referring to efforts to ban conversion therapy for minors. She told the Blade she would like to become more involved with the LGBT rights movement and efforts to fight conversion therapy. Human Rights Campaign staffers met with her on Wednesday in D.C. Meagan Simonaire has not publicly said whether she plans to leave the Republican Party over its hostility to LGBT-specific issues. Its a decision thats going to be made, she said. Its almost impossible for people to stay in a Republican Party when they are not doing the right thing and standing up for people who dont have a voice and who are being persecuted on a daily basis and its 2018. Its unacceptable. Michael K. Lavers, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association. (WB) President Trumps pick to head NASA was confirmed on Thursday in the U.S. Senate despite opposition from lawmakers and LGBT groups who opposed him on the basis of his anti-LGBT record. Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.), who has served as a three-term member of Congress representing Oklahomas 1st congressional district in the U.S. House, was confirmed as administrator of the National Aeronautics & Space Administration by a party-line vote of 50-49. Nominated by Trump to become head of NASA in September, Bridenstines nomination languished in the Senate for seven months. In addition to opposition over his anti-LGBT views, lawmaker cited as concerns Bridenstines denial of climate change and potentially placing him in charge of a U.S. agency that has monitored its impact. A three-term member of Congress, Bridenstine has amassed an anti-LGBT record based on his votes in Congress. In the last Congress, the Human Rights Campaign awarded him a score of 0 based on his voting record. Bridenstine earned a 30 out of 100 in the 112th Congress for rejecting an amendment that would have taken out LGBT protections in reauthorization for the Violence Against Women Act (although he ended up voting against the larger LGBT-inclusive bill). In 2013, when the Boy Scouts of America lifted its ban on gay youths, Bridenstine delivered a speech on the House floor in opposition to the change, suggesting LGBT people are immoral. The lefts agenda is not about tolerance, and its not about diversity of thought, Bridenstine said in 2013. Its about presenting a worldview of relativism, where there is no right and wrong, then using the full force of the government to silence opposition and reshape organizations like the Boy Scouts into instruments for social change. An opponent of same-sex marriage, Bridenstine has co-sponsored legislation against it and called the U.S. Supreme Court decision against the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act a disappointment not only because it is contrary to millennia of human experience, but also because it is clearly contrary to the choice of the people as expressed in a constitutionally valid process. Bridenstine also called Obama-era guidance requiring schools to allow transgender kids to use the restroom consistent with their gender identity lawless federal bullying. The Trump administration would later rescind the guidance. Zeke Stokes, vice president of programs at GLAAD, decried the Senate confirmation of Bridenstine in a statement as yet another attack by this administration on LGBTQ people. Its time for the Senate to take a hard look at the nominations they are confirming and the potential ramifications these anti-LGBTQ politicians stand to have on the LGBTQ employees in their agencies and within our country as a whole, Stokes said. Mid-term elections are around the corner, and our community has a very good memory. Chris Johnson, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association. Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza. Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres. Windsun Cheyenne ($22.20) circled odds-on favourite Cobalt Man en route to a 1:53.2 score in the co-featured $8,550 Not Listed Preferred Pace on Sunday (April 22) at Rideau Carleton Raceway, while Pasadena Star ($11.90) sprung a mild upset from the pocket in the co-featured trotting event. Windsun Cheyenne took full advantage of a hotly contested pace en route to his 10-1 upset in the top pacing event (race 10), circling four-wide off the home turn under Stephane Brosseau from a third-over trip after stalking D J Power (Louis-Philippe Roy) and Atomic Million AM (Jonathan Lachance) through contested splits of :26.3, :55, and 1:23.2. While D J Power shrugged off Atomic Million AM at head-stretch, Windsun Cheyenne lifted to just collar him in the final yards of a 1:53.2 mile while also staving off the late-rallying Ufdragons Rocket (Pascal Berube) by a nose. D J Power narrowly held third over odds-on favourite Cobalt Man (Guy Gagnon), whom Windsun Cheyenne passed in upper stretch as his rally commenced. Gina Bragagnolo owns and trains Windsun Cheyenne, an eight-year-old Cams Card Shark gelding who has now won 18 races in his career. In the Not Listed Preferred Trot (race 12), trainer-driver Stephane Pouliot secured the pocket with Pasadena Star early, letting Torches Angel (Roy) clear at the completion of a :28 first quarter and drafting comfortably throughout. With odds-on choice Raising Richard (Darrell Coville) applied sustained first-over pressure to the pacesetter, Pasadena Star was able to stalk middle splits of :58 and 1:27.1 before diving to the open stretch and striking the front a sixteenth from home. The seven-year-old Kadabra gelding drew away by 1-1/2 lengths to prevail in 1:56.2, while Torches Angel narrowly held the runner-up spot over Raising Richard. Pasadena Star, owned by 9096 9205 Quebec Inc., earned his second consecutive win and the 28th of his career. To view Sundays harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results Rideau Carleton Raceway. By Delana Isles MINISTER of Home Affairs, Vaden Williams has stated that the Government is currently working along with the United Kingdom to halt security breaches at Her Majestys Prison. In statements to the press on Thursday (April 12), the minister addressed last weeks video at the penitentiary which was broadcast live on Facebook. "Given the implications for the safety of officers, inmates and the public at large, the Ministry of Home Affairs takes seriously any and all security breaches that occur at Her Majestys Prison, he said. "While these occurrences are not uncommon even in the most sophisticated and well equipped prisons across the world, we are not content for them to happen here. He stated that prior to the incident, his ministry and the Governors Office engaged the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to assist with addressing this and other longstanding security and safety issues. "These efforts have led to the provision of funding from the UK government to erect security lights and construct an internal perimeter fence which will serve as a second barrier to phones and contrabands entering the prison over the fence. "This internal perimeter fence is an addition to the existing external fencing project that is funded entirely by the Turks and Caicos Islands Government. "Coupled with this, more stringent screening of all persons entering has been implemented. Williams added that within the coming months, seven new prison officers will be hired to improve operational standards and efficiency and there are plans to introduce cell phone detection and jamming equipment within the upcoming financial year. "Finally, investigations into the video incident are still underway. "Where it is determined that disciplinary actions are applicable, this will be done within the provisions outlined in the Public Service Ordinance, the minister assured. Shortly following the prisoners social media broadcast, Williams had come out in condemnation of it. He stated: "As the minister of government with responsibilities for Her Majestys Prison, I am deeply concerned about a video that is circulating on social media and which has clearly been made by, and contains footage of, inmates of Her Majestys Prison. "This is a very serious and disturbing situation and is undoubtedly a national security issue which has very serious implications. "I can assure you that this matter is not being taken lightly and that I have order an immediate and full investigation into the matter tough and urgent measures will be enforced to address this matter immediately. TELECOMS company Flow is working hard to complete hurricane damage repair work and upgrades to its distribution network. According to a press release from the company on Monday (April 16), many customers are already experiencing higher speeds and a more robust connection. Country manager Delleriece Hall said: "We have accelerated the restoration work and upgrades and we are making great progress, as the restoration work nears completion. "To date, we have significantly upgraded our distribution network in Providenciales making it possible for most customers to access Superfast Broadband and Flow TV. She revealed that customers in Five Cays will have full access by April 15. "Optimisation work or the final fine-tuning process is ongoing and customers will experience an increase in speeds on both mobile and fixed services. "We are also excited to announce that customers in Grand Turk will soon experience the superfast and reliable speeds as we roll out Fibre to the Home (FTTH), the latest generation ultra-high speed broadband connection. Hall said the new distribution network will be robust and deliver much higher broadband speeds to customers premises. "To date, our mobile network has been fully restored around the Islands with 4G LTE coverage now available in South Caicos, Grand Turk, Salt Cay, Providenciales, and Kew, North Caicos. The company confirmed that restoration of fixed services is still ongoing in some areas, as it continues to resolve a number of faults and installation service orders reported after hurricanes Irma and Maria. Though steadily improving, the process has faced some delays in the arrival of equipment needed for necessary repairs. Flow teams "continue to work around the clock to restore services as quickly as possible to the affected communities, the statement said. Existing customers who are without broadband service can call 611 before, during or after store hours to report a fault, or can visit any Flow agent to sign up for new services. By Delana Isles IN A one of a kind event, the governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands reached out to the local media fraternity in an informal setting over breakfast. John Freeman, who has been the British diplomat to the territory since October 17, 2016, engaged several media representatives in conversation primarily on the aid the United Kingdom (UK) has provided to the TCI since the September hurricanes. The meeting was held at the Governors Office in Providenciales located on the third floor above RBC Bank last Thursday, April 12. Reflecting once again on the 2017 hurricanes, Freeman touched on the role the United Kingdom played over that trying time, and what can be expected for the 2018 hurricane season, which is again predicted to be above normal. "I want to open by praising all those involved in recovery efforts since last September, he said. "I want to praise the public and private sectors alike, but I must emphasise and commend the key role played by the hotels and tourism sector, including the cruise company in Grand Turk, in the revitalisation of the Islands. "I want to empathise with all those directly affected by hurricane damage, including not least school students and their parents, all those awaiting repairs to their homes and businesses whether by publicly-funded renovation or via insurance pay-outs. Dr Freeman said that he has seen the continuing impact, not least in the family islands of Grand Turk and South Caicos. "I too lost my home in Grand Turk and am awaiting repairs to my official residence, Waterloo a symbol of the capital of Grand Turk and one of the few truly historic public buildings in TCI. He added that looking back, the territory needs to recall that there was a pre-Irma and Maria period, such was the huge impact of the hurricanes. He noted that while the hurricanes brought many issues to the fore, there were some that were under discussion before Irma and Maria visited the islands, such as Her Majestys Prison and its needs. These, he added, were made even more urgent as a result of the hurricanes. Issues that were current before the hurricanes came included some affecting the security of the Islands and their residents, the Governor said. "There were concerns then about crime levels, especially aggravated crimes, and border security. "The National Security Council then as now, had a key role in drawing together the many strands and agencies involved in assessing and providing security: including the Royal TCI Police Force, border control and immigration, home affairs for the prison and other aspects of crime prevention such as child protection. He noted that the wider community also, then as now, had a part to play in support of security agencies, and applauded the way the private sector was ready to contribute and is now directly supporting crime prevention by gifting certain equipment. "Together we are all helping to make a difference; year-on-year crime statistics support this assessment. "But there is still much to be done in the continuing fight against crime and in dealing with the security of our borders in terms of bearing down on illegal migration. "All of these issues require a whole-of-government approach and adequate funding, Dr Freeman stated. He observed that the hurricanes did not help in this regard, naming the damage done to the radar system as a case in point. He added that ensuring security at the prison during and following the hurricanes was a very difficult task and the then prison superintendent and his team showed real professionalism and courage in their response, but they needed additional help. "The superintendent showed great personal courage at critical points and provided much of the assessment which pointed the way to needed improvements at the prison. UK support Both before the hurricanes, through the UK-financed Security Needs Assessment Report, and by means of the FCOs Prison Advisors Report and since, the UK has sought to play its part in meeting the challenges evident both before Irma and Maria visited and following the hurricanes, the Governor said. "As Governor I am very grateful indeed for all assistance provided and being provided still to TCI by the UK Government in this regard. He then went on to list the UK assistance provided to the TCI. "First, immediately following Irma and Maria: the direct assistance and support given by the UK Armed Forces and DFID. That initial assistance - supplies, repairs etc - was vital to early recovery. "TCI and other UK territories in the Caribbean affected by the hurricanes, received relief costing the equivalent of tens of millions of US dollars. This was given as an expression of UK solidarity with all those affected. "Secondly, over the succeeding few months: ways were explored to provide ongoing, longer-term, advice and assistance. "Advice was offered, for example on future resilience in communications between the Islands; on vector control; on airport security (a team of British engineers remained in TCI till late November and assisted in this regard) and in other ways. He outlined that direct assistance with recovery was and remains, extensive and important. Some of these include the radar system which has been overhauled and is now fully operational, the cost of which is $500,000 to the UK. Vector control: equipment, chemicals and vehicles. These are expected to be completed within next two months and the approximate cost to UK and TCI is expected to be around $900,000. Her Majestys Prison: temporary assignment of SERCO prison officers (to reflect advice on prison officer numbers in the Prison Advisors Report): cost since deployment in November 2017, over $1.4 million. Prison projects: perimeter fence lighting repairs, costing up to $128,000, and internal zone fencing priced at $270,000. Other examples of UK assistance, the governor outlined as the repairs, generator replacement, and other help for the Providenciales Childrens Home, at a cost of $50,000. Also, the National Museum in Grand Turk which is costing the UK $52,000 to replace air conditioners, including specialist units for preservation of artefacts. "I should mention also support for work to deter and respond to a recent surge in illegal migration: UK assistance in terms of the deployment of RFA Mounts Bay and deployment of a RCIP helicopter, the extra costs of which in terms of accommodation and transport of the two crews, were met by the UK. In terms of preparation for the 2018 hurricane season, Governor Freeman said that the UK assistance provided already last year will continue to be relevant in the months ahead. "Of course there are needed repairs to shelters and replenishment of hurricane supplies, and these are all issues under discussion in TCIG. "In terms of disaster preparedness the key committee is co-chaired by me and the premier we met in January and March and we have another planning meeting scheduled for later this month. DDME will clearly play a key coordination role in this process. The governor also touched on some other issues in his remarks, which were also covered in his answers to later questions from journalists present. By Delana Isles OVER the past week relations between Governor John Freeman and Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson publicly touched on shaky ground for the first time since the governors appointment in October 2016. While it has taken almost two years for the new PDM Government to butt heads with the British appointee, the past administration led by Rufus Ewing was no stranger to conflict with British appointed officers in the territory. Last Thursday, the governor upended public perception that the UK is somehow preventing the Government from spending its money to help the territory recover from the two devastating hurricanes and progress. This led to opposition appointed member in the House of Assembly, Hon Royal Robinson questioning who is telling the truth and who is deceiving the territory. In a lengthy statement to the media, Robinson called out the premier on what he perceives as her hoodwink of the electorate, which gifted her party with a landslide victory in December 2016. "In the face of recent events it must now be crystal clear to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands generally but more specifically those PNP supporters that crossed the party lines during the 2016 elections, that they were rewarded a six for a nine. "Prize, who lives in Blue Hills, would have seen through the fluff that was on showcase and realised that there was no substance to the change that was on offer. "But, as the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20 vision, the parliamentarian said. Robinson noted that the governor in his recent meeting with the local press corps "clearly exposed the empress for having no clothes. Adding: "It is quite evident that the premier and her merry band of ministers do not possess the skill set to execute the various programmes necessary to promote let alone contribute to the growth and development of our country. He recalled that when he recently spoke in the House of Assembly on the various issues impacting the territory, the premier was quick in her responses to proclaim that the opposition is misleading the people. "That might have been all well and good as part of her theatrics, however the people are now clearly seeing that the chickens coming home to roost. "If she is bad as the saying goes, let her backchat the governor on national radio, television or the printed press. Pointing to the governors statements that the UK has engaged the local Government on post hurricane recovery to be funded by the TCI, Robinson said that it is relatively transparent that the premier is not living up to her own billing. "The governor in so many words said, I will not be the fall guy for her. "He, like the rest of us are of the opinion that she needs to stop hiding behind the coattails of the British and chart the course she was mandated to execute. "The blame game or deflecting is a disservice to country and people, Robinson stated. He said that it is a sin and a shame that many government schools are still in a high degree of disrepair nearly eight months after the hurricanes. "Worse still, knowing that the premier had unfettered access to funds and she refused to direct that the requisite spending take place as the minister of finance is unforgivable. However, the member did warn that the territory should not be lulled into a false sense of security with the governors disclosure, as it is imperative to note that when it suits the British agenda they have no problem throwing a government or potential government under the proverbial bus. "Do you recall the information dump that occurred mere days before the 2012 elections to put the PNP in as dark a light as possible? I do. "The British have always had their own agenda and tend to see to its end. "Needless to say, we as Turks and Caicos Islanders must come to that realisation and in the words of one of my friends: Cut your own cloth. By Olivia Rose PROVO taxi drivers on Sunday (April 15) parked their vehicles and refused to provide service leaving many passengers stranded at the airport, over what they call "unfair competition. The demonstration, which lasted two days, saw cabbies attached to the Providenciales International Airport taking a stand in hopes that authorities would understand their plight and help to find an amicable solution. Ron Higgs, president of the United Taxi Alliance (UTA), speaking to the media on Monday said concerns are seemingly falling on deaf ears. The group has repeatedly lobbied for a sit down with the TCI Airport Authority (TCIAA), he said, but have been denied such a meeting. "We had to take some action that we were not happy to take but we felt we were being forced to take that action, which was to just park our vehicles and not move when we were being called. "Today we will continue to do it. We will do it tomorrow. We will do it until the authorities recognise that we taxi drivers are sick and tired of the injustices that fall on us every single day and its getting worse, its not getting any better. "We have taxi drivers paying to access the airport to work. Why then are taxi drivers who are not paying allowed to work but when we speak about it we are so wrong? He said the UTA, which is also supported by independent taxi drivers, represents about 90 percent of taxi operators in Providenciales. Back in 2012, the TCIAA in full collaboration with all the representatives of the various taxi associations agreed to manage taxi operations at the Providenciales International Airport. This arrangement saw taxi drivers contributing less than $1 per day for unlimited and unfettered access to the facility. However, drivers say private contractors are hogging the work and they are often left to return home without making any money. "We want taxi operators throughout the Islands to be first come first serve. We want the whole contract situation to be abolished or ways that it could be done very easily, very quickly and to get some of our leaders to stand up and do the right thing. "Because what you have going on now is persons in positions, like the front desk at Beaches and other resorts, calling their friends when we have taxi drivers siting in the parking lot for five, six, seven hours waiting on a job and then this person who called their friend will get the job and give their friend a kickback. "That is wrong and what were saying to the Government is while you cant make a complete system we want you to put in place harsh enough deterrent to give persons a second or third time to think about it. "Right now people are doing whatever they want to do because theres nothing in place to punish them for their nonsense. Higgs explained that since Beaches is already contracting the return leg to the airport, private contractors cutting into their rounds is a major issue. "So with a contract to the airport, contract from the airport, what is left for Turks and Caicos Islands taxi drivers? On the second day of protest, a parade of nearly 20 taxis encircled the airport several times in a peaceful demonstration. Subsequently the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force were called to intervene, however the responding officer merely cautioned the taxi drivers and union president about keeping the peace and warned against causing any traffic congestion. "I spoke to a traffic officer and he said, I support you guys 100 percent. "Youre being decent, youre being respectful, youre being blunt, but sometimes you have to be blunt. "Youre not breaking any laws. Its not like youre shutting down the roads and youre out here fighting people. "Youre simply standing your ground that youre tired of whats going on and you need it to be fixed. "It is our hope, as we said to the director, that the powers that be would understand the impact that this could have, is having, unless we sit down as men and women and respectfully and honestly come to an agreement. Not holding our breath Higgs said that while drivers are remaining optimistic that the authorities will step in and remedy the situation, they are not holding their breath. "We are very hopeful that the powers that be will sit and talk with us, because the support is there not just from taxi drivers but from the public. Theyre persons who are now understanding and saying, you know what these guys are right. "You cant have these guys paying to work at the airport, but cant get a job from the airport but then we have some people who can bring drivers in from the street who are not paying to do the same job. Its unfair. The disgruntled UTA president said the age old issue continues to be swept under the rug by successive governments. "Over the years its been nothing but lip service, and now this Government its the same thing, and were saying were not prepared to take that lip service anymore. "We were very hopeful and again it turned out to be nothing but words of the powers that be. "The only one who had the decency and the care for us is Raymond Andrews and Im saying that because at the very least he came and spoke to us. "The taxi drivers voted for me and I promised them, I will not fail you. If were going down, we are going down together. Please stand with me. And they did just that and theyre still doing that and I have no intentions of failing them. Following the protest, the UTA met with the Minister of Transportation Hon Vaden Williams as well as Director of Road Safety Malcom Alonzo to discuss the issues affecting them. "Theyve heard our concerns and they assured us starting that very minute they would put what we asked for in writing, because they believed we were being fair in what were asking for. "At that point we decided to go back to the airport and make sure the airport authorities knew that we will be back in operation and doing what we do best making our guests feel welcomed, appreciated and happy. Were optimistic. Alonzo said the meeting was fruitful and both sides were given the chance to state their cases. He explained that the law states that no taxi drivers should elicit contracts or elicit people to carry but the law does not restrict hoteliers or different people from contracts where they could retain a company they want to move people with. "But the law restricts taxi drivers from soliciting. Speaking to the fact that many passengers were stranded on Sunday at the airport due to the strike Alonzo said it will leave a "bad taste in the hearts and minds of tourists. By Delana Isles A CLEAR message has been sent by Governor John Freeman that the United Kingdom is not preventing the Turks and Caicos Islands from spending any of its money or from borrowing on the international market, if the Government so desires. That message was conveyed to the media last Thursday (April 12) during a rap session the governor hosted with the local media at his Raleigh House office in Providenciales. The issue came following statements made by the governor in relation to the aid the UK has given to the TCI since the territory was hit by two major storms last September. After listing the assistance that the Islands has received, Governor Freeman also stated that the Government can spend its own money to further aid in the territorys recovery from the devastating hurricanes. "I should add that in terms of identifying funding to meet immediate post hurricane renovations and repairs the UK has not restricted this in any way, and has encouraged TCIG to draw as necessary on its financial resources including if necessary on it comparatively large reserves, the governor said. The issue is one that has been brewing among the populace for several months, with many complaining that their Islands are being left behind in the recovery process; that airports such as the one in Grand Turk are still not fully functional as a result of the storms damage, among a slew of other complaints. Some have blamed the seeming lack of government action in these areas on the UKs tight hold on the purse strings of the territory. But, as stated by the governor, this is not the case. He told the press that the stringency which existed on the TCIs finances in previous years, has since disappeared with the nullification of the role of chief financial officer (CFO). He further explained: "There is a framework agreement between TCIG and the UK government which is designed to help ensure that the finances are soundly administered, but providing that the strategic goals set under that framework are being met, and currently they are, the UK is not imposing any restrictions. "It is quite wrong that people blame the UK as some awful gorgon out there thats stopping you getting your hand in the till; after all, the big difference between a few years ago, now is that there is not chief financial officer. He said that gone are the days of the UK appointed CFO controlling and approving the TCIs spending. "The chief financial officer, when he was here which the ordinance provided for, initially every single expenditure above $10,000 I think it was, had to be approved by him. Subsequently it was shifted to $75,000. "The powers of the chief financial officer were extremely extensive and that wasnt an accident. "The UK wanted that after the troubles you had a few years ago where the Islands was close to bankruptcy, but that went last year. "We dont have a chief financial officer. I have financial advisor who offers me advice... He noted that the upcoming budget in this new financial year is going to be significantly in surplus. "It was not anticipated in December or early January that it would be, and that would have required running a deficit budget. "The UK did not stand in the way of that and why didnt they stand in the way of that? "Because they could see that certain monies would need to be spent and they are not trying to micromanage everything and saying keep your hands out of the till. The governor said that he thinks this issue is very important, and stated that government ministers would attest to what he has said about the TCI having more access to the territorys money, and the UK not tying the hands of the administration. "No, they [the UK] are not trying to do that. He said it is over to the finance ministry to decide whether draw down "prudently on these monies. He added that this must be done prudently as it has taken the territory a long time to recover and no one should wantonly spend money. Freeman said that if there is a need, it is possible to spend money that is there, and that the Government also has the option to borrow against reserves on the international market, if they wish. "The UK would not oppose that, the governor said. By Olivia Rose TCI healthcare professionals have taken part in an international programme to improve awareness and understanding of mental disorders. The World Health Organisation (WHO)s Mental Health Gap Action Programme (MhGap) seeks to strengthen knowledge of mental, neurological and substance use disorders through surveillance, training and research. From April 10 to 12, healthcare practitioners from both the public and private sector attended a three day workshop at the Emily House complex in Providenciales. Participants attended training modules in essential care and practice, depression, psychosis, child and adolescent disorders, and self-harm and suicide. In a press release Dr Alicia Malcolm, Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence, commended the programme. She said it underscores that with proper care, psychological assistance and medication, many more people can be treated for depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, prevented from suicide and begin to lead normal lives even where resources are scarce. "This training is a step towards integrating mental healthcare into general healthcare settings, especially primary healthcare. "In addition, it will equip doctors and nurses with skills for the early detection and management of mental disorders. Dr Malcolm also said that following the training workshop, participants will have access to supervisors who will continue to support and guide them, and a refresher course will also be scheduled in six months to review, reinforce and upgrade participants existing knowledge and skills. The WHO said mental disorders are highly prevalent and burdensome globally and the gap between what is urgently needed and what is available to reduce the burden is still very wide. "WHO recognises the need for action to reduce the burden, and to enhance the capacity of Member States to respond to this challenge. "Successful scaling up is the joint responsibility of governments, health professionals, civil society, communities, and families, with support from the international community. The essence of MhGAP is building partnerships for collective action. The seminar was facilitated by Dr Claudina Cayetano, mental health regional advisor from PAHO, and Dr Diana Dizon, psychiatrist for Zone II. It was sponsored by the Pan American Health Organisation. That charming young man, Prince Mohammed bin Salman of the head-chopping House of Saud, has sent his servants to wog-bomb a wedding in Yemen. According to health officials and other malcontents, at least twenty people were killed and some thirty children wounded in this third demonstration in three days of shared British values. Nevertheless, the Britishness of the weaponry and expertise used remains as yet unclear; which means that any meaningful estimate as to how many of the detrimentations were collateral and how many were actively meritorious may have to wait a little longer than (to pick a random example) the interval between an alleged chemical attack and the subsequent righteous chastisement of the lesser breeds. News In Brief Xi to meet Modi this week AFP, Beijing Beijing (AFP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet in central China this week, Beijing announced Sunday, as the Asian powers work to improve strained ties. The two leaders will hold an "informal summit" in the city of Wuhan on Friday and Saturday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after talks with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj. Trump hosting glitzy dinner for Macron AP, Washington Now it's President Donald Trump's turn to pull off the ultimate charm offensive. Wined and dined on multiple state visits during his tour of Asia last year, Trump is paying it forward and celebrating nearly 250 years of U.S.-French relations by playing host to President Emmanuel Macron at a glitzy White House state dinner on Tuesday. Russian lawyer questions Mueller`s tactics Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Moscow, Russia on Sunday AP, Moscow : A Russian lawyer who discussed sanctions with Donald Trump Jr. in New York during his father's 2016 campaign for the U.S. presidency said Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller has not contacted her yet. In an interview with The Associated Press, Natalia Veselnitskaya also detailed her recent meeting in Berlin with investigators from the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. Like Mueller, the committee is investigating allegations of Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election. Veselnitskaya met in June 2016 with then-candidate Donald Trump's son, his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort, his campaign chairman at the time, Paul Manafort, after Trump Jr. was told the Russian lawyer had potentially incriminating information about Hillary Clinton. Mueller, a former FBI director, is leading a federal probe of possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. He has filed charges against multiple former Trump campaign aides. Veselnitskaya alleged in her interview with the AP in downtown Moscow that if Mueller's team never questions her, it would mean that it "is not working to discover the truth." Veselnitskaya is a well-connected Moscow lawyer who has worked with a company called Prevezon Holdings Ltd. The company's owner is the son of a former Russian government official and a fierce advocate for rolling back U.S. sanctions on Russia. At the time of her 2016 meeting at Trump Tower, she was defending Prevezon against charges it had engaged in money laundering from a $230 million Russian tax fraud scheme. Trump Jr. and others in attendance have downplayed the meeting, saying nothing came of it. Trump has denied that he or his campaign coordinated with any Russian attempts to interfere in the election. The Senate Intelligence Committee has expressed interest in determining whether Veselnitskaya's appointment with Trump Jr., Kushner and Manafort was part of a Russian government effort to help President Donald Trump's campaign for the White House. It was described that way in emails to Trump Jr. before it took place. Several congressional committees are looking into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 election and whether there were collusion by Trump's campaign. The House Intelligence Committee has finished its investigation and said it found no evidence of collusion or coordination with Russians. The Senate Intelligence Committee approached Veselnitskaya earlier this year, but she refused to go the United States, saying she feared for her safety. The lawyer and the committee's investigators instead met in a Berlin hotel on March 26 and talked for three hours. "That was essentially a monologue. They were not interrupting me," Veselnitskaya said. "They listened very carefully...Their questions were very sharp, pin-pointed." Food safety seminar at DU Campus Desk : Speakers on Saturday said that skilled and well mechanised national food inspection with sufficient laboratories and trained inspectors are needed for the country's food safety. They came up with the observation at a seminar titled 'Strategy to Improve Food Safety in Bangladesh' at Dhaka University (DU). Sweden Alumni Network in Bangladesh with the support of Swedish Institute (SI) arranged the programme at Mukarram Hussain Khundakar Biggan Bhaban on the campus, reports BSS. The speakers called for international standard food regulation, good inspection, raising awareness and adroit food market management for overall food safety of Bangladesh. "Food security should be one of the highest priorities of the country for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Law and regulations related to food safety need to be updated. National food inspection needs sufficient rich laboratories and well trained inspectors and the whole chain has to be well mechanised," said AKM Nurul Afsar of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). DU Vice-Chancellor Dr Md. Akhtaruzzaman thanked the Department of Chemistry of DU and Sweden Alumni Network for arranging the time befitting event. "The food safety issue needs a multi-sectoral intervention. Our faculties are conducting research to achieve the SDGs through food safety," he said. Swedish Ambassador Charlotta Schlyter said that Sweden has been working with Bangladesh on various issues including gender, environment, water, and development. She assured that her country will be always support Bangladeshi academics, researchers and scientists. Chairman of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) Mohammad Mahfuzul Haque said that it is needed to set up more laboratories for testing food and upgrading the existing labs. Dean of the faculty of sciences Prof Dr Abdul Aziz and dean of the faculty of biological sciences Dr Md Imdadul Hoque addressed the programme. Former Chairperson of Department of Chemistry Dr Nilufar Nahar presided over the function, while Professor Dr Mohammad Shoeb conducted the seminar. A good number of faculties and students of various educational institutions and researchers and scientists of various organisations were present at the event. BHANGURA (Pabna): Alhaj Mokbul Hossain MP giving cheques of Prime Minister\'s relief fund among the patients suffering from different diseases at Bhangura Upazila Awami League Office on Monday. MV Banglar Joy Jatra to be launched tomorrow in Jiangsu BSS, Dhaka : A newly built ship 'MV Banglar Joy Jatra' for Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) is ready for launching and naming tomorrow in Jiangsu, China. Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan leading a five-member delegation left here last night for China to join the launching and naming ceremony of the newly procured ship, according to an official release issued on Monday. China National Machineries Import and Export Corporation (CMC) built the ship having a 39,000-tonne capacity, which is expected to join the BSC fleet on July 5 this year. The CMC has been awarded the contract to build six ships for Bangladesh Shipping Corporation at a cost of Taka 1,843 crore. Of the total cost, the Chinese government is giving Taka 1,448 crore, while BSC Taka 395 crore, the release said. Pro-BNP teachers demand students' security at DU Teachers of Pro-BNP White Panel of Dhaka University brought out a procession on the campus on Monday protesting assault on female students and demanding adequate security for teachers and students. UNB, Dhaka : Pro- BNP teachers of Dhaka University (DU) on Monday protested against the harassments of university's residential hall students and demanded security for the students who were involved in quota reformation movement. Under the banner of DU white panel, more than 40 teachers brought out a silent procession from the premises of Aparajeyo Bangla and paraded to the Madhu's Canteen beside Institute of Business Administration (IBA) on the campus around 11.30 pm. After the procession Prof Akhter Hossain Khan, convener of the white panel said, "The demand of quota reformation was a legal and logical demand. Students were conducting their quota reformation movement peacefully. But on 8th April night, police and outsiders attacked them suddenly. Some miscreants also vandalised the house of Vice-Chancellor (VC)." "We condemn the attack on students and hope no general students will be victimized for their involvement in the with quota movement," he added. He also demanded for holding DUCSU election immediately and said, "If DUCSU was active, some problems would have solved automatically. Students would get their democratic right." Former Dean of Arts Faculty Prof Sadrul Amin, Prof ABM Obaidul Islam, Prof Siddiqur Rahman Khan, Prof Lutfur Rahman among others attended the procession. Selim, Safa under Tanias direction in Eid play Sheikh Arif Bulbon : On the occasion of coming Eid, Tania Ahmed has made a special play titled Babar Juta to telecast on Channel i. Kuntal Barua is well known to Tania. Tania heard stories of ups and down in life of Kuntal. Masum Shahriar has written story of the play from that story. National Film Award winner actor Shahiduzzaman Selim acted in role of father in the play while Allen Shuvro acted in role of his son. Safa Kabir played in a special role in the play. Till tomorrow shooting of the play was done in three days. While talking about acting in this play Shahiduzzaman Selim told this correspondent, Story of Babar Juta is a social story based play. It is also very much touchy and emotional story based play. I have liked its story. Tania tried her level best to give direction of the play. While talking about making the play Tania Ahmed said, Now many plays are being made to focus with various social aspects. Babar Juta is like that type. Life story of Kuntal Barua was tried to portray in the story of the play. Basically, its story is absolutely different. So I believe viewers will enjoy the play. Selim Bhai is a dynamic actor. He played successfully in role of father in the play. Safa was also outstanding in her role. It has really become a nice work. I am very much optimistic about this play. It is totally exceptional story based play. I enjoyed a lot to work under Tania Apus direction in this play. I believe viewers will watch present times scenario in this play. It is noted that Amitabh Ahmed Rana worked as chief assistant of director Tania Ahmed in this play. Developing effective Internet management system Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed : Recently writing in the newspapers is that the country begins lobbying to sell bandwidth again. We welcome this when we export abroad and use foreign currency for development work. But we are a bit upset about the govt.'s initiative. Because, we have bought the internet services borrowing money from foreign countries for the development of the country. We need to think about how reasonable, it is to export the unused internet showing the excuse. Now we can not use it ourselves? These who control our internet service, they use the word unused or 'surplus' in this case. Those people who talk about such trivial tastes, we think they are negative type people and they are not very knowledgeable or have the experience to understand what good work this country can do with the internet. Those who say our internet has become 'surplus' and are quick to export abroad, they are trying to mislead the government by misinterpreting the implementation of the Digital Bangladesh Vision Project. We are expressing our annoyance towards these two classes of people. Internet is not at all surplus in Bangladesh. A small part of the demand has reached us. The people who have internet distribution system are avoiding reaching the service at our home, education center and workplace, wanting to prove that there is no demand, the country it is good to sell abroad. We will try to show some examples of how they are doing this work in a well organized way, how are our needs and how we are deprived of the development of our dusting with the disruption of the delivery system. Because there is not strategic implementation guidelines for the vision of Digital Bangladesh, the govt. distribution company BTCL continues to provide internet service in their old ridiculous bureaucratic system. In case of broadband (High speed connection), you have to apply for an application, according to which the demand note, will be given. BTCL will provide connections if the money is deposited in the prescribed bank with the papers. But it will take at last two months! It's okay, but to get a connection you have to drag wires at your own expense to the workplace from the BTCL exchange, as much as it is in meters away. Besides, you will have to buy both sides equipment required for connection and will continue with lobbying! At the end will be asked to take IP from Dhaka Mogbazar Exchange. IP found but no connection, again connection is okay but IP is not working; by doing this you can get I MB (or more) connection for at least 6 months. BTCL has introduced the ADSL method to provide a low speed (shared) service easily. If you have a BTCL phone in your house then you can get this connection by buying a modem by not draging in any wire. But a private company offers this service. There is also the system of application with many papers. If the line is launched buy the modem, the bill will come with the telephone bill. It takes 7 to 15 days to get the service (depending on whether your phone line is okay). In both case. How much is the production cost of time wasted by BTCL and the wasted efficiency of the customer? What was supposed to be the cost? The people of this country have repaid a lot of the money that the govt. has to offer to the submarine connection service. But where is the promise of service? Here are two examples, but the same situation in BTCL's all internet service. 'http://www.btcl.net.bd' some samples of bureaucratic complications are visible on this site. The question is, instead of resolving the technicalities of the service, without taking initiative to deprive the country's most people from the internet, you can not decide that you have enough internet surplus to be exportable. In the field of our country where internet service can open the wheel of our life, we have not received instructions for the vision of Digital Bangladesh. Especially in the service sector (other services including health and education) there was a need to expand the internet of high speed and there was opportunities. It has been found that most of the internet service information has been circulated in the name of the union information center, in most cases the needs of most people have not met. Only a few of these have been temporarily connected to BTCL (STM-1 MUX) which are very limited compared to the declared 5000 Union information centers or more most union information centers use mobile phone modems which are not cost-effective and very low-speed. In education center internet is essential in multimedia class management. It is soon that, there are thinking's about the offline learning process as a substitute for the pilot projects. However if all the schools of the country could be brought in the telephone service then the ADSL connection could be given to them. Without doing this. It was thought how to get internet with the mobile modem, that does not mark any much. According to BTCL, internet broadband services have expanded in 56 upazilas of 46 districts across the country through their internet information network expansion project. So, why are most of the areas deprived of broadband service on high speed internet service? It is seen that the government has provided mobile phones to the Upazila Health Care Centers, which have been promoted as 'Telemedicine' service. Despite being very close, from these exchanges, we could get the national health database or network by creating an information data base of emergency healthcare services, including internet services at the centers. With the help of internet based remote health care, the doctors could easily consult the big doctors at village level. The health education program could be expanded to rural villages at very low cost. BTCL says, the country has already expanded about 5000 kilometers of optical fiber cable, to provide IP-base services 46000 ADSL access networks have been created in 150 node's of 42 districts. The way is the customer not getting the result of the expansion of service? As of June 2012, according to the data, optical fiber is connected to each of the 747 exchanges (64 districts) of BTCL the telephonic power capacity of the country is 14 laks but its 65% is being used. If half of the 65 percent can get ADSL connection, then there is a demand of four to five lakh connections. We do not know whether any initiative has ever been taken to address the needs of internet service across the country. Therefore, the government should extend the service by ensuring the proper use of internet wide infrastructure for our country. It is necessary to increase the scope of this services at low price at both individual and institutional level. The world has now entered the wireless world (even the mobile phone service is expanding and now it is going to expand LTE). BTCL's ability to utilize its academic ability is important. When the internet service develops throughout the country, it will develop with the development of young society that we can not think or think about in the city. Since the infrastructure is built across the country, a realistic rural-based internet distribution policy is necessary. By not raising any new investments at this moment, we can use own internet for ourselves to stay comfortably in the 21st century's new world. Justice delayed justice denied FIVE years have elapsed after the Rana Plaza collapse in Savar which is known as deadliest garment-factory accident in history, as well as the deadliest structural failure in the modern human history. At least 1136 garment workers were killed on the spot and 1169 received severe injuries when the multi-storied building that housed five factories, several shops and a bank was collapsed on April 24 in 2013. A number of cases were filed by police and other departments accusing owner of the building, Sohel Rana-a local Jubo League leader. But none of those cases yet disposed off. The total number of cases regarding the accident was 14. Of them, 11 cases were lodged with Labour Court and Lower Courts by Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment, RAJUK, Anti-Corruption Commission, rights groups and others. Three others including two murder cases were filed by police and a victim's wife. Later, two murder cases were amalgamated to one. The relevant courts could not yet start trial procedure of the murder and another one under Building Construction Act while eight accused went to High Court seeking stay order. Now, uncertainty looms large over the disposal of all cases though charge-sheets of the cases have also been submitted. Those who were arrested in connection with the cases, including Sohel Rana's family members, an MP of Savar, engineers, garment factory owners and officials of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment, -- all are now freed in bail. Only Sohel Rana is now behind the bar. According to Public Prosecutor, the High Court issued six months stay order for each in two phases. After that, no order was given regarding seven accused, except stay order for one accused is in effect till May 12. He hoped to finish the trial process after that. But the condition of other 11 cases filed by different authorities is also the same. We've no such word to express our surprise why not a single case was dismissed in the last four years. Whose negligence it was? Who was responsible for delaying the trial process? In a civilized country it was impossible to let free the accused persons who were mainly responsible for killing and injuring over 2200 people. The victims' family members would never be happy only seeing Sohel Rana in the jail. They want to see the persons who patronized Sohel Rana, his godfather local MP, RAJUK officials who okayed the faulty designed building, the factory inspectors who gave clearance to run the factories in a dangerous condition - all in the jail. It is not understandable why the High Court is spending so much time issuing stay order in such a sensitive cases? A case might be dismissed, with or without prejudice but the fact that a case is brought is not the determination of a court or a jury, but of the prosecutor, in a criminal case or a plaintiff in a civil one. Here, the weak performance of our Public Prosecutor has appeared as main reason for delaying the cases. We fear the persons who were responsible for Rana Plaza collapse will be able to escape the punishment getting advantage of the delaying procedure. Justice delayed justice denied. UNSC delegation`s visit and our Foreign Ministry`s task A UN Security Council delegation will arrive in Dhaka on April 29 to see the condition of Rohingya refugees who took shelter in the bordering Cox's Bazar district to escape the genocide and brutalities by Myanmar military. News media reported that the UNSC delegation, comprising envoys from five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members, is scheduled to visit Rohingya camps and the zero line along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border to see the situation on the ground. Earlier, Bangladesh had urged the UNSC to visit Bangladesh and Myanmar to see the humanitarian situation of the Rohingyas amid a continuous influx of the refugees. In March last year, China, backed by Russia, blocked a short UNSC statement on Myanmar after the 15-member body met to discuss the situation in Rakhine State. In November, the UNSC urged the Myanmar to "ensure no further excessive use of military force in Rakhine State". We remember -- to appease council veto powers Russia and China, Britain and France dropped a push for the UNSC to adopt a resolution on the situation and the 15-member body instead unanimously agreed on a formal statement. The influx, though reduced in recent weeks, continues despite Myanmar's assurances of stopping violence in Rakhine. On April 6, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina invited UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to visit Bangladesh to see for himself the plight of Rohingyas. To address possible solutions the world must first help and support these Rohingya refugees who are living in utter distress. The UNSC must pressure the Myanmar government to ensure the protection of Muslim minorities and to end the conflict through the enactment of laws that ensure the concept of coexistence and respect for others, irrespective of differences. We want to say, the persecution runs years after years in Myanmar must end permanently; the refugees should be repatriated and get political rights and protection while the perpetrators should be punished. In this situation, the world community cannot sit in idle rather work together to cement social fabrication in Myanmar where hatred rules out humanity. The visit of UNSC delegation will not bring any result till our government takes pragmatic diplomatic step to convince the veto-powered nations, especially Russia and China. Our government should explain them about their humanitarian duties and responsibilities in this part of the globe - particularly towards the Rohingyas. It should be the only task of our Foreign Ministry at this moment. Compensation still a far cry Tariq Al Banna : Although five years have passed since the deadly collapse of rana Plaza, providing adequate compensation to all the victims' and their affected families, it seems, is still far away. At the core of the matter is the public interest writ seeking court directives on amount of the compensation which is yet to be heard by the court for the last four years. Allegations are there that the factory owners are using their influence to delay the hearing of the writ to avoid payment of a proper compensation package. Even they are trying to sideline the recommendations of a governemnt-formed committee on the amount of compensationb. On April 24, 2013, around 1,135 garment workers were killed, more than 2500 permanently disabled, and over 100 workers went 'permanently' missing inside the collapsed Rana Plaza, after the workers were forced by factory owners to enter the dilapidated factory building. A number of the world's top fashion brands - Spain's Mango, Inditex and (Zara), UK's Matalan and Primark, Italy's Benetton, Canada's Joe Fresh - all were using suppliers based in Rana Plaza. To serve their interest, poor workers were lured from their ancestral villages into the death trap of the factory building called Rana Plaza that obtained permission to build a six-storey building but later extended it by three more floors. The global brands' unending search for the cheapest labour in the world; their unstoppable greed to make more and more profit; and, above all, their gluttony paved the way for the deadliest factory killings in industrial history. One should keep in mind that donation is not compensation. Compensation is a right while donation is just an act of charity. As different parties involved started citing different compensation amount, rights activist moved to the court. Within a week after the collapse of Rana Plaza, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust and Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), two human rights organisations, jointly filed a public interest writ seeking the High Court's directives on amount of the compensation. The court then ordered the government to form a committee 'to determine adequate compensation for the victims'. On January 23, 2014, the committee submitted its report to the court, proposing over Tk 14.5 lakh compensation to each of the deceased workers' families and permanently disabled labourers. But no hearing has taken place since 2014 on the petition, after the submission of reccomendations, although the then chief justice ordered the holding of analogous hearings on the writ. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) which wants the compensation amount to be fixed according to Bangladesh Labour Law of 2006, termed the proposed amount 'impractical'. They argued 'such high amount would discourage investors to continue business.' BGMEA gave note of decent to the committee, urging them to set the compensation amount at Tk 2 lakh. The issue of compensation of more than 3,000 families appears being deliberately ignored, like the imminent probability of the collapse was, to satisfy the profit-hungry fashion brands, and protect their local suppliers. The building had a crack and tilted a day before the collapse, but the owners forced the workers to continue working in the building. In a sense they forced the workers to be burried inside the building. Cops foil BNP rally in city Police assaulting a BNP activist (top); a photographer being picked up (left-bottom) and a police officer being manhandled by the workers on Monday while staging rally in city\'s Paltan area, demanding party Chairperson Khaleda Zia\'s release and treatmen Police foiled a rally brought out by Dhaka South City unit BNP in the capital on Monday demanding the release of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail. A group of leaders and activists of the party took out the procession from a lane in front of the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque around 2pm as part of their scheduled programme. As the procession was moving towards Dainik Bangla crossing, law enforcers dispersed them by charging baton. Police also picked up around 20 BNP leaders and activists, including Dhaka City East unit Chhatra Dal President Enamul Haq, from the spot. Earlier on Sunday, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced a weeklong fresh programme taken by the party and its associate bodies demanding Khaleda's release from jail. As part of the programmes, the party's Dhaka North City unit staged a demonstration in the city's Badda area on Sunday. On February 8, Khaleda Zia was sent to Old Dhaka Central Jail after a special court sentenced her to five years' rigorous imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. 7-yr-old girl loses arm as truck knocks her Staff Reporter : A schoolgirl got her left arm severed after a truck knocked her down at Sherua Battala in Bogura's Sherpur upazila on Sunday afternoon. The victim is Sumi Khatun, 7, daughter of Dulal Khan of Kanaigathi in the upazila, reports our local correspondent quoting police. M Osman Goni, Sub-Inspector of Sherpur Police Station, said that the stone-laden truck hit the girl around 2:30pm while she was crossing the road along with her mother. In the accident, the schoolgirl's left arm got severed from the elbow, he said. Locals first took her to Sherpur Upazila Health Complex from where she was shifted to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital, the SI said, adding that they seized the truck but its driver managed to flee. On April 3, Rajib Hossain, a second-year undergraduate student of Titumir College, and Khalid Hasan Ridoy, 20, a transport worker, have become of victims of such accidents. He succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on April 17. Cut corporate tax Special Correspondent : Exporters have demanded corporate tax cut for export-oriented industries in the next budget to make local exportable competitive in the global market. They also suggested for a five-year tax policy after fixing a unified corporate tax rate of 10 per cent for the export industries and reducing the source tax to 0.5 per cent from the existing 0.70 per cent. Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB), the apex trade body of the country's export sector, made the demand in its budget proposal to the National Board of Revenue (NBR). "We're demanding for an equal tax measures for all the export sub-sectors to maintain competitiveness of local export items in the global markets," EAB President Abdus Salam Murshedy told The New Nation yesterday. He said price competitiveness of local products is gradually declining mainly because of depreciation of local currency against the US dollar, rising cost of doing business, labour wages and transportation cost. "So, the tax cut is vital to make domestic export industries more competitive," he said adding, "The corporate tax and source tax should be fixed for at least five years." Referring to corporate tax rate, Murshedy said, the government fixed the rate at 12 percent for export-oriented garment factories whereas the rate is 35 percent for its backward linkage garment accessories and packaging industry. He called for reducing the corporate tax to 12 per cent in view of the sector's contribution. EAB also sought exemption from VAT on products and services used locally by export-oriented industries, duty-free import facility for the capital machinery, fire preventive and energy savings equipment and spare-parts, conducting audit in two years instead of one year and increasing the time to 6 months from existing three to provide related documents. It also demanded cash incentive for the all export-oriented industries, withdrawal of 5 per cent advance income tax on cash incentive for frozen foods export, withdrawal of 4 per cent VAT on packing materials, fuel and lubricant, chemical and detergent, ice purchase and uniform and liveries, and 4.5 per cent VAT waiver on carriage inwards and outwards. `Dead` newborn girl wakes up before burial A new born baby who was declared dead by doctors at DMCH woke up at the time of her last bathing before burial in city\'s Azimpur Graveyard on Monday. She was rushed back to Azimpur Child and Maternity Hospital. Staff Reporter : A newborn baby girl woke up at the time of her final bathing before burial at the Azimpur Graveyard in the city on Monday. She was taken to the graveyard after doctors at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) declared her dead and issued a death certificate. The baby girl was immediately rushed to Azimpur Maternity Hospital and then to Dhaka Shishu Hospital at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar for better treatment. Now she is undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Shishu Hospital. Sharmin Akter, 20, wife of Minhaz Uddin, hailing from Dhamrai, got admitted to the DMCH with labour pain on Sunday. Later, she gave birth to a baby girl through normal delivery at 7:30am on Monday. The on duty doctors declared the newborn dead just some minutes after the delivery. The DMCH also issued a death certificate. She was brought to Azimpur Graveyard and was being given her final bath before burial when she moved, Hafizul Islam, a caretaker at the graveyard, said. "It was then that we realised that the baby is alive." The newborn's maternal uncle, Shariful Islam, told journalists that the baby was first rushed to Azimpur Maternity Hospital and then to Dhaka Shishu Hospital. Doctors there say the child is in the ICU and that her condition has improved a little. Professor Md Abdul Aziz, Director of the Shishu Hospital, at a press briefing at the hospital premises said that the staff of the hospital will put in their utmost efforts to try and save the baby. DMCH Director Brigadier General AKM Nasir Uddin said the hospital has formed a four-member probe committee, headed its assistant director Bidyut Kanti Pal, to investigate the incident. "We will investigate whether this child was actually delivered and declared dead at DMCH," he said. 3 held for 'sexually harassing' pvt univ student in bus Staff Reporter Three transport workers were arrested on Monday in connection with sexually harassing a private university student in a running bus in Dhaka on Saturday. The arrestees were identified as Nayan, 29, helper of the bus "Great Turag", its conductor Monir, 27, and driver Roman, 27. The bus was also seized around 4:30pm. The three has confessed to their involvement with the incident in primary interrogation, the OC said. A case was filed with Gulshan Police Station over sexual harassment of the student yesterday afternoon. The private university student was allegedly sexually harassed in a running bus on her way to campus in the capital's Uttara on Saturday afternoon. The victim boarded a "Great Turag" bus on Badda Link road around 1:00pm on Saturday to go to her university, according to the case statement. When all the other passengers got off the bus at Natun Bazar bus stoppage the helper, contractor and driver of the bust started to sexually assault the victim, read the case statement. At one stage, the victim managed to fend them off and jump off the bus, says the statement. Meanwhile, teachers and students of Uttara University gave an ultimatum to the authorities concerned to find out the culprits by 12noon on Tuesday. Otherwise, they will go for tougher protest programs, they said at a press briefing in the city. Protesting the incident, some hundred students of Uttara University yesterday staged demonstration in Uttara demanding immediate arrest of the bus staffers of "Turag Paribahan". IBBL stops all sorts of investment * Liquidity crisis blamed * Central control switch closed * Panic grips clients at all levels Anisul Islam Noor : In an unprecedented development Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd (IBBL); which is by far the largest private sector bank in the country has ordered to stop all types of investment from Sunday due to dearth of liquidity in the bank, inside sources said. Earlier, the bank had stopped all new investment by verbal order, but from Sunday it has formally closed the central control switch to make sure that no investment funding will be disbursed from head office or any other office all over the country while new investment loan will be sanctioned. As a result, branches could not release investment (loans) fund from Dhaka and its outside branches. Panic is gripping clients, investors and bank officials at all levels; as none knows for sure what is going on inside the bank. Insiders say this is indeed a dramatic turn never expected from this bank; which has symbolized business confidence in the banking sector above all others. The move for closure of all investment comes immediately after the change of the chairman and heads of some sensitive banking committees last week while insides had said more changes in the board of directors are also on card. The Islami Bank saw dramatic changes for the first time in January last year with the removal of the former chairman M A Mannan and reshuffling of other sensitive committees. Meanwhile massive transfer of the bank shares took place to change the ownership of the bank previously controlled by people linked with Jamaat political party. The bank saw the change of the chairman again with removal of Asrastoo Khan last week. It also followed reshuffles of important committees and its board of directors only to suggest big crisis within the bank particularly with regard of loan portfolio management resulting into liquidity crisis. Media report over the past one year regularly said as several new companies set up overnight took control of the bank, its loans sanctioning and disbursement were made in flagrant violation of banking rules and standard procedures. It essentially resulted into the bank's unprecedented liquidity crisis although it was sitting on the largest deposits of over Tk 80,000 crore one year ago. Its current total deposits now amounts to Tk 76,495 crore The bank has an investment of Tk 77,869 crore up until now. Many fear that huge fund of the bank may have been exploited by new owners under various fake or controversial loans to hit the highest limit of mismanagement calling for drastic action like stopping new investment and disbursement to tackle liquidity crisis. Islami Bank is not taking new investment projects for quite sometime. It was also disbursing money against already approved investment at slow pace; which became altogether stopped now from Sunday last. Even the fixed investment for the bank's own employees has been discontinued. Islami Bank's popular 'agent banking' outlet has also been discontinued. Bangladesh Bank has approved 105 outlets of the Bank's Agent Banking, of which 95 outlets have already started functioning. The bank has closed the opening of the new outlet now. Earlier, the bank sought Bangladesh Bank's approval for more than 200 'agent banking' outlets recently. Investments have been stopped to meet the crisis of cash and to fix the bank's fixed deposit and investment ratio (IDR). However, the concerns of the banking industry can be reversed following such decision. Debashis Chakraborty, Executive Director and spokesman of Bangladesh Bank said the bank has decided to stop invest in consideration of customer needs and other matters. "There is no direct mention of the Bangladesh Bank in this regard. The decision of the Board of Directors of the Islami Bank is important," he said. Concerned about the safety of the largest private sector bank of the country, the central bank says there is no logical reason for such a crisis. The bank has never had a financial crisis in this year. Last year it collected over 8 thousand crore deposits. Still no one can say anything about why this is so. Insiders say the bank lent large amount of money to many big projects. Now these projects were facing setback and failing to go into production or regenerating income. As a result, both the customer and the bank are at a loss. According to the guideline of the Bangladesh Bank, Islamic banks can distribute 85 percent of their deposits against loans. If the overall financial indicators are good, it can even lend 90 percent against various businesses. Insiders of the bank requesting not to be name said many officials fear of losing jobs in this uncertain situation in the bank. It is not clear to anyone what is going on. Ananta's generosity to Rajib's brothers Staff Reporter : Ananta Jalil, a renowned businessman and also a film superstar, has taken responsibilities of the two younger brothers of Rajib Hossain, a college student who died recently following a road accident in Dhaka. Talking to media, Ananta Jalil said that he called the duo to his office at Hemayetpur of Savar on Monday. "I am very delighted to take their responsibilities. They will live with their aunt and uncle. I will bear all the cost for them," he said. On April 3, Rajib, a third-year student of Government Titumir College in Dhaka, lost his right hand after it got stuck between two speeding buses trying to overtake each other in the capital's Bangla Motor area. He also suffered brain hemorrheage in the accident. He died at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on April 16. Ananta Jalil expressed his willingness on his verified Facebook page on April 17 to take the responsibilities of two younger brothers -- Mehedi Hasan Bappi and Abdullah Hridoy after the tragic death of Rajib. Besides, Social Welfare Minister Rashed Khan Menon, at a press conference on April 18, said the government will bear all educational expenses of the two younger brothers of Rajib. Rajib was the guardian to his younger brothers after the death of their father in 2007. Their mother also died when Rajib was only eight years old. Extended family members have looked after them all. 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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 Yes, the decision belongs on the local level No, no one should be able to dictate whether people wear masks Vote View Results The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. Noted UAE-based businessman Dr Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty has announced the creation of Finablr, a new holding company which, subject to regulatory approvals, will consolidate his global portfolio of financial services brands under one single umbrella. Incorporated in the UK, Finablr will provide strategic direction and oversight for the category-leading brands across its network. As a diversified network, Finablr will combine the cumulative industry expertise of its trusted network brands including UAE Exchange, Travelex, Xpress Money etc. to deliver innovative-technology-driven and market-leading experiences. As a platform of complementary capabilities, the Finablr network will facilitate seamless and connected experiences for individuals and enterprises, said a statement. Finablr also seeks to drive financial enablement and empowerment by accelerating customer-focused technology innovation through R&D efforts, industry ecosystem engagements, investments and potential acquisitions. With over four decades of industry experience, more than 18,000 employees, and handling more than 150 million customer transactions annually, the Finablr network brands boast an impressive global footprint. Collectively touching over a billion lives through its retail stores, agents and digital channels, the Finablr network brands have a direct presence in 45 countries and a network reach across 165 countries. Technology innovation and integration into the new economy is key to Finablrs growth strategy. Dr Shetty, Finablr founder and chairman, said: Finablr is driven by our desire to lead the evolution of the financial services industry to meet the customer demands of tomorrow. Our strength comes from over four decades of trust that we have built with our customers through a track record of innovation and excellence in service. Through investment in research and technology, we will bring forth game-changing products and services across our portfolio of brands, to ensure we maintain our competitive edge. We are inspired by our customers and Finablr will focus on creating an engaged customer community. Binay Shetty, executive director at Finablr, explained: Finablr will bring together the strengths across its network brands and investments in digital technologies to build scalable, cost-efficient customer propositions to enable and empower them. We see Finablr as an innovation platform that converges the strengths and capabilities of our network companies and a range of ecosystem partners. In effect, we are bringing together leading-edge capabilities across people, processes and technology. In its efforts to embrace new technologies that transform the way customers and businesses engage, Finablr is setting up Innovation Hubs (i-Hubs) across its global network. i-Hubs will identify disruptive trends in the industry and implement innovations that deliver enhanced business benefits to its network of brands. Through its investment arm, Finablr will seek to acquire capabilities that complement its portfolio through inorganic pursuits. The Finablr investment arm will continue the inorganic pursuits on behalf of its network brands, including strategic investments and acquisitions plans (of $250-300 million) announced by UAE Exchange. Promoth Manghat, executive director at Finablr, added: As a network of category-leading and trusted brands, Finablr is uniquely positioned to lead the future of financial services for a seamless world. Keeping the innovation agenda squarely in sight, we have started our journey by collaborating with strategic partners and globally-renowned industry accelerator programmes. The formation of i-Hubs builds upon our early investments in technology and accelerates our pace in delivering cutting-edge solutions. Moreover, on the investment front, we are constantly on the lookout for the right opportunities that help further our innovation efforts be it on the industry capability or the technology side. Finablr has also announced the intent to rebrand the non-UAE operations of UAE Exchange as Unimoni" (short for Universal Money). Unimoni will offer a broad spectrum of financial services and will build on the brand equity and legacy of UAE Exchange. - TradeArabia News Service Moody's Investors Service has assigned a Ba1 corporate family rating (CFR) and Ba1-PD probability of default rating to NMC Health, the largest healthcare provider in the UAE (UAE, Aa2 stable). The outlook on the ratings is stable. This is the first time that Moody's has assigned ratings to NMC. Ratings rationale NMC's Ba1 CFR and Ba1-PD ratings with a stable outlook reflect its business profile as the largest healthcare provider in the United Arab Emirates (UAE, Aa2 stable), which is an affluent healthcare market with an attractive demographic profile. NMC also operates one of the largest wholesale distribution businesses in the UAE, including fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and scientific equipment. The ratings also take into account NMC's favourable regulatory environment to date, in particular, the company's good relationships with various regulatory bodies that adopt a constructive approach to dealing with any challenges that may arise. To date, NMC has not faced any closure or censure of its facilities. The company continues to strive to meet self-imposed standards that are higher when compared to what is expected of it by various regulators. This approach supports in turn its resilient business model, loyal customer base, strong brand recognition and market leading position. NMC also continues to attract highly skilled doctors to its facilities from the Middle East and further afield through enticing remuneration packages and working conditions, and because of the good quality of life offered to expatriate workers in the UAE. At the same time, the ratings consider the company's small scale of operations as a private healthcare provider with revenues for the financial year ended 31 December 2017 of $1.6 billion. As of the same date, NMC owned 75 and managed 65 facilities, with around six million patients seen in 2017. In terms of concentration, six facilities represent 68.3 per cent of EBITDA. Consequently, any unforeseen challenges affecting the ability of these operations to function according to plan could have a material adverse impact on NMC's EBITDA and deleveraging trajectory. NMC has a strong track record of integrating its acquisitions. Specifically, in incorporating new operations into its own operations to add scale-driven synergies, NMC aims to and has shown that it will only acquire operations that are not broken, but are also not fully optimised, with the potential to breakeven soon after the acquisitions. Furthermore, the ratings recognize NMC's strong liquidity profile and strengthening credit metrics, with debt/EBITDA likely to trend towards 3x over the next 18 months. The company has a public commitment to keep net debt/EBITDA below 3.5x at all times. The ratings are further supported by the quality and stability of NMC's operations, which offer world class care, notably for in vitro fertilisation and long-term care facilities through its Provita offering. The diversification associated with NMC's business profile is enhanced through its distribution business, where it holds sole rights for a number of noteworthy brands, including Nestle, Nivea and Pear. NMC also sells 3M, Siemens and Samsung medical products and is the sole distributer for Pfizer pharmaceutical products. Liquidity NMC's liquidity position is sufficient to meet its operational and capital expenditure needs of $463.1 million as forecast by Moody's. This situation is supported by surplus cash balances, which Moody's estimates will, over the next 18 months, exceed $100 million and could measure close to $200 million, taking into account operating cash requirements of around $62 million. NMC's liquidity profile is further strengthened by a $400 million revolving liquidity facility, which will remain largely undrawn over the next 18 months. The strength of NMC's liquidity remains reliant on the ability of the company to address maturing debt as it becomes due, notably its $1 billion bridge loan facility which matures in the next 18 months. Rationale for the stable outlook The stable ratings outlook assumes that NMC will address the $1 billion of bridge loan debt in advance of 12 months to maturity and that the company will deleverage towards 3x debt/EBITDA over the next 18 months. The stable ratings outlook further presumes that NMC will maintain the smooth functioning of its operations, in an environment with no material challenges to its key EBITDA generating facilities. What could change the rating up/down Given the scale of its operations, level of geographic diversification and high leverage, upward pressure on NMC's CFR is limited over the next 18 months. And, its scale would need to exceed $5 billion in revenues, with debt/EBITDA trending below 3x to be considered for an upgrade to Baa3. NMC's ratings would be downgraded if the company fails to deleverage towards debt/EBITDA of 3x over the next 18 months, and its liquidity profile or key operating facilities become pressured due to unforeseen challenges. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, NMC Health plc is the legal entity listed on the LSE premium market (FTSE 100 company) with a current market capitilisation of close to $10 billion. The Top 10 shareholders own an approximately 75.2 per cent stake in NMC and include Dr B R Shetty (the founder of NMC), investment vehicles of the Bin Butti family, as well other notable institutional investors. For the financial year ended December 31, 2017, NMC reported $1.6 billion in revenues and a Moody's adjusted EBITDA of $408 million. TradeArabia News Service Artisan Chic design house, World Tricot, will be making its GCC debut at Interiors Expo 2018, the biggest integrated business-to-business showcase for the interiors sector in the Northern Gulf region, which opens in Manama. The Interiors Expo 2018 will be held under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain from April 24 to 26 at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, said the event organisers Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE). At the three-day event, the French design house and confection, world renowned in global fashion and haute-couture; will be promoting its handmade upholstery, luxury hotel linens and designer luxury clothing range for their brand Angele Batist. The very discreet Carmen Colle, President of World Tricot has built a reputation befitting a doyenne of French craftsmanship more than 30 years of luxury experience. The company was awarded the coveted "Living Heritage Company", accolade by the Ministry of Economy and Industry of France for its craftsmanship and industrial excellence. A revolutionary in her industry and role model, Colle once produced collections for Yves Saint-Laurent, Christian Lacroix, Hermes, Christian Dior and Gucci (more than 60 luxury brands). She always takes up the challenges successfully, with her execution showing innovation movement and delicate architecture. Interiors Expo provides a major platform for us, our interior pieces, and our designer luxury brand of Angele Batist, to service the domestic and commercial consumers in Bahrain remarked Colle. We want our customers to have their dreams and wishes come true and feel very happy to wear our unique handmade work, she noted. The World Tricot workshops is located in Lure in Haute-Saone in eastern France. The skills and crafts of the handmade are utilized in the creation of Angele Batist pieces. The workshops is an homage to crafting and embroidering merino wool, alpaca, angora, cashmere, silk linen and lots of luxurious raw materials from all over the world. World Tricot was developed on the ancestral know-how of our workshop for knit, mesh and embroidery and we have put these skills at the service of the creation and imagination, remarked Colle. Bill Gaytten, the artistic director for Maison Galliano, said: "In our luxury world of fashion and with the exigence of haute-couture, we need workshops like World Tricot." Passion for quality, transparency and team work, she added. HCE Managing Director Jubran Abdulrahman said: "We are excited to host the designs of World Tricot. Ms Colle has created World Tricot out of her passion for painting and art. This is seen in her, Angele Batist designs." "Angele Batist expertly emphasize world culture, coupling this with their high quality and luxury, they are an excellent example of the creativity on display at Interiors Expo," stated Abdulrahman. Interiors Expo 2018 is strategically sponsored by Hempel Paints and Bakokko Group. Interiors Expo takes place in conjunction with two other major events Gulf Construction Expo and Gulf Property Show providing the biggest integrated business-to-business showcase for the construction, interiors and property sectors ever to be staged in the Northern Gulf.-TradeArabia News Service Worldwide IT spending is projected to total $3.7 trillion in 2018, an increase of 6.2 per cent from 2017, according to the latest forecast by leading research and advisory company Gartner. "Although global IT spending is forecast to grow 6.2 per cent this year, the declining U.S. dollar has caused currency tailwinds, which are the main reason for this strong growth," said John-David Lovelock, research vice president at Gartner. "This is the highest annual growth rate that Gartner has forecast since 2007 and would be a sign of a new cycle of IT growth. However, spending on IT around the world is growing at expected levels and is in line with expected global economic growth. Through 2018 and 2019, the U.S. dollar is expected to trend stronger while enduring tremendous volatility due to the uncertain political environment, the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation and the potential for trade wars." Enterprise software spending is forecast to experience the highest growth in 2018 with an 11.1 per cent increase (see Table 1). Barring unexpected disruption, the software industry is expected to continue capitalizing on the evolution of digital business. Application software spending is expected to continue to rise through 2019, and infrastructure software will also continue to grow, bolstered by modernization initiatives. Even with a strong end to 2017, worldwide spending on data center systems is forecast to grow 3.7 per cent in 2018, down from 6.3 per cent growth in 2017.The longer-term outlook continues to have challenges, particularly for the storage segment. The strength at the end of 2017 was primarily driven by the component shortage for memory components, and prices have increased at a greater rate than previously expected. Whereas previously, component shortages were expected to ease into 2018, the shortages are now expected to continue throughout the year with the supply not expected to ease until the end of the year. Worldwide spending for devices PCs, tablets and mobile phones is forecast to grow in 2018, reaching $706 billion, an increase of 6.6 per cent from 2017. "The device market continues to see dual dynamics. Some users are holding back from buying, and those that are buying are doing so, on average, at higher price points," said Lovelock."As a result, end-user spending will increase faster than units through 2022. However, total end-user spending and unit shipments are expected to be lower compared with previous forecasts, as demand for ultramobile premium devices, ultramobile utility devices and basic phones is expected to be slow." Gartner's IT spending forecast methodology relies heavily on rigorous analysis of sales by thousands of vendors across the entire range of IT products and services. Gartner uses primary research techniques, complemented by secondary research sources, to build a comprehensive database of market size data on which to base its forecast. TradeArabia News Service Blog Archive Oct 2021 (6) Sep 2021 (67) Aug 2021 (62) Jul 2021 (54) Jun 2021 (50) May 2021 (58) Apr 2021 (44) Mar 2021 (57) Feb 2021 (64) Jan 2021 (93) Dec 2020 (82) Nov 2020 (62) Oct 2020 (50) Sep 2020 (45) Aug 2020 (51) Jul 2020 (56) Jun 2020 (53) May 2020 (70) Apr 2020 (66) Mar 2020 (169) Feb 2020 (211) Jan 2020 (184) Dec 2019 (54) Nov 2019 (56) Oct 2019 (55) Sep 2019 (63) Aug 2019 (54) Jul 2019 (69) Jun 2019 (56) May 2019 (65) Apr 2019 (68) Mar 2019 (72) Feb 2019 (76) Jan 2019 (62) Dec 2018 (55) Nov 2018 (69) Oct 2018 (90) Sep 2018 (82) Aug 2018 (58) Jul 2018 (36) Jun 2018 (47) May 2018 (44) Apr 2018 (64) Mar 2018 (63) Feb 2018 (68) Jan 2018 (92) Dec 2017 (85) Nov 2017 (64) Oct 2017 (82) Sep 2017 (54) Aug 2017 (89) Jul 2017 (60) Jun 2017 (86) May 2017 (84) Apr 2017 (62) Mar 2017 (86) Feb 2017 (91) Jan 2017 (113) Dec 2016 (109) Nov 2016 (100) Oct 2016 (82) Sep 2016 (95) Aug 2016 (84) Jul 2016 (84) Jun 2016 (99) May 2016 (93) Apr 2016 (106) Mar 2016 (145) Feb 2016 (125) Jan 2016 (103) Dec 2015 (83) Nov 2015 (80) Oct 2015 (100) Sep 2015 (111) Aug 2015 (94) Jul 2015 (98) Jun 2015 (151) May 2015 (125) Apr 2015 (109) Mar 2015 (122) Feb 2015 (113) Jan 2015 (135) Dec 2014 (131) Nov 2014 (115) Oct 2014 (146) Sep 2014 (112) Aug 2014 (128) Jul 2014 (94) Jun 2014 (104) May 2014 (140) Apr 2014 (132) Mar 2014 (81) Feb 2014 (89) Jan 2014 (141) Dec 2013 (100) Nov 2013 (96) Oct 2013 (99) Sep 2013 (94) Aug 2013 (95) Jul 2013 (95) Jun 2013 (91) May 2013 (139) Apr 2013 (179) Mar 2013 (73) Feb 2013 (76) Jan 2013 (85) Dec 2012 (59) Nov 2012 (71) Oct 2012 (85) Sep 2012 (70) Aug 2012 (71) Jul 2012 (53) Jun 2012 (51) May 2012 (52) Apr 2012 (52) Mar 2012 (69) Feb 2012 (76) Jan 2012 (70) Dec 2011 (60) Nov 2011 (54) Oct 2011 (57) Sep 2011 (75) Aug 2011 (72) Jul 2011 (64) Jun 2011 (76) May 2011 (56) Apr 2011 (73) Mar 2011 (114) Feb 2011 (71) Jan 2011 (80) Dec 2010 (92) Nov 2010 (82) Oct 2010 (73) Sep 2010 (95) Aug 2010 (86) Jul 2010 (81) Jun 2010 (76) May 2010 (71) Apr 2010 (74) Mar 2010 (74) Feb 2010 (82) Jan 2010 (101) Dec 2009 (108) Nov 2009 (182) Oct 2009 (136) Sep 2009 (102) Aug 2009 (120) Jul 2009 (151) Jun 2009 (136) May 2009 (180) Apr 2009 (145) Mar 2009 (113) Feb 2009 (113) Jan 2009 (124) Dec 2008 (108) Nov 2008 (69) Oct 2008 (89) Sep 2008 (76) Aug 2008 (75) Jul 2008 (87) Jun 2008 (80) May 2008 (99) Apr 2008 (93) Mar 2008 (115) Feb 2008 (147) Jan 2008 (162) Dec 2007 (124) Nov 2007 (95) Oct 2007 (67) Sep 2007 (42) Aug 2007 (78) Jul 2007 (75) Jun 2007 (123) May 2007 (110) Apr 2007 (108) Mar 2007 (92) Feb 2007 (136) Jan 2007 (119) Dec 2006 (41) Nov 2006 (34) Oct 2006 (12) Sep 2006 (13) Aug 2006 (13) Jul 2006 (16) Jun 2006 (12) May 2006 (21) Apr 2006 (38) Mar 2006 (27) Feb 2006 (25) Jan 2006 (18) Dubai registered record international overnight visits totalling 15.8 million in 2017, 6.2 per cent higher than the previous year, said the Annual Visitor Report 2017 released by Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism). The report provides an in-depth cross-sector analysis of the emirates tourism performance last year, as well as an overview of future activities, campaigns and strategies as Dubai progresses towards its goal of welcoming 20 million visitors per year by 2020, reported Emirates news agency Wam. It also analyses visitor demographics, taking a closer look at who is travelling to Dubai, from where and for what reason, as well as how they are spending their time in the city. In addition, the report reviews recent and upcoming plans, highlighting major developments across multiple sectors. Key findings and highlights of the Annual Visitor Report 2017 include: - Dubais top 10 source markets contributed a share of 59 per cent of total tourist volumes, with the remainder made up of highly diversified markets across the globe. - Three out of four visitors were families and couples, with individuals making up 14 per cent, friends 8 per cent, and colleagues 3 per cent of total visitation. - 73.8 per cent of tourists travelled to Dubai for leisure purposes, with those visiting friends and relatives making up 13.9 per cent of the total, and business travellers 11.5 per cent. - 77 per cent of visitors chose to stay in paid accommodation, as opposed to staying with friends and relatives. - The gender mix was fairly balanced, with 47 per cent women travellers, while the party size averaged at 2.5 persons, staying in Dubai for an average of 7.6 days. - The Dubai Mall remained the citys most popular attraction, drawing 97 per cent of visitors, followed by The Dubai Fountain with 81 per cent, and heritage and cultural districts with 63 per cent. - Surpassing 2016 ratings, 99.4 per cent of surveyed visitors said they were either happy or extremely happy with their overall Dubai experience, with a massive 69.1 per cent in the latter category. - Similarly, an impressive 99.3 per cent of surveyed visitors indicated they would be likely promoters or active advocates of Dubai, recommending the destination to friends and family. - The biggest increases in overall satisfaction levels were witnessed among travellers from Germany and France, with the biggest leaps in advocacy levels coming from German and Chinese visitors. The report also details key successes across Dubai Tourisms social, digital and marketing campaigns, seasonal campaigns in key markets around the world, and content partnerships with global media. Additionally, it analyses the future outlook for Dubais fast-evolving tourism industry, highlighting initiatives such as the emirates Smart City and 10X initiatives. Hotels in the Middle East reported mixed Q1 2018 performance results, while hotels in Africa posted growth across the three key performance metrics, according to data from STR - a leading market research firm. Occupancy levels in the Middle East moved up 0.9 per cent to 70.6 per cent but average daily rate (ADR) declined 4.5 per cent to $163.76, forcing revenue per available room (RevPAR) to drop 3.7 per cent to $115.62. In the UAE, occupancy rates were recorded at 83.4 per cent, up 1.1 per cent compared to the same period in 2017. ADR, however, was down 3.4 per cent to Dh666.48 ($181.4) while RevPAR slipped 2.3 per cent to Dh556.12 ($151.3). Healthy demand growth (up 5.2 per cent) was enough to outpace continued significant supply growth (up 4.0 per cent) in the Emirates, leading to an increase in occupancy while mitigating the supply impact on rate levels. Key markets Abu Dhabi (RevPAR: down 4.0 per cent) and Dubai (RevPAR: down 2.6 per cent) each saw overall performance declines. STR analysts note that the supply growth impact is more substantial in Dubai ahead of Expo 2020, while Abu Dhabi is looking to diversify away from its oil dependence and focus on more development in the tourism sector. Performance indicators in Egypt showed positive results with occupancy levels going up 21.2 per cent to 60.1 per cent in Q1, pushing ADR up 11.8 per cent to EGP1,291.72 ($72.8). Revenue per available room (RevPAR) also improved significantly, climbing 35.5 per cent to EGP775.69 ($43.7). Performance recovery continued in Egypt, and the absolute occupancy level was the highest for a first quarter in the country since 2010. The year-over-year RevPAR increase was supported by both the Sharm El Sheikh (up 84.9 per cent) and Cairo/Giza (up 14.7 per cent) markets, and STR analysts expect this boost to continue as Russia recently resumed flights to Egypt after a two-year suspension. In Africa, occupancy rates climbed up 5.2 per cent to 58.9 per cent with ADR also jumping 6.6 per cent to $125.18. RevPAR was also up 12.1 per cent to $73.73. In South Africa, occupancy was down 3.3 per cent to 63.1 per cent, but ADR moved up 2.6 per cent to ZAR1,361.30 ($112.2). RevPAR declined by 0.7 per cent to ZAR858.99 ($70.8). STR analysts note that the slow start to the year for South Africa was in part due to supply growth (up 2.2 per cent). A recent analysis from STR showed that supply growth in the luxury segment is levelling off. At the market-level, Cape Town reported an 8.9 per cent Q1 decrease in occupancy. That decline was steeper in March specifically (down 12.3 per cent). STR analysts believe that the negative performance was influenced by the water crisis in the city. The announcement of day zero would have likely deterred international tourists, who would have had to book trips multiple months in advance. Johannesburg, on the other hand, saw a 2.5 per cent increase in occupancy for the quarter. That, coupled with a 5.1 per cent lift in ADR, pushed the markets RevPAR growth to 7.8 per cent. - TradeArabia News Service Dubai Cruise Tourism, a department of Dubais Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), hosted a ceremony today (April 23) officially launching the Dubai Cruise Committee at the ongoing Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, UAE. The signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) confirms the implementation of a collaborative framework designed to consolidate the citys position as cruise hub of the region. The Dubai Cruise Committee is a strategic network of leading industry partners; Dubai Tourism, DP World UAE Region FZE, Emirates Airline, The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai, and Dubai Customs. This newly-signed MoU demonstrates each organisations commitment to work together to increase the number of cruise tourists to Dubai, and to achieving the goal of welcoming one million cruise tourists by the 2020/2021 season. As well as agreeing to work together to sustain the emirates position as a leading winter cruise destination, the Dubai Cruise Committee discussed and approved business development strategies to secure long term contracts with existing clients and attract new cruise lines to use the emirate as their winter home port in the region. The committee also agreed to work to extend Dubais cruise season further into the summer months, to appeal to additional market segments around the world. Hamad Bin Mejren, senior vice president, Dubai Tourism, said: Dubai has been instrumental in pioneering cruise tourism in the region, and our success could not have been achieved without our close working relationships with both the public and private sectors. This landmark agreement signed today by the Dubai Cruise Committee will ensure that international cruise lines will receive an end-to-end support for their plans in Dubai. We are committed to working with our network of strategic partners to continue to build on Dubai Cruises success and achieve our target of attracting one million cruise tourists by the 2020/2021 cruise season. As a result of the MoU, Dubai Cruise Committee members will implement combined international marketing activities to raise awareness with a global audience of cruise enthusiasts on the breadth and strength of Dubais cruise offerings Incentives will also be launched that will encourage cruise lines to not only increase the number of ships they deploy to Dubai (and the region as a whole), but also to increase the period of time that the lines operate in the region each year. These include a commitment to continuously enhance cruise tourism facilities within the city, as well as a promise of comprehensive support to cruise lines who homeport in Dubai and who have made the city a permanent port of call. Thierry Antinori, Emirates executive vice president and chief commercial officer said: We are proud to be part of this initiative and look forward to working with the committee to reinforce Dubais position as a leading cruise destination. Emirates connects the world to Dubai with over 150 destinations in our six-continent route network. We continue to provide industry-leading comforts on board our modern jets to ensure the Dubai experience remains cutting-edge as it becomes a hub for cruise tourism. Mohammed Al Mannaei, CEO - P&O Marinas & executive director - Mina Rashid, said: Launching the Dubai Cruise Committee is a timely move in the right direction. Collaboration is key to realising Dubais full potential as a world class cruise destination and we will work closely with our Committee partners to create a fantastic experience for tourists. Mina Rashid can accommodate seven mega cruise vessels or 25,000 tourists simultaneously with the flagship Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal capable of handling 14,000 passengers a day. Were committed to building on its reputation as the winner of the World's Leading Cruise Port Award eleven times in a row at the World Travel Awards. Dubai is fast becoming a favoured destination amongst the international cruise lines and cruise tourists, despite only gaining momentum in 2001 with the opening of the first cruise terminal in the Gulf. The Emirate welcomed over 625,000 cruise tourists to the city during the 2016/2017 season, reflecting an increase of over 15 per cent when compared to the 2015/2016 season, via 157 ship calls including more than 20 world-class cruise lines. Looking ahead, Dubais cruise industry is set for another strong performance during the ongoing 2017/2018 season, working in line to achieve its goal to welcome 1 million cruise tourists by the 2020/2021 season and serving as the winter home port for 10 of the world's leading international cruise lines. TradeArabia News Service Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development (SCTDA) has revealed that occupancy rates at its hotels reached 70 per cent in 2017, indicating an exponentially rising number of regional and global travellers visiting the emirate. The results were revealed at the Arabian Travel MArket, currently taking place in Dubai. Commenting on the results, Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman of SCTDA, said: Last years positive developments were the results of the initiatives to transform the emirate into one of the worlds leading family destinations in line with the directives of HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and in support of Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021 which seeks to attract over 10 million visitors to Sharjah shores by 2021. Our intensive tourism campaigns hit its targets in 2017, further boosting the local tourism sector and enhancing its reputation at the local, regional, and global levels. He added: Our strong performance last year helped catapult Sharjah into the ranks of the most innovative and competitive cities in the world. Our continuing achievements and successes are proof of the emirates capability to provide an exceptional travel experience as well as high potential to attract tourists from around the world. Furthermore, Sharjah is famous among travellers who want to explore ancient monuments, with visitors from Russia, China, and different parts of the globe descending on the emirate to experience its beauty and rich traditions. All of these are helping drive our economic, social, cultural, and environmental growth. In 2017, SCTDA said Sharjah welcomed 1.7 million visitors who stayed in 102 accommodations, 56 of which were hotels and 46 were hotel apartments. Hotels and hotel apartments generated Dh694 million ($188.9 million) in revenue during the same period, up from Dh668 million ($181.8 million) in 2016. Hotels accounted for about 75 per cent of the total revenue receipts. The new statistics showed a remarkable increase in the number of Russian tourists at 266,068 following the move to allow visa on arrival entry to the UAE. Additionally, the number of Chinese tourists during the same period accounted for a massive 45 per cent of the total visitors, while the number of European tourists climbed at an unprecedented rate of 36 per cent. The tourism sectors steady expansion in line with Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021 is also the result of SCTDAs innovative initiatives and tourism programs launched in cooperation with all concerned institutions, which are also working towards implementing a range of tourism projects to enhance the emirates status as the capital of culture and heritage. The authority has also been rolling out high-quality services and organising distinguished events to showcase Sharjahs rich history, culture, and religious heritage. The emirate continues to maintain its identity and traditions as evidenced by its stunning architectural monuments that not only embody the splendor of Islamic architecture and the history of the country but tell the story of Sharjah and the UAEs glorious past, bright present, and promising future as well. Developments of a range of key projects are currently underway: the new Khorfakkan road project, one of the largest development projects in the emirate of Sharjah will allow visitors to more easily access the stunning natural treasures of the east coast; Al Badayer Oasis Project; Kalba Kingfisher Lodge project; Al Bait Hotel; Novotel Sharjah Expo; and Sharjah Anantara Resort; among others. In addition, details are expected to be announced soon of another three prominent projects in the emirate; a desert park resort in the Mahthab area featuring 134 rooms, as well as a Tulip management hotel, with 210 rooms; and Ramada, with 493 rooms. Details of other major projects will also be announced soon. - TradeArabia News Service The Union minister must apologise for being insensitive to physically-challenged Haj pilgrims By Shaheen Nazar for TwoCircles.net Begging by pilgrims is a reality in Saudi Arabia. But to say that Indians are the culprit is far from reality. Support TwoCircles During my long years of stay in Saudi Arabia, I have been frequently visiting the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophets Mosque in Madina. I never found an Indian begging on the street. However, cheats disguised as beggars were quite common. They were mostly from the Indian sub-continent. All of them were able-bodied men and women who would have gone there on Umra visa or staying in the country illegally. (Umra is minor Haj performed round the year). The modus operandi of these beggars are simple: Someone would approach you introducing himself as fellow Haj or Umrah performer from your country whose money and other belongings have been stolen or lost. He needs your urgent help, otherwise he and his accompanying family members would starve. Such cheats, dressed neatly, generally prey on people with families. According to Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the genesis of the rules that barred differently-abled from going on Haj pilgrimage is a 2012 incident in which two Indians were caught begging in Saudi Arabia (Indian Express: 13 April 2018). The Indian Consulate in Jeddah reported this to the Indian government that led to this strange decision. On the basis of this isolated incident, the entire government machinery went into gear and came up with rules using abusive language that created controversy. Though the minister has said that the Haj Committee of India was going to revise the said rules, its not enough. The nation deserves an apology from him for showing disrespect to physically challenged people. Begging is an issue that Saudi Arabia is obliged to tackle, especially during Haj season and the month of Ramadan which see huge influx of pilgrims from all over the world. With this rush come the gangs of beggars, both Saudis and foreigners, mostly from African countries. The Saudi government has formed a separate department to deal with the menace. Those arrested, if foreigners, are deported. Its a process which continues round the year. Only this month Gulf News reported that 21 members of a family, allegedly engaged in begging, were arrested in Al-Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia. They were illegal residents living in a rented house and having a car. The Indian governments decision to exclude people with special needs has no basis as the Saudi government has no such policy. In fact, it facilitates such people. According to Saudi Gazette, in February this year the Saudi authorities have set aside three special areas in the Grand Mosque in Makkah for use by people with physical disabilities, hearing impairments and visual challenge. Besides, the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madina are disabled-friendly structures with availability of free wheel chairs. Even in olden days when wheel chairs were not invented, old and disabled people would take the services of palanquin bearers to complete Haj and Umra rituals. Naqvi has sought to buy peace by saying that the said rule is going to be revised. But government officials apathy in dealing with sensitive issues is evident. His ministry has justified its ban on differently-abled people by saying in its affidavit to the Delhi High Court that Haj is to be undertaken by those who are physically fit. Its an absurd plea showing lack of knowledge and sensitivities. Even physically challenged people can perform Haj if they have means and people who can help them during their journey. Showing kindness to ones parents and serving them during Haj brings extra reward. Government officials must know that people with disability always travel with close relatives who take care of them throughout the pilgrimage. Photos of people pushing their elders on wheel chairs or even carrying them on their shoulders are a common site of Haj pilgrimage. Moreover, overwhelming majority of pilgrims going from India are old and poor Muslims who spend their lifetime saving to fulfil this religious obligation. They ought to be given humanly considerations. Instead, they are given rough treatment at all levels, even charged exorbitantly by government agencies. The revised Haj policy, approved in November 2017, was a welcome step which was long overdue. But it has landed into unnecessary controversies. The clause on disability is one of them which could have been avoided. The real issue that should have been debated was suggestion that Indian pilgrims should travel to Saudi Arabia through sea route in order to reduce cost. But travelling by ship involves health and security risks which must be discussed in detail. Its a question of the safety of 1.25 lakh human beings. Can the pilgrims, mostly old and frail, be sent on an arduous journey that passes through conflict zones of war and piracy. The author is a Delhi-based journalist. Previously, he has worked with Saudi Gazette and Arab News, both published from Jeddah. By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter Lucknow: Aaghaz Foundation, a Lucknow-based education initiative, has constituted a scholarship program in the memory of 8-year-old rape and murder victim in Kathua. The scholarship has been named as ASIFA MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP. The scholarship carries a cash amount of Rs 50,000 which will be given to two underprivileged minor Indian girls annually to help them complete their studies. Support TwoCircles The applicant must be an Indian girl below 18 years of age who is meritorious and from an underprivileged background, preferably from the minority community. At Aaghaz, we reckon this is the best way to cherish her memory, said an Aaghaz spokesperson. Priority will be given to orphans, girls from Kashmir and those from distressed families, he added. The interested girl students are required to email their educational certificates along with income proof and other details to [email protected] before June 10, 2018. In 2016, Aaghaz announced the Rs 50,000 Rohith Vemula Memorial Scholarship in memory of the deceased Hyderabad Central University Student. The inaugural Rohith Vemula Memorial scholarship was given to Dalit student Chandan Kumar Ram who was pursuing Law from Samastipur, Bihar. Chandans father works as a labourer. A zero-expense literacy initiative for underprivileged Indian students, Aaghaz Foundation is headquartered in Lucknow and has given financial assistance to over 12,000 students across various schools and colleges over the past 13 years. [April 23, 2018] Bob Crissman, Vonage Channel Chief, honored with 2018 Circle of Excellence Award HOLMDEL, N.J., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bob Crissman, Channel Chief for Vonage (NYSE: VG), a business cloud communications leader, has received a 2018 Circle of Excellence Award from Channel Partners magazine, a resource for indirect sales channels offering IT and telecom systems and services. "Circle of Excellence honors executives like Vonage's Bob Crissman for their vision, innovation and advocacy of the indirect channel during a time of transition," said Art Wittmann, content director of Channel Partners. "This program recognizes IT and telecom channel leaders who are helping their partners create business value for their customers." Since joining the Company in September 2017, Mr. Crissman has demonstrated a singular vision for the support and growth of Vonage's commitment to the channel. Under Bob's leadership, Vonage recently introduced a new, comprehensive channel partnership program, the Vonage Partner Network. This Vonage Partner Network is built to enable partners to solve their customers' communications needs by leveraging Vonage's unique combination of unified communications solutions and programmable communications offered through Nexmo, the Vonage API Platform. The Vonage Partner Network is designed to meet the evolving needs of both channel partners and the enterprises they serve. In addition to strengthening the Company's existing partnerships with the largest master agents in the nation, Vonage will alo focus on creating new partnerships with Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), System Integrators (SIs) and Value Added Resellers (VARs). With its new program, Vonage is empowering partners with tools including a new, leading-edge partner portal, along with industry-leading rewards and recognition, and a customized, residual-selling model to help partners grow their businesses. "It's an honor to receive a Circle of Excellence award from Channel Partners," said Mr. Crissman. "I'm particularly proud to be recognized as Vonage is working to redefine how channel partners are served in our industry, providing best-in-class resources, solutions, and end-to-end support through our revolutionary new Vonage Partner Network." Circle of Excellence winners were honored during an awards ceremony at the Spring 2018 Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas. These winners will be featured throughout the rest of 2018 on a special Channel Partners Immersion Center. Channel Partners editors selected Circle of Excellence winners from applications submitted through January 15, 2018 detailing the candidate's leadership in the industry, the channel or their company and highlighting their advocacy for channel support/resources within their own company. About Informa Informa is one of the world's leading knowledge providers. We create and deliver highly specialized information through publishing, events, training, market intelligence and expertise, providing valuable knowledge to individuals, businesses and organizations worldwide including the emerging markets of India, China and South Africa. About Channel Partners For more than two decades, Channel Partners has been the leader in providing news and analysis to indirect sales channels serving the business technology industry. It is the unrivaled resource for resellers, aggregators, agents, brokers, VARs, systems integrators, interconnects and dealers that provide network-based communications and computing services, associated CPE and applications as well as managed and professional services. Channel Partners is the official media of the Channel Partners Conference & Expo and Cloud Partners. 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) View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bob-crissman-vonage-channel-chief-honored-with-2018-circle-of-excellence-award-300634390.html SOURCE Vonage [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Russia proposed Tajikistan to consider the possibility of obtaining observer status in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). The proposal was made during the meeting of Tajikistan-Russia Intergovernmental Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation. Dushanbe put forward a counter proposal - to expand the rights of labor migrants. Russia links the migration policy towards Tajikistan with the accession of the republic to the EEU. Citizens of the EEU member countries have the right to work in Russia on a par with Russian citizens. They are also entitled to pensions and health insurance from the host state. Russia has persuaded Tajikistan to join the integration association since 2014, promising, if not the world, then many benefits. Dushanbe quietly resists, citing the need to study the experience of Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. According to the Tajik expert Khursand Khurramov, this indicates a high level of skepticism of the country's leadership towards the EEU, which, on the one hand, does not want to spoil relations with Moscow and can afford it; on the other hand, cherishes its multi-vector policy, which brings certain financial and economic preferences. Moscow took another step, softening its demand and offering Tajikistan a new status - an observer status. "We proposed Tajikistan to seriously look at obtaining EEU observer status on the backdrop of the bilateral agenda," First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov told reporters. According to him, the status status does not entail membership in the Union, does not bear any political aspect. The purpose of the proposal is purely pragmatic - promoting trade turnover between countries, and linking the economies of the two countries. "We ask the Tajik side to look carefully at this issue because issues of phytosanitary control, veterinary control, technical regulation and standards all this leads to more free movement of commodities. And for us this site is already the EEU," Igor Shuvalov said. The official added that Russia is interested in joint development with the CIS member nations. Doctor of Economic Sciences Khodja Muhammad Umarov told Vestnik Kavkaza that the bulk of the Tajik population, about 90%, supports Tajikistan in becoming a full member of the EEU. "However, certain circles resist. They insist that it is necessary to make calculations, see how beneficial membership in this organization might be, how much economic gains can exceed the volume of losses. Here lie the interests of a narrow circle of people," the Tajik economist said. According to him, after Tajikistan joins the EEU, Tajik business will not be able to compete with Russian business on the territory of the republic, many Tajik companies will go bankrupt. "There are such fears. And this is possible. Normal competition will lead to the prosperity of the national business in a few years. The main thing is that Tajikistan needs to create conditions necessary for business. Today, Tajikistan has a very low investment attractiveness. It is difficult to work in Tajikistan," Umarov noted. It should be noted that Dushanbe is not independent in its choice. It has to act with regard to Beijing and Washington. China is Tajikistan's main investor with $1.6 billion out of a total of $3.2 billion and a creditor of $1.2 billion. China's share in the economies of Central Asian countries is the highest in Tajikistan. The interaction format proposed by Beijing - the Silk Road Economic Belt within the framework of the One Belt, One Road project, with simultaneous financing in highly costly and complex projects (infrastructure, mining) - complicates Dushanbe's unambiguous strategic choice in favor of the EEU. In order to maintain balance, Tajikistan seeks to maintain at least the existing level of relations with the EU and the United States. Washington has recently actively cooperated with Dushanbe in the field of security and strengthening of the Tajik-Afghan border. Not so long ago, representatives of the largest US companies visited Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, where they studied the investment opportunities of the countries of Central Asia and the possibility of entering the Eurasian market, and the Russian market - through it. According to the Tajik expert, Doctor of Law Shokir Hakimov, Russia has enough leverage to persuade the political leadership of Tajikistan to join the integration union, despite the fact that China and some other players are trying to influence Dushanbe for the opposite purpose. "Recently, the flow of foreign grants and loans, both European and Chinese, has increased noticeably. They are not disclosed, as are likely to be levers of influence on the republic, so that Tajikistan refrains from integration," Khakimov said. In his first statement in 10 months, the Islamic States spokesman on Sunday called for violence against neighboring Arab nations, suggesting that the groups focus was turning closer to home. As The New York Times writes in the article ISIS Spokesman Calls for Attacks on Arab Nations, the remarks were a departure from the last pronouncement issued by the spokesman, Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, which aimed to incite attacks against Europe and North America. It comes as the group is retrenching in its core territory after losing all but 3 percent of the area it once held in Iraq and Syria. In a nearly hourlong audio recording, released inside the groups chat rooms in the messaging app Telegram, the spokesman called on fighters to redirect their ire toward the leaders of Arab nations in the region, whom he described as apostates, a term the group uses to refer to fellow Sunnis who have strayed from its extreme interpretation of the faith. The spokesman said there was no difference between fighting the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran and the Palestinians and their American Crusader allies, or the Russians or the Europeans. He argued that they deserved to be treated even more harshly because these are Arabs and are more fierce and vicious against Islam. In the spokesmans last speech, released in June of 2017, he recalled famous battles from early Islamic history in which Muslims prevailed despite being outnumbered, and called for lone-wolf-style attacks in Europe, including in Russia. The June recording echoed a much-quoted speech by the groups original spokesman, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, that was released in 2014 the year ISIS pivoted from a regional threat to a global one. The 2014 speech was routinely quoted by attackers across the world as justification for their acts of violence, including in video wills left by the suicide bombers who blew themselves up at a stadium and concert hall in Paris in 2015. Now, it appears that the groups canvas has shrunk and it is returning to its roots as a regional insurgency. Hassan Hassan, a resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, said the speech was in line with the groups recent evolution. It aligns perfectly with ISISs recent moves, of going ever more internal, he said in a series of Tweets. ISIS is an outgrowth of the group that was once Al Qaedas affiliate in Iraq, and for years the affiliate clashed with the larger terrorist group over whether it was strategically sound to carry out massacres against Shiite Muslims. As far back as 2005, the second-in-command of Al Qaeda upbraided the affiliate in a 6,500-word letter, saying the group should focus on expelling American troops, and hold off on attacking Shiites in Iraq and neighboring Arab countries until that first goal was accomplished. But the group that went on to become ISIS disregarded this counsel from the beginning, dragging Iraq into a bloody sectarian conflict. In 2014, after seizing territory the size of Britain in Iraq and Syria, ISIS aggressively carried out attacks on enemies in the region, even while laying the groundwork for successive attacks overseas. For much of the three years that it held onto a vast territory, ISIS appeared intent on fighting on all fronts, with fighters in Europe and suicide bombers in the crowded markets of Baghdad, as well as targets in Lebanon and Iran. In Mr. al-Muhajirs latest audio statement, he cited texts from the puritanical Wahhabi tradition to create a spiritual rationale for killing ever more Muslims not just Shiites, but also Sunnis, whom ISIS claims to represent. He focused especially on Iraqs parliamentary elections that are scheduled to begin on May 12, calling anyone who collaborates with the Iraqi government a legitimate target. The polling centers and those inside it are a target of our swords, he said. So stay away from them and do not walk near them. At the same time, the ISIS spokesman mocked the United States, taunting President Trump. Without naming him, Mr. al-Muhajir said America had lost its influence under the current administration. Look at you, you evildoer, confused and lost, and with your goals scattered. You are now forced to beg and go along the wishes of your supposed adversaries, he said, in an apparent reference to Russia. Armenias opposition resumed rallies across Yerevans central streets today. The demonstrators blocked the citys Pushkin, Tumanyan and Parpetsi Streets chanting anti-government slogans. "Armenias police control the situation in the republic. In order to avoid undesirable consequences, the law enforcement agents call to stop illegal gatherings and not to violate public order," TASS cited the police press service as saying. Police voiced concern over "the participation of children in the illegal gatherings and demonstrations." According to local media reports, mass protests have also started in Yerevans suburbs this morning. The situation is tense near the Ajapnyak District where the demonstrators try to block a road intersection. Mass rallies kicked off in Yerevan and other Armenian cities on April 16. The opposition demands that Serzh Sargsyan, who was elected as the prime minister by the parliament after 10 years of presidency, should step down. Armenias Prosecutor-Generals Office confirmed the detention of opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan and two other MPs over the illegal rallies. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has received Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin today. At the meeting, the sides noted successful development of bilateral relations between the countries in various spheres, including in the economic sphere. Having assessed the growth of trade turnover last year, as well as the results of the first quarter this year as a good sign of expanding economic ties, President Aliyev stressed that this is a good indicator of the development of bilateral relations as a whole. He noted strengthening of economic ties as a result of joint fruitful activity of the two countries, as well as strengthening of cooperation among individual facilities. President Aliyev expressed confidence in further strengthening of economic ties. Maxim Oreshkin, in turn, noted that the election results are manifestation of the firm support rendered by the Azerbaijani people to the political and economic policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev and that stability in Azerbaijan is of great importance. He also stressed that only a few months passed since his last visit to Baku, and a number of serious steps were taken in the field of economic cooperation. Maxim Oreshkin noted with satisfaction the joint fruitful work with his Azerbaijani counterparts. During the conversation, the sides exchanged views on the prospects for cooperation regarding the International North-South Transport Corridor, in the investment, agriculture, tourism and other spheres. Footage released by Armenian media outlets on the alleged deployment of manpower and military equipment of the Azerbaijani Army on the contact line of troops is another provocation, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministrys press service said. "The footage is about the redeployment of troops during the exercises conducted by the Azerbaijani Army and seems to have been shot from different angles and enhanced. The Armenian military-political regime, fearing the mass protests taking place in the country, uses a variety of provocative information to spread fear among the population," the defense ministry stressed. In addition, the defense ministry warned that appropriate measures will be taken against Armenian provocations. The opposition rallies in Armenia are a domestic affair and any hypothetic deliberations on possible Russian meddling in this situation are irrelevant, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "This is absolutely Armenias domestic affair, this is all I can say," Peskov said when asked if Russia saw a threat of destabilization in the region amid the protests in Armenia. "Why should Moscow interfere?" he said, noting that any hypothetic deliberations are absolutely irrelevant. "We are carefully watching what is going on in Armenia. Armenia is our closest ally and we have been developing very close relations with it. Armenia is a member-state of the Eurasian Economic Union and therefore this country is important for us and we are carefully monitoring the events there," TASS cited Peskov as saying. Peskov declined to say if Yerevan requested consultations with the Kremlin in connection with the events in Armenia. The spokesman said that Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier congratulated Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan on their election. Touching on a possible introduction of a special regime at the Russian military base in Gyumri, the spokesman said this was a matter of the Russian Defense Ministry. The director of the Institute of Contemporary Economics Nikita Isayev, speaking with a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the protests in Yerevan are being held without any anti-Russian slogans, therefore the unrest in Armenia do not affect Moscow's interests. "This is absolutely Armenias domestic affair, and I think that Russia will not interfere in it in any way. Yes, it is clear that Serzh Sargsyan is perceived as a pro-Russian politician, strategic relations with Armenia were built under his rule, but now there is an understanding that Serzh Sargsyan's prospects can be very sad, and the level of protest moods can demolish his regime," he said in the first place. "In such conditions, unlike the Kiev Maidan case, there is no sense for Russia to support one of the sides, hence Peskov's accurate statements on this issue, because both the European Union and the US already made statements yesterday," Nikita Isayev warned. At the same time, the director of the Institute of Contemporary Economics drew attention to the possibility of Armenia's shift to the West if the protesters succeed. "One of the claims of the society to Sargsyan is that he is a Russian puppet. If new people come to power in Armenia, they will take this fact into account and try to distance themselves from Moscow. Sargsyan is also shifting to the West slowly, but possible new Yerevan will make the West a priority, which will weaken communication with Moscow, and this will affect the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and it is impossible to predict what will happen there," he concluded. Head of the Department of Political Science of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Gevorg Mirzayan, in turn, expects that no change of power in Armenia will change the nature of the republic's relations with Russia. "The change of Serzh Sargsyan to any more or less sane Armenian politician will lead to the fact that this politician will also be pro-Russian. Armenia has no other political vectors and orientations now except for Russia. No one else can guarantee Armenia security and markets. Russia, in turn, respects Armenia's position and will respect its choice," he said. "Russia does not interfere in the internal affairs of its allies. We do not stand on the side of the protesters, because we are not engaged in regime change, but we respect the constitutional protest of citizens. We do not stand on the side of power, because we respect the right of people to express their point of view. As long as the situation has not turned into a bloodshed, Russia will consider it as Armenia's domestic affair," Gevorg Mirzayan summed up. The development of strategic partnership with China is a priority of Russian foreign policy, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi today. "We expect a high intensity of contacts to be maintained this year as well," Lavrov stressed. Wang Yi, in turn, noted that further strengthening of Russian-Chinese relations meets the two countries interests. "I hope that todays talks, which precede tomorrows SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting, will make it possible for us to talk about all these issues and outline plans for the future," Lavrov concluded. The top diplomat also said that Russias and Chinas consolidated line aimed at strict compliance with international agreements plays a very important role in boosting global stability. "Russias and Chinas consolidated policy aimed at strictly complying with international law plays a key role in strengthening stability and security in the world," TASS cited Lavrov as saying. As much as 22 people were injured in Turkeys Corum province as a result of a chain reaction crash when 10 vehicles collided, according to preliminary information. All the injured are the citizens of Turkey. They were taken to a local hospital, Turkish media reported, adding that the condition of two of them is assessed as critical. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has congratulated Ilham Aliyev on his victory in the April 11 presidential election in Azerbaijan. "Please accept my sincere congratulations on behalf of the Government of Israel on the occasion of your re-election as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan," Netanyahu said in his congratulatory letter. "We intend to continue our relations with the aim of strengthening close friendship and cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan. Taking this opportunity, I again invite you to visit Israel at a time convenient for you," the Israeli PM stressed "I once again express my deepest gratitude to you for the sincere attitude and hospitality shown by you during my unforgettable visit to Baku in December 2016. Your Excellency, I hope to see you again in the very near future," Netanyahu added. After a large-scale rally, which was held on the evening of April 22, today street protests started in Yerevan with renewed vigour. The students of the Yerevan State University joined the rally, the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza reports. Moreover, the live pictures from the capital of Armenia shoe soldiers joining the protest. This is a serious testimony to the complete loss of control over the situation in the country by Serzh Sargsyan and his team. Meanwhile, the location of the three opposition deputies abducted by the Armenian authorities, among which is protest leader Nikol Pashinyan, is still unknown. The Armenian authorities are in utter confusion and repeat the mantra about the need for dialogue, obviously not daring to use a force-based scenario. It is noteworthy that Serzh Sargsyan, who said negligently yesterday that the protesters represent only 7-8% of the Armenian society, does not organize an alternative rally in his support. If the RPA has a majority in the parliament, then why there are no its supporters on the streets? However, this is a rhetorical question, considering the fact that the cost of a vote in Armenia's last parliamentary elections was $20. The US embassy in Armenia has called on the parties to the political crisis in Armenia to show restraint. "We urge the government to show restraint to allow for peaceful protest and we urge those exercising their freedom of assembly to do so responsibly, to avoid violence, and to prevent an escalation of tensions," the embassy said in a statement yesterday. "We are concerned over reports of violence against journalists and demonstrators; we emphasize the need for those responsible for violence against police or demonstrators to be held accountable under the law," TASS cited the embassy as saying. "A peaceful resolution requires meaningful political dialogue in good faith," the embassy stressed and called on "police and protesters to adhere to peaceful, legal means for freedom of assembly as provided for by the Armenian constitution." Mass rallies began in Yerevan and other cities of Armenia on April 16 protesting against the nomination of former president Serzh Sargsyans candidacy for prime minister. On April 17, Sargsyan was elected prime minister. HCM CITY Saigon Thuong Tin Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Sacombank) has set itself a target of increasing its assets to VN430.9 trillion (US$18.92 billion) this year, an increase of 16.9 per cent from last year. It targets pre-tax profits of VN1.838 trillion ($80.72 million), a year-on-year increase of 23.2 per cent, and expects to bring down bad debts to 3 per cent. At its annual general meeting recently, the company said its total assets had reached nearly VN368.5 trillion at the end of last year, an increase of 11 per cent. Its deposits were VN338.4 trillion, up 11 per cent, and total outstanding loans were nearly VN225.6 trillion, up 12.5 per cent. The bank managed to recover nearly VN20 trillion worth of bad debts last year, bringing down the bad debts ratio to 4.59 per cent from 6.81 per cent at the end of 2016. Pre-tax profits were VN1.492 trillion ($65.5 million), up more than nine times from the previous year. Replying to shareholdersquestions about plans to acquire other banks or establish subsidiaries, chairman Duong Cong Minh said there are no such plans. The bank would focus on its restructuring plan approved by the State Bank of Viet Nam, he said. It plans to enlarge its two subsidiaries, Sacombank Laos and Sacombank Cambodia, this year. VNS Viet Nam has intensified inspections on cryptocurrency transactions as trading and investment s using this payment system are on the rise in the country . Photo genk.vn HA NOI Viet Nam has intensified inspections on cryptocurrency transactions as trading and investments using this payment system are on the rise in the country. Transactions in cryptocurrency can threaten the stability of the financial market and social order due to the high risks involved. Following the Prime Ministers instruction issued recently, the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) this week ordered financial institutions and other organisations providing payment brokerage services not to conduct cross-border transactions in cryptocurrency for fear of money laundering, terror sponsoring, tax evasion and fraud. Under the SBVs directive, financial institutions and intermediary payment service organisations must intensify inspections, promptly report suspicious transactions with close connections to digital currencies and address violations. They were ordered to set up plans to prevent illegal transactions and report to the SBVs Payment Department before June 30. Meanwhile, the SBVs units must work with ministries and branches to carry out legal framework and solutions to handle the illegal use of cryptocurrency as a means of payment. Local branches of the SBV across the nation are required to raise public awareness about the risks involved in cryptocurrency investment and trading, as well as the legal regulations on cryptocurrency. Earlier, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked SBV, financial institutions and other organisations providing payment brokerage services to intensify inspections and promptly report suspicious cryptocurrency transactions. The Prime Minister signed Directive No.10/CT-TTg on the matter, following repeated warnings from relevant agencies on the risks associated with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, along with the threat that cryptocurrencies could be used to finance crimes such as money laundering, terrorism, tax evasion and fraud. Cryptocurrency is considered an illegal non-cash payment method in Viet Nam. The use of virtual money as a means of payment is prohibited and will be dealt with as per the countrys laws. The police in HCM City are coordinating with relevant agencies to investigate an alleged cryptocurrency fraud involving more than 32,000 people and a sum of VN15 trillion (US$666 million). VNS HCM City HCM City authorities told members of the foreign community at a meeting on last Saturday that they warmly welcomed foreign investment that has significantly contributed to the citys sustainable and rapid growth. Speaking at a meeting with city leaders and foreign investors, the citys Party Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan said that HCM City was striving to improve the business environment for foreign investors. Last year, the city achieved economic growth of 8.25 per cent, 1.25 times higher than the national average, with a contribution of 22 per cent to the national budget. The business environment has been improved greatly. In 2017, there were 41,629 newly established enterprises with total registered capital of VN604 trillion (US$26.5 billion), Nhan said. Thanks to administrative reform, there were 845 foreign projects with total registered capital of US$6.6 billion, an increase of 90 per cent in comparison with 2016. The city greatly appreciates the contributions of foreign-invested companies to the socio-economic development of the city and we hope foreign companies will promote technology transfer, he added. However, the Party Secretary also noted that the city faces a number of problems. Overloaded infrastructure, outdated transport system, and a rapid population increase, as well as the serious impact of climate change, have hindered sustainable and rapid development, he said. This year will be the first to implement the National Assemblys Resolution 54 which calls for special financial mechanism and policy for the city. The city will strengthen the policy and better use different resources, Nhan stressed. The city will also give priority to the satisfaction of local resident and business community in development and effective serve of the citys administrative system. I have instructed the municipal Peoples Committee to receive, study and apply all opinions and contributions from local residents and foreign and domestic business communities for development, he added. I hope the foreign business community will contribute to the development of the city by providing ideas, technology, modern management skills, and business culture, he said. John Rockhold, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam (Amcham), said that US enterprises were ready to share experiences in developing a smart city. Amcham, in collaboration with the US Consulate, with support from the Ministry of Information and Communications, has established the US - Viet Nam Smart City Industry Association with 30 professional members in urban master planning, software, hardware, energy, and waste treatment. Nicolas Audier, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam (EuroCham), promised that EuroCham promote Viet Nam to European and international friends. EuroCham hopes that HCM City will have a more open policy and transparency and move toward sustainable development. High-ranking officials must increase their skill level to meet changing situations, especially for Resolution 54, he said. Michele DErcole, chairman of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam (Icham), praised the smart city project. The Week of the Smart City is annually organized in Trento in Italy where HCM City leaders can learn about challenges when building a smart city, he said. The city should carefully consider present and future demands of the local community in urban development, he said. Kim Heung Soo, chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam, announced that investment and trade relations between Viet Nam and South Korea have strongly developed. South Korea now has over 6,600 projects with a combined capital of $58.1 billion and bilateral trade turnover among the two nations is expected to reach $100 billion by 2020. All of this was done thanks to great efforts from Viet Nam in general and HCM City in particular to improve the business environment, he added. He said that authorities should try to ensure social insurance benefits to foreign workers, pay more attention to logistics, digitalise all regions of the country, and use information technology in tax and customs procedures. Viet Nam has become a key investment destination of Thailand investors, Saranya Skontanarak, chairwoman of the Thailand Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam (TBA), said. By 2017, Thailand invested in 489 projects with a total capital of $9 billion in Viet Nam. More than 200 representatives of foreign-invested companies took part in the meeting. VNS HCM CITY Phu Nhuan Jewelry Joint Stock Company (PNJ) has said it will further expand its retail network and online sales and carry out customer segmentation to offer tailor-made designs meeting the needs of every customer. Speaking at the companys annual general meeting in HCM City last Saturday, chairwoman Cao Thi Ngoc Dung said the company targets VN14.195 trillion (US$662.58 million) in revenues and VN882 billion ($38.68 million) in net profits, 30 per cent and 22 per cent higher than last year. Revenues from online sales are expected to rise five-fold to VN150 billion this year and at least VN1 trillion by 2021. The company would also open at least 40 stores this year to increase the total number to more than 300, she said. Two subsidiaries, PNJ Production and Trading Ltd and Customer Era Ltd, would be set up for trading jewellery, precious metals, precious and semi-precious stones, gold bars, souvenirs and gifts, import and export gold jewellery and import and distribute watches, eyewear and fashion accessories, she said. PNJ plans to issue bonus shares this year at the ratio of 2: 1, increasing its charter capital to VN1.621 trillion. It will also make a 3 per cent ESOP, equivalent to 4.86 million shares, at a par value of VN20,000 to members of the board making outstanding contributions and the most competent staff at PNJ and its subsidiaries. The meeting also voted two new members of the board of directors. Le Tri Thong, vice chairman and general director, said last year was a successful one for PNJ, with sales growing by 28 per cent to VN11.049 trillion, and jewellery retail sales accounting for nearly VN5.78 trillion. Its consolidated pre-tax profit was 54 per cent up at VN908.11 billion, he said. He attributed the companys success to its investing in modern production and managment technologies, human resource development, risk management and development of its brand and retail network. According to the World Gold Council, demand for jewellery gold in Viet Nam increased by 7 per cent last year to 16.5 tonnes. The demand is expected to keep increasing. VNS Housing developer Nam Long Investment Corporation approved a plan to auction off 40 million shares to the public at its general meeting held on Saturday in HCM City.VNA/VNS Photo HCM CITY Housing developer Nam Long Investment Corporation approved a plan at its general meeting held over the weekend to auction off as many as 40 million shares, equivalent to 21.2 per cent of its outstanding shares, to raise capital. The plan, which received support from about 80 per cent of its shareholders, has made the group the first listed firm in the country to raise capital by a share auction. The auction is widely open for domestic and international investors who are keen on NLG stock. The starting price is set at VN22,300 (98 US cents) per share, equal to 120 per cent of its book value as of the end of 2017. The groups board of directors set the bidding price at 30 per cent of the average opening price of NLG stock in the last 60 trading days on the southern bourse. NLG stock closed at VN40,600 on Friday, down nearly 0.5 per cent from the day before. Nguyen Thanh Huong, Investment and IR director of the group, told the general meeting that the share auction was meant for shareholders best interest as they would be the ones who decided the winning price. Meanwhile in private offering, the selling price of shares is set by the issuer. The auction is a way to find the best price for the companys shares in a fair way. And with it, the door is open for both existing shareholders and new investors. The company strongly believes in the success of the auction as it is expected high revenue and profit growth rates from now to 2020, she said. Nam Long is expected to raise as much as VN1 trillion from the auction. The money will be used for its existing projects as well as buying land in HCM City and Ha Noi. It will resume the Water Point Long An project this year. Covering an area of 355 hectares, the project is expected to be a model urban area of the province and serve as a gateway between HCM City and provinces in the Mekong Delta. The group now still has a land bank of 399ha and aims to buy around 20-25ha in big cities to develop more strategic product lines under the brand name of Ehome, Flora, and Valora. It also plans to build more facilities for its housing projects such as kindergarten, schools, shopping malls to generate more stable income, which it expects to reach $5 million by 2022. In the long run, return from this investment is expected to account for 30 per cent of its profit by 2030. Nam Long reported a post-tax profit of VN756 billion last year, nearly double the amount in 2016, beating the yearly target by 15 per cent. Its net profit attributable to the shareholders was VN535 billion, up 55 per cent from 2016. NLG stock enjoyed a robust year in 2017 as its value has gone up by 35 percentage points and its EPS was up 53 per cent. As of the end of last year, the groups total asset was worth VN7.9 trillion, up VN1.7 trillion from the beginning of the year. At the general meeting, Nam Long set a revenue target of more than VN3.8 trillion and a net profit of VN614 billion, up 22 per cent and 15 per cent respectively compared with 2017. VNS. HA NOI Bank stocks are expected to lead growth in the stock exchanges this week as investors could be inspired to press the buy button by supportive news arriving from the banks annual shareholder meetings and first-quarter earnings reports. The benchmark VN Index recorded its strongest daily growth since March 6, rising 2.30 per cent, or 25.23 points, to end Friday at 1,119.86 points. But its previous dive on Thursday still left the VN Index down 3.2 per cent week on week. The HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange increased by 1.16 per cent to close at 132.58 points. Like the benchmark index, the HNX Index finished lower from the previous week by falling total of 0.5 per cent after five trading days. An average of 241.2 million shares were traded in each session of the last trading week, worth VN7.78 trillion (US$346 million). The figures were down 18.6 per cent in volume and 10.4 per cent in value compared to the previous week. The decline of trading liquidity indicated investors were cautious and concerned over a potential bull-trap subsequently leading to a tumble, Bao Viet Securities Co (BVSC) said in its weekly report. The index significantly rebounded after falling to the 1075-1080 support zone, BVSC said, adding that the strong last-minute growth of the index opened up the possibility that it would rally in the coming week. Analysts and securities firms are putting much of their expectations on bank stocks after some of them held annual shareholders meeting in the weekend and provided positive earnings for the first quarter of 2018. Last week was considered a bad period for bank stocks even though some of them made big gains in the last trading session to boost the overall performance of the market. Bank stocks are the ones that have supportive news as some of them had annual shareholders meetings opened on the weekend and announced better first-quarter earnings, Hoang Thach Lan, head of the individual investor division at Viet Dragon Securities (VDSC), told tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn. According to BIDV Securities Co (BSC), 161 listed companies on both local exchanges had announced their first-quarter earnings by April 20, earning a total of VN6.27 trillion in post-tax profit, a yearly increase of 35.8 per cent. Among listed firms that recorded the highest profit growth was Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MBBank), which posted an annual increase of VN659 billion or 74 per cent in post-tax profit for the first quarter of the year. Vietcombank has also announced its first-quarter post-tax profit rose 59 per cent year on year to VN3.5 trillion from VN2.2 trillion in the first quarter of 2017. Vietinbank reported at its annual shareholders meeting on Saturday that its first-quarter pre-tax profit rose one-fifth year on year to VN3 trillion. At the annual shareholders meeting on Saturday, Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV) announced it would issue more shares to increase its charter capital by 28 per cent to VN43.6 trillion. The share issuance could be carried out by selling more than 603 million shares to foreign investors or 170.9 million shares via competitive bids. Besides positive updates from banks performances and future business plans, investors may look for opportunities in bank stocks as they have fallen strongly since April 10. The decline may encourage investors to bargain hunt for those stocks, Lan added. Vietinbank (CTG) and MBBank (MBB) have dropped 11 per cent each in this period. BIDV (BID) has declined by 13.3 per cent and Vietcombank (VCB) has lost 14 per cent. VNS HCM CITY Shareholders of the HCM City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank) have approved a plan to acquire the Ha Noi-based Petrolimex Group Commercial Joint Stock Bank in an all-stock deal. At the HDBank annual general meeting held on April 21 they approved taking over PG bank by paying 0.621 share for every share of PGBank. They also approved a strategic co-operation programme with the State-owned Viet Nam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) to exploit the advantages offered by the countrys biggest petroleum retailer. Shareholders of PG Bank also agreed to the takeover by HDBank at its annual general meeting on the same day. The bank has already wrapped up the formalities. Following the takeover, HDBank will have a charter capital of VN12.81 trillion (US$564.32 million). It will have 15,371 employees, 73 branches and 235 transaction offices. PGBank had a small capital base, which made it difficult to meet borrowers increasing credit needs. The acquisition by HDBank is an effective outcome for PG Bank since its biggest shareholder, Petrolimex, has had to draw up a roadmap for reducing its ownership of the lender. HDBank was responding to the Governments appeal to participate in the banking sector restructure to help consolidate weak banks. The acquisition will help it develop its retail segment, thus diversifying its products and easing its reliance on credit growth. The two banks will be able to expand their scale of operations, particularly in the lucrative retail segment thanks to their large combined retail network, and also their financial resources, thus developing and improving the quality of their existing products and services. The HDBank shareholders meeting also saw the tabling of a report on its record high profit in 2017, which made it one of the most profitable lenders in the country. The banks pre-tax profit surged by 110.6 per cent to VN1.282 trillion (US$51.9 million). For the past five years HDBank has been reporting high profits following its acquisition of DaiABank and Societe Generale Viet Finance (SGVF) a few years ago, listing on the stock market and strategic sales of its stocks to foreign investors early this year. Its assets at the end of 2017 were up 26 per cent to VN189.334 trillion. Its non-performing loans were down to 1.51 per cent. It had deposits of more than VN100 trillion, up 27 per cent from 2016, and credit growth was 17 per cent. Based on the solid performance, the bank is set to pay dividends of 35 per cent, 15 per cent in cash and 20 per cent in the form of stocks, for 2017. In 2018 HDBank targets increasing its assets to VN242.865 trillion and pre-tax profits to VN3.921 trillion, up 62.2 per cent. It expects to keep bad debts under 2 per cent. VNS HA NOI The Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV) has proposed a plan to its shareholders to increase its chartered capital this year by 28 per cent, compared to the end of 2017. In the plan which was unveiled at the banks annual general shareholder meeting on April 21, BIDV proposes to add VN9.45 trillion (US$418.2 million) to its chartered capital, so the figure would reach VN43.65 trillion by the end of 2018. Specifically, BIDV will issue 965 million ordinary shares with a face value of VN10,000 per share. Of the total, more than 171 million shares will be sold to the public through an initial public offering or private placement, 603.3 million shares to be sold to foreign strategic investors under private placement, and over 171 million shares sold under the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The increase in chartered capital is part of BIDVs plan to increase its equity to meet the minimum capital adequacy requirement set by the State Bank of Viet Nam, which is aligned with Basel II. The move is also expected to help the bank improve the credit rating results of international institutions, enhance prestige in its business operations, and improve its financial capacity and competitiveness, in both domestic and international markets. Also, the bank commits to use added capital in the business areas of BIDV, with reasonable guidance to ensure the capital is used with efficiency and maximises benefits to shareholders. Cash dividend payment Regarding the profit distribution plan in 2017, the Board of Directors has submitted to shareholders to approve the cash dividend payment plan at the rate of 7 per cent. The total amount of dividends is nearly VN2.4 trillion. The remuneration of the Board of Directors and Board of Supervisors in 2018 will be, at maximum, 0.44 per cent of the profit after tax in 2018. In 2018, BIDV sets the target of credit growth of up to 17 per cent; before-tax profits of VN9.3 trillion; a bad debt ratio below 2 per cent; and a dividend payout ratio is expected to range from 5 to 7 per cent. At the meeting, BIDV General Director Phan uc Tu said that in 2017, BIDV continued to be the market leader, maintaining its position and market share in the industry. Accordingly, its total assets reached over VN1.2 quadrillion, up 19.5 per cent, compared to 2016. Total deposits of the bank reached VN 1.12 quadrillion, up 19.7 per cent over the beginning of the year. The consolidated profit before tax was VN8.6 trillion, up 13 per cent year on year, exceeding the target set by the General Meeting of Shareholders in 2017, with a return on assets reaching 0.63 per cent and a return on equity (ROE) of 5 per cent. VNS HA NOI FLC Group plans to open 40 local and international routes after its carrier, Bamboo Airways, becomes operational, said ang Tat Thang, general director of the airline. He made the announcement at the inauguration ceremony of the brand in Ha Noi last week. He said the airline was planning its routes while waiting for approval of its licence. FLC plans to serve 24 domestic and 16 international routes. In Viet Nam, the airline will connect tourism complexes, such as Thanh Hoa-Quy Nhon, Thanh Hoa-Phu Quoc, Thanh Hoa-Nha Trang and Hai Phong-Quy Nhon. In the international market, Bamboo Airways will cover Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines. It also plans to open flights to the US and Europe in the longterm. The airlines logo will be a stylised symbol of bamboo leaves and stems. For us, the bamboo tree symbolises the Vietnamese peoples desire to fly high, improving the countrys image in the international arena, Thang said. The logo was designed by Japanese LIFT Strategic Design Company, which has designed the logos of many global airline brands, including China Airlines, Philippines Airlines, Oasis HongKong and Orbis International. Thang estimates the number of Bamboo Airways aircraft to reach over 200 by 2020 and 400 by 2030. Last month, FLC Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus to buy up to 24 A321neo aircraft for Bamboo Airways. FLC said it targeted a modest growth, making up three to five per cent of market share in the countrys aviation sector. It aimed to bring benefits to customers in terms of service quality and ticket fares. Bamboo Airways will be a hybrid airline - a combination of traditional and budget airlines to meet the demands of every segment. In May last year, FLC Group announced the decision of its management board to establish the Viet Bamboo Airways Company, with a charter capital of VN700 billion (US$31.4 million). VNS On April 10 Vingroup said in its website that it has established Vinfa JSC and would spend VN2.2 trillion ($96.5 million) to set up a 10 hectare drug manufacturing and research centre in Gia Binh District in the northern province of Bac Ninh. Photo Vingroup After making an entry into the automobile manufacturing industry, Vingroup, the countrys leading property company, has set its sights on the US$5.3 billion pharmaceutical sector. On April 10 Vingroup said in its website that it has established Vinfa JSC and would spend VN2.2 trillion ($96.5 million) to set up a 10 hectare drug manufacturing and research centre in Gia Binh District in the northern province of Bac Ninh. The first phase is scheduled to be launched in the third quarter of this year with research, production, logistics, and support facilities. The first priority of the centre is research into and production of traditional medicines of Vietnamese origin for both the domestic and export markets. Besides, Vinfa will make food functional, vaccines, and medical equipment of international standards. It will collaborate with partners from the US, Europe and Australia to acquire know-how and technology and import drugs to distribute in Viet Nam. The Vinfa plant is said to be equipped with the most modern equipment and manufacturing lines to optimise capacity and ensure product quality. The entry of Vingroup into the pharmaceutical sector together with some major changes in the investment and business strategies of large pharmaceutical companies in recent times has not only underlined the huge potential of the countrys pharmaceutical market but also indicated the fierce competition brewing in this industry. In March Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) and Hau Giang Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company (DHG Pharma) had signed a deal to collaborate in pharmaceutical research and development. The aim is to meet consumersneeds of healthcare and bring new values to the community. Under the strategic partnership, DHG Pharma and Vinamilk will jointly build new co-brand products or develop existing ones to serve the healthcare needs of people from all walks of life. The two firms will also coordinate in supplying raw material to produce supplementary food products, utilising the strengths of each others distribution capacity to help people easily access and consume nutritional and healthy products. In addition to this, the two companies will help each other seek partners and customers as well as introduce scientific research to create new values, aiming to provide consumers at home and abroad with products with international quality. DHG Pharma hopes to sustain average revenue growth of 15 per cent a year and reach US$300 million by 2020, becoming Viet Nams biggest generic drug maker and acquiring a 10 per cent share of the locally made drug market. Another major drug company, Traphaco, plans to produce foods such as probiotics for children, and upgrade some of its production facilities to meet EU-GMP/PIC/S-GMP standards this year. Traphacos major foreign shareholders are Vietnam Azalea Fund Ltd. belonging to Mekong Capital (25 per cent stake), Vietnam Holding Ltd. (10.43 per cent) and Citigroup Global Markets Ltd. (4.75 per cent). With the upgraded factories, Traphaco aims to become one of the largest drug producers in Viet Nam by 2020 with market capitalisation of VN10 trillion ($454.5 million), revenues of VN4 trillion ($181.8 million), and a distribution network of 40 branches. Noteworthy is that most of the pharmaceutical companies new big investments have been made into producing new drugs including functional food. According to Viet Nam Reports December 2017 survey of local pharmaceutical firms, 83 per cent of those surveyed ranked research into new drugs including food supplements as their main strategy for 2018. The pharmaceutical market is on track for steep growth. The 2017 market turnover was $5.2 billion, up some 10 per cent, according to Business Monitor International. The industry is expected to sustain double-digit growth for the next five years. Drug companies are very optimistic, with nearly 75 per cent of businesses anticipating the industry to grow at 10 per cent. Business Euromonitor International said the industry is likely to be worth US$7.3 billion next year. By 2021 per capita spending on pharmaceutical products is expected to be worth $55, double the current figure of $30. Analysts said demand remains huge, and the country still has to import plenty of its pharmaceutical needs from around the world. For instance, in 2016 Viet Nam spent $2.5 billion on drug imports, including $200 million to import brand-name drugs from France, Germany and the US. The food supplements segment is now considered to be the most attractive because of its huge profits. A DHG Pharma executive said his companys gross profit margin on foos supplements is 50 per cent. IMS Health said the market could expand to be worth US$7.7 billion by 2021 and US$16.1 billion by 2026. While the markets potential is enormous the competitiveness of many companies, including major ones, remains low, a point proved by the predominance of imports. Not surprisingly, many local companies are rethinking their business strategies and stepping up investments to improve their competitiveness. Banks pay generous dividends after excellent year In previous years when Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ACB) paid dividends of around 10 per cent to its shareholders, it was considered to be high for the banking sector. But after the bank decided to raise its dividend to 15 per cent for 2017 at its annual general meeting recently, it is somewhat of a laggard. On April 21, the Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commerical Bank (HDBank)s plan to pay 35 per cent, 15 per cent in cash and 20 per cent in bonus shares, was approved by its shareholders. For 2016 the lender had paid 30 per cent. VPBank also pays attractive dividends. At its general shareholders meeting on April 19, the bank approved to pay dividends and bonus shares at the impressive rate of 67 per cent for 2017, a record high in the banking industry. The bank also said the dividend payout ratio this year would be more than 60 per cent if the bank achieved a profit of more than VN10 trillion (US$440.5 million). Some smaller joint stock banks are also paying large dividends. Viet Nam International Commercial Joint Stock Bank (VIB) has just announced it would pay 5 per cent in cash and 31 per cent in the form of bonus shares. LienVietPostBank has also hiked its dividend rate from 10 per cent in 2016 to 15 per cent in 2017. Sai Gon Commercial Joint Stock Bank has also made its shareholders be happy by deciding to use VN600 billion from its profits to issue bonus shares. But some banks have yet to make dividend announcements despite a sharp increase in profits last year. Techcombank, for instance, has reported over VN8 trillion (US$352.4 million) in profits but has not yet decided to pay dividends, explaining that it wants to list its shares first to attract investors. A big spike in profits is the main reason banks are doling out big dividends. Many have reported entering the Trillionaires Club. VN1 trillion equals $44.2 million. BIDV reported a huge pre-tax profit of VN8.8 trillion (US$387.6 million) for 2017, its highest ever and well in excess of its target. Vietcombank reported pre-tax profit of more than VN10.8 trillion, a year-on-year increase of 32 per cent. This is the first time that profits have exceeded VN10 trillion for any local lender. Besides these State-owned banks, many other joint stock lenders have also reported surpassing their targets for 2017. The chairwoman of HD Bank, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, said her banks pre-tax profit in 2017 was VN2.42 trillion, 2.1 times up from the previous year. Sacombank, OCB, TPBank, LienVietPostBank, and VIB have also reported similar increases. A report from the National Financial Supervisory Committee (NFSC) estimated that profits in the banking sector in 2017 would rise by more than 40 per cent. VNS VATICAN CITY The Vaticans Sistine Chapel, an artistic Renaissance jewel, opened up to the digital age on April 22 with the first live concert streamed over the internet from the famous sacred space. It was a performance of Scottish composer James MacMillans acclaimed version of the Stabat Mater. A British choir group The Sixteen and chamber orchestra ensemble Britten Sinfonia took to the stage against the backdrop of Michelangelos masterpiece of The Last Judgement, while lovers of classical music from around the world tuned in to watch on the web. The Stabat Mater is a 13th century poem most likely written by Franciscan friar Jacopone da Todi (1230-1306), but sometimes ascribed to Pope Innocent III, which portrays the Virgin Marys suffering during Jesus Christs death by crucifixion. MacMillan, 58, who has composed many pieces of sacred music, was commissioned by the Genesis Foundation, which has been working since 2001 to support young artistic talent and develop the link between art and faith. His version of Stabat Matar was heaped with praise upon its premiere at Londons Barbican Centre in 2016, and Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, pushed for the composer to present his work at the Vatican. Some 300 people filled the Sistine Chapel Sunday evening for the concert while live video of the performance was streamed over the website of Classic FM. As the British choir began to sing the audience there and online was reminded that the acoustics as much as the frescoes have made the chapel world famous over the centuries. The Sistine Chapel attracts some six million visitors each year as part of the Vatican Museum, but it is also "a musical centre where composers have written for the liturgy for hundreds of years, some of the great composers of Western civilisation, Palestrina, Allegri, Josquin... And to have my music played here is a very special priviledge," said MacMillan. Conductor Harry Christophers added that "these great sacred places always have something special about the acoustics. The details we can hear, the resonance, is fantastic; its so emotional." And for him the performance at the Sistine Chapel was the chance of a lifetime. "These occasions, you are lucky if they appear once in a lifetime, and here we are, I cant think of anything greater." AFP Farmers are suffering a paradox of good crop but prices drop with one of main reasons being weak application of post-harvest technology. Associated Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, head of the post-harvest technology section of the Viet Nam Agriculture Academy, talks with Kinh Te Viet Nam va The Gioi (Viet Nam and World Economy) Magazine about the issue. Could you explain the important role of post-harvest technology in agricultural production, especially for Viet Nam a country with an advantage edge of exporting agricultural products? Viet Nams agricultural products have lots of potential. Some products were on top of the world exporting list. However, Viet Nams current post-harvest technology has been lagging behind. The post-harvest losses were still high, about 12-15 per cent to grain products, and 25-30 per cent to fruits and vegetables, even higher to animal breeding products. Thus, reducing losses after harvesting was one of key target of the agricultural production sector. What is your evaluation of post-harvest technology application of the agricultural production sector? Frankly, the post-harvest technology of Viet Nam was still backward. Calling people rescuing agricultural products in recent years was a clear evidence of the weak technology. For a long time, Viet Nams agricultural products were exported under unprocessed forms. About 70 per cent of total products were exported to China. We had opportunities to export the products to hi-end markets of European Union, United States and Japan but low-level application of post-harvest technology had made the products unqualified. But in recent years, post-harvest technology has gradually improved, especially technology for vegetable and fruit products. The export turnover of vegetables and fruits had reached nearly US$1 billion in the first quarter this year. Application of post-harvest technology, branding and distribution of agricultural products was really ineffective for many years. Why is this? The co-operation among four key pillars of farmers, government, businesses, and scientists in the production chain was very important. However, the co-operation was loose. The country owned a large potential of agricultural products but production scale is small which leads to uneven quality. Moreover, small-scale product has also created difficulties in modern technology application. In fact, scientists in universities and research centres have been making efforts to contribute to technological transfer but they were facing difficulties finding support from businesses. Meanwhile, businesses had not invested more in agricultural production due to high risks of capital refund. Additionally, the incentive policies were needed for agricultural production development. Human resources were an essential factor of technological application. Do you think Vietnamese human resources meet the requirement? And how do you improve the human resources for the coming years? Application of advanced and smart technologies in agricultural production required high qualified human resource. The workforce in agricultural production was redundant but the qualified resource for post-harvest sector was very few. Thus, activities of training and scientific researches were very important, which was a key element helping the countrys agriculture sector develop. Universities and training institutions should co-operate businesses to introduce training courses on agriculture in general and on post-harvest technology in particular. For years, not only farmers but also businesses faced hurdles of accessing capital for technological application including purchasing machines and equipment. Could you suggest any solution for the issue? First, the government should spare capital from the State Budget for agricultural and post-harvest technologies. It was necessary to offer credit assistance to farmers who are direct producers. Besides, the Government should have incentives to businesses who act as bridges between scientists and farmers in advanced technological application. And businesses should have confidence in investing in agricultural and post-harvest technologies. Training institutions needed support from Government to accelerate scientific research activities. In short, the Government should have long-term strategies with practical policies to each specific subject. Proper investment by the Government along with active involvement by related parties in the agricultural field would help bring more added values for the production chain. Besides, foreign investment and public-private partnership should be enhanced to lure more capital. VNS HCM CITY Viet Nams swift breeding industry has the potential to compete with regional producers if it meets quality standards, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry (MARD), Vu Van Tam said at a conference held in HCM City on April 20. Organised by MARD, representatives of 11 provinces with bird nest operations met with officials from MARD and other agencies. Nguyen Van Trong, deputy head of MARDs Animal Husbandry Department, said bird nest businesses had been operating 2004, mainly in southern provinces and cities. According to preliminary statistics from the provinces, the country has 32 provinces with more than 4,280 birdhouses swift breeders, mostly in provinces in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, southeast and central-coastal regions. However, the birds nest business faces many shortcomings, especially in planning, Trong said. More than 90 per cent of bird nest farming are located in residential areas and in residents houses, leading to many complaints from locals. In addition, there are no specific regulations that manage the location of birdhouses for swifts, making it difficult for localities to manage and plan, Trong said. For instance, Binh inh Province has recorded nearly 130 households that breed swifts in Quy Nhon City. Of these, there are 39 households located in residential areas. Huynh Ngoc Diep, deputy head of the Binh inh Provinces Sub-department of Animal Husbandry and Health, said that most households are breeding swifts without any advanced planning. They renovated their houses to serve as farms and use loudspeakers to lure birds round the clock, causing noise and environmental pollution and a risk of disease. Representatives from other provinces also reported the same problems. Potential o Tu Quan from the Yen Quan Vietnamese Bird Nest Company said that domestic birds nest has good quality compared to those from other countries. However, though they have potential to boost exports with high demand, especially to the Chinese market, they are facing problems. They are exported in small amounts and are mainly sold to tourists, Quan said. Vietnamese Salangane nests (Yen sao in Vietnamese) have not label and origin of products, while businesses have not signed a protocol on importing and exporting birds nest products, she said. An average of 1,000 swifts make about 400 nests in one season, with each nest about 10 grammes, according to the HCM City-based Institute of Tropical Biology. The price of bird nests increased sharply in the first months of the year, Quan said. Last year, raw birds nest were priced at VN15-16 million (US$660-703) per kilo. It is priced at VN23-24 million ($1,010-1,054) per kilo, even up to VN30 million ($1,318) in some localities. Vietnamese processed bird nests are priced at VN100 million ($4,390) per kilo, but are sold at higher prices of VN200-300 million ($8,785-13,175) per kilo in the Chinese market. Representatives from localities and companies asked the Government to have specific regulations on management and development of bird nest farming, and to build quality standards and national brand for Vietnamese Salangane nest products. Deputy Minister of MARD Vu Van Tam said that Viet Nam has favourable weather and good potential for farming swifts for their nests. Investment and support from the State in science and technology were needed, he said, adding that the ministry and related agencies would speed up legal procedures to ensure environmental security and prevent epidemic threats. He also asked the MARDs Animal Husbandry Department, in collaboration with local bird nest firms, to arrange site inspection trips to foreign markets such as China, Malaysia and Indonesia to learn about requirements and conditions, from breeding to processing to export of products. He said the Vietnamese Swiftlet Farming Association under the Viet Nam Farms and Agricultural Enterprises Association should be reorganised and take on a more visible role as a bridge between companies and state agencies to build brands and create business strategies. VNS HCM CITY Population growth in HCM City, especially near industrial parks (IPs) and export processing zones (EPZ), has led to more children being sent to privately owned kindergartens, some of which do not meet safety standards. More and more private nurseries have appeared in the city to help meet the need of workers at IPs and EPZs who work odd shifts. Although many of the establishments have ensured safety and hygiene standards, others have failed to meet regulations on care and safety, according to authorities. Tin Tuc (News) online newspaper of the Viet Nam News Agency reports that only three caregivers are taking care of 70 children at Hoa Hong Phuong Nursery in Binh Tan District. At the nursery, an uncovered water pump prevents children from accessing it when needed, while chemicals for washing and floors, as well as other items, are not kept out of childrens reach. The Phuong Vi Nursery in Binh Tan District has two hot, un-airconditioned rooms of 28 to 30 square metres each with 60 children supervised by two caregivers. Neither of the establishments has a medical room. o inh Thien, vice chairman of Binh Tan District Peoples Committee, said though the district could not close these establishments because of local demand, district education officials were paying more attention to the quality of management of the nurseries. In the future, the district plans to close private home-based nurseries and encourage those with two or three rooms to develop bigger facilities that would be officially classified as schools. According to Tan Phu District Peoples Committee, many private nurseries have only small facilities, lack equipment, and offer meals that lack sufficient nutrition. Investors rent the houses and often move when the rent rises, while teachers often quit, affecting the quality of care, the committee said. According to an education official in Thu uc District, most of the caregivers at these places do not have professional knowledge in children care. According to the citys Department of Education and Training, the city has more than 1,800 private nurseries, accounting for 55 per cent of the total number. In Binh Tan District, the number of public and private nurseries has increased by 10 to 15 per year. The district has a total of 348 nurseries, including 22 public ones. Thien of Binh Tan District Peoples Committee said that 64 per cent of the districts 740,000 residents are migrants. In Thu uc District, 60 per cent of kindergarten-aged children are sent to private nurseries. In District 12, 73 per cent of 71 nurseries are privately managed, serving 23,350 children. Since November last year, seven private nurseries had to stop operating because they did not follow regulations on safety and hygiene. Khuu Manh Hung, head of the District 12 Educational Division under the local Peoples Committee, told Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper that the division did not have enough staff to strictly manage private nurseries. Vu Thanh Luu, vice chairman of Viet Nam Fatherland Front in HCM City, has instructed districts authorities to pay more attention to management of private nurseries and should focus on quality, not quantity. He said that workers at private nurseries should be provided training in caregiving. VNS Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hands over gifts to leader of the Viet Nam Association of Architects a ceremony in Ha Noi on Saturday. VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat HA NOI Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged Vietnamese architects to develop designs suitable for rural and flood-hit areas in order to promote the socio-economic development of each locality and the country as a whole. Addressing a ceremony in Ha Noi on Saturday to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Viet Nam Association of Architects (VAA), the Prime Minister recognised the contributions of architects to the development of both urban and rural areas. Many architects, particularly young ones, have gained success and earned honours both inside and outside the country, he said. The VAA in recent years has actively updated its activities, particularly in contributing opinions to related policies and legal regulations as well as to important architecture planning projects of the country, the PM added. However, he pointed out that over the past few years, the number of architectural works and urban areas with high aesthetic and cultural value has remained small. Many rural areas have been influenced by urbanisation, reducing the prevalence of traditional architectural styles. The PM asked the VAA and relevant State agencies to join hands in tackling these problems. He quoted the late President Ho Chi Minh as saying that it is necessary to pay special attention to develop houses in rural areas by seeking simple, clean and airy house designs at reasonable cost. Asserting that green architecture and smart urban development is the worlds major trend, he urged the VAA to take a pioneering role in shaping Vietnamese architecture to become greener, more beautiful and modern with convenient and humanitarian living spaces that are sustainable and friendly to the environment. This is also part of efforts to deal with environmental instability, natural disasters and climate change, to which Viet Nam is among the most vulnerable countries. Experts at a recent workshop in HCM City predicted that there will be a boom in green buildings in Viet Nam if the communitys awareness of environmental protection improves. Green buildings are defined as those with high efficiency in the use of energy and materials. They dont have much adverse effects on human health and the environment. Viet Nam now ranks 17th in Asia and 37th in the world in the number of green buildings, but the construction of such buildings has been steadily increasing, going up from 28 in 2016 to 48 last year, according to Tran Khanh Trung, president of the HCM City Green Architecture Club. PM Phuc suggested that the VAA should focus on a number of issues, including encouraging architects to improve their capacity and engage in socio-economic development movements of the country. He also said they should show stronger performance in social consultations, supervision and criticism by sharing ideas on the development of legal documents, strengthening IT application and solidifying the organisation of the VAA. The PM said that the Government hopes to listen to the voices of architects in developing the constructive administrative system to serve the people. HA NOI National Committee for Traffic Safety has ordered the Ministry of Education and Training to direct all schools nationwide to ban car parking in school premises or on pavements near schools. The order is to be enforced during school hours. The move comes in the wake of the death of a primary school student and injury of another when a teacher was reversing her car, with the registration number 26A-054.29, in Van Ho Primary School in the northern mountainous province of Son La last Thursday. In December 2016, a second grader in Ha Nois Nam Trung Yen Primary School was hit by a taxi while playing on the school grounds. The taxi, carrying the principal and vice principal, rammed into the student and fractured his right leg. The committee has, therefore, decided to issue the order to tighten safety for students across the country. The committee has asked the education ministry to work with the Ministry of Construction to compile a set of regulations on ensuring traffic safety in every school at all levels-from primary up to high school-and promulgate it as soon as possible. The Ministry of Transport has also been asked to co-operate with localities to install more road signs around schools to ensure students safety. The committee has also asked the authorised agencies in Son La Province to identify individuals or organisations responsible for the accident and sanction disciplinary action against them. VNS SANTIAGO Some 10,000 people marched through the Chilean capital Sunday demanding an end to the privatised pension system created under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, demanding improved conditions. Waving banners, chanting noisy slogans to the sound of trumpets and drums, pensioners and workers with their families marched through Santiago demanding an end to the current system, known by its Spanish acronym AFP. The system, which manages $170 billion in funds, has come under fire because of the low returns to pensioners, who had been led to expect annual payments amounting to 70 per cent of their last salary. "This movement is looking to improve pensions, which keep falling in Chile, especially for women," protest leader Luis Mesina told reporters. "This demand cuts across sectors and fights for decent pensions." Mesina heads the "No+AFP" protest movement launched five years ago by unions that came out against the system and have organized marches of over 100,000 people. The AFP system was created in 1981 by neo-liberal economists influenced by the University of Chicagos Milton Friedman. Known as the "Chicago Boys," they replaced a government funded pay-as-you-go system with one in which workers and their employers paid a proportion of their earnings into privately-run pension funds. The demonstrators want an end to the system in favor of one that includes contributions not just from the employee but also from the employer and the state. Chiles President Sebastian Pinera, who says he wants to change the Pinochet-era pension system, has pledged to outline a number of reforms that would involve bringing in insurance firms and creating a state version of the system. AFP PARIS Frances National Assembly has passed a controversial immigration law that has exposed unprecedented divisions in President Emmanuel Macrons young centrist party. After 61 hours of debate, the measure was approved in a vote of 228 in favour, 139 against and 24 abstentions. It passed largely with the support of Macrons Republic On The Move (LREM) party. But one LREM deputy, Jean-Michel Clement, rebelled and announced that he was quitting the presidents party after casting a no vote on the proposed law. Opposition to the measure was found across the political spectrum with lawmakers of both the right-wing and leftist parties voting against it, as well as the far-right National Front. The lower-house of the French parliament was supposed to vote on the bill on Friday, but the fractious debate stretched into the weekend due to more than 1,000 amendments proposed by deputies. More than 200 of the changes were suggested by LREM members as Macrons own lawmakers openly challenged his plans to double the maximum time migrants can be held in detention to 90 days. The government had defended the bill as balanced, but it has been criticised by rightwingers for being too soft and by leftwingers who see it as repressive. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said it aims for "better controlled" immigration, halving the waiting time for asylum applications to six months while also making it easier to deport those turned down as "economic" migrants. Accepted refugees will be given more help to integrate, such as better access to work and French lessons. Many leftwing opponents lashed out in parliament at measures to keep asylum seekers awaiting deportation, including children, in detention for up to 90 days. "Nothing justifies locking up a kid," said Socialist deputy Herve Saulignac. The bill also reduces the time that asylum-claimers have to lodge their application from 120 to 90 days and gives them two weeks to appeal if unsuccessful, which NGOs say is not enough to gather more evidence in support of their claim. Despite the rumblings of revolt and long debate, the bill had been expected to pass, with LREM holding more than half the seats after battering traditional parties in Junes parliamentary elections. Amnesty International France said that the law was "dangerous" for migrants and asylum seekers, in comments released minutes after the bill passed. It "failed to address difficulties facing migrants and asylum seekers in France," said Cecile Coudriouv, president of Amnesty International France. Pressure on multiple fronts France received a record 100,000 asylum applications last year, bucking the general trend in Europe where the number of asylum seekers halved between 2016 and 2017. Many Africans and South Asians end up sleeping on the streets of Paris due to a shortage of accommodation or camping out in Calais hoping to stow away on trucks to Britain. Controversy over the immigration bill comes as Macron is under pressure for insisting he will push on with sweeping reforms including an overhaul of state rail operator SNCF, despite strikes and street protests. Monday sees the start of another two days of strikes by rail workers over the shake-up which have been causing havoc for French commuters two days out of five since the start of April. Rail unions object to plans to strip new SNCF recruits of jobs-for-life and early retirement, part of Macrons bid to reduce the SNCFs nearly 50 billion euros (US$61.5 billion) of debt. The unions are gambling on public opinion turning in their favour but polls suggest an opposite trend, with just 43 percent backing the strike in an Ifop poll released on Sunday. The scale of the disruption has also eased over the course of the month as fewer workers continue with the strike. On Monday, 35 per cent of high-speed trains are set to operate -- up from just an eighth at the beginning of the month. And air travellers also face disruptions on Monday and Tuesday as Air France employees strike for the tenth day in two months. Nevertheless the French carrier says it expects to maintain 75 per cent of its flights on Monday. AFP WIESBADEN Germanys Social Democrats on Sunday elected Andrea Nahles, a combative and outspoken former labour minister, as the first woman leader of the 155-year-old party, albeit with a lacklustre vote result. Known for her lectern-thumping speeches and occasional outbursts of child-like humour, the 47-year-old single mother joins Chancellor Angela Merkel at the top of German politics -- and as the woman who may one day seek her job. "Were breaking though the glass ceiling in the SPD," said Nahles at the delegates meeting in the city of Wiesbaden. "And the ceiling will stay open." Well-connected within her party, Nahles, a former leader of its Jusos youth wing, won 66 per cent of the vote, beating Simone Lange, 41, an ex-policewoman and mayor of the city of Flensburg. The less than stellar result against an outsider reflected lingering resentment within the party against the decision, strongly promoted by Nahles, to once more govern as junior partners to Merkels conservatives. Conservative daily Die Welt called the outcome "a vote of no confidence" that "throws a spotlight on the conflict within the SPD". Nonetheless, electing a female leader is "a sign of progress that was long overdue," said the SPDs outgoing interim leader, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who called it "a historic moment". In the lead-up to the vote, well-wishers had ironically expressed hope that Nahles would do worse than her predecessor Martin Schulz. A repeat of his 100-per cent party backing last year amid a euphoric "Schulz hype" would be seen as a bad omen given that in the end, he scored just 20.5 per cent in the September 2017 general election, the partys worst post-war result. Combative spirit While Schulzs roller-coaster ride in German politics has shuddered to a halt, the task of revitalising the dispirited SPD now falls to Nahles. A survey last week by Infratest dimap found that 47 per cent of respondents doubted that the party veteran is the right person to lead a "renewal", while just one third expressed confidence. The challenge for her labour party now will be to at once govern responsibly with Merkel, and convince its dwindling band of working-class voters that it is still their champion. Nahles vowed that the SPD will fight for social justice and welfare, declaring that "solidarity is what is most lacking in the globalised, neoliberal, turbo-digitalised world". She pledged a fight for decent wages as technology destroys traditional jobs, and a pro-EU foreign policy that also emphasises pacifism and international cooperation. Nahles, from the partys left wing, scored some landmark successes under the previous Merkel coalition government, notably in introducing a minimum wage. When voters declined to reward the SPD for such gains, the party initially promised a muscular fight from the opposition benches. Nahles at the time summed up the SPDs combative spirit against the Merkel government with a street brawlers phrase, telling journalists that "from tomorrow well smack em in the face". When it turned out the SPD would likely rejoin Merkel after all, but drive a tough bargain in the process, she used a kindergarten taunt that loosely translates as "na-na na-na boo-boo". It was not out of style for Nahles, who once mocked Merkels party in the Bundestag with a slightly off-key rendition of the reality-denying theme song of Swedish childrens book hero Pippi Longstocking. AFP ASHLAND, NE (April 19, 2018) The Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum will hold a behind the scenes tour on May 19, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is part of a new speaker series offered at the Museum. The event includes a temporary display of aviation reconnaissance artifacts including reconnaissance analysis during the cold war and an opportunity to tour the curatorial archives to view rare artifacts from WWII through the cold war. The curatorial archives include thousands of items that are not part of any current exhibit, said Mark Strehle, Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum curator. This is the first time we have opened the doors to our vast collection. Professor Don Costello from UNL will speak at 10 a.m. on how reconnaissance cryptography from the cold war plays a role in the future. Costello has been in the field of computing for 50 years and has been at the University of Nebraska Lincoln for 35 of those years. He helped found both the computing science department and information technology services at UNL. He has provided research or consultation services for the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, the United Nations, and the World Bank. In recent years, Costello has been assisting both local and international firms and e-commerce start-ups using his expertise in software engineering as they specify, contract, and build todays mission critical systems. The event and presentation are part of Museum general admissions. Advanced registration is not required. Admission costs are $12 for adults, $11 for seniors or military, $6 for youth ages 4-12, and children 3 and under are free. The museum is open 9 am 5 pm daily. # # # About the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum Located between Lincoln and Omaha near Interstate 80, utilizes over 300,000 square feet of exhibit, education, and event space. Organized in 1959, the original mission of the museum was to commemorate the contributions of the Strategic Air Command, which until 1992 was headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base. The museum moved to its current location in 1998 upon completion of a new indoor facility. The museum houses an impressive collection of military aircraft and space artifacts, many of which have been restored in the museums on-site restoration facility. To better serve the community, the museum offers STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education opportunities for students, teachers, families, and adult learners. Traveling exhibits, permanent exhibits, and a variety of special events provide additional unique experiences for the museums members and guests. 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16 (23) Jan 15 (30) Jan 14 (20) Jan 13 (18) Jan 12 (24) Jan 11 (11) Jan 10 (23) Jan 09 (22) Jan 08 (17) Jan 07 (17) Jan 06 (9) Jan 05 (18) Jan 04 (15) Jan 03 (19) Jan 02 (14) Jan 01 (6) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (15) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (7) Dec 26 (10) Dec 25 (16) Dec 24 (13) Dec 23 (16) Dec 22 (11) Dec 21 (26) Dec 20 (28) Dec 19 (14) Dec 18 (25) Dec 17 (23) Dec 16 (19) Dec 15 (22) Dec 14 (38) Dec 13 (26) Dec 12 (25) Dec 11 (27) Dec 10 (31) Dec 09 (15) Dec 08 (30) Dec 07 (31) Dec 06 (27) Dec 05 (38) Dec 04 (25) Dec 03 (27) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (36) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (17) Nov 28 (23) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (16) Nov 25 (14) Nov 24 (18) Nov 23 (21) Nov 22 (21) Nov 21 (24) Nov 20 (20) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (17) Nov 17 (17) Nov 16 (34) Nov 15 (25) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (21) Nov 12 (18) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (12) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (4) Oct 29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1) Natalia Veselnitskaya a Former Russian Oligarch And Putin Nemesis MOSCOW (AP) A Russian lawyer who discussed sanctions with Donald Trump Jr. in New York during his fathers 2016 campaign for the U.S. presidency said Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller has not contacted her yet. In an interview with The Associated Press, Natalia Veselnitskaya also detailed her recent meeting in Berlin with investigators from the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. Like Mueller, the committee is investigating allegations of Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election. You should read this: (Link below (KCNA) is sporadic in working. But I pulled the meeting data from it. So it does work in Russia at least.) I comment at the end of the long meeting (Another link uriminzokkiri.com) Pyongyang, April 21 (KCNA) The Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the Workers Party of Korea took place in Pyongyang on April 20. Kim Jong Un, chairman of the WPK, guided the plenary meeting. Attending the meeting were Presidium members, members and alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK and members and alternate members of the C.C., WPK and members of the Central Auditing Commission of the WPK. Present as observers were members of the WPK Central Committee and party and administrative officials of ministries, national institutions, provinces, cities and counties, major industrial establishments and institutions and co-operative farms and members of the armed forces organs. The plenary meeting dealt with the following agenda items: 1. On tasks of our party to further accelerate socialist construction as required by a fresh high stage of the developing revolution 2. On bringing about a revolutionary turn in science and education 3. Organizational matter The first agenda was discussed at the meeting. Kim Jong Un made a report on the first agenda. He said that the plenary meeting was to be convened to discuss and decide important matters for attaining goals of higher stage of socialist construction as required by the developing revolution and under the prevailing situation. Saying that the overall situation is rapidly changing in favor of the Korean revolution thanks to the DPRKs proactive action and efforts after the declaration of completing the state nuclear force last year, he informed that a fresh climate of detente and peace is being created on the Korean peninsula and the region and dramatic changes are being made in the international political landscape. He said that the miraculous victory of having perfectly accomplished the great historic cause of building the state nuclear force in a short span of less than five years is the great victory of the WPKs line of simultaneously pushing forward the economic construction and the building of a nuclear force and, at the same time, a brilliant victory that could be won only by the heroic Korean people. He referred to the progress made in the economic construction along with the all-party, all-state and all-people struggle for implementing the above-said line. He declared with pride that the historic tasks under the strategic line of simultaneously developing the two fronts set forth at the March 2013 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Party were successfully carried out. He said that the victory of the WPKs line was won and thus the struggle of the Korean people who worked hard with their belt tightened to acquire a powerful treasured sword for defending peace was successfully concluded and the firm guarantee by which our descendents can enjoy the most dignified and happiest life in the world was provided. He said that no nuclear test and intermediate-range and inter-continental ballistic rocket test-fire are necessary for the DPRK now, given that the work for mounting nuclear warheads on ballistic rockets was verified as the whole processes of developing nuclear weapons were carried out in a scientific way and in regular sequence, and the development of delivery and strike means was also made scientifically. He added that the mission of the northern nuclear test ground has thus come to an end. He clarified the WPKs peace-loving stand to make positive contributions to the building of the world free from nuclear weapons in conformity with the aspiration and desire common to mankind, provided that the DPRKs might was put on the level wanted by it and it became possible to reliably guarantee the security of the state and the safety of the people. He said that today when the historic tasks listed by the strategic line of simultaneously developing the two fronts were successfully carried out, the WPK is facing important tasks to accelerate the advance of the revolution with confidence in victory and thus hasten the final victory of the socialist cause. He clarified that at the present stage in which the DPRK was successfully put on the position of the world-level politico-ideological and military power, it is the strategic line of the WPK to concentrate all efforts of the whole party and country on the socialist economic construction. He said that it is necessary to launch a general revolutionary offensive and make a dynamic advance in the economic construction under the uplifted militant banner of Let us further accelerate the advance of our revolution by concentrating all our efforts on socialist economic construction! He noted that the immediate goal of the struggle for realizing the new strategic line is to keep production going at full capacity at all industrial establishments and reap a rich harvest in all agricultural fields during the period of carrying out the five-year strategy for national economic development and thus make the peoples laughter resound far and wide across the country. He pointed out that the long-term goal is to put the national economy on a Juche, modern, IT and scientific basis and provide all the people with affluent and highly civilized life so that they can live as well as others. He clarified the tasks for thoroughly carrying out the new strategic line, and ways for doing so including the issue of prioritizing economic work in the overall work of the party and the state, tapping all the human, material and technical potentials of the country for economic development. He called on all the fields and units to thoroughly rely on science and technology, steadily improve the self-development spirit and effect production surge and leap under the unfurled slogan of self-reliance and self-sufficiency. In order to thoroughly implement the new strategic line on channeling all efforts on the economic construction, it is necessary to drastically enhance the role of party organizations, he stressed. He urged the economic guidance organs including the Cabinet to occupy their position as the master responsible for the economic affairs, meticulously organize the operation and command for making rapid economic progress. He also urged all the fields and units to be unconditionally subordinate to the unified command of the Cabinet for implementing the economic policy of the party. Speeches were made on the first agenda item at the plenary meeting. Speakers were Choe Ryong Hae, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau and vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the WPK, Pak Pong Ju, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and premier of the Cabinet, and Kim Jong Gak, director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean Peoples Army. Resolutions on the first agenda item were adopted with unanimous approval. The resolution On Proclaiming Great Victory of the Line of Simultaneous Development of Economic Construction and Building of Nuclear Force specified the following decisions. First, we solemnly declare that the sub-critical nuclear test, underground nuclear test, making nuclear weapon smaller and lighter and the development of the super-large nuclear weapon and delivery means have been carried out in order in the course of the campaign for implementing the partys line of simultaneously developing the two fronts and thus the work for mounting nuclear warheads on ballistic rockets has been reliably realized. Second, we will discontinue nuclear test and inter-continental ballistic rocket test-fire from April 21, Juche 107 (2018). The northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK will be dismantled to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of the nuclear test. Third, the discontinuance of the nuclear test is an important process for the worldwide disarmament, and the DPRK will join the international desire and efforts for the total halt to the nuclear test. Fourth, the DPRK will never use nuclear weapons nor transfer nuclear weapons or nuclear technology under any circumstances unless there are nuclear threat and nuclear provocation against the DPRK. Fifth, we will concentrate all efforts on building a powerful socialist economy and markedly improving the standard of peoples living through the mobilization of all human and material resources of the country. Sixth, we will create international environment favorable for the socialist economic construction and facilitate close contact and active dialogue with neighboring countries and the international community in order to defend peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the world. The resolution On Concentrating All Efforts on Socialist Economic Construction to Meet Requirements of New High Stage of Developing Revolution clarified the following decisions. First, we will orientate the overall party and state affairs into the socialist economic construction and concentrate all efforts on it. Second, the Party and working peoples organizations, power organs, law enforcement organs and armed forces organs should enhance their roles in the struggle to concentrate all efforts on the socialist economic construction. Third, the Party organizations and political institutions at all levels should regularly control and review the implementation of the decisions made at the Third Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the WPK so as to ensure their thorough implementation. Fourth, the Presidium of the Supreme Peoples Assembly and the Cabinet should take legal, administrative and technical measures to carry out the tasks set forth in the resolutions of the plenary meeting of the WPK Central Committee. The second agenda item was discussed at the meeting. Kim Jong Un made a report on the second agenda item. He underlined the need to bring about a revolutionary turn in science and education, adding that the issue of concentrating all efforts on the economic construction would be unthinkable without the rapid development of science and education. He said that in recent years our Party has made not a few achievements through active measures to boost science and education to suit the requirements of the higher stage of the developing revolution. He also analyzed and reviewed drawbacks in the fields of science and education and their causes. He set forth the strategic slogan Let us make a leap forward by dint of science and guarantee the future by dint of education! and clearly specified the tasks and ways for putting spurs to building a scientific and technical power and a talent power. Speeches on the second agenda item were made by Pak Thae Song, member of the Political Bureau and vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the WPK, Kim Su Gil, alternate member of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and chairman of the Pyongyang City Committee of the WPK, and Kim Sung Du, chairman of the Education Commission. The resolution on the second agenda item On Effecting Revolutionary Turn in Science and Education was adopted. The plenary meeting discussed the organizational matter, the third agenda. There was a by-election of a member of the Political Bureau of the Workers Party of Korea Central Committee. Kim Jong Gak was by-elected member of the Political Bureau of the C.C., WPK. There were recall and by-election of members and alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee. Sin Yong Chol, Son Chol Ju, Jang Kil Song and Kim Song Nam, who had been alternate members of the Party Central Committee, were elected members, and Kim Jun Son, Kim Chang Son, Jong Yong Guk and Ri Tu Song were elected members of the Party Central Committee to fill vacancies. Ri Son Gwon, Hong Jong Duk, Sok Sang Won, Jang Kil Ryong, Pak Hun, Ko Ki Chol, An Myong Gon, Ko Myong Chol, Kim Son Uk, Hong Man Ho, Kim Chol Ha, Kim Yong Gu, Kim Chol Ryong and Kim Il Guk were elected alternate members of the Party Central Committee to fill vacancy. Recall and by-election of members of the Central Auditing Commission of the WPK were held. Ko Chol Man and Choe Song Gun were by-elected members of the Central Auditing Commission of the WPK. Kim Jong Un made a historic concluding speech at the plenary meeting. He said that the declaration of the victory of the line of simultaneously pushing forward the economic construction and the building of a nuclear force and advancement of the new line on focusing all efforts on the economic construction at the current plenary meeting is a political event of historical significance in accomplishing the socialist cause of Juche. The main spirit of the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Party Central Committee is to further accelerate the advance of our revolution under the unfurled banner of self-reliance on the basis of the great victory of the line of simultaneously pushing forward the economic construction and the building of a nuclear force and thus attain ahead of schedule the higher goal of the socialist construction put forward at the Seventh Congress of the WPK, he noted. Stressing that the core and main principle of the new revolutionary line of the Party is self-reliance, he underscored the need to maintain indomitable perseverance in the spirit of self-reliance as ever and open up the avenue for prosperity and bring earlier the rosy future. Our goal is to activate the overall national economy and put it on an upward spiral track and thus establish independent and modern socialist economy, knowledge-based economy, in the period of carrying out the five-year strategy for the national economic development, he stated. He stressed the need to attach importance to science and education and develop them in order to achieve the higher goal of socialist construction by thoroughly carrying out the new revolutionary line of the Party. In order to realize the revolutionary line and the policy of the Party, officials should make strenuous efforts with the strong determination and work hard with high abilities to put their fields and units on the level as required by the Party, he added. (2018.04.21) Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. Apr 23, 2018 | By Thomas Formlabs announced today that it has raised another $30 million in Series C funding led by Tyche Partners. This latest round includes participation from Shenzhen Capital Group and UpNorth Investment Limited, as well as existing investors DFJ, Pitango and Foundry Group. The Series C round puts the Somerville, Massachusetts-based 3D printing companys total funding to $85 million. The company says the investment will be used to broaden Formlabs product portfolio, and scale operations to meet increasing customer demand worldwide, particularly in China and Asia. Formlabs already has a strong established presence in the U.S. and European markets, with more than 300 employees in the U.S., 100 in Europe and employees in China and Japan. This next phase in growth will accelerate maturation in those markets. For many years, China has been catching up in manufacturing capabilities to the U.S. and Europe, but recently it has matched or surpassed in many areas," said Max Lobovsky, co-founder and CEO of Formlabs. "Chinese manufacturers will be critical to figuring out how to adopt 3D printing into higher volume manufacturing applications. Formlabs is leading the transformation of the 3D printing industry and is dominating the desktop SLA market with the largest market share worldwide, said Weijie Yun, Founding partner of Tyche Partners. Were excited to invest and participate in the growth of the companys future as their product portfolio expands from SLA to SLS and penetrates the industrial 3D printer market. This announcement comes ahead of Formlabs headquarters expansion in Somerville, MA where it will soon be opening a new 18,000 square foot facility to add to its growing campus headquarters. Posted in 3D Printer Company Maybe you also like: Apr 23, 2018 | By David This years Rapid + TCT conference in Fort Worth, Texas, which runs from April 23-26, is a showcase for a lot of the major players in the 3D printing world, as well as the smaller start-ups and organizations that are pointing the way forward for the industry. In case youre not able to make it there in person, heres a round-up of what three of the biggest names - EOS, Stratasys, and 3D Systems - have to offer. EOS The major innovation that EOS will be demonstrating at this years event is its new industrial polymer 3D printer, the P 810. This AM machine was specifically designed to process the companys new high-performance polymer material, HT-23. The technology was developed in close collaboration with aviation giant Boeing, and it is primarily intended for the production of aerospace components. According to Scott Killian, aerospace business development manager, EOS North America, ''Additive manufacturing enables the design and manufacturing of complex geometries without expensive tooling. This allows aerospace OEMs to replace composite parts which to date are being produced manually via carbon fiber laminating. They can also replace aluminum parts with HT-23 while still meeting the material strength properties required for the application. With the EOS P 810, our customers can produce lightweight parts, reduce time for production and parts assembly, and cut overall costs-per-part.'' HT-23 is produced by EOS ALM (Advanced Laser Materials) 3D printing materials subsidiary. Its a carbon fiber-reinforced PEKK material, with a low refresh rate of 40%. The P 810, which was developed exclusively to process HT-23, is an evolution from the companys earlier EOSint P800 HTLS (high-temperature laser sintering) 3D printer. It has a build volume of 700x380x380 mm (27.5x15x15 in), and two 70-watt lasers, allowing for the production of large structural parts with dimensional accuracy and a high level of productivity. Stratasys Stratasys is showcasing a number of innovative new products and exciting developments at Rapid + TCT this year, both in terms of hardware and materials. One of its main announcements is a new 3D printer, the F900 PRO. This is the third generation of the companys flagship Fortus FDM 3D printing platform, and it will push additive manufacturing even closer to everyday use for final parts production. The F900 PRO features a MTConnect-ready interface with production-ready accuracy and repeatability. It is a specialized upgrade of the companys versatile F900 3D printer, much like the Stratasys F900 Aircraft Interiors Certification Solution (AICS), which was already announced at the Paris Air Show. The AICS version is intended for the manufacturing of flight-worthy thermoplastic components. The F900 PRO version is designed for final production in a broader range of industries than the AICS, and it is optimized to get the best possible performance out of Stratasys ULTEM 9085 resin material. ''Whats really exciting about this development is that Stratasys is showing how additive manufacturing has finally reached the level of repeatability and performance required for final part production,'' says Keith Kmetz of consulting firm, IDC. ''With the introduction of the F900 Production 3D Printer and the focus on industry standards and standardization, Stratasys is helping to advance this technology from its prototyping and tooling roots to a true industrial additive manufacturing system.'' Another upgrade was announced for Stratasys J750 PolyJet system, as well as the new J735. The range of these FDM machines, which are intended for rapid prototyping for designers and engineers, will be expanded even further. Their multi-material extrusion capabilities will be enhanced with a new vivid color package, taking the total number of color combinations past the half million mark. This adds to their highly accurate color matching and texture rendering, enabling the production of vivid, realistic prototypes for a broad range of industries. In terms of materials, the new VeroYellowV and VeroMagentaV FDM filaments will enable the aforementioned PolyJet systems to produce vividly-coloured prototypes with a high level of translucency, without the need for excessive post-processing. The companys Carbon Fiber Nylon 12 material is now compatible with a larger range of Stratasys 3D printers, including the Fortus 900 and 450. Also demonstrated at the event is Stratasys new GrabCAD Print software solution, which will allow designers to 3D print directly from native CAD formats. This saves the time that is typically used to convert and fix STL files. 3D Systems 3D Systems is showcasing its latest technological breakthroughs in an effort to encourage 3D printings move from prototyping to final production. Figure 4 is a scalable 3D printing platform that has been claimed to be the fastest and most accurate AM technology available. It boasts part print speeds of up to 65mm (2.55 in) /hr, with prototyping speeds of up to 100 mm/hr. The Figure 4 platform, which is available in Production and Standalone versions, delivers part accuracy and repeatability, with Six Sigma repeatability (C pk > 2) across all materials. Newly announced material compatibilities with the Figure 4 platform include Figure 4 ELAST-BLK, which is an elastomeric black material ideal for iteration and design verification of flexible parts. There is also Figure 4 JCST-GRN, which is a castable green material optimized for investment casting of jewelry patterns. A total of 30 materials will be announced for Figure 4 Production by 3D Systems. Another big announcement is the general availability of the companys ProX SLS 6100 3D printer, a move that could potentially revolutionize plastics production. To accompany the wider release of this affordable SLS machine, 3D Systems will be debuting six new compatible materials in Nylon 11 and Nylon 12. The company is also planning to make the FabPro 1000, an entry-level industrial FDM machine, generally avaialbe from the end of May. This years Rapid + TCT also sees the launch of the compays DMP Monitoring metal AM solution. This equips users with a toolset for enhanced quality control of its Direct Metal Printing technology. DMP Monitoring leverages real-time image analysis and data collection to optimize build parameters and produce higher quality parts. DMP Monitoring is currently available for 3D Systems' ProX DMP 320 printers, and it will be included with the company's DMP 8500 Factory Solution when it becomes generally available later in 2018. Posted in 3D Printer Company Maybe you also like: by Shiban Ganju Early in the morning, my cell phone rang. I looked at the screen. It was a call from India; Anoop was on the other end. This training will not do well. The women dont seem enthusiastic. He was in Uttar Pradesh, in a small village Mijwan, the birth place of progressive poet, Kaifi Azmi. I did not believe Anoop, his assessment must be wrong. The women of Mijwan must have changed in the past eighty years since Kaifi, the son of this soil had exhorted women to walk in stride with men: Get up my love; you have to walk with me. Emerge out of ancient bondage, break the idol of tradition The weakness of pleasure, this mirage of fragility These self drawn boundaries of imagined greatness The bondage of love, for this too is bondage Nor merely the thorns on the path, you have to trample on flowers too Get up my love; you have to walk with me [ http://www.youtube.com/user/raajayshchetwal#p/u/1/w61ELibfQiY ] [ http://crazymindseye.wordpress.com/2009/03/08/aurat-kaifi-azmi/ ] But over many centuries, history has traveled by Mijwan without affecting it. Four capitals of ancient India, Kannauj, Kausambi, Magadha, and Ujjaini prospered within three hundred miles. Culture flourished only two hundred miles away in the city of Lucknow, just over a century back. Buddha walked on this land. Mughal emperors galloped across it. Mijwan has been a neighbor to riches, decadence, knowledge and enlightenment but has stayed frozen in poverty and ignorance. When Kaifi Azmi was born, Mijwan was off the map. His tireless work christened it with a zip code and it got a post office; it acquired a tarmac road and a train station nearby. By the time he passed away and shortly after that, a girls primary school, an associate degree college, a computer training center and an embroidery school came up. Mijwan now attracts students from nearby towns. Five hundred and fifty people live here. The local NGO, Mijwan Welfare Society, picks up their shredded ambitions and stitches them with a thread of zeal and hard work. India has 600, 000 such villages, home to over sixty percent of its population. Thousands of voluntary organizations probably the largest number in the world toil in these villages to usher development. They dangle the yarn of future possibility as their flag. Save a Mother is one such small organization. Anoop, a master trainer, was in Mijwan to expand the work of Save a Mother- a health literacy program to decrease maternal and infant mortality. He has a gift of simplifying complex health information; expressing in plain language comes to him with ease. He has lectured on health matters for many years to rural folks, who have either not gone to school or dropped out early. Just two months back, he even overcame the language barrier and trained forty nine women as health activists in the state of Karnataka in south India. He spoke in Hindi and an interpreter translated it into the local language, Kananda. He conveyed the message and in spite of the language barrier he succeeded. This morning, it was a discouraging call from usually upbeat Anoop, whose forte is to impart training. Anoop said, We can work around language but how do we overcome attitude? Some have their faces covered, others dont seem interested. He paused, But we have two more days. The trainers were in Mijwan after having conducted scores of training sessions and having honed their training skills. Save a Mother (SAM) started over two years back in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, where more mothers die during child birth than most regions of the world. Measured as maternal deaths per 100, 000 live child births, maternal mortality rate in Sultanpur stands as 500 according to published data. Our own estimate places this number even higher, probably closer to 600. Our foray into maternal mortality reduction is an entry strategy to find health care solutions for the poor. Our hypothesis is that the path to health as a human right begins with human responsibility and the first step in this journey is health literacy. SAM started in one district and now has expanded to five districts in two different states. We train health activists, mostly women in basics of health care; the initial training lasts three days and refresher training lasts one day. Every month, SAM conducts about three initial training sessions and about eight refresher courses. It trained over 1000 women in 2009. Participatory approach is the method in all sessions; the trainers encourage participants to share their experiences, ground realities and their knowledge. Group discussions, role play, case studies, flip book and group work are the tools of training, which covers topics like communication, leadership, sanitation, personal hygiene, nutrition, immunization, pregnancy, antenatal care, post-natal care, dangerous signs in pregnancy, preparation for safe delivery, contraception and family planning methods. These trained activists meet weekly with the women in their villages and share their leaned knowledge. They also discuss health issues, once a month, at the village cluster association, where trainers also conduct refresher training and collect data. They follow each pregnant woman in their village and ensure that she gets proper antenatal care, adequate nutrition and immunization. The activists facilitate her registration with an institution for safe delivery and postnatal care. With an ambitious target of one trained activist in each village, SAM activists are active in 600 villages now and will be present in about 2000 villages by the end of 2010. The scope of the program is expanding to include eye care, sanitation, adolescent health and TB eradication. SAM has also started training activists in the management of primary health clinics and linked them with other public health programs. SAM hopes to include even more areas of health care in future and to develop plug and play modules in health care delivery for the poor, which any other organization can use. Maternal mortality reduction is just one such module, which SAM offers to any organization, which wants to expand into health care. Our operational model follows four principles: simplicity, sustainability, scalability with speed. To maintain sustainability and keep operational cost down, SAM works only with volunteers except the field staff who are salaried; it shares resources with other organizations, outsources non-core activities and utilizes all the benefits that government offers. We study our impact in the field and modify our approach to improve.SAM devotes all its resources to training activists in the field. Anoop, who has a masters degree in development studies and is pursuing a PhD, is the project manager and master trainer. Understanding his dissatisfaction with the first day of training, I reminded him Kaifi Azmi had said that change is slow and you should be prepared to concede that it may not even happen in your life time; keep striving with a conviction that change will come, perhaps after you are gone. I suggested, Let Preeti lead the training tomorrow? Preeti is our female trainer, an ex school teacher, who still carries that demeanor. She had excelled in Karnataka just a few weeks back, when Anoop could not break any ice. The second day of SAM training dwells on female reproductive health, which either provokes animated talk or hushed silence. The second day was a make or break day, and we took the risk . I called Anoop at the end of second day; I was curious. How did Preeti do? How did it go? Anoop sounded discouraged. Five women dropped out. We had twenty six women yesterday but only twenty one showed up today. But Preeti did well and some shy women opened up on reproductive health and asked some questions. The dwindling number and lack of participation was not a good sign. I thought we will have to go back and redesign our methods one size does not fit all. If the adult training failed, I envisioned some hope for the third day: we had planned a session on adolescent health for the local school girls. That would be our only redeeming consolation. Training for school girls went well. Girls threw questions at the trainers with alacrity, which put Preeti and Anoop in good mood. But the pending final session for adults still hung heavy on them. They were concerned about the final day. I did not hear from Anoop till the next morning, then he called, We did it. Today, thirty one women showed up. The word has spread that the training is useful. The women were vocal and guess what they even lifted their veils. The women in training willingly participated in SAMs closing ritual of expressing equality they shook each others hands and even that of the male master trainer Anoop. Kaifi Azmi had said: History has not known your worth thus far You have burning embers too, not merely tears You are reality too, not a mere amusing anecdote Your personality is something too, not just your youth You have to change the title of your history Get up my love; you have to walk with me We persevere with the conviction that, with one step at a time, these women will thrive, and hope it is in our life time. Save a Mother has lit one small lamp in one more village and facilitated the first step from darkness to light. The veils had lifted. by Thomas Manuel In Dishonoured by History: Criminal Tribes and British Colonial Policy, Meena Radhakrishna presents rare scholarship on some of the worst excesses of the British Empire. The Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 was passed with intention of demarcating certain tribes in India as being hereditary criminals. This wasnt necessarily genetic but rather occupational. The colonial interventions of the 19th century had invalidated a lot of hereditary occupations and the British were extremely aware of the dangers of the resulting mass unemployment. In their eyes, there was no other choice for these poor, wandering nomads but to take up a life of crime. What else could they do? Radhakrishnas scholarship focuses on the erstwhile Madras Presidency where the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 did not apply at first. It was resisted by the Madras administration who argued (using statistics!) that there was no crime problem in general and crime was actually lower in districts where these tribes operated. There were other objections voiced including questions of implementation and practicality but the real reason seemed to be because the wandering tribes were useful. Historically, the Koravas of the Madras Presidency were salt and grain traders. They travelled from the coast with salt, taking it along regular trade routes to villages that were deep inland. Many of these remote villages were not connected by road and had no other access to salt. The Koravas, who carried these goods on the backs of their herds of cattle, would be able to sell salt in these areas at prices lower than any ordinary merchant. The Madras administration knew this and acknowledged it. This was the case with a number of tribes, each of them seen as beneficial as they ensured the movement of particular goods across the presidency. But in the year 1911, the new Criminal Tribes Act was passed and this one applied to the entire territory of India. In the four decades since the first Act, new economic policies had played havoc with the traditional trading system. The salt trade was centralized with the government acting as clearing house. Coupled with the introduction of the railways, the entire face of the salt supply chain changed. The government and the large trading houses earned huge revenues but it made the price shoot up. And the Koravas were now only needed to operate the routes between the railway towns and the outlying villages. Similar market policies let grain merchants hoard grain and manipulate prices. Their old way of life was gone and so the new unemployed tribes were included under the ambit of the new Act. Which was vicious. Radhakrishna writes, Under the provisions of the Act, the government could deport any number of persons any distance from the homes, could employ them in any form of labour, could hire them out to employers, punish them with fine and imprisonment if they refused to work, bring them back if they attempted to escape, and subject them to additional disciplinary measures. These measures were not limited to persons against whom a conviction had been registered, or even those who had no ostensible means of livelihood or who could not give a satisfactory account of themselves. They applied to all members of the group concerned men, women and children. Unlike convicts or actual criminals, this law had no concept of release. The 1871 Act provided that a tribe could not be notified as criminal until land and employment had already been provided to them. The 1911 Act found this unnecessary. Very soon, the Act became a way of generating a powerless, commoditized labour force. Initially, the village headman (who was typically a land-owning, upper caste Hindu) abused the Act to force the tribals to work as labourers in his field. Or even to commit crimes on their behalf, including the murder of rivals. But finally, factories, mines, mills and plantations got wise to this new method of finding pliable labour. When a community of Kathiars refused to work in a mica mine, they, along with about 1500 members of other tribal communities, were declared criminal tribes and forced to work. There are records of Yerkulas being sent from Madras Presidency all the way to Assam to work in plantations there. An association of South Indian plantation owners remarked on the benefits of the children being settled along with the adults as the chance of a new generation of settled workers was the most attractive part of the whole thing. The Salvation Army played a major role in this tragedy, being put in almost exclusive charge of Indian itinerant communities notified under the Act. Radhakrishna even argues that they were partly responsible for the idea of settlements and the reformatory value of employment making it into the Act in the first place. Her account of their human rights abuses, exploitation and profiteering is gut-wrenching. She quotes an article in a Salvation Army newspaper describing quite cheerfully how a man was whipped 15 times and was then happily at work in our Salvation Army factory. In a detailed study of one settlement, Stuartpuram, Radhakrishna discusses the Salvation Armys self-declared experiment in criminocurology which seemed to revolve around a thoughtless, uncaring reorganisation of all pre-existing social relations. They divided the community into discrete families. They separated the children from their parents, letting them meet only on Sundays. They inserted themselves in the marital process, granting permissions for people to marry whereas before women had the freedom to choose their spouses. They were apparently appalled at the practice of men paying a bride price and instead introduced the idea of dowry, paying for it themselves. The litany of sins goes on for much longer this is but a taste. Today, the residents of Stuartpuram do not remember their own history. The current generation has only the Salvation Armys version of their past and identity. The colonial project is complete. They have finally become a criminal tribe. Photo Credit: 1. Irula men from the Nilgiri Hills 1871, Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain) 2. Salvation Army Logo, Ryan McFarland, www.zieak.com (CC-BY 2.0) by Jalees Rehman Do you still remember the first day of school when you started first grade? If you were fortunate enough (or in some cases, unfortunate enough) to run into your classmates from way back when, you might sit down and exchange stories about that first day in school. There is a good chance that you and your former classmates may differ in the narratives especially regarding some details but you are bound to also find many common memories. This phenomenon is an example of "collective memory", a term used to describe the shared memories of a group which can be as small as a family or a class of students and as large as a nation. The collective memory of your first day in school refers to a time that you personally experienced but the collective memory of a group can also include vicarious memories consisting of narratives that present-day group members may not have lived through. For example, the collective memory of a family could contain harrowing details of suffering experienced by ancestors who were persecuted and had to abandon their homes. These stories are then passed down from generation to generation and become part of a family's defining shared narrative. This especially holds true for larger groups such as nations. In Germany, the collective memory of the horrors of the holocaust and the Third Reich have a profound impact on how Germans perceive themselves and their identity even if they were born after 1945. The German scholar Aleida Assmann is an expert on how collective and cultural memory influences society and recently wrote about the importance of collective memory in her essay "Transformation of the Modern Time Regime" (PDF): All cultures depend upon an ability to bring their past into the present through acts of remembering and remembrancing in order to recover not only acquired experience and valuable knowledge, exemplary models and unsurpassable achievements, but also negative events and a sense of accountability. Without the past there can be no identity, no responsibility, no orientation. In its multiple applications cultural memory greatly enlarges the stock of the creative imagination of a society. Assmann uses the German word Erinnerungskultur (culture of remembrance) to describe how the collective memory of a society is kept alive and what impact the act of remembrance has on our lives. The Erinnerungskultur widely differs among nations and even in a given nation or society, it may vary over time. It is quite possible that the memories of the British Empire may evoke nostalgia and romanticized images of a benevolent empire in older British citizens whereas younger Brits may be more likely to focus on the atrocities committed by British troops against colonial subjects or the devastating famines in India under British rule. Much of the research on collective memory has been rooted in the humanities. Historians and sociologists have studied how historical events enter into the collective memory and how the Erinnerungskultur then preserves and publicly interacts with it. However, more recently, cognitive scientists and psychologists have begun exploring the cognitive mechanisms that govern the formation of collective memory. The cognitive sciences have made substantial advances in researching individual memory such as how we remember, mis-remember or forget events but much less is known how these processes apply to collective memory. The cognitive scientists William Hirst, Jeremey Yamashiro and Alin Coman recently reviewed the present psychological approaches to study how collective memories are formed and retained, and they divided up the research approaches into two broad categories: Top-down research and bottom-up research. Top-down research identifies historical or cultural memories that persist in a society and tries to understand the underlying principles. Why do some historical events become part of the collective memory whereas others do not? Why do some societies update their collective memories based on new data whereas others do not? Hirst and his colleagues cite a study which researched how people updated their beliefs following retractions and corrections issued by the media following the 2003 Iraq war. The claims that the Iraqi forces executed coalition prisoners of war after they surrendered or the initial reports about the discovery of weapons of mass destruction were both retracted but Americans were less likely to remember the retraction whereas Germans were more likely to remember the retraction and the corrected version of the information. Bottom-up research of collective memory, on the other hand, focuses on how individuals perceive events and then communicate these to their peers so that they become part of a shared memory canon. Researchers using this approach focus on the transmission of memory from local individuals to a larger group network and how the transmission or communication between individuals is affected by the environment. In a fascinating study of autobiographical memory, researchers studied how individuals from various nations dated autobiographical events. Turks who had experienced the 1999 earthquake frequently referenced it, similar to Bosnians who used the civil war to date personal events. However, Americans rarely referenced the September 11, 2001 attacks to date personal events. This research suggested that even though some events such as the September 11, 2001 attacks had great historical and political significance, they may not have had as profound a personal impact on the individual lives of Americans as did the civil war in Bosnia. Hirst and his colleagues point out that cognitive research of collective memory is still in its infancy but the questions raised at the interface of psychology, neuroscience, history and sociology are so fascinating that this area will likely blossom in the decades to come. The many research questions that will emerge in the near future will not only integrate cutting-edge cognitive research but will likely also address the important phenomenon of the increased flow of information both by migration of individuals as well as by digital connectedness. This research could have a profound impact on how we define ourselves and what we learn from our past to shape our future. Reference Hirst W et al. (2018). "Collective Memory from a Psychological Perspective" Trends in Cognitive Science, 22 (5): 438-451 by Dwight Furrow Unlike ice cream, orange juice, and most other things that taste good, wine is peculiar in that it is an object of devotion. Many people abandon lucrative, stable careers for the uncertainties and struggles of winemaking; others spend a lifetime of hard intellectual labor to understand its intricacies; still others circle the globe sampling rare or unusual bottles. Wine has an attraction that goes beyond mere "liking"a spiritual dimension that requires explanation. Why does wine exert such a powerful attractive force? The beauty of wine seems a natural answer. However, if we are to make sense of the gravitational pull beautiful objects, such as wine, exert on us we have to distinguish the pretty, agreeable or good tasting from the beautiful. We know from recent history that without a clear distinction between beauty and what is pretty or likable, beauty fares rather poorly. Since the early 20th Century, the art world has abandoned beauty because it was thought to refer to superficial appearances with no ability to represent the more difficult aspects of human existence. In a world embroiled in industrialization, war, and genocide, the creation of beauty seemed frivolous. (The fact that Kant, the most influential philosopher of art, along with his acolytes among formalist critics, concurred that beauty was about appearances only didn't help. Kant neutered beauty with his notion that its apprehension required a bloodless, disinterested attitude.) But work on the question of beauty over the last two decades provides a deeper conception of beauty, which clearly marks the distinction between beauty and what is merely attractive, and this conception of beauty can help refine our notions of wine quality. By returning to the ancient notion of beauty as a form of eros, we can explain how beauty engages our agency, providing powerful motivations to drink up. As Crispin Sartwell writes, "Either beauty died around 1895, except to refer to starlets or chrysanthemums, or it became much more difficult and strange, kept developing in a subterranean way." (Sartwell, Six Names of Beauty, p. 10) To find something beautiful is not just to think it pretty, charming, or good tasting. We feel there is something more to the object that has not yet been discovered and want the experience to be repeated. Things of beauty occupy our thoughts when they are not present and each encounter with them is as if it were a new experience. We want to know more, penetrate the surface, re-experience the beautiful object from different perspectives and connect with the people who created it. Even simple objects or eventsa worn cup, a piece of furniture, a ceremony, a glass of winecan have an aura of incompleteness and mystery about them. This notion that beauty is deeply connected to agency and mystery has been best articulated by philosopher Alexander Nehamas. Inspired by the novelist Stendhal's quote, "Beauty is nothing other than the promise of happiness", Nehamas argues that when I find an object beautiful, I desire to have that object in my life and devote part of my life to it. The object promises to make my life better when I become so committed, although it is a promise that in the end might not be kept. To find an object beautiful is to love it and to wish to care for it as well as discover its secrets. Beauty inspires commitment because it is an inexhaustible source of meaningour love for the object resists settling on a final meaning. We keep interpreting the beautiful object, feel compelled to discover why we love it, and to the extent we get no final answer, the satisfaction of our desire is always just beyond our reach. If we were to settle on a final meaning, we would fall out of love having exhausted the object's potential. There is no way of knowing where this desire will lead. To be in the presence of beauty is to be immersed in changing, unpredictable desires, and as we long for satisfaction, we engage with others, for through their insight we hope to find answers to the mystery posed by the object. As Nehamas writes: "the desire beauty provokes is essentially social: it literally does create a new society for it needs to be communicated to others and pursued in their company" (Nehamas, Only the Promise of Happiness, 77) Yet, that vulnerability to the object's call is fraught with peril. This is why beauty is "only a promise" of happiness. There are no guarantees that making something a part of your life will turn out well. How does this account of the lure of mystery in our pursuit of beauty help understand the love of wine? A wine is full of surprises. As tasters, we are surprised by new, unexpected taste experiences that seem inexplicable despite our background knowledge. For winemakers, every vintage is different and poses new challenges that their textbooks and theories struggle to explain. How a wine will develop in the barrel, in the bottle, or in the glass is unknown even to experts, and predictions about these matters are continually flouted. Even the nature of what is in the glass in front of you is a bit of a mystery. Wine is inherently a vague object, its features difficult to detect even with training. Unlike objects in our visual field, wine gives us only hints of flavors, scents, and textures. Because wine is continually changing, and so are we as we experience it, wine will not sit still for an analysis. It is this mystery, this confrontation with the unknown, which drives people to make wine and study it. This depth that beautiful objects possess is sensed in the appearance of the object and the pleasure we take in it. But it doesn't stop there. The recognition of beauty is not the mere identification of a quality or collection of properties that an object possesses; it is essentially motivational, a goad or north star that drives further experience. We don't passively look at beautiful objects but are instead drawn to them, they move us, invite our engagement because the recognition of beauty is a form of love. We cannot help but love what we find beautiful and find beautiful what we love, according to Nehamas. Thus, reference to a collection of properties is never sufficient to define beauty because whether we find something beautiful or not depends on whether the properties connect with our motivational states. The reasons for me finding something beautiful can never be fully articulated. Since we cannot know what has not yet been discovered, we cannot articulate precisely what that quality is that we find so compelling. To experience beauty in something is to see what belongs to it uniquely and that in turn is to see it in a way that is distinctly "our own". This is the bane of all art or wine criticism. We can speak about the beautiful but the words are by necessity inadequate. There are no rules for beauty and each instance of it is unique. The examples of art to which Nehamas refers in order to illustrate his claims about beauty are primarily from the visual arts. But wine and food lovers fit Nehamas's conception of seekers after beauty. The wine lover who scours auctions for rare bottles or travels the world seeking unique expressions of terroir has fallen in love. The much discussed "aha" moment when wine is recognized as a suitable object of devotion is not the bloodless apprehension of aroma notes but the felt promise of a mystery to be cultivated. There are many who would argue that wine is pursued as a status symbol rather than as a lure for aesthetic desire. Drawing on the work of the French social theorist Pierre Bourdieu, there is no shortage of commentary asserting that our idea of what tastes good is determined by our aspiration to join an elite rather than sensitivity to aesthetic quality. On this view good taste is a mark of distinction that sets one apart and confers high status on those who possess it. This refined sensitivity to subtle distinctions is defined against and excludes what is "popular" and identifies one as a member of a select group, not as a symbol of wealth but as a mark of social knowledge and cultural capital. No doubt there is a lot of showing off in the wine world, and the whole cult wine phenomenon, where well-heeled patrons spend thousands on a bottle because it's hard to get, is in part driven by status seeking. Yet there are far too many shifts in style and taste preferences for the devotion to wine to be explained by a set of social norms enforced by an elite to which wine lovers aspire to conform. In the mid-20th Century there was an insular wine elite who were too comfortable with their tasting conventions and relied too much on reputation. Then along came Robert Parker with his iconoclastic attitude, love of ripeness, and 100 point scale to take down that elite. So who was reflecting a class interest? The old elite or Parker? More recently, Parker's preferences were challenged by people seeking lower alcohol, higher acidity and more balance. Who is the enforcer of a class interest here? Today, higher alcohol seems no longer a taboo and low intervention winemaking, bio-dynamics, and natural wine are all the rage. Are advocates of natural wine to be thought of as gatekeepers to an elite culture ensuring people "toe the line"? These shifts in preferences and style suggest some people are capable of independent judgment. The desire to conform does a poor job of explaining the emergence of novelty. What drives shifts in wine styles is the search for something new and different. For new styles to take hold there must be people of independent judgment willing to shatter norms and followers willing to step off the beaten path in the search for new beauties. Aesthetic sensibility rather than status seeking alone is the best explanation of style shifts. It is somewhat more plausible to argue that what attracts people to wine are lifestyle considerationswhat we might call a search for the fine life. To drink fine wines and eat fine food while surrounded by bucolic loveliness in an atmosphere of conviviality and good cheer is surely one of the attractions of the wine world. It is the pursuit of a life in which everyday aesthetics is an everyday affair. Yet wine lovers typically do not seek only a series of superficial, pleasurable experiences. Once hooked, taste becomes a practice, a discipline, an intellectual challenge for which the payoff is in part intellectual. The world of wine, among the fully committed, is a world in which knowledge and understanding matter, a world in which the characteristically human practice of creating meaning is its reason to exist. Nehamas is right to posit this search for understanding and the unraveling of mystery as a persistent component of the phenomenology of beauty. Wine lovers come for the lifestyle and stay for the obsession. As Nehamas claims, there is a desire not merely to enjoy the beautiful object but to possess it, to make it part of one's life. Yet, I wonder if Nehamas provides us with a complete picture of the experience of beauty. One peculiarity of Nehamas's view is that although we are attracted to mystery, to hidden depths that future experience will reveal, through understanding we seek to dispel mystery. If we succeed we fall out of love with the object since it would have no more to offer. It seems to me that if it is mystery that attracts, one possible response to a beautiful object is to revel in the promise and mystery, to enjoy it for its own sake. After all, not everyone who finds an object genuinely beautiful becomes obsessed with grasping the reasons for their judgment. The search for understanding is only one response to beauty. Although wine lovers might devote inordinate time and attention to investigating a particular wine of a particular vintage, there is typically something more momentous than mere understanding and possession of an object at work. A wine is part of a larger cycle of repetition and differentiation. The wine itself will change as it ages. The next vintage will yield new insights. A shift in production methods will prompt new revelations. The presence of new wines, vineyards, and wine regions will be a source of new distinctions and interpretations. What the wine lover is drawn to is not just an individual wine but the pursuit of vinous beauty itself. I suspect this is true of art and music lovers as well. To love a single work is to open up a world that extends far beyond that work and it is that world that is the source of mystery and the engine of desire. The desire is not to possess an individual object but to possess beauty itself, a vain and hopeless task since, contra Plato, there is no such thing as beauty itself. It is an attempt to possess something that cannot be possessed, to seek more difference, and even higher experience, an ever-entangling mystery. The experience of beauty induces a kind of spiritual restlessness that will endlessly sacrifice the present object for a new expression. The Greeks viewed eros as a kind of madness. They were right. For more on the aesthetics of food and wine visit Edible Arts or consult American Foodie: Taste, Art and the Cultural Revolution Dine in the kitchen at Chez Panisse, pet a hedgehog at the SF Zoo, or skip the line at yoga inside Grace Cathedralwhatever Mom fancies, treat her with a unique local experience exclusively from IfOnly. Check out their top 10 experiences for Mother's Day below. (Courtesy of IfOnly) For the Foodie Head to China Live for a multi-sensory experience as you learn the art of making dim sum during an intimate, chef-led class with dinner and champagne toast. // ifonly.com/culinary (Courtesy of IfOnly) For the Zen Mama Skip the line and reserve a balance and serenity session for two at Mystical Yoga inside Grace Cathedral. // ifonly.com/health-and-wellness (Courtesy of IfOnly) For the Flower Child Be transported back to a time of peace, love, and nostalgia when you visit the San Francisco Flower Mart for a behind-the-scenes flower tour. // ifonly.com/artisans (Courtesy of IfOnly) For the Style Icon Design your own piece of jewelry inspired by SFMOMA with Sophie of Slate & Stone Jewelry. Sophie will walk you through a two-week course where you'll make a necklace, earrings, ring, or bracelet. // ifonly.com/fashion (Courtesy of IfOnly) For the Farm-to-Table Enthusiast Walk the historic farm grounds, meet the cows, and experience an artisan cheese tasting at Straus Home Ranch. // ifonly.com/adventure (Courtesy of IfOnly) For the Spirits Connoisseur Take a private tour of SF's newest distillery, Treecraft on Treasure Island. You'll taste signature spirits, tour the Flavor Profile Lab and take a bottle home for later. // ifonly.com/beer-wine-and-spirits For the Artist Take an abstract painting lesson with a professional fine art painter and learn techniques for working with acrylic paint including stenciling, image transfer, or paint pouring. // ifonly.com/art (Courtesy of Koller Chocolates) For the Chocolate Lover Sneak behind the scenes with Napa's own Willy Wonka for an artisan chocolate tasting and demo at Chris Kollar's Atelier. Smile, you've got the golden ticket. // ifonly.com/culinary (Courtesy of IfOnly) For the Animal Lover Pet a Hedgehog and spend time with other animal ambassadors in the Koret Animal Resource Center at the San Francisco Zoo. // ifonly.com/adventure (Courtesy of IfOnly) For the Mom Who Has it All Journey to Chez Panisse, the Berkeley restaurant where the farm-to-table and locally sourced ingredient movement first sprouted. A special table will be set just for you in the heart of the kitchen. // ifonly.com/culinary Hurry, Mother's Day is May 13th! View the entire mom's day gift guide at ifonly.com/7x7. Erik Anderson didn't seem particularly interested in talking about his time in culinary school, which he described as "not very beneficial" for chefs seeking work in the U.S.; or in trying to describe the so-called modern American cuisine he made at The Catbird Seat in Nashville; and only marginally more interested in talking about his stage at Noma, other than to say "I think it would've had to have influenced my working method." What he was interested in discussing was the fact that of all the fish, sturgeon is the fish that is most like a bird in that the sturgeon has a gizzard. Why this is relevant is that on the night in early March that I ate at Coi, I requested a pescatarian tasting menu, whereas Anderson prefers working with birds, or as he put it, "I like cooking things that fly." The chef-restaurateur Daniel Patterson opened Coi in 2006, and for the next nine years spent the better part of his waking hours in its kitchen. At the end of 2015, Patterson passed the toque to Matthew Kirkley, who in the fall of 2017 took the restaurant from two Michelin stars to three, just before setting off to France to compete in the prestigious gastronomic competition, the Bocuse d'Or. On the verge of his departure, Kirkley approached Anderson, who subsequently discussed the idea over dinner at Patterson's house, where they sealed the deal. In the transitional period, Patterson returned to the kitchen for six weeks to prepare what Anderson described as a Coi greatest hits menu. "It served the purpose of me being able to kind of get into the surroundings and meet some of the farmers and purveyors and see their produce," said Anderson. "Secondly," he continued, "it was cool to be able to see that food again, the iconic Coi dishes," among them, California sturgeon caviar with egg yolk poached in smoked oil; grilled abalone with farro, white miso and seaweed; and matsutake mushrooms with potato and a pine needle puree. Today, the menu is Anderson's design, exclusively. "Daniel's very progressive-thinking," he explained. "He doesn't have a problem with his restaurant evolving and growing. He's very cool with the fact that his restaurant changes and grows. You can't stay the same. If you're frozen in time, you lose relevance." Being the furthest thing from an authority on trends in Champagne, I can't really comment on the relevance of the Lenoble Brut Rose that kicked things off, but I can say that its chewy, tannic, dry-sour-cherry-ness was precisely the kind of tonic you need before setting off on a 10-course tasting menu, or 11 if you count the mignardises. The amuses-bouches were tiny and flavor-packed: an impossibly light and wonderfully bright citrus marshmallow that resembled a kind of Art Deco jewel; and a minuscule tartlet filled with sunchokes that had been ever so slowly caramelized in butter, and topped with a savory crumble made from caramelized milk and toasted sunflower seeds. The next dish, moving up somewhat in scale, was geoduck, a clam which can live more than 100 years and grow to a size of more than 10 pounds, although in this case, cut into very thin slices and served in a small steep-walled cup with a bit of very subtly clammy clam jelly (made from geoduck and Manila clams), a rich avocado mousse, and some micro-thin slices of green onion which imparted the slightest and most delightful essence of allium. Dungeness crab, in the form of a terrine, was a study in palea thin white slab of tender meat poached in court-boullion and lightly bound in a scallop mouse, topped with a delectably flavored glaze made of citrus-leaf-infused cream; and arranged just so around the terrine, a scattering of vividly flavored black sesame puree, some tiny juicy spheres of Shinko pear, and enticing little orbs of delicately sweet-citrusy lemongrass panna cotta. At this point, the aforementioned sturgeon appeared, white sturgeon to be precise, first in the form of a generous mound of caviar that concealed beneath it a dab of egg yolk, which, cooked for an hour in oil at a low temperature, had an appealingly custardy texture; then in a little white cut poached in rendered chicken fat and dressed in a lemon-zest-infused buerre blanc; and finally, cloaked in a gaily decorated piecrust in the company of similarly tender, meaty morsels of scallop and lobster. The savory denouement: an intensely, deliciously rich dish of lobster, cooked over hot-burning Japanese charcoal and garnished with tempura-fried maitake and black trumpet mushrooms and a lightly sweet onion syrup. Eventually, one needs a break from richness, and the perfectly timed pivot was as refreshing as it was refreshingly simple: a thin sliver of etrogan ancient citrus variety that is mostly rindinfused with bittersweet Meletti Amaro and served on a mound of crushed ice. Coi's pastry chef, Riley Redfern, continued in a citrusy vein with an icy-creamy blood orange sorbet made from a mix of marshmallows and blood orange juice, deep-frozen and pureed to a velvety consistency by a device called a Pacojet, which sounds quite technical, but is simply scrumptious. Redfern describes the flavor as that of a "dreamsicle." To get to the sorbet, you must dismantle a shield of delicate, sweet-tart candy discsa highly enjoyable pursuit. A chocolate millefeuille was similarly impressive, a low-rise modernist edifice made up of alternating layers of flourless chocolate cake, cremeux, coffee creme and tempered chocolatecrisp, then creamy, then custardy, then gone. For the amuses-bouches, a minuscule sunchoke tartlet topped with a savory crumble of toasted sunflower seeds (left) and a bright citrus marshmallow. (Nick Czap) // Coi, 373 Broadway (North Beach), coirestaurant.com BHA Media Acquisition Shares Sydney, April 23, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The Board of Big Un Limited ( ASX:BIG ) ( OTCMKTS:BGGNF ) advises that it has, in accordance with the announcement dated 10 November 2017, issued the BHA Media Acquisition Shares to The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd on Friday 20 April 2018.BHA Media Pty Limited (BHA) is the beauty, hair and aesthetics subsidiary purchased by BIG Un Limited from the Intermedia Group. Completion occurred on 31 March 2017.Shareholders approved the issue of the BHA Media Acquisition Shares at Big Un Limited's 2017 annual general meeting held on 20 November 2017.As previously announced to the market on 15 March 2017, the issue of the above shares was subject to a twelve-month escrow agreement.As BIG Un Limited is currently suspended from trading, the parties have entered into a restriction agreement which stipulates that the BHA Media Acquisition Shares will be issued upon the earlier of a period of 12 months or BIG Un Limited issuing a prospectus.BIG Un Limited is currently suspended from trading and the Company is currently working diligently towards the issuance of audited half yearly accounts and re-quotation.About Big Un Ltd Big Un Ltd (ASX:BIG) is the parent company of Big Review TV Ltd. Big Review TV are innovative disruptors in the online video space delivering subscription based video technology products and services. The Company has operations across Australia and in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vancouver and was listed on the ASX in December 2014. Acquires Three Leading Logistics Solution Providers Across Latin America and Europe: Forward, Softcargo and EasyLog Sydney, April 23, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - WiseTech Global ( ASX:WTC ) ( OTCMKTS:WTCHF ) today announced acquisitions of three leading logistics solutions providers, the Argentina-based PB & Assoc. ('Forward') and Uruguay-based Softcargo, which together cover 16 countries in Latin America, and the acquisition of a leading French customs solutions provider, EasyLog.WiseTech Global CEO, Richard White, said "We continue to further strengthen our global market presence by adding leading logistics solutions providers, in key trading regions across Europe, Latin America and Asia, into the WiseTech Global group. Forward and Softcargo help us fill out our footprint in Latin America, while EasyLog is key to customs in France. These solution providers have established operations, infrastructure and extensive experience, as well as strong leadership, making for a very good fit with WiseTech Global."Headquartered in Buenos Aires, Forward's freight forwarding management and accounting compliance logistics solutions are offered throughout Latin America to customers including Damco, Delfin Group, DSV, Waiver Group, Yusen Logistics and Zach Logistics.Headquartered in Montevideo, Softcargo offers freight forwarding management solutions in Latin America including accounting, tracking, warehousing and fleet management products to customers including Senator International, Rohlig, DB Schenker, Kerry Logistics, and many other freight forwarders and corporate logistics operators.WiseTech Global CEO, Richard White, said "Home to over 600 million people, Latin America is a key trading region where WiseTech Global started building its capabilities last year when we acquired Bysoft, the largest provider of automated customs solutions to the logistics industry in Brazil. By adding Forward and Softcargo to the group, WiseTech now has a strong presence in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. These acquisitions comprehensively fill out our Latin American coverage and gives us a very strong presence across the region from which to build further.""Given the challenges and complexities of cross-border logistics in Latin America, our combined strength will help us deliver a larger and more powerful portfolio of integrated logistics solutions to regional and global logistics providers and accelerate our development of CargoWise One native capabilities in Latin America. This represents a big step forward for our global and regional customers, who can be confident of our commitment to Latin America and our intention to keep relentlessly innovating to improve our logistics execution solutions for all of our customers. We are looking forward to working together with both Jorges and Ruben and their talented local teams to achieve this."Forward will remain under the leadership of joint Managing Directors, Jorge A Posbeyikian and Jorge Buchter. Posbeyikian said, "We have been developing leading freight forwarding software in Latin America for over 25 years and we believe that our customers do more than just move cargo - they operate complex businesses in challenging and changing environments. Joining the WiseTech Global group will enable us to better support our customers and help them drive even more productivity improvements and efficiencies in their logistics operations."Softcargo will remain under the leadership of Managing Director, Ruben Lopez Cleiman, who said, "WiseTech Global brings to Latin America all the power of its global logistics platform, to which we can add Softcargo's 20 plus years of experience and local knowledge. This will be a great benefit for all of our existing customers both large and small. We will now be part of a global group with presence in 130 countries, which will give us the opportunity to deliver greater solutions and create new industry productivity capability in Latin America."Headquartered in Franconville, France, EasyLog offers a range of customs clearance and tracking solutions, including a direct link with French Customs, to ensure efficient and accurate customs management for customers such as DHL Global Forwarding, Nippon Express, Acte International, and DSV, as well as first party logistics customers such as Air France Industries, Sanofi and Salomon.WiseTech Global CEO, Richard White, said, "EasyLog joining the WiseTech group is a key step in building out our European customs capabilities and shows our strategic commitment to Europe and to continuing our foothold geographic strategy. France is the second largest importer and exporter in Europe so a strong local footprint and local commitment here is essential. Combining EasyLog's well-regarded customs solutions with the powerful CargoWise One integrated platform will help us to deliver a deeper, more comprehensive customs solution for European and global logistics service providers.""Bringing the EasyLog management and customs expertise into the Group complements our recent European acquisitions in Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany and Italy. We are looking forward to working together on the next-generation of customs solutions for France."EasyLog will remain under the leadership of Managing Director, Alain Gronier, who said, "We have dedicated 18 years to building up our advanced customs and transport logistics solutions, delivering exactly what our different customers need for their business. Joining the WiseTech Global team will allow us to continue working with our freight forwarding, logistics and import/export customers in France, and to accelerate our product development to ensure they receive the most productive and effective tools."Forward, Softcargo and EasyLog operations will be integrated within the WiseTech Global group and will continue to deliver their leading logistics software solutions directly to their own customers, along with WiseTech's powerful global CargoWise One platform.CargoWise One enables logistics service providers to execute highly complex transactions in areas such as freight forwarding, customs clearance, warehousing, shipping, land transport and cross-border compliance and to manage their operations on one database across multiple users, functions, countries, languages and currencies.This transaction follows WiseTech's other recent customs and logistics solutions acquisitions in Belgium, Ireland, North America, Australasia, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Taiwan, and the Netherlands and is in line with WiseTech Global's clearly stated strategy of accelerating long-term organic growth through targeted, valuable acquisitions across new geographies and larger, globally capable adjacencies.About ForwardFor over 25 years, Forward has been a leading provider of innovative freight forwarding and accounting compliance solutions in Latin America. Forward's software automates critical business processes, increases staff productivity and operates according to international industry and regulatory requirements. With a team of 40 experienced logistics and technical professionals, Forward provides advanced software solutions for customers ranging from small businesses to multinational companies including Damco, Delfin Group, DSV, Waiver Group, Yusen Logistics, Zach Logistics, and many other organisations and logistics services providers.'Forward' refers to the Forward freight forwarding management and accounting compliance logistics solutions provider, Posbeyikian Buchter & Asociados S.A. known as PB & Assoc.For more information about Forward, visit http://www.sistemaforward.com About SoftcargoFor over 20 years, Softcargo has been a leading provider of freight forwarding and logistics solutions in Latin America. With a team of ~30 experienced logistics and technical professionals, Softcargo provides advanced software solutions for customers ranging from small businesses to multinational companies including Henco Global, Senator International, Rohlig, DB Schenker, Kerry Logistics, and many other organisations and logistics services providers.Softcargo refers to the Softcargo freight forwarding management solutions provider, Eyalir S.A., Ilun S.A. and Softcargo Chile S.A. (together 'Softcargo')For more information about Softcargo, visit http://www.softcargo.com.uy About EasyLogFor nearly 20 years, EasyLog has been a leading provider of innovative customs management solutions in France. With a team of 10 experienced logistics and technical professionals, EasyLog provides advanced software solutions for customers ranging from small businesses to multinational companies including freight forwarders such as Acte International, DHL Global Forwarding, Nippon Express and DSV, as well as first party logistics customers such as Air France Industries, Sanofi and Salomon.For more information about EasyLog, visit http://www.easy-log.fr About WiseTech Global Ltd WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX:WTC) is a leading developer and provider of software solutions to the logistics execution industry globally. Our customers include over 17,000 of the world's logistics companies across 160 countries, including 41 of the top 50 global thirdparty logistics providers and all of the 25 largest global freight forwarders worldwide2. Our flagship platform, CargoWise, forms an integral link in the global supply chain and executes over 50 billion data transactions annually. At WiseTech, we are relentless about innovation, adding over 4,000 product enhancements to our global platform in the past five years while bringing meaningful continual improvement to the world's supply chains. Our breakthrough software solutions are renowned for their powerful productivity, extensive functionality, comprehensive integration, deep compliance capabilities, and truly global reach. For more information about WiseTech Global or CargoWise, please visit wisetechglobal.com and cargowise.com Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the cell alleged to have carried out the November 2015 Paris terror attacks, has been jailed for 20 years over a shootout with Belgian police days before he was arrested. A Belgian court found Abdeslam guilty of attempted murder in a "terrorist context", a spokesman for the Brussels prosecutor confirmed. Abdeslam was involved in a confrontation with police in the Forest suburb of Brussels in March 2016, four months after the attacks on a Paris concert hall and restaurants left 130 people dead. His co-defendant Sofien Ayari also received a 20-year sentence. Abdeslam, a Belgian-born French national, was arrested three days after the shootout, in which four police officers were injured. Police found him in Molenbeek, another area of the Belgian capital, where his family live. Neither of the two accused appeared in court for the verdict. After declaring on the first day of proceedings that the court was biased against Muslims and he would only "trust in Allah," Abdeslam refused to attend the rest of the trial. Abdeslam is in jail in France, where he is awaiting a separate trial over the 2016 Paris attacks. REDDING, Calif. - The Make-A-Wish Foundation had a kool start to the weekend with some classic cars. The foundation is partnering with Kool April Nites to host the first ever Show and Shine Event. Its all part of an effort from Palomar Homes to grant local childrens wishes. Everybody in this community works together. The sign guy called me and said I'm taking over Kool April Nights will you help me. And so I said sure, and we put on this. And we'll be involved in Kool April Nights for a long time to come, said Jeb Allen, an owner of Palomar Homes. In 2016, Palomar Homes raised enough money to grant 20 local childrens wishes. For a link of 'Kool April Nites' click here. WHAT OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON: The call comes as Parliament prepares to debate the Civil Liability Bill (24 April), which contains controversial measures to reform personal injury compensation by limiting injured peoples legal rights. (i) Access to Justice (A2J), which is campaigning against the governments whiplash reform proposals, commissioned leading economics consultancy Capital Economics (CE) (ii) to explore how data gathering could be made more transparent. A2J spokesperson Andrew Twambley said: Only 20% of the public think insurers are trustworthy, yet the statistics insurers provide, for example on car insurance prices, or the level of insurance fraud, are often accepted at face value by policymakers. Motor insurance is a compulsory purchase that costs households 14bn each year, or 515 per household (iii). It is only right that, when ministers propose to make controversial changes to the law on compensation payouts for road traffic accidents, the data set they use to justify the reforms is authentic, impartial and trustworthy. Motor insurance costs per household are on a par with gas bills (525 per household) and more expensive than water (385). The CE reports authors state: Given the compulsory nature of motor insurance, we believe that there is a strong public benefit argument for improving the transparency, independence, timeliness and public availability of data on motor insurance. Independently produced data may assist in ensuring that the interests of motor policy holders are represented. Mr Twambley said that, when the Transport Select Committee held an inquiry into the cost of motor insurance in 203/14, it called on the government to press the ABI to provide better data about fraudulent or exaggerated personal injury claims, so that there is a stronger evidence base for policy decisions. (iv) Mr Twambley said: Ministers say these reforms are needed because insurers tell them there is a fraud epidemic, yet those same insurers say they pay out 99% of claims and the governments data shows that whiplash claims have fallen rapidly in the last twelve months, by more than 10%. Putting motor insurance data in the hands of the ONS will ease widespread concerns that motor insurance industry data may not be used in the public interest and also help the industry to resolve its longstanding trust problem with the general public, he added. (i) The Civil Liability Bill will have its second reading in the House of Lords on 24 April (ii) Capital Economics Boosting Insurers Profits, an updated analysis of the impact of the United Kingdom governments proposed whiplash reforms. April 2018. Copies of the report can be downloaded here: [add download] (iii) Source: Capital Economics and Office for National Statistics (iv) Transport Select Committee report cost of Motor Insurance, Whiplash 2013 In order to continue offering the high level of competitive services demanded by their customers, together with improved operational safety and environmental compliance, all independent service providers around the car must be able to compete on an equal footing with vehicle manufacturers (VMs) by continuing to access the vehicle, its data and functions in an independent and direct manner. This would allow the development of new competitive digital services resulting in true consumer choice and enabling consumers to fully decide with whom they share their data. However, all this would not be possible with the model put forward by VMs, the so-called Extended Vehicle, which will channel all future communication and data access through their own backend server. As such, this would prevent all other independent service providers from offering competing services to consumers, as only a small part of the vehicle-generated data will be shared with them, compared to the data available to the VMs. Also, direct real-time communication with the vehicle/its functions/the driver is prevented. The coalition has therefore launched a Manifesto urging EU decision-makers, and in the first instance the EU Commission, to act now by introducing pertinent requirements aiming to establish in the coming years the interoperable, standardised, secure and open access telematics platform set out in the 2015 EU eCall Regulation in order to ensure a level playing field. This solution would maintain consumer choice, independent entrepreneurship, competition and innovation for all services around the car, whilst ensuring the same high level of safety, security, liability and data protection as the VMs use themselves. According to the Commissions Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) Study Report, it is the only solution that would allow equal opportunities for independent service providers and true competitive choice for consumers, but it requires legislative intervention. The Call to Action by the Coalition asks: For the European Commission to start working on a robust regulatory framework for an interoperable, standardised, secure and safe on-board application platform. High Level Principles and Requirements should be enshrined now into the Data/Third Mobility Package upon which the work can be triggered so that a solution will be in place without undue delay to address the rapidly increasing number of connected vehicles in the automotive service and mobility markets. In the mean time and until such a platform is in place, there should be a right to do business, and vehicle manufacturers should give as from 1.1.2020, non-discriminatory access to the in-vehicle telematics systems used by themselves, and to those in-vehicle systems and interfaces which they allow third party service providers access to. To adopt a sound definition of Remote Diagnostic Support (RDS), which is currently being discussed with DG GROW as a follow-up of the new Vehicle Type-Approval Regulation, enabling the remote, direct bi-directional communication with the vehicle via a standardised in-vehicle interface to conduct a remote diagnostics analysis. This Call for Action is also in line with the European Parliaments TRAN Committee Report on C-ITS which calls upon the Commission to publish a legislative proposal on access to in-vehicle data and resources by the end of this year. The coalition upholds that the current telematics data access model - controlled and operated by car manufacturers prevents independent businesses from embracing digital opportunities, jeopardises consumer choice, innovation and a prosperous EU digital economy. Its clear what is at stake here. Our solution is for fair and equal access to vehicle telematics, to ensure safety and security is maintained, whilst safeguarding competition, innovation and consumer choice. It is therefore crucial that competition, innovation and consumer interests must be put back at the heart of the EU Digital Single Market. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser Turkey Complains About 'Islamophobia' in Europe, Persecutes Its Own Christian Community Today, approximately 215 million Christians experience persecution, meaning that one in twelve Christians live where Christianity is "illegal, forbidden, or punished" and "Islamic extremism remains the global, dominant driver of persecution, responsible for initiating oppression and conflict," according to the Christian watchdog group Open Doors. And yet, Turkey's minister of foreign affairs Mevl ATC Aviation Services has been appointed as the general sales and service agent (GSSA) for Saudia Cargo in South Africa, effective May 1. The Middle East carrier, providing airfreight services to more than 230 destinations, already has a partnership with ATC in Brazil. Stuart Tonkin, ATCs country manager for South Africa, said: We are confident that we will further increase the awareness of Saudia Cargo in this region with our experience and industry knowledge. ATC Aviation Services, with its head office in Frankfurt, was established in 1971 and now has a worldwide portfolio of more than 70 airlines in 15 countries. Read more cargo GSA and GSSA news Share this story https://www.aish.com/jw/s/Natalie-Portmans-Insult-to-Israel.html And her timing could not have been more inappropriate. On the very evening of the day Israel celebrated its 70th anniversary, Natalie Portman, the Israeli-born Hollywood superstar, chose to make public her rejection of one of the most prestigious prizes Israel bestows every year for outstanding achievement by individuals who have attained excellence and international renown in their chosen professional fields [who] embody the character of the Jewish people. This past November Natalie Portman was selected to be the recipient of the Genesis Prize in a moving ceremony scheduled for June. Known as Israels Nobel Prize and established by Mikhail Fridman and other wealthy Russian-Jewish businessmen in partnership with Israels Prime Ministers Office and the Jewish Agency, the Prize grants the awardee $1 million this year raised to $2 million to distribute to a charity of his or her choice. Portman startlingly announced her exodus, informing the committee at this late date, recent events forced her to reconsider and shes no longer willing to come to Israel to receive an award from the land of her birth and her people. Without going into specifics, she made clear that she could not in good conscience move forward with it. Officials believe her decision to cancel is in response to Israel's recent deadly shooting of Palestinian protestors who demonstrated on the Gaza border earlier this month. Her move has been praised by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The Genesis Prize foundation sadly announced it will be forced to cancel its ceremony and although the $2 million will still be distributed to Israeli womens rights groups, Portman will no longer decide where the money goes. Israel's minister for culture and sports, Miri Regev, denounced Natalie Portman's decision to decline an award in her homeland of Israel over politics. Israel's minister for culture and sports, Miri Regev, denounced Natalie Portman's decision to decline an award in her homeland of Israel over politics. "I was saddened to hear that Natalie Portman has fallen as a ripe fruit in the hands of BDS supporters," she stated, associating the actress's decision to cancel with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. "Natalie, a Jewish actress who was born in Israel, now joins those who refer to the success and wonder of the rebirth of Israel as 'a tale of darkness and darkness.'" Regev's reference was to the Oscar winner's 2015 directorial feature debut A Tale of Love and Darkness, an adaptation of the autobiographical novel by Israeli author Amos Oz that was shot in Jerusalem. Perhaps more appropriate is the observation of Ankala V Subba that Gratitude comes in a spectrum of colors, but Ingratitude is always black. A meaningful award meant primarily to be apolitical has now become so politicized that leaders of the BDS movement gleefully publicize Portmans rejection as indicative of the worlds outrage over Israels handling of a terrorists group with the stated aim of destroying all of Israel, incited to push through a protective fence and carry out its nefarious goals. Portman clarified her remarks on Friday, saying, My decision not to attend the Genesis Prize ceremony has been mischaracterized by others. Let me speak for myself. I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony. By the same token, I am not part of the BDS movement and do not endorse it." But the damage was already done. PACBI, the academic and cultural arm of the BDS movement praised Portman's move: "After decades of egregious human rights violations against Palestinians, Israel's recent massacre of peaceful protesters in Gaza has made its brand so toxic that even well-known Israeli-American cultural figures, like Natalie Portman, now refuse to blatantly whitewash, or art-wash, Israeli crimes and apartheid policies," it said in a statement. No one demands of her perfect agreement with all of Israels policies; she is allowed to feel that Israel is imperfect. Selected for great honor as exemplifying Jewish values, Natalie Portman has only brought shame upon herself by her actions. No one demands of her perfect agreement with all of Israels policies; she is allowed to feel that Israel is imperfect. But that is no reason to make a decision that plays into the hands of Israels enemies and is interpreted by many as a form of abandonment of her country. She would have exemplified the true spirit of the award if she wouldve taken to heart the moral of a powerful story told about one of the previous awardees. A former winner of the Genesis prize was Itzhak Perlman, the renowned violinist. To understand how to react in response to imperfection is the remarkable tale, perhaps apocryphal -- but instructive nevertheless -- surrounding a concert given by him. It was on the night of November 18, 1995, that Perlman came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. The audience sat quietly as Perlman, stricken with polio as a child, slowly walked across the stage with crutches and braces on his legs. During this concert, something went wrong. Just as he finished the first few bars, one of the strings on his violin broke. You could hear it snap. There was no mistaking what he had to do. People thought he would have to get up, put on his leg clasps, pick up the crutches and limp his way off stageto either find another violin or else find another string for this one. But he didnt. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra began, and he played from where he had left off. And he played with such passion and such power and such purity as they had never heard before. It is impossible to play a symphonic work with just three strings. But that night Itzhak Perlman refused to acknowledge that. You could see him modulating, changing, recomposing the piece in his head. At one point, it sounded like he was de-tuning the strings to get new sounds from them that they had never made before. When he finished, there was an awesome silence in the room. And then people rose and cheered. The entire audience was on its feet, screaming and cheering, doing everything they could to show how much they appreciated what he had done. He smiled, wiped the sweat from his brow, raised his bow to quiet everyone, and then he saidnot boastfully, but in a quiet, pensive, reverent tone You know, sometimes it is the artists task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left. Itzhak Perlman magnificently coped with imperfection. That is a masterful message for all of us. Natalie Portman suddenly saw what she perceived erroneously, I might add as an imperfection in her homeland, and she chose a demeaning, damaging manner in which to respond to a beautifully extended kindness. More than Natalie Portman refused the Genesis prize, her refusal makes abundantly clear that she was never deserving of it in the first place. Alabama won't have to search to find the benefits of having Google as a corporate citizen. That's the verdict of a new economic study commissioned by the company out from Oxford Economics, which found that the search engine titan's data centers power about $1.3 billion in direct economic activity. And the additional impact is deep and wide. When Google's new $600 million data center opens early next year in Jackson County, it will be the culmination of a project announced nearly four years before. The company broke ground on the project earlier this month on about 500 acres of TVA land roughly a mile north of the Widow Creek smokestacks. Data centers power Google through Internet services, search engine activity and cloud computing. About 75 jobs will be created at the center to start. According to the report, Google's six existing data centers directly sustain 1,900 jobs, but create about 11,000 around the country. They also create 3,500 related supply chain jobs. That means that for every job created at the centers, another 4.9 jobs were created. Additional benefits to hosting a data center come at the local level. The influx of new residents with degrees can have a spillover effect in attracting other business, the study found. Google currently has data centers in Georgia, North and South Carolina, Iowa, Oregon and Oklahoma. In Douglas County, Ga., for example, the Google center spurred about $1.2 billion in investment, and created more than 5,500 additional jobs in the area within three years. Some of the Oxford study's results were colored by the effects of the 2008 recession. For example, prior to 2008, counties where the data center opened experienced employment gains of 2,405, while counties where the data center opened in 2008 experienced employment gains of 580. Additional job gains near data centers included trade and transportation jobs, professional and business services, and leisure and tourism. Birmingham police are cautioning the public to be aware of a recent increase in telephone scams. Lt. Pete Williston said over the past several weeks, the department has seen a spike in telephone scam artists contacting residents and businesses seeking money. In some cases, he said, the caller is identifying himself or herself as a Birmingham police detective. "The Birmingham Police Department will no request money from anyone for any reason,'' Williston said. "If anyone claiming to be a member of the Birmingham Police Department, or any other law enforcement agency, asks you for money or to purchase something, do not cooperate." Investigators ask that anyone who receives such a call try to obtain the number from Caller ID and let police know at 205-254-9311. Business owners should take steps to make sure their employees are trained in how to deal with potential scam artists that contact their business. A Cullman woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash Sunday morning, state troopers report. The crash happened at 11:55 a.m. Sunday on U.S. 278, ten miles west of Cullman, according to a statement released by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Robyn Ronae Cannell, 52, was killed when the 2011 Ford Fiesta she was driving was struck head-on by a 2002 Toyota Sequoia driven by Austin James McCord, 25, of Addison, according to the ALEA statement. Cannell was pronounced dead at the scene. McCord and two other occupants of the Toyota were transported to Cullman Regional Medical Center, according to the statement. No other details of the crash is available as Alabama State Troopers continue to investigate. By Manuela Tobias for PolitiFact Alabama state Sen. Bill Hightower raised a few eyebrows during a debate among Republican candidates for governor when he traced a large portion of crime to a small portion of families in Mobile. Joining Hightower at the April 18 debate were Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and evangelist Scott Dawson, all of whom are hoping to replace incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey as the Republican nominee after the June 5 primary. Ivey, who stepped into the role after former Gov. Robert Bentley resigned, did not participate in the debate. One AL.com reader asked the candidates, "As the mom of a third grader who had a classmate say he would bring a gun to school, what will you be doing to keep our kids safe?" Hightower proposed placing police officers in schools so that they got to know students and prevent crime. "We know who the difficult students are, more often than not, through their truancy and through their actions," Hightower said. "In Mobile, it's something like, 1,700 families generate 80 percent of the crime. We know who those families are." Mobile has a population of about 193,000. Is a small fraction of families generating a majority of crime? Not so fast. It sounded like Hightower was talking about the outsized effects of organized crime in Mobile. But Hightower's campaign told us he was citing a statistic about school suspensions. That statistic is 15 years old and is the latest study available. In 2003, the Mobile County district attorney researched school suspensions and found that of the 65,000 students in the district, only 1,500 students were responsible for 75 to 80 percent of serious school infractions. The district attorney then cross-referenced the students with home addresses to identify 1,200 households. The office did not study all of the reasons for a suspension, just those that were considered serious -- such as burglary or having drugs or weapons on campus. John Tyson, the district attorney who did the research, emphasized the behavior did not constitute crime under a criminal justice definition. Tyson said there is not a similar data point for more recent years. Still, criminologists were not surprised by the finding. "The general idea that a few people are engaged in a lot of problem behavior and criminal behavior makes a lot of sense and would be consistent with what we see with a lot of other types of crime," said Adam Lankford, an associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Alabama. Sexual assault on campus came to mind, where the number of reported incidents often heavily outweighs the number of offenders. "A small percentage of the population is responsible for a large percentage of crimes. The same is true of families as criminal behavior often runs within families," said James Fox, a criminology professor at Northeastern University. Lankford took issue with Hightower's description of the role of families. While social factors play a role in problematic behavior, the research identified correlation, not causation. It did not place blame on a small proportion of families for crime. In fact, Tyson warned against using the word "crime" to describe the behavior, as the research looked at addressing school suspensions and absences to address potential future crime, not actual crime. Tyson said the research was not very relevant for his office. But he did use it as a starting point for the ongoing Helping Families Initiative, which he continues to lead. The initiative pairs K-12 public school students who are identified as at-risk for crime with law enforcement and community resources, such as child services, public health officials and domestic violence experts. The aim is to reduce misdemeanors committed on campus and other criminal acts. The program is active in six districts, including Mobile. Our ruling Hightower said, "In Mobile, it's something like, 1,700 families generate 80 percent of the crime." Hightower's point is roughly related to available research. But he did not describe it correctly. He oversimplified research findings of the Mobile County District Attorney's office about school suspensions. The office learned kids from 1,200 households were responsible for 75 to 80 percent of school infractions in Mobile's public schools. It did not go so far as to examine the role of the families in those households. Also, it's important to know the research was from 2003, and we don't know if the percentage still holds up. And importantly, the study centered on school suspensions and not "crime," in a literal or legal sense. Because the statement is partially accurate but missing critical context, we rate this statement Half True. PolitiFact is collaborating with AL.com journalists to bring its Pulitzer Prize-winning, fact-checking services to Alabama, thanks to a grant from the Knight Foundation. Henry Irby (BPD) The Birmingham mayor's office on Sunday released the names of the three finalists for police chief. They are: * Malik Aziz - currently a division commander with the Dallas Police Department. He has more than 28 years law enforcement experience with the Dallas police force. According to the Dallas Observer, he was a finalist for Dallas police chief in 2016 but at the end of last year was demoted from deputy chief to major. * Henry Irby III - currently a deputy chief with the Birmingham Police Department. He is currently handling the day-to-day operations of the Birmingham Police Department and is commander of the investigative operations bureau. He has more than 32 years law enforcement experience. * Patrick D. Smith - currently a police commander with the Los Angeles Police Department. He is over the Police Sciences and Training Bureau. He has more than 27 years law enforcement experience with the Los Angeles police force. Smith is a native of Tuscaloosa. Mayor Randall Woodfin will interview the finalists on April 23-25. His office previously declined to release the names of the finalists. No deadline has been set on when a new police chief will be named, according to the mayor's office. "We want to identify the best person to lead the Birmingham Police Department," Woodfin said in a previous statement. "This national search enabled us to look at candidates from across the country and now we will take a close look at the finalists in this process." A total of 57 candidates applied to be Birmingham's next police chief by the March 1 deadline. The search started on Jan. 23. The applicants included local, regional and national candidates. According to the mayor's office, 11 out of the 57 candidates were identified by search firm Siena Consulting to go through an assessment process, which occurred on March 19. The assessment for the chief candidates included a day in the life of a police chief. It included crisis exercises and role playing. The new chief will replace A.C. Roper who stepped down on Feb. 16 after serving 10 years in the police department's top position. Roper announced his retirement on Nov. 29, a day after Woodfin took office as mayor Retired Birmingham police Capt. Orlando Wilson was named interim chief on Feb. 16. Wilson, though, stepped down from his post on Wednesday, April 18 to have a medical procedure. Day-to-day operations are now being handled by Deputy Chief Henry Irby. AL.com learned, however, that Wilson is under investigation for alleged child abuse in Trussville. The mother of Wilson's two children filed a request for a protection from abuse order against Wilson. The woman filed the request on April 11 in Jefferson County Family Court, and the records were made public in the online court system on Tuesday, April 17. A judge has not signed off on the order. The request claims potential sexual abuse of a young girl, and possible physical abuse of a young boy. According to the records, one of the incidents reportedly happened in 2013 and the other in September of 2017. Woodfin hasn't responded to a request for comment on the allegations. Instead, a spokeswoman reaffirmed that Wilson stepped down due to a needed medical procedure. Wilson has denied the "false and defamatory" allegations made against him through a statement from his attorney. Attorney Jacqueline Smoke said the claims stemmed from a battle between Wilson and the mother over custody and child support. Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge Philip N. Lisenby was appointed to the case on Thursday after other judges recused themselves. A hearing is set for June on the matter. Malik Aziz Resume by Erin Edgemon on Scribd Henry Irby III Resume by Erin Edgemon on Scribd Patrick D Smith Resume by Erin Edgemon on Scribd The treatment of a 25-year-old black Mobile woman who was arrested early Sunday morning inside a Waffle House in Saraland by white Saraland Police officers is quickly driving outrage in Alabama and beyond. Chikesia Clemons, whose arrest was captured on graphic video that is currently going viral on social media, will be speaking to members of the Mobile County NAACP Branch Sunday afternoon. Several community members held a sit-in protest Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of the Waffle House where the incident took place. The whole episode should never have happened, Clemons's mother, Chiquitta Clemons-Howard, told AL.com on behalf of her daughter Sunday afternoon. The arrest comes at a national moment when the way people of color are treated by police in public places is under intense scrutiny, following the April 12 arrests of two black men sitting inside a Philadelphia Starbucks on charges that they were trespassing. That incident caused such an outcry that Philadelphia police Commissioner Richard Ross publicly apologized to the men and Starbucks announced last week that it will close 8,000 U.S. stores for racial bias training. The new cellphone video, which was captured early Sunday by Clemons's friend Canita Adams, depicts Saraland Police officers speaking briefly with Clemons before pulling her down off a chair and onto the tile floor of the Waffle House. Three officers stand over Clemons as they pull on her arms and try to flip her over so she can be arrested. In the course of the altercation, her clothes are pulled down to reveal her breasts as white patrons continue to eat in the background. "What are you doing?" Clemons asks at one point, to which an officer responds, "I'll break your arm, that's what I'm about to do." She was ultimately arrested at about 2:45 a.m. and booked on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, according to Clemons-Howard, who said she paid Clemons's $1,000 bond Sunday morning. The whole incident was precipitated by a dispute over plastic utensils. Clemons asked for plastic utensils while placing an order at the Waffle House on Industrial Parkway in Saraland early Sunday morning, and was told by a female employee that plasticware costs 50 cents, according to Clemons-Howard. When Clemons and Adams told the employee that they had not been charged for utensils when they purchased food from the same Waffle House the night before, the employee canceled the order, Clemons-Howard said. At that point Clemons asked for the contact information of the Waffle House district manager who oversees the Saraland location. "They didn't even ask her to leave, she was waiting for them to give her the district manager's card so she could file a complaint on one of the waitresses," Clemons-Howard said. "When they went to go get the card, that's when the police showed up. The officer should've come in and said we need you to leave." What happened after that was a miscarriage of justice, according to Clemons-Howard. "The footage shows the story completely," she said, declining to go into further detail. "My nerves are very, very bad right now." Mobile NAACP President David Smith said in a Sunday statement that the organization is gathering facts about the incident. "In light of the current situation in our country -- such as the arrest of two young black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks coffee shop -- we felt it was important for our members to get a first-hand account of the incident, which has now gone viral on social media locally and across the country," Smith said. Waffle House spokesperson Pat Warner did not respond to a request for comment Sunday afternoon. Det. Collette Little, a spokeswoman with the Saraland Police Department, issued a statement Sunday saying that the department is investigating the incident and that it will have a more detailed response once it has gathered all relevant information. "The Saraland Police Department is aware of the arrest at Waffle House and the accompanying video on social media," the statement said. "The situation is being thoroughly reviewed and is under active investigation right now. Our department strives for transparency and we encourage our community to be aware of current events." A scrap metal processor has filed a lawsuit claiming the Birmingham City Council denied its license to operate for "purely political reasons." Jordan Industrial Services filed an emergency petition for writ of mandamus in Jefferson County Circuit Court earlier this month to compel the members of the city council to "perform their legal obligation" to issue a scrap metal processor's license to Jordan. The council denied the license at its regular meeting on March 20, saying a new operation on Finley Boulevard would be nuisance and pose a health risk to residents. "Why are these facilities always found in black communities?" Councilor John Hilliard asked at the council meeting. "I don't believe this is the right place. Don't bring it to our community. I couldn't ride through Hoover, Mountain Brook or Vestavia and find a facility like this. It's unfair we have this in our community. I believe in economic development but not at the cost of residents livelihood." Several residents of the Acipco-Finley neighborhood spoke out against the scrap metal processor, which has been operating in the Avondale area for decades. North Birmingham communities have been ravaged by pollution for more than 100 years due to heavy industry and rail lines. Last year, the city downgraded the zoning of some heavy industrial property in these communities to light industrial and residential. The zoning of the subject property on Finley Boulevard wasn't downgraded. Jordan Industrial Services is seeking a license to operate at 125 Finley Blvd. at the former site of Kimerling Truck Parts, which was a junkyard. The company has operated a scarp processing facility in Avondale for decades. Scrap metal processing is an allowed use of the Finley Boulevard property's current M-2, heavy industrial zoning. "The city's denial of Jordan's license presents a business emergency for Jordan, which has already invested an enormous sum in purchasing and cleaning up the property at issue," the lawsuit states. No hearing has been set in the case yet. Council President Valerie Abbott and a public information officer for the council didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. According to the lawsuit, Jordan "made a substantial investment" in preparing and conducting a "massive cleanup" of the 12.8-acre Finley Boulevard site. This cleanup included hauling away 35,000 tires and 12,000 tons of non-recyclable trash. Jordan Industrial Services said its plans for the property include scrap metal processing/storage, an office and machine shop and a trucking terminal with truck/trailer parking. In its lawsuit, Jordan Industrial Services said it met all of the applicable requirements for a scrap metal processor's license for the Finley Boulevard property. Birmingham police, Fire and Rescue, Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits and Jefferson County Health Department signed off on the license. In a letter addressed to the Birmingham City Clerk, the Environmental Health Services division of the Jefferson County Department of Health found no public health violations against Jordan Industrial during a site inspection on May 10, 2017. The materials at the scrap metal processor "are to be stored outside but will be processed on a schedule that should not present a public health nuisance," the letter stated. The health department said it considers all scrap dealers as potential mosquito and rodent breeding sites, and it advised any government body reviewing the application to "determine appropriate pest control measures." The Birmingham Police Department said Jordan Industrial Services has met the requirements for its license and is in compliance with all state and local laws. "Facility is clean and organized," a memo from the department stated. "A new privacy fence has been put up around the property." The Birmingham Fire Marshal's Office also recommended approval of the license indicating Jordan Industrial Services has "undergone a major clean-up operation" from the previous owner. Materials to be processed by Jordan Industrial will be contracted out from steel mill facilities such as ACIPCO, Nucor Steel and Southland Tube. No materials would be accepted from the public. According to the applicant, no burning or melting of scrap will occur, only the cutting up of scrap with the use of welding-type torches. Jordan Industrial plans to hire 60 workers, he said, and preference would go to residents of Acipco-Finley and North Birmingham. Waffle House has weighed in on the controversial Sunday morning arrest by three white male Saraland Police officers of black 25-year-old Mobile woman Chikesia Clemons in one of the company's two Saraland locations. Waffle House spokesman Pat Warner said via email Sunday evening that though the company is "still obtaining and reviewing information," it believes there is reason to question Clemons's version of how the incident played out. "[I]t's fair to say that the information we have received at this point differs significantly from what has reportedly been attributed to Ms. Clemons and strongly supports the actions taken by the Saraland Police Department," Warner said. "The Saraland Police Department is conducting its own investigation and we encourage you to contact them for additional information." On Sunday afternoon, area residents staged a protest outside the Waffle House location at 1204 Industry Parkway in Saraland where Clemons was arrested. They were confronted by white police officers and one black man was handcuffed. It is unclear if he was arrested as a police spokesman declined to comment on his status when asked by a reporter on the scene. Earlier this month, Starbucks found itself at the center of a national firestorm after an employee of one of the company's coffee shops in Philadelphia called the police on two black men for sitting in the establishment. The men were arrested for trespassing, but the backlash in response to the incident eventually led the Philadelphia police commissioner to personally apologize and Starbucks announced that it would close 8,000 stores in the U.S. for racial bias training. Mobile-area residents who oppose the way Clemons was treated in a video of the Sunday arrest say it is yet another example of people of color being targeted by restaurant workers and law enforcement in the U.S. for "eating while black." Mobile NAACP President David Smith tied the incident at the Waffle House in Saraland to the one at a Starbucks in Philadelphia earlier this month in a statement released less than 12 hours after Clemons was arrested. "In light of the current situation in our country -- such as the arrest of two young black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks coffee shop -- we felt it was important for our members to get a first-hand account of the incident, which has now gone viral on social media locally and across the country," Smith's statement said. Clemons was pulled off a chair and thrown to the ground by three Saraland Police officers, who proceeded to pull on her arms, push down on her neck and threaten to break her arm as they tried to arrest her. She was eventually arrested at about 2:45 a.m. Sunday and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, but her mother mother posted $1,000 bond for her release later that day. The whole incident - including the exposure of her breasts as her top was pulled down during the scuffle on the floor - was captured on cellphone video by Clemons's friend Canita Adams and has since gone viral on social media, sparking outrage across Alabama and beyond. Clemons's mother, Chiquitta Clemons-Howard, told AL.com on behalf of her daughter Sunday afternoon that the whole incident began when a Waffle House employee tried to charge Clemons 50 cents for plastic utensils as she rang up her order. Clemons refused to pay for the utensils, saying that she had never previously been charged for them, and the employee responded by canceling her order, according to Clemons-Howard. Clemons asked for the district manager's contact information, and while she was waiting for the employee to bring the district manager's business card, the police arrived. Minutes later, Clemons was in handcuffs. A statement issued Sunday afternoon by Det. Collette Little, a spokeswoman for the Saraland Police Department, said the department is investigating the incident. "The Saraland Police Department is aware of the arrest at Waffle House and the accompanying video on social media," the statement said. "The situation is being thoroughly reviewed and is under active investigation right now. Our department strives for transparency and we encourage our community to be aware of current events." The National Weather Service got several reports of tornadoes and damage from severe storms on Sunday. Survey teams were out in the field today taking a look at the damage and determining if it was caused by tornadoes. At least five tornadoes -- two in Baldwin County, one in Montgomery County, one in Crenshaw County and one in Dale County -- have been confirmed as of Monday afternoon. The National Weather Service in Mobile said in a preliminary report on Sunday that both Baldwin tornadoes were EF0s with peak winds of 80 mph. One storm turned over five RVs near Foley and was blamed for several injuries. The survey team went back out on Monday and found EF1 tornado damage in Crenshaw County: Survey Team #2 Update: Preliminary EF1 Tornado damage was found in Crenshaw County, AL. Many thanks to @CrenshawCoEMA for helping us navigate through the county today!! #alwx pic.twitter.com/16CMDH3IKL NWS Mobile (@NWSMobile) April 23, 2018 The Crenshaw tornado had peak winds estimated at 100 mph, according to the weather service. Two tracks were found from the same storm. A fourth tornado at Fort Rucker in Dale County was given a preliminary rating of EF0 with top winds of 75 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Fla. NWS survey team found damage consistent with an EF-0 tornado at Fort Rucker. The tornado touched down at approx. 111pm on Sunday 4/22. Maximum winds are estimated at 75 mph. Damage confined to trees, power lines, and light structures. pic.twitter.com/DSUtr2bQmt NWS Tallahassee (@NWSTallahassee) April 23, 2018 The tornado touched down at 1:11 p.m. Sunday near Kingsman Street and Andrews Avenue and tracked northwest, lifting near Baker Street, the weather service said. It was on the ground for 1.17 miles and was 100 yards wide at its peak. The storm uprooted and damaged trees and powerlines along its path and also damaged a wooden dugout at a baseball field. The fifth tornado was an EF0 in southwest Montgomery County, according to the weather service in Birmingham. It had peak winds of 80 mph. It touched down about 1:25 p.m. Sunday about two miles northeast of Lapine and was in the ground for five minutes. It covered 2.57 miles during that time. It was 250 yards wide at its peak. The weather service it did its worst damage to trees along the path. The weather service in Mobile was also planning to look at damage in Escambia counties in Alabama as well as Fort Walton Beach and Molino in northwest Florida. The Fort Walton Beach tornado has been rated an EF1 with maximum winds of 100-105 mph, the weather service said Monday afternoon. The National Weather Service in Birmingham also sent a survey team to southern Barbour County, but no damage was found there. However, the weather service said the area surveyed was rural and hindered access. Surveyors looked at few locations including south of Baker Hill, northwest of Texasville, northeast of Blue Springs State Park, and southeast of Blue Springs State Park. "Although radar data indicated a good chance of a tornado, ground verification could not be determined. Further radar evaluation is necessary with a weak tornado touch down still possible," the weather service said. In addition storm damage was reported in Houston County in southeast Alabama. The weather service plans to release information on storm surveys as it becomes available. Jill Biden, whose husband Joe Biden served as vice president under Barack Obama, will speak at Bishop State Community College's upcoming graduation ceremony. Bishop State announced Monday that she will deliver its commencement address on Thursday, May 10. According to information released by Bishop State, "During her tenure as Second Lady, Dr. Biden and former President Barack Obama led the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges. She also completed a College to Career bus tour across five states to highlight innovative workforce partnerships that kick-start career training. She has visited over fifty community college campuses across America." "Dr. Jill Biden understands the impact community colleges have in providing postsecondary education opportunities in our country," Bishop State President Dr. Reginald Sykes said in a statement released by the school. "As a community college instructor, she sees first-hand how our students' lives are changed by the opportunities two-year colleges provide. We are honored and thrilled to have such a relatable speaker for this year's commencement." Biden holds a master's degree in education from West Chester University and a master of arts in English from Villanova University. She is a full-time English instructor at a community college in Virginia, according to information provided by Bishop State. Doctors at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine said a U.S. military sergeant has received the world's first total penis and scrotum transplant. The man, who has not been identified, was injured in an IED blast in Afghanistan several years ago. "We are hopeful that this transplant will help restore near-normal urinary and sexual functions for this young man," said W.P. Andrew Lee, M.D., professor and director of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The 14-hour surgery, conducted by a team of nine plastic surgeons and two urological surgeons on March 26, involved a transplant from a deceased donor of the entire penis, the scrotum without testicles and partial abdominal wall. The testicles, which could have contained sperm from a deceased donor, were not included in the transplant. The Pentagon has focused on advancements in genital transplants to treat the scores of soldiers injured by IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a statement, the recipient said his injury was "not an easy one to accept." "When I first woke up, I felt finally more normal...with a level of confidence as well. Confidence... like finally I'm OK now," he said. The patient is expected to be discharged from the hospital this week. The procedure is the second penis transplant to be reported in the U.S., but the first full transplant of its kind. Mike Pompeo may fail to win approval from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be the next secretary of state. It would be an unprecedented slight, but it might not matter. With Republican Rand Paul and Democrats on the panel opposed to making the CIA director the top U.S. diplomat, the committee may vote narrowly against President Donald Trump's nominee on Monday evening. But Republican leaders have vowed to bring the nomination before the full Senate, where Pompeo appears to have enough support to become the 70th secretary of state by week's end. Some lawmakers question whether Pompeo, a hard-liner who came to Washington as a tea party congressman, has the temperament for diplomacy, but he has one significant advantage -- Trump's confidence in him. Unlike his fired predecessor Rex Tillerson, Pompeo can be expected to convey the president's messages to the world, and he may be able to get Trump to heed sometimes unwelcome messages from other world leaders and lawmakers. "The most important thing for a secretary of state is to be perceived as speaking for the president," said Jon Alterman, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who was a State Department official under President George W. Bush. "This is all about: Do you have the president's trust, and can you demonstrate you have his trust?" The divisions over Pompeo reflect the conflicts over Trump and his "America First" foreign policy. "I realize my Democratic friends in many cases feel like that in supporting Pompeo, it's a proxy for support of the Trump administration policies, which many of them abhor," Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker of Tennessee, who has often been unsparing in his criticism of the president, said last week. Colin Powell was confirmed as secretary by unanimous voice vote in 2001, while Hillary Clinton and John Kerry cleared the Senate by votes of 94-3 and 94-2. Yet Tillerson was confirmed on a party-line vote of 56-43. There's just one instance where any Cabinet member has been confirmed after an unfavorable vote in committee -- Commerce Secretary Henry Wallace in 1945, according to the Senate Historical Office. With a razor-thin Republican majority in the Senate and Democrats largely opposed to Pompeo's nomination, the White House has been playing up his readiness for the job, casting him as an already crucial member of Trump's foreign-policy circle who sees him most mornings to help deliver the intelligence community's classified daily briefing. The administration underscored that point with the disclosure last week that Pompeo made a secret trip to North Korea over Easter weekend to meet with the country's leader, Kim Jong Un. "Nothing could better underscore the importance of getting America's top diplomat in place for such a time as this," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted. "Dems have an opportunity to put politics aside, acknowledge our national security is too important, and confirm Mike Pompeo. Statesmanship." After Trump announced in a tweet in March that he was firing Tillerson and nominating Pompeo, his chances for confirmation were considered tenuous enough that 45Committee, an advocacy group that backs the president, began running commercials to press wavering Democratic senators in states that voted for Trump to vote for his confirmation. They include Senators Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who haven't yet said how they'll vote. "Pompeo is a proven national security leader," one such ad says. "Urge Senator Manchin to again vote yes for Mike Pompeo." As secretary of state, Pompeo, 54, would have some remedial work to do with the Foreign Relations Committee, which oversees the State Department and its budget. "There's traditionally been a very close partnership between the State Department and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee," Alterman said. Failing to win the panel's vote of approval "is not a lethal wound, but it's one that leaves a scar," he said. On the Senate floor, the focus will be on moderate Democrats who say they're keeping an open mind on Pompeo. Among them are Doug Jones of Alabama and Mark Warner of Virginia, who as the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee says he has a strong working relationship with Pompeo. On Thursday, Pompeo drew the support of Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, who's on the ballot in November and whose state gave Trump 63 percent of the vote in 2016. She said Pompeo convinced her that he's committed to empowering the diplomatic corps and filling key vacancies such as U.S. ambassador to South Korea. Late last week, Pompeo was still making the rounds on Capitol Hill, speaking with key senators who still haven't committed, including Warner, Manchin, and Jeff Flake of Arizona, the only Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee who's undecided. Ultimately, the committee's vote on Pompeo will be "largely irrelevant in the near future," said Brett Schaefer, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation. "In the end, a secretary of state is a secretary of state whether by one vote or 100." September 11, 2001, changed America forever following the terrorist attacks that occurred hundreds of miles from Alabama. Bill and Susan Hightower, living in suburban Pittsburgh at the time, were a mere 30 minutes away from where United Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. "Like everyone else, I was stunned at what was going on," said Bill Hightower, an Alabama state Senator since 2013. "When I heard that the plane went down south of Pittsburgh, I went home and talked to my wife. We looked at each other and said, 'What are we doing? Let's move home. Let's go back to Alabama and raise our kids.'" The nation's biggest tragedy ended Hightower's blossoming corporate career. The couple moved to Alabama a few months after 9/11. The tragedy became a life-altering moment, Hightower said. But the return home turned out "really great for our family." Less than 17 years later, the 58-year-old state senator has jumped into another potential life-altering move: A run for governor. "It's been a long journey," said Hightower, who lives in west Mobile with his wife, Susan, his high school sweetheart. The couple have three grown children. "I never dreamed of being governor. I never got into the Senate because I wanted to be governor." 'Name ID' Hightower entered the governor's race last summer and raised close to $350,000 by August. He formally announced his candidacy in September. At the time he was considering a run, he called current Gov. Kay Ivey. "I told her that I respect her too much, but that I was thinking about getting into the race and that I'd like to know whether she was," Hightower said. "She said, 'I'm busy steadying the ship.' I said, 'that's good, but I cannot wait until December for you to announce.' She said, 'Senator, I'll announce whenever I make up my mind.' Four months into (the campaign) she called me and said she was getting into the race. I had been in it for four months and raised $500,000 at that point. I was convinced that I have a direction for Alabama that is unique." Though other GOP hopefuls dropped out of the race before and after Ivey announced her run, Hightower has remained. He is considered an underdog to push Ivey into a runoff and is badly trailing the governor in fundraising. He's raised slightly more than $860,000, which is more than any of the Democratic candidates running for governor but is third among the four GOP candidates: Ivey, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and Birmingham evangelist Scott Dawson. Battle is second, having raised $1.8 million. During 2018, Hightower has fallen to fourth in fundraising - Dawson has secured $168,615 since Jan. 1, while Hightower has raised $165,654. Battle, during that same time frame, raised $347,966. Ivey, meanwhile, has accumulated nearly $3.2 million in contributions including $351,792 in the month of March alone. And Ivey has begun to spend that money on TV ads. All combined, Hightower ended March with $419,049. "That $400,000 doesn't buy you much name ID in a crowded election year," said Steve Flowers, a former Republican House member who writes about Alabama politics for newspapers statewide. Said Jess Brown, a retired political science professor at Athens State University: "His biggest disadvantages are that he has no name ID statewide and no campaign money to buy it." Hightower, like Battle and Dawson, has never run for statewide office before. He won the Senate District 35 seat during a special election 2013, overwhelmingly defeating a candidate who had the backing of then-House Speaker Mike Hubbard. That election only drew 9 percent turnout. Hightower easily won re-election a year later. And while he hasn't lost an election, his wife, Susan, was narrowly defeated in a state House race to Margie Wilcox in 2013. "The biggest disappointment was that I know what kind of lady she is and how creative she is and how much she loves people," Hightower said. "But that's the electoral process." 'Diverse' background Hightower grew up in Mobile when his father, the late Dr. Billy M. Hightower, moved to the city to help guide the University of South Alabama Medical Center's cardiovascular surgery program and become the first open-heart surgeon on the Gulf Coast. But Bill migrated toward business, not medicine, during his education at Vanderbilt University, and overseas at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. Hightower now believes his personal story of missionary service and Christian camp work, a "diverse" business background and his experience in Montgomery will benefit his quest to sell his name to Alabama outside the Gulf Coast. "I was elected by Senate District 35 to represent them and I have an inherent interest in Mobile and Baldwin counties," said Hightower, who was among the most vocal proponents in the Legislature to procure more BP oil spill settlement money for the Gulf Coast in 2016. "But I am the guy who tried to pass an infrastructure bill to benefit Huntsville as well," he added. "I came to office and pursued Remington and other gun makers to come to Alabama. I passed legislation to help Mercedes and passed legislation helping other parts of Alabama." He added, "If we continue to act like north versus south and south versus north, we'll have a real problem. We're stronger if we are together. I like the diversity of our state in that Huntsville is different from Mobile." Hightower, on the campaign trail, is touting his background in business. He said he brings a diverse experience, from the corporate world where he worked in strategy and planning for Emerson Electric in St. Louis and global acquisitions with Eaton Corp. in Pittsburgh. When he returned to Mobile with his family after 9/11, he continued his career working as a consultant in business development and marketing. Susan Hightower is a small business owner, who runs Little Cottontail children's clothing store at Bel Air Mall in Mobile. She is also a Realtor. According to ethics disclosures, the Hightower's operate Wee Exchange - the largest children's consignment sale on the Gulf Coast - Tower Realty and Tower Strategies. The latter, Hightower said, is his principal occupation. Hightower considers himself an independent business consultant, working primarily with advising people on the marketing end of business development. "I'm not aligned with a firm," he said. "I advise people on their transitions in business and I help them think about what they do next, help them with integration efforts, employee incentive programs and business development." He added, "I am able to continue (business advising), but the Legislature takes up a lot of time." Hightower is also a board member of Outback America, a Christian organization that holds camps in Mobile and other cities. He said weekend camps in Mobile offer opportunities for families facing personal challenges to "heal" through group discussions and physical obstacle courses. Said Hightower about a program he's been involved with for the past 10 years: "It's about examining your own life. You try to seek reconciliation and healing." 'Faith, values' Hightower is also involved in the Women's Resource Center in Mobile County, which offers crisis pregnancy care and abortion alternative services in coastal Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The organization which has three locations in Mobile County, has reached nearly 6,000 families. Susan Baldwin, the longtime former CEO of the organization, has known Bill and Susan Hightower since 1987. She said that Bill Hightower, if elected, would be a staunch pro-life and pro-family advocate. Hightower, as a state senator, backed legislation in 2015 to make it a state crime to sell aborted fetuses or fetal tissue. The bill was prompted by secretly recorded videos by conservative activists of Planned Parenthood officials purportedly talking about the process of harvesting fetal organs during abortions. "He's taken, in many ways, a very aggressive position toward pro-life issues in the Senate in Montgomery," said Baldwin. "He's a man of great values ... he's a man of passion and compassion and we need a new generation of mature leadership." Yet Hightower, who describes himself as among the most conservative lawmakers in Montgomery, has found himself defending his views toward public displays of religion. Namely, he's been criticized for publicly stating that he doesn't fully embrace a constitutional amendment to allow schools and government buildings to display the Ten Commandments on public property. At the GOP's April 12 debate in Birmingham, Hightower said the legislation "has no teeth" because it doesn't allow any state funding to defend it during potential court battles. The amendment will appear before voters during the Nov. 6 general election. "I am much more interested in the Ten Commandments written in people's hearts, not on a wall," said Hightower. "This law, I don't believe it will be a big issue for us. We can't defend it." Dean Young, a leading advocate for the amendment and a longtime ally of former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice Roy Moore, pounced. He said that Hightower's response shows "a lack of courage, leadership and conviction" and recommended his conservative supporters not to vote for him as governor. Hightower, during an interview with AL.com, said he's not fond with public displays of religion for political advantage. "People have asked me to put a fish on my brochure and 'Christian' on my brochure," said Hightower, referring to his campaign material. "I am very much Christian and want to serve God in everything I do. But I don't want to use that as a tool for my campaign. I think the people of Alabama want to know that their governor is a person of faith and a Christian. But I never wanted to use that as part of my marketing campaign." He added, "When I started out as a senator, they asked me to put that stuff on my brochures, and I don't want to do that. You can say that I've done mission work and things like that and that I'm a Christian camp speaker. But it's come to the point where everyone uses that, so I just think it's a differentiator in a way. If people hear me and talk and hear about my values, they will know what my faith is." 'Alabama First' In the Legislature, Hightower has pushed for budget reform with a libertarian bent. He's an advocate for a flat tax - no deductions, not exemptions where everyone is taxed based on the same percentage. He has pushed to do away with budget earmarks, which is one of the hallmark issues in his 12-point "Alabama First" campaign platform. Hightower was in the headlines earlier this month for suggesting that inmate-feeding money that Alabama sheriffs receives is an example of earmarking that needs eliminating. Efforts to reform Alabama's budget system, let alone how it taxes, have long run into political barricades. "In business and manufacturing, we have a phrase called 'continued improvement,'" said Hightower. "You are trying to improve your processes. In Montgomery, we don't do that. I think we have the status quo." He added, "The special interests that control the Capitol and you see it in our taxes. You have tax carve-outs and credits and exemptions. You have sunset committee that never sunset anything. They are supposed to do it but cannot. We have a budget that is 93 percent earmarked. It's been that way since 1940." Hightower is advocating for the formation of at least one commission to combat sexual harassment in the workplace. His campaign says the commission can serve as an independent outlet for people to safely report harassment occurrence, which will be investigated. Hightower also is advocating for other lofty changes: He is advocating for term limits for both House and Senate members, and he's pushing for a privatization of the Alabama Department of Transportation. He wants to advocate for a statewide sale-leaseback program, which he says can be applied to prisons, schools and ALDOT buildings. Under this program, Hightower said, underutilized state property would be sold through a "fair auction process" and leased back to the state. "Alabama has so many property and buildings not being utilized ... I want to look at every property," he said. "If we then have a strategic purpose for it, and we can (reuse it), I want to do a sale-leaseback. We can radically change the cost model of state operations." Hightower is also taking a position opposite of other conservatives toward gun control: He doesn't support arming teachers in a way like what Rep. Will Ainsworth, R-Guntersville, pushed for in the recently-completed legislative session. "Teachers are there to teach," said Hightower. "I have a lot of confidence in ex-military people trained in that way. But I'm hesitant to put that on any teacher." But perhaps the biggest issue Hightower said he wants to advocate for is the implementation of a dual-track diploma system within high schools, so students can begin learning hands-on skills in preparation of a vocation. He said he wants to create a workforce development position within his cabinet, if elected. "I want to charge the junior colleges to come into the high schools and train those students for certifications," said Hightower. "It's being done now to a certain degree, but I want to put it on steroids." Sen. Dick Brewbaker, R-Pike Road, said he thinks Hightower has the political chops to pull off some of his agenda. Brewbaker and Hightower sat next to one another for the past four years in the Senate. "I think he is most comfortable in dealing with big issues in constitutionality and governance," said Brewbaker. "He is one of the most intellectual legislators I've been around. He really applies his education toward his government. He's deeply conservative and religious." Brewbaker said it's far too early to handicap the election. He believes Hightower has just as good of a shot at winning as anyone else, though he admits his colleague has "an uphill battle" in generating name recognition. Said Hightower: "I've been in the Legislature for four years and I'm still not part of that system and I've stayed out of that bubble. It's one of the reasons I'm running. We have had people there forever. I want to bring great, new ideas." Update: Sean Hannity responds to real estate reports. Go here. Earlier story: Fox News host Sean Hannity has ties to shell companies that own tens of millions of dollars in real estate, including some purchased through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to a recent report. The Guardian reported Hannity-owned companies spent as much as $90 million on foreclosed and HUD homes, even as he reported on issues related to the department. Hannity's companies have purchased more than 870 homes in seven states - including Alabama - over the past decade, according to the report. Hannity's real estate attorney Christopher Reeve said his client's property holdings are a private matter. "I doubt you would find it very surprising that most people prefer to keep their legal and personal financial issues private," Reeve said. "Mr. Hannity is no different." The disclosure came after it was revealed Hannity was a previously unnamed client of President Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen. The FBI seized documents from Cohen in a raid earlier this month after the attorney admitted to paying $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election as part of a deal for her to remain silent about an alleged affair with the president. Hannity, who did not disclose his relationship to Cohen during reports on the Trump situation, said he only consulted the attorney on real estate matters. Fox News host is responding to reports he owns companies that have purchased tens of million in foreclosed homes and properties owned by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. "It is ironic that I am being attacked for investing my personal money in communities that badly need such investment and in which, I am sure, those attacking me have not invested their money," Hannity said in a statement to AL.com. "The fact is, these are investments that I do not individually select, control, or know the details about; except that obviously I believe in putting my money to work in communities that otherwise struggle to receive such support. "I have never discussed with anybody at HUD the original loans that were obtained in the Obama years, nor the subsequent refinance of such loans, as they are a private matter. I had no role in, or responsibility for, any HUD involvement in any of these investments. I can say that every rigorous process and strict standard of improvement requirements were followed; all were met, fulfilled and inspected." As to report Hannity used "shell" companies to purchase the properties, Hannity added "the LLC's are real companies that spend real investment money on real properties." The Guardian reported yesterday companies with ties to Hannity spent as much as $90 million on foreclosed and HUD homes, even as he reported on issues related to the department. Hannity's companies have purchased more than 870 homes in seven states - including Alabama - over the past decade, according to the report. Last week, it was revealed Hannity was a previously unnamed client of President Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen, whose office was raided last week by the FBI. Update at 1:13 p.m. Multiple news outlets are reporting Reinking has been captured. Original article continues below the link. Police continued their intensive search Monday for the 29-year-old suspected of opening fire at a Tennessee Waffle House and killing four people one day earlier. The Metro Nashville Police Department said early Monday that "there have been no credible sightings" of the suspected gunman, Travis Reinking, after an overnight search by local, state and federal law enforcement officers. Reinking, police said, was last seen Sunday morning behind his apartment complex. "The search will continue," the department said in a tweet. "All schools in the area have been cleared by officers." Months before Reinking became the target of a manhunt, authorities arrested him for trying to breach a barrier near the White House and later seized his guns. Among the four weapons they took from Reinking was the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle that police say he used in the Waffle House on Sunday. One of the other weapons - a pistol - is missing from Reinking's apartment, police said. Reinking was trying to meet President Donald Trump when he attempted to cross a security barrier at the White House complex in July, federal authorities said. After an investigation by the FBI office in Springfield, Illinois - near where Reinking lived at the time - state and local officials confiscated Reinking's guns and revoked his firearm license. The guns, however, were later returned to Reinking's father, who has acknowledged he gave them back to his son, officials said. Under Illinois law, certain confiscated guns can be released to a family member, but Reinking could not lawfully possess the weapons in that state. It's unclear whether possessing the weapons was illegal in Tennessee. A woman who answered at a number registered to Reinking's relatives in Morton, Illinois, said, "We have no comment." Authorities say the gunman, wearing nothing but a green jacket, opened fire at the Waffle House restaurant in Antioch, Tennessee, a community in Nashville, just before 3:30 a.m. Sunday. He had been sitting in his pickup truck at the Waffle House for a few minutes, looking around, before he got out and immediately began shooting at customers in the parking lot, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said. The man kept shooting as he walked inside, shattering the restaurant's glass windows. At one point, he stopped, presumably to reload. That's when police say a customer, James Shaw Jr., lunged at the gunman, wrestled the weapon away from him and tossed it over the counter. Among the victims was 29-year-old Taurean C. Sanderlin of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, a restaurant employee who was fatally shot while standing outside. The others killed were customers: Joe R. Perez, 20, of Nashville; Deebony Groves, 21, of Gallatin, Tennessee; and Akilah Dasilva, 23, of Antioch. Two others - Shanita Waggoner, 21, of Nashville, and Sharita Henderson, 24, of Antioch - remain in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, police said. TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center treated and released two people with minor injuries from the shooting, hospital spokeswoman Katie Radel said. Officials hailed Shaw's actions, which they said probably saved many people's lives. His elbow was grazed by a bullet during the shooting, and he was treated at a hospital. "You're a hero. You're my hero. . . . We're forever in your debt," Walt Ehmer, Waffle House's president and chief executive, told Shaw at a news conference Sunday afternoon. Shaw said he doesn't see himself as a hero. "I want people to know that I did that completely out of a selfish act," he said. "I was completely doing it just to save myself. . . . I did save other people, but I don't want people to think that I was the Terminator or Superman or anybody like that." He said the rifle's barrel was still hot when he grabbed the weapon away from the gunman. "You have to reach or you're going to fold. . . . That's all I wanted to do, I just wanted to live," a teary Shaw told reporters. The gunman fled the scene, cursing, Shaw said. Police said he took off the only article of clothing he was wearing less than a block from the restaurant. Two magazines were found in the jacket's pockets. "He clearly came armed with a lot of firepower intended to devastate the south Nashville area," Aaron said. Investigators believe Reinking went to his apartment, located less than a mile from the Waffle House, and put on a pair of pants before fleeing again. He was last seen in a wooded area near the apartment complex wearing only black pants, Aaron said. The shooting rattled the working-class neighborhood in Antioch, where a masked gunman opened fire at a church last year, killing a woman and wounding several other people. Emanuel K. Samson, 26, was arrested in that shooting. It also comes at a time of intensified debate over guns and a swirling controversy about the AR-15, a type of weapon used in several mass shootings recently and dubbed "America's rifle" by the National Rifle Association. As the frantic search for Reinking continued, law enforcement and local leaders were, again, confronted with questions about gun control and people's right to own guns. "You balance the rights of people to have this privacy, but on the other hand, there needs to be a coordinated effort, especially in terms of mental health issues, to make sure that weapons don't fall into their hands," Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson told reporters at a news conference Sunday, adding that police suspect mental issues may have played a role in the Waffle House shooting, although the motive remains unknown. "He's murdered four times with no apparent reason and no apparent motive," Anderson said. "So we're very concerned." Nashville Democratic Mayor David Briley seized on the moment to renew calls for stricter gun laws. "For a moment, let's be honest about what happened. Last night, innocent Nashvillians were terrorized by a man with an AR-15. Let's be honest. Some people see these weapons as having a purpose of terrorizing other people. It's happening too much," Briley said. Police said Reinking, who previously lived in Morton, moved to the area last fall and worked in the construction industry. Aaron said he was fired from a job about three weeks ago and was later hired by another employer. Reinking had not been to work since Monday, Aaron said. Months earlier, he had been charged in the D.C. Superior Court with unlawful entry, a misdemeanor, according to officials. They said he did not make any threats, and there was not much evidence at the time that he posed a danger to the public. On July 26, Reinking entered into a deferred-prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorney's office. He was ordered to perform 32 hours of community service and to stay away from the White House for four months. The case against him was dismissed in November after Reinking met the conditions of the agreement. By Sunday afternoon, the usually quiet and sleepy gated apartment community where Reinking lives was filled with nearly two dozen police cars, SWAT vans and other emergency vehicles. Resident Dion Jones, who lives one building away from Reinking, said he never encountered him. He and his wife have lived at Discovery Mountain View apartments for nearly two years, he said. "Everyone comes and goes at different times, and we just kind of keep to ourselves," he said. "I specifically picked this apartment out of all the ones in Nashville because it was gated and seemed quiet." Jones, a regular at the nearby Waffle House, said he is worried for the employees whom he befriended on late-night trips there. Other residents remain on edge. "I just don't even know what to say, because it's like these shootings happen all the time," said Alexis Reid, 34, who was shopping across the street from the Waffle House on Sunday afternoon. "But one in your area, at a restaurant you've ate at, is a different thing." Phillip Simmons, 46, who was visiting his son who lives in town, said he's disturbed by the thought of a loose gunman wandering around. "I've got kids in the area, and the thought that they could have been there, and the fact that the cops haven't found this guy who is armed . . . I don't even know how to deal with it," he said. "What can I do? What can anyone do about this stuff?" President Donald Trump is denying he ever called Attorney General Jeff Sessions "Mr. Magoo," saying he knows nothing about the bumbling cartoon character. In a weekend tweet, the president said the Washington Post story referring to the "Mr. Magoo" comment was nothing but "fake" news. Trump also denies calling Deputy Attorney General Jay Rosenstein "Mr. Peepers," a reference to a television characters from the 1950s. The Washington Post said I refer to Jeff Sessions as Mr. Magoo and Rod Rosenstein as Mr. Peepers. This is according to people with whom the president has spoken. There are no such people and dont know these characters...just more Fake & Disgusting News to create ill will! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018 The Washington Post reported in February on the "Mr. Magoo" nickname for Sessions, a one-time Trump ally turned frequent target of presidential criticism. The latest denial comes after reports Trump is considering firing Rosenstein after the FBI raided the office of Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen. Trump has criticized Sessions, a former Senator from Alabama, for recusing himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. An Alabama woman is asking the nation's highest court to hear her case about a Mobile company who wouldn't hire her because of dreadlocks. Chastity Jones has been involved in legal battles since 2013, when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit on her behalf claiming a Mobile company racially discriminated against Jones because of her hair. The lawsuit claimed the company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when they revoked a job offer because Jones would not cut off her dreadlocks. The situation began when Jones filed an EEOC complaint about her experience at Catastrophe Management Solutions, an insurance claims processing company located in Mobile. The EEOC then litigated her case through district court and an appeals court, but now Jones wants to file to the U.S. Supreme Court on her own behalf. According to court records, Jones applied to work for CMS as a customer service representative in 2010. She interviewed for the position in May of that year and was hired. Following her hiring, Jones and several other future employees were taken into a room where a CMS human resources manager spoke about lab testing and scheduling, court records state. After the meeting, Jones met with the HR manager privately to discuss a scheduling conflict. Court records state, "Before Ms. Jones got up to leave, [the manager] asked her whether she had her hair in dreadlocks. Ms. Jones said yes, and [the manager] replied that CMS could not hire her 'with the dreadlocks.' When Ms. Jones asked what the problem was, [the manager] said 'they tend to get messy, although I'm not saying yours are, but you know what I'm talking about.'" Jones refused to cut her hair, and the HR manager withdrew the job offer, records state. Jones returned her paperwork from CMS and left. She later filed a complaint with the EEOC. According to records, CMS has a "gender-neutral" grooming policy. "All personnel are expected to be dressed and groomed in a manner that projects a professional and businesslike image while adhering to company and industry standards and/or guidelines. . . . [H]airstyle should reflect a business/professional image. No excessive hairstyles or unusual colors are acceptable," the policy says. The EEOC filed a federal lawsuit in 2013 on Jones' behalf in the southern district court of Alabama. The group, who typically files for public interest issues and not for one plaintiff's interests, claimed CMS' interpretation of the grooming policy to include dreadlocks was a violation of Title VII and that Jones was discriminated against based on race. Attorneys for CMS said the EEOC didn't have a viable claim. "Race discrimination is unlawful and deplorable because it conditions employment on a factor unrelated to the job and entirely outside of the employee's or applicant's control. In contrast, employees and applicants--regardless of race--can control their dress, makeup, and hair styling," a motion from CMS states. Senior U.S. District Judge Charles Butler Jr. dismissed the case in 2014, and the EEOC appealed to the 11th Circuit of Appeals, saying that dreadlocks were a "racial characteristic." The appeals court affirmed the lower court's dismissal, saying that hair was a characteristic liable to change. "Title VII prohibits discrimination based on immutable traits, and the proposed amended complaint does not assert that dreadlocks--though culturally associated with race--are an immutable characteristic of black persons," the court said in its order. The EEOC did not appeal the appeals court's ruling, but Jones did. She has filed to the U.S. Supreme Court and asked the justices to allow her to file without the EEOC, and to review her case during their next session. "This case raises the important question of whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits workplace discrimination based on stereotypes relating to the protected category of race," her filing states. Jones is now represented by lawyers from the NAACP. Attorneys for CMS argue that Jones shouldn't be able to file in the nation's highest court at all, because she wasn't technically a party in the original case. The EEOC was suing the company for the "public interest" and not directly for Jones. They also state, according to their filing in the court, that Jones "who was offered a job--has no established right to maintain a chosen hairstyle in the face of an employer's contrary, race-neutral policy, and was never awarded any relief based on such a right. No court has ever endorsed the sweeping theory of intentional racial discrimination advanced below." Records don't reflect any decisions made by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case yet. Their next session, where they will hear cases, starts in October. Twenty-five people armed with backpacks, cargo pants and hats took off on a six-mile hike on a 70-degree cloudy Saturday afternoon to persuade Florida legislators to preserve the states wildlife. This was the second time a group of Gainesville residents made the trek to raise awareness for environmental protection, but last Fall, the hike was in Ocala. On the day before Earth Day, the group followed the Hawthorne Trail from First Magnitude Brewing Company, located at 1220 SE Veitch St., to the La Chua Trail and back. Rhett Barker, a 24-year-old UF wildlife ecology and conservation alumnus, said he organized the hike to tell lawmakers they should follow through on the promises they made regarding Amendment One. In 2014, Floridians voted for Amendment One, passing legislation for what they thought would focus on land acquisition and reinstating money into the Florida Forever program, which is an environment conservation fund. Instead, funds from the amendment have been spent on small projects and maintenance for currently owned land, Barker said. Many Floridians live here because of the outdoors, and it would be a shame to obliterate that, Barker said. At the rate Floridas population is projected to grow, its wildlife habitat is in danger of being destroyed, Barker said. In order for wildlife to truly be sustainable across large areas, itmust have a single connection that connection being the Corridor. The Corridor is a statewide network of land and water, which could help conserve wildlife by connecting existing pieces of land, Barker said. Large animals, such as bears, require a lot of land to live, which is why its imperative Florida uses the Corridor for wildlife conservation. Lindsey Jones, a Gainesville resident, said she decided to participate in the hike because people dont appreciate the natural area in the county. I really enjoy North Floridas nature and all that it has to offer, the 26-year-old said. Its important to me because I see that Gainesville is changing, and I want our nature to be protected. Rhett Barker, 24, lead 25 hikers down Hawthorne Trail for a six-mile hike. Saturday was the second hike organized by Barker and some friends to tell lawmakers to invest in conservation land. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Shortly after midnight Friday, red, blue and white flashing lights lit the 30-mile path from Trenton to Gainesvilles medical examiners office. Two Gilchrist County Sheriffs Office deputies, who died in a shooting Thursday afternoon, were brought to Gainesville in two hearses and escorted by hundreds of patrol cars from over ten local law enforcement agencies, including Alachua County Sheriffs Office, Gainesville Police and Florida Highway Patrol, at about midnight. Sgt. Noel Ramirez, 30, and Deputy Taylor Lindsey, 25, were eating at Ace China restaurant, located at 1122 E. Wade St. in downtown Trenton, at about 3 p.m. when John Hubert Highnote, 59, of Bell, Florida, walked in the restaurant and shot them, Gilchrist Sheriff Bobby Schultz said. Highnote was found dead inside his car from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Responding deputies found both Ramirez and Lindsey dead from their injuries, according to a press release. They were the first deaths in the line of duty in Gilchrist County since Sheriff Mark Read was killed in 1956 while responding to a drunk person with a shotgun, according to the press release. At about 7:30 p.m., after notifying their next of kin, Schultz announced Ramirez and Lindseys names during a press conference outside the restaurant, saying nothing about the shooters identity. The world is full of cowards, and the world is full of heroes, Schultz said. We need to highlight those heroes. He went on to talk about the deputies and their experiences at the countys sheriffs office. Sgt. Ramirez and Deputy Lindsey were the best of the best, Schultz said. They were men of integrity. They were men of loyalty. They were God-fearing, and they loved what they did, and we are proud of it. Ramirez had been in law enforcement for about seven years and with GCSO for about two years. Ramirez was a husband and father with an infectious smile, Schultz said. He said Lindsey had worked with the sheriffs office in the past and recently returned. The shooting is still an active investigation, and there is no apparent motive, Deputy Chief Darry Lloyd said. The type of weapon used and how many rounds were fired have not been released, he said. Sheriffs offices and police departments from around the state and country, including Pasco County Sheriffs Office, Los Angeles Police and Gainesville Police, have sent their condolences for the deputies through tweets. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Our hearts are heavy today hearing from the Gilchrist County Sheriffs Office that they lost two of their own, according to a GPD Facebook post. Please keep their agency and families in the forefront of your minds. GPD Lt. Marc Plourde said Gainesville police officers support their fallen brothers. As the hearses drove on West University Avenue, Gainesville officers blocked intersections with their patrol cars. When the bodies were carried into the medical examiners office on Southwest Third Avenue, officers stood at attention. Its overwhelming, Plourde said. This is like a brotherhood. Unfortunately, it has to be at a time like this when you see it at its strongest. At about 6:45 p.m. Saturday, another escort of about 100 vehicles took the deputies from the medical examiners office to a funeral home in Trenton, said ACSO Lt. Becky Butscher. That is a show of support for our fallen heroes that died in the line of duty, said Butscher, who was part of the escort. Drummond Community Bank opened an account for donations to the families of the deputies, and Ramirezs father-in-law started a GoFundMe page for his grandchildren, which has raised $11,945, as of press time. On Tuesday, a public viewing will be hosted for the deputies in Trenton, followed by a service at 11 a.m. at Bell Middle/High School, GCSO said. The burial and graveside honors will be held at 2:30 p.m. at Bronson Cemetery on Northeast State Road 24. Contact Robert Lewis at rlewis@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter at @Lewis__Robert. These undated photos made available by the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office shows Sgt. Noel Ramirez, left, and Deputy Taylor Lindsey. Authorities say the two Florida sheriff's deputies were shot dead, Thursday, April 19, 2018, through the window of a Chinese restaurant in Gilchrist, Fla., by a man who then killed himself. Update 9:30 a.m. Monday: Gainesville Police identified the man killed and said his killer knew him. Michael T. Mosely, 43, of Gainesville, was not shot at random, said Officer Ben Tobias, a GPD spokesperson. Police haven't made an arrest, he said. "Detectives are working solid leads into the identity of the suspects," Tobias said. A man was fatally shot Sunday in front of a home in northeast Gainesville, Gainesville Police said. The man, whose identity has not been released, was arguing with at least two other men in a black sedan in front of the house, located near the intersection of Northeast 23rd Avenue and Northeast 15th Street, said GPD spokesperson Officer Ben Tobias. Witnesses called 911 at about 3 p.m. and reported hearing gunshots before seeing the car drive away, leaving the man on the ground, Tobias said. Police arrived shortly after and found the man in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds, Tobias said. Gainesville Fire Rescue and Alachua County Fire Rescue took the man to UF Health Shands Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Tobias did not know if the man was shot inside the car and pushed out of it, or if he was shot outside of the car. He said police will notify the mans family and continue to investigate. Authorities said anyone with information should call GPDs Detective Bureau at 352-393-7670 or the Combined Communications Center at 352-955-1818. Correction: This article has been updated to more accurately reflect that the shooting happened in northeast Gainesville and was not near Satchel's. Contact Robert Lewis at rlewis@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter at @Lewis__Robert. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Forest High School students were supposed to walk out in calm protest. Instead, they ran out flanked by armed police officers. The students had planned to walk out of their classes at 10:20 a.m., along with other schools across the country, in honor of the 19-year anniversary of the shooting at Columbine High School. However, minutes after school started Friday, Sky Bouche, a 19-year-old former student, shot a 17-year-old student in the ankle, putting the second-largest high school in Marion County on lockdown, according to Marion County Sheriffs Office. Police were called at about 8:40 a.m. when the sound of Bouches shotgun rang out, according to the sheriffs office. School resource officer Jim Long, who was assigned to the high school, ran toward the shot, found Bouche and stopped him, Sheriff Billy Woods said. I want to assure Marion County residents that today, they should be proud of their first responders, Woods said. Deputies, Ocala Police and Florida Highway Patrol responded to the school. Bouche was arrested on charges including terrorism, aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of a firearm on school property and possession of a short-barreled shotgun. MCSO deputies escorted Bouche in a white jumpsuit out of the school, according to a video posted on the MCSOs Facebook page. Media who swarmed him as he was taken to a patrol car asked if he had anything to say. Sorry, he said, pausing. It doesnt make it better anyways. After his arrest, Bouche told deputies he drove nearly an hour from his home in Crystal River, Florida, with a 17.5-inch barreled shotgun hidden in a guitar case. He said he didnt want to hurt anyone, just scare students, according to an arrest report. He had planned to conduct a shooting April 13 but changed his mind, according to the report. He told police he had researched shootings and knew a school shooting would gain more public attention. Before the shooting, Bouche put on a tactical vest and gloves in a school bathroom, according to the report. When he came out of the bathroom, a female student walked passed him without noticing him, so he fired the shotgun at a door, deputies said. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now He dropped the gun and surrendered to a teacher, MCSO said. He was taken to the Marion County Jail where he remains without bond. Forest High School has 2,350 students and 125 teachers, according to its website. All Marion County middle and high schools were put on code yellow, which closes campuses to outsiders, as a precaution Friday. Not even five minutes into Fletcher Reeces first period reading class at 8:30 a.m., the 17-year-old heard the sound of one gunshot echo through his classroom in Building 1, D Hallway. It sounded like a bomb went off, the Forest High School junior said. It was echoing off of everything. It was kind of like a sonic boom. His teacher, Ms. Williams, rushed everyone from the class in the hallway into the classroom, turned off the lights and made everyone get away from the door. Fletcher quietly sat down with his classmates who whispered to each other, trying to figure out what was going on. A woman came onto the announcements and said there was a code red. Across the school, his sister Katie Reece, 15, was listening to the same announcement with her teacher and 14 other students. The class, locked behind a thick wooden door, turned off the lights and huddled together, nervous and whispering. She told herself she would be OK. I knew I was going to be fine and that nothing was going to hurt me in the moment, she said. I knew God was going to protect me no matter what. Fletcher texted his mom as soon as the shooting happened and told her about the gunshot he heard. Fletcher and Katies mother, Amber Reece, texted them to stay safe and use their best judgement. She told me she loved me a whole bunch, Katie said. At about 10:30 a.m., two SWAT officers and three police officers checked her classroom, erupting the students to tears and Katie into a panic attack. It took her a couple of minutes to calm down. She was hyperventilating and thought she was going to pass out. She saw the SWAT car outside the window she was standing by, took a video and calmed down. I realized that everything was under control, she said. About 10 minutes later, a police officer told the students to walk out of the school with their hands up. She boarded a bus for a five-minute drive to the First Baptist Church in Ocala, where parents were picking up their kids. Katie was reunited with her brother and then their mother. I could tell she had been crying, she said. It was just a happy moment to realize that I couldve died today, I couldve been shot and never have seen my mom again, so I was lucky that I was able to see her again. Forest High School students console one another after a school shooting at Forest High School Friday, April 20, 2018 in Ocala, Fla. One student shot another in the ankle at the high school and a suspect is in custody, authorities said Friday. The injured student was taken to a local hospital for treatment. A student-developed app tracking environmental impact will allow users to help trees be planted in Nepal, Madagascar and Haiti. LiveGreen, an app created by UF students, tracks a users carbon footprint the amount of carbon dioxide contributed to the environment by asking users to log their meals, transportation, expenses and utilities, said one of the apps developers, Brian De Souza, 20. By logging their daily carbon footprint, users can get random points, the computer science sophomore said. After 100 points, a tree is planted. The reason behind (including) those countries is because they were deeply affected by deforestation, he said. The developers committed with the non-profit Eden Reforestation Project to plant about 2,500 trees for $350. As more users engage with the app, the number of trees planted can change, he said. Users can see how many trees theyve raised and where theyre planted on an interactive map. The app will also offer in-app messaging, but only for users participating in the daily environmental challenges, like the greenest commuters of the day, where people are ranked for their carbon footprints with transportation. The app will be available for download through Apples app store Friday, De Souza said. Eventually, he hopes to expand to Android. The app currently has 10 people testing before its launch, and about 50 more will test it soon, he said. The app was supposed to launch Sunday, on Earth Day, but needed final tweaks, like adding the metric system, said Pablo Garces, 20, another app developer. We have a lot of interest from people in European countries too, so we had to give an option for metric values, he said. Garces, a computer science sophomore, said theyre trying to get environmentalists to use the app, but they hope other people can join too. The goal of the app is to make users aware of their habits and help them make small changes to their lifestyles, De Souza said. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now The app itself cannot solve climate change, the app is just a tool, and the people who are using it are the ones doing the change, he said. Contact Christina Morales at cmorales@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter at @Christina_M18. An screenshot of the app. UF researchers have discovered ways to identify patients who may suffer from long-term physical pain, which can help physical therapists provide tailored treatment instead of prescribing opioid medication. The team of five UF researchers published the study April 16 in a peer-reviewed journal called Physical Therapy, said UF physical therapy research assistant professor Jason Beneciuk. The study tested two tools made by the UF Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, which assessed patients to find who would be more prone to long-term pain. The study said patients who showed an initial high intensity of pain, had previous medical diagnoses, physical symptoms and psychological issues were more likely to experience chronic musculoskeletal pain, or pain to the muscles, bones and joints, one year after receiving treatment, the study said. About 2.4 million Americans are hooked on powerful prescription painkillers or heroin, according to the Associated Press. About 120 people in the U.S. die from opioid overdose every day, and many hundreds more are brought back from the brink of death, AP reported. Musculoskeletal pain is a leading cause of disability, affecting an estimated 126.6 million Americans one in two adults according to a 2016 report by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Common musculoskeletal disorders include arthritis, back pain, neck pain and osteoporosis, the report said. The link to opioid use is using tools like this to identify patients that are more vulnerable to developing musculoskeletal pain, Beneciuk said. The research team received a $300,000 grant by the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association in 2012, Beneciuk said. He said the study began in 2013 and took 2 1/2 years to complete testing. The study looked at 440 patients who were receiving physical therapy treatment for shoulder, back, neck and knee pain, Beneciuk said. Patients were initially assessed for a measure of pain intensity and a history of previous mental diagnoses and the two new assessment tools created by the team. UF professor Samuel Wu, another researcher involved in the study, said one tool asked patients to report physical symptoms they felt in their body. The other tool screened for pain-related psychological issues, including depression, anxiety and pain acceptance. The purpose of the study was to develop these two tools, Wu said. Patients involved in the study completed the screening tools prior to treatment, then again four weeks, six months and one year after treatment, Wu said. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Of 279 patients who were assessed a year after treatment, 101 patients, or 36.2 percent, were found to have a higher pain intensity than the remaining participants, the study said. These are patients who could be prescribed tailored physical therapy rather than opioids. FILE - This Aug. 15, 2017, file photo shows an arrangement of pills of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen in New York. Around 3 p.m. Thursday, two Florida deputies were eating at a Chinese restaurant in Trenton, Florida, when they were shot and killed by a gunman. According to Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz, the gunman fired through the window of Ace China and hit the two officers who were eating inside. Schultz said the two deputies were 30-year-old Noel Ramirez and 25-year-old Taylor Lindsay. He further dubbed the two men as the best of the best. The Miami Herald reported the gunman, as well as the two deputies, were found dead on the scene. The suspect has been identified as 59-year-old John Hubert Highnote. During a press conference held shortly after the incident, Schultz stated the deaths were not a result of political issues but did hint at the idea of it. He asked the audience, What do you expect happens when you demonize law enforcement to the extent that its been demonized? His question is not without reason. Throughout the past several years, police officers have made headlines across the country for targeting minority populations in their arrests and for a slew of accidental shootings, often resulting in the murders of black men. As a result, many Americans have developed an unfavorable opinion of police officers, citing that they are racist or trigger happy. And in suit, Americans have found themselves divided on yet another major issue. What this gunman did in north Florida is horrendous. It was cruel, heartless and unhinged. More than that, it was disrespectful to the many men and women in uniform who work tirelessly every day to protect us. That being said, an issue with police brutality against minorities does exist, and we cannot pretend it doesnt by neglecting to publish stories about it in the media. No amount of respect for our officers deems it acceptable to ignore the fact that glaring racial disparities exist in how police officers use force. In 2017, Vox released an analysis of FBI data, showing black people are far more likely to be shot at by a police officer than are white people. In fact, despite making up only 13 percent of the U.S. population, black people make up 31 percent of those killed by police officers. When considering the number of people killed by policing while not attempting to attack anyone, the number jumps to 39 percent. We cant pretend this isnt a problem. There is a bias against black people in this country, and thats true whether you are a police officer or not. When the media publicizes events where black people are once again treated unjustly and with a clear bias, they do it to bring attention to the topic and let people know racism and profiling are still very much alive in our country. However, despite the fact they are often received as such, these stories also are not published in an effort to demonize police officers. Understandably so, many minority groups have lost faith in police officers and others have been led to believe all officers are evil and racist. But when you are making those assumptions about police officers, arent you doing the same thing they are supposedly doing with black people? The key to fighting prejudice and violence is not more prejudice and violence. Just how we cannot ignore that there is an issue with police brutality against black people, we cant ignore that there is an issue with Americans profiling police officers. The uncertainty makes for a less safe environment and for a country filled with even more hate than we currently have. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now The lives of deputies Ramirez and Lindsay should serve as a call to action for Americans and officers to stop the epidemic of prejudice in our country. Its time we stop adding fuel to the fire. Underneath Portlands Old Town is a network of tunnel passages connecting the basements of many downtown bars and hotels to the Willamette River waterfront. In the 19th century, these tunnels were primarily used by merchants to move goods from the ships docked at the harbor directly to the basement storage areas, while avoiding the busy over ground traffic. But over the years these dingy tunnels became the center for organized crime and many nefarious practices such as shanghaiing. Indeed, so pervasive are these stories that the locals call Portland Underground the Shanghai Tunnels. But what exactly is shanghaiing? During the Age of Saila period lasting from the 16th to the 19th centuriesa vast number of skilled and unskilled seamen were required to meet the needs of sea going vessels. But life at sea was harsh and there was far too few volunteers. So many European nations, especially the British Royal Navy, resorted to a more straightforward method of recruitment, namely, kidnapping. Press gangs would patrol the waterfront looking for vagrants, plucking them off taverns and boardinghouses, or off the streets. There are accounts of press gangs barging into homes and grabbing men from their beds, or hauling away the groom from wedding procession while the bride screamed in horror, although such accounts are mere hearsay. Pressing actually took more often at sea, particularly during the Napoleonic wars. American merchant vessels were often the targets. One of the largest impressment operations occurred in the spring of 1757 in New York City, then still under British colonial rule. Three thousand British soldiers cordoned off the city, and plucked clean the taverns and other sailors' gathering places. Nearly eight hundred people were picked up, four hundred of which were then forced into ships. The American west coast soon became a favorite hunting ground for crimpsthe American equivalent of the press gangand the practice itself came to be known as shanghaiing, possibly because Shanghai was a common destination of the ships with abducted crews. The most straightforward method for a crimp to shanghai a victim is to render him unconscious, often by drugging his drink but a blow to the head works equally well, then forge his signature on the ship's articles during the time of delivery to the ships captain. If the unconscious victim is not known to the crimp, a name would be invented. It was not uncommon for an unwilling sailor to wake up at sea and find himself with a new name. The crimps made good money from shanghaiing. A well-run operation could fetch as much as $9,500 per year in 1890s dollars, equivalent to about a quarter million dollars in todays money. Aside from the fee, the crimp also collected, on behalf of the men he shanghaied, the two months advance pay that was allowed before a trip so that sailors could pay off debts and prepare themselves for the trip. It was a very lucrative enterprise. Shanghaiing flourished in British port cities like London and Liverpool, and in the American west coast cities of San Francisco, Portland, Astoria and Seattle. On the east coast, cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore were the predominant hunting grounds. Some records indicate that Portland eventually surpassed San Francisco for shanghaiing, although historians argue that the Portland Underground was never a part of this insidious practice. A leading crimp of the era was James Kelly, better-known as Shanghai Kelly, who ran a number of bars, a saloon and a boarding house in San Francisco. These establishments enabled Kelly to provide a steady supply of victims to undermanned ships at the San Francisco waterfront. One of his most famous heist took place in the early 1870s, when Kelly set sail on a rented paddle steamer with close to a hundred guests he had invited to celebrate his birthday. After the opium-laced whiskey had knocked out the guests, he quietly offloaded them to three waiting ships in the sea. His biggest concern was returning from a well-publicized event with an empty boat. By a stroke of good fortune, another streamer struck a rock and began to sink. Kelly rescued everyone on board and resumed celebration. When they returned, nobody at the waterfront noticed that the people who stepped off the boat were not the same who left on it. Following closely behind James Kelly in notoriety was Joseph Bunko Kelley, who admitted to have shanghaiied about 2,000 men and women during his 15-year career. Bunko once set a record for crimping by rounding up 50 men in three hours. In one infamous deal in 1893, Bunko delivered twenty two men who had mistakenly consumed embalming fluid from the open cellar of a mortuary. He sold all the men, most of whom were dead, to a captain who sailed before the truth was discovered. Women also took part in crimping. In San Francisco, a Miss Piggott operated a saloon equipped with a trapdoor over which the ferocious old woman would maneuver unsuspecting guests, before serving them a cocktail composed of equal parts whisky, brandy and gin laced with laudanum or opium. Sometimes a knock on the head is required to complete what the drug failed to accomplish. Miss Piggott would then pull a lever and dump the unconscious man to a mattress waiting below. Shanghaiing began to decline by the end of the 19th century, following a series of legislations aimed towards combating crimps, such as requiring a sailor to sign in the presence of a federal shipping commissioner, and prohibiting the practice of seamen taking advances on wages. But it was the widespread adoption of steam-powered vessels that finally did it. Crimps couldnt just drug anybody and pick them up from the streets to work on a ship, because newer vessels relied more on skilled labor and trained experts who could work a engine. Eventually, the Seamen's Act of 1915 made crimping a federal crime, and this ended the practice for good. Posted on: April 19, 2018 1:34 PM Anglicans in Canada are being asked to pray for the peace of Jerusalem next month, on a date designated Jerusalem Sunday by the province. The Churchs General Synod passed a resolution at its 2013 meeting to observe the Seventh Sunday of Easter, commonly known as the Sunday after Ascension Day, as Jerusalem Sunday. The annual day has been welcomed by the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Suheil Dawani, who described it as a tremendous encouragement and further testimony to our oneness in the Body of Christ and our bond-of-affection as members of the Anglican Communion. This year, Jerusalem Sunday falls on 13 May; and Anglicans in Canada are being encouraged to celebrate companionship in Gods mission with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem in Jerusalem, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The Church of Canadas website explains that the diocese in Jerusalem is a historic and active member of the Christian, ecumenical and interfaith community of the Middle East. It is home to several thousand Arab Anglicans in thirty parishes and situated in one of the worlds holiest destinations for Christian, Jewish and Muslim pilgrims. In addition to praying, churches in the province are being invited to support the Princess Basma Centre, a rehabilitation centre for children with disabilities, and one of the healthcare ministries of the Diocese of Jerusalem. Regrettably, few religious tourists to the Holy Land today encounter Palestinian and other Arab Christians, or visit a parish church, school or hospital, the Church says on its website. Jerusalem Sunday introduces us to the living stones of the local Anglican church, to the ancestors of the first Christian communities indigenous to the region. Jerusalem Sunday is an opportunity to meet Arab sisters and brothers in Christ in the Anglican Communion, and hear them talk about discipleship in the 21st century. Archbishop Suheil has recorded a prayer for Jerusalem, which churches are encouraged to use and show during their services. Posted on: April 23, 2018 7:00 AM Thousands of Christians descended on All Saints Cathedral in Juba yesterday (Sunday) for the installation of Justin Badi Arama as the fifth Archbishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. The new Archbishop used the occasion to announce a decade-long focus on the Lords prayer as a tool for making and teaching disciples. He wanted Anglicans in South Sudan to do the Lords Prayer and to live the Lords Prayer in their daily lives. He said that his entire archiepiscopacy would be centred around the Lords Prayer, and he listed 10 objectives that he wanted to fulfil, including the unity of the Church. In our country and our communities, it is clear that the devil has seized the hearts and minds of our people with a spirit of tribalism, politics, division, hate and violence, he said, adding that he would make every effort to teach and unite to see themselves as brothers and sisters in one family of God. Other objectives announced by Archbishop Justin included the construction and improvement of church buildings, mission and evangelism, and peace building and the provision of social services. We thought having our own country would improve our situation, he said. But our own politicians have made everything worse for their own citizens. Life for ordinary citizens is so hard and miserable. Our people continue to suffer in the [refugee] camps, internally displaced camps and UN protection camps. Therefore, we are appealing to the opposition to put an end to this meaningless war and enable their citizens to experience what is Gods peace. The sermon during the six-hour service was given by the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon. In it, he said that Christians in the South Sudan had a responsibility to send a positive message to all the politicians: that we will sink our differences on tribal grounds and work together for the unity of this country in the name of Jesus Christ. A second responsibility, he said, was to focus on what unites rather than what divides. We must focus our hearts and minds on these Christian essentials: the Bible is the Word of God the only Word of God with authority; that Jesus is God; that Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone; and that this Jesus will come back to judge. Brothers and sisters: these beliefs are worth dying for; but many others are not. He quoted an 18th Century Missionary to India, Stanley Jones, who said: talk about what you believe, and you have disunity; talk about who you believe, and you have unity. He said that disagreements in the Church over issues like baptism practices such as infant verses adult baptism, sprinkling or immersion and the ordination of women were not issues over which Christians should break fellowship. Our unity is not in the ordination of women, he said. Our unity is not in any other person, but in Jesus Christ. And in Jesus we are one. We must come together as a spiritual family and declare to South Sudans Christians that we are one: That Azande, and Dinka, and Arab are one: we are one in Christ Jesus. The service began with a moments silent reflection and prayer following the death of the Chief of Staff of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army, General James Ajongo, who had died in Cairo after a short illness at the age of 64. His death meant that the countrys President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, could not attend the service. His place was taken by Vice President Dr James Wani Igga. The Vice President assured Archbishop Justin Badi that the government will co-operate with you no doubt about that. He said that the government couldnt bring about change without the support of the Church; and the government couldnt bring about change without the support of the government. The two needed to work in partnership, he said. You need me and I need you. You need President Salva; President Salva also needs you. And so on. The vice-president joked about the large size of the congregation, saying that during the sharing of the peace, he had gone to each row in the church; and went to carry on outside until he saw the size of the multitude several thousand worshippers were sat on plastic chairs under tarpaulin shelter in the grounds of the cathedral. The vice president also gave an update on peace-talks, which are due to resume in Addis Ababa on 2 May. He said that the government could not deliver some of the opposition demands; saying that the immediate dissolving of parliament and standing down of the President on the signing of a peace deal would not be possible. Be he offered fresh elections in six months a year, or 18-months, saying: let the people be the ones to choose the right person and not have somebody who would impose himself. He said that the government was committed to finding a peace agreement, saying that there is nothing more precious than peace. Other precious things come around as a result of peace; not the other way around. You want prosperity in South Sudan - and we must have it - we need peace. A number of Anglican primates were present at the service, including Archbishop Stanley Ntagali from Uganda, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba from Southern Africa, Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje, from Rwanda, and Archbishop Ezekiel Kumir Kondo from the Anglican Communions newest province, Sudan. The Bishop at Lambeth, Tim Thornton, brought greetings from the Archbishop of Canterbury. During the service, tributes were paid to the recently retired Archbishop of South Sudan, Dr Daniel Deng Bul, and his wife and family. (ANSA) - Rome, April 23 - Italy on Monday gave Italian citizenship to terminally ill British toddler Alfie Evans so that he can hopefully be "immediately" moved to Italy from Liverpool, where doctors are set to pull the plug on him, the foreign ministry said. "Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano and Interior Minister Marco Minniti have granted citizenship to little Alfie," the ministry said. "In this way the Italian government hopes that being an Italian citizen will enable the immediate transfer of the child to Italy". Alfie is still fighting and has now become Italian, his father Tom said Monday. Tom Evans said outside the Liverpool hospital "my son belongs to Italy, I'm here and I'm staying here, I'll keep fighting like Alfie is continuing to fight." Speaking to people protesting against a British supreme court ruling to pull the plug, Evans said "I'll keep fighting for him" and said he was in touch with the Italian ambassador. "I love Alfie, I love Kate (his mother) and I won't give up," he said. Tom said that he and his wife were waiting for Alfano to call British opposite number Boris Johnson. "Alfie has been granted Italian citizenship, we are waiting for the Italian foreign minister to call Boris Johnson," said Evans. "Alfie belongs to Italy". Alfano and Johnson are at the Group of Seven foreign ministers' meeting in Toronto Monday. Anthony Hayden, the British appeals court judge who recently authorised the hospital to pull the plug on Alfie, has decided to have an "urgent" phone conversation this evening with the Italian lawyers helping the family in their bid to keep the terminally ill toddler on life support, sources close to Tom and Kate Evans said Monday after Italy granted the child Italian citizenship. It would be up to Alfie's parents to decide his fate if he were moved to Italy, deputy head of the national bioethics board (CNB), Maria Pia Garavaglia, told ANSA Monday. "In Italy, with the living will, we have an explicit law on end of life issues and, as far as minors are concerned, the holders of the right to choose are the parents," she said. "It is clear that with the acquisition of Italian citizenship Italian law will be applied, so it will be the parents that will decide," she said. The procedures to pull the plug on Alfie were briefly suspended Monday afternoon. Mariella Enoc, head of the Vatican's Bambino Gesu Hospital in Rome, said she had gone Monday to the Liverpool hospitalin order to bring Pope Francis's "closeness" to his parents. Meanwhile pro-life demonstrators tried to get into the Alder Hey Hospital but were blocked by police, as tension mounted on Monday. Hundreds of supporters of the parents gathered outside the hospital. "I spoke to the parents, I brought them the closeness of Pope Francis, but also of the many parents who find themselves in their situation," Enoc told ANSA, stressing that she had not been received by hoppital management. "The parents are not resigned, they are doing their utmost to slow the start of the procedure (of pulling the plug), but nothing more can be done," Enoc said. Alfie's parents on Friday made a fresh appeal to the European Court of Human Rights after Britain's Supreme Court rejected a plea to prevent doctors pulling the plug on him. But on Monday the ECHR rejected that appeal, finding in favour of the British judges. Last Monday Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano urged his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, to allow Alfie, who is suffering from an undiagnosed degenerative disease, to be transferred to medical facilities in Rome. Alfie's family is in a legal battle with Alder Hey, a children's hospital that says it is best to withdraw ventilation as his condition cannot be treated and has destroyed much of his brain. The boy's parents want to take him to Rome's Bambino Gesu' children's hospital, which is owned by the Vatican. Alfano asked for the parents' request to be granted to take the boy to the hospital in the Italian capital, "medical facilities of a very high level that accept him in on the base of an agreement". He noted, however, that "Alfie is a British citizen and Italy respects the decisions made in the framework of British national jurisdiction" and that "the British national healthcare system and medical standards are among the highest in the world". The Rome hospital has reportedly given the same prognosis but would be willing to perform a tracheotomy. (ANSA) - Rome, April 23 - Mariella Enoc, head of the Vatican's Bambino Gesu Hospital in Rome, said she had gone Monday to a Liverpool hospital where doctors are preparing to pull the plug on terminally ill toddler Alfie Evans in order to bring Pope Francis's "closeness" to his parents, who have been battling against court orders to withdraw treatment. "I spoke to the parents, I brought them the closeness of Pope Francis, but also of the many parents who find themselves in their situation," Enoc told ANSA. "The parents are not resigned, they are doing their utmost to slow the start of the procedure (of pulling the plug), but nothing more can be done," Enoc said. Alfie's parents on Friday made a fresh appeal to the European Court of Human Rights after Britain's Supreme Court rejected a plea to prevent doctors pulling the plug on him. Last Monday Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano urged his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, to allow Alfie, who is suffering from an undiagnosed degenerative disease, to be transferred to medical facilities in Rome. Alfie's family is in a legal battle with Alder Hey, a children's hospital that says it is best to withdraw ventilation as his condition cannot be treated and has destroyed much of his brain. The boy's parents want to take him to Rome's Bambino Gesu' children's hospital, which is owned by the Vatican. Alfano asked for the parents' request to be granted to take the boy to the hospital in the Italian capital, "medical facilities of a very high level that accept him in on the base of an agreement". He noted, however, that "Alfie is a British citizen and Italy respects the decisions made in the framework of British national jurisdiction" and that "the British national healthcare system and medical standards are among the highest in the world". The Rome hospital has reportedly given the same prognosis but would be willing to perform a tracheotomy. (ANSA) - Brescia, April 23 - Pakistani authorities are investigating the death of Sana Cheema, a 25-year-old Italian citizen of Pakistani descent. Cheema, who became an Italian citizen in September after living for years in the norther city of Brescia, had returned to her birth country two months ago where she died of "natural causes", according to reports from Pakistan. However, members of the Pakistani community in Italy have said she was "killed by her father and brother because she refused an arranged marriage". Local media outlets also said she had a boyfriend in Brescia. Raza Asif, the national secretary of the Pakistani community in Italy, on Sunday said prosecutors in the Pakistani district of Gujarat, where the young woman died, are investigating and "we will know the truth in 48 hours". The Italian foreign ministry is following the case through its embassy in Islamabad. Cheema had opened an automotive office in Brescia but shut it down at the end of last year. The Pakistani community in Brescia received a medical certificate stating that the young woman was taken to hospital on April 11 after feeling unwell, reportedly due to a heart attack. They also said that her father and brother had not been arrested, as previously claimed by unconfirmed reports. (ANSA) - Milan, April 23 - An elderly man who was attacked in front of his apartment building in Milan is in serious but stable condition, medical sources said Monday. A 29-year-old Romanian national has been arrested in connection with the attack after investigators watched footage from security cameras in front of the building. He faces charges of attempted murder and robbery. The victim was attacked last Friday morning but hospital staff only reported the attack to police the following day as they initially thought the man had fallen by accident. Video footage showed the elderly man being punched by an attacker with the same tattoo on his arm as the suspect, who has a police record and lives near the location of the attack, in Milan's Villa San Giovanni district, with his wife and children. (ANSA) - Milan, April 23 - An elderly man who was attacked in front of his apartment building in Milan is in serious but stable condition, medical sources said Monday. A 29-year-old Romanian national has been arrested in connection with the attack after investigators watched footage from security cameras in front of the building. He faces charges of attempted murder and robbery. The victim was attacked last Friday morning but hospital staff only reported the attack to police the following day as they initially thought the man had fallen by accident. Video footage showed the elderly man being punched by an Gaza: one dead in explosion, cause still unknown No Israeli airstrike was going on at the time, Ministry (ANSAmed) - GAZA, APRIL 23 - A 50-year-old Palestinian identified as Nimer al-Maqadme died on Monday in the northern part of the Gaza Strip in an explosion whose causes are still unknown, the health ministry in Gaza said. The interior ministry for its part said no Israeli strikes were ongoing at the time of the incident. On Sunday, another explosion in a military tunnel in Deir al-Balah (south of Gaza City), which was described as ''accidental'', killed a Hamas militant. (ANSAmed) TUNIS - The ''Italian Business Oscars'' have been awarded for the second time in Tabarka by the Tunisian-Italian chamber of trade and industry (Ctici), with the support of the Italian embassy in Tunis. The prizes are awarded to companies, institutions and individuals from Italy and Tunisia who have distinguished themselves in boosting economic and commercial relations between the two countries. The Oscar for the best project this year went to CAT-Colacem (an Italian c plant in Tunis) for its work on strategic and innovative projects. The prize for large companies went to the Prysman Group (former Pirelli Cavi). The Oscar for medium-sized and small firms went to Magic Yachts (ship builders) while the award for social engagement went to constructing company Pemabat, which chose to invest in Tunisia as the country was experiencing a financial crisis, showing long-term strategic vision. The investment prize went to Fiore (food, textile, shoes) while the prize of honor for a Tunisian business was won by Tunisie Profiles Aluminium - Groupe Bayahi, a Tunisian firm that worked to promote and boost commercial relations with Italy. A new initiative this year was the Oscar awarded to the ''best cultural project'' to the Concerto dei Cameristi della Scala, the Opera of Milan and Milan's Corale Lirica for the 33rd edition of the International festival of symphonic music in El Jem next July 7, promoted by the honorary counsel of Tunisia in Florence, Gualserio Zamperini, and sponsored by Hsc Holding, with the support of the Italian cultural institute in Tunis. Such a recognition was awarded to the project that best promoted cultural and artistic relations between Italy and Tunisia. Tourism undersecretary, Dorina Bianchi, and the Italian ambassador to Tunisia, Lorenzo Fanara, attended the ceremony, praising the role of Italy's 850 firms in Tunisia which employ some 60,000 people, representing about one-fourth of the total number of foreign-owned companies in the North African country. The ''Italian Business Oscars'' vie to help consolidate Italian-Tunisian relations and reaffirm Italy's good reputation in Tunisia. (ANSAmed) Migrants: 9,000 detained in Turkey in seven days Ankara, '350 apprehended at sea, 88 traffickers arrested' (ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, APRIL 23 - Turkish authorities have apprehended over the past week a reported 9,062 migrants and refugees who were trying to cross the border with the European Union or to enter the country without regular documents. They included 350 people who were intercepted at sea, the interior ministry said, adding that 88 suspected human traffickers were arrested over the same period. Ever since a controversial agreement two years ago with Brussels, the number of migrants and refugees who have been reaching every day the EU, especially Greece, from Turkey has plummeted from peaks of several thousands to an average of a few dozens. (ANSAmed) AMMAN - Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) called on the international community to scale-up healthcare funding for Syrian refugees in the region, warning that medical care in Jordan for Syrians is becoming out of reach due to recent fiscal measures by the government. "A recent decision in Jordan to increase public health care fees for Syrian refugees could impact their access to healthcare and lead to increased vulnerability,' said MSF in a statement. The cancellation of subsidized healthcare services for Syrian refugees living in Jordan earlier in February now means they must pay 80 per cent of the 'foreigner rate' for healthcare - a rate which increases the cost of public healthcare by two to five times. "We are concerned that Syrian families could start to de-prioritise seeking healthcare for themselves or their family members because of other needed living expenses, such as paying rent," said Brett Davis, MSF's Head of Mission in Jordan. "As adaptive measures, Syrians may resort to self-medication or other alternative less costly means that could be inadequate or even harmful." Syrians had already been experiencing difficulties in accessing basic healthcare since a previous decision in November 2014 to cancel free healthcare services for Syrians living outside refugee camps in Jordan. According to a health access survey conducted by MSF in 2016, 30.2% of adults needing medical care reported that they did not approach medical services with the main reason cited as unaffordable. This latest change will further exacerbate Syrians' vulnerability. Through talking to patients enrolled in its programmes, MSF has learned that a number of them are struggling to access healthcare because of the increased fees. The organization said that the greatest concern for many is being able to afford emergency healthcare or surgery, such as a caesarian section which now costs over 700JOD (803). The policy change has also driven more Syrians towards seeking free-of-charge healthcare, as a notable 20 per cent increase in the demand for MSF's maternity and primary healthcare programmes was seen in March. Some patients are travelling from further afield to find free services. "Ahead of the Brussels conference, MSF urges the international community to step up and guarantee healthcare funding for non-camp Syrian refugees in Jordan as a priority," said the organization. MSF will continue to monitor closely the health situation of the Syrian refugees and their health needs through our free-of-charge medical programmes in the country; our non-communicable diseases projects in Ramtha and Irbid; our maternity and neonatal hospital in Irbid; our mental health programme in Mafraq; primary healthcare support in Ramtha; and reconstructive surgery in Amman. Jordan is home to morethan 1.3 million Syrian refugees, who are living in main cities as well as in rural areas. (ANSAmed) Syria: 5 civilians dead in anti-ISIS raids - NGO Bombings want to induce islamic militants to evacuate region (ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, APRIL 23 - Five civilians have died in heavy bombardments carried out between Saturday and Sunday by Syrian government forces on two areas south of Damascus held by hundreds of ISIS militants, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports. The UK-based monitoring group was quoted by local media as saying that 11 civilians have died since the raids started on Thursday. The bombings are meant to induce ISIS militants to accept to be evacuated to other regions in the country still controlled by their organization. The targeted areas include the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk and the district Hajar al Aswad nearby. According to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the victims include two Palestinian civilians. (ANSAmed) Turkey says it plans to design and build a brand-new passenger aircraft midway through the coming decade. But, asks Alan Dron, what does this mean for its previously announced intentions to revive a 1980s design? The rapidly-expanding Turkish aerospace industry has undertaken multiple projects in recent years, from the Hurkus military turboprop trainer to the A129 ATAK combat helicopter. It is also developing many of the technologies required for a modern aerospace sector to successfully compete in world markets, and individual companies are now part of the international supply chains that provide components to the major aircraft manufacturers. One area it has not yet tackled is the civil airliner market. That sector is now on the horizon although a slightly distant one with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) chief executive, Temel Kotil, talking of developing a new-design 100-seat-plus aircraft for the world market. Kotil, the former head of Turkish Airlines, who took up his current role in 2016, said at the Dubai Air Show that TAIs intention was to create a clean-sheet-of-paper design. Since then, he has talked in Turkeys newspapers of an indigenously designed aircraft that would make extensive use of composites for both fuselage and wings and be powered by two as-yet-unspecified turbofans. Speaking to the Turkish press, Kotil said that TAI planned to start the design of the new aircraft within the companys current five-year plan. He made the point, however, that a significant part of TAIs design capacity was being taken up with the new Hurjet, a supersonic trainer and light attack aircraft for the Turkish Air Force. Other projects taking up manpower and design resources are a heavier version of the ATAK and a transport helicopter in the same class as the Sikorsky Black Hawk. Turkey and the UK have also signed an agreement by which BAE Systems will supply technical and engineering assistance to TAI in developing a new-generation air superiority fighter, the TFX. This heavy military workload, Kotil told Turkish newspaper Takvim, would take up much of TAIs capacity for the next few years. However, by 2022, not only would many of these projects be coming to fruition, but working on them would have given TAI several hundred increasingly experienced engineers and technicians, who would then be able to turn their skills to the new airliner project. The plans make no mention of the previously announced project to re-start production of the Dornier 328 in Turkey. In June 2015, the US-based Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced that it was forming a new Turkish subsidiary, TRJet, to serve Turkeys newly announced regional aircraft project (RAP). To do this, TRJet would produce a modernised version of the 30-seat 328, which went out of production after Dornier filed for bankruptcy in 2002. This would be a first step towards the production of what would become Turkeys domestically built passenger aircraft, the TRJ628, a largely new design in the 50 to 70-seat class. We are confident that TRJet, working with our partners in Turkey, and the commitment and support of those involved in the Turkish RAP, will be successful in producing aircraft that changes the face of transportation in Turkey, said SNC president, Eren Ozman, in a statement at the time. Over following weeks, it emerged that initially turbofan, then turboprop, versions of the 328 would be produced, with the Turkish Government indicating an initial requirement for up to 50 aircraft, to be used to establish a network of domestic routes between secondary Turkish cities. Further details emerged at 2016s Farnborough International Airshow, when TRJet said that, along with TAI, it was developing initial agreements to support the RAP. TRJet also announced a series of agreements with major suppliers for the new versions of the 328. These included plans for Pratt & Whitney Canada to use a new version of its PW127 engine to power TRJets TRP328 turboprop variant. Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics system was selected for both the turbofan and turboprop; Liebherr-Aerospace was to supply the aircrafts air management system, while Heggemann would build the main and nose landing gear. However, both TAI and SNC have declined to comment on the current status of the project. This week, the Cassatt String Quartet is having its annual Cassatt in the Basin residency, through which they bring the abiding principles of chamber music effective communication, responsibility to the group, mutual respect, and intimate musical expression to young people in West Texas. They began yesterday with a concert that included music by Melinda Wagner and Lev Ljova Zhurbin. They will conclude on Thursday with a side-by-side concert featuring my triple quartet Brio, performed with students from local high schools. Cassatt in the Basin commissioned Brio ten years ago. That is, a triple quartet was commissioned, with the idea that Cassatt would play it alongside eight high school students. I had had several opportunities to work with Cassatt over the years, so I had plenty of experience with their capacities, but I didnt know what the level of the students would be. Creating a piece that would be suitable for their strengths, while also taking advantage of the Cassatts skills was challenging, and I went back and forth with several ideas over several weeks. In the end, I wrote two pieces: Blossom and Brio, figuring I would choose one or the other when the time came. Then the time came, and I didnt know which to choose. So I sent both, and asked Cassatt to choose. True to typical quartet culture, two of them preferred Blossom and two of them preferred Brio. I guess we could call that a Texas Stand-Off. I dont actually remember how that all turned out, but somehow they chose one of them and premiered it. The reason I dont remember is because Ive been fortunate enough to have them play both of them a few times over the subsequent years. This Thursday evening they are doing Brio at least thats what I think they will play with students from Permian High School. Details here. Alidad Tash has been in the gaming industry since 2000, starting on the Las Vegas strip at the Venetian and continuing on to Macau 12 years ago. He was on the opening team at Venetian Macao, the first Cotai property, leading the analytics department. While there, he popularized the now-ubiquitous No Commission Baccarat. Alidad moved on to City of Dreams in 2010, later opening Studio City, while overseeing 5,000-plus employees as the SVP of Gaming Operations & Strategy. During his six-years there, City of Dreams became the ultimate premium mass destination in Macau, featuring the highest hold percentage and win per unit in mass table games. Alidad is currently SVP, Gaming & Strategy at 2nt8 Limited, a consultancy specializing in Asian gaming. Alidad has obtained two masters degrees, in Mechanical Engineering from UC Santa Barbara and Statistics from USC. Prior to joining the casino industry, he worked in the medical statistics and credit card industry. Several Thailand-based companies which are operating in India plan to invest around USD 3 billion in the next three years. Several Thailand-based companies which are operating in India plan to invest around USD 3 billion in the next three years period in the areas of green and brown field projects including energy, infrastructure and metals. (Photo: Pexels) Mumbai: Several Thailand-based companies which are operating in India plan to invest around USD 3 billion in the next three years period in the areas of green and brown field projects including energy, infrastructure and metals. "The Thailand based companies see good opportunity here and are looking to invest around USD 3 billion by 2020. The fast growing Indian market remains attractive for Thai investors given the opportunities in green and brown field projects including energy, infrastructure and metals," Thai Trade Center executive director and consul Suwimol Tilokruangchai told PTI here. "We are looking towards India with a great interest from last seven decades and plans to enhance the bi-lateral trade thanks to the positive approach of both the Thai and Indian governments," she added. Over the decades, nearly 30 Thai companies are active in the field of infrastructure, real estate, food processing, chemicals, hotel and hospitality sectors in India. Currently, Thai goods have benefited from the second FTA agreement with 10 members of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region with India. Thailand holds the second largest economy in the region. Since the Thailand too falls under ASEAN group, Indian traders and importers can benefit from these FTA, Suwimol added. The Thai government has also invited Indian companies to investment in the growth of Thailand. At present around 40 Indian companies have made an investment of around USD 2 billion in the areas of software, agri chemicals, electric car development in Thailand. Leading Indian companies include, Tata Motors (Thailand), Tata Steel Thailand, TCS, The Aditya Birla group, Mahindra Satyam, Lupin, NIIT, Kirloskar Bothers, Punj Lloyd group, Ashok Leylands, Jindal group and Usha Siam Steel Industries are active in Thailand. The Department of International Trade Promotion Ministry of Commerce, Thailand and Thai Trade Centre Mumbai, has organized a three day Thailand Week 2018 in June this year, Suwimol said. Bilateral trade between the two countries has multiplied eight times since 2000 to reach USD 10 billion in 2017. Suggesting measures to be taken up by the government, Suwimol said "It is essential for both countries to encourage the private sectors to make investments in infrastructure and manufacturing in each others' country." "The two governments should provide a supportive environment and a predictable, encouraging and comprehensive legal and taxation framework. Similarly, more Special Economic Zone (SEZ) should be set up by governments of both the countries to encourage more investment and built better trade relationships," she added. The campaign will be launched from the Talkatora stadium in Delhi today, will continue till April 14, 2019. Seen as the Congress party's effort to reach out to the Dalit community ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the campaign launch is expected to be attended by Manmohan Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and Sushil Kumar Shinde among others. (Photo: Facebook/Rahul Gandhi) New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi will launch his party's nationwide 'Save the Constitution' campaign on Monday, aiming to highlight the alleged attacks on the Constitution and Dalits in recent times. Seen as the Congress party's effort to reach out to the Dalit community ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the campaign launch is expected to be attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, party general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, its senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Sushil Kumar Shinde among others. The campaign, which will be launched from the Talkatora stadium in Delhi on Monday, will continue till April 14, 2019 - the birth anniversary of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar. Congress' present and former Dalit lawmakers, those holding offices in zilla parishad, civic bodies and panchayat samitis, the party's office-bearers attached to its regional units will also attend the event, aimed at sensitising the attendees on the current state of affairs with regard to the community. The attendees are expected to take the message forward, holding similar campaigns in states to reach out to the Dalit community members, sources in the party told news agency PTI. "Ever since the RSS-supported BJP came to power at the centre, the Indian Constitution has been under severe attack, in one form or the other, thereby, denying the marginalised sections of society their constitutional rights," chairman of Congress' Scheduled Castes department Nitin Raut alleged in a statement. Adding to his allegation, he accused, "The BJP-RSS combine is set to dismantle the social security available for SCs, STs and other weaker sections. The RSS ideology attacks the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. This would be countered by Congress Party." Raut also hit out at the central government over the Supreme Court's March 20 verdict allegedly diluting stringent provisions mandating immediate arrest under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act. Raut accused the government of "intentional failure" to place before the Supreme Court background and relevant facts relating to the act "holistically". "The action of the government is in itself an atrocity on the SCs and STs," he claimed. Another party leader, wishing not to be named, told that "The community is being denied opportunities in spheres of education and jobs. The programme aims to highlight these issues nationwide." Dalits form roughly 17 per cent of the country's electorate. There are 84 parliamentary seats reserved for candidates belonging to the scheduled castes. The BJP had bagged nearly half of the seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, reflecting on its success in politically key states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The group, which is waiting for an approval from the Election Commission, has named their outfit Bahujan Azad Party. All set with a poster which has pictures of BR Ambedkar, Subhas Chandra Bose and APJ Abdul Kalam, among others, the party has already begun a social media campaign. (Photo: Facebook | Bahujan Azad Party) New Delhi: A group of 50 alumni from the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country have quit their jobs to form a political party to fight for the rights of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. The group, which is waiting for an approval from the Election Commission, has named their outfit Bahujan Azad Party. We are a bunch of 50 people, all from different IITs, who have quit our full-time jobs to work for the party. We have applied to the Election Commission for an approval and are meanwhile doing ground work, Naveen Kumar, a 2015 IIT Delhi graduate, who is leading the group, told PTI. The party members, however, do not wish to jump the gun and aim for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. We do not wish to do a hurried job and end up being reduced to just one of those small political outfits with big ambitions. We will begin with contesting the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections and then aim for the next Lok sabha polls, Kumar said. The group, which includes members mostly from the SC, ST and OBC communities, feels that the backward classes have not received their due in terms of education and employment. All set with a poster which has pictures of BR Ambedkar, Subhas Chandra Bose and APJ Abdul Kalam, among others, the party has already begun a social media campaign. Once we have the registration, we will form small units of the party which will start working on the ground for our target groups. We also do not wish to pitch ourselves as a rival of any political party or ideology, Kumar added. The 36-year-old duchess traveled by car to the private Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in central London. LONDON:The Duchess of Cambridge entered a London hospital Monday in labor with what will be the third child for her and husband Prince William, Britain's Kensington Palace said. The 36-year-old duchess traveled by car to the private Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in central London. The palace said she was in "the early stages of labor." William and Kate married in 2011 and have two other children: Prince George, 4, and Princess Charlotte, who turns 3 next month. Both were born at the same hospital, as were William and his younger brother Prince Harry. The baby, whose gender has not been announced, will be Queen Elizabeth II's sixth great-grandchild and fifth in line to the throne, after grandfather Prince Charles, father Prince William and the two older siblings. The new arrival bumps Prince Harry to sixth place in the line of succession. The 36-year-old duchess, formerly Kate Middleton, carried out her last official engagement on March 22 before going on maternity leave. No exact due date has been given, with officials only saying that the baby was due in April. As in her previous pregnancies, Kate suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness. Officials announced both her previous pregnancies before the traditional 12-week mark because she was too unwell to attend public engagements. Television crews, journalists and royal fans have set up camp outside the hospital for the "royal baby watch" since early April in anticipation of the arrival. Many are betting on a traditional royal name for the baby, with bookmakers saying Mary, Alice, Arthur and James are the most popular guesses. Queen Elizabrth, who turned 92 on April 21, is first UK monarch to ever celebrate sapphire jubilee, which marked her 65-year reign in 2017. From being the first-ever head of state to open not one, but two Olympic Games to being the first ever royal to make a transatlantic telephone call, here are lesser known details on Queen Elizabeth II. (Photo: AP) Queen Elizabeth II is not only the longest-reigning British monarch in history; she is also the longest-reigning current monarch in the world. Queen Elizabrth, who turned 92 on April 21 is the first UK monarch to ever celebrate a sapphire jubilee, which marked her 65-year reign in 2017. Here's a look at some surprising facts about Queen Elizabeth II: Elizabeth was a favourite of her grandfather, King George V: According to biographer William Shawcross, the UK monarch made for a surprisingly playful figure who loved to play games with his first female grandchild. British politician Winston Churchill also reportedly described her as a character. The Queen has at least two family nicknames 'Lilibet' and 'cabbage': Shawcross wrote in Queen and Country: The Fifty-year Reign of Elizabeth II that her grandfather coined 'Lilibet'. The family nickname also may have arisen from the way Queen Elizabeth II pronounced her own name as a small child. Also, the queen's husband Prince Philip also may affectionately refer to her as 'cabbage' possibly a twist on the popular French pet name 'mon petit chou', which means both 'my little cabbage' and 'my little pastry puff'. Elizabeth II reportedly made the first ever royal transatlantic telephone call in 1939: The 13-year-old called her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, who were touring Canada at the time, according to I Never Knew That About Royal Britain Queen Elizabeth reportedly fell in love with Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark when she was 13: Fifty Years the Queen: A Tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Her Golden Jubilee authors Arthur Bousfield and Garry Toffoli mark the summer of 1939 as the beginning of her romantic interest; the then-18-year-old Royal Navy midshipman escorted Elizabeth and her sister Margaret on a tour of the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. For her 1953 coronation, the Queen's coronation gown featured symbolic embroidery that reflected the Commonwealth at the time: Biographer Robert Lacey wrote in Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II that the dress featured the English rose, the Scottish thistle, the Irish shamrock, the Welsh leek, the Australian wattle, the Canadian maple leaf, the New Zealander silver fern, the South African protea, the Indian and Ceylonese lotus flowers, and the Pakistani jute. The Queen was the victim of one of the worst royal security breaches in modern history: According to BBC, on the night of July 9, 1982, she awoke to discover Michael Fagan in her bedroom, the BBC reported. Fagan had reportedly managed to dodge guards and electronic alarms, according to UPI. A security alarm that the queen pressed didn't go off, as it wasn't properly set up. A footman who had been out walking the Queen's corgis subsequently returned and subdued Fagan. Queen Elizabeth is the first-ever head of state to open not one, but two Olympic Games in two different countries: Queen Elizabeth helped kick off the 1976 Montreal Games and also made a splashy appearance in the 2012 Summer Games, starring with James Bond actor Daniel Craig in an action-packed short film run during the opening games. The finances of Queen Elizabeth and her son and heir Prince Charles were scrutinised after their names appeared in the leaked Paradise Papers: The leak revealed that millions of dollars from The Duchy of Lancaster and The Duchy of Cornwall private estates belonging to the royals had been invested offshore. Here is what a new study has found. Houston: Using wearable devices such as Google Glass for texting while driving may be just as dangerous as sending messages with an ordinary cell phone, a study led by an Indian-origin scientist has found. Researchers led by Murtuza Jadliwala, an assistant professor at The University of Texas at San Antonio in the US recruited about 20 volunteers on a university campus. They used a driving simulator in a laboratory that included a three-screen display, a wheel and pedals. Student volunteers were tasked with "driving" in the simulator, using either a smart phone or Google Glass, an optical head-mounted display designed in the shape of a pair of eyeglasses. Jadliwala and his collaborators sent the participants text messages and challenged them to drive safely while receiving and responding to the messages. The simulator recorded deviations in the steering wheel and whether the volunteers drifted out of their lane. "We found that the Google Glass distracts the driver slightly less. But that also gave the participants a false sense of safety," Jadliwala said. Because the wearable device responded quicker and used voice-activated controls, the drivers noticed the increased efficiency but also were more likely to engage with the device, which negated the marginal safety difference between the smart phone and the wearable device. While Google stopped producing Google Glass in 2015, wearable technology is becoming increasingly popular, researchers said. Jadliwala noted that wrist wearables such as Apple Watch has been very successful and that more modern head-mounted displays like Google Glass are in development. "Its important to keep asking these questions as technology becomes a bigger part of our everyday lives," he said. "A wearable device feels more accessible because its on your body, which is why its important to study how it could impact tasks like driving," Jadliwala said. "The research on evaluating the influence of technology on consumer safety and privacy is timely and significant," said Rajendra Boppana from The University of Texas. More than a quarter of car accidents reported each year are attributed to some form of distraction among drivers, often the result of talking or texting while driving, researchers said. The victim, Savita, was married to Vinod (42) and their children are 15, 14 and 13 years of age, police said. The couple had frequent fights and this morning during one such fight Vinod picked up a hammer and hit her on the head multiple times, the police said. (Photo: File | Representational) New Delhi: A 38-year-old woman was bludgeoned to death allegedly by her husband in the presence of their three children on Monday morning in outer Delhi's Mangolpuri, police said. The victim, Savita, was married to Vinod (42) and their children are 15, 14 and 13 years of age, they said. The couple had frequent fights and this morning during one such fight Vinod picked up a hammer and hit her on the head multiple times, the police said. He fled from the spot as the children raised an alarm and informed their neighbours. The woman was rushed to a hospital where she was declared brought dead. Police have registered a case and are on the lookout for the accused, they added. After hearing the submissions, the court held that while there was no case of threatening and cheating, the cases were quashed. Mumbai: The Bombay high court has reduced the 10-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) sentence of a person convicted for the rape of a 14-year-old to a seven-year term on the ground that the sexual intercourse was consensual and not forced as the girl was fully aware of the act and did not raise a hue and cry when the incident took place. The court held that though it was consensual sex, the man has to undergo punishment as having intercourse with a 14-year-old as per law amounts to rape. Incidentally, the man has already completed almost seven years of imprisonment and is expected to be released soon in light of this order. A bench of justice A.M. Badar was hearing an appeal filed by the convict against three sentences passed by the additional sessions court in 2013. The sessions court had sentenced him to undergo RI for various periods, which included ten years RI for raping a minor, six months RI for threatening her and one years RI for cheating. Advocate Umesh Mohite appearing for the convict informed the court that as per the statements of the prosecutrix she was in a love affair with the convict and as she had indulged in sexual intercourse with the man after he promised to marry her, there was no grounds for rape. Mr Mohite also informed the court that as the complaints against his client were lodged belatedly, 16 days from the last time the duo shared intimate moments, the intentions behind the complaint were questionable. He also informed the court that the prosecutrix had made a similar complaint against a doctor in 2014. After hearing the submissions, the court held that while there was no case of threatening and cheating, the cases were quashed. However as the convict had intercourse with a 14-year-girl he was liable to undergo punishment. The court held that as the convict had already been behind bars since 2012, the ten-year sentence was reduced to seven years and disposed the appeal. The Ganeshpuri police have already registered a case against the unidentified persons under section 302 of the IPC. Mumbai: Sachin Sawant, a former deputy shakha pramukh of the Shiv Sena was shot dead in Kurars Gokul Nagar area, Malad, on Sunday evening by unknown persons. The unidentified shooters shot three rounds at Sawant and then fled from the spot on a two-wheeler. Sawant was rushed to the nearest civic-run hospital in Malad, where he was declared dead on arrival. The police has held one person for questioning. This is the third incident of a Sainik being shot dead. Earlier, on April 7, two Sena leaders Sanjay Kotkar (35) and Vasant Thube (40) were shot and stabbed to death in the Kedgaon area of Ahmednagar, followed by the brutal murder of Sena worker, Shailesh Nimse from Bhiwandi taluka on Thursday. Meanwhile, the initial probe into the murder of Nimse, who was set ablaze in Bhiwandi in a bid to prevent his identification, has revealed that there were two masked men seen escorting him to the location where his body was found on Friday morning. The police have not identified the masked accused yet and will be questioning the family to check if he received any death threats or had animosity with somebody. Shiv Sena's Shahapur sub-divisional head Shailesh Nimse had gone missing late on Thursday night from his residence after he stepped out of his house to attend a phone call. Hours later on Friday morning, his dead body was found in a partially burnt state at Devchola near Digha in Bhiwandi taluka. According to the sources in Ganeshpuri police station, they have laid hands on the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage of an area near Devchola, where two masked men were seen escorting Nimse from the seat adjacent to the driver. However the police did not obtain the footage of the exactly where he was found dead. The police have initiated a lookout for the two unidentified accused. The Ganeshpuri police have already registered a case against the unidentified persons under section 302 of the IPC. Ms Mays government speaks in so many voices that everyone is confused. Perhaps this is intentional. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was still in London when British Prime Minister Theresa May gave what is described as a secret intelligence briefing to the Prime Ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand, the only countries left in the Commonwealth that can still be called white, at the National Cyber Security Centre. One understandable reason for excluding the Indian PM from this highly sensitive event could have been Mr Modis refusal to explicitly blame Russia for using chemical weapons in Syria and Salisbury, as the three Caucasian premiers did with Cold War gusto. Another could be the insistence on more work visas for Indians. Ms May must resent the attempt to burden her with the problem of people whom India educates but cant find jobs for. The over-arching reason is that despite gullible Indians imagining the Prime Minister was treated to special privileges during the recent Commonwealth summit, he is not family for her the way Malcolm Turnbull, Justin Trudeau and Jacinda Ardern (leaders of Australia, Canada and New Zealand respectively) are. Ms Mays ideal would probably be the plan for a two-tier Commonwealth attributed to Sir Robert Menzies, Australian Prime Minister from 1939 to 1941 and 1949 to 1966, and the last defender of the White Australia policy. According to Menzies the real Commonwealth would be an inner group of White dominions. In those days that meant not only Australia, Canada and New Zealand, but also South Africa and the two Rhodesias. Ms May seems to go through the motions of universalism pleasantly enough. She wouldnt quarrel with the lead editorial in the Times which urged her last week to woo India to buy the British goods that cant be exported to the European Union after the divorce. On the eve of the summit she apologised to Caribbean politicians (whom she had earlier refused to meet) for her governments monstrous treatment of the children of West Indians who were welcomed in 1948 when Britain was desperately short of manpower. A cartoon in the rival Daily Telegraph showed her saying Stay as long as you like to an assembly of Africans, Asians and West Indians, while the prompter on the lectern before her read Now Clear Out. It appeared on the 92nd birthday of Queen Elizabeth who has never been accused of the slightest whiff of racism. Robust turban-wearing Indian dancers performed at Her Majestys birthday party at the Royal Albert Hall, reminding watchers of Boris Johnsons acid comment that the Queen loves nothing better than cheering crowds of flag- waving piccaninnies. One interpretation of the Telegraph cartoon could be the muted tussle between migrants from the EU and the Commonwealth. Ms May has reiterated that the Conservatives have not changed their target of cutting the number of immigrants to less than one lakh a year by 2022. What no one knows for sure is whether this will mean slashing the EU or Commonwealth quota. Ms Mays government speaks in so many voices that everyone is confused. Perhaps this is intentional. Both Michael Gove and Priti Patel, present and former members of her government, have hinted immigrants from the Commonwealth will be given priority. But the minister in charge of exiting the EU, David Davis, seems to want exactly the opposite. Employers are assured they neednt worry about the prospect of losing European plumbers, electricians, handymen and other workers. Bangladeshi restaurant owners were similarly given to understand that immigration curbs would not starve the curry industry of skilled chefs from the subcontinent. Uncertainty threatens to continue till the end of the year for that is when home minister Amber Rudd has promised a white paper on the governments immigration policy. Confusion Dissimulation? has a long lineage. The 1948 West Indians came on the back of the British Nationality Act 1948 which conferred United Kingdom citizenship on colonial subjects. Then came the 1961 immigration law which was colour blind in its wording but was intended to operate on coloured people almost exclusively, according to R.A. Butler, whom some called the best Prime Minister Britain never had. The so-called working holidaymaker rules Edward Heath introduced in 1973 benefited mostly those who are White members of the Commonwealth, from Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The Labour Opposition at the time denounced the rules as cruel and brutal anti-colour legislation. Ms Mays avowed aim in 2012, when she was home minister, of creating a really hostile environment for illegal migration inevitably ensured the atmosphere was really hostile for all Afro-Asian-Caribbean visitors. It still is. It often seems as if immigration officials are specially instructed to be unpleasant to all Asians and Africans. Even some White EU citizens find the environment hostile. The Commonwealth caravan was packing its tents when the 1959 star-studded film version of John Osbornes Look Back in Anger was screened on British TV. Since India was a living reality for the English in 1956 when Osborne wrote the play, some of the references are not at all surprising. The Indian stall-holder Kapoor (played by S.P. Kapoor), for instance, says he believes in justice but doesnt expect it for himself. When Jimmy Porter (Richard Burton) asks why he came to Britain to be insulted and humiliated, Kapoor replies simply that as an Untouchable, he was beyond the pale in India. Some might object Kapoor doesnt sound like a dalit name. Others will claim that Indian conditions have changed since Osborne wrote the play. But the fundamentals remain unchanged. If Ms May is guilty of duplicity over Afro-Asian immigrants, Mr Modi is guilty of exposing his people to her wiles. Someone should advise him its demeaning for Indias Prime Minister to plead cap-in-hand with his British colleague for jobs for Indians whom India cant feed. Reports of Samsung delaying the Oreo update for the S7 and S7 Edge have been obtained in Turkey. When it comes to rolling out the latest Android updates, Samsung likes to take some considerable time to release the latest software for their older handsets. Last years flagship Galaxy S8 and Note 8 started receiving the Oreo update earlier this year, which was almost 6 months after Google released it to the market. Samsung also promised to roll out the Oreo update for it 2016s flagship Galaxy S7 series soon after, but the update hasnt rolled out yet and is expected to take some more time before reaching the consumers. According to reports from guncelmiyiz, the Oreo builds for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are still retained in the test phase. As per internal reports, the new release date for Oreo update will be approximately around 18 May. This still isnt a confirmed date, which means that theres a high uncertainty of this not being the final release date. Additionally, the date mentioned in this report refers to S7 units in Turkey, which means other global units of S7 could witness further delays. Along with the S7 and S7 edge, the Oreo update schedule for the Galaxy Tab S3 9.7-inch LTE has also been scheduled for May 18. The Galaxy A3 2017, Galaxy A5 2017 and Galaxy A7 2017 are also expected to receive the Oreo update by the first week of June. (source) US authorities last week banned American companies from sales to ZTE for seven years. The US Commerce Department has granted a request from ZTE to submit more evidence after the agency imposed the ban, a senior Commerce official said. Chinas ZTE is seeking a resolution to a US ban on selling it parts and software that it has said threatens its survival. ZTE has learnt from its past experiences on export control compliance and attaches significant importance to the work on export control compliance, the mobile phone and telecoms company said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. ZTE is making active communications with relevant parties and seeking a solution to the US export denial order, it added in the statement. US authorities last week banned American companies from sales to ZTE for seven years, saying the Chinese company had broken a settlement agreement with repeated false statements - a move that threatens to cut off ZTEs supply chain. The action was sparked by ZTEs violation of an agreement that was reached after it was caught illegally shipping US goods to Iran. ZTE said it had set up a compliance management committee led by its chief executive officer. It also said it had invested in export control compliance, provided compliance training to staff and cooperated with the work of independent compliance monitors, the company added. The US Commerce Department has granted a request from ZTE to submit more evidence after the agency imposed the ban, a senior Commerce official said. Australian media groups, like their peers worldwide, are losing circulation and advertising revenues to digital competitors. The competition commission is expected to publish its preliminary report in December, with the final report due in mid-2019. Tech giant Facebook has opposed calls by Australian media companies for digital platforms to be regulated, amid an inquiry into their impact on competition in news and advertising markets. The government tasked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission earlier this year with assessing whether platforms such as Facebook and Google were using their market power in commercial dealings to the detriment of users, news media and advertisers. Australian media groups, like their peers worldwide, are losing circulation and advertising revenues to digital competitors. Australian media tycoon Kerry Stokes, the head of major commercial broadcaster Seven, urged Canberra to take "serious action" against the two online titans. "The government must act decisively to curtail the frightening power and influence these companies have," Stokes told The Australian newspaper. "The duopoly of Facebook and Google now control over 80 per cent of the global digital ad market, taking away advertising dollars from local media without any of the controls and rules we must adhere to, creating an uneven playing field." The industry body representing commercial free-to-air television networks, Free TV Australia, echoed such views in its submission, saying the two companies were virtual monopolies but had "very little regulatory oversight". The inquiry comes at a sensitive time for Facebook, which has come under fire globally after it admitted that the personal data of up to 87 million people worldwide including more than 300,000 Australians were improperly shared with a British political consultancy. Facebook said in its submission to the inquiry that rapid technological changes such as media digitalisation "makes them a challenging subject for regulatory intervention". The American firm added that "consumers often have the most to gain from market disruptions caused by technological change and the most to lose from interventions that are designed to protect particular business models from the effects of those changes". Google, which released its submission to the inquiry, said it was consumers who would determine the future of news and added that it partnered with publishers such Australia's Fairfax Media to support access to information. "Changes in consumer and marketing behaviour have profound implications for traditional news business models. But they do not mean the death of journalism," Google Australia managing director Jason Pellegrino said in a statement. The competition commission is expected to publish its preliminary report in December, with the final report due in mid-2019. The move has stoked tensions and uncertainty among signatories to the deal, which also include Canada. The EU and Mexico released a statement, about an 'agreement in principle' over trade, from EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom (L), Mexico Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal (R). (Photo: AFP) Mexico City: The EU and Mexico said Saturday they had reached an "agreement in principle" to modernise a free-trade deal sealed in 2000 between Brussels and the Latin American country. "Our negotiators will now continue their work to resolve the remaining technical issues and finalise the full legal text so that our citizens and enterprises can start reaping its benefits as soon as possible," said a statement co-signed by EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, her agriculture counterpart Phil Hogan, and Mexico's Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal. The agreement is seen as sending a strong signal to US President Donald Trump who in 2017 launched renegotiations of what he has previously referred to as Mexico's "cash cow" -- the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The move has stoked tensions and uncertainty among signatories to the deal, which also include Canada. The EU and Mexico said their agreement had been reached after "months of intense negotiations". "This will contribute to making our trade relationship fit to face the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century," the statement said. "The European Union and Mexico stand together for open, fair and rules-based trade." The parties did not reveal further details of the deal, or specify whether it needs to be approved by the European Parliament. Negotiating teams had begun final discussions in Brussels on Monday, with the deal being modelled on a recently agreed trade deal between Canada and the EU. Earlier this week, the EU said it was leading the defence of free trade in the face of US "protectionism" as it also unveiled plans to fast-track deals with Japan and Singapore. Authorities say David Lynch's victims were as young as 6 years old and that he posted videos online dating back to 2005. Fort Myers: A Florida man has been sentenced to 330 years in prison on child pornography charges after authorities say he took sex tourism trips to the Philippines and made and posted videos of sexual encounters he had with young children. Authorities say David Lynch's victims were as young as 6 years old and that he posted videos online dating back to 2005. The Venice man was arrested in 2016 attempting to board a flight to the Philippines. Prosecutors say at least one of the trips was arranged by the mother of one of the young victims. They say Lynch also has two young children living in the Philippines. Lynch was convicted in late 2017 and sentenced this week. The Fort Myers News-Press reports that besides the lengthy sentence, the judge ordered Lynch to forfeit his bayfront home. The Hindu nationalist parliamentarian claims Congress party is controlled of Christian missionaries. Thanks to the work of Christian missionaries and their conversions, democracy in India is "weakened". Missionaries "plots" behind the vandalism against a statue of the Dalit Bhim Rao Ambedkar, father of the Indian Constitution. Ballia (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Christian missionaries are a threat to the unity and integrity of the nation. Thanks to them, democracy in India has been weakened. This is what was stated yesterday to some journalists by the nationalist parliamentarian of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), Bharat Singh of Ballia (Uttar Pradesh). Singh claims "Christian missionaries control the Congress [the secular party, in opposition]. Sonia Gandhi, the mother of Congress president Rahul Gandhi works according to the indications of these missionaries. These missionaries are a threat to the unity of the nation ". The Ballia MP also said that democracy in the North-East states has been "weakened" because of the "conversion of people from there to Christianity". "The Northeast - he said - is under the influence of Christian missionaries. Democracy has weakened due to the conversion of people to Christianity. The conspiracy plots put in place by these missionaries are a threat to the country ". According to Singh, Christian missionaries are also behind the vandalistic assaults of the statues of Bhim Rao Ambedkar, a Dalit, the main architect of the Indian Constitution. The cardinal concluded the four-day visit to Doha. He officially started the construction of the first Maronite church in the country. Al-Thani emphasizes the importance of "coexistence" between different faiths. A volume for the national library of Qatar on the roots of Christianity. The appeal to expatriate fellow citizens: Do not be afraid to take risks. Doha (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Maronite Patriarch Card. Bechara Rai yesterday concluded a four-day pastoral visit to Doha, where he laid the foundation stone for the construction of the future church of Saint Charbel. This is the first place of worship in the emirate for the Maronite community; it stands on land offered by the Qatari authorities. Before returning to Beirut, the head of the Maronite Church was received by the Emir of Qatar Tamim ben Hamad al-Thani and by the foreign minister (and vice-prime minister) Mohammad ben Abdel Rahman al-Thani. Previously the cardinal had met Prime Minister and Interior Minister Abdallah ben Khalifa al-Thani. The cardinal and the leaders of the emirate - for almost a year at the center of a very harsh confrontation with other Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - have deepened bonds between the two realities, with special attention dedicated to the almost 30 thousand Lebanese residents in Doha. While in the capital the cardinal also visited the Islamic museum and participated in a gala dinner offered by the Lebanese ambassador in his honor. In the context of the event, he launched an appeal for participation in the general elections on May 6 . "The leaders of Qatar want to visit Lebanon - said the head of the Maronite Church at the conclusion of the visit - and the emir promised to settle the issue concerning residence permits" for the Lebanese who want to move to the emirate. The cardinal renewed his thanks to the leaders of the country, for offering land for the construction of the church. In turn, the Emir of Qatar al-Thani called the cardinal's visit to the country "successful". He also underlined "the importance of coexistence among the different religions in the Arab world", defining it as a "unique peculiarity" of its kind. Card. Rai, accompanied by the bishops Boulos Sayyah and Samir Mazloum, described the journey as an essential moment of "rapprochement" between Lebanon and Qatar. Speaking of the laying of the foundation stone, the cardinal added that "the saints draw people close. The Emir knows well that Saint Charbel will strengthen the bonds of friendship between Lebanon and Qatar ". He gave a precious volume to the national library of Qatar entitled "The roots of Christianity", which is added to the million volumes that enrich the cultural centre. Before leaving the country, Card. Rai called on his fellow citizens who live and work in Qatar to launch new projects, without being afraid of possible risks. "Do not be afraid of the projects you want to start. Launch them - the prelate concluded - even with small sums, even with only one dollar". by Santosh Digal Under the Parish Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), volunteers will act as independent observers. Barangay elected officials implement and monitor locally all government programmes. Manila (AsiaNews) Parishes in the Philippines 86 Catholic dioceses have begun recruiting Catholic volunteers for upcoming local elections. On 14 May, residents in more than 42,000 Barangay (wards) the countrys smallest administrative division will elect their own Punong Barangay (chairperson), Sangguniang Barangay (council) and Sangguniang Kabataan (youth assembly) ). Under the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), a faith-based watchdog, volunteers will act as independent observers to ensure free and fair elections. "There are always possibilities to rig elections or manipulate by the political elite, the wealthy and the influential in the country, be it local or national, said Roberto Reys, a parishioner of Holy Family in Kamias, diocese of Cubao, speaking to AsiaNews. As free citizens of the country, Filipinos need to promote and foster free and fair elections. With the collaboration of PPCRV, which is a national parish-based political but non-partisan lay movement that works assiduously for clean, honest, accurate, meaningful, and peaceful elections, we are committed to helping the forthcoming elections to be good," Reys added. In recent days, in various dioceses, bishops have urged Catholics to vote for honest, committed and responsible candidates dedicated to the common good. The heads and members of village and youth councils are tasked with implementing and monitoring all government programmes for the public at the local level. by Shafique Khokhar Asthma Yaqood was 25 and worked as a beautician. She rejected Rizwan Gujjar's marriage proposal, who also wanted her to convert to Islam. In recent months, there have been five acid attacks against members of minorities. Sialkot (AsiaNews) A 25-year-old Christian woman, Asma Yaqoob, died in Lahore after she was attacked and disfigured with acid. Her only fault was to have spurned a 30-year-old Muslim man named Rizwan Gujjar. From Sialkot, the young woman succumbed yesterday to her injuries, after two weeks of agony. "Minority women face double discrimination, or if you like, various layers of prejudice, said Aila Gill, coordinator of the National Commission for Justice and Peace, speaking to AsiaNews. The government should take immediate notice of all these growing incidents of intolerance against minorities. Forced conversion of religious minorities should be criminalised and the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Act should be enforced to prevent these crimes against women. Asma had been employed as a beautician for two years and was proud of her job. Her brother Nabeel, 23, works as a banner printer at Panaflex where he became a close friend of Rizwan, a Muslim. In the past few months Rizwan became a regular visitor at the Yacoob house, and befriended Asma, and eventually fell in love with her. About three months ago he asked her to marry him and convert to Islam, but she refused both requests. In order to avoid problems for her brother, she did not tell her family. But after the refusal, the young Muslim becomes aggressive and violent towards her. She tried to avoid him and ignore him whenever he visited the family. On 10 April, Rizwan's anger and frustration boiled over. He went to Pak Pura town where Asma had gone to work on the hair of a number of women who were preparing for a wedding. Claiming to be her brother, Rizwan got Asma to come out to of the house where he attacked her, dousing her with acid and setting her on fire, before running away. Asmas screams attracted the relatives of the future bride, who rushed her to the nearest hospital. She was later transferred to the burn unit of the Mayo Hospital in Lahore. But the doctors could not save the young woman, who had burns over 90 per cent body. Ms Gill noted that the aggression suffered by the young woman "is the fifth episode of its kind against the minorities of Pakistan in recent months. We are witnessing a worrying increase in violence and incidents of intolerance and extremism in our country. It's so strange that a woman cannot say 'no' to a marriage proposal." by Nirmala Carvalho BJP politician Bharat Singh said that Christian missionaries are a threat to the unity and integrity of India. Since 2014, when Narendra Modi's party took office, hate speech has grown by 490%. Mumbai (AsiaNews) - "It is biased, divisive and false". With these words Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) roundly condemns the statements of Bharat Singh, a member of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party, Hindu nationalist party) and elected in Parliament in Ballia constituency, Uttar Pradesh. On April 21st he declared to the cameras that "Christian missionaries are a threat to the unity and integrity of India" and that the Congress party "is controlled by them". According to Sajan K George, these statements have "one intent: to sow discord among religious communities". The president of the GCIC complains that "since 2014 [that is, since the BJP led by Narendra Modi took over the federal government, ed] hate speech by prominent representatives of the Hindu nationalist party have increased by 490%, based on a survey by the NDTV. These speeches encourage and authorize violence against vulnerable minorities ". According to the Christian leader, India " he country is going to difficult times, the daily vulnerability of the girl child and the situation of the Dalit are making news headlines every day, and inorder to deflect pressing issues, this BJP MPs remarks are an example of saffronising propaganda , by raising the baseless and divisive comments of Christian missionaries. " The alleged threat to the democratic stability of India, as feared by the politician of Uttar Pradesh, does not actually exist. Sajan K George recalls that "the Government Census of 2011, show that Christian population is about 2.3% of total Indian Population. Importantly, the Governemnt Census records the Decadal Growth rate of Christianity fell from 22.52 % to 15.5% in 2001-2011". What is most relevant, he emphasizes, " the contribution of the Christian missionary to Indian society is documented by academic scholars. History cannot denied unless rewritten as Hindutva has agenda to do, otherwise it will proof the truth and the truth shall remain". According to the president of the GCIC, these attempts to intimidate and provoke religious hatred are the basis of another violent episode against Christians. Yesterday Pastor Anand Agaria, from the Balrampur district in Chhattisgarh, was arrested on charges of forced conversions of tribals. After interrogation hours, he was released without charge. "Everything is done to terrorize the faithful and prevent the free adoration of Jesus Christ in India", says Sajan K George. by Vladimir Rozanskij Patriarchate of Constantinople under pressure to declare the autocephaly of all the Orthodox in Ukraine. A committee studies historical and theological aspects. Overt influence of political independence from Moscow, not only from the religious point of view. Hilarion: There are no negotiations. Moscow (AsiaNews) - Discussions have been multiplying for days on the attempt by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to force the hand of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, to completely detach the Orthodox Church still linked to the Russian Patriarchate from Moscow and form a single autocephalous Ukrainian jurisdiction, in which all the souls of local orthodoxy converge. In recent days, some members of the Kiev parliament, the Rada, have spoken of an imminent agreement with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the president himself intervened before the deputies stating that the Ukrainian autocephaly "reflects not only the position of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, but also that of the same members of the Synod ... The doors are also open to the bishops of the other Churches, who wish to subscribe or at least evaluate the possibility of officially addressing an appeal to His Beatitude to obtain the tomos of autocephaly ". According to a statement issued on April 17 by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), the leaders of the Moscow Patriarchate "have no element to confirm or refute the existence of a negotiation between the President of Ukraine and the Patriarch of Constantinople". The fact remains that during his official visit to Turkey on 9 April, Poroshenko met in person with Patriarch Bartholomew (Archontonis), who addressed an Easter greeting to all the Ukrainian people and thanked the President for his peace-making efforts. The same exchange of good wishes had happened the previous week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who during a visit with Erdogan, made a phone call to the patriarch. In that case, Putin had reported the wishes of the Moscow Patriarch Kirill (Gundjaev) "in favor of the unity of the whole Orthodox world". On April 14 Kirill had then phoned Bartholomew, as part of the telephone consultations between all the leaders of the Christian Churches for peace in Syria, after the launch of the American missiles. In the press conference held at the monastery of St. Daniel, Hilarion reiterated that "For us, as for the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the priority remains the defence of the universal unity of Orthodoxy, which is the only absolute value for all our local Churches. Patriarch Bartholomew has repeatedly reiterated that he considers his blessed metropolitan Onufrij, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church [in communion with Moscow], the only canonically recognized head of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine ". Even the proposals for the pacification of Patriarch Philaret (Denisenko), the leader of the other Ukrainian Church that separated from Moscow in 1992, were not considered by the Russian Patriarchate truly worthy of consideration, as Hilarion recalled: "We have continued for over a quarter of a century to pray for the overcoming of the schism in Ukraine, so that those responsible for it return to the bosom of the true Orthodox Church. We appreciated the letter sent to us by the former Metropolitan Philaret (Denisenko) last December, with the invitation to start a dialogue, and we even formed a special commission, but for now we do not see a real desire on the Ukrainian side to participate to this work". A commission is also reportedly at work in the patriarchate of Constantinople, according to the Speaker of the Ukrainian Rada Andrej Parubij, but to evaluate the possibility of granting the tomos of Ukrainian autonomy. Last April 20, the leader of parliament spoke about this initiative on UNN television, recalling that for almost a year Ukrainian politicians have insisted on this possibility: "Since last June the Rada has been calling on the Ecumenical Patriarchate, to move the question from the standstill . The patriarchal commission has the task of studying the history of the Ukrainian Church, of the loss of its autonomy in 1686, when autocephaly was stolen through corruption ". President Poroshenko added that the division of the Ukrainian Church from Moscow would be "an indispensable attribute for an independent state", and the formation of a single national Orthodox Church would be "a triumph of Orthodoxy" and an act of "restoration of the deep historical truth: from the imperial city of the Second Rome the light of the Christian faith has poured on our blessed land ... Only later have we shared it with the lands beyond the forests, where the ancient princes of Kiev recklessly founded the city of Moscow ". Beyond the historical disputes that have always divided the two peoples of the plains between the Dnieper and the Volga, the strong interference of politics in ecclesiastical events is evident. Russian President Putin, just re-elected, wants to reiterate his dominant role as protector of the Church, while his Ukrainian antagonist Poroshenko is attempting to historically and theologically motivate his second term in 2019, or perhaps already this year. France bans meat descriptors for vegetarian substitutes Frances Federal Parliament has passed new legislation banning words traditionally used to describe meat as descriptors for vegetarian options. The ban applies to using words such as steak, sausage, burger and bacon when the food product contains no meat. Due to the ban descriptors such as veggie burger, veggie sausage and vegetarian bacon are no longer allowed. Those who continue to use meat descriptors on vegetarian or vegan products in France will now face fines of up the equivalent of AUD $480, 000. The new law was proposed by French MP and cattle farmer, Jean-Baptiste Moreau, who said using meat descriptors for non-meat products mislead consumers. With the increase in popularity of plant-based food in recent years, there has been a push back from non-plant-based producers across the world trying to retain the right to words traditionally used to describe meat and dairy products. In 2017, Australian dairy industry group, Dairy Connect, started an online petition to try and restrict the use of the word milk to dairy products. Last year also saw the European Court of Justice decide that only dairy products could use milks like milk, cream, butter and cheese. Related articles We are applying for my husbands visa offshore from USA. Once it does get granted, how long do we have until we have to move to Australia? I have heard mixed answers - some say 6 months to 'activate it' by entering the country and 5yrs to actually move, others say 1 year from police checks. Does anyone know for certain? Also, any other USA citizens applied for a partner visa to Australia and can give me a rough estimate for how long it took to get granted? Thanks a bunch! Photo via Ed Brown/Wikimedia. Delaware leads the country in issuing the most tickets for texting while driving from the time a state's cellphone law went into effect through 2016, according to a new report. Delaware enacted a handheld and texting ban in 2011 and has since reported 13,061 total citations statewide through 2016, representing the best enforcement of a cellphone ban nationwide. New York, which also issued its texting ban in 2011, came in second with 11,996 citations. Other states that ranked among the top five in issuing tickets include the District of Columbia (10,952), New Jersey (7,215), and Hawaii (4,828). The report, "The Real Cost of Distracted Driving in Your State," was complied by Safewise. The report draws on and analyzes data from the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHSTA) and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) to determine the costs of distracted driving in the US. Three of the top ten deadliest states for car crashes Louisiana, Wyoming, and Mississippi have the worst enforcement of distracted driving laws, with less than 100 tickets issued collectively over the three to ten years since their bans were passed. Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina rank as the top three states for car crash fatalities, yet none of them have passed a statewide law banning handheld cellphone use. Conversely, Washington D.C., New York, and Rhode Island have the least amount of motor vehicle fatalities, and all have laws banning handheld cellphones while driving. The report also explores penalties for distracted driving. While the national median fine is $100, Missouri's is the lowest at just $21. Alaska and Utah are the only states with texting bans that include jail time as a penalty for the first offense. They also have the highest fines at $10,000 and $750, respectively. New York, Virginia, and Nebraska will add three or more points to an offender's license for texting and driving, which means insurance rates could also spike for those issued a ticket. Read the full report here. A federal appeals court has ruled against the Trump administration's move to delay a regulation that increased fines against automakers for cars that violate fuel economy standards, reports The Hill. The New York City-based Second Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a move by the U.S. Department of Transportation that indefinately delayed increased penalties included with the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program. The three-judge panel's ruling will include a full opinion at a future time. In 2016, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, which falls under U.S. DOT, increased existing fines to $14 for each 0.1 mile per gallon that each car exceeds the standards. The prior fine was $5.50. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt said earlier this month that Obama-era greenhouse gas emissions rules for cars should be eased because they are too strict. Photo: Wikimedia Commons A car rental owner in Guyana is accused of forging chassis numbers on three Toyota Premios, according to Stabroek News. Osafo Yarde, owner of K&O Car Rental, denied allegations that he knowingly rented out vehicles with forged ID numbers. Yarde, who purchases used cars for rentals, contends that he bought the vehicles and signed a contract with a seller. Yarde was released on bail by a city court. I received a call from a parent of one of my Bakersfield High School freshmen last week. My daughter needs to go on independent studies, she Questionnaire: Ruth Musser-Lopez Name: Ruth Musser-Lopez Age: 65 Occupation: Archeologist; graduate student Family: Married; I moved to Needles in 1980, met my husband Robert here, we raised two children here City of residence: Needles Time in 16th District: 40 years Political offices held/sought: Needles City Council; seeking election to Californias 16th Senate District Board memberships/community activities: PTA officer, soccer, Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts leader, currently chair of the Inland Empire/Desert Region of the CDP Rural Caucus Education: Student at Chaffey Community College in Rancho Cucamonga, then transferred to UCLA in 1973 (straight A student). Transferred to UC Riverside and in 1976 obtained a BA degree in anthropology with honors; was snapped up out of college to serve as archaeologist for the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Riverside District in the East Mojave Desert. Currently in the Applied Archaeology graduate program at Cal State University San Bernardino, working on thesis Tracing the Peopling of California: The Teshoa Cobble Industry." Criminal convictions: None Candidate vision: If six years wasn't enough for Shannon Grove to get something done in Sacramento, then why would anyone in their right mind give her four more? Im not willing to allow her to simply slide into a Senate position when she doesnt have a record of helping the people in the first place. No I dont have a campaign fund Its a sling shot against the Goliath corporate-subsidized Republican show horse. But enough of the glitzy, picture perfect imagery of Senate District 16 my Republican opponents would have you believe the truth is that particulate matter in Kern County makes its air quality one of the worst in the nation leading to heart disease, lung cancer, COPD, and asthma, shorter life spans than in neighboring counties ... . * Completed questionnaires from the Grove camp was not received by deadline. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. 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. VATICAN CITY (AP) Pope Francis admitted Wednesday he made "grave errors" in judgment in Chile's sex abuse scandal and invited the victims he had discredited to Rome to beg their forgiveness. In an extraordinary public letter, Francis also summoned all of Chile's bishops to the Vatican for an emergency meeting in the coming weeks to discuss repairing the damage from the scandal, which has badly tarnished his reputation and that of the Chilean church. The Vatican orders up such emergency visits only on rare occasions, such as when American bishops were summoned in 2002 after the clerical sex abuse scandal exploded in the U.S. and in 2010 when Irish bishops received a comprehensive Vatican dressing down for their botched handling of abuse cases. Francis blamed a lack of "truthful and balanced information" for his missteps in judging the case of Bishop Juan Barros, a protege of Chile's most notorious predator priest, the Rev. Fernando Karadima. Francis strongly defended the bishop during his January visit to Chile despite accusations by victims that Barros had witnessed and ignored their abuse. In Chile and during an airborne press conference returning to Rome, Francis accused the victims of "calumny" for pressing their case against Barros, demanded they present "proof" of their claims and revealed he had twice rejected Barros' resignation. "I am convinced he is innocent," the pope insisted. After causing an outcry, Francis sent the Vatican's most respected sex abuse investigator, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, to look into the scandal. While his letter didn't reveal his ultimate conclusions about Barros, Francis made clear that he and the bishops have a lot of work to do to turn the Chilean church around. In words that laid bare his simmering anger, Francis said they must "re-establish confidence in the church, confidence that was broken by our errors and sins, and heal the wounds that continue to bleed in Chilean society." But the Chilean bishops insisted they had been truthful to Francis about the need to get rid of Barros they had proposed he resign and take a year sabbatical and victims' advocates said Francis had only himself to blame, since the accusations against Barros were well known and well-founded. Anne Barrett Doyle, of BishopAccountability.org, an online abuse resource, noted an Associated Press report that Francis received a personal letter about Barros' misdeeds from a victim in 2015, but seemingly chose to ignore it. "If Francis was misinformed or inadequately informed, it was because he chose to be so," she said. Karadima was a charismatic preacher who was removed from ministry by the Vatican for sexually abusing minors and sentenced in 2011 to a lifetime of penance and prayer. Karadima had long been a darling of the Chilean hierarchy, and his victims have accused church leaders of covering up his crimes to protect the church's reputation. Scicluna and his colleague, the Rev. Jordi Bertomeu, spent nearly two weeks in Chile and New York earlier this year interviewing Karadima's victims, who for years have denounced Barros' silence and were stunned by Francis' strong defense of him. In his letter, Francis thanked the 64 people who testified and had the courage to bare the "wounds of their souls" for the sake of truth. After reading the 2,300-page dossier his envoys prepared, Francis affirmed the victims "spoke in a stark way, without additives or sweeteners, of many crucified lives." "I confess this caused me pain and shame," he wrote. "For my part, I recognize - and so I want it to be faithfully transmitted - that I have fallen in grave errors of judgment and perception of the situation, especially due to the lack of truthful and balanced information," Francis wrote. "From now on I ask forgiveness of all those I offended and I hope to be able to do it personally in the coming weeks." In a statement, Barros' three main accusers said they appreciated Francis request for forgiveness and were weighing his invitation to meet. They said they would continue fighting for reparation and forgiveness "until zero tolerance about abuse and cover-up in the church becomes a reality." Many of Chile's bishops, and members of Francis' own sex abuse advisory board, had questioned Barros' suitability to lead a diocese given claims by Karadima's victims that Barros stood by and did nothing while Karadima groped them. Francis overrode their concerns and appointed Barros bishop of the southern Chilean diocese of Osorno in 2015, saying the church had investigated the claims against him and found them to be baseless. Osorno's lay Catholics and many Osorno priests rejected him, and they greeted Francis' letter Wednesday with graciousness, accepting his request for forgiveness but renewing their demand for Barros' removal. The head of the Chilean bishops' conference, Monsignor Santiago Silva, insisted the Chilean church had provided only truthful information to Francis about Barros. But, he added, "obviously we didn't do everything we should have done." Other clerics more favorable to Barros had Francis' ear: the Vatican ambassador, who has long been hostile to Barros' accusers; the retired archbishop of Santiago, who has accused Cruz of being a liar and "serpent"; and an old Spanish Jesuit friend who evaluated Barros years ago. ___ Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield reported this story at the Vatican and AP writer Eva Vergara reported from Punta de Tralca, Chile. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. TORONTO (AP) A rented van jumped onto a crowded Toronto sidewalk Monday, killing nine people and injuring 16 before the driver fled and was quickly arrested in a confrontation with police, Canadian authorities said. Witnesses said the driver was moving fast and appeared to be acting deliberately, but police said they did not yet know the cause or any possible motive. The name of the suspect was not released. Toronto Police Services Deputy Chief Peter Yuen released no details about the investigation as he announced the number of casualties. Yuen said police were still interviewing witnesses and examining surveillance video of the incident as part of what he called a "complex" investigation. "I can assure the public all our available resources have been brought in to investigate this tragic situation," he said. The incident occurred as Cabinet ministers from the major industrial countries were gathered in Canada to discuss a range of international issues in the run-up to the G7 meeting near Quebec City in June. Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale said that it was too soon to say whether the crash was a case of international terrorism and that the government had not raised its terrorism alert. The driver was heading south on busy Yonge Street around 1:30 p.m. and the streets were crowded with people enjoying an unseasonably warm day when the van jumped onto the sidewalk. Ali Shaker, who was driving near the van at the time, told Canadian broadcast outlet CP24 that the driver appeared to be moving deliberately through the crowd at more than 30 mph. "He just went on the sidewalk," a distraught Shaker said. "He just started hitting everybody, man. He hit every single person on the sidewalk. Anybody in his way he would hit." Witness Peter Kang told CTV News that the driver did not seem to make any effort to stop. "If it was an accident he would have stopped," Kang said. "But the person just went through the sidewalk. He could have stopped." Video shown on several Canadian outlets showed police arresting the driver, dressed in dark clothes, after officers surrounded him and his rental Ryder van several blocks from where the incident occurred in north Toronto. He appeared to make some sort of gesture at the police with an object in his hand just before they ordered him to lie down on the ground and took him away. A witness, Phil Zullo, told Canadian Press that he saw police arresting a man who had been driving a Ryder rental truck and saw people "strewn all over the road" where the incident occurred. "I must have seen about five, six people being resuscitated by bystanders and by ambulance drivers," Zullo said. "It was awful. Brutal." Police shut down the Yonge and Finch intersection following the incident and Toronto's transit agency said it had suspended service on the subway line running through the area. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his sympathies for those involved. "Our hearts go out to everyone affected," Trudeau said in Ottawa. "We are going to have more to learn and more to say in the coming hours." Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. WINTER HAVEN, Fla. Eighth graders at Jewett School of the Arts in Winter Haven are working to improve the lives of Syrian refugees. On Friday, they had a packing party where they filled up 50 backpacks with hygiene products and school supplies which will be sent to refugee children. Students collaborating with World Vision "Legacy Project" meant to teach philanthropy Students raised funds to purchase supplies "They were recently just bombed and it's a lot of people that decided to flee because of the things that's going on like violence, said Demetria Jordan, one of the students who helped select the project idea. The students are collaborating with the Christian Humanitarian organization World Vision on the project. "It makes me feel good, because not everybody has what they need, said Emma Murrell, one of three students who led the project. It was their teacher Sonya Barnes' idea to do this legacy project. She wanted to teach them about philanthropy. "I had this vision for awhile that I just wanted to pass onto the kids about giving back to the world and the community, said Barnes. After students met with her and decided which project they wanted to work on, they spent four months fundraising to purchase the supplies. "They were tough, because sometimes it was like, we didn't have enough money, or nobody decided to donate because they really weren't that informed about it until we started posting fliers and making chalk signs for the children to see, said Jordan. The students ended up raising $1,200. Seeing her students follow through on her vision almost brought Barnes to tears. "I tell them from day one, you are all my surrogate children, you'll forever be mine. So a very proud mom so to speak, right now, said Barnes. The students will ship the backpacks to World Vision on April 23. Barnes said she hopes to make this an annual project where eighth graders work together on a community project of their choice. Ocala, Fla. Students in Marion County are returning to school for the first time after the alleged school shooter who is accused of shooting a student at Forest High School describes what happened. Sky Bouche spoke to Spectrum News from Marion County Jail Bouche is facing a list of charges, including terrorism RELATED: Marion sheriff identifies alleged gunman in high school shooting Sky Bouche, 19, is facing several charges, including one count of terrorism, for the Friday, April 20, shooting. "I could have hurt a lot more people. If I wanted to, but I didn't. I gave up right away after the first shot," said accused school shooter Sky Bouche at the Marion County Jail. Read more from him here: https://t.co/Jo2TrpOud7 pic.twitter.com/VhPckgVUKT Spectrum News 13 (@MyNews13) April 23, 2018 <_script charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"> Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said he would be increasing security because of a comment the shooter made about how he could possibly go on another school shooting in the future. After Bouche spoke with detectives, Woods promised to beef up security at all schools across the county, especially at Forest High School at 5000 SE Maricamp Rd., where the shooting happened. The move is a direct response to what the alleged school shooter told authorities after he was arrested. Bouche also told Spectrum News from the Marion County Jail on Friday night of how he planned the alleged attack. "I drove early in the morning at 8:30 because there'd be no resource officers. I walked up the stairs ... with the shotgun, guitar case and my backpack with a tactical vest," he described. Investigators say the 19-year-old man fired into a door, hitting a 17-year-old student in the ankle. In a news release, the Marion County Sheriff's Office offered a possible motive as to what led to the shooting. " Bouche told detectives that he was planning on conducting some type of shooting on Friday the 13th, but he changed his mind. He then began researching different types of mass shootings and chose to target a school because he thought it would gather more media attention. Bouche also expressed to detectives that he felt ignored, and made statements that he could potentially conduct another shooting in the future," the Sheriff's Office stated. In response, Woods announced he would make sure that starting Monday there would be more law enforcement presence at schools across the county. "We will have officers and deputies presence on every school campus starting Monday morning," he said. The Ocala Police department will also be providing more security at schools. They already had school resource officers at every public middle and high school, but beginning Monday, the Ocala Police Department OPD will be reallocating 14 officers to provide a heavier police presence at every public and private school, including elementary schools throughout the town. A school resource officer named Jim Long was able to arrest Bouche within three minutes of him firing his weapon. In his jail interview, Bouche told Spectrum News he could have hurt more students if he wanted to. Bouche is charged with the following: GET OUR NEW APP Our new Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. Exorcist. This word conjures theatrical images of spinning heads, demonic voices, and levitating objects, but the truth behind what these chosen priests do in their daily lives is both more frightening and more touching than anything depicted in film or literature. In the context of Roman Catholicism, exorcism is a ritual meant to drive out, or drive away, an evil spirit that has attached itself to a person or place. While the priest uses prayer from the official Rite of Exorcism as a guide, he does not have to follow it directly. Every victims situation is different, and so no two exorcisms look alike. These evil spirits, according to the Catholic Church, are fallen angels. We often know them by their more popular name: demons. The word demon is derived from the Greek term daio, which means to divide. And with the intent of demons being to separate as many human beings from the love of God as possible, they live up to the name. Demonic possession occurs when someone comes under the internal influence of a demon, where it can directly compromise a victims thought and action. Demonic oppression, which is less dangerous, occurs when that influence is external, wherein the demon creates feelings of unease and illness. The Rite of Exorcism handles both. We all know what this looks like in the movies, but what does an exorcist actually do in the real world? What are their lives like? What drives them to pursue their profession, and do they really believe that their work helps people? Let us descend into the realm of exorcism, and find out what its really like to be an exorcist of the Catholic Church. Their Lives Arent Always Exciting The first thing an exorcist will tell you is that their daily lives are nothing like what Hollywood depicts. The reality is both tamer and stranger. Requests for exorcism have soars in recent years, and so many exorcists find themselves with a backlog of victims waiting for their help. And unlike what you might expect, the majority of these exorcisms are completely uneventful: a victim arrives, is prayed over, thanks the priest, and leaves after scheduling a follow-up appointment. In many ways, the ministry of exorcism looks almost normal from the outside. People come in complaining of symptoms, thoughts, or actions that they cannot explain, and without any theatrics, the exorcist helps them. This may seem tame, but it highlights a strange and frightening truth: demonic possession and oppression are far more subtle than many think. Film and literature play up the effects because art must sometimes lie to better tell the truth. And in this case, the truth is that demonic activity can look quite normal. It can quietly bring ruin as it redirects the course of an entire life, slowly and without theatrics. Looking in from the outside, it is easy to think that possession and oppression are either not real, or not worth addressing. But exorcists know the truth: just underneath the seemingly mundane veil of their everyday lives is a battle for the souls of the victims they help. The Exorcist is the Most Skeptical Person in the Room But despite knowing the importance of the spiritual battle they face, a major part of an exorcists everyday life involves skepticism. There is one attribute, above all others, that the Catholic Church looks for in selecting its exorcists: discernment. An exorcist must be able to quickly discern whether a victims problems are truly related to demonic possession or oppression, or if another route to healing should be taken. Every exorcist knows that exorcising a person who is suffering from a natural ailment isnt just uselessits downright dangerous. Thats why exorcists are trained to be the most skeptical person in the room. This means that, before an exorcist even thinks of performing the Rite, he has the victim thoroughly evaluated by a trusted psychologist and a doctor. If the problem is natural, the priest leaves the rest to medical professionals. If these professionals determine that something beyond the natural world is affecting the victim, the ball returns to the priests court. It is thenand only thenthat exorcism can occur. Many exorcists are faced with an unending number of people seeking relief from everyday issues. They blame their employment on demons, or their aching joints on evil spirits. But if an exorcist takes these cases, he gives these people false hope. This is why every exorcist exercises the utmost discernment in their everyday lives. Sometimes, Things Get Downright Terrifying The everyday life of an exorcist may be filled with the normal duties of a priest, and marked by fairly uneventful exorcisms, but sometimes, things get kicked up a spiritual notch. One California exorcist, for example, began to hear a roaring sound during an exorcism. One tree outside his churchs windows began to bend, as if under a great wind. The roaring sound increased to deafening levels, and then ceased as suddenly as it began. There was no wind that day. Other times, it is the victims, themselves, that present a danger. One supernatural symptom of possession is increased strength, and often, even the smallest victims sometimes must be restrained as they attempt to attack the priest. Supernatural events do occur. Victims bone structures can change and shift beneath the skin, furniture can slide across the floor, and voices change in terrifying ways. Some victims even gain a measure of hidden knowledge about the priest that the demon will use to embarrass or traumatize him into stopping the Rite. An exorcist has to ignore these events, all of which are displays of power meant to terrify and threaten, as he works. The daily life of an exorcist is much like the classic description of an airline pilots: long periods of repetition punctuated by moments of sheer terror. The Exorcist Has the Most to Lose The victim of possession is not often a demons prime targetit is the people around the victim who have their lives altered in the worst of ways. And the biggest target of all is the exorcist. Malachi Martin, Catholic exorcist and author of Hostage to the Devil, wrote that exorcists often begin to fade as they progress through their careers. This is the result of multiple spiritual injuries inflicted by demonsinjuries worse than any fleshly would could ever be. These mensome, but not allare drained by each demonic encounter, slowly becoming shells of their former selves. Some are hounded by a particular demon that shows up again and again in their lives, inhabiting the bodies of various victims. Still others are dogged by demonic oppression, themselves, and assaulted by the tormenting desire to commit sinful acts. To be an exorcist is to walk a path of pain, sacrifice, and loneliness. Even among the Catholic clergy, not all believe that the ministry of exorcism is needed at all. And outside of the church, many believe that exorcism is, at best, a sad and superstitious practice, and at worst, a ploy to divert attention from the sins of the Church. And so, facing both continual demonic attack and social stigma, these men labor on. They do so because of one overarching reason: they want to help people. They know that they may be the only thing standing between victims and the demonic in a world that only values naturalistic methods of healing. The everyday life of an exorcist requires nearly as much courage as it does discernment. The Greatest Healing Ministry of All The ministry of exorcism is, above all, a ministry of healing, and this is what drives each exorcist to continue on their individual paths. There is no glory in exorcismall credit goes to God. There is no money in it. There is no fame. But the moment when an exorcist frees a victim from torment, the work of exorcism feels worth every agonized second. When they implore the victim to go and live a Godly life, and are able to successfully teach them how to do so, they rejoice. Theyve done Gods work. The human soul is an immortal thing, and so to heal it is to heal a victims eternity. There very well may be no greater healing ministry than this which protects us from demonic attack. As much as the everyday life of an exorcist is marked by darkness, it is also marked eternally by this life-giving light. Many Christians leave their religion at church when they leave service on Sunday mornings. They got their Jesus-fix and are ready to go back to their normal lives. Some continue to keep their minds on God throughout the week and attempt to carve out a place for Jesus in their everyday life. Christians often shoot themselves in the foot here. Many Christians continue to be oblivious to the unchristian activities they practice or surround themselves with when they are away from church. They come home, put their Bible away and hop on Facebook to criticize their least favorite family members profile picture or gleefully follow the scandal of their favorite celebritys affair, divorce and subsequent child-custody court case. Then, they post a few Bible verses and a couple selfies then call it a day. While many Christians live this sort of lifestyle, there are those who truly try to live by the morals they profess to hold every Sunday. They try not to judge, and if they do, they keep their judgments to themselves rather than posting them anonymously on social media. They try to remain humble rather than plastering their face all over Instagram with various hashtags declaring that their life is #awesome! They hit the street and actually work for the causes they believe matter rather than just remaining a keyboard warrior and posting tweets, statuses and comments in support of their favorite charity.Both the forgetful Christians and the deeply devout could benefit from having a space in their home that serves to remind them to hold true to their commitment to God. Then, every time they saw it, they could remember how they are supposed to be living. This might be all that they need to put down the phone and stop roasting username LovinLife47 about their political beliefs or to make them think twice before posting that sultry picture on Facebook.In addition to reminding Christians of what they are actually supposed to be doing, a space dedicated to God can help Christians remember to spend time with God outside of Sunday service. The excuse that there is nowhere to sit down and pray is stripped away. There is a quiet space in the corner, under the window or by the door, that has been specifically dedicated to religious practice. There is a cushion to sit on and a Bible on the table with an invisible sign saying read me! This space may be able to be cordoned off with a shower curtain or room dividing screen in order or provide the person using it some privacy to simply be with God. It may also always be open to the rest of the room so that there is never any question of hiding the space and its reminders away.Such spaces act as more than simply passive reminders. Other members of the family may be inspired to use the space and revisit their relationship with God after watching someone they love use this space regularly. Children may become more interested in their faith or their parents faith if they have somewhere to practice it. While going to church every Sunday may be enough for a devout adult to be reminded of their values and morals, a week is a very long time to a child.For families with small children, spaces set aside for prayer can also be an easy signal to children that their parent is not to be bothered at the moment. This can give parents who are looking to reconnect with God a few minutes of peace to do just that rather than having to squeeze prayer in around wrestling the two year old into the tub or making sure the 15 year old does not try to sneak out of the house in clothing that they are not allowed to wear to school. Rather than keeping one eye on the children or constantly listening with one ear to see if a child needs them, Christians with a specific space set aside for prayer can focus entirely on revitalizing their connection to Jesus Christ.This prayer space sounds pretty nice, right? Some privacy, a reminder and a place dedicated solely to connecting with Christ all sounds wonderful, but many Christians balk when they are told that such a space is made with a home altar.Often considered to be a staple of Hindu and Pagan households, home altars or home shrines are simply spaces set aside for spiritual thought, meditation, Scripture readings and prayer. Christians often have very simple home altars composing of a cushion or mat to sit or kneel on; a shower curtain, room divider screen or simply strategically placed furniture to set the area aside from the rest of the living space; and a table with a Bible, cross or crucifix and a few candles on it. Catholics may also include statues of a patron saint or an icon, but Protestants are less likely to use such things.There is nothing unchristian about having a home altar. It is a place meant for prayer and good Christian worship. It is a place for reading Scripture and occasionally singing a quiet hymn. It is not idolatrous to decide that it would be helpful to have a space in a busy house that is deliberately constructed to grant a devout Christian a few moments alone with God. Given how busy modern life is, a home altar is a way for people to slow down and be with God rather than rushing from one thing to the next. There is a certain defiance of secular culture in the deliberate choice to set valuable space in the home aside for a person to be with God. People rarely make enough time for God these days, so it may be a welcome change to have a space that is meant purely for the Lord. For Immediate Release, April 23, 2018 Contact:Patrick Donnelly, (702) 483-0449, pdonnelly@biologicaldiversity.org Sportsmen, Conservationists, Patagonia Run Full-page Ad Against Fracking in Nevada's Ruby Mountains ELKO, Nev. Thirteen conservation and sportsmens groups and outdoor apparel manufacturer Patagonia ran a full-page advertisement in todays Elko Daily Free-Press opposing federal plans to open Nevadas iconic Ruby Mountains to oil drilling and fracking. Today marks the end of the public-comment period, which brought in more than 10,000 comments against fracking in the Rubies. The U.S. Forest Service is considering whether to lease out 54,000 acres of public land in the Ruby Mountains to private corporations for fossil fuel development. The Rubies, often referred to as Nevadas Swiss Alps, are home to the states largest mule deer herd, recovery streams for threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout, and priority habitat for greater sage grouse. Our groups have disparate interests and diverse memberships, but we stand together against turning our precious Ruby Mountains into an oilfield, said Patrick Donnelly, Nevada state director at the Center for Biological Diversity. These mountains are a critical natural resource for both wildlife and people. Thousands of Nevadans oppose this disastrous plan, and the Forest Service must not ignore them. The Center solicited photographs and stories from residents who love this remote mountain wilderness and expressed their dedication to preserving it. Many offered memories of their time spent in the areas wildlands, including sharing the mountains with loved ones who have since passed on. I would compare what I get from enjoying the Ruby Mountains the way they are now to a good therapy session, said one Elko resident. Signatories to the ad include the Center for Biological Diversity, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Nevada Muleys, the Coalition for Nevadas Wildlife, Trout Unlimited, Nevada Conservation League, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, Patagonia, the Wilderness Society, Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter, Nevada Chukar Foundation, Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, Friends of Nevada Wilderness and the Ruby Mountain Fly Fishers. While our politics may sometimes divide us, were unified in our love for the Ruby Mountains, said Donnelly. Were proud to stand together to tell the Forest Service with one voice that we dont want oil drilling and fracking in the Rubies. In partnership with Gorilla Doctors, LIA has initiated a global competition that is open to all creatives between the ages of 21 - 30 years. Fewer than 900 mountain gorillas left This competition is free to enter and will be judged by top creative names in the industry from advertising, production and digital together with representatives from Gorilla Doctors and the Creative LIAisons attendees. The winning work will be commissioned by Gorilla Doctors and will be produced professionally. On top of that, the winning team will win a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, as well as, a ticket to Creative LIAisons 2019 in Las Vegas.Our focus has always been to invest in young talent. Thats why we started Creative LIAisons, as our way of giving back to the industry. When we learned of the plight of the mountain gorillas through our association with Gorilla Doctors, we felt that this was the perfect platform to galvanise young talent from all over the world to help save these gorillas through a competition to find the best idea, elaborated Barbara Levy, president of LIA.There are currently fewer than 900 mountain gorillas left on earth. Their numbers have dwindled to such a dangerously low level because of habitat loss, poaching and disease. But, thanks largely to the life-saving veterinary medicine and a One Health approach of a group of veterinarians known as Gorilla Doctors, their numbers are rising. These doctors operate across the gorilla territories of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.Mountain gorillas are the only great ape population in the world that is increasing, and 50% of that growth is due to the veterinary care of Gorilla Doctors. Gorilla Doctors hope to be able to do the same for the eastern lowland gorillas when unrest in their region settles down. We take a one health approach which is based on the understanding that the health of the gorillas is only possible when, their environment, other wildlife sharing the parks and the human populations with their domestic animals are healthy. explained Dr Mike Cranfield.Through this competition, we hope to expose the world to the plight of the gorillas and other highly endangered wildlife with a call to action to help our team and others save these animals from extinction.We know that the name Gorilla Doctors is not familiar to most people. We want to challenge brilliant young minds and talent to build brand awareness for this very important yet low key organisation, Barbara Levy went on to say. Its not just about saving a species. Its about saving mankind.The competition is now open for entries. For more information on how to enter and to read the brief, click here Lebanese avant-garde experimental jazz band Praed has embarked on a tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe from 21 April-1 May 2018. They are expected to perform at the Edge of Wrong music festival in Cape Town and the Harare International Festival of Arts (HIFA), along with stops in Soweto and Johannesburg. Praeds tour stops in SA and Zimbabwe: Founded by Raed Yassin and Paed Conca in 2006, Praed is a Lebanese band whose musical oeuvre can be described as a mixture of Arabic popular music, free jazz, and electronics. In the same year, the band made its first public appearance in Al Maslakhfestival in Switzerland, immediately followed by a concert at the Irtijal festival in Beirut. Since then, the band has frequented numerous international music festivals and toured intensively worldwide. Through these endeavours, the band has created a large global network with other renowned musicians as musical collaborators.The band consists of two regular members: Yassin playing keyboards, laptop, electronics and vocals; and Conca on clarinet, electric bass, and electronics.The bands body of work mainly explores the terrain of Arabic popular music () and its interconnectedness with other psychedelic and hypnotic musical genres in the world, such as free jazz, space jazz, and psychedelic rock among others.Since its inception, Praed has shown a very keen interest in this music as a medium that reflects Egyptian societys complicated fabric. Through the research it conducted, the band began to discover a strong cultural connection betweensounds andmusic played in religious trance ceremonies. The hypnotising psychedelic effect that was embedded in this genre also triggered thoughts around its similarity to other popular music in the world that employ forms of sonic delirium, such as free jazz and psychedelic rock.-24 April - Drawing Room, Cape Town-26 April - Trackside Creative, Johannesburg- 27 April - Edge of Wrong, Johannesburg-1 May - HIFA, Harare Makoma Lekalakala and Liz McDaid are the recipients of this year's Goldman Environmental Prize for Africa . The local grassroots activists have been recognised for leading the charge against South Africa's nuclear deal with Russia, resulting in the High Court in early 2017 ruling the $76bn nuclear power project unconstitutional. Makoma Lekalakala, director for Earthlife Africa, and Liz McDaid, climate change coordinator for Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institute (SAFCEI) More winners The proposed deal had entailed the development of up to ten nuclear power stations throughout SA.After learning of the South African-Russian nuclear agreement, Lekalakala and McDaid, together with their colleagues, met to plan their opposition to the deal. Along with their organisations, the two women developed a strategy to challenge the project, as well as former president Jacob Zuma, on the grounds that the agreement had been kept secret and bypassed legal process, without any public consultation or parliamentary debate.The new SA government, helmed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, has since made it clear that nuclear plans for the country have been shelved for the moment.Other 2018 Goldman Environmental Prize winners include Francia Marquez for South and Central Amercia, Khanh Nguy Thi for Asia, Manny Calonzo for Islands and Iland Nations, LeeAnne Walters for North America, and Claire Nouvian for Europe.The Goldman Environmental Prize honours grassroots environmental heroes from all over the world, recognising individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk. Recipients are selected by an international jury from confidential nominations submitted by a global group of environmental organisations and individuals. What is it clients want the most from their PR agencies? And what do PR agencies want from their clients? The answer, it turns out, is simple and not a big ask after all. Clients want... Rodney Knotts, head of marketing, Save the Children South Africa Rodney Knotts, head of marketing, Save the Children South Africa Kavitha Kalicharan, corporate communications manager, Adcock Ingram Kavitha Kalicharan, corporate communications manager, Adcock Ingram Dr Pranill Ramchander, head of corporate communication, Anglo American Dr Pranill Ramchander, head of corporate communication, Anglo American Katherine Madley, group executive of product marketing Katherine Madley, group executive of product marketing Heidi Brauer, chief marketing officer, Hollard Heidi Brauer, chief marketing officer, Hollard PR agencies want ... Kevin Welman, ByDesign Communications Kevin Welman, ByDesign Communications There simply has to be chemistry between the people working on the business, it takes a mature consultant to realise that not every client is right for you, and you are not right for every client. It's OK to turn away work because the agency culture and the client culture doesn't fit. Keri-Ann Stanton, group communications director at M&N Brands Keri-Ann Stanton, group communications director at M&N Brands Ruth Kolevsohn, chief operating officer at Burson-Marsteller Ruth Kolevsohn, chief operating officer at Burson-Marsteller I often treat PR agencies as an extension of my team. Beyond being committed to my success, I like to work with agencies that can create powerful and vibrant content; is creative and pushes me to take more risks; listens rather than always trying to call the shots while at the same time willing to share industry knowledge; tells me the truth the good, bad, and ugly; even though PR plans are always subject to change, I still expect a comprehensive results oriented plan to be in place for any projects we are working on; they should understand my company culture and know how to communicate it to the public; they should also be in a position to influence not only the media, but also my clients and my investors by showing a direct impact to my bottom line; and lastly, they should have global inspirations and capabilities.In an era where we have a multitude of PR agencies to choose from, it is a challenging process to choose the one that has the right fit for an organisation. It all starts from the beginning, where you see how well the agency has done their research of your organisation and whether they have in fact delivered on the expectations outlined in the brief provided to them or not.Secondary deciding factors are attention to detail, how well they understand your brand and whether or not your organisation is just an account for the agency is also quite relevant.It is also good to establish whether there is synergy between the team so that this results in a good working relationship. And lastly, whether an agency stays true to their commitment, such as delivering on their promise which is ultimately vital to an organisation meeting their deadlines.While this sounds like a cliche, there simply has to be chemistry between the internal team and the agency. I believe its the client's responsibility to be clear on the brief, and the agency's responsibility to align to that brief by getting the right team on board.With the communications environment having changed so much in the last decade or so, the client could be looking for deeper specialist skills, or simply adding operational skills to the existing team, it's critical for the agency to understand the expectation upfront and align accordingly.In addition, the agency must clearly understand the clients strategy and be able to translate the strategy into action. Over the last few years, I've watched communications agencies evolve dramatically, agencies seem to be more open to partnering with other agencies to bring in the best possible skills.Last year was Anglo American's centenary year and I witnessed first hand the importance of the agency relationship, and the necessity for seamless integration between agency partners.Expert marketers should have both a defensive and an offensive marketing strategy. The former defends their brand and current market share and the latter grows it, reaching new market frontiers and improving top line at an advancing rate superior to the competitors.One of the most valuable skills for any business is a PR partner that can defend a brand in crises. For obvious reasons, this work is not discussed at conferences, nor publicly rewarded. Honestly, we will never know how many share prices did not fall because of expert PR practitioners helping a brand position messaging correctly to all stakeholders.It's a valuable partnership to have and very important when choosing a partner. On the brand offensive, it's all about addictive content that connects your markets to your products and brands. The PR practitioner needs to be expert in writing and creating addictive sharable content that entertains and informs people. People get bombarded with over 150 messages a day and their attention spans are reducing. To break though, you need collaboration.The best work is when the PR practitioners are flying in formation with their marketing, advertising, branding, and product building partners that's what works. Creative-led campaigns with collective disciplined specialist skills at work.For many years, I've said that it takes a village to raise a brand, and the longer I care for brands, the more I know it to be true. Marketers need to harness the collective wisdom of their villagers the agencies to amplify their efforts to grow their brand-child into the very best it can be. As budgets get smaller and margins are more under pressure, it's now the time for marketers to connect with PR as a cost-effective and sustainable way to tell brand stories.As in a village, relationships in brand-universes are everything, and building a super-close connection with your PR agency is the foundation of epic work. That comes from honesty and adult-adult relationships where the brand-child is held at the centre of everything. Where we share what we know and love about the child, where we share our worries and our dreams and where we plan the future together. As we would in a village.The success of any client-agency relationship is down to three things; mutual respect, chemistry and hard work. In the 20-plus years that I've been consulting in this industry, I've always seen that the best work is done for clients where mutual respect exists; if the client respects you as a consultant and a viable business partner, and that respect is returned to the client by understanding their business and acting like you are part of the team, then great things happen.It's best as an agency to take a long-term view on every client, as the relationship starts imagine what it will look like in six months or even in six years, if it doesn't feel right now, it probably isn't right.And lastly, hard work - as the agency you need to be seen to be working on the relationship, working hard to deliver results, working hard to push the boundaries. In my experience, great work is not achieved through complacency.In the M&N Brands network (comprising Avatar Johannesburg, Avatar Cape Town, Bozza, Mela Events and Kanbar), the core thing we look for with clients is a partnership.Whether we are creating a PR campaign or an event or an integrated campaign, a client that is a partner, who shares their pain and pressure points, is the client that allows us to solve, create and deliver meaningful work.In this pressured industry and environment. It is open and honest conversations that cut through red tape and get both parties to a place where the client feels they have had the best minds working on the best solution, and where the agency feels they have created something with purpose.The traits that underpin the best relationships we have with our clients are open, two-way communication and mutual trust. Communication begins with agreement on clearly defined, measurable objectives and continuing dialogue ensures we stay on task and heads off misunderstandings. When our clients see us as their allies, confidantes and thought partners, we are able to develop a deep understanding of their business, which helps us to deliver real value to their businesses.A key component of successful relationships is also flexibility. Needs and expectations can change very quickly. Our clients need to keep us abreast of changes in their business as well as the problems they are facing, so that we can adjust plans to meet their most critical needs. Relationships based on these traits stand the test of time. Over the past 25+ years, Burson Cohn & Wolfe Africa has established enduring partnerships with clients across the continent. There's no reason why South African agencies can't compete in the PR category at Cannes Lions. The stand-out campaigns What did they have in common? Its become a cliche, but work with a higher purpose or entering a broader public conversation often does well. However, thats not enough by itself. This has to be partnered with an amazing creative idea. What can we do better? Learning from last years winners, its evident that Cannes celebrates exceptional ideas that are exceptionally executed.For PR, theres the added expectation of having earned media at the core. For us to enter the arena, we need to dissect what makes a winning idea. Looking at 2017s successes, its all about having a key, relatable insight that often taps into a broader conversation.With this in mind, here are some lessons from the 2017 Cannes Lions winners that I believe SA agencies can learn from.Fearless Girl, the defiant statue of a young girl facing down the Wall Street Bull won Grand Prix in a number of categories including PR. You cant really argue with it as a PR Grand Prix winner its an idea that transcends marketing and is a timely piece of culture that will be remembered for decades.Meet Graham is arguably similar in that it was also a physical model, this time of a person evolved to survive car crashes. Possibly not as culturally iconic and well-timed as Fearless Girl, it was nevertheless a clever idea that was well produced.A personal favourite in the PR Golds was which used the Netflixshow, set in the Columbian drug underworld, to teach Spanish.I also loved a film showing Hollywood execs rejecting movie idea pitches based on some of the most successful French movies of all time.Although the execution and media used for the ideas was vastly different, ranging from statues to social media films, there are some common threads among the winners. Most of the awarded work has a clever observation at the core of the idea.Netflix noticed people talking about learning Spanish from Narcos in social comments; Cheetos, which won for its museum of weirdly shaped crisps (think Nik Naks), noticed people talking about finding crisps shaped like celebrities and objects (the Eiffel Tower for example).I think the South African PR industry should definitely look to the Cannes Lions for inspiration. Look at what wins. Break down the components to see how it fits together. What was the insight? How do you think they got to that insight? What was the idea? How far did they push it so it was the best version of that idea? What kind of production values did they bring to the work?Often, we tend to think that we dont have the resources to compete with big agencies overseas. But South Africa regularly wins top awards at Cannes (in radio, for example) and there is no reason why we cant compete in PR as well.We need to understand where the bar is for quality and present our work in a compelling way for judges.There is some cynicism around work in award shows and whether it really drives business results. But there has been enough credible research on this to show that creative or conceptual marketing works substantially harder than more traditional work. Thats important to remember next time you get a brief for something hardworking. A hardworking brief is like the work that wins at Cannes: its brave; it uses lateral thinking; it has an insight at its core; its culturally relevant; and its beautifully produced. The following is an excerpt from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations International (CIPRI) 2017 Maggie Nally Memorial Lecture I delivered at the House of Lords, Palace of Westminster. Sebastian Kaulitzki 123RF Reason #1 Reason #2 Reason #3 Reason #4 Reason #5 Reason #6 Africa remains a continent of opportunity, for those prepared to take some risk, in a bid to reap large rewards. There are six good reasons why the outlook for the communication industry remains positive:Africa is becoming more democratic, albeit unevenly. In 1991, there were eight democracies in Africa. Today, there are more than 30, so we are over the halfway mark.After the turbulent decades following independence in many cases, many countries are at last being run by more sensible leaders who hold regular elections and implement rational economic policies.Government relations in Africa is tricky, but critical, since the success of the continent depends on extensive investment from the private sector. Public private partnerships are critical to Africas future.Excluding the countries affected by the Arab Spring, Africas growth has been better than average at 4.4% for the period 2010 to 2016. The continent is projected by the IMF to be the worlds second fastest growing region to 2020.In line with these projections, global public relations and communications firms are also expanding their footprints in Africa.While other continents are aging, Africa has a young population, providing a labour force and potential consumer spending like no other.Thanks to a high birth rate in many countries, five or six children per mother there are almost 200 million youth in Africa, and that number will double, by 2045. Forty percent of the continents working-age population is aged between 15 and 24.Africa is urbanising at the fastest rate in the world and the emerging middle class in African cities is unlocking new opportunities for consumers and businesses. As markets develop, so too does the requirement for effective public relations.While the need for consumer PR is obvious, given the exploding consumer-base, stakeholder engagement, transparency and effective reputation management, will also always grow in importance, in this type of fast emerging environment.Large companies in Africa are growing faster than their peers in the rest of the world both African-owned brands, and foreign-based multinationals operating within the continent, across a wide range of sectors, and they require strategic communication advice, coupled with an increasing focus on reputation management.Africa has made a massive leap in terms of technology, jumping straight from a pre-industrial state to the digital world.Despite communications capabilities differing from country to country, with infrastructure often being erratic, poor fixed-line networks and inconsistent broadband capacity, many countries have a very high level of internet penetration; especially on mobile phones.Social media has the capacity to reach millions, which is why communications professionals will see a greater demand for, and understanding of, social media by their clients. One thing is for sure the dawning of the digital age in Africa, provides brands with opportunities for more creative, direct and daring ways of engaging. Sixty-plus judges from a multitude of professions and industries judged this year's entries. Entries were judged online. The various panels then convened to discussed and debated, to come to the final winners. Top to bottom, left to right: cluster 2 chief judge, Thabisile Phumo Sibanye Eyezwe; cluster 5 chief judge, Vicki St Quintin, corporate and healthcare consultant; cluster 7 chief judge, ByDesign founder Kevin Welman; and cluster 3 young judge, Khangelani Dziba Cluster 1 There is definitely room for more creativity. We found the entries lacked measurable objectives, which made it difficult to assess the success of the campaigns. Cluster 2 Cluster 2 chief judge, Thabisile Phumo of Sibanye Eyezwe Cluster 3 Cluster 4 Cluster 5 Cluster 5 chief judge Vicki St Quintin, corporate and healthcare consultant Cluster 7 Cluster 7 chief judge, ByDesign founder Kevin Welman Student campaign Young judges Khangi Dziba, Senior Brand Architect at DNA Brand Architects Nontobeko Vilakati Wynand Monyeseala Floyd Magubane Simbongile Ndlangisa Simone Carter lecturer: department of strategic communication at University of Johannesburg I now understand what it means to lead, advise, and execute with a clearly defined purpose in mind and I consider myself lucky to have been given the opportunity to sit in my particular cluster, where I was involved with the judging of the five campaign of the year finalists in a face-to-face process. Being able to position yourself with meaningful information is a skill Judging absolutely requires a growth mindset , both as an entrant and a judge. , both as an entrant and a judge. PR professionals and practice cannot be boxed anymore Winning work is the combination of passion, innovative thinking, reflection, and a clearly defined purpose Travel and tourism, public affairs, public sector, and NGO campaignCrisis managementLucy Balona CansaPalesa Madumo Business Connexion, Keri-Ann Stanton Group Communications: M&N Brands, Natalie Pringle Personal Brilliance, Tasneem Carrim GCIS, Charlene Lamb On Spot Communication, Lizel Esterhuysen independent communications consultantBoitumelo Molusi: While most entries demonstrate an understanding of what issues needed to be addressed on behalf of clients, only a few were outstanding and innovative, creative and different.ROI was also referenced in minimal cases. However, we saw a marked increase in the standard of entries lots of great work. While there was some really good solid sound PR thinking in the awards, we would be keen to have seen some of the entries just push themselves that much further.Technology, campaign best informed by analytics and big dataSocial media for PR, mobile media for PR, best use of communication in a township revitalisation or education campaign, social media as a primary method of communication, social media as the primary method of communication (best use of social media to lead a programme with no social media spend, best use of social media as a support tool, social media to launch a new productThabisile Phumo Sibanye EyezweIngrid Lotze Puruma; Maritha Prichard UJ; Dustin Chick Ogilvy; Tom Manners Clockwork Media; Cynthia Mabela EyezweWarren Mposi, Phushaza Sibiya III: The standard of entries submitted generally impressed and there was more depth in a lot of the campaigns, indicating that PR is being used more and more strategically to drive business goals.Investor relations, business to business (B2B), and sponsorshipCorporate communications, publicationsEd Jardim Murray & RobertsDave MacLeod Game Plan Media; Anton van Rensburg On Channel; Pheliswa Mayekiso JSE; Kerrin Tessendorf BespokeKhangelani Dziba: Our cluster reviewed 23 entries and only six entries stood out from a creative, business objective and ROI point of view.Comprehensive research seems to be lacking in most entries each year and with many entries we battled to find the impact of the campaign on tangible business results e.g.: more sales, greater market share, etc.Media relations, resources, corporate responsibilityInternal communicationsDaniel Munslow founder, MCC ConsultingSharon Piehl Fleishman Hillard; Andre Oberholzer Sappi; Nicola Chaning-Pearce Tynago Communications; Kylie Salmon Beetle IncNontobeko Vilakati: Overall, the entries demonstrated a solid business-as-usual approach to communication, with good planning and solid implementation. What could have been added to augment this good work is innovative thinking and cutting-edge strategic communication applications the wow factor of new ways of working and execution.Measurement and evaluation also could have been tighter, showing a direct correlation between communication and business results. While in some cases PR activations are simply aimed at driving awareness, more focus needs to be placed on strategic business outcomes, for example share price, overall reputation, and so on.Successful projects relied on an integrated approach, incorporating traditional PR tactics, effective social media that encompassed multiple assets, and an experiential element that engages stakeholders. Enhanced reputational equity is about engaging stakeholders as quickly as possible, and steering conversations towards favourable engagement.Healthcare, environmentalLaunch of a new service, product or categoryVicki St Quintin, corporate and healthcare consultantThandi Moticoe Purple Room Communication; Ruth Kolevsohn Burson-Marsteller; Nicky James Tribeca; Megan Outramm Atmosphere; Carol Allers EskomWynand Monyeseala: It is always a great privilege to be a judge of the prestigious Prism Awards and to see the progress over the years. Entrants are taking much greater care in the preparation of their documents, following the guidelines and generally keeping to the word limit.Amongst the excellent entries were quite a few that were not worthy of a read and reflected the most basic work. Many entries could have been improved by including relevant and original research. Most lacked the final evaluation shown against the hard objectives all in one place makes it easier to read.The winning entries that we judged reflected more than great ideas in the execution and showed real understanding of the client needs and challenges of the project. Excellent and concise writing remain the key to a winning entry, as we as judges can only make a decision based on what is included in the document.Student campaign, PR on a shoestring, consumer PR for an existing product, service or categoryByDesign founder Kevin WelmanRonel Rensburg UP; Sonja Verwey UJ; Corne Meintjies UJ; Realile Tekateka - Engage Joe Public; Mandy Kojetin AtmosphereSanele Mashinini: Overall, PR on a shoestring and consumer PR for an existing product, service or category were good. As always, there were excellent entries and entries that were average.As an industry, we should be (and are) proud of the work we do, I think the two categories show the immense value good communication can deliver off limited budgets. In all instances, there was a great relationship between the agency and client, and great things were achieved together.For the second consecutive year, Ive led the panel of judges in the student category. This year, we had a similar number of entries to last year, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the quality improve dramatically. The entries were all well written, the problem or opportunity was well captured, and the solution made a tangible difference.The only advice I would give students is to think more widely than social media a Facebook post or a Twitter content plan doesnt address everyone dont forget about the media; community, regional and national media are still critical. Please include channels beyond social media. Well done to the three winning campaigns, all three were refreshing and a joy to judge. This is the opinion of founder of the 'Prisms Young Judges' initiative, Palesa Madumo, executive director of strategy at Vuma Reputation Management.The young judges were introduced last year. This gives young practitioners the opportunity to sit in the judging of clusters and experience the industry, while also giving them the opportunity to provide valuable input into the Awards.What did the young judges think of the judging?The process of judging the awards was exciting because we got to see all the amazing work created by fellow industry peers, but it was also quite intense; mostly in the sense that it required a great amount of thinking capacity on how the different campaigns presented impacted, shaped and made a difference in the lives of those audiences they were created for.There was a lot of debating on why we chose to score the way we did and the insights we all drew from the campaigns. This made the sessions a lot more robust and worth all the time that was spent reading through the entries.This experience has been everything for me as a student, I have learnt so much from the different campaigns and what they actually really do and how they come about it.I got to understand in depth the Why, When, Who, Where and How; and as a student you learn a lot from that, more of the practicality side of what I do in class. My senior judges were of great help.When I got an email informing me that I was selected to be a part of the 2018 Prisa Prism Young Judges I was very excited, because I knew this was the start of a long journey that would yield good results.I was a bit nervous at the same time because I knew that I would be judging entries sent by big companies and being a graduate, I felt the pressure that I had to stand out. Most of the entries tackled issues that I thought were really life-changing and educational and that was the point I raised during the final judging day, while defending them to be part of the winners. I really had a great time judging the Prism Awards.Personally, I found it to be educational more than anything. It was a unique experience for me, so it was intense at times. There were a lot of campaigns to go through, but you learn from both the good ones and the bad ones.From agency and client perspectives, you get to see in detail what goes into a having an effective and standout campaign. from the type of research to how the execution was carried out. Even more, you get to see how the different agencies approach and handle their briefs from clients.Also, the consistencies in key strategies and tactics used were evident. Overall, the whole process was a bit challenging but it was very insightful. It was a great experience.As a Prism Young Judge, I have been exposed to some excellent work by the most experienced companies in South Africa and feel I have a better idea of the status of PR in the country as well as window into how the PR world thinks.What anexperience! Being a young judge has been exciting and insightful and what Ive appreciated the most about the judging process has been the opportunity to have a voice, as well as meet and converse with so many great minds along the way.Understanding how other industry professionals think, conceptualise, and package themselves has been a fantastic learning experience and Ive learnt so much about leadership from working with my cluster judges.In line with this, here are some of my takeouts and learnings from my judging experience:Great initiatives are led by even greater minds behind them and this experience has shaped my thinking for the long term, inspiring me to be innovative and learn more within my space, as well as practice introspection along the way in order to ensure for values-based authenticity. This campaign was an instant success, shifting the focus from a Cape Town issue to a collective national responsibility. People around the country rallied behind 2-Minute Shower Songs, and the message translated across geographies, even garnering support from international audiences. 2-Minute Shower Songs This amazing campaign shows that private sector players are using our City messages to drive their own water-awareness campaigns. We can only make it through this drought together and what a fun way to play your part by jamming in the shower for two minutes or less, to some great songs by our top talents. The results speak for themselves 147,203,715 impressions 1,671,500 video views 95% top-tier media exposure 100% key message penetration 22,694 unique website visits 145,091 click-throughs (0.21%: Google, 0.65%: GDN, 1.46%: Facebook and Instagram) Average of 3.24 minutes spent on site per session 1,696,638 engagements 590 karaoke voice notes sent to Heart and KFM in one week 4,360 free downloads 2,345 free streaming 776 paid downloads 98% Sanlam brand mention Helped to push Day Zero back by 59 days Judges of finalists Marilyn Watson Ruth Kolevsohn Katherine Madley Doug de Villers Ashraf Garda Daniel Munslow Vincent Magwenya Simone Carter Siya Sangweni-Fynn Judges of Campaign of the Year category entries Marilyn Watson Doug de Villers Shenanda Janse van Rensburg Jonathan Rees Arun Sudhaman Vincent Magwenya Maxim Behar Havard Kleppa B-M Norway Simbongile Ndlangisa Judges comments The X factor is collaboration Katherine Madley, group executive of product marketing, Alexander Forbes Katherine Madley, group executive of product marketing, Alexander Forbes A solid understanding Ruth Kolevsohn, chief operating officer, Burson-Marsteller Ruth Kolevsohn, chief operating officer, Burson-Marsteller. What was really heartening were the efforts made to advise clients on how best to spend their money, rather than just taking a brief and delivering on what was asked. However, more emphasis needs to be put on delivering real value to clients. Simbongile Ndlangisa, operations director at Melenial 2018 finalists Not only did it ultimately helped push back Day Zero, but it also positioned Atmospheres client, Sanlam within the water conversation.Sanlam has had a longstanding focus on water conservation. Cape Towns drought crisis gave it the opportunity to rally the nation to fight together against Day Zero.With the insight that the bathroom accounts for 80% of consumption, with showers using 10l p/m, the agency focused on the Citys request for people to shower in two minutes or less. Tapping into the insight that people love to sing in the shower, they convinced 10 of the countrys biggest artists to recreate two-minute versions of their hits and launched 2-Minute Shower Songs.This fully integrated campaign was perfectly timed around peak tourist month, when millions of visitors put further strain on municipal water supply. In just six weeks, they rallied residents and visitors to reduce their water use.The Mayor of Cape Town praised Sanlam for being one of the first corporates to heed the call to get behind the cause, and their efforts helped to push Day Zero back by 59 days. According to Patricia de Lille, Mayor of Cape Town:The campaign grabbed local and international headlines, delivered 147-million impressions and drove 3.4-million engagements.Award winners have one thing in common: creativity leads them. The creative idea comes before communication platforms, before egos and before baked-in marketing plans and budgets. Once the big idea is decided on then the players collaborate their skills thats how they win.The idea needs to connect the clearly articulated target markets with the requisite product and/or brand promise and that, agency, is your part. Marketer: you need to know your brand, products and markets better than anyone else in your category.The only thing limiting an idea is budget (clever planners, strategists and creatives find ways arounds this). What suffocates and dilutes an idea is interference and committee (difficult to avoid on the client side).PR winners put the idea first and then connect the dots expertly with paths of addictive content between the brand and the audiences, especially reaching non-target audiences, growing the brand and its top line.It was encouraging to see the number of integrated campaigns which were entered this year.While it is hard for PR on a shoestring campaigns to compete with those that are backed by significant ATL spend, we have seen a solid understanding of the key audiences in some entries as well as how to reach them through targeted communications, rather than the knee-jerk approach through mass media communication.Good public relations really is based on a solid understanding of who the audiences are and how to reach them most directly, with messages that resonate with them. We also saw really creative and clever ideas to leverage newsjacking opportunities, increasing the clients share of voice by leading conversations on key societal issues.Too often, communication objectives focus on measuring reach and dissemination, but we need to evolve as an industry to the point where we spend the time to understand the clients underlying business objectives and set communication targets which are linked to achieving sales, increasing market share or share price, legislative influence or employee attraction and retention.About 30% of the entries were A+, with the rest hovering between ordinary and mediocre.It was definitely about whether the campaign goals were achieved and how, but especially, the existence of the 'wow' factor.The 2017 Hollard Daredevil Run (HDDR) was the most successful in the events seven-year history. Tribeca aggressively drove awareness of male-specific cancers (testicular, prostate) during the campaign (December 2016 to March 2017) to educate men that early detection saves lives.The 5km run of purple Speedo-clad men was held simultaneously in four cities, with proceeds to Cansa to sustain the Hollard-branded ManVan, a mobile clinic educating rural men about cancers, and administering free Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) tests.: Of the 9,074 tests in 2017, 337 abnormalities were detected, and 319 men went for further testing. The 2017 campaign raised the most awareness ever, drove the most entries, leading to the highest donation to Cansa ever at R648,000.Many South Africans dont have funeral cover, which causes major drama among family members when a loved one passes away, and the costs can be crippling. Sanlam wanted to demonstrate its deep understanding of the cultural context and differentiate its offering in a cluttered and competitive category., an original drama series told through the most popular digital platform among our audience, WhatsApp, was created. The audience followed the Langa family in real-time, in the seven days leading up to the funeral of the deceased father.: 44,000 subscribers. 850,000 minutes of content consumed. 93% completion rate. The impact: 146% increase in leads conversion.The Steers #Respek Nation campaign broke boundaries, becoming the most successful PR-led campaign that the brand has seen in over a year.To launch their all new Rib King Burger Promotion, the brand plugged into urban culture through strategic partnerships with leading inuencers and platforms who are custodians of the culture.: This resulted in a dynamically executed campaign activated through digital and social media platforms that had a resounding contribution to the business objectives shifting over 350,000 units in November 2017 at a contribution of 8.2% to overall turnover.To celebrate the 50-year anniversary of their AMG high-performance brand in South Africa, the brand wanted people to sit up and take notice. They wanted a raw, visceral connection with the South African motoring public that made people grin like idiots and cross busy roads to take a look.Using the key insight that people just love the distinctive AMG growl, the unmistakeable signature sound of the AMG engine ByDesign brought the growl to life.: The campaign reached more than 26 million people with 18 million video views and counting and 80,000 clicks.More importantly, it delivered the business objective. The 50-years of AMG campaign led to a significant increase in Mercedes's social share of voice in the automotive vertical in South Africa, increasing from 11.5% to 30.4%. "Entering for 'cluster 6' of the Prisa Prism Awards - best agency and best PR practitioner - is more than submitting an entry, it is about getting feedback from highly regarded experienced professionals. Entrants ought to review it and apply it - it will be to their benefit" - Dr Amanda Hamilton-Attwell, CEO of Business DNA and cluster 6 chief judge. Jolene van Heerden, this years Best PR professional at the Prism Awards; and Monare Matema, best up-and-coming PR professional. Images Van Heerden's LinkedIn profile and Matema's Twitter profile Best PR professional Best up-and-coming Public Relations professional For him, mediocrity is not option, so he makes it his mission to constantly learn about and excel in the industries that he works in. Best Large Public Relations consultancy Best Mid-sized Public relations consultancy They believe in a new dawn of young leaders, who challenge the status quo by demonstrating what is possible when our minds are given an opportunity to take on the boardroom. Best Small Public relations consultancy Judges feedback Looking at the individual entries tells us that most PR practitioners do not have a career development plan, they do not measure if their projects are making a difference and what they can learn from each project they are involved in. Cluster 6: Agency and individual awards judging panel As communications manager for Mahle, an automotive component manufacturer in Durban, she has challenged the automotive industry to take ownership in assisting and addressing the ongoing shortage of skilled engineers and artisans.She is also the driving force behind a highly successful sustainable CSI project (Science2Go) with NGO Casme, which is helping to reduce the knowledge gap that exists within these critical focus areas, by providing science education in the under-resourced areas of mathematics and science at 31 schools and over 20,000 learners in the rural areas of Durban.Her colleagues and suppliers say she has outstanding communication skills, superior presentation abilities, a passion for excellence, and a contagious enthusiasm. Tenacious and resourceful; she demonstrates good research and information-gathering skills.She has over 22 years experience in the PR industry, is a frequent speaker and guest lecturer on public relations topics at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and is the current Chairperson of KZN Prisa.A 25-year-old creative who says that for the longest time, he has wanted to share his stories with the world. He was given the opportunity after a chance meeting with founder of DNA Brand Architects Sylvester Chauke who offered him an internship, despite the fact that he had no prior experience and no qualication in communications.He proved himself and within three months of his internship, moved from the reception desk into the role of brand assistant.He is passionate about the spread of ideas and has a burning desire to make a difference in the lives of people the world over.He has a erce work ethic and a dogged determination to get things done.Thats two in a row for the agency, which also took the silver in this category last year. Since then, the agency has gone through a period of growth as well as recognition upping both its staff and revenue.Notable work includes the dotsure.co.za Doggy Day campaign, which saw the agency break the Guinness World Record for the most dogs gathered in one place wearing bandanas, as well as Enter the Microsoft Age for Microsoft South Africa, and Tile Africas More Than national campaign.A family of 34 young thinkers who are a mix of different cultures, they draw from their different experiences to create work.They say, What makes us unique is our shared vision and goal to reshape the narrative of South African youth, work ethic and culture.Celebrating a decade of delivering solid PR campaigns and maintaining strong client relationships, Plato continues its success, something it believes starts with an integrated strategy and plan based on solid insight, as it sets the benchmark for small agency work in a heavyweight agency world.There were some very good entries, but overall it was slightly disappointing. Some of the entries were really not worth the time and effort the panel had to invest to evaluate it. In several instances, we felt the person submitting the entry did not respect the evaluators they did not use the guidelines provided, nor did they bother to proofread their entry.Some entrants submitted their 2017 entry, with a few replacements. What was sad, was that they did not even apply the advice the team gave them to improve their submissions. We are concerned about the dwindling number of individual and agency entries. We need to find ways to profile these awards as aspirational and value-adding.Agencies are paying more attention to setting measureable objectives and eventually measuring in a valid and reliable way. We were very impressed with the agencies that linked the outcomes of their projects to the bottom-line of the business, indicating in real terms the strategic impact of communication interventions.Unfortunately, there were still submissions that only used AVE as a measurement. Even though we understand that we still need to educate client organisations to move away from AVE as a measurement of impact, we need to measure our work according to the outcomes and the outputs achieved.The number of entries submitted in this cluster speaks volumes. It says most agencies want to submit projects to be evaluated, but not themselves. They do not want to be evaluated according to their strategic focus, their commitment to staff development, their investment in transforming the PR industry.Dr Amanda Hamilton-Attwell of Business DNADanette Breitenbach journalistNikki Munsie IASKavitha Kalicharan AdcockBridget von Holdt Burson-MarstellerRoslyn Jones Anglo AmericanSithulile Mbayi Atmosphere made it third time lucky, winning Campaign of the Year at last night's Prism Awards. The agency won for its 2-minute songs campaign. It has won this award twice in the past. Atmosphere Communications at the 2018 Prism Awards. Not a one-trick pony Inspired by the Awards Coming of age The agency also walked away with 12 awards six golds, four silvers and two bronze awards. Other gold winners at the event include PR Worx, Brand et al, Idea Engineers, Flow Communications, DNA Brand Architects, the Friday Street Club, Logical Truth, Verve and the University of Johannesburg.Nicola Nel, MD of Atmosphere was very excited by the agencys performance. Winning Campaign of the Year, and with two campaigns in the top 5 in Campaign of the Year, as well being the most awarded agency on the night, she says this shows that the agency is not a one-trick pony.Year on year we have consistently delivered campaigns that have business outcomes. It starts with the brief by the client we start by asking, what do you want us to do for your business and then we work the creative, often very closely with King James, as we did on the 2-minute showers campaign. She adds that part of this success is then exploding this creative in all the channels. PR lives in all the channels and integration is key.PR Worx also did exceptionally well winning two golds, two silvers and two bronze Prisms. Madelain Roscher, MD of PR Worx says this success is a testimony to the efforts of her team. The Awards are also an accolade to our clients for trusting us with their strategy. Successful campaigns also equal hard work. Year on year we work hard to improve on the previous year. We are consistent and then more, so our work improves and is stronger.DNA Brand architects was not only awarded a silver for Mid-Sized agency of the year but also received a gold, silver and bronze Prism. DNA Brand Architects, agency founder, Sylvester Chauke, is honoured that their work has been acknowledged. The demands placed on us are increasing so I am proud of work we have done for our clients and also elated because I know it makes a difference. He says the Prism Awards have inspired him. It is nice for the industry to get a pat on the back, and to acknowledge and celebrate ourselves.The agencys Monare Matema was also awarded a bronze for Best Up-and-coming Public Relations Professional. Matema is super proud of his agency. DNA won many awards tonight. My individual award is the cherry on top and I am so proud. I have learnt so much in the industry, from what works today may not work tomorrow, to roll with the punches, and to understand your market and plug into that space.Clockwork Media received a silver for the second year in a row for Large Agency of the Year as well as three silver and two bronze Prisms. The award affirms that we are on the right track, doing the right things, especially research and measurement, which is a key area for the judges, says Tom Manners, CEO of the agency. He adds that the number of entries in this category remains disappointing, however, and that he would like to this change.Plato Communications was awarded a silver in Small Agency of the Year. African Network of the Year was won by Burson-Marsteller. A silver was awarded in the African Campaign of the Year to ByDesign, a relatively young agency. As a new agency, these awards are so important, says ByDesign founder, Kevin Welman. When we are recognised, it is alongside established players and their great work.Bridget von Holdt, convenor of the Prism Awards was named Lifetime Achiever. Earlier in the evening, opening the Awards, Von Holdt said she often asks herself why she does this. Then when I see everyone gathered at the Awards I know why. I do it for you, I do it for the PR industry.She expressed mixed feelings on the PR industry. The industry has come of age and is recognised in the boardroom and is respected for its strategies and the impact of its campaigns. We have brought the communication disciplines together and launched integrated campaigns. We see these campaigns in the Prism Awards entries and I applaud these.However, she has two concerns research and measurement. Both remain weaknesses in what we do. We need to mature and move beyond per column cm as a measurement. AVE is not a measurement. It is for this reason that some campaigns did not win anything, while others were awarded.She adds that South African PR companies work is comparable to work overseas by their counterparts. When I compare overseas work with the Prism Awards entries I see brilliant work and I am proud. It's not often that my #FairnessFirst column is about an event I've covered, but there is always a first time - this is it! 'Excited. Uplifted. Motivated. Powerful. We've been ready!' These are some of the sentiments I captured on a chilly Thursday evening in April, when the global SheSays initiative launched its Cape Town chapter - the first in Africa and 42nd across the world - at the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business in Salt River... So excited to be at @SheSaysCapeTown! This room of beautiful women is already inspiring! (And the guys too, we see you boo) #SheSaysCT Estee de Villiers (@Esteedv) April 19, 2018 SheSays is by the people, for the people', so each chapter can do as it likes Its based on autonomy Its based on doing. Exciting night of the launch of #ShesaysCT - we want more women business leaders and the top and women to have each others backs! #TsogoEntrepreneurs pic.twitter.com/mv2X7H45y4 Bahati Tech (@bahati_tech) April 19, 2018 I think about those women and my daughter coming behind me, if I need to sacrifice for other women to get ahead, Ill do that says @raeraehickley #SheSaysCT African Geek Goddess (@RonellSharee) April 19, 2018 #WinnieMadikizelaMandela death and the solidarity amongst women since her passing has shown the biggest middle finger to #patriarchy since we voted in 1994 - @JonesIngrid #SheSaysCT African Geek Goddess (@RonellSharee) April 19, 2018 85% of the jobs that will be important in 2030 dont yet exist. Theres no better proof of the need to constantly upskill yourself. Attended the first ever #SheSaysCT event this evening hosted at the @RedAndYellowEd (!!!) ~ an event for women by women speaking about navigating the future of careers in the creative & digital space! So apt. Amazing forum. pic.twitter.com/ivm3LSk0XN eden_myrrh (@Eden_myrrh) April 19, 2018 Starting with a networking session on the rooftop that offers Insta-worthy views of Devils Peak on one end and the Cape harbour on the other, this was an overwhelming mix of the citys female creative inspirationals and those looking for inspiration.At 6:30pm on the dot we moved down into the sheltered auditorium and only then was it clear how many fierce females were in attendance with a smattering of men, too.SheSays is not about 'females-only feminism', after all were not going to pull off our bras and burn them well, not yet, said co-organiser of SheSays Cape Town, Anelde Greeff, also editor-in-chief ofIt stands out as a women volunteer network focused on the engagement, education and advancement of female creatives, and is based on three principles:Co-founder Alessandra Lariu emphasised the importance of conversations that will lead to actions, as SheSays is not about moaning but about doing, learning from each other and helping each other.Greeff agreed that the Cape Town chapter is to be an inspiring place, which she says is important as things need to change we need to put women on top, give young creatives someone to look up to, and have each others backs. This momentum started on the night.Its the ultimate networking get-together, offering inspiration and mentorship. Whether youre a freelancer, recently redundant, on sabbatical or a starry-eyed newbie, this is the movement for you. Heres whyAttendees tweeted their favourite pearls of wisdom as follows:Helene Lindsay then explained that SheSays ties in with the Red & Yellow ethos of addressing gender imbalance in addition to all imbalances of the past to a better future.Lindsay added that theres further tie-in with the belief that life-long learning is a non-negotiable we need to keep up-to-date as technology changes the way we work and the way we live.Next it was time for the panel discussion. Moderated by Dr Dorrian Aiken, we heard from the five females on the panel for the night, all boasting such impressive CVs that there was applause and audible "wow"s from the audience:Red & Yellow CEO Nikki Cockcroft; publishing dynamite Ingrid Jones, author Paige Nick; former head of strategy at Saatchi & Saatchi, Tharina Haas; and Sturae Hickley, head of the award-winning ad operations team at Mark1.All had different insights to share but one thing in common a passion for digital and for developing and empowering females in all aspects of their lives. Theres no denying that women are often their own and other womens harshest critics. Its time to step away from that judgemental mindset and look to better ourselves by bettering others.In the creative industry, which is notoriously fast-paced and cut-throat as its based on the youre only as good as your last... way of thinking, you need to be good at what you do, and like what you do. Networking and meeting others in the industry is crucial to getting this right, as you focus on what you can do now to help yourself, both now and in future.The best part? Tickets are limited but membership is free and the advice is free-flowing. Theres no cattiness or cliques to crack simply show up with a smile on your face and join the conversation. Im hoping to see you at the next one! Speed-mentoring events are also on the cards for the future, so join the group on Facebook and follow the conversation on Twitter at @SheSaysCapeTown and the #SheSaysCT hashtag. Emma Wilkie to attend Lisbon International Advertising Festival Gunn Report MD Emma Wilkie will be attending the 2018 Lisbon International Advertising Festival in Portugal on 20 September 2018. Wilkie is expected to deliver a speech on the importance of creative awards for the advertising market and will also touch on the work developed by Gunn Report. The Gunn Report is an annual global index of excellence in advertising. It ranks the world's best creative works, based on performance in award shows around the world and is now part of Warc, the global authority on advertising and media effectiveness. The Most Extensive and Reliable Source of Information Related to the Mexican Drugs Cartels. You will not find this level of coverage anywhere else, join us! Send information, pictures or videos, you remain 100% anonymous. Envia fotos, videos, notas, enlaces o informacion todo 100% Anonimo. Want to be a contributor or citizen reporter for Borderland Beat? We love to have you in our team, send Sol Prendido or HEARST an email! WARNING: Posts may contain strong violent material, discretion is advised. COMMENTS: We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately. NEW DELHI (PTI): Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba on Sunday began a five-day visit to Iran, where he would attend a conclave of major naval powers of the region and explore ways to deepen engagement between navies of the two countries. The sixth edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and Conclave of Chiefs will be held in Tehran from April 23 to 25, the Indian Navy said. The IONS, which began in 2008 following an initiative by India, has grown into a major naval forum of the region with 23 countries as members and nine nations as observers. "The visit of the Chief of the Naval Staff is also aimed at consolidating bilateral naval relations between India and Iran and to explore new avenues for naval cooperation," it said in a statement. Admiral Lanba will also hold bilateral discussions with the Commander of Iranian Navy and Navy chiefs of several other nations on the sidelines of the IONS. The IONS was conceived by the Indian Navy in 2008. The aim of the initiative was to enhance maritime cooperation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion on regionally relevant maritime issues. The inaugural edition of IONS was held in February 2008 in New Delhi, with Indian Navy as the Chair for two years. Admiral Lanba is leading a four-member Indian delegation for the event in Tehran. "A relatively young forum, barely in its 10th year of existence, the IONS has grown into a formidable organisation with 23 members and nine observers. As the founder nation, India will also be conducting commemorative activities in November 2018 at Kochi, to celebrate its 10th Anniversary this year," the Navy said. NEW DELHI (PTI): French defence company Thales has said it is working on doubling its footprint in India by expanding its overall product portfolios with a major focus on India's ambitious project to build a fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines. Senior Executive Vice-President (International Development) Pascale Sourisse said Thales was in particular looking at supplying key components such as sonars for India's nuclear-powered and other submarines. India has been working on a secret project to build six nuclear-powered attack submarines which are expected to boost the Navy's overall strike capabilities. The Government had last year also begun the process to acquire six conventionally-powered advanced stealth submarines at a cost of around Rs 60,000 crore under project P-75(I). "We can equip any kind of submarines including nuclear-powered submarines. We are equipping nuclear submarines in France," the senior executive of Europe's largest defence electronics company told PTI in an interview. Six Scorpene-class submarines are currently being built under 'Project 75' of the Indian Navy. The submarines, designed by French firm Naval Group, are being built by the Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai. The project P-75(I) will be a follow-on for Project 75. Sourisse said India was one of the top three priority markets for Thales and the company planned to double its footprint in the country in the next two or three years by ramping up its supply chain and building a sustainable ecosystem of partners. Thales expected defence manufacturing in India to grow because of the Government's initiatives in boosting the production of weapons and military platforms, she said. In particular, she referred to the Government's decision to raise foreign direct investment in defence manufacturing to 74 per cent for certain niche segments. Sourisse said the Thales strategy was not only to support the Government's "Make in India" policy but also exports from India. India is expected to spend close to US$ 300 billion in the next five years in procuring defence equipment and almost all major global defence firms are eyeing a slice of it. "We are in India for 65 years. Since 1953, we have been working with the Indian Air Force, the Navy and the Army," she said, adding the company was looking to expand its product portfolio as well supplies to all the three forces. When asked about the project to upgrade the IAF's Mirage 2000 fighter jets, Sourisse said it was moving along "very well". Thales is a part of the project along with Dassault Aviation. On the Rafale deal, she said it would be a "win-win" proposition for India. Thales will provide equipment and systems that are expected to account for about 25 per cent of the total value of each Rafale. India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. In the naval domain, Sourisse said Thales was ready to produce its premier Search Master radar in India under the "Make in India" initiative. She said the company was keen to produce various equipment and surveillance devices for the Indian Air Force as well and particularly mentioned the fire control radar solution. Last week, Thales and India's MKU Limited had joined hands for the development and production of optronic devices and F90 close quarter battle (CQB) rifle for soldiers. The optronic devices and F90 rifles will be manufactured in India at MKU's facilities in Kanpur. Thales has been providing avionics and other equipment to the state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for over four decades and Sourisse said the company was now looking at expanding the association further. Earlier this week, Thales set up a new office in Bengaluru as part of its plans to strengthening its presence in India. 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. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Amazon.com Inc expects groceries and household products to account for over half of its business in India in the next five years, as it moves to broaden offerings in the segment and foray into areas such as fresh produce. Amit Agarwal, the India head of Amazon, said in an interview on Friday that groceries and goods such as creams, soaps and cleaning products, were already the largest product category on Amazon in terms of number of units sold in India. "I would not speculate on when we would launch AmazonFresh but, absolutely, if you ask me the next five years of vision - ... On a day when its closest rival Tata Consultancy Services achieved the distinction of becoming the first Indian IT company to cross $100 billion in market cap, top leaders of Infosys led by newly appointed Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Salil Parekh were busy convincing investors in Mumbai how they are trying to build a company that has put in place all the building blocks to emerge as a leader in the digital space, where most of the client budgets are going today. 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. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor JSW Steel may go it alone as the committee of creditors (CoC) for Essar Steel decides to consider a fresh round of bids altogether. JSW Steel is pointing towards a part of the NCLT order, which was uploaded on Saturday, which says in the option no. 1, it has been suggested to initiate a new process for inviting bids from all interested parties (starting with initiation of new expression of interest) and follow the entire process as per new request for proposal as approved by the CoC, which were not considered as viable and appropriate by the CoC keeping in view of ... Lenovo Group is increasingly at risk of being dropped from Hong Kongs benchmark equity index as its shares tumble more than any other technology company in the world. The Chinese computer maker has fallen 56 per cent since being added to the Hang Seng Index in March 2013, wiping out $5.8 billion in value. Companies removed from the gauge in the past decade had seen their value fall a median of 48 per cent before being excluded, according to Bloomberg calculations. Lenovo sank to its lowest since October 2009 on Monday as a US ban on ZTE Corp and a global selloff by ... Human societies have seen a significant decrease in mortality from infectious diseases over the past century. However, we must still struggle with ongoing pathologies we once thought were under control (cholera, tuberculosis, plague, etc.) as well as the new ones that have emerged over the last 30 years (HIV/AIDS, Ebola, dengue, West Nile virus, H1N1, etc.). The vast scale of the global epidemics provoked by these viruses forces us to look more closely at the territories where they emerge. In India, there has been an accelerated spread of dengue and chikungunya, both transmitted by the ... The Union Home Ministry has removed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Meghalaya and reduced to eight the number of police stations under the Act in Arunachal Pradesh, an official said on Monday. "AFSPA was totally withdrawn from all areas of Meghalaya from April 1. In Arunachal, it is down from 16 police stations to eight," the official said. The Act has however been extended by another six months in three eastern districts of Arunachal Pradesh -- Tirap, Longding and Changlang -- which border Myanmar and specific areas under eight police stations of seven ... Almost 20 years after model Jessica Lal was gunned down at a restaurant in New Delhi, her sister Sabrina Lal, who fought a lengthy legal battle for justice, has said that she has moved on and has no objection to the convict, Siddharth Vashishtha (better known as Manu Sharma) being released from jail. Vashishtha is serving a life term in Delhis Tihar Jail for the 1999 murder. Manu Sharma has been shifted to open prison, where he is allowed to leave at 8 am and return by 6 pm every day. This has also paved the way for his final release after 15 years in prison. Manu Sharma's ... The Indian Medical Association (IMA) today expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reported remarks in London last week about alleged nexus between doctors and pharma companies, saying his comments brought disrepute to doctors in India. In a letter to the prime minister, the IMA said the health system of the country would collapse without and the onus of the mess in the sector squarely falls on successive governments, including the present dispensation. IMA Secretary-General Dr R N Tandon also said the doctors in the country are being "suppressed and exploited" by every means possible. "The health system of the country would collapse without Indian doctors," Tandon said in the letter. The letter also highlighted that the IMA has supported the 'jan aushadhi' scheme launched in 2008. "Why is a pharma company allowed to price the same drug categorised under different names with different profit margins? Doctors of this country are in no way in control of the price of this drug or stents," it said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also did not agree with the prime minister's reported statement. "I disagree wid Hon'ble PM. Our docs have made India proud. The same docs have made revolutionary transformation in health sector in Del in last 3 yrs wid Del govt. Given proper working environment wid no political interference, our docs can transform health sector nationally," he tweeted. Taxi aggregator on Sunday urged a person not to discriminate on religious lines after the latter cancelled his ride as the driver was a Muslim. Replying to one Abhishek Mishra, who is followed by some Union cabinet ministers on Twitter, the company said, "Ola, like our country, is a secular platform, and we don't discriminate our driver partners or customers basis their caste, religion, gender or creed. We urge all our customers and driver partners to treat each other with respect at all times." In a tweet on Friday, Mishra, whose verified Twitter account says Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Ideology First, Hindutva Thinker, Digital & Social Media Advisor (Views Personal), said, "Cancelled @Olacabs Booking because Driver was Muslim. I don't want to give my money to Jihadi People." He attached a screenshot of his Ola booking which named the cab driver. Cancelled @Olacabs Booking because Driver was Muslim. I don't want to give my money to Jihadi People. pic.twitter.com/1IIf4LlTZL Abhishek Mishra (@Abhishek_Mshra) April 20, 2018 This started a Twitter firestorm with many demanded the Ola to block his account. However, there were many who supported Mishra's 'right to choose'. A few other Twitter users too posted tweets in his defence, describing his move as "freedom of expression" and shared screenshots of similar discrimination by other social media users. On Sunday, Mishra posted a screenshot of a mail sent to him allegedly by the micro-blogging site, and said, "Thanks to @Twitter and it's a tight slap on the faces those trying to suspend my account." However, Mishra criticised Facebook for deleting his post and said, "Facebook tried to suppress my voice. alas such an effort should have also be done with Reshmi R Nair and Abid Hasan. Facing opposition for speaking about Hindus but those who stand with me is my real strength." Mishra's Facebook profile says he is from Ayodhya and works as an IT professional in Lucknow. He claims he is an active member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal -- both affiliates of the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh -- and "holds responsibility" of the IT cell of the VHP. India would lodge a trade dispute against the United States at the World Trade Organisation if Washington does not grant it exemptions from higher tariffs on steel and aluminium, three government officials involved in trade talks told Reuters. India recently requested exemptions, arguing that its exports of these products to the United States did not create a security concern for a country with whom it has a strategic partnership that goes beyond trade. Three senior officials who did not want to be named said New Delhi would file a case citing discrimination with the WTO as a ... Chinese funds have slashed valuations of ZTE Corp after the United States banned American companies from selling components to the telecoms equipment maker for seven years, a move ZTE said threatened its very survival. The US action last week was sparked by ZTE's violation of an agreement reached after it was caught illegally shipping US goods to Iran. American companies are estimated to provide 25-30 percent of the components used in ZTE's equipment. Chinese mutual fund managers cut the value of the stock in their portfolios by 20-30 per cent in a spate of announcements ... Want to avoid American tariffs? In China, a company called Settle Logistics says it knows a way. Specifically, that way goes through Malaysia a 4,600-mile diversion compared with sending a shipping container from China straight across the Pacific to the United States. But when those Chinese products arrive at an American port, they will look as if they had come from Malaysia, according to the company, and will be spared tariffs aimed at Chinese goods. For those unfair trade barriers targeting our industries from certain countries, Settle Logistics says on ... It came as a shock to Madison Avenue in the late 1980s when a British financial whiz named Martin Sorrell came for two pre-eminent American advertising agencies, embarking on hostile takeovers of J Walter Thompson and the Ogilvy Group on his way to forging a global empire. Almost three decades later, Sorrell was again at the centre of another earthshaking moment for the industry. A little over a week ago, WPP announced that Sorrell had abruptly resigned as chief executive, a position that, he told Ken Auletta of The New Yorker last year, he intended to keep until they shoot ... One person died and two others were severely injured after being hit by a train at Harauni railway station in Lucknow's Banthra on Monday morning. The incident took place after the train platform was suddenly changed at the station, causing panic among the passengers. Angry passengers vandalised the train after the accident, making the railway staff hostage for the negligence. Railway officials have given an assurance of taking action against the guilty employee after the investigation is done. In the meantime, Up Line of Kanpur-Lucknow rail division is affected. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 2015 Paris attack-suspect Salah Abdeslam on Monday is found guilty of attempt-to-murder and has been sentenced to 20-year jail term. As per the media reports Abdeslam has been termed as a jihadist and is said to have carried out the attack with the help of his aide Sofiane Ayari. Abdeslam had already been serving a jail term under a separate charge in connection with the 2015 Paris attacks which led to the death of 130 people. Further, the prosecutors have demanded a 20-year-jail-term in both the cases. Abdelsam was also involved in a shootout with the Brussels police in 2016 following which he was arrested by the police. Four police officers were said to be wounded in the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been removed from Assam, Meghalaya and parts of Arunachal Pradesh, the Centre said on Monday. The decision to remove AFSPA has been taken due to significant improvement of security situation in the two states. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju said, "The revocation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act by Home Ministry from Assam, Meghalaya and most areas of Arunachal Pradesh is due to significant improvement of security scenario in North-East India in last 4 years." In Arunachal Pradesh, the AFSPA will remain enforced under eight police station limits -- from 16 areas earlier- near the border with Assam, and in three districts -- Tirap, Changlang and Longding - near the border with Myanmar. The AFSPA has been in force in Nagaland, Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir for several decades, and since the early 1990s in Assam. The AFSPA grants special powers to the Indian Armed Forces in 'disturbed areas. According to The Disturbed Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1976 once declared 'disturbed', the area has to maintain status quo for a minimum of 3 months. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Scores of protesters on Sunday gathered outside 10 Downing Street - the official residence of British Prime Minister - in London to protest against human rights violations in Balochistan by Pakistani authorities. Baloch Republican Party's UK chapter posted pictures and a video clip of the same on Twitter. Positing 10 pictures from their "official" Twitter handle, the party captioned them as "BRP urged @10DowningStreet & international community to take notice of massive Human Rights abuses being committed in #Balochistan by the Pakistani security forces. #HumanRights #London". The party also posted a video clip, wherein UK's BRP chief Mansoor Baloch is seen urging the United Kingdom government to intervene to stop the "Baloch genocide". A similar protest was also held in South Korea yesterday. Activists from Baloch Republican Party (BRP) and Baloch Republican Student Organisation (BRSO) jointly held a protest demonstration outside Busan Station in South Korea to highlight war crimes and state atrocities. The Baloch activists have been trying to voice their concerns at multiple international platforms, including the United Nations. Recently, at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council, activists raised the issue of enforced disappearances, torture and killings of several Baloch activists and intellectuals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 23 (ANI): The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking heavily on a high voltage presence by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last leg of campaigning in the state before it goes to polls on May 12. Mr. Modi's presence is being dubbed as the X factor in this tri-cornered contest in the Karnataka assembly elections. While there is no evidence of any anti-incumbency wave against the present Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramiah, the confidence exhibited by former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and his father, former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda seems to indicate that a fractured mandate might make this closely watched election anybody's game. In all this speculation, where does the Prime Minister fit in? Clearly Narendra Modi is an unparalleled campaigner. He brings energy and tumult to state whenever he lands to campaign. And, it seems to have worked every single time for the BJP other than in Bihar, where the Bihari 'brothers' campaign run by election strategist Prashant Kishore, once a BJP acolyte, worked in favour of the coalition against Modi. But in the end, the BJP had the last laugh with the party being back in the saddle in Bihar in cohorts with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Here in Karnataka, the BJP plans to make its Dravidian entry and dispel the notion that it is only a north-based political party. However, it has a following only in pockets in the state, unlike the Congress party which has a long history and a strong pan state presence. But before Narendra Modi arrives here to campaign for his party's so far mild mannered chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa, he heads to China to meet with President Xi Jinping. The Prime Minister clearly putting foreign relations on priority before domestic agenda. But is he? When he begins speaking at rallies in Karnataka, if he can speak about a rapprochement with China, increasing trade relations, improvement in bilateral ties, more job opportunities with a potential tie up with the Asian giant, would it click with urban voters? In urban Karnataka, the main issues remain the same as in the election of 2013, of pot-holed roads, incomplete and ineffective public transport, unemployment, corruption and a sluggish business environment. Prime Minister Modi could tap into the urban discontent and present a larger picture to first time voters and mid-career professionals. Promising a robust economy for the state in tandem with the centre's projection of a seven to eight percent growth for the country could work. But he would have to stay clear of claiming that demonitisation was a success or that the GST (Goods and Services Tax) was a brilliant idea. Most here feel that the GST was a rushed job when the country wasn't ready for it and that demonitisation was a random and ill thought of step. As has been the BJP's strategy in all election campaigns, Prime Minister Modi is expected to come out all guns blazing, addressing almost 16 rallies beginning from May 1. The slog overs matter and the undecided voters is what he will target first. Prime Minister Modi's language barrier in the south is also a niggling doubt, with anti-Hindi sentiment getting more aggressive as becomes contentious closer to the general elections. BJP President Amit Shah has done the initial kite flying on all topics during his several visits to the state. He has led the campaign for the party with chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa, the party's Y factor, barely speaking to the media and keeping a very low profile during public meetings. Clearly the Y factor of the BJP will play second fiddle in the coming weeks to the X factor, Narendra Modi. What really is Y's USP (unique selling proposition)? Other than being a former chief minister and a member of the powerful Lingayat Community, there is little that the party can hope for from Y. When Prime Minister Modi comes here, he will have a tough time in promising voters that Y will head a dynamic go-getting government. Y just doesn't seem to have the energy of a Shivraj Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh) or a Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh). He is more in the mould of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje (Rajasthan), moody and sporadically effective. But then non-performance or lethargy by a BJP chief minister in the penultimate year before general elections is not something that is negotiable for Amit Shah or Narendra Modi as has been evident in Yogi Adityanath being reportedly read out the rules of engagement recently. Governance or otherwise in 2018 in states will impact upon perception at the level on how the BJP fares. Yeddyurappa must be aware of that. He did manage to run an effective campaign before the distribution of tickets with old loyalists from his Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) days. There is palpable excitement in Karnataka that the entire country's focus is on the state election. It is also a test to see if Congress party president Rahul Gandhi is able to help Siddaramiah hold on to the only big state that the Congress has in the country, or, will it be yet another loss for the grand old party. A hung assembly is everyone's nightmare. Everyone other than the BJP. They know how to play that game very well. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was killed on Monday after a clash broke out between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP supporters in West Bengal's Birbhum district. The clash broke out during filing of nominations for panchayat elections earlier today. According to media reports, the BJP claimed that one of its supporters has been killed while several others have been injured in the clash. The party has also filed a complaint in this regard. Incidents of violence occurred in Murshidabad, Malda and South 24 Parganas districts also. Earlier on April 9, six policemen were injured when the BJP and TMC workers engaged in a clash that broke out at Usti in South 24 Parganas district over the filing of nominations. Panchayat polls in West Bengal will take place between May 1 to May 7 and the counting will take place on May 8. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday inaugurated the Andhra Pradesh Cyber Security Operations Center (APCSOC) in Amaravati. APCSOC is an initiative of the state Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (IT and E&C) ministry. "The Center will combat cyber security threats and provide real time intelligence sharing and threat analysis to all state government departments and entities," Naidu said in a statement. "At the heart of the security operations center (SOC), is a blended security analytics platform that ingests, correlates and analyses massive amounts of data. The state has also roped in Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) as cyber security consultants to the Government in helping the state frame and adopt best-in-breed practices and frameworks in this domain," Naidu added. The IT behemoth Tech Mahindra has been selected to operate the APSCOC. Chief Minister Naidu also launched a cyber threat portal and the state's draft Cyber Security Framework (CSF). The draft framework - a document that integrates the industry standards and best practices has been released with an objective of inviting consultative feedback from the industry and expert groups. Along with Naidu and IT, E&C minister Nara Lokesh, Principal Secretary K Vijayanand, Advisor to Govt (e-governance, electronics and IT) J Satyanarayana, Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar, State Director general of police (DGP) Dr M. Malakondaiah attended the event. Representatives of Tech Mahindra and PwC were also present at the occasion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reacting on the rejection of Impeachment Motion notice against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Congress leader PL Punia said that the party will talk to legal experts to take the next step. "This is a really important matter. We don't know what was the reason for the rejection. Congress and other opposition parties will talk to some legal experts and take the next step," Punia told ANI. Earlier in the day, the Vice President rejected the Impeachment Motion against CJI Misra. On April 20, the opposition parties led by Congress moved the impeachment motion in the Rajya Sabha, seeking the removal of CJI Misra under Article 217 read with article 124 (4) of the Constitution of India. The motion was signed by 64 sitting members of the House. As per Article 124 (4), "A Judge of the Supreme Court shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Several political leaders on Monday reacted on the rejection of Congress-led opposition parties' impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra by Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. Naidu on Monday said that the impeachment motion against CJI Misra lacked substantial facts to hold the latter guilty of misbehaviour. Here are the reactions from Congress leaders and others: Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Rajya Sabha Chairman can't adjudge the motion, for he has no mandate to decide the merits of the motion. Surjewala took to Twitter and wrote, "Constitutional process of impeachment is set in motion with 50 MP's giving the motion. RS Chairman can't adjudge the motion, for he has no mandate to decide the merits of the motion. This is truly a fight between forces 'Rejecting Democracy' and voices 'Rescuing Democracy'." The Congress leader said that within hours of 64 MP's submitting the impeachment motion, Rajya Sabha leader (Finance Minister Arun Jaitley) had expressed naked prejudice by calling it a 'revenge petition' virtually dictating the verdict to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on that day. "Within hours of 64 MP's submitting the impeachment motion, Leader of Rajya Sabha(Finance Minister Arun Jaitley) had expressed naked prejudice by calling it a 'revenge petition' virtually dictating the verdict to Rajya Sabha Chairman on that day. Has 'Revenge Petition' now become 'Rescue Order'?, he tweeted. He further said that the Constitution should not be muzzled. "RS Chairman can't decide on merits in absence of quasi judicial or administrative power (M.Krishna Swami's case). If all charges were to be proved before inquiry as RS Chairman suggests, Constitution & Judges (Inquiry) Act will have no relevance. Don't muzzle Constitution," he tweeted. Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Tehseen Poonawalla said, "Honourable CJI who we know sits on PILs cannot sit on this particular motion to hear the matter because this involves him, so it will go to the second senior most judge who will now decide whether the honourable VP has the powers to reject the petition by 50 MPs , 64 in this case or not." Poonawalla on Twitter wrote, "Surprise surprise !! Everybody knew the #ImpeachmentMotion would be rejected by #VenkaiahNaidu ji. More constitutional remedies are available including challenging this rejection in the SC. The #Impeachment grounds are not for the #VicePresident to decide upon." "If the MPs move the hon. SC against this rejection of the #ImpeachmentMotion by the #VicePresident #VenkaiahNaidu ji the hon Chief Justice #DipakMisra will not be able to hear the plea or forward it to another bench . This will be decided by the next senior most judge," he tweeted. Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant said that the way the impeachment notice was rejected is political and both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress are playing dirty "Both the parties are playing dirty and the way the impeachment notice was rejected is also political. He could have waited, such hurry in rejection was not needed," Sawant told media. Earlier in the day, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Naidu rejected the Impeachment Motion against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra saying that the motion against CJI lacked substantial facts. Naidu had said, "I have applied my mind to all five charges made out in Impeachment Motion and examined all annexed documents. All facts as stated in motion don't make out a case which can lead any reasonable mind to conclude that CJI on these facts can be ever held guilty of misbehaviour." "After having perused annexures to the Motion and having detailed consultations and having studied opinions of constitutional experts I am satisfied that admission of this notice of Impeachment Motion is neither desirable nor proper," he said. As per the Supreme Court officials, all judges of the apex court, including CJI Dipak Misra, held a 20-minute meeting, after the impeachment motion was rejected. According to reports, Naidu, in his capacity as the Rajya Sabha Chairman, held broad consultations with legal and constitutional experts before coming to the conclusion. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held the consultations with such experts to determine the maintainability of the motion. The Constitution says the CJI can be impeached only on grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. On April 20, the opposition parties led by Congress moved the impeachment motion in the Rajya Sabha, seeking the removal of CJI Misra under Article 217 read with article 124 (4) of the Constitution of India. The motion was signed by 64 sitting members of the House. As per Article 124 (4), "A Judge of the Supreme Court shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that the party will not allow the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) to touch the Constitution and neither the country in 2019. Addressing a gathering at a launch of 'Save the Constitution' campaign at Talkatora Stadium here, Gandhi said, "We will not allow the BJP and RSS even to touch the Constitution, and neither will the country in 2019." He attacked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government on the judiciary crisis and the way they are interfering in the functioning of the judicial system. The Congress president also mocked Prime Minister Modi for justifying manual scavenging by calling it a 'spiritual experience' for the Valmiki community. Gandhi quotes Prime Minister Modi's statement from his book Karmyogi and said, "In his book 'Karmayog', the Prime Minister has justified manual scavenging by calling it a 'spiritual experience' for the Valmiki community. This speaks volumes about his anti-Dalit mindset. He thinks that a person from backward class who cleans toilets and gutters gets spiritual happiness. It's their (BJP) thinking, not Congress." He claimed that the Prime Minister Modi-led government has no place for Dalit and backward class people in their hearts. "The atrocities against backward class are increasing, and the person who sees manual scavengers getting spiritual happiness does not speak a word after all these incidents," the Congress president said. Continuing his tirade against Prime Minister Modi, Gandhi scion said that the people with RSS ideology are being placed in the institutions. "Congress and BR Ambedkar wrote and gave the Constitution to India. All the institutions, IIT, IIM, and AIIMS all have been given to us by the Constitution, without it, nothing would have been possible. But today, people of RSS ideology are being placed in these institutions," he said. Continuing his tirade against Prime Minister Modi, he said, "Earlier this government said Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao but now Modiji will say is 'Beti Bachao, BJP ke logon se bachao'." While challenging Prime Minister Modi, Gandhi said, "Just give me 15 minutes for a debate with the PM and I will grill him on Rafael deal, Nirav Modi." He also claimed that Prime Minister Modi will not be able to speak. The Congress President also said that Narendra Modi is only interested in becoming the Prime Minister. Gandhi launched a 'Save the Constitution' campaign today against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "systematically destroying the Indian Constitution and attacks on the Dalits". Earlier in the day, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu rejected the impeachment motion moved by the Oppositions led by Congress against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ongoing over USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, which forms a part of Beijing's ambitious transnational Belt Road Initiative (BRI), is according to a report, turning out to be an economic as well as a security headache for both China and Pakistan. "For Pakistan, rising debt is imperiling the country's long-term economic viability. For China, sunk costs in infrastructure assets and personnel on the ground are drawing Beijing deeper into Pakistan's internal security concerns," says the report prepared by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), a Washington D.C.-based non-profit organisation dedicated to data-driven analysis and evidence-based reporting of global conflict and security issues. The Gwadar Port branded and promoted as a signature Pakistan-China development model Gwadar that will eventually be built into an "industrial powerhouse" with planned manufacturing facilities, a free trade zone and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, is turning out to be unprofitable, with a ship berthing averaging of one-and-a-half per month. Add to this is the worrisome and shocking statistic that China gets to retain 91 percent of the port's profits, as financial and lease control of this port for the next 40 years remains with the state-owned China Overseas Ports Holding Co. Ltd., says the C4ADS report. It's surprising that the first-ever container ship arrived in Gwadar only in March 2018. "The Port of Gwadar is over a decade old. Construction began in 2002 with a 198 million USD loan from the China EXIM Bank and it was completed in 2007, at which point the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) assumed control of the port's operations. For six years, China took a largely backseat role, while PSA and the Pakistani government struggled with the port's development, with no meaningful additions to port infrastructure during this time.PSA abandoned the project in 2013 due in part to Pakistan's worsening internal security environment.China quickly picked up the port's operation and has committed over 270 million USD to rehabilitate the port," the C4ADS report reveals. The report further states that commercial activity at the Gwadar port is well below its potential. Satellite imagery data analyzed by C4ADS suggests the port relies primarily on transshipments rather than import or export routes, with only an estimated 200 ships calling in on the port between 2008 and 2017. The C4ADS quoted Gwadar Port Authority Chairman Dostain Jamaldini as saying last month, "We receive one or two ships in 15 days." China, according to C4ADS is looking at Gwadar as a long-term economic investment, as an "end-point" on a route stretching from Gwadar to China's western provinces, a corridor that would shorten China's energy routes by almost 10,000 miles and bypass the Malacca Strait. "Shipments from the Pakistani coast to Kashgar in China that previously took a month would be completed in 10 days, and the port's strategic location outside of the Gulf of Oman, serves as a gateway between Middle Eastern sources of oil and Indo-Pacific sea lanes, thus alleviating the Malacca Dilemma if a proposed oil pipeline were ever built. The corridor also serves another of Beijing's goals - to bring economic development to inland China." The report, however, reveals that the CPEC is bedeviled with major structural impediments, the most significant of which is the threat from militants and insurgents. "At present, the road from China to Pakistan begins with the Karakoram Highway; one of the world's most dangerous mountain passes.a route that is regularly closed for snow during several months each year. Much of trade then passes through areas of sovereign territorial disputes and insurgency. In Balochistan, where Gwadar is located, attacks by militants on CPEC projects are estimated to have killed 44 workers and injured over 100 from 2014 to 2016. Once goods finally arrive at Pakistani ports, they typically incur higher dock charges and longer wait times than they would at regional competitors," says the report. Ongoing investments by Beijing notwithstanding, another global concern, is the huge number of Chinese entering Pakistan for work. According to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), roughly 250,000 Chinese expatriates arrive in Pakistan each year for work. "The increasing numbers of Chinese citizens; and other interests on the ground are pushing Beijing to take an increasingly direct role in Pakistan's internal security." Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is on record as saying, "How to protect China's ever-expanding overseas interests is an urgent concern for Chinese diplomacy." It is now a well known fact that Chinese officials have quietly interacted with insurgent groups in Balochistan and along the China-Pakistan border to persuade militants to lay down their arms and engage in negotiations with the Pakistan government. India and the United States share a common view that Gwadar will eventually be used to establish a Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean. A U.S. Department of Defense report to the U.S. Congress has specifically revealed that if there is any country that Pakistan would agree with to have military bases on its soil, it would be China. According to the C4ADS report, "China is rumored to be constructing a permanent air force and naval base in Jiwani, Pakistan, near Gwadar, while observers have noted that Gwadar itself could serve many of the PLAN's maritime logistics needs. China has officially denied any military intentions driving CPEC and Gwadar. Nevertheless, the Chinese military's presence in Pakistan is increasing. Under the stated objective of helping secure Gwadar's security, China has officially stated that it is in the process of increasing its marine forces from 20,000 to 100,000 troops, in part to facilitate overseas rotations to Gwadar." The limited transparency on CPEC-related investments puts a cloud over how much Pakistan will eventually benefit. "If completed as planned, CPEC's productivity would be equivalent to 17% of Pakistan's 2015 gross GDP, and as many as 700,000 jobs would be created. As a result, Pakistan could see economic growth of 2.5%. Yet this is highly speculative as few credible studies have been conducted on the structures and economics of CPEC deals. The State Bank of Pakistan's governor has publicly called on CPEC to be more transparent, saying, "I don't know out of the $46 billion how much is debt, how much is equity, and how much is kind." Available evidence suggests CPEC projects, including Gwadar, disproportionately favor China while unfavorably burdening Pakistan in the long term. The extent to which these projects will, in the interim, stimulate local employment and investment is also uncertain. According to some reports in local media, Pakistan is allegedly only considering bids for CPEC construction projects that come from Chinese state-owned enterprises, firms which, some Pakistani economists note, rarely subcontract with local partners. Similarly, the job market for Baloch locals on CPEC projects is reported to be relatively limited, ostensibly because they lack skills. Instead, Chinese businesses allegedly rely on Chinese workers, whose growing numbers are exacerbating an already tense socio-political divide in Balochistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], Apr. 23 (ANI): Welcoming the upcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's informal summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said the two countries do not have the ability to destroy each other and they have to live side by side since they are neighbours. The Dalai Lama made these remarks while delivering a convocation lecture at Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management in New Delhi. "I always insist, neither China nor India has ability to destroy (each) other. We have to live side by side, then (it is) much better to live friendly," the 82-year-old Tibetan spiritual head said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's informal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to be held in Wuhan city of central China on April 27 and 28. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed the development in a joint press conference, which he addressed along with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday. While answering a question on autonomy, he hinted that if China accepts their demand, exiled Tibetans may choose to live over there. In China, Buddhist population is 400 million and many Chinese Buddhists are now already showing interest in Tibetan Buddhism, he said. The Dalai Lama further called upon educationists to make policies regarding the inclusion of the ancient knowledge of the Indian traditions into the academic curriculum while saying, "some state (could) start it at an experimental level and then we will see." The Dalai Lama along with his followers fled to India from Tibet in 1959 after a massive uprising failed against the Chinese forces. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a major crackdown on food adulteration racket, the police on Sunday busted a fake ghee factory at Bana Devi area here and arrested three people in connection with the case. Huge quantities of fake ghee packets, which included prominent dairy brands such as Amul, Paras, Madhusudan, Sanskar, Madhav and Namchand, were recovered. One of the accused told ANI, "A combination of dalda (vegetable ghee), refined oil and essences were used to make 'desi ghee'. We used to sell them to nearby cities and earn huge profits." District Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajesh Kumar Pandey said, "The trio got wrappers of all prominent brands. Along with this, materials like chemicals, refined oil, dalda, colour and mud have been recovered." "In the market, branded ghee costs around Rs. 500-600. But, these people forged an alliance with the local and wholesale traders and used to sell off the fake ghee at a cheaper price. Both the trio and the traders earned a lot of profit," Pandey explained. Adding that fake ghee used to reach individuals' home in the form of poison, he further said, "We collected samples when we discovered these (fake ghee) packets. The samples have been sent to the lab for investigation. Strict action will be taken against the accused after the results of the samples are out. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two Chinese sailors died in a gas leak incident on board a cargo vessel off Navlakhi port in Gujarat's Morbi. Another sailor is seriously ill and is being treated in the Jamnagar civil hospital. The deceased and the affected have been identified as Zhang Baohai, Dong Kui and Sun Yingdong. The incident had occurred on Honk Kong's bulk carrier named "Feng Hui Ha" while it was travelling to a Gujarat port from Singapore. The cause of the gas leakage is yet to be ascertained. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One of the prime accused in Sheena Bora murder case, on Monday told the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court that she fears for her life. "I fear for my life, I have not given my statement to IG Prisons. I confirm that I have not spoken to anyone," Mukerjea told the court. This statement from Indrani comes two weeks after she was hospitalised in JJ Hospital for an alleged drug overdose. Mukerjea has been lodged in Mumbai's Byculla jail for killing her daughter, Sheena Bora. 24-year-old Sheena was abducted and killed on April 24, 2012, allegedly over a financial dispute, and her body was disposed of in a forest in adjoining Raigad district. Indrani and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna were arrested in August 2015 along with her former driver Shyamvar Rai, while Indrani's present husband Peter Mukerjea was nabbed in November the same year. In a recent development on the case, Mukerjea's personal assistant Kajal Sharma on Wednesday deposed before the CBI court that she forged Sheena Bora's signature on her resignation letter after Indrani had told her that her daughter was in the United States and had no Internet there to submit the resignation. Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said on Monday that the impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra lacked substantial facts to hold the latter guilty of misbehaviour. Naidu said, "I have applied my mind to all five charges made out in Impeachment Motion and examined all annexed documents. All facts as stated in motion don't make out a case which can lead any reasonable mind to conclude that CJI on these facts can be ever held guilty of misbehaviour." As per the Supreme Court officials, all judges of the apex court, including CJI Dipak Misra, held a 20-minute meeting, after the impeachment motion was rejected. According to reports, Naidu, in his capacity as the Rajya Sabha Chairman, held broad consultations with legal and constitutional experts before coming to the conclusion. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held the consultations with such experts to determine the maintainability of the motion. The Constitution says the CJI can be impeached only on grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. On April 20, the opposition parties led by Congress moved the impeachment motion in the Rajya Sabha, seeking the removal of CJI Misra under Article 217 read with article 124 (4) of the Constitution of India. The motion was signed by 64 sitting members of the House. As per Article 124 (4), "A Judge of the Supreme Court shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A doyen of the Indian travel and tourism industry, Padma Shri (Late) Inder Sharma's autobiography 'All Doors Opened' was released on Monday in the presence of Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, former Rajya Sabha member Dr. Karan Singh, and other former bureaucrats and travel industry officials. Inder Sharma was the former owner and Chairman of SITA World Travel and Chairman of Select CITYWALK, Delhi's landmark lifestyle shopping centre. 'All Doors Opened' is hard to slot into any one particular genre of writing because of its varied flavors offering glimpses into the life journey of the visionary Inder Sharma. "The manuscript first weighed heavy. I was a total stranger and yet, the first outside Chairman Sharma's own family to be reading his untold stories. He was a formidable business tycoon. Would I understand his world at all? I opened the first page that evening and - never stood up, till the last. I was inspired by his daring, stilled by his humility and ready to build empires myself. It was my privilege and honour to edit 'All Doors Opened'. The author's spunk, humor, grace and dignity makes it a textbook of an exemplary life," said Padma Rao Sundarji, Editor, 'All Doors Opened'. Laced with gentle, self-depreciating humor and suffused with deep love for his family and friends, 'All Doors Opened'offers the best instruction to young people embarking on their careers; in any profession and anywhere in the world. Speaking about the book, Balbir Punj, a well-known columnist and former member of Rajya Sabha said, "The book makes an honest effort to recapture many faceted life of Inder uncle and the times he lived in. Reading the book is like living those years with him, for the description of events and personalities, all feel so vivid and alive." It is Inder Sharma's ode to hard work, family values, harmless mischief, acts of kindness and good times. But it's also a paean to life that will inspire and move readers to live it to the hilt, just like the author did. "150 rupees a month to multi-millionaire, a fantastic journey of hard work, learning and serving by Inder Sharma. This book is a must read for all those young men looking to do big and be on their own in life and career. Inder worked hard and honestly in an era marred by a Communist style economy and restrictive government policies - yet he achieved the goal," said Prem Prakash, Chairman, ANI Media. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karlovy Vary Film Festival, known to be one of the oldest in the world, will pay tribute to Oscar-winning director Milos Forman while opening its 53rd edition with a screening of 'Loves of a Blonde' on June 29. The 1965 classic is based on the life of a small town girl who falls in love with a pianist but they part ways after spending a night together. Unable to forget him, she arrives at his home only to find the bitter side of her lover. The event will include an opening-night concert where the Czech National Symphony Orchestra will play music from some of his other famous films, including 'The Fireman's Ball', 'Taking Off', 'Valmont', 'Amadeus and Hair', unveiled Hollywood Reporter. Forman died at the age of 86 on April 13. Forman made his debut in 1954, but his legendary status was cemented with 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest', a film about a psychiatric institution, and 'Amadeus', his biopic of composer Mozart. Both of these films won 13 Oscars. Renowned American indie director and producer Richard Linklater will attend the festival as part of homage to the nonprofit Austin Film Society. Casey Affleck, who was the recipient last year of the festival's President's Award, will appear in the new festival trailer. The 53rd edition of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival will run from June 29 to July 7. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, appeared on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital on Monday to introduce their new baby boy to the Wearing a red dress with a white collar, Middleton looked in good health after giving birth to her as yet un-named prince, who is fifth in line to the throne. Prince William, while getting into his car, said, "We're very happy but thrice worried now." The Kensington Palace, which is currently the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, also posted pictures of Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their third child. "Welcome to the family," read a tweet. Earlier, Prince William took Prince George and Princess Charlotte to the St Mary's Hospital to meet their little brother. Two-year-old Princess Charlotte waved happily to crowds outside the Lindo Wing on her way to meet her little brother. The new prince is the Queen's sixth great-grandchild. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Justice (Retd) R.S. Sodhi on Monday welcomed Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu's rejection of an opposition-introduced impeachment motion against Supreme Court Chief Justice Dipak Misra, saying that the move "can't be considered as a wise act." "One knows that they don't have any ground, they know that they can't impeach him. In spite of knowing all that, still they went on and plunged into this ill-advised move. This can't be considered as a wise act," Justice Sodhi told ANI. Senior Supreme Court advocate K.T.S Tulsi, however, disagreed, saying that the charges against Chief Justice Misra needed to be examined as per procedure, which was not done. "I think the Chairman (Naidu) prejudged the issue and has misread the provision of the Constitution. This is a very serious matter and we can't allow the cancer of corruption to grow. If there is evidence, then there is a committee which has to take a decision on the same," Tulsi said. On April 20, the opposition led by the Congress moved an impeachment motion in the Rajya Sabha, seeking the removal of Chief Justice Misra from office under Article 217 read with article 124 (4) of the Constitution of India. The motion was signed by 64 sitting members of the Upper House. As per Article 124 (4), "A Judge of the Supreme Court shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra Police is expecting that many Naxals will surrender in the coming months. The police's hope has arisen after 16 Naxalites were killed in an encounter in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra on Sunday. Addressing media here, Satish Mathur, Director General of Police, Maharashtra, said, "We have clamped down on their (naxals) funding which has helped us in tackling naxalism. We expect to see a number of naxals surrendering in the coming months." He added that the police are active in the areas where the Naxalite activity has been noticed. "Naxal activity has been noticed in tri-junction area of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, we are active in that area," Mathur said. In one of the biggest achievements, Mahrashtra's anti-naxa forces gunned down 16 Naxalites in Etapalli's Boriya forest area of Gadchiroli district. Special Inspector General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sharad Shelar told ANI that out of 16 bodies recovered, nine were of male and seven were female. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh on Monday assured strict action against the accused involved in buying and selling a minor girl for Rs. 1, 25,000 in Sehore. "Strict action will be taken against those responsible," Singh told reporters here. The 15-year-old tribal girl was sold to a man for Rs 1, 25,000 by her maternal uncle. The Madhya Pradesh Police registered a case in the regard and arrested four people including the buyer. "Since 15 days the girl was tortured and harassed by the buyer," police added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 10-year-old girl, who was missing since the last four days, was found outside a Haj house in Ghaziabad late Sunday night. The girl was reportedly kept in a Madarsa, where she was found in an unconscious state. The incident provoked strong public anger, who want immediate actions to be taken. The police have arrested a Muslim cleric in connection with the case. Further details are awaited. The investigation is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indore police on Monday said that several attempts have been made by them to contact the model who earlier in the day had alleged that she was molested by two men. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Indore, Harin Narayan Choudhary Mishra said that no official complaint has been received in this regard and that they have been trying to contact the model. "The woman had tweeted about the incident and we have tried to contact her. Until now, we have not received any complaint. Police are committed towards taking serious action in regards to incidents of crime against women," Mishra said. Earlier today, the Indore-based model and blogger had narrated an incident of sexual harassment, wherein two men allegedly tried to pull her skirt while she was driving a two-wheeler. "This happened today. Two guys tried to pull my skirt while I was on my scooter and said, 'dikhao Iske niche Kya hai?' I tried to stop them and lost control and met with an accident. It happened on one of the busiest roads of Indore, and nobody tried to stop them," she tweeted. She further said that the incident had left her "numb and speechless." "I did go back to the same location and asked around, unfortunately, no CCTV cameras coverage on that particular spot. I'm registering a police complaint tomorrow. I don't know if they will be able to find those guys, but if I don't do it right now, it defeats my purpose," she further tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea to ban the last scene of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmaavat'. Social activist, Swami Agnivesh who filed the petition, alleged that the last scene glorified the practice of 'Sati'. Earlier on February 22, the Delhi High Court had given the same verdict in accordance with this matter. Sati is a funeral custom where a widow immolates herself on her husband's pyre or takes her own life in another manner shortly after her husband's death. Bhansali's magnum opus, which stars Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Shahid Kapoor, has been mired in controversy since the shooting started. It hit the theatres on January 25. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The relationship between India and Pakistan will always remain wilted till there is a complete halt to cross-border terrorism, says a report published by a Europe-based think tank. According to the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS) report, a key reason for the trust deficit that exists between New Delhi and Islamabad is the sheer incompatibility between both nuclear powers. The EFSAS report clearly acknowledges that both countries have their problems, but Pakistan in particular possesses a nature that is in perpetual conflict with Indias. The deep-rooted anti-India stand and inflexible hostility has been complemented by a continuous undermining of democratic institutions by the (Pakistan) Army, which makes it difficult to know, whom to talk to in Pakistan when one is embarking on a path of normalising relations, says the EFSAS report . It further says that the army's preoccupations with a large-scale Pashtun social movement for fundamental human rights in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, volatility in Balochistan, political and ethnic divisions in Sindh and Punjab, a rights movement in Gilgit Baltistan and the never ending civil-military tensions in local Pakistani politics, prevent a possible scenario for talks with India. The international community clearly acknowledges and repeats ad nauseum that the epicenter of power in Pakistan wrests with General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, and that whenever gestures aimed at normalisation of talks between Pakistan and India are initiated, they are inevitably followed by or marred by violence. We only have to recall incidents like the Kargil War of 1999, the terror strike on the Indian Parliament in 2001, the terror strikes across Mumbai in 2008, the terrorist strikes on the Pathankot Air Force base and in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir in 2016, to realize that each of these were preceded by gestures of a desire for peace and talks by the civilian leaderships of both countries, only for the Pakistan Army to scuttle them to create a scenario that was in its favour. This has been the case for more than seven decades. Indias decades-old policy of strategic restraint changed after consecutive attacks on its soil and carried a message to Pakistan; This far and no further. The other key factor that needs to be taken note of is that of Chinas tacit support to the Pakistan Army, says the EFSAS report. It clearly reiterates that Beijing will take every measure possible to safeguard its One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative and give the Pakistan Army a lead role in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, as it does not want its huge investments or its long-term geo-political ambitions facing any sort of risk. Beijings controversial decision to use its veto to stop the UN from declaring Jaish-e-Muhammed leader Mazood Azhar from being declared a global terrorist and the Pakistan Armys actions to mainstream Hafiz Saeed into the countrys political process, is proof that chances of a bilateral dialogue are remote. It is of the utmost importance that talks, dialogue and diplomacy should be preceded and succeeded by efforts of tranquility which ensure that rapprochement endeavors do not go in vain. The first confidence building measure should be that the Pakistan Army halts its two-faced counter terrorism strategy the country has emerged as the epicenter of global terror, thereby risking a permanent state of instability in the region of South Asia and a possible nuclear confrontation with its neighbor, India. (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.) Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav was sentenced to six months in prison by a Delhi court on Monday and was later granted bail in connection with a cheque bounce case. There were reportedly seven cases against the actor and he has to pay Rs 1.60 crore fine per case. Earlier, a case was registered which stated that Rajpal and his wife allegedly failed to repay a loan of Rs 5 crore, which the actor had taken from a Delhi-based businessman for his directorial debut in 2010. Yadav was also sent to Tihar Jail from December 3 to December 6 for submitting a false affidavit in the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Chief Secretaries of Delhi and Haryana to hold a meeting with the Secretary of Water Resources Ministry of Centre in order to sort out the dispute of sharing Yamuna's water. The move comes after the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said it was not receiving enough water to supply to the capital. The top court was hearing a plea filed by the Delhi Jal Board alleging that Haryana had reduced by one-third the supply of Yamuna water leading to a grave water crisis in the capital. The Delhi government earlier sought the apex court's direction to request the Haryana government to provide more water to Delhi faces water shortage due to the onslaught of the summer season. According to reports, the top court had accused Haryana government of not releasing 450 cusecs of Yamuna water daily to Delhi for drinking in accordance with a 1996 order. Currently, Haryana only shares 330 cusecs of water to the capital. The Haryana government which caters to the capital's water needs had refused to share increased amount of water citing its own needs due to the current season. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday refuted reports of forging a post-poll alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) in the event of a hung assembly in the Karnataka legislative assembly elections. In an exclusive interview with prominent news anchor Barkha Dutt, Siddaramaiah said, "This situation does not arise at all. I am very confident that we will form the government on our own with a clear majority. There will be no post-poll alliance" On being asked about JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and his son and party president H.D. Kumaraswamy coming together in the event of a hung assembly, Siddaramaiah noted, "They are day-dreaming to be kingmakers. They will be disappointed." He added that the Congress Party was a secular and development-oriented government, which did a lot of work for the people for the last five years. Trashing the nexus between the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) and JD(S) dislodging the Congress Party, he asserted, "Why Yeddyurappa, Amit Shah, Narendra Modi and Kumaraswamy is attacking me? Why can Kumaraswamy not attack Yeddyurappa or BJP? It's a game plan and an internal understanding of them to overthrow our government. Nothing such thing will happen." Siddaramaiah is set to contest from Chamundeshwari constituency in the assembly elections. He will file nomination papers for the Badami seat on Tuesday. Karnataka will go to polls on May 12 to elect its representatives for the 225-member assembly. The results will be out on May 15. Britain will introduce new laws targeting social media companies, in case they didn't take necessary steps to protect children. In a letter to social media platforms Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Twitter among others, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that their failure to prevent young children using social media from its harmful, emotional side effects was unacceptable and irresponsible. Hunt said that he was particularly concerned about the lack of age verification measures, with thousands breaching the minimum user age rules. He gave the platforms a week to set out steps they were taking to cut underage use, prevent cyberbullying, and promote limited screen time. On a related note, in the recently-concluded Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London on Friday, the leaders of the 53 countries agreed to work closely to evaluate and strengthen their cybersecurity frameworks and response mechanisms, and unanimously agreed to take action on cybersecurity by 2020. A notification from the CHOGM termed the declaration as the world's largest and most geographically diverse inter-governmental commitment on cybersecurity cooperation. The nations aim to tackle criminal groups and hostile state actors who pose a global threat to security. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan met on Monday to discuss the denuclearisation of North Korea ahead of the Korean summit. Lee Do-hoon, South Korea's top nuclear negotiator, held the meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Kenji Kanasugi, in Seoul which comes before two important South Korean summits with North Korea and the United States, as reported by the Xinhua News Agency. "There are many significant events in the near future, which are the inter-Korean summit, followed by the U.S.-North Korea summit," Lee Do-hoon said. Lee Do-hoon further believed that such meetings would strengthen the process of denuclearisation of North Korea. On the other hand, Japan's Kenji Kanasugi said that cooperation with countries including Japan and the United States would help paving way for the North-South Korea summit. "Things have been moving very rapidly in recent months that make our bilateral cooperation, as well as trilateral coordination with the U.S., all the more important," he said. This comes after the recent announcement by North Korea to suspend its nuclear missile tests which is expected to improve the bilateral relations in the Korean peninsula. Further, it shall boost South Korean internal economy as the chances of any impending Korean war seem to be evading. Japan along with the US, China and South Korea had repeatedly called for denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. Earlier on April 21, China hailed North Korea decision to suspend its nuclear operations that is said to further promote denuclearisation of the region. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday met Vice President of China Wang Qishan along with the top officials of both the countries in Beijing, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. They then held a brief meeting with the officials. Earlier on Monday Swaraj briefed media at an event named 'Contribution of Hindi in the Friendship of India and China', in which she asserted on the importance of understanding the language of both the nations, to overcome communication barriers. Yesterday, she also said both New Delhi and Beijing have agreed to work together on the issues like terrorism, climate change, sustainable development and global healthcare. Swaraj is on a two-nation visit to China and Mongolia, as part of which she will participate in a ministerial-level meeting of the SCO, where India became a full member in 2017. Issues including the 2017 Doklam's standoff between India and China along with terrorism, climate change, sustainable development and global healthcare are expected to be discussed during the EAM's China visit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on Monday urged the people of India and China to learn each other's language to strengthen ties between both the nations. Addressing a media briefing at 'Contribution of Hindi in the Friendship of India and China' event here, Swaraj asserted on the importance of understanding the language of both nations to overcome communication barriers. "The way our relations are strengthening today, it has become all the more important for Chinese students to learn Hindi and Indian students to learn Mandarin, so that you do not face language barriers when you go to India or they come down to China," she added. She also said, "Even two foreign ministers cannot make the friendship of our countries stronger, than the students of China, who love the Hindi language." The Minister appreciated the way Indian films are becoming increasingly popular in neighboring country China. "Indian films are becoming increasingly popular in China. I was talking to Foreign Minister Wang Yi yesterday; he mentioned that Dangal, Secret Superstar and Hindi Medium are very popular here," she said. Swaraj has also assured 25 Hindi learning students in China that soon they will be visiting India. She further said, "A girl just said that it is her dream to visit India and she does not know when this dream will come true. Your dream will soon be true. I just asked the Indian ambassador to send 25 students out of all the Hindi learning students sitting here to India." Yesterday, she also said both New Delhi and Beijing have agreed to work together on the issues like terrorism, climate change, sustainable development and global healthcare. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 01 BST. Prince William was present for the birth of their son who weighs 8lbs 7oz. The statement from the Kensington Palace read, "Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well". The name of the baby will be announced in due course. The Duchess was admitted to the private Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, west London, in the morning hours of April 23. The couple already has two children - a son, Prince George, aged 6, and a daughter, Princess Charlotte, aged 2. The new prince is the Queen's sixth great-grandchild. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Opposition parties on Monday formed a human chain to demand constitution of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC). The nine-party combined opposition led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) also organised similar protests across the state. On February 16, a three-judge Supreme Court of India bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Amitava Roy and AM Khanwilkar pronounced the judgement on the Cauvery Water Dispute between the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and the UT of Puducherry. The bench directed Karnataka to release 177.25 TMC of water, instead of the 192 TMC, to Tamil Nadu. The apex court also ordered the central government to set up the CMB and the CWRC within six weeks. The court will now hear the matter on May 3. On April 9, the Supreme Court criticised the Centre and asked it to frame a draft scheme by May 3 for implementation of its February 16 judgment. The apex court criticised the Centre for neither framing the scheme in six weeks as directed by it nor approaching the court prior to the March 31 deadline to convey that it had difficulties. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that the state government is against the formation of Cauvery Management Board (CMB) as it is 'unconstitutional'. In his letter, he mentioned that the Supreme Court has not directed any mechanism towards the formation of the CMB. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United States President Donald Trump on Sunday once again went after the 'pundits' slamming him on policy decisions. "Funny how all of the Pundits that couldn't come close to making a deal on North Korea are now all over the place telling me how to make a deal!," he wrote on Twitter. The United States President also injected a cautionary note over his future meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong-un and said that only time would tell if things would work out or not. "We are a long way from conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they won't - only time will tell....But the work I am doing now should have been done a long time ago!," he said launching an attack on his predecessors. Trump also rebuked NBC News' "sleepy eyes" Chuck Todd for criticising the President's plans for face-to-face talks with Kim Jong-un. He said his foreign policy on North Korea was already paying off. "Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd of Fake News NBC just stated that we have given up so much in our negotiations with North Korea, and they have given up nothing. Wow, we haven't given up anything and they have agreed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, and no more testing!," read another tweet. Ahead of a planned meeting with Trump, Kim Jong-un on April 21 announced that the country would suspend its nuclear and missile tests and shut down a nuclear test site. South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that North Korea, amidst preparing for discussions with the United States and South Korea, would shut down its nuclear test site in the northern area. "From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles," Yonhap quoted the Korean Central News Agency as saying. "The North will shut down a nuclear test site in the country's northern side to guarantee transparency in suspending nuclear tests," the statement from North Korea added. Trump on Saturday had welcomed the move by North Korea, calling it a 'big progress' for the country and the "North Korea has agreed to suspend all nuclear tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the - big progress! Look forward to our summit," the United States President had written on Twitter. Kim Jong-un is set to hold a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in this Friday. A meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un will possibly happen in May or early June, this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The family of a woman admitted at Kannauj's Medical College hospital, alleged on Monday that she died due to lack of oxygen supply. Ranjit, son of deceased Rani Devi, told ANI that she was admitted to the emergency ward of the hospital late Sunday night but no treatment was provided to her. "Today morning, she was shifted to the general ward and there also they did not do anything. When she started having trouble breathing, we requested for oxygen supply many times but they did not oblige," he said. The hospital authorities, however, refuted the allegation and said the woman did not require oxygen supply. "The 80-year-old lady was admitted in serious condition but she did not require oxygen. There is no shortage of oxygen supply at our hospital," CMS Dileep Singh said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the Impeachment Motion against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra. On April 20, the opposition parties led by Congress moved the impeachment motion in the Rajya Sabha, seeking the removal of CJI Misra under Article 217 read with article 124 (4) of the Constitution of India. The motion was signed by 64 sitting members of the House. As per Article 124 (4), "A Judge of the Supreme Court shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Nashville Police on Monday arrested a suspect in an attack that killed four people at a Waffle House restaurant in Tennessee on April 22. The Nashville police posted a photo of the 29-year-old accused, Travis Reinking, online that showed his shirt visibly torn with his arms behind his back, reported The Washington Post. Don Aaron, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, in a news briefing, also said that Reinking was dangerous and showed "signs of significant instability." At least four people were killed and numerous others were injured in the Waffle House shooting. The Metro Nashville Police Department had said that the gunman was naked except for a green jacket when he opened fire at 3:25 a.m (local time). Reinking had removed his jacket and fled on foot, after the shooting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda on Monday said that his party would not form a coalition government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under any circumstances. In an exclusive interview to ANI, former Prime Minister and currently billed as kingmaker in the possibility of a hung assembly, said that Karnataka has suffered immensely in the past during BJP rule, so he would do nothing to help bringing back the party to power. He says the same about the Congress party too. "I will not form a coalition with the BJP under any circumstances. The state has suffered so badly by the BJP rule. In five years, there were three chief ministers. That is BJP's contribution. I don't want to name the leaders who have gone to jail during BJP rule in Karnataka," the JD (S) supremo told Smita Prakash, Editor, ANI, in an exclusive interview. Holding court at his residence surrounded by scores of idols of various gods and goddesses, the former Prime Minister holds the principle of secularism close to his heart. He says he will not hold truck with any party that practices discrimination. Convinced that only his son Kumaraswamy can give the better alternative to Congress party's Siddaramaiah or BJP's Yeddyurappa, the octogenarian, who still commands a great deal of respect among his colleagues, says it is for the people to decide who they feel can give the best administration. The track record is there for all to see, he says. He, however, castigated Congress-led Karnataka government and held Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for the erosion of various government institutions. "What happened to Lokayukta? Is it dead or alive? The Lokayukta was formed during (Ramakrishna) Hegde's period when I was a Cabinet minister. I appealed before Lokayukta that was the power which was vested in the Lokayukta. We brought the Bill. Now, what is there? Now, all the powers have been taken over by the great chief minister and there is an anti-corruption bureau, which is headed by the chief minister," Deve Gowda said. Ramakrishna Hegde had introduced the Lokayukta and Upa Lokayukta Bill in the Karnataka assembly as their 1983 election promise. It came into force through the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, 1984. "What happened to the Karnataka Public Service Commission? What happened to Bangalore Development Authority (BDA)? What is going on in the Corporation?" the JD(S) supremo rhetorically questioned. He, however, immediately took the blame of supporting the Congress in the Corporation. "I have also to take the blame as I supported Congress (in the corporation). Just only to protect my secular credentials, I agreed (to support Congress). The BJP was at my doors but I said no to it. But, hereafter supporting (Congress), what is our position?" he questioned. He also talked about why he joined hands with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BJP) chief Mayawati. "Mayawaiti has contested twice in Karnataka. In some constituencies, she was able to get some sizeable votes. In 2013, my son was the lone star campaigner. BJP stalwarts like Narendra Modi, Lal Krishna Advani, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj also campaigned. The BJP won 40 seats and my son also won seats, and Yeddyurappa's regional party (KJP) got some votes," Deve Gowda said. When asked did he go with Mayawati because all of a sudden Dalit has come to fore, Deve Gowda said, "No. Last time 48 seats were lost by a margin of 5000-2000 votes. That (pact with Mayawati) will help me. It will help Mayawati in four-five constituencies." Secularism Replying a question about the importance of secularism for him, Dewe Gowda said, "I suffered a lot. From day one, I stood for that (Secularism), not because of any emotional The people were suffering so badly. I am not going to say anything against any political party." He justified his decision to give reservation to Muslims by giving an example of the police department. "When I became the chief minister, I called DG Ramalingam and asked how many Muslim constables are there in the police department. His report informed me '00.1%'," Deve Gowda said. "I don't want to talk about fundamentalism. It is humanity which made me to give reservation. The top leaders are shouting about this, but I never shouted. I also gave political reservation which made Muslim ladies to become mayor twice in Bangalore city. There are 12 Muslim corporators," the JD (S) Supremo said. When asked despite this the Muslims have not voted only for the JD (S), Dewe Gowda said, "There was some mistake committed by my son, but he has never tried to harm any minority. The BJP president was arrested by Kumaraswamy government, though BJP was a coalition partner. He wanted to cross the limits of the orders of the court. In a murder of a Muslim boy, Kumaraswamy gave instructions and 19 people were arrested." Dynasty politics The JD(S) supremo refused to buy allegation that his party is only a 'father-son' party. "There are four former ministers who belong to the backward class, and five-time ministers are all in the field. If media doesn't want to take this into consideration but only harps about only father and son then I can only laugh at it," he said. When asked if he doesn't see dynasty as a negative aspect, he said, "I am not going to see that. If Yeddyurappa's son is going to contest, if Siddaramaiah's son is going to contest; why should I bother? They are going to be tested by the people. If they get the mandate, they will go (to the assembly) and if they don't get the mandate, they won't go. Similarly, if my both sons will go through people's mandate then who am I or anybody to object," Deve Gowda said. The assembly election will be held in Karnataka on 12 May 2018 in all 224 constituencies of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The counting of votes and announcement of result will take place on 15 May 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today gave its approval for restructured Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA). Expenditure: The Scheme will be implemented during the period from 01.04.2018 to 31.03.2022 at the total cost of Rs. 7255.50 crore with the Central Share of Rs. 4500 crore and that of State Share of Rs. 2755.50 crore as per details given below: Year 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 Total (Rs. Crore)State share 585.51 877.84 712.63 579.52 2755.50Central share 969.27 1407.76 1160.94 962.03 4500.00 Details: (i) This scheme will extend to all States and UTs of the Country and will also include institutions of rural local government in non-Part IX areas, where Panchayats do not exist, (ii) The scheme will have both Central Component - National Level activities including "National Plan of Technical Assistance", "Mission Mode project on e-Panchayat", "Incentivization of Panchayats" and State component - Capacity Building of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), (iii) The Central Component will be fully funded by the Government of India. However, Centre:State funding pattern for State Component will be 60:40 for all States, except North East and Hill States where Centre:State funding pattern will be 90:10. For all Union Territories (UTs) (with and without legislatures), the Central share will be 100%. (iv) The implementation and monitoring of the activities of the scheme will broadly be aligned for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with main thrust on Panchayats identified under Mission Antyodaya and 115 Aspirational districts as identified by NITI Aayog. (v) The Scheme will converge capacity building initiatives of other Ministries with particular focus on those Ministries which will be impacted substantially by this Scheme, (vi) Sunset date for RGSA will be 31.03.2030. States/districts covered: This scheme will extend to all States and UTs of the country and will also include institutions of rural local government in non-Part IX areas, where Panchayats do not exist. Impact: The approved scheme of RGSA will help more than 2.55 lakh Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to develop governance capabilities to deliver on SDGs through inclusive local governance with focus on optimum utilisation of available resources. The key principles of SDGs, i.e. leaving no one behind, reaching the farthest first and universal coverage, along with gender equality will be embedded in the design of all capacity building interventions including trainings, training modules and materials. Priority will be given to subjects of national importance that affects the excluded groups the most, e.g. poverty, primary health services, nutrition, immunization, sanitation, education, water conservation, digital transactions etc. The scheme is designed keeping in view programmatic convergence with Mission Antyodaya GPs and 115 Aspirational districts as identified by NITI Aayog. As Panchayats have representation of Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes and women, and are institutions closest to the grassroots, strengthening Panchayats will promote equity and inclusiveness, along with Social Justice and economic development of the community. Increased use of e-governance by PRIs will help achieve improved service delivery and transparency. The scheme will strengthen Gram Sabhas to function as effective institutions with social inclusion of citizens particularly the vulnerable groups. It will establish the institutional structure for capacity building of PRIs at the national, state and district level with adequate human resources and infrastructure. Panchayats will progressively be strengthened through incentivisationon the basis of nationally important criteria which will encourage competitive spirit among them. Implementation strategy and targets: The Central Government and the State Governments will take action for performing and completing the activities approved for their respective roles. The State Government will formulate their Annual Action Plans for seeking assistance from the Central Government as per their priorities and requirement. The scheme will be implemented in a demand driven mode. Background: The Finance Minister, in his budget speech for 2016-17, announced the launch of new restructured scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), for developing governance capabilities of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A Committee under the Chairmanship of the Vice Chairman-NITI Aayog was constituted to restructure the existing scheme of this Ministry as Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan. The Committee held several meetings, consultations etc. with various stakeholders and submitted its report with set of recommendations which were accepted by Government and formed the basis for the formulation of this scheme. In his Budget Speech for 2017-18, the Finance Minister announced to undertake a Mission Antyodaya to bring one crore households out of poverty to make 50,000 Gram Panchayats poverty free. Accordingly, convergent action with Mission Antyodaya has been integrated into this scheme. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) HDFC Bank fell 0.76% to Rs 1,946 at 09:29 IST on BSE after the bank declared its Q4 result on Saturday, 21 April 2018. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 48.65 points or 0.14% at 34,366.93. On the BSE, 1.10 lakh shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 38,000 shares in the past two weeks. The stock hit a high of Rs 1,984 and a low of Rs 1,894.85 so far during the day. The stock had hit a record high of Rs 2,014 on 1 February 2018. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 1,450 on 20 April 2017. The large-cap bank has equity capital of Rs 519.02 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2. HDFC Bank reported 20.3% rise in net profit to Rs 4799.28 crore on 18.5% increase in total income to Rs 25549.66 crore in Q4 March 2018 over Q4 March 2017. HDFC Bank's total capital adequacy ratio (CAR) as per Basel III guidelines was at 14.8% as on 31 March 2018 (14.6% as on 31 March 2017) as against a regulatory requirement of 10.875% including Capital Conservation Buffer of 1.875%. Tier 1 CAR was at 13.2% as of 31 March 2018 compared to 12.8% as of 31 March 2017. Risk-weighted Assets were at Rs 800,126 crore (as against Rs 640,030 crore as at 31 March 2017). HDFC Bank said that the bank's board of directors has recommended a dividend of Rs 13 per share for the year ended 31 March 2018. HDFC Bank is one of the leading private sector banks in India. As of 31 March 2018, the bank's distribution network was at 4,787 banking outlets and 12,635 ATMs. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) opines Vedanta Limited's (VL, 'IND AA'/Positive) acquisition of 90% stake in the stressed asset Electrosteel Steels Limited (ESL) is credit neutral. Entry to Value-added Steel: The acquisition of ESL will provide a modest improvement to VL's business profile with a focus on value-added steel products. VL has a 0.8mtpa pig iron capacity in Goa. The acquisition will add 1.5mtpa steel capacity now and another 1mtpa upon the completion of expansion program. ESL is located in Jharkhand where VL has a prospecting license for iron ore mining. VL's pre-feasibility report proposes a 5mtpa iron ore mining capacity for the assessed resource base of 186.7mtpa of iron ore with an average grade ranging 54%-65% (Fe content). The acquisition will provide synergies in form of forward integration of ESL's steel plant with VL's possible mining operations in Jharkhand. Limited Impact on Balance Sheet Leverage: The acquisition will have marginal impact on VL's balance sheet leverage in FY19 (FY18 estimate: 2.2x; FY17: 3x). This will be due to a combination of events including the cash outflows relating to the ESL acquisition and stoppage of Goan iron ore mining and copper smelting operations. Ind-Ra expects the loss of cash flows from this division to be countered by higher-than-expected operational cash flows in the base metals and oil & gas divisions, supported by increased volumes. On commodity prices, the agency views the LME zinc prices could taper-off with increase in global mining volumes while those of crude oil and aluminium could remain steady at current prices. In February 2018, the Honourable Supreme Court's order to stop iron ore mining operations in Goa impacted VL's iron operations. Also, in March 2018, VL's copper smelting operations were shut down due to the denial of annual consent for operations. Vedanta's iron ore division posted an EBITDA of INR2.7 billion in 9MFY18 (9MFY17: INR9.35 billion) while copper division posted INR9.0 billion compared to overall consolidated EBITDA of INR175 billion (INR142 billion). ESL's Business Profile: ESL is part of Electrosteel Group and has an integrated operational steel capacity of 1.5mtpa with presence in pig iron, ductile pipes and long products. It consists of a sinter plant, pellet plant, coke oven, blast furnace, basic oxygen furnace, billet caster, wire rod mill, bar mill and power plant. ESL is yet to commission a capacity of 1mtpa. The ESL's 9MFY18 EBITDA is INR1.9 billion and 3QFY18 EBITDA is INR0.7 billion. VL's Business Profile: Vedanta has a significant presence across multiple business segments including zinc, oil & gas, copper, aluminium, iron ore, and power. The company has low operating costs in a majority of businesses, especially in its oil & gas and Indian zinc operations, which together contributed about two-thirds to its consolidated EBITDA in 9MFY18 and FY17. The diversification has helped Vedanta's business, as underperformance in some businesses would be offset by a strong performance in other businesses. Acquisition Details: VL's resolution plan for the acquisition of ESL was approved by National Company Law Tribunal pursuant to a corporate insolvency resolution process implemented by way of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016. VL's wholly owned subsidiary will hold 90% equity stake in ESL for a total infusion of INR53.21 billion, split into equity of INR18.06 billion and debt funds of INR35.15 billion. The remaining 10% of ESL will be held by the existing shareholders and financial creditors. The funds received by the subsidiary will be used to fully settle the debts owed to the existing financial creditors of ESL. The completion of acquisition is subject to approval from Competition Commission of India and Securities and Exchange Board of India. The agency is waiting for more details on further infusions required to improve the capacity utilisation and working capital requirements. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018 has come into force as the President of India has given his assent to the Union Cabinet's decision to promulgate the said Ordinance. Earlier, the Union Cabinet, in its meeting held on 21st April, 2018, had decided to approve the proposal of the Ministry of Finance to promulgate the Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018. Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018 (the Ordinance) lays down the measures to empower Indian authorities to attach and confiscate proceeds of crime associated with economic offenders and the properties of the economic offenders and thereby deter economic offenders from evading the process of Indian law by remaining outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts. The need for the Ordinance has arisen as there have been 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. The existing civil and criminal provisions in law are not entirely adequate to deal with the severity of the problem. In view of the above context, a Budget announcement was made by the Government in the Budget 2017-18 that the Government was considering to introduce 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. Pursuant to the above announcement, the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 was introduced in LokSabha on the 12th March, 2018. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 was listed for consideration and passing in LokSabha on many occasions after its introduction. The LokSabha has since been adjourned sine die and both the Houses of Parliament were prorogued on 6thApril, 2018. In order to address the deficiency 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 Ordinance is being proposed. The Ordinance makes provisions for a Court ('Special Court' under the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002) to declare a person as a Fugitive Economic Offender. 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. A scheduled offence refers to a list of economic offences contained in the Schedule to this Ordinance. Further, in order to ensure that Courts are not over-burdened with such cases, only those cases where the total value involved in such offences is 100 crore rupees or more, is within the purview of this Ordinance. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018, inter alia provides for- (i) making an application before the Special Court for a declaration that an individual is a fugitive economic offender; (ii) attachment of the property of a fugitive economic offender and proceeds of crime; (iii) issue of a notice by the Special Court to the individual alleged to be a fugitive economic offender; (iv) confiscation of the property of an individual declared as a fugitive economic offender or even the proceeds of crime; (v) disentitlement of the fugitive economic offender from defending any civil claim; and (vi) appointment of an Administrator to manage and dispose of the confiscated property under the Act. If at any point of time in the course of the proceeding prior to the declaration, however, the alleged Fugitive Economic Offender returns to India and submits to the appropriate jurisdictional Court, proceedings under the proposed Act would cease by law. All necessary constitutional safeguards in terms of providing hearing to the person through counsel, allowing him time to file a reply, serving notice of summons to him, whether in India or abroad and appeal to the High Court have been provided for. Major impact: It is expected that a special forum to be created for expeditious confiscation of the proceeds of crime, in India or abroad, would coerce the fugitive to return to India to submit to the jurisdiction of Courts in India to face the law in respect of scheduled offences. Since the proposed law would utilise the existing infrastructure of the Special Courts constituted under under the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 and the threshold of scheduled offence is high at Rs. 100 crores or more, no additional expenditure is expected on the enactment of the Bill. No. of beneficiaries: The Bill is expected to re-establish the Rule Of Law with respect to the Fugitive Economic Offenders as they would be forced to return to India to face trial for scheduled offences. This would also help the banks and other financial institutions to achieve higher recovery from financial defaults committed by such fugitive economic offenders, improving the financial health of such institutions. States/districts covered: The new law would cover all the States and Districts. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 10 people were killed following gunmen's invasion of a farming community in a Nigerian state of Kogi early on Sunday, police said. Kogi police chief Ali Janga said at least five locals and five of the gunmen were confirmed dead on Sunday, Xinhua reported. Janga said the gunmen were shot dead in a crossfire with security operatives following the invasion of Kpanche town in Kogi. Some weapons of the gunmen were recovered, the police officer said, adding five houses and an unspecified number of vehicles and other properties were set ablaze in the violence. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving suspect from the 2015 Paris terror attacks, was jailed in Belgium on Monday for 20 years over a gunfight that led to his arrest. Abdeslam, 28, and co-defendant Sofien Ayari were both convicted of terror-related charges of attempted murder, the BBC reported. Ayari, 24, was also given a 20-year sentence. Abdeslam and Ayari were not in the Brussels court as the verdict was read out on Monday. Both received the maximum sentence as requested by prosecutors. The judge said that "there can be no doubt" about the two men's involvement with "radicalism". On March 15, 2016, Belgian police hunting Abdeslam carried out a raid in the Forest area of Brussels. They targeted a flat believing that the suspect - who by then had been on the run for four months - had been there. When they moved in they exchanged fire with the three occupants. One of the three was killed and three officers were wounded, reports the BBC. Abdeslam and Ayari managed to escape, but Abdeslam's fingerprints were found in the flat, confirming his presence there. He was picked up days later in a raid in the nearby Molenbeek area and later transferred to France. Abdeslam had been on trial since February 8. --IANS ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least ten people were killed and 16 injured after a van plowed into pedestrians in Toronto's northern suburbs on Monday, police said. The white van jumped a curb and plowed into pedestrians. The driver fled briefly but was soon arrested, according to the police, Xinhua reported. Police cordoned off several city blacks and Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has sent an alert, saying that there is no subway service between Sheppard and Finch Stations due to a Toronto Police investigation at Sheppard Station, street level. Police didn't immediately identify the driver, and said it was not clear whether the crash was accidental or the driver had a motive. Later, the suspect is identified as Alex Minassian, a 25-year-old from the Toronto suburb of Richmond. Canada's Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale told a press conference that Toronto police are conducting a probe. "The investigation is at a stage where no further information can be confirmed at this point. The police are conducting obviously their thorough investigation to determine what happened and why it happened, the motivations involved." At least seven people were rushed to nearby Sunnybrook Health Services Centre's trauma center, the hospital said on Twitter, adding that the emergency department has been locked down as an added precaution. The incident took place about 29 km from the city centre, where foreign ministers from the G7 countries were meeting to discuss world issues. After the tragedy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Ottawa, "we're just learning about the situation in Toronto. Our hearts go out to anyone affected." A minor girl abducted from Delhi has been recovered from a madrassa in Ghaziabad. The police said the 10-year-old was kidnapped and a case was registered in Ghazipur police station in east Delhi on April 21. Delhi Police raided the seminary situated in Neelmani colony in Ghaziabad on Sunday night. "The raid was successful since the minor and the maulvi were nabbed from a room," said Rakesh Singh, Inspector in-charge of Sahibabad police station. Delhi police said they send the girl for a medical examination. --IANS sps/mr/hs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Union Home Ministry has removed Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Meghalaya and reduced it to eight police stations in Arunachal Pradesh, an official said on Monday. "AFSPA was totally withdrawn from all areas of Meghalaya from April 1. In Arunachal, it is down from 16 police stations to eight," the official said. The Act has however been extended by another six months in three eastern districts of Arunachal Pradesh -- Tirap, Longding and Changlang -- which border Myanmar and specific areas under eight police stations of seven other districts bordering Assam. The three districts have been under the AFSPA since January 2016. The Act was withdrawn from Tripura in 2015 and in past one year, fewer areas in northeast are under the Act, the official said, adding that the Act was only in place in Meghalaya for a a 20-km area along the Assam border) and not in operation in Mizoram. AFSPA gives powers to the Army and central forces deployed in "disturbed areas" to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and provide cover to forces from prosecution and legal suits without the Central government's sanction. It is effective in the whole of Nagaland, Assam, Manipur (excluding seven Assembly constituencies of Imphal). The state governments of Assam and Manipur now have the powers to keep or revoke the Act. --IANS rak/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leaders of Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK on Monday denied that they are acting like a double-barrel gun, along with the BJP. On Sunday, AIADMK's mouthpiece "Namathu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma" carried an article appreciating BJP and the signs of both the parties acting like a double-barrel gun are visible. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said only the party high command can decide on the electoral alliances. Referring to the article in the party's newpaper, he said that it is only an article and electoral alliances are stitched only during polls and it is the party that decides on that and not newspaper columnists. Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai also said there is no pact between AIADMK and BJP. Referring to the AIADMK, he said there is only a single-barrel gun in the state and no double-barrel gun. On the other hand, DMK leader M.K. Stalin told reporters in Pudukottai that AIADMK and BJP are in fact acting like a double-barrel gun on several issues like the common entrance exam for medical education and Cauvery river water issue. He said the BJP-led Central government has not set up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) despite the Supreme Court order and the Tamil Nadu government seems to be in concurrence with them. --IANS vj/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Arrested and released on bail for uploading a false Facebook post announcing the death of ailing Manohar Parrikar, businessman Kenneth Silveira has said he was arrested two days after he filed an RTI plea with the Goa Chief Minister's Office seeking his health status. The 35-year-old, arrested and released on bail last week, detailed the police action in a new social media post on Monday. Parrikar is being treated for advanced pancreatic cancer in a New York hospital. On Monday, Silveira, who unsuccessfully contested the 2017 Panaji Legislative Assembly bypoll against Parrikar, also alleged that the Crime Branch was "instructed by the Chief Minister's Office" to "illegally arrest him". "BJP government is scared of me and wanted to muzzle me, one of the few reasons for my illegal arrest," Silveira said in his Facebook post. "This RTI was sent by me directly to the CM office after which I was arrested on flimsy grounds. BJP government stands exposed by me... Only way to silence me is to kill me," said the resident of Vasco port town, 35 km from here. The application filed under the Right to Information Act, a copy of which has also been uploaded to Facebook, seeks to know among other things issues related to governance in the absence of Parrikar, expenditure incurred by the state government on the treatment of the Chief Minister, copies of his medical bills and Parrikar's expected date of return. Kenneth was arrested by the Crime Branch of Goa Police on April 18, a day after he put up a post on the social media site claiming Parrikar was dead. He was arrested after a complaint was filed by a Goa Bharatiya Janata Party official. On April 20, a few dozen members of civil society staged a protest outside the state police headquarters accusing the police of trying to muzzle free speech. --IANS maya/in/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A cattle traders' body on Monday accused a section of police in some north Bengal districts of ensuring safe passage to smugglers to ferry cattle to Bangladesh which resulted in revenue loss of around Rs 100 crore per month to the government. The All India Livestock Traders and Transporters Association office-bearers demanded action by the West Bengal government and police officers to break the alleged nexus between police and smugglers to stop "harassment" of legal traders. "Licensed transporters of cattle and pigs are harassed at different police checkpoints. However, smugglers are ensure a smooth passage to smuggle cattle to Bangladesh, since brokers pay hefty sums to police," Association President Arun Lyngdoh told reporters here. He said the government was losing about Rs 100 crore every month due to these illegal activities. He claimed that cattle traders bought cattle from states like Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana and transported these to mainly northeastern states for use in farming. "We are harassed by policemen below DSP rank and smugglers in bordering districts like Uttaar Dinajpur, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Coochbehar at checkposts, especially in Phasidewa area," Association Secretary Munna Saikia alleged. --IANS bdc/tsb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The extended deadline day of filing nominations for West Bengal Panchayat polls on Monday, witnessed widespread violence and clashes between rival political groups in several districts resulting in the death of at least one person in Birbhum district. Acting on a Calcutta High Court order, the State Election Commission extended the last day of filing nomination for the state rural election to between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday. One person was allegedly shot dead in Birbhum's Suri on Monday afternoon during a clash between activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. Both the Trinamool and BJP leadership claimed the deceased was a member of their party and blamed each other for his killing. While the state BJP leadership claimed that deceased Seikh Dildar was a member of their party's district minority cell and was killed by miscreants of Trinamool, Trinamool's district Anubrata Mondal said the deceased and his family members belong to their party for many years. "Not just Dildar, but his entire family are with Trinamool Congress for many years. BJP has brought in miscreants from neighbouring Jharkhand to terrorise the locals. He was killed by them," he claimed. Meanwhile, massive clashes were witnessed elsewhere in the districts of Bankua, Hoogly, East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas over the filing of nominations. State opposition parties accused Trinamool of attacking and terrorising their prospective candidates and not letting them near the Block Development Officer offices to submit the papers. State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury wrote a letter to the SEC informing him about the hostile situation along with a list of complaints and photographs of violence and urged the State Election Commissioner to ensure appropriate actions. Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Surjya Kanta Mishra claimed there was no law and order in Bengal, as people were attacked. In the morning, Congress leader Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury's car was allegedly attacked with bricks and crude bombs outside their party office in Murshiadabad district's Shamshergunj. "As many as eight bombs were hurled at my vehicle outside the party office. The car has been damaged and two of my associates got injured in the incident," he said. Stray incidents of violence were also reported from South 24 Pargana district's Diamond Harbour, Budge Budge and Nodakhali where the CPI-M accused gun-totting goons of Trinamool of surrounding the local BDO offices and beating up their activists. The opposition BJP, CPI-M, Congress and PDS had moved the court, accusing Trinamool of unleashing massive pre-poll violence against their party workers to prevent them from filing nominations ever since the poll process began on April 2. Justice Subrata Talukdar on Friday quashed the SEC's April 10 order that had cancelled the extension of date for filing of nominations, which the poll panel announced on April 9 night, directing it to issue a fresh extended deadline for filing of nominations in consultation with the state government and other stakeholders. --IANS mgr/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fresh nominations for the West Bengal Panchayat polls were filed on Monday amid tight security even as sporadic incidents clashes between the state's ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition party activists took place in some districts. Most cases of violence took place in the districts of Bankura and Murshidabad where BJP and Left activists accused the Trinamool Congress supporters of forcefully stopping their prospective candidates from filing nominations. In Murshidabad, a CPI-M party office was vandalised by miscreants while a CPI-M candidate was allegedly beaten up and sustained a serious head injury. The car of Congress leader Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury was also alleged attacked with bricks and crude bombs outside the party office in Murshadabad district's Shamshergunj. "As many as eight bombs were hurled at my vehicle outside the party office. The car has been damaged and two of my associates got injured in the incident," Chowdhury said. Stray incidents of violence were also reported from South 24 Pargana district's Diamond Harbour, Budge Budge and Nodakhali where the CPI-M accused Trinamool Congress backed goons of stopping their candidates from going near the BDO offices to file nominations. Acting on a Calcutta High Court order, the West Bengal State Election Commission on Saturday fixed April 23 as the extended deadline for filing of nomination papers for the coming Panchayat polls in the state and asked the state police to ensure security during the nomination process. It also fixed April 25 for scrutiny of fresh nominations and April 28 as the last date for withdrawal of candidatures. The opposition BJP, CPI-M, Congress and PDS had moved the court, accusing Trinamool of unleashing massive pre-poll violence against their party workers to prevent them from filing nominations ever since the poll process began on April 2. Justice Subrata Talukdar on Friday quashed the SEC's April 10 order that had cancelled the extension of date for filing of nominations, which the poll panel announced on April 9 night, directing it to issue a fresh extended deadline for filing of nominations in consultation with the state government and other stakeholders. --IANS mgr/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh's ruling BJP on Monday attacked former UP Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav over his "loose comments" in recent interviews, warning him that criminals, patronized by him, will no longer have a free run under the Yogi Adityanath government. Bharatiya Janata Party state spokesman, Manish Shukla said that the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief was now making statements like "I belong to the area of Chambal ravines" but he should remember that a rule of law prevails in the state now and anyone who takes law in their own hands will be brought to justice. He also said that Akhilesh Yadav, who claims to be the custodian of the poor and marginalized, should rather answer why despite many years of SP rule, that of their alliance partner Congress and the new-found ally Bahujan Samaj Party (BJP), Uttar Pradesh remains backward and the people are still looking for prosperity and development. "Chief Minister Adityanath, the ministers and legislators are touring various parts of the state while you are just dishing out statements from air-conditioned offices," said Shukla, charging the SP chief with patronizing criminals during his regime and of neglecting the state. --IANS md/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he will pay $4.5 million to cover the lapsed US financial commitment to the Paris climate accord. He said he had a responsibility to help improve the because of US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the deal, the BBC reported. "America made a commitment and, as an American, if the government's not going to do it then we all have a responsibility," Bloomberg told CBS on "Face the Nation" on Sunday. "I'm able to do it. So, yes, I'm going to send them a cheque for the monies that America had promised to the organisation as though they got it from the federal government." In January, Trump said the US could "conceivably" return to the deal if it treated America more fairly. "It's an agreement that I have no problem with but I had a problem with the agreement that they (the Obama administration) signed," he had told reporters. Bloomberg said he hoped that by 2019 Trump would reconsider his position on the deal, the BBC reported. "He's been known to change his mind, that is true," he said. "America is a big part of the solution and we should go in and help the world stop a potential disaster." His charity, Bloomberg Philanthropies, offered $15 million to cover a separate climate change shortfall in 2017. It said the money would go to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the BBC report said. US' withdrawal was announced in June 2017 and had sparked international condemnation. It will make the US in effect the only country not to be part of the Paris accord. The Paris agreement commits the US and 187 other countries to keeping rising global temperatures "well below" 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An army captain and a civilian have been killed in clashes between the army and security personnel of the Interior Ministry in Libya's Benghazi. Both sides are loyal to the authorities, a military source said. The clashes that lasted for several hours had erupted over some criminal cases, informed source told Xinhua news agency late on Sunday. They lasted for hours and a captain of the battalion and a civilian was killed. The North African country has suffered unrest in the past seven years after its former leader Muammar Gaddafi was toppled by an uprising in 2011. --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There is a need to create new and unique themes to promote tourism and also provide niche experiences to international tourists, a Ficci-Yes Bank report on tourism said. Additionally, new forms of niche tourism like medical and wellness, religious and spiritual tourism should also be encouraged, said the report on 'India Inbound Tourism: Decoding Strategies for Next Stage of Growth', released by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje here on Monday after inaugurating the 10th edition of the Great Indian Travel Bazaar 2018 from April 22-24. The report recommends emphasis on creating a comprehensive ecosystem, citing examples of Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, among others. These states have taken initiatives like developing new forms of tourism, creating new tourism marketing campaigns, sustainable use of existing resources and much more. The paper lists recommendations to strengthen inbound tourism in India. Destination infrastructure, connectivity and technology are the key pillars that will drive the next stage of growth in the tourism sector, the report said. The report said that while the figure of 10 million foreign tourist arrivals is a momentous occasion for the Indian tourism industry, it is also important to acknowledge the fact that it is just the tip of the iceberg. While the initial growth surge has been fast, continuing this momentum will require a greater degree of policy dynamism as well as heightened synergy between multiple layers of the industry, the report added. --IANS arc/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after President Ram Nath Kovind approved the ordinance to introduce death penalty for child rape, child and women rights activists voiced dissatisfaction with the move, saying that the new provisions fail to highlight other issues faced by survivors. The issues were articulated by a six member bench headed by former Delhi HC Chief Justice A.P. Shah, advocate Vrinda Grover, Anuja Gupta from RAHI Foundation, Bharti Ali of HAQ: Centre for Child Rights, Anup Surendranath of Centre on Death Penalty at a press conference at Press Club here on Monday. "The remedy offered is based on wrong diagnosis. The enhancement of the punishment including death penalty will have disastrous consequences on children. The ordinance is reactionary, impractical in terms of the procedural changes brought in and disproportionate with regards to sentencing," Shah said. The panel highlighted that in every nine of the ten cases, the perpetrator is known to the victim and the child is often pressurised into turning hostile. "Such pressure will increase manifold if death penalty is imposed. Mostly there are pressures of settling the matter within the family. The death penalty diverse attention from other problems in the criminal justice system such as poor investigation, crime prevention," he added. According to the child right activists, creating children-friendly courtrooms and having trained professionals and lawyers are equally important. "Legislation oriented to protection of victim was expected. The way trials are conducted is really very disturbing. The children are often exposed to the perpetrators. There are no special courts, how many times will a child victim would go to courts for trials," Gupta noted. The experts also pointed that the decision was taken out of public outrage and not understanding the dynamics of child sexual abuse. "Child abuses have been happening since generations. The concept of justice for survivors is very different. What they are looking for is not taking the abuser to court as majority are incest. Govt has to understand what is the complex relationship between the abuser and victim and why the victims don't even come up. "What the victims look for is acknowledgment of the abusers. The ordinance will rather stop the victims to come out and report," said Gupta. The activists also noted that there are systematic lapses which the government should have looked out before bringing in the ordinance. "Barely any trial related to sexual violence has been concluded within three months and there are reasons for it. There is no such POCSO court and that judge has to look after many other cases so how will the trials be concluded within certain time period? Special courts dealing with child sexual abuse doesn't exist in all parts of the country. Those measures needs to be taken first," said Grover. Ali said: "Just having a law is not good enough. It must be backed with a financial commitment. There is no budget under any scheme for services of a support person." --IANS som/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and wife of Prince William, gave birth to a baby boy on Monday, the royal family announced. The child was born at 11 a.m. in St. Mary's Hospital weighing 8lbs 7oz (3.8 kg). The royal couple's third child is fifth in line to the British throne after grandfather Prince Charles, father Prince William and two siblings, the BBC reported. The newest addition to the royal family is a younger brother to Prince George, 4, and Princess Charlotte, 2, and is Queen Elizabeth II's sixth great-grandchild. "The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news," Kensington Palace said in a statement. "Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well," it said. Prince William was present for the birth. Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted her "warmest congratulations" to the couple. "I wish them great happiness for the future," she said. The name of the newborn has not yet been announced. According to the bookmakers, the favourite names included Arthur, Albert, Frederick, James and Philip. The birth came just weeks before the wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle at St. George's Chapel in Windsor on May 19. Prince William and Catherine will mark their seventh wedding anniversary on April 29. --IANS soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brussels, April 24 (IANS/AKI) The European Union hopes that a government will be formed in Italy "soon", ending the stalemate since last month's inconclusive election, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said on Monday. "We hope there will soon be a new Italian government with which the EU and members states can have relations," Malmstroem told a press conference here. Earlier Monday, the European Commission's chief spokesperson Margaritis Schinass said the EU executive had "utmost faith" in Italy's President Sergio Mattarella, who has the task of overseeing efforts to end the post-election deadlock. Mattarella on Monday asked the lower house of parliament's Speaker Roberto Fico, to hold talks with the main party leaders on a possible coalition government. Fico's consultations will be the fourth round of talks this month amid a mesh of seemingly irreconcilable demands by Italy's political leaders. Italy - the eurozone's third largest economy - has had a caretaker government since the March 4 ballot in which populist parties made strong gains but no party or bloc won a parliamentary majority. Mattarella is reported to be eager to avoid more elections this year and wants to have a workable coalition government in place by a European Union heads of state and government summit in Brussels on June 28. --IANS/AKI vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The EU and the UN will co-chair a two-day international conference starting here on Tuesday, aiming to pump financial aid for Syrians and garner political support for UN-led intra-Syrian talks. The conference, the second of its kind since 2017, will bring together participants from more than 85 countries and organisations at the ministerial level, as well as those from over 200 non-governmental organisations, Xinhua news agency cited the EU Council as saying. The first day's meeting will focus on dialogues with NGOs from Syria and the region, which were expected to provide "concrete operational recommendations" to the ministerial meeting on the second day. In the aftermath of the US-led airstrikes on alleged chemical weapon-related facilities in Syria in early April, the conference will get more international attention than the previous one in April 4-5, 2017, during which international donors pledged 5.6 billion euros in aid for 2017 and 3.47 billion euros for 2018-2020. The EU and its member states are the top donors in Syria and the region, having mobilised over 10.6 billion euros in humanitarian aid and stabilisation assistance since 2011, the Council data showed. The UN-backed intra-Syrian negotiations have been suspended since the ninth round, held in Vienna on January 25-26. It ended up with a truce between the warring sides in the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus. The eighth round of the talks concluded in Geneva on December 14, 2017, making little progress due to a wide rift. According to UN data, the Syrian crisis over the past six years caused 330,000 deaths and displaced half of the country's population, with 13.5 million people in need of humanitarian aid. --IANS soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said that he would cut a cheque for $4.5 million to fulfil the US's financial commitment to the Paris climate accord, the media reported. "America made a commitment and as an American if the government's not going to do it, we all have responsibility," Bloomberg said in an interview on Sunday night. "I'm able to do it... So, yes, I'm going to send them a check for the monies that America had promised to the organization as though they got it from the federal government," he added. Asked if he planned to help fund the Paris climate agreement's mission next year, Bloomberg said that he hopes President Donald Trump changes his mind on the accord by then, reports The Hill magazine. "He's been known to change his mind. That is true," Bloomberg said. "But he should change his mind and say look, there really is a problem here. America is part of the problem. America is a big part of the solution and we should go in and help the world stop a potential disaster." The Paris agreement, struck under former President Barack Obama's administration, committed 195 countries to reducing carbon emissions in an effort to slow climate change. But Trump announced last year that he would withdraw from that deal, which he has said places unfair burdens on the US and allows countries like China and India to expand their use of fossil fuels. Bloomberg has been among the most vocal advocates for the Paris agreement, reports The Hill. He and California Governor Jerry Brown are leading a coalition of US states, cities, businesses and universities that have vowed to meet America's commitments under the agreement. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Experts on Monday began the exhumation of four people who were killed in the Spanish Civil War and buried alongside thousands of other war dead in mass graves incorporated into a mausoleum that was built by former dictator Francisco Franco. After years of legal challenges and disputes, the Spanish judiciary recently allowed the bodies of Manuel and Antonio Ramiro Lapena, Pedro Gil Calonge and Juan Gonzalez Moreno to be exhumed, after their families requested they be given access to the remains, reports Efe news. The Lapena brothers, a veterinarian and a blacksmith, were believed to have been executed without a trial by pro-Franco forces early in the 1936-39 civil war and dumped in a mass grave. The bodies were transferred in 1964 without the family's consent to the vast memorial 45 km north of Madrid where Franco, whom the brothers had opposed, was later given a state funeral at the mausoleum which was named the Valley of the Fallen. Moreno and Calonge were killed in action as they fought alongside fascist forces in the war and their bodies were also later transferred to the Valley. Their families had spent six years battling the legal system to be able to rebury them away from the mass grave and closer to their homes. Forensic and archaeological experts will now work to find and identify their bodies and ensure they can be safely removed. Franco's mausoleum is controversial as it is considered one of the most potent symbols of his dictatorship. The complex, ostensibly dedicated to all victims of the civil war, was built by thousands of prisoners, many of whom died drilling into the solid granite mountain where the mausoleum is located. Spain's Civil War began in 1936 when right-wing nationalist troops led by Franco rebelled against the democratically-elected government of the Second Republic. --IANS ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The family of a Latvian female tourist whose body was found near Kovalam in Kerala on Monday demanded a fair probe into her death which they claimed was not a suicide. The body of Liga Skromane, 33, who went missing last month from here, was found in a highly decomposed state on Friday. Her sister Ilzie identified the body. Ilzie told the media: "I want justice for my sister. We are happy that a special team of police has been appointed to probe the case. We want to know what happened to her." Andrew, Liga's partner, thanked the people of Kerala for their love and support. "The police here should now take this seriously as it should never happen to anyone. "What we want to ask of the people of the locality where the body was found is to come forward and tell us if they saw anything. This was no suicide," he said. On Monday, the Kerala government announced ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the victim's family. Kerala Police chief Loknath Behra said the probe had now become a matter of challenge. "A foreigner has died in our state and we will ensure that the case is solved," he said. Liga and Ilzie came to Kerala for ayurvedic treatment at a facility on the outskirts of Trivandrum. She went missing on March 14 and was last reported to have taken an auto-rickshaw ride to Kovalam. She was not carrying a passport or mobile phone with her. --IANS sg/ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The French National Assembly has passed a tough immigration reform bill that shortens asylum application deadlines, doubles the time for which illegal migrants can be detained and introduces a one-year prison sentence for entering France illegally. The bill was passed on Sunday by 228 votes to 139, with 24 abstentions, after over 60 hours of debate and hundreds of amendments, the BBC reported on Monday. President Emmanuel Macron's governing centrist party La Republique en Marche said the bill will speed up the process of claiming asylum. But opposition figures and human rights groups said the measures go too far. Only one member of Macron's party, Jean-Michel Clement, voted against the legislation. "I am not sure we're sending to world citizens the universal message that has always been ours," he said after the vote. He later announced he was leaving the parliamentary group. The main aim of the law is to cut the length of asylum applications and make the deportation system more efficient for those rejected, the report said. Refugees given asylum will be given greater help with integration and learning French. One of the most significant changes is that failed asylum seekers awaiting deportation can be held for up to 90 days, double the existing period of 45 days. The government had initially aimed for a 135-day period. Opponents protested to the reform, saying that that migrants were being treated like criminals. According to the bill, children can also be kept in detention with their families, although officials agreed to set up a working group to look into the issue. Additionally, it reduces the time that asylum seekers have to submit their application from 120 to 90 days and gives them only two weeks to appeal if rejected. Human Rights Watch said shortening asylum application deadlines could negatively impact the "most vulnerable asylum seekers, who would be the ones most likely to miss the deadline". Left-wing parties said they were deeply opposed to the changes and the right-wing Republicans joined them. The far-right National Front backed some of the measures. The bill will now be debated in the Upper House, the Senate, in June. --IANS soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amreli district Superintendent of Police (SP) Jagdish Patel has been arrested in a case of extortion and loot, following the questioning of an Inspector earlier arrested in the case, the Gujarat Police said on Monday. "We picked up the Amreli SP after interrogating arrested Crime Branch Inspector Anant Patel," Director General of Police (CID-Crime) Ashish Bhatia told the media here. Police sources said that SP Jagdish Patel had stayed away from office after the arrest of Inspector Patel. The CID-Crime summoned Jagdish Patel for questioning two days ago but picked him from his residence in Amreli late Sunday night after he did not respond. Surat builder Sailesh Bhatt had alleged that he was abducted by the Amreli Local Crime Branch (LCB) Inspector Anant Patel, who forcibly made him transfer 200 Bitcoin currency of Rs 12 crore from his account and pay up Rs 32 crore in cash. Bhatt said there were other policemen from the Amreli LCB who helped Patel and kept him confined at a farmhouse near Gandhinagar. He was then forced to share his passwords and code for the transfer of Bitcoins. Amreli LCB Constables Babu Der and Vijay and Surat-based advocate Ketan Patel were also arrested in the case earlier. Anant Patel, on the run since a police complaint filed earlier this month, was arrested by the Crime branch last week. Anant Patel is said to have named the SP during his interrogation, and claimed that he acted on the Amreli SP's orders. The CID-Crime has constituted an SIT to probe the case. --IANS amc/tsb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) State-run Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL) on Monday said it has signed an MoU with Manganese Ore (India) Ltd (MOIL), to create long term business synergy for both the Central Public Sector Enterprises. The agreement was inked by HCL's Chairman and Managing Director Santosh Sharma and MOIL's chief Mukund Chaudhary. According to a statement, the MoU was signed on Sunday at Malanjkhand Copper Project located at Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district and in terms of the agreement, the MOIL will procure its entire requirement of silica sand, used for backfilling of its mines, from HCL's unit. High grade silica sand is an outcome of the beneficiation of copper ore tails, a waste generated during copper beneficiation process at Malanjkhand Copper Project. "A copper ore tailing (COT) beneficiation plant is going to be commissioned at Malanjkhand by HCL which is expected to generate high grade silica sand to the tune of 5,500 tonnes per day. This sand will be suitable for road making, construction of building, etc. and is also likely to be used in glass industries after further refining," the statement said. This project is in sync with promoting business synergy among the Public Sector Enterprises as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. --IANS bdc/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rome, April 24 (IANS/AKI) Any coalition government partner of Italy's anti-migrant League party must agree to seal Italy's borders, "like any normal country," its leader Matteo Salvini stated on Monday. "Whoever governs with the League must be committed to closing Italy's borders in order that no more people enter - not a single one," Salvini told a political rally in the northeastern city of Tolemezzo. "They must guarantee that Italy's borders will once again be protected like those of any normal country," added Salvini. The League party made strong gains in inconclusive national polls last month, quadrupling its share of the vote compared with the 2013 election. Immigration is a sensitive issue in Italy, where over 600,000 boat migrants have landed since 2014. The League is now the dominant party in the centre-right alliance - the biggest parliamentary bloc. Along with the populist Five-Star Movement - the largest party - it has claimed first bid to try and form a government. Three rounds of talks among party leaders this month on a coalition government failed amid a mesh of seemingly irreconcilable demands. Italy has had a caretaker government since the March ballot in which no party or bloc won a parliamentary majority. --IANS/AKI vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Indian foreign secretary S. Jaishankar has apparently been given a waiver from the "cooling off period" for bureaucrats, as Tatas have announced his appointment as their Groups President of Global Corporate Affairs. Announcing the appointment, Tata Sons said Jaishankar will report to N Chandrasekaran, executive chairman of Tata Sons in his new role. Last week, IANS had reported that Jaishankar, who retired on January 28 this year, had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a waiver of the "cooling-off period" for bureaucrats as he had been offered a position by the Tatas. In his new role, Jaishankar will be responsible for the Tata group's global corporate affairs and international strategy development and Tata Sons' international offices will report to him, according to a statement issued by Tata Sons. "Jaishankar will work with Tata Companies to help them strengthen their business presence and positioning in their respective geographies globally," the statement said. "I am delighted to welcome Dr Jaishankar to the Tata Group. His extensive experience and knowledge on international affairs will be very valuable to the group as we work to reinforce our brand and leadership globally," said Chandrasekaran. "The Tata Group is an iconic institution known for its value-based leadership as well as India's most respected brand globally. I look forward to being part of the Tata group and working with key stakeholders to make an impact," said Jaishankar. Officers of Group "A" Central Civil Services/Posts and All India Services have to see permission from the government for post-retirment commercial employment if it is to be taken up within one year of leaving office. The "cooling-off period" was reduced from two years in December 2015. The Indian foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018, Jaishankar joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977 holding key roles during his career including stints as High Commissioner to Singapore, Ambassador to China and the United States. He also played a key role in negotiating the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement. The highly-regarded career diplomat was said to have enjoyed the Prime Minister's trust during his term in South Block as also a good working relationship with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. He is also largely credited with helping negotiate a peaceful resolution to the stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops at Doklam last year. Jaishankar is a graduate of St Stephen's College at the University of Delhi. He has an MA in Political Science and an MPhil. and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University. --IANS ag/hs (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.) Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon has been announced as the brand ambassador of Bata India. It is after 21 years that the footwear brand has finalised a Bollywood face post it's association with Rani Mukerji. "Bata is an iconic brand, and I have been a big fan of Bata shoes since early childhood. So, I was delighted when Bata approached me to be the face of their brand. And the delight turned into surprise when I saw the stylish and fashionable collection that they have introduced for the women of today. "It's amazing to see the new fashion-forward avatar of Bata and I am excited about creating something special together. At heart, I am a Bata girl, who subscribes to the brand motto Me & Comfortable with it," Kriti said in a statement. As Bata's new brand ambassador, she'll be seen promoting the brand's newly launched Bata Red Label fashion collection along with their other ranges. "Kriti's creative talent, drive and her fresh approach to style are the perfect match for Bata. We are very excited to have Kriti as the face of brand Bata in India. Kriti is the perfect choice as she reflects Bata's personality of being vibrant and authentic. She is easy-going with a high style quotient, a quality which we greatly value at Bata. Something that makes her the perfect role model for young Indians," said Thomas Archer Bata, Chief Marketing Officer, Bata Shoe Organisation. --IANS nv/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man sleeping here on footpath has been crushed to death by a car driven by an engineering student, police said. The incident occurred in Kushaiguda area when the 19-year-old returning after a late night party along with her three friends, lost control of the car. She was allegedly in an inebriated state, according to the police. The car crossed the road divider and hit the footpath on the other side of the road. K. Ashok (30), who used to work as a cobbler was sleeping on the footpath. He sustained critical injuries. He was rushed to the government-run Gandhi Hospital, where he succumbed. The incident occurred after midnight in the DAE Colony here. The four students belong to a private engineering college. People, who gathered at the spot, alleged that the police were trying to shield the students, as the girl who was driving the Skoda car is daughter of a police officer. Police said they have registered a case and conducting further investigations. The CCTV footage in the area was being scanned. --IANS ms/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Friends" star Matt LeBlanc says he once accidentally ate a plate of trifle that had been spat out by co-star David Schwimmer during filming for the show's sixth season. The 50-year-old recalled the incident when he appeared on "The Graham Norton Show", reports dailymail.co.uk. It happened during filming of the scene which saw character Rachel Green unveil her dessert for Thanksgiving dinner. But due to the cookbook pages being stuck together, Rachel instead made a trifle-shepherd's pie hybrid, which her friends are then forced to eat to spare her feelings. LeBlanc told Norton that in reality the scene wasn't as disgusting as it was made out to be, as they were instead given just a plate of whipped cream and bananas. Schwimmer was forced to eat an entire plate for the scene as his character Ross Gellar had to lie that he loved the dish to avoid hurting Rachel's feelings. As the director yelled cut, LeBlanc said Schwimmer had to spit out some of the dish as he was eating it too fast. "As we were cutting, he kind of spits it back on his plate. And I'm looking the other way. I didn't see him spit it back on the plate, so I take his plate and go 'Give it to me,' and scrape some on my plate," LeBlanc said. He added: "And then we (start filming again), but now I'm eating it. We finished the take. No one said anything to me." LeBlanc said that it wasn't until the wrap party he realised the mistake. --IANS sug/nn/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the Modi government of "crushing" and "suppressing" the Supreme Court and asserted that his party will not allow the ruling alliance to derail institutions created by the Constitution. Gandhi made the remarks while addressing a gathering here to mark the party's "Save the Constitution" campaign. Gandhi said that institutions such as the Supreme Court, high courts, the Lok Sabha, assemblies and the Election Commission have been built on the basis of the Constitution which has been given to the country by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and the Congress. He alleged that people with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) background were being inducted in these institutions by the BJP-led government. "It has happened for the first time that four judges of the Supreme Court went to the people to seek justice. The Supreme court is being crushed, it is being suppressed. Parliament was not allowed to run," Gandhi said. Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was afraid to face Parliament on issues like the PNB fraud scam, deportation of Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallaya and the Rafale fighter deal. "If I am allowed to speak for 15 minutes on Rafale issue in Parliament before Modi, he will not be able to withstand it," he said. Referring to the second half of the budget session of Parliament, Gandhi said it was for the first time that the treasury benches "disrupted" the Houses though it was normally the opposition which does so. Gandhi alleged that RSS ideology ran counter to the Indian Constitution. "This ideology that runs counter to this document... The SC and ST Atrocities Act is being eroded and weakened," he said. Gandhi said IMF chief Christine Lagarde had told Modi recently that atrocities were being committed against women in India. "She told him that your government was not doing the right thing for Indian women, was not helping them and atrocities were being committed against them. But the Prime Minister is quiet." "Other countries used to look up to us... Modiji has destroyed the country's reputation. "They (BJP) will see the power and strength of ideology of the Congress. They are already beginning to see it. They will see more and more till 2019 when we will remove them from power," Gandhi added. --IANS rak-sid-ps/ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The tenth season of "Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical" will be returning here and director Feroz Abbas Khan and Shapoorji Pallonji have decided to stage the musical extravaganza from May 24. "'Mughal-e-Azam' will be travelling extensively this year. However, Mumbai audiences are special and extremely gracious. We really appreciate the love and support they have extended to the Musical. It's an absolute pleasure to perform in Mumbai once again before we head overseas," Khan said in statement. The play will also be going to international destinations starting with Dubai. Deepesh Salgia, Creative and Strategic Vision, 'Mughal-e-Azam' added: "Mumbai will be the Musical's tenth season and it is the continued patronage of our audiences that has kept us going. All our seasons have been completely sold out and it is heartening to see that Mughal-e-Azam has created a new benchmark for Indian theatre." "Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical" will be staged in Mumbai at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA from May 24 to June 3. --IANS dc/nv/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fortis Healthcare on Monday said Hero Enterprise Investment Office and the Burman Family Office have extended the validity of their 'improved binding offer' till May 4, 2018. According to a BSE filing, "all other terms and conditions of the improved offer remain unchanged". On April 19, Sunil Kant Munjal of Hero Enterprise as well as Anand Burman and Mohit Burman of the Burman family approached the Board of Fortis Healthcare with a binding offer to invest Rs 1,500 crore directly in the company. The 'improved binding offer' replaced their original offer made to the Board on April 12, 2018 to invest Rs 1,250 crore directly in Fortis Healthcare. The development comes days after Fortis Healthcare disclosed that it has received "an unsolicited non-binding expression of interest (EoI)" from KKR-backed Radiant Life Care with "a proposal for making investment and or re-structuring the company subject to certain conditions as mentioned in the offer letter". As per an earlier BSE filing, Radiant Life Care has made an offer to buy a 26 per cent stake in the company at a price of Rs 126 per share, excluding the SRL Diagnostics' business. Fortis Healthcare had earlier revealed that it has received a "supplemental proposal" from IHH Healthcare Berhad. Besides IHH, Fortis Healthcare has received "an unsolicited non-binding expression of interest (EoI)" from Fosun Health Holdings for a possible due diligence. Fosun Health Holdings has made an offer of a "primary infusion at a price up to Rs 156 per share, subject to due diligence to be completed within three weeks, up to a total investment of $350 million" including a preliminary investment of up to Rs 100 crore. However, Fortis Healthcare on March 27 had announced plans to demerge its hospitals business (Fortis Hospitals) into Manipal Hospital Enterprises Private Ltd (Manipal Hospitals). The plan envisages the sale of the company's 20 per cent stake in SRL Ltd to Manipal Hospitals. On last Thursday, Fortis Healthcare decided to constitute an "expert advisory committee" to evaluate all binding proposals for fund infusion. The panel is led by Deepak Kapoor, Former Chairman and CEO of Price Waterhouse Coopers, India and has been "requested to provide a report of its recommendation to the Board, by April 26, 2018". The company has named Renuka Ramnath and Lalit Bhasin as members of an "expert advisory committee". Ramnath is a former MD and CEO of ICICI Venture and Bhasin, President, Society of Indian Law Firms and Managing Partner, Bhasin & Co. The panel is likely to meet by April 25 to decide on the merger or buy offers. --IANS rv/ag/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Minutes after ally Shiv Sena attacked the proposed Nanar refinery project, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hit back on Monday. Taking umbrage at his ministerial colleague Shiv Sena's Subhash Desai's assertion that the land acquisition notification of May 18, 2017 for the project has been "cancelled", Fadnavis retorted by saying that he (Desai) had no authority to do so. "The said notification has not been cancelled. That authority vests only with the High Power Committee (HPC) which is headed by the Chief Secretary, and not with any minister. "Whatever decision on this, which is in the interest of the state and Konkan, can only be taken by the HPC after proper discussions at the appropriate time," Fadnavis said. He also made it clear that "this (cancellation of notification) was the minister's (Desai) personal opinion and it was not the view of the government. "No such proposal has been received by the HPC on this issue and no notification (on Nanar) has been cancelled," Fadnavis said. Congress Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil attacked Thackeray for his comments and said the Shiv Sena's opposition to the Nanar project was "a deal". "If you say the CM's word has no value in Delhi, then why are your ministers still working in the government under him? You have already hit a double-century on the number of times you threatened to quit the government," Vikhe-Patil said. Similarly, Nationalist Congress Party's leader Dhananjay Munde said both the BJP and Sena had betrayed the trust of the people of Konkan and Desai's statement on cancelling the May 2017 notification was a farce. The Sena came under fire after its President Uddhav Thackeray said on Monday that the Nanar refinery project would not be allowed to come up in Konkan and challenged the government to shift it to Gujarat or relocate it to Vidarbha. Nanar village is the site for the proposed Rs 3-trillion world's biggest integrated oil refinery and petrochemicals complex with a capacity to process 60 million tonne, coming up in collaboration with a Saudi oil company. --IANS qn/in/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nashville Mayor David Briley has demanded for stricter gun laws following a shooting incident that killed four people at a restaurant in the Tennessee state capital, the media reported. "I know that we all want to live in a safe environment that allows everyone to go to work or school and feel and be safe," CNN quoted Briley as saying at a news conference on Sunday night. "We all want to live up to our greatest potential, and it's my responsibility as the Mayor of Nashville to try and make that happen. Clearly the victims of this shooting deserve our prayers and our thoughts, but they also deserve leaders who will step up and take action and do something to get these weapons off our streets," he added. On Sunday morning, 29-year-old Travis Reinking allegedly stormed the Waffle House restaurant in Antioch and used an "assault-type rifle" to carry out the carnage, authorities said. The shooting stopped only because of the heroics of a customer who heard the gunshots and hid near the restaurant's bathrooms before he rushed the gunman, wrestled the rifle from him and threw it away. During the news conference, Briley added: "Tragedies like today shouldn't happen... We need comprehensive gun reform to address mass shootings, domestic shootings, accidental shootings and homicides." The authorities suspect that Reinking, who is still on the loose, may have two weapons on him: a long gun and a handgun, CNN reported. A manhunt is on for Reinking and the police have issued a warning saying he was armed and dangerous. After he fled the scene of the shooting completely naked, the police believe that he went to his apartment, put on a pair of pants and may have escaped into the woods. Sheriff's deputies 400 miles north of Nashville in Tazewell county, Illinois, where Reinking recently lived, were also on high alert. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation added Reinking to its "Top 10 Most Wanted" list. Sunday's incident was the Antioch neighbourhood's second mass shooting since September 2017. A gunman killed a churchgoer and injured seven others in a church shooting, just a few miles from the Waffle House. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taiwanese smartphone maker ASUS on Monday announced the global debut of ZenFone Max Pro (M1) from India, which is the first device from the company to be co-marketed and distributed online on Flipkart. The device comes with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Processor and a massive 5,000mAh battery that claims to give up to 42 hours of talk time, 28 hours of browsing, 199 hours of music playback and 20 hours of video playback in a single charge. The smartphone is also ASUS' first device to offer a pure, stock version of Android with the latest version Android 8.1. ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) will be available in two variants -- 3GB/32GB for Rs 10,999 and the 4GB/64GB for Rs 12,999 on Flipkart from May 3. The third variant 6GB/64 GB with 16MP + 5MP dual rear cameras and a 16MP front camera will be available for Rs 14,999 later. "India remains a key market for our smartphone business and we wanted India to be one of the first countries to receive our brand new ZenFone Max Pro (M1)," ASUS CEO Jerry Shen told reporters here. The device has a 5.99-inch FHD+ Full View display, a rear dual-camera system (13MP + 5MP) and 8MP front camera. "ASUS has brought together an ideal balance of exceptional battery life, outstanding performance and consumer value," said Larry Paulson, President and Vice President, Qualcomm India. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 mobile platform is an advanced 14nm 64-bit octa-core system-on-chip (SoC) with up to 4GB RAM, which delivers over (up to) 40 per cent higher CPU performance and 10 per cent higher graphics performance than the Snapdragon 630 Mobile Platform. The device houses "Adreno 509" GPU to deliver enhanced mobile gaming and browsing performance. ZenFone Max Pro (M1) features a five-magnet speaker driven by a NXP smart amplifier that delivers higher volume with lower distortion. ZenFone Max Pro (M1) can shoot video at up to 4K UHD resolution and comes with two SIM slots supporting 4G LTE, and an additional microSD slot to expand storage by up to 2TB. --IANS na/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a setback to the opposition, the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Dipak Misra was on Monday rejected by Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on the ground that there was lack of "credible and verifiable" information on charges of "misbehaviour" which undermined judiciary's independence. "... we cannot allow any of our pillars of governance to be weakened by any thought, word or action," he said in a 10-page order, holding that admission of the notice was "neither desirable nor proper". "I am also aware that it is imperative that we should have extraordinary, important and substantial grounds for the removal of a judge," he said in the order after holding legal consultations on Sunday. The Chairman's ruling came before proceedings opened in the Supreme Court on Monday apparently to enable the Chief Justice to continue his work uninterrupted. On April 20, 64 members of the Rajya Sabha submitted a motion to Naidu alleging five charges of "misbehaviour" against the CJI including conspiracy to pay illegal gratification in a case relating to an educational trust and the alleged violation of code of conduct for judges by presiding over every bench that heard the case and passed orders. "I have also gone through the comments made by former Attorney General, constitutional experts and editors of prominent newspapers which are unequivocal and nearly unanimous that the present notice of motion before me is not a fir case for removal of judges," Naidu said in his order. "I have considered each of the allegations individually as well as collectively in the light of annexures annexed to the notice of the motion but also in the light of cogent, relevant material available in the form of judicial orders passed the apex court of the country. Based on all this, I have come to the conclusion that this motion does not deserve to be admitted." The Chairman held that since the notice was signed by 64 members, it met the requirement of Section 3(1)(b) of the Judges Inquiry Act for moving a motion. At the stage of admission, Naidu said he had to apply a test that if every statement stated in the petition was believed to be true, would it still amount to a case of "proved misbehaviour". The Supreme Court said it was also salutary that before admitting the motion to remove a judge there shall exist factual foundation. Naidu said that since the notice of motion was against the CJI, it was not feasible to consult or seek his advise. He consulted legal luminaries, constitutional experts and former Secretary Generals of both the houses, former law officers, Law Commission members and eminent jurists. The Chairman referred to expressions "proved misbehaviour" and "incapacity" used in Article 124 (4) of the Constitution and said proved misbehaviour was an expression clearly distinguishable from misconduct as was apparent from the language of Article 124. "The intent, gravity and onus are of a much higher degree. The prefix 'proved' places an obligation of actually proving the misbehaviour before the parliamentary procedure for removal of a judge can come into play," he said. Naidu said the MPs who presented the petition were unsure of their own case. Page one of the petition used phrases such as "the facts and circumstances relating to Prasad Education Trust case saw prima facie evidence suggesting that the CJI 'may have been' involved in a conspiracy of paying illegal gratification..." The motion also said that the CJI was "likely to fall" within the scope of investigation and that he "appears to have" anti-dated an administrative order. "I am mentioning this fact because the phrases used by MPs themselves indicate a mere suspicion, a conjecture of an assumption. The same does not constitute prove 'beyond reasonable doubt', which is required to make out a case of 'proved misbehaviour' under Article 124 (4). Conversations between third parties with dubious credentials, which have been extensively relied upon, cannot themselves constitute any material evidence material against the holder of the office of the CJI," the order said. Dealing with the allegations against the CJI of misusing his position as the master of roster, Naidu referred to a ruling of the Constitution bench of the Supreme Court in November 2017 that the CJI had a prerogative to constitute benches and allocate cases. "Clearly, this is an internal matter to be resolved by the Supreme Court itself. Going through the five allegations mentioned in the notice, I am of the view they are neither tenable nor admissible. The allegations emerging from the present case have a serious tendency of undermining the independence of the judiciary which is the basic tenet of the constitution of India. "Considering the totality of facts, I am of the firm opinion that it is neither legal nor desirable or proper to admit the notice of motion on any one of these grounds," Naidu said in the order. He said the Constitution was meant to nurture an independent judiciary. The founding fathers of the Constitution were eloquent about it. Various articles seek to protect its independence by providing appropriate safeguards against unwarranted interference either by Legislature or the Executive. Holding that the Constitution's provisions explicitly lay down that the judiciary was its guardian and its guarantee of individual liberties, the Chairman said the guidelines laid down in the Constitution and the Judges Inquiry Act envisage extremely stringent conditions for initiation of such proceedings. "I have applied my mind to each of the five charges made out in the motion. I have examined all the documents... I am of the clear opinion that all facts, as stated in the motion, read with the context of the annexed documents, do not make out a case under Art 124 (4) of the Constitution which can lead any reasonable mind to conclude that the CJI on these facts can be ever held guilty of misbehaviour," he said. He said this notice of motion made a number of statements against the highest judicial authority. "I have weighed the evidence produced in the notice to assess if there is adequate, cogent, coherent evidence to proceed further. On a careful analysis and reflection, I find that there is virtually no concrete verifiable imputation. Either the allegations are within judicial domain and concern the internal judicial processes or there are unsubstantiated surmises and conjectures which hardly merit or necessitate further investigation." Naidu said in the absence of "credible and verifiable" information placed before him, it would be an "inappropriate and irresponsible act" to accept statements which have little empirical basis. About the controversy over the movers of the motion going public with details of the notice, the Chairman said this violated well-established Parliamentary customs and conventions. This, he said, prohibits publicity of any notice submitted by a member till it has been admitted by the Chairman and circulated to the members. "I am also aware that there have been a spate of statements in the press that seem to vititate the atmosphere. I thought I should, therefore, expedite my decision and end needless speculation." --IANS bns-vsc/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The opposition Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday created a ruckus in the Odisha Assembly over what they called the "increasing number of rape cases" in the state. They also demanded a statement by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the issue. The government assured of strong action against the culprits and said that the Assembly will discuss the matter on April 26. When the house assembled for the day, several Congress and BJP MLAs rushed near the Speaker's podium and created a ruckus, forcing Speaker Pradip Amat to adjourn the house till 3 p.m. "Rape cases are increasing across the state. It seems the culprits are not afraid of the law. There is no law in the land. The Chief Minister should make a statement...," Leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra told the media later. BJP MLA Rabi Naik said while minors are being raped, the BJD government has failed to book the culprits and ensure justice to the victims. On the other hand, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) said the government is taking strong action. "We are all saddened by such incidents. Strong action will be taken against those involved in such heinous crime. A discussion on the issue will be held in the house on April 26," government Chief Whip Amar Prasad Satpathy said. --IANS cd/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Raghuram Rajan, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, has been named as one of the possible contenders for the top job at the Bank of England (BoE), according to a report by UK-based Financial Times. "Attracting Raghuram Rajan, the highly respected Chicago-based economist and former Reserve Bank of India Governor, would be a coup, as would securing Agustin Carstens, Mexico's central bank chief and the new general manager of the Bank of Settlements," stated the article on Sunday. It said that UK Chancellor and Exchequer Philip Hammond is starting the process to select the next Governor of the Bank of England to replace Mark Carney in 2019. Hammond, according to the article, said he had already begun looking for candidates in forums such as the Monetary Fund (IMF) spring meetings in Washington. "The formal process has not yet started but I, and many other people I am sure, may have cast their eye around various rooms to see if any likely looking candidates hove into view," Hammond said on the sidelines of the meetings. The article said that Hammond's comments showed his willingness to look abroad for Carney's successor and that he was seeking a figure who can make an impact on the global stage as the UK prepares for Brexit. Rajan, who is currently a Professor of with the University of Chicago at the Booth School of Business, was the RBI Governor between September 2013 and September 2016. He was the first non-westerner and the youngest Chief Economist and Director of Research at the IMF. He also served as the Vice-Chairman at the Bank for Settlements. Another person that could be a candidate for the post is Indian-origin Baroness Shriti Vadera. "If Hammond follows his predecessor's instincts and wants a lively hard-hitter at the BoE, Shriti Vadera, the chair of Santander UK and a former business minister under Gordon Brown fits the bill," the report said. According to the article, others in the running were: Chief executive of the UK's Financial Conduct Authority Andrew Bailey; Deputy Governor for Monetary Policy at the BoE, Ben Broadbent; BoE Chief Economist Andy Haldane; Director of the London School of Economics Minouche Shafik and Chief Executive of Britain's communications regulator Ofcom Sharon White. Accusing the ruling Congress in Karnataka of following the Kerala "model" in fuelling political violence, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday vowed to end the menace if the BJP came to power after the May 12 state assembly elections. "It appears the Congress government in Karnataka is following the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala in allegedly killing political workers of rival parties. We will put an end to it when we come to power," said Singh at a campaign for the party's candidates in the state's coastal region. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting from all the 224 assembly segments across the state in a bid to return to power after it lost to the Congress in the May 2013 elections following a split in it. The BJP has been holding the Congress responsible for the death of its 24 cadres and workers of right-wing RSS in the state's coastal region during its rule over the last five years. "Many of our political workers were allegedly killed under the Congress rule. We will end the culture of political violence when we return to power in the state," reiterated Singh at the party's rallies at Karkala, Belthangady and Udupi in Dakshina Kannada district. Alarmed over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, the Home Minister asked the public who was responsible for a police officer's death in the area and who humiliated former Mysuru Deputy Commissioner C. Shikha. "The law and order situation is so bad in Karnataka that even its Lokayukta (anti-graft ombudsman) was stabbed in his office in Bengaluru, allegedly by a trader over a month ago," lamented Singh. The BJP veteran leader was referring to the alleged suicide of Mangaluru Deputy Superintendent of Police M.K. Ganapathi at Madikeri in Kodagu district on July 7, 2016, hours after he accused in a television interview state's cabinet minister K.J. George of harassing him during his tenure as home minister earlier. Shikha, a IAS woman officer, was allegedly threatened by a ruling party's leader, reportedly close to state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Mysuru. State Lokayukta Justice P Vishwanath Shetty was stabbed by a disgruntled trader from Tumakuru on March 7 in his chamber when he went inside to complaint against some state officials for allegedly not awarding him a business contract. Shetty, 73, returned to work on Monday after recovering from multiple injuries he sustained in the stabbing incident. Singh also blamed the Siddaramaiah government for the alleged suicides by over 3,700 farmers during its tenure due to agrarian crisis following consecutive droughts and crop failures. "Though Siddaramaiah promised to pay Rs 100,000 each to the families of farmers who committed suicide, they did not receive the compensation, which shows lack of sensitivity of the Congress government," asserted Singh. Russian telecom watchdog Roskomnadzor said on Sunday that it has banned a number of Google IP addresses that allow instant messaging service Telegram to escape blockage in Russia over user data disputes. "Google failed to meet the requirements of Roskomnadzor and in violation of a court verdict continued to allow Telegram to use its IP addresses to carry out activities in Russia," Roskomnadzor said in a statement, Xinhua reported. On Monday, Roskomnadzor began blocking Telegram in accordance with a court decision due to the messenger's refusal to provide encryption keys necessary to decode user data. However, Telegram managed to bypass the blocking and continued its activities using IP addresses belonging to Google and other technology companies. After the Russian watchdog later began to block the IPs as well, users lost connection to Telegram on Sunday. The disputes over the ban go back to a long-term battle between Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and Telegram. The FSB has been demanding access to messages on Telegram on the suspicion that it was used to organize terrorist activities, including a deadly metro bomb attack in Russia's second-largest city of St. Petersburg last April. Telegram, which is popular among Russian people and organizations including the Kremlin, refused to comply with the demand, citing privacy laws. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian experts will carry out a military activity assessment in a district in the UK starting from Monday, a top official said here. "From April 23 to 26, within the framework of Vienna Document 2011 on Confidence and Security Building Measures, a Russian group of inspectors plans to inspect a district on the UK territory," Sputnik News quoted Sergei Ryzhkov, the head of Russia's Nuclear Risk Reduction Centre. According to Ryzhkov, the inspection will either reveal the scope of military activities in the area or confirm the absence of any activity. The designated territory has an area of 16,000 square kilometres. The experts will visit the training grounds and ranges, receive briefings on military activities, formations and units in the specified area, Ryzhkov said. The Vienna Document is aimed at confidence and security building in Europe and envisages the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) member states providing each other with information on their armed forces, defence planning, and military budget details, as well as exchanging military observers and carrying out inspections. --IANS and/ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saudi air defence has intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by Houthi militias towards the border city of Jazan, according to Al Arabiya television on Monday. The spokesperson of the Saudi-led coalition involved in a war in Yemen against Houthis, Col. Turki Al Maliki, accused the militias of targeting residential areas of civilians. Saudi Arabia reported on Sunday the interception of a missile that was targeting the same city, while another landed in a secluded desert area of the border city. Saudi Arabia's southern city Najran, close to the border with Yemen, has suffered the brunt ever since the Houthi militia forces took over swathes of the country in a 2014 coup. According to officials, the city has witnessed more than 10,000 rocket attacks mostly arbitrarily targeting civilians since the conflict in Yemen first began. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Central government's response on hotelier Kesav Suri challenging Indian Penal Code's Section 377 which criminalises any sort of homosexual activity and other forms of unnatural sex. Suri, the Managing Director of Lalit Suri Hospitality group, is also a LGBT rights activists. As the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud tagged Suri's plea with an earlier pending challenge to Section 377, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi urged the court to ask the government to respond to the plea. "I want to know the Central government's stand on the constitutionality of Section 377. For one year, no reply has come," he told the bench. The top court is already seized of the matter as it had on January 8 had said that it will re-examine its 2013 verdict upholding Section 377 that criminalises gay sex. The matter has been referred to a larger bench. While agreeing to re-examine 2013 judgment, the court had on January 8, 2018, said observed "a section of people or individuals who exercise their choice should never remain in a state of fear". Referring the matter to a larger bench, the court had on January 8 said: "Individual autonomy and also individual orientation cannot be atrophied unless the restriction is regarded as reasonable to yield to the morality of the Constitution." "The morality that public perceives, the Constitution may not conceive of," the court had said making it clear that the "consent between two adults has to be the primary pre-condition. Otherwise the children would become prey, and protection of the children in all spheres has to be guarded and protected". The top court's January 8 order had come on a petition by Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Bharatnatyam dancer Navtej Singh Johar, celebrity chef Ritu Dalmia and others holding that Section 377 was "violative of fundamental rights under Article Article 21 (right to life)". The top court by its 2013 order had set aside a Delhi High Court's July 2, 2009 verdict decriminalising gay sex. NGO Naz Foundation which is seeking the scraping of Section 377 of IPC had moved the curative petition seeking a relook at its December 12, 2013 judgment and subsequent January 28, 2014 order in a review petition upholding Section 377. --IANS pk/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Opposition members will move the Supreme Court against the rejection by Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu of the impeachment motion against the Chief Justice of India, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said on Monday. The former Union Law Minister told the media: "The order by the Chairman is unprecedented, illegal, wrong and unconstitutional." He said it was the first time an impeachment motion was rejected at the admission stage. "It is illegal because the Chairman has passed the order which is required to be passed after conducting an enquiry," he added. "We will move the Supreme Court to challenge the order," he said. --IANS aks/mr/ps/vsc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corporation is taking steps to comply with a US denial order, said the company. The company is making active communications with relevant parties and is seeking a solution to the issue, Xinhua news agency quoted ZTE on Sunday. The statement came after the US Department of Commerce activated a denial of export privileges against ZTE for alleged violations of the US Export Administration Regulations. ZTE attached significant importance to the work on export control compliance. Compliance is regarded as the foundation to the company's strategy and condition and bottom-line for the company's operations. ZTE has established the compliance management committee led directly by the chief executive officer and built a team with global coverage composed of senior export control compliance experts, the company said. Last week, the Chinese giant said it would not accept a ban by the US on the company, terming the decision "extremely unfair". The Shenzhen-based company said it is determined to take all means permitted by law to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, while it will continue efforts to solve the issue through dialogue. China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said on Thursday that the US action against ZTE will damage itself. "The action targets China, however, it will ultimately undermine the US itself," said MOC spokesperson Gao Feng. --IANS sku/and/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korea announced on Monday that it has stopped propaganda broadcasts along the border with the North ahead of a historic leaders summit on Friday, saying it was aimed at boosting the reconciliatory mood on the peninsula. "The Ministry of National Defence halted the loudspeaker broadcasts against North Korea in the vicinity of the military demarcation line (MDL)," it said in a statement. It was aimed at "reducing military tensions between the South and North and creating the mood of peaceful talks" on the occasion of the summit talks, Yonhap News Agency quoted the statement as saying. The summit between North Korea's Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to take place at the truce village of Panmunjom. According to the ministry, Monday's move was in reply to Pyongyang's peace gestures, including the weekend announcement of shutting down its nuclear test facilities, suspend nuclear tests and long-range missile launches. South Korea began anti-Pyongyang broadcasts using high-decibel loudspeakers along the border in 1963. The two sides halted the broadcasts in 2015 in a deal at high-level talks, but Seoul resumed it in January 2016 in response to the Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test. --IANS ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korea stopped broadcasting propaganda along its border with North Korea on Monday to help promote the mood of rapprochement on the peninsula ahead of the inter-Korean leaders' summit later this week. This measure was aimed at "reducing military tensions between the South and North and creating the mood of peaceful talks", Efe news quoted the South Korean Ministry of Defence as saying. Seoul used to broadcast propaganda against the Pyongyang regime through the loudspeakers along its border with the North, which were loud enough to be heard in the North Korean territory and could reach areas as far as 25 km from the border. These loudspeakers, which have been used by both countries as a regular tool of "psychological warfare", were still in use last week. Although both the countries agreed to stop using them in 2015, Seoul has, on several occasions, opted for loudspeakers as a tool to respond to North Korea's nuclear threats, including the time when a North Korean soldier was shot by his compatriots during his attempt to defect to the South. This decision came after Pyongyang announced on April 21 that it would stop conducting nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, marking a significant step before the planned summits between Kim Jong-un and the leaders of South Korea and the US. South Korean President Moon Jae-in will meet with the North Korean leader on April 27 in the village of Panmunjom, located on the southern side of the inter-Korean border. This will mark the first meeting between the leaders of both countries in 11 years. Representatives of Seoul and Pyongyang are planning to hold a third working-level meeting to finalise the summit's security details, protocols, and media coverage. About one month after the historic inter-Korean talk, a US-North Korea leader summit is due to take place, which will be the first ever encounter between Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, but its venue and exact dates have yet to be determined. --IANS and/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday again asked BJP President Amit Shah's son Jay Shah to settle his defamation suit with The Wire even as the news portal said a firm no to an apology but agreed to carry a clarification. "This is a matter which can be solved" instead of coming to the court, said a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud as the court took up for hearing the plea against a civil suit filed by Jay Shah against the news portal. Making it clear that the court will not suffocate the freedom of press, Chief Justice Misra said: "I believe in freedom of press. I don't restrain the media. The court cannot be seen as gagging the press." As senior counsel Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for Jay Shah, complained about an alleged slant given by the news portal to a story regarding Jay Shah's company's revenue, Chief Justice Misra questioned him: "Are you responding to my learned brother's (Justice Chandrachud) statement on settling the matter?" "You are in public life. There are pros and cons... they will put a little bit of slant and masala...," Justice Chandrachud said. Drawing court attention towards photographs and alleged innuendos that the "moment a particular person comes to power, becomes the Prime Minister, his fortunes soar", Kaul said that Amit Shah's son was not in public life. The news portal's counsel Nitya Ramakrishnan ruled out an apology but said the clarifications they want are already there. However, she left the courtroom for considering further clarifications. At this, Justice Chandrachud observed: "They are willing to carry any clarification you want. That is as fair as it can be." The Foundation for Independent Journalism, which owns the news portal, has moved the top court against Jay Shah who has filed a civil suit to seek damages of Rs 100 crore. Earlier, the Gujarat High Court declined to quash the case. On April 18, while hearing the news portal's plea against criminal defamation, the apex court had asked both parties to settle the matter amicably. On Monday, the court said that both the cases involving criminal defamation and civil defamation would be taken up on July 9. During a hearing on March 15, the top court put on hold the proceedings before a magisterial court. The stay was extended on April 12 with a further extension on April 18 till July 9. The defamation case is rooted in an article by journalist Rohini Singh on Jay Shah's company, which claimed that the firm's turnover grew exponentially after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government came to power at the Centre in 2014. --IANS pk/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived here on Monday to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial meeting, according to the Indian External Affairs ministry. Sitharaman is here at the same time as Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is also here to attend the SCO meeting. The Indian Defence Minister will also meet her Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the meeting, the ministry said in a tweet. The SCO is a Eurasian intergovernmental organisation, the creation of which was announced in 2001 in Shanghai by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism. India, along with Pakistan, were granted full member status at the SCO summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, in June last year. India-China ties were severely hit by the 73-day military stand-off in Doklam last year. Both sides are now trying to restore normalcy to their ties by stepping up bilateral exchanges. China's opposition to India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and its move to block bids at the UN to list Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed militant group, as a global terrorist, has irked New Delhi. In addition, New Delhi has reservations about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which cuts through Pakistan-held Kashmir that is claimed by India. The visit of Sitharaman and Suhma Swaraj comes ahead of an informal meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China on April 27-28. --IANS ab/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The State Bank of Pakistan on Monday voiced its concerns over the surmounting value of US dollar against Pakistani rupee in the open market. The bank officials held a meeting with the owners of foreign exchange companies in Karachi on Monday and ruled out any possibilities of another depreciation in the value of Pakistani rupee. During the meeting, the bank officials told the foreign exchange companies' owners that the parity between the open market and the interbank market should not widen, adding that central bank will intervene and supply dollars to the market when needed. The greenback surged beyond 118.00 rupees against Pakistani rupee in the open market on Monday, which forced the central bank to keep focusing on the developments. President of Forex Association Malik Bosan said that the greenback's value was on the rise largely due to a higher demand in the open market. The increased demand has also hiked the value of euro against Pakistani rupee by 30 paisas to 143.30 rupees in the open market, he added. Pakistan has witnessed two steep declines in the value of its national currency since December 2017 and the Pakistani rupee fell to its all-time low against U.S. dollar in March. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Abu Dhabi, April 23 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has donated AED 258 million ($70 million) to support the Palestinian people on the directives of President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two-part aid -- the first valued at AED 74 million ($20 million) -- will be allocated to the Islamic Waqf Support Programme in Jerusalem to preserve the Arab-Islamic identity of the city. The second, valued at AE 184 million ($50 million) will be dedicated to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to support the educational sector in Gaza. The assistance followed the Jerusalem summit in Dhahran, which represented the unified Arab stance in support of the Palestinian people. Over the last five years (2012-2017) the UAE has given AED 6.17 billion ($1.68 billion) in assistance towards the cause. --IANS/WAM soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Silicon Valley-based online platform Udacity has announced a new "Cybersecurity Nanodegree Programme" to train professionals who can develop innovative and sophisticated solutions to safeguard against data breaches. While businesses and individuals around the world have moved to cloud platforms to host their data, the talent pool of cybersecurity professionals has not kept pace with the increasing demand. The new programme aims to prepare highly-motivated learners for critical roles in advanced technical applications of Cybersecurity including Artificial Intelligence (AI). "With quintillions, bytes of data generated every day, securing data and privacy of individuals and businesses is of utmost priority for every company. While the demand is increasing exponentially, there lies a huge skill-talent gap in Cybersecurity field," Ishan Gupta, Managing Director - India, Udacity, said in a statement. "Our new Cybersecurity Nanodegree Programme would be a job-ready programme on cloud security emphasising modern patterns and defence automation. Students will learn how to build powerful security solutions by leveraging the power of modern cloud services," Gupta added. Launched by Udacity founder Sebastian Thrun at the RSAC 2018 in San Francisco, the students will also be provided $50,000 in scholarships along with RSA Security. Earlier this year Udacity had announced the "Flying Car Nanodegree Programme" to upskill students with autonomous flight technologies. --IANS rt/and/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Unruffled by the move seeking his removal by 64 MPs, Chief Justice Dipak Misra on Monday presided over Supreme Court number 1 - although there were some anxious moments initially. Chief Justice Misra dealt with the cases in his usual ease. While hearing a plea by the activist Swami Agnivesh seeking axing of scenes from film "Padmavat" which he said eulogised Sati, he referred to writer Sarat Chandra Chatterjee who authored "Devdas" in 1934. He told the petitioner's lawyer that no lover had become alcoholic after seeing the film in which the main character was played by veteran actor Dilip Kumar. Asking the lawyer if he thought that anybody would commit Sati after seeing the film, Chief Justice Misra said that women empowerment had increased in all these years. Well before Monday's proceedings commenced, news had already reached the Supreme Court that Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu had rejected the move by 64 Rajya Sabha members seeking the impeachment of the Chief Justice. Monday's proceedings started 13 to 14 minutes late instead of the normal 10.30 a.m. The electronic display board showed that none of the court had assembled, giving rise to speculation in the Chief Justice's court which was packed to capacity. There was a collective sigh when the board showed that court number 3 presided over by Justice Ranjan Gogoi had commenced the day's proceedings. A little later, attendants of the Chief Justice and Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud appeared. It was a clear sign that all was normal. --IANS pk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Newly elected Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje on Monday visited the make-shift temple of 'Ram Lalla' here in Uttar Pradesh and said that the dream of billions for a grand Ram temple here will soon be a reality. The former judge, who also served as governor of Himachal Pradesh, also offered prayers at the fabled Hanumangarhi temple. Later in the day, he was scheduled to hold wide-ranging meetings with the temple priests and office bearers of the Ramjanma Bhoomi Nyas, a VHP official said. Kokje would also visit the 'Karyasewakpuram' -- the place where stone carvings were underway for the last many years, in anticipation of construction of the Ram temple. On Sunday, before leaving for Faizabad, the VHP chief told reporters in Lucknow that many Muslims were also in favour of construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site. He also said that before starting work in his new capacity as the head of the Hindu outfit, he wanted to pay obeisance to 'Ram Lalla' and that is why he was visiting Ayodhya. The 79-year-old leader also said that he would soon be holding deliberations with saints from all across the country and would like to take the Ram temple movement forward. He also expressed hope that the verdict for Ram temple would soon be pronounced in favour of the Hindu claimants. Calling for mutual dialogue and understanding to thrash out the problem he, however, rued that the litigants were "outsiders" who had no stakes in the decades-old matter. --IANS md/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A five-member team of Maharashtra legislators who were on a three-day official tour of Gadchiroli district may have been on the radar of Maoists, 16 of whom were gunned on Sunday, authoritative sources said on Monday. As a precaution, the legislators' team, which was scheduled to visit some of the high-risk and remotest areas of Bhamragad, were permitted to travel under a thick security blanket provided by police commandos with escort vehicles leading and trailing their cars. At one point, expressing a potential 'grave risk' based on intelligence inputs, the police even advised the legislators to avoid travelling by road from Aheri to Bhamragad, a distance of around 75 km, running through thick forests and comprising Maoist hideouts and zones. Accordingly, a chopper was arranged for them to fly from Aheri to Bhamragad and then hop into vehicles for a short five-kilometer ride from the helipad to the Hemalkasa Ashram, founded by the legendary social reformer Baba Amte. The five-member team included Pandurang Barora, Vaibhav Pichad, Anand Thakur (from the NCP) and Shantaram More and Amit Ghoda (from Shiv Sena). "The team, as a Tribal Department's Committee, had gone to conduct a survey to ascertain the implementation of various government schemes for tribals and backward communities in the region. At one point, the district and police authorities advised us that it may not be very safe to travel by road, so they arranged a helicopter for us," Barora told IANS. The local authorities said that this was the first time that such a legislators' committee had visited the Maoist-infested region to study the implementation of government programmes and how huge government funds running into thousands of crores rupees annually were being actually utilized. In fact, Barora said that when they returned from their trip and learnt of the massive security forces operations which left 16 Maoists dead on Sunday morning, the legislators expressed their appreciation to the police and Anti Naxalite Squad commandos for their safe trip. After returning from their trip to Hemalkasa Ashram and other parts in the core Maoist-affected areas, the legislators' committee returned to Nagpur by road and then flew to Mumbai late on Sunday. In the biggest successes notched while tackling the four-decades old Maoist-challenge, the Anti-Naxalite Squad and its commando units killed at least 16 Maoists including some women in the jungle ambush in the Boria region of Bhamragad-Etapalli talukas borders. Police believe tentatively that an entire 'Dalam' (unit) of Maoists, which are usually two-dozen strong, may have been wiped out or decapitated on Sunday. --IANS qn/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A woman said on Monday that she was facing a $500 fine from the US customs agency after a free apple that she was given as a snack on a plane was found in her bag. Crystal Tadlock, travelling to the US from Paris, said she was saving the fruit for her onward flight to Denver, Colorado, reports the BBC. But the apple was revealed in a random search by US border agents after her first flight landed in Minneapolis. US Customs and Border Patrol would not comment on the case, but said all agricultural items should be declared. The apple was handed out in a plastic Delta Air Lines bag. When the apple was found, Tadlock told the agent that she had just received it from the airline and asked whether she should throw it out or eat it, the BBC reported. Instead the agent handed her a $500 fine. Tadlock now has the choice of paying the fine or fighting the penalty in court. She told the Denver-based broadcaster KDVR she wanted to take the case to court. Delta Air Lines has issued a statement saying that "we encourage our customers to follow US Customs and Border Protection protocols". --IANS ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Monday said the "protectionist" trade policy of the US and the "unprecedented" changes in the world order in the past 100 years will be discussed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at their two-day summit this week. A day after the big announcement of Modi-Xi's informal meet in China's central city Wuhan on April 27-28, Beijing said the outcome of the meeting will be "positive". "During this meeting, the two leaders will discuss the changes that have taken place and which are unprecedented in the past 100 years and exchange views on the strategic, over-arching and long-term issues concerning our bilateral relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said here. He was responding to a question if the leaders will discuss trade penalties by the US and other issues like the Korean peninsula crisis. "The world is now faced with rampant unilateralism as well as the rising protectionism in the process of globalization. All these trends have been closely followed and debated. "So against such backdrop, China and India have a lot to discuss. We are newly emerging markets as well as developing countries with big populations so we believe the two countries will continue to uphold the globalization so that it is more inclusive," said Lu. China is locked in an ongoing trade spat with the US, which has also threatened India with taxes if New Delhi did not lower import duties. Modi and Xi will hold an informal summit meeting, which may well be a historic one and a defining moment in the history of Sino-Indian ties. "So we have lot of shared interests, concerns and positions." Lu said. "They will discuss the latest trends of the world so there is a stable global development. I believe you will hear positive voices. "The two countries are important forces in promoting the multipolar world and economic liberalization as well as ensuring regional and world's peace, stability and development," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said. "The two sides believe that the strategic and global significance of our relations have become more prominent and our common interests far outweigh our differences." (Gaurav Sharma can be contacted at sharmagaurav71@gmail.com) --IANS gsh/soni/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Smuggling of the highly-addictive drug yaba -- and its soaring acceptance among the youth and even celebrities -- is a challenge Bangladesh faces increasingly as Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Myanmar are suspected to be peddling it as a means of survival, say border guard officials. On a recent trip to the border areas of Bangladesh, an Indian media group was told that a wave of yaba use has swept over the country as young people from the middle and upper income classes are experimenting with this "crazy medicine" and fuelling an alarming surge in addiction rates. Officials of the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) said they have seized 5,297,234 pieces of yaba pills this year up to March and arrested 151 smugglers, including 15 Myanmar nationals, as a massive influx of Rohingya refugees brought increased smuggling from that country. The number of seized pills was around 14,997,570 in 2017 when 649 people, including 15 Myanmar nationals, were held. Raids on fishing boats on the Naff river-- which divides Bangladesh and Myanmar, countries that share a 271-km boundary -- have reaped a massive haul of yaba pills, which is a rage among Bangladeshi youth. "In one raid on March 15, we seized 1.8 million yaba pills abandoned in four sacks in the Naff river," Brigadier General S.M. Rakibullah told IANS. Rakibullah, Additional Director General and Regional Commander of BGB's Adhoc Region Headquarters in Cox's Bazar, said: "It is the biggest ever yaba seizure by the BGB. The guards arrested 11 smugglers in March, including seven Rohingyas." Shahidur Rahman, Director, BGB Battalion, Feni region, said yaba pills have become an easy source of income for the Rohingyas who have poured across the border since the Myanmar military launched a crackdown in their native Rakhine state on August 24-25 night last year. Rohingya refugees act as carriers of yaba, which is known as "crazy medicine", and hand over the pills to dealers on the Bangladesh side of the border who then take them to the country's main cities, Rahman said. Three young Rohingya refugees -- identified as Mohammed Saddam, Masud Talukder and Jamil Hossein -- were arrested last week in separate drives and over 100,000 yaba pills (worth in crores) were recovered from their possession in the Cox Bazar area, the official said. He said "it is a way to make easy money as one tablet is sold illegally for 300 Taka". A BGB official, on condition of anonymity, said the force has been facing tough times to stop the yaba smuggling because of the difficulty in patrolling the 54 km of the Naff river. "Smuggling of yaba came to light some time towards the end of 2015, but the menace has grown since the influx of Rohingyas who are lured by Myanmar crime syndicate as carriers. The internal carriers have increased. Some of them are desperate just for survival," the official said. The Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh has called for "zero tolerance" on smuggling of yaba, which has one too many nicknames and was outlawed in Thailand in the early 1970s. Another BGB official said Thailand is one of the largest sources of yaba while Myanmar is one of the biggest producers of it. "Yaba pills are produced in labs on the Myanmar side." He said Yaba is mostly popular among those who suffer from sexual or mental problems. "Some unscrupulous doctors and chemists prescribe and sell pills laced with yaba for immediate relief." The drug is believed to have led to organised crime rackets, official corruption, street violence and broken families, said the official. Many syndicates are bringing yaba pills from Teknaf to Dhaka through new routes after the contraband tablets are smuggled from Myanmar. From Teknaf, the pills first reach Patuakhali's Kuakata in fishing boats and then make their way through different modes of transport. Acting regional commander of south east region of BGB, Colonel Gazi Md Ahsanuzzaman, said that yaba smuggling had gone up since last year. "Tablets worth Taka 1.25 crore are smuggled per day into Bangladesh. Earlier the number was in a few lakhs. The tablets are smuggled through the Naff river via no-man's land near Gumdhum village in the Cox region of Bangladesh." Yaba is spreading from urban to rural areas with drug abuse particularly increasing among street children, he said. According to drug control authorities, from 2007 to 2010, illicit trafficking and abuse of yaba has increased almost 40 times in Bangladesh. (Rajnish Singh visited Bangladesh between April 15 and 18 as part of BSF-sponsored Indian media group. He can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in ) --IANS rak-vsc/tb/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Will Yashwant Sinhas revolt against Narendra Modi-Amit Shah-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prove to be as portentous as that of Jagjivan Ram, Nandini Satpathy and Hemavati Nanda Bahuguna from Indira Gandhi-led Congress party immediately after the Emergency was lifted and elections announced in January 1977? How effective will Sinha, and his newly floated Rashtra Manch, or National Forum, prove in galvanizing those within the BJP to rebel against Modi and Shah? Would it replicate the success of the Jan Morcha that VP Singh, and his associates, had floated in 1987 when they ... 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. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor At least 20 people were killed and 40 others wounded in an air raid on a wedding party in Yemen, rescue teams said today. Huthi rebels who control most of northern Yemen blamed the Sunday attack on a Saudi-led Arab coalition that backs the country's government. Rescue teams told AFP the wedding was being held in the Huthi-controlled Bani Qais area of Hajjah province, north of Sanaa, when jets carried out the raid. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Twenty-two suspected Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in Rajasthan's Alwar district for allegedly residing illegally in the area, the police said today. Acting on a tip-off, 33 suspected Bangladeshi nationals, including 11 children, who were allegedly residing illegally in Neemrana town, were taken into custody yesterday, a police officer said. The 22 adults were arrested and produced in a local court today, said Hitesh Sharma, the station house officer (SHO) of Neemrana police station. Sharma claimed there were intelligence inputs about the suspected Bangladeshi nationals being employed at a brick kiln near Mandhan village road. A few of them had managed to secure Aadhaar and other identity cards. The matter has been taken into investigation, the SHO added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eight people were today injured, two of them seriously, after a steel girder of an under-construction foot overbridge (FOB) at the Mohan Nagar metro station site fell, prompting the DMRC to remove a project in-charge of the main contractor and terminate a sub-contractor's services. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has also suspended its assistant engineer and junior engineer who were in-charge of the site. The DMRC in a statement said five people were injured in the accident. The police said that three other people were injured but they did not lodge a complaint and continued on their journey after receiving first-aid. The incident took place around 10 am when the steel girder, which was erected for the construction of FOB, fell on passing vehicles at the under-construction Mohan Nagar Metro station in Ghaziabad. The police said that the condition of Seema (27) and Atul Gaur (30) was "serious" and they were admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Mohan Nagar hospital. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DCP) Rakesh Mishra said the steel girder fell on a passing autorickshaw in which three passengers, Seema, Gaur and Raje, were travelling. The auto driver, Inderjeet, also sustained injuries. A bike rider, identified as Gulzar (40), also came in contact with the falling girder. The DMRC announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh for the seriously injured and Rs one lakh for those with minor injuries Mishra said an FIR was lodged against Rohit, the project manager of the sub-contractor, under Section 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 427 (whoever commits mischief and thereby causes loss or damage to the amount of Rs 50 or upwards) of the Indian Penal Code. Mishra said that three other people, Aneesh, Fatima and Mursida, who were travelling in a car, sustained minor injures, but they did not complain to police and continued with their journey after getting first-aid. The DCP said that the three along with Wahid, who was driving the car, were travelling from Meerut to see their relative who is admitted in a hospital in Delhi. After the incident, the chief project manager and general manager of safety operations rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. In a statement, the DMRC said that the project in-charge of the main contractor of Mohan Nagar station had been removed. "Services of the sub contractor engaged by M/s GYT TPL, the main contractor in this particular operation, Ruby Enterprises have been decided to be terminated. "Show cause notice will be served to the sub contractor for barring them from taking part in any future works of the DMRC," the statement stated. The medical expenses of all those injured were being taken care of, it also stated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taliban attacks in western Afghanistan killed 14 soldiers and policemen today as Kabul residents prepared to bury their loved ones slain in a horrific bombing by the Islamic State group that targeted a voter registration center the day before, killing 57. Prayer services were held for the Kabul victims as families of those killed in yesterday's bombing carried the bodies of their kin and dug the graves at a cemetery in the hills above the Afghan capital. The first of today's near-simultaneous attacks in western Badghis province hit army units in the district of Ab Kamari, killing nine soldiers, said Ghulam Sarwar Haidari, the deputy provincial police chief. Moments later, another large group of insurgents struck police in Qadis district, killing five policemen. Sharafuddin Majidi, spokesman for the provincial governor, confirmed the casualty tolls. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed the Badghis attacks in a statement to the media. The attacks came on the heels of yesterday's suicide blast in Kabul. The staggering casualty toll - 57 dead and 119 wounded - underscored the struggles the government faces to rein in militant assaults even in large and well-protected urban centres. The explosion shook the city around 10 am, shattering windows miles from the site of the attack, leaving the pavement covered with bodies and blood stains and destroying nearby vehicles. The bomber targeted civilians who were registering for national identification cards, Kabul police said. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement carried by its Aamaq agency, saying it had targeted Shiite "apostates." Afghan security forces have struggled to prevent a recent surge in attacks both by the local Islamic State affiliate as well as the more firmly established Taliban. The attacks increased after the US and NATO concluded their combat mission in Afghanistan at the end of 2014. Both groups regularly carry out attacks, with the Taliban usually targeting the government and security forces and IS targeting the country's Shiite minority. In violence elsewhere in Afghanistan, four policemen were killed and three were wounded on Monday in a Taliban attack in western Farah province, in Bala Buluk district, according to Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the provincial governor. Three Taliban fighters were killed and two others were wounded in the gunbattle there that lasted two hours, Mehri said. In eastern Nangarhar province's Chaparhar district, militants killed three university students yesterday, said Attaullah Khogyani, the governor's spokesman. The three were brothers, he added. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the killing, but Khogyani blamed the Islamic State group, which has been active in Chaparhar and repeatedly claimed attacks in the district. The latest violence comes as US and the Afghan troops have been conducting counter-terrorism operations and airstrikes across Afghanistan, including in Nangarhar, to root out IS and prevent the group from expanding its footprint in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Afghan transgender was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said today. A group of armed men last night raided transgender Janullah alias Sheeno's house in Swabi district of the province, beat her up and then shot her dead, Dawn quoted Qamar Nasim, an activist associated with charity Trans Action Pakistan, as saying. Local police station house officer Shafiur Rehman confirmed the killing and said an FIR has been registered and probe was underway, according to the report. The motive of the killing was not known yet, the SHO said. The activist accused the provincial government of failing to protect transgenders and claimed that 56 community members have been killed since 2015. The report said that cases of violence against the transgender community are a common occurrence in Pakistan. According to Trans Action Alliance KP, seven transgenders were killed in the province in 2017, while 208 cases of different kinds of violence, including sexual harassment, rape, gang rape, torture, extortion, denial of access to services, and misbehaviour at police stations and public spaces were recorded, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Alliance Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of Air India, successfully carried out a test flight to Pasighat Airport in Arunachal Pradesh's East Siang district today, officials said. The airline operated an ATR-42 aircraft to the airport from Guwahati in Assam and the duration of the flight was two hours twenty minutes, they said. The aircraft landed successfully at the Pasighat Airport from Guwahati with officers of the airlines on board and paved the way for operation of commercial flights, a state government official said. The officers along with crew members led by Vikash Sharma the Chief of Flight Safety Alliance Air, flight Inspector of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) N S Lohan and Alliance Air Coordinator T K Saha were accorded warm welcome by officials of the state. "It was a lovely flight to Pasighat. We are really proud that we are making history. People of the state are really going to enjoy Alliance Air," Flight Inspector Captain N S Lohan said. "This is a really historic moment for the people of the state," the Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Management of the state, Kaling Moyong, said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pema Khandu today said a new chapter in the history of Arunachal Pradesh has begun with the successful landing of the Alliance Air aircraft at the civil terminal of Pasighat at 12.30pm. "Soon we would have the first civilian aircraft flying out of Pasighat and I am optimistic the same would follow in various ALGs of the state encompassing our state in the country"s flight map. This may look a simple step to many but is one giant leap for us," Khandu said in a statement here. The chief minister also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the Prime Minister is taking special care of Arunachal Pradesh and the North East. Congratulating the people, especially those from the eastern and central districts of the state, Khandu said that one great challenge has been overcome. Commercial flights will start operating from Pasighat very soon after formalities are completed and DGCA clearance, officials said. Under the regional connectivity scheme called UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), the Union Civil Aviation Ministry awarded the Alliance Air the route from Kolkata to Pasighat via Guwahati, while Zoom Air and True Jet have been allotted the route to Tezu in Lohit district, officials said. Zoom Air and True Jet would fly to Tezu via Pasighat and expected to start their services in August this year, said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 3,000 anganwadi workers, who have been on a strike for nearly three months in support of their demands which include release of their salaries and a hike in honorarium, today marched through the Jammu city. Under the banner of Anganwadi Workers And Helpers Association, they shouted slogans against the Jammu and Kashmir government and ruling alliance partners BJP and PDP. Led by their president Suman Suri, the workers began the march at Jammu Press Club and concluded at Dogra chowk. Later, they sat on a 'dharna' at the chowk, one of the busiest road inter-sections in the city, throwing the traffic out of gear. Police officials were persuading the workers to end their protest. "We held a rally today and sat on a dharna in support of ourdemands. We want Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who will hold a cabinet meeting tomorrow, to approve our demands," Suri told reporters. She warned their protest would intensify if the demands were not met. Due to the 83-day-old strike of the workers, close to 30,000 angawadi centres are shut in the region. Besides demanding a hike in honorarium and release of their salaries, the association is seeking seniority list, implementation of the pension scheme and gratuity of Rs 2 lakh for workers and Rs 1 lakh for helpers on their retirement. "We are getting a meagre Rs 3,600 and Rs 1,800 for workers and helpers respectively, while our counterparts in other states, including Delhi, are getting Rs 10,000 and Rs 6,000 for the same work," Suri said. "We are disappointed with this government as we were hopeful Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who herself is a woman, can understand the problems faced by the workers and come out with a solution," she said. There are about 28,000 anganwadi workers and helpers in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Manish Dayal, a prominent South Asian actor in Hollywood, believes a new documentary criticising stereotypical prejudices in popular character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon from "The Simpsons" was a necessary intervention. The 34-year-old actor says "The Problem with Apu" by Hari Kondabolu highlights the portrayal of negative South Asian stereotypes in the hit American sitcom, a conversation that many Indian-Americans like him always wanted to initiate. Dayal, known to fans for his role of an aspiring chef in "The Hundred Foot Journey" opposite Helen Mirren and Om Puri, says he himself has always tried to break such stereotypes through his work. "Hari did an amazing job at exposing something that we had all experienced as young people. 'The Simpsons' was the only depiction of what it meant to be an Indian. And to be limited by a stereotypical flat animated version of being an Indian is an injustice to us all. "We have so many different qualities and skills. To be limited to one animated version of ourselves is not fair. How can we recover from such a reputation? Hari did a fantastic job with his documentary and approached a subject so many of us wanted to talk about," Dayal, who was born in a Gujarati family in Orangeburg, South Carolina, told PTI in a telephonic interview from Los Angeles. The actor is currently starring in medical drama "The Resident", which premiers on May 11 on Star World in India. The show will air on weekdays at 9 p.m. Dayal plays a first-year resident, Devon Pravesh, who has a rosy picture about what a doctor should be when he arrives at the Chastain Park Memorial Hospital. But gradually, he realises that it takes more than big brains to be a good doctor. "Devon is the picture of the American dream. He's a third generation immigrant from a blue-collar family. He graduated at the top of his class in Harvard and looks forward to healing people. For me, that is what means to be an American today," he says. The actor says he was conscious about representing an NRI character, who was real, and pushed the envelope further as South Asians have for long remained in the "margin" of Hollywood. "It's about first creating the parts for ourselves. But beyond that, it's about understanding how the parts influence the stories that we're telling. Putting an Indian person on screen is the first step but having them remain in the margin of the story is not going to push our world forward. "To really be a part of the movement, we have to see our people and characters influence the stories we are telling. That they are really the part of the behaviour of our story. How they add to the solution or how they fail to be a part of it," he says. Dayal says "not many" Indian-origin actors had played doctors. They have mostly been portrayed in the roles of "cab drivers and nerds". "But if you see, in the US alone, South Asian doctors are in huge numbers. To have that on screen (was important), medical world is crowded with Indians and children of immigrants," he adds. The actor was barely 17 when he fell in love with acting while helping his friend with the lights on a short film project. "He asked me to be in front of the camera for a minute and read the lines. And that environment... It just hit me in a way. I enjoyed what I was doing. I understood it," he says recalling his first experience as an actor. Dayal, who has worked in international projects such as "The Hundred Foot Journey" and "The Viceroy's House" including Marvel TV series "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", says he does not discriminate between Hollywood and Hindi cinema. It is the story that matters the most to him. "It's not about Bollywood or Hollywood. It's more about what's the story we are telling and who's telling it. What's the role about." Reminiscing the time spent with late actor Om Puri, his co-star in "The Hundred Foot Journey" and "The Viceroy's House", the actor says the veteran star told him to ask the question - "'What is the poetry in the story?'" "That's what I try to look for. Omji taught me that," Dayal says. Loosely based on the lives of the show creators Amy Holden Jones, Hayley Schore and Roshan Sethi, "The Resident" also features Emily VanCamp and Matt Czuchry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A bus crash in North Korea has killed 32 Chinese tourists and four North Koreans, the foreign ministry in Beijing said today. Two other Chinese nationals were injured in Sunday's accident south of the capital Pyongyang, ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing. "We are investigating the cause" of the accident, Lu said. The ministry provided few details but China's state broadcaster CGTN earlier tweeted that more than 30 people died when a tour bus fell from a bridge in North Korea. The tweet was later deleted. State broadcaster CCTV broadcast images of a large overturned vehicle with light rain falling on rescue vehicles and doctors attending to a patient. China was informed about the accident on Sunday night, and its embassy personnel in Pyongyang rushed to the scene and are working to manage the situation, the foreign ministry said in a statement earlier. The vast majority of foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese, with the Cold War-era allies sharing a long land border and operating flights between the two countries. Western visitors to the North once averaged around 5,000 a year, but numbers have been hit recently by a US travel ban -- Americans accounted for around 20 percent of the market -- and official warnings from other countries. Tens of thousands of Chinese tourists are believed to visit the North every year, with many crossing via train through the Chinese border city of Dandong. For some, North Korea provides a window into what Communist China may have looked like decades ago. Chinese tourism to the North has continued even though Beijing has enforced a slew of United Nations sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme. The accident occurred in North Hwanghae province, the foreign ministry said. The province lies south of the capital and stretches to the border with the South, including the city of Kaesong, an ancient Korean capital with historical sites. More recently, the area hosted a manufacturing complex operated with South Korea. The tour group was travelling by bus from Kaesong to Pyongyang when the accident happened, according to the independent Seoul-based website NK News, which cited an unnamed source. North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac. Bridges are sometimes out of action, requiring rivers to be forded or vehicles to take detours. But the route from Pyongyang to Kaesong, where the accident reportedly happened, is one of the best in the country. It runs north-south from Sinuiju on the Chinese border to the Demilitarized Zone on the border with the South, but nonetheless has little traffic, like all North Korean highways. Tank traps have been installed along it in many locations towards the frontier -- sets of high concrete columns on either side of the road that can easily be blown up to create an obstruction for invading armour. China's foreign ministry said it activated an emergency mechanism Sunday night and is "sparing no efforts" to handle the situation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amreli Superintendent of Police (SP) Jagdish Patel has been detained by the Gujarat CID-Crime for questioning for his alleged role in extorting bitcoins and cash from a builder, an official said today. Jagdish Patel was taken into custody from his residence in Amreli district last night and brought to Gandhinagar by CID-Crime, which is probing the case, he said. "Amreli SP Jagdish Patel has been detained by us for questioning. He has not been arrested yet," Gujarat CID-Crime DGP Ashish Bhatia said. A few days back, a police inspector from Amreli district, Anant Patel, was arrested in the case. He is accused of extorting bitcoins worth crores of rupees and cash from Surat-based builder Shailesh Bhatt. Besides Anant Patel, nine other policemen and a middleman from Amreli had been made accused in the case. Before Anant Patel, two constables and the middleman were also arrested by the probe agency. Notably, Jagdish Patel's name does not figure in the FIR. On April 8, the CID-Crime registered a case against Anant Patel and others for allegedly kidnapping Bhatt and extorting bitcoins, a popular crypto-currency, and some cash from him. They were booked under IPC sections related to kidnapping, extortion, illegal detention as well as under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Bhatt, in his compliant, had alleged he was kidnapped from near a hotel in Gandhinagar by the accused policemen on February 9. The realtor had claimed he was taken to a farmhouse near the state capital where Anant Patel beat him and forced him to digitally transfer 200 bitcoins worth crores of rupees. Police had earlier said they were verifying Bhatt's claim of digitally transferring 200 bitcoins to Anant Patel. The exchange rate of one bitcoin is over Rs 5 lakh at present, as per the websites which track the prices of crypto- currencies. Bitcoin is a type of digital money that is issued and normally controlled by its developers and used and accepted among the members of the virtual community. The Centre has said it does not recognise bitcoin or any other crypto-currency as legal tender in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Having fallen on hard times following the humongous iron ore mining scam, the resourceful Reddy brothers of Ballari are back in the reckoning, with the BJP fielding two of them for the political potboiler of an Assembly poll slated next month. The mining scam that rocked Karnataka not many years ago is no longer a reason for the BJP to jettison the influential Reddy brothers whom it has embraced once again. The party has fielded G Somashekhara Reddy in Ballari city, and his elder brother and former Ballari Lok Sabha member G Karunakara Reddy in Harappanahalli in Davanagere district. Though the most resourceful of them--G Janardhana Reddy-- has been barred from entering Ballari, in accordance with his bail conditions in the illegal mining case, he is camping near Molakalmuru in Chitradurga district overseeing the campaign of his siblings as also the BJP, which is making a determined effort to form its government in the key southern state for a second time. The BJP has publicly distanced itself from Janardhana Reddy, with party chief Amit Shah recently saying it has nothing to do with him, but ground realities suggest otherwise. The Congress party and a section of the BJP see Shah's statement as mere public posturing. Janardhana Reddy, they say, has been given the task of galvanising the Reddy community votes for the saffron party in the region. The Reddy brothers, whose stock soared during the iron ore export boom, had played a key role in installing the BJP's first government in the south in 2008. At the height of their influence, the Reddy troika -- two of whom were ministers and the third Somashekara Reddy the chairman of the Karnataka Milk Federation --were often accused of running the BJP government, before their clout waned. So complete was the sway of their mining cartel's stranglehold on the region's that it had prompted the then Lokayukta Santosh Hegde to refer to the then Bellary (now Ballari) district as "the Republic of Bellary". But the proverbial long arm of law caught up with Janardhana Reddy and he was jailed in the illegal mining case. He came out on bail after being behind bars for about three-and-a-half years. The upcoming elections in Karnataka are a test of sorts for the Reddy brothers. The Reddy brothers were in political wilderness during the 2013 polls, with the BJP steering clear of them. The BJP's chief ministerial nominee B S Yeddyurappa and Reddy brothers' close aide and Ballari strongman B Sriramulu had floated their own parties, hurting the saffron party's prospects in the 2013 polls. Much water has flowed under the bridge ever since. They returned to the BJP and Sriramulu became the Lok Sabha member from Ballari in 2014. Accompanied by Janardhana Reddy and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Sriramulu, the BJP's poster boy in this region, filed his papers from Molakalmuru Assembly segment on Saturday. Janardhana Reddy had also shared the dais with Yeddyurappa that day, leaving no one in doubt that the mining baron is no longer a political pariah for the BJP. T H Suresh Babu, a nephew of Sriramulu, is eyeing a hat-trick from Kampli in Ballari district. Sriramulu's uncle, Sanna Fakirappa has been fielded from Ballari Rural seat. The BJP is betting on the Reddy brothers and Sriramulu do deliver for the party in the region. Senior Congress leader in Ballari and MLC K C Kondaiah said, "In 2013, their (Reddy brothers') influence was not there, and they were not in the picture. But the brothers and followers are fighting the elections this time." "Yeddyurappa and Sriramulu had their own parties in 2013 and BJP had a very meagre support then. Now all are consolidated. They are now fighting as a single BJP. We have to see," he said. The BJP suffered a setback in the run up to the elections as two-time Vijayanagara MLA Anand Singh quit the party and joined the Congress, which fielded him for the seat. He seems to be on a strong wicket there. Sitting Congress MLA from Ballari Rural N Y Gopalakrishna joined the BJP last week and the party has now fielded him from Kudligi constituency. The cut and thrust has made the battle for control of Ballari a prestige issue for both the Congress and BJP. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had contested her first election from Ballari and Amethi in Uttar Pradesh in 1999 and retained the latter after winning both. She had defeated BJP's Sushma Swaraj in Ballari after a high-voltage campaign that revolved around the "Swadesi-Videshi" theme. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, at whose instance the sensitive Babri Masjid-Ram Temple land dispute cases were fast-tracked, today moved the Supreme Court seeking urgent hearing of his plea for enforcement of his fundamental right to worship at the birth place of Lord Ram. A bench comprising Chief Justice (CJI) Dipak Misra and Justices A Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud considered the submission of Swamy that his fundamental right to worship at the site was at the higher pedestal in contrast to the property rights of the rival parties to the civil litigations. "No, no. Not now," the CJI said. The Centre was represented by senior advocate Aman Sinha. Earlier, a special bench of the CJI and Justices Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer, on March 14, had dashed the hopes of activists like Shyam Benegal and Teesta Setalvad to intervene in the Ayodhya land dispute case and made it clear that only the parties to original lawsuits would be allowed contest. It had also disallowed Swamy, at whose instance the cases were fast-tracked, to intervene in the main case. However, the bench had considered Swamy's submission that he had not sought to intervene in the matter but filed a separate writ petition seeking enforcement of his fundamental right to worship at the birth place of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. "I had filed a writ petition saying that I have a fundamental right to worship and this is a superior right than property right," Swamy had said. "As we are not inclined to permit the intervention application, the writ petition filed by the applicant (Swamy) shall stand revived and it shall be dealt with by the appropriate bench in accordance with law," the bench had said. Today, Swamy sought urgent listing of his plea for the enforcement of fundamental right to worship. The special bench of the apex court is seized of a total of 14 appeals filed against the high court judgement delivered in four civil suits. A three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court, in a 2:1 majority ruling, had in 2010 ordered that the land be partitioned equally among three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily today mocked at the list of BJP candidates for the Karnataka Assembly polls, calling it "highly polluted, criminalised and poisoned". Moily, however, parried a question about 32 Congress nominees having a criminal background. Speaking to reporters here, he said the party had conducted three internal surveys, and was pretty sure it would secure more than 130 seats in the 224-member Assembly. He claimed there was no anti-incumbency factor against the Congress government. "There is no anti-incumbency against the Congress government. Any number of meetings by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot change the election results. We will win more than 130 seats," the former Union minister said. He said the Congress party was very strong in 154 rural constituencies due to various welfare schemes like the 'hunger-free Karnataka' project. Moily said the BJP's list of candidates looks like that of the Karnataka Janata Party, which the party's chief ministerial nominee B S Yeddyurappa had floated after quitting the saffron party. Moily, who heads the Congress's manifesto committee, said Yeddyurappa, the state BJP chief, was wreaking "revenge" on sincere party workers. "Yeddyurappa's BJP is nothing but the Karnataka Janata Party floated by Yeddyurappa. He has taken revenge on all the BJP members and is giving ticket to KJP people. The BJP list is highly polluted, criminalised and poisoned," he said, adding "BJP is a divided party now". Moily said Karnataka's former chief minister S M Krishna, who quit the Congress and joined BJP, had thought he would get respect there. Instead, his candidates were denied ticket, he said. "Our S M Krishna joined BJP thinking that they (BJP) respect senior leaders. He had asked for four seats. All the four have been denied ticket," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A BJP MP's son and his friend, arrested for consuming alcohol here in the dry state, were produced in a city court and sent to the Gaya Central Jail under judicial custody today. Gaya MP Hari Manjhi's son Rahul Kumar Manjhi was caught having alcohol last night along with his friend at Nama village under Gaya Medical College police station area, the medical college police station SHO Lal Bihari Paswan said. Under the spell of a stringent anti-liquor law for over last two years, Bihar has been declared a dry state with stringent punishment for the breach of anti-liquor law. BJP parliamentarian Manjhi, however, accused the police of falsely implicating his son in the liquor case. "I had informed the deputy inspector general of police of Magadh Range (Vinay Kumar) about illegal liquor trade in and around Nama village with the help of police... the police, instead of acting on my information, falsely implicated my son," said Manjhi, a second-term BJP Lok Sabha member from Gaya (reserved) seat, told PTI. The arrest of the BJP MP's son under the stringent anti-liquor law drew sharp comment from opponent RJD as the saffron party is a coalition partner in the Nitish Kumar government. "There is a 'natak' (drama) going on in the name of prohibition in the state. There is no ban at all which is evident from the fact that people are using and consuming liquor openly without the fear of prohibition law," senior Bihar RJD leader and MLA Bhai Virendra told PTI. Ruling JD(U) MLC and spokesman Niraj Kumar, however, said "prohibition law is effectively working in the state which is evident from the fact that no one is being spared, howsoever, high he/she may be. Even the son of MP has been arrested for violating the law. This shows that prohibition law is effectively working in the state." Reacting to senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwary's statement that Rahul Manjhi has been arrested because of being a Dalit, Kumar said the law is not applied as per the caste or creed of its violaters, it is applicable to everyone who violates it. Bihar has been under total prohibition since April 5, 2016. Reports say that as Bihar completed two years of ban on country liquor on April 5 last, over 1.15 lakh people have been arrested for violating the liquor ban. Over 23 lakh litres of IMFL (Indian made Foreign liquor) and country liquor has so far been seized. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It was looking like a banner year for business in China. The US clothing company was expecting a 20 per cent jump in online sales on Alibaba's Tmall, thanks to the e-commerce giant's massive reach. But executives soon learned that what gives, it can also take away. The company refused to sign an exclusive contract with Alibaba, and instead participated in a big sale promotion with its archrival, JD.com Inc. Tmall punished them by taking steps to cut traffic to their storefront, two executives told The Associated Press. They said advertising banners vanished from prominent spots in Tmall sales showrooms, the company was blocked from special sales and products stopped appearing in top search results. The well-known American brand saw its Tmall sales plummet 10 to 20 per cent for the year. "Based on our sales record, we should have been in a prominent position, but we were at the bottom of the page," said the brand's e-commerce director, who spoke only on condition of anonymity for fear of further retaliation. "That's a clear manipulation of traffic. That's a clear punishment." As the Trump administration pushes China to play by fair trade rules, are caught in a quieter but no less crucial struggle for rules-based access to a $ 610 billion online marketplace, an AP investigation has found. Executives from five major consumer brands told the AP that after they refused to enter exclusive partnerships with Alibaba, traffic to their Tmall storefronts fell, hurting sales. Three are American with billions in annual sales that rely on China for growth. Group Holding Ltd. denied punishing the In a statement, said pursuing exclusive deals is a common industry practice and called the charges of coercion "completely false." "Alibaba and Tmall conduct business in full compliance with Chinese laws," Alibaba said. "Like many e-commerce platforms, we have exclusive partnerships with some of the merchants on Tmall. The merchant decides to choose such an arrangement because of the attractive services and value Tmall brings to them." The executives spoke to the AP only on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, but their concerns were echoed by a US industry group, brand consultants and policy makers in China and JD.com itself. In a speech about cyberspace last week, Chinese president Xi Jinping said ensuring free and fair competition online was a regulatory priority, citing the need "to cultivate a fair market environment, strengthen intellectual property protection, and oppose monopoly and unfair competition," state media reported. In its months-long investigation, the AP interviewed more than 30 people and reviewed two contracts from Alibaba that contained the previously unreported exclusivity clauses. The AP found that the platforms that control access to Chinese consumers online wield such enormous power that even multi-billion dollar foreign companies can have trouble fighting back. "We urge the authorities to quickly investigate and take steps to ensure such practices are eliminated from the growing Chinese marketplace," said Stephen Lamar, executive vice-president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, adding that members of his industry group had complained about unfair competitive practices by Alibaba. JD.com is a member and sponsor of the trade group. Imagine a company twice as profitable as Amazon that each year serves more people than live in all of North America. That's Alibaba. It claims to be the marketplace for nearly $550 billion a year in sales - more than is sold online in the entire US economy. The trials of the affected companies offer a rare window onto a bruising business culture forged in China that could spread as Alibaba takes its aggressive, innovative and hugely profitable model of e-commerce global. To the extent that their products are manufactured in the United States - and some are - constricting sales in China's critical growth market can also deepen the imbalance of trade between China and the US, a gap that is a top concern for the Trump administration. The competition between Alibaba and JD.com is so infamous in China - and so dirty - it's been dubbed the "great cat-and-dog war," after Tmall's black-cat mascot and JD.com's white dog. The British government is under growing pressure to take action against protesters behind the desecration of the Indian flag at Parliament Square in London during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's UK visit last week. Conservative party MP Bob Blackman, who had raised a question in the House of Commons a day after the incident on April 18, plans to write to UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd and the Leader of the House, Andrea Leadsom, pressing for a police investigation. "A quite disgraceful event was taking place in Parliament Square, where the Indian national flag, which had been raised to celebrate the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), was burned," Blackman, Tory MP for Harrow East, said in the Commons last Thursday. He said he was all for free speech, but "that seems to transcend free speech." Reacting to the "shocking announcement", Leadsom had invited Blackman to write giving details of what he saw or heard which he confirmed on Monday was in process. "I will be writing to the Home Secretary and Leader of the House, following my questions on Wednesday at PMQs (Prime Minister's Questions) and on Thursday at Business Questions, asking for a police investigation," he said. The Indian government had issued a statement saying it expects legal action against those behind the desecration of the tricolour and also those responsible for instigating the incident. "We expect action, including legal action, against the people involved in the incident and also people responsible for instigating the incident," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had told reporters. An online petition directed at British Prime Minister Theresa May and Opposition Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn on the change.org website has nearly hit its target of 7,500 signatures. "Demand an action against the culprits who brought down Indian flag and torn under the watchful eyes of British police, reads the petition started by the Friends of India Society International (FISI) UK. The perpetrators, caught on camera during the protests last Wednesday, were pro-Khalistani demonstrators brought together with Kashmiri separatist groups under the banner of the so-called "Minorities Against Modi" group, led by Pakistani-origin peer Lord Ahmed. The Hindu Forum of Britain (HFB), an umbrella body of over 400 Hindu organisations in the UK, has also written to the UK Home Secretary calling for action against the peer and Sikh Federation UK for the "hate crime" against British citizens during the protests. "The Pro-Khalistani demonstrators from the Sikh Federation UK and demonstrators from the group led by Pakistani-origin peer Ahmed were among nearly 500 supporters who indulged in this senseless violence and aggression and defilement of the Indian National flag, the HFB letter signed by President Trupti Patel notes. Lord Nazir Ahmed let the anti-India protest turn violent and the ripping and burning of the Indian National flag was indeed a senseless act of aggression and insult to all true democracies...We therefore seek urgent action from our Government to strip Lord Ahmed of his Lordship and an enquiry be set up for him to account for the violent protests he instigated and organised, the letter adds. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had earlier issued a statement on behalf of the UK government, saying it was "disappointed with the action taken by a small minority in Parliament Square". Scotland Yard said "enquiries" into the incident are ongoing and no arrests have been made so far. A senior broadcast journalist covering the protests, who was caught up in the scrum involving the Indian flag, has since registered a formal police complaint with the Metropolitan Police, which is also under investigation. Sikh Federation UK termed the entire incident an "over reaction" to an "impromptu removal of the Indian flag". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A brother-sister duo drowned in the Cauvery river near here while trying to rescue their pet dog, police said today. The incident occurred yesterday when the two, in their 20s, had gone to the famous Nattatreeswaran (Lord Shiva) temple, located in the middle of the Cauvery river at Kangeyampalayam, they added. They were taking a bath when they noticed the dog being washed away and rushed to rescue it, police said. Though the duo saved the animal and pushed it to the bank, they had strayed into deep waters and drowned, police added. The bodies were retrieved today, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Border Security Force (BSF) today handed over two Pakistani nationals, who had inadvertently crossed over into the Indian territory on Saturday, to Pakistan Rangers, an official said. The BSF official said that on Saturday, at about 1:45 pm, troops deputed at Border Out Post ( BOP), Rana, belonging to 2nd battalion in Abohar Sector apprehended two Pakistani nationals identified as Mohammad Waqas (23), resident of Village Kanganpur in Kasur district and Faizan (19 ), resident of Village Nishtar of Lahore district, who had accidentally crossed international boundary. Pakistan Rangers were contacted today and the two were handed over, an official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan"was today"injured"in an exchange of fire with Naxals in Chhattisgarh"s insurgency-hit Kanker district, police said. The incident took place at around 10 am in the forests near Mahla BSF camp, under Partapur police station limits, about 300 kilometres from here, when personnel from BSF"s 114th battalion were out on an area domination operation, Kanker Superintendent of Police KL Dhruv told PTI. "When the patrolling team was in the forests close to a village near Mahla, Naxals triggered two blasts using improvised explosive devices (IEDs). They then opened fire on security forces which led to a firefight," he said. He identified the jawan who sustained multiple injuries in the encounter as constable Shree Bhagwan Singh. "He was brought for medical treatment to Pakhanjore town and then airlifted to Raipur," the SP said. The Naxals fled the spot after coming under heavy fire from the patrolling team, the official said. He added that reinforcements had been rushed to the area where the exchange of fire took place. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court was today told that CCTV cameras would be installed in all the police stations in the national capital by October this year. The submission was made by the police on an affidavit placed before a bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and A K Chawla which had earlier told the agency to expedite installation of cameras in the police stations. On March 13, the police had told the court that the exercise would take eight to nine more months as only a tender for procurement had been floated. The court had not accepted the earlier submission and had directed the police to file a revised timeline for installing the cameras. In the affidavit filed through criminal standing counsel Rajesh Mahajan, the police has told the bench that the cameras would be installed by October 2018. The matter is expected to be heard in July as the bench did not assemble today. The affidavit was filed in a PIL initiated by the court in 2012 after the infamous December 16, 2012 gangrape of a young woman in a moving bus. The woman later succumbed to injuries inflicted on her by the rapists. It was also hearing another PIL by social activist Ajay Gautam alleging that there have been several deaths inside police stations in the city this year and the presence of functional CCTVs could act as a deterrent. He has also claimed that even the CCTV cameras installed at a few police stations were obsolete as they did not have the recording feature and CCTVs were required in the police stations "to ensure transparency" in their functioning. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China today dismissed any political significance to host the informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in central Chinese city of Wuhan this week, saying that it was decided after consultations between the two countries. Asked why Wuhan was chosen for the summit to be held on April 27-28, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, "I don't know why you are so interested in this question." Last time the two leaders met at Xi's hometown Xi'an in western China which is a historic city and is deeply connected with India-China relations. The arrangement for the informal meeting between the two heads of the state have been reached after consultation between the two countries, Lu told a media briefing here. "We hope to create an enabling environment for in-depth talks between the two leaders so as to make joint efforts to enhance China-India relations," he said. While there are a wide range of cities "we can choose from, we don't have any particular consideration for choosing Wuhan" as the venue for the meeting, he said. Wuhan, located on the banks of Central China's Hubei province, is a commercial centre divided by the Yangtze and Han rivers. It is the most populous city in central China. Besides containing many lakes and parks, including expansive, picturesque East Lake, the city also has the famous villa of China's ruling Communist Party founder Mao Zedong, where he hosted many foreign leaders. Any summit there regarded politically significant for 64-year-old Xi as he is regarded as the most powerful leader after Mao. Xi began his second five-year term last month but expected to continue for long in power as the Parliament has removed the two-term limit for President. Elaborating further, the foreign ministry spokesman said India and China maintained close communication including the arrangements for venue and other issues, he said. "Moreover, the two sides have shared same consensus to hold this meeting so that it will promote further development of China-India relations," he said and referred to yesterday's announcement about the summit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the presence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. He said Wang stated that the information about the summit was released after the two sides kept very close communication including on the schedule setting and the arrangement for the venue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leading Chinese firms including e-commerce giant Alibaba were heavily criticised today for gender discrimination in job adverts in a new report which said the landscape for the female workforce in China was deteriorating. The report by campaign group Human Rights Watch, entitled "Only Men Need Apply: Gender Discrimination in Job Advertisements in China", details a host of offences by private companies and public bodies, from issuing "men only" job ads to requests for women applicants to be "trim" and "aesthetically pleasing". The adverts reflect "traditional and deeply discriminatory views" that women are less capable than men and that they will not be committed to their jobs because of their role as family caregivers, it said. According to the report, discrimination in hiring practices is contributing to a drop in the female workforce and a widening gender pay gap. Although such discrimination is illegal in China, rules are unclear and rarely enforced, it added. Tech behemoths Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu had all published job ads that openly stated a preference for male applicants, the report said. Alibaba was also accused of repeatedly using the lure of attractive female co-workers in its recruitment campaigns, describing them as "Ali beauties" and "goddesses" on social media. Tencent, Baidu and leading telecom firm Huawei were also among the major companies that advertised the beauty of their female employees. Speaking at the launch of the report in Hong Kong, Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth said CEOs must take the lead. "If you have an anti-discrimination provision in your annual report and feel like you've done your job, you're failing miserably. What's needed is serious implementation," he said. Alibaba hit back at the report in a statement to AFP, saying its recruitment policies provided equal opportunity regardless of gender, noting that 47 per cent of employees are women and one-third of its founders and people in management positions are also women. However, it added that it would "conduct stricter reviews" of recruitment ads to ensure they complied with its policy of equality. An Alibaba staffer told AFP the HRW report referred to "outdated" adverts from 2012 to 2015 and that the company immediately takes down adverts that violate internal regulations against discrimination. Baidu said the job ads in question had been removed before the release of the report and that it regretted any adverts that did not reflect its values. "These job postings... were isolated instances that in no way reflect our company's dedication to workplace equality," a Baidu spokesperson told AFP. Tencent and Huawei did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. Government departments were also at fault. Nearly one in five job ads for China's 2018 national civil service called for "men only" or "men preferred". Adverts for female train conductors required them to be "trim", "fashionable" and "beautiful". The 99-page report analysed more than 36,000 job advertisements posted between 2013 and 2018 on Chinese recruitment and company websites and on social media platforms. Its research was restricted by the increasing pressure on women's rights activists, who have been targeted by authorities. Some women have succeeded in taking employers to court over discriminatory job adverts, but the fines handed to firms are negligible and not a deterrent, the report said. Although a #MeToo movement exposing sexual harassment has recently emerged in China, authorities have deleted some social media posts and closed related topic forums in an attempt to control it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Supreme Court judges, including Chief Justice Dipak Misra, today initiated court proceedings at 10.45 AM instead of the scheduled 10.30 AM amid speculation that they held a brief meeting on the issue of the impeachment notice against the CJI. CJI Misra, who usually holds his court at 10.30 AM, entered the courtroom almost 15 minutes late and started hearing lawyers who wanted their petitions to be listed for urgent mentioning. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy was among the first few litigants to mention his petition for urgent hearing. The CJI's courtroom was packed with lawyers including those who had no matters to argue for. Besides the CJI, all other courts sat late at 10.45 AM to undertake today's court proceedings. Speculation was rife among lawyers that judges held a brief, informal meeting before they started today's business. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu today rejected the notice given by opposition parties led by the Congress for impeachment of the CJI, citing lack of substantial merit in it. Naidu held extensive consultations with top legal and constitutional experts, including former chief justices and judges, before taking the decision, sources said. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held the consultations to determine the maintainability of the motion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Classes today resumed in Jammu University after remaining suspended for the last one month owing to an agitation by students in support of their various demands. "We are happy to call off our month-long strike as majority of our demands have been met," student leader Abinandan Sharma told reporters at the varsity complex here. The students went on a strike onMarch 22in support of their demands, including round-the-clock food courts, computerised print-outs, installation of CCTV cameras, withdrawal of timing for girl to visit library, providing of online library facility, opening of new hostel buildings which stands constructed and WiFi facility. However, the situation turned ugly after the administration suspended five students for locking the entry gates and ransacking the office of Dean Students Welfare (DSW) Professor Satnam Kour on the second day of their agitation. The students accused the DSW of physically assaulting some of them during their protest and intensified their agitation, including removal ofthe DSW, in their list of demands. However, the university revoked the suspension order of the five students on April 4 after its negotiating team had discussions with the representatives of the striking students, also assuring that their legitimate demand for infrastructure and facilities would be provided in the 'shortest possible time'. On April 9, a group of students, led by Sharma, began "fast unto death" within the university complex and said the strike has not ended and vowed to continue the protest till their "genuine demands" aremet. "The hunger strike as well as the agitation is over. We are very thankful for everyone who lend us their support.Our teachers are like our parents and we have no grudge against anyone of them," Sharma said, adding that the university administration has met 90 per cent oftheir demands, including shifting of the the DSW. "We have been forced to go for protests to seek basic amenities. Had there been a connection between the students andthe varsity, our demands were not of such nature that we have to boycott our classes for a month," he said. He appealed to the administration to create such an environment so that the students are not forced to resort to agitation again and instead concentrate on studies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "An objectionable picture with derogatory remarks about Congress president Rahul Gandhi, posted on the Facebook page of BJP leader and former Chhattisgarh MLA Bhima Mandavi, led the opposition party to demand his arrest today. Mandavi apologised for the post and blamed his social media assistants for it. The picture showed a child urinating on Rahul Gandhi's photograph, and the accompanying caption said the Congress president was 'dividing Hindus' and his family looted the country. The picture went viral on social media platforms today before it was deleted from Mandavi's Facebook page. "This should not have happened. Although I didn't post the picture myself but those who handle my social media profiles posted it, I have already apologised for it," Mandavi told PTI. Two or three persons handle his social media accounts and he was finding out who posted this objectionable picture, he said. Congress workers staged a protest over the issue outside the state BJP office here. "The BJP should apologise publicly for this derogatory post. The post has exposed the low mentality of the ruling party leader," state Congress's chief spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla said. It showed BJP's frustration due to the increasing popularity of Rahul Gandhi, he said, demanding Mandavi's immediate arrest. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today launched a counter-attack on Rahul Gandhi, saying the Congress party is responsible if Dalits are still facing atrocities even after 70 years of independence. Countering Congress President Rahul Gandhi's charge of rising incidents of anti-Dalit attacks under the present BJP regime, the LJP chief said the Narendra Modi government has strengthened the legal framework to prevent atrocities against SCs and STs. The Centre will not hesitate to bring an ordinance if its review petition against the Supreme Court diluting the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act fails, he added. "If even after 70 years of independence, Dalits are stopped from riding horses and Ambedkar's statues are vandalised, then who is responsible? Is 48 year-government responsible or 48 months government responsible," Paswan told reporters here in an apparent dig at the Congress. Paswan also stressed on the need to change the people's mindset towards Dalits to end discrimination against them. Raking up attacks on Dalits during non-BJP government, the LJP chief said: "Whose government was there when 58 Dalits were killed at Laxmanpur Bathe in Bihar and 5 Dalits were burnt alive at Jhajjhar in Haryana?" Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the rights of scheduled castes and minorities are under threat. Paswan, who holds the food and consumer affairs portfolio, said the Congress party lost 2014 election as it "cheated Dalits". "If Rahul Gandhi eats food at a Dalit's house, it is a good thing. But if Amit Shah eats then its show-off," he said. The minister also asked why the Congress party is not allowing granting of constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes. When asked whether Dalits would play an important role in the 2019 general election, Paswan said the Dalit vote has always been important and therefore political leaders reach out to the community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Paraguay's Mario Abdo Benitez, who represents the country's long-dominant Colorado conservatives, was elected as president, landing the top job in one of Latin America's poorest countries. The US-educated son of a senior aide to the country's late dictator, Abdo Benitez won slightly more than 46 percent of the vote, with his centrist opponent Efrain Alegre taking almost 43 percent in a race that was far closer than expected. Opinion polls had consistently given Abdo Benitez, 46, a clear lead of up to 20 points over Alegre in a two-man contest to succeed outgoing conservative President Horacio Cartes. Greeting thousands of excited supporters outside the party headquarters, Abdo Benitez pledged to win the trust of those who did not vote for him. Through the election, Paraguay had "set an example" and shown that "democracy is well established" in the country, he said, before paying homage to his father, whom he described as "a great member" of the Colorado party. Despite a slow start, turnout stood at 65 percent by the time polling stations closed at 4:00 pm (2000 GMT). As the counting got under way, it quickly became clear the results would be much closer than anticipated. Analysts said electing Abdo Benitez, the son of the personal secretary to dictator Alfredo Stroessner, suggested that Paraguayans had managed to turn the page on the darkest chapter of their recent history. Landlocked Paraguay -- sandwiched between Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil -- has enjoyed consistent economic growth under tobacco magnate Cartes, but has failed to shake off persistent poverty, corruption and drug trafficking. It remains a land of contrasts, still marked by the 1954-1989 dictatorship of General Stroessner. However, a new generation of voters among the electorate of 4.2 million -- born after the dictatorship responsible for the deaths or disappearances of up to 3,000 people -- seems ready to look to the future. "Most people feel resentful towards Cartes," 18-year-old student Alex Gimenez told AFP. In Paraguay, 43 percent of the population is aged between 18 and 34. Ahead of the vote, Abdo Benitez appeared confident his background would not affect his chances. "I have earned my democratic credentials on my political journey," he said. But Alegre had banked on people voting for change after almost 70 years of dominance by the ruling Colorado party. Accepting that his rival had won three percentage points more than him, Alegre said that nothing could stop the pace of change. "We think change in Paraguay is irreversible, better sooner than later," he said. Writing in Americas Quarterly magazine, Oliver Stuenkel, professor of international relations at Sao Paulo's Getulio Vargas Foundation said the Colorado party had become increasingly aware of the public desire for change. "Paraguayan society is changing faster than its political elite and a generation is gaining influence that has no clear memory of non-democratic rule -- a first in Paraguayan history," he wrote. "Whoever succeeds Cartes... will have to contend with a new generation that is out to change Paraguay for the better." Voters also cast their ballots for a new parliament and governors of the country's 17 departments. Tobacco magnate Cartes kept Paraguay on course for year-on-year growth of about 4.0 percent in an economy whose major exports are soybeans, beef and hydroelectric power. But there has been little progress in alleviating poverty that has remained stubbornly at 26.4 percent and corruption, with Paraguay languishing 135th out of 180 countries ranked by Transparency International. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mario Abdo Benitez, who represents Paraguay's long-dominant Colorado conservatives, won yesterday's presidential poll, landing the top job in one of Latin America's poorest countries, election officials said. The US-educated son of a senior aide to the country's late dictator, Abdo Benitez won 46.49 per cent of the vote, with his centrist opponent Efrain Alegre taking 42.72 per cent in a race that was far closer than expected. "The president of the republic is Mario Abdo Benitez," said election chief Jaime Bestard, declaring him winner after 96 per cent of the votes were counted. Polls had given the 46-year-old a lead of up to 20 percentage points over Alegre, a 55-year-old former public works minister representing the centre-left GANAR coalition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to consider correcting the anomaly which has surfaced in linking of PAN with Aadhaar number with regard to transgenders. The Centre told the apex court that it was alive of the situation and was taking necessary steps to correct the anomaly. "We are concerned with the solution to the problem. Either you correct Aadhaar or the PAN, but it should be corrected," a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said. Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, assured the bench that the government was alive to the situation and was taking all necessary steps to correct the anomaly which has surfaced in the linking of PAN with Aadhaar of transgender persons. Senior advocate C U Singh, appearing for the petitioner, said direction should be passed to the Centre for ensuring a separate third gender category option on PAN cards to enable transgender persons to link it with Aadhaar should be there. He said due to non-availability of third gender category in PAN, there is a problem linking it to Aadhaar. Earlier, the apex court had sought the assistance of the Attorney General in dealing with a similar plea filed by a transgender person alleging that her attempt to link PAN with Aadhaar had failed as the PAN card had no 'third gender' option unlike the Aadhaar card. Reshma Prasad, a social activist from Bihar, had sought a direction to the Centre to create a separate third gender category option on PAN cards to enable transgender like her to link it with Aadhaar to get an "accurate identity proof". "It is humbly submitted that due to the anomaly the linking of Aadhaar and PAN is not being accepted/automatically rendered unsuccessful by the Department's systems in cases of those third gender individuals whose respective gender as mentioned in the Aadhaar and PAN are different," Prasad had said in the plea. The Aadhaar system, she said, included the category of the third gender after an apex court verdict and she had registered as a transgender in it. She has been using Aadhaar as the identity proof and availed all benefits provided by the government through Aadhaar Card, the plea said. Prasad, who had written 'male' as gender while getting PAN, received Aadhaar under the transgender or third gender category. However, when she had to link the PAN with Aadhaar, she could not do so due to dual gender identity. Earlier, a similar plea was filed by a Mumbai-based transgender saying the issue was serious since a failure to link the two can even invite criminal prosecution and adding that there is a provision to invalidate the PAN card over failure to link it with Aadhaar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay High Court today directed the Maharashtra government to consider on "priority", establishing a "model child-friendly courtroom" for minor victims, witnesses and juveniles facing inquiry under a protection law for them. A bench of Justices Naresh Patil and G S Kulkarni also directed Maharashtra Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni to file, within a month, a comprehensive reply on the status of vacancies at child welfare committees and Juvenile Justice Boards across the state, and on all such provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act) that are yet to be implemented. The JJ Act focuses on children in conflict with the law and those in need of care and protection. The bench was hearing a suo motu (on its own motion) petition following the directions of the Supreme Court to all high courts to consider, among other things, establishing "child-friendly" courts and vulnerable witness courts in each district. In February this year, the SC had passed a slew of directions for the chief justices of all HCs across the country related to a clutch of laws. It had asked the HC chief justices to ensure that all provisions under the JJ Act, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, and the provisions under the Indian Penal Code for trials for sexual offences were implemented in full spirit. The bench of Justices Patil and Kulkarni, accordingly, initiated the aforementioned petition on their own and sought the AG's assistance on drawing up a plan to implement the directions. The bench was informed that while Delhi had some child -friendly courts, Maharashtra was yet to establish such court rooms. At this, the bench suggested that the state take suggestions from Delhi on the same. "Frame comprehensive suggestions on all that remains to be done. Take help from Delhi, from social activists, and from experts in the field of juvenile justice to ensure that the Supreme Court's directions can be implemented. "But remember, that our first priority should be to establish a model child-friendly court," the bench noted. "The design and atmosphere of this courtroom should be such that minor victims or witnesses feel comfortable in deposing before the court. The courtroom can also be used for the juveniles facing inquiry under the JJ Act. "Because bringing a child to court, even for an inquiry, is very different from bringing an adult to face trial. A child must be treated as a child for all purposes, even for an inquiry or trial," the bench said. The judges appointed lawyer Deepa Chavan as an amicus curiae to assist the court in the hearing by offering information and expertise on the issues in the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court today dismissed a complaint accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "insulting" the national flag in 2015 on the international yoga day and later during his visit to the United States. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal rejected the plea for lodging an FIR under relevant provisions, noting that the complainant has already passed away. The court had on March 24 noted that notice issued to the complainant, Ashish Sharma, was received back with the report that he had passed away. "The court notice issued to the complainant received back with the report that he has passed away in March 2017. "It is pertinent to mention that the complainant is not appearing in this case," the court had noted on March 24. The detailed copy of today's order, however, was not available. The complainant had alleged that the Prime Minister had committed an offence under the provisions of Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 and had also violated the Flag Code of India. He had alleged that the Prime Minister had insulted the national flag not once but several times, adding that he had "disrespected" the national flag at the event of Yoga Day at the India Gate on the international yoga day by using it as a handkerchief. "He (Modi) was again careless at the time of handing over the national flag to Barack Obama, President, USA, when he signed over the national flag which is against National Flag Code, 2002," the complaint had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi today dismissed reports that the CPEC could be a debt trap for Pakistan and described the USD 50 billion project as a new form of cooperation between China and Pakistan. Addressing a seminar on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Abbasi said the project is a reality despite reservations from different quarters. He said Pakistan looked at the CPEC as a partnership between the two governments. The CPEC, a flagship project of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has become a major stumbling block for the Sin-India ties. India protested about the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) disregarding India's sovereignty concerns. Rebutting reports that the CPEC could be a debt trap for Pakistan, he said people need to read history. "Three years ago CPEC was unheard off but today it is a reality acknowledged by many countries. The BRI initiative of Chinese President Xi is a project for generations," he said. "Recently, we discussed security and connectivity with Afghanistan, who also recognises the CPEC as an opportunity." The Prime Minister said that two power projects under the the CPEC initiative have been completed and the third one is about to be finished. The IMF last year cautioned that the corridor projectss will generate outflows of as much as USD 4.5 billion by 2024, while the export benefits of the projects will likely accrue gradually over time. It said filling the gap in between could pose a policy challenge. Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing in his address made it clear that the CPEC is not just about economic growth but about connectivity between the two countries. He noted that for the past 40 years, China has made every effort to develop and grow its economy and combined socialism and market economy to benefit people. "China wants to see its relationship with Pakistan serve as an example for its relations with other states," Jing said. "We look at the CPEC as a significant project. I'm proud that after five years of implementation, it (CPEC) has contributed to Pakistan's development. CPEC is not just about economic growth; we want to develop a community," he said. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also addressed the summit insisting that the CPEC has helped strengthen the federation of Pakistan. "Those who doubt intentions of the Chinese are enemies of Pakistan. China is one of Pakistan's most reliable friends. Once the Chinese were convinced that people of Pakistan rightly deserved their support, then came President Xi's vision of belt and road initiative (BRI) which came to be known as CPEC," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CPI today said it will chalk out a strategy during its coming all-India congress to bring on a single platform like-minded parties and others for a united struggle against the Narendra Modi government. Dubbing the Modi government 'anti-dalit, anti-minority', CPI General Secretary G Sudhakar Reddy said a united struggle was required to save the nation. During the four-day CPI congress to be held in Kollam, the party will chalk out the strategy to bring on a single platform like-minded parties, intellectuals, Dalits and people from social movement, he told reporters here. He said at present the struggle was fought individually and separately by various organisations, without having much effect. "The need of the hour is coordination between all the secular and democratic forces to carry out a united struggle," he added. Asked whether this would reflect in forming a larger alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Reddy made it clear that coming together for a common cause need not be a future alliance. Referring to the CPI(M) resolution on having an understanding with Congress, Reddy said the CPI also was also thinking on the same lines and would discuss it. As the Left parties alone could not fight wherever they were strong, but needed understanding with strong regional parties, like Tamil Nadu and sometimes national parties like the Congress. On rejection of impeachment motion by various political parties, Reddy said that Vice-President, Venkaiah Naidu, a senior man knowing well the constitution, has acted in a haste and could have waited for 24 to 48 hours, as it was long process. Asked about Tamil Nadu unit of CPI(M) demanding recall of the state Governor, Banwarilal Purohit, Reddy said many political parties have endorsed the view and added the CPI also supported the demand, since the Governor was allegedly involved in two controversies related to women. Terming the AIADMK as a 'third rate agent' of the BJP, Reddy said an article in the party mouthpiece has exposed the tacit understanding between the two. It was now now evident that AIADMK has become a tool and disrupted Parliament in the pretext of the Cauvery issue, to protect BJP from debates, he alleged. Expressing serious concern over incidents of rape and attacks of Dalits in BJP-ruled states, Reddy said the Centre's attitude was reflected in Union Minister Santosh Gangwar's remarks that rape has been reported in few places and only the media has been promoting it. On Modi's advice to the party functionaries to not to give 'masala' to the media, Reddy said it was rather too late adding it had failed to take action against such people. The CPI congress will also discuss ways to strengthen the party, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Activist Anjali Damania today demanded withdrawal of police protection assigned to former Maharashtra BJP minister Eknath Khadse, saying it is a "waste" of public money. She also demanded that a report of a committee, appointed by the state government to probe charges of corruption against the former minister, be made public. Damania, a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, today staged a protest along with activists, at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai against Khadse. "The Maharashtra government spent taxpayers' money to the tune of Rs 45.42 lakh on the Zoting Committee (appointed to probe the charges against the former minister). However, the report was not made public by the so called transparent government of Maharashtra. We demand that this report be made public," she said. Later, the activists called on Additional Chief Secretary (Home) S K Srivastava, and submitted a memorandum demanding withdrawal of Khadse's security cover. "Met ACS, Home, S K Shrivastav and gave a letter demanding withdrawal of excess security to MLA Eknath Khadse. He is still enjoying a Y+ security. Shrivastav has informed us that it will be put for review before Assessment Committee," Damania tweeted after the meeting. The state government had set up the Justice (retd) Dinkar Zoting panel to probe allegations of land grab against Khadse, who had served as Revenue Minister in the BJP-led state government during late 2014 to June 2016. The panel had submitted its report on July 4 last year. Though the report was not made public, some media reports had said that it gave a clean chit to Khadse. "Eknath Khadse is provided with a huge security cover, which is generally given only to ministers. The cost of providing security to Khadse is Rs 42,000 per day. My RTI query has found that so far Rs 2.56 crore has been spent on the security for Khadse in the last 20 months since he stepped down as a minister. Now, he is just an MLA," Damania claimed. She alleged that Khadse was trying to "harass and threaten" her. Damania had levelled several allegations against Khadse in the past. A BJP worker had filed a case against Damania in a magistrate's court in Jalgaon district last year for allegedly defaming Khadse. In September 2017, Damania had accused Khadse of making obscene remarks against her and demanded his arrest. Khadse, however, had denied having made any such remarks against the social activist. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A constable of Delhi police and eight other people have been arrested from central park of DLF colony here on the charge of gambling, the police said today. On the complaint of the residents, Sahibabad police conducted a raid in the area last night and arrested the nine accused, Deputy Superintendent of Police (CO Border) Rakesh Mishra said. The accused have been identified as Saleem, the Delhi police constable, Gopal, Devesh, Kuldeep Rawat, Abhijeet, Bharat, Dinesh, Navneet and Maneesh. Six of the nine accused were residents of Delhi, the officer said, adding Rs 1.4 lakh in cash were seized from them. He said the arrested accused were connected with each other through a WhatsApp group. The police are probing their links with IPL bookies in national capital region, Mishra said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress and the NCP will hopefully announce a seat-sharing arrangement well ahead of next year's Maharashtra Assembly polls, Congress leader Milind Deora said and pitched for roping in more "like-minded" parties into the coalition to defeat the ruling BJP. He said there is a "small section" in the Congress which feels even the Shiv Sena, a sulking ally of the BJP, could be considered for a poll tie-up, but "a vast majority of the party is convinced that that is not even an option". In an interview to PTI, Deora described the NCP as an important partner for the Congress, both at the state level and the central level. "I don't think there is any doubt within the Congress whether we should have an alliance with the NCP. In fact, I am hopeful that we would be able to announce seat-sharing details well in advance," the 41-year-old leader said. The Assembly polls in Maharashtra are due towards the end of next year. Praising Sharad Pawar, Deora said the NCP chief has "a wealth of knowledge" of Maharashtra and "a great deal of personal relations" with different parties that can work with the Congress at the central level. "In Maharashtra in particular, we should look at other parties," the former Union minister said. Refusing to name any party, Deora said, "There may be other parties....There are certainly other parties, like- minded parties, who we should look at roping in and involving them in the alliance who have credibility among the voters in Maharashtra and are concerned over the state of affairs in the country." He was asked whether the Congress could think of roping in the Shiv Sena, which is unhappy with its ally BJP. "There are very small sections in the party who believe that that might be possible. To be frank, a vast majority of the party is convinced that that is not even an option. There are vast ideological differences (between Sena and Congress)," Deora replied. He said the Congress could not subscribe to the the Shiv Sena represents. "Shiv Sena and MNS are parties which believe that if you are north Indian, south Indian, Marwadi, Jain, who have lived in Maharashtra for years, they believe they are not Maharashtrians... The general view in the Congress is that it is not something which can be accepted," Deora said. "But, if they start to change that (approach) and the party (Shiv Sena) transforms itself, who knows anything is possible. For that parties like them will have to walk a massive distance and will have to very much shed the basis on which they were formed," he said. Asked whether a tie-up could be considered if the Shiv Sena or the Raj Thackeray-led MNS change themselves, Deora responded, "Even if they change colours, we will have to see are they genuine about it, are they doing it for political opportunism... As of now, I don't see any intention of these parties to transform." His attention was drawn to the recent comments by D P Tripathi, a leader of ally NCP, that Shiv Sena "does not pose a danger to secularism". In response, Deora said, "The Shiv Sena certainly has not had a good record on secularism and pluralism. So that is his (Tripathi's) view, his party's view. My view and my party's view is different. "My view and my party's view is that simply saying you are against the BJP doesn't mean that a coalition can be formed, at least a formal coalition can be formed which is inclusive of parties which have had a history of having a divisive agenda." Asked whether the Congress-NCP alliance should declare its Chief Ministerial candidate before the polls, Deora said it would need to be discussed among the leaders in his party in Maharashtra and in Delhi besides the coalition partners. "It is very early to say that. First, we will have to sit and discuss seat-sharing and discuss contours of the alliance. There are many other things that go into an alliance," the former Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai South added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The tragedy of former AS Roma captain Agostino Di Bartolomei will be remembered as the Italian club take on Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals this week. Di Bartolomei led his boyhood club Roma out at the Stadio Olimpico for the European Cup final against Liverpool on May 30, 1984. It should have been the highlight of his career but for 29-year-old midfielder the devastating defeat on penalties was to be the start of a tragic downfall. Ten years to the day after the loss on May 30, 1994, Di Bartolomei took his own life by firing a bullet through his heart. He had won the Italian Cup three times with AS Roma and the Serie A title in 1983. But the defeat in the European Cup final at the Stadio Olimpico was his last season with AS Roma. Phil Neal had given Liverpool a 12th-minute lead but Roma replied before the break with a Roberto Pruzzo header. Extra-time couldn't separate the two teams and so the European Cup would be decided on penalty kicks for the first time. Di Bartolomei made no mistake on his penalty with his trademark single-step run-up firing the ball straight down the middle. But Liverpool would win their fourth European Cup with Nils Liedholm's talented Roma side of Bruno Conti, Brazilian star Falcao, Carlo Ancelotti and Di Bartolomei falling short in their own stadium. Swede Liedholm returned to his former club AC Milan and was later joined by Di Bartolomei who found himself frozen out of the plans of successor Sven-Goran Eriksson. Di Bartolomei said in numerous interviews he could not understand why he had been dropped by Roma, a club he joined at 14 and for whom he played 308 games, wearing the captain's armband on 146 occasions. After leaving Roma, he spent three seasons with AC Milan before ending his career in the lower leagues with Cesena and Salernitana in 1990. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TCS' creating history as the first Indian IT major to hit the coveted USD 100 billion market cap is a result of consistent value creation and is poised to leverage the global digital opportunity, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said today. Riding high on the back of record quarterly profit and a weak rupee, the IT arm of the Tata conglomerate saw its market cap push above the USD 100 billion (Rs 6,80,912.10 crore) mark after its shares climbed as much as 4.6 per cent to a record high of Rs 3,557.9. The stock closed with a gain of Rs 8.8 at Rs 3,415.20 on BSE, implying a market cap of Rs 6.53 lakh crore (about USD 98.3 billion). Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries is the only other Indian company which had breached the USD 100 billion mark, way back in 2007. At today's rupee-dollar exchange rate and stock price, it had a m-cap of Rs 5.92 lakh crore. "TCS has been able to create value consistently by making the right investments not only in terms of technology, but also in terms of creating capabilities, building leadership and talent, seeding new markets and developing scalable world-class solutions," Chandrasekaran said in a statement. He added that the "Digital era" is going to be a large opportunity for TCS. "Organisations are transforming into real-time enterprises driven by data, analytics and automation irrespective of business and TCS is well-positioned to make an impact and continue to deliver value," he added. The spike in m-cap has come within days of strong performance reported by the company, which posted 4.3 per cent jump in annual revenue for FY18 to Rs 1.23 lakh crore. The Tata group flagship, which contributes around 85 per cent of the group's profit, reported its highest revenue growth in 14 quarters at 11.7 per cent in dollar terms. It also announced a 1:1 bonus of shares and a dividend of Rs 29 a share, taking the total payout to shareholders at Rs 50 for the year. TCS is the country's most valued firm followed by Reliance Industries Ltd with a m-cap of Rs 5,92,427.82 crore, HDFC Bank (Rs 5,01,643.92 crore), ITC (Rs 3,35,801.17 crore) and Hindustan Unilever Ltd (Rs 3,14,938.94 crore) in the top-five list. TCS, which competes with the likes of Infosys and Wipro, had hit the USD 50 billion m-cap mark in December 2010, and then scaled up to USD 75 billion milestone in June 2014. Rajesh Gopinathan, CEO and Managing Director of TCS, said employees and customers had played an instrumental role in helping the company achieve the milestone. "...what is exciting for us is the whole business 4.0 journey and the great opportunity to be a digital partner of choice to our customers in their growth and transformation journey," he added. As part of its 'Business 4.0' strategy, TCS is looking at new age-technologies like automation, cloud and Internet of Things (IoT) driving digital revenues of the company to over USD 5 billion this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow says separation from former husband Chris Martin felt like a ''failure'' to her. The "Mortdecai" star and the Coldplay frontman were married for 13 years and decided to go their separate ways in 2016. "I'm actually the only one in my life who got divorced. This used to feel like a failure - it took me a while to reframe that divorce isn't a failure. In the past, I've been in relationships with men who had intimacy issues, so I could be, like, 'I'm fine, I'm ready to do this,' and let myself think he's the one with the problem. In a way, some of the relationships were designed to keep me out of intimacy. ''Now, for the first time, I feel I'm in an adult relationship that is sometimes uncomfortable, because he sort of demands a certain level of intimacy and communication that I haven't been held to before. What came up in the first couple of years of our relationship was how incapable I was in this realm, how I feared intimacy and communication. What typically characterises inspiring relationships?" Paltrow told Style magazine. The actor shares daughter Apple (13) and son Moses (12) with Martin. Paltrow, who is now engaged to television writer Brad Falchuk, looks up to lots of couples in her life and is ''inspired'' by their long-lasting relationships. ''There are a lot of couples in my life who I look up to. All of my friends from high school who married their boyfriends from college are still solid. Two gay male couples are in long-lasting relationships that are very inspiring to me. The other day I was at a birthday party with one of the couples and they were laughing and high-fiving. They've been married a long time and I thought, that's - they're - amazing," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Dowry has a chilling effect on marriage", the Supreme Court today said while reserving its verdict on a batch of pleas seeking revisiting of a judgement that had reduced the severity of the anti-dowry law on the offence of subjecting a married woman to cruelty by spouse and in-laws. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said it would not deal with the facts of any case and would rather deal with the aspects of gender justice for married woman on one side and the right to life and personal liberty of husbands and in-laws on the other. "Two concepts are related to section 498A (subjecting married woman to cruelty by her spouse and in-laws) of the IPC. "There should be gender justice for woman as dowry has a chilling effect on marriage on the hand. On the other hand, there is right to life and personal liberty of the man," the bench, also comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said. "How these two sides (of contrasting rights of man and woman) can be juxtaposed is the issue," it said. During the hearing, senior advocate Indu Malhotra, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae, said the judgement conferred the powers of the Crime Against Women [CAW] Cell or police to "an extra judicial committee comprising paralegal volunteers" to look into criminal complaints under Section 498A in the first instance. "The power of investigation of a criminal offence in matrimonial cases, as in others, has to be exercised only by the police. The constitution of a Family Welfare Committee to look into criminal complaints under Section 498A IPC is contrary to the procedure prescribed by law," she said adding that the offence was "non-bailable, and a cognisable" one. "In case of matrimonial offences, where the accused is not joining investigation or the offence is committed partly in India and partly abroad, issuance of Red Corner Notice ought not to be prohibited. Issuance of RCN in such cases is necessary to ensure participation of the accused in investigation or trial," the senior lawyer said. Besides Malhotra, senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for NGO 'Social Action Forum', said the court had no occasion to lay down guidelines on the offence committed under section 498A of the IPC. A two-judge bench of the apex court in July last year had voiced concern over "abuse" of section 498 A (subjecting a married woman to cruelty) and passed a slew of directions, including that no arrest should "normally be effected" without verifying allegations as violation of human rights of innocents could not be brushed aside. Later, a three-judge bench led by the CJI expressed disagreement with the verdict and appointed senior advocate V Shekhar as an amicus curiae to assist it in revisiting the judgement. The apex court had issued notices to Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Women and Child Development and National Commission of Women and sought their responses while disagreeing with the July 27 verdict of the smaller bench. The bench was hearing a plea filed by an NGO 'Nyayadhar', an organisation formed by a group of women advocates of Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, seeking sharpness in section 498A, claiming that the otherwise "helpful instrument" in the hands of victim women has become "valueless". The plea suggested that out of three members in family welfare committees, at least two should be women and one member should have done Masters in Social Work. It also suggested recording of facts at the time of counselling and said the committee should also consider the economic status of the parties. The two judge bench had passed a slew of directions to deal with complaints under section 498A and had observed that many such complaints are not bonafide and "uncalled for arrest" may ruin the chances of settlement. It had directed that in every district, one or more family welfare committees should be constituted by the District Legal Services Authorities (DLSA) and every complaint received by police or the magistrate under this provision should be referred to and looked into by the committee. It had said that such committees might comprise paralegal volunteers, social workers, retired persons, wives of working officers and others who may be found suitable and willing. The bench had also said that if a bail plea was filed in such matter, it may be decided as far as possible on the same day with at least one day's notice to the public prosecutor or the complainant. It had said that regarding persons residing out of India, the process of impounding of passports or issuance of Red Corner Notice should not be a routine. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah today said it's is a "strange an dreadful" situation the society is going through where instead of the perpetrators, the girls are made to feel embarrassed. The actor was asked his opinion about the Kathua and Unnao rape cases which have generated nation-wide outrage. The actor said "such horrors have always been happening" but they are being reported more now "which is a good thing." "There was a wonderful thing I read in paper yesterday where a young rape survivor said 'why should we hide our faces and names, it's the people who commit these crimes should be hiding their faces.' "It's a strange and a dreadful situation which the society is in, where instead of the perpetrators it's the girl who has to feel embarrassed and ashamed...," Shah told reporters. The "A Wednesday" actor, who was speaking at the trailer launch of his new film "Hope aur Hum", said even though these incidents are horrifying, they should be reported and talked about. "It's a good thing that the media is alert towards all of this happening now. It is very depressing for me every morning because every time you open the newspaper, something or the other horrifies you. But it's important these things are talked about." The 68-year-old actor said the solution is not to guard every man or train women how to fight but to bring about a change from within. "Where the solution lies I don't know. You're talking of a complete change in mindset, complete reversal of attitude that men have had towards women, you're talking of generational change and that can't happen. "All we can do is try to set the example in our personal life. We can't go around policing every guy, can't be teaching martial arts to every girl, it has to begin with each one of us," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Punjab Police Director General of Police (Human Resource Development) Siddharth Chattopadhyaya to submit by May 9, the report on the role of a SSP and an inspector in a drug trafficking case. The division bench of Justices Surya Kant and Shekhar Dhawan also ordered that a stay on the police investigation against Chattopadhyaya in a suicide case would continue till further orders. During the resumed hearing on an application filed by Chattopadhyaya, the amicus curiae in the case and senior advocate Anupam Gupta dubbed the Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's recent statement, asking the top brass of the police "to put an immediate end to fighting their personal and professional battles in the courts and the media" as a clear case of contempt of court. The DGP (HRD) had sought the transfer of investigation into the suicide case of Inderpreet Chadha, son of former president of Chief Khalsa Dewan Charanjit Singh Chadha, to CBI or to a retired judge of the high court. "The court has asked that the final report of the SIT headed by DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya be submitted on or before May 9," Gupta said today. Chattopadhyaya, who was present during the hearing today, is leading a special investigation team constituted by the high court to probe the role of SSP, Moga, Raj Jit Singh, and a dismissed police inspector in a drug trafficking case. Chattopadhyaya had accused two senior officers DGP Suresh Arora and DGP (Intelligence) Dinkar Gupta of "targeting" him in order to "disable" him from conducting the inquiry to look into the complicity of SSP Moga Raj Jit Singh and an inspector in the drug trafficking case. Gupta, during the resumed hearing today, took exception to the recent statement of the chief minister, warning "police top brass against going to courts or media to resolve their problems". Gupta said he relied on the press note issued by the chief minister's office regarding Amarinder Singh's meeting with senior police officers here recently. "The CM's statement is a clear contempt of court," said Gupta while quoting the reported statement of the CM. "No one can threaten any officer with dismissal for going to court. Chattopadhaya filed this application and you (court) heard us in support of the application and granted us the stay order...Though CM did not take name (in press note) but he obviously said it in context of Chattopadhaya," said Gupta. "Whether it is a police officer or a civil services officer, if any CM himself publicly threatens them with dismissal for going to court is clear contempt of court," said Gupta. Earlier, in a closed-door meeting with state police top brass on April 11, Amarinder Singh had ordered the officers to put an immediate end to fighting their personal and professional battles in the courts and the media, and threatened to sack any officer found indulging in such acts of "gross indiscipline, which were bringing a bad name to the Punjab Police". The chief minister had said, if needed, he would even approach the Union Home Minister to seek the dismissal of any officer found violating the discipline of the force. He had said there were various channels and ways to deal with professional problems. Professional matters being taken to the court was unacceptable, Amarinder Singh had warned. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A former Supreme Court judge and a retired high court judge found merit in Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu's order today rejecting impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra saying the move was politically motivated and charges levelled were not backed by proof. While Justice P B Sawant, who was a judge in the Supreme Court from 1989-1995, said the decision was "okay" as Naidu must have taken opinion of people concerned, former Delhi High Court judge Justice S N Dhingra termed it "absolutely right", saying there was no proof for charges levelled against the CJI. "I am sure he (Naidu) must have taken all opinions of various people. It looks like political move to me. Congress is definitely going to go to the Supreme Court if it is a political move. As the head of Rajya Sabha, he must have taken opinion of the people. Presently it seems okay to me," Justice Sawant said. Justice Dhingra, too, supported the vice president's order on impeachment and said, "Rejection was absolutely right, and based on facts no other conclusion could have been reached. There was no proof of charges which were levelled. Prima facie no case was made out." However, when contacted, former Chief Justice of India T S Thakur refrained from commenting on the issue, saying it was a call of the constitutional authorities and he could not give his view. "These are decisions of constitutional authorities. I cannot say anything. How good or bad it is politically will be decided by constitutional authorities," Justice Thakur said. Another retired high court judge Justice R S Sodhi reacted sharply and criticised the move against the CJI, saying the four senior judges who had held the unprecedented January-12 press conference, "should be impeached" instead. "I think all the four judges should be impeached, they have no business to sit there and deliver verdicts anymore. This trade unionism is wrong. Democracy in danger is not for them to say, we have parliament, courts, police functioning," Justice Sodhi told a agency. Naidu today rejected the impeachment notice given by opposition parties led by the Congress against CJI Dipak Misra, saying it lacked substantial merit and that the allegations were neither "tenable nor admissible". The vice president in his order held the allegations emerging from the present case have a serious tendency of "undermining" the independence of the judiciary. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP leader Lal Singh, who resigned from the state cabinet after raising questions about the police action in Kathua rape and murder case, today reiterated his demand for a CBI probe in the matter. Singh has launched a campaign in Jammu region to bat for a CBI probe and has taken out rallies in Jammu, Kathua, Samba areas drawing huge crowds in support of his demand. Please do not focus on any other thing than a CBI probe. I continue to demand a CBI probe as there is need to clear the doubt arising due to media reports and the probe in which the people here have been defamed, Singh told reporters here. Media and others have done a lot of damage to "the reputation of the Dogras of Jammu" as something or the other keeps appearing everyday, he said. After the accused themselves raised the demand for a narcotic test before the judge, the case has got a new twist. So we dont want there should be any discrimination against anyone while the actual culprits get scot free," the former minister said. Taking a pot-shot at the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP government, he said what was the problem in ordering a CBI probe unless they have to something hide. Do you think the CBI will do something else?" he asked. Lakhs of Dogra people of Jammu are demanding a CBI probe but it was being denied to them by this government, he said alleging "suppression" of minority Dogras of Jammu. Kashmiri Migrants came to this place after fleeing Valley in wake of militancy and people here accepted them, Singh said. Then Kashmiri Muslims came here and settled here, we did not have any problem and people from other hilly parts of Jammu came here and we accepted them, he said. "Now Rohingyas Muslims (who are outsiders), are being thrusted upon us, he said. Rohingyas have been given licenses, they have been rehabilitated here but nobody is listening to us, Singh said while pointing to the demographic changes in Jammu. The body of a girl, from the Bakerwal community, was recovered from a forest on January 17, a week after she went missing while grazing horses in the forest area. On January 23, the government had handed over the case to the crime branch of the state police which formed a Special Investigation Team and arrested eight people including two Special Police Officers (SPOs) and a head constable, who was charged with destruction of evidence. Two Ministers Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga resigned in wake of the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Foreign tourists, except those from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, would now be allowed to visit some of the most pristine locations of the country which, so far, were out of bounds for them without a special permit, officials said today. The Home Ministry has decided to relax the six-decade-old ProtectedArea Permitregime from Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur for five years with effect from April 1, a ministry official said. Under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, all areas falling between the Inner line and the International Border of some states were declared as protected areas. The protected areas currently include whole of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, besides parts of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. Some parts of Sikkim fall under the protected area regime while others under the restricted area. "A review is underway to lift the PAP from other areas too," another official said. Citizens from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, however, continue to be banned from all PAP areas, including Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. As per a December 30, 2010 circular of the ministry, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland were excluded from the protected area regime initially for a period of one year from January 1, 2011, subject to some conditions. As per the guidelines, a foreign national is not normally allowed to visit a protected or restricted area unless the government is satisfied that there are extraordinary reasons to justify his or her visit. Every foreigner, except a citizen of Bhutan, who desires to enter and stay in a protected or restricted area, is required to obtain a special permit from a competent authority having the power to issue such permits. In cases, where the power to issue such permits has not been delegated to a subordinate authority by the Union government, the application for the special permit has to be referred to the Home Affairs Ministry for prior approval, at least eight weeks before the date of the expected visit. With an aim to promote tourism, the government, time to time by notification, exempts some of such restricted or protected areas from the need of special permission for foreigners to visit them. Necessary powers have been delegated to various authorities to issue such special permits without the prior approval of the Home Ministry to facilitate foreign tourists subject to the certain exceptions. In cases of foreign diplomats, including the members of the United Nations and international organisations holding diplomatic or official passports, the special permits to visit such protected or restricted areas are issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. In cases of the citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan and foreign nationals of Pakistani origin, no permit, however, can be issued without the prior approval of the Union Home Ministry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) France's National Assembly has passed a controversial immigration law that has exposed unprecedented divisions in President Emmanuel Macron's young centrist party. After 61 hours of debate, the measure was approved yesterday in a vote of 228 in favour, 139 against and 24 abstentions. It passed largely with the support of Macron's Republic On The Move (LREM) party. But one LREM deputy, Jean-Michel Clement, rebelled and announced that he was quitting the president's party after casting a no vote on the proposed law. Opposition to the measure was found across the political spectrum with lawmakers of both the right-wing and leftist parties voting against it, as well as the far-right National Front. The lower-house of the French parliament was supposed to vote on the bill Friday, but the fractious debate stretched into the weekend due to more than 1,000 amendments proposed by deputies. More than 200 of the changes were suggested by LREM members as Macron's own lawmakers openly challenged his plans to double the maximum time migrants can be held in detention to 90 days. The government had defended the bill as balanced, but it has been criticised by rightwingers for being too soft and by leftwingers who see it as repressive. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said it aims for "better controlled" immigration, halving the waiting time for asylum applications to six months while also making it easier to deport those turned down as "economic" migrants. Accepted refugees will be given more help to integrate, such as better access to work and French lessons. Many leftwing opponents lashed out in parliament at measures to keep asylum seekers awaiting deportation, including children, in detention for up to 90 days. "Nothing justifies locking up a kid," said Socialist deputy Herve Saulignac. The bill also reduces the time that asylum-claimers have to lodge their application from 120 to 90 days and gives them two weeks to appeal if unsuccessful, which NGOs say is not enough to gather more evidence in support of their claim. Despite the rumblings of revolt and long debate, the bill had been expected to pass, with LREM holding more than half the seats after battering traditional parties in June's parliamentary elections. France received a record 100,000 asylum applications last year, bucking the general trend in Europe where the number of asylum seekers halved between 2016 and 2017. Many Africans and South Asians end up sleeping on the streets of Paris due to a shortage of accommodation, or camping out in Calais hoping to stow away on trucks to Britain. Controversy over the immigration bill comes as Macron is under pressure for insisting he will push on with sweeping reforms, including an overhaul of state rail operator SNCF, despite strikes and street protests. Monday sees the start of another two days of strikes by rail workers over the shake-up which have been causing havoc for French commuters two days out of five since the start of April. Rail unions object to plans to strip new SNCF recruits of jobs-for-life and early retirement, part of Macron's bid to reduce the SNCF's nearly 50 billion euros (USD 61.5 billion) of debt. The unions are gambling on public opinion turning in their favour but polls suggest an opposite trend, with just 43 per cent backing the strike in an Ifop poll released yesterday. The scale of the disruption has also eased over the course of the month as fewer workers continue with the strike. Today, 35 per cent of high-speed trains are set to operate -- up from just an eighth at the beginning of the month. And air travellers will also face disruptions today and tomorrow as Air France employees strike for the tenth day in two months. Nevertheless the French carrier says it expects to maintain 75 percent of its flights on today. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Singapore-based Global Citizen Forum (GCF), headed by billionaire thought-leader Bhupendra Kumar Modi, will launch a world wide movement to promote the famed Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple here as an international pilgrimage centre. Addressing a press meet here, Modi, known as 'Dr M' among his followers, said the objective of the global movement was to restore 'sanatana dharma' to its original glory as the guiding force of the world with the Padmanabha Swamy Temple as its nerve centre. As part of the initiative, a development committee would soon be set up with the consent of the Travancore royal family here, for the overall development of the shrine, he said. The Tranvacore royals were the former custodian of the shrine, which is now being managed by an administrative committee appointed by the Supreme Court. Modi said the security of the temple, which has priceless treasures in its secret vaults, should be enhanced with state-of-the-art facilities. The centuries-old temple still reflects the splendour of the past and showcases the priceless heritage of 'sanatana dharma' before the present generation, he said. "We will form a committee with the consent of the royal family for overall development of the temple. As the matters related to the shrine is now before the Supreme Court, somebody has to present a development plan before the apex court," he said. The committee would work to develop the shrine as a global destination of pilgrimage and" spiritual tourism with advaita philosophy as core theme, he said. The movement also has plans to set up an Advaita centre near the Padmanabha Temple, Modi said, adding that besides the royal family, talks would be held with all others related to the shrine, including devotees. In connection with the launching of the movement, a two-day workshop was held here on April 21 and 22. Royal family members, Princess Gouri Lakshmi Bhai and Gouri Parvathi Bhai had taken part in the discussion, titled 'History and Mystery of the Temple' as part of the workshop. Modi said he had earlier called on Swami Bharati Tirtha, head of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham in Karnataka, and sought blessings for the movement. A Singapore citizen at present, Bhupendra Kumar Modi was recently awarded the Singapore Indian Entrepreneur Award (SIEA) by Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a release said. As an industrialist, he had introduced several new technologies in India in areas like office automation, telecom, health care, electric vehicles and so on, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Facing the Opposition heat over rejection of a move to remove the Chief Justice of India, top sources in the government said today the Rajya Sabha Chairman has the "statutory right" to reject a notice to impeach a judge. Citing provisions in the Judges Inquiry Act, the sources pointed out that the Rajya Sabha Chairman or Lok Sabha Speaker can "either admit the motion or refuse to admit the same" based on consultations and material available. Leaders of seven opposition parties had on Friday last met Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu and handed over a notice of impeachment against the Chief Justice of India, bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired. However, the notice was rejected this morning by Naidu. "The Chairman has the statutory right to reject the motion and statutory obligation to consult before arriving at a decision," a top government functionary said. He also asserted that "mere numbers" are not enough to "trigger" the motion. Referring to Article 124 of the Constitution, the sources said the notice should have grounds of "proved misbehaviour or incapacity". "Those who complain must be sure of the grounds for removal.. In this case, the complainants were not not sure," the functionary said. "Sufficient grounds have to be proved to trigger an inquiry (by a three-member panel headed by a SC judge)...the evidence has to be contemporaneous," the functionary said. He said if "some sanity" is not brought in the political system, the morale of the judiciary may be "hit". Naidu rejected the notice after seeking opinion of top legal and constitutional experts, including former secretary generals of Lok Sabha and other legal luminaries with whom he held extensive consultations. Naidu also took the views of top legal and constitutional experts, including former chief justices and judges, over the past two days before taking the decision. The Rajya Sabha Chairman said the allegations emerging from the present case have a "serious tendency" of undermining the independence of judiciary which is the basic tenet of the Constitution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Muslim civil rights group blasted President Donald Trump and his administration Monday, saying his words and policies led to a sharp increase in attacks and bias against Muslims in 2017. The Council on American-Islamic Relations said Monday the number of reported anti-Muslim hate crimes and reported incidents of discrimination, bullying, harassment and other acts of anti-Muslim bias both jumped 15 percent last year. The group blames the increase on the president, particularly his push to ban immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries. The ban now includes Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, along with non-Muslim North Korea and some Venezuelan officials. It originally also included Iraq. The report says "Trump's xenophobic rhetoric ... emboldened those who sought to express their anti-Muslim bias and provided a veneer of legitimacy to bigotry." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump has said the goal of the ban is to "keep radical Islamic terrorists out." "We only want to admit those into our country who will support our country and love deeply our people," the Republican president added as he signed the order days after his January 2017 inauguration. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday on whether the ban is constitutional. CAIR said the number of anti-Muslim hate crimes reported jumped from 260 in 2016 to 300 in 2017 while the incidents of anti-Muslim bias rose from 2,213 to 2,599. Wilfredo Ruiz, a CAIR spokesman, and CAIR attorney Omar Saleh conceded that some of the increase might be attributable to the Washington-based group getting better at documenting incidents and Muslims being more likely to report abuse. But they said there also has been an increase in attacks on mosques and Islamic centers since Trump began speaking about Muslims during the 2016 campaign. Such incidents have always been recorded, he said. "Targeting an entire group of people on how they worship God is contrary to our shared American values," Ruiz said. "American Muslims share the same American values and freedoms all cherish and deserve the same opportunities as we are all Americans." CAIR said many anti-Muslim attackers cite Trump during their assaults. For example, a traveler kicked and cursed a Muslim employee at New York's Kennedy Airport in March 2017. The employee, who was wearing a Muslim head covering, recalled him saying, "Trump is here now. He will get rid of all of you. You can ask Germany, Belgium and France about these kinds of people. You see what happens." The man was apparently referring to terror attacks carried out by Muslim extremists in those countries. In another case, a man threw rocks at a Muslim family's home near Chicago, also in March 2017, yelling, "Open the door, I want to kill you." When police asked him why he did it, he told them, "That's what Trump would do. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oscar-winning music composer Hans Zimmer will be honoured with this year's Max Steiner Award for Film Music Achievement at the annual Hollywood in Vienna concert gala. The 60-year-old musician will be the 10th recipient of the award, named after the Austrian-born, Oscar winner known for composing scores for classics such as "Gone With the Wind" and "Casablanca". According to Variety, Zimmer will be bestowed with the honour on October 19 at the Konzerthaus in Vienna for his "innovative contributions to music in film". Founder and CEO Sandra Tomek of the gala said the composer was the perfect choice for this year's award, especially having recorded projects such as "The Crown" and "Inferno" at Vienna's new Synchron Stage. "Hans Zimmer has had a close connection to Vienna for some time now. For a city so rich in music history, it is only fitting to give this award, named after the great Max Steiner, to this exceptional and multi-talented composer," Tomek said. The concert will feature several of Zimmer's hit scores including "The Da Vinci Code", "Inception", "Gladiator", "Pirates of the Caribbean", "The Holiday" and "Pearl Harbor". The event will also see "new orchestral arrangements" by the composer himself, Tomek added. Zimmer has been nominated for an Academy Awards 11 times, most recently being "Dunkirk". He won the Oscar for Best Original Score in 1994 for Disney's animation film "The Lion King". He is also a three-time Grammy winner and two-time Golden Globe winner. The music maestro joins the list of former recipients such as Danny Elfman, Alexandre Desplat, James Newton Howard, Randy Newman, James Horner, Lalo Schifrin, Alan Silvestri, Howard Shore and John Barry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The newly-appointed special officer in Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's office, O P Singh, said today the state administration needs to adapt itself to the "peculiar needs" of the millennials and engage with them to prevent a potential violent showdown. Singh, a 1992-batch IPS officer of the Haryana cadre, said millennials are a distinct segment, inter-connected and instantly informed because of their proximity to the Internet. Singh has served across Haryana, in five districts as superintendent of police, over his 25 years in the service. That possibly could have weighed in his favour to be appointed the special officer (community policing and outreach) in the chief minister's office last week. Before this assignment, he was posted as the additional director general of police (human rights and litigation). Singh said he finds his new assignment "very exciting". "It is extremely imaginative on the part of the government to create a vertical like this at the very top. I look forward to learn and contribute." Asked what challenges do millennials, those born at the turn of the 21st century, pose, Singh said they have "peculiar needs" and the administration should adapt to those needs. "They flood the public spaces on slightest provocation and easily overrun law enforcement agencies with sheer number. There is no question of being soft on protagonists of organised crime and violence, but we need to think beyond the use of force (when dealing with millennials)," he said. "(The administration) needs to engage and partner with them in peacetime to prevent build-up and avert violent showdown," he said, adding, key field officials should acquire "strategic relationships" by engaging the millennials and their influencers continuously. He outlined the "soft skills" the officials should have: networking, bonding, public speaking and negotiations. Singh said he would help field officials in implementing good practices to make people-administration relation "more vibrant, dynamic and trust-based" as governments across the world are struggling to keep up with inter-connected people living in an era of information overload. "The situation is particularly acute in developing countries which have a population with youth bulge," he said. Asked what he means by "youth bulge", Singh explained as per the United Nations Population Fund Report 'The Power of 1.8 Billion', there are nearly 1.8 billion people in 10-24 years of age, the highest ever in history. India's share in that age group is a massive 35.6 crore, 28 per cent of its population. This category is significant as they will be in workplace for the next 30-40 years. "It is a demographic windfall and can by itself bring about additional 2 per cent growth in GDP. There has never before been so much potential for economic and social progress," he said. "However for this to happen, big-ticket investment and herculean effort are needed in education, skill development and health sector. The government is awake to it. It is doing its best to help young people realise their potential." Singh explained the importance of this age-group citing China's rise. China today is what its "50-plus" people made it when they were in their 20s, he said. "The question is what kind of country this generation in India will create? With fresh ideas, high-speed Internet and gadgets at their command, they are developing new ways of social transactions and transforming culture, business and politics. India is poised to be the first bottom-up digital economy in the world," he said. "... Administration needs to align and adapt itself and do everything conceivable to help this generation succeed. It is my privilege to be a part of this endeavour," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Haryana government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for setting up a biomethenation plant in Faridabad. The plant will produce cooking gas and compost from organic waste. The MoU was signed by officials of Municipal Corporation, Faridabad, Indian Oil Corporation, Haryana Shahri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), Ecogreen Energy and Iskcon in the presence of Industries and Commerce Minister Vipul Goel in Faridabad today, an official release said here. The plant will produce 18 cylinders of gas every day which will be supplied to Iskcon, which is also engaged in cooking mid-day meal for 60,000 school children in Faridabad, free of cost. The plant will also produce about four tonnes of compost per day from five tonnes of organic waste. This compost will be supplied to HSVP for parks. The minister said it is a unique initiative of the state government and IOC towards making Faridabad a clean and smart city. The project, which will be set up by IOC at a cost of Rs 3 crore through Corporate Social Responsibility fund, would be completed by March 2019. Land for this project has been made available by HSVP. The plant would be handed over to Municipal Corporation, Faridabad after three years. Goel directed officials of Ecogreen Energy, a waste management and waste-to-energy company, to make necessary arrangements for collection of organic waste after segregation. He also called upon the general public and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) to cooperate in collection of organic kitchen waste. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said power tariff will be reduced for small and medium enterprises having connection below 20 kilowatt, according to a senior member of a CII delegation that called on him here. "Haryana CM announced that for MSMEs having power connection below 20 kw, the tariff is going to be reduced from present Rs 6.75 per unit to Rs 4.75 per unit. "The new tariff will be effective from May 1," Sachit Jain, chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) Northern Region, said after a delegation of the industry body met Khattar here. Sameer Gupta, Deputy Chairman, CII Northern Region, who was part of the delegation, said the industry body also suggested to the Haryana government to set up an Investment Board where people from the government, senior bureaucrats and CII representatives will be working together to see how the state can attract more investments. When asked if CII had put up a specific demand before Khattar to reduce power tariff for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), Jain said, "We just said that you have to help industry be more competitive." Jain said CII had also welcomed the decision of the Amarinder Singh-led Punjab government which had last year announced industrial power tariff at Rs 5 per unit. Jain, who is also Vice Chairman and MD of Ludhiana-based Vardhman Special Steels Ltd, gave the example of his own company to emphasise how reduced power tariff was helping industry grow and expand. "When Punjab government reduced the power tariff for industry, suddenly we became more competitive... After power tariff got reduced, I decided to increase my capacity by 50 per cent...I am investing Rs 200 crore more in next three years. Had this announcement for reduction of power tariff not come, I would not have been able to do it," Jain said. Jain also said 13th Agrotech -- CII's biennial agro technology and business fair -- will be held from December 1-4 here. The main theme of the event this year will be 'How to double farmers' income'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Annoyed at the poor state of dog sterilisation centres run by municipal corporations in Delhi, the high court today asked the director of veterinary services of the three MCDs to remain present before it during the next hearing on Wednesday. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar issued the direction after a panel of lawyers it had appointed to inspect the centres told the court about the pathetic conditions and a lack of facilities in most of them. Delhi government's additional standing counsel Naushad Ahmed Khan, who headed the inspection team, told the bench that the centres has no facility to dispose animal carcasses and surgical waste. Another matter of concern was lack of cleanliness at the centres, he told the court. At one of the five centres inspected by the team, Khan said, they found surgeries, including sterilisation, were done in the kitchen, which was being used as an operation theatre. Animal right activist Gauri Maulekhi told the bench that on the orders of the Supreme Court the Animal Welfare Board of India has drafted a module for management of dog population and eradication of rabies. She said the module has to be followed by local bodies undertaking the exercise of sterilisation and immunisation of canines. After hearing the submissions, the court asked the director of veterinary services of the three corporations to remain present on the next date of hearing on April 25. The bench was hearing a PIL by a resident of Tekhand Village in south Delhi. The petitioner has opposed the setting up of a veterinary hospital there on the grounds that a bigger and better facility exists in Tughlakabad village. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today granted interim bail to an alleged drug lord Sharafat Sheikh and his wife Zohra Sheikh, jailed since June 2006 on charges of being part of an organised crime syndicate, for attending wedding of their daughter. Justice A K Pathak granted them the relief for two weeks, considering that their presence would be required at their daughter's marriage. Zohra and Sharafat, facing trial under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), had said in their bail plea that they have been in custody for last several years and their daughter is getting married on April 25 at Hazrat Nizamuddin area and, accordingly, sought three weeks' interim bail to participate in the wedding. Their plea, however, was opposed by prosecutor Amit Chadha, who, appearing for the Delhi Police, said it was an inter-religion marriage and threats were being given to the young couple by both the families. Zohra had earlier also moved the court over non-payment of maintenance by the Delhi government to their two minor children. She had sought compliance of the court's 2009 order to pay for the welfare of the children. According to the prosecution, a secret information was received on July 7, 2005 that Sharafat, suspected to have been trading in narcotics with his gang members in Delhi on a large scale, was to come to his residence. Sharafat was subsequently caught in a raid, based on this tip off. He was also found in possession of a loaded pistol and a 500 gram of 'heroin or smack,' the police had said. As Sharafat was alleged to be the chief of a crime syndicate and was amassing wealth through illegal trade of narcotics, the MCOCA provisions were invoked. Later, sanction was granted by an additional commissioner of police for prosecution of Sharafat and other accused -- Mohd Saleem, Sheikh Hannan, and Najma Sheikh (first wife of Sharafat) and subsequently, the first charge sheet was filed in the case on December 10, 2005. During the investigation, the prosecution had also sought sanction against Zohra for allegedly possessing unaccountable wealth on behalf of the members of an organised crime syndicate in violation of the section 4 for of the MCOCA and a supplementary charge sheet was filed against her on September 8, 2006. She was arrested on June 12, 2006 and had been in jail since then. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two senior leaders of the ruling AIADMK today sought to make light of an article published in the party's mouthpiece suggesting that working with BJP would be like a "double-barrelled gun" in the political arena, with one of them saying a "columnist" cannot determine electoral pacts. State Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar and AIADMK lawmaker and Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, M Thambidurai, maintained the decision on forging an alliance is taken by the party high command at the time of elections. "This is not the right time. Only during election, alliances are decided. Only the party decides about that, not an individual columnist," Jayakumar told reporters. Asked if AIADMK will oppose BJP "if it went against Tamil Nadu's interests," Jayakumar replied in the affirmative. He said AIADMK was "as disciplined" as it was when late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was steering the party. In politically significant comments, AIADMK's mouthpiece 'Namadhu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma' said yesterday signs of the party working with BJP like a "double-barrelled gun" in the political arena were visible and "no one can sever ties" between them. Coming out strongly against the persistent protests led by the principal opposition DMK over the Cauvery dispute, the publication said "whatever be the number of protests and demonstrations, no one can sever ties between AIADMK and BJP." No one can weaken the bond between "the central and the state government", it said. "The signs are becoming visible for AIADMK and BJP to work like a double-barrelled gun in Indian The pathway is clear," it said, emphasising the need for the leadership of the two parties to chart out a roadmap for working together. Responding to the article, Thambidurai said there was no political pact between AIADMK and BJP "so far." "We are functioning as a separate party in Parliament and there is no alliance so far. Only the party high command will decide about alliance during polls," he said. The references to the cordiality between the two parties in the article could have been to those between central and state governments, led by BJP and AIADMK respectively, he said. Ties were cordial between the two governments even when Jayalalithaa was helming Tamil Nadu, Thambidurai added. He said there is "no connection" between the cordial ties between the parties and their respective governments. But DMK working president M K Stalin said the two parties were indeed a "double-barrelled gun" on issues such as Cauvery and NEET controversy. "Despite the Supreme Court order, the Centre has not constituted the Cauvery Management Board and the state government seems to endorse that," he told reporters in Pudukottai. Following the February 16 verdict of the Supreme Court on the Cauvery issue, when it directed the Centre to evolve a 'scheme' on the dispute involving Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the ruling AIADMK and the DMK and other political parties in the state have been insisting on setting up of the Board. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will lead a high-level delegation to United Kingdom (UK) next month to discuss various issues of mutual interest, including urban development, global city, aviation hub, infrastructure and agriculture. He would also address the Indian diaspora there. Khattar said this while interacting with a delegation from the United Kingdom led by Permanent Under Secretary, Head of Diplomatic Service, UK Simon McDonald that met him here today. The Chief Minister said the state government is developing Sonipat and Bahadurgarh on the pattern of Gurugram and Faridabad. Considering their close proximity to the national capital, there is a huge potential of industrial development in these cities, he said. Though Haryana is primarily an agrarian state, it has taken major strides towards industrialisation during the last few years, the chief minister said, adding that in the last few years 65 per cent population of the state is engaged in agriculture and allied sector. Haryana is the single largest contributor of food grains to the national pool, Khattar told the UK delegation. Apart from this, Haryana is also the largest exporter of basmati rice, he was quoted as saying in an official release. The chief minister said the state is going to develop an international airport at Hisar, about 150 km from New Delhi and About 2,400 acres of government land is available for this airport. Among those present in the meeting included Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Rajesh Khullar, Managing Director Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) T L Saytyaprakash, Chief Administrator, Haryana Shahari Vikash Pradhikaran (HSVP) J Ganeshan and other senior officers of the State Government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, today told the special CBI court here that she feared for her life in prison. Mukerjea had lost consciousness in her cell in Byculla Jail here on April 6 and was treated at a hospital for a suspected drug overdose before being discharged five days later "I fear for my life in prison," she claimed. Mukerjea claimed she had suffered a similar bout of illness earlier and that someone was trying to kill her. The examination of Mukerjea's former secretary, Kajal Sharma, was completed today by the prosecution. As soon as it was over, Mukerjea stood up and told judge J C Jagdale about how she landed in hospital. She said that she was fasting on April 6, and broke the fast with a bowl of 'dal' after returning to prison from the court in the evening. She then began to feel drowsy and was given some medicines, following which she passed out. She regained consciousness on April 9, she added. Mukerjea said she had a similar bout of fainting in October, 2015 as well and was hospitalised. "Someone is trying to kill me in the prison. I cannot deal with this for a third time. I'm constantly looking over my shoulder about what is going to happen to me next," she claimed. The judge made no comment nor passed any direction on her statement. The examination of Sharma got over today during which she identified both Mukerjea and her husband and co-accused Peter Mukerjea in the court. Sheena Bora (24), Mukerjea's daughter from an earlier relationship, was allegedly killed on April 24, 2012. The killing came to light when the Mukerjeas' driver, Shyamvar Rai, arrested in another case in August 2015, spilled the beans. According to the CBI, Indrani, Rai and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna were involved in Sheena's killing. Sheena was killed over a financial dispute, said the agency, which later also arrested Peter Mukerjea, a former media baron, for allegedly being part of the conspiracy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Benedict Cumberbatch admits he is critical of his own acting performances. The British actor, who plays the title role in "Patrick Melrose", says his criticism of himself is ''sharper than anyone would ever suspect''. "You always approach a much-loved literary character with trepidation. Because I know I'm not making the movie I have in my head as a reader of these books, let alone everyone else who comes to it with their expectations ... I'm not perfect casting in everyone's eyes. "And on top of that there's my own criticism, which is probably sharper than anyone would ever suspect. I'm my own worst critic, I really am. It's both a godsend and a curse," Cumberbatch told Culture magazine. The 41-year-old actor says he finds it ''horrible'' watching back his performances because he is ''brutally'' honest with himself. ''It's different when you've got a producer's hat on. If you're front and centre, that's really hard. I'm excited about the moment when I'm not in something and I can look at it with more more distance, but it's very peculiar. "It's always horrible - the way you look, the way you do things. It's just horrible. Trust me, the internet's full of hate but it's nothing compared to the self-critic in your head for brutality. I've said it all before they have," he said. "Patrick Melrose" is the on-screen adaptation of the novel by Edward St Aubyn. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "The Crown" star Matt Smith has come out in full support of his co-star Claire Foy and addressed the pay disparity controversy on the Netflix royal drama. According to a Variety report, Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth II on the popular series in seasons one and two, was paid less than Smith - around USD 40,000 per episode on the historical drama. It is, however, unclear how much Smith, who played Prince Philip in the show in the first two installments, earned. The 35-year-old actor said Foy was one of his "best friends" and he believes artistes should be paid "equally and fairly". "Claire is one of my best friends, and I believe that we should be paid equally and fairly and there should be equality for all. I support her completely, and I'm pleased that it was resolved and they made amends for it because that what's needed to happen. "Going forward, I think we should all bear in mind that we need to strive to make this better and a more even playing field for everyone involved - but not just in our industry, in all industries," Smith told The Hollywood Reporter. He was speaking on the sidelines of the world premiere of his new biopic "Mapplethorpe" at the Tribeca Film Festival. It is unclear what Smith was referring to when he said "they made amends for it". Last month, at a conference in Israel, the producers revealed that Smith earned more than Foy, 34. Left Bank creative director and executive producer Suzanne Mackie acknowledged that Smith's experience on "Doctor Who" added to the wage gap but pledged, "Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen." The production company, which backs "The Crown", then apologised after Foy's pay disparity generated a debate. The company apologised to both Foy and Smith in a statement and said the actors "cannot be held personally responsible for the pay of their colleagues". Foy later reacted to the uproar and said she was not surprised that the about her getting paid less than co-star Smith was met with a controversy. The roles of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and Princess Margaret (Vanessa Kirby have all been recast with older actors ahead of The Crown's third season. Netflix has been requested for comment on if Foy received compensation after completing her time on the series. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India retained the top position as recipient of remittances with its diaspora sending about USD 69 billion back home last year, the World Bank said today. Remittances to India picked up sharply by 9.9 per cent, reversing the previous year's dip, but were still short of USD 70.4 billion received in 2014. In its latest Migration and Development Brief, the World Bank estimated that officially recorded remittances to low-and middle-income countries reached USD 466 billion in 2017. This was an increase of 8.5 per cent over USD 429 billion in 2016. Global remittances, which include flows to high-income countries, grew 7 per cent to USD 613 billion last year, from USD 573 billion in 2016, the bank said. The stronger than expected recovery in remittances is driven by growth in Europe, Russia and the US. The rebound in remittances, when valued in US dollars, was helped by higher oil prices and a strengthening of euro and ruble, it added. India continued to top in terms of receiving remittance, and was followed by China (USD 64 billion), the Philippines (USD 33 billion), Mexico (USD 31 billion), Nigeria (USD 22 billion), and Egypt (USD 20 billion). The Bank said remittances to South Asia grew a moderate 5.8 per cent to USD 117 billion. Reversing previous year's sharp decline (8.9 per cent in 2016), remittances to India in 2017 picked up sharply by 9.9 percent, the bank said. As against USD 62.7 billion in 2016, it received USD 69 billion last year. The upsurge is likely to continue into 2018 on the back of stronger economic conditions in advanced economies (particularly the US) and an increase in oil prices that should have a positive impact on the GCC countries. However, flows to Pakistan and Bangladesh were both largely flat in 2017, while Sri Lanka saw a small decline (-0.9 per cent). In 2018, remittances to the region will likely grow modestly by 2.5 percent to USD 120 billion. Pakistan received USD 20 billion in remittances, whereas Bangladesh received USD 13 billion. Remittances are expected to continue to increase in 2018, by 4.1 per cent to reach USD 485 billion. Global remittances are expected to grow 4.6 per cent to USD 642 billion in 2018. The Bank said, the global average cost of sending USD 200 was 7.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2018, more than twice as high as the Sustainable Development Goal target of 3 per cent. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most expensive place to send money to, where the average cost is 9.4 per cent. Major barriers to reducing remittance costs are de-risking by banks and exclusive partnerships between post office systems and money transfer operators. These factors constrain the introduction of more efficient technologies-such as internet and smartphone apps and the use of crypto currency and blockchain-in remittance services. While remittances are growing, countries, institutions, and development agencies must continue to chip away at high costs of remitting so that families receive more of the money. Eliminating exclusivity contracts to improve market competition and introducing more efficient technology are high-priority issues, said Dilip Ratha, lead author of the Brief and head of KNOMAD. In a special feature, the Brief notes that transit migrants-who only stay temporarily in a transit country-are usually not able to send money home. Migration may help them escape poverty or persecution, but many also become vulnerable to exploitation by human smugglers during the transit. Host communities in the transit countries may find their own poor population competing with the new-comers for low-skill jobs, it said. BJP President Amit Shah today mocked the Congress' 'Save the Constitution' campaign, launched by its chief Rahul Gandhi, as a "farce" and a "saving dynasty" drive, as he accused the opposition party of 'demonising' every institution. On a day the Rajya Sabha chairman rejected a Congress-led move to impeach the Chief Justice of India, Shah also made his first comment on the issue and alleged that the opposition party's campaign was part of a larger conspiracy to "demonize and weaken every institution" that seeks to maintain its identity and does not "kowtow to the dynasty". In an apparent reference to the Supreme Court last week rejecting pleas seeking probe into death of judge B H Loya, the ruling party chief said "everyone knows" the reasons for which the judiciary has "invited the wrath of Congress the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty", but he would not get into that. Soon after Gandhi launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Congress' 'Save the Constitution' campaign, Shah hit back at the Congress and its chief and said it is becoming increasingly clear that their "Modi hatred" is fast turning into "India hatred". "Our institutions which are an outcome of our Constitution today need to be saved from the onslaught of the Congress Party. The Congress Party has spared no institution and is attacking the EC, Supreme Court, Army for petty political gains," Shah said in a statement. "Those who do not trust the Army, the judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, EVMs and the RBI are now saying democracy is in danger. India has a vibrant democracy and a vibrant Constitution," Shah said. Attacking Gandhi and other Congress leaders, Shah said they were blinded by their disdain for Modi and were using "choicest of words and phrases to show India in bad light". Earlier in the day, Gandhi had said that India may burn and girls raped but Modi was merely interested in becoming prime minister again and the country's standing has taken a beating under his four year rule. Hitting back, Shah said if there is one political party that has "trampled over the Constitution in letter and spirit, time and again, it is the Congress party", as he cited the example of the then Congress government promulgating Emergency in 1975. Terming the Congress' campaign to 'Save the Constitution' as both "ironical and comical", Shah said, "They do not want rule of democracy but they want rule of dynasty. Its Save the Constitution' campaign is nothing but a farce that seeks to perpetuate the rule of dynasty over the rule of democracy. Like in the past, we need to protect the Constitution from the Congress," he said. Shah also took to popular social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook with a post titled 'Saving the Constitution or Saving Dynasty' and accused the Congress of again taking the "only path it knows very well, of spreading hate and divisions in our society". Asking Gandhi and his party to stop their "theatrics and aggression", the BJP chief alleged that when the UPA was in power, the then Army chief was targeted and the entire Army was dragged into a political slugfest. Shah also said the Congress had launched a tirade against the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) when the country was witnessing a "grand awakening against the corruption" of its government, while now it has trained its guns on the Election Commission by questioning the sanctity of the polling process after facing repeated electoral defeats in the last four years. "Time changes, the context changes but the means as well as the ends remain the same -- discredit any institution that comes in the way of furthering the rule of the dynasty," the BJP president said. Shah also recalled dismissal of several opposition-ruled state governments by different Congress dispensations at the Centre in the past, including of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. He also accused Rahul Gandhi of humiliating Dalit icon Bhimrao Ambedkar with his claim that the Congress made the Constitution, saying he is "continuing his family legacy" with such insults. Earlier at a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said Gandhi in his speech had credited his party and Ambedkar of making the Constitution, which amounted to relegating the stalwart to the back bench. "It is well known how Pandit Nehru personally ensured the defeat of Dr. Ambedkar in not one but two elections", Shah said. "It is also no coincidence that in 1997, the year Sonia Gandhi took the primary membership of the Congress, the Third Front government backed by it took away promotional benefits of SC/ST employees," he said, while adding that it was the subsequent Vajpayee government that amended the Constitution to ensure justice for them. Gandhi's attack on the Modi government over Dalit issues and Shah's mention of Ambedkar and the first NDA government's efforts for benefits aimed at SC/ST employees underline the battle for the votes of these numerically strong communities between the two parties as they gear up for the next Lok Sabha polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Home Minister Rajnath Singh today accused the Congress government in poll-bound Karnataka of adopting "the model of political violence" from Kerala, but assured people that BJP will end the violent targeting of political workers if it comes to power in the state. Addressing a series of campaign meetings for BJP, Singh also claimed that there have been 3,781 cases of suicide by farmers during the five-year Congress rule led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. "It seems the Congress government in Karnataka has adopted the model of political violence from neighbouring Kerala. Many political workers were killed under Siddaramaiah's rule. The BJP will bring an end to the political violence after coming to power in Karnataka," he said. The campaign for the 224-member Karnataka Assembly is heating up with prominent leaders visiting the state and the political parties announcing their candidate lists for the polls. BJP, which is making an all-out effort to oust the Congress government from the state, today released its fourth list of candidates. With that, it has declared nominees for 220 seats. On March 30, BJP president Amit Shah, on his fourth visit to the state after the announcement of the polling date, had accused the state government of unleashing violence against BJP and RSS workers. Today, Singh also expressed concern over the state of law and order in Karnataka, claiming not even senior government officials were safe. "Who is responsible for the death of Mangaluru Deputy SP M K Ganapathi? Who humiliated Mysore Collector Shikha Rai? Even Lokayukta was stabbed in his office," Singh said. Ganapathy, 51, was found hanging from the ceiling fan at a lodge in Madikeri on July 7, prior to which he gave an interview to a TV channel in which he held a state government minister and senior administration officials responsible "if anything happens" to him. Karnataka's lokayukta Vishwanath Shetty was injured at his office in Bengaluru in early March, allegedly by a man angry over Shetty's refusal to entertain his complaint. Singh said Siddaramaiah had promised to give Rs 1 lakh as assistance to the family of farmers who committed suicide but has not done that yet. "It shows the insensitivity of the Siddaramaiah government." Singh said the Siddaramaiah government claims it is "Sidde Sarkar" - but in reality "Sidde Sarkar is Nidde Sarkar" (Siddharamaih government is a sleeping government). He said should not be guided by caste, religion or sect but by principles of justice and humanity. "Congress is playing 'minority-majority' card just before elections," he said. The home minister alleged Congress has devised new ways to divert people's attention from its failure - it celebrated the 'Tipu Jayanti' but does not allow the celebration of 'Hanuman Jayanti'. Singh alleged corruption and Congress are the two sides of a coin but there has not been a single charge against any minister under the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre. In Karnataka however, Singh said, not much has changed in the past five years of Congress rule. The Centre gave more than Rs 2 lakh crore to Karnataka under the 14th Finance Commission, while the state had received only Rs 88,000 crore under the UPA dispensation, he said. Singh said B S Yeddyurappa, BJP's chief ministerial candidate, ran a farmer-friendly government in Karnataka and only he can provide a farmer-friendly government to the state. Referring to his close connection with Karnataka, Singh said when he became the BJP national president, Karnataka was the first southern state where the party formed government. "I have a close emotional connect with Karnataka," he said. In an obvious reference to the opposition parties move to impeach Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, the home minister said nobody should diminish the importance of constitutional bodies and authorities of the country. "May God give these people good sense," he said. Singh said the NDA government has introduced a scheme named 'Ayushman Bharat' to provide medical cover of Rs 5 lakh to 10 crore poor families of the country. "We in the BJP work as socio-political workers. Our Party is working towards giving good and better governance to people," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kate Middleton was today admitted to a leading hospital here in the early stages of labour to deliver her and Prince William's third child, Kensington Palace announced. Kate and William are expecting their third child, after Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The fifth-in-line, Royal baby will be Queen Elizabeth II's sixth great-grandchild. "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London earlier this morning in the early stages of labour. The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge," the Palace said in a statement. The countdown to the royal baby began earlier this month as barriers and parking restrictions sprung up at the London hospital where the new-born is to be welcomed. The Palace had not revealed the baby's due date but it was expected that notices would go up around St Mary's Hospital in Paddington a couple of weeks before the birth, planned at the Lindo Wing where Kate gave birth to George and Charlotte. The yellow notices put up outside the Lindo Wing refer to an "event" and suspended parking on the street from April 9 until April 30. Some reports had been speculating on the due date being today but Kate has gone beyond her due date for both her previous pregnancies George in 2013 and Charlotte in 2015 leading to what was dubbed as the "Great Kate Wait". The new child will be fifth in line to the British throne, behind big sister Charlotte and pushing uncle Prince Harry one place down the line of succession to sixth. He or she will be the sixth great grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II, who celebrated her 92nd birthday on Saturday. A change in the law after William, 35, Kate, 36, were married in April 2011 gave female heirs the same rights of accession to the throne in the UK as men. Kate suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, or severe levels of nausea and vomiting, during the early stages of her pregnancy during all three births. A formal signed bulletin will be placed outside Buckingham Palace announcing the of the new-born after William has informed his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and other members of the royal family once the baby is born. Britain's royal gynaeologist Guy Thorpe-Beeston will be present for the birth. As with both previous births, media positions are clearly marked on the pavement opposite the Lindo Wing doors where Kate and husband William will emerge with their new arrival. William and Kate have chosen not to find out if they are having a boy or girl, but bookies are favouring a girl. For a girl, the favourite names are Alice, Mary, Victoria and Alexandra, with Albert, Arthur, Frederick and James as the top choices for a boy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Kerala Tourism, led by" state minister, Kadakampally Surendran, will be participating in the Arabian Travel Mart in Dubai in a bid to increase tourist arrivals from the Arabian region. The mart will conclude on April 25. Statistics reveal that the tourist arrivals to Kerala from the Middle-East have been increasing with visitors from UAE going up by 2.64 per cent last year as against the previous year. Visitors from Kuwait saw an increase of 14.33 per cent during last year and"Oman 5.75 per cent, a press release said. The Kerala minister held discussions with local tourism players and presented before them the significance of travelling across Kerala. He also met and held talks with Sri Lanka Tourism Minister, John Amartunga and Maharashtra Tourism Minister, Jaykumar Rawal among others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Africa's batting great AB de Villiers today said Virat Kohli has been fantastic as captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, proving his mettle time and again under difficult circumstances. "The true judge of a good captain is when you don't perform well and still do a good job while leading a side. He has come through with flying colours when it comes to that. He has been a fantastic captain for us," de Villiers told media at an event here. De Villiers said Kohli is putting a lot of effort and energy to keep the side in good stead in the training sessions and hopes he scores a lot many runs in the remainder of the IPL. Asked whether he and Kohli feels the pressure when other batsmen fails to score runs, de Villiers said: "It is normal to feel pressure because we are international players. However, I don't feel extra pressure, I don't think Virat feels it either. We have a team of match-winners and it is up to us to share the load." The South African run machine said won't be surprised if a couple of youngsters come through with flying colours in the ongoing IPL. "In the last five years or so I have seen a lot of talent coming through. I see youngsters playing without any fear so I won't be surprised if a couple of players come through. "I won't say that only the experienced players are performing. We're not even halfway through yet, so there is a lot of time for the youngsters to do well," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 57-year-old lawyer was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl on the Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai Express, police said. The advocate allegedly assaulted her when she was asleep. The girl woke up and raised an alarm, following which her family nabbed him and informed the Travelling Ticket Examiner. The Chennai-based lawyer had boarded the train from Coimbatore on April 21 night, police said. He was handed over to railway police here, which registered a case against him under The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), 2012. The lawyer was later lodged in a prison in Coimbatore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There was a political divide among lawyers associated with various parties today over Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu's decision to reject the impeachment notice against the Chief Justice of India (CJI), as they termed the move either as "most perfect" or "erroneous" and "astounding". While senior advocate and Congress MP K T S Tulsi criticised the Vice President's decision saying it was a serious matter and corruption could not be allowed to grow in the judiciary, senior lawyer and BJP leader Aman Sinha said the notice was rightly rejected with "sound legal reasoning". "After dealing with all five charges individually, the Rajya Sabha chairman has come to a conclusion that they hold no legal merit. They are unsustainable and unjustifiable and therefore the notice for impeachment has been rightly rejected by him on very sound legal reasoning and cogent legal grounds," Sinha said and blamed the Congress for trying to "intimidate the judiciary" by moving the notice. "As far as impeachment motion is concerned, it was known that it would be defeated. The only aim of the Congress was to intimidate the judiciary and put the integrity of the Supreme Court under cloud," he said. Activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who is in the forefront of leading the campaign against the CJI, said the decision was "unconstitutional" and "political" to protect the CJI. But Bar Council of India chairman, Manan Kumar Mishra, said it was the "most perfect" decision that has made all "sensitive people" in the country happy. Opposing Mishra's view, Bhushan, who is the founding member of the political outfit, Swaraj Abhiyan, mostly comprising leaders who defected from the Aam Admi Party, said "it is very astounding that the Vice President decided to reject such a serious impeachment motion signed by 64 MPs of Rajya Sabha containing five very serious charges of misbehavior. "The RS chairman only has to see if the notice was signed by requisite number of people and whether these charges on the face of it amount to misbehavior or not. He has no business to go into the merits of the charges. That's for the enquiry committee to decide. "This has clearly been done at the behest of the government and totally illegal and unconstitutional and malafide and hope it will be challenged by the MPs. It is a political decision to protect the CJI," Bhushan said. Mishra, however, said there could not be any other decision on this issue as only after applying his mind, Naidu took the decision not to advance the motion. "All sensitive people in this country are happy with this decision," he said. On the contrary, Tulsi said Naidu has wrongly decided the motion at the stage where he should have only examined the admissibility. "To apply the requirement of proved misbehavior at the stage of examining the admissibility of the motion is erroneous and I regret to say that this is a very serious matter. We cannot allow the cancer of corruption to grow in the body of judiciary," he said. On the issue of the powers of the RS chairman, Sinha said Naidu exercised his power and responsibility under section 3 of Judges Inquiry Act, 1968, but Tulsi said under section 3 1(B) of the Act, the chairman only has the power to examine whether the requirements of the minimum numbers of signatories in either of the two Houses is present or not. "Naidu was entitled to adjudicate on admissibility of notice of impeachment under section 3 of Judges Inquiry Act 1968. He has exercised his power and responsibility in pursuance to this section. He has perused all the documents on record before arriving at the decision," Sinha said. Tulsi, on the other hand, said, "under 3 1(B) of the The Judges (Inquiry) Act, the Chairman only has the power to examine as to whether the requirements of minimum numbers of signatories in either of the two houses is present or not. "The wisdom of over 50 members of Parliament is required because they will understand the gravity . If there is an allegation of corruption, in which there maybe evidence that the CJI maybe part of the conspiracy. That has to be examined as per procedure. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The family of a Lithuanian tourist, whose highly decomposed body was recovered from near Kovalam, today demanded a high-level probe into the circumstances leading to her death. "We demand a special crime investigation team formed to find out what happened to Liga Skromene," her sister Ilze, told reporters here. "We want justice for Liga," an emotional Ilze said. Kerala Police had set up a special investigation team to probe into her disappearance, 10 days after the family had filed a missing complaint, she claimed. "Only 10 days after Liga disappeared had police begun a serious probe to trace her," she said adding her sister was murdered. A highly decomposed body, with head severed was recovered from Thiruvallam near Kovalam on April 21 from a bushy isolated area near a mangrove forest on the banks of Karmana river. Police had suspected that the body was that of Liga and are awaiting DNA test reports. Family members had recognised her by her hair and clothes. Liga's husband, Andrews, said she could not have been where she was found on her own. He also appealed to the local people to give any information to police if they had seen anything fishy. "There have been 'serious lapses' in the inquiry by Kerala police," they alleged. The state government had yesterday promised all help to the family to transport Liga's body to their native place for last rites. The government had also promised to provide Rs five lakh as immediate relief. Thirty three-year-old Liga who had come for Ayurvedic treatment for depression, went missing from Kovalam on March 14. Police had formed an SIT and launched a massive search to trace Liga.They had also announced a reward of Rs two lakh for anyone providing information about the missing woman. IG, Thiruvananthapuram range, Manoj Abraham would supervise the investigation relating to Liga's death. DGP Loknath Behara told reporters that the truth should come out. A woman foreign tourist had come to Kerala and died.A proper investigation will be held to bring out the truth.It is a challenge to the state police, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay High Court today emphasised the need for the state government to make its police force aware of changes in laws and said police should always work towards the welfare of the victim, especially in cases that involved minors or women. A division bench of Justices N H Patil and G S Kulkarni had earlier this month, while permitting a minor victim of rape to terminate her 24-week pregnancy, sought to know from the Maharashtra government if any circular or guidelines were issued to the police on how to handle such cases. The court had said that police should be sensitised on how to handle such cases and should inform the victim, her parents or family about the options they had regarding termination of pregnancy. Government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani today told the court that while there were some guidelines in place, it did not cover the aspects raised by the court. "The government is willing to set up a committee and look into the issue and come up with revised guidelines if directed by the court," he said. The bench then said the government must take steps to ensure that the police system is aware of each and every law, and amendments made to it. "Especially in such cases where the victim is a minor or a woman, police should be clear as to how to approach the case and what should be the next step. Police should provide assistance and work towards the welfare of the victim," Justice Patil said. The court was informed by the victim's lawyer, Deepa Chavan, that as per the court orders the girl's pregnancy was terminated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man was today arrested with 700 grams of cannabis from a bus in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. During a routine checking, a police team intercepted the bus near Chanderkote village and seized the cannabis from Gulam Hassan, a resident of Banihal town, police said. He was arrested and a case was registered against him. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two brothers cut off the nose of a man married to their sister as an act of revenge for marrying without the family's consent in Pakistan's Punjab province, police said today. The victim, identified as Tanveer, had married with the sister of Saeed Ahmed and Haji Ahmed without receiving the consent of the bride's family in Dera Ghazi Khan in the province, a senior police officer was quoted as saying by Dawn. Tanveer was invited to a feast by his brothers-in-law last night, where they beat him and cut off his nose as an act of revenge, the officer said. The victim was rushed to district headquarters hospital Rajanpur for treatment. His condition is said to be stable, the paper said. His wife's brothers have been arrested, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of a minor girl who went missing from a village in Muzaffarpur district since Saturday was found lying in a field and the police said prima facie it appeared to be a case of rape and murder. The police recovered her body from the field, 500 metres away from her residence, at Musahari village yesterday morning, Station House Officer of Musahari Women's police station Jyoti Kumari said. Some villagers spotted the girl's body, with several injury marks and informed the deceased's family members and the police, the SHO said. The body has been sent to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) Muzaffarpur for post-mortem. "Prima facie, it seems that the girl was killed after rape. Blood clots were spotted on the body," the SHO said. Muzaffarpur (East) Deputy Superintendent of Police Gaurav Pandey said, "Post-mortem report will ascertain whether it is a case of rape-cum-murder. Police are yet to receive the report. Prima facie, it seems that the girl may have been killed after rape." The police are investigating the matter after lodging an FIR with Musahri police station on the basis of the statement of the deceased's mother, Pandey said. The Police are taking the help of a dog squad to trace the killers besides asking the Forensic Science Laboratory to collect the samples from the spot, he said. The girl used to go to a neighbour's house to watch TV regularly, the police said. When the girl did not return home till 10 pm on Saturday from her neighbour's home, family members started looking for her but she was found missing, the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A minor girl was allegedly raped by a 35-year-old man at a village in Odisha's Jajpur district, in another incident of sexual assault of minors in the state. The 10-year-old girl was allegedly raped at Malaanandapur on Friday evening and the accused was arrested and sent to jail yesterday on the basis of a complaint filed by the girl's father, said Prasanta Kumar Mallha, Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Jajpur. The accused, identified as Gatikrushna Dalei of the same village, was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days after his bail plea was rejected by a court, police said. According to the complaint filed by the girl's father, Dalei came to his house on Friday evening and took his daughter to a shop on the pretext of buying her cold drinks. "As Dalei is a fellow villager, we allowed our daughter to go with him," he said in the complaint. When the girl did not return home after one hour, the family members started a frantic search. A missing report was filed with the Sadar police station, he said. On Saturday, some locals found the girl profusely bleeding and lying in an unconscious state in a nearby brick kiln of the village, he said. A police team reached the spot and took the girl to a local hospital. The accused was arrested after the police conducted raids at several places, the SDPO said. Police have conducted medical examination of the victim and the accused at the district head quarters hospital in Jajpur town. The accused also confessed to the crime before the police, the SDPO said. Police said the accused was arrested under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of POCSO Act. The incident comes close on the heels of a series of incidents of rape of minor girls in the state. Two girls - one aged six years and the other four years -- were allegedly raped in Cuttack and Kendrapara districts on Saturday. Similar incidents had rocked Balasore, Kalahandi and Mayurbhanj districts of the state earlier. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 24-year-old Indian man, who had gone missing in Pakistan during Baisakhi festival celebrations, was found from his "Facebook friend's" residence in Sheikhupura, about 50 kms from here, an official of the Evacuee Trust Property Board said today. Amarjit Singh, a resident of Amritsar, had arrived in Pakistan along with other 1,700 Sikh pilgrims to celebrate Baisakhi festival on April 12. But his disappearance was only noticed when the entourage, he came along with, embarked upon the return journey to India. Confirming that Singh had been traced, spokesperson of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Amir Hashmi said that Singh has been traced and will be handed over to the Indian authorities tomorrow. "Amarjit Singh has been found and will be sent back to India tomorrow. Singh on his arrival to Nankana Sahib had left the group to meet his Facebook friend - Amir Razzak - in Sheikhupura (some 30km from Nankana Sahib). "In fact the family of Razzak contacted the board and told it about his (Singh) stay at his residence. Today, both Singh and Razzak visited the ETPB office in Lahore and told it that he (Singh) had not gone missing," Hashmi told PTI. He said, Singh told the board that he thought that he had a one month visa and he would return the country after spending a couple of week with his friend here. The ETPB takes passports from the visiting pilgrims and return them on their departure to their homeland. A source told PTI that Pakistani intelligence agencies have quizzed Singh for 'several hours' over his 'missing'. "After it was established that he had not deliberately disappeared and had no links with the Indian intelligence agency, Singh was handed over to the ETPB to be deported to India," he said. According to investigation by the ETPB, Singh separated himself on April 16 from the visiting Sikh group members on a visit to Gurdwara Janamestan in Nankana Sahib (some 80km from Lahore). The ETB came to know about his disappearance when Singh did not turn up on April 21 along with other visiting Indian Sikhs at the Wagah railway station to leave for India. Singh and others had a valid Pakistani visa till April 21. Singh's disappearance came at the heels of another visiting Indian pilgrim Kiran Bala, who married a Pakistani man Mohammad Azam, a resident of Lahore, and applied for Pakistani citizenship. She had arrived Lahore on April 12 to attend the Baisakhi festival. She has applied for Pakistan citizenship and extension to her visa. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress president Rahul Gandhi today alleged mediapersons were being "suppressed" under the BJP's watch and assured his party would defend them even if the media attacked the Grand Old party like it did for 70 years. Our friends from the press are here. They are being suppressed (in the present regime). But they will speak up in two-three months, the entire country will speak up, Gandhi said, while launching the Congress's Save the Constitution' campaign. The campaign aims to highlight alleged attacks on the Constitution and atrocities against Dalits under the present regime. Gandhi suggested that there was a difference between the Congress and the BJP governments when it came to protecting members of the media. The Congress governments protected the media even though it attacked, wrote against them. A press person has asked me a question, I will answer it...Now you (the journalist) do me a favour. When Mr Narendra Modi is speaking, you go and ask him a question. They will pick you up and throw you out of the room. That is the difference between us and them, Gandhi added. Gandhi had also talked about protecting the press at the Congress's 84th plenary session held here last month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Major tyre manufacturing" company, MRF Limited today announced it will provide rain" guarding materials, free of cost, to the marginal farmers of" Karnataka during the current year. The company said it has identified seven cooperative societies and rubber processing societies as channel partners for implementing the programme. With four months of heavy rainfall, marginal farmers in" Karnataka were unable to eke out their living tapping rubber" due to their inability to afford rain guarding materials. Considering the hardship, MRF has decided to extend support to such farmers, the company said in a release here. MRF Limited Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Arun" Mammen said, "We have decided to cover 8,005 hectares of" rubber plantations in Karnataka having more than 32 lakh" rubber trees for rain guarding this year. About 7500 farmers" will be benefitted (with the programme)." A company spokesperson told PTI that the rain guard" material is for rubber trees and the scheme will be" implemented in Mangaluru, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu districts. The company said that it is the largest domestic" purchaser of dry rubber in India. Indian requirement of natural rubber per year is about 10,00,000 tonnes of which India produces only about 7,00,000 tonnes and imports the rest. Rain guarding of rubber plantations will significantly reduce this gap, the company stated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police exhumed the body of a 22-year-old woman, suspected to have been killed by her Income Tax inspector husband, from the premises of his rented accommodation in Harni area here, city Police Commissioner Manoj Sashidhar said today. "The body was found buried in a six-feet deep trench on the premises of the IT inspector's rented house here. It was exhumed yesterday," he said. The postmortem of the body would be conducted in Jaipur, the police commissioner said. The income tax inspector, Lokesh Chaudhary (30), posted in Vadodara, was arrested for allegedly killing his 28-year-old wife and burying her body over his affair with another woman, police had said. "Lokesh Chaudhary (30) called his wife (28) to Vadodara from Jaipur on April 11 and killed her. He later buried her body. A team reached Vadodara today to exhume the body," Additional DCP (Jaipur East) Hanuman Prasad had said yesterday. The accused had filed a missing complaint of his wife with the Jaipur police to evade suspicion on him. But he later confessed to killing the woman with the help of an aide, according to the officer. Hailing from Alwar, Chaudhary got married in February last. His wife was studying in Jaipur. The accused developed a relationship with another woman, also hailing from Alwar, who pressurised him to divorce his wife, the police had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Music Broadcast, a Jagran group firm that runs Radio City FM, today said it has acquired the radio division of Ananda Offset for an undisclosed amount on a slump sale basis. "Under the terms of the agreement Music Broadcast will acquire 100 per cent ownership of the radio division of Ananda Offset, subject to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting approval," the company said in a statement. Ananda Offset holds a channel licence in Kolkata under the name 'Friends 91.9 FM', which is operational since 2007. Music Broadcast has had a sales alliance with Ananda Offset since the last five years and the acquisition allows it to enter into the Kolkata market, which is one of the top five markets in the country. "Through this acquisition, we will expand our reach to 71 per cent of the FM population in India, which currently stands at 62 per cent through 39 stations. A healthy mix of organic and inorganic growth has helped us stay ahead of the curves," Music Broadcast director and Jagran Prakashan president Apurva Purohit said. The company said the focus is to untap the large potential from national advertisers and the transaction is expected to help in improving the earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margins. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Myanmar is a key pillar of India's Act East policy as it connects the northeastern states with Southeast Asia via land route, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said today. The Act East policy is an effort by India to boost its influence through economic and strategic linkages with the neighbouring Southeast Asian sub-region. It was originally conceived as an economic initiative, but has gained political, strategic and cultural dimensions including establishment of institutional mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation. Addressing a conference on 'India-Myanmar Trade and Connectivity', organised by Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations in New Delhi, Singh said the Act East policy is crucial to the entire Southeast Asia. Myanmar is one of the key pillars of the policy, since it connects India with Southeast Asian countries through land - via the northeastern states of India. A significant fact is that many states in the region share a common border with Myanmar, he said. The minister for Development of North-Eastern Region DoNER), emphasised the policy effectively goes beyond the eastern borders and it is essential aimed at promoting the potential of the region on this side of the border. Myanmar is not only geographically a proximate country with strong historical and economic linkages but the people on two sides of the border share common lifestyle, food habits and cultural traits, he said. The DoNER minister said any meaningful trade engagement with Myanmar can be done primarily through products and goods inherent to the northeastern states. Myanmar is also a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It joined the ASEAN in July 1997, making up what is today the 10-member ASEAN grouping. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A road accident in North Korea has caused "heavy casualties" among Chinese tourists, China's foreign ministry said today. The ministry provided few details but China's state broadcaster CGTN earlier tweeted that more than 30 people died when a tour bus fell from a bridge in North Korea. The tweet was later deleted. China was informed that the accident occurred last night, and its embassy personnel in Pyongyang rushed to the scene and are working to manage the situation, the foreign ministry statement said. The vast majority of foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese, with the Cold War-era allies sharing a long land border and operating flights between the two countries. Tens of thousands of Chinese tourists are believed to visit the North every year, with many crossing via train through the Chinese border city of Dandong. North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said today Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu acted in a "hurried manner" while rejecting the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. "This instance has set a bad precedence, which is not good for democracy," he told PTI here, adding that Naidu should have followed proper procedures before rejecting the notice. "There are procedures in the Constitution and chairman of Rajya Sabha should have followed it instead of acting in a hurried manner," Chatterjee said. Referring to previous instances of impeachment notices, Chatterjee said procedures were then followed properly. Naidu rejected today the unprecedented impeachment notice given by Opposition parties, led by the Congress, against CJI Dipak Misra, saying it "lacked substantial merit" and allegations were neither "tenable nor admissible". The vice-president held that the allegations emerging from the present case have a serious tendency of "undermining" the independence of the judiciary. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eminent jurist and former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee today welcomed Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu's decision to reject the impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra, saying he has "rightly applied his mind". Sorabjee said the vice president has found no merit in the notice given by opposition parties led by the Congress for impeachment and has consulted legal experts before arriving at the decision. "The vice president has applied his mind. He has consulted legal experts and has come to a decision. We did not want the matter hanging indefinitely. "He (Naidu) has gone into the matter and has found no merit in it and no ground for impeachment, therefore, he rejected it," Sorabjee told a TV channel. When asked about the procedure ahead if the opposition moves the apex court to challenge Naidu's decision, Sorabjee said he did not see the petition succeeding. "I don't see chances of the writ petition (challenging the VP's decision) succeeding," he said. Naidu has rejected the impeachment notice against the CJI, citing lack of substantial merit in it. "We cannot allow any of our pillars of governance to be weakened by any thought, word or action," the vice president said in his order. Seven opposition parties led by the Congress had last week moved a notice before him for impeachment of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on five grounds of "misbehavior". This is the first time ever that an impeachment notice has been filed against a sitting CJI. Leaders of the opposition parties had on Friday last met Naidu and handed over the notice of impeachment against the CJI bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired. The parties had briefed the media after handing over the notice to the Upper House chairman. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury today said Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu's decision to reject the Opposition's impeachment plea of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra was done with a "certain degree of non-application of mind". "I am sorry to say that about the honourable Vice-President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Naidu), but I think that the methods, that had been very clearly laid down -- both in the constitutional procedures and the rules -- have not been followed," Yechury told PTI. He said the presiding officer of either House, in which the impeachment motion has been moved, does not have the discretion to independently decide about the validity of the motion. The motion needs to be referred to a three-member committee, which normally should include a Supreme Court judge, a high court chief justice and a jurist. Yechury, who was re-elected as the party's general secretary yesterday, said if that committee gives the findings, saying the impeachment motion is untenable, then the Chairman could have taken the decision. "But, without doing that, taking that decision (rejection of impeachment plea) smacks of a certain degree of non-application of mind and also been in a hurry. I am sure that the members will go to the Supreme Court to appeal because that is the right the members have," Yechury said. "I can say this with a certain degree of experience, because... (of the impeachment notice) I moved against Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court," the 65-year-old Left leader said. The Rajya Sabha had, in 2011, passed an impeachment motion against Justice Sen. But, before the motion could be placed in the Lok Sabha, Sen resigned. The government, Yechury claimed, did not want to create a situation where the Chief Justice of India was "deprived morally" of his authority to decide on the roster. Earlier today, Naidu rejected the notice given by Opposition parties, led by the Congress, for impeachment of the CJI, citing "lack of substantial merit" in it. On January 12, four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court -- Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph -- had raised a litany of problems, including assigning of cases in the top court, and said there were certain issues afflicting the country's highest court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today lashed out at Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for rejecting an impeachment notice filed by opposition parties against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and said it would move the Supreme Court to challenge the illegal order which had shattered the confidence of the people. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal told reporters here Naidu's order jeopardised the country's legal system and said the government was not keen to see a probe into the case. To say the least, the order is unprecedented, illegal, ill-advised and hasty," Sibal said, adding that it had been passed without a full-fledged enquiry. "We will certainly move a petition in the Supreme Court to challenge this order, Sibal asserted. Describing Naidu's move as "unprecedented", the Congress leader stressed that never before in India's history had a motion moved by MPs been dismissed at the preliminary stage. "It is illegal because the chairman has passed an order which is required to be passed after a full-fledged inquiry," Sibal said, adding that the Rajya Sabha chairman had to only ascertain whether the motion was in order. He wondered what the hurry was to reject the motion which had the valid signatures of 64 MPs. "It is our privilege to move the motion. You cannot boot the privilege in this manner," Sibal said. The order had shattered the confidence of the people and jeopardised the legal system, he added. "It seems that the government is very keen that this (charge made in the petition) must not be allowed to be inquired into. Maybe they have information that the CBI has information, maybe by scuttling the inquiry they don't want a lot of information to come on record. It puts the judicial system into jeopardy," he said. The order destroys the legitimate processes of the law. It seeks to ensure that no enquiry takes place, he added. "We will certainly move the petition in the Supreme Court. We are confident that when we move the petition, the CJI will have nothing to do with it so that it is heard and the serious issues, which are constitutional in nature and which will determine whether we bring transparency to the system, would be heard in the court, Sibal said. Earlier in the day, AICC media-in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala had also criticised the decision and said it was a fight between forces "rejecting democracy" and voices "rescuing democracy". Surjewala said within hours of 64 MPs submitting the impeachment notice, Leader of the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley had shown "naked prejudice" by calling it a revenge petition, "virtually dictating the verdict" to the Rajya Sabha chairman. In a tweet, Congress spokesperson and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi said Naidu "expectedly" rejected the impeachment motion and that too within a day of his return to Delhi. Naidu had earlier today turned down the impeachment notice given by the Congress and six other opposition parties against CJI Misra, saying it lacked substantial merit and that the allegations were neither "tenable nor admissible". The other parties were the CPI, CPI(M), NCP, SP, BSP and the IUML. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu today rejected the unprecedented notice by seven opposition parties led by the Congress to impeach CJI Dipak Misra on five grounds of "misbehaviour", saying the allegations were neither "tenable nor admissible". But the order by the vice president that came two days after the opposition parties launched the impeachment bid was slammed as "hasty" by the Congress, sparking a war of words with the ruling BJP. The notice was dismissed at the preliminary stage of the multi-step impeachment process. The order, which said that the Notice of Motion does not deserve to be admitted, also drew a mixed response among the legal fraternity. It was given shortly before the Supreme Court reassembled after the weekend recess. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said the party would move the Supreme Court to challenge what he said was an "unprecedented, illegal, ill-advised and hasty order" which had shattered the confidence of people and "jeopardised" the legal system. Sources said that Naidu, who chairs the Rajya Sabha, arrived at the decision based on the opinion of top legal and constitutional experts, including former secretary generals of Lok Sabha and other legal luminaries with whom he held extensive consultations. Naidu also took the views of top legal and constitutional experts, including former chief justices and judges, over the past two days before taking the decision, the sources said. He said the allegations emerging from the present case have a "serious tendency" of undermining the independence of judiciary which is the basic tenet of the Constitution of India. Leaders of seven opposition parties had on Friday last met Naidu and handed over the notice of impeachment against the Chief Justice of India(CJI) bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called the notice a "revenge petition" after the Supreme Court rejected a plea for an independent probe into the death of judge B H Loya who presided over the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake ancounter case. "I have considered the material contained in the Notice of Motion and reflected upon the inputs received in my interaction with legal luminaries and constitutional experts, I am of the firm opinion that the Notice of Motion does not deserve to be admitted," Naidu said in the order. "I refuse to admit the Notice of Motion," he said. Naidu said he had detailed personal conversation on all aspects arising from the notice and had considered each of the allegations made in it individually as well as collectively. "Clearly this is an internal matter to be resolved by the Supreme court itself. Going through the five allegations mentioned in the notice, I am of the view that they are neither tenable nor admissible," he said in his order. "Based on all this, I have come to the conclusion that this motion does not deserve to be admitted...On careful analysis and reflection, I find there is virtually no concrete verifiable imputation," he said. The Rajya Sabha chairman said that after having perused annexures to the motion, detailed consultations and studied opinions of constitutional experts, he was "satisfied that admission of this Notice of Motion is neither desirable nor proper on any of these grounds". Naidu also held the "We cannot allow any of our pillars of governance to be weakened by any thought, word or action." "In the absence of credible and verifiable information placed before me which gives an indication of 'misbehavior' or 'incapacity', it would be inappropriate and irresponsible act to accept statement which have little imperial basis," he said. Sibal told reporters that the Chairman's order jeopardised the country's legal system and alleged that the government was not keen to see a probe into the case. "The order is unprecedented, illegal, ill-advised and hasty," Sibal said, adding that it had been passed without a full-fledged enquiry. "We will certainly move a petition in the Supreme Court to challenge this order, he added. AICC media-in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala also criticised the decision and said it was a fight between forces "rejecting democracy" and voices "rescuing democracy". Attacking the Congress for trying to "intimidate" judiciary, BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi thanked the Vice President for rejecting the petition. She alleged that after losing votes and support of people, Congress was resorting to the tactics of "threatening" and pressurising judiciary. The five allegations of "misbehaviour" mentioned in the impeachment notice include a "conspiracy to pay illegal gratification" in the Prasad Education Trust case and the denial of permission to proceed against a retired high court judge in the same matter, according to Sibal. Eminent jurist Fali S Nariman said the issues raised in the impeachment notice against the CJI were not of "sufficient gravity" and were "rightly rejected" by the Vice President. But lawyer-politician Somnath Chatterjee,a former Lok Sabha, said Naidu acted in a "hurried manner". "This instance has set a bad precedent, which is not good for democracy," he told PTI in Kolkata, adding that Naidu should have followed proper procedures before rejecting the notice. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) today adjourned to May 2 its hearing on the Reliance Infratel petition seeking permission to sell its tower and fibre assets. Counsel appearing in the matter sought the adjournment following which a NCLAT bench headed by Justice S J Mukhopadhaya directed it to list on May 2. On April 18, the tribunal had recalled its previous order which allowed debt-ridden Reliance Communications to proceed with the sale of its tower and fibre assets. The sale of these businesses form an important part of the overall Rs 25,000 crore asset monetisation blueprint of the troubled company. NCLAT had on April 6 partially allowed sale of the businesses, which was challenged by HSBC Daisy Investments (Mauritius) Ltd. The apex court on April 16 stayed the order allowing the sale. In December 2017, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio had struck a mega deal to acquire mobile business assets including spectrum, towers and optical fibre network of RCom, owned by his younger brother Anil Ambani. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today asked Indian and Chinese to learn each other's language as it will help them overcome communication barriers, resulting in further strengthening the relationship between the two nations. Swaraj, who is on a visit here, made the remarks during a programme, titled 'Contribution of Hindi in India-China Friendship', organised by the India Embassy. "When two friends sit together, what do they want? They want to talk their hearts out to each other, share what they feel. And for that we need a language. I should be able to understand Chinese when you speak, and you should be able to understand Hindi when I talk," Swaraj said. "If there is an interpreter sitting between two friends, he may be able to translate the words but not the feelings with which I say something. So, it is essential that we learn a language, and understand it," she said, a day after it was announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping would hold an informal summit from April 27 to 28. "I want to say that the way India and China's relation are strengthening, trade is increasing, we are working together on international forums, it has become increasingly important that you learn Hindi and we learn Chinese. So that when Indians visit China they don't face difficulty, and when Chinese visit India, you don't require an interpreter," Swaraj said. Swaraj said during her meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi yesterday, she had told him that people are the biggest strength for any foreign minister and when people of two countries love each other, it only strengthens the governments. "And this, your love for Hindi... You may not be aware that two foreign ministers can't strengthen the relations between Indian and China as much as these students learning Hindi can. You (students) all are doing great service (to the two countries)," she said. The minister invoked "Dangal", "Secret Superstar" and "Hindi Medium" to stress that Hindi films are gaining popularity in China, but said an understanding of the language instead of subtitles could improve their experiences of watching such films. Noting that during the programme, a Chinese student learning Hindi had expressed that her dream was to visit India, Swaraj instructed the Ambassador to make arrangements for a visit of such students to India "I want to tell her, that your dream would come true right here, right now. I am telling our Ambassador here to send a delegation of 25 Hindi students from here on India visit. "We will entertain you there and gift you Indian traditional clothes - Saree for girls and kurta pyjama for boys. I entrust our Ambassador here with the responsibility of sending a delegation of students learning Hindi here," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today asked Indians and Chinese to learn each other's languages as it will help them overcome the communication barriers, which could further strengthen relations between the two neighbours. Swaraj, who is on a four-day visit here, made the remarks during a programme, titled 'Contribution of Hindi in India-China Friendship', organised by the Indian Embassy. "When two friends sit together, what do they want? They want to talk their hearts out to each other, share what they feel. And for that we need a language. I should be able to understand Chinese when you speak, and you should be able to understand Hindi when I talk," Swaraj said. "If there is an interpreter sitting between two friends, he may be able to translate the words but not the feelings with which I say something. So, it is essential that we learn a language, and understand it," she said, a day after it was announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping would hold an informal summit from April 27 to 28 in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. "I want to say that the way India and China's relation are strengthening, trade is increasing, we are working together on international forums, it has become increasingly important that you learn Hindi and we learn Chinese. So that when Indians visit China they don't face difficulty, and when Chinese visit India, you don't require an interpreter," Swaraj said. Swaraj said during her meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi yesterday, she had told him that people are the biggest strength for any foreign minister and when people of two countries love each other, it only strengthens the governments. "And this, your love for Hindi... You may not be aware that two foreign ministers can't strengthen the relations between Indian and China as much as these students learning Hindi can. You (students) all are doing great service (to the two countries)," she said. The minister invoked the box-office success of Bollywood hits like "Dangal", "Secret Superstar" and "Hindi Medium" to stress that Hindi films are gaining popularity in China, but said an understanding of the language instead of subtitles could improve their experiences of watching such films. Noting that during the programme, a Chinese student learning Hindi had expressed that her dream was to visit India, Swaraj instructed the Ambassador to make arrangements for a visit of such students to India "I want to tell her, that your dream would come true right here, right now. I am telling our Ambassador here to send a delegation of 25 Hindi students from here on India visit. "We will entertain you there and gift you Indian traditional clothes - Saree for girls and kurta pyjama for boys. I entrust our Ambassador here with the responsibility of sending a delegation of students learning Hindi here," she said. Interest in Hindi and some other Indian languages such as Tamil and Bengali has been increasing in China in recent years as Chinese investments are growing in various states of India. Currently around 400 students learn Hindi as a subject in about 16 universities across China, said Prof Jiang Jingkui, the Head of the Centre for South Asian Studies at Peking University in Beijing. Prof Jiang, who was a guest speaker at today's event attended by Swaraj, is an ardent lover of Hindi and has previously coined a new slogan "Chindustan" (China-Hindustan) to highlight the need for friendship between the two nations. Hindi can be the dictionary for Chinese students aspiring to work in India, he said. "Chinese students are getting lot of jobs in India at present," Prof Jiang who teaches Hindi at the prestigious Peking University told PTI. He said the fact that Hindi is being taught in several Chinese universities shows its increasing popularity in the country. The Chinese universities are also teaching Tamil, Urdu and Bengali languages. Also plans are afoot to teach Assamese and Punjabi, he said. Currently Tamil and Bengali are taught at three universities and Urdu at 10, he said. Several students from different universities spoke in Hindi during the event, expressing their impressions, experiences about the language and its importance in the Indian-China relations. Besides the job opportunities in Chinese firms, a number of Chinese students work for the official media including China Radio International (CRI), which broadcasts in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and Urdu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A documentary film by director Sangeeta Datta on the life and works of National Award-winning auteur Rituparno Ghosh has been selected for screening at the New York Indian Film Festival. Ghosh, an avant garde director of Bengali films, passed away in 2013 at the age of 49, following a cardiac arrest. 'Bird of Dusk' features Ghosh's interviews, conversations and texts from personal narratives in 'First Person', published serially in a regional newspaper's Sunday magazine, Dutta said, adding that she had assisted the filmmaker in his award-winning venture 'Chokher Bali'. The 18th edition of New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), presented by the Indo-American Arts Council, has been scheduled between May 7 and 12. A Bengali film with English sub-titles, 'Bird of Dusk' was shot over the course of a year, Dutta said while talking to the media recently during a discussion on the multi-faceted roles of Ghosh - as a filmmaker, music composer-lyricist, adman and magazine editor. "The 100-minute film comprises views of eminent personalities who had known him or worked with him, including actors Soumitra Chatterjee, Sharmila Tagore, Aparna Sen, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Arjun Rampal, Konkona Sen Sharma and Nandita Das." The film will be screened on May 10 at Village East Cinema, New York City. Dutta, who has earlier made 'Life Goes On' with Sharmila Tagore, Om Puri and Soha Ali Khan, said 'Bird of Dusk' charts the journey of a young actor set out to research and study about Ghosh's life and filmography. Actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, who has worked with the renowned filmmaker in nine films, said Ghosh's contributions have been vital for changing the face of Bengali cinema. "Rituparno Ghosh reinvented my image from a typical mainstream hero to a serious actor in Chokher Bali (2003) and subsequent films," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least nine people were killed and 16 others wounded when a driver rammed his rental van into a crowd of pedestrians in downtown Toronto, police said, without revealing a possible motive. "This is going to be a complex investigation," Deputy Police Chief Peter Yuen told reporters after the incident yesterday. "We have one person in custody and the investigation is ongoing. "We can confirm for you tonight right now we have nine people that are dead, 16 injured," Yuen said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived in China today to attend a preparatory meeting related to upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). During her visit, Sitharaman is likely to meet a number of Chinese leaders. She will attend the SCO defence ministers' meeting tomorrow. The annual summit of the SCO, in which India is the latest entrant along with Pakistan, will take place in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend it. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is already here on a four-day visit here to attend the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting to finalise the agenda for the summit of the eight-member political, economic and security bloc. The SCO, headquartered in Beijing, was founded in 2001. Comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India and Pakistan, the SCO aims at military cooperation between the member states and involves intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism operations in Central Asia and joint work against cyber terrorism. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today saluted bravery of Babu Kuer Singh and said the state government is organising a three-day function to let people know more about the hero of first war of Independence in 1857. In order to make the 160th year of "Vijayotsav" to mark victory of Babu Kuer Singh a big occasion, the CM accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi visited his native Jagdishpur village in Bhojpur district and latter attended a few functions in the state capital too. The CM addressed a meeting at Jagdishpur. Sushil Modi, Union power minister and Ara MP R K Singh, state Art, Culture and Youth Minister Krishna Kumar Rishi, Industries Minister Jai Kumar Singh and Tourism Minister Pramod Kumar also addressed the meeting at Jagdishpur. Addressing the public meeting, Kumar said that "Today is the 160th years of the victory of Babu Veer Kuer Singh over Britishers...The three day functions are not only symbolic one rather it is being organised to let people know more about the great son of the country." "We organised Prakash Parv on the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh jee Maharaj followed by Shukrana celebrations. We also celebrated centenary year celebrations of Champaran Satyagrah...Similarly, I thought to organise a three-day functions on the great hero of 1857 war, Babu Veer Kuer Singh," the CM said. Kumar and Modi with a host of other leaders paid tributes to Veer Kuer Singh at a function held at a park named after Kuer Singh in the state capital. The CM unveiled the life-sized statue of Kuer Singh which has been shifted to the park named after him from R Block roundabout in the state capital. He also unveiled terracota murals depicting Kuer Singh's life sketch at the park, an official release said and added that the CM also directed officials to have more pictures relating to the hero of 1857 on other walls of the park so that people get to know more information about him. Kumar, who paid a visit to Kuer Singh's fort at Jagdishpur, also dedicated to the people the newly built art gallery at Veer Kuer Singh memorial museum. He also inaugurated and laid foundation stones through remote for various schemes for renovation of various places relating to Veer Kuer Singh, it said. "There is a need to seriously think over it as what was the need for Babu Veer Kuer Singh to wage a war at the age of 80 years. Kuer Singh posted victory (over Britishers) with the help of all sections of the society," Kumar said. Apart from cultural programmes, a national level convetion (sangosthi)will be organised on April 25 where people from across the country would be invited, he said adding that experts will present their thoughts in detail about Kuer Singh's role. Later, Kumar inauguarated cultural programmes at S K Memorial hall in the state capital besides participating at a laser show programme at Veer Kuer Singh park in Patna Depicting his (Kuer Singh's) acts of bravery. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) No incident of has been reported in Delhi and there is no requirement for framing of any policy in this regard, the AAP government has told the Green Tribunal. The Delhi government told a bench headed by acting Chairperson justice Jawad Rahim that its Development Department has been issuing advisories to district magistrates to ensure prevention of any incidence of crop residue burning in the capital. "The incident of is not a problem in Delhi. It is further submitted that no such incidence is being reported by any of the district magistrates of NCT Delhi. Accordingly, as of date there appears to be no requirement for framing of any policy in regard to crop residue," the Delhi government said in an affidavit filed by it. The green panel was told that policy in regard to the "in-situ management" may not be required in Delhi as there is no report of agricultural crop residue burning as of date. "In case of any fire incident occurring and after learning about the cause of the same, appropriate policy or guidelines will be framed without delay in future," it said. The tribunal, however, said that it wanted to verify the statement and asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to file an affidavit within a week. The NGT said that it would consider later the plea filed by the Delhi government seeking exemption of Rs 2 lakh which was imposed on it for not filing action plan to stop crop residue burning. The matter is posted for next hearing on May 17. The Punjab government had earlier faced the wrath of the tribunal for not taking effective steps to provide financial assistance and infrastructure facility to farmers to encourage them not to burn agricultural residue in their fields. The green panel had said that two years had elapsed since its verdict in the Vikrant Tongad case, in which it had passed a slew of directions to stop crop burning, but the state government had shown a lethargic approach. It had said the Punjab government had also failed to tie up with any company, private or public, which could utilise the crop residue. The tribunal had directed the Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh governments to convene a meeting to work out a clear mechanism on transportation and use of stubble as fuel in power plants. (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 today dismissed as "baseless" the reports that it will militarise Sri Lanka's southern port of Hambantota, saying the facility was part of Beijing's "pragmatic cooperation" with Colombo for economic development. Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Cheng Xueyuan recently met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during which he reaffirmed that China firmly upholds and supports economic globalisation and attaches great importance to its relations with Sri Lanka, according a release issued by the Chinese Embassy here. "Responding to recent baseless suspicion on so-called Chinese militarisation at Hambantota Port, the Ambassador pointed out that there is no any military purpose for China to conduct conduct friendly and pragmatic cooperation with Sri Lanka," the release said. According to analysts here, the comments appear to allay the concerns raised by India over Chinese plans in neighbouring Sri Lanka on the broader Indian Ocean context. "China never interferes in Sri Lanka's internal affairs and is willing to work with the Sri Lankan side to push forward the latter's economic and social development by promoting new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, win-win cooperation," Cheng was quoted as saying. Wickremesinghe highlighted that Sri Lanka attaches great importance to cooperation with China on mega-projects, like Hambantota Port and Industrial Park, Colombo Financial City, the statement said. The Sri Lankan Government hopes to work with the Chinese side to accelerate the implementation of the ongoing projects and attract more Chinese investment to promote economic and social development, it said quoting the prime minister. Meanwhile, in a separate meeting with the Sri Lankan Navy Commander, the Chinese Ambassador warned that both the nations must become aware of baseless rumours which aims to harm the good relations between the two countries, the embassy said. Wickremesinghe's government had in 2015 stalled the Chinese port city project before approving it later. The pact with China, to lease out the USD 1.3 billion Hambantota port for 99 years to develop an industrial park, has met with resistance from the Opposition. China invested heavily in Sri Lanka's infrastructure during the 10 year tenure of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Almost 20 years after model Jessica Lall was gunned down in a restaurant here, her sister Sabrina, who fought a lengthy legal battle for justice, has said she has moved on and has no objection to the killer being released from jail. Sidhartha Vahishta, better known as Manu Sharma, is serving a life term in Tihar Jail here for the 1999 murder. Lall said she had received a letter from the jail authorities regarding a victim compensation fund and Sharma's release last month. "I replied to that letter and said I had no objection to his release. It's not so much about forgiveness but it's about letting go of a burden, something from which I have moved on. For me, it's about taking a load off me," she told PTI. In her reply to the letter sent by the jail authorities, Lall pointed out that Sharma had been helping inmates during the 15 years he had spent in prison. I would like to state I have no objection to his release, owing to the fact that he has spent 15 years in jail," she wrote. Lall pointed out that he had also worked for charity. I am told that in this period he has been doing good work for charity and helping inmates in jail which I feel is a reflection of reform," her letter said. Sharma, son of former Union Minister Venod Sharma, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the high court in December 2006 for killing Lall in 1999. The trial court had acquitted him, but the Delhi high court reversed the verdict and the Supreme Court upheld the life sentence in April 2010. Jessica Lall, who was tending a bar at the Tamarind Court restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani at the Qutub Colonnade in South Delhi's Mehrauli area on April 30, 1999, was gunned down by Sharma after she refused to serve him alcohol. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has said that he had spoken to both his Indian and Pakistani counterparts to resume the stalled process by sorting out their differences. Unveiling a book titled 'Effectiveness of and Regional Conference' at a function organised by the Federal Parliament Secretariat here yesterday, Prime Minister Oli said that building friendly relations based on mutual understanding, cooperation and collaboration among member states was essential for maintaining peace and prosperity in the region. The 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit was to be held in Islamabad in 2016 but after a major terror attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18 that year, India expressed its inability to participate in the summit due to "prevailing circumstances" and stepped up diplomatic pressure on Pakistan. The summit was called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate. There has been no progress since then. Oli, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to India and Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during his trip to Nepal recently, had discussed about the need to restart the SAARC process. "Nepal is the current chair of SAARC. There is misunderstanding among some members. However, it is necessary to create cordial environment among them," Oli said, stressing the need for sorting out the differences between SAARC neighbours. Speaker of the House of Representatives Krishna Bahadur Mahara, while expressing concern over the delay in convening the biennial summit, urged all the member states to take the SAARC process forward actively and effectively. SAARC Summits are usually held biennially, hosted by a member state in alphabetical order. The member state hosting the summit assumes the Chair of the Association. The last SAARC Summit in 2014 was held in Kathmandu. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today urged the Delhi High Court to conduct in-camera proceedings on his plea seeking divorce from his estranged wife Payal Abdullah. Omar's counsel made the oral submission before a bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Deepa Sharma, which, however, did not pass any order on the plea. Advocate Malavika Rajkotia, appearing for Omar, said that in-camera proceedings be conducted in the matter as it was a family matter and whatever happens in court, it is published by the media. She said her client, who is a politician, has a right to privacy and his privacy was required. She said she wanted to bring this submission to the court's notice and it is now up to the court to decide. The court also allowed Omar's plea seeking an early hearing in the matter. The plea was opposed by Payal's counsel who said such a prayer was earlier declined by the court. The bench, however, said the hearing in the matter should be expedited and listed it for hearing on July 1. Omar has sought divorce on the ground that their marriage has broken down irretrievably. Payal has filed her response to the plea, but the court said it was not on record and directed that the plea be placed in the court records. The application by Omar has been moved in his petition challenging a trial court decision of August 30, 2016 dismissing his plea for divorce. He has contended that their marriage has "irretrievably broken down". The trial court had held that he had failed to prove the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. It had also said that Omar could not prove his claims of "cruelty" or "desertion" which were the grounds alleged by him for grant of decree of divorce. In his appeal against the trial court order, Omar had claimed that his marriage had broken down irretrievably and he has not enjoyed conjugal relationship since 2007. The couple, married on September 1, 1994, were living separately since 2009. The couple have two sons who are staying with their mother. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu's rejection of the opposition's impeachment motion against Chief Justice Dipak Misra triggered a political slugfest today, with the Congress saying it would challenge the "illegal" order in the Supreme Court while the BJP "thanked" him for warding off an "act of blasphemy" towards the Constitution. The Left also criticised Naidu with CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury saying his order showed "a certain degree of non-application of mind" as he did not follow laid-down rules. Following extensive consultations with legal and constitutional experts, Naidu today rejected the notice given by the opposition parties for impeachment of CJI Dipak Misra citing lack of substantial merit in it. Congress leader Kapil Sibal, seen a prime mover for the impeachment motion against the CJI, told reporters that Naidu's decision had "shattered" the confidence of people. To say the least, the order is unprecedented, illegal, ill-advised and hasty," Sibal said, adding that it had been passed without a full-fledged enquiry. "We will certainly move a petition in the Supreme Court to challenge this order... It is illegal because the chairman has passed an order which is required to be passed after a full-fledged inquiry," Sibal said, adding that the Rajya Sabha chairman had to only ascertain whether the motion was in order. As the Congress hit out at Naidu, the BJP jumped to his defence and said the Rajya Sabha Chairman's office is not a post office meant to forward the applications it received but it has to apply its mind judiciously which he did. "We thank him. He did not allow his office to be misused, " BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said. She cited Naidu's order in which he referred to use of words like "prime facie" and "may have been" by opposition parties in their charges referring to the CJI to highlight that their allegations indicate a mere suspicion, a conjecture or an assumption against him. "It was the grossest abuse of power of impeachment by the Congress," Lekhi said, terming it an act of blasphemy towards the Constitution. She accused the Congress of adopting "intimidatory" tactics towards the Supreme Court and said its move was not an attack on the individual but an institution as it wanted to create anarchy by making people "lose" faith in the judiciary. She claimed the Congress was trying to create an impression in the world that India was a banana republic, something it had turned the country into when it was in power, by "disrupting institutions", and added that its institutions were "very strong" and command reverence of people. The Congress is confusing rule of law with "rules of dynasty", she said. Earlier, Sibal said never before in India's history had a motion moved by MPs been dismissed at the preliminary stage as he attacked Naidu. "It is our privilege to move the motion. You cannot boot the privilege in this manner," Sibal said, adding that the government is very keen that charges made in the petition must not be allowed to be inquired into. The order destroys the legitimate processes of the law. It seeks to ensure that no enquiry takes place, he added. The CJI would have nothing to do with their petition challenging the order, Sibal hoped. Congress media-in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala described the opposition's move as a fight between forces "rejecting democracy" and voices "rescuing democracy". Surjewala said within hours of 64 MPs submitting the impeachment notice, Leader of Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley had shown "naked prejudice" by calling it a revenge petition, "virtually dictating the verdict" to the Rajya Sabha chairman. Besides the Congress, MPs of the CPI, CPI(M), NCP, SP, BSP and the IUML were signatories to the notice. In Hyedrabad, where he was yesterday re-elected the general secretary of the CPI(M) for a fresh term, Yechury also slammed Naidu's decision. "I am sorry to say that about the honourable Vice-President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Naidu), but I think that the methods, that had been very clearly laid down -- both in the constitutional procedures and the rules -- have not been followed," Yechury told PTI. He said the presiding officer of either House, in which the impeachment motion has been moved, does not have the discretion to independently decide about the validity of the motion. The motion needs to be referred to a three-member committee, which normally should include a Supreme Court judge, a high court chief justice and a jurist. Yechury said if that committee gives the findings, saying the impeachment motion is untenable, then the Chairman could have taken the decision. "I can say this with a certain degree of experience, because... (of the impeachment notice) I moved against Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court," the 65-year-old Left leader said. The Rajya Sabha had in 2011 passed an impeachment motion against Justice Sen. But, before the motion could be placed in the Lok Sabha, Sen resigned. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court today said it will pronounce its order on Friday on an appeal filed by Nalini, a life convict in former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, seeking premature release. A division bench, comprising Justices K K Sasidharan and R Subramanian, reserved orders on the plea by Nalini challenging the order of a single judge rejecting her prayer for premature release under a 1994 state government scheme under Article 161 (powers of Governor to grant pardon). Nalini in a February 22, 2014 representation to the state government had sought premature release under the 1994 scheme and had later moved the court. The state government had opposed the plea citing pendency of a similar matter in the Supreme Court then, following which the single judge had asked it to consider the representation subject to the outcome of the apex court proceedings. The Supreme Court in its March 2016 order had made it clear that for pre-mature release pleas under the CrPc Section 435, concurrence by the Centre was required in cases handled by central agencies such as the CBI. During arguments before the bench today, Nalini's counsel Radhakrishnan said the apex court order was nowhere connected with the present case as his client had sought premature release under Article 161. She sought premature release under the scheme announced by the state government in 1994 to release life convicts who had served actual imprisonment of 20 years. Premature release under Article 161 was not the subject matter before the Supreme Court, he said. When the appeal came up for hearing, Nalini's counsel argued that her plea did not fall under Section 435 of the CrPC and it was under Article 161. Hence there was no need for consultation, he added. He also submitted that when the state government had released 2,200 prisoners under the 1994 scheme it had kept Nalini away from the above, which was discriminatory. Stating that she has been in prison for 26 years, her counsel further submitted that the power under Article 161 of the Constitution is untouchable by the courts including the Supreme Court, he added. On his part, Tamil Nadu Advocate-General Vijay Narayan submitted that the present issue was completely covered by the judgement of the Supreme Court in the case of the petitioner herself. The state government decided to release Nalini. But the central government challenged it in the Supreme Court on the ground that the state government cannot decide on its own without getting concurrence from the Centre since the case was investigated by the central agency, he submitted. The apex court passed an interim order against the state government and it is still pending, the AG said. Therefore, the state government cannot act on her representation now, he added. The AG said the apex court in its order clarified that the president and governors in exercise of their powers under Articles 72 and 161 of the Constitution were not prevented from doing so, however, the court has made it clear that its order shall not be applicable to Nalini. From the order of the Supreme Court it is very clear that the interim order permitting the state governments to examine the power of remission shall not be applicable to the accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case including Nalini, the AG submitted. Nalini has been lodged in a special prison for women at Vellore for more than 26 years since her arrest in connection with the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur by an LTTE suicide bomber on May 21, 1991. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistani troops today targeted forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir with mortar shells and gunfire in violation of the ceasefire, an official said. "Pakistan army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 1730 hours today in the Krishnaghati sector along the LoC", the Army official said. The Indian Army was retaliating strongly and effectively, he added. There has been a spurt in the ceasefire violations along the LoC and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir this year, resulting in the death of 30 persons, including 16 security personnel, in over 650 such incidents, according to officials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The filing of fresh nominations for panchayat elections in West Bengal began today, amid allegations of violence levelled by opposition parties against "goons" of the ruling Trinamool Congress. The filing of nominations, which began at 11 am, will continue till 3 pm. The Calcutta High Court had on Friday directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to extend the date. The SEC issued a fresh notification on Saturday announcing April 23 as the new date for filing nominations to the three-tier panchayat elections. "The nomination process has began and we have received a few complaints and are looking into them. We have also formed a control room to address those problems," a senior SEC official said. The SEC has asked the police to make adequate security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident during the filing process. The opposition Congress and the BJP accused the Trinamool Congress of "letting loose a reign of terror" since the morning to prevent their candidates from filing their papers. "Since the morning, goons of the TMC are trying to terrorise our candidates. The police and administration are mute spectators," state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said. The opposition parties alleged that incidents of violence had occurred in Murshidabad, Malda and South 24 Parganas districts. A senior TMC leader brushed off the allegations as "baseless" and blamed the opposition for "vitiating peace" in some parts of the state. The dates for the polls, which were earlier scheduled to be held on May 1, 3 and 5, are yet to be announced by the commission. The nominations received today would be scrutinised on April 25. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is April 28, the notification had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today took exception to the Centre's failure to come with a clear policy on giving permanent commission to the women serving as short service commission officers in defence services. Asking the government to take a final stand on the issue, a bench of Justices N V Ramana and S A Nazeer directed the Ministry of Defence to file an affidavit in this regard. During the hearing, the counsel for the Centre told the bench that a meeting of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force was held and it was decided to extend the benefit of permanent commission to some cadres. The Centre sought six months to come out with a final policy. The apex court observed the government cannot adopt a "discriminatory" approach in extending benefits and directed the Centre to file an affidavit within two weeks before May 8, the next date of hearing. Explaining about the prevailing situation in defence services on the issue, Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh told the court that the three forces were examining the options in which permanent commission could be granted to the women officers. Advocate Meenakshi Lekhi, appearing for some of the women officers, said there was a need to urgently settle the issue which has been dragging since 2010. The court was hearing a Ministry of Defence plea for staying the March 12, 2010 judgment of the Delhi High Court, which had directed the navy to grant permanent commission to all its women officers on short service commission. The high court had rejected the government's contention that permanent commission could be allowed only prospectively. "If male officers can be granted permanent commission, there is no reason why equally capable women officers can't be," the high court had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Poland is keen to foster greater business association with West Bengal, a top diplomat of the European nation said today. Poland has formed a small working group with senior officials from different ministries of the country to explore business opportunities with the state, Ambassador of Poland to India Adam Burakowski said. The group is expected to carry out a study of interest and come out with a report for the state government on the scope of mutual cooperation, he said on the sidelines of an interactive session with Merchants' Chamber of Commerce and Industry here. A 50-member Polish delegation had attended the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) in the city earlier this year. A delegation from the state is also likely to attend a major business event in Poland from May 14-16. In 2017, bilateral trade between India and Poland stood at USD 3.1 billion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police today foiled four bids to smuggle bovines and rescued 44 bovines in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district. A police team, on routine patrol on the Thanamandi-Shahdara Sharif road, rescued 20 bovine animals from smuggler Mohd Din, while another police team on patrol rescued 10 bovines from Mohd Akber at Behrote, a police official said. "Rajouri police foiled four separate bovine smuggling bids in the district and rescued 44 bovines from smugglers," he said. Similarly, police received information that some bovines were being smuggled in the area after which a team was rushed which foiled the bid by intercepting the smuggler at Azmatabad Thanamandi, the official said. All these bovines were being smuggled via foot by smugglers. Three separate cases were registered in this regard, he said. Similarly, a police teamintercepted a vehicle whose driver had parked it at some distance and fled in the Kallar area, the official said. On search of the vehicle, four bovines were found loaded in it which were rescued while the vehicle has been seized and a case has been registered, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It's a boy! Prince William and wife Kate Middleton today welcomed a new prince, the fifth-in-line to Britain's throne, as the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth at a central London hospital. The baby was born at 1101hrs local time, Kensington Palace said in a statement. William, the 35-year-old Duke of Cambridge, was present at the birth of his boy, who weighs 3.82 kg. The palace added that the mother and baby are "doing well". "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news," the statement said. A notice has been placed on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace following the announcement of the birth of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third child. The practice of posting a bulletin outside the Palace announcing a royal birth has gone on for at least as long as Buckingham Palace has been the Sovereign's official residence - since 1837. A large Union Flag has been raised over Buckingham Palace and a State Standard over Windsor Castle to mark the birth of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third child. The new baby is fifth-in-line to the British throne, behind his grandfather Prince Charles, father Prince William, brother Prince George, 4, and sister Princess Charlotte, 2. The name of the new prince has not yet been announced. Favourites at the bookmakers include Arthur, Albert, Frederick, James and Philip, the BBC reported. Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted her "warmest congratulations" to William and Catherine. She said: "I wish them great happiness for the future." The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, also tweeted his "warmest congratulations" on behalf of Londoners. "Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the safe delivery of their baby, a brother for Prince George and Princess Charlotte," The Archbishop of Canterbury said. "May God bless them and all of their children with love, happiness and health." Champagne corks were popped and cheers rang out outside the Lindo Wing as the birth of the new Prince of Cambridge was announced at just after 1pm, the report said. Earlier, the 36-year-old Duchess of Cambridge was today admitted to the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London, where both her previous pregnancies George in 2013 and Charlotte in 2015 were also born. Senior royal doctors, consultant obstetrician Guy Thorpe-Beeston and consultant gynaecologist Alan Farthing, oversaw the birth. The new child will push uncle Prince Harry one place down the line of succession to sixth. He will be the sixth great grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II, who celebrated her 92nd birthday on Saturday. A change in the law after William and Kate were married in April 2011 gave female heirs the same rights of accession to the throne in the UK as men. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A property dealer was today shot dead allegedly by some unidentified men in Murad Nagar town, police said. The incident occurred when Sunder Tyagi, around 45 years, was sitting outside his house in Friends Colony, situated on the Delhi-Meerut road, they said. Senior Superintendent of police Vaibhav Krishna told that Tyagi was a property and used to selling plots in Defense Enclave on the Delhi-Meerut road near ordinance factory. Around 8.00pm, four assailants on two bikes reached there and took him to the place where he used to sell plots on the pretext of purchasing a plot and allegedly fired upon him, the SSP said. He was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Ghaziabad where he succumbed to his injuries, he said. An FIR has been lodged against unidentified men and it seems to be a matter of old enmity, the official added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 13-day long mega military exercise by the Indian Air Force achieved more than its stated "objectives", Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa said today, indicating its readiness to deal with a hostile Pakistan and China almost simultaneously. Two days after curtains came down on Gagan Shakti -- the biggest exercise by the IAF in three decades -- Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said over 11,000 sorties were carried out by combat, transport and rotary wing aircraft of the force to test its combat readiness. "All men and women of the IAF rose to the occasion and achieved things beyond our stated objectives," the IAF Chief told PTI in an interview. As part of the massive drill from April 8 to 20, the IAF deployed its entire war waging machinery for the pan-India exercise with fighter jets, equipped with strategic weapons like Brahmos and Harpoon anti ship missiles, carrying out deep penetration strikes to revalidate its strategic reach. "We achieved relocation and rebalancing of assets from one sector to another in 48 hours," Dhanoa said. "The overall objective of Gagan Shakti was fully achieved," he said without elaborating. Explaining the significance, a senior IAF official said the objective of the rebalancing and relocation was to quickly flatten the enemy in one front and redeploy the assets in another sector within 48 hours -- in a possible two-front war scenario. Dhanoa said the IAF achieved all parameters of serviceability, surge operations, relocation of resources and joint operations with the Army and Navy during the exercise which were crucial aspects of the war fighting machinery. The combat drill was carried out at a time when China was increasing its assertiveness along the borders with India and while Pakistan has been continuing its skirmishes along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The exercise covered all terrains including desert, high altitude areas like Ladakh, maritime sphere and almost all possible war scenarios were rehearsed on a real time basis. "We carried out the exercise thinking as if we are going to fight a war," said a senior IAF official. When asked about reports of the IAF having carried out "strikes in the Malacca Strait, Dhanoa categorically denied it. Officials said the IAF demonstrated its ability to reach maritime targets as far away as 4,000 kilometers in the Malacca Straits but the force stuck to the targets provided by the Indian Navy, none of which were in the waterway around Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. The exercise also focused on the flexible use of airspace, joint maritime air operations with the Indian Navy, joint operations with the Indian Army, simulated combat search and rescue for effective extraction of downed aircrew behind enemy lines among others. Officials said the aim of this exercise was to ensure real time coordination and deployment of air power in a short and intense battle scenario and the objective was fully achieved. They said the concept of network-centric operations and long-range missions were tested effectively. They said Pakistan and China were informed about the mega exercise. The officials said state-run defence organisations such as Defence Research and Development Organisation, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Ordnance Factory Board etc also provided adequate support. They said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was impressed by the ordnance efficiency. Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan may be among some of the world's leading economists in the running for the post of Bank of England (BoE) governor as the UK government hunts for a candidate to take charge from next year, according to a media report. Canada-born Mark Carney, the current Governor of England's central bank, is set to step down at the end of his term in June 2019. He had become the first foreigner in the post in three centuries when he took up the role in 2013. UK Chancellor Philip Hammond has now indicated that his global hunt for Carney's successor is ongoing, indicating the next Governor could well be a foreigner too. Attracting Raghuram Rajan, the highly-respected Chicago-based economist and former Reserve Bank of India governor, would be a coup," writes 'The Financial Times'. In its own analysis of the pros and cons of 55-year-old Rajan's candidacy for the post, the newspaper notes that the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business would bring with him "impeccable international economics and central banking experience" as well as "significant achievements at the Reserve Bank of India". The con, in its view, would be that he has thus far shown "no indication that he would want the job at the BoE". On the newspaper's list of prospective candidates is another Indian-origin contender in Shriti Vadera, the chair of Santander UK and a former UK government business minister. "Having been a key government figure in the financial crisis, Baroness Vadera is also credited with doing a good job in chairing a committee of City [of London] grandees, and later in helping to frame the UK's position on Brexit and financial services, the newspaper notes. The UK's Treasury department wants an open competition for the post and is seeking applications from well-qualified candidates from around the world. "The formal process has not yet started but I, and many other people I am sure, may have cast their eye around various rooms to see if any likely looking candidates hove into view, Hammond told reporters on the sidelines of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting in Washington recently. The Treasury is expected to advertise the post by July this year, a year before a new incumbent as the Bank of England chief is due to take charge. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress president Rahul Gandhi will today launch the party's nationwide 'Save the Constitution' campaign, aiming to highlight alleged attacks on the Constitution and Dalits under the BJP-led regime. Seen as the party's effort to reach out to the community ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the campaign launch is expected to be attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, party general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, its senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sushil Kumar Shinde among others. The campaign will continue till next year's April 14, the birth anniversary of Dalit icon Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Congress's present and former Dalit lawmakers, those holding offices in zilla parishad, civic bodies and panchayat samitis, the party's office-bearers attached to its regional units will also attend the event, aimed at sensitising people on the current state of affairs with regard to the community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Top actor Rajinikanth today asserted he will launch his political party as announced already and said criticism against him cannot be avoided since he aspired to join politics. "I am going to launch the party. It is for sure. The date is, however, not known and I will let you know at the right time," he told reporters here ahead of leaving for US tonight on a personal trip. 67-year old Rajinikanth, who has a large fan following, had in December last announced his plans to float a political party and recently said there was a "vacuum for a good leader" in the state politics currently and he would provide a good administration. Ruling AIADMK and DMK have dismissed his view of political vacuum. On criticism against him from some, including some of his "friends," he said, "in politics, there will be criticism. In public life criticism cannot be avoided completely. Criticism will be there." Rajinikanth said he was going on a personal trip to the US for about 10 days. To a question on veteran film director Bharathirajaa slamming him for his comment over attack on police personnel during anti-IPL protest, the actor reiterated that an "attack against police personnel is unpardonable, and at the same time they (police) should not go beyond their brief." After the April 10 anti-IPL stir witnessed three police personnel being attacked by protesters, Rajinikanth had denounced it, saying, "the worst form of violence is the assault on uniformed personnel."Bharathiraja had objected to this and said the actor should not drive a wedge between the Tamil people. On a woman college assistant professor allegedly persuading girl students to extend sexual favours to Madurai Kamaraj varstiy officials, he said it was "shameful". "A probe is on. If the allegations are proved, she should be given stringent punishment and there is no second opinion about it." Replying to a question on actor turned BJP functionary S Ve Shekher's recent objectionable comment against the media fraternity, he said "it is an unpardonable act whether he did it knowingly or inadvertently." Shekher had apologised for his recent social media post saying he forwarded it without going through the objectionable content. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The rejection of notice for impeachment of Chief Justice Dipak Misra by Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu at the preliminary stage itself today had a precedent nearly five decades ago when a Supreme Court judge faced such a bid for the first time. An impeachment motion against Justice J C Shah was submitted to Lok Sabha speaker G S Dhillon in May 1970 following a campaign by a former government servant, O P Gupta, charging Shah with dishonesty after the judge made certain remarks about him during a hearing. The notice was, however, turned down by the Speaker after stating it as "frivolous". Besides rejection of such notice against CJI Misra and Justice Shah at the preliminary stage, there was another such case when 58 Rajya Sabha MPs had moved a petition before the Chairman and former Vice-President Hamid Ansari against Gujarat High Court judge Justice J B Pardiwala in 2015 for his alleged "unconstitutional" remarks against reservation. Facing the possibility of an impeachment motion against him, Justice Pardiwala expunged the remarks he had made against reservation in the Hardik Patel case order on an application by the state government seeking removal of the controversial portion. Later, no effort was made to take forward the notice of impeachment against Pardiwala. Impeachment proceedings against judges made progress in Parliament for the first time in 1993 when Supreme Court judge V Ramaswami faced charges of corruption following the report of an inquiry commission. Senior advocate and Congress Rajya Sabha lawmaker Kapil Sibal, who is at the forefront and spearheading the campaign to impeach the present CJI, however, had put up a spirited defence in favour of Ramaswami in the Lok Sabha. The impeachment motion, moved during the P V Narasimha Rao government, failed in the Lok Sabha as it could not muster support of two-third members of the house as required under Article 124 (4) of the Constitution. Besides Justice Ramaswami, impeachment motion was moved against Calcutta High Court judge Soumitra Sen in 2011 on the charge of financial misappropriation as a judge and misrepresenting facts. The motion was passed in the upper house and Sen, who had put up his defence in Rajya Sabha, sensed the outcome and resigned before the motion was put to vote in Lok Sabha. Justice P D Dinakaran, the then Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court, tendered his resignation in 2011 before impeachment proceedings could begin after an inquiry panel had found enough prima facie material relating to charges of land-grab, corruption and abuse of judicial office against him. He was transferred from the Karnataka High Court to the Sikkim High Court after he refused to follow orders to go on leave. In 2016, Justice Nagarjuna Reddy of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana was under the scanner when 61 Rajya Sabha members moved a petition for his impeachment on charges of misusing his position to "victimise" a "Dalit" judge. Later, nine of the 54 members of the Rajya Sabha, who had proposed the initiation of proceedings against him, withdrew their signatures. Seven opposition parties led by the Congress met Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday last and handed over a notice with signatures of 64 MPs of the Upper House, accusing the CJI of five counts of "misbehaviour" and "misusing" authority. The impeachment notice came a day after the Supreme Court rejected a bunch of petitions seeking an independent probe into the death of judge B H Loya, who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case. For initiating the impeachment process, a motion has to be moved by either 100 Lok Sabha members of Parliament or 50 Rajya Sabha MPs. If the motion is admitted, the Speaker of Lok Sabha or Chairman of Rajya Sabha constitutes an inquiry committee. This inquiry committee has three members -- a Supreme Court judge, a high court Chief Justice and an eminent jurist. The committee frames charges and asks the judge to give a written response. The judge also has the right to examine witnesses. After the inquiry, the committee determines whether the charges are valid or not and then it finally submits its report. If the inquiry committee finds that the judge is not guilty, then there is no further action. If they find him guilty, then the House of Parliament which initiated the motion may consider continuing with the motion. The motion is then debated and the judge (or his representative) has the right to represent his case. After that, the motion is voted upon. If there is two-thirds support of those voting, and majority support of the total strength of the House, it is considered to have passed. The process is then repeated in the other House. After that, the Houses sends an address to the President asking that the judge be removed from office. Last year, a Rajya Sabha appointed panel gave a clean chit to a sitting judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court after probing charges of sexual harassment of a judicial officer against him. The panel, comprising Supreme Court judge R Bhanumathi, Justice Manjula Chellur and jurist K K Venugopal, was set up in April 2015 by then Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari after admitting a motion supported by 58 members to impeach Justice S K Gangele. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The rejection of the notice for impeachment of Chief Justice Dipak Misra by Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu today not only brought relief to the CJI but also halted a rigorous process for removal of judges that had to be followed on its admission. If the Vice President had admitted the notice of impeachment moved by Congress-led opposition, the procedure prescribed under Article 124 (4) of the Constitution and the provisions of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 and the corresponding rules, which deal exhaustively with the entire procedure, would have to be followed. The long-drawn process for the removal of a Supreme Court judge is mentioned in Article 124(4) of the Constitution, which is termed as impeachment. Article 124(4) says, "A Judge of the Supreme Court shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour incapacity." For initiating the impeachment process, a motion has to be moved by either 100 Lok Sabha members or 50 Rajya Sabha MPs. If the motion is admitted, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or Chairman of the Rajya Sabha will constitute an inquiry committee. This inquiry committee will comprise three members -- a Supreme Court judge, a high court chief justice and an eminent jurist. The committee will frame charges and ask the judge to give a written response. The judge also has the right to examine witnesses. After the inquiry, the committee will determine whether the charges are valid or not and then submit its report. If the inquiry committee finds that the judge is not guilty, then there is no further action. If it finds him or her guilty, then the House of Parliament which had initiated the motion (in this case Rakya Sabha), may consider continuing with the motion. The motion will then be debated and the judge (or his representative) will have the right to represent his case. After this, the motion will be voted upon. If there is two-third support of those voting, and majority support of the total strength of the House, it will be considered to have been passed. The process will then be repeated in the other House. After this, both the Houses will send an address to the President asking that the judge be removed from office. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior railway officials today said that pre-monsoon works, to ensure heavy rains don't stall train traffic in the metropolis and adjoining regions, had begun and a review was carried out by the civic body chief and general managers of Western and Central Railways. The work, officials said, involves the cleaning of drains and culverts that run beneath the rail tracks, removal of muck, trimming of branches of trees, surveying hilly areas for loose boulders and provision to drain out excess water from low-lying rail areas in case of heavy monsoon rains. "The Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner and GMs of WR and CR have reviewed monsoon preparedness works. The civic chief has promised all help to the railways to ensure that heavy monsoons do not disrupt train traffic," a senior civic official said today. Chief spokesperson of CR, Sunil Udasi, said, "The preparatory work for monsoon started from February-March 2018. We have cleaned 79 culverts. An additional opening at Tilaknagar has been provided to curb flooding in Kurla area." He said that 25 spots within the jurisdiction of CR's Mumbai division had been identified for immediate attention. "We have also requested the BMC to provide pumps that have a water-draining capacity of 1,000 cubic metres per hour at Kurla and Mukhyaadhyapak nullah at Sion," he said. He said that the BMC had assured the railways that it would take action to ensure water from civic areas was not discharged onto railway territory, especially near Sandhurst Road station. "The BMC has also promised that it will get one building, deemed unsafe, at Sandhurst Road station vacated before the arrival of the monsoon," Udasi said. WR chief spokesperson Ravinder Bhakar, in a statement, said that general manager AK Gupta had met civic chief Ajoy Mehta and works like cleaning of storm water drains, clearing of dumped garbage, shifting of overhead pipelines and other issues were discussed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Andhra Pradesh government is taking all efforts to provide houses to the poor and sanctioned Rs 133 crore for providing infrastructure, Municipal administration minister P Narayana said here today. The infrastructure would include water, drainage, community hall and schools, he said, adding completed houses would be allocated soon to the beneficiaries. Speaking after inspecting a house being built under Pradhan Mantri Awaz Yojana and NTR Town housing construction scheme at nearby Bommuru, he said government was 6.81 lakh houses for the poor, Workshas been speeded up for 4,200 houses in the first phase here and sanction has been accorded for another 3676 houses in the second phase, Narayana added. "The state government is ready to construct 10,000 houses for poor on the request of representatives or MLCs, MLAs," he said. Rajahmundry MP M Murali Mohan said the houses would be allocated in the name of women only and urged the minister to provide financial aid to the poor for constructing houses on their own land,( who have land). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Currency notes of various foreign countries worth Rs 33 lakh were seized from a Malaysia-bound passenger at the airport here, airport officials said today. The passenger was found carrying currencies including, Dollar and Euro by concealing them in his baggage, last night, they said. He has been detained for interrogation to ascertain the source of the notes, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korean President Moon Jae-in today praised the declaration of a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests by the North's leader Kim Jong Un, days before a summit between the two men. Pyongyang's move was "a significant decision towards total denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula", Moon said in a meeting with aides. Kim declared that Pyongyang had no further need for nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile launches, and no further use for its atomic test site, the North announced at the weekend. The statement was immediately welcomed by US President Donald Trump, who is expected to hold a summit of his own with Kim soon. But analysts warned that Pyongyang had made no commitment to give up its nuclear arsenal. Moon said today that the North's move was "a green light that improves the prospect of success of the inter-Korea and North-US summits". "If the North takes a step towards denuclearisation, starting from nuclear moratorium, it could guarantee a bright future," he added. The latest step, he said, "raises hopes that the pace will accelerate". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today lashed out at the reported move of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to merge the DSP cadre of the Chandigarh police with the police officers of all the Union Territories, including the Delhi Police. Rubbishing the move as "mischievous and provocative", Badal, the former deputy chief minister, urged the Punjab chief minister to ensure that no one is allowed to tamper with the status of Chandigarh as the designated capital of Punjab. Badal, in a statement here, also called upon Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to treat the issue of Punjab's right in this regard as a matter requiring top priority. He asked Amarinder to ensure that the directives of the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on the division of employees between Punjab and Haryana on 60:40 basis till Chandigarh's actual transfer to Punjab be fully and honestly implemented by the UT administration. "The UT administration is not following this ratio in appointment of DSPs, teachers or other employees. Therefore, it is not maintenance of but correction in the present status which needs to be emphasised. During his tenure as Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had aggressively pursued the matter with the Centre, forcing the Union Home Minister to issue a fresh directive on Punjab's plea," he said. Yesterday, Amarinder had opposed the "reported move" of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to merge the DSP cadre of the Chandigarh Police with the police officers of all the Union Territories, including the Delhi Police. He had demanded that status quo be maintained till the territorial dispute of Chandigarh between Punjab and Haryana is settled. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today dismissed the plea of social activist Swami Agnivesh seeking deletion of scenes from the film 'Padmaavat' on the ground that it glorified the practice of 'Jauhar'. The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra rejected the plea of Angivesh which also sought lodging of FIR against the producer and director of the film for glorifying the social evil of jauhar (self immolation by widows on their husband's funeral pyre). "Once CBFC clears the movie, deletion of scenes cannot be directed," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said. The apex court had trashed several petitions against 'Padmaavat's' release on various grounds. Then the producers had moved the court after some states banned the movie. The court, on January 18, had set aside the ban and restrained other states from banning the film, paving way for its all-India release on January 25. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had moved the apex court seeking recall of the SC order, which was dismissed on January 23. The Deepika Padukone-starrer 'Padmaavat', based on the saga of a historic 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh and his army of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi, has Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today dismissed a plea by social activist Swami Agnivesh seeking deletion of scenes from the Deepika Padukone-starrer 'Padmaavat' on the ground that it eulogised the banned practice of 'Jauhar' and 'Sati' among Hindus. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra rejected Angivesh's plea which also sought lodging of an FIR against the producer and director of the film for glorifying the social evil of 'jauhar' (self immolation by widows on their husband's funeral pyre). "Once the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) clears the movie, deletion of scenes cannot be directed," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said. Lawyer Mehmood Pracha, appearing for Agnivesh, said the Delhi High Court failed to appreciate the fact the society would be benefitted if the glorification of 'sati' in the film Padmaavat' was prevented. The bench, which did not agree with the submissions, referred to the novel "Devdas," written by eminent novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and said, "Read the book and see its celluloid version in which veteran actor Dilip Kumar has performed the role of main character Devdas - who turns alcoholic for the loss of love." It said that even the writer did not approve or glorify the alcholisim and asked, "Has any lover become alcoholic because of the film Devdas." The bench said the petitioner was "trying to make mountain out of trivial things" and dismissed the plea. The activist had filed the appeal against the Delhi High Court order which had rejected his plea for deletion of certain scenes in the movie on the ground that it has already been cleared by the CBFC. Earlier, the apex court had trashed several petitions against 'Padmaavat's release on various grounds. The producers then had moved the court after some states banned the movie. The court, on January 18, had set aside the ban and restrained other states from banning the film, paving way for its all-India release on January 25. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had moved the apex court seeking recall of the SC order, which was dismissed on January 23. The Deepika Padukone-starrer 'Padmaavat', based on the saga of a historic 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh and his army of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi, has Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today said it would hear next week a plea seeking to ban legislators from practising as advocates. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud also sought the assistance of Attorney General K K Venugopal on a plea which alleged that parliamentarians and legislators practising as lawyers pose a "conflict of interest" and violate the provisions of the Advocates Act and the Bar Council of India Rules. 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 breach of the Article 14 of the Constitution. "Legislators take fee from litigants and also the salary from the public exchequer, which is a professional misconduct," the plea said. The plea said the issue is a matter of concern for both the judiciary and the legislature as most of the lawmaker-advocates are involved in the active practice of law, despite receiving salaries and other perquisites from 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. The petition also pointed out that the MPs have the power of voting on the impeachment of judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts. "Therefore, allowing them to practice as an advocate in the Supreme Court and the 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.) Markets regulator Sebi today imposed a total fine of Rs 1.5 crore on ABL Biotechnologies Ltd and its CMD Kollenmareth Oomman Isaac for indulging in fraudulent plan with regard to subscription of GDRs. Individually, the regulator has levied a fine of Rs 1 crore on Isaac and Rs 50 lakh on ABL Biotechnologies Ltd (ABL), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in an order. A probe by Sebi found that the entities had pre-arranged subscription of global depositary receipts (GDRs) through several agreements. According to Sebi, ABL had issued GDRs worth USD 6.68 million on June 20, 2008, which were listed on Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Clifford Capital Partners was the only entity which had subscribed to the entire issue of GDRs and the subscription amount was paid by Clifford by obtaining a loan from Banco Efisa. Simultaneously, an account charge agreement was executed between ABL and Banco, by pledging the proceeds of the GDR issue to Banco, it added. "These agreements enabled Clifford to avail a loan from Banco for subscribing to the GDRs of ABL. Subscription of GDRs of ABL by Clifford was possible through credit agreement entered into by Clifford with Banco and account charge agreement entered into by ABL with Banco," Sebi noted. Later on June 23, 2008, the company had informed BSE that at its meeting held on June 20 of the same year, it approved the allotment of GDRs amounting to USD 6.68 million, which made investors believe that the said GDR issue was genuinely subscribed by the foreign investors. Further, Sebi noted that the company failed to disclose immediately to the BSE about the outcomes of the board meetings held on March 1, 2008 and June 20, 2008 regarding approval of a proposal to raise up to USD 7 million by way of issuance of GDRs and allotment of GDRs respectively, which was price sensitive information. Further, the company did not inform the BSE about delisting of GDRs on Luxembourg Stock Exchange. "ABL and Isaac had indulged in employing fraudulent plan/arrangement, device, artifice and contrivance with regard to the subscription of GDRs and creation of underlying shares using the facade of GDR issue, monetising those GDRs through the sale of underlying shares of the GDRs and inducing and alluring Indian investors to deal in shares of ABL," Sebi said. "The manner in which entire scheme of fraudulent and deceptive scheme planned and executed by the CMD of ABL demonstrates beyond reasonable doubt the manipulative intent to deliberately withhold the critical information to the board of ABL and also to the investors which ultimately enabled to carry out the fraud," it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, narrowly won approval from a Senate panel and is expected to be confirmed by the full chamber this week. A last-minute vote flip by Republican Senator Rand Paul, who for weeks had expressed opposition to Pompeo over his stance on the Iraq war and surveillance issues, gave Pompeo a narrow edge in yesterday's vote -- and avoided what would have been an embarrassing setback as the president seeks to install his top diplomat. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior bureaucrat Suresh Kumar today assumed the additional charge as chairman and managing director of state-owned Coal India Ltd. Kumar, additional secretary with the coal ministry, has taken over from Central Coalfields Ltd CMD Gopal Singh, who was appointed as interim chairman of the world's largest coal miner in September last year. "Ministry of Coal...has entrusted the additional charge of CMD, CIL to Suresh Kumar, Additional Secretary, MoC (Ministry of Coal). He has assumed the additional charge as CMD, CIL with effect from April 23, 2018," Coal India said in a filing to the BSE. Singh had succeeded Sutirtha Bhattacharya who retired from the post of Coal India CMD on August 31, 2017. Responding to a question on appointment of full-time CIL chairman, coal secretary Susheel Kumar had recently told PTI, "The process of approval (of full-time chairman) is on...I am not aware of the timelines." The government had last year began the hunt for a full-time Coal India CMD and invited applications from professionals from PSUs as well as the private sector. While inviting applications through an advertisement, the government had said "the applicants may submit their applications to the Ministry of Coal". The government head-hunter PESB has earlier suggested that the Centre may choose an appropriate course of action for selection of CMD for Coal India as it did not find any of the six candidates interviewed as fit for the top post. Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal production. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Several measures need to be taken to improve the management system of Uttar Pradesh universities which will require amendment of the existing University Act, a study conducted by Rajbhawan said. The study -- "University Management in Uttar Pradesh -- a view from the chancellor's office" was conducted by Juthika Patankar and Dr Rajvir Singh Rathore Principal Secretary and OSD to Governor, who is also the chancellor of the state universities, respectively was today released to media by Governor Ram Naik at a programme held in Rajbhawan. It recommended that essential and desirable qualification and experience required for the post of vice-chancellor should be well-defined and the various University Acts should include a provision to that effect to ensure selection of high calibre, academic and suitable persons in a transparent manner. The composition of the Search Committee prescribed in the UP State Universities Act 1973 should be amended suitably to include persons of acknowledged academic distinction and wide administrative experience, it said. The other recommendations included setting up of university tribunals to handle service matters and all other cases of a quasi judicial nature, procedure and timeline for search committees to make the selection process fully transparent and the entire process time-bound. Service conditions, kinds of leave, nature of disciplinary proceeding, permissions regarding foreign tours etc of VCs should be defined clearly, it said adding that there should be a mechanism for their performance appraisal. VCs should be invariably consulted before appointment of the university administrative officers such as Registrar, Finance officer and Controller of Examination and all such appointments should be for a fixed tenure of at least three years. Advocating autonomy of univeristies, the study said interface between government departments dealing with universities should be precisely defined and kept to the minimum so that their "autonomy is fully facilitated and respected". It said service conditions of teaching and non-teaching staff under self-financed programmes should be made part of the acts and statutes and their should be timely incorporation of all such UGC guidelines in this regard. End-to-end ICT (Information Communication Technology) should be adopted in a phased manner for reforms in examinations and to usher in greater efficiency, transparency and reliability and NAAC evaluation should be made a mandatory condition for availing of government financial assistance by universities. Public representatives/nominees on university courts, senates, executive councils or boards of management must have an academic orientation and not anybody or everybody should be considered for such nomination, it said. The study recommended several measures, including providing administrative staff to universities in the form of registrars, finance officers and examination controllers for a specified tenure and in consultation with VCs "to stem prevalent rot" in the UP University system. It also advocated filling vacancies of teaching staff by expeditiously adopting UGC guidelines regarding qualifications and devising a template for the process of granting affiliation to colleges and ensuring strict adherence to the same within decided time-frame. Streamlining and making transparent the work of evaluation of answer sheets, declaration of results by pressing into service all available teaching staff, adopting uniform online systems and enforcing strict standards, it said. The study said that VCs should be put in place grievance-redressal mechanisms to reduce service related litigation and improve quality of administration and sensitise all departments of higher to appreciate the meaning and nuances of university autonomy. The UP governor is the chancellor of 28 universities in the state. Around 15,60,375 university students were awarded degrees in 2016-17. Of these, the number of girl students was 7,97,646 or, a highly impressive figure of 51 per cent. Sixty six per cent of the awards and medals were won by girl students, the report mentioned. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Game of Thrones" star Kit Harington says sexual harassment has been a problem for many years in the show business but it is only that people have started speaking out. The actor, who plays Jon Snow on the fantasy drama, says such revelations are not surprising as one hears stories in the industry. "Yeah, the Weinstein scandal kicked it off over the pond as well. Kevin Spacey was the head of the Old Vic for many years we're discovering the allegations made against him. Within British theatre, there's been a problem for many years. This is something that has been going on forever, and not just in the States. It's everywhere," Harington told the Sydney Morning Herald in an interview. "It's upsetting and disturbing, but it's not shocking. I think most actors hear stories, and people in the industry hear stories. It's just very hard for people to come out and talk about it. But the doors have been blown open a bit, and we can only be thankful for that," the actor said. Harington is currently promoting his new HBO series "Gunpowder" that he has also executive produced. The three-part miniseries is a retelling of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 when Roman Catholic militants planned to blow up the House of Lords in London and assassinate the Protestant King James I and many others in the process. The plot was foiled after its conspirator Guy Fawkes was arrested the night before with the explosives. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For the first time since assuming office in 2004, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong led some 40,000 devotees and four ministers at a 164-year-old Hindu temple's reconsecration ceremony here, following the completion of its SGD 4.5 million restoration work. "This 164-year-old temple has been undergoing renovations for the last 1.5 years to prepare for its re-consecration, which takes place every 12 years," the prime minister tweeted last night of the iconic Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in the Little India precinct. After attending yesterday morning's ceremony, Minister of Trade and Industry S Iswaran said the occasion reflected the diversity in Singapore community. The temple - one of the oldest in Singapore - was re-sanctified in a consecration ceremony called the "Maha Samprokshanam", which would be followed by a period of 45 days of cultural programmes known as the "mandalabishegam". "The prime minister's presence here today, having travelled overnight from overseas (Commonwealth meetings in London), is a remarkable validation of the commitment the government has, that PM Lee also has, to this," Iswaran said. "It is an opportunity to bring together different communities so that we develop this mutual understanding and respect and continue to build on Singapore's multi-racial fabric," The Straits Times quoted the minister as saying. "Such events indeed, reflect the diversity as well as the harmony we have in our multi-religious, multiracial society," Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing, who was also present on the occasion, said in a Twitter post. The ceremony was touted as the most significant event on the Hindu calendar this year, according to a report by The Straits Times today. This was the first time Prime Minister Lee visited a Hindu consecration ceremony since he assumed office in 2004. Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Education, Communications and Information, were present on the occasion. A team of 20 artisans, known as "sthapathis" were flown in from India for restoration work. Built in 1854, the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple was declared a national monument by Singapore's Preservation of Monuments Board in 1978. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today assured Delhi University's Bhagini Nivedita College of expediting the construction work of its building. "The Deputy Chief Minister gave an assurance for early construction of the college building. He also visited the yoga and apparel design exhibition organised by the students and praised their efforts," a statement by the college read. Sisodia visited the college for its 24th annual day, which was also attended by the college's chairman and governing body members. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Gaya court today sentenced six persons to 12-years in jail for carrying contraband ganja. The six persons, including a woman, were found guilty by Additional and District Sessions Judge (ADJ)(II) Priti Verma under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for carrying ganja. The judge sentenced them to 12-years in jail and also fined them Rs 2 lakh each. According to prosecution lawyer Sadulla Faruqui, the police had seized three quintals of ganja from two vehicles on September 4, 2016 near Suryamandal revenue post on national highway 2 (GT road). On the basis of the then Barachatti station house officer's statement, six persons - Anita Singh, Upendra Yadav, Sunil Kumar, Rajendra Kumar Arya, Yatindra Chauhan and Mohammad Shabbir were named in the FIR as accused persons under the NDPS Act. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 275 Special Police Officers(SPO) force personnel in Assam attempted to jump into the Brahmaputra river from the second Saraighat bridge here today demanding permanent appointment in Assam Industrial Security Force(AISF), police said. The SPO personnel in their khaki uniforms marched to the bridge and tried to jump from its guard wall and were stooped by a huge force of Assam Police and CRPF personnel deployed there in view of the agitational programme. A scuffle followed between the two sides and the police resorted to lathi charge to control the agitating SPO personnel, police officials at the site said. None was injured in the lathi charge, the police said. River police and NDRF boats were deployed in the river to rescue any SPO man who may jump into the water from the bridge, the officials said. The protest led to heavy traffic jams on the bridge and in the area as the SPO personnel squatted on it. A Kamrup (Metro) district administration senior official met them there and assured to carry their grievances and demands to the government. The SPO men, carrying banners and shouting slogans told reporters, "We were engaged in 2008 but were suddenly disarmed some years ago without any notice and rendered jobless by the government without giving us alternative permanent appointment. As we have no means of sustenance any more, we are giving up our life". They said that the government holds talks with the SPOs regularly and promises them permanent appointment but has not done anything so far. "We demand that all of us be permanently appointed in the Assam Industrial Security Force immediately," they demanded. The All Assam Special Police Welfare Association president Parag Buragohain alleged that there were about 900 SPOs initially but in 2010 the state government discharged 298 of them from duty without any notice. "We have been demanding justice but the state government has been delaying it." The Assam government had announced to raise the 3rd AISF battalion where the SPOs were assured to be inducted but it has not become a reality, he added. The state government had raised SPOs in 2008 to guard government officials and vital installations after Karbi militants triggered large-scale violence in Dima Hasao district. Several surrendered extremists were inducted as SPOs under the rehabilitation scheme for them and were later posted in Chirang, Nagaon, Kamrup, Barpeta, Nalbari and Morigaon districts. The Assam government, however, disarmed all the SPOs in the state in June 2015 after some 150 of them engaged in protection of railway and highway constructions in Dima Hasao hill district staged a revolt against the government. They have been periodically resorting to protests and agitational programmes since 2015 to press for their demands. The State Level Police Recruitment Board had in an online advertisement in last December invited applications from former SPOs for 145 vacant posts in the 1st and 2nd AISF battalions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Standard Chartered Bank, the largest foreign lender operating in the country by branches, has blamed onerous capital requirements for the reluctance among banks to convert into wholly owned subsidiaries (WOS). The bank, which has 100 branches in the country, is not looking to decrease its presence as many of its foreign bank peers have done, a top official has said. "It (converting to WOS) is very capital expensive. If you subsidiarise, the capital which is put into the country is dedicated from the tier-I capital of the parent," its country chief executive Zarin Daruwala told reporters when asked about the impediments to conversion into WOS. She said the government has made necessary changes to the taxation structure, which was long considered as a big impediment preventing the lenders from operating as a WOS. Daruwala, however, declined to comment when asked about the bank's strategy vis-a-vis operating as a WOS. Converting into a WOS insulates the country operations of a foreign bank from any reverses that it may face overseas. Hence, it is the stated preference for the government and the RBI as well. A majority of the 40 foreign banks operate as a branch at present, while it is mandatory for all new entrants to operate as a WOS. In order to tide over the issue of lack of a go-ahead for branch expansion, Daruwala said the bank is adopting digital medium as an outreach tool and making investments in the same. It is meeting the priority sector lending (PSL) mandate by buying PSL certificates, portfolio buys and partnerships, she said. Daruwala said her bank is focusing on the more resilient retail segment for loan growth in the country and without giving a timeline, declared that it wants to up its contribution to the loanbook to 40 per cent from the present 29 per cent. She said the retail segment has grown 20 per cent in the last two years and the bank expects to continue with a similar trend in the future as well. The bank's credit cards in use have grown three times in the last two years, she said, adding that it does not want to increase the unsecured book from the present 6 per cent levels. When asked about the corporate book, where a slew of other lenders are facing reverses, she said the bank has provided aggressively against doubtful assets and does not see any further pain on the portfolio. The bank has very few accounts in the list of 40 mandated to be resolved under the insolvency law, she said. When asked about the impediments to the process, like the delays in the Essar Steel resolution, she explained that the lack of precedent is resulting in the difficulties but hoped that once the initial cases are resolved, it will be more smooth sailing. She said a good number of players have come forward to bid for the big bad loans being resolved under the insolvency process and hoped for a better show on it. To a question on whether she is switching to private sector lender Axis Bank that is now on the look-out for a chief executive, Daruwala said, "there is nothing like that on cards" and she has not been approached either. The bank today launched a fully digital savings account and also announced Hindi movie actor and producer Anushka Sharma as its brand ambassador. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today called on Chinese President Xi Jinping, who said China regards boosting the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as one of its diplomatic priorities. Swaraj called on President Xi along with the rest of the seven foreign ministers of the SCO. "China regards boosting the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as one of its diplomatic priorities," Xi said during his meeting with SCO foreign ministers as well as with SCO secretary-general, and the director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Executive Committee. Xi said he believes the upcoming SCO summit in the coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, in June will be a success, state-run Xinhua agency reported. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the Qingdao Summit. Swaraj's meeting with the Chinese President comes a day after the two countries announced a summit meeting between Xi and Prime Minister Modi at Wuhan this week. The SCO Foreign Ministers will meet here tomorrow to finalise the agenda for the summit of the eight-member political, economic and security bloc. Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi yesterday announced that Modi and Xi will meet in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on April 27-28 to improve bilateral relations. The SCO, headquartered in Beijing, was founded in 2001. Comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India and Pakistan, the SCO aims at military cooperation between the member states and involves intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism operations in Central Asia and joint work against cyber terrorism. India and Pakistan were admitted last year into the organisation in which China plays an influential role. Swaraj, who is here on a four-day visit, earlier met Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, a close associate of Xi. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will also attend the SCO Defence Ministers' meeting here tomorrow. She is also due to have a bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart Lt. Gen Wei Fenghe. Swaraj also met her Kyrgyz and Uzbek counterparts and discussed cooperation in a number of key areas including trade and investments. India has ruled out any bilateral meeting with Pakistan's Foreign and Defence Ministers attending the SCO summit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP leader Subramanian Swamy today hailed Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu's decision of rejecting the impeachment notice moved by the Congress and seven other opposition parties against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra. Naidu, the Rajya Sabha chairman, rejected the notice citing lack of substantial merit in it. "The vice president should have rejected it (impeachment notice) the day it was filed because the content of the notice was made public," Swamy told PTI after coming out of the CJI's courtroom. The BJP leader was among the first few litigants to mention their respective petitions for urgent hearing. He had mentioned for urgent hearing of his plea seeking enforcement of his fundamental right to worship at the disputed site at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. "Anyway, it's a good decision," he said on the rejection of impeachment notice. Senior advocate Harin Raval, who had worked as additional solicitor general during the UPA regime, however, refused to comment on the issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today called on Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan to discuss bilateral ties. Swaraj, who is here on a four-day visit to take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), met Wang at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leadership compound, in Beijing. "EAM @SushmaSwaraj continues her engagement with the Chinese leadership on the 2nd day of her visit, calling on the Vice President of China Wang Qishan," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. She met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi yesterday and discussed a host of bilateral issues and ways to step-up the pace of high-level interactions to improve the relationship. During their talks, the two sides announced that prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping would hold an informal summit from April 27 to 28 in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today met her Kyrgyz and Uzbek counterparts and discussed cooperation in a number of key areas including trade and investments. Swaraj, who is here on a four-day visit to take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), yesterday met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and discussed a host of bilateral issues and ways to step-up the pace of high-level interactions to improve the relationship. She met Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan Erlan Abdyldaev on the sidelines of the SCO foreign ministers meeting and discussed cooperation in trade and investment, Information Technology (IT), defence, films, human resource development, culture and other areas, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet. "Connecting with an extended neighbour & a close friend! EAM @SushmaSwaraj & Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev met on sidelines of #SCO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Beijing. Discussed cooperation in trade & investment, IT, defence, films, HRD, culture & other areas," Kumar said. Swaraj also met Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov and exchanged views on enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, pharma, IT, tourism and culture, as well as on the regional situation. "An important partner in Asia! EAM @SushmaSwaraj met Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov in Beijing. Good exchange of views on enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade & investment, pharma, IT, tourism and culture, as well as on the regional situation," Kumar said in another tweet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) today breached the USD 100 billion mark in market valuation, but slipped below the coveted milestone at close of session. In the morning trade, the company's market capitalisation (m-cap) hit over USD 100 billion (Rs 6,80,912.10 crore), becoming the first Indian IT firm to cross this mark. At close of trade, however, the m-cap declined to USD 98.8 billion (Rs 6,53,767.50 crore). Reliance Industries Ltd had breached the USD 100 billion m-cap mark on October 18, 2007. The US dollar at was quoted at Rs 39.59 at that time. The rupee has weakened considerably since then was at Rs 66.16 against the American currency in the morning trade. Shares of the IT major rose by 4.42 per cent to a record high of Rs 3,557 in intra-day trade on BSE today. The stock later gave up most of its early gains and ended flat at Rs 3,415.20, up 0.26 per cent. On NSE, TCS shares settled at Rs 3,408.65, up 0.18 per cent. In terms of equity volume, 5.06 lakh shares of the company were traded on BSE and over 75 lakh shares changed hands at NSE during the day. At the end of Friday's trading session, the IT major commanded a m-cap which was Rs 7,917.08 crore, just short of the USD 100 billion milestone at Rs 6,52,082.92 crore. The stock has been gaining for the third straight session today, rising 8 per cent and added Rs 48,948.5 crore to its market valuation. So far this year, shares of the company has risen by 26.5 per cent. The IT major accounts nearly 11 per cent of the total Sensex m-cap of Rs 6,081,286.82 crore. TCS is the country's most valued firm followed by Reliance Industries Ltd with a m-cap of Rs 5,92,427.82 crore, HDFC Bank (Rs 5,01,643.92 crore), ITC (Rs 3,35,801.17 crore) and Hindustan Unilever Ltd (Rs 3,14,938.94 crore) in the top-five list. The nation's largest software exporter TCS on April 19 reported a 4.4 per cent rise in March quarter net profit at Rs 6,904 crore. The Tata group flagship, which contributes around 85 per cent of the group's profit, reported a revenue growth of 8.2 per cent at Rs 32,075 crore for the three months to March. In dollar terms, the company had its highest revenue growth in 14 quarters at 11.7 per cent. It also announced a 1:1 bonus of shares and a dividend of Rs 29 a share, taking the total payout to shareholders at Rs 50 for the year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tata Group arm TCS is keen to join hands with the government in an initiative to harvest organs from road crash victims as well as facilitate emergency services for the injured using helicopters, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said today. Battling high incidence of road crashes in India, the government is going to join hands with South Korea for traffic management system besides planning to introduce an effective highways patrol, the road transport minister said here. "TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) has come up with a proposal... The proposal is that that they are ready to cooperate in organ donation (programme). Helicopter services will be available for accident victims," Gadkari said. TCS is the country's largest software services company, which crossed market valuation of USD 100 billion (Rs 6,80,912.10 crore) this morning -- the first Indian firm to cross the mark. Gadkari said the government is coming up with an initiative to lift road crash victims to hospitals through helicopters to provide emergency medical care and in case of death to specialised hospitals for organ harvesting. "The government is building 750 road side amenities" and besides restaurants, restrooms, recreational facilities, these will also be equipped with helipads to lift critical patients and bodies to the nearest hospitals, he said. Besides, the government is aiming to provide emergency medical services at the spot, Gadkari said, regretting that India accounted for the highest global fatalities as annually 1.5 lakh people die here in about 5 lakh road crashes. The driving licences will carry consent for organ donation in addition to blood group, he said, adding that talks are also on with the Home Ministry for highways patrol system. He also announced that India and South Korea will ink a pact next month for highways traffic system. "I had been to South Korea and seen the functioning of their Express Highway Information Corporation. In May, South Korean President is coming here and NHAI and their Corporation will ink a pact for traffic control system," he said. Gadkari, who awarded school children from various states for winning essay competition on road safety, underlined the need for taking the drive on mission mode seeking cooperation from each section of the society. "People are dying every day and we can not sit silent," he said, asking people to adhere to safety norms. He said after Parliament nod to the Road Safety legislation, there will be much reforms as it proposes widespread reforms. Addressing the event, Highways Secretary Yudhvir Singh Malik said despite 1 per cent of global vehicular population, India accounts for 10 per cent of the global road fatalities. He said the country lacks structured data from reliable sources and all efforts are on to identify root causes of accidents and rectify them. Efforts are on to spread awareness through school curriculum as well, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Several Thailand-based companies which are operating in India plan to invest around USD 3 billion in the next three years period in the areas of green and brown field projects including energy, infrastructure and metals. "The Thailand based companies see good opportunity here and are looking to invest around USD 3 billion by 2020. The fast growing Indian market remains attractive for Thai investors given the opportunities in green and brown field projects including energy, infrastructure and metals," Thai Trade Center executive director and consul Suwimol Tilokruangchai told PTI here. "We are looking towards India with a great interest from last seven decades and plans to enhance the bi-lateral trade thanks to the positive approach of both the Thai and Indian governments," she added. Over the decades, nearly 30 Thai companies are active in the field of infrastructure, real estate, food processing, chemicals, hotel and hospitality sectors in India. Currently, Thai goods have benefited from the second FTA agreement with 10 members of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region with India. Thailand holds the second largest economy in the region. Since the Thailand too falls under ASEAN group, Indian traders and importers can benefit from these FTA, Suwimol added. The Thai government has also invited Indian companies to investment in the growth of Thailand. At present around 40 Indian companies have made an investment of around USD 2 billion in the areas of software, agri chemicals, electric car development in Thailand. Leading Indian companies include, Tata Motors (Thailand), Tata Steel Thailand, TCS, The Aditya Birla group, Mahindra Satyam, Lupin, NIIT, Kirloskar Bothers, Punj Lloyd group, Ashok Leylands, Jindal group and Usha Siam Steel Industries are active in Thailand. The Department of International Trade Promotion Ministry of Commerce, Thailand and Thai Trade Centre Mumbai, has organized a three day Thailand Week 2018 in June this year, Suwimol said. Bilateral trade between the two countries has multiplied eight times since 2000 to reach USD 10 billion in 2017. Suggesting measures to be taken up by the government, Suwimol said "It is essential for both countries to encourage the private sectors to make investments in infrastructure and manufacturing in each others' country." "The two governments should provide a supportive environment and a predictable, encouraging and comprehensive legal and taxation framework. Similarly, more Special Economic Zone (SEZ) should be set up by governments of both the countries to encourage more investment and built better trade relationships," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A transgender was shot dead allegedly by unidentified assailants in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said today. A group of armed men last night raided Khan Ullah alias Sheena's house in Swabi district of the province, beat her up and then shot her dead, Dawn quoted Qamar Nasim, an activist associated with charity Trans Action Pakistan, as saying. Local police station house officer Shafiur Rehman confirmed the killing and said an FIR has been registered and probe was underway, according to the report. The motive of the killing was not known yet, the SHO said. The activist accused the provincial government of failing to protect transgenders and claimed that 56 community members have been killed since 2015. The report said that cases of violence against the transgender community are a common occurrence in Pakistan. According to Trans Action Alliance KP, seven transgenders were killed in the province in 2017, while 208 cases of different kinds of violence, including sexual harassment, rape, gang rape, torture, extortion, denial of access to services, and misbehaviour at police stations and public spaces were recorded, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP in Tripura will look to bolster the party machinery to wrest two Lok Sabha seats from the CPI(M) in the upcoming general elections next year, state party leaders said. At the first state committee meeting of the party after the BJP-IPFT government came to power last month, senior leaders deliberated on training party workers at the booth level to better communicate with voters, BJP spokesperson Mrinal Kanti Deb told PTI. "It was decided that a group of disciplined, hardworking and honest party workers from the grass-root level would be screened and trained so that they work in booth levels to keep a close touch with voters, understand their problems and help the government cater benefits to them," another party spokesperson, Subrata Chakraborty, said. All the MLAs and ministers of the state would have to take organisational responsibilities, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhab said in the meeting yesterday. The state committee also resolved to attach maximum importance to education and healthcare, double the income of peasants in the next five years, create a transparent transfer policy for employees, and implementation of the 7th Central Pay Commission for state government employees. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two members of the minority Shia Hazara community were killed by motorcycle-borne gunmen in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, police said, the third attack on the community in a month. The two Hazara men killed were identified as Muhammad Zaman and Muhammad Ali, police said. According to police, unknown gunmen opened fire and killed two persons in Quetta, the provincial capital. One person was injured in the attack. "The third was wounded and was admitted to the Bolan hospital for treatment," one police official said. Members of the minority Shia Hazara community which reside in large numbers in Quetta have frequently been the victims of sectarian attacks in recent times. This is the third attack in a month on the members of the Hazara community in Quetta. Last week, an auto parts dealer was also gunned down in his shop by men on a motorcycle. Earlier this month, one man was killed and another injured in a targeted attack in Quetta. Following the attack, the Hazaras staged a protest to denounce the government's failure to provide security to Balochistan's marginalised community. The community has asked the government to prove its seriousness in the security matters pertaining to the ethnic group. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 30-year-old man has been fined 800 pounds by a court in the UK for putting a "grossly offensive" footage of a pet dog giving Nazi salutes on YouTube in 2016, according to a media report today. Mark Meechan recorded his girlfriend's pug, Buddha, responding to statements such as "Sieg Heil" by raising its paw, the BBC reported. The clip was viewed more than three million times on YouTube, it said. Meechan was sentenced at Airdrie Sheriff Court after being found guilty of committing a hate crime last month, the report said. He had denied any wrong-doing and insisted he made the video, which was posted in April 2016, to annoy his girlfriend. But Sheriff Derek O'Carroll found him guilty of a charge under the Communications Act that he posted a video on social media and YouTube which was grossly offensive because it was "anti-Semitic and racist in nature" and was aggravated by religious prejudice. Fining Meechan 800 pounds, the sheriff told him: "The centrepiece of your video consists of you repeating the phrase 'Gas the Jews' over and over again as a command to a dog which then reacts. "You use the command Sieg Heil, having trained the dog to raise its paw in response and the video shows a clip of a Nuremberg rally and a flashing image of Hitler with strident music. You say the video was only intended as a joke to upset your girlfriend, whose dog you used, and nothing more. "On the whole evidence..I found it proved that the video you posted, using a public communications network, was grossly offensive and contained menacing, anti-Semitic and racist material," the sheriff said. A racist joke or a grossly offensive video does not lose its racist or grossly offensive quality merely because the maker asserts he only wanted to get a laugh, the sheriff added. Meechan was supported in court by by Tommy Robinson, former leader of far-right group the English Defence League. Speaking after being fined, Meechan - who posts under the name Count Dankula - said he would be appealing the sentence. He defended the video, saying the whole point of the "joke" was "the juxtaposition of having an adorable animal reacting to something vulgar". Meechan said: "This is a really dangerous precedent to set - for people to say things and their context to be completely ignored and then they can be convicted for it. "You don't get to decide the context, other people don't get to decide the context, the court decides. That's dangerous." There was a demonstration outside court by protesters claiming the case went against the principle of freedom of speech. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shares of Unichem Laboratories today surged nearly 7 per cent after the company said it has not received any observations from the US health regulator after completion of inspection of its Ghaziabad facility in Uttar Pradesh. The stock gained 6.72 per cent to end at Rs 277.90 on BSE. During the day, it jumped 8.65 per cent to Rs 282.95. On NSE, shares of the company soared 6.58 per cent to close at Rs 277.60. The company's market valuation also rose by Rs 123.67 crore to Rs 1,954.67 crore. The company's formulation manufacturing facility at Ghaziabad was inspected by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) from April 16, 2018 to April 20, 2018, Unichem Laboratories said in a BSE filing on Friday. The inspection concluded with zero observations, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police in the US state of Tennessee today captured the suspected gunman who killed four people in a shooting at a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville, America's country music capital. "Murder suspect Travis Reinking is in custody. Arrested moments ago," Nashville's police department tweeted. The 29-year-old was captured following an expansive manhunt, as authorities scoured an area around the shooter's home and the site of the shooting in which four were killed and two others wounded early Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The White House said it was moving forward with its South Asia strategy as the Pentagon strongly condemned terrorist attack on a voter registration office in Kabul that killed about 60 people and injured 100 others. "We're continuing to move forward with the strategy that was announced," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said at her daily conference here yesterday. She was responding to a question on the series of latest terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. The Pentagon said it was committed to stay in Afghanistan till the terrorists were defeated. "We strongly condemned the deplorable suicide attack on a voter registration centre in Kabul that killed approximately 60 people and wounded over 100 others," Pentagon spokesperson Col Robert Manning told reporters during an off-camera conference. "This senseless violence targeting innocent civilians exercising their fundamental democratic rights exposes the savagery and inhumanity of terrorists," he said. The US, along with its Afghan and international partners, are committed to destroying the Islamic State terror group in Afghanistan, which has claimed responsibility for this vicious attack, he added. "We stand with the people in the government of Afghanistan and their fight against terrorism. The United States reaffirms our support to the Afghan government, Afghan security forces, and the independent electoral commission in their efforts to ensure that the elections process is transparent, credible, and safe," Manning said. The Trump Administration, he said, was still focused on the South Asia strategy -- the ability to regionalise the support to defeat terrorists in the region. "It's a tough fight obviously. But we still continue to move forward in accordance with the strategy," he added. The attack on the polling station reaffirms the reason why rooting out violent extreme extremism has to be the prime focus, Manning said. "When citizens can't go and register and exercise their democratic right to vote, that's a problem. They certainly deserve it and that's why we're going to stay there to make sure that we can work with our Afghan partners to allow them that right," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States will continue its "maximum pressure" campaign against North Korea, the White House has said, ruling out any possibility of lifting of sanctions till Pyongyang takes "concrete action" to denuclearise. "Certainly, the goal is denuclearisation of the peninsula. And we're going to continue the maximum pressure campaign that has been ongoing to North Korea until we see concrete actions taken toward complete and total denuclearisation," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference on Monday. US President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for a summit meeting. The meeting is expected to be held later this summer. At least five non-US venues are being looked at for the summit. Trump's pick to be the next secretary of state, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, was in Pyongyang three weeks ago to hold high level preparatory talks with the North Korean leaders. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, in an interaction with reporters at the Pentagon, exuded confidence that the summit meeting would yield results. "Right now, I think there is a lot of reasons for optimism that the negotiations will be fruitful and we'll see," he said. Sanders said North Korean leaders had agreed to denuclearise. "Certainly in a number of conversations, including the comments I'd refer you back to. Also South Korea President Moon, who has said that North Korea has expressed a will for complete denuclearisation. That's the focus of any conversation and negotiation that the United States will have with North Korea," she added. The Trump administration wants action from Pyongyang. Sanders said the US wouldn't make the mistake of past administrations in taking the North Koreans "simply at their word." "We've seen some steps in the right direction, but we have a long way to go. We also have seen a major change in what has taken place in the past, by having our allies and partners in the region step up and do much more than they have in the past," she said. China has taken a more active role in putting pressure on North Korea, Sanders said, adding that they could certainly do more. "We hope they will, and will continue working with us. That's all at the direction and because of the relationship that the president has built with President Xi of China," she said. Uttarakhand and Bali in Indonesia will collaborate with each other in the fields of tourism, culture, e-governance, human resource, capacity building, environment and health. A five-point Letter of Intentto this effect was signed by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and Governor of Bali I Made Mangku Pastika at the former's official residence here today. Speaking on the occasion, Rawat said with cooperation in field of tourism, culture, environment and health, Uttarakhand and the Indonesian province of Baliwill come closer to each other. Bali is an important tourist destination and with this agreement, the flow of tourists in both India and Indonesia will increase, Rawat said. He hoped more Indonesian tourists will now visit Uttarakhand. Pastika said Bali was a Hindu majority state with 90 per cent of residents being Hindus and more than five thousand people from Bali visit Haridwar and Rishikesh every year. He also said Bali is a major tourist destination with 17,000 foreign tourists visiting it every day. He said a large number of people in Bali follow the 'Mahabharata' and 'Ramayana' and practise vedic rituals and traditions. Expressing his fondness for Uttarakhand, the Bali Governor said he had visited the state in 2007 and 2014. He also extended an invitation tothe chief minister to visit Bali. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Moody's Investors Service today termed mining giant Vedanta's acquisition of bankrupt Electrosteel Steels through insolvency process as "credit positive", saying the move would augment the former's business profile and revenue generation. The Kolkata bench of NCLT on April 17 had approved the resolution plan submitted by Vedanta Ltd for Electrosteel Steels, making it first among the 12 large stressed accounts identified by the RBI last year to get resolved under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Vedanta's acquisition of 90 per cent Electrosteel Steels' stake is credit positive, the ratings agency said in a statement. "Vedanta Resources announced National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved its subsidiary's acquisition of Electrosteel Steels Ltd for USD 813 million. The transaction, although most likely funded with debt, is credit positive for Vedanta because it will enhance the company's business profile and revenue generation, while having a marginal effect on credit quality," the statement said. Vedanta expects the Electrosteel transaction to close by the middle of 2018. As per the plan, Vedanta will take more than 90 per cent stake in Electrosteel, while the remaining 10 per cent stake will be held by minority shareholders and lenders. The Anil Agarwal-led mining company will subscribe to Electrosteel shares for USD 275.7 million and infuse USD 536.9 million to settle Electrosteel debt owed to its financial creditors. "Steelmaking is a natural forward integration for Vedanta's iron-ore business because iron ore is a key raw material in steel. The integration of iron ore and steel operations will enhance this business' profitability. We expect some synergies with Electrosteel given that Vedanta is exploring undeveloped iron-ore deposits in Jharkhand with a potential of 150-200 million tonne," the statement said. Electrosteel owns and operates an integrated steel manufacturing facility near Vedanta's Jharkhand iron-ore deposits. The plant has current capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), with an option to increase capacity to 2.5 MTPA. "To ramp up Electrosteel's capacity to 2.5 MTPA, we estimate that Vedanta will incur capital spending of USD 100-USD 150 million in fiscal 2019 and 2020," Moody's said. Vedanta's foray into steelmaking is backed by strong demand growth in India's steel market and Moody's expects steel consumption to grow 5.5 per cent-6 per cent in 2018, which is one of the highest growth rates in Asia. Increasing urbanisation, large infrastructure projects and rising steel consumption in the automotive sector are major drivers for rising steel demand, Moody's said. Electrosteel was among the 12 non performing assets the Reserve Bank had referred for insolvency proceedings. It owes to its lenders over Rs 10,500 crore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 19-year-old Dalit woman, whose house had been burnt during the violence at Bhima Koregaon in Pune district earlier this year, was found dead in a well yesterday, with her family alleging that it was a suicide. The body of Pooja Sakat, who belonged to a Dalit community, was found in a well near her house in Bhima Koregaon village yesterday morning. A day earlier her family had registered a complaint that she was missing, a senior police officer said today. Her family alleged that some persons, whom she had named as culprits in her statement to the police after the house was torched on January 1, were threatening and pressurising her to withdraw her statement. The police registered a case of abetment of suicide under IPC section 306 and offences under the Scheduled Castes And Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, but no one has been arrested yet, the officer said, while not disclosing the accused's names. There were no injury marks on her body, the officer said. No suicide note was recovered, and further probe was on, he added. Dalits visiting the War Memorial at Bhima Koregaon for commemorating the bicentenary of an 1818 victory of the East India Company over the Peshwa's forces came under attack on January 1 this year. One person was killed and property worth crores of rupees was damaged. Sakat family's house was burnt during the violence and the family is living in a rented house since then, the police officer said. Dalit groups commemorate the 1818 battle as the East India Company's army consisted of Mahars, a Dalit community, who defeated the upper-caste Peshwa's forces. However, some Hindutva organisations had opposed the commemoration this time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As an intensive manhunt continues for the suspect in a Waffle House restaurant shooting that killed four people, police are warning residents of a Nashville neighborhood to beware of the alleged killer. More than 80 Nashville police officers continued to search for Travis Reinking early Monday, authorities said. Agents with the FBI, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and troopers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol were also assisting in the manhunt as disturbing reports about the wanted man's past behaviour came to light. He was also added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's Top 10 Most Wanted list. Reinking was nearly naked, wearing only a green jacket and brandishing an assault-style rifle when he opened fire in the parking lot and then stormed the restaurant, police say. In addition to the four people killed, four others were injured. Police credit a quick-thinking customer who wrestled the gun away from the suspect for preventing more loss of life. Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson said at a conference that Reinking, 29, was last seen Sunday around a wooded area near an apartment complex where he lived. Authorities said Reinking could be armed and weren't ruling out that he had left the area. He was believed to be wearing only pants and no shirt or shoes. Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson said there was no clear motive, though Reinking may have "mental issues." He may still be armed, Anderson told a mid-afternoon conference, because he was known to have owned a handgun that authorities have not recovered. "He's on foot," Anderson said. "Unless he's been picked up by a car, he would be fairly close. We don't want to alarm people, but certainly, everybody should take precautions. It could be he's in an unoccupied house. We want everybody to be concerned. Neighbors should check on each other." Officials with the Nashville public school system say schools will go into "lock-out" mode if Reinking isn't found in time for class Monday. During the lock-out students will be free to move about the building but no guests or visitors will be allowed to enter the building. The search continued as police reports from Illinois came in that portrayed Reinking as a disturbed man with paranoid delusions, and one who liked firearms. The reports were among multiple past red flags about the suspect, who had just recently moved to Nashville from Morton, Illinois. Reinking was arrested by agents with the U.S. Secret Service back in July after he crossed a restricted area near the White House, officials said. He was detained after refusing to leave, saying he wanted to meet President Donald Trump. In May 2016, deputies from Tazewell County, Illinois, were called to a CVS parking lot. Reinking told officers that Taylor Swift was stalking him and hacking his phone, and that his family was also involved, according to a report released Sunday. It is not clear why Reinking moved to Nashville and if it had anything to do with being near the pop/country superstar. Police say he was employed in construction for a while and there would have been enough work in the booming city for him. In August, after the White House incident, Reinking told police in Tazewell County, Illinois, that he wanted to file a report about 20 to 30 people tapping into his computer and phone. He also complained that people were "barking like dogs" outside his residence, according to a report. Reinking agreed to go to a local hospital for an evaluation after repeatedly resisting the request, the report said. Another report from the sheriff's office said Reinking barged into a community pool in Tremont, Illinois, last June and jumped into the water wearing a pink woman's coat over his underwear. Investigators believed he had an AR-15 rifle in his car trunk, but it was never displayed. No charges were filed. Reinking was not armed when he was detained near the White House. However, state police in Illinois, revoked his state firearms card at the request of the FBI and four guns were taken from him, authorities said. The AR-15 used in the shootings was among the firearms seized after US Secret Service agents arrested him last July. Sheriff Robert Huston in Tazewell County, Illinois, said deputies allowed Reinking's father to take possession of the guns on the promise that he would "keep the weapons secure and out of the possession of Travis." Huston added that, based on deputies' encounters with Reinking, "there's certainly evidence that there's some sort of mental health issues involved." While Huston said it was unclear how Reinking reclaimed the guns, Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said that his father "has now acknowledged giving them back." Phone calls to a number listed for the father, Jeffrey Reinking, went unanswered. Police recovered three of the four guns that were originally taken from Reinking, officials said. They believe he is armed with at least one handgun. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A wanted criminal was killed and three, including a police personnel, were injured today during an encounter in the Baraula area here, an official said. Special task forces of the Uttar Pradesh and the Haryana police intercepted a car and were fired upon by the vehicle's occupant, Superintendent of Police (SP), UP-STF (West), Rajiv Narain Mishra, said. In retaliatory fire, the criminal, Balraj Bhati, was injured and he was declared brought dead at a hospital, he said. Haryana STF personnel Raj Kumar and two locals were injured during the exchange of fire, the SP said. Balraj, a resident of Bulandshahr, was involved in several cases of robbery, murder and kidnapping in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the officer said. The Delhi Police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his arrest and the Uttar Pradesh Police Rs 50,000. His family members are also involved in criminal activities, police said. Balarj was also involved in the killing of Vijay Bhati, a former chairman of the Dadri Municipal Corporation, they said. The officer said as per information, Balraj and his gang's members had made plans to kill the jailor of the Bulandshahr prison, police said. He had an altercation with the jailor when he was an inmate there, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court asked the Centre today if it had done any research or scientific assessment before coming out with an ordinance to award death penalty for rape of girls below the age of 12. The high court was dealing with an old PIL that challenged the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2013, in which a penal provision -- minimum of seven years of jail term -- for a rape convict was included and the court's discretion to award less than that was taken away. "Did you carry out any study, any scientific assessment that death penalty is a deterrent to rape? Have you thought of the consequences to the victim? How many offenders would allow their victims to survive now that rape and murder have the same punishment," a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the government. The Union Cabinet, two days ago, cleared the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2018, which proposes stringent punishments, ranging from a minimum of 20 years to life term or death, for rape of girls under the age of 12 years. If the victim is less than 16 years and more than 12 years, the ordinance has increased the minimum punishment from 10 years to 20 years and the maximum has been set at imprisonment for the rest of the convict's life. The Centre's decision came in the wake of a nationwide outrage over cases of sexual assault and murder of minors in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and Surat in Gujarat, and the rape of a girl in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. The high court today said the government was "not even looking at the root cause" or "educating people" as the offenders are often found to be below the age of 18 years and in majority of the cases, the perpetrator is someone from the family or known to them. It further questioned whether any victims were asked what they want before coming out with the ordinance. The observations came after the bench was informed about the recent ordinance during the hearing of a PIL which seeks to strike down the amendments made in the rape law after the December 16, 2012 gangrape of a 23-year-old women in the national capital. The plea by academician Madhu Purnima Kishwar has claimed that the amendments to the law related to sexual offences is being abused in practice. Under the new ordinance, minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment. President Ram Nath Kovind has approved the ordinance for changes in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Violence erupted at Suri in Birbhum district over the filing of fresh nominations for panchayat election in West Bengal today, in which one person was killed and a few others were injured. Both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP have claimed that the person killed was their worker. The filing of nominations began at 11 am and ended at 3 pm. The Calcutta High Court had on Friday directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to extend the date. The SEC issued a fresh notification on Saturday announcing April 23 as the new date for filing nominations to the three-tier panchayat elections. The opposition parties alleged that violence took place in Birbhum, Murshidabad, Malda, Burdwan, Nadia, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts. According to the police, BJP and Trinamool Congress workers clashed at Suri in Birbhum district over filing of nominations. Bombs were hurled by both the sides during the clashes. State Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim said one TMC worker was killed in Birbhum by the BJP activists. "The victim Sk Dildar was a Trinamool activist. He was killed by contract killers from Jharkhand hired by the BJP. The party had in the past caused disturbances at Mohammadbazar by bringing people from Jharkhand," he alleged. On the other hand, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh claimed that the victim belonged to his party. "Our party activist was killed and a few others were injured when TMC goons attacked BJP workers in Suri. TMC is afraid of facing free and fair elections," he said. State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury claimed that even MLAs and MPs were attacked by the ruling party. Congress chief whip in the Assembly Manoj Chakrabarty was assaulted in Murshidabad, he claimed and alleged that police remained mute spectators. "They (TMC) don't want democracy. In the name of rural election, they are enacting a farce," Chowdhury said. However, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee accused the BJP, Congress and CPI(M) of trying to delay the poll process. "They have no organisation. The BJP should not think that this is Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh," he said. Chatterjee alleged that the state BJP president was using "threatening language" but the SEC was letting him go. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A young woman, claiming to be a model, took to twitter to say that two persons made obscene comments and allegedly tried to pull her skirt when she was driving her scooter on a busy road yesterday. Taking cognisance of the tweet, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan termed the incident "shameful" and ordered the state Director General of Police (DGP) and Indore district collector to take necessary action. Narrating her ordeal in a series of tweets, the woman wrote, "Two guys tried to pull my skirt while I was on my Activa and said, 'dikhao iske niche kya hai?' (Show us, what is underneath). I tried to stop them and lost control and met with an accident". According to the woman, the incident occurred when she was driving on a busy street. "It happened on one of the busiest roads of indore, and nobody tried to stop them. They ran away, and I couldn't even see their number. I've never felt so helpless. I'm not the kind of girl who will just sit and watch. Those fiends ran away, and I couldn't do anything," she said in another tweet. The woman also posted pictures of the "injury" she claimed to have suffered in the "accident", along with the tweets. Later, she urged the media through the twitter to keep her name secret. However, her posts were circulated by thousands of twitteratis expressing concern over the safety of women. Indore's Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Harinarayanchari Mishra told PTI, "When I got information about the woman's tweet, I immediately offered her help, but she has not lodged any complaint with police yet. She also did not contact us". He said action would be taken after contacting the woman. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A woman caretaker was arrested today for allegedly molesting a four-year-old girl on the premises of a school in south Mumbai, police said. The alleged incident, which occurred around ten days ago, came to light today after the girl's family members approached Byculla police station and lodged a complaint, a police official said. "Based on the complaint, a case has been registered under sections 4, 6 and 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the caretaker, who is in her late 50s," said DCP, Zone III, Virendra Mishra. He said further investigation is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday the world will have a single overriding interest: How will they address North Korea's decades-long pursuit of nuclear-armed missiles? Success, even a small one, on the nuclear front could mean a prolonged detente and smooth the path for a planned summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in May or June. Optimists hope that the two summits might even result in a grand nuclear bargain. North Korea's announcement on Saturday to suspend further nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and close its nuclear test site raised hopes in Washington and Seoul for a breakthrough in the upcoming nuclear negotiations. However, the North's statement stopped well-short of suggesting it has any intentions to give up its nukes or halt its production of missiles. Failure to reach a nuclear agreement would raise serious questions about the sincerity of Kim's recent outreach to Seoul and Washington and rekindle the fears of war that spread across the Korean Peninsula last year. Although North Korea has expressed a willingness to have "candid" talks with the United States about the denuclearization of the peninsula, there's rampant skepticism about whether Kim will give up his nukes. Those weapons are the core of his authoritarian rule, a "powerful treasured sword" meant to neutralize U.S. nuclear threats. And the North's call for "the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" has been linked to a demand for the withdrawal of the 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea. Kim suggested during a trip to Beijing in March that he prefers step-by-step disarmament in return for corresponding concessions. That, critics say, could allow the North to covertly continue its weapons programs while winning badly needed aid, which occurred during now-dormant six-nation nuclear talks from 2003-2008. Analysts say it's likely that Kim will make similar commitments during the inter-Korean summit as a way of reaching out to the United States. Go Myong-Hyun of the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies said Kim may also offer up a rough timetable for denuclearization. North Korea argues that it needs its nukes because of the U.S. military presence in South Korea and annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises that the North claims are an invasion rehearsal. During the two summits, Kim may demand a security guarantee for his government, the scrapping of what he calls U.S. hostility and the easing or lifting of international sanctions on the North. The Kim-Trump meeting, not the Korean summit, will be the main venue for dealing with nukes because the United States must largely determine whether to accept the North's demands. Kim therefore has an interest in making his meeting with Moon a success, especially following reconciliation in recent months that saw athletes from both countries parade together during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics opening ceremony and South Korean pop stars perform in Pyongyang. It's much less clear how the Kim-Trump meeting will go. Trump's pick for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said recently that "no one is under any illusions that we will reach a comprehensive agreement." Pompeo made a secret trip to meet with Kim and discuss the summit in recent weeks. Trump seemed more optimistic after North Korea's announcement on Saturday, to which he responded with a tweet saying, "This is very good for North Korea and the World" and "big progress!" He added that he's looking forward to his upcoming summit with Kim. US officials have said they want complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament by North Korea. Kim won't likely accept that anytime soon because he's closing in on his goal of developing nuclear missiles capable of striking the continental US after decades of struggle and sacrifice. After his country's most-powerful-to-date long-range missile test in November, Kim said the North had "finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force." Foreign experts, though, say the North still has a couple of technological barriers to overcome to build reliable intercontinental ballistic missiles. One disarmament step Kim might have in mind is to freeze or dismantle an ICBM program that poses a direct threat to the United States. Go said Kim could also offer to allow international nuclear inspectors back into his country and promise to dismantle the North's old plutonium-producing reactor at its main nuclear complex because it has a uranium-enrichment plant that can also manufacture bombs. North Korea could also submit a list of facilities or equipment to be disabled or dismantled and then allow the United States to inspect disarmament procedures. This process, however, could easily be disrupted if the North asks for excessive rewards for partial disarmament steps or the country fails to let outsiders inspect military bases or other sensitive places with possible nuclear weapons. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping will discuss globalisation and the threat of rising protectionism at their informal summit at Wuhan this week and the world will hear "very positive voices". External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi yesterday announced that Modi and Xi will meet in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on April 27-28 to improve bilateral relations. At Wuhan, the two leaders will "exchange views on overarching long term strategic issues as well as the latest trends of the world so that the world will develop in a more stable way," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said here. "As to the background against which this meeting is held, I believe you are clear that the world is faced with rampant unilateralism as well as the rising protectionism in the process of globalisation," Lu said. All these new trends in the world have been closely followed and debated, Lu said in apparent reference to a host of measures initiated by US President Donald Trump in his 'America First' policy leading to a lot of protectionist measures including the current trade spate between the China and US. He was responding to question whether there will be a joint message related to trade and protectionism specially against US unilateral protectionism after the meeting between Modi and Xi. "So against such a backdrop China and India have a lot to discuss. We are all newly-emerging markets as well as developing countries with big populations," Lu said. "So we believe that the two countries will continue to uphold the globalisation so that it will be more inclusive. So we have lot of shared interests, concerns and propositions," he said. To a specific question whether there would be a joint message related to trade and protectionism especially against US unilateral protectionism, he said while he cannot make any prejudgement ahead of the meeting, "it is sure that the two leaders will exchange views on these issues but I believe you will see and hear very positive voices". At the recently-held Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) India and China displayed wider convergence on threats to globalisation and rising protectionism. NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar had said in his address to the fifth India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) here on April 14 that the world economy is staging a synchronised recovery after a long time. But the "recovery is marred and disrupted by unseemingly protectionist noises that are coming out from the Atlantic basin from north and America and Europe," he said in a thinly veiled attack on US and Western countries' protectionist policies. He also made a strong case for China to open its import market for India for soybean and sugar after Beijing imposed 25 per cent tariff on a host of products, including the two, following the trade spat with US. "I was noticing that there are some tariffs you imposed on farmers' from Iowa and Ohio (in US). May be India can be a substitute for soybean and sugar, if we could access those exports with all the due quality considerations to our farmers. That is very useful," he told chairman of China's National Development Reforms Commission (NDRC) He Lifeng at the meeting. Kumar's pitch for soybean and sugar exports to China came amid the ongoing trade spat between the US and China following which Beijing had slapped 25 per cent tariffs on American soybean imports in a tit-for-tat retaliation to US President Donald Trump imposing tariffs on a range of Chinese products. Trump is pressuring China to reduce America's whopping USD 375 billion trade deficit with China to USD 100 billion. China had hit back with tariffs on a wide variety of agricultural products such as soybean, corn, beef, orange juice and tobacco which are expected to hit American farmers. Soybean is regarded as most important for US farmers as China is their largest importer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China today said President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss the threat of rising protectionism and the "unprecedented" changes in the world in the past 100 years at their informal summit at Wuhan this week and the world will hear "very positive voices". External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi yesterday announced that Modi and Xi will meet in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on April 27-28 to improve bilateral relations and discuss global issues. During the meeting, the two leaders will discuss the changes that have taken place and which are unprecedented in the past 100 years to exchange views on the strategic over- arching long term issues concerning over bilateral ties. relationship, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. This will bring positive influence to regional and world peace, stability and development and bring more benefits to the people of both countries, Lu said. As to the background against which this meeting will be held, Lu said, "I believe you are also clear that the world is now faced with rampant unilateralism as well as the rising protectionism in the process of globalisation. All these new trends in the world have to be closely followed and debated. "Against such back drop China and India have a lot to discuss. We are newly emerging markets as well as developing countries with big population. So we believe the two countries will continue to uphold the globalisation so that it is more inclusive. So we have a lot of shared interests, concerns and positions," the spokesman said. At Wuhan, the two leaders will "exchange views on overarching long-term strategic issues as well as the latest trends of the world so that the world will develop in a more stable way," Lu said. All these new trends in the world have been closely followed and debated, Lu said in apparent reference to a host of measures initiated by US President Donald Trump in his 'America First' policy leading to a lot of protectionist measures including the current trade spate between the China and US. Lu was responding to question whether there will be a joint message related to trade and protectionism specially against US unilateral protectionism after the meeting between Modi and Xi. To a specific question whether there would be a joint message related to trade and protectionism especially against US unilateral protectionism, he said while he cannot make any prejudgement ahead of the meeting, "it is sure that the two leaders will exchange views on these issues but I believe you will see and hear very positive voices". At the recently-held Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) India and China displayed wider convergence on threats to globalisation and rising protectionism. NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar had said in his address to the fifth India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) here on April 14 that the world economy is staging a synchronised recovery after a long time. But the "recovery is marred and disrupted by unseemingly protectionist noises that are coming out from the Atlantic basin from north and America and Europe," he said in a thinly veiled attack on US and Western countries' protectionist policies. He also made a strong case for China to open its import market for India for soybean and sugar after Beijing imposed 25 per cent tariff on a host of products, including the two, following the trade spat with US. "I was noticing that there are some tariffs you imposed on farmers' from Iowa and Ohio (in US). May be India can be a substitute for soybean and sugar, if we could access those exports with all the due quality considerations to our farmers. That is very useful," he told chairman of China's National Development Reforms Commission (NDRC) He Lifeng at the meeting. Kumar's pitch for soybean and sugar exports to China came amid the ongoing trade spat between the US and China following which Beijing had slapped 25 per cent tariffs on American soybean imports in a tit-for-tat retaliation to US President Donald Trump imposing tariffs on a range of Chinese products. Trump is pressuring China to reduce America's whopping USD 375 billion trade deficit with China to USD 100 billion. China had hit back with tariffs on a wide variety of agricultural products such as soybean, corn, beef, orange juice and tobacco which are expected to hit American farmers. Soybean is regarded as most important for US farmers as China is their largest importer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today directed the chief secretaries of Delhi and Haryana and the secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources to hold a meeting immediately to discuss and sort out the issues relating to the supply of Yamuna river water to the national capital. The apex court said this after chief secretaries of Delhi and Haryana, who were both present in the court during the hearing, raised some issues regarding the minutes of the meeting held earlier between them. While Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash told a bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta that they had not agreed on certain aspects at the last meeting, the chief secretary of Haryana said the minutes of the last meeting were "correctly recorded". "What should be done now? Do we need to have CCTV cameras installed to see what they have said (in the meeting)? All of them are senior officers," the bench observed. However, Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni, appearing for the Centre, said that both Delhi and Haryana should sort it out and they should have a fresh meeting to deliberate on the issue. Delhi chief secretary told the bench that at the last meeting, they had not agreed on the aspect of withdrawal of cases filed by the Delhi government against Haryana in this regard but it was recorded in the minutes that this issue was agreed upon. "You tell us the solution. This cannot go on like this," the bench observed. Haryana's chief secretary D S Dhesi said they had started releasing water to Delhi from April 2 itself. The Haryana counsel said that water was being released as per the agreement and claimed that Delhi wanted to get the share of Haryana's water also. "In the garb of a judicial order, they (Delhi) want Haryana to part with its share of water," the counsel claimed. "What Delhi is asking is not a favour from Haryana. It is as per the Supreme Court's order. We had written to Haryana. They started releasing water but then they stopped it. We want continuous supply of water," the Delhi chief secretary said. Delhi's counsel said there was a shortfall of 120 cusecs of water of the Yamuna river daily for the national capital. However, the bench asked Delhi as to what it had done to remove the garbage and junk lying in Yamuna river. "What about the junk lying there? The water stinks. Garbage is there. What is this going on? River Yamuna was supposed to be a goddess," the bench observed. When Nadkarni said both the chief secretaries of Delhi and Haryana and secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources should meet to resolve the issue, the bench said, "the meeting should be held in a cordial atmosphere". The bench asked them to hold meeting on the issue urgently and posted the matter for hearing on April 27. At the fag end of hearing, Haryana's counsel raised the issue of Satluj-Yamuna Link canal and referred to the apex court's decree asking Punjab to honour its commitments regarding water sharing. The controversial 1981 water-sharing agreement came into being after Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966. For effective allocation of water, the SYL canal link was conceptualised and both the states were required to construct their portions within their territories Haryana had constructed the portion of SYL canal in its territory. However, Punjab, after the initial phase, stopped the work, leading to spate of litigations. During the hearing earlier in the matter related to water sharing between Delhi and Haryana, the apex court had asked their chief secretaries to appear before it after the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had said it was not receiving enough water to supply to the national capital. The Delhi government had earlier informed the apex court it was in talks with Haryana for the release of 450 cusecs of water of the Yamuna daily for the national capital. The court was hearing a plea filed by the DJB alleging that Haryana had reduced by one-third the supply of Yamuna water to the national capital, leading to a grave water crisis. The DJB has contended that Haryana was supplying Delhi only 330 cusecs of water daily as against 450 cusecs per day, which was agreed upon between the state and the Union Territory. The DJB had said that due to the present curtailment in water supply to the Wazirabad reservoir, the plant was running at reduced capacity leading to a "grave water crisis" in the city. It has sought directions from the apex court to Haryana government to supply the entire 450 cusec of water per day continuously and daily to the Wazirabad reservoir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia's "fugitive" eldest son Tarique Rahman has abandoned his Bangldeshi citizenship, Junior Foreign Minister Shahriar Alam today alleged, triggering a political uproar in the country. Junior Foreign Minister Shahriar Alam said main opposition BNP's acting chairperson Rahman along with his wife and daughter handed over their passports to the British Home Office four years ago and the surrendered passports are now under Bangladesh authorities' disposal. He shared purported copies of the UK Home Office letter and the BNP leader's passport with the media to back up his claim. "As a politician I would say Tarique Rahman gave up his Bangladesh citizenship, Alam told a media briefing, after Rahman sent him a legal notice demanding proof of his claim. Alam said Rahman handed over his passport to the British home office, which subsequently forwarded it to Bangladesh High Commission in London while the travel document was now kept there, he alleged. He also shared a copy of the UK Home Office letter with the media to back up his claim while it read Please find enclosed a passport for your retention. Tarique could have submitted his passport to Bangladesh High Commission in London for renewal or extension of validity. But, he submitted it to British Home Office . . . what does it mean? As a political person, I think it's a refusal of nationality, Alam said. Rahman sent him the legal notice two days after Alam told a community reception in London that he abandoned his Bangladeshi citizenship. The notice demanded "proof" of Alam's comments or his unconditional apology. Rahman also sent an identical notice to editors of two Bangladeshi newspapers demanding their unconditional apology as well for publishing the junior minister's remarks. Asked if Rahman took British citizenship, Alam said make this question to Tarique Rahman. Rahman, the elder son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, was arrested during the military-controlled caretaker government. He went to London after receiving bail in 2008 and has been there with his wife and daughter since. Two years ago, the High Court sentenced him to seven years in prison over a money laundering case. He was also sentenced to 10 years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on Feb 8. Khaleda has been in prison since the verdict in the case was delivered. The BNP appointed Rahman as acting chairman since his mother's imprisonment and has been following his instructions from London. BNP, meanwhile, in a press conference said it prepared for a legal action against Alam's baseless claim with the party's senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi calling it a "blatant lie". "If the passport has been handed over to the High Commission then surely it is with them and we ask the government to show the passport. The ruling Awami League, on the other hand, asked Rahman to prove his nationality by showing his passport. "If you (Rahman) have the Bangladeshi passport, please show it," Awami League's acting general secretary Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapan told a counter media briefing. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier this week at a Bangladeshi community reception in London said "fugitive convict Rahman must face justice for the crimes he committed and her government is in talks with UK authorities for his extradition. "He (Rahman) will have to face the court...definitely we will bring him back (to be exposed to justice) one day (and) we are in talks with the British government for his extradition," she said. Bangladesh earlier asked London to return Rehman but the British authorities so far declined to make any public statement on the issue calling it a "personal matter of an individual". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fortis Healthcare Ltd has received as many as five offers for control of its private hospital business, but suitors have so far held back from making bold bids for the group as it faces rising debt and a regulatory probe. Fortis, one of the country's largest hospital chain operators, is evaluating offers from domestic and international firms including Malaysia's IHH Healthcare BHD, which runs hospitals in India, Turkey, Malaysia and Singapore, and China's Fosun International Ltd. Analysts, bankers and consultancy firms say Fortis, with around 30 hospitals, mostly in ... By Abhirup Roy and Tanvi MehtaMUMBAI/BENGALURU (Reuters) - Fortis Healthcare Ltd has received as many as five offers for control of its private hospital business, but suitors have so far held back from making bold bids for the group as it faces rising debt and a regulatory probe.Fortis, one of the country's largest hospital chain operators, is evaluating offers from domestic and international firms including Malaysia's IHH Healthcare BHD, which runs hospitals in India, Turkey, Malaysia and Singapore, and China's Fosun International Ltd.Analysts, bankers and consultancy firms say Fortis, with ... By Marianna Parraga and Alexandra UlmerHOUSTON/CARACAS (Reuters) - Two Chevron Corp. employees detained in Venezuela last week could be charged with treason for refusing to sign a parts contract for a joint venture with state-owned oil company PDVSA, according to two sources familiar with draft charges against the U.S. firm's executives.The arrests, by national intelligence agents, marked the first at a Western oil firm in Venezuela and represent a dramatic escalation of growing tensions between PDVSA and foreign companies over control of supply contracts, the sources told Reuters.The ... By Yilei Sun and Andreas CremerLONDON/BERLIN (Reuters) - Chinese battery maker Tianjin Lishen plans to open a sales office in Germany, its first in Europe, and is in talks to supply local auto makers with batteries used to power electric vehicles, a source at the company told Reuters.Two sources said Volkswagen, the world's largest car maker, and Daimler are negotiating with unlisted Tianjin Lishen Battery.A source close to Volkswagen said the company is in advanced talks with Tianjin Lishen on lithium-ion battery supply contracts, but agreements have not yet been signed.Asked for comment, a ... HANOVER, Germany (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Monday for a new trade pact between the European Union and Mexico to be implemented quickly, adding that the World Trade Organisation should be strengthened in parallel with bilateral agreements."We know that with all the bilateral agreements, we also need to strengthen the WTO as such," she told reporters at the Hanover trade fair, adding that an abundance of bilateral deals reflected a lack of progress between WTO members since 1994."We need a multilateral agreement again. Because you can see that something has ... By Rod Nickel and Julie GordonWINNIPEG, Manitoba/VANCOUVER (Reuters) - At an Alberta oil loading terminal, a convoy of big rigs are gearing up to haul Canadian crude oil hundreds of miles through bone dry fields across the U.S. border into Montana, where the oil will be transferred to pipelines and rail cars headed south and west.Trucks loaded with crude are an increasingly common sight at the border. Production has risen in the world's fifth largest producer but full pipelines and a rail car shortage have made it difficult for drillers to ship oil out of Canada.Some oil producers are feeling ... By Emily ChowKUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures declined on Monday evening, charting a second session of decline in three, as the market was pulled down by weaker demand and overnight losses in U.S. soyoil. The benchmark palm oil contract for July delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange fell 0.3 percent to 2,408 ringgit ($617.99) a tonne at the end of the trading day. Trading volumes stood at 22,803 lots of 25 tonnes each at the close. "The market is reacting towards a weaker exports pace," said a futures trader in Kuala Lumpur, referring to Malaysia palm oil ... LOGAN The Republican numbers may be larger but Cache County Democratic Party Chairman Danny Beus said those who turned out for his partys convention are not only hopeful but eager to be involved. We had of independent votes show up and we had a lot of Republican voters who switched their affiliation that very night, he said. I think in the county and on a national level people are sick and tired of the status quo and we need to give everybody a shot. I think people are considering Democrats more than ever. Beus said hes happy about the fact that Democrats are running local races such as the Cache County Council and the Utah House of Representatives. CAMEROUN :: The CL2P, Despotic media Practices, Power and Institutional Politics in Cameroon As with the latest display of power of Mr. Amougou Belinga, the Biyas regime media mogul in chief is cause of concern on the nature of news and subjectivity. Mr. Amougou Belinga is well known in the past of having published a list of 50 homosexuals through his newspaper LAnecdote creating a climate of hysteria that has led to the criminalization of homosexuality in Cameroon and promoting the notion of a pure Cameroonian Volk which has never even existed. The CL2P opposes any governments or religious group that tries to deploy social stigma as cannon fodder to effect discipline and respect for its doctrines and ideologies of conformity. Therefore, the recognition that Mr. Amougou Belingas project goes beyond delivering the news, it is in fact a performance text that betrays a project of radical transformation of the Cameroonian subjectivity and society. How our relationship to the truth peddle by the likes of Amougou Belinga actually changes the nature of our subjectivity and how relationship to politics and our institutions which goes beyond the media. In practice, the kind of identity the state of Cameroon is creating. Indeed, the recent display of Biyas government members, and other high ranking members of his administrations such as General managers and other dignitaries on tthe local television called "thousand hills" (VISION 4), to celebrate the first communion of the children of a former "robber" of CAMPOST tells us a lot. This country seems definitively lost for Humanity. It is at least a surrealist scene in this banana republic, where the TV news shows the all-powerful Justice Minister Laurent Esso feasting on his protege Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, the man who with impunity has been sequestering for more than a year the two audiovisual consultants David Eboutou and Patrick Sapack; then confiscate the money (700 million FCFA) that they had received at the end of the services provided on behalf of the Group to the President of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso. We have to remember that these two consultants who are still languishing in the Kondengui prison in total indifference of the Cameroonian authorities, have received a sentence of 30 months in prison for "attempted fraud via social networks", while they had already served 19. That is to say if "the magnate of the press to the glory of the president" Amougou Belinga can in a snap of fingers ruin lives and professional careers in Cameroon, with the complicity of the barons of the Yaounde regime, including the supposed Keeper of the seals Laurent Esso. Consequently, because the CL2P believes that those in positions of high authority should be treated the same as every other Cameroonian, we want to be sure that the potential violations of law outlined above are vetted appropriately if we were in a normal country. The concept of a modern nation-state, however, is more an ideal than a reality in Cameroon. Most ordinary Cameroonians do not feel that the ruling elite in their country are promoting their own national interest, but only that of the ruling party which is the CPDM. In this Machiavellian ethos, the primary object, in practice, of all rulers is to serve their own interest, to maintain their own power and privilege. Accumulating privileges they do not deserve, however, is a recipe for disaster. The enduring nature of unearned privileges and mediocrity of the CPDMs elite block the emergence of the kind of responsible and competent citizenship the CL2P is fighting for. John Fru Ndi au Congres du SDF - 22/02/2018 SDF Cameroon's leading opposition party, the Social Democratic Front Party, SDF has accused the ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement, CPDM of destabilizing the 28 year old party by taking advantage of the current situation in the two English speaking regions of Cameroon to manipulate some Anglophone youths to destroy the party. This was one of the major resolutions arrived at in Bamenda, North West region last Saturday April 21, 2018 during a meeting grouping members of the National Executive Committee, NEC. The SDf also holds the Biya regime responsible for the escalation for the Anglophone crisis into a full blown civil war by not paying attention to what they described as legitimate claims by the people of the two Anglophone regions, insisting that the Anglophone crisis is the handwork of the Biya regime. Members of NEC equally condemned what they called collective punishment meted on the people of the two regions as well as extortion of money from those arrested. They ended by calling on the Head of State to put an end to the war he personally declared with counterproductive measures he instituted. On the life of the party, NEC members congratulated SDF newly elected Senators in the North West region in the recent Senatorial elections but were also worried on the factions that have been created; hence some members were appointed to constitute a Commission of inquiry which will look into issues raised during campaigns and election proper, especially irregularities and illegalities. They also congratulated every militant for a smooth organization of the partys 9th Congress and 3rd extraordinary Congress held in Bamenda last February. | BY Kim Shaw | In the lead-up to Fridays AWARD Awards the annual Campaign Brief/LBB Legendary Lunch will be held in Sydney today. Theinvitation-only lunch will be attended by top creative directors and creative teams plus top production company executive producers. The annual lunch is generously sponsored by New York-based Barbara Levy, president of the London International Awards, who is visiting Sydney and Melbourne to catch up with top creative directors and to attend the AWARD Awards in Sydney. The Sydney After Lunch Party is sponsored by Louis & Co. | BY Ricki Green | Independently owned, global live brand events agency, INVNT has launched its APAC operations with head office located in Sydney, Australia, to address a surge of demand across the region for live brand storytellers, capable of challenging everything. Originally founded in New York in 2008 by Scott Cullather and Kristina McCoobery, INVNT was created to be the best live brand storytelling agency in the world. The companys challenge everything positioning statement has seen INVNTs roster of clients grow worldwide to include a number of major household names such as: PepsiCo, Microsoft, General Motors, Oracle, Xero, Samsung, and Subway. The company, which creates and produces brand engagements for every audience segment employees, customers, partners, investors, the media and consumers has seen revenue grow 107% since July of 2017 and predicts 2018 to be a record-setting year as they continue to invest into the APAC region. According to Scott Cullather, co-founder and CEO of INVNT, it is the agencys unique challenger approach to delivering live brand engagements that sets them apart, resulting in a rapid expansion from New York to London, Detroit, San Francisco, Washington DC, Stockholm and now Sydney, Australia. Says Cullather: At our core, INVNTers are expert storytellers. We strive to share stories with target audiences that are on brand and message, yet disruptive and therefore stick and spread, whether its digitally or via creative campaigns, live events or brand activations. It is this challenger approach, our highly competitive fee structure and our killer tribe of local and international talent that allows us to develop and produce the kinds of live brand engagements that keep our growing roster of global clients returning year-after-year. This potent combination has helped us achieve an 81% client retention rating, a cornerstone to our success and a testament to our ability to deliver compelling, cost effective solutions. Standout live brand storytelling opportunities created by INVNT in 2017 included the Samsungs Galaxy Note8 #Unpacked2017 launch event. The groundbreaking large-scale digital production quickly received worldwide accolades for challenging the status quo and reimagining the traditional product unveiling. The INVNT Sydney office is being led by Australian native, Laura Roberts, who was part of the agencys founding team back in 2008. Roberts has taken on the role as managing director, to drive the agencys growth and development throughout the APAC region. With decades of events experience, Roberts has worked all over the world, across multiple sectors for a wide range of multi-national brands. Says Roberts: As one of the original tribe members, Im incredibly excited to be leading INVNTs APAC efforts, building the Sydney office and nurturing our local team of strategic, creative, service-minded professionals to produce the most memorable live brand storytelling experiences in the world. | BY Ricki Green | In between busy commercial schedules, Butchery editor Johanna Scott has collaborated with director Eddie Martin to cut the documentary Have You Seen The Listers?, which premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2017. The film is a candid and personal insight into the rise of world-renowned street artist Anthony Lister as he challenges conservative Australia whilst battling his own demons. The film is garnering great reviews and Scotts fantastic work has been noted and praised amongst many. Together, Scott and Martin cut from almost 1000 hours of footage to craft a refined and moving film, with Margaret Pomeranz calling it brave and fascinating and a fine achievement for the editor. Scott also managed to squeeze a second doco into 2017, cutting the feature I Used To Be Normal: A boyband Fangirl Story, with director Jessica Leski. A coming of age story, I Used To Be Normal is a refreshing look at women as the subjects of fandom rather than the objects. The film is having its world premier at renowned documentary festival, Hotdocs, this month. Scotts commercial work has also seen recent praise, picking up gold at the 2018 AXIS Awards New Zealand for her work on NZTA Rats Tale, directed by Finchs Nick Ball. The spot is also a finalist at the upcoming AWARD Awards. This year to date, Scott has cut campaigns for notable brands including Toyota, AGN and The Australian Red Cross across both the Melbourne and Sydney Butchery offices, with more in the pipeline. | BY Ricki Green | Since the inception of Creative LIAisons in 2012, LIA has been at the forefront of nurturing the next generation of creative talent. This year, in partnership with Gorilla Doctors, LIA has taken another positive step forward by initiating a global competition that is open to all creatives between the ages of 21 30 years. Says Barbara Levy, president of LIA: Our focus has always been to invest in young talent. Thats why we started Creative LIAisons, our way of giving back to the industry. When we learned of the plight of the mountain gorillas through our association with Gorilla Doctors, we felt that this was the perfect platform to galvanize young talent from all over the world to help save these gorillas through a competition to find the best idea. There are currently less than 900 mountain gorillas left on earth. Their numbers have dwindled to such a dangerously low level because of habitat loss, poaching and disease. But, thanks largely to the life-saving veterinary medicine and a One Health approach of a group of veterinarians known as Gorilla Doctors, their numbers are rising. These doctors operate across the gorilla territories of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Says Dr. Mike Cranfield: Mountain gorillas are the only great ape population in the world that is increasing, and 50% of that growth is due to the veterinary care of Gorilla Doctors. Gorilla Doctors hope to be able to do the same for the eastern lowland gorillas when unrest in their region settles down. We take a one health approach which is based on the understanding that the health of the gorillas is only possible when, their environment, other wildlife sharing the parks and the human populations with their domestic animals are healthy. Through this competition we hope to expose the world to the plight of the gorillas and other highly endangered wildlife with a call to action to help our team and others save these animals from extinction. Says Levy: We know that the name Gorilla Doctors is not familiar to most people. We want to challenge brilliant young minds and talent to build brand awareness for this very important yet low key organization. Its not just about saving a species. Its about saving mankind. This competition is FREE to enter and will be judged by top creative names in the industry from advertising, production and digital together with representatives from Gorilla Doctors and the Creative LIAisons attendees. The winning work will be commissioned by Gorilla Doctors and will be produced professionally. On top of that, the winning team will win a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, as well as, a ticket to Creative LIAisons 2019 in Las Vegas. | BY Ricki Green | Last year, Toby Talbot (left) returned to Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand as chief creative officer. He spoke to Campaign Brief about indie agencies with zany one-word names, the Publicis awards ban, why he keeps coming back to work in New Zealand, his upcoming gig at Ad Stars, things hes not-so-good at, and lots more besides. CB: Its been one year since you took the role as Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand. Hows it going? TT: Its been fantastic. Its been 10 years since I last worked at Saatchi and Id forgotten the potency of the name. Its like you look up the word advertising in the dictionary and find us. I also walked into an incredible culture that has been nurtured by my partner in the business here, Paul Wilson, since he took over. No hierarchies. No politics. No egos. Just a burning desire to do the best work we can and a strong sense of purpose shared with our clients. I also have a boss in Mike Rebelo who, as well as being Saatchi born and bred, runs Publicis in the region. So I feel much more connected to the potential of our network than I ever felt in previous networks I have belonged to. CB: Now that youve settled back in, what are your goals for 2018? TT: My focus for 2018 is about creating world-changing ideas. Weve had a year away from awards which I think on the whole has been applauded by the industry because its forced huge money-making machines like Cannes to take stock of how out of control its all become. And personally, Ive enjoyed it as its allowed me to focus on people and product. It will be great to get back into awards but, for me, the shiny baubles come easily after youve got everything else right. Im still way more focussed on the Strand, Parnell than the Croisette, Cannes. CB: You joined a consultancy called Assignment prior to Saatchi NZ, and said you missed being part of a creative agency. What did you miss exactly? TT: Bottom line is I kissed the wrong girl. I have always worked in agencies where the passion is for the ideas themselves. Strategy for me is the means to the end. At Assignment it was the end. Death by manifesto. Not my thing. CB: After turning around DDB Sydney, you said: It was a tough turnaround. The agency feared its clients. The work was stale. Do you think many agencies are scared of their clients today? TT: I do sadly. Advertising agencies never used to have to question their existence. Now they do. Constantly. Especially if youre a network agency because at agencies like DDB there are a lot of mouths to feed. So the fear can creep in when you are constantly having to justify everything you do. At Saatchi we have no desire to be the biggest, just the best. Were big enough to cope and small enough to care. We respect our clients business and they respect us for what we can do for them. If neither of those two things happen, things go south very quickly. If you dont want fear to dominate, you must create trust. And the best way to do that is through great work that works. I found Sydney tiresome in that marketers and marketing press seemed so swayed by largely superficial things. One being indie agencies with zany one word names who make average ads. Look at the work. Whoever does the best work wins. Not who has the best salad bar. That said, fear does have its place for me. I love presenting work and clients feel just a little fear. If I present work that ticks all the boxes that for me is the fear of being predictable, the most terrifying fear of all. CB: #comeonin was one of the most awarded mobile campaigns of 2017. What were some of the logistical challenges? TT: It was an honour to work with the very clever folk at Sydney Opera House. We pitched against R/GA for a digital project and, against the odds, won. Logistically, #comeonin required a lot of faith from client and a lot of rope from senior management at DDB to let our best tech people from the agency camp in that building for as long as they had to in order to make this work on Insta. Once we worked out the geolocation challenges and how to respond in real-time, it all came together beautifully. But the first week was hard! Simple ideas always seem effortless but rarely are. Case in point #comeonin CB: Youve spent most of your career in New Zealand why? TT: Its progressive and sane (led by a progressive and sane Prime Minister I might add, which helps). Primarily I didnt move here for the advertising though, but because its a genuine haven from the madness of the world and 22 years ago it felt like a good idea to raise two small kids here. Now my passport is black and not a horrible shade of maroon and it turned out to be the best decision I ever made. As for finding inspiration here, an old foodie friend once taught me that if you take the cheapest bottle of Balsamic vinegar and slowly reduce it over a low flame in time it thickens up and tastes exactly like the finest Balsamic Vinegar you can buy. New Zealand is small. We give ourselves the opportunity to let great ideas simmer away until they become incredibly potent and world class. Few clients ever disturb that process. Thats why I have stayed here. Its unique. CB: You are heading to AD STARS in August as an Executive Judge. What are you expecting to find there? TT: I love the fact that its free to enter AD STARS. Thats refreshing. Like most people in the business, I have witnessed big shows like Cannes caught in some kind of crazy arms race between WPP and Omnicom. Its out of control. When you have an awards show like Cannes awarding Holding Company of the Year you know its no longer about the work. But that doesnt matter at AD STARS. Theyre democratising awards. Anyone can enter. Anyone can win. Secondly, I am fascinated by the convergence today of technology and humanity. My jury is going to be all about that and amazing examples of this kind of thing are emerging out of Asia right now. I cant wait to get amongst it. CB: Youre obviously very good at leading high-performing agencies. Is there anything youre not very good at? TT: Well, according to the press here, Im not very good at staying in one place. (Not entirely fair, I might add.) On one occasion when I returned to New Zealand after a year in the UK in 2013, a local business paper ran the headline Serial ship jumper returns to New Zealand. I framed it. Definitely the funniest thing I have ever read about me. | BY Kim Shaw | The Canberra Times reports that tributes from Canberras advertising and hospitality industries were flowing across social media on Sunday night following the death of Canberra businessman and entrepreneur Pawl Cubbin, aged 57. Cubbin was the visionary behind many iconic Canberra restaurants and bars including Bellucis and Public in Manuka, Little Brooklyn in Kingston and Shortys in Civic. But he was most well-known as Canberras most prominent advertising guru, establishing Zoo Advertising in the late 1990s ~ which eventually opened offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Singapore ~ and working in recent times on marketing campaigns for the Brumbies, the Centenary of Canberra and for property giant Geocon. Cubbins sudden death on the weekend occurred just days after he announced he would close the Canberra office of Zoo Group. The Melbourne office closed in November 2017 and Sydney entered into liquidation in February this year. 8 Great Getaways for Fall Fall in B.C. is about snuggling up, enjoying a hearty meal, and enjoying the outdoors despite or maybe because of the rain. There is no shortage of places to celebrate; October is BC Craft Beer Month and BC Wine Harvest Month, so raise a glass in celebration of the season. And pack your sense of adventure. news, latest-news The Coalition government will expand the number of private contractors answering Centrelink calls by four-fold in a move the main public sector union has labelled a "damaging and cynical" response to job cuts. An extra 1000 private contractors will answer calls from welfare recipients in a program Human Services Minister Michael Keenan said on Monday would cut wait times, after the number of calls meeting engaged signals last year reached 55 million. The government will hire the additional workers, based in Australia, for three years in a program ramping up the number of contractors after a trial with 250 private call centre workers from multinational Serco. Mr Keenan could not reveal the starting date of the expansion, nor the value of the program, saying it had to be put out to tender. Fairfax Media understands it will cost the government at least $200 million. "Our investment in these 1000 operators will greatly enhance our ability to answer more calls and ensure that the service we deliver is in line with customer expectations," Mr Keenan said. The Community and Public Sector Union blasted the move, saying the 1000 jobs should be secure positions inside Centrelink. CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood said its members in Centrelink had told the union Serco contractors had been used to "fudge" damning statistics showing poor phone service standards at the welfare agency. The Department of Human Services, which oversees Centrelink, was paying call centre contractors to "click through" calls to improve its statistics, without resolving clients' problems, Ms Flood said. "Weve been calling loudly for years for more permanent Centrelink call centre staff to replace the more than 5000 jobs the Turnbull government has slashed in this department," she said. "Instead the government is continuing to sell the agency off piece by piece, lining the pockets of their corporate mates like Serco rather than putting that money into wages and secure jobs for call centre workers. "Todays announcement is another example of what's a damaging and cynical tactic often employed by conservative politicians. The Turnbull government has cut and cut at Centrelink and is now trying to use the appalling service standards it has caused as justification for privatising a critical public service." Serco's contract, which began in October, will cost the government $51.7 million over three years and does not include the 1000 new operators announced on Monday. The expansion would be funded from within Human Services' existing budget, Mr Keenan said. When asked why the government would not employ public servants to answer its calls instead, he said it didn't believe the staff would be needed long-term. Opposition Human Services spokeswoman Linda Burney said it was "nonsense" that 1000 contract workers could clear a backlog of calls. "Centrelink needs permanent full-time staff who are familiar with and equipped to deal with the complex circumstances facing income-support recipients," she said. Greens senator Rachel Siewert said using a private company to reduce Centrelink call wait times created serious privacy concerns. "It is nonsensical to use a private company when there are casual staff in the department who could be made permanent to help reduce call wait times. The private information of Australians accessing the social safety net is at risk in the hands of a private company," she said. Lauding the Serco program as a success, Mr Keenan is again looking to the private sector, saying it "makes good business sense" for the government. An independent evaluation of the Serco pilot found that staff were efficient and were giving the department greater flexibility around peak demand periods, he said. The contractors had helped halve the number of busy signals, Mr Keenan said. Centrelink call volumes are expected to decline over the next few years as the government rolls out reforms enabling most claims to be lodged and processed online, with digital assistants available to answer questions, he said. The Coalition announced it would cut nearly 1200 Department of Human Services jobs in last year's federal budget. Mr Keenan said no Centrelink employees would lose their jobs under the new contractor spend. news, crime On social media, Brendan Leigh Baker lived a life most his age could only dream about. He owned a cafe on the Kingston Foreshore, where the coffee had earned the praise of Canberra's chief minister on Facebook. He boasted about buying a big block of land in Taylor, and his intentions to build on it a six bedroom house. He had a flashy Mercedes, and took spontaneous overseas holidays. Business was allegedly so good, the 26-year-old bought a money counting machine off eBay to help process all the cash he was earning. But police allege he funded his lifestyle dealing drugs. Mr Baker, of O'Connor, was one of five men, including a man police have said was a bikie enforcer, and a Calwell father and son, who were arrested in police raids across Canberra over the weekend in connection to alleged drug trafficking. Mr Baker was charged in court on Monday with importing a commercial quantity of drugs, as well as money laundering and drug trafficking. He was refused bail. Also arrested at the weekend was former alleged Nomads sergeant at arms Owen Turnbull, 25. Mr Turnbull was charged with multiple counts of drug trafficking but did not apply for bail during his brief appearance in the ACT Magistrates Court. A third man, Corey James Conomos, 18, also did not apply for bail, while Magistrate Glenn Theakston freed his father Jason Wayne Conomos, 37, on bail with conditions, including that he not contact his son. Mr Conomos senior entered pleas of not guilty during his appearance and denied anything to do with the drugs found at their Calwell home. A fifth man, Brett Peter Thoms, 34, a director at a Canberra concreting business, was also released on bail with reporting conditions. None, aside from Mr Conomos senior, entered pleas. A sixth man is expected to face court on Tuesday after being extradited from Sydney. The five men were hauled into court and charged with drug trafficking on Monday after police seized an estimated $1.5 million worth of drugs and cash in a series of weekend raids across Canberra. In a press conference at Winchester Police Station, Detective Superintendent Scott Moller said police executed 15 raids, netting more than $100,000 in cash, six vehicles, a gun and ammunition, drugs, a house, bank accounts and jewellery. Mr Baker was allegedly involved in a drug dealing business operating out of Canberra, and working closely with a man identified only as Civilian Participant, or CP, a police statement of allegations tendered during Mr Baker's bid for bail suggests. It is alleged Mr Baker supplied CP with tens of pounds of cannabis to on sell to sub-dealers, including Corey Conomos. CP would collect the cannabis across Ainslie, O'Connor and Crace in vacuum-sealed bags or suitcases, the documents say. Over time, CP allegedly gave Mr Baker more than $2 million in cash for the drugs, and the documents say Mr Baker was prompted to buy the money counting machine off eBay. In late 2016, it's alleged Mr Baker began trafficking in MDMA, also known as ecstasy. At one point, he allegedly told CP that he was importing methylone, a synthetic drug, from China on behalf of someone in jail. Mr Baker told CP the man in China had blown himself up in his garage, and the explosion was caught on camera. Mr Baker expressed regret over the death, and allegedly told CP it was hard to find someone "consistent". Soon, Mr Baker allegedly decided to start importing the drugs himself, using a website similar to Ali Baba Express to find sellers and Bitcoin to buy the drugs. Police allege Mr Baker would launder the proceeds of the drug sales by getting loans through a trusted contact and making loan repayments with the cash from selling drugs. He bought a Mercedes CLA45 AMG for $70,000 with a loan for most of it, and every time a loan repayment would be due a cash deposit would be made into the bank account, his bank records allegedly reveal. "The cash deposits ... indicate he was able to draw on an unexplained source of cash during this period," the police allegations say. "Further the large-scale purchases of vehicles, property and business are incompatible with the defendant's legitimate income." Things began to go pear-shaped for CP when police raided his home in January last year and seized a significant amount of drugs. CP and another dealer began to accumulate more debt with Mr Baker, and Mr Baker began pressuring them to pay him back what he claimed was $230,000 owing, it's alleged. He said the amount owed was four "hits", which CP took to mean four murders, the documents say. In November last year, it's alleged Mr Baker imported into Australia more than three kilograms of "bath salts" addressed to a fake name at Mr Baker's O'Connor home. He was also allegedly growing cannabis plants in a shed out the back of his house, the documents say. All five men will return to court at a later date. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/5791a71e-ec72-4db1-b4bb-1767e01b35b2/r0_162_750_586_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news A Canberra company is looking for about 30 drivers to take part in a world-first trial of semi-autonomous vehicles. Seeing Machines on Monday launched phase one of its CanDrive program, which focuses on the behaviour of drivers behind the wheel of automated vehicles, and how they react when they need to re-take control. Seeing Machines chief executive Ken Kroeger said while companies around the world were testing driverless cars, they were all focused on the vehicle's performance. But he said Seeing Machines, which is listed on the London stock exchange but headquartered in Canberra, was the only one looking at human performance, using face-tracking technology to test drivers' reactions. "Imagine an image sensor not that different from what's in your mobile phone, with a camera that's embedded somewhere inside the dashboard, almost invisible to the driver," Mr Kroeger said. "[It's] measuring the driver by looking at their face, head behaviour and eyelid behaviour, as well as being able to figure out exactly where you're looking inside and outside the vehicle. "We're trying to understand how long it takes someone to reconnect with driving when they're required to re-take control after having their hands off the wheel." The trial is focused on improving safety, with the viability of driverless vehicles called into question after a woman was killed by a self-driving Uber in the US in March. In vehicles fitted with the Seeing Machines technology, the driver manually sets the vehicle's speed, with the system reminding them to pay attention if it detects that they are not touching the wheel or watching the road. About 30 Canberrans will get the chance to test it out as part of the first phase of the project, which is funded by a $1.35 million ACT government grant. Each of the volunteer drivers will get behind the wheel for about two hours at the Sutton Road Driver Training track in Majura, with phase one expected to take about four months. Mr Kroeger said the data collected would inform the second phase of the project, in which semi-autonomous cars would hit public roads. Minister for Community Services and Social Inclusion Rachel Stephen-Smith said the ACT government would work with Seeing Machines to introduce legislation that would make that possible. "This is a really important part of the global research around how we ensure automated vehicles are going to work on our roads," she said. "Autonomous vehicles have a lot of potential to improve safety and provide greater independence to people who cant drive, and potentially reduce congestion on our roads. "All of that potential is there, but we need to ensure as a global community of innovators that the technology is safe and that people are going to feel safe with it." Seeing Machines' technology has already hit interstate highways in the US, where it has been installed in the 2018 Cadillac CT6 as part of the world's first hands-free highway driving system. Mr Kroeger said he expected semi-autonomous vehicles would hit the Australian market somewhere between 2020 and 2022. Drivers interested in taking part in the trial should email marketing@seeingmachines.com. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/8ee34dab-3fb1-4fb1-8837-34fa8e310bac/r0_4_4034_2283_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, act-politics The ACT government must explain why it will not establish a board of inquiry into allegations of abuse in youth detention, the Canberra Liberals say. Opposition youth spokeswoman Elizabeth Kikkert said there was no proof government intervention had solved recent issues within the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre. Youth Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith has provided little reason for Canberrans to believe her assurances that institutionalised violence at the Bimberi youth detention centre is a thing of the past, Ms Kikkert said. She needs to state why a board of inquiry into Bimberi is not warranted in Canberra. Last year, youth services boss Mark Collis cited declines in assaults and the use of force as proof of operational improvements within Bimberi. Since these comments, it has been revealed that the use of force skyrocketed 133 per cent between 2015 and 2016, with assaults among detainees also on the rise. A stark increase in the use of lockdowns to cope with staff shortages inside the centre has also been revealed. It is time for the minister to explain how she is ensuring Bimberi is appropriately staffed, and how her charter of rights is in fact protecting young people when data clearly shows the number of assaults and the use of force is rapidly increasing, Ms Kikkert said. A charter of rights for detainees inside Bimberi was announced by Ms Stephen-Smith in August 2017 after lengthy delays. The Australian Children's Commissioners and Guardians peak body group first published a model children's rights charter in 2014. Documents leaked earlier this month showed how in 2016 a detainee was restrained, handcuffed and then punched in the head by a Bimberi guard. Former youth worker Mike Fletcher recently came forward to speak on the record about incidents he witnessed inside the centre between 2013 and 2016. I remember getting home from work and nearly breaking down in tears at what I had witnessed, as I couldnt believe a child could be treated so poorly, Mr Fletcher said. Ms Kikkert said allegations of institutionalised violence inside Bimberi could not go unanswered. "The events that led to a Royal Commission in the Northern Territory are not dissimilar to those recently described by a former youth worker and also outlined in incident reports obtained by Fairfax Media," she said. ACT Youth Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said there were a number of oversight mechanisms in place to ensure the centre was a safe place, including regular visits by the Public Advocate and Official Visitors. Last year, I established a taskforce with key youth justice stakeholders to take stock of how far we have come, identify emerging issues and establish the direction for the next five years of the Youth Justice Blueprint, she said. The Human Rights Commission is also undertaking an independent inquiry into allegations raised about Bimberi Youth Justice Centre last year. I have welcomed that inquiry and look forward to receiving its findings and any recommendations the HRC may have. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/ffef0bf7-aaa8-497c-918f-b5c42ec967f4/r0_100_2000_1230_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, act-politics Hawker Street in Torrens already has the dubious distinction of having the largest number of Mr Fluffy blocks of any street in Canberra. Now, it may also prove to be the most lucrative for the ACT government. The nine cleared, remediated blocks are selling, or have sold for, a combined $7.67 million in the sought-after street, which sits below Mount Taylor. Two of the blocks have price tags of least $1 million, each backing on to the reserve. No. 62 Hawker Street, which has a lot size of almost 1500 square metres, has a sale price of $1.025 million. No. 50 Hawker Street, which sits high on the street and is almost 1300 square metres, sold for $1 million. The most expensive Mr Fluffy blocks, however, are in the inner south, with some on the market after being passed in at auction. A more than 2000 square metre block at 3 Northcote Crescent, Deakin, is for sale for $2.75 million. A block in prestigious Arthur Circle, Forrest, at No. 75, is on the market for $2.6 million. On Canberra's Golden Mile, at 97 Mugga Way in Red Hill, an almost 1600 square metre block is for sale for $2.35 million. But Hawker Street looks likely to yield the most of any Mr Fluffy-affected street. The purchase of asbestos-contaminated homes and their removal was made possible after the ACT government received a $1 billion loan from the Commonwealth. The sale of remediated blocks is set to offset that cost but even considering that, the territory is expected to be in the red by at least $400 million. The resale price for the remediated block is determined by the Suburban Land Agency "based on independent market valuations". While a resident who very reluctantly sold their asbestos-affected home in Hawker Street remains completely shellshocked by the whole experience (and more on that later), those who remain in the street say they are keeping positive about its rejuvenation. Genoveva Fletcher, a nurse, has lived in the sunny street winding up towards Mount Taylor with her husband Charles and their two daughters for a decade. Their home has cleared Mr Fluffy blocks beside it and across the road. "The clearing of the blocks went really well," she said. "What we're worried about is the rebuilding. That could be a nightmare." Mrs Fletcher said the cleared corner block beside her home could become a dual occupancy. They didn't have an issue without that, other than the height. "We're worried we might lose our sun and [view from] the deck,'' she said. But Mrs Fletcher said she was not concerned about the changing nature of the street. "No, I don't think so. Who knows? It might turn out to be a good thing,'' she said. Mrs Fletcher was not surprised the blocks had such high price tags considering the location. The other blocks are in the high $700,000s and $800,000s. "It's close to everything and it's close to a very good shopping centre at Mawson,'' she said. "I love to walk and walk on Mount Taylor all the time. It's close to all the hospitals. It's just very convenient.'' Another Hawker Street resident, who did not wish to be named, said he was also positive about the new homes to be built on the street, where he has lived for more than 30 years, buying his house then for $150,000. "Personally, I don't mind. It refreshes the area a bit," he said. "They are big blocks so a dual occupancy wouldn't be a problem. It'll just bring more young people in, I think." Another Hawker Street resident, who also did not want to be named, had lived on the street for almost 50 years. She was planning to put her home on the market to move into a retirement home. She said people looking at the blocks "all wanted to talk about dual occupancies, because that's where the money is". Colliers International ACT won the $654,500 asbestos taskforce contract to sell the 400 former Mr Fluffy suburban blocks for the government. Colliers residential manager Josh Reid said the blocks were sought-after because they were in established areas. "It's obviously a fantastic opportunity for people to build their dream home in an area where they would otherwise not get that opportunity," he said. A former Hawker Street resident said he and his family reluctantly sold their large Mr Fluffy home for $1 million because they were at an age where rebuilding would have been unaffordable. They could not get any comparable home in the area "for under $1.5 million" so had been forced to other, outer suburbs in a smaller house. The whole experience had put a huge strain on the family. "I drive past quite often but I don't even like turning my head to look up the street. It's just depressing and it makes me angry,'' the resident said. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/84f5c750-8a2d-4f15-b29d-95f5e044a994/r0_200_1632_1122_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg It's arguably our city's most admired building. Opened in 1927 as Australia's provisional Parliament House, the "wedding cake", as it is often referred to, ended up being our nation's seat of power for more than 60 years before the politicians moved up to their bigger and less intimate behemoth on Capital Hill. Prime Minister's peephole Down the rabit warren of corridors that lead to the old prime minister's suite are a number of well-preserved and very cramped 1970s-style offices. Hidden in the wall of one of these, the office which belonged to the PM's principal private secretary, is a spy hole into the PM's office. There are stories that Bob Hawke, our last PM to occupy this less than luxurious office, would cover up his side of the hole (hidden in the bookshelf so his official visitors couldn't see it) when he didn't want his staffers to know what he was up to. Maxwell Smart, eat your heart out. Secret safe On the main floor of the house behind the Senate Chamber is a door with the number M43 stamped on it. From the outside this door looks like all the others in the house. However, it's actually a false door, which when opened leads to a large walk-in safe. After 12 years of being locked up (apparently no one could find the key), in 2000, staff finally decided it was time to crack open the secret safe. Amid much anticipation, while a locksmith picked the lock, a small number of select OPH staff gathered around to see what it might contain. Secret documents? Not quite. It was an anti-climax as the safe only contained two boxes one containing a pile of Christmas decorations and the other, somewhat ironically, full of red tape. Mystery monikers Politicians aren't immune to being called names, some being labelled with less endearing monikers than others. For example, Wilson "Iron Bar" Tuckey (member 1980-2010) was so-named after being convicted of assault after striking a man with a length of steel cable while a publican in Western Australia in 1967. And how could you forget Kim "Bomber" Beazley, so-named after his boyish enthusiasm for military hardware. Two people who worked in OPH who probably thought their nicknames would remain secret to the public were Bob Hawke's two official drivers from the mid-1980s. However, if you look closely above the leather bench waiting area where the drivers sat when on call, you'll notice a pigeon hole still marked with a typed sticker divulging their nicknames "Precious" and "Gorgeous". Oh, how cute. I'm yet to unearth the drivers' real names. If they are still in Canberra, I'd love to hear from them, anonymity not assured. Hidden hidey hole One politician better known for his nickname than his real name was Jack McEwen (PM, 1967) who was coined "Black Jack" by Robert Menzies (PM 1939-41 and 1949-66) for his dark and sombre personality. To avoid his political adversaries, especially his arch rival William McMahon (PM, 1971-72), "Black Jack", when deputy prime minister, apparently took matters into his own hands and arranged for a secret door to be installed into a cupboard where he could hide. According to political lore, if "Black Jack" didn't want to see someone, he would simply ask his staff to report, "Sorry he's not in the office" and then he'd surreptitiously sneak into the bolthole which also had a hidden exit into Kings Hall. The bolthole is still there (but access from his old office is now bricked in) and is now used by maintenance staff to store cleaning products. Press pranks Apart from the politicians, OPH's other main occupants were the press who worked in poky offices on the building's roof. Always in search of a scoop, the press developed their own hidey holes from where to spy on politicians. During renovations undertaken post-1988 that involved the removal of some of the press offices located on the roof, a false cavity was found in the ceiling of the leader of the opposition's office. Inside the hiding hole, a small table with legs sawn off, a couple of chairs and a number of broken audio cassettes were also discovered. Some believe it may have been used by the press (or others?) to covertly listen in to the deliberations in the office. The office, last used by John Howard, is located in the corridor behind the House of Representatives Chamber and is open to the public. Cabinet capers Not surprisingly, another room allegedly bugged through the ceiling was the Cabinet Room, a sound-proof stronghold where decisions of the highest level were made. On an overnight investigation of the building in 2007, several ghost investigators fled from this room's inner sanctum after being spooked by lights from an unknown source. Were they the ghosts of politicians past, or maybe the spirits of jilted journos still trying to get that scoop? Interestingly, the corridor outside the office is to this day avoided by some security guards, who in the dead of the night, hear the sound of phantom shuffling feet on the carpet. Loo leaks Some members of the press had less technical, but just as innovative, ways to discover government secrets, such as journalist Alan Reid who apparently would conceal himself in in the toilet block adjacent to the Cabinet Room, waiting for ministers to answer a call of nature. Long-time doyen of the Press Gallery, Laurie Oakes, wrote in The Herald Sun in 2007, "Reid would settle himself in a cubicle, lift his legs up out of sight, and sit there for hours listening and making notes". Talk about politics being a dirty business. Top-secret tunnels Contrary to popular folklore, there are no secret tunnels beneath OPH linking it to The Lodge, the PMs official residence. A possible source for this myth is that OPH did have a system of tunnels of sorts not for people but for documents. There was a network of lamson tubes within OPH, including one tube that led three kilometres away to the Government Printing Office in Kingston. The tubes enabled the rapid carriage of documents, including Hansard, with either compressed air or suction/vacuum.You can still see the tube stations at the entrance to both the chambers. Curious cartouche If you stand in the centre of the grand Kings Hall and look towards the main entrance, just above the top of the stairwell there's a blank cartouche, with six tassels at the centre of the clerestory windows. It's appearance, which this column reported in 2011 vaguely resembles a freemason's apron, has led to speculation that the building's architect, John Smith Murdoch, a member of the Masonic order, included the feature as a lasting symbol of his key role in the development of the building. However, plans for the building held by the National Archives of Australia indicate that Murdoch's original design allowed for the coat of arms of Australia to be etched into this cartouche, and was to overlook a giant map of Australia at the other end of the hall. This could explain the six tassels (representing the six states). However, a late change in plans resulted in the map being replaced with a statue of King George V. Some believe that it would have been inappropriate for the coat of arms to be "looking down" on the statue of our ruling monarch and so the cartouche was never completed. Burning bureaucrat Politicians and the press aren't the only people whose work took them inside the hallowed halls of OPH. Senior public servants were often called upon to sit in on meetings or clarify advice provided. One career bureaucrat who spent many hours in OPH was Treasury Official David Borthwick. Borthwick, now retired, especially remembers one late-night meeting in the mid-1980s where he plucked up enough courage to interrupt Expenditure Review Committee deliberations chaired by Bob Hawke, prime minister at the time. "I could see that they were going to make what I thought was a wrong decision based on incorrect information," he recalls. "So I decided to speak up." As Borthwick spoke, he saw Paul Keating, the then treasurer, "gripping the edge of the table and his knuckles going very white". Borthwick recalls, "At that stage I started breaking out in perspiration and not looking at him. About 15 minutes later Keating asked to see me outside. "Keating got me in the corridor and my back was against the wall, pressed against this water heater and he stood about half a metre from me and let fly with his typically colourful Keating language," says Borthwick. "Keating knew what was being decided was wrong, but he was setting a trap to spring on his colleagues and I'd prematurely sprung it." Talk about getting "into hot water". Top-Secret Tour: If you want to discover more secrets of Old Parliament House, join one of my After Dark Tours. Launching on Thursday April 26 as part of the Canberra & Region Heritage Festival and then monthly until September. $59pp, bookings essential: www.moadoph.gov.au/events/top-secret-tour/ Did You Know? When prime minister Malcolm Fraser apparently requested bullet-proof screens be removed from the windows of his office so he could open the windows (which overlook a public road and carpark) to let in more fresh air. How times have changed. Got a tip? If you have a closely-guarded secret about this Canberra landmark and want to get it off your chest, please let me know. timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick. Heritage Festival: For information on dozens of other engaging events on during the annual festival which runs until April 29, see: www.environment.act.gov.au/heritage Clue: This town is just as well known for its historic "wind" mill as for its out-of-place elephant. Degree of difficulty: Easy - Medium Last week: Congratulations to Alice Scott of Wamboin who was the first reader to correctly identify last week's photo, sent in by John M. Chapuis as the old pay phone area at the small retail complex just off Fraser Road, at the Royal Military College, Duntroon. Scott just beat David Hanzl to the prize. Hanzl remembers "using those phones back in the late 1980s as a staff cadet," adding, the area is "now sadly bricked up as virtually no one uses fixed phones anymore". The clue related to the so-called "Seven Wonders of Duntroon", a number of curious features scattered around the college, including a bell that never tolls (a relic from the days when the Campbell family ran the Duntroon Estate as a farm) and a set of stairs that lead to nowhere (according to local legend, any cadet who uses the stairs won't graduate). How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday April 21, 2018 will win a double pass to Dendy. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/62bebba4-efc0-42a8-b21a-417c748b3bec/r0_215_2000_1345_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Photo: Okanagan Rail Trail Initiative The City of Kelowna is in the process of finalizing purchase of the final piece of the Okanagan Rail Trail. Andrew Gibbs, the inter-jurisdictional development team project manager for the trail, says the city is in negotiations with CN Rail to purchase a section of the abandoned rail line in the north end of the city. "We didn't need it in the short term, and because it was so challenging for everyone to come up with enough money to buy the corridor ... we put an option to purchase on a land deal with CN," said Gibbs. "That option is coming to a close, so we're in negotiations with CN now to talk about purchasing it." Gibbs says the purchase should close next month. The potential price for the approximately two-kilometre piece of the line between Gordon Drive and Ellis Street has not been disclosed. Those talks are being handled in camera by city council. Gibbs says design work for the additional portion of the trail is underway in anticipation of the purchase. Construction of the remainder of the track is already underway, except for portions of the trail north of Kelowna Airport and through OKIB lands. He expects construction to be mostly complete before the end of the year. Kelowna, Lake Country, Okanagan Indian Band and the North Okanagan Regional District purchased the rail line, stretching from downtown Kelowna to Coldstream, from CN more than two years ago. Photo: Contributed Did you know you can create a Google Calendar event without opening Google Calendar? Well, sure you did on an Android phone or tablet, right? You can use the Google Assistant or train your device to listen when you say, Hey, Google. I knew that, too, and I do it all the time. But I found out that you can do this from your computer. I dont know why you would want to, but maybe your situation is such that opening one more browser tab to put an appointment in Google Calendar is just too much. This is for the folks who wishes to appear incredibly productive and geeky at the same time: Open your browser to the Google search page Begin typing create appointment or make appointment for and continue typing the details Press Enter to see what the event would look like If youre happy with what you see, click on Create event If you want to change or edit something, click on Edit event The event will show up on your calendar. I dont know why it says it was created from an email, but leaving that aside, everything is just as you asked. (I believe you would need to be signed in to your Google account in your browser and in your Google Calendar.) Im not sure Ill ever use this, but I am sure it will come in handy for some of you! Was your data slurped up in the Facebook Cambridge Analytica debacle? As I mentioned several weeks ago, at least 87 million Facebook users data was collected and sold without the users knowledge. Facebook, in addressing the scandal, says they intend to notify everyone affected. Im guessing that will take some time. Meanwhile, if you want to see if your information was shared with Cambridge Analytica, Facebook is sending you here. Are we there yet? Last weeks column discussed the rollout of Spring Creators Update for Windows 10. This would have been a timely column except that Microsoft delayed the rollout. It doesn't exactly give reasons, but sometimes offers clues, and this appears to be related to a couple of things that cause the update to fail catastrophically for a significant number of computers. So, save the article for when you need it, sometime soon. They also dont give exact dates. And apparently, they dont care about MY deadlines! Ill try to keep you posted. A couple more things A giant THANK YOU to all who have already sponsored me in the Ride Dont Hide event. Weve exceeded our original goal of $500 and are nearing the revised goal of $750. If youd like to sponsor me in this June 24 event, you can make a secure online donation. The ride raises money for the Canadian Mental Health Association. And Im announcing my retirement effective June 30. Ive enjoyed writing this column since 2005 (!) and Ive enjoyed corresponding with and working with so many of you. There may be an opportunity to continue writing about technology, so watch for updates on that. Thank you for the awesome journey. Alanna Kelly The City of Kelowna is busy with flood management and preparation, but it appears Mother Nature has her own plan and could make things more challenging this week. BC Wildfire fighters have been hard at work making thousands of sandbags each day and installing bladder dams in high risk areas. Weve been putting up tiger dams to keep water out of certain areas and we are taking the initiative to put up structures before water or damage happens, said Stefan Nicholishen with BC Wildfire based in Kamloops. Wildfire fighters have been busy all over West Kelowna and Kelowna in the very areas they spent numerous weeks in after last year's flood season. A focus this year has been sandbagging along all the creeks and rivers. We are a lot better at sandbagging this year than we were last year, said Nicholishen. We are putting up thousands a day, at least. It was one year ago this week that residents in Kelowna first started experiencing flooding in their homes. The BC River Forecast Centre says snowpack levels in the Okanagan and Similkameen are at 152 per cent of normal as of April 9. Above-seasonal temperatures all week bring a welcome change to the cool spring weather, but it will end with rain on Saturday. We are looking at a pretty nice week coming up here with lots of sunshine right through the week, said Trevor Smith, meteorologist with Environment Canada. The ridge of high pressure that is going to bring us all this nice weather is going to move off and we might even see some showers for Saturday. The Southern Interior has been faced with below-seasonal temperatures in 2018. It was a cool spring so the last two months weve been three degrees below average temperatures and that is pretty significant, said Smith. Residents are reminded to prepare their homes for spring runoff and can learn more about how to do so here. For information on where to pick up sandbags, click here. Photo: Contributed Police raid the Kelowna Hells Angels clubhouse in October 2016. UPDATE: 4:35 p.m. An undercover RCMP officer who played the role of a South American crime boss spent several months in 2012 convincing a Kelowna Hells Angel he would deliver 200 kilograms of cocaine in return for $4 million. During the first of their several meetings, on March 11, 2012 in the back of a restaurant in Panama City, David Giles told the officer he was a member of the Canadian Hells Angels and showed off his several Hells Angels tattoos, according to the officer, whose name is protected under a publication ban. The officer says Giles told him he planned to become the cocaine distributor for his organization, because the cocaine they had been getting from the U.S. was too expensive and of a lesser quality. When the officer expressed concerns that Giles wouldn't be able to distribute the large amount of drugs himself, Giles arranged a meeting with two B.C.-based Hells Angels members to show he had the backing of the rest of the gang, who Giles referred to as his "brothers" and his "family." The testimony is part of the B.C. Civil Forfeiture Office's case to seize three Hells Angels clubhouses, in Kelowna, Nanaimo and East Vancouver, on the basis they will be used to commit future crimes. The 2012 sting operation led to the conviction of Giles for conspiracy to import cocaine, along with a trafficking conviction of fellow Hells Angel Bryan Oldham. Giles was sentenced to 18 years in jail last April, but died in prison just three months after he was sentenced. The officer's testimony, which will continue Tuesday, is the first of 10 witnesses the government will bring forward in an attempt to show the clubhouses will be used to commit crimes in the future. Defence in the case is expected to argue that the Civil Forfeiture Act, which became law in 2005, is unconstitutional. The trial, which has taken more than a decade to get to court, is scheduled to take just under five weeks. UPDATE: 12:30 p.m. The Hells Angels is an extraordinarily sophisticated organization that uses its brand to intimidate others for financial gain according to the governments lawyer at the start of a civil forfeiture trial that's more than a decade in the making. The case against the motorcycle gang's clubhouses in Kelowna, East Vancouver and Nanaimo began in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver Monday morning. In his opening statement, Brent Olthuis, counsel for the B.C. Civil Forfeiture Office, said one of the main activities of the Hells Angels is the facilitation of the commission of serious offences and the use of the three clubhouses are exclusively used by Hells Angels members. If these properties remain held on behalf of these chapters of the Hells Angels, they are likely to be used by the members to engage in unlawful activities, Olthuis said. He said the notorious motorcycle club, while attempting to pass itself off as a group of men united by a love of motorcycles, has cultivated its brand for intimidation purposes. The world, national, regional and local structure of the Hells Angels provides, and is intended to provide, it's deliberate, a brand that its members, acting alone or acting in concert, can monetize through criminal means, Olthuis said. Despite this, the Crown has never convicted the club on any criminal organization charges. The trial, scheduled for just under five weeks, will see the B.C. Civil Forfeiture Office call 10 witnesses to speak to the criminal history of the Hells Angels, including several current and retired police officers who have investigated criminal activity at all three clubhouses in the past. An undercover officer who played the role of a South American crime boss in a 2012 sting operation that led to the conviction of two Kelowna Hells Angels members and three associates is expected to testify Monday afternoon. ORIGINAL: 5 a.m. More than 10 years after the government began its attempts to seize a Hells Angels clubhouse in Nanaimo, and six years after similar proceedings began against clubhouses in Kelowna and Vancouver, the trial begins Monday morning. The Kelowna property, located at 837 Ellis Street, has been raided by police several times in recent years, including once in August 2012. The province began its civil forfeiture proceedings against the property several months later. More recently, the clubhouse was raided again in October 2016. The civil forfeiture case against the three properties has seen no less than five revisions since the original proceedings began in 2007. In a 2014 decision, Justice Barry Davies called the series of pretrial applications on the file never-ending." While the B.C. Civil Forfeiture office originally planned to argue the clubhouses were proceeds of crime and had been used in the past as instruments of unlawful activity, it has since abandoned these arguments. Instead, beginning Monday in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, the office will argue the clubhouses will be used in the future to break the law. Lawyers for the Hells Angels are expected to argue the Civil Forfeiture Act, which became law in 2005, is unconstitutional. While a criminal case requires the evidence to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, a civil case, like Monday's civil forfeiture case, must only be decided on the balance of probability. While the clubhouses have remained in use by the Hells Angels since the forfeiture litigation began, the assets have been frozen since 2016. Madison Erhardt Environment Canada forecasts a hot and sunny week. Six solid days of sunshine are expected, with rain cooling things off on Sunday. "Seasonal averages this year run around 17 C. We will run about five to 10 degrees above normal for the week," says meteorologist Ross McDonald. The mercury should reach a high of 18 C today, under sunny skies. Tuesday and Wednesday, the Okanagan will start to get into the twenties, and Thursday should be a scorcher with a forecast high of 25 C. Friday is calling for 23 C and more sunshine. Into the weekend, Saturday's your best bet for outdoor fun, with a high of 21 C and a mix of sun and cloud. Sunday, things are expected to cool off, with a high of 18 C and showers. Photo: Kelowna RCMP UPDATE: 3:05 p.m. RCMP are searching for a bank robber in Kelowna. Police flooded downtown Kelowna about 12:15 p.m. after reports were received of a robbery just committed at the Scotia Bank on Bernard Avenue. This investigation remains in its early stages, as investigators continue to gather evidence and interview witnesses, says Cpl. Jesse ODonaghey. However, police can confirm that a male suspect entered the financial institution, demanded money from a teller and fled the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect is described as a Caucasian male, about six feet tall, 25-30 years of age, with a scruffy face, brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a red and white jacket with a hood. Anyone with information is asked to contact Const. Steve McBride at 250-762-3300 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477, www.crimestoppers.net or by texting CRIMES (274637) ktown. UPDATE: 1:55 p.m. Numerous downtown Kelowna Bank of Nova Scotia customers are being turned away from the bank after being told there was a daring daylight robbery. No word on how much money was taken. The bank itself is closed and a sign on the door indicates the "we advise this branch has been involved in a robbery emergency situation. We will be closed until the completion of the police investigation." Police in bulletproof vests could be seen in the vicinity of the bank on Bernard Avenue and Ellis Street. ORIGINAL: 1:33 p.m. A caller to the Castanet newsroom says he was trying to make a deposit at the Bank of Nova Scotia downtown on Bernard Avenue when he saw the building surrounded by police and a sign on the bank saying closed due to robbery. The incident is alleged to have happened Just before 12:30 p.m. Monday afternoon. More coming.... Photo: CTV Threatening employees at a Kelowna business with bear spray and a pair of bolt cutters landed two suspects in jail, Sunday. Just after 7 a.m., RCMP received a report of a possible break and enter in progress on Guy Street in Kelownas Manhattan Point neighbourhood. Two men were discovered inside a secure compound by employees who confronted them. As the suspects fled on foot, they threatened the staff with the bear spray and bolt cutters. Both suspects were taken into police custody, without further incident, at nearby Sutherland Bay Park, says Cpl. Jesse ODonaghey. Police determined one of the men was in breach of release conditions under a probation order. The men, 35 and 37, were held in custody and were expected to appear in court Monday. Photo: Moments Under Frame studios The iconic sign on Pentictons Munson Mountain got an upgrade Sunday from the local Smart Cities Challenge group. With the grant application deadline looming on Tuesday, lead volunteer Keith MacIntyre said they used burlap sacks and white painters cloths to change the sign to Penticten for about 30 minutes. Community engagement is a huge part of the process, MacIntyre said. With the giant blue number ten being with 2,000 people over the last month and a half, the ten has kind of become a symbol of our Smart Cities Challenge bid. The Smart Cities Challenge is an Infrastructure Canada program that has Penticton competing with other mid-sized cities for $10M to improve the community. The local volunteer-run group campaign is building its application around a healthier Penticton. The ten, represents ten big projects to achieve that goal. The change to the Penticton sign attracted significant attention on the local Facebook group. It was hard to tell from up there how it looked from across the lake, so it was really neat that it was noticeable and that it got picked up on the Penticton page," he said. MacIntyre says their full application will be made public online once their submission is made. Photo: Jon Manchester An electrical short caused an attic fire in Kelowna, Monday. Firefighters responded to the 200 block of Cactus Road about 1:20 p.m. They arrived to find smoke coming from the roof of the home. No one was home at the time, but firefighters gained entry and found a small fire in the attic that was quickly extinguished. The fire was contained to the roof trusses and an electric roof vent. One adult and four children aare in the care of Emergency Support Services, says Platoon Capt. Kelly Stephens. Photo: wikimedia commons Administrators at Princeton Secondary School confiscated a starter pistol from a student on Monday. SD 58 Supt. Stephen McNiven said the pistol was taken from a student that was reportedly showing it off to classmates. It was during break time, so the student was approached by administration and the item was produced and confiscated, he said, explaining another student reported the situation. McNiven says the RCMP has been notified and a letter has gone home to parents explaining the situation. There wasnt a direct threat to students made by anyone, and the administration reacted. We are going to follow through with our processes so we can keep everyone safe at school, he said. He declined to provide the age or grade of the student who brought the pistol to school. It's not clear if the school principal was aware the firearm was only a starter pistol when he approached the student. A starter or dog training pistol is a firearm that can only fire blank rounds, but can still be dangerous at very close range. Some can be indistinguishable from a real firearm at a distance. ABC/Paula LoboIt looks like new Blink-182 music is in the works. According to a Snapchat post from bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, captured by AltPress.com, the punk rockers are currently recording new tunes. Drummer Travis Barker also shared a Snapchat photo of himself and Hoppus talking in the recording studio. Blink-182's most recent album was 2016's California. It was the band's first with guitarist and vocalist Matt Skiba, who replaced Tom DeLonge. Perhaps Blink will debut some new music at their upcoming 16-show Las Vegas residency, which launches in May. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The Tennessee Housing Development Agency just wrapped up its best March ever and its best first quarter ever for home loan production. Tennesseans applied for $46.2 million in Great Choice Home Loans last month, a 27 percent jump over March 2017. The agency's previous record for the month of March was $44 million, set in 2008, just before the Great Recession took hold in Tennessee. Perrey. "It's important that these homebuyers are able to find responsible financing options and not get shut out of the market." "THDA has a very clear niche, helping families who have the financial strength to afford homeownership but need assistance with the down payment," said THDA Executive Director Ralph M.Perrey. "It's important that these homebuyers are able to find responsible financing options and not get shut out of the market." THDA kicked off the calendar year with its strongest January ever for home loan production, followed by its second strongest February. With the March numbers now in the books, THDA has officially posted its best-ever first quarter with more than $110 million in home loan applications, which is 61 percent higher than the first quarter of last year. "We help make sure Tennessee families have the opportunity to make the leap from renting to owning, which is a vital part of our state's continued economic growth," said Mr. Perrey. "Homeownership is still at historic lows across the state as a lingering effect of the economic downturn a decade ago, but THDA is providing a shot in the arm to our state's housing market with our home loan programs." More than half of the homes purchased with a THDA home loan in the first quarter of 2018 were located in a ZIP Code identified by THDA as facing ongoing challenges, especially in terms of foreclosures and property values. In March 2017, THDA began offering a new financial assistance program to help qualified homebuyers purchase existing homes in these areas. Approved applicants receive $15,000 in the form of a second mortgage loan to help cover their down payment and closing costs when buying a home with a Great Choice Home Loan. THDA makes its Great Choice Home Loans available through a network of private lenders in all areas of Tennessee. All Great Choice Home Loans include the option of financial assistance in the form of a second mortgage loan without interest or monthly payment. These second loans are limited to five percent of the home's purchase price except in designated zip codes. Scientists have developed a new class of crystalline porous organic salts with high proton conductivity for applications such as proton-exchange membranes for fuel cells. Polar channels that contain water play a critical role in proton conduction. At about 60 C and high humidity, their proton conductivity is one of the best yet found in a porous material. Porous organic materials are potentially useful for many applications, including catalytic systems, separation processes, and gas storage. Although these framework-like structures vary greatly, they have one thing in common: their components are connected through covalent bonds. Porous organic salts, on the other hand, are a new class of materials with components held together by ionic bonds, the attractive forces between positive and negatively charged ions. They are challenging to produce because their pores usually collapse; the ionic bonds of previously known organic salts are not strong enough to stabilize a porous structure. Researchers working with Teng Ben at Jilin University (Changchun, China) have now successfully combined organic bases and acids to produce salts with very strong bonds and defined crystalline structures that form stable pore systems. These highly porous solids have the highest inner surface area ever found in an organic salt. The scientists demonstrated a significant correlation between the strength of the ionic bonds and the stability of the pore structure. The pores in the salts form one-dimensional channels and can hold water. The water molecules are bound to each other and to the charged groups through hydrogen bonding. These aspects give the salts their unusually high proton conductivity. Materials with high proton conductivity have become the focus of attention because they are good electrolytes for fuel cells. In a fuel cell, two half reactions of a chemical reaction occur while physically separated. The most popular version uses the reaction oxygen and hydrogen to form water. In this case, the two cells must exchange protons (positively charged hydrogen atoms) through an electrolyte--usually through a proton-conducting polymer membrane. Scientists have been searching for more efficient, robust electrolytes. These new salts may be candidates. They are very stable at higher temperatures and their proton conductivity increases as the temperature rises. In conventional polymer membranes, proton transport occurs through water-containing channels through which the protons within the network are transferred from one molecule to the next through hydrogen bonded water molecules. In the salts, the transport mechanism is different. Calculations indicate that the protons are sent through the channels by "courier": A water molecule binds a proton and diffuses through the channel, releasing the proton on the other side. a) Folded elements of auxetic materials straighten out, increasing its transverse dimension under stretching. b) Products made of any materials, folded according to the rules of the miura-ori: a folding system, which makes it possible to straighten the construction in one movement, also possess auxetic properties. c) Sneakers sole made up of overlapping triangles behaves like an auxetic under pressure. A group of scientists, including specialists from Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics (ITF), described a universal characteristic, in which many unique graphene properties are "hidden". It turned out that abnormal graphene behavior can be fully characterised by Poisson ratio, which determines material capability to shrink or extend in transverse dimension. Moreover,scientists found key factors that can influence this characteristic. Graphene is a two-dimensional sheet consisting of one layer of carbon atoms. Due to its unusual properties, today graphene is considered one of the most promising materials for new non-silicon elastic electronics. One of the most interesting things about graphene is the relation between its unique elastic and electrical properties. For instance, graphene shows extremely high mobility of electric charges, which can change drastically under elastic stress. Physicists tried to find a universal physical characteristic fully reflecting this unusual behaviour. This would make it possible to use graphene more effectively, as well as create new materials with required exotic properties. However, until recently researchers could not find any such parameter. The key to understanding this question lied in the unusual behavior of graphene under stretching. Most common materials shrink in transverse direction while stretching: a rubber band is a typical example. However, about a hundred years ago, the German physicist Voldemar Voight discovered that pyrite crystals, on the contrary, extend under stretching. Such materials were called auxetics, and in the late 1970s scientists obtained first artificial auxetic. The secret of such materials comes from their unusual geometry. Although in a relaxed state auxetic structural elements are folded, when stretching is applied they unfold and grow in size. Auxetics have a number of unusual features that will help improve existing technologies and create new ones. "Conventional materials expand when heated and this impairs their original properties through various mechanical stresses and disturbances. Auxetics can, on the contrary, shrink. So there is an idea to create combined materials with zero expansion ratio using auxetics. As the temperature rises, the conventional compound of such materials will tend to expand, but auxetic compound will compensate for this," comments Valentin Kachorovskii, a leading researcher at The Ioffe Institute and ITF. The feature determining material capability to shrink or extend in transverse dimension under tension is called the Poisson ratio. In auxetics it is negative, in ordinary materials -- positive. "Scientists were long interested in graphene Poisson ratio," says Kachorovskii. "For a long time we thought that it was equal to the universal negative value -?. However, a number of recent numerical calculations showed that graphene Poisson ratio could be both positive and negative. At first glance, results of various calculations contradict each other completely." Direct experimental verification of this parameter is difficult. Graphene is hard to obtain in isolation: it is usually "grown" on various substrates, and their characteristics mask the true value of graphene Poisson ratio. What is more, samples of isolated graphene are so small that it is practically impossible to attach brackets for controlled stretching. At the same time, researchers and engineers who develop new carbon-based technologies need to know exactly whether graphene is auxetic or not. Authors of the new work managed to "reconcile" contradictory results of previous calculations and find parameters that exactly determine the Poisson ratio of graphene. Physicists found out that it is a variable value depending on tensile force applied. "With a very large force, graphene behaves like a normal material, demonstrating positive Poisson ratio. However, when the applied force decreases, we find ourselves in an area where graphene exhibits typically auxetic properties," notes Kachorovskii. Scientists explained this unusual link between Poisson ratio and stretching. On popular images graphene is shown as a two-dimensional sheet of carbon atoms, usually flat. However, in reality so-called bending waves run along this "sheet". They tend to turn graphene from a flat state into a crumpled state. "This is called a crumpling transition," Kachorovskii explains. "For a long time the theory of membranes predicted that due to this phenomenon two-dimensional crystals such as graphene could not exist in principle. They would always strive to shrink into a ball. As we see, this assumption was a mistake since along the surface of graphene ordinary compression-extension waves run along with bending ones. Nonlinear interaction between two wave types does not allow the membrane to shrink into a ball. Even though, the dimension of such crystals does not actually equal to two. Due to crumpling transition, it is in an intermediate state between two and three dimensions." Membrane striving to curl due to ordinary compression-extension waves competes with the effect of smoothing transverse waves due to an external applied force. This results in a changing sign of Poisson ratio. In other words, if the external force is high, the abnormal auxetic properties are suppressed and Poisson ratio is positive. As the scientists showed, the unusual properties of graphene are based on that slightly crumpled resting state. "In folds of transverse bending waves additional energy is stored, which accounts for graphene abnormal elasticity and other unusual properties. For example, when heated graphene begins to shrink in the longitudinal direction, since the entire extension goes to transverse folds," continues Kachorovskii. "And universal characteristic which determines exactly graphene behavior is Poisson ratio. With its help, you can describe and predict a large number of properties of graphene and other materials." What is more, current work contains explanation why previous studies of the Poisson ratio of graphene had contradictory results. "We derived an analytically complete system of equations for the elastic balance of graphene sheet. It turns out that there are two modes of behavior for graphene membrane. In the usual one, all the properties of graphene are determined by standard formulas and Poisson ratio is positive. At the same time, for samples larger than so-called Ginzburg length, an abnormal elasticity regime is realized, leading to negative Poisson ratio", adds Kachorovskii. For graphene, Ginzburg's length ranges from 40 to 70 angstroms. The size of samples used in practice is certainly greater, therefore it is possible to see the most unusual auxetic behavior. The explanation of this phenomenon is also connected with waves of different types, which interact with each other in a very complicated manner. "Ginzburg length characterizes the scale at which these interactions can no longer be neglected as they begin to abnormally shift the material. For example, such large-scale interaction does not allow two-dimensional crystals to shrink into a ball", explains Kachorovskii. Different substances have different Ginzburg lengths and knowing them is extremely important for the development of new materials. "Often people create new materials without calculating Ginzburg length and then they try to find something unusual in their properties. But our work shows that if Ginzburg length is as large as 1 kilometer, for example, regular sized samples will not show any special properties", Kachorovskii notes. The fact that graphene can stretch normally or abnormally depending on the applied force in perspective will help create hypersensitive sound sensors, for example. "Sound waves stretch graphene membrane, and depending on the degree of stretching graphene noticeably changes the electrical resistance. Calculations show that sensitivity of such detector can be gigantic. In addition, in auxetics the sound velocity is noticeably higher than in "normal" materials. The value of other elastic constants, for example, the Young's modulus remains the same. Therefore, when graphene becomes stretched to the state of auxetic, the sound in it spreads very quickly. This allows us to create ultra-fast sensors which can detect a very rapid change of oscillations", summarizes Kachorovskii. A: We realized that a woman has two options for nails. She can either go to the local neighborhood place, where you never know what you're going to get, or she can go to the luxury spa, but it's super time-consuming and very expensive. For modern-day professional women who invest in manicures as a part of their professional uniform, these two options are just not good enough. We believe there needs to be a new option in nails. When Amazon made its visit to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Cazares-Thomas talked about how at home he'd felt there after moving from Los Angeles, even though he'd previously had misgivings about raising a family as a gay man in Texas, according to a person who attended the meeting and spoke on the condition of anonymity because Amazon has asked finalists to not discuss the process. Cazares-Thomas and the Dallas Regional Chamber, which is handling the bid for HQ2, declined to comment on the search. Reddit, which bills itself as "the front page of the internet," has made other moves to bolster its ad platform. It started rolling out a redesign to its users at the beginning of April, which Jandali said could make the site easier to navigate for new users and help grow existing communities. It also hired Time veteran Jen Wong as chief operating officer this month. Reddit said in an announcement on its blog that one of Wong's goals would be to help the company build out its offerings for advertisers. Before bread-making machines invaded home kitchens, James Beard and Bernard Clayton, Jr. led cooks in the early '70s to the joy of baking breads the traditional way. Both embraced the bread-baking process, never shunning the enthusiastic kneading of bread and the playful shaping of dough into twists, braids, loaves and knots. Beard needs no introduction, but Bernard Clayton, Jr. an Indiana native, journalist and foreign correspondent who died late last month, may be less well known, except to those (myself included) who enjoyed baking bread with his book as much for the creation of the loaf as that first thick slice of warm-from-the-oven bread slathered with butter. That book, "Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads," was the first of several cookbooks and became, as the New York Times obituary notes, "a twin to James Beard's 'Beard on Bread' on the shelves of American home cooks." Clayton connected often with the Chicago Tribune, with his recipe for Portuguese Sweet Bread from the first book appearing in a column by Ruth Ellen Church in early 1974. Later that same year, in an interview with Tribune reporter Fran Zell, Clayton told her why he began baking breads after a trip to Europe. It was, he said, "The only way I could ever be assured of having that bread again was to bake it myself." In that same article, he admitted he bicycled 15 miles before breakfast (so he could indulge his appetite for bread) and also offered bread baking advice that is as true today as it was 30 years ago: "Don't baby the dough when kneading. Every so often break your rhythm by slamming it on the table. You must be aggressive." "Don't rush bread baking. It often helps to let the dough rest a few minutes before shaping it. This relaxes it." And as any bread baker knows, bread baking can relax the human spirit. In 1975, Gutilla partnered with Steve Lombardo and others to open Sweetwater Cafe in the space that was once Mister Kelly's (and is now Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse). He also owned and operated Eddie Rockets in the Gold Coast before opening Tavern on Rush in 1998. "If we went all the way to completely modernize and take it really off the beaten path with our tacos, it might be too much of a change because we have a lot of an older crowd that lives in Albany Park," Walters said. "But we also have a younger crowd, so we have to kind of figure out what is going to appeal to everybody. We want to serve the community." Our favorite? Chicken roll, creamy round slices What was it made of? Who knows! studded with flecks of meat, sliced thin but not too thin, lest they fell apart or, worse, got stuck together. No, the chicken roll should be sliced just thick enough to arrange even, cold layers over fresh or toasted Butternut bread. We didn't add condiments, but they weren't needed on the highly seasoned savory suspension. If we had time, I might make grilled chicken roll sandwiches, melting the lunchmeat to nearly a bechamel. Emanuel, who earned a master's degree in speech and communication from Northwestern in 1985, and Colbert, who graduated from the university the following year, have teased each other in the past. There didn't appear to be any bad blood when Emanuel promoted his "Chicago Stories" podcast on "The Late Show" in December. You might easily imagine, the way things turned out, that Daley was worried about the war protesters and other long-haired agitators coming to town. But he had a hard time taking them seriously. No, what he most feared might upset the convention were blacks, his paranoia fueled by those riots earlier in the year. So, the word went out and the police began pressuring various black militants and gang members, arresting some and hassling others, sending a stern behave-or-else message. But Daley's political savvy dictated a less aggressive maneuver, and on July 31, 1968, the City Council met to mollify the black community by renaming a street in honor of King. Many descriptions of this meeting have been written. Tribune reporter Edward Schreiber wrote that after Daley gave a seven-minute speech, the mayor "sat down and was given a two-minute standing ovation by aldermen and 100 visitors in the council galleries." "A large green blotchy landscape painting, on a shaped surface in the posture of a Claes Oldenburg soft sculpture, turns out to be an aromatherapy apparatus," read the gallery notes for "Hot Swap," Jasmine Justice's fourth exhibition at 65GRAND. "The fragrance of fresh eucalyptus and lavender reach out to the viewer in a loving and soothing caress, emerging from actual herbs stuffed inside the work itself." This olfactory dimension of the work purports to be a salve for the "alienation caused by our inability to process life-or-death information" for an example, please see debates over the reality of climate change. "All of those things I was concerned with for the past 10 years, I feel as though I am finished with that chapter, and this is the start of a new one," she said. "I think that this might be the time to get into some of the questions about America that I've been thinking about." Most kids' literature for the past couple of generations has focused on telling children that they are safe. But as adults well know, even if they usually pretend otherwise, children are not safe in our world. Children learn this fast. By admitting the presence of danger the inevitability of pain the great J.K. Rowling signaled to the smart children of the world that she was willing to tell them the truth. And they loved her for it, and they only love her more as they have become adults, many with kids of their own. Two conditions drive their deal. First, the new housing must be situated west of downtown, in what Case calls "a well-confined Negro colony" and what will become the city's Fifth Ward. Second, Case demands that Leland turn over an acre of undeveloped land on the lake land that Leland and his wife, Isabelle (Nicholia Q. Aguirre) can't get loans from white-owned banks to build on. Case's liberal-leaning wife, Florence (Abigail Boucher), protests in vain but finds her own way to plant the seeds for justice in the future. Oliver despaired that the ad may not do much good. He noted that Trump has surrounded himself with opponents of the Iranian nuclear deal -- including Hannity, who once said it would lead to a "modern-day Holocaust," and who The Post reported is a close confidant of the president, besides hosting one of his favorite shows. Wright's ambivalence about his state is threaded throughout the book. His concern about the lack of compassion manifested by the disregard for schools and prisons and mental health and the environment weighs heavy. As he says, "Part of me had always wanted to leave Texas, but I had never actually gone." For those of us who care about our home state, and those who want to understand it, we are fortunate he stayed. Despite it all, I'm hopeful for the future of the state we love, and the humility and irreverence that keep us sane in the meantime - the same humility and irreverence on display in the Austin restaurant that posted a sign on its restrooms during the bathroom bill fight: "Whatever, just wash your hands." (And for all the dispiriting news, the legislature did address some important matters this year. Even with the rancor and partisan division, it passed a bill allowing the hunting of wild pigs from hot air balloons. I'm only sorry Molly Ivins wasn't still around to cover it.) In the end, perhaps the most important message of the book is the one Wright doesn't say: Let's not count on God to save Texas. Instead, let's do it ourselves. Their secret trysts around the globe in Tikal, Guatemala, Marseille, France, and Vienna, to name a few are prearranged by way of a complicated code known only to the two of them, passed on through issues of National Geographic. Shirley prefers to be known on her passport, in hotel registers by the name "Lola Montez," but dresses in the respectable bourgeois uniform of a tweed jacket, a black dress and a string of real pearls. Coenraad, on the other hand, is a master of disguise sometimes a bellhop, sometimes a wino who, "when he has no other safe means of communication" will signal her "with a deep look" into her eyes, "blinking three times between unwavering stares." "No longer does the shame of sexual harassment and assault belong with the victims and the survivors," Schwimmer said in a press release. "These PSAs showcase the pervasiveness of abuse in the workplace, and make very clear that perpetrators who use positions of power to demean, deride, discredit, harass and assault anyone will be held accountable." 3214 N. Southport Ave., No. 3N, Chicago: $1,299,000 | Listed: Aug. 18, 2021 This three-bedroom home has two full bathrooms, one half-bath, and crown molding. The kitchen has hardwood flooring, fresh tile backsplash, a pantry, an island and space for a table. An open concept living and dining room on the main level features wainscoting and a fireplace. A separate family room and a breakfast nook are also on the main level, and an upper-level living room can be converted into a fourth bedroom. This home has five private outdoor areas, including a composite rooftop deck, a front porch, an enclosed brick space thats turf and tile, and two rear decks. A wet bar with a wine refrigerator, a storage room, and garage parking complete this home. Agent: Tommy Choi, Keller Williams, 773-851-5840 *Some listing photos are virtually staged, meaning they have been digitally altered to represent different furnishing or decorating options. To feature your luxury listing of $800,000 or more in Chicago Tribunes Dream Homes, send listing information and high-res photos to ctc-realestate@chicagotribune.com. Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news. "From the early stages of his campaign and right into the Oval Office," she writes, "Trump has spoken harshly about the institutions and principles that make up the foundation of open government. In the process, he has systematically degraded political discourse in the United States, shown an astonishing disregard for facts, libeled his predecessor, threatened to 'lock up' political rivals, bullied members of his own administration, referred to mainstream journalists as 'the enemy of the American people,' spread falsehoods about the integrity of the U.S. electoral process, touted mindlessly nationalistic economic and trade policies and nurtured a paranoid bigotry toward the followers of one of the world's most foremost religions." Fortified with caffeine, I turned my steps toward the perpetually traffic-clogged block he lived on, taking a few moments to stand in front of the building and crane my neck for a glimpse of his rooftop home. I tried to imagine how he might stop for a chat with the doorman in the lobby before heading out on the 10-minute walk down nearby Prince Street to Olive's takeout shop just in time to grab a sandwich for lunch. Bowie's favorite was reportedly grilled chicken with watercress, followed by a warm chocolate chip cookie. While I opted for the roasted shiitake mushroom and goat cheese sandwich, that cookie was, indeed, on point. "The presence of the statue itself is an insult," Auf said. "We want to build a fighting movement to tackle all forms of white supremacy here in Chicago, and we think fighting this statue is one way not only to build people's confidence and bring people into the movement, but also to orient ourselves and say we aren't going to tolerate any form of racism in the community." Derwinski said it is not always cost-effective for the agency to put an additional fare collector on the train. He said that a conductor's first responsibility is the safety of the train, so if a conductor is dealing with another problem, he or she may not have a chance to go through all the cars on the train to collect tickets. The decision by Foxx to reject the word of 10 veteran officers marked the latest fallout in a growing scandal over Watts' nearly decadelong run of corruption, which ended in 2012 when he and another member of his team, Officer Kallatt Mohammed, were arrested for shaking down a drug courier who turned out to be an FBI informant. The man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to the chest and was later pronounced dead, police said. He was walking on Lockwood when a light-colored car drove up and someone inside shot at him, hitting the man, police said. Two men approached Hope as he was walking to his home after a shift, Collins said. "Our detective dropped his bag and sometime during the encounter, shots were exchanged," he said. "Considering that he was dressed in civilian clothing, no one would know that he was a police officer. He seemed like another easy target." Synthetic cannabinoids typically are human-made, mind-altering chemicals that are sprayed on dried plant material and smoked. They are often sold in small packages at convenience stores under brand names like Spice or K2. The chemicals are promoted as acting on the same brain cell receptors as THC, the main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis. "She's an honest woman. She does a job that she gets no respect for, not by the media, not by the party and she's constantly being blasted for no reason at all," longtime supporter Jim Wirkus told the crowd. "If someone else did this, it would be OK. When Dorothy Brown does it, it isn't, and that's an injustice. I believe if she becomes mayor, she'll correct the injustices for all people." "So I would like to second your nomination, but I will say in seconding your nomination it's not a secret that change needs to happen, and we need to be more transparent as an organization," Kelly said. "We need to be more inclusive as an organization, and we need to make sure that we are respecting every man and woman that has anything to do with this organization, in and out." "Ideas, ideas matter," he said. "And now, in 2018, opposing Trump on a whole host of things that he's done which are wrong will be the right strategy. 2018 to 2020, when you're running for a national office, you're going to have to have a proactive agenda that has a vision of the future." *Feigenholtz says Rauner should call Cook County Jail: Democratic state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz of Chicago is warning that cuts in community mental health services proposed by Gov. Rauner could create havoc for those needing treatment. "The governor's introduced budget totally eliminates pretty much shuts down a functioning community mental health system in Illinois," Feigenholtz said Sunday on WGN-AM 720. Feigenholtz is pushing for permanent reinstatement of $27 million in community mental health center grants, which is funded through state and federal funds via Medicaid. Absent the money, advocates warn community providers will be forced to make drastic cuts in services. "If I were the governor or the director of (the Department of Healthcare and Family Services), which I am not, I would have picked up the phone and called (Cook County Sheriff) Tom Dart and said, 'I hope you're ready for more inmates.' Because that's exactly what's going to happen here," she said. "If the governor's budget and these cuts are made and this line is not sustained, that is exactly what's going to happen." Dart has often called Cook County Jail the largest mental health clinic in the world because of its intake of people with undiagnosed or untreated mental illnesses who commit crimes. (Rick Pearson) It was Good Friday, March 28, 1986, when Gump and two others cut a fence and approached a missile silo at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. Gump and the others were arrested. She was sentenced to eight years in the Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia. Her sentence was later reduced to six years and she was released after serving four years and one month of the sentence. She refused to pay $424 in damages, a refusal that resulted in missing a son's wedding because the conditions of her parole didn't allow her to leave the state of Michigan during the parole period. President Donald Trump looks across the tarmac during his arrival on Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Sunday, April 22, 2018. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP) A final example helps make the point. There's a scene where Comey gives a tie to James Clapper, then-director of national intelligence and "the leader I admired most in government." Comey had received the tie as a gift from his brother-in-law. Thus the story's denouement: "Because we considered ourselves people of integrity, I disclosed it was a regift as I handed him the tie." In light of the excellent author's note at the beginning of the book, where Comey confesses the sin of pride, perhaps we should read this passage as the author's effort to engage in a gentle self-mockery. The more troubling conclusion an easy one to reach given the general tone of the narrative is that Comey really does see himself as part of a small circle of "people of integrity." Makes me wonder what he thinks of the rest of us. But white supremacy evolved again, in Stevenson's view, using the criminal-justice system. The era of mass incarceration saw thousands upon thousands of blacks locked away, sometimes unjustly, often for minor offenses and not just in the South, of course. Blacks were and are more likely to be suspended from school, denied parole and, when freed from prison, denied benefits, kept out of public housing, blocked from employment or professional licenses and, once again, prevented from voting. I'll have more on that in a bit, but for now, let's talk about Barbara Bush, who had her own run-ins with feminists back in the day. For some, Bush was known primarily as a president's wife, and later, a president's mother. In 1990, when Wellesley College invited Mrs. Bush to speak at its commencement Wellesley, of course, is the prestigious college for women that counts Hillary Clinton among its alumnae a protest riled the campus. "Wellesley teaches that we will be rewarded on the basis of our own merit, not on that of a spouse," students noted in a petition. Does Illinois measure up? Not in terms of a commitment by its elected officials to making this state a magnet for investment. When Bezos writes if low standards prevail, those too will quickly spread, we can't help but think of the dysfunction in Springfield: the inability to pass balanced budgets and stick to them, the shrugged shoulders over high taxes, the regulatory burdens on business and, yes, the billions upon billions in promises of pension money that doesn't exist and may never exist. The Cubs actually were plagued by six consecutive rainouts in May 1960 due to the double whammy of rain and cold. A heavy downpour washed out the May 6 game, and even though the rain was light and intermittent, the next five games were not played due to sporadic rain, very chilly temperatures and gusty winds. From May 6-8, temperatures at Wrigley Field hovered near 40 degrees with chills in the 20s and 30s. Total rainfall for the period totaled only 0.59 inches. After the sixth rainout, Cubs manager Lou Boudreau commented that "our pitchers were so rested now, I'm afraid they'll start to rust." The six rainouts were not a record in August 1903, the Phillies lost nine straight games to the weather. While before only those involved might have been aware of a fight, now students can record a fight on their phones and post it to Snapchat before district administrators are able to talk with students, Neahring and Smith said. Where once a comment made as a joke made about a principal might not have gotten much traction, now such a comment posted to Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat can spread and be taken as a threat, they said. The judge had previously ordered there be no contact between Jones and the woman she allegedly targeted and that woman's husband. Bakalis further ordered Monday that whenever Jones is in Illinois for a hearing that she comes no closer than 1 mile from the woman, and Jones cannot remain in Illinois for more than 24 hours when she comes for court. "When they marched to Village Hall they challenged us to take action," Boote said. "We have to become more aware. I took the challenge from our own students who have marched (to protest violence) and started to email away. It's not enough to talk. We have to act." Further amending the state constitution would need three-fifths approval from both chambers of the General Assembly, meaning that unless Democrats pick up at least four seats in the House this November, the effort would likely need some Republicans to support it. It would also need 60 percent approval from Illinois voters during a statewide election, meaning it wouldn't be able to take effect until at least 2020. Be Your Own Boss How to Find a Franchise: This is presented by: Scott Majeski, Franchise Consultant, FranNet. For those who are curious about business ownership, and what it would be like to be their own boss, hear Scott explain the ins and outs of buying a franchise. Also, how to choose one that is right for you. 10:15 a.m. Thursday, Career Resource Center, 40 E. Old Mill Road, Lake Forest, free, 847-295-5626. Both pleaded guilty to one count of disregard of election code, a Class A misdemeanor that can result in up to a year in jail. Under conditions of the plea deals, both were sentenced to a year of court supervision with several conditions, including restrictions on contact with the school district. Deputies searched the area, but could not find her. Then Dax, one of the Sheriff Office's police dogs, was called in and he was able to track her to some nearby bushes where she was found uninjured. She was taken to a hospital for a psychological evaluation, according to the statement. Like the Libertyville paperwork with Clark, the Vernon Hills agreement stipulates officials won't discuss the deal with the media. It's even part of the contract, according to Kambic's reporting: "(N)either party shall contact the press, or make any statement to the press." The pact even mentions the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, which indicates to me they might be on shaky ground trying to hide details. This is in response to Move over who doesnt want anyone traveling in the left lanes, even at the speed limit, so you can fly by at Ill drive any speed I want in your own personal lane probably at 10 to 20 mph over the limit. The right lane is for those going below the speed limit. If the speed limit is 45 and Im going 45 to 50, I have a right to drive in the left lane as that speed is not slow. If you are going 10 to 20 mph over the speed limit, youre breaking the law. And I should get out of your way? Why? Ill move over when I want, just like you insist on driving any speed you want. Youre probably that guy who passes over the no passing line on the two-lane road. Oh, I get it, on the two-lane roads I should pull onto the shoulder so you can speed on by. Give me a break. "You don't have to be a bad person to have an accident," he said. "All you have to do is make one mistake. I want (teenagers) to think when they get (behind the wheel) or get into a car with somebody else driving (impaired), that they probably shouldn't do it." "It's for this very reason that Congress sought one national body of laws that guide labor and management relations, and (it is) the basis for the U.S. District Court's decision to strike down Lincolnshire's ordinance," McGann said in an email. "Lincolnshire's ordinance undermines Congress' intent to create a single uniform body of laws that govern labor management relations." The resolution states that the vehicle owner even if they were not the driver during the incident would be notified of the impoundment and fee, and would be able to contest it all. "We figured this is going to be, if we move forward, a partnership between us, and you should see what our costs are," Tucker said. "As we all know, this has been a process going on for some time. We have been looking at this property for a number of years. We look at this as an opportunity to provide our expertise and what we believe would be a joint vision for the property." "We appreciate the work of the Naperville Police Department in investigating this matter and in always keeping our school community safe," Sullivan said. "The student will not be returning to school in our district. We encourage anyone with information related to this incident to contact the Naperville Police Department." "Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of suburban millennials and they are beginning to demand the same types of workplace amenities as their more urban counterparts," Roger Heerema, principal for Wright Heerema Architects, said in the news release. "From the baristas and wellness amenities to a foodie-friendly marketplace, we're bringing Fulton Market to Naperville." "Personally, I have nothing to hide, but with all this news lately about our privacy and how it's sometimes being violated, it makes you think," he said. "I would like to think the mall isn't doing anything else with the information they collect, and I believe that they aren't, but it's an interesting topic these days." "It certainly helps the officers," he said of the devices. "Ninety-nine percent of the time, it validates that the officers did the right thing. We just have to be careful with body cameras. Sometimes they only get snapshots. It's not a full-length movie; it's an isolated picture of what the officer is seeing at that time." "The driver fled the scene of the traffic stop and nearly struck the chief before he was able to move out of the way," Kellogg said. She declined to say how much money has been donated, only noting that it's enough so far to cover the exact cost of a 2,000-square-foot pantry, designed to look like a home with red siding and a porch, that will be built in the parking lot on Union Street, which Hilltop already owns. The facility will have a garage door in back for a loading area. Two times in the past five years I have been in downtown Valpo and have been denied use of the bathroom facilities in the business. One was a cable company office since gone and the other was bank which is still there. In both cases, it was for one of my preschool grandchildren. In both cases, I just left my place in line and went to the courthouse one time and the courthouse annex the other. I was not abusive and thus the police were not called. But I never made no money off of either instance. Shame on me! Opportunity lost! "The work is part of a long-term project to add a third rail line on Union Pacific's Metra West Line from River Forest to Melrose Park and from West Chicago to Geneva," South said. "The additional main line will allow 59 Metra trains and 70 freight trains using the line to operate simultaneously, a critical step toward improving the line's reliability and efficiency." "We look at history as a guidepost about how we guide ourselves for the future," he said. "Not just not to repeat it but to be better." "It's costing me a ton of money to keep it, and I'm just looking for some help as to what you guys want to do with it," Pigati said. "I just don't want to bang my head against the wall, I don't want to see the thing looking like that, and I don't want to see the city or myself get hurt on this thing." It was his own immigrant experience that inspired him to write the first undocumented family sitcom on American television. "Illegal," which is one of two immigrant-related series that Gina Rodriguez has in development under an overall deal at CBS TV Studios for her I Can & I Will Productions is based on Agustin's real-life experience from being the all-American high school student to finding out he was living in the country illegally when he began applying to college in 1998. Zero is the name of the game for Centennial goalkeeper By I-Ting Shelly Lin In 2017, China maintained its spot as Germanys largest trading partner for the second consecutive year. The two countries moved to a full strategic partnership in 2014, and have since benefited from investments in the areas of trade, technology, and innovation. After the UKs decision to leave the EU and the US election of President Trump, China and Germany as the second and fourth largest economies in the world have been increasingly called upon to lead on global economic affairs. China and Germany hosted the last two G20 summits, and both repeatedly stress the need to promote globalization, facilitate investment, and defend free trade. Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) serves these ambitions, and Germany is viewed as a key European participant of the ambitious project. Consequently, Sino-German business and economic ties are poised to grow stronger. RELATED: China-Canada Relations: A New Economic Partnership? Investment facilitation through industrial parks The German and Chinese governments have established a high-level fiscal and financial dialogue mechanism and released the document Program of Action for China-Germany Cooperation in 2014. Enhancing industrial cooperation toward innovation is a key goal of the joint program, as illustrated in Germanys Industrial 4.0 and Chinas Made in China 2025 initiatives. Sino-German industrial parks fulfill the objectives of these initiatives by facilitating technology incubation and development. Sino-German (Shenyang) Intelligent Equipment Manufacturing Park: This is an important hub for intelligent and advanced machinery manufacturing; its partners include global giants such as BMW, Siemens, and BASF. This is an important hub for intelligent and advanced machinery manufacturing; its partners include global giants such as BMW, Siemens, and BASF. Kunshan German Industrial Park: The hub focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), targeting American and European enterprises that offer expertise in high efficiency production, science and technology, environmental protection, and independent branding. Leading industries here are: precision machinery, high-end foods, and logistics. The hub focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), targeting American and European enterprises that offer expertise in high efficiency production, science and technology, environmental protection, and independent branding. Leading industries here are: precision machinery, high-end foods, and logistics. Sino-German Small and Medium Enterprises Cooperation Park: It is situated in Pujiang County, Chengdu in Sichuan province. By 2020, the park expects to host over 100 operating German enterprises, which will generate RMB 10 billion in economic value. Aside from the infrastructure, the regions population of about 100 million provides the necessary labor force required by German enterprises and joint ventures based here. Vocational training in this region to educate local Chinese students to German standards makes the park quite appealing for German investors. During his visit to Berlin in 2017, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and German Chancellor Angela Merkel signed cooperation agreements in economy and trade, finance, new-energy vehicles, and artificial intelligence. In March, this year, the two countries launched 11 innovation platforms for the following sectors: electric vehicles, bioscience, clean water, intelligent manufacturing, and clean energy. Germany has also agreed to help speed up the negotiation process of the EU-China investment treaty, which, if successful, could jumpstart the signing of the EU-China free trade agreement. Sino-German trade and investment Germanys trade with China increased 35 percent in 2017, totaling US$230 billion, as compared to US$170.2 billion in 2016. Germany is the largest European investor in technology businesses operating in China, and Chinese businesses also invested over US$2.95 billion in Germany in 2016. That same year, Germany launched more than 300 new projects in China worth US$2.71 billion. By 2017, more than 8,200 German enterprises were operating in China, representing a total investment of US$67.34 billion. New investment opportunities in China The highly complementary nature of the Chinese and German economies widens the scope for bilateral investments and trade cooperation. China has a huge domestic market, established manufacturing ecosystem, sufficient capital, a large skilled labor force, and relatively low R&D costs. Germany, on its part, is known for its scientific and technological innovation, advanced manufacturing industries, vocational education, and small and medium-sized enterprises. Chinas aspirations to develop a high-tech economy and grow its booming aviation and automobile sectors provide ideal opportunities for German investors, according to the German Chamber of Commerce. However, German companies have a mixed view of Chinas ambitious BRI initiative. According to the German Chamber of Commerces 2017 Business Confidence Survey, about 30 percent of German companies operating in China are involved in or are considering their participation in the BRI. At the same time, only one-third of all German companies in China are confident that their investments in this project will have a positive impact on their business. Most German investment in the BRI is in the automotive and construction sectors, making up almost 40 percent of total investments. The remaining is in sectors such as logistics, energy, business and finance, and transportation. According to the German Chamber of Commerce, 46 percent of the German companies participating in the BRI do so as subcontractors or suppliers to Chinese companies. Regions for German investment in China Taicang, located in Suzhou, in the Jiangsu province of East China, is home to many German companies. The region is known for its ready access to the Yangtze River Delta region, and its large population. Since August 2016, Taicang has attracted more than 250 small and medium-sized German companies, generating sales revenue of RMB 18.6 billion (US$2.72 billion). The German Center Taicang, a base of Sino-German cooperation, with its proximity to the resources of Shanghai and Suzhou, prepares businesses operating in the automotive, machine construction, electronics, energy, and consumer products sectors to enter the Chinese consumer market. According to the aforementioned 2017 Business Confidence Survey, German companies are planning further investment in Jiangsu, Guangdong, Sichuan, and Chongqing. Tier 1 cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen also remain popular locations for German investment because of their large populations exhibiting mature consumer behavior. Challenges facing German investors Kristine Horbach, International Business Advisory Manager at Dezan Shira & Associates, notes that the biggest challenge for German investors is Chinas frequently changing regulatory environment and the make-up of its regional governments. Many German companies have developed investment strategies for China over the years but are often forced to change them because of new regulatory or governmental policies they have not previously considered, Ms. Horbach observed. German investors also feel threatened by Chinese incursions into their intellectual property rights. Ms. Horbach points out that Germans are very proud of their technology as something that separates the German economy from other economies. She said, For a German company to introduce technology into the Chinese market by itself or as part of a joint venture poses an immediate risk that the technology will be unlawfully copied. This causes the German company to lose market share and to consider pulling out their investment. The Chinese and German cultures are both highly conservative, and people in both countries enjoy living in a down-to-earth manner in a calm environment. From a business perspective, Ms. Horbach explains, The Chinese appreciate the straightforward and reliable business acumen and efficiency of Germans; and Germans appreciate the effort, patience, and passion the Chinese exhibit for going the extra mile on business projects, even if the business outcome is zero for them. However, the tendency in Chinese business culture for employees to be more submissive, especially with respect to the decisions of supervisors, can lead to inefficient work environments and negative business outcomes in their collaborations with Germans, who are educated to question everything, including managers and colleagues. Other areas of friction include the Chinas strict foreign exchange controls and difficulties in repatriating profits in RMB. Moreover, Ms. Horbach notes that certain investment restrictions, such as requiring German companies to enter China only through joint ventures or not being allowed to entirely engage in the venture give German companies the feeling of not being supported, especially when no such restrictions are applied to Chinese firms doing business in Germany. Business Intelligence from Dezan Shira & Associates Looking forward With respect to how Sino-German economic relations are likely to develop in the next few years, Ms. Horbach believes that it is likely that only German companies with well-planned business investment strategies will be able to establish themselves in China. Compared to the situation two decades ago, it is now complicated and expensive for German companies to follow the business slogan Must Commit to China, which discourages them from more experimental, temporary engagement in China. However, Ms. Horbach believes that China still offers great opportunities but no longer as a production landscape with a cheap workforce that allows price dumping. Wage and price increases in China have caused a number of German companies to redirect their focus on ASEAN countries or India. Nevertheless, Ms. Horbach suggests that despite these problems, it is crucial for German investors to seize new opportunities presented by Chinas huge combined market for consumer and technological products. And with China-US hostilities ratcheting up in recent months, German companies can take on a stronger leadership role in the Middle Kingdom. The successes of the China-Germany relationship can serve as a model not just for many medium-sized powers, but even for the United States. In this relationship, Germany adheres to its principles of freedom and democracy, while at the same time productively cooperating with and avoiding hostility with China. Their strengthening bilateral ties show how the two countries are able to effectively address their differences by respecting each others core interests and concerns, helped in no small measure by a degree of overlapping economic interests. You are here: Business China tops the world in the number of business entities thanks to years of market access reform. There were 100.24 million business entities across the country in March, including enterprises and individually-owned businesses, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). The figure makes China the largest nation of entrepreneurs in the world. Individually-owned businesses make up nearly 70 percent of the number. China had less than 500,000 business entities 40 years ago when it initiated reform and opening-up. The number boomed during the past five years as the government stepped up effort to loosen restrictions on business registration. Business entities jumped 70 percent from 2012 to 2017. Fifty thousand new entities are registered each day. "One million used to be unimaginable," He Xin, president of China Society of Market Supervision, said, attributing the growth to government efforts to cut red tape. China has greatly relaxed market access to allow people to set up their own businesses, with 87 percent of approval items either reduced or canceled. During the past five year, the high-tech industry witnessed rapid growth, and new service companies accounted for nearly 80 percent of registrations. Private businesses became the biggest employer, creating 40 percent of new urban jobs. The World Bank data showed China improving by 18 places in ease of doing business in the past five years, and by 65 places in ease of setting up businesses. President Xi Jinping called for "keenly" grasping the historic opportunity for informatization development in a bid to build the country's strength in cyberspace. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, chairman of the Central Military Commission and head of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, made the instruction at a national conference on the work of cybersecurity and informatization held Friday and Saturday. Premier Li Keqiang, deputy head of the commission, presided over the meeting, attended by other leaders, including Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng. Wang Huning, also deputy head of the commission, made a concluding speech at the conference. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, China has achieved historic progress in the development of cybersecurity and informatization, formed a model of cyberspace governance with Chinese characteristics, and developed a strategic thought to advance the country's strength in this regard, Xi said. Xi urged improving the governance capacity in cyberspace and developing a governing network led by the Party. Internet media should spread positive information, uphold the correct political direction and guide public opinion and values in the right direction. Internet service providers should be responsible for preventing cyberspace from degrading into a platform full of harmful, false and provocative information. Efforts should be made to enhance self-discipline of the internet industry and mobilize all sectors to take an active part in cyberspace governance. Xi pointed to cyberspace security, noting that China will enhance security of information infrastructure, develop coordination mechanisms, tools and platforms for cybersecurity; enhance the capacity in responding to cybersecurity emergencies; and support relevant industries. China will fiercely crack down on criminal offenses, including hacking, telecom fraud and the violation of citizens' privacy, he said. Stressing that the country will endeavor to achieve breakthroughs in core information technologies, Xi said more resources will go into research, industrial development and policymaking. The development of cybersecurity and informatization should contribute to China's drive to develop a modernized economy and achieve high-quality development. It also should contribute to the new model of industrialization, urbanization and agricultural modernization, Xi said. Efforts should be made to develop the digital economy, promote deep integration between the internet, big data, artificial intelligence and real economy, and make the manufacturing, agriculture and service sectors more digitalized, smart and internet-powered, he said. This people-centered development vision should be upheld throughout cyberspace development, and the people's well-being should be the starting point, Xi said. Xi urged enhancing military-civilian integration in the field of cybersecurity and informatization, calling it a key and cutting-edge frontier field with the greatest vitality and potential in the integration drive. He called for putting in place a comprehensive and highly efficient network of integration. Xi said it is a general trend and common aspiration of the people to promote the reform of the global cyberspace governance system by sticking to a multilateral approach with multiparty participation from the government, international organizations, internet enterprises, technology communities, nongovernmental institutions and individuals. Cyberspace governance under the framework of the United Nations should be advanced and non-State entities should play a better role, he said. He also called for strengthening cooperation with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative in internet infrastructure, digital economy and cybersecurity to build a digital silk road of the 21st century. Xi emphasized the centralized, unified leadership of the Party over cybersecurity and informatization. While presiding over the conference, Li said Xi has pointed to a clear direction for development in grasping the historic opportunity of the information revolution, enhancing cybersecurity and informatization as well as stepping up the building of an internet power. In his concluding remarks, Wang Huning called for concrete measures to implement Xi's speech, which he called a "guiding document" for cybersecurity and informatization in the new era. You are here: China Two giant pandas, born in Japan and Spain respectively, meet the public in southwest China's Guizhou Province on Sunday. The two males, Hai Bang and Xing Bao, are on display for the public at Qianlingshan Park in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou. Hai Bang and his twin were born in Japan in 2010, while Xing Bao was born in Spain in 2013. Xing Bao remained low-key, while Hai Bang walked into the shade, shaking his head and twisting his body. "This panda is so cute. Is he dancing?" said Wu Yuqi, a primary school student who viewed the pandas. Li Da, head of the panda enclosure, said that shaking head and tail is a habit of Hai Bang whenever he is nervous or happy. "As China has proposed the coordinated development of people and nature, bringing the pandas to Guiyang allow more Chinese to understand the importance of wildlife diversity," said Li. He said the park has a 37-member team taking care of the pandas. It appears that the time is ripe for pushing the idea of trilateral cooperation between Nepal, China and India. Nepal aspires to be a "dynamic bridge" between India and China, and now has a stable and strong government after decades of political transition. It is in a better position to execute independent foreign policies that hold the key to implementing major bilateral or trilateral initiatives. While Nepal and China have been enjoying trouble-free ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1955, India's strained relations with Nepal and China are gradually thawing. Nepal-India relations soured in 2015 after India imposed an economic embargo on Nepal over the promulgation of its new constitution. India has since realized the blunder and moved to mend fences with Nepal. The recent visit of Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to India significantly helped overcome distrust and create a fresh start between the two neighbors. The Donglang (Doklam) stand-off in 2017 brought Sino-Indian ties to a low point. Now India and China are inching closer to restarting efforts for mutual benefit. The two nations have witnessed a flurry of exchanges between high-level officials from both sides. India seems unwilling to waste the economic and trade opportunities that come with engagement with China. With this positive ambiance developing, China's landmark Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) may serve as the catalytic instrument to realize the much-vaunted concept of trilateral cooperation. Nepal is already a signatory to the BRI that has been endorsed by the United Nations, but India is still hesitating to join the Chinese global project for fear of losing its clout in South Asia and beyond. China has mulled over the prospect of creating an economic corridor involving Nepal, China and India under the broader framework of BRI. "When the connectivity network under the BRI is well developed, there can be a prospect for an economic corridor connecting China, Nepal and India," said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Speaking at a joint press conference with his Nepali counterpart Pradeep Gyawali in Beijing on April 18, Wang underlined that China and India should have a "common understanding to support Nepal in its quest for prosperity." He was of the view that China, Nepal and India were natural allies and partners connected by shared rivers and mountains. He said that China and Nepal agreed on a long-term vision of a multidimensional cross-Himalaya connectivity network, with links to ports, railways, highways, aviation, electricity and communications. Cross-Himalaya connectivity is vital to spur trade, investment and cooperation in the region. The statement of Chinese Foreign Minister provides impetus to the desires of the Nepali people that China and India should forge work together for the economic development of Nepal as well as the region at large. India is expected to respond to the notion of an economic corridor involving the three countries positively. "We want to build a bridge between China and India for economic development and prosperity of the country," said Nepal's Foreign Minister Gyawali, adding that Nepal appreciates China's neighborhood diplomacy, which is guided by sincerity, amity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. The concept of trilateral cooperation came to the fore in 2008 when former Nepal's PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda first mentioned it to former Chinese President Hu Jintao during his first visit to the northern neighbor. The agenda of trilateral strategic partnership among the three nations become a hot subject when Prachanda again floated it during his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the BRICS Summit in Goa, India, in 2016. Chinese President Xi commended the idea and emphasized strengthening relations between three nations. Indian PM Narendra Modi also welcomed it, noting that the three nations shared geographical, emotional and cultural relations. However, the three countries have not yet formally taken up this agenda in their bilateral meetings. Now the time has come for them to fulfill the grand idea by riding on the back of BRI for the common development and prosperity of the region. Ritu Raj Subedi is an associate editor of The Rising Nepal. Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. Flash With the onset of spring season, over 346 mountaineers are attempting to climb the world's highest peak Qomolangma on May. According to Nepal's Tourism Department, the official government body which issues climbing permits for the Qomolangma expedition, altogether 38 Nepali and foreign teams have taken the permits for expedition this year. Dinesh Bhattarai, director general of the Tourism Department told Xinhua, "This year, 346 mountaineers from 38 teams have received permits for Qomolangma. Among them, four are Nepali teams with 20 members while the remaining are foreigners from different countries." The number is likely to increase within next week as many climbers have been approaching the department for the permits, leading to a high possibility of tourism revival of the quake-shattered country. The majority of climbers have already reached the Qomolangma base camp, a seven-day trek from the nearest airport, for acclimatization where they will spend at least one and a half months to reduce the risk of altitude sickness. An expedition to the world's highest peak usually takes 75 to 90 days, while the climbing window is short, depending on favorable weather, and generally falls after mid-May. Besides expedition, this is also the prime time when trekkers gather in the base camp and surrounding locations like Kalapatthar and Gokyo Lake. Moreover, the Qomolangma base camp also works as the base camp for neighboring peaks like Lhotse and Nuptse. Thus, Qomolangma, known as Sagarmatha in Nepali, is likely to see a congestion this season as over 2,000 trekkers, porters, guides and mountain enthusiasts are gathering in the base camp. But the government claims that it should not be termed as a traffic jam. "Everest (Qomolangma) is a lifetime experience for many so they gather and attempt (to climb it) in this spring season. The expedition period can go up to 90 days while not all climbers reach the top of the world on the same day, so it does not arouse the question of traffic jam as often portrayed," an official at the Department of Tourism told Xinhua. In 2017, the department had issued climbing permits to 43 groups among which 445 climbers succeeded in making atop the 8,848-meter peak. Qomolangma has not only been an identity of this least developed country but also a major source of revenue. According to the Nepali regulation, every foreigner needs to pay 11,000 U.S. dollars as royalty while a Nepali climber has to pay NRs 75,000 (710 U.S. dollars) to scale the mountain. Every climber has to pay separately for a Liaison officer appointed by the government. With the beginning of Qomolangma season every year, the issues of competitions, records and safety also arise. The Nepali government says its sole priority is on safety of the climbers and it discourages making records. "Safety is the first concern for which we try to make the expedition agency and climbers responsible. We have always stressed on the availability of enough oxygen bottles and life saving drugs before the expedition team leaves for Lukla, the gateway to Everest," said Bhattarai. The expeditions are carried by both foreign and Nepali agencies, usually led by those who have already stood atop the mountain several times, often with some world records. This year, a majority of climbers are from the United States, followed by India and China. Over 54 Chinese climbers including a double amputee are trying their luck this spring. Nepal's high hopes on Qomolangma revived since 2016 after the expedition was halted for two consecutive years in 2014 and 2015 due to a massive avalanche killing 16 Sherpa guides and a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed 19 people. The spring season is not all about Mount Qomolangma but it is also the favorable season for several other mountains. Altogether 698 climbers will attempt to climb 22 mountains of the Himalayan country this spring, including Ambadablam, Lhoste, Kanchanjunga, Nuptse, Manaslu, Dhawalagiri and Annapurna among others. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold an informal meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 27-28 in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the announcement Sunday, after talks with visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Xi and Modi will have strategic communication on the world's profound changes, and exchange, in an in-depth manner, views on overall, long-term and strategic issues regarding China-India relations, Wang told a joint press briefing with Swaraj. The last meeting between Xi and Modi took place in China's southeastern city of Xiamen last September after the ninth BRICS summit. Wang said socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, while India is at a critical period for its development and rejuvenation. On this background, Xi and Modi decided to hold this informal meeting, which will help deepen mutual trust between the two leaders, make strategic judgement on the world pattern and China-India relations, and guide the two countries to set new goals and open up new prospects for the the bilateral ties, Wang said. "This not only benefits the two countries and peoples, but will also exert significant and positive influence on regional and world peace and development," he said. Calling the two nations "natural cooperation partners", Wang said their common interests far outweigh their disputes. "It is an inevitable choice of the two countries to stick to long-term friendship, mutual beneficial cooperation and common development." He said the two countries will keep close coordination and make good preparations for the leaders' meeting, so as to help make it a "new milestone" in the history of China-India relations. "The two countries should take the opportunity of the leaders' meeting to cement strategic trust, deepen substantial cooperation, properly settle disputes and realize common development, therefore contributing to regional and world peace and development," Wang said while holding talks with Swaraj. Swaraj, for her part, said the decision to hold an informal meeting between the two leaders revealed the strong willingness of both sides to strengthen strategic communication. India is ready to work with China to deepen leaders' friendship through the meeting, enhance trust between the two countries and promote India-China strategic cooperative partnership to a new high, she said during talks with Wang. Swaraj is on a working visit to China and will attend the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) scheduled for Tuesday in Beijing. At the joint press briefing, Wang said the two countries would enhance coordination on the SCO platform, and work together for fruitful outcomes of the upcoming SCO summit in east China's coastal city of Qingdao in June, with China taking the rotating chair. China congratulates India on becoming a member of the SCO, Wang said. The two countries will work with other member states to promote the SCO to play a more constructive role in boosting regional security and stability as well as prosperity and development, Wang said. Flash China has received information that US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is considering a trip to Beijing to hold talks on the ongoing trade dispute, the Ministry of Commerce said in a brief statement on Sunday. The statement quoted a ministry spokesperson saying China welcomes this development. Experts said that although the move may seem positive, China must prepare for countermeasures if both sides fail to reach consensus because policies made by the Trump administration lack consistency. Mnuchin said at a news conference at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings in Washington on Saturday that he wanted to meet with his Chinese counterparts to try to resolve the trade differences, and said he may travel to China. As the midterm congressional elections approach in the United States, the Trump administration needs something eye-catching to regain support before the vote and to please giant companies like Boeing and General Motors and agricultural concerns like the American Soybean Association, said Tu Xinquan, director of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. Under such circumstances, Tu said, Mnuchins possible visit to Beijing can be seen as a gesture, whether successful or not, the Trump administration has to take action to prevent rising prices of consumer goods and revenue losses by a large number of US companies dependent on trade with China. Soon after Trump announced the latest tariff proposal, many US officials and economists mentioned the possibility of negotiations. They were trying to pacify the markets and prevent US stock prices from falling further, said Mei Xinyu, a senior research fellow of the Commerce Ministrys Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. Mei said China can conduct negotiations with the US under World Trade Organization rules, and on the other hand prepare measures to firmly fight back the unilateral and unfair trade moves if both sides failed to reach deals via talks. Chinas move can follow the principle of a precision strike. It must take measures to deal a blow to the industries in many US states that helped Trump win the 2016 presidential election and those states whose political leaders are still backing him in this years midterm elections, he said. The trade dispute is not between China and the US people, but between China and Trumps protectionist-minded administration. The International Monetary Fund warned on Thursday that trade tensions between the US and China and some other countries could erode the confidence that is vital for global growth. Because the world is so interconnected, the supply chains involve so many countries that it would affect the global economy, the IMF has said. Flash A suicide bomber blows himself up outside a voter registration center in the Afghan capital Kabul, killing at least 57 people and injuring more than 100, in the most serious attack yet on preparations for elections scheduled for October. The blast occurred when the bomber blew himself up among a crowd lining up to get access to an election-related registration site in a local school Sunday morning, spokesman Waheed Majroh tweeted. Those among the dead were 21 women and five children while several wounded remained in critical condition. The Afghan election officials have set Oct. 20 as the date for parliamentary and district councils' elections, which have been delayed for a couple of times over the past years. The voter registration process started on April 14 for the polls. The voters will cast their ballots to elect members of the 249-seat lower house of parliament for a five-year term while they will also elect members of district councils. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and the UN mission in the county strongly condemned the attack, for which the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group has claimed responsibility. Flash Police are searching for a naked gunman after four people were shot dead and at least three wounded at a Waffle House in the southern U.S. state Tennessee early Sunday. Two of those who died were fatally shot in the parking lot outside the restaurant near Nashville, and one inside, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said. A fourth person died at the hospital, according to an ABC News report. The vehicle that carried the shooter to the site is registered in the name of Travis Reinking, a 29-year-old man from Illinois, who is accordingly identified as the suspect, the police said. "3 persons fatally shot & 4 others wounded at the Waffle House, 3571 Murfreesboro Pike. Gunman opened fire at 3:25 a.m. (0825 GMT)," the police tweeted earlier. "A patron wrestled away the gunman's rifle. He was nude & fled on foot. He is a white man with short hair," the police tweeted. The shooting took place less than two miles (about 3 km) from the mass shooting that killed one and wounded nine at an Antioch church during Sunday morning mass in September. Flash Up to 36 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in airstrikes by Iraqi air force targeting IS positions inside neighboring Syria, the Iraqi military said on Sunday. Acting on intelligence reports, the Iraqi F-16 fighter jets pounded the terrorist IS positions, including a meeting site for some IS leaders, leaving 36 terrorists dead, a statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said. Yahya Abdul-Rasoul, spokesman of the JOC, told Xinhua that the attacks were carried out on Thursday, and that intelligence reports confirmed that 36 IS militants were killed and five of IS leaders in the meeting site were among the killed and a sixth was wounded. Rasoul identified the killed IS leaders that "Abu Islam, Abu Tariq al-Hamdani, Abu Mariam al-Aggawi, Abu Yasir, Abu Jaafar were among the killed and Abu Hussein was wounded with one of his legs cut." Thursday's airstrikes by Iraqi air force, reportedly, were carried out by order of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, aiming at protecting the Iraqi forces near the border with Syria in western Iraq. "Such airstrikes would help accelerate the elimination of IS gangs in the (Middle East) region after we have eliminated them inside Iraq," according to a statement issued Thursday by Abadi's office. Previously, the Iraqi air force carried out such preemptive airstrikes against IS militants inside Syria with Iraqi F-16 fighter jets. On Dec. 9, 2017, Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from IS militants after Iraqi forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group. Flash A political settlement is the only way out of the ongoing Syrian crisis, China's Special Envoy for Syria Xie Xiaoyan said on Sunday. Speaking at a press conference in Cairo, Xie expressed concern over the current perilous situation in Syria, while urging the involved countries to de-escalate the situation and resort to dialogue instead. "China has always rejected the use of force or the threat of the use of force in international relations," he reiterated, adding that Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity should be respected. The Chinese diplomat said China is convinced that there is no military solution to the Syrian issue and the only way out is a political settlement. He urged all related parties on the Syrian issue to return to the track of peace talks. Syria has for years been plagued by instability due to the conflicts between Syrian government forces with the armed rebels and the declining militant group Islamic State (IS). The forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are backed by Russia, Iran and Shiite militias loyal to Iran including Lebanon's Hezbollah. Russian troops in Syria have been launching bombing raids in support of the government forces, while a U.S.-led international coalition has been launching airstrikes against IS targets in the conflict-stricken country. The U.S., together with its allies Britain and France, also launched a missile strike on Syria on April 14 over the allegations of Syrian government's use of chemical weapons in the town of Douma near the Syrian capital Damascus early April. Xie voiced China's rejection of any use of chemical weapons and underscore the need for a comprehensive, just and objective probe into the alleged gas attack in Syria. The Chinese envoy noted that China maintains communication with all parties involved in the Syrian issue, adding that China has invited delegates from the Syrian government and opposition parties respectively to visit China to promote a political settlement. China cares about the humanitarian crisis the Syrian people are going through and has already provided 740 million yuan (about 117.5 million U.S. dollars) in aid for Syrian refugees, he said. During Xie's visit in Egypt, he met with officials of Egyptian Foreign Ministry and other agencies to discuss the Syrian issue. He praised Egypt for working positively to resolve the Syrian crisis, adding that China is to continue consultation and coordination with Egypt and other countries to realize the political settlement of the Syrian issue. Flash The municipal government in the west coast Canadian city of Vancouver has delivered a formal apology to the Chinese community for past discriminatory policies against the city's Chinese community, reports Chinanews.com. Mayor Gregor Robertson read the apology in English on Sunday afternoon as part of a ceremony held in the city's Chinatown area. Former Vancouver City councilors Maggie Ip and Bill Yee read the apology in Cantonese and the Sze Yup dialect, which are both widely spoken among Vancouver's Chinese residents. Representatives of Vancouver's Chinese community also spoke about the hardships their ancestors went through, while also highlighting Chinese people's contribution to the development of Canada. To try to stem a perceived mass influx of Chinese migrants at the time, the city of Vancouver introduced a number of discriminatory policies. They included banning Chinese residents from voting in local elections between 1886 and 1948. They were also not able to hold public office. A Chinese "head tax" was also instituted at the time, among with other discriminatory policies. In a bid to right the past wrongs, Vancouver city council launched a historical review of the policies in 2014. This then led to the city council finally approving Sunday's formal apology late last year. Vancouver's move follows a move by the federal government of Canada, which has also issued a formally apology to Chinese-Canadians for past discrimination. Flash South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) reached an agreement on protocol, security and media coverage for the third inter-Korean summit later this week, the Blue House of South Korea said Monday. Kwun Hyuk-ki, director of Chunchugwan, the Blue House press center, told a press briefing that the two sides finally agreed the issues after holding three rounds of working-level dialogues. The third talks of working-level officials from the two Koreas were held for three and a half hours earlier in the day at the border village of Panmunjom ahead of the summit scheduled for Friday at the border village. Kwun said South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un will make a historic first encounter early Friday, before holding a summit meeting and a welcome banquet respectively. The two sides agreed to exchange the list of entourages who will accompany the two leaders to Panmunjom at an earliest possible date, Kwun said. The DPRK allowed South Korean journalists to live broadcast the summit meeting from Panmungak, a DPRK building located across a narrow road from pavilions that sit in the middle of Panmunjom and straddle the two Koreas. The DPRK leader was forecast to cross the military demarcation line (MDL), marked only by a low concrete slab on a narrow aisle between the pavilions, on foot. Kim is expected to be greeted by Moon right in front of the cement slab. Meanwhile, the South Korean side planned to rehearse the summit schedules at Panmunjom Tuesday. The following day, a joint rehearsal of the two sides will be held, the Chunchugwan director said. A DPRK advance team will stay in the South Korean side of Panmunjom from Wednesday. Gulf Times | Apr. 23, 2018 Qatar Airways' award-winning Business Class seat, Qsuite, will make its China debut on flights to Shanghai from May 15, it was announced. Long known for pioneering industry firsts, Qsuite continues to redefine premium travel with its patented quad seating configuration, and will shortly provide Shanghai-bound travellers the opportunity to experience this new standard of luxury. "Shanghai was Qatar Airways' first gateway to China in October 2003. It is therefore fitting that we have chosen it to introduce our award-winning Qsuite product on flights to China, further demonstrating the strength of our commitment to the Chinese market," Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker said. "With Qsuite, we have redefined industry norms and have truly revolutionised Business Class travel by offering passengers a First Class experience in a Business Class cabin, bringing unparalleled inflight comfort, luxury and style to our discerning customers," he added. Patented by Qatar Airways, Qsuite features the industry's first-ever double bed available in Business Class and private cabins for up to four people with privacy panels that stow away, allowing passengers in adjoining seats to create their own private room, a first of its kind in the industry. Adjustable panels and movable TV monitors on the centre four seats allow colleagues, friends or families travelling together to transform their space into a private suite, allowing them to work, dine and socialise together. According to Qatar Airways, these new features provide the ultimate customisable travel experience that enables passengers to create an environment that suits their own unique needs. Qsuite has set a new standard in luxury travel, and is already fast collecting awards since its launch at ITB Berlin last year. Earlier this month, Qatar Airways won a Crystal Cabin Award for 'Best Cabin Concept' in recognition of Qsuite's innovative design. The award, announced at the Aircraft Interiors Exposition that took place in Hamburg, Germany, was decided by a jury of 28 international experts to distinguish pioneering on-board innovation by airlines. Qatar Airways currently has 31 weekly flights to six mainland China gateways: Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Chongqing and Chengdu. As China's economy expands rapidly, its investment in neighbouring countries, especially those in South Asia, is also on the rise. Chinese investments have greatly benefited countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, even India. Chinese investors are widening their business outreach in South Asian countries by investing capital in various sectors, mainly in infrastructure, hospitality, tourism and manufacturing. In particular, Chinese investment has surged since the Chinese leadership unveiled the Belt and Road Initiative. Bangladesh, for example, has received $27 billion in investments and grants from China - the corresponding amounts for Pakistan and Nepal are $65 billion and $16 billion. HAVANA - The United States is closely monitoring events in Cuba, seeking to take advantage of the current transition of power to push for regime change, prominent political scientists have said. "They are stalking, like wild beasts, because they think this is a moment of weakness in which they can attack," said Luis Rene Fernandez, a research professor at the University of Havana's Center for United States and Hemispheric Studies. On Thursday, Raul Castro, 86, finished two terms as Cuba's president, passing the baton to his successor, Miguel Diaz-Canel, who on Saturday met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Havana. While Castro will continue to help make key decisions, as the first secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party of Cuba, he will no longer be involved in the day-to-day management of national affairs. Washington sees the absence of the heavily symbolic Castro name as a window of opportunity, Fernandez said, noting that alongside his brother Fidel Castro, who died in 2016, Raul played a role in the 1959 Revolution. "Fidel Castro is physically gone. They always thought that by killing him, the Cuban Revolution could disappear because he was evidently a factor of strength," Fernandez said. Former US president Thomas Jefferson once said Cuba "would be the best addition to the union", a phrase that reflects Washington's attitude toward the island, said Fernandez. Cuba's new government, he said, faces the challenge of maintaining a strong Communist party, strengthening institutions and continuing economic reforms as it grapples with a more hardline US administration. Though Castro's government has taken many steps to modernize the economy, "much still remains to be done", said Fernandez, referring to guidelines designed to be implemented between 2016 and 2021. The guidelines, approved in April 2011 by the sixth Congress of the PCC and updated in April 2016, include some 300 measures. "We must be prepared to face a tougher US policy, whoever the president might be," he said. Little has changed Enrique Ubieta, who runs a cultural website, said little has changed in Washington's policy toward Cuba, or Latin America in general, with the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine of US supremacy over the Americas relevant today. The Trump administration "revealed to us the strength of history, not only with the issue of the Monroe Doctrine, but with the falsification of concrete facts to create pretexts to attack us," said Ubieta, referring to the diplomatic scuffle over the alleged "sonic" attacks against US diplomatic personnel in Cuba. "Washington's behavior has been the same for all Latin America," said Ubieta. "Only the internal unity forged by Fidel Castro will allow us to survive in the future." Xinhua Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel (right) shakes hands with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at the Revolution Palace in Havana, Cuba, on Saturday.Reuters (China Daily 04/23/2018 page11) BAIC's Arcfox-7 model attracts attention at an auto show in Beijing. Provided to China Daily State-owned auto manufacturer's models to be used as taxis in the Latin American country from June BAIC Group is exporting its electric cars into Mexico to be used as taxies starting from June as part of the Stateowned carmaker's efforts to go global, according to a senior executive at its subsidiary in charge of international business. Around 100 China-made EU 300 models will be shipped to Mexico City each month from June, marking the first time that the carmaker's electric cars have been sold overseas, said Du Rong, the spokesperson of the BAIC International Development Co, in an interview last week. Du did not disclose the specific number of cars the Mexican taxi association has ordered but said the contract lasts for more than one year. He said that what gave BAIC the edge over its competitors was not only the EU 300 model itself, which can run up to 300 km when fully charged, but BAIC's battery swap solutions that allows a new fully-charged battery to be swapped into the car within three minutes. BAIC has been promoting its solutions in China as well, and plans to build 3,000 battery swap stations in around 100 cities. It has already built more than 100 in four Chinese cities including Beijing and Guangzhou as of March this year. "The Mexican taxi association are particularly interested in the swap solution," said Du, adding that it also gives a glimpse into BAIC's going global efforts, which is not merely about selling cars abroad, but building an entire industrial chain overseas. Mexico is one of the four major markets for BAIC, which started to explore overseas business opportunities in 2013 after China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative. The other three markets are Southeast Asia, West Asia and South Africa. BAIC's plant in South Africa is to become operational in June. Located near the automotive export hub of Port Elizabeth, the 11 billion rand ($826 million) manufacturing facility is expected to produce 150,000 cars a year. Du said the plant, which is the largest overseas investment by any Chinese carmaker, will cover large parts of Africa, and some of the cars produced at the plant are also expected to be exported. "You see we localize production, operations and branding. Along with them we bring our technologies and our management," he said. Instead of relying too much on local dealers, Du said BAIC is building its own sales network, which helps it to better understand the local market so that it can offer products local customers need. "This is what we have learnt over the past few years, and we will continue on this path in the future." With the moves, Du said his company has set a goal to sell 60,000 cars overseas by 2020, which would make it a top three Chinese car exporter. Last year, it sold 26,000 cars overseas. lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily 04/23/2018 page18) IP training initiated in Haidian ( chinadaily.com.cn ) Updated: 2018-04-20 The DI Inspiro Training Program for Intellectual Property (IP) Data and Smart Service System opened at Intellectual Property Publishing House in Beijing's Haidian district on April 10. Over 40 enterprise representatives took part in the training session hosted by the Intellectual Property Office of Haidian district. During the training, experts from the system developer gave a detailed introduction about its main functions and presented an elaborate demonstration of how to use them. The program enlightened enterprises on making better use of IP information, getting a better grasp of frontier technologies and taking heed of potential risks. Developed by Intellectual Property Publishing House, DI Inspiro system is the largest IP database in China, offering joined-up IP solutions, including visual searches, smart analysis, risk pre-warning and project management. Donna Barrett Elected General Secretary Contact: Mark Forrester, Assemblies of God, 417-862-2781 SPRINGFIELD, Mo., April 23, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Assemblies of God Executive Presbytery has unanimously elected Donna L. Barrett to serve as the 11th general secretary of the U.S. Fellowship. With this election, the 21-member executive board fills the unexpired term of James T. Bradford, following his midterm resignation to pursue full-time pastoral ministry at Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri. Barrett's ministry includes service on the Executive Presbytery of the Ohio Ministry Network and on the General Presbytery of the Assemblies of God. She was saved and baptized in the Spirit in 1975. After serving as a paralegal, she lived out the call of God on her life to serve in full-time ministry. Barrett became an Assemblies of God minister in 1988. Serving 10 years as youth pastor in Youngstown, Ohio she then served seven years as associate pastor in Cleveland before planting Rockside Church in 2002. "Through her service as a church planter, district leader, and general presbyter, Donna has shown humility paired with a special gifting for leadership," says General Superintendent Doug Clay. "I've seen God use her time and time again to speak wisdom into difficult circumstances at the district and national level." Barrett's ministry has been marked with a passion for prayer. For the past two years, she has opened the legislative session of the Ohio House of Representatives in prayer. Additionally, Barrett has led the National Day of Prayer observances in her area for the past 15 years. "I have been consistently impressed with Donna's wisdom, grace, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit," Bradford says. "This Fellowship will be blessed by her anointed leadership." Barrett will serve as the first woman on the Assemblies of God Executive Leadership Team. "While Donna was not selected on the basis of her gender, I know this moment will be meaningful for many women who feel God's calling on their lives," Clay says. The Assemblies of God has ordained women in ministry from its founding in 1914. Many women have played foundational roles in the Movement. Currently, 24 percent of Assemblies of God ministers are women. "I'm humbled at this invitation to serve a Fellowship I love," Barrett says. "I look forward to what God has in His heart for the future of the Assemblies God and I'm honored to be part of this outstanding team of leaders." As general secretary, Barrett will oversee the credentialing of ministers, church chartering, the collection of official statistics, and the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center. Her term begins on June 1. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form AKRON, Ohio - The Greater Akron Chamber has named Steve Millard president and CEO. Millard is expected to assume the role in early June, and will replace Interim President Richard Norton. The Greater Akron Chamber's search committee conducted a national search to fill the position. Millard currently serves as executive vice president of the Greater Cleveland Partnership and executive director of its Council of Smaller Enterprises. In his roles, he led small business initiatives, as well as member products and services, small business advocacy initiatives, member services and economic development initiatives. "Steve is an experienced executive with excellent knowledge of how to serve members of our chamber, foster economic development and advocate for the business community locally, in Columbus and in Washington. He brings a depth of knowledge of the region to our market and will be able to collaborate with the political leadership, our educational institutions and business leaders here in the Greater Akron area to advance our interests in fostering a growing and thriving business community," said Greater Akron Chamber Board Chair Marc Merklin in a news release. "I appreciate the confidence the Greater Akron Chamber's leadership has in me and am excited about the opportunities ahead for Greater Akron and the coalition of innovative leaders that is working on a variety of transformational opportunities for the region. I look forward to being a part of that team and bringing my experience and perspective to the discussion," Millard said in a news release. Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cuyahoga County Board of Control wants to know how a contract that it approved for 13 months and up to $39,060 between Vox Mobile and the county ultimately became a two-year contract for almost twice as much money. Trevor McAleer, an alternate for County Council President Dan Brady on the Board of Control, raised the question at the board's regularly scheduled meeting Monday, saying he could find no evidence that the board had later extended the contract. A representative of the County IT Department said during the meeting that she didn't have an answer but could obtain one. County Executive Armond Budish, who chairs the board and whose signature appears on a contract with Vox Mobile for two years, also could not provide an answer to McAleer's question during the meeting. "As far as I understand, the $39,000, whatever the number was, was approved by the Board of Control and we paid less than that slightly . . ." Budish said. "But I understand what you're saying." Hours after the meeting, county spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan said Budish's signature on the contract had been created by a designated aide, Matt Carroll, chief economic growth and opportunity officer. Carroll's initials appear next to Budish's signature. Vox Mobile is named in a subpoena served on the county earlier this month by corruption investigators with the county Prosecutor's Office. Days before the subpoena was served, the IT Department canceled its contract with Vox Mobile on the advice of county Inspector General Mark Griffin. Other subpoenas from corruption investigators have sought records and communications related to County IT Director Scot Rourke, who had previously disclosed that he had been a founding member of Vox Mobile and had a financial interest in the company. Rourke, and IT general counsel Emily McNeeley, who also is named in subpoenas, have been placed on unpaid leave. Vox Mobile describes itself as a mobile managed services provider. The company's work for the county included auditing of the county's mobile communications. A copy of the contract (see below), obtained by cleveland.com through a public records request, shows a term of two years and an amount not to exceed $75,600. The contract also is signed by McNeeley, who is listed on the document as an assistant law director. But minutes from the Board of Control show the board approved a contract that would run from Jan. 1, 2017 to Jan. 29, 2018 and for an amount not to exceed $39,060. McAleer said the contract could have been amended by the Board of Control, but that he wasn't able to find any evidence of that. He said after the meeting that he doesn't recall another contract being changed in such fashion in the four years he has filled in on the Board of Control. The Board of Control is made up of the county executive's administration and appointees of County Council. Under the county charter, the board approves contracts below $500,000. Two members of County Council who sit on the Board of Control reserved comment on the Vox Mobile contract. "I think we need to get the information back before we express our judgement," County Councilman Dale Miller said after the meeting. Added Councilwoman Nan Baker, "For as much as we know it doesn't make sense . . . that's why we asked for clarification." CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The family of a man shot Thursday afternoon while walking in Cleveland's Midtown district has started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for his medical costs. Chris DeMund was shot in a robbery about 2:30 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of Euclid Avenue and East 36th Street, Cleveland police said. DeMund sensed someone was following him while he was walking on Euclid Avenue and confronted the man. The man then shot DeMund and took his cell phone, police said. DeMund was taken to MetroHealth and rushed into surgery. He remains at MetroHealth in the hospital's ICU, the GoFundMe page states. Ashlee Fletcher, who created the GoFundMe fundraiser and says she is DeMund's sister, wrote on the page that DeMund is an Army veteran who served until he "went through an explosion, receiving injuries that ultimately ended up with him being medically separated and honorably discharged." Fletcher also said that DeMund made a living by taking and selling photographs of Cleveland. The shooter did not take DeMund's camera or wallet in the robbery, she wrote. Fletcher did not respond to a message left for her as of 5:30 p.m. Sunday. DeMund has medical insurance to cover some of his hospital stay, yet his family would like to make sure he has the funds to cover any medical expenses that may arise, particularly if his injuries leave him disabled, the page says. Anyone interested in donating to the GoFundMe can do so by clicking here. Cleveland police have not publicly identified any suspects in the robbery, and no arrests have been made. If you would like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section. NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio - Visitors to the Sandy Ridge Reservation on Sunday witnessed a traumatic nature event when a non-resident bald eagle attacked the eagles nesting there. As birders and trail walkers watched in horror, the invading eagle repeatedly thrashed at the nesting female with its sharp beak and talons, eventually driving it away. The gravely wounded female was later found on a roadside in North Ridgeville and taken to the rehabilitation clinic at the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center, where it died, said Senior Park Naturalist Tim Fairweather. One of the Sandy Ridge eagles on the nest in March. The eagle video cam is visible overhead. But the invading eagle wasn't finished with its assault. Photographer Daniel Grossi arrived at the nest site about 5 p.m. to find the male on the nest keeping watch on the eaglet. The female invader was perched nearby for at least two hours, eyeing the nest, he said in a Facebook post. About 7 p.m., the female dove for the eaglet and scuffled with the male. Then she flew away with the eaglet clutched in her talons, he said. The male screamed, but did not pursue the female. "It was the worst thing I have ever seen," said Caroline Gerace Martinsen, who witnessed the event and posted her sighting on Facebook. "I hope I never see anything like that ever again." "I checked the nest this morning and there are no adults or eaglets," Fairweather said. One eagle cam viewer said he was watching the nest online when the camera suddenly went dark. When the picture returned online a short time later, the nest was empty, according to a Facebook post from Jeff Barnes of Elyria. Glitches on bird cameras are not uncommon. On Monday, the Lorain County Metro Parks posted a message on Facebook about the attack. "Sad to report that the resident female Bald Eagle was attacked by another female eagle and died. The same 'intruder' also killed the eaglet." Bald Eagles have nested at the Sandy Ridge Reservation since 2002, building three separate nests over the years. They built at the present location after Superstorm Sandy destroyed its predecessor in 2012. There have been four different adult eagles during that time, and typically one or two eaglets fledged per year. Last year in Ohio, there were an estimated 221 nesting pairs that produced an estimated 312 young eagles. Sunday's dramatic eagle attack wasn't unprecedented, Fairweather recalled. The resident female that just died obtained its claim to the territory by killing the original resident female, he said. Witnesses to the aerial clash may take longer to recover from the bloody trauma than the male eagle, Fairweather said. He quoted a Facebook post from Lisa Romaniuk, who noticed that, afterward, the male eagle returned to the nest where it proceeded to finish eating a duck he had been feeding the eaglet when the attack began. "Less traumatic for him than us," Romaniuk said. "Nature is not always beautiful but still amazing." Sure enough, Fairweather reported Monday afternoon that the resident male was observed engaging in courtship activity with the female interloper, who was sporting a deep gash on her face. "The plot gets deeper," Fairweather remarked. CHILLICOTHE, Ohio -- A woman accused of giving a 17-year-old boy vodka is facing charges after the teen was found dead of acute alcohol intoxication. Sandy L. France, 33, is charged with two alternate counts of third-degree felony involuntary manslaughter, the Chillicothe Gazette reports. Jason Bartley Jr. was found dead Oct. 18 near an alley by the Chillicothe City Schools' homeless coordinator, according to the Gazette. The AP reports France, who is the mother of a friend of Bartley, is accused of giving the teen a bottle of vodka before his death. An autopsy shows Bartley died of acute alcohol intoxication and abuse of benzodiazepines, a drug typically prescribed to treat anxiety and insomnia last year, the Associated Press reports. France is being held in the Ross County Jail, according to the Gazette. If you would like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section. CLEVELAND, Ohio - As Americans grapple over whether the nation's immigration laws are too rigid or not strict enough, a new report from Cleveland State University's Center for Population Dynamics offers a detailed snapshot of Ohio's 513,592 immigrants, from their national origins to their challenges assimilating to life in the Midwest. "Our Pathway to a Brighter Future: Ohio's New Americans," based on research by HealthLandscape in Cincinnati, says Ohio's newest residents could help reverse its declining population, provide much-needed innovation and diversity of ideas, and offer a solution to its looming shortage of workers in fields like healthcare. The study was written by Richey Piiparinen, director of the Center for Population Dynamics, a research center within Cleveland State's College of Urban Affairs. "Like immigrants throughout our history, today's newest Americans offer Ohio increased diversity, energy, labor, social capital, and dreams of a better life for all," Piiparinen writes. "We have a critical role to play in making those dreams come true." The report says Ohio's population lost about 183,000 native-born Ohioans over the past six years. But over that same period, nearly 113,000 immigrants moved into the state, "helping stabilize Ohio's population, and are, in fact, a source of growth." The most educated state in the nation for immigrants Ohio also ranks as "the most educated state in the nation for immigrants:" 42.1 percent of the immigrants in both Ohio and Maryland have at least a four-year college degree. But Ohio's population of 11.7 million is nearly double that of Maryland's 6.1 million, which means it has significantly more college graduates. In comparison, "only 26.7 percent of native-born Ohioans have a four-year degree or higher," and that 15.4 percentage-point gap between the two groups is the widest divide in the nation. The study uses the U.S. Census definition of immigrants as "anyone who is not a U.S. citizen at birth. This includes those who have become U.S. citizens through naturalization," as well as undocumented immigrants, "regardless of legal status." Joe Cimperman, president of Global Cleveland, which works to connect international newcomers to opportunities in Greater Cleveland, says the economic arguments for welcoming immigrants outweigh the political arguments for keeping them out. "The people who are coming here want to assimilate and earn a seat at the table. So many people who are coming here have advanced degrees" to take jobs where there are shortages, especially in STEM fields, he said. "To prevent them from coming is really economic suicide." In Cuyahoga County, 41.5 percent of the county's 87,819 foreign-born residents have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 29.9 percent of native-born Ohioans in the county. "Ohio's highly educated immigrants work primarily in management, business, science, and the arts," and "more than other states, Ohio's immigrants teach and provide personal/medical care for Ohioans," the report said. Among the five lowest states for immigrants However, Ohio's foreign-born residents as a percentage of the state's population places it among the bottom five states. Only 4.4 percent of Ohio's population was born outside of the U.S., compared with 27.2 percent in California, 23 percent in New York, and 13.6 percent of the nation as a whole. Amy Hanauer, founding executive director of Policy Matters Ohio, the nonprofit policy research think-tank, said she was surprised to hear that Ohio ranks among the bottom five states for the percentage of immigrants in its population. Seventy-five percent of Ohio's residents were born in Ohio, making it the third most homogeneous state in the nation after Louisiana and Michigan. Among the top 40 metro areas, Columbua (7.6 percent), Cleveland (5.9 percent) and Cincinnati (4.5 percent) are all in the single digits in terms of percentage of their populations who were born outside the U.S. Another major change is that before 1900, the largest number of Ohio's immigrants came from Germany (78 percent) and Canada (51 percent). After 1990, the largest share of immigrants have come from India, Mexico, and China. Recent immigrants tend to be either more educated than native-born Ohioans, what Hanauer calls "very highly educated folks taking very specific positions," or more willing than native-born Ohioans to accept jobs requiring fewer skills and less education. One out of four immigrants with a college degree is working in a low-skilled industry for less money. She says the reason more immigrants aren't moving to Ohio is because "we are not a growing economy, we're losing population overall, and we've had very low job growth compared to the rest of the nation," especially jobs in the service sector. Hanauer says the things that would help attract immigrants like raising the minimum wage and increasing enforcement of labor and wage laws, because immigrants are especially vulnerable to exploitation, would also benefit native-born Ohioans. "Immigrants fill the most physically and emtionally demanding jobs" The report says Ohio needs to do more to support its newer residents, including about 83,000 undocumented immigrants, many of whom require access to affordable legal services, for example. Fewer than 35 immigration lawyers in Ohio are able to accept cases regardless of their clients' immigration status or ability to pay. Yet in deportation cases, those with lawyers are 10 times more likely to win their cases. Unauthorized immigrants also need better healthcare, including physical, oral, and culturally appropriate mental health services. "Ohio is among a handful of states that does not provide public health insurance to undocumented children and pregnant women," and excludes non-citizens from SNAP benefits, contributing to Ohio's reputation as one of the worst states for undocumented immigrants. In a state where 16.3 percent of the population is 65 or older, having access to healthcare workers, from physicians and specialists to personal care and home health aides will become even more critical. "Immigrants fill the most physically and emtionally demanding jobs at least in part because the low pay and hard work is a disincentive to native-born workers." As Ohioans age and the number of native-born residents able to fill those jobs declines, "we will experience a shortage of personal care and home health workers unless we have greater immigration," the report said. Whereas the largest population of native-born Ohioans are ages 50 to 65, the greatest population of foreign-born Ohioans are ages 25 to 44. "Ohio's immigrants are both motivated and optimistic, and they spur economic and community growth," the report says, and supporting them in ways that ease their assimilation will "brighten the future for all Ohioans." NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio -- More than 150 people crowded into the North Ridgeville Library April 11 to meet a South African penguin. The Wave Foundation of Newport, Ky., is an independent 501c(3) charitable organization that teaches about aquatic life and the importance of conservation. The group functions within a partnership with the Newport Aquarium. Its traveling penguin and aquarium seek to inspire a love of the oceans and the creatures who call the oceans home. The children and their parents filled up the entire meeting room at the library. Dan Martin, the outreach coordinator from the foundation, and his education intern, Sarah Wainscott, were a fountain of knowledge on the penguins. It costs the foundation about $2,000 a month to feed each penguin. Martin said they are the biggest eaters in the aquarium. They do not hibernate, but grow all new feathers each year due to molting. They cannot swim and hunt for food while growing the new feathers, so they have to eat a lot of fish prior to molting. Their usual is about five fish per day but, during molting season, they can eat as much as 40 fish in a day. Martin said this particular species of penguin is endangered in the wild. Only about 50,000 remain. It is now a felony to own or touch a penguin in the wild, he said. Perhaps that is why the "penguin encounter" was so special. Each child was brought up to the large, aquarium-type container where the penguin walked around, looking shyly out at the crowd. They were instructed to take just two fingers and stroke a 10-year-old penguin, named Red Pepper, on the back, nowhere else. The children were obviously entranced and followed instructions to the letter. North Ridgeville resident Adrina Rottari, 4, came with her mother, Gail, who said her daughter loves penguins, as do her two sons, ages 8 and 10. The demonstration is an effort to help The Wave Foundation raise funds for more education, as well as preservation of aquatic life. For more information, visit www.wavefoundation.org. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Department of Commerce is setting aside $2 million for legal costs associated with lawsuits and administrative appeals over its competitive medical marijuana license application process. The department, one of three agencies administering Ohio's medical marijuana program, is a defendant in three lawsuits challenging how it scored applications to grow medical marijuana. Of the 185 applicants, 24 were selected for grow licenses and 67 requested an administrative hearing to appeal the department's decision. The Ohio Controlling Board, a legislative and budget office panel that oversees state spending, approved the department's request Monday for $5.16 million in addition to its $1.35 million budget for the 2019 fiscal year. The new appropriation brings the total two-year budget for the program to more than $16 million, which state regulators have pledged to repay with licensing fees. Mark Hamlin, a department senior policy director overseeing the program, said roughly $2 million of the new money will go toward legal fees, including a third-party score validator, and $2 million will cover costs with seed-to-sale tracking, electronic licensing and video surveillance systems. Hamlin said Monday he anticipates those costs are mostly one-time only. Program officials told the Controlling Board in summer 2017 that they would make future requests for the technology expenditures. Lawsuits alleging state officials made critical mistakes in scoring applications that prevented qualified businesses from obtaining one of 24 available licenses cropped up soon after provisional licenses were awarded in November. The department has retained Columbus law firm Squire Patton Boggs as special counsel, which hired Ernst & Young to conduct a third-party review of the scoring process. Hamlin said the third-party review will allow them to move forward with administrative appeals, which were put on hold after the agency discovered a scoring error that incorrectly prevented a high-scoring company from receiving a license. "We believe that the process is legal and valid. We want to improve it but we think it's absolutely a solid foundation on which to move forward with the licensing and will stand up to the Ernst & Young review, as well as to the administrative hearings and the courts," Hamlin said. The new funding will also fund eight new positions within the department as it switches from setting up the program to inspecting and enforcing the rules and laws for cultivators, product processors and marijuana testing labs. The State of Ohio Pharmacy Board oversees the licensing and regulation of retail pharmacies, where marijuana will be sold, and the Ohio State Medical Board oversees physicians who are qualified to recommend medical marijuana. The three agencies have spent more than $3.7 million setting up the program since state lawmakers legalized medical marijuana in May 2016, according to state expenditure data. The program has generated $5.3 million in application fees and expects to collect upwards of $8.74 million annually from license fees. The program will allow patients with one of 21 qualifying medical conditions to buy and use medical marijuana if recommended to them by a physician. The program is supposed to be "fully operational" by Sept. 8, but state regulators said earlier this month not all growers and dispensaries will be open then. The Controlling Board's two Democratic members, Rep. Jack Cera of Bellaire and Sen. Charleta Tavares of Columbus, objected to granting the request. Cera said the department has been less than transparent, citing news reports that it hired a felon to help score applications. "We're reviewing [the process] now that mistakes have been made and I have concerns with that," Cera said. "it seems to me we might not have had the best process that we could have." ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Cuyahoga County Executive Armand Budish delivered $1.6 million worth of good news to the City of Rocky River, by way of a letter stating the the county will pay for 80 percent of a 2019 resurfacing project on Hilliard Boulevard. Mayor Pam Bobst said the "great news" involves repaving Hilliard from River Oaks Drive to Lakeview Road. Bobst said the section to be repaved was awarded the funds after documentation was sent to the county and the county inspected the pavement. "Additional paving may be done east and west of there, due to the sewer project," said Bobst, "and the project may expand, but the city will be paying for some of that or it may be included in the grant and zero-interest loan on the Hampton/Westway Project." She added: "The city is doing work from Lakeview to the I-90 interchange, and we will evaluate pavement from River Oaks west to see if we want to pave that while they are mobilized. That will be paid 100 percent by Rocky River." The mayor said the county's decision took some time. "We had been talking to the county for an extended time," she said. "Because it is a county road, we have been going back and forth, and they were waiting for some Ohio Department of Transportation rankings and priorities." "I am ecstatic," she said. "We will be out there. We will have to do repairs to get us through, but we are extremely pleased to get this through." The mayor noted that Nan Baker, District One representative on the Cuyahoga County Council; city Public Safety Service Director Mary Kay Costello; and the city engineers worked together on the project. ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Residents came once again to a public hearing on a requested change in lakefront zoning. The majority of those who spoke were against the rezoning, but the project does have its supporters. John Carney, of Landmark Preservation, spoke for the developer's side. Carney works with Andrew Brickman, of Rocky River Preservation Partners (RRPP), who wants land on Lake Road rezoned from single-family R1 to multi-family R3 and R4, to build a multi-story building of condominiums, as well as townhouses. Carney said the portion of the project entitled The Breezevale Trust, which includes homes on Breezevale Cove, has been taken off the table for now. Commission Chairman William Bishop asked that an April 12 letter from RRPP be entered into the record. The protest group claims the rezoning would forever change the essence of lakefront living in Rocky River and that the development does not blend in when placed in the middle of the current single-family homes. In addition, those opposed spoke of safety worries due to narrow access. One resident said he was a Cleveland firefighter and has seen many fatalities. "It's a problem," he said. "It's so far back from the street there will be difficulty for fire trucks to get in." The board reminded all those attending that they are to speak only to the rezoning issue and that, if the area is rezoned, that will be the time to discuss other issues. Malcolm Wood, a nearby resident, said there is no use rezoning the parcel because "the condo building as shown on the site plan submitted with Ordinance 22-18 will never be built. It cannot be and (still) be in compliance with the codified ordinances and the fire code of Rocky River." He ended by saying, "There is no need to change the R-1 zoning for a building that will never be built." Other residents said there is no compelling reason to rezone, the project would destabilize the area and consideration should be given to the limited amount of lakefront property in Rocky River. Those supporting the rezoning said the project would bring more tax revenue to the city and that Rocky River must look forward and be creative with this land, which can be accomplished by the rezoning. The Planning Commission voted to return the matter to City Council. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Enjoy the weather Monday! Today is the warmest, and sunniest, day this week, before a slight cooldown and days of rain return through Friday in Northeast Ohio. Cleveland will near 70 degrees this afternoon, thanks to the help of an area of high pressure and surface winds from the southeast. The sun will last most of the day, but in the evening the clouds will make a comeback in advance of an incoming low-pressure system. That low-pressure center could push in overnight, sparking up scattered rain into Tuesday morning. The low will continue to impact the region's weather, continuing the scattered rain chance most of Tuesday. With a shift in the winds, and ample cloud cover preventing lots of daytime heating, temperatures will cool to the 40s to 60s. A cold front will drop through the area Wednesday morning, sinking temperatures into the 30s and 40s. Thankfully, the precipitation that results from the front should stay as rain, not snow, since low temperatures will stay in the upper 30s. A lull in the rain, except for at most a sprinkle or two, comes Thursday with a brief area of high pressure. Periods of clouds and sun are likely, and temperatures will range from the 40s to 50s. A second cold front will pass Friday, but it's noticeably weaker, so chances of rain are slight, around 30 percent. I'm thinking the day will for the most part be partly cloudy, with a chance of a passing shower. Highs will reach the upper 50s. Check out the forecast: Temperatures Temperature forecast. Precipitation chances Precipitation forecast. Winds Wind speed and direction forecast. Pollen Pollen forecast. Keep checking cleveland.com/weather for daily weather updates for Northeast Ohio, and don't forget to submit any weather questions you may have! Kelly Reardon is cleveland.com's meteorologist. Please follow me on Facebook, Twitter @KellyRWeather and Instagram. April 23, 2018 Scott Altman and Thomas Jones are no strangers to seeing their names included among the stars. The two NASA veterans became the 96th and 97th space explorers to enter the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame during a public induction ceremony on Saturday (April 21) under the space shuttle Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 15 of their fellow astronauts joined NASA and center officials in welcoming Altman and Jones into the Hall. "Today we're here to honor two space explorers who have flown a combination of eight space missions, one as a pilot and commander, one as a scientist and spacewalker," said John Zarella, a space news correspondent and the emcee for the ceremony. "One is named in movie credits, one has an asteroid named for him." Before becoming an astronaut, Navy Capt. Scott "Scooter" Altman stood in for Tom Cruise in the 1986 film "Top Gun," flying the F-14 jet aerobatic flight sequences. Jones also served as a military pilot, flying bombers for the U.S. Air Force, before becoming a planetary scientist and a management engineer in the CIA's office of development and engineering. The main belt asteroid 1082 TomJones is named in his honor. Curt Brown (left) and Story Musgrave (right) welcome Tom Jones into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on April 21, 2018. (KSCVC) But soaring among Hollywood stars and space rocks pales in comparison to their latest honor, they both said. "I will take both honors, but this is definitely a higher one," Jones told collectSPACE shortly after he was inducted into the Hall. "To be part of this group, my heroes growing up, it is really indescribably gratifying and rewarding." "The movie was fun, but it is not an honor like this at all," said Altman. "This is on a whole different plane." Jones and Altman were nominated for induction by a panel of prior astronaut inductees, retired NASA flight controllers and managers, journalists and historians organized by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. The honor pays tribute to the achievements they made in space and the work they have done since departing the astronaut corps to continue to advance space exploration. Selected with NASA's 13th and 15th classes of astronauts in 1990 and 1995, respectively, Jones and Altman flew on four space shuttle missions each. Altman logged 51 days and 12 hours in Earth orbit, while Jones spent a day and a half more, circling the planet for 53 days. As a space shuttle pilot and then commander, Altman flew missions aboard orbiters Columbia and Atlantis. Scott Altman accepts his induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (KSCVC) Altman made his first spaceflight as the pilot of STS-90 in 1998, a mission dubbed "Neurolab" due to its focus on the effects of microgravity on the function of the human brain and nervous system. Two years later, he piloted STS-106, which was dedicated to preparing the International Space Station for the arrival of its first resident crew. Altman's third and fourth flights were as the commander of the final two missions tasked with repairing and upgrading the Hubble Space Telescope. On STS-109 in 2002 and on STS-125 in 2009, Altman flew the shuttle to a rendezvous with the orbiting observatory, where his crew spacewalked to service the Hubble. "I am proudest of the two Hubble missions I commanded," Altman told collectSPACE. "The adversity we overcame, especially on the final mission where every day I thought I was going to be the commander of the crew that killed the Hubble. And somehow we worked through it and ended up getting every single task that was possible for us to do on that mission performed, putting Hubble at the peak of its capability for its entire life when we deployed at the end of the mission." Following his return to Earth, Altman served as the chief of the exploration branch of NASA's Astronaut Office during the selection of the Orion spacecraft as the agency's next generation crew vehicle. He left NASA in 2010 and is now the senior vice president for civil programs for all of ASRC Federal's NASA and NOAA programs, including assembly of Orion capsules for upcoming exploration missions. Veteran space shuttle astronauts Scott Altman and Thomas Jones are the 2018 class of Astronaut Hall of Fame inductees. (NASA) Jones' four shuttle flights were as a mission specialist on board Atlantis, Columbia and Endeavour. Jones' first two launches were separated by less than six months. On STS-59 and STS-68 in April and September of 1994, Jones and his crewmates operated the Space Radar Laboratory, studying Earth's environment. Jones' third space mission, STS-80, was the longest in the shuttle program's 30-year history. During the 17 days and 16 hours that he was in orbit, Jones helped to deploy and recover science satellites, but his two planned spacewalks were canceled due to a jammed airlock hatch. Jones ultimately succeeded in walking in space on a trio of extravehicular activities (EVAs) during the STS-98 mission in 2001. He helped to install the U.S. Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station, including his overcoming a critical ammonia leak. In total, Jones logged 19 hours and 48 minutes working in the vacuum of space. "I have done things that other people have done, so I don't think there is any one thing that I can point to that says, 'Tom Jones was a groundbreaker' in this or that direction," he said. "But I think what I was able to do consistently was to be a good team member for my crewmates and I tried to work well with people across programs." Since departing NASA in 2001, Jones has authored more than 200 technical and popular articles, as well as penned five books about space and aviation. Jones is now a senior research scientist with the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition and the chairman of the Association of Space Explorers' near-Earth object committee, supporting international efforts to detect and deflect rogue asteroids. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, as featured in Heroes & Legends at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. (KSCVC) Both Jones and Altman said that they hope their presence in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame can help inspire a new generation of space explorers. "I hope that they can take a connection away from it that 'hey, here is somebody who came from a relatively humble background who somehow persevered. If he can do those things, then I can do it,'" said Altman. "Building the space station, for me, was a chance to prove what we could do and have for the last 17 years people living off Earth," said Jones. "I hope that young kids will go away from this thinking, 'you know, I too can be part of this future because there are people up there right now. If they can be up there, then I have a chance to do that and make new discoveries.'" The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame was founded in 1990 at the suggestion of the original Mercury astronauts. It is now a featured part of Heroes & Legends, a public attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Recently, a paper published in the British Journal of Dermatology revealed increases in nano-sized protrusions on corneocyte surfaces are associated with dermatitis and a deficiency in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF). Investigators on this study were interested in how changes in season could affect NMF levels and corneocyte surface texture. Eighty healthy volunteers (40 male and 40 female, of various ages) were recruited, from which cheek and dorsal hand skin samples were tape-stripped. Samples were taken during winter and summer months, for comparison. NMF levels were measured and corneocyte surface texture was assessed according to a dermal texture index (DTI). Several observations were made. For example, in cheek skin, NMF levels were reduced and the DTI was elevated during the winter. Also, in the summer, DTI levels were dependent on selfreported UV exposure. In hand skin, NMF levels were higher during the winter. According to authors, these results suggest an influence of climate on the biochemical and ultrastructural levels of skin. The findings may provide new pieces to the puzzle of seasonal differences in xerosis and dermatitis. The future! Rocket ships, lasers, robots -- it is truly a far-flung, fantastical place. Except, uh ... we have all those things right now, and have for some time. The future isn't some vague, to-be-determined period of existence; it's literally tomorrow. So today, humanity has to address issues that would have been inconceivable a few paltry years ago. And frankly, some of this stuff still kind of sounds like someone got stoned and then tried to pitch a Black Mirror episode. 5 Fitbits Are Giving Away Military Intelligence Nowadays it's routine for people to wear a fitness tracker, but by allowing our data to be shared, we're also allowing our habits to be shared. That normally shouldn't be problematic, unless your spouse is learning that your weekly jog takes you straight to the strip club ... or you're exercising on a classified military installation. Thanks to a map that shows the jogging habits of the 27 million people who use Fitbits and the like, we can see splotches of activity in otherwise dark areas, like Iraq and Syria. Some of those splotches are known American military sites full of exercising soldiers, and some, by extrapolation, are sites that the military would rather keep unknown. One journalist saw a lot of exercise activity on a Somalian beach that was suspected to be home to a CIA base. Someone else spotted a suspected missile site in Yemen, and a web of bases in Afghanistan were also revealed. At the Commons debate on anti-Semitism, Labours deputy leader Tom Watson pointedly moved away from Comrade Corbyn on the front bench to sit next to Labour MPs Ruth Smeeth and Luciana Berger, whose emotional descriptions of the abuse theyve been subjected to by Corbyn supporters for being Jewish triggered a rare standing ovation. This is the same Tom Watson who has taken 500,000 from motor sport tycoon Max Mosley. He deserves credit for his dramatic gesture in the debate, but shouldnt he follow this up by handing that money back? At the Commons debate on anti-Semitism, Labours deputy leader Tom Watson (pictured) pointedly moved away from Comrade Corbyn on the front bench After all, Max Mosleys racist past was comprehensively exposed in February by the Daily Mail. The former racing tycoon attended and was caught brawling at a Jew-baiting rally in East London in 1962 where his father, Sir Oswald Mosley, the founder of the fascist Union Movement who once talked of the stink of the Jew, was speaking. And if Watson is tempted to try to score political points for Labour over the Windrush scandal, hed do well to remember that in 1961 Mosley published a by-election campaign leaflet backing a candidate for his fathers Union Movement which said: Coloured immigration threatens your childrens health. Mosley refused to apologise for the leaflet which was published just as the Windrush generation by 1961 there were an estimated 172,000 West Indian-born people living in the UK were finding their feet here. Again, shouldnt Watson give the money back? This is the same Tom Watson who has taken 500,000 from motor sport tycoon Max Mosley (pictured). He deserves credit for his dramatic gesture in the debate, but shouldnt he follow this up by handing that money back? Amber in deep again Its not just her woeful response to the Windrush scandal thats causing trouble for Home Secretary Amber Rudd. In her Hastings and Rye constituency there was a protest by a huge flotilla of fishermen about the EU still having rights to the UKs fishing waters in the Brexit transition. The fishermen made a statement saying: . . . we have waited and hoped for 20 years to escape [the Common Fisheries Policy] and the industry must mobilise to show politicians we wont be sacrificed without a fight. Its a fight Rudd might lose her majority is only 346. Its not just her woeful response to the Windrush scandal thats causing trouble for Home Secretary Amber Rudd (pictured) A headline on internet blog LibDem Voice about the Upper Houses vote to remain in the EU customs union says: Lords wins are essential to democratic process. Whats democratic about unelected peers overturning the wishes of the elected Commons, not to mention those of the 17.4 million who voted to Leave? Castaway Hodge On Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live, Labours Dame Margaret Hodge was asked who would she prefer to be marooned with on a desert island Diane Abbott or Theresa May. She replied she would prefer to be alone, hardly a resounding show of support for the shadow home secretary. After he was suspended by the Labour Party in October for racist and homophobic tweets, the MP Jared OMara stayed away from Westminster for months. The subject of an internal Labour inquiry, OMara finally returned in January and has been voting with Labour ever since. Next month sees the first anniversary of his victory in Sheffield Hallam in the 2017 General Election yet hes still not made his maiden speech nor asked a single question in the Commons chamber. I never thought Id say this, but the MP he ousted one Nick Clegg, the former Lib Dem leader was better value for money. Next month sees the first anniversary of Jared O'Mara's (pictured) victory in Sheffield Hallam in the 2017 General Election yet hes still not made his maiden speech nor asked a single question in the Commons chamber Corbyn and the gapes of wrath When senior Labour MP Mike Gapes was challenged on social media about his attacks on Comrade Corbyn over the Labour leaders disastrous response to the Salisbury poisoning and the Syrian bombing raid, he had a succinct response. Referring to four past leaders of the party, he said: I will be as loyal to Corbyn as he was to Foot, Kinnock, Blair and Brown. In other words, relentlessly disloyal. When she stepped in front of the cameras at her first ever official engagement five months ago, Meghan Markle's life changed forever. At that moment she left her days as an actress and lifestyle blogger in her past, and embarked on her new life as a working royal - with an heir to the British throne on her arm. It was life-changing for Guy and Leeanne Hundleby too. The couple are the co-founders of boutique Scottish handbag brand Strathberry, and it was their 495 burgundy Midi-Tote dangling from Meghan's wrist that day. 'It was an amazing moment for us,' Leeanne, 46, who is originally from Bangor in Northern Ireland, told FEMAIL. The handbag sold out within hours of Meghan's arrival in Nottingham, and suddenly the Hundlebys' low-key label was the name on the lips of style-watchers the world over. Not only that, just two months later photographs of Meghan arriving in Edinburgh with Strathberry's East-West Mini-Tote slung over her shoulder were beamed around the globe. Meghan's Midi-Tote is now Strathberry's best-seller (both designs are currently sold out online), and the Hundlebys say sales overall have sky-rocketed by 40 per cent since it emerged that the former actress is a fan. Here Guy and Leanne, who left jobs in production and finance respectively to take a chance on Strathberry, reveal their plans to turn their five-year-old label into a fashion powerhouse to rival Marni and Loewe - and how it felt to see the world's most photographed woman wearing their designs. 'Thrilled and honoured': Meghan carried her burgundy Strathberry tote at her first official royal engagement in Nottingham, on December 1 2017 Married Leeanne and Guy are the co-founders of Strathberry. They say brand awareness has shot up by up to 40 per cent since Meghan stepped out with their bags 'We were simply thrilled and honoured that Meghan chose to carry a Strathberry bag back in December,' said Leeanne. 'There are so many brands out there, the fact she has chosen to accessorise with Strathberry is fantastic,' she added. It came as a surprise to Guy, also 46, and Leeanne when Meghan added their Tricolour Midi-Tote to her Joseph skirt, Kurt Geiger boots and Mackage coat on a public walkabout with her Prince in Nottingham. 'Like many other brands we have relationships with stylists, and we believe the bag will have found its way to Meghan Markle via one of them,' said Leeanne. But - despite having taken care to mix up her choice of brands at all of her public appearances to date, not to mention throw in a healthy number of high street labels - Meghan turned once again to Strathberry just two short months later for a visit to Edinburgh with Harry. This time, she wore the cross-body East-West Mini Tote in bottle green over her tartan Burberry coat. Once again, the handbag became an instant sell out. Leeanne said the tricolour Midi-Tote in burgundy, vanilla and navy is now Strathberry's best ever selling bag, following Meghan's high-profile visit to Nottingham. 'We estimate sales this year will increase by up to 20 to 40 per cent due to increased brand awareness,' she said. The tricolour Midi-Tote in burgundy, vanilla and navy that Meghan carried in Nottingham is now Strathberry's top selling design When she and Harry visited Edinburgh the day before Valentine's Day, Meghan had Strathberry's East-West Mini Tote in bottle green slung over her shoulder Royal seal of approval: Meghan's 495 Strathberry Midi-Tote, seen left, and her East-West Mini Tote in bottle green, which is 395, are both still sold out Fashion forward Meghan wore her cross-body bag slung over her shoulders - in contrast to the Duchess of Cambridge who prefers classic clutches and totes Despite not being from a design background, the Hundlebys have quickly made a success of Strathberry, and with the help of its new boosted profile are looking to expand their accessories label to put it on a level with the likes of Marni. 'I previously worked in the financial sector and Guy had his own production company,' said Leeanne. 'However, we have always been interested in design, clean lines and strong aesthetics.' It was a family trip to Spain that inspired the couple to turn their passion for design into a business. 'On our travels with our kids we were exploring the artisanal leather regions of Spain and were inspired by the generations of craftsmanship and skills in working with leather,' said Guy. Strathberry is enjoying a boosted profile and increased sales since getting the royal seal of approval from Prince Harry's bride-to-be Now the Hundlebys work closely with a team of designers and Strathberry's sleek and chic handbags are all crafted by skilled artisans in Spain, but their Edinburgh-based brand is also deeply rooted in Scotland. Guy, who explained that Strath means wide river valley in Scottish Gaelic, said once upon a time berries were used to dye traditional Scottish fabric and materials. Hence the name; Strathberry. Now the couple, who met at a wedding, are looking to capitalise on their growing customer base and to expand beyond leather accessories. 'This is hopefully only the start to our journey,' said Leeanne. 'There are some fantastic bigger brands doing exciting things and over time we have an aspiration to emulate the development of the likes of Marni and Loewe. 'As we are from Scotland we would like to do something with maybe with cashmere,' she said, adding: 'Watch this space.' Advertisement A hilarious online gallery has showcased the bizarre movie posters produced by African artists in the 80s, 90s and early millennium. Compiled by BoredPanda the images reveal the not-so uncanny reproductions of popular Hollywood films such as Terminator and Jurrasic Park. The posters had to be hand painted because during the military dictatorship the importing of large printing presses were restricted and therefore adverts could not be mass produced. The artwork was particularly prolific in Ghana, first noticed by art dealer Ernie Wolfe when he traveled to the nation in the 90s. While the crude paintings were initially laughed at they now sell for as much as $15,000 (10,700) at auction. An online gallery has revealed the hilarious hand painted movie posters produced in Ghana. Pictured: Jurrasic Park is a far cry from the original artwork In one of the latest posters from 2006 Gerard Butler gets a less than flattering portrayal in this reproduction of the 300 poster The iconic Terminator poster as you have never seen it before promises an action packed flick with the addition of an explosion Keanu Reeves looks a little different in this crude painting of the original Matrix poster from 1999 Tom Cruise is unrecognisable in this portrait of the action packed movie Mission Impossible which is slightly less subtle than the official poster Roger Moore and Barbara Bach are pictured in a less than flattering light in this Ghanaian poster The African take on the X-Men poster is certainly a more colourful one than the one produced by Fox Whoopi Goldberg takes on an interesting guise in this take of the famous Sister Act movie poster The original Alien Vs Predator poster has a somewhat scarier effect than the representation shown in the artwork The man who brought Tiger stores to the UK is launching a new children's clothing and toy chain that's set to take on middle class favourites such as Boden and John Lewis. Philip Bier will open the first brand of the French chain ID Kids in Wandsworth, London next month, joining 1,200 other shops nationwide. Its offerings are more expensive than high street brands such as Zara, H&M and Primark, but cheaper than middle class favourites like Boden, Rachel Riley and John Lewis. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 recently, the Danish entrepreneur said that there's no other store like it on the British high street, whereas in France there's much more choice for parents as children don't wear school uniforms and need bigger wardrobes. A 29.50 dress from ID Kids, which is opening in Wandsworth in London next week. The chain sells purse friendly children's clothing to rival more expensive brands such as this 163 Bonpoint dres A 55 boys shirt from royal favourite brand Rachel Riley. Right: A similar shirt for just 16.76 from ID Kids Prices start at 4.99 for a basic t-shirt, while leggings will set parents back around 7 and a dress from around 15. The brand also sells popular toy brands such as Sylvanian Families with some products costing up to 10 less at current exchange rates. Bier is launching the brand despite the fate of similar retailers such as Toys R Us and struggling Mothercare. The latter recently appointed KPMG to advise on a refinancing of the firm and is understood to be weighing up a company voluntary arrangement, a move which would allow it to close loss-making shops and secure deep discounts on rental costs. ID Kids currently has 1,200 stores worldwide but UK customers can buy online ahead of its launch in Wandsworth in May A cross between IKEA and Woolworths, Tiger offers everything from colour pop stationary to kitchen gadgets Tiger was an instant hit with middle-class shoppers thanks to its colourful and quirky home accessories and stationary - all at bargain prices THE TALE OF TIGER Lennart Lajboschitz kick-started Tiger has a market stall in 1995 in his hometown of Copenhagen It sold surplus goods and everything cost 10 Danish Crowns (1.14) By 2000, there were 38 Tiger stores in Denmark In 2001, the first non-Danish store opened in Reykjavik, Iceland In 2015, Tiger stores served more than 80 million customers across Europe, the US and Japan As of last year there were 600 Tiger stores in 29 countries Advertisement And he is confident that his latest venture will transform the high street in the same was as Tiger, which was hailed as a middle class-friendly version of that store so beloved of bargain-hunters, Poundland. 'The demographic is right in Wandsworth and there is an incredible amount of buggies,' he told The Times. Philip, who previously worked as a photographer, took out a second mortgage to open the brand's first shop back in 2005 after meeting the founder and spotting a gap for it on British high street. He hasn't disclosed how much he and his wife sold their stake for, but a year earlier Tiger paid a 2m dividend to its owners in 2015, had sales of 41m and profits of 7m. Philip and his wife Emma Bier, who opened the first Tiger shop in Basingstoke back in 2005, sold their stake in the company last year - and received a 'multimillion-pound windfall'. A grandmother has spoken out about how she was horrifically bullied for appearing in an infomercial about skincare products on television. Suzy Heazlewood, from New Zealand, became the face of collagen capsules Puraz - a skincare supplement brand designed to help men and women look younger. But her 'dream job' took a turn for the worse after the Auckland mother-of-four found herself at the centre of a cruel backlash from female viewers. She revealed how the taunts was so severe, she even attempted suicide twice before relocating to Australia to pursue a new life, NZ Herald reported. Suzy Heazlewood, from New Zealand, has spoken out about how she was horrifically bullied for appearing in an infomercial about skincare products on television The woman, who was a postie for 28 years, said the bullying started online before she was encountered physical abuse when she was in public. 'I expected to be recognised and I would give my time to anyone who wanted to have a chat, but I had no idea to the amount of backlash I would receive for doing my job and being me,' she told the publication. 'Some of the things I was called not just online but to my face was 'ugly, creepy, don't need a mask for Halloween, ugliest woman on TV... There's that ugly Puraz b**** she doesn't look that great. She looks 60 not 40'. The list goes on, all in earshot.' Ms Heazlewood, who has three grandchildren, said the worst attack was from a woman who threatened to have her face blown off. 'I kept thinking my gosh is this the day I'm going to have my face blown up ... I guess it got so personal and nasty especially about my looks that I started to get severe anxiety,' she recalled. As her anxiety worsened, she went from a 'bubbly Suzy' to feeling suicidal where she attempted to take her own life twice. Her 'dream job' took a turn for the worse after the Auckland mother-of-four found herself at the centre of a cruel backlash from female viewers The terrified mother and her husband decided to move to the Gold Coast to escape the public scrutiny. 'We knew that if we stayed in New Zealand, I would not still be here on this planet it was affecting me that much,' she said. Previously speaking to NZ Women's Weekly, Ms Heazlewood opened up about how she was subjected to the horrific abuse. 'I was a real person, I wasn't a model or an actress. I was Suzy the postie,' she said. 'I was very proud that I was a woman off the street, who stood up for a product that had given me great results. But the experience turned into a nightmare. A number of women hated me. I felt like a lamb to the slaughter.' The job came around after the then-41-year-old responded to the company's ad seeking for a customer to front their brand in 2006. Now more than 10 years on, Ms Heazlewood runs her own company Suzy H Skin Nutrition on the Gold Coast. By sharing her story, the survivor said she wanted to be a voice for bullying victims as she hopes they find strength to stand up from her experiences. For confidential support 24/7, please call Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14. Crown Princess Mary's eldest daughter Princess Isabella has celebrated her 11th birthday with a photo shoot of her favourite hobby - horse riding. The Danish Royal Family has released three pictures of the young Princess with her horse Lancet. In the pictures, Princess Isabella looks delighted to be spending time with her four legged friend in the great outdoors. Princess Isabella rides her horse Lancet, who is no stranger to fashion, donning a black leather harness with white leather detailing and diamantes The suite of three pictures was released on the Danish Royal Family's Instagram account and through an official press release. Princess Isabella is the second child of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and is included in the order of succession to the throne after her older brother, Prince Christian. She was born Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe on April 21 2007 at Rigshospitalet (Copenhagen's University Hospital). Princess Isabella was later christened in Fredensborg Palace Chapel on 1 July 2007. Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe was born on April 21 2007 at Rigshospitalet (Copenhagen University Hospital) and celebrated her 11th birthday on April 21 2018 One picture shows Princess Isabella in a navy blue riding helmet, navy blue quilted jacket and powder blue ruffle front button-up shirt riding Lancet. Lancet is no stranger to fashion, donning a black leather harness with white leather detailing. Lancet's harness is embellished with round diamantes- this horse knows how to bling! Another picture shows the chestnut coated Lancet nuzzling up to Princess Isabella, who shyly looks away from the camera. The photographs were taken by Princess Isabella's Mother, Crown Princess Mary, in an intimate shoot to celebrate the young royal's 11th birthday while spending time with her four legged friend The final photograph is a close up shot of Princess Isabella, smiling directly at the camera as Lancet looks downwards. The photographs were taken by Princess Isabella's Mother, Crown Princess Mary, in an intimate shoot to celebrate the young royal's birthday. For Princess Isabella's 10th birthday last year, the Danish Royal family also celebrated with a photo shoot. For Princess Isabella's 10th birthday last year, the Danish royal family also celebrated with a photo shoot where she wore two separate outfits As the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, Princess Isabella follows her eldest brother Christian in order of succession to the Throne of Denmark In this photo shoot, the Princess posed in two outfits: a navy blue printed dress, worn with a drop necklace and a striped long sleeved t-shirt with black trousers. In another 10th birthday photograph, the Princess posed in a navy blue dress with a delicate chain bracelet. As the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, Princess Isabella follows her eldest brother Christian in order of succession to the Throne. While a traditional resort holiday is all well and good, more travellers than ever are looking to get further away from the concrete jungle and escape to an eco-friendly hideaway. In fact, according to Booking.com, 79 per cent of Australians want to travel sustainably and nearly three in 10 regularly manage to do so. So to inspire a more unique getaway this year, the site has rounded up some of the most unique and beautiful eco escapes around the world. So to inspire a more unique getaway this year, these are some of the most unique and beautiful eco escapes around the world (pictured is O'Reilley's Rainforest Retreat) Australia O'Reilley's Rainforest Retreat Located in the Gold Coast Hinterland, this eco certified retreat has welcomed travellers from around the world to escape, experience and connect with nature, family and friends. The serviced accommodation offers expansive views over the western McPherson Ranges, or guests can choose one of 48 self-contained villas perched on the sloping hillside. The one bedroom rainforest villa ($330 per night) has an en-suited bedroom, a deck with a BBQ and spa bath and views to the rainforest/valley. Guests can pre-order a packed lunch or picnic hamper to set off to one of 500 waterfalls accessible via 160-kilometres of nature trails. Dining options include the likes of homemade pizzas in the Rainforest Bar or an a la carte meal in the dining room. Located in the Gold Coast Hinterland, this eco certified retreat has welcomed travellers from around the world to escape, experience and connect with nature, family and friends Guests can choose to stay in cosy serviced accommodation that offer expansive views overlooking the western McPherson Ranges, or one of 48 self-contained and architecturally designed Villas perched unobtrusively onto the sloping hillside Dining options include the likes of tasty homemade pizzas in the Rainforest Bar or a gourmet a la carte meal in the dining room Ramada Eco Beach Resort Ramada Eco Beach Resort is a multi award-winning eco resort in the Kimberley region. Located south of Broome, the eco resort says it provides guests with an 'unforgettable and unique wilderness experience' whilst having 'minimal impact on the surrounding landscape'. The accommodation includes 25 superbly appointed Eco Villas interlinked by 1km of elevated wooden boardwalks, and 30 safari-style Eco Tents. Ramada Eco Beach Resort is a multi award-winning eco resort and is set among the pristine and untouched Kimberley environment Located south of Broome, the eco resort says it provides guests with an 'unforgettable and unique wilderness experience' whilst having 'minimal impact on the surrounding landscape' The ocean front villas start at $505 per night and include shower suites, large furnished terraces, a king bed and ocean views. Those who stay can reconnect with nature and enjoy an array of activities including kayaking, ocean fishing, turtle watching, whale watching and paddle boarding. Jack's Bar and Restaurant is also on site and overlooks the ocean. Menu items range from spiced cauliflower salads and croc tails to pearl meat ceviche, kangaroo and a tasting plate featuring matsos beer damper, daily dips, cold smoked barramundi, brined pearl meat and bush spiced crocodile. The accommodation includes 25 superbly appointed Eco Villas interlinked by 1km of elevated wooden boardwalks, and 30 luxurious safari style Eco Tents The stunning ocean front villas start at $505 per night and include luxury shower suites, large terraces with luxury furniture, a king bed and beautiful sweeping ocean views New Zealand Earthstead Villas These villas, located in Cambridge, are on an organic working farm. With many of its villas created with recycled materials, some even hand built, its aim is to be self-sufficient in as many areas as possible. You can borrow bikes for free and head to the farmers market which begins at 8am on Saturday mornings. These villas, located in Cambridge, provide environmentally friendly accommodation on an organic working farm With many of its villas created with recycled materials, some even hand built, its aim is to be self-sufficient in as many areas as possible Sweden Treehotel If you are really trying to go off the grid, head to the remote landscape of northern Sweden. The hideaway is nestled away in Harad's forest and provides the eco-traveller with the experience of staying among the treetops with views of the countryside and woodland. The restaurant sources all its ingredients locally and this is an opportunity to stay in a hotel that prioritizes cutting edge architecture along with sustainability. Close by is the Hornstuls Market - a sustainable market in Stockholm that takes place every weekend from April until September. If you are really trying to go off the grid, head to the stunningly remote landscape of northern Sweden The unusual hide-away is nestled away in Harad's forest and provides the eco-traveller with a unique experience of staying among the treetops with a superb view of the countryside and woodland Norway Kinsarvik Camping At this eco escape, here you can camp next to the fourth largest fjord in Norway, the Hardangerfjord. Guests can choose from cabins and caravans or pitching up their own tent. Nearby is the Syse Gard which allows travellers the opportunity to taste local produce. This farm grows fruit and raises livestock. Almost a third (31 per cent) of travellers like staying somewhere where the local food is produces for local consumption, and this provides the chance to enjoy a guided tour of the farm and finish the trip off with a meal prepared from the farm's own seasonal produce. A simply stunning eco escape, here you can camp right next to fourth largest Fjord in Norway, the Hardangerfjord With a choice of both cabins and caravans or pitching up your own tent this is the perfect spot to explore from Switzerland Alphotel B&B As one of the world leaders of eco classified hotels, Bern is a location to consider for the eco traveller. Alphotel Eiger B&B offers its customers views of the surrounding lakes and mountains and offers a breakfast comprised of regional produce. Every first Saturday of the month this craftsmanship market in the heart of Bern sets up shop outside the cathedral. Over half (53 per cent) of travellers say that buying locally made products instead of mass-produced tourist souvenirs adds to their holiday enjoyment. This crafty market provides travellers with the opportunity to peruse quirky clothing and one off Swiss handicrafts from local artists. As one of the world leaders of eco classified hotels, Bern is a location to consider for the eco traveller Alphotel Eiger B&B offers its customers panoramic views of the surrounding lakes and mountains and offers a delectable breakfast comprised of regional produce Canada Element Vancouver Metrotown This eco-friendly hotel has factored in its environmental impact at every opportunity. The hotel features a saltwater pool, charging points for electric cars and the chance to borrow bikes to explore the city and farmers markets. Nearby is the Burnaby Artisan Farmers Market - an Artisan farmers market located just outside of Vancouver that has been going strong since 2008. The market features vendors such as organic farmers and local crafters. This eco-friendly hotel has factored in its environmental impact at every opportunity The bestselling Irish author Marian Keyes has revealed that her father, who has Alzheimer's disease, is dying. The popular writer, who was born in Limerick and raised Catholic, said in a tweet that 'Dad has got the last rites', referring to the last prayers traditionally given to Catholics by a priest before they die. Keyes, 54, has written openly in the past about her father, Ted, being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, which she has described as a 'cruel condition', and liked to 'an invasion of the body snatchers'. She told fans on Saturday that her sister, Caitriona, was travelling from New York to be at their father's side, and added: 'Tis sad, lads. It's been a bad week.' The author added in a tweet on Monday that her father was 'still with us', and said 'it's horribly unpredictable'. The author of bestsellers including Watermelon, The Break, and This Charming Man, seen during an appearance on Lorraine in 2014, revealed in a tweet to fans that her father had been given the last rites by a priest The author, who was born in Limerick, said in a tweet that her family was heading home to be at her father's side She updated her followers with a further tweet on Monday, confirming that her father was 'still with us', but that his situation is 'horribly unpredictable' The much loved author's tweet prompted an outpouring of support from fans and high profile friends, including fellow writers Sheila O'Flanagan and Amy Huberman, the actress and wife of Irish rugby star Brian O'Driscoll. What is Alzheimer's disease? Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, in which build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die. This disrupts the transmitters that carry messages, and causes the brain to shrink. More than 5 million people suffer from the disease in the US, where it is the 6th leading cause of death. Source: Alzheimer's Association Advertisement Keyes, who is famously candid on social media, previously told the Irish Times that she 'knew very early on' that something was wrong with her father ahead of his Alzheimer's diagnosis, but that nobody would listen. 'I used to be enraged and so frustrated by my helplessness,' she said in 2016. She went on to reflect on how the disease had impacted on her father, who came from 'humble beginnings' but won a scholarship to go to secondary school and eventually qualified as an accountant. 'We have connected in a different way since he got ill,' she said at the time, explaining that he was 'far sweeter' and more loving following his diagnosis. 'I feel huge tenderness and love for him and a desire to mind him,' she said. Keyes' 2017 novel The Break featured a character with Alzheimer's. A representative for the author told FEMAIL on Monday that there had been a slight improvement in Mr Keyes' condition. Amy Huberman, the actress and wife of Irish rugby star Brian O'Driscoll, was among those to offer their condolences to the popular author Support: The author was inundated with messages of support from followers and fellow writers, including Sheila O'Flanagan The hugely popular Irish author has published books including Saved by Cake (seen left), her account of battling her way back from crippling depression with the help of baking, and novel The Break (seen right), which features a character with Alzheimer's Keyes, who is one of five siblings, is one of the most successful Irish novelists of all time - her books have sold in excess of 35million copies and been translated into 33 languages. Her work is often categorised as chick-lit, but it often explores darker themes not typically seen in romantic fiction, including alcoholism, domestic violence, and depression. Keyes herself has been candid about her own battles with alcoholism, anxiety and crippling depression. She told Kirsty Young during an interview on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs that she had experienced suicidal thoughts when her mental illness was at its height. The author lives in Dun Laoghaire, with her husband, Tony. A couple revealed how they packed up their lives in the UK to take their three children sailing around the world. Alan and Irenka Wood rented out their Brighton home, left their jobs and sold their car to take daughter Rowan, 11, and sons Darroch, eight, and Yewan, six, on the global adventure on the 105,00 53ft super yacht. The family, who are currently moored off the Greek islands, spend their days exploring, doing yoga and paddle boarding in clear blue waters - and admit they currently have no plans to return home. But the set-up isn't always as idyllic as it might appear, with Alan and Irenka admitting homeschooling their three children is a 'constant challenge'. Scroll down for video Global adventure: Alan and Irenka Wood rented out their Brighton home, left their jobs and sold their car to take daughter Rowan, 11, and sons Darroch, eight, and Yewan, six, around the world on a super yacht. Pictured, Irenka and her children do early morning yoga on the deck Hands on: Irenka and her eldest two children work to plot out their rout as their son Yewen, six, does work on the side. The parents split the responsibility of home-schooling the children Idyllic: Two of the children enjoy paddle boating in the blue waters off the coast of Greece Keeping fit: Rowan, 11, exercises on the deck of the yacht beneath a line of washing Plotting the route: The family have spent the last several months in Greece because of bad weather but are hoping to set off on their travels around the world. Their plan is to cross the Atlantic before December. They will then visit Central and North America 'The challenge of home-schooling is a whole subject in itself,' Alan said. 'Between us parents, we have taught students in colleges, boats and prisons, but nothing prepared us for that weird parent/teacher duplexity when teaching our own young kids. 'Keeping them motivated, engaged and interested is a constant challenge and there's no headmaster or classroom assistant to turn to when the guano hits the mast. Where have the Wood family visited? Already visited... The family have spent the past several months in Greece after being setback by harsh winter weather. They have visited: Parga, Paxos, Lefkas, Vounaki, Sitvota -and Ithaca Next stop... Heading South to Rhodes, then Crete, Sicily, Italy, France, Spain, The Balearics and The Canaries. This year... They then hope to be crossing the Atlantic by December, where they will head towards the Caribbean before travelling north to the US. In the future... The Woods currently have no plans to return home and hope to travel across the Pacific to New Zealand, Australia and South East Asia. Advertisement 'But every new encounter and place is a potential learning experience; everyone we meet has some story, skill or pearl of wisdom to share. 'And it's humbling to discover how many retired teachers out here are willing give up their time to become part of our impromptu, crowdsourced, educational programme.' Alan, 49, who owned a furniture design business, and Irenka, 47, a part-time sailing instructor, plan to see Europe before visiting destinations including the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand. The family are keeping loved ones and followers updated with posts on Instagram. However so far they have been forced to spend the winter moored in Greece after unusually harsh conditions stopped them from moving on. 'It would be easy to talk about anchoring in a bay, swimming in crystal clear water and having a BBQs with friends off the back of the boat,' he said. 'Don't get me wrong, these are all fantastic experiences that we obviously enjoy, but in actual fact the high points are times when we use our resourcefulness to overcome problems. 'Like the time we repaired the washing machine with a kid's party balloon and could wash our clothes for the first time in weeks. Or the time we worked out how to fix an ongoing issue with the toilet using salad dressing.' Experienced: Parents Irenka and Alan, pictured, met while captaining flotillas in Greece Time for learning: Brothers Darroch and Yewen are given a history lesson in the sunshine Practical skills: Irenka, a sailing instructor, with eight-year-old son Darroch on the water Alan and Irenka met while captaining flotillas in Greece more than 15 years ago and saved up for the best part of a decade before embarking on their adventure. They live off the monthly rent they earn off renting their family home and try to live off a 1,500-a-month budget. They bought the 20-year-old super yacht for 130,000 euros (105,000) but admit the neglect means they have needed to put in 'hard work' to make it liveable. Alan continued: 'Renovating and maintaining a sailboat while travelling and living aboard is a challenge. If the boiler brakes down we can't just pick up the phone to the local plumber; when the generator packs up, no electrical company will send out a van to sort us out. Dream journey: Father-of-three Alan, 49, prepares to set sail off the coast of Greece Quality time: Irenka with her children during a day of exploring on one of the Greek islands 'A wrong navigational decision or mechanical failure can cost us thousands, or we could even lose everything. There's no RNLI out here to pull us out of a scrape like in the UK, so everything is down to us and us alone.' However the parents have faced accusations of being 'selfish' from critics who disagree with their decision to uproot their children and take them out of school. Alan, who is also an experienced sailor, explained how he had received 'a lot of shtick' in response to an article he wrote before setting off last year. Active: Eleven-year-old Rowan checks out the view from a cycle track on a Greek island Old life: The children walking to school near their Brighton home before setting off last year He said: 'There were people accusing us of being "privileged" and "selfish" by putting our kids' life at risk to follow our dream. Some even suggested social services should get involved. 'But safety is objective. Most people die from heart disease and cancer exacerbated by sitting in front of a screen for too long. Our education system - sadly - is failing young boys and making narcissistic victims of young girls. Giving the kids a life of adventure is not selfish, it's giving them a lifeline. 'We are not teaching them to be safe, we are encouraging them to be resourceful, adaptable and above all, happy. There's no better activity than sailing to learn team work and compromise and there's no worse place to harbour prejudice or envy. Playful: Six-year-old Yewen pulls a funny face as he relaxes on the deck of the 53ft super yacht New home: One of the views from a stop on mainland Greece, where they spent the winter 'Division of labour defies traditional gender roles, determination and wisdom win out over sex, age and disability. Boat kids are exposed to this daily - they don't need social media to tell them how to think or define their world.' He added that he and his wife had worked tirelessly to save up the money needed to embark on their dream trip. He said: 'And anyone who thinks a liveaboard lifestyle is "privileged" - well I would challenge them to try it. We threw out our TV over a decade ago, constantly worked late into the night on small business start-ups, sold most of our possessions and lived a frugal life for years. Culture: Irenka and her three children at an orthodox Greek temple on the island of Lefkas Shared passion: Alan and Irenka, pictured in the UK, saved for nearly a decade before sailing 'We worked hard to achieve our dream - damned hard - renovating houses and learning everything we could so we wouldn't have to pay other people to do stuff for us. It takes a lot of old fashioned, working class grit to get this "privileged".' The proud father said the 'best part' about the experience has been seeing the change in his children. '[It has been] spending time with the kids and watching how this boating life is transforming them into rounded, independent and resourceful individuals,' he said. 'Like the time they learned to play their first song together in a "band" and took their instruments out onto the next quayside we moored at to busk, and came back with Euro 40 ice-cream money.' A former beauty queen who had acid thrown over her by a spurned suitor has revealed how she has had 200 operations in a bid to regain her looks. Eleonora Kondratyuk, from Sochi, Russia, was just 18 when she was attacked as she walked to the beach. She described how a male admirer, whose advances she had rejected, grabbed her hair and poured acid over her face and body. Eleonora, who was runner-up in a Sochi beauty pageant in 1998, was left severely disfigured after being attacked with sulphuric acid. Former beauty queen Eleonora Kondratyuk, from Sochi, Russia, has revealed how she has had 200 operations in a bid to regain her looks Recalling her horrific attack, she said: 'When I was about to leave the house, I got a call from an unknown woman, who apologised for bothering me and wanted to ask me one last time if I had changed my stand towards G. 'As my doctors say, with this concentration - 92 percent sulphuric acid, this liquid weapon, even winter clothes would not have been able to save me.' Eleonora has spent many years out of the public eye since the life-changing attack 19 years ago. The amateur model was left nearly blind by the attack, with the acid that went down her mouth burning her esophagus, stomach and respiratory tract. Eleonora (pictured before the attack) was runner-up in a Sochi beauty pageant in 1998 The beauty queen (pictured being taken to hospital after the attack) described how an unnamed suitor poured acid over her face and body after she rejected his advances Eleonora managed to reach the school in order to get help before being rushed to hospital, according to Rowlands 98. In the years after the attack, doctors have helped her reconstruct her face through countless operations. Now, after nearly two years out of the spotlight, Eleonora has written her memoir, I Chose Life, as well as qualifying as a psychologist. The former beauty queen says she will never understand how her attacker could have been so cruel - but wants other young women to enjoy their lives without fear. Eleonora said she is unhappy that what happened to her has been used as a scare story to deter young women from entering beauty pageants - and says the attack was not linked to her being a beauty queen. Elenora (pictured before the attack) says she will never understand how her attacker could have been so cruel However, Eleonora (pictured with doctors as she is today) insists that the attack had nothing to do with her being a beauty queen 'My participation in the beauty contest and the tragedy are not interconnected,' she explained. What injuries did Eleonora Kondratyuk suffer in the attack? Eleonora Kondratyuk was nearly blinded following the brutal attack when she was 18. Her face meanwhile was left severely disfigured from the sulphuric acid. The former beauty queen also suffered burns to her esophagus, stomach and respiratory tract from the acid that went down her mouth. Advertisement 'This man saw me for the first time on a street a few months after the pageant, when all I had from it were memories,' she said. Eleonora says the same thing could have happened to her had she not chosen to enter the beauty contest and had chosen another hobby, such as volleyball. Her attacker was killed in an unrelated incident, according to local media reports. Eleonora's story has been shared widely on social media, with many praising her for her bravery. One wrote: 'She is so beautiful. Wishing her all the best.' Another added: 'Poor girl, why was she given all that in her life.... I remember this awful story and I'm very glad that she managed to get back.' Eleonora says the same thing could have happened to her had she not chosen to enter any beauty pageants The former beauty queen was runner-up in a Sochi pageant in 1998, a year before the attack Queen Letizia showcased her maternal side as she greeted a young fan in Madrid on Monday. The Queen of Spain was seen receiving a kiss from an adorable young boy who was clutching a ukulele. Letizia's young admirer had taken part in a musical performance at a prize giving ceremony for Spain's most prestigious literary award. Queen Letizia received a kiss from a young musician during a prize-giving ceremony in Madrid on Monday Letizia's young admirer had taken part in a musical performance having played the ukulele The mother-of-two looked her elegant best as she joined husband King Felipe VI for a prize-giving ceremony in Madrid. The couple arrived at the Alcala de Henares University near the Spanish capital to attend the Miguel de Cervantes Literature Prize award ceremony. Among a sea of charcoal and black suits Letizia, 45, shone in a fitted baby pink dress complete with a matching jacket with lace embellishment. Always a stickler for detail the mother-of-two offset her outfit with a pair of nude court shoes and a complementing clutch bag. Letizia, joined by King Felipe posed for photos with the band who performed at the Cevantes Award In another affectionate meeting Letizia was seen receiving a hug from a little girl Both the king and queen could not hide their delight at meeting the charming children The former-journalist has been favouring a straighter style when it comes to her hair and today saw a continuation of the trend with her brunette locks styled into a sleek straight finish. Meanwhile King Felipe, 50, who will present the award, looked especially dapper in a coat and tails complete with a cream waistcoat as he arrived at the awards. He could also be seen carrying a ceremonial cane, as is tradition with the annual prize-giving. The couple joined Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and President of Madrid's regional government Cristina Cifuentes for the event today. Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI of Spain attended the Cervantes Literature Prize award ceremony in Madrid on Monday Letizia looked her elegant best in a pale pink fitted dress and matching jacket while Felipe looked particularly dapper in a coat and tails The 125,000 (109,000) Cervantes Prize generally alternates between Spanish and Latin American writers. The prizes are presented each April 23 on the anniversary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes, author of 'Don Quixote.' The winner of this year's prize is Sergio Ramirez, who was hosted by the king and queen at a luncheon at the Royal palace in Madrid on Friday. The couple joined Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and President of Madrid's regional government Cristina Cifuentes at the university for the annual prize-giving The Duchess of Cambridge's personal stylist was spotted leaving the Lindo Wing just an hour before the royal welcomed a little boy. Natasha Archer, who has been working with the royals for more than ten years, left St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington just after 10am, after Kate went into labour in the early hours of Monday morning. Shortly after 1pm, Kensington Palace issued a statement announcing that Kate, 36, had safely delivered a little boy weighing 8 lbs 7 oz at 11:01am. Natasha - who is married to Getty Images' official Royal photographer Chris Jackson and helps Kate meticulously plan her outfits for official engagements and overseas tours - is understood to have dropped off Kate's outfit. Scroll down for video Not long now! Natasha Archer, who has been working with the royals for more than four years, left St. Mary's Hospital after Kate went into labour in the early hours of Monday morning The royal aide was originally hired as Kate's PA and, according to insiders, was officially tasked with making the Duchess look more 'regal' as per the Queen's request Right-hand woman: Archer (far left) with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at a rugby match in 2014. She has been working for the Royal Household since 2007 The royal aide was originally hired as Kate's personal assistant and, according to insiders, was initially tasked with making the Duchess look more 'regal' as per the Queen's request. Natasha first caught the world's attention when she joined royal hairdresser Amanda Cook-Tucker entering the Lindo Wing after the birth of Prince George in 2013 - the first non-family member to do so. She was even rumoured to be responsible for picking out the now-iconic blue and white polka dot dress that Kate later stepped out in. Tash, as she is known among friends, has been credited with having a hand in Kate's style and the Duchess is said to admire her own fashion sense and trusts her eye for clothes. She orders items online and calls in clothes for Kate from designers and the high street months in advance - making her one of the most influential women in British fashion. A privately-educated university graduate, Natasha went to Uppingham boarding school, before reading Hispanic Studies at King's College London. Right-hand woman: Tash, as she is known among friends, has been credited with having a hand in Kate's style and the royal is said to admire her own fashion sense and trusts her eye for clothes By royal appointment: A privately-educated university graduate, Natasha went to Uppingham boarding school, before reading Hispanic Studies at King's College London Entourage: Natasha with private secretary Sophie Agnew (left), carrying items of luggage as they arrive at Tezpur Airport in Assam, during the Royal visit to India and Bhutan in 2016 Natasha is married to Getty Images' official Royal photographer Chris Jackson and helps Kate meticulously plan her outfits for official overseas tours (pictured in Norway in February) She recently celebrated her first wedding anniversary, having tied the knot with Jackson in April 2017 at Chateau Rigaud, a medieval French mansion near Bordeaux. After getting down on one knee in Cornwall in 2016, Jackson wrote on Instagram: Im definitely punching above my weight. He had been courting Tash since 2015 and adds of his proposal: Apparently, it was a long time coming. As well as curating the Duchesss wardrobe and helping with her diary, it was reported that Archer, a Jenny Packham devotee, was ordered to spruce up Prince Williams estate agent style. We've heard about the organic lemon and elderflower cake, and the foxgloves and peonies that will make up the floral displays. And now more details have emerged of the plans afoot for Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle - this time of a slightly less fragrant nature. A search is underway for the 'poshest portaloos money can buy' for the happy couple's reception on May 19th, a royal insider has said, perhaps because the facilities at 17th century Frogmore House aren't quite of VIP standard. At the Duchess of Cambridge's younger sister Pippa's wedding - which Harry and Meghan attended - bespoke 'throne rooms' that resembled luxurious fitted bathrooms were set up to cater to the needs of the glitzy guest list. Now it seems the royal bride and groom-to-be could be taking inspiration from the luxury loos for their own big day. 'Its just one of many things that is having to be planned and thought about,' the source told Vanity Fair. 'The couple will be going for the poshest portaloos money can buy, as they need extra loos for all the guests they have coming to the evening event.' Prince Harry's wedding to the former Suits star Meghan Markle is now just weeks away Bespoke 'throne rooms' resembling luxurious fitted bathrooms were set up at the Middleton family home for Pippa's wedding last May A 100,000 glass marquee that had been shipped in from Belgium was erected in the grounds of the Middletons' Berkshire pile last May for Pippa's extravagant nuptials. And well-heeled though Pippa and James' guests may have been, Carole clearly didn't want to see them trooping over her carpets to get to the loo, as the piece de resistance were the portable toilets. A far cry from the average festival lavatory, they boasted oak fittings, porcelain basins, spot lighting and full-length mirrors, and were fitted with vacuum flushes, which work like those on a plane and are eco-friendly. While Meghan and Harry will exchange vows in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, the couple's inner circle will later decamp to Frogmore House, half a mile away, to party into the small hours. And stunning though the venue may be, it's unlikely its 17th century plumbing could cater to 200 of Harry and Meghan's nearest and dearest - hence the need for additional portable facilities. Meghan joined Prince Harry at the evening reception that followed Pippa Middleton's wedding to James Matthew's last May Meanwhile, bride-to-be Meghan has reportedly had her bridal gown repeatedly altered in the run up to the big day after going on a pre-wedding health kick. The former Suits star, who is rumoured to have enlisted London-based design duo Ralph and Russo to create her gown, has had 'at least three fittings at Kensington Palace, with the dress taken in each time', according to The Sun. 'Like most brides, Meghan has been on a bit of a health kick and has lost a significant amount of weight,' a source said. The insider added that the retired actress has asked for a 40,000 'ornate and intricate' gown that will be more of a 'showstopper' than Kate's, while still ticking the royal protocol boxes. After going on a pre-wedding health kick, the former Suits star has had 'at least three fittings at Kensington Palace, with the dress taken in each time' Meghan, pictured in a wedding dress in Suits, has reportedly enlisted Ralph & Russo to make an elaborate 'showstopper' of a dress The designer of Miss Markles dress will only be revealed by Kensington Palace after she arrives at St Georges Chapel in May 19, and his, her, or their identity is one of the most closely guarded secrets around the wedding day. Design duo Ralph & Russo, who made the daring black sheer evening gown worn by the former actress in her first official portrait with Prince Harry, are now 10-11 odds on with bookmaker Coral to be unveiled as her dress designer. Traditional Harry has no idea who Meghan has picked as her designer as he wants a 'complete surprise' on the day The tradition of picking a headline designer for a royal wedding dress was established by Queen Victoria in 1840, when she chose a crinoline-style court dress in white silk-satin made by Mary Bettans with lace designed by William Dyce, head of the Government School of Design, Victoria asked that the gown be made from fabric woven in Spitalfields, east London - where the areas weavers were suffering in the face of cheap foreign imports - and trimmed with a deep flounce and trimmings of lace hand-made in Honiton and Beer, Devon, to demonstrate her support for British industry. The present Queen chose a design by Norman Hartnell, and saved up her ration coupons to pay for the gown, which featured 10,000 seed pearls, and a 13-foot, star-patterned lace train. Princess Caroline of Hanover's son, Andrea Casiraghi, and his wife, Tatiana Santo Domingo, have become parents for the third time according to reports The birth of their third child was confirmed by Spanish magazine HOLA! who reported that the couple have welcomed a baby boy. Tatiana, 34, is believed to have delivered the child in their native Monaco on Saturday when the news was first reported by German publication Bunte. Andrea Casiraghi, and his wife, Tatiana Santo Domingo (pictured with children Sacha and India) have welcomed their third child according to reports Tatiana and Andrea were already parents to two children Alexandre better known as Sacha, five, and India who celebrated her third birthday earlier this month. The new arrival has already been named with his parents settling on Max Rainier an apparent tribute to his great-grandfather Prince Rainier III. Max Rainier is now seventh in line to the Monaco throne with his father fourth in line. Tatiana's pregnancy remained unconfirmed right up until the birth of her third child with reports that she was expecting her third child circulating in the French press in November. Tatiana (pictured with Andrea and India) is reported to have delivered a baby boy named Max Rainier on Saturday Speculation over a second royal pregnancy in Monaco is also brewing with Tatiana's sister-in-law also rumoured to be expecting. In March Beatrice Borromeo, 31, was seen displaying a blooming belly in a figure-hugging gown as she joined husband Pierre Casiraghi, 30, at Monaco's Rose Ball. According to reports in Hola! and Match, Beatrice's bump was easily discernible. Beatrice and Pierre tied the knot in the summer of 2015 and welcomed their son Stefano in February last year. He is the youngest grandson of Princess Caroline. And just a month later Charlotte Casiraghi, 31, daughter of Princess Caroline, was reported to be expecting her first child with Dimitri Rassam. The couple are expected to welcome the baby this summer, according to Vanity Fair Italia. The couple, who both have children from previous relationships, announced their engagement last month at the annual Rose Ball in Monte Carlo, where Charlotte debuted a glittering diamond on her ring finger. Advertisement Facing the world just hours after giving birth would be a daunting prospect for any new mum, but the Duchess of Cambridge looked impeccably stylish this evening as she left hospital in a red shift dress by Jenny Packham. Kate, 36, opted for a bespoke creation with a lace collar by one of her favourite designers for the third time as she showed off her baby boy on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital. And she appeared to may a subtle but sweet tribute to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana, who wore a very similar outfit when she left the same hospital after giving birth to Prince Harry in 1984. The new mother wore a long red coat by Jan van Velden, with a white blouse trimmed with a scarlet ribbon showing underneath. Earlier today Kate's personal stylist Natasha Archer - who helps the royal meticulously plan her outfits for official engagements and overseas tours - was seen leaving the hospital after reportedly dropping off Kate's outfit. Helen Canning Ford, stylist and blogger at cocomamastyle.com told Femail: 'What better day to fly the flag than on St Georges day and next to William in blue with the newborn Prince swaddled in white, a red dress was the perfect choice for Kate. Kate, 36, opted for a bespoke creation by Jenny Packaham as she left hospital with her new baby Princess Diana was wearing a red coat by Jan van Velden when she left hospital with Prince Harry A maternity style icon is born! Kate she wore a polka dot Jenny Packham crepe de chine dress to welcome Prince George to the world in July 2013 (left). She donned a summery yellow smock dress by the same designer for Charlotte's birth in 2015 (centre). And today it was a hat-trick for the designer as Kate stepped out in a red bespoke shift dress Kate teamed the red shift dress with a pair of her favourite blush suede heels (left). Right: Earlier today Kate's personal stylist Natasha Archer was seen leaving the hospital after reportedly dropping off Kate's outfit Princess Diana also chose a vibrant red outfit when she left the Lindo Wing with Prince Harry in 1984 (left). Princess Diana also chose a vibrant red outfit when she left the Lindo Wing with Prince Harry in 1984 (right) Proud Prince William placed his arm around his wife as they introduced their new baby prince to the world The Duchess opted for a strong pop of colour in a bright red dress with a delicate white lace collar as she introduced her newborn to the world Doting mother Kate couldn't keep her eyes off the new arrival (left). Proud Princess Diana leaving hospital with Prince Harry in 1984 (right) Expectant mums will often plan their going home outfit with their newborn baby but the rest of us dont have the worlds eyes waiting to see us step out of the hospital. Just mere hours after giving birth Kate appeared radiant in a bespoke bold red dress with white lace collar by her go-to British designer, Jenny Packham. What better day to fly the flag than on St Georges day and next to William in blue with the newborn Prince swaddled in white, a red dress was the perfect choice for Kate. A simple tunic dress is ideal for mums post-birth, offering comfort and ease but Ive no doubt Kate will break out the luxe loungewear when back at home with William and the children, away from the worlds media. Royal-watchers had been expecting Kate to opt for a bespoke piece by British label Jenny Packham, whose designs she wore immediately after the birth of Prince George in 2013 and Princess Charlotte in 2015. The so-called 'Kate effect' sparked a sales frenzy, when the Duchess stepped out in a bespoke polka dot crepe de chine dress after giving birth to Prince George. Within hours of her appearance on the steps of the Lindo Wing, similar dresses by Jenny Packham had sold out. Blue and white polka dot items including a pinafore dress, high-waisted shorts, chiffon shirts, skirts, vest tops and ballet pumps also saw a rocket in sales overnight. In addition a cream and blue polka dot skater style dress similar to Kate's, as well as a Royal blue and white polka dot bikini, sold out. And after introducing Princess Charlotte to the world in May 2015, the sale of yellow floral dresses increased by 208 per cent for online retailer eBay. Royal fans were clearly impressed by Kate's ability to manoeuvre down the hospital steps in a pair of Jimmy Choo Gilbert nude heels so soon after giving birth, as sales of similar shoes also spiked by 131 per cent. Likewise, newborn princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana soon became a trendsetter at less than one-week-old, sending white blanket sales up by 149 per cent. From lying disheveled in bed to striking a pose while draped in black velvet, these stunning photos capture the many different sides of Marilyn Monroe. The intimate images were shot by close friend and collaborator Milton H. Greene in the early and mid-1950s, documenting the Hollywood icon at the height of her fame. While some emphasise the sex appeal that made Monroe a star, others seek to reveal her vulnerable and gentle nature. The Rock Sitting, 1954: This portrait was first published in an editorial for Look magazine and depicts Marilyn nestled in the rocky crevasses of Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles. Greene would often use textured backdrops in his photographs to give his pictures visual depth The Bed Sitting, 1953: This rare and previously unpublished photograph is part of a series taken at the guest villa in the estate of Joseph Schenck, one of the founders of 20th Century Fox. The photo also reveals how comfortable Marilyn was with Greene behind the camera The photographs will go on display as part of the exhibition Up Close with Marilyn: Portraits by Milton H. Greene at London's Proud Galleries next month. Monroe was a young box-office bombshell when she met Greene a photoshoot for Look magazine in 1953. The two struck up a friendship and she later moved into his family home in Connecticut. Greene's own son has previously speculated the pair had an affair. Schenck House, 1953: Joseph Schenck, co-founder of 20th Century Fox, mentored a young, up-and-coming Marilyn after returning to Hollywood following a stint in jail for tax evasion. On one autumn weekend in 1953, Schenck allowed Greene and Marilyn to stay at the guest villa of his Beverly Hills estate, where the pair created this series of relaxed, candid-style photographs Greene, who made a name photographing some of the biggest stars of the day, shot the actress in 52 different settings, resulting in an archive of over 5,000 images. Greene's photograph for one such sitting in 1954 of Monroe in a ballet tutu was chosen by Time Life as one of the three most popular images of the 20th century. Together the pair also founded Marilyn Monroe Productions, giving Marilyn control and ownership of her career. The Black Sitting, 1956: Many Monroe fans revere the 'Black Sitting' as the finest pictures of Marilyn available. Although sexy and provocative, this photograph manages to retain a sense of innocence and youth. It is the result of a four-hour long shoot Greene encouraged Marilyn to step away from the 'dumb blonde' roles that she had become known for and took a series of photos which challenged this stereotype. Working in locations that varied from the Californian landscape to film sets and photography studios, the pair collaborated throughout their friendship as they worked together to broaden the public's perception of 'Marilyn'. But they parted ways in 1957, after Monroe's then husband, Arthur Miller, grew edgy about Milton's role. The Ballerina Sitting, 1954: Perhaps Milton and Marilyns most recognizable series of images, the Ballerina Sitting was named by Time magazine in 1999 as one of the top three photographs of the 20th century. Taken in Greene's New York studio, the dress was apparently two sizes too small, requiring Marilyn to hold up the front bodice and creating this pose Up Close with Marilyn: Portraits by Milton H. Greene, Proud Central, 11 May 24 June 2018, www.proud.co.uk Lauren Bush Lauren and her husband, David Lauren, are over the moon with the newest addition to their family, and the proud parents spent the weekend sharing photos of their newborn son, Max Walker. The 33-year-old mom took to Instagram on Sunday afternoon to post a heartwarming snapshot of her newborn son sound asleep on her chest. 'Baby Max Walker Lauren was born on April 19th in the wee hours of the morning weighing 7lbs 8oz. Love you more than tongue can tell,' she captioned the image, which shows the newborn in a tiny blue and white striped onesie. Baby love: Lauren Bush Lauren, 33, took to Instagram over the weekend to share a photo of her newborn son, Max Walker, sound asleep on her chest All smiles: Lauren's husband, David Lauren, proudly posted this family photo after their two-year-old son, James, met his baby brother Lauren's cousin Jenna Bush Hager also used the phrase, 'I love you more than tongue can tell,' when paying tribute to their late grandmother Barbara Bush, who passed away two days before Max's birth. In 41: A Portrait of My Father, George W. Bush biography of George H.W. Bush, the former president recalls how his three-year-old sister Robin was dying of leukemia in 1953 when she told their father, 'I love you more than tongue can tell.' Lauren's use of the phrase was undoubtedly a tribute to her grandparents, as the words have become a family mantra that represents the bond between a parent and child. David, 46, announced Max's birth on his Instagram page on Friday, one day after they welcomed their second son. 'We feel lucky and blessed to introduce our son Max Walker Lauren! He was born yesterday (April 19) at 5:33 am weighing 7lbs 8oz. Too cute: Little James was photographed holding Max in his arms during their first meeting There in spirit: Lauren's mother, Sharon Bush, posted this snapshot of James looking at his baby brother in the hospital. She was traveling in Austria at the time of her grandson's birth Blessed: On Sunday, Sharon posted a photo of herself lighting a candle at an Austrian church, writing: 'Lighting a candle in Vienna to thank God for another healthy grandson' Bundle of joy: Lauren and David brought Max home from the hospital in New York City on Saturday, while her grandmother Barbara Bush was laid to rest in Texas Surprise: Max Walker (pictured) was born just two days after Lauren's grandmother Barbara passed away on Tuesday, April 17 at the age of 92 'He is happy and healthy and enjoying his new world!' he wrote, sharing a close-up photo of little Max sound asleep with a blue knit cap on his head. The dad returned to social media over the weekend to share family photos, including a snapshot of Max meeting his two-year-old brother, James. In the adorable image, James is lying on a bed and holding Max in his arms. The little boy is clearly enamored with his baby brother, and he is gently touching Max's face with his finger. 'James meets his baby brother for the first time!' David wrote. David later shared a photo of himself posed with James, Lauren, and the newest addition to their family, writing: 'Max, Welcome to our family!' The dad donned a blue sweater and matching newsboy cap while Lauren was wearing a striped sleep shirt and a fluffy white robe wrapped around her waist. Her hair was pulled back in a headband, and she smiled brightly for the camera. Timing: Barbara (pictured with Lauren) was laid to rest in Texas on Saturday, just as Lauren arrived home with her new baby Packing up: With the help of her husband, Lauren hauled balloons, gifts, and flowers, along with baby Max, as they returned from the hospital Mom on duty: Lauren donned a striped shirt and joggers as they made their way home Photo op: At one point, Lauren appeared to be taking a snapshot of her sleeping son Making memories: Lauren filmed their baby boy's arrival at their New York City home Lauren's mother, Sharon Bush, was traveling in Austria at the time of her grandson's birth, but she happily posted a picture of James looking at his brother in the hospital. 'James meeting his little brother Max! Welcome to the world precious one! #blessed #cutestboyever #brotherlylove,' she captioned the image. On Sunday, Sharon posted a photo of herself lighting a candle at an Austrian church, writing: 'Lighting a candle in Vienna to thank God for another healthy grandson #gratitude #blessings.' Lauren and David were seen out in New York City with their baby boy on Saturday, just as her grandmother Barbara Bush was laid to rest. The couple was pictured with flowers, gifts and balloons, along with their new bundle of joy, as they brought Max home from the hospital. At the same time Barbara was being laid to rest in College Station, Texas, following a private memorial service in Houston with the rest of Lauren's family. Peaceful: Lauren and David welcomed Max Walker (pictured) on Thursday, April 19 at 5:33am, two days after the passing of her grandmother Barbara Proud: Lauren beamed as David juggled carrying flowers in one hand and a Ralph Lauren bag in the other hand while taking a phone call Mourning: Lauren sister Ashley (far right) and her cousin Jenna Bush Hager (center) were among Barbara's granddaughters who read Bible passages at her funeral on Saturday Family: Lauren's brother Pierce (front right) was a pallbearer with Barbara's other grandsons Support system: Lauren's father, Neil Bush (far right), held hands with his second wife, Maria, at the funeral Lauren's father, Neil Bush, was there with his second wife, Maria, and her sister Ashley, 29, was among the former first lady's granddaughters who read passages of the Bible at the service. Meanwhile, her brother Pierce, 32, served as one of the pallbearers at the funeral. Barbara passed away on Tuesday, April 17 at the age of 92. Page Six reported that Lauren found out about her grandmother's death while attending the Food Bank for New York City Can Do Awards dinner at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City that evening. According to the outlet she stayed through the dinner but left before the after-party. 'She looked somber at the table,' a source told the publication. Lauren was due to give birth in May, but her son arrived just two days after her grandmother's passing. Night out: Lauren showed off her baby bump on Tuesday at the Food Bank for New York City Can Do Awards dinner. She was at the event when she learned of her grandmother's death Teamwork: Lauren pushed their sleeping son in his stroller as she followed David to their home Almost done: David did the heavy lifting while Lauren held a balloon and food Dreaming: Little Max missed the commotion around him and slept soundly in the sun The mother-of-two paid tribute to the former first lady on Instagram last week, sharing a series of photos of herself with her grandmother throughout the years. 'Ganny was truly a one-of-a-kind, tell it like it is, amazing woman! My love of reading, puzzles, and travel are just a few things she helped foster in me,' Lauren wrote. 'She loved my Gampy and her family fiercely, and I feel so blessed to have had her as my grandmother for over 30 years. Rest in peace Ganny, we love you!' Meanwhile, David posted a picture of their eldest son with Barbara, writing: 'Baby James got to experience the love and warmth of his unforgettable great-grandmother Barbara Bush. She will be very missed!' Former President George H.W. Bush, who was married to Barbara for 73 years, attended his wife's viewing on Friday as a last minute surprise. 'He just said, "I want to go." It was completely spontaneous,' one of his aides told NBC News. Expert: David has mastered the tricky parental art of taking the car seat out and snapping it onto the stroller Always on brand: David, the son of designer Ralph Lauren, wore a patriotic hat and sweatshirt from the family clothing line Looking back: Last week, Lauren paid tribute to her grandmother on Instagram, sharing a series of family photos of herself with her grandmother throughout the years Sweet moment: Lauren's son James held on to his great-grandmother's pearls while enjoying a visit with her as a baby Thousands attended Barbara's general public viewing at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston throughout the day. A private by-invitation funeral service a was held at the church the next day. The weekend before she gave birth, Lauren revealed that she was savoring her last moments as a mother-of-one while sharing a photo of herself enjoying the warm New York City weather with James. 'Soaking in the [sun emoji] and my final weeks (or days) as a mama of one and a family of three!' she captioned the image, which appears to have been taken by her husband. 'Cant wait to meet the little bub in my belly, but for now its also nice to just relish in what we already have,' she added. Paying tribute: David posted a picture of their eldest son with his 'unforgettable' great-grandmother Barbara and her husband, former President George H.W. Bush Mourning: Much of Lauren's family was in Texas with Barbara's husband, George, who greeted mourners who came to pay their respects at his wife's viewing on Friday Great loss: The former president, who was married to Barbara for 73 years, sat behind his wife'scoffin at the viewing held at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston Surprise: Lauren, who had a May due date, shared this photo of herself savoring what she thought was going to be her final weeks as a mother-of-one the weekend before she gave birth David also posted the image on Instagram, writing: 'The final countdown as we wait for the arrival of our next baby. Such a beautiful spring day in #NYC.' Earlier this year, Lauren happily showed off her growing baby bump while she and David enjoyed a 'babymoon' in Arizona in February, three months ahead of her due date. 'Babymooning with my one @davidlauren and feeling even more excited and centered to welcome our baby to the world in 3 months!' she captioned a series of images from the trip. Lauren met David at the Met Gala in 2004 when she was just 19 years old, and the two have returned to the high-profile social event every year since to celebrate the anniversary of their first meeting. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is such a special place for the couple that when it came time to propose to his lady love in 2010 he chose that very spot. Mom-to-be: Lauren happily showed off her growing baby bump while she and David enjoyed a 'babymoon' in Sedona, Arizona, in February Feeling zen: The expectant mom was perfectly dressed for the heat in a white peasant dress featuring a floral print Getaway: David shared the same images on Instagram, writing: 'Finding peace and meeting a few zen masters along the way on our #babymoon' David suggested that they meet at the Met to look at some new pictures before attending a dinner nearby, but when Lauren arrived at the venue she was surprised that no one else was there but him. The art work he wanted her to see was actually a series of photographs from their seven years together. 'I created our own exhibition of our life together,' David told Vogue in 2011. 'And I got down on my knee and proposed. 'Then we went outside and took a carriage ride with a clarinetist and a saxophonist following us.' Instead of saying 'I do' in their home city of New York, the couple wed at the Lauren family's 17,000-acre Double RL ranch in Ridgway, Colorado, over Labor Day weekend in 2011. Four years later, in November 2015, the couple welcomed James. She's a famously hands-on grandmother who regularly helps her daughter Kate by babysitting, and within hours of the birth of her new grandson it seemed that Carole was already in action. The Duchess of Cambridge's mother was spotted stocking up on supplies from Boots and Peter Jones in the King's Road area this afternoon. Carole, 63, opted for a casual ensemble for her outing, stepping out in a red and white striped t-shirt and blue jeans, teamed with a neutral blazer. The proud grandmother-of-three was not spotted visiting her daughter and the new arrival at The Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington. However, the Duchess of Cambridge left hospital with the new arrival this evening, so Carole may be set to have her first visit in the privacy of Kensington Palace. Carole Middleton, 63, was spotted picking up essentials from Boots and Peter Jones on the King's Road this afternoon, hours after the birth of her new grandchild The Middleton matriarch looked stylish in blue jeans and striped t-shirt teamed with nude heels and a matching blazer Kensington Palace announced the baby was born at 11am, after Kate was taken by car before 6am to the Lindo Wing. While her daughter was preparing to announce her third baby to the world, Carole was spotted out and about. She swiftly walked down the road with her shopping before heading to her parked car where she placed her shopping bag all while keeping a firm grip on her mobile phone, perhaps awaiting further news of her new grandchild. The Duchess of Cambridge will be leaving St Mary's Hospital this evening, the palace said, adding that George and Charlotte have returned to Kensington Palace after meeting their new brother. William was present for the birth this morning, and both Kate and the child were 'doing well', according to a palace spokesman. Senior members of the royal family were all said to be 'delighted with the news'. Kensington Palace said: 'Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge will be leaving St. Mary's Hospital this evening. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their son will travel home to Kensington Palace.' Beaming parents Kate and William were seen on the steps of St Mary's Hospital just hours after going to the Lindo Wing The famously hands-on grandmother stocked up on essentials. Carole walked down the road among other shoppers While her daughter was preparing to announce her third royal baby to the world Carole was spotted with bags from Boots and Peter Jones Carole placed her shopping bag in the car while keeping a firm grip on her mobile phone, perhaps awaiting further news of her new grandchild Ducking her head as she prepared to climb in the car, Carole had just her wallet and phone in hand The focused grandmother pounded the pavement with her shopping bags full of essentials along with balancing her brown handbag Carole pictured out shopping on the Kings Road stocking up after her daughter gave birth Royal watchers had been expecting a swift delivery at the Lindo Wing, with the child sharing a birthday with William Shakespeare and Lady Gabriella Windsor, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Sources told the Mail that George was at his school, Thomas's Battersea, today and was not taken out early. His sister Charlotte attends Willcocks Nursery in Kensington. No other royal visitors are expected at the Lindo Wing today. It is anticipated that the rest of the family, including the proud grandparents, will meet their grandson at Kensington Palace tomorrow. The self-proclaimed Royalist Town Crier announced the birth on the steps of the Lindo Wing, marking the moment by saying 'God save the Queen'. He drew cheers from the crowd of royal watchers outside the hospital. The beaming parents smiled and waved to adoring crowds, many of whom had waited outside the Lindo Wing for days Kate gazed adoringly at her newborn son robed all in white who gave his first royal wave William was seen leaving the hospital before returning with Prince George and Princess Charlotte Charlotte waved adorably at the waiting press and crowds as she kept a firm hold on her father's hand The youngster smiled in delight and like a young professional managed to turn around and carry on waving as her brother followed his father in to the building The toddler couldn't hide her excitement at meeting her baby brother today, as she waved happily to crowds outside the Lindo Wing on her way to meet the new arrival. She and her brother George held hands with Prince William as they made their way into the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington where Kate, 36, gave birth to a boy weighing 8lbs 7oz at 11am this morning. Charlotte - who attends Willcocks Nursery School in Kensington - looked adorable in a blue floral dress, teamed with a dropped navy cardigan while George was smart in his Thomas's Battersea school uniform. The little Prince who is known for having a shyer nature than outgoing Charlotte kept his head down, but was smiling as he made his way inside. His confident sister, however, started waving as soon as she stepped out of the family car and even turned back on the hospital steps to offer a final greeting to the crowds. Despite her tender years, she's had plenty of opportunity to practice her royal wave after taking part in overseas tours with the Duke and Duchess. Leslie Gifford, President and Creative Director of 360 Sweater Company, shares her knowledge on cashmere Cashmere wool, commonly known as cashmere, is often thought of as a winter fabric, but now is actually a great time to stock up on some sweaters. The super soft material is travel-friendly; it's lightweight, wrinkle-free and will keep you warm in heavily air conditioned places like on the airplane or in your hotel room. Leslie Gifford, President and Creative Director of 360 Sweater Company (a clothing brand with three divisions all devoted to cashmere: 360 Cashmere, Naked Cashmere, Skull) shares her knowledge on the luxe fabric. Year round: Cashmere wool, commonly known as cashmere, is often thought of as a winter fabric, but now is actually a great time to stock up on some sweaters. Seen here is the Camille Sweater by Naked Cashmere ($195) WHERE CASHMERE COMES FROM: Cashmere wool is gently shaved off of a goat. 'A cashmere goat has about 8 years of active service,' says Leslie. 'They are groomed once a year, in April or May when the animal is anxious to have it's heavy outer coat removed before the hot summer. 'Only about 150-200 grams is removed from a goat each season. That is enough yarn for less than 1/2 a sweater.' WHY IT'S SO EXCLUSIVE: 'Technically it has to do with the structure of the hair. The length and width and scaling of the raw fiber coupled with the ancient art of spinning the yarn makes it such a luxurious yarn, explains Leslie. 'The structure of the yarn is such that it is both very lightweight, warm and soft.' Unlike rougher fabrics like wool, cashmere can be worn against the skin. Mila Sweater by Naked Cashmere ($225) Left: Makena Cardigan by Naked Cashmere ($295). Right: Sansa Coat by Naked Cashmere ($495) HOW TO CARE FOR IT: While you might think that a cashmere garment can only be professionally dry cleaned, 'every cashmere sweater has seen a washing machine and dryer in the production process,' Leslie points out. To wash cashmere: 'Use a very mild detergent or even baby shampoo. After rinsing, put the sweater in a salad spinner and spin out the excess moisture. Then block the sweater to shape on a clean white towel. When you wash cashmere properly it gets much softer. Though this will work on most sweaters, Leslie still recommends dry cleaning. Proper care: While you might think that a cashmere garment can only be professionally dry cleaned, 'every cashmere sweater has seen a washing machine and dryer in the production process,' Leslie points out HOW 360 SWEATER COMPANY KEEPS THEIR PRICES DOWN: Leslie credits 360 Sweater Company's fair prices to their focus on the yarn, with Naked Cashmere being the most affordable as a direct to consumer brand. 'The majority of our cashmere is sourced vertically. We are in contact with the herders in Mongolia, and make the trip there every couple of years. 'Our factory partner also participates in every step from washing the raw fiber to knitting the sweater. We are involved in the spinning and development of new techniques to produce the finest sweaters in the world.' The California-based brand not only offers beautiful cashmere fashions at a fair price, they give back to their community through various charities. Wallet-friendly: Leslie credits 360 Sweater Company's affordable prices to their focus on the yarn. More than 90% of the brand's business is cashmere WHY CASHMERE IS GREAT FOR SPRING: After a long, dark winter, many will head to tropical climates in the next couple of weeks. 'I never travel without a cashmere sweater and of course my cashmere blanket,' says Leslie. 'There is nothing better in the spring and summer than a featherweight duster to make an impression and keep you comfortable in the evenings. We sell cashmere products (hats, scarves, jumpsuits, and more) all year round, all around the world.' A cashmere sweater is a casual and smart alternative to a jacket this time of year. Advertisement While royal fans were eager to catch their first glimpse of the newborn prince this evening, the Duchess of Cambridge's outfit choice surely came a close second. And the royal gave one of her favourites, Jenny Packham, the nod for the third time running after commissioning the designer to create a dress for her to wear when leaving hospital. The new mother, 36, stunned in a red knee-length shift dress with a pretty white lace collar - a choice with a more chic edge that its two prettily patterned predecessors. Helen Canning Ford, stylist and blogger at cocomamastyle.com, told Femail: 'Expectant mums will often plan their going home outfit with their newborn baby but the rest of us dont have the worlds eyes waiting to see us step out of the hospital. 'Just mere hours after giving birth Kate appeared radiant in a bespoke bold red dress with white lace collar by her go-to British designer, Jenny Packham. A simple tunic dress is ideal for mums post-birth, offering comfort and ease but Ive no doubt Kate will break out the luxe loungewear when back at home with William and the children, away from the worlds media.' The Duchess' PA and stylist Natasha Archer was seen exiting the Lindo Wing earlier after reportedly dropping off Kate's outfit so that she was ready to face the waiting media. New mother Kate, 36, stunned in a red knee-length shift dress with a pretty white lace collar today as she left The Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington A maternity style icon is born! Kate she wore a polka dot Jenny Packham crepe de chine dress to welcome Prince George to the world in July 2013 (left). She donned a summery yellow smock dress by the same designer for Charlotte's birth in 2015 (centre). And today it was a hat-trick for the designer as Kate stepped out in a red bespoke shift dress Kate teamed the red shift dress with a pair of her favourite blush suede heels (left). Right: Earlier today Kate's personal stylist Natasha Archer was seen leaving the hospital after reportedly dropping off Kate's outfit The Duchess opted for a strong pop of colour in a bright red dress with a delicate white lace collar as she introduced her newborn to the world The so-called 'Kate effect' sparked a sales frenzy, when the Duchess stepped out in a bespoke polka dot crepe de chine dress after giving birth to Prince George in July 2013. Within hours of her appearance on the steps of the Lindo Wing, similar dresses by Jenny Packham had sold out. The designer's website crashed after initial reports the dress may be available to buy online. It was later confirmed that the frock was a one-off creation for the Duchess. At the time, Kate won praise for wearing a dress that showed off her 'mummy tummy' rather than trying to hide it. Proud Prince William placed his arm around his wife as they introduced their new baby prince to the world Doting mother Kate couldn't take her eyes of her newborn as she left the Lindo Wing with her newborn this evening Netmums founder Siobhan Freegard said that by showing off her neat bump the duchess had dispelled the myth that all mothers should be perfect postpartum. In a couple of minutes on the steps of the Lindo Wing Kate has done more for new mums self-esteem than any other role model, she said. When Charlotte was born in May 2015, Kate chose a buttercup yellow dress with a loose fitting shift silhouette. The sunny floral print was a motif from Packham's SS15 collection, but the dress itself was again specially made just for the Duchess. The creator of the hit royal drama series Victoria has praised Meghan Markle metomorphasis from from a TV actress into a 'national treasure'. Speaking in this week's Radio Times, Daisy Goodwin said that the ease with which Meghan has taken to royal life has been incredible. She added that her previous career as an actress has been the ideal preparation for her new role. 'What's really remarkable is how seamlessly Meghan has made the transition from the small screen to national treasure,' she said. 'The Duchess of Cambridge had nearly ten years to grow into her tiara Meghan has been engaged for five months, and she has already mastered her role.' Indeed, the former Suits star's involvement in royal duties and events before her marriage is unprecedented. The creator of royal drama series Victoria said that Meghan's acting career has prepared her perfectly for royal life Victoria creator Daisy Goodwin said that Meghan's transition to royal life had been 'remarkable' At Christmas she was invited to spent Christmas at Sandringham with the Queen despite the fact Kate and Princess Diana were not included until after they were married. Last week, she undertook her most high profile engagement on behalf of the royal family to date when she joined Harry at a Commonwealth Youth Forum reception. She was also invited along to the Queen's 92nd birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday night, alongside other senior royals including Prince Charles and the Duke of Cambridge. And today she was by her fiance's side for a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of Stephen Lawrence's death at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London. Harry and Meghan today attended a memorial service to mark 25 years since Stephen Lawrence was killed in a racially motivated attack in London The couple arrived at the church today for a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of Stephen Lawrence's death Daisy opened up about her views on Meghan in this week's Radio Times On arrival the couple stopped outside to speak with the murdered teenager's mother Doreen Lawrence, now a peer sitting in the Lords, and her son Stuart. The 18-year-old murder victim was fatally stabbed by a gang of racists in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22, 1993. During the service Harry read a message support on behalf of the Prince of Wales, who in 2000 gave the annual Stephen Lawrence Memorial Lecture. This week's Radio times is on sale from Tuesday 24th April In the Kardashian clan, there always seems to be some competition at least, that's how some fans see it. Last month, super-supporters of youngest sibling Kylie Jenner, 20, accused her big sister Kim Kardashian, 37, of copying her with one of her product launches, and now those fans are back making similar accusations against Kim once again. The vocal fans seem to think that Kim's new eyeshadow palette bares striking similarities to one Kylie released over a year ago and some refuse to believe it is a coincidence. For real? Fans are accusing Kim Kardashian of copying her younger sister Kylie with the eyeshadow palette Same: They say it is too similar to her Royal Peach Palette, released last year Hers: 37-year-old Kim's is mostly neutral with one bold royal blue And hers: Kylie's is also made up of neutrals with a single royal blue On April 5, Kim added a new addition to her KKW Beauty line, in collaboration with her longtime make-up artist Mario Dedivanovic. The KKWxMARIO palette, which sold out in days, featured ten colors. Most were a mix of matte and shimmery neutrals, with names like Miami, Armenian, and Bronzy. There was also a shimmery purple called Vegas and a bold, hyper-pigmented blue called Libra. To Kylie's fans, though, this color combo was all too familiar. In January of 2017, Kylie dropped an eyeshadow palette of her own called the Royal Peach Palette. Made up of 12 colors, this palette is also mostly neutral with the exception of one bold royal blue shadow called Royal, which sits among colors like Sandy, Cinnamon, Peachy, Seashell, and Sorbet. 'Why does Kim & Marios palette look JUST like Kylies Royal Peach Palette, but smaller?' wrote one Twitter user. Specifics: Kylie's palette has 12 colors, including a green, a shimmery rust, and a light purple Different: Kim's has a deeper purple, a matte nude, and a shimmery white Hmmm... Some fans have taken to Twitter to draw similarities Not a fan: Many seem critical of Kim and her makeup products Boo: This one was excited at first put unimpressed with the release Samesies: The two sisters cannot seem to escape comparisons Gone! Despite criticism, Kim's palette quickly sold out 'Deff was looking forward to the Mario x KKW collaboration but it honestly looks just like the royal peach pallete from Kylie' wrote another. 'I actually think the #KKWxMARIO palette looks lush but isn't it the exact colour scheme as Kylie's peach palette?... The only difference I can see is the texture of the blue?' tweeted a third. A fourth wrote: 'If I was kylie Id be heated.' While Kylie's fans are quick to call people out, it's worth noting that Kylie Cosmetics is hardly the first or only beauty brand to put out an eyeshadow palette with browns, nudes, and a blue thrown in. Stila's In The Light Eye Shadow Palette, which has been around sinec at least 2013, has a similar color scheme, as do the Violet Voss x Nicol Concilio PRO Eyeshadow Palette and Sephora Collection Once Upon a Look Eyeshadow Palette. Wait a minute! Neither Kim nor Kylie are the only beauty gurus to put out a palette in this color scheme Stila released this palette in 2013 Aha! The PRO Eyeshadow Palette by Violet Voss x Nicol Concilio is also quite similar Another one! The Sephora Collection also has a palette made up of mostly neutrals and a nude Take two: Kim's partner, Mario, also put out this palette (with a color called Kim!) with Anastasia Beverly Hills last year In fact, Kim's partner Mario even put out a blue-and-brown palette before, with Anastasia Beverly Hills. But none of this has stopped Jenner's fans from being incredibly territorial, and this is not the first time they have made such claims against Kim. In March, Kim announced the release of her Conceal, Bake & Brighten concealer kits under the KKW Beauty label, which went on March 23. But while many of her fans like the 2.7 million who liked a teaser photo she shared on Instagram were thrilled, little sister Kylie's fans are insisted that Kim was ripping off the younger star. New stuff: Kim announced in March that she was releasing concealers, which also led to criticism from Kylie's fans All the colors! Her younger sister also has a range of concealers (pictured) as part of her cosmetics line Two fo a kind: Some superfans accused Kim of ripping off Kylie Kylie released her concealer range back in December. Like the rest of the products from Kylie Cosmetics, they were a hit. Three months later, Kim expanded her beauty empire with concealers of her own. While many people might point out that the move made sense after all, there are only so many different kinds of cosmetics products some of Kylie's most loyal fans insisted that Kim was just copying her little sister. 'Why is Kim Kardashian bringing out concealer kits when Kylies already got concealers out?' wrote one. 'I dont get it why copy your sister, surely theres something different you can think to release?' 'Not only is Kim trynna steal Kylies hustle she only dropping 16 concealer shades when her sister dropped 30 shes about to get dragged,' wrote another. Trio: The concealers, modeled by three generations, came out March 23 Logic: However, Kylie's fans have argued that since Kylie sells concealer, Kim shouldn't Fight? Some even think they are feuding, and the concealer was a sign Copycat: This fan said Kim is trying to 'steal Kylie's hustle' Some went to far as to speculate on a feud between the two, with one writing: 'I feel like theres a sister feud between kim and Kylie, now kim is about to sell concealer.' Of course, when Kim launched KKW Beauty, it was in conjunction with Kylie Cosmetics. Her first products, liquid lipsticks, were under the KKW x Kylie Cosmetics banner. But that didn't stopped her critics. 'Kim K is the queen of petty. I know Im not the only one who peeped her new product which is clearly concealer on Snapchat just a month after Kylie dropped hers,' one tweeted back in January. 'Kims about to come for Kylie in the concealer game,' tweeted another, while one more wrote, 'So KKW beauty is coming out with a line of concealers despite Kylie already having a line? Cmon competition! I wonder if Kims will be better. I read some not-so-good reviews about Kylies.' Together: Kim and Kylie have both been building their beauty empires, and all evidence points to them supporting each other Remember? Kim's first liquid lipsticks were released under Kylie's brand Huh... That hasn't stopped some fans for playing up the competition Contest: Some are wondering which of the two products will be better A mother-of-three performed the world's first DIY breast-implant removal at home because she could not afford to pay for surgery. Tonia Rossington, a part-time cleaner, looked up how to do the operation on Google before using a 99p scalpel, 2.50 bottle of disinfectant and bag of ice to carry out the procedure on March 16 this year. Ms Rossington, 49, who could not afford to have the 3,000 operation done privately, hated her F-cup implants too much to join an NHS waiting list and was also conscious of not costing the health service money. After cutting through scar tissue and fat, Ms Rossington 'popped' out both implants in less than 10 minutes in an at-home procedure she claims was completely painless due to severe nerve damage caused by the original operation. Ms Rossington, from Skegness, Lincolnshire, who developed depression and anxiety as a result of her implants, then took herself to A&E, where she was discharged just hours later without stitches. She is speaking out to encourage women to think very carefully before undergoing cosmetic surgery. Tonia Rossington performed the world's first DIY breast-implant removal at home because she could not afford to pay for surgery (pictured after undergoing the botch procedure) Ms Rossington (pictured before) had implants fitted after feeling that breastfeeding her three children had left her with a saggy chest, but regretted them when she began to lose weight Even though she admits her breasts are now 'not pretty', she is thrilled with the results 'The NHS is under such a huge strain and I didn't want to add to that' Speaking of the at-home procedure, Ms Rossington said: 'The NHS is under such a huge strain as it is and I didn't want to add to that. 'I have a pretty strong stomach and knew I could just take them out myself. 'I tried to save for an explant. I was putting money in a jar but something always came up. 'I thought "This is never going to happen." I started suffering with anxiety and my giant boobs really started to get me down. I desperately wanted them out. 'I knew people would say "Well you shouldn't have had them in the first place" or "Well you had them put in, you live with it", so I just decided to do it on my own.' She was not prepared to join an NHS waiting list or waste the health service's money Ms Rossington claims her huge bust caused her to suffer from depression and anxiety IS BREAST-IMPLANT REMOVAL SURGERY FREE IN THE UK? Breast-implant removal surgery is regarded as a low priority and is not generally paid for by the NHS. NHS England will typically pay if patients are experiencing the following: Breast disease, which causes lumps and bumps Recurrent infections Hardening of scar tissue with severe pain Hardening of scar tissue that affects medical imaging Rupturing of silicon gel-filled implants Patients with PIP implants should contact their GP or the private clinic that fitted them. PIP implants were withdrawn from the UK in 2010 after it was discovered they were fraudulently manufactured with unapproved silicone gel that made them up to six times more likely to split. Ruptured breast implants have no long-term health risks but could cause pain, tenderness, redness and a change in breast shape. Some private clinics have agreed to remove PIP implants free of charge if medically necessary. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement 'I couldn't feel anything' A year ago, after discovering she could not afford to pay for a private operation, Ms Rossington wrote to her GP saying she was suffering mental-health problems linked to her implants and told him she had considered taking them out herself. A reply letter simply stated such surgery could only be performed on the NHS in her area if the implants were ruptured and causing severe pain or if there was extreme scarring. Ms Rossington felt her only option was to do it herself, saying: 'When I started thinking about doing it, I googled it. 'There was only one lady who'd tried in America, but she only got one out before she passed out and went to the hospital. 'The NHS only do it in really severe circumstances. You need a really valid reason and you can be on the waiting list for years unless it's a serious emergency. 'Even if I'd had gone with the NHS I knew it would be a long wait and I'd got it in my mind that I just wanted them out there and then. She said: 'At this point I was still thinking "Are you mental?" 'I came home and I lay awake at night just thinking "I'm going to do this tonight". 'I was still trying to talk myself out of it. I kept saying to myself "Don't be crazy. You're not thinking straight". 'Anyway it got to teatime and I got some ice cubes out of the freezer and put them in a plastic sandwich bag and tied it up like an ice bag. 'I went upstairs, I got the mirror in front of me. I sat there for a while and thought I'd just cut a little bit to see if it hurts. 'I put the ice underneath where the original scar is. I lifted my boob up and held the ice there for five minutes until I couldn't bear it any longer. 'After a bit I pinched the skin and I couldn't feel anything. I just got the knife and I did a tiny little incision on the original scar tissue and I couldn't feel a thing. I thought "Oh, this doesn't hurt. Great!" Image shows the breast implant Ms Rossington removed after it ruptured inside of her She performed the operation with this 99p scalpel, as well as a 2.50 bottle of disinfectant After the procedure, Ms Rossington made makeshift dressings and took herself to A&E Implant turned to mush Ms Rossington traced the line of her 14-year-old scar, being careful not to hit any major veins or arteries. She then cut through fat and scar tissue until she began to see lumps of silicone. Ms Rossington said: 'God it was awful. The implant had clearly ruptured. 'There was all this jelly, which was my fatty tissue. It sounds disgusting. 'Then I came to something that looked like a pocket, which I'd read about. 'You get a breast pocket which forms around the implant. I came to that and thought "I've got to get through this now". 'That took 10 minutes to get through but there was still no pain. Seriously I'm not joking, there was no pain. It was unreal. She said: 'And I was looking at myself in the mirror thinking "I'm dreaming this. Am I really doing this?" 'Then I saw the implant and that's when the adrenaline kicked in. 'I got some gauze and I grabbed the implant and that's when I realised it was ruptured. 'As I pulled it a chunk of it came off in my hand and that's when I panicked. I thought "I've got to get this out of me now. I have to do this". 'There was silicone everywhere. As I was pulling it it was just turning to mush.' Ms Rossington, who claims she has a strong stomach, said she was driven to desperation The mother-of-three asked herself is she was crazy, before doing the at-home removal anyway Ms Rossington (pictured before) said her implants looked odd after she lost a lot of weight Took herself to A&E After making the incision, Ms Rossington pushed down on her implant until it popped out. She then took a deep breath and did the same with the left implant, which was intact and came out straight away. Ms Rossington then made makeshift dressings under her breasts, putting on a bra to keep them in place, and drove herself to the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire. Before leaving, she left her husband, 38, who was working a night shift, a note to say she had to go to A&E but not to worry. Shaking, she handed the A&E desk clerk a note detailing what she had done. At first they thought she meant she had removed her contraceptive implant and could not believe it when Ms Rossington said: 'No, my boobs!' Doctors squirted saline in the ruptured side to remove the silicone and changed Ms Rossington's dressings, before she was discharged at 1am without stitches. Ms Rossington has since had a scan at the Pilgrims Hospital's breast clinic that shows none of the silicone is still inside her body and her scars are healing well. Ms Rossington (after) claims she now loves her breasts, with her scars healing well Ms Rossington performed the procedure while looking in a mirror, thinking she was dreaming 'If I want to say one thing, it's don't get implants, ever' Ms Rossington said: 'I'm not ashamed of what I've done. I think it raises awareness of exactly how desperate some ladies can get. 'If I want to say one thing, it's don't get implants, ever. I see these adverts on TV for MYA [a cosmetic-surgery specialist] and these girls bouncing around on horses saying "I got breast implants and life is great!" 'And I just think "You'll regret it!" I wouldn't advise anybody to get them. 'And once you're desperate to get them out you basically get "Well you paid to have them put in, so you should pay to get them out". She said: 'That's why I felt that I didn't really want to go through the NHS because of that stigma attached to it. To be honest I think the NHS should only pay for explants in emergencies. 'I didn't want to end up costing the NHS loads of money and I just hated [the implants] so much I wanted them out there and then. 'I probably saved them thousands. The nurses at the hospital even said that in A&E, trying to lighten the mood. 'Now they're gone I just love it. I'll be honest, they don't look pretty; there's a lot of saggy skin. 'But I would never have implants again. They were the worst mistake I ever made.' Ms Rossington wants women to think very carefully before undergoing any cosmetic surgery She claims implants are the 'worst mistake I ever made' and guarantees people regret them 'As I lost weight they just looked ridiculous' Ms Rossington's husband paid for her to have breast implants, costing 2,400, in Brussels, which took her bust size from 36B to 36F. She believed that after breastfeeding three children, her chest was saggy and deflated. At the time, 5ft 2in Ms Rossington was a size 12-to-14 and felt her implants looked natural. Yet, within a few years, she lost weight and began to hate them. Ms Rossington said: 'At that time, all the big boobs were in fashion and I'd had three children and I thought "I want big boobs". 'For a time I thought they were great, but that soon wore off. 'As I lost weight they just looked ridiculous. Plus I'd lost some of my own breast tissue so they'd started to sag really badly. 'A year later I started to think "Oh God I've got to have these in now for the rest of my life". She said: 'I just thought "What can I do?" 'I would cover them up, wear tight bras and high-necked tops. But the last two years I got really serious about wanting them out. 'They affected me mentally and physically. I was constantly trying to cover them up. 'You know you see these women out with their low cut tops flaunting them? Well I wasn't like that. 'I was wearing bras that were too small to squash them in. I hated them so much. I was ashamed of my own body.' 'She has been amazingly lucky to get away with it' Plastic surgeon Dr Naveen Cavale, from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said it is possible the previous surgery affected the nerves at the base of Mrs Rossington's breasts, preventing her from feeling pain during the implants' removal. Dr Cavale added performing such an at-home operation is extremely dangerous and carries a risk of infection, excessive bleeding and hitting arteries. He added: 'She has been amazingly lucky to get away with it.' A spokesman for NHS England said the policy on the removal of breast implants is determined by the relevant clinical commissioning group where the individual is based. A young woman, who discovered she had a brain tumour while she was pregnant, was told the condition is terminal just one month after giving birth. Tyla Livingstone, 21, from Lochgelly, Fife, could be dead in as little as two years and is definitely not expected to see her son Preston celebrate his fifth birthday. Ms Livingstone, who gave birth on January 12 this year, was back in hospital days later where she endured five-hour surgery to remove her brain tumour. Yet, biopsy results revealed Ms Livingstone had a grade four glioblastoma, which is almost certain to return. Ms Livingstone is speaking out to raise money towards alternative treatments, such as cannabidiol (CBD) oil, in the hope they may prolong her life. Speaking of her diagnosis, Ms Livingstone said: 'I don't think it's really sunk properly. It's more my son I think about and me not being there. I'm just living day by day.' Legal in the UK, CBD is a nutritional cannabis supplement. It does not contain any THC, which is the psychotic component that makes users 'high'. Tyla Livingstone discovered she had a brain tumour while pregnant (pictured while expecting) Since giving birth, Ms Livingstone (believed to be pictured before) learnt just one month after giving birth that her cancer is terminal. Doctors have given her two-to-five years left to live Her son Preston was born after a traumatic birth at 39 weeks. His heart stopped six times Days after giving birth, Ms Livingstone endured five-hour surgery to remove her tumour WHAT IS A GLIOBLASTOMA AND JUST HOW DEADLY IS IT? THE AGGRESSIVE BRAIN TUMOR SUFFERED BY JOHN MCCAIN Senator John McCain was diagnosed with a glioblastoma in July 2017 Glioblastoma is considered the most aggressive tumor that can form in the brain. Senator John McCain was diagnosed with one in July 2017. Patients have a 10 percent chance of surviving five years after their diagnosis, according to figures. The average lifespan is between 14 and 16 months. Three adults per every 100,000 will be struck down with a glioblastoma, says The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). It is most commonly found in men aged 50 to 60, and there is no link between developing glioblastoma and having a previous history with other cancers. WHAT IS THE TUMOR MADE OF? The tumor is made up of a mass of cells growing quickly in the brain, and in most cases patients have no family history of the disease. It won't spread to other organs, however, once it is diagnosed, it is nearly impossible to target, surgeons claim. Unlike other types of brain cancer which are more specifically located, glioblastoma can occur in any part of the brain. WHAT TREATMENT IS AVAILABLE? Because the tumor likely already spread deep into the brain by the time it is diagnosed, the cancerous tissue is incredibly difficult to remove. Surgeon will only ever remove the tumor, or part of the tumor, if it won't do any damage to the surrounding brain tissue. Dr Babcar Cisse, a neurosurgeon at the Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center, told Daily Mail Online in July 2017: 'By the time a glioblastoma is diagnosed, microfibers can spread to the rest of the brain which an MRI would not spot. 'So even if the main tumor is removed and the patient receives radiation and chemotherapy, it will come back.' GRADING A GLIOBLASTOMA Brain tumors are graded from between one to four, depending on how fast they grow and how aggressive they are. Malignant tumors are either given a high-grade three or four, while benign ones are given a lower grade one or two. Glioblastoma is often referred to as a grade four astrocytoma - another form of brain tumor, says the AANS. SYMPTOMS Patients typically complain of symptoms such as confused vision, trouble with memory, dizziness and headaches. The symptoms are somewhat nonspecific, and vary from person to person, and may not persist. The disease is therefore impossible to diagnose based on symptoms alone. Advertisement 'I feel numb. It doesn't seem real' Ms Livingstone said: 'The whole thing has been salt and sweet. I had my son around the same time this happened. 'I feel numb. It doesn't seem real. It's like it's two different lives.' Ms Livingstone collapsed in November last year after suffering a seizure when getting out of the bath. She said: 'I had been getting stomach pains so I decided to take a bath but when I was in it my arm started feeling funny and began seizing up. 'I managed to get out and I couldn't breathe. I passed out and woke up with my gran on the phone to an ambulance. 'My blood pressure was high because I was in panic mode so they took me into hospital and wanted to test me for preeclampsia. There was no sign of that. 'They then did an MRI scan. I was lucky I was pregnant or they wouldn't have done the scan they said. They found something at the front left of my brain. 'At first they said it was a small growth and might be fine then they told me it was a cancerous growth.' Specialists at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh monitored Ms Livingstone until she gave birth. Her cancer was not aggressive or growing at the time. Despite her tumour being removed, doctors expect the aggressive cancer will return Ms Livingstone, who says she takes it day by day, is more concerned for her son than herself She hopes to pass parental rights to her mother Leah Livingstone, 41 (pictured), when she dies Ms Livingstone is trying alternative treatments, such as cannabis oil, to help prolong her life 'From the time I had Preston, the cancer grew dramatically' Ms Livingstone said: 'At 39 weeks I had Preston and it was a traumatic birth. His heart stopped six times and they had to finally get him out with forceps. 'From the time I had Preston, the cancer grew dramatically.' Ms Livingstone hopes her mother, Leah Livingstone, 41, will take on parental rights over Preston when she is no longer around. Leah has set up a fundraising page for her daughter to cover any costs for CBD oil or additional treatments her daughter may require. Ms Livingstone said: 'I've read stories about CBD oil so I'm going to start using that but have to start on a low dosage and build it up as it can be strong.' Donate towards Ms Livingstone's treatment here. A painkiller commonly prescribed in Spain has been linked to the death of two British holidaymakers. Gary Robson, 59, believes his mother Gloria, 81, suffered a fatal brain bleed as a result of taking Nolotil. Gloria was prescribed Nolotil for her back pain, despite the drug being banned in the UK, US and most of Europe due to its 'toxic' blood-disorder effects. Mr Robson, from Romford, Essex, also claims his father Alan, 82, died while taking Nolotil, a brand name for the drug metamizole, in Spain last year. He is speaking out to urge tourists to challenge Spanish medics who prescribe the analgesic. Gloria, 81, is thought to have died from a brain bleed after being prescribed Nolotil in Spain Gloria's son Gary Robson, 59, wants tourists to challenge doctors prescribing the drug Banned in the UK, Nolotil has been linked to severely low immune cell counts WHAT IS THE DRUG NOLOTIL? AND WHY IS IT CONTROVERSIAL? Nolotil, which is available on prescription in Spain and Portugal, is given out for mild pain, such as toothaches and muscular discomfort. Its main side effect is hypersensitivity, which can lead to people suffering from agranulocytosis. This is defined as severely low white blood cell counts, which are involved in the immune system. Assuming that 300 million people take Nolotil once a month, between 50 and 500 deaths would occur as a result of the medication over a year. People with fair skin are thought to be more affected. After its mass production in 1922, Nolotil was first banned in Sweden in 1974, followed by the US in 1979 and subsequently most of the EU. Many countries still use Nolotil for veterinary use. It is available over-the-counter in Russia, with reports suggesting it makes up around 80 per cent of the region's painkiller market. Nolotil is also readily available to the public in Mexico, India and Brazil. Some argue Nolotil causes less cardiovascular, kidney and gastrointestinal side effects than other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin. Advertisement 'They dish out Nolotil like Anadin' Mr Robson told The Sun: 'They dish out Nolotil like Anadin but theres no warning on the pack.' Spains General Directorate of Pharmacy declined to comment. It is not the first time the drug has caused controversy, with the British holidaymaker William Smith, 66, also passing away in February 2016 in Torrevieja while taking a five-day course of Nolotil. Mr Smith developed sepsis and a flesh-eating bacterial infection as a result of the medication. Despite having surgery to remove affected tissue, the father-of-two later died from septic shock. Mr Robson claims his father Alan (pictured) died aged 82 after also taking Nolotil WHERE IS NOLOTIL PRESCRIBED? AND WHERE IS IT BANNED? Nolotil can be prescribed for mild pain relief in: Spain Portugal It is banned in: The UK The US Sweden Japan Australia Most of the EU It is available over-the-counter in: Mexico India Brazil Russia Advertisement Why is Nolotil controversial? Nolotil, which is also available on prescription in Portugal, is given out for mild pain, such as toothaches and muscular discomfort. Its main side effect is hypersensitivity, which can lead to people suffering from agranulocytosis. This is defined as severely low white blood cell counts, which are involved in the immune system. Assuming that 300 million people take Nolotil once a month, between 50 and 500 deaths would occur as a result of the medication over a year. People with fair skin are thought to be more affected. After its mass production in 1922, Nolotil was first banned in Sweden in 1974, followed by the US in 1979 and subsequently most of the EU. Many countries still use Nolotil for veterinary use. It is available over-the-counter in Russia, with reports suggesting it makes up around 80 per cent of the region's painkiller market. Nolotil is also readily available to the public in Mexico, India and Brazil. Some argue Nolotil causes less cardiovascular, kidney and gastrointestinal side effects than other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin. The Brazilian butt lift is the deadliest cosmetic procedure, an international taskforce has warned. The procedure has surged in popularity as women seek to emulate curvy-bottomed celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj and Chloe Khan. But the peachy posterior surgery also carries the highest death rate of any aesthetic operation, according to the MultiSociety Gluteal Fat Grafting Task Force. They have called for plastic surgeons to reevaluate their techniques 'urgently' as they clamour to identify why it carries such a high risk. The Brazilian butt lift has surged in popularity with curvy-bottomed celebrities such as Kim Kardashian driving trends (pictured wearing Tom Ford at the Spring Summer 2018 New York Fashion Week last September) The MSGFGTF, which represents five societies, was set up following three deaths in Florida last year from Brazilian butt lifts. It has since urged surgeons to 'stay as far away from the gluteal nerve as possible' when trying to achieve a peachy posterior. In a 'shocking' report, the taskforce said: 'The death rate of approximately one in 3,000 is the highest rate for any aesthetic procedure. 'Every surgeon performing Brazilian butt lifts should immediately reevaluate his or her technique.' The taskforce, which represents the American Society of Plastic Surgeons among others, said the deaths were presumed to be from tears in the large gluteal veins allowing fat to block major arteries. But autopsies of some patients who have died have also suggested surgeons have injected fat deeper than they intended to. WHAT IS A BRAZILIAN BUTT LIFT? A Brazilian Butt Lift uses fat transferred from other areas of the body, such as the love handles, hips or stomach, to provide patients with a fuller derriere. Clinics report the procedure, which costs between 6,500 and 10,000, has seen more than a 50 per cent increase compared to five years ago. The procedure's nickname was coined in 1996 after Dr Leonard Grossman was filmed performing fat transfer surgery on a patient from Brazil. The surgery takes anywhere from one to two hours to perform. The amount of downtime ranges from one to three weeks, plastic surgeons claim. Advertisement It added patients who want a super-sized behind should have the procedure carried out in stages, rather than all at once. 'The risk of death should be discussed with every prospective Brazilian butt lift patient,' the MSGFGTF added in its report. It advised doctors to: Stay as far away from the gluteal veins and sciatic nerve as possible. Fat should only be grafted into the superficial planes, with the subcutaneous space considered safest. If the aesthetic goal requires more fat than can be placed in the subcutaneous layer the surgeon should consider staging the procedure rather than injecting deep Concentrate on the position of the cannula tip throughout every stroke to assure there is no unintended deeper pass, particularly in the medial half of the buttock overlying the critical structures Use access incisions that best allow a superficial trajectory for each part of the buttock; avoid deep angulation of the cannula; and palpate externally with the non-dominant hand to assure the cannula tip remains superficial Use instrumentation that offers control of the cannula; avoid bendable cannulas and mobile luer connections. Vibrating injection cannulas may provide additional tactile feedback Injection should only be done while the cannula is in motion in order to avoid high pressure bolus injections The risk of death should be discussed with every prospective Brazilian butt lift patient Rapper Minaj has denied having undergone buttock-enhancing surgery amid speculation (pictured in May 2016 celebrating the opening of Manus x Machina at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York) A Brazilian butt lift uses fat transferred from other areas of the body, such as the love handles, to provide patients with a fuller derriere. Clinics have reported the procedure, which costs between 6,500 and 10,000, has seen more than a 50 per cent increase compared to five years ago. The procedure's now widely-used nickname was coined in 1996 after Dr Leonard Grossman was filmed performing fat transfer surgery on a patient from Brazil. Kardashian has always denied having had a Brazilian Butt Lift or any form of bottom-boosting surgery. She underwent an X-ray seven years ago during an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians to prove she has never had implants. Rumours about her having them went viral again in 2016, when eagle-eyed fans spotted an indent on her backside. Kardashian claimed it was a rare side effect of having psoriasis injections in her bottom - but some doctors believe the dents are a sign of implants. Rapper Minaj has also denied having undergone buttock-enhancing surgery amid speculation in the press. But Matthew Schulman, a board certified plastic surgeon based in New York, argues on his website that 'her current backside is not the same one she was genetically destined to have' and claims she has had implants. British glamour model Chloe Khan, who shot to fame in 2010 following an unsuccessful audition for talent contest The X Factor, told Closer magazine last year how she was unable to sit down for six weeks after having a Brazilian butt lift. British doctors have today advised patients to carry out their research and choose their surgeons wisely. British glamour model Chloe Khan told Closer magazine last year how she was unable to sit down for six weeks after having a Brazilian butt lift Christopher Inglefield, of London Bridge Plastic Surgery, carries out Brazilian Butt Lifts at his Wimpole Street clinic. He said: 'So-called Brazilian butt lifts are becoming increasingly common as more women look to emulate fuller-bottomed celebrities.' However, Mr Inglefield added the MSGFGTF report, which was released in February, makes 'shocking reading'. 'Although the report offers suggestions for safer techniques, it avoids any reference to the training or qualifications of the practitioners carrying out gluteal fat grafting. 'It's so important patients do their research when choosing the best surgeon to carry out the work.' His clinic performs closed fat harvest, which 'avoids many of the complications talked about in the report'. It is carefully treated within a sterile device before being injected under low pressure into the buttocks through one or two very small incisions using a 3mm cannula. Catastrophic hospital blunders deemed so serious that they should never take place are happening to nine NHS patients every week. There were more than 430 so-called never events logged at NHS trusts across England in the 11 months between last April and March this year. Bungling doctors have operated on the wrong body parts, mixed up organs and left surgical tools inside patients a staggering number of times. And the worst eight hospitals were today named and shamed - with Guys and St Thomas in London responsible for 10 errors. There were more than 430 so-called never events logged at NHS trusts across England in the 11 months between last April and March this year Data published by NHS bosses revealed: Surgery took place in the wrong location on 187 occasions Four women had ovaries removed in error during hysterectomies, leaving them to face a lifetime of hormone replacement pills 102 patients had surgical equipment left inside them, including drill bits, screws, needles and swabs Three people fell from badly maintained windows - and 62 patients was subjected to the wrong implant Medics operated on the wrong eye three times and transfused the wrong blood type four times In Liverpool, hospital bosses were forced to apologise after removing the wrong mole from a cancer-scare patient. While in Leicester, a mix-up with two men with the same surname saw one of them wrongly having an operation. A top medical negligence lawyer warned that NHS trusts face massive compensation payouts for surgical error claims. Linda Millband, of Thompsons Solicitors, said: 'Taking out parts of the body without consent of the patient is clearly something which should never happen. WHICH HOSPITALS RECORDED THE MOST NEVER EVENTS? Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust 10 Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust 9 Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust 7 Royal Bournemouth & Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 7 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 7 Barts Health NHS Trust 7 Heatherwood & Wrexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 7 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 6 Advertisement 'Never events are extremely serious and by the very name, should not occur at any time. 'The fact that more than one event occurs each day suggests that clinical negligence cases are prevalent and that hospitals are not being provided with adequate government funding to eradicate the most serious acts of negligence.' There were 424 never events in 2016-17, which included 18 operations on the wrong knee. NHS chiefs say the rising number is due in part to increased reporting by staff. A spokesman said: 'It is vital that when terrible events happen hospitals investigate and take action to improve safety and reduce the risks of it happening again.' Never events represent a fraction of the 4.6 million surgical procedures carried out each year and only occur in one in 20,000 cases of surgery. Such incident have even led to deaths, including that of Frank Hibbard, who had undergone cancer surgery in October 2001 at Luton and Dunstable Hospital. Bungling medics left an 8cm-long piece of gauze inside his pelvis, which triggered a soft tissue cancer and led to the lorry driver's death, aged just 69. In 2015, Britain was called out for being one of the worst offenders for leaving items inside patients by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data comes after MailOnline reported on a series of NHS blunders that caused 137 men to lose one of their testicles in the past six years. Some 2.8 million in compensation was dished out to those who were affected by the 'devastating' incidents - around 20,000 each. The statistics, released by NHS Resolution in January, revealed some of the most horrific cases, including one man who had the wrong testicle removed. When mother-of-five Laura Linkson was offered a new form of sterilisation on the NHS that didnt involve surgery, she didnt hesitate. The procedure involved having an Essure device essentially tiny metal and plastic springs inserted into her fallopian tubes to stop eggs moving from the ovaries to the womb. The implant can be inserted via the vagina and into the tubes in as little as ten minutes. Laura, now 35, was one of thousands of women in Britain given Essure. Five years later, she bitterly regrets having the procedure, which has effectively crippled her, she says. The birth control device is called an Essure (pictured) and was inserted into thousands of women in the UK In some women, the devices have migrated or disintegrated, and the nickel titanium metal alloy and polyethelene terephthalate (PET) plastic fibres they are made from, have caused debilitating allergic reactions or cut into tissue, leaving women in excruciating pain or suffering nerve damage. It started with me needing a stick, then a mobility scooter and now Im in a motorised wheelchair, says Laura. Some days I cant get out of bed because of the pain. She had the devices removed in 2015 and a hysterectomy last year, but she has been told broken fragments of the devices remain inside her body. There are at least three fragments which have set up all sorts of long-term problems, but it doesnt seem there is any doctor in England with the expertise to get them out, she says. Laura, a former legal clerk from Southampton, is pinning her hopes on a referral to a Dutch specialist who uses an imaging technique called fluoroscopy to locate the tiny 1-2 mm fragments. Essure was first marketed in the UK in 2009. Last August the manufacturer, Bayer, instructed hospitals to stop using it. Although there had been a growing number of complaints, Bayer insisted the product was being withdrawn for commercial reasons. Janice Faulkner from Warrington, Cheshire, gained five stone, lost bladder control and was left unable to walk after the procedure It said the CE European safety approval mark on Essure had expired and no renewal would be sought. However, some NHS hospitals have continued to use up old stock, even though the Essure website now warns of side-effects including perforation of the uterus and/or fallopian tubes, identification of inserts in the abdominal or pelvic cavity, persistent pain, and allergic or hypersensitivity reactions. Weve been contacted by a number of women who say they have had Essure implants since hospitals were instructed to stop using them, says Jan Faulkner, who with Laura runs Life After Essure, a group campaigning on behalf of more than 300 affected women. It is very worrying there have been more than 30,000 complaints about Essure in America, but hospitals here have just carried on using it. She has written to more than 40 hospital trusts in Britain to find out how many have continued to Essure implant devices. Blackpool responded saying they are no longer implanting Essure but we know they have recently because I am helping a lady who had it done there. (Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust told Good Health it could not discuss individual patients but said it is no longer using the device.) Separate inquiries by Good Health showed that the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust in South Yorkshire had given Essure to one woman who, according to a hospital spokesman, had said she wanted the device despite the instructions from the manufacturer to stop implanting the device. A spokesperson for NHS Grampian told us: Three women chose to go ahead with the Essure procedure after detailed discussion with our clinical staff. She admitted that one of the three is experiencing continuing pain and is due to have a surgical investigation. Essure is one of a number of medical innovations approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for NHS patients, with minimal testing. The problems share striking similarities with vaginal mesh tape, used to treat incontinence. In some women the mesh disintegrated, and shards of the material have sheared into surrounding tissue and nerves, as Good Health has highlighted. Complaints from patients injured by faulty devices have too often fallen on deaf ears. Publicity about these kinds of issues led Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to recently announce a review into the official response to the complaints. Immediately after the devices were implanted inside her in 2008, a scan showed one had gone missing Baroness Julia Cumberlege, a former health minister, has been asked to chair the review into three areas vaginal mesh, the birth defects caused by Primodos, a hormone-based pregnancy test, and birth defects linked to the anti-epilepsy drug sodium valproate. On Friday, Laura will join Jan and five other injured women for a meeting with Baroness Cumberlege in the hope that she will see that the problems with Essure follow the same pattern as the problems with these other devices and should be added to her review, says Jan. The group will be joined by Carl Heneghan, a professor of evidence-based medicine at the University of Oxford. Only three months before Essure was removed from the market, MHRA officials were claiming they couldnt understand what the problem was, he says. Weve been here many times before. We need to fix this problem of defective medical devices once and for all instead of having repeated investigations which agree theres a safety problem but everyone hopes will go away on its own. Jan, 45, a mother of five from Warrington, Cheshire, has only recently recovered from her own Essure nightmare. Immediately after the devices were implanted in 2008, a scan showed one had gone missing. She was offered a second sterilisation with different clips, but unbeknown to her, the Essure devices were not removed. I started getting agonising pains in my back and my joints, and had strange rashes but when I complained, the doctors laughed at me, she says. They blamed the menopause. She was finally referred for surgery to remove her fallopian tubes in 2016 because of the pain. I couldnt believe it when they told me they had also taken out both the original Essure devices. I hadnt known they were still inside me. But the relief was instant. The five other women attending the meeting include Charlene Baldwin, 38, a mother of three from Rochester, Kent, who like most of the others, had a hysterectomy to alleviate her symptoms following the Essure procedure nine years ago. She suffers periodic paralysis several times a week in reaction to material from the device left in her body. My children sometimes have to help me to eat, she says. Dr Bas Veersema, a gynaecologist of the University of Utrecht, has pioneered a technique using high-resolution imaging for Essure removal and says his team has extracted 2,000 damaged devices from women. What doctors dont realise is that they fragment when you remove them, he says. We have found all sorts of abnormalities you would not expect. Sometimes the device will perforate the womb or the fallopian tube, sometimes calcified deposits form around them or they blow up the fallopian tube with a build-up of fluid. Scientifically we dont really know if these fragments cause an inflammatory reaction, but we think they do. Bayer continues to insist the device is safe, as does the MHRA (which says women should report any problems to the Agency). A spokesperson for the MHRA said: We strongly encourage any woman who has experienced a complication from her Essure device to report this to us through the Yellow Card scheme, regardless of how long ago the implant was inserted. A 57-year-old double lung transplant patient nearly died after cement used to fix a fracture in his spine leaked into the arteries of new organs. The man, who is unidentified in a case report from Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas, was given a two transplanted lungs. Subsequently, he had a fairly common back pain procedure, in which cement is injected between vertebrae to help alleviate pain and stress from the back. But according to the case report, the cement used in the procedure ultimately leaked into his blood vessels and making its way into the arteries of the mans new lungs. A scan of the man's lungs showed 'dense opacities,' evident in white streaks (at points of arrows), that nearly cut off the blood flow to his new lungs Lung transplants are relatively rare. About 2,000 people receive a lung transplant each year in the US, which is just over one tenth of the number of kidney transplants done every year. This man was one of those 2,000, but, according to the case report, the first to ever have the back procedure after such a transplant. Sometime after surgeons successfully transplanted donor lungs to the man, he developed back pain that was not responding well to pain medication. Ostensibly, the man had a back fracture, osteoporosis or spinal trauma, which was repaired through a relatively new procedure called a percutaneous vertebral augmentation. The augmentation uses an injection of medical-grade cement to fill a fracture in a vertebra. Filling the crack alleviates pain in the back by stabilizing the weakened vertebra and has a become fairly common solution to difficult-to-treat fractures. A 2011 study of the procedure treated cement leakages as being of little concern, although not a particularly uncommon one. The report said that leakages occurred in between six and 52 percent of cases, but that it was usually of no clinical significance, except for occasionally causing some nerve pain. The same review called the movement of cement into the spaces of the spine containing blood vessels or nerves are rare complications, most cases of which are clinically silent, but apparent in a CT scan. In its very next line, however, the report says that the this may happen in as many as 40 percent of cases. A different medical cement that had not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but was nonetheless used in similar procedures, has been accused of killing at least four spine patients after it leaked into their bloodstreams and clotted there. The man from the recent case study was much more fortunate. Just one day after his cement injection, the man returned to the hospital, complaining of shortness of breath. He told his doctors that he hadnt been wheezing or coughing, but their exam revealed that his heart was beating too fast and out of its normal rhythm, a condition called sinus tachycardia. Otherwise, he seemed okay: his lungs were functioning at 90 percent, and all of his other vital signs were in the normal range. But further scans showed thin dense opacities in his blood vessels, reaching into his lungs. The cement had leaked into his blood system and was causing an embolism, or blockage, in the main artery that delivers blood to the lungs. If blood flow becomes completely cut off from the lungs, shutting them down and causing sudden death. In most instances, these blockages are blood clots, and may dissolve on their own. But the cement was unlikely to go anywhere, and blood was clotting up around it. The mans doctors gave him a dose of enoxaparin, a drug that stops blood clotting. He was discharged from the hospital with a three-month prescription of the drug. Upon his return to the hospital three months later, the man still had the cement, but his blood pressure, breathing and all other vital signs were still fine. Remarkably, the same was true six months after the blockage began, and even a year later, when a scan revealed 'stable thin dense opacities without any progression of cement embolism.' In other words, it appears the man will live out the rest of his life with secondhand lungs and cement in both his back and his blood. Around 400,000 people, or 140,000 households, have been left without gas and electricity because they didn't have enough money to top up a pre-payment meter, new research has revealed. The majority of people affected were identified as being vulnerable and may have a child living with them or someone with a long-term health condition. Of those affected, just 9 per cent had contacted their energy supplier to discuss the issue and try and find a resolution, the research from Citizens Advice showed. 140,000 households have self-disconnected an energy meter because of a lack of funds 'Self-disconnection' happens when a meter loses the supply of energy because it has run out of money. Nearly all of the households, 120,000, who had self-disconnected at some point had vulnerable people living there. Of those 50 per cent had someone with a mental health condition, 33 per cent had a young child and 87 per cent were in receipt of benefits, the research from Citizens Advice showed. The charity said 59 per cent of those who had self disconnected were left in cold homes, 42 per cent said they were left without light, 35 per cent said they weren't able to wash and 17 per cent said they felt ashamed or embarrassed about the situation. Overall 1.9 million people with a pre-payment meter have been cut off at some point. This can happen for a number of reasons including if the meter has broken, is faulty, or if it has run out of money. The charity says this figure is largely unchanged from similar research carried out in 2014. Pre-payment meters are usually installed if a household isn't able to get a standard credit meter. This can happen for a number of reasons such as if the person's credit score isn't good enough and they aren't able to be approved for the standard meter. Historically having a prepayment meter has been more expensive than standard meters, with there being fewer tariffs available. Last year Ofgem introduced a price cap for those with a prepayment meter to try and protect them from price hikes and to bring the costs down in line with those for a standard meter. But this was increased by 57 at the start of April, because of a rise in wholesale energy prices and subsequent price hikes from the energy suppliers. Ofgem argues that even though this has risen those people affected are still paying less now the cap has been introduced. The charity is now calling for energy companies to do more to help people and to make sure they are aware of the support available. It is calling for a set of measures to be introduced so energy companies can recognise potentially vulnerable households who are at risk of self-disconnection. It says the current schemes available for those who are having trouble paying their energy bills can be difficult and confusing for households to understand. Just 9 per cent of those who have self disconnected had spoken to their energy provider It wants energy providers to check if they have suitable systems in place to identify potentially vulnerable households before a pre-payment meter has been installed, and for households that already have one the provider should be able to identify customers who are having problems paying. It also wants systems in place so vulnerable people aren't ever left without a supply and the Department of Works and Pensions and Jobcentres to look into ways of co-ordinating to help prevent people from self-disconnecting their meters. Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: 'It unacceptable that so many vulnerable households are being left without heat and light. 'For some people self-disconnection is easily managed, but for many others it is an extremely stressful experience that can have harmful physical and emotional effects. 'While some suppliers are now offering support to prepayment meter customers, industry and the Government need to do more. We need better mechanisms to identify vulnerable customers, better coordination between suppliers and government agencies and we need suppliers to ensure that when people's health is at risk alternative ways to pay are offered.' The charity surveyed 8,171 people earlier this year for the research, 1,226 of whom were prepayment meter users, and conducted a number of indepth interviews. It also asked its network for comments on how they found the help and support available from Citizens Advice and received 428 responses. Cashing in Among a series of first-quarter results this week, Lloyds is forecast to post a 9 per cent rise in profits to 2.3billion. Barclays, meanwhile, is expected to record a 500million loss on Thursday, after a 1.4billion settlement with the US Department of Justice over the sale of toxic mortgage-backed securities in the lead-up to the financial crisis. Royal Bank of Scotland will report its figures on Friday, with UBS analysts pencilling in profit of 1.3billion. Lloyds is forecast to post a 9 per cent rise in profits to 2.3billion this week Big bet A Canadian gaming company is buying Skys online bookmaker arm Sky Bet. The Stars Group is paying around 3.4billion for the firm which is owned 20 per cent by Sky and 71 per cent by CVC Capital Partners. Paying out First-quarter dividends from UK companies rose 7.6 per cent to 16.7billion, boosted by about 1billion from British American Tobacco. About a sixth came from the healthcare sector, including Astrazeneca and Glaxosmithkline. Bonus cut The boss of B&Q owner Kingfisher was paid 1.6m, down from 1.7m the year before. Veronique Laury, 52, saw her bonus slashed from 967,400 in 2015/16 to 537,000 in 2016/17 and 534,000 last year after the firm cut maximum awards from 200 per cent to 80 per cent of salary. The board said she was entitled to 70 per cent. Smoke alarm Vaping products firm Supreme Imports is planning to list on the junior AIM stock exchange with a value of between 100million and 150million. Gas leak Australian bank Macquarie is reportedly considering selling Calon Energy, which owns three UK gas-fired power stations Sutton Bridge, in Lincolnshire, and Baglan Bay and Severn Power in South Wales. Bad booze Accountancy giant KPMG could face a probe by the Financial Reporting Council over its auditing of Bargain Booze owner Conviviality, which slid into administration this month. KPMG is already under investigation over its work for bust-builder Carillion, among others. About 200 people gathered on a Maine beach on Sunday to remember Barbara Bush, who with her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, spent years at their summer home in Kennebunkport. Barbara Bush died on Tuesday at home in Houston at the age of 92. She was laid to rest on Saturday at her husband's presidential library in Texas. At the Maine memorial, some also donated children's books to be given to two local libraries and a children's hospital in her memory. About 200 people gathered on a Maine beach on Sunday to remember Barbara Bush, who with her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, spent years at their summer home in Kennebunkport Dog walkers gather to remember former first lady Barbara Bush at Gooch's Beach in Kennebunk, Maine on Sunday 'That's our farewell to Barbara,' said Diane Denk, who helped organize the memorial and often saw Bush on the beach in the early morning with her dogs. 'Barbara was just a real stand-up lady. She was a good lady,' she said. 'She was very philanthropic, she and George, and they just, they loved their community, they loved the state, they donated to children's hospitals, they donated to just about every philanthropic cause around here.' People gathered in a large circle to share stories about their encounters with Bush on the beach. She used to walk her dogs there with a Secret Service agent following behind. Kathy Lowery, of Kennebunk, Maine, with her dog Abby, tells a story about a memorable encounter with Barbara Beach during a gathering to remember former first lady at Gooch's Beach in Kennebunk A board featuring a photo of Barbara Bush posing with beach walkers and their dogs is signed at a gathering to remember the former first lady at Gooch's Beach in Kennebunk Dog walkers gather to remember former first lady Barbara Bush at Gooch's Beach in Kennebunk, Maine One participant made clear that Bush indeed always picked up after her dogs; it wasn't the job of the Secret Service. Many people signed a large poster board that featured a photo of the former first lady and several beach walkers and their dogs. Some also tossed flowers into the sea. At the ceremony Saturday where the former first lady was laid to rest, family spokesman Jim McGrath said it was 'a very brief but poignant and beautiful ending to a very moving and incredible day'. 'It would have been exactly what Barbara Bush wanted,' McGrath added. Former first lady Barbara Bush has been laid to rest at her husband's presidential library in Texas. Pictured: Her casket sits near her husband George H.W. Bush Family spokesman Jim McGrath said the ceremony was 'a very brief but poignant and beautiful ending to a very moving and incredible day' About 1,500 people attended a private funeral on Saturday in Houston for the wife of former President George H.W. Bush. The elder Bush and the couple's son, former president George W. Bush, were among four former US presidents at the service. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were in attendance, along with four former first ladies. Former first ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton attended the service and were joined by current First Lady Melania Trump. 'It would have been exactly what Barbara Bush wanted,' McGrath said. About 1,500 people attended a private funeral on Saturday in Houston Authorities have called for a formal investigation into reports of scammers preying on first responders who were sickened by toxic fumes inhaled during the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. New York congressional representatives, Carolyn B. Maloney, Jerrold Nadler and Peter King have asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate. Authorities said they've received reports of scammers posing as September 11 Victim Compensation Fund staffers to get first responders' and survivors' personal information. Authorities have called for a formal investigation into reports of scammers preying on first responders who were sickened by toxic fumes inhaled during the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks New York congressional representatives, Carolyn B. Maloney (center), Jerrold Nadler (left) and Peter King (right) have asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate The three representatives publicized their effort on Sunday. 'The thousands of 9/11 responders and survivors who have been injured by the toxins at Ground Zero have faced years of adversity and challenges,' Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler and Pete King said in a letter to the FTC. 'It is despicable that this community now needs to worry about being tricked into revealing sensitive personal information that could cause real harm in their lives if the data was used maliciously.' FTC representatives haven't immediately responded to an email inquiry. The fund currently benefits people with health problems believed to be related to the 2001 terror attacks. An alert on the fund's website says unknown people are making calls claiming to be staffers and requesting information, supposedly to help with claims. According to the New York Daily News, the fraudsters claim they need to confirm addresses, Social Security numbers and other information that could be used in a identity theft scams. The fund urges people to report such calls to the FTC. King, Maloney and Nadler want the FTC to open a formal investigation. The scammers claim they need to confirm addresses, Social Security numbers and other information from the first responders (file image of 9/11) that could be used in a identity theft scams A spokeswoman for the fund said that as soon as they heard about the incidents, they 'immediately clarified its identity validation policy so claimants could be confident that they are speaking to (fund) representatives'. Firefighters work the scene at Ground Zero King is a Republican. Maloney and Nadler are Democrats. 'These guys have an express ticket straight to hell,' FDNY Firefighter Robert Sgro, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, told the newspaper Saturday. Sgro was exposed to toxic fumes during the six weeks he spent at Ground Zero. He says he received a call from one scammer, but he immediately knew something was wrong. According to Sgro, the fund usually contacts patients through email or regular mail, not over the phone, he said. 'There are a lot of scams going on, but this is really sick that they are doing it here,' said Sgro, 52, who currently teaches hazmat operations at the FDNY Fire Academy on Randalls Island. If patients receive calls from scammers they should report it to the fund hotline at (855) 885-1555. This is the shocking moment a driver flings his parking ticket at a traffic warden, gets into his car and then almost crashes during his get-away. The clip shows that the motorist has received a ticket for parking his car in a cycle lane on double yellows in Manchester. A parking attendant can be seen standing in front of the black Audi after putting a ticket on the man's vehicle. When the irate driver returns to the car he rips the parking ticket from the windscreen of his car and flings it to the ground. The man then gets into his car and begins to drive away before nearly smashing into another car. The bystander, from London, who filmed the event, told the MEN that he saw the car parked on the pavement and the traffic warden giving it a ticket. The clip shows that the motorist has received a ticket for parking his car in a cycle lane on double yellows in Manchester A parking attendant can be seen standing in front of the black Audi after putting a ticket on the man's vehicle He said: 'As I stopped to see the dangerous and inconsiderate parking getting the ticket it deserves, a rare event in London, the driver appeared and ripped the ticket from under his windscreen wiper. The onlooker added that the warden stood and got the information he required while remaining calm and collected. He said that it was a busy evening it the city and the way the man had parked was obstructing the pavement which makes it unsafe for people trying to get about. When the irate driver returns to the car he rips the parking ticket from the windscreen of his car and flings it to the ground He added: 'He's also parked too close to a corner and drives off with his phone and takeaway in his hand. 'He certainly didn't incident and it's unlikely he looked to see if anything was coming as he drove away at speed. ' One viewer commented on the clip which has been viewed 27,000 times: 'Hopefully he'll be done for littering as well.' Another added: 'They should have their car confiscated.' A Texas appeals court says a state law that punishes those who post intimate images from previous or current relationships online without consent is unconstitutional. The 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler ruled last week that the revenge porn law violates the US Constitution by restricting expression based on the content of photographs and videos shared online. The court said that the law was vague and infringed on the rights of third parties who might unwittingly share intimate images. The court also ordered a revenge porn charge to be dropped against Jordan Bartlett Jones. A Texas appeals court says a state law that punishes those who post intimate images from previous or current relationships online without consent is unconstitutional Court records show Jones challenged the law as unconstitutional while awaiting trial for sharing a naked photograph of a woman without consent. The ruling blocks the law in northeast Texas counties under the 12th Court of Appeals. The state prosecuting attorney's office plans to ask the court to reconsider its decision. If the appeals court denies the request, the office will ask the Court of Criminal Appeals to invalidate the ruling, said Stacey Soule, head of the agency. Legislators passed the Relationship Privacy Act in 2015, making revenge porn a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. The law was inspired by stories from people who said they had no legal recourse to pursue charges after learning that intimate images of themselves had been posted online. 'When I opened the website, I was completely horrified,' victim Hollie Toups of Nederland told the Legislature in 2015. 'There were hundreds of pictures of women, and one of the first ones that I saw was actually a photo of myself.' An Afghanistan War veteran has savaged the Chief of Army's directive that all 'death iconology' be banned from use in the Australian Army. Lieutenant General Angus John Campbell said icons like the skull mask and Grim Reaper were 'arrogant and ill-considered' and 'eroded the ethos of the Army'. However former 2RAR Platoon Sergeant Justin Huggett has written an open letter to General Campbell after learning about the new directive and ban. Mr Huggett is a veteran of the Afghanistan War where he was awarded the Army's Medal of Gallantry. Former 2RAR Platoon Sgt Justin Huggett (pictured) has written an open letter to Lieutenant General Campbell after he learned about the new directive to ban all 'death iconology' from the Australian Army 'As a soldier that served under you at the 2nd Battalion, it only disappointments me even further to read of this,' he wrote in the open letter. 'Going the next step, the fact you yourself are an Infantry Soldier...my head spins with confusion!' Mr Huggett said he found the calls 'so left of field and farcical' that he thought it must have been a hoax. 'But now, I am just left wondering as to the levels of stupidity that this order can be interpreted or enforced he wrote. Mr Huggett then goes on to list some of the more well known icons within the Army and how calls to ban them are in his opinion absurd. 'I ask you to consider the following. Have you seen the movie Jaws, based on a big nasty evil killer shark indiscriminately eating everyone in its path?' he wrote. Mr Huggett said he found the calls to ban the iconology such as the skull mask above 'so left of field and farcical' that he thought it must have been a hoax 'Does the proud heritage of the Bravo Company Men and their Company logo of a Circling Shark disappear forever?' He mentioned Charlie Company and its use of a dragon as their emblem and then gives examples that show why he feels the calls by General Campbell don't hold water. 'What about the 2/4RAR Delta Company Road Runner?', he continues. 'He without remorse affected the murdered (sic) of Wiley Coyote multiple times. Is this feathered beast from the depths of hell a concern to you and the public? 'Are you starting see the point here Sir?' Then he goes on to point out how one of the the most enduring and recognisable icons in the Australian Army was one based around violence and death, the Infantry Combat Badge (pictured) Mr Huggett then directly references his own mortar unit. 'The most senior platoon in the Battalion,' he wrote. 'Our emblem is the Grim Reaper, with the words 'Dealers in Death'. 'I can tell you this with great certainty...the 1000s MAGGOTS that served in that Platoon will hand over their Reaper Shirts the day the Devil snowboards down the slopes of hell.' He wrote that to abolish 'years of pride and history' based on 'the minority' of people being offended was a reflection of how modern day society is going. Then he goes on to point out how one of the the most enduring and recognisable icons in the Australian Army was one based around violence and death. 'You wear it; I am very fortune along with 1000s of others to have the honour and privilege of wearing it, The Infantry Combat Badge (ICB),' he wrote. 'A badge based around the bayonet, the most feared and gruesome up close and personal weapon on the battlefield.' Mr Huggett (pictured) is a veteran of the Afghanistan War where he was awarded the army's Medal of Gallantry The combat infantry badge has a bayonet as its centrepiece. 'An emblem or icon that is matched by no other and has no other purpose in its existence other than inflicting extreme pain, bone chilling physical and psychological fear in your enemy and of course horrific death,' he wrote. 'Yet as Infantrymen, not only do we wear it with pride, it's worn as the centre of importance above our medals on our ceremonial uniforms and suits! 'Men have it tattooed on them, flags of it fly in man caves and sheds, shirts and hats are emblazoned proudly with it.' Mr Huggett asks General Campbell if he will go so far as to ban the ICB. 'This is the most violent emblem of death there is in our Military? Are you getting it yet, Sir?' he continues. 'The Army, in particular the Infantry (sic), are a fighting force designed to kill!' he wrote in reference any attempt to try and make the army reflect society Mr Huggett then goes on to hammer the most obvious point home. 'The Army, in particular the Infantry (sic), are a fighting force designed to kill!' he states. 'We are not and never should be a reflection of society, we are trained and programmed that way.' He said that he feels 'every effort' is being made by the 'top levels' to denigrate the combat effectiveness of the army. 'At present Sir, this decision is the most talked about thing in veteran forums at the moment...and in no way have I seen any remotely close to positive feedback, either on the decision itself or you personally,' he continued. He said that any respect General Campbell was hoping to garner from the enlisted men and women of the army would collapse with this decision and he doubts General Campbell would 'ever get it back.' The Today Show has been slammed on social media for calling the survivor of the American Columbine High School massacre by the name of one of the shooters - twice. Evan Todd was spared execution by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold on April 20, 1999 during an 11-minute school library rampage in Colorado that killed 12 students and one teacher. The mass shooting survivor was detailing what happened when Weekend Today co-host Allison Langdon interrupted him and called him 'Eric'. The Today Show has been slammed on social media for calling the survivor of the American Columbine High School massacre by the name of one of the shooters - twice He was recalling how shots were ringing out as they walked around the library 'just shooting at random' and 'throwing pipe bombs' after shrapnel had hit him in the lower back and his face. 'Yelling at people. Shooting students execution-style,' he said in a satellite interview from Denver, Colorado on Saturday. Allison Langdon then cut him off as he was describing the carnage. 'Well, Eric, they put the gun to your head,' she said. Taken aback by being interrupted, Evan Todd responded with 'finally, they, yeah' before detailing how a gun was put to his head. Evan Todd (pictured as a teenager) was spared execution by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold on April 20, 1999 during an 11-minute school library rampage in Colorado that killed 12 students The mass shooting survivor was detailing what happened when Weekend Today co-host Allison Langdon (left) interrupted him and called him 'Eric' 'After a few moments in the library, they walked around to where I was underneath the desk and one of them came up, kneeled down and he put a gun to my face and said, "Why shouldnt we kill you?",' he said. And I told him, "Look, Ive been good to you and everyone in the school and you know it".' Weekend Today viewers condemned the interview on the Nine Network breakfast program's Facebook page. 'Wow! What a disgraceful effort Today Show,' Sue Hammond wrote. Weekend Today co-host Allison Langdon referred to Columbine High School massacre survivor Evan Todd by the name of Eric (gunman Eric Harris pictured) The program was also criticised for giving Evan Todd short shrift when he admitted he didn't support an American students-led movement to ban semi-automatic guns. 'I question whether it's run by students. I've been doing this for 19 years, trying to get the message out that the heart and the soul is the real issue here, not guns,' he said. 'There's a lot of money and a lot of people helping them and it's frustrating to see that they're going after political points.' Allison Langdon interrupted him, again calling him by the name of one of the shooters. The program was also criticised for giving Evan Todd short shrift when he admitted he didn't support an American students-led movement to ban semi-automatic guns Allison Langdon interrupted him, again calling him by the name of one of the shooters, Eric 'You can't deny that the anger of these students is real, Eric,' she said. Sue Hammond slammed the show for disrespecting Evan Todd when he didn't agree with the need for gun control. 'You invited him on to your show, you specifically asked him to share his thoughts and opinions, and when those thoughts and opinions didn't match yours, you interrupted him, talked over him, cut him off and eventually shut the interview down,' she said. Sue Hammond slammed the show for disrespecting Evan Todd when he didn't agree with the need for gun control (the other gunman Dylan Klebold pictured) Another woman, Jenny Wiltshire, described the interview as 'appalling'. 'I felt ashamed. It was as if they didn't acknowledge the horror this man had witnessed,' she said. Jamiee Wall said the Weekend Today shows had demonstrated 'disgusting behaviour'. 'That poor man was having a tough time talking about his experience and they were extremely rude to him,' she said. The interview was to mark the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, which saw gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill themselves. A Windrush pensioner has been prevented from returning to England to meet her great-grandchildren, despite serving the NHS for almost 30 years. Retired nurse Icilda Williams, 84, has seven children, 20 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren all living in England, but she has been banned from even applying for a visa to visit. The widow, who retired to Jamaica with her husband Kenneth in 1996, had travelled freely to and from the Caribbean almost every year before the Home Office crackdown in 2014. She returned on short-stay visas after the British Commonwealth passport she had arrived on in 1962 expired. Retired nurse Icilda Williams, 84, has seven children, 20 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren all living in England, but she has been banned from even applying for a visa The widow, who retired to Jamaica with her husband Kenneth (pictured together) in 1996, had travelled freely to and from the Caribbean almost every year before the crackdown in 2014 After having a series of visa applications rejected for baseless reasons, she was issued with an automatic ten-year ban stopping her from making any further applications Minister 'aware of scandal two years ago' The Government knew about the damaging impact of its so-called hostile environment policy on Windrush immigrants years before the scandal broke, a leaked letter suggests. In May 2016, a senior Home Office minister wrote a letter explaining why members of the Windrush generation were liable to be deported. The letter relates to the case of Trevor Johnson, who arrived as a boy from Jamaica in 1971 but was told in 2014 that he was in Britain illegally. It was sent by James Brokenshire (pictured), then immigration minister, to Labour MP Kate Hoey who had alerted the Home Office to the case of her constituent Mr Johnson. The letter said Mr Johnsons application for citizenship had been rejected because he failed to provide the Home Office with evidence to show he was in the UK prior to 1973. It added he could not provide documentary evidence to the Home Office demanded of continuous residence over other periods in the 1980s and 1990s. Mr Johnson has faced threats of deportation, while his brother Desmond has not been allowed to visit Britain since he went back to Jamaica for his fathers funeral in 2001. Mr Brokenshire served as Minister for Security and Immigration from 2014 to 2016, while Theresa May was Home Secretary. Yesterday, Mr Brokenshire was asked about the letter on ITVs Peston on Sunday programme. He said he had not seen it before. Advertisement But after having a series of visa applications rejected for baseless reasons, she was issued with an automatic ten-year ban stopping her from making any further applications. The 2015 ban means she will be 91 before she can even apply to visit England again. It is heartbreaking, she said. I feel very lonely without being able to see my family and I find myself crying at night. I feel very alone at times like Christmas and when I miss their birthdays and parties. I havent even been able to meet three of my great-grandchildren. Ive never even seen them, she said. I worry as I am getting old that I might not ever be able to return again. It makes me very angry. I worked there all my life and I just want to visit now, I do not want to live there. My whole family is there and I just want to visit once a year and on special occasions. Mrs Williams arrived in England to join her husband, a cabinet maker, in 1962 both were Commonwealth citizens before the couple settled in Bradford. She worked in a textile mill before becoming a nurse caring for mentally ill children in two local hospitals. I spent 27 years in the NHS doing night shifts sometimes caring for as many as 100 patients a night and thats not easy, she said. I loved being able to help the patients because they could not help themselves. I poured my heart and soul into that job but it did mean I missed out in a way on the childhoods of my own children. And now I am not even able to enjoy my family in my retirement. Her children in the UK have spent thousands of pounds in legal fees battling her case and Mrs Williams is determined to return to England. I will come back, I will not give up and I will keep on fighting because I worked there and raised my children there and did my bit, she said. Mrs Williams has lived alone in Jamaica since her husband died in 2004. As the Windrush scandal escalated last week, the Home Office said it would urgently review Mrs Williamss case. Malcolm Turnbull has admitted a banking royal commission two years ago would have been a better move politically. Mr Turnbull said his original decision to resist an inquiry into the financial services sector was because he wanted to implement reform instead of wait for a report. But after receiving a letter from Bill Shorten demanding an apology for the 'delayed' inquiry, the prime minister conceded he may have made the wrong choice. Despite calls from members of his backbench to proceed with an inquiry since 2016, Mr Turnbull only agreed to have one go ahead in December. Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) has admitted a banking royal commission two years ago would have been a better move politically 'I made the decision not to proceed with a Royal Commission at that time,' Mr Turnbull told reporters in Berlin. 'And, look, politically, of course you are all right when you say it would have been better for us politically years ago.' He defended his move however, to wait until December, saying the inquiry could have delayed important reforms. 'Recognising that you can't live your life backwards isn't it better that we have got on with all those reforms,' Mr Turnbull said. 'We have strengthened ASIC and we've created a one stop shop for consumer complaints against banks and other financial institutions.' After receiving a letter from Bill Shorten (pictured) demanding an apology for the 'delayed' inquiry, the prime minister conceded he may have made the wrong choice In the letter to Mr Turnbull, Mr Shorten said the first 14 days of the commission heard shocking and shameful evidence of systemic wrongdoing and a culture of cover-up. 'Along with many Australians, I can't help but wonder how many customers were ripped off by this kind of misconduct in the two years it took the government to relent and agree to Labor's calls for a royal commission,' he wrote. 'How many Australians continued to be hit with 'fees for no service' in the two years the government continued to protect the banking industry from a royal commission?'. Mr Turnbull agreed 'you're all right when you say it would have been better for us politically if we had done so years ago'. Mr Turnbull (pictured) defended his move however, to wait until December, saying the inquiry could have delayed important reforms 'But the reason I didn't proceed with a royal commission is this: I wanted to make sure we took the steps to reform immediately, and got on with the job,' he said from Berlin. Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has admitted he was wrong to oppose such a commission for so long. But Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dywer refused eight times to say the government got it wrong in a television interview on Sunday. Instead she talked up the coalition's efforts to boost the standards for financial advisors, increase the penalties for misconduct and offer greater funding for the regulator ASIC. 'I'm actually obsessed about fixing the problems,' she said on ABC Insiders. 'There is no question we got it right in establishing the royal commission.' Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dywer (pictured) refused eight times to say the government got it wrong in a television interview on Sunday Nationals senator John 'Wacka' Williams, who was a strong advocate for an inquiry, predicts more wrongdoing by the banks will be uncovered. 'If I was opposing the royal commission like many of my colleagues did, or most of them, I'd do Barnaby (and say) 'look I had it wrong',' he told ABC radio on Monday. Given the evidence heard already, Mr Shorten also insists it's time for the government to consider a compensation scheme for victims of proven wrongdoing and wants the commission to be given more time and resources if requested. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has said if the commissioner asks for a longer inquiry it will be acted upon by the government. British police have issued an arrest warrant for the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi - so they can haul him back to the UK to face trial for murder. Hashem Abedi, 21, is thought to be in Libya held captive by the militia group RADA. Detectives believe he is being held at the airport in the capital Tripoli or one of two bases in the east of the city. Hashem Abedi, 21 (pictured), is thought be in Libya with the militia group RADA, a radical Islamist special operations military police Twenty-two-year-old Salman travelled with Hashem to Libya from the UK the month before he would return to detonate explosives in the lobby of the Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande concert killing 22 and injuring 500 on May 22 last year. Hashem remained in Libya where his parents were born while Salman returned home to carry out the attack. Greater Manchester chief constable Ian Hopkins told the Mirror he is determined to find Hashem and bring him back to the UK to stand trial. Salman Abedi (pictured) returned to the UK while Hashem stayed in Libya, detectives believe Police say they have enough evidence to charge Hashem with 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to cause an explosion. It is understood no similar request was made to extradite the Abedi brothers' father Ramadan - who is also understood to have been arrested by militia. Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: 'I have consistently said it is imperative that any trial related to the Manchester Arena attack takes place in the UK. 'I want to thank Greater Manchester police and the Government for their hard work in getting us to this point on behalf of the people of Greater Manchester and all those affected by this appalling act of evil.' Labour's Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said it was 'imperative' Hashem Abedi was tried in the UK Abdallah Forjani (second from left), the cousin of 22-year-old suicide bomber Salman Abedi (right), said he thinks Abedi is being tortured in Libya Hashem's cousin Isaac Forjani, who lives in Fallowfield, Manchester, said: '[Hashem] is in prison [in Libya] now being tortured. He has been beaten up quite badly by the people holding him. 'I don't care what happens to him now. If he had anything to do with Manchester then I hope he rots in hell.' Detectives think Hashem will only be released if the UK pursues him through diplomatic channels. They also admit the investigation could remain ongoing for 'years to come' as Libya remains in the midst of civil war after the death of Colonel Gaddafi. An extradition treaty was agreed between the UK and the Great Socialist People's Republic Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in November 2008. A leading consumer campaigner is suing Facebook for publishing dozens of adverts using his image to promote scams. Martin Lewis accused the social network giant of allowing his name to be used to rip off vulnerable people. The founder of advice website MoneySavingExpert, said: I feel sick each time I hear of another victim being conned because of trust they wrongly thought they were placing in me. He said Facebooks failure to banish such adverts highlights its unending greed. It comes after Facebook was grilled by politicians for sharing personal details of almost 90million people with data firm Cambridge Analytica. Martin Lewis, pictured with his wife Lara Lewington, accused the social network giant of allowing his name to be used to rip off vulnerable people But Mr Lewis, 45, said: I believe politicians have totally missed the impact of social media companies on real people and their pockets. It is about time they took this seriously. He added that Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg pretends to be an honest and campaigning man but his company is a facilitator of criminal scammers They have known about these scam adverts for years, and they are still happy to roll around in their dirty money. Facebook is accused of publishing more than 50 fake Martin Lewis adverts in the past year. The majority promoted schemes trading in virtual currency Bitcoin. But Mr Lewis said these were fronts for binary trading firms based outside the EU. Binary trading is a highly risky form of gambling on stock market movement that sees most investors lose money. The Financial Conduct Authority has said almost 100 firms are illegally offering such investments to UK consumers. It warned of online firms that take money, place no bets for customers then break all contact. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) has faced questions over the social network's sharing of user information with data firm Cambridge Analytica Mr Lewis said he has repeatedly asked Facebook to remove the adverts but they are often left up for days or weeks. When they are taken down, he said a nearly identical advert appears shortly afterwards. The campaigner, who has an estimated 125million fortune, pledged to donate any money from the case to charity. Mr Lewis, married to TV host Lara Lewington, said it should not be hard for Facebook to stamp out the adverts, but it relies on me to report them, adding: Its time Facebook was made to take responsibility. His lawyer Mark Lewis added: Facebook is not above the law. A Facebook spokesman said: We do not allow adverts which are misleading or false on Facebook and have explained to Martin Lewis he should report any adverts that infringe his rights and they will be removed. He said the firm was promptly investigating Mr Lewiss requests and only last week confirmed several adverts and accounts that violated our advertising policies had been taken down. Now known as Sheela Birnstiel, former spiritual sect leader Ma Anand Sheela has no regrets about her past, despite serving time in prison A former spiritual sect leader has told an Australian magazine she has no regrets about her past, despite serving time in prison. Ma Anand Sheela was a spokesperson of the Rajneesh movement and was personal assistant to Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, cult founder of the Rajneshees, an Indian 'sex cult' in the 1980s. The cult was also known as the 'Orange People'. She managed the Rajneeshpuram ashram in rural Oregon in the US and led an unsuccessful attempt to establish another commune in Western Australia's southwest. It was her time in Australia when she became famous for the quote 'Tough titties' during a 60 Minutes interview. In 1985, she pleaded guilty to attempted murder and assault for her role in the 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack where 751 people suffered food poisoning through deliberate salmonella contamination of restaurants in Oregon. During her time in Western Australia in the 1980s, Ma Anand Sheela became famous for the quote 'Tough titties' during a 60 Minutes interview. She has fond memories of her time in Australia. 'I found Perth very beautiful,' she told New Idea. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison but only served 29 months. Now known as Sheela Birnstiel, she runs two retirement facilities for people who are physically and mentally impaired in Switzerland. She told New Idea that she travels extensively with her patients and works seven days a week. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison but only served 29 months She said losing it all and having the courage to build it back up was her greatest achievement in life. 'Work offers the energy and motivation to live a full life,' she told the magazine. 'The training and insight I learned with Bhagwan and my time in prison offers me all the skills I need.' The cult was also known as the so-called 'Orange People'. Now known as Sheela Birnstiel, she runs two retirement facilities in Switzerland. 'Work offers the energy and motivation to life a full life,' she told New Idea She also spoke about her love for cult founder Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who died in 1990. 'I consider myself fortunate that I had an opportunity to to love and work so closely with Bhagwan,' she told New Idea Sheela also spoke about her love for Bhagwan (pictured), who she met when she was 16. 'I saw Bhagwan and that was the end of me,' she said. She has no regrets about being a Rajneeshee and that being in love with Bhagwan is one of her fondest memories. 'I consider myself fortunate that I had an opportunity to love and work so closely with Bhagwan,' she told New Idea. She has fond memories of her time in Australia. 'I found Perth very beautiful,' she said. She is one of the central figures in the six-part Netflix docoseries Wild Wild Country, which tells the story of the cult and its 2000-odd members who moved en masse from India to the US in the 1980s. In the first episode, Sheela spoke about her love for Bhagwan, who she met when she was 16. 'I saw Bhagwan and that was the end of me,' she said. Six-part Netflix docoseries Wild Wild Country tells the story of the cult The cult and its 2000-odd members who moved en masse from India to the US in the 1980s Kevin Rudd has accused Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of punching China in the face and taking a flame thrower to Australia's relationship with Beijing. The former prime minister has accused Mr Turnbull of derailing the Australia-China relationship in favour of trade deals with Europe following comments he made in Beijing last year. Mr Rudd says he supports trade with Europe. Kevin Rudd (left) has accused Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (right) of punching China in the face and taking a flame thrower to Australia's relationship with Beijing '(Mr Turnbull) seems to think to do that automatically means it's a smart thing to then publicly punch the Chinese in the face, which is what he did with his extraordinarily ridiculous statement to Beijing that the Australian people had finally 'stood up' to confront the Chinese,' he told Sky News on Monday. He called that a gratuitous insult toward China which went in excess of normal tensions in the relationship. Mr Rudd then accused Mr Turnbull of pointing a flamethrower at Beijing to ignite a fire in the relationship over former Labor senator Sam Dastyari's contact with Chinese businesspeople regarding donations. 'It's time for sober heads and sober minds like Julie Bishop as foreign minister and others to frankly douse the flames and get this relationship back on track,' he said. Rudd believes Turnbull is damaging Australia's relationship with Chinba. Pictured, Chinese President Xi Jinping Mr Rudd's own relationship with China when he was prime minister wasn't always smooth sailing. At a 2009 climate change summit in Copenhagen, he reportedly told journalists 'those Chinese rat f***ers are trying to ratf*** us'. His relationship with Mr Turnbull is also rocky. Mr Turnbull refused to back Mr Rudd to be secretary general of the United Nations in 2016, saying he was not suited to the role. Police have dropped a controversial inquiry into an ex-bishop allegedly smeared by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Sussex Police said it is no longer investigating an allegation of child sex abuse against the late George Bell, former bishop of Chichester, referred to them earlier this year. A spokesman said the investigation had been completed last month. Claims against Dr Bell who was widely respected for speaking out against Nazi atrocities and saving Jews from persecution surfaced in 2012, but were dismissed over a lack of evidence. Justin Welby was heavily criticised for trashing the reputation of Dr Bell who died in 1958 after he rushed to accept claims the bishop was a paedophile. An independent review by Lord Carlile last year said the Church of England had hung him out to dry on the say-so of a woman who alleged more than 50 years after he died that Dr Bell abused her as a child. Sussex Police said it is no longer investigating an allegation of child sex abuse against the late George Bell, former bishop of Chichester, referred to them earlier this year The Church had deliberately and publicly vilified the late bishop in a public relations strategy presided over by Dr Welby. It also paid out 16,800 to the woman. Dr Welby refused to apologise, and further enraged supporters of Dr Bell by saying a significant cloud hangs over his name. In January Lord Carlile accused the Church of an unnecessary and foolish attack on the bishop by making public a second uncorroborated abuse claim almost 70 years old. At the time, the Church refused to give the date of wrongdoing or whether the complainant was a man or a woman. Sussex Police said: The information was assessed and a proportionate investigation has been carried out to clarify the circumstances. This was done thoroughly and sensitively further police investigation or action is not possible as Bishop Bell died 60 years ago. There are no current safeguarding issues. The matter is now closed as far as Sussex Police are concerned and the Church of England has been informed of this. A spokesman for the Church said: Fresh information was received regarding Bishop Bell In January the National Safeguarding Team announced it was commissioning an independent investigation into this information and we cannot make any further comment until the investigation is completed. A representative for Dr Welby did not respond to requests for comment. An Irish drug ring accused of smuggling cocaine into Australia has been exposed after an international investigation. Five men and one woman were arrested by armed police last week in a raid on a north Dublin apartment where 250,000 ($400,000) was found stashed under a mattress. They were believed to be part of a gang - reportedly backed by Ireland's notorious Kinahan cartel - which has allegedly been selling millions of dollars' worth of cocaine in Australia and laundering the profits back in Ireland. Operation: Five men and one woman were arrested last week in an armed police raid on a north Dublin apartment where 250,000 ($400,000) was found stashed under a mattress (pictured) Seizure: Police believe that the cash (pictured) which was seized on Tuesday is the proceeds of drugs trafficking in Australia An Irish drug ring accused of smuggling cocaine into Australia has been exposed after an international investigation (stock image of Irish national police in Dublin) Irish police have been investigating the gang with the support of the Australian Federal Police and New Zealand police since 2016. Four alleged smugglers were previously arrested in Perth, Darwin, Sydney and Christchurch, reported The Sydney Morning Herald. A spokesman for An Garda Siochana, Ireland's national police, said: 'It is suspected that this organised crime group has been engaged in this activity for a number of years prior to being identified in 2016.' In 2014, Ian Padraig O'Heaire, from Dublin, was arrested at Perth Airport after suffering seizures on a long-haul flight when some of the 27 balloons of cocaine in his stomach burst. The mule was supposed to deliver the drugs to a dealer in a Perth pub but was sent home and jailed for four years and six months for trafficking. Police did not confirm if the arrest was related to the Kinahan cartel. The gang in question is reportedly backed by Ireland's notorious Kinahan cartel. Pictured: The head of the Kinahan cartel, Christy Kinahan, who is living in exile in Dubai It is thought the gang targeted Australia because cocaine is up to five times more expensive down under than in Ireland. A police source told Irish newspaper The Herald: 'This criminal organisation has been taking advantage of the fact that thousands of Irish people are working in Australia and there is a big market for cocaine among some of these people. 'Gardai are satisfied that the cash which was seized on Tuesday is the proceeds of drugs trafficking in Australia.' The source added: 'Trusted people involved in the criminal network travelled from Dublin to Australia to oversee the drug-dealing operation out there. 'The profits made from the enterprise have then been brought back to Dublin.' Detailing how the gang's operation worked, a source told Extra.ie that the gang arranged shipments from South America to Australia. 'Then Irish lads were dispatched over there, met the drugs, and set up dealing operations,' the source said. 'The cash was being sent back to Ireland and then being laundered.' Those arrested in Tuesday's north Dublin raids have been released without charge. Irish police have arrested nine people in connection with the operation since January. Police say they believe the suspect is a regular at the beach and has reportedly accosted others about dogs not on their leashes Oregon State Police are investigating after a man said he was held down and punched several times by a nude sunbather upset that the alleged victim's dog was not on a leash at a clothing-optional beach. Oregon State Police announced on Sunday they are asking for the public's help in identifying the suspect. The incident took place on Thursday at Collins Beach around 3pm, a privately-owned nude beach near the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area. Police say the incident resulted in 'visible injury' for the victim, who has not been identified. Police say they believe the suspect is a regular at the beach and has reportedly accosted others about dogs not on their leashes. Authorities describe the suspected assailant as about 35-40 years old, 6-foot 3-inches tall, salt-and-pepper crew cut with a receding hairline and medium build, according to local broadcaster KATU 2. Collins Beach has been a popular nude getaway since the 1970s. Anyone with information on this or previous incidents is asked to contact OSP Trooper Joe Dezso by email: Joseph.Dezso@state.or.us Australian coins will be getting an update with the effigy of the Queen being redesigned to commemorate Her Majesty's 92nd birthday. The new image, designed by the UK Royal Mint's engraver Jody Clark, will start being used on coins produced at the Australian Mint in 2019. The current image of the Queen has been used on coins since 1998 after UK artist Ian Rank-Broadly won a design competition for the honour in 1997. The new image, designed by the UK Royal Mint's engraver Jody Clark, will start being used on coins produced at the Australian Mint in 2019 The UK Royal Mint posted this portrait sketch by Jody Clark on Twitter Social media users were not thrilled with the new image with many commenting it was not a great likeness of Her Majesty. Bevan Shields, a Sydney Morning Herald and The Age journalist tweeted, 'Is it just me or does it look absolutely nothing like her?' Another critic said: 'It's awful, I'm surprised she approved it.' Some users suggested Prince Charles' image should be placed on the coins following Commonwealth leaders decision at Windsor Castle on Friday that he would succeed Queen Elizabeth II as the head of the nations. The Queen herself said it was her 'sincere wish' to be succeeded by her son. Queen Elizabeth II said it was 'her sincere wish' to be succeeded by her son The Australian Royal Mint in Canberra will produce the new coins from 2019 A North Carolina man who was fed up with police officers training their dogs was charged with a misdemeanor after he stole an official canine's ball. The Troy Police Department in Michigan was training a police dog named Eli on April 5 by laying scent tracks near a Holiday Inn Express hotel. As officers prepared their training track, an unnamed 40-year-old man began to angrily yell at the officers from his hotel room window, asking what they were doing. A happy pup: German Shepherd Eli successfully completed a scent training exercise, but the ball he was supposed to find was missing after an 'upset' 40-year-old man stole the toy A K-9 Officer explained the training and warned the man from High Point, North Carolina not to touch the items left on the field including a toy ball, Troy Police said. A police report described the man as an 'upset tenant' of the hotel. The officer left the scene to start the canine track some distance away. In the training the German Shepherd Eli successfully followed the scent, but when he arrived to the field, the ball he were searching for was no where to be found. Officials then investigated and found the ball in the cup holder of a car owned by the man who yelled from his hotel window earlier in the day. The ball was found in the North Carolina man's car leading Troy Michigan police (above) to give him a misdemeanor citation for larceny of police property The man's white Ford Econoline Van was found in the parking lot of the hotel and was impounded by police. When the man came out to his car to inquire about what was going on, officers gave him a misdemeanor citation for larceny of police property. The ball was then returned to Police Canine Eli. Troy Police shared the bizarre citation on Facebook saying 'Eli is happy that his ball has been recovered.' A crackdown on highly addictive gambling machines has been delayed again, the Daily Mail can reveal. Ministers were expected to announce within days a new maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals. But the decision has been put off until after the local elections at the start of May because of rows at the top of government. Whitehall sources said Philip Hammond was responsible for the hold-up. The Chancellor is refusing to sign off cutting the stake to 2 for fear it could lose hundreds of millions in gambling tax revenues. The law allows bets of up to 100 every 20 seconds - in theory allowing players to gamble away 18,000 an hour. The crackdown on highly addictive gambling machines has been put off until after the local elections at the start of May because of rows at the top of government (file photo) Critics of fixed odds terminals dubbed the crack cocaine of gambling say the lowest possible stake is needed to combat the rising tide of addiction, debt, violence, and family breakdown in the poorest communities in Britain. Church groups, MPs and campaigners against gambling addiction say the maximum outlay per spin should be 2. Brian Chappell, founder of campaign group Justice4Punters, said: Local communities, especially vulnerable people within them are harmed every day this decision is delayed. The Mail revealed last week that Tory rebels are threatening to vote against allowing any maximum stake higher than 5. The Treasury raked in nearly 500million from the machines last year. Players lost a combined 1.7billion. Art historian Alice Procter, 23, who runs the tours, claims artefacts at the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert fell into British hands through slavery and looting Britain's museums have traditionally offered visitors the chance to appreciate our national treasures in all their glory. But sell-out tours of our biggest museums and galleries are now claiming that the artefacts represent the history of empire and genocide. They brand Lord Nelson a white supremacist and Elizabeth I a slaver. Art historian Alice Procter, 23, who runs the tours, claims artefacts at institutions such as the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert fell into British hands through slavery and looting. Her website The Exhibitionist declares: There are bloody handprints on the gallery walls, and the bodies of slaves and colonised peoples in the foundations. Guests on her 11 tours are also asked to wear badges saying Display It Like You Stole It. Australian Miss Procter has spoken on social media of needing to add more events after many sold out, with more than 300 tickets sold so far. But this week Londons museums and galleries said they do not endorse the tours while critics branded them babyish and silly. Promotional artwork for the tours includes a portrait of Lord Nelson with the words white supremacist in red across it. Similar works brand Queen Victoria a thief, Elizabeth I a slaver and explorer Captain Cook an invader. It comes after Historic England sparked outrage last week after tweeting a mocked-up photo of Nelsons Column being destroyed by a wrecking ball. Miss Procter attended the 19,260-a-year Latymer Upper School in west London before moving to the 37,740-a-year Westminster School, which counts Nick Clegg among its alumni. She is studying for a masters in material and visual culture at University College London. Her tours of the British Museum highlight how the Gweagal shield was stolen from Aboriginals by Captain Cook, while her V&A tour shames displays of looted Abyssinian treasures, which are now subject to a restitution claim. The tour of the National Gallery focuses on John Julius Angerstein, principal underwriter at Lloyds from 1790 to 1796, whose collection she claims forms the core of the National Gallery today. Miss Procter told The Times Lloyds insured British slave ships, compensating merchants and captains for slaves dying at sea. Promotional artwork for the tours includes a portrait of Lord Nelson (middle) with the words white supremacist in red across it. Similar works brand Queen Victoria (bottom right) a thief, Elizabeth I (bottom left) a slaver and explorer Captain Cook (top) an invader An event description states: In a country thats repeatedly failed to come to terms with its colonial past ... we seek to resist triumphalist nostalgia with art history. These tours focus on how major institutions like the National Gallery and Tate Britain came into being against a backdrop of imperialism. Well unravel the role colonialism played in shaping and funding these collections, looking at the broader material history of celebrated works. But Tory MP and historian Kwasi Kwarteng slammed the tours as sensationalist. He said: To put 20th-century terms such as white supremacist on 18th-century figures is not remotely scholarly. Its babyish and silly ... There needs to be a debate about our historical figures but calling them abusive names is not the way to do it. It needs to be put in its proper context. The National Gallery said: These tours are not organised by, or with, the input of the National Gallery and nor do we endorse them. It highlighted Angersteins role in the abolitionist movement as a founding member of the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor. The British Museum stressed the tours are run externally and do not form part of the British Museums public programme offer. The Tate said it recently held an exhibition about art and the British empire, while the V&A said the museums mission is to encourage contemporary debate on historic collections. Miss Procter did not comment. Aaron Springett, 32, died after a street fight outside of a Paddy Power bookies in Morden, south London A 32-year-old who collapsed and died after a street fight in London has been named by police. Aaron Springett was found collapsed after being assaulted near the Paddy Power bookmakers in Morden, south London on Thursday night. A post-mortem examination gave cause of death as 'blunt force trauma to the chest'. A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Friday and remains in custody in a south London police station. Mr Springett, described by friends as a 'funny crazy dude', was found outside the bookmakers, not far from where he lived. Police officers were called to the scene after ambulance staff suspected he had been assaulted. He was taken to a south London hospital in a critical condition but later died on Friday night. Officers have urged anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward if they saw anything. Mr Springett's brother set up a memorial page on Facebook. He wrote: 'I've not stopped getting messages and love for my brother who is sadly missed. Mr Springett was found collapsed on the street by ambulance staff who called police officers 'I still can't believe it myself.' Other friends also added messages of support on social media. Sam Ford said: 'On Friday night at 11.07 my best friend Frodo was taken from us. Brother I love you.' Carol Churchward wrote: 'Aaron Springett RIP. Another good'un gone.' Rachael Larcombe added: 'I can't believe it. So shocked. Such a funny crazy dude.' Jem Djejlal wrote: 'Aaron how could we only know you such a short time and be so absolutely devastated by your passing? You were so lovely to be around and our boys thought you were brilliant.' Mr Springett's brother has set-up a Facebook tribute page in his memory with friends expressing their shock at his death Stacks of flowers and cards were left near the scene of where Mr Springett died (pictured) A cordon could be seen around the scene following Mr Springett's death, for which a 31-year-old man has been arrested 'You came into our lives and were always so polite, sweet and kind, you will remain in our hearts forever Officers have established that the victim was involved in a fight with a man in the street, which would have been busy with Friday night revellers. Detective Inspector Will White, from the Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: 'I would like to speak with anyone who saw what happened to Aaron. 'The assault happened in a busy area in sight of a number of shops and bus stops and I'm certain people were in the area and may have seen or heard what happened. 'Any piece of information, however small, could greatly assist our inquiry. 'I would also like to hear from anyone who may have filmed the initial altercation on their phones as this footage might be vital.' Kwesi, pictured with his sister, died after a fight broke out at a house party. He was found in Finsbury Park, north London Mr Springett's death comes as the murders investigated by the Met Police in London rise to 60. Two men were stabbed near a tube station in London on Friday just hours after another fatal stabbing. Metropolitan Police have confirmed they were called to Tooting Bec station in south London at around 6pm after reports of fighting. Two men were found with stab wounds, but their condition is unknown. No arrests have been made. Earlier, a 20-year-old man was found fatally wounded on Roth Walk, near Finsbury Park, north London at around 3am. Named locally as Kwesi, he was found within a hundred yards of the home of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Medical staff fought to save his life but he was confirmed dead at the scene. Another man, aged 21, was also found with stab wounds nearby and was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He was later arrested. Top trauma surgeon Martin Griffiths has predicted a summer of 'carnage' as youth violence rises across the capital. Police vans and cars were spotted outside Tooting Bec station in south London on Friday after two men were found with stab wounds The death toll from the surge in violence in London rose further last night with the death of an 18-year-old in Forest Gate He warns that the warmer weather will further increase the bloodshed among young people. Mr Griffiths, who works at the Royal London Hospital in east London, said that treating children with knife and gunshot wounds had become 'the bread and butter' of his job. Commenting on the wave of violence Mr Griffiths told the Times: 'I'm a trauma surgeon, not a paediatric surgeon. We're having to use the skillset that we use to look after adult trauma injuries for kids. 'That was never part of the deal. But we look after children now that's what we do. Welcome to the new normal.' A 20-year-old man was knifed to death at around 3am on Friday in Finsbury Park (pictured: forensic officers at the scene) He was found fatally wounded on Roth Walk, near Finsbury Park, at around 3am on Saturday, Scotland Yard said He added: 'We handled a terrorist attack like we handle a busy Saturday night. 'That's a sobering thought.' he said, referring to the London Bridge terrorist attack on June 3 last year. 'Every day an ambulance rolls up with a kid who has been stabbed. That can't be right. We're not at war.' Tragic death toll: The rising number of lives taken on the streets of London in 2018 JANUARY - 12 deaths, including one late on December 31 31 December, Kyall Parnell, 17: Stabbed to death in Lambeth 1 January, Steve Frank Narvaez-Arias, 20: Stabbed in the chest on New Year's Day at a flat party in a council estate off Old Street in Islington, north London. After moving to the UK from Ecuador, the 20-year-old was reading physics and aerospace at Hertfordshire University and hoped to become a pilot 3 January, Elizabeta Lacatusu, 44: Found bleeding to death on Norfolk Road, in Ilford, after she had her throat slashed. She worked at a restaurant in the east London town and was returning home when she was stabbed to death 6 January, Vijay Patel, 49: Mr Patel was beaten to death in Barnet Yaya Mbye, 26, was stabbed in Hackney on January 28 (left). Right, Daniel Frederick, 34, was killed metres from his home in Hackney after attending a hospital appointment for his pregnant partner on January 8 8 January, Daniel Frederick, 34: Daniel was killed metres from his home in Hackney after attending a hospital appointment for his pregnant partner 9 January, Dami Odeyingbo, 18: Stabbed in Bromley 11 January, Harry Uzoka, 25: Harry, who was on the books of Premier Model Management and had modelled for brands including Mercedes and Zara - was stabbed in Shepherd's Bush. Neighbours reported a shout of 'hand it over' in the melee which involved several men 24 January, Seyed Azim Khan, age unknown: Died from a head injury in Redbridge Khader Saleh, 25, (left) was stabbed in the Hammersmith and Fulham area on January 31. Right, Dami Odeyingbo, 18, was stabbed in Bromley on January 9 28 January, Yaya Mbye, 26: Stabbed in Hackney 29 January, Juan Olmos Saca, 39: Died six days after being found stabbed at an address in Peckham 31 January, Lily-Mai Saint George, one: One-year-old Lily-Mai was found dead in Haringey. The Met Police say her cause of death remains unknown 31 January, Khader Saleh, 25: The 25-year-old was stabbed in the Hammersmith and Fulham area FEBRUARY - 14 deaths 3 February, Kwabena Nelson, 22: Ambushed in Tottenham in the early hours where he was fatally stabbed 3 February, Hasan Ozkan, 19: Stabbed to death in Abbey Road, Barking 5 February, Juan Olmos Saca: Died in hospital after being stabbed in Peckham 8 February, Hannah Leonard, 55: Fatally stabbed in Brays Tower, Primrose Hill 11 February, Sabri Chibani, 19: Stabbed in Streatham Common 12 February, Bulent Kabala, 41: The taxi driver was shot dead in a 'targeted hit' on a roundabout in Barnet Elizabeta Lacatusu, 44, was found bleeding to death on Norfolk Road, in Ilford, after she had her throat slashed on January 3 13 February, Saeeda Hussain, 54: Found with critical injuries at an address in Ilford and pronounced dead at the scene 14 February, Promise Nkenda, 17: Fatally stabbed in Newham, east London 15 February, Mark Smith, 48: Mr Smith was found injured in Chingford, and died shortly afterwards 17 February, Lewis Blackman, 19: Lewis, who grew up on the Peckwater estate in Kentish Town, was killed in Kensington. Witnesses told how a gang of about eight youths, some armed with sticks, shouted 'let's chase him down', before he was stabbed 17 February, Josef Boci, 30: Jozef was beaten up in the street in Greenwich and died in hospital Hannah Leonard, who was 55, was found dead on February 9 in a flat in Camden, North London 19 February, Rotimi Oshibanjo, 26: Rotimi was fatally stabbed inside a property in the Halliday Square housing estate 20 February, Sadiq Mohamed, 20: The aspiring accountant was found with serious stab wounds in Malden Road, in Belsize Park 20 February, Abdikarim Hassan, 17: Abdikarim died in the street after being attacked in Camden 20 February, name unknown, 24: Shot in Westminster 25 February, Michael Boyle, 44: Stabbed in Southwark. Mr Boyle, from Galashiels, Scotland died of multiple organ failure after being stabbed at a property in Southwark. He was found on February 25 but died on March 10 MARCH - 23 deaths 1 March, Christopher Beaumont, 42: Stabbed in Hammersmith and Fulham 5 March, Kelva Smith, 20: Found stabbed in South Norwood, Croydon and pronounced dead at the scene 5 March, Laura Cecilia Navarrete De Figueira, 47: Police launched a murder investigation after Laura Cecilia Navarrete De Figueira was found with stab wounds at her home in Twickenham. An hour earlier the body of her husband Figueira de Faria and the bodies of Claudio, 10, and Joaquin, seven, were discovered on the beach at Birling Gap, in Eastbourne, East Sussex 8 March, Kelvin Odunuyi, 19: Shot in Haringey Balbir Johal, 48: Died after being stabbed in Southall on March 19 12 March, Julian Joseph, 36: Murdered in Lewisham, cause of death as yet unknown 13 March, Nikolay Glushkov, 68: Russian businessman was found dead in his home in New Malden. He died from compression to the neck 14 March, Lyndon Davis, 18: The youngest to have been killed in March, was found suffering from a single stab wound in Chadwell Heath, east London 14 March, Joseph Williams-Torres, 20: Killed as he sat in a stationary car in Essex Close, Walthamstow 16 March, Naomi Hersi, 36: Stabbed in Hounslow. Hersi, who lived as a trans woman called Naomi, was pronounced dead at the scene after being found with knife injuries in Hounslow 17 March, Russell Jones, 23: Ambushed outside shops near Ponders End station, in Enfield and stabbed and shot to death 18 March, Tyrone Silcott, 42: The father-of-two died from knife wounds after a St Patrick's Day party. It is alleged the car mechanic got into a row over two girls at a party in Homerton and was attacked 19 March, Balbir Johal, 48: Died after being stabbed in Southall Hersi Hersi (left), who lived as a trans woman called Naomi, was pronounced dead at the scene after being found with knife injuries at Heathrow Palace in Hounslow. Russell Jones, 23, became the eighth person in a week to be killed in London when he was ambushed outside shops near Ponders End station, Enfield Read 19 March, Jermaine Johnson, 41: Found with stab injuries and pronounced dead at the scene in Walthamstow 20 March, Beniamin Pieknyi, 20: Believed to have jumped in to the fight in a bid to save his friend during the altercation at the Stratford Centre in east London. The 20-year-old, who only arrived in Britain two months ago from Romania, died in his best friend's arms after being chased and stabbed by a gang in the busy shopping centre 25 March, Abraham Badru, 26: Gunned down in Hackney. The university graduate, who was murdered in Dalston, east London, was awarded the National Police Bravery Award in July 2009 25 March, awaiting formal ID, 59: Person found dead in Barking & Dagenham 26 March, David Potter, 50: Found stabbed to death in a property on Tooting High Street 29 March, Reece Tshoma, 23: Reece, from Barking in east London, was stabbed in the neck in Greenwich before being rushed to hospital by his friend where he died 30 March, Leyla Mtumwa, 36: Leyla was found dead with stab wounds to the neck and chest at an address in Haringey Amaan Shakoor, 16, was shot in the face in Walthamstow and died a day later in hospital APRIL - At least 11 deaths 1 April, Devoy Stapleton: Stabbed at as he made his way home from a night out in Wandsworth. Police found him in a pool of his own blood after being called to the middle-class suburb of Earlsfield, south west London 2 April, Tanesha Melbourne, 17: Tanesha was gunned down near her home in Tottenham, north London in front of horrified friends and family. It is thought she was caught in the crossfire of a ruthless gang war 2 April, Amaan Shakoor, 16: The teenager was shot in the face in Walthamstow, north London, and police have now confirmed he died from his injuries in hospital 4 April, Henry Vincent, 37: Burglary who died from stab wound after raiding pensioner's house 4 April, Babatunde Akintayo Awofeso dies after row on Upper Clapton Road, east London. Israel Ogunsola, 18, died in Hackney after being stabbed on April 4 4 April, Israel Ogunsola, 18, dies in Hackney after being stabbed. The victim approached police who performed first aid but he died at the scene after 25 minutes. 12 April, John Maclean, 35, stabbed at a flat in the Isle of Dogs. A 25-year-old has been charged with his murder. 15 April, Raul Nicolaie, 26: Found at with stab injuries in Colindale, north London. A 34- year-old woman was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder 15 April, an unnamed woman in her 30s was stabbed to death in Sudbourne Road, Brixton, south London. A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of murder. 16 April - Sami Sidhom, 18, is stabbed to death in the street in Forest Gate. 21 April - Man, 20, named locally as Kwesi, was stabbed to death about a hundred yards from Jeremy Corbyns home in North London Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) will promise to make St George's Day a public holiday if Labour win the next election Jeremy Corbyn is set to announce plans to make St George's day a national holiday - and give the whole country the day off. The Labour leader will introduce new national holidays to mark the patron saints of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland if it wins the next general election. On Monday, St George's Day, Corbyn will claim that after eight years of 'damaging Tory austerity' British workers deserve a day off. Labour will ask for the support of the governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland so the same four holidays can be enjoyed across the United Kingdom. Under the proposals, St David's Day (March 1), St Patrick's Day (March 17), St George's Day (April 23) and St Andrew's Day (November 30) will all be celebrated with a day off. With eight public holidays, the UK has the fewest of any G20 or EU country, Corbyn will say at the annual conference of the Communication Workers Union in Bournemouth. Corbyn is set to claim that after eight years of 'damaging Tory austerity' British workers deserve a day off 'If we win the next election, St George's Day will become a national holiday for Britain's workers,' he will promise. 'It will be a day where we can all show our pride and celebrate our country's tradition of fairness, inclusivity and social justice. 'Eight years of Tory austerity, which Labour will bring to an end, have had a disastrous effect on our vital public services and workers have paid a heavy price in the cost of living and their working lives. 'We will give our workers four extra days paid holiday. 'The four nations that make up our country are more divided as a result of the damaging and divisive policies of this Conservative government.' He will then repeat his commitment to renationalising Royal Mail. St George, patron saint of England and Portugal, slaying the dragon Corbyn has said that the recent Windrush scandal and the 'sickening Go Home vans' showed the Government's 'patriotic posturing' was a 'sham'. He will add: 'We need to end the Conservative's constant pandering to a rich elite at the top and their attempts to divide the rest of us, creating a 'hostile environment' for people who come to contribute to our country. 'So let me say to the Windrush generation and to everyone who has come to this country to make a contribution: You are welcome. You have equal rights and under Labour you will never be treated like second-class citizens. We will never allow people to be divided on the basis of race or religion. 'Labour's mission of social justice brings people and our nations together. 'Our values of a fair and inclusive society are our country's best values, and those shared values will be celebrated by making St George's Day a national holiday.' An iconic oil painting on display in Melbourne this week before going under the hammer at auction on Thursday is expected to fetch close to a quarter of a million dollars. The painting, from celebrated artist Elioth Gruner, is an oil on canvas piece titled ' On The Sands' and shows a picturesque beach somewhere on the NSW coastline. The mystery location of the picturesque scene in the piece is still debated today. The painting is one of four which will be up for auction this week and was part of a private collection belonging to the family of pioneering showman, Sir George Tallis. The painting (pictured) from celebrated artist Elioth Gruner, is an oil on canvas piece titled ' On The Sands' and shows a beach that is not yet identified and is expected to fetch about $200,000 at auction The collection was in the family for a century before being released for sale to the public. The other pieces include Rupert Bunny's Mother and Child on the Beach, Penleigh Boyd's The Jetty, and Tom Roberts' Untitled (Dandenong Landscape), presenting a snapshot of Australian art from the early 1920s, ABC News reported. The complete sale of all the paintings is expected to bring in at least a half a million dollars for a new philanthropic fund at the University of NSW. Penleigh Boyd's The Jetty will also be up for auction after it was released from a private collection to help raise proceeds for the University of NSW Tallis' great granddaughter Lindy Tallis was the last family member to inherit the works which have been in her family for generations. She said her grandfather had worked hard to build up the collection in the 1920s and while the paintings will be sold separately she still hopes that they will remain together. Ms Tallis hopes an avid collector or an institution would buy the collection as a whole. Rupert Bunny's Mother and Child on the Beach (pictured) will also be up for auction this week The formation of the Tallis Research Initiative was a factor in Ms Tallis deciding to release the paintings back into the public sphere. 'It just feels so good, it's honouring the work of my father and carrying on the philanthropic work of Sir George and ensuring the art works are properly looked after,' she told ABC News. There are a number of theories about where in New South Wales 'On the Sands' was painted during the Summer of 1920. 'There is another scene painted by Gruner in 1920, Tamarama Beach, which includes a comparable deckchair and parasol, suggesting perhaps that my painting is more likely of a southern (NSW) beach as well,' Ms Tallis said. Tom Roberts' Untitled (Dandenong Landscape) is the final piece in the oil on canvas collection which shows off what Australian art was like in the 1920s Another theory about the location put forward by a researcher at the Menzies Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers is that the scene depicts Avoca on the NSW Central Coast. 'On The Sands' is considered to be Elioth Gruner's 'master work' of the oil on canvas genre. Gruner won the Art Gallery of NSW's Wynne Landscape Prize a record seven times. His untimely death at the age of 56 saw the value of his paintings soar. After inheriting her late father's paintings, Ms Tallis said she had an overwhelming urge to 'give them back to the public' and is excited to see what will come of the auction and the proceeds it will bring in. Fast food restaurants should be banned from opening within 400 metres of schools to tackle childhood obesity, leading doctors said yesterday. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has urged ministers to take a leap of faith and introduce extensive powers to help councils keep junk food away from pupils. The college also called for a national programme to weigh and measure children from birth through to adolescence because current weigh-ins are taken too late to identify problems. Doctors want the measures to form part of the Governments childhood obesity strategy, which is due to be published this summer. The college represents around 17,500 doctors and its latest intervention will increase pressure on ministers to tackle the countrys growing obesity epidemic. Nearly half of primary school children are dangerously overweight in some parts of the country, according to Public Health England. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health called on the government to give councils the power to tackle childhood obesity The doctors called for children to be weighed and measured from an earlier age to help track obesity more accurately Britains obesity rates are the worst in Western Europe and rising faster than those in the US. MPs on the House of Commons health and social care committee are to open an inquiry on childhood obesity next month. In its submission to the inquiry the royal college called for a series of drastic measures to combat obesity. Professor Russell Viner, president of the college, told the Daily Telegraph: Kids are coming out of school hungry and finding themselves surrounded by cheap chicken shops, chip shops and other types of junk food. This just wasnt the case 20 or 30 years ago. People tend to eat whats in front of them and we need to make it easier for children to make the right choices. Research suggests that 1,800 schools have at least ten fast food outlets within 400 metres of their grounds. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has proposed a ban on any new fast food outlets being built within that distance from schools. Data from a Freedom of Information Act response has revealed that a 15-year-old boy from Northumbria is Britain's worst teenage criminal. The boy has been arrested a staggering 106 times before his 16th birthday. He was initially arrested at the age of ten, with his following offences including burglary, joyriding, arson and several shoplifting offences. The 15-year-old, from Northumbria, has been arrested 106 times after being initially held at the age of just ten Ten is the age of criminal responsibility in the UK. Second on the list of offenders was a teenager from North Wales who, from the age of ten to 18, had been arrested 83 times. Next was a child from West Yorkshire who was arrested by police 77 times between the age of 12 and 17. Scotland Yard also confirmed that ten London youngsters had been held at least 50 times each. Hampshire Police Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for children and young people told the Sun: 'A small minority of children commit multiple offences. 'It's important to identify the causes and intervene before they escalate to prolific offending.' Yahmire Boardley, 23, was jailed in New Jersey for seven years on Friday after he was caught with more than 30 pounds of the super-potent synthetic opioid fentanyl in March last year A New Jersey drug dealer found with enough fentanyl to kill five million people has been jailed for seven years. Yahmire Boardley, 23, was handed his seven year jail sentence on Friday after he was caught with more than 30 pounds of the super-potent synthetic opioid fentanyl back in March last year. At the time of his arrest it was the largest fentanyl seizure in New Jersey history, according to the District Attorney's office. Boardley, of Camden, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in January to second-degree possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Authorities say the 31 pounds Boardley was caught with could have resulted in more than five million lethal doses. Investigators seized the drugs after learning that Boardley was receiving package of fentanyl in the mail from China. Police raided multiple locations in Camden on March 16 last year and seized the drugs following a month-long state and federal investigation. They arrested Boardley that same day at his home. 'The fentanyl seized from Boardley could have yielded enough lethal doses to kill over half the population of New Jersey,' Attorney General Grewal said following his sentencing. 'As fentanyl-related deaths have skyrocketed in New Jersey, we've redoubled our efforts to lock up those responsible for the illicit supply of this deadly opioid, which in this case was coming through the mail from China.' Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police Patrick Callahan said: 'This massive seizure prevented more than five million potentially lethal doses of fentanyl from hitting the streets. 'But before that can happen, our troopers and their canine partners must put their own lives on the line, dealing with a substance so deadly that coming into contact with even the smallest amounts can have tragic consequences. 'This sentence is a testament to the outstanding work of the State Police Trafficking South Unit and our law enforcement partners who are committed to protecting our communities from this deadly epidemic.' Canadian man Sebastian Woodroffe, 41, was lynched in Peru on Thursday after villagers claimed he fatally shot dead revered Indigenous healer Olivia Arevalo, 81 A Canadian man studying hallucinogenic medicine in the Amazon rainforest has been killed by a Peruvian mob, who blame him for murdering a respected elderly shaman. Sebastian Woodroffe, 41, traveled to Peru to study natural medicine and to seek enlightenment. However his journey towards 'deeper meaning' took a dark turn when he allegedly shot Indigenous healer Olivia Arevalo Lomas, 81, dead. Arevalo, a member of the Shipibo-Konibo tribe in the village of Victoria Gracia in northeast Peru, was killed on Thursday by two fatal shots. The beloved shaman ran a lucrative healing center that offered ayahuasca - an Indigenous hallucinogenic mixture - to Westerners, according to CBC. Woodroffe is believed to be one of her patients. Peruvian authorities describe Woodroffe as her killer. A graphic video reveals a man believed to be Woodroffe brutally dragged through mud by a rope around his neck as villagers look on A graphic image on Facebook reveals Arevalo's body after she was fatally shot twice Woodroffe was lynched by people of the Ucayali region of the Amazon rain forest who blame him for the healers death that same day. Peruvian police said the Canadian man was brutally dragged by the neck through the rain forest. Villagers claimed Woodroffe shot dead Indigenous healer Olivia Arevalo, 81, (pictured) on Thursday A cellphone video released by local press displays a man covered in blood believed to be Woodroffe begging for mercy as he was dragged by a rope around his neck between thatch-roofed homes. He is last seen in the video motionless on the muddy ground. On Saturday officials dug up Woodroffes body from an unmarked grave in the forest 0.6miles away from Arevalos home. 'The body had been fully identified (as that of Sebastian Woodroffe) using fingerprints,' General Jorge Lam, the lead police officer in the double murder inquiry, said to The Guardian. The double murder took place in the Ucayali region of northeast Peru in the Amazon forest Ricardo Palma Jimenez, the head of the group of prosecutors in Ucayali, said that no arrests have been made in relation to Woodroffes death. 'We will not rest until both murders, of the Indigenous woman as well as the Canadian man, are solved,' he said in a phone interview to Reuters. The Amazon rain forest has long attracted foreigners to experiment with ayahuasca a dark colored and bitter brew made of a mixture of native plants that includes dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which can lead to psychedelic experiences. Arevalo was a member of the Shipibo-Konibo tribe and ran healing center that offered ayahuasca - an Indigenous hallucinogenic mixture - to Westerners Woodroffe had reportedly been to South America several times to study natural healing and plant remedies. His friends said he became more distant after trying ayahuasca Peruvian police confirmed that Woodroffe's dead body was found half a mile away from Arevalo's home The hallucinogenic cocktail, also known as yage, is a centuries old recipe used by Indigenous tribes in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia as a cure for a variety of ailments. It is not known to lead to violence. However in 2015, a Canadian fatally stabbed a fellow tourist from England after the two drank ayahuasca together in a spiritual ceremony a few hours' drive from where Woodroffe was killed. Woodroffe had been reportedly living in the Ucayali regional capital of Pucallpa for some time. His friends told CBC that he first traveled to Peru in 2016 to learn about natural healing and plant remedies. He became more distant after trying ayahuasca. His friend Yarrow Willard said that hed return home from South America 'not broken, but troubled'. He wanted to be an apprentice with the plant healer and aspired to become an addiction counselor using hallucinogenic medicine. 'The plant medicine I have the opportunity of learning is far deeper than ingesting a plant and being healed. It is not about getting "high" either. It is true some of the plants I will be learning about do have a perception-altering effect, but these are a few plants out of thousands I will be working with,' he wrote on the Indiegogo crowd-funding website seeking financial help for his studies. AYAHUASCA: THE HIP BUT DEADLY HALLUCINOGEN Thousands of foreign tourists travel to the Peruvian Amazon to experiment with ayahuasca every year. The hallucinogenic cocktail, also known as yage, has been venerated for centuries by indigenous tribes in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia as a cure for all sorts of ailments. But it has now become a rite of passage for many backpackers travelling through South America. The bitter, dark-coloured brew, made of a mixture of native plants, is increasingly consumed by Western tourists looking for mind-altering experiences, sometimes with deadly consequences. Yage, a mixture of the Ayahuasca hallucinogenic liana and a psychoactive bush, attracts many people in Colombia There are now a number of ayahuasca ceremonies being conducted in Europe. Ayahuasca is also used by some rehab facilities for its healing properties and to explore their inner mind, fears, hopes and dreams with spiritual guidance. The drug has also become trendy due in part to celebrities including Lindsay Lohan and Penn Badgley - who have spoken of taking ayahuasca. Musician Father John Misty references ayahuasca in his song Im writing a Novel and its also been featured in films, including 2012s Wanderlust starring Jennifer Aniston. And in an episode of her show Chelsea Does, Chelsea Handler travels to Peru to experiment with the psychedelic and promptly vomits on camera after drinking the tea. But many experts say ayahuasca one of the strongest psychedelic drugs in the world is dangerous. Businessman Matthew Mellon (pictured) died of a heart attack after taking the drug in a Mexican rehab facility British backpacker Henry Miller, 19, suffered a fatal reaction after taking it in Colombia in 2014. New Zealand backpacker Matthew Dawson-Clarke, 24, died during a ayahuasca retreat in Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon, in 2015. Last week, businessman Matthew Mellon the ex-husband of Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon died of a heart attack after allegedly taking the drug in a Mexican rehab facility. Advertisement 'I am in this for the long haul. This is more than a 'job' to me. I want not only for people to recover ... I want to turn them on to the wonders of existence, and have them leave as a renewed friend and lover of this thing we call life,' he added. Ronald Suarez, the highest authority Shipibo-Konibo tribe of 40,000 said Woodroffe's killers 'acted on the spur of the moment and resorted to traditional justice' according to the Guardian. 'But we are a peaceful people who have always lived in harmony with nature,' he added. 'We have little confidence in the police as, so often, crimes against us go unpunished,' he said. Arevalo's murder has led to mourning throughout the village. She was praised as a 'walking library of our traditional knowledge, the maximum expression of our culture'. Her death follows a list of unsolved murders of Indigenous activists who are bombarded with death threats for protecting their land. Federal politician Barnaby Joyce is set to remain in the headlines in the coming months after it was revealed he's penning an autobiography. The New England-based MP and former deputy prime minister has signed a deal with New Holland Publishers with the 'highly anticipated, tell-all autobiography' due for release in August. The news comes three days after the former Nationals leader and his live-in partner, former staffer Vikki Campion gave birth to son Sebastian. Scroll down for video Barnaby Joyce has signed a deal with New Holland Publishers to write a 'highly anticipated, tell-all autobiography' Mr Joyce's live-in partner and former staffer Vikki Campion gave birth to their first child Sebastian on Friday The newborn is Mr Joyce's fifth child and first son. He has four daughters with his wife Natalie, whom he separated from late last year. The publisher promised the autobiography is 'guaranteed not to disappoint'. 'The book will be a 'warts and all' account of his personal story and commitment to people in the bush, as well as his public stoush with actor Johnny Depp, his citizenship crisis, his resignation as the leader of the National Party (and as Deputy Prime Minister), the inside story of the media frenzy concerning his personal life and the joy of welcoming baby Sebastian,' a statement from the publisher said. The Australian reports that Joyce has cold-called literary agents in recent weeks with some publishers sceptical about the book's appeal. Curtis Brown managing director Fiona Inglis told the publication her team felt the autobiography would have little chance of commercial success. 'There's nothing to say, the story is over and everyone's bored with it the media have already covered more than every angle,' she told The Australian. 'We felt for his wife, daughters and new partner were concerned that the family has had enough.' Another unnamed publisher said the market for political biographies was 'not what it used to be. 'It is getting harder to sell these types of books,' he told The Australian. The publisher said Mr Joyce's autobiography will a 'warts and all' account of his personal story A former New Jersey police officer will not be sent to prison despite fathering a child with a 15-year-old girl. Rafael Martinez Jr. escaped a prison sentence on Friday after Judge Edward McBride accepted a negotiated plea deal that will see the former Camden County cop receive five-years-probation, according to NJ.com. While giving birth last August at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, social workers interviewed the 15-year-old, who told them that Martinez was the father. Camden County Police Detective Rafael Martinez Jr (pictured) pleaded to to endangering the welfare of a child on Friday after impregnating an underage girl After confronting Martinez, 33, he admitted to impregnating the underage girl and signed the infant's birth certificate the night the child was born. 'They both admitted to the (social worker) that Martinez is the father of E.L.'s child and he signed the birth certificate confirming such,' the social worker said in a sworn police affidavit obtained by the Courier Post. The infant's 15-year-old mother told officials that she and Martinez had sex at his Blackwood, New Jersey, home on several occasions between September 2016 and August 18, 2017. Martinez's defense attorney, Dan Rybeck (pictured), said that the ex-law enforcement officer would like to be admitted to a weekly treatment program ran by the state A DNA test later confirmed Matinez's paternity. During his trial, however, Martinez maintained that he did not know the future mother of his child was underage. In response, Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Grace MacAulay said the excuse was not good enough. 'Saying the child told me she was 18, that is inexcusable and unacceptable for any person in our society, but especially for a law enforcement officer,' MacAulay said. Martinez's defense attorney, Dan Rybeck, said that the ex-law enforcement officer would like to be admitted to the County Supplemental Labor Service Program on weekends. In sentencing Martinez, McBride noted that 'his conduct is the result of circumstances that are unlikely to recur,' highlighting Martinez's previously unscathed record with the law. In addition, Martinez pleaded to endangering the welfare of a child as part of the agreement with the court. Martinez, whose father is also a Camden police officer, was suspended from the force without pay following his arrest on September 12. His yearly salary with the police department had been $65,792 per year. Martinez worked for New Jersey's Department of Corrections before becoming an officer in Camden in 2013. He has received several honors for his police work, including a Meritorious Service award in July 2013 and Officer of the Week recognition The suspension lasted until his case was adjudicated and was officially forced off of the department on Friday. A feminist blogger last night shared a shocking abusive email she received from a man offering to perform a sex act on her. Celeste Liddle, a campaigner for women's and aboriginal people's rights, shared the vile message with her 20,000 Twitter followers. She wrote: 'If any journalists are looking for the abuse women writers receive, here's a revolting email I received this week. Celeste Liddle (pictured), a campaigner for women's and aboriginal people's rights, shared the message with her 20,000 Twitter followers on Sunday night She wrote: 'If any journalists are looking for the abuse women writers receive, here's a revolting email I received this week' In the email, the man offered Liddle various sex acts and said: 'I hope that doesn't offend.' 'The d***head who sent it thought it was a compliment. I've blanked the name as I responded warning him I'd pursue action if he contacted me again.' In the email, the man offered Liddle various sex acts and said: 'I hope that doesn't offend.' The message started: 'I've come across your writing and I'm intrigued... I just think you're hot. I love your passion.' He signed off 'this is me' and attached a photo of himself. The ABC's flagship TV interviewer Leigh Sales, who has also complained of being abused online, replied to Liddle: 'Absolutely disgraceful. I'm sorry you received that.' Fellow journalist Virginia Trioli also replied: 'Imagine living in the head of the person who sent that? Celeste - delete, block, forget. Don't give that creep a moment more of your life. I'm sorry it's intruded on your day.' Liddle rose to prominence via her personal blog, Rantings of an Aboriginal Feminist and has written for several publications including Daily Life and The Guardian. The ABC's flagship TV interviewer Leigh Sales has been trolled with sexist abuse and accused of metaphorically performing sex acts on Liberal Party politicians Last week Sales was trolled with sexist abuse and accused of virtually performing sex acts on Liberal Party politicians. The 44-year-old Sydney-based 7.30 host shared with her Twitter followers a particularly vile accusation about her perceived bias. 'Any interviewer is supposed to be impartial but Leigh Sales virtually goes down on her knees to give any Lib an on-camera blow job,' it said. 'She gives them such an easy time.' Sales, who was previously the ABC's Washington correspondent, said the trolling highlighted the abuse women in the media face. The 44-year-old Sydney-based 7.30 host shared with her Twitter followers a particularly vile accusation about her perceived bias 'Another morning, another bit of casual misogyny and abuse - basically a daily occurrence for high-profile women on social media,' she said on Wednesday. Sales has regularly copped abuse on social media, including an incident in August 2017 after she had separated from her husband Phil Willis, who is also the father of her two children. A troll used last year's gay marriage postal vote survey to take a dig at her personal circumstances. 'Since Leigh Sales couldn't hold her own marriage together, she's busy campaigning to destroy every one else's,' the vicious message said. South Korea has turned off loudspeakers that are used to broadcast propaganda across the border with North Korea. Military chiefs switched the speakers off on Monday morning ahead of a summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un later this week. The South said the move was designed 'to create a peaceful climate' ahead of the talks, which are the first of their kind to take place since 2007. South Korea's military has turned off giant speaker arrays that it uses to broadcast propaganda into North Korea ahead of a summit between the countries' leaders South Korea said turning off the speakers was designed to create 'an atmosphere of peace' ahead of a summit between Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un on Friday The speakers usually broadcast a mixture of K-Pop music, news reports critical of the North and messages urging soldiers to defect to the South. The messages can be heard by soldiers stationed along the border, and nearby villagers. North Korea has speaker arrays of its own which is uses to broadcast messages critical of the South. It is unclear whether these would also be silenced. 'We stopped loudspeaker broadcasts... as of today in order to ease military tension and to create a peaceful climate... ahead of the 2018 inter-Korea summit,' Seoul's defence ministry said in a statement. On Friday Kim Jong-un will make his first ever visit to South Korea as he meets with Moon Jae-in at the peace village of Panmunjom. The talks mark only the third time that South and North Korean leaders have met following summits in 2000 and 2007. At the last set of talks, Kim Jong-un's father, Kim Jong-il, met with then-South Korean leader Roh Moo-hyun. Both previous summits took place in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. The two neighbours remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty. Kim and Moon are set to meet in the village of Panmunjom on the southern side of the border, marking the first time the leaders of North and South have met since 2007 President Donald Trump is also expected to meet Kim in either May or June, when the pair will discuss North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons Tens of thousands of soldiers still guard the mine-infested land border. Relations have improved markedly in recent months, with the North announcing at the weekend that it would not conduct any more long-range missile launches. The regime also agreed to dismantle its underground nuclear testing site of Punggye Ri and halt all nuclear tests. It is thought the site partially collapsed after the North's most recent and most powerful nuclear test, in September last year. The dramatic loosening in relations comes ahead of an anticipated meeting between Kim and Donald Trump in either late May or June. An exact date and venue has yet to be decided, though former CIA director Mike Pompeo has traveled to Pyongyang and met with Kim in preparation. It is believed that Kim is willing to discuss giving up the North's nuclear weapons without demanding the withdrawal of US troops from South Korea. In return, Kim will be seeking an end to hostile policies against the North and a guarantee of safety for his regime, according to reports. The young leader, believed to be in his mid-30s, has overseen four of the country's six nuclear tests and Pyongyang hails its weapons as a 'treasured sword' protecting the country from potential US invasion. Kim has also overseen dozens of missile tests, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the US mainland. Millionaire aviation enthusiast Dick Smith fears Australia's safety record will be destroyed as more pilots are hired from overseas, including Africa. The businessman said pilot training had become so expensive in Australia, with course fees of $100,000, that airlines were hiring from overseas on 457 visas. He feared a shortage of Australian-trained pilots would see airlines recruit pilots from developing nations with dubious airline safety records to keep the planes flying. Scroll down for video Millionaire aviation enthusiastic Dick Smith fears Australia's safety record will be destroyed as more pilots are hired from third-world African nations (Somalia's Kismayo International Airport pictured) The businessman said pilot training had become so expensive in Australia that airlines were hiring from overseas on 457 visas (Kismayo International Airport pictured) 'They'll be coming in from anywhere around the world: Africa,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Monday. 'The people who will apply will be the people who have become pilots in these countries. 'They'll put ads in and people will rush from China and India to come and fly a plane here. 'We could have a real safety problem because our extraordinary safety record has come from having Australian pilots. It's outrageous.' Dick Smith (pictured) feared a shortage of Australian-trained pilots would see airlines recruit pilots from developing nations with dubious airline safety records to keep the planes flying The Chinese government has since taken over small flight schools across Australia to train pilots for their own airlines as Australian flight training schools close (Merredin Aerodrome 260km east of Perth pictured) CRASHES INVOLVING AFRICAN CARRIERS October 2017: Valan International Cargo Charter flying from Burkino Faso to Abidjan crashed on the Ivory Coast, killing four of the 10 on board. November 2013: LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 en route from Mozambique to Angola crashed in Namibia, killing 27 passengers and six crew. June 2012: Dana Air Flight 992 from Abuja, Nigeria, to Lagos, Nigeria after crashing into a Lago printing press, killing all 153 people on board and 10 more on the ground. June 2009: Yemenia Flight 626 flying from Sana'a, Yemen, to Moroni, Comoros, crash landed killing 152 people. October 2006: ADC Airlines Flight 53 crashed immediately after taking off from Abuja, Nigeria, killing 92 passengers and four crew. May 2007: Kenya Airways Flight 507 flying from Abidjan, on the Ivory Coast, to Nairobi, Kenya, crashed after a stopover in Douala, Cameroon, killing 108 passengers and six crew. December 2005: Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 from Nigerian cities of Abuja to Port Harcourt crash landed, killing 101 passengers and seven crew. October 2005: Bellview Airlines Flight 210 from Lagos to Abuja nose dived and crashed at Lisa Village in Ogun State, killing all 117 people on board. May 2002: EgyptAir Flight 843 from Cairo, Egypt to Tunis, in Tunisia, crashes into a hill near the airport killing 11 passengers and three crew. Advertisement Dick Smith resigned as the chairman of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in March 1999 after then National Party deputy prime minister John Anderson introduced new rules stipulating onerous staffing levels at pilot training schools. Unlike the United States, retired pilots cannot run flight training schools in Australia. The Chinese government has since taken over almost half of Australia's small flight schools to train pilots for their own airlines as Australian flight training schools close down. Mr Smith is this week taking his message to Wagga Wagga, in southern New South Wales, in a bid to put pressure on Nationals Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack in his own seat, and has published newspaper advertisements. 'It's outrageous the government has allowed this to happen - it's been consecutive National Party ministers who've just constantly allowed the bureaucrats to have a one-way ratchet on increasing costs,' he said. Mr McCormack's predecessor as transport minister and deputy PM, Barnaby Joyce, had planned to relax the restrictions on flight training schools, before his affair with his former media adviser Vikki Campion saw him resign. He also had the support of Labor's transport frontbencher Anthony Albanese. Flight training in Australia has dropped by 30 per cent during the past five years, with courses now the preserve of the wealthy who can afford the $100,000 fees. 'We've got record youth unemployment at 14 per cent. We've got something like 20 per cent underemployment - people can't get a proper job and it's just complete madness,' Mr Smith said. Queensland teenager Stage Moore, 15, hasn't been seen or heard from since last Tuesday Fears are growing for the safety and welfare of a Queensland teenager who has been missing for almost a week. Stage Moore, 15, was last seen at a bus stop on Poinciana Avenue in Tewantin, a suburb of Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast at around 4pm last Tuesday (April 17). Police hold concerns for her welfare due to her age. 'The girl may also be travelling to or around the Noosa area,' a Queensland Police statement said. Stage is described as Caucasian with a slim build, fair skin, around 160cm tall with long blonde hair. She was last seen wearing a grey T shirt and black high-waisted shorts. Worried family and friends have spent the last few days distributing missing person posters around the Sunshine Coast. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with Stage, her family and friends at this time,' her school Good Shepherd Lutheran College posted on its Facebook page on Monday morning. Stage's mother Tracey Moore said her eldest daughter's phone has been switched off and has not logged on to any social media since she disappeared. Worried family and friends have spent the last few days distributing missing person posters around the Sunshine Coast 'I just need to know she's alive,' Ms Moore told the Sunshine Coast Daily. 'At this point I just want her to call someone, anyone and tell them that she's okay.' Stage caught the bus home from school with her two young sisters last Tuesday afternoon and phoned her mother to say they got home safely. She also has two older brothers who live in Sydney. 'She said 'I love you' and 'see you after work,' Ms Moore told the publication. 'It's not like we had a fight and she was angry. I don't know what to do.' Anyone who may have seen Stage or know her whereabouts is urged to call Policelink on 131 444 or CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000. Impostors have posed as survivors of the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in a bid to scam gullible donors. Fifteen-year-old student Kyle Laman, who underwent three surgeries after being shot in the foot in the Parkland, Florida shooting on February 14, has been the victim of repeated online impersonations. 'That's so sick,' Kyle's mother Marie Laman told the Sun Sentinel. 'Who does that?' Kyle's real Twitter account is @Kylelaman16. A prior impostor account has been shut down by Twitter, while another fake account, @Kylelaman16_, is still active and soliciting donations for what purports to be an animal shelter in Venezuela. Kyle Laman lays down in his living room earlier this month as he recuperates from the shooting Kyle Laman's real Twitter account is seen left, and a spoof account soliciting donations is seen right. Another impostor account imitating the boy has already been shut down Fifteen-year-old student Kyle Laman, who was hit in the foot in the Parkland, Florida shooting on February 14, has been the victim of repeated online impersonations In the days after the shooting, Miami television station WVSN had to issue a warning that a fake GoFundMe campaign had been created in the station's name, supposedly to benefit the victims. Accused gunman Nikolas Cruz killed 17 '7News does not have a GoFundMe page for the Parkland shooting victims,' the station said in an alert to viewers who might have been duped. The official fundraising campaign to benefit the shooting victims is located here. The shooting, in which 19-year-old accused gunman Nikolas Cruz killed 17 before he was later arrested, also spurred gun control debates for which Twitter was ground zero. Some of the highest-profile Stoneman students to emerge calling for gun restrictions after the attack, including David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez, were quickly given verified accounts by Twitter and assurances that the company would take extra steps to protect them online. Miami television station WVSN issued a warning that this fake GoFundMe campaign had been created in the station's name soliciting donations for Parkland victims DailyMail.com was unable to locate any active spoof accounts imitating Hogg or Gonzalez. Less outspoken victims and their families have not been so lucky, however. Adam Pollack, the cousin of shooting victim Meadow Pollack, urged his followers not to follow a fake account with his name. 'This is not me, they're going around asking for money like my cousin's death is some type of joke,' he wrote on Twitter earlier this month. Adam Pollack's real account is @adam_lionel15, and the impostor account has since been deleted. Thousands of girls have already been integrated into the Cub Scouts as part of a plan to admit them into the organisation, the Boy Scouts of America have said. About two-thirds of councils nationwide signed up, bringing roughly 3,000 girls into the Cub Scouts so far, according to Boy Scouts spokeswoman Effie Delimarkos. The Boy Scouts' announced in October that it would begin admitting girls into the Cub Scouts starting later this year and would establish a new program next year for older girls based on the Boy Scout curriculum. Tatum Weir, center, raises her hand as she prepares to ask a question while going over plans to build a tool box during a cub scout meeting in Madbury, New Hampshire Under the new plan, Cub Scout dens - the smallest unit - will be single-gender, either all boys or all girls. The larger Cub Scout packs will have the option to remain single-gender or not. 'We heard from our families, 'OK, you've made the decision, can you please give us a way to do this right now because we've got families and daughters that are just really excited about it,' said Delimarkos. 'We heard that so much that we decided to kick off this early adopter program with the understanding that a lot of the materials we're working on, in terms of uniforms and handbooks and so forth were still in development,' she said. 'But folks were very understanding. They just wanted to be able to start.' New Hampshire's Daniel Webster Council, which includes Durham's Pack 154, is among more than 170 nationwide participating in an early adopter program as the Boy Scouts of America begins welcoming girls into the organization in new ways. Ten-year-old twins Tatum and Ian Weir aren't about to let matching, minor injuries deter them from their goal of becoming the first sister-brother pair of Eagle Scouts. 'I cut myself, too!' Tatum said, pausing only briefly during a recent Cub Scout meeting to touch her thumb to her brother's before continuing on with a woodworking project. Ian Weir, left, smiles as he stands with his twin sister Tatum after a cub scout meeting. The girls have received a warm welcome from the boys, said a the local den leader Durham, for example, den leader Tuck Pescosolido recently led a group of four girls and four boys as they built wooden toolboxes. As the project got underway, the girls raised their hands and waited to be called on, while the boys were somewhat silly, cracking jokes about flying airplanes when asked about drilling pilot holes. But once they settled into the activity, things leveled out. 'I didn't want to stereotype. But yes, I did expect perhaps the girls would be a little bit calmer, would be a little bit perhaps easier to manage in my role as the den leader, and to a certain extent that has played out,' Pescosolido said. 'But it's done so in a great way. It's not that the girls are sitting still. It's that they are very highly engaged in the task and they're less, perhaps, distracted by other things than the boys are.' Tatum sets to drill a pilot hole while building a tool box. Fifteen communities in New Hampshire are part of an 'early adopter' program to allow girls to become Cub Scouts and eventually Boy Scouts. A girl wears puffy pink snow boots as she builds her tool box. The Boy Scouts' announced in October that it would begin admitting girls into the Cub Scouts The girls have gotten an enthusiastic welcome from Scout leaders and the boys themselves, he said. Some of the new members are friends the boys recommended, while others are sisters of Scouts. BSA officials have said the changes are aimed, in part, at making things more convenient for busy families, though that notion doesn't sit well with some leaders at the Girl Scouts of the USA. 'To me, a daughter is not a matter of convenience. You've made the choice for your son based on what you thought was best for him, and the daughter should be getting a similar decision. We know facts prove that the Girl Scout program is the better program for the girls and young women we serve,' said Patricia Mellor, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, which serves Vermont and New Hampshire. Tatum proudly carries her new tool box she built as Ian, left, follows her after a cub scout meeting. 'I thought it would be pretty cool because I thought it would be a good opportunity to do with my brother,' she said. Ian and Tatum posing together. Tatum said she was keen for join the Cub Scouts and had already been to a few meetings because their dad is the assistant den leader 'I welcome opportunity for girls, but for years, I've been reading the cases and the information coming out from Boy Scouts that their program was specifically designed for boys, only for boys,' she said. 'I see that they're not changing their programming and wonder why they believe a program designed by men for boys is going to meet the needs of today's girls.' In Durham, 9-year-old Sadhana Muppala said she didn't know much about Girl Scouts - 'I feel like they make cookies' - but has enjoyed her Cub Scout experience so far. Building the toolbox was even more fun than she expected, she said, 'Because we got to do it ourselves.' Tatum Weir agreed. She had been to a few of her brother's meetings - their dad is the assistant den leader - and was eager to join. 'I thought it would be pretty cool because I thought it would be a good opportunity to do with my brother,' she said. 'There's a lot of cool activities.' Asked what he likes about Cub Scouts, Ian Weir ticked off a short list: going places, nature, and 'Tatum's in it.' 'I was a little skeptical because it was me and my dad's thing, but when Tatum got in it was even more fun,' he said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s daughter Kick Kennedy has shared a touching video and tribute to billionaire banking heir Matthew Mellon after he was found dead in his Mexico hotel room before he was due to check into rehab. Kennedy, 30, had been dating the twice-divorced father of three, 54, for four months when he passed away on April 16 a source told DailyMail.com, years after the two were first introduced at a New York City charity event. The father-of-three, who struggled with drug addiction during his adult life, had been due to check into the Clear Sky Recovery rehabilitation clinic on the same day he was found dead in a hotel room. Kennedy, who had just spent several months travelling around Europe and the US with Mellon, took to Instagram to share a video of the pair dancing and a tribute alongside it. She wrote: 'Most who knew Matthew knew he had an incredible way of manifesting wildly unpredictable miracles that shocked and awed us all. Simply, he was magical. Scroll down for video Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s daughter Kick Kennedy, 30, shared a touching video and tribute to billionaire banking heir Matthew Mellon, 54, who she was said to be dating before his shock death in Mexico on April 16 Back in the day: The two were first introduced years ago at a New York City charity event but had only been dating for the past four months a source told DailyMail.com (Mellon, Kennedy and Mellon's second wife Nicole Hanley in 2010) Hiding out: It was Kennedy who suggested Mellon check into rehab when he relapsed five days before his death said the source (Mellon in a photo he posted to Instagram on March 25 with a young woman who appears to be Kennedy) 'We also couldn't really understand what he was ever talking about, almost ever. He had a way of moving around quickly and mumbling and then all of the sudden saying something completely insightful. 'I remember him turning to me once and saying 'Don't let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning' before going back to the usual topics (UFOs....!!! Human cloning...!!!). It was hard not to be completely under his spell.' Kennedy went on to say that Mellon loved his friends and described his two ex-wives, Tamara and Nicole, as the 'loves of his life'. She added that he adored his three children - Minty, Force, and Olympia - saying that they would inherit his charm, wisdom and 'spectacularly bizarre wardrobe'. 'He was the most generous and fabulous person I have ever met and really only cared about how everyone else was feeling,' she said. 'Thank you MM for taking us all on the fun and captivating adventure that was your life, as you would say, in 'M E L L O N S T Y L E'.' Mellon, who struggled with drug addiction during his adult life, had been due to check into the Clear Sky Recovery rehabilitation clinic on the same day he was found dead in a hotel room Kennedy, 30, was said to be dating the 54-year-old in the months leading up to his death on April 16 in Cancun. She is pictured above in New York last November Prior to his death Mellon had been sober for three months but made the decision to check himself into the rehab clinic for follow up treatment, according to a family spokesperson. Kennedy's agent Christine Schott, who spoke to Kick after the news of Mellons death, told People: 'He was sober and they were enjoying life. Then all of a sudden he apparently fell off the wagon'. A source close to Mellon told DailyMail.com that the billionaire relapsed five days before his death, and stopped off in Palm Beach on his way to rehab so that he could see his mother. He then continued on the Dominican Republic before finally making his way to Cancun. That same source also told DailyMail.com that it was Kennedy who implored Mellon to seek treatment, asking that he not attend the birthday party she having on April 13 at Ceconni's in Los Angeles and instead check into a facility. When rumors of his romance with Kennedy surfaced, Mellon implied to Page Six that whatever they had together was over. 'I'm 54 and she's 30,' he said, before adding that she would threaten his sobriety. Friends said after his death that he was committed to sobriety and had extensive travel plans for the immediate future. Mellon had been battling an OxyContin addiction and once admitted to spending $100,000 a month on the drug. The facility where he was due to check-in specializes in drug addiction treatment using Ibogain, a psychedelic plant-based drug which is not approved for any medical uses in the United States. In 2016, Mellon blamed doctors for his addiction, saying they were 'writing prescriptions like they were Smarties.' At the time, he was checked into Passages Malibu, an addiction-treatment center popular with boldfaced names, and said that he was determined to battle the addiction. Kick shared this snap to Instagram of herself on Saturday - the day after posting the tribute The father-of-three had been due to check into the Clear Sky Recovery rehabilitation clinic on the same day he was found dead in a hotel room The facility where he was due to check-in (pictured above) specializes in drug addiction treatment using Ibogain, a psychedelic plant-based drug which is not approved for any medical uses in the United States In 2017 he was trying other means to sobriety, sharing this photo of himself in Malibu on a vitamin and amino acid drip called NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide), which bills itself as a holistic cure for addiction Mellon is survived by his first wife Tamara Mellon - who is the co-founder of Jimmy Choo - and his second wife, fashion designer Nicole Hanley. He also has three children - one with Tamara and two with Nicole. In excerpts from her autobiography, In My Shoes, published in the Daily Mail in 2013, Tamara wrote that she and Mellon met at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in London in 1998. Their wedding in 2000 was held at the birthplace of Winston Churchill and was attended by 300 guests, including Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley. She wrote that Mellon suffered from a cocaine addiction during their marriage. Tamara also said he had inherited his father's bipolar illness. Mellon and his second wife Nicole met at a wedding in Florida in 2006 months before they launched a clothing line, Hanley Mellon. He proposed in 2008 and they married two years later at family friend Diane Von Furstenberg's home in the Bahamas. The pair later divorced in 2016. Mellon comes from the Mellon and Drexel families of Bank of New York Mellon and Drexel Burnham Lambert. Mellon is survived by his first wife Tamara Mellon (right) - who is the co-founder of Jimmy Choo - and his second wife, fashion designer Nicole Hanley (left). He has one daughter Minty (above) with his first wife and two more with his second wife Matthew is pictured with his first wife Tamara at their wedding in the UK in 2000, which was attended by Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley. The couple met in a Narcotics Anonymous meeting two years prior According to Mellon's Linked In account and documents of the Securities and Exchange Commission, he attended the Wharton School and later worked in fashion, telecommunications and finance, most recently as an adviser for the digital currency company Ripple Labs. Mellon also served for a time as the chairman of the finance committee of the Republican Party in New York. He made a fortune in crypto-currencies, buying and selling off his Bitcoin a number of years ago, before splashing out $2million to acquire XRP coins, which eventually grew to be worth $1billion. In February, Matthew told Forbes that he liked XRP, used by currency exchange network Ripple, because it was one of the handful of cryptocurrencies that actually operated within the traditional banking system. 'Crypto is scary and dark. It's anti-America,' Mellon told Forbes, explaining that he chose Ripple because he is 'pro-America, pro-business and pro-bank.' According to a family friend, Mellon's family have since been unable to trace the fortune he made in crypto-currency and worry that it has 'disappeared'. 'Something weird has happened to all his crypto money and his family can't find it'. Advertisement A dramatic hotel raid on an orgy attended by dozens of western men in Thailand has shone a spotlight on the country's seedy sex trade. Confronting footage taken during the raid on Saturday night revealed a glimpse of Thailand's dark underbelly, where tourists including those from Europe, America and Australia travel for sex. The raid took place in Pattaya, which is often referred to as the sex capital of the world and has a well-established reputation for prostitution. Scroll down for video Dramatic footage shows the moment police raided an illegal orgy at a hotel in Thailand catching sweating middle aged British men with young Thai women Images from the raid in Pattaya, often referred to as the sex capital of the world, show the middle-aged Brits sweating heavily and rushing to cover themselves up Thailand has tried and failed to ban the nation's infamous sex trade. Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, but the law is largely ignored. Pictures taken from Pattaya's sordid strip two years ago show young women pole dancing inside bars while others market services on the street. The photos show the sheer extent of the sex trade, with men lining up to pay women who are selling themselves like meat. The main streets of Pattaya's red-light district show bars with flashing lights, and enticing names, like 'Dream Bar' and 'Wildcats'. The sex trade is one of the city's most profitable, and is the reason thousands of tourists flock to Pattaya year-round. Thailand has been ranked as one of the best tourist destinations in the world. There were 35 million visitors to the country in 2017 alone, with forecasts expecting the number to grow with each year. Three women wearing white hot pants attempt to cover their faces as they dance on Walking Street in Pattaya, Thailand Three women dance and entertain men at a bar along Walking Street in the south coast city where sex scenes are a commonplace Thai women sit at one of the bars along the busy street where sex scenes are a commonplace in Pattaya, Thailand Thousands of tourists flock to the country in Southeast Asia every year to experience the nation's bustling nightlife A ladyboy stands on the busy street in Thailand - which is home to an extensive sex industry, largely catering to Thai men A woman wearing white shorts and a black top leans up against a metal post and strikes a sexually suggestive pose In the footage to surface on Monday, the 28 men involved in an orgy were mostly westerners Australians, Americans, Canadians, Brits and Germans. Naris Niwapantawong, District Sheriff in the Banglamung area of Pattaya, said the men from many different countries 'exchanged partners with each other'. 'We received a complaint about the Tulip Hotel. We were told they organised sex parties at the weekends,' he said. 'My staff co-ordinated with police, immigration and the military to strike quickly and accurately. 'We carried out the operation while they were having sex and we shut them down.' The Tulip Hotel in South Pattaya has 30 rooms over four different floors. It is split into several zones, with the one floor dedicated as the 'play zone'. It took place at the Tulip Hotel in Pattaya, often referred to as the sex capital of the world Police burst in on the illegal sex party (pictured) on Saturday night after getting a tip off guests had paid 1,500 baht ($62) to take part in an orgy Hundreds of people could be seen walking along the popular street where there are ample bars and clubs Two women step out into Walking Street in Pattaya to try and encourage punters to come and drink in the bar they work for Bar girls can be seen holding up signs to let people know where to go for a drink on the busy strip in the city Officers said that 'almost all the participants' were in the play zone when the building was raided. There were also three hotel staff, who were tasked with serving hot tea to the guests, cleaning up the rooms and joining in with the sex games. Condoms, lubricants and sex toys were also found scattered around the building and collected as evidence. The hotel owner Sheng Liao Yang, 53, from China was arrested on suspicion of running a hotel without a license and hosting obscene events. Sheriff Niwapantawong added: 'The site was hosting parties for those who prefer sex that involve exchanging partners. 'To attend the event, participants had to register through a website. There was a rule that party members must be male and female couples. The cost per night was 1,500 baht per person. Brandy Weber-Pisano (Pictured), 29, was arrested earlier this week A Las Vegas woman accused of stealing $130,000 from a man she drugged at a Florida nightclub was released from police custody on after posting bond. Brandy Weber-Pisano, 29, was arrested earlier this week on a grand theft charge but was set free on Thursday after a judge set her bail at $15,000, according to The Sun Sentinel. According to court documents, Weber-Pisano is accused of serving a Hallandale Beach man she at a Miami Beach club a drink that made him pass out after she and a friend returned back to his Beachwalk Resort apartment in December. The duo, according to the police complaint, made off with a $46,000 solid gold Rolex Sky-Dweller, other jewelry valued at $70,000 and $6,500 in cash. While the unidentified man was unconscious, Weber-Pisano was able to slip the watch directly off his wrist and took the cash straight out of his pocket. Weber-Pisano is accused of serving a Hallandale Beach man she at a Miami Beach club a drink that made him pass out Weber-Pisano met her alleged victim on December 9 at the Mr. Jones (pictured), a Miami Beach nightclub on Lincoln Road Her friend was not named in the complaint, the Sentinel reported. Weber-Pisano and a female accomplice allegedly made off with a $46,000 solid gold Rolex Sky-Dweller (pictured), other jewelry and cash Weber-Pisano met her alleged victim on December 9 at the Mr. Jones, a Miami Beach nightclub on Lincoln Road, police said. Though she wasn't apprehended at the time, a month later the man that Weber-Pisano allegedly drugged spotted her at a Houston night club and called the police. Investigators said they were able positively identify her after the victim handed over documentary evidence he collected himself from the night in question. Following her arrest in Nevada, Weber-Pisano was extradited to the Broward Main Jail at 7.30pm Tuesday and released at 5.35am Thursday, according to the Sentinel. 'Octomom' has revealed an upcoming appearance on the Dr. Oz Show, and launched her own YouTube channel. Natalie Suleman, 42, will appear on Mehmet Oz's popular daytime lifestyle show on May 3, the mother-of-14 revealed on her Instagram page on Wednesday, along with a picture posing with Oz. In 2009, Oz called Suleman 'reckless' for having octuplets via in vitro fertilization when she was unemployed and already the mother of six young children. She has explained she didn't want any of her frozen embryos to be destroyed. Suleman also used the post to tout her new YouTube channel, which is named Soloman Family for reasons that are unclear. Suleman previously changed her first name from Nadya to Natalie. Scroll down for video Natalie Suleman, 42, (second from right) will appear on Mehmet Oz's (left) popular daytime lifestyle show on May 3, the mother of 14 revealed on her Instagram page on Wednesday Suleman's octoplets, now nine years old, are seen together. Oz in 2009 called Suleman 'reckless' for having octuplets via in vitro fertilization when she already a mother of six In the first video posted to her new YouTube channel, oldest daughter Amerah is seen reading a letter written to Suleman for Mother's Day at a women's event in Long Beach, California Suleman's children then lined up to hand her gift bags. The context of the ceremony is unclear 'Before I let my children take over the channel with fun actives, such as vegan food challenges, vlogs, grocery shopping, ect. I will soon be uploading my testimony,' Suleman wrote in a description of the first video. The video is a six-minute clip of Suleman's children speaking at a women's conference in Long Beach, California on October 14. Her oldest daughter Amerah is seen reading a letter written to Suleman for Mother's Day. 'You know the song Dear Momma by 2Pac? Well honestly that song is for you - but you didn't go to jail thank God,' Amerah said to laughter from the crowd. After failing to disclose earnings, Suleman pleaded no contest to a single count of misdemeanor welfare fraud in 2014, and was sentenced to community service and probation. The new video also promised that Suleman would share her 'life testimony', though the exact nature of the testimony is unclear. Suleman's octuplets are seen. They are only the second full set of octuplets to be born alive in the United States Earlier this month, the mother of 14 from Laguna Niguel, California shared a video from a doctor's waiting room showing it filled by 11 seated members of her brood. Suleman captioned the clip: 'When your kids fill up an entire pediatricians office. #VeryLongDay #HealthyGrowingKid'. In December, Suleman told DailyMail.com that she is finally 'at peace' following her financial difficulties and the strain of having to care for her 14 children, which she said left her on the verge of suicide at one point. Suleman first made headlines in 2009, when she revealed that she had had IVF treatment and became pregnant with eight children, even though she was the unemployed mother of six other kids. Suleman made headlines in 2009 when it was revealed that she had used IVF to conceive eight babies, even though she was already a mother of six and unemployed at the time In 2012, Suleman made headlines again for filming an adult video and appearing in strip clubs In 2012, Suleman filed for personal bankruptcy and, months later, filmed an adult movie called Octomom Home Alone, which went on to win multiple AVN nominations in 2013, taking home the prize for Best Celebrity Sex Tape. She then began making appearances as a stripper. Since pleading no contest to welfare fraud in 2014, Suleman has tried to escape the Octomom moniker, which she said 'nearly destroyed me and my family.' Suleman said that she now has a part time job as a counselor, working with men and women who suffer drug and alcohol issues and lives paycheck to paycheck, with the assistance of food stamps and residuals from the 2012 adult video. A 19-year-old woman has been charged after a young man was shot dead in his apartment on Friday night. Dianna Barnes was charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder after turning herself in to police on Sunday. Aiden Tone, 22, was also charged with the same offence. Jacob Bell, 24, was found with a bullet wound to his chest at an apartment block in Petrie, Brisbane just after midnight on Saturday morning. A 19-year-old woman (pictured) has been charged after a young man was shot dead in his apartment on Friday night Jacob Bell (pictured) was allegedly shot dead in his apartment on Friday night in Petrie, north of Brisbane. He was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in critical condition but later died from his injuries. Luke Cunningham 21, appeared in court Saturday charged with his murder, and was remanded in custody to appear again on June 11. Mr Bell's father posted a moving tribute to Facebook on Saturday, writing: 'Yesterday, I lost my eldest son, such a waste of life. 'I loved him and my heart is breaking to pieces right now. A young man stolen from the world way too soon.' Luke Cunningham (pictured) fronted court Saturday charged with the murder of Jacob Bell after allegedly shooting him dead at a Petrie complex, north of Brisbane, on Friday night Mr Bell, 24 (pictured), was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in critical condition but later died from his injuries Neighbours said they heard a 'massive bang' and then a woman scream 'my boyfriend's been shot, please help me' at the time of the incident,' The Courier Mail reported. 'It was quite scary,' neighbour Charlotte Bate told the publication. Peter Schnitzerling, who lives the block of units next door, said he heard people 'freaking out about the police' before fleeing in cars. Homicide detectives were seen in the area Friday morning as they searched for the suspect. Neighbours said they heard a 'massive bang' and then a woman scream 'my boyfriend's been shot, please help me' at the time of the incident,' Courier Mail reported Alberto Dagrezio, 33, faced the Brisbane District Court on Monday and plead guilty to 66 offences including two of rape and nine of sexual assault in January and will now be deported A sexual deviant who touched and filmed the genitals of female backpackers while they slept or showered will now be deported to Italy after being sentence din court. Alberto Dagrezio, 33, faced the Brisbane District Court on Monday and plead guilty to 66 offences including two of rape and nine of sexual assault in January. The court heard that he digitally raped, sexually assaulted or invaded the privacy of 44 women at a number of establishments including two Brisbane hostels. He specifically targeted the Base and Bunk properties as he had become familiar with their security systems. He entered the venues late at night or in the early morning, left his shoes in common areas and pretended to be on his phone so it looked like he was a guest. Dagrezio would then find unlocked dorm rooms and would then enter to look for any women who were sleeping semi naked. He entered the venues late at night or in the early morning, left his shoes in common areas and pretended to be on his phone so it looked like he was a guest He would then pull on their underwear and begin to film it with his phone. At the time of his arrest his offending had escalated into the digital rapes of two women, he also filmed female backpackers while they were showering. In total Dagrezio targeted 36 women across the two Brisbane hostels and a further eight were victimised at other Brisbane establishments. Judge Paul Smith said one of the most disturbing elements of Dagrezio's offending was the fact some of the women never knew they had been sexually assaulted. 'The ones who became aware of it would've been greatly affected by this,' he said. Dagrezio would then find unlocked dorm rooms and would then enter to look for any women who were sleeping semi naked then pull on their underwear and begin to film it with his phone Judge Smith also said that Dagrezio had significant issues which included paraphilia, or sexual deviancy. The court heard that his sexual deviancy had been fueled by his interest in pornographic films and an early condition which manifested 'voyeuristic fantasies'. 'It manifested itself in Spring Hill when you started filming your female flatmates in the shower,' Judge Smith said. Dagrezio's early plea of guilty was taken into consideration by the court but due to his visa having been cancelled he could not be released on parole. He had already served more than two years in jail and was sentenced to five years. However the sentence was suspended from Monday in order to transport Dagrezio to an immigration detention centre before being deported to Italy. The court was also told that Dagrezio would be subject to psychological treatment upon his return to Italy and will likely be further investigated by Italian police. He was sentenced to five years jail which was suspended from Monday in order to transport Dagrezio to an immigration detention centre before being deported to Italy A single mother was told having two meals paid for her by a Tinder date constituted a 'dependent relationship', making her ineligible to receive financial assistance. The South Auckland woman was allegedly told by her case worker she would be stripped of welfare payments because the dates proved she relied on a man for money. She admitted to her Work and Income case manager she had been taken to a movie and dinner, and despite her offering to pay, her date footed the bill, Radionz reported. The South Auckland woman was allegedly told by her case worker she would be stripped of welfare payments because the dates proved she relied on a man for money (stock photo) In an effort to be 'up front' with her affairs, she was honest about the man paying for their two dates, but was shocked to learn it could actually cost her in the long run. The case manager informed the mother-of-three the New Zealand Government would classify the dates as her being in a relationship. The worker allegedly pulled a card from her desk and described what a relationship was, before explaining she could strip the woman of single parent payments. 'She asked me whether on my dates he had financially paid for me. I said yes, but that I had offered to pay for myself,' the mother said. The woman said she was left in a difficult situation when her workplace tried swapping her to night shifts, which was not an option with her three young children. The case manager informed the mother-of-three the New Zealand Government would classify the dates as her being in a relationship (stock photo) The Ministry for Social Development has since apologised to the mother on behalf of the case worker, who they said was misinformed to cancel payments for this reason. The department did however reveal the parent's payments had stopped because of separate allegations made against her. 'We did not suspend her benefit because she had told us she had gone on two dates - we would never stop paying someone for that reason,' the department said. 'Unfortunately at a subsequent meeting with a case manager, the case manager believed in error this was the reason for the suspension.' The Ministry for Social Development apologised to the mother on behalf of the case worker, who they said was misinformed to cancel payments for this reason 'It was actually stopped because of separate allegations, which have since been dropped after it could not substantiate claims against her, the ministry said. They said the woman's benefits were suspended because of allegations she was living with a partner, sharing a mortgage and working. It also claimed she missed two consecutive appointments in April this year. The mother said she was unaware about any allegations made against her or her appointments, and she felt as though she had been treated like 'garbage'. A former Adelaide private school teacher who groomed one of her male students had booked a cottage where she intended to have sex with him, a court has heard. In sentencing submissions on Monday, the South Australian District Court heard the grooming by Bettina Schmoock could not be considered 'mere fantasy', though no sexual activity ever took place. 'She took steps to act on that by booking a cottage where the sex was to occur,' prosecutor Mark Norman said, as Schmoock shook her head and looked down. Bettina Schmook outside South Australian District Court on Monday, where it was heard that former Adelaide private school teacher groomed one of her male students and had booked a cottage where she intended to have sex with him Bettina Schmoock earlier pleaded guilty to one aggravated count of communicating with the intent of procuring a child for sexual activity 'She persisted in encouraging the complainant to join her in the cottage, even when the messages showed he indicated his unwillingness.' In a victim impact statement read to the court, the boy - in the courtroom with his family - said his contact with Schmoock was initially comforting and described her as his best friend. 'I always remained anonymous because Bettina said she would kill herself if she was discovered and she lost her job,' he in his victim impact state, the Adelaide Advertiser reported. But he said their relationship became too toxic to maintain, leaving him feeling trapped and alone. 'I feel like becoming so close to a teacher... isolated me socially,' he told the court. 'I feel a lot of shame about the events that took place.' Defence counsel said that Bettina Schmook (pictured right) had been affected by a four-month-long hypomanic episode, as part of her undiagnosed bipolar disorder, at the time of the offending Bettina Schmook taught at Concordia College (pictured), an independent and co-educational Lutheran school in Adelaide's southern suburbs Schmoock, who had taught at Concordia College, had earlier pleaded guilty to one aggravated count of communicating with the intent of procuring a child for sexual activity. Concordia College is an independent and co-educational Lutheran school located in Adelaide's southern suburbs. Fees are $6,810 a year for primary school aged students and $16,500 a year for students in years 7-12, according to its 2018 fee schedule. Defence counsel said she had been affected by a four-month-long hypomanic episode, as part of her undiagnosed bipolar disorder, at the time of the offending. Mark Griffin QC said the hypomanic episode turned 'an otherwise hardworking, perfectly normal, responsible person into someone who behaved in an extreme way,' the Adelaide Advertiser reported. The mother of two (pictured right) is not an Australian citizen and could be deported should she receive a sentence of 12 months or more next week 'The hypomanic episode turned an otherwise hardworking, perfectly normal, responsible person into someone who behaved in an extreme way,' he said. 'She became reckless, swept away ... there was a collision, an overlapping, of her past trauma with the same type of trauma in his life. She is so deeply sorry, profoundly ashamed and humiliated ... it makes her cringe to read the material she wrote to him.' He urged the court to impose a suspended sentence, as the mother of two is not an Australian citizen and could be deported should she receive a sentence of 12 months or more next week. The prosecutor said Schmoocks personal issues could not be allowed to overshadow the emotional and psychological damage her victim suffered. Judge Gordon Barrett continued Schmoock's bail and will sentence her next Monday (April 30). A 74-year-old who sent a bullet to Barnaby Joyce's office with a letter calling him a 'red faced piece of s***' has avoided jail. Neville Newman also left a threatening answer phone message with the politician's elderly parents after looking up their address in the phone book and calling them from a payphone. Police traced the phone and saw Mr Newman making the call on CCTV. They arrested him on Christmas day and found .22 calibre bullets matching the one he sent in his home. Newman pleaded guilty to one count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend and one charge of stalking or intimidation. He was today handed a one-year suspended jail term at Armidale Local Court and was put on a good behaviour bond for the same period. He was also fined $2,000. Retiree Neville Newman stuck a .22 calibre bullet inside a note which called Joyce (pictured) 'bloody corrupt' and a 'disgrace to your country' and was opened by a staff member The letter sent to Mr Joyce's office bbarnaby joyce and malcolm turnbull ? if you think you are going to give billion dollars toest establish that mega coal mine in north queensland sixty minutes showed how by amess they left every where everywhere they also theliverpool plains that is part of our food bowl why wont you stop the water being stolen northen n nsw youare so bloody corrupt keep going and you will bestopped you are a disgrace t to our countryyou red faced piece of s**t Advertisement The telephone message left on Mr Joyce's parents' answer machine Hello could you give your son a message. Tell him he is going to end up very dead that bastard, him and that Turnbull if he lets that mine go through in North Queensland. He is just a (traitor) that bastard the way he sold us out to everybody else, he is a dog Advertisement Newman sent his threatening letter during the 2017 New England by-election. It was opened by a staff member on November 6. He used a typewriter to compose a barely legible note demanding the government not issue a loan to the Adani coal mine in Queensland. The retiree stuck a .22 calibre bullet inside the note which called Joyce 'bloody corrupt' and a 'disgrace to your country'. After Joyce regained his seat in New England, Newman phoned his parents Beryl and James and said: 'Tell him he is going to end up very dead that bastard.' The pair were left 'shaken' when they heard the threat, the court heard today. Newman, who cares for his sick wife, said he never intended harm and was just frustrated at what he perceived to be 'the destruction of Australia by politicians.' Massachusetts' highest court will decide the fate of a judge who admitted to having an affair with a clinical social worker that included sexual encounters at the courthouse. The Commission on Judicial Conduct is asking for Judge Thomas Estes to be suspended indefinitely without pay to give lawmakers time to decide whether to remove him from the bench for his relationship with Tammy Cagle, who worked in the special drug court where Estes sat before she was reassigned last year. If the Supreme Judicial Court agrees, it will be the first time in three decades it has taken such action against a judge for misconduct. Lawmakers are weighing on whether Judge Thomas Estes should be suspended indefinitely without pay The case comes amid the #MeToo movement that sparked a national reckoning over sexual misconduct in the workplace. 'This case couldn't come at a worse time for Judge Estes,' said Martin Healy, chief legal counsel of the Massachusetts Bar Association. The Supreme Judicial Court will consider Estes' case Tuesday. 'This case couldn't come at a worse time for Judge Estes,' said Martin Healy (Pictured), chief legal counsel of the Massachusetts Bar Association Cagle has accused Estes, who's married and has two teenage sons, of pressuring her into performing oral sex on him in his chambers and her home. Then after she tried to end the relationship, she asserts he treated her coldly and pushed her out of the drug court. Estes is fighting for his job and urging the Supreme Judicial Court for a four-month suspension. He denies ever harassing Cagle or causing her to be removed from her job. He says that Cagle initiated their first encounter and he was 'wracked with guilt,' but that Cagle pressed to continue their relationship. 'I hardly have the words to express the shame and sorrow that I feel,' Estes, who was first justice of the Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown, said in a statement before the Commission on Judicial Conduct. 'I've brought disrepute to the bench that I am so proud to be a part of.' The decision to oust Estes from the bench would be up to state lawmakers, who could either impeach him or issue a 'bill of address' calling for his removal. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, who supports Estes' removal, and the Governor's Council would both have to sign off on a bill of address to strip Estes from the bench. Demonstrators from The People First protest demonstrate against Judge Jerome Troy outside the courthouse in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston on Aug. 3, 1971 The last time a Massachusetts judge was removed through a bill of address was Judge Jerome Troy of the Dorchester District Court in 1973. Troy was removed after the state's Executive Council found that he had committed six 'extremely serious offenses,' including lying under oath, neglecting his judicial duties and soliciting a contribution to a political candidate from a lawyer practicing in his court. Five years later, the high court sanctioned Robert Bonin, chief justice of the Superior Court, for attending a lecture that served as a fundraiser for a group of defendants, but Bonin resigned before lawmakers could kick him out of office. The Commission on Judicial Conduct found that Estes used his judicial email account to arrange some of his sexual encounters with Cagle and strategize on how best to communicate in order to hide the affair from his family. Estes was confined to administrative duties last year before news of the affair became public, prompting speculation that it was related to a sentence he handed out in a sexual assault case that sparked outrage. Judge Estes' lawyer David Hoose (pictured), who didn't respond to phone messages from The Associated Press, told the court that the humiliation Estes has experienced in the exposure of the affair calls for a more lenient punishment A petition called for his removal in 2016 when he sentenced a former high school athlete to probation after the athlete pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two classmates. The case drew parallels to that of former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner, who got just six months in jail for a sexual assault conviction. Judge Estes' lawyer David Hoose, who didn't respond to phone messages from The Associated Press, told the court that the humiliation Estes has experienced in the exposure of the affair calls for a more lenient punishment. His attorney argues the affair had no impact on Estes' judicial duties, saying Estes' evaluations are 'nothing short of superlative.' 'Judge Estes has taken a terrible beating in the press and on social media, most of it from people who know neither the law nor the facts of his case,' Hoose said in court documents. 'But these pundits and cranks do not determine the appropriate sanction - this court does.' But Healy, of the Bar Association, said he doesn't see how Estes keeps his job based on past cases of judicial misconduct. 'I can't think of another position in society that has more power and the potential for abuse of that power than someone who is sworn in for as a judge for life,' Healy said. Nearly a thousand people have gathered at a vigil to mourn the Albuquerque bank executive who died after the Southwest Airlines flight she was on blew an engine and she was partially pulled out of the plane window in mid air. Jennifer Riordan, 43, was pronounced dead at a hospital in Philadelphia on Tuesday after the plane she was on made an emergency landing. A memorial service was held for the married mother-of-two at Popejoy Hall on the University of New Mexico campus, her alma mater, on Sunday night. Riordan is survived by her husband Michael and their children. Jennifer Riordan's husband Michael speaks at her memorial service in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Sunday night after she was killed on the Southwest Airlines flight 'We appreciate the outpouring of support from the community. It truly touches our hearts,' the Riordan family wrote in a statement. Jennifer Riordan, 43, was pronounced dead at a hospital in Philadelphia on Tuesday after the plane she was on made an emergency landing. 'We know there are many in the community who want to celebrate Jennifer.' Lt. Gov. John Sanchez presented Michael Riordan with a flag that was flown at half-staff at New Mexico's Capitol in his wife's memory. 'She was considered a friend, colleague, and pillar of the community and will be forever missed,' Sanchez said at the memorial service. The community leader and mother of two had been heading home from a business trip Tuesday on a flight from New York's LaGuardia Airport bound for Dallas. Early in the flight as the plane was at 32,000 feet, one of its twin engines suddenly exploded. The impact showered the jet with debris and shattered the window next to Riordan. Video courtesy of KOB4 Nearly a thousands people gathered at the memorial service at Popejoy Hall on the University of New Mexico campus, her alma mater, on Sunday night Michael Riordan was surrounded by family members as he spoke on stage at his wife's memorial in New Mexico on Sunday night Authorities said Riordan was fatally injured when she was sucked partway through the window, sending passengers scrambling to help her as the aircraft shook violently and went into a rapid descent. The plane made an emergency landing in Philadelphia. Riordan was the only one of the 149 people on board who suffered fatal injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board believes one of the engine fan blades snapped. Riordan was well known in the Albuquerque area for an established career in community engagement and volunteerism. The mother-of-two was described as a 'pillar of the community'. She was well known in the Albuquerque area for an established career in community engagement and volunteerism Early in the flight as the plane was at 32,000 feet, one of its twin engines suddenly exploded and forced the pilot into making an emergency landing The impact showered the jet with debris and shattered the window next to Riordan. Authorities said Riordan was fatally injured when she was sucked partway through the window She served as vice president of community relations for Wells Fargo's New Mexico operations. She oversaw the company's corporate giving program in New Mexico and volunteered her time with a number of area nonprofit groups and boards. 'She was the face of giving. If you were an idea or a dream that needed a little help, she was your gal. Her currency was compassion,' said Albuquerque poet laureate Hakim Bellamy, who read an original poem at the memorial. 'The kind of kindness that folds like a hug like a laugh like her wings before she was so close to heaven that the angles recognized her and plucked her from the sky.' Riordan graduated from the University of New Mexico with a communications degree in 1999 and previously worked as the media relations manager at UNM Hospital. Riordan and her husband, Michael, a former chief operating officer for the city of Albuquerque, were married for more than 20 years. A man has been rushed to hospital after being bitten by a deadly snake at a school. Paramedics were called to Heatley Secondary College at about 8am on Monday following reports a man had been bitten by an unidentified snake. Jamie Chapel from Chapel Pest Control attended the school, but unfortunately the snake could not be found. A man has been rushed to hospital after being bitten by a deadly snake at a school (stock image) '(The man) was bitten on the arm, first aid was applied and the ambulance was called,' Mr Chapel told the Townsville Bulletin. 'He's done the right thing and gone straight to hospital.' Mr Chapel said the area where the bite occurred has been cordoned off. 'Kids will be kept away from the area for the time being,' he said. The man, 54, was transported to Townsville Hospital in a stable condition. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Queensland Department of Education for comment. President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, is facing serious opposition before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which may not have enough votes to recommend him for confirmation because all Democrats, and at least one Republican, have said they will oppose him. Trump lashed out Monday morning on Twitter, leaving no doubt that he plans to stand by his decision to pick Pompeo, the current CIA director, to fill the departed Rex Tillerson's shoes. 'Hard to believe Obstructionists May vote against Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State,' the president tweeted. 'The Dems will not approve hundreds of good people, including the Ambassador to Germany. They are maxing out the time on approval process for all, never happened before. Need more Republicans!' The full Senate is still expected to consider Pompeo's nomination later this week. But the rare rebuke expected from the panel Monday, even after Pompeo's recent visit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, would be the first time in years that a nominee for the high-level Cabinet position did not receive a favorable committee vote. CIA Director Mike Pompeo faces a rare rejection by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in his bid to be confirmed as secretary of state, but the full senate will get an up-or-down vote on him anyway and is expected to approve him President Donald Trump blasted Democrats as 'obstructionists' on Monday When Trump faces Democratic opposition on Capitol Hill, he often argues that voters should elect more Republicans in order to grease his skids Sen. Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican who chairs the committee, blamed partisan politics for opposition to Pompeo, saying Pompeo is just as qualified as past secretaries of state nominees Hillary Clinton or John Kerry, both of whom received overwhelming support. 'We are in an era where somebody like this, who is qualified, unfortunately, is likely to be voted out without recommendation or with a negative recommendation,' Corker said Sunday on 'State of the Union' on CNN. 'It's just sad that our nation has devolved politically to this point.' White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders called on Democrats to support Pompeo Monday, saying on Fox News: 'at some point Democrats have to decide whether they love this country, more than they hate this president.' Pompeo's confirmation before the full Senate now hangs in balance, with the votes of just a handful of senators determining whether he becomes the nation's top diplomat after Trump fired Rex Tillerson last month. Key Democrats, including some who had voted for Pompeo as CIA director last year, are peeling away, and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky remains opposed, despite personal overtures from the president. Pompeo was front-and-center last week when the White House leaked news that he had met face-to-face with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un Trump wants Pompeo to replace Rex Tillerson (pictured), the former secretary of state whom he fired with a tweet Pressure is mounting on senators from both sides. White House allies are unloading ad campaigns against Democrats from Trump-won states, including North Dakota, Indiana and Missouri, to vote for the president's nominee. But progressive groups are pounding senators' offices in opposition to Pompeo's hawkish foreign policy views and negative comments about gay marriage and Muslims. As soon as Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a North Dakota Democrat, announced her support last week, one group called on her to switch. 'I don't agree with every position he's taken or every word he has spoken,' Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Sunday on 'Meet the Press' on NBC. 'But I believe he has an extensive knowledge of world affairs that has been enhanced by his time at the CIA.' New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan, who met with the nominee last week, 'has concerns about Mr. Pompeo's nomination to serve as secretary of state,' said spokesperson Ricki Eshman. The senator 'is reviewing his record before making a final decision.' In the committee, the opposition has been building ahead of Monday's session. Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, who was among the last Democrats on the panel to announce his no vote, said he's is concerned that Pompeo 'will embolden, rather than moderate or restrain' Trump's 'most belligerent and dangerous instincts.' 'I do not make this decision lightly or without reservations,' Coons said in a statement Friday. 'However, I remain concerned that Director Pompeo will not challenge the President in critical moments. On vital decisions facing our country, Director Pompeo seems less concerned with rule of law and partnership with our allies and more inclined to emphasize unilateral action and the use of force.' Rather than allow an unfavorable vote on the panel, where Republicans have a one-seat majority, senators could choose not to issue a recommendation if Pompeo cannot find enough backing. The committee action won't necessarily stall Pompeo's confirmation before the full Senate, but it would be an unusual setback not seen since the panel took a pass on John Bolton, President George W. Bush's pick for ambassador to the United Nations. Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who has been among Pompeo's most vocal champions in the Senate, lambasted his colleagues ahead of voting. 'Democrats, especially on the Foreign Relations Committee, are really engaged in shameful political behavior,' Cotton said Sunday on CBS' 'Face the Nation.' But several Democratic senators who supported Pompeo for CIA director say Pompeo's views are not reflective of those they want in the top diplomat. Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel will put pressure on Donald Trump to save the Iran nuclear deal this week as the French President warned there is no 'Plan B' to take its place. Macron and the German Chancellor are meeting the US President this week and both will attempt to convince him not to renege on the 2015 accord. The deal reached between Iran, the United States and five other world powers put curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. But Trump has vowed to scrap the arrangement unless European capitals agree to supplement it with tougher controls on Iran's missile program and future ability to return to nuclear fuel enrichment. Tehran has warned it will respond to any unravelling of the deal by 'resuming at a much greater speed our nuclear activities'. Emmanuel Macron (right with his wife Brigitte) and Angela Merkel will put pressure on Donald Trump to save the Iran nuclear deal this week as the French President warned there is no 'Plan B' to take its place Macron and the German Chancellor are meeting the US President (pictured) this week and both will attempt to convince him not to renege on the 2015 accord Merkel says an imperfect nuclear deal with Iran is preferable to no deal, and that her country will 'watch very closely' to ensure it is being fulfilled Macron is set for a three-day state visit which is expected to be dominated by U.S.-European differences over the deal. The 40-year-old said on Fox News on Sunday that it would be better to protect the Iran deal instead of get rid of it, insisting there is no 'Plan B' to take its place. 'I don't have any Plan B for nuclear - against Iran. 'So that's a question we will discuss, but that's why I just want to say, on nuclear - let's present this framework because it's better than the sort of North Korean type of situation.' North Korea has developed and tested nuclear weapons as well as intercontinental ballistic missiles, posing a significant threat to global security. He added: 'Is this agreement perfect and this JCPOA a perfect thing for our relationship with Iran? No. But for nuclear -- what do you have? As a better option? I don't see it.' Meanwhile, Merkel says an imperfect nuclear deal with Iran is preferable to no deal, and that her country will 'watch very closely' to ensure it is being fulfilled. Merkel spoke to Israel TV's Channel 10 in an interview broadcast Sunday. She meets this week with US President Donald Trump who says he'll withdraw from the agreement by May 12 unless US and European negotiators agree to fix what he calls its serious flaws. The deal reached between Iran, the United States and five other world powers put curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Pictured: A ballistic missile test launch in Iran in 2016 The 2015 deal, opposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, aims to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions. Merkel says she understands 'great worries in Israel' over those ambitions, but that she disagrees with Netanyahu on how to contain them. Meanwhile, I has warned itis ready to resume its controversial nuclear program 'at a much greater speed' if the United States walks away from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. In a CBS interview to be broadcast Sunday on 'Face the Nation,' Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif doubled down on a warning this month from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who vowed Washington would 'regret' withdrawing from the nuclear deal, and that Iran would respond within a week if it did. 'If the decision comes from President Trump to officially withdraw from the deal, then Iran will take decisions that have been provided for under the JCPOA and outside JCPOA,' Zarif said, referring to the 2015 accord. 'We have put a number of options for ourselves and those options are ready, including options that would involve resuming at a much greater speed our nuclear activities. 'And those are all envisioned within the deal. And those options are ready to be implemented and we would make the necessary decision when we see fit,' added the foreign minister, who is in the United States to attend a UN meeting on sustaining peace. Zarif said the European leaders must press Trump to stick to the deal if the United States intends to maintain any credibility in the international community. If the United States buries the deal, Iran is unlikely to stick to the agreement alongside the other signatories - Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, said the foreign minister. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif doubled down on a warning this month from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (pictured), who vowed Washington would 'regret' withdrawing from the nuclear deal, and that Iran would respond within a week if it did 'Obviously, the rest of the world cannot ask us to unilaterally and one-sidedly implement a deal that has already been broken,' Zarif said. British, French and German representatives have been in deep talks with the US State Department's head of policy Brian Hook on what a supplemental deal would look like. But the representatives complain privately that, despite progress with their American counterparts, they have no idea whether they are close to an agreement that the mercurial president would accept. To appease Trump, European capitals are working on a document that would amount to a political engagement to prevent Iran from returning to the nuclear path after the 2015 deal starts to expire. The Europeans could even call such a statement a new 'deal,' if it convinces the US leader to stay within the terms of the original and 'true' agreement. 'He hates the deal,' another European diplomat acknowledged. All Hook can say is that once he comes to terms with his European partners, it will be up to Trump, in consultations with his hardline new National Security Advisor John Bolton, to decide. 'If we can reach an agreement, then that will be presented to the president by the secretary of state and the NSA, and then he will make a decision on whether he wants to remain in the deal or stop waiving sanctions,' Hook said. 'We always have to prepare for any eventuality, and so we are engaged in contingency planning because it would not be responsible not to engage in it.' The appointment of Bolton, an avowed Iran hawk, fueled Europe's pessimism, as did the nomination of CIA director Mike Pompeo to become the next US secretary of state. But Pompeo, who has always talked tough on Iran, played down the significance of the May 12 deadline in his Senate confirmation hearing. 'I want to fix this deal. That's the objective,' he told US lawmakers concerned that he might push for war. 'If there is no chance to fix it, I'll recommend to the president we do our level best to work with our allies to achieve a better outcome and better deal. Even after May 12th, even after May 12th, there's still much diplomatic work to be done.' As the deadline looms, even some of the more hawkish Washington pundits - critics of the deal when it was signed - have begun to suggest that the return of US nuclear-related sanctions could be postponed until a new fixed date. But if all the talk fails and Trump follows his clear inclination to tear up the 'terrible deal,' there appears to be no Plan B, at least from Europe. 'Anyone who wants to blow up the Iran deal has first to tell us what he will do if Iran relaunches its uranium enrichment program,' France's ambassador to the United States Gerard Araud tweeted in exasperation. Albert Kelly has been filmed launching a foul-mouthed tirade at a McDonald's worker Former NRL star Albert Kelly has been caught on camera launching a drunken, foul-mouthed tirade at a female McDonald's worker. Kelly, who is playing with Hull FC in the English Super League after being sacked by two NRL clubs, swayed from side-to-side as the employee filmed his bizarre rant. 'Mate, I'm not f***ing mucking around. I don't know who the f*** this b**ch is,' the 27-year-old said in slurred speech. 'I don't give a f*** who she is. But she needs to float her boat, before I float her boat. With my f***ing concrete... Look at your eyebrows, you sl*t. When the worker questioned what Kelly meant by his comments, he asked: 'Did I stutter sl*t? Did I f***ing stutter?' The woman responded: 'Yeah you did actually, I can't really understand you.' Kelly is playing with Hull FC in the English Super League after being sacked by two NRL clubs Kelly proceeded to call the worker a 'little wh***' and asked her male colleague if she was his partner. When the man said the pair were just friends, Kelly responded: 'Well I'm sorry, for um, apologising for being a sl*t.' Kelly's latest controversy is yet to be addressed by Hull FC. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the club for comment. In 2012, Kelly was sacked by the Cronulla Sharks. He then had his contract with Newcastle torn up without playing a game after smashing alightbulb in a nightclub. Kelly's latest controversy is yet to be addressed by Hull FC. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the club for comment A cafe in Adelaide has been fined nearly $9000 for repeatedly failing to bring the restaurant up to food safety standards. The MP3 Cafe in Brighton, a coastal suburb in southwest Adelaide, had been investigated twice following complaints, once in 2014 and again in September last year. The cafe's owner Bing Liang fronted Adelaide Magistrates Court on April 16 charged with failing to comply with the Food Standards Code. The MP3 Cafe in Brighton, a coastal suburb 20 minutes south of Adelaide, had been investigated twice following complaints, once in 2014 and again in September last year Liang was fined $4800 for his offences, ordered to cover Holdfast Bay Council's costs to the tune of $3300, and was told to pay $640 for the victims of Crime Levy. A spokesperson for Holdfast Bay Council told CoastCity Weekly that, beginning with the 2014 complaint, there has been 'a longstanding infestation of cockroaches observed by Council's environmental health officers.' After the second complaint in September 2017, Council conducted a series of inspections which, 'confirmed there was a systemic failure to prevent and control an infestation of cockroaches.' This led The City of Holdfast Bay to take the cafe owner to court. A report issued to Council said the cafe was now pest-free, clean and well maintained. The cafe was contacted by Daily Mail Australia but did not provide comment. Two high school students in Brooklyn have been arrested after police said they sexually assaulted a male classmate in school. Suspect Santosh Bonito, 17, and an unnamed 15-year-old were arrested this month in connection with the November attack at It Takes a Village Academy. Principal Marina Vinitskaya was removed from her job shortly after the incident for allegedly failing to report it. On November 3, a gang of bullies stormed into the school's locker room chanting 'Freshman Friday! Freshman Friday!' at the 14-year-old victim, according to a police complaint reported by the New York Daily News. Principal Marina Vinitskaya was removed from her job shortly after the incident for allegedly failing to report it Courtesy of PIX 11. The older boys grabbed the victim's genitals through his clothes, and then tried to stick their fingers into the younger boy's buttocks, according to police. When the victim told school administrators, Bonito and the other suspects were suspended. But administrators never contacted police, and the victim's mother called the cops herself after pleading with school officials. Days later, Principal Vinitskaya was sent to the Department of Education's notorious 'rubber room' - the reassignment centers where educators under accusations report daily for months or years while their administrative cases are resolved. Bonito was arrested on April 12. He is charged with misdemeanor forcible touching and could spend up to a year on Rikers Island if convicted. The second juvenile suspect was arrested on Monday. The incident occurred on November 3 at It Takes A Village Academy, a public school is known for helping the children of recent immigrants graduate on time It Takes a Village Academy is located in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn and has an enrollment of about 730 students. The public school is known for helping the children of recent immigrants graduate on time, even if they had limited schooling in their home country. Many children speak Haitian or French at home while others speak Arabic and Spanish, according to InsideSchools. The non-profit New York City school review site adds about It Takes A Village Academy that 'kids complain about safety in the locker rooms'. A New York man who was arrested after falling from his bike during a police stop claims that officers used excessive force in the incident. Heins Rodriguez, 26, accuses police officers of deliberately hitting him or at least coming 'unreasonably close' with their unmarked vehicle in the 2015 incident. Private surveillance footage capturing the stop show Rodriguez biking without a helmet along 43rd Ave. in Queens when the incident happened. Heins Rodriguez, 26, accuses police officers of deliberately hitting him or at least coming 'unreasonably close' with their unmarked vehicle Authorities noted that they found 12 bags of marijuana in Rodriguez's backpack, but misdemeanor charges relating to the drugs were later dropped Private surveillance footage capturing the stop show Rodriguez biking without a helmet along 43rd Ave. in Queens when the incident transpired The cops in the case, named as Officers Zheng Zuopeng and Alan Chen in court documents, say that Rodriguez flailed around and resisted arrest as they were placing handcuffs on him. But video evidence appears to show that Rodriguez complied with the officers demands after rising to his feet, offering little protest. Gabriel Harvis (pictured), a lawyer for Rodriguez said 'When officers can manufacture evidence as we see here, no one is safe' In a 2016 lawsuit filed against the department, Rodriguez asserts that the charges were unjustified and excessive. Police counter the claims by asserting that the footage'inconclusive' and talk of a cover up is 'speculation,' according to The New York Daily News. Authorities noted that they found 12 bags of marijuana in Rodriguez's backpack, but misdemeanor charges relating to the drugs were later dismissed. Rodriguez claims that the fall has left him with both physical and mental trauma, complaining of chronic back pain and weariness of the NYPD. 'Like I don't feel the same way about them as I used to,' he said. A lawyer for Rodriguez told the Daily News that his suit is about 'dangerous pursuit tactics and officers who willingly lied in an effort to cover them up.' 'When officers can manufacture evidence as we see here, no one is safe,' Gabriel Harvis added. Rodriguez is suing for damages but the terms remain unclear. Britons are flocking back to terror-hit cities due to bargain holiday deals, despite official warnings against such trips out of fear of more attacks. Cheap flights and inexpensive hotels have lured holidaymakers to risky destinations such as Turkey and Egypt, which are strife-torn and have a history of terror attacks. And despite a mass shooting in Sousse, Tunisia, in June 2015, where 30 Brits were slaughtered, holidays there are 'selling well', with 44 per cent of travellers being families, according to an annual report by Thomas Cook. Britons are flocking back to terror-hit cities due to bargain holiday deals, despite official warnings against such trips out of fear of more attacks. Pictured: Memorial set up on a beach in Tunisia after 30 Brits were killed in a terror attack in 2015 Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui (pictured) killed 38 people, including 30 British tourists, in a shooting spree at a beach resort at Port El Kantaoui near Sousse. The attack, one of three that shook Tunisia that year, was claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group Thomas Cook notes that despite the danger, the nation's 'appetite for sunshine at a fair price fuels demand to revisit these old favourites,' reported the Mirror. Before the beach attack in Tunisia, more than 400,000 British tourists visited annually. In the years since, although significantly lower, numbers are rising. The tour operator reported that package bookings to Egypt have increased by 89 per cent, just three years after 224 people were killed in an IS terror attack at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Turkey has seen an increase of 84 per cent, where 61 per cent of visitors are families. The Foreign Office still warns against visiting the Red Sea but tourist numbers have nearly returned to where they were before the attack. The office also cautions that in Turkey and Tunisia 'terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks'. Cheap flights and inexpensive hotels have lured holidaymakers to risky destinations such as Turkey (pictured) and Egypt, which are strife-torn and have a history of terror attacks But even with the 'heightened risk of terrorism against aviation' in Egypt, more than 319,000 Britons visited the country in 2017. Flights and hotel stays are at bargain prices in these countries and holiday package deals reduce the cost even further. Jet2Holidays offers flight and all-inclusive stays at four-star resorts for seven nights, costing less than 500. Last July, Britain lifted the travel warning for virtually all of Tunisia's Mediterranean coastline following 'security improvements' in the North African country. However, it continues to advise against travel to southern Tunisia, along the border with Libya, and advises against all but essential travel along the western border with Algeria. In February, Britain's security minister, Ben Wallace, praised efforts by Tunisia to boost security and said he expects a return of tourists. Pictured: Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui In February, Britain's security minister, Ben Wallace, praised efforts by Tunisia to boost security and said he expects a return of tourists. In June 2015, gunman Seifeddine Rezgui killed 38 people, including 30 British tourists, in a shooting spree at a beach resort at Port El Kantaoui near Sousse. The attack, one of three that shook Tunisia that year, was claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. It prompted Britain to impose a warning against 'all but essential travel' to Tunisia. Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui said London's decision to ease the travel ban 'has had a positive impact'. 'God willing, the next season will see an influx of British tourists in Tunisia,' he said. MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis has vowed to take on Facebook in court over claims scam adverts are targeting 'vulnerable people' with his face on them. Mr Lewis said he will 'give Facebook a bloody nose' in a battle over the bogus postings, as he says thousands of people have handed over cash to criminals in get-rich-quick scams. The consumer advice expert's image and name has been used on fake adverts on the social media platform, which he believes gives people a false sense of assurance. The founder of advice website MoneySavingExpert, said: I feel sick each time I hear of another victim being conned because of trust they wrongly thought they were placing in me. Mr Lewis announced the legal action on Monday, claiming adverts are left for 'weeks' after Facebook is alerted to them and when they are taken down, identical postings quickly replace them. However Mr Lewis, 45, said he is willing to drop the case if Facebook, run by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, acts now on the outlandish scams. Martin Lewis set up consumer forum MoneySavingExpert.com (PA) He claims his face and name has been used to scam people out of money through Facebook adverts Speaking on Good Morning Britain he addressed Facebook directly, saying: 'I don't want to go to court. I want you to stop allowing vulnerable people to be scammed. 'Come talk to me, let's work out how we can sort this out. I'll drop the case if you stop vulnerable people being scammed.' The expert who is widely trusted by the British public said about 50 adverts had used his name and image. Mr Lewis said he wants to force social media giants to change their policies around such adverts, and put warning systems in place. Mr Lewis said: 'There are customers who have lost a lot of money. Some of them won't even talk to me because they've seen my face on the advert and think it's me who has scammed them it's an absolute disgrace. 'I've had enough of this. It's affecting my reputation, but more importantly it is affecting real people who are handing over money in good faith while the scammers are raking in the cash. 'I won't be making a penny out of this, by the way I've had a team of people looking at this for months now and it is time to take a stand.' Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) will face action from Martin Lewis, unless social media giant acts on adverts which target 'vulnerable people' MoneySavingExpert says his face is being used to sell get-rich-quick scams to vulnerable people. Pictured Martin Lewis on This Morning Mr Lewis is due to lodge court papers on Monday for the defamation lawsuit against Facebook, with the aim of forcing change. He wants well known people to be notified every time their image is used in an advert, requiring their approval that the post is legitimate. Martin Lewis says he will drop a fight with Facebook in court if the company acts immediately to stop people being targeted via ads. Pictured with wife Lara Lewington The television personality and journalist said: 'I hope to open up a legal remedy for other people who have found themselves in the same boat. 'I don't do adverts. I've told Facebook that. Yet it simply continues to repeatedly publish these adverts and then relies on me to report them, once the damage has been done. 'I've got no idea how successful this legal action will be or how long it will take but I can't sit back and let it (scamming) happen. I'm trying to give Facebook a bloody nose and actually get some changes made or at least get people talking about this.' Solicitor Mark Lewis of Seddons, leading the lawsuit, said: 'Facebook is not above the law it cannot hide outside the UK and think that it is untouchable. 'Exemplary damages are being sought. This means we will ask the court to ensure they are substantial enough that Facebook cant simply see paying out damages as just the cost of business and carry on regardless. 'It needs to be shown that the price of causing misery is very high.' Any damages won through the lawsuit will be donated to charity. There are fears an Australian man may have drowned in Bali after a surfboard identical to his washed up broken on a beach. The family of Jae Haydon are frantically searching for answers after a photo showing an identical surfboard in two pieces was posted to Facebook on Monday afternoon. After the board featuring the words 'for Jae' washed up near Uluwatu, on the island's south, concerned locals took to social media to claim the surfer had 'drowned'. There is yet to be any official confirmation of a surfer's body being found. There a fears Australian man Jae Haydon (pictured) may have drowned in Bali after a surfboard identical to his washed up broken on a beach This photo showing a surfboard identical to his broken into two pieces was posted to Facebook on Monday by locals in Bali. A caption claimed the surfer had drowned, but this is yet to be confirmed Jae's sister Heidi told Daily Mail Australia she's been in contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and is desperate for any information about her brother. 'We've contacted DFAT and they've launched an investigation,' Ms Haydon said. 'Someone said the person had managed to swim safely to the beach, but there's no confirmation yet. 'He's been there since last Tuesday and we're just praying he's OK.' More to come A heartbroken family have spoken of their devastation after their beloved dog was thrown from a balcony in a horrifying attack. Cristian Dutu said the incident began after nearly 40 people gathered on the street below his flat in Toxteth, Liverpool, and started drinking on Saturday. As the day progressed, he said the crowd started to get rowdier and began throwing bottles at parked cars on the street. At this point Cristian's mother Mihaela went down to speak to the boisterous group to tell them not to throw bottles and then things escalated. Cristian Dutu, 27, said his bulldog Hindo (pictured) died after an attack on Saturday in Liverpool. Revellers climbed onto his terrace and threw the pet onto the street before beating it with a stick Cristian, 27, said: 'We have a terrace by our flat, where my dog often sits outside. 'After my mum went down to the group to tell them to calm down it went crazy. 'People on the street started to climb the fence to get onto our balcony, armed with broken bottles and knives. 'There were 10 to 15 people on the terrace and me and my mum were slashed with the broken bottles.' Cristian said the attackers then grabbed their dog Hindo. 'We've had him since he was a puppy and because he was trying to protect my mum they grabbed him by the legs and threw him from the terrace onto the street.' Hindo, an American Bulldog cross, survived the fall but Cristian said the people on the street below then began to hit him with sticks. Cristian continued: 'I ran down to the street and tried to get them off my dog. Hindo, an American Bulldog cross, survived the fall but Cristian (pictured with Hindo) said the people on the street below then began to hit him with sticks 'I got him away, but by the time we got him to the vets it was too late and he passed away, it was awful.' Cristian and his mother were taken to hospital where they were treated for minor wounds and scratches, but were otherwise unharmed from the attack. Cristian said: 'Hindo was seven years old and well known in the neighbourhood. 'He was such a sweet dog, he couldn't go to sleep without having his blanket over him, he was a softie. I can't believe this has happened.' A Merseyside Police spokeswoman said: 'An investigation is ongoing into the circumstances of the disturbance and it is still in the very early stages. 'Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police.' Jennifer Roylance is pictured leaving Stockport Magistrates' Court A housewife took her two young children on a drink-driving jaunt after downing two bottles of wine when her husband asked for a divorce. Jennifer Roylance, 25, was seen staggering outside a Co-op store after leaving the youngsters, aged five and one, inside her car while she went shopping. Police were called after two passersby by saw her 'swaying and crossing her legs' in the street and seized the keys to her Citroen C3. Officers arrived to find Roylance holding the baby in her arms while the other child attempted to run off, before a breathalyzer test found her to be three times the limit. She said she had been drinking after she broke up with with her Egyptian husband whom she met during a holiday. It is through the couple are now back together. At Stockport Magistrates' Court, Roylance admitted being drunk in charge of a child and drink driving. But was spared jail after her lawyers said she was suffering from depression at the time. She wept as she told JPs: 'I am really sorry.' The incident occurred in Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire at 5.30pm on November 15 as Roylance was on her way to see a friend. Prosecutor Miss Victoria Norman said: 'Two witnesses observed a car which was trying to reverse into a space and could see the driver was struggling to park. 'These witnesses hung back as they were observing and saw the woman get out and they heard her say 'stay there'. Roylance (pictured) was seen staggering outside a Co-op store after leaving the youngsters, aged five and one, inside her car while she went shopping 'She walked off toward the Co-op and did not return for some time. Inside the vehicle was two young children. 'The witnesses went to a nearby property where they were still observing the vehicle. They saw the woman staggering, swaying and crossing her legs. 'They left the property to approach her. The car engine was running. One witness decided to take the keys. 'She explained she was calling the police and she could smell alcohol. There was a one-year-old child in her arms, and a five-year-old child was trying to run off. 'The two children were collected by a friend. She was arrested and taken into custody.' Tests showed Roylance had 125 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg. A probation report said: 'She is distraught about what happened and accepts that she should not have been driving - she says she had drunk two bottles of wine. Tests showed Roylance had 125 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath 'She was married at 18 or 19. She went to Egypt and married a man that she met on holiday and they had a child together. 'Her husband then followed her over to the UK once he got a visa and they had another child. It is a difficult relationship. 'She has two young children and she suffers with depression. Her husband was not understanding and was unfaithful to her during her second pregnancy. 'Since May, he had not been living at their address and he then told her he wanted a divorce. She drank two bottles of wine and she was going to see her friend. 'Her husband has now come back to the family home and they are rebuilding their relationship. 'In terms of her own situation, she lives with the two children and her husband. Her parents are with her at court. 'She is on benefits and income support. There are mental health issues and she suffers with bulimia.' Roylance's lawyer Kirsten Collings said: 'She was compliant at the road side and at the police station. 'The reality is, when you consider her personal mitigation, there are not many before the court who has more personal mitigation than her. 'She could not have more supportive parents. Their main priority is to make sure she gets well and enjoys life as a young mother. 'There are mental health issues and custody would be catastrophic. I'm not sure that she would be safe there.' Sentencing JP David Saville told Roylance: 'We accept that you are suffering with mental health issues - however, this case is very serious. 'If it was not for the courageous actions of the public, this could have been much more serious.' Roylance was sentenced to 16 weeks jail suspended for a year. She was also banned from driving for 36 months and was ordered to pay costs of 200. Theresa May is facing calls to stake her political future on winning a crunch customs union vote as Brexiteers fear she is preparing to fudge her red line. Remain Tory MPs have signed up to an opposition amendment to the Trade Bill that would mandate the Government to create a customs union after Brexit. Defeat would be a heavy blow to the Prime Minister's authority. Brexiteers want her to raise the stakes to a vote of confidence to deter Tory rebels from risking a collapse of the Government. A symbolic vote on the issue on Thursday could give a clue to the mood of MPs ahead of the amendment vote expected next month. The row grew today as Mrs May faced a showdown with senior Cabinet ministers over a proposal Brexiteers see as a watering down of the pledge to leave the EU Customs Union after Britain leaves the EU. A customs partnership - first suggested in a British policy paper last year - is seen by some as a way of breaking the Irish border stalemate while preserving the ability to strike new trade deals. But critics believe it is tantamount to staying inside EU rules and restraining Britain's flexibility after Brexit. Brexit Secretary David Davis, together with Trade Secretary Liam Fox and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, will lead a revolt at a Cabinet sub-committee meeting. Theresa May (pictured in Dudley today) faces a Brexiteer backlash today amid fears she could fudge her red line on leaving the customs union Brexit Secretary David Davis is set to lead a revolt aimed at ensuring there is no watering down of the commitment through a so-called 'customs partnership' Critics claim any form of customs deal with the EU could frustrate Britain's ability to strike trade deals after Brexit. But the Prime Minister may be persuaded a continuing customs relationship could end the stalemate over the Irish border Mrs May faces a series of challenges in Parliament over the customs union. She was heavily defeated in the Lords last week and Remain-backing MPs are staging a symbolic vote on Thursday. The Prime Minister is under pressure to abandon a half-way house proposal first contained in British proposals last year. The so-called 'customs partnership' would require the UK to collect EU tariffs on goods entering the country and pass them on to Brussels. If the UK set lower tariffs then firms would get a rebate. Prominent Eurosceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg described the idea as a 'really daft proposal' which is 'not workable'. Former Brexit minister David Jones said the 'immensely complicated, and untried, arrangement is guaranteed to end up in chaotic failure' a turn of events he said could lead to us staying in the customs union. He said: 'The result would be: ''Bang goes our independent trade policy and with it our independence. In effect, bang goes Brexit''.' Iain Duncan Smith said the proposal could lead to the UK remaining in the customs union by the back door as it was likely to 'collapse'. The former Tory leader said the policy appeared to be driven by Whitehall mandarins, adding: 'People are really concerned that we seem to be losing direction. We need to regain political focus.' The row is expected to continue at a meeting of Mrs May's Brexit 'war cabinet' on Wednesday, when senior ministers will gather to hammer out the Government's negotiating aims on trade. Prominent Eurosceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg described the idea of a 'customs partnership' as a 'really daft proposal' which is 'not workable' Phones 4U founder John Caudwell told MailOnline business was eager to escape the Customs Union. He said: 'Taking back control is not compatible with remaining in the Customs Union. 'Wed be stuck in a position in which we couldnt make our own trade deals what sort of control is that? 'For Britain to be a leader in ''global free trade'', we simply cannot succumb in the negotiations to joining a customs union.' Boris Johnson, Liam Fox and David Davis are all said to harbour concerns about the 'customs partnership' proposal. Miss Truss, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, urged Parliament not to 'bind the Prime Minister's hands' and warned that voters would see staying in the customs union as a betrayal. WHEN WILL BRITAIN BE OUT OF THE EU? Britain triggered Article 50 on March 29, 2017, starting a two year process for leaving the EU: March 2018: Outline transition deal agreed, running for about two years June 2018: EU summit that Brussels says should consider broad principles of a future trade deal. October 2018: Political agreement on the future partnership due to be reached Early 2019: Major votes in Westminster and Brussels to ratify the deal March 29, 2019: Article 50 expires, Britain leaves the EU. Transition is expected to keep everything the same for about two years December 31, 2020: Transition expected to come to an end and the new relationship - if it has been agreed - should kick in Advertisement Miss Truss, who backed Remain, told the BBC's Pienaar's Politics that staying in the customs union would 'effectively give control to the EU of our trade negotiations'. She added: 'One of the big upsides of leaving the EU is that ability to strike trade deals. I worry that we would end up losing some of the advantages we have got in terms of trade with the EU and not gaining new advantages if we were to stay in the customs union.' On Twitter, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said: 'British people gave politicians clear instructions through EU referendum. Includes leaving the customs union, an intrinsic part of the EU. Britain must leave the customs union and be able to negotiate and sign our own trade deals.' He was backed by Environment Secretary Mr Gove, who said: 'Sajid is right. The referendum vote was clear, we need to take back control of trade. That means leaving the protectionist customs union.' Last week, the Government suffered a crushing defeat in the House of Lords on an amendment designed to keep Britain in the customs union. Pro-Remain Tories have joined their Labour counterparts to force a Commons vote on the customs union this Thursday in the hope of bouncing the Government into a U-turn. But the vote is not binding and Eurosceptic MPs are being urged to boycott it. A former paramedic who was on a backpacking trip around the world has died of dysentery in his filthy hotel room in Cambodia. Ross Chagnon, 28, was pictured enjoying street food and beer in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 7 before arriving in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh on April 10. But the American traveler fell ill shortly afterwards and joked with friends in a message the night before he died: 'Pro Tip: Don't Get dysentery'. Mr Chagnon, from Brooklyn, New York, was found dead the following morning passed out after sitting on the side of his bed in only a pair of boxer shorts. Former paramedic Ross Chagnon (left) was on a backpacking trip around the world when he died of dysentery in his filthy hotel room in Cambodia Mr Chagnon was pictured enjoying street food and beer in Bangkok's Khao San Road days before his death Staff at the Guest House Kiyo said they knocked on his door at 10am on Friday morning, when he was due to check out, but there was no reply. Police arrived and examined the body before ruling that the death was not suspicious. Officers said he had died from 'fainting'. His body was taken to the Soviet Friendship Hospital. On Monday, the hotel's receptionist said: 'He arrived on April 18 and was supposed to check out in the morning on April 20. In his last Instagram post, Mr Chagnon shared a picture of himself with a monk in the Cambodian capital Mr Chagnon shared this picture with a Cambodian woman during a visit to the country in October last year 'We did not see him and went to his room to see if he had to stay longer. Our staff knocked and there was no reply. He was lying dead on the bed. 'This caused a big shock and we contacted the police.' Lieutenant Colonel Sam Srey from Cambodia Police said: 'Mr Chagnon, a tourist, arrived at the guest house alone. 'He collapsed on the bed, due to fainting or a heart attack. 'His body was transferred to the hospital Medical Khmer Soviet Friendship to wait for family to get the body to their home country.' The traveler, from Brooklyn, New York, poses with locals in Cambodia's Kandal Province Mr Chagnon is pictured in front of a tourist attraction during a trip to Bhutan Mr Chagnon had visited 168 countries with just 24 more to go before reaching his goal of 192 Staff at the Guest House Kiyo said they knocked on his door at 10am on Friday morning, when he was due to check out, but there was no reply Mr Chagnon had visited 168 countries and had just 24 more to go before reaching his target of 192. Former colleagues at the New Britain EMS Academy in New Britain, Connecticut, have paid tribute to him. In a statement, they said: 'Ross Chagnon was a graduate of the first paramedic program class held at the Academy in 2012 known as the fabulous five. 'He took a risk on a fledgling program and remained a dear friend to us. He worked as a National Registry evaluator and championed the reality that life is too short so we should enjoy it while we are here. Former colleagues at the New Britain EMS Academy in New Britain, Connecticut, have paid tribute to Mr Chagnon (pictured) The 28-year-old (left) was described as a 'kind, gentle, adventurous soul who loved traveling' 'As Lt Morrone put it, 'He was a kind, gentle, adventurous soul who loved traveling and spending time knowing and meeting locals.' 'You will be missed. Another great life cut short. His Instagram quote reads 'legends never die.' 'We agree and those you touched will keep your legend alive and well. RIP.' A man has died after being thrown out of a ride at a Chinese amusement park due to a malfunction of the machine. The victim, reported to be 23 years old, fell out of the 360-degree swinging ride after his safety belt unexpectedly opened. Shocked park-goers could be heard screaming 'jump, jump, quick' after seeing the man struggling to hold on to his seat, according to a video released a Chinese TV station. The 23-year-old man hit the steel fence (right) after falling from a swinging ride (left) in China The victim was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to a hospital. The accident occurred at around 3:30pm in the popular Xihu Park in the city of Xuchang in central China's Henan Province, according to local Minsheng Channel. The Xuchang City Safety Monitoring Bureau said the accident had been caused by a malfunction of the ride after an initial investigation. The ride, called 'Flying Eagle', is comprised of two swinging arms, each with eight seats and can spin 360 degrees, according to Henan's Dahe Daily. The seats are roughly 20 metres (65 feet) from the ground when the arm reaches its highest point. It's unclear at which point the victim fell. The man's safety buckle suddenly opened and he was pronounced dead at the hospital Dahe daily reported that the man was from nearby Zhoukou city and had been visiting friends in Xuchang. He was spun out of his seat mid-air before hitting the steel and iron fence underneath. An ambulance was called immediately. A manager at the Xihu Park told a Dahe Daily that most of the facilities at the fairground are run by individual businessmen who rent space from the park. It's said that there are around 20 big rides in the park, and each operator pays the park 50,000 yuan (5,671) per year to run their business. The 'Flying Eagle' ride has been shut following the fatal accident. The Xuchang City Safety Monitoring Bureau has demand all the facilities in the park to undergo safety checks following the fatal accident. The police have started an investigation. Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party is ashamed to say 'England' for fear of appealing to racists, a damning party report says. The English Labour Network - set up by Labour moderate MPs - ordered a study to look at how to champion patriotism. But the group which was founded last year, found that Labour is too scared to mention England, or celebrate St George's Day - which is today. The report warns: 'Labour's biggest single problem is we often don't mention England even when talking about England.' It adds: 'Some activists are uncertain about celebrating St George's Day or reflecting English identity in campaigning. Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party has been accused of abandoning the working class and championing the interests of the middle class by pushing policies like the abolition of university tuition fees 'There may be misplaced fears this will appeal to or strengthen far-right extremists. 'Others worry about crossing a line between caring about our country and appealing to a xenophobic nationalism.' The report, which has been seen by The Sun, said that most people feel more intensely English than British. But Labour is failing to appeal to this sense of national pride because it is too worried about being seen as pandering to the far right. The report urges party members, activists and MPs to 'always make clear how our policies will make a difference to England and its people.' In 2014 Labour's then shadow attorney general, Emily Thornberry (pictured outside her home) was sacked from the frontbench after mocking a family home with an England flag draped outside The Labour Party has been accused of forgetting its roots among working class communities and instead championing the interests of the middle class. In 2014 Labour's then shadow attorney general, Emily Thornberry, was sacked from the frontbench after mocking a family home with an England flag draped outside. Mrs Thornberry was accused of holding working class voters in 'contempt' for sending a mocking tweet of a photograph of the home. The former lawyer who lives in a 3 million home in Islington, North London, was sacked by the the leader Ed MIliband. But she has made a comeback to Labour's top team under Mr Corbyn, and is currently shadow foreign secretary. Advertisement In the lead up to Anzac Day a Melbourne artist with a personal connection to the legacy of Australia's WWII soldiers has brought to life black and white images of the conflict. Benjamin Thomas, 40, researches and colourises historic black and white photographs and shares the images on his Facebook page, Colours of Yesterday. He recently researched images of Australians and New Zealanders who served, suffered and died in WWII and recreated the images with colour and what he believes the images would look like if they were taken today. Scroll down for video Slide me Members of the 2/2nd Australian Independent Company on their return to camp after a twelve day patrol in the Ramu Valley, Dumpu, New Guinea, 7 October 1943 'My grandfather served in the WWII and these images resonated with me,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'When you look at them in colour, you see how young looking those who served were. 'These images allow us to not forget what's happened in the past.' The images capture the various emotions of struggle, suffering, happiness everyone was experiencing during the War. By colouring the black and white photographs, Mr Thomas is allowing the viewer a different connection to the image. 'I am bringing life to the image which allows you to connect with it,' he said. Mr Thomas always had an interest in history but it was about three or four years ago when he saw an American and European colourist colouring black and white historic images. He then realised that no one was doing that to Australian history photographs and decided to give it a go. Slide me Pictured are Australian officers inspecting the machine guns from Manfred von Richthofen's ('The Red Baron') aircraft Slide me Soldiers of the Australian Army 2/2nd Infantry Battalion move through the thick kunai grass from the bivouac area at Dagua airstrip, Aitape, New Guinea, past the wreckage of a Japanese Ki-48 Lily on 25 March 1945 Mr Thomas researches the images significantly to decide which colours would work well with each image. 'With the Anzac Day images, I would research the site of the image, look at Google for contemporary images, online museums for colours of tanks, planes, uniform to get a sense of what the colours should be. 'There is also some artistic licence where you look at the grey lining and pick the appropriate colour to go with the image.' Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the Gallipoli landings of April 25, 1915 and is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand for all those who have died in war. Slide me Pictured is Australian 'Digger' Smith, smiling and giving a thumbs up while carrying his kitbags after arriving at Singapore and a coloured version of 'Digger' Smith Slide me Douglas Grant, draughtsman and soldier, with his ornamental pond and Harbour Bridge, Callan Park, Sydney, between 1932-1940 Slide me Port installations burn over the harbour town of Tobruk, Libya, on 24 January 1941 following its capture by British and Australian troops two days earlier Slide me A soldier of the 9th Australian Division giving a drink of water to a donkey foal in Tobruk during the final months of the city's siege, Libya, 13 August 1941 Slide me Captain Bruce Ballantyne, Patrol commander of T Patrol, the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), probably taken in the Western Desert, Libya, 1940-43 Slide me Able Seaman Chadwick trimming the beard of Engine Room Artificer Jones, aboard HMAS Hobart, 19 July 1945 and a coloured version by Mr Thomas Slide me An Australian infantryman gives a drink to a wounded Turkish soldier during the Gallipoli Campaign, Turkey, 1915 and Mr Thomas's coloured version Slide me Squadron-Leader Robert Henry Maxwell 'Bobby' Gibbes, Officer Commanding No. 3 Squadron RAAF, at LG 91, Egypt, shortly after being awarded the DFC for his leadership of the unit in the Western Desert A teenager accidentally suffocated himself with a plastic bag after he spent his life bravely overcoming the challenges of living with cerebral palsy. Lewis Ashcroft's family had been warned by doctors he would never eat, talk or walk - yet he defied all the predictions, attended a local college and developed a keen interest in IT and gaming. But last November 3, aged just 19 Lewis was found dead in his bedroom at home in Runcorn, Cheshire, by his uncle. He died while his parents Keith and Susie - who work with children with special needs - were away at an education conference in London. Lewis Ashcroft's family had been warned by doctors he would never eat, talk or walk - yet he defied all the predictions but died accidentally when his parents were away, his inquest heard His family believe the youngster 'got himself in a tizz' having earlier told his mother: 'Do you have to go?' as they talked about the conference. At an inquest a coroner ruled Lewis' death as an accident, saying 'he was not satisfied' the youngster had intended to kill himself. The coroner has said 'he was not satisfied' Lewis had intended to kill himself Lewis - who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was a baby - was a happy teenager and showed no signs of depression, the inquest heard. Despite his condition he led an independent life and completed his school studies before enrolling at Riverside further education college in Widnes. His father Keith, an advocate for the disabled and former school governor said: 'We were told pretty early on that Lewis would never talk, walk or eat but we just continued pushing - we were not prepared to write him off. 'He struggled very early on with walking and got a wheelchair which he used early on. But as he started to grow he became more independent and by the age of 12 he had stopped using it. After being told he would never walk or eat he overcame all of that. 'He went to school and loved IT and in September 2017 he started at Riverside College. Lewis would never talk about school or college but was doing all sorts of activities. He had a love for computer games and his x-box. 'I can't remember the last Christmas where we didn't buy him something to do with his x-box. A game called Skyrim was his favourite and he used to talk online to other players. 'In the lead up to November I had no concerns at all. We tended to go away once a year and in the past Lewis was left and home with some food and instructions. 'Whenever we went away we would take him food shopping but on this particular day he didn't want to go shopping. 'He had apparently said to his mum: 'Do you have to go?' But I didn't find out about this until afterwards. Lewis - who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was a baby - was a happy teenager and showed no signs of depression On Thursday morning we went for coffee and he was fine but when we left about 12pm that day he didn't seem his normal jolly self - he was a little bit downbeat. 'We kept messaging him throughout the day on Friday but got no response. The conference finished about 5pm and we still had not heard from him and I rang the local police but was on hold for over half an hour so I just put the phone down. 'At that point I rang my sister who got Lewis's uncle to go round to our house. I believe Lewis just got into a tizz and didn't get out of it - but nobody will ever know.' Lewis's uncle David Lawton said: 'Keith rang my wife and she asked me to go round and check on Lewis. They had rung him a few times and got no answer and so wanted me to check. I opened the letter box and knocked on the door but there was no reply. I climbed in through a window and went to Lewis' bedroom and I found him on the bed. 'I re-live it every single night. I can't walk into a dark house. When I am checking on my children I have to have the light on.' Det Insp Alison Howarth of Cheshire Police said: 'I was told Lewis spent a lot of time in his bedroom playing x-box and had a particular interest in the gaming world. I was able to turn on his x-box and there was a game called Skyrim but there was no obvious information there to suggest was linked to suicide. 'His gaming account 'newalliance250' had 46 friends but his messaging history revealed nothing of note. 'No suicide note was found and there was no third party involvement or suspicious circumstances.' Recording a conclusion of accident, Coroner Adam Fulwood said: 'Although Lewis' parents were told he would never talk, walk or eat he managed to do all three and he continued to make progress. He had from an early age an interest in technology and in September 2017 he began at college. 'He loved gaming and his x-box which he orbited around. He was a loving and emotive person and ad a good relationship with his parents. 'His father said he couldn't point to any concerns but in hindsight Lewis did make a comment about whether they had to go away and he indicated he didn't want to go shopping as he usually would. 'There was no evidence he was suffering from depression and no self harm. There was no evidence that he wished to take his own life. He had significant challenges in life but he quite clearly overcame these challenges. He was not defined by his disability.' Lewis' parents are currently setting up a charity called The Lewis Foundation which will offer support to families when they are told they have a child with disabilities. Salah Abdeslam, 28, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for attempted murder over a shootout with Belgian police in 2016 Salah Abdeslam, the last surviving suspect of the 2015 Paris terror attack, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail over a shootout with Belgian police. Abdeslam, 28, was found guilty of terror-related attempted murder on Monday for firing at Belgian officers during a raid in March 2016, four months after the Paris attacks. Three officers were wounded in an exchange of gunfire on March 15, 2016, during which Abdeslam and accomplice Sofiane Ayari fled, before being caught in Brussels three days later. Ayari, 24, who did not participate in the attack in Paris, was also found guilty of attempted murder on Monday. Neither of the men were in court to hear the verdict. Abdeslam, a Belgian-born French national of Moroccan descent, is in French prison awaiting trial for his role in the Paris attack, which killed 130. Saying 'it's a miracle no-one was killed,' prosecutor Kathleen Grosjean called for each defendant to serve at least 13 years in a high security prison. Abdeslam, a self-confessed jihadi with a French passport, had told a previous hearing: 'I'm not afraid of you, I put my trust in Allah.' He attended the first day of proceedings in February, but has refused to cooperate since then. Neither Abdeslam nor accomplice Sofiane Ayari, 24, were in court on Monday to hear the verdict, and were instead represented by their legal teams Today's marks the first guilty verdict against Abdeslam since the Paris attack. Among the nine terrorists involved was Abdeslam's brother, Brahim Abdeslam, 31, who blew himself up inside a packed restaurant. Salah wore a suicide belt to the Stade de France, but it was later found discarded in a dustbin after he failed to detonate it. The brothers ran a bar in the Belgium capital, in the Molenbeek district where Salah Abdeslam was eventually found hiding on March 18th 2016. He was then linked to another ISIS attack in Brussels four days later - on March 22nd 2016 - when a total of 32 people were killed in coordinated suicide attacks on the city's airport and an underground train station. It was legally permissible for Abdeslam and Ayari be tried in their absence, and they would be informed of the verdicts in prison, said a spokesman for Brussels prosecutors. A Russian lawyer who discussed sanctions with Donald Trump Jr. in New York during his father's Presidential campaign has said that special counsel Robert Mueller has not contacted her yet. In June 2016 Natalia Veselnitskaya met Donald Trump's son, his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort, his campaign chairman at the time, after Trump Jr. was told she had potentially incriminating information about Hillary Clinton. Mueller, a former FBI director, is leading a federal probe of possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. He has filed charges against multiple former Trump campaign aides. Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya says if Robert Mueller doesn't speak to her as part of his investigation then he is not doing his job Veselnitskaya alleged in her interview with the Associated Press in downtown Moscow that if Mueller's team never questions her, it would mean that it 'is not working to discover the truth.' Veselnitskaya also detailed her recent meeting in Berlin with investigators from the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. Like Mueller, the committee is investigating allegations of Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election. It was described that way in emails to Trump Jr. before it took place. The lawyer and the committee's investigators met in a Berlin hotel, because of fears for her safety if she went to the U.S on March 26, and talked for three hours. 'That was essentially a monologue. They were not interrupting me,' Veselnitskaya said. 'They listened very carefully...Their questions were very sharp, pin-pointed.' The investigators mainly wanted to know about Trump Tower meeting, she said. Asked why she decided to meet with the U.S. investigators in Berlin, Veselnitskaya said she felt compelled to tell her account after being into the heart of the Russia probe. Donald Trump Jr. (pictured) met with lawyer at Trump Tower in 2016 during his father's presidential campaign 'I'm ready to explain things that may seem odd to you or maybe you have suspicions,' she said. Veselnitskaya said she repeated her previous statements about it, insisting that she was not linked to the Russian government and merely wanted to discuss sanctions against Russia. She revealed the Berlin interview also focused on information in memos compiled by a former British spy whose work was funded by the Democratic National Committee and Clinton's campaign. The dossier contains numerous allegations of Russian ties to Trump, his associates and the Trump campaign. Veselnitskaya dismissed the dossier as 'absolute nonsense.' She insisted that Glenn Simpson, whose firm Fusion GPS was hired to compile the dossier and who was questioned by the House Intelligence Committee in January, had been 'framed.' The Senate committee has not sent her the minutes of the interview yet, Veselnitskaya said, because no one has figured out a safe way to get them to her. Trump Jr. and others in attendance have downplayed the meeting, saying nothing came of it. The President has denied that he or his campaign coordinated with any Russian attempts to interfere in the election. Special counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, is investigating collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign Veselnitskaya is a well-connected Moscow lawyer who has worked with a company called Prevezon Holdings Ltd. The company's owner is the son of a former Russian government official and a fierce advocate for rolling back U.S. sanctions on Russia. Veselnitskaya, successfully represented the Russian intelligence service FSB's interests in a legal wrangle over ownership of an upscale property in northwest Moscow between 2005 and 2013. At the time of her 2016 meeting at Trump Tower, she was defending Prevezon against charges it had engaged in money laundering from a $230 million Russian tax fraud scheme. Several congressional committees are looking into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 election and whether there were collusion by Trump's campaign. The House Intelligence Committee has finished its investigation and said it found no evidence of collusion or coordination with Russians. A mother has pleaded for help after accusing her British husband of abducting their three-year-old twins in France. John Patterson, 46 and originally from Coventry, disappeared with Ava and Mia after splitting from their mother, Aleksandra Pietrasiewicz, 32. Prosecutors in Metz, eastern France, have issued a warrant for his arrest and believe he might have taken the children from his home in the city back to Britain. Searches have taken places around Mr Patterson's flat in Metz, but there has been no sign of him. The professional photographer's mobile phone has been disconnected, and he has shut down all social media accounts. Ms Pietrasiewicz has set up a Facebook page showing pictures of her girls, and Mr Patterson, and is now urging people to watch out for them. Scroll down for video A mother has pleaded for help after accusing her estranged British husband of abducting their three-year-old twins Ava and Mia (pictured) in France and taken them to the UK John Patterson (left), 46 and originally from Coventry, disappeared with Ava and Mia after splitting from their mother, Aleksandra Pietrasiewicz (right), 32 Police in Luxembourg City have confirmed that they briefly arrested Mr Patterson on March 31, but then he was released. Ms Pietrasiewicz said: 'The police had their hands on him but did nothing, even though the children were already registered on a missing persons file. 'John's home in Metz is empty and there is no trace of his vehicle. There is a risk that he has moved with the girls to the UK or to another European country.' Ms Pietrasiewicz added: 'John needs to think about the girls first - and start to think like a dad and not a child abductor. 'The life of our children is at risk, and he should think about that before he thinks about himself. 'The girls have very poor health, they were born at 29 weeks old and weighed just over 1kg each so they are very little. Ms Pietrasiewicz has set up a Facebook page showing images of her girls (pictured), and Mr Patterson, and is now urging people to watch out for them Prosecutors in Metz, eastern France, have issued a warrant for Mr Patterson's (left) arrest and believe he might have taken the children (right) from his home in the city back to Britain 'I believe my children could be in danger, both with their physical health and psychological danger because they have hardly ever been separated from me, except for a couple of days.' A source involved in the investigation said Mr Patterson had not been seen for three weeks since being allowed a weekend with the children. 'The mother has sole custody of the girls, but Mr Patterson had access rights. He is accused of using them to take the girls away towards the end of March.' The source added: 'The twins were born prematurely in Nancy, and they regularly need antibiotics.' A spokesman for Metz prosecutors confirmed that 'a judicial enquiry' has been opened, and a European arrest warrant issued. Judicial police are involved in the hunt for Mr Patterson and his daughters. A horror vaccine mix up at a Sydney Hospital has led to 86 mothers given the wrong injection at a Sydney hospital. Mothers at Fairfield Hospital were given a vaccine intended for children between 12 months and 12 years that protects against Chickenpox. But the mothers, who all gave birth between December 2017 and April 2018 were seeking vaccination against just measles, mumps, and rubella. A horror vaccine mix up at a Sydney Hospital has led to 86 mothers given the wrong injection (stock photo) At least one of these mothers is now at risk of developing the rash, because she was not exposed to Chickenpox as a child. The hospital is now investigating the incident and has apologised to all mothers, South West Sydney Local Health District acting director Kate Alexander told Daily Mail Australia. 'None of the 86 women developed a rash after receiving the MMRV ProQuad vaccine which can sometimes appear following immunisation,' she said. Mothers at Fairfield Hospital were given a vaccine intended for children, protecting them against Chickenpox (stock photo) The MMR vaccine, which should have been administered, is routinely given to mothers after birth who dont have good protection against measles, mumps or rubella 'This was because most were already immune against chicken pox. 'An investigation has commenced to determine how this error occurred, which has not happened previously, and measures were immediately put in place at the Hospital to ensure it does not happen again.' The ProQuad vaccine is meant for the prevention of measles, mumps, rubella, and (chickenpox) varicella in children aged between 12 months and 12 years. The mix up took place a the Fairfield hospital in NSW. The hospital has now apologised to all mothers. The ProQuad vaccine is meant for the prevention of measles, mumps, rubella, and (chickenpox) varicella in children aged between 12 months and 12 years. The MMR vaccine, which should have been administered, is routinely given to mothers after birth who dont have good protection against measles, mumps or rubella, Dr Alexander said. 'The women impacted have all been provided with an opportunity to update their immunisation records and seek any necessary dose of chicken pox vaccine,' she said. Angela Merkel, who has denounced the emergence of 'another form of anti-Semitism' from refugees of Arab origin in Germany Angela Merkel has denounced the emergence of 'another form of anti-Semitism' from refugees of Arab origin in Germany. The German Chancellor made the remarks in an interview with Israeli television on Sunday after an alleged anti-Semitic attack in Berlin on Tuesday provoked uproar. According the German tabloid Bild, the main alleged perpetrator, who surrendered to police, is a Syrian refugee who lived in a centre for migrants near Berlin. 'We have a new phenomenon, as we have many refugees among whom there are, for example, people of Arab origin who bring another form of anti-Semitism into the country,' Merkel told the private Channel 10 network. In the interview, Merkel said the German government had appointed a commissioner to fight against anti-Semitism. 'The fact that no nursery, no school, no synagogue can be left without police protection dismays us,' she said. Victim: Mr Armush, 21, says he and a friend were attacked for wearing kippas in public in southern Berlin on Tuesday. He said he is not Jewish but wore the skullcap as an experiment after being warned Jewish people were facing violence Shocking: Adam Armush, 21, was able to film on his mobile phone as another young man (pictured) viciously beat him with a belt while shouting 'Yahudi' - 'Jew' in Arabic in Berlin yesterday 'Berlin wears a kippah' protest planned A Jewish organisation has called on all Berlin citizens to wear a skullcap and join a protest in front of the city hall to protest growing antisemitism on Wednesday. The Jewish Community of the German capital of Berlin have planned the protest in front of the city hall. Under the motto 'Berlin wears a kippah', the Jewish organisation is calling on every Berlin citizen to wear the traditional brimless cap also known as a yarmulke. Berlin Mayor Michael Mueller, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany Josef Schuster and chief of the Berlin Jewish Community Gideon Joffe are set to make speeches. Women - who in Judaism never wear a kippah - have been called upon to wear a skullcap to make a statement. The protest organisers said that skullcaps will be made available for everyone at the protest. Advertisement Merkel also reaffirmed that Israel's security was a central concern for Germany because of its 'eternal responsibility' for the Holocaust. But she rejected the possibility that Berlin would follow Washington's example and move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. 'We must work for a two-state solution, and according to that, the status of Jerusalem must be clarified,' she said. The US move has angered Palestinians who see east Jerusalem, annexed by Israel, as the capital of any future Palestinian state. Merkel also reiterated Germany's support for the continuation of the Iran nuclear deal, which provides for curbs to Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for relief from international sanctions. 'We think it's better to have an agreement, even if it's not perfect, than no agreement,' she said. Israeli leaders and US President Donald Trump's administration think the deal - signed in 2015 between Iran and the world's five nuclear powers, plus Germany - is too lax. Trump has threatened to restore sanctions against Iran and withdraw from the deal if his European partners do not 'fix' it by May 12. The new Prince of Cambridge has become the fifth in line to the throne, pushing Prince Andrew out of the top six for the first time. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third child - a younger sibling to Prince George and Princess Charlotte - is now the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's sixth great-grandchild. The boy, weighing 8lbs 7oz, is also a great-great-great-great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria. Here is how the line of succession looks now that Kate and William's new royal baby is born Following the baby's arrival, Prince Harry shifts down the line of succession to sixth place. The Duke of York, who was born second in line, has moved to seventh and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie to eighth and ninth. Andrew falling out of the top six means he will no longer have to ask the Queen for permission to marry - unlike Charles, William, George, Charlotte and Harry. The first six people in the line of succession must have the Queen's consent before they can marry on May 19, as set out by the Succession to the Crown Act 2013. The act's introduction also saw sex removed as a determining factor in the line of succession. It has also been claimed that the royal baby has been born a commoner. Royal historian Marlene Koenig told Town and Country: 'It sounds complicated, but in the UK, the only people who are not commoners are the Sovereign and peers of the realm, (people with titles like) Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron.' The child will change the current line of succession, but the first four in line will stay the same It was always thought that William and Kate would go on to have three children. Kate is one of three and had a happy home life with her sister, Pippa Matthews, and brother, James Middleton, and is close to both of her siblings. But William may need to adjust to caring for a newborn once again. Kate joked in the months leading up to her due date that her husband was 'in denial' about having a third. By having more than two children, William and Kate are following in the footsteps of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, who went on to have four children - although there was a gap of 10 years between their second child, Anne, and third, Andrew. As a sibling to both future king George and 'spare to the heir' Charlotte, the new baby is unlikely ever to be crowned sovereign. The Duke of York is the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's third child, but when Andrew was born in 1960 he leapfrogged his older sister, Princess Anne, in the line of succession. If the Cambridges' third child is a boy, he will no longer be allowed to jump ahead of older sister Charlotte in the line of succession. Previously, under the ancient rules of male primogeniture, royal sons took precedence over their female siblings, even leapfrogging first-born royal daughters. But a radical shake-up of the royal succession rules removed discriminatory male bias and came into force in March 2015, affecting babies born after October 28 2011. The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 has already affected the Duke of Gloucester's granddaughters, Senna Lewis and Lyla Gilman, whose younger brothers, born in 2012, now follow them in the line of succession. The new baby will be a prince or princess thanks to the Queen, who stepped in ahead of Prince George's birth to ensure all William's children would become HRHs with fitting titles. The Queen issued a Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm in December 2012 when Kate was just a few months pregnant, declaring 'all the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales should have and enjoy the style, title and attribute of Royal Highness with the titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their Christian names or with such other titles of honour'. A Letters Patent in 1917, issued by George V, limited titles within the royal family, meaning daughters born to William or Kate would not have been an HRH but Lady (forename) Mountbatten-Windsor instead and second or later-born sons would also have lacked the HRH title and become Lord (forename) Mountbatten-Windsors rather than princes. A leaked letter has revealed ministers were aware of risk to the Windrush generation when immigration reforms were made law. The letter, written in May 2016 by a Home Office Minister, will refuel a row about whether Home Secretary Amber Rudd should resign. It proves ministers were aware members of the Windrush generation were facing deportation years ago. The Government has insisted members of the Windrush should never have been targeted by a wider crackdown aimed at making Britain a 'hostile environment' for illegal immigrants. Defending Ms Rudd, and Theresa May who implemented reforms as Home Secretary, ministers have blamed an official-level failure to properly implement policy. A leaked letter has revealed ministers were aware of risk to the Windrush generation when immigration reforms were made law The letter, written in May 2016 by a Home Office Minister, will refuel a row about whether Home Secretary Amber Rudd should resign But the letter, written the then immigration minister James Brokenshire, set out to Labour MP Kate Hoey how the policy impacted on Trevor and Desmond Johnson. Both legally arrived in Britain from Jamaica as children in 1971 but faced deportation because they could not prove residency before 1973, when the law changed. The letter, revealed today by the Guardian, lays bare what ministers knew before the scandal broke in recent days. In other developments, a Government whip has insisted that the treatment of the Windrush generation was 'nothing to do' with the immigration reforms implemented while Theresa May was home secretary. Mike Freer's comments, in an email to a constituent, said the issues were 'wholly separate and unconnected' and accused the opposition of 'opportunism and hypocrisy' over the scandal. Labour MP David Lammy, who has led the parliamentary campaign on the treatment of the Windrush generation, said Mr Freer's comments were 'very different indeed to the conciliatory lines of apology' about the scandal from the Prime Minister and Home Secretary Amber Rudd. In the leaked email, Mr Freer explained to a constituent why he would not sign a Commons motion calling for a review of the Home Office's policy of creating a 'hostile environment' for illegal immigrants. But the letter, written the then immigration minister James Brokenshire (pictured on ITV yesterday), set out to Labour MP Kate Hoey how the policy impacted on Trevor and Desmond Johnson The policy has been blamed for causing difficulties to Windrush generation migrants who are entitled to be in the UK who may not have the documents to prove it. But Mr Freer said in his email: 'The Windrush issue is absolutely nothing to do with immigration reforms introduced under the Cameron government. What is the Windrush scandal and how did the fiasco develop? June 22, 1948 - The Empire Windrush passenger ship docked at Tilbury from Jamaica. The 492 passengers were temporarily housed near Brixton in London. Over the following decades some 500,000 came to the UK. Many arrived on their parents' passports and were not formally naturalised as British citizens. 1973 - A new immigration Act comes into force putting the onus on individuals to prove they have previously been resident in the UK. 2010 - The Home Office destroyed thousands of landing card slips recording Windrush immigrants arrival dates in the UK. The move came despite staff warnings that the move would make it harder to check the records of older Caribbean-born residents experiencing residency difficulties, it was claimed 2014 - A protection that exempted Commonwealth residents from enforced removal was removed under a new law. Theresa May was Home Secretary at the time. Under a crackdown on illegals, Windrush immigrants are obliged to provide proof they were resident in the UK before 1973. July 2016 - Mrs May becomes Prime Minister. April 2018 - Allegations that Windrush immigrants are being threatened with deportation break. Theresa May issued a grovelling apology to Caribbean leaders after major backlash April 29 - Amber Rudd resigns after inadvertently misleading Parliament by wrongly claiming there were no deportation targets Advertisement 'Then the policy was to make it harder for illegal immigrants to settle in the UK. The Windrush people were and are legal. 'Wholly separate and unconnected.' Speaking to Nick Robinson on the BBC's Andrew Marr show yesterday, Justice Secretary David Gauke said the Home Secretary should not resign. He said: 'No, absolutely, because when it comes down to it, the central policy is right. 'Clearly, there have been very significant failures in terms of how this has been implemented. 'I think it is right that both the Home Secretary and Prime Minister have apologised for this.' Asked if he felt ashamed about what had happened, Mr Gauke said: 'Yes. It is wrong what has happened. It should not have happened.' Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry led calls for Ms Rudd to go. She told Robinson: 'People have died, people have lost their jobs, lost their futures. 'People working in the national health service all their lives suddenly lose their jobs. 'It could not be worse and yet the Home Secretary thinks 'I can apologise and it will be alright'. Well, it won't be. 'I really think she should quit.' When asked whether she believed ministers had implemented a racist policy, Ms Thornberry said: 'I don't like to bandy around these things, I'd rather just stick to the evidence. 'I'm happy to say there is something rotten at the heart of Government. 'I think that the idea of cutting immigration back to tens of thousands when you know you have no control over one of the major drivers and so, therefore, you need to be enforcing rules and be fundamentally unfair on those from outside the European Union, that is wrong and that is rotten.' Brazen drug dealers are using free-ads websites like Craigslist and Gumtree to sell Class A cocaine and ecstasy. The criminals seem unconcerned about the risk of being caught as they post their phone numbers on the popular sites along with pictures of drugs. The dealers boast about being able to deliver quickly, with others offering 'loyalty deals' and 'discreet meet-ups'. Drug dealers are using free-ad websites to sell class A drugs, sometimes disguising drugs offers in other ads that appear to be for other products One advert on Craiglist states: 'The Most Potent Buds & Highgrade Snow Flake ~ Charlie sheen ~ Cali Buds ~ Imported Hasheesh. 'Discreet Meet Ups, On Point Product, Proffessional [sic] Service, Loyalty Deals!!' One asks addicts to contact him through encrypted messaging app WhatsApp. Another dealer on Craiglist, calling himself 'Dank of London Deliveries', offered 'Charlie or green', words for cocaine and cannabis. The dealer added: 'I have everything from grass too the special talcom powder, 9/10 quality. Give me a shout. Hide this posting.' Tottenham MP David Lammy said drugs are now as easy to get in London as pizzas Other adverts were disguised as genuine items for sale. One advert listed as a 'guinea pig cage', features a picture of cannabis, while another listed as a 'Fender Rhodes' piano states 'We have the best weed, coke, MDMA and heroin.' During an investigation by The Sun, one drug dealer told the newspaper the online ads websites are becoming 'the only way' to sell drugs in the capital. It comes after Tottenham MP David Lammy warned buying drugs in the capital was becoming as easy as ordering a pizza. He said competition between dealers was leading to the spiralling of violence which has seen more than 60 people killed in London this year. Speaking earlier this month, Mr Lammy said: 'What drives the gangs and the turf wars is an 11billion cocaine drugs market. 'I'm hearing nothing about what we're going to do about that rising drugs market. Drugs are prolific. It's like Deliveroo - they're as prolific as ordering a pizza. 'You can get them on Snapchat, WhatsApp. That in the end is driving the turf war and is driving the culture of violence.' Two men were arrested on Saturday after a knife fight outside Tooting Bec Underground station in south London. A man died in Finsbury Park this weekend in the latest violence in the capital. Police have not said whether they believe the death was drug or gang related Meanwhile, in the early hours of Saturday, a 20-year-old man was stabbed to death in Finsbury Park, north London, 'involving a number of other people', the Met said. Police have not said whether the latest violence is thought to be drug-related. A spokesperson for Gumtree said: 'We have millions of listings and visitors every day who use the site legally to buy and sell, so it's disappointing to see a very small minority use it in this way. 'We do not permit the sale of illegal items and are always working to keep up with latest tactics to stop such activity. 'We also have a dedicated Trust & Safety team who remove ads that break our rules and works closely with the police, sharing information and supporting any investigations. 'We urge anyone who comes across a suspicious ad to report it to us immediately to help keep the site safe.' CIA director Mike Pompeo reportedly met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un three or four times during his three-day stay in Pyongyang. Kim reportedly claimed Pompeo has the 'same fire in the belly as I do,' according to Asahi, a Japanese daily newspaper. He also embraced the idea of 'complete dunuclearization' when he met with Pompeo ahead of a historic summit with President Donald Trump, sources told the newspaper. The two nations are still working out the details of the meeting the first between a North Korean leader and US president but it is expected to be held in May or June. Scroll down for video CIA director Mike Pompeo (pictured) reportedly met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un three or four times during his three-day stay in Pyongyang Pompeo, who is Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, visited North Korea over the Easter weekend accompanied by five CIA staff members. According to Asahi, he first met Kim on April 1 accompanied by South Korea's National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon. During that encounter, he was told about the possibility of 'complete denuclearization.' But the North Korean leader was reportedly reluctant to include any specific clauses and called for sanctions to be eased. Kim also reportedly agreed to release three American hostages. During his visit, Pompeo also reportedly met the North's intelligence chief Kim Yong-chol. Kim Jong-un reportedly claimed the CIA director has the 'same fire in the belly as I do' The North Korean leader (right) also embraced the idea of 'complete dunuclearization' when he met with Pompeo ahead of a historic summit with President Donald Trump It comes as Trump falsely claimed that North Korea agreed to 'denuclearisation' in a tweet on Sunday. North Korea said on Friday it would suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of summits with the US and South Korea. Kim also said a nuclear test site would be closed and 'dismantled' now that the country has learned how to make nuclear weapons and mount warheads on ballistic rockets. But North Korea has stopped short of saying it has any intention of abandoning its nuclear arsenal, with Kim making clear that nukes remain a 'treasured sword'. Trump, however, tweeted on Sunday that North Korea has 'agreed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing!' It comes as Pompeo faces serious opposition before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which may not have enough votes to recommend him for confirmation because all Democrats, and at least one Republican, have said they will oppose him. Kim and President Donald Trump (pictured) could meet at a historic summit in May or June The full Senate is still expected to consider Pompeo's nomination for Secretary of State later this week. But the rare rebuke expected from the panel on Monday, even after Pompeo's recent visit with the North Korean leader, would be the first time in years that a nominee for the high-level Cabinet position did not receive a favorable committee vote. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the chairman of the committee, blamed partisan politics for opposition to Pompeo, saying he is just as qualified as past secretaries of state nominees Hillary Clinton or John Kerry, both of whom received overwhelming support. 'We are in an era where somebody like this, who is qualified, unfortunately, is likely to be voted out without recommendation or with a negative recommendation,' Corker said Sunday on 'State of the Union' on CNN. 'It's just sad that our nation has devolved politically to this point.' Pompeo's confirmation before the full Senate now hangs in balance, with the votes of just a handful of senators determining whether he becomes the nation's top diplomat after Trump fired Rex Tillerson last month. Key Democrats, including some who had voted for Pompeo as CIA director last year, are peeling away, and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky remains opposed, despite personal overtures from the president. Pressure is mounting on senators from both sides. North Korea said on Friday it would suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of summits with the US and South Korea. File photo White House allies are unloading ad campaigns against Democrats from Trump-won states, including North Dakota, Indiana and Missouri, to vote for the president's nominee. But progressive groups are pounding senators' offices in opposition to Pompeo's hawkish foreign policy views and negative comments about gay marriage and Muslims. Several Democratic senators who supported Pompeo for CIA director say Pompeo's views are not reflective of those they want in the top diplomat. A six-year-old girl was raped, strangled and left to die after being ambushed on her way to buy biscuits. The child was attacked in Odisha's Cuttack district on April 21 before being dumped in a school campus in her village of Jagannathpur. She is now in a critical condition in hospital with serious injuries to her head, face, neck, chest and genitals. Protesters in India demanding action against rapists and violence against women A 25-year-old man from the same village has been arrested and charged with rape and attempted murder. The attack comes as India's cabinet approved the introduction of the death penalty for those convicted of raping a child under 12 years old. Protests had previously been held across the country, with demonstrators demanding action against rapists and violence against women. The rallies came after eight-year-old schoolgirl Asifa Bano was kidnapped, gang raped and murdered in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. Days later another girl, also eight years old, was found raped and murdered after being kidnapped from a wedding in Etah, Uttar Pradesh state. Two other sex attacks were reported in Odisha over the weekend, when the change to the penal code was introduced. Demonstrators wave banners in support of harsher penalties for rapists. India's cabinet has now introduced the death penalty for those convicted of raping a child under 12 years old A four-year-old girl was raped near a river in Kendrapara district, allegedly by a schoolboy, and another child was kidnapped and raped in Kalahandi district. In another attack in Chhattisgarh on April 18, an 11-year-old girl was raped and bludgeoned to death at a wedding. Her attacker reportedly rejoined the celebrations covered in her blood. Police said the most recent girl to be raped in Odisha had gone to buy biscuits on the day she was attacked and her family had been waiting for her to return home. A power cut in their village prompted the worried relatives to search for the girl. They found her lying naked and unconscious 'with blood oozing from her head and mouth', NDTV report. The child was taken to a nearby nursing home then moved to Cuttack's SCB Medical College and Hospital. She is reportedly being treated by a team of at least 13 doctors from different departments. The deal to collaborate on driverless cars with Michigan will be a boost for Theresa May (pictured yesterday going to church with her husband Philip in Maidenhead) Britain is set to sign a Brexit deal with Michigan to develop new technology including driverless cars, it has been revealed. The UK is set to sign a memorandum of understanding to collaborate with the US state - which is home to Detroit, the centre of the country's car industry. Michigan State Governor Rick Snyder said the world is on the brink of a revolution in the car industry thanks to driverless vehicles. And he said the deal will allow the UK and Michigan to share and hone technology so they can be at the forefront of the transformation. The deal is a boost for Theresa May's Government which has said it wants to use Brexit to champion new free trade deals with countries around the world. Automotive Minister Richard Harrington said: 'This agreement signals to the world that the UK is the go-to place for innovation in self-driving technologies supported by our advanced research base and open regulatory environment. 'Through our modern Industrial Strategy we are committed to growing our self-driving and connected technology industry, making it a viable commercial sector and ensuring that we achieve our ambition of having fully self-driving cars on the UK roads by 2021.' Mr Snyder said: 'It's a great opportunity. There's so much we can do together in terms of looking at the future of autonomous vehicles, mobility, and the supply chain to deliver those things. 'It's about sharing test facilities, protocols, learning experiences. 'We just opened a 500-kilometer test facility for autonomous vehicles in Michigan we can do great partnerships. 'We are the world's leader in mobility. Seventy-six percent of all U.S. auto industry R&D happens in Michigan.' He said the car industry is in the grip of a radical transformation with the emergence of driverless cars and new types of engines. And he also said that younger drivers are not so interested in owning their own car but want to share vehicles. He told Politico website: 'I don't think there has been a more transformational time for the auto industry than today. The car industry is in the grip of radical transformation and the UK and Michigan will collaborate on technology such as driverless cars (like the one pictured) to be at the forefront of it Michigan State Governor Rick Snyder said the world is on the brink of a revolution in the car industry thanks to driverless vehicles (file pic) 'There are big trends going on in parallel. First is this 'mobility' concept instead of being concerned with owning a physical asset, young people in particular are only interested in how do I go from A to B. 'Then there is the convergence of the auto industry and the IT industry. 'The next trend is about propulsion systems whether it be internal-combustion, electric, fuel cells. 'And then there is the use of advance materials aluminum, carbon fiber and so on. It's a huge amount of change.' He also hailed Brexit as an opportunity for Britain to do more deals with the United States. He said: 'People are aware of Brexit. They view it as something where the UK most likely will be turning to America more, because of the historical relationships that exist there.' The body of a British man who went missing on a stag weekend in Hamburg has been found, according to a charity helping his family. Liam Colgan, 29, from Inverness, vanished during his brother Eamonn's stag celebrations in the German city in the early hours of February 10. His body was recovered from the River Elbe in the city today, a statement from The Lucie Blackman Trust said. Liam Colgan, 29, from Inverness, vanished during his brother Eamonn's stag celebrations in the German city in the early hours of February 10 Mr Colgan was out celebrating in the city's Reeperbahn district, home to many bars and nightclubs, when he disappeared. Pictures: CCTV of when the 29-year-old was last seen on the night of the stag do Mr Colgan disappeared while he was out celebrating in the city's Reeperbahn district that is home to many bars and nightclubs. His family had launched a search on Facebook and police also published a missing persons appeal online and on the radio. The Lucie Blackman Trust said, which helps the families of those missing abroad, said it was 'saddened to confirm that a body found in the River Elbe, Hamburg, is that of Liam Colgan, missing after attending his brother's stag weekend in the German city. 'Whilst formal identification is yet to be carried out, Mr Colgan's driving licence was in the pocket of the jacket, and the clothes were those he was wearing the night he disappeared. His family had launched a search on Facebook and police also published a missing persons appeal online and on the radio. Pictured: A German police boat during the search operation The body was transported away from the scene in an ambulance this morning 'The trust asks that Mr Colgan's family be given space and privacy to grieve at this difficult time.' Chief executive Matthew Searle said: 'An astonishing amount of support has been apparent in this case the search for Liam has been joined by thousands of people, both German and British, and we would like to thank all of them for their support. 'Our thoughts are of course with Liam's family and friends today.' Police said they were called to Hamburg port on Monday morning after a witness informed them about a corpse in the HafenCity area of the Elbe river. It was recovered a short time later. They said in a statement 'there are indications that it is that of missing Liam Colgan' and that they are in touch with his family. Campaigning QC Michael Mansfield has shocked viewers by using the words n***** and c*** during an interview about the murder of Stephen Lawrence. Mr Mansfield, who was Doreen and Neville Lawrence's barrister, used the offensive words on live TV when he said the Met is still institutionally racist. Yesterday the head of Scotland Yard clashed with the Archbisop of York over the extent to which the murder of Stephen Lawrence changed British policing. Sky News breakfast presenter Sarah Jane-Mee asked whether Mr Mansfield thought Archbishop John Sentamu was right to say the Met is still racist. Michael Mansfield QC has shocked viewers by using the words n***** and c*** during an interview about the murder of Stephen Lawrence. Sky News host Sarah Jane-Mee apologised for Mr Mansfield's workd but he insisted: 'Those are terms that were used and still are used' He said: 'Yes. That's why I'm saying it hasn't been eradicated, it's just that the threshold has gone up and police officers and public have been far more aware of these risks. The life and legacy of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence will be celebrated during a memorial service today marking the 25th anniversary of his death 'Sometimes it's not evident by somebody actually calling someone a c**n or a n***** or whatever phrase there is. It's not as obvious as that'. Miss Mee was forced to apologise for his language. He stood firm and added: 'Those are terms that were used and still are used. And what we hope is that there will be a public reaction to this and institutions will recognise that it isn't always phrased in that way'. But viewers weren't impressed about the way he made his point. One tweeted: 'Michael Mansfield just dropped the N word and another racist word live on @SkyNews !!!' Another wrote: 'Michael Mansfield on @SkyNews #sunrise talking about Police & institutional racism uses two terms that are highly offensive.' Commissioner Cressida Dick said on the 25th anniversary of the racist murder yesterday that the 18-year-old's death had personally shaped her approach to policing and had been a catalyst for change throughout UK forces. But just hours after making her comments, Archbishop John Sentamu, who was Bishop of Stepney at the time of the killing, said many of the recommendations for change following the killing which shocked a nation needed to be revisited. Archbishop John Sentamu, who was Bishop of Stepney, said many of the recommendations for change following the Stephen Lawrence killing needed to be revisited He said the Macpherson Report which concluded the police made mistakes in the murder probe and were guilty of 'institutional racism' needed to be looked at again. He told BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme: 'I think the 72 recommendations, which were accepted by the then Home Secretary, and there was an action plan.... I'm afraid it needs to be revisited by every police service so that they learn the lessons that were very clear.' Commissioner Cressida Dick said on the 25th anniversary of the racist murder yesterday that the 18-year-olds death had personally shaped her approach to policing When asked what needed to be done to improve attitudes which may be considered racist, he added: 'I think it is a question of greater training, people need to be more vigilant and they need to realise that if you stereotype people, you end up disadvantaging them.' Earlier, the Met Commissioner insisted the force had changed but she pledged to listen and continue to build on Stephen's legacy. She praised his parents Neville and Doreen's fight for justice as 'inspirational' after their son was stabbed to death just because he was black. The aspiring architect was set upon by a white gang at a bus stop and left to die in Eltham, south London on April 22, 1993. Two of the group have been convicted of murder, but the rest have evaded justice. David Norris and Gary Dobson are both serving life sentences while three other men accused of the killing, Jamie Acourt, 41, his brother Neil Acourt, 42, who uses his mother's maiden name Stuart, and Luke Knight, 41, remain at large. Yesterday it emerged that Jamie Acourt is living the high life in Marbella while on the run from police who are hunting him over links to a drug dealing gang. Germany has recorded its largest drop in crime for 25 years, with police leaders saying it was linked to a fall in the number of asylum seekers. In total 5.76million crimes were recorded by police in 2017, which is a 9.6 per cent drop from the number recorded in 2016. Oliver Malchow, leader of the GdP police union, told newspaper Welt Am Sonntag that 'a good part' of the fall was due to a decrease in the number of asylum seekers. German police recorded a 9.6 per cent drop in crime between 2016 and 2017, the largest fall for 25 years with burglaries and pick-pocketing declining the most Malchow warned against 'premature conclusions on the security situation' but admitted there has not been such a large decline since pan-German crime statistics began being collected in 1993. Germany recorded 220,000 asylum applications in 2017, which came after 280,000 applications in 2016. Both figures are significantly lower than the 890,000 applications received in 2015, when Angela Merkel opened Germany's borders to migrants arriving in Europe. While the fall covered almost all categories of crime, the largest decreases came in burglaries and pick-pocketing, which were both down 23 per cent. Oliver Malchow, leader of the GdP police union, said a 'good part' of the decrease was due to a fall in the number of asylum seekers arriving in Germany (file image) Police figures show the number of non-German suspects fell by almost 23 per cent, to 735,000, of which around 30,000 were immigrants. Around a third of all crimes recorded in 2017 were theft-related, according to Welt, which published the figures ahead of their official publication next month. Overall theft dropped by almost 12 per cent, including a fall in the numbers of cars and bikes stolen, and a decrease in shoplifting. Violent crime also decreased by 2.4 per cent, though the number of murders rose by 3.2 per cent to 785 cases. Drug offenses also rose by almost 10 per cent while child pornography saw a significant increase of 14.5 per cent, to 6,512 cases. A French plumber is taking a DNA to prove he is Adolf Hitler's grandson after his grandmother had a fling with the Fuhrer when she posed for one of his paintings. Philippe Loret's saliva will be matched with genetic material from pieces of skull and jaw bone reportedly belonging to the Nazi leader and held in a vault by the former KGB in Moscow. The Frenchman is convinced his late father, Jean-Marie Loret, was Hitler's illegitimate son conceived long before the tyrant led Germany into the Second World War. Loret, 62, believes his grandmother Charlotte Lobjoie had a fling with the Nazi leader, then a young German corporal, fighting in northern France in the summer of 1916. State-run Russian television channel NTV has now taken a DNA sample from him and brought it to Moscow to be tested against genetic material from Hitler's remains apparently retrieved by Stalin's forces which stormed the dictator's Berlin bunker in 1945. French plumber Philippe Loret (pictured) is taking a DNA to prove he is Adolf Hitler's grandson after his grandmother had a fling with the Fuhrer when she posed for one of his paintings Loret, 62, believes his grandmother Charlotte Lobjoie (left) had a fling with the Nazi leader (right), then a young German corporal, fighting in northern France in the summer of 1916 Philippe Loret's saliva will be matched with genetic material from pieces of skull and jaw bone (pictured) reportedly belonging to the Nazi leader and held in a vault by the former KGB in Moscow Artwork, signed by Hitler and dated 1916, depicts the 19-year-old Frenchwoman as he met her - in the hayfields with a red scarf over her head blocking the sun The channel quoted Loret saying: 'Rossiya proshu pomoschi' (Russia, I beg for help). The NTV presenter said: 'He is ready to repeat this line in broken Russian endlessly: 'Russia, I beg for help.' 'We are his last hope. 'In the Russian archives are kept the jaw and a fragment of skull of Hitler, perfect genetic material for a DNA test, which can finally prove that Philippe Loret's grandfather was the most horrible slaughterer in human history. 'Deep in his mind, Philippe Loret is sure without any DNA that he is Hitler's grandson. 'But the DNA test can unconditionally prove this story. Philippe Loret's DNA test is now in Moscow. The solution of the last mystery of Hitler is coming. And this means that the Hitler's fate is again in Russia's hands.' Loret said: 'There are always some doubts, but if DNA test is negative - well, there's nothing to do then. If positive - my thoughts will be confirmed. 'Actually, either result will be good, as it will be some result. If it is negative, I need to find out who my real granddad was. All... I want is to find the truth. It is a search for the truth.' The Frenchman is convinced his late father, Jean-Marie Loret, was Hitler's illegitimate son conceived long before the tyrant led Germany into the Second World War As a child, Loret recalls his father sitting him and his six siblings down and saying: 'Kids, I've got something to tell you. Your grandfather is Adolf Hitler.' State-run Russian television channel NTV has now taken a DNA sample from him and brought it to Moscow to be tested against genetic material from Hitler's remains apparently retrieved by Stalin's forces which stormed the dictator's Berlin bunker in 1945 There is some evidence supporting Loret's contention. As a child he recalls his father sitting him and his six siblings down and saying: 'Kids, I've got something to tell you. Your grandfather is Adolf Hitler.' 'There was stunned silence as no one knew what to say. We didn't know how to react.' Then there is the family likeness and the fact that his father - allegedly Hitler's lovechild - had the same blood type as the Nazi leader. A diary entry on September 30, 1944 by royal engineer Leonard Wilkes - one of the first to land on Normandy beaches in D-Day - stated: 'An interesting day today. 'Visited the house where Hitler stayed as a corporal in the last war, saw the woman who had a baby by him and she told us that the baby, a son, was now fighting in the French army against the Germans.' A Hitler painting dated 1916 depicts the 19-year-old Frenchwoman as he met her - in the hayfields with a red scarf over her head blocking the sun. She wore a light-coloured shirt, open from the neck down, exposing part of her breasts, and holds a pitchfork in her hand. Hitler was 28 at the time and she approached him when she first saw him to ask what he was painting. The baby was conceived after a 'tipsy' night. The extraordinary story of the brief wartime romance between Adolf Hitler and Charlotte Lobjoie was revealed by Jean-Marie Loret (pictured), who claimed to be their son until his death in 1985 Loret's DNA will be tested against pieces of skull (pictured) and jaw bone reportedly belonging to Hitler and kept in Moscow But Hitler did not speak French and she had little German. 'When your father was around, which was very rarely, he liked to take me for walks in the countryside,' she said. 'But these walks usually ended badly. In fact, your father, inspired by nature, launched into speeches which I did not really understand. 'He did not speak French, but solely ranted in German, talking to an imaginary audience. 'Even if I spoke German I would not be able to follow him, as the histories of Prussia, Austria and Bavaria were not familiar to me at all, far from it. My reaction used to anger your father so much that I did not show any reaction.' Hitler treated her well and was a 'good lover', said Philippe, but he was easily jealous. 'Apparently he was a jealous person and did not like other men giving her the eye.' Descendants battle for the truth over Hitler's wartime romance The extraordinary story of the brief wartime romance between Adolf Hitler and Charlotte Lobjoie was revealed by Jean-Marie Loret, who claimed to be their son until his death in 1985. His claims, told to him by his mother, were hotly debated by historians for decades until new evidence came to light via his lawyer in 2012. Their chance meeting took place in the town of Fournes-en-Weppe, west of Lille, where Hitler, then 28, was on leave from the front lines of World War I. Hitler, two decades before he was dictator of Germany, was just a young soldier doodling in his sketch pad on a summer's day. Lobjoie was cutting hay with her friends across the road and was nominated to find out what he was drawing. Jean-Marie's son Philippe found out about his ancestry when he was just 16 and his father suddenly broke the news at the dinner table, and now carries on the story 'All the women found this interesting, and were curious to know what he was drawing. I was designated to approach him,' Ms Lobjoie told her son. Hitler and his teenage belle were an odd couple as neither spoke each other's language and he was often away in the trenches. 'When your father was around, which was very rarely, he liked to take me for walks in the countryside,' she said. 'But these walks usually ended badly. In fact, your father, inspired by nature, launched into speeches which I did not really understand. 'He did not speak French, but solely ranted in German, talking to an imaginary audience. 'Even if I spoke German I would not be able to follow him, as the histories of Prussia, Austria and Bavaria were not familiar to me at all, far from it. My reaction used to anger your father so much that I did not show any reaction.' Hitler treated her well and was a 'good lover', according to Jean-Marie's son Philippe, but unsurprisingly had an envious streak. 'Apparently he was a jealous person and did not like other men giving her the eye,' Philippe Loret said. Ms Lobjoie claimed Jean-Marie was conceived after a 'tipsy' evening in June 1917, and he was born the following year. However, having a child ruined their relationship as the teenage mother was so ashamed she left the baby with her parents and fled to Paris. Their chance meeting took place in the town of Fournes-en-Weppe, west of Lille, where Hitler, then 28, was on leave from the front lines of World War I Later she was reunited with her son during the occupation of Paris and lived off envelopes of cash from German soldiers that were recorded in army papers. Ironically, Jean-Marie fought for the French Army and joined the French Resistance against his father's own forces, as was recounted in the diary of a British soldier. Family of Royal Engineer Leonard Wilkes came forward after reading Jean-Marie's claims, having unearthed the diary years earlier. 'An interesting day today,' Mr Wilkes wrote on September 30, 1944. 'Visited the house where Hitler stayed as a corporal in the last war, saw the woman who had a baby by him and she told us that the baby, a son, was now fighting in the French army against the Germans.' Ms Lobjoie finally told Jean-Marie about his father in the years before she died in 1951 and he spent two decades trying to forget he knew. 'In order not to get depressed, I worked non-stop, never took a holiday, and had no hobbies. For 20 years I didn't even go to the cinema,' he said. Eventually he accepted it and spent the rest of his life researching his background in an effort to prove he was the notorious dictator's son. Jean-Marie's lawyer revealed more evidence in 2012, including that the his long-deceased client shared the same blood type as Hitler. The alleged lovechild also had similar handwriting and shared an uncanny physical resemblance he passed on to his own children. Philippe found out about his ancestry when he was just 16 and his father suddenly broke the news at the dinner table. 'Suddenly my father said: "Kids, I've got something to tell you. Your grandfather is Adolf Hitler",' Philippe recalled. Family of Royal Engineer Leonard Wilkes (left) came forward after reading Jean-Marie's claims, having unearthed the diary years earlier that mentioned him meeting Ms Lobjoie 'There was stunned silence as no one knew what to say. We didn't know how to react.' One of 10 children to Jean-Marie's two wives, Philippe too struggled with the information - not even telling his wife's father, who struggled with poverty in the war. The 56-year-old plumber who worked at a French airbase for 34 years told his story for the first time two months after his father's story went public. Despite Hitler's reputation as one of the worst mass murderers in history, he has embraced his lineage and taken up his father's cause. He even sweeps his hair into the same side parting and has a moustache, something most people would avoid were they said to be related to Hitler. 'It's not my fault that I ended up as his grandson or that all the things happened during the war. What he did has nothing to do with me. He will always be family for me,' he said. Philippe has read more than 40 books on Hitler, met the daughter of Himmler and claimed to have spoken to one of the dictator's mistresses unknown to historians. 'What Hitler did to the Jews was wrong. But some of the things Hitler did were admirable he brought Germany back from collapse after the Treaty of Versailles. He built the country up with roads and highways,' he said. 'I dont think evil passes on. Of course qualities from your parents pass on to you, but you build your own life and you make it what it is.' However, Philippe's grandchildren still haven't been told, as his family don't want them to be bullied at school. Advertisement A Danish inventor accused of murdering a Swedish journalist before dismembering her body 'could commit the same kind of crime again', prosecutors have warned. Lawyer Jakob Buch-Jepsen said Peter Madsen was acting from a sexual motive and may have tied Kim Wall with her own stockings before impaling her, during what he argued was a grisly murder in August last year. Prosecutors are calling for a life sentence for Madsen, which in Denmark is 16 years with the possibility of extensions, or else want him locked away in a psychiatric unit. Madsen's defense team admit he dismembered Miss Wall's body but say she died accidentally while riding on his home-built submarine, the Nautilus. Kim Wall may have been tied with her own stockings and impaled by Danish investor Peter Madsen before she was dismembered and her body dumped in the ocean, prosecutors say Madsen denies murdering Miss Wall in August last year, saying she died by accident on board his home-made submarine before he cut up her remains Buch-Jepsen said Madsen, who is accused of cutting Wall's throat or strangling her, is not insane but 'emotionally impaired with severe lack of empathy, anger and guilt.' He also quoted a court-ordered psychiatric report that described Madsen as an intelligent man 'with psychopathic tendencies.' Buch-Jepsen rubbished Madsen's claim that Miss Wall died as the result of a pressure problem on board the submarine, saying 'forensic experts have found nothing' to support that. Madsen, who himself told court that he was "a promiscuous person," has admitted to dismembering Wall's body before he "buried her at sea," saying he could not lift her up the submarine tower in one piece to throw her overboard so he had to cut her up. The court has previously been told that police found a laptop and hard drives belonging to Madsen that were filled with video depicting disturbing sexual scenes. Miss Wall had joined Madsen on his submarine to write a story about him, before her body was discovered at the bottom of Copenhagen harbour several weeks later Prosecutors say Madsen is a danger to the public and may kill again, and are asking for a life sentence (pictured, the Copenhagen City Council, where his trial is being heard) On the laptop, officers found animated and real-life films of women being impaled, hanged and beheaded in a sexual context. On the hard drives were 100 other videos or links to videos which featured murders, torture, beheading and sexually motivated impalements. Madsen also ran a blog in which he fantasied about stabbing people, according to one witness who testified behind closed doors. Wall, a 30-year-old freelance journalist, set out on the submarine on Aug. 10 to interview Madsen, the co-founder of a company that develops and builds spacecraft. Her remains were found in plastic bags on the Baltic Sea bed weeks later. Her torso had been stabbed multiple times. The cause of Wall's death has not been established. The 12-day trial started March 8, and a verdict is expected Wednesday. A new detective drama which left fans with a serious sense of deja vu has been accused of stealing a nine-year-old TV murder plot. Instinct is at the centre of a plagiarism row after CBS aired its third episode featuring British-born actor Alan Cumming as ex-CIA agent Dylan Reinhart. Episode three, Secrets and Lies, bore suspicious similarity to an October 2009 episode of the show Bones, according to fans. The Instinct plot has been dissected on social media as crime drama buffs say writers literally stole the storyline. British actor Alan Cumming is cast as the first gay lead character in a US TV network drama. The show has hit turbulence after being accused of copying an episode Alan Cumming plays ex-CIA agent Dylan Reinhart, working with Bojana Novakovic's character, Detective Elizabeth Needham in CBS show Instinct Fans pointed out a scene which they say is a carbon copy from Bones, The Plain in the Prodigy (Season 5, Episode 3). Dylan Reinhart, played by Cumming, finds lolly sticks under a missing teenager's bed, which resemble the layout of a piano. Detectives guess the boy is a budding musician. The same thing happened in Bones, but stones were used to map out the instrument's shape instead. The similarities do not end there. The murdered boy in Bones, which was broadcast on Sky Living in the UK was Amish. In Instinct, the murder victim is also an Amish teenager living in New York City. In both shows the detectives are led to the boy's music teacher where the investigation begins to take shape. David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel star in Bones with Randy Oglesby (left) as their characters investigate the death of an Amish boy Furious fans accused the show of 'in your face' plagiarism, while some even made comparison videos. Eagle-eyed fans also claimed both shows featured Amish mothers who wanted to keep pictures of their sons, despite the culture prohibiting it. Instinct's creator and executive producer admitted he now sees the similarities, but put them down to creepy coincidence. Michael Rauch replied to fans on Twitter and apologised to Bones producers. Bones, 2009: David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel investigate the killing of an Amish boy, finding stones under his bed which make a piano shape Instinct, 2018: Alan Cumming, 53, stars alongside Serbian-Australian Bojana Novakovic, 36, in the CBS show as they find similar clues to the Bones detectives Bones, 2009: The Plain in the Prodigy (Season 5, Episode 3). David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel try to find out what happened to a murdered piano prodigy Instinct, 2018: New CBS show accused of copycat episode as angered fans take to Twitter to list similarities with detective drama Bones He said: 'Yeah, heard about this. Very distressing and 100% unintentional. Looking into it and how to make sure it doesn't happen again. And of course apologies to Bones (and their fans). Thanks for the heads up. @HartHanson Cumming's character is an author and professor who is coaxed out of his quiet civilian life to be help Bojana Novakovic's character, Detective Elizabeth Needham, solve the crime. The 53-year-old actor is starring as the first homosexual lead in a US TV series. 'To be the first ever network drama [with a gay lead] on US television, it's an incredible thing and a terrible thing at the same time,' the actor said this year. 'Socially and politically, especially at a time in America where gay people are being persecuted and our rights are being removed and the president is condoning the persecution against gay people by his silence, it was all the more important to have a character with a healthy same-sex marriage on TV.' Instinct, has been bought by Sky Living in the UK. CBS has been asked to comment. Two Second World War tank veterans who fought each other in the same battle in World War Two are now best friends and admit: 'It's a damn good job we missed each other that day'. German soldier Karl 'Charley' Koenig, 94, decided to track down members of the British squadron that he fought against in the Battle of Mareth in Tunisia in March 1943. And now, he and British 'Desert Rat' Graham Stevenson, 93, are the only remaining members of their respective squadrons - but are the best of friends. They hope their story of peace, mutual respect and honour will inspire future generations. German soldier Karl 'Charley' Koenig, 94, (right) and British 'Desert Rat' Graham Stevenson, 93, (left) fought each other in battle but are now the best of friends (pictured together in Normady last year) Karl (left) and Graham fought against one another in the Battle of Mareth in Tunisia in March 1943. Graham Stevenson enlisted at just 16 and became part of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry Tank Regiment. But it wasn't until decades later when he would meet and befriend Karl Friedrich 'Charley' Koenig - a German soldier. At 18-years-old Karl had been a part of the German 5th Panzer Division, but was soon captured and became a prisoner of war whereupon he became a makeshift translator. He originally sought out the Sherman Rangers in 1991 and after meeting them they soon realised that they shared a deep bond. Graham said: 'Karl is now one of my closest friends. We joke now that it's a damn good job we missed each other that day. 'When we first met, we just clicked. We figured out that in the battle, he was on the left flank and I was on the right flank, so there was a very good chance we would have come across each other that day.' With Karl in Hamburg, Germany and Graham in Walsall, England, the two see each other yearly at Normandy for military ceremonies. Now, a fundraiser has been set up to reunite the friends and to record their story to share with future generations. Graham added: 'Karl was a POW and eventually he finished up in a POW camp in England - he actually got in with a couple that had a son the same age who was away at sea and they took a shine to Karl. 'Years later somehow he wanted to get in touch in my regiment as we were fighting against each other in the western desert. 'People are people and it's the circumstances that cause you to go to war to shoot one another - it just shows how damn ridiculous war is. 'Germany's record in the 20th century was diabolical, but it was the country and not the people. 'People aren't natural enemies; you're only shooting at one another because your country has ordered it. 'I can only say that I think my feelings wouldn't be any different from the rest of the regiments.' Karl, 94, said: 'I was thinking of what was practised in Africa - they used to call it a gentleman's war - and it was up to a point. 'It was a mutual understanding of respect and I wanted to meet the other people as human beings - they were honourable soldiers and I wanted to find them. 'I telephoned a lot of people and I eventually managed to find them - there was a feeling of camaraderie between us. 'It was unusual for a German soldier to seek out English soldiers and to become friends. 'But they became my closest friends in my life and it is hard to believe that we had to shoot at each other.' Karl was made an honorary member of the Sherman Rangers and was given a beret and cap badge by his new companions. Karl and Graham first met at the Regimental Headquarters in Nottingham when they were looking at an artist's interpretation of the battle of Tebaga Gap. The World War Two History project is run by Heather Steele and she hopes to bring the two men back together again to record their story for future generations. Graham and Karl enjoy a drink together and are the only men left from their regiments in 1942 Heather said: 'The Sherman Rangers gave Charley acceptance and respect - they recognised him as an honourable opponent in Africa. 'There was a mutual respect in friendship that's and often it seems in the world right now, everything we do is so divisive and people don't understand how to reach out to those on the other side. 'It's important for their story of their friendship go on after their deaths, - use it is school. 'Graham is very modest and fought in El Alamein at just 17 and trained in swimming tanks. 'This is a way to honour him and his service and for me it's one of the most important things - to remember the sacrifice that was made in World War Two and to all those who lost friends.' You can find out more about the project and donate HERE Avicii has stormed the Spotify charts as fans remember his greatest hits after his sudden death aged 28. The electronic musician passed away in Muscat, Oman, on April 20 while on holiday, sparking an outpouring of grief among his admirers and fellow artists. Now the world-famous Swedish DJ, whose real name is Tim Bergling, has dominated the Spotify charts, with an incredible 10 tracks in the top 50 global chart. Avicii aka Tim Bergling in concert in Union Square Park, San Francisco. He has had 10 tracks in the top 50 global chart on Spotify since his death The electronic musician's tracks have been dominating the music streaming site's charts. Hits including Wake Me Up, Hey Brother and Levels have all been popular among listeners Hundreds of Avicii's fans gathered in Stockholm to pay remember his musical legacy He nabbed double that number in Sweden's top 50 list, boasting an astonishing nine songs in the top 10 positions. And five of the top ten songs on the UK Top 50 chart today are Avicii hits. Meanwhile, hundreds of his fans gathered in Stockholm to remember his musical legacy. Avicii was no stranger to Spotify success, with his hit Wake Me Up being the most played track of 2014. In 2017, an average of 17.7 million users tuned into his tracks on the site every month. The talented musician was reportedly close to finishing an album when he died. Avicii was a pioneer of the contemporary Electronic Dance Movement and a rare DJ capable of worldwide arena tour. He was part of the wave of DJ-producers, like David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia, who became lead performers in their own right. The Swede earned $250,000 a night when playing out sold-out shows, according to GQ, and was once named as one of Forbes' highest paid DJs. Avicii holding a drink in Muscat, Oman, just one day before he passed away. Authorities have said his death is not being treated as suspicious He won two MTV Music Awards, one Billboard Music Award and earned two Grammy nominations. Known for Wake Me Up! The Days, You Make Me, and the recent Lonely Together with Rita Ora, Avicii's biggest hit was Levels. His death came just days after he was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for top dance/electronic album for his EP Avicii (01), which he released last August. Fans around the world noticed the heartbreaking final tweet from the legendary DJ, who wrote a few days ago: 'Thanks for the nomination! @billboard #BBMAS' Avicii struggled with addiction in the past and was hospitalised twice for alcohol-related issues. He suffered from acute pancreatitis and had to have his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014. Thank you Avicii. Your music will live on forever. https://t.co/bNY3d4Xyeg pic.twitter.com/XtOHTlt9S0 Spotify (@Spotify) 20 April 2018 The DJ quit touring in 2016 in order to focus on his health and recovery. In November 2017, footage was released of the musician hospital-ridden in Australia while struggling with his health during his worldwide arena tour. Authorities in Oman have said his death is not being treated as suspicious. Police have said his body will be flown to his native Sweden this week. Aviciis brother, David Bergling, had reportedly traveled to Muscat to find out more about his siblings death. The musician was seen just days ago while posing with fans at the luxury Muscat Hills Resort - which are thought to be some of the last photos of him alive. Fellow producer Calvin Harris was one of the first to tweet after his death, writing: 'Devastating news about Avicii. 'A beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim.' This dramatic prankster boyfriend faked his own death in an elaborate 'promposal' stunt, that left his girlfriend temporarily traumatised before announcing he had 'been dying to ask her to prom'. Kiah Keys, 15, is somewhat renown for being 'overly dramatic', according to her family. But her hysteria was certainly justified on April 16, when she received a message that her boyfriend had been involved in an accident. Arriving at a car park in Blue Springs, Missouri, USA, Kiah's boyfriend, Richard Fisher, is pictured lying on the floor with blood coming out of his mouth. In a seemingly unresponsive state, she clutches the head of her boyfriend of six-months, hysterically crying and calling out his name. After a few minutes, the 18-year-old mutters 'I've been dying to ask you to prom', causing Kiah to scream 'you're so annoying', in anguish, before accepting his invitation through a flurry of tears. Her aunt, Kiki Claphan was on hand to film her niece's reaction. Ms Claphan said: 'She first told him in January she wanted a promposal that was so romantic it would make her cry. 'He was going to be romantic at first, but the more she nagged he changed his mind. 'Kiah received a call and was told there had been a bang and he was bleeding on the ground - she thought he had been hit by a car. Arriving at a car park in Blue Springs, Missouri, USA, Kiah's boyfriend, Richard Fisher, is pictured lying on the floor with blood coming out of his mouth In a seemingly unresponsive state, she clutches the head of her boyfriend of six-months, hysterically crying and calling out his name After a few minutes, the 18-year-old mutters 'I've been dying to ask you to prom', causing Kiah to scream 'you're so annoying' 'I felt so bad for her when she started crying, but we know she's very strong and would see the funny side - Richard is always messing around. 'A few minutes after the prank was revealed she was laughing and smiling again. 'She was more relieved he was not hurt - they are a wonderful couple. 'The prom is on April 28 and they're both very excited.' Dying to go to prom! Kiah is still teary but relieved as she discovers it was all an elaborate prank Roses will make it better! Sobbing with flowers Kiah tells her boyfriend yes to the promposal It was worth it in the end! The young couple smile, dressed up, as Kiah says yes to the prom Malaysian police have released photo-fit images of two men who are wanted in connection with the assassination a Palestinian scientist on Saturday. Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh, 35, was struck down in a hail of bullets by motorbike-riding attackers as he walked through Kuala Lumpur to a mosque for dawn prayers. The family of Batsh, a member of Islamist militant group Hamas who was said to be a rocket-making expert, has accused Israel's Mossad spy agency of carrying out the killing, though Israel denied the claims. Malaysian police have released photo-fit images of two men they say are responsible for killing Palestinian rocket scientist Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday Officers revealed the photos alongside an image of the bike the men are suspected of riding when Batsh was killed as he walked to a Mosque for prayers Kuala Lumpur police released photofits of the two suspects, who were seen waiting in the area where Batsh lived before the killing. The pictures show two light-skinned bearded men, one of whom was wearing glasses and a white and black helmet. National police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the suspects wore dark-coloured jackets, were carrying bags and riding a 'high-powered motorcycle'. Fourteen bullets were fired at Batsh during the attack and he suffered 'multiple injuries, including on the head and body', the police chief told reporters. The bullets had been sent for analysis, he added. Batsh was a member of Islamist militant group Hamas who was said to be a rocket-making expert Police also released images of two motorcycles, a BMW and a Kawasaki, one of which was believed to have been ridden by the suspects. Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said at the weekend the suspects were thought to be European and to have ties with a foreign intelligence agency. Mohamad Fuzi said the police were conducting a 'comprehensive' investigation and a hunt had been launched for the pair. 'We can't be sure if the two suspects are still in the country,' he said, urging anyone who might have information to come forward. - Second high-profile assassination - The scientist's widow, Enas al-Batsh, spent two hours at the hospital holding his body Monday. Batsh had three young children and had lived in Malaysia for 10 years. Abdul Rahim Shehab, a friend of the scientist's, said the Palestinian representative in Malaysia was making arrangements for his body to be sent back home for burial. 'Fadi's parents want his body to be buried in Gaza,' he said. Mossad is believed to have assassinated Palestinian militants and scientists in the past, but rarely confirms such operations. In total 14 bullets were fired during the attack, hitting Batsh in the head and body, police said (pictured, bullet holes in a wall near where Batsh died) Enas al-Batsh, Fadi's widow, leaves the forensics wing of the Selayang Hospital in Kuala Lumpur on Monday Batsh's expertise in making weapons could have made him a target - militants in Hamas-ruled Gaza regularly fire rockets at southern Israel, usually without causing casualties. But Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman Sunday denied claims of the Jewish state's involvement, suggesting instead that it was a 'settling of accounts' between factions of a terror group. Tensions between Israel and Gaza are high, with 38 Palestinians killed in four weeks of clashes along the border. It was the second high-profile killing of a foreigner in Malaysia in just over a year. In February 2017 assassins smeared the banned VX nerve agent on the face of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, killing him within minutes. Advertisement The hate-inspired lynchings that killed thousands of people and terrorized generations of blacks in the United States are solemnly commemorated in a new memorial in Alabama's capital. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which opens on Thursday, is a project of the non-profit Equal Justice Initiative, a legal advocacy group in Montgomery. Among the thousands of names that are listed on the new memorial is Elmore Bolling - whose daughter Josephine Bolling McCall is anxious to see the monument, located about 20 miles from where her father was killed in rural Lowndes County. Bolling had defied the odds against black men and built several successful businesses during the harsh era of Jim Crow segregation in the South. He had more money than a lot of whites, which his descendants believe was all it took to get him lynched in 1947. He was shot to death by a white neighbor and strung up, according to news accounts at the time, and the shooter was never prosecuted. The EJI's executive director Bryan Stevenson says people in the South don't talk about slavery and don't have monuments that confront the legacy of lynching. He added that without confronting the difficulties of segregation, 'we are still burdened by that history.' 'In the American South, we don't talk about slavery,' he said. The organization says the combined museum and memorial will be the nation's first site to document racial inequality in America from slavery through Jim Crow to the issues of today. National Memorial for Peace and Justice, in Montgomery, Alabama, will honor the thousands of people killed in lynchings across the United States The monument is a memorial to all lynching victims with room for names to be added as additional victims are identified A statue of chained people is on display at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, the new memorial in Alabama's capital which opens on Thuesday Not all lynchings were by hanging. The EJI says it scoured old newspapers, archives and court documents to find the stories of victims who were gunned down, drowned, beaten and burned alive A person is seen stranding among the columns suspended from the air at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice 'We don't have monuments and memorials that confront the legacy of lynching. We haven't really confronted the difficulties of segregation. And because of that, I think we are still burdened by that history.' The site includes a memorial to the victims of 4,400 'terror lynchings' of black people in 800 U.S. counties from 1877 through 1950. All but about 300 were in the South, and prosecutions were rare in any of the cases. Stevenson said they emphasized the lynching era because he believes it's an aspect of the nation's racial history that's discussed the least. 'Most people in this country can't name a single African-American who was lynched between 1877 and 1950 even though thousands of African Americans were subjected to this violence,' Stevenson said. ELMORE BOLLING: LYNCHED FOR HIS SUCCESS Elmore Bolling defied the odds against black men and built several successful businesses during the harsh era of Jim Crow segregation in the South. He had more money than a lot of whites, which his descendants believe was all it took to get him lynched in 1947. He was shot to death by a white neighbor, according to news accounts at the time, and the shooter was never prosecuted. But Bolling's name is now listed among thousands on a new memorial for victims of hate-inspired lynchings that terrorized generations of U.S. blacks. Daughter Josephine Bolling McCall is anxious to see the monument, located about 20 miles from where her father was killed in rural Lowndes County. Josephine Bolling McCall poses with a photo of her father, lynching victim Elmore Bolling, at her home in Montgomery, Alabama McCall, 75, said her father's killing still hangs over her family. The memorial could help heal individual families and the nation by acknowledging the painful legacy of racial murders, she said. 'It's important that the people to whom the injustices have been given are actually being recognized and at least some measure some measure of relief is sought through discussion,' said McCall. McCall plans to view the memorial with her five living siblings. She says they suffered more than she did, since she was only 5 when their father was slain. A newspaper account from the time said the 39-year-old Bolling, who owned a store and trucking company and farmed, was shot seven times on a road near his store by a white man, Clarke Luckie, who claimed Bolling had insulted his wife during a phone call. McCall, who researched the slaying extensively for a book about her father, said it's more likely that Luckie, a stockyard employee, resented her father, who had thousands of dollars in the bank, three tractor-trailer rigs and employed about 40 people. 'He was jealous and he filled him with bullets,' she said. Luckie was arrested, but a grand jury issued no indictment and no one was ever prosecuted. McCall believes the white people who controlled the county at the time purposely covered for the killer, who died decades ago. Advertisement The organization says the combined museum and memorial will be the nation's first site to document racial inequality in America from slavery through Jim Crow to the issues of today A powerful quote by Mary Angelou is etched on the outside of the Justice and the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama Other names honored at the memorial include David Walker, who along with his wife and their four children, was lynched in Hickman, Kentucky, in 1908, after he was accused of using inappropriate language with a white woman. William Donegan was lynched in Springfield, Illinois, in 1908 for having a white wife, according to his epitaph at the memorial. The 84-year-old was hung from a tree across the street, where his assailants cut his throat and stabbed him. WILLIAM DONEGAN: BEATEN, STABBED AND STRUNG UP TO A TREE FOR HAVING A WHITE WIFE William Donegan was lynched in Springfield, Illinois, in 1908 for having a white wife. Violence erupted in the town on August 14 when a mob of white men planning to kidnap and lynch two men accused of raping a white woman learned that the men had been moved from the local jail to another city. So the mob descended on Springfields black neighbourhoods, vandalizing homes and businesses and making off with almost $150,000 of goods. The riot, which left an estimated seven dead, led to hundreds of black people seeking protection from the National Guard at nearby Camp Lincoln while others fled the city. The violence came to a climax early the following morning when two men who had nothing to do with the alleged crime were publicly lynched. Scott Burton tried to defend himself against the attackers and was shot four times, dragged through the streets, then hung and mutilated until the National Guard intervened, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. Donegan, an 84-year-old black man, was taken from his home and hung from a tree across the street, where his assailants cut his throat and stabbed him. He was still alive when militia arrived at the scene but died the next morning. A report in the Los Angeles Herald, from August 16 that year, said Donegan was a cobbler whose shop was set on fire during the riot. When he emerged from the burning shop, he was met with a 'shower of bricks' and his throat was slashed. A rope was run through the wound and he was strung up to a tree. Police arrested 150 white people suspected of participating in the violence and 117 were indicted. Three people were indicted for murder; one committed suicide and two were acquitted. In September, Nellie Hallam, the alleged rape victim whose accusations set off the wave of violence, signed an affidavit stating that neither of the black men initially accused had attacked her. She said her attacker was a white man, but she refused to identify him. Advertisement An epitaph in honor of David Walker and his family, who were lynched in Kentucky in 1908, is on display at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice THE LYNCHING OF THE ENTIRE WALKER FAMILY David Walker, his wife and five children were killed on October 3rd after a white woman complained that he swore at her, something that he always denied and was never proved. The same evening, a lynch mob arrived at Walker's Kentucky home and ordered him out and when he refused set fire to his family home. Hoping he could stop them and make them see sense, Walker exited the front door and was promptly killed a hail of bullets. Pleading with the lynch mob for her children's life, Walker's wife walked out onto the porch holding their infant baby. The mob gunned her down too. The Walker's three youngest children were too scared to remain inside the house and ran out to see the bloodied boides of their parents. Again, the hate-filled lynch mob shot them dead. The eldest of the Walker children was too scared to leave the house and was burned alive inside. The reaction to the lynch mob known as the Night Riders was fierce, with the governor of Kentucky, Augustus E. Willson strongly denouncing the actions of the mob. However, no one was ever prosecuted for the crime. Advertisement Epitaphs for William Donegan, Horace Duncan and Fred Coker are seen on display at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice HORACE DUNCAN AND FRED COKER: DRAGGED FROM THEIR CELLS AND HUNG, BURNED AND SHOT Horace Duncan and Fred Coker are two other innocent African-American men who are among those remembered at the memorial. The pair had been accused of sexual assault in April 1906 in Springfield, Missouri, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. Racist sentiments were agitated by local publications who blamed rising crime on black residents. And although both men had alibis that were backed up by their employers, a mob refused to wait for a trial. Instead, they gained entry into the mens jail cells using sledgehammers and telephones - and hung them from a light tower in the town square just before midnight. A crowd of 5,000 white people participated as Duncan and Cokers bodies were burned and shot. Newspapers later reported that both men were innocent. Advertisement Two other innocent African-American men, Horace Duncan and Fred Coker, are among those remembered. The pair had been accused of sexual assault in April 1906 in Springfield, Missouri, and although both men had alibis, a mob refused to wait for a trial. Instead, they gained entry into the men's jail cells and hung them from a light tower in the town square. A crowd of 5,000 white people participated as Duncan and Coker's bodies were burned and shot. Newspapers later reported they were innocent. Combined, the memorial and an accompanying museum a few miles away at the EJI headquarters tell a story spanning slavery, racial segregation, violence and today's era of swollen prison populations With nearly seven million people behind bars or on parole or probation nationwide - a disproportionate number of them minorities - the NAACP says blacks are incarcerated at a rate five times that of whites E.M. Beck, who studied lynching for 30 years and has written books on the subject, said the memorial might actually understate the scope of lynching even though it lists thousands of victims The memorial's design evokes the image of a racist hanging, featuring scores of dark metal columns suspended in the air from above The EJI said a common theme ran through the slayings, which it differentiates from extrajudicial killings in places that simply lacked courts: A desire to impose fear on minorities and maintain strict white control. Some lynchings drew huge crowds and were even photographed, yet authorities routinely ruled they were committed by 'persons unknown.' Combined, the memorial and an accompanying museum a few miles away at the EJI headquarters tell a story spanning slavery, racial segregation, violence and today's era of swollen prison populations. With nearly seven million people behind bars or on parole or probation nationwide - a disproportionate number of them minorities - the NAACP says blacks are incarcerated at a rate five times that of whites. E.M. Beck, who studied lynching for 30 years and has written books on the subject, said the memorial might actually understate the scope of lynching even though it lists thousands of victims. The rectangular structures, some of which lie flat on the ground and resemble graves, include the names of counties where lynchings occurred, plus dates and the names of the victims The goal is for individual counties to claim the columns on the ground and erect their own memorials Some lynchings drew huge crowds and were even photographed, yet authorities routinely ruled they were committed by 'persons unknown,' the EJI says 'I think it's an underestimate because the number and amount of violence in early Reconstruction in the 1870s will probably never be known,' said Beck, sociology professor emeritus at the University of Georgia. 'There was just an incredible amount of violence taking place during that period of time.' The memorial's design evokes the image of a racist hanging, featuring scores of dark metal columns suspended in the air from above. The rectangular structures, some of which lie flat on the ground and resemble graves, include the names of counties where lynchings occurred, plus dates and the names of the victims. The goal is for individual counties to claim the columns on the ground and erect their own memorials. Not all lynchings were by hanging. 'Thousands of African Americans are unknown victims of racial terror lynchings whose deaths cannot be documented, many whose names will never be known. They are all honored here,' reads a message at the memorial A quote by Martin Luther Kind Jr. is on display on the inside walkway of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice The memorial's opening on April 26 will be marked by a two-day summit focusing on racial and social justice The EJI says it scoured old newspapers, archives and court documents to find the stories of victims who were gunned down, drowned, beaten and burned alive. The monument is a memorial to all of them, with room for names to be added as additional victims are identified. Its opening on April 26 will be marked by a two-day summit focusing on racial and social justice, to be followed by a concert featuring top acts including Common, Usher, the Dave Matthews Band and The Roots on April 27. One of Alabama's oldest black congregations, Old Ship A.M.E. Zion Church, sits across the street from the memorial. Its pastor plans to offer prayer and conversation to help visitors who are shaken by the experience of visiting the site. Church members have mixed feelings about the memorial, she said. They want to acknowledge and honor the past, McFadden said, but some are wondering how they'll personally react to visiting the memorial the first time. 'It's something that needs to be talked about, that people need to explore. But it's also something that has the potential to shake people to the core,' said Rev. Kathy Thomas McFadden. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, to honor thousands of people killed in racist lynchings, will open on Thursday A far-right group shouting 'burn them alive' has launched a violent attack on migrants on the Greek island of Lesbos. Violence erupted late last night after members of the radical Patriotic Movement gathered on the central square of the island's main city Mytilene. About a dozen people were injured as they attacked Afghan asylum-seekers who had been staging a sit-in protest against their squalid living conditions. Despite a police presence, the situation soon escalated as the thugs threw bottles, lit flares, torched bins and shouted 'burn them alive' and 'throw them in the sea'. Inferno: A far-right group shouting 'burn them alive' launched a violent attack on migrants on the Greek island of Lesbos. This was the scene after objects were torched during the unrest Riot police were called in as violence erupted on the holiday island last night. More than 13,000 migrants are still languishing in camps on five Greek islands until their asylum claims can be processed Violence erupted late last night after members of the radical Patriotic Movement gathered on the central square of the island's main city Mytilene About a dozen people were injured as they attacked Afghan asylum-seekers who had been staging a sit-in protest against their squalid living conditions Tensions spiralled further when left-wing activists arrived to defend the migrants and started fighting with the far-right supporters. The clashes raged all night until security forces used tear gas to disperse the crowd and evacuate the square, forcing the Afghans to return to their overcrowded camps. A dozen asylum-seekers were lightly hurt and had to be taken to hospital, police said. The mayor of Lesbos, Spyros Galinos, accused police of intervening too late, in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and opposition leaders. Galinos also criticised the government's 'inertia and wrong handling' of the migrant crisis, which has 'stranded thousands of people in miserable conditions in a city of 27,000'. Despite a police presence, the situation soon escalated as members of the group threw bottles and lit flares, shouting slogans like 'burn them alive' and 'throw them in the sea' Tensions spiralled further when leftwing activists arrived to defend the migrants and started fighting with the far-right supporters The clashes raged all night until security forces used tear gas to disperse the crowd and evacuate the square, forcing the Afghans to return to their overcrowded camps A dozen asylum-seekers were lightly hurt and had to be taken to hospital, police said The mayor of Lesbos, Spyros Galinos, accused police of intervening too late, in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and opposition leaders. Refugees are pictured demonstrating on the island last night Local media reported that by 1am, skirmishes had spread to the waterfront and the Town Hall with attackers setting fire to rubbish bins The prime minister is due to visit Lesbos, currently home to some 6,500 migrants - far exceeding the 3,000 spots available in the camps. More than one million people, mainly fleeing war in Syria, crossed to Greece from Turkey in 2015 after the onset of the bloc's worst migration crisis since World War II. The influx has been sharply cut since the European Union signed a controversial deal with Turkey in 2016 to send back migrants. However, more than 13,000 migrants are still languishing in camps on five Greek islands until their asylum claims can be processed. This has fuelled despair and sparked protests and outbreaks of violence. Greece, a country of 11 million people, recorded 58,661 asylum applications last year, making it the member state with the highest number of asylum seekers per capita, according to official data. A refugee is treated after inhaling tear gas as migrants came under attack from a far-right mob on Lesbos Police are being assisted in their hunt for Travis Reinking (pictured) by the FBI, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and troopers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol Schools in the Nashville area will be put in lockout if the hunt for a gunman who killed four people in Waffle House is still underway in the morning. Students will attend as normal and be free to move throughout buildings, but no visitors will be admitted. Travis Reinking, 29, shot dead four people and injured several more at the Waffle House in Antioch early Sunday morning. Reinking was completely naked except for a green jacket, which he shed before fleeing. Officers have hailed the bravery and quick thinking of customer James Shaw Jr., who wrestled the gun away from the shooter and saved dozens of lives. More than 80 Nashville police officers continued to search for Reinking early Monday as disturbing reports about the wanted man's past behavior came to light. Agents with the FBI, the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and troopers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol were also assisting in the manhunt. Tazewell County Sheriff's deputies talk with an unidentified man at the driveway of a home, outside of Morton, Illinios, where the extended family of Travis Reinking lives Police tape outside the Reinking's Nashville apartment building as the hunt for the fugitive gunman continues Police officers standing by the Waffle House where Reinking shot dead four people early Sunday Schools within the Antioch and Cane Ridge search area have been checked and cleared by Metro police and Metro Nashville School Security, according to the district. More schools could be added to the lockout depending on how the search progresses. Security around area bus stops will also be increased, according to The Tennessean. Restaurant worker Taurean C. Sanderlin, 29, and 20-year-old customer Joe R. Perez were among the four shot dead by a gunman at a Nashville Waffle House on Sunday Deebony Groves, 21, and Akilah Dasilva, 23, were also killed when the gunman stormed in and opened fire with an assault rifle A handout photo made available by the Metro Nashville Police Department shows the AR-15 style rife used by gunman Travis Reinking to kill four people during a shooting at a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville Reinking added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's Top 10 Most Wanted list on Sunday afternoon. Authorities seized weapons from Reinking following an incident at the White House in July last year when he was arrested by the Secret Service for crossing an exterior security barrier and charged with unlawful entry. Reinking told Secret Service officers at the time that he had been trying to set up a meeting with President Donald Trump. Following the incident, the FBI had Reinking's Illinois gun license revoked and four of his weapons, including the AR-15 used in the Waffle House shooting, were removed from his possession. The guns, which also included a handgun and hunting rifle, were given to Reinking's father - who has since admitted he returned the weapons to his son. Prior to the White House incident, police reports had previously described Reinking as 'delusional' and talked about his 'mental health issues'. In May 2016, deputies from Tazewell County, Illinois, were called to a CVS parking lot where Reinking told officers that Taylor Swift was stalking him and hacking his phone, and that his family was also involved, according to a report released Sunday. In addition to the four people killed, seven others were injured. James Shaw, a 29-year-old wireless technician for AT&T, has been hailed for wrestling the gun away from Reinking and preventing more loss of life Authorities identified those killed in the shooting as 29-year-old restaurant worker Taurean C. Sanderlin of Goodlettsville, 20-year-old restaurant patron Joe R. Perez of Nashville, 23-year-old Akilah Dasilva of Nashville and Deebony Groves, a 21-year-old woman from Gallatin, Tennessee. Sanderlin and Perez were killed outside the restaurant and Dasilva was critically wounded inside and later died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Groves was shot dead inside the restaurant. Dasilva was a rap artist and music video producer who had such skills behind the camera that he was a favorite among many of Music City's independent musicians and recording labels, The Tennessean reported. 'Music is my life and I will never stop until I achieve my dreams,' Dasilva said on his Twitter account. Dasilva's mother told CBS News that her son was a student at Middle Tennessee State University and aspired to be a music engineer. He was at the restaurant with his girlfriend, 21-year-old Tia Waggoner, the paper reported. Also wounded was Shaw Jr, who was grazed by a bullet on his elbow and suffered severe burns on his hands after he grabbed the hot barrel of Reinking's gun. Shaw, a Nashville native who works as a wireless technician for AT&T, said he was no hero - despite being hailed as one by Nashville Mayor David Briley. The 29-year-old, who had a four-year-old daughter, said he pounced on the suspect after making up his mind that 'he was going to have to work to kill me.' 'I did that completely out of a selfish act. I was completely doing it just to save myself,' Shaw told reporters on Sunday. 'I don't want people to think that I was the Terminator or Superman or anybody like that I figured if I was going to die, he was going to have to work for it.' Metro Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said Shaw 'decided to rush the gunman, actually wrestled that assault rifle away, tossed it over the counter. At that point, the gunman then fled'. Chuck Cordero, who saw everything unfold from the restaurant's parking lot as he ran away, recalled the moment he saw Shaw's courageous act. 'I looked back and there was a gentleman wrestling with the gunman,' he told the Tennessean. 'He was a hero - had that guy had a chance to reload his weapon, there was plenty more people in that restaurant.' Frederic Fagnoul, 50, has been jailed for more than 17 years for his part in the drugs racket A drug kingpin who transported millions of pounds worth of cocaine into the UK via luxury hotels has been jailed for more than 17 years. Frederic Fagnoul, 50, modified a helicopter with a secret compartment to stash large quantities of the narcotic which was then flown into the UK from the continent. Fagnoul and his accomplice John Bolter were behind the four-month long 'sophisticated conspiracy' which saw some 7 million worth of cocaine flown in to the helipads of hotels. When buttons were pressed on the helicopter's fobs, trap doors beneath the four seats would open via a spring lock mechanism to reveal cavities underneath, which were welded in place to create hides. The narcotics were then transported from the helipads to dealers in London, Liverpool and Birmingham. Bolter, 36, transported kilos in a Nissan Qashqai with a secret compartment, Southwark Crown Court heard. This surveillance picture shows Fagnoul in the act, carrying a bag laden with drugs from the helicopter to the hotel Fagnoul modified this helicopter with a secret compartment to stash large quantities of the narcotic which was then flown into the UK from the continent The narcotics (pictured) were transported from the helipads to dealers in London, Liverpool and Birmingham Belgian helicopter pilot Marc Charlier, 53, was cleared of involvement by a jury after insisting he had no knowledge of the illicit cargo beneath him. Andrew Gray, 52, Steven Mulroe, 40, and Graham Johnson, 59, were also cleared of conspiracy to supply cocaine by a jury. John Bolter, 36, transported cocaine in a Nissan Qashqai with a secret compartment Prosecutor James Brown told the court how Charlier first flew Fagnoul, who was posing as a wealthy businessman, from Flanders International Airport in Belgium to Lydd Airport in Kent, last June. They flew to the Eastwell Manor Hotel via Ashford and stayed overnight at the Acorn Cottage before returning to Flanders the next day. Charlier then took out a long-term lease on another helicopter for trips to the UK in July, August and September, the court heard. In early September, the helicopter landed at the helipad at the Eastwell Manor Hotel. Bolter was later stopped by police as he transported drugs in the Nissan. Mr Brown said: He told police he was driving the car for a friend who was in hospital after having had a heart attack. The police searched the car and were able to prise open the trapdoor in the boot enough to wrench out a block of cocaine. Bolter was arrested and told officers he had been paid to drive the car from A to B, but was unaware of the cars contents. At Bromley Police Station, the Nissans boot compartment was breached with a crow bar and officers found 20 identical packages. Each contained 1kg of cocaine of extremely high purity, in the range of 78%-99%. The Nissan's boot floor panel had been hand-fabricated from sheet metal, with a hinge attached, housing a void underneath. When a button on the vehicles fobs were pressed motor actuator pins would open, unlocking thecompartment While police were initially unsuccessful in opening this compartment in the Nissan and finding the drugs, they later prised it open and found thousands of pounds worth of cocaine The Nissans boot compartment was breached with a crow bar and officers found 20 identical packages. Each contained 1kg of cocaine of extremely high purity, in the range of 78%-99% Charlier and Fagnoul, meanwhile, were staying at the Chilston Park Hotel in Maidstone. After leaving the hotel with a holdall, Johnson was then stopped by police at Maidstone Services on the M20 and asked what was in vehicle replied, I dont know. Police uncovered 40 packages, each containing a kilo of high-purity cocaine. Charlier was apprehended as he was asking the concierge for a taxi to Ashford while Fagnoul enjoyed a beer at the bar. Dean Francis was arrested in October 2017 after he was observed meeting Fagnoul at a hotel in Kent Fagnoul was caught with a key fob to the helicopter, encrypted phones and plastic gloves in his luxury suite. Fagnoul told the judge that he was forced into the cocaine importation by a debt of 300,000 euros he owed to thugs. In 2016, Belgian judges handed Fagnoul a three year suspended sentence for embezzlement after he was dismissed as a financial director. Fagnoul told the judge he had received death threats from former investors in his life insurance fund and still owed around 1.5m Euros. The divorced father-of-one said: If I had to bring 500 kilograms of cocaine to protect my family - I would do it. Fagnoul, of no fixed address, admitted conspiracy to import cocaine and was jailed for 17 and a half years. Bolter, of no fixed address, admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and was jailed for seven and a half years. Dean Francis was arrested on 4 October 2017 after he was observed meeting Fagnoul at a hotel in Kent and collecting drugs on 5 September. The 37-year-old from Lewisham in south London, was charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs and pleaded guilty in March. He will be sentenced on 26 April. Charlier, Gray and Johnson, all of no fixed address, along with Mulroe, from Dulwich, all denied and were cleared of conspiracy to import cocaine. A former federal security and police officer is suing Queensland Police for $750,000 claiming he was put in a deadly chokehold in a wrongful arrest. Paul Gibbons alleges officers were excessively violent, abused him and threatened him on his honeymoon at a hotel in the Gold Coast. He claimed he was confronted by police because they were allegedly annoyed at him taking 10 seconds to open the locked door to the hotel lobby. Paul Gibbons is suing Queensland Police for $750,000 claiming he was put in a deadly chokehold during wrongful arrest One reportedly told him they could shoot him and receive a medal according to papers lodged to Brisbane District Court show, the ABC reports. Mr Gibbons, who previously served in the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), has taken the State of Queensland to court. He is claiming damages for assault, battery, wrongful arrest and false imprisonment. Footage from a security camera inside the hotel lobby shows the moment he is wrestled to the ground after police surrounded him when he started filming them on his phone, Mr Gibbons alleges. The ABC reports Mr Gibbons claims the officers threatened to arrest him for obstructing police, who were at the hotel for another matter. He alleges officers were excessively aggressive, abused him and threatened him on his honeymoon at a hotel in the Gold Coast The former ASIO agent, who also served in the Australian Federal Police, says when he questioned why they required entry, a police officer pointed to his gun saying the weapon was his authority. The court heard the officer allegedly said: 'When we tell you to do something, you don't ask questions. You f***ing do it. 'Hell, we can put a bullet in your f***in' head and get a medal.' One of the officers said the recording on Mr Gibbons phone would be 'easily remedied' flashing a torch directly into the camera. The former ASIO agent also served in the Australian Federal Police (pictured is Mr Gibbons in the New South Wales Police) The CCTV footage shows Mr Gibbons handcuffed on the floor while an officer scrolls through the device. Mr Gibbons said he felt as though his throat would be crushed by one of the officers when they squeezed him during the incident in 2016. The same officer is alleged to have later said: 'I'm going to kill you c***. When we get you out to the truck, I'm going to smash your f***ing face in c***.' Part of the claim also includes $50,000 for potentially missing out on selling the footage from his phone to the media after it was deleted. The state government, who is representing police in the case, has not replied to the lawsuit. A spokesman for the Queensland Police Service said the force could not comment while the matter was being dealt with in court. A 12-year-old boy managed to foil police, customs and international airlines when he bought himself a one-way ticket to Bali and ran away from home 'on an adventure'. The young boy, who goes by the name of Drew, packed up and left his Sydney home following a heated argument with his mum. Drew used the family credit card to book himself a flight to Denpasar, Bali - first with Garuda airlines and then, when that failed, with Qantas. A 12-year-old boy by the name of Drew managed to run away to Denpasar, Bali after having a heated argument with his mum 'I went to the airport, and the crew wouldn't let me on... cause I didn't have documents from mum or dad,' he told A Current Affair. It was only once Drew went to Jetstar that he managed to book his international ticket and make it through the airport unchecked. This despite the Australian Federal Police's assurances that he was on their radar and wouldn't be allowed to leave. 'When the first attempt to Indonesia took place, we were told his passport was going to be flagged,' said his mother, Emma, while his nan was being assured that 'It just wouldn't happen: he wouldn't get past any of the airport personnel to get overseas.' After being stopped with two other airlines, Drew eventually found success when he booked his international flight through Jetstar He flew to Denpasar vie Perth - where airport personnel asked for his passport and student ID, to confirm that he was in secondary school, before allowing him to board The discount flights took young Drew to Perth first, where he then transferred into the international departures lounge and was indeed checked by airport personnel. 'They just asked for my student ID and passport,' he said. 'To prove that I'm in a secondary school.' And with that, Drew found himself on a flight to Denpasar. After touching down in the rowdy tourist town, the 12-year-old runaway checked himself into the All Seasons Hotel, where he'd stayed on previous family vacations. Then he hired himself a motorcycle, again with minimal questions as to his age or driving qualifications. Upon arriving in Denpasar, Drew booked himself into the All Seasons Hotel, where he had stayed with his family on previous vacations He spent four days in Denpasar: renting a motorcycle, lounging on the beach and, at one point, buying himself a beer For the next four days Drew roamed the streets of Denpasar: shopping, lounging on the beach and, at one point, buying himself a beer. All the while ignoring the numerous texts and calls from his worried parents back home. But it was when Drew posted a video of himself backflipping into the hotel pool that the jig was well and truly up. His mum discovered his location and instantly informed the AFP, who got in touch with the local chief police commissioner. 'I just went to the beach and then by the time I got back the consulate was there' said Drew. '[So] I said I was going to go get my stuff from the room and then I locked myself in the room.' Police were forced to unscrew the windows of the hotel to finally catch the elusive teen - and his parents were instructed to sit tight while their son was brought home to them. His mother (pictured) eventually discovered Drew's location and contacted the authorities to have him retrieved When the consulate arrived at Drew's hotel he locked himself in his room - forcing them to unscrew the windows and get him But Drew hadn't broken any Indonesian laws, and no one had the right to arrest him or escort him to the airport for deportation. 'The AFP said we only had 24 hours otherwise they'll let him go, cause legally in Indonesian law he has done nothing wrong' said Emma. 'We were a mess - you've got a child who's in Indonesia by himself, who's as savvy as him riding motorbikes, organising his own little life over there.' Emma and Drew's father rushed to Indonesia to retrieve him, also flying to Bali via Perth - where they were stonewalled by airport personnel for not having a return ticket. 'That's when my former partner said 'Well how did my 12-year-old son get on a flight without being questioned, and you're questioning us as adults?'' said Emma. Drew's parents flew to Bali to collect him - but they are furious that it got to that stage without anybody having stopped their young son They eventually managed to board their flight, making it to Denpasar and retrieving their rogue child. But Drew's parents are furious that their son was able to make it overseas so easily in the first place. 'He was never flagged - they never done their job. If they'd done their job this wouldn't have happened,' said his mother. 'So easily fooling Australian police, customs, everyone. What about those other kids that have gone underage? What about child trafficking? 'We still are in shock, we sit here just thinking how did this happen considering we screamed, we begged for help.' The parents of terminally ill toddler Alfie Evans last night lost a 'last-ditch' appeal to delay the withdrawal of treatment and mount a further legal challenge. It comes as Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool, where he is being treated, announced they would be making at statement at 7am today. Italy granted citizenship to the 23-month-old in a bid to have him transferred to a hospital in Rome, as the Pope intervened again in the case to say he hoped the boy's parents would be able to seek new treatment. The Italian Foreign Ministry said it hoped the decision would allow for the toddler's 'immediate transfer' to a hospital where Alfie's father Tom Evans, 21, and mother Kate James, 20, say doctors are willing to treat him. But a High Court judge last night dismissed a last-ditch appeal by Alfie's parents to delay and mount a further challenge, as Mr Justice Hayden gave doctors the go-ahead to stop treatment and said Alfie still came under the jurisdiction of British courts. It came as protesters gathered outside the hospital and tried to storm the building, forcing police to guard the entrance before Mr Evans told supporters a withdrawal of life support could be regarded as murder. Alfie Evans's father Tom speaks to media and a large crowd outside Alder Hey hospital this evening, after Italy granted the toddler citizenship Mr Evans, pictured speaking to supporters outside the Liverpool hospital today, has been fighting for his son Alfie to receive treatment at a Vatican-administered hospital in Rome A crowd remained outside the hospital this evening with a police presence still in place This picture of Alfie Evans was posted on Facebook today by his father, Tom Evans, 21 Police had to step in today to stop protesters trying to enter Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool The Pope, who previously met Alfie's father, intervened again in the case to say he hoped the boy's parents would be able to seek new treatment Mr Evans said withdrawal of life support would be a 'straight up execution'. He earlier posted on Facebook to say he was waiting for Italian authorities to call UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. Judges have heard that Alfie, born on May 9 2016, is in a 'semi-vegetative state' and has a degenerative neurological condition doctors had not definitively diagnosed. Last night barrister Paul Diamond, who represents the couple, told the judge that Alfie had been granted Italian citizenship on Monday, saying there was now an 'international relations element' to the case. But Mr Justice Hayden dismissed Mr Diamond's application, saying it amounted to a 'last-ditch appeal' and said Alfie was a British citizen and 'habitually resident in the UK', meaning the High Court had jurisdiction. Doctors in Liverpool have said the flight to Italy would be too difficult for him and UK courts, including the Supreme Court, have upheld their decision. Yesterday morning the European Court of Human Rights refused to intervene in the case. Speaking outside the hospital yesterday evening, Mr Evans: 'I'm stood here now and Alfie is still here. Why? Because I'm still fighting for him, I'm still fighting and so is Alfie. I have been in touch with the Ambassador of Italy. My son belongs to Italy. I love Alfie and I love Kate, I will not give up.' Around 100 people remained outside Alder Hey Children's Hospital awaiting news on Alfie Evans while a line of police officers guard the main entrance, with more police stationed at other entrances. Pope Francis said on Twitter: 'Moved by the prayers and immense solidarity shown little Alfie Evans, I renew my appeal that the suffering of his parents may be heard and that their desire to seek new forms of treatment may be granted.' Police attempt to keep protesters, one pushing a pram, out of the hospital's revolving door Alfie Evans is in a 'semi-vegetative state' and has a degenerative neurological condition Tom Evans pictured with the Pope, who has thrown renewed support behind the family A source close to the Evans family said a UK judge would hold an urgent telephone conference with Italian legal representatives to discuss Alfie's plight. Alfie's father met the Pope last week to ask for asylum, kissing the pontiff's hand and begging him to 'save our son'. The head of the Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital, which is administered by the Vatican, also travelled to Liverpool in a bid to have the boy transferred, saying Pope Francis asked her to do everything 'possible and impossible' to save him. The hospital previously offered to help in the case of Charlie Gard, who died from a rare form of mitochondrial disease that causes progressive muscle weakness, including in his organs. Mr Evans's sister Sarah also emerged briefly from the hospital yesterday to tell supporters that Alfie's 'heartbroken' father was still inside the hospital. Their case went before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) yesterday morning after it was rejected by the UK's Supreme Court, but judges in Strasbourg also refused to intervene, saying the application was 'inadmissible'. Following the decision, around 200 people gathered outside Liverpool's Alder Hey hospital, as supporters blocked the road outside the hospital, linking arms and chanting, 'Save Alfie Evans!' Some of the protesters attempted to get into the hospital as police guarded the entrance Some of the group surge towards are door after protesters tried to block a road to the hospital Dozens had ran towards the main doors before police officers stationed inside and out strung across the entrance blocking the way, and after after a short stand off the crowd retreated to gather around 100 yards away on the road outside. One woman described the crowd as 'terrifying', saying: 'Everyone just ran and were going for the doors, pushing police out of the way - but they weren't going to get in past the police. 'I understand people want to support Alfie and I've got a lot of respect for people who want to support him but I've got respect for the hospital as well because they've saved my little girl's life.' Another woman whose child is being treated at the hospital after being in a car accident and whose son had a separate appointment at the hospital today said: 'We support Tom and Kate but we don't support them storming. 'We were walking out and I had my baby in a wheelchair. I was getting tossed and turned by coppers trying to get out and my baby was terrified,' she said. Some Twitter users compared the case negatively to the national euphoria following the birth of the royal baby on the same day. One said: 'A royal birth means nothing to me I'd rather focus my attention to things closer to home and show my support for Alfie Evans. All the best little man. Another said: 'My thoughts are with Alfie Evans today, not the royal baby.' Alfie's father Tom said today he believes his son is going to die and threatened private prosecutions against medics from the hospital A large crowd of around 200 demonstrators gathered outside the hospital today Police guarded the hospital's entrance after a group of protesters surged towards the door Merseyside Police said they recognised the 'sensitivities' involved in the case A large crowd gathered outside the hospital after Mr Evans spoke of his fears his son would die It comes after a British judge said flying Alfie to a foreign hospital would be wrong and pointless, in a decision since backed by Britain's Appeal Court and the Supreme Court. An ECHR spokesman said today: 'The European Court of Human Rights has today rejected the application submitted by the family of Alfie Evans as inadmissible.' The couple have argued that Alfie is being wrongly 'detained' at Alder Hey and have made a habeas corpus application. A writ of habeas corpus - Latin for 'you may have the body' - is a legal manoeuvre which requires a court to examine the legality of a detention. It is a piece of common law which probably dates back to Anglo-Saxon times. A spokesman for Alder Hey said: 'Alder Hey Children's Hospital remains open as usual for all visitors and appointments, however visitors may notice an increase in visible police presence in and around the hospital site - this is part of our ongoing security arrangements.' The case has echoes of that of Charlie Gard, who was born in August 2016 with a rare form of mitochondrial disease that causes progressive muscle weakness, including in his organs. The British boy died on July 29, one week short of his first birthday, after doctors withdrew life support treatment. Gard's parents fought a five-month legal battle for him to be taken to the United States for experimental treatment. They lost a series of appeals in British courts and the ECHR. Around 200 people gathered outside the hospital after Mr Evans said his son would die today Protestors want the hospital to keep Alfie alive and allow his parents to decide his care Protesters who call themselves 'Alfie's Army' held placards outside the hospital today A protester ties a balloon to a road sign on which demonstrators have tied messages There were tears among those who gathered outside the hospital in Liverpool this afternoon Chief Inspector Chris Gibson of Merseyside Police said: 'We continue to provide a policing presence at Alder Hey and recognise the sensitivities involved in this very difficult and sad situation. 'We would like to remind the public that this is a hospital for sick children and it should not be forgotten that many families are going through extremely challenging and emotional times. 'We would ask protesters to respect families and staff, including the poorly children in the wards and to ensure that access to the hospital is not restricted at any time, so that services including the blood and ambulance service can run as efficiently as possible.' Motorists were advised to use alternative routes. Colin Nutt (pictured) is seen arriving at the Royal Courts of Justice in London An ambulance driver has won a bitter court clash with his two siblings over their mother's 350,000 home after he produced a mystery envelope containing her will. Colin Nutt, 63, faced claims from his brother and sister that he pressured their mother Lily into leaving her home to only him in her 2010 homemade will. Lily died aged 88 in 2013, leaving behind the 350,000 house in Chigwell, Essex, where Mr Nutt and his siblings Christopher and Vivienne were raised. Her will in 2010 bequeathed the house to Colin, although another will dated five years earlier it was to be split equally between the three siblings. Family strife erupted within days of Lily's death, when Colin confronted his siblings with news of the other will they previously knew nothing about. He said that Lily had handed him an envelope, only to be opened on her death, containing the 2010 will under which he alone would inherit her house. Christopher and Vivienne launched a 'comprehensive attack on Colin's character' in a bid to prove the 2010 will invalid, Judge Julia Clark told the High Court. But she said there was no evidence to support their claims that Colin cadged money off their mother or brought pressure to bear on her. Colin was in truth 'affectionate and attentive towards his mother, and not aggressive or dominating', the judge ruled. All three had rallied round over the years to help their frail and fiercely independent mother, but it was up to her to leave her assets to whoever she wished. Lily had told friends that Vivienne, 71, and Christopher, 73, were better off than Colin, and that 'she had made a will leaving the house to Colin as the other two children were OK', the court heard. Christopher had been 'unwilling' to accept that their mother would have wanted anything other than to split her estate equally between the three of them. There was long-standing friction between the two brothers, the court heard, and both Christopher and Vivienne alleged that Colin had a 'dominating and domineering personality'. Christopher Nutt (pictured) had been 'unwilling' to accept that their mother would have wanted anything other than to split her estate equally between the three of them But the judge commented: 'The only examples Christopher could give of this was Colin "holding court" at the funeral wakes for both their father and Mrs Nutt'. Colin, a builder and part-time ambulance driver, represented himself in court as he defended the validity of the will. His brother and sister argued that he had brought 'undue influence' to bear on Lily and that the 2005 document was her last true will. But the judge said one of Lily's friends gave evidence that she wanted Colin to inherit 'because he didn't have his own home and the other two did'. 'She was determined that Colin would receive and continue to live in her home, which she had always treasured,' said the witness. Judge Clark said there was 'a high level of conflict' between the two brothers, but rejected claims that Colin had been 'involved' in creating the 2010 will. She added: 'Lily was a very independent woman. I reject the suggestion that Colin prevailed on her to give him money, or that he took money from her bank accounts. There is no evidence to support it.' All three siblings had supported the pensioner in her last years and Christopher and Vivienne's lawyers asked why Lily would have secretly changed her will when she 'spoke highly' of all her children. But the judge said: 'One reason is put forward in the 2010 will itself. Colin does not own his own house, Christoper and Vivienne do. 'Another reason may be that, although Christopher and Vivienne gave considerable amounts of help and support to Mrs Nutt, Colin was physically nearer, more available when she needed help and, in practice, was her first port of call.' The judge said it was not her task to 'decide whether the 2010 will was justified or fair'. 'I am only required to decide if it is valid, and for the reasons set out above, I find that it is,' she concluded. The passenger, named by police as Jacob A. Garcia (pictured), had to be forcibly removed by police officers An unruly passenger was repeatedly Tasered on board an aircraft after allegedly fondling a female passenger in front of her boyfriend and making racial slurs. The incident happened last night on an American Airlines flight travelling from Miami to Chicago. The passenger, named by police as Jacob A. Garcia, had to be forcibly removed by police officers when the plane was still grounded in Miami. Police were apparently called when Garcia started making racial slurs and 'disrespecting' another passenger in front of his girlfriend. When officers entered the aircraft on Sunday night, Garcia continued to remonstrate with them, asking why they were removing him from the plane. After being Tasered by police he was brought back to Miami airport where he was arrested. Fellow passenger Jabari Ennis, 37, who works in IT, recorded the moment the unruly passenger was forced off the flight. Discussing the prelude to that, he said: 'The man started harassing a couple on the plane, hitting on the female and being disrespectful to the guy. 'Eventually the boyfriend called the flight attendant and asked that he be removed. 'The flight attendant tried to hear him out but he was being purposely argumentative without making any points.' He said staff moved the man away from the couple but he then 'started making louder racial slurs to the flight attendant and others'. Mr Ennis added: 'Myself and others on the plane started complaining to the flight attendant that this was not tolerable. They then decided to remove him and called the police.' Garcia was restrained by three police officers after being disruptive on board an aircraft Police officers then entered the American Airlines flight to try and control the unruly individual. In the clip, Garcia can be seen grappling with the burly officers. He shouted: 'Listen what is the reason why you're removing me from this plane?' Someone can then be heard saying: 'Well you just assaulted a lady for one, you're racist for two.' Garcia was repeatedly Tasered by officers after they struggled to control him on the aircraft One officer in the video struggles with Garcia, gripping him around the neck, to try and control him while two other officers work on handcuffing him. But Garcia resisted and one of the officers told him: 'Do not fight'. As he struggled with the officers he said again: 'You listen, I'm asking you, right now, what is the reason?' An officer then reaches for his Taser from his belt. Garcia tells him: 'Go on Taser me, and you'll see what happens.' The taser doesn't appear to affect Garcia - at first - and he mocks the officer by calling him a 'baby' while trying to snatch the device out of the officer's hand. Eventually, the taser does appear to work and officers were able to take him into custody. Mr Ennis told the Mirror: 'We all had to deplane in order to get him off. The crowd cheered when they drove him away.' The officers finally controlled Garcia after repeatedly using a Taser on the American Airline flight In a statement American Airlines said: 'American began the process of deplaning the entire aircraft. During that process, a physical altercation between the same two passengers took place. 'Once law enforcement was on the aircraft, the passenger then became combative with the officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department. 'We will cooperate with the Miami-Dade Police Department on this matter. The flight, which was scheduled to depart at 9:30 p.m. ET, departed at 10:34 p.m. ET with all remaining passengers. We thank our crews and airport customer service team for their excellent work in this situation.' Garcia was later brought to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center where he was charged with battery, depriving and officer of a firearm, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, officials said. A black Labour MP who has spoken out against the Windrush scandal has received hate mail telling him to 'go back home'. David Lammy, who was born in north London, has led criticisms of the Government for threatening to deport migrants who have spent nearly their entire lives in the UK. But he has received an abusive letter branding him 'vile' and telling him to 'go back to the country of your forbears'. The letter, sent last week, said: 'For God's sake man stop your vile and obscene speeches knocking this country down. 'Be grateful that we have taken you in as a black man and given you a life here, as we have done for all those black people who came to live here. 'Be grateful man for the country that gave you a life and stop knocking it. Otherwise, go back to your country of your forbears and lets be rid of you.' It adds: 'If you cannot say good about us, then go back, it's as simple as that.' David Lammy (pictured in the House of Commons) who was born in north London, has led criticisms of the Government for threatening to deport migrants who have spent nearly their entire lives in the UK David Lammy tweeted the abusive letter which has been sent to him - bit vowed to not be cowed by it and to carry on speaking out The letter accuses the MP of making 'vile' speeches and adds: 'You are like a little child and do not realise how lucky you have been and how well treated by the country you so easily knock.' What is the Windrush scandal and how did the fiasco develop? June 22, 1948 - The Empire Windrush passenger ship docked at Tilbury from Jamaica. The 492 passengers were temporarily housed near Brixton in London. Over the following decades some 500,000 came to the UK. Many arrived on their parents' passports and were not formally naturalised as British citizens. 1973 - A new immigration Act comes into force putting the onus on individuals to prove they have previously been resident in the UK. 2010 - The Home Office destroyed thousands of landing card slips recording Windrush immigrants arrival dates in the UK. The move came despite staff warnings that the move would make it harder to check the records of older Caribbean-born residents experiencing residency difficulties, it was claimed 2014 - A protection that exempted Commonwealth residents from enforced removal was removed under a new law. Theresa May was Home Secretary at the time. Under a crackdown on illegals, Windrush immigrants are obliged to provide proof they were resident in the UK before 1973. July 2016 - Mrs May becomes Prime Minister. April 2018 - Allegations that Windrush immigrants are being threatened with deportation break. Theresa May issued a grovelling apology to Caribbean leaders after major backlash April 29 - Amber Rudd resigns after inadvertently misleading Parliament by wrongly claiming there were no deportation targets Advertisement The abusive letter was tweeted by the Labour MP for Tottenham, who pointed out that he was born in Archway, north London. Mr Lammy said: 'I have just received a letter telling me to be "grateful" as a black man for all "we have done for those black people who came to live here" or "go back to where ever you came from". 'I was born in the Whittington Hospital the son of Windrush migrants. And I will speak for them.' Mr Lammy has led the condemnation of ministers for the scandal, which has seen immigrants lose their jobs, homes and pushed to the brink of suicide. The letter was sent on April 16 - the same day Mr Lammy made a speech in the House of Commons on the fiasco branding it a 'day of national shame'. And he blamed Theresa May for the scandal, saying it was a direct result of her policy of introductory a 'hostile environment' for illegal immigrants when she was Home Secretary. He told MPs: 'Let us call it as it is: if you lay down with dogs, you get fleas, and that is what has happened with the far right rhetoric in this country.' The scandal has been a huge embarrassment for the Government and overshadowed last week's Commonwealth summit, which was hosted in London. Both the PM and Home Secretary Amber Rudd apologoised and promised that no Windrush immigrant would be sent home. And Mrs May said on Friday that those caught up in the scandal will get compensation. However, Ms Rudd sparked fresh outrage last wee by blaming over zealous Home Office officials for the scandal - saying hey had 'lost sight' of the individual in pursuing the police. She has faced calls by Labour to quit over the fiasco. The abusive letter branded Tottenham MP David Lammy 'vile' and told him to 'go back to the country of your forbears' In a fresh development to the scandal, a leaked letter has revealed ministers were aware of risk to the Windrush generation when immigration reforms were made law. The letter, written in May 2016 by a Home Office Minister, will refuel a row about whether Ms Rudd should resign. It proves ministers were aware members of the Windrush generation were facing deportation years ago. The letter, written the then immigration minister James Brokenshire, sent out to Labour MP Kate Hoey how the policy impacted on Trevor and Desmond Johnson. Both legally arrived in Britain from Jamaica as children in 1971 but faced deportation because they could not prove residency before 1973, when the law changed. The letter, revealed today by the Guardian, lays bare what ministers knew before the scandal broke in recent days. A man has been charged after an elderly pensioner was pushed to the ground and robbed in a busy Brisbane street. The 23-year-old man appeared this morning at the Richlands Magistrates Court charged with eight offences including robbery. Ray Brown, 87, was walking home from the Blunder Road centre in Oxley when he was attacked and robbed by a man. Dramatic footage showed Ray Brown, 87, (left) walking home when the thief (right) ran up and grabbed his wallet Dramatic footage of the robbery shows the thief running up behind Mr Brown before asking him for money. After he said he had none the thief grabs his wallet from inside the walking aid, dragging Mr Brown against a railing, before pushing him to the ground. 'I was trying to kick him to stop him, but I couldn't reach him, I couldn't move,' Mr Brown told 7news. The robber ran off, leaving him lying on the concrete bleeding. 'I've got pieces of skin missing all over the place, here and here and my back,' he said pointing to his injuries. People ran to help him up and some managed to get the number plate of the alleged attackers car as he fled. Mr Brown was pushed down onto the concrete by thief before he ran off He was treated afterwards for grazing and bruising on both his arms and his back After the attack Mr brown, who is a former policeman, received medical treatment for grazing and bruising to both of his arms. The alleged attacker was arrested later that evening and included in the eight charges were robbery with violence, stealing from the person and unlawful use of a motor vehicle. After the robbery Mr Brown said he the assailant chose him because he was vulnerable and unable to fend of the attack. 'They're picking on people who can't really do much to protect themselves.' Kate Middleton has given birth to a boy at the Lindo Wing of St Marys Hospital in Paddington, London, making him fifth in line to the throne. The Royal Baby is a brother for Prince George and Princess Charlotte and shares a birthday with William Shakespeare, as well as being born on St Georges Day, ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markles Royal Wedding. Kate Middleton has given birth to a boy at the Lindo Wing of St Marys Hospital in London It has also been announced that Kates sister Pippa Middleton is expecting her first child with new husband James Matthews in October 2018. As well as royal traditions and birthing rules to be considered, the Royal Baby announcement must follow a protocol with The Queen being the first to learn of the new babys arrival and it being revealed to the public by the town crier, Tony Appleton. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2018 How will the Royal Babys birth be announced? Her Majesty the Queen will be the first to hear the news of the Royal Babys birth and an announcement board is usually placed outside Buckingham Palace after news of a new prince or princess is emailed to the press by Kensington Palace. Prince William, the father of the new Royal, broke this tradition and revealed Prince Georges birth on Twitter. The official announcement that Kate had gone into labour was released by Kensington Palace What will the Royal Baby announcement say? In the past, the official statement has revealed the Duchess has safely delivered a son or a daughter and also detailed the time of birth and occasionally, the babys weight. Prince George was born on July 22, 2013 at 4:24pm and was 8lb 6oz, while Princess Charlotte was born on May 2, 2015 at 8:34am and was 8 lbs 3oz. The new baby was born at 11:01am and weighs 8lbs 8oz. What will the Buckingham Palace Royal Baby board look like? As well as on Twitter, the birth of the Royal Baby will be announced with a paper proclamation for the public that are waiting at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London to see. The announcement will be brief, will be set on foolscap-sized paper in a dark wooden frame and placed on an ornate golden easel. While the words are now typed, the message was previously handwritten but it will still be signed by the doctors who attended to the Duchess of Cambridge and taken from the Lindo Wing to the palace by car. Royal fans stand outside the Lindo Wing, where the Duchess of Cambridge was admitted When will the Royal Babys name be revealed? Although the birth is announced to the public soon after, the name is not unveiled for a few days. William and Kate took two days to announce George and Charlottes names, so it could be predicted that the Royal Babys name will be revealed on April 25 or April 26. Prince Charles and Princess Diana took seven days to reveal Prince Williams name in 1982, while the Queen was able to keep the Prince of Waless name a secret for up to a month, finally revealing it before his christening in December 1948. According to bookmakers, the majority believed Kate will give birth to a boy with odds at 10/11. Arthur is leading as the favourite after a flurry of bets on the name in April 2018, followed by Albert, Frederick, James and Philip. How will the Royal Babys birth be celebrated? After the birth, there will be a 41-gun salute in Green Park or Hyde Park in London as well as a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London. How will the Royal Birth be registered? The royal birth will be registered in the same way as any other baby, but the Home Secretary Amber Rudd will be required to notify officials like the Lord Mayor of London and the governors of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The Queens private secretary Edward Young will inform Governor Generals overseas, while announcements are made on the Royal website and Facebook page. Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan (pictured) has resigned following 11 days of mass protest against his appointment In an unexpected moved, Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan has resigned after 11 days of protests against him. He had served as the country's President since 2008 but triggered mass demonstrations after he was named Prime Minister this month. Critics feared that he was attempting to seize power for life. Pressure on the 63-year-old to quit had increased sharply on Monday when unarmed soldiers in the capital Yerevan joined the anti-government protests, which first erupted on April 13. In a surprise announcement on his website Sargsyan said: '[Protest leader[ Nikol Pashinian was right. I was wrong. The movement on the streets is against my rule. I'm complying with their demands.' Residents of the capital, Yerevan, poured out on the streets to celebrate his departure. People hugged and kissed each other while motorists honked their horns. The move plunges the country into uncertainty after 11 days of protests against Sargsyan's appointment as prime minister. In this photo taken on Sunday, former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, left, leaves a meeting with protest leader Nikol Pashinian, right, in Yerevan, Armenia Yerevan residents celebrated Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23 Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan was arrested after his initial meeting with the Premier but was released after Sargsyan resigned The appointment was part of a transition to a new governmental system that reduces the powers of the presidency and bolsters those of the premier. Critics saw that as an attempt by 63-year-old Sargsyan to stay in power indefinitely. It echoes similar tenure-lengthening maneuvers by Russian President Vladimir Putin - Armenia's closest ally. Leaders of other former Soviet republics from Belarus to Central Asia have also engineered themselves lifetime jobs. Opposition demonstrators gathered in the country's capital to celebrate the resignation news Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday, an apparent move to bring to an end massive anti-government protests Armenian protest leader Nikola Pashinian speaks to the media in Yerevan, Armenia, Sunday, April 22, 2018, after his short meeting with former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan Anti-government protesters began rallying on April 13, blocking government buildings and facing off with police. Sunday's rally attracted some 50,000 demonstrators. Pashinian, the protest leader, was arrested on Sunday after he met the prime minister for talks. Sargsyan abruptly ended the meeting when Pashinian refused to discuss anything besides the prime minister's resignation. People celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia The protest leader was released from custody Monday afternoon. Sargsyan admitted on Monday that he should not have resisted the demands of the opposition. Opposition leaders have not yet commented on Sargsyan's resignation and have called a rally in central Yerevan for Monday evening. The Armenian government quickly named former Prime Minister Karen Karapetian as acting premier. The Prime Minister and former President announced his resignation on his website unexpectedly A demonstrator waves an Armenian national flag during a protest against the appointment of former President Serzh Sargsyan as the new prime minister A Sargsyan ally, Karapetian also served as mayor of Yerevan and worked in Russia for five years as a senior executive of state-controlled gas giant Gazprom. Alexander Iskanderian, director of the Caucasus Institute in Yerevan, told The Associated Press that the protests drove Sargsyan into a corner: 'The protests in the past couple of days have swelled to a point that you either had to use violence or find another way out,' Iskanderian said. Demonstrators wave their lit cell phones during a protest against Serzh Sargsyan's appointment as Prime Minister Russian officials and state television have been cautious in commenting on the unrest in Armenia. In the past, Moscow decried anti-government rallies in neighboring post-Soviet nations as example of hostile Western interference. In what appeared to be the first official Russian reaction to the resignation of the Armenian premier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova lauded Sargsyan's decision as a move to unify the nation. This aerial photo taken with a drone, shows opposition demonstrators gathered in the Republic Square during a protest 'The people who have the strength to keep respect toward each other despite crucial differences and stay united even in the most difficult moments of its history is a great people,' Zakharova wrote on her Facebook account. 'Armenia, Russia is always with you!' When Sargsyan switched to the prime minister's job, ally Armen Sarkisian, a former prime minister and ambassador to Britain, was elected president in Sargsyan's place. Sarkisian was seen as an unofficial Sargsyan appointee. People celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia They were probably hoping for a swift exit to take their newborn baby home. But one unsuspecting couple got the shock of their lives as they emerged from the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. For they were greeted this morning by the world's media, who were waiting for the Duchess of Cambridge to emerge with Prince William and her third baby. An unsuspecting couple emerged from the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, with their newborn baby to be greeted by the world's media The couple posed for photographs outside the famous door in front of dozens of journalists and photographers before leaving in a taxi. Later today, Prince George and Princess Charlotte could pay a visit to the Lindo Wing to meet their new baby sibling - if the Cambridges keep up with tradition. Kensington Palace announced today that Kate had been admitted to the private Lindo Wing in labour, and later that she gave birth at about 11am. The baby boy is fifth in line to the throne, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's sixth great-grandchild and a younger brother for George and Charlotte. They posed for photographs outside the famous door in front of dozens of journalists and photographers before leaving in a taxi The Duchess was being cared for by consultant obstetrician Guy Thorpe-Beeston, who is the surgeon-gynaecologist to the household. Consultant gynaecologist Alan Farthing, the Queen's surgeon-gynaecologist - part of the trusted team who delivered George and Charlotte - was also on hand. For her previous births, Kate had a 23-strong team of top medics working or on stand-by from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust - which runs St Mary's Hospital. With the baby on its way, press pens opened outside the hospital as journalists, photographers and camera crews waited for confirmation of the baby's arrival. The Duchess's pregnancy was announced by Kensington Palace on September 4 last year. Kate again suffered from extreme pregnancy sickness hyperemesis gravidarum. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stand outside the Lindo Wing with Charlotte in May 2015 * Do you know the happy couple? Please email: mark.duell@mailonline.co.uk * Nobody likes being bitten by mosquitoes - certainly not by this one. An insect expert claimed to have caught the world's largest mosquito with an astonishing 11.15cm (4.4in) wing span - about 10 times longer than that of an average mosquito. The massive insect was caught on Qingcheng Mountain in south-west China's Sichuan Province. An insect expert claimed to have caught the largest mosquito in the world (specimen pictured) The super-size insect was caught in south-west China by Chinese entomologist Zhao Li last August. It has been turned into a specimen and would be displayed in a museum in Chengdu The mosquito was discovered by Chinese entomologist Zhao Li during a field inspection in August, 2017. Mr Zhao told MailOnline the insect belonged to a species called holorusia mikado, which is the world's largest mosquito species originating in Japan. When he first caught the mosquito, he thought it was extraordinarily big. However, he has only recently confirmed it to be the largest mosquito in the world. Mr Zhao said a normal holorusia mikado's wing span is about 8cm (3.1in) - nearly a third shorter than the one caught by Mr Zhao. He added that the holorusia mikado mosquitoes found in China's Sichuan Province are in general larger than those found in Japan. Although the insect is also known as crane fly in the West, which is thought to be different from a mosquito. Mr Zhao insisted that the insect he found was a mosquito. Mr Zhao, who is a senior biological engineer and senior wild animal protection engineer, said crane fly is the name given to the entire insect family of Tipulidae, which in Chinese translates into 'big mosquito'. Mr Zhao said from the biological point of view, a mosquito is any insect belonging to the Nematocera insect group. There are seven groups of mosquito, including Tipuloidea (which includes crane flies) and Chironomidae. The expert also said that a cultural gap might have caused a confusion. 'There are a wide definition and a narrow definition of the mosquito family. Under the narrow definition, only a mosquito that bites is a mosquito. 'Different countries have different ways to call and define insects, but from a biological perspective, holorusia mikados are categorised as mosquitoes.' The insect belongs to a species called holorusia mikado, the world's largest mosquito species Mr Zhao said the life span of a holorusia mikado mosquito is about a week. The record-breaking mosquito has been turned into a specimen to be displayed in the Insect Museum of West China, of which Mr Zhao is the curator. Interestingly, Mr Zhao said the monstrous-looking mosquito didn't actually bite people. It supported itself with the nutrition it had taken in as a larva, said Mr Zhao. The mosquito's specimen is due to be shown to the public during an exhibition about strange insects in the Insect Museum of West China in May. Mr Zhao has in the past also caught the world's largest insect: a female stick insect measuring 64cm (25in) long - the average length of a young man's arm. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have arrived for the 25th anniversary of the murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence. The Prince will read a message of support on behalf of his father, the Prince of Wales, who in 2000 gave the annual Stephen Lawrence Memorial Lecture which began with a tribute to his family. Stephen was just 18 years old when he was fatally stabbed by a gang of racists in Eltham, south-east London in 1993. MailOnline brings you the latest updates, here: A Connecticut university was closed on Monday after norovirus sickened about 100 students, health officials have confirmed. Western Connecticut State University in Danbury was closed for the day for disinfecting but classes will resume on Tuesday, the school announced. State Department of Public Health officials said on Monday that testing confirmed norovirus, which is a highly contagious bug that causes diarrhea, nausea, muscle pain, vomiting and other symptoms. Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut, closed for the day on Monday after 100 students became ill with norovirus It is commonly spread through food or water that is contaminated during preparation or contaminated surfaces. The school's president John Clark said the decision was made 'to protect our university community from infection and spread of the disease.' 'We have confidence that students, faculty and staff can learn and work together and stay healthy, as long as everyone follows state-recommended appropriate treatment and precautions,' Clark said University officials said both campuses in Danbury are closed on Monday as maintenance crews clean and disinfect school buildings. Director of University and Community Relations Paul Steinmetz told WFSB that on Thursday and Friday as many as 40 students became ill with an unidentified illness. University officials said both campuses in Danbury are closed on Monday as maintenance crews clean and disinfect school buildings He added that the school was confident the virus isn't E. Coli because 'we haven't been serving romaine lettuce in the cafeteria for at least a week and there are no other local cases of e-coli.' About 5,700 students attend the state school. Health officials are urging students and staff to frequently wash their hands with soap and water and, if they have symptoms, to avoid certain activities including preparing food for others and working in day cares, health care facilities and restaurants. The source of the norovirus outbreak wasn't immediately clear. A former headmistress at a Jewish Melbourne school 'just liked the power' with girls that 'would do anything for her'. These are the words of Nicole Meyer, who is describing Malka Leifer, her former school principal at the ultra-orthodox Adass Israel girls school in Elsternwick, Melbourne. Along with sisters Dassi Erlich and Elly, she opened up about her experiences in the Jewish community with the woman they allege abused them, on ABC's Australian Story. Dassi recalled how when she was in Year 10, Mrs Leifer started pulling her out of the class and back to her house. Malka Leifer (pictured), is wanted over 74 charges of sexual abuse, and the sisters and police have been campaigning to have her extradited to face her charges here 'At some point during the year she took me home to her house and that was completely accepted in the school', she said. 'I didn't say anything, I didn't move, there was just a heavy silence in the room.' Leifer, is wanted over 74 charges of sexual abuse, and the sisters and police have been campaigning to have her extradited to face her charges in Australia. But she is currently in an Israeli prison awaiting a court appearance scheduled for May. Dassi provided the program with copies of her diary entries she penned as a teenager. Dassi Erlich (pictured) recalled how when she was in Year 10, the former principal took her to the house and that was 'completely accepted in the school' 'I love Mrs Liefer, she's the one person I feel has ever loved me,' one diary entry revealed. She was lured by the principal, as she felt Mrs Leifer was someone who would listen to her personal troubles. Dassi described the moments she was dragged into offices and rooms of the school principal, but did not go into graphic detail about what happened behind closed doors. 'I love Mrs Liefer, she's the one person I feel has ever loved me,' one diary entry penned by Dassi revealed. Dassi (pictured) described how Mrs Leifer would take her into her office, close all the blinds and close the door 'She would take me into her office, close all the blinds and close the door,' she said. 'She sat for an hour begging me to tell her inner most thoughts.' Nicole told the program how Mrs Leifer liked the power she had with girls who 'would do anything for her'. 'The way Mrs Leifer worked is she would manipulate girls, and play mental games, so she would favour for a couple of weeks, and then move onto someone else, leaving the other girl hanging, she destroyed friendships like that.' Nicole Meyer (pictured) described how Mrs Leifer would manipulate girls, and play mental games Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly she opened up about her experiences in the Jewish community in Melbourne Dassi and her sisters still believe there is a 'long road' ahead, they told the ABC. 'I definitely don't see myself as a survivor - if anything the word thriver comes to mind,' Dassi said. Leifer's defence lawyer Yehuda Fried responded to the allegations by saying: 'We understand these are only allegations OK.' 'That means everyone is innocent until proven guilty.' A 31-year-old man has been jailed for 14 months after twice trying to barge through security at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and making racial slurs towards airport staff. Jordan Lee Moore, 31, was an employee of American Airlines when he attempted to push through the TSA Pre-Check lane without proper authorization. A statement from the US Attorney's Office said Moore first tried to force his way through security at 5.25pm on March 30, 2017. When he was turned away, he told a TSA supervisor he was a 'b**** a** n****,' then threatened 'to kick his ass',' The Charlotte Observer reported. Jordan Lee Moore (pictured) has been sentenced to 14 months jail after trying to force his way through security at Charlotte Douglas International Airport The American Airlines employee had tried to enter the TSA Pre-Check lane without proper authorization and told a TSA supervisor he was a 'b**** a** n****' when he refused the 31-year-old entry Moore also reportedly threatened to kill the supervisor before he was told he would not be able to fly and to leave the airport. About 7.30pm, the 31-year-old returned to Charlotte Douglas Airport, and once again attempted to go through security. His photo had been distributed to airport security officers, who told him he was not allowed to re-enter security due to his earlier outburst. Moore ignored the officer's direction and continued to the baggage screening area, where he was again asked to leave. The former airline employee ignored the direction and continued to place his bags on the screening conveyor belt. When TSA again asked him to leave, Moore replied: 'I am going in. Just watch me'. Moore was asked to leave the airport, but returned a second time about two hours later, where he again tried to force his way through security By this point, his photo had been distributed to security officers at the airport (pictured), who tried to stop him heading to security As he moved to place his bags on the conveyor belt for screening, he was arrested by five police officers Moore, 31, reportedly continued to struggle and swear despite being heavily outnumbered by law enforcement Court records then claim five police officers intervened and tried to detain the man, who 'refused the officer's commands and violently resisted arrest'. Despite being heavily outnumbered by CMPD officers, Moore reportedly continued to struggle and swear, even after being placed into a police car. In November, Moore pleaded guilty to one count of interference with airport security screening personnel. But only one week ago, he attempted to retract the plea, telling US District Judge Robert Conrad he took responsibility for 'what I actually did', but 'just wanted to go home' to see his family and apply for pharmacy school. The 31-year-old has been in federal custody since his arrest in March, and time served will count towards his sentence. When his sentence is served he will spend two years under supervised release. Royal fans have poked fun at William and Kate after their third child was born on St George's Day but they are unable to name the baby George. Mystery surrounds what the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will call the baby, who was born today at the Lindo Wing at 11.01am weighing 8lb7oz. Some have taken pleasure in the irony that they can't call the boy George after it was given to their first born, who was at school today. Ellie Agius said: 'When you give birth on St. Georges day but youve already named one of your babys George'. @BenScotchbrook tweeted: 'A royal boy - born ON ST GEORGE'S DAY. The timing just couldn't be better. They'll be able to call him Geor... oh. B*****'. Royal fans have poked fun at William and Kate after their third child was born on St George's Day but they are unable to name the baby George Some have taken pleasure in the irony that they can't call the boy George after it was given to their first born, who was at school today. LATEST ODDS ON THE NAME OF KATE AND WILLIAM'S THIRD BABY Arthur 2/1 James 4/1 Albert 6/1 Philip 8/1 Alexander 10/1 Thomas 16/1 Frederick 25/1 Henry 25/1 Alfred 33/1 Charles 33/1 Edward 33/1 Jack 33/1 Louis 33/1 William 33/1 50/1 bar Odds supplied by Ladbrokes Advertisement Lydia Pluckrose said: 'Bet Will and Kate are gutted they already used the name George' and Mike Peters tweeted: 'Oh the irony! A royal Prince born on St George's Day and they can't call him George!'. The couple is expected to take regal inspiration with Albert, Philip, Thomas and Henry among the favourites. Others enjoyed the fact the baby came on St George's Day, calling it a 'quintessentially English' royal birth and is 'as British as it gets'. Royal punters are gambling huge amounts trying to predicts the third royal baby's name. After opting for the traditional names George and Charlotte for their first two children, William and Kate are expected to keep it classic once again for baby number three. One female customer asked to put some 5,000 on Arthur - currently leading as the favourite name - at a bookmakers in Cheltenham. Others are hedging their bets on Albert, Frederick, James and Philip. So what will the new prince be called? Here are some of the contenders: The wait for the baby's name has got people on Twitter having some fun The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge outside the Lindo Wing in 2015 after Charlotte's birth Arthur One of Charles's middle names, Arthur is also one of William's middle names and was a middle name of the Queen's father, George VI. The legendary King Arthur was the mythical leader of the knights of the Round Table, who supposedly lived in the 5th or 6th century. Once popular, the name fell out of fashion but has had a revival in recent years. Former prime minister David Cameron has a son called Arthur. Albert Queen Victoria used to insist that the name Albert was used as a middle name by her descendants, if not a first, in honour of her much-loved consort Prince Albert. By choosing Albert or Bertie for a boy, William and Kate would be honouring Queen Elizabeth II's father, George VI, who was actually Albert Frederick Arthur George but always known to his family as Bertie. LATEST ODDS ON THE NAME OF KATE AND WILLIAM'S THIRD BABY Arthur 2/1 James 4/1 Albert 6/1 Philip 8/1 Alexander 10/1 Thomas 16/1 Frederick 25/1 Henry 25/1 Alfred 33/1 Charles 33/1 Edward 33/1 Jack 33/1 Louis 33/1 William 33/1 50/1 bar Odds supplied by Ladbrokes Advertisement Shy, stammering Bertie was forced to become king when his brother Edward VIII abdicated, but won the nation's affection by standing firm in London during the Second World War. Philip A lasting tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh might see a Prince of Cambridge called Philip. Both Charles and William have Philip as a middle name. The Duke - known for his dedication to duty and his acerbic wit - has been married to the Queen for more than 70 years and is the nation's longest serving consort. Frederick A Prince Freddie of Cambridge would have a historical link to the 1st Duke of Cambridge. Prince Adolphus Frederick lived from 1774 to 1850 and was a son of George III. He was apparently very fond of interrupting church services by bellowing out 'By all means' if the priest said 'Let us pray'. Charles William may want to pay tribute to his father - but perhaps as a middle name as it may be considered to similar to Charlotte. James James could be chosen to signify Kate's affection for her brother, the baby's uncle, James Middleton. William already has a cousin James, the Earl and Countess of Wessex's son, Viscount Severn. James is a Stuart name. James I, son of Mary, Queen of Scots, had been king of Scotland for 36 years as James VI when he became king of England in 1603. Other names They could choose William as a middle name, but also perhaps Michael as a middle name out of respect for Kate's father. Kate's grandfather on her paternal side was called Peter, while on her maternal side, her grandfather was Ronald. Thomas also appears several times in Kate's family tree as does Francis. Its all happening in the world of Pippa Middleton. She has just become an aunt for the third time, after Kate Middleton gave birth to a baby boy on April 23, but come October, it is reported that Pippa Middleton will become a mother for the first time. The Sun on Sunday first reported that Pippa Middleton is pregnant, saying that she and husband James Matthew told the Royal family the news after having the 12-week scan. The couple is said to be overjoyed at the news. It comes during a difficult period for the family after Pippas father-in-law, Jamess father David Matthews, was accused of raping a minor; allegations which he denies, saying they are untrue and scandalous. Pippa Middleton is reported to be pregnant with her first child, with the baby due in October Here is all you need to know about Pippa Middleton, including her net worth, husband James Matthews, pregnancy and sister Kate Middleton. Who is Pippa Middleton? Born on September 6, 1983, Pippa Middleton, real name Philippa, is the second of three children of Michael and Caren Middleton. She is the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton and entrepreneur James Middleton. Pippa attended high-profile schools including St Andrews School, Downe House School and Marlborough College, before graduating with a degree in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh. After graduating, Pippa worked in public relations before moving to event planning company Table Talk. She later launched an online magazine called Party Times, which provided users with information about how to plan parties, theme ideas and more. Pippa also worked for her familys business Party Pieces, which helps people throw parties by providing supplies and themes. Pippa is married to financier James Matthews, whose brother is Made in Chelsea's Spencer Kate Middletons sister nearly stole the show at the 2011 Royal Wedding as the maid of honour, and whose Alexander McQueen dress, designed by Sarah Burton, caused a world-wide sensation, that nearly matched the Kate effect for a time. In 2012, Pippa published Celebrate, her book about how to entertain and host parties for a year of British festivities for family and friends. However, the book failed to perform well after many pointed out that the book contains very generic and obvious suggestions. Pippa has also written for publications such as The Spectator, The Sunday Telegraph and was named contributing editor of Vanity Fair in 2013. Pippa nearly stole the show during 2011's Royal Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William In April, just before Kate Middleton gave birth to a baby boy, it was reported that Pippa was pregnant and due to give birth in October 2018. What is Pippa Middletons net worth? Pippa Middletons net worth is estimated to be $1 million (716,425), according to Celebrity Net Worth. The majority of that money derives from the 400,000 advance Pippa was paid for her 2012 book, 'Celebrate'. In 2015, Pippas company PXM Enterprises, which manages her publishing activities, posted accounts revealing that Kate Middletons sister made over 200,000 between May 2013 and May 2014. However, in 2017, Pippa shut down the company. Pippas net worth is considerably lower than that of her sister Kates or even of Suits actress and Prince Harrys fiancee, Meghan Markle. Who is James Matthews? Pippa married financier James Matthews in May 2016. Matthews is the brother of ex Made in Chelsea star, Spencer Matthews. Matthews had another brother, Michael, who died at the age of 22, on the way down from the Everest summit. At the time Michael became the youngest Briton to scale Mount Everest. James Matthews's family owns the Eden Rock resort in St Barth, whose most expensive room reportedly costs 25,000. Matthews runs the hedge fund Eden Rock Capital Management. What is James Matthews's net worth? James Matthews's net worth is estimated to be at $2.6 billion (2 billion), according to The Net Worth. It is reported that Pippa Middleton's engagement ring set Matthews back 200,000, while the couple went on a honeymoon that cost 120,000. A teenager was admitted to hospital with a motorbike key embedded in his skull after a brawl in India. The 19-year-old, from India's Maharashtra state, was rushed to hospital with the key wedged nearly two inches into his head and was under the knife for three-and-a-half hours. His horrific injury was the result of a brawl in the village of Ghodegaon in Ahmednagar district. A neurosurgeon who operated said the young man could have died if he had suffered internal bleeding. A teenager was admitted to hospital with a motorbike key embedded in his skull after a brawl in India The 19-year-old, from a village in India's Maharashtra state, was rushed to hospital with the key wedged nearly two inches into his head and was under the knife for three-and-a-half hours Dr Shailendra Uttamrao Markad said: 'On April 18 at around 11 am, in a brawl at his village, the teenager was assaulted by someone and a bike key got lodged deep into his skull. 'He was brought to my out-patient department at around 3.30pm, and after seeing the scan report we started the surgery at around 6.30 pm on the same day.' The man was treated at Anand Rishi Hospital and craniotomy surgery - where a bone flap is removed so the brain can be accessed - was performed to remove the key. A neurosurgeon who operated said the young man could have died if he had suffered internal bleeding He was discharged three days after the incident and is said to be making a good recovery. Dr. Markad added: 'The surgery lasted about three and a half hours, during which we opened part of his skull to remove the lodged key. 'The victim has since recovered and is doing fine. He was discharged on April 21 evening, and is expected for a follow-up check this week.' Donald and Melania Trump will entertain their French counterparts at a special dinner this evening at the estate that belonged to America's first president, George Washington. The president and first lady are paying tribute to France's President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte at a state dinner tomorrow at the White House - the first of its kind since Donald Trump took office - where 'Carolina Gold Rice Jambalaya' and 'Goat Cheese Gateau' will be on the menu. Tonight the couples will dine at Mount Vernon after a helicopter ride over Washington to Virginia following a low-key welcome to the White House for the leader who has developed an unlikely friendship with Trump, a fellow political novice. A grand ceremony will take place on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday morning when Macron returns for formal talks with the U.S. president. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Donald and Melania Trump will entertain their French counterparts at a special dinner this evening at the estate that belonged to America's first president, George Washington Tonight the couples will dine at Mount Vernon after a helicopter ride over Washington to Virginia The Trumps will receive the Macrons at the North Portico, in a low-key welcome to the White House for the leader who has developed an unlikely friendship with Trump, a fellow political novice Trump and Macron have bonded in the year since the French president was elected despite major ideological differences that are most apparent in their approaches to international issues like the climate and tariffs. They don't see eye-to-eye on taming Iran, either, and the long-term role of the U.S. in Syria. WHAT'S ON THE MENU First Course: Goat Cheese Gateau Tomato Jam Buttermilk Biscuit Crumbles Young Variegated Lettuces Main Course: Rack of Spring Lamb Burnt Cipollini Soubise Carolina Gold Rice Jambalaya Dessert: Nectarine Tart Creme Fraiche Ice Crea Advertisement The two presidents have formed a partnership to confront brutal dictators and terrorist groups, though, as reflected in their recent assault on Bashar al-Assad after he violated human rights norms with his use of chemical weapons. Their buddy act is drawing comparisons to the 'special relationship' to the U.S. has traditionally had with Great Britain, which joined in the strikes fewer than two weeks ago Assad's chemical weapons facilities in Syria. President Trump has not visited Britain's Theresa May in Britain, putting off or outright cancelling expected trips. A new one is on the books for this summer, officials on both sides of the alliance said last week, but a date has not been locked in. The president and first lady meanwhile spent two days in Paris last July and were the Macrons guests of honor at the annual Bastille Day parade that celebrates France's independence. In the City of Lights, Macron welcomed Trump with a military band as Les Invalides, a military museum and monument, and took him to a five-star dinner inside the Eiffel Tower. They ended the visit, during which Trump told Macron's 64-year-old wife, 'You're in such good shape,' with an effusive display of hugging, hand-yanking and back slapping. Their long goodbye was reminiscent of an earlier hand shake, at their first face-to-face in Brussels in May, that was the very definition of a grip-and-grin. The first lady's office has been overseeing the state dinner that comes much later in Trump's tenure than his predecessors' The Clinton China rests on a table as First Lady Laura Bush gives the press a preview of the dining room for the State Dinner in honor of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the White House in 2006. First Lady Melania Trump has also selected the Clinton China for her event The president and first lady meanwhile spent two days in Paris last July and were the Macrons guests of honor at the annual Bastille Day parade that celebrates France's independence. Trump and Marcon are seen at Elysee Palace in July Recalling the handshake in an interview with Fox News that aired on the network Sunday, Macron said it was actually 'a very friendly moment.' 'Seeing Prime Minister Abe and some of the different victims I resisted,' he admitted. 'But in fact, I mean, it was -- it was a very natural moment, I have to say. And a very friendly moment. Dont worry.' He said that he and Trump had developed a 'strong personal relation' based on their interactions, including the trip to Paris for Bastille Day. 'We have a very special relationship because both of us are probably the maverick of the systems on both sides. I think President Trumps election was unexpected in your country and probably my election was unexpected in my country. And we are not part of the classical political system,' he said. Macron also told Fox, 'I think we are very much in line on some very critical issues of this worldand especially counter terrorism and fight against ISIS.' A senior U.S. official said Friday that this week's festivities in Washington are 'something of a celebration of the relationship.' 'I think its indicative of a desire to continue to forge a close relationship, a stronger relationship, a relationship thats already very strong, I think -- among the strongest that we have of any allies and partners in the world,' the official said. However, the senior Trump administration official also predicted that there would be 'a full and free airing of points of view' on global issues during their talks this week, 'many of which we feel are pretty closely aligned France, and then a few which may not be as tightly aligned.' 'But more than anything, I think what the President would like to hear from President Macron is his counsel and his point of view and his perspective, the official said. France's president Emmanuel Macron (L) and US President Donald Trump shake hands before a meeting at the Palace Hotel during the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 18, 2017, in New York The Macrons are not arriving to the White House empty-handed. They're bringing a sapling European Sessile Oak, the first lady's office says, that is approximately 4.5 feet tall and between 5-10 years old. Alongside the Trumps, they will will plant the tree that comes from Belleau Woods, a landmark tied to the United States' entry into World War, before their dinnertime departure to Mount Vernon. Tomorrow morning the White House says that 500 members of the military from five branches will be on the South Lawn for a 'Review of the Troops' when the Macrons arrive. Cabinet secretaries, Members of Congress and military families will be present, in addition to students from Maya Angelou French Immersion School of Temple Hills, Maryland. Presidents Macron and Trump will hold bilateral talks on Tuesday morning and appear side-by-side at a joint news conference after. A state dinner is to follow that Politico says will have 150 guests. Democrats and members of the media are getting the short shrift this year. Neither were invited to the meal that's taking place in the White House's State Dining Room, aside from Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards. A scaled-down affair, Trump's first state dinner will not take place under the cover of tents set up on the South Lawn that were a hallmark of Barack Obama's dinners. The parade of celebrities who came to those formal affairs is expected to be all but non-existent. A guest list has not been released yet for Tuesday's dinner, but a mere handful of GOP politicians, even, such as House Speaker Paul Ryan were known to be on it. Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis are also planning to attend, Fox News reported. The Washington National Opera will provide the evening's entertainment. The first lady's office has been overseeing the state dinner that comes much later in Trump's tenure than his predecessors'. Barack Obama and George W. Bush held state dinners in November and September, respectively, the first year of their presidencies. France is getting its turn earlier under Trump than it did under either previous American president, with the last two coming in 2007 and 2014. First lady Melania Trump highlighted the work her office has done to make her husband's first state dinner a reality in a morning tweet that said: 'After months of preparations, @POTUS and I are looking forward to hosting our first State Dinner with France! Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to make this visit a success.' The first lady's office said Monday that the menu for Tuesday's dinner would consist of: Goat Cheese Gateau, Tomato Jam, Buttermilk Biscuit Crumbles, Young Variegated Lettuces, Rack of Spring Lamb, Burnt Cipollini Soubise, Carolina Gold Rice Jambalaya, Nectarine Tart and Creme Fraiche Ice Cream. Tomorrow's meal is being prepared by White House Executive Chef Christeta Comerford. China from both the Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush administrations will be used during the upscale meal. The Trumps and Macrons review the troops during last summer's Bastille Day parade They ended the visit, during which Trump told Macron's 64-year-old wife, 'You're in such good shape,' with an effusive display of hugging, hand-yanking and back slapping In the City of Lights, Macron welcomed Trump with a military band as Les Invalides, a military museum and monument (pictured) and took him to a five-star dinner inside the Eiffel Tower. A State Dining Room meal in 2007, Fox notes that George W. Bush's administration served French President Nicolas Sarkozy and more than 100 other guests 'lobster bisque, lamb with tomato fondue, green beans and sweet potato casserole, salad and dessert.' Louisiana politicians were among the invited guests that evening, as well as Major League Baseball pitcher Tom Glavine, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and French chef Guy Savoy. An East Room performance of actors playing Washington and Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette, whom the square in front of the White House is named after, followed the dinner. Sarkozy took a tour of Mount Vernon on his own the next day. Macron will address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday before departing Washington in rare speech that's extended to only a few visiting leaders. Macron told Fox in the special that was taped in Elysee Palace and aired on Sunday, 'Im very honored to come to your country at the invitation of President Trump and have the opportunity to discuss with him and go into the Congress for this address. 'My objective is to highlight a long-term history between our two countries, based on values,' he said. 'And I think the U.S. today has a very strong role to play for peace in different regions of the world and especially Middle East.' The U.S. is one of the last best hopes for bringing peace to troubled regions, he said. 'So, I will advocate for multilateralism in front of the Congress for that, which means playing all together in order to reduce the influence and support of some rogue states and very tough dictators. And obviously fight against the terrorism together.' Theresa May has congratulated the Cambridges on the birth of their baby boy - and wished them great happiness for the future. The Prime Minister tweeted her delight at the baby news after Kensington Palace announced the arrival of the little boy. The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to her third child - a boy weighing 8lbs 7oz - on St George's Day. Mrs May wrote on Twitter: 'My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. I wish them great happiness for the future.' Scroll down for video Theresa May(pictured taking a selfie at a local election event in Dudley today has congratulated the Cambridges on the birth of their baby boy - and wished them great happiness for the future The PM tweeted her delight at the baby news after Kensington Palace announced the news Several other politicians, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, were also quick to send their congratulations to the royal couple at the good news Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, also tweeted a message of congratulations Mayor for London Sadiq Khan sent congratulations to the royal couple on behalf of al Londoners Labour leader Jeremy Cobyn also sent his congratulations after hearing the news Several other politicians were also quick to send their congratulations to the royal couple at the good news. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also tweeted at the good news, saying: 'Huge congratulations to Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the safe delivery of their baby boy today! @KensingtonRoyal'. Labour's shadow home secretary Diane Abbott wrote: 'Big congratulations to William and Kate.' The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: 'Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the safe delivery of their baby, a brother for Prince George and Princess Charlotte. 'May God bless them and all of their children with love, happiness and health.' Kensington Palace announced that the baby was born at about 11am, after Kate was taken by car before 6am to the private Lindo wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. The Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a baby boy. The couple are pictured on March 22 in Stratford, East London The birth appears to have taken place without complications. The baby is fifth in line to the throne, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's sixth great-grandchild and a younger brother for Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Prince William was present for the birth, and both Kate and the child were 'doing well', according to a palace spokesman. Senior members of the royal family were said to be 'delighted with the news'. Royal watchers had been expecting a swift delivery at the Lindo Wing, with the child sharing a birthday with William Shakespeare and Lady Gabriella Windsor, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. A Palace spokesman said: 'Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 11.01am. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. 'The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. 'Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news.' Royal fan Sharon McEwan is camped today outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London Royal fans John Loughrey (right) and Terry Hutt (left) pose for a photo opposite the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital today The baby's title is HRH Prince Cambridge. Earlier, excitement was building outside St Mary's Hospital, where some fans had been camped out for 15 days hoping for a glimpse of the royal baby. The timing of today's announcement that Kate had gone into labour, falling on St George's Day, added to the occasion for waiting royalists outside. John Loughrey, 63, who is part of a group who have been camped outside the hospital, said: 'We are so pleased. We have been here for 15 days. 'I'm so pleased it's St George's Day. St George himself would be very pleased if the baby's born today.' Mr Loughrey, from Streatham, South London, said he plans to celebrate the birth with English flags and a portion of fish and chips. Attorneys defending a man accused of stabbing to death Morgan Freemans step-granddaughter have introduced into evidence text message exchanges in which the victim talked about 'grandpa feelings.' These new revelations come after Lamar Davenport's lawyer Annie Costanzo stated in court on Friday that not long before her death in August 2015, E'Dena Hines, 33, told her boyfriend and others that her grandfather engaged in a sexually inappropriate relationship with her. On July 3, 2015, about six weeks before she was slaughtered outside her apartment building in Washington Heights, Hines texted Davenport to tell him that she was having issues with an older man. Scroll down for video Bombshell: Text message exchanges between Lamar Davenport (pictured in court earlier this month, left) and E'dena Hines talked about her 'grandpa feelings' and 'submissive love' for her grandfather, Morgan Freeman (pictured together in 2005, right) Morgan Freeman's family are pictured leaving Manhattan Supreme Court in the Lamar Davenport murder trial on Friday I dont ask him for advice, Hines wrote. He was calling to ask me ... I blocked him for myself not for you because men who equal grandpa feelings don't need to be in my life at all,' reported New York Daily News. The message was sent in the context of a broader conversation about Davenport and Hines' troubled relationship. During the exchange, the pair talked about Hines 'grandpa,' with Davenport writing to his girlfriend that 'when it comes to...your grandfather, there's a submissive love that will always be there.' It is not clear at this point why the defense chose to disclose this information in open court, or how it might be relevant to the murder case. But a therapist testified that Davenport admitted to frequent arguments with Hines about infidelity during which each accused the other of being unfaithful. E'Dena Hines was the biological daughter of Deena Adair, whom Freeman adopted with his first wife. They were not related by blood. Freeman and his second wife, Myrna, later raised E'Dena as their own. Rumors about Freeman and Hines have been swirling for nearly a decade, beginning in 2009 when The National Enquirer published a story alleging that the Hollywood A-lister was involved in a years-long affair with his step-granddaughter. The magazine also quote a friend of hers saying she wanted to marry the actor. Three years before Hines' violent death, it was reported that Freeman was planning to marry her, but they both vehemently denied being romantically involved. Latest sighting: Freeman, 80, was last sighted appearing at the WE Day California at The Forum, in Inglewood, California, on Thursday (left and right) 'The recent reports of any pending marriage or romantic relationship of me to anyone are defamatory fabrications from the tabloid media designed to sell papers,' Freeman said in a statement in 2012. 'What is even more alarming is that these fabrications are now being picked up by the legitimate press as well.' Hines, then aged 27, said: 'These stories about me and my grandfather are not only untrue, they are also hurtful to me and my family.' Morgan was married to Hines' grandmother, Jeanette Adair Bradshaw, from 1967 until 1979. He then married costume designer Myrna Colley-Lee on June 16, 1984, and the two later adopted his step-granddaughter E'dena and raised her together. The couple finally divorced in 2010 after a messy break up. Hines was stabbed 25 times in the street in Washington Heights, New York, on August 16, 2015, at 2.50am. Davenport's attorneys argue he is not guilty of the violent crime by reason of insanity because he was in the throes of a PCP-induced psychosis at the time of the attack. Hines and Davenport, a rapper, had been living together in a $780,000 apartment that Freeman had bought for Hines. In this video shown in court last week, an intoxicated Lamar Davenport (pictured) becomes angry at E'Dena Hines, who appears to be filming her final hours During their nine-year relationship, Davenport fathered children with other women and abused drugs. Davenport denies the killing. He was taken to a psychiatric facility immediately after her death but has been in custody ever since. Last week, the court heard testimony from a witness who described how Hines was repeatedly stabbed in the back, neck and chest by Davenport, who was heard yelling about releasing the devil from her. The jury was also shown footage recorded by Hines just hours before her killing, which showed her intoxicated boyfriend sitting at a table with friends and angrily yelling at her to stop filming. The founder of Brazil's Miss BumBum competition has called on women to stop trying to copy Kim Kardashian, claiming the trend towards ever bigger bottoms is 'a cause for national concern'. Cacau Oliver, owner of the hugely successful best butt competition franchise, claims Brazilian women have become 'so obsessed' by the American reality star that most 'style their own bum on hers'. And he appealed for them to be more 'patriotic' and avert a crisis by preserving the natural beauty of the iconic Brazilian bottom famous around the world. Cacau Oliver, the found of the Miss BumBum contest has said Brazil is facing a 'national crisis' over the size of women's bottoms, with constant pressure to make them bigger Mr Oliver urged Brazilian women to be 'patriotic' and keep their natural curves, rather than using surgery to enhance their features The annual 'best bottom' contest is now in its eighth year and is Brazil's most popular beauty pageant, with women who are crowned Miss Bumbum becoming overnight celebrities. But last year the competition changed its rules to ban contestants whose backsides exceeded 43 inches in diameter - the same as Kim Kardashian's famous asset. Mr Oliver, speaking on the eve of the launch of his autobiography, 'Make Celebrities', said the Kim effect risked turning Brazil into a nation of 'unslightly, exaggerated bottoms'. He said: 'Unfortunately Kim Kardashian's bottom has redefined parameters in the nation of the bumbum. 'Over recent years we have seen how the Kim effect had changed what is considered a beautiful body, and especially a desirable bottom. Las year Mr Oliver took the step of banning bottoms bigger than Kim's - 43 inches - from the competition in an attempt to make it 'classy and elegant' Mr Oliver said Brazil risks becoming a nation of 'unslightly, exaggerated bottoms' unless the Kardashian trend could be reversed 'Certainly when it comes to bottom aesthetics, she has become the only reference in Brazil. Every woman wants their bum to look exactly like hers, it's almost an obsession. 'Among Miss Bumbum hopefuls it has almost become a rule that every bottom needs to look like Kim's.' But he says the socialite's huge success in the South American country threatens to 'take the beauty out of the Brazilian bumbum, which would be a tragedy for us. 'Brazil has always been known as the land of the beautiful, sexy bottom. But now they are getting too big to be naturally beautiful and that should be a cause for national concern.' He added: 'I would ask Brazilian women to think again before trying to achieve a bottom like Kim Kardashian's. 'I would ask them to be patriotic and instead of trying to copy an American bottom, strive to preserve Brazil's image around the world.' More women have their bottoms surgically enhanced in Brazil than any other country, with more than 64,000 butt lift procedures carried out every year. A Fresno State professor who came under fire last week for cheering the death of former first lady Barbara Bush was lauded at a local literary festival this weekend. English Professor Randa Jarrar was scheduled to headline LitHop, but had to pull out a few days before the festival due to the scandal surrounding her comments. She has since left the country and is currently on leave for the semester (her Twitter says she's in Tunisia). Nonetheless, every time her name was read during the festival this weekend, attendees applauded, The Fresno Bee reports. 'I support Randa Jarrar's free speech and I also denounce any violence against her or threats of violence against anyone else,' Lee Herrick, founder of LitHop, said during the event on Saturday. Just an hour after Barbara Bush's (right) death was announced Tuesday evening, Fresno State Professor Randa Jarrar (left) wrote a tweet celebrating her passing The scandal surrounding Jarrar's comments caused her to pull out of a literary festival on Saturday (one of the festival's events pictured above) The festival's director, Juan Luis Guzman, said he saw 'a lot of people' in the community 'showing their love and support for Randa' after she was widely criticized online. One of the event's performers, poet Carmen Gimenez Smith, dedicated a poem to Jarrar. She said Jarrar is a writer who expresses her freedom through literature. Jarrar has also received support from her fellow Fresno State faculty and multiple advocacy groups. Lars Maischak, a history lecturer who was demoted last year after posting a tweet saying 'Trump must hang' said last Wednesday that the university failed to stand up to the 'fascist threat to adademic freedom' by not supporting Jarrar. Jarrar was applauded every time her name was brought up at the literary festival this weekend. Above, the tweets that caused controversy last week Adam Steinbaugh, senior program officer for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, toldFox News that Jarrar's 'tweets are unquestionably protected speech under the First Amendment and Fresno State has no power to censor, punish, or terminate Jarrar for them'. While Jarrar has tenure and tweeted that she can't be fired, the university is still investigating the matter, and tenure experts say she is not completely protected. In a press conference last Wednesday, Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro said he couldn't discuss the specific's of Jarrar's case but said officials would review the facts and the collective bargaining agreement. 'A professor with tenure does not have blanket protection to say and do what they wish,' Castro said. 'We are all held accountable for our actions.' Gregory Scholtz, director of the Depratment of Academic Freedom, Tenure and Governance of the Americna Association of University Professors told The Mercury News that it's actually a 'common misconception that academic freedom is absolute'. University president Joseph Castro released a statement, apologizing for the remarks, and making a point to add that the English professor's comments were made as a 'private citizen' He said a university can fire a professor if their speech raises 'grave doubts' about their fitness for their position. 'A faculty member can be accused of unethical conduct or can be accused of incompetence,' Scholtz said. The professor has been under intense criticism after she posted on Twitter that Barbara Bush was an 'amazing racist' following news that the former first lady had passed on Tuesday. 'Barbara Bush was a generous and smart and amazing racist who, along with her husband, raised a war criminal,' Jarrar wrote. University officials received a link on Friday from Altrightnews that showed a compilation of Jarrar's other controversial comments In the clip, Randa Jarrar is seen talking about Fresno's agriculture industry where she states: 'a lot of the farmers now are Trump supporters and just f---ing stupid' On her now private Twitter, Jarrar was unbothered by the video compilation and actually called the clips of her speaking 'iconic' 'PSA: either you are against these pieces of s*** and their genocidal ways or you're part of the problem,' Jarrar added in her viral rant. 'That's actually how simple this is. I'm happy the witch is dead. Can't wait for the rest of her family to fall to their demise the way 1.5 million Iraqis have.' Following Jarrar's Twitter storm, a video surfaced from an alt-right group, showing a compilation of Jarrar's controversial statements in interviews and speeches. In the clip, Jarrar is seen talking about Fresno's agriculture industry where she states: 'a lot of the farmers now are Trump supporters and just f***ing stupid.' Jarrar, a Muslim, was born in Chicago but grew up in Kuwait and Egypt, before returning to the U.S. after the first Gulf War. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Salon.com, The Rumpus, the Utne Reader, The Oxford American. She is the author of two books, the coming of age novel 'A Map of Home' and a story collection - 'Him, Me, Muhammad Ali' Mandy Richards has been chosen to try and overturn a 2,500 vote majority to win Worcester from the Tories at the next election Labour is facing demands to axe a prospective MP for spreading conspiracy theories about the Manchester bombing and Jo Cox's murder. Mandy Richards, who has been selected to fight Worcester at the next election, said the murder of Ms Cox in 2016 was 'conveniently bereft of evidence'. She also posted tweets questioning whether last year's Manchester Arena terror attack took place. The messages will increase the pressure on Labour's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) to strip her of the candidacy in the marginal seat. It emerged yesterday that Ms Richards can only bring court cases in future with the prior approval of a judge after trying and failing to push through a series of earlier challenges. She brought failed actions against MI5, MI6, the Metropolitan police, the army, Thames Water, her gas, electricity and broadband suppliers, Royal Mail, Hackney council, her GP and the freeholder of her flat, according to the Sunday Times. None of the failed cases were declared to Labour before she was selected as a candidate, MailOnline understands. Her selection by activists in Worcester still needs to be approved by the NEC - as Labour MPs called for it to be blocked. Backbencher John Woodcock said: 'We would be outraged if any other party picked a candidate who said this about the murder of our friend. We should care even more about getting our own house in order.' One of Ms Richards' cases dismissed as being 'totally without merit'. In a separate court case, she filed a challenge to the result of a 2016 London Assembly election but was dismissed after presenting a 'conspiracy hypotheses' that were 'totally unfounded'. Ms Richards was a Labour candidate in the 2016 London assembly election and also brought a High Court petition to challenge the result, alleging a conspiracy to cheat her involving the returning officer and Progress, Labour's centrist group. Ms Richards tweeted about the Manchester bombing, and suggested the murder of Jo Cox was 'conveniently bereft of evidence' Labour backbencher John Woodcock was among those who condemned the tweets In a two-day hearing, she said 'state-sponsored organised crime' in the case had 'the potential to trigger a major national public scandal' and forced 13 witnesses, including her MP, the shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, to give evidence in person. Ms Abbott said she was an 'obsessive' whose claims about the election 'cannot be true'. Dismissing Richards's case, the election commissioner, John Bowers QC, said she had pursued 'conspiracy hypotheses' that were 'totally unfounded'. Mr Bowers also criticised her for not turning up to court on time. Her actions are estimated to have cost taxpayers 500,000 in court time and legal fees. In a post on Facebook tonight, Ms Richards did not directly address the tweets on Ms Cox's murder and the Manchester bombing. But she insisted all the legal actions she had attempted to bring were 'above board'. 'I apologise to Labour Party members for any consternation or upset the articles published this weekend may have caused, but I can assure you categorically the cases brought were all above board,' she wrote. The eyes of the world were on the Lindo Wing in London today as excited well-wishers patiently waited for the arrival of the new Prince of Cambridge. But perhaps most excited of all will be Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who will no doubt be looking forward to meeting their little brother. The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a little boy within just hours of being admitted to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington - although Charlotte was the baby to be born the quickest, just two hours after her mother was admitted to hospital. But the new Prince is the heaviest of the siblings at 8lb 7oz - heavier than both Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Here we look at how the birth compared to that of Prince George's in July 2013, and Princess Charlotte's in May 2015. Kate remained in hospital for just over 24 hours when she gave birth to her first child, George, on July 22, 2013 When Princess Charlotte was born on May 2, 2015, Kate was in and out in just 10 hours Third in a row: The youngest child was born at 11.01am weighing a hefty 8lb 7oz after just five hours in labour Weight: 8lb 7oz Date of birth: April 23, 2018 Time of birth: 11.01am Time in labour: Just over five hours The new baby Prince of Cambridge weighed 8lb 7oz - heavier than both Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The duchess was taken to the private Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, before 6am on Monday in the early stages of labour, with the Duke of Cambridge at her side. At 8.24am Kensington Palace confirmed she had been admitted to hospital in the early stages of labour. At 11.01am, she gave birth to a baby son. At 1.02pm Kensington Palace announced the birth of the prince and revealed the baby weighs 8lb 7oz. The duchess will be expected to head home to the sanctuary of Kensington Palace in a few hours, just as she did with Charlotte in 2015 - but not before introducing the new royal baby to world on the steps of the Lindo Wing. Arthur, Albert and Philip are all thought to be in the running for the new royal babys name. But the parents are likely to wait until they have informed the Queen and the rest of their family. A notice is placed on an easel to formally announce the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge The Duke of Cambridge was pictured emerging from the Lindo Wing this afternoon The new baby Prince of Cambridge weighed 8lb 7oz - heavier than both Prince George and Princess Charlotte The same team of medics oversaw the birth of the three royal siblings It's a girl! Princess Charlotte tipped the scales at 8lb 3oz when she was born at 11am in May 2015 after just two hours of labour Weight: 8lb 3oz Date of birth: May 2, 2015 Time of birth: 8.34am Time in labour: Just over two hours When Princess Charlotte was born on May 2, 2015, Kate was in and out of the hospital in just 10 hours. Kate was admitted at 6am and Charlotte was born two hours and 34 minutes later, weighing 8lb 3oz. At 11am on May 2, Kensington Palace announced the birth via Twitter and a website statement. Princess Charlotte was named two days after she was born, on May 4, with a formal announcement revealing her name as Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. As the second child of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge she is fourth in line to the throne. Charlotte was christened at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham, her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth's country estate in Norfolk, eastern England. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge asked the following people to be godparents to Princess Charlotte: Sophie Carter; James Meade; Adam Middleton; The Hon. Laura Fellowes; Thomas van Straubenzee. When Princess Charlotte was born on May 2, 2015, Kate was in and out in just 10 hours Kate was admitted at 6am in 2015 and Charlotte was born two hours and 34 minutes later, weighing 8lb 3oz Princess Charlotte's heartwarming first official photographs showed her being tenderly held by her big brother Princess Charlotte was also named two days after she was born, on May 4, with a formal announcement revealing her name as Charlotte Elizabeth Diana The couple beamed with joy when their second born - and first girl - was born in 2015 Prince George was taken into the hospital by his father so he could meet his baby sister in 2015 The first born: Prince George arrived later in the day with a 4.30pm appearance in 2013 weighing 8lb 6oz after a ten hour labour Weight: 8lb 6oz Date of birth: July 22, 2013 Time of birth: 4.24pm Time in labour: More than ten hours Kate remained in hospital for just over 24 hours when she gave birth to her first child, George, on July 22, 2013. She gave birth 10-and-a-half hours after being admitted to the Lindo Wing, at 4.24pm. George was then the heaviest future king to be born in recent history, at 8lb 6oz. Two days after Prince George was born, and one day after Kate left hospital, an announcement was made confirming his name as George Alexander Louis. Prince George was christened on Wednesday, 23rd October 2013 at The Chapel Royal, St Jamess Palace by The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby. In keeping with Royal tradition, Prince George wore the hand-made replica of the Royal Christening Robe, made by Angela Kelly, Dressmaker to The Queen. The Lily Font and water from the River Jordan were also used during the baptism. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chose the following people to be Godparents to Prince George: Oliver Baker, David Jardine-Paterson, Earl Grosvenor (Hugh), Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, The Hon Mrs Michael Samuel, Michael Tindall and William van Cutsem. Kate remained in hospital for just over 24 hours when she gave birth to her first child, George, on July 22, 2013 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge appeared with their baby son Prince George outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital on July 23, 2013 Prince George's first official photo was a family affair, in which he featured alongside his mother and father, and their dog Lupo Two days after Prince George was born, and one day after Kate left hospital, an announcement was made confirming his name as George Alexander Louis Richard Hamilton, 49, allegedly refused a sobriety rest after fatally running over his 21-month-old son on Thursday An Arizona father has been arrested after he fatally ran over his 21-month-old son and allegedly refused a field sobriety test when police showed up. Richard Hamilton, 49, had been playing with the child, Sammy, in the front yard of his Phoenix home on Thursday before the tragic crash, neighbors told police. Police say he smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes but told them he hadn't had anything to drink that day. He did admit to drinking half a pint of vodka the previous night, according to court records. Hamilton said he was moving a truck just before 6pm and didn't realize Sammy had gotten close to the vehicle, and he stopped the truck when he felt a bump under the tire. A broken beer bottle was found about eight feet from the back of the truck Hamilton was driving, and liquor was splashed over the driver side rear tire, the police report said. Glass fragments were found in a nearby trash can, making investigators think someone tried cleaning up the broken beer bottle. Sammy was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead there. Scroll down for video Naighbors told police the father had been playing with Sammy in the front yard of their Phoenix home before the fatal crash Sammy's mother spoke on behalf of Hamilton at his court appearance on Friday, said the incident was a 'total accident' After obtaining a search warrant, police were able to test him for alcohol but the results are still pending, as reported by NBC12. Hamilton spent six years in jail for aggravated DUI and vehicular homicide and was released in 2013, according to AZ Central. He is also currently on probation for a second aggravated DUI conviction. Sammy's mother spoke on behalf of Hamilton at his court appearance on Friday, and said in between tears the incident was a 'total accident' and asked the judge to release him so the family can properly grieve the boy. EPA chief Scott Pruitt met with the lobbyist whose wife rented him a Capitol Hill housing for just $50-per-night to talk about a program that cleans up swamps. Pruitt was already under fire for the terms of the lease, which allowed him to only pay for the rented room held for his use on nights that he needed it. Although the townhouse is owned by the wife of lobbyist J. Steven Hart, Pruitt had maintained the two didn't discuss business while he lived there for six months last year. But the firm filed a new lobbying disclosure stating that Hart lobbied the EPA on 'issues relating to support for EPA Chesapeake Bay Programs.' EPA chief Scott Pruitt met with the lobbyist whose wife rented him a Capitol Hill housing for just $50-per-night, although he said earlier the lobbyist had no clients doing business with his agency The new disclosure came hours after Hart announced he was leaving the firm earlier than planned. In a new twist on the culture President Trump likes to term 'the swamp,' the personal meeting where the firm says lobbying occurred involved a program to clean up the Chesapeake Bay by targeting sources of run off and pollution, including at farms and animal raising and processing facilities. President Trump had threatened to slash funding for cleanup programs that are in part directed by EPA. Pruitt and Hart have previously said Hart didn't do any recent business with the EPA. Hart told the New York Times that Pruitt met with him and Dennis Treacy, a former executive with Smithfield Foods who now serves on the board of the company's foundation. CLEANUP: Ducks swim in the frigid waters of the Chesapeake Bay as the Sandy Point Shoal Lighthouse looms in the distance, on March 17, 2017 in Skidmore, Maryland. Under U.S. President Donald Trump's 2018 budget proposal, federal funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program that focuses on reducing pollution in the bay, would be eliminated. Hart told the paper his work was on behalf of Treacy personally not for Smithfield. Treacy sits on the board of the Chesapeake Bay Commission. President Trump's latest budget proposes slashing 90 per cent from Bay, Great Lakes cleanups. 'It doesn't get much swampier than an agency head getting a sweetheart deal on rent from a lobbyist with business before his agency, but someone lying about it afterwards does make it worse," said Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse in a statement. "The laundry list of Pruitt scandals grows,' he said. The July 11 meeting took place in Pruitt's office which has drawn attention for security improvements sought under Pruitt, including a soundproof room and bullet-proof desk. It included Pruitt, his chief of staff Ryan Jackson, Hart, and Treacy, and EPA official told Politico. The meeting also involved a former executive for Smithfield Foods. The company got slapped with a fine for illegal dumping in a Chesapeake Bay tributary in Virginia, but now is part of an alliance that backs bay cleanup efforts. Here Sam Bedinger cleans out the boat used to replenish the cages and harvest the oysters as the sun begins to rise January 25, 2017 in White Stone, VA. According to emails obtained by the publication, Hart wrote Jackson that Treacy had asked that he attend. Treacy 'is a good guy and can be trusted,' he wrote. 'He is coming in as the business rep on the Chesapeake Bay Foundation another of your controversies.' In 1997 a federal judge gave Smithfield a $12.6 million fine for illegal dumping of hog waste in a tributary of the James River, south of historic Jamestown and Williamsburg. The company currently participates in an alliance that supports bay cleanup programs. When he came under fire for the lease, Pruitt told Fox News that 'Hart has no clients that have business before this agency.' Hart says his meeting didn't constitute lobbying. Said Hart: 'I assisted a friend who served on the Chesapeake Bay Commission, and this is inaccurately being tied to Smithfield Foods. I was not paid for this assistance and any suggestion that I lobbied for Smithfield Foods is inaccurate.' Italian Stefano Brizzi, 50 attempted to eat the policeman he killed in April 2016 A cannibal killer who brutally murdered a Met Police officer hanged himself in his cell weeks after notes marked 'in case of my death' were found by prison staff. Stefano Brizzi, 50, killed PC Gordon Semple, 59, then cooked parts of his body and tried to eat him, in April 2016. Italian national Brizzi was less than three months into his minimum 24-year jail sentence for the gruesome killing, on February 5 last year, when he was found dead. An inquest heard on Monday how two weeks prior to his suicide, notes had been found which may have indicated suicidal thoughts. Brizzi had served eight weeks for strangling PC Semple during a drug-fuelled sadomasochistic chemsex session when he took his own life. The pair had met through gay dating app Grindr and the former Morgan Stanley IT developer invited PC Semple to his flat near London Bridge for a 'sleazy session'. Breaking Bad obsessed Brizzi killed the Peckham based officer, chopped him up, then tried to dissolve his victim's body parts in acid. Other parts he tried to cook so he could eat them. PC Semple's DNA was found on chopsticks, in a cooking pot and in Brizzi's oven. PC Gordon Semple, 59, met Brizzi on gay dating app Grindr and was murdered brutally in his London Bridge flat Brizzi was placed on suicide watch in maximum security Belmarsh jail in south east London. On January 4, after he was convicted, 'suicide watch ceased' and a month later Brizzi took his own life, an inquest at Southwark Coroners' Court heard on Monday. Letters to his best friend and other family members were found in the killer's cell, as well as a handwritten will. Many were found after his death, but today the court heard others were discovered in January - two weeks prior to his suicide. Jeanette Turrell, a custodial manager at Belmarsh told the court documents marked 'in case of my death' were found in Brizzi's cell on January 24. She said: 'Pieces of paperwork marked 'in case of my death', a list of staff officer's names, and some items referring to his family including a next of kin slip were found prior to his death. 'It appears to be quite unclear as to what happened after that meeting and what happened as a result and who the information was or wasn't shared with.' A prison officer said to Southwark Coroner's Court if documents found after his death were known to the authorities he would have been placed on a 'constant watch'. But questions remain over what was discovered in the run up to his death. Coroner Dr Julian Morris said the inquest will look at the response of prison staff to finding a ligature in Brizzi's cell before his death, as well as the accuracy of assessments made of his mental health. Brizzi was seen on CCTV buying supplies in a London shop. He attempted to dissolve his victim's body in acid and cooked other body parts Questions have been raised over the discovery of the noose in his cell, and how he was able to hang himself weeks later. Psychiatrist Matthew Cook of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust said a noose was found the day he was convicted but said he made it because he was 'bored'. He said: 'Initially when the ligature was found he was adamant he had no suicidal ideation and that he only made the noose because he was bored and frustrated with what was happening at the time through the court case. 'He claimed the ligature was there for a period of time and said he had no intention to harm himself. 'He was frustrated he couldn't access his bank and had no money for the canteen and that no one in the prison cared for him and he felt ignored. 'He said he had periods of suicidal thoughts throughout his adult life due to his HIV status and losing his job. 'He felt crystal meth had ruined his life and he had lost his job because of it. He found that difficult to cope with. 'He fully expected to spend the rest of his life in prison as he had a life-limiting condition, but wanted to make a life for himself as best he could.' Police surround the flat where PC Gordon Semple was killed by HIV positive drug addict Stefano Brizzi, 50 Gordon Semple's body was found in a flat on the Peabody Estate close to London Bridge after he met a gay lover on Grindr However, Stuart Lawson, governor of Belmarsh jail, told the court Brizzi was not assessed as 'vulnerable' when he first arrived at the category A jail. He said: 'Mr Brizzi came through and with the nature of his crime that doesn't necessarily make him a vulnerable prisoner. 'When interviewed he didn't feel vulnerable so wasn't put on the vulnerable wing, he went to health care for assessment. 'That was the right decision for them to make, it is quite normal when a prisoner presents themselves as some sort of risk.' Stefan Brizzi hand wrote a will before he hanged himself in Belmarsh prison in February, just eight weeks into his 24 year sentence Gordon from Inverness was based at Peckham police station in south-east London after joining the Metropolitan Police in 1986 CCTV footage showed PC Semple on his way to meeting Brizzi in April 2016. The PC was killed and chopped up by the Italian The court also heard Brizzi used cannabis for the age of 40 and became addicted to meth in 2013 where he would meet HIV positive men for sex. Dr Rachel Daly, a consultant forensic psychiatrist from Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'I saw him when he came into Belmarsh. 'He said he found family life difficult because they struggled with his sexuality and his HIV status. 'He had some physical health problems relative to him being HIV positive and Hepatitis C. 'He had a history of addiction to crystal meth since he came to London. 'There was no evidence of depression of self-harm because of his conviction. 'He had a good insight and felt he had come to prison for a serious charge and had ruined his life through addiction to drugs and lost his job. 'He blamed his crime on drug misuse. He felt his major problems came from prior to coming to prison, he did not believe it was due to any madness. 'He was a very sad man, he had seen he had deteriorated from success to prison but was still anxious to get involved in prison life.' Brizzi was born in Florence, Italy, and had two degrees in philosophy and computing, and was a web developer for Morgan Stanley bank for more than 20 years. The inquest continues. A bird strike inflicted $1million worth of damage to the engine of a Blue Angels plane during an air show in Florida over the weekend. The incident took place in the skies over Vero Beach on Saturday, when a bird flew into the engine of the Blue Angels' jet No 5, which caused the aircraft to make a safe but early landing. The Navy then brought in another Boeing F/A-18 Hornet plane on Sunday and put a number '5' on it so viewers could enjoy a complete performance of the celebrated US Navy flight demonstration squadron on the final day of the Vero Beach Air Show, Catherine Caddell, the event's director of marketing, told TCPalm.com. Bird vs 'Hornet': A bird strike caused $1million worth of damage to an F/A-18 Hornet jet designated as Blue Angels plane No 5 (file image) at an event in Florida The incident took place on Saturday at the Vero Beach Air Show (Blue Angels planes are pictured in the sky during the show) The No 5 jet had to make a safe but early landing after the bird strike (jets are pictured before the incident) The six blue and yellow planes then soared over Vero Beach, performing acrobatic skills for the crowd below, which braved a record-shattering downpour. The Blue Angels' official website indicates that jet No 5, which has a price tag of $21million, is flown by Lt Tyler Davies, a decorated naval officer who joined the team in 2015 and has accumulated more than 1,850 flight hours. 'Lt. Davies reaction, and the coordination conducted by Blue Angels support personnel on the ground and in the air control tower, ensured the landing was executed safely, routinely, and with as little impact to the rest of the ongoing demonstration as possible,' said Blue Angels' spokesperson, Chief Chad Pritt, told DailyMail.com in an email Monday. Pritt also noted that bird strikes are fairly common, and that all naval aviators are trained to deal with them. 'Safety of our pilots, the air show audience and the surrounding community is always our primary concern, and Lt. Davies prudent actions were completely appropriate and underscore the culture of safety the entire Blue Angels team embraces,' the written statement read. According to the Blue Angels' website, the team is scheduled to perform next weekend at the Wings Over Myrtle Beach event in South Carolina. Check engine: A maintenance crew is pictured inspecting the jets before the start of the air show on Saturday (left and right) The Navy then brought in another Boeing F/A-18 Hornet plane on Sunday and put a number '5' on it so viewers could enjoy a complete performance Prince Harry read a moving tribute to Stephen Lawrence by his father Charles who said he 'remembers vividly the senseless murder' of the London teenager 25 years ago. Harry, who attended yesterday's memorial service at St Martin-in-The Fields on Trafalgar Square, also paid tribute to Stephen's family whose fight for justice has changed the face of Britain. He spoke as Theresa May announced the anniversary of his death is to be marked on April 22 each year by a national commemoration of his life and legacy, to be known as Stephen Lawrence Day. Harry told the congregation: 'My father is very sorry not to be able to make it here so I am going to read some remarks on his behalf. It hardly seems possible that 25 years have passed since Stephen Lawrence was so cruelly taken from his family. Doreen Lawrence greets Meghan and Harry on the steps of St Martin in the Fields as a memorial service is held in memory of her son Stephen Doreen Lawrence speaks at the service 25 years and one day after he son's murder and Sir Lenny Henry also spoke to the congregation about Stephen's legacy The royal couple, who will marry in Windsor next month, arrived hours after his brother William had his third child Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle have arrived at the memorial service marking 25th anniversary of the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence Prince Harry spoke at the event at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square Doreen Lawrence and Prime Minister Theresa May depart after attending the 25th Anniversary Memorial Service to celebrate the life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence at St Martin-in-the-Field Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle arrive for the service in memory of Stephen today Harry and Meghan are representing the royal family at today's service in central London The Prince and Ms Markle emerge from the church after the service, at which Harry spoke The royal couple spoke to Stephen's mother Doreen before the service this afternoon Stephen's father Neville Lawrence and his mother Doreen arrive for the service this afternoon Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle arrive at the service at St Martin-in-The Fields 'I remember vividly the profound shock that I felt at his senseless murder, a feeling shared by so many people across this country and beyond. 'I remember, too, just how deeply moved I was by the determination of Stephen's family to build something positive from the tragedy they endured and to ensure that Stephen's story did not end with despair, but continued with hope. 'A quarter of a century later, we can only imagine the man who Stephen would have become, and just how his extraordinary potential might have been fulfilled.'' Harry added that the teenager's family had honoured him with everything they had done in his name and the changes they have brought about. The commemorative day was announced by the Prime Minister at a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of Stephen's murder. Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle arrived hand in hand at the event and spoke with Stephen's mother Doreen Lawrence, now a peer sitting in the Lords, and her son Stuart. The prince brought a message of support on behalf of the Prince of Wales, who in 2000 gave the annual Stephen Lawrence Memorial Lecture which began with a tribute to the Lawrence family. Stephen Lawrence, an 18-year-old student, was fatally stabbed by a gang of racists in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22 1993. The murder was a watershed moment in modern race relations in the UK after the subsequent Macpherson Report concluded the police made mistakes and were guilty of institutional racism. During Monday's service Mrs May gave a scripture reading and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn read an extract from Nelson Mandela's Long Walk To Freedom. Mrs May added: 'For the past 25 years, Doreen and Neville have fought heroically to ensure that their son's life and death will never be forgotten. 'Their dignity, their courage and their sheer determination are an inspiration to us all. 'We are privileged to be here today at this special final anniversary service to commemorate Stephen. 'But it is right that Stephen's name and legacy lives on. In the run-up to this service, I have spoken with Baroness Lawrence about how best to achieve this. 'And so, today, with Baroness Lawrence's blessing, I can announce that the Government will work with the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust to establish a national, annual commemoration of Stephen's life and legacy, to take place on 22 April each year: Stephen Lawrence Day. 'We will use this day to encourage and support young people in achieving their dreams, and to reflect on Stephen's life, death and the positive change he has inspired.' The Prime Minister announced April 22 will be now known as Stephen Lawrence Day Baroness Lawrence (right) and her son Stuart with Prime Minister Theresa May before the memorial service Stephen Lawrence's brother Stuart Lawrence spoke to guests at the memorial service today Political leaders stand with Stephen's family outside the church following today's service As well as a church choir, musician Beverley Knight performed at the memorial event The church, which sits on Trafalgar Square, was full for the service this afternoon Baroness Lawrence said: 'I'd like to thank the Prime Minister for her announcement today that the Government will work with the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust to establish a Stephen Lawrence Day to take place every year on 22 April. 'I feel honoured she has recognised the changes that have been made in Stephen's name and the changes that are still needed. 'This 25th anniversary is a moment for the country to come together to remember Stephen and, going forward, 22 April will provide that focal point every year. 'Stephen was denied his voice but the Stephen Lawrence Day will be an opportunity for young people to use their voices and should be embedded in our education and wider system regardless of the government of the day. 'I look forward to working with the Government to deliver the first day on April 22 2019.' Baroness Lawrence (right) and her son Stuart with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick (second right) and Assistant Commissioner Patrica Gallan London mayor Sadiq Khan and former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett arrive at St Martin-in-the-Fields church near Trafalgar Square Reacting to the announcement of a national Stephen Lawrence Day, the murdered teenager's father, Neville, said: 'That is one of the best things I have heard for years. 'I think I will sleep peacefully in my bed tonight. 'We have got some justice and now this is like a mark of what we have been trying to do for years - our son's memory is going to be enshrined in history.' He added that it was also a reminder to other parents to not 'just sit back and take no for an answer'. She also thanked those who had helped her achieve all she has, and said that after 25 years 'it is time to draw a line'. Singer Beverley Knight sang at the service, captivating the congregation with renditions of Fallen Soldier and A Change Is Gonna Come. Two of the group of up to six thugs who attacked Stephen and his friend Duwayne Brooks, simply because they were black, have been convicted of murder. David Norris and Gary Dobson are serving life sentences. Three other men who have consistently been accused of the killing but never been convicted are Jamie Acourt, 41, from Bexley, his brother Neil Acourt, 42, who uses his mother's maiden name Stuart, and Luke Knight, 41, both from Eltham. Mr Lawrence, 76, announced last week he had made the humbling decision to forgive his son's killers. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was among the dignitaries who attended the event today London mayor Sadiq Khan was among the speakers at the event in London this afternoon Stuart Lawrence speaking during the memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square Baroness Lawrence with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walking down the aisle Every time I think I've seen it all when it comes to American gun violence, something happens to snap my eyelids back with stunned bemusement. In the early hours of yesterday morning, a half-naked 29-year-old man named Travis Reinking opened fire with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle on customers in and outside Antioch Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee. He killed four people and wounded another four, before unarmed heroic bystander James Shaw (note to the NRA: a good guy without a gun) confronted him and wrestled the gun away. Travis Reinking, 29, shot dead four people and injured seven others at the Waffle House in Antioch early Sunday morning before an unarmed hero wrestled the gun away None of that, though, is the incomprehensible part of this horrific incident. Let's be horribly frank: a crazed young man committing a mass shooting in the US with an AR-15 is almost a weekly occurrence these days. No, what is utterly staggering is how he came to be in possession of his gun to commit his heinous crime. For Reinking is a complete lunatic. And a self-evidently dangerous lunatic. I don't say this lightly, or to infringe on his human rights not to be called a lunatic in case it hurts his feeling. I say it because it's an incontrovertible fact. In May, 2016, an ambulance was called to a CVS parking lot after Reinking threatened to kill himself. His family told deputies at Tazewell County Sheriff's Department in Illinois he was having paranoid delusions that music superstar Taylor Swift was stalking him and hacking his phone and Netflix account. He also believed his parents and police were involved. Reinking himself told police Swift had wanted to meet him at a Dairy Queen and when he went there, she screamed at him across the street then ran away. He said he chased her 'to stop her harassing me', then followed Swift up the side of the building and onto its roof but when he got there, she had gone. Reinking was taken to a local hospital for an evaluation 'against his will', according to the report. In May, 2016, an ambulance was called to a CVS parking lot after Reinking threatened to kill himself. His family told deputies he was having paranoid delusions that Taylor Swift was stalking him. He was taken to a local hospital for an evaluation 'against his will' His family told police he had suffered similar delusions since August, 2014. 'Travis is hostile towards police,' they said, 'and does not recognise police authority.' In June, 2017, Reinking jumped into a nearby community swimming pool wearing a pink woman's coat over his underwear and began threatening lifeguards, urging them to fight him and then exposing his genitals. The same day, an employee at a construction site owned by the Reinking family told police he had a yelling match with Reinking, who had showed up in the pink coat with an an AR-15 in his hand and shouted 'Is this what you f***ing want?' before putting the gun back in his car and speeding off. No charges were filed, but the Sheriff's Department advised members of Reinking's family to take away his guns and lock them up until he got some help. A month later, on July 7, 2017, Reinking pitched up at the White House demanding to meet President Trump. He crossed a restricted area and approached a Secret Service agent, saying he had to get inside and instructing the agent to 'do what you need to do, arrest me if you have to.' He was duly arrested, charged and later ordered by the D.C. Superior Court to do 32 hours of community service. Oh, and he was told to stay away from the White House. On August 11, 2017, Reinking spoke with a Tazewell sheriff's deputy and claimed that dozens of people were tapping into his computer and phone and people were lurking outside his home 'barking like dogs'. Following the White House incident, the FBI requested that police in Illinois revoke Reinking's state 'Firearm Owners Identification' card and seize his four weapons. These were a Kimber 9mm handgun, a CZ-USA .22 rifle, a Remington 710, and the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle he used at the Waffle House. Reinking gave them up to the Tazewell County Sheriff's Department on August 24, 2017. But deputies returned the guns to his father Jeffrey after he promised to 'keep the weapons secure and away from Travis.' Today, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said Jeffrey Reinking had admitted giving the guns back to his son. After a string of crazy incidents, including Reinking showing up at the White House demanding to meet Trump, his guns were confiscated. But deputies returned the guns, including this AR-15 used at the Waffle House, to his father Jeffrey after he promised to 'keep the weapons secure and away from Travis.' But Jeffrey gave the guns back to his delusional son This despite him telling police he often locked up his son's rifles when 'Travis was having problems.' Nobody yet seems to know why Mr Reinking would therefore give them back to his son, knowing his state of mind. I'd like to know why the hell he did that. Urgently. But more importantly, I'd like to know why the Tazewell County Sheriff's Department thought it was a good idea to return Travis Reinking's guns in the first place? 'There's certainly evidence that there's some sort of mental health issues involved,' said Tazewell sheriff Robert Houston, in what you might conclude is the understatement of the century. Yet he insisted officers did not believe they had any legal authority to withhold the weapons. Sorry? All due respect Sheriff - what the **** are you talking about? How many more red flags was this loon supposed to wave at you? Travis Reinking had revealed himself over a period of several years to be a paranoid, delusional, threatening, police-hating, gun-toting, potentially very dangerous whackjob. The FBI told you to seize his guns after he tried to storm the White House to get to President Trump. But instead, you gave them all back to his dad, who gave them back to his mad, dangerous son despite knowing he is delusional and suicidal. The FBI told authorities to seize his guns but police gave them all back to his dad, who gave them back to his mad, dangerous son despite knowing he is delusional and suicidal. Travis Reinking then used one of those guns to commit mass murder on a random selection of innocent people eating at this Waffle House Travis Reinking then used one of those guns to commit mass murder on a random selection of innocent people eating at a Waffle House. I'm sure this all makes perfect sense to NRA supporters. After all, Jeffrey Reinking had his own firearms certificate, so he was a 'responsible law-abiding gun owner' right? That's why he was allowed to take back his son's guns. No. He was woefully, criminally irresponsible. But so were the police, who should have done what the FBI told them to do and seized the guns. Giving them back was as insane as what they KNEW to be the disturbed dangerous state of Travis Reinking's mind. A university worker stabbed his boss to death in her own home and then scrawled 'bully' across her forehead, a court was told. David Browning, 52, launched a furious attack on Jillian Howell stabbing her 15 times after she rejected his romantic advances, a jury heard. He is said to have then gone to the police station and handed himself in, confessing to officers: 'In a nutshell I have killed my boss.' David Browning, 52, stabbed Jillian Howell 15 times and scrawled 'bully on her forehead', a jury was told Today Browning, who has admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, went on trial charged with murder. Hove Crown Court heard Browning, who is married with two grown-up children, had worked at the payroll department in the University of Brighton for almost 30 years. But in 2015 Jill Howell was employed as his manager and the pair had to work closely together. During that time Browning's father died and the university worker began to suffer serious problems with depression. Recognising his difficulties, Miss Howell, who also volunteered at the Samaritan, is said to have stepped in to try to help him. Jillian Howell, 46, was found stabbed to death at her home in Brighton last October She went for drinks with him and listened to his problems, the court was told. But Browning became obsessed with Miss Howell and started showering her with gifts, flowers and text messages, the court heard. Alan Gardner, prosecuting, said: 'David Browning had formed an intense attachment with his boss and wanted a closer relationship with her.' As well as repeatedly inviting her out for drinks, Mr Gardner said that Mr Browing sent inappropriate texts to her outside work. The court was told that in one he said: 'I adore you personally and professionally. I am there for you anytime. Dave x.' Others are said to have included a message that read: 'What a wonderful woman you are. Miss Howell went for drinks with Browning and listened to his stories after he became depressed following the death of his father 'You are more than just my boss and I think you know that.' He also messaged her describing her as his 'rock', adding: 'I will continue to be inappropriate but just to make you smile.' Miss Howell became worried about his 'intense attachment' to her and confided in a friend, the court was told. Mr Gardner said: 'She told him [her friend] that David was suicidal and struggling to open up about his problems. 'She mentioned David had told her she must never leave the university and never leave get a boyfriend because he needed her support. He was behaving in a possessing, controlling and jealous way.' The court heard Browning began to suspect Miss Howell was in a relationship with another man, Sean McDonald. In the weeks leading up to her killing Browning, who had a firearms licence, bought a shotgun and a 10cm lock knife an outdoor store. He told shop staff he was interested in taking up clay pigeon shooting. On the evening of the killing Miss Howell invited Browning round to her house 'to cheer him up' and she cooked him a meal. But fearing she was about to reject him Browning went armed with the 10cm lock knife, the court heard. Sometime during the evening he plunged the knife into her back before stabbing her in the neck, chest and stomach a total of 15 times. Her body was found lying on the floor of the living room at her home in Brighton covered in blood. Mr Gardner said: 'The word bully had been scrawled across her forehead and other graffiti was scrawled around the house which suggested Sean McDonald might have had something to do with her death. He didn't. 'David Browning went to her house with the intention to kill her and himself. During the evening he attacked her. He stabbed her in the back and then delivered the forceful blows which killed her. 'The killing of Jill Howell was a murder. David Browning was unable to take his relationship with her any further. He feared that she was about to reject him. 'He was killing her out of jealousy and anger rather than an uncontrollable urge caused by his depression. Mr Gardner said: 'He suspected Sean McDonald was in a relationship with Jill Howell. He made careful arrangements to kill her several weeks beforehand.' When he was arrested in the early hours of October 26 outside the police station he was clutching both weapons, the court was told. He is said to have told police he had stabbed Miss Howell to death and had intended to kill himself with the shotgun. Browning, 51, denies murder but pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place. The trial continues. The young woman who was murdered by her father after they had an incestuous relationship which resulted in a child has been laid to rest alongside her baby. Steven Pladl, 42, who reunited with his daughter Katie Fusco, 20, after giving her up for adoption as a baby, murdered their infant son Bennett, shot dead Katie and her adoptive father Anthony Fusco, 56, before turning the gun on himself earlier this month. Katie, her son and Anthony Fusco, also known as Tony, were buried at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Dover Plains on Saturday. Three uniformed Coast Guard members attended the funeral as an honor guard for Anthony Fusco, who spent 30 years in the service, before working for 20 years as a correction officer in Danbury. His widow, Kelly Fusco, was presented with an American flag by the Guardsmen inside the church. Katie Fusco, 20, and her young son Bennett (pictured together), who was fathered by her own biological dad Steven Pladl, have been laid to rest after the tragic murder-suicide Husband and wife, and father and daughter: Steven Pladl, 42, reunited with his daughter Katie Fusco, 20 (pictured together) after she was given up for adoption as a baby Family and friends say they are still in disbelief after the tragic end to what had been a joyful reunion between the young woman and her birth parents. 'We're all still in shock,' said Shirley Mann, a neighbor of Katie's adoptive parents in Dover. 'It's crazy. I don't know what else to say. It's horrible.' In 1995, Steven Pladl was 20 when he met a 15-year-old girl named Alyssa on the internet. She soon became pregnant and gave birth to a girl they named Denise. Alyssa Pladl told The Associated Press in an interview last week that they put the girl up for adoption when she was 8 months old. They were young and poor, she said, but she also believed Steven Pladl physically abused the baby. 'It was so hard to give her up,' Alyssa said, 'but I had to because I wanted her to live and be happy.' The couple later went on to have two more daughters, now aged eight and 12. Tony Fusco and his wife, Kelly, adopted the girl they renamed Katie and raised her with their biological daughter in Dover, about 80 miles north of New York City. 'They had a very, very normal life,' said Cary Gould, Kelly Fusco's brother. 'My nickname for Katie was Pac-Man. She was always eating. She loved animals. She was a vegetarian.' The pair tied the knot on July 20, months after Alyssa, Steven's ex-wife and Katie's biological mother, reported their relationship to police Steven and Katie got 'married' in a lakeside ceremony in July after Katie became pregnant and the family panicked about what to do. They are pictured with her adoptive parents (right) and his mother who attended in despite its incestuous nature Katie was an aspiring artist known at Dover High School for drawing comic strips. She planned to attend college and pursue a career in digital advertising. 'A pen and something to draw on became a safe place for me,' she wrote in a blog post. 'Ink became my weapon against rules and regulations. To be short; for me, a life without art is no life at all.' After turning 18 in January 2016, Katie, who Gould said had been told she was adopted, found her birth parents and messaged them. The Pladls were happy to reunite with her. Instead of going to college in August 2016, Katie moved in with the Pladls in Henrico County, Virginia, that month. Tony and Kelly Fusco were apprehensive, Gould said, but they thought Katie was old enough to make her own decisions and supported her. All was not well in the Pladl home. Steven and Alyssa had already decided to separate and were sleeping in separate rooms. Alyssa said she had suffered emotional and verbal abuse by her husband for years. 'I was always on eggshells, whatever his mood was, everybody knew, and that mood was often not happy, a lot of yelling, a lot of things smashed in the house, in front of our kids,' she said. In this April 19, 2018 photo, Alyssa Pladl (the girl's biological mother) said that she put the girl up for adoption when she was 8 months old because she feared Steven was abusing her Alyssa told Katie privately that Steven had abused her as a baby and that a major reason for the adoption was her own safety. Katie, according to Alyssa, didn't appear to be concerned. Steven's behavior changed after he met Katie, Alyssa said. He began wearing skinny jeans and form-fitting shirts. He shaved his beard and let his hair grow long. About six weeks after Katie moved in, Steven one night slept on the floor in her room. It immediately concerned Alyssa. After he did it again the next night, she confronted him. He said it was none of her business and stormed out of the house with Katie. Alyssa finally moved out in November 2016, and she shared custody of the two children with Steven. In May 2017, she learned from her 11-year-old daughter's journal of the incestuous relationship and Katie's pregnancy. Her daughter wrote that she and her sister were told by Steven to refer to Katie as their stepmother. 'I started to become hysterical, and I called him,' she said. 'I said, 'Is Katie pregnant with your baby?' He just said, 'I thought you knew. We're in love.' 'I started screaming,' she said. 'I was just cursing him out: 'How could you? You're sick. She's a child.'' Then she called the police. Bennett was found after Steven's mother called 911 for a welfare check on the infant. She said her son told her he'd killed the baby left him there, and warned her not to go to the home On July 20, 2017, two months after his divorce from Alyssa was finalized and amid the police investigation, Steven married Katie in Parkton, Maryland. They lied on their application, saying they were unrelated, according to records. Katie's adoptive parents posed for a photo on the wedding day along with Steven, Katie and Steven's mother. Katie wears a short black dress. Tony and Kelly Fusco thought there was nothing they could do and had decided it was best to support Katie, Gould said. Katie gave birth to Bennett on September 1. She and Steven moved to a house on a cul-de-sac in Knightdale, North Carolina, just east of Raleigh, but wedded bliss did not last long. They were arrested on incest charges in January. A judge ordered them to not contact each other, and Steven's mother had custody of their child. Steven's lawyer, Rick Friedman II, said there was never an allegation that Steven pressured Katie into a relationship. Alyssa Pladl, shown holding up a picture of her daughter Katie when she was a baby, says authorities did not protect her grandson - or her daughter 'This case is an 18-year-old girl who shows up at the doorstep of a 40-year-old man who's going through difficult times with his wife,' Friedman said. 'They have a bond because they're biologically related, but they never knew each other before they had a sexual relationship. He was head over heels in love with her, so much so that that outweighed the issue of them being biologically related.' After the arrests, Katie moved back with the Fuscos. Every Tuesday and Thursday, she would travel to her adoptive grandmother's home in Waterbury, Connecticut, Gould said. On April 12, Katie and Tony Fusco left the Dover home for Waterbury. In a minivan nearby, Steven watched them leave, surveillance video shows. Minutes later in nearby New Milford, witnesses reported someone opening fire. Katie and Tony Fusco, 56, were fatally shot. Steven was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot back in Dover. Shortly after the New Milford shooting, Steven's mother, Grace, called 911 to report her son had told her he killed the baby, Katie and her adoptive father. 'I can't even believe this is happening,' she told authorities, according to a 911 call transcript from which her name was redacted. Her son, she said, was upset because Katie, by then just 20, had broken up with him. Police found the baby dead and alone in Katie and Steven's home. Alyssa Pladl still struggles to make sense of it all. Katie is shown above with her birth mother Alyssa who gave her up for adoption with Steven in 1998. They went on to have two more daughters (shown above) and it was one of those girls who exposed the older sister's affair 'I'm grieving. I'm sad. I'm upset,' she said. 'But I also want to have something good come out of this. If it's to get truth out there, to open people's eyes to incest.' But Alyssa, 37, told DailyMail.com last week the decision to leave seven-month-old Bennett in the custody of Pladl's elderly mom Grace, 72, was a 'shocking failure'. She also revealed how the warped predator Steven kept a stash of guns and bore all the hallmarks of a mass shooter in the making. Pladl faced incest charges in Henrico County, Virginia but while the terms of his March 16 bond prevented him from contacting Katie or Alyssa, Pladl had no specific restrictions placed on his access to Bennett. Officers believed he embarked on the killing spree after learning Katie wanted nothing more to do with the incestuous marriage. 'I keep thinking of how lucky it is that I and our other children weren't part of his shooting spree,' said Alyssa. 'He had an obsession with guns. He had been an outcast since school. He hadn't had a job for eight years; He fitted the exact profile of one of these mass shooters.' Alyssa had previously obtained protective orders banning Pladl from going near her or her family but she cannot understand why a court would not extend that same protection to Bennett. Pladl was originally released February 20 on $28,000 bond but lived in a hotel in Virginia because he was barred from returning to North Carolina. Henrico County Judge Stewart Williams lifted that restriction on March 16 stipulating that the only place Pladl couldn't go was his house in Knightdale. The court placed no legal restriction preventing him from visiting Bennett or taking him away from Grace's home in the nearby city of Cary. 'Steven shouldn't ever have been allowed back to North Carolina where he access to his house, his weapons, the baby,' said Alyssa. 'It's a shocking failure. 'I can understand they like to put children in the hands of relatives but not Grace, she wouldn't have been able to stop him seeing the baby even if she wanted to. 'Steve may have found a way to get to him but they could certainly have made things much more difficult for him. I think they could have helped to prevent some if not all of this. 'If anyone is brought up on charges of incest they should never be allowed near minor children. They did not consider how sick a mind he had.' Shannon Taylor, Commonwealth Attorney for Henrico County said there was nothing in Pladl's history that suggested he was about to embark on a murderous rampage. 'When you look at the facts of the case we did not see any risk factors,' she told DailyMail.com. 'A recommendation from the pre-trial officer said there did not appear to be any red flags.' Pladl (left) who was charged with incest involving his daughter, whom he married, killed himself. Katie Pladl (right), 20, was also found dead along with her adoptive father in Connecticut Katie and Pladl were arrested in January 2018 and extradited from North Carolina to Henrico County to face charges of incest, adultery, and contributing to delinquency of a minor. Alyssa told DailyMail.com that while she had never witnessed her ex make sexual advances towards young girls, their marriage had been marred by his temper and failure to hold down a proper job. He also kept at least four guns in their home, including a couple of handguns and the AR-15 style weapon she thinks was used to slay Katie. 'Steve had a bad temper, he would destroy things in the home when he was upset, punching holes in the walls,' she said. 'But there was never anything that was on record. There is some dark stuff that I don't want to put out there because I don't want to hurt her mother and sister any more than they are already hurting. But physical and verbal abuse can be just as devastating as sexual abuse. And when you're that age you don't think anyone will believe you Alyssa Pladl 'He had been interested in guns since he was a young man. I think he may have bought the rifle online. He could have even used my details to purchase it. 'He used to go to ranges to shoot them. He had taken Katie with him to shoot some of the guns off. 'When he was arrested they supposedly had seized his guns. But I told the detectives he was a talented carpenter and I wouldn't have put it past him to build something to hide them in his home.' According to New Milford Police Chief Shawn Boyne, Katie was in a pickup with her adoptive father when Pladl pulled up to the passenger side at an intersection and opened fire on them. He was himself found dead just a few miles away in Dover, New York, slumped at the wheel of his Honda minivan, having killed himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police in North Carolina have not revealed how Bennett was killed but he had no obvious signs of trauma and more tests are underway. 'All Steve had left was Katie and the baby,' reflected Alyssa. 'The only thing that kept him going was his thought of getting back with her. 'To find out that he wasn't going to, I think that was the straw that broke the camel's back. 'From the time that I reported the incest to the police I told them repeatedly I was absolutely terrified that he would kill me. 'Every single time I pulled up to an intersection and somebody slowed down I feared it was him coming for me. I had to have security escort me from my building to my car every time I left work.' She had waited 18 years to meet the daughter she gave up and says she now feels like she has been snatched away from her three times - this last time, forever. Alyssa met Pladl on the internet in 1995 when she was 15 and living in San Antonio, Texas and he was 20 and based in New York. They exchanged messages, love letters and Steven visited Texas to begin an underage relationship with her, despite the disapproval of Alyssa's parents. Alyssa was pregnant at 16 and gave birth at 17. She says she can see parallels between with the way Pladl 'groomed' her as a teenager and how he seduced Katie. The mother-of-three also disclosed that one of the main reasons she gave Katie up for adoption at eight months was because Pladl was physically, though not sexually, abusive. 'He was hurting her. There were times when she had several bruises,' she told DailyMail.com 'There is some dark stuff that I don't want to put out there because I don't want to hurt her mother and sister any more than they are already hurting. 'But physical and verbal abuse can be just as devastating as sexual abuse. And when you're that age you don't think anyone will believe you.' Alyssa has no idea where or when her ex-husband will be buried. Advertisement Prince Harry and Meghan Markle today made their first public appearance since becoming uncle and aunt to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third baby. The couple arrived at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London this afternoon for a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of Stephen Lawrence's death. Hand in hand, they stopped outside to speak with the murdered teenager's mother Doreen Lawrence, now a peer sitting in the Lords, and her son Stuart. Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle arrive at a service at St Martin-in-The Fields church in London this afternoon The couple arrive at the church today for a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of Stephen Lawrence's death Hand in hand, they stopped outside to speak with the murdered teenager's mother Doreen Lawrence, now a peer in the Lords Harry will read a message of support on behalf of the Prince of Wales, who in 2000 gave the annual Stephen Lawrence Memorial Lecture which began with a tribute to the Lawrence family. The royal baby, who was born at about 11am at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, has arrived just over three and a half weeks before the royal wedding. Harry and Meghan are due to tie the knot in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in Berkshire in only 26 days' time on May 19. The Duchess of Cambridge is expected to be attending but, with her baby son only a few weeks' old, she is not likely to stay for the entire celebration. Prince George and Princess Charlotte are tipped to be page boy and bridesmaid at the ceremony in St George's Chapel. Harry will read a message of support on behalf of the Prince of Wales at the service in Central London this afternoon Harry and Meghan are due to tie the knot in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in Berkshire in only 26 days' time on May 19 The royal baby, who was born at about 11am, has arrived just over three and a half weeks before the royal wedding next month Today, the life and legacy of murdered teenager Stephen will be celebrated by national figures during the memorial service marking the anniversary of his death. Stephen Lawrence was fatally stabbed by a gang of racists in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22, 1993 The murder of the teenager was a watershed moment in modern race relations in the UK, after the subsequent Macpherson Report into the case concluded the police made mistakes and were guilty of 'institutional racism'. The 18-year-old murder victim was fatally stabbed by a gang of racists in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22, 1993. Two of the group of up to six thugs who attacked the teenager and his friend Duwayne Brooks, simply because they were black, have been convicted of murder. David Norris and Gary Dobson are both serving life sentences, while three other men who have consistently been accused of the killing but never convicted are Jamie Acourt, 41, from Bexley; his brother Neil Acourt, 42, who uses his mother's maiden name Stuart, and Luke Knight, 41, both from Eltham. Scotland Yard has admitted it has no new lines of inquiry in the investigation into Stephen's murder. The force has said that unless detectives receive new information the investigation is 'unlikely to progress further'. Earlier this month, before the update from Scotland Yard, Stephen's mother Baroness Lawrence told the Daily Mail the investigation should end. During the event Sir Lenny Henry will interview three young beneficiaries of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. Amy Robach is officially the new co-host of 20/20. On Monday, ABC News announced Robach would replace Elizabeth Vargas as co-host of 20/20 with David Muir, starting at the end of May. Vargas is leaving the network for A&E, to host their new Investigates series. Robach, 45, has been working as Good Morning America's news anchor since 2014. Amy Robach has been named the new co-host of ABC's news magazine 20/20 ABC News President James Goldston said in a statement that Robach will 'continue to report frequently for Good Morning America and across ABC News when major news breaks.' Robach's promotion appears to be part of an effort to streamline the Good Morning America cast. While GMA previously tried to win viewers over with their 'family' of hosts, they are now focusing on just George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan in a bid to win back viewers from competitor the Today show, which has been performing better with their new co-host duo of Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. Robach will co-host 20/20 with David Muir (left), starting at the end of May. She replaces longtime co-host Elizabeth Vargas (right) who is leaving the network for A&E While GMA has historically beat out Today for total overall audience, Today usually takes top spot in the key 25-54 demographic. For several weeks after Hoda Kotb started, Today beat out GMA in both categories. While Robach appears to be getting a promotion from the GMA revamp, her co-worker Lara Spencer seems to have got the short end of the stick, since her role on GMA is being reduced to just three days a week. Michigan-native Robach studied broadcast journalism at the University of Georgia and got her start at WTTG in Washington, DC. She joined NBC News in New York in 2003, and was subsequently promoted to co-anchor of Weekend Today and National Correspondent. In 2012, she left NBC for ABC, where she started working as a contributing correspondent and substitute anchor on GMA. In 2014, she was promoted to her current position as GMA News Anchor. In 2013, Robach was diagnosed with breast cancer after getting a mammogram for a live TV segment. She took off time that year to get a bilateral mastectomy and undergo chemotherapy, radiation and reconstruction surgery. Robach wrote a book about her cancer battle - Better: How I Let Go of Control, Held On to Hope, and Found Joy in My Darkest Hour - which became a NYT best seller. Robach as been married to actor Andrew Shue since 2010. She has two daughters and three stepsons. While playwright Oscar Wilde's Paris tombstone is famous for its lipstick-covered kisses, it seems a very different trend has begun at the grave of Pablo Escobar. Two American tourists recently filmed themselves snorting cocaine off the infamous drug kingpin's grave. The video shows two lines of cocaine on Escobars grave as one man wearing a Dallas Cowboys Hat gets into position. He then takes a rolled up bill and begins to snort the first line on the tombstone of the notorious cartel boss, who is buried in Itagui, Colombia. Two American tourists recently filmed themselves snorting cocaine off Pablo Escobars grave in Itagui, Colombia His friend then takes his place, finishing the second line as someone cheers in the background. It seems the video may have been inspired by a British tourist, who filmed himself doing the exact same thing less than a week ago. In the video the British man can be seen tipping the contents of a bag of white powder on to the tombstone and rolling up a bank note. The tattooed man, believed to be in his thirties, then bends down to snort the substance. The man in the Dallas Cowboys hat uses a rolled up bill to snort the cocaine, before his friend takes his place and does the same as someone cheers in the background He then looks up grinning to say 'I'm Gordon Ramsay mate' in an apparent reference to the celebrity chef's 2017 documentary about cocaine. The man posted the video on Facebook but later took his page down. Drug baron Escobar was shot dead by police at the age of 44 in 1993, bringing to an end his ruthless control of the Medellin Cartel. At one point he controlled more than 80 percent of the cocaine shipped to the US. This earned him the rank of one of Forbes Magazine's ten wealthiest people in the world with an estimated $30billion fortune. It seems the video may have been inspired by a British tourist, who filmed himself doing the exact same thing less than a week ago The tattooed man, believed to be in his 30s, then bends down to snort the substance In recent years, there have been reports of guided cocaine tours taking in the notorious criminal's grave (pictured) In recent years, there have been reports of guided cocaine tours in the area to the notorious criminal's grave. But rapper Wiz Khalifa came under fire last year after he shared photographs of himself lighting up a joint next to Escobar's tombstone. He also posted another picture that showed he had left a fresh joint on the drug lord's grave, alongside fresh flowers. Medellin Mayor Federico Gutierrez called the rapper a 'scoundrel' and commenters tore him apart for his 'disrespect' as they equated Escobar to a dictator and terrorist. A prominent Canadian charity worker has been arrested after allegedly 'luring' young children into performing sexual acts. Peter Dalglish, 60, was found in the same room as two boys aged 12 and 14 when police performed a raid on his idyllic mountainside home in Nagarkot, near Kathmandu on April 8. The former Order of Canada recipient has been locked inside a detention center in Nepal's capital, under suspicion of having sex with young boys, The Globe and Mail reported. The father of one of the boys found inside Dalglish's home in Nepal told the publication both children gave police graphic explanations of the man's alleged sexual contact with them. Peter Dalglish, pictured with a young male acquaintance, is a former Unicef and WHO official who was found with 'two young boys at his home in Nepal' and has been jailed over allegations of serious child sex offences Dalglish, pictured with Canadian premier Justin Trudeau, held a number of senior posts with the UN Dalglish has not been formally charged, but can be held for up to 25 days while police investigate. The Canadian man denied the allegations to the Mail on Sunday through his lawyer, Rahul Chapagain, who said Dalglish will plead not guilty. Chapagain told The Globe and Mail photographs found in Dalglish's home of children, some who were naked, were similar to those an ordinary tourist would take of children living in poverty. Dalglish himself, speaking from behind bars, told the paper he had a clean criminal record, and had simply been targeted because of his close work with young children. 'If you do the work that I do, with kids, you leave yourself open to criticism. And suspicion,' he said. The 60-year-old has held various posts, some senior, with UN agencies in Nepal, Kabul, Afghanistan and Liberia. He has also been appointed Senior Urban Advisor to the World Health Organization to help coordinate global efforts to stop the spread of Ebola. In his most recent posting in 2015, he was the UNs country representative in Kabul. Detectives claim the lawyer-turned-charity boss has been abusing children in Nepal for 15 years, after a young man in his mid-20s made historical allegations against him. Dalglish had a 30-year career with the UN and was arrested at his house in Nepal (pictured), where police claim he was found in a room with two young boys, aged 12 and 14 Police say medical and scientific evidence against Dalglish will be presented by prosecutors when he appears in court on Wednesday. Officers said they were tipped off by workers from another charity three months ago, but also received intelligence from a foreign law enforcement agency more recently, and were following Dalglish prior to the arrest. Initial investigations revealed that he had been targeting children from poor financial backgrounds and sexually abusing them, said Pushkar Karki, director of Nepals elite Central Investigation Bureau. Dalglish is accused of luring children away from their families with promises of education and jobs He claimed that Dalglish lured children away from their parents with offers to educate them, take them abroad and provide them with jobs. He told The Mail on Sunday that Dalglish believed his status would make him invulnerable, adding: Those things made it easy for him to prey on those kids. And then they would be silenced, because he has got so much influence. Staff at various UN agencies were urgently investigating Dalglishs past activities last week. The married father-of-one founded global charity Street Kids International (SKI), which is now part of London-based Save the Children. He says he was inspired to help youngsters by the 1984 Ethiopian famine, which gave rise to Band Aid and Live Aid, and in his autobiography he writes of meeting Bob Geldof the following year at a camp in Sudan. He recalled watching refugee children cluster around Geldof and observed: I have always believed that many kids come with a built-in radar that tells them which adults they can trust and which they should fear. Dalglish has denied all allegations, and says his proximity to children has made him an easy target Dalglish, whose net worth has been estimated at nearly $7million USD, has met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Princess Anne through his humanitarian work. About 15 years ago, he founded the Himalayan Community Foundation, providing healthcare and education to remote communities in Nepal. Dalglishs UN career spans more than 30 years, and at various times he has held senior posts in the World Food Programme, Unicef, WHO, and UN-Habitat, the organisations home-building programme. WFP said it was checking its records for the mid-1980s but had not yet found Dalglishs name a spokesman added that he could have been a local appointment. UN-Habitat revealed that Dalglish worked for it between 2010 and 2015, but there have not been any reports or allegations on any misconduct during his tenure. WHO said it was shocked at the allegations but added that no complaints had been made against him. Save the Children said Dalglish had never worked for the charity, adding: Save the Children acquired one of SKIs programmes and some of its assets in 2015. Unicef said they were reviewing their records. Sir Bob Geldof declined to comment. Corrections Officer Wendy Shannon died October 30, 2017, from her injuries after the deadly inmate escape attempt at Pasquotank Correctional Institution North Carolina's understaffed prisons remain a dangerous place for employees six months after the bloodiest escape attempt in state history left four workers dead. Prison officials say that in the six months since four workers at an Elizabeth City prison were killed, about three dozen workers have been assaulted so badly they lost work time. Leading the troubling list is Pasquotank Correctional Institution, where eight workers have been badly harmed since the October 12 breakout attempt. The institution is where employees Justin Smith, 35, and Veronica Darden, 50, were killed after inmates started a fire at the onsite sewing plant in an unsuccessful attempt to escape. A little over two weeks later on October 30, Corrections Officer Wendy Shannon died from her injures in the hospital. She was the third employee to die from the deadly inmate escape attempt. Geoffrey Howe, 31, a maintenance mechanic for the prison, died at the beginning of November for his injuries after the attempted escape. Justin Smith, 35, (left) and Veronica Darden, 50, (right) were the first two employees who were killed at the prison in northeast North Carolina. The state's prisons remain a deadly place to work for employees Geoffrey Howe, 31, a maintenance mechanic for the prison, died at the beginning of November for his injuries after the attempted escape North Carolina's Department of Public Safety has not been able to provide information regarding each assault of prison employees. Pictured is Pasquotank Correctional Institution where eight employees have been badly harmed since the attempted prison break Eight other prison workers were treated and released from Sentara Albemarle Medical Center after the breakout attempt. Also, four inmates were treated for injuries at the time of the incident, but none of them were deemed life threatening. After the deaths, four inmates were charged with first-degree murder. The prison near the northeast North Carolina coast holds nearly 900 adult, male felons in both high-security and minimum-custody buildings. The state Department of Public Safety was still unable Monday to provide information requested six weeks ago on the details of each assault, or how many inmates have been attacked at the North Carolina prisons. The official data also did not include at least one assault at a Morganton prison that hospitalized a worker with stab or slash wounds. A bomb scare at Ontario International Airport in California resulted in a partial Terminal 4 closing early on Monday, Ontario Fire Department Battalion Chief Jim Schiller said A bomb scare at Ontario International Airport in California resulted in a partial terminal closing early on Monday, according to fire department officials. Authorities became aware of the device at around 4.45am Pacific, Ontario Fire Department Battalion Chief Jim Schiller told KTLA. The bomb squad was called to investigate the device, Schiller said. The presence of the device resulted in two gates in Terminal 4 being evacuated. Schiller said the item has been described as a possible training device, but what kind of training it may have been used for was not disclosed. No additional information has been made available at this time. The two gates in the immediate area surrounding the spot where the device was found were cleared. The rest of the airport remained open and operating, as per usual. Flights continued to land and take off at the airport, and no injuries were reported. The person who was found in possession of the device was being questioned. This comes after a bomb scare occurred on April 1 at Illinois MidAmerica Airport, as reported by Fox News. That alert caused several flights to be canceled while officials inspected the device. Passengers on inbound planes were kept on their aircraft for over three hours before being permitted to deplane. The scare resulted from the discovery of a laptop computer with 'suspicious'-looking wires that was later determined to pose no threat to travelers. DailyMail.com is awaiting a return phone call from Ontario Fire Department with updated information. An Oklahoma woman has been found guilty of killing her fiance's ex-wife with a shotgun blast to the face in order to end a drawn-out custody battle. Jurors deliberated for four hours before convicting Sonia Weidenfelder, 35, of first-degree murder in the 2016 slaying of 39-year-old Debra Morgan. Prosecutors announced on Friday that the jury recommended a life sentence for Weidenfelder. Scroll down for video Guilty: Sonia Weidenfelder, 35 (left), has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2016 shooting death of her fiance's ex, Debra Morgan, 39 (right) Grisly scene: Morgan's 11-year-old son found his mother dead from a shotgun blast to the face in their home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (pictured) Investigators said that Weidenfelder conspired with her boyfriend, 44-year-old Rick Spaulding, to kill Morgan so that he would be granted custody of their 11-year-old son. Spaulding also has been charged with first-degree murder in Morgan's killing. Morgan, a mother-of-two from Broken Arrow, was found dead on November 7, 2016, in her home in the 4400 block of West Quincy Street. Morgan and Spaulding's young son made the grisly discovery and called the authorities. The state medical examiner said in court that Morgan was shot in the right side of her face with a shotgun that was fired a foot from the target. It is believed that Spaulding had purchased the murder weapon for Morgan. Co-conspirator: Morgan's ex-husband, Rick Spaulding, 44 (pictured), also has been charged with first-degree murder in her killing According to the testimony, the victim did not die right away and spent her final moments gasping for air, reported Tulsa World. During a preliminary hearing held last August, a co-worker of Morgan's testified that the woman said at one point: 'If I end up dead, go find Rick [Spaulding].' Another one of Spaulding's ex-wives told the court that Spaulding wanted to harm Morgan by tampering with her brake line, or throw explosives into her parents' yard. Weidenfelder had searched online for 'breaking news' and 'Broken Arrow murder' before Morgan's death was made public, according to court records. Days before her death, Fox 23 found documents which showed a court of appeals filed in her Morgan's favor in the custody battle. It was reported to have ordered Spaulding to pay Morgan tens of thousands of dollars in court costs related to the case. Morgan was also said to have written a macabre note a month before her death, in which she claimed her ex-husband abused her physically, mentally and emotionally. 'He was smooth and had me fearing everything he said would come true,' Morgan said in the letter. Weidenfelder's sentencing is scheduled for June 1. Spaulding is due back in court on June 4. Robert Peters, 56, throttled Sophia (pictured) as she lay in bed at their 1million home in Raynes Park, south west London An antiques dealer strangled his seven-year-old daughter with a dressing gown cord as part of a plan to kill his family to spare them the 'pain and upset' of bankruptcy, a court heard. Robert Peters, 56, had ended a two-and-a-half-year affair and was worrying about his finances before the attack on his daughter Sophia, jurors heard. And in police interview, he said Sophia had woken up just as he put the cord around her neck and asked: 'What are you doing?' Peters waited until his wife had gone out before he woke Sophia up in bed by tying a cord around her neck and throttling her for up to half an hour. Afterwards, he called 999 and told police to come to his home in Wimbledon, south west London, saying: 'There been a murder.' He said a child had been killed, and when asked who had done it, replied: 'I have.' Officers arrived at his Blenheim Road home minutes later and Peters calmly told them: 'She's upstairs. I've strangled her. 'My daughter, she's upstairs in her bedroom.' Sophia was found lying in a foetal position on a single bed wearing a nightie and knickers with a black fleece dressing gown cord wrapped and knotted tightly round her neck. She had a weak pulse and was rushed to hospital, joined soon after by her mother Krittiya, who was escorted there by police. Sophia was treated in intensive care but died the next day, on November 4 last year. The court was told that following his arrest, Peters said he had been suffering a 'breakdown'. It is alleged that he told a mental health nurse he had tried to kill himself twice in 2017 but denied being an 'aggressive person'. He had been thinking of killing his wife and family for several weeks so they could be 'spared the pain and upset when he became bankrupt'. Peters, whose oriental antiques business was based in Kensington, said he expected to go bust in a couple of months and they would lose everything including their home. The defendant added that the family had been visited by a child protection team and he feared Sophia would be taken into care. Peters (pictured) called police himself, and PCs Claire Johns and David Pilkington arrived at his address to find the cord tightly wrapped around the girl's neck at least twice He said Sophia had woken up just as he put the cord around her neck and asked: 'What are you doing?' He said she had struggled a little bit as he strangled her for about 20 minutes. He had been thinking of killing his wife and family for several weeks so they could be 'spared the pain and upset when he became bankrupt', the court was told Peters said he had been having an affair for the last two and a half years, moved out of the family home, then returned having ended it. Authorities thought there was no risk to Sophia in visits before death Social services concluded there was no risk to Sophia when they visited the family home months before, a jury heard. The local Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub team had visited Peters months before he throttled his daughter, the Old Bailey heard. Mukul Chawla QC, prosecuting, said: 'Following the defendant's attempt to take his own life in August 2017, that team was asked to make an assessment. And contact was made with the defendant at his home. 'When they made contact he had just been released the day, the 14th of September, following a further attempt to take his own life.' The prosecutor said: 'She described Sophia as very happy, open friendly and polite. And she had no concerns for Sophia's welfare.' Mr Chuwla said: 'Ms Sangster concluded that the case could be closed and there were no safeguarding issues. 'And the case was closed on the 27th of September 2017 and Ms Sangster telephoned Mr Peters to tell him after. 'Mr Peters expressed his satisfaction with that outcome and told her they were selling the house to take away financial pressure.' Advertisement But he told officers the real pressure stemmed from going bankrupt. The defendant said it was hard to know why he had taken it out on his daughter. He felt he had not been a good father or loved his offspring as well as he should have, jurors heard. The court was told that a preliminary examination of Peters' finances revealed he he was not in debt. There were no mortgage arrears or defaults of his accounts and there was money in the bank. Sophia's mother Krittiya Peters (right) came arrived back at their home shortly after and taken to hospital to join her daughter (left) On being charged with murder, Peters said: 'I'm guilty of the offence.' A post-mortem examination found Sophia, who had a hole in the heart as a baby, suffered fatal brain damage. Prosecutor Mukul Chawla QC said: 'There is no dispute that the defendant killed Sophia. 'The prosecution case is that that killing amounted to murder. Peters claims to have been hearing voices, leading to the killing of Sophia (pictured) 'On the part of Mr Peters, it is suggested that the killing was not murder but manslaughter.' Mr Chawla said the jury would have to consider Peters' mental state and whether it was a 'significant contributory factor'. It was not disputed that he suffered a depressive illness of 'moderate severity', the Old Bailey heard. But the prosecutor said: 'Simply suffering from such a condition is not enough to enable a killing to be reduced from murder to manslaughter.' Peters has admitted manslaughter but denies murder. In the months before the killing, Peters searched the internet for 'serial killers', 'treatment of child killers in prison' and 'premeditated murder', the court heard. In between, the defendant also trawled the internet for the lottery and The Great British Bake Off. Jurors were told that a child welfare assessment in the wake of Peters' August suicide attempt had concluded he was not a risk to himself and others. The case was closed on September 27, just over a month before Sophia was killed. Peters has since claimed he was hearing voices at the time, but a psychiatrist for the prosecution has dismissed it as a device to justify his actions afterwards, the jury were told. Sophia's mother, Peters' third wife, sat in the court as the case was opened. A body has been found on a beach in Bali in the hunt for a missing musician from Australia. Fears continued to grow for Jae Haydon after his broken surf board washed up near Uluwatu on Monday. Authorities in Indonesia said three locals also went missing on the same day but they believe the body is that of the musician from Sydney. Fears continued to grow for Jae Haydon after Indonesian authorities said a body had been found It was discovered on a beach in Bali in the hunt for a missing musician from Australia on Monday Lifeguards discovered the body in the water near Padang Padang beach, in the island's south, on Monday evening and it has been taken to hospital. The chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency, Ketut Gede Ardana, told the Daily Telegraph he understood Mr Haydon had been hit by a wave. The body was found around 12 hours after Mr Haydon's surf board was found split in two pieces. Friends and family have been pleading for information about Mr Haydon's well-being throughout the day. A broken surf board identical to Mr Haydon's washed up near Uluwatu as lifeguards found a body 12 hours later Friends and family have been pleading for information about Mr Haydon's well-being throughout the day Earlier, his sister, Heidi, told Daily Mail Australia they were in contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 'Our team has been deployed to search today but haven't found him,' Mr Ardana said. 'It is reported that the victim is Jae Haydon. He was surfing when a strong wave hit him and his surf board was broken.' Mr Ardana added it is understood the surfer was hit again by another wave and has not been seen since. Lifeguards discovered the body in the water near Padang Padang beach, in the island's south (pictured is the Uluwatu beach) The surfing conditions in the area are said to be good and one surfer described the incident as 'extreme bad luck' in good surfing conditions. 'We've contacted DFAT and they've launched an investigation,' Ms Haydon said. 'Someone said the person had managed to swim safely to the beach, but there's no confirmation yet. Friends remained hopeful on Monday evening that their buddy was still safe after fears grew 'He's been there since last Tuesday and we're just praying he's OK.' The family are frantically searching for answers after a photo showing an identical surfboard in two pieces was posted to Facebook on Monday afternoon. After the board featuring the words 'for Jae' washed up near Uluwatu, on the island's south, concerned locals took to social media to claim the surfer had 'drowned'. A Desert Rat's captivating photo album charting the iconic army unit's epic journey from the North African desert to Germany in the Second World War is being auctioned off. Sergeant Ronald Jenner, of the 7th Armoured Division, fought in North Africa, the Middle East, Italy, France, Holland, Belgium and Germany. His armoured car was one of the first to enter Tripoli during the North African campaign when the city was captured by the Allies in January 1943. Keen photographer Sgt Ronald Jenner kept a picture archive of the iconic Desert Rat's journey from north Africa to Germany during WWII The collection, which includes passes, badges, uniform and gear is being sold by Jenner's son The iconic unit travelled from El Alamein, Egypt in October 1942 to the ending of the war in Germany in 1945 The first page of his personal photo album contains an image of him with fellow recruits at the beginning of his service at Farnborough Barracks, Hants, in 1942 (top right) His armoured car was one of the first to enter Tripoli during the North African campaign when the city was captured by the Allies in January 1943 (shown) There are many charming photos of Sgt Jenner posing with his fellow soldiers on tanks, during VE Day celebrations and relaxing on the beach away from the heat of battle. The first page of his personal photo album contains an image of him with fellow recruits at the beginning of his service at Farnborough Barracks, Hants, in 1942. Underneath it is a picture of him in Spandau Barracks in Germany where he was part of the occupying force four years later with the caption 'the end'. In one photo Sgt Jenner can be seen perched precariously on the gun of a tank The photo album has emerged for sale alongside Sgt Jenner's 11th Hussars uniform, labelled SGT JENNER, and his brown beret The collection is tipped to sell for 250 when it goes on sale tomorrow In one photo Sgt Jenner can be seen perched precariously on the gun of a tank, while he poses with his comrades in front of the weapon in another. The division makes the most of their down-time as they relax on a North African beach. The more adventurous soldiers run across the sand with just a towel to cover their modesty. Two pages dedicated to Sgt Jenner's time in The Middle East in 1942. He titled it Birth of the 'Rats' The photo album gives a glimpse of what live was like for the troops in their down time. Here they're shown having fun on a beach Matthew Tredwen, specialist at C and T Auctions in Ashford, Kent, said: 'It's a superb uniform' Two squaddies are pictured in front of a German cafe towards the end of the war Troops relax on sun loungers wearing sunglasses in Belgium and two soldiers are stood in front of a German cafe. The album includes a heart-warming image of Sgt Jenner and his friends opening letters from their loved ones. And Sgt Jenner can be seen celebrating VE Day with his division around a table in low-key fashion by sipping tea, although they probably moved on to something stronger afterwards. A section in the album titled 'V.E. Day celebrations' show the squaddies laughing around a table celebrating the end of the war They are seen drinking tea together (although they probably moved on to something stronger afterwards) The photo album has emerged for sale alongside Sgt Jenner's 11th Hussars uniform, labelled SGT JENNER, and his brown beret. The collection, which has been consigned for auction by the late sergeant's son, is tipped to sell for 250. Sgt Jenner was born in Bexleyheath, Kent, and was educated at the Boys Central School. In later life he worked as a tailor at Messrs A Hide and Son in Bexleyheath, which perhaps explains his immaculately preserved uniform. Inflation was rampant in Germany at the end of the conflict. Pictured: A 5000 Reichsmark note Keen photographer: Sgt Jenner kept a detailed photo log of the iconic unit's journey Matthew Tredwen, specialist at C & T Auctions, of Ashford, Kent, said: 'The collection has been consigned for sale by Sgt Jenner's son who says his father was very proud of his military service. 'It's a superb uniform and the photo album charts his service from his moment of enrollment to the end of his service at Spandau Camp in Germany. 'It is fascinating that he was in one of the first units to enter Tripoli and this moment was captured on camera. Spandau prison in Germany at the end of the conflict in 1945 There are many charming photos of Sgt Jenner posing with his fellow soldiers on tanks. Pictured: Jenner's unit in Germany towards the end of the war This is a picture of him in Spandau Barracks in Germany where he was part of the occupying force in 1946 with the caption 'the end' He poses with his comrades in front of the mobile weapon in another. This photo was taken in Belgium towards the end of the war 'They were quite a small unit and the photos really capture their camaraderie.' The Desert Rats' took part in the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943 and the Normandy D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, before ending the war in Germany. Their exploits during the Siege of Tobruk were immortalised in the 1953 war film The Desert Rats starring Richard Burton. The auction takes place tomorrow. A British charity worker who spent 40 days in a terrifying Thai prison has told how he feared being raped. Sean Felton said he was forced to fend off perverts and killers in the soiled confines of the rat maze that is Sakhon Nakon Prison. He survived in a cramped, squalid cell - home to 50 inmates - on three bowls of rice a day. He slept on the floor. He bathed with fellow lags in a trough of filthy, dirty water that, stagnant and over-used, stank of decay. Mr Felton - one of only two Farangs (Westerners) in the teeming hell-hole - witnessed beatings and worse. At first, he was horrified. Then he became sickened. Then numbness set in. British charity worker Sean Felton (pictured with his son Jobe) who spent 40 days in a terrifying Thai prison has told how he feared being raped The 47-year-old founder of Abducted Angels, an organisation dedicated to locating children spirited abroad during acid family fractures, is back home now in the former pit village of Norton Canes, near Cannock. He first made headlines after going to Thailand to rescue his son who had been taken away by his ex-partner Kim in 2010. Since last Saturday, he has been home. But the nightmare of Sakon Nakhon - a nick where life is cheaper than behind bars contraband such as disposable lighters - still hangs from him. He was flung into one of the world's most brutal prisons for simple trespass, a mere misdemeanor here but worthy of a five-year stretch in Thailand. And he insists he was left to rot without a court appearance or formal charge. Sean Felton said he was forced to fend off perverts and killers in the soiled confines of the rat maze that is Sakhon Nakon Prison (pictured) His crime? He helped distraught Scottish father Jodie Smith bring his ten-year-old son Joleon back home. The pair were arrested after allegations they had entered the estranged wife's home without permission. Joleon Smith is now back with his father. It is another mission accomplished by Sean, but a mission accomplished at a heavy cost. The ordeal is written on Mr Felton's face. The harrowing memories contort his features as he discusses time spent in a black pit behind the bamboo curtain. He has survived, but he is scarred. 'It was horrific,' said the father-of-one without the dimmest flicker of emotion, 'it was torment. I never want to experience it again. 'You were always scared of being raped. Blokes having sex in front of us was every day. You just had to look away. Mr Felton made headlines after going on a mission to rescue his son Jobe (pictured) after he was taken away by his Thai wife Kim in 2010 Mr Felton's No charge Court Order that states he can return to Thailand 'If thoughts of your family entered your head, you had to think of something else quickly or you would go downhill. I think if I'd been there longer I would've broken down mentally.' Mr Felton's time in Sakhon Nakon - Thailand's hidden underbelly - came without warning. Officers at a village police station chuckled as they announced 'you're going home', then took him in a caged wagon to the facility, little more than a sewage system for lost souls. He vividly remembers being driven through the prison's huge iron gates. 'I was revved up,' he said, 'I didn't know what I thought. Really, I had no emotions. 'They walked me through a door and I could see a huge exercise yard.. As I walked down the corridor around 600 Thai prisoners ran chanting to the mesh fence.' The chilling chant was 'you'll die in prison'. It was to become the soundtrack to Mr Felton's time in Sakhon Nakon. Jodie had arrived inside before him and pulled no punches about the regime. Mr Felton and his former partner Saowapak, who is alson known as Kim, on their wedding day Three thin blankets, three head counts a day and frequent choruses of the Thai national anthem. Be late for the latter and be clubbed. Found in possession of a lighter and five years was summarily added to your sentence. Fighting with a fellow inmate, five years. Answering a guard back, five years... It's easy to build time in Sakhon Nakon. 'Jodie and I spoke, but not a lot,' Mr Felton explained. 'We watched each others' backs, but there were times when we had to walk away and have our own space. We needed our own thoughts. 'The cell was an empty room with two holes in the floor for toilets. 'There was a big fan on the ceiling that was always whirring and the light was on continually. Food was rice - morning, noon and 3pm. The weight just dropped off me, I was getting weaker and weaker. Mr Felton returned home on March 26, 2010, to find Kim, a hotel worker he met on holiday, and their son had vanished 'The washing room was just a large vat of cold, filthy water. It smelt of crap, it was disgusting. 'Days were spent sitting outside in the burning heat. The Thai prisoners had to work, we weren't allowed to do anything. I kept asking, give me something to do. 'In the main, guards were wary that if anything happened to me, they'd have the embassy on them. But they could be ruthless to the Thais. A lad was a couple of minutes late and got badly beaten with batons. 'In the next cell, a 40-year-old prisoner died at 1am - you could hear the whistles from other prisoners to alert the guards. They moved that body at 3pm the following day.' The guards may have been restrained, fellow prisoners were not - and it was they, stressed Mr Felton, who effectively ran Sakhon Nakon. Thankfully, one inmate - the prison's daddy - had time for him. 'He was a kickboxer called Singh and he had a lot of respect in there,' Mr Felton said. 'One day I had a bit of a rant and threw away the slops they gave us with rice. 'He pulled me to one side and said, 'Farang, there are many rules that you must obey'. I told him, 'how can I do that when I don't know the rules?' 'You had to be strong, you had to constantly push prisoners off, you had to stick up for yourself, otherwise it was much worse. 'One day, I was encircled by people I didn't get on with. I thought, 'this is it'. I did panic.' His unexpected release came just five days before he was due in court - Jodie had been set free only hours earlier. Jodie's Thai wife Jintra Jummaimuang - accused of snatching their son from Edinburgh - played a key part in the pair's liberation. She asked for trespass charges to be dropped and agreed to the child's UK return. Had he faced a judge, he's convinced a five-year sentence would have been imposed. The ordeal has not blunted his battle to find lost children. He feels it adds weight to the campaign for a global, multi-agency approach to curb the rise in abductions abroad. 'It shook me up,' he added. 'I never want to experience anything like that again and it will take a long time to come to terms with what happened. 'I seem to be going through so much to be a voice for others. 'But it proves what I've said there should be something there to support parents. It needs case workers, police, courts and embassies working together. 'And don't forget, because of what we did, one boy is back home where he belongs.' Hillary Clinton excoriated President Donald Trump for his treatment of the media, saying in remarks on Sunday that press rights and free speech are 'under open assault' in the current administration, which she compared to an authoritarian regime. 'We are living through an all-out war on truth, facts and reason,' Clinton said at the PEN America World Voices Festival, in Manhattan. 'When leaders deny things we can see with our own eyes, like the size of a crowd at the inauguration, when they refuse to accept settled science when it comes to urgent challenges like climate change ... it is the beginning of the end of freedom, and that is not hyperbole. It's what authoritarian regimes through history have done.' Clinton, who was delivering the festival's Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture, began by discussing threats to press freedom and free speech around the globe, including in Vladimir Putin's Russia. All-out war on truth: 'It is the beginning of the end of freedom, and that is not hyperbole. It's what authoritarian regimes through history have done,' Hillary Clinton said in a speech in New York It's his fault: 'Today we have a president who seems to reject the role of a free press in our democracy,' Trump claimed But she soon turned her remarks to the United States under Trump, saying that such freedoms are 'in the most perilous position I've seen in my lifetime.' 'Today we have a president who seems to reject the role of a free press in our democracy,' she said of her 2016 opponent. 'Although obsessed with his own press coverage, he evaluates it based not on whether it provides knowledge or understanding, but solely on whether the daily coverage helps him and hurts his opponents.' And she added: 'Now, given his track record, is it any surprise that according to the latest round of revelations, he joked about throwing reporters in jail to make them talk?' The reference to revelations from memos by former FBI director James Comey was Clinton's only reference to Comey, who was fired by Trump. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Clinton's remarks. The onslaught at New York's Cooper Union came on the same weekend that her husband was revealed to have peddled a conspiracy theory that the New York Times had a deal with Trump to keep Clinton out of office. The conspiracy theory which was reportedly spread by the former president holds that the Times was eager to see Trump elected because it would boost readership. 'After the election, Bill would spread a more absurd Times conspiracy: The publisher had struck a deal with Trump that we'd destroy Hillary on her emails to help him get elected, if he kept driving traffic and boosting the company's stock price,' writes Amy Chozick, herself a Times reporter and the author of a new book, Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling. She was robbed: Bill Clinton was revealed to have claimed the New York Times cost Hillary the election by focusing on her email scandal for commercial gain Money making: Bill Clinton claimed that the New York Times had a deal with Donald Trump to hammer his wife for their commercial benefit when he won Chelsea Clinton popped a bottle of champagne before her mom was declared the loser in the 2016 election, according to a new book. She called the report 'false' - but the New York Times stood by it Fake news claim: Chelsea Clinton called the report 'false' but the New York Times did not back away from the story The excerpt about Bill Clinton's conspiracy theory was reported by The Daily Beast. The New York Times has not responded to the claim. Clinton's daughter has already attacked Chozick for saying that she had popped open Veuve Cliquot champagne an hour after polls closed. Chelsea Clinton claimed that was impossible because she was at home pumping breast milk. The New York Times however stuck by the claim in a printed extract from the book, saying 'several people' had reported the anecdote to Chozick. Hillary Clinton's remarks were followed by an onstage conversation with Nigerian-born novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, largely about the 2016 election. The revelations are detailed in a new book by Times reporter Amy Chozick, who covered the Clinton campaign for the newspaper Under friendly questioning, the former secretary of state was asked if she had 'hit back' enough during the campaign - a reference to a childhood episode in which, Clinton has written, her mother gave her permission to hit back at a bully. 'I now think that I didn't,' Clinton said. She described the much-discussed moment when Trump was 'stalking me on that debate stage.' She recalled thinking, 'What do I do? Do I turn around and say, 'Back up, you creep?'' But then, she said, 'the coverage would have been, 'She can't take the pressure, she got angry.'' And so, she said she told herself, 'You just have to be calm and in control. Because ultimately what the country wants is someone who is not blowing up in the Oval Office.' 'Well, you know that did not work out so well,' she said, to laughter in the audience. Adichie expressed admiration for Clinton but confessed to some disappointment that in her Twitter profile, she describes herself first as a 'wife' - followed by mom, grandma and then her professional titles, ending with 2016 presidential candidate. The author said she would have preferred Clinton begin with 'should have been a damned good president.' Clinton spoke of the difficulty she had in finding a balance between one's personal roles and relationships and one's professional roles. 'It shouldn't be either-or,' she said, noting that she had long strived for the right mix. 'But when you put it that way, I am going to change it,' she said of her Twitter profile, to laughter and applause. As of Monday morning, she had not yet done so. Missing CDC worker Timothy Cunningham was found dead on April 3 after being missing for more than six weeks More than 500 people attended the memorial service of an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention whose body was found in an Atlanta river. Timothy Cunningham's service was Saturday at Morehouse College chapel in in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents, Terrell and Tia Cunningham, were among those in attendance. They are holding a private burial for their son at the Georgia National Cemetery on Monday. Authorities say the 35-year-old drowned but his death remains under investigation. His body was recovered by rescue workers in the Chattahoochee River in northwest Atlanta on April 3 after he was missing for more than six weeks. Fishermen spotted Cunningham's body on the west bank of the river, stuck in some mud. The chief medical examiner, Jan Gorniak, said Cunningham drowned. She is waiting on toxicology tests to publish her final report on his death, but says so far it appears that no foul play was involved in his death. Cunningham had been missing since February 12, when he left work early, telling co-workers he was feeling ill. Scroll down for video Hundreds of people gathered on Saturday for the memorial service of Timothy Cunningham, a CDC employee who went missing in February after leaving the office because he felt sick Cunningham, 35, was found in a river in Atlanta, Georgia, by fisherman on April 3 Cunningham is pictured above with his parents, Terrell and Tia-Juana Cunningham. They were both in attendance at his memorial service on Saturday Gorniak said they are able to determine in an autopsy if a victim was suffering from any natural diseases, but so far it appears that drowning was the only cause of Cunningham's death. Cunningham, who was a jogger, was found wearing a running suit and had crystals in his pocket, which he liked to collect. Fishermen first discovered Cunningham's body and called authorities, fire-rescue department spokesman Sgt. Cortez Stafford said on Thursday. Stafford, who noted that the body was found in an area authorities had searched in February without finding anything. The site where the body was found was not far from Cunningham's house, in a spot which rescue crews had to use boats and special equipment to reach. The decomposing body was positively identified using dental records, Gorniak said. Fishermen spotted Cunningham's body in the Chattahoochee River on April 3. Police are still investigating his death but say at the moment there is no signs of foul play Cunningham was wearing his favorite running suit and had crystals in his pocket, which he liked to collect Law enforcement officials say they will likely close the investigation into Cunningham's death when the medical examiner's report is finished. 'If someone were to bring new information to us that was relevant, then we would obviously look at that - but absent those circumstances, this case will likely close fairly soon,' Maj. Michael O'Connor of the Atlanta Police told reporters in a Thursday afternoon press conference. 'We may never be able to tell you how he got into the river,' he said. Cunningham, 35, was an epidemiologist at the Atlanta-based federal agency. He left work early on February 12 and his family reported him missing four days later when they went to his home and found his belongings, vehicle and dog there. When Cunningham first went missing, there were reports that he had recently been turned over for a promotion. But the CDC issued a statement saying that wasn't true and that Cunningham received an 'exceptional proficiency promotion' in July, and was promoted to the position of commander - an early promotion reflecting his excellence as an employee. The medical examiner said there were no signs of foul play in the 35-year-old's death. Above, Cunningham's home, which is not far from the river where he was found Cunningham was reported missing on February 16, when his family came to his home and found his belongings, car and dog inside No one had heard from Cunningham since February 12, when he left work early, saying he felt sick. Above, Cunningham's dog Still, those who knew Cunningham said he was struggling. Cunningham's mother, Tia-Juana Cunningham, told the Today show in February that her son sent her a mysterious text message the morning he went missing. At 5:21am, he sent her a text asking 'are you awake?' His father also said he was dealing with issues at work and in his personal life. 'I will say that we, as a family, were aware of some personal issues that were going on with Tim. There was also some work issues that had occurred,' Timothy's dad, Terrell, said. The day before his disappearance, he also called his sister who said he sounded different. A neighbor told CBS that Cunningham had a strange interaction with her husband that day, in which he asked her husband to get her to erase his cellphone number from her phone. Conspiracy theorists have been attracted to Cunningham's case, hypothesizing that he was assassinated in some sort of cover up. But the CDC said Cunningham's job didn't involve access to classified materials and they don't think he would be targeted for any reason. A woman has been jailed for hurling vile racist abuse at a man in a busy town centre. Chelsea Wany, 26, of, Berry Brow, West Yorkshire has been jailed for 16 weeks after being found guilty of a racially aggravated public disorder incident in Huddersfield town centre last year. Wany was charged by West Yorkshire Police with using threatening and abusive language to cause harassment and fear. It was recorded by police as a hate crime as the rant used racial slurs. The tirade was caught on camera and circulated by local media in an attempt to identify the woman. Wany was sitting in a doorway when she began abusing a man, aged 21, who was born in Britain and has Pakistani heritage. The victim said he was walking down a road after breaking his fast for Ramadan when the woman began her unprovoked tirade of abuse, yelling: 'Do you wanna know why I'm being racist? In my own country? Because it's your race that's blowing up our f***ing nation. 'What are you going to do? I'll s*** in your face you P*** b******.' The attack happened on Friday, June 16 last year when the police were called to reports that a woman was being verbally abusive to a 21-year-old man in the town centre. Wany appeared at Kirklees Magistrates' Court on Friday where she was found guilty of the offence and sentenced to 16 weeks in prison. At the time of the appeal to trace her, the victim said: 'I was minding my own business. She just started having a go at me. I asked her what her problem was and she just carried on. 'Do you wanna know why I'm being racist? In my own country? Because it's your race that's blowing up our f***ing nation!' Wany says Chelsea Wany, 26, from West Yorkshire has been jailed for 16 weeks after being found guilty of a racially aggravated public disorder incident in Huddersfield town centre last year 'I could tell she had had a bit to drink but there is no excuse for it. 'I am a 21-year-old British Pakistani born and raised in Huddersfield and I have never been in this situation before. After this I seriously don't feel safe in my own country.' PC Steve Nicholls, of Kirklees District Police, said: 'During this incident, Wany used vile and offensive language towards the victim, who was incredibly upset and distressed by the incident. 'We are pleased with the sentence handed down to Wany and we hope this sentence will be reassuring to our communities in Kirklees that hate crime of any kind is taken extremely seriously by West Yorkshire Police and perpetrators will be dealt with robustly.' A Brisbane woman is furious after she fell victim to alleged thieves using the 'tap and go' feature on her card. Great-grandmother June Davis was shocked when her debit card was reportedly stolen before being used to buy goods. She alleges someone watched her withdraw $500 from a bank, before stealing her wallet while shopping, she told 7 News. Great-Grandmother June Davis (pictured) was shocked when her card was allegedly stolen before being used at a supermarket. The woman has now lost her faith in young people, after never having even used the 'tap and go' feature on the card. 'My faith in young people who do want to thieve off old people, you know, is fading,' she said. 'I didn't even know it was on the card.' Police are on the hunt for men (pictured) who they allege made purchases with the great-grandmothers card Footage has emerged of men allegedly using her card to make several purchases just minutes after it was stolen. Another six men are wanted by police for allegedly spending nearly $20,000 on stolen cards. Detective Sergeant Kris Steadman warned people to be careful with their cards, transactions and internet purchases. 'We can't stress enough that people need to be vigilant with where they put their cred card information,' he told the network. Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to a caravan of about 1,500 immigrants headed through Mexico toward the U.S.: Vete a casa. Go home. The president said Monday in a pair of tweets that he has ordered Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to block the stream of asylum-seekers at the border. He suggested that 'Democrat inspired laws on Sanctuary Cities' serve as a magnet for illegal immigrants, and seemed to complain about Mexico's 'one sided' border policy which is strict for travelers entering the country but lax for those departing into America. 'It is a disgrace. We are the only Country in the World so naive!' Trump added, renewing his call for 'Wall funding.' 'Mexico, whose laws on immigration are very tough, must stop people from going through Mexico and into the U.S.,' he wrote. 'We may make this a condition of the new NAFTA Agreement. Our Country cannot accept what is happening!' President Donald Trump signaled a get-tough stance on the caravan of 1,500 mostly Central American immigrants traveling through Mexico to the U.S., saying he won't let them in the U.S. Trump tweeted that he's told DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to block the caravan, and warned Mexico's government that operating a one-way border could jeopardize NAFTA talks Central American migrants are riding a northern-bound train known as 'La Bestia,' or The Beast, as they arrive in Hermosillo A Central American migrant from the caravan is seen as a group of 500 migrants arrives in Hermosillo on Saturday. Another splinter group of about 50 members from the caravan has already arrived in Tijuana and will claim asylum Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said after the tweet that Mexico decides its own immigration policy, and that it would be 'unacceptable' to tie renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement to the issue. 'Mexico decides its migratory policy in a sovereign way, and migratory cooperation with the United States happens because it's in Mexico's interest,' Videgaray tweeted. 'It would be unacceptable to condition the renegotiation of NAFTA to migratory actions outside this frame of cooperation,' he said separately. The first wave of the caravan reached the U.S. border last week when a splinter group of 50 arrived in Tijuana, Mexico. Some have already begun to cross into the United States 'to turn themselves in from Tijuana and request asylum,' said Jose Maria Garcia, director of Juventud 2000, an organization dedicated to assisting migrants. 'We understand more of them will do the same,' he said. 'We will continue to receive them and it will be up to them if they stay in the country or leave.' Illegal immigrants who request asylum, in particular those traveling with children, are typically released into the interior of the U.S. after they are processed, pending a court date. A large number don't return for their hearings. Central American migrants from the caravan rested at a community shelter after arriving by train in Hermosillo on Saturday Trump visited border wall prototypes near the San Diego-Tijuana border crossing last month Many will likely claim they are fleeing gang violence in their home countries. Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala are among the most violent and impoverished countries in the Americas. Critics say the process offers a loophole for entry and that bogus asylum seekers simply disappear. Immigrant advocates believe the vast majority have legitimate claims. The caravan started its journey in late March, undeterred by Trump's threat to deploy National Guard troops along the border. Separately from the group of 50 who have reached the border, another 500 have jumped a freight train headed north. They were last spotted on Saturday in Hermosillo, Sonora state, about 175 miles south of the crossing at Nogales, Arizona. They hope to reach the border by Tuesday. Earlier in the week, they were seen in Guanajuato state stretching out on the roofs of freight cars as they made for the border. One of the migrants, Mirna Ruiz, said that 'in Honduras we just can't live there anymore because of the gangs. We can't even go shopping because we are afraid.' A U.S. Border Patrol agent walks near the secondary fence separating Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego in this file photo Trump showed off a picture last month of what the new border control scenario could look like if his wall is completed 'We are also worried that our children will be recruited by the gangs. Those are the fears in our country.' In Mexico City, organizer Irineo Mujica had said the capital was the caravan's last official stop, but many of the immigrants feared going solo on the dangerous final leg north and decided to keep travelling in a large group. Some who had split off to press on alone reported back about kidnappings, and having their papers for safe passage torn up. The caravan is an annual, symbolic event held around Easter each year. It historically does not go all the way to the border; Mujica said that was not the original plan this year. Australians travelling to Fiji have been warned of the outbreak of a deadly disease. Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade reported on 21 March 2018, the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services declared an outbreak of meningococcal disease with local authorities concerned of the disease's high death rate. However, Fiji's Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said Australians do not need to worry because they would already be vaccinated due to the national immunisation schedule. Scroll down for video Australians travelling to Fiji have been warned of the outbreak of the deadly disease, meningococcal (pictured microscopic image of the disease) Fiji's Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum (pictured) said Australians do not need to worry because they would already be vaccinated due to the national immunisation schedule 'In 2003 Australia had a meningococcal C vaccine on its national immunisation schedule for all children from the age of one,' Mr Sayed-Khaiyum told Fiji's national parliament, news.com.au wrote. However, the free immnuisation was for children from the ages of one to nine, which means not everyone is immunised against meningococcal. Meningococcal is a bacterial infection which can kill within hours of someone being infected, according to Meningococcal Australia. The majority of victims can recover fully, however, 10 per cent of those infected with die and 20 per cent will have permanent disabilities. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the meningococcal outbreak has not had an impact on tourism and said there should be more awareness about the disease and how it spreads. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the meningococcal outbreak has not had an impact on tourism in Fiji (pictured) The warning comes after a Western Australian father had his hands and feet amputated after contracting Meningococcal. Jake Clift, 28, was rushed to hospital when he began having fits and vomiting at his home last year. By the time the ambulance arrived the father-of-two's lips had turned blue and his body was shutting down. Jake Clift, 28, thought he had a severe case of gastro on Boxing Day 2017, he slept most of the day and woke up to a fit and fainted twice 'I can't believe how quickly it got me, I had to ask the doctor what happened,' he told Seven News. During the five-minute journey to Armadale Hospital from the family home, the 28-year-old began to develop a deep purple rash over his chest, arms and legs. When he arrived at the hospital his organs had begun to fail, he was put on life support and his family were told he wouldn't make it through the night. By the time he was transported to hospital his organs had begun to fail, was put on life support and his family were told he wouldn't make it through the night The father-of-two defied odds and pulled through the night. By the next day his liver and kidney had failed, his lungs collapsed and his body was turning black from the lack of oxygen His chance of survival was five per cent and he was placed in an induced coma. That night his liver and kidney had failed, his lungs collapsed and his body was turning black from the lack of oxygen. He made it through the night and was diagnosed with the 'W strain' of Meningococcal, bacterial meningitis and septicemia. Despite defying the odds that evening, the infection worsened and attacked his kidney's as well as his liver. 'He wasn't ready to go, he's definitely a fighter,' Jake's brother Travis said. He made it through the night and was diagnosed with the 'W strain' of Meningococcal, bacterial meningitis and septicemia He made it through the night and was diagnosed with the W Strain of Meningococcal, Bacterial Meningitis and Septicemia Mr Clift was transferred to Fiona Stanley Hospital and had his hands and leg amputated. By this time the virus was out of his system but had damaged his body so severely he lost all of the skin on his legs and hands. After a series of painful operations and countless trips to dialysis to filter his blood he is able to begin his recovery process and go back home. After a series of painful operations and countless trips to dialysis to filter his blood he is able to begin his recovery process and go back home. He warned even you have to pay for the vaccination, it should be prioritised Mr Clift warned - even you have to pay for the vaccination, it should be prioritised. He said: 'Just make sure you get the needle because it comes fast that's how quick it got me'. A GoFundMe has been set up by the father so he can work towards purchasing instrumental items to move around. Les Hughey is accused of exploiting his position to abuse four women while he was working as a youth pastor in the 1970s A pastor has been placed on leave after allegations surfaced from multiple women who claimed he sexually molested them more than 40 years ago. Les Hughey is accused of exploiting his position to abuse four women while he was working as a youth pastor at a church in Modesto, in California, in the 1970s. In response to the report that appeared in the Modesto Bee, Hughey issued a statement saying he had 'sinned' during his time at First Baptist Church. But he claimed he'd only had 'consensual relations with fellow college-aged staff.' Four women have accused Hughey of sexual abuse while he was a youth pastor at Modesto's First Baptist Church. Hughey was 23 at the time and was married. The women accused Hughey of using his position to manipulate them. They said he would use dinner or babysitting as an excuse to invite the girls round to his house. He would then start touching them inappropriately when his wife went to bed, it is claimed. One of the women, Tracy Epler, told the Modesto Bee that Hughey forced her into sex for two years when she was aged 17 to 19. He was 23 at that time. Accuser: Tracy Epler has accused pastor Les Hughey of grooming her 'He was charming, he was a lot of fun, he was gregarious, he was funny - he was a rock and roll star,' she said. 'People were drawn to him. I had never had sex before I was a church girl with a Christian family. It was scary I didn't know what was happening...it repeated itself for a couple of years. 'It was always on the floor, not on a bed. He would make fun of me because I wouldn't move. I didn't know what was going on. I would have scabs on my spine. He would finish and go to bed in the other room with his wife. I would be there until morning. I would have to fake being ok... It was a type of emotional prison - I didn't know what my options were.' Another woman said she confided in church leadership after another staff member found an explicit note Hughey had written to her. Officials told her to 'bury the secret,' she said. One of the women said: 'He used his position and power to manipulate the vulnerable. I was a naive kid and he was a narcissistic a**.' Another woman added: 'The sexual involvement was a means to an end. It was something I felt like I had to do to have (alone) time with him. I remember feeling used and guilty.' Les Hughey, the founder of Highlands Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, (pictured) has been placed on leave as the church investigates accusations made by four women who claim he took sexual advantage of them when they were teenagers Hughey was removed from the church in 1978, though church officials did not publicly provide a reason for his departure. After leaving First Baptist, Hughey was hired at Scottsdale Bible Church in the mid-1980s. He founded Highlands Community Church in the late 1990s. In a statement issued on Sunday he said: 'I was unfaithful to my God, my wife, and the ministry, and was rightly removed from that church. 'Unfortunately, it's impossible to undo what happened, so I instead accept and live with the consequences, even now so many years later.' Hughey added that both his wife and church leaders were now aware of 'his history.' Doug Milligan, a Highlands Community Church official, added: 'Because the allegations are from more than 40 years ago, it will take some time to get a clear picture. 'We are concerned about the well-being of all people affected by these events.' He said the church would 'apply biblical standards and principles' and 'show compassion to all involved' during its investigation. Kory Schuknecht, ministry leadership pastor at Scottsdale Bible Church, added: 'We're sorry for any victims. Our heart goes out to them. There has been way too much of this going on.' A simple flip of her hair was what led to the arrest of 'Losing Streak Lois,' the Minnesota woman who had been on the run after allegedly fatally shooting two people, including her husband, in two different states. Lois Riess, 56, of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, was arrested in South Padre Island, Texas, after stopping in local restaurant, Dirty Al's, to peruse the menu. Riess had been on the run ever since her husband David Riess, 54, was found shot dead at their Minnesota home on March 23. Her second alleged victim, Pamela Hutchinson, 59, was found dead at her condo in Fort Meyers Beach, Florida, on April 9. Suspected murderer Lois Riess, 56, was arrested in Texas on April 19 when a restaurant manager recognized her based on the way she flipped her hair back from her face A Texas restaurant manager recognized Riess by the way she flipped her hair back when she entered. He said he'd seen her do the same thing in a previously released surveillance video The Dirty Al's manager George Higginbotham said he recognized Riess when she flipped her long, white hair back from her face as she walked into the seafood restaurant at about 7pm on April 19. 'I thought, "I know this lady,"' Higginbotham told the Star Tribune. 'She had a smile on her face like a vacationer, not really worried that people were looking for her. She flipped her hair and that is what made it kick in.' Higginbotham said he recognized the hair flip because he had her do the same move in a released surveillance video in which Riess had flipped her hair back as she talked to a woman at a Fort Meyers Beach bar on April 5, days before allegedly killing her. Higginbotham said that Riess looked at the menu and then decided not to eat at the restaurant, walking out just minutes after she entered. He said that during those two to three minutes she was inside the restaurant, he considered tackling her, but decided not to in case she had a gun or he'd mistakenly identified Riess. Riess was in a Texas court Monday, signing a waiver of extradition, allowing authorities to transport her to Florida and Minnesota to face her multiple charges Authorities said that Riess (left) fatally shot Pamela Hutchinson, 59, in Florida, after befriending her. It's believed Riess targeted Hutchinson because of her resemblance to her A surveillance video from after Hutchinson's death, showed Riess wearing Hutchinson's hat When Riess left, Higginbotham said he called police to report sighting her, while another restaurant employee followed her, watching her get into a white car and driving off. About 20 minutes later, US Marshals arrested Riess at another restaurant near Dirty Al's, based on Higginbotham's tip. Inside Riess' South Padre Island hotel room, authorities found two pistols a .22 caliber and a 9-millimeter. On Monday, Riess, dubbed 'Losing Streak Lois' due to a gambling and casino habit, signed a waiver of extradition in Texas, allowing authorities to transport her to Florida and Minnesota to face multiple charges. In Florida, where she allegedly killed Hutchinson, Riess faces charges of murder with a firearm, criminal use of identification, larceny and grand theft auto. In Minnesota, Riess has been charged with one count of larceny and second-degree murder charges are pending. A spokesperson for Texas' Cameron County District Attorney's Office said that the first first state to arrive to pick her up gets dibs on her extradition. A judge gave Minnesota and Florida authorities 10 days to get her, according to KRGV. Officials said Riess transferred nearly $10,000 from her husband's business account and forged his signature on three checks to herself, totaling $11,000, after his death. After allegedly killing her husband, Riess headed to Diamond Joe's Casino in Iowa, but was gone by the time authorities arrived. Riess allegedly shot and killed her husband, David Riess, in their Minnesota home in March She then traveled to Florida, where she was seen on surveillance video talking with her alleged second victim, Hutchinson, who bore a resemblance to Riess. 'Ms Hutchinson's purse was found to be in disarray and all cash, credit cards and identification appeared to be removed,' Lee County Undersheriff Carmine Marceno said. Authorities believe Riess, who allegedly used the same gun in both shootings, may have targeted Hutchinson to assume her identity because they look similar. Surveillance videos released just hours before Riess was caught showed her walking away from the Marina Village in Fort Meyers Beach soon after she allegedly killed Hutchinson. Another video captured Riess driving away from the hotel in Hutchinson's 2005 white Acura TL. Riess was also spotted on CCTV cameras driving up to a Hilton hotel in Ocala before calmly walking through the lobby wearing her alleged victim's hat. Police believed that Riess was fleeing to Mexico. South Padre Island, where Riess was apprehended, is three miles from the Mexican border. The US Marshals Service offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to her arrest and put up electronic billboards in at least five states including Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Nevada. A Colorado couple are facing animal cruelty charges after they allegedly had sex with their dog in a backyard motorhome that they converted into a sex chamber. Frederick Blue Manzanares, 50, and his ex-girlfriend Janette Eileen Solano, 48, were arrested in March and have been charged with four counts of cruelty to animals. Police began investigating in March 2017 after Solano reported a domestic violence incident involving Manzanares. She later told an officer that they only had an argument, but that she was leaving Manzanares because he pressured her into having sex with their dog. Frederick Manzanares, 50, and his ex-girlfriend Janette Solano, 48, were charged with animal cruelty after they allegedly had sex with their dog Bubba in a motorhome sex chamber Solano claimed that she first discovered pictures of bestiality on the couple's shared laptop and confronted Manzanares about them, according to the Denver Post. She said he told her to have an open mind and then began introducing her to bestiality videos, forums, and literature, according to the affidavit. Solano said the couple then began having sex with their Siberian husky mix, named Bubba. She alleged these sexual acts occurred inside a motorhome that Manzanares had outfitted with a customized padded bench to make it easier to copulate with Bubba. Manzanares allegedly used dog hormone spray to arouse Bubba and would take pictures and videos while they had sex with him. Videos of the couple having sex with Bubba were later found by police. Solano said she started to become 'somewhat jealous' of her boyfriend's relationship with their dog and that it would often lead to arguments. Bestiality only became illegal in Colorado in 2007. The couple have been charged with a misdemeanor. Aurora Police Department officials could not immediately tell DailyMail.com where Bubba is now and said there is a gag order on the couple's case. An alleged dine-and-dasher who previously claimed to have been 'made part of a witch hunt' has indicated she'll plead guilty to eight new charges, after a police prosecutor pointed to a criminal record of 41 prior convictions. Lois Loder, 44, was the subject of outrage recently after she was accused of fleecing multiple Perth restaurants and hotels out of thousands of dollars by racking up bills she neglected to pay for. Loder was ultimately arrested on those charges after a defrauded restaurant posted incriminating footage of her and her partner-in-crime to social media, ABC News reports. Scroll down for video Alleged dine-and-dasher Lois Loder (pictured) has indicated she'll plead guilty to eight new charges, after a police prosecutor pointed to a criminal record of 41 prior convictions But the single charge related to that incident is now beginning to look like the tip of the iceberg. Loder also faces a bevy of charges for various other allegations: including not paying for fuel at a service station, using a false credit card to buy alcohol and book a hotel room and driving a car with stolen number plates. A police prosecutor opposed Ms Loder's bail application in Perth Magistrates Court on Monday, saying she had a significant criminal record that included 41 prior convictions for fraud. He noted Ms Loder currently had another 22 similar charges before the court and was likely to receive a summons for a further 46 charges. The prosecutor further noted that it would be alleged Ms Loder had a severe drug addiction, and that the wanton acts of fraud were exploited to support her habit. The alleged serial dine-and-dasher (pictured) has been accused of blackmailing the businesses she and her partner scammed out of thousands of dollars in expensive meals Magistrate Robert Young nonetheless granted Ms Loder bail, albeit with a few caveats. She is not to contact or associate with her alleged male co-offender, who is yet to be arrested, and must report to police twice a week. She is due back in court on Thursday. Following her exposure on social media Loder recently launched her own online campaign, setting up a fundraiser in order to outsource the cost of a lawyer to the public. The appeal, named 'To end a witch hut [sic] in perth', popped up on the GoFundMe website last Tuesday. And poor Loder's statement is rich in irony: 'I have been made part of a witch hunt in Perth western Australia. 'The media has plastered misleading story of events and it has become a circus of disgusting behaviour from internet trolls and others I prefer not to name. 'I need money for a lawyer. I need it quick so I can be given a fair chance to defend this in a court of law. 'I know there are good people out there that believe in people having what is fair and stick up for people who society decides to turn on. 'So many times injustice is done to people and without money to fight it people are convicted wrongly. 'Please help for the sake of my family and what is true and right.' After Terrazza Cafe Applecross shared photos of the woman and stated she left without paying her bill, Ms Loder used her alias account 'Lois Lynn' to give the cafe a one star review Unsurprisingly, the comments section was unforgiving in its response. 'So you go out, consume $250 worth of food and drinks, on most recent occasion, and want US the public to pay??? U ARE PATHETIC' said Sarah Cunningham. 'You should probably apply for legal aid - seeing as you're so poor you cant pay the places you steal from,' said Hayley Kate; while Nathan Grover was a little more blunt in his assessment: 'God youre delusional. Pay your bills!' When it came to settling her debt with establishments she scammed, the woman resorted to threatening to plague public platforms with false negative reviews. Terrazza Cafe Applecross claimed Ms Loder and her partner targeted its business in July, leaving without settling a bill of about $200. Photos of the couple were posted to the cafe's Facebook page, with it asking public members who knew the couple to let them know 'they haven't paid for their lunch'. Shortly after, Ms Loder used her alias account 'Lois Lynn' to give the cafe a one star review, writing 'Awful. Really bad. Wouldn't go there unless you like pubic hair in your butter'. Mr Loder (pictured) wrote, 'Awful. Really bad. Wouldn't go there unless you like pubic hair in your butter' in her review of the Applecross cafe This week Elmar's in the Valley restaurant shared photos of who they believed was the same couple which had targeted other Perth businesses. 'This couple came in on Saturday 7th April in a two door white Holden Coupe at 4.58pm to sample some of our food and drinks and forgot to pay their $250 bill,' the business wrote. Elmar's General manager Steffen Hoeer said the pair regularly stepped outside for cigarettes during the evening and fled before finishing their final meal. 'They didn't eat their dessert, they just went outside again but this time they took their belongings and they never came back,' Mr Hoeer told The West Australian. Photos of the couple were posted to the cafe's (pictured) Facebook page, with it asking public members who knew the couple to let them know ' they haven't paid for their lunch' This week Elmar's in the Valley restaurant shared photos of who they believed was the same couple which had targeted other Perth businesses (Ms Loder pictured) A receipt showed the couple ordered a $48 bottle of white wine, four cocktails at a cost of $18 each, a soup dish, an antipasti platter, barramundi, a pasta and desert. 'I'm disgusted, it's just not fair. You receive the service, you receive the product, you pay for it. The staff still need to be paid,' Mr Hoeer said. In a message allegedly sent to a restaurant, which opted not to be named, Ms Loder appeared to threaten to tarnish the business's name unless it removed its post about her. 'I strongly suggest you remove the posts from the website or I will give you that many bad reviews it will make your head spin,' she wrote. Ms Loder appeared to threaten to tarnish a business's name unless it removed its post about her Elmar's General manager Steffen Hoeer said the pair (pictured inside Terrazza cafe) regularly stepped outside for cigarettes during the evening and fled before finishing their final meal Mr Loder (pictured) threatened to write so many bad reviews about a particular restaurant it would force a restaurant owner's head to spin 'I will inbox you my visa details and as soon as your childish rubbish is removed I will go on every sight (sic) and say terriable (sic) about your over prices (sic) for basic watered down drinks.' Hillary's restaurant, 3Sheets, was allegedly fleeced on two separate occasions to a total amount of $250 per visit, according to owner Toby Evans. 'When we got done I made it my mission to get them caught, so as soon as I saw Elmar's had got done I got in touch with them and said it was the same MO,' Mr Evans told Perth Now. 'She's abusing the staff and saying 'oh I meant to pay, I meant to pay', so she's trying to dig herself out of a massive hole which she can't.' This week Elmar's in the Valley restaurant staff released CCTV images of the pair and tried to convince them to settle the bill before the matter was taken any further The couple (pictured) have allegedly performed the same stunt at 12 other businesses in Perth Elmar's General manager Steffen Hoeer said the pair arrived at around 5pm and regularly stepped outside for cigarettes during the evening Staff at Elmar's claimed the couple tucked into a three-course meal, drank cocktails and wine over the weekend before driving away in a Holden (pictured) Anoop Nair, The Royal on East Perth's Waterfront general manager, claimed the same couple visited his establishment and fled after racking up a bill of $240. 'It's definitely the same couple,' he told the West Australian. 'They seemed fine. They were talking to staff normally and then the male got up to go to the toilet. She did the same a minute after and they never returned,' he said. Supervisor Matt Janin said the restaurant received a strange phone call from a woman following media reports it had been a victim of the dine-and-dashers. 'One of our staff members picked up the phone and a lady said 'I've just seen myself on TV and your venue says that we've been doing runners.' Hillary's restaurant, 3Sheets, was allegedly fleeced on two separate occasions to a total amount of $250 per visit, according to owner Toby Evans (Ms Loder pictured) 'Then that staff member said, just hold on a minute I'll give you to my venue manager and then I ... heard a few swear words coming out of the phone,' Mr Janin told Perth Now. The Floreat Hotel filed a police report after the man and woman allegedly fled a $290 bill in February, the West Australian reported. The woman was also accused of leaving a hotel $2000 out-of-pocket across two separate stays in 2016, allegedly using a stolen credit card to make her bookings. She allegedly charged expensive meals to her room, and claimed she had left her ID in the car to avoid being caught out. Lloyd McAuley, the former franchisee of the West Perth hotel, filed a police report after her first visit, and went to the police station after her second. Ms Loder (pictured) was allegedly the same woman to have left a hotel $2000 out-of-pocket across two separate stays in 2016, allegedly using a stolen credit card to make her bookings 'She'd say her ID was out in her car, can she just go up to her room and she'll bring it the next time she goes past the desk,' Mr McAuley told Perth Now. 'The hotel gets busy ... and before you know it she's been in your hotel for days.' The businessman said the woman eventually left his establishment after being confronted by him during her second stay. Mr McAuley believed the same woman had conducted a similar scam at another hotel in the city along with her male partner. Police confirmed they were investigating reports. GQ Magazine has caught backlash for including the Holy Bible in a list of books that aren't worth reading, in its latest edition which has ironically been dubbed the 'Style Bible' on its cover. The men's magazine included the religious text at number 12 in a list of 20 books, total, with a write-up on why 'you don't have to read' it by author Jesse Ball, published on Thursday. Calling the Bible 'repetitive, self-contradictory, sententious, foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned,' Ball recommended The Notebook by Agota Kristof, instead. Supporters of the Bible voiced their upset over social media, calling the lifestyle magazine 'irrelevant' and a 'total disgrace to the Christian community.' GQ Magazine has caught backlash for including the Holy Bible in a list of books that aren't worth reading, in its latest edition which has ironically been dubbed the 'Style Bible' Twitter user David D said he would not be buying anymore GQ magazines thanks to the story Twitter user Gary L Bauer wrote: 'The Bible is Gods Word that has transformed lives, changed nations and saved souls. GQ magazine is todays fashion statement that at this very moment is turning to dust. Gods word is eternal.' Ball's critique foreshadowed the sort of response bias his commentary generated. 'The Holy Bible is rated very highly by all the people who supposedly live by it but who in actuality have not read it,' he wrote. 'Those who have read it know there are some good parts, but overall it is certainly not the finest thing that man has ever produced.' Jesse Ball, the author of the critique of the Bible in the GQ piece, is a New York native who has written 14 books, with work that has been translated into more than one dozen languages A Twitter user by the name of Brian Houston wrote: 'Wow. What a way for GQ to show this irrelevance. The bible is way more hip than GQ' Ball went on to suggest the cruelty depicted throughout the Bible may be its best feature. 'If the thing you heard was good about the Bible was the nasty bits, then I propose Agota Kristof's The Notebook,a marvelous tale of two brothers who have to get along when things get rough,' he wrote. 'The subtlety and cruelty of this story is like that famous sword stroke (from below the boat) that plunged upward through the bowels, the lungs, and the throat and into the brain of the rower.' 'If the thing you heard was good about the Bible was the nasty bits, then I propose Agota Kristof's The Notebook,a marvelous tale of two brothers who have to get along when things get rough,' Ball wrote Twitter user Gary L Bauer wrote: 'The Bible is Gods Word that has transformed lives, changed nations and saved souls. GQ magazine is todays fashion statement that at this very moment is turning to dust. Gods word is eternal' Franklin Graham, the President of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, took issue with Ball's synopsis. The Christian Broadcasting Network quoted him as saying: 'Maybe the GQ editors need to read it again. The subject of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is Jesus Christ.' Another Twitter user by the name of Brian Houston wrote: 'Wow. What a way for GQ to show this irrelevance. The bible is way more hip than GQ.' Despite the uproar from religious individuals, at least some thought there was no harm in the article. One Twitter user, in fact, thought the published comments didn't go far enough, writing: 'Personally I think they are being too kind.' Franklin Graham, the President of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, took issue with Ball's synopsis One Twitter user thought the published comments didn't go far enough, calling the write-up by Ball 'too kind' The roundup included a wide range of writing that contributors thought readers could do without, each with suggestions for replacements on readers' bookshelves. The Bible technically came in at number 12, but really ranked one spot higher because 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain' was included twice by two separate contributors, making the list at nine and 10. Ball, the author of the critique, is a New York native who has written 14 books, with work that has been translated into more than one dozen languages. The Bible technically came in at number 12, but really ranked one spot higher because 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain' was included twice by two separate contributors, making the list at nine and 10 President Donald Trump bluntly pointedly asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a private call whether he legitimately cares about peace. The comment came in the context of new Israeli settlement construction a charged issue that led led to strain in the Obama Administration's relations with the Israeli government. Trump made the comment in a phone call with Netanyahu last year, Axios reported. President Donald Trump bluntly pointedly asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a private call whether he legitimately cares about peace, according to a report The statement shocked some of the aides who helped him prepare for the call, according to the report. The White House did not deny the report when the publication presented the details. "The President has great relationships with a number of foreign leaders but that doesnt mean he cant be aggressive when it comes to negotiating whats best for America," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. A senior administration official said: T'he President has an extremely close and candid relationship with the Prime Minister of Israel and appreciates his strong efforts to enhance the cause of peace in the face of numerous challenges.' As described in the report, Trump had been pressing Netanyahu about making a deal for Middle East peace, having read abotu his plans to approve additional settlement construction. Construction workers build new houses in the Israeli settlment of Kiryat Arba, east the West Bank town of Hebron, August 24, 2017 TOUGH LOVE: The White House said Trump has 'great relationships' with other world leaders but that doesn't mean he can't be 'aggressive,' said the White House Trump believed this unnecessarily angered the Palestinian side, according to the report, prompting the statement about whether Netanyahu is generally interested in peace. The behind-the-scenes pressure comes despite a public posture where there is virtually no daylight between Trump and Netanyahu's conservative government. Trump cast aside the advice of many diplomats who feared blowback when he announced the U.S. would be moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Workers prepare to install a caravan belonging to an Israeli settler family near the settlement of Kiryat Arba in the occupied West Bank on the outskirts of Hebron on March 5, 2018 Trump tweeted in January after the announcement, which prompted the Palestinians to boycott talks that, 'We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more.' Trump has been a steadfast supporter of Netanyahu, even as the Israeli leader has faced a corruption scandal in Israel. In February, Trump said Israeli settlements 'complicate' the peace process. He told Yisrael Hayom: 'The settlements are something that very much complicates and always have complicated making peace, so I think Israel has to be very careful with the settlements.' Israel announced the construction of 2,500 settlements soon after Trump took office. Britain's phone lines are vulnerable to being hacked because of a shortage in cyber experts, MPs were warned today. National security chiefs have said that foreign states Russia are trying to target hijack internet hardware to cripple Britain's systems. And today regulators of the energy, water, gas and communications sectors told MPs that there is a dire shortage of IT experts who can protect the country. Ofcom's technology chief Steve Unger told the National Security Strategy Committee that a shortage of recruits who can keep Britain safe is a 'sector wide problem'. The Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho, a crossbench peer who sits on the committee, said: 'That's quite a big statement - that we don't have enough people in the UK to keep the UK safe effectively.' Ofcom's technology chief Steve Unger told the National Security Strategy Committee that a shortage of recruits who can keep Britain safe is a 'sector wide problem' He gave the warning as regulators gave evidence to the committee of Lords and MPs (pictured today) in the wake of growing alarm about the threat posed by cyber criminals and rogue states Mr Unger replied: 'I think there is a common recognition of that.' Ofcom has a role in regulating and helping to protect Britain's mobile phone firms against hackers. The warning came as regulators gave evidence to the committee of Lords and MPs in the wake of growing alarm about the threat posed by cyber criminals and rogue states. The politicians were told that regulators for the vital industries have 'war gamed' how to keep the country safe from attacks. But they all struggle with the same problem - a shortage of expertise to compete with the state sponsored hackers abroad. Mr Unger told the committee: 'It is a challenge - we are looking to recruit a small number of posts - two or three. 'The point there is not trying to replicate the skills that exist in NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) but part of the trick here is to leverage that technical know how there is no point trying to replicate it. Regulators of the energy, water, gas and communications sectors (pictured today) told MPs that there is a dire shortage of IT experts who can protect the country 'But we need enough capability internally to have a sensible dialogue with NSCS and, when it comes to making decisions, to make decisions in an appropriate way... 'There aren't enough people in the UK to do what's required for the country as a whole. 'We face the challenge of competing with the private sector who generally pay more.' He added: 'There are things you can do but its difficult and of course it's a sector wide problem.' Jonathan Brearley executive director of Ofgem - which regulates the gas and energy markets - also warned the UK's capabilities need to be beefed up. He said: 'We have two issues - one is a general shortage of people therefore you have to be thoughtful about the resources you need....Ofgem trying to do everything is not possible. 'But second you have to be flexible about pay because these people can demand a lot. We need to make sure we get the right skills in place. 'The market is incredibly tight.' Theresa May suffered a fresh defeat on the Brexit Bill today as peers demanded the EU rights charter is kept in UK law. Peers voted by 316 votes to 245 for an amendment saying the Charter of Fundamental Rights should stay in place after 2019. Shortly afterwards they backed a separate move to prevent ministers from getting powers over how EU laws can be challenged in UK courts. They are the latest humiliating setbacks for the PM in the House of Lords - where she does not command a majority. Peers voted by big majorities last week to keep open the option of remaining in the EU Customs Union and maintain protections for workers. Proposing the amendment, Lord Pannick said that to exclude a number of important EU rights from domestic law would lead to a lack of certainty and continuity, providing a 'recipe for confusion' after Brexit. Peers voted by 316 votes to 245 for an amendment saying the Charter of Fundamental Rights should stay in place after 2019 'I fear the Government is seeking to make an exception for rights under the charter because the Government is suspicious of the very concept of fundamental rights,' he told peers. Accusing ministers of acting for purely 'doctrinal' reasons, Lord Pannick said: 'This Bill should not be used as an excuse to reduce the legal rights which we all enjoy against the state.' But former Supreme Court justice and independent crossbench peer Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood said he was a Remainer 'despite not because of the charter'. He said that to leave the EU but retain the charter as part of UK domestic law would be the 'worst of all possible worlds'. Baroness Deech, a crossbench peer, said it could be a 'bonanza' for litigation lawyers and that the charter had failed to protect human rights in other European countries. May's Brexit Bill defeats in the Lords so far Keep open the option of staying in the EU Customs Union. Margin of defeat: 348 to 225 Maintain all existing protections for workers, consumers and the environment. Margin of defeat: 314 to 217 Leave the Charter of Fundamental Rights in place after 2019. Margin of defeat: 316 to 245 Prevent ministers getting powers to specify when retained EU law can be challenged in UK courts. 285 to 235 Advertisement 'The retention of the charter would be a Trojan horse with a tapeworm in its intestines, because its interpretation would depend on the ongoing, never-ending, twisting and turning judgments of the ECJ,' she said. 'A vote for these amendments, to keep the charter, is tantamount to a vote of no confidence in the ability of our judges and this Parliament to make and interpret the law.' Some 10 Tory peers backed the amendment in defiance of the Government, including former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine and former ministers Lord Patten of Barnes, Lord Willetts and Lord Deben. A spokesman for the Brexit Department said: 'We are disappointed that the House of Lords has voted for this amendment in spite of the assurances we have provided. 'We will review this decision when the Bill returns to the Commons.' The House passed another amendment by Lib Dem peer Lord Beith and Lord Pannick which would remove a section from the bill giving ministers the power to make regulations specifying the circumstances where retained EU law can be challenged in court. That change was passed by a margin of 285 votes to 235. Meanwhile, Mrs May is facing calls to stake her political future on winning a crunch customs union vote as Brexiteers fear she is preparing to fudge her red line. Remain Tory MPs have signed up to an opposition amendment to the Trade Bill that would mandate the Government to create a customs union after Brexit. Defeat in the Commons would be a heavy blow to the Prime Minister's authority. Brexiteers want her to raise the stakes to a vote of confidence to deter Tory rebels from risking a collapse of the Government. WHEN WILL BRITAIN BE OUT OF THE EU? Britain triggered Article 50 on March 29, 2017, starting a two year process for leaving the EU: March 2018: Outline transition deal agreed, running for about two years June 2018: EU summit that Brussels says should consider broad principles of a future trade deal. October 2018: Political agreement on the future partnership due to be reached Early 2019: Major votes in Westminster and Brussels to ratify the deal March 29, 2019: Article 50 expires, Britain leaves the EU. Transition is expected to keep everything the same for about two years December 31, 2020: Transition expected to come to an end and the new relationship - if it has been agreed - should kick in Advertisement A symbolic vote on the issue on Thursday could give a clue to the mood of MPs ahead of the amendment vote expected next month. The row grew today as Mrs May faced a showdown with senior Cabinet ministers over a proposal Brexiteers see as a watering down of the pledge to leave the EU Customs Union after Britain leaves the EU. A customs partnership - first suggested in a British policy paper last year - is seen by some as a way of breaking the Irish border stalemate while preserving the ability to strike new trade deals. But critics believe it is tantamount to staying inside EU rules and restraining Britain's flexibility after Brexit. Brexit Secretary David Davis, together with Trade Secretary Liam Fox and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, are expected to lead a revolt at a Cabinet sub-committee meeting. Critics claim any form of customs deal with the EU could frustrate Britain's ability to strike trade deals after Brexit. But the Prime Minister may be persuaded a continuing customs relationship could end the stalemate over the Irish border Theresa May (pictured in Dudley today) has already suffered a series of defeats on the Brexit Bill at the hands of the Lords WHY DO THE CUSTOMS UNION AND SINGLE MARKET MATTER AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN AFTER BREXIT? When Britain stays in a custom union with Brussels (the European Commissions headquarters is pictured) is one of the main points of Brexit contention The customs union and single market have emerged as crucial battlegrounds in the struggle over Brexit. The customs arrangements could decide the fate of the overall deal - as the UK has already said it will ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Here are the main options for what could happen after Britain leaves the bloc. Staying in the EU single market A Norway-style arrangement would be the deepest possible without formally staying in the EU. The single market rules out tariffs, quotas or taxes on trade, and guarantees free movement of goods, services, capital and - controversially - people. It also seeks to harmonise rules on packaging, safety and standards. Staying in the EU customs union The customs union allows EU states to exchange goods without tariffs, and impose common tariffs on imports from outside the bloc. But they also prevent countries from striking deals outside the union. Theresa May has repeatedly made clear that the UK will be leaving the customs union. Forging a new customs union Some MPs and the Labour leadership have raised the idea of creating a new customs union with the EU. This could be looser than the existing arrangements, but still allow tariff free trade with the bloc. However, many Eurosceptics believe it is impossible to be in a union without hampering the UK's ability to strike trade deals elsewhere. They also complain that it would mean accepting the EU's 'protectionist' tariffs against other parts of the world in areas like agriculture. The PM has also ruled out this option. A customs partnership Less formal than a union, this proposal would seek to cherry pick the elements that facilitate tariff-free trade - without binding the UK's hands when it comes to deals with other countries. One possibility could be keeping the UK and EU connected for trade in goods, but allowing divergence for the services sector. The partnership option was floated by the government in a position paper last year. 'Highly streamlined' customs This scenario would be a 'bare minimum' customs arrangement between the EU and UK. New technology would be deployed alongside a simple agreement to minimise friction. But there are fears that this could hit trade, and it is unclear how the system would work with a 'soft' Irish border. Advertisement But a speeding truck smashed into both crashed cars through the fog at 52mph The family had been in a minor accident with another car and were stationary She had been returning from a meal with her parents when the HGV hit her An 11-year-old girl has been killed by a speeding HGV as she heroically helped her three-year-old cousin to safety in a motorway pileup. Iman Javed, was travelling with her family when they were involved in a minor crash between two cars in foggy conditions on the M61 near Preston on January 23. She then selflessly scrambled to help her tiny cousin Aaima Vasim to safety at the side of the road - moments before both vehicles were smashed into by an HGV. The Lorry hit the stricken cars at 52mph - with Aaima just clear of the unfolding carnage. But Iman was unable to get out of the marauding truck's path and took the full force of the impact. The youngster a pupil at Norden Community Primary School in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, suffered fatal spine injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Inquiries revealed the crash occurred as the trucker was taking evasive action to avoid knocking down a woman and child - thought to be Iman's mother who had Aaima in her arms. The tragedy on the M61 near Bamber Bridge, Peston, Lancs occurred at 10pm on January 23 as the family were returning home to Rochdale following a meal at a restaurant. Iman Javed had managed to get her three-year-old cousin clear of the oncoming HGV before it hit the car she was travelling in Iman pictured with toddler Aaima who managed to get clear moments before the oncoming truck Iman's parents Javed Iqbal and Khaldah Javed, both 46, were in the front of their VW Sharan whilst Iman and her 15-year old sister Saania were sat in the back with Aaima and all had seatbelts on. An inquest in Preston was told the crash occurred as Mr Iqbal who was driving slowed down in thick fog on the carriageway and was hit by a Renault Clio travelling behind them. In a statement Mrs Javed said: 'We had been out for something to eat with other family members. We set off home and the fog was patchy in parts. I don't know how fast the fog came upon us but it was a dark murky brown and you couldn't see the car bonnet. 'I remember Javed saying he was going to pull over. He was travelling about 10 to 15mph and put his hazard lights on. I saw another car on the hard shoulder -then suddenly I heard a bang from the back of the car. 'I asked everyone if they were okay and they said they were. I said I was getting out of the car with the youngest. I saw my daughter on the edge of her seat holding her chest saying it was hurting and I told it would be okay. 'As I got out I saw people walking towards the car. I took five or six steps away and turned around. I just remember shouting 'no,' I can't describe the collision itself - I just know it happened. Two trucks came past about six or eight feet away and I thought they were going fast. 'I remember calling my husband's phone but there was no answer. I started walking up the carriageway and there were quite a few people around then. I could see a car that had been hit quite bad but I couldn't tell if it was my car. There was an ambulance there. 'I saw my car against the hard shoulder barrier and there were people inside. I called out to everyone and saw Javed's eyes flicker - he was slumped over. Someone then started moving us back and the emergency vehicles arrived.. A short time later a policeman told me my daughter had died.' Mr Iqbal was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital with serious injuries. Saania received minor injuries in the crash. Iman suffered fatal spine injuries during the crash with her father and her sister also being taken to hospital for treatment Iman with her twin brother Rehan who was not in the family car at the time of the deadly crash Neil Hodson, the driver of the Renault Clio said: 'As I turned onto the M61 there was a blanket of fog and I only had a second or two to react. I slammed the brakes on but hit something and we then came to a stop. I tried to put my hazard lights on but they didn't work and I got out of my car - then saw an HGV hit it and pushed it down the carriageway.' The HGV driver Roderick MacLeod who had been travelling from Glasgow to Trafford Park, near Manchester said: 'Turning onto the M61 there was a sweeping bend and I was travelling in Lane one at about 50mph. 'All of a sudden I hit a blanket of fog. I felt I had been wrapped in a grey blanket and didn't have time to think. As soon as I emerged from the fog a man stepped onto the hard shoulder and I recall there being five or six vehicles on the hard shoulder. 'I saw a woman with a baby in her arms and did everything to avoid them. There was no indication of any other vehicle remaining on the carriageway. I turned to the right as I couldn't have stopped by braking or I would have jack-knifed. 'I hit a car almost immediately and then another car. I believe the cars had already been involved in a collision. I pulled up on the hard shoulder further up the road. I was in total shock.' Another motorists Gary Cundliffe said: 'I took lane one and approached a HGV - we were both travelling at about 50mph. I overtook the HGV and immediately there was fog and my visibility was reduced. I drove at about 30mph and I passed three or four cars parked on the hard shoulder with their hazards on. I have never seen or experienced conditions with such extreme lack of visibility.' PC John Birch a crash scene investigator for Lancashire Police said: 'The Volkswagen had been using normal lights but not fog lights. The Volvo HGV took evasive action to avoid the woman with a baby and hit the car. The lorry was travelling at 52mph. 'Iman had been wearing her seat belt at the time of the first collision but not at the time of the second impact. Recording a conclusion of road traffic accident, Richard Taylor said: 'Iman sadly died from injuries sustained when as a rear side passenger of a vehicle was struck from behind in heavy fog.' An inquest heard that the crash was caused a collision between Mr Iqbal's car and a Renault Clio travelling behind in foggy weather The family had been out for a meal and were returning to their home in Rochdale when the crash happened 'The vehicle had slowed down for heavy fog and a collision occurred as a Renault Clio ran into the back of it. The mother and her nephew's three year-old daughter got out of the vehicle as did the second driver. The remaining passengers were about to get out when a lorry collided with both vehicles causing further damage and substantial injury.' At the time do the tragedy Mrs Javed said her daughter was a 'blessing who touched the hearts of everyone she met.' She added: 'She was a beautiful, caring, fun-loving, inquisitive and sometimes cheeky young girl. She loved baking and cooking and wanted to learn sewing. 'Iman could play patiently for hours with her younger baby cousins, but she could also tell you the impact Brexit had on the Pound. 'She had her GSCEs planned and wanted to study medicine. Iman enjoyed shopping and was very good at picking out items for birthdays, baby showers or weddings. She was looking forward to the SAT's in the summer and the pink limo she wanted on the last day of school. 'Iman had a particularly special bond with her three-year-old cousin Aaima, who suffers from a serious heart condition. Iman's last act in this world was to help Aaima out of the car to safety.' Iman's sister Saania said 'She was the best sister anyone could ask for' whilst her aunts Zahdah and Shahida added: 'She will always be our baby girl and she leaves behind a lifetime of precious memories. Iman will always be in our hearts'. Iman leaves behind mum Khaldah, dad Javed, her twin brother Rehan, 11 and siblings Usman, 18, Mariyah, 19 and Saania, 15. The Michigan State Police are investigating a double homicide in which a husband and wife were found shot to death inside their home, with their son also present in the house. Police were called to a residence in the 3700 block of Fox Street in Inkster at around 3pm on Thursday. Responding officers entered the home and discovered a man and a woman dead from gunshot wounds in their living room. Scroll down for video Friends and family say Deon Booker and his wife, Ebony Roberson (pictured together in this undated Facebook photo), were shot dead in Inkster, Michigan, last week Police were called to this home on Fox Street last Thursday and found the husband and wife dead in the living room The couple's 15-year-old son was on the second floor of the house at the time. The State Police stated that the teen was 'unharmed and unaware' his parents had been killed. According to both the Inkster police and the Michigan State Police, the deaths are believed to be drug-related, reported Local4. This was not a random incident, read a statement from the MSP. The victims have not been officially identified as of Monday afternoon, but on social media countless family members and friends named the couple as Deon Booker and Ebony Roberson. Online records indicate that Booker, 41, had a lengthy criminal record in Michigan dating back to at least 1997, which included convictions for armed robbery, possession of cocaine and weapons charges. So far, no arrests have been made and police have no suspects. Labour bloggers claimed the event had distracted the public from the ongoing Windrush scandal It asked BBC not to 'report or celebrate royal events like births and marriages' Hours after the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to her third child Republicans have condemned excitement around the event, saying every child should be 'born equal'. Pressure group Republic launched the hashtag #bornequal and asked the public to sign a petition to the BBC Director General not to 'report or celebrate royal events and occasions such as births and marriages'. It called on the press to keep their reporting on the birth 'fair, balanced and accurate'. The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to her new son at 11.01am after going into labour around 6am The petition reached its target of 500 signees by just before 7pm and sits at over 800 at time of writing. Labour blogger James William Jacobs tweeted in support of Republic's petition, saying: 'The birth of every child is special. Totally agree with @RepublicStaff - we are all #bornequal.' Others today decried the royal birth as drawing attention away from what they said were more important events. Campaign group Republic was vocal today and called on the BBC not to 'report or celebrate royal events and occasions such as births and marriages' Rachael Swindon, another Labour blogger, said was in danger of eclipsing the ongoing Windrush Scandal in which people who have resided in the UK for generations were at risk of deportation. She tweeted this afternoon: 'Five minutes spent on BBC News and what William said on his way out of the hospital is more newsworthy than the Windrush scandal. This won't go away #WindrushNotWindsors.' Earlier she had hosted a poll on asking followers to vote on what bad news the Tories would use the royal baby to cover in the next few days, listing the 'Windrush scandal', 'more bombs for Syria', 'Tory Brexit divisions' and 'all of the above' as options. The Duchess of Cambridge leaves the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital with her newborn son Michael Moore, Republic's campaign officer and Labour supporter, retweeted Jeremy Corbyn, who tweeted 'Congratulations to Kate and William on the birth of their baby boy. I wish them all the very best.' In his tweet Moore drew attention to the fact the Labour leader had not used the full titles of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge. Republic also today condemned the BBC for its coverage of previous royal events, saying in a statement it had 'a long history of getting it badly wrong with its royal reporting. 'It cannot make the same mistakes in 2018,' it added. It insisted today's birth and previous royal events had been used as 'PR opportunities by the royal household, to promote the royal brand and keep critics at bay'. Left-leaning and SNP voices were critical of how the royal birth had been covered by the media and said the event was distracting the public from the ongoing Windrush scandal Republic previously claimed the BBC was biased in favour of the royals, citing the 2012 documentary The Diamond Queen. Chief Executive Graham Smith wrote to chairman of the BBC Trust, Chris Patten, saying the programme breached BBC guidelines on impartiality. Pressure group Labour for a Republic also marked the birth today by encouraging the public to join their campaign 'to abolish the monarchy'. Last week it said it was 'absolutely right' demonstrations should be allowed outside the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Rhiannon Spear, SNP councillor for Greater Pollok, was critical of the media attention the royal baby drew today Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured today at the annual conference of the Communication Workers Union) tweeted his congratulation but did not use the royal couple's full titles In 2011 Republic held an alternative street party in London to mark the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. It celebrated 'democracy and people power rather than inherited privilege' and was part of a swathe of events in other UK cities. Camden Council had originally blocked the Republic London event, but eventually allowed it to be held. A leukaemia patient who was wearing a medical face mask in Vienna was stopped by police under a ban on the full Islamic veil and other face-coverings brought in last year. The 26-year-old man, identified only as Valentin, said that he was stopped last Tuesday. Doctors had told him to wear his mask to protect his immune system, which had been so severely weakened by a intensive course of chemotherapy and other treatment that he had to spend eight weeks in isolation. The leukaemia patient was stopped under Austrian laws which ban the Islamic veil and face-coverings (FILE photo) 'The first thing they asked me was whether I spoke German or whether I was foreign,' Valentin told the Vice News Austrian website. 'When I explained that I was from Vienna, things calmed down a bit. But then they went after my face mask.' The police explained to him that he was contravening the law, which carries an 80 euro (70) fine. 'I had asked my doctor about exactly this. But at the time he just laughed and said it would be obvious to anyone why I was wearing it'. He showed the police his medication while searching for his blood test results on his phone. 'The whole thing was quite a stressful experience, but in the end they believed me,' Valentin said. He was warned that next time he would need a doctor's certificate or would face a fine. Police spokesman Patrick Maierhofer admitted the man was stopped and said 'the matter was sorted out after a short conversation'. 'Covering your face for medical reasons is an exception. In such cases the police must be given credible proof that it is being worn for medical reasons,' Maierhofer told the APA agency. The law, which came into force on October 1, bans the full Islamic veil, known as the burqa or the niqab, in public places. But in order to avoid being sued for discrimination, the government outlawed at the same time any item of clothing that covers the face. The ban on the full-face veil, which remains a rare sight in Austria, was seen as an effort by the two parties then in government, the centre left Social Democrats (SPOe) and centre-right People's Party (OeVP), to halt a rise in support for the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPOe). However, the FPOe went on to gain seats in October's elections and is now the junior partner in an OeVP-led coalition government, with the SPOe going into opposition. This is not the first time the ban has seen people stopped controversially. Is some fin wrong, officer? The man is pictured outside the McShark store with his shark head In October, a man dressed as a shark was arrested while working as a mascot outside a shop. The employee was standing outside McShark in a shark suit to advertise the new electronics store in Vienna. Police officers demanded he removed his shark head and when he refused, protesting he was 'just doing his job', they arrested him and slapped him with a fine. Just a few days later, the Austrian parliament's own mascot was targeted by police. Lesko, a giant blue bunny, was standing outside Austria's parliament in Vienna while shooting a promo. Police driving past the building spotted Lesko and immediately ordered filming to be stopped while they checked the man's identification. The mascot had to take his mask off so that police could check his true identity during the stop. A man who had been arguing with his girlfriend in Alabama hurled an exercise weight through a car window, striking and killing their 34-month-old daughter, according to investigators. Deputies responded to a domestic violence report at the 1000 block of Manor Circle near Bessemer just after 11.30am on Saturday and found Laila Reid unresponsive with injuries to the head and face. The toddler was rushed to a hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries. Dad arrested: Ira Reid (left), 38, from Alabama, has been charged with murder and domestic violence in the death of his 34-month-old daughter, Laila (pictured with her dad, right) Investigators say Reid had been arguing with his girlfriend (left) and hurled an exercise weight through a car window The victim's father, 38-year-old Ira Reid, had gotten into a dispute with the mother. When the woman got into a car to leave, Reid allegedly threw the weight, hitting Laila who was seated inside the vehicle. Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy Randy Christian tells Al.com that Reid remained at the scene and admitted to causing Laila the injuries that resulted in her death. Reid has been charged with murder, domestic violence and shooting or throwing a dangerous object into a vehicle. Young Laila (left and right) was struck in the head and face by the weight, and died a short time later. Her father admitted to causing her injuries, officials said He is being held in the Jefferson County jail on $165,000 bond. A Facebook page associated with Reid is filled with photos of the father and his baby daughter, from the time of her birth in June 2015 until February 2017. 44-year-old Doug is 29 years Avalon's senior and older than her own father The teenager was in sixth form in Bradford, West Yorkshire, when she met Doug Avalon Garvey was 17-years-old when she traded in for older man Doug Traser A 17-year-old teenager who dumped her boyfriend for a man older than her own father has opened up about her sex life two years later. Avalon Garvey, now 19, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, was in sixth form when she met Doug Traser, 44. After the pair started chatting on an online messaging website - they instantly hit it off and decided they wanted to meet up. Avalon admitted that Doug was instantly honest about his age, before also telling her about his wife and kids - and the fact he was in San Francisco, over 8,500 miles away. But after a few months the pair were on such good terms that he decided to take a flight to Leeds to meet her. The pair started chatting on an online forum while Avalon was still at sixth-form college in Bradford, West Yorkshire A few months after they first met online Doug took the massive decision to fly to the UK and meet Avalon 'I knew I loved him as soon as I saw him,' Avalon told the Sun - adding that the couple first had sex on that trip. 'I was 17. 16 was the age you could legally have sex, so it was completely legal,' she said. Describing their sex life, she added: 'When we are together it is extravagant, it is good. 'He knows what he is doing, I am happy.' According to Avalon, she had been seeing another 17-year-old at the time, but decided to break off the relationship because she didn't see it going any further. 'It was going down a rocky path. It was very difficult to tell them I wasn't seeing them anymore.' According to Avalon, the couple first had sex on Doug's initial visit to the UK when she was just 17 The couple have now been going out for two years - with Doug visiting Avalon at the University of York where she is a student Her and Doug now see each other every month - with the pair alternating trips between Leeds and San Francisco. Two years on and now a first-year student at the University of York, she has even taken Doug on a night out with her university friends. 'They went on a night out, he was there and it wasn't awkward at all,' she said. But he has, on occasion, been mistaken for her dad. 'There was one time, we were in California, and I was giving a waitress a tip. She said 'is that your dad?' 'But I don't care what people think. It's my relationship, it is not a random person's relationship. 'I get stares and I will rub it in their face and give him a cuddle. I am happy so why does it matter what anyone else thinks?' Only for embattled Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein could a half hour of tough questioning from U.S. Supreme Court justices be seen as a break from his stressful day job. That is what happened on Monday for Rosenstein, who oversees Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia and the 2016 U.S. election, and has been frequently criticized by President Donald Trump. Rosenstein, the Justice Department's No. 2 official, argued on behalf of Trump's administration in a case involving the sentencing of a legal immigrant from Mexico on drug-related charges. THE RIGHT CUFF: Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein departs the Supreme Court on Monday, April 23, 2018, in Washington, with his family, after arguing his first case before the court. He was defending the government's position in a case involving the prison sentence for a convicted drug dealer. He got special presidential cufflinks from White House counsel Don McGahn for the occasion Dressed in the traditional long-tailed jacket that government lawyers wear at the high court, Rosenstein tussled with the justices over convicted drug dealer Adaucto Chavez-Meza's bid to reduce his sentence by six months. It was the experienced prosecutor's first argument at the high court. Rosenstein appeared comfortable, occasionally looking down at his notes, as he parried tough questions from both ideological wings of the court. Liberal Justice Elena Kagan and conservative Chief Justice John Roberts were among those who expressed some doubts about Rosenstein's argument. It was not clear how the court will rule, with a decision due by the end of June. It is not uncommon for senior Justice Department officials to ask the administration's regular Supreme Court lawyer, the solicitor general, if they can argue a case. Among those who have done it in the past is James Comey, the former FBI director who Trump fired last year. Comey argued a 2004 case as deputy attorney general under former President George W. Bush. BEATS READING THE NEWS ON TWITTER: Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, center, poses for a photograph with his family, wife, Lisa Barsoomian, left, daughters Julie Rosenstein and Allison Rosenstein, right, as they depart the Supreme Court on Monday, April 23, 2018, in Washington,, after arguing his first case before the court. He was defending the government's position in a case involving the prison sentence for a convicted drug dealer Only eight of the nine justices participated in the case. Rosenstein's fellow Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch recused himself, likely because the case arose from the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on which he formerly served. Though minor, the case fit in well with the administration's get-tough approach on immigration. Chavez-Meza, 25, worked with the Mexico-based Sinaloa drug cartel and was arrested in New Mexico in 2012. On Wednesday, the justices will hear a much bigger immigration-related case involving the legality of Trump's travel ban targeting people from several Muslim-majority countries. Mueller's investigation, which already has led to criminal charges against Trump's former campaign chairman and other campaign figures, could threaten Trump's presidency. Rosenstein appointed Mueller. Trump has called Mueller's probe a witch hunt, raising concern he may try to fire the special counsel or Rosenstein. Rosenstein told Trump this month that the president is not a target of Mueller's investigation. Trump denied calling Rod Rosenstein (right) Mister Peepers (left) a meek high school teacher who often inadvertently landed himself in embarrassing situations While President Trump is known for his love of nicknames, he's denying a Washington Post report that says he has ones for his attorney general and the No. 2 at the Justice Department. 'The Washington Post said I refer to Jeff Sessions as "Mr. Magoo" and Rod Rosenstein as "Mr. Peepers." This is "according to people with whom the president has spoken." There are no such people and don't know these characters,' Trump wrote in a Saturday tweet. 'Just more Fake & Disgusting News to create ill will!' On Friday, the Post ran a story that said the president 'at times' used these nicknames for Rosenstein and Sessions, both based on television characters from the 1950s. The White House isn't ruling out a future presidential pardon for embattled Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who is facing a criminal probe over hush-money payments to women who claim to have bedded the president. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters on Monday that 'it's hard to close the door on something that hasn't taken place.' That could mean merely that pardons are generally not awarded pre-emptively only after convictions. But the turn of phrase left political reporters unsure what she meant, especially since it was the second time Sanders was asked the question in the space of just a few hours. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Monday that she couldn't 'close the door' on the idea of a presidential pardon for embattled Trump lawyer Michael Cohen Cohen (left) is under investigation for campaign finance violations and bank fraud related to payoffs made to women who claim to have slept with Trump (right), who has the power to pardon anyone in the nation White House legislative director Marc Short (right) told CNN host Chris Cuomo that if Trump pre-emptively pardoned Cohen, 'there'd be quite an outcry from your network' She told journalists Monday morning on the North Lawn of the White House: 'I don't think that we are going to talk about hypotheticals that don't exist right now.' Sanders expanded that idea during her afternoon briefing, describing a future pardon decision as impacting a hypothetical situation ... that may or may not ever happen.' She referred future questions to Cohen's and Trump's lawyers. Monday morning on CNN's 'New Day' program, White House legislative director Marc Short tangled with host Chris Cuomo about why President Trump hasn't personally and publicly exonerated his longtime legal eagle. Sanders refused earlier on Monday to talk about a hypothetical pardon but fueled the media's speculation 'I would imagine if he did that there'd be quite an outcry from your network,' Short said. 'There's no need. There's no need for that at this point.' Trump attacked a New York Times reporter on Saturday for writing that his lawyers are bracing for Cohen to turn against him by cooperating with the FBI. 'Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories,' the president tweeted. 'Sorry, I don't see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!' In a string of tweets on Saturday morning, Trump defended Cohen and said he doesn't believe he'll cooperate with federal investigators or 'flip' on him Earlier, he took aim at New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, who reported Friday that it was a 'strong possibility' Cohen would cooperate to save his own skin. Trump called Haberman 'third rate' on Saturday, and declared Cohen is 'a fine person with a wonderful family.' 'Michael is a businessman for his own account/lawyer who I have always liked & respected,' he continued. This is the shocking moment people were seen dicing with death on the roof of a 32-storey block of flats. They were caught on camera standing on a ledge on the top of one of the new Greengate apartment buildings on the border of Salford and Manchester. Residents in neighbouring flats said the 'urban explorers' were seen on the roof - nearly 100m above the ground - for just a few minutes. Police were called, but the 'explorers' were thrown out of the building, off Trinity Way, by property managers before officers arrived. Residents in the nearby Jefferson Place flats, in the Green Quarter, said they earlier saw people clambering down from a crane in a construction site on Fernie Street. The group was spotted at around 7.30pm on Friday night, but it is unknown if they were the same people seen on top of the Greengate block. Jessica Maloney, 26, a resident in the Spectrum building, recorded the 'explorers' high above the ground on Sunday. She said: 'We saw them for about two minutes then they went down, we don't know how long they had been up there. 'It looks like on the top floor there is a large balcony or patio area in that building. 'It looked like they were on the top of the building jumping from bit to bit. People were caught on camera standing on a ledge on the top of one of the new Greengate apartment buildings on the border of Salford and Manchester 'We were like 'oh my god, what if they fall?'. We then saw a helicopter 20 minutes after we saw them, they weren't up there for very long.' A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police said: 'We got a call at 8.40pm to reports that there were people on the roof of the Greengate apartments on New Bridge Street. 'They were ejected from the building before officers arrived.' The recently-opened block is 32 storeys high. It is one of two new towers at the site. Another block - 100 Greengate - is being built on the neighbouring site. It will become Salford's tallest building when it is finished. Police were called, but the 'explorers' were thrown out of the building, off Trinity Way, by property managers before officers arrived Residents in the nearby Jefferson Place flats, in the Green Quarter, said they earlier saw people clambering down from a crane in a construction site on Fernie Street A spokesman for the Greengate development said: 'We are aware of a small criminal element that target high rise developments in Manchester and Salford, gaining access by causing criminal damage. 'The health and safety of Greengate residents and members of the public is paramount. 'Any criminal trespass at Greengate will be reported to the police and we are working with them following this occurrence. 'We continue to looks for ways to enhance security in light of this incident.' Google Chief Executive Officer is about to receive $380 million. In 2014, Sundar Pichai, 45, received an award of restricted shares in the company as part of a promotion. The 353,939 shares worth around $380 million vest on April 25. This makes it one of the largest single payouts to a public company executive in recent years, according to Bloomberg. Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai, 45, is about to receive $380 million Pichai joined Google in 2004, where he led the product management and innovation efforts for a suite of Google's client software products, including Google Chrome and Chrome OS. Pichai allegedly received the shares before his promotion to senior vice president of products a year earlier, when he took over many of co-founder Larry Pages responsibilities. The award increased in value as Alphabets stock surged 90 percent since the grant date. Google has consistently paid Pichai more than $100 million in total compensation per year since 2014. The company has yet to disclose Pichais compensation for 2017. Pichai is married to Anjali Pichai and they have two children together. Pichai worked in engineering and product management at Applied Materials and in management consulting at McKinsey & Company. He attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. In 2014, Sundar Pichai, 45, received an award of restricted shares in the company as part of a promotion. The 353,939 shares worth around $380 million vest on April 25 Flight records reveal Donald Trump stayed overnight in Moscow during the 2013 Miss Universe, despite what former FBI Director James Comey says were his protestations that the 'Golden Showers' claim couldn't be true because he didn't spend a night there. According to his now-released memos of his private conversations with Trump, Comey says the president repeatedly denied the salacious claim in the Steele dossier. The president told Comey directly that 'he hadn't stayed overnight in Russia during the Miss Universe trip,' according to the memos. Trump told Comey he merely used his room at the Moscow Ritz where President Obama had stayed previously only to change clothes before the pageant, according to the documents that he penned before turning a copy over to the Justice Department last year. But flight records unearthed by Bloomberg News indicate that the private jet belonging to Trump business partner Phil Ruffin that with Trump most likely on board departed at 3:58 a.m Moscow time following the pageant. I'M OUTTA HERE: President Trump told then-FBI Director James Comey he left Moscow for New York the evening of the Miss Universe pageant, which would mean an event described in the Steele dossier couldn't have happened The records indicate Trump was in Moscow beginning on Friday until then. The departure time was technically Sunday, though in the wee hours. During a private dinner described by Comey in the memos: 'He said he arrived in the morning, did events, then showered and dressed for the pageant at the hotel' and 'departed for New York by plane that same night.' 'Afterwards, he returned only to get his things because they departed for New York by plane that same night,' Comey wrote. As Buzzfeed reported, Trump tweeted about a 'weekend' in Moscow in a 2013 Tweet that mentioned Russian oligarch Aras Agalarov, whose facility hosted the pageant. '@AgalarovAras I had a great weekend with you and your family. You have done a FANTASTIC job. TRUMP TOWER-MOSCOW is next. EMIN was WOW! ' Prior to the pageant, Trump attended the funeral for the Rev. Bill Graham. The, a jet belonging to Trump business partner Phil Ruffin flew from Asheville, North Carolina at 9:15 pm, arriving in Moscow on Friday, Nov. 8 the day before the pageant. In this file photo taken on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013, Russian businessman Aras Agalarov, left, Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler, from Venezuela, center, and pageant owner Donald Trump, of the United States attend the final of the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow, Russia According to the report, after the pageant on Saturday, Trump attended an after-party scheduled to start at 1 am. The initial Bloomberg report gave an exact landing time, based on purchased flight records, but a corrected version didn't have an exact time, only that it happened on Friday. The Comey memos show President Trump repeatedly assuring the former FBI director he has an alibi that disproves a key element in the 'golden showers' dossier although it is contradicted by what Trump's former bodyguard testified. According to Comey who Trump brands a liar and a leaker the president twice brought up what he called 'the golden showers thing' in order to dispute salacious claims in the Steele dossier, calling the rumor a 'complete fabrication.' Trump tries to rebut the unproven claim of his conduct in a Moscow hotel room involving prostitutes in 2013 by saying he didn't even stay in the city over night. Comey describes the encounter with Trump and former chief of staff Reince Priebus in a Feb. 8, 2017 memo. 'The President brought up the 'Golden Showers thing' and said it really bothered him if his wife had any doubt about it,' Comey wrote in the memo. A Bombardier Global 5000 business jet, with prospective customers, is pictured at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France, Thursday, June 16, 2005. Flight records show a jet departing from Asheville, NC to Moscow and then leaving early Sunday morning in 2013 following the Miss Universe pageant 'He then explained, as he did at our [previous] dinner, that he hadn't stayed overnight in Russia during the Miss Universe trip. Twice during this part of the conversation. Reince tried to interject a comment about the [redacted] and 'why it was even in there,' but the President ignored him.' 'The President said 'the hookers thing' is nonsense but that Putin had told him 'we have some of the most beautiful hookers in the world.' He did not say when Putin had told him this and i don't recall [redacted],' Comey writes. The memo contains no further information on why Putin would make the comment about Russian hookers to Trump, in what context, or when he made the comment. The dossier by ex British intelligence officer Christopher Steele argues that the Russians engaged in an effort to gain compromising material on Trump. TIME FOR SOME SHUT-EYE: Former Director of Oval Office operations Keith Schiller testified that he walked Trump back to his hotel room following the Miss Universe pageant, and the two men joked about the rejected offer of prostitutes Former Trump bodyguard Keith Schiller testified to the House Intelligence Committee Trump turned down a Russian who offered to 'send five women' to his hotel room. Schiller testified the offer came up after a business meeting. But he considered it a joke, saying, 'We don't do that type of stuff,' NBC reported. Sources told the network Schiller and Trump talked about the offer, which came after a morning meeting, while walking back to his hotel room that evening. The two men 'laughed about it as Trump went to bed alone,' according to the report. Then, Schiller said he stood outside Trump's hotel door and then went to bed. The testimony, if accurate, would indicate that Trump spent the night in Moscow rather than immediately flying back to New York. According to the Washington Post's account of Schiller's testimony, a Russian or Ukrainian man unkown to him made the offer after a late-morning meeting about the pageant. Comey's now-released memos describe times Trump brought up with him the 'golden showers thing' NONSENSE: 'The President said 'the hookers thing' is nonsense but that Putin had told him 'we have some of the most beautiful hookers in the world,' Comey writes The memos were released as Comey is promoting his book, 'A Higher Loyalty,' which also describes his encounters with President Trump 'Can you believe one of these guys wanted to send some women up to your room?' Schiller told Trump on the way to his room that evening. A lawyer for Emin and Aras Agalarov, who were at the meeting, denied they had any knowledge of the offer. 'They didn't do it, they didn't hear it, and they have no reason to believe it's true,' lawyer Scott Balber told the paper. An earlier Comey memo from January 28, he describes a one-on-one dinner with Trump at the White House where prostitutes also came up. When Trump brought up the 'golden showers thing,' he called it 'fake news,' and said it bothered him if 'his wife thought there was even a one percent chance it was true in any respect.' Copies of the memos written by former FBI Director James Comey are photographed in Washington, Thursday, April 19, 2018 He told Comey that he spoke to people who had been on the trip and they reminded him that he 'didn't stay over night in Russia for that.' According to Comey: 'He said he arrived in the morning, did events, then showered and dressed for the pageant at the hotel (he didn't say the hotel name) departed for New York by plane that same night.' Interestingly, Putin spoke publicly about Russian prostitutes in his first comments since the publication of the dossier just days before Trump claims Putin had told him about Russian prostitutes being the most beautiful. 'I can hardly imagine that he ran off to a hotel to meet our girls of lowered social responsibility, Putin joked at a news conference. Then he added: Although they are of course the best in the world, I doubt Trump fell for that. Said Putin: 'Trump when he came to Moscow ... wasnt any kind of political figure, we didnt even know of his political ambitions ... Does anyone think that our special services chase every American billionaire? Of course not, its just completely ridiculous,' he said, the South China Morning Post reported. Comey's memorialized recollections, if accurate, draw attention to Trump repeatedly pushing to contest the dossier, rather than leaving the matter to settle which itself raises questions. DEWEY NEED A FEW MORE? The index to Comey's book lists references to prostitutes, Putin, sexual assault, and Russian election interference 'The principle of he doth protest too much is the question that comes up immediately in my mind,' Paul Pillar, a longtime CIA official who is now a fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies. 'There's no particular reason for Trump to get so worked up about these things unless there's some fire behind the smoke. That's just glaringly obvious,' he told DailyMail.com. 'The only way you could explain it in some other terms would be, well, Trump is such a narcissist so even false accusations get him upset. I don't think that's as likely as that there's a there there,' he added. As for Trump's statement that Putin made a boast to him about Russian prostitutes, Pillar observed that Putin is an 'experienced intelligence officer. He would be open to whatever kinds of leverage possibilities, whatever form they would take, whether they involve prostitutes or anything else.' Soldiers in breathing apparatus are replacing the paving where Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter collapsed after their nerve agent attack. A military convoy arrived in Salisbury last year to begin a clean-up operation in the wake of the plot to poison former double agent. This morning, military experts were working in the park in the centre of the city where Mr Skripal and his daughter were found. Soldiers in Salisbury today set about replacing potentially contaminated paving stones Soldiers in breathing apparatus removing paving around the bench where former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found after a nerve agent attack in Salisbury The military has returned to the Wiltshire city nearly two months after the chemical weapon attack as the clean-up continues The bench is the first of nine sites to be cleaned in an operation that is expected take several months. Specialists working for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs will collect samples like soil, turf and paving stones for testing and cleaning to eradicate traces of the nerve agent novichok. Other sites which will be decontaminated are the two ambulance stations used in the recovery of the Skripals, a police station, the Zizzi's restaurant where they had lunch the day of the poisoning, the garage their car was kept in and the home of detective sergeant Nick Bailey - who was also poisoned. A spokesperson for Defra said: 'Decontamination work will start at The Maltings, in Salisbury on Tuesday morning on 24 April. 'Work will take place around the area where the bench was located. Specialist teams will carry out thorough testing to ensure that any residual nerve agent used in the attack is chemically cleaned, or removed and safely destroyed.' The troops were drafted in this morning as the clean-up around the city continues The Department for the Environment had warned residents of the city to expect to see soldiers Chemical weapons experts are cleaning up a number of sites around Salisbury this week Nine sites which will be decontaminated 1. Zizzi 2. The Maltings shopping centre 3. Ashley Wood Compound 4. The Mill pub 5. Bourne Hill police station 6. Salisbury ambulance station 7. Amesbury ambulance station 8. The home of police officer Nick Bailey 9. The home of Sergei Skripal Advertisement The spokesman continued. 'The work is being planned and overseen by Defra based on expert advice from DSTL, PHE, DHSC and the Home Office and with support of specialist MOD personnel form the Army, RAF and joint organisations.' It comes after a report by experts at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed Britain's analysis that the attack on the Skripals in Salisbury on March 4 was conducted with the nerve agent Novichok. The OPCW reported that the Novichok contained in blood samples from the victims showed little sign of decomposition, even though the agent would normally be expected to react with naturally-occurring chemicals inside the body, he said. Army trucks arrive in the town of Salisbury where the nerve agent attack occurred or March 4 One truck carrying a metal container began to unload this evening in central Salisbury Soldiers prepare for the contamination of nine different sites connected with the Skripal affair starting Tuesday morning 'This is strange, given that 18 days passed between the poisoning and the arrival of the OPCW in the UK,' said Mr Yakovenko. 'It might mean that the chemical was intentionally injected just before the blood samples were taken.' Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills from Wiltshire Police said it would be 'business as usual' as operations move to other sites in and around the city. Other areas earmarked for chemical cleaning include two ambulance stations, a car compound and the home of poisoned police officer Nick Bailey. Mr Skripal's home, which is still part of the police investigation, will be the last to be decontaminated. Toxic trace amounts of the Novichok poison is believed to have been administered in liquid form to target Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33 The pair had been in the Zizzi restaurant in Salisbury (pictured) which is now a site of decontamination A former news anchor who was accused of sexual harassment was spotted grabbing dinner with an actor who was briefly accused of beating his wife and partying with a director accused of molesting his adopted daughter last week. Charlie Rose was first spotted out and about in New York City on Wednesday, dining at the trendy new Tribeca eatery Frenchette with Sean Penn. One night later Rose was seen at a private party in the Upper East Side where he rubbed shoulders with Woody Allen and billionaire Steve Cohen. That event took place just hours after Allen's estranged son Ronan Farrow won the Pulitzer Prize for his work in The New Yorker exposing serial sexual predator Harvey Weinstein. The unemployed Rose then finished out his week on Friday with a plate of pasta amongst the power players at Il Cantinori in Greenwich Village. On the town: Charlie Rose dined out with Sean Penn last Wednesday (pair on left in 2016) and attended a party alongside guests including Woody Allen (right in February) on Thursday Hideaway: Rose has been spending his time cooped up at his Bellport estate (above) in the months since his sexual harassment scandal Rose's reemergence comes after months spent hiding out at his multi-million dollar compound in Bellport on Long Island, the same estate where he allegedly harassed multiple women. It also comes despite the fact that a new expose is set to hit in the coming week detailing further acts of sexual misconduct that were allegedly committed by the Emmy and Peabody-winning journalist. Rose is said to be eager to launch his comeback after being fired by CBS in the wake of a Washington Post piece in which eight women claimed they were sexually harassed or assaulted by the journalist. His eponymous interview show was also cancelled by PBS and Bloomberg, who broadcast the program and allowed Rose and his employees to use their Manhattan office. The mourning period seems to be over for Rose however, whose attitude towards the allegation seems to be similar to the one adopted by Allen. In an interview in the November 2013 issue of Vanity Fair, the director's adopted daughter Dylan Farrow said that Allen molested her when she was just seven. She told the magazine that at the time Allen told her it was their 'secret.' Farrow said that she told her mother Mia in August 1992 that Allen had been inappropriate with her in the attic and kissed her, recalling how the alleged abuse made her feel that she was a 'bad kid.' She explained that she told her mother because she was 'cracking' and wanted Allen to stop. Allen denied all the allegations at the time and was never charged with a crime. He continues to deny them to this day, maintaining a low profile as he lives a quiet life with his wife and former stepdaughter Soon-Yi and their two teenage daughters, Page Six reports that Rose and Penn made no attempt at havign a quiet night out when they met up on Wednesday, with the two men taking over the center banquette at Frenchette. 'They were having a really animated conversation,' said one witness. 'They stayed late, past 10:30.' Penn has been an adamant supporter of Rose, and defended the ousted newsman in a polarizing poem that closes out his new book Bob Honey Do Stuff, writing: 'Was it really in our interest/To trample Charlie Rose?' He also gave Rose the exclusive interview after his controversial meeting with El Chapo in 2016 for 60 Minutes. The twice-divorced, two-time Oscar winner has been the subject of heated allegations himself, with Madonna accusing Penn of assault back in 1989 according to The Seattle Times. The incident happened after the Christmas holiday, with the paper reporting: 'Three days later Penn, frustrated and drunk, staked out the Malibu house. Around 4 p.m., after Madonna had given her small household staff the rest of the day off, he scaled the fence encircling the estate, broke into the house and confronted a terrified Madonna. 'After slapping her around, he bound and gagged her, then strapped her to a chair with twine. He berated and beat her for two hours, then stormed out of the house.' Maddona was eventually able to convince Penn to untie her according to the report, which stated: 'Once free, she dashed out of the house, jumped into the coral-colored 1957 Thunderbird Penn had bought her for her 28th birthday, locked the doors and called the police on her car phone. She then sped off to the Malibu sheriff's station to swear out a complaint against her husband.' Troubled times: Penn was briefly accused of assaulting then-wife Madonna in 1989, but the actress later denied he ever hit or abused her (couple on left in 1988); Allen was accused of molesting his adopted daughter Dylan (pair above in 1989) when she was a child, an allegation he denies A week after filing that police report, Madonna changed her tune, however, and said the abuse never occurred reported the Times. She asked the district attorney to withdraw the charges, and a few hours later filed for divorce. The exes are now close friends, and Madonna even submitted a filing in support of Penn when he sued director Lee Daniels for $10 million back in 2015. That lawsuit was filed after Daniels was asked to comment on domestic abuse allegations that were being made against the star of his show Empire in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. 'He ain't done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn,' responded Daniels. Madonna did her best to aid Penn's complaint by submitting a court filing in which she stated: 'I am also aware of allegations concerning an incident that occurred in December, 1989, which purportedly resulted in Seans arrest for domestic assault and battery against me. I know those allegations to be false. 'While we certainly had more than one heated argument during our marriage, Sean has never struck me, "tied me up," or physically assaulted me, and any report to the contrary is completely outrageous, malicious, reckless, and false.' Penn and Daniels eventually settled that lawsuit with the director apologizing and making a charitable donation. The miserable winter, with months of cold and wet weather, has been a disaster for spring lambs. Farmers are reporting a high death rate in a shocking lambing season. Industry leaders say this will lead to a shortage of British lamb chops and roasting joints, potentially bringing higher prices. Chief livestock adviser at the National Farmers Union, John Royle, told The Grocer magazine that this years season is as bad as we can remember. Industry leaders say there could will be a shortage of British lamb chops and roasting joints, potentially bringing higher prices The problems on British farms coincide with a shortage of imported lamb from New Zealand. As a result, farm gate price are up by 46per cent on this time last year at some 601.9p a kilo. Mr Royle suggested these prices could climb even higher, feeding through to higher prices on supermarket shelves later this year. Slow grass growth, compounded by a shortage of fodder since the turn of the year, had affected ewe and lamb nutrition, making them more susceptible to disease, said the chief executive of the National Sheep Association, Phil Stocker. The sudden surge in the temperature last week created an increased risk of spring lambs falling sick from picking up the nematodirus parasite from grass in the fields, which can cause stunted growth and death. Lamb mortality is up 40per cent in Scotland compared to a year ago and by 25per cent in the north west of England. Mr Stocker said: The combination of fallen stock and slow growth, plus moves by some farmers to slaughter early or scale back on production, could also affect next years supply. Its difficult to say whether the supermarkets will push up prices, but with these shortages and a lack of supply from New Zealand, I think we will see an increase in prices. Thomas Rhodes, 19 (pictured), fell to his death from Hallam Tower hotel in Sheffield, West Yorkshire A teenager fell to his death from an abandoned hotel which has become a major attraction for 'urban explorers'. University student Thomas Rhodes, 19, was found dead near the entrance to Hallam Tower in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. His body was found close to a fire hose which had been draped down from a height. Mr Rhodes, a first-year Sheffield University Geography student, fell to his death on Mother's Day, March 26 last year. Before his death, concerns had been raised that intruders had gone to 'extreme lengths' to access the building. This included using ropes and the fire hose, an inquest heard. His death prompted the owners of Hallam Tower to plead with 'urban explorers' to stay away from the building for their own safety. Mr Rhodes, of Melton, had previously accessed the site from the ground floor in November 2016. There had been repeated calls to 'make safe' the dangerous building after a trespassing problem of 'epidemic proportions'. Sheffield City Council urged the owners of the building to properly secure the site to avoid intruders breaking in after receiving 'multiple' reports from residents. 24 hour security - at a cost of 12 per hour per worker - had been advised. Police were called to the site when youths damaged several cars after being spotted throwing debris from the roof of the hotel in February 2017. The fire service also had to break down a secure gate after arsonists torched a section of the building. Gravel had been piled against a doorway and gates were reinforced to secure the site, an inquest heard. Hallam Tower, pictured, has been derelict for ten years and has become a major attraction for 'urban explorers' Six days prior to Mr Rhodes' death, a local resident sent an email and photograph to the council of a fire hose hanging out of a first-floor window. Stephen Exley from Sheffield City Council told an inquest: 'I was obviously shocked, I would still say any building is not intrinsically dangerous, but the owners had secured it to a reasonable level. 'We are a reactive service. The fire hoses were used to get out of the building rather than getting in.' He added: 'We have powers to issue notices. If you don't do anything in 48 hours we can come and secure the building. 'There was not an easy access. It would appear from the end of 2012 it was relatively quiet until 2016. 'There was a report in May, a report in June and a further report in August.' Julian Arnell, a building surveyor, argued that a 'local newspaper article' which included a link to a YouTube video 'glorified' breaking into the site as an adventure sport. He said: 'Where Thomas was found was at the far end of the building. A fire hose had been draped down from an elevation. 'Everytime we identified an area where someone was getting in, it was dealt with. 'That made them more determined to find another way, they took more risks to get in. 'You are cut between a rock and a hard place, all you can do is respond to reports and get the situation dealt with as soon as possible. 'It was just an ongoing situation that you were managing as well as could be.' Hallam Tower was constructed in the 1960s and then used as a hotel until it ceased trading in 2004. Planning permission had been granted in 2009 to partially demolish structures at the base but the tower would be retained and converted. An application to vary the previous permissions was submitted and granted in 2012, the inquest heard. But the full conversion never took place. There had been discussions about demolishing the building in its entirety, which the council supported. But it also said owners would need to submit a planning application. Fresh plans for housing at the site have since emerged. The three-day inquest continues. A highway in Texas has reopened after authorities successfully detonated a World War II mortar shell that was brought into the area. The Bomb Squad was called in to blow up the explosive that was found in a home along the stretch President George Bush Turnpike located between Interstate 30 and State Highway 66 in Rowlett, Texas, police told the Dallas News. The closure occured after a local man called police to notify them he transported an 81mm mortar to his home after finding it in a city nearby, Detective Cruz Hernandez, Public Information Officer for the Rowlett Police Department, said in a press release. A highway in Texas has reopened after authorities successfully detonated a World War II mortar shell that was brought into the area; A stock image of 81mm mortar shells is shown here The man found the warhead on Monday morning in a smaller city nearby and brought it to his home. Authories evaluated the mortar where it was being held in the 4600 block of Bayonne Drive. It was determined to be live, and police evacuated individuals from homes before handling the situation. The Garland Bomb unit responded to the scene in the 4600 block of Bayonne Drive to take care of the device With the help of a robot, squad members took the mortar shell to a field nearby, dug a 3-foot hole and detonated it The Garland Bomb unit responded to the scene to take care of the device at around 10.18am. With the help of a robot, squad members took the mortar shell to a field nearby, dug a 3-foot hole and detonated it, Hernandez said. NBC news obtained images of the bomb squad carrying out its mission. People who had been evacuated from the area have been allowed back into their homes. It's not clear how the man came to be in possession of the warhead, Hernandez said. An American soldier of Japanese descent drops an 81mm mortar shell into the barrel of the mortar as the crew prepares to fire against the German troops; These soldiers fought with the 7th US Army (France) in Fall of 1944 He noted, though, that it was not uncommon for veterans from the World War II era to return home with souvenirs from battle, like grenades or mortar shells. He also noted that there's no indication that there are other projectiles there, or where the mortar shell was found. Hernandez shared advice for anyone else who might happen on a relic like the live mortar shell found on Monday. 'Leave it where it is and call law enforcement, wherever it is,' he said. 'Don't transport it.' An investigation remains ongoing into the events surrounding the detonation on Monday. Authorities in Oklahoma have charged a 66-year-old man with the 1999 deaths of a couple and the abduction of two then-teenage girls who remain missing are but presumed dead. District Attorney Matt Ballard said Monday that Ronnie Dean Busick is charged with four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of first-degree arson. Authorities say Danny and Kathy Freeman, of Craig County, were shot to death in their mobile home on December 30, 1999. The home was set on fire to cover up the slayings. Cold case solved: Ronnie Busick, 66 (pictured left) has been charged with murder in the 1999 abduction and slaying of Ashley Freeman and Lauria Bible, both aged 16 (right) Investigators at the scene of the mobile home fire in December 1999, where Ashley's parents, Kathy and Danny Freeman, were found shot to death Courtesy of FOX 23 Officials say 16-year-old friends Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman disappeared the same day and were never found. Lauria had gone to the Freemans home that night for a sleepover celebrating her friend's birthday. Ballard says two other men, identified as Warren Welch, 61, and David Pennington, 56, were involved in the double homicide, arson and kidnapping. Welch died in 2007 and Pennington passed away in 2015. Busick was arrested on Sunday and remains in custody in Newton, Kansas. According to a probable cause affidavit cited by Tulsa World, following their abduction, Bible and Freeman were taken to Welch's mobile home in Picher, where the three suspects allegedly took turns raping them. Within 'a matter of days,' the document stated, Pennigton and Welch strangled the teenagers to death. Officials say Freeman (left) and Bible (right) were raped by Busick and his two accomplices, who then strangled the two 16-year-olds and disposed of their bodies Busick is being held in a Kansas jail. He is now the sole surviving suspect in the case Witnesses told investigators Welch was in possession of Polaroid photos that depicted Freeman and Bible lying on a bed facing one another, with their hands tied and their mouths gagged. Some of the 'trophy' images showed Welch reclining on the bed alongside the girls. The first big break in the case came in December 2017, when Craig County Sheriff Heath Winfrey found a cache of notes relating to the missing girls when he was moving into his new office. The documents have lead investigators to people familiar with the murders of Kathy and Danny Freeman, and others who have come forward about the case. Lauria's mother, Lorene, spoke at Monday's press conference announcing the charges against Busick and appealed for the public's help in locating the final resting place of her daughter and Ashley Freeman. 'I need a place where I can go and say, "that's where my daughter is,"' she said, according to NewsOn6. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to forward the nomination of Mike Pompeo to be secretary of state after Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky did a 180 degree turn and backed him. The panel voted to send the nomination to the floor with its positive recommendation by a vote of 11 to 9, with one lawmaker voting 'present,' with all Republicans voting in favor. The reason for the odd vote is that one of the 'yay' votes was from absent Monday. Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia voted by proxy, which prevented the majority at least temporarily from moving the nomination forward. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. had threatened to block the nomination of Mike Pompeo to be secretary of state. He announced his support on Monday Ultimately, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware agreed to vote 'present' even though he opposed the nomination to allow it to move ahead on the desired schedule. Paul, a Republican, did an abrupt about-face on the nomination just hours before the vote. President Trump who had predicted Paul would vote his way said Monday that Paul whom he mocked during the campaign as 'truly weird' and a 'spoiled brat' 'never let us down. The president added: 'He's a good man.' Paul announced his flip in a series of tweets, where he said he got new assurances both from President Trump and from Pompeo. His support forecast the chance Republicans would muster an 11-10 majority, which would let them enough votes to report the nomination with a favorable recommendation. 'After calling continuously for weeks for Director Pompeo to support President Trump's belief that the Iraq war was a mistake, and that it is time to leave Afghanistan, today I received confirmation the Director Pompeo agrees with @realDonaldTrump,' Paul tweeted Monday afternoon in advance of the vote. Headed to the floor: In this file photo taken on April 12, 2018 US Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC Paul announced the flip on Twitter Paul said he spoke to Trump several times Monday COME TO THINK OF IT ... Paul did the switch after getting 'assurances' from President Trump FIRE UP THE JETS! Paul said Pompeo agrees it is time to leave Afghanistan 'Having received assurances from President Trump and Director Pompeo that he agrees with the President on these important issues, I have decided to support his nomination to be our next Secretary of State,' Paul wrote. Pompeo also got the support of Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who also joined all other panel Republicans. Paul had been unequivocal in his opposition to Pompeo. 'I'm going to do everything I can to block them,' he said of Pompeo and Gina Haspell, Trump's nominee to replace him at the CIA. After the SNAFU over Isakson's absence, panel chair Bob Corker pleaded with colleagues to find a work-around. At the committee meeting, Corker urged a Democrat to vote 'present' to let the Pompeo go forward with a positive recommendation hoping to avoid a late-night vote or an early vote Tuesday that interfered with the floor. 'Just vote present. We could vote our CIA director out on a positive vote, a positive recommendation,' Corker pleaded. 'That is the will of the committee.' He noted that Isakson, 'one of our most respected members,' couldn't be there because he was out of town giving a eulogy for his best friend. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., the sole Republican who had earlier opposed President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, tells the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he is changing his vote to yes, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 23, 2018. Democrats, who had been expecting to score a major win, even if only a temporary one, took immediate moves to try to stall the vote. Robert Mendendez of New Jersey called for delay to let people express their views on such an important nomination. 'Bring the coffee,' quipped Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) at the hearing. 'This is a deeply partisan action,' fumed Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Senator Rand Paul's decision to vote for Pompeo's nomination in the committee appeared to put it on course for approval on a party-line vote of 11-10. While the full Senate was expected to approve the nomination even if the committee did not offer its backing, Paul's switch means the nominee can avoid the embarrassment of being the first person nominated for the post known to fail to secure the panel's endorsement. 'I have decided to support his nomination to be our next Secretary of State,' Paul said on Twitter. Paul has been known to threaten opposition on major policy positions staked out by Trump, including healthcare reform, only to change his mind at the last minute. Trump recently expressed confidence that the senator from Kentucky would come around to support Pompeo. A FedEx worker stabbed a 28-year-old man multiple times just steps away from the Empire State Building on Monday. The two men had a heated argument on Fifth Avenue near 33rd Street in the Korea Town area around 1:40 p.m., and the fight suddenly escalated. It wasn't immediately known what sparked the violent disagreement that saw Madraque Tyquan Bailey, 22, allegedly attack Jack Gindi, 28. A 28-year-old man was stabbed repeatedly near the Empire State Building on Monday Details were scarce immediately after the incident, but authorities said the attack happened about 1:40 p.m. on Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street The attack happened right across the street from the most famous building in the country 'The guy was bleeding a lot. His whole stomach was cut open,' said a worker selling tickets to the Empire State Building to the New York Post. 'I saw when the ambulance got here. They lifted his shirt I thought he got shot because there was a wound in the front and in the back. It must have been a big knife!' Both men work in the area, according to police although it was not clear what the feud was about. Bailey, the 22-year-old FedEx worker was taken into custody a short time later, and arrived at the precinct sporting his uniform. The victim, who works in the area and was stabbed several times in the back, was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said The attack is believed to have taken place after a dispute between two men, who are both believed to work in an area near the stabbing Police have taped off the crime scene as they collect evidence where blood could be seen on the sidewalk The victim, Gindi was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and was not expected to die, a police source said Medics took Gindi to Bellevue Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, officials said. A FedEx spokesperson said in a statement: 'We were shocked to learn about the incident in Manhattan today, and our thoughts go out to the individual who was injured. We are cooperating fully with investigating authorities at this time.' Police have taped off the crime scene as they collect evidence where blood could be seen on the sidewalk. The amount of cash you have and your tastes in music don't necessarily determine whether you are rich or poor. Nor is it the size of your house, whether you went to university or the kind of car you drive. Labor's shadow assistant treasurer Dr Andrew Leigh, a former professor of economics, said the real way to measure wealth is by the number of teeth you have. The amount of cash you have and your tastes in music don't necessarily determine whether you are rich or poor (Sydney's millionaire eastern suburbs enclave of Point Piper pictured) A wealthy adult was likely to have closer to 32 teeth than a battler with tooth decay, after the removal of wisdom teeth was taken into account. 'One that strikes me very starkly is that the number of teeth that affluent Australians have is seven more than low-income Australians,' Dr Leigh, who has written books on inequality, told the ABC's Q&A program on Monday night. The Canberra-based member for Fenner said a teenage university student contacted him a few weeks ago after he had posted a social media video on inequality. 'When we talked about this in a recent social media video a couple of weeks ago a 19-year-old contacted my office and said, Yes, both my parents are missing a lot of their teeth",' he said. Nor is it the size of your house, whether you went to university or the kind of car you drive (outer suburban Melbourne pictured) Labor's shadow assistant treasurer Dr Andrew Leigh (pictured) said the difference between rich and poor was determined by a number of a different kind Teeth by numbers Adults have 32 teeth but after the removal of wisdom teeth, that number falls to 28 if all are extracted. However, people with tooth decay are likely to have even fewer teeth. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates people aged 45 to 64 will be missing seven teeth. That number rises to 13 for those aged over 65. Across all age groups over 15, the average person is missing five teeth before fillings are accounted for. Advertisement '"I'm working full-time and studying full-time and I can't afford to get my teeth fixed".' The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimated that people from households on an income of less than $30,000 a year were likely to be missing seven teeth, compared with three teeth for those in a home earning more than $60,000 annually. However, those in households earning less than $20,000 a year were more likely to be missing at least 10 teeth. Dr Leigh said wealth inequality had worsened in Australia, despite the nation's 27-year run of avoiding a recession. 'We've got an Australia that has doubled the number of private planes and helicopters, where Maserati and Porsche sales are through the roof,' he said. 'Some streets, the typical house sells for eight figures but yet we've got one in 20 Australians who've can't afford Christmas presents.' Millionaire entrepreneur Dick Smith, an opponent of corporate and personal-income tax cuts, has blamed Australia's high immigration rate for exacerbating inequality Millionaire entrepreneur Dick Smith, an opponent of corporate and personal-income tax cuts, has blamed Australia's high immigration rate for exacerbating inequality. 'I am concerned about the huge difference between the wealthy and the poor,' the 74-year-old businessman told Daily Mail Australia on Monday. 'One per cent of Australians now have the same wealth as the bottom 70 per cent. 'It's never been so extreme.' Nobel-prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz (pictured) said the Howard Government's dismantling of industrial arbitration in 1996 had widened the gap between the rich and poor Mr Smith highlighted how property mogul Harry Triguboff, the 85-year-old founder of apartment builder Meriton, had seen his wealth more than double from $5 billion to $11 billion in only a few years. Nobel-prize winning American economist Joseph Stiglitz, who predicted the global financial crisis more than a decade ago, said the Howard Government's dismantling of industrial arbitration in 1996 had widened the gap between the rich and poor. 'The Australian system of arbitration was a system we would study but you dismantled that, and you are now of model of what not to do,' he told Fairfax Media's Good Weekend magazine. 'They didn't go as far in bank deregulation but in labour market policy, they actually went further than the U.S..' Bigger cars need bigger families and it appears the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are no different. Kate and William were pictured leaving St Marys Hospital in Paddington, London, in a new seven-seater Land Rover. The Discovery range costs between 46,000 and 60,000 and will have offered Kate plenty of legroom as she made her way home following the birth of the familys second son. Kate and William were pictured leaving St Marys Hospital in Paddington, London, in a new seven-seater Land Rover after the birth of their third child She had emerged from the hospital moments earlier alongside her husband to introduce their new arrival to the gathered press. William then drove the family away with the baby in his car seat. The family drove away from the birth of Prince George in a Range Rover SE Vogue 4.4 V8, which costs of 71,295 to buy from the manufacturer. It was given to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for their own personal use by Land Rovers VIP Department. An intruder armed with a box cutter was last night found inside the grounds of Melbourne's Government House. Governor of Victoria Linda Dessau was at home when security caught the man at 3am before police arrived. The 40-year-old intruder has been charged with trespass and bailed. An intruder armed with box cutters was last night found inside the grounds of Melbourne 's Government House (pictured) A Victoria Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia: 'A 40-year-old Capel Sound man was charged with trespass after being found on the grounds of Government House early this morning. 'The man was found by security staff who contacted police just after 3am. The man has been bailed to attend the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 31 July.' The governor's office declined to comment. Advertisement Beaming parents Kate and William looked delighted as they showed off their third son to the world who was born weighing 8lbs 7oz on St George's Day A number of landmarks across London have lit up blue to mark the arrival of Kate and William's third child who is fifth in line to the throne. Tower Bridge and the Golden Jubilee Bridges are among the famous London spots that glowing blue to celebrate the occasion. The London Eye has also been illuminated red, white and blue as people across the country rejoice at the news of the royal baby's arrival. And the capital's BT Tower was emblazoned with the words 'It's a boy' lit at the top, after the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington. Prince William yesterday revealed how Princess Charlotte and Prince George are 'delighted' at the arrival of their little brother who was born at 11.01am as he gave his first royal wave to an adoring public. William joked that he didn't keep world waiting for too long after she went into labour at around 6am before giving birth five hours later. He said of the name of the new baby, who is now fifth in line to the throne: 'You'll find out soon!' He also joked that he and Kate would have 'Thrice worry now!' The beaming parents looked delighted as they showed off their third son to the world who was born weighing 8lbs 7oz on St George's Day. Tower Bridge was illuminated blue to show support for the The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they welcome their new baby son Tower Bridge (pictured left) and the Golden Jubilee Bridges were glowing blue to mark the special occasion The London Eye was illuminated red, white and blue as people across the country celebrated the news of the royal baby's arrival Towards the end of the Royal baby's first outing, the Duchess of Cambridge murmured to Prince William that she was worried about the baby getting cold before they headed back inside. His older siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were taken to meet him in their school uniform nearly six hours after Kate gave birth, but were not present as their parents emerged from the Lindo Wing. Kensington Palace said the baby was born at 11am, after Kate was taken by car to the Lindo Wing just before 6am. The Duchess of Cambridge left St Mary's Hospital yesterday evening, the palace said, adding that George and Charlotte returned to Kensington Palace after meeting their new brother. The BT Tower with the words 'Its a boy' emblazoned at the top (left) after the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington while tourists flocked to the likes of Tower Bridge (right) to take selfies of the lit up landmarks Prince William yesterday revealed how Princess Charlotte and Prince George are 'delighted' at the arrival of their little brother who was born at 11.01am as he gave his first royal wave to an adoring public The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their newborn son outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London Prince William unbuckled George from his car outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, before he got out in his school uniform, then took Charlotte out of the car and she shyly waved to the cameras. He then led them to meet their new brother, who is Kate and the Duke of Edinburgh's sixth great-grandchild. Bookmakers have reported a surge in bets on the name Arthur for the royal baby, who is fifth in line to the throne. The new Prince of Cambridge is the heaviest baby born to an heir in more than 100 years at 8lb 7oz - and is heavier than both his siblings. Charlotte, at 8lb 3oz, weighed slightly less than George's 8lb 6oz - but was still above average. The average weight of a baby in the UK is around 7lb 7oz (3.5 kg). Although the heaviest born to an heir, the new prince is not the heaviest royal baby in recent years. That title falls to Savannah Phillips - the daughter of the Queen's grandson Peter Phillips - who weighed 8lb 8oz in 2010. Prince William weighed 7lb 1.5oz in 1982, while Prince Charles weighed 7lb 6oz in 1948. Prince Harry weighed 6lb 14oz in 1984. Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a rare Roman bust in the southern city of Aswan. A team doing work at the Temple of Kom Ombo to protect the site from groundwater stumbled upon a sculpted head of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius an unusual find for this site, according to the Antiquities Ministry. Aurelius ruled from 161-180 AD, and his death is said to have marked the beginning of the end for the Western Roman Empire. In addition to the bust, archaeologists excavating a site a few hours north of Aswan discovered artifacts from a shrine to the god Osiris-Ptah-Neb, in the ancient temple Karnak. Scroll down for video The bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius discovered in Aswan is particularly unusual, the experts say, as statues to this ruler are not common in the area. The ancient head has remained largely intact over the years, and the wavy beard and hair can still clearly be seen The discoveries at Karnak, in the city of Luxor, include parts of a stone panel depicting a ram and a goose - symbols of the ancient Egyptian god Amun - on an offering table, with a winged sun-disk at the top. The team also found the entrance to the shrine itself, with several columns and inner walls, along with the remains of a third chamber, foundation stones, and the shrines floor unearthed at the site. According to Dr Ayman Ashmawy, Head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector, this shrine for the god Osiris is one of the most important in the temple from that time, as indicated by its position on the southern side of the temple for the god Amun-Re. In addition to the bust, archaeologists excavating a site a few hours north of Aswan discovered artefacts from a shrine to the god Osiris-Ptah-Neb, in the ancient temple Karnak The discoveries at Karnak, in the city of Luxor, include parts of a stone panel depicting a ram and a goose - symbols of the ancient Egyptian god Amun The shrine also contains the names of Kings Taharka and Tanout Amun, revealing its links to the late 25th Dynasty; Tanout Amun was the last king of the 25th Dynasty, the experts note. Excavations over the last few years have unearthed countless remarkable artefacts from ancient Egypt, which the country hopes will spur tourism to the area. Egypt has suffered from political turmoil following the 2011 uprising. Both Aswan and Luxor contain significant archaeological sites that have provided a stunning glimpse into life in the ancient cities. The team also found the entrance to the shrine itself (shown), with several columns and inner walls, along with the remains of a third chamber, foundation stones, and the shrines floor unearthed at the site WHAT IS EGYPT'S VALLEY OF THE KINGS? The Valley of the Kings in upper Egypt is one of the country's main tourist attractions and is the famous burial ground of many deceased pharaohs. It is located near the ancient city of Luxor on the banks of the river Nile in eastern Egypt - 300 miles (500km) away from the pyramids of Giza, near Cairo. The majority of the pharaohs of the 18th to 20th dynasties, who ruled from 1550 to 1069 BC, rested in the tombs which were cut into the local rock. The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and give clues as to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. The majority of the pharaohs of the 18th to 20th dynasties, who ruled from 1550 to 1069 BC, rested in the tombs which were cut into the local rock. Pictured are statues of goddesses at the site Almost all of the tombs were opened and looted centuries ago, but the sites still give an idea of the opulence and power of the Pharaohs. The most famous pharaoh at the site is Tutankhamun, whose tomb was discovered in 1922. Preserved to this day, in the tomb are original decorations of sacred imagery from, among others, the Book of Gates or the Book of Caverns. These are among the most important funeral texts found on the walls of ancient Egyptian tombs. The Valley of the Kings in upper Egypt is one of the country's main tourist attractions. The most famous pharaoh at the site is Tutankhamun, whose tomb was discovered in 1922 Advertisement The bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius discovered in Aswan is particularly unusual, the experts say, as statues to this ruler are not common in the area. The ancient head has remained largely intact over the years, and the wavy beard and hair can still clearly be seen. Earlier this year, archaeologists announced the discovery of a partial statue depicting one of the most famous pharaohs in Aswan Ramses II. The head and chest were also discovered in the Temple of Kom Ombo during the ongoing efforts to protect the site from groundwater. Early humans may have learned to walk much earlier than previously thought when we still looked like apes and were less than five feet tall. Debate has raged over whether our earliest ancestors strode like modern humans or used a more awkward crouching posture like that of chimpanzees and gorillas. But analysis of new footprints in Africa suggest humans walked fully upright 3.6 million years ago. It means Lucy, the famous mother of man discovered as a 3.2 million year old skeleton, may have paced around just like us. And homo erectus, the first ancient human thought to have abandoned climbing trees to walk full-time, cannot take all the glory for abilities on two legs. Early humans may have learned to walk much earlier than previously thought when we still looked like apes and were less than five feet tall Scientists led by the University of Arizona analysed a set of footprints reported just two years ago in Laetoli, an archaeological site in Tanzania. The ancient humans who made them were called Australopithecus afarensis, whose males grew to an average of 4ft11ins and females to 3ft 5ins, with ape-like flat noses and projecting lower jaws. If these people shuffled awkwardly like apes, with bent knees and hips, the footprints should have had deeper toe than heel prints based on the foots pressure on the ground. But the toe depth measurements instead suggest our ancient ancestors walked fully upright with straight legs like us. The studys lead author, Dr David Raichlen, associate professor at the University of Arizonas school of anthropology, said: Fossil footprints are truly the only direct evidence of walking in the past. By 3.6 million years ago, our data suggest that if you can account for differences in size, hominins were walking in a way that is very similar to living humans. While there may have been some nuanced differences, in general, these hominins probably looked like us when they walked. The footprints found in Tanzania belong to two newly discovered individuals who may be a direct ancestor of everyone living today. They are close to another set of prints analysed in 2011 by researchers at Liverpool University and dating back almost 3.7 million years. The British academics also decided that these ancient humans walked with an upright gait similar to our own. But doubt was cast on those findings by the suggestion that people with highly bent hips and knees, exactly like chimpanzees, could have created similar prints. Lucy, the famous mother of man discovered as a 3.2 million year old skeleton (pictured in a model in Houston), may have paced around just like us To analyse the new footprints, the US researchers asked eight people to walk straight-legged or with bent knees and hips like apes before analyzing their footprints. These were compared to the African fossil prints to see how they measured up. The results suggest humans more than three million years ago had learned to walk with their legs fully extended, which uses less energy than crouching like an ape so that longer journeys to find food are possible. It makes sense, based on the evolutionary theory that we only started walking on two legs in the first place around seven million years ago to be able to carry more food - just as chimpanzees do now when they need to monopolise hard-to-find food supplies. The research, conducted with the University of Albany and published in the Journal of Human Evolution, was presented during the Experimental Biology annual conference in San Diego. Dr Raichlen said: This work suggests that, by 3.6 million years ago, climate and habitat changes likely led to the need for ancestral hominins to walk longer distances during their daily foraging bouts. Selection may have acted at this time to improve energy economy during locomotion, generating the human-like mechanics we employ today. A psychologist behind an app that harvested data from up to 87 million Facebook users has defended his role in the scandal. Aleksandr Kogan says he 'never heard a word' of opposition from the social media company A psychologist behind an app that harvested data from up to 87 million Facebook users has defended his role in the scandal. Aleksandr Kogan says he 'never heard a word' of opposition from the social media company. Facebook says 'This Is Your Digital Life', which was downloaded by 270,000 people, also gave Kogan access to their friends's profile data. This was passed to British communications firm Cambridge Analytica and was used to help elect US President Donald Trump. But the company has blamed Kogan for misusing it, while he claims they and Facebook have used him as a scapegoat. The University of Cambridge lecturer told CBS's 60 Minutes he was 'sincerely sorry' for the data mining, but insisted there was a widespread belief that users knew their data was being sold and shared. 'Back then we thought it was fine... I think that core idea that we had - that everybody knows and nobody cares - was fundamentally flawed. And for that, I'm sincerely sorry,' he said. The psychologist also accused Facebook of framing him as a 'rogue app' - and insisted that while he was not sure that he read Facebook's developer policy banning the transfer or sale of users' data, the social network failed to enforce it in any case. 'I had a terms of service that was up there for a year and a half that said I could transfer and sell the data. Never heard a word,' he said, referencing his app's user agreement. 'Facebook clearly has never cared,' he added. 'The belief in Silicon Valley and certainly our belief at that point was that the general public must be aware that their data is being sold and shared and used to advertise to them.' On the issue of harvesting the information of friends of app users without explicit permission, Kogan said that capability was 'a core feature' of Facebook for years - and he estimated 'tens of thousands' of apps had engaged in similar practices. Facebook says 'This Is Your Digital Life', which was downloaded by 270,000 people, also gave Kogan access to their friends's profile data. This was passed to British communications firm Cambridge Analytica and was used to help elect US President Donald Trump Cambridge Analytica (London HQ, pictured) has blamed Kogan for misusing his quiz, while he claims they and Facebook have used him as a scapegoat. He has said he is 'sincerely sorry' for the data mining, but insists he believed users knew their data was being sold and shared 'This was not a special permission you had to get. This was just something that was available to anybody who wanted it who was a developer,' he said. Kogan is set to appear before a British parliamentary committee tomorrow probing the scandal, where he will discuss his ties with Cambridge Analytica. A class action lawsuit filed is now seeking compensation for the roughly 70 million US users who were affected as 'Facebook stood idly by' while Cambridge Analytica 'sucked down' their data. Facebook says most of the users caught up in the Cambridge Analytica scandal are in the US, with more than a million each in the Philippines, Indonesia and the UK. US law firm Hagens Berman filed the class-action suit with the US District Court for the Northern District of California on April 9 to represent the millions of Americans whose data were shared improperly. A US federal judge has ruled the Zuckerberg owned social network will face a class action law suit in the wake of its privacy scandal. Allegations of privacy violations emerged when it was revealed the app used a photo-scanning tool on users' images without their explicit consent Damages in this case include both the dissemination of personal information and the loss of its sales value. It's not yet clear how much money the affected users could be compensated, though lawyers in the UK have estimated it could be upwards of 10,000 to 12,500 ($14,000 to $17,000) for some. The amounts, however, will ultimately be determined at trial, Hagens Berman says. In March, three users of the Facebook Messenger app sued Facebook, saying the social network violated their privacy by collecting logs of their phone calls and text messages, in the latest legal challenge facing the company. The US lawsuit filed in federal court in the Northern District of California seeks status as a class action on behalf of all affected users and asks for unspecified damages. It's not clear yet if Facebook users in the US could claim similar compensation for having their data compromised as part of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. However, dispute resolution lawyer Jonathan Compton has said those affected in the UK could complain to the Information Commissioner's Office or make a claim through the civil courts on the grounds that losing their data had been 'distressing'. Mr Compton, a partner at DMH Stallard, said: 'The start point for any award might be between 10,000 and 12,500. This will vary of course if the personal information is comparatively trivial or very serious and damaging.' The Google Doodle for Monday, April 23 2018 celebrates St Georges Day, the patron saint of England. The Google Doodle for April 23 2018 celebrates St Georges Day, the patron saint of England Here is all the information on St Georges Day including what when it is, who St George was and whether its going to become a bank holiday. What is St Georges Day? St Georges Day is the annual celebration in England of the countrys patron saint, St George. It is celebrated on April 23, because that is the widely-accepted date of his death. However, St George is also the patron saint of Germany, Portugal, Greece, Moscow and Catalonia, among others St George's Day is celebrated on April 23 because that is the widely-accepted date of his death Who was St George? There is a dearth of information on St George. One thing is for sure - he wasnt English. It is believed that George born in Cappodocia, what is modern-day Turkey around 280 AD. His parents were Christian and George grew up in the religion. After Georges father died, his mother took him to Palestine. George ended up serving in the Roman army, rising to the rank of legatus. However, he protested the Roman armys treatment of Christians and was imprisoned. After refusing to renounce his Christianity, George was executed in Palestine, making him a martyr. Despite St Georges association with England, he never stepped foot on English land and wasnt a knight either. The story of St George first began to appear in Europe in the 7th Century, and gained particular prominence in England in the 11th century when Richard the Lionheart decided to put his army under the protection of St George for the Third Crusade. It was Richard who adopted the red cross on white background as the uniform and flag. St George was canonised by Pope Gelasius in 494 AD and St Georges Day became particularly significant on the English calendar after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The story of St George and the dragon The story of St George and the dragon was added later, in the 13th century. According to English Heritage, the story gained popularity in Jacobus de Voragines The Golden Legend, a compilation of the lives of saints. The text was translated into English and published in the country in the 15th century. It was Richard I who introduced the red cross to the uniform of the English Army and the flag The story outlines how George rode into the city of Silene - modern-day Libya - to rescue a town plagued by a vicious dragon who demanded daily sacrifices, which became human sacrifices after all the sheep ran out. One day the dragon demanded the kings daughter to be sacrificed, but George rode in, slayed the dragon and rescued the princess. Will St Georges Day be a bank holiday? While St Patricks Day and St Andrews Day are bank holidays in Ireland and Scotland respectively, St Georges Day is not in England. However, Jeremy Corbyn has voiced his support for making St George a bank holiday. He is expected call for UK-wide bank holidays to be held on St Patricks Day, St Georges Day, St Andrews Day and St Davids Day. 'If we win the next election, St George's Day will become a national holiday for Britain's workers,' Corbyn will say at the Communication Workers Union conference in Bournemouth. 'It will be a day where we can all show our pride and celebrate our country's tradition of fairness, inclusivity and social justice. ' What is a Google Doodle? Google celebrates important cultural events around the world through Google Doodles - colourful and sometime animated illustrations on the tech giants homepage that is incorporated into the Google logo. The very first Google Doodle marked the Google founders', Larry Page and Sergey Brin, visit to the 1998 Burning Man Festival. The doodle was just a simple stick-man standing behind the second o in the Google logo. After users responded positively to the frequent changes to Googles homepage logo, the Doodles became an everyday feature. Today, a team of Doodlers - illustrators, graphic designers, animators and artists - work on the Google Doodles. The logos are hyperlinked to a page that provides the reader with more information about the cultural event being celebrated. The latest Google Doodle celebrates St George's Day depicting 'a group of adorable English children reenacting the legend of St. George and the dragon'. As well as England, St George is also the patron saint of countries like Germany and Portugal The Google Doodle, created by guest artist Luke Pearson says: 'The cast of characters are beloved in English folklore. You can spot St. George and his dragon, Robin Hood, and a child dressed as a lion, the symbol of bravery in medieval English heraldry. You can even see Titania and Nick Bottom, a tribute to Shakespeare whose birthday is also today! 'If you find yourself in England, feast on a traditional English meal, and take in the sight of Saint George's Cross flags flying on every street. Happy St. Georges Day!' Recent Google Doodles include celebrations of the Israel's Independence Day Yom Ha'atzmaut, the Egyptian actor and Lawrence of Arabia star Omar Sharif, and Pi Day. Feminists hoping to protest the patriarchy and spread the word about issues involving women's rights now have a typeface to represent their anger. The Feminist Letters is a free font that can be downloaded and used when posting on social media and elsewhere online. Each letter of the alphabet takes the form of a feminist inspired image and is accompanied by a motivational slogan. J is for 'judgement', for example, and is represented by a tampon. Scroll down for video Feminists hoping to spread the word about issues involving women's rights now have a typeface to represent their feelings. The Feminist Letters is a new free font that users can download to add to the strength of their voices when protesting the patriarchy The font was created by ad agency Y&R, based in New York, in partnership with Women of Sex Tech. This group of entrepreneurs - who also have an office in New York - is campaigning for more female representation in the sex tech industry. A range of issues is tackled by the letters - including equal pay, reproductive rights, and sexual harassment. Each letter of the alphabet takes the form of a feminist inspired image and is accompanied by a motivational slogan. T is for 'take control of your body', for example, and is represented by ovaries and Fallopian tubes A is for 'ass kicking career women,' B is for 'birth,' and C is for 'campus assault and safety laws', all the way through to X is for 'X chromosomes', Y is for 'your right to breast feed' and Z is for 'Zeitgeist.' In a statement on their website, a spokesman said: 'The Feminist Letters is a typeface created to amplify the message advocating for gender equality. 'Each letter and number is specifically designed with purpose, calling attention to issues like equal pay, reproductive rights, womens health, women in politics, and campus assault laws. 'Use this typeface to express your strong, feminist opinions and let your voice be read.' WHAT DOES EACH LETTER REPRESENT IN THE FEMINIST LETTERS COMPUTER FONT? A is for 'ass kicking career women' and is represented by a pair of legs in a skirt B is for 'birth' and is represented by a pregnant woman C is for 'campus assault and safety laws' and is represented by a whistle D is for 'density and breast health' and is represented by a breast E is for 'elections' and is represented by a voting slip F is for 'family leave' and is represented by a rose G is for 'guaranteed safe sex' and is represented by a condom H is for 'health insurance' and is represented by a woman stretching I is for 'I'm pregnant' and is represented by a pregnancy test J is for 'judgement' and is represented by a tampon K is for 'keep your hands off' and is represented by a bra L is for 'liberating body hair' and is represented by a razor blade M is for 'mobilising' and is represented by a hat N is for 'no shame' and is represented by a whip O is for 'opportunity' and is represented by a woman with an afro P is for 'power to the people' and is represented by a 'pumping fist' Q is for 'quick access' and is represented by a pack of contraceptive pills R is for 'religious rights' and is represented by a woman in a hijab S is for 'salaries' and is represented by a bank note T is for 'taking control of your body', , and is represented by ovaries and Fallopian tubes U is for 'universal access' and is represented by a moon cup V is for 'voting' and is represented by a tick on a voting slip W is for 'women in power' and is represented by a crown X is for 'X chromosomes' and is represented by a pair of crossed sanitary towels Y is for 'your right to breast feed' and is represented by a breast pump Z is for 'Zeitgeist' and is represented by a high heeled platform shoe Advertisement The font was created by ad agency Y&R, based in New York, in partnership with Women of Sex Tech. This group of entrepreneurs, also New York-based, is campaigning for more female representation in the sex tech industry A range of issues is tackled by the letters - including equal pay, reproductive rights, and sexual harassment. A statement on the group's website said: 'Use this typeface to express your strong, feminist opinions and let your voice be read' The font was first unveiled on placard at the Women's March in January 2017, which attracted up to five million protesters worldwide. It is now available to download from The Feminist Letters website. 'We're in a critical moment for women's rights, with movements like #TimesUp and #MeToo inspiring women everywhere to take action,' Leslie Sims, chief creative officer for Y&R North America, said in a written statement. 'The Feminist Letters gives activists a way to send a message in a font that sends a message. 'There are so many organizations advocating for gender equality, and The Feminist Letters offers a shared language that encompasses all of these issues.' A switch in the movement of Earth's oceans 15,000 years ago helped end the last Ice Age, according to a team of British scientists. Changes in the circulation of the North Pacific Ocean released large amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, helping warm the planet, researchers found. Ocean currents in the North Atlantic are slowing down, and the new research could help scientists predict how this will affect Earth's greenhouse gas levels. An injection of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere could accelerate the effects of climate change, drastically rising the planet's surface temperature. Scroll down for video Changes in the circulation of the North Pacific Ocean released large amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, helping warm the planet and end the last Ice Age 15,000 years ago. Pictured is the circulation flow of Earth's oceans Study lead author Dr Will Gray, from the University of St Andrews, said: 'Last week we saw worrying new studies showing us the ocean currents in the North Atlantic are slowing down. 'In our study we see very rapid changes in the climate of the North Pacific that we think are linked to past changes in ocean currents in the Atlantic. 'This gives us an example of the way that different parts of the climate system are connected, so that changes in circulation in one region can drive changes in CO2 and oxygen all the way over on the other side of the planet. 'The North Pacific Ocean is very big and just below the surface the waters are brimming with CO2; because of this, we really need to understand how this region can change in the future, and looking into the past is a good way to do that.' Researchers at the University of St Andrews in Scotland measured the chemical composition of the shells of tiny fossil plankton called foraminifera. They used to these measurements to reconstruct the exchange of CO2 between the North Pacific Ocean and atmosphere at the end of the last Ice Age. Researchers measured the chemical composition of the shells of tiny fossil plankton called foraminifera (stock image). They used to these measurements to reconstruct the exchange of CO2 between the North Pacific Ocean and atmosphere at the end of the last Ice Age They found the North Pacific released large amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere about 15,000 years ago, a time when ocean currents in the Atlantic were also changing rapidly. The new study also found that the changes in circulation resulted in a reduction of the amount of oxygen in the deep ocean. Findings showed that the release of CO2 by the North Pacific was caused by a change in its circulation. This ciruclation shift could also explain a drop in oxygen levels in the Pacific Ocean seen at the same time. ATLANTIC OCEAN CIRCULATION PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN REGULATING THE GLOBAL CLIMATE When it comes to regulating global climate, the circulation of the Atlantic Ocean plays a key role. This is due to a constantly moving system of deep-water circulation often referred to as the Global Ocean Conveyor Belt which sends warm, salty Gulf Stream water to the North Atlantic where it releases heat to the atmosphere and warms Western Europe. The cooler water then sinks to great depths and travels all the way to Antarctica and eventually circulates back up to the Gulf Stream. When it comes to regulating global climate, the circulation of the Atlantic Ocean plays a key role This motion is fuelled by thermohaline currents a combination of temperature and salt. It takes thousands of years for water to complete a continuous journey around the world. Researchers believe that as the North Atlantic began to warm near the end of the Little Ice Age, freshwater disrupted the system, called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Arctic sea ice, and ice sheets and glaciers surrounding the Arctic began to melt, forming a huge natural tap of fresh water that gushed into the North Atlantic. This huge influx of freshwater diluted the surface seawater, making it lighter and less able to sink deep, slowing down the AMOC system. Researchers found the AMOC has been weakening more rapidly since 1950 in response to recent global warming. Advertisement Scientists are observing a similar loss of oxygen from the ocean as the climate changes today. Study co-author Dr James Rae, also from the University of St Andrews, said: 'Although the CO2 rise caused by this process was dramatic in geological terms, it happened very slowly compared to modern man-made CO2 rise. 'Humans have driven CO2 rise in the atmosphere as large as the CO2 rise that helped end the last Ice Age, but the man-made CO2 rise has happened 100 times faster. 'This will have a huge effect on the climate system, and one that we are only just beginning to see.' One of the oldest and rarest pieces of gold ever found in Britain has been found in a box of odd watch parts bought at a car boot sale in Oxfordshire. The 'incredibly rare' gold strip, which is thought to be from the early Bronze Age and dates to between 2,500 and 2,000 BC, could be worth as much as 2,000 ($2,800). Experts said the strip could have once adorned the side of a sword or may have been used as extravagant neck jewellery. Scroll down for video One of the oldest and rarest pieces of gold ever found in Britain has been found in a box of odd watch parts bought at a car boot sale in Oxfordshire. The 'incredibly rare' gold strip (pictured) is thought to be from the early Bronze Age and dates back to between 2,500 and 2,000 BC Now folded in two pieces, the gold was bought by John Workman at a car boot sale in Berinsfield, south Oxfordshire, who said he did not know how valuable it was. Anni Byard, finds liaison officer for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire with Oxfordshire County Council, said: 'There are only a handful of items similar to this, they are incredibly rare and as such we are not really sure what they were used for. 'This is why it is quite an important discovery because they are so very rare. 'The date is when you start to get the very first bits of gold in Britain', she said. Despite being thousands of years old the treasure was relatively well-preserved in the box, which was bought in March 2016. 'As soon as I heard about it I knew it was Bronze Age and realised it was pretty unusual', said Ms Bynard. 'It could have been on the side of a sword or could have been worn around the neck as jewellery. We just don't know', she said. Mr Workman spotted the unusual piece and showed it to friends who were interested in metal detecting. Despite being thousands of years old the treasure was relatively well-preserved in the box, which was bought at a car boot sale in Oxfordshire in March 2016 (stock image) He was then encouraged to get in touch with the British Museum, who revealed its ancient origins. Ian Richardson, treasure registrar at the museum, explained the treasure was well-preserved because of the strong material. He said: 'Some gold finds are in a great condition even after thousands of years because it is a very stable element and isn't going to tarnish like silver.' A treasure inquest at Oxford Coroners Court, on Tuesday, heard it was likely the object was found locally. HOW WAS GOLD USED IN BRONZE AGE BRITAIN? Bronze Age gold artefacts, such as this cup found in Cornwall, were used to designate high status Between 2500 and 800 BC, communities in Britain first learned how to work metal, producing bronze, copper and gold items. There are currently no known gold mines in Europe dated to the Bronze Age, so the metal was likely obtained using the panning technique. Gold artefacts were used to designate the high status of those who wore or were buried with them. These items included jewellery, pots, cups and small battle ornaments fixed to swords, daggers and other weaponary. Around 1,500 gold artefacts dating to the Bronze Age survive in collections, with around 1000 from Ireland and 500 from Britain. Advertisement The ruling of treasure means items effectively belong to the public and are likely to be put on display in a museum. The current market value of the gold will now be calculated and as The Oxfordshire Museum has expressed an interest in the piece the money is likely to go to the finder - but it is not clear how much John paid for the strip. Ms Byard said: 'We don't know when this was found, it could have been found two years ago or 50 years ago and someone may just have not reported it. 'Very rare doesn't seem to do it justice'. Now folded in two pieces, the gold was bought by John Workman at a car boot sale in Berinsfield, south Oxfordshire, who said he did not know how valuable it was She said while it is unclear how much the gold could fetch, a similar strip of gold found near Winchester in 2000 was valued at 2,000 ($2,800). The piece is the second item of historical treasure to turn up at Berinsfield Car Boot Sale after a gold foil, similar in design to a coin, with a hanging pendant loop called a bracteate was found in 2011. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, all finders of gold and silver objects and groups of coins from the same finds, over 300 years old, have a legal obligation to report the items under the Treasure Act. The objects must be reported to the coroner for the district within 14 days of making the discovery or within two weeks of realising the find might be treasure. A new spam attack is tricking a wave of Gmail users into thinking their account has been hacked. Numerous users have reported that their inboxes were flooded with spam emails titled things like 'growth supplements'. However, in a bizarre twist, the ads appeared to have been sent from their own accounts. Scroll down for video Over the weekend, users began reporting a bizarre spam attack that causes it to appear as if your own email account sent a malicious message. Google has since confirmed the issue. File photo Reports of the spam campaign began to trickle out on Saturday and Google has since confirmed the issue. Users posted in Gmail's help forum that they'd been hit by the spam attack despite having two-factor authentication and worried that their accounts were hacked. 'My email account has sent out 3 spam emails in the past hour to a list of about 10 addresses that I don't recognize,' one user posted on Google's help forum. 'I changed my password immediately after the first one, but then it happened two more times' 'The subject of the emails is weight loss and growth supplements for men advertisements' 'I have reported them as spam. Please help, what else can I do to ensure my account isn't compromised?' As it turns out, spammers figured out a way to bypass Gmail's spam filters by using forged headers that make it look like Gmail users' own email addresses. Because the messages seemed to be sent by the account owner, Gmail mistakenly filed them to the users' sent folder. The forged email headers also appeared to have been sent 'via telus.com'. However, Canadian telecom firm Telus denied that the emails had come from its servers. Google said users don't need to worry that their accounts were compromised by the incident. 'We are aware of a spam campaign impacting a small subset of Gmail users and have taken measures to protect against it,' the firm told Mashable. 'This attempt involved forged email headers that made it appear as if users were receiving emails from themselves, which also led those messages to erroneously appear in the Sent folder' 'We have identified and are reclassifying all offending emails as spam, and have no reason to believe any accounts were compromised as part of this incident' 'If you happen to notice a suspicious email, we encourage you to report it as a scam,' the firm added. IS YOUR GMAIL SENDING SPAM EMAILS? A new spam attack is tricking a wave of Gmail users into thinking their account has been hacked. Numerous users have reported that their inboxes were flooded with spam emails titled things like 'growth supplements'. However, in a bizarre twist, the ads appeared to have been sent from their own accounts. The easiest way to check if you've been hit by the scam is to check your 'sent' folder. Spammers figured out a way to bypass Gmail's spam filters by using forged headers that make it look like Gmail users' own email addresses From there, check if any emails are listed as being sent by 'via telus.com'. If you find any, be sure to mark them as 'spam' so that they appear in the designated folder. You can also report an email as a phishing scam by clicking on the dropdown menu, marked by an arrow, in the righthand corner. Clicking this will give you the option to report an email as a phishing attempt. Google said that the latest spamming attack hasn't compromised any user accounts, so there's no reason to believe your Gmail has been hacked. Advertisement Google employee Seth Vargo also addressed the spam attack in a tweet, saying that the firm's 'engineering teams are aware of this and are working on a resolution'. The firm has developed sophisticated artificial intelligence that is capable of spotting fraudulent emails. But it seems that this latest attack appears to be more alarming, as it was able to trick Gmail's own spam filters, making it look like spammers hacked your account. However, as Google pointed out, the spam attack isn't a security issue because it doesn't compromise the integrity of users' data. If humans ever make it to Uranus, theyre in for an unpleasant experience. Scientists have confirmed that the seventh planet from the sun is swathed by clouds that carry the distinctly foul odor of rotten eggs, thanks to the presence of hydrogen sulfide. In addition to the smell, the ice giant planet can hit temperatures as low as minus 200 degrees Celsius. While its long been speculated that Uranus is home to this noxious gas, the composition of its clouds has eluded scientists for decades until now. If humans ever make it to Uranus, theyre in for an unpleasant experience. Scientists have confirmed that the seventh planet from the sun is swathed by clouds that carry the distinctly foul odor of rotten eggs, thanks to the presence of hydrogen sulfide By analyzing infrared light from Uranus using the 8-meter Gemini North telescope on Hawaiis Maunakea, an international team of researchers has finally verified a major component of Uranus upper atmosphere. Weve strongly suspected that hydrogen sulfide gas was influencing the millimeter and radio spectrum of Urnaus for some time, but we were unable to attribute the absorption needed to identify it positively, said Glenn Orton, of NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Now, that part of the puzzle is falling into place as well. The team used data from Geminis Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrometer, which sampled reflected sunlight from just above Uranus main visible cloud layer. The composition of Uranus clouds has long been the subject of debate. Without definitive evidence, its remained unclear for decades whether the region is predominantly composed of hydrogen sulfide, or of ammonia. With the Gemini data, the researchers were able to see the spectroscopic absorption lines despite their faint appearance. While the lines we were trying to detect were just barely there, we were able to detect them unambiguously thanks to the sensitivity of NIFS on Gemini, combined with the exquisite conditions on Maunakea, said Irwin. Although we knew these lines would be at the edge of detection, I decided to have a crack at looking for them in the Gemini data we had acquired. While its long been speculated that Uranus is home to this noxious gas, the composition of its clouds has eluded scientists for decades. The team used data from Geminis Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrometer to confirm the presence of hydrogen sulfide Now, thanks to improved hydrogen sulfide absorption-line data and the wonderful Gemini spectra, we have the fingerprint which caught the culprit, says Irwin. The planets in our solar system can have dramatically different cloud decks based on how they were formed, the researchers explain. As its thought that the planets migrated from where they formed, the latest findings add additional insight on the origin and evolution of Uranus. HOW DOES URANUS'S MAGNETIC FIELD COMPARE TO EARTH'S? A recent study analyzing data collected more than 30 years ago by the Voyager 2 spacecraft has found that the Uranus's global magnetosphere is nothing like Earths, which is known to be aligned nearly with our planets spin axis. A false-color view of Uranus captured by Hubble is pictured According to the researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology, this alignment would give rise to behaviour that is vastly different from whats seen around Earth. Uranus lies and rotates on its side, leaving its magnetic field tilted 60 degrees from its axis. As a result, the magnetic field tumbles asymmetrically relative to the solar wind. As a result, the magnetic field tumbles asymmetrically relative to the solar wind. When the magnetosphere is open, it allows solar wind to flow in. But, when it closes off, it creates a shield against these particles. The researchers suspect solar wind reconnection takes place upstream of Uranuss magnetosphere at different latitudes, causing magnetic flux to close in various parts. Advertisement During our solar systems formation the balance between nitrogen and sulfur (and hence ammonia and Uranus newly-detected hydrogen sulfide) was determined by the temperature and location of planets formation, Leigh Fletcher, a member of the research team from the University of Leicester in the UK. With the data, the researchers have refined the limits of hydrogen sulfide that likely resides around Uranus. And, while its lower than previously expected, they say the unsavory smell wouldnt be the worst of it. If an unfortunate human were ever to descend through Uranus clouds, they would be met with very unpleasant and odiferous conditions, Irwin. Suffocation and exposure in the negative 200 degrees Celsius atmosphere made of mostly hydrogen, helium, and methane would take its toll long before the smell. Samsung just released the Galaxy S9 and rumors are already swirling about what the tech giant might have in store next. New reports claim that the Korean smartphone maker is preparing to launch a successor to the Galaxy S9 that features a massive screen. The images show a phone with a 6.3-inch display, which dwarfs the iPhone X's 5.8-inch screen. Scroll down for video Samsung may already be preparing to release the Galaxy S9 successor. Rumored to be called the 'SM-G8850,' photos of the reported device leaked earlier this month (pictured) It's unclear what the mystery device will be called, but reliable leaker Ice Universe, who correctly predicted rumors about the S8, Note 8 and the S9, believes it could be prepping a newer version of the S9. Rumors began to build earlier this month when Chinese wireless regulator Tenaa shared images of a device called the 'SM-G8850'. At the time, it was said that the phone would feature a 5.8-inch screen, but now it seems that it will be a much larger 'super AMOLED' display. Other possible specs include a 12 megapixel camera, a faster, high-end processor and an edge-to-edge screen. Additionally, the front screen is expected to be flat, breaking from the firm's traditionally curved display. It will also have a different design on the back panel, moving the dual-lens camera to the lefthand side of the device (reminiscent of the iPhone), instead of it being next to the fingerprint sensor. Pictured is the iPhone X (left) and the Samsung Galaxy S9+ (right). The rumored phone is said to feature Samsung's biggest screen yet at 6.3 inches. The iPhone X has a 5.8-inch display The rumored 'SM-G8850' is said to have a different design on the back panel, moving the dual-lens camera to the left side of the device, rather than near the fingerprint reader (pictured) This should prevent what has become a popular issue among Galaxy owners, where their finger often smudges the phone's camera. At 6.3 inches, the rumored device will have a much bigger screen than the S9, which has a 5.8-inch display. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S9+ has a 6.2-inch screen. Samsung hasn't released any information on the pricing or release of the mystery device. The firm's latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S9, was released just under two months ago at Mobile World Congress. The Galaxy S9 (739/$720) and S9 plus (869/$839) have both been dubbed 'iPhone X killers', with a slew of new features including dual-aperture technology, AR emojis and a slow-motion tool for video footage. The S9 features the same screen, same virtual home button and same battery capacity as the S8. The firm's latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S9 (pictured), was released just under two months ago at Mobile World Congress. The S9 has many of the same features as the Galaxy S8 WHAT ARE THE KEY FEATURES OF SAMSUNG'S GALAXY S9? - 148x69x8.5mm, 163g / 158x74x8.5mm, 189g - 5.8in / 6.2in QHD+ Super AMOLED curved display (570ppi / 529ppi) - Samsung 10nm Exynos 9810 CPU (4x 2.7GHz, 4x 1.9GHz) - 4GB RAM / 6GB RAM - 3,000mAh / 3,500mAh batteries - 64GB / 128GB storage with microSD expansion up to 400GB - Cat 18 LTE support (1.2Gbps download speeds) - Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, front-facing iris scanner - 12MP Dual Pixel camera with OIS (f/1.5, f/2.4) / Vertical dual rear-facing camera, 8MP front-facing camera - Bixby AI assistant with dedicated button - USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack - Stereo speakers - Wireless charging support - IP68 water and dust resistance - Built-in FM radio - Updated DeX Pad - Midnight Black, Titanium Gray, and Coral Blue, Lilac Purple variants - Costs 739/$720 Advertisement The new models also have fun with selfies. Snap a selfie, and Samsung's software will turn that into an emoji version of you for sharing. It's usually a static image, though you can produce an animated version - much like the iPhone X's Animoji feature. Meanwhile, Samsung's Bixby digital assistant mimics a similar Google feature that pulls up information on landmarks or other items you've just photographed. New Bixby capabilities let it instantly translate signs (point the camera, and the phone replaces the sign's text in a matching color and font) and provide nutritional info for that restaurant meal you're splurging on. For a lions and tigers and bears oh my! moment, make your way to Jardim Zoologico, Lisbons famous zoo. There are more than 300 species of animal here, including white tigers, dolphins and endangered red pandas. Heres how to make the most of a visit. Getting there You can get to Jardim Zoologico by bus, metro or train. The metro stop shares its name with the zoo and its located on the Blue Line. Get on at Rossio and its six stops down the line. The bus stop, meanwhile, is called Sete-Rios and a number of buses call in here. If youre taking the train catch the Sintra line from Rossio to Sete-Rios. There are many transport options to get to Jardim Zoologico Tickets Tickets to Jardim Zoologico cost around 21.50 for adults and around 14.50 for children aged three to 21. There are discounts for the over 65s and children under three go free. When to visit The zoo is open 10002000 21 March20 September, and 10001800 21 September20 March. Feeding demonstrations, presentations and shows take place throughout the day. The first one is the dolphin show, which kicks off at 1100. In summer, however, its worth getting to the zoo much earlier than this, as queues can quickly form at the ticket desks. Highlights The hoof, paw and claw prints of more than 2,000 animals, birds and reptiles mark the ground at Jardim Zoologico. For a close encounter, make your way to Tigers Valley. All that separates you from the spectacular big cats here is a pain of glass. When the tigers are feeling lively they come close enough to the panes to leave their slobber on them. You will be able to see lions and tigers up close The big cat action continues at the Siberian Tiger enclosure. With their stripy black and white coats, these animals look like fluffy zebras. Get a little closer to the fence, however, and you might catch a glimpse of their talon-like fangs and be reminded that theyre a bit fiercer than your average zebra. The zoo is running a breeding programme to try and increase the global population of this critically endangered species. Staying on the trail of endangered species, you can visit the red panda area. The World Wide Fund for Nature estimates that there are less than 10,000 of these russet fluffballs (which, despite their name, are not close relatives of the giant panda) left in the world. At Jardim Zoologico they share a zone with a herd of Chinese muntjac deer. There are over 2,000 animals at Jardim Zoologico Primates Temple is another highlight. Its home to a community of gorillas, a troop of chimpanzees and a small group of moon-faced orangutans. Youll get to see them playing, eating or napping depending on the time of day. For more simian shenanigans, Monkey Village is home to squirrel-sized tamarins and marmosets. Bigger monkeys can be spotted playing on what looks like a giant assault course with ropes, cargo nets, swings and wooden walkways. If youre into all things cold-blooded and scaly, make your way to the Reptile House where hairy tarantulas, venomous Gila monsters and yellow Burmese pythons bigger than hosepipes are all residents. Flamingos are one of the many birds Jardim Zoologico has Shows and rides Dolphins Bay is the place to go to watch dolphins and their trainers going through their stunts. Shows run three times a day in summer and twice a day in winter and last roughly 30 minutes. The mammals run through their routines of impressive somersaults, dives and jumps in a purpose-built swimming area. The trainers, meanwhile, get into the water and let the animals propel them around, as if the dolphins were outboard motors. Another place to catch live wildlife action is the Enchanted Forest, where a free flying bird display takes place twice a day in both summer and winter. You shouldnt leave the zoo without a ride on the cable car in one of the cabs that look like oversized shopping trolleys. Its a great way to get your bearings if youre visiting the zoo for the first time and youll get to see the animals from above. The zoo also has cable cars where you can see the animals from above Food and drink Theres a food court directly on the right when you walk through the entrance to the zoo where you can buy burgers, baguettes and other fast food. The food is reasonably priced and meal deals are available at many of the outlets. If youre on a tight budget, however, pack a picnic and settle down to eat in on the benches in Rainbow Park. If its a hot day you might want to head to the ice cream stand near Dolphins Bay for a scoop or two. In this July 19, 1989, photo guardsman Dennis Nielsen carries passenger Spencer Bailey away from the wreckage of United Airlines Flight 232 after the plane crashed at Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Iowa Hundreds of hands grappling with oxygen masks. Flight attendants warning passengers to brace for impact. The plane hurtling toward the unforgiving ground. Survivors of air accidents often proclaim that their survival was a miracle. But what follows is another kind of miracle: Many survivors manage to get past the horror and onto planes again. How do they do it? It's a question facing survivors of this week's Southwest Airlines accident, which killed one woman who was sucked partway out of the plane after the engine exploded and shattered a window. Authorities said 148 passengers walked away, underscoring an important point: Plane crashes are rare, but when they happen, people often survive them. Between 1983 and 2000, 95.7 percent of people involved in commercial airline accidents survived, according to government data. In 2013, 304 of the 307 passengers survived an Asiana Airlines crash in San Francisco. And the horrific 1989 crash of a United Airlines flight in Sioux City, Iowa, had 185 survivors. For guidance, survivors of Southwest Flight 1380 might look to those others who have survived air disasters. Some of them say it's critical to get back in the air quickly; they suggest counseling, prayer and even calming apps. But others never get over the fear. Emergency workers treat injured passengers from United Airlines Flight 232 after the plane cartwheeled down the runway. Through the efforts of the flight crew and emergency personnel on the ground, 184 of the 296 passengers survived In this July 21, 1989, photo, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator walks in front of the torn portion of the passenger compartment of the United Airlines DC-10 that crashed and exploded at Sioux Gateway Airport Dave Sanderson was the last passenger to exit US Airways Flight 1549 after its emergency landing in the Hudson River in January 2009. He spent one night recovering from hypothermia at a New York hospital. The next day he had to make a decision: Could he fly back home to North Carolina? Sanderson steeled himself; flying was the fastest way home. When he arrived at the gate, the captain and first officer got off the plane, listened to his story and reassured him. A flight attendant cleared a row of seats for him. 'If you don't get back immediately, you may never get back on that plane,' said Sanderson, who now travels around the country giving inspirational speeches. Sanderson makes it a habit to talk to the crew when he boards a plane. He also learns about the plane, including the exit strategy and what kind of doors it has. Others lean on faith. Helen Young Hayes survived the crash of United Flight 232 in Sioux City, which killed 111 people. Hayes, a lifelong Catholic, closed her eyes and prayed as the plane went down; later, as she recovered from her burns, she thought a lot about why her life was spared. Hayes started flying again about two months after the crash, confident that God would hold her whatever the outcome of the flight. She has since flown more than one million miles. Passengers in an inflatable raft move away from US Airways Flight 1549 that went down in the Hudson River in New York on January 15, 2009. The jet ditched in the Hudson River after both engines failed when they ingested birds shortly after takeoff. All 155 people on board were safe. Captain Chesley Sullenberger and other crew members were hailed as heroes Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger III, who safely piloted U.S. Airways Flight 1549 with 155 passengers and crew to a water landing, speaks during a press conference in New York in 2014. Sullenberger gathered with some survivors and rescuers to mark the fifth anniversary of the event known as the 'Miracle on the Hudson' Dave Sanderson of Charlotte, N.C. sits in a hospital bed of Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, N.J. Sanderson was the last passenger to exit US Airways Flight 1549 after its emergency landing in the Hudson River in January 2009 In this November 16, 2014, photo, Sanderson speaks at the Franchise Expo in Secaucus, N.J 'I would never have stepped on a plane again if I didn't firmly believe I had been totally saved by a miracle,' said Hayes, who heads a Denver workforce development company that helps low-income people. Hayes says survivors need to take time to heal. Their bodies will never forget, she says; every time she hits turbulence, she remembers what it felt like when the plane went down. But she also sees the crash as a gift that helped her find a higher purpose for her life. Jennifer Stansberry Miller, a clinical social worker and crisis consultant, has been an advocate for survivors since her brother died in a plane crash in 1994. She says every survivor must find his or her own way. Some have trouble eating and sleeping and may need professional guidance. Others use apps that talk passengers through flying or forecast the amount of turbulence they might encounter. Others take classes at airports that help people master their fears. Milwaukee's Mitchell Airport offers a $200, five-session class that culminates with a short commercial flight. This July 6, 2013, photo shows the wreckage of the Asiana Flight 214 airplane after it crashed at the San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco Two passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 811 brace themselves as the crippled flight returned to Honolulu International Airport on February 24, 1989. A gaping hole ripped open in the fuselage of the 747 at 20,000 feet during its flight from Honolulu to New Zealand. The sudden decompression sucked out several rows of seats, killing nine passengers. The photo was taken by passenger Beverly Nisbet of Hastings, New Zealand Miller has her own ways to fight fear. She won't travel on Halloween - the day her brother's plane crashed - or on major holidays, when she assumes the most experienced pilots aren't flying. She only flies on jets, not propeller planes. 'It's not perfect science, but it's what I reconcile in my brain to fly,' she said. Some survivors can't bring themselves to fly again. In 2008, drummer Travis Barker of the band Blink-182 was involved in a small plane crash that killed four of the six people aboard. Eight years later, when his band toured Europe, Barker was still unable to fly. He crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship. Travis Barker performs during the T-Mobile Boulevard block party in Columbia, S.C. Barker and popular disc jockey DJ AM, also known as Adam Goldstein, were critically injured in a Learjet crash on September 19, 2008, in Columbia that killed four people In this September 20, 2008, photo, investigators look over the debris left by the Learjet that was carrying Travis Barker and Adam Goldstein Eric Zilbert, who was aboard Tuesday's Southwest flight, said the experience has been most difficult for his wife, who had to deal with the thought of almost losing him. On future flights, he says, he'll look more closely at the plane's equipment and choose seats in front of the wing. Zilbert, a statistician, says he knows it's unlikely that another plane he boards will ever experience a similar emergency. He and his mother even flew home after the accident. 'We just didn't sit by the window, and they were fine flights,' he said. Advertisement This sensational property is, according to the owners, Britains largest treehouse and its available to rent from just 270 per night. Treetops Treehouse is designed around a huge 250-year-old oak tree in the grounds of the Fox & Hounds Country Hotel in Eggesford, Devon, and comfortably accommodates a family of four. Spectacular photos from the exterior show that Treetops is no ordinary treehouse, with its two storeys more reminiscent of a property youd expect to see on the ground as opposed to its position tens of feet in the air. The Treetops Treehouse in Eggesford, Devon, which holidaymakers can stay at from 270 per night Bough selector: The treehouse is designed around a huge 250-year-old oak tree in the grounds of the Fox & Hounds Country Hotel Barking: The bathroom has a hot towel rail, loo and sink and features a vintage-style tin bath The quirky property is described as being perfect for a family getaway. The upper level has a king-size master bedroom and just a few steps down are beautiful bunk beds that come complete with a ladder that has been expertly crafted from tree branches. On the first floor, guests will find a snug lounge with a giant log burner and French doors that open up on to the terrace overlooking the fishing lake and Heywood Forest. On the first floor of the treehouse guests will find a snug lounge with French doors that lead out to a terrace overlooking a fishing lake and Heywood Forest Flaming sensational: The lounge also has a large log burner, which allows guests to keep warm and snug The comfy lounge in the treehouse, which is four years old and is said to be the largest of its kind in the UK The kitchen in the treehouse, which has all the essential appliances, plus crafted work surfaces and a dining table There is also a kitchen and dining area that has all the essential appliances with crafted work surfaces and a dining table. The bathroom also features a vintage-style tin bath. The owner of the treehouse, Tara Culverhouse, said: 'The treehouse is four years old now, it is truly unique and the largest of its kind in the UK and suitable for anyone at all. 'It is actually built into the crown of the oak tree so the branches form part of its design. It was one of the first UK treehouses and is still the only true treehouse that can fit a family of four comfortably. The master bedroom in the property is on the second level of the treehouse and boasts a comfy king-sized bed A few steps down from the master bedroom is another bedroom complete with two bunk beds built among the branches 'The sofa seat in the lounge area actually hides a bough from the oak tree that the conservation order prevented from any pruning! 'The treehouse sits right next to a fishing lake to practice fly fishing before heading just 100 meters to the River Taw to fish for brown trout, salmon and sea trout. 'The Tarka Trail walking network is very close by and we are surrounded by forest with magnificent Douglas fir trees over 50 meters high.' They enjoyed a casual dinner date together in Malibu. But Caitlyn Jenner and her trans gal pal Sophia Hutchins, opted not to go to the celebrity haunts around the popular Malibu Country Mart. Instead they drove a few miles north to Zuma Beach to Kristy's Village Cafe overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Date night: Caitlyn Jenner and her trans gal pal Sophia Hutchins opted not to go to the celebrity haunts around the popular Malibu Country Mart for their Saturday evening dinner It's become the favorite spot of the 68-year-old former Olympian and her 21-year-old constant companion, who were spotted there last Sunday. The former Bruce Jenner, who revealed her transition to Caitlyn in April 2015, wore a feminine blue and white stripped maxi dress with a low, round neckline. Standing 6ft 2ins, she teamed her dress with low-heeled orange sandals opting not to add to much height. The brunette, whose tresses cascaded over her shoulders, slung a black purse over her shoulder and carried a brown bag of yummie leftovers from Kristy's. Constant companions: Instead they drove a few miles north to Zuma Beach to Kristy's Village Cafe overlooking the Pacific Ocean, one of their favorite spots Sophia, an aspiring model, wore a plunging v-neck top that showed off her decolletage and a keyhole cutout just above her waist. She teamed it with a white, pencil miniskirt and nude, high-heeled sandals. Both women wore trendy sunglasses as they walked back to their car. The former Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has given up more than her male identity following the transition. Dressing up: Caitlyn, 68, wore a feminine blue and white stripped maxi dress with a low neckline while Sophia, 21, donned a plunging v-neck top and a white miniskirt She reportedly hasn't spoken to her step-daughters Kourtney, 39, Kim, 37, and Khloe Kardashian 33, or their mother, her ex-wife Kris, 62, for more than a year, But she is said to be in contact with the daughters she shares with Kris, Kylie, 20, and 22-year-old Kendall Jenner. There's no news on whether she has met her grandchild, Kylie's daughter Stormi, who was born on February 1. Katherine Heigl is currently in Toronto shooting season eight of Suits. And the 39-year-old, who is living apart from her husband and three children, invited her high school girlfriends to join her for a long weekend in Canada. 'Just had a soul renewing weekend with my high school girlfriends,' she said on Instagram. 'A few were missing and they were deeply missed, but I am so incredibly grateful to my girls that came!' Reunited! Katherine Heigl, who is currently filming Suits in Toronto, enjoyed a long weekend with her high school girlfriends in Canada 'It was a long trip for most of them and they had to brave customs, airports, flight delays, city traffic and leaving their families just to spend a couple of days with me,' she continued. 'There is nothing, and I mean nothing, like spending time with women who know the depths of your soul and love you anyway! 'Some of us have stayed in touch these last 20 something years and some of us have raced off on our paths post high school and lost contact but our sisterhood remains beautifully, profoundly intact and I could not be more inspired by or grateful for these extraordinary women!' 'There is nothing, and I mean nothing, like spending time with women who know the depths of your soul and love you anyway!' the former Grey's Anatomy star said on Instagram Four and no more: Katherine, who has been living apart from her husband and three kids, enjoyed a weekend of company with three of her closest gal pals Heigl is the latest addition to USA's hit TV-series Suits following the exit of Meghan Markle and Patrick Adams. The former Grey's Anatomy star talked about transitioning from being a full-time mom to a working mom on her blog Those Heavenly Days. 'The reality is, I've been acting since I was eleven years old. I have put in my 10,000 hours and it's what I know and do best,' she said. 'Part of me would love to retire from the screen and be a mommy blogger who works from home. Another part of me would be devastated to give up performing and storytelling. 'The old adage 'Women can have it all' is a half truth that kind of pisses me off. You may, as a woman, be able to have a successful career and a family but you are always, always compromising one for the other. I guess you can call it having it all, you just can't have it all at once.' City sampling: The group of women spent their days eating their way through Toronto New gig: Heigl is the latest addition to USA's hit TV-series Suits following the exit of Meghan Markle and Patrick Adams Katherine is the mother to a 15-month-old baby boy named Joshua Jr. She also has two older adopted daughtersNancy, nine, from South Korea, and Adalaide, five, from Louisiana. The actress shares her three children with husband Josh Kelley, 38. They dismissed reports of cosiness as nothing more than an 'innocent kiss on the cheek' after the Pride of Britain Awards in November. And Candice Brown has revealed that GBBO favourite Paul Hollywood is even invited to her wedding, later this year. The Great British Bake Off winner, who is engaged to marry Liam Macaulay, casually told TheDaily Star Sunday: 'Ive invited Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry, of course. Wedding bells: Candice Brown has appeared to put the reports behind her as she revealed to the Daily Star Sunday that she has invited Paul Hollywood to her wedding [pictured with her fiance in 2017] 'I dont know yet if they can come. It depends very much on their work schedule.' The invitation comes after Great British Bake Off judge Paul raised eyebrows with a farewell kiss with the former contestant after a night out five months ago. In the pictures, Paul cups the back of the GBBO winner's head as he kisses her goodbye following a night out at the Grosvenor House Hotel event. Friends: The Great British Bake Off winner, who is engaged to fiance Liam Macaulay, told the publication: 'Ive invited Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry, of course.' Candice, who announced her engagement to Liam the previous week, was also seen toying with Paul's ear as they relaxed at the table. But the Dancing On Ice star was quick to defend the pictures at the time, as she declared the smooch was a 'goodbye peck'. A spokesman for both Paul and Candice said what was pictured was an innocent kiss on the cheek, and that it was untrue to describe it as an intimate kiss. Awkward: The invitation comes after GBBO judge Paul shared a farewell kiss with the former contestant after a night out at the Pride of Britain Awards in November While a representative for the pair, who was also present at the drinks, told MailOnline: 'Following The Mirror Pride of Britain Awards last Monday, seven of us including Paul and Candice were seated outside waiting for cars home. The photograph was taken as Paul was saying goodbye to each of us.' In the same month, Paul and his wife, Alexandra, announced that they were separating after nearly 20 years of marriage in a joint statement, putting their focus on the happiness of their son, Josh. The blue-eyed baker has since gone on to find love with former barmaid, Summer Monteys-Fullham, 22. The former model was whisked off by Hollywood on a romantic 1,000-a-night holiday in Mauritius last month, having met last year at the star's local pub where he organised a party for his estranged wife Alexandra's birthday. Innocent: But the Dancing On Ice star was quick to defend the pictures and break her silence at the time, as she declared the smooch was a 'goodbye peck' And Paul has got even more exciting times ahead as the baking star is reportedly set to make a US comeback after his show, The Great American Baking Show, was cancelled after several women came forward accusing his fellow judge Johnny Iuzzini, 43, of sexual misconduct. However, according to The Sun, Love Productions are reportedly pitching ideas to ABC about a Christmas cooking format featuring Hollywood, with Paul 'focused' on cracking the American market. A source told the publication: 'They have faith in Paul, and his likability. 'In an ideal world they would reunite him with Mary Berry, but that could be challenging given their schedules. Split: In the same month, Paul and his wife, Alexandra, announced that they were separating after nearly 20 years of marriage in a joint statement 'But currently with the good will there and confidence, it is likely he will be back if they can get the format right.' After the allegations against Iuzzini, ABC confirmed to Variety in a statement that they decided to take the show off the air because of his reported actions. With the star labelling the accusations to Mic as 'simply untrue'. He said: 'I am truly disheartened at the thought of anyone being hurt from my past actions. 'However, there is a difference between accepting responsibility for my immaturity and allowing false claims and accusations to be reported.' It seems Hollywood A-lister Matt Damon just can't get enough of Australia's Byron Bay - and locals have already adopted him as one of their own. The 47-year-old Bourne Identity star has again been snapped holidaying in the popular seaside town with his young family. Dressed casually in a cap, T-shirt, khaki shorts and flip flops, Matt strolled the streets of the coastal idyll with his daughters Isabella, 12, Gia 10, and Stella, eight, in tow. Smilin' in Byron: Matt Damon, 47, has been holidaying in the popular Australian seaside town of Byron Bay with his daughters Isabella, 12, Gia, 10, and Stella, eight, in tow Known for its natural surf breaks and hippy atmosphere - even the Welcome to Byron Bay sign urges visitors to 'Cheer up, slow down, chill out' - the town is popular with tourists from across the world. It also happens to be where Matt's best friend Chris Hemsworth, 34, calls home. These latest sightings of the Hollywood actor will do little to dispel rumours that Matt is considering a permanent move with his family to Byron Bay. Four organic soy-chai lattes topped with shaved carob, please! Matt and his young family were pictured sampling the delights of the local cafes Looking like locals: These latest sightings of the Hollywood actor have done little to dispel rumours that Matt is considering a permanent move with his family to Byron Bay A source recently told Woman's Day magazine that Matt is envious of Chris' laid-back lifestyle Down Under. 'Matt loves Australia,' claimed the insider. 'Chris enjoys the quiet life away from Hollywood and that just makes it even more appealing.' Familiar face: The Good Will Hunting star has become something of a regular fixture in Byron It comes after another source told Page Six Matt was 'telling friends and colleagues in Hollywood that he's moving the family to Australia for a year.' But despite whispers of a move Down Under, Matt has denied he is leaving the US. 'Matt has visited Australia several times recently, but he has not bought a house there nor is he moving there,' his representative said. Two tinnies: A source recently told Woman's Day that Matt is envious of Chris Hemsworth's laid-back lifestyle Down Under. Pictured at Double Island Point with local surfer Tyler Boyce They hit headlines back in October, after they got into an 'awkward' on-air spat over his tango with dance partner Charlotte Hawkins. And Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has addressed any tensions with axed professional dancer Brendan Cole toHello! magazine, insisting she wished him well after he was dropped from the BBC One show. Talking to the publication as part of a new shoot with DWTS son Mark, she said: 'I don't have any recollection on a personal level of bridges ever being broken or rebuilt between me and Brendan. No beef: Strictly Come Dancing judge, Shirley Ballas, has addressed her reported 'feud' with axed professional dancer Brendan Cole to Hello! magazine 'He is an amazing dancer, an amazing person, whose career I have followed for many, many years and I'm extremely proud of what he's achieved both at work and at home. 'There has been no face-to-face confrontation and all I can say is I wish him, his wife and their two beautiful children well because, whatever he does next, I know he will bring 100% to his role.' The two stars got into an on-air spat back in October, when Shirley accused Brendan of having the banned 'rise and fall' in his tango with Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte - something he strongly denied. Awkward: They hit headlines back in October, after they got into an 'awkward' on-air spat over his tango with dance partner Charlotte Hawkins Moving on: And since the spat, Brendan emotionally revealed on Lorraine in January that the BBC hadn't renewed his contract and that he would not be returning to Strictly With fellow judge, Bruno Tonioli, getting involved and telling the professional dancer to be more 'respectful'. While Brendan later apologised on the results show and said: 'I'll be better next week, I'll be quiet, I'll be quiet, I'm sorry.' And since the spat, Brendan emotionally revealed on Lorraine in January that the BBC hadn't renewed his contract and that he would not be returning to Strictly. Dream team: It is not known whether Shirley will be making a comeback to Strictly this September, and she told the publication that although she'd like to, nothing was 'as yet official' Read more: Read the full story in this week's issue of Hello! He said, while holding back tears: 'Its hard to talk about. The BBC hasn't renewed my contract. 'They made an editorial decision to not have me on the show. Im quite emotional. 'Im a little bit disappointed. Its very hard to talk about. Its a recent decision, Ive always known this day will come. 'Im a very strong character within the show, I had my strong views. 'I would have preferred to have made the decision myself.' It is not known whether Shirley will be making a comeback to Strictly as head judge this September, and she told the publication that although she'd like to, nothing was 'as yet official'. For the magazine shoot, which took place at her Los Angeles home, the Queen of Latin posed with her son, Mark Ballas, who is a professional dancer on American show Dancing With The Stars. Read the full interview with Shirley Ballas in this week's issue of Hello! Matt Damon and Chris Hemsworth are new BFFs after the pair spent time together Down Under. Now the friendship has sparked a war of jibes on Twitter after Damon's longtime BFF Ben Affleck told Hemsworth he could 'have' Damon as he's on Team Jimmy Kimmel. After the ABC late night host came out on Affleck's side, due to his long-running 'feud' with Damon, the Australian star tweeted: Hey @jimmykimmel sounds like youve chosen your side. Guess Im not coming on your show this week. Good luck finding another Avenger named Chris.' A few hours later, though, Hemsworth changed his mind, announcing on Twitter: 'You know what, @jimmykimmel ... Im coming on your show now just to upset you.' Mates: Matt Damon and Chris Hemsworth, pictured in January in LA, are new BFFs after the pair spent time recently in Australia Prompted jibes: Rumors about the new buddies prompted Ben Affleck, Damon's friend since childhood, to take to Twitter over the weekend with a message for Hemsworth Taking sides: The Australian actor, who is slated to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live this week to promote Avengers: Infinity War made it clear he's now on Team Damon Fun 'feud': : The ABC late night host shot back, referencing the long-running 'feud' he and Damon have played up for laughs over the years Watch out Jimmy: By Sunday evening, Hemsworth had this message for Kimmel Damon has been in Australia since Easter palling around with The Avengers actor amid rumors he is considering a permanent move there. According to PageSix.com last month, he was looking to buy the property next door to Hemsworth due to his dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump. 'Matt's telling friends and colleagues in Hollywood that he's moving the family to Australia for a year,' a source told the gossip website. Close: Damon and Affleck grew up together in Boston and found fame together with the 1997 film Good Will Hunting which they co-wrote and co-starred in. They're pictured in 2015 No go zone: The joke played out over years sees Damon always trying to get onto Jimmy Kimmel Live as a guest and the comedian and host thwarting his efforts Playing for laughs: On Kimmels post-Oscar show in 2017, Affleck smuggled Damon onto Kimmel's set after Damon had crashed the awards show telecast that Kimmel hosted Damon and Affleck grew up together in Boston and found fame together after co-writing and starring in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting. The two won an Oscar for best original screenplay at the 1998 Academy Awards. However, the pals have been 'in' on the joke played out by Kimmel and Damon over several years that sees Damon always trying to get onto Jimmy Kimmel Live as a guest and the comedian and host thwarting his efforts. Hemsworth is doing the rounds right now to promote the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War. He plays Thor in the Marvel Comics Universe. The superhero joins with Iron Man, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers to battle their most powerful enemy yet, the evil Thanos, in the movie opening this Friday. They have been rivals for 15 years. And it appears Kyle Sandilands' feud with Rove McManus is still alive and well, after the shock jock took the TV funnyman to task over his new Network Ten program. During a segment on Monday's The Kyle and Jackie O Show, the KIIS FM presenter dismissed Show Me The Movie! as a 'loser show'. Scroll down for video 'Who wants to see Rove putting on a show about classic movie lines?' Kyle Sandilands took ANOTHER swipe at Rove McManus over Show Me The Movie! as their 15-year feud rages on Kyle raged: 'If they'd asked me at Channel Ten, "Shall we put this show on?" I would have said, "No". 'Not only because I hate him, but who wants to see Rove putting on shows with classic move lines? That's a loser show.' 'King Kyle' also couldn't resist taking aim at Rove's short-lived 2DayFM breakfast radio program with Sam Frost. Famous feud: During a segment on Monday's The Kyle and Jackie O Show, the KIIS FM host dismissed Rove McManus' latest Network Ten project Show Me The Movie! as a 'loser show' 'The radio show he did was so disastrous. "Let's put him on TV instead". Another disaster!' he said derisively. Kyle mocked Show Me The Movie!'s ratings for Network Ten, revelling in the fact it was beaten by The Chase Australia. The pair's feud started back in 2003, when Kyle accused Rove of mocking his then-wife Tamara Jaber's music career. Ouch! 'The radio show he did was so disastrous. 'Let's put him on TV instead'. Another disaster!' Kyle said derisively. Pictured: Rove hosting Show Me The Movie! According to his autobiography Scandalands, they later patched things up when Rove's wife Belinda Emmett died in 2006. But shortly afterwards, Rove was apparently rude to Kyle on his TV chat show, reigniting the feud. 'Everyone thinks he's cookies and cream when he's a little pr**k,' Kyle said on-air last year. 'He's a little a***hole.' He announced his split from wife Jenna Dewan three weeks ago. And on Sunday Channing Tatum made his first public appearance since the separation at the Honda Indy Grand Prix in Birmingham, Alabama. The actor, who has ditched his wedding ring, was hanging out at the race track with The Bachelor's Arie Luyendyk Jr. Scroll down for video Hanging out: Channing Tatum made his first public appearance since his split from Jenna Dewan at the Honda Indy Grand Prix in Alabama Sunday with The Bachelor's Arie Luyendyk Jr. Tatum served as grand marshal for the event and took a spin with Luyendyk in the official pace car that led the field to the start. 'Such a great dude!' Luyendyk Jr., 36, said of the actor, 37, as he posted pics of them in their matching red and black Honda racing suits to his Instagram. Tatum also posted several snaps to his Instagram, returning to the platform for the first time since his marriage breakup. 'Crazy fast couple laps in the rain!! Thanks @ariejr!' he wrote. Newly single: Tatum, who has ditched his wedding ring, served as grand marshal for the event. Luyendyk Jr. posted pics of them in their red and black Honda racing suits to Instagram Fun time: Luyendyk Jr., 36, who took the actor, 37, for a spin in the two-seat official Honda race car, described Tatum as 'Such a great dude!' Back online: Tatum also shared some pics from his day to his Instagram, marking his return to the social media platform for the first time since his marriage breakup In an official statement he released, the actor said: 'Im honored to be serving as the grand marshal for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. I have always loved the excitement of a great race and its a privilege to be back in my home state for this event.' The Magic Mike star also helped the reality hunk send a special social media message to fiancee Lauren Burnham who wasn't at the race. Luyendyk tweeted a short video as a surprise for the blonde he chose to be his bride on the ABC show. In the clip, Tatum says: 'Whats up, Lauren. Im about to do something stupid.' 'And we wish you were here, obviously,' Luyendyk chimed in. 'Yes,' said Tatum, laughing. Getting wed: Luyendyk proposed to Lauren Burhman on ABC's The Bachelor. While she wasn't with hi and Tatum on Sunday, she did join him at the Long Beach Grand Prix last weekend Tatum and Dewan announced the end of their almost nine year marriage on April 2. They had met on the set of the Dance movie Step Up in 2006 and share a four-year-old daughter Everly. Last week, Dewan returned to social media having dropped Tatum from her name and without her wedding band. Moving on: Last week, Dewan returned to social media having dropped Tatum from her name and without her wedding band posing in lingerie photos She became anchor of Weekend Today alongside Peter Stefanovic late last year. And Allison Langdon revealed exactly how she feels about her co-host in an interview with TV WEEK on Monday. The 38-year-old acknowledged the pair have known each other for over 10 years and candidly described their personal and professional relationship. Scroll down for video Teamwork? Weekend Today's Allison Langdon revealed exactly how she feels about her co-host Peter Stefanovic in an interview with TV WEEK on Monday 'I hate him, he's obnoxious!' the Nine Network reporter joked of her feelings for Peter. 'Pete and I have been great mates for over a decade. We're friends who hang out outside of work, so it's a nice fit,' she explained. 'I feel so comfortable knowing I'm going to sit next to someone who's incredibly generous, a great journo and a good friend.' 'I hate him, he's obnoxious!' the Nine Network reporter joked of her feelings for Peter Allison's shining description of Peter comes on the heels of a tumultuous time for her co-host and his brother Karl, after they became embroiled in the 'Ubergate' scandal. The high-profile siblings were reportedly overheard 'b**ching' during a speakerphone conversation about their Nine colleagues and management by an Uber driver. The driver later sold the details of the chat to New Idea magazine in a rumoured $50,000 deal. 'Pete and I have been great mates for over a decade. We're friends who hang out outside of work, so it's a nice fit,' she explained Despite the whole affair generating negative headlines for Channel Nine, the Stefanovics continue to enjoy lucrative positions in the network. The brothers both file stories for news flagship program 60 Minutes, with Peter co-hosting Weekend Today and Karl co-hosting Today alongside Georgie Gardner. They offered individual apologies following their 'Ubergate' scandal, with Peter stating he felt 'awful for any embarrassment Ive brought to my colleagues'. Brothers in arms: Allison's shining description of Peter comes on the heels of a tumultuous time for her co-host and Karl, after they became embroiled in the 'Ubergate' scandal She announced she was splitting from her husband of 17 years in November last year. And now it has been reported that Davina McCall, 50, is set to part with 2.5million in return for a quick divorce from estranged husband Matthew Robertson, 49, in a bid to move on with her life, according to The Sun. The beloved TV presenter is said to be splitting the profits of her 37-acre East Sussex home with Matthew, which they bought for 3.2million, and will hand over a further 1million to her former husband so she can focus on her singledom. Quick: It has been reported that Davina McCall, 50, is set to part with 2.5million in return for a quick divorce from estranged husband Matthew Robertson, 49, in a bid to move on with her life, according to The Sun According to the publication, an insider said: 'Davina cant wait to begin her new life. 'She is desperate to get a clean break and is not interested in going to war with Matthew and squabbling over every penny. Adding: 'In order to start afresh and be her best self, shes willing to sacrifice getting the best deal.' MailOnline have contacted Davina McCall's rep for comment. On Monday, she tweeted: 'Just for the record I have not and never will discuss my divorce .. money /kids/terms NONE of it with the press so whatever is out there is not from me ( and is rubbish) This is to protect our kids.' The former Big Brother host was pictured house-hunting near her family mansion two days following the news of her split from the travel company owner. Halves: The beloved TV presenter is said to be splitting the profits of her 37-acre East Sussex home with Matthew, which they bought for 3.2million, and will hand over a further 1million to her former husband so she can focus on her singledom Earlier this month, Davina revealed having children put a huge strain on her marriage with Matthew, with her taking revenge on him when their daughter Holly arrived. The television presenter admitted she wanted to 'punish' him by keeping him up during their first-born's night-time feeds, leading to the pair sleeping in separate beds when they had Tilly and Chester. Speaking on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, she said: 'I remember him going to the pub and I was going "Oh I will come... oh no I won't the baby's upstairs. 'With Holly I wanted to punish Matthew in some way and keep him up. So we slept in the same bed and with the feeds I would turn the light on and change the nappy. Not interested: According to the publication, an insider said: 'Davina cant wait to begin her new life. 'She is desperate to get a clean break and is not interested in going to war with Matthew and squabbling over every penny' Future: Earlier this month, Davina revealed having children put a huge strain on her marriage with Matthew, with her taking revenge on him when their daughter Holly arrived She continued: 'You know- bedside light, do the feed, change nappy and think, well I am very sorry if you are asleep.' 'With the second and the third one we'd fall asleep in the bed together and with the midnight feed he'd go off and sleep in the spare room, which sounds selfish. Guy gets to go to sleep. Before adding: 'But if one gets some sleep then they can make tea or whatever for the other one.' Davina also revealed she has been 'brutally honest' with her three children; Holly, 16, Tilly, 14, and Chester, 11, about her secret past. Honest: The television presenter admitted she wanted to 'punish' him by keeping him up during their first-born's night-time feeds, leading to the pair sleeping in separate beds when they had Tilly and Chester 'I've had to be very honest about my past with the children especially now they have access to the internet,' she said. 'Actually, I had to be brutally honest quite early on when I thought other kids might talk to them about it. 'They grew up with "Mummy's going to a meeting" they just didn't know it was a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. They were all really very accepting. They'd say, ''We thought it was something like that. Is that why you don't drink?'' The former Big Brother presenter has spoken openly about battling with drugs in her late teens, and previously said a friend was the one who pushed her to get clean. Frank: Speaking on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, she said: 'I remember him going to the pub and I was going "Oh I will come... oh no I won't the baby's upstairs. With Holly I wanted to punish Matthew in some way and keep him up' Since quitting drugs at the age of 25, Davina has also quit smoking and drinking, and has inspired others with her incredible fitness regime. Davina announced her split from husband of 17 years Matthew in November last year. In a statement she told MailOnline: 'I am very sad to say that Matthew and I have separated. 'Our amazing children are our number one priority, above everything else so therefore we ask for as much space and respect from the media as possible while our family goes through this difficult time.' Melbourne has played home to The Block for more than eight seasons. But according to Monday's Woman's Day, the renovation series may be headed to Newcastle, a harbour city in New South Wales. The publication claimed that host Scott Cam was seen 'eyeing off' a property in the area. So long Melbourne? The VERY surprising location speculated to host the upcoming season of home renovation series The Block According to 'sources', Scott, 55, was 'spotted eyeing off a Wallsend fire station'. The weekly went on to state that the television presenter could have been scoping out potential locations for the show or simply expanding his own property portfolio. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to the Nine Network for comment. Location, location: According to Monday's Woman's Day, the renovation series may be headed to Newcastle, a harbour city in New South Wales With a population of approximately 322,278, Newcastle is located 162 kilometres north to northeast of Sydney. The coastal town boasts picturesque beaches and plays home to music festivals. The Block began its roots in Sydney, where it hosted the first three seasons before heading to Melbourne for the fourth and fifth seasons. Proximity: With a population of approximately 322,278, Newcastle is located 162 kilometres north to northeast of Sydney Typical buildings: Pictured is an old fire station located in Cooks Hill, Newcastle It then had a quick return to Sydney for the sixth season, however soon relocated back to Melbourne to host the seventh to the present day fourteenth season. Scott has become synonymous with the program, and once warned contestants to not 'take the mickey out of it' in an interview with the Herald Sun last October. 'It's a great opportunity to be on The Block. I take it seriously. I don't want [contestants] to take the mickey out of it,' the tradie told the publication. 'The Block, it's my show and I love it. I want everyone to put in 100 per cent and have a crack because it's an opportunity 10,000 people [who audition every season] want to do,' Scott continued. Today Extra co-host Sonia Kruger and her baby daughter Maggie attended a family wedding over the weekend in Midginbil Hill, NSW. And on Monday, The Voice host shared photos of her niece's country-chic wedding on the Channel Nine daytime talk show. In the short clip, the 52-year-old looked simply stunning in a flirty polka dot maxi dress while her three-year-old daughter was as cute as a button in a darling tulle ensemble. Scroll down for video Spot the star! Today Extra host Sonia Kruger stuns in polka dot maxi dress as she attends her niece's country wedding 'I went to a wedding on the weekend, my niece got married. She got married, so we went to a place called Midginbil Hill which is sort like Queensland country wedding,' Sonia revealed. 'Brooke and James got married under a beautiful oak tree,' she added. 'Brooke (niece) and James got married under a beautiful oak tree': Sonia revealed on Today Extra on Monday Seconds later a family photo flashed onto the screen featuring Sonia wearing her spotty dress. She looked effortlessly chic in a steel blue polka dot dress with flirty shoulder cut-outs. Sonia revealed the bride and groom were 'hanging out' for a shout-out on Today Extra. 'So I have to give them a shout-out... they're like hanging out for it! Please give us a shout-out on Monday morning,' Sonia exclaimed. The blonde beauty's adorable three-year-old daughter also heavily featured in the TV package. At one point Sonia told her co-hosts: 'Maggie had the time of her life.' In one clip, the little one was seen running around with another child on the green lawns of the hinterland resort. 'Maggie had the time of her life': Sonia's adorable three-year-old daughter heavily featured in the TV package 'There she is, the runaway bride,' Sonia joked. Maggie donned a sweet tutu-inspired ensemble consisting of a pink tulle skirt and a pint-sized embellished top. The little one wore her hair in pigtails, fastened by two pink bows. On Sunday, the blonde TV presenter took to Instagram to share a photograph of the loved-up bride and groom. 'To the bride and groom,' Sonia wrote alongside a photo of her niece. She accompanied the post with the following hashtags: 'love, country, wedding, family and Queensland.' Sonia welcomed Maggie into the world in January 2015 with partner Craig McPherson, who she has been dating since September 2011. He has been leading a seemingly carefree lifestyle since finding love with former model-turned-shoe designer Jasmine Yarbrough in late 2016. And Karl Stefanovic looked the picture of happiness on Sunday as he enjoyed a relaxed mini break with his fiancee, her sister Jade, and a female friend in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The Today show host, 43, appeared perfectly at ease as the group soaked up the afternoon sun, before he enjoyed some alone time with Jasmine at The Newport Arms pub. The future's bright! Karl Stefanovic looked the picture of happiness on Sunday as he enjoyed a relaxed mini break with his fiancee Jasmine Yarbrough in Sydney's Northern Beaches Sealed with a kiss! The Today host, 43, has been leading a seemingly carefree lifestyle since finding love with the former model-turned-shoe designer, 34, in late 2016 On cloud nine! It seemed to be the perfect lazy Sunday for Channel Nine's golden boy, who was joined by his fiancee, her sister Jade Yarbrough and another female friend It seemed to be the ideal lazy Sunday for Channel Nine's golden boy, who was seen chatting away and sharing a tender kiss with the Mara & Mine co-founder, 34. Sydney's most talked-about couple were joined at the beach by Jasmine's glamorous sister Jade and another unidentified young woman. While Karl kept his T-shirt on for the outing, his female companions turned up the heat by stripping down to their bikinis. Blushing bride-to-be! Karl and Jasmine are expected to get married later this year #Blessed! The TV personality couldn't wipe the smile off his face during the beach outing Confident: The father-of-three appeared perfectly at ease as the group soaked up the mid-afternoon sun Later on in the day, Jasmine and Karl went out for dinner at the local pub, The Newport Arms. Karl cut a dapper figure in a blue shirt and tight jeans, which he paired with stylish brown boots and a flashy watch. Meanwhile, Jasmine looked radiant in a short polka dot dress that highlighted her slender waist and well-toned legs. She completed her ensemble with a biker jacket slung over her shoulders, a leather handbag and a pair of very stylish sandals. Carefree: Karl looked in relaxed spirits as he and Jasmine arrived at the beach Beach style: Jasmine arrived in a short white dress before stripping down to her bikini New love: Karl met Jasmine just a few months after separating from his wife-of-21-years Cassandra Thorburn Together at last! Previously based in Los Angeles, Jasmine is now living in Sydney with Karl Youthful: Karl appears to be enjoying the company of a younger crowd since meeting Jasmine Jasmine and Karl became engaged at the start of the year and hosted a commitment ceremony in Sydney's Palm Beach last month. The television personality has said the couple will 'probably' marry later this year. He was previously married to former journalist and TV producer Cassandra Thorburn for 21 years before they separated in 2016. The former couple share three children: Jackson, River and Ava. Entrepreneur: Jasmine was a runway model for several years before launching her successful shoe label, Mara & Mine Alone time! Later on in the day, Jasmine and Karl went out for dinner at the local pub, The Newport Arms Daddy, daddy cool! For their dinner date, Karl cut a dapper figure in a blue shirt and tight jeans, which he paired with stylish brown boots HBO released the first trailer for Sharp Objectsa mini-series set to premiere in July. The haunting new show, based on a book by Gone Girl's Gillian Flynn, stars Amy Adams. The 43-year-old actress plays a reporter named Camille Preaker who returns to her hometown Windgap, Missouri to cover a violent murder. Scroll for video First look: HBO released the first trailer for Sharp Objectsa mini-series featuring Amy Adams Major thriller: The haunting new show, based on a book by Gone Girl's Gillian Flynn, is set to premiere in July The fear-inducing trailer introduces a star-studded cast that includes Patricia Clarkson, Matt Craven, and Henry Czerny. The eight-episode series will follow Adams' character as she investigates the murder of two pre-teen girls and is forced to deal with her own inner demons. The first look, while vague, shows a mentally distraught Preaker and a pair of creepy twin girls. Horrific: Amy plays a reporter named Camille Preaker who returns to her hometown Windgap, Missouri to cover a violent murder The eight-episode series will follow Adams' character as she investigates the murder of two pre-teen girls and is forced to deal with her inner demons Man of the law: Matt Craven plays a small town police officer 'Momma said she saw a ghost once,' a little girl could be heard saying. 'I'm not scared of them ghosts. Are you?' Sharp objects certainly come into play as Amy is seen toying with a razor blade and pricking her finger with a needle. The trailer comes to a close as Adams is seen gasping for air after being submerged in a bathtub. The last thing listeners here is a little girl whispering: 'It's not safe for you here.' Gruesome: Adams' character is also seen pricking her finger with a needle 'Momma said she saw a ghost once,' a little girl could be heard saying in the trailer. 'I'm not scared of them ghosts. Are you?' In mourning: The trailer includes a clip from the funeral of the two pre-teen girls Creepy: The trailer comes to a close as Adams is seen gasping for air after being submerged in a bathtub. The last thing listeners here is a little girl whispering: 'It's not safe for you here' The HBO mini-series is directed by Big Little Lies' Jean-Marc Vallee. And executive-produced by Amy Adams and Get Out's Jason Blum. Sharp Objects will make its screening debut at the ATX Television Festival on June 7 in Austin, Texas. She received online criticism for posting a breastfeeding photo to her Instagram account. But April Love Geary was not one to sit idly by and retaliated against Chanelle Hayes, 30, after the former Big Brother contestant called her out, tweeting 'WHY do people need to post pictures of themselves [breastfeeding]?' In response, the 23-year-old American model posted a censored topless photo of the English TV personality next to her tweet and warned 'don't be a hypocrite mama'. Scroll down for video Brutal takedown: April Love Geary was ruthless in her retaliation against Chanelle Hayes after the former Big Brother contestant called her out for posting a breastfeeding pic to Instagram In the scathing Instagram post, the new mom wrote, 'Hey @chanellehayes, maybe the next time you want to criticize me for posting a picture of myself breastfeeding you should really take a look at the pictures you've had taken.' She then posted a censored picture of a topless Hayes next to her critical tweet. 'Not that taking nudes are wrong!' continued Geary, 'The naked body is a beautiful thing!' 'But don't be a hypocrite mama'. Hayes has appeared on the covers of UK men's magazines such as Nuts and Zoo. Me and my baby: Geary, 23, posted an Instagram photo on Saturday of herself lounging in bed as she breastfed her newborn daughter Mia Geary became a mother in February when she gave birth to her daughter Mia. The 5ft11 model posted an Instagram photo on Saturday of herself lounging in bed as she breastfed her newborn child. 'MOM pic by baby daddy,' wrote April in her caption, tagging her child's father Robin Thicke, who incidentally is 41 years old. Flaunting it: Hayes, 30, has regularly appeared on the covers of UK men's magazines such as Nuts and Zoo. She's seen here back in 2014 April, who joked on her 23rd birthday that Robin was 'gonna have to swap me out for a younger chick soon,' has maintained an enviably svelte post-baby body. She showed her sculpted figure off to her roughly 126,000 Instagram followers last Sunday, posting a sizzling bikini mirror selfie. It was Robin who made the birth announcement on February 24, posting a sweet video of himself cradling his crying baby in the hospital. April publicized her pregnancy on August 17 last year, posting an ultrasound photo to Instagram and dishing in the caption that she was due 'March 1st, Alan's birthday!' - Alan being Robin's late father. The parents together: 'MOM pic by baby daddy,' wrote April in her caption to the breastfeeding photo, tagging her child's father Robin Thicke, who incidentally is 41 years old Robin has a seven-year-old son called Julian by Paula Patton, whom Robin had married in 2005 after dating her since the 1990s, when the couple were teenagers. After they separated in February 2014, Robin waged a public campaign to get Paula back, including an album called Paula with a lead single entitled Get Her Back. These efforts availed him naught, and the now 42-year-old Paula filed in October 2014 for a divorce that was ultimately finalized in March the following year. When you got it: April, who joked on her latest birthday that Robin was 'gonna have to swap me out for a younger chick soon,' has maintained an enviably svelte post-baby body Paula and Robin waged a rancorous custody battle over Julian - one that they settled weeks before April told the world she was pregnant, per DailyMail.com. As court documents show, that arrangement included a proviso that Robin, Paula and Julian go to family therapy up this past December at the earliest - as well as that Paula and Robin are forbidden from badmouthing one another to their son. Julian's parents now have split custody, after a dispute in which Paula tried to prevent Robin's seeing Julian and last January 26 won a temporary restraining order. Accused of striking Julian too forcefully, Robin held in his court filing that 'On a very rare occasion and only as a last resort, I will use light spanking, but it is consistent with the law - open hand on the butt,' as TMZ reported January 12 last year. She's the PR guru with a jewellery collection fit for a queen. But Roxy Jacenko, 37, couldn't help but lust for another precious diamond sparkler, taking to Instagram to showcase a huge diamond ring worth over $127,000. In an Instagram Story shared to her page on Monday, Roxy modelled the eye-popping ring, writing: 'WANT' in the caption along with the designer's name Pink Kimberley Diamonds. What a rock! Roxy Jacenko, 37, couldn't help but lust for another precious diamond sparkler, taking to Instagram to showcase a huge diamond ring worth over $127,000 on Monday The Kimberley Diramu Ring, from Australian jewellers Pink Kimberely Diamonds, is arrangement of thirteen natural Argyle pink diamonds, unfolding with an array of sparkling white diamonds, crafted in 18ct rose and white gold. According to Pink Kimberely, the pink diamonds used in the piece are from a remote part of the East Kimberley in Western Australia, sourced from the rapidly diminishing Argyle Diamond mine. The ring could well become a gift from her husband Oliver Curtis, who proposed to her for a second time last year, following his jail stint for insider trading. She's got expensive taste! The Sweaty Betty PR queen has long been a fan of designer clothing and accessories They struggled in April 2017 when photos emerged of Roxy and Nabil sharing a passionate embrace on a balcony, just eight weeks before Oliver was due to be released from Cooma Correctional Centre. Discussing the scandal in February this year, Oliver called Nabil an 'extremely low' human being. 'It's absolutely disgusting. What sort of man does that?,' Oliver told the Kyle & Jackie O Show. Be my Valentino! Roxy cosied up to her husband Oliver Curtis during a lunch date on Saturday Wedding belle: The couple married in 2012 and share two children - three-year-old Hunter and six-year-old Pixie 'This is the guy that was playing the friend card, and 'I'm here for you, you've got cancer blah blah blah', and then all of a sudden he bloody moves in! Come on,' he fumed. 'Let me tell you I wouldn't want to run into him on the street. Or he wouldn't want to run into me,' he fumed. Roxy and Oliver have since smoothed over their issues and are doting parents to their two young children. All smiles: Oliver was released from Cooma Correctional Centre in 2017 after serving a 12-month sentence for insider trading Married At First Sight star and busty bikini model Davina Rankin has slammed reports that she and former co-star Dean Wells have been 'sexting.' The brunette beauty told Daily Mail Australia on Monday, that she hasn't spoken to Dean since her birthday. Davina added that she's completely smitten with her new boyfriend, Jaxon Manuel. Scroll down for video 'We have NOT been sexting': Married At First Sight's Davina Rankin slams claims she and Dean Wells send each other raunchy messages and still talk... as she reveals she's smitten with her new boyfriend Davina told Daily Mail Australia that they have 'definitely not been sexting' and that the last time they spoke was when Dean wished her 'a happy birthday.' In Monday's NW magazine, it was claimed that the former co-stars are 'still messaging now'. An insider alleged to the publication that the pair had been 'sexting' after the reunion episode. Claims: In Monday's NW magazine, it's been claimed that the former co-stars are 'still messaging now' Rumours: An insider alleged to the publication that the pair had been 'sexting' after the reunion episode During their time on the show, the pair were accused of having an 'affair.' 'They were still sexting at that point [after the MAFS reunion] and are still messaging now,' a source close to production reportedly told NW. The insider went on to claim that Dean, 39, 'even flew to Byron Bay to spend time' with Davina, 27, in March, but 'they had to scrap it after the paparazzi found out about their plans and were waiting at the airport to follow him.' Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Dean for comment. Meanwhile, Davina told Daily Mail Australia that she's 'extremely happy' with her new boyfriend, Jaxon Manuel. Having gone public with their romance over the weekend, the bikini model said of the surfer and cafe owner: 'The timing now is just perfect for the both of us.' Making headlines: Davina was labelled the 'villain' on Married At First Sight after co-star Tracey Jewel discovered the model's 'affair' with her 'TV husband' Dean Davina was labelled the 'villain' on Married At First Sight after co-star Tracey Jewel discovered the model's 'affair' with her 'TV husband' Dean. The brunette angered some viewers by refusing to apologise to Tracey for her actions, telling her: 'I thought your boyfriend was hot (and) he didn't want to be with you.' Becoming more enraged by the minute, Tracey said it was a matter of respect and that Davina lacked any of that for her during the experiment. Tracey initially gave Dean a second chance, she was unable to forgive him for his betrayal. During their vow renewal ceremony, Tracey dumped Dean and told him that she 'deserves better.' The relationship expert has since found love with MAFS co-star Sean Thomsen. She's expecting baby number two later this year. And Candice Swanepoel, 29, is already spending as much time with family and friends as she can. The Victoria's Secret Angel was spotted leaving a family member's residence in Brazil on Sunday, wearing a thigh skimming maternity dress. Stroll: Candice Swanepoel, 29, is already spending as much time with family and friends as she can, in anticipation of baby number two The revealing garment showcased the model's slim pins as she head out for a walk wearing flip flops. Her growing bump was visible under the short dress, and the South African beauty wore her wavy blonde tresses untied and cascading down her back. Swanepoel had her hands full as she strolled, juggling a phone, keys and a bottle of what looked like sunscreen. Legs for days: The Victoria's Secret Angel was spotted leaving a family member's residence in Brazil on Sunday, wearing a thigh skimming maternity dress Bump in the night: Her growing bump was visible under the short dress, and the South African beauty wore her wavy blonde tresses untied and cascading down her back It was a decidedly more casual look that the one Candice had shown earlier on social media. Swanepoel took to Instagram on Sunday to show off photos of her growing baby bump during the model's glamorous baby shower. The IMG-repped stunner posed with her one-year-old son Anaca, who perched atop his mom's pronounced bump. Bumping along nicely: Swanepoel took to social media on Sunday to show off photos of her growing baby bump during the model's glamorous baby shower The blonde beauty looked radiant in a white gown and a pair of strappy heels. Swanepoel carried her son she shares with her boyfriend, Hermann Nicoli, a Brazilian model. The caption said the little boy is 'Excited for his brother to arrive.' The 5ft9.5 lingerie model wore her wavy blonde tresses untied and a crown of white flowers atop her head. Her boy: The Victoria's Secret Angel posed with her one-year-old son Anaca, who perched atop his mom's pronounced bump Angelic: The 5ft9.5 lingerie model wore her wavy blonde tresses untied and a crown of white flowers atop her head Big day: The South African beauty looked radiant in a white gown and a pair of strappy heels Candid: Candice revealed in an interview with PEOPLE that her first son, Anaca, is a breeze Candice revealed in an interview with PEOPLE that her first son, Anaca, is a breeze. 'He's been so sweet and been so good. Everybody is like, "You're so blessed with a good baby,' Candice said, but she fears that her second child might be a little different. 'I feel like the next one will be a terror just to remind me.' The soon-to-be mother-of-two has also been public about her 'natural, no drugs' birthing process. 'I don't wanna put anyone off of having kids,' she said. 'I think society has made women afraid of giving [birth naturally], but it's totally doable if you prepare yourself in the right way.' Instagram sensation Rozalia Russian has unveiled her brand new diamond engagement ring. The model and mother-of-two, 30, took to the social media site on Monday to flaunt the gigantic jewel on her right hand. The Melbourne-based beauty's decision to 'upgrade' her engagement rock comes despite the fact she has been married her husband, Nick, for nearly five years. 'Upgrading': Instagram sensation Rozalia Russian took to the social media site on Monday to show off her giant new engagement ring Diamond dazzler! n the short Instagram clip, Rozalia coupled her new lavish ring with a diamond-encrusted wedding band and matching bracelet from Australian brand Anton Jewellery In the short Instagram clip, Rozalia coupled her new lavish ring with a diamond-encrusted wedding band and matching bracelet from Australian brand Anton Jewellery. Sharing the footage with her 232,000 followers, Rozalia simply said: 'Upgrading @antonjewellery.' The social media starlet has collaborated with the fine jeweller on their new campaign, dubbed Regal. Popular: Anton Jewellery is just one of the many big names Rozalia has worked with over the years, given her status as one of the country's hottest influencers On Monday, the brunette also shared a behind-the-scenes look at the campaign shoot, taking to Instagram Stories to upload a video that saw her getting her long locks curled by hair stylist Hermiz Daniel. Anton Jewellery is just one of the many big names Rozalia has worked with over the years, given her status as one of the country's hottest influencers. Her stunning photos regularly garner upwards of 3,000 likes and see her spruiking everything from clothing to electronic face cleansers. Picture-perfect: Rozalia is married to nightclub owner and entrepreneur Nick Russian and the pair share two children together - one-year-old Kingston and four-year-old Willow Rozalia is married to nightclub owner and entrepreneur Nick Russian and the pair share two children together - one-year-old Kingston and four-year-old Willow. She frequently uploads photos of her picture-perfect family, which are met by adoring comments left by her followers. 'Life goals,' one fan wrote, while another cooed that the family-of-four were 'gorgeous'. He's been hit with 'date rape' allegations from model Miranda 'Vee' Vasquez. And Mohamed Hadid was putting on a brave face amid the claims as he stepped out with his daughters Gigi, 23, and Bella, 21, on Sunday, enjoying a catch up over lunch at Soho House restaurant in New York City. The billionaire property developer showed no sign of concern as he left the upmarket venue, bidding a fond farewell to the model duo with a hug. Show of support: Mohamed Hadid was putting on a brave face amid sexual misconduct allegations as he stepped out with his daughters Gigi, 23, and Bella, 21, on Sunday, enjoying a catch up over lunch at Soho House restaurant in New York City Mohammed was smartly dressed in a dark coat and a jazzy blue scarf for his lunch outing with his loved ones. Fashionable pair Gigi and Bella were also joined by their older sister Alana for their family lunch. The girls showered their father with support in the street, putting on a defiant display of unity in the wake of model Miranda 'Vee' Vasquez's shock claims against Mohamed and Guess co-founder Paul Marciano. Rallying around: Fashionable pair Gigi and Bella were also joined by their older sister Alana (centre) for their family lunch Supportive daughters: Gigi and Bella showered their father with kisses as they said a fond farewell to him Hugging it out: The girls put on a defiant display of unity with their beloved father Super stylish: Gigi (left) opted for a navy ensemble with white ruffle detailing while Bella (right) donned a sportswear inspired camisole and boyfriend jeans Tomboy chic: Bella set off her look with a pair of lace-up boots and an on-trend waist bag Earlier this year, Vasquez, 23, l publicly accused Hadid of date rape at an apartment in Los Angeles and claimed Marciano sexually harassed her at 'Guess headquarters.' But according to a new video, which DailyMail.com learned was filmed by a showbusiness 'fixer', Vasquez is seen on camera saying she has no claim, 'nothing', against them. In the footage shot on a cell phone in June last year, Vasquez is heard saying: 'No, they're really nice,' when asked if she was harmed by any of the two men. The video, showing the model sitting in front of a desk with a table lamp shining behind her in what appears to be a dingy hotel room, has been posted on YouTube and has received just shy of 150 views. A male voice is heard saying on the clip: 'At the end of the day you didn't mean anything right, you have no claims against Mohamed (Hadid) and no claims against Paul (Marciano)?' Confession? Cellphone video shows Miranda 'Vee' Vasquez, 23, speaking to a showbiz 'fixer' in a dingy hotel room. Vasquez admits she has no 'claims' against Mohamed or Paul Marciano and adds that the two men are 'really nice' Speaking out: The model took to Instagram earlier this year to accuse Hadid of 'date raping' her and alleged that Guess designer Paul Marciano sexually harassed her Vasquez shakes her head and responds: 'Nothing.' The man continues: 'They didn't hurt you?' and Vee responds, 'no they're really nice.' The man adds: 'It was a learning experience and you wish them..,', Vasquez jumps in, 'the best, yeh.' The man then says: 'And hopefully in the future if they have work for you they'll think of you and give you a call,' to which Vee smiles and says, 'hopefully'. The video casts further doubt on Vasquez's claims of rape and sexual misconduct against the two high profile businessmen. Family: Hadid, 69, a real estate developer, filed court papers fighting back against Vasquez - branding her a 'pathological liar' who plotted to extort him. Above he is pictured with his daughters in 2016 On Instagram, the brunette posted her accusations of 'date rape' against Hadid and another against fashion designer Marciano whom she claims 'sexually harassed' her. Her post, in response to a post by model Kate Upton about the #MeToo movement, was on February 1 in which 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. '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.' Proof? 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) Messages: In other texts, Vasquez flooded Hadid's phone with photos of her wearing lingerie and a bikini Texts: 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 But Hadid filed court papers fighting back against the model - branding her a 'pathological liar' who plotted to extort him. In the lawsuit filed in LA, 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. 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 Imogi) sent to him after the encounter. 'I miss your soft lips & juicy (followed by an eggplant emoji and two lip-licking emojis),' the text read. 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 March 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 Vee who threatened to go to the police with her date rape claim if he didn't pay up. Social media post: 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 at Guess Allegations: Upton, who has worked on campaigns for Guess, accused designer Paul Marciano of sexual misconduct. Vasquez later supported her claims saying 'Thank you @kateupton it is time people like @paulmarciano & @mohamedhadid get exposed for who they really are!' Hadid paid up, he admits in the legal papers - but it didn't stop the model from going public anyway. The court papers claim Hadid 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.' 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'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. Hitting back: Hadid, who has been engaged to Shiva Safai (above) since 2014, described Vee's claims as 'totally untrue' Vasquez, however, offered her explanation for the sexually charged texts, claiming they were part of a failed one-woman sting operation to support her claim that she was sexually assaulted. Vasquez told the New York Daily News that the conversation was all a badly planned set-up that didn't work out the way she'd intended. 'I thought if I could get (Hadid) to see me again I could get him to confess to what he did to me,' she said. 'I thought maybe I could record him.' Vasquez admits that it was 'stupid' of her not to have involved the police in her alleged attempt to take matters into her hands. Nevertheless, Hadid maintains in legal papers that he was 'respectful' of Vasquez and 'in complete control' during their one off meeting.' 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'. The pair never saw one another again. She previously described Uluru as 'a little piece of heaven'during a visit to the rock formation in 2010. And Oprah Winfrey is reportedly keen to revisit the natural sandstone spectacle - also called Ayers Rock - after 'falling in love' with it first time round. The 64-year-old media icon has allegedly been 'desperate to return' since her last trip, during which she was shown around by the Aboriginal owners, the Anangu people. 'She's desperate to return!' Oprah Winfrey is 'planning another trip to Uluru'... after 'falling in love' with the rock formation during 2010 visit 'Plans are underway for Oprah to return to Uluru,' a source claimed to Woman's Day magazine on Monday. The insider added: 'She fell in love with the Red Centre and has been desperate to return since her last visit.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted a representative for Oprah for comment. Uluru is a massive sandstone formation that is more than 1,000 feet high and nearly six miles around in the heart of the Northern Territorys arid 'Red Centre'. Wondrous experience: During her visit in 2011, Oprah exclaimed: 'It doesn't make any sense that it's just out here in the middle of nowhere by itself. Only God could have put it there' Life-changing: Led by Aboriginal guides, she ventured out into the searing heat to take a look at Uluru's Mutitjulu waterhole It is sacred to indigenous Australians and is thought to have started forming around 550 million years ago During her visit in 2010, Oprah exclaimed: 'It doesn't make any sense that it's just out here in the middle of nowhere by itself. Only God could have put it there.' Led by Aboriginal guides, she ventured out into the searing heat to take a look at Uluru's Mutitjulu waterhole. 'It feels like earth made this cathedral,' Oprah said. 'This is one of the most awesome places I've ever seen. This is a little piece of heaven.' Incredible: 'It feels like earth made this cathedral,' Oprah said 'This is one of the most awesome places I've ever seen. This is a little piece of heaven' And it's not just natural spectacles that Oprah is interested in in Australia, as the TV star recently urged Americans to study strict Australian gun laws. She said Americans should use the laws as inspiration to prevent tragedies like the February 14 Parkland shooting and other mass shootings in the United States. Winfrey has become increasingly active on social issues in recent months and gave a rousing speech at the Golden Globes in support of the #MeToo movement that even sparked rumors of a presidential run in 2020. She has now thrown her support to students protesting gun violence in the United States and says theyre looking at Australias tough gun laws as a model for reform. She's set to wed her Bachelor beau Tim Robards in Italy this July. And ahead of jetting to Europe to tie the knot, Anna Heinrich celebrated the impending extravaganza with her favourite ladies in a pricey La Dolce Vita-themed hens do last weekend. Reported by Woman's Day, the bash racked up a whopping $25,000 price tag on the lavish do. No expense spared! Anna Heinrich's La Dolce Vita-themed hens do reportedly racked up a whopping $25,000 price tag The celebrations included a luxury Sydney harbour cruise, a ritzy luncheon, custom bridal party pyjamas, multiple outfit changes, goody bags and designer balloons. Providing for her thirty-two guests, the Bachelor winner wasn't shy to splash her cash on the once-in-a-lifetime experience. With her sisters in charge of the festivities, Anna took to social media to share the celebrations during her weekend-long spectacular. Bursting with joy! The celebrations saw a lavish Sydney harbour cruise, a ritzy luncheon, custom bridal party pyjamas, multiple outfit changes, goody bags and designer balloons Reported by the publication, the Sydney harbour cruise alone cost $11,000. For the all-inclusive luncheon shared with 32 female friends and family members, the bill was reportedly $4,290 in total. Dressed to impress in theme, the girls were snapped looking glamorous in their La Dolce Vita-themed dresses and embellished jewels during the luncheon. Belle of the ball! For the all-inclusive luncheon shared with 32 female friends and family members, the bill was reportedly $4,290 in total Dancing queens! Not to leave guests without treats to take home, the goody bags racked up at almost double the cost of the luncheon, valued at $8,480 Not to leave guests without trinkets to take home, the goody bags racked up at almost double the cost of the luncheon, valued at $8,480. According to the publication, the bridal party pyjamas cost $400 for her nearest and dearest bridesmaids. For the final trimmings, the bride-to-be balloons reportedly cost $300. As for Tim's bucks party plans, it has been previously reported that the Bachelor hunk is gearing up to enjoy a 'Las Vegas do' in early May, while not yet confirmed. Between the two's impending nuptials, Anna's $25,000 hens and her $173,000 engagement ring, Tim's bucks celebration is sure to spare no expense. There were tears of joy as dance troupe Rise reached the next round of Britains Got Talent following a triumphant audition in front of the watching Simon Cowell on Saturday evening. And for Manchester terror attack survivor Hollie Booth, one of the group's eleven young members, the moment was particularly poignant. The 13-year old, wheelchair bound following the blast that killed 22 people - including her aunt Kelly Brewster - admitted the performance has aided her recovery. So happy: Manchester terror attack survivor Hollie Booth admitted her performance with dance troupe Rise on Saturday evening's Britain's Got Talent has aided her recovery 'I was very nervous. It felt so good after we'd done it,' she told Monday's edition of Lorraine. 'I'm getting better every day - I'm getting there. From day one I was saying when can I go back to dancing.' Joining Holly, the group's choreographer admitted the group wanted to build something positive following the devastating attack at Manchester Arena. 'We were initially called dark cloud, but we wanted something more uplifting,' she explained. Triumphant: The group of youngsters were on hand to discuss their performance on daily breakfast show Lorraine Looking back: 'I was very nervous. It felt so good after we'd done it,' Hollie explained Hollie had returned to the city of the attack to audition with her dance troupe and performed to a medley ofAriana Grande hits. It was less than a year since she attended the pop star's concert where a suicide bomber killed 22 people including her aunt, Kelly Brewster. The troupe, which was made up of 11 dancers aged 10 to 24, performed the dance with wheelchairs in support of the teenager. Well done: Hollie Booth and her dance troupe, Rise, performed a routine to a medley of Ariana Grande hits Hero: The brave teenager reveals to the judges - Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon - that this is the first time she's returned to an arena Hollie, who spent weeks in hospital and multiple operations following the surgery, was praised by Simon Cowell for her efforts at the audition. He said: 'Hollie ... this is difficult ... to get through what you went through and come out here and turn a negative into a positive is actually quite unbelievable. 'What these people did, they're cowards, and the fact that you can come on stage and do what you did and make such a positive statement with your friends, I'm very proud of you. The troupe, which was made up of 11 dancers aged 10 to 24, performed the dance with wheelchairs in support of Hollie Hollie was saluted by Simon Cowell for her bravery after the performance 'In fact I salute you,' he added. Hollie broke her right knee and her left foot and leg as well as suffering nerve damage which means she cannot walk without wearing a splint. Also making it through was a priest who brought the crowd to tears with his moving rendition of REM's Everybody Hurts. Hollie, left, attended the concert along with her aunt Kelly Brewster, right, who was killed Hollie and Kelly pose at Manchester Arena before the Ariana Grande concert that ended in tragedy Father Ray Kelly, 64, from Oldcastle, County Meath in Ireland was one of Cowell's 'favourite ever auditions'. The judge added: 'I thought your voice was beautiful, I loved the version of the song, this was everything we've been waiting for, genuinely.' A stand-up comedian who cannot speak also made it through after David Walliams told him it was one of the best stand-up routines he had ever seen. Lee Ridley, 37, who performs under the name Lost Voice Guy, has cerebral palsy which has left him unable to speak thus meaning he used his iPad to deliver a unique comedy routine. Hollie, who spent weeks in hospital and multiple operations following the surgery, was praised by Simon Cowell for her efforts at the audition Amanda Holden looks at fellow judge Alesha Dicon, both teary, as they watch the touching perfomance Rock star pensioner, Jenny Darren, who sings AC/DC's Highway to Hell and a pair of balancing Vietnamese acrobats were also given four yeses by judges. Emotional: The brave teenager leaves troubled presenter Ant McPartlin in tears with her powerful performance He left Britain's Got Talent host Ant McPartlin fighting back tears with his first audition, recounting his wife's Tessa's breast cancer battle while she was pregnant with their longed for baby following years of failed IVF. And illusionist Marc Spelmann has opened up about the extent of his family's past battles in a new interview with OK! Magazine. The 45-year-old magician, who used a dramatic magical trick to tell the story of his family in the first audition, candidly spoke about conceiving the couple's beloved daughter Isabella, now two, after five gruelling rounds of IVF. Inspiration: Britain's Got talent magician Marc Spelmann has opened up about miracle IVF baby Isabella and his wife Tessa's breast cancer battle during pregnancy in a new interview with OK! Magazine He said: 'We tried for five years and it wasnt working, so we looked at IVF. We discovered Tessa had endometriosis. The talent show marvel said the couple had been prepared to adopt if their 'last chance' at parenthood had not worked. He said:Isabella was a frozen embryo. She was our fifth attempt, she was literally our last chance. We were desperate to be parents and would have happily adopted.' In a devastating turn of events, Tessa, 43, was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was three months pregnant, and had to undergo chemotherapy when Isabella was still in the womb. Golden Buzzer! He left Britain's Got Talent host Ant McPartlin fighting back tears with his first audition, where he told his family's emotional story with a magic trick Isabella was then delivered two months prematurely via c-section so Tessa could undergo higher intensity chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She also underwent a mastectomy and has now been given the all-clear from cancer. Tessa said: Once we got her home, it was amazing. She is our little miracle. Before sending the audience and viewers at home into a frenzy with his magic trick, Marc recalled how he contemplated going onto the ITV talent competition three years ago, during an appearance on This Morning last week. But he put all of his focus into caring for Tessa following their struggle with fertility, surprise pregnancy with Isabella and her devastating breast cancer diagnosis. Real magic': The talented act used his family's past heartache as an example of 'real magic' after Tessa managed to beat the deadly disease and welcome daughter Isabella two years ago Marc explained: 'I contemplated doing [BGT] about three years ago, and then everyone happened with the diagnosis, I kind of took myself out of performing any way, and wanted to be a potential father.' The performer dedicated his heartwarming act to Tessa but insisted it wasn't an attempt at a 'sob story, but to show what real magic could be'. Of the moment the couple found out they were expecting their first baby, he said: 'It was a complete contrast, the euphoria, we kind of got to the point we realised it might not happen and we were so surprised it actually did.' Marc received the coveted golden buzzer, meaning he will go straight to the semi-finals of the competition. Devoted; The 45-year-old magician,candidly spoke about conceiving the couple's beloved daughter Isabella, now two, after five gruelling rounds of IVF He said:Isabella was a frozen embryo. She was our fifth attempt, she was literally our last chance. We were desperate to be parents and would have happily adopted' When asked if he's got anything up his sleeve for those nail-biting stages of the competition, Marc replied: 'I've done this for a living, so I plan ahead, I knew what I would do first, second and third, if I'm lucky to get into the final'. Talking to The Mirror about the full extent of his family's past battle, the magician revealed that they gave IVF one last chance. However, after a routine blood test, they discovered that the final attempt had actually worked and Tessa was pregnant. He revealed: 'When you do IVF you have to have a blood test. 'So Tessa went and had the blood test and you have to wait an hour or so and then they said "Congratulations you are pregnant". Out now: The full interview with Marc and Tessa can be found in this week's OK! Magazine 'It was the most bizarre moment ever. She burst into tears because it was 10 years of trying.' However, before they could start celebrating, just three months later, Tessa discovered a lump which turned out to be an aggressive form of breast cancer, with the mum-to-be needing chemotherapy and a mastectomy. He added: 'The only words that came out of her mouth were "What about my baby?", which says everything about Tessa. 'We had days of pure hell is Tessa going to make it, is the baby going to make it? Marc revealed in an Instagram post in April, that his brave wife 'continues to kick cancer's butt' after she went for her regular six month scan. The current edition of OK! is out now. She is rumoured to have split with fiancee Maegan Luxa, deleting all evidence of their relationship from her social media accounts late last week. And following the speculated split, former Bachelor winner Alex Nation has sought solace in fellow reality star Tully Smyth. Spotted with the former Big Brother star, the two blondes were seen enjoying a long lunch together in Melbourne. Hugging it out! Alex Nation is dressed to impress as she steps out with Tully Smyth for a long lunch in Melbourne, after splitting with fiancee Maegan Luxa While Alex was seen wearing an over-sized Adidas sweater and no makeup during a tense conversation with Maegan last Wednesday, she appeared all smiles and dressed to impress for her lunch date with Tully. Opting for a knee-length rustic-hued autumnal jacket, Alex paired the look with a plain black Bassike dress below. Keeping true to her signature style, the mother-of-one completed her look with a pair of Adidas original sneakers. Lunch date! And following the speculated split, former Bachelor winner Alex Nation has sought solace in fellow reality star Tully Smyth Insider: Last week, a source revealed to Daily Mail Australia that Alex and fiancee Meagan had called it quits Upward and onward! While Alex was seen wearing an over-sized Adidas sweater and no makeup during a tense conversation with Maegan last Wednesday, she appeared all smiles and dressed to impress for her lunch date with Tully Making a statement! Opting for a knee-length rustic-hued autumnal jacket, Alex paired the look with a plain black Bassike dress below Tully too looked stylish, wearing ripped light-washed denim jeans tucked into a plain black top and over-sized faux fur jacket atop. Keeping her look chic and simple, Tully wore a pair of gold-rimmed black sunglasses and black boots to match. The duo embraced one another as they caught up for a two-hour long lunch. Ladies who lunch! The duo embraced one another as they caught up for a two-hour long lunch Settling down for a 'ladies of leisure' lunch, the two blonde beauties appeared to be enjoying themselves at the Melbourne cafe. Alex, who formerly won Richie Strahan's heart on The Bachelor, was last seen with Tully at the Australian Grand Prix in 2017. Richie was rumoured to have had a fling with the controversial former Big Brother star in 2015, after filming Samantha Frost's season of The Bachelorette. Settling down for a 'ladies of leisure' lunch, the two blonde beauties appeared to be enjoying themselves at the Melbourne cafe Bonding: Tully was controversially known for cheating on her girlfriend with fellow contestant Drew during her time in the Big Brother house Last Wednesday, Alex and Maegan were spotted having a very tense conversation in a Melbourne hot spot, sporting serious facial expressions while speaking to one another. During the exchange, Alex was snapped sans engagement ring on her left hand. Last week, a source revealed to Daily Mail Australia that Alex and fiancee Meagan had called it quits. Out with the old: Last Wednesday, Alex and former flame Maegan were spotted having a very tense conversation in Melbourne, sporting serious facial expressions while speaking to one another at a cafe Tully was controversially known for cheating on her girlfriend with fellow contestant Drew during her time in the Big Brother house. She has also been known to reach out to fellow reality stars who have been thrown in the 'villain' bucket by producers. 'I've joked about starting a rehab clinic for reality star D-listers,' Tully shared in a recent Interview with Popsugar. She rarely puts a foot wrong when it comes to fashion. So it's no surprise Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo cut a chic figure as she attended the star-studded Paradigm lounge bar launch in Mallorca, Spain on Sunday evening. The Made In Chelsea star, 23, appeared in high spirits as she partied the night away with Coronation Street stars Brooke Vincent and Katie McGlynn. Sophisticated: Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo cut a chic figure as she attended the star-studded Paradigm lounge bar launch in Mallorca, Spain on Sunday evening The I'm A Celeb winner slipped her svelte frame into a white crop top, which featured an elaborate bow on one shoulder. Toff cemented her place as one to watch as she tied in her ensemble with a pair of semi-sheer patterned trousers. Maintaining the beach theme, the television personality carried her possessions in a tan straw bag. Star-studded: The Made In Chelsea star, 23, partied the night away with Coronation Street stars Katie McGlynn (left) and Brooke Vincent (right) Striking: The I'm A Celeb winner slipped her svelte frame into a white crop top, which featured an elaborate bow on one shoulder Loved-up: Made In Chelsea's Harry Baron and Melissa Tattam looked smitten as they posed arm-in-arm at the event Georgia swept her blonde locks into a tousled ponytail to reveal her striking beauty - which was accentuated with heavy strokes of foundation and glossy rose lipstick. Dancing On Ice star Brooke, 25, flashed a glimpse of her cleavage in a plunging vest, paired with a trendy pair of lace trousers. Meanwhile, soap star Katie, 24, graced the event in a sophisticated mini dress, embellished with delicate frills. The star-studded event marked the launch of Paradigm - a new luxury rooftop bar based in the glamorous marina Puerto Portals. Having fun: The reality stars appeared in high spirits as they indulged in luxurious drinks at the bar Pals: Brooke, 25, flashed a glimpse of her cleavage in a plunging vest, while Katie, 24, graced the event in a sophisticated mini dress Gary Sewell - founder of lifestyle brand Sintillate - said at the event: 'Im very excited to be bringing a brand new, high-end nightlife addition to Mallorca with Paradigm.' 'Guests will be able to experience the very best service, whether ordering cocktails from our bars, or booking one of our tables; all within one of Europes most exciting and exclusive destinations.' Georgia's appearance comes after she spent a leisurely outing with unlikely BFF and politician Stanley Johnson in London. The pair struck up a close bond during their 2017 stint on ITV reality show, I'm A Celeb. Beaming: Jennifer Metcalfe (centre) looked stunning as she posed up a storm with her partner Greg Lake (left) and a friend Stylish: Hollyoaks star Sophie Porley put on a busty display in a blue low-cut dress, embellished with white polka dots They have continued to spend time together after the show to the extent that Stanley earned himself a recent cameo on Made In Chelsea. 'We spend so much time together,' Georgia recently told Business Insider, 'that when the cameras are rolling, it's just as though they're not there. It's so funny.' Georgia herself has a keen interest in politics, having previously studied at Westminster University. Opulent: The star-studded event marked the launch of Paradigm - a new luxury rooftop bar based in the glamorous marina Puerto Portals. The bar is owned by Sintillate founder Gary Sewell (pictured with his wife Jessica above) The star has said that she thinks some people 'laugh' at her interest in politics 'because reality television doesn't go hand-in-hand with it' or her 'blonde hair', or that she goes out 'quite a lot'. She added: 'Maybe that is the way forward - embracing people that might not have an interest.' She went on to tell Business Insider: 'I don't like [the fact] that politics is associated with middle-aged, greying men. I'm a young blonde woman who's 23 and I can be as interested in politics as the next person.' Kensington Palace announced Kate Middleton had been admitted to hospital in the early stages of labour on Monday. And Holly Willoughby said she was 'filled with jealously' as she discussed the news of the royal baby's imminent arrival on This Morning. The broody television host, 37, could hard contain her excitement following the news, later reading the auto-cue wrong with Phillip Schofield joking they needed help to 'stay afloat'. Scroll down for video Broody: Holly Willoughby said she was 'filled with jealously' as she discussed the news of the royal baby's imminent arrival on This Morning As they kick-started the show, Holly exclaimed: 'It's St George's Day! What a better way to celebrate than with a royal baby. 'Whenever I hear someone is in labour, I get filled with jealousy. 'It's the most magical moment when you hold that baby for the first time. It's her third one, she knows what she's doing, hopefully she enjoys it in a weird way.' Exciting: Kensington Palace announced Kate Middleton had been admitted to hospital in the early stages of labour on Monday Giddy: The broody television host, 37, could hard contain her excitement following the news, later reading the auto-cue wrong with Phillip Schofield joking they needed help to 'stay afloat' Delighted: As they kick-started the show, Holly exclaimed: 'It's St George's Day! What a better way to celebrate than with a royal baby' Phillip then read out the formal statement from Kensington Palace, which said: 'Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London, earlier this morning in the early stages of labour. 'The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge.' The ITV duo cut into a 'psychic' banana in order to try to decipher the gender of what Kate's third child would be. The mother-of-three asked the fruit if it will be a boy, telling the audience if there was a dot it was a yes and a Y it would be a no. The pair appeared giddy as they cut into the banana to reveal a dot. Otherwordly: The ITV duo cut into a 'psychic' banana in order to try to decipher the gender of what Kate's third child would be Royal boy? Holly asked the fruit if it will be a boy, telling the audience if there was a 'dot' it was a yes and a 'Y' it would be a no - revealing a dot The baby prince or princess will be fifth in line to the throne, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's sixth great-grandchild and a younger brother or sister for Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Bookmakers will be waiting to see whether they have to pay out on the name, delivery date, hair colour and weight of the baby. Predicted names include Alice, Alexandra, Elizabeth, Mary and Victoria for a girl and Arthur, Albert, Frederick, James and Philip for a boy. Adding to their brood: Kate and Prince William will welcome their third child to their family (pictured last month at the Commonwealth Games) Imminent arrival: The baby prince or princess will be fifth in line to the throne, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's sixth great-grandchild Later on in the show, the pair erupted into fits of giggles after Holly read the auto-cue wrong when doing a segment about businesses staying afloat. Mortified, she said: 'I said that completely wrong! I'll do it again.' To which Phillip joked: 'Can you help us stay afloat?' Meanwhile, Holly's blue and white striped dress received a mixed response from viewers. Uploading her daily Instagram post of her outfit ahead of the show, the star slipped her figure into the knee-length dress which featured an a-symmetric hemline. One fan wrote: 'Not loving the dress Holly sorry', while another added: 'Holly you're a beautiful woman but the dress doesn't do much for you too frumpy'. Another said: 'Holly you look beautiful as usual but that dress is awful.' However, others seemed a fan of her latest ensemble, with one writing: 'I love the dress', while another described the look as 'stunning'. She jetted off to Spain for a relaxing getaway following her arrest for witness intimidation earlier this month. And Danniella Westbrook appeared to take her mind off the incident as she enjoyed an intense al fresco workout in Tenerife, Spain on Sunday afternoon. The former EastEnders star, 44, was clearly impressed with her efforts as she flashed her midsection during her exercise session. Feeling fit: Danniella Westbrook appeared to take her mind off her recent arrest as she enjoyed an intense al fresco workout in Tenerife, Spain on Sunday afternoon Showcasing her sporty side, the Celebrity Big Brother star tied in her gym attire with a pair of skimpy shorts and box-fresh trainers. The former Hollyoaks star ensured nothing got in the way of her workout as she swept her blonde hair away from her face and went make-up free. Danniella was spotted performing a series of gruelling exercises, including sit-ups and planks - which strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles. Going for it: The Celebrity Big Brother star was spotted performing a series of gruelling exercises, including sit-ups and planks - which strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles. The former soap star's workout shortly follows her release on bail on last week after she was pictured leaving the station wearing a standard police tracksuit. Hertfordshire Constabulary has since confirmed Danniella's release from custody. A police spokesperson told MailOnline: 'A 44-year-old woman, who was arrested by Hertfordshire Constabulary at a location in Essex at 2.05pm on Tuesday, April 10 in relation to allegations of malicious communications and witness intimidation, was released on bail yesterday (Wednesday, April 11) until May 6 pending further investigation.' Working up a sweat: The former Hollyoaks actress ensured nothing got in the way of her workout as she swept her blonde hair away from her face and went make-up free It was confirmed that the troubled star was wanted for questioning by police over claims of 'intimidation and malicious communication' after reportedly taking 10,000 from a former friend. Now magazine previously claimed the actress was rendered homeless after being unable to afford a rental property on her own. 'Danniella's been forced out of her home. She was staying with a friend, but the rental home came to an end and now she can't afford to rent by herself,' a source told the publication. 'She's told friends she's totally broke and is now back on benefits. If she is to get a place, she'll have to get housing benefits.' With no fewer than four additional Avatar films in the pipeline, one could be forgiven for thinking James Cameron is an advocate for effects laden, plot-driven cinema. But the celebrated director has surprisingly condemned their easy escapism by targeting the increasingly popular superhero franchise, a genre currently dominated by Marvel and their rapidly developing universe of comic-book to big-screen characters. Speaking to Indie Wire as Marvel's latest offering, Avengers: Infinity War, prepares for release in the United States, Cameron, 63, admitted he's keen to see a declining appetite for such films. Not happy: James Cameron has surprisingly condemned the increasingly popular superhero franchise, a genre currently dominated by Marvel and their rapidly developing universe 'Im hoping well start getting Avenger fatigue here pretty soon,' he said. 'Not that I don't love the movies. Its just, come on guys, there are other stories to tell besides hypergonadal males without families doing death-defying things for two hours and wrecking cities in the process. Its like, oi!' Cameron plans to release the first of four Avatar sequels in 2020, 11-years after his groundbreaking science-fiction saga entertained cinema-goers. But he is quick to assert that the film and its likely follow-ups, set in the 22nd century on fictional planet Pandora, has more in common with classic American cinema. Stop now: Speaking as Marvel's latest offering, Avengers: Infinity War, prepares for release in the United States, Cameron, 63, admitted he's keen to see a declining appetite for such films Epic: With no fewer than four additional Avatar films in the pipeline, one could be forgiven for thinking James Cameron is an advocate for effects laden, plot-driven cinema He said: 'Ive found myself as a father of five starting to think about what would an Avatar story be like if it was a family drama. What if it was The Godfather? 'Its a generational family saga. Thats very different than the first film. Theres still the same setting and the same respect for the shock of the new. 'We still want to show you things that you havent even seen or imagined, but the story is very different. 'Its a continuation of the same characters but what happens when warriors who are willing to go on suicide charges and leap off cliffs, what happens when they grow up and have their own kids?' A cut above: Cameron has been quick to assert that Avatar and its likely follow-ups, set in the 22nd century on fictional planet Pandora, has more in common with classic American cinema Despite his perceived criticism of Marvel films, studio head Kevin Feige expressed his delight that Cameron - whose canon of films also includes The Abyss, Terminator and Titanic - also said he loved them. 'Uh, he loves the movies!' he told Vulture. 'Thats awesome! Wow, James Cameron loves our movies! Thats exciting!' The Avengers: Infinity War is released in the United Kingdom on April 26 and the United States on April 27 2018. She spent the day filming her new advertisement for beverage company Mount Franklin this Monday. And behind the scenes, Jennifer Hawkins, 34, couldn't help but squeeze in some quality time with an adorable pooch who also featured in the upcoming advertisement. Taking to Instagram, the former Miss Universe looked stunning as she cuddled an adorable little pug behind the scenes of the shoot. 'This little cutie': Jennifer Hawkins displayed her award-winning beauty as she cuddled pug while shooting for stunning TV advert on Tuesday 'Loved shooting this TV commercial with @mountfranklin .. especially because of this little cutie!! #melt,' she captioned the cute snap. With the help from make-up artists on set, the Australia's Next Top model host enhanced her God given beauty thanks to deftly touches of light make-up. The starlet had her golden locks styled in a loosely-tousled way, with her fringe swept from her face to display her facial features. Stunning looks: Jennifer won the Miss Universe beauty pageant in 2004, later going on to become one of Australia's most successful models and brand ambassadors Competition: Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by the Miss Universe Organization, and was formed 65 years ago in 1952 As a beauty queen with stunning features and an incredible figure, it is little wonder that Jennifer has courted the attention of 878,000 followers. 'I love everything about this pic,' gushed one fan in the comments section. 'A couple of cuties there,' cooed another. Incredible: As a beauty queen with stunning features and a fabulous figure, it is little wonder that Jennifer has courted the attention of 878,000 followers Jen and her husband of five years, Jake Wall, have a dog of their own- a Staffordshire terrier named Milly. And while they certainly dote on their dog, the stunner recently said she and her beau would 'love' to expand their family to include children. 'We would definitely love to have a family, the timing though is something you have to keep between your husband and yourself, it's important to keep that private,'she told BW Magazine. One is an iconic former Olympic swimmer, while the other comes from America's favourite reality TV family. But this weekend, Stephanie Rice and Khloe Kardahsian joined forces to collaborate on an exciting project in Los Angels. According to the Daily Telegraph, 29-year-old gold medalist Stephanie is collaborating with Khloe's Good American denim line. Flying high! Stephanie Rice flew to Los Angeles over the weekend to work with Khloe Kardashian's Good American denim line It's still unclear exactly as to the specific nature of Stephanie's involvement wit hthe brand, but there's a chance she could be joining the 'Good Squad,' which is the name given to the influencers and celebrities that work as Good American ambassadors. The Good Squad includes Australia's Emily Sears and New Zealand's Gemma Lee Farrell. On Friday, Stephanie shared a photo of herself on Instagram posing next to an American flag in San Francisco, along with a gushing caption. She means business! Khloe's Good American line launched in 2016 and quickly raked in millions of dollars 'I have been asked to come over for an insanely exciting campaign is beyond incredible,' she wrote. 'Just one of the many ways that the Universe delivers... Im truly blessed.' After arriving in Los Angeles, the brunette beauty shared another sweet post to social media. Squad goals! It's still unclear exactly what Stephanie's involvement in the brand is, but there's a chance she could be joining the 'Good Squad,' which is the name given to the influencers and celebrities that work as Good American ambassadors 'Yayyyy so excited to be back in L.A.' she gushed. 'Im currently super jet-lagged ... So for the next 24hours I plan on sleeping, hydrating A LOT, moving my body in the fresh air & morning sunlight and getting a bit of a sweat on,' she continued. The athlete also added that she was planning to sell her car while in the country. Richard Gere has tied the knot for the third time. The Pretty Woman actor, 68, has married his girlfriend Alejandra Silva, 35, in a low-key secret civil ceremony earlier this month, according to Spain's HELLO! magazine. Richard and Alejandra are planning to celebrate their nuptials with a family party at their New York home on May 6. Wedding bells: Richard Gere, 68, has married his girlfriend Alejandra Silva, 35, in a low-key secret civil ceremony earlier this month, according to Spain's HELLO! magazine The couple have been dating for three years and it was recently reported the wedding would be taking place early next month. Speaking to HOLA! about his marriage, Richard said: 'I have found the quiet and happy life that I have always sought.' Alejandra told the publication the couple are planning to start a family in the future. It marks the third wedding for Hollywood icon Gere, who was wed to supermodel Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995. Family celebrations: Richard and Alejandra are planning to celebrate their nuptials with a family party at their New York home on May 6 He was also married to model Carey Lowell from 2002 until 2016, with whom he shares son Homer, 17. It will be the second wedding for Alejandra, who was in the midst of her divorce from Govind Friedland, the son of American mining magnate Robert Friedland, when she met Gere. The blonde raises Albert, five, with her ex-husband. Rumors of an engagement were first sparked in December when Silva was seen with a large diamond on her ring finger. The pair made their first official appearance as a couple at the premiere of Richard's filming Time Out of Mind in 2015. Third trip down the aisle: It marks the third wedding for Hollywood icon Gere, who was famously wed to supermodel Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995 They initially had a long-distance romance, splitting their time between America and Alejandra's native Spain, but now reside together in New York. Alejandra previously revealed she and the actor, who is Buddhist, believe karma brought them together. The couple first met when Alejandra was a 'little girl' and the actor borrowed a boat from her businessman father, Ignacio Silva. They then reconnected in 2014 in Positasno, Italy, where she was running a luxury hotel. She recalled: 'Richard has known my family for 15 years. When I saw him again in Positano, I reminded him of the story. Happy couple: Rumors of an engagement were first sparked in December when Silva was seen with a large diamond on her ring finger 'Our karma brought us together as soon as we saw each other because we've known each other over the course of many lives - that's how we both feel anyway.' When quizzed about the possibility of marriage on a red carpet in June last year, however, she said: I am recently divorced. As far as a legal wedding, no, but maybe well have a celebration. You know, the perfect couple is made of two people who can be what the other needs. Im living the type of life you see in the movies, truly.' Gere and Alejandra both share a passion for travel and humanitarian work. His outspoken ways have not always been well received by Hollywood, especially in relation to his efforts against Chinas occupation of Tibet. She's a reality star and devoted mother of two currently lighting up screens in TV sensation The Mummy Diaries. And Billie Faiers has opened up her young daughter Nelly's rise to fame on the show, her desire to have more children and her upcoming wedding in an exclusive interview with MailOnline ahead of her hosting stint at the Frankie & Bennys Parents Win Awards. The former TOWIE star, 28, who shares Nelly, three, and Arthur, one, with fiance Greg Shepherd, said she was blown away by the fan response to her firstborn's hilarious antics on the show. Starry eyed: Billie Faiers has opened up her young daughter Nelly's rise to fame on The Mummy Diaries and her desire to have more children in an exclusive interview with MailOnline ahead of her hosting stint at the Frankie & Bennys Parents Win Awards Happy family: The former TOWIE star, 28, who shares Nelly, three, and Arthur, one, with fiance Greg Shepherd, said she was blown away by the fan response to her firstborn's hilarious antics on the show. She said: 'Im so flattered, it is crazy, all of my tweets, comments, Id say 99 per cent are them are about Nelly which is amazing. People love her. She has got a character, anyone that meets her says shes been here before. 'She is like a little old girl, the things she comes out with, even I think, how does she know that word. And the blonde beauty revealed that Nelly has become a famous face in her own right since the hit show began airing with the Shepherd clan on board, saying: When weve been out most of the time people say, oh I seen Nelly and then I realised it was you!. 'People recognise Nelly before me. They say "theres Nelly from The Mummy Diaries. Shes always very friendly and polite, shes not shy. Im really proud of her, shes just so funny, she makes me laugh.' Sassy: Billie revealed that Nelly has become a famous face in her own right since the hit show began airing with the Shepherd clan on board, saying: People recognise Nelly before me!' Billie said the precocious youngster also loves to watch herself on-screen, but not when she has a tantrum. She said: 'Last series when she had a tantrum she didnt want to watch, so shell be like oh no I dont want to watch that. And I say thats what you look like when you pull that silly screaming face The proud mum continued: 'I would never push her to do something she wasnt comfortable with doing. Its so natural with filming, shes just being her.' Billie also revealed she is open to the idea of expanding her family after sister Sam welcomed baby Rosie in November, but admitted that Greg needs a bit of convincing. Multi-tasking mum: Billie said the precocious youngster also loves to watch herself on-screen, but not when she has a tantrum She said: 'I would like to have more children. Gregs a bit like "no I think twos enough", hes happy with two, and I say, no, when theyre at school. 'I love the baby age, Rosie now is at such a lovely age. I always say when were married, I would definitely consider having more.' This year series of The Mummy Diaries has seen Billie's nephew Baby Paul hit the 'terrible twos' with Billie saying she has offered advice to sister Sam on dealing with tantrums. She said: 'They all go through it at different ages and Nelly still very much has her moments, we laugh because the cameras are with us all the time. 'I just think you have to ride it out, its so hard, Ive been there with Nelly myself, and sometimes you do feel like youre banging your head against a brick wall. Its frustration because they cant always tell you what they want and they get angry and have a tantrum. I try to distract with something straight away Growing brood? Billie also revealed she is open to the idea of expanding her family after sister Sam welcomed baby Rosie in November, but admitted that Greg needs a bit of convincing Wedding bells: Aside from motherhood, The Mummy Diaries is also following Billie and Greg's wedding plans , with the star expressing her wish for the pair to wed next Spring, having become engaged in 2014 The star also revealed that when Nelly had a tantrum during a family meal, she became frustrated when members of the public began filming the family. . She said: 'Nelly started kicking off and people were filming on their phones. I was so embarrassed and I was getting really angry with people for getting their phones out and I was saying what are these people doing?! You cant avoid it, I try and distract her or be really calm and just say ok! and then all of a sudden she changes, it calms her down and she starts listening.' Aside from motherhood, The Mummy Diaries is also following Billie and Greg's wedding plans, with the star expressing her wish for the pair to wed next Spring, having become engaged in 2014. Will they be next? Billie also believes there are wedding bells in the not-too-distant future for sister Sam, 27 and boyfriend Paul Knightley (above) She also seemed to confirm she had bought her wedding dress by posting a fun snap of Sam and mum Suzanne in a bridal shop. She said: 'We havent decided where exactly were having it yet, we have a few options. And once we decide thats it, itll be all systems go, Greg is full swing planning of the stag dos, Ive started planning my hen do 'Id like to go to Ibiza with all the girls, my mum, Gregs mum, you have fun anywhere when youre with all your friends.' Billie also believes there are wedding bells in the not-too-distant future for sister Sam, 27 and boyfriend Paul Knightley. Sisterly support: This year series of The Mummy Diaries has seen Billie's nephew Baby Paul hit the 'terrible twos' with Billie saying she has offered advice to sister Sam on dealing with tantrums 'I think they will definitely get married someday for sure,' she said, 'I wouldnt even ask him because thats up to him to decide where and when, it will a million per cent happen.' Last week's episode of the show saw Billie and Greg have a minor dispute over their wedding, with Greg planning a monumental three stag dos. Revealing the couple had resolved their row, she said: 'The wedding conversation was always a bit frosty. We had to air out opinions of it and one of my issues was when we got back from the Maldives , we were on a high and saying wed love to get married there. 'We thought wed found the location and all he was doing was ringing up his mates and talking about his stag do 'I was like "woah hold on a minute, we havent even booked the wedding and thats all I hear you talking about" Look of love: Greg has three stag dos planned which Billie made her opinions clear on 'Three stag dos is a lot, he does milk everything. I was being a bit stroppy. Weve definitely sorted things out, hes still going to have three stag dos though!' The beauty also spoke about the blossoming bromance between the sisters' partners Greg and Big Paul, with a comical scene showing them dressed in disguise to spy on their partners' stepdad on a date. She said the pair had formed a close friendship off the show, even though their personalities were as different as 'chalk and cheese.' She said: 'They do get on and hang out, you see their bond on the show and its really quite funny because they are like chalk and cheese, theyre completely different people, they do really get on 'I think Paul finds Greg really funny. Greg can be a little bit mad, hes always doing this, doing that and Paul just finds him hilarious. They do get on really well which is so nice for Samantha and I.' Bridal shopping? She also seemed to confirm she had bought her wedding dress by posting a fun snap of Sam and mum Suzanne in a bridal shop Cute family: Billie's sister Sam raises baby Paul, two and daughter Rosie, five months with partner Paul Knightley 'The reaction from everyone has been amazing to the show, were so over the moon, we couldnt have asked for a better reaction from everyone. We were a little bit apprehensive to what people were going to say. When it comes to parenting, people can be very judgmental. 'So its always something we have to consider. Were quite good at letting things go over our heads. The feedback has been amazing so were really over the moon. Billie also gave her opinion of Big Paul's mother Gaynor, who has divided fan opinion on the show, particularly in one scene where Gaynor refused to partake in a baby gender ritual because it went against her beliefs. Billie said: 'Shes lovely we get on really well, my mum gets on really well with her. Sometimes when you watch things on the show, people might take it in the wrong way or think theres bad things but we all get on really well.' Fan favourite; On the positive response to the show, Bille said; 'The reaction from everyone has been amazing to the show, were so over the moon, we couldnt have asked for a better reaction from everyone' As well as her reality career, the stunning star is known for her toned physique and effortless fashion sense, and Billie revealed that her active lifestyle as a mother is key to keeping in shape. Billie said: 'Ive literally this week joined the gym. Im always on the go. I drink lots of water. I eat healthily I love cooking, I cook home cooked dinenrs. Im just so busy. I get up at six and I dont sit down until I get into bed. 'Im very active with the kids, we go for walks, we go to the park and sometimes I try and do a few squats or sit-ups indoors. Sometimes I get Nelly to help me, not do it but get involved and the kids get involved as well.' Toned: As well as her reality career, the stunning star is known for her toned physique and effortless fashion sense, and Billie revealed that her active lifestyle as a mother is key to keeping in shape Billie will turn her hand from reality TV to presenting on April 25, when she joins Peter Andre to co-host the Frankie & Bennys Parents Win Awards, which celebrates the funny, ingenious hacks parents come up with during childcare which make their lives easier. The star said: 'I'm so excited, obviously being a busy mum of two, I'm always juggling, I'm always thinking of different hacks so I'm encouraging parents to let us know their hacks. 'There's a chance of winning an award and a holiday to DisneyWorld which will be amazing for whoever wins it. Im really looking forward to it.' She recently gushed her pal Meghan Markle would be a 'princess for the people'. And Priyanka Chopra cut a chic figure as she stepped out in London on Saturday, amid rumours the actress arrived in the capital to be fitted for her dress ahead of the Royal Wedding. The 35-year-old has remained coy over whether she will be serve as one the Suit star's bridesmaids, but her short trip to the U.K. has mounted speculation she will help her friend walk down the aisle. Bridesmaid? Priyanka Chopra cut a chic figure as she stepped out in London on Saturday, amid rumours the actress arrived in the capital to be fitted for her dress ahead of the Royal Wedding Heading out of the swanky Bulgari hotel, Priyanka looked a vision of beauty as she slipped her incredible figure into a pale pink suit and sophisticated white blouse. The Quantico star paired the look with patent nude boots and donned a pair of orange-tinted sunglasses. She styled her raven locks in loose waves and accentuated her glowing complexion with a sultry smoky eyeshadow, blush-swept cheeks and a slick of red lipstick. The 35-year-old has remained coy over whether she will be serve as one the Suit star's bridesmaids, despite much speculation she will help her friend walk down the aisle Priyanka looked a vision of beauty as she slipped her incredible figure into a pale pink suit and sophisticated white blouse It comes after the Indian star hailed best friend Meghan as a 'free spirit' and 'princess for the people'. She made the comments as the royal bride-to-be and Prince Harry are among those honoured on Time's list of 100 Most Influential People in 2018. Writing in the US magazine, Priyanka declared the former Suits star has 'found her prince' and 'made a cynical world believe in fairy tales again.' The Bollywood icon added 'what you see is real', describing Meghan as a 'relatable young woman' the 'world can be inspired by'. Priyanka looked a vision of beauty as she slipped her incredible figure into a pale pink suit and sophisticated white blouse She finished with an address to Ms Markle, saying: 'Love always, my friend. Live happily ever after.' Priyanka and Meghan became close friends after meeting at a Women in Television event back in 2016. However, the star has remained tight-lipped over whether she is on the guest-list. 'If you see me there, you'll know,' Chopra told Harper's Bazaar Arabia after being quizzed if she will be one of Meghan's bridesmaids. Heading out of the Bulgari hotel, the Quantico star paired the look with patent nude boots and toted a nude bag Meghan and Prince Harry will wed at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, next month. Her bridesmaids could also include the likes of stylist Jessica Mulroney, Millie Mackintosh and the daughter-in-law of Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Serena Williams is also thought to be in the running, herself having married Reddit's Alexis Ohanian in 2017. She parades phenomenal figure as an Australian model. But Bridget Malcolm has divulged her torment from cruel online trolls who 'body-shamed' the beauty at her 'healthiest' weight in an honest Instagram on Monday. Victoria's Secret model, 26, proudly shared a slew of underwear snaps showcasing her curvier physique as well as her more trim frame. 'I have been shamed at my healthiest': Victoria's Secret model Bridget Malcolm documented her body-shaming battle as trolls branded her 'fat' 'Today on the blog I tackle body shaming. I have been shamed at my smallest (photo 3) and shamed at my healthiest (photos 1 and 2),' she penned in the Instagram post. 'Body shaming is never OK, whatever the size of the person. It achieves nothing if the person is sick like I was. Your comments of eat a burger, or fat sting, and cause far more damage than good.' Bridget hit back at the cruel trolls as she claimed they were 'cowardly' for hurling abuse at others while encouraging her fans to love their bodies. Revealed: Victoria's Secret model, 26, proudly shared a slew of underwear snaps showcasing her curvier physique as well as her more trim frame 'If you feel the need to body shame a stranger behind the shield of your phone, you are a coward, who needs to take a good look at why you act the way you do. 'We are so much more than our bodies. So make the decision to love yours today and send love and support to those who may be struggling. Never send hate.' The stunning blonde model has as many as 315,000 followers on social media. Moving on: Bridget hit back at the cruel trolls as she claimed they were 'cowardly' for hurling abuse at others while encouraging her fans to love their bodies She previously told how her disordered eating affected her health and marriage to husband Nathaniel Hoho. The Victoria's Secret model revealed that she went through a particularly tough time between 2014 and 2017. Bridget previously penned on social media: 'I lost loads of weight, along with my period, my digestion and nearly my relationship.' She is expecting her second son in a matter of weeks. And a heavily pregnant Candice Swanepoel looked radiant as she stepped out with son Anaca in Brazil on Monday. The Victoria's Secret Angel, 29, showcased her huge baby bump in a chic white lace dress as she enjoyed some quality time with her firstborn in the sun. Mum of two to be: A heavily pregnant Candice Swanepoel looked radiant as she stepped out with son Anaca in Brazil on Monday The stylish dress hugged the supermodel's blossoming stomach as she walked along, while revealing her toned pins. The blonde beauty forwent the heels in favour of a pair of simple tan flip-flops. Her newly brunette tresses were styled sleek and straight while her pretty features were enhanced with a radiant dusting of make-up. The Vogue coverstar shielded her eyes with a pair of reflective cat-eye shades. Glowing: The Victoria's Secret Angel, 29, showcased her huge baby bump in a chic white lace dress as she enjoyed some quality time with her firstborn in the sun Devoted mum: Candice looked every inch the model mother as her toddler son hugged her Bumping along: A heavily pregnant Candice Swanepoel looked radiant as she stepped out for lunch in Brazil on Monday Earlier in the day the star donned a chic navy blue shift dress with floral panelling across the neckline for a lunch date.. Candice has dated Brazilian model Hermann Nicoli since 2005, having reportedly met him in Paris when she was just 17 years old. They became engaged in August 2015 but have yet to announce wedding plans. They welcomed their first son Anaca in October 2016, with Candice first publicising her second pregnancy with a December Instagram snap of herself cradling her bump with the caption, 'Christmas came early.. #2'. Candice revealed in an interview with PEOPLE that firstborn Anaca, is a breeze. Proud: Candice revealed her baby bump in an eye-popping Instagram post 'He's been so sweet and been so good. Everybody is like, "You're so blessed with a good baby,' Candice said, but she fears that her second child might be a little different. 'I feel like the next one will be a terror just to remind me.' The soon-to-be mother-of-two has also been public about her 'natural, no drugs' birthing process. 'I don't wanna put anyone off of having kids,' she said. 'I think society has made women afraid of giving [birth naturally], but it's totally doable if you prepare yourself in the right way.' It was speculated that she and Jake Ellis could be the couple who gets engaged on Bachelor in Paradise. But blonde beauty Megan Marx has thrown cold water over the rumours - saying she won't marry hunky beau, Jake Ellis. Speaking to Now to Love on Monday, Megan admitted she still held doubts about the handsome 31-year-old. Scroll down for video 'If Jake proposed, I would say no': Bachelor in Paradise star Megan Marx has made it clear that if her hunky beau Jake Ellis were to propose, she would promptly turn him down 'If Jake proposed, I would say no,' 29-year-old Megan said. She added: 'I'm not really into that [marriage], especially because I've been married before. The next time I do it, I want it to be forever.' Following the dramatic episode where Megan kissed Canadian intruder Thomas, Megan and beau Jake Ellis reconfirmed their feelings for one another. 'I've been married before. The next time I do it, I want it to be forever': Megan made her feelings about committing to Jake for the long-term clear Dandy in Paradise: Following the dramatic episode where Megan kissed Canadian intruder Thomas, Megan and beau Jake Ellis reconfirmed their feelings for one another Meanwhile, rumours have been swirling that Tara Pavlovic, 28, and Sam Cochrane, 31, are set to become engaged during the show's much-anticipated season finale. According to Woman's Day, Sam and Tara are completely besotted with each other and are adamant that marriage is the next step in their blossoming relationship 'They are in love and it's completely genuine. They didn't argue once in Paradise- it's as if they were destined to be together!' a Woman's Day insider reportedly said. Loved up: Meanwhile, rumours have been swirling that Tara Pavlovic, 28, and Sam Cochrane, 31, are set to become engaged during the show's much-anticipated season finale 'He told other boys they'd better not propose to anyone as he didn't want anything to ruin his and Tara's moment,' the source reportedly added. The publication also claimed that Sam has moved out of his Sydney bachelor pad and into Tara's apartment on the Gold Coast as they gear up to tie the knot. Meanwhile, Fellow golden couple Keira Maguire and Jarrod Woodgate have also been rumoured to become engaged during the grand finale. The pair have been spotted kissing passionately since filming wrapped up last year, but have so far remained mum on whether they are set to tie the knot. She's been keeping herself busy as she recently visited Rome to film a commercial. And Cindy Crawford adhered to her jet-setting lifestyle as she was spotted at London's Heathrow Airport on Monday afternoon. The supermodel, 52, stepped out for the first time since it was revealed her former husband Richard Gere secretly tied the knot to his girlfriend Alejandra Silva in a secret civil ceremony earlier this month. Busy bee: Cindy Crawford adhered to her jet-setting lifestyle as she was spotted at London's Heathrow Airport on Monday afternoon Touchdown! Cindy looked fresh as a daisy as she landed in Los Angeles hours later Showcasing her off-duty glamour, the catwalk queen donned a trendy biker jacket, a white tee and a pair of form-fitting jeans. The Simian Line star framed her face with oversized sunglasses, and opted for minimal make-up. Cindy ensured she kept comfy in a pair of pointed flat shoes as she lugged her possessions across the terminal. Exciting: The supermodel, 52, stepped out for the first time since it was revealed her former husband Richard Gere secretly tied the knot to his girlfriend Alejandra Silva in a secret civil ceremony earlier this month (pictured March 2017) Cindy's appearance comes just hours after it was revealed that her former husband Richard, 62, is planning to celebrate his nuptials with a family party at their New York home on May 6, according to Spain's HELLO! magazine. It marks the third wedding for the Hollywood icon, who was wed to supermodel Cindy from 1991 to 1995. Richard and Alejandra have been dating for three years and it was recently reported the wedding would be taking place early next month. Third trip down the aisle: It marks the third wedding for Hollywood icon Gere, who was famously wed to Cindy from 1991 to 1995 Happy couple: Rumors of an engagement were first sparked in December when Silva was seen with a large diamond on her ring finger Speaking to HOLA! about his marriage, Richard said: 'I have found the quiet and happy life that I have always sought.' Alejandra, 35, told the publication the couple are planning to start a family in the future. He was also married to model Carey Lowell from 2002 until 2016, with whom he shares son Homer, 17. It will be the second wedding for Alejandra, who was in the midst of her divorce from Govind Friedland, the son of American mining magnate Robert Friedland, when she met Gere. The blonde raises Albert, five, with her ex-husband. Rumors of an engagement were first sparked in December when Silva was seen with a large diamond on her ring finger. Cindy married businessman Rande Gerber in 1998 and the pair share two children - IMG model Kaia, 16, and son Presley, 18. She's into her sixth decade. But Halle Berry looks as fabulous at 51 as she did as a youthful Bond girl, showing off her long, lean legs in a pale blue pinstripe tuxedo dress on Monday. The best actress Oscar-winner was pictured as she arrived at the Matrix Awards in New York. Looking fab at 51! Halle Berry looks fabulous as she flaunts her legs in a blue tuxedo dress to be honored at the Matrix Awards in New York, Monday Honored: Halle received an award at the industry event She is being honored at the industry event, which is held by the New York Women in Communications non-profit, a networking organization for women in communications. Halle is one of seven women to be honored at the annual event, which this year will be hosted by the Today Show's Savannah Guthrie. The celebration comes as it was announced that Halle is to star in a remake of Jagged Edge. A-list arrival: Halle is one of seven women to be honored at the annual event, which this year will be hosted by the Today Show's Savannah Guthrie Star turn: She is being honored at the industry event, which is held by the New York Women in Communications non-profit, a networking organization for women in communications She will take on the leading role in the courtroom thriller, which is a remake of the 1985 movie starring Glenn Close and Jeff Bridges. Producers Matti Leshem and Doug Belgrad are in the early stages of developing the project for Sony Pictures, according to Deadline. In the original movie, Bridges' character, a wealthy publisher, was accused of brutally murdering his wife at their remote beach house. He hired Close's lawyer character to defend him and the pair embarked on a passionate affair. Speaking out: The actress took to the podium at the high-profile luncheon Robert Loggia was nominated for an Oscar for his role as a private detective in the movie. Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that Hale is 'livid' with her former manager, who has been accused of sexual abuse. The actress said she was 'saddened' at first by allegations against her ex-manager Vincent Cirrincione and is now angry that he used his previous professional relationship with her 'to lure and manipulate innocent women'. She wrote on Instagram: 'Yesterday I was saddened by the alligations against my former manager, Vincent Cirrincione, but today I'm sick after reading the horrifying detailed accounts of his abuse towards 9 women. Red carpet: The event's guests included Megan Twohey, Emily Steel, Jodi Kantor, Dia Simms, Mika Brzezinski, Betsy Kenny Lack, Michael I. Roth, Halle, Shelley Zalis, Kim Kelleher, Alexandra Trower, Savannah Guthrie and Meredith Long Pinstriped suit: Halle hit the right note in her grey pinstriped dress that showed her toned legs Cute smile: The actress flashed her cute smile upon arrival at the Sheraton NY Times Square Hotel Natural beauty: Halle showed off her flawless complexion with just a hint of makeup 'I'm livid that he used me, and the role model he helped me become, to lure and manipulate innocent, vulnerable women of color for his predatory actions. I'm deeply hurt and I want these woman and countless others to know I see you. I hear you. You matter. I will fight for you.' Nine minority women have accused the Hollywood manager of sexual harassment and claim he made unwanted sexual advances toward them over a period of two decades. However, he denied any wrongdoing in a statement to the Washington Post, claiming that all relationships were consensual. Fitting right in: Halle stood alongside the business men and women Top of their class: Halle sits front row alongside the other guests He said: 'We live in a time where men are being confronted with a very real opportunity to take responsibility for their actions. I support this movement wholeheartedly. I have had female clients and employees my entire career in this industry. I have built a reputation for advancing the careers of women of colour. I have had affairs while in committed relationships, ones I am now ashamed to say are coming to light and shading my past and my reputation. I can say without a doubt that I have never used favours, sexual or otherwise, as a reason for managing anyone. I want to make it clear that not one of those relationships were anything but consensual. 'I take responsibility for my part in the situation and I am not here to diminish anyone's feelings or experiences. I apologise to these women, my past and present partner, my clients and employees for the pain this is bringing them. I was under the impression I was living my life as a supportive man to women. It is with a heavy heart that I see now I was wrong.' Gigi Hadid celebrated her 'lucky, golden' 23rd birthday in Manhattan on Monday surrounded by family. On Instagram, the IMG Model gave a 'shout-out' to her 'mamma' Yolanda with childhood snaps, and she Insta-storied pictures of her Malibu High School volleyball team jersey emblazoned with the number. 'As we close in on midnight,' the half-Jordanian, half-Dutch beauty announced to her 52.8M social media followers, 'I would like to share that my final meal as a 22 year old will officially be Cocoa Krispies. Thank you for your attention.' Scroll down for video Birthday girl! Gigi Hadid (L) celebrated her 'lucky, golden' 23rd birthday in Manhattan on Monday surrounded by family (pictured Sunday) This came after Gigi (born Jelena) dined at Soho House Sunday with her sister Bella, father Mohamed, and half-sister Alana. Hadid's 21-year-old sibling gushed on Insta-story: 'Best friends since the first time we met. Tomorrow is my favorite day ever because it was the day you were born. I love you!' The 5ft 10in catwalker's 18-year-old brother Anwar wrote on Instagram: 'Happy bday fifito, I love u dearly and am so proud of the person you are! 23 golden year can u dig it the best has yet to come!' '23!' On Instagram, the IMG Model gave a 'shout-out' to her 'mamma' Yolanda with childhood snaps, and she Insta-storied pictures of her Malibu High School volleyball team jersey emblazoned with the number The half-Jordanian, half-Dutch beauty announced: 'As we close in on midnight, I would like to share that my final meal as a 22 year old will officially be Cocoa Krispies' Reunited: This came after Gigi (born Jelena) dined at Soho House Sunday with (from L-R) her sister Bella, father Mohamed, and half-sister Alana The Reebok brand ambassador's mother Yolanda - best known for The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills - thanked her for 'being the first person to teach me the true meaning of unconditional love.' 'I am so proud of the extraordinary young woman you've become and your ability to show love, compassion, and kindness to all that crosses your path in life,' the 54-year-old former Ford model gushed. 'Thank you for choosing me to be your mommy, I am honored and cherish everyday we travel this journey together. The good times, the bad and everything in between always and forever... I pray that each day, love, health, and happiness will come your way!' Sister love: Gigi's 21-year-old sibling gushed on Insta-story: 'Best friends since the first time we met. Tomorrow is my favorite day ever because it was the day you were born. I love you!' Her 18-year-old brother Anwar wrote on Instagram: 'Happy bday fifito, I love u dearly and am so proud of the person you are! 23 golden year can u dig it the best has yet to come!' 'I am so proud!' Her mother Yolanda - best known for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills - thanked her for 'being the first person to teach me the true meaning of unconditional love' Gigi's 69-year-old real estate millionaire father flew to New York to help her celebrate, writing: 'She is 23 on her 23 The Golden Girl. The sunshine girl. Gigi hadid. Love of our life' Gigi's 69-year-old real estate millionaire father flew to New York to help her celebrate, writing: 'She is 23 on her 23 The Golden Girl. The sunshine girl. Gigi hadid. Love of our life.' Her modeling gal pal, Keeping Up With The Kardashians star Kendall Jenner, wrote that she 'loves kissing those cheeks' and ordered her to 'come to me so we can eat bagels.' Her 6ft 2in colleague Karlie Kloss wrote that one of the most striking qualities about Gigi has always been her 'kind heart' and that her 'warmth and compassion lights up every room.' 'Miss you always!' Hadid's gal pal, Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kendall Jenner, wrote that she 'loves kissing those cheeks' and ordered her to 'come to me so we can eat bagels' 'May 23 be the best year yet!' Her 6ft2in colleague Karlie Kloss wrote that one of the most striking qualities about Gigi has always been her 'kind heart' and that her 'warmth and compassion lights up every room' Birthday love: Hadid's other modeling gal pal Hailey Baldwin also wished her a happy 'golden birffffday' with a b&w photo booth snap of the pair Designer Jeremy Scott paid tribute to his Moschino muse by writing: Happy birthday my darling, I love and adore you!' 'We hope you have a great day!' And designer Tommy Hilfiger - who's collaborated with Gigi on four collections - wrote that he 'can't wait to see what you do next' Hadid's other modeling gal pal Hailey Baldwin also wished her a happy 'golden birffffday' with a b&w photo booth snap of the pair. Designer Jeremy Scott paid tribute to his Moschino muse by writing: 'Happy birthday my darling, I love and adore you!' And designer Tommy Hilfiger - who's collaborated with Gigi on four collections - wrote that he 'can't wait to see what you do next.' 'Walk of shame'? There was not a peep publicly from Gigi's ex-boyfriend Zayn Malik, who was spotted leaving her apartment Thursday (L) wearing the same outfit he had on Wednesday (R) Met in 2014: The New School drop-out and the 25-year-old former 1D boybander previously announced their split on March 13, and his new single Let Me was inspired by their relationship However, there was not a peep publicly from Gigi's ex-boyfriend Zayn Malik, who was spotted doing the 'walk of shame' out of her apartment Thursday wearing the same outfit he had on Wednesday. The New School drop-out and the 25-year-old former 1D boybander previously announced their split on March 13, and his new single Let Me was inspired by their relationship. Passing the time of day; Yolanda shared a chat with the doorman as she left her apartment building in New York City on Monday Fashionista creds: The 54-year-old looked chic in a white trench coat that she wore over a white sweater, white cropped denim jeans and white sneakers Baby picture: Yolanda also shared a baby picture of Gigi from 'when mommy used to be your full time photographer and stylist' Career-wise, the McDonald's fast-food fan currently covers the June edition of Vogue Japan - hitting stands Thursday - shot by photography duo Luigi & Iango and styled by Julia von Boehm. Meanwhile, Gigi's mom Yolanda was spotted out on a coffee run in New York on Monday. The 54-year-old looked chic in a white trench coat that she wore over a white sweater, white cropped denim jeans and white sneakers. She smoothed her platinum blonde tresses back into a pony and carried a grey leather handbag, the only color in her ensemble. Pink party: Anwar was spotted leaving Gigi's apartment in a pink sweatshirt and pink-striped T-shirt Casual attire: The fashion model looked stylish in his pink and black outfit Red roses: A large bouquet of red roses was delivered to Gigi's apartment Special delivery: The flowers kept coming for the birthday girl Spelled out: A man carried a box of red and white roses with Gigi's name spelled out in crimson Chantelle Connelly has posted pictures of an ordeal she claims to be at the hands of scaffolder boyfriend Clark Crawford. The Geordie Shore star took to her Facebook in the early hours of Monday morning to accuse him of leaving her with 'cracked ribs', 'knocked teeth' and 'bald patches'. Chantelle, who rose to fame on Geordie Shore in 2016, published a public post showing what appeared to be a clump of her hair missing from her scalp. Accused: Chantelle Connelly took to Facebook on Monday to accuse her boyfriend, scaffolder Clark Crawford, of leaving her with 'cracked ribs', 'knocked teeth' and 'bald patches' She captioned the photograph: 'Clark Crawford thanks for the baldy patch the cracked ribs , knocked 2 veneers out ect !!! Your a keeper (sic),' followed by an open-mouthed and confused emoji. It is unknown whether Chantelle has reported the alleged attack to police but the post was still visible later in the day. Clark is yet to respond to the claims on social media and reality star Chantelle has not taken action to remove them. MailOnline has contacted Chantelle's representatives for comment. Accusations: In the public post, the reality star uploaded a photograph of herself with what appeared to be a clump of her hair missing While it is unclear whether Clark and Chantelle are still together, Clark's Facebook status still identifies him as 'in a relationship'. Chantelle was waking up in Malaga on Monday morning, where she is on holiday with TV personality Danniella Westbrook and her friend Ryan Mira. Bizarrely, just hours after making the serious accusations, the reality star uploaded a naked photograph of herself with her friend Ryan covering her private parts. She captioned the snap with: 'Only my gay bestie @rymi1 could get away with doing a pic like this with me [heart emojis] love you kida [kiss emoji].' It is unknown whether Chantelle has reported the alleged attack to the police or when it happened -hile it is unclear if they are still in a relationship It is believed that Chantelle is currently in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain, after posting on her Facebook she was heading to the holiday destination on Sunday. The brunette beauty shot to fame on Geordie Shore in 2016, joining the show for its 12th series alongside Marty McKenna. However, just a series later she appeared to cut ties with the show and stormed out of filming, while the cast were overseas, later hitting out at her co-stars for being 'snakes', after a mammoth fallout with Gaz Beadle, Chloe Ferry and Marty on camera. Speaking to MTV, Chantelle revealed: 'I left the show because I couldnt stand living with two-faced people any longer. 'I find the house very snakey. I feel like I was the only one in the house that was real. If I had something to say to someone, Id be the first to say it to their face. Holiday: Just hours after the post, the reality star took to her Instagram to upload a naked photograph of herself with her friend Ryan Mira covering her private parts 'Everyone else in that house seemed to have a problem doing that. It was all Chinese whispers instead of approaching us.' In July, Chantelle denied grievous bodily harm on 22-year-old Lauren Alexander after she became jealous about an ex-boyfriend, but was convicted by magistrates after a trial. Chairman of the Bench Leswyn McCallum ordered her to carry out a 12-month community order, 200 hours of unpaid work, pay 2,500 compensation to her victim, 620 court costs and an 85 surcharge. The victim suffered a cut to the mouth, which needed stitches, and fractured her wrist when she fell, the court heard. The Chairman of the Bench said: 'The victim suffered serious injury which required immediate and ongoing treatment as well as the continuing effect on her mental health.' Connelly insisted it was a case of mistaken identity and she was nowhere near the incident. He is a master of his craft and even became the first rapper to ever win a Pulitzer Prize last week. And despite his meteoric rise to success and fame, Kendrick Lamar is finding out that Rome wasn't built in a day. The 30-year-old rapper was spotted with his fiancee Whitney Alford as they toured the Colosseum in Rome, Italy on Monday. LOVE.: Kendrick Lamar was spotted with his fiancee Whitney Alford as they toured the Colosseum in Rome, Italy on Monday The talented rapper looked happy to check out the landmark with his high school sweetheart who he often refers to as his best friend. As there were many other tourists checking out the facility built from 70-80 AD - also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre - Kendrick made sure to keep a relatively low-profile by keeping his hood from his sweater up through the tour. The two joined by friends, family, and a bodyguard as they also visited the Roman Forums and had lunch in the neighborhood of Trastevere. ELEMENT.: The talented 30-year-old rapper looked happy to check out the landmark with his high school sweetheart who he often refers to as his best friend HUMBLE.: As there were many other tourists checking out the facility built from 70-80 AD - also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre - Kendrick made sure to keep a relatively low-profile by keeping his hood from his sweater up through the tour Kendrick is notoriously private about his personal life but it is no secret that he and Whitney are high school sweethearts. They have dated for more than a decade and she can often be seen at his side on the red carpet at awards galas. Back in 2015, he told Billboard magazine that he doesn't just consider her a girlfriend but more than that as he explained: 'I wouldn't even call her my girl. That's my best friend. 'I don't even like the term that society has put in the world as far as being a companion she's somebody I can tell my fears to.' FEEL.: Kendrick is notoriously private about his personal life but it is no secret that he and Whitney are high school sweethearts and have dated for over a decade He confirmed during an interview with The Breakfast Club on Power 105.1 in New York City in April 2015 that he and Alford were engaged. Last week it was announced that Lamar had earned the Pulitzer Prize for music for his album DAMN. On that hit album there is a beautiful song titled LOVE. which was written for Whitney as he adoringly refers to her as his 'homie for life.' LOYALTY.: The two joined by friends, family, and a bodyguard as they also visited the Roman Forums and had lunch in the neighborhood of Trastevere He rapped: 'Ayy, I got somethin' / Hol' up, we gon function, no assumptions / Feelin like Tyson with it / Knock it out twice, I'm with it. 'Only for the night, Im kiddin' / Only for life, you're a homie for life / You're a homie for life, lets get it. Kendrick is the first rapper to win the prestigious award. The Pulitzer follows the five Grammy awards won by Lamar in January for the album. The Pulitzer board hailed DAMN, which was released in April 2017, as 'a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.' PRIDE.: It was announced last week that Kendrick earned the Pulitzer Prize and is the first rapper ever to do so (as he is pictured performing in Austin, Texas back in October 2016) Previous Pulitzer music winners include jazz musicians Wynton Marsalis and Ornette Coleman. Rap is now officially the biggest music genre in the United States after surpassing rock in 2017. Lamar's fusion of jazz, poetry and blues with social themes and love songs has made him one of the most innovative rappers of his generation. The Pulitzers, the most prestigious honors in American journalism and the arts, have been awarded since 1917. GOD.: The Pulitzer follows the five Grammy awards won by Lamar in January for the album Lamar's Pulitzer win marked a significant departure as previous honorees have been drawn from the worlds of classical music and jazz. DAMN Lamar's third album, topped the Billboard 200 album charts for three weeks on its release last year. Lamar is from the city of Compton which is situated south of Downtown Los Angeles and is the home of hip-hop pioneers NWA. Selena Gomez debuted an edgy undercut while celebrating her sold-out Puma 'Ignite Flash' sneaker collaboration Monday at the the German sportswear brand's Nuremberg headquarters. The 25-year-old pop starlet's nineties retro skater buzzcut - cut by hairstylist Tim Duenas - exposed her 'LXXVI' neck tattoo, which is said to be in honor of her mother Mandy Teefey's birth year (1976). The Wolves hitmaker - who was swarmed by fans at the office - also rocked a braided ponytail extension coiffed by hairstylist Marissa Marino. Scroll down for video 'Always need a subtle change!' Selena Gomez debuted an edgy undercut while celebrating her sold-out Puma 'Ignite Flash' sneaker collaboration Monday at the the German sportswear brand's Nuremberg headquarters Cut by hairstylist Tim Duenas: The 25-year-old pop starlet's nineties retro skater buzzcut exposed her 'LXXVI' neck tattoo, which is said to be in honor of her mother Mandy Teefey's birth year (1976) Make-up artist Hung Vanngo gave Selena's flawless complexion a peachy glow for her day promoting her second collection for Puma. Gomez - who relies on stylist Kate Young - later swapped her white tank top in favor of a black Puma T-shirt and parachute pants, which have not yet hit stores. 'I am in the Puma offices in Germany right now, and I'm having a blast! Nobody's seen this yet. This is the line I designed,' the 'Texican' beauty said of her athleisure attire on Puma's Insta-stories. 'These are the pants that we made. They're kind of high-waisted and cute, and this is, like, my favorite kind of T-shirt to wear.' Swarmed by fans at the office: The Wolves hitmaker also rocked a braided ponytail extension coiffed by hairstylist Marissa Marino Doll: Make-up artist Hung Vanngo gave Selena's flawless complexion a peachy glow for her day promoting her second collection for Puma Sneak peek: Gomez - who relies on stylist Kate Young - later swapped her white tank top in favor of a black Puma T-shirt and parachute pants, which have not yet hit stores The 'Texican' beauty said of her athleisure attire: 'I am in the Puma offices in Germany right now, and I'm having a blast! Nobody's seen this yet. This is the line I designed' 'I want it to be something that my girls would wear': Later, the beloved brand ambassador - who signed with Puma in November - joined an executive onstage for a discussion Later, the beloved brand ambassador - who signed with Puma in November - joined an executive onstage for a discussion before an audience. 'I just made my friend Teresa and Racquel try on all my line, like, I want it to be something that my girls would wear or I would wear,' Selena explained. 'I think we have another shoot coming up. It's been great though I love the team, it's always like a party. I like to make everybody enjoy coming to work, you know what I mean?' The former Nickelodeon starlet will next compete for the top dance/electronic song trophy for her track It Ain't Me with Kygo at the Billboard Music Awards, which air May 20 on NBC. Gomez will face off against Cheat Codes, Clean Bandit, The Chainsmokers & Coldplay, as well as Zedd & Alessia Cara when the live ceremony is broadcast from the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Airing May 20 on NBC! The former Nickelodeon starlet will next compete for the top dance/electronic song trophy for her track It Ain't Me with Kygo at the Billboard Music Awards It was this time last year when they made their red carpet debut at Tribeca Film Festival. And Matt LeBlanc and girlfriend Aurora Mulligan looked more than comfortable with stepping out together when they enjoyed a casual dinner date at Scott's restaurant in London on Monday night. The Friends actor, 50, and his love, 33, stayed close as they made their exit from the swanky eatery, with Aurora showing off her flair for fashion in a chic blue striped blouse and boyfriend jeans. Casually clad: Matt LeBlanc and girlfriend Aurora Mulligan went casual for a low-key date night in London on Monday The Top Gear assistant producer also dressed in a pair of distressed boyfriend jeans to show her casual side. Aurora confidently strolled out of the restaurant in classic nude strappy heels, while a decadent red shoulder bag added a pop of colour. With her glossy chocolate mane styled in a glamorous wave, the TV beauty opted for a nude make-up palette for the casual date night. Under the radar: The Top Gear assistant producer slipped her lithe pins into a pair of distressed boyfriend jeans Handsome: Boyfriend Matt was only a few steps behind, looking dapper as usual in a denim jacket over a midnight blue buttoned shirt Boyfriend Matt was only a few steps behind, looking dapper as usual in a denim jacket over a midnight blue buttoned shirt. The Top Gear host rocked a pair of dark blue jeans and black sneakers for the low-key evening as he stepped out with his signature salt-and-pepper quaff. Matt first met the Irish beauty back in 2016 when he first joined the revamped car show Top Gear, where she worked as a producer. Despite staying quiet about their relationship, Aurora has previously posted sweet Instagram snaps of the pair, including one behind the scenes of James Cordon's Late Late Show. Toned down: The Top gear host rocked a pair of dark blue jeans and black sneakers for the low-key evening as he stepped out with his signature salt-and-pepper quaff Cute couple: With her glossy chocolate mane styled in a glamorous curl, the TV beauty opted for a nude make-up palette for the casual date night The cute couple stepped out for the first time publicly at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Miss Mulligan, from County Fermanagh, in Northern Ireland, studied politics, political science and government at Liverpool University before launching a successful career in TV production. After stints at ITV and Channel 5, she eventually landed a job as an assistant producer of Top Gear. Stepping out: Matt first met the Irish beauty back in 2016 when he first joined the revamped car show Top Gear, where she worked as a producer During his appearance on the Graham Norton Show on Friday, the sitcom star was pushed to answer if he was living with his long-term love after working on both Top Gear and British comedy Episodes. 'It's half and half' Matt replied sheepishly. 'I have a flat here with my girlfriend but my home is in LA.' 'I spend a lot of time here so I have to kind of like it!' the TV hunk quipped. Before his relationship with Aurora, Matt was married to Melissa McKnight until 2006, and the former couple share 14-year-old daughter Marina. Showing support: Despite staying quiet about their relationship, Aurora has previously posted sweet Instagram snaps of the pair, including one at James Cordon's Late Late Show (pictured in November) She recently made a thinly veiled dig at ex boyfriend Brooklyn Beckham by ditching a 'B' friendship ring he gifted to her. But Chloe Moretz may have had her former beau still playing on her mind as she stepped out looking downcast after leaving her hotel in New York on Monday. The 21-year-old kept a steely exterior while walking quickly through the cobbled streets in her casual chic ensemble. On her way: Chloe Moretz, 21, looked downcast as she left her hotel in New York...weeks after split with Brooklyn Beckham Chloe wrapped up in a smart midnight blue jacket over a slogan T-shirt and loose-fitting grey leggings. The Kick Ass star pounded the pavements in a pair of monochrome sneakers, while classic black mirror Oliver Peoples shades shielded her appearance. Chloe jazzed up her ensemble with a striking blue embellished holdall while she toted her laptop in a tan leather case. Serious: Chloe wrapped up in a smart midnight blue jacket over a slogan T-shirt and loose-fitting grey leggings The Dark Shadows beauty kept her signature light blonde tresses down in an elegant sleek style, while her natural beauty shone through with minimal make-up. Chloe was without the 'B' ring once gifted to her by her beau Brooklyn, and even left her own 'C' ring - as a gift to herself post-breakup - at home. The talented actress was flying solo in The Big Apple just weeks after he hit headlines for locking lips with Playboy model Lexi Wood. Brooklyn's split from Chloe was evident after that kiss and the actress appeared to lash out at her ex on social media. Keeping to herself: The Kick Ass star pounded the pavements in a pair of monochrome sneakers, while classic mirror Oliver Peoplesshades shielded her disheartened appearance The big screen star revealed she was listening to Cardi B's break-up track, Be Careful which is about a woman who suspects her boyfriend was cheating. It is not known when or why she and Brooklyn split and there is nothing to imply he was unfaithful. The couple first met at Paris Fashion Week in 2014 and briefly dated during the Brit's summer in LA with his family. Walk this way: Chloe jazzed up her ensemble with a striking blue embellished holdall as she toted her laptop in a tan leather case After a year of swirling speculation, things went quiet between the two and Brooklyn went on to date French model Sonia Ben Ammar in 2015. The pair then reconciled in April 2016 before the distance proved too much, with the actress based in LA and he in London, and they split once again five months later. However, the duo rekindled their romance in September 2017 when Brooklyn moved to the Big Apple to study photography at Parsons School of Design. It seems Brooklyn has now moved on with Lexi, who boasts 87,000 Instagram followers as well as gracing the pages of Vogue Japan, Galore, Cosmopolitan Russia and Playboy. Nicky Hilton Rothschild flaunted her slim 5ft7in figure in a swimsuit while relaxing poolside in Miami Monday for the first time since welcoming her second child - Teddy Marilyn - four months ago. The 34-year-old socialite was wearing a $33 Joy-brand 2018 'Summer Mommy & Me' cat face one-piece swimsuit, but there was no sign of her little princesses rocking the matching tiny suit. The hotel heiress-turned-designer recently released her own 'Mommy and Me' capsule collection for Tolani - ranging in price from $35-$248 - which was 'inspired' by Teddy and 21-month-old Lily Grace. 'Cat lady!' Nicky Hilton Rothschild flaunted her slim 5ft7in figure in a swimsuit while relaxing poolside in Miami Monday for the first time since welcoming her second child - Teddy Marilyn - four months ago While visiting South Beach on Sunday, Nicky (born Nicholai) stopped by the Villa Casa Casuarina (aka Versace Mansion) where she photographed the 54ft swimming pool lined in 24-karat gold tiles. The 50-year-old designer's grisly murder by Andrew Cunanan on the front steps of his Ocean Drive home in 1997 inspired the critically-lauded second season of FX's American Crime Story earlier this year. Not pictured with Hilton Monday were her darling girls - whom she never gives pacifiers - as well as her elusive second husband, financier James Rothschild. The 34-year-old socialite was wearing a $33 Joy-brand 2018 'Summer Mommy & Me' cat face one-piece swimsuit, but there was no sign of her little princesses rocking the matching tiny suit Versace Mansion: While visiting South Beach on Sunday, the hotel heiress-turned-designer stopped by the Villa Casa Casuarina where she photographed the 54ft swimming pool lined in 24-karat gold tiles Critically lauded: The 50-year-old designer's grisly murder by Andrew Cunanan on the front steps of his Ocean Drive home in 1997 inspired the second season of FX's American Crime Story earlier this year 'You definitely see the difference,' the FIT drop-out noted to People last Thursday. 'There's a Paris and a Nicky. The younger one is the quiet, shy one and my older, Lily-Grace, is the more outgoing, loud sister...You can see their personalities already at this age.' The 365 Style author is 'so excited' to head to Texas to host a Tolani trunk show with Edie Parker this Wednesday at Market Highland Park Village in Dallas. 'You can see their personalities already at this age': Not pictured with Hilton Monday were her darling girls - 21-month-old Lily Grace (L) and Teddy (R) - as well as her elusive second husband, financier James Rothschild (L) Fans are anxiously awaiting the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story to learn the origin of one of sci-fi's favorite characters. But Han Solo isn't the only one set to capture audiences' attention in the forthcoming franchise addition, due out May 25. Brand new character posters released Monday feature some of Han's supporting cast, including a handsome Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, Emilia Clarke as possible love interest Qi'ra and of course, Han's trusty sidekick Chewbacca. Movie magic! Brand new character posters for Solo: A Star Wars Story promise a host of amazing characters that will capture attention. Above Emilia Clarke wows as love interest Qi'ra Peer! Donald Glover's character Lando is an old favorite, playing one of Hans' fellow criminals Alden Ehrenreich takes the lead as the Hans Solo, appearing the spitting image of the ruggedly dapper Harrison Ford portrayal. Joonas Suotamo returns to the role of Chewie, having played the character onscreen since Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. Donald Glover's character Lando is an old favorite, playing one of Hans' fellow criminals, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge voices Lando's droid companion L3-37. Meanwhile, new characters promise tons of fresh excitement. Furry friend! Joonas Suotamo returns to the role of Chewie, having played the character onscreen since Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015 Double take! Alden Ehrenreich takes the lead as the Hans Solo, appearing the spitting image of the ruggedly dapper Harrison Ford portrayal Out of this world! The robot and alien part are the cast are represented by Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Lando's droid companion L3-37 (left) and Jon Favreau as the furry, blue Rio Durant Role model: Woody Harrelson plays Tobias Beckett, a sort of mentor to the space smuggler while Westworld's Thandie Newton plays the tough Val Clake described her character Qi'ra as an old friend of Solo's, who 'grew up together' but there is 'obviously [a] romantic side of things' between them,' speaking to Collider back in February. Woody Harrelson plays Tobias Beckett, a sort of mentor to the space smuggler while Westworld's Thandie Newton plays the tough Val. Paul Bettany takes the role of crime lord Dryden Vos. The role that originally belonged to Michael K Williams but had to be reworked due to the actor's inability to complete the film's reshoots. Grit: Westworld's Thandie Newton plays the tough Val in the highly anticipated origin story Antagonist: Paul Bettany takes the role of crime lord Dryden Vos, a role that originally belonged to Michael K Williams John Favreau voices an extraterrestrial with blue hair and four-arms named Rio Durant. The actor described as 'a very cool and important alien character' on his Twitter earlier this month. Press for the film describes the plot, saying: 'Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo befriends his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and meets the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga's most unlikely heroes. Last week fans were given there first look at the motion picture's main poster, which was perfectly styled in the Star Wars genre. Leadership change! The film is directed by Ron Howard, who took over after original helmers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller departed over 'creative differences' Almost out! Last week fans were given there first look at the motion picture's main poster, which was perfectly styled in the Star Wars genre I'll take that! The Star Wars franchise which was given a new lease of life in 2012 when Lucas Film was purchased by Disney for a little over $4billion The film is directed by Ron Howard, who took over after original helmers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller departed over 'creative differences'; they will retain an executive producers credit. It is the latest spin-off/standalone in the lucrative sci-fi franchise which was given a new lease of life in 2012 when Lucas Film was purchased by Disney for a little over $4billion. Since then two parts of a sequel trilogy The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi have been released, as well as the stand-alone prequel Rogue One, with many more unnamed projects planned. Solo: A Star Wars Story hits UK theatres UK on May 24, and in the US the following day. My Kitchen Rules' contestant Soung was rushed to hospital with mysterious stomach cramps during Alex and Emily's Instant Restaurant during Monday night's episode of the show. And speaking to Sunrise following the dramatic incident, the Melbourne mother revealed exactly what forced her to leave the competition. She said she thought at first it was her monthly cramps. Scroll down for video 'I was in and out of consciousness:' My Kitchen Rules' Soung reveals the 'very scary' illness that forced her to leave the competition in an ambulance 'It turns out it was not a monthly. It was an internal virus I contracted when I was in Western Australia,' she explained. 'I did not know that it was an internal virus. It was very scary. I could not remember much at all. I was in and out of consciousness. It is very scary,' she added. The home cook, who was speaking alongside her best friend Kim, explained to the breakfast hosts that she was on a drip all night and couldn't not remember much of the dramatic scare. Unwell: Speaking to Sunrise the Melbourne mother revealed: 'It turns out it was not a monthly. It was an internal virus I contracted when I was in Western Australia' Concern: 'I did not know that it was an internal virus. It was very scary. I could not remember much at all. I was in and out of consciousness. It is very scary,' she added Soung also thanked viewers for their messages of support. Channel Seven clarified to Daily Mail Australia that: 'Suongs virus was not contagious no other teams were sick.' On Monday night's episode of MKR viewers saw Suong left the table and crawled up on an outdoor lounge. 'I know you've had cramps before, but this is more than cramps,' friend Kim said. Health scare: The home cook, who was alongside her best friend Kim for the Sunrise interview, explained to the breakfast hosts that she was on a drip all night and couldn't not remember much of the dramatic scare Suong said she was 'getting hot and cold flashes.' Kim then broke down in tears as Suong was rushed to the emergency room. 'To see her in this state, it's not a great feeling,' she cried as her pal was taken by ambulance to the hospital. My Kitchen Rules continues on Tuesday, 7.30pm on Channel Seven A century ago on April 25, Queensland soldier Private Joseph Payne lost his life following the battle of Villers-Bretonneux in France during World War One. Ailsa Priddey never met her grandad, but his spirit was kept alive in stories prompting her to visit his grave in France. "When you go there and see all of the graves and look at all the young names it's pretty emotional. It's an emotional place," she told AAP. The Redcliffe RSL Sub-Branch Anzac ceremony will be dedicated to Private Payne with his granddaughters Ailsa and her sister Stella Skennerton laying a wreath. "We feel very, very honoured. I think our mother would have been tickled pink," Ms Skennerton said. Errol Miller, a Redcliffe local and historian, approached the Sub-Branch after researching Payne and suggested the ceremony be dedicated to the soldier. Mr Miller will lay an official wreath for the soldier in France on Anzac Day on behalf of the Sub-Branch. Private Payne attended Brisbane State School and lived at Dakabin, then part of Redcliffe. He was recruited at a Brisbane train station after having some drinks with mates. Later he told his pregnant wife he wanted to pull out. "She said 'You are damn well going'," Ms Skennerton said. It was April 25, 1917 when he enlisted and he went on to serve with the 52nd Battalion as a cook. During the battle of Villers-Bretonneux he was called on to fight for the first time. Jumping up over the trenches he was shot and the continued gunfire meant his fellow soldiers were unable to reach him for some time. He died a day later on April 25 aged 32, one year exactly after enlisting. "He was a gutsy, little fella," Ms Priddey said. RSL Queensland president Stewart Cameron said the significance of Villers-Bretonneux was still felt in France today. "The battle is a reason the French respect Australia - there are signs in schools in that area today thanking Australians," he told AAP. A special service, with the prime ministers of Australia and France attending, is being held at Villers-Bretonneux on Wednesday this year to mark the battle's centenary. Brisbane will mark Anzac Day with a dawn service at Anzac Square from 4.28am and the march from 10am along Adelaide Street. In Currumbin, the Elephant Rock dawn service will start at 4.30am and the march 10.30am. Up north, Townsville residents will surround the town's Cenotaph from 5.30am followed with the march 8.30am. In the far north, Queensland Cairns' dawn service will start at 5.30am and the march 9.30am. Tony Abbott believes the nation's banking regulators should be sacked in the wake of appalling stories out of the financial services royal commission. The former prime minister has questioned what the regulators were doing while misconduct, as revealed in hearings, was allowed to happen. "My fear is at the end of this royal commission we will have yet another level of regulation imposed on the banks when frankly what should happen is all the existing regulators should be sacked and people who are much more vigilant and much less complacent go in in their place," he told 2GB radio on Monday. A man is fighting for his life after being trapped in a burning car which crashed into bushes on a Perth highway. Emergency services freed the 22-year-old from the car which burst into flames after the driver appeared to lose control and crashed on Roe Highway in Forrestfield just before 1am on Monday. He's in Royal Perth Hospital in a critical condition. Meanwhile, two women received minor injuries after they collided at a Wangara roundabout in Perth's north, flipping one car on Sunday night. Bulls prop Pierre Schoeman has been accused of biting Melbourne Rebels backrower Richard Hardwick during their Super Rugby clash in Pretoria. Schoeman must front the SANZAAR Foul Play Review Committee with the case to be first considered on Monday afternoon. Schoeman wasn't penalised for the alleged foul play, which occurred in the 58th minute of the Rebels' 28-10 loss. However, after further investigation the Citing Commissioner deemed the incident had met the Red Card threshold. For a matter to be dispensed with at the initial phase, Schoeman must plead guilty and accept the penalty offered. The Rebels take on the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday while the Bulls are set to host the Highlanders in their next game. West Australian drivers are being short changed with federal road funding after shelling out billions of dollars in motoring taxes to Canberra, an RAC-commissioned report has concluded. The state received an average return of 28 cents for every dollar in motoring taxes paid over the past 12 years, despite warnings from Infrastructure Australia the lack of funding will see WA drivers battling seven of the 10 most congested roads in the nation by 2031. "Billions of dollars have been paid by WA motorists through taxes like fuel yet this report clearly shows that WA has been short changed for more than a decade when it comes to federal road funding," RAC's general manager of corporate affairs Will Golsby said. Three teenagers are behind bars accused of detaining, robbing and threatening a man with a knife in Sydney's eastern suburbs at the weekend. A 26-year-old man went to a Waverley home on Saturday night to meet a woman when he was allegedly detained by a 17-year-old male and two teenage girls, aged 17 and 18, before being assaulted and robbed. About an hour later, in the early hours of Sunday morning, the victim left the home and flagged down a passing police car, NSW Police said. The man's wallet was stolen and two cash withdrawals were made from ATMs. The trio was later arrested and charged. The two 17-year-olds will face a children's court on charges of detaining, actual bodily harm and dishonestly obtaining financial advantage. The 18-year-old was charged with special aggravated detain in company with intent to get advantage occasioning actual bodily harm. All three, who were refused bail, are due to face Sydney courts on Monday. They didn't cross paths in Melbourne but Storm halfback Ryley Jacks has long been a fan of the Warriors' Blake Green and models parts of his game on the NRL playmaker. Green spent two seasons at the Storm but left at the end of 2016, with Jacks making his NRL debut the following season. Before their Anzac Day clash at AAMI Park, Jacks says there's a lot he likes about veteran Green's game. "I just missed him at the Storm but I always watched what he did with Cooper (Cronk) and watched what type of game he played," Jacks said. "I've grabbed a few things from him. I've always liked his calmness. You watch him out on the field and he's never flustered, so that's one thing from Greeny." Indeed Jacks plays a similar role with his halves partner Cameron Munster to Green and the mercurial Shaun Johnson; with Munster flourishing in the past two games since Jacks replaced Brodie Croft. Jacks, 25, said he could see the similarities. "The number on our back is different but it's sort of the same role, as the organiser out there and letting the other half play what they see," Jacks, who along with two brothers and both parents represented Australia in touch footy, said. "That's what the Warriors have got going on at the moment. It's working for them and that's what we're trying to do here. "Cam does all the bigger plays and is very creative and I let him play what he sees and I try to organise the team." Another player Jacks has long looked up to is Cronk, who was a mentor before his departure for the Sydney Roosters. The two have trodden a similar path, attending Brisbane rugby union nursery St Laurence College before playing the 13-man game. Cronk was gone before Jacks arrived at high school time but was not forgotten. "I always used to hear stories about him; he was the pin-up at school," Jacks said of Cronk. "Everyone wanted to be like him." Not even an Immortal's praise can cheer up Brisbane NRL five-eighth Jack Bird. In fact, the Broncos recruit reckons the claim of Andrew Johns that he should be picked as NSW pivot has only added to the pressure. Former Cronulla star Bird has turned heads after being slotted into the Brisbane halves at the expense of Kodi Nikorima the past fortnight. But Bird is beating himself up over his "under par" display in the 34-20 NRL loss to premiers Melbourne. And not even a massive rap from Blues legend Johns can snap him out of it, it seems. "Last week I had a pretty ordinary game. I was pretty down my performance," Bird said before Thursday's clash with South Sydney. "I wasn't happy with my game. I think I let myself down and let the team down. "I just need to find my mojo back and start enjoying footy again. "Once I start doing that I will start playing better footy." Johns believed Bird had already done enough to partner James Maloney in the Blues halves. However, that hasn't helped Bird regain his confidence, if anything he reckoned it has made it worse. "That (Johns compliment) is a bit of a boost but, in saying that, it puts a bit of pressure on my back and I start thinking I have to play good footy," he said. "And when I start over-thinking things I am not as good as I know I can be. "I have to play good footy to get that (NSW) position and no way, the way I am playing now, do I deserve that. "Hopefully I can impress them in the next few weeks." Bird said a constant battle with injury had affected his form with Brisbane to date. He arrived at the Broncos in the off season requiring shoulder surgery and a five-month recovery. He has been recently troubled by a sternum complaint. "Injuries have been a part of it (form). It (sternum) is playing up a little bit," he said. "When you go into a game injured you tend to go missing. "I am trying to get them 100 per cent and start playing good footy this week. "I know I have to lift my game. "I know I have to do better and I am trying to do that but also keep focus on the team stuff and keep moving forward." Students are being discouraged to take up maths and science when they choose secondary school courses because of the impact more difficult courses could have on their final year scores, chief scientist Alan Finkel believes. "Rightly or wrongly, they absorb the message that the way to boost their ATAR is to drop down a level in mathematics," he says in a report on inspiring Australia's next generation. The focus on the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank - the percentile score given to students completing their final studies - needs to be not only on students getting into university but also on preparing to do well, he says. The report found overall enrolments in maths is steady at 72 per cent, but the number of students choosing intermediate and advanced maths fell from 54 per cent to 36 per cent between 1992 and 2012. "If students do not see the value in the knowledge and skills they will gain through these challenging subjects, or see a benefit or need in relation to their post-school plans, there is little incentive for students to engage with them," the report states. One of 10 recommendations in the report by the STEM Partnerships Forum, chaired by Dr Finkel, includes government and industry focusing on how STEM skills can solve real world problems. They also call for a review of how the school system can encourage students to study advanced and appropriate subjects, and the impact of universities dropping prerequisites for courses. Maths is only a prerequisite for five of 37 universities offering a Bachelor of Science, four of 31 for a Bachelor of Commerce and one of 34 for an engineering degree. Another recommendation is that a national lifelong "unique student identifier" be given to all students by 2020 to allow them to share their education records as they move between schools. WHO'S WHO OF WITNESSES IN RON MEDICH MURDER TRIALS: LUCKY GATTELLARI - the star crown witness, who's been jailed for his role in the murder. Described by the defence variously as a "wicked man", "scum", "a spiv", and "a rip-off merchant" whose "tongue is dripping with lies". Even the prosecutor said he "is never going to be awarded Australian of the Year", but was a man Medich implicitly trusted, a man who was prepared to bend the rules. "If you are the accused, ladies and gentlemen, you go to Lucky Gattellari". SHAYNE HATFIELD - convicted drug importer who shared a cell with Gattellari. Testified at the first trial about an alleged plot to extort money from Medich in return for Gattellari's silence. During that evidence, he asked the judge "Hey Your Honour have you heard this one?" before singing and acting out the nursery rhyme "I'm a Little Teapot". GLEN MCNAMARA - serving life in prison after being convicted with fellow-former-cop Roger Rogerson of murdering a young drug dealer and stealing three kilos of meth from him. He testified to visiting Hatfield in jail when Gattellari had a conversation with him. Gattellari allegedly recruited Rogerson and McNamara to help extort millions of dollars from Medich to buy Gattellari's silence. SENAD KAMINIC - Gattellari's driver who was released on parole in November 2015 for his role in the murder. A former Bosnian soldier who testified that Gattellari told him Medich wanted to go "all the way". He also said he overheard Medich say of Mr McGurk: "If I had a gun I would kill him." A former Adelaide private school teacher who groomed one of her male students had booked a cottage where she intended to have sex with him, a court has heard. In sentencing submissions on Monday, the South Australian District Court heard the grooming by Bettina Schmoock could not be considered "mere fantasy", though no sexual activity ever took place. "She took steps to act on that by booking a cottage where the sex was to occur," prosecutor Mark Norman said, as Schmoock shook her head and looked down. "She persisted in encouraging the complainant to join her in the cottage, even when the messages showed he indicated his unwillingness." In a victim impact statement read to the court, the boy - in the courtroom with his family - said his contact with Schmoock was initially comforting and described her as his best friend. But he said their relationship became too toxic to maintain, leaving him feeling trapped and alone. "I feel like becoming so close to a teacher... isolated me socially," he said. "I feel a lot of shame about the events that took place." Schmoock, who had taught at Concordia College, had earlier pleaded guilty to one aggravated count of communicating with the intent of procuring a child for sexual activity. Defence counsel said she had been affected by a four-month-long hypomanic episode, as part of her undiagnosed bipolar disorder, at the time of the offending. The mother of two is not an Australian citizen so could be deported should she receive a sentence of 12 months or more. Judge Gordon Barrett continued Schmoock's bail and will sentence her next week. Drug testing welfare recipients is not a good use of taxpayer money, the Australian Council of Social Service says. Instead, senior policy and advocacy officer Charmaine Crowe says the money would be better spent on treatment services for addicts. A Senate committee is hearing from experts on legislation to trial welfare drug tests across three sites in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia. The trial would target 5000 Newstart and Youth Allowance recipients. One positive drug test would result in a person being placed on income support for two years, while two positive tests would result in the person being referred for treatment. Refusing to take a test will cost a person four weeks of their payments. "It's absolutely not an effective use of taxpayer dollars according to all of the evidence we have come across," Ms Crowe told the committee in Sydney on Monday. "The money that is spent on this trial would be far better spent on treatment services for people with addiction in Australia." Her WA counterpart Chris Twomey - who is married to WA Greens senator and committee member Rachel Siewert - echoed that sentiment. He said international trials had resulted in few positive tests, pointing to New Zealand in particular, where 0.27 per cent of tests were positive. That made it an expensive policy for small results, he said. "Given that we've got unmet demand which is two times the number of services we're providing, focusing on more services and putting more money into effective job creation would have much stronger outcomes," he said. The committee also heard the trial could punish those already seeking help. Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists president Kym Jenkins said one of her concerns was that a positive drug test was only evidence of a positive drug test and not of where the person is in a treatment process, their personal history or clinical wellness. "That positive drug test in this setting or in this trial may then be doubly punitive if somebody is getting better and their welfare payments may be withdrawn," she said. The controversial policy was taken out of wider welfare reform legislation that passed parliament earlier this year. It was reintroduced on its own in February and is currently before the House of Representatives. I've always ignored those ads that urge Aussies to holiday at home. The lure of overseas destinations has typically won me over when it comes to deciding how to spend my cash and leisure time. But the next time I daydream about lying on a tropical white beach, drink in hand, watching my daughter splash and play, I'm going to park my passport and give the credit card a break. Almost two years ago, I packed my family up and at great expense jetted off to Fiji for a tropical island getaway. It turns out I could have just stayed home. Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island, just over an hour's ferry ride off my hometown of Brisbane, is infinitely closer, cheaper and offers far more natural beauty than the five-star Fiji destination we paid $15,000 to visit a couple of years back. I'm not sure how I missed the memo on this place. It must have been my disdain for those holiday-at-home campaigns. But it's a common story as far as Tangalooma goes, even for Brisbane locals. "We get that all the time. People just don't seem to understand what's right here, on their doorstep," says Hank Loosschilder, who came to work at the resort for a few months and is still there 15 years later. Tangalooma occupies a stunning stretch of beach on the island - the third largest sand island in the world, behind Fraser and North Stradbroke. This shiny but little-known jewel in the crown of the Great Sandy Strait has everything the likes of Fiji, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia have to offer - without the expense of international flights and two days lost to travel. Almost all of the island is national park and like its better-known northern neighbour Fraser, it offers towering sand dunes, freshwater creeks, and stunning inland and coastal lagoons. Campers have long known about this offshore gem. But I don't camp. So for me, Tangalooma's four-star holiday apartments, with their stunning views of Moreton Bay and stylish climate-controlled interiors, ticked all the boxes. The island itself really does have it all for the laziest of beach bums or the most restless adrenaline junkies. In just two days on the island, our family of three, including an adventurous eight-year-old, crammed in a tonne of activities. We hooned down a mighty sand dune at 55km/h, went quad-biking through the island's sandy interior, and indulged in a James Bond-style sea scooter safari of the island's rusty shipwrecks, encountering a curious turtle and a spectacular lionfish with its venomous fin spines on full display. But best of all, we got to experience the thrill of hand feeding fish to the island's famed population of wild dolphins. The dolphins first started visiting Tangalooma 25 years ago, when the Osborne family, who own the resort, would throw fish into the water from a well-lit jetty. Over time, they began turning up for a bite to eat on a nightly basis, and a year later Tangalooma's dolphin feeding program is recognised as one of the most sustainable in the world. Ecoranger Jessica Poole is one of the staff tasked with making sure the dolphins - who come willingly into shore at dusk - are never touched by the tourists who come to admire them. After two years in her dream job, she still has to pinch herself. "It truly is indescribable. Each night that I am in the water close to these amazing animals," she says. She won't say if she has a favourite but she and the other feeders do share a special bond with their wild visitors. "They seem to recognise our voices," Jessica says. "They are naturally very inquisitive and will often turn on their side and make eye contact - that is the most incredible experience of all." We got to meet Echo, who first came to Tangalooma at 10 months of age. He was extremely vulnerable with no mother to care for him and was promptly adopted by the other Tangalooma dolphins. He's best mates with Rani, who was a baby when his mother Bess began bringing him to the resort back in 1993. Bess died in 1999, but Rani and Echo, now both healthy adults, continue to show up for a feed each night before going on their way. But the ecorangers are careful about how much fish they give the dolphins, wary of encouraging reliance especially among the juveniles who are still learning to hunt. Staff use their nightly talk to tourists on the beach to reinforce key conservation messages, including animal mortality linked to plastic and other contamination in Moreton Bay. "We are entirely focused on environmental protection and after guests have had such a personal experience feeding the dolphins, they leave with a deeper understanding of conservation goals," Jessica says. For time-poor working families, Tangalooma is a great option for a resort-style weekend break, or a longer holiday. There are no costly flights, and no precious leave days lost to international travel that turns kids into ratty balls of pent-up energy. And it had everything Fiji had, but with a distinctly Aussie flavour and no hint of the mega-resort madness we encountered in Fiji, where the restaurant queues were so long they left us wishing we'd packed some two-minute noddles. Tangalooma, we'll be back. IF YOU GO GETTING THERE: Tangalooma Island Resort, on Moreton Island, is 75-minute ferry ride from Brisbane. The ferry leaves from the Holt Street Wharf at Pinkenba, about 10km from the Brisbane airport. Day passes are available if people want to visit the resort and enjoy experiences like dolphin feeding but aren't staying overnight. STAYING THERE: Guest accommodation ranges from budget rooms and hotel-style accommodation to holiday home rentals and elegant, modern deluxe apartments with 180-degree beach views. PLAYING THERE: Experiences include feeding wild dolphins off the beach, underwater tours of the island's shipwrecks, water sports, helicopter tours, sand dune adventures and quad biking, night paddles in transparent kayaks, scuba diving, fishing, and touring the Blue Lagoon. For more, visit www.tangalooma.com The Turnbull government is set to put the hard word on defence companies to shape up and maximise Australia's stake in making military equipment. Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne unveiled a blueprint for defence industrial capability in Canberra on Monday. "It's an important shift and signals to industry that establishing a shopfront and getting an ABN (Australian Business Number) is no longer enough," Mr Pyne said in a major speech to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. "We want to see Australian leadership, an Australian board and an Australian workforce value-adding right here at home." He said defence companies vying for contracts could no longer just outline the strengths of their vehicle, ship or widget. They also had to spell out how many Australians would be employed, how many Australian companies would be in the supply chain, what percentage of Australian product would be used and how Australian industry would be further developed, Mr Pyne said. The government is keen to ensure Australia has access to or control over essential skills, technology, intellectual property, financial resources and infrastructure within the defence industrial base. Mr Pyne flagged 10 priority areas including the Collins Class Submarine maintenance upgrade, continuous shipbuilding program which includes the new submarine project, combat clothing and munitions. He highlighted the recent announcement that Rheinmetall won a $5 billion contract to build 211 Boxer armoured fighting vehicles in Queensland at a new factory at Ipswich, west of Brisbane. The Australian industry content for the acquisition and ongoing maintenance of the fleet will be about 70 per cent and more than 40 local suppliers will be used across the country. The federal government announced in January an ambitious bid to make the Australia a top 10 global arms exporters in the next decade to help boost jobs. It's spending $200 billion in the next 10 years on military acquisitions. Mr Pyne also announced a grants program of $17 million a year to support Australian small to medium enterprises get a piece of the action. It's important to ensure small and medium businesses are better placed to interact with the Defence department and global defence firms and not be solely reliant on the Australian military for their success, he says. "We are at a very important moment in time for Australia's defence industry, a true watershed moment for our whole nation," Mr Pyne said. He trumpeted record levels of government decision making on equipment. Last financial year 74 proposals were approved, and as of March this year 90 decisions had been made. Oscar throws a furtive glance over his shoulder and slinks quietly away from the crowd. He's well-practised at making stealthy exits. He keeps his head down and his pace up. It helps that the pelicans and cormorants gathered on the beach for a free lunch are putting on a lively spectacle for the tourists - a perfect smokescreen for his covert mission. With the crowd at his back, he presses on, feet slapping determinedly towards a dark and distant doorway and the booty he knows awaits. An esky brimming with fish. And they're all his. Since taking up residence at beautiful Tangalooma Island Resort, on Moreton Island off Brisbane, Oscar the cormorant has made a name for himself as a master of crime. "He is such a character and he's a favourite here because of his cheeky antics," ecoranger Jessica Poole says. "Any time that we walk to the fish shed it certainly can catch the attention of Oscar, who will always try his luck at grabbing a sneaky fish." Like many of the animals that call the resort home, Oscar's story is one of peril and salvation thanks to the resort's team of ecorangers. He's lucky to be alive after some fishermen trying their luck at the Tangalooma Wrecks, just off the island's shore, spotted him with a fishing hook stuck in his neck. "He was in a really bad way. He was rescued by our team and was sent off the island for care and an operation to remove the hook from his oesophagus," Jessica says. He spent a lot of time recuperating at a bird rescue centre on the mainland. It was there that he got used to human contact and free lunches. And nothing's changed since his return to the island. "It was actually a dilemma for us as it is difficult to reintroduce these types of rescued birds back into the wild," she says. "We decided to let him go at Tangalooma so we could monitor his recovery as he still had difficulty eating fish." Now, he takes every chance he can get to sneak into the resort's fish storage rooms and help himself. And it seems he's a cut above his mates on the beach who have to compete for their free lunch at the resort's daily pelican and cormorant feeding sessions while Oscar dines sumptuously alone. "We can always tell that he is behind us from the sound of his little feet. Our challenge now is to wean him off our handouts," Jessica says. IF YOU GO GETTING THERE: Tangalooma Island Resort, on Moreton Island, is 75-minute ferry ride from Brisbane. The ferry leaves from the Holt Street Wharf at Pinkenba, about 10km from the Brisbane airport. Day passes are available if people want to visit the resort and enjoy experiences like dolphin feeding but aren't staying overnight. STAYING THERE: Guest accommodation ranges from budget rooms and hotel-style accommodation to holiday home rentals and elegant, modern deluxe apartments with 180-degree beach views. PLAYING THERE: Experiences include feeding wild dolphins off the beach, underwater tours of the island's shipwrecks, water sports, helicopter tours, sand dune adventures and quad biking, night paddles in transparent kayaks, scuba diving, fishing, and touring the Blue Lagoon. For more, visit www.tangalooma.com The writer travelled as a guest of Tangalooma Island Resort. The defence industry minister has played down the messy negotiations between German designer Lurssen and Western Australian shipbuilder Austal over the offshore patrol vessel project. The federal government, in April, appointed a mediator to end the stalemate. Last year, the government made a surprise announcement it wanted a role for Austal in the $4 billion project despite the company being connected to an unsuccessful rival German bid. Christopher Pyne said if Austal and Lurssen can't reach an agreement the German firm, Civmec and government-owned shipbuilder ASC will deliver the project. Asked if there would be an inferior outcome if Austal has no role Mr Pyne told reporters: "No, it doesn't mean that at all". He said commercial negotiations were ongoing. "It's a matter for Lurssen and Austal to negotiate, I'm not part of those negotiations," he said. Construction on the patrol boats will begin at the end of this year in South Australia. While the first two boats will be built in Adelaide, the remainder will be put together in Henderson, Western Australia, from 2020 - when the construction of the future frigates begins. The 12 new vessels will replace the existing Armidale Class patrol boats. An Australian nun facing potential deportation in the Philippines is laughing off accusations of "disorderly conduct" from the Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte. The firebrand president ordered an investigation into the 71-year-old Australian nun, justifying it as a legal move against "undesirable" foreigners. Sister Patricia Fox, a co-ordinator of a Philippine congregation of Catholic nuns called Notre Dame de Sion, was taken from her house last week and detained at the immigration bureau in Manila for almost 24 hours. "They ordered an investigation for disorderly conduct. I was laughing saying I have a disorderly room, but I don't know about disorderly conduct," she told ABC TV. "For me, it is part of my mission as a Catholic sister to stand beside those whose human rights have been violated, who are asking for help." She had taken part in rallies seeking the release of political prisoners and urging Philippine authorities to respect human rights. Sr Fox has lived in the Philippines for close to 30 years and hopes to be able to stay and continue her work. Former foreign minister Alexander Downer has refused to discuss whether the FBI has interviewed him about his tip-off concerning claims of Russian meddling in the US presidential election. The New York Times earlier this year reported Mr Downer, the outgoing Australian High Commissioner to the UK, could have helped spark an FBI investigation into Russian activities. Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos told the Australian diplomat during a meeting in London in May 2016 that Russia had thousands of emails that would embarrass Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Australia passed the information on to the Federal Bureau of Investigation after the Democratic party emails were leaked. Mr Downer on Monday night was coy on whether the FBI has interviewed him. "It is exactly the sort of question that I definitely wouldn't answer," Mr Downer told ABC TV. He said questions over whether Russians had any relationship with the Trump campaign team were a toxic issue in American politics. "I don't think any of us really want to be dragged in to that," he said. New research, partly conducted by NSW universities, will examine why indigenous Australians experience dementia at a much higher rate than the wider population. A number of studies have revealed Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders are between three and five times more likely to develop dementia than the wider population. Five university projects, funded with $14 million from the federal government, aim to tackle the disparity. Two projects, at the University of Newcastle and the University of NSW will examine risk factors, prevention and management of the condition. "This project will provide fresh insight into a range of social and biomedical factors that could impact lifelong brain health and dementia onset, as well as ways to reduce the burden of cognitive decline," UNSW project lead Kylie Radford said in a statement on Monday. More than 400,000 Australians currently experience dementia and that number is expected to pass one million in 2050 as the population ages. Aged care and indigenous health minister Ken Wyatt said the projects tie in with the government's attempts to get ahead of the growing issue. "This work is crucial because our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders are our living libraries and losing each individual means a precious book of knowledge is lost forever," he said in a statement. Alzheimer's Australia, in a report released in 2014, noted, dementia intervention runs into numerous barriers within indigenous communities. "Geographical constraints in the provision of services, a lack of education and awareness in communities and by health workers and the prevalence of other chronic diseases have all posed considerable barriers to the recognition of dementia as an emerging health issue," the report said. Labor wants an Australian shipbuilder to assemble the Navy's new fleet of frigates. But the opposition defence spokesman Richard Marles will promise if his party wins the next federal election it won't entertain sovereign risk and revisit the contract in the event the Turnbull government makes a different call. Three foreign shipbuilders in the running to design Australia's new frigates have officially submitted their bids and are now playing the waiting game with a decision expected before the middle of the year. The UK's BAE Systems with its Type 26, Fincantieri of Italy with its FREMM and Navantia of Spain with an updated F100 are vying for the $30 billion Future Frigate program contract. "Labor calls upon the government to mandate that the build be done by a truly Australian company," Mr Marles will tell the National Press Club on Tuesday. "If we lift our eyes above the next 12 months and look to the decades over which the continuous shipbuild is intended to occur, then it is self-evident that the company which performs this build must be or become a truly Australian company." The new frigates will replace the Anzac-class from the mid-2020s, in a project that will create more than 2000 jobs. Production is scheduled to start from 2020 at the federal government-owned shipyard in Osborne, South Australia. Mr Marles insists Labor won't interfere with the contracts if it wins office. "So it is for this government, right now, to get this right," he will say. Mr Marles will wax lyrical about the achievements of Western Australian shipbuilder Austal. "Austal is a projection of Australia," Mr Marles will say referring to the company's Littoral combat ship for the US Navy. "They have enhanced our nation's standing within the US Navy and the American defence establishment." Mr Marles will cast doubt on the genuineness of the Turnbull government's commitment to establishing an Australian defence industry. "Until the government starts to base an argument for an Australian Defence industry in strategic policy, it will continue to be met with scepticism." He'll joke Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne has the green "Australian Made" badge newly tattooed on his soul. Mr Pyne on Monday unveiled a long-awaited blueprint for defence industrial capability aimed at maximising Australia's stake in manufacturing military equipment. He said for foreign defence companies establishing a shopfront and getting an ABN (Australian Business Number) was no longer enough. "We want to see Australian leadership, an Australian board and an Australian workforce value-adding right here at home," Mr Pyne said in a major speech to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The federal government announced in January an ambitious bid to make Australia a top 10 global arms exporters in the next decade, to help boost jobs. It's spending $200 billion in the next 10 years on military acquisitions. PROMINENT AUSTRALIAN FIGURES OF GALLIPOLI JOSEPH COOK (1860-1947) Little remembered now, he's the Liberal Party prime minister who took Australia to war in 1914. His one-seat parliamentary majority was tenuous and he was trounced at Australia's first double-dissolution election on September 5, 1914. He remained in parliament, subsequently serving as deputy leader and navy minister in Billy Hughes' Nationalist government. RONALD CRAUFURD MUNRO FERGUSON (1860-1934) Scottish politician appointed Australia's sixth governor-general (May 1914-October 1920). Ferguson saw himself as an agent of the British war effort. He convened the cabinet meeting of August 3, 1914 in which Australia decided to go to war and later strongly supported the two conscription campaigns. For much of the war he was the only conduit between the Australian government and London. Ferguson had sole power to confirm death sentences on Australian soldiers. In line with the sentiment of the government and public, he refused in all 113 cases. FIELD MARSHAL WILLIAM BIRDWOOD (1865-1951) British officer and Boer War veteran who commanded Australian and New Zealand forces on Gallipoli and on the western front. He was appointed because there was no colonial officer sufficiently qualified. Inevitably known as "Birdie", he admired his Anzacs, visiting them in the lines when he could and they returned the appreciation. In May 1918, he relinquished command of the Australian corps to John Monash. He could have become Australia's ninth governor-general in 1930 but the then Labor government preferred Sir Isaac Isaacs, the first Australian to fill the position. GENERAL SIR JOHN MONASH (1865-1931) Melbourne civil engineer and part-time soldier who rose to command all Australian forces on the western front in the final months of the war. Monash's performance on Gallipoli was unexceptional but historian Charles Bean noted that the higher he rose, the better he became. At his peak that was very good indeed. Using his exceptional organisational skills to combine the effects of infantry, artillery, aircraft and tanks, he presided over a succession of victories instrumental in Germany's final capitulation. FIELD MARSHAL SIR THOMAS BLAMEY (1884-1951) Junior staff and intelligence officer on Gallipoli who rose to chief of staff of the Australian corps under Monash. A controversial and divisive but indisputably talented figure, Blamey commanded all Australian forces in World War II and is the only Australian ever to attain the rank of field marshal. KEITH MURDOCH (1885-1952) Father of Rupert, journalist and well-connected intriguer, he lost out to the more experienced Charles Bean as Australia's official war correspondent. Asked by Prime Minister Fisher to assess delivery of supplies, he visited Gallipoli, agreeing to convey a letter to British PM Herbert Asquith critical of the conduct of the campaign. Although arrested in France and relieved of the letter, his reports eventually led to the decision to withdraw. Murdoch, a close friend of PM Hughes, and Bean lobbied against the appointment of Monash as Australian commander. Murdoch, a friend of British media mogul Lord Northcliffe acquired the Adelaide Advertiser in 1926, step one in creating a media empire which endures today. CHARLES EDWARD WOODROW BEAN (1879-1968) Sydney Morning Herald journalist chosen by the Australian Journalists' Association as official war correspondent, reporting the experiences of Australian soldiers on Gallipoli and the Western Front throughout the war. Perhaps no other individual saw more action. He was recommended for the Military Cross for rescuing a wounded soldier at Gallipoli and was later struck on the leg by a Turkish bullet. Bean conceived an enduring memorial to the sacrifice he witnessed - now the Australian War Memorial - and also realised he would be responsible for the official history, editing all 12 volumes and writing six, a process which took 21 years. The only strike against Bean relates to his disagreement with the appointment of Monash. He believed the corps' talented chief of staff General Cyril Brudenell White should have the job. He later admitted he was wrong. SOME OF THE MAJOR MILITARY EVENTS TO BE COMMEMORATED IN 2018: Battle of Coral-Balmoral - May 13 to June 6, 1968 * A series of ferocious battles at two fire support bases, which had been set up north of Saigon. Australian troops fought off massed attacks by communist forces. Twenty-five Australians were killed. AHS Centaur torpedoed - May 14, 1943. * Australian Hospital Ship (AHS) Centaur was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine off the Queensland coast as she sailed from Sydney to Port Moresby. There were just 64 survivors of the 332 on board. Dam Busters raids - May 16-17, 1943. * The famous Dam Busters raid on German dams, conducted by the RAF's 617 Squadron. Many Australian aircrew participated in the raid. Battle of Villers-Bretonneux - April 25, 1918. * Two Australian units - the 13th Brigade of the 4th Division and the 15th Brigade of the 5th Division - retook the town of Villers-Bretonneux in northwest France in a surprise night attack. Australian casualties were 1464 dead and wounded. Hamel - July 4, 1918. * The first attack mounted by the Australian Corps under their new commander Lieutenant General John Monash, which was an outstanding success. He planned carefully and methodically and estimated it would be all over in 90 minutes. It actually took 93 minutes, with (by WWI standards) light casualties of 1062 dead and wounded. Amiens - August 8, 1918. * German General Ludendorff described the battle as "the black day of the German army". The Australian Corps, along with the British and Canadian corps, launched a massed attack on German forces near the town of Amiens, inflicting a shattering blow, taking more than 16,000 prisoners. Australians lost 2000 dead and wounded. Mont St Quentin - August 31 to September 2, 1918. * Regarded as the crowning achievement of Australian arms in WWI, a successful attack on seemingly impregnable German positions overlooking the town of Peronne. Casualties were still substantial with more than 3000 dead and wounded. Montbrehain - October 5, 1918. * The last action involving Australian infantry on the Western Front. This involved just the 2nd Division and was successful, though with 430 casualties. The division then withdrew from the front line, joining the rest of the depleted Australian Corps in a rest area west of Abbeville. They were just preparing to returned to the front when the war ended on November 11. Armistice - November 11, 1918. * Armistice is declared, ending WWI. Melburnians can expect to receive ballot papers in the coming days for the city's lord mayoral by-election. The Victorian Electoral Commission told AAP the ballot packs should start arriving from Tuesday. Enrolled residents and business owners in the City of Melbourne must put pen to paper and vote for their preferred candidate by 6pm on May 11. "With the whole election being conducted by post, it's incredibly important voters complete and return their ballot material as soon as possible to make sure their vote counts," returning officer Bill Lang said. A dozen people have thrown their hat in the ring for the $193,000-a-year job after former lord mayor Robert Doyle resigned, strenuously denying allegations from colleagues of misconduct. An independent inquiry later found he sexually harassed two women and the council was an unsafe workplace for them. Six of the candidates will speak at the Melbourne Press Club's ticketed forum on Thursday, while all available candidates' statements will be sent with the ballot packs. The provisional count is expected to take two days starting May 18. THE NOMINEES FOR MELBOURNE LORD MAYOR * Qun Xie * Sally Capp * Luke Downing * Rohan Leppert * Sally Warhaft * Alex MacDonald * Allan Watson * Jennifer Yang * Katie Sfetkidis * Gary Morgan * Nathalie Nicole O'Sughrue * Michael Burge * Ken Ong * Bruce Poon Queensland parents and grandparents will be called on to take a greater role in their children's education, particularly around homework, as part of a major education policy to be announced by the state Labor government on Tuesday. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is set to announced what has been described as a major change to education policy, in an effort to turn around flagging test results. It's understood the policy will seek to involve parents and grandparents not just in homework assignments but also after-school activities. There will also be a significant funding announcement for more teachers and teacher aides. The announcement is believed to be the first of several which will form the Palaszczuk government's education policy for its second term. Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace last month joined calls for an overhaul of the national testing scheme NAPLAN, saying she wanted to make sure teachers had time to actually teach the curriculum, rather than preparing for the natonal standardised tests. Queensland has gone from one of the worst performing states when NAPLAN was first introduced in 2008 to one of the best, although Queensland students lagged slightly in the writing component in the 2017 tests. An area of Queensland bushland more than seven times the size of Brisbane was cleared between 2012 and 2016, according to a new report from the Climate Council. The report shows over one million hectares of woody vegetation was cleared in Queensland between 2012-13 and 2015-16. The report also found Queensland accounted for between 50 to 65 per cent of the total loss of native forests across Australia over the last four decades. It comes as the Queensland government prepares to pass legislation to restrict the amount of land-clearing in the state, after regulations were relaxed under the previous Liberal National Party government. International climate scientist Professor Will Steffen said the findings show the need for greater governmental regulation of land clearing in Queensland. "Proposed amendments to Queensland's Vegetation Management Act (1999) would, if passed, lead to a tripling of protected forest areas in the Sunshine State, from an estimated 500,000 hectares to 1.8 million hectares, while simultaneously cutting greenhouse gas pollution levels," he said. Farmers groups are opposed to the changes to the clearing laws, saying they're too restrictive. AgForce claims the laws could have an adverse effect on food production because new land wouldn't be able to be opened up for development. However, they did welcome the scrapping of the reverse onus of proof clause, which would have forced landholders to prove they hadn't been illegally clearing. The Business Council of Australia and several large companies will come under the spotlight of a Senate committee hearing to back their claims of what benefits will come out from the Turnbull government's 10-year company tax rate cut plan. The council, along with the likes of Qantas and Woolworths, sent a letter to all senators last month urging support for the tax plan, stating they would commit to investment in Australia and saying this will lead to more employment and stronger wage growth as the cuts take effect. "A globally competitive company tax rate is one of the most direct and effective economy-wide policy levers we have at hand for boosting investment," the council says in its submission to the hearing. The government delayed putting its legislation that would lower the tax rate to 25 per cent for all business to a vote in the upper house just before Easter, admitting it didn't have the numbers. A survey by the left-leaning think tank, The Australia Institute, suggests voters still need convincing about the merits of a lower business taxes. Among top priorities for the tax relief, it found almost two-thirds think it would be used to increase executives pay and over half believe it would go to dividends and share buybacks. Over three in five thought that increasing workers' pay would be at the bottom of the list of priorities. Institute executive director Ben Oquist said it was understandable that the public remains sceptical. "The economic case for the company tax cuts for likes of the big banks, miners and insurers has collapsed and the Australian public clearly does not want a bar of it," Mr Oquist told AAP. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has warned it's wrong to make "blanket statements" about the behaviour of banks based on what's been revealed at the royal commission. Senator Cormann, who is in Berlin with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for talks on security and trade, says he's been "surprised" at the revelations unearthed by former High Court judge Kenneth Hayne. But the royal commission should be allowed to do its work before anyone jumped to conclusions. "You can't make a blanket statement across the board," the minister told Sky News on Monday. "Obviously the royal commission is working through what's what and who's done what and to the extent there is wrongdoing, people have to have the book thrown at them." He took aim at politicians who have suggested all banks should be penalised by not allowing them the benefits of a corporate tax cut. Senator Cormann said the government had genuinely believed, before announcing the royal commission, that there had been enough inquiries into the sector and it was time for action instead. But "with the benefit of hindsight" the inquiry should have been called earlier, he said. Asked about former prime minister Tony Abbott's call for regulators to be sacked for not doing their job, the minister said the government would be making "considered judgments" at the end of the inquiry. THE ROYAL BABY - HOW AUSTRALIA'S LEADERS REACTED: * "Lynne and I send you our warmest congratulations on the birth of a new Royal prince. As you already know the arrival of a new baby is another exciting and life-affirming event you no doubt will cherish. On behalf all Australians, we send your family our best wishes at this happy and special time." - Governor-general PETER COSGROVE. * "I am delighted to join with millions of Australians to send my sincere congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, as well as the wider royal family, on the birth of a new baby boy. This new addition to the family will be welcomed by the millions of Australians who hold a deep affection for our royal family." - Liberal senator ERIC ABETZ. * (statement) The Australian Monarchist League is delighted at news of the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Prince will be fifth in line to the Throne replacing Prince Harry who was once third in line but who has moved down with each successive addition to the Cambridge family. Prince Harry is undoubtedly happy at being so removed from the Succession. Being close in line to the throne is a daunting prospect indeed as the monarchy is an awesome burden. We have seen how the Queen has had to live out her life in duty and service. It is a life never to be wished upon anyone but one which must be fulfilled for the sake of our freedoms and democracy. Having the monarch as our head of state means that we have a person totally above political intrigue whose only intent is not to look after oneself, but only to serve the people. Our congratulations go to William and Katherine, to George and Charlotte and now to the new baby prince. May God bless them all. Philip Benwell National Chair Exposing fake news before it spreads is a herculean task in India, where an estimated quarter of a billion people use social media As grief and outrage over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old crescendoed in India last week, a wrenching video of the supposed victim singing "her last song" lit up phones across the country. But it was a hoax. The clip was nearly a year old and the girl someone entirely different, a lie that was discovered by a team of fact checkers who debunk the "fake news" shared by millions of Indians every day. It is a herculean task exposing fake news before it spreads like wildfire in India, where an estimated quarter of a billion people use Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media platforms. Small teams of myth busters must compete with huge volumes of content being shared in a multitude of languages, in many cases by first-time internet users unskilled in discerning fact from fiction. Independent fact checkers know the stakes are especially high in India, where fake news has quickly ignited violence. Erroneous rumours of a salt shortage sparked panic across four states in November, triggering stampedes outside marketplaces that left one woman dead and countless injured. Angry mobs in eastern India beat seven men to death in May after they were accused of child trafficking in unverified messages circulated on social media. - Velocity creates veracity - Govindraj Ethiraj, founder and editor of Boom, a fact-checking website, said his team encountered at least a dozen instances of fake news a day "that can cause serious harm". Fake news can lead to violence and serious harm in India, industry analysts and experts say "India is perhaps the only country where there are such violent outcomes of fake news," he told AFP. "The way it manifests itself in India, I don't think it happens in any other country. We are worst affected by this menace." Boom, which revealed the viral clip of the alleged child rape victim to be a fake, has just six people on its staff and is one of a handful of independent fact-checking teams in India. Facebook this week announced a partnership with Boom to monitor state polls in Karnataka, its first such initiative in India, as the social media giant faces global scrutiny over its platform being misused to meddle in elections. India is one of the world's largest and fastest-growing internet markets, with just over a third of its 1.25 billion people connected to the web. Cheap data packages and inexpensive smartphones are bringing millions of new users online who are often unable to detect real news from fake, said Pratik Sinha, founder of "anti-propaganda site" AltNews. "Suddenly people, especially from rural areas, are inundated with information and are unable to distinguish what is real from what is not," he told AFP. "They tend to believe whatever is sent to them." Many of the hoaxes debunked by AltNews have incendiary potential: false allegations of low-caste Indians going on a destructive rampage, or Hindu women being taunted by Muslims in a hotbed state. Ethiraj said this content often swirled "in corners of the country that we don't even know about", going viral in one of India's myriad regional languages. Once it takes off, it can be hard to stop: "Velocity creates veracity. People start believing it," he said. It was a problem that "lawmakers and the police are finding difficult to deal with", Ethiraj added. - Photoshopped pictures - Prime Minister Narendra Modi this month reversed an order to punish journalists found guilty of reporting fake news after an outcry over press freedom. Fake news can be hard to stop once it takes off, especially in India, one of the world's largest and fastest-growing internet markets Some government ministers from the Hindu right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have fallen foul of fake news. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted about an Oscar-winning music director supporting a BJP curb on cow slaughter, later conceding the information "seems unverified". Cow slaughter is a hot-button issue in India as the majority Hindus consider the animal sacred. A photo of Modi sweeping a floor went viral ahead of the 2014 election he won with a thumping mandate. It was later revealed the image was doctored. A year later, an image of Modi surveying flood damage was pulled from a government website after being exposed as photoshopped. Pankaj Jain, founder of SMHoaxslayer.com, said the rise of fake news presented challenges ahead of India's 2019 general election and it was important to present the truth to the people. "They need to be shown the truth in the way in which they consume (news) most like regional language channels and newspapers," he said. It ends here: North Korean soldiers stand just metres from their South Korean and US counterparts in the DMZ, one of the most tense borders on Earth In the Demilitarized Zone that has divided the two Koreas for decades, the two sides come face to face -- along with the contradictory narratives that will underlie a summit at the site this week. South Korean guards chosen for their height and looks, and sporting aviator sunglasses stand stern and unmoving outside the blue huts of the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom, only metres from North Korean positions. The truce village is a frequent destination for tourists on both sides of the border, and for US presidents seeking to symbolically demonstrate Washington's commitment to defend Seoul from the nuclear-armed North. And on Friday North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will walk across the gravel between the huts to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in, in only the third such encounter since the Korean War. Seoul and Pyongyang remain technically at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. This far and no further: A South Korean soldier stands guard in front of a door leading to North Korea A US security escort tells visitors on the southern side that the South Korean soldiers "stand face-to-face with the enemies on a daily basis". He highlights the 1976 killing of two US soldiers who were "brutally axed to death" with their own implements by North Korean guards when they tried to prune a tree whose leaves were blocking the US-led United Nations forces' view. The incident triggered Operation Paul Bunyan, described as the most expensive tree-felling in history. A total of 813 troops, 23 vehicles, 27 helicopters and a number of B-52 Stratofortress bombers with fighter escorts were deployed to cut down the offending poplar as a US aircraft carrier and its accompanying task force patrolled close offshore, in a monumental display of power. - 'Valuable lesson' - The inter-Korean summit will be the first to take place south of the border after meetings in Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007, and will be held in the Peace House, a concrete and glass building whose name -- along with the nearby Freedom House -- is an object of scorn north of the border. "It may seem like they have achieved freedom and peace," said Lieutenant Kim of the Korean People's Army, the North's military, but he blamed the US for the division of the peninsula. "This shows the true nature of America," he told AFP. "It gets in the way of peace." The DMZ was the scene of high drama in November when a North Korean soldier dashed across the border into the South under a hail of bullets from his former comrades The meeting between Moon and Kim comes ahead of one due between the North Korean leader and US President Donald Trump in a whirlwind of diplomacy midwived by the Winter Olympics in the South. It is a dramatic turnaround after the tensions of last year, but to reach any enduring agreement the two sides will have to overcome decades of enmity and mistrust. North Korea proclaims itself to have won the 1950-53 conflict, which it calls the Great Fatherland Liberation War. A large stone plaque on its side of the DMZ commemorates a 2012 visit by Kim, who "gave us a valuable lesson that this is a historic place where the US invaders kneeled before our people to sign their surrender". "Our future generations will live in a reunified motherland," it cites him as declaring. - 'Terrified' - Inside one of the blue huts that straddle the border, the American security escort warns a group of nervous-looking tourists: "Do not pass behind that soldier because that door unlocks and goes directly to North Korea." Panmunjom joint security area Those on the far side of the room are effectively standing "in Communist North Korea", they are told, and a wave of camera flashes go off as they excitedly snap souvenir photos to prove they briefly crossed the line. The border is penetrable inside the building, where an aged conference table stands over the line, but outside a step from either side across the concrete slabs of the Military Demarcation Line would be considered a serious provocation. The DMZ has witnessed a number of dramatic moments, most recently a North Korean soldier dashing across the border to defect in November, prompting his comrades to fire at least 40 rounds in an effort to kill him. Rusting weaponry is on display for tourists on the southern side of the border The axes from the 1976 incident lie proudly on display in a glass case in one of the buildings in the Northern section of the DMZ. "Of course we can beat them with our bare hands," Lieutenant Kim said of the US forces. "They attempted to kill us with their axes but we took them. "As a soldier, I only think about pushing the US out of the south as soon as possible and unifying our nation." Ron Medich has been found guilty of ordering the 2009 murder of former business partner Michael McGurk A millionaire property developer was found guilty Monday of ordering the murder of his former business associate, who was gunned down in front of his young son outside their Sydney home almost a decade ago. Scottish-born property tycoon Michael McGurk, 45, was shot in the head by a lone gunman as he stepped from his Mercedes in the harbourside suburb of Cremorne in 2009. His former associate Ron Medich was arrested and charged the following year, and had pleaded not guilty to directing the killing of McGurk and later intimidating his wife. Medich, now 70, went on trial last year but a jury failed to reach a verdict in the high-profile case. A second trial kicked off at the New South Wales Supreme Court in January, with a jury finding him guilty of both crimes. Medich had been on bail and was taken into custody after the verdict was announced, a court official told AFP, adding that his jail sentence would be determined following a later hearing. Four other men have already been jailed for their roles in the shooting. Crown prosecutor Sharon Harris told the court McGurk and Medich were involved in multi-million-dollar property and financing partnerships, but had turned against each other by early 2009, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. McGurk made international headlines in 2007 when he unsuccessfully tried to sue the Sultan of Brunei over an alleged US$8 million agreement to buy a 400-year-old gold-lined miniature Koran. Nepal's April 2015 earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people and reconstruction efforts have been slow Billions of dollars poured into Nepal after a powerful earthquake devastated the country three years ago is being misdirected towards building unnecessary new homes where old ones could have been salvaged, experts warn. Survivors of the 7.8-magnitude quake that killed nearly 9,000 people in April 2015 are being pushed to construct new buildings they do not need, casting doubt on the efficacy of the government's $9 billion reconstruction effort. "It is proposing the wrong solution for a lot of people," said Noll Tufani, Nepal country director for Build Change, a charity specialising in disaster-proofing. Building quake-proof homes was a condition of the $4.1 billion pledged to Nepal by international donors under the tagline "build back better". The government identified 708,000 families whose homes had been damaged and set up a $3,000 cash subsidy programme to encourage them to construct homes that would withstand future seismic shocks. Only 15 percent of homes have been rebuilt under the Nepali government's earthquake reconstruction scheme Three years later, just 15 percent have been rebuilt under the $2.1 billion scheme. The sluggish reconstruction effort has been hit by political infighting, bureaucracy and confusion among quake victims over how to obtain the subsidy. Many felled their damaged homes to build smaller ones -- often at huge cost -- instead of quake-proofing their mud and brick dwellings by retrofitting them with reinforced beams. Build Change estimates that some 250,000 homes could be salvaged in this way, while another 150,000 rebuilt since the disaster would also need to be retrofitted. - Wrong direction - Sturdy wooden pillars secure Shekhar Prasad Timilsina's house in Dungkharka, a village 45 kilometres (28 miles) east of Kathmandu, as workers busily mix concrete and bend rods on his porch. "My house did not collapse but suffered cracks after the earthquake. I'm glad I did not have to tear it down and could retrofit it," the 69-year-old told AFP. Nepal's National Reconstruction Authority now says its retrofitting program should have begun earlier The National Reconstruction Authority, the government agency overseeing the rebuilding effort, only approved retrofitting midway through last year. "We were unsure what to do earlier. With the grant we could have built only a small house," said Indra Lal Shrestha, a trained retrofitter. He plans to retrofit his own family home rather than razing it. "We can live like we used to... and are not forced to take on large debts to rebuild," he said. Many villagers live in mud and stone houses two-and-a-half storeys high, with space to house animals and store grain as well as accommodate a large extended family. But the cost of rebuilding with the money provided is beyond many families. Meanwhile the government-approved designs for new homes are much smaller, forcing families to adjust farming practices that are the main source of income in rural, impoverished Nepal. Yub Raj Bhusal, the head of the reconstruction authority, concedes more homes could have benefited from retrofitting. "Retrofitting is important, it should have started earlier," he told AFP. "But now that we have opened doors, we expect there might more people interested to retrofit and retain their original homes." The UK government's Department of International Development (DFID) has committed $7.6 million to a retrofitting project with Build Change. Donors are starting to come around to the idea of retrofitting homes damaged in the Nepali earthquake So far around 50 homes have been completed. The government has earmarked around 25,000 homes for retrofitting but DFID and Build Change say more could be done. Rebuilding has picked up. The government says it is on target to complete reconstruction by 2020, but faces an estimated $1 billion shortfall for rebuilding homes alone. A bus crash in North Korea has killed 32 Chinese tourists and four North Koreans, the foreign ministry in Beijing said on Monday. Two other Chinese nationals were injured in Sunday's accident south of the capital Pyongyang, ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing. Lu said China was investigating the cause of the accident and had deployed a team, including medical experts, to North Korea 'to assist with the emergency rescue and treatment operations'. China's state broadcaster showed images of a large overturned vehicle in the news today An injured passenger receives medical treatment at a hospital following the bus accident in North Korea's North Hwanghae province in this image taken from video footage on April 22 The ministry provided few details but China's state broadcaster CGTN earlier tweeted that a tour bus fell from a bridge in North Korea. The tweet was later deleted. China's state broadcaster CCTV showed images of a large overturned vehicle, with light rain falling on rescue vehicles at night and doctors attending to a patient. China was informed about the accident on Sunday night and its embassy personnel in Pyongyang rushed to the scene, the foreign ministry said in a statement earlier. The vast majority of foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese, with the Cold War-era allies sharing a long land border and operating flights between the two countries. Western visitors to the North once averaged around 5,000 a year, but numbers have been hit recently by a US travel ban - Americans accounted for around 20 percent of the market - and official warnings from other countries. The fatal accident reportedly occurred in North Korea's North Hwanghae province last night Tens of thousands of Chinese tourists are believed to visit North Korea every year, with many crossing through the Chinese border city of Dandong in Liaoning Province (file photo) Tens of thousands of Chinese tourists are believed to visit the North every year, with many crossing via train through the Chinese border city of Dandong. For some, North Korea provides a window into what Communist China may have looked like decades ago. Chinese tourism to the North has continued even though Beijing has enforced a slew of United Nations sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme. The accident occurred in North Hwanghae province, the foreign ministry said. The province lies south of the capital Pyongyang and stretches to the border with the South, including the city of Kaesong, an ancient Korean capital with historical sites. More recently, the area hosted a manufacturing complex operated with South Korea. The tour group was travelling by bus from Kaesong to Pyongyang when the accident happened, according to the independent Seoul-based website NK News, which cited an unnamed source. North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac. Vehicles are sometimes forced to ford rivers or take detours when bridges are unpassable. A section of the Pyongyang to Kaesong highway is shown in 2016. North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac. But the route from Pyongyang to Kaesong, where the accident reportedly happened, is one of the best in the country. It runs north-south from the Chinese border to the Demilitarized Zone on the border with South Korea but has little traffic, like all North Korean highways. Tank traps have been installed along the road in many locations - sets of high concrete columns on either side of the road that can easily be blown up to create an obstruction for invading armoured vehicles. China's foreign ministry said is 'sparing no efforts' to handle the situation. Palestinians demonstrate along Gaza's border with Israel as smoke rises from a field set on fire by a molotov cocktail delivered by kite from the coastal territory Two Palestinians wounded in clashes with Israel were pronounced dead Monday, a Gaza official said, bringing the toll from Israeli fire since March 30 to 40. A spokesman for the Hamas-controlled territory's health ministry named the latest fatalities as Tahrir Wahba, 18, and Abdullah Shamali, 20. Wahba was shot in the head in a clash east of Khan Yunis on April 6, and Shamali died of "bullet wounds to his belly" sustained on Friday, said spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra. Most of the 40 Palestinians killed by Israel since the start of "March of Return" protests on March 30 were shot by snipers on the border, while a few others were killed by Israeli artillery or air strikes. Tens of thousands of Palestinians in the coastal enclave, wedged between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean, have gathered at the border on consecutive Fridays to call for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to their former homes now inside Israel. Some protesters have launched stones or burning tyres at Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces have responded with live ammunition, wounding hundreds in addition to those killed. The Israeli army says its troops only open fire in self-defence or to stop protesters attempting to breach the barrier separating the territory from Israel. More than 440 demonstrators suffered bullet wounds or gas inhalation on Friday, rescuers said. Israel has drawn harsh criticism from rights groups along with calls for investigations by the United Nations or the European Union. Israel has for more than a decade imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, fighting three wars with Islamist movement Hamas since 2008. Also on Monday, Hamas's military wing said one of its men died in an explosion. It said in a statement that Mohammed al-Maqadma, 55, was killed by an "explosive projectile" fired by an unnamed group which it described as hostile to Hamas. It did not elaborate further. The Gaza health ministry said a child was wounded in the same blast, in the northern part of the strip. The wreckage of Australia's first submarine HMAS AE1, pictured from aboard the research vessel Petrel Researchers Monday voiced renewed hope of discovering why Australia's first submarine sank, after a detailed underwater survey of the long-lost wreck off Papua New Guinea led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. HMAS AE1, the first of two E Class submarines built for the Royal Australian Navy, vanished on September 14, 1914 near the Duke of York Islands. The disappearance of the sub, carrying 35 crew members from Australia, Britain and New Zealand, was the nation's most enduring military mystery until the wreck was found in December following 12 previous expeditions. The new survey, conducted earlier this month with Allen's research vessel the R/V Petrel, used a remotely-operated vehicle to inspect the sub and collect more than 8,500 high-resolution photos and several hours of video footage. James Hunter of the Australian National Maritime Museum, an archeological observer to the US-Australia expedition, said the fresh imagery should help unravel the mystery of what happened to AE1. "We're not there yet, we're still looking through all the footage... it's going to give us the detail that we need that we didn't have before," he told AFP. He said the researchers, who also came from the Royal Australian Navy, Curtin University, the Western Australian Museum and the Submarine Institute of Australia, previously only had low-resolution overhead shots of the wreck. "We're going to be looking for all sorts of clues. Even the seemingly most innocuous clues may actually help us move forward and have a better understanding of what happened to the submarine," he added. So far, the images that have been reviewed reveal that the sub's stern torpedo tube cap was open, although it is not known why, Hunter said. AE1, found in more than 300 metres (1,000 feet) of water, was the first Allied submarine loss in World War I. The sub had joined naval forces assigned to the capture of the German Pacific colonies in 1914. On September 14 she vanished after a rendezvous off Herbertshohe -- present day Kokopo -- near the Duke of York Islands with the destroyer HMAS Parramatta. Part of the wreckage of the wreckage of Australia's first submarine HMAS AE1 Retired Royal Australian Navy Rear Admiral Peter Briggs said in December the most likely cause of the loss remains a diving accident. Allen's Petrel was involved in the recent discovery of the wreckage of WWII aircraft carrier USS Lexington off the east coast of Australia. Conservationists have fresh hope for the future of the critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin The population of Cambodia's critically endangered river dolphin is growing for the first time in decades, conservations said Monday, hailing a major turnaround for the freshwater species. The Irrawaddy dolphins, known for their bulging foreheads and short beaks, once swam through much of the Mekong river but in recent decades have been limited to a 190 km (118 mile) stretch from central Cambodia to its northern border with Laos. The population has been in steady decline since the first census was taken in 1997, dropping from 200 that year to 80 in 2015 due to habitat loss and destructive fishing practices. But new births -- including three calves in 2018 -- and a decline in deaths has put the species on the path to recovery. The number of dolphins in the Mekong has increased from 80 to 92 in the past two years, according to a survey by Cambodian authorities and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which called the rebound a "historic increase". "After years of hard work, we finally have reason to believe that these iconic dolphins can be protected against extinction," said Seng Teak from WWF-Cambodia. The group attributed the turnaround to the work of river patrol teams and the removal of illegal gillnets -- vertical mesh fishing nets that are left in the water for long periods and can trap and drown dolphins. Tourist boat operators were also hailed as a "secret ingredient" for their help in reporting poaching and illegal gillnets to authorities. But conservationists and officials warn that significant threats remain, including other illegal fishing practices involving grenades, electronic gear and poisonous bait. Major infrastructure projects, such as dams in Laos, also endanger the animals' fragile recovery. Eng Cheasan, the director of Cambodia's fisheries administration, hailed the dolphins as a "national treasure" and said the government was committed to "eliminating all threats to the survival of this species". Cambodia is home to the largest population of Irrawaddy dolphins, which can also be found in rivers and lakes in Myanmar, Indonesia, India and Thailand. Facebook is under fire from Australian media companies Tech giant Facebook has opposed calls by Australian media companies for digital platforms to be regulated, amid an inquiry into their impact on competition in news and advertising markets. The government tasked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission earlier this year with assessing whether platforms such as Facebook and Google were using their market power in commercial dealings to the detriment of users, news media and advertisers. Australian media groups, like their peers worldwide, are losing circulation and advertising revenues to digital competitors. Australian media tycoon Kerry Stokes, the head of major commercial broadcaster Seven, on Monday urged Canberra to take "serious action" against the two online titans. "The government must act decisively to curtail the frightening power and influence these companies have," Stokes told The Australian newspaper. "The duopoly of Facebook and Google now control over 80 percent of the global digital ad market, taking away advertising dollars from local media without any of the controls and rules we must adhere to, creating an uneven playing field." The industry body representing commercial free-to-air television networks, Free TV Australia, echoed such views in its submission Friday, saying the two companies were virtual monopolies but had "very little regulatory oversight". The inquiry comes at a sensitive time for Facebook, which has come under fire globally after it admitted that the personal data of up to 87 million people worldwide -- including more than 300,000 Australians -- were improperly shared with a British political consultancy. Facebook said in its submission to the inquiry on Wednesday, sent to AFP Monday, that rapid technological changes such as media digitalisation "makes them a challenging subject for regulatory intervention". The American firm added that "consumers often have the most to gain from market disruptions caused by technological change and the most to lose from interventions that are designed to protect particular business models from the effects of those changes". Google, which released its submission to the inquiry Monday, said it was consumers who would determine the future of news and added that it partnered with publishers such Australia's Fairfax Media to support access to information. "Changes in consumer and marketing behaviour have profound implications for traditional news business models. But they do not mean the death of journalism," Google Australia managing director Jason Pellegrino said in a statement. The competition commission is expected to publish its preliminary report in December, with the final report due in mid-2019. Egyptian photographer Mahmoud Abu Zeid, known as Shawkan, gestures from inside a soundproof glass dock during his trial in Cairo on August 9, 2016 Detained Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, widely known as Shawkan, will be awarded UNESCO's World Press Freedom Prize, the United Nations' cultural body said Monday. Shawkan was arrested in August 2013 as he covered deadly clashes in Cairo between security forces and supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. He is one of 700 defendants facing charges of killing police and vandalising property during the clashes. "The choice of Mahmoud Abu Zeid pays tribute to his courage, resistance and commitment to freedom of expression," said Maria Ressa, head of the UNESCO jury which is awarding the prize. Egypt's foreign affairs ministry on Sunday voiced its "profound regret that an organisation with the status of UNESCO would honour a person accused of terrorist and criminal acts". Several hundred people, including three journalists, were killed during the security forces' bloody dispersal of a pro-Morsi sit-in after the military ousted the Islamist in 2013. Egypt's first democratically elected president had taken office in 2012 but faced mass protests a year into his controversial rule. Press freedom group Reporters without Borders (RSF) ranks Egypt 161st out of 180 countries on its press freedom index, saying at least 31 journalists are currently detained in the North African country. It slammed a decision by the Egyptian prosecution in March to seek the death penalty against Shawkan. UNESCO said it will officially award its prize to Shawkan on May 2, to mark World Press Freedom Day. Smoke billows following an air strike by a Saudi-led coalition on Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa on April 5, 2018 Dozens were killed and wounded in an air raid on a wedding party in Yemen, local officials said Monday, with Huthi rebels blaming a Saudi-led military coalition. The Iran-backed rebels who control most of northern Yemen blamed Sunday's attack on the Arab coalition that backs the country's government, in the latest in a string of such incidents. Medical sources and local officials put the number of dead between 22 and 33, with at least 40 to 50 wounded, while the exact circumstances of the raid remained unclear. Rescue teams said the wedding was being held in the Huthi-controlled Bani Qais area of Hajjah province, north of Sanaa, when jets carried out the raid. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Twitter that a hospital it supports in Hajjah received at least 45 patients, including 13 children, wounded in the air strikes, which it said were "among the most devastating in the area in recent months". A local official told AFP that at least 23 civilians, including women and children, were killed and 36 others wounded in the attack. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a double air strike on the crowded party venue had left a number of dead bodies buried beneath the rubble. Huthi-run Al-Masirah television said at least 33 people, including women and children, were killed and as many as 55 people wounded. The Saudi-led coalition's spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran, which is accused of supplying arms to the Shiite Huthis, swiftly condemned the raid. "The escalated bombardment of residential areas proves the desperation and inability of the invaders in achieving their goals," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said in a statement. The Saba news agency, controlled by the rebels, branded the attack "the new genocidal crime of the Saudis". It was not the first deadly strike on a wedding during Yemen's conflict, which has killed nearly 10,000 people and wounded 54,000 others since the coalition intervened in March 2015 to battle the Huthis and restore Yemen's internationally recognised government to power. In late 2015, coalition air strikes on two wedding parties in northern Yemen killed at least 159 civilians. Violence has also hit funerals. In October 2016, 140 mourners were killed in an air strike on a house in Sanaa. Elsewhere in Yemen on Monday, five pro-government soldiers were killed and 19 wounded in clashes with jihadists in the southern city of Taez, medics said. Fighting in the city's Jahmaliah district came after the governor of Taez launched an operation against jihadists he suspected were behind the murder of an aid worker with the International Committee of the Red Cross over the weekend. The Lebanese aid worker, Hanna Lahoud, was shot dead in Taez on Saturday by unidentified assailants who sprayed his ICRC vehicle with bullets. Jahmaliah is controlled by pro-government forces but there is a jihadist presence in the area, a police officer told AFP. Yemen's conflict has sparked what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The family of Korean Air's chairman is in the news again Seoul police on Monday launched a probe into whether the wife of Korean Air's chairman illegally abused employees -- the latest accusation against a powerful, wealthy family with members known for their tantrums. The hot-tempered clan landed in hot water earlier this month after chairman Cho Yang-ho's second daughter was accused of throwing water into an advertising agency manager's face in a fit of rage during a business meeting. That came after her sister made global headlines in 2014 for angrily kicking a cabin crew member off a plane after being served macadamia nuts in a bag rather than a bowl. The incident was dubbed "nut rage", prompting the sister's case to be described as "water rage". In the latest instalment, police said Monday they were looking into whether the sisters' mother Lee Myung-hee had herself abused employees verbally and physically. Media reports accused Lee, who is in her late 60s, of a litany of abuse of multiple workers renovating her home and of Korean Air employees, including screaming, cursing, slapping and kicking. "We have launched a preliminary probe into suspicions that Lee... assaulted and verbally abused multiple people," Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified police official as saying. The Cho family saw their homes raided by customs officials over the weekend after media reports emerged that they had smuggled expensive liquor or luxury items using Korean Air flights to evade taxes. Chairman Cho apologised on Sunday for the "immature" behaviour of his daughters and said they would both immediately resign from their company posts. The move did little to assuage public fury, with nearly 90,000 people signing an online petition urging the government to ban the firm from using "Korean" in its name. The 2014 "nut rage" incident saw the older sister Cho Hyun-ah, then the firm's vice president, force two flight personnel to kneel and beg for forgiveness on a Seoul-bound flight from New York before ejecting one of them from the plane before takeoff. The incident was one of the most infamous cases involving the offspring of South Korea's wealthy business elite, whose arrogance and bad behaviour regularly make headlines. Cho was jailed but returned to work as an executive at Korean Air's hotel unit in March. The governor of Taez has launched an operation against jihadists in the city after a Red Cross worker was shot and killed while riding in an ICRC vehicle Five pro-government soldiers were killed and 19 wounded in clashes with jihadists in Yemen's southern city of Taez on Monday after the killing of an aid worker with the International Committee of the Red Cross, medics said. It was unknown if there were any casualties among the jihadists. Fighting in the city's Jahmaliah district came after the governor of Taez launched an operation against jihadists he suspected were behind the murder of the ICRC employee over the weekend. Jahmaliah is controlled by pro-government forces but there is a jihadist presence in the area, a police officer told AFP. A large portion of Yemen's third city Taez is held by pro-government fighters, but the entrances to the city are controlled by Huthi rebels. Fierce clashes broke out after the operation was launched on Monday morning, according to the officer, who was unable to provide further details. On Sunday, Taez governor Amin Ahmad Mahmud, loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, created a special force of police and army units tasked with battling jihadists he believes killed the ICRC employee on Saturday. The Lebanese aid worker, Hanna Lahoud, was shot in Taez by unidentified assailants. In March, Yemen entered its fourth year of war between the Iran-backed Huthi rebels and pro-government forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has triggered what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Sunni jihadists, including from Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, have taken advantage of the chaos to expand their influence in parts of Yemen, particularly in the south. Both Koreas broadcast propaganda across the heavily-fortified Demilitarized Zone that divides them South Korea on Monday silenced its battery of giant loudspeakers that blast messages at the North's border soldiers, in a conciliatory gesture before Friday's historic inter-Korean summit. Despite tentative hopes of a breakthrough over Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal, US President Donald Trump warned that a solution to the North Korean crisis remains a "long way" off, as he prepares for his own planned meeting with Kim Jong Un. Observers are weighing the significance of an array of headline-grabbing offers this year from the North -- including discussions with arch foes Seoul and Washington, and most recently a weekend promise to suspend nuclear and missile tests -- after months of surging tensions. The South's President Moon Jae-in on Monday hailed Pyongyang's promise to stop major weapons trials as "significant". He is due to meet Kim on Friday in the truce village of Panmunjom at the heavily-fortified frontier. In preparation for the talks -- only the third of their kind since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War -- the South switched off its propaganda broadcasts, which previously filled the air in the Demilitarised Zone with news, music and exhortations to the North's soldiers to defect. The South's leader Moon Jae-in will meet Kim on Friday in the Panmunjom truce village on their shared, heavily-armed frontier "We stopped loudspeaker broadcasts... as of today in order to ease military tension and to create a peaceful climate... ahead of the 2018 inter-Korea summit," Seoul's defence ministry said in a statement. The North's military also reportedly began switching off some of its dozens of speakers at the border Monday, in an apparently reciprocal move to mute its propaganda, according to the South's Yonhap news agency, citing government officials. The two neighbours remain technically at war after the fighting ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty, with tens of thousands of soldiers guarding the mine-infested land border. Relations have improved markedly in recent months, driven by the Winter Olympics in the South, but the question remains whether Kim will promise any concrete steps towards dismantling his nuclear arsenal as demanded by Washington. The North's leader, believed to be in his mid-30s, has overseen four of the country's six nuclear tests and Pyongyang hails the weapons as a "treasured sword" protecting the country from potential US invasion. Kim, who has proclaimed the North a fully-fledged nuclear power, has also overseen dozens of missile tests, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the US mainland. - Testing times - Analysts are sceptical over his offer to suspend nuclear and long-range missile tests, noting he signalled no intention of actually disarming. "All of the steps Kim has announced are completely reversible and amount to only words and empty promises -- and North Korea is not exactly known to keep its word," said Harry Kazianis, director of defence studies at the Center for the National Interest, a conservative think tank in Washington. Kazianis cautioned Kim could quickly ramp up again if he does not get what he wants from the upcoming summits, urging the international community to be "hopeful -- but not stupid". Kim conducted the North's biggest nuclear test yet last September, the same month he branded "mentally deranged" Trump a "dotard," after the American president called him "Rocket Man" on a "suicide mission." The rhetoric has softened in recent months, with Trump on Sunday hailing Kim's promise to suspend tests and close its atomic test site as "big progress". "We haven't given up anything & they have agreed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing!" Trump wrote on Twitter, apparently responding to remarks made by an NBC news host. "We are a long way from conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they wont - only time will tell.... But the work I am doing now should have been done a long time ago!" Moon was upbeat about Kim's latest move, saying on Monday in a meeting with aides that Pyongyang's announcement was "a significant decision towards total denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" and "raises hopes that the pace will accelerate". Kim will step into South Korean territory for the first time as leader for Friday's meeting in Panmunjom. Previous meetings between the two Koreas were in Pyongyang, in 2000 and 2007. But it is not Kim's first foray into international diplomacy. In March he paid a secretive visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, aimed at shoring up frayed relations with the North's sole ally, which provides an important economic and political buffer against international opprobrium. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) speaks during his press conference with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov China and Russia will block any attempts to "sabotage" the Iran nuclear agreement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday, as US President Donald Trump mulls whether to scrap the deal. Trump has set a May 12 deadline to "fix" the 2015 accord, which curbs Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief and was the fruit of intense diplomacy involving the US, European powers, Russia and China. "There are attempts to interfere with the international order upon which the United Nations depends," Lavrov said after talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing. "We said clearly with China that we will stop attempts to sabotage these agreements that were passed in a UN Security Council resolution," Lavrov said. He was speaking on the eve of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional security bloc spearheaded by Moscow and Beijing. Calling the Iran agreement "one of the biggest achievements in international diplomacy in recent times", Lavrov said that "revising this document is unacceptable". Trump has threatened to abandon the accord unless European capitals agree to supplement it with tougher controls on Iran's missile programme and its future ability to enrich nuclear fuel. His partners maintain that implementation of the agreement under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the best way to prevent Tehran from seeking an atomic bomb. Iran warned Saturday it was ready to "vigorously" resume nuclear enrichment if the United States ditches the deal. President Hery Rajaonarimampianina denounced the portest as an attempted coup Thousands of Madagascan opposition supporters returned to the streets on Monday to protest against the president and a deadly crackdown by security forces on demonstrations. Two people were killed and at least 16 people wounded at protests in the capital Antananarivo on Saturday that President Hery Rajaonarimampianina denounced as an attempted coup. Large crowds gathered on Monday to honour the victims, parading quietly pass two coffins that were placed in May 13 square, the symbolic heart of the capital Antananarivo. As on Sunday, security forces had banned access to the square in the city centre during the morning before withdrawing to allow the protesters to gather peacefully. "To avoid violent clashes, which could cause great damage between Madagascans, we chose to leave the place we had previously protected," Defence Minister General Beni Xavier Rasolofonirina told reporters. But he warned the protesters that the police would "never accept any state institution established outside the election process, because that is what is consistent with the constitution." The demonstrators have been protesting against new electoral laws that the opposition claim could bar some candidates from standing in upcoming presidential elections. The large Indian Ocean island, which has been beset by decades of political instability, is due to hold polls in late November or December. The demonstrators say new electoral laws will bar some candidates from running for president Authorities had declared the Saturday protest as illegal, but about 1,000 opposition activists defied the order and security forces used tear gas to break up the gathering. - Election tension - Elected in 2013, Rajaonarimampianina has not yet announced whether he will stand for re-election. But two former heads of state have already mooted runs: Marc Ravalomanana, who was president from 2002 to 2009, and Andry Rajoelina, who removed Ravalomanana during a coup. Both were barred from running in 2013 and their parties have been involved in the protests. Ravalomanana and Rajoelina attended Monday's protest in honour of Saturday's victims. Ravalomanana urged authorities to listen to the opposition's grievances, saying "no one is stronger than the people gathered here". The EU has called on both sides to exercise restraint President Rajaonarimampianina made a television address on Sunday after returning from a brief trip abroad. "I call on all the people of Madagascar to be calm and respect democracy, but what happened on Saturday is nothing but a coup," he said. "We must all be convinced that a coup d'etat brings no solution for our country's future." The European Union mission in Madagascar called on the country's political actors to exercise restraint and expressed its support for "credible, transparent and inclusive presidential elections in 2018". The African Union representative in Madagascar, Ahmed Youssouf Hawa, has also called for calm and accountability. "Madagascar does not need to plunge back into a difficult situation just a few months before the elections," he said in a statement. Officers investigate the scene of the shooting where a gunman killed four people and wounded two others Police in the US state of Tennessee swept the Nashville area Monday for a gunman who killed four people at a Waffle House restaurant in America's country music capital. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said Travis Reinking -- who reportedly had exhibited delusional behavior in the past and was arrested last year for trying to enter the White House grounds -- was last seen on Sunday morning near a wooded area behind his apartment complex. "There have been no credible sightings. The search will continue. All schools in the area have been cleared by officers," the department said in a statement. Metro Nashville Public Schools instituted a "lock-out" -- meaning no guests or visitors were allowed on school grounds -- in the southeastern suburb of Antioch, where the Waffle House restaurant is located, and nearby Cane Ridge. The 29-year-old Reinking is accused of opening fire at the restaurant in the early morning hours of Sunday, while dressed only in a jacket. He was stopped by James Shaw, 29, a restaurant patron who wrestled the gun away. "Shaw's actions undoubtedly saved many lives," the police department said. Reinking then shed his jacket, and is believed to have gone back to his nearby apartment home, put on a pair of pants and fled shirtless, according to police. - Gunman's past - Travis Reinking, 29, is suspected of killing four people at a Waffle House restaurant in Tennessee A picture emerged Monday of the accused gunman as someone who suffered from delusions and may have held anti-government views. Reinking was arrested at the White House in July 2017, after entering a restricted area, according to police. He had demanded to see Donald Trump and had declared himself a "sovereign citizen" -- a designation used by anti-government extremists, according to The Tennessean newspaper. Family members also had expressed concern in recent months over Reinking's delusional behavior, including the belief that singer Taylor Swift was stalking him, according to The New York Times, which cited police reports. After the White House incident, police rescinded Reinking's firearms authorization in the Midwestern state of Illinois, where he lived at the time. They seized his four weapons, including the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle used in the Tennessee shooting, and handed them to his father. Police said the father later returned the firearms to his son, one of which remained unaccounted for Monday. The shooting at approximately 3:25 am (0825 GMT) Sunday claimed the lives of four people and wounded two others. Authorities confirmed that Taurean Sanderlin, 29, Joe Perez, 20, and DeEbony Groves, 21, were killed at the restaurant. The fourth victim, 23-year-old Akilah Dasilva, died at a hospital. The market capitalisation value of India's Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has passed $100 billion -- the second Indian company in history to cross the symbolic mark Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) became the first Indian company in a decade to breach the $100-billion market value barrier after stocks in the IT giant soared on Monday. Shares in India's largest software exporter rose more than 4 percent following positive earnings results to hit a high of 3,557 rupees ($53.53) on the Bombay Stock Exchange's Sensex index. The surge propelled the firm's market capitalisation value to 681 trillion rupees, above $100 billion, as TCS became just the second Indian company in history to cross the symbolic mark. Reliance Industries, the energy-to-telecoms conglomerate owned by Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani, was the first Indian group to breach the $100-billion marker, back in 2008. "It is an important milestone, which not only gives us something to cheer but also changes the perspective and sentiment toward other Indian software makers," Gaurang Shah, head investment strategist at Geojit Financial Services Ltd. in Mumbai, told Bloomberg News. The shares were spurred by a TCS earnings report released on Thursday which showed that the technology company had enjoyed a 4.4 per cent rise in consolidated net profit year-on-year for the quarter ending March. TCS recorded net profits of 69.04 billion rupees, beating many analysts' expectations. The IT services exporter has also been boosted by a weakening rupee. TCS was at the forefront of India becoming a back office to the world as companies -- largely in developed nations -- subcontracted work, taking advantage of the country's skilled English-speaking workforce. The flagship industry has made India a top business destination by offering software development and information technology, engineering and design and other services. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited survivors in hospital, calling the bus crash his people's "own misfortune" North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expressed his "bitter sorrow" after dozens of Chinese tourists were killed when a bus they were travelling in plunged off a bridge. Thirty-two Chinese tourists and four North Koreans perished in the accident south of Pyongyang Sunday night, Chinese officials and state media said. Two other Chinese nationals were injured. In a rare admission of negative news from North Korea's tightly controlled propaganda network, the KCNA news agency on Tuesday said Kim met personally with the Chinese ambassador in Pyongyang and later visited survivors in hospital. The Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the ruling party, carried a front-page on Kim's actions, including pictures of him in a doctor's white coat, holding the two survivors' hands as they lay in their hospital beds. Although such a move might be unsurprising in other countries, it is an unusual portrayal of Kim, who is usually shown presiding over formal meetings or visiting work or army units. Kim "said that the unexpected accident brought bitter sorrow to his heart and that he couldn't control his grief at the thought of the bereaved families who lost their blood relatives," KCNA reported. The North Korean leader said his people "take the tragic accident as their own misfortune", it added. The fulsomeness of Kim's comments reflects the importance of China -- and its tourists -- to his country and economy. Beijing is Pyongyang's sole major ally, providing an important economic and political buffer against international opprobrium. The fulsomeness of Kim's comments reflects the importance of China, and its tourists, to North Korea and its economy Their relationship was forged in the blood of the Korean War, and while it has soured more recently, with China increasingly exasperated by the North's nuclear antics and enforcing UN Security Council sanctions against it, there has been an improvement in recent weeks. Last month, Kim embarked on his first overseas trip since inheriting power in 2011 to finally pay his respects to Chinese President Xi Jinping, and was warmly welcomed in Beijing. China is by far the biggest source of tourists for the North, with direct flights and a long land border connecting the neighbour, and tens of thousands are believed to visit every year, many crossing via train through the Chinese border city of Dandong. For some, North Korea provides a window into what Communist China may have looked like decades ago. In contrast Western visitors to the North once averaged around 5,000 a year, but numbers have been hit recently by a US travel ban -- Americans accounted for around 20 percent of the market -- and official warnings from other countries. - 'All necessary means' - Xinhua news agency reported that the bus had fallen from a bridge in North Hwanghae province. A section of the Pyongyang to Kaesong highway is shown in 2016. North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac China's state broadcaster showed images of a large overturned vehicle, with light rain falling on rescue vehicles at night and doctors attending to a patient. KCNA said the crash was "an unexpected traffic accident that claimed heavy casualties among Chinese tourists". It gave no breakdown on the numbers killed or injured. The Chinese foreign ministry said Tuesday a group of officials and five medical experts had arrived in Pyongyang to assist the North in treating the injured and dealing with the aftermath. They also visited a temporary morgue for the dead to check their identities and express condolences, it said. North Hwanghae province lies south of Pyongyang and stretches to the border with South Korea. It includes the city of Kaesong, an ancient Korean capital with historical sites and, until recently, a manufacturing complex operated with the South. The tour group was travelling by bus from Kaesong to Pyongyang when the accident happened, according to the independent Seoul-based website NK News, which cited an unnamed source. North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac. Vehicles are sometimes forced to ford rivers or take detours when bridges are unpassable. But the route from Pyongyang to Kaesong is one of the best in the country. It runs north-south from the Chinese border to the Demilitarized Zone on the border with South Korea but has little traffic, like all North Korean highways. Tank traps have been installed along the road in many locations -- sets of high concrete columns on either side of the road that can easily be blown up to create an obstruction for invading armoured vehicles. burs/slb/qan CIA Director Mike Pompeo, President Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of state The powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee was expected Monday to oppose President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, in an unprecedented rebuke that could unsettle delicate US negotiations with North Korea. That vote, scheduled to take place at about 5:00 pm (2100 GMT), would not end the nomination, but would put a negative recommendation in the hands of the closely-divided full Senate -- where his approval is not guaranteed. The White House pressured senators to endorse Pompeo, currently the CIA director, with Trump blasting Democrats as "obstructionists" and his spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accusing them of playing "political games" with the crucial cabinet post. But the committee, with 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats, appeared set to vote against the nomination, with Republican maverick Rand Paul set to join all the Democrats in opposition. "Hard to believe Obstructionists may vote against Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State. The Dems will not approve hundreds of good people," Trump tweeted early Monday. "We certainly hope that some members will change their minds," Sanders said on Fox News. "At some point, Democrats have to decide whether they love this country more than they hate this president. And they have to decide that they want to put the safety and the security and the diplomacy of our country ahead of their own political games." Pompeo would become the first secretary of state-designate on record to be rejected by the committee, according to the Senate History Office. Passage by the full Senate seems likely but not assured: approving a rejected nominee on the Senate floor hasn't happened since 1945. With Paul voting against Pompeo, and senior Republican Senator John McCain ailing and unable to vote, the White House will need all other Republicans and at least one Democrat to win the vote. Last week, Pompeo was on Capitol Hill lobbying for support, and Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced she would vote for him. Several other Democrats have left open the possibility of supporting Pompeo. - CIA chief has Trump's ear - Pompeo, who has served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency since the beginning of the Trump administration, has become one of the president's closest advisors. He would replace Rex Tillerson, the former oil executive who was fired in March after a very rocky relationship with the White House and a management approach that left the State Department understaffed and demoralized. Pompeo has played a central role in talks with North Korea in which Washington hopes to persuade Pyongyang to roll back its menacing nuclear weapons program. He secretly travelled to Pyongyang around the end of March to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who is expected to hold a summit with Trump, perhaps in early June. But Democrats have assailed Pompeo for a record of bellicose statements which they say are at odds with his prospective job as the top US diplomat, and also have cited anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ statements he has made in the past. "I remain concerned that Dir. Pompeo won't challenge the president in critical moments," Democratic Senator Chris Coons, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, tweeted on Friday. "On vital decisions facing our country, Dir. Pompeo seems less concerned with rule of law & partnership with our allies & more inclined to emphasize unilateral action & the use of force." Republican Senator Tom Cotton told CBS's "Face the Nation" program on Sunday that the vote is "driven 100 percent by politics." "Mike is committed to diplomatic solutions everywhere," Cotton said, adding that Pompeo "recognizes that the credible threat of military force is essential to getting diplomatic solutions." China is the world's biggest polluter and has faced an uphill battle transitioning from coal, which is used to generate roughly three-quarters of its power China could avoid nearly 94,000 premature deaths and save a whopping $339 billion in health costs over the next 12 years by honouring its carbon reduction commitments under the Paris climate accord, a study showed Monday. The country has pledged to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 at the latest and to cut carbon emissions per unit of economic output (GDP) by 60-65 percent compared to 2005 levels. The study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology published in the journal Nature Climate Change said China would have to slash CO2 emissions by about four percent each year to save nearly 94,000 lives through cleaner air in that timespan. Researchers estimated that health-related savings could be about four times what it would cost Beijing to meet its climate goals. "The country could actually come out net positive, just based on the health co-benefits associated with air quality improvements, relative to the cost of a climate policy," said co-author Noelle Eckley Selin, an associate professor at MIT. China is the world's biggest polluter and has faced an uphill battle transitioning from coal, which is used to generate roughly three-quarters of its power, according to the International Energy Agency. The country's coal consumption last year rose for the first time since 2013, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, despite a drive to promote less-polluting energy sources. China announced plans in December for a national carbon market, which is likely to become the world's largest exchange for emissions credits. The move is expected to slowly push utility companies and manufacturers to embrace clean fuel. China is considered a potential leader in the fight against climate change after the US retreated from the Paris accord. This calls for capping a global temperature rise at well below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and at 1.5 C (2.7 F) if possible, compared with pre-industrial levels. The MIT team used a model to simulate how a climate policy changes a province's economic activity, energy use and emissions of CO2 and other air pollutants. It calculated the amount of pollution which communities inhale, and consulted epidemiological literature to determine the number of deaths that would be avoided. The researchers then calculated the economic value of the deaths and compared them with the total cost of implementing the policy. People cast their letters of complaint to Zimbabwe's deputy president after he announced the sacking of many nurses Thousands of Zimbabwean nurses returned to work on Monday after ending a strike, their union said, adding that fresh negotiations were expected in their stand-off with the government. Some 15,000 nurses fighting for better work conditions walked out of public hospitals a week ago. They were rapidly sacked in a hardline response from the government as it tries to prevent the spread of industrial action in the public sector. "Nurses have gone back to work today although their grievances still stand," Enoch Dongo, spokesman for the Zimbabwe Nurses Association, told AFP. "Some were asked to first fill in dismissal forms and then sign forms for resumption of duty. We haven't heard of any who have been turned back." Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who issued the mass sackings accused the nurses of being "politically motivated." At Parirenyatwa, the largest state hospital in the capital, nurses were back at work with long queues from a backlog of patients. The nurses are demanding better wages and complaining about lack of basics in government hospitals, including drugs and equipment. The strike came shortly after a similar protest by junior doctors demanding a raise in allowances, while teachers are also threatening to strike. After Robert Mugabe's 37-year rule, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has vowed to revive the moribund economy and attract foreign investment to fund better public services. US President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a central part of his presidency President Donald Trump said on Monday he may make Mexico halting the flow of undocumented migrants into the US a condition for a renegotiated trade deal. "Mexico, whose laws on immigration are very tough, must stop people from going through Mexico and into the U.S. We may make this a new condition of our new NAFTA Agreement. Our Country cannot accept what is happening! Also, we must get Wall funding fast," he wrote on Twitter. The social media announcement came more than a week after the US leader said talks to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada were "coming along great," although he said there was no deadline for a new deal to be completed. "It could be two weeks, it could be three months, it could be five months, I don't care," he said. Trump's threats to exit NAFTA have unnerved US industry and members of his own Republican party, who say the country has benefited from the pact. His promise to build a wall along the border with Mexico was a central plank of his election campaign. Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said recently the odds of reaching a deal by early May were as high as 80 percent, while Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland has also touted progress in the talks. Smoke billows from an explosion in a southern district of the Syrian capital Damascus, during regime strikes targeting the Islamic State group in the Palestinian camp of Yarmuk, and neighbouring districts More than a dozen Syrian regime forces have been killed fighting the Islamic State group in a devastated southern district of the capital Damascus, a monitoring group said Monday. Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ramped up their ground operations and bombing raids against the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk in southern Damascus last Thursday. Since then, 15 pro-Assad fighters have been killed as well as 19 IS jihadists, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Britain-based war monitor said the assault has also left 12 civilians dead, including women and children. "Regime forces are continuing to bomb the southern parts of the capital with rockets, artillery, air strikes and helicopters," the Observatory said. Yarmuk was once a densely populated and thriving district of the capital, but it has been ravaged by violence since Syria's conflict broke out in 2011. Syria's government imposed a crippling siege on it in 2012, and fighting has also broken out between rebels and rival jihadists. In 2015, IS overran most of Yarmuk, and other rebels and jihadists, including from Al-Qaeda's former affiliate, agreed to withdraw just a few weeks ago. Simultaneously, the Syrian army was recapturing the last rebel pockets in Eastern Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus that had been the opposition's main bastion near the capital. Troops last week shifted their attention to Yarmuk, but humanitarian organisations have sounded the alarm. The UN's Palestinian refugee agency said the bombardment has put the last operating hospital in Yarmuk out of service and displaced most of the camp's 6,000 remaining civilians. Lourenco has vowed to tackle systemic corruption since he succeeded Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who had ruled Angola for 38 years Angolan President Joao Lourenco on Monday sacked his army forces' chief of staff over corruption allegations in a deepening purge of senior figures linked with graft. Lourenco has vowed to tackle systemic corruption since he succeeded Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who had ruled Angola for 38 years, in September. Geraldo Sachipengo Nunda was fired after being named by the attorney-general's office in an investigation into a fraudulent international credit scheme worth $50 billion. In a presidential statement, Lourenco named Antonio Egidio de Sousa Santos as the new army chief. During the country's oil boom, then-president dos Santos was accused of corruption and enriching a small elite, including his own family, while millions of Angolans remained in dire poverty. Lourenco, a veteran of the ruling MPLA party and previously a loyal minister under dos Santos, has surprised many by acting against state corruption and nepotism since taking over. Jose Filomeno dos Santos, the son of the former president, has been charged after allegedly siphoning off $1.5 billion when he ran the oil-rich country's sovereign wealth fund until he was sacked in January. Filomeno's half-sister Isabel dos Santos was also sacked from her job as head of state oil giant Sonangol and is now facing a graft probe. Thought to be Africa's richest woman, she has denied all allegations. The head of the intelligence services was also fired on Monday, while scores of other government officials and senior management of state-owned companies have also been removed. A picture obtained from Syria's Al-Watan newspaper shows the Syrian regime's security chief, General Ali Mamluk, in Damscus in 2015 Syrian security services chief Ali Mamluk has refused to appear before a military tribunal in Lebanon to face terror-related charges, a court source told AFP Monday. Mamluk, a member of President Bashar al-Assad's inner circle, was accused in 2013 by Lebanon's government of "attempting to murder politicians and other citizens, and carrying out terrorist acts". The charge is linked to a case that saw Lebanon's former information minister Michel Samaha sentenced to 13 years in prison after he was caught transporting explosives from Syria for use in attacks in Lebanon. Samaha admitted early on in his trial that he was plotting the attacks with Mamluk's help. Since 2013, Lebanon has had an arrest warrant out for Mamluk, 72, and has been serving subpoenas to Syria in his name, but it was unclear if he was receiving them. Monday's hearing marked a rare acknowledgement of an attempted delivery. "During a hearing by the military court on Monday, the subpoena returned (from Damascus) without the accused's signature," the source told AFP. "But it included a note saying the accused would only agree to appear in court in front of a commission made up entirely of major generals," said the court source, speaking on condition of anonymity. Without Mamluk's signature, the subpoena could not be considered successfully delivered by the court, which set a new hearing for October 29. Mamluk has rarely travelled outside of Syria -- or even appeared publicly -- since the conflict in his country erupted in March 2011. He was appointed as the head of national security in 2012 after a major explosion in Damascus killed four top security officials. Another legal source told AFP it would be impossible to honour Mamluk's request to appear before a special military court. "It would require a special law, and there aren't seven major generals in Lebanon. Only the heads of security agencies have that title," the source said. Daniel Rendon Herrera (C), shown here being escorted by police officers after his arrest in April 2009, will face US federal drug trafficking charges Colombia on Monday extradited to the United States a former right-wing paramilitary leader who is accused of having headed one of the country's largest drug cartels. Daniel Rendon Herrera, also known as "Don Mario," was handed over to agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and "is en route to the United States," said Colombia's police chief General Jorge Nieto. A former leader of Colombia's "united self-defense forces," the right-wing paramilitary groups that formed to fight Marxist rebels, Rendon is due to appear before a US federal judge in New York on drug trafficking charges. Rendon was captured in a jungle raid in 2009 but the Supreme Court initially ruled that he could not be extradited until he had taken part in the country's reparations process, which provides a degree of amnesty for former fighters who testify about crimes committed during the country's half-century of civil war. Rendon had commanded a paramilitary outfit in the Eastern Plains region of Colombia before forming one of the most powerful and feared drugs cartels in the country, known as the Gulf Clan. The self-defense groups had been formed in the 1990s to fight the Marxist guerillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and were disbanded in 2006 during the presidency of Alvaro Uribe. The FARC signed a final peace deal with the Colombian government in 2016, but the country remains the world's leading supplier of cocaine, much of which is smuggled to the United States, the world's leading consumer of the drug. Abdel Rahman Nawfal, 12, sits in a hospital in the West Bank city of Ramallah on April 23, 2018, after his leg was amputated following an injury sustained during clashes with Israeli forces near the Gaza-Israel border Doctors have amputated the leg of a Palestinian boy whose image went viral after he was shot by Israeli troops in clashes on the Gaza border with Israel. A picture of 12-year-old Abdel Rahman Nawfal screaming in pain after being shot was widely shared on Palestinian and Arabic social media last week after he was shot near the border fence. The shooting occurred on Tuesday during clashes along the frontier east of Al-Bureij in central Gaza. He was later taken from Gaza to the West Bank for treatment but doctors were unable to save the leg. Attempting to smile as he lay on his hospital bed in Ramallah, Nawfal said he had been stoning Israeli soldiers close to the border when he was shot. "My friends went to throw stones at the army near Al-Bureij camp. I went with them and started to throw stones," he told AFP. "Soon after I felt the injury." He said he dreamed of becoming a doctor and would still like to realise that dream. To leave Gaza for treatment in the West Bank, Palestinians have to get permits from Israel which critics say are difficult to obtain. On Friday, Gaza teenager Mohammed Ayoub was killed by Israeli gunfire during border protests. The 15-year-old's death, and the wounding of other youths brought a scathing response from a senior United Nations official. "It is OUTRAGEOUS to shoot at children... #Children must be protected from #violence, not exposed to it," UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Nikolay Mladenov wrote on Twitter. The Israeli army said on Saturday that it was opening an investigation into the incident, in accordance with standard procedure. Forty Palestinians in Gaza have been killed since wide-scale protest broke out on March 30. The Israeli army says its troops only open fire in self-defence or to stop protesters attempting to breach the barrier separating the territory from Israel. It accuses Hamas of routinely endangering children. "Every week it places young children and women on the front line of the riots, sending them to the security fence and using them as a 'human shield' for the realisation of its goals," Saturday's statement said. Israel has for a decade maintained a blockade of Gaza it says is necessary to isolate the strip's Islamist leaders Hamas. Critics say it amounts to collective punishment of the two million residents. A uniformed soldier of the pro-independence Polisario Front stands before a Sahrawi flag flying at the Boujdour refugee camp near the town of Tindouf in Western Algeria on October 17, 2017. The UN Security Council is expected to adopt a draft resolution this week that would press Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front to prepare for negotiations on ending the Western Sahara conflict, according to the text obtained by AFP on Monday. The United States presented the proposed measure to the council ahead of Wednesday's vote on renewing for one year the mandate of the small UN mission monitoring a ceasefire in Western Sahara. The renewal of the MINURSO mission would be coupled with a firm appeal from the council to the parties to set their sights on a return to the negotiating table to seek a settlement to the decades-old conflict. The council "emphasizes the importance of the parties' commitment to advancing the political process in preparation for a fifth round of negotiations," said the draft resolution sent to the council on Friday. The fourth round of UN-brokered negotiations on a Western Sahara settlement was held in 2008. The draft calls on "neighboring states to make important contributions to the political process and to increase their engagement in the negotiating process", a message directed at Algeria. Algeria's Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel this month said his government supports the Polisario but will not take part in negotiations, rejecting Morocco's view that Algiers should be at the table. - UN chief asked to step in - Morocco and the Polisario fought for control of Western Sahara from 1975 to 1991, when a ceasefire was reached and the UN mission deployed to monitor the truce. After a spike in tensions in a buffer zone set up under the ceasefire agreement, the proposed resolution would call on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to step in and "interview the parties in an effort to better understand" differences over the military arrangements. Guterres last year appointed former German president and International Monetary Fund director Horst Koehler to be his new envoy for Western Sahara with a mandate to re-start negotiations. Koehler is expected to make a new regional tour soon to speak to all sides and gauge prospects for re-starting talks, which some diplomats say could happen later this year. The draft resolution sets no timetable for re-launching talks, but stressed "the need to make progress toward a realistic, practicable and enduring political solution to the question of Western Sahara." Morocco maintains that negotiations on a settlement should focus on its proposal for autonomy for Western Sahara and rejects the Polisario's insistence on an independence referendum. The Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), declared by the Polisario in 1976, is a full member of the African Union. The mostly desert territory has rich fishing grounds off its coast and may have untapped offshore oil deposits. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is optimistic about talks with North Korea US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday he saw reasons to be optimistic about talks with North Korea, after Pyongyang announced it was halting nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches. "Right now, I think there is a lot of reasons for optimism that the negotiations will be fruitful, and we'll see," Mattis told Pentagon reporters as he greeted General Prawit Wongsuwan, the deputy leader of the Thai junta who also serves as defense minister. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared over the weekend that Pyongyang had no further need for nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile launches, and no further use for its atomic test site. The move comes ahead of Friday's historic inter-Korea summit between Kim and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in. Kim is expected to meet US President Donald Trump in late May or early June. Spokesman Colonel Rob Manning said the Pentagon has not changed its readiness to fight on the Korean Peninsula in light of recent developments. "From a military perspective from the Department of Defense, there has been no change in our posture and our determination to be ready to fight tonight," Manning said. The US has about 28,500 troops based in South Korea, as well as a large military presence constantly monitoring the region's skies and oceans. Manning added that the US has not changed its conditions "with the demand for the complete, irreversible and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." South Korea's military earlier switched off giant loudspeakers blasting messages toward the North's soldiers at the border, in a conciliatory gesture ahead of Friday's talks. A Nepalese peacekeeper patrols outside the UN Protection of Civilians (PoC) site in Juba, South Sudan UN peacekeepers from Nepal are facing allegations of child rape in South Sudan, the UN spokesman said Monday, describing the case as "especially heinous." At the request of the United Nations, Nepal agreed to send a team of investigators to work with the UN office of internal oversight on the case. "Any act of sexual abuse is horrendous," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. "One involving a child is especially heinous." The allegations were received on April 13 and involve Nepalese troops serving in the UN mission in South Sudan who allegedly raped two teenage girls, UN officials said. It remains unclear how many Nepalese soldiers are involved. The United Nations has deployed 14,800 troops and police in South Sudan, with a mandate to protect civilians caught up in a brutal war between President Salva Kiir's forces and rebels. In February, 46 UN peacekeepers from Ghana were recalled from their base in northwestern South Sudan after the mission received allegations of sexual exploitation of women. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has vowed to toughen the UN response to allegations of misconduct against the blue helmets, whose mission is to protect vulnerable civilians in conflict zones. Yemeni boys, injured in an air raid on a wedding party in Yemen, receive treatment at a hospital in Yemen's Hajjah province on April 23, 2018 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday strongly condemned airstrikes on a wedding in Yemen that killed dozens of people, including children, and called for an investigation. Yemen's Huthi rebels have blamed the Saudi-led coalition for the attack on the wedding in northern Hajjah province late Sunday. Guterres "strongly condemns the airstrikes on a wedding party in Hajjah and on civilian vehicles in Taez, where at least 50 civilians, including children, were reportedly killed and scores of others injured," said a UN statement. The UN chief "reminds all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law concerning the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure during armed conflicts." He called for "a prompt, effective and transparent investigation" of the air strikes which were carried out as the United Nations is seeking to re-launch political talks to end the war in Yemen. Guterres last year put the Saudi-led coalition on a UN blacklist of child rights' violators for killing and maiming children in Yemen. The coalition intervened in March 2015 to push back the Huthis who continue to control the capital Sanaa. The Huthis on Monday accused the coalition of killing their political leader, Saleh al-Sammad, in an air strike last week. The war in Yemen has killed thousands of people and led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 75 percent of the population in dire need of aid while one million Yemenis have been ill from cholera. A picture taken in from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip shows smoke billowing following an explosion close to the border on the Egyptian side of the divided city Egypt's military operations against an affiliate of the Islamic State group in North Sinai is threatening to spark a humanitarian crisis, Human Rights Watch said on Monday. The offensive launched on February 9 has "left up to 420,000 residents in four northeastern cities in urgent need of humanitarian aid", said the New York-based organisation. The campaign "has included imposing severe restrictions on the movement of people and goods in almost all of" North Sinai, HRW said in a report. "Residents say they have experienced sharply diminished supplies of available food, medicine, cooking gas, and other essential commercial goods." The authorities conducting the campaign, dubbed "Sinai 2018", have also banned the sale of gasoline for cars in the area "and cut telecommunication services for several days at a time," the report said. The Egyptian army denounced the report, saying it was based on "undocumented and unreliable sources". "We are distributing food rations to people, including in areas where military operations are taking place," army spokesman Tamer al-Rifai told AFP. HRW also said authorities had "cut water and electricity almost entirely in the most eastern areas of North Sinai, including Rafah and Sheikh Zuwayed." "A counterterrorism operation that imperils the flow of essential goods to hundreds of thousands of civilians is unlawful and unlikely to stem violence," said Sarah Leah Whitson, the organisation's Middle East and North Africa director. "The Egyptian army's actions border on collective punishment," she added. The army spokesman denied water and electricity had been cut. Since the launch of the offensive, the military has distributed images of forces providing humanitarian assistance to people living in the area. According to the military, residents support the campaign and many have come forward with useful information to help the authorities neutralise the jihadists. Security forces have stepped up efforts to quell attacks by an Egyptian jihadist group that later declared allegiance to IS since Islamist president Mohamed Morsi was deposed in 2013. Morsi was forced out by the military, following mass protests against him. IS has killed hundreds of soldiers, policemen and civilians, mainly in its North Sinai stronghold but also elsewhere in Egypt. More than 100 jihadists and at least 30 soldiers have been killed in this year's operation, according to army figures. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured in March 2018, made a call for an overhaul of the Iran nuclear deal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a fresh call Monday for an overhaul of the Iran nuclear deal as US President Donald Trump's deadline for further Iranian concessions edged closer. Trump has threatened to tear up the 2015 agreement that lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs to its nuclear activity, unless it curbs its ballistic missile programme by May 12. "Israel will not allow regimes that seek our annihilation to acquire nuclear weapons," Netanyahu told an audience of diplomats in a speech in Jerusalem. "This is why this deal has to be either fully fixed or fully nixed," he said in English. Iran says it is ready to relaunch its nuclear programme -- which the West suspects is designed to produce a bomb -- if Trump kills the deal. Netanyahu said the 2015 agreement leaves Iran able to quickly reboot its nuclear programme to enable military production. "It gives Iran a clear path to a nuclear arsenal," he said. "It allows, over a few years, unlimited enrichment of uranium, the core ingredient required to produce nuclear bombs." The United States delivered much the same message Monday, at a meeting of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in Geneva. Christopher Ford, US Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation, said the Islamic republic's nuclear programme remained "dangerously close to rapid weaponisation". Iran insists it never intended to build a nuclear weapon. CIA Director Mike Pompeo, President Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of state The powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee was expected Monday to oppose President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, in an unprecedented rebuke that could unsettle delicate US negotiations with North Korea. That vote, scheduled for about 5:00 pm (2100 GMT), would not sink the nomination outright. Pompeo's odds of confirmation by the full Senate actually received a boost Monday when two Democrats announced their support for the 54-year-old. But it would put a negative recommendation before the closely-divided chamber, bruising the standing of the likely top diplomat as Washington addresses international challenges including North Korea's nuclear threat, the Iran nuclear deal, unrest in Syria, and Russian election meddling. The White House had pressured senators to endorse Pompeo, currently the CIA director, with Trump blasting Democrats as "obstructionists" and his spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accusing them of playing "political games" with the crucial cabinet post. But the committee, with 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats, appeared prepared to vote against the nomination, with Republican maverick Rand Paul set to join all the Democrats in opposition. "Hard to believe Obstructionists may vote against Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State. The Dems will not approve hundreds of good people," Trump tweeted Monday. "We certainly hope that some members will change their minds," Sanders said on Fox News. "At some point, Democrats have to decide whether they love this country more than they hate this president." The needle did move in Pompeo's favor when Senate Democrats Joe Manchin and Joe Donnelly joined colleague Heidi Heitkamp in announcing their support for Pompeo. All three Democrats face tough November re-election battles in states that Trump won in 2016. Donnelly said Pompeo, a former congressman from Kansas, was "capable of advancing US interests." "I strongly believe that a successful, peaceful outcome will require a comprehensive strategy and a full team on the field, including an effective State Department, to leverage all available tools," he said in a statement. Pompeo appeared on track for the dubious distinction of becoming the first secretary of state-designate on record to be rejected by the committee, according to the Senate Historical Office. Despite the increased likelihood that Pompeo will squeak through the full Senate later this week, confirmation is no guarantee: approving a rejected cabinet-level nominee on the Senate floor hasn't happened since 1945. With Paul against Pompeo, and cancer-stricken Senator John McCain unable to vote, the White House can afford only one other Republican defector. - CIA chief has Trump's ear - Pompeo, who has served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency since the beginning of the Trump administration, has become one of the president's closest advisors. He would replace Rex Tillerson, the former oil executive who was fired in March after a rocky relationship with the White House and a management approach that left the State Department understaffed and demoralized. Pompeo has played a central role in talks with North Korea in which Washington hopes to persuade Pyongyang to roll back its menacing nuclear weapons program. He secretly travelled to Pyongyang around the end of March to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who is expected to hold a summit with Trump, perhaps in early June. But Democrats have assailed Pompeo for a record of bellicose statements which they say are at odds with his prospective job as the top US diplomat, and also have cited anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ statements he has made in the past. Others, like Senator Maggie Hassan, said they worried Pompeo was too close politically to the president to stand up to him if need be. Hassan said Monday she was "concerned that Mr. Pompeo would be unable to rise above a partisan perspective when making foreign policy decisions." Republican Senator Tom Cotton warned on CBS's "Face the Nation" program Sunday that the vote is "driven 100 percent by politics," and that Pompeo "recognizes that the credible threat of military force is essential to getting diplomatic solutions." A woman is seen next to UN soldiers as inhabitants of the mainly Muslim PK5 neighbourhood demonstrate in front of the headquarters of MINUSCA, the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central Africa Republic, in Bangui, on April 11, 2018 Four people were killed in clashes between UN peacekeepers and an armed group in the southwest of the Central African Republic, an area so far spared much of the violence that has ravaged the country since 2013, a security source said on Monday. "Four people were killed. One of them was apparently the head of Siriri," the source said, referring to a new armed group set up at the end of last year. The United Nations' mission in the Central African Republic, MINUSCA, said in a statement that it had "intervened on Sunday morning in the prefecture of Mambere Kadei... to stop the movement of armed elements of the Siriri group to the town of Gamboula." "Upon arrival at the village of Nassole, where members of the Siriri group had erected a barricade, the peacekeepers were the target of enemy fire and fired back, causing casualties among the attackers," the MINUSCA statement said. "MINUSCA has strengthened its security apparatus in this area," it added. There have been a number of deadly clashes between peacekeepers and militia in CAR in recent weeks. On April 12, two inmates were killed and a third was injured after violence erupted in Bangui's Ngaragba central prison. In a separate incident, 19 people, including a UN soldier, were killed and more than 100 wounded in clashes in the volatile PK5 Muslim enclave of the capital. Those clashes marked the bloodiest incident in Bangui since President Faustin-Archange Touadera was elected in 2016. The former French colony of 4.5 million people spiralled into bloodshed after longtime leader Francois Bozize was overthrown in 2013 by the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance. France intervened militarily from 2013 to 2016 to push out the Seleka alliance but wound down the operation after Touadera came to power. The country remains plagued by violence between ex-rebels and vigilante militias. MINUSCA plays a crucial role in supporting Touadera's government, which can claim to control just a fifth of the country, with the rest in the hands of militias. Former President of Malawi Joyce Banda has been in self-imposed exile abroad since 2014 Malawi's former president Joyce Banda will arrive home this week after four years of self-imposed exile that saw an arrest warrant issued against her for alleged corruption, her party said on Monday. Nowa Chimpeni, a spokesman for Banda's People's Party (PP) told local media she was returning to rebuild the party ahead of May 2019 elections. "I can confirm to our followers and Malawians at large that the former president of this country Dr. Joyce Banda will be arriving in this country on Saturday," Chimpeni said. He added that Banda intended to "reorganise her party" after many members abandoned it for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) during her four-year absence, in which she lived in the United States, South Africa and Britain. Last year police issued an arrest warrant for Banda in connection with the country's "Cashgate" corruption scandal, which involved large-scale looting of government coffers. Police spokesperson James Kadadzera said the warrant remained valid but he declined to say if she would be detained upon arrival. Cashgate is the biggest financial scandal in Malawi's history and helped push Banda out of power in 2014 when she lost out to President Peter Mutharika. US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walk after a tree planting ceremony with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron on the South Lawn of the White House After a friendly dinner at a US landmark, US President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron were to get down to business Tuesday on divisive issues like the Iran nuclear accord and international trade. They were to meet face to face for half an hour, and then again for an hour in a broader meeting with more aides -- the climax of of Macron's three-day state visit to Washington. Before getting the full red carpet treatment at the White House on Monday -- payback for wooing Trump with military parades and a dazzling Eiffel Tower dinner in Paris last July -- Macron took an impromptu stroll to the Lincoln Memorial with his wife Brigitte. Hailing the "very important" visit, Macron then rolled into the West Wing from Lafayette Square -- named after the storied French general who fought in America's war for independence -- beneath dozens of fluttering tricolor French flags and before a full US military color guard. Waiting at the door, the US president smiled and held out his hand for Macron to shake, and the French leader kissed him on both cheeks. Later, the first couples had dinner at Mount Vernon, the mansion that was the home of George Washington, the first US president. US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron are to meet face to face for half an hour, and then again for an hour in a broader meeting with more aides They talked about the state of the US economy, Trump's approval rating, the mid-term elections in November in the US, internet regulation and the fight against Islamist terror, according to the French leader's office. Trump is deeply unpopular in France and Macron, like other world leaders -- from Japan's Shinzo Abe to Britain's Theresa May -- is under growing pressure to show voters the benefits of his courtship with the 71-year-old Republican. Looming over it all are two May deadlines that have the potential to wreck already fragile trans-Atlantic relations. - War 'against everybody... doesn't work' - Biting trade sanctions on European steel and aluminum will enter into force on May 1 unless Trump agrees to sign a waiver. If he refuses, there are fears of a full-fledged trade war. Meanwhile, France and other European nations are battling to save a complex nuclear deal with Iran, which Trump will scuttle if he refuses to waive sanctions against Tehran by a May 12 deadline. The Macron-Trump relationship Iran says it is ready to relaunch its nuclear program -- which the West suspects is designed to produce a bomb -- if Trump kills the deal. European officials say Trump's demand to reopen the deal are impossible, and are scrambling to address his concerns on Tehran's missile testing, inspections and the regime's behavior in the region. There is growing frustration in European capitals that Trump's stubbornness over the Obama-era agreement is diverting attention away from other pressing issues. In an interview broadcast on the eve of his arrival, Macron went on Trump's favorite television channel, Fox News, to make his pitch. "If you make war against everybody," Macron said, "trade war against Europe, war in Syria, war against Iran - come on -- it doesn't work. You need allies. We are the allies." Macron will also be keen to temper Trump's instinct to precipitously pull the US military out of Syria, amid cooperation in fighting the Islamic State group and coordinated strikes on chemical weapons installations operated by Damascus. "I think the US role is very important to play," he said. "Why? I will be very blunt. The day we will have finished this war against ISIS, if we leave, definitely and totally, even from a political point of view, we will leave the floor to the Iranian regime, Bashar al-Assad and these guys." - 'Now - we will work together' - In public, both countries are keen to emphasize their historic relationship -- recalling that France was the first ally of American revolutionaries fighting for independence. Macron brought with him an oak sapling that he and Trump planted at the White House on Monday as a symbol of friendship. It comes from near the site of the Battle of Belleau Woods in northern France, where 2,000 US Marines perished at the end of World War I. US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, and French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, walk prior to dinner at Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of the first US president George Washington The pair, clearly relaxed, also briefly visited the Oval Office before heading to Mount Vernon. On a personal level, despite sharp differences in political background, age and lifestyle, the presidents seem to have struck up a bond as fellow outsiders who outwitted the establishment to gain power. "We have a very special relationship because both of us are probably the maverick of the systems on both sides," Macron told Fox News. Trump himself told Macron their "friendship" was "unbreakable" during his trip to Paris last year. When asked about their first encounter -- a much-scrutinized six-second handshake during a NATO summit in May -- Macron acknowledged it had was a "very direct, lucid moment" that had set the tone between them. "And a very friendly moment," he added. "It was to say now, we will work together." On Wednesday, the centrist leader will demonstrate his English-language skills -- a rarity for a French president -- in an address to a joint session of Congress. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un expressed "bitter sorrow" over a bus crash said to have killed 32 Chinese tourists and four North Koreans North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un visited China's embassy in Pyongyang to express his "bitter sorrow" after a bus crash killed dozens of Chinese tourists, state media reported early Tuesday. Thirty-two Chinese tourists and four North Koreans were killed when a bus plunged from a bridge in North Korea late Sunday, according to Chinese officials. In a rare admission of negative news from North Korea's tightly controlled propaganda network, the state-run KCNA news agency ran a report saying Kim met the Chinese ambassador early Monday and later visited crash survivors in hospital. "He said that the unexpected accident brought bitter sorrow to his heart and that he couldn't control his grief at the thought of the bereaved families who lost their blood relatives," KCNA reported. The agency quoted the North Korean leader as saying his people "take the tragic accident as their own misfortune." The report said the crash was caused by "an unexpected traffic accident that claimed heavy causalities among Chinese tourists." It gave no details on the numbers killed or injured. Kim's visit to the embassy will be seen as an indication of how seriously Pyongyang takes the accident. The KCNA report twice mentioned Chinese officials thanking Kim for taking time out of his "busy" schedule to meet them following the crash. "The ambassador and staff members of the Chinese embassy here repeatedly expressed gratitude to Chairman Kim Jong Un for showing deep care and personally taking detailed measures as regards the recent sudden accident though he is busy with his important political schedule," KCNA reported. North Korea's sole ally is China, which provides an important economic and political buffer against international opprobrium. Relations have been strained by Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missile testings, which prompted Beijing to back a series of United Nations sanctions last year. Pyongyang has made moves to mend fences with Beijing ahead of a summit Friday with South Korea's President Moon Jae-In followed by a planned face-to-face with US President Donald Trump. In March, Kim paid a secretive visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, his first known voyage outside his country's borders since he assumed power in 2011. CIA Director Mike Pompeo is President Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of state US President Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, narrowly won approval from a Senate panel Monday, paving the way for the CIA director to become America's top diplomat. A dramatic last-minute flip by Republican Senator Rand Paul, who for weeks had expressed opposition to Pompeo over his stance on the Iraq war and surveillance issues, gave the spy chief a narrow edge. That allowed Trump to avoid an embarrassing setback as he sought to replace Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state he fired in March. If Paul had not reversed his position, Pompeo would have become the first secretary of state-nominee on record to be rejected by the committee, according to the Senate Historical Office. Paul said he changed his vote after speaking to Trump "several times," and after meeting with Pompeo. The maverick Republican said he was assured that Trump believes the Iraq war was a mistake and wants to end the US presence there and in Afghanistan. "I haven't been given anything, haven't been promised anything," Paul said. "The president has assured me there is going to be a discussion" on those issues. As for Pompeo, Paul said, "He's assured me that he's learned the lesson" of Iraq and "has incorporated the idea that the Iraq war was a mistake." Pompeo's nomination will now proceed to a vote by the complete Senate, where the support of at least three Democrats guarantees its passage. - Leader of talks with North Korea - A negative vote could have unsettled delicate negotiations with North Korea. Pompeo has taken the lead in arranging a historic summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader. The summit aims to reduce tensions brought about by Pyongyang's development of a nuclear weapon and ballistic missiles powerful enough to deliver it to American soil. Pompeo secretly traveled to Pyongyang in late March to meet with Kim to lay the groundwork for the meeting, which could take place in early June. Director of the Central Intelligence Agency since the beginning of the Trump administration, Pompeo has become one of the president's closest advisors. He would replace Tillerson, the former oil executive who was pushed out in March after a rocky relationship with the White House and a management approach that left the State Department understaffed and demoralized. But Democrats have assailed Pompeo for a record of bellicose statements they say are at odds with his prospective job as the top US diplomat, and also have cited anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ statements he has made in the past. Others, like Senator Maggie Hassan, said they worried Pompeo was too close politically to the president to stand up to him if need be. Hassan said she was "concerned that Mr Pompeo would be unable to rise above a partisan perspective when making foreign policy decisions." NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The man who wrestled the gun away from the Waffle House shooting suspect in Tennessee said Sunday if he were going to die, the gunman would "have to work to kill me." Police are calling James Shaw Jr. a hero for saving lives in the busy restaurant, but the 29-year-old Nashville resident said he only made a split-second decision to challenge the shooter and called it a "selfish" act to avoid being killed. Shaw said at a news conference Sunday he had spent an evening out at a nightclub and entered the restaurant minutes ahead of the gunman. He said he and another friend were seated at a counter when he heard gunshots, thinking at first that a stack of freshly washed plates had crashed down. James Shaw Jr., shows his hand that was injured when he disarmed a shooter inside a Waffle House on Sunday, April 22, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. A gunman stormed the Waffle House restaurant and shot several people to death before dawn, according to police, who credited Shaw, a customer with saving lives by wresting the assailant's weapon away. (Larry McCormack/The Tennessean via AP) Then, he said, restaurant workers scattered and he turned and saw a body near the front door as the gunman burst in. It was then he realized he had heard gunshots. "I looked back and I saw a person lying on the ground right at the entrance of the door, then I jumped and slid ... I went behind a push door - a swivel door," Shaw said. "He shot through that door; I'm pretty sure he grazed my arm. At that time I made up my mind ... that he was going to have to work to kill me. When the gun jammed or whatever happened, I hit him with the swivel door." Shaw said it was then that they began wrestling, ignoring his own pain as he grabbed the hot barrel of the AR-15 weapon. "He was kind of cussing while we were wrestling around. When I finally got the gun he was cussing like I was in the wrong," he said. "It wasn't any kind of talking between us; I just knew I just had to get that away from him." Of the gun, he added: "I grabbed it from him and threw it over the countertop and I just took him with me out the entrance." Shaw said after getting the man out of the Waffle House, he then ran one way and saw the suspect jogging or trotting another way. Shaw's right hand was bandaged at the news conference. He also said he had an apparent bullet graze on one elbow and fell and hit his knee as he escaped, landing in the hospital for a time early Sunday. He added he didn't see himself as a hero, but feels certain he wouldn't be alive if he hadn't succeeded. "I didn't really fight that man to save everyone else. That may not be a popular thing," said Shaw, who was raised in the area, went to Tennessee State University and now works as a wireless technician for AT&T. "I took the gun so I could get myself out" of the situation. But he said he was glad to save other lives as well. At Sunday's news conference, Waffle House CEO Walter Ehmer joined several law enforcement agents in thanking Shaw for his bravery. "You don't get to meet too many heroes in life," Ehmer said before addressing Shaw, who dabbed at tears in his eyes. "We are forever in your debt." When Shaw's father went to visit him in the hospital before he was released, he had one piece of advice for his son: "Don't do that again." "I take no pride in him charging a loaded gun," James Shaw Sr. said. "I do take pride in him helping save the lives of other people." After the son's release from the hospital, the family went to church together. Hero James Shaw wipes tears away during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the suspect. To Shaw's right is Nashville Metro Mayor David Briley and to his left is FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew Espenshade. (Wade Payn/The Tennessean via AP) Hero James Shaw holds back tears during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Behind Shaw is Nashville Metro Mayor David Briley. (Wade Payn/The Tennessean via AP) Hero James Shaw speaks during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the suspect. (Wade Payne/The Tennessean via AP) Waffle House hero James Shaw, left, gets a standing ovation after speaking during a press conference Sunday, April 22, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the shooting suspect. Behind Shaw is police spokesman Don Aaron. (Wade Payn/The Tennessean via AP) James Shaw, right, gets a hug from Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the suspect. (Wade Payne/The Tennessean via AP) Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer pauses while speaking during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. (Wade Payne/The Tennessean via AP) Waffle House hero James Shaw speaks during a press conference on the shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the suspect. (Wade Payne/The Tennessean via AP) James Shaw, center, sits with FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew Espenshade, left, and Nashville Metro Mayor David Briley during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the suspect. (Wade Payne/The Tennessean via AP) Metro Nashville Police bomb squad personnel arrive at Discovery at Mountain View Apartments Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. At least four people died when a gunman opened fire at a nearby Waffle House restaurant earlier in the day. (Shelley Mays, The Tennessean via AP) This photo provided by the Metro Nashville Police Department photo shows the rifle used in the deadly shooting at a Waffle House on Sunday, April 22, 2018, in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville. (Metro Nashville Police Department via AP) Law enforcement officials work the scene of a fatal shooting at a Waffle House in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, Sunday, April 22, 2018. (George Walker IV/The Tennessean via AP) This photo provided by Metro Nashville Police Department shows Travis Reinking, who police are searching for in connection with a fatal shooting at a Waffle House restaurant in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville early Sunday, April 22, 2018. (Metro Nashville Police Department via AP) NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Jurors weren't allowed to hear testimony that Bill Cosby's chief accuser was once hooked on hallucinogenic mushrooms or had her sights set on becoming a millionaire, but that hasn't stopped the defense from airing the explosive claims about Andrea Constand in the court of public opinion. With Cosby's sexual assault retrial heading for deliberations this week, the 80-year-old comedian's lawyers and publicists are increasingly playing to an audience of millions, not just the 12 people deciding his fate. They're hitting at Constand's credibility in the media with attacks that Judge Steven O'Neill is deeming too prejudicial or irrelevant for court, and they're holding daily press briefings portraying Cosby as the victim of an overzealous prosecutor and an unjust legal system. Bill Cosby departs after his sexual assault trial, Friday, April 20, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt has decried Constand's allegations of drugging and molestation as "fantastical stories" and deemed District Attorney Kevin Steele an "extortionist" for spending taxpayer money on the case. Lawyer Dennis McAndrews, who's been in court following the retrial, said prominent defendants like Cosby almost always play to the court of public opinion when there's no gag order, but that his team's approach hasn't been "particularly effective or convincing." "It is so strident, and it is so hyperbolic, I think most people will turn it off," said McAndrews, who prosecuted chemical heir John E. du Pont for murder in 1997 and is not associated with either side in the Cosby case. O'Neill is expected to rule Monday on what could be the Cosby team's last line of attack in the courtroom: whether jurors can hear deposition testimony that Cosby's lawyers say could have insights into what led Constand to accuse him. Constand's confidante, Sheri Williams, gave the testimony as part of Constand's 2005 lawsuit against Cosby, which he wound up settling for nearly $3.4 million. Cosby's lawyers said that testimony is vital because Williams is not responding to subpoena attempts. Cosby's lawyers are expected to call an agent and an aviation consultant to the witness stand on Monday as they continue to make the case that he never visited his suburban Philadelphia mansion in January 2004 - the month Constand says he knocked her out with pills and molested her there. The date is important because Cosby was not charged until December 2015, just before the 12-year statute of limitations was set to expire. Cosby's lead attorney, Tom Mesereau, opened the retrial by calling Constand a "con artist" who framed Cosby for a big payday. Her former Temple University colleague Marguerite Jackson testified that Constand once mused about setting up a high-profile person. Mesereau raised Constand's alleged drug use on Friday in a courtroom full of reporters, but no jurors, saying bus driver Robert Russell's testimony would contradict her claims of living a healthy, holistic life. Wyatt repeated the allegations to the TV cameras outside the courthouse. Constand's lawyer, Dolores Troiani, said in an interview that she had serious doubts about Russell's claims that Constand made extensive use of mushrooms and marijuana when they were friends in Toronto in 2001. "This lady is a health nut," said Troiani. In court, Mesereau argued that Russell's testimony would crack Constand's "false aura" that she's the "purest person" and undercut the prosecution's suggestion that she's "some innocent babe in the woods." "According to her close friend for a number of years, that's nonsense," Mesereau said. O'Neill swiftly rejected the drug testimony, saying Constand's behavior three years before the alleged assault was irrelevant. He also prevented Russell from testifying that Constand went to the U.S. with a goal of becoming a millionaire, saying it was too broad a claim to have any relevance to the assertion that she framed Cosby for money. Some damage was already done, Troiani said. "It is absolutely part of their strategy to smear her reputation," Troiani said. "They know they have judicial immunity, so they can say these things whether or not there's a basis in fact." The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand has done. ___ Follow Mike Sisak at https://twitter.com/mikesisak. ___ For more coverage visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/CosbyonTrial. Bill Cosby departs after his sexual assault trial, Friday, April 20, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Attorney Tom Mesereau arrives for Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial, Friday, April 20, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Attorney Kathleen Bliss arrives for Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial, Friday, April 20, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) MEXICO CITY (AP) - The first of Mexico's presidential debates opened Sunday night with rivals concentrating their fire on front-runner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who defended the idea of an amnesty to fight drug violence and revived his famous campaign slogan from 2006, "For the good of all, the poor come first." The leftist candidate defended his proposals to "speak with everybody" to solve Mexico's crime problem. He said he would even invite the pope to discuss how to carry out such a dialogue. The other candidates harshly criticized the amnesty proposal. Third-place candidate Jose Antonio Meade said the proposal put Lopez Obrador "on the side of the criminals." The President of the National Electoral Institute, INE, Lorenzo Cordova Vianello speaks to the press before, the first of three debates among its presidential candidates in Mexico City, Sunday, April 22, 2018. Mexico will hold general elections on July 1. (AP Photo / Marco Ugarte) But all of the candidates conceded that Mexico's anti-crime and law enforcement policies have been a failure. Even Meade, who is running for the governing Institutional Revolutionary Party, the PRI, and who served in several Cabinet posts in the current administration, acknowledged the weakness of police. "Above all, we don't investigate," he said. Several candidates proposed creating an FBI-style federal investigation agency to make up for the fact that drug cartels operate freely in many parts of Mexico. Since his failed presidential bids in 2006 and 2012, Lopez Obrador has sought to move to the middle and hadn't much mentioned the "poor come first" slogan of the 2006 campaign until Sunday. He later hedged it a bit, saying that if he is elected, his government "would represent the rich and the poor." In 2006, Lopez Obrador also held a significant lead early in the race, and conservative sectors sought to link him to another leftist - then President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, whose socialist policies are blamed by many for the economic implosion that is wracking that country. Ricardo Anaya, the former head of the conservative National Action Party, again sought to play the Venezuela card Sunday, saying Lopez Obrador's proposal to hold recall votes was similar to tactics used by Venezuela's ruling socialists to hold on to power. Known in the past for his extremely slow and often rambling speech, Lopez Obrador on Sunday was focused and appeared better prepared. He had little problem distinguishing himself from the other four candidates, because they all often turned to attack him. Lopez Obrador has held a lead of as much as 20 points in some opinion polls on the July 1 elections. "This isn't just another election," Lopez Obrador said. "This is to truly change things in this country." Lopez Obrador became overconfident in 2006, skipped a debate and eventually lost by a tiny margin, and that the danger appeared to hover over him Sunday. At one point he said: "Here is the latest poll and, not to brag, but with all humility, 48 percent. Something terrible would have to happen" for him not to win. Foreign policy was absent from the first debate, though it will be on the agenda for debates in May and June, but independent candidate and former first lady Margarita Zavala still got in a swipe at U.S. President Donald Trump. "The focus of my government will be to defend Mexicans, to defend you, from the corrupt ones, from the criminals, defend you from Trump," Zavala said. The debate was also marked by a couple of bizarre proposals. Independent candidate Jaime Rodriguez, the swaggering governor of the northern state of Nuevo Leon, proposed cutting off the hands of politicians who steal public funds. And, he said, "Mexico would be great ... if the president answered WhatsApp messages." Presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, with the MORENA party, arrives for the first of three debates among Mexico's presidential candidates in Mexico City, Sunday, April 22, 2018. Mexico will hold general elections on July 1. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) Presidential candidate Ricardo Anaya of the Forward for Mexico Coalition, arrives for the first of three debates among Mexico's presidential candidates in Mexico City, Sunday, April 22, 2018. Mexico will hold general elections on July 1. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) Presidential candidate Jose Antonio Meade, with the Institutional Revolutionary Party, PRI, waves to the press before the first of three debates among Mexico's presidential candidates in Mexico City, Sunday, April 22, 2018. Mexico will hold general elections on July 1. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) Former First Lady and independent presidential candidate Margarita Zavala, waves to the press before the first of three debates among Mexico's presidential candidates in Mexico City, Sunday, April 22, 2018. Mexico will hold general elections on July 1. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Latest on shooting at Tennessee restaurant that left four dead (all times local): 4:15 p.m. A sheriff in Illinois says Travis Reinking's state firearms card was revoked last year by state police, but his guns were given to his father with the promise that they wouldn't be shared with his son. Metro Nashville Police bomb squad personnel arrive at Discovery at Mountain View Apartments Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. At least four people died when a gunman opened fire at a nearby Waffle House restaurant earlier in the day. (Shelley Mays, The Tennessean via AP) Police in Tennessee are searching for the 29-year-old Reinking, saying he's suspected of fatally shooting four people at a Nashville restaurant early Sunday. The Metro Nashville Police Department says arrest warrants charging Reinking with murder have been issued. Police say Reinking was from Morton, Illinois, but moved to Nashville in 2017. Sheriff Robert Huston in Tazewell County, Illinois, says his department has "no information" on how Reinking got the weapons again. Huston says Reinking's father has a valid firearm ownership card, and his officers didn't believe they had any authority to seize the weapons. He says the father agreed to "keep the weapons secure and out of the possession of Travis." Phone calls to an Illinois phone number for Jeffrey Reinking, the father of the suspect, went unanswered. ___ 3:55 p.m. A Secret Service agent says the suspect in a fatal Tennessee restaurant shooting who was arrested last July outside the White House complex had hoped to talk to President Donald Trump. Special Agent Todd Hudson in Nashville says Travis Reinking "wanted to set up a meeting with the president." Hudson says Reinking tried to cross bike racks near the White House grounds that were part of security barriers. Reinking was asked to leave the restricted area, and when he declined, Hudson says he was arrested on a charge of unlawful entry. Reinking, who is from Morton, Illinois, was subsequently released and was later interviewed by the FBI and authorities in Tazewell County, Illinois. Police have issued arrest warrants charging the 29-year-old Reinking with multiple counts of criminal homicide in Sunday's shootings at a Nashville Waffle House that killed four people. ___ 3:30 p.m. Police have released the names of the four people who died after being shot at a Nashville Waffle House. In a news release, Metropolitan Nashville Police identified those killed Sunday as 29-year-old restaurant worker Taurean C. Sanderlin of Goodlettsville, 20-year-old restaurant patron Joe R. Perez of Nashville, and 23-year-old Akilah Dasilva of Nashville. The statement says Sanderlin and Perez were killed outside the restaurant and Dasilva was critically wounded inside and later died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. DeEbony Groves, a 21-year-old woman from Gallatin, Tennessee, was fatally wounded inside the restaurant. Also being treated for gunshot wounds at Vanderbilt are 21-year-old Shanita Waggoner and 24-year-old Sharita Henderson, both of Nashville. Police spokesman Don Aaron says efforts to locate 29-year-old suspect Travis Reinking are continuing. ___ 3 p.m. The man who wrested the gun away from the suspect in Nashville's Waffle House shooting says he had entered the restaurant just two minutes ahead of the gunman. James Shaw Jr. says he had gone to eat early Sunday after visiting a nightclub. He then heard gunshots, but initially though they were stacks of plates that had fallen over. Shaw says it was then that he saw restaurant workers scatter and a body near the front door as the gunman burst through the entrance. "He shot through that door; I'm pretty sure he grazed my arm. At that time I made up my mind ... that he was going to have to work to kill me. When the gun jammed or whatever happened, I hit him with the swivel door," Shaw told a news conference Sunday. The gun then jammed up, and Shaw managed to get one hand on the gun and grab it. He then threw it over the countertop and took the shooter with him out the entrance. Shaw says the shooter then trotted away. Authorities are hailing Shaw as a hero for preventing further bloodshed at the restaurant. ___ 2:30 p.m. Authorities say the suspect in a deadly shooting at a restaurant in Nashville was arrested last year by the U.S. Secret Service for being in a restricted area near the White House. Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said 29-year-old Travis Reinking's firearms authorization was then revoked at the request of the FBI, and four weapons were seized, including the AR-15 that he allegedly used in the shooting at the Waffle House restaurant early Sunday. Four people were killed. Aaron says the four guns were returned to the suspect's father, who acknowledged giving them back to his son. Police have the AR-15 and another gun found during a search earlier Sunday. But two other guns are unaccounted for. Aaron says Reinking is still at large following the 3:25 a.m. shooting and could possibly be armed with the two guns. __ 11 a.m. A U.S. congressman is calling for restricting access to some assault weapons in the wake of a shooting at a restaurant in Tennessee on Sunday that left four people dead. Rep. Jim Cooper issued a statement Sunday, calling for restricting "widespread civilian access to military-grade assault weapons." Cooper's statement came in the wake of a shooting at a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville. In addition to the four deaths, at least two people were injured. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said via Twitter that authorities are searching for 29-year-old Travis Reinking in connection with the shooting. Authorities had characterized the weapon used in the shooting as an "assault-type" rifle. ___ 7:30 a.m. Police in Nashville say three people are dead and four are injured after a shooting at a Waffle House restaurant early Sunday. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department says the gunman was a white man with short hair who was wearing only black pants and a coat. A customer at the restaurant took the gun from the suspect, who then took off his coat and fled the area. Police said via their Twitter account that authorities are searching for 29-year-old Travis Reinking. They said they named him as a suspect because the car that the gunman arrived in was registered to him. ___ This story has been corrects that Aaron said weapon used was an AR15, not AK-15, in first entry. James Shaw Jr., shows his hand that was injured when he disarmed a shooter inside a Waffle House on Sunday, April 22, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. A gunman stormed the Waffle House restaurant and shot several people to death before dawn, according to police, who credited Shaw, a customer with saving lives by wresting the assailant's weapon away. (Larry McCormack/The Tennessean via AP) Nashville Metro Police officers knock on doors at Discovery at Mountain View Apartments near the scene where four people died after a gunman opened fire at a Waffle House in Antioch early Sunday, April 22, 2018. It is believed the suspect has been living at the complex. (Shelley Mays /The Tennessean via AP) A police vehicle sits outside a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, April 22, 2018. A man wearing nothing but a coat stormed the restaurant before dawn Sunday and shot several people to death, according to police, who credited a customer with saving lives by wresting a weapon away from the gunman. (AP Photo/Sheila Burke) Metro Nashville Police investigate the scene at an Antioch Waffle House where at least four people died after a gunman opened fire early Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. (George Walker IV/The Tennessean via AP) A suspect's truck sits at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, April 22, 2018. At least four people died after a gunman opened fire at the restaurant early Sunday. (George Walker IV/The Tennessean via AP) A body is carried out of a Waffle House in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, April 22, 2018. At least four people died after a gunman opened fire at the restaurant early Sunday. (George Walker IV/ The Tennessean via AP) A Metro Nashville police officer places police tape at Discover at Mountain View Apartments near the Waffle House where four people died after a gunman opened fire early Sunday, April 22, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. (Shelley Mays/The Tennessean via AP) This photo provided by the Metro Nashville Police Department photo shows the rifle used in the deadly shooting at a Waffle House on Sunday, April 22, 2018, in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville. (Metro Nashville Police Department via AP) Bullet holes are seen at a Waffle House after a fatal shooting in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, Sunday, April 22, 2018. (George Walker IV/The Tennessean via AP) This photo provided by Metro Nashville Police Department shows Travis Reinking, who police are searching for in connection with a fatal shooting at a Waffle House restaurant in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville early Sunday, April 22, 2018. (Metro Nashville Police Department via AP) Hero James Shaw wipes tears away during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the suspect. To Shaw's right is Nashville Metro Mayor David Briley and to his left is FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew Espenshade. (Wade Payn/The Tennessean via AP) Waffle House hero James Shaw, left, gets a standing ovation after speaking during a press conference Sunday, April 22, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the shooting suspect. Behind Shaw is police spokesman Don Aaron. (Wade Payn/The Tennessean via AP) James Shaw, right, gets a hug from Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the suspect. (Wade Payne/The Tennessean via AP) Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer pauses while speaking during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. (Wade Payne/The Tennessean via AP) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Will North Korea give up the bomb? The answer may start becoming clear when South Korean President Moon Jae-in meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday. While North Korea declared over the weekend that it would stop nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and shut down its nuclear test site, it did not indicate that it will give up its nuclear arsenal or halt its production of missiles. Moon and President Donald Trump, who is expected to meet with Kim in May or June, are still likely to find it very difficult to persuade Kim to dismantle his entire arsenal, which includes purported thermonuclear weapons and developmental ICBMs. FILE - In this Nov. 3, 2008 file photo, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi attends a wreath laying ceremony in the Belarus capital Minsk. Shortly before he became Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton told Radio Free Asia that nuclear negotiations with North Korea should be similar to past discussions with Libya, which dismantled its rudimentary nuclear program in the 2000s. Western nations lifted punitive measures and removed Libya's name from the U.S. state sponsors of terrorism after former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi fulfilled his promise to turn over his nuclear materials, weapon components and bomb designs obtained from the black market.(AP Photo/Sergei Grits, File) But other countries that developed or tried to develop nuclear weapons have agreed to abandon them in exchange for sanctions relief and compensation. None of these cases are directly applicable to North Korea, which advanced further and with greater zeal than any of the others. A look at the past cases as Washington and its allies map out a denuclearization strategy for Pyongyang: ___ LIBYA Shortly before he became Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton told Radio Free Asia that nuclear negotiations with North Korea should be similar to past discussions with Libya, which dismantled its rudimentary nuclear program in the 2000s. Western nations lifted punitive measures and removed Libya's name from the U.S. state sponsors of terrorism after former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi fulfilled his promise to turn over his nuclear materials, weapons components and bomb designs obtained on the black market. "We should insist that if this meeting is going to take place, it will be similar to discussions we had with Libya 13 or 14 years ago - how to pack up their nuclear weapons program and take it to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which is where the Libyan nuclear program (is)," Bolton said. "If it's anything other than a conversation about how to do that, then I think it shows it's just camouflage for North Korea to continue working toward its long-sought objective of deliverable nuclear weapons." But some analysts say bringing up Libya would risk derailing any progress in negotiations with the North. Kim Jong Un took power weeks after Gadhafi's gruesome death at the hands of rebel forces amid a popular uprising in October 2011. The North has frequently used Gadhafi's death to justify its own nuclear development in the face of perceived U.S. threats. "The Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq and the Gadhafi regime in Libya could not escape the fate of destruction after being deprived of their foundations for nuclear development and giving up nuclear programs of their own accord, yielding to the pressure of the U.S. and the West keen on their regime changes," the North's official Korean Central News Agency said after the country's fourth nuclear test, in January 2016. ___ IRAN Some experts see Iran's case as the best available scenario for denuclearizing North Korea. Under a 2015 deal struck with six foreign powers - the United States, Britain, Russia, France, Germany and China - Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program, long suspected of being aimed at developing weapons, in return for billions of dollars in sanctions relief. Accepting a 10-year restriction on uranium enrichment, Iran shut down thousands of centrifuges and exported almost its entire stockpile of bomb-making material. It disabled a heavy water plant seen as potentially capable of producing plutonium usable in weapons. The country also approved a stringent monitoring regime that allows International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to access any site suspected of nuclear weapons-related activities, including military facilities. Aside from economic benefits, the deal allowed Tehran to save face by granting it the right to continue its atomic program for peaceful purposes, which some see as a potential selling point for Pyongyang. Skeptics say North Korea's weapons program is too advanced to realistically expect a similar cut to near zero. While it was obvious that oil-rich Iran would gain significantly from the removal of sanctions alone, Kim, who guides a broken economy that lacks real industry, may demand bigger rewards for restraining his nuclear program. ___ UKRAINE AND OTHERS Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus inherited thousands of nuclear weapons after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, but were persuaded by the United States to transfer the devices to Russia in return for economic support and security guarantees. Analysts say the countries didn't have clear security reasons to keep the weapons and that memories of the Chernobyl disaster also influenced Ukraine's decision to abandon the nukes. South Africa, which has large uranium reserves, had built about a half-dozen nuclear warheads but voluntary gave them up and dismantled its weapons program after the end of apartheid starting in 1991. FILE - In this April 18, 2018 file photo, a South Korean marine soldier walks by a TV screen showing file footage of South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. While North Korea declared this past weekend it would stop nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and shut down its nuclear test site, it did not indicate it will give up its nuclear arsenal or halt its production of missiles. Moon and later President Donald Trump are still likely to find it very difficult to persuade Kim to dismantle his entire arsenal, which includes purported thermonuclear weapons and developmental ICBMs.(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File) FILE - In this July 4, 2017, file photo distributed by the North Korean government shows what was said to be the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile, ICBM, in North Korea. While North Korea declared this past weekend it would stop nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and shut down its nuclear test site, it did not indicate it will give up its nuclear arsenal or halt its production of missiles. Moon and later President Donald Trump are still likely to find it very difficult to persuade Kim to dismantle his entire arsenal, which includes purported thermonuclear weapons and developmental ICBMs.(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File) FILE - In this July 29, 2017 file photo, People watch a TV news program showing an image of North Korea's latest test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. The signs read "North Korea launched an ICBM missile at 11:41 p.m. last night." While North Korea declared this past weekend it would stop nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and shut down its nuclear test site, it did not indicate it will give up its nuclear arsenal or halt its production of missiles. Moon and later President Donald Trump are still likely to find it very difficult to persuade Kim to dismantle his entire arsenal, which includes purported thermonuclear weapons and developmental ICBMs.(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File) FILE - In this April 9, 2018 file photo, National security adviser John Bolton listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington. Shortly before he became Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton told Radio Free Asia that nuclear negotiations with North Korea should be similar to past discussions with Libya, which dismantled its rudimentary nuclear program in the 2000s. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The man who snatched an AR-15 rifle from a gunman at a busy Tennessee restaurant says his was a "selfish" act of self-preservation and he doesn't consider himself a hero. Never mind that he is being credited with saving several other lives. "When I grabbed the barrel of the weapon it was hot, but I didn't care. It was life or death," said James Shaw Jr., a 29-year-old Nashville resident who found himself wrestling with the suspect after four people had already been fatally shot at a Waffle House bustling with wee hour patrons early Sunday in Nashville. Shaw joined law enforcement officials and Nashville's mayor at a news conference Sunday, some 12 hours after the shooting, his right hand bandaged. There he was singled out by Waffle House CEO Walter Ehmer, who was present and thanked Shaw for his bravery. James Shaw Jr., shows his hand that was injured when he disarmed a shooter inside a Waffle House on Sunday, April 22, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. A gunman stormed the Waffle House restaurant and shot several people to death before dawn, according to police, who credited Shaw, a customer with saving lives by wresting the assailant's weapon away. (Larry McCormack/The Tennessean via AP) "You don't get to meet too many heroes in life," Ehmer said before addressing Shaw, who dabbed at tears in his eyes. "We are forever in your debt." Shaw said that after going to a nightclub he had decided to stop with a friend early Sunday at a Waffle House. But the first one he visited was too crowded with overnight patrons, so he ended up going to another in Nashville. As he entered the Waffle House, he was just two minutes ahead of the gunman, seating himself at a counter. Suddenly he heard a loud noise, thinking at first that freshly washed plates had crashed from a stack in the restaurant. Then, he said, he saw restaurant workers running and turned and saw a body near the front door as the gunman burst in. It was then that he realized he was hearing gunshots. "I looked back and I saw a person lying on the ground right at the entrance of the door, then I jumped and slid ... I went behind a push door - a swivel door," Shaw said. "He shot through that door; I'm pretty sure he grazed my arm. At that time I made up my mind ... that he was going to have to work to kill me. When the gun jammed or whatever happened, I hit him with the swivel door." Shaw said it was then that they began wrestling, ignoring his own pain as he grabbed the hot barrel of the AR-15 weapon. On Sunday afternoon, his right hand was bandaged from the encounter. "He was kind of cussing while we were wrestling around. When I finally got the gun he was cussing like I was in the wrong," he said. "It wasn't any kind of talking between us; I just knew I just had to get that away from him." Of the gun, he added: "I grabbed it from him and threw it over the countertop and I just took him with me out the entrance." Shaw said after getting the man out of the Waffle House, he then ran one way and saw the suspect, naked save for a jacket, going another way. Shaw said he had an apparent bullet graze on one elbow and fell and hit his knee as he escaped, landing in the hospital for a time early Sunday. "I didn't really fight that man to save everyone else. That may not be a popular thing," said Shaw, a Nashville native who went to college in Tennessee and now works as a wireless technician. "I took the gun so I could get myself out" of the situation. He said he was glad others were saved. When Shaw's father went to visit him in the hospital early Sunday before he was released, he had one piece of advice for his son: "Don't do that again." "I take no pride in him charging a loaded gun," James Shaw Sr. said. "I do take pride in him helping save the lives of other people." ___ Associated Press writer Bill Cormier contributed to this report in Atlanta. Hero James Shaw wipes tears away during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the suspect. To Shaw's right is Nashville Metro Mayor David Briley and to his left is FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew Espenshade. (Wade Payn/The Tennessean via AP) Hero James Shaw holds back tears during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Behind Shaw is Nashville Metro Mayor David Briley. (Wade Payn/The Tennessean via AP) Hero James Shaw speaks during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the suspect. (Wade Payne/The Tennessean via AP) Waffle House hero James Shaw, left, gets a standing ovation after speaking during a press conference Sunday, April 22, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the shooting suspect. Behind Shaw is police spokesman Don Aaron. (Wade Payn/The Tennessean via AP) James Shaw, right, gets a hug from Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the suspect. (Wade Payne/The Tennessean via AP) Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer pauses while speaking during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. (Wade Payne/The Tennessean via AP) Waffle House hero James Shaw speaks during a press conference on the shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the suspect. (Wade Payne/The Tennessean via AP) James Shaw, center, sits with FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew Espenshade, left, and Nashville Metro Mayor David Briley during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Shaw wrestled the gun from the suspect. (Wade Payne/The Tennessean via AP) Metro Nashville Police bomb squad personnel arrive at Discovery at Mountain View Apartments Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. At least four people died when a gunman opened fire at a nearby Waffle House restaurant earlier in the day. (Shelley Mays, The Tennessean via AP) This photo provided by the Metro Nashville Police Department photo shows the rifle used in the deadly shooting at a Waffle House on Sunday, April 22, 2018, in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville. (Metro Nashville Police Department via AP) Law enforcement officials work the scene of a fatal shooting at a Waffle House in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, Sunday, April 22, 2018. (George Walker IV/The Tennessean via AP) This photo provided by Metro Nashville Police Department shows Travis Reinking, who police are searching for in connection with a fatal shooting at a Waffle House restaurant in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville early Sunday, April 22, 2018. (Metro Nashville Police Department via AP) Menus and a cup sit on a table next to a window shot out at a Waffle House restaurant Sunday, April 22, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. At least four people died after a gunman opened fire at the restaurant early Sunday. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) SHANGHAI (AP) - It was looking like a banner year for business in China. The U.S. clothing company was expecting a 20 percent jump in online sales on Alibaba's Tmall, thanks to the e-commerce giant's massive reach. But executives soon learned that what Alibaba gives, it can also take away. The company refused to sign an exclusive contract with Alibaba, and instead participated in a big sale promotion with its archrival, JD.com Inc. Tmall punished them by taking steps to cut traffic to their storefront, two executives told The Associated Press. They said advertising banners vanished from prominent spots in Tmall sales showrooms, the company was blocked from special sales and products stopped appearing in top search results. FILE - In this Nov. 11, 2017 file photo, young children visit the headquarters for Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com during "Singles Day" in Beijing, China. Executives from five major brands told AP that after they refused exclusive deals with Alibaba and instead participated in big promotions with its archrival JD.com, traffic to their products on Alibaba's Tmall fell, hurting sales. Alibaba says it has never punished anyone. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File) The well-known American brand saw its Tmall sales plummet 10 to 20 percent for the year. "Based on our sales record, we should have been in a prominent position, but we were at the bottom of the page," said the brand's e-commerce director, who spoke only on condition of anonymity for fear of further retaliation. "That's a clear manipulation of traffic. That's a clear punishment." As the Trump administration pushes China to play by fair trade rules, companies are caught in a quieter but no less crucial struggle for fair access to a $610 billion online marketplace, an AP investigation has found. Executives from five major consumer brands told the AP that after they refused to enter exclusive partnerships with Alibaba, traffic to their Tmall storefronts fell, hurting sales. Three are American companies with billions in annual sales that rely on China for growth. In a statement, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. said pursuing exclusive deals is a common industry practice and called the charges of coercion "completely false." "Alibaba and Tmall conduct business in full compliance with Chinese laws," Alibaba said. "Like many e-commerce platforms, we have exclusive partnerships with some of the merchants on Tmall. The merchant decides to choose such an arrangement because of the attractive services and value Tmall brings to them." Imagine a company twice as profitable as Amazon that each year serves more people than live in all of North America. That's Alibaba. It claims to be the marketplace for nearly $550 billion a year in sales - more than is sold online in the entire U.S. economy. The trials of the affected companies offer a rare window onto a bruising business culture forged in China that could spread as Alibaba takes its aggressive, innovative and hugely profitable model of e-commerce global. To the extent that their products are manufactured in the United States - and some are - constricting sales in China's critical growth market can also deepen the imbalance of trade between China and the U.S., a gap that is a top concern for the Trump administration. The competition between Alibaba and JD.com is so infamous in China - and so dirty - it's been dubbed the "great cat-and-dog war," after Tmall's black-cat mascot and JD.com's white dog. The executives spoke to the AP only on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, but their concerns were echoed by a U.S. industry group, brand consultants and policy makers in China and JD.com itself. In a speech about cyberspace last week, Chinese president Xi Jinping said ensuring free and fair competition online was a regulatory priority, citing the need "to cultivate a fair market environment, strengthen intellectual property protection, and oppose monopoly and unfair competition," state media reported. In its months-long investigation, the AP interviewed more than 30 people and reviewed two contracts from Alibaba that contained previously unreported exclusivity clauses. The AP found that the platforms that control access to Chinese consumers online wield such enormous power that even multibillion-dollar foreign companies can have trouble fighting back. "We urge the authorities to quickly investigate and take steps to ensure such practices are eliminated from the growing Chinese marketplace," said Stephen Lamar, executive vice president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, adding that members of his industry group had complained about unfair competitive practices by Alibaba. JD.com is a member and sponsor of the trade group. Wang Hongbo, a consultant who helps Chinese brands sell online abroad, echoed the problems cited by the companies who spoke to AP. "Many brands complained about this to us. Because they didn't fall in line, they faced restrictions on Tmall," he said. It's not clear whether Alibaba's actions would be illegal, nor is it certain that the evidence of coercion that brands have managed to collect would hold up in court. Under China's anti-monopoly laws, companies that dominate a market cannot demand exclusivity without justification. A 2015 regulation also specifically bars e-commerce platforms from restricting brands' participation in promotions on other platforms. The rules are designed to prevent dominant players from squeezing out the competition, which could ultimately hurt both brands and consumers by giving a single, monopolistic player absolute control over prices. JD.com said that over 100 Chinese brands defected last year due to pressure from its main rival, an assertion Alibaba and some brands have contested. The exodus appears to have had a lasting impact. "Based on the feedbacks we received from these merchants, the move was mainly due to the coercive tactics from our competition, which if proven true would be illegal and clearly against the merchants' will," said Sidney Huang, JD.com's chief financial officer, said in a November earnings call. Peacebird, a Chinese fashion company, is among those that left JD.com last year. But Weng Jianghong, the company's general manager of e-commerce, said Alibaba had not coerced them and the decision to focus on Tmall was strategic. "We will centralize and develop the limited resources of our company on Tmall," he said. Many companies, including JD.com, do exclusive deals. However, JD.com maintains that it doesn't strategically push merchants for exclusivity. "We support fair and open competition because greater choice is always better for brands and users," JD.com said in a statement. "We are winning over customers by providing a superior shopping experience, rather than by limiting the options of brands or consumers." JD.com is still trying to get brands to return. "We do believe there will be more merchants coming back," Huang said in a call last month with analysts. "But I do not expect a very quick fix." PLAY OR PAY Tmall controlled six of every 10 dollars spent overall for business-to-consumer sales online in China in the second half of last year - and even more for sectors like apparel - giving it enormous power over companies that rely on Alibaba for access to Chinese consumers online. The contracts reviewed by AP offered a suite of benefits in exchange for exclusivity. One contract specified that brands must not operate storefronts on other e-commerce platforms without Tmall's written permission. The other contract mandated that new products not be launched on competing platforms and barred brands from sales promotions on other platforms without Tmall's written permission. Such sales events are the lifeblood of online commerce in China. The country's massive Singles Day promotion in November, which started as an anti-Valentine's Day gimmick, is now the world's largest e-commerce event. Last year, Alibaba said $25 billion worth of merchandise was sold on its platforms alone, compared with just $14.5 billion in total online sales in the U.S. for Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined, according to data from Adobe Systems Inc. Brands cited commercial, ideological and legal reasons for refusing to cut off business with JD.com. Some said that different people shop in different ways on JD.com and Tmall, so cutting off JD.com means cutting off access to a pool of potential shoppers. "It's clear from the data we look at these are distinct consumer pools," said the China head of a publicly-traded company. "If I lost the JD business I would lose a certain part of that business. Another part is on principle: This is blatant anticompetitive behavior." Others cited legal concerns. "We didn't want to go for it in part because we thought it might be an illegal agreement in restraint of trade," said an executive for a second publicly-traded company. "We're chided when we participate in promotional events on other platforms," he added. "What's never said but actually happens when we don't cooperate in the way they want us to is our traffic falls. It's not a coincidence." Two companies said they granted concessions to Alibaba, agreeing to exclusive product launches, raising their prices on JD.com, or removing ads promoting JD.com sales. Traffic to their Tmall shops rebounded. One company said it ultimately closed its flagship on JD.com to salvage Tmall sales. "You have to go beg," said the China director of a multi-billion dollar publicly-traded company. THE GREAT CAT-AND-DOG WAR Tmall and JD.com have different business models but they are increasingly pushing onto each other's turf. Alibaba's online marketplaces connect buyers and sellers. Alibaba earns money from advertising, as well as commissions and fees. JD.com runs a similar marketplace but, like Amazon, also buys products from brands, then sells and distributes the merchandise itself. Alibaba has taken aim at JD.com's long-standing dominance in electronics, while JD.com hopes to cut into Tmall's core apparel category. Both have expanded into groceries and poured hundreds of millions of dollars into acquisitions to extend their reach into brick-and-mortar businesses. The result is an escalating turf fight that carries a chilling message for brands: Either you're with us or against us. The Chinese have a name for this unwritten rule, "er xuan yi," choose one of two. "'Choose one of two' is a tacit understanding that has been reached by everyone, but you do not say it directly," said Zhuo Saijun, who until 2015 was a general manager of e-commerce research at Analysys Ltd., a Beijing-based big data consultancy. "This is certainly a problem for the development of retail sales channels. It is a business ethics problem, and this is how monopolies develop." Some policymakers have raised concerns about monopolistic tendencies in Chinese e-commerce and called for more effective regulation and enforcement. "Unfair competition still exists," Wang Bingnan, a deputy director at China's Ministry of Commerce, said in a June speech about China's e-commerce market. "Behaviors like forced 'choose one of two,'" he added, "are hard for regulators to define, prove or deal with accurately." JD.com has complained about anticompetitive tactics before. In 2015, the company filed a complaint with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, a corporate regulator, accusing Alibaba of pressuring brands into doing exclusive Singles Day sales promotions - a charge Alibaba denied. The complaint was kicked to a regional office in Zhejiang province, where Alibaba has its headquarters. Nothing more was ever heard about it. The regulators did not respond to requests for comment. Alibaba said that while JD.com focuses "on groundless complaints to explain why they are losing brands, we at Alibaba are squarely focused on making our platform the best for our merchants." MR. MA GOES GLOBAL The battles now being waged within China's e-commerce sector could well impact the culture and norms of e-commerce globally - at least if Alibaba's chairman, Jack Ma, has his way. Alibaba aims to serve 2 billion consumers by 2036 - or about one in four people now on the planet. Already, the value of goods sold on Alibaba's platforms in fiscal year 2017 was $547 billion, larger than the gross domestic product of Sweden. In June, Ma told investors that his company will rank as the fifth largest economy in the world. "Just say USA, China, Europe, maybe Japan and us," Ma said. The company has been aggressively recruiting foreign brands to sell on its platforms, and they have come, in droves. Alibaba said it signed up 60,000 international brands for its massive Single's Day sale in November, up from 5,000 in 2015. Alibaba's retail sales outside of China also are growing fast - they more than doubled last fiscal year to 7.3 billion yuan ($1.1 billion), or 5 percent of total revenue. America remains at the heart of Ma's ambition. He told president-elect Donald Trump in Jan. 2017 that he would create a million U.S. jobs by facilitating trade between businesses in the U.S and consumers in China - a pledge he now says is imperiled by the brewing trade war between the two countries. Brands now caught in the great cat and dog war have adopted different strategies to avoid becoming collateral damage. An e-commerce manager at a major European brand said she'd be happy to offer totally different products on Tmall and JD.com to stay out of trouble, but worries her bosses won't go for it because it cuts off potential buyers. Sometimes, she said, it feels "like we're working for those platforms." ___ Associated Press writer Anne D'Innocenzio in Las Vegas and researchers Si Chen and Fu Ting in Shanghai contributed to this report. Follow Kinetz on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ekinetz Send news tips, documents, etc. securely and confidentially to AP at https://securedrop.ap.org/ FILE - In this Nov. 11, 2016, file photo, a screen showing a total sales transacted of e-commerce giant Alibaba, on the "Singles' Day" global online shopping festival in Shenzhen, southern China's Guangdong province. Executives tell AP their companies were punished by Alibaba after they refused to enter exclusive partnerships with the Chinese e-commerce giant. Traffic to their Tmall storefronts fell, hurting sales, as they fought for fair access to a $610 billion Chinese online marketplace. Alibaba says it offers perks for exclusivity but has never punished anyone.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File) FILE - In this April 2, 2015 file photo, a visitor waits at the entrance to JD.com's head office in Beijing. JD.com, Executives from five major brands told AP that after they refused exclusive deals with Alibaba and instead participated in big promotions with its archrival JD.com, traffic to their products on Alibaba's Tmall fell, hurting sales. Alibaba says it has never punished anyone. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File) In this April 16, 2018, photo, computer screens display Alibaba's e-commerce website in Beijing, China. Executives tell AP their companies were punished by Alibaba after they refused to enter exclusive partnerships with the Chinese e-commerce giant. Traffic to their Tmall storefronts fell, hurting sales, as they fought for fair access to a $610 billion Chinese online marketplace. Alibaba says it offers perks for exclusivity but has never punished anyone. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Family and friends gathered Sunday to mourn an Albuquerque bank executive who died after the Southwest Airlines plane she was on blew an engine in midair. Nearly a thousand people attended the evening service for Jennifer Riordan, 43, the Albuquerque Journal reported . The service was held at Popejoy Hall on the University of New Mexico campus, her alma mater. "We appreciate the outpouring of support from the community. It truly touches our hearts," the Riordan family wrote in a statement. "We know there are many in the community who want to celebrate Jennifer." Michael Riordan, center, is joined by family members at a memorial service for his wife Jennifer Riordan, who died on Tuesday in the Southwest Airlines flight 1380 accident, at Popejoy Hall on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M., Sunday, April 22, 2018. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/The Albuquerque Journal via AP) Lt. Gov. John Sanchez presented Michael Riordan with a flag that was flown at half-staff at New Mexico's Capitol in Jennifer Riordan's memory. "She was considered a friend, colleague, and pillar of the community and will be forever missed," Sanchez said. The community leader and mother of two had been heading home from a business trip Tuesday on a flight from New York's LaGuardia Airport bound for Dallas. Early in the flight as the plane was at 32,000 feet (9,754 meters), one of its twin engines suddenly exploded. The impact showered the jet with debris and shattered the window next to Riordan. Authorities said Riordan was fatally injured when she was sucked partway through the window, sending passengers scrambling to help her as the aircraft shook violently and went into a rapid descent. The plane made an emergency landing in Philadelphia. Riordan was the only one of the 149 people on board who suffered fatal injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board believes one of the engine fan blades snapped. Riordan was well known in the Albuquerque area for an established career in community engagement and volunteerism. She served as vice president of community relations for Wells Fargo's New Mexico operations. She oversaw the company's corporate giving program in New Mexico and volunteered her time with a number of area nonprofit groups and boards. "She was the face of giving. If you were an idea or a dream that needed a little help, she was your gal. Her currency was compassion," said Albuquerque poet laureate Hakim Bellamy, who read an original poem at the memorial. "The kind of kindness that folds like a hug like a laugh like her wings before she was so close to heaven that the angles recognized her and plucked her from the sky." Jennifer Riordan graduated from the University of New Mexico with a communications degree in 1999 and previously worked as the media relations manager at UNM Hospital. Jennifer Riordan and her husband, Michael Riordan, a former chief operating officer for the city of Albuquerque, were married for more than 20 years. FILE - In this 2017 file photo, Jennifer Riordan, of Albuquerque, N.M., poses for a photo in Albuquerque. Family and friends will gather Sunday, April 22, 2018 to mourn Riordan, an Albuquerque bank executive who died after the Southwest Airlines plane she was on blew an engine in midair. The evening service for Riordan will be held at the Popejoy Hall on the University of New Mexico campus, her alma mater. (Marla Brose/The Albuquerque Journal via AP, File) Mourners gather in the lobby of Popejoy Hall on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M., for the memorial service for Jennifer Riordan who lost her life on Tuesday April 17, on Southwest Airlines flight 1380. (Katy Barnitz/The Albuquerque Journal via AP) Michael Riordan, center, is joined by family members at a memorial service for his wife Jennifer Riordan, who died on Tuesday in the Southwest Airlines flight 1380 accident, at Popejoy Hall on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M., Sunday, April 22, 2018. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/The Albuquerque Journal via AP) FLINT, Mich. (AP) - A woman who played a key role in exposing the lead-tainted water disaster in Flint, Michigan, is among seven people from around the world to be awarded a Goldman Environmental Prize for grassroots environmental activism. LeeAnne Walters was repeatedly rebuffed by Gov. Rick Snyder's administration, even as she confronted regulators with bottles of brown water that came from her kitchen tap. Finally, with critical help from a Virginia Tech research team and a local doctor, it was revealed in 2015 that Flint's water system was contaminated with lead due to a lack of treatment. Walters, a mother of four, "worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring justice to not only her immediate family but all residents of Flint," the Goldman Environmental Foundation said Monday in announcing this year's winners. FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2016, file photo, Flint, Mich. resident LeeAnne Walters testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. The woman who exposed the Flint, Michigan, lead disaster is among seven people around the world who are receiving the Goldman Environmental Prize, an annual award for grassroots environmental activists. Walters was repeatedly rebuffed by Gov. Rick Snyder's administration, even as she confronted state regulators with bottles of brown water flowing from her kitchen tap. (AP Photo/Molly Riley, File) The prize was created in 1989 by the late San Francisco philanthropists Richard and Rhoda Goldman. Winners are selected from nominations made by environmental organizations and others. The prize carries a $200,000 award. Walters now lives in Virginia but regularly returns to Flint, where thousands of home water lines are being replaced due to the lead crisis. The city's water quality has improved since it stopped using the Flint River as its source after 18 months, although there are many concerns about lead that was ingested, especially by children. The other winners are: - Francia Marquez of Colombia, who rallied other women to vigorously oppose gold mining in the Cauca region. - Claire Nouvian of France, who successfully campaigned against deep-sea fish trawling. - Makoma Lekalakala and Liz McDaid of South Africa, who fought to stop a nuclear plant deal between their country and Russia. - Manny Calonzo of the Philippines, who led an effort to ban lead paint. - Khanh Nguy Thi of Vietnam, who used scientific research to discourage dependency on coal-fired power. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has so far had little to say about Donald Trump's time as president, even as the nation has moved from one Trump controversy to another. That's about to change. The justices' first deep dive into a Trump administration policy comes in a dispute over the third and latest version of the administration's ban on travel from some countries with majority Muslim populations. Opponents of the policy and some lower courts have labeled it a "Muslim ban," harking back to Trump's campaign call to keep Muslims from entering the country. The high-stakes arguments at the high court on Wednesday could offer some indication about how a court that runs on respect for traditions and precedent will deal with a president who regularly breaks with convention. FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2017, file photo, the Supreme Court is seen in the morning in Washington. The Supreme Court has so far had little to say about Donald Trump's time as president. That's about to change. The justices' first deep dive into a Trump administration policy comes in a dispute over the administration's ban on travel from some countries with majority Muslim populations. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Apart from the campaign statements, Trump's presidential tweets about the travel ban and last fall's retweets of inflammatory videos that stoked anti-Islam sentiment all could feature in the court's discussion of the travel ban's legality. "The court could get to the right outcome without getting into the question of his tweets. But I think the president set it up so that it's virtually impossible to ignore him when he's shouting from the rooftops about what his purpose was in the three versions of the ban," said Cecillia Wang, the American Civil Liberties Union's deputy legal director. Solicitor General Noel Francisco, who will argue the administration's case, said in a court filing that the ban is well within the president's authority and is not based on prejudice against Islam. In a sign of heightened public interest, the court is taking the rare step of making an audio recording of the proceedings available just hours after the arguments end. One key issue will be how the court evaluates administration actions. Neil Eggleston, President Barack Obama's last White House counsel, suggested in an online forum last week that Trump does not merit the same measure of latitude that courts usually give presidents, especially in the areas of national security and immigration. "The court will have to wrestle with how much to defer to a President who has created this record of chaos and animus," Eggleston and co-author Amanda Elbogen wrote on justsecurity.org. Josh Blackman, a professor at the South Texas College of Law in Houston, cautioned that the court would be breaking new ground if it were to treat Trump differently from other presidents. The policy under review at the court applies to travelers from five countries with overwhelmingly Muslim populations - Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. It also affects two non-Muslim countries: blocking travelers from North Korea and some Venezuelan government officials and their families. A sixth majority Muslim country, Chad, was removed from the list this month after improving "its identity-management and information sharing practices," Trump said in a proclamation. Francisco said the Chad decision shows that the restrictions are premised only on national security concerns. He also said that the State Department has cleared more than 430 visa applicants from the affected countries for waivers that would allow them to enter the U.S. But the challengers argue that the administration cannot ask the court to ignore all that has happened. Trump's first travel ban was issued just a week after he took office in January 2017, and was aimed at seven countries. It triggered chaos and protests across the U.S. as travelers were stopped from boarding international flights and detained at airports for hours. Trump tweaked the order after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco refused to reinstate the ban. The next version, announced in March 2017, dropped Iraq from the list of covered countries and made it clear the 90-day ban covering Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen didn't apply to those travelers who already had visas. It also eliminated language that would give priority to religious minorities. Critics said the changes didn't erase the ban's legal problems. The 9th Circuit and the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, agreed with the ban's opponents. The 4th Circuit said the ban "drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination." The 9th Circuit ruled that Trump violated immigration law. The third version is indefinite, unlike the other two, and the administration said it is the product of a thorough review of how other countries screen their own citizens and share information with the U.S. It fared no better than its predecessors in the lower courts, but the Supreme Court said in an unsigned order in December that it could take full effect while the legal dispute continues. The justices said nothing about the substance of the policy, either in December or in earlier actions involving the ban. Now, though, they are confronted with the administration's view that Trump has broad discretion to impose limits on immigration and that the courts don't even have a role to play. The Justice Department has said throughout the course of the legal fight that the lawsuits challenging the policy should be dismissed without ever reaching the challengers' claims. The administration says that foreigners have no right to enter the United States and no right to challenge their exclusion in American courts. Supporting briefs for the ban's challengers dwarf filings on the administration's side. Retired high-ranking military officers, former Republican officeholders, Catholic bishops, Amazon, Facebook and 113 other companies, the children of Japanese-Americans who were held in internment camps during World War II and more than a dozen mainly Democratic-led states are among those calling on the court to strike down the Trump policy. The administration's supporters include roughly the same number of Republican-led states, as well as conservative groups and Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's personal lawyers. A decision in Trump v. Hawaii, 17-965, is expected by late June. WASHINGTON (AP) - Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson was tending to grievously injured military personnel in Iraq when he was summoned to Washington to interview for a job he barely knew existed. He didn't see a way to get there. "I thought this was it - this is where the road stops," he told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal this month. Instead, Jackson managed to catch a ride on a transport plane that steered the Levelland, Texas, native toward some of the loftiest corridors of power. FILE - In this April 2, 2018, file photo, White House physician and nominee for Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. Ronny Jackson arrives at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. Now it's Washington's turn to examine Jackson. The doctor to Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and now Donald Trump is an Iraq War veteran nominated to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) Jackson's journey has wound through the White House and across the globe, treating the blisters, stomach ailments and more of the past three presidents and their retinues. This coming week, Jackson is back on the interview circuit and heading toward the Senate for a hearing Wednesday on his nomination to be President Donald Trump's next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. "This will be the challenge of his life," said Robert Darling, a former White House physician who still dines occasionally with Jackson at the Army Navy Country Club. Now it's time for Washington to examine Jackson, universally described as a reassuring presence in the most pressurized of atmospheres. But the 50-year-old apolitical Navy man has no experience leading a massive bureaucracy. "He's got a great bedside manner you feel comfortable with," Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, told The Associated Press. "But it doesn't mean he will be a good leader of the VA." Some White House veterans privately say they're mystified at why Jackson is willing to move from practicing medicine to the insult-laden world of Trump-era politics at the head of scandal-plagued agency. Jackson did not respond to requests for comment from the AP. But, in an interview with the Lubbock newspaper, Jackson defended his qualifications for the VA job. "I've been in leadership school for 23 years now. ... I've been confronted on a day-to-day basis with life and death decisions." Trump abruptly named him to succeed David Shulkin, an Obama-era holdover fired under an ethical cloud and something of a staff rebellion. The president was delighted with Jackson's comprehensive and buoyant - some said fawning - briefing to reporters in January on Trump's "excellent" health and mental acuity. Jackson has been an unknown on policy and it's not even clear he voted in the 2016 presidential election. The Hockley County Board of Elections in Texas shows he voted in 2015. The only inkling of where he stands came when a few of the Democratic senators who met Jackson this past week reported that the nominee is promising not to privatize the VA. Shulkin's resistance to partial privatization, through expansion of a program letting veterans choose private care at public expense, compounded his lapses in travel spending and may have been the driving force in his dismissal. Where Jackson stands on enlarging the VA Choice program has yet to be teased out. His path to this point is a winding one that did not start off pointing to medical school, emergency surgery or service to presidents. In fact, in high school, Jackson went through "an ornery stage" that featured him cutting classes and ending up in the assistant principal's office at the business end of a wooden paddle. "He got quite a few swats from me," recalls former Levelland High School assistant principal Kelly Baggett, a longtime family friend who now counts himself one of Jackson's biggest fans. "He took it like a man and shook my hand when it was over," Baggett said in a telephone interview. "Just a great kid, the kind you always want to visit with." Jackson at first wanted to be a marine biologist, not a doctor. His direction changed after he took a job at the University of Texas Medical School as an autopsy assistant and found it interesting, according to an interview in the Lubbock newspaper. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in marine biology in 1991. He didn't plan on entering the Navy, either. But Jackson needed money for medical school, and he learned of a program in which he could be a Navy diver and a doctor, according to that published account. Jackson got his medical degree in 1995 from the University of Texas and began active duty naval service that year at the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center in Virginia, his Navy biography says. Jackson graduated from the Navy's Undersea Medical Officer Program in Groton, Connecticut. He completed his residency back in Portsmouth and deployed as the emergency medicine physician in charge of resuscitative medicine for a forward deployed Surgical Shock Trauma Platoon in Taqaddum, Iraq. The White House was another unplanned destination. Jackson said he "got an email out of nowhere" saying he'd been nominated for a job at the White House. He then sped to Washington. Since President George W. Bush hired him in 2006, Jackson has cut a widely admired path among some of the nation's fiercest partisans - on intimate terms. Everyone who's recently worked in a president's inner circle, it seems, has a Ronny Jackson story. Somewhere along the Pacific Rim in 2015, he treated the severely blistered toe of Obama's National Security Council spokesman, recalled the patient, Ned Price. "Treatment consisted of bandages and tape, and it worked like a charm," said Price, who said he had been suffering from wearing new shoes for 20 hours straight. He like others described Jackson as a cool-headed and pleasant presence, "the guy you always want to be around." "At no point was he down or stressed out," said Jen Psaki, who was Obama's communications director. She recalled Jackson reassuring her when she was pregnant that "if anything happens, we're good" whether on medically equipped Air Force One or in back in Washington. "I remember telling my husband that there's no safer place I could be than the White House." It was Obama who elevated Jackson to director of the White House medical team and made him his physician. Liz Allen, who served as Obama's deputy communications chief, said Jackson monitored her blood pressure for years and routinely would ask, even in passing, how she was doing. "He is just so genuine," she said. "He treated people well. He always made you feel like you were the priority even when there were competing priorities." Jackson is known for maintaining relationships. His connection to fellow Texan Bush, for example, survived the Bush presidency. In photos, the former president wears a reddish cap on a 2013 trip to Zambia, emblazoned with the name of Jackson's hometown, Levelland. Freddy Ford, a Bush family spokesman, said the hat had been given to Bush by Jackson's father, Waymon. ___ Associated Press writers Calvin Woodard, Hope Yen and Stephen Braun in Washington, Jake Pearson in New York, AP researcher Monika Mathur in Washington and AP investigative research Randy Herschaft in New York contributed to this report. ___ Follow Kellman on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman FILE - In this Nov. 29, 2016, file photo, President Barack Obama walks with his physician Dr. Ronny Jackson, right, towards a waiting Marine One as he leaves Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., after visiting wounded service members. Now it's Washington's turn to examine Jackson. The doctor to Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and now Donald Trump is an Iraq War veteran nominated to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) FILE - In this Jan. 16, 2018, file photo, White House physician Dr. Ronny Jackson speaks to reporters during the daily press briefing in the Brady press briefing room at the White House, in Washington. Now it's Washington's turn to examine Jackson. The doctor to Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and now Donald Trump is an Iraq War veteran nominated to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2017, file photo, Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, right, and White House physician Dr. Ronny Jackson, left, watch as President Donald Trump talks with a patient during a Veterans Affairs Department "telehealth" event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Now it's Washington's turn to examine Jackson. The doctor to Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and now Donald Trump is an Iraq War veteran nominated to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) DENVER (AP) - Across the street from the Colorado Capitol rises an 11-story building emblazoned with The Denver Post's logo. No reporters work out of the building any more, only executives of Digital First Media, whose cuts at the Post triggered an unusual plea from the paper's own editorial page to be sold to another owner. Five hundred miles to the west, the Salt Lake Tribune newsroom takes up one floor of the building that bears its name, overlooking snow-capped mountains and the arena where the Utah Jazz play. Once a Digital First property that dealt with staff reductions and feared closure, the paper was sold to a prominent local family in 2016. Since then, its reporters received their first raise in a decade and won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. Though its home city is less than one-third the size of Denver, the Tribune's newsroom staff of about 90 is larger than the Post's roughly 60, who work out of leased offices in an industrial area northeast of the city. FILE - In this April 10, 2017, file photo, the Salt Lake Tribune Editor Matt Canham breaks out the champagne after their 2017 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting was announced, in Salt Like City. The Tribune newsroom takes up one floor of the building that bears its name, overlooking snow-capped mountains and the arena where the Utah Jazz play. Once a Digital First property that dealt with staff reductions and feared closure, the paper was sold to a prominent local family in 2016. Since then, its reporters received their first raise in a decade and won a Pulitzer prize for investigative reporting. (Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, File) "Denver is such a big, vibrant community to have a staff that is smaller than ours -- that's just a mockery," said Mike Gorrell, a veteran Tribune reporter. As Colorado's civic community tries to mount a journalistic rescue mission and buy the Post, it is looking to Salt Lake City and other cities like Boston, Minneapolis and Philadelphia that have seen wealthy residents keep their newspapers viable. What happens in Denver could be a signal to a battered newspaper industry, reeling from dwindling ad revenues, of what the future looks like. "You've got a better shot when there's a local owner -- there's going to be pressure on that person to keep that asset vibrant," said former Denver Post editor Greg Moore, who contributed a column to the Post's April 9 editorial package. "If Denver's future was like Salt Lake's and they had a local owner with deep pockets who cared, that'd be the best outcome." That was the hope of the Post's editorial page when it published its rebellious call for a sale with the headline: "As vultures circle, The Denver Post must be saved." Editorial Page Editor Chuck Plunkett did not inform the newspaper's editor or owners of the editorial and accompanying columns slamming Digital First and the New York-based Hedge Fund that owns it, Alden Global Capital, which the editorial called "vulture capitalists." "The smart money is that in a few years The Denver Post will be rotting bones," the editorial warned. Digital First and Alden did not reply to requests from The Associated Press for comment. The chain owns more than 80 newspapers and is known for cutting deeply. Critics say it vacuums up the profits from the reduced newsrooms and funnels them into other ventures. In the days after the Post editorial, the editor of the Bay Area News Group, also owned by Digital First and reeling from heavy cuts, published a sympathetic column . Last week, the editorial page editor of the Boulder Daily Camera, another Digital First property, self-published his plea for a buyer, saying his bosses would not allow it in their newspaper. It's unclear if the Post is even for sale, and there's no guarantee of a buyer surfacing in Denver. Colorado's civic scene does not have a dominant family like the one in Utah who purchased the Tribune, the Huntsmans, which includes the recently deceased Jon Huntsman Sr., who founded an $11 billion industrial company. His son is Jon Huntsman Jr., the former governor of the state who is now the U.S. ambassador to Russia. Colorado billionaire Phil Anschutz has long been rumored as a possible buyer, but he also owns the rights to the name of the shuttered Rocky Mountain News, and has explored reviving that paper in the past instead. Anschutz owns the Colorado Springs Gazette and has built a political vertical to compete with the Post's coverage. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper says he's been talking with local leaders about assembling possible buyers. Potential contributors include Colorado billionaires like John Malone, chairman of the board of Liberty Media, and Pat Stryker, a major liberal political donor. One group of philanthropists is traveling to Philadelphia to study how charities there bought the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News in 2016, according to Bruce DeBoskey, a Denver philanthropic adviser. The only group to surface publicly is a consortium in Colorado Springs that pledged $10 million toward purchase of the newspaper. "We still believe in print," said John Weiss, publisher of an alternative newspaper in Colorado Springs and six other small newspapers, who is part of the group. J.B. Holston, dean of the University of Denver's school of engineering and computer science, has been convening meetings about the Post, but said some in the group lean toward starting a new, largely or entirely digital newsroom to bind the fast-growing city together. But newspaper analyst Ken Doctor warned there's no proven substitute for a local newspaper. "In this whole debacle of American journalism and especially with what Alden's done, we haven't seen anyone enter the scene with a real replacement," Doctor said. FILE - This April 20, 2016, file photo shows the Salt Lake Tribune in Salt Lake City. The Tribune newsroom takes up one floor of the building that bears its name, overlooking snow-capped mountains and the arena where the Utah Jazz play. Once a Digital First property that dealt with staff reductions and feared closure, the paper was sold to a prominent local family in 2016. Since then, its reporters received their first raise in a decade and won a Pulitzer prize for investigative reporting. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) BEIJING (AP) - A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves: ___ EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a weekly look at the latest developments in the South China Sea, the location of several territorial conflicts that have raised tensions in the region. FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2018, file photo, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, speaks during the National Governor Association 2018 winter meeting in Washington. Turnbull said his country has a "perfect right" to traverse the South China Sea after a media report that the Chinese navy challenged three Australian warships in the hotly contested waterway.(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) ___ AUSTRALIAN NAVY ASSERTS FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION Australia's prime minister said his country has a "perfect right" to traverse the South China Sea after a media report that the Chinese navy challenged three Australian warships in the hotly contested waterway. "We maintain and practice the right of freedom of navigation and overflight throughout the world ... as is our perfect right in accordance with international law," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Friday. He did not comment on the specific incident when questioned by reporters in London. Citing anonymous defense officials, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported that the Chinese "challenged" two Australian frigates and an oil replenishment ship this month as the Australian vessels were sailing to Vietnam. It is not clear what took place during the encounter, which took place while China was conducting its largest-ever naval exercises in the region. China's Defense Ministry defended its navy's actions, saying that on April 15, ships from the Chinese and Australian navies "encountered each other in the South China Sea." "The Chinese ships employed professional language in communicating with the Australian side, operated legally and according to regulation, professionally and safely," it said in a statement. ___ CHINA EXTENDS VISA-FREE TREATMENT FOR HAINAN VISITORS China is seeking to expand international tourism in its South China Sea island province of Hainan by waiving visas for visitors from 59 countries for monthlong stays. Long one of China's poorest and most isolated regions, Hainan has been transforming itself into a tropical vacation mecca, while also serving as a strategic outpost in the South China Sea. The outskirts of the southern resort city of Sanya is home to China's largest submarine base, while other naval and naval air stations are scattered across its 34,000 square kilometers (13,100 square miles) of mountains, jungle and rice paddies. It also hosts China's newest space launch center, which has attracted a steady stream of tourists. Hainan also has provincial authority over the city of Sansha, which incorporates the disputed Paracel and Spratly island groups, in which China is building or extending islands to reinforce its sovereignty claims. Travel to those areas is currently restricted to Chinese citizens and it's not clear whether the visa waiver, which takes effect from the start of next month, will extend to them. The visa waiver applies to tourists from the U.S., Britain and Canada, as well as many Asian nations. Chinese tourists flock to Hainan during national holidays, but its resorts otherwise lie quiet for much of the year. It also faces stiff competition from established regional tourism industry players such as Thailand, Indonesia's Bali and Hawaii farther to the east. ___ VIETNAM, INDONESIA COOPERATE ON FISHING VIOLATIONS Vietnam and Indonesia pledged to work together to resolve fishing violations in the South China Sea as they seek to boost bilateral trade. While Indonesia is not a party to the South China Sea island disputes, Vietnam has been seeking to assert its claims against China's growing encroachment. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, speaking to reporters last Tuesday at a joint briefing with his Vietnamese counterpart, said the two countries would strengthen their partnership, cooperating particularly on fishing and other maritime issues. "In maritime and fishing cooperation, we agreed on how to conclude the ongoing issues in this regard," Marsudi said. "We have also agreed to try together to complete the demarcation of the exclusive economic zone, because the demarcation of the EEZ between our two countries can enhance the interests of our two peoples as well as ensure security between our two countries." Since 2014, Indonesia has destroyed several hundred fishing vessels, most of them from Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand, for violating its waters. The government of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has taken a hard-line stance against illegal fishing, partly driven by the need to show its neighbors that it is in control of its vast territory of 17,000 islands. ___ Associated Press writer Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, contributed to this report. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Korean Air Lines said Monday that two daughters of its chairman will resign from their executive positions amid mounting public criticism over the women's behavior and allegations that the family engaged in smuggling. An official at the Korea Customs Service, meanwhile, confirmed that authorities raided the airline's headquarters in Seoul seeking evidence on alleged smuggling and tariff evasion. Chairman Cho Yang-ho announced the resignation of his daughter Hyun-ah, who returned to leadership last month after a four-year hiatus following a "nut rage" scandal, and her younger sister Hyun-min, who is under investigation for allegedly hurling a cup of water at a business meeting. FILE - In this May 22, 2015 file photo, former Korean Air executive Cho Hyun-ah, center, is surrounded by reporters as she leaves the Seoul High Court in Seoul, South Korea. Korean Air Lines said Monday, April 23, 2018, that two daughters of its chairman will resign from their executive positions amid mounting public criticism over the women's behavior and the family's smuggling allegations. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File) "We are deeply sorry for upsetting the public and Korean Air employees with my family's problems," Cho said in a statement. "Everything is my fault. I apologize to the public." Cho said Korean Air will create a new management position to hire a senior manager outside the Cho family member and establish a compliance committee. A former Constitutional Court judge will head the committee to beef up internal oversight, the flag carrier said. Hyun-ah achieved worldwide notoriety after she had an onboard tantrum in 2014 when a first class flight attendant served her nuts in a bag instead of on a dish. Cho was the head of the airline's cabin service at the time. The plane was forced to return to the gate at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. She was released from jail after South Korea's appeals court suspended her prison term for coercion and obstruction of business. Her sister, who is also known as Emily Cho, oversaw the company's marketing and commercials. She apologized on Facebook for allegedly throwing the cup of water at an ad agency official during a meeting. South Korean media reports have cited anonymous tips from airline employees that the Cho family smuggled foreign goods into South Korea by disguising them as corporate assets. A Korean Air spokesman said the family is fully cooperating with the investigation. The Cho family's troubles angered many South Koreans who resent abuses of power by elite families connected to many of the country's biggest publicly listed businesses. Such family-run conglomerates dominate the South Korean economy. The families and their companies are facing growing pressure for stricter oversight and more transparency in corporate governance. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysian police on Monday released images of two suspects in the killing of a Palestinian engineer and said they appeared to be European or Middle Eastern, fueling suspicion that the slaying was an Israeli assassination. Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group has accused Israel of being behind Saturday's shooting of Fadi al-Batsh, an important member of Hamas. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement. Malaysian national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the composite images were based on eyewitness descriptions. He said the suspects, clad in black jackets, were fair-skinned, well-built and had beards, and were likely European or Middle Eastern. Inspector General of Royal Malaysian Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun shows off two images of suspects of killing of a Palestinian man during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Malaysian police said Sunday that an investigation was underway into the gunning down of the 34-year-old Palestinian al-Batsh a day earlier and gave assurances that security was being beefed up in the country following recent high-profile assassinations. (AP Photo) Fuzi said the images have been displayed at all exit points in the country but said it was unclear if the men had fled Malaysia. Police said al-Batsh, 34, was hit with 14 bullets by the two assailants, who shot from a motorbike as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers in a suburb near Kuala Lumpur. Police said security video showed the suspects had waited for him for almost 20 minutes. Hamas initially stopped short of blaming Israel, saying only that he had been "assassinated by the hand of treachery." But later its top leader accused Israel's Mossad intelligence agency of killing al-Batsh and threatened retaliation. A string of Israeli officials have neither confirmed nor denied whether Israel had a hand in the death. Several noted, however, that Israel is routinely blamed for such assassinations even when it is not involved. Several Israeli Cabinet ministers welcomed the killing, regardless of who was responsible. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman suggested in radio interviews Sunday that al-Batsh may have been killed as part of a rivalry between Palestinian militants. Israel has a long history of being accused of targeting wanted Palestinian militants in daring overseas operations and has been linked to other assassinations as well, though it has rarely publicly acknowledged them. Al-Batsh was believed to have been working on Hamas' unmanned aerial vehicle program and was working on improving the accuracy of its rockets. His brother, Rami, told Malaysian media in Kuala Lumpur that he hopes to take the body back on Tuesday. Police say al-Batsh had lived in Malaysia for more than seven years and had permanent residency status. He had a degree in electrical engineering and lectured at a local university, but police couldn't confirm reports that he was an expert in rocket making. Al-Batsh traveled locally and abroad to speak on Palestinian issues and was scheduled to fly to Turkey for a conference when he was killed, police said. ___ Associated Press writer Aeron Heller in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Inspector General of Royal Malaysian Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun, right, shows off two images of suspects of killing of a Palestinian man during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Malaysian police said Sunday that an investigation was underway into the gunning down of the 34-year-old Palestinian al-Batsh a day earlier and gave assurances that security was being beefed up in the country following recent high-profile assassinations. At left is Deputy Inspector General of Police Noor Rashid Ibrahim. (AP Photo) Enaas al-Batsh, right, wife of killed Palestinian Fadi al-Batsh, walks out of a hospital's morgue in Selayang, Malaysia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Malaysian police said Sunday that an investigation was underway into the gunning down of the 34-year-old Palestinian al-Batsh a day earlier and gave assurances that security was being beefed up in the country following recent high-profile assassinations. (AP Photo/Sadiq Asyraf) Enaas al-Batsh, right, wife of killed Palestinian Fadi al-Batsh, walks out of a hospital's morgue in Selayang, Malaysia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Malaysian police said Sunday that an investigation was underway into the gunning down of the 34-year-old Palestinian al-Batsh a day earlier and gave assurances that security was being beefed up in the country following recent high-profile assassinations. (AP Photo/Sadiq Asyraf) A composite image of a suspect of killing of a Palestinian man is shown by Malaysian national police during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Malaysian police released Monday composite images of two suspects who gunned down 34-year-old Palestinian engineer Fadi al-Batsh and are stepping up efforts to track them. Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group accused Israel of being behind Saturday's killing of al-Batsh, an important member of Hamas. (AP Photo) WASHINGTON (AP) - The sprawling network funded by the billionaire Koch brothers is having a very good run with President Donald Trump in the White House and Republican control of Congress. Tax cuts are now signed into law. A conservative judge is seated on the Supreme Court. And many governmental regulations, including those on labor and environmental practices, are facing rollbacks. That success is starting to get attention. Democrats are increasingly questioning how far the network's influence extends into the White House, casting the groups' backing by industrialists Charles and David Koch as puppeteers behind Trump's agenda and hoping to rouse their own donors to fight back. The network in turn is ratcheting up its focus on areas where it aligns with Democrats- most notably immigration legislation - and reviving calls for bipartisanship. FILE - In this Aug. 30, 2013, file photo, Americans for Prosperity Foundation Chairman David Koch speaks in Orlando, Fla. A sure sign of policy success for the sprawling conservative network funded by the billionaire Koch brothers is Democratic pushback. With regulations being rolled back and huge tax cuts, Democrats question how far the Koch network's influence extends. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File) "We've come off one of the most successful years in our network's history," said James Davis, executive vice president of Koch-backed Freedom Partners and a spokesman for the Seminar Network, the broader organization of groups and donors. "And we're going to turn up the heat on both parties to drive forward." But there's another outcome, too: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and other senators recently fired off letters to the administration asking for a detailed accounting of the network's role at various government offices including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Labor Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The senators name more than a dozen individuals working in the administration with ties to the groups. On Monday, the lawmakers will launch a series of Senate floor speeches turning a spotlight on the influence. "Americans have a right to know if special interests are unduly influencing public policy decisions that have profound implications for public health, the environment, and the economy," wrote Whitehouse with Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass.; Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.; Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; and Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M. The influence of the Koch-backed groups is somewhat surprising. They are an array of organizations and include Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Partners and Concerned Veterans for America, whose donors include some of the wealthy attendees of the twice-a-year Seminar Network conferences. The groups took a pass on donating to Trump's presidential bid. But they have managed to influence policy through several top allies in key jobs sprinkled across the administration. Among those in the Koch orbit with ties to the administration, perhaps the most prominent is Marc Short, the White House director of legislative affairs, who is a past president of Freedom Partners, the network's chamber of commerce-styled group. Short plays a key policy-making role and is a Capitol Hill fixture of legislative battles. The senators mention several others with top policy roles, including Kellyanne Conway, a counselor to the president. Koch groups have been central to Trump policies Democrats oppose - among them tax cuts for the wealthy, loosening of environmental regulations, and expanding private-sector health care for veterans. Trump's first-year regulatory rollbacks were drafted by one of the Koch-backed groups and became a ready blueprint for action in Congress. The network, however, doesn't just toe the Trump line. On Monday, the group is stepping up its effort to push Congress not to let up on legislating as lawmakers turn to focus instead on campaigning for midterm elections. Two groups in the network are releasing a letter to congressional leaders of both parties, urging them to take up a bipartisan compromise to help young immigrants, known as Dreamers, who have been living in the U.S. illegally since childhood. They want Congress to pass a deal that was on the table earlier this year - a path to citizenship for 1.8 million Dreamers and $25 billion for border security. Because most Americans want a solution that would allow the Dreamers to avoid deportation, the group says Trump and Congress should be able to come up with a solution. "There is no reason to continue to delay action on the Dreamers," wrote officials from Freedom Partners and the LIBRE Institute, two network groups. "What are we waiting for?" The group is also pushing Congress to take up criminal justice reform, another issue with bipartisan support that has lagged. Republicans have little appetite to engage on big-ticket items as they struggle to keep control of their majority in the House, and try to pick off Democratic incumbents up for re-election in the Senate from conservative Trump-won states. And Democrats, while saying they are willing to engage with the Koch-backed groups, are at times envious of their operation and eager to pound on their influence, which includes chapters that mimic traditional party apparatus in many battleground states. It doesn't help build bipartisanship when much of the advocacy the Koch groups undertake, unleashing their army of volunteers and spending sums on advertising, ends up going against Democratic senators in Missouri, Wisconsin, North Dakota and others in tough election battles. ___ Follow Lisa Mascaro on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LisaMascaro CAIRO (AP) - A leading international rights group warned Monday of a humanitarian crisis in the northern part of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula amid severe restrictions on the movement of people and goods there due to a massive security operation against Islamic militants. The Egyptian military launched the operation in early February in the restive northern Sinai, the epicenter of an Islamic insurgency spearheaded by the local affiliate of the Islamic State group. The campaign also included parts of the Nile Delta region and the Western Desert, along the porous border with Libya. The campaign has left up to 420,000 residents in northern Sinai in urgent need of humanitarian aid since the operation started, Human Rights Watch said. The New York-based group also urged authorities to provide sufficient food and allow relief organizations such as the Egyptian Red Crescent to provide resources to address the local residents' critical needs. The military campaign against IS has included severe restrictions on the movement of people and goods in almost all of northern Sinai, HRW said. "The Egyptian army's actions ... reveal the gap between what President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's claims to be doing on behalf of the citizenry and the shameful reality," said Sarah Leah Whitson of Human Rights Watch. The military, however, has denied that there is a food crisis, saying it continues to provide food convoys and has opened several new facilities that are selling food and goods and other necessities at discounted prices to the local population. Egyptian security forces have been battling Islamic militants in Sinai for years, but the violence spread and intensified in 2013 after the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi, a freely elected Islamist whose one-year in office proved divisive. BRUSSELS (AP) - The Latest on the trial of Salah Abdeslam and a suspected accomplice in Brussels (all times local): 10:50 a.m. A Brussels court has found Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam and an accomplice guilty of attempted murder over shots fired at police officers as they sought to flee arrest in March 2016, and sentenced them to 20 years in prison. Police patrol outside the Brussels justice palace during the trial of Salah Abdeslam and Soufiane Ayari in Brussels, Monday, April 23, 2018. The sole surviving suspect in the 2015 Paris extremist attacks who was once Europe's most wanted fugitive will hear his judgment in an attempted murder case on Monday. Salah Abdeslam's verdict will be heard for his involvement in a March 15, 2016, police shootout, four months after the Paris attacks that killed 130. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) The court said the "terror character" of the shooting was clearly established in the incident when Abdeslam and Sofiane Ayari sought to escape after they were found in a hideout in a Brussels suburb. The incident occurred four months after the Paris attacks that killed 130. The two were captured three days later. Each was also fined 12,000 euros. ___ 10:35 a.m. A Brussels court says the sole surviving suspect in the 2015 Paris attacks and an accomplice were clearly implicated in shooting at police officers as they sought to flee arrest in Belgium in March 2016, but has not said whether they are guilty yet. The court, reading its verdict in the men's attempted murder case, added that the danger emanating from Salah Abdeslam "remains intact," It said that in the case it is considering, the "terror character of their action was established." Abedeslam and Sofiane Ayari each faces up to 20 years in prison for the shooting incident. It came four months after the Paris attacks that killed 130. ___ 8:45 a.m. The sole surviving suspect in the 2015 Paris extremist attacks, who was once Europe's most wanted fugitive, will hear his judgment in an attempted murder case on Monday. Salah Abdeslam is being tried in Belgium for his alleged involvement in a March 15, 2016, police shootout, four months after the Paris attacks that killed 130. Abdeslam was close to being arrested in a hideout when he and an accomplice fled while another man sprayed gunfire toward police and was killed. Three days later, Abdeslam and the accomplice were caught in Brussels. Federal prosecutors are seeking 20-year prison sentences for both men, citing a terrorist link in the shootout. Police patrol outside the Brussels justice palace during the trial of Saleh Abdeslam and Soufiane Ayari in Brussels, Monday, April 23, 2018. The sole surviving suspect in the 2015 Paris extremist attacks who was once Europe's most wanted fugitive will hear his judgment in an attempted murder case on Monday. Salah Abdeslam's verdict will be heard for his involvement in a March 15, 2016, police shootout, four months after the Paris attacks that killed 130. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) Lawyers for the accused, from left, Isa Gultaslar, Laura Severin, Romain Delcoigne and Sven Mary attend the trial of Salah Abdeslam and Sofiane Ayari, at the Brussels justice palace in Brussels on Monday, April 23, 2018. The sole surviving suspect in the 2015 Paris extremist attacks who was once Europe's most wanted fugitive will hear his judgment in an attempted murder case on Monday. The verdict will be heard for his involvement in a March 15, 2016, police shootout, four months after the Paris attacks that killed 130. (Stephanie Lecocq, Pool Photo via AP) The empty bench of the accused, Salah Abdeslam and Sofiane Ayari, at the Brussels justice palace in Brussels on Monday, April 23, 2018. The sole surviving suspect in the 2015 Paris extremist attacks who was once Europe's most wanted fugitive will hear his judgment in an attempted murder case on Monday. The verdict will be heard for his involvement in a March 15, 2016, police shootout, four months after the Paris attacks that killed 130. (Stephanie Lecocq, Pool Photo via AP) THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic insisted Monday that Serb forces acted only in self-defense during Bosnia's bloody 1992-95 conflict as he called on appeals judges to overturn his multiple convictions and 40-year sentence for masterminding Serb atrocities throughout the war. Karadzic and his legal team argued that prosecutors and trial judges committed a string of legal and procedural errors during his lengthy U.N. trial. "Certain statements were misused, rights were neglected, facts were distorted and motives were concealed," Karadzic told a five-judge panel. "The consequences of this entire conduct were then portrayed as sheer madness." Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, center, talks to his lawyers as he arrives to open his appeal at a U.N. court against his convictions on charges including genocide and crimes against humanity and his 40-year prison sentence in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, April 23, 2018. (Yves Herman, pool photo via AP) The 72-year-old former Bosnian Serb strongman said that after studying all the evidence and defense arguments, "I believe that the chamber ... will find this judgment unsafe and quash it." Karadzic is one of the most senior leaders from the Balkan wars of the 1990s to be convicted at a U.N. tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. He was found guilty in March 2016 of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for his involvement in crimes including the deadly siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 massacre in Srebrenica of around 8,000 Muslim men and boys, Europe's worst massacre since World War II. Now, the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, a court set up to deal with cases arising from international tribunals that have now closed, is hearing appeals both by Karadzic and by prosecutors, who argue that he should have been convicted on two counts of genocide and given a life sentence. Judges will likely take months to reach a decision. Defense lawyers said that trial judges denied Karadzic the right to testify in his own defense in the manner he wanted - by giving a narrative account of his version of events. Attorney Kate Gibson said that denial was a procedural error "so fundamental, so manifest that alone it warrants a retrial." Prosecution lawyer Katrina Gustafson rejected the assertion, telling judges that during his trial Karadzic "didn't challenge the ruling that he was to testify in question and answer format." Karadzic used his comments Monday to present his side of the war, underscoring his longtime contention that Serbs acted in self-defense and accusing trial judges of ignoring testimony of his defense witnesses. "There is so much evidence that our strategy was not offensive," he said. "Our strategy was defensive in all of Bosnia. The territories were not taken by force." In total, Karadzic raised 50 grounds of appeal in a lengthy written document. The appeals hearing is the latest legal twist in Karadzic's long fight to clear his name. In a separate case, his former military chief, Gen. Ratko Mladic, also is appealing his 2017 convictions and life sentence based on a near-identical indictment. Munira Subasic, who leads an organization called the Mothers of Srebrenica, said Karadzic should have used the hearing to apologize. "But the lies he told today, the statements he made today - it all left me in state of shock," she told Al Jazeera Balkans. She said Karadzic is seeking to blame Mladic, "But in fact, the truth is that he (Karadzic) created Mladic, he was the man in charge, he was commander in chief." ____ AP video producer Amer Cohadzic in Sarajevo contributed to this story. Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, right, is shown his seat as he arrives to open his appeal at a U.N. court against his convictions on charges including genocide and crimes against humanity and his 40-year prison sentence in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, April 23, 2018. (Yves Herman, pool photo via AP) BEIRUT (AP) - Syrian government forces moved to cut off Islamic State militants in southern Damascus from nearby rebel-held suburbs Monday in an attempt to force the extremists to surrender or evacuate the district, state media reported. The area in southern Damascus is the last part of the capital not controlled by President Bashar Assad's forces. Other insurgents in the area, including an al-Qaida-linked group, have said they would relocate to rebel-held regions in northern Syria. State-run al-Ikhbariya TV said the government hopes to isolate IS in Hajar al-Aswad. The TV station showed thick, gray smoke billowing from the neighborhood as government forces pounded it with artillery and airstrikes. Damascus residents said the sound of explosions echoed across the capital. In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, smoke rises after Syrian government airstrikes and shelling hit in Hajar al-Aswad neighborhood held by Islamic State militants, southern Damascus, Syria, Sunday, April 22, 2018. Syrian state media says government forces are pounding districts of southern Damascus held by Islamic State militants with warplanes, helicopters and artillery in a bid to enforce an evacuation deal reached earlier in the week. (SANA via AP) The TV said IS snipers targeted journalists covering the fighting, without saying whether anyone was hurt. Hundreds of IS militants are holed up in Hajar al-Aswad and Yarmouk, a Palestinian refugee camp that resembles a built-up residential neighborhood. Rebels from other factions hold the nearby suburbs of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem. IS agreed to give up its last pocket of Damascus on Friday but has yet to begin surrendering to government forces and relocating to IS-held areas elsewhere in the country. The offensive in southern Damascus coincides with preparations by rebels to evacuate towns in the Qalamoun region, east of the capital, following an agreement that allows them to relocate to opposition-held areas in northern Syria. It marks the latest rebel capitulation, after the sprawling eastern Ghouta region returned to government control earlier this month. The recapture by government forces of areas in southern Damascus and the Qalamoun region would give Assad control of the entire area around Damascus and the country's center, extending all the way up to Homs, for the first time in years. IS said in a statement that the government had launched 400 airstrikes on Hajar al-Aswad and Yarmouk, destroying large parts of the neighborhoods. It claimed to have killed more than three dozen government forces, but there was no independent confirmation, and the extremist group often exaggerates such figures. The U.N. said that since the fighting began last week, most of the 6,000 civilians in Yarmouk camp have been forcibly displaced to the neighboring suburb of Yalda. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 11 people have been killed in the offensive since the fighting began last Thursday. Government forces have escalated their campaign to retake all remaining enclaves in the capital and surrounding areas. The IS-held areas in southern Damascus are the last holdouts, after rebels evacuated the eastern Ghouta suburbs following a fierce government offensive and an alleged poison gas attack in the town of Douma. In response to the alleged attack in Douma, the U.S., Britain and France launched missile strikes on suspected Syrian chemical weapons facilities. Since then, there have been reports that Moscow will sell Damascus a sophisticated air defense system. Asked about reports that Russia was planning to sell S-300 systems to Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov replied that he "couldn't say the matter has been settled." "We have to wait and see what decisions Russian leadership and Syrian representatives are going to take," Lavrov said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies on Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that France is committed to pushing for more dialogue among Syria's warring parties. The phone call with Putin came Monday, just hours before Macron's state visit to the United States. It was the first call between the two leaders since the French, British and U.S. airstrikes on April 14. Macron said he wants to work with Russia to initiate a "credible political process" and "intensify humanitarian aid to civilian populations," according to the French presidency's statement. Macron will travel to Russia on May 24-25. Russia is a key ally of Assad, and has provided crucial air support in military campaigns going back to 2015. ____ Associated Press writers Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report. Van kills 9, injures 16 on Toronto street; driver in custody TORONTO (AP) - A rented van jumped onto a crowded Toronto sidewalk Monday, killing nine people and injuring 16 before the driver fled and was quickly arrested in a confrontation with police, Canadian authorities said. Witnesses said the driver was moving fast and appeared to be acting deliberately, but police said they did not yet know the cause or any possible motive. The name of the suspect was not released. Toronto Police Services Deputy Chief Peter Yuen released no details about the investigation as he announced the number of casualties. Yuen said police were still interviewing witnesses and examining surveillance video of the incident as part of what he called a "complex" investigation. "I can assure the public all our available resources have been brought in to investigate this tragic situation," he said. ___ Waffle House slaying suspect arrested after massive manhunt NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The mentally unstable gunman suspected of killing four people in a late-night shooting at a Waffle House restaurant was arrested near his apartment Monday after hiding from police for more than a day, authorities said. Police and federal agents had mounted a massive manhunt for 29-year-old Travis Reinking after the Sunday morning attacks, in which a gunman clad only in a jacket used an assault rifle to attack a diverse crowd of patrons at the restaurant before being disarmed by a patron. Construction workers told officers Monday that a person matching Reinking's description walked into the woods near a construction site, Lt. Carlos Lara told reporters. A detective spotted Reinking, who lay down on the ground to be handcuffed when confronted, Lara said Reinking carried a black backpack with a silver semi-automatic weapon and .45-caliber ammunition, Lara said. Detectives cut the backpack off him. Police spokesman Don Aaron said Reinking requested a lawyer and was taken to a hospital before he would be booked on four counts of criminal homicide. ___ Waffle House shooter's guns were seized but then returned Travis Reinking exhibited multiple warning signs that he was mentally unstable: He talked openly about delusions that he was being stalked by Taylor Swift. He insisted unknown people were making barking noises outside his home. He even went to the White House on a mission to talk to the president. Reinking's behavior resulted in the revocation of his Illinois firearms license, and his weapons were turned over to his father. But authorities say his father simply returned the three rifles and a handgun to his son when he decided to move out of state. The son now stands accused of opening fire Sunday at a Waffle House in Tennessee using an AR-15 that had been among the firearms seized. Four people were killed in the attack. The case illustrates the difficulty of keeping guns away from mentally disturbed people and shows how easy it is for them to retrieve confiscated weapons. "It's a story of a highly effective law that then has a really dangerous loophole," said Jonas Oransky, deputy legal director for Everytown for Gun Safety, which works to tighten gun laws. Reinking was disarmed by a man at the restaurant and fled. He was captured Monday. ___ New lynching memorial evokes terror of victims MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Visitors to the new National Memorial for Peace and Justice first glimpse them, eerily, in the distance: Brown rectangular slabs, 800 in all, inscribed with the names of more than 4,000 souls who lost their lives in lynchings between 1877 and 1950. Each pillar is 6 feet (2 meters) tall, the height of a person, and made of steel that weathers to different shades of brown. Viewers enter at eye level with the monuments, allowing a view of victims' names and the date and place of their slaying. As visitors descend downward on a slanted wooden plank floor, the slabs seemingly rise above them, suspended in the air in long corridors, evoking the image of rows of hanging brown bodies. The memorial and an accompanying museum that open this week in Montgomery are a project of the nonprofit Equal Justice Initiative, a legal advocacy group in Montgomery. The organization says the two sites will be the nation's first "comprehensive memorial dedicated to racial terror lynchings of African Americans and the legacy of slavery and racial inequality in America." There is one column for each of the 800 U.S. counties where researchers uncovered lynchings. Most of the roughly 4,400 killings happened in the South, but states coast-to-coast are represented. ___ CDC chief makes $375K, far exceeding his predecessors' pay NEW YORK (AP) - The new head of the nation's top public health agency is getting paid nearly twice what his predecessor made and far more than other past directors, government officials confirmed. Dr. Robert Redfield Jr., 66, has long career as a top HIV researcher, but he had no experience working in public health or managing a public health agency. The U.S. government is paying him $375,000 a year to run the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's nearly twice the annual compensation given to Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, who had the job for six months before resigning in January. Her annual pay rate was $197,300. Redfield is also making at least $150,000 more a year than any other previous CDC director. By private industry standards, Redfield's CDC salary is modest for someone with his resume. But his pay is high for the field of government public health. ___ Prince charming: Kate gives birth to boy, home by suppertime LONDON (AP) - Third time's a charm. The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth Monday morning to a new prince who is fifth in line to the British throne - and she was home by suppertime. The duchess and husband Prince William drove to St. Mary's Hospital in London early in the morning, and Kate's 8 pound, 7 ounce (3.8 kilogram) boy was born at 11:01 a.m., with royal officials announcing the birth about two hours later. There followed a smoothly choreographed operation perfected after the births of the couple's two other children. In late afternoon, elder siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte were brought to meet their baby brother. Around 6 p.m., Kate emerged alongside her husband, wearing a vibrant red dress and holding the tiny royal highness wrapped in a white lace shawl. After posing for dozens of photographers and camera crews outside the hospital's private Lindo Wing, the trio headed home, with the baby nestled securely in a car seat. Television news helicopters followed the royal Range Rover as it made the mile-long (1.6 kilometer) journey to the family's Kensington Palace residence. William declared the couple "very delighted" with the new addition to the family. ___ No ordinary double date: Trumps, Macrons at Mount Vernon WASHINGTON (AP) - Tending to bonding before business, President Donald Trump and France's Emmanuel Macron were starting off the French president's visit Monday with an anything-but-ordinary double date with their wives at George Washington's house. The presidents and their spouses were to helicopter together to Mount Vernon, Washington's historic riverside home, for a private dinner one night before the two leaders sit down for talks on a weighty agenda including security, trade and the Iran nuclear deal. Macron's pomp-filled three-day state visit to Washington underscores the importance that both sides attach to the relationship: Macron, who calls Trump often, has emerged as something of a "Trump whisperer" at a time when the American president's relationships with other European leaders are more strained. Trump, who attaches great importance to the optics of pageantry and ceremony, chose to honor Macron with the first state visit of his administration as he woos the French president. "This is a great honor and I think a very important state visit given the moment of our current environment," Macron said after his plane landed at a U.S. military base near Washington. For all their camaraderie, Macron and Trump disagree on some fundamental issues, including the multinational nuclear deal, which is aimed at restricting Iran's development of nuclear weapons. Trump, skeptical of the pact's effectiveness, has been eager to pull out as a May 12 deadline nears. Macron says he is not satisfied with the situation in Iran and thinks the agreement is imperfect, but he has argued for the U.S. sticking with the deal on the grounds that there is not yet a "Plan B." ___ After brief relief, forecasts indicate drought will continue Dry weather will prolong the wildfire threat through summer in the southwestern United States, even though weekend showers temporarily relieved drought conditions in parts of the area, forecasters said Monday. The drought is rooted in a dry spell that began in October and is considered "extreme" from southern California to central Kansas. Conditions are even worse in the Four Corners region and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles, warranting their description as "exceptional." "The proverbial spigot shut off," said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. "Drought isn't necessarily a signal for wildfires, but it can exacerbate the conditions that do take place." Climatologists consider the months from October to April to be a "recharge" period, with showers and snow replenishing water supplies in the Southern Plains. However, the most recent significant rain in the area came in early October. "The memory of that precipitation has long went out the back door," Fuchs said. Temperatures have largely been above normal over the same period, triggering evaporation that can carry a lot of moisture away before it has a chance to soak into the ground. There is very little snowpack remaining except on the highest peaks. ___ Closing arguments, deliberations loom in Bill Cosby retrial NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Bill Cosby's sexual assault retrial is set to go to the jury on Tuesday, but not before closing arguments pitting the prosecution's portrayal of a serial predator against the defense's contention that he's the victim of a "con artist" who made up drugging and molestation allegations to score a big payday. The defense rested on Monday after the 80-year-old comedian said he wouldn't testify, echoing his decision at his first trial, which ended in a hung jury last year. "You now have all of the evidence," Judge Steven O'Neill told jurors, sending them back to their sequestration hotel after an abbreviated day of testimony. "Try to relax, so that you're on your game tomorrow." Jurors at Cosby's first trial deliberated for five days without reaching a verdict on three related counts of aggravated indecent assault. Each carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. That trial hinged largely on chief accuser Andrea Constand's testimony alleging that the "Cosby Show" star once known as America's Dad knocked her out with three pills and violated her at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in January 2004. ___ AP-NORC Poll: Amid strikes, Americans back teacher raises WASHINGTON (AP) - Americans overwhelmingly believe teachers don't make enough money, and half say they'd support paying higher taxes to give educators a raise. The findings of the new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research come amid recent teacher strikes and other protests over low pay, tough classroom conditions and the amount of money allocated to public schools in several Republican-led states. Tens of thousands of Arizona teachers voted last week to strike after rejecting an offer of a 20-percent raise, because it didn't include a vow from state lawmakers not to further cut taxes before providing more money for the state's schools. "To educate children and barely get a living is obnoxious," said Elaine Penman, a company manager in Tucson, Arizona, who added she and others went outside to cheer on protesting teachers who were marching by. She's among the 50 percent of Americas who say they'd pay a higher tax bill if it meant more money for teachers. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday, the world will have a single overriding interest: How will they address North Korea's decades-long pursuit of nuclear-armed missiles? Success, even a small one, on the nuclear front could mean a prolonged detente and smooth the path for a planned summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in May or June. Optimists hope the two summits might even result in a grand nuclear bargain. North Korea's announcement on Saturday to suspend further nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and close its nuclear test site raised hopes in Washington and Seoul for a breakthrough in the upcoming nuclear negotiations. However, the North's statement stopped well short of suggesting it has any intentions to give up its nukes or halt its production of missiles. FILE- In this June 27, 2008 file image from television, the demolition of the 60-foot-tall cooling tower at its main reactor complex in Yongbyon North Korea. When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday, April 27, 2018, the world will have a single overriding interest: How will they address North Korea's decades-long pursuit of nuclear-armed missiles? (AP Photo/APTN, File) Failure to reach a nuclear agreement would raise serious questions about the sincerity of Kim's recent outreach to Seoul and Washington and rekindle the fears of war that spread across the Korean Peninsula last year. A look at the prospects of a North Korean disarmament deal ahead of the two impending summits: ___ INTER-KOREAN SUMMIT Although North Korea has expressed a willingness to have "candid" talks with the United States about the denuclearization of the peninsula, there's rampant skepticism about whether Kim will give up his nukes. Those weapons are the core of his authoritarian rule, a "powerful treasured sword" meant to neutralize U.S. nuclear threats. And the North's call for "the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" has been linked to a demand for the withdrawal of the 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea. Kim suggested during a trip to Beijing in March that he prefers step-by-step disarmament in return for corresponding concessions. That, critics say, could allow the North to covertly continue its weapons programs while winning badly needed aid, which occurred during now-dormant six-nation nuclear talks from 2003 to 2008. Analysts say it's likely that Kim will make similar commitments during the inter-Korean summit as a way of reaching out to the United States. Go Myong-Hyun of the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies said Kim may also offer up a rough timetable for denuclearization. ___ NORTH KOREA-US SUMMIT North Korea argues that it needs its nukes because of the U.S. military presence in South Korea and annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises that the North claims are an invasion rehearsal. During the two summits, Kim may demand a security guarantee for his government, the scrapping of what he calls U.S. hostility and the easing or lifting of international sanctions on the North. The Kim-Trump meeting, not the Korean summit, will be the main venue for dealing with nukes because the United States must largely determine whether to accept the North's demands. Kim, therefore, has an interest in making his meeting with Moon a success, especially following reconciliation in recent months that saw athletes from both countries parade together during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics opening ceremony and South Korean pop stars perform in Pyongyang. It's much less clear how the Kim-Trump meeting will go. Trump's pick for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said recently that "no one is under any illusions that we will reach a comprehensive agreement." Pompeo made a secret trip to meet with Kim and discuss the summit in recent weeks. Trump seemed more optimistic after North Korea's announcement on Saturday, to which he responded with a tweet saying, "This is very good news for North Korea and the World" and "big progress!" He added that he's looking forward to his upcoming summit with Kim. U.S. officials have said they want complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament by North Korea. Kim won't likely accept that anytime soon because he's closing in on his goal of developing nuclear missiles capable of striking the continental U.S. after decades of struggle and sacrifice. After his country's most-powerful-to-date long-range missile test in November, Kim said the North had "finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force." Foreign experts, though, say the North still has a couple of technological barriers to overcome to build reliable intercontinental ballistic missiles. ___ WHAT KIND OF DEAL? One disarmament step Kim might have in mind is to freeze or dismantle an ICBM program that poses a direct threat to the United States. Go said Kim could also offer to allow international nuclear inspectors back into his country and promise to dismantle the North's old plutonium-producing reactor at its main nuclear complex because it has a uranium-enrichment plant that can also manufacture bombs. North Korea could also submit a list of facilities or equipment to be disabled or dismantled and then allow the United States to inspect disarmament procedures. This process, however, could easily be disrupted if the North asks for excessive rewards for partial disarmament steps or the country fails to let outsiders inspect military bases or other sensitive places with possible nuclear weapons. Kim Taewoo, a former president of the Korea Institute for National Unification, also warned that a deal freezing the North's nuclear capability at current levels or scrapping an ICBM program while leaving intact shorter-range missiles that place South Korea within striking distance won't change security threats South Korea faces. The North already likely has the technology to mount atomic warheads on shorter-range missiles targeting South Korea and Japan. He said the two upcoming summits are a "huge gamble" for all three leaders if they don't produce a breakthrough. If the summits fail, the world won't tolerate any future Kim Jong Un charm offensive because of a belief that he tried to use the summits to weaken sanctions or buy time to perfect his nuclear program. Trump would be seen as being duped. And Moon would have to choose whether to risk undermining ties with Washington by continuing to improve ties with North Korea. ___ Follow Hyung-jin Kim at www.twitter.com/hyungjin1972 FILE - This undated file photo distributed on Sept. 3, 2017 by the North Korean government, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second from right, at an undisclosed location in North Korea. When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday, April 27, 2018, the world will have a single overriding interest: How will they address North Korea's decades-long pursuit of nuclear-armed missiles? Success, even a small one, on the nuclear front could mean a prolonged detente and smooth the path for a planned summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in May or June. Optimists hope that the two summits might even result in a grand nuclear bargain. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File) 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. When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday, April 27, 2018, the world will have a single overriding interest: How will they address North Korea's decades-long pursuit of nuclear-armed missiles? Success, even a small one, on the nuclear front could mean a prolonged detente and smooth the path for a planned summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in May or June. Optimists hope that the two summits might even result in a grand nuclear bargain.(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File) Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. INTENSIVE MANHUNT ON FOR WAFFLE HOUSE SUSPECT Travis Reinking, 29, was nearly naked and brandishing an assault-style rifle when he opened fire in the parking lot and then stormed the restaurant, killing four people, police say. Nashville police officers gather alongside a wooded area as they search for a shooting suspect near a Waffle House restaurant Sunday, April 22, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. At least four people died after a gunman opened fire at the restaurant early Sunday. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) 2. WORLD WATCHING FOR SIGNS AT KOREAS SUMMIT Even limited success on the nuclear front could mean a prolonged detente and smooth the path for a planned summit between Kim Jong Un and Trump in May or June. 3. POMPEO FACING RARE OPPOSITION FROM SENATE PANEL It would be the first time in years that a nominee for secretary of state did not receive a favorable committee vote. 4. SUPREME COURT TO HAVE SAY IN TRUMP POLICY The justices' first deep dive into White House policy comes in a dispute over the administration's ban on travel from some countries with majority Muslim populations. 5. BRANDS SAY ALIBABA PUNISHED THEM FOR REFUSING EXCLUSIVITY Major companies tell AP they've been punished by Alibaba after refusing exclusive partnerships with the e-commerce giant, which denies wrongdoing. 6. NEW MEMORIAL TO HONOR THOUSANDS KILLED IN LYNCHINGS The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, aims to teach about America's racist past in hope of promoting understanding and healing. 7. NOW IT'S MORE THAN COOKIES Thousands of girls have become Cub Scouts as the Boy Scouts of America begins welcoming them into the organization in new ways. 8. HOW EXPERTS VIEW THE ECONOMY Business economists find that more of their companies foresee rising sales and expect to continue hiring and raising pay, a survey finds. 9. 'MINI-ME' ACTOR DEAD AT 49 Verne Troyer became a celebrity and pop-culture phenomenon after starring alongside Mike Myers as the tiny, hairless clone of villain Dr. Evil in the "Austin Powers" films. 10. FIRST-ROUND 'KING' STILL ON TRACK LeBron James and Kyle Korver spur a late Cleveland run, helping the Cavs to a 104-100 victory over the Pacers to even the playoff series 2-2. ___ This story corrects spelling of "Verne" in No. 9. A statue of a chained man is on display at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, a new memorial to honor thousands of people killed in racist lynchings, Sunday, April 22, 2018, in Montgomery, Ala. The national memorial aims to teach about America's past in hope of promoting understanding and healing. It's scheduled to open on Thursday. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) MOSCOW (AP) - During the Cold War, Soviet scientists at a secret, high-security lab worked frantically to counter the latest U.S. chemical weapons. More than four decades later, the nerve agent they developed apparently turned up in a quiet English town, where it nearly killed a former Russian spy and his daughter. Vladimir Uglev said he was the scientist who in 1975 first synthesized A-234 - an odorless liquid deadlier than any other chemical weapons that existed at the time. "Hundreds of thousands could have been killed with what I produced," the 71-year-old former researcher told The Associated Press. FILE - In this Saturday, May 20, 2000 file photo, two Russian soldiers make a routine check of metal containers with toxic agents at a chemical weapons storage site in the town of Gorny, 124 miles (200 kms) south of the Volga River city of Saratov, Russia. The facility in Shikhany led the efforts to develop Soviet chemical weapons, including Novichok-class nerve agents. (AP Photo, File) Uglev detailed his deadly and secretive work, recalling how Kremlin leaders and the military were ambivalent about the chemical weapons program and eventually came to see it as burdensome and costly. And he described how the economic chaos that followed the Soviet Union's collapse could have led to the lethal poisons falling into unscrupulous hands. Britain said Russia used A-234, which is from a class of nerve agents known as "Novichok," to poison ex-double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury, England, on March 4. Moscow vehemently denied it had anything to do with the attack, which touched off an unprecedented diplomatic war between Russia and the West. Moscow has argued that the U.S., Britain and other Western countries acquired the expertise to make the nerve agent after the Soviet collapse. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, an international watchdog group that analyzed the samples in the Skripals' poisoning, confirmed British conclusions about the identity of the toxic chemical but not its origin. Uglev and Leonid Rink, another top scientist in the Soviet chemical weapons program interviewed by the AP, gave conflicting theories about the attack. While Uglev said the nerve agent could have come from Russia, Rink echoed the Kremlin line, alleging British intelligence might have used a less-lethal substance and then faked the evidence to implicate Russia. Britain has denied that. Both scientists agreed, however, that it probably will never be possible to determine the nerve agent's source. "Imagine that you are dealing with a murder and a killer has left his fingerprints all around the place, but they aren't in your data bank," Uglev said. "You would only be able to identify him after you catch him." The victims' improved health - Yulia Skripal was released from the hospital and Sergei Skripal was recovering - indicates they only got a minuscule dose, Uglev said. He agreed with the theory that the poison probably was applied to a door handle at the Skripal home, perhaps modified so it was more viscous to stick better to the handle. Uglev added that the Skripals might have mitigated its effect by washing their hands. ROOTS IN THE 1970s The Soviet program to design a new generation of chemical weapons called Foliant began in the 1970s to counter the U.S., Uglev said. Soviet leaders wanted the equivalent of U.S. binary weapons - agents made up of relatively harmless components that turn deadly when mixed. The aim was to make their storage and transportation safer and cheaper. The main Soviet research center was in Shikhany, a town in southwestern Russia. It was one of the "closed cities" that the KGB sealed off from outside visitors. It also housed chemical depots and a military firing range, where nerve agents were tested. The research was dangerous, with no known antidote from the Novichok strain. Just a few milligrams - the weight of a snowflake - were enough to kill a person within minutes. Uglev recalled a terrifying moment when he accidentally dropped a tiny amount of a Novichok-class agent on his hand. "I rinsed my hands with sulfuric acid and then put them under tap water," he said, adding it was the only way to survive. Another researcher wasn't so lucky. In 1987, Andrei Zheleznyakov was exposed in a lab accident to a Novichok-series nerve agent, and he died of multiple illnesses five years later. 'THE NEWCOMER' ARRIVES By the end of the 1980s, scientists at Shikhany developed a host of nerve agents and various precursors for binary weapons that the military collectively dubbed "Novichok," which means "newcomer." Directors of the program, including Gen. Anatoly Kuntsevich, received the prestigious Lenin Prize. But the effort was only partly successful, Uglev said. While some of the nerve agents were deadlier than their U.S. equivalents, the main goal of developing feasible binary weapons wasn't achieved, he said. Some of the components were as toxic as the military-grade nerve agents and thus hard to handle safely - effectively not binary weapons. And although Soviet leaders wanted to counter the Americans, they weren't enthusiastic about chemical weapons in general, seeing them as excessive, when compared with Moscow's massive nuclear arsenal. Uglev recalled a 1986 meeting with a senior Communist Party official in charge of weapons industries who spoke dismissively about chemical weapons. "He told me, 'Why would we need something 10 times stronger than what the Americans have? Chemical weapons are obsolete anyway,'" Uglev recalled. Military brass saw chemical weapons as a costly and unnecessary burden, Uglev said. He cited drills in which an entire Soviet armored division was sprayed with toxic chemicals to simulate a chemical attack. "Freshly painted tanks turned into rusty monsters, drawing four-letter words from the commanding general," he said. "Chemical weapons are just a headache for a modern military." When Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in 1985, his political reforms and closer ties with the West led to cuts in many military programs and an array of arms control agreements. In a show of openness, authorities even organized a trip to Shikhany for Western diplomats and journalists. Novichok-class agents were only made in lab quantities and never entered mass production, Uglev and Rink said. Uglev estimated about 100 kilograms (220 pounds) were made for research and military tests. "It's hard to imagine that any significant amounts could have been left anywhere, except in researchers' personal safes, where it was allowed to keep no more than 20 grams" - less than an ounce, he said. Novichok-related research also was conducted at a main Moscow lab, and both Uglev and Rink said samples were shared with other Soviet labs. Rink said some could have ended up abroad after the Soviet collapse. Russia joined a global treaty banning chemical weapons that entered force in 1997. Last year, Moscow said it had finished destroying 40,000 metric tons of its Soviet-made chemical arsenals, an effort that spanned two decades under close international oversight. Rink, who worked in Shikhany from 1970 until 1997, said U.S. experts made sure that even small quantities of military-grade nerve agents and their precursors were destroyed. Even newly built labs in Shikhany were demolished. EXPERTISE SURVIVES The U.S., however, couldn't prevent the expertise from spreading. Kuntsevich, the general who led the Novichok program, went to Syria, where he reportedly helped create its chemical weapons program in the 1990s. He faced criminal charges in Russia in 1995 for helping smuggle toxic chemicals to the Middle East, and Israeli officials reportedly urged Russia to stop the operations. Kuntsevich died in 2002 on a flight from Syria to Russia, and Israeli media suggested he was killed by Israeli intelligence. Under a 2013 deal sponsored by Russia and the U.S., Syria agreed to dismantle its chemical arsenals, but Washington alleged that Damascus reneged on its obligations and waged chemical attacks on rebel areas, most recently in the town of Douma on April 7. Uglev said he turned down a job offer at a U.S. lab because he no longer wanted to work in the field. "I would probably have done quite well there, although I could have ended up like Skripal," he said with a touch of sarcasm. A whistleblower scientist, Vil Mirzayanov, revealed the Novichok program in 1992. He was briefly jailed for divulging state secrets but released amid protests by human rights groups and moved to the U.S., where he wrote about the Soviet program. After the Skripals' poisoning, Russia said the expertise related to Novichok had been available to the U.S. and its allies via Mirzayanov and other leakers. While the Soviet research on Novichok was known to international experts who drew up the Chemical Weapons Convention in the 1990s, they opted not to put the agents or their precursors on a list of banned substances. Although Novichok nerve agents aren't listed by name in the convention, they are banned by a general prohibition on any toxic substance used to kill or injure. The U.S. didn't actively oppose including Novichok by name, according to a former official in a U.S. arms control program who spoke on condition of anonymity because of continued government work. The former official said the chemical first became known to the world when it was mentioned in Russian media in 1992. At the time, the chemical weapons treaty was already drafted and awaiting approval by the U.N. General Assembly. "At that point, we were all so focused on getting the treaty into force," the official said. "So the question of whether Novichok should be listed didn't even really come up." CHAOS AMID COLLAPSE Despite the U.S. oversight to dismantle Russia's arsenal, Uglev said some of the nerve agents could have fallen into the wrong hands amid the economic and political chaos of the Soviet collapse. Uglev, who retired from the lab in 1990 and worked in local government in Shikhany until 1994, recalled years of misery when wages weren't paid. He said he couldn't exclude that some lab workers might have been tempted to sell toxic substances. In 1995, Moscow banker Ivan Kivelidi fell ill in his office and died in a hospital a few days later without regaining consciousness. Investigators determined that a cotton pad tainted with a nerve agent was put in his telephone handset. Kivelidi's personal secretary and a forensic expert who did the autopsy also died. Russia's Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported that Rink acknowledged smuggling the substance used to kill Kivelidi and also sold several ampules containing a military-grade toxin to Chechen mobsters. Rink was convicted of a minor financial offense, received a suspended sentence and never spent any time in jail. He refused to comment on the Kivelidi case, telling the AP he sold rat poison to the Chechens as part of what he called a sting operation by Russia's domestic security agency, the FSB. "I sold it to the Chechen bandits and they were immediately apprehended," he said. In backing the Kremlin's assertion that the Skripals' poisoning and recovery wasn't consistent with even a minimal dose of Novichok, Rink argued that Russia wouldn't use that chemical. If it had wanted to kill the former spy, it would have used a more stealthy poison that leaves no trace, he said, noting the intelligence agencies have many of those. Since a Novichok-class agent doesn't metabolize in the body, Rink said, it is easily detectable and traceable to Russia. "Novichok is a brand name of Russian-made horror," he said. ___ National writer Jeff Donn contributed to this report. In this handout photo taken on May, 2011 by Russian chemical experts Vladimir Uglev poses for a photograph at an undisclosed location. Uglev told The Associated Press said he was the scientist who in 1975 first synthesized A-234 _ an odorless liquid deadlier than any other chemical weapons that existed at the time, that apparently turned up in an English town and nearly killed a former Russian spy and his daughter. (Vladimir Uglev via AP) In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, Russian scientist Leonid Rink speaks during his interview to the Associated Press in Moscow, Russia. Rink was a leading scientist in a Soviet program to develop a new class of nerve agents dubbed Novichok, one of which Britain said was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, Russian scientist Leonid Rink speaks during his interview to the Associated Press in Moscow, Russia. Rink was a leading scientist in a Soviet program to develop a new class of nerve agents dubbed Novichok, one of which Britain said was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) In this photo taken on on Oct. 4, 1987, Lt. Gen. Anatoly Kuntsevich, a deputy commander of the Soviet chemical troops, attends a meeting with Western diplomats and journalists in Shikhany, Saratov region, Russia. Kuntsevich died in 2002 on a flight from Syria to Moscow, and Israeli media alleged that he was killed by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad for his efforts to help Syria develop chemical weapons. (Hans de Vreij via AP) In this Oct. 4, 1987 photo, a lab rabbit rests in a container during a visit by Western diplomats and journalists to a chemical weapons research facility in Shikhany, Saratov region, Russia. The facility in Shikhany led the efforts to develop Soviet chemical weapons, including Novichok-class nerve agents. (Hans de Vreij via AP) In this photo taken on Oct. 4, 1987, Soviet troops in protective gear take a break during a visit by Western diplomats and journalists to a chemical weapons research facility in Shikhany, Saratov region, Russia. The facility in Shikhany led the efforts to develop Soviet chemical weapons, including Novichok-class nerve agents. (Hans de Vreij via AP) In this photo taken on on Oct. 4, 1987, A Soviet army serviceman in protective suit handles toxic substances during a visit by Western diplomats and journalists to a chemical weapons research facility in Shikhany, Saratov region, Russia. Vladimir Uglev told The Associated Press said he was the scientist who in 1975 first synthesized A-234 _ an odorless liquid deadlier than any other chemical weapons that existed at the time, that apparently turned up in an English town and nearly killed a former Russian spy and his daughter. (Hans de Vreij via AP) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - The Mideast ride-sharing app Careem says it has been hacked. The Dubai-based competitor to Uber said in a blog post on Monday that it became aware of the hack on Jan. 14 and that it affected "computer systems which hold customer and captain account data." Careem refers to its drivers as captains. While credit card information remains safe, Careem says that the hackers got access to customers' name, email addresses, phone numbers and trip data. Careem is one of just a few Gulf startups to be valued at $1 billion. The six-year-old company localized the idea of Uber by also allowing customers to pay by cash. Among its biggest investors is an investment firm chaired by billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and the largely state-owned Saudi Telecom Co. LONDON (AP) - A London court agreed Monday to extradite the founder of indebted Croatia-based food and retail company Agrokor, the country's most-wanted fugitive. Ivica Todoric was arrested in London in November under a European arrest warrant posted by Croatia, which accuses him of mismanaging Agrokor and embezzling millions in the process. The company, which employs 60,000 people throughout the Balkans and accounts for 15 percent of Croatia's GDP, collapsed under the weight of 6 billion euros in debt ($7 billion), including a disputed sum owed to two Russian state-run banks, Sberbank and VTB. It was put into state administration a year ago. FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2017 file photo, the home of Ivica Todoric's family, a 16th century castle overlooking the Croatian capital is seen from a nearby cemetery, in Zagreb, Croatia. A London court has decided on Monday, April 23, 2018 to extradite the founder of indebted Croatia-based food and retail company Agrokor, the country's most-wanted fugitive. Ivica Todoric was arrested in London in November under a European arrest warrant posted by Croatia, which accuses him of mismanaging Agrokor and embezzling millions in the process. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, file) Todoric claimed he is innocent and said the Croatian charges were politically motivated. His lawyers have announced an appeal. Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot told the Westminster Magistrates Court that she sees no political motivation in Croatia's extradition request. "I order the extradition of Mr. Ivica Todoric to Croatia," she said. Until the Court approved his extradition, Todoric had been free on bail in the U.K. after surrendering his passport and agreeing to wear an electronic tag. The court later Monday ruled that Todoric will remain free during the appeals process. Earlier, defense lawyer Jadranka Slokovic told N1 TV she was not surprised by the ruling and expressed hope Todoric would not be detained until the final decision. "Todoric has fully respected the restrictions (imposed by the court) and I hope the existing measures, which he has honored, will be extended," Slokovic said. Agrokor's creditors last month agreed on draft debt-settlement terms, which provide a framework to avoid bankruptcy. The plan includes a proposed corporate restructuring that would in effect put the two Russian banks in control of the company - prompting fears in Croatia that the Kremlin has been strategically trying to increase its political influence in the European Union's newest member. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A grainy video of female officers from Iran's morality police assaulting a young woman whose headscarf only loosely covered her hair has sparked a new public debate on the decades-long requirement for women in the Islamic Republic. While officials of all ranks up to President Hassan Rouhani have weighed in on the incident, it has seen women in Iran not only question the rule that they must wear the hijab in the street but also their faith in the theocratic Shiite-dominated nation. Even before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the long, flowing black robes for women known as chadors and the headscarves, or hijabs, were both a political and religious symbol in the Shiite-dominated nation. In this Sunday, April 22, 2018, photo, pedestrians cross a street in Tehran, Iran. A grainy video of female officers from Iran's morality police assaulting a young woman whose headscarf only loosely covered her hair has sparked a new public debate on the decades-long requirement for women in the Islamic Republic. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) "I used to be a person who would always say her prayers and deeply believed in God," said Afrouz, 28, who like other women who spoke to The Associated Press in Tehran would only give their first name for fear of retribution. "I would always say grace before having a meal. Right now, I believe in none of those things." The video appeared online last week, with activists suggesting it was taken in Tehran, though nothing in it offers hints at its location. It shows a young woman with a long red scarf loosely covering her head, her hair clearly showing, being surrounded by three morality policewomen wearing chadors, who grab her. One grabs her by the throat. She screams, they pick her up off her feet. She then ends up on the ground, weeping as another woman comforts her before the officers grab her again. "Why are you hitting me? You have been destroying us for 30 years," she is heard shouting at one point. The video went viral on social media and drew an immediate reaction from officials. Iran's interior minister, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, ordered authorities on Thursday to investigate the incident soon after Masoumeh Ebtekar, a female vice president for women's affairs, condemned the police's "violent" approach to the situation. Reformist lawmaker Tayebeh Siavoshi said Saturday that the policewoman seen in the video grabbing the young woman's throat has been suspended pending the investigation. None of the women in the video have been identified. "Imposing (force on women) will lead nowhere," she said. President Rouhani, a cleric who is considered a moderate within Iran's political system, also criticized the morality police in a speech on Saturday. The police force's stated mandate is "promoting virtue and preventing vice." "Grabbing people's collars to promote virtue will not work," Rouhani warned. "You cannot do it by being aggressive." Hard-liners, however, have dismissed the video as a foreign plot. The hard-line Kayhan daily on Sunday described the video as "strange and suspicious," noting foreign activists have promoted it. Previously, hard-liners pointed to a campaign challenging the hijab launched by a journalist at the Persian service of the Voice of America, which is funded by the U.S. government. On Monday, judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani said he supported the morality police, adding that "law enforcement should not withdraw a single inch." But on the streets of Tehran, women are openly discussing the video and their own encounters with morality police. "I think that it was very unnecessary the way that the police, or the morality police, handled the situation," said Hamraz, 27, an Austrian national born to Iranian parents who is on vacation in Tehran. "It was very unfortunate that it was caught on camera, but in a way it was good that everyone got to see how people are being treated: very unjust and very unfair." Sahar, a 25-year-old university student, agreed. "I think everyone must be free to choose what they believe in and we can deal with each other more peacefully instead of trying to induce people to do what you think is right," she said. "This method surely will not work." The hijab and chador have long been parts of Persian culture. They became political symbols in 1936, when Iran's pro-Western ruler Reza Shah Pahlavi banned the garments amid his efforts to rapidly modernize Iran. The ban became a source of humiliation for some pious Muslim women in the country. As the 1979 Islamic Revolution took hold, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordered female civil servants to wear the chador. At first, thousands of women protested the decision in Tehran and Khomeini later said officials should not insult women who chose not to wear it - though he also called the chador "the flag of the revolution." The hijab and loose-fitting clothing later became mandatory for all women in Iran. And though some freedoms for women were curtailed in the years that followed, Iranian women were still allowed to drive, unlike in Saudi Arabia, and hold public office. In Tehran today, some fashionable young women wear tighter clothes with a scarf loosely covering their head, technically meeting the requirements of the law while drawing the ire of conservatives. Women arrested for showing their hair in public in Iran can receive jail terms of two months or less and face fines equivalent to $25. In December, Tehran's police said they would no longer arrest women for not observing the Islamic dress code as video clips of women choosing not to wear hijabs and walking the streets with their heads uncovered spread across social media. One image - of a young woman, head uncovered and waving her hijab like a flag in Tehran's Enghelab Street - became famous during economic protests that swept Iran later that month. Tehran's prosecutor, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, said in March that the woman had been sentenced to 24 months in prison. The telecommunication junction box she stood on in the photograph has since been re-welded to stop women from standing on it, though protests continue. ___ Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. In this Sunday, April 22, 2018, photo, head-to-toe veiled Iranian women cross a street in Tehran, Iran. A grainy video of female officers from Iran's morality police assaulting a young woman whose headscarf only loosely covered her hair has sparked a new public debate on the decades-long requirement for women in the Islamic Republic. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this Sunday, April 22, 2018, photo, women make their way on a sidewalk in downtown Tehran, Iran. A grainy video of female officers from Iran's morality police assaulting a young woman whose headscarf only loosely covered her hair has sparked a new public debate on the decades-long requirement for women in the Islamic Republic. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this Sunday, April 22, 2018, photo, head-to-toe veiled Iranian women cross a street in Tehran, Iran. A grainy video of female officers from Iran's morality police assaulting a young woman whose headscarf only loosely covered her hair has sparked a new public debate on the decades-long requirement for women in the Islamic Republic. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) BERLIN (AP) - German prosecutors say they've searched the home of a man suspected in a French investigation of a monument to a Nazi SS division in France. The investigation centers on a memorial stone honoring the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division that was allegedly put up in January on private property near the eastern French village of Volmunster, easily visible to the public. French prosecutors are looking into suspected glorification of war crimes and crimes against humanity. French media reported that authorities quickly removed the memorial. A German man who lives across the border in Puettlingen, identified only as K., was identified as the property's owner. Saarbruecken prosecutors said K.'s apartment was searched Monday and evidence seized. German prosecutors must now decide what material can be handed over to France. NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - The Latest on Bill Cosby's sexual assault retrial (all times local): 2:10 p.m. Bill Cosby's lawyers have rested their case at his sexual assault retrial. Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial, Monday, April 23, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) The 80-year-old comedian did not take the stand in his own defense. He didn't testify at his first trial, either. That one ended in a hung jury last year. Closing arguments are set for Tuesday. Cosby is charged with drugging and molesting a woman at his house near Philadelphia in 2004. He says it was consensual. Jurors heard from 25 witnesses in 10 days of testimony. Cosby's lawyers called 10 of those witnesses, including a former colleague of accuser Andrea Constand who says Constand spoke of framing a high-profile person so she could sue and get money. Prosecutors called five other women who say Cosby drugged and molested them, too. ___ 12:20 p.m. Prosecutors are highlighting gaps in Bill Cosby's travel records. Defense lawyers say the travel records prove he wasn't at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in January 2004 - the month his chief accuser alleges he drugged and molested her there. But prosecutors say there are multiple stretches of time that month when the comedian wasn't aboard his private jet or performing around the country. And District Attorney Kevin Steele noted in court Monday that the records reflect only jet travel, not other modes of transportation. Roslyn Yarbrough, a former secretary for Cosby's agent, says Cosby spent most of his time at his Massachusetts estate and New York City townhouse, and was "very rarely" at the suburban Philadelphia mansion. ___ 9:15 a.m. The judge in Bill Cosby's sexual assault retrial won't allow his lawyers to introduce testimony they say would shed light on the possible motivation of the comedian's chief accuser. The defense wanted jurors to hear deposition testimony from Andrea Constand's friend, Sheri Williams. Cosby's lawyers said Williams hasn't responded to subpoenas. They wanted Williams' testimony to rebut Constand's claims that she was unaware Cosby was romantically interested in her. They said Williams would show Constand "could not have been the unwitting victim" prosecutors have portrayed. Judge Steven O'Neill rejected the defense request Monday as the trial entered its third week. Cosby is charged with drugging and molesting Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. He says it was consensual. The Associated Press doesn't typically identify people who say they're victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand has done. ___ 8:40 a.m. Bill Cosby has arrived for the 11th day of his sexual assault retrial. The 80-year-old comedian entered the suburban Philadelphia courthouse Monday morning with his spokesman, Andrew Wyatt. Cosby's lawyers are hitting at accuser Andrea Constand's credibility. The judge is expected to rule Monday on whether jurors can hear deposition testimony that Cosby's lawyers say could have insights into what led Constand to accuse him. Cosby's lawyers are expected to call an agent and an aviation consultant to the witness stand as they make the case he never visited his suburban Philadelphia mansion in January 2004, the month Constand says he molested her. The Associated Press doesn't typically identify people who say they're victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand has done. ___ 12:05 a.m. Bill Cosby's lawyers and publicists are increasingly playing to the court of public opinion as his sexual assault retrial heads toward deliberations. They're hitting at accuser Andrea Constand's credibility and holding daily press briefings portraying Cosby as the victim of an overzealous prosecutor and an unjust legal system. The judge is expected to rule Monday on whether jurors can hear deposition testimony that Cosby's lawyers say could have insights into what led Constand to accuse him. Cosby's lawyers are expected to call an agent and an aviation consultant to the witness stand as they make the case he never visited his suburban Philadelphia mansion in January 2004, the month Constand says he molested her. The Associated Press doesn't typically identify people who say they're victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand has done. Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial, Monday, April 23, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Attorney Tom Mesereau arrives for Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial, Monday, April 23, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Attorney Kathleen Bliss, center, arrives for Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial, Monday, April 23, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on the nomination of Mike Pompeo as secretary of state (all times local): 6:30 p.m. President Donald Trump's choice for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has cleared the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a favorable recommendation, narrowly avoiding a rare rebuke as his confirmation heads to the full Senate. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the ranking member, right, oversee the confirmation vote on President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, who has faced considerable opposition before the panel, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 23, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Democrats put up stiff resistance and voted against Pompeo, who is now the CIA director. Only a last-minute switch from Kentucky Republican Rand Paul - whom Trump called before the vote - enabled Pompeo to win committee approval. It would have been the first time since the committee starting keeping records in 1925 that a secretary of state nominee faced an unfavorable report. Pompeo's nomination now goes to the full Senate, where votes are tallying in his favor. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he looks forward to voting to confirm Pompeo this week. ___ 5:25 p.m. Sen. Rand Paul says he now supports Mike Pompeo as secretary of state. The Kentucky Republican announced his position after talking with President Donald Trump moments before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was set to consider the nominee. Pompeo hasn't had sufficient support from the panel for a favorable recommendation, but Paul's support could change that outcome. Paul says on Twitter that after talking with Trump and meeting with the nominee he received assurances that Pompeo believes the Iraq war "was a mistake, that regime change has destabilized the region, and that we must end our involvement with Afghanistan." With those assurances, the senator says he has "decided to support his nomination to be our next secretary of state." ___ 3:40 p.m. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he's looking forward to voting to confirm President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, later this week in the Senate. McConnell is making the upbeat assessment after two more Democratic senators announced support for Pompeo, now the CIA director, despite steep opposition expected Monday evening at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The panel is unlikely to have the votes to give a favorable recommendation, but the nominee is expected to find wider support in the full Senate. McConnell says that with Pompeo, "the United States will have a chief diplomat who enjoys the total confidence of the president." The Republican leader says he looks "forward to upholding the tradition of this body and voting to confirm him this week." ___ 1:30 p.m. Mike Pompeo's nomination for secretary of state has received a boost because two Democratic senators announced they would support his confirmation before the full Senate. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana both backed Pompeo when he was confirmed as CIA director. But other Democrats have been peeling away, and Pompeo is not likely to have enough support Monday for a favorable recommendation from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Neither Manchin nor Donnelly is on the panel, but their votes will help push Pompeo's nomination before the full Senate vote expected later this week. Manchin says "during this sensitive diplomatic time, it's important our next secretary of state understands the grave threats facing our nation and can offer diplomatic solutions to avoid conflict, as soon as possible." ___ 9:30 a.m. President Donald Trump is attacking Democrats as he seeks Senate confirmation of Mike Pompeo as secretary of State. Trump says on Twitter Monday: "Hard to believe Obstructionists May vote against Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State. The Dems will not approve hundreds of good people, including the Ambassador to Germany. They are maxing out the time on approval process for all, never happened before. Need more Republicans!" Pompeo's nomination faces serious opposition from key Democrats and at least one Republican. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee may not have enough votes to recommend him for confirmation. The full Senate is still expected to consider Pompeo's nomination later this week. But the rebuke from the panel would be the first time in years a nominee for the position did not receive a favorable vote. ___ President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, is facing serious opposition before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The panel may not have enough votes to recommend him for confirmation Monday as all Democrats, and at least one Republican, have said they will oppose him. The full Senate is still expected to consider Pompeo's nomination later this week. But the rare rebuke from the panel, even after Pompeo's recent visit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, would be the first time in years a nominee for the high-level Cabinet position did not receive a favorable vote. The chairman of the committee, Republican Sen. Bob Corker, blames partisan politics for opposition to Pompeo, saying the CIA chief is just as qualified as past nominees for secretary of state. ASHLAND, Ohio (AP) - A man accused of killing two women told another woman he had tied to a bed that she was going to die before she broke free and called 911, a prosecutor told a jury on Monday. Shawn Grate also videotaped himself raping one of the women found dead and the woman rescued by police a year and a half ago, Ashland County Prosecutor Chris Tunnell said during opening statements. Grate has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and could be sentenced to death if convicted of killing 29-year-old Elizabeth Griffith and 43-year-old Stacey Stanley. He was arrested in September 2016 after police found the women's remains in what was supposed to be a vacant Ashland home, where another woman said she had been held captive. Once in custody, Grate, 41, told police that he had killed two other women but he has not been charged in those killings. Police also looked into whether he was connected to the 2015 death of a fifth woman. Grate's attorney declined to make an opening statement as the trial got underway. Grate, described by those who know him as a charmer with a dark side, was arrested after a woman called 911 and said she was being held inside a home. The woman said she was lured into the house and raped repeatedly by Grate, the prosecutor said. "He told her she was going to die," Tunnell said. Police rescued the woman and found piles of trash and clothing, he said. "Although they didn't see anyone, they knew the smell was unmistakable. The smell of death told them there was going to be more to the story," Tunnell said. Investigators then found the bodies of the two women underneath piles of clothes in a closet and in the basement, Tunnell said. He said he plans to show videotaped police interviews where Grate admits to the killings. Grate demonstrated on video how he strangled the two women, Tunnell said. ___ Information from: Ashland Times-Gazette, http://www.times-gazette.com BERLIN (AP) - Turkey's foreign minister is planning to visit Germany for the 25th anniversary of a firebombing in which five Turks were killed. The visit comes at a sensitive time, weeks before elections in Turkey. City authorities in Solingen said Monday that Mevlut Cavusoglu is expected to address a memorial event on May 29, 25 years after two Turkish women and three girls died when fire raged through their building. Right-wing extremists were convicted of the murders. German news agency dpa reports that German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Cavusoglu's visit doesn't fall under a ban on rallies by non-European Union politicians during the three months before their countries' elections. The ban was introduced last year following a dispute over Turkish ministers being blocked from campaigning in Germany before a Turkish referendum. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has turned down an appeal from a man who committed robbery and other crimes on a single day when he was 16 and now isn't eligible for parole until he's 112 years old. The justices on Monday left in place defendant Bobby Bostic's 241-year sentence. Bostic's lawyers argued that the prison term violated the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The former St. Louis judge who sentenced Bostic had urged the high court to hear the case. She now believes Bostic's prison term is unjust. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley said a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that outlawed life sentences for people under 18 who didn't kill anyone applies only to a sentence for one crime. Bostic was sentenced for his role in 18 crimes. LONDON (AP) - Like everything to do with Britain's royal family, a mix of tradition and modernity governed the birth of Prince William and Kate's third child. Here are five things to know about Britain's royal births: FROM PALACE TO HOSPITAL For generations it was the custom among royals - as among commoners - to give birth at home. Queen Elizabeth II was born at her grandfather's London house, and gave birth to her sons Charles, Andrew and Edward at Buckingham Palace. Her only daughter, Princess Anne, was born at Clarence House, another royal residence. Royal fans John Loughrey, right, and Terry Hutt pose for a photo opposite the Lindo wing at St Mary's Hospital in London London, Monday, April 23, 2018. Kensington Palace says Prince William's wife, the Duchess of Cambridge has entered a London hospital to give birth to the couple's third child. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) That changed by the 1980s, when Princess Diana had sons William and Harry at the private Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London. William and Kate's first two children, George and Charlotte, were born at the same hospital in 2013 and 2015. Kate gave birth to their third child, a son, there on Monday. DELIVERY-ROOM INTERLOPERS For decades, and for reasons that remain unclear, custom dictated that government officials should be present when a royal was born. Some believe it was to verify that there was no switching at birth or other shenanigans. When the queen was born in 1926, Britain's home secretary was present among the doctors. The custom was eliminated before the birth of the queen's first child, Prince Charles, in 1948. Until recently, it was not usual for fathers to attend births. However, Prince Charles was present when sons William and Harry were born, and William was at his wife's side for the birth of their first two children. He was in attendance again on Monday for the birth of baby number three. A FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT News of the newborn prince's birth was announced by Kensington Palace by email and on Twitter, but it also involved a tradition dating back at least to the 19th century. A messenger traveled by car from the hospital to Buckingham Palace, carrying a piece of paper signed by doctors detailing the infant's gender, weight and time of birth. Two uniformed palace staff placed the framed notice on a ceremonial easel in the palace forecourt, where it will stay for about 24 hours. MULTIPLE NAMES The name of the new prince has not been announced; the palace says it will be revealed "in due course." When William was born, it took a full week before his name was announced, but the names of George and Charlotte were announced within two days of their births. Arthur, James and Albert are among bookmakers' favorites, and there is speculation the baby might be given Philip as a middle name in honor of his great-grandfather Prince Philip. Most royals have three to four first names, usually in a combination that honors previous monarchs or relatives. William and Kate's firstborn is named George Alexander Louis and his sister is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana - honoring both her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and her late grandmother, Princess Diana. The baby's full title will be His Royal Highness Prince (Name) of Cambridge. LINE OF SUCCESSION Until recently, the rules of succession favored male heirs, so a younger brother would jump ahead of an elder sister in the line for the throne. But the rules were changed before Prince George was born to give royal daughters the same rights as sons. That means Princess Charlotte remains fourth in line to the throne, with the new baby fifth. William's younger brother, Prince Harry, drops down to sixth place. A notice is placed on an easel announcing the birth of the new Royal baby, in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, in London, Monday, April 23, 2018. Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth Monday to a healthy baby boy - a third child for Kate and Prince William and fifth in line to the British throne. The palace said the baby prince was born at 11:01 a.m. (1001 GMT; 6:01 a.m. EDT) and weighed in at eight pounds, seven ounces (3.8 kilograms). (Pool Photo via AP) Town Crier Tony Appleton announces that the Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a baby boy outside the Lindo wing at St Mary's Hospital in London London, Monday, April 23, 2018. Kensington Palace says the Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to her third child, a boy weighing 8 pounds, 7 ounces (3.8 kilograms). (AP Photo/Tim Ireland) A plane flies overhead trailing a banner with the odds on the gender of the Royal baby above the Lindo wing at St Mary's Hospital in London London, Monday, April 23, 2018. Kensington Palace says Prince William's wife, the Duchess of Cambridge has entered a London hospital to give birth to the couple's third child. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) A notice is placed on an easel announcing the birth of the new Royal baby, in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, in London, Monday, April 23, 2018. Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth Monday to a healthy baby boy - a third child for Kate and Prince William and fifth in line to the British throne. The palace said the baby prince was born at 11:01 a.m. (1001 GMT; 6:01 a.m. EDT) and weighed in at eight pounds, seven ounces (3.8 kilograms). (Pool Photo via AP) Town Crier Tony Appleton announces that the Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a baby boy outside the Lindo wing at St Mary's Hospital in London London, Monday, April 23, 2018. Kensington Palace says the Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to her third child, a boy weighing 8 pounds, 7 ounces (3.8 kilograms). (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) Royal fans John Loughrey and Terry Hutt, right, pose holding a baby doll opposite the Lindo wing at St Mary's Hospital in London London, Monday, April 23, 2018. Kensington Palace says the Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to her third child, a boy weighing 8 pounds, 7 ounces (3.8 kilograms). (AP Photo/Tim Ireland) SFAX, Tunisia (AP) - Enter gates of the medina in Sfax, Tunisia, walk into a maze of long, covered passageways and step into another world. Here there are no cars. Birds chatter in peaceful courtyards. Life revolves around a giant mosque. And in the bustling, entertaining markets called souqs, vendor after vendor sells goods: bags, baskets, jackets, perfumes, jewelry, plus elaborate hand-woven carpets and wildly colorful, glittering dresses. This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows a covered food market inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP) A medina is the old, walled section of an Arab city. The Sfax medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO World Heritage status to help protect the site. "It's the most restored medina in the entire Arabic world," said Ahmed Charfi, a 32-year-old guide and president of Sfax El Mezyena, a group seeking to revive the medina. Inside there is food, and more food, for sale. Fresh seafood here, meat over there, bread here, heaps of vegetables there. Craftsmen make just about anything you can think of needing to use from metal and wood. Mohamed Ketata is one of the medina's wood craftsmen. At 55, he is carrying on four generations of craftsmanship in the medina. He works on pieces of olive wood with quick, precise, long-practiced masterful hands. "Anything I think about, I can make," he said. "Tell me what you want me to do and I will satisfy your wishes." For all its seeming prosperity and liveliness, though, everything's not as well as it might seem. "There's not really any people who live here," said Noamen Trigui, 52, and the co-owner of a popular cafe founded in the 19th century, the Kemour Cafe. "They come to work and then leave." Besides a loss of residents, he said modernity is encroaching too. "Aluminum. Plastic. Air conditioners. The satellite dishes have covered all the roofs. It detracts," he said. "People are turning houses into workshops." But he was optimistic that young people can help keep the medina alive. "The medina is the place where every man goes back to his origins," he said. "It's a treasure. We must all help to conserve it. We have to polish gold to make it bright." This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows fishmonger Abdelmajid Baklouhi, right, in the seafood market of the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows the central mosque inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows a heap of fava beans for sale inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows olives and hot peppers for sale in a covered food market inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows Mohamed Ketata, a fourth-generation wood craftsman, at work at his shop inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows Hedi Khelif at his shop where he sells carpets inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows rooftops inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP) PARIS (AP) - Striking French train workers have occupied a building in a surprise protest against President Emmanuel Macron's changes to the state-run rail company. At least 150 union activists mounted fire stairs to enter the freight offices of rail company SNCF in the Paris suburb of Clichy in Monday's protest action. Riot police surrounded the site and blocked the road outside. Protesters lit flares, hung huge banners from windows and sung protest songs but the atmosphere was calm. Many of the employees appeared to have left the building. A striking rail worker holds a flare during a picket line in Pantin, north of Paris, Monday, April 23, 2018. Striking French train workers have occupied a building in a surprise protest against President Emmanuel Macron's reforms of the state-run rail company. Most French trains were cancelled Monday on the ninth day of a nationwide strike over a plan to take away worker benefits to allow the company to open up to competition. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) It was the latest protest action by workers angry over Macron's overhaul of the economy. Most French trains were cancelled Monday, the ninth day of a nationwide strike over a plan to take away worker benefits to allow the company to open up to competition. A striking train worker holds a flair during a demonstration, in Clichy, east of Paris, Monday, April 23, 2018. Striking French train workers have occupied a building in a surprise protest against President Emmanuel Macron's reforms of the state-run rail company. Most French trains were cancelled Monday on the ninth day of a nationwide strike over a plan to take away worker benefits to allow the company to open up to competition. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) MATMATA, Tunisia (AP) - There's a reason the original "Star Wars" movie was filmed here in the deserts of southern Tunisia. This stark, remote landscape looks like another planet. One of Tunisia's vast desert regions is even called Tataouine, like Luke Skywalker's home planet, Tattoine. And the underground home where Luke Skywalker first appeared living with his uncle and aunt is a real hotel in the town of Matmata, one of various desert locations used in the movies. This Feb. 1, 2018 photo shows the inside of an abandoned Star Wars film location in the Sahara Desert near Tozeur in southern Tunisia at dusk. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) "It looks just like the film," said Lorenzo Bresciani, one of two young touring Italian professional tennis players who recently visited the Hotel Sidi Driss. "When you see it on the film, you say, 'OK.' But when you are here, it has another effect." Hotel owner Masoud Berachad says visitors have dropped off since Tunisia's democratic revolution in 2011 and since terror attacks killed tourists in 2015. Still, "Star Wars" fans keep the hotel in business. "They come and take so many pictures," Berachad said. "You can see how happy they are. They can stay here for hours and hours." Aside from tourism, though, jobs here are scarce. Matmata's population is dwindling as people leave for a more modern life elsewhere. THE BERBERS Before becoming a hotel in 1969, the "Star Wars" dwelling was a traditional home used by indigenous Berbers. The Berbers played a major role in the history of North Africa and Europe after forming powerful alliances with Romans and Arabs. Remember the Jawas from "Star Wars," the hooded fellows who trade in scrap metal and capture C-3PO and R2-D2? Their dark cloaks and pointed hoods resemble the garments of traditional Berbers, as does Obi-Wan Kenobi in his cloak. The Berbers' underground dwellings, like the Matmata house, were carved from sandstone to offer shelter from heat and a place to hide from enemies. Few people live that way today, but some dwellings have been preserved as museums, including one owned by Mahboub Theouibi, whose family moved into a modern house about 25 years ago. Like most of the dwellings, theirs was built with a central courtyard open to the sky. "Brothers lived in the same room, cousins in another," she said. "Each room had a purpose." She pointed to a small room accessible only by ladder, where the family stored food, and a stone for milling grains. "Everything was made by hand," she said. She remembered her life there fondly, despite hardships like carrying water by camel from a spring far away and the daily search for food. A DESERT JOURNEY It's a long journey across wide-open plateaus to this desert terrain. Long, straight highways pass industrial cities such as oil-rich Gabes and phosphate-producing Gafsa. Vendors by the roadside sell tea boiled in fire-warmed pots, pastries and beautiful ceramics. Stacks of jerry cans hold cheap gas smuggled in from neighboring Algeria and Libya. In lonely-looking and half-finished towns along the way, the only businesses seem to be coffee shops filled with men smoking hookahs and playing cards. A jumble of walls and stone homes mark a Berber town on a hill called Tamezret. Here Mongi Bouras, a 50-year-old Berber artisan, has meticulously turned an old cave home into a museum to showcase his people's history. His museum is filled with his gorgeous traditional artwork, all handmade: dresses, quilts, carpets, mannequins adorned in traditional clothing. It's also full of tools and objects that would have been found in a Berber home, like pestles and the two-handled jars called amphorae. He said animistic, Jewish, Christian and Muslim symbols became part of Berber crafts and patterns, and his work reflects that: In his laboriously woven garments and carpets there is a Star of David, a Christian cross, an Islamic crescent moon and naturalistic representations. The low doorways, he said, forced visitors to bow out of courtesy. In one room, he lifted a colorful carpet to reveal a wooden door in the floor. This used to be the entrance to a 1-kilometer-deep tunnel once used by inhabitants to get water, their path lit by oil lamps. "The sign of the smoke from olive oil is still there," he said. AN ABANDONED FILM SET Farther on, the Sahara gets closer. The horizons stretch longer. Traffic is sparse. Mountain profiles etch the landscape. Out of nowhere, a town appears: Douz. A restaurant menu lists camel's milk, lamb's head and grilled fish trucked in from the Mediterranean. Another city on the edge of the Sahara, Tozeur, is busy with shops, lit-up mosques, cafes, markets, traffic. Then, just outside Tozeur, a bizarre sight appears over the top of a sand dune: an abandoned film set from another "Star Wars" location, a place called Mos Espa in the films. Vendors sell crafts and pushy boys try to get tourists to pose for photographs atop camels or with long-eared desert foxes. As the sun falls, the dunes and desert take on strange shapes and colors. It's as if they truly belong on another planet. This Feb. 1, 2018 photo shows a 4-by-4 vehicle taking tourists down a sand dune to visit an abandoned Star Wars film location in the Sahara Desert near Tozeur in southern Tunisia. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 1, 2018 photo shows a traditional underground Berber home that's been turned into a museum. The home is near Matmata, a town in southern Tunisia known both for its Berber inhabitants and as a setting for the filming of the original Star Wars. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 1, 2018 photo shows a boat-like structure with a Tunisian flag flying on it as it sits on a massive salt lake in southern Tunisia called Chott el Djerid. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 1, 2018 photo shows vendors inside an abandoned Star Wars film location in the Sahara Desert near Tozeur in southern Tunisia. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 1, 2018 photo shows tourists and vendors inside an abandoned Star Wars film location in the Sahara Desert near Tozeur in southern Tunisia. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 1, 2018 photo a road marker on a highway passing through a massive salt lake in southern Tunisia called Chott el Djerid. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 1, 2018 photo shows an old Berber cave home in Tamezret that has been turned into a museum that showcases Berber history and arts. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 1, 2018 photo shows Mahboub Theouibi, a woman who lived in a traditional underground Berber home that's been turned into a museum. The home is near Matmata, a town in southern Tunisia known both for its Berber inhabitants and as a setting for the filming of the original Star Wars. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 1, 2018 photo shows the interior of a bar decorated with Star Wars-related photographs inside the Hotel Sidi Driss. The hotel served as Luke Skywalker's home in the original Star Wars. The hotel is in Matmata, a town in southern Tunisia known both for its Berber inhabitants and as a setting for the filming of Star Wars. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 1, 2018 photo shows the high desert landscape near Matmata, a town in southern Tunisia known both for its Berber inhabitants and as a setting for the filming of the original Star Wars. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 1, 2018 photo shows Masoud Berachad, the owner of the Hotel Sidi Driss, which served as Luke Skywalker's home in the original Star Wars. The hotel is in Matmata, a town in southern Tunisia known both for its Berber inhabitants and as a setting for the filming of Star Wars. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - The prosecutor in the trial of a Danish inventor accused of torture and murder in the death of a Swedish journalist during a private submarine trip said Monday there is "a risk that he that can commit the same kind of crime again." Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen said Kim Wall may have been tied with her own stockings before Peter Madsen impaled her, and that he acted with a sexual motive. In his final comments, Buch-Jepsen demanded Madsen is given life in prison - 16 years in Denmark, which could be extended if necessary - or locked up in a secure mental facility for as long as he's considered a danger to others. This photo shows the Copenhagen City Council which holds the penultimate hearing in the case against Peter Madsen, in Copenhagen, Denmark Monday, April 23, 2018. Peter Madsen is charged with murdering and dismembering Swedish journalist Kim Wall aboard his homemade submarine. The case began March 8 and continues on April 25. (Nikolai Linares/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) He said Madsen who is accused of either cutting Wall's throat or strangling her, is not insane but "emotionally impaired with severe lack of empathy, anger and guilt." Buch-Jepsen also quoted a court-ordered psychiatric report that described Madsen as an intelligent man "with psychopathic tendencies." Defense lawyer Betina Hald Engmark called it "a horror story ... but the story is not based on facts. It is based on undocumented claims." "It is not my client's duty to prove that he is innocent. It is the task of the prosecutor to prove that he is guilty," she told a packed Copenhagen City Court room. Wall's parents were among those in attendance. Wall, a 30-year-old freelance journalist who wrote for The New York Times, The Guardian and other publications, set out on the submarine on Aug. 10 to interview Madsen, the co-founder of a company that develops and builds manned spacecraft. Her remains were found in plastic bags on the Baltic Sea bed weeks later. Her torso had been stabbed multiple times. The cause of her death has not been established. Madsen has said the reporter's death was accidental. Hald Engmark said there was no doubt Madsen dismembered Wall's body, but told the court there was inadequate evidence proving he killed her. The 47-year-old Dane says Wall died because of a pressure problem in the home-made submarine. Buch-Jepsen retorted Monday that "forensic experts have found nothing" backing that. Madsen, who told the court he was "a promiscuous person," has admitted to dismembering Wall's body before he "buried her at sea." He claimed he had to because he could not lift the woman's body up the submarine tower in one piece to throw it overboard. Hald Engmark said Madsen should only be sentenced for the "horrible" act of cutting up Wall's body, adding that she was requesting a 6-month prison term. "I am really, really sorry about what happened," Madsen said, addressing the dead journalist's parents - Ingrid and Joachim Wall - after the defense and the prosecution wrapped up their cases. The 12-day trial started March 8, and the verdict will be delivered Wednesday at 1 p.m. (1100 GMT.) Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen arrives for the penultimate hearing in the case against Peter Madsen at the Copenhagen City Council in Copenhagen, Denmark Monday, April 23, 2018. Madsen is charged with murdering and dismembering Swedish journalist Kim Wall aboard his homemade submarine. (Nikolai Linares/Pool Photo via AP) TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) - The colors of Tunisia's landscape change hourly with the light of the Mediterranean sun. Vermilion, sapphire, olive green, white, gold and ocher can all be seen in the sky, sea and sand. Visitors may be surprised by the varied hues of these contrasting landscapes: azure sea and white-sand beaches; verdant plains, olive orchards and vineyards; deserts with oases of date palm trees; forests in the north and the rugged Atlas mountains. They complement a nation where a fusion of cultures birthed one of the Arab world's most vibrant, and inspiring, examples of democracy. "There is no question about the uniqueness of Tunisia, particularly in the Arab context," said Safwan Masri, a scholar, Columbia University administrator and author of "Tunisia: An Arab Anomaly." This Feb. 2, 2018 photo shows the outside of the Tunisian General Labor Union building in Tunis. The trade union plays an important role in political life in Tunisia. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) MANY LANDSCAPES, MANY STORIES In Sfax, the second-largest city, a walled medieval Arab quarter known as a medina reveals covered markets, winding streets and an old courtyard where desert caravans and their camels once rested. "Here, there is a lot of history," said Ahmed Charfi, a 32-year-old guide as he walked toward the medina's central mosque, built partly with the stones of Roman ruins. North of Sfax, in rolling plains, stones have also been salvaged from an enormous Roman amphitheater with gladiator rooms inside, its remnants still looming over the town of El Jem. Other places tell ancient stories too: the ruins of Carthage, the capital of a Mediterranean empire founded in 814 B.C.; the 2,500-year-old Ghriba synagogue on the island of Djerba; cave-dwelling indigenous Berbers who live near the Sahara Desert; and many beautiful mosques and medinas. But Tunisia also has a compelling modern history and a culture of progressive Islamic teachings. The country's first constitution dates to 1857. Women won the right to vote in 1957. (In Saudi Arabia, women didn't vote until 2015.) And a revolution in Tunisia in 2011 sparked the Arab Spring. A melange of French and Arab cultures reflects Tunisia's 75 years as a French colony. The country attracted famous European artists and writers like Paul Klee, Aldous Huxley and Simone de Beauvoir. Tradition and modernity both stand out. In rural villages, fields are plowed by mule and stooped women in long dresses pick vegetables. In the hilltop town of Sidi Bou Said, young men and women laugh and talk at outdoor cafes and even hold hands in the street, a rarity in the Arab world. TUNIS, THE CAPITAL Most trips to Tunisia begin in Tunis, the sprawling capital. It's a bustling, traffic-hectic city with French-colonial districts, trendy business areas and residential neighborhoods where roosters and stray dogs roam. The medina lies at the city's heart, with winding passageways, covered markets, ornate palaces, busy cafes and the revered Al-Zaytuna mosque-university. Vendor after vendor sells glittering jewelry, rich silks, hand-woven carpets, traditional dresses, shoes, hats and handcrafts, all in an exuberant palette of colors. Doorways show vibrant blues, yellows, reds. Vines crawl up walls. Blue-painted awnings and shutters line streets; cafes are embellished with intricately-patterned ceramic tiles. "This is called the souq (market) of shoes," said a shoemaker as he sat on a stool working. He learned his craft from a master and makes gorgeous wedding shoes from dried animal hides: "Cow, camel, sheep." Explaining the medina's geography, he said, "Over there, there's the souq of only perfumes. There is the souq for hats too. Then we have one for traditional women's dresses." TERRORISM AND TOURISM Though the medina throbs with people, there are few foreigners. Tourism has dropped off dramatically since terrorist attacks against tourists and the government in 2015, putting a chill on Tunisia's democratic progress. "There are not many tourists," bemoaned Becher Amduni, 36, sweeping in front of a sandwich and pizza shop as a TV transmitted prayers from the nearby "Great Mosque," the Al-Zaytuna. Tunisia's entrenched authoritarian president was driven from power in January 2011 amid protests that became known as the start of the Arab Spring. The Tunisian uprising, called the Jasmine Revolution, inspired similar movements across the Arab world. But darker forces emerged. In 2015, as Tunisia was establishing a new constitution and government, terrorists attacked a beach resort near Sousse and the famous Bardo museum; a bus carrying presidential guards also was bombed. Since then, Tunisia's government has taken steps to "better secure its borders, clamp down on groups and individuals suspected of militancy," said Masri, the Columbia researcher. This year, major travel groups are again booking tours to Tunisia. Still, there's an atmosphere of uneasiness. Expensive hotels screen visitors. A synagogue in central Tunis is surrounded by barbed wire and guards. On highways, police stops are frequent. Friendliness, though, prevails. Brini Imed, 53, a professor and bookseller at an outdoor market in Sfax, is a good example. "We live in paradise here," said Imed. "Yes, you can compare it to paradise." He stuck his finger in the air and cited Aboul-Qacem Echebbi, a famous Tunisian poet whose verses are part of the national anthem. Imed then listed Tunisian culinary delights: "We have a good gastronomy. Fish, olives, olive oil." Yes, and date-filled pastries, spicy soups, harissa, omelette-filled sandwiches, couscous, lamb's head, zesty salads. When a visitor concurred, Imed responded: "Do you want to eat at our house?" This Feb. 3, 2018 photo shows doors brightly painted in Sidi Bou Said, a popular town to visit outside of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 3, 2018 photo shows a sunset as seen from inside the Moorish-style Cafe des Nattes, a popular place to drink tea and coffee and eat pastries in Sidi Bou Said, a popular town to visit outside of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 2, 2018 photo shows bread for sale, made by Marwa Harch, a woman who sells sandwiches on a highway in Kairouan, a Tunisian city famous in Islamic history. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 1, 2018 photo shows a traditional underground Berber home that's been turned into a museum. The home is near Matmata, a town in southern Tunisia known both for its Berber inhabitants and as a setting for the filming of the original Star Wars. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 1, 2018 photo shows a 4-by-4 vehicle taking tourists down a sand dune to visit an abandoned Star Wars film location in the Sahara Desert near Tozeur in southern Tunisia. Southern Tunisia is a remote and otherworldly region that extends into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 2, 2018 photo shows a busy and colorful street inside the medina of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Jan. 28, 2018 photo shows Becher Amduni sweeping in front of a sandwich and pizza store he works at in the medina of Tunis in Tunisia. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Jan. 28, 2018 photo shows wedding shoes hanging in the store of Zied Khdrhaoui, a shoe maker inside the medina of Tunis in Tunisia. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Jan. 30, 2018 photo shows Hamouda Hamdi, a caretaker and guard on an olive orchard estate north of Sfax, Tunisia. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 2, 2018 photo shows young vendors selling fruit on the side of a highway south of Tunis in central Tunisia. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 2, 2018 photo shows Geleni Ben Hasan, a merchant in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, standing at the entrance to a food store he works in. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 3, 2018 photo shows the inside of the Moorish-style Cafe des Nattes, a popular place to drink tea and coffee and eat pastries in Sidi Bou Said, a popular town to visit outside of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. The cafe was frequented by many famous European artists and writers before World War II. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Jan. 30, 2018 photo shows a massive amphitheater built by the Romans at a town now called El Jem in Tunisia. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Jan. 28, 2018 photo shows Zied Khdrhaoui, a shoe maker, working at his store inside the medina of Tunis in Tunisia. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows a fishing boat on a beach near Sfax, Tunisia. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Jan. 30, 2018 photo shows a mosque juxtaposed to a massive amphitheater built by the Romans at a town now called El Jem in Tunisia. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) This Feb. 3, 2018 photo shows the rooftops of the medina of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. Tunisia is a fascinating blend of white sand beaches, green flowering plains, wild deserts, date palm tree oases and ancient cities and Mediterranean and Arab civilizations. (Cain Burdeau via AP) TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iranian media say American movie director Oliver Stone is in Tehran to attend an international film festival. Monday's report by the semi-official Tasnim news agency says Stone briefly visited the historical city of Isfahan the previous day. According to the report, Stone will host a workshop for filmmakers during the Fajr Film Festival and hold a news conference Wednesday. French actor Jean-Pierre Leaud and Italian producer Giovanni Spagnoletti are also attending. FILE - In this Aug. 13, 2017 file photo, American screenwriter, film director, and producer, Oliver Stone, walks on the red carpet to receive the Sarajevo Film Festival's top honor, the Heart of Sarajevo Award, in Sarajevo. Iranian media are saying director Oliver Stone has arrived Tehran to attend an international film festival. The Monday, April 22, 2018 report by the semi-official Tasnim news agency says Stone briefly visited historical city of Isfahan a day earlier. Stone will host a workshop for filmmakers during the festival. He will have a news conference later on Wednesday. This is the first visit by Stone to Iran.(AP Photo/Amel Emric, File) This is the Hollywood director's first visit to Iran. In 2007, Iran's then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rejected a proposal by Stone to make a film about him. Ahmadinejad said at the time that Stone is part the "Great Satan" cultural establishment, a reference to the United States. In 2012, Stone's son Sean Stone visited Iran and converted to Shiite Islam. NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Bill Cosby's sexual assault retrial is set to go to the jury on Tuesday, but not before closing arguments pitting the prosecution's portrayal of a serial predator against the defense's contention that he's the victim of a "con artist" who made up drugging and molestation allegations to score a big payday. The defense rested on Monday after the 80-year-old comedian said he wouldn't testify, echoing his decision at his first trial, which ended in a hung jury last year. "You now have all of the evidence," Judge Steven O'Neill told jurors, sending them back to their sequestration hotel after an abbreviated day of testimony. "Try to relax, so that you're on your game tomorrow." Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial, Monday, April 23, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Jurors at Cosby's first trial deliberated for five days without reaching a verdict on three related counts of aggravated indecent assault. Each carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. That trial hinged largely on chief accuser Andrea Constand's testimony alleging that the "Cosby Show" star once known as America's Dad knocked her out with three pills and violated her at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in January 2004. Cosby has said he gave Costand a cold and allergy medicine to help her relax before what he called a consensual sexual encounter. The current panel of seven men and five women also heard from Constand, but both sides have given them much more to consider. This time, prosecutors were able to call five additional accusers who testified that Cosby also drugged and violated them - including one woman who asked him through her tears, "You remember, don't you, Mr. Cosby?" Cosby's new defense team, led by Michael Jackson lawyer Tom Mesereau, countered with a far more robust effort at stoking doubts about Constand's credibility and raising questions about whether Cosby's arrest was even legal. The defense's star witness was a former colleague of Constand who says Constand spoke of leveling false sexual assault accusations against a high-profile person for the purpose of filing a civil suit. Constand got a civil settlement of nearly $3.4 million from Cosby. Both juries also heard from Cosby himself, via an explosive deposition he gave in 2005 and 2006 as part of Constand's civil suit against him. In it, Cosby acknowledged he gave the sedative quaaludes to women before sex in the 1970s. Cosby's lawyers devoted the last two days of their case to travel records they say prove he couldn't have been at his suburban Philadelphia home in January 2004. Cosby's lawyers argue that any encounter there with Constand would have happened earlier, thus falling outside the statute of limitations. The date of the alleged encounter is important because Cosby was charged late in 2015 - just before the 12-year statute of limitations was set to expire. But prosecutors pointed out multiple stretches of time that month when Cosby wasn't aboard his private jet or performing around the country. And District Attorney Kevin Steele noted in court Monday that the records reflect only jet travel, not other modes of transportation. The flight records and travel itineraries produced by Cosby's lawyers do not show any flights in or out of the Philadelphia area in January 2004, indicating he wasn't around for the alleged assault, according to the defense. But the records also have large gaps - a total of 17 days that month in which Cosby wasn't traveling, performing or taping TV appearances. Cross-examining a defense aviation expert, Steele, the prosecutor, zeroed in on March 16, 2004, the date Constand said she confronted Cosby after a dinner he hosted at a Chinese restaurant for Philadelphia high school students. Cosby's private jet records don't show him taking any flights to the Philadelphia area around that time, either. "You can't tell us whether he got on a commercial flight," Steele said. "You can't tell us whether he got on a train. You can't tell us whether he got in a car and drove to Philadelphia." Jurors also heard Monday from Roslyn Yarbrough, a former secretary for Cosby's agent, who testified that Cosby spent most of his time at his Massachusetts estate and New York City townhouse and was "very rarely" at the home near Philadelphia. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand has done. ___ Follow Mike Sisak at https://twitter.com/mikesisak . ___ For more coverage visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/CosbyonTrial . Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial, Monday, April 23, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial, Monday, April 23, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Attorney Kathleen Bliss, center, arrives for Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial, Monday, April 23, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Bill Cosby arrives for his sexual assault trial, Monday, April 23, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Attorney Tom Mesereau arrives for Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial, Monday, April 23, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) 10:49 | Lima, Apr. 23. According to the Head of State, these changes are necessary to allow the Inca country to rely on good governability. "It's necessary to discuss the suitability of the preferential vote, the proportional representation method, as well as bicameralism," the statesman told CNN en Espanol. "The time has come to present a proposal to the Legislative Branch for this to be assessed," he added. Mr. Vizcarra also remarked he will propose said reform since it is necessary to take into account and debate the way in which lawmakers are elected. "There are coherent approaches that Congress has not taken up. We're going to take that reform, and through an initiative, we will submit it to Parliament so that this change can happen ()," the top official said. Likewise, President Vizcarra stated he will continue to rely on Peruanos por el Kambio party's Government Plan, although with some amendments. "The idea is how we enhance the country's economy and generate an improvement in the standard of living; that is, with growth but transforming it into development for the country ," he concluded. (END) JAA/MVB STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) - An eastern Minnesota teen who asked her celebrity crush Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to prom got a huge surprise when he actually responded. Stillwater Area High School Senior Katie Kelzenberg asked the actor to "Rock" it with her at the school's May 5 prom in a Twitter video posted last week, The Pioneer Press reported . The self-proclaimed fan was dressed like The Rock in the video, sporting a black turtleneck, jeans, a gold necklace and fanny pack. She also showed off her collection of Johnson-related merchandise, including a pillow, T-shirts and an action figure. Johnson's recorded response was played over the school intercom Friday. A Warner Bros. representative contacted school officials Thursday about the surprise message, said Carissa Keister, a spokeswoman for the district. FILE - In this April 11, 2018 file photo, actor Dwayne Johnson poses for photographers at the premiere of the "Rampage," in London. The Pioneer Press reports that Stillwater Area High School Senior Katie Kelzenberg asked if the actor would "Rock" it with her at her May 5 prom in a Twitter video posted last week. The self-proclaimed Johnson fan was dressed like "The Rock" and showed off her collection of Johnson-related merchandise. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP, File) Johnson said he admires Kelzenberg's courage, but that he won't be able to attend prom because he will be in Hawaii filming "Jungle Cruise." Instead, Johnson rented out a nearby movie theater on Saturday for Kelzenberg and more than 230 friends and family to watch his latest movie, "Rampage." Johnson even covered the cost of snacks and drinks for the theater. "I couldn't believe it. I was so surprised," Kelzenberg said. "I just kept thinking, 'He saw me! He knows who I am!'" Kelzenberg said she became a fan of Johnson's five years ago. Her favorite movies of his include "Central Intelligence" and "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle." "I like that he interacts with his fans so well," she said. "He takes time out of his day to connect with them." Kelzenberg plans to go to prom with friends. ___ Information from: St. Paul Pioneer Press, http://www.twincities.com WASHINGTON (AP) - Internal documents from the Environmental Protection Agency say a sweep for hidden listening devices requested by Administrator Scott Pruitt for his office was conducted with shoddy methods and didn't meet U.S. government standards. The records obtained by congressional Democrats were described in a letter Monday to the Republican chairman of a House oversight committee investigating ethical issues swirling around the embattled EPA administrator. The Associated Press reported in December that EPA paid $3,000 to contractor Edwin Steinmetz Associates to search Pruitt's office for bugs in March 2017. Steinmetz also works for a private company run by Pasquale "Nino" Perrotta, an EPA law enforcement agent who heads Pruitt's 20-member security team. FILE - In this April 3, 2018, file photo, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt speaks at a news conference at the EPA in Washington. New internal documents say a sweep for hidden listening devices in Pruitt's office was shoddy and wasn't properly certified under U.S. government practices (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) Steinmetz found no listening devices. Democrats have questioned whether Perrotta improperly steered the contract to his business associate. EPA's Office of Homeland Security later consulted with a senior counter-surveillance expert in the federal intelligence community who was not identified in the letter Monday and who asked to review Steinmetz's report. The EPA office determined the sweep was "very basic and cursory" and "did not employ the equipment, proper certification, or necessary processes" to be approved by the U.S. government for sensitive facilities. The bug sweep was part of a larger push by Pruitt to enhance his personal security that included spending on first-class airfare he claims was justified after unpleasant interactions with other travelers. The Government Accountability Office found earlier this month that a $43,000 privacy booth bought for Pruitt to make private phone calls violated federal purchasing laws. The Democrats' letter describes a February 2017 email about the bug sweep dated just days after Pruitt's confirmation. Sent by a senior official in EPA's facilities department, it said, "the Administrator made a request through his personal security detail" and recounted that the National Security Council provided a number of regulations for such anti-surveillance countermeasures. Perrotta responded, telling the facilities official to await further instructions from "the front office." EPA did not respond to messages seeking comment Monday. In the past, agency spokesman Jahan Wilcox has suggested that such bug sweeps were common practice, directed by EPA security and approved by career administrative officials. In an interview with the AP on Monday, Steinmetz defended his qualifications and said he has also done security work for other federal agencies. Federal contract records show a $25,000 contract for Steinmetz's company with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "This is political B.S.," Steinmetz said of the internal EPA review questioning his methods. "I've been in the business 30 years. I don't know where they found this expert, but just tell him I laughed when I heard his comment." The letter was signed by five Democrats with oversight authority over EPA: Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, and Reps. Gerald Connolly and Donald Beyer of Virginia. ___ Follow Associated Press environmental reporter Michael Biesecker at http://twitter.com/mbieseck MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Four protesters can present an unusual "necessity defense" against criminal charges stemming from efforts to shut down two Enbridge Energy oil pipelines, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Monday. Emily Johnston and Annette Klapstein acknowledge that they turned the emergency shut-off valves on two pipelines on Oct. 11, 2016, in Clearwater County of northwestern Minnesota. It was part of a coordinated action by Climate Direct Action activists to shut down five pipelines that carry tar sands crude from Canada to the Unites States in Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana and Washington state. A total of 11 activists were charged. But the two Seattle-area women, as well as two defendants who filmed them, are the only ones who have been given permission to present a full necessity defense. They want to tell jurors that the threat of climate change from Canadian tar sands crude - which contains more climate-damaging carbon than other forms of oil - is so imminent that they were justified and had no legal alternatives. They plan to call expert witnesses who will back them up. A three-judge appeals panel ruled 2-1 Monday that the prosecutor has failed to show that allowing the necessity defense will have a "critical impact" on the outcome of the protesters' trials. The decision was labeled "unpublished," which means it sets no binding precedent for other cases. "The Minnesota Court of Appeals has upheld our right to present the facts on the ongoing climate catastrophe, caused largely by the fossil fuel industry, to a Minnesota jury," Klapstein said in a statement. "As a retired attorney, I am encouraged to see that courts across the country seem increasingly willing to allow the necessity defense in climate cases." Appeals Judge Francis Connolly dissented. "This case is about whether respondents have committed the crimes of damage to property and trespass. It is not about global warming," he wrote. Johnston and Klapstein face felony charges of criminal damage to critical public service facilities and other counts. Prosecutors have said the most likely penalty is up to a year in jail. The two other defendants face a separate trial on lesser charges. Attorneys expect the judge to set trial dates for sometime this summer. While District Judge Robert Tiffany allowed the necessity defense, he also warned in a ruling in October that the four must clear a high legal bar to succeed. Another hurdle is that the jury will come from a sparsely populated county where Enbridge is a major employer and the largest property taxpayer. Clearwater County Attorney Alan Rogalla was out of the office Monday and did not immediately reply to a message asking whether he planned a further appeal. Trials of other pipeline protesters in other states have yielded mixed results. Most have not been allowed to present full necessity defenses. One activist convicted last month in Montana was ordered to pay $3,775 in restitution but avoided jail time. A North Dakota case resulted in a one-year prison sentence for one activist in February. Appeals are pending in North Dakota and Washington state, and a trial is pending in Montana. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on the state visit by President Emmanuel Macron of France (all times local): 8:15 p.m. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron are returning to the White House following dinner at George Washington's house. First lady Melania Trump, left, President Donald Trump, second from left, French President Emmanuel Macron, second from right, and his wife Brigitte Macron, right, pose for a photo during a visit and private dinner at George Washington's Mount Vernon estate in Mount Vernon, Va., Monday, April 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) The dinner Monday night at Mount Vernon in Virginia opened the first U.S. state visit of the Trump administration. The leaders were joined by their wives, Melania Trump and Brigitte Macron. When asked how dinner was, President Trump responded, "Really fantastic." The French president returns to the White House on Tuesday. He will be welcomed with a military arrival ceremony, receive Oval Office time with Trump and participate in a joint news conference. The day will be capped by a glitzy state dinner for 150 guests. ___ 7:40 p.m. Dover sole is the main course for President Donald Trump's dinner with President Emmanuel Macron of France. Trump, Macron and their wives are dining privately at Mount Vernon, the riverside home of George Washington, America's first president. Macron is on the first U.S. state visit of the Trump administration. The Dover sole is being served with lemon curd and heirloom asparagus. The first course consisted of lemon ricotta agnolotti, which is a type of stuffed pasta, with citrus butter. Dessert is chocolate souffle and cherry vanilla ice cream. A much larger dinner honoring the French president is planned for Tuesday night at the White House. Some 150 guests are expected. ___ 6:05 p.m. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and their wives have arrived at George Washington's home for dinner. Macron is in the U.S. on a state visit, the first one of Trump's administration. Trump and his wife, Melania, and Macron and his wife, Brigitte, are to tour Mount Vernon, the historic home of America's first president. It's located in Virginia along the Potomac River. Trump gave Macron a ride down Monday on the Marine One presidential helicopter, a rare perk for a visiting foreign leader. Macron will return to the White House on Tuesday for a military arrival ceremony, Oval Office time with Trump and a joint news conference - capped by a glitzy state dinner for 150 guests. ___ 6 p.m. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron have ceremonially planted a tree together on the South Lawn of the White House as they kick off the first state visit of the Trump presidency. Holding brass shovels, the two leaders threw dirt onto the newly installed tree, a European Sessile Oak from Belleau Woods, where thousands of U.S. Marines died in a 1918 battle during World War I. Trump told reporters on Monday that France is "a very special country," adding, "I love the tree." Trump, Macron and their wives are taking Marine One from the White House to George Washington's Mount Vernon for a private dinner Monday ahead of a formal day of business events Tuesday. ___ 5:35 p.m. French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived at the White House at the start of his meetings with President Donald Trump. Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were embraced by the president and first lady Melania Trump when their car pulled into the West Wing driveway Monday. The handshakes and pleasantries kicked off Macron's state visit to Washington with Trump. The Macrons took an unscheduled walk along Pennsylvania Avenue earlier in the day. The two planned to present the Trumps with a tree on the South Lawn of the White House and then were flying aboard Marine One for dinner at Mount Vernon, George Washington's historic riverside home. ___ 2:40 p.m. French President Emmanuel Macron is taking a stroll around the White House before he is set to kick off his state visit to Washington with President Donald Trump Monday evening. Macron says in a Monday afternoon tweet: "Before our first work meetings, let's have a walk on Washington's streets." Moments earlier, Secret Service officers and agents rushed to keep up with his entourage as Macron departed Blair House for an unscheduled walk, greeting well-wishers along Pennsylvania Avenue. Macron is joined by his wife, Brigitte Macron, on the walk. The Macrons are being received by Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House later Monday, before flying aboard Marine One for dinner at Mount Vernon. Following business meetings Tuesday morning, Macron will be the guest of honor at the Trump's first State Dinner Tuesday evening at the White House. ___ 1:55 p.m. President Emmanuel Macron of France has arrived on a state visit to the United States. It's the first such visit of President Donald Trump's administration. Macron said after his plane landed Monday at a U.S. military base near Washington that he and Trump will discuss issues important to their countries. Macron calls the visit a "great honor." It's his first trip to Washington since his election last year. Trump and first lady Melania Trump are taking Macron and his wife, Brigitte, to dinner Monday at Mount Vernon, George Washington's home along the Potomac River. On Tuesday at the White House, Macron will be treated to a military arrival ceremony, Oval Office time with Trump, a joint news conference and a glitzy state dinner with nearly 150 guests. ___ 12:05 p.m. Melania Trump is serving rack of lamb and nectarine tart at Tuesday's White House state dinner for President Emmanuel Macron of France. It's the first state dinner of President Donald Trump's administration. The first lady also chose the Washington National Opera to entertain the approximately 150 guests after dinner. Mrs. Trump's office on Monday released details of the affair being planned to dazzle Macron and his wife, Brigitte. House Speaker Paul Ryan, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards are among those who have said they are attending. The first lady has saved a few choice details for the last minute. They include the full guest list and what she's wearing. President Donald Trump, right, waves as he walks with French President Emmanuel Macron, left, first lady Melania Trump, second from left, and Brigitte Macron, second from right, during a visit and private dinner at George Washington's Mount Vernon estate in Mount Vernon, Va., Monday, April 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron at the White House, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) First lady Melania Trump watches as President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron participate in a tree planting ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, April 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron at the White House, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron at the White House, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron at the White House, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) French President Emmanuel Macron speaksa on arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Monday April 23, 2018, outside of Washington. President Trump, celebrating nearly 250 years of U.S.-French relations, will be hosting Macron at a glitzy White House state visit. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) MEXICO CITY (AP) - The remnants of a caravan of Central American migrants protested in northern Mexico on Monday, even as once again they drew angry tweets from U.S. President Donald Trump. The mainly Central American migrants are demanding better treatment and many are planning to request asylum, either in the United States or Mexico. "We are asking the government and migration authorities to respect the right to seek asylum," said caravan organizer Irineo Mujica. "Those who request asylum shouldn't be criminalized. It is a right ... families shouldn't be separated or punished." Central American migrants traveling with the annual migrant Stations of the Cross caravan march for migrants' rights and protest the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, in Hermosillo, Mexico, Monday, April 23, 2018. The mainly Central American migrants are demanding better treatment and many are planning to request asylum, either in the United States or Mexico. (AP Photo/Luis Gutierrez) The approximately 600 migrants arrived in the northern city of Hermosillo aboard trains over the weekend. Mujica has said the migrants plan to arrive in Tijuana later this week. Trump tweeted Monday that "I have instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security not to let these large Caravans of people into our Country." "Mexico, whose laws on immigration are very tough, must stop people from going through Mexico and into the U.S. We may make this a condition of the new NAFTA Agreement," Trump tweeted. In response, Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs Luis Videgaray tweeted, "It would be unacceptable to condition the NAFTA negotiations on immigration actions that are outside that framework." "Mexico decides its own immigration policy in a sovereign manner, and Mexico's cooperation on immigration matters with the United States occurs because Mexico considers it in its own interest," Videgaray wrote. Many of the migrants say they are fleeing gang violence and extortion in Honduras and El Salvador. The U.S. government "should be more understanding of the women and children in this caravan ... and the dangers they face in their countries," Mujica said. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday that he told his offices in border states to "take whatever immediate action to ensure that we have sufficient prosecutors available" and that he may transfer immigration judges to the border. He said caravan members have ignored the Mexican government's willingness to let them stay in Mexico. "Let today's message be clear: Our nation has the most generous immigration system in the world, but this is a deliberate attempt to undermine our laws and overwhelm our system," Sessions said. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Monday that "DHS continues to monitor the remnants of the 'caravan' of individuals headed to our Southern border with the apparent intention of entering the United States illegally." "If members of the 'caravan' enter the country illegally, they will be referred for prosecution for illegal entry in accordance with existing law," Nielsen said in a statement. "For those seeking asylum, all individuals may be detained while their claims are adjudicated efficiently and expeditiously, and those found not to have a claim will be promptly removed from the United States." She said her agency was working with the Justice Department in "taking a number of steps to ensure that all cases and claims are adjudicated promptly - including sending additional USCIS asylum officers, ICE attorneys, DOJ Immigration Judges, and DOJ prosecutors to the Southern border." "DHS encourages persons with asylum or other similar claims to seek protections in the first safe country they enter, including Mexico," the statement said. A Central American migrant traveling with the annual migrant Stations of the Cross caravan holds a Salvadoran flag during a march for migrants' rights and to protest the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, in Hermosillo, Mexico, Monday, April 23, 2018. The mainly Central American migrants are demanding better treatment and many are planning to request asylum, either in the United States or Mexico. (AP Photo/Luis Gutierrez) A Central American migrant traveling with the annual migrant Stations of the Cross caravan holds a little girl during a march for migrants' rights and protest against the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, in Hermosillo, Mexico, Monday, April 23, 2018. The mainly Central American migrants are demanding better treatment and many are planning to request asylum, either in the United States or Mexico. (AP Photo/Luis Gutierrez) BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - The government is asking a federal judge to reject a request for evidence to be returned to a New York City woman who suffered a serious arm injury in an explosion while protesting the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota. Prosecutors contend authorities properly obtained the shrapnel and clothing from Sophia Wilansky while she was hospitalized in Minnesota following her November 2016 injury. They also said the evidence could be key to a criminal investigation into a violent clash between demonstrators and police that's become the emblematic skirmish of the protest. The $3.8 billion pipeline began carrying North Dakota oil to Illinois last June, though American Indian tribes who fear environmental harm are still fighting in court. On-the-ground demonstrations in 2016 and 2017 resulted in 761 arrests in a six-month span. FILE - In this Nov. 20, 2016, file photo, provided by the Morton County Sheriff's Department, law enforcement and protesters clash near the site of the Dakota Access pipeline on in Cannon Ball, N.D. The government is asking a federal judge to reject a request for evidence to be returned to a New York City woman who suffered a serious arm injury in an explosion while protesting the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota. (Morton County Sheriff's Department via AP, File) Wilansky was hurt in a clash that began when protesters tried to push past a blocked highway bridge near their main encampment but were turned back by authorities using tear gas, rubber bullets and water sprays. Police said protesters threw objects including rocks, asphalt and water bottles. Authorities maintain the explosion that injured Wilansky was caused by a propane canister that demonstrators rigged to explode. Protesters contend the blast was caused by a concussion grenade thrown by officers. Wilansky, who has undergone several surgeries, sued the FBI and other federal agencies in February in U.S. District Court in Minnesota, seeking the return of the evidence or the opportunity to have the items analyzed by a forensic scientist she hired. She hopes it will bolster a civil rights lawsuit she plans to file against law enforcement seeking money damages. In his response filed with the court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune said the seizures were legally done and the items are evidence in a grand jury investigation into the altercation. "Allowing one person's expert to access and manipulate physical evidence could be problematic if others are charged because those other potential defendants could assert that the evidence was contaminated or otherwise compromised," Baune wrote. U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina Wright scheduled a May 24 hearing on the evidence dispute. Meanwhile, U.S. Magistrate Judge Tony Leung is allowing North Dakota's Morton County, where the protests occurred, to intervene because it might have a stake in the outcome. Morton County is among the defendants in a class-action lawsuit filed by pipeline opponents who are seeking money damages for alleged police brutality and civil rights violations in the November 2016 confrontation. The case was delayed most of last year while the group unsuccessfully appealed Judge Daniel Hovland's refusal to bar police from using tactics such as chemical agents and water sprays. With the appeal resolved, Hovland in January ruled the case could move forward. The defendants renewed their claims in late February, and the defendants earlier this month renewed their request that the case to be dismissed. ___ Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/NicholsonBlake NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - A rare 6th century mosaic depicting the St. Andrew that was taken from a looted church in the Cyprus' breakaway north has been returned after four decades, the head of the island nation's Orthodox Christian Church said Monday. Archbishop Chrysostomos II said that the artistry that went into the mosaic coupled with its rarity made the work a symbol of Cyprus' "stolen heritage." It is among only a handful of mosaics to have survived a period during the 8th and 9th centuries when many Orthodox icons were destroyed. Cyprus' Archbishop Chrysostomos II is seen in the background next to the extremely rare 6th century mosaic depicting St. Andrew, during a ceremony of repatriation at the Archbishop in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Monday, April 23, 2018. Archbishop Chrysostomos II told a ceremony Monday that the artistry coupled with the rarity of the mosaic - one of only a handful which survived a period in the 8th and 9th century which saw the destruction of many such mosaics and icons - had become a symbol of Cyprus' "stolen heritage." (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) The mosaic showing a bearded St. Andrew - among Christ's first Apostles - was one of several that went missing from the Church of Panayia Kanakaria after Cyprus split into ethnic Greek and Turkish sides in 1974. A Turkish art dealer, Aydin Dikmen, was arrested a quarter-century later for selling that piece and others from Kanakaria Church, as well as artworks from other churches. Most of the Kanakaria Church mosaics have now been repatriated with the exception of one of St. Luke. London-based Greek Cypriot art dealer Maria Paphiti located the St. Andrew mosaic in 2014 after another dealer asked her to verify the origin. When the dealer was informed that the mosaic belonged to the Cyprus Church, he agreed to return it as long as his expenses were covered. Paphiti reached out to Greek Cypriot businessmen Roys Poyiadjis and Andreas Pittas for help covering the cost of the mosaic's repatriation, which came to 50,000 euros ($61,200.) Archbishop Chrysostomos honored the three of them Monday during a ceremony at Cyprus Church headquarters. Cyprus hosts a second mosaic of the same rarity and time period depicting the Virgin Mary. A third resides in the Orthodox monastery of Saint Catherine at the foot of Mount Sinai. A Christian Orthodox cleric sits by the extremely rare 6th century mosaic depicting St. Andrew, during a ceremony of repatriation at the Archbishop in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Monday, April 23, 2018. Archbishop Chrysostomos II told a ceremony Monday that the artistry coupled with the rarity of the mosaic - one of only a handful which survived a period in the 8th and 9th century which saw the destruction of many such mosaics and icons - had become a symbol of Cyprus' "stolen heritage." (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) A Christian Orthodox cleric sits by the extremely rare 6th century mosaic depicting St. Andrew, during a ceremony of repatriation at the Archbishop in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Monday, April 23, 2018. Archbishop Chrysostomos II told a ceremony Monday that the artistry coupled with the rarity of the mosaic - one of only a handful which survived a period in the 8th and 9th century which saw the destruction of many such mosaics and icons - had become a symbol of Cyprus' "stolen heritage." (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House said Monday North Korea won't get sanctions relief until it takes "concrete action" toward denuclearization, the goal of President Donald Trump's planned summit with Kim Jong Un. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders' comments appeared to leave open the possibility of easing the U.S.-led "maximum pressure" campaign before North Korea had completely given up its nuclear weapons. But Sanders said the U.S. wouldn't make the mistake of past administrations in taking the North Koreans "simply at their word." She said, "We've seen some steps in the right direction but we have a long way to go." White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders talks to reporters during the daily press briefing in the Brady press briefing room at the White House, in Washington, Monday, April 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) On Saturday, North Korea announced it will close its nuclear testing facility and suspend nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests - a move welcomed by Trump as "big progress." The North stopped short of suggesting it will give up its nuclear weapons or scale back its production of missiles and their related components. Asked if the suspension of tests was a positive sign, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday, "Right now, I think there (are) a lot of reasons for optimism that the negotiations will be fruitful and we'll see." This Friday, U.S.-allied South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim will hold a summit in the demilitarized zone between the Koreas that could lay the ground for Trump's planned meeting with the North Korean dictator in May or early June. The leaders of the U.S. and North Korea have never met during six decades of hostility since the Korean War. Sanders said the U.S. goal was the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. When asked if the president was willing to accept anything short of that goal before lifting sanctions or was willing to go incrementally, she told reporters: "Certainly no sanctions lifted until we see concrete actions taken by North Korea to denuclearize." Last year, the U.S. spearheaded through the U.N. Security Council the toughest international sanctions yet against North Korea in response to three long-range missile launches and its most powerful nuclear test explosion yet. The Trump administration supplemented those restrictions with unilateral U.S. sanctions against firms that had conducted illicit trade with the North. This year, Kim has pivoted from confrontation to diplomacy and, according to South Korea and China, has expressed a commitment to denuclearization. There is still uncertainty about what he seeks in return. Three weeks ago, Trump's pick to be the next secretary of state, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, became the most senior U.S. official to travel to North Korea in nearly two decades, but the content of his discussions with Kim has not been made public. The last nuclear talks between the U.S. and North Korea collapsed in 2012. The two nations also remain in a technical state of war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice not a peace treaty. YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) - Serzh Sargsyan, who ruled Armenia for 10 years, resigned Monday as prime minister after thousands of people poured into the streets to protest his political maneuvering to cling to power in this former Soviet republic. The stunning development touched off jubilation in the capital of Yerevan, with car horns blaring and people dancing, hugging and waving the tricolor Armenian flag. The opposition called for a meeting with the acting prime minister to discuss a "peaceful transfer of power." Sargsyan, 63, was president of the Caucasus mountains nation from 2008 until term limits forced him out in March. But parliament, which is controlled by his party, voted to reduce the powers of the presidency and give them to the prime minister, ultimately installing Sargsyan in that post last week. People celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly Monday to quell massive anti-government protests over what critics feared was his effort to seize power for life. (Hrant Khactaryan/PAN Photo via AP) The move echoed a maneuver a decade ago by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenia's closest ally. Leaders of other former Soviet republics, from Belarus to Central Asia, have similarly extended their terms. The parliament's action had triggered massive anti-government protests in Yerevan since April 13, with demonstrators blocking government buildings and facing off with police. A rally on Sunday attracted about 50,000 people, and about 200 soldiers joined the protesters on Monday. Protest leader Nikol Pashinian met Sunday with Sargsyan, who walked out of the session after Pashinian refused to talk about anything but the prime minister's resignation. Pashinian was later arrested but abruptly released on Monday. In his surprise resignation announcement posted on his website, Sargsyan said he should not have resisted the opposition's demands. "Nikol Pashinian was right. I was wrong," Sargsyan said. "The movement on the streets is against my rule. I'm complying with their demands." The government quickly named former Prime Minister Karen Karapetian as acting prime minister. A Sargsyan ally, he also was mayor of Yerevan and worked in Russia for five years as a top executive of the state-controlled gas giant Gazprom. Pashinian told an evening rally of tens of thousands of people at Republic Square in Yerevan that opposition activists want to meet with Karapetian on Wednesday to discuss a "peaceful transfer of power." The opposition will push for an early parliamentary election to prevent Sargsyan from running Armenia from behind the scenes, Pashinian said. Alexander Iskanderian, director of the Caucasus Institute in Yerevan, said the protests pushed Sargsyan into a corner: "The protests in the past couple of days have swelled to a point that you either had to use violence or find another way out," Iskanderian told The Associated Press. Russian officials and state television have been cautious in commenting on the political crisis in Armenia. In the past, Moscow has decried anti-government rallies and so-called "color revolutions" in neighboring post-Soviet nations as examples of hostile Western interference. In what appeared to be the first official Russian reaction, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova lauded Sargsyan's decision as a move to unify the nation. "The people who have the strength to keep respect toward each other despite crucial differences and stay united even in the most difficult moments of its history is a great people," Zakharova wrote on her Facebook account. "Armenia, Russia is always with you!" When Sargsyan switched to the prime minister's job, his ally Armen Sarkisian, a former prime minister and ambassador to Britain, was elected president. Sarkisian was seen as an unofficial Sargsyan appointee. ___ Associated Press writer Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed. In this photo taken on Sunday, April 22, 2018, former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, left, leaves a meeting with protest leader Nikol Pashinian, right, in Yerevan, Armenia. Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan has resigned, according to his website. (Hrant Khachatryan/PAN Photo via AP) People celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday, an apparent move to bring to an end massive anti-government protests. (Grigor Yepremyan/PAN Photo via AP) People celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday to quell massive anti-government protests over what critics feared was his effort to seize power for life. (Hrant Khactaryan/PAN Photo via AP) Yerevan residents celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday, an apparent move to bring to an end massive anti-government protests. (Karo Sahakyan/PAN Photo via AP) People celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday, an apparent move to bring to an end massive anti-government protests. (Grigor Yepremyan/PAN Photo via AP) People celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday, an apparent move to bring to an end massive anti-government protests. (Grigor Yepremyan/PAN Photo via AP) Yerevan residents celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday, an apparent move to bring to an end massive anti-government protests. (Karo Sahakyan/PAN Photo via AP) People celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday, an apparent move to bring to an end massive anti-government protests. (Grigor Yepremyan/PAN Photo via AP) Armenian protest leader Nikol Pashinian, center, march with other demonstrators celebrating Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday, an apparent move to bring to an end massive anti-government protests. (Grigor Yepremyan/PAN Photo via AP) People celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday to quell massive anti-government protests over what critics feared was his effort to seize power for life. (Hrant Khactaryan/PAN Photo via AP) People celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday to quell massive anti-government protests over what critics feared was his effort to seize power for life. (Hrant Khactaryan/PAN Photo via AP) A man waves an Armenian national flag celebrating Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday to quell massive anti-government protests over what critics feared was his effort to seize power for life. (Hrant Khactaryan/PAN Photo via AP) People celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday, an apparent move to bring to an end massive anti-government protests. (Grigor Yepremyan/PAN Photo via AP) People wave the Armenian national flag as they celebrate Armenian Prime Minister's Serzh Sargsyan's resignation in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, April 23, 2018. Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly on Monday, an apparent move to bring to an end massive anti-government protests. (Grigor Yepremyan/PAN Photo via AP) COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Problems entering the names of Ohio individuals banned by law from possessing guns into a national background database will be addressed under actions announced Monday by Gov. John Kasich. But an executive order signed by the Republican governor doesn't fix those problems outright. Instead, it convenes a committee to quickly study the size of the problem and figure out ways to fix it. Kasich said he hopes for initial answers within a month. At issue are people who can't have guns, such as those judged mentally ill and convicted felons. Police departments and clerks of courts should be entering those names into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, but don't always do it quickly, the governor said. Ohio Gov. John Kasich discusses the need to improve the speed and accuracy of the reporting of information about individuals prohibited under law from having a gun to a national background check database, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Columbus, Ohio. Kasich, a Republican, signed an executive order commissioning reports about the problem, at an event with police chiefs, the mayor of Columbus and police union officials. (AP Photo/Andrew Welsh-Huggins) "There's just no excuse for this data not being sent," Kasich said. In February, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that dozens of Ohio courts failed to upload the paperwork, including some that went months or years without an update. A committee that last met in 2015 concluded that reporting improvements were needed. Kasich reconvened the group Monday and ordered new reporting on problems and how to fix them. Kasich also said he wants the state auditor to include reporting to that database as part of regular audits of local governments. State Auditor David Yost, a fellow Republican, said he's been studying how such reviews could be done since late last year. Kasich's order will help the office achieve the mutual goal of seeing how well governments are doing with such reporting, Yost said. The move Monday comes as Kasich pushes a package of gun control efforts in the Legislature, including a so-called "red flag" law. That concept enables family members, guardians or police to ask judges to use a new gun violence restraining order to temporarily strip gun rights from people who show warning signs of violence. Columbus gun shop owner Eric Delbert applauded the move, saying it's inexcusable in an age when credit cards can easily be cancelled that such reporting can't happen. While his store can decline to sell a gun if sales people see red flags in a customer, but they eventually have to go with what the background system tells them, Delbert said. Without proper background information, "We inadvertently can let somebody who is a prohibited person to own a gun walk out the door," Delbert said. Kasich's proposal doesn't come with penalties, but the governor said he believes agencies will comply. The Ohio police union, the state police chiefs association, and the state clerks of court association support Kasich's proposal. ___ Andrew Welsh-Huggins can be reached on Twitter at https://twitter.com/awhcolumbus. Prosecutors have dismissed the four most serious charges against 18-year-old Jack Sawyer (above) Prosecutors have dismissed the four most serious charges against a teenager accused of plotting to shoot up his former Vermont high school and cause mass casualties in a case that has led to new restrictions in the state's gun laws. A ruling by the state Supreme Court has made the prosecution against 18-year-old Jack Sawyer 'untenable,' Rutland County State's Attorney Rose Kennedy said. The state was dismissing charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault with a weapon, Kennedy said in a notice released Monday. Kennedy said she would proceed with two lesser charges of criminal threatening and carrying a dangerous weapon. Sawyer has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He had been held without bail following his arrest on Feb. 15, a day after the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting massacre that killed 17 people, but the judge in his case set his bail at $100,000 last week. Sawyer is seen walking into court. He is accused of plotting to shoot up his former Vermont high school and cause mass casualties in a case that has led to new restrictions in the state's gun laws A ruling by the state Supreme Court has made the prosecution against 18-year-old Jack Sawyer 'untenable' Fair Haven High School is pictured above, where Sawyer used to attend Prosecutors say Sawyer kept a diary called 'The Journal of an Active Shooter' in which he made detailed plans for a shooting at Fair Haven Union High School, in Fair Haven, and said his goal was to kill more people than in any other school shooting. Authorities were alerted by a friend of Sawyer's, who turned over some Facebook messages in which Sawyer outlined the plot. Sawyer's defense team contended that he didn't take any concrete steps toward committing a crime that under state law would justify the charges. While Sawyer had moved from Maine back to Poultney and had bought a shotgun and ammunition as part of his planning he had not visited his former high school or even visited the town where it's located. The Supreme Court ruled that 'preparation alone' did not prove an attempt at aggravated murder so he could not be kept in jail without bail. Prosecutors say Sawyer kept a diary called 'The Journal of an Active Shooter' in which he made detailed plans for a shooting at Fair Haven Union High School Kennedy is asking the judge overseeing the case to keep Sawyer's bail at $100,000. Some conditions of Sawyer's release are that he be under the supervision of his father and a 24-hour curfew at his home. Sawyer also may not have any contact with any students, staff members or teachers at the school if released. Republican Gov. Phil Scott, after reading the police affidavit for the Sawyer case, said he changed his stance on some gun restrictions. On April 11, he signed bills to raise the age for buying firearms, ban high-capacity magazines and make it easier for authorities to take guns from people who pose threats to themselves or others. The move established the first significant gun restrictions on gun ownership in Vermont history. Scott also urged lawmakers to close loopholes related to the law of attempt and to establish a domestic-terrorism statute. The changes would not impact Sawyer as they could not be applied retroactively to his case. Sawyer's attorneys did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment on Monday. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Gronkowski won't run in the Kentucky Derby because of a slight infection that will keep the England-based colt from traveling to the United States. Tom Ludt, who oversees Phoenix Thoroughbreds' international operations, says Gronkowski spiked a fever last weekend and was treated with antibiotics. The colt is eating normally and responding to treatment, but Ludt says the owners want to put Gronkowski's welfare first. Ludt said Monday that the owners are "beyond disappointed" to miss the May 5 race at Churchill Downs. New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski recently bought an interest in the animal and said he was excited to meet his namesake during Derby week. The 3-year-old colt was undefeated in three races this year, including the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on March 30, which earned him the first European slot in the Derby under Churchill Downs' points system. He is trained by Jeremy Nosada and ridden by Jamie Spencer. Ludt says Gronkowski will be given time off and return to racing at some point. The colt was part of the first group of horses purchased by Phoenix Thoroughbreds, an investment fund formed last year by Dubai businessman Amer Abdulaziz. CINCINNATI (AP) - A school bus has been involved in a multi-vehicle crash in Cincinnati, sending at least 11 children to a hospital for treatment. Police haven't reported any life-threatening injuries involving students. Cincinnati Public Schools spokeswoman Lauren Worley says police reported at least 11 children were transported from the scene Monday afternoon to Cincinnati Children's hospital. Worley says a school official at the hospital said several more children have been taken to the hospital, presumably by their families. The bus was serving Pleasant Hill Academy. The ages of the children are unavailable. Other students are being taken to a nearby school for parent pickup. Cincinnati police say at least one adult was injured and describe the scene as complicated. They say they don't know what caused the crash. Dry weather will prolong the wildfire threat through summer in the southwestern United States, even though weekend showers temporarily relieved drought conditions in parts of the area, forecasters said Monday. The drought is rooted in a dry spell that began in October and is considered "extreme" from southern California to central Kansas. Conditions are even worse in the Four Corners region and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles, warranting their description as "exceptional." "The proverbial spigot shut off," said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. "Drought isn't necessarily a signal for wildfires, but it can exacerbate the conditions that do take place." FILE - In this Feb. 18, 2018, file photo, sandbars fill the Rio Grande north of Albuquerque, N.M. Forecasters said Monday, April 23, 2018, that drought conditions across southwestern states are contributing to a wildfire threat. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan, File) Climatologists consider the months from October to April to be a "recharge" period, with showers and snow replenishing water supplies in the Southern Plains. However, the most recent significant rain in the area came in early October. "The memory of that precipitation has long went out the back door," Fuchs said. Temperatures have largely been above normal over the same period, triggering evaporation that can carry a lot of moisture away before it has a chance to soak into the ground. There is very little snowpack remaining except on the highest peaks. A map Fuchs presented during a conference call with reporters showed a sharp distinction on either side of a line from near Fort Worth, Texas, to near Chicago. Moist areas of Arkansas and Missouri were within 100 miles of arid conditions in Kansas and Oklahoma. "Even normal precipitation ... would be helpful," Fuchs said. The dry air has likely contributed to some weather anomalies: Several towns in western Oklahoma have seen wild temperature swings, and Oklahoma hasn't had a tornado yet this year, though a later start to the tornado season doesn't mean it could be any less troublesome. "It just takes one tornado to have a disastrous year," said Todd Lindley, the science and operations officer at the National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma. Gary McManus, Oklahoma's state climatologist, said the low temperature recorded at a station at Alva on April 17 was 33 degrees - with frost in the area. Hours later, the same station recorded a high of 101. Similar temperature swings were recorded in the Oklahoma Panhandle and could be attributed to the dry air, not any of the station's proximity to wildfires. "We are very desert-like," he said. Wildfires have scarred many areas of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Oklahoma forestry officials said Monday that the Rhea fire, which had burned 448 square miles (1,160 square kilometers) was 74 percent contained but not expected to spread beyond existing fire lines because of higher humidity and lighter winds. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - When he previously ran for U.S. Senate 24 years ago in Massachusetts, Mitt Romney lost handily to the late liberal lion Ted Kennedy. Now in Utah, Romney is facing a new challenge from someone who shares his old opponent's name but little else: State Rep. Mike Kennedy. The conservative lawyer and family doctor from small-town Alpine, 30 miles south of Salt Lake City, narrowly bested Romney for the Senate nomination among far-right leaning delegates at Utah's Republican convention on Saturday, setting up a June 26 primary battle with Romney. Romney, 71, remains the heavy favorite to eventually win the Senate seat and replace outgoing Sen. Orrin Hatch. As a former presidential candidate, Romney has national name recognition, deep pockets and will be campaigning for the votes of more moderate primary voters throughout the state than those who attended the party convention. Romney has reported campaign funds totally about $1.6 million while Kennedy has $289,000. Kennedy's upset win at the convention proves that Romney still needs to earn the trust of a sizeable portion of state voters. Kennedy, 49, a charismatic three-term state lawmaker and practicing physician, is considered more conservative than Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts. Kennedy, a father of eight children, has framed himself as a homegrown underdog taking on the "Romney machine" and has suggested Romney is an interloper in Utah, a state in which he did not live full-time until after his failed 2012 presidential campaign. "I have not read the CliffsNotes version of the book of Utah. I've actually read the full book of Utah," Kennedy said Monday on Fox News' "Fox and Friends," stressing his deep ties to the state. Kennedy has avoided making scathing broadsides against Romney. But like many conservatives, he has attacked the Affordable Care Act, taking a sublet jab at Romney's tenure as governor of Massachusetts, when he oversaw state health care reform that has been called an inspiration for the federal health law. "We have a lot of conservative voters in this state and I don't always think that (Romney) understands those conservative principles," said Matthew Green, 44, a GOP delegate from Kennedy's district who supported his nomination. Romney's oscillating relationship with President Donald Trump - whom he once blasted as a "fraud" and "phony" - might not sit well with supporters of the president in Utah, said State Sen. Todd Weiler, a Romney supporter. Trump has endorsed Romney's campaign for Senate but Romney won't say if he would support a Trump re-election bid in 2020. In the weeks to come, Kennedy will impress a lot of people, Weller said. "But ultimately, I think by the end of June when the numbers are all counted he'll have only maybe set himself up for a future run." As he campaigns in diners and farms across the state, Romney will try to persuade voters that his national profile will give Utahans an outsized voice in Washington. Kennedy, however, sees that approach as Romney's vulnerability. "I'm tired of business as usual in Washington, D.C.," he told delegates Saturday. "If you want things to change, you need to vote for change. If you want business as usual, you've got an option." Centrist Republicans have a history of losing at Utah's convention but then coming back to win in the primary. Gov. Gary Herbert, Hatch and freshman Rep. John Curtis all failed to win nominations at recent conventions, just to turn around and secure the party's bid in a primary. When he previously ran for U.S. Senate 24 years ago in Massachusetts, Mitt Romney lost handily to the late liberal lion Ted Kennedy. Now in Utah, Romney is facing a new challenge from someone who shares his old opponent's name but little else: State Rep. Mike Kennedy. The conservative lawyer and family doctor from small-town Alpine, south of Salt Lake City, narrowly bested Romney for the Senate nomination among far-right leaning delegates at Utah's Republican convention on Saturday, setting up a June 26 primary battle with Romney. Romney remains the heavy favorite to eventually win the Senate seat and replace outgoing Sen. Orrin Hatch. However, Kennedy's upset win at the convention proves that Romney still needs to earn the trust of a sizeable portion of state voters. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A Nebraska soldier's remains finally returned home on Monday, more than 66 years after his death in a North Korean prisoner of war camp. A casket carrying the remains of Sgt. 1st Class Milton Beed was flown to Omaha's Eppley Airfield. Service members accompanied the casket, which was met by nephews and nieces who had never known him. "He was always a hero in my eyes," niece Sue Jensen said. "I look at the military and he definitely sacrificed his life for us and his country." Beed was captured and reported missing in 1951 while serving in the Korean War as a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Beed, who came from a military family and had earned the Purple Heart, was fighting in Korea after service during World War, during which he joined in actions in the Pacific. Army officials declared he died at age 30 at the Suan Prisoner of War Camp Complex in North Korea on Oct. 31, 1951. His family was later told he died of malnutrition. Jensen, of Fremont, said his parents received a letter informing them of his death. "I don't think my grandparents ever got over it," she said. "A part of them died with him." Jensen said her family rarely spoke about Beed because it was too painful, but his presence was always felt. She grew up looking at his photo proudly displayed above her grandparents' television. Before being sent to fight in the Korean War, Beed lived in Indianapolis with his wife, Mary Catherine. Jensen said a memorial service was held in Battle Creek, Nebraska, near his childhood home in Meadow Grove several years after his death. Her father purchased a grave and marker for Beed in hopes that his remains would someday be sent home. She remembers her father saying he would bring his brother home "if it was the last thing he ever did." Five years ago, Jensen set out to find the uncle she only knew as a "true hero." She contacted the Department of Defense to request her uncle's remains be identified. The department works to identify all remains, but requests become prioritized. In the early 1990s, North Korea delivered 208 boxes with comingled human remains of more than 400 service members to the U.S. Through DNA left behind by Beed's sister, researchers were able to identify his remains. Sgt. Kristen Duus, a spokeswoman for the Department of Defense Prisoner of War Accounting Agency, said the department can identify remains through DNA, anthropological analysis or dental exams. The department mainly focuses on identifying the remains of World War II and Korean War veterans. There are still 7,704 people missing from the Korean War. Jensen found out in January that Beed had been identified. "At first, I couldn't believe it," she said. "I was shocked and so ecstatic. I started calling all of our relatives and making arrangements for his service." They will gather Tuesday afternoon for a visitation at Stonacek Funeral Chapel in Norfolk. Then on Wednesday, Beed will be buried in the plot his brother purchased at Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery , not far from his parents' graves. After so many years of uncertainty and pain, Jensen said the service will give Beed the respect and recognition he deserves. She said his return will finally bring peace to her family. "I really wish they were alive to see this," she said. "I know this would make them so happy, but I know they'll be looking down on it from heaven and smiling." NEW YORK (AP) - "Once you walk through that door, you will be in Syria." That's the instruction a guide named Thea gives before entering the animated virtual reality installation "Hero," one of the immersive selections competing in the Tribeca Film Festival's Storyscapes section. Once suited up with a headset and backpack and told to close your eyes, you're walked into a room where a combination of VR animation and sensory effects plunge you into a Syrian village. Raise your hand, Thea says, if the experience is at any point too overwhelming. At first, the scene is peaceful. A radio plays. A dog barks. A child is called home. This image released by the Tribeca Film Festival shows a scene from the virtual reality installation, "Terminal 3," featured at the Tribeca Film Festival. In "Terminal 3," the user is an American immigration official interrogating middle eastern travelers. (Asad J. Malik/Tribeca Film festival via AP) Then a helicopter passes overhead and, in a moment, all is turned to carnage. The explosion ripples through you with not just a glaring flash but a thunderous sound, a shaking floor and a hair-raising blast of air. Before you have composed yourself, a voice calling for help filters through the rubble. It's up to you what to do next. "Hero" hopes to, through the most cutting-edge technology, make a faraway tragedy jarringly tangible. "The things that you read in the paper, that you hear in the news, you have the ability to click away from. This is the first time that you're actually experiencing it full on. It will change the way that you see these tragedies play out," says "Hero" co-creator Navid Khonsari, an Iranian-Canadian. "Maybe it's this kind of experience that can make us more human." Crafted by gaming design veterans from "Grand Theft Auto" and "Max Payne," Khonsari's collaborators include his wife, Vassiliki Khonsari, and Brooks Brown. But "Hero" isn't alone as a Tribeca standout that provocatively places users in positions of power, of choice. In "Terminal 3," you are an American immigration official interrogating Middle Eastern travelers, represented in hologram. Both exhibits meld the virtual with the physical. "This year, we definitely recognize that creators are looking at real-world issues with a new sense of urgency," says Loren Hammonds, a Tribeca senior programmer. "It's always been effective to bring people to different places in VR. But the level of immersion that you get with something like 'Hero' or the level of discomfort you may have with 'Terminal 3' is something that's totally new and revolutionary." There are some forerunners to these works, most notably Alejandro Inarritu's "Carne y Arena" ("Virtually present, Physically invisible"). The filmmaker's acclaimed multi-room VR exhibit, which has toured globally since last year debuting at the Cannes Film Festival, ushers individuals through the experience of Mexican immigrants attempting to illegally cross into the U.S. The technology, Inarritu has said, has the possibility to conjure "emotions or sensations that are sometimes hard to express." "Terminal 3" creator Asad J. Malik was born in Pakistan before coming to the United States for college, and eventually embarking on a career in augmented reality. His "Asad and Assad" explored the Muslim experience in America, also through holograms. "Terminal 3," he says, grew out of his own experiences being interrogated at customs in Abu Dhabi, traveling from his hometown of Abbottabad (the northeastern Pakistan city where Osama bin Laden was killed). "I enjoy these things, surprisingly. Someone is being paid to listen to you attentively. Now you've got to tell your stories," says Malik. "It's such an interesting moment when two people sit down in this institutional setting with a massive power dynamic, and one person's trying to get know what the other person is about. The questions can get personal." Housed in drab, white rooms that mimic customs offices, "Terminal 3" - which uses the Microsoft HoloLens - gives participants choices in questioning their subject, and ultimately the yes-or-no of whether to allow the person into the U.S. Once the interrogation is completed, you turn the corner to find the real person behind the hologram, sitting there patiently. In a handful of footsteps, "Terminal 3" travels from abstraction to reality. Neither "Terminal 3" nor "Hero" are particularly portable. Both are large, site-specific installations. Malik and his team crafted 67 holograms for the project. He was hoping to have all 67 flown in for the festival. "It's a logistical nightmare," he sighed. "But it's totally worth it." ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Mike Pence has chosen retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a top official with the National Security Council, to serve as his national security adviser. Pence selected Kellogg, a national security aide to President Donald Trump, to fill the role after his top choice, Jon Lerner, withdrew his name from consideration. Lerner, an adviser to U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, pulled out of a proposed dual role after Trump learned of his planned hiring. Lerner is a longtime Republican strategist and pollster who previously worked with the Club for Growth, which aired ads critical of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. Pence said in a statement that Kellogg "brings a wealth of experience in national security and foreign policy matters to this role and has already been an integral part of the President's national security team." Kellogg has served as chief of staff at the National Security Council and is the latest NSC official to depart after the arrival of Trump national security adviser John Bolton. Also gone are spokesman Michael Anton, homeland security adviser Tom Bossert, and deputy national security advisers Ricky Waddell and Nadia Schadlow. Kellogg served as acting national security adviser after Michael Flynn resigned in February 2017 as Trump's first national security adviser. Flynn's successor, H.R. McMaster, was recently replaced by Bolton. Kellogg, who served in the U.S. Army for more than three decades, previously served as commander of the 82nd Airborne Division and as a top aide to Paul Bremer, who led the Coalition Provisional Authority during the reconstruction of Iraq. DETROIT (AP) - A former Eastern Michigan University student has admitted to painting racist graffiti on campus. The Ypsilanti school said Eddie Curlin pleaded guilty Monday to three counts of malicious destruction of property and no contest to four counts of identity theft. The graffiti was found on exterior building walls in September and October 2016. A racist message also was found last year in a restroom. University officials said in a release that Curlin, who is black, vandalized the buildings then acted as a police informant. It was a pretense, officials added, to help solve the case, have previous charges dropped and return to school. Curlin, who studied at Eastern Michigan from 2014 to 2016, is serving a prison sentence of up to five years for receiving stolen property in December 2015. ___ Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/ RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - A federal judge unsealed court documents showing a North Carolina deputy's strategy for fighting a wrongful death lawsuit by the family of a man fatally shot on his porch. Judge Terrence Boyle made the documents public in response to a request by media outlets, which argued there wasn't a compelling reason for keeping the information secret. The lawyers representing Harnett County Sheriff's officials argued they were following the law by filing certain investigative documents under seal. The newly unsealed documents elaborate on the timeline and circumstances surrounding the death of John David Livingston, who was fatally shot in 2015 by a Harnett County deputy. The timeline shows how defense attorneys are piecing together information - even from Livingston's own friends - to argue that the shooting was justified. ___ Follow Drew at www.twitter.com/JonathanLDrew Comunicado conjunto sobre la situacion en Nicaragua https://t.co/Jp4PwTembB pic.twitter.com/ivemJoWALT BOSTON (AP) - Three members of the notorious MS-13 gang have been convicted of racketeering and murder by a Boston federal jury. U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said 27-year-old Noe Salvador Perez Vasquez, a Salvadoran national; 27-year-old Luis Solis Vasquez, a Salvadoran national; and 39-year-old Hector Enamorado, a Honduran national were found guilty Monday by a jury for racketeering and knowingly committing murder as a part of a racketeering conspiracy. They are the 41st, 42nd and 43rd defendants to be convicted in an indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged associates and leaders of the criminal organization. Perez was also found guilty of intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. The murder charge is related to the killing of a 29-year-old male victim in a Chelsea, Massachusetts, apartment complex in 2014. According to trial testimony, Enamorado used Perez's gun to fatally shoot the man three times. James J. Cipoletta, the attorney for Enamorado, said his client maintains "he is not a member of MS-13, and had nothing to do with the Chelsea murder." He will appeal to the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Perez is charged with the July 2015 murder of a gang member in Lawrence, Massachusetts, who MS-13 members believed was cooperating with law enforcement. Perez planned the murder and promised to promote other members of the gang for assisting. All three sentencing hearings are scheduled for July. Attorneys Raymond O'Hara and Jason Benzaken, representing Perez Vasquez, could not be reached for comment. Attorney Ian Gold, representing Solis Vasquez, did not return a phone call for comment. Defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 for racketeering conspiracy charges. The charge of distributing cocaine carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a minimum of five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. All three men will be subject to deportation upon completion of their sentences. SAO PAULO (AP) - Hundreds of indigenous Brazilians set up camp in the nation's capital Monday at the start of a week of speeches, protests and celebrations as they lobby the government to protect their rights. Many indigenous groups say President Michel Temer's government hasn't done enough to protect their lands from encroachment by business interests. Military police in the capital of Brasilia said around 1,000 people gathered Monday. Organizers said they expected that to grow to around 3,000. Indigenous Kuikuro men apply body paint at a camp coined "Free Land," during an annual gathering by Brazil's indigenous peoples in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, April 23, 2018. Hundreds of indigenous Brazilians are setting up camp in the nation's capital for a week of speeches, protests and celebrations as they lobby the government to protect their rights. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) During last year's Free Land Encampment, a protest turned violent. Police fired tear gas, and demonstrators responded with spears and arrows. Latin America's largest nation is home to numerous indigenous peoples, many of them in the Amazon region. Clashes with farmers, ranchers, and loggers are common, and the violence has increased in recent years. A Funio indigenous youth smokes a pipe at a camp coined "Free Land," during an annual gathering by Brazil's indigenous peoples in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, April 23, 2018. Hundreds of indigenous Brazilians are setting up camp in the nation's capital for a week of speeches, protests and celebrations as they lobby the government to protect their rights. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) A Kuikuro indigenous toddler looks up at the adults inside a camp coined "Free Land," at the start of an annual gathering by Brazil's indigenous peoples in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, April 23, 2018. Hundreds of indigenous Brazilians are setting up camp in the nation's capital for a week of speeches, protests and celebrations as they lobby the government to protect their rights. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Kuikuro indigenous women stand inside a camp coined "Free Land," at the start of an annual gathering by Brazil's indigenous peoples in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, April 23, 2018. Hundreds of indigenous Brazilians are setting up camp in the nation's capital for a week of speeches, protests and celebrations as they lobby the government to protect their rights. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) A Potiguara indigenous man attends the opening ceremony of an annual gathering by Brazil's indigenous peoples at a camp coined "Free Land" in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, April 23, 2018. Hundreds of indigenous Brazilians are setting up camp in the nation's capital for a week of speeches, protests and celebrations as they lobby the government to protect their rights. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) A nearly naked gunman wearing only a green jacket and brandishing an assault rifle stormed a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville early on Sunday, shooting four people to death before a customer rushed him and wrestled the weapon away. Authorities were searching for the 29-year-old suspect, Travis Reinking, who they said drove to the busy restaurant and killed two people in the parking lot before entering and continuing to fire. When his AR-15 rifle either jammed or the clip was empty, the customer disarmed him in a scuffle. Four people were also wounded before the gunman fled, throwing off his jacket. Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson there was no clear motive, but the suspect may still be armed, because he was known to have owned a handgun that authorities have not recovered. US Secret Service agents arrested Reinking last July for being in a restricted area near the White House, officials said. Special Agent Todd Hudson said Reinking was detained after refusing to leave the restricted area, saying he wanted to meet President Donald Trump. At least four people died after a gunman opened fire at the restaurant in Nashville (Mark Humphrey/AP) State police in Illinois, where Reinking lived until last fall, subsequently revoked his state firearms card at the request of the FBI and four guns were then taken from him, including the AR-15 used in Sundays shooting as well as a handgun, authorities said. Sheriff Robert Huston in Tazewell County, Illinois, said deputies allowed Reinkings father to take possession of the guns on the promise that he would keep the weapons secure and out of the possession of Travis. Mr Huston added that, based on past deputies encounters with Reinking, theres certainly evidence that theres some sort of mental health issues involved. While Mr Huston said it was unclear how Reinking reclaimed the guns, Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said that his father has now acknowledged giving them back to his son. Phone calls to a number listed for the father, Jeffrey Reinking, went unanswered. Meanwhile, authorities hailed the customer who intervened to stop a further bloodbath, 29-year-old James Shaw, Jr, as a hero though the father of a four-year-old girl demurred and said he was just trying to survive. This is what a hero looks like. All of Nashville is grateful to James Shaw Jr. for intervening to prevent even more deaths and injuries at the Waffle House this morning. pic.twitter.com/wxBZhtVrNK David Briley for Judge (@DavidBriley) April 22, 2018 With one hand bandaged, Mr Shaw told reporters he first thought the gunshots fired around 3.25am were plates falling from a dishwashing station. When he realised what was happening, he took cover behind a door as shots shattered windows. The gun either jammed or needed a new clip, and thats when Mr Shaw said he pounced after making up his mind that he was going to have to work to kill me. Mr Shaw said he was not a religious man, but for a tenth of a second, something was with me to run through that door and get the gun from him. They cursed at each other as they scuffled, Mr Shaw said, and he was able to grab the gun and toss it over a counter. The gunman then ran away into the dark of Antioch neighbourhood of south-east Nashville. Authorities said he shed his jacket nearby and police found two AR-15 magazines loaded with bullets in the pockets. He was seen walking, naked, on a road, officials said, but later was spotted wearing pants but no shirt after apparently returning to his apartment. Another witness, Chuck Cordero, told The Tennessean newspaper he had stopped to get a cup of coffee and was outside the Waffle House when the chaos unfolded. He did not say anything, Mr Cordero said of the gunman, who he described as all business. Mr Cordero said Mr Shaw saved lives. There was plenty more people in that restaurant, he said. The dead were identified as 29-year-old restaurant worker Taurean C Sanderlin and restaurant patron Joe R Perez, 20, who were killed outside the restaurant; Akilah Dasilva, 23, who was critically wounded inside and later died at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre; and Deebony Groves, 21, who was fatally shot inside. Mr Aaron, the police spokesman, said two of the wounded were being treated for gunshot wounds at the medical centre, where spokeswoman Jennifer Wetzel said one was in critical condition and the other was in critical but stable condition. This is a very sad day for the Waffle House family. We ask for everyone to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts and prayers. Waffle House News (@WaffleHouseNews) April 22, 2018 Mr Aaron said Reinking had been employed in construction and lived near the restaurant, and police used yellow crime scene tape to block public access to an apartment complex about a half-mile from the Waffle House. Reinking is originally from Morton, Illinois. This is a very sad day for the Waffle House family, the company said in a statement on Twitter. We ask for everyone to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts and prayers. Its a tragic day for our city anytime people lose their lives at the hands of a gunman. My heart goes out to the families & friends of every person who was killed or wounded in this mornings shooting. I know all of their lives will be forever changed by this devastating crime. David Briley for Judge (@DavidBriley) April 22, 2018 Nashville mayor David Briley described the shooting as a tragic day for the city. My heart goes out to the families & friends of every person who was killed or wounded, Mr Briley said in an emailed statement. I know all of their lives will be forever changed by this devastating crime. Stars of Avengers: Infinity War have defended superhero films against snobbery from their Hollywood peers. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Josh Brolin praised the power of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Their comments came after Saldana spoke out against elitists who accuse the cast of selling out with the films. Zoe Saldana criticised `elitists (Ian West/PA) Pratt told the Press Association in Los Angeles on Saturday he wants to remain in the films as Star-Lord for the foreseeable future ahead of the release of the 19th movie in the 10-year-old franchise. The times I feel the very best in my soul is when I can use the fact Im a superhero and I can go and cheer up some sick kids, he said. I can show up in a young innocent kids life who may be terminally ill, I can help raise money for a great cause, I think the platform and the opportunity to use the powers that superheroes have over the imaginations of kids has been the most rewarding for me. Gamora actress Saldana said the snobbery is insulting to the cast and the crew and called for awards organisers to pay more attention to the genre. A younger audience deserves entertaining but they also deserve inspiration and strong messages of hope and dreams and a great sense of justice, she said. Sometimes what are considered high-quality films that are for awards seasons overlook a younger audience, so Im happy and honoured to fill in that space. Brolin, who plays Thanos, said actors totally turn their noses up at such roles and praised his co-stars for creating a paradigm shift to show the significance of the films. He described the latest film as one of the great imaginative trips Ive ever been on and praised the franchise for inspiring young minds. Londoners Paul Bettany and Letitia Wright praised the films for taking on thought-provoking subject matter in an entertaining fashion. Vision actor Bettany said: (2016s Captain America: Civil War) talks about whether a superpower should be able to unilaterally enter another country. Thats a large thing to talk about in a popcorn movie. Black Panters Letitia Wright is among the stars in the latest Marvel film (Matt Crossick/PA) Wright, the break-out star who plays Shuri in Black Panther, added: We get to have fun and put out entertaining movies but throw subject matters in there that we can really think about as a society and really make us reflect on ourselves. Avengers: Infinity War, also starring Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson and Benedict Cumberbatch, is out in UK cinemas on Thursday. The life and legacy of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence will be celebrated during a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of his death. National figures, including Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle, will join Stephens family for the event being held today at the central London church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. The murder of the teenager was a watershed moment in modern race relations in the UK, after the subsequent Macpherson Report into the case concluded the police made mistakes and were guilty of institutional racism. Stephen Lawrence died 25 years ago (Family handout/PA) The 18-year-old murder victim was fatally stabbed by a gang of racists in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22 1993. Two of the group of up to six thugs who attacked the teenager and his friend Duwayne Brooks, simply because they were black, have been convicted of murder. David Norris and Gary Dobson are both serving life sentences, while three other men who have consistently been accused of the killing but never convicted are Jamie Acourt, 41, from Bexley, his brother Neil Acourt, 42, who uses his mothers maiden name Stuart, and Luke Knight, 41, both from Eltham. Stephens father Neville Lawrence, 76, announced last week he had made the humbling decision to forgive his sons killers. Doreen Lawrence is now a peer in the Lords (PA) He told the Press Association: The fact that I had to lose my first child has been devastating. I cant begin to explain the pain and the anguish me and my family have suffered over the past 25 years. Scotland Yard has admitted it has no new lines of inquiry in the investigation into Stephens murder. The force has said that unless detectives receive new information the investigation is unlikely to progress further. Earlier this month, before the update from Scotland Yard, Stephens mother Baroness Lawrence told the Daily Mail the investigation should end. Harry and his fiancee will meet Stephens mother Doreen Lawrence, now a peer sitting in the Lords, and brother Stuart before the service begins. The royal will read a message of support on behalf of the Prince of Wales, who in 2000 gave the annual Stephen Lawrence Memorial Lecture which began with a tribute to the Lawrence family. During the event Sir Lenny Henry will interview three young beneficiaries of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. Hit-series Westworld has returned for its second season and so has the head-scratching of puzzled viewers. The sci-fi seasons premiere episode titled Journey Into Night was aired in the early hours of Monday in the UK simultaneously with its broadcast in the US. The non-linear series has puzzled viewers and launched scores of fan theories with its complex narrative that jumps around in time without obvious signs. Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood (Ian West/PA) Westworld is set around a Wild West theme park where unwitting hosts perfect robotic replicas of humans are at the disposal of the desires, no matter how dark, of paying customers. The HBO season started with Jeffrey Wrights android character Bernard Lowe hiding among humans as troops executed hosts. It then meandered through somewhat of a bloodbath as Thandie Newtons Maeve Millay and Evan Rachel Woods Dolores Abernathy rose up against their oppressors. Fans tuned in to try and crack the case. Dan Ryckert tweeted: Westworld is a great show if youre a fan of robots, Westerns, and understanding 30% of what youre watching. Westworld is a great show if you're a fan of robots, Westerns, and understanding 30% of what you're watching. Dan Ryckert (@DanRyckert) April 23, 2018 Frankie Borrelli added: Anyone that tells you they know whats going on in tonights Westworld episode is a compulsive liar. Feel like I just watched a show in a different language. Anyone that tells you they know what's going on in tonight's westworld episode is a compulsive liar. Feel like I just watched a show in a different language. Frankie Borrelli (@FrankieBorrelli) April 23, 2018 Me five minutes into #Westworld trying to figure out Bernards timeline. pic.twitter.com/8QM1FRC0tS Derek Rosss (@derekrosss) April 23, 2018 Reviews so far have been lukewarm, with praise of the performances and production, but doubts over the storyline. The New York Times said the new season was carrying over the flaws of the first, as well as some tentative steps it takes toward fixing them. Variety said: Like any self-respecting piece of tech, Westworld is always trying to upgrade itself. The good news is, several glitches and structural issues have been corrected and modestly improved in Westworld 2.0. But regardless of whether the show has flaws or not, there is little doubt fans will keep theorising. Sky Atlantic will repeat the episode at 9pm on Monday. Theresa May is facing a week of fresh parliamentary battles over Brexit as clashes centred on staying in a customs union with the EU continue to dog the Government. With flagship Brexit legislation vulnerable to further attacks in the Lords, pro-European Tory MPs are set to voice their concerns over withdrawal on Thursday. Downing Street sources insisted there would be no backsliding over quitting the customs union with Brussels after reports that the Prime Minister was ready to take a softer line. (PA Graphics) Though the looming Commons vote on a pro-customs union motion would be a symbolic, non-binding one, it has the potential to deepen Tory wounds on Brexit. Mrs May is set to face calls from leading Brexiteers Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox to abandon her preferred form of a customs deal with the EU, according to The Times. A showdown is expected to come at a meeting of the Cabinet Brexit committee scheduled for Wednesday when the trio will tell the PM that a so-called customs partnership, where the UK would collect EU import tariffs on behalf of Brussels, would be unworkable, the report said. Brexit Secretary David Davis is said to be among those calling on the PM to abandon her preferred form of a customs deal (Ian Forsyth/PA) Former Cabinet minister John Whittingdale told BBC Radio 4s The Westminster Hour that defeats like the one the Government suffered last week in the Lords over the customs union played into the EUs hands. Part of the problem is that there are some in the European Union and in the Irish Republic who want to make out that we have to stay in the customs union and will not examine other alternatives. And votes like ones in the House of Lords are going to add to the view over there that somehow the British Government might U-turn or go back. (PA Graphics) We need to make it absolutely clear that leaving the customs union is an absolutely fundamental part of Brexit. We then have to find a solution to the Northern Ireland border question. Labour MP Chuka Umunna and backbench pro-Remain Tory Anna Soubry have tabled amendments to the Trade and Customs Bill, due to be debated on Thursday, that will make staying in the customs union a legal objective of the Government. We have an important general debate on Thursday on the customs union. Here are the crucial cross party amendments tabled by @Anna_Soubry, myself &others to the Trade & Customs Bills - which would be legally binding and force Ministers - to seek to keep us in the EU Customs Union. pic.twitter.com/mTzgbMtwSa ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) April 22, 2018 Mr Umunna said on Twitter: The Brextremists threaten May with a leadership election if she concedes on the customs union but a new Tory leader would face the same Parliamentary arithmetic. MPs share the frustration of those who keep our constituents in work about the dangers of leaving the Customs Unions which is why there will be a cross party debate on it in the @HouseofCommons on Thursday.The key votes on this will come on the EU Withdrawal, Trade &Customs Bills ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) April 22, 2018 HMG has not timetabled the remaining stages of the Customs and Trade Bills because they fear they will be defeated. The Brextremists threaten May with a leadership election if she concedes on the customs union but a new Tory leader would face the same Parliamentary arithmetic. ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) April 22, 2018 Cabinet minister Sajid Javid tweeted that the referendum gave clear instructions to leave the customs union and accused some of seeing it as a kind of post-Brexit comfort blanket. The Housing and Communities Secretarys comments were rebuked by the head of the CBI, Paul Drechsler, who tweeted in reply: An MP of your talent should rise above ideology and lead based of fact, analysis and evidence all of which favours a customs union. Always happy to discuss. The Lords could deliver new defeats on the Government regarding incorporating the EU charter of fundamental rights into UK law, and pressing to ensure MPs get to decide what happens next if the Commons rejects a final Brexit deal with Brussels. A singing priest from Ireland who impressed judges on Britains Got Talent received a round of applause at Sunday mass. Ray Kelly, 64, sang REMs Everybody Hurts in the programme broadcast on Saturday night. It received the plaudits of judges Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden. He is parish priest in Oldcastle in Co Meath, where mass goers gave him an enthusiastic reception. Father Ray Kelly during the audition stage for ITV1s talent show, Britains Got Talent (Tom Dymond/Syco/Thames/PA) Powerful and poignant rendition of "Everybody Hurts" by Fr. Ray Kelly. Bravo! https://t.co/v7wg91MQ4Z R.E.M. HQ (@remhq) April 22, 2018 He said: I knew I could put in a fairly good performance but I was amazed at their (judges) comments. I was really blown away by Simons comments and David, Alesha and Amanda. The clergyman said he was thrilled. I am in awe and humbled by it, I really was not expecting it. Fr Kellys parents were musical. He recalled: It was all there growing up as kids. We were held up like trophies. The gifted priest has always watched Britains Got Talent, saying it is a great variety show, but thought carefully before giving it a go. I put myself forward but you never know. I did not know what to expect. Fr Kellys vocal talents previously went viral after a recording of him singing Leonard Cohens Hallelujah at a wedding in 2014 received over 60 million views on YouTube. After he finished his Britains Got Talent performance there was a silence and he wondered whether they wanted him to walk off the stage. Then Cowell stood up and started applauding and that was followed by warm comments from the judges who described his rendition of the REM hit as beautiful and said they loved it. Fr Kellys family had organised Britains Got Talent parties to watch the performance. He was placed into the next stage of the contest. Matt Smith has said he believes he and Claire Foy should have been paid equally for their roles in The Crown. The actor, who played the Duke of Edinburgh in the Netflix royal drama opposite Foys Queen Elizabeth II, said efforts need to be made to create a level playing field. Claire Foy and Matt Smith in The Crown (Alex Bailey/Netflix) He told The Hollywood Reporter: Claire is one of my best friends, and I believe that we should be paid equally and fairly and there should be equality for all. I support her completely, and Im pleased that it was resolved and they made amends for it because that whats needed to happen. Going forward, I think we should all bear in mind that we need to strive to make this better and a more even playing field for everyone involved but not just in our industry, in all industries. The duo played the royal couple for the first two series of the show but will be replaced by Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies for the third series. Olivia Colman (Ian West/PA) Last month producers revealed that Smith earned more than Foy for his work on the show. Left Bank Pictures said: We want to apologise to both Claire Foy and to Matt Smith, brilliant actors and friends, who have found themselves at the centre of a media storm this week through no fault of their own. Claire and Matt are incredibly gifted actors who, along with the wider cast on The Crown, have worked tirelessly to bring our characters to life with compassion and integrity. As the producers of The Crown, we at Left Bank Pictures are responsible for budgets and salaries; the actors are not aware of who gets what, and cannot be held personally responsible for the pay of their colleagues. We understand and appreciate the conversation which is rightly being played out across society and we are absolutely united with the fight for fair pay, free of gender bias, and for a rebalancing of the industrys treatment of women, both those in front of the camera and for those behind the scenes. We all have a responsibility to do what we can to ensure that these issues are tackled, and, as a leading production company, we want to make our contribution to the debate. As company policy, we are engaged in conversations with ERA 50:50 and going forward are keen to talk to Times Up UK organisations which are working to ensure all women have a voice. The Duchess of Cambridges third labour is expected to be fast if not faster than before. Although it varies from woman to woman, some mothers report a speedier delivery third time around. For first-time mothers, active labour may take around eight hours and in a second labour around five hours, according to Babycentre.co.uk. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with newborn Princess Charlotte in 2015 (Anthony Devlin/PA) When Kate gave birth for a second time, she delivered Princess Charlotte just two hours and 34 minutes after being admitted to hospital. With Prince George in 2013, the duchess went into hospital at around 6am and her son arrived 10-and-a-half hours later at 4.24pm. Clare Livingstone, professional policy adviser at the Royal College of Midwives, said: It will vary from one woman to another. Some women report a quicker labour with their third baby but not everyone. It seems to be though that they do go more quickly. Its a very individual thing. It is not known how long the Duchess was in labour with George and Charlotte before she was admitted. Mrs Livingstone added that quick labours can appear more painful. The body has natural painkillers endorphins which build up over a period of time. So a quick labour doesnt allow the body the opportunity to do that, she said. Advice site Madeformums.com said 2% of women experience a precipitate labour where labour is extremely rapid and lasts less than two hours from first contraction twinge to giving birth. Theyre more common among women whove already given birth at least once, the site said. Kate had a straightforward, natural birth with George and Charlotte with no complications. A2 to Lansing? Democrat Shri Thanedar aims to be the second Ann Arborite in a row elected governor. by James Leonard From the April, 2018 issue Like current Republican governor Rick Snyder, Thanedar is a businessman with no previous government experience. And, like Snyder, he's prepared to spend $6 million of his own money on his campaign. "That's where the similarities end," says Thanedar, sitting in his sparsely furnished storefront office in a strip mall on South State. "The $6 million Snyder put in was pocket change for him. For me it was a significant part of my net worth and a significant part of my retirement savings." From a poor family in India, Thanedar went to college there then came to America and earned a doctorate in chemistry. He became a citizen in 1988, and joined a small chemical services company in 1990 that he later purchased. A reporter observes that he made a lot of money--twice. "Yes," he agrees happily, "but I only lost it once!" "I was a full-service drug development arm for people developing new medicine," he explains. "The bulk of my customers were small companies. And the mistake that I did was I did not diversify: eighty percent of my business came from little companies." In the Great Recession, "my revenues crashed when those little companies went belly up. "I had borrowed $24 million from the bank, and everything was collateralized," he continues ruefully. "Before they took my home in St. Louis, my wife and I took our personal belongings, put them in a Budget rental truck, and started [the] ten-hour drive to Ann Arbor," where he'd done a postdoc in the 1980s. "We rented a small apartment and found a little commercial space that had been a lab and gone out of business in the recession. We rented the space and started a [chemical testing] business, and [in] six years it grew from one employee to about fifty employees. Revenues went to about twelve million. "I was fifty-five years old when I came to Ann Arbor," says Thanedar. He's now sixty-two, and looks much younger. "The business is now ...continued below... worth thirty million," he says. "I can keep going, but what is the point? I achieved my American dream, and I wanted to give back."So I sold sixty percent of the business to a private equity [firm] and took $1.5 million and gave it to my fifty employees, and I took another six million and put it into this campaign." Last year he declared his candidacy.He's happier with the sale than the buyer, High Street Capital--they're suing him, charging that he inflated the company's value. He says High Street panicked during a temporary slump, "and I was the scapegoat." He predicts that he'll prevail when the case goes to trial next year--"if they don't drop it before that."Like Snyder, Thanedar built name recognition early with TV ads. A February EPIC-MRA poll he commissioned showed him trailing the presumptive favorite, former state senator Gretchen Whitmer, 24 percent to 34 percent. Whitmer held steady in a March MIRS News-Target Insyght poll while he slipped to 20 percent, but he still frames it as "a two-person race between Whitmer and me. And we couldn't be more different ... She got a lot of money from companies. I'm not going to take a single penny from corporations."He's counting on his proposals on education and infrastructure to win over Democratic voters: he wants to invest $500 million "of new revenue into career and technical education and job-training programs." Asked where the money would come from, he says: "Our corporations and our ultra-rich are not paying their fair share ... I want to go from the flat [state income] tax of 4.25 percent to a graduated tax based on people's income. The graduated tax will bring in somewhere around $800 million to $1.5 billion of additional revenue."He'd also go to the voters, asking for "a bond of up to one billion to pay for roads, bridges, transit, and infrastructure repair," including rural broadband service. He'd move to "ban for-profit charter school operators statewide." And he'd support legalizing recreational use of marijuana--he figures that would be good for another $125 million in new revenue that he'd split fifty-fifty into infrastructure and education.[Originally published in April, 2018.] Now that the Duchess of Cambridge is in labour, the wait is on for the official announcement of the royal babys birth. Just like with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, news of the arrival of a new prince or princess will be emailed to the press by Kensington Palace, coinciding with confirmation of the birth via Twitter by @KensingtonRoyal. William and Kate will want to tell the Queen before the announcement is made (Simon Dawson/PA) William and Kate will want to inform the Queen and their families first before sharing the news with the world, so any announcement is unlikely to be made overnight. The statement traditionally takes the form of saying the Duchess has been safely delivered of a son or a daughter, stating the time of birth and the weight of the baby. It also usually reveals whether William was present at Kates side, which he is due to be, whether mother and baby are doing well, and how the news has been shared with delighted family members. The arrival of the Cambridges third child will also be marked with a traditional bulletin on show at Buckingham Palace. Just as when George and Charlotte were born, the age-old custom of placing a paper proclamation for the public to see at the Queens London residence will be carried out. A press secretary and a footman place an easel on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace to announce the birth of Prince George in 2013 (John Stillwell/PA) A brief formal announcement on foolscap-sized paper set in a dark wooden frame will be placed on an ornate golden easel on the forecourt of the Palace. It used to be hand-written, but is now typed. It will also be signed at the hospital by the doctors who tended to the duchess, and then ferried back to the Palace by car. The bulletin which was hung outside Buckingham Palace in February 1960 announcing the birth of a son - Prince Andrew - to the Queen (PA) Policemen put up a bulletin signed by royal doctors on the gates of Buckingham Palace after the birth of Princess Annes first child in 1977 (PA) The names given to royal babies are not usually revealed straight away, and the public is often left guessing for several days. William and Kate took two days to announce both George and Charlottes names, informing the Queen of their choice beforehand. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) May 4, 2015 Mike and Zara Tindall used Twitter to unveil their daughters name six days after she was born in 2014, with the proud father tweeting: For everyone who has asked what our daughters name is, its Mia Grace Tindall. When Princess Beatrice was born in 1988, it was two weeks before her name was known. In 1982, the Prince and Princess of Wales waited seven days before deciding upon and announcing Prince Williams name. Prince Williams debut outside the Lindo Wing with his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales (PA) The Prince of Waless name, however, remained a mystery for an entire month and was only declared ahead of his christening in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace in December 1948. The birth will be celebrated with a 41-gun salute in Green Park or Hyde Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London. The Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery firing a gun salute to welcome the birth of Prince George in 2013 (PA) Royal births are registered in the normal way, although the Home Secretary is required to notify certain officials including the Lord Mayor of London, the Governors of Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The Queens top aide, her private secretary, Edward Young, informs Governor Generals overseas, while announcements are also made on the monarchys website and Facebook page. Liam Gallagher has said it is a 'dream come true' to open for the Rolling Stones when they bring their No Filter tour to the UK next month. The former Oasis frontman is one of a raft of stars who will support the band during their eight stadium shows, singing up to take the stage at the English capital's London Stadium for the first UK show on May 22. However, the 45-year-old rocker is set to avoid having his devotion to Manchester City questioned, as he won't be taking the stage at fierce rival United's famed Old Trafford grounds on June 5 - leaving that job instead to Richard Ashcroft. Dream come true: Liam Gallagher has signed up to open for the Rolling Stones when their No Filter UK tour debuts at the English capital's London Stadium on May 22 On announcing his participation in the show, Manchester native Liam wrote on Twitter on Monday morning: 'It's a dream come true to be asked to open for The Mighty @RollingStones the best Rock n Roll band EVER.' Among the other acts also set to open shows for the legendary British rock band are Florence + The Machine, Elbow and The Specials. Florence + The Machine will open for the Rolling Stones on May 25 at the same venue as Liam, while fans at Southampton St Mary's on May 29 will be treated to a special performance from The Vaccines, whose new single is titled Rolling Stones. Hitting the road: Rolling Stones stars (L-R) Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have been touring Europe with their roadshow since September, with things set to conclude in June Florence Welch tweeted: 'We are so excited to be supporting The @RollingStones, it is a huge honour to be playing with one of our biggest influences. Xx.' The Specials will take to the stage at the Ricoh Stadium in their home town of Coventry on June 2 while Richard Ashcroft will open at Manchester's Old Trafford on June 5 and Edinburgh Murrayfield Stadium on June 9. Elbow will open at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on June 15, while James Bay will perform at London's Twickenham Stadium on June 19, as the UK leg of the No Filter tour comes to a close. James Bay wrote on Twitter: 'IS THIS FOR REAL? It's an absolute honour to announce I'm supporting @RollingStones at London's Twickenham Stadium on 19th June.' Sympathy for the Red Devils: Richard Ashcroft will open at Manchester United's Old Trafford grounds on June 5, saving Manchester City fan Liam any possible feeling of betrayal Rolling Stones band members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts have been travelling across Europe with their No Filter tour since September, and will conclude with a show on July 8 in Warsaw, Poland. The announcement of Liam's participation in the tour serves as a dose of good news after he resurrected the long-running feud with his brother Noel when he shared a foul-mouthed text exchange between Noel and his daughter Anais on Friday. In a screenshot of the exchange, the father and daughter launch a scathing attack on Liam as Noel brands his brother a 'k**b' and a 'c***' in the string of messages. Their text exchange reportedly took place back to June 3 last year, the day before the One Love Manchester concert. Star: Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine will open for the rockers on May 25 in London In the messages, Noel saved under Daddy wrote: 'Because.. your ASTONISHING k*** of an uncle is doing it and the organisers have now got it in there heads there's gonna be an Oasis reunion. 'Scooter Braun Justin Beibers manager actually said: "If Noel does it his kids will get to meet Justin?!?!?!?!?!? What a C***!!!' [sic] Anais relied: 'Oh lord!! How annoying.. and Like I'd want to meet any b**** Justin Beiber anyway.' [sic] It is not known how Liam got a hold of the text messages, which he shared on social media without a caption, leaving fans to speculate. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Noel and Anais Gallagher for comment. European human rights judges are considering a plea from the parents of 23-month-old Alfie Evans who has been at the centre of two rounds of a life-support treatment fight. Tom Evans and Kate James, who are both in their early 20s and from Liverpool, failed on Friday to persuade Supreme Court justices to consider their case. They have now asked judges at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France, to intervene. Alfies parents, Kate James and Tom Evans, are asking the European Court of Human Rights to hear their case (Philip Toscano/PA) A spokesman for the ECHR said on Monday that the couple were arguing that their son was being deprived of his liberty. He said judges were considering the couples application as a matter of urgency. Alfies parents have already lost one round of fights, in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and ECHR. Balloons and candles in support of Alfie Evans outside Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool (John Stilwell/PA) In February, Mr Justice Hayden ruled that doctors at Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool could stop treating Alfie against the wishes of his parents following hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London and Liverpool. Specialists at Alder Hey said life-support treatment should stop and Mr Justice Hayden said he accepted medical evidence which showed that further treatment was futile. Alfies parents want to move their son from Alder Hey to a hospital in Rome. The couple said Italian doctors are willing to treat the little boy and an air ambulance is available. But Mr Justice Hayden said flying Alfie to a foreign hospital would be wrong and pointless. Alfie Evans is terminally ill (Alfies Army Official/PA) Court of Appeal judges upheld his decisions. Supreme Court justices and ECHR judges refused to intervene. The couple are now arguing that Alfie is being wrongly detained at Alder Hey and have made a habeas corpus application. A writ of habeas corpus Latin for you may have the body is a legal manoeuvre which requires a court to examine the legality of a detention. It is a piece of common law which probably dates back to Anglo-Saxon times. Mr Justice Hayden has dismissed that habeas corpus claim. The front cover of the ruling by Supreme Court president Lady Hale, Lord Kerr and Lord Wilson in the latest round of the legal fight for the treatment of 23-month-old Alfie Evans (Supreme Court/PA) Appeal judges have upheld Mr Justice Haydens decision and on Friday Supreme Court justices said they would not intervene. Judges have approved plans for withdrawing treatment and bringing Alfies life to an end. On Friday Supreme Court justices said there should be no further delay in treatment being stopped. But Alfies parents made another application to the ECHR. A small crowd of around two dozen supporters of Alfies family gathered at the entrance to Alder Hey hospital. Their numbers were much smaller than on previous recent occasions when judges decisions have been awaited. None of Alfies family appeared outside the hospital or in public areas of the site, which had a visible police presence, with officers stationed at the entrance and patrolling the corridors inside. Paris terror attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam and an accomplice have been guilty of attempted murder over shots fired at police they sought to avoid arrest in a Brussels suburb. The court in Brussels handed both Abdeslam and Sofiane Ayari the maximum 20-year sentence. It said the terror character was clearly established in the March 2016 shooting, four months after the Paris attacks that killed 130 in November 2015. Court president Luc Hennart said the two chose not to attend the reading of the verdict and sentencing. Abdeslam attended the opening day of the trial in February but has refused to co-operate since. He is being held in a prison in northern France. Lawyers for the accused, Sven Mary, left, and Romain Delcoigne attend the trial of Salah Abdeslam and Sofiane Ayari, at the Brussels justice palace (AP) It is unclear when he will face trial over the Paris attacks. The conclusion of the case at Brussels ornate palace of justice took place amid tight security set up by the armed forces and police. Abdeslam was close to being arrested in a hideout when he and Ayari fled, while another man sprayed gunfire at police and was killed. Three officers were wounded. Three days later, Abdeslam was captured in Brussels. Four days after that, extremists struck in the Belgian capital, killing 32 people in bomb attacks at the airport and on the subway system. Martin Lewis has become one of Britains most high-profile and trusted consumer champions, having set up the MoneySavingExpert.com website for just 100. He has thrown his weight behind campaigns such as financial education in schools, reclaiming bank charges and helped people who were mis-sold PPI reclaim their cash with free step-by-step guidance, highlighting that households do not need to use claims management companies which take a chunk of any payout. Born in Manchester, Lewis grew up in Cheshire and is married to TV presenter Lara Lewington. A former student union president of the London School of Economics where he studied government and law, Lewis honed his broadcasting skills with a postgraduate journalism diploma at Cardiff University. This led to a BBC staff job, where he spent time as a business editor of Radio 4s Today programme, before he became the money saving expert on a digital channel called Simply Money Television. He set up his website in 2003 and has previously said he found himself shocked at the strength of the response it received from consumers. Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis and his wife, Lara Lewington, after receiving his OBE at Buckingham Palace (Nick Ansell/PA) According to the MoneySavingExpert.com website, it now has more than 15 million monthly users and 12 million who asked to receive the weekly Money Tips email. In 2012, the sale of the website was agreed, with Lewis donating some money to charity from the deal. Lewis was awarded an OBE in 2014 for services to consumer rights and charity. He has also founded and funded a new charity, the Money And Mental Health Policy Institute, to research, lobby and innovate policies aiming to break the toxic link between mental health problems and debt. As well as regularly writing for newspapers, Lewis is a familiar face on TV screens, with shows such as ITVs This Morning and Good Morning Britain as well as hosting The Martin Lewis Money Show. Earlier this year, he spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live about losing his mother, who died when he was 11. Writing later in his blog on the MoneySavingExpert website, Lewis, who is patron of charity Grief Encounter, which helps people through bereavement, said of the reaction to the interview: Im encouraged and honoured that what I did had an effect on so many people, and caused litres of shared tears. Syrian government forces and their allies have launched a new offensive against Islamic State (IS) in southern Damascus. State-run al-Ikhbariya TV said the aim of Mondays move is to isolate IS in the southern Damascus area of Hajar Aswad from nearby areas held by the extremists. Hundreds of IS militants hold parts of the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk and nearby Hajar al-Aswad in southern Damascus. A convoy of buses carrying rebels and their family leaves the eastern Qalamoun region in the Damascus countryside (SANA/AP) The extremists agreed to give up their last pocket there on Friday but have yet to begin surrendering to government forces and relocating to IS-held areas elsewhere in the country. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 11 people have been killed in the offensive since the fighting began last Thursday. Hamlet has been named the nations favourite play by William Shakespeare after topping a survey by theatre website WhatsOnStage. The tragedy narrowly topped the poll with 13% of the vote, just ahead of comedy Much Ado About Nothing with 12% and Macbeth in third place with 11%. Further down the list was Romeo And Juliet in seventh place, and Richard II rounded up the top 10. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 (PA) The results of the survey have been released to coincide with the 454th anniversary of William Shakespeares birth in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 23 1564. Hamlet, which tells the story of the titular Prince of Denmark and the revenge he wreaks upon his treacherous uncle Claudius, contains some of Shakespeares most celebrated lines, including the protagonists soliloquy that begins To be, or not to be. Recent performances productions of Hamlet have included Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch taking on the lead role at the Barbican and Andrew Scott playing the prince in the Almeida Theatres retelling, which was televised on BBC Two last Easter Saturday. Benedict Cumberbatch played Hamlet in a production at the Barbican in London (Isabel Infantes/PA) WhatsOnStage chief operating officer Sita McIntosh said: Four hundred and 54 years after the worlds greatest playwright was born, William Shakespeares plays are as loved as ever. Theatres around the UK are largely to thank for this, continuing to celebrate the Bards work with world-class performances. A man who filmed a pet dog giving Nazi salutes before posting the footage online has been fined 800. Mark Meechan, 30, recorded his partners pug responding to statements such as gas the Jews and sieg heil by raising its paw before posting the footage on YouTube in April 2016. He was found guilty of posting material that was grossly offensive and anti-Semitic and racist in nature in breach of the Communications Act, in an offence aggravated by religious prejudice, following a trial at Airdrie Sheriff Court. Meechan had claimed he made the video as a joke to annoy his partner and raised issues about freedom of speech. Speaking outside the court, he said that the decision sets a dangerous precedent. Dozens of supporters of Meechan, including former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson, were at Airdrie Sheriff Court for the court hearing on Monday. Former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson was among Meechans supporters at Airdrie Sheriff Court for the hearing (Andrew Milligan/PA) Sentencing Meechan, Sheriff Derek OCarroll said the video was grossly offensive and that his girlfriend did not even subscribe to the video channel he posted it on. He said: The centrepiece of your video consists of you repeating the phrase gas the Jews over and over again as a command to a dog, which then reacts. Sometimes the phrase is You want to gas the Jews. You recite gas the Jews in a variety of dramatic ways. Gas the Jews in one form or another is repeated by you 23 times within a few minutes. You use the command sieg heil, having trained the dog to raise its paw in response and the video shows a clip of a Nuremberg rally and a flashing image of Hitler with strident music. You say the video was only intended as a joke to upset your girlfriend, whose dog you used, and nothing more. On the whole evidence, including your own, applying the law as made by Parliament and interpreted by the most senior courts in this land, I found it proved that the video you posted, using a public communications network, was grossly offensive and contained menacing, anti-Semitic and racist material. You deliberately chose the Holocaust as the theme of the video. You purposely used the command gas the Jews as the centrepiece of what you called the entire joke, surrounding the gas the Jews centrepiece with Nazi imagery and the seig heil command so there could be no doubt what historical events you were referring to. Mark Meechan said he was going to appeal against the decision (Andrew Milligan/PA) He added that while the right to freedom of expression is very important, in all modern democratic countries the law necessarily places some limits on that right. Meechans defence agent Ross Brown said his client was a tolerant and liberal man. He said: His difficulty, it seems, was that he was someone who enjoyed shock humour, both giving and receiving it, and went about his life under the impression that he lived in a jurisdiction which permitted its citizens the right to freely express themselves. He said his client was concerned about the impact his conviction may have on comedians such as John Cleese, Frankie Boyle and Ricky Gervais if they were to come to Scotland due to the material referenced in some of their acts. Supporters of Mark Meechan hold posters defending freedom of speech (Andrew Milligan/PA) Speaking outside court after sentencing, Meechan said: Im going to appeal against it. He says it doesnt set a precedent, it does set a precedent, a really, really dangerous precedent has been set for people to say things, their context to be completely ignored and then they can be convicted for it. You dont get to decide the context of what you said, other people dont get to, the court gets to, thats dangerous. The 30-year-old said of the video: Its the juxtaposition of having an adorable animal react to something vulgar, that was the entire point of the joke. Snow could return to the UK this week as temperatures are set to drop, forecasters have warned. With bookies slashing odds on snow to fall this month, the Met Office said that the Lake District, North Pennines and Scottish Highlands are most at risk. After the UK bathed in sunshine last week, with temperatures hitting a record breaking 29C (84.2F) in central London, the hot spell will turn to cold weather, with winter flurries predicted for higher ground. Snow could return to higher ground (Andrew Matthews/PA) A cooler and changeable week to come. Here are the details: https://t.co/qTU1j2Auvb Met Office (@metoffice) April 23, 2018 Towards the end of the week it is certainly possible that the cold weather will include hail, sleet showers and snow, especially on higher ground, said Met Office meteorologist John West. The areas most at risk are the Lake District, North Pennines and Scottish Highlands, but we are not expecting a big impact. He said May will start with unsettled weather, although it should not be a particularly wet month. Home Secretary Amber Rudd is to update MPs on the Windrush generation scandal after it was confirmed the Government will pay compensation to long-standing UK residents whose migration status was challenged. Prime Minister Theresa May announced the compensation plan on Friday, with aides saying the Home Office would provide details of eligibility for the scheme and how payments will be calculated. Ms Rudds statement to the House of Commons comes as a Government whip acknowledged the treatment of some Commonwealth citizens who arrived in Britain between the late 1940s and early 1970s was unacceptable. Mike Freer came under fire after claiming the problems faced by members of the Windrush generation was nothing to do with the immigration reforms implemented when Mrs May was home secretary. In an email to a constituent, Mr Freer said the issues were wholly separate and unconnected and accused the opposition of opportunism and hypocrisy over the scandal. Labour MP David Lammy, who has led the parliamentary campaign on the treatment of the Windrush generation, said Mr Freers comments were very different indeed to the conciliatory lines of apology about the scandal from the Prime Minister and Home Secretary Amber Rudd. Migrants came from the Caribbean to the UK on board ships including the Empire Windrush (PA) In the leaked email, Mr Freer explained why he would not sign a Commons motion calling for a review of the Home Offices policy of creating a hostile environment for illegal immigrants. The policy has been blamed for causing difficulties to Windrush generation migrants who are entitled to be in the UK but may not have the documents to prove it. The Windrush issue is absolutely nothing to do with immigration reforms introduced under the Cameron government, he wrote. Then the policy was to make it harder for illegal immigrants to settle in the UK. The Windrush people were and are legal. Wholly separate and unconnected. In a later statement, the Finchley and Golders Green MP said: As the Prime Minister and Home Secretary have said, the situation that some members of the Windrush generation have found themselves in is unacceptable, and thats why its right that the government has apologised and is offering help to those affected. The point I was making in constituency correspondence was that some have deliberately sought to conflate this with measures to counter illegal immigration, which we know is a matter of public concern and that the decision to destroy landing card documents was taken for the first time in 2009. Ms Rudd is facing further pressure after a weekend which included accusations of wilful ignorance and racism levelled at the Government. Home Secretary Amber Rudd has come under fire for her handling of the Windrush generation (Dominic Lipinski/PA) A slew of case studies continues to emerge about members of the Windrush generation facing problems with access to healthcare and other state services or being denied re-entry to the UK after visits to the Caribbean. The Guardian alleged the effects of the hostile environment policy were known to ministers years ago. The newspaper said a 2016 letter from former Home Office minister James Brokenshire, showed he was aware an individual could be liable for deportation in part because the Government no longer stored documentary evidence he had a legal right to live in the UK. Trevor Johnson and his brother Desmond, who arrived as boys from Jamaica in 1971, have had their lives wrecked by hostile environment policies, the newspaper said. Trevor has faced threats of deportation, while his brother has not been allowed to visit Britain since he went back to Jamaica for his fathers funeral in 2001. Mr Brokenshire denied having seen the letter, when asked about it on Sunday. Labour continued to single out the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary for personal blame for the controversy, with shadow cabinet member Dawn Butler insisting it was the result of policies promoting institutionalised racism. Party leader Jeremy Corbyn joined in calls for Ms Rudd to quit if she did not get an immediate grip on the situation. Both the Home Secretary and Prime Minister have apologised over the handling of the affair, amid increased pressure to resolve the status of those involved. A2 to Lansing? continued "That's where the similarities end," says Thanedar, sitting in his sparsely furnished storefront office in a strip mall on South State. "The $6 million Snyder put in was pocket change for him. For me it was a significant part of my net worth and a significant part of my retirement savings." From a poor family in India, Thanedar went to college there then came to America and earned a doctorate in chemistry. He became a citizen in 1988, and joined a small chemical services company in 1990 that he later purchased. A reporter observes that he made a lot of money--twice. "Yes," he agrees happily, "but I only lost it once!" "I was a full-service drug development arm for people developing new medicine," he explains. "The bulk of my customers were small companies. And the mistake that I did was I did not diversify: eighty percent of my business came from little companies." In the Great Recession, "my revenues crashed when those little companies went belly up. "I had borrowed $24 million from the bank, and everything was collateralized," he continues ruefully. "Before they took my home in St. Louis, my wife and I took our personal belongings, put them in a Budget rental truck, and started [the] ten-hour drive to Ann Arbor," where he'd done a postdoc in the 1980s. The man credited with saving several lives after snatching an AR-15 rifle from a gunman at a busy Tennessee restaurant has said it was a selfish act of self-preservation, and he does not consider himself a hero. James Shaw Jr, 29, found himself wrestling with the suspect after four people had already been fatally shot at a Waffle House bustling with patrons early on Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee. He said: When I grabbed the barrel of the weapon it was hot, but I didnt care. It was life or death. Mr Shaw joined law enforcement officials and Nashvilles mayor at a news conference, some 12 hours after the shooting, with his right hand bandaged. There he was singled out by Waffle House CEO Walter Ehmer, who thanked Mr Shaw for his bravery. You dont get to meet too many heroes in life, Mr Ehmer said before addressing Mr Shaw, who dabbed away tears. We are forever in your debt. Hero James Shaw wipes tears away during a press conference following the shooting (AP) Mr Shaw said that after going to a nightclub he had decided to stop with a friend early on Sunday at a Waffle House. But the first one he visited was too crowded with overnight patrons, so he ended up going to another in Nashville. As he entered the Waffle House, he was just two minutes ahead of the gunman, seating himself at a counter. Suddenly he heard a loud noise, thinking at first that freshly washed plates had crashed from a stack in the restaurant. Then, he said, he saw restaurant workers running before seeing a body near the front door as the gunman burst in. It was then that he realised he was hearing gunshots. I looked back and I saw a person lying on the ground right at the entrance of the door, then I jumped and slid I went behind a push door a swivel door, Mr Shaw said. Mr Shaw, gets a hug from Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer (AP) He shot through that door; Im pretty sure he grazed my arm. At that time I made up my mind that he was going to have to work to kill me. When the gun jammed or whatever happened, I hit him with the swivel door. Mr Shaw said it was then that they began wrestling, ignoring his own pain as he grabbed the hot barrel of the AR-15 weapon. He was kind of cussing while we were wrestling around. When I finally got the gun he was cussing like I was in the wrong, he said. It wasnt any kind of talking between us; I just knew I just had to get that away from him. Of the gun, he added: I grabbed it from him and threw it over the countertop and I just took him with me out the entrance. Mr Shaw was injured during his confrontation with the gunman (AP) Mr Shaw said after getting the man out of the Waffle House, he then ran one way and saw the suspect, naked except for a jacket, going another way. He said he had an apparent bullet graze on one elbow and fell and hit his knee as he escaped, which required hospital treatment. I didnt really fight that man to save everyone else. That may not be a popular thing, said Mr Shaw, a Nashville native who went to college in Tennessee and now works as a wireless technician. I took the gun so I could get myself out. He said he was glad others were saved. When Mr Shaws father went to visit him in the hospital on Sunday before he was released, he had one piece of advice for his son: Dont do that again. James Shaw Sr said: I take no pride in him charging a loaded gun. I do take pride in him helping save the lives of other people. The EUs trade chief has said German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Emmanuel Macron will press US leader Donald Trump this week to exempt the 28-member bloc permanently from US steel and aluminium tariffs. Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said the EU will be ready to hit back with measures of its own as of next month if the punitive tariffs are imposed. The United States and the EU are holding high-level talks to address the issue but Ms Malmstrom insisted Washington should not count on any concessions from the EU. European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom signalled pressure from the EU over US trade tariffs (AP) We now open a new chapter in our long and fruitful relationship with Mexico, boosting trade and creating jobs @MalmstromEU and @PhilHoganEU on #EUtrade agreement with Mexico https://t.co/E11pkxVlHv European Commission (@EU_Commission) April 23, 2018 She said: We expect an unconditional and permanent exception. Mr Macron arrives in Washington on Monday while Mrs Merkel travels on Thursday. Meanwhile, Ms Malstrom said a sweeping new trade deal with Mexico is a powerful signal to the rest of the world including the Trump administration. She said the preliminary deal, agreed on Saturday and to be finalised later this year, shows that with increasing protectionism in certain parts of the world, many of us do believe good trade agreements can be made to the benefit of consumers and companies. L'acord comercial UE-Mexic permetra: Acabar amb les altes tarifes aranzelaries de Mexic a les begudes i aliments europeus Permetre que les empreses europees venguin serveis a Mexic Protegir els drets dels treballadors i el medi ambient https://t.co/Dl2nwZDNmh pic.twitter.com/msibTnEZKp Comissio Europea (@ComissioEuropea) April 23, 2018 The deal comes as Mr Trumps America-first policies have thrown US-Mexico trade into uncertainty and stalled efforts for a US-EU trade deal. The EU-Mexico deal removes tariffs on cheese, chocolate, pasta and other foods. It updates and expands a two-decade-old agreement to include financial services and online commerce, among other sectors. The royal baby has arrived just over three and a half weeks before the royal wedding. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are due to tie the knot in Windsor in only 26 days time on Saturday May 19. The Duchess of Cambridge is expected to be attending but, with her baby son only a few weeks old, she is not likely to stay for the entire celebration which will stretch into the evening and probably the early hours. Her attendance is likely to depend on how she is feeling and how the baby is feeding. When around one month old, the baby prince will be able to coo, gurgle and hum to express feelings, will have fully developed hearing and be able to focus a bit better but still only see around 30cm. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge at the Royal Foundation Forum in central London (Chris Jackson/PA) He may be able to hold his head up briefly but his neck muscles will still be weak. Prince George and Princess Charlotte are tipped to be page boy and bridesmaid at the ceremony in St Georges Chapel. When the royal youngsters carried out the same duties for their aunt Pippa Middleton, Kate was on hand to guide them and keep them in line. The Duchess of Cambridge with her daughter Princess Charlotte after the wedding of Pippa Middleton (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA) It is likely if Kate does attend, the baby will stay with the Cambridges nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo. The Duke of Cambridge is expected to be carrying out the role of Harrys best man. Some 800 guests will gather in the gothic St Georges Chapel to witness Harry wed American former actress Ms Markle, to whom he got engaged after a 16-month whirlwind romance after meeting on a blind date. The prosecutor in the trial of a Danish inventor accused of torturing and murdering a Swedish journalist during a private submarine trip has said there is a risk that he can commit the same kind of crime again. Kim Wall may have been tied with her own stockings before Peter Madsen killed her, according to prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen, who added that the accused had acted with a sexual motive. In his final comments to Copenhagen City Court, Mr Buch-Jepsen demanded that Madsen be given life in prison 16 years in Denmark, which could be extended if necessary or locked up in a secure mental facility for as long as he is considered a danger to others. He said Madsen, who is accused of either cutting the throat of Ms Wall or strangling her, is not insane but emotionally impaired with severe lack of empathy, anger and guilt. Defence attorney Betina Hald Engmark said there was no evidence Madsen killed Ms Wall (AP) Mr Buch-Jepsen also quoted a court-ordered psychiatric report which described Madsen as an intelligent man with psychopathic tendencies. Defence lawyer Betina Hald Engmark called the case a horror story but the story is not based on facts, it is based on undocumented claims. It is not my clients duty to prove that he is innocent. It is the task of the prosecutor to prove that he is guilty, she told a packed courtroom. Ms Walls parents were among those in attendance. Ms Hald Engmark said there was no doubt Madsen dismembered the body, but there was a lack of evidence proving he killed Ms Wall, reiterating his claim that her death was accidental. Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen told the court that Madsen had a sexual motive and has psychopathic tendencies (AP) The 47-year-old Dane said Ms Wall died because of a pressure problem in his home-made submarine. Mr Buch-Jepsen retorted that forensic experts have found nothing backing that claim. Madsen, who himself told court that he was a promiscuous person, has admitted to dismembering Ms Walls body before he buried her at sea, saying he could not lift her up the submarine tower in one piece to throw her overboard, meaning he had to cut her up. Ms Wall, a 30-year-old freelance journalist who wrote for The New York Times, The Guardian and other publications, set out on the submarine on August 10 to interview Madsen, the co-founder of a company that develops and builds manned spacecraft. Her remains were found in plastic bags on the Baltic Sea bed weeks later. Her torso had been stabbed multiple times. The cause of Ms Walls death has not been established. The 12-day trial started on March 8, and a verdict is expected on Wednesday. The directors of the new Avengers film have asked fans not to give away spoilers in a letter posted on Twitter. Anthony and Joseph Russo also encouraged enthusiasts to stay away from social media if they want to enjoy the surprises of Avengers: Infinity War. In a printed letter under the hand of villain Thanos, the brothers wrote: To the greatest fans in the world. Tonight at our premiere in Los Angeles, we are screening Avengers Infinity War in the entirety for the first time ever. Joe Russo, left, and Anthony Russo (Matt Crossick/PA) If you truly want to avoid spoilers until you see the film, we recommend you abstain from social media, and the internet in general, until you have an opportunity to get to the theatre. They signed off with the hashtag #ThanosDemandsYourSilence. Watch the BRAND NEW trailer for #InfinityWar here! Box office now open Book your tickets today at https://t.co/D2uKl2bgjl pic.twitter.com/1cFTiyHvca Marvel UK & Ireland (@MarvelUK) March 16, 2018 The details of the new Marvel film have been a closely guarded secret but it is known it will bring together the casts of many of the movies in the franchise. It will feature Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana as well as Black Panther stars Chadwick Boseman and Letitia Wright. The film will premiere in Hollywood and is released in UK cinemas on April 26. Theresa May has insisted that the UK must leave the customs union after Brexit in order to strike trade deals around the world. The Prime Minister is facing a series of parliamentary battles in the coming weeks over the UKs future customs arrangements with the EU. After a massive defeat on the issue in the House of Lords, pro-European Tory MPs are set to voice their concerns over withdrawal from the customs union on Thursday. But speaking on a local election campaign visit, Mrs May insisted that should would not change course. She said arrangements which are as frictionless as possible with the EU and the ability to strike trade deals around the world were both achievable under the proposals set out by the Government. On a visit to a firm in the West Midlands she told the BBC: Coming out of the customs union means that we will be free to have those deals, deals that suit the UK. But I also recognise the importance to businesses like this of being able to have as frictionless a border as possible into the European Union. Theresa May defended her custom union plans as she visited Boss Design in Dudley (Darren Staples/PA) Downing Street insisted the Governments position had not changed since Mrs May delivered her Mansion House speech in March. Those plans included two options, either a customs partnership effectively collecting duties for Brussels for goods arriving in the UK but intended for EU markets or a highly streamlined arrangement making use of technology and regulatory co-operation. But Mrs May is set to face calls from leading Brexiteers Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox to abandon her preferred form of customs deal, according to The Times. A showdown is expected to come at a meeting of the Cabinet Brexit committee scheduled for Wednesday when the trio will tell the PM that the customs partnership would be unworkable, the report said. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: We have put forward two options. They were set out in the Mansion House speech. Those are still the two options we are moving forward with. He added: We think both of the two options which we have put forward can provide solutions to the Irish border and to having a smooth customs arrangement with the EU. Mrs May will be given an indication of the scale of the opposition she faces from pro-EU Tories over her customs union plan in a Commons debate on Thursday. Though the looming Commons vote on a pro-customs union motion would be a symbolic, non-binding one, it has the potential to deepen Tory wounds on Brexit. The Prime Ministers spokesman played down its significance, saying Thursdays event was a routine backbench business debate. Brexit Secretary David Davis is said to be among those calling on the PM to abandon her preferred form of a customs deal (Ian Forsyth/PA) But binding Commons votes on a customs union during debates on the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill and European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will prove harder for Downing Street to dismiss. Downing Street rejected BBC reports that the issue could be treated as a motion of confidence in Mrs Mays Government. That report was an absolute mystery to me and I note that it quickly disappeared from the bulletins, the spokesman said. Many Remain-supporting MPs believe that keeping a customs union with the EU would limit the economic difficulties caused by Brexit and would help provide a solution to the Irish border issue. Tory former chancellor Ken Clarke told BBC Radio 4s Today: We wont make much progress until the Irish problem is solved. But Eurosceptic former Cabinet minister John Redwood told Today the customs union was a protection racket and it was extremely good news that the Prime Minister was not softening her position. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted that the referendum gave clear instructions to leave the customs union and accused some of seeing it as a kind of post-Brexit comfort blanket. The Housing and Communities Secretarys comments were rebuked by the CBI president Paul Drechsler, who tweeted in reply: An MP of your talent should rise above ideology and lead based of fact, analysis and evidence all of which favours a customs union. Always happy to discuss. Financial heavyweights from the UK and Switzerland have dismissed equivalence as way for the City to retain EU market access after Brexit, warning it could impact on Britains competitiveness and leave the Square Mile open to political machinations from Brussels. Jorg Gasser, Switzerlands state secretary for international finance, said his country has found it increasingly difficult to clinch equivalence which requires EU approval since the Brexit vote. As you can well imagine, the European Union is not ready to find progressive or interesting solutions that might serve as a precedent for the negotiations between the European Union the United Kingdom, he said during a panel at the City Week conference in London. Champions for Londons financial sector have long advocated for a mutual recognition deal over equivalence with the EU (PA) He said Switzerland deemed a third country in the eyes of EU authorities has long since ironed out any technical issues that might impede it from having its regulatory system recognised as equivalent to the blocs own. Technically we are equivalent no one contests that, Mr Gasser said. All the technicalities have been solved for a very long time, but the equivalence (decisions) are never only technical they are most of all or at least to the decision that we tackle now they are political. That makes it difficult, he added. Lloyds Banking Group chairman Lord Blackwell who was also speaking at the conference cautioned that an equivalency arrangement would put the UK at risk of losing its competitive edge. I think the UK will need to be wary of seeking equivalence under a regime that means the UK had to adopt all of the EU directives, as the EU without the UK may have a less friendly attitude towards market activities. And the UKs primary objective must be to preserve its global competitiveness. So mutual recognition I think is the best way forward, he added. Champions for Britains wider financial sector have been calling for a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU which would cover financial services through mutual recognition, meaning financial firms will not have to rely on equivalence which could be revoked. Mr Gasser said at least one equivalency arrangement between the EU and Switzerland is due to run out at the end of 2018, and that it has been difficult to provide assurance that equivalency will be renewed given that a decision is unlikely to come before October or November. It will be too late, and of course we are very pressed for time. Weve tried to force that as much as we can with the European Union in order to get that equivalence as soon as possible. But it is time that is of the essence and the strategic decisions will be taken as I said in the coming months, and so there is not much time left in order to infuse the security in the market. The Swiss politician added that his country will miss having Britain at the EU negotiating table. We were always very happy to have had the United Kingdom in the European Union, because our approach toward international regulation was very similar. The expertise that the United Kingdom brought to the table in Brussels helped us along with policy shaping in the the European Union. This will not be the case in the near future. The mother of a three-month-old baby who died after allegedly being shaken and immersed in water by his parents told police he was a healthy, happy baby. Hannah Henry said her son AhKiell Walker had no health problems apart from some constipation which she put down to his baby formula being too thick for him, in a series of police interviews carried out after he was rushed to hospital, on July 30, 2016. Henry, 22, who is on trial at Bristol Crown Court alongside the babys father Alistair Walker, 27, told officers Walker, her then partner, had been physically abusive towards her but denied that he was violent towards AhKiell. The pair deny manslaughter, causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a person aged under 16. AhKiell Walker was found at this property in Gloucester (Gloucestershire Constabulary/PA) He is comical, I could sit there all day and just listen to him and just look at him; he just makes me smile. Henry said the last time she had seen a health professional was when AhKiell was six weeks old and the health visitor had checked on him. Other than that his health was good and there had been no need to take him to the doctors, she said. Henry said she had not taken AhKiell for his immunisation because she and Walker dont agree with them. She said AhKiell was generally well but had been suffering from constipation the week prior to his admission to hospital. Henry said she gave him sugar water to try to relieve this because his belly was swollen. She said on July 30, AhKiell woke up at around 5.30am and Walker gave him a bottle of formula. Later that morning she prepared a bottle of sugar water and Walker gave it to him. Not long afterwards, AhKiell was alone with Walker when he started coughing up bloody mucus and then stopped breathing, she said. He woke up coughing and his face was swollen, said Henry. He was coughing and I have gone straight to the phone to ring an ambulance and then he started getting puffy. She said Walker was walking around with AhKiell against his chest and she splashed him with water in the bathroom, hoping it might help to revive him. Alistair said can you put some water on his face?, she said. I put my hand under the water and I just splashed him a bit but it was from a distance. Henry said paramedics arrived quickly and AhKiell had been fine prior to the coughing incident. She also told officers she liked her privacy and did not really like people coming to my house, especially since he had been born. In a third interview on August 1, the day after AhKiell died, Henry told officers Walker had been abusive towards her during their relationship, despite denying this when asked in earlier interviews. About one and a half years ago he broke my jaw in three different places which caused me to have an emergency operation and metal plates put into my jaw, she said. Henry said Walker did not like her talking to other people, including her mother, or having friends but insisted she would never let him be violent towards her child. Asked to explain what happened to AhKiell, she said she did not know but added: They said there is water in his lungs. Alistair had a bottle of AhKiells and he sliced the teat so the hole was bigger for him to drink it. Henry said she saw Walker do this about two to three weeks prior to AhKiells death and had taken the teat and thrown it in the bin. Henry, of Tuffley, Gloucestershire, and Walker, of Lansdowne Green, London, deny all the charges against them. The trial continues. Singer Nadine Coyle has cancelled her tour. The Irish star, 32, was meant to be performing Girls Aloud songs without her ex-bandmates as well as her own tracks, with gigs in May. But in a statement on her website, Coyle wrote: I am so sad to say Im not able to do the tour at this time. Nadine Coyle (Ian West/PA) I am so sorry and really wish things were different but for many reasons it is not meant to be. You deserve the best show possible and with such big venues and very little dates it was becoming impossible to achieve what we had wanted to do. Everything is a lesson and this is definitely one for me. Thank you for your continued love and support!!! Coyle had previously told The Sun: I love the Girls Aloud songs and get messages from fans asking to hear them performed live again. So this is giving them what they want. Coyle also told the newspaper about the relationship between the former bandmates, saying: Its so sad for me to have to admit this. For so long theres the band and you want everybody to think were best friends. Thats what I wanted it to be. I really, really wanted that to be but it just wasnt how it was. An application system for EU nationals seeking to remain in the UK after Brexit will be as easy to use as setting up an online account at LK Bennett, according to Amber Rudd. The Home Secretary referred to the fashion retailer during a private business dinner earlier this month, the Financial Times reported. LK Bennett describes itself as an affordable luxury brand, selling shoes, clothes, handbags and accessories. Home Secretary Amber Rudd discussed the application system for EU nationals at a meeting earlier this month (Jonathan Brady/PA) The outlet is a favourite of a number of high-profile women including Theresa May and the Duchess of Cambridge. Ms Rudd reportedly made the comments as she told business leaders at a meeting in London that her department was taking steps to ensure the smooth registration of EU nationals using a digital system. But campaign organisation the3million, which represents EU citizens living in the UK, accused Ms Rudd of trivialising the serious application process. The body added: We had to Google LK Bennett, a popular chain with the upper middle class. It just shows how detached the Government is from the real concerns of the average EU citizens. Officials are preparing from scratch an online application scheme that will be open to more than three million EU citizens living in the UK later this year. Those who have been in the country for five years by the end of 2020 will be able to apply for settled status, meaning they are free to go on living and working in the UK. People who have arrived by December 31 2020, but do not have five years residence, will be able to apply to stay until they have reached the threshold, at which point they can seek settled status. Applicants will have to provide an ID document and a recent photograph, as well as declare any criminal convictions. The scheme will go live towards the end of this year and remain open until the end of June 2021. Ministers have said the system will be quick and easy to use, taking a matter of minutes to complete. The Home Office said: We are developing from scratch a new digital, streamlined, user-friendly scheme for EU citizens to safeguard their right to stay in the UK after we leave the EU. We are working closely with EU citizens as part of its development. Technology will play an important role in making applications as simple and quick as possible. We will draw on existing Government data to minimise the burden on applicants to provide evidence. Dame Helen Mirren and Sir Ian McKellen have started shooting their new film The Good Liar in London. Principal photography began on location in the capital on Monday. The film, based on Nicholas Searles book, follows career con artist Roy Courtnay (Sir Ian), who can hardly believe his luck when he meets well-to-do widow Betty McLeish (Dame Helen) online. Sir Ian will be on the big screen with Dame Helen for the first time (Lauren Hurley/PA) As Betty opens her home and life to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her turning what should be an easy swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life. It is the first time Sir Ian, 78, and Dame Helen, 72, have co-starred on the big screen. The New Line Cinema drama, directed by Bill Condon, is being filmed on location in London and Berlin and will be released in 2019. The birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges baby boy has left the royal family and the Middletons delighted, Kensington Palace has said. Mother and baby are both doing well after the infant prince was born at 11.01am, weighing 8lb 7oz. The babys sex was a surprise to William and Kate, who chose not to find out what they were having. Prime Minister Theresa May led the messages of support for the couple, saying: My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. I wish them great happiness for the future. The Duke of Cambridge leaving the Lindo Wing at St Marys Hospital (Aaron Chown/PA) The new prince of Cambridge is fifth in line to the throne and a younger sibling to Prince George and Princess Charlotte. He was born more than five hours after the duchess was driven to the private maternity wing of St Marys Hospital in Paddington, central London. She arrived before 6am, in the early stages of labour, with the duke by her side. A town crier outside the Lindo Wing at St Marys Hospital (Kirsty OConnor/PA) A huge media presence soon gathered outside the private Lindo Wing in anticipation of the birth, the same unit where George and Charlotte were born and their father the duke. The news of the birth was announced by Kensington Palace a few minutes after 1pm in a statement, and later there was a more formal proclamation when brief details of the delivery were printed on a bulletin placed on an easel erected in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. Kensington Palace said the babys name would be announced in due course, but Arthur is already the favourite with punters, according to the bookies. Senior footman Olivia Smith (left) and footman Heather McDonald place a notice on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace to formally announce the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess. (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Kensington Palace said in its statement: Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lb 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. William and Kate pictured on the steps of the Lindo Wing in 2013 with their first born Prince George (John Stillwell/PA) The new royal baby has been born on patriotic St Georges Day which celebrates the patron saint of England, and arrived just two days after the Queens 92nd birthday. At the exclusive Lindo Wing, the duchesss labour was overseen by consultant obstetrician Guy Thorpe-Beeston, surgeon-gynaecologist to the household, and consultant gynaecologist Alan Farthing, the Queens surgeon-gynaecologist part of the trusted team who delivered George and Charlotte. They were joined by two other senior figures, Dr Sunit Godambe, a consultant neonatologist at Imperial College NHS Trust, which runs St Marys hospital, he was also involved in Kates previous births. The view of the media from the bottom of the Lindo Wing steps - this is what the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will see when they emerge with their new baby son. pic.twitter.com/pHdDtzCTp8 Catherine Wylie (@wyliecatherine) April 23, 2018 Professor Huw Thomas, physician to the Queen and head of the medical household, was the final member of the team, and he also cared for Kate when the duchesss daughter was born. In addition, a group of top medics was on stand-by in case of an emergency. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2018 The duchess will be expected to head home to the sanctuary of Kensington Palace in a few hours, just as she did with Charlotte in 2015 but not before introducing the new royal baby to the world on the steps of the Lindo Wing. George and Charlotte might even visit the hospital to see their mother and baby sibling, just as George did when his younger sister was born three years ago. Fresh Off The Boat star Constance Wu describes her boyfriend as the Prince William of Asia in the first full-length trailer for Crazy Rich Asians. The big screen adaptation of Kevin Kwans 2013 novel stars British-Malaysian actor Henry Golding as Wus boyfriend Nick, who tells her Im much more of a Harry. You can choose love, but you cant choose family. See #CrazyRichAsians in Cinemas this August. pic.twitter.com/MCk6akBMyO WarnerBrosUK (@WarnerBrosUK) April 23, 2018 The film, directed by John M Chu, follows the couple as they travel to Singapore to meet his family, who she discovers are crazy rich. Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros) Wu, who plays Rachel Chu, mistakes a finger bowl for a drink and clashes with members of his family in the clip, when she is told by an older relative, played by Michelle Yeoh, that she will never be enough. Get ready to go crazy. See the full trailer on YouTube! #CrazyRichAsians, only in theaters this August. pic.twitter.com/IszdLTujic Crazy Rich Asians (@CrazyRichMovie) April 23, 2018 The trailer also includes a fleeting glimpse of Humans star Gemma Chan, who plays Astrid. Crazy Rich Asians is due to be released in UK cinemas in August. Hillary Clinton has said press rights and free speech are under open assault under Donald Trump, and has likened his administration to an authoritarian regime. The former US secretary of state did not mince words in a lecture on freedom of speech in New York City on Sunday night. She said Mr Trump seems to reject the role of a free press in a democracy in an all-out war on truth, facts and reason. The former Democratic candidate said it was no wonder that her opponent in the 2016 election had apparently joked about throwing reporters in jail to make them talk. Mrs Clinton was referring to recent revelations from memos by former FBI director James Comey. The defeated 2016 presidential candidate took aim at Donald Trumps regime (AP) She told the PEN America World Voices festival in Manhattan: We are living through an all-out war on truth, facts and reason. When leaders deny things we can see with our own eyes, like the size of a crowd at the inauguration, when they refuse to accept settled science when it comes to urgent challenges like climate change it is the beginning of the end of freedom, and that is not hyperbole. Its what authoritarian regimes through history have done. Mrs Clinton, who was delivering the festivals Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture, began by discussing threats to press freedom and free speech around the globe, including in Vladimir Putins Russia. But she soon turned her remarks to the United States under Mr Trump, saying that such freedoms are in the most perilous position Ive seen in my lifetime. Mrs Clinton said of her 2016 election opponent: Today we have a president who seems to reject the role of a free press in our democracy. Although obsessed with his own press coverage, he evaluates it based not on whether it provides knowledge or understanding, but solely on whether the daily coverage helps him and hurts his opponents. And she added: Now, given his track record, is it any surprise that according to the latest round of revelations, he joked about throwing reporters in jail to make them talk? The reference to revelations from memos by former FBI director James Comey was Clintons only reference to Comey, who was sacked by Mr Trump. Mrs Clintons remarks were followed by an onstage conversation with Nigerian-born novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, largely about the 2016 election. Under friendly questioning, the former secretary of state was asked if she had hit back enough during the campaign a reference to a childhood episode in which, Mrs Clinton has written, her mother gave her permission to hit back at a bully. I now think that I didnt, Mrs Clinton said. She described the much-discussed moment when Mr Trump was stalking me on that debate stage. She recalled thinking: What do I do? Do I turn around and say: Back up, you creep?' But then, she said, the coverage would have been: She cant take the pressure, she got angry.' Mrs Clinton described an `all-out war on truth, facts and reason (AP) And so, she said she told herself: You just have to be calm and in control. Because ultimately what the country wants is someone who is not blowing up in the Oval Office. Well, you know that did not work out so well, she said, to laughter in the audience. Ms Adichie expressed admiration for Mrs Clinton but confessed to some disappointment that in her Twitter profile, she describes herself first as a wife followed by mom, grandma and then her professional titles, ending with 2016 presidential candidate. The author said she would have preferred Mrs Clinton begin with should have been a damned good president. Mrs Clinton spoke of the difficulty she had in finding a balance between ones personal roles and relationships and ones professional roles. It shouldnt be either-or, she said, noting that she had long searched for the right mix. But when you put it that way, I am going to change it, she said of her Twitter profile, to laughter and applause. As of Monday morning, she had not yet done so. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge showed their newborn son off to the world on the steps of the Lindo Wing. Proud parents William and Kate introduced the baby prince of Cambridge their third child to the hundreds of cameras gathered in front of the private maternity unit in Paddington, London. The duchess gave birth to the 8lb 7oz baby boy at 11.01am on patriotic St Georges Day after being admitted before 6am on Monday. During his first photocall, the baby, a younger brother to Prince George and Princess Charlotte, was wrapped in a white lace shawl with a matching hat. Only just under seven hours old, he was carried in his mothers arms. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their newborn son outside the Lindo Wing (Aaron Chown/PA) Smiling broadly, Kate, who was dressed in a vibrant red Jenny Packham dress with a white lace collar, adjusted the babys shawl amid windy conditions outside the hospital. The baby could be seen moving his fingers as he was cradled by Kate. Welcome to the family. pic.twitter.com/nKSd5kh5bZ The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2018 Minutes after the brief photocall, the couple headed home to the sanctuary of Kensington Palace, with William emerging from the hospital carrying his son in a car seat, and holding Kates hand. The duke said they were very happy and very delighted and joked, holding up three fingers, that he now had thrice the worry now. He added: We didnt keep you waiting too long this time. Quizzed on whether they had decided on a name, the duke added: Youll find out soon enough. George and Charlotte earlier met the newest addition to the Cambridge family after being brought to St Marys Hospital by William. Princess Charlotte and Prince George arrive with the Duke of Cambridge to meet their new baby brother #RoyalBaby pic.twitter.com/Lo8lGornqr PA Royal Reporters (@PARoyal) April 23, 2018 A confident Charlotte, who turns three on May 2, turned to wave at the photographers as she led the way up the steps holding the dukes hand, while four-year-old George appeared more wary of the huge crowds of media. William has brought Prince George and Princess Charlotte in to meet their new baby brother. Check out Charlotte's wave! pic.twitter.com/iZlazY4Pza Catherine Wylie (@wyliecatherine) April 23, 2018 William and Kate thanked the hospital for their care and the public for their warm wishes. Kensington Palace said: Their Royal Highnesses would like to thank all staff at the hospital for the care and treatment they have received. They would also like to thank everyone for their warm wishes. Their Royal Highnesses would like to thank all staff at the hospital for the care and treatment they have received. They would also like to thank everyone for their warm wishes. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2018 The palace said the babys name would be announced in due course, but Arthur is already the favourite with punters, according to the bookies. Other predictions include Philip, after the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as James, Frederick and Albert. The new prince is fifth in line to the throne, and the Queen and the Duke of Edinburghs sixth great-grandchild. He is an HRH and a Prince of Cambridge. By welcoming a baby prince, William and Kate are following in the footsteps of the Queen and Philip. Emulating the birth pattern of the Queen and the dukes first three children, William and Kate have had a son, a daughter and now another son. The Queen and Philip had Prince Charles, then Princess Anne, followed by, after a gap of 10 years, Prince Andrew, with Prince Edward born four years later. Kensington Palace announced the babys arrival in a statement shortly after 1pm and said the Queen, the royals and Kates family were thrilled at the news. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news, the palace said. A formal notice of the birth was placed in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace on an ornate golden stand , and a celebratory over-sized Union Flag was raised from the roof of the Queens London home. Senior footman Olivia Smith (left) and footman Heather McDonald place a notice on an easel in the forecourt of the Palace (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Prime Minister Theresa May led the messages of support for William and Kate, saying: My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. I wish them great happiness for the future. DJ Avicii looks set to return to the charts following his death at the age of 28. The Swedish producer, real name Tim Bergling, was found dead in Oman on Friday. Three of his hit songs are now heading back to the UK chart, the Official Charts Company said. Wake Me Up, a three week chart-topper in 2013, is currently inside the Top 20 at number 13. Aviciis global breakthrough track Levels, originally a number four hit in 2011, is at 24, and 2013 single Hey Brother re-enters midweek at 32. The artists two studio albums True and Stories are on course to return to the Top 40 of the album chart, and are currently at 15 and 21. Remix album True Avicii by Avicii is at 23. Elsewhere in the singles chart, Ariana Grande is battling Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa for the top spot. Ariana Grande (Dave Hogan for One Love Manchester) Just a handful of sales and streams are separating the top two at the mid-week stage of the chart week. The UKs current chart-topper, Harris and Lipas One Kiss, is leading the way but Grandes brand new single No Tears Left To Cry is close behind by less than 1,000 combined sales. No Tears Left To Cry is as the lead single from Grandes upcoming fourth studio album. It is also her first new music since the terrorist attack at her Manchester Arena concert last May. We finally got a glimpse of the new baby prince tonight when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge emerged from the Lindo Wing of St Marys Hospital carrying their tiny bundle of joy. Kate looked glowing in a bright red dress designed by Jenny Packham, the British designer she has chosen to wear while introducing of each of her children to the world. Here we take a look back and compare the Duchess three outfits to see how her postnatal style has developed 2013: The birth of Prince George Prince George was born on July 22, 2013, with the Duke and Duchess introducing their son on the steps of the Lindo Wing the following evening. The Duchess wore a bespoke Jenny Packham dress in cornflower blue with white polka dots, paired with summery cream wedge espadrille heels. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leave the Lindo Wing of St Marys Hospital in London, with their newborn son, Prince George of Cambridge (Yui Mok/PA) The pretty knee-length dress had cap sleeves and an empire waist, while the then 31-year-olds long brunette locks were as glossy and perfect as ever, thanks no doubt to hair stylist Amanda Cook Tucker, who was seen arriving at the hospital earlier that day. 2015: The birth of Princess Charlotte Princess Charlotte arrived on the morning of May 2, 2015 and made her first public appearance less than 10 hours later. The Duchess, then aged 33, chose another knee-length print dress created for her by Jenny Packham, this one cream with a yellow buttercup print at the top. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the newborn Princess of Cambridge as they leave the Lindo Wing of St Marys Hospital in London (Dominic Lipinski/PA) In contrast to the blue spotty frock debuted following Georges birth, this dress had longer three-quarter length sleeves and a shift silhouette that skimmed over the new mums post-baby bump. The Duchess teamed the shift with nude heels once more (flesh-toned shoes have become one of her fashion trademarks) but these were leather stiletto courts, more suited to the springtime birth than the previous espadrilles. 2018: The birth of the new prince Today, the Duchess was wearing a bright red knee-length shift dress with three-quarter sleeves and a white lace Peter Pan collar, accessorised with delicate pearl drop earrings and nude court heels. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their newborn son outside the Lindo Wing at St Marys Hospital in Paddington, London (Aaron Chown/PA) Similar to the yellow dress worn for Princess Charlottes birth, this is once again a Jenny Packham design, but this time the 36-year-old opted for a block colour instead of print. The choice of red makes sense, given her penchant for primary colours for the previous births and it looks fabulous with her flowing hair, styled to perfection as usual. All in all, this is a bright and beautiful outfit that looks stunning on the Duchess. Police on the Greek island of Lesbos have arrested 120 asylum-seekers for illegal camping, following overnight violence by local residents trying to end a five-day sit-in protest in the islands capital. The clashes in Mytilene left at least 10 people in hospital. State television, quoting hospital officials, said most of the injured were migrants and none were seriously hurt. Police cleared the towns main square early on Monday after the night-long stand-off during which Greek men set fire to waste bins and hurled flares and firecrackers at the migrants and refugees who had set up tents. None of the assailants were arrested and police issued charges against unknown people for the attack. In addition to the 120 asylum-seekers, police arrested also for alleged illegal camping two Greeks who had been protesting on their side. Riot police in Lesbos (Eurokinissi/AP) The sit-in protest by asylum-seekers began after a high court ruled last week that migrants arriving on Greek islands from Turkey could travel to the Greek mainland while their asylum applications are processed. The ruling does not have retroactive effect, meaning migrants already on the islands will not be allowed to leave. Before the clashes, the islands mayor, Spyros Galinos, had renewed a plea to the government to reduce high levels of overcrowding at camps on Lesbos and other islands. There are 10,000 asylum-seekers and our (municipality) has a population of 27,000. Our island once again has been held hostage, the mayor wrote in a letter to the Greek ministers of migration affairs and public order. Lesbos cant take this any longer. The governing left-wing Syriza party said right-wing thugs were behind the overnight attacks. This was a well-organised action, with murderous intent, by specific extreme right, criminal and hooligan elements that have nothing to do with the island or its traditions, the party statement said. Holly Willoughby, Liam Payne and Ellen DeGeneres are among the celebrities who have sent their congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after the arrival of their third child. The royal couple welcomed a son, a brother for Prince George and Princess Charlotte, at 11.01am on St Georges Day. The proud parents later showed their newborn son off to the world on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St Marys Hospital. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their newborn son (PA) TV star Willoughby posted a picture of the trio on Instagram and said they were such a gorgeous family. Welcome to the world little prince, she said. Payne, who has a baby son with his partner Cheryl, tweeted: Congratulations to her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge Kate and the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William on the birth of their baby boy! Congratulations to her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge Kate and the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William on the birth of their baby boy! #RoyalBaby Liam (@LiamPayne) April 23, 2018 US talk show hots DeGeneres said: Its a boy! Kate Middletons new baby is now 5th in line to the throne, and season 43 of The Crown. Congratulations to all! Its a boy! Kate Middletons new baby is now 5th in line to the throne, and season 43 of "The Crown." Congratulations to all! Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) April 23, 2018 Comedian David Walliams quipped: Prince Harry just got demoted again. Prince Harry just got demoted again. #royalbaby David Walliams HQ (@davidwalliams) April 23, 2018 Former world heavyweight champion boxer Frank Bruno, Hollywood actress Mia Farrow and TV presenter Paddy McGuinness were also among the celebrity well wishers on social media. Congratulations!!! Welcome to the world little fella, McGuinness said. Congratulations!!! Welcome to the world little fella. #royalbaby Paddy McGuinness (@PaddyMcGuinness) April 23, 2018 Comedian Sarah Silverman offered the royals some suggestions for a name, tweeting: Royal baby name pitches: Joseph, Michael, Henry, Idris, Sandy, Clyde, Butch, Grandpa Al Lewis, Jude, Bub. Royal baby name pitches: Joseph, Michael, Henry, Idris, Sandy, Clyde, Butch, Grandpa Al Lewis, Jude, Bub Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) April 23, 2018 David Baddiel also had an idea for a name, writing on Twitter: I think, seeing as how hes died since the last one was born, that it would be a fine tribute if they called the new #RoyalBaby Prince. Prince Prince. I think, seeing as how he's died since the last one was born, that it would be a fine tribute if they called the new #RoyalBaby Prince. Prince Prince. David Baddiel (@Baddiel) April 23, 2018 Politicians also sent their well wishes following the happy news. Prime Minister Theresa May sent her warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. I wish them great happiness for the future, she added. My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. I wish them great happiness for the future. Theresa May (@theresa_may) April 23, 2018 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted: On behalf of Londoners, I want to send our warmest congratulations to the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. On behalf of Londoners, I want to send our warmest congratulations to the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) April 23, 2018 Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson offered his huge congratulations to Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the safe delivery of their baby boy! Huge congratulations to Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the safe delivery of their baby boy today! @KensingtonRoyal https://t.co/X7zTfcq9Ek Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 23, 2018 Canadas prime minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: Canada welcomes a baby boy to the Royal Family! Canada welcomes a baby boy to the Royal Family! Sophie & I send our congratulations to William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and to George and Charlotte on the new arrival. Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 23, 2018 Sophie & I send our congratulations to William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and to George and Charlotte on the new arrival. The Government has suffered three more heavy defeats in the Lords over flagship Brexit legislation. In the main reverse, peers backed a cross-party move to retain key EU human rights provisions on exiting the union. Voting was 316 to 245, majority 71, to carry over most of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights into domestic law post-Brexit. It came in report stage of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill and after two big defeats at the hands of the Lords last week. Ten Tory peers backed the amendment in defiance of the Government, including former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine and former ministers Lord Patten of Barnes and Lord Willetts. #HouseofLords votes 316 for, 245 against amendment on Charter of Fundamental Rights, so change to the #EUWithdrawalBill is made. Watch for more https://t.co/YvcV2vggZ0 pic.twitter.com/JeAQlQKT2N House of Lords (@UKHouseofLords) April 23, 2018 The Government suffered a further defeat, linked to the earlier one, when peers voted by 285 to 235, majority 50, to remove the ability for ministers to specify in regulations cases where individuals may bring challenges against the validity of retained EU law. And there was a third defeat for ministers, consequential to the previous reverses, retaining the right of legal action from any failure to comply with the general principles of EU law. Peers voted by 280 to 223, majority 57. Leading lawyer and independent crossbencher Lord Pannick said exclusion of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights from the Bill conflicted with the central purpose of the legislation. Calling for the majority of the charter to be retained after Brexit, Lord Pannick warned that exclusion of its rights for the child, the elderly and the disabled, among others, was unprincipled and unjustified. Lord Pannick, who won the Article 50 case against the Government, said that to exclude a number of important EU rights from domestic law would lead to a lack of certainty and continuity, providing a recipe for confusion after Brexit. Lord Speaker Lord Fowler reads out the result of the first vote (Parliament TV) I fear the Government is seeking to make an exception for rights under the charter because the Government is suspicious of the very concept of fundamental rights, he told peers. Accusing ministers of acting for purely doctrinal reasons, Lord Pannick said: This Bill should not be used as an excuse to reduce the legal rights which we all enjoy against the state. Opposition spokesman Lord Goldsmith, backing the amendment, said the Prime Minister had promised that the rights on the day after exit would be the same as the day before. He added: What is it uniquely about this which means that we apply a different process to it from what is applied to everything else? Lord Goldsmith went on: Of all EU laws alone the charter is being excluded. That drives one to the question as to why that should be. three big votes over 500 today. Will update tomorrow. Between Nov 1999 and 2011 total numbers voting in Lords divisions did not breach 500. Of the 22 (500+ votes) since 2011, 9 have come since the referendum. Matt Purvis (@HLLibResearch) April 23, 2018 Raising the possible reasons, he said what would be more sinister is that there is an unhappiness, a suspicion about fundamental rights. But Lord Keen of Elie, for the Government, said: When we leave the union, union law will be foreign law. Lord Keen said that to suggest acts of parliament should be capable of being struck down by reference to a body of foreign law would be one of the greatest constitutional outrages since 1689. It would also be a total abdication of responsibility by this Parliament, he said, adding: The idea that we are going to have to cling on to a body of foreign law to maintain fundamental human rights in this country is simply astonishing. Lord Keen warned that to incorporate the whole of the charter into UK law would do serious damage to the constitutional settlement post-Brexit. The defense ministry of Artsakh released new footage showing Azerbaijani manpower and military equipment mobilization in different sections of the line of contact. April 23, 2018, 14:20 Artsakh military releases new footage showing heavy Azerbaijani manpower, equipment mobilization in line of contact STEPANAKERT, APRIL 23, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENRESS:The Artsakh defense ministry also called on social media users to refrain from questioning official information released by the military. The defense ministrys footage was filmed from 07:42 10:01 in the morning of April 23 in different parts of the line of contact with Azerbaijan, showing heavy enemy mobilization. The defense ministry of Artsakh calls on all Armenian social media users, and generally news media, to refrain from questioning the official information of the republics military-information system and therefore from the criminal temptation of spreading disinformation fraught with shortsighted and dangerous consequences, because it can undermine our pan-national vigilance, the statement said. Paris Jackson has hit back after it was reported that family members feared for her life. The 20-year-old daughter of late superstar Michael Jackson said she did not know why people should be concerned, following reports that relatives were worried about her lifestyle. So apparently people think Im about to die, Paris is seen saying in a video posted to her Instagram Stories. Paris Jackson said she did not know why people should be concerned (PA) When a friend responds to ask why, Paris says: I dont know. My therapist texted me about it laughing though, so thats good. She went on: So I guess to the family members that are talking to all of these news outlets saying you are worried for me when is the last time you called me? Prince (Pariss brother Prince Jackson) isnt worried. Why? Because we talk all the time. We hang out. If youre worried about me, call me. Paris was 11 when King of Pop Michael Jackson died following an overdose of the anaesthetic propofol in 2009. The first statue of a woman in Parliament Square is to be unveiled, two years after the campaign to get female representation outside the Palace of Westminster first began. Millicent Fawcett, the suffragist who fought for womens right to vote in the early 20th century, will join eleven all-male statues including Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. The unveiling on Tuesday comes seven months after the statue, which features a 50-year-old Fawcett holding a banner reading Courage calls to courage everywhere, first went into production. Speaking before the unveiling at a private viewing, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: When you think of the great people in Parliament Square and when you realise that not one of them is a woman, it sort of begs the question, are we saying there havent been incredible women in the past? That our country hasnt been built on the back of great women? The whole process from petition to project manager has been made up of solely women. That should make us all incredibly proud, Mr Khan said. So the questions cant be asked now: Are there any talented women sculptures? Are there any talented women project managers? Are there any talented women with ideas? We have thrown those questions out the window. Londoners are going to love it. They will be blown away. The campaign was first brought to Mr Khans attention back in 2016 on the day he became Mayor. In 2016, @CCriadoPerez was in Parliament Square and realised all the statues were of men. So she decided to do something about it. Today, thanks to her and @MayorofLondon that will change. #MillicentFawcett pic.twitter.com/xsaQbT1oIj MR (@rydermc) April 24, 2018 Caroline Criado Perez first launched the online petition after noticing there were no statues of women in Parliament Square during a run. After attracting thousands of signatures, Westminster Council and the Mayor of Londons office confirmed in September 2017 that the statue would be built to mark the 2018 centenary of womens suffrage in Britain. Imagine how it must feel if you are a woman or a girl walking around the most progressive city in the world and seeing that the great people are all men and not seeing examples of great women, Mr Khan said. It must have an impact, either consciously or subconsciously, on your aspirations, on how you feel your gender is seen by others. Look, statues must have a purpose otherwise we wouldnt have so many in our city. Millicent Fawcett speaks at the Suffragette Pilgrimage in Hyde Park (PA) Justine Simons OBE, the deputy mayor for culture and creative industries, said: It has been a fascinating process, because we have been following it the whole way through. We saw a bit of bronze, we saw some material, a brooch, then some 3D printing, then 10 pairs of boots that were in consideration for the actual boots. The statue of Fawcett will be erected next to Gandhi and Mandela, a location Mr Khan believes is significant because of their shared non-violent and peaceful means of protesting. The mayor also said that if he had to chose a modern-day hero to commemorate with a statue, he would choose Doreen Lawrence, the mother of Stephen Lawrence who was murdered in 1993. I know its not the done thing to have statues of people who are still alive, but shes the example of a modern-day Londoner who has changed the course of history. When she should have been grieving, she was trying to get justice trying to find out what happened to her son. She led a campaign to try and get an inquest and succeeded and then got a public inquiry. Then the law changed, for the better, and now she sits in the House of Lords. She shows that we should be impatient for change. #MillicentFawcett spent 62 years of her life campaigning for women's votes. Now she will be honoured with a statue in Parliament Square. Join us with @MayorofLondon for this historic occasion on 24/04, 11am: https://t.co/4MSDUfoaW4 #OurTimeNow #BehindEveryGreatCity pic.twitter.com/E9k1wV87Y1 Fawcett Society (@fawcettsociety) April 23, 2018 Prime Minister, Theresa May, said: I would not be here today as Prime Minister, no female MPs would have taken their seats in Parliament, none of us would have the rights and protections we now enjoy, were it not for Dame Millicent Garret Fawcett. The struggle to achieve votes for women was long and arduous and Dame Millicent was there from the beginning. For decade after decade, in the face of often fierce opposition, she travelled the country and the world, campaigning not just for the vote but on a whole range of issues. I want to thank Gillian Wearing for creating a beautiful and fitting tribute to Dame Millicent and to everyone involved in making this happen. For generations to come, this statue will serve not just as a reminder of Dame Millicents extraordinary life and legacy, but as inspiration to all of us who wish to follow in her footsteps. LA PAZ, April 21 (Reuters) - Bolivia will manufacture and market lithium batteries along with German company ACI Systems GmbH, which will invest $1.3 billion in the project, the country's manager of the lithium deposits told the Bolivian state radio on Saturday. Along with Argentina and Chile, Bolivia is part of South America's so-called "lithium triangle," one of the largest global reservoirs of the key mineral for the production of car batteries. "The German company ACI Systems has been selected as the strategic partner," Juan Carlos Montenegro, head of state-owned company Bolivian Lithium Deposits, or YLB by its Spanish initials, told Patria Nueva radio. He said the joint venture deal will be inked as soon as possible so that operations can begin in about 18 months. Bolivia has almost a quarter of the world's lithium resources. (Reporting by Daniel Ramos Editing by Chris Reese) Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva speaks about the proposed reforms of the United National Party (UNP) and the current status of politics in the country. The excerpts:- Q : After the electoral defeat at the local government elections, you were talking about far reaching political reforms to the party. How do you specify the kinds of reforms you seek? I think the UNPers plus the moderates who decide at an election wish to see major changes in the party. At the end of day, it is the choice they make, that matters. We do not see people coming forward in politics. Unfortunately, that is the reality today because people do not want to be abused like this. Today, be it in the regular media or social media, people are attacked on baseless grounds. Why would people want to leave their comfortable lives in their fields and come forward, only to be abused finally? What is the point? In that sense, we do not have the people with calibre, coming forward. Therefore, we have to choose among the people we have. I think, among the different political parties, the UNP has a fair number of decent, educated, professional people. They are a lot that can make a difference to this nation. Q : Are you trying to say that people look to non-traditional politicians? Yes. There are technocrats in the UNP. If you look at party-wise, that is true. I think the UNPers plus the moderates who decide at an election wish to see major changes in the party. At the end of day, it is the choice they make, that matters. We do not see people coming forward in politics Q : What do you think of the kind of responsibilities given to such technocrats? Unfortunately, I do not see that those types of people have been given responsibilities. If you compare the UNP with the other parties such as SLPP and SLFP, you can clearly see we have a good crop of these people. They are not tainted by accusations of murder, robberies, or any other criminal acts. They had been successful in society even before coming to politics. They have come to politics with a lot of experience. That is what matters. In a company even, you must be successful in projects you do. You must be able to understand problems and find solutions. If you look at the Cabinets in the United States, China, Singapore or Canada, there are people who are technocrats and professionals. Q : Are you trying to say that the present lot of office bearers in the UNP should be replaced with technocrats and professionals? In the world, there is a move towards non-traditional politicians. In Sri Lanka, if you look at the movement currently being created to promote former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa is part of that. What is the message? It is not just happening only in Sri Lanka. It is happening in France and elsewhere in the world. Why are people moving towards non-traditional politicians? They are sick of traditional politicians. What are they doing? They are a self-serving bunch of people. We have to appeal to the middle of society. It does not matter to the hardcore party men. It is the middle class that will decide based on their expectations. In the UNP also, what people expect is a more dynamic, modern and younger set-up. Our policies are solid. We are for an inclusive society where every person is equal, and has equal rights. We stand for social-market economy. These are the fundamental principles that the UNP stands for. Q : Does it mean that there is no need for a departure from the fundamental policies your party followed during the last three years? I do not think our policies were implemented on the ground in the proper sense. People who manipulate the Buddhas teachings for political gains are not real Buddhists. Ours is a non-violent religion. We wish well for every living being Q : You followed certain policies like the reform agenda and all. Do you think that the UNP should stick to that line further? We need to fine-tune some of the policies. Some of the policies have been misunderstood and ill-implemented. I do not think we have been able to implement on the ground the real social market economic policies. That is due to the conflict within the coalition in understanding what we need to do. Perhaps, some of the reforms may need to be implemented much more slowly than the pace the government attempted to do during the last three years. That does not mean we must not do the reforms. For the very first time in the history of this country, I am undertaking an analysis of pension of 1.4 million people. It has never been done. We are sitting on a time bomb. Pension reforms are one thing that is absolutely essential. People are scared to talk about it. We have to create a national pension scheme. We need to understand the liabilities of unfunded pension. We will never be able to give pension to government servants in the way we do now. People will not talk about for political expediency. The core UNP ideology is that we must create a social market economy. We have not been able to implement that properly. What you currently see is a mismatch. In the party, the policies are solid. I do not think we need to move too far from them. People are looking for changes in the persons. Q : The UNP advocated power sharing as a means to solve the ethnic conflict. What do you think about this policy? We should never be ashamed of who we are. I am proud to be a Sinhalese. I am proud to be a Buddhist. A Tamil following Hinduism should feel the same. A Muslim person following Islam should be proud of his identity. As a nation, we should have the space to be proud of to our ethnic and religious identities. There is a perception though, that the UNP has been giving step-motherly treatment to the Sinhala Buddhist community. This perception is a manifestation of a well-planned, calculated effort by our political opponents to malign us in the eyes of the majority community. Our policy of not responding to such critics has really damaged our real thinking. Q : Once your partys former Chairman Malik Samarawickrama said the UNP stood for secularism. What is your view? The JR Jayewardene Constitution gave the foremost place to Buddhism. The Constitution of a country is bigger than the Constitution of a party. It is our leader who made that constitution. There is no need to wear away from that position. The UNP consists of all ethnicities and religions. We are not a racist party. We do not support hatred among regions. For me, every religion and ethnicity is the same. That is what the Buddha said. He never said, Kill in the name of Buddhism. People who manipulate the Buddhas teachings for political gains are not real Buddhists. Ours is a non-violent religion. We wish well for every living being. Q : Already, some party stalwarts such as Kabir Hashim and Malik Samarawickrama have stepped down. Who should succeed them in your view? The party and its Working Committee are considering many names. Hopefully, we will have a new set of office bearers who will help moderate people think that the UNP has right people and right policies. The Constitution of a country is bigger than the Constitution of a party. It is our leader who made that constitution. There is no need to wear away from that position. The UNP consists of all ethnicities and religions. We are not a racist party. We do not support hatred among regions Q : When you say a new set of office bearers, does it include the party leader? The current thinking is that the office bearers should be changed. I do not think the posts of leader, deputy leader and assistant leader are to be changed. I do not know. I am not in the 12-member group working on reforms. Q : You have been excluded from this group. Do you feel being sidelined? Well, that was done by a secret ballot. I have no comment on that. Some people have been elected. It is a good committee. I am sure that committee will take into consideration the views of both the groups of MPs. I believe they will be independent enough to propose a good set of names. I have confidence in the committee. Q ; As far as the next Presidential Election is concerned, who should be the UNP candidate? Will there be a presidential election? Q : Yes, as per the Constitution.... We came to office to abolish presidency. Q : But still, there is no document in hand... isnt it? We will cross that river when we get there. In my mind, we came to abolish the executive presidency. That is what we promised to do. I hear everyone is in favour of doing it. Mid-January 2018 marked the second anniversary of the founding of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) but many are still debating whether it will be any different from the existing multilateral development banks like the World Bank or Asian Development Bank (ADB). The debate about the AIIB is in part a result of oversimplifying the challenges of setting up a new multilateral development bank from scratch. The World Bank has been in operation for over 70 years and had around 12,000 total full-time staff members in 2017. By comparison, at the AIIBs first annual Board of Governors meeting in June 2016, the organisation had 39 staff members and anticipated a total staff of 100 by the end of that year. It will take some time before the AIIB can match the lending scale of those with a longer history and rightly so solid multilateral institutional foundations and practices do not simply fall from the sky. Indeed, the AIIB regards 201620 as its start-up phase and 202127 as its growth phase. This gradual approach is also consistent with Chinas overall style of pragmatic economic reform and opening up. As the AIIB ramps up, certain features that allow for institutional experimentation seem to be moving into place. In a recent interview, AIIB President Jin Liqun mentioned that [the AIIB] must have creative spirit and neither clone the World Bank nor copy the ADB. Instead, we should review and absorb good experiences and strive to build a multilateral financial institution with advanced 21st century governance concepts. Some of this creative spirit is already apparent. To reduce administrative costs and loan approval times, the AIIB Board of Directors is unpaid and non-resident. Also, bidding for AIIB projects is not confined to member countries. On environmental and social safeguards, some have expressed concerns over the AIIBs reliance on corporate and country reporting systems but others believe this could promote greater borrowing capacity in the recipient countries. A more contentious issue is that of the AIIBs loan capacity and loan conditions: can the bank strike a balance between high-standards and safeguards on project loans while improving the speed and size of loan dispersion without resorting to strict policy conditionalities? It is still too early to assess these aspects, although China is clearly far less willing to impose wide-ranging policy conditionalities than are other multilateral development banks. The existing studies have generally focussed on estimating the AIIBs scale of lending by super-imposing the operational features of the existing multilateral development banks. But from an institutional perspective, Chinas experimental approach to its own national development banks (such as the China Development Bank) suggests an inclination for experimentation with the AIIB. The AIIB has secured a triple-A rating from the three major international credit ratings agencies contingent on the organisation respecting its (maximum) statutory loan-to-equity ratio of 2.5, which allows it to tap international capital markets at low cost. This conservative statutory ratio is consistent with those of the existing multilateral development banks. The AIIBs articles of agreement also include little-noticed provisions for a special funds mechanism, whereby funds are managed by the AIIB, can be channelled into AIIB infrastructure projects and are held separately from the organisations shareholder equity. The idea is that outside public and private investors can contribute resources to these special funds and it just so happens that China has also created several stand-alone investment vehicles, such as the Silk Road Fund, the ChinaAfrica Development Fund and the ChinaRussia Regional Development Investment Fund, which collectively have a target fund size of almost US $ 100 billion. Most of these vehicles have received their capital from Chinas national development banks, which in turn leverage the equity capital received from the countrys foreign exchange reserves to raise cheap financing from domestic capital markets. It is not inconceivable that at some point some of these various vehicles could selectively finance the AIIB infrastructure projects through the special funds mechanism, especially as the organisation garners further expertise managing projects in different regional settings. The AIIBs institutional design appears to maintain a de jure loan-to-equity ratio aimed at safeguarding access to international capital markets while also creating a conduit that allows for de facto infrastructure financing to be scaled up above the statutory limit. Keeping the AIIBs institutional context in mind, some Chinese scholars have suggested that Chinas overseas development finance will come less in the form of official development assistance and more in the form of other official flows (OOF), OOF-like loans and OOF-like investments from national development banks and other state-backed entities, due to the nature of large infrastructure projects. In this vein, former Peoples Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan positioned the role of development finance as between that of concessional and commercial finance but slightly tilted towards the latter. This apparent inclination to experiment with innovative financial arrangements could allow the AIIB to improve upon the existing multilateral development bank practices, at least in terms of the extending large and rapid infrastructure project loan dispersions. But the AIIBs articles of agreement appear to leave room for wider experimentation with scaling-up via the special funds mechanism and it is this broader backing of Chinas financial institutions that may, over time, give the AIIB its truly distinctive operational features. (Daniel Poon is an economist with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Division on Globalization and Development Strategies. He previously worked for the International Labour Organisation and the North-South Institute Canada) Ruchera Perera, Senior Manager - Life, Allianz Life Insurance Lanka (second from left) and Brian J. Mulligan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Assist America exchanging the agreement as Malaka Mihindukulasuriya, Assistant General Manager (AGM) - Actuarial, Allianz Life Insurance Lanka (extreme left)and Dr. Sandeep Sharma, Director - Assist America India look on. Continuing to offer greater value to its policyholders, Allianz Insurance Lankaand Allianz Life Insurance Lanka (Allianz Lanka) rolled out Second Medical Opinion service to all its policyholders a cross both the life and general insurance categories in partnership with Assist America, one of the worlds largest providers of global emergency medical services. Assist America works with specialists in all fields of medicine in major medical centers throughout the USA. Should a complex or critical medical condition arise, Allianz Lanka policyholders will now have access to the best possible medical expertise in the world, without the need to travel anywhere. They can simply request for Medical Opinion online by connecting to the portal from anywhere, at any time. Specialized professionals from top medical institutions in the world will be on hand to confirm a diagnosis, provide advice and recommendations on the treatment available including the very latest state-of-the-art, alternative treatment options and follow-up analysis on chronic health conditions. At Allianz, we are committed to standing by our policyholders during their hour of need. In line with this, we would like to dedicate the Second Medical Opinion Service to all our policyholders, said Ruchera Perera, Senior Manager - Life, Allianz Life Insurance Lanka. When faced with critical illnesses or requiring a surgery, getting an additional, alternate medical opinion is always reassuring and offers greater peace of mind. Taking this into account, we have partnered with Assist America to provide our policyholders with access to some of the worlds leading medical practitioners from the comfort of their homes. They can now submit their case online and receive comprehensive feedback including diagnosis and advice on treatments. And there is no limit on the number of consultations they can request for. Allianz policyholders can rely on this service to get the opinion of specialists on the specific medical condition or illness and the treatment options available; both standard procedures as well as new cutting edge protocols. Providing direct access to physicians and other professional medical experts highly specialized in treating the specific medical condition, it allows them to get a personalized assessment of their case and receive specific medical opinions and advice on the most appropriate course of action available. A written opinion on the case will be provided to the policyholder within a stipulated time after receipt of all required information. There are no limitations on pre-existing conditions or the number of times a consultation may be requestedany new occurrence of any pre-existing condition may be submitted for evaluation. The case will be kept open in case further consultations or follow-up are needed in the future. Allianz Insurance Lanka Ltd. and Allianz Life Insurance Lanka Ltd., known together as Allianz Lanka, are fully-owned subsidiaries of Allianz SE, Germany, a world leader in integrated financial services. Having started out as a Greenfield operation in 2005, it has emerged as one of the fastest growing insurance service providers in Sri Lanka. In a bid to further strengthen its local General Insurance operations, Allianz had acquired a 100% stake in Janashakthi General Insurance Limited, earlier this year. The company prides on supporting its clients business strategy by understanding their risk profile and needs, and providing individual solutions from its world class portfolio of products and services. Around the world, over 140,000 Allianz employees serve some 88 million retail and corporate customers in 70 countries, who place their trust on the knowledge, global presence, financial strength and solidity of Allianz to support them in their moment of truth. Kataragama Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Chanaka Amila Rangana and two others were remanded till May 2 after they surrendered to Tissamaharama Magistrates Court today over the attack on Kataragama Police station on January 20. A group of residents attacked the police station after an employee of the Pradeshiya Sabha was shot at for speeding by a policeman at a police post. Police was searching for the PS Chairman over the attack based on CCTV footage. Four others were earlier arrested over the attack and remanded. (M.K. Nandasena) The worlds largest book sale, the Big Bad Wolf book sale, is making a comeback to Sri Lanka, marking its presence for the second time this June, which is good news for all reading buffs and bookworms. The sale brings with it an awe-inspiring selection of books for all ages at fantastic discounts. It promises to be even bigger and better this year, no doubt delighting avid readers who look forward to shopping to their hearts content. The Big Bad Wolf sale saw its inception back in 2009, taking off on a high note since, gaining popularity for its large-scale events across the region, in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, and was officially recognised as the worlds largest book sale in 2011. It is more than just selling books to the public. Its about empowering a whole new generation, reviving their confidence, and improving their English and level of knowledge with our books. We want our readers to realise that they can make a difference in the world, stated Big Bad Wolf Books Founder/Managing Director Andrew Yap. The Big Bad Wolf got its name by being the biggest and baddest sale around. We created a bold, larger-than-life character to encourage children to come over with their families and explore the sale, with the aim of getting them to read more, Yap added. Being the biggest of its kind to ever have been initiated in Sri Lanka, it is also the only one of its kind to offer books at very affordable prices, with discounts between 60 percent to 80 percent. The sale runs for 24-hours a day, non-stop for close to two weeks, making it one of the most exciting book events in the world today. Its about the range of books as well - readers and book lovers will find over 1.5 million books covering 20,000 high-end English titles across all genres; from childrens books, fiction, non-fiction, literature, science and rare collectors titles, to name a few, stated ProRead Lanka Ltd Director Nishan Wasalathanthri. Were also pleased to announce that it has received recognition from the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka. The death toll in an Islamic State suicide bombing at a national ID distribution centre in Kabul has climbed to at least 31, a health official said. At least 54 others injured in the incident have been transported to hospitals across town, Afghan Public Health Ministry spokesman Wahidullah Majroh said. Majroh had earlier said that 57 people were injured in the blast. The on-foot suicide bomber set off his explosive vest outside the ID distribution centre in a Shiite-dominated, western neighbourhood of Kabul, Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said. Emergency, an Italian NGO operating a hospital for war victims in Kabul, said at least 42 people injured in the bombing had been admitted to its trauma centre. The centre targeted in the attack was set up to provide national IDs to voters ahead of parliamentary and provincial council elections slated for October. Such centres have been set up by the Afghan government in hopes of increasing turnout - those without ID cannot receive a voter registration card. The Islamic State terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attack through its mouthpiece, the Amaq news agency. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah were among those to condemn the attack. Security is one of the main concerns for voter registration and elections as a resilient insurgency shackles Afghan forces to the battlefield throughout the country. More than 40 per cent of polling stations for Afghan parliamentary elections could be subject to security risks affecting voter participation, an election monitor said late last month. Mohammad Yousuf Rashed, executive director of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan (FEFA), told dpa that out of around 7,400 polling stations due to be set up for the vote, 948 are in areas out of government control - meaning under Taliban control. DPA, 22nd APRIL, 2018 Lack of English proficiency is a key constraint affecting the employability of the Sri Lankan graduates in the private sector, according to a recent Labour Demand Survey conducted by the Census and Statistics Department. Although teaching English as a second language to all school children has been a key social policy of successive governments of Sri Lanka since the early 1950s, the Census of Population and Housing data indicates that English literacy is just 22 percent among Sri Lankas population above 15 years of age. Recognising the critical need for strong English language skills in todays context of increasing globalisation, technological advancement and a modernized labour market, the recent government policy has devoted attention to addressing the persistent gaps in English education; the 2018 budget allocated Rs.50 million for the establishment of a centre for training English teachers, while the previous government announced targets to double the number of English teachers over the 2011-2020 period. Yet, are such policies the need of the hour? Based on an analysis of the available data, this article argues that what is more important is to address the disparities in access to quality English education, rather than solely focusing on improving the overall quality. Unequal student outcomes Since 2003, the National Educational Research Centre, based at the Colombo University, has administered tests in the first language (Sinhala and Tamil), mathematics, science and English to grade four and grade eight students in a representative sample of schools across the country. The latest assessments from 2015 and 2016 reveal low national English mean scores of 54 percent and 36 percent among grade four and eight students, respectively. Even more concerning is that these national averages mask a considerable variation in scores both between and within schools. As Figure 1 shows, both the fourth and eighth graders in urban schools outperform their rural school counterparts by significant margins. Further, there are wide disparities in scores within schools, particularly in urban schools. For instance, while 21 percent of eighth graders in urban schools scored within the 2029 mark range, another 20 percent scored above 70. Among the fourth graders, 23 percent scored below the pass mark of 40 percent, while 32 percent scored above 80 percent. In fact, the student heterogeneity in English has been identified as an issue in urban schools, primarily due to the national schools that admit students from rural disadvantaged schoolsfor instance, via the grade five scholarship examwho have had limited exposure to quality English education, both at home and at school. This means that a typical classroom consists of students on both extremes of language proficiency, presenting English teachers with the challenging task of catering to different competency levels. Unequal teacher allocation Contributing to the problem of unequal student outcomes is an inequitable allocation of English teachers across schools. Contrary to what one would expect, a recent Institute of Policy Studies research reveals that Sri Lanka not only has more than adequate overall English teacher numbers but also an excess of subject-qualified onesi.e. those with either a university degree in English or who have been specially trained to teach English. This is in contrast to the sizeable shortages of subject-qualified mathematics and science teachers in the country. The problem appears to be that most of these qualified English teachers are concentrated in more privileged schools, leaving the students in remote schools in the hands of unqualified teachers. As Figure 2 indicates, while the qualified mathematics and science teachers are lacking in all school types, the qualified English teachers are deficient only in the underprivileged schools; the privileged schools have more than enough competent English teachers. It is thus not surprising that the students from rural primary schools, who enter the urban schools, lack the basic English skills. Policy implications The children from rural and less privileged backgrounds are doubly disadvantaged as they lack access to good English education both at home and at school. As a National Education Commission Report puts it, in Sri Lanka, English continues to be an agent of social differentiation with good quality education and jobs being limited to a select English-literate population. The fact that many students miss out on being taught by qualified English teachers, despite Sri Lanka having an oversupply of them, is a deep injustice. A potential measure to deal with the student heterogeneity in classrooms is to cater to the students of different levels of competencies. A study among a sample of grade seven and 10 students in Sri Lanka grouped the students in a given classroom into three levels based on the marks obtained for English at the second term test. The students in these three different levels were taught using different activities, in line with the competencies identified in the Teacher Instructional Manual. The student performance showed improvements as early as the third term test and were also evident in the end of the year tests, especially among the less able students. Teaching at different levels within a given classroom is however a challenging task and it is important that teacher training programmes include modules on related teaching techniques and preparation of learning material. To tackle the inequities across the schools, efforts need to be directed at improving teacher allocations to ensure that the disadvantaged schools are staffed with good English teachers. A study on teacher education notes that many existing policies on teacher deployment and transfers in Sri Lanka are limited to paper, with some teachers using political and other influences to get transfers to the schools of their preference. This is in part possible owing to the current practice of recruiting teachers by the Education Ministry at the central level, which affords flexibility in moving between schools. Giving schools powers to recruit teachers at school level could restrict teacher mobility. While less privileged schools may not necessarily succeed in attracting qualified teachers, with more restrictions on teacher movement, the recruited teachers in these schools will gain experience overtime, which, along with in-service training, would improve teacher quality. School-level recruitment has already been implemented in the estate sector schools among the Tamil medium teachers who are in short supply. (Ashani Abayasekara is a Research Officer at the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka. To share your comments with the author, please write to ashani@ips.lk.For more articles, visit our blog http://www.ips.lk/talkingeconomics/) The journey was undertaken in a spirit of friendship and conflict-resolution and its mission was to discuss how they might resolve key issues in their present-day cross-border conflict a continuing crisis the women identified as fuelled by a complex history and a legacy of colonialism. Urvashi Butalia, the founder of Indias first feminist publishing house, describes how in early 2000 a group of Pakistani women travelled across the border to visit a group of their Indian counterparts. Published in Griffith Review 59: Commonwealth Now, the essay centres on womens volunteerism, solidarity, sharing and organisation through a template formulated in Lahore, India, and since, duplicated a hundredfold globally in various forms. BRISBANE In her essay Cross-border conversations: the networks women create, Urvashi Butalia reflects on the landscape of womens networks. Mary Kini and Rashmii Bell - undaunted by the barriers, women striking out in the interests of all women First Britains rule in India, the subsequent partitioning of India and Pakistan and then the struggle for independence by Bangladesh. Unlike formal structures of national governments and international agencies, womens networks are informal initiatives. They function with relative independence away from the influence of national politics, open dialogue being enabled through a focus on solidarity. Although approaches to issues may differ, an overriding dedication to the larger picture is what unites the women domestically and internationally. The larger picture might be a movement or an idea - such as ending violence against women, dismantling human trafficking or addressing drug addiction. Upholding a fundamental tenet of feminism, networks strive to operate without hierarchies. Members are encouraged to speak up freely and without an obligation to the conservative diplomacy demonstrated by governments, whose dialogue is often premised on power. A recent radio interview by ABC broadcaster Emma Griffiths aired a discussion between women working in peace-keeping and conflict resolution. Facilitated by Griffiths, Mary Kini (Papua New Guinea), Agnes Titus (Autonomous Region of Bougainville), Sharon Bhagwan Rolls (Fiji), Mariana Katzarova (Bulgaria) and Gulail Ismail (Pakistan) engaged in an hour-long discussion. They shared insights and ideas of the significance and necessity of cross-border networks for women taking an active part in conflict and peace-keeping, whether as combatants, medical personnel, journalists or negotiators. Mariana Katzrova is the founder of Reach All Women in War (RAW in War) and her vision stems from the historical trend of women and children experiencing war crimes but not provided with an opportunity to tell their stories of bravery and courage. Through its work, RAW created the Anna Politskovskaya Award whose 2017 recipient was Gulail Ismail. Prior to her murder in 2006, Anna Politskovskayas human rights activism through her journalism and writing, earned an international reputation for relentless reporting from Chechnya. Gulail Ismails award-winning work centred around encouraging young people to attend school in opposition to the demands of extremist groups (such as the Taliban) that they engage in militarism and warfare. This is a cause that put Ismail under constant intimidation and threats of violence or death. Mary Kini from Papua New Guinea is the co-founder of Kup Women for Peace (KWP) and a recipient of a UN Pacific Human Rights Award for her work in mediating peace during conflict. KWP has an alliance with other domestic associations including Kafe Womens Association, Kedu Seif Haus and Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation, which is steered by Agnes Titus in Bougainville. Deemed a mother of Bougainvilles womens movement, Agnes has dedicated nearly 40 years to the cause of empowering women. Hearing these women speak provided me with a clear picture of how the cross-border solidarity principle of womens networks had aided their work as human rights defenders, particularly given the alarming expansion of sorcery accusation-related violence. Speaking on the reason for establishing Kup Women for Peace, Mary Kini described that. in times of tribal warfare, men had given little consideration to women and children, including families being displaced, disruption of childrens schooling and psychological trauma and other consequences of warfare. Mary explained that women from Kup banded together, mobilising to say NO in the midst of men. She emphasised this as an act of courage in response to a voiced need in a society that doesnt encourage women to speak out. With financial support from Fiji Womens Crisis Centre, KWP continues its advocacy and contribution to human rights defenders networks. International solidarity has been expanded through its partnership with Queensland University of Technology and a collaborative project called Yumi Sanap Strong. It also relies on Amnesty International Australia crucial in instances of sorcery accusation-related violence when, as Mary Kini described, response from national government is slow. When asked about her source of motivation to continue, Agnes Titus was succinct and clear: I believe in women. Agnes said Bougainvilles society is matrilineal which offers more leverage for women compared with the cultural tradition of the PNG Highlands and has accelerated momentum for their cause. She described a childhood where peace was valued and a civil war in which Bougainvilleans were very aware what the struggle was for. This is in stark contrast to Mary Kinis experience with KWP in the Kup region of Simbu where it took close to five years before the men accepted the reason for the organisations work. Mary said that, due to traditional norms, women speaking out against harassment or assault is shunned. Stigma persists to override an individual womans right to speak out against a perpetrator. When exploring how womens networks of human rights defenders may be supported, Mary said when we talk about women in solidarity, we need to feel for each other. This will prove crucial as KWPs focus in 2018 turns to establishing a regional desk to advocate the implementation of a Human Rights Commission for PNG. So, in the spirit of unconditional solidarity, the MWTE project team has offered to contribute through literary activism to this cause undertaken by KWP and the womens network of human rights defenders. This article was prepared for the My Walk to Equality Writer Fellowship 2018 sponsored by Paga Hill Development Company. The fellowship commenced in mid-March and will conclude at the end of September 2018. Attendance at the Women of World Festival was an activity under the fellowship, as was the purchase and reading of Griffith Review 59: Commonwealth Now. Information and regular updates of activities undertaken by Rashmii Bell may be found at http://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2018/03/paga-hill-fellowship-may-herald-a-png-literary-festival.html or via Twitter @amoahfive_oh Istanbul (dpa) 22 April -Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called on the United States to extradite Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara blames for the 2016 failed coup, if Washington wants the release of a US Christian pastor jailed in Turkey. If you want [Andrew] Brunson from us, look at the steps that have been taken, Erdogan said in televised remarks on private broadcaster NTV, adding he expects reciprocity from the US regarding their demand to free pastor Andrew Brunson. Brunson was arrested in Turkey in 2016 and is on trial over alleged links to terrorist groups with prosecutors seeking a sentence of up to 35 years in jail. Can you not extradite this man [Gulen] based on the prisoner swap deal? Erdogan said. If there is no such reciprocity, I am sorry, he said, referring to the US demand as unlawful. Expects cost of production to rise 20% due to 15% import levy Says tourists will opt for other markets to buy jewellery due to cheaper prices Warns that some in the industry may resort to unlawful practices as costs escalate Says will meet President shortly to convey industry grievances By Nishel Fernando Sri Lankas gem and jewellery industry has urged the government to set-up a quota system for the importation of gold for exports and sale to tourists, in order minimize the impact from the 15 percent levy on gold imports slapped last week. National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA) statistics indicate that Sri Lanka exported gold jewellery and gems worth Rs. 2.33 billion in 2017. However, according Gem and Jewellery exporters, foreign exchange earnings from jewellery and gem sales to tourists are much higher, amounting approximately US$100 million annually. Speaking to Mirror Business, a leading gem and jewellery manufacturer and retailer, on the condition of anonymity, said, The 15 percent levy on gold will lead to a massive loss for the country in terms of foreign exchange earnings as we are no longer able to manufacture and sell gold-based jewelleries and gems to tourists at a competitive rate. As the cost of products goes up in Sri Lanka, tourists will find gold jewellery and gems at much cheaper prices in Hong Kong, UAE, China and Thailand. The industry expects the cost of production to increase by about 20 percent due to the import levy. Further, he warned that the gem and jewellery business, which is transparent at the moment, will resort to unlawful practices as the manufactures may try to procure gold from alternative sources. Meanwhile, Speaking to Mirror Business, NGJA Director General M.L. Gammampila said that NGJA plans to negotiate a concessionary import duty rate with the Finance Ministry for gem and jewellery exports, in order to minimize the impact of the levy. Gammampila said NGJA currently is in the process of determining the industrys gold requirement for exports. In addition, he noted that NGJA is in the process of identifying the jewellery manufacturers among the authorized gold importers, since gold imports and gold re-exports gap keeps widening. The Finance Ministry said it imposed the levy due to the unprecedented increase in gold imports to Sri Lanka, which they suspect being are smuggled out from Sri Lanka, mainly to India, costing significant amount of foreign exchange to the country. Sri Lankas gold imports increased 72 percent to 15, 757 kilograms last year, which was worth US$ 650 million. The Finance Ministry noted that theres a large gap between the amount of gold imported and the usage of imported gold for manufacturing and re-export purposes. A Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association spokesperson said the government should have investigated the gold transaction carried out by unscrupulous gold importers rather than penalizing the entire trade. The government can easily ask for audit reports from gold importers and find out where the gold imports went. The government needs to resolve issues systematically rather than punishing the entire trade, he stressed. This has been going on for years, with or without the import levy. The smuggling will continue as long as corrupt officials remain, another member of Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association noted. Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association is planning to meet the President Maithripala Sirisena during the next couple of weeks to discuss the gold import levy and other policy matters which are affecting the industry. REUTERS: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China this week for an informal meeting with President Xi Jinping, as efforts at rapprochement gather pace following a testing year in ties between the two giant neighbours. The Chinese governments top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi said the two would meet on Friday and Saturday in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Our common interests far outweigh our differences. The two countries have no choice other than pursuing everlasting friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development, Wang told reporters after meeting Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in Beijing. The summit will go a long way towards deepening the mutual trust between the two great neighbours, he added. We will make sure that the informal summit will be a complete success and a new milestone in the history of China-India relations. Modi has sought to reset ties after disputes over issues including their disputed border with Tibet and other issues. The discussion with Wang was to prepare for the informal summit, Swaraj said. It will be an important occasion for them (Modi and Xi) to exchange views on bilateral and international matters, from an overarching and long-term perspective with the objective of enhancing mutual communication, Swaraj said. The Asian giants were locked in a 73-day military stand-off in a remote, high-altitude stretch of that boundary last year. At one point, soldiers from the two sides threw stones and punches. The confrontation between the nuclear-armed powers in the Himalayas underscored Indian alarm at Chinas expanding security and economic links in South Asia. Chinas ambitious Belt and Road initiative of transport and energy links bypasses India, apart from a corner of the disputed Kashmir region, also claimed by Pakistan, but involves Indias neighbours Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives. Modis previously unannounced Wuhan trip is even more unusual in that he will visit China again in June for a summit in Qingdao of the China and Russia-led security grouping, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which India joined last year. It is almost unheard of for foreign leaders to visit China twice in such close succession. Xi is also extending Modi the rare honour of a meeting outside of Beijing, which almost never happens unless there is a multilateral summit taking place. Industrial accident in Horana Scribbles of Lal Pushpakumaras toddler were seen on the unplastered walls of his half-built two-storey house. The residence was being arranged for Pushpakumaras funeral at the time we visited. His wife Chandrika Damayanthi (39) is still struggling to come to terms with the shocking news. Pushpakumara (41), a carpenter by profession, was one of the five people who lost their lives in the toxic gas tragedy in Bellapitiya, Horana on April 19. Nobody from the factory came to help them. Villagers including my husband stepped in to rescue the two workers who were in trouble. I lost my husband. My four kids lost their beloved father, Chandrika lamented. Pushpakumara and Chandrika were passing S & C Latex Limited on Kalawellawa Road, Bellapitiya, Horana around 1.20 pm on April 19 when they spotted two women screaming for help from passersby. By then, two workers attached to the latex factory had fallen into a chemical effluent treatment plant which contained liquid Ammonia (NH3), and suspected Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and Methane (CH4). Pushpakumara, who stopped his motorcycle, rushed to the scene to help those who were in trouble. Chandrika was watching in anxiety from outside the latex factory when she heard about the death of her husband. People screamed that my husband who tried to rescue the workers also fell into the tank after being overcome by gas fumes. I couldnt believe it. He went to help others. He didnt even know anyone in the factory, Chandrika told the . She is now bringing up four children alone. Chandrika fears that the latex factory, which was temporarily suspended by the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) following the multiple deaths, would be allowed to escape unscathed, and would reopen soon. On the day of the accident, the factory had commenced operating after New Year holidays. W. Ariyapala (40), a worker had been fixing a valve in chemical effluent treatment plant when he fell in after being overcome by the toxic gas. Later, the factorys Lab Assistant twenty-three-year-old Waruna Chandrasekara, who had tried to rescue Ariyapala, also perished. Within minutes four villagers descended into the tank to rescue others. Of the four, only one individual named Janaka Dinesh (26) managed to survive, while the three others Pushpakumara, Dileepa Kasun Lokupathirage (34) and Priyantha Kumara (43) had to breathe their last, despite channeling their time and energies to save a human life. More than 10 others were admitted to the Horana hospital after being overcome by toxic fumes. Janaka Dinesh is a mechanic in a service centre located next to the latex factory. He recounted his experience during the toxic gas mishap. The liquid in the tank was only knee-deep. I descended down the tank using a ladder and pulled one person out, but he died later. Along with me, there was another person (Lal Pushpakumara) who was trying to rescue workers. Suddenly, he too fell into the tank. His fall into the tank resulted in more fumes. In a wink of an eye, the surrounding turned blue. I remember taking a deep breath and trying to climb up the ladder. When I regained consciousness, I was in hospital, Janaka reminisced. The deaths have brought the working conditions in factories across the country under the spotlight. However, this accident is not the first of its kind to happen at the S & C latex factory. But, the factory either ignored or was allowed to circumvent many of the safety procedures. Safety concerns The late Chandrasekaras grieving mother Renuka Damayanthi said that a female worker had fallen into the same chemical effluent tank several months ago. Chandrasekara had been able to save that womans life. Following this accident, his parents had pleaded him to resign from the job due to safety concerns. Both his parents are managers at private banks. Renuka said that at first she didnt want Chandrasekara to work at this local factory since they didnt have any financial difficulties. Chandrasekara, who was so passionate about Chemistry, had anyway continued working at the factory despite objections by his parents. I looked after my son like the apple of my eye. I always taught him to show loyalty and be honest with his place of employment. He was so helpful to others. But, nobody from the factory even made a call following his death. So far, nobody from the factory has come to the funeral, she said. She demanded that such factories must establish safety measures which can be put to use during an emergency to prevent any unfortunate deaths of workers. Not only Chandrasekaras mother Renuka and Lals wife Chandrika, but also relatives of the other three people are still grieving. Brother, son, husband or father all losses are significant. The fates of Dileepa Kasun Lokupathirages and Priyantha Kumaras are similar to that of Pushpakumara; all of them who invited trouble into their lives because they went to help others. Request to cancel license Meanwhile, Western Province Chief Minister Isura Devapriya made a visit to Lokupathirages funereal house and met his family members on April 20. While leaving the funeral house, he told the , that he had requested the CEA to close down the rubber factory and cancel its license. The license of the relevant latex factory was once revoked by the CEA. However, the factory officials later managed to get the license re-validated. I informed the Chairman of Central Environmental Authority Chandrarathna Pallegama. He was not aware of this incident until I told him. I made a request to cancel the license, he said. Immediately after this incident, the CEA took action to suspend the Environmental Protection License (EPL) of the S & C Latex Limited. Further, the Manager, identified as Ratnasiri Edirisinghe from Boralesgamuwa and the 42-year-old Senior Laboratory Controller from Dikhenapura were arrested and remanded till April 25, by the Horana Magistrate. They had been charged of negligence and the failure to take adequate safety precautions. Meanwhile, the Department of Labour had told the media that it had launched an investigation into the incident. Tension prevailed outside the factory when the family members of deceased came to know about the accident. Kith and kin of the deceased staged a protest near the factory raising slogans against the management and Government demanding stringent action be taken against the errant latex factory which had failed to follow the safety measures. According to the villagers, S & C Latex factory has not been following precautionary measures. It is mandatory that the management should provide workers with face masks while cleaning chemical tanks. Five innocent people died due to their negligence. The Government should take serious action against the management, demanded villagers. The Bellapitiya area comes under the purview of Madurawala Pradeshiya Sabha (PS). These claims by the villagers were supported by Chairman of Madurawala PS, Pushpajith Samarawickrama. As an industry, employee safety is the top priority of all operators. Many operators take steps exceeding what is required to ensure they are providing a safe working environment. This particular factory has a history of such wrongdoings, he told the . In 2009, protests had been carried out by villagers led by PS Chairman Samarawickrama against the factory for releasing chemical waste into adjourning streams. As regulated in the Environmental Protection License, releasing of waste water into streams that provide water to paddy fields is illegal. A large number of paddy fields have been destroyed due to the chemical waste released from the latex factory. Drinking water in wells in Bellapitiya area had also been contaminated. Fish and a cow have died after drinking water from these contaminated streams. Following the demonstrations, CEA on January 16, 2009 sent officials to inspect the operations of the factory under the guidance of the then Director General Pasan Gunasena. Violation of rules and regulations The field report compiled by the CEA officials had revealed that the operations of the factory were violating rules and regulations of the EPL. Therefore, on January 28, 2009, the CEA suspended the EPL 00065(R2)F of S & C Latex Limited. However, the factory owner Sarath Wijerathne, who is a former Major of the Sri Lanka Army, submitted an appeal to the Secretary of Ministry of Environment and got the cancellation of the license removed. On the day the accident took place he has been at the factory. Villagers said they had seen him escaping using his vehicle without even looking into what had happened. Wijerathne was asked to be present at the police station to record a statement. But, he has not yet reported to the police. Villagers, who protested against this factory, were threatened by Wijerathne. As he was a former Major of the Sri Lanka Army, people later dispersed, PS Chairman Samarawickrama said. Subsequently, Wijerathne filed a case at Horana District Court in 2009 against Madurawala PS Chairman and five officials at the CEA. He held the six respondents responsible for causing a loss of Rs. 108 million to the factory during its closure. The case is still being heard. Another case was filed by Wijerathne against journalists who had covered the public protests and the written content, which he claims was against his factory. However, villagers claimed that despite nine years had lapsed, chemical waste is still released into streams on rainy days. PS Chairman Samarawickrama raised a question as to on which basis the CEA had decided to give back the EPL to the factory which had failed to rectify its faults. He also alleged that the owner of the factory had close connections with Environment Ministry bigwigs and that is how he got his factorys license re-validated eventually. Meanwhile, Senior Environmental Lawyer Jagath Gunawardane, speaking to the said that the unfortunate deaths of five people were repercussions of wrong decisions taken by the former officials of the Ministry of Environment in re-validating the EPL of the latex factory. A former Secretary of the Environment Ministry had turned an administrative decision into a technical decision although he is technically not qualified to do so. In addition, it is an accepted principle in law that no fresh evidence can be submitted to an appeal. It has to go by the evidence that was available at the time of the initial decision. However in this particular case, a legal officer from the ministry had made a site inspection to the factory, said, Gunawardane. He underscored that the legal officer is not the competent officer to handle the technical inspections and provide a report. Therefore, this is again a substantially wrong action on the part of the ministry at the time, he stated. These kind of wrong decisions, based on incorrect activities and premises, make the authorities like the CEA to be tied down and unable to perform their duties. Although the relevant officials are no longer working at the ministry, these unfortunate deaths are repercussions of wrong decisions taken by them, he said. A team from the Government Analysts Department visited the factory last Saturday (April 21). Speaking to the , Government Analyst A.Welianga said a special laboratory analysis will be carried out by the department based on the liquid and air samples collected from the factory premises. We are supposed to do a proper analysis. Until the analysis is completed, we cannot comment on the incident. Within the next two weeks, the analysis will be completed and the report will be handed over to the police, he said. Meanwhile, another villager named Pushpakumara, a disabled soldier of the Sri Lanka Army, narrated another story regarding the land on which the S & C Latex Limited is located. Pushpakumara is residing in Ranawiru Gammanaya, Gowinna, six kilometers from the latex factory. A female worker had fallen into the same chemical effluent tank several months ago. Chandrasekara had been able to save that womans life The deaths have brought the working conditions in factories across the country under the spotlight Villagers claimed that despite nine years had lapsed, chemical waste is still released into streams on rainy days This land where the S & C latex factory stands is the property which was officially and originally passed by the Sri Lanka Army to build Ranawiru Gammanaya Ranawiru Gammanaya This land where the S & C latex factory stands is the property which was officially and originally passed by the Sri Lanka Army to build Ranawiru Gammanaya. The latex factory was supposed to be built on a bare land in Gowinna. That land in Gowinna is in a rocky area and obtaining water and electricity for the land was very difficult. Sarath Wijerathne, who was serving the Army by that time, somehow acquired this land for his factory. Ranawiru Gammanaya was later built on that difficult area in Gowinna. We had to face many difficulties in building a road to our houses. Those in the scheme are still having an issue with water. I think Wijerathne has had to suffer as a result of Dittadhamma Vedaniya Karmaya for what he had done to all disabled war heroes, he said. However, when inquired by the Madurawala PS Chairman, regarding this claim of the land, he said he was not aware of it. World Day for Safety and Health at Work is to fall this Saturday (April 28). It is high time for government institutions and non-government organizations established for occupational safety and health to focus on the loopholes in their procedures, United Federation of Labour President Linus Jayathilake, said. He said the purview of the Department of Labour does not cover the small scale factories, fishermen and farmers even though they also contribute to the national production. Ammonia, the colourless gas, which has a very distinct pungent odour, is used in industrial practice to preserve latex because ammonia prevents the growth of bacteria in latex. The rubber industry is a unique example of complex exposure of human beings to chemicals. This exposure is even considered as carcinogenic for humans by the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer. In this S & C latex factory in Horana, the worker W. Ariyapala was apparently not wearing approved breathing apparatus when working inside the ammonia tank. Since Lab Assistant Chandrasekara also fell into the chemical effluent tank, it poses a serious question on the irresponsible manner in which operations had been carried out within the factory. Studies conducted in developed countries, have shown an increased risk of leukemia, lymphomas, and cancers of the bladder, lung, larynx, stomach, liver, and skin among rubber industry workers. It is alarming to know that the other workers of the same latex factory and labourers working in such unsafe rubber factories across the country are exposed to a high health risk, said Jayathilake. He said that employers should conduct health check-ups for workers, twice a year. He noted that a rescue act should only be performed by trained personnel using appropriate equipment and with the support of other rescuers. Only properly maintained and calibrated equipment should be used for these types of practices. Only certified workers wearing approved breathing apparatus should be allowed to enter a confined space. Whether using approved breathing apparatus or when a worker has to enter a confined space, the person responsible for the workplace shall ensure that any person entering or remaining in that confined space is wearing approved breathing apparatus with a suitable safety harness connected to a lifeline. The person using the breathing apparatus should have received appropriate training in the use of that particular type of equipment, he said. He said that it is the responsibility of the employer to make all workers familiarise with the emergency procedures and make them aware of the characteristics and hazards of the hazardous gases likely to be present in the operations. In this particular case, it is found that none of these measures had been adhered. Workers were not informed and responsible authorities at the factory had not taken any precautionary and emergency methods. If they had been in the scene and informed the villagers who came to help about the risk of being exposed to the gas, at least these unfortunate deaths of three villagers could have been prevented, Jayathilake added. Pix by Damith Wickaramasinghe Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has rejected the reports of Chinese militarization of the Hambantota Port. When Chinese Ambassador Cheng Xueyuan called on the Prime Minister on Friday, the Premier said, There is no issue of Chinese militarization of the Hambantota Port at all. Sri Lankan Navy is the sole military force responsible for the security of the Port, he said. At the meeting, it has been noted that some foreign media irresponsibly hyped the question of militarization of the Hambantota Port out of their own hidden agenda, Chinese Embassy said in a statement. PM Wickremesinghe highlighted that Sri Lanka and himself have always been strongly supporting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Sri Lanka attaches great importance to mega-projects cooperation with China, especially the projects of Hambantota Port and Industrial Park, Colombo Financial City. The Sri Lankan Government hopes to work with the Chinese side to accelerate the implementation of the ongoing projects and attract more Chinese investment in order to promote economic and social development, he said. Responding to recent allegations of Chinese militarization at Hambantota Port, Ambassador Cheng pointed out that there is no any military purpose for China to conduct friendly and pragmatic cooperation with Sri Lanka. China never interferes in Sri Lanka's internal affairs and is willing to work with the Sri Lankan side to push forward the latters economic and social development by promoting new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, win-win cooperation, he said. KUALA LUMPUR REUTERS April 21-Two unidentified men shot dead a Palestinian man in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Malaysian and Palestinian authorities reported, and Malaysias Deputy Prime Minister said the suspects were believed to be linked to a foreign intelligence service. Kuala Lumpur police chief Mazlan Lazim said two men on a motorcycle fired 10 shots at the 35-year-old victim, killing him on the spot. Preliminary investigations found four gunshot wounds on the victims body. Two bullet slugs were found at the scene of the incident, Mazlan said in a statement. When contacted later by Reuters, Mazlan declined to comment on reports that the victim was a member of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas or had been targeted by hitmen. Its too early to say, we are still investigating all aspects. Palestines ambassador to Malaysia Anwar Al Agha later identified the victim as Palestinian Fadi al-Batsh, an engineering lecturer, but declined to say if he was a member of Hamas. Witnesses at the scene had told him that the two suspects had European features, the ambassador told Reuters. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the suspects were believed to be Europeans with links to a foreign intelligence agency, state news agency Bernama reported. He added the victim had links with foreign intelligence and was active in pro-Palestinian non-governmental organisations, describing him as an expert in electrical engineering and rocket-building. President Maithripala Sirisena today signed a gazette mentioning that the next Parliamentary session would be convened at 2.15 pm on May 8, Presidents Media Division (PMD) said. Earlier, the President issued a gazette announcing the prorogation of Parliament. In the gazette, the re-convening date of next Parliamentary session was mentioned as May 8. However, a time of re-convening was not mentioned in the first gazette. Therefore, another gazette was issued today mentioning the time. Having set its feet firmly in the Executive education industry in Sri Lanka, PwCs Academy has set its sights on launching a revolutionary Advanced Management programme for trend setting C-suite Business Leaders. Having set its feet firmly in the Executive education industry in Sri Lanka, PwCs Academy has set its sights on launching a revolutionary Advanced Management programme for trend setting C-suite Business Leaders. As a senior business leader, you are at the top of your game. You have ticked almost all the boxes in your checklist to be at the top, learnt enough frameworks and models throughout your career and applied them in your business. Hence, you may wonder what more there is to learn.It is, however, a messy complex world out there with a whole new level of disruption, technologies and dynamic trends and in this new world of business, your next hurdle would be to develop a better sense of judgement and be more cognisant of your strengths and weaknesses as a leader. You need new lenses and perspectives to make sharper decisions, adapt better and most importantly be mindful as a leader.At the Advanced Management Programme, that is what we aim to achieve as we focus more on enhancing your judgement and less on models and frameworks. Some of our latest research findings signify that CEOs and Business leaders tend to demonstrate specific behaviors that prove to be critical to their performance. 1. Decisiveness High-performing CEOs stand out for being more decisive. They make decisions much quicker and portray a greater level of conviction regardless of ambiguity, incomplete information and uncharted territory domains. 2. Adaptiveness Willingness to learn and the ability to adapt and operate in changing multi-cultural environments are critical to CEOs. They should not only have a high level of intellectual awareness; staying current on market trends but also have a personal sense of flexibility and adaptiveness. 3. Mindfulness In a fast paced world, mindfulness enables you to clear your mind of clutter, focus on what is important and be emotionally intelligent. Why is AMP so unique? Advanced Management Programme is not an ordinary executive education workshop. This elite programme is designed by an award winning educator along with a cohort of world class faculty from leading business schools across the world. Every once in a while, senior leaders need to get off the treadmill of work, decision-making and pressure, in order to step back and examine their leadership. Without that, leaders are prone to developing what psychologists call cognitive depletion, a state in which we are no longer learning. The antidote to this is to enter a state of renewal, in which we are able to re-store ourselves, re-examine our mindsets, and re-define our goals and strategies in collaboration with others. This is what exactly what we try to achieve during AMP programme. - Prof Sudhanshu Palsule- Course Director Diverse world class faculty:In typical Advanced Management Programmes with reputed universities you are limited to a faculty from one university. But, with our flexible resource pool we have put together a diverse group of world class faculty teaching at worlds leading business schools across different continents. (Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School,Cranfield Business School, INSEAD, London Business School, ESSEC Business School, IE Business School) and most importantly the programme is tailored to the Asian context by PwCs subject matter experts. With whom will you be learning? The programme fosters an environment for deep and insightful self-reflection; facilitated by the diverse peer group and experienced faculty members who are approachable. You will be learning with 25 exclusive top notch CEOs and business leaders from leading corporates in Sri Lanka and the region, sharing different perspectives of the same challenges which makes the programme a great peer learning experience.You will immerse in an integrated learning experience for three weeks to recreatea new and refined leadership path ahead. PwC's Academys Advanced Management Programme is for seasoned business leaders, with proven general management experience, possibly overseeing multiple products or markets.An ideal candidate could be: A member of the executive committee The head of a major business unit A senior functional head A senior member of the operating group Your peers areselected through a thorough selection process to ensure that you experience the most impactful learning with a truly diverse group of participants. Your class will become a trusted resource, encourage your learning journey and surprise you with many unanticipated benefits both during and beyond your classroom experience. PS: The faculty will review and accept applications ofthe participants. The Faculty will thoroughly reviewthe applications of each prospective candidateconsidering the nature and scope of theindividuals responsibilities. World class programme at star class locations Our aim is to take C suite executives away from their busy schedules and rewire their mindset to perform better.This will be a residential programme spanned across three weeks in which each week will act as separate cohort targeting key areas of learning. The programme will be held at star class accommodations (Heritance Ahungallla and Heritance Negombo)ensuring a star class learning experience. Week 01 Transformational Leadership in the Digital Age- Conducted by Prof. SudhanshuPalsule Harnessing Mega Trends for competitive advantage- Conducted by Prof. Mark Esposito Week 02 Leading and Innovating Entrepreneurial organisations- Conducted by Prof. Peter Fisk, Professor Brendan Burns Finance as a value creation at the top- Conducted by Prof. Ruth Bender Week 03 Strategy Execution in Emerging Markets- Conducted by Prof. Susan Lynch Negotiation and Strategic Decision Making- Conducted by Prof. Marwan Sinaceur Register with us and be a part of this fully immersive, integrative, and a growing learning experience. At the end of this learning experience, you will be equipped to thrive in todays fast-paced, interconnected economy with the insights you need to ignite growth and propel your organisation forward. For more information, please contact us on 0770552524 (From left) Umendra Abeynayake, Nayomi Fernando and Madusha De Silva of Team Innovints from the University of Sri Jayewardenapura who were the winners of Unilever Challenge 2017 Madusha De Silva, Nayomi Fernando and Umendra Abeynayake of team Innovints from the University of Sri Jayewardenapura were adjudged winners of Unilever Challenge 2017 held recently in Colombo. Emerging atop 3 teams from 10 universities post 3 intense rounds, they will be representing Sri Lanka at the Unilevers Future Leaders League to be held in London in April. The event, which is powered by Rin Brightness Academy, saw team Innovints winning the judges over with their ingenious approach to solving the cases posed to them and developing a marketing strategy for Rin with a focus on universities. Helping them prepare themselves to face competitors from around the world, the team will be mentored by senior representatives from Unilever Sri Lanka. The winners of last years Unilever Challenge, Haritha Jayasinghe from the University of Moratuwa and Pulasthi Ekanayake from Achievers Business Academy, who had gone on to become the runners up of the Future Leaders League 2017 in London, too will be helping them gear up for this prestigious global competition. Year after year, undergraduate students from some of Sri Lankas most esteemed higher education institutions demonstrate their ingenuity and passion at the Unilever Challenge and secure a place for themselves in the Unilever Future Leaders League. The caliber of the contestants continues to serve as a reflection of the exceptional pool of talent available in the country, something we at Unilever Sri Lanka have always believed in, said Sumeet Verma, Director Human Resources and Corporate Relations, Unilever Sri Lanka. Wishing all the participants the very best, we look forward to seeing the winning team do us proud at the Future Leaders League in London. The Future Leaders League is a dynamic marketing competition, where aspiring young brand managers get the opportunity to compete against likeminded future leaders from over 30 countries. Through hands-on experience, interacting with world-class experts and discovering Unilever from the inside these future leaders will be exposed to new and innovative ways of thinking, develop professional skills and gain invaluable knowledge of how a leading business works. The Unilever Challenge is the local leg of Unilevers Future Leaders League. It is a unique competition that tests the ability of undergraduate students to conceive and implement a brand strategy for world renowned brands. The Socialist Youth Union of Sri Lanka (SYU) today held a protest outside the US Embassy in Colombo against the missile attacks in Syria. The protesters holding placards demanded the US, the UK and France to stop launching air-strikes in Syria. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana In a statement announcing his candidacy and in a subsequent interview with The Citizen, Batman did not criticize Finch. However, he explained why he decided to run for state Assembly and what will drive him if he's elected to represent the district in Albany. "I learned early on and something I try to impart on my children is that if you're going to take a job on, then you take the job," he said. "You work at it, you do it, you do your best and you have a focus. That's what I will do." Batman didn't single out any issues that he would consider top priorities. He prefers a different approach: Listening to constituents and stakeholders in the district to identify problems and then going to Albany to advocate for resources. "That's my focus," he said. "I think there are state issues, of course, but I'm going to take those as they come up. I am not going to Albany with the idea that I'm going to solve the health care problem in New York state. He continued, "I am going to go to Albany and say we've got this problem in this district. This is the solution we've come up with. In order to implement it, we have to have this support. That's what I want Albany to do. That's what I will work toward and that's going to be my focus." I dont really know who or what I am agnostic or atheist but I do know that the secular and the divine can and do coexist, even with the involvement of the clergy, and that the clergy, especially of today, do try to bring the two together in every possible way. Nevertheless, I am not a big fan of the robe and the cassock, regardless of whatever religious sect and denomination, because of various reasons I wont delve into here. That is why I am heartened at those who choose to go beyond their vocation while remaining in it, and that by propagating that most divine of all secular activities, the moving image, or the cinema. Ernest Poruthota, who turns 87 this August, has in that sense been an unusual priest. Some people deserve more than a sketchy recounting of their biographies. Father Poruthota, Ive come to realise, is one of them. So here goes, and so help me God. He was born Raymond Ernest Alexander Poruthota in the village of Marawila in the Puttalam District. His father had taught at the time at the Government Teachers College in Maggona before being transferred, as part of a disciplinary procedure, to Marawila. His son studied at the Marawila Boys School, and later at St Xaviers College, and he was not quite 12 when his parents, both staunch Catholics, decided that his vocation lay in the Church. So they packed me off to the Borella Seminary, he chortles silently. I asked him whether he agreed with their choice of career for him, and he readily says Yes I did! Not that he cut himself off from the secular world: I was always enthralled by the arts. The year was 1942. He had joined the Seminary and was witnessing the horrors of the War as it unfolded in Colombo, along with the protests and the calls made for independence everywhere. Apparently he and his colleagues had been taken on compulsory walks around what is now Independence Avenue The year was 1942. He had joined the Seminary and was witnessing the horrors of the War as it unfolded in Colombo, along with the protests and the calls made for independence everywhere. Apparently he and his colleagues had been taken on compulsory walks around what is now Independence Avenue, and what was back then Torrington Square. In 1948, having gone on one such walk, young Poruthota came across the unveiling of the National Flag at the official handing over of our independence. I was so awed by the grandeur and the sense of majesty of the whole event, more than the cultural significance of it all. What appealed to me were the decorations, the colours, the liveliness among all those who were gathered there. When we returned to Borella, I set about replicating those decorations using crepe paper. This was, he informed me, on account of the artist struggling to get out of him at that point: I just couldnt stop it. Those who know the man and those who have heard of him would contend that he forayed intensely into the cinema. They are correct. On the other hand, Ive always wondered how it was that a man of the cloth, with all the restrictions that religious institutions usually place on their members, was allowed to indulge in such a plebeian and secular art form. I asked this from the man himself, and he was ready to explain. Films were, of course, forbidden at the Seminary. By an irony of fate however, the Church did sanction us going into the theatres, provided that what we watched were Christian big budget religious epics. I put to him that given the preponderance of such epics in the American cinema, he and his colleagues would have imbibed DeMille, Wyler, and a horde of other such filmmakers. He agrees. We revelled in such films as The Song of Bernadette, Quo Vadis, The Ten Commandments, and of course Ben Hur. In later years, he would of course graduate to other directors, although his love for religious themes never evaded him. That probably explains his love for Bergman, Dreyer, and Bresson, three of the most spiritual artistes the cinema ever bred. His contribution to our cinema in later years, one can hardly deny, was immense. He called for an indigenous cinema. He wrote. He critiqued. He had his champions and he had his critics. Some argued that a man of the Church should not engage with the secular world. In the end, however, he was vindicated. Not only was a book of his, Chitrapati Gana (An Aesthetic Evaluation of the Cinema), published in 1965 and read widely, his campaign for a national film awards ceremony overseen by the Catholic Church was affirmed when he was appointed as the first National Director of the OCIC (which later morphed into SIGNIS). What of his other achievements? He was a founding member of the Film Critics and Journalists Association of Sri Lanka, formed in 1968. Before he became its National Director, he was also the founder of the Sri Lanka Branch of the OCIC. There probably are a great many other such laurels he can claim, but I leave the task of explicating on them to the ardent fan and meticulous biographer. I am more interested in his views on the arts. I ask him as to whether he agrees with the thesis (forwarded by critics like Harold Bloom and, closer to home, my friend Dhanuka Bandara) that a work should be judged in terms of its inherent aesthetic merit, and not content. He disagrees. First and foremost, a play, a film, or even a book must spiritually elevate its rasikaya. In fact that is the main criterion we have at SIGNIS. I put to him here that even secular works of art, authored by atheists and humanists, have merit which can hardly be attributed to spirituality. Being the mild-tempered man he is, he agrees, with a caveat: If a work is not religiously inclined, it must at least have a human element. The last time I checked on Father Poruthota, he was Parish Priest at the Lunawa Church in Moratuwa. This was in 2014. Hes still there. Retired in all but name, and battling on the way as best he can From here I move on to a theme that has arguably engaged him the most over the years: censorship. Given his lifelong and austere stand on the matter, I am not surprised by his views, which even brought him into conflict with the Church. The man clearly practices what he preaches, as seen in how he went to watch films as a seminarian: We were neither allowed nor forbidden to watch films. I went to see them unsure of whether they were allowed for a would-be priest. This was true especially in the 1960s, when we had many European directors revolutionising the cinema as we knew it then thanks to the so-called New Wave. Morals and conventions of any sort were being defied and that became more or less the norm. Clearly, they were hardly congruent with what the Church deemed as good films. Nevertheless, I saw them. And how! The last time I checked on Father Poruthota, he was Parish Priest at the Lunawa Church in Moratuwa. This was in 2014. Hes still there. Retired in all but name, and battling on the way as best he can. I remember a tribute to him penned by Professor Anton Meemana in which the latter observed that while several parishioners, aware of his penchant for flouting convention, welcoming him with the graffiti Viplawakaraya Apata Epa (We do not need the revolutionary). If this is true (and I think it is), its an enduring testament to the mans character that he has not let scenes and episodes like that ruffle his calm demeanour. 87 years, you must admit, is not an easy age to reconcile yourself to, and this gentle giant, beloved by followers of his faith as well as agnostics like myself, has taught us that censorship, be it in the name of the State or the Church, cannot thrive where the arts flourish, if at all because the arts, as I mentioned before, happen to be the most divine of all secular activities. It takes us closer to God, Father Poruthota would have said. Being an agnostic, I would nevertheless have agreed. Heartily. After two years of planning, seven regional preparatory meetings and consultations with some 4,000 judges, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched its Global Judicial Integrity Network this week in the presence of Chief Justices, senior judges and judicial professionals from around the world. The two-day launch gave over 350 attendants the opportunity to discuss key topics with peers from other Member States, and to present recommendations on strengthening judicial integrity at the global level. The network is a platform for judges to share good practices and lessons learned, to support each other and to join forces in developing new tools and guidelines for strengthening integrity and preventing corruption in the judicial system. As such, it will also provide access to a large online database featuring thousands of resources, good practices and other judicial documents for immediate reference. Participants were greeted by a video message by Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, saying: This network brings together lead institutions responsible for upholding the rule of law, and as such for attaining peace and justice. Her welcome remarks were echoed in UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotovs message, who added: Judges need the opportunity to share experiences, exchange good practices and support each other. The network will continue to serve as a resource for addressing new and emerging challenges, such as those posed by social media and other technological developments. Chief and senior justices from Austria, Brazil, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nigeria and the United States addressed the opening session, declaring their support for the network. Chief Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen of Nigeria stressed that the network could not have come at a better time, adding: It is time to develop global measures and mechanisms for the attainment and sustenance of the prescribed integrity. Accepted global standards and measures have persuasive force. They empower national champions of judicial integrity, providing ready tools and weapons. Justice Elisabeth Lovrek, Vice-President of Austrias Supreme Court, which co-hosted with the Supreme Judicial Council of Qatar a social event at the beautiful Palace of Justice in Vienna, found the platforms very launching in Vienna to be a positive indicator: The network will strengthen judicial cooperation among courts and tribunals from different legal and cultural traditions. In an increasingly globalised world, this is more important than ever. The network is a platform for judges to share good practices and lessons learned, to support each other and to join forces in developing new tools and guidelines for strengthening integrity and preventing corruption in the judicial system In addition to the representation from numerous judiciaries from around the world, there was strong support and participation from global institutions and judicial associations. The first plenary session on the networks specific role in promoting judicial integrity was addressed by Diego Garcia-Sayan, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Christophe Regnard, President of the International Association of Judges, and Judge Rudolf Mellinghoff, President of the Federal Court of Finance of Germany and Member of the Judicial Integrity Group, which is the group of judges that initiated the dialogue on corruption in the justice system in 2000 and developed the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct. This first gathering of the network spent the better part of two days discussing and seeking solutions for some of the key challenges confronting judiciaries today; this included undue political interference by the executive and legislature into judicial appointments and decisions, reducing budgets in the face of exploding caseloads and corruption in the justice sector and diminishing public confidence. Substantive thematic breakout sessions covered an array of measures to help judiciaries tackle those challenges, such as developing codes of conduct, establishing functioning disciplinary bodies and proceedings, balancing accountability and independence, assessing integrity in the justice system, introducing financial disclosure rules for judges, educating judges on the use of social media, enhancing transparency and the impact of digitalization on judicial integrity, judicial appointments and judicial training. Speaking at the closing session, David Maraga, Chief Justice of Kenya, commented: This launch gives us an opportunity to keep reflecting on our performance because it means a lot to our various countries. The buck stops with us, especially those of us who are in leadership. The participants endorsed, by acclamation, the Terms of Reference of the Global Judicial Integrity Network, which outline its mission statement, objectives, participation and organisation of work. The terms also specify the role of the Secretariat (carried out by UNODC) and that of the Advisory Board, which will help identify priority challenges and emerging topics in judicial integrity and assist judiciaries in addressing those challenges as they arise. The first members of the board, elected by the Secretariat based on their active engagement in advancing judicial integrity, are: Adrian Saunders: President-elect of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Chairman of the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers Duro Sessa: President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, President of the Consultative Council of European Judges Masood Bin Muhammad Al-Ameri: Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Council, Qatar Maria Theresa Moura: Minister of the Superior Court of Justice in Brazil, Director-General of the Brazilian National Magistrates School Zainun Ali: Judge of the Federal Court, Malaysia KashimZannah: Chief Judge, High Court of Borno State, Nigeria Nihal Jayawickrama: Coordinator of the Judicial Integrity Group Jose Igreja Matos: Judge, Court of Appeal, Porto, Portugal, President of the European Association of Judges, and Vice President of the International Association of Judges. Lynne Leitch: Justice, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Representative of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association, Chair of the Associations Gender Section Diego Garcia-Sayan: UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers The conference concluded with the adoption, by acclamation, of the declaration on judicial integrity and the invitation by Masoud Mohamed Alameri, Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Council of Qatar, to hold the networks next conference in Qatar. Addressing the participants, Chief Justice Alameri stressed: We should remember that our efforts are of historic value to us, as it will be the first purely judicial project connecting and bringing together the worlds judicial authorities under the auspices of the United Nations. The meeting was closed by Dimitri Vlassis, Chief of the UNODC Crime and Corruption Branch, who congratulated participants on the fruitful and constructive spirit of the discussions, commenting: The Global Judicial Integrity Network is an initiative of paramount importance in strengthening judicial integrity and preventing corruption in the justice system. This meeting has given consideration to numerous crucial issues and has shown the need to come together and help one another in addressing them. It will be an honour to work with you all as we continue to encourage other judiciaries and stakeholders to join us on this important journey. A book titled Economic Policy in Sri Lanka Issues and Debates, edited by Dr. Saman Kelegama, was published by the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka in 2004. This book has 22 chapters in the volume, which are divided into six parts namely, Development Strategy and Ideology, Macroeconomic Policy, Agriculture, Industry and Technology Development, Employment and Labour, Institutional and Governance Issues and Social Welfare. Whilst all these are important points, a key factor that has been left out, from the point of view of this writer, is urbanisation. Although the other factors go towards the overall development of the country, little thought had been given to planned urbanisation to fuel gross domestic product (GDP) growth, in fact not until as recent as 15 years ago. In 2014, the United Nations put out a report World Urbanisation Prospects, which says that 16 countries were still at low levels of urbanisation i.e. below 20 percent. The largest amongst them, with a total population of 10 million inhabitants or more, include Burundi, Ethiopia, Malawi, Niger, South Sudan, Uganda in Africa and Nepal and Sri Lanka in Asia. This fact seems quite significant since it has now become clear that the cities have higher GDP than the rural areas. At a recent function held at The Kingsbury Hotel for the launch of the Development Control Regulations for the Colombo Port City, the Megapolis and Western Development Minister made a point of this. Quoting from the book Winning Global Markets by the well-known marketing specialists, Philip and Milton Kotler, he said the growth of nations is intimately tied with the growth of their major cities. Top cities have grown faster in GDP than the rate of their countrys GDP growth. Major cities are the source of a nations wealth, not the other way around. In the markets of a nations major cities, investment, trade and consumption take place. Yet, as pointed out by the Kotlers in their book, development economists have spent the last 70 years focusing on nation building and national economic growth instead of city growth. They say that following World War II, the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund as well as the United States and Soviet Union, pursued policies of building national economies as a route to economic development and growth. In fact, they refer to the fact that the Soviet Union sank because its cities sank, since the Soviet Union, India and other nations when propounding central policy that held a tight rein on local initiative, their cities declined in economic growth, environmental quality and social stability. The Kotlers say that the same warning could be applied to the United State as the Federal Government has paid little attention to the economic growth of key American cities. The predictions therefore are clear. As the World Urbanisation Prospects report says, it is Africa and Asia that are urbanising more rapidly than the other regions of the world. The rate of urbanisation, measured as the average annual rate of change of the percentage, urban is reported as the highest in Asia and Africa, whilst the regions that already have relatively high levels of urbanisation are urbanising at a slower pace. In 2004, the sitting government made the first move in taking the urbanisation route. Until then, the country as a whole from its policies and its political culture had been trending towards developing the rural sector more than its urban sector. Whilst there is nothing wrong with developing the rural sector, it is probable that this lopsided development is at the root of Sri Lanka not having a robust economy. It was in 2004 that the initial thoughts for a Port City actually germinated, when the Singaporean company CESMA was invited by the government to draw up a plan. The development plan they came up with recommended the expansion of the current central business district (CBD). However, it was only in 2010 that the Sri Lanka Ports Authority asked the Urban Development Authority (UDA) to prepare a plan based on the 2004 CESMA proposal. The UDA submitted a completely locally drawn up plan for a 200-hectare city, on which the first environmental impact assessment was based. It was at this point that China Harbour Engineering Corporation (CHEC) came into the picture and requested to participate in this project. It invited the Swedish company SWECO to draw up a Master Plan based on the initial proposal of the UDA. In 2013, SWECO presented its plan and on approval, reclamation for the Port City began in 2014. As the Megapolis and Western Development Minister said in his recent speech, there is greater opportunity in the synergies of a city, especially because people from different walks of life come together and they fuel growth and consumption. It seems the concept of urbanisation is just catching on and since this cannot be done in an ad hoc manner, some serious planning is needed. As such, the Development Control Regulations (DCR) to the Port City Master Plan provides a clear mechanism for its implementation and directs both public and private sector developments with a set of development objectives, definitions and regulations. The Port City Colombo would be an extension of the existing citys CBD, with five new districts i.e. the Financial District, Marina, International Island, Central Park Living and Island living. Planning would create a robust economy and superior quality of life for the Port Citys residents in an environmentally sustainable manner, while the differentiator would be the resolve to set up a clear implementation process for enforcement, such as the DCR. Clear regulations for all parties involved would work towards delivering this planned world-class city. The Colombo Port City Development Project DCR is organised within a framework of four volumes, which covers four key areas, i.e. urban design, utility, landscape and sustainability. The strategies for development are described and then translated to mandatory plot-level regulations for the developers to follow. As the Port City takes the lead in sustainable urban development in the city of Colombo, it is expected to be the beacon that attracts the right kind of investors to create fitting synergies that would expand our urban landscape. Plans for the Megapolis itself are huge in terms of developing urban infrastructure and the Port City would undoubtedly be the catalyst in sparking off GDP in the Western Province. April is National Donate Life month and here in New York, I have helped lead an increased effort to encourage more people to become organ and tissue donors. Several new laws have been enacted in recent years to enhance public awareness and increase the number of New Yorkers who sign up to help save lives through organ, tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation. One new law now in effect is helping expand the pool of eligible donors by lowering the age of consent for New Yorkers who choose to become a donor. This new law allows New Yorkers aged 16 or older who wish to consent to donation the ability to enroll in the states Donate Life Registry. However, in the event that the young person may be considered for organ, eye, or tissue donation, the parents of that individual will be notified and given the final authorization for donation to take place. Another measure that is now law provides an additional opportunity for New Yorkers to document their decision to enroll as an organ and tissue donor. All applicants for health insurance offered through the state health benefit exchange are asked during the application process if they would like to register for the Donate Life Registry. This small revision is an effective method of increasing awareness about how easy it is to sign up to be an organ donor. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Audi will double its locally-produced models in China to 12 in the next five years, Joachim Wedler, Audi China's general manager, said to Chinese media. Besides, he also revealed that the new energy model co-developed by Audi and Porsche will soon be introduced in China. In addition, until 2022, Audi will own 7 locally-produced SUV models in China among which four models are BEVs (battery electric vehicle). Mr. Wedler added that Rupert Stadler, the existing global CEO of Audi brand, will not only take charge of Audi's businesses worldwide, but also is responsible for the sales businesses of Volkswagen's newly-built luxury-car unit and Volkswagen group. Although the SAIC-VW program is steadily progressing under Audi's strategy, Audi still focus on some long- periodic businesses like making product layouts with its Chinese partners SAIC Motor and FAW Group, according to Wedler. Besides, he showed that Audi has no concrete timetable about the SAIC-VW program. In November 2016, SAIC-VW and Audi officially signed a cooperation agreement to build a joint sales company and let SAIC-VW manufacture Audi's locally-produced models in China. The German luxury vehicle brand will highlight the sale of high-end products, enrichment of locally-produced model portfolios, business expansion in mobility area and the SAIC-VW program. Mr. Wedler revealed that the all-new Audi Q8 will make its world debut in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. In addition, Audi China intends to develop its mobility businesses in China with help of its Chinese partners. For instance, Audi and FAW Group signed a memorandum of understanding in March this year to set up a new company for mobility and digital services. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On Apr. 20, the BYTON Concept, the first concept of BYTON, made its China debut in Beijing, after it was showed off at the CES 2018. It is revealed that BYTON will start presale of the model exclusive to its internal staff members on Apr. 25. In the second half of this year, it is expected that the new model can be ordered by ordinary consumers. At the same time, BYTON also unveiled some photos of its second model, which is positioned as a middle-sized luxury sedan. The model will make its debut at the CES Asia 2018 in June. Dr. Carsten Breitfeld, CEO of BYTON, also emphasized that BYTON aims to root in China and to deploy across the whole world. Currently, BYTON has established an intelligent manufacturing base and a product R&D center in Nanjing. At the beginning of April, its trial manufacturing plant in Nanjing finished construction. In the following months, the sample models will roll off the production line and be used in applying qualification as well as in all sorts of tests. What's more, the four technique workshops including stamping, welding, painting and assembling will finish construction in October and will introduce manufacturing equipment. When it comes to intelligent connected vehicle area, BYTON reached strategic cooperation with Baidu in artificial intelligent (AI) onboard system. At the same time, BYTON has established strategic partnership with world-leading self-driving startup Aurora. According to the previous plan, BYTONs first mass-produced model will carry the L3 driver assistance function in 2019. In terms of marketing channel, sharing mobility and charging service, BYTON had announced that it had partnered with Suning, saying both parties will make a commitment on innovation planning of new retail and charging service. It is said that both parties will conduct small-scale trial in sharing cars. BYTON also is clearing its timetable of products promotion and channel construction, based on the localized cooperation with Chinese partners. According to the plan, BYTON will open its first brand experiencing store in Shanghai. In the future, BYTON's brand stores will hit the Chinese, American and European market. Apart from the existing SUV models, BYTON will release sedan and MPV models in the future, targeting to market them in China, America and Europe in 2021 and 2022. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- In March 2018, Chinas Passenger Vehicle (PV) sales increased by 4.9% year-on-year (YoY) to 2.19 million units and 45.9% from 1.45 million in February. YTD PV sales increase to 5.99 mn units from 5.78 million of the same period last year. The timing of the Chinese New Year holiday caused distortion that wholesale volume in February declined sharply, but the wholesale bounced as expected in the following month. Many people believe that it will be a better year than 2017 in which growth rate approached 2.5% in the end if they simply read the wholesale data of this Q1. However, the market is still destocking and the situation is still tough if we compare wholesale data with production and retail data. We foresee the process will last to April or even May. Different from the traditional PV segment, Chinas New-Energy PV still keeps fast paces in both sales and production. In March, the wholesale of NEV (PV) reached more than 56 thousandunits, increasing by 102.1% YoY. The finalization of temporary subsidy policy may spur the OEMs to increase sales and production plans in next few months like Q4 of 2017. We are happy to see plug-in hybrids maintain strong momentum in sales and private acceptance, but PHEVs still cannot immediately shake the leader position of all electric cars in China market. On the other hand, A00 consolidates its market share in BEV sector from 54% in March 2017 to 68% in March 2018. It seems that the market is turning to usual pattern and will continue in a period of time. On 10 April, President Xi sent out an exciting message to global auto industry that China will progressively eliminate the restrictions on local ventures equity ratio of foreign automakers and is ready to appreciably cut tariffs on imported vehicles when he was giving a speech in Boao Forum for Asia (BFA). According to governments timing plan, China will waive the restrictions on NEVs and special-use vehicles in this year, on commercial vehicles in 2020, and on traditional passenger vehicles in 2022. It is also seen as a gift to most global automakers who have been looking forward to it for many years. For China, the new policy is to attract extensive introductions and localizations of cutting-edge automotive technologies and manufacturing processes, especially in fields of C.A.S.E (connected, autonomous, shared, and electrified). For these foreign companies, the policy encourages them to bring more investments and engagements on R&D and manufacturing in a more fair environment. The essence of the restrictions is to result in a win-win mode. However, it still cannot totally remove worries of those foreign automakers because they are concerned about many problems, such as how to manage relationships with governments, how to prevent hostile overtakes of China giants, and if the government will set intangible limits in other processes. We think that the open policy will furtherly spur the possibilities of cooperation that produce all-electric vehicles and will provide more choices for these global automakers when they select a new partner. The potential JV like SAIC-Audi and Great Wall-BMW will also be pushed in spotlight timely as the policy issue. However, we are not optimistic that those foreign giants will build relationships with startups because they are not powerful in eyes of global companies but it is a trend that some state-owned auto companies are getting much more involved in the businesses of these startups. Tesla is another policy beneficiary that would be able to produce EV cars independently in China if Sino-US trade conflicts wont be upgraded. But, at present, Elon Musk is more hoping that the tariffs cut can be taken into effect as soon as possible. Divorce between current JV partners after 2022 seems not easy. A natural advantage of local partners is that they have dependable governmental backgrounds and can handle complicated government relationships. If the foreign companies recklessly shake off their current local friends, they will have to spend much more on managing governmental relationships and will meet intangible difficulties in situations. During the period of time (by 2022), we cannot ignore the ascent of power of Chinese auto companies. Local giants like SAIC, Changan, Geely, Greatwall, DFAC, BAIC, and GAC have advantages of capital, supply chains, and labor resources which allow them negotiate equally on the table. For those tiny local OEMs, we consider that they will transform themselves to be a role as manufacturer. Although the government opens China market to global deeply, they are targeting to deepen cooperation through removal of restrictions on foreign equity ratio. It is undoubted that the new round of cooperation will push the development of EV sector to a higher level. The balance of game will partly restructure the PV market in the long run because some JV relationships have been unbreakable after decades. To get full China PV market report, please click here. This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. 22 April 2018 (CBC News) Authorities in Peru are investigating after an Indigenous spiritual leader was shot to death, a case that local media reports say resulted in the killing of a Canadian citizen in reprisal for the murder. Olivia Arevalo Lomas, who was 81 and from the Shipibo-Conibo ethnic group, was shot twice and died at her home in the Ucayali region of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest on Thursday, 19 April 2018. Arevalo Lomas was a leader in the community, an Indigenous rights activist and a traditional healer. Her killing has sparked local outrage following other unsolved murders of Indigenous activists who had repeatedly faced death threats related to efforts to keep illegal loggers and oil palm growers off Indigenous peoples lands. Citing a spokesperson for Perus Attorney General, Reuters reported that some villagers had blamed Arevalo Lomass murder on a Canadian citizen who lived in the region and who was believed to have been one of her clients. []On its website, the Office of Public Defender of Peru (the Peruvian Ombudsman) condemned the murder of Arevalo Lomas and said police are interviewing her relatives and possible witnesses. It also said the lives of Indigenous people are at risk with the increase in activities such as illegal logging, illegal mining and drug trafficking. [ more ] Peru deaths of Canadian and Indigenous healer under investigation LIMA (Reuters) A Canadian man was lynched in the Peruvian Amazon after residents of a remote village accused him of killing an 81-year-old medicine woman a day earlier, a spokesman for the attorney generals office said on Sunday. Olivia Arevalo, a traditional healer of the Shipibo-Conibo tribe, was shot twice and died on Thursday near her home in the Amazonian region of Ucayali, said Ricardo Palma Jimenez, the head of a group of prosecutors in Ucayali. Some villagers had blamed Arevalos murder on Sebastian Paul Woodroffe, a 41-year-old Canadian citizen who lived in the region and who was believed to have been one of her clients, said Jimenez. Police found Woodroffes body buried about 1 km (0.6 mile)from Arevalos home on Saturday, after a cellphone video recording of the Friday lynching was shared on social media, said Jimenez. The video shows a man groaning in a puddle near a thatched-roof structure as another man puts a rope around his neck and drags him with others looking on. Jimenez said prosecutors were exploring several hypotheses related to Arevalos murder and that it was too early to name suspects in the case. No arrests had been made yet related to Woodroffes death, he added. We will not rest until both murders, of the indigenous woman as well as the Canadian man, are solved, said Jimenez in a phone interview. Jimenez said the man in the video was Woodroffe and that an autopsy of his body showed he died by strangulation after receiving several blows across his body. Arevalos murder had prompted outrage in Peru following other unsolved murders of indigenous activists who had repeatedly faced death threats related to efforts to keep illegal loggers and oil palm growers off native lands. [more] 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. B2B Talent mobility platform BenchOn has raised $650,000 in seed capital to meet market demand for its software solution to employee underutilisation, estimated to cost the Australian economy $305 billion each year in lost productivity. [Related: Can For-Profit businesses still have a Social Impact? BenchOns founder provides answers and Why the startup ecosystem needs more non-technical entrepreneurs, not stereotypes] Founded in March 2016 by BlueChilli startup accelerator alumni and former military man Tim Walmsley, BenchOn helps businesses avoid cashflow problems and the loss of valuable employees during downturn periods by matching their idle staff to short-term contracts with other companies. In the past 18 months, the Brisbane-based company has processed over $50million worth of contracts across a variety of industries including defence, IT, construction, mining, engineering, cyber security and logistics. In conversation with Dynamic Business, Walmsley discussed his plans for the seed funding and the scope of the employee underutilisation problem in Australia. He also revealed how battlefield tactics helped him in business and how BlueChilli has helped him avoid landmines and keep his startup dream alive. DB: What prompted you to undertake a seed round? Walmsley: Market demand for our service. We are now working with a number of global enterprise clients and also recently started a pilot program with one of Australias largest corporate organisations. Doing so meant we needed to scale and so investment was critical for this to happen. Developing the tech side of our platform to support this exponential growth is another factor. We have had a very strong start to 2018, so I am pleased we have done this. DB: Who did you secure funding from and why? Walmsley: The funding round was made up of angel investors, high net worth individuals and follow on investment from our current investors. We took a tact of only looking for investors that would add something to the company via experience, networks or advice and we are very happy with the result. We now have top industry experts on our board and some very passionate investors who are already creating some amazing introductions and strategic plans. DB: Where will the funding be applied in BenchOn? Walmsley: Well be using the funding to hire key staff across tech development, marketing and operations, and to support platform scale and functionality through tech development, including new data insight features for our clients. Well also undertaken a national marketing campaign being across 10 industries in just 18 months means it is critical that we have visibility in front of companies who really need our service. DB: How problematic is employee underutilisation? Walmsley: Employee underutilisation rates are much bigger than everyone thinks. Current research puts the figure at $305 billion each year just in Australia and it is affecting more industries as they increasingly become contract-based. This problem doesnt just affect businesses, it affects the staff, industry stakeholders and the economy as a whole. Business owners find themselves between a rock and a hard place where they either have to let their staff go in the downturns to survive or they keep them on and risk financial ruin as the benched employee soaks up the available cash-flow. By letting staff go, they are also letting go of their capability, corporate knowledge and productivity. Staff experience reduced job stability with many being forced to become independent contractors or consultants. Imagine the culture in your business when your employees are never sure when their head is next on the chopping block. Industry suffers from increased cost of consulting support as prices are inflated to cover the cost of underutilisation periods and overhead. It also suffers from an erosion of the foundation of industry being small businesses. The economy suffers from a reduction in full time job creation as more and more staff are forced into freelancing or independent consulting. This creates increased risk of people falling through the cracks and requiring Government assistance. DB: How is BenchOn securing buy-in from businesses? Walmsley: What is exciting about BenchOn is the potential for the platform to reimagine how businesses manage their employee productivity and the overall positive social impact that the business model is already producing. We have launched the 1000 Job Pledge where BenchOn in conjunction with industry is pledging to create 1000 new full-time jobs. We take this very seriously and see it as a pledge which sets the economic conditions for businesses to be able to hire new staff and keep them. It is the large end of town pledging to support small businesses in maximising their productivity so that they can reduce their overheads, increase cashflow and use that cashflow to grow their team. Its an exciting new job creation concept and I cant wait to see what benefits it produces in industry in the long term. DB: How did BenchOn spin out of your Defence career? Walmsley: The defence industry is heavily affected by peaks and troughs of work as well as a growing talent shortage in specialist areas. With around 4000 companies in the industry, its no wonder that businesses cant find who they need when they need it. I took the experiences and conversations that I had with multiple business owners and employees and built a platform that is designed to make life easier for both parties. Defence also has some of the most restrictive and time-consuming contracting processes in Australia, so our processes were designed to meet those requirements, and in that way less restrictive industries can take advantage of those greater protections. DB: Has this background shaped you as an entrepreneur? Walmsley: My time in the military prepared me well for life as an entrepreneur, which is strange when you think about it. Defence teaches you how to think, not what to think so it doesnt matter the issue or task you come up against, you have a mental process on how to assess it, mitigate it and create an action plan to meet it. I still use my military appreciation process when conducting strategic planning. You simply change Enemy Assessment to Competitor Assessment and you change Environment Assessment which looks at the lay of the land and change it to Market Assessment. The rest still lines up Mission analysis, Analysis of your capabilities, Course of Action Development, Course of Action Analysis and Decision and Execution. Im constantly amazed that it works just as well in business as it does on the battlefield. DB: What role has BlueChilli played in BenchOns fortunes? Walmsley: As a non-tech founder, the BlueChilli accelerator was exactly what I needed. Firstly, they have a step -by-step guide to taking your business from idea to scale. As a military man, I loved the idea of following the bouncing ball to ensure that I didnt miss anything. It gives you a quality guarantee that the business has been set up right and you wont step on any land mines later on. Secondly, they taught me the lean development approach in developing my Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Before I was introduced to BlueChilli, I had system engineered the platform that I wanted to build and took it to an IT developer whose solution was way more expensive than I had hoped. I thought that was it. The idea was over. Then I met BlueChilli. Without them, it either wouldnt have happened or would have been a very long road to get off the ground. It only took 6 months from our first meeting for me to have a working product out in the market generating revenue. There is no doubt the big banks remain major players in the SME lending market however, there has been a steady rise in the number of non-bank lenders offering fast and flexible lending options in this space. They are able to move much faster than the traditional banker with their unique fintech approach, giving small business owners across Australia alternative options when seeking business funding. Going hand-in-hand with this preference for more flexible finance solutions amongst SMEs is the demand for unsecured lending options. Business owners are demonstrating they understand the need to pay a small premium in return for fast, flexible finance options which do not require them to place the family home up as security. What is a non-bank lender? Put simply, a non-bank lender is a financier who is not a bank or credit union. Instead, a non-bank lender will (in most cases) have privately raised funds with which it can lend under the criteria it chooses. Benefits of non-bank lenders In addition to offering unsecured options, non-bank lenders typically have far lower application requirements. Instead of being required to provide a full 12-months of financials for your business, along with a vast array of other paperwork, non-bank lenders often only require 3-months of bank statements to verify there is sufficient cashflow to service the requested loan amount. Further, non-bank lenders are less restricted by the regulations that are enforced on the big banks and are often able process, approve and fund loans inside 24-hours. Drawbacks of using a non-bank lender Many would say they are drawn to their bank due to the comfort it provides, knowing banks are large institutions backed by the government which are highly regulated. As such, many would perceive the main disadvantage of using a non-bank lender is the perceived vulnerability associated with dealing with a smaller business. In addition, there is a perception in the market that non-bank lender loan products are more expensive than traditional lending options. In reality, both of these points arent necessarily true. Many non-bank lenders have balance sheets every bit as strong as the traditional lenders and their tech-based systems provide nimble checks & balances allowing them to tailor solutions and offer small business owners a degree of flexibility the big end of town can only dream of! Is a non-bank lender right for me? Business owners should review the pros and cons of loan products from both the big banks and non-bank lenders to find the best suited finance solution for their needs. No longer are business owners restricted to only working with 4 or 5 key institutions when it comes to securing finance for their business. They should include in these considerations the relative cost, ability to tailor a solution and speed when making their decision Would you like to explore non-bank lending options? Unsecured Finance Australia is a specialist in the non-bank lending of unsecured business loan options in Australia. Founded in early 2015, the company has assisted in arranging funding thousands of businesses from around Australia with affordable, flexible fast unsecured funding options. We have seen a sharp increase in the number of businesses seeking small business funding in the last 12-18 months. The speed and flexibility we can provide with our lending solutions allow our clients to grow and support their increasing cash-flow needs. We can also provide solutions for specific opportunities and projects and this has seen an ever increasing demand over and above what our customers can achieve with their traditional banking source. Rob Hayward, Director Unsecured Finance Australia 2018 About the author Jack Jordan With a strong academic and practical grounding in business and finance, Jack Jordan currently works as a Director of a number of Australian based tech and finance companies. A keen interest in the growth and development of businesses operating in the fintech industry saw him join the management team of Unsecured Finance Australia in early 2016. 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. 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How migratory birds are moving Lyme disease to new places and peoples A mass migration would deliver more ticks and likely more disease to Canada in coming years, in the form of beautiful waves of song sparrows and wrens, red-winged blackbirds, and warblers Armenias Prime Minister Sargsyan resigned Serzh Sarksyan, the newly appointed prime minister of Armenia, resigned after protests against him. After Nikol Pashinyan, opposition's leaders arrest, tens of thousands of Armenian opposition supporters had taken to the streets against Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan. Serzh Sargsyan had said he will resign after days of large street protests against him, according to a statement posted on his website. His resignation comes after more than a week of heavy protests. In the statement, Sarksyan said: Nikol Pashinayn was right. I was mistaken. There are several solutions to this situation, but I will not apply to any of them. Its not for me. Im leaving the post of the countrys leader, the Prime Minister. Nikol Pashinyan was released earlier today after he had been detained on Sunday after failing to reach any deal in brief talks with Sargsyan, who called for a dialogue between the government and opposition. Russian presidents spokesperson Dmitry Peskov made a statement regarding the issue. This is absolutely Armenias domestic affair, this is all I can say Peskov said asked if Russia saw a threat of destabilization in the region amid the protests in Armenia. We carefully follow the ongoing developments in Armenia. Armenia is our closest ally with which we are developing very close relations. Armenia is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, that country is important for us: therefore, we carefully follow the developments there he added. Haaretz made an analysis on approaching elections in Turkey Israeli Haaretz newspaper has published a paper on the announcement of snap presidential and parliamentary elections on 24 June in Turkey referring that President Erdogans victory is guaranteed. Turkey will hold snap elections on June 24 instead of the previously declared date of Nov. 3, 2019, as President Erdogan announced. With Turkey going to early parliamentary and presidential polls in 65 days, world wide media outlets focused on Turkey. In an article published in Israeli Haaretz by Simon A. Waldman, it was expressed that Erdogans victory is guaranteed. "OPPOSITIONS DON'T HAVE AN CANDIDATE WHO CAN RIVAL ERDOGAN" It was said that opposition parties are on the back foot: The main opposition, the Republican Peoples Party (CHP), does not have an official presidential candidate, let alone a figure who can rival Erdogan. The recent announcement of snap presidential and parliamentary elections on 24 June, 17 months ahead of schedule, was a smart move. Sure, Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party were always going to win, but now victory is all but guaranteed. stated Waldman. Actress Samia Shoaib reveals that she was befriended by Allison Mack in hopes of recruiting her to the Nxivm sex cult she's part of. Mack was arrested for her alleged role in a sex cult last Friday, April 20. Shoaib Speaks Out On Experience With Mack The Pakistani-born actress tells The Post that she met Mack during an audition for a television pilot in 2013. "I wish I could tell you alarm bells went off, but they really didn't," Shoaib shares, calling Mack "a very sweet girl." Upon learning of her fellow actress's involvement in Nxivm, Shoaib remembers the time when Mack reached out to her after their initial meeting. "Is there anything you have read that you can send to me?" Mack says to her in an email in March 2013. "I would love to get into your brain a bit?!" In a later email, the actress also called Shoaib and her friend "delicious women" after their last meeting. Shoaib, 47, recalls how the Smallville star seemed desperate at the time, but not dangerous. The pair met in person twice, once at a restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue and another at Shoaib's own apartment in the Upper West Side. Mack looked increasingly gaunt and fragile with each meeting, Shoaib continues, adding that the alleged sex cult leader seemed to be physically suffering and sleep deprived. The two of them would talk about feminism and Mack would bring up a Nxivm-affiliated women's group, but she'd always be vague about the group. "[She'd say] 'It's a bunch of women. We go on a retreat upstate, and we share our experiences and support each other,'" Shoaib recalls. Eventually, Mack backed off and Shoaib suspects her retreat was related to her age. In a Twitter post after her interview, the Sixth Sense star says she felt talking about her experience with Mack was her responsibility. I didn't sign up to be an apologist for her or that vile cult. She struck me as a haunted, lost soul and that's the truth. Stop trolling me. I chose to disclose that Allison Mack attempted to recruit me into her "women's circle" as I felt it was my responsibility to speak up.I didn't sign up to be an apologist for her or that vile cult. She struck me as a haunted, lost soul and that's the truth. Stop trolling me. https://t.co/ytyp6skZkd Samia Shoaib (@TheWhackyPaki) April 22, 2018 Mack's Arrest Mack, 35, was arrested for sex trafficking for her alleged involvement in the cult-like Nxivm group. If convicted, the actress could be subject to up to 15 years to life imprisonment. Apparently, the Smallville actress is considered one of the "masters" of the so-called sex cult with the role of recruiting "sex slaves" for the group. Nxivm leader Keith Raniere has already been arrested ahead of Mack in March. It's reported that Mack had an intimate relationship with the leader. The Middleton sisters are hit with baby fever! Pippa Middleton is pregnant with her first child with financier husband, James Matthews. Middleton, 34, married Matthews, 42, in a lavish ceremony in May 2017. The couple announced the joyful news to family and friends after the 12-week scan confirmed the pregnancy, a report from Sun revealed. The baby is said to be due in October. Middleton Family Ecstatic For Pippa, James Nearly one year into their marriage, the Duchess of Cambridge's younger sister is finally expecting a child. "When Pippa found out she was pregnant, she was obviously thrilled and utterly overjoyed," a friend tells The Sun. "Pippa and James have always known they wanted children," another insider adds. "They have made the most of their first few months of marriage and felt the time was right to expand their family." Similarly thrilled at the prospect of a bundle of joy for the married couple is the Middleton clan, including Kate, who is also expecting a child at the moment. "Naturally, big sister Kate and parents, Carole and Michael, were the first people she told - James aside - and they could not have been more delighted," the source continues. "It's been a tough few weeks for the two families, so this has provided some much-needed happiness and light relief." Devastating Family Scandal The pregnancy is a wonderful balm for the families, especially the Matthews clan after reports of patriarch David was arrested last March for alleged rape of a female minor back in the 1990s. The 74-year-old former race car driver was reportedly released on bail, but he remains under judicial control. Investigation is ongoing. David, through his spokesman, denies all the allegations "unequivocally." Baby Fever For Middletons, Matthews A slew of babies are set to join family reunions in the near future as the two Middleton sisters are expecting new additions to their respective families. The Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant with her third child with Prince William. She's set to give birth in just a few days to a sibling for Prince George, 4, and Princess Charlotte, 2. Similarly, James will also be sharing the first-time father experience with his own brother Spencer. Spencer, also known as one of the former stars of Made in Chelsea, will also be welcoming a new baby with his model fiancee, Vogue Williams. The couple announced the joyful news in a shoot for Hello Magazine last March. The Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel will take Peter Parker around the globe and not just in the Queens neighborhood, something that can be anticipated in the next franchise. Avengers: Infinity War is just days till it sees light, but already a few details had been released of the Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is believed that the Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel will be the first of the fourth phase. Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios president, revealed in an interview with io9 that the journey of Spider-Man on the sequel would be larger than his first affairs as would indeed be swinging around the globe. "[W]e shoot a lot of films in London but there's another reason we're shooting in London which is, yes, Spidey, of course, will spend some time in New York, but he'll spend some time in other parts of the globe," Feige said. Spider-Man's Storyline That said, it is interesting to think how Spider-Man's storyline would play out in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, which could ultimately be essential to figuring out how and why the character needs to do some traveling. Feige remained tight-lipped about the details, though he said production will start in July. However, his words could only ignite a thong of predictions from fans. How will Spider-Man be able to go to London? What will he do there? One guess is that he had a field trip in the country, much like when Peter Parker and his team went to Washington. The news could be a game-changer for the superhero, who remained being a savior in New York. Going to London could give the franchise a little bit of spice, since its two films had Spider-Man in the Big Apple. It could also be a great storyline for Spider-Man, who could explore the beauties of other European countries. It also somewhat supports rumors that an audition for a French actress to take on the role of the superhero's leading lady, Gwen Stacy, has been ongoing. This was what prompted speculations that Stacy would be an exchange student. But with the recent light of news, it seemed that Parker will be the exchange student. While there is still no word yet on the Spider-Man's narration, it is expected that details will leak and speculations will begin to swirl after the Avengers: Infinity War. The Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel is slated for a July 5, 2019 release. It remains untitled yet, as of writing. Royal baby number three is here! Prince William and his wife, The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, welcomed another son. A Royal Baby Arrival Kensington Palace announced the news just hours after Middleton gave birth. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs, read the statement. The palace went on to announce that the newborn weighs 8 lbs and 7oz. and confirmed that Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, was there for the delivery. Members of the royal family including The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Williams brother, Prince Harry, and more royal relatives received updates on the royal babys arrival, the statement added. The family is reportedly delighted about the addition to the family. The palace also gave the public an update on Middletons health after her delivery and said that she and the baby boy are doing fine. The babys name will be released soon, and it looks like Arthur and Albert are the top picks for possible names for the newborn. As for the newborn's big brother, four-year-old Prince George, he was said to be at school when Middleton gave birth. Princess Charlotte, who will turn 3 next month, was at the Kensington Palace. Delivery Details Along with the royal familys statement, the Royalist Town Crier stood on the steps of the Lindo Wing to shout the news of the royal babys arrival just moments after Middleton delivered at St. Marys Hospital in London. Its the same facility where she gave birth to Princess Charlotte and Prince George. Middleton checked into the prestigious hospital just before 6 a.m. U.K. time. At the time, she was in the early stages of labor. A Royal Celebration According to royal tradition, members of the family will visit the baby, Middleton, and Prince William, before they head home from the hospital. The celebration will continue with a gun salute in a London park as well as a visit from Queen Elizabeth once the couple and their child arrive home at Kensington Palace. Meanwhile, fans and the public have camped out at the hospital with the anticipation of getting a glimpse at the royal baby when Prince William and Middleton hold a small press meeting similar to the ones they did for their two oldest children. Be sure to keep up with Enstars for the latest news and updates. Why I am no longer a conservative Republican By Dr. Robert Owens Maybe its just me but Im tired of the same old same old in our politics. The big-box monopoly parties have morphed into two sides of the same coin, two heads on the same bird of prey. Today our choice boils down to the Conservative Republican tax and spend, infringe personal liberty, and outsource or sovereignty policies or the Liberal Democrat tax and spend, infringe personal liberty, and outsource or sovereignty policies. But of course, since we dont want to throw away our vote we must vote for one of the big boys. Conservative? Liberal? Tweedle Dee Or Tweedle Dum? As a voter Ive had my Damascus Road experience, the scales have fallen from my eyes, and I have reached the point where I would rather throw away my vote voting for someone who might actually try to find a different way to operate our government besides taxing like the Sun King and spending like a drunken sailor. (By the way, do you know the difference between how a drunken sailor spends and how the Republicrats spend? The drunken sailor is spending his own money.) And what might this different way be? How about this for radical: lets return to constitutional government? WOW! what a concept. How did we arrive at the current situation? James Madison in his speech to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 16, 1788 said, There are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by the gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpation. We didnt get here all in one jump. First the camel said, Can I just stick my nose in your tent to stay warm? and finally the generous man found himself out in the cold as the camel settled down for a nice warm nap, one inch at a time. The compassion of our people built a safety net for those who needed help, and the greed of the lazy have turned it into a hammock. America, the Land of the Free has turned into America, from each according to their abilities to each according to their need. The willingness to share our heritage has led America to welcome more immigrants each year than the rest of the world combined, and the abuse of our generosity has turned into a migration invasion that threatens to overwhelm us and destroy the future of our children. Taxes imposed to meet the ever-swelling demands of government have turned into a blatant wealth re-distribution program that makes most pyramid schemes look fair. Sometimes I think our government looks at a productive citizen as merely a source of residual income. Or as the ads promise, our leaders lay on the beach of self-importance and our checks just keep pouring in. We are no longer respected as Citizens. Instead, we are coveted as consumers, or human capital. Albert Einstein said, Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If we want a different world we have to start at the only place we have the absolute sovereign ability to make a change, we must start with ourselves. I quit the Republican Party once it was obvious that the Republican majority in Congress I had spent my entire adult life working for was just a change in leadership and not a change in direction. I quit calling myself a conservative after the second Bush debacle made it obvious that the conservative movement had been hijacked by the neocons and I realized that you cant defend a captured position. You cant conserve what has already been lost. I realized that we as a people, we as a federation of States need to find a different way. One thing I know, no one person can do this alone. No one group can do it. To make any headway in the face of the electoral monopoly held by the party of power the many third party groups are going to have to coalesce into an effective opposition. We cant let divisions divide us any more, egos will have to be suppressed, and we will have to bond together with everyone dedicated to limited government, personal liberty, and economic freedom. None of us can roll this big rock up this steep hill by ourselves. However, together we can. Winston Churchill said, "If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed, if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not so costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves." Looking at the increasing speed with which the Progressive regime (read Deep State) is building its command and control structure, the future is invading the present at an ever accelerating pace. Their living document has made the Constitution a dead letter. Their mixed economy has as many people on the dole as on the job. The Feds printing press is burying us, our children, and their grandchildren taking out a mortgage on lives that havent been lived and spending money from taxes on work that hasnt been done. We must unite if these United States are to once again become the land of the free and the home of the brave instead of the land of the free lunch and the home of the knave. Quoting Ben Franklin, "We must hang together, gentlemen...else, we shall most assuredly hang separately." Today we have a chance. President Trump is dedicated to draining the swamp. The swamp is equally dedicated to getting rid of Trump. Their embedded judges make rulings which are not even pretending to follow the law to thwart him. The Russian collusion witch hunt continues to provide cover for Hillarys actual crimes by trying to invent ones with which to impeach The Donald. I will end with one more quote from Winston Churchill, Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, neverin nothing, great or small, large or pettynever give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Dr. Robert Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com 2018 Robert R. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens / Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens Home The double standards industry By Paul Driessen Its a good thing environmentalists have double standards or they wouldnt have any standards at all. Empire State legislators worry that anything above the current 0.0001% methane in Earths atmosphere will cause catastrophic climate change, and that pipelines will disturb wildlife habitats. So they oppose fracking for natural gas in New York and pipelines that would import the clean fuel from Pennsylvania. But then they bribe or force rural and vacation area communities to accept dozens of towering wind turbines that impact thousands of acres, destroy scenic views, kill thousands of birds and bats annually, and affect the sleep and health of local residents to generate pricey intermittent electricity that is sent on high voltage transmission lines to Albany, Manhattan and other distant cities. Meanwhile, developers are building a 600-mile pipeline to bring natural gas from West Virginia to North Carolina, to power generating plants that provide low-cost electricity almost 24/7/365. A portion of the 100-foot-wide pipeline right-of-way must go through forested areas, necessitating tree removal. To protect migratory birds and endangered bats, state and federal officials generally require that tree cutting be prohibited between mid-March and mid-October. Because the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is behind schedule, the companies sought approval to continue felling trees until May 15, to avoid further delays that could increase costs by $150-350 million. The request was denied. Not surprisingly, the pipeline, logging and request to cut during migratory and mating season continue to put the developers, regulators and environmentalists at loggerheads. A 16-mile long segment through Virginias George Washington National Forest has garnered particular attention. Although the short segment would affect just 200 of the GWNFs 1.1 million acres, the Virginia Wilderness Committee claimed any tree cutting in the area would create an industrial zone and severely degrade some of the best remaining natural landscapes in the Eastern USA. The Southern Environmental Law Center called the entire project risky and unnecessary. They and allied groups prefer to keep fossil fuels in the ground and force a rapid transition to solar and wind energy. One has to wonder how they would react to the far greater environmental impacts their green energy future would bring. Will they be true to their convictions, or continue applying double standards? For example, using sun power to replace just the electricity from Virginias nearly 24/7/365 Lake Anna Nuclear Generating Station would require nearly 20,000 acres of solar panels (twice the size of Washington, DC) that would provide power just 20-30% of the time. The rest of the time, the commonwealth would need fossil fuel or battery backup power or homes, businesses, hospitals and schools would have to be happy with electricity when its available, instead of when they need it. Thats 100 times more land than needed for the pipeline, which will be underground and mostly invisible, whereas the highly visible solar panels would blanket former crop and habitat land for decades. Natural gas and coal generate about 55 million megawatt-hours of Virginias annual electricity. Replacing that with wind power would require thousands of gigantic turbines, sprawling across a half-million acres of forest, farm and other lands. Expensive backup battery arrays and transmission lines from wind farms to distant urban areas would require thousands of additional acres. (This rough calculation recognizes that many turbines would have to be located in poor wind areas and would thus generate electricity only 15-20% of the time. It also assumes that two-thirds of windy day generation would charge batteries for seven straight windless days, and that each turbine requires 15 acres for blade sweep, operational airspace and access roads.) The turbines, transmission lines and batteries would require millions of tons of concrete, steel, copper, neodymium, lithium, cobalt, petroleum-based composites and other raw materials; removing billions of tons of earth and rock to mine the ores; and burning prodigious amounts of fossil fuels in enormous smelters and factories to turn ores into finished components. Most of that work will take place in Africa, China and other distant locations out of sight, and out of mind for most Virginians, Americans and environmentalists. But as we are often admonished, we should act locally, think globally, and consider the horrendous environmental and health and safety conditions under which all these activities take place in those faraway lands. Many turbines will be located on mountain ridges, where the winds blow best and most often. Ridge tops will be deforested, scenic vistas will be ruined, and turbines will slice and dice migratory birds, raptors and bats by the tens of thousands every year. Those that arent yet threatened or endangered soon will be. The wind industry and many regulators and environmentalists consider those death tolls incidental takings, acceptable losses of expendable wildlife, essential for achieving the climate-protecting elimination of fossil fuels. The deaths are certainly not deliberate so the December 2018 Interior Department decision to end the possibility of criminal prosecutions for them, under the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act, makes sense. However, when regulators allow industrial wind facilities in and near migratory routes, nesting areas and other places where large numbers of eagles, hawks, falcons, migratory birds and bats congregate the number of deaths soars beyond incidental or acceptable. And as the number of US onshore wind turbines climbs from 40,000 a few years ago, to 52,000 today, to potentially millions under keep oil, gas and coal in the ground demands, the threat of decimation or extinction across wide areas skyrockets. Some say we should install future turbines offshore, in our coastal areas. Truly monstrous 3.5-megawatt turbines would certainly reduce the total number needed to replace substantial quantities of fossil fuel electricity. However, they would destroy scenic ocean vistas, decimate sea and shore bird populations (with carcasses conveniently sinking from sight), impair porpoise and whale sonar, interfere with radar and air traffic control, and create significant hazards for submarines and surface ships. Even worse, as wildlife biologist Jim Wiegand and other experts have noted, the wind industry has gone to great lengths to hide the actual death tolls. For example, they look only right under towers and blades (when carcasses and maimed birds can be catapulted hundreds of yards by blades that move at nearly 200 mph at their tips), canvass areas only once every few weeks (ensuring that scavengers eat the evidence), and make wind farms off limits to independent investigators. The bird and bat killings may not be criminal, but the fraud and cover-ups certainly are. The attitudes, regulations and penalties associated with wind turbines also stand in stark contrast to the inflexible, heavy-handed approach that environmentalists, regulators and courts typically apply to permit applications for drilling, pipelines, grazing and other activities where sage grouse and lesser prairie chickens are involved or requests to cut trees until May 15, to finish a Virginia pipeline. The Fish & Wildlife Service, Center for Biological Diversity and Audubon Society go apoplectic in those circumstances. (Audubon was outraged that Interior decriminalized accidental deaths of birds in oilfield waste pits.) But their silence over the growing bird and bat slaughter by wind turbines has been deafening. These attitudes and policies scream double standards! Indeed, consistent bird and bat protection policies would fairly and logically mean banning turbines in and near habitats, refuges and flyways or shutting them down during mating, nesting and migratory seasons. Its time to rethink all these policies. Abundant, reliable, affordable energy makes our jobs, health, living standards and civilization possible. The way were going, environmentalists, regulators and judges will block oil, gas and coal today nuclear and hydroelectric tomorrow and wind and solar facilities the following week sending us backward a century or more. Its time to say, Enough! Paul Driessen is senior policy analyst for the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (www.CFACT.org) and author of books and articles on energy and environmental policy. Home On the 330th anniversary of the Glorious Revolution -- the historical significance of the English Civil War (Part Five) By Mark Wegierski All these religious, dynastic, political, social, economic, and ethnic tensions flared intensely into armed conflict in the English Civil War. The term "English" is a bit misleading: although the primary focus of operations was England proper (as well as Wales and Cornwall), Scotland was also critical, and Cromwell, of course, extended major fighting to Ireland in the aftermath of the Civil War itself. The personalities of the two main protagonists were very different. Charles I was "a mild and placid King", genuinely concerned about the shedding of brotherly blood, with a somewhat quixotic aspect, and a strong streak of pessimism. (Even in his time, the Stuarts were often considered an ill-starred or unlucky dynasty.) This made him a rather poor politician and military leader, given to preferring gestures of principle to substantive political advantage. There were, for example, his pathetic and futile gestures to curry favor with his executioner. In fact, he went to his execution with the belief that the revulsion it would cause would result in the almost-instantaneous restoration of the monarchy in the person of his son, Charles II. Cromwell, by contrast, was generally able to see to the essence of the matter, utterly convinced of his rightness, never wavering and ruthless in political struggle. He understood the need for a well-drilled, professional force to win the war, and formed the New Model Army as his personal instrument. There has been some debate about the character of the New Model Army: were they really "true believers", fanatically-enthused Puritans, or rather well-drilled and disciplined professional mercenaries, assured of more regular pay than any other force in the war? The heroic but impetuous Cavaliers were no match for the iron drill and discipline of the New Model Army. Cromwell is probably the foremost architect of the new English state and cultural identity (which appropriated the term "British"). After he had won the war in England, with the support of London, the merchants, the haute-aristocracy, etc., he pushed all these social sectors aside and ruled as Lord Protector (from 1653) through the New Model Army and the very small, ultra-Puritan sector of society. In 1649, he crossed over to Ireland, to begin probably the most vicious anti-Irish war ever waged. After the virtually complete confiscation of Irish Catholic landed property, he proposed confining Irish Catholics to a small, barren reservation in the west part of Ireland which would, furthermore, be completely cut off from the sea, by a ten-mile-wide coastal zone to be settled by Protestants. Such arrangements bear comparison to those carried out by the totalitarian regimes of the Twentieth Century. In 1650-1651, all of Scotland was crushed and brought under Cromwellian rule. It is not difficult to see in Cromwell's regime a prefiguring of the modern totalitarianism of the twentieth century, while Charles I's stance can be seen as the doomed, "authoritarian" resistance of a premodern type of regime. Cromwell's regime then scored brilliant military victories against the Dutch (commercial rivals) and the Spanish. The punctilious Puritan social regime (cutting down the maypoles, banning Christmas, banning the theatre, the supervision of public behavior in minute detail, etc.) was then carried out, against an increasingly recalcitrant but helpless population. The Cromwellian period was short but extremely critical for the history of the British Isles. For the first time in centuries, the entire territory of the British Isles was united de facto in the hands of a single man. This unification was effected, however, not by a traditional monarch, but by a revolutionary warlord whose supporters numbered a miniscule fraction of the British Isles' population, organized in a revolutionary vanguard. In England itself, if not in Scotland and Ireland, Cromwell was able to carry out long-lasting, profound, and possibly decisive social and political transformations. The effect of the execution of King Charles I (in 1649) on the collective identity of the English at the time, cannot be underestimated. It undermined, in an ultimate sense, whatever shards of belief had remained in the King's supreme place and unassailability in English society. Even when restored, the monarchy had been fatally weakened, in spiritual and also practical terms. (Virtually none of the Crown lands lost were returned to Charles II.) Much of England, swelling with patriotic pride at Cromwell's great victories over the Dutch and Spanish, moved in defining itself away from an implicitly Royalist to an implicitly Parliamentarian position. England would thus generally become in the future the base and touchstone on which the new English society (called British) would be built, and then extend itself into the entire British Isles, first crushing and then co-opting the Scots, and continually occupying and exploiting Ireland. Earlier illustrious figures in the history of the British Isles, notably Shakespeare, were dragooned into this new English myth, despite the obviously royalist, aristocratic, and anti-mercantile predilections evident in his famous plays and other works. In Richard II, the removal of the ineffectual, sometimes cruel, but legitimate sovereign, who is replaced by the energetic Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV), leads to ongoing disaster for the kingdom. To Shakespeare, the execution of a monarch by a revolutionary cabal claiming to represent the people, carried out in the name of their "rights", would have been seen as an unspeakable, if not almost inconceivable, crime. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home Why should whites be happy about becoming a minority? By Selwyn Duke White people are finding it difficult to adjust to becoming a minority, goes the premise of a new AP history textbook with the implication that this reflects some kind of character defect. Responding to this, conservative writers have generally denied the claim, sometimes calling it a Marxist lie. But a different point should be made. Imagine that a history book presented European colonization of North America by asserting, with the same character-defect implication, that Indians found it difficult to adjust to becoming a minority. Would people be left scratching their heads? Might this even be called offensive? I think the only response really necessary would be duh. So a question for libs: Can you cite for me one group, in all of history, that was happy about becoming a minority in what had been its homeland? Just one. Ill be waiting. Did the Ainus, the Japanese islands original inhabitants, jump for joy when being overrun and say, Yay, now we can become a minority! Maybe well even be subsumed! (which did happen, for the most part)? Did the Formosan aborigines cheer when the Chinese began outnumbering them and exclaim, Yippee! Perhaps one day well be just two percent of this islands inhabitants (which they are now)? Did the population of Byzantine North Africa, faced with seventh-century Muslim invasion, declare, Oh, joyous times! Maybe we can look forward to the day when these lands are entirely Arab and Muslim! (which came to pass)? We could go on forever. European history alone is replete with tribes Alamanni, Franks, Angles, Vandals, Gepids, Burgundians, Lombards, etc. that no longer exist as distinct peoples. Now, I always fancied myself as having a keen grasp of mans nature, but maybe Im out of touch. Perhaps all these groups really did make merry over coming minority status or, even, exult at possible extinguishment. Ive never heard of such a case, though. Why would a group not be alarmed at the prospect of being reduced to minority status? Leftists themselves never tire of stressing how minorities have ever been persecuted; progressive histories are narratives of minority struggle against majority oppression (though liberals love impugning the West on this score, they do sometimes speak of the same phenomenon occurring elsewhere). As usual, the reality is precisely the opposite of what leftists claim: Sleepwalking into cultural and demographic irrelevancy, there has never been a group less concerned about movement toward minority status than whites. This is partially explainable by the fact that there has never before been a civilization as just as the West. For example, whites probably werent the first to practice slavery. But they certainly were the first to end it. Whites might not have been the first to violate human rights. They are, however, the only reason we even talk about such violation because they birthed our whole modern concept of human rights to begin with. The West is unique. There simply has never been a civilization that has secured so much prosperity and so many rights for all its citizens, including minorities. In fact, it now often subordinates majority well-being to minority whim (e.g., that of the sexual devolutionaries). Thus, you truly might see no reason to fear becoming a minority if the modern West is your only frame of reference. Yet this is an area where we actually should listen to the Left and be mindful of their warnings about minorities historical plight. If whites were more concerned about being reduced to minority status, their nations gradually losing their Western character due to multiculturalism and the influx of unassimilable, non-Western foreigners wouldnt be so imperiled (though our growing immorality would still plague us). The reality expressed in this article eludes most because of conditioning: The double standard, the prejudice, is ingrained. Whites are simultaneously portrayed as uniquely inhuman and something more than human, in that theyre supposed to be above normal human concerns (desire to retain ones own culture, etc.). Theyre cast as singularly oppressive for exhibiting the same moral failings as every other group, such as having practiced slavery, but as strikingly unexceptional despite taking unprecedented steps to mitigate those moral failings. Theyre condemned as cultural appropriators merely for using foreigners food recipes, but given no credit for birthing a recipe for civilizational success copied the world over (which is why Western technology and economic practices are ubiquitous). Lamentably, though, whites are uniquely successful in another way as well. Those most effectively peddling the anti-white propaganda and most efficiently destroying the West are white themselves. Whoever guessed that modern Westerners perhaps final triumph would be reaching the very heights of self-flagellation? Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on Twitter or log on to SelwynDuke.com. Home Climate adaptation, reparation and restoration By Paul Driessen We need to ask whether environmentalism has gone completely bonkers. Back in the 1970s, I skied Colorados cross-country and downhill slopes pretty regularly. Some years were incredible: many feet of snow as glorious to behold as to ski on. Other years, like 1977, Id come around a bend on my XC skis, see nothing but rock in front of me, and just ditch. Who knew the industry I worked for in the later 70s was causing these climate and weather mood swings even then, long before carbon dioxide levels hit the cataclysmic 400 ppm mark? Who knew profit-hungry oil companies were already preventing the Centennial State from having endless seasons of perfect ski conditions, followed by ample spring meltwater for cities, agriculture and trout streams? I ask this because the Peoples Republic of Boulder, CO has joined Oakland, San Francisco, New York and other liberal enclaves in suing for climate relief. Boulder doesnt share the CA/NY worries about rising seas. Even Al Gore doesnt claim the Pacific Ocean will reach the Mile High City anytime soon. Boulderites want the courts to force ExxonMobil and Suncor to pay treble damages for causing too much snow and thus floods in some years, too little snow and thus droughts and poor ski conditions in other years; multiple heat waves in some years, bitter cold in others. They seek unspecified cash for climate adaptation, repair and reparation expenses and restoration of idyllic conditions of selected past years. Their 106-page, 478-paragraph complaint (with scores of sub-paragraphs) alleges that oil companies have committed public and private nuisance, trespass, continued sales of huge amounts of fossil fuels, and willful concealment of known harm from those sales all to the great detriment of Boulder citizens. These are the same fuels that saved whales from imminent extinction and gave Boulder and humanity prosperity, technology, health and longevity no one could even imagine when Colorado became a state in 1876. But now theyre suing the companies that have provided reliable, affordable fuels and raw materials that have brought them lights, heat, livelihoods, living standards, and countless products from paints, plastics, pharmaceuticals and fertilizers to skis, ski parkas, and vehicle fuel and asphalt roads to ski areas. No wonder Para. 476 pointedly says plaintiffs do not seek to enjoin any oil and gas operations or sales in Colorado. To paraphrase Para. 453: plaintiffs received immense benefits from defendants products and actions, and it would be unconscionable and contrary to equity for plaintiffs to retain those benefits. Before collecting a dime, plaintiffs should reject future benefits and pay Exxon for past benefits received. As to alleged fossil fuel damages in the form of wildfires and beetle kills, perhaps Boulder and its Sierra Club allies could employ better forest management such as thinning trees, removing dead and diseased trees, and spraying to control pine bark beetles. It would be equally salubrious if they would stop abusing gullible children by having little Sequoia berate Exxon for causing floods, fires and less snow. As to the allegation that Exxon and Suncor have deprived Boulder of its once-snowy climate, the areas annual snowfall records demonstrate how ludicrous the claim is. Its heaviest calendar year snow was 159 inches in 1997; the worst was 36 inches in 1904. It had over 100 inches 20 times since 1897, including 11 times since 1970 and four times over 125 inches since 1985. It had under 50 inches 11 times since 1897: six times 1904 to1943, just three since 1970, and none under 61 inches since 1982. Anyone who sees a rising CO2/lower snowfall connection is smoking too much ganja. So where does Boulder get the evidence to back up its allegations? As Alfonso Bedoya might have told Humphrey Bogart in a climate change version of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, We dont have to show you any stinking evidence! Instead of evidence, the city has assertions, a phony 97% consensus that fossil fuels are causing dangerous manmade climate change, a report saying Boulder will have more heat waves and less snow by 2050, and computer models that supposedly back up the report. In the real world, the 20-year temperature pause is back, the suns quiet phase may be reaching a grand solar minimum, and actual temperature, hurricane and other data contradict climate model predictions and scenarios. In fact, the models are little more than high-tech circular reasoning. Since they are based on the assertion that rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels drive global warming, Garbage In-Garbage Out models will always generate the calamities that alarmist researchers and Boulder lawyers are blaming on Big Oil. Where reality contradicts models, reality must be wrong and actual temperature measurements must be adjusted to reflect model outputs and dominant climate theory. When did the sun and other natural forces cease being a factor? What caused the ice ages, interglacial periods, Medieval Warm Period, Little Ice Age and Anasazi drought? Questions like these are off limits. Indeed, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and dominant, government-funded climate research have gone from seeking to identify human influences on Earths climate to decreeing that only human influences matter, natural forces no longer play a meaningful role, and humans can control climate and weather by eliminating fossil fuels and regulating atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. Those assertions now have the unwavering support of an entire industry the $1.5-trillion-per-year Climate Industrial Complex: politicians, regulators, researchers, industrialists and activists, who protect and advance alarmist claims, promote allegedly renewable energy, resist examination and reform, and denounce anyone who questions climate chaos orthodoxy as planet-threatening climate change deniers. Arrayed against the contingency fee seeking Boulder legal team is an oil industry whose spokesmen offer timid tripe: Lawsuits like this do not solve the global problem of climate change. It should be up to appropriate regulatory agencies, instead of judges, to decide how much CO2 a company may emit. Oil companies should not be subject to liability for engaging in acts of commerce while adhering to our already stringent state and federal laws. Cant we have a more robust defense on the merits? Boulder and its allied cities and counties have little reason to worry that their absurd assertions will be challenged on the merits in court. But they dont even care about winning their case. They just hope Exxon and Suncor will pay them a few hundred million bucks and pave the way for more lawsuits. In fact, a 2016 Lawyers for Better Business report said climate lawsuits will soon dwarf all other litigation in terms of the number of plaintiffs and the timeframe in which it can happen. Its likely to become a global industry, with much bigger damages than seen with tobacco and asbestos. How else will profligate progressive politicians pay for all the welfare programs that keep them in power? Such is the sorry state of US and international politics, education, science and jurisprudence. What alternatives do these litigants and activists offer for the fossil fuel, nuclear and hydroelectric energy they want to ban? They seem to think the billions of tons of lithium, cobalt, iron, copper, manganese, rare earth metals, concrete and other raw materials needed for millions of wind turbines and solar panels are somehow renewable and blanketing the planet with wind and solar installations is eco-friendly. They seem convinced that its better for Planet Earth to ban drilling, and instead convert another billion acres of crop and habitat land into gigantic biofuel plantations. In fact, this years Earth Day organizers want future plastics to come from non-hydrocarbon sources which would mean plowing under hundreds of millions more acres to grow crops for petrochemical feed stocks. This is sheer lunacy. Its the product of the fear, loathing, despair, intolerance and groupthink that pervade Big Green environmentalism today. Will the Scott Pruitt EPA finally reverse the ridiculous Endangerment Finding that is yet another foundation for this climate nonsense? Will Neil Gorsuch be the deciding vote that brings a modicum of sanity back to our Supreme Court and legal system? Only time will tell. Paul Driessen is senior policy analyst for the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (www.CFACT.org) and author of books and articles on energy and environmental policy. Home The left loses it over two black men arrested in Starbucks By Rachel Alexander Lately its become amusing to watch the left hold itself up to impossible, ridiculous standards. This time they are calling for a boycott of Starbucks over the arrest of two young black men who were hanging out in the coffee shop without ordering anything. They were reportedly waiting for a friend to show up for a meeting. When police asked them to leave, they refused, so the police arrested them. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross, who is black, defended his officers, saying the pair were asked three times by police to leave. The left claims that the two black men were racially profiled and that is the real reason they were arrested. However, one of the police officers who helped arrest the pair is black but dont expect to read that anywhere. An observer caught the arrest on camera and it soon went viral. The hashtag #BoycottStarbucks was started. Activists are calling for sit-ins at Starbucks without ordering anything in order to make a statement, daring employees to call the police on them. At worst, there was an employee who decided to call the police because the two men were black. If so, that employee, who was the manager, should be disciplined. But to blame the entire chain on the actions of what may have been a rogue employee? The coffee shop where the incident took place is located in Philadelphia. What are its policies on loitering, and have employees called the police on whites loitering before? It may have been a regular practice that had nothing to do with race, but due to crime in the area. Were the men acting suspiciously? Did the manager recognize them? Without knowing more details, its too soon to conclude it was the result of racism. Starbucks is owned and managed by people on the left. The company goes out of its way to promote diversity. No one really believes Starbucks is a racist company. Tarnishing Starbucks reputation and business chainwide over the actions of one possible rogue employee is overkill and a punishment that doesnt fit the offense. Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson apologized to the two men and said the store manager never intended for them to be arrested. But this is becoming a common occurrence on the left, to turn on itself over impossible standards. It is currently doing the same thing with the #MeToo movement. Starbucks has 238,000 employees. To ensure that not even one of them ever does something wrong in regards to race, sex, etc. is unrealistic. Yet the left has now become convinced that anything other than these impossible standards is racist. One critic tweeted, It may be 2018, but it seems we still need a strong civil rights movement now more than ever. Another compared it to the lunch counter battle of the 1960s all over again. Racism has been eradicated more than ever in the U.S., but youd never know it from the progressives trying to blow up any incident, no matter how small or mistaken. In San Luis Obispo, activists made a scene out of a racial incident. Minority students boycotted Cal Polys annual Open House to protest a fraternity member who wore blackface. Twenty years ago, no one would have thought twice about someone painting their face black. Now, one rogue person who engages in the behavior results in tarnishing an entire institution. The university was not responsible for the students actions, nor would it have approved of them. An article about the incident drastically asked, Is Cal Poly Safe for Minorities? The fraternity member apologized, saying [M]y ill-informed decision to paint my face black had nothing whatsoever to do with racism or discrimination. Cal Poly has over 20,000 students. It cannot possibly police the actions of every student when it comes to political correctness. The left claims that the right is full of fascists dictating how people should live their lives, but this is proof its the left that is taking their viewpoints to an oppressive level. When the left wont even let itself operate normally, you know the situation has gotten out of control. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, and other publications. Home Mark Zuckerbergs 'listening tour stops in DC By Michael R. Shannon Its ironic that privacy vulture Mark Zuckerbergs first day of Senate testimony so closely resembled the action in a firstperson shooter: 44 waves of poorly programmed, timelimited attackers that didnt come close to doing any real damage. It was like Zuckerberg was shooting tunnel rats in Fallout. The Senate questioning was so ineffective Zuckerberg could have gone all Microsoft on the ancient incumbents and just repeated reinstall the system from the original disks and most couldnt have told the difference. As Breitbart pointed out, Facebooks stock price increased the longer the questioning continued. What do you expect when therere 44 camerahogs on the committee and each wants a chance to utter the soundbite heard round the world? Theres only so much time available when chained to Curator of the Senate Mitch McConnells grueling halfday schedule. The Opposition Media was filled with breathless accounts of Zuckerbergs unstinting preparation for the highstakes event. He hired media consultants, message consultants and crisis consultants. It was almost as if the nations eavesdropper was preparing to convince Kim JongUn to add an extra helping of sawdust to the menu for North Koreas Juche Day celebration. What he should have hired was a Trump voter. The question Zuckerberg was totally unprepared to answer explains everything. I tell clients to read the newspaper on the way to a news event. Thats because, regardless of what the session is supposed to be about, a splashy headline will render all the ground rules irrelevant. The Zuckerberg bubble appears to be impervious to any information from conservatives. He was taken completely aback by Ted Cruz (RPresidential Aspirations) question regarding the banning of black Trump supporters Diamond & Silk. (Okay, maybe Im exaggerating. Zuckerberg claims Facebook AI is already screening terrorrelated information, but judging from the national peepingtoms robotic answers, Ill wager the AI has also seized the Zuckerbrain. How can one tell when a vape store wooden Indian is expressing emotion?) Cruz: There are a great many Americans deeply concerned that Facebook [is] engaged in a pervasive pattern of bias and political censorshipFacebook has initially shut down the Chick-fil-A appreciation day page, has blocked the post of a Fox News reporter and most recently has blocked the Trump supporters Diamond & Silks page after determining that their content and brand were unsafe for the community. Zuckerberg looked like Cruz had accused him of being a member of the TEA Party. His response was pure insincerity, I understand where that concern is coming fromThis is actually a concern that I haveI think its a fair concern Cruz then followed up, Are you aware of any ad or page that has been taken down from Planned Parenthood? How about MoveOn.org? How about any Democrat candidate? Zuckerberg: Im not specifically aware That means no. Another disturbing development was how Zuckerberg got away with dodging questions. He carried a briefing book into the hearing room that was almost as thick as the booster seat placed on his chair to make him look taller. Evidently the book only contained buzzwords, not answers. Repeatedly the allseeing Zuckerberg was able to get away with telling senators, my team will get back with you. This is 21st Centurys equivalent of taking the 5th. Instead of using that unpleasant tend to incriminate me language, modern dissemblers refer the question to the team. The problems with this are legion. Theres no guarantee his people will get back with the senators people. Theres no deadline. Theres no assurance the answer will be true. And worst of all the answer will be given in private, not in public, defeating the purpose of a senate hearing. Senate and House hearings should extend for two days minimum. The first day politicians attempt to pin down slippery witnesses and the second day the witness has to provide detailed answers to the questions dodged on day one. This wont happen for a number of reasons, mainly because it would require effort on the part of Curator McConnell and hes too busy planning the long game for when his feckless leadership returns him to the minority. Trump 2020 campaign manager (at least for this week) Brad Parscale has an excellent, conservative solution to remedying Facebooks conservative censorship. Zuckerberg boasts about providing an opportunity to connect with people. As long as people dont wish to connect with Facebook. Parscale suggests Facebook should be required, encouraged, bribed or coerced into publically posting a daily, cumulative listing of all pages, posts and users that have been banned or blocked or otherwise stifled. Connect the public with Facebooks content decisions so they can judge for themselves if Zuckerbergs censorship leans left. Sunshine is a great disinfectant, lets see if it will clear up Facebooks rash of conservative bans. 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 At a press conference in January 2018, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan complained that waiting for the EU membership had been exhausting for his nation to which French President Emmanuel Macron replied that, for relations with the European Union, it is clear that recent developments and choices allow no progress. The French leader continued by pointing out that we must get out of a hypocrisy that consists in thinking that a natural progression towards opening new chapters is possible. Its not true. Today, 12 years after the start of the membership negotiations and more than 50 years following an association agreement with the European Economic Community, Turkey has opened only 16 chapters of the talks. The Turkish-EU relationship is not in a good shape and the small talk between Mr. Macron and Mr. Erdogan only demonstrates the reality of the micro-cosmos of what has been described by journalists as hypocrisy of the Turkish accession to the EU. It is also a dialogue leading to a slow divorce. The possibility of Turkeys membership was once hailed as a major strategic opportunity for both partners. Now, Europe has announced that the actual prospects are dire and many chapters have been blocked. The relationship suffers from a series of political crises that are re-emerging on a regular basis and the question therefore is what can be preserved and achieved in the future. To that end, among European leaders, there is still strong support for deeper relations and the idea of Turkey and Europe but not much support for the actual membership. This leaves only one option open: downgrade the membership talks, focus on bilateral relations, and build a new vocabulary around the concept of Turkey and Europe, as opposed to Turkey and the EU. Within this potential new framework, a lot can be done to boost the mutual relations. The focus could include revamping the existing customs union with the EU, developing human rights dialogue through Council of Europe, deepening counter-terrorism and energy ties and stabilizing the Middle East. Economic cooperation could be another avenue to explore. Brussels can still maintain relations with Ankara and Turkish civil society through existing enlargement platforms. Yet, membership cannot be the trend-setting principle of Turkeys relations with Europe at a time when Ankara is drifting away from Copenhagen Criteria and an inward-looking Europe does not have much appetite for enlargement. The Discreet Charm of Hypocrisy: An EU-Turkey Power Audit Policy Brief by Asli Aydintasbas European Council on Foreign Relations / ECFR. (The Policy Brief can be downloaded here) The European Union and Mexico have reached a free trade deal, part of their modernized EU-Mexico Global Agreement. All trade in goods between both sides will now be duty-free including agricultural products, which are set to benefit the most, especially trade in poultry, cheese, chocolate, pasta and pork. The deal includes a comprehensive trade and sustainable development chapter, setting the highest standards of labor, safety, environmental and consumer protection. The agreement also introduces a new platform for dialogue with civil society in all areas of the agreement, and strengthens the EUs and Mexicos actions on sustainable development and climate change. Mexico City and Brussels have also committed to implementing their obligations under the Paris Agreement. Simple customs procedures will also benefit the European and Mexican economies in sectors like pharmaceuticals, transport equipment and machinery. It will also be the first EU trade agreement to address corruption in the private and public sectors. The deal is a major step forward in giving businesses mutual access to government contracts in both the EU and Mexico procurement markets. EU and Mexican companies will be treated equally, irrespective of whether they present a bid in Mexico or in the EU. The new trade deal also opens up trade in services such as e-commerce, transport, financial services and telecom. The agreement includes chapters to develop a knowledge-based economy and favorable environment for digital trade, removing unnecessary barriers to online trade like customs duties. On investment protection, the agreement improves investment climate, ensures transparency and advances the work towards establishing a Multilateral Investment Court. All in all, this deal further cements the EUs leadership in shaping globalization by introducing trade rule that are in line with the EUs areas of interests and core values. Written by ACM *Saint-Die/Vosges Mountains/Angelo Marcopolo/- Replying to an "Eurofora" Question, French President Emmanuel Macron made it clear that he Intends to Advance Further than the current "EU Citizens' Consultations", just Launched Yesterday (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronlauncheseucitizenconsultations.html), for the Next 6 Months of 2018, and Help Open a New Era of Revitalized European Democracy in the foreseeable Future, as Logical Part of his Wider Plan for a Stronger "European Sovereignity", in Addition to the National one, in certain Key Areas of Crucial Importance, while also advancing even more closer to "Eurofora"s 1997-(and mainly: 2006)- 2018 Project. +But, at the Same Time, Macron also Revealed, Today, pursuing his 3 Days-Long March up to the Vosges Mountains' Rural area, near Strasbourg, that he trully Believes to Real Exchanges with concerned Citizens on "Hot" Socio-Political Issues, Before Key Decisions affecting their Lives and/or Society at large, as he Clearly Proved Now on the spot, at Saint-Die City : I.e. a small but much needed and Timely "Political Miracle" at the Symbolic HeadQuarters of Vosges' Mountains Historic Christian Community, (by its ArchiBishopric at a Huge Cathedral, main Stop of his Visit), as well as the "International Capital of Geography", proud to have given, for the 1st Time in History, the Name of "America" to the Continent facing Europe at the Other Side of the Atlantic Ocean, (thanks to a Landmark Edition of a World Map and relevant Book Published here as Early as since 1.507 AC). And also a City which had been Razed to the Ground, during Destructive Wars of the Past, its Population being Obliged to stay at the surrounding Forests, But Succeeded, Afterwards, to be Restored and ReVitalized. Almost, mutatis-mutandis, as Europe ?... Macron Proved that, indeed, by Engaging Long and Hard, but Direct Debates even with several Groups of Initially Hostile Demonstrators, (including, f.ex., Railworkers Striking against a forthcoming Reform, due to introduce also some EU Competition, etc., as well as a Leftist Group of Melanchon's pro-"Resistance" fans Opposed also to Other Socio-Ecoomic Reforms, etc), by Spending several Hours to Speak and Exchange in Dialogue with them, until some Previously Insulting Cries, gave the way to Civilized Arguments, amidst an apparently growing Mutal Respect, (See Infra). ------------------------------------------- - "Hi ! How are things going ?", a Smiling Macron suddenly Emerged in front of "Eurofora", Saluting Familiarly, after a Long Waiting Time, (See Infra). - "Eurofora" immediately asked President Macron "if he Wished to Continue regular EU Citizens' Consultations (Before key EU Decisions) also in the Future, After 2019", (particularly considering EU Lisbon Treaty's relevant Article 11 which provides for the "Expression" of "Citizens"' Views on EU Activities, and even for "Regular Debates" with "Civil Society" on them : Comp. http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/euombudsmandecisionandeuroforaproject.html , etc). - "Yes ! Certainly !...", Affirmed, Clearly, the French President, in a Positive Reply to the above-mentioned "Eurofora"s Question. - "At any case, that's what I Intend to do", Macron carefully Added, (while Walking away Slowly, still Hearing, Thoughtfully, and Looking Behind, as if he wanted also to make sure that everything was OK despite a somewhat rush movement by the Police among the Croud gathered around, apparently not always realizing the Fact that Elysee's Accredited Journalists had been Invited to Accompagny the President's walk through the People gathered at the Central Streets of the City). - Indeed, that seems Logical in the overall Context of the President's Views, particularly for a More Democratic Europe, carefully but positively Confirmed also to "Eurofora", a Macron-Faithful, now Elysee Palace's Press Attache, that we had also Questioned Today on this Same, Key point. Something which, while naturally Including the 6-Months-Long current Citizens Consultations of April-October 2018, however, Goes also Well Beyond that important 1st Stage, stimulating Hopes to Open a "New Way" for a ReVitalized European Democracy at the foreseeable Future's Horizon. I.e., an Obviously Natural Development, clearly Emerging from Macron's Landmark Speech of 7 September 2017, at the Symbolic BirthPlace of Democracy in the Historic "Pnyx" Rock, Facing Acropolis, in Athens, already introducing some key Elements of Systematic Citizens' Participation, sometimes going near to Direct Democracy, during a Crucial Period of the Ancient Greek Civilisation, at one of its Best Moments, which Marked All European Culture and well Beyond, (See "Eurofora"s NewsReport at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronatthehistoricsourcesofdemocracy.html). During an Elysee Palace's Press Briefing, re-transmitted "Live" by Tele-Conference also to Strasbourg's invited Journalists, including "Eurofora", at the Eve of Macron's venue to EU Parliament in Strasbourg, (See "Eurofora"s NewsRaport at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronineuparliamentaskscitizensdebates.html), it was stressed that, at least the current, EU Citizens' Consultations of 2018, (due to Spread accross almost All EU Member Countries), could be usefully made also via the Internet, on Condition, always to "Restitute" their main Outcome at a Centralized Website, set up for that purpose. -But, Yesterday (Tuesday) Evening, at the Official Launch of the 1st such "EU Citizens' Consultation" on Europe's Future, at nearby Epinal City, Administrative Capital of the Vosges' Mountains, near Strasbourg, (See "Eurofora"s NewsReport from the spot at : ...), Macron made it Cleaer that, Often, Personal Exchanges in actual, physical "Meetings", can also be Useful, by Adding a Human Dimension, helping a more Sincere Dialogue, (considering also the Fact that at least a Minority of People are Not Yet so Computer/Internet-Litterate as others). + More Important : The embattled, young French President, apparently ...Frustrated by a too "Nice" appearance for almost All his Interlocutors in that 1st Debate, (carefully "Prepared" by a Team under the EU Affairs' State Secretary, Mrs Loiseau), suddenly Felt the Need to ... Ask whether 1 "Anti-European" or, at least, "Euro-Sceptic" existed among that Audience, (getting 1 such Reply, by an unconvincing, however, alleged "Dissident" : See http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronlauncheseucitizenconsultations.html). However, Macron clearly Stressed and Repeated that EU Citizens' Consultations must Include also current Critics or even Opponents of the EU, sometimes also Calling those "Anti-EU" Dissidents to Add ...their Own "Citizens Consultations", in order to use real Logical Arguments, which can be Exchanged in other, various, even indirect Dialogues with All Other People. => And, Indeed, he Already gave, this same week, a First concrete Indication, by Chosing to Limit his Speech at EU Parliament's Plenary in Strasbourg, Yesterday (Tuesday) Morning, mainly into Focusing, precisely, on a Brief reminder of the Current Need for EU Citizens' Debates, in view of a Stronger, "Sovereign Europe", to be added to its Member States' National Sovereignities, there where EU's Bigger "Size" may be really Needed in order to be Efficient in nowadays World, while Spending, Most of his Speaking Time, into Discussing with MEPs (often of Different Opinions) on various Topical Issues related to Europe's present and Future, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronineuparliamentaskscitizensdebates.html ). >>> But, Today, at Saint-Die City, this, UnExpectedly, Became a True and "Hard" Reality, also vis a vis Real Socio-Political Dissidents, (sometimes even some among the more Harsh, as f.ex. the "CGT" and/or "SUD" Trade Unions, Leftist Political Demonstrators, etc), litterally "on the Streets", including certain Sudden U-Turns and/or Surprizes, amidst the ambiant Tension of an on-going Railway Nation-Wide Strike, and Rapid Moves of Loudly Shouting Groups of initially very Hostile Dissidents or Political Opponents : This Transformed what was initially supposed to be just a Friendly Stroll around Central City Streets to Greet the main Shop-Keepers patiently waiting for the French President's visit, in front of the Press and Local Fans, into a ...Real Arena of Hard Political Confrontations in several "Hot", un-foreseen Debates with Dissidents and/or Opponents... Today, the new French President, Emmanuel Macron, proved in real practice, at Vosges Mountains' Saint-Die city, that even Strong Disagreements on Issues of crucial Importance can and must be Democratically Debated, with elementary mutual Respect among initially Opposed parties : - Indeed, contrary to an unrealistic "Nice, Gendle Mood" ambiant, just Yesterday, at the Official Launch of the 1st among a 6 Months-Long Series of EU Citizens Consultations throughout 27 EU Countries on Europe's foreseeable Future, that Macron inaugurated Tuesday Evening at nearby Epinal City's Congress Center ( See "Eurofora"s NewsReport from the spot at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronineuparliamentaskscitizensdebates.html), this, subsequent event at Saint-Die was, in fact, an unforeseen, Harsh Clash and Confrontation in public, at the Street, standing for Hours amidst a crashing Heatwave, between 2 really Opposed Views, on a Hard nut to crack, concerning the current Strikes by Railway Workers against a proposed Reform before EU Competition starts to be applied soon : Macron was initially Aggressed, several times, by various Hostile Groups, smaller in number than his fans and simple friendly citizens, but much more Loud, Negative, and initially grossly Insulting, to an unprecedented level, without any formal Police authorisation to demonstrate so aggressively on that spot... But, instead of sending the Police to disperse them, or merely Ignoring them by walking towards another street where he was awaited by friendly People, on the Contrary, the young French President bravely decided to go, meet and speak with those Opposed Dissidents, and Start Discussing with them for... Hours ! + This was repeated also with some other Loud Dissident Groups, extending the program for 2 or 3 Hours more, until Angry Cries were progressively Replaced by Hard but Sincere Arguments. A Young Elysee Palace's Press Officer, Jean Gaborit, who had followed Macron since a Long Time, (Together with his main Collegue, Marion Bayret, often met by "Eurofora" in Brussels' EU Summits, etc), told us that he had Never Seen Before, "at such a Level", a similar event elsewhere... And even if there wasn't yet any breakthrough agreement in substance, at least, an obvious mutual Respect was apparently established (even some Applaud was heard sometimes afterwards, around those Dissidents, on certain points) ! "Eurofora" later, (while Departing, Earlier than other Elysee Group of Journalists, for Strasbourg, because of an EU Parliament's meeting to follow Tomorrow Morning/Noon in Strasbourg: See http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/euonukrainereformsbeforeelection.html), found several Trade Unionists and/or Other Critics in front of the City's Rail-Road Station, and/or aroud it, Ready to Discuss about their various Disagreements with Macron, But also willing to Admit that, at least, a Frank but Honest, Direct Dialogue had been Established, even with the Highest Political Authority of the Country... => In other word, it all seems as if a kind of ... Socio-Political "Miracle" had Started to Emerge, at this Symbolic "Saint-Die" (means "Holy God") City, full of Simple, Rural People at Vosges' Mountains, whose Historic Saint (pictured at an Impressive, Huge Cathedral, in Front of which the French President concluded his Official Visit), is named "Deodace", i.e. something which obviously Reminds (even if it might not actually mean that) : "Deus" (i.e. God) and "Audacious" ! Macron might, perhaps, not exactly be a Traditional "Religious" man, even if he is a baptised Christian, as the Large Majority of French People. And, at any case, as President of the French Republic, he is notoriously Obliged to be Neutral on Religious affairs, in Principle left for the Civil Society and private life. But, anyway, it's a Fact that it all looks as if the current Initiator of EU Citizens' Consultations really is an ..."Audacious" European Political Leader ! It's not for nothing that near the Saint-Die City, where Macron chose to act as mentioned, was also Born the Famous "Jeanne d' Arc", France's National Hero, (but with Appeal also towards Germany, where the French President is due to meet German Chancelor Angie Merkel Tomorrow, in Berlin)... (../..) ---------------------------- Hi All, I am planning to apply for PR 189/190 but have a dilemma. I come from dry state - Gujarat where liquor is prohibited. Currently, I have a court case running under the Gujarat Prohibition for consumption of liquor. I am planning to declare that even though the PCC would come clean. Any leads on how does DIBP would take this into account while reviewing the visa. I would highly appreciate your feedback on this. Thanks in advance. Hi My wife is applying for FLR (M) and during the process of filling the application form we really stumbled answering some questions. Apologies for the long explanation below - I have tried to be as clear as possible. I am a British Citizen I was married before and have two children from that marriage. The children are staying over in our house every second weekend but they live with my ex wife at all other times. When we fill in FLR(M) application form, there is a section called 'Non-applying partner for Mr Firstname Surname' mentioning my name and surname.The questions in the section are asking for information about my ex wife like DOB, marriage start and end date as well as confirmation that divorce certificate can be provided. Then there is a next section , called 'Non applying children' where it gets really confusing. It is asking 'Does Mr Firstname Surname have any other children in the UK that are not applying on this application?' The answer is 'Yes'. Next question is to provide name of the first child, DOB, nationality. The next section is asking following questions: 'Who is their other parent' ? - one of the choices is ex wifes name, so we selected it. As a part of the question , there is a section 'Please provide details about this child's parent. Include the other parent's name, address and their level of contact or parental responsibility.' Here we detail that child lives with their mother at the address X and stays over at our house every second weekend. Then the next section is asking to tick three boxes: - 'Provide evidence of your relationship with ChildName , for example a birth or adoption certificate' - 'Evidence of where ChildName's other parent lives such a utility bill' - 'Birth certificate of both ChildName parents' We can't skip any of these tickboxes - all three must be ticked to continue. So basically I need to provide child Birth Certificate, utility bill of address from my ex wife, and her birth certificate alongside my birth certificate. This sounds a bit far fetched and I had a feeling that maybe we took a wrong turn at some point in the application. I have checked previous questions in the form and I don't see how my answers could be misinterpreted . May be I did misunderstand some previous questions that led to this section being so confusing? Please advise! Hi all, We are getting ready to apply for my husband's spouse visa and were looking for some feedback on the support letter I have prepared. We have read various opinions, some saying you should include a lot of details while others say it should be to the point. also, should my husband prepare a similar letter to what I have written? In addition some posts say that pictures printed on A4 papers are not accepted. Is that true? I was thinking of including 4-5 A4 pages with a few pictures printed on each page showing holidays, wedding etc. We also have a 2 year gap in the middle of our relationship when we weren't able to meet. should this be explained? Below is the letter I prepared: Dear Sirs I am writing this letter to support my husband, XXXXs spouse visa application to the United Kingdom. I, XXXXX, born on XX/XX/XXXX am a British Citizen. I reside at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. I first met XXXXXXX in 200x while working part time at a restaurant in London. We were both undergraduate students at the time. We became friends shortly after and started a relationship. Our parents first met in XXXXXXX 201x and gave us their blessings to get married in the future after we told them about our relationship. XXXX moved back to Hus country in 201x after graduating as he was unable to find permanent employment in the UK. We continued in a loving long distance relationship and maintained regular contact through the use of Skype, Facebook, WhatsApp and LINE messenger. We communicated via daily messages and video calls. XXXX visited me in London during XXXX 201x for a week and then in XXXXXXX 201x for 5 weeks. We also went for a holiday to Malaysia in XXXXXX while we were together. We then came back to the UK where XXX stayed with my family for a few days before going back to his country. We got married on XXXXXX in XXXXXX, Pakistan. I then moved to his country on a family visit visa in XXXX 201x. We spent 3 months together after which I visited the UK. I then joined him in his country on a spouse visa (Iqama/residence permit) in XXXXX 201x. We lived together in his country for a further year before I moved back to live in the UK in XXXX 201x. We have been communicating via WhatsApp and LINE messenger ever since. Please see enclosed evidence of communication between myself and my husband. XXXX recently visited me in the UK for 3 weeks in XXXXXX 201x during which we also went on a holiday to Turkey. We decided to move to the UK as it was difficult for me to adjust to the drastic change in lifestyle in his country compared to the UK where I grew up and the lack of career opportunities for a non-native woman. We would also like to raise our children in a safe and healthy environment where they can grow with equal rights and opportunities. XXXX also plans to continue his career as an IT professional once he moves to the UK, although I will be fully supporting, maintaining and accommodating him for the duration of his stay. I joined XXXXXX as a XXXXXXXXXX on the XXXXXXXX 201x. I am employed on permanent contract with a salary of XXXXXX. I therefore meet the 18,600 financial requirement criteria. I have provided payslips, bank statements, employers letter confirming my salary and length of employment and my original contract of employment. Once my husband obtains his visa, he will join me at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX which has sufficient and enough room for us to live together. I have provided a property inspection report to confirm that the accommodation meets the Home Offices requirements. I have also provided my original tenancy agreement, a letter from my landlord to confirm that he is happy for my husband to join me at the property once he obtains his visa, a council tax letter and a utility bill. I trust that the information provided is sufficient for my husband to be granted a spouse visa. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require additional documents or information. Yours Sincerely, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hey_Joe said: Thunderbird and many of the Foreign Managed Owned Resorts in our area are properly grounded and use electricians who know how to properly install grounded set ups. I'd refer mine but no way he'll travel to your area for work as he is too busy with all that is going on near where I am. Some items are available at National Bazar or CSI but I typically bought all my GFCI & other grounded outlets at Wilcon in Angeles City. Was a great excuse to do a bar run. I bought my grounding rods/clamps at Topwood years ago. They sell proper length, size copper in Earth grounding rods and clamps. Citi Hardware near you may have them.Thunderbird and many of the Foreign Managed Owned Resorts in our area are properly grounded and use electricians who know how to properly install grounded set ups. I'd refer mine but no way he'll travel to your area for work as he is too busy with all that is going on near where I am. Some items are available at National Bazar or CSI but I typically bought all my GFCI & other grounded outlets at Wilcon in Angeles City. Was a great excuse to do a bar run. Click to expand... Hope you enjoyed the drink, i'm sure you did, poor ******. What I find amusing is that all power outlets (GPO's) that I have seen in Ph. are not switched. As in you cannot turn the outlet off, to isolate you have to unplug.I am sure you will recommend a good sparky that understands "safe" when we do our reno's and extensions.Thunderbird is over priced and service is wanting, ( wait for your beer unless you sit at the bar in the western sun unless you are an early starter) perhaps the sparky blew the budget? All in all central Luzon is a great place to put your roots down as long as that earth stake is 3 ft in the ground and you have a sparky that understands that a lighting circuit it not the same as a power circuit and doesn't require a residual current device.I/we can all go on,,,,,,, as I will. The property we purchased has electricity, great. I asked the previous owner/builder why are there bare wires sticking out from the eves where the power should be connected?Simple, with the typhoons the power always went out so we changed the supply to underground, ok so where is your under ground? There, running along the fence and into the house,,,,,,,,, all above ground but at least it's in a conduit.Do hope we catch up Joe as you seem to have your finger on the pulse.Cheers, Steve Hello. I submitted an application for a Critical Skills Visa on 26 February at the VFS Office in Harare. Ever since 3 or so days after I submitted, my application status has said: "English:Your visa application ref no. HARA/XXXXXX/XXXX/01 is under process at South Africa, HARARE " First of all, what does that mean? and I am worried this message hasn't changed during the past 8 weeks (i expected something like "now at the DHA"). Is this normal? Is there a need to panic? Also, what sort of turn-around time can I expect? I have a contract that starts in May and I am worried my visa won't be out by then. Universite de Mons (Belgique) Intensity Annual conference of the Belgian Association of Anglicists in Higher Education Friday 30 November 2018 Universite de Mons, Belgium [T]he excellency of every art is its intensity, capable of making all disagreeable evaporate. John Keats, 22 December 1888, Letter to his brothers Conference Theme At first sight, intensity is a clear, readily understandable notion, yet it evokes a wide array of interpretations and can be linked with a high semantic-pragmatic, syntactic and stylistic complexity. Intensity, understood here very broadly as the quality to deviate from neutrality, pervades and shapes our daily life, our actions and our language. Intensity permeates language at all linguistic levels, allowing us to encode emotional attitude from subtle nuances to very strong emotions or to increase or attenuate the (emotional) impact of our utterances. As Partington (1993: 178) said in relation to intensification, its importance lies in that it is a vehicle for impressing, praising, persuading, insulting and generally influencing the listeners reception of the message. As a pervasive concept, omnipresent in language, intensity allows for a wide variety of approaches from each of the fields brought together by BAAHE, literature, cultural studies, linguistics, translation studies and ELT. In linguistics, intensity is perhaps most obviously represented in studies of intensification and (inter)subjectivity or (inter)subjectification, politeness, and speaker involvement or modality. Intensification has also been under scrutiny in sign language studies. Almost forty years ago, Klima & Bellugi (1979), for instance, already studied the morphological marking of intensification in ASL. In more recent branches of research, intensity has been studied as the expression of emotion through new technological means such as the use of emoticons and the use of Internet slang. In addition, intensity, as almost inextricably related to emotion, is a prominent concept in metaphor studies, with intensity is heat for instance being one of the most central metaphors (Kovecses 2005). As indicating an increase or decrease in the salience of or attention on a certain linguistic entity, intensity can also be related to topic and focus markers, and in phonology, is understood to refer to pitch accent and stress. (Multimodal) studies on paralinguistic features accompanying intensity such as prosodic peaks and gestures can also provide interesting avenues of research. In translation studies, intensity can be an equally rich domain of study. How do translators choose to convey emotions in the target language? Do they necessarily resort to explicitation to convey emphasis and intensity? Cultural and language-system related differences might also play a role here. How can we compare intensity across cultures? Is intensity categorized in similar or different ways across cultures? How do cross-cultural differences influence the translation process or result? For instance, when translating intensity does the translator (succeed to) take into account the effusiveness of Italian, the formality and stiffness of German and Russian, the impersonality of French compared to the informality and understatement of English (Newmark 1988: 5)? Intensity is a crucial phenomenon from an ELT perspective as well. As Lorenz (1999: 26) stated, [i]ntensification is an important and, beyond the elementary level, intricate part of foreign language learning. Whether learning the ability to express complex communicative intentions, acquiring the ability to use appropriate registers or the idiomatic use of adverbs with gradable and non-gradable adjectives, ESL learners are faced with intensity in all aspects of their education. In literature, both in fiction and non-fiction writing, intensity most often refers to the authenticity or appropriateness of the emotional discourse. From passionate outbursts to pent-up emotions, literature abounds with countless instances of what rhetoricians call the epideictic discourse or appeal to pathos. Throughout history, literary traditions have sought to unleash or restrain the intensity of the emotional material with varying degrees of success. Most typically, the shift from classicism to Romanticism embodies a movement from ethos to pathos, from an emphasis on design and structure to the intensity Keats came to praise as the excellence of every art (Hilfer 1981: 7) a criterion of value, that is. Intensity thus pervades the literary world and our everyday language all the same. * References Klima, Edward S. & Ursula Bellugi. 1979. The signs of language. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Kovecses, Zoltan. 2005. Metaphor in culture: Universality and variation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lorenz, Gunter. 1999. Adjective intensification learners versus native speakers: A corpus study of argumentative writing. Amsterdam: Rodopi. Newmark, Peter. 1988. A textbook of translation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Partington, Alan. 1993. Patterns and meanings: Using corpora for English language research and teaching. Amsterdam: Benjamins. * Plenary Speaker We are pleased to announce that dr. Belen Mendez-Naya (Universidad de Santiago de Compostela) has accepted our invitation to give a keynote presentation. Proposal guidelines Please submit your anonymized proposal (max. 400 words, excluding references) electronically as an attachment in MS Word or PDF format to lobke.ghesquiere@umons.ac.be, specifying in the subject heading "BAAHE 2018 Conference Proposal". Authors are allowed to submit a maximum of two abstracts if at least one of these is co-authored. Clearly specify in your email which field of expertise your proposal fits best (Literature, Theatre & Cultural Studies; Linguistics; ELT; or Translation Studies). All proposals will be submitted to double-blind peer review. Accepted paper presentations will be allocated 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for discussion. Important dates Deadline for abstract submission: 18 June 2018 Notification of acceptance: 20 July 2018 Provisional programme: 24 September 2018 Early-bird registration: 30 July to 15 October 2018 Deadline for registration: 19 November 2018 Conference: 30 November 2018 * Conference convenors Lobke Ghesquiere (UMONS) Audrey Louckx (UMONS) Organizing committee Eponine Moreau (UMONS) Jean Robertson (UMONS) Faye Troughton (UMONS) Lieven Vandelanotte (UNamur) Scientific committee Lieselotte Brems (ULiege) Bernard De Clerck (UGent) Lobke Ghesquiere (UMONS) Audrey Louckx (UMONS) Christine Michaux (UMONS) Alain Piette (UMONS) Jean Robertson (UMONS) Lieven Vandelanotte (UNamur) Failte Ireland invests 470k to boost one of Donegals key Wild Atlantic Way attractions Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin and Government Chief Whip and Minister for the Irish language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, Joe McHugh will officially open a new visitor reception centre at Fanad Lighthouse in Donegal at 2pm today. Fanad Lighthouse offers visitors breath-taking views and a truly memorable experience. Identified as a Signature Discovery Point along the Wild Atlantic Way, the refurbished lighthouse opened to the public in 2015. Alongside funding from the Special EU Programmes Body, Irish Lights, Donegal County Council and Udaras na Gaeltachta, Failte Ireland invested 470k in the development of a new visitor centre and car park. The new reception centre is also home to a permanent exhibition to highlight the stories of Fanad Head. Speaking today ahead of the opening, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin said: Donegal has already benefitted enormously from the Governments and Failte Irelands Wild Atlantic Way initiative but we need to continue to deepen the experience and focus on growing that success year on year. The lighthouse embodies the maritime and seafaring history of Ireland and, since it opened to the public, has become an important tourist attraction along the route. The new visitor reception centre provides visitors with excellent facilities which will only add to the overall experience. The Government is fully committed to continued investment in fantastic experiences such as this along the Wild Atlantic Way. Donegal TD Joe McHugh said: Fanad lighthouse is a special place - it really has to be seen to be believed. In the Donegal Gaeltacht, it is also a beacon for the Irish language, playing a key role in promoting the language, not least by hiring Irish speaking students to work there during the busy summer months. It is a unique place to visit and stay and tourism investment such as this along the Wild Atlantic Way and at the gateway to the Gaeltacht, is exactly the type of initiative that will encourage more and more people to come to Gaeltacht areas and to come to see the hidden gems of Donegal." Commenting on the opening, Failte Irelands Head of the Wild Atlantic Way, Miriam Kennedy, said: We are delighted to invest in the development of a visitor reception centre at Fanad Lighthouse. The funding is part of Failte Irelands strategy to improve the visitor experience at Signature Discovery Points along the Wild Atlantic Way in a bid to spread tourism across the region and grow tourism in the shoulder seasons each side of summer. Local input is essential in developing visitor experiences and the local community and all parties involved have really come together to make this project a success. One of three Wild Atlantic Way Signature Discovery Points in the Northern Headlands, the new facilities at the lighthouse will enhance the visitor experience greatly, increasing dwell time and spend in the local area. Yvonne Shields, Chief Executive of Irish Lights said: Our partnership with the Fanad community and Failte Ireland is a fantastic example of reaching out and working with others to create a vibrant and exciting tourism experience at one of our most beautiful lighthouses, while protecting and sharing our heritage and history for the benefit of tourism communities around our coast. Since the opening of the lighthouse, Fanad Lighthouse has attracted over 50,000 visitors this new facility will help attract even more of the ever growing community of lighthouse enthusiasts that visit or stay at the Great Lighthouses of Ireland around our coast. The opening ties in with Failte Irelands ongoing plans to develop tourism in Donegal, complementing recent investment in visitor facilities at Malin Head and a proposed Visitor Experience Development Plan for the Inishowen area. Jump to top If the bill passes, hemp would also be removed from a federal list of controlled substances By Diego Flammini Staff Writer Farms.com Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a bill on Apr. 12 that, if passed, would legalize hemp production in the United States. Currently, hemp production is allowed in more than 30 states under the 2014 Farm Bill. Each state is responsible for its own hemp program. But if the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 passes, it will have implications on a national level. The bill includes measures that would remove the crop from the federal list of controlled substances. Hemp producers would also be eligible for crop insurance and USDA grants if the bill passes. If this (bill) were to pass at the federal level, it would give growers a kind of clarity on a number of things that are murky, Brian Kuhn, director of the Plant Industry Bureau for Wisconsins agriculture department, told Wisconsin Public Radio today. The U.S. imported about US$78 million worth of hemp goods and sold US$573 million worth of hemp products in 2015, according to a 2017 Congressional Research Service report . The production of this crop appears to be on the rise. U.S. farmers grew the crop on 9,770 acres of land in 2016, according to Vote Hemp, an organization dedicated to advocating for commercial production. That number grew to 25,713 acres in 2017. Supporters of the legislation feel if Americans can purchase hemp products, Americans should be able to produce the crop used in those products. Hemp products are made in this country, sold in this country and consumed in this country, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden said in an Apr. 12 statement. Senator McConnell, our colleagues and I are going to keep pushing to make sure that if Americans can buy hemp products at the local supermarket, American farmers can grow hemp in this country. The bills introduction is a good start, but the National Hemp Association understands the challenge in front of the legislation. We are still early in the process and much work needs to be done to develop the appropriate level of support that will enable Leader McConnell to secure final passage, the organization said in an Apr. 19 statement. The top hemp producing states in 2017 were: Colorado 9,700 acres Oregon 3,469 acres Kentucky 3,271 acres North Dakota 3,020 acres New York 2,000 acres jessicahyde/iStock/Getty Images Plus photo The vessel has been delayed from leaving Fremantle Port while the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) waits for the owner of the Panama-flagged livestock carrier to conduct third party ventilation testing on the ship. The vessel was scheduled to leave port on April 9, with 57,000 sheep and 250 cattle bound for the Middle East before the delays occurred. AMSA will not renew the ships Australian Certificate for the Carriage of Livestock (ACCL) unless it is satisfied the ship complies with Marine Order 43, including requirements for minimum air flow across all areas of the livestock pens. AMSA understands the ships owner, Awassi Shipping SA, made arrangements for a ventilation technician from the manufacturer to assess the ships ventilation systems on Wednesday, April 11. AMSA understands the technician will be undertaking adjustment work on the ships ventilation systems prior to the owner engaging a third party to conduct comprehensive ventilation testing. This work is expected to take several days to complete, and at the time of Farm Weekly going to press the vessel remains in port. Two weeks ago, 60 Minutes footage, supplied by Animals Australia, showed heat-stressed sheep dying aboard the Awassi Express. Additional footage has since been released of a breach of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) outside the abattoir of Qatari importer, Widam Foods, where an abattoir employee was filmed mistreating sheep. The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources said it was investigating the allegations, which included apparent on-selling of sheep to private buyers from the approved supply chain, and mishandling of sheep at an ESCAS approved abattoir in Qatar. Animals Australia has a campaign against the live export trade on its website, and has also taken to social media to drum up support for their cause. A petition against the trade has been posted on Change.org, which has already attracted more than 150,000 supporters. Animals Australias Lyn White said it had also written to the secretary of the Department of Agriculture seeking answers as to why Emanuel Exports hasnt had their export licence suspended. The Secretary has the power to suspend an export licence if conditions of that licence have been breached, Ms White said. The Department is in possession of evidence confirming comprehensive breaches by this exporter, which on top of a history of non-compliance in importing countries, warrants the strongest possible Departmental response. RSPCA Australia has also written to the Federal Department of Agriculture and all major live exporter companies, proposing to place an RSPCA observer independent of government and industry on at least the next eight long-haul live sheep shipments. RSPCA Australia chief scientist and strategy officer Dr Bidda Jones said at this point in time, we are very concerned the Department is making decisions that do not reflect the gravity of the situation or the seriousness of the risks to animal health and welfare. The Department has already granted an export permit for the MV Maysora, which left under cover of darkness early Thursday morning crammed full with around 77,000 sheep and 9500 cattle, she said. The Maysora left Fremantle on April 12, on its way to Turkey via Egypt, which is one of the longest voyages for live animal exports of up to 31 days. The Al Messilah, another livestock carrier operating under a Kuwaiti flag, has docked in Fremantle prior to returning to the Middle East. Ms Jones said the MV Bader III, another livestock carrier, was expected to arrive for loading in Fremantle on Friday. The only change is the presence of a Departmental observer on board the Maysora, and as yet, its unclear how much information theyll be able to share, she said. Otherwise, its business as usual for the live exporters. Ms Jones said there was a need to make sure farmers and the public are not let down again, and that the welfare of these animals is properly monitored. The RSPCA was concerned for the welfare of the livestock on board because there is only one veterinarian on-board (the Maysora) responsible for the health and welfare of over 86,000 animals. Weve been advised that WA government representatives inspected the ship and we remain very keen to see the report on their findings, Ms Jones said. Emanuel Exports has complied with all government requirements since the incident and has chosen to remain silent on the issue until the investigation into their shipment last year is concluded. 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. CLEVELAND National Automotive Experts (NAE/NWAN) announced the company has been recognized by Smart Business magazine as a Smart Culture award honoree for 2018. The Smart Culture Conference was designed to promote strong cultures in our business community by highlighting best practices and experiences with the hope that all companies in attendance can learn something to take back to their organizations, said Aaron Grossman, CEO of Alliance Solutions Group. We are committed, not only to running a successful business, but also to changing peoples lives in the process, said David Neuenschwander, president of NAE/NWAN. We cannot have the mission-centric culture, or our success, without a strong commitment from our team. I make it a point to challenge our team to think differently and not to accept the status quo. I believe the commitment to our mission that our associates demonstrate on a daily basis attributes to us being where we are as a company today. NAE/NWAN was one of 20 Northeast Ohio businesses honored on April 5, 2018, at the second annual Smart Culture gala, hosted by Smart Business. The event was presented by Alliance Solutions Group, along with several other companies throughout Northeast Ohio. Award honorees gathered to celebrate the importance of culture in the workplace. We actively focus to make our culture a top priority, said Kelly Price, CEO of NAE/NWAN. Each of our new associates attends our daylong, in-house Culture Training program. We also dedicate time each month in our companywide meetings to further grow and develop our culture. It is humbling to be recognized for our efforts and I am so proud of my team. Corporate culture plays a pivotal role in a companys success, noted Katie Janoch, vice president of sales at Smart Business. Smart Business is pleased to bring together the local business community to explore its many benefits and celebrate organizations who are leading the charge. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A nude gunman has killed four people at a Waffle House in Nashville in the US state of Tennessee, police said. The man burst into the restaurant at 03:25 (08:25 GMT) in the suburb of Antioch and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle. Two other people were wounded. One of them wrestled the weapon from the man, who then fled the scene on foot. Police are hunting for the suspect, whom they identified as Travis Reinking, 29, from Illinois. He was arrested last year after entering a restricted area near the White House, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said. James Shaw Jr, the customer credited with saving lives by seizing the gun from the killer, has told US media he does not feel like a hero because 'it feels selfish'. Arriving in a pick-up truck, the killer shot two people outside the restaurant, before firing more shots inside, Mr Aaron said. Three victims died at the scene and the fourth in hospital. 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. VENLO (dpa-AFX) - Today's Daily Dose brings you news about Fresenius Kabi walking out of the Akorn deal; settlement of the long-running trade secret misappropriation suit between Alnylam) and Dicerna; Abeona's gene therapy program ABO-202 for the treatment of Batten Disease securing Orphan Drug Designation in the European Union; Biogen and Ionis expanding their strategic collaboration, and review of new data from Biohaven's two pivotal phase III trials of Rimegepant in acute treatment of migraine. Read on. German pharmaceutical firm Fresenius Kabi, which had inked an agreement to acquire Akorn Inc (AKRX) for US$34 per share, equivalent to a total acquisition price US$4.3 billion, plus approximately US$450 million of net debt, last April, has now pulled out of the deal. The acquisition was supposed to close in early 2018. But in February of this year, Akorn came under scrutiny for possible violations of FDA data integrity rules. Since then, speculation has been rife about the consummation of the transaction. On February 26, 2018, Fresenius revealed that it is conducting an independent investigation, using external experts, into alleged breaches of FDA data integrity requirements relating to product development at Akorn. Now, the German drugmaker has decided to terminate the merger agreement, saying that Akorn has failed to fulfill several closing conditions. Commenting on Fresenius Kabi's decision, Akorn said, 'We categorically disagree with Fresenius' accusations. The previously disclosed ongoing investigation, which is not a condition to closing, has not found any facts that would result in a material adverse effect on Akorn's business and therefore there is no basis to terminate the transaction. We intend to vigorously enforce our rights, and Fresenius' obligations, under our binding merger agreement'. AKRX closed Friday's trading at $19.70, up 1.65%. Abeona Therapeutics Inc.'s (ABEO) gene therapy program ABO-202 for the treatment of subjects with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, also known as Batten Disease, has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in the European Union. ABO-202 for Infantile Batten Disease is expected to enter clinical trials this year. The compound has already secured Orphan Drug and Rare Pediatric Disease Designations from the FDA. ABEO closed Friday's trading at $20.90, up 4.24%. Atossa Genetics Inc. (ATOS) announced a 1-for-12 reverse split of its common stock effective April 20, 2018. As a result of the reverse split, the number of outstanding common shares will be reduced from approximately 31.8 million shares to approximately 2.65 million shares. ATOS closed Friday's trading at $3.52, down 19.35%. Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Co. Ltd. (BHVN) on Saturday announced that durability of clinical effect of Rimegepant in acute treatment of migraine was seen across multiple outcome measures in two pivotal phase III trials, and that the findings were consistent across both the studies. On March 26, 2018, Biohaven Pharma announced positive top-line results from its two phase III clinical trials of Rimegepant - with each trial meeting the co-primary efficacy endpoints of superiority to placebo, at two hours post-dose, on pain freedom and freedom from the most bothersome symptom. According to the new data, a durable effect with Rimegepant was achieved with pain freedom lasting up to 48 hours following a single dose. About 90% of patients who took Rimegepant and no rescue medications achieved the clinically important endpoint of pain relief within 8 hours. Pain relief was sustained throughout 48 hours. More than 3x the number of subjects who responded to treatment preferred Rimegepant over their previous therapy, noted the Company. Richard Lipton, Vice Chair of Neurology, Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health and Director of the Montefiore Headache Center, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Chair of Biohaven's CGRP Scientific Advisory Board added, 'The single dose data from these two clinical trials are very exciting as Rimegepant brings forward a novel mechanism of action that has demonstrated important clinical benefit to patients. Most of the patients I see with migraine are actively working and raising children, and relieving pain and restoring function means they can once again take care of their families and return to work. The new data reviewed today encourages me that Rimegepant, if approved, can meet their needs for an acute treatment with lasting clinical benefit.' BHVN closed Friday's trading at $27.18, down 0.33%. Biogen (BIIB) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) have expanded their strategic collaboration through a new ten-year collaboration agreement to develop novel antisense drug candidates for a broad range of neurological diseases. Under the new deal, Biogen will pay Ionis $1 billion in cash, which will include $625 million to purchase 11,501,153 shares of Ionis common stock at a price of $54.34 per share, at an approximately 25% cash premium, and a $375 million upfront payment. Biogen will have the option to license therapies arising out of this collaboration and will be responsible for their development and commercialization. In addition, Biogen may pay milestone payments, license fees and royalties on net sales. The new expanded deal builds upon the productive collaboration inked in January 2012 that produced SPINRAZA as well as two antisense drug candidates currently in the clinic, with the potential to advance up to seven more drug candidates to the clinic within the next two years. Spinraza, developed under the Biogen and Ionis collaboration, was approved by the FDA in December 2016, to treat children and adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). IONS closed Friday's trading at $48.51, up 5.80%. Clementia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CMTA) has initiated its phase II study of Palovarotene for the treatment of pediatric patients with multiple osteochondromas (MO), also known as multiple hereditary exostoses (MHE). The study, dubbed MO-Ped Trial, will enroll 240 patients ranging in age from 2 to 14 years old at approximately 29 centers in 12 countries around the world. Patients enrolled will be randomized into one of three arms to receive a weight adjusted equivalent of 2.5 mg or 5.0 mg of Palovarotene daily, or placebo. The Company expects the 12-month interim data readout to be in the first half of 2020, with 24-month top-line results from the study in the first half of 2021. CMTA closed Friday's trading at $17.63, down 9.31%. The trade secret misappropriation suit between Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ALNY) and Dicerna Pharmaceuticals Inc. (DRNA) has finally come to an end. The lawsuit, filed in June 2015, involves Alnylam's proprietary, and trade secret information related to, among other things, GalNAc conjugate technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Dicerna will pay $25 million comprised of cash and stock to Alnylam, and Dicerna will be restricted in its development and other activities relating to oligonucleotide-based therapeutics directed toward a defined set of Alnylam targets, for periods ranging from 18 months up to four years. The settlement does not include any license to Alnylam's GalNAc conjugate intellectual property (IP) or any licenses to any other IP from either party. Nor does the settlement include any admission of liability or wrongdoing by either company. All other settlement terms are confidential, Anlylam revealed. DRNA closed Friday's trading at $12.01, up 17.86%. Knight Therapeutics Inc. (GUD.TO) on Friday announced that PROBUPHINE, a subdermal implant designed to deliver buprenorphine for the management of opioid drug dependence, has received regulatory approval in Canada. Knight received the exclusive rights from Braeburn Pharmaceuticals Inc. in February 2016 to commercialize PROBUPHINE in Canada. Braeburn obtained the FDA approval for PROBUPHINE in May 2016. GUD.TO closed Friday's trading at C$7.79, up 0.13%. QIAGEN N.V.'s (QGEN) PartoSure, a novel test for assessing the risk of spontaneous preterm birth in patients with symptoms of preterm labor, has received FDA approval. PartoSure is already being used in more than 35 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. PartoSure is expected to be commercialized in the U.S. in 2018. QGEN closed Friday's trading at $32.81, up 0.06%. Summit Therapeutics plc's (SMMT) new 24-week interim analyses from its PhaseOut DMD trial shows correlation between decreases in muscle damage and reduction in muscle inflammation in patients treated with Ezutromid. The PhaseOut DMD study is a phase II trial evaluating Ezutromid in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The Company announced positive 24-week interim data from the PhaseOut DMD trial in January of this year. Top-line 48-week data from the PhaseOut DMD trial is expected to be reported in Q3, 2018. SMMT closed Friday's trading at $13.88, up 0.95%. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Regulatory News: Lysogene (Paris:LYS) (FR0013233475 LYS), a leading biopharmaceutical company pioneering gene therapy technologies to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases, appointed Dr. Peter Lichtlen to the Board of Directors, as a non-executive, independent member effective from April 1, 2018. Dr. Peter Lichtlen was Chief Medical Officer at Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc. until the company's acquisition by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals earlier this year and has 18 years of leadership experience in the field of biotechnology. Annette Clancy, Chair of the Board of Directors of Lysogene said ''I am delighted to welcome Peter to the Board. I believe his extensive, international, clinical and development experience will add very significant competencies and value to our Board.'' Prior to joining Sucampo, Dr. Lichtlen was at ESBATech AG (acquired by Alcon/Novartis in 2009), which he joined in 2000. At ESBATech, Dr. Lichtlen served as Medical Director/Head Clinical Research and Development and was a member of its senior management team, from 2004 to 2010. Dr. Lichtlen also co-founded Numab AG, a Swiss biotechnology company that develops antibody-based therapeutics, where he remains a member of the Board of Directors and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Lichtlen also currently serves on the scientific advisory board of Apidel SA, a drug delivery company. Dr. Lichtlen is a member of the Swiss Medical Association (FMH) and the Swiss Association of Pharmaceutical Professionals (SwAPP), the author of various peer-reviewed articles, and the holder of several patents. Dr. Lichtlen earned a Bachelor's Degree in business administration, and doctorate degrees in medicine and molecular biology at the University of Zurich. Dr. Peter Lichtlen said "I am truly thrilled to join Lysogene's Board at this exciting time with the company initiating its pivotal clinical trial for its lead programme later this year. I will do all I can to help bring Lyosogene's truly innovative products, which are so desperately needed by patients, to the market. I trust that the strategic and operational experience I have gained by working on early and late stage orphan and rare disease projects over the past years, will be valuable for the company." It is also announced that Dr Olivier Danos has resigned from the Board effective April 1, 2018. Dr. Olivier Danos said: "I am very proud of the work I have been able to do as a co-founder of Lysogene with Karen Aiach since 2009 and as a Board member. It was decided, at the time of my appointment as Chief Scientific Officer of RegenxBio Inc. that I should step down from the Lysogene Board after a transition period agreed by both parties. I wish every success to Lysogene in the future and I look forward to remaining involved with the Company in its scientific endeavours." Annette Clancy and Karen Aiach said that, on behalf of the Board and the Management team, they wish to offer their heartfelt thanks to Olivier for his major contribution to the evolution of Lysogene and welcome his continued support of the Company. About Lysogene Lysogene is a gene therapy company focused on the treatment of rare diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The company has built a unique capability to enable a safe and effective delivery of gene therapies to the CNS to treat lysosomal diseases and other genetic disorders of the CNS. A pivotal clinical trial in MPS IIIA is expected to start in 2018, a phase 1-2 clinical trial in GM1 Gangliosidosis in 2019, while we are currently collaborating to define the clinical development path for the treatment of Fragile X syndrome. www.lysogene.com Forward looking statement This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, all statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Company's control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as "target," "believe," "expect," "aim," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "will," "can have," "likely," "should," "would," "could" and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the expected results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. This press release has been prepared in both French and English. In the event of any differences between the two texts, the French language version shall supersede. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180422005058/en/ Contacts: NewCap Julie Coulot Emmanuel Huynh, 33 1 44 71 94 95 lysogene@newcap.eu or LifeSci Advisors Chris Maggos, +41 79 367 6254 chris@lifesciadvisors.com MANCHESTER, England, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the UK's most trusted employer focused HR consultancy, Peninsula, launched a national campaign to help employers safeguard their businesses. The DontShellOut campaign was launched in response to the massive surge in employment tribunal claims following a landmark ruling which abolished tribunal fees. As of March 2018, single tribunal claims increased by 90%. The campaign centres around how employing just 'one bad egg' can lead to an employment tribunal, potentially costing a small business tens of thousands of pounds. Commencing with a national seminar programme, business owners can receive top tips on managing disruptive employees, enabling them to manage more confidently and effectively. Attendees will also gain access to template disciplinary polices which outline clear and fair procedures if ever faced with a disciplinary issue in the workplace. James Potts, Head of Legal at Peninsula, said: "Over the past nine months, we have seen the number of tribunal applications climb up to historic levels." Mr Potts added, "If employers are taken to a tribunal it is essential that they seek the right advice however prevention is the better cure. If businesses implement the right systems, procedures and practices they can reduce their vulnerability to a claim and can be confident they have nothing to fear if they are. At Peninsula, that's what we do every day for our clients. We are predicting a very busy time ahead for employers." Peter Done, Group Managing Director and Founder of Peninsula, added: "The aim of the DontShellOut campaign is to educate business owners across the UK about the vulnerabilities they face when managing people. Peninsula was founded thirty-five years ago after I lost an employment tribunal due to receiving poor legal advice. Be prepared to pay average unfair dismissal costs of 30,000 if you haven't followed the correct procedures, and with tribunal claims souring all it takes is one bad egg trying their luck." About Peninsula Peninsula is one of the UK's premier companies. The company offers HR, employment law and health & safety support services to business of all sizes across the country, as well as tax and payroll advice, employee assistance programmes and HR and health & safety training. Jane.Pearson@peninsula-uk.com, +44-0161-827-8511 AMMAN, Jordan, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Siniora Food Industries held its general assembly on Thursday, April 19, 2018, in Amman, Jordan. The general assembly, which was chaired by Siniora Chairman Tarek Omar Aggad, ratified dividend distribution of 23.63% of the company's paid-up capital; 10% as cash dividends amounting to JOD 2.2 million (USD 3.1 million), and 13.63% as three million bonus shares, thus increasing Siniora's paid-up capital to JOD 25 million (USD 35.3 million). (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/492392/Siniora_Food_Industries_Logo.jpg ) Siniora's general assembly also ratified increasing the number of its board of directors from five to seven members and elected Ms. Lana Ghanem (Managing Director of Hikma Ventures) and Mr. Amin Abdulrahim (General Manager of Perfetti Van Melle - Middle East & Africa) as new independent board members in compliance with corporate governance regulations of public shareholding companies issued by the Jordanian Securities Commission. In his statement, Aggad stated that 2017 was full achievements for Siniora despite the constant regional challenges. He added that the Siniora group achieved net profit after tax of USD 6.6 million in 2017, a growth of 98% year on year, while net profit attributed to Siniora's shareholders amounted to USD 6.43 million, marking 108% growth over 2016. Total revenue grew by 17% year on year and amounted to USD 78.5 million in 2017. Total assets amounted to USD 86.31 million as at December 31, 2017, an increase of 3% over 2016. Net equity attributed to Siniora shareholders amounted to USD 47.33 million as at December 31, 2017, an increase of 11% over 2016. Aggad added that the strategy put in place by Siniora's management to foster and increase its market share at local and regional levels has paid off, as apparent by the significant results. He confirmed that the company has maintained its leading position in the Jordanian and Palestinian markets. Regional sales in 2017 grew by 29% compared to 2016, supported by Siniora subsidiary Diamond Meat Processing Company (Al Masa) in the United Arab Emirates, which was acquired in 2016 to expand regionally with a focus on Gulf markets as well as to target new ones. He also pointed out the increase in sales of the company's frozen meat products in the Jordanian market in 2017, which marked 12% growth compared to 2016. Siniora CEO Majdi Al Sharif said that the significant growth in Siniora's results came as a result of an increase in the production capacity of its factories as well as the regional expansion of the company. He added that Siniora subsidiary Diamond Meat Processing Company (Al Masa), which is based in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, has been accredited by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority to export its meat products to Saudi Arabia. Siniora also purchased a 3,500-square-meter warehousing facility in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at a total cost of USD 2 million, a move that is in line with Siniora's expansion strategy in the region, which will focus on Gulf markets. The company also purchased a 11,590-square-meter plot of land in the Sahab Industrial Estate in Amman, Jordan, at a total cost of USD 1.55 million, as a preparatory step towards expanding its plant in Jordan in the future. About Siniora Siniora is a pioneer in the meat manufacturing sector in the region and a market leader in the manufacture and sale of branded Siniora Al-Quds and Unium processed meat. The company was founded in Jerusalem, Palestine, in 1920, and established its factory in Jordan in 1992. Siniora acquired Diamond Meat Processing Company in Dubai in 2016. Siniora produces cold cuts and canned luncheon meat from three state-of-the-art processing plants built using the latest technologies, one located in East Jerusalem, Palestine, the second located in King Abdullah II Industrial Estate in Jordan and the third in United Arab Emirates. In 2015, Siniora's factory in Jordan launched a new production line of frozen meat products. Siniora factories in Jordan and Palestine maintain a highly-ranked international food safety certificate, the FSSC: Food Safety System Certificate 22000 (ISO/TS22002-1), which represents the adoption of the highest food security standards worldwide and is recognized by key international organizations including the European Food and Beverage Association, the American Manufacturing Association and the Global Food Safety Initiative. It also holds the Palestinian Standard Certificate in Palestine and the Halal Certificate issued by Jordanian Standards. Since 2014, Siniora factories in Jordan and Palestine have been maintaining the international certifications for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems OHSAS 18001:2007 and Environmental Management Systems ISO14001:2004. The company markets its products through mass merchandisers, grocery stores, high-frequency stores and department stores in Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as well as in many other countries in the Middle East. Siniora also has distribution centers in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and a dedicated export department covering the Gulf and the Levant. Siniora is a public shareholding company listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE: SNRA). Sofinnova Partners' appointment of Armance Bordes strengthens the firm's support team. Sofinnova Partners, a leading European venture capital firm specialized in Life Sciences, has appointed Armance Bordes as General Counsel. In charge of the firm's legal and regulatory affairs, Armance brings to Sofinnova Partners a ten-year experience in private equity. Prior to joining Sofinnova Partners, Armance was Deputy General Counsel and Secretary of the board of directors at Eurazeo. She has supervised numerous investments and divestments in listed companies; she has been involved in particular in the IPOs of Elis and Europcar in which she has been a board member. Armance started her career as an M&A lawyer at Gibson Dunn Crutcher, LLP in Paris. She graduated from the University of Paris I Pantheon -Sorbonne and holds a postgraduate diploma from Oxford University. She is admitted to the Paris bar. As part of a growing support team headed by Monique Saulnier, Managing Partner COO of Sofinnova Partners, Armance will work in close ties with Christophe Blanche, Chief Financial Officer since the end of 2016. Christophe joined the firm with a sixteen-year experience in private equity. He has worked as Chief Financial Officer in French and Luxembourg management companies, and prior to that as a senior audit manager in PricewaterhouseCoopers. Christophe is Reviseur d'Entreprises in Luxembourg and graduated from the Institut Superieur du Commerce, a French business school. Monique Saulnier, Managing Partner and COO of Sofinnova Partners, indicates: We are delighted to welcome Armance in Sofinnova Partners' support team. Her experience and acute understanding of the business is a major asset in a period of increased activity, with notably the launch of new funds such as Sofinnova Crossover I which announced a closing in April at 275 M Sofinnova Partners' support team today counts 13 people. Alongside Armance who heads legal and regulatory activity and Christophe Blanche who leads the finance and administrative activity, the support team is in charge of a diversified set of functions including Accounting Investors relations and reporting, Human Resources, IT and Deal Flow Management. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180422005068/en/ Contacts: Press for Sofinnova Partners Anne Rein, +33 (0) 6.03.35.92.05 anne.rein@strategiesimage.com LONDON, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Flashbay, the world leader in customisable technology products is delighted to announce its win at the B2B Marketing Expo Awards at the Excel Centre in London. The award ceremony, hosted by Digital Donut, saw Flashbay shortlisted for the 'Best Offline Marketer' award, and following a successful sales pitch from the firm's Head of Global Sales Performance, Therese Sande, crowned the overall winner. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/680549/Flashbay_Logo.jpg ) The Marketing Expo welcomed over 7,500 marketing professionals on the 21st and 22nd March, and is Europe's biggest marketing event with over 700 exhibitors in attendance. Flashbay was chosen out of a strong selection of well-known marketing companies at its first ever appearance at the event. The company has made quite the impression on the B2B Trade Show scene, and has been shortlisted for prizes at the Exhibitor Live event in Las Vegas and the B2B Marketing Expo in the first quarter of 2018. Being recognised by the marketing community at Europe's largest marketing expo makes the award all the more meaningful. Flashbay will continue to lead the way in promotional technology products, helping businesses all over the world connect globally with their target audiences in innovative ways. The company has applied the same rigour and meticulous design principles that built its world-class reputation to a range of new products including Bluetooth Headphones, Speakers and Power Banks. Flashbay have sold Branded USB Flash Drives, Power Banks, Headphone and Speaker products to a range of companies to date; from FTSE 100 multinationals to fast-growing start-ups, government organisations, schools and charities. The company has served over 100,000 organisations to date. About Flashbay: Flashbay is the World's No.1 business-to-business (B2B) supplier of logo branded Promotional Technology products. From the smallest schools to the largest multinationals, we offer an attractive range of designs within our Memory, Power and Audio categories, offering unbeatable prices coupled with fast and efficient service. Our product lines include Flash Drives, Power Banks, Speakers, Headphones and a host of related technology products and accessories which allow our customers the unparalleled ability to promote their brands with confidence on the global stage. www.flashbay.com Contact: Natalie Murray Email: n.murray@flashbay.com PUNE, India, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report "Bioinformatics Services Market by Type (Microbiome, Transcriptome, Virtual Screening, Database Management), Specialty (Medical, Forensics), Application (Proteomics, Metabolomics), End User (Academia, Pharma) - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is projected to reach USD 3.53 Billion by 2023 from USD 1.70 Billion in 2018, at a CAGR of 15.7%. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg ) Browse 64 market data Tables and 34 Figures spread through 138 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Bioinformatics Services Market" https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/bioinformatic-service-m a rket-75889439.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report Factors such as growing applications of bioinformatics in various industries, increasing public-private sector funding for bioinformatics services, and the shortage of skilled bioinformatics professionals leading to increased outsourcing of bioinformatics projects are driving the growth of this market. By type, the sequencing services segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market in 2018 On the basis of type, the Bioinformatics Services Market is classified into sequencing services, data analysis services, drug discovery services, differential gene expression analysis, database management services, and other bioinformatics services. The sequencing services segment is expected to account for the largest share of the Bioinformatics Services Market in 2018. Financial support from government as well as private bodies for next-generation sequencing based projects, advancements in next-generation sequencing coupled with decreasing sequencing costs, and the need of high-throughput analysis of a large amount of data generated during sequencing are the major factors driving the growth of this segment. By specialty, the plant biotechnology segment is expected to be the fastest-growing segment in the forecast period On the basis of specialty, the Bioinformatics Services Market is segmented into medical biotechnology, animal biotechnology, plant biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, and forensic biotechnology. The plant biotechnology segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. Factors such as the increased use of bioinformatics in the field of agriculture, growing demand for the management and distribution of vast amounts of plant genomic data coupled with the increase in plant genome sequencing due to technological developments and decreasing sequencing costs, and the emerging applications of plant biotechnology among researchers and farmers are driving the growth of the Bioinformatics Services Market for plant biotechnology. Ask for PDF Brochure @https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=75889439 North America is expected to dominate the market in 2018 Geographically, the Bioinformatics Services Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World. North America is expected to account for the largest share of the market in 2018, followed by Europe. The large share of North America can primarily be attributed to the government support for genomic research, presence of leading bioinformatics service providers, decreasing cost of sequencing, rising awareness of bioinformatics services, and increasing number of genomic research activities (and corresponding adoption of bioinformatics) in the region. As of 2017, the key players in the Bioinformatics Services Market include Illumina (US), Thermo Fisher Scientific (US), Eurofins Scientific (Luxembourg), BGI (China), NeoGenomics (US), PerkinElmer (US), CD Genomics (US), Macrogen (South Korea), QIAGEN (Germany), GENEWIZ (US), Source BioScience (UK), Microsynth (Switzerland), MedGenome (India), Fios Genomics (UK), and BaseClear (Netherlands), among others. Know more about the Bioinformatics Services Market: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/bioinformatic-service-market-75889439.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, "Knowledge Store" 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 Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - An unruly passenger was tasered, arrested and forcibly removed from an American Airlines flight on Sunday evening after he allegedly touched a female passenger inappropriately. Prior to takeoff, the boyfriend of the female passenger on the plane contacted authorities after the unruly passenger, Jacob Garcia, began touching her. The Chicago-bound American Airlines plane was still at the gate at Miami International Airport when Garcia was asked by crew members to deplane. After he refused, police officers were called onto the plane. The incident was caught on video by a fellow passenger and posted on Twitter. The video shows Garcia being held down and tasered several times by three officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department after he became combative with them. Garcia asked why is being removed from the plane and an officer responded, 'You just assaulted a lady.' During his struggle with the officers, Garcia tried to reach for an officer's gun, but was unable to remove it from the holster. 'In accordance with our procedures, American began the process of deplaning the entire aircraft. During that process, a physical altercation between the same two passengers took place. Once law enforcement was on the aircraft, the passenger then became combative with the officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department,' American Airlines said in a statement. Garcia was subsequently arrested by the police. American Airlines said it will cooperate with the Miami-Dade Police Department on this matter. The flight, which was scheduled to depart Miami at 9:30 p.m. ET, departed an hour later than scheduled, with all remaining passengers. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Very dynamic organic growth and commercial activity Organic growth: +3.3% including indexation, +2.5% excluding indexation Rental revenues: -1.4% following the disposals carried out in 2017 Further exceptional outperformance for the centers: +340 bp for footfall and +330 bp for retailer sales Regulatory News: Mercialys (Paris:MERY): Eric Le Gentil, Mercialys' Chairman and CEO: "In the first quarter of 2018, Mercialys delivered results building on its outstanding operational trends, with +3.3% organic growth, including the significant upturn in indexation. This level of performance is in line with the full-year objectives the Company has set for 2018. We have continued to refine our customer knowledge through our powerful digital marketing ecosystem and sustained growth in our qualified database, enabling an increasingly advanced personalization of commercial offers to help satisfy consumers' needs. This is contributing to the positive perception and the level of footfall in Mercialys shopping centers, thanks to continuity between their physical and online buying journey, supporting the sales generated by retailers. We have also maintained our very strong lettings performance, with new iconic and differentiating retailers signed up. In line with these positive trends ,Mercialys is on track to achieve its objectives for 2018, with organic rental income growth excluding indexation of over +2%, FFO growth of at least +2% excluding the impact of refinancing the bond maturing in 2019, and dividend growth of at least +2%, ranging from 85% to 95% of 2018 FFO". I. Change in rental revenues Mercialys once again confirmed its operational excellence in the first quarter of 2018, delivering like-for-like growth of +3.3% including indexation (+2.5% excluding indexation). Invoiced rents came to Euro 45.2 million, with a slight contraction of -1.1% year-on-year due to the asset disposals carried out in 2017. (In thousands of euros) Cumulative to end- March 2017 Cumulative to end-March 2018 Change (%) Like-for-like change (%) Invoiced rents 45,689 45,174 -1.1% +3.3% Lease rights 511 387 -24.3% Rental revenues 46,200 45,560 -1.4% The change in invoiced rents reflects the following factors: - Excellent organic growth: +3.3 points, - Impact of assets sold in 2017: -3.3 points, - Other effects, primarily including strategic vacancy linked to current redevelopment programs: -1.1 point Like-for-like, invoiced rents are up +3.3%, including: +2.2%for actions carried out on the portfolio, with a similar performance to the first quarter of 2017 as well as the whole of the past year. This progress factors in the positive impact of the sites redeveloped in 2017, on surfaces previously held by Mercialys for over 12 months (including the nine hypermarket transformations and the Morlaix, Rennes and Saint-Etienne Monthieu redevelopments completed in 2017), +0.3%for the development of the Casual Leasing business, with this offer now fully integrated into Mercialys' letting strategy, paving the way for the gradual transformation of a certain number of short-term leases into standard commercial leases, +0.8% for indexation, significantly higher than previous years. Lease rights and despecialization indemnities received over the period1, after factoring in the deferrals required under IFRS, came to Euro 0.4 million, compared with Euro 0.5 million for the first quarter of 2017. Rental revenues therefore represent Euro 45.6 million at March 31, 2018, down -1.4% from March 31, 2017. II. Continued improvement in customer knowledge, supporting center outperformance and excellent commercial development The G La Galerie digital ecosystem confirms its strength and continues to be ramped up, with further significant growth in the customer database and work to enhance the qualification of these contacts. Mercialys is able to relay retailers' offers with better targeting and growing efficiency, while the personalized text message and emailing system, adapted for each center and customer profile, achieved an opening rate of over 40% with the latest campaigns. The benefits of the single brand and pooled marketing spending are reflected in a +15% increase in footfall across the websites for all the centers for the first quarter of 2018 compared with the first quarter of 2017. 75% of this traffic has been achieved thanks to the optimization of Mercialys' natural referencing. Alongside this, Mercialys is continuing to diversify the services offered on La Galerie des Services, its BtoB digital services platform. The recent introduction of the Retailer Card (Carte Commercants)2 and Mystery Shopper (Visites Mysteres)3 offers has further strengthened the existing range of 30 services, fully accessible online, some of which, such as Special Deals (Bons Plans), are proving very popular with retailers. This dynamic BtoB and BtoC omnichannel approach is helping Mercialys' centers to stand out even more effectively in terms of their offering, characterized by an in-depth understanding of expectations across the trading areas, a proven ability to satisfy individual and specific customer needs, and a wide selection of services for retailers and end customers. For the start of 2018, Mercialys' shopping centers once again show operational performance levels that are significantly higher than the national average. Over 12 cumulative months to end-February 2018, the sales generated by retailers in Mercialys shopping centers4 continued to clearly outperform the overall national shopping center market (CNCC5), coming in +330 basis points higher with +3.0% growth for the period. In the first quarter of 2018, footfall in Mercialys shopping centers4 outperformed the national market (CNCC5) by +340 basis points, with +3.0% growth versus the first quarter of 2017, compared with a -0.4% contraction for the CNCC. The appeal of Mercialys' centers is enabling the letting teams to maintain their excellent performance levels. For instance, the first quarter of 2018 saw leases signed with iconic retailers like New Yorker for the Brest shopping center, Tally Weijl in Sainte-Marie, La Fnac in Besancon and Marseille Plan de Campagne, La Chaise Longue and Boticinal in Marseille La Valentine, Brut Butcher in Annemasse, Frejus and Montpellier, and Orange in Angers. These brands are making it possible to further diversify the merchandising mix at these sites and strengthen their commerciality, contributing to their appeal and their sustainable outperformance. III. Successful early refinancing: carrying cost limited to Euro 4 million in 2018 In line with the target published in February 2018, Mercialys has completed the early refinancing of the Euro 479.7 million bond issue due to mature in March 2019, with a coupon of 4.125%. On February 20, 2018, the Company successfully placed a Euro 300 million bond issue with a maturity of February 2026 (i.e. eight years) and 1.80% coupon. This issue was 2.5x oversubscribed by a diverse investor base. This operation followed the Euro 150 million bond issue with a November 2027 maturity (i.e. 10 years), finalized in November 2017 as part of a private placement, with a 2.0% coupon. These new financing lines, raised under very favorable conditions, have helped extend the average maturity of debt and achieve a very significant reduction in Mercialys' financing costs from 2019. After setting up hedging instruments, the 2018 FFO impact of the carrying cost for these new financing facilities, representing a total of Euro 450 million, is estimated at Euro 4.0 million. This cost is significantly lower than the initial estimate of Euro 6.0 million announced in February 2018. IV. Payout of Euro 0.68 per share on May 3, 2018 On February 14, 2018, Mercialys' Board of Directors proposed, subject to approval by the General Shareholders' Meeting on April 26, 2018, to set the dividend for 2017 at Euro 1.09 per share (including the interim dividend of Euro 0.41 per share already paid in October 2017), up +2.8% from the dividend for 2016. This represents a yield of 5.3% in relation to Mercialys' EPRA NNNAV at December 31, 2017 (Euro 20.54 per share) and 5.9% compared with the year-end 2017 share price. After deducting the interim dividend already paid out, the balance on this dividend represents Euro 0.68 per share. It will be paid in full in cash on May 3, 2018. The ex-dividend date will be April 30, 2018. This press release is available on www.mercialys.com About Mercialys Mercialys is one of France's leading real estate companies, focused exclusively on retail property. At December 31, 2017, Mercialys had a portfolio of 2,185 leases, representing a rental value of Euro 178 million on an annualized basis. At December 31, 2017, it owned properties with an estimated value of Euro 3.7 billion (including transfer taxes). Mercialys has had "SIIC" real estate investment trust (REIT) tax status since November 1, 2005 and has been listed on Euronext Paris Compartment A (ticker: MERY) since its initial public offering on October 12, 2005. At December 31, 2017, there were 92,049,169 shares outstanding. IMPORTANT INFORMATION This press release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding future events, trends, projects or targets. These forward-looking statements are subject to identified and unidentified risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to the Mercialys shelf registration document available at www.mercialys.com for the year ended December 31, 2017 for more details regarding certain factors, risks and uncertainties that could affect Mercialys' business. Mercialys makes no undertaking in any form to publish updates or adjustments to these forward-looking statements, nor to report new information, in case new future events or any other circumstances might cause these statements to be revised. MERCIALYS RENTAL REVENUES 2017 Mar 31, 2017 Jun 30, 2017 Sep 30, 2017 Dec 31, 2017 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Invoiced rents 45,689 92,098 136,407 183,514 45,689 46,409 44,309 47,107 Lease rights 511 1,020 1,426 1,805 511 509 406 379 Rental revenues 46,200 93,118 137,833 185,318 46,200 46,918 44,715 47,486 Change in invoiced rents 1.6% 0.2% -0.7% -2.2% 1.6% -1.0% -2.6% -6.2% Change in rental revenues 1.4% 0.1% -0.8% -2.4% 1.4% -1.2% -2.7% -6.5% 2018 Mar 31, 2018 Jun 30, 2018 Sep 30, 2018 Dec 31, 2018 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Invoiced rents 45,174 45,174 Lease rights 387 387 Rental revenues 45,560 45,560 Change in invoiced rents -1.1% -1.1% Change in rental revenues -1.4% -1.4% 1 Lease rights received as cash before the impact of deferrals required under IFRS (deferral of lease rights over the firm period of leases) 2 Digital card made available to staff from retailers in the shopping centers, enabling them to benefit from promotional offers in their center 3 Service to put retailers in contact with specialist customer satisfaction survey and mystery shopper companies with a view to improving commercial performance 4 Mercialys' large centers and main neighborhood shopping centers based on a constant surface area, representing c. 85% of the Company's shopping centers value (scope as reported to the CNCC by Mercialys) 5 CNCC index all centers, comparable scope View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006059/en/ Contacts: Mercialys Analysts investors contact: Alexandre Leroy +33 (0)1 53 65 24 39 aleroy@mercialys.com or Press contact: Gwenaelle Allaire +33 (0)1 53 70 23 34 gallaire@mercialys.com BALTIMORE, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Many soldiers returning from combat bear visible scars, or even lost limbs, caused by blasts from improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. However, some servicemen also return with debilitating hidden injuries - the loss of all or part of their genitals. Now, the Johns Hopkins reconstructive surgery team that performed the country's first bilateral arm transplant in a wounded warrior has successfully performed the first total penis and scrotum transplant in the world. "We are hopeful that this transplant will help restore near-normal urinary and sexual functions for this young man," says W.P. Andrew Lee, M.D., professor and director of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. A team of nine plastic surgeons and two urological surgeons was involved in the 14-hour surgery on March 26. They transplanted from a deceased donor the entire penis, scrotum (without testicles) and partial abdominal wall. "It's a real mind-boggling injury to suffer, it is not an easy one to accept," says the recipient who is a veteran who sustained injuries in Afghanistan and wishes to remain anonymous. "When I first woke up, I felt finally more normal [with] a level of confidence as well. Confidence like finally I'm okay now," he says. The recipient has recovered from the surgery and is expected to be discharged from the hospital this week. While it's possible to reconstruct a penis using tissue from other parts of the body, says Lee, a prosthesis implant would be necessary to achieve an erection, and that comes with a much higher rate of infection. Additionally, due to other injuries, servicemen often don't have enough viable tissue from other parts of their bodies to work with. This type of transplant, where a body part or tissue is transferred from one individual to another, is called vascularized composite allotransplantation. The surgery involves transplanting skin, muscles and tendons, nerves, bone and blood vessels. As with any transplant surgery, tissue rejection is a concern. The patient is put on a regimen of immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection. Lee's team has developed an immune modulation protocol aimed at minimizing the number of these drugs needed to prevent rejection. On the web: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/plastic_reconstructive_surgery/specialty_services/transplant_tissue_transfer.html https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/transplant/news_events/penis_transplant_qa.html https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/transplant/programs/reconstructive_transplant/immunommodulatory_protocol.html Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM), headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, is an $8 billion integrated global health enterprise and one of the leading academic health care systems in the United States. JHM unites physicians and scientists of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with the organizations, health professionals and facilities of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System. JHM's vision, "Together, we will deliver the promise of medicine," is supported by its mission to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence in medical education, research and clinical care. Diverse and inclusive, JHM educates medical students, scientists, health care professionals and the public; conducts biomedical research; and provides patient-centered medicine to prevent, diagnose and treat human illness. JHM operates six academic and community hospitals, four suburban health care and surgery centers, and 40 primary and specialty care outpatient sites under the umbrella of Johns Hopkins Community Physicians. JHM extends health care into the community and globally through Johns Hopkins Home Care Group, Johns Hopkins Medicine International and Johns Hopkins HealthCare. The Johns Hopkins Hospital, opened in 1889, has been ranked #1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 22 years of the survey's 28-year history. For more information about Johns Hopkins Medicine; its research, education and clinical programs; and for the latest health, science and research news, visit www.hopkinsmedicine.org. Media Contacts: Alsy Acevedo, +1 410-446-1750, alsy@jhmi.edu Follow us on Twitter @HopkinsMedNews ** B-roll and diagrams available Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/680141/Penile_Transplant.jpg BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Swiss stock market ended the first session of the new trading week nearly unchanged. After a weak start, the market pared its losses over the course of the day and finished with a very small loss. Weakness in banking giant UBS weighed on sentiment Monday, as well as concerns over rising U.S. treasury yields. Traders are also looking ahead to the upcoming policy decision from the European Central Bank, which will be announced on Thursday. The Swiss Market Index decreased by 0.01 percent Monday and finished at 8,806.63. The Swiss Leader Index climbed 0.02 percent and the Swiss Performance Index added 0.12 percent. UBS tumbled 2.5 percent. The bank's first-quarter earnings topped forecasts, but investors were disappointed by the performance of its global private wealth management division. Julius Baer also weakened by 0.7 percent, but Credit Suisse gained 0.6 percent. The index heavyweights ended the day with mixed results. Nestle decreased 0.4 percent and Novartis slid 0.05 percent. Meanwhile, Roche advanced 0.9 percent. Swiss Life increased 0.8 percent and Swiss Re gained 0.5 percent. Sika finished higher by 0.7 percent. Swatch rose 0.6 percent and rival Richemont added 0.2 percent. In the broad market, Temenos Group rallied 5.5 percent. The banking software supplier announced that it would not make a revised offer for Fidessa group. 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) - Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.V., revealed Monday he intends to vote to confirm CIA Director Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State. Manchin said he decided to vote to confirm Pompeo after meeting with the former congressman, discussing his foreign policy perspectives, and considering his distinguished time as CIA Director and his career in public service. 'During this sensitive diplomatic time, it's important our next Secretary of State understands the grave threats facing our nation and can offer diplomatic solutions to avoid conflict, as soon as possible,' Manchin said. He added, 'I believe he will represent our interests well across the world and provide wise counsel to President Trump on our foreign policy.' Manchin said Pompeo will bring a unique perspective to the State Department and is the right person to lead the department to achieve the country's foreign policy goals. With the announcement, Manchin joins Senator Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., as the second Democrat to publicly express support for Pompeo. Republican Senator Rand Paul, R-Ken., has publicly said he will oppose Pompeo's nomination, meaning Republicans would need at least one Democrat in order to confirm him. The GOP has also been seeking to gain support from Senators Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who are up for re-election in states that President Donald Trump won by big margins. 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. New Branch Will be the Second HVAC Location in the Metro Area With Plans for More Expansion in 2018 FORT WORTH, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 23, 2018 / MORSCO HVAC Supply, a Fort Worth-based distributor of heating and cooling equipment (HVAC), today announced that it has acquired Bush Supply, a Phoenix, Arizona-based full-service HVAC distributor. In the transaction, 12 Bush Supply associates and one location at 3147 W. Lewis Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009, will become part of the MORSCO HVAC Supply family. It will be the second MORSCO HVAC Supply branch in Phoenix, joining the Farnsworth Wholesale Company (FWC) branch located at 1235 South Pima Road in Mesa, Arizona. Both the Bush and FWC locations will operate under the MORSCO HVAC Supply brand name. Bush Supply was founded in 1987 by Wayne Bush. Anchored by its custom sheet metal shop, the company grew over time to become a successful HVAC distributor that delivered more than just products. "Since our company's founding, we've thrived in an intensely competitive market by knowing our customers, providing them with the products and services they want, and continually reinvesting in our business," said Greg Bush, President, Bush Supply. "MORSCO subscribes to that same philosophy - to deliver more and help their customers grow - which made it easy for us to see that a partnership with MORSCO HVAC Supply would be a great fit for Bush Supply. All of our employees are eager to become part of the MORSCO family of brands and we look forward to providing even better service to our existing customers and welcoming many new ones." MORSCO, a leading U.S. distributor of commercial and residential plumbing, waterworks and HVAC, recently launched the MORSCO HVAC Supply brand to better focus its HVAC operations and offer HVAC customers enhanced service, more locations and more local expertise. "This acquisition of Bush Supply is one of the first steps toward achieving our goal of better focusing our HVAC operations and providing customers the HVAC inventory they need when they need it," said Jim Mishler, President, MORSCO HVAC Supply. "We're excited for the Bush Supply team to join us and are ready to welcome our Phoenix customers. We look forward to further building our MORSCO HVAC Supply network of branches with local, dedicated experts who can offer a superior level of support and expertise." MORSCO HVAC Supply has plans to open several additional branches across the U.S. in 2018. About MORSCO MORSCO is a leading U.S. distributor of commercial and residential plumbing, waterworks and HVAC supplies. The company was founded in Fort Worth, Texas, and is now one of the fastest growing in its market. MORSCO is a private company sponsored by Advent International and led by a team of industry veterans. The MORSCO family of brands consists of Express Pipe & Supply Co. (CA); Farnsworth Wholesale Supply (AZ); Morrison Supply Company (TX, OK, NM, KS); Murray Supply Company (NC, SC); Wholesale Specialties (CO), DeVore & Johnson (GA); Fortiline Waterworks (AL, AZ, FL, GA, KS, KY, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA) and MORSCO's premier showroom offering in these markets, Expressions Home Gallery. For additional information regarding MORSCO or any of its brands, please visit www.MorscoUSA.com. About Advent International Founded in 1984, Advent International is one of the largest and most experienced global private equity investors. The firm has invested in more than 315 private equity transactions in 40 countries and as of June 30, 2016, had $40 billion in assets under management. With offices on four continents, Advent has established a globally integrated team of over 190 investment professionals across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. The firm focuses on investments in five core sectors, including business and financial services; healthcare; industrial; retail, consumer and leisure; and technology, media and telecom. After more than 30 years dedicated to international investing, Advent remains committed to partnering with management teams to deliver sustained revenue and earnings growth for its portfolio companies. For more information, visit www.adventinternational.com. CONTACT: Cathy Hein Director, Strategic Communications & Branding 704-788-9806 cthein@morsco.com SOURCE: MORSCO LUXEMBOURG, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- International Automotive Components Group S.A. ("IAC"), a global automotive and mobility leader in lightweight and new-material interior solutions, is pleased to announce the closure of its new financing transaction through the issuance of $215 million of Second Lien Notes due April 2023 to funds managed by Gamut Capital Management, L.P. ("Gamut"). The proceeds along with cash on hand were used to redeem IAC's $300 million 9.125 percent Senior Secured Notes due June 1, 2018. With this transaction Gamut also acquired a minority equity interest in the company. The financing strengthens IAC's balance sheet and provides the financial flexibility to pursue IAC's investment strategy to upgrade its asset base and undertake customer projects. Perella Weinberg Partners LP served as financial advisor to IAC and Jones Day served as its legal counsel. Jefferies Group, LLC served as financial advisor to Gamut and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP served as its legal counsel. About IAC Group Headquartered in Luxembourg, International Automotive Components (IAC) is a leading global supplier of automotive components and systems, including instrument panels, console systems, door panels, headliners and overhead systems to automakers around the world. The company's 2017 sales were an estimated $4.4 billion. IAC Group operates more than 50 manufacturing facilities in 16 countries. The company has more than 60 total locations in 19 countries, including 19 design, technical and commercial centers, and employs more than 22,000 people globally. For more information, visit www.iacgroup.com. About Gamut Capital Management Gamut Capital Management, L.P. is a New York-based private investment firm managing $1 billion in assets focused on the middle market. Gamut was founded in 2015 by Stan Parker and Jordan Zaken who have over 35 years of combined private equity investing experience across a wide range of industries, in a broad spectrum of traditional and non-traditional private equity structures, and throughout economic cycles. Gamut's senior deal professionals have executed investments in over 30 companies in North America and Europe. To learn more, please visit www.gamutcapital.com. About WL Ross & Co. LLC WL Ross & Co. LLC is a private equity firm specializing in middle market, restructurings, buyouts, turnarounds and special situations. The firm is wholly owned by Invesco and part of its Invesco Private Capital Division. As the first ever cooperated exchange between China and South Korea, Coineal is going to be launched in April! Its native token, NEAL, will be released as well with a total volume of 10 billion. Our Team Coineal has a dedicated team which composited with technical specialists, blockchain technology experts and digital currency investors from South Korea and China. The team had been leading a number of blockchain projects to rapidly step into the South Korean and Chinese community. And also, helping the blockchain projects to grow the local community. Our Mission Coineal is committed to building a world-class blockchain asset trading platform, providing users with safe, professional and easy-to-use cryptocurrency exchange services. Coineal provides a full liquidity for digital assets which would enable everyone to trade cryptocurrencies freely. Our Competitiveness Global business layout Coineal has established operating centers based in South Korea and China. In the future, independent operations in Japan, Singapore, the United States, Russia and more other countries will be set up as well to build an integrated global business layout. Safety The technical team of Coineal has extensive experience in the digital asset industry. Coineal is built using a distributed architecture with high-quality risk control system and DDOS defense system. Sufficient users bases Coineal has accumulated a strong user bases in the early stage of development. For example, MT, the native token of the Chinese biggest cryptocurrency ticker app, will be listed on Coineal the moment it goes online. With our international investment advisor team, Coineal will soon be involved in larger business networks and partnership potentials. High-quality user experiences Covering mainstream currencies, Coineal platform will support iOS, Android, H5 and PC clients with a various choice of languages. A 7*2-hour customer service will be available. High return on investment Coineal will set up community nodes. Each node is able to have a native independent cryptocurrency exchange. To incentive these community exchanges, a bonus will be distributed each month (in NEAL) to award those who achieved a certain amount of workload. Furthermore, a portion of Coineals profit will be distributed among the community, as a reward for nodes operating and managing the community exchange. All about NEAL Transaction fees A transaction fee will be required for trading on the Coineal platform. Users who hold a certain amount of NEAL will enjoy a discount on the transaction fee. 1:1 token claim NEAL holders will have the choice to claim various other cryptocurrencies. For example, MT (the native token of MyToken) will be listed on Coineal so users can use NEAL to 1:1 claim MT. Those repossessed NEAL will be burned immediately. As more cryptocurrencies are traded on Coineal, a lot more other cryptocurrencies can be claimed with NEAL. Node selection As Koreans first decentralized cryptocurrency exchange, Coineal asks everyone in the community to operate it. Thus, we will select members from the community to join the governance committee and NEAL will be required both to voting and participate in the selection. Cryptocurrency listing Blockchain projects need to have NEAL to get their token listed. Voting and auditing mechanism, where NEAL is also required, will be applied before any new cryptocurrency being listed. A final note Although Coineal issued NEAL before releasing the product, NEAL will not start selling until the platform achieves a stable operation. Users can only obtain NEAL through a POW-like mechanism. Such design would enable the platform to grow steadily and ensure the best interests of the community members who have contributed to it. Do not forget to claim your MT with NEAL! See the Coineal Official Website and join the Coineal Telegram Group for details of the activity. Telegram Group: https://t.me/coineal WeChat: coineal Website: https://www.coineal.com About Spectra Ventures & Advisory is the exclusive investor of Wellspring at the earliest stage. We are blockchain and cryptocurrency consulting company under the Spectra Group. We bring our enriched experience across industries and countries to practice professional advisory services for clients around the world. For business consulting and cooperating please check our website: Spectra Ventures & Advisory www.spectragroup.io . - . (). , . . ... A man working to recover a car from on a beach in Britain on Sunday died from a heart attack during the attempt. The tragedy unfolded on Brean Beach in Burham-on-Sea, where a tourist couple had driven a rented Mercedes-Benz too far onto the wet sand and got stuck. The incident happened on Saturday, but a storm prevented crews from removing it before the tide came in and it was left there overnight, SWNS reports. An auto recovery team assisted by the coast guard returned on Sunday to give it another try. During the effort, a member of the recovery team collapsed with what appeared to be a heart attack at around 3 pm. First responders and an off-duty nurse quickly came to his assistance, at one point grabbing a defibrillator from a nearby cafe. Oxygen was administered, and an air ambulance called in, but efforts to revive the man were unsuccessful. "A harsh lesson to learn for this couple who were very apologetic for becoming stuck and felt bad for having to call us out, the coast guard wrote on Facebook. We are here to help those in need along the coast, we don't judge people for their mistakes. A coast guard spokesman told Fox News on Monday the mans identity has not yet been released, but that he was from the town of Bridgewater, about 10 miles away from the scene. Parking and driving on the beach are permitted, but the coast guard advises motorists to stay on the hardest surface closest to dry land. School's out! A truck carrying 22 tons of fish tipped over in Germany last Friday morning and spilled its load onto a farmer's field. The Polish driver was hauling the shipment of sprats through the town of Liepen when he left the road and hit a ditch that tipped the truck over. Police are investigating the cause of the incident, which occurred about 10 miles from the sea, and Bild reports they are trying to determine if drowsy driving was a factor. With AP Steve Irwin has been immortalized with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Its 12 years since the crocodile hunter had his fatal encounter with a stingray. Hes not been forgotten. And his wife and two children continue to strive to keep his memory alive. Terri Irwin spoke to the ABC 7.30 Report from Australia Zoo Tuesday. It was an emotional and moving account of grief, loss and life without her famous husband. None of us are immune to grief and everyone who has suffered loss understands that grief changes but you never wake up one morning and youve moved on, Terri said. It stays with you and you know, you ebb and flow. But she said the acknowledgment the Hollywood star represented was special. To be able to acknowledge everything that he worked so hard for in making sure that the world at large understood the importance of conservation and not just folks like ourselves who loved wildlife and wild places. It is very moving. Terri confessed she had not been prepared for life without Steve. As someone who always considered myself a fairly independent person, I really wasnt prepared for that sense of fear can I really take all of this forward? I was worried about my kids, our beautiful zoological facility and the work Steve started. But she said she knows now that she never really wavered in her task. But it took time to heal. It took time to reconvene, believing in myself again and believing that this is something we could achieve together, she said. Terri said conservation remained a burning issue for Australia. Even now, amid the fear and controversy sparked by recent shark attacks. In this day and age its harder to find an apex predator than to avoid one, she said. Human life is always the most valuable. (But) the people I know who love the ocean really understand the risks. I dont know a single surfer who would say, gee, I wish there were no sharks in the ocean." This article originally appeared in news.com.au. Prince Philip has always stood by Queen Elizabeths side, and Matt Smith is no different with his Crown co-star and TV wife Claire Foy. The actor, who has played Queen Elizabeths husband for two seasons, opened up about the shows decision to bridge the pay gap after it was revealed that Foy was paid less Smith for the series. I think she should have been paid that originally in the first place, Smith told Fox News at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of the film Mapplethorpe, in which the British actor takes on the role of the controversial 1960s photographer. Smith continued to say that he absolutely agreed with the shows decision to make sure that both the Queen and the Prince Phillip characters would be paid equally moving forward, despite the fact that he and Foys time on the show has come to an end. I think everyone has taken a long, hard look at themselves to try and go forward and make it right, but the problem is it happened to too late, he said. She was the Queen for Gods sake. She had the most lines, she worked the most, she had the most days that should have been what she was paid. But theyve made amends and hopefully going forward its not a problem. After filming two seasons of the Golden Globe-winning series, Smith formed a tight bond with his co-star, whom he described as his best friend. When asked what he was going to miss the most about shooting the series, the 35-year-old actor simply stated Claire. Claire is really what I am going to miss the most because we had such a brilliant friendship Smith explained. He then added that he would also miss portraying Prince Philip on screen: Ill miss that character. Philip was such a brilliant, interesting, difficult man to play and I think these are the characters that you strive for. Also it is brilliant writing and really well produced and really well made, so Ill miss being part of something that is well constructed. Though The Crown will continue on, it will now feature a new Philip and Elizabeth as they age and their story progresses. Smith admitted that he was sad to leave the Netflix production, but was very excited for the new wave of actors praising his replacement, Game of Thrones actor Tobias Menzies. I actually know him because I did a play with him in London. Hes not only a brilliant man but hes also a brilliant actor, Smith gushed. Hes absolutely fantastic, so I am quite excited. I am really thrilled for him and I think hes going to be fabulous. Broadchurch actress Olivia Colman will take Foys place as Queen Elizabeth. Jurors in Bill Cosby's sexual assault retrial won't hear old deposition testimony from a confidante of his chief accuser, a judge ruled Monday, dealing a blow to his lawyers' effort to undermine her credibility. As the trial entered its home stretch, Judge Steven O'Neill said there's "no persuasive" reason to let Cosby's lawyers read Sheri Williams' deposition testimony into the record. The defense wanted to use the testimony from Andrea Constand's 2005 civil lawsuit against Cosby after failing to reach Williams with a subpoena, but O'Neill rejected the request, saying a prosecutor should have the right to cross-examine her. Cosby wound up settling Constand's lawsuit for nearly $3.4 million. Constand testified at Cosby's first trial last year that she and Williams were good friends and were in touch as she went to police in January 2005 with allegations the TV star drugged and molested her. Cosby's lawyers said they expected Williams' testimony to refute Constand's claims that she was unaware he was romantically interested in her. They said she'd show that Constand "could not have been the unwitting victim" prosecutors have portrayed. After blocking her deposition, O'Neill said closing arguments in the retrial are expected Tuesday. The jury in Cosby's first trial deadlocked last year, setting the stage for the 80-year-old comedian's retrial on three counts of aggravated indecent assault. Cosby has said his 2004 sexual encounter with Constand was consensual. The judge also prevented jurors from hearing testimony that Constand was once hooked on hallucinogenic mushrooms or had her sights set on becoming a millionaire, but that hasn't stopped the defense from airing the explosive claims about her in the court of public opinion. Cosby's lawyers and publicists are increasingly playing to an audience of millions, not just the 12 people deciding his fate. They're hitting at Constand's credibility in the media with attacks that O'Neill is deeming too prejudicial or irrelevant for court, and they're holding daily press briefings portraying Cosby as the victim of an overzealous prosecutor and an unjust legal system. Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt has decried Constand's allegations of drugging and molestation as "fantastical stories" and deemed District Attorney Kevin Steele an "extortionist" for spending taxpayer money on the case. Wyatt was silent Monday morning, though, as Cosby and his team arrived at the courthouse in suburban Philadelphia for Day 11 of the retrial. Lawyer Dennis McAndrews, who's been in court following the retrial, said prominent defendants like Cosby almost always play to the court of public opinion when there's no gag order, but that his team's approach hasn't been "particularly effective or convincing." "It is so strident, and it is so hyperbolic, I think most people will turn it off," said McAndrews, who prosecuted chemical heir John E. du Pont for murder in 1997 and is not associated with either side in the Cosby case. Cosby's lawyers are expected to call an agent and an aviation consultant to the witness stand Monday as they continue to make the case that he never visited his suburban Philadelphia mansion in January 2004 the month Constand says he knocked her out with pills and molested her there. The date is important because Cosby was not charged until December 2015, just before the 12-year statute of limitations was set to expire. Cosby's lead attorney, Tom Mesereau, opened the retrial by calling Constand a "con artist" who framed Cosby for a big payday. Her former Temple University colleague Marguerite Jackson testified that Constand once mused about setting up a high-profile person. Constand's lawyer, Dolores Troiani, said in an interview that the defense attacks on her client are "absolutely part of their strategy to smear her reputation. They know they have judicial immunity, so they can say these things whether or not there's a basis in fact." The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand has done. Prince William and his wife, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, welcomed royal baby No. 3 on April 23 and Brits are thrilled to greet the bundle of joy. "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at [11:01 a.m.]," a tweet from Kensington Palace revealed. "The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth." The pair revealed their third pregnancy on Sept. 4, announcing the April 2018 due date about a month later, though they didn't specify the exact day doctors predicted. Kensington Palace confirmed at the time Middleton was suffering from severe morning sickness, known as hyperemesis gravidarum. The 36-year-old was affected by the same condition during her pregnancies with both Prince George, now 4, and Princess Charlotte, 2. The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news," Kensington Palace said in an October statement. Middleton gave birth to a boy just weeks ahead of another royal occasion: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, an hour-long ceremony that will take place on May 19 at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England. Here's what we know about the third royal baby. What we know about the royal birth Middleton gave birth in the private Lindo Wing of St. Marys Hospital in London. "Parking Suspended" signs popped up along South Wharf Road outside of the hospital on April 9, announcing a suspension of parking through April 30, according to People. The signs were similar to those that appeared roughly two weeks ahead of both George and Charlotte's births, in 2013 and 2015, respectively. KATE MIDDLETON STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF APPRECIATING 'CHILDHOOD WHILE IT LASTS' The Queen was the first to get a call about the safe arrival of George and Charlotte's little sister or brother. The parents were then given hours to bond with their child before making their way home. As they exited St. Marys, the pair paused for pictures and wave to crowds of people gathered around the gates of the hospital before taking off in a nearby car. Significant April date The pair welcomed their third child on St. George's Day, the feast day of Saint George, a patron saint. "While St. George never actually set foot in England during his lifetime, he was officially named the protector of the royal family and the patron saint of the country during the Middle Ages," PEOPLE explained in a post online. What we know about the baby's name The couple has stuck to tradition -- naming their children after past or present royals. George Alexander Louis' first name was a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II's father and grandfather. "Alexander is believed to have been picked by the couple to honor the Queen, whose middle name is Alexandra," People explained in a July 2013 post. "[The] name Louis 'is a nice tribute' to the Queens husband, Prince Philip, whose grandfather was Prince Louis Alexander of Battenberg." KATE MIDDLETON'S ROYAL FUTURE WITH PRINCE WILLIAM PREDICTED IN HER OWN HIGH SCHOOL PLAY The name Charlotte Elizabeth Diana "pays tribute to Prince Charles, Kates great-grandmother Elizabeth, Her Majesty the Queen, and, most tellingly of all, Williams late mother, the Princess of Wales," according to Vanity Fair. Their third child will be known as His Royal Highness Prince Louis Arthur Charles. The couple say they named their son Louis pronounced LOO-ee after William's grandfather, Prince Charles, and the Duke's mentor-- Louis Mountbatten-- who was killed by an Irish Republican Army bomb in 1979. The Palace has announced all of the details of Middleton's latest birth on its website and via Twitter, @KensingtonRoyal. The new royal baby makes history The third royal baby is fifth in line to Britain's royal throne, behind grandfather Prince Charles, father Prince William, big brother Prince George and big sister Princess Charlotte. Charlotte just became the "first-ever member of the royal family that will not lose her spot in line to the throne if a male heir is born," Evening Standard reports, explaining that the Succession to the Crown Act passed in 2013 makes this possible. Prince Harry moved down to sixth in line behind his nephew. The end may be near for Matt Lauer and Annette Roque. A source told People magazine Monday the two are preparing for divorce nearly five months after the fallen Today show anchor was terminated by NBC for alleged sexual misconduct. Lauer, 60, and Roque, 51, married in 1998 after meeting on a blind date. They share three children together: 16-year-old Jack, 14-year-old Romy and 11-year-old Thijs. He is truly devastated and wants to make up for anything he has done to hurt people, the source explained, adding Lauer rarely talks to the Dutch model/equestrian. But the damage in his marriage cant be fixed, and each would be better off to move on. They know this, but the kids are important to both of them," the source added. Insiders have also claimed Lauer was frequently unfaithful to Roque. By Matts own admission there were struggles and challenges with his wife, said the source. Like many couples, they struggled with a modern marriage. One former colleague insisted the marriage was never good. He was a player when she met him and she knew that, claimed the ex-colleague. Even many years ago, he was a flirt, a philanderer. He did his thing. The divorce proceedings are allegedly being stalled over discussions of money. The source said the pair is taking it day by day and that no long-term decisions have been made for the sake of their children. Shortly after his firing, Lauer addressed the allegations in a statement. There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions, he said. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this, I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC. Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is not shared by the people I cherish dearly. Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching, and Im committed to beginning that effort. It is not my full time job. The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws. Its been humbling. I am blessed to be surrounded by people I love. I thank them for their patience and grace. Back in January, the New York Post reported the veteran host was allegedly kicked out of his Hamptons home by Roque. The newspaper revealed Lauer has since been living nearby in another Hamptons property so he can be near his children. NBC insiders told Fox News that Today staff has long believed Lauer was living at his own Hamptons property, away from Roque. The insiders say Roque and Lauer lead separate lives in the Hamptons. In an interview with the UKs Daily Mail, Roques father told the publication that his daughter had no intention of getting back together with Lauer. She is not going to stay with him and work it out, he said. They are not together trying to work it out. Before Christmas, Roque reportedly met with lawyers, but had yet to file for divorce. According to multiple media reports, Roque attempted to divorce Lauer back in 2006, stating she suffered cruel and inhumane treatment. However, she quickly dropped the filing. Lauer was fired from his 20-year post as anchor of NBCs Today show in November after a former employee he had worked with accused him of sexual misconduct. Since Lauers firing, several women have come forward, with one claiming he gifted her a sex toy with a crude note and another alleging he sexually assaulted her in his office until she passed out. In February, Roque was spotted letting loose while wining and dining with a friend in Amsterdam. A source told Page Six she was not wearing her wedding ring. Annette is enjoying the European life, said a source to the newspaper. She is in a different mindset here. She is definitely regrouping. Following Lauers NBC firing, Hoda Kotb was named his replacement. As swarms of cameras and reporters eagerly await the first glimpse of the royal baby, other couples leaving St Marys Hospitals Lindo Wing are being snapped by paparazzi as they depart the hospital with their newborns. Kensington Palace revealed on Monday Prince William's wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, formerly Kate Middleton, gave birth to a baby boy at the hospital. An unsuspecting couple strode out of the hospital with their bundle of joy in hand and were snapped by the photographers dying to catch a royal appearance, People magazine reported. The unidentified couple then posed on the steps of the hospital for a few memorable photos. A bit later, another couple showed off their baby to the cameras, posing with their newborn on the steps where the royal couple will debut their newborn. On Monday, the palace announced Kate had given birth to the couples third child. "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at [11:01 a.m.]," a tweet from Kensington Palace revealed. "The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth." The palace announced earlier on Monday that Kate had gone into labor, causing media to crowd outside the Lindo wing at St Marys Hospital. Police officers stood guard by the doors, and fans and onlookers gathered outside. William and Kate married in 2011 and have two other children: Prince George, 4, and Princess Charlotte, who turns 3 next month. Both were born at the same hospital, as were William and his younger brother Prince Harry. The baby is Queen Elizabeth II's sixth great-grandchild and fifth in line to the throne, after grandfather Prince Charles, father Prince William and the two older siblings. A restaurant in Venice Beach, California, has been mocked on Twitter for its alleged newest menu item: a deconstructed avocado toast bowl. Twitter user Kara Swisher posted a photo of the unnamed restaurants supposed new bowl along with an unenthusiastic tweet, Ok now California trends are just f------ with me. CALIFORNIA RESTAURANT FINED $3,000 AFTER CUSTOMERS DANCE IN DINING AREA While some defended their state, saying the bowl is not a trend, others on Twitter were quick to agree with Swisher and point out the new bowl looks very familiar. According to the photo, the bowl comes with avocado and cherry tomatoes tossed in honey line vinaigrette with seven grain croutons over a bed of farro, crisp apple and kale. Served with a hard-boiled egg all common ingredients in salads. However, people on social media have suggested calling the dish a bowl instead of a salad means the restaurant could potentially sell it at a higher price. The price was not mentioned on the sign, or in Swishers tweet. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS The Golden State is not the only one being ridiculed for the deconstructing marketing ploy. A Reddit user in Australia posted a photo of a friend's deconstructed avocado toast dish that came with half an avocado, cut lime, two pieces of toast and a hardboiled egg. People on the online forum said the $17 dish looked more like a Do-It-Yourself meal. A Connecticut university cancelled classes on Monday after about 100 students came down with an virus thats causing stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. The president of Western Connecticut State University said in a statement that the decision to close school was made to prevent the illness from spreading further. Although we are aware of a limited number of affected students, based on our discussions with the Connecticut Department of Health, the Danbury Department of Health, Danbury Hospital and the WCSU Director of Health Services, we have decided this is the best and most conservative course of action to protect our university community from infection and spread of disease, John Clark, WSCU president, said in the statement. MAN CHEATS DEATH AFTER BEING STABBED IN SKULL WITH KEY A spokesman reportedly confirmed to News 8 that the students came down with the norovirus. The school is recommending that anyone who feels sick should go home or stay in their room to prevent spreading the illness. Students are instructed to return to campus two or three days after symptoms clear. The university announced on Friday that crews would be working over the weekend to sanitize and disinfect the school, which has about 5,700 students across two campuses. A Florida girl is recuperating days after she "inhaled" pool water in an incident her mother has described as a "freak accident." Elianna Grace, a 4-year-old from Sarasota, is now receiving oxygen therapy at Sarasota Memorial Hospital after ingesting pool water on April 14, according to a Facebook post by her mother, Lacey Grace. Grace said Elianna was playing around with a pool noodle in her grandmother's pool, and as "many children do every day, she was blowing in one end and blowing water out the other," when another swimmer happened to blow water into the pool noodle at the same time she was blowing out. This caused the pool water "to shoot directly down [Elianna's] throat," her mother wrote. The 4-year-old quickly threw up, but didn't show any odd symptoms until two days later, when she developed a fever. Initially, the mother said she didn't think much of it. "Kids get fevers, this is normal," Grace stated. But days later she took her child to an urgent care, where a doctor told her to get Elianna to an emergency room immediately. The young girl was diagnosed with "aspiration pneumonia and is now on oxygen and relying on it to breathe," her mother wrote in the April 19 post. The family is hoping that the antibiotic Elianna has taken will kick in so that "her lungs can find a way to get rid of the pool chemicals." Lacey Grace is urging other parents to "immediately get help" if their children inhale pool water. According to a GoFundMe page the mother created, Elianna has since been released from the hospital and is being treated at home. Authorities in New York issued a warning about possible measles exposure after it was discovered that two infected tourists traveled to several different locations last week. New York State health officials said the specific locations were in Brooklyn, Patterson and Tuxedo Park. The tourists, from Europe, visited three Jehovahs Witness facilities during their travels, CBS New York reported. Officials are urging anyone who may have been exposed to contact their health care provider immediately. CONNECTICUT UNIVERSITY CLOSES AFTER VIRUS SICKENS 100 Symptoms of measles can present as fever, cough, runny nose and red or watery eyes. It may take up to 14 days for symptoms to present, and it could turn deadly without medical treatment. Its a highly contagious disease that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It can be prevented with the MMR vaccine, which is recommended for children and adults. Police were called to an 84-year-old mans house in Pennsylvania last week to help his wife, also 84, who was having a medical emergency. The man, who was not identified in reports, told one of the responding officers that he would have no way of getting to the hospital to visit his wife once she was taken from their home. Montoursville Police Chief Jeff Gyurina gave the man his patrol cars cell number and said hed have a ride when he was ready to go. In a photo posted to the police departments Facebook page, it was revealed that the man called just a few hours later, and Deputy Chief Bentley was sent to help him out. 3-YEAR-OLD BOY SHAVES HEAD TO SUPPORT BIG SISTER'S CANCER BATTLE The man didnt have any friends or family in the area to help him go see her, the April 19 post said. Deputy chief Bentley picked him up at his home in Montoursville and gave him a ride to see her. Shortly after the picture, hospital staff came out with a wheelchair and took him to his wifes bedside in the Emergency Room. The post, which has been shared more than 1,000 times, has received praise from others in the town, and beyond. Generally, you can trust your organs to stay in one place. Sure, they may puff up with air or constrict to pump blood, but they do so in the same location in your body. That wasn't the case for a young woman in Michigan, however, who told doctors she felt like "a ball was rolling inside of her" when she would go from lying down to standing up. The "ball," it turned out, was her right kidney. According to a new report of her case, the 28-year-old woman had a rare condition known as a floating kidney. For nearly six years, she had experienced abdominal pain on her right side that felt worse when she was standing but better when she was lying down. She also told doctors that the pain was reduced toward the end of a recent pregnancy. MOM WHO NEARLY DIED FROM TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME WARNS ON DANGERS OF INFECTION A floating or "wandering" kidney (known medically as "nephroptosis") is a condition in which one of the kidneys falls into the pelvis when a person stands up, said case report author Dr. Akshay Sood, a urologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit who treated the woman. In the woman's case, her right kidney fell more than 2 inches (almost 6 centimeters) down, or the length of two vertebrae, when she shifted positions from lying down to standing up, he said. The reason some people have a floating kidney has to do with body fat. Ordinarily, the kidneys have a lot of fat around them to support them, Sood told Live Science. But sometimes, especially in thin women, there isn't enough fat to keep the kidney in place, so it falls into the pelvis when a person stands up due to gravity, he said. When this happens, it causes a hooking or kinking of the blood vessels attached to the organ, and it also causes a bend in the ureter, a duct that passes urine from the kidney to the bladder, Sood said. Because of this bend in the ureter, it can't drain urine properly. As a result, urine flows back into the kidney and collects there, which can cause the kidney to swell up like a balloon and can lead to pain, he said. Hard to diagnose "A floating kidney is a hard condition to diagnose, and it's not that common," Sood said. One reason it could be hard to detect the condition is that, if a CT scan is done, this scan is taken while the person is lying down, so the kidneys would look like they were in a normal position in the body, Sood said; therefore, doctors might not suspect that something is wrong. For the woman in this case, her problems and pain occurred only when she was standing, he added. The woman didn't have pain when she was reclining because her kidney stayed in its normal position, and she also felt better in late pregnancy because her larger uterus provided support from below for the kidney, so it would not move down into her pelvis, Sood explained. Another reason that some doctors might not have made the proper diagnosis in this case is that there has also been some controversy surrounding the diagnosis of a floating kidney, Sood said. About 20 to 30 years ago, floating kidney was overdiagnosed and overtreated in patients; as a result, some institutions emphasized the condtion less in medical training. That means that some urologists may have little knowledge of it, he said. When scans were finally taken of the woman's kidneys in both a lying-down and upright position, the images showed that her right kidney had migrated downward toward her pelvis when she stood up. This confirmed the diagnosis of a floating kidney, Sood said. To treat the problem and eliminate the woman's pain, doctors needed to do an operation known as a "nephropexy." In this procedure, doctors made small incisions in her abdomen and put stitches into the capsule of the kidney, which covers its outer surface, and tied it to the back wall of her body, Sood said. This holds the kidney in place and prevents it from flopping down, he said. Since having the surgery, the woman no longer has symptoms or pain, and she has been doing fine, Sood said. The case report was published April 17 in the journal BMJ Case Reports. Originally published on Live Science. A woman was allegedly left with a six-inch gash on her scalp after getting a weave sewn into her hair at a salon in England. Helzie Amnell-Connor went to the salon in Leeds which her lawyer has advised her not to name, SWNS reported and paid $278 to get a new brunette-Brazilian wig weaved into her hair. The 24-year-old told SWNS she voiced concerns about the wig being too tight during the hour-long process, but claims she was told youll get used to it. WOMAN WARNS OTHERS ABOUT EYELASH EXTENSION DANGERS AFTER SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTION Amnell-Connor said she was told to return to the salon in four weeks to have the weave checked. The woman said she experienced pain and tightness, but dismissed it since she had been told that was normal. Until she woke up at 4 am on April 20 in agony and covered in blood, SWNS reported. I woke up with blood streaming down my face - it was like a horror movie, Amnell-Connor told SWNS. So I went into the bathroom and there blood just gushing on my face." WARNING: Graphic images "I shouted for my dad and he managed to unthread my hair but the band of the wig had dug into my hairline. I was covered in blood - my whole body was, she continued. She was taken to the hospital and placed on an antibiotic drip and given painkillers, but ultimately told to let the wound heal on its own, SWNS reported. Amnell-Connor who describes herself as a normally confident person, now fears she will be left with a scar on her scalp. I used to like the way I looked so this is just really hard, she said to SWNS. "But it could be a lot worse - I've heard about women going bald after a bad weave. I like to be part of the glamour culture but it's not all about looks and you wonder if it's all worth it, she added. "I'm still in shock after seeing all that blood to be honest." She is now speaking out about her experience in hopes that other women can avoid what she went through. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS "I just want to raise awareness about this, she said to SWNS. "For a girl, hair is the most important part of the body and it's important for people to know this can happen. If I knew that the pain was an indication something was wrong I would have done something about it sooner - I could be scarred for life now. "People should definitely read reviews before they visit a salon - this has really scared me, she said. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! President Trump promised to reverse the Obama eras progressive economic policies and free American capitalism to do what it does best: increase prosperity for all. And, sure enough, thats exactly what happened. Buoyed with optimism as taxes were cut and anti-business regulations eliminated, businesses invested, GDP growth climbed to a 3.1 percent average for Trumps first three full quarters in office and the unemployment rate declined to a low last seen during President Clintons final year in office. To avoid slipping back into the economic doldrums we experienced under President Obama - which, incidentally, offer a look at the alternate reality we might have faced had we elected Hillary Clinton -- it is important to understand how far weve come and why. The Obama administrations economic policies failed to meet even their supporters predictions. In 2010, the Obama White House confidently forecast that GDP growth would accelerate in 2011 to 3.8% and exceed 4% per year in 2012-2014. It never happened. Obama never had even a single calendar year of 3 percent GDP growth. His actual post-recession average was an anemic 2.1 percent and his final year in office was a dismal 1.5 percent. This was largely thanks to the Obama administrations disastrous progressive policies. Between the failed Keynesian stimulus experiment, the crushing blows Dodd-Frank dealt community banks, the ObamaCare nightmare, and a deluge of anti-business regulation, the last administration did its best to put our economic future squarely in the governments hands. As a result, the economy failed to produce enough good paying jobs, people dropped out of the labor force, wages stagnated, paths to the middle class closed and income inequality increased. Predictably, progressive economic policies produced the very problems against which progressives rail. Despite the failure of their policies, the Obama administrations brain trust rejected the notion that Trumps free market policies could turn the economic tide. In early 2017, with the Trump administration forecasting a return to 3 percent GDP growth, Obama administration economist Lee Branstetter claimed that after 8 years of the Obama recovery, it was essentially mathematically impossible to get the growth they're talking about." Obama administration economist Jason Furman forecast ten years of GDP growth around 2 percent a year. Fellow Obama economist Larry Summers likened believing in the administrations forecast of 3 percent GDP growth to believing in tooth fairies and ludicrous supply-side economics. They were wrong. With GDP growth at 3.1 percent over the last three quarters, the Congressional Budget Office recently forecast an even higher growth rate of 3.3 percent for 2018, citing the effects of the 2017 tax act on incentives to work, save, and invest. Sounds like that ludicrous supply side economics. With economy freed from the heavy hand of government, the economic optimism is palpable. The National Association of Manufacturers recently reported that 93 percent of American manufacturers are optimistic about their future. Thats the highest number in the surveys 20-year history up from 56.6 percent just last year. The National Federation of Independent Businesses Small Business Optimism Index for March, reached its 16th consecutive month in the top five percent of 45 years of survey readings. As a result, for the four weeks ending April 7th, the Department of Labor reported the fewest Americans on the unemployment benefit rolls since 1974 -- when the total workforce was much smaller. The Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS report showed job opening in February at 6.1 million, little changed from the historic high of 6.3 million set in January and despite the fact that more Americans were already employed than at any time in our nations history. In fact, according to the NFIB survey, the major problem facing businesses today isnt taxes or regulations; its finding qualified employees. In a little more than a year, weve gone from an economy where people couldnt find work to one where businesses cant find employees. Some might call that a capitalist comeback. But, its no surprise to those of us who, to paraphrase President Kennedy, appreciate how quickly the rising tide of capitalism can lift all boats. The American people are aware of the sea change. In March, Gallup reported that barely one-third of Americans were greatly worried about the economy, and less than a quarter were greatly worried about unemployment, the lowest readings Gallup has recorded since 2001 when it began reporting the data. The most significant decline in both measures has occurred since President Trump took office. It would be nice if, for once, those on the Progressive left could set aside their disdain for the president long enough to see American capitalism for what it is: an unmatched engine for creating prosperity and opportunity, empowering consumers instead of elites, and offering people of all backgrounds a good job and a better life. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Although its not their intent, Republicans are on a fast track to handing the November midterm congressional election to the Democrats. The real canary in the coal mine was the March special election surprise in Pennsylvanias 18th District, where underdog Democrat Conor Lamb upset Republican Rick Saccone in a district Donald Trump won by 20 points in 2016. This electoral outcome would have been unthinkable a few short years ago. This district was so historically red that the previous GOP incumbent, Tim Murphy, didnt even face a Democratic opponent in 2014 or 2016. So, what happened? Republicans stayed home and Democrats showed up. A lot of them. According to a Cook Political Report, Democratic stronghold Allegheny County saw a voter turnout at 67 percent of 2016 levels. But Republican-leaning Westmoreland County saw turnout at only 60 percent of 2016 levels. With control of the House, Senate and White House, Republicans have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create an enduring legacy of free markets, lower taxes, shrinking debts and economic growth. The Pennsylvania special election results should serve as a political warning shot for Republicans everywhere. It reminds me of an old axiom used by conservative activists: When we act like us, we win. When we act like them, we lose. When Republicans act like Democrats, Republican voters stay home. If the GOP wants to lose its majorities in the House and Senate in November, the playbook is simple: Stay the course. Keep doing what youre doing. Here are four ways Republicans can guarantee a loss in the midterm elections: 1. Ignore regular order, continue governing by manufactured crisis. In the first quarter of this year, Congress passed two massive spending bills that required last-minute votes before lawmakers even had time to read the legislation. So much for the 2010 Republican promise to post all legislation at least 72 hours before a vote. Republicans justified the dysfunctional process as a necessary evil to avoid a government shutdown. But the reality is, there would be no fiscal emergency if Congress simply returned to regular order and followed the annual appropriations process as its written. 2. Pass giant spending bills that waste money we dont have. Since Republicans took full control of Congress in 2015, the national debt has grown by almost $3 trillion. The latest congressional spending spree will cost taxpayers $1.3 trillion, busting the 2015 Budget Control Act spending caps and further increasing our national debt to $22 trillion. Which side is the party of fiscal responsibility? 3. Blink on the votes that matter, and stand on principle for the votes that dont. After forcing through a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending package, House Republicans are thinking about introducing a balanced budget amendment later this year. Dont get me wrong, a balanced budget amendment would be great. However, this proposal is little more than another empty promise made by GOP leadership after yet again disappointing its most active voting base, fiscal conservatives. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority vote for passage. Taking a realistic look at past votes on similar proposals and the current composition of Congress, the chances for passage are highly doubtful. Whats more likely is that Republican leadership will do some damage control after passing two massive spending bills during a highly competitive midterm election year. Sure, we folded when it counted, but we took a safely principled stand on a balanced budget amendment destined to fail. Thats not nothing, right? 4. Demean fiscal conservatives and the legislators who represent them. When Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., objected to a budget deal that included $300 billion in new spending over two years, he was ridiculed and attacked by his colleagues in the Senate. Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, called Pauls efforts grossly irresponsible and accused him of wasting everybody's time. Former Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, recently belittled the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., in a Vanity Fair interview, calling him an idiot and saying, I cant tell you what makes him tick. To Republican voters, the only thing worse than completely abandoning fiscal conservatism is holding a general attitude of disdain toward the people still fighting the fight. With control of the House, Senate and White House, Republicans have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create an enduring legacy of free markets, lower taxes, shrinking debts and economic growth. It would be a shame to lose this opportunity because Republicans forgot what principles got them elected in the first place. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Iran has been filling the airwaves and the Internet with anti-American lies, slander and ridiculous conspiracy theories since the U.S., Britain and France launched missile strikes on Syria April 14 in response to dictator Bashar Assads use of chemical weapons to kill his own citizens Approximately one hour after the multinational military campaign began to punish the Assad regime for chemical weapons use, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis issued a warning about an impending deception operation by Iran. His prediction turned out to be accurate. We fully expect a significant disinformation campaign over the coming days by those who have aligned themselves with the Assad regime, Mattis said. What the secretary might have added, however, is that Irans attempt to spin the strike is simply the latest lie in its larger ideological war against America. Iranian propagandists have been working overtime since the strikes against Assads chemical weapons infrastructure to paint America as being in league with ISIS and Al Qaeda. Absurdly, they posit that ISIS is an American creation. Such invective is contrasted with a lionization of Irans role in the region. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei explicitly called the leaders of the U.S., Britain and France criminals for their strike against Syria. The Iranian leader proclaimed: Much like in the past, the Islamic Republic will be present alongside resistance groups, and Americas goals in the region will be defeated. Conveniently, Khamenei omitted reference to the sectarian slaughter that Iran-backed resistance groups like Shiite militias have already perpetuated in the region. He also failed to reference the causal chain between Irans supply of men, money and munitions to various Middle Eastern countries and the perpetual war that local populations face. What could be more criminal than that? Both branches of the Iranian military also issued news releases condemning the missile strikes. One such statement drew on the popular but nonsensical conspiracy theory alleging U.S. support for Middle Eastern terror groups. It said that whenever the terrorists have been involved in a dire condition in anti-terrorism fights in Syria and Iraq, the US together with some Western countries have entered the scene to compensate terrorists defeats. Irans President Hassan Rouhani who many Western observers incorrectly believe to be a moderate also pushes the laughable conspiracy theory that America is secretly backing Islamist terrorists. In a post-strike phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Rouhani described the military operation against Assad as a way to relieve pressure on Syrian terror groups. The similarly styled moderate Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif was not far behind. In a phone call with his British counterpart, Zarif reportedly said the strike occurred right at the time when the Syrian army had the upper hand against the terrorists. Such statements which aim to dampen the impact of already limited U.S. military action in Syria underscore the necessity for a U.S. diplomatic offensive against Iran. In principle, this task should not be challenging. President Trump has already embraced the bully pulpit against the Islamic Republic. The Trump administration has also rightly framed the threats the Iranian regime poses to its own people as well as to the region as part of Americas comprehensive Iran policy, which was unveiled this past October. Now the Trump administrations strategy must be taken off the shelf and used against the Islamic Republic in a more creative manner if it is to generate policy results. On the anti-ISIS campaign, the U.S. has played an outsized role in fighting ISIS and recapturing much of the land the terrorist group had seized. U.S. officials should not be shy about taking credit for this. Now America must not permit Iran our chief Middle Eastern adversary to inherit the gains of yet another hard-fought war. Simultaneously, U.S. lawmakers should refocus their attention on draining the coffers of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its vast array of Shiite militias. On Syria, Iran continues to frame its intervention there in three ways: religious, strategic and legal. Each one of these should be habitually challenged by U.S. government-funded Persian-language media outlets, as well as by U.S. officials. More importantly, the U.S. does itself no favors by hyper-focusing on the killing of Syrians by chemical weapons, when Iran has a free hand to support Assads conventional means to slaughter his own people. Its estimated that more than 400,000 people have been killed in the Syrian civil war with chemical weapons responsible only for a relatively small number of those deaths. Communicating to the Iranian people about the high price they are paying for their nations military intervention in Syria can function as a domestic pressure point against the Iranian regime. During the recent wave of protests, Iranians chanted highly nationalistic slogans rebuking the Islamic Republics foreign entanglements. As I have previously written: Consistently highlighting the cost of Irans intervention in Syria, be it in terms of blood, treasure, or national reputation, might invigorate the population to return en-masse to the streets. It would also signal solidarity with the countless Iranians whose cries of Abandon Syria, think about us during the 2017/2018 protests were derided by pro-IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) outlets. In his statement announcing missile strikes on Syria, President Trump rightly singled out Iran and Russia, asking: What kind of a nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women, and children? Iran should be forced to answer this question in international forums. The next time Irans Foreign Minister Zarif mentions the Iran-Iraq War, it must be asked: How can the foreign minister of a country that previously suffered devastating chemical attacks continue to support another state that uses these weapons so unabashedly? It remains to be seen if the U.S. will ever broaden the scope of its military operations in Syria beyond the anti-ISIS campaign or to punish Assads chemical weapons use. But Irans narrative about its involvement in Syria and gross misrepresentation about American aims necessitates a powerful and cogent U.S. response. If anything, this is the one domain of the Syrian war the U.S. cannot avoid. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Its not just Hillary Clinton who cant quit Russia. The whole Democratic Party keeps going back to 2016. In a move that reeks of desperation, the DNC filed a civil suit Friday against President Trumps campaign, Russia and WikiLeaks, alleging a vast (right wing!) conspiracy to tip the election to Trump. The suits flamboyant charges made headlines, but that only served to obscure the real meaning. Namely, that top Dems are giving up their fantasies that special counsel Robert Mueller will deliver them from political purgatory by getting the goods on Trump. The trashy suit is their way of trying to keep impeachment and Russia, Russia, Russia alive for the midterms in case Muellers probe comes up empty. To continue reading Michael Goodwin on The New York Post click here. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! CIA Director Mike Pompeo is highly qualified to be our next secretary of state and President Trump made a wise choice in nominating him to become Americas top diplomat. Following Pompeos confirmation by Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Monday, he seems all but certain to be confirmed by the full Senate. Every Democratic on the Foreign Relations Committee voted against confirming Pompeo on Monday. And Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who earlier said he would oppose Pompeo, changed his mind at the last minute and threw his support to Pompeo in the committee vote. On top of that, two Senate Democrats not on the committee Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Joe Donnelly of Indiana announced Monday that they would support the confirmation of Pompeo as secretary of state when the full Senate votes. Earlier, another Democrat not on the committee Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota said she would vote to confirm Pompeo as well. The support of these three Democrats should assure Pompeo of the support he needs to become secretary of state. Most Democrats would rather play politics and try and score points with their base than put our own nations interests first. Their opposition to Pompeo has no justification, because Pompeo is one of the most qualified and respected nominees for secretary of state in decades. All three Democrats face re-election races in November in states that supported Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race. On the Pompeo vote, all three should be commended for putting patriotism over partisanship in saying they will vote to support President Trumps nominee. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the full Senate would vote on Pompeos nomination later this week. Pompeo, who served as a Republican member of the U.S. House from Kansas from 2011 until he became CIA director last year, has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to foreign affairs. Regrettably, most Democrats would rather play politics and try and score points with their base than put our own nations interests first. Their opposition to Pompeo has no justification, because Pompeo is one of the most qualified and respected nominees for secretary of state in decades. Failure to confirm Pompeo to head the State Department would put Americas most important negotiations with North Korea in years in mortal jeopardy. Thats because if Pompeos nomination were to collapse, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un may rightly wonder if has a viable partner on the other side of the negotiating table that he can do business with. And putting any doubt in Kims head, especially at a time when we are trying to convince him to give up his nuclear weapons, would be a huge mistake. Its worth noting where we are when it comes to negotiations with North Korea and how such talks could be derailed if President Trump was denied his choice of Pompeo to be secretary of state. Pompeo recently met with Kim in the most high-level meeting between America and North Korea since Secretary of State Madeline Albright visited the North near the end of the Clinton administration. So its important that Pompeo continue to serve as a channel between the Trump administration and the Kim regime. After spending several days in talks with top North Korean officials, Pompeo may have a better sense than any other American about North Koreas negotiating position on the nuclear issue and whether Kim would give up his nuclear weapons and long-range missiles under any circumstances. Loosing Pompeo now would mean we lose everything he learned on his trip to North Korea as Kims calculus of the situation would change and we would need to start our approach to North Korea all over again. Kim might even conclude that divisions between the Trump administration and Congress are so deep that there is no point in trying to reach an agreement with the administration, because he might not feel he can trust America to keep its word. While there are several other potential State Department heads who could speak directly to the North Koreans, there is no person on Team Trump who seems to have the working relationship, time in the administration and respect of the president that Mike Pompeo does. So it stands to reason that Pyongyang might have even requested to speak with Pompeo, knowing that he has a close bond with President Trump. The more Kim thinks he is to talking to someone who knows how President Trump thinks, the more comfortable he will be in agreeing to conditions to allow a summit, and to reaching agreements at the summit. While I certainly hope that a Trump-Kim summit goes forward and Pyongyang agrees to give up its nuclear weapons over a short period in a verifiable manner, history tells us this offer of a summit is most likely North Korea laying a giant trap for President Trumps to step into. We need someone like Pompeo at President Trumps side to help the president deal with such a trap. For example, if President Trump demands a timetable for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons that includes international inspectors and Pyongyang tries to stall or have the meeting before such a blueprint is put forward, what should President Trump do? And if no agreement is possible between the U.S. and North Korea, then what happens? Pompeo could play a critical role in taking us back from the brink of war. If the Trump-Kim summit collapses or never even happens, President Trump would only have two choices left when it comes to North Korea: ? Go to war to denuclearize the North, risking a nuclear conflict that could result in millions of deaths. ? A containment strategy that wont be easy and that could span years. Knowing that Pompeo has seen the intelligence, has met with Kim Jong Un and has a better understanding than most likely anyone else of the stakes involved, there is no one better to have as our secretary of state at this dangerous time. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! President Trump is pursuing a plan to bring in regional allies to help with security and peacekeeping in Syria. Talks have been underway for a while now with Saudi Arabia and it was recently reported that John Bolton has been in discussions with the Egyptian Intelligence Chief on the topic as well. This is welcome news but not a major surprise for my team as we provided the administration a plan suggesting this approach. The National Security Council had been working on this idea and asked Security Studies Group to take a fresh look at the concept based on a paper we did last year on how to generate stability in both Iraq and Syria after ISIS is defeated. Syria is a complex mess, and no one should be claiming to have a surefire solution, but any plan should have as a main goal to stop Iran from cementing a land bridge to the Mediterranean Sea. Irans malign influence and expansion of power through proxies across the region was a focus of the new Iran Strategy the Trump administration released last October. It changed the myopic focus of the Obama administration on the Iran nuclear deal to a broader view of all the problems Iran is causing throughout the region. This includes the virtual, and sometimes actual, control of the Syrian military and the major supply and command of its proxy army Hezbollah as the main fighting force supporting Assad. President Trump has made it clear he does not want an indefinite presence in Syria, but he is also listening to his national security leaders who have said we cant cede the ground to Iran. The plan currently being implemented calls for our regional allies including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Egypt among others to provide some manpower. A big advantage is these are Muslim troops and that should bring some credibility. The chance to unite most of the major countries in the Middle East in a sort of Counter-Iran Coalition may offer a path forward in several ways. It will be challenging to get this coalition operational and there are already plenty of naysayers, but its easy to sit on the sidelines and throw stones. We have a major opportunity now to help bring about much-needed changes in the Middle East. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is heavily committed to modernizing the Kingdom and he and President Trump have an excellent working relationship. We also have good relations with the Egyptians and others with the possible exception of Qatar, although the president seems to want to fix that as well. That will require some major changes from the Qataris who still do far too much support of terrorism. But the chance to unite most of the major countries in the Middle East in a sort of Counter-Iran Coalition may offer a path forward in several ways. First, it can help stop the unhealthy and dangerous attempts by Iran to become a regional hegemony. That seems to be one thing all our friends can agree must be stopped. But a second outcome of such an alliance would be to solidify U.S. relations and our status as the friend to the friendly in the region. We dont want to be empire building, or even nation building, but we do want to have good partnerships and the trade and prosperity that can come from a more stable Middle East. That should be a good enough reason to support the efforts currently underway. There is obviously no guarantee they will succeed, but the alternative is quite bad. So, lets put the effort out there and see what we can accomplish. Hillary Clinton wont go away. So conservatives are giving her a seat at the table. Clinton is starring in the Republican Partys 2018 midterm strategy. With no Democrat to attack in the White House for the first time in nearly a decade, Republicans are betting big that the ghost of Clinton will serve them well in 2018. Even if she avoids the spotlight moving forward, the Republican Party plans to evoke her early and often in key congressional races, particularly in regions Trump won, which feature most of the midterm seasons competitive races. Internal polling and focus groups conducted by Republican campaigns find that Clinton remains one of the most unpopular high-profile Democrats in the nation, second only to Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader. Just 36 percent of Americans viewed Clinton favorably in a December Gallup poll, an all-time low mark that bucked a trend in which unsuccessful presidential candidates typically gain in popularity over time. Were going to make them own her, Republican National Committee spokesman Rick Gorka said. With control of Congress up for grabs this fall, the GOPs most powerful players are preparing to spend big on plans to feature Clinton as a central villain in attack ads against vulnerable Democrats nationwide. The strategy, which already has popped up in races in Pennsylvania, Indiana and North Dakota, illustrates the resilience and political potency of Republican voters antipathy for Clinton. As difficult as its been for Democrats to move past the Clinton era, it may be even harder for Republicans. STOP HILLARY. STOP PELOSI. STOP LAMB, read pamphlets circulated during the special election in Pennsylvania earlier this year. Thats just a taste of whats to come as the November elections grow closer, say those who control the GOPs strategy in the first midterm elections of Donald Trumps presidency. I promise you that youll continue to see it Hillary Clinton starring in our paid media. Shes a very powerful motivator, said Corry Bliss, who leads the Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super political action committee ready to spend tens of millions of dollars to shape House races this fall. Its about what she represents. What she represents, just like what Nancy Pelosi represents, is out-of-touch far-left liberal positions. Its helpful, some Republicans say, that Clinton refuses to disappear from national politics altogether. Less than a year ago, she launched a political organization designed to encourage anti-Trump resistance groups. She made two public appearances this week alone. During recent remarks in India, she took a shot at Trumps slogan and his appeal across the heartland: His whole campaign, Make America Great Again, was looking backwards, Clinton said. The national GOP pounced, running digital ads featuring Clintons comments and her image to attack the 10 Democratic Senate candidates running for re-election in states Trump carried. Shes called you deplorable. Now, shes called you backwards, said one ad that targeted Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. If Bill Nelson had his way, Hillary Clinton would be president, the ad continued. Florida wont forget. In some cases, Republicans are using Clinton, who last served in the government in 2013, to go after some of their own. Thats what is happening in Indiana, where Republican congressional candidate Steve Braun is under attack in his primary from conservatives who suggest he may have voted for Clinton in 2008, when he cast a ballot in the states Democratic primary. A super PAC is set to begin running new TV ads linking Braun and Clinton in the coming days. On the ground in some races, however, Democrats are still figuring out how to navigate the Republican strategy. In North Dakota, Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who faces a tough re-election in November, was asked last month in a radio interview when Clinton would ride off into the sunset. Not soon enough, Heitkamp responded. The Associated Press contributed to this report. D.C. City Councilman Trayon White Sr. donated to an event in Chicago where National of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan again denounced Jews. White, a Democrat, donated $500 from his constituent services account to the Chicago event known as "Saviours Day," the Washington Post reports. Campaign finance law dictates that the constituent services account's privately-raised funds must be used on D.C. residents. White denied knowing about the payment. However, the account's treasurer, Darryl Ross, said otherwise. "He said to me, I want you to make a payment to the Nation of Islam for Saviours Day," Ross told the Post. "So I went on the website to get the information I needed in order to make the payment." Click for more from The Washington Free Beacon. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Monday warned the caravan of Central American migrants arriving at the southern U.S. border that they could face prosecution, detention and deportation, as President Trump called on the agency to block the group. The announcement came as a group of about 50 migrants who left southern Mexico in March reportedly reached the U.S. border, planning to seek asylum. DHS continues to monitor the remnants of the caravan of individuals headed to our Southern border with the apparent intention of entering the United States illegally, Nielsen said in a statement. A sovereign nation that cannotor worse, chooses notto defend its borders will soon cease to be a sovereign nation. The Trump administration is committed to enforcing our immigration laws whether persons are part of this caravan or not. Nielsen outlined immigration law in her statement, warning those attempting to enter illegally. If members of the caravan enter the country illegally, they will be referred for prosecution for illegal entry in accordance with existing law, Nielsen said. For those seeking asylum, all individuals may be detained while their claims are adjudicated efficiently and expeditiously, and those found not to have a claim will be promptly removed from the United States. DHS and the Justice Department have developed a partnership to ensure that all cases and claims are adjudicated properly. Nielsen said that included sending U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum officers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorneys, and Justice Department immigration judges and prosecutors to the U.S.-Mexico border. If you enter the United States illegally, let me be clear: you have broken the law. And we will enforce the law through prosecution of illegal border crossers, Nielsen said. Earlier Monday, Trump tweeted that he had instructed Nielsen not to allow large caravans of people into the U.S., calling the situation a disgrace. Despite the Democrat inspired laws on Sanctuary Cities and the Border being so bad and one sided, I have instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security not to let these large Caravans of people into our Country. It is a disgrace. We are the only Country in the World so naive! WALL, Trump tweeted early Monday. The caravan left the Guatemala-Mexico border in late March and grew to more than 1,000 migrants. More migrants will reportedly be arriving at the U.S. border in the coming days. Last week, Mexicos National Immigration Institute said its agents found hundreds of migrants packed into trucks in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz, in the north-central state of Hidalgo, and in central Mexico. The caravan peaked at around 1,500 people, but has mostly shrunk under pressure from Mexican migration authorities who vowed to separate the migrants with a right to stay in Mexico from those who did not, and Trumps call for the National Guard to help secure the border. Mexico, whose laws on immigration are very tough, must stop people from going through Mexico and into the U.S. We may make this a condition of the new NAFTA Agreement. Our Country cannot accept what is happening! Also, we must get Wall funding fast, Trump tweeted Monday. Let todays message be clear: our nation has the most generous immigration system in the world, but this is a deliberate attempt to undermine our laws and overwhelm our system. There is no right to demand entry without justification. Smugglers and traffickers and those who lie or commit fraud will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Attorney General Jeff Sessions responded. Promoting and enforcing the rule of law is essential to protecting a nation, its borders, and its citizens. But, as President Trump has warned, the need to fix these loopholes and weaknesses in our immigration system is critical and overdue. The Trump administration has been in negotiations with Mexico and Canada over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) for months, efforting renegotiation for the agreement that the president has said has killed jobs in the U.S. As for his central campaign promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump has received $1.6 billion as part of the omnibus spending package signed last month, for technology and some replacement of existing border fencing. But the wall, in total, is estimated to cost approximately $20-25 billion. Nielsen on Monday also asked that congressional leadership work with the administration to pass legislation to close legal loopholes that prevent us from securing our borders and protecting Americans. Fox News Jake Gibson, Adam Shaw, Kaitlyn Schallhorn and The Associated Press contributed to this report. California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Sunday bristled at the suggestion she is reflexively opposing President Trump's nominee for CIA director to bolster her liberal bona fides during her contested re-election campaign in the left-wing state. In a testy exchange on CBS' "Face The Nation," Feinstein insisted she is only doing her "due diligence" on Gina Haspel, 61, and played down the role of her insurgent ultra-progressive challenger, state Sen. Kevin de Leon, in her decisionmaking. Feinstein was pointedly rebuked in February by the California Democratic Party, which declined to endorse her run for Senate during its annual convention. A majority of delegates backed Leon. "I am of the opinion that putting somebody right now at the head of the CIA who played a role in, let's say, torture is not necessarily appropriate," Feinstein told CBS host Margaret Brennan, echoing her past statements on Haspel. "I have met with Gina Haspel. I know her somewhat. I know that she is talented but I also know that she was fully supportive of the program that many of us are very critical of." Haspel ran the CIA's first overseas detention site in Thailand, where imprisoned militants were repeatedly waterboarded, The New York Times reported in February 2017. The CIA declassified and released a 2011 memo clearing wrongdoing for her role in drafting an order to destroy videotaped evidence of so-called enhanced interrogation techniques. In March, Feinstein drew widespread criticism from California progressives for referring to Haspel as a "good deputy director." Feinstein said she wouldn't make a final decision on whether she supports Haspel until after her confirmation hearing. Haspel would be the first woman to ever lead the CIA. PROBE CLEARED HASPEL IN DESTRUCTION OF WATERBOARDING TAPES "I care about who is head of the CIA, and I'm going to do my due diligence." Sen. Dianne Feinstein "There are those who are questioning whether it's possible for you personally to be supportive of her, given the pressures you are feeling from progressives back in your home state of California right now, that you just can't afford to support any Trump nominee," Brennan said. "Can you explain how you're weighing those things?" Feinstein shot back: "Well, that isn't correct. Obviously, that's your interpretation of it, and you're welcome to that interpretation. "I care about who is head of the CIA, and I'm going to do my due diligence, have a chance to ask her questions in the public arena and we'll do just that, and then we'll make up my mind whether I believe she's an appropriate person to head this agency," she continued. While the vastly better-funded and more established Feinstein is widely expected to defeat Leon during the June primary, the upstart challenger is continuing to build momentum. Earlier this month, billionaire Democratic donor Tom Steyer backed Leon, saying he "has proven himself to be the best of the next generation, and I am proud to support him for U.S. Senate." Credit: David EdwardsFranz Ferdinand has released the video for "Glimpse of Love," a track from the Scottish band's new album, Always Ascending. Filmed in the French countryside, the video isn't overtly weird, but everything seems a little...off, in a David Lynch sort of way. In one scene, for example, the Franz members sit in a living room and nod their head to the music while staring unnervingly at the camera. Another scene shows them awkwardly dancing in a pasture. There are also sheep. Lots and lots of sheep. You can watch the video now on YouTube. Franz Ferdinand is currently touring North America in support of Always Ascending. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Former President George H.W. Bush was hospitalized on Sunday -- one day after the funeral for his wife, former first lady Barbara Bush -- after an infection he contracted spread to his blood, his spokesman said Monday. "President Bush was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital yesterday morning after contracting an infection that spread to his blood," spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement. "He is responding to treatments and appears to be recovering. We will issue additional updates as events warrant." The former first lady died on April 17 at the age of 92, shortly after her family announced she was in failing health and would decline further medical treatment in favor of "comfort care." There were no details of her specific health problems. First lady Melania Trump tweeted Monday evening that she was "Sending healing thoughts of strength, along with prayers, for President George HW Bush tonight." George H.W. Bush, 93, reportedly was broken-hearted over the loss of his beloved Barbara and was said to have held her hand all day. He was at her side when she died, his chief of staff said. The former president was hospitalized last April for two weeks due to a "mild case of pneumonia." Earlier in 2017 he was hospitalized for 16 days, also to be treated for pneumonia. He was temporarily placed on a ventilator and was treated in the intensive care unit. His wife also was in the hospital around the same time to treat a case of bronchitis. He also requiered medical care in 2015 in Maine after falling at home and breaking a bone in his neck, and in December 2014 for about a week for shortness of breath. He spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues. The 41st president uses a wheelchair and an electric scooter for mobility after developing a form of Parkinson's disease, and he has required hospital treatment multiple times in recent years for breathing problems. Bush served as president from 1989 to 1993 and as vice president under Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1989. He also served as a congressman and as director of the CIA. Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday there are reasons for optimism following the stunning announcement by North Korea late last week it would suspend its nuclear and long-range missile tests ahead of a potential summit between leaders of the United States and North Korea beginning in late May or early June. Right now I think theres a lot of reasons for optimism that the negotiations will be fruitful and well see, Mattis said at the Pentagon in his first public comments since the announcement by North Korea. Mattis spoke to reporters at the top of a planned meeting with Thailand's Minister of Defense Prawit Wongsuwan. North Korea also announced it would close its nuclear test site. Last year, North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date. It remains unclear if the hermit kingdom has the ability to miniaturize a nuclear warhead, and place it atop a long-range missile with the ability to reenter the Earths atmosphere. North Koreas announcement came two days after President Donald Trump hosted Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Trumps Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Late last week, Japan's Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said the American, French and British missile strike against Bashar al-Assad sent a "message towards North Korea as well," speaking through an interpreter during a meeting with Mattis at the Pentagon. This Friday, Kim Jong Un and South Koreas President Moon Jae-in are expected to meet face-to-face for talks at the border town of Panmunjom, the first time a North Korean leader has crossed into South Korea since the end of the Korean War, according to the Associated Press. The summit between North and South Korea marks the third time leaders of both nations sit down for talks. Monday, South Korea announced it had turned off its K-pop music it was blasting across the border since 2016 in a propaganda effort. At the Pentagon Monday, Mattis also was asked by a reporter about French President Emmanuel Macrons comments to Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday about the potential for turning Syria over to Iran if the United States pulled its forces out too quickly. Mattis largely sidestepped the question. Right now, were working with nearly 70 nations, we continue the campaign against ISIS and that right now is ongoing in Syria as well, and we continue to maintain the defeat ISIS coalition, the defense secretary replied. Mike Pompeo, President Trumps pick for secretary of state, barely avoided a rare rebuke Monday from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after unexpected last-minute drama. The panel had deadlocked on a party-line vote after Georgia Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, who had been expected to vote for Pompeo, missed the committee meeting because of a funeral. But the committee then voted favorably on his nomination after Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, who opposes Pompeo, agreed to vote "present" instead of "no" because of Isakson's situation. The final tally was 11 to 9 with 1 present. Isakson was allowed to vote by proxy in this particular case. Despite the committee drama, Pompeo still appears poised to secure the necessary 51 votes for confirmation from the entire Senate, with three red-state Democrats also saying they will support him. Indiana Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly was the latest Democrat to announce his support, saying Monday on Twitter that Pompeo is capable of advancing U.S. interests and leading the State Department. He follows Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, who both are facing tough reelection battles, in backing Pompeo. After meeting with Mike Pompeo, discussing his foreign policy perspectives, and considering his distinguished time as CIA Director and his career in public service, I will vote to confirm Mike Pompeo to be our next Secretary of State, Manchin said Monday. There had been uncertainty ahead of Monday's committee vote. After signaling they could oppose Pompeo in committee, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake both announced Monday they would vote for him. Paul said he offered his support to Pompeo after being assured by the president that Pompeo would promote Trump's foreign policy views. Ive always been an advocate and a supporter of the president on this, and I want to make sure the people around him share his vision, Paul said Monday night on Fox News The Story with Martha MacCallum. Flake had been undecided, but told reporters ahead of the committee meeting that he would support Pompeo. Pompeo is a former Republican congressman from Kansas who has been serving as director of the CIA. All Democrats on the panel said they would vote against him. MIKE POMPEO WINS SUPPORT FROM KEY DEMOCRATS, DESPITE FACING ROCKY COMMITTEE VOTE Meanwhile, President Trump celebrated the developments. "I heard Rand Paul went yes.. hes a good man," the president told reporters. "I said hed never let us down. Hes a good man." Earlier, the president lashed out at the obstructionists who oppose Pompeo, calling for more Republicans to be elected to the Senate. Hard to believe Obstructionists May vote against Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State, the president tweeted Monday. The Dems will not approve hundreds of good people, including the Ambassador to Germany. They are maxing out the time on approval process for all, never happened before. Need more Republicans! Trump has already entrusted Pompeo with high-level diplomacy, sending him to North Korea over Easter weekend to meet with the rogue nations leader, Kim Jong Un, according to the White House. Trump said on social media a good relationship was formed during the meeting, and the two men reportedly discussed the release of three Americans being held in the Asian nation. But Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, the foreign relations committees ranking member, has accused Pompeo of a lack of transparency over the North Korea visit. I dont expect diplomacy to be negotiated out in the open, but I do expect for someone who is the nominee to be secretary of state, when he speaks with committee leadership and is asked specific questions about North Korea, to share some insights about such a visit, Menendez recently said. While he was confirmed to lead the CIA with a 66-32 vote last year, Pompeo has faced new challenges in the Senate, with lawmakers decrying a lack of diplomacy they say is needed to act as the nations top diplomat. Pompeo needs 51 votes to be confirmed by the full Senate to succeed Rex Tillerson, who was ousted in March. So far, at least four Democrats who voted to confirm Pompeo as CIA director have indicated they will not do so for secretary of state: Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. Paul, the libertarian-leaning senator from Kentucky, was the only Republican to vote against Pompeo during his CIA confirmation hearing. Fox News Chad Pergram, Jason Donner, Kaitlyn Schallhorn and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mike Pompeo was selected by the White House earlier this year to leave his post as CIA director and take over as secretary of state. He was confirmed in a 57 to 42 vote by the Senate on April 26 after facing a rocky Foreign Relations Committee vote. All Republicans present voted aye. Seven senators who caucus with the Democrats voted yes. Pompeo, is the first CIA director to lead the State Department. He replaces Rex Tillerson, a former ExxonMobil chief, as the nation's top diplomat. I have gotten to know Mike very well over the past 14 months, and I am confident he is the right person for the job at this critical juncture, Trump said when he nominated Pompeo. He will continue our program of restoring Americas standing in the world, strengthening our alliances, confronting our adversaries, and seeking the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Trump sent Pompeo to North Korea over Easter weekend to meet with the rogue nations leader, Kim Jong Un, according to the White House. Trump said on social media a good relationship was formed during the meeting, and the two men reportedly discussed the release of three Americans being held in the Asian nation. Pompeo, 54, said he is deeply grateful to the president for the job and said he looks forward to representing him and the American people to the rest of the world to further Americas prosperity. During his Senate confirmation hearing on April 12, Pompeo confirmed for the first time publicly to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that he has been interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating potential ties between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign and possible obstruction of justice issues. Read on for a look at the Trump administration's newest secretary of state. What is Pompeos background? Pompeo graduated first in his class at West Point, where he served with distinction in the U.S. Army, Trump said after promoting him. He is a former cavalry officer, who patrolled the Iron Curtain prior to the collapse of the Berlin Wall, according to his CIA biography. He served in the Army from 1986 to 1991. Pompeo later received a law degree from Harvard University in 1994. After college, Pompeo started Thayer Aerospace, an specialized machine firm that was reportedly backed by conservative mega-donors David and Charles Koch. Pompeo served as its chief executive officer for more than 10 years. The Wichita Business Journal heaped praise on Pompeo and Thayer for securing a $124 million contract with Vought Aircraft Industries in 2000. It said Thayer is a great example of the entrepreneurial spirit that drives the Wichita economy. Pompeo stepped aside from Thayer in 2006, according to the Wichita Business Journal. Pompeo would eventually become president of Sentry International, a company that sold equipment for oil fields and manufacturing. He is married with one son. What about his political career? As a Republican, Pompeo represented the 4th congressional district of Kansas from January 2011 to January 2017, when he was sworn in as CIA director. He was elected to Congress during the Tea Party movement. While in Congress, Pompeo was part of the contentious House Select Benghazi Committee, which probed the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Libya. The committee sharply criticized the Obama administration particularly former secretary of state Hillary Clinton for the handling of the attack and its aftermath. Pompeo called Clinton morally reprehensible. Additionally, Pompeo has often lambasted the Obama administrations nuclear deal with Iran, which granted Tehran sanctions relief for rolling back its nuclear weapons program. Pompeo was confirmed as the CIA director by the Senate with a 66 to 32 vote on January 23, 2017. Two Democrats, Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy both from Connecticut did not vote. Murphy's office said he opposed Pompeo leading the CIA but could not make it to the vote due to weather-related travel delays. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican who voted against Pompeo. He told Fox News at the time he was worried Pompeos desire for security will trump his defense of liberty. The White House announced its intention for Pompeo to take over as secretary of state on March 13. As Director of the CIA, Mike has earned the praise of members in both parties by strengthening our intelligence gathering, modernizing our defensive and offensive capabilities, and building close ties with our friends and allies in the international intelligence community, Trump said. Fox News Chad Pergram, Zoe Szathmary, Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Cracks are beginning to show in the wall of Democratic opposition to secretary of state pick Mike Pompeo, even as the CIA director contends with rare turbulence on the key Senate panel considering his nomination. Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly was the latest Democrat to announce his support, saying Monday on Twitter that Pompeo is capable of advancing U.S. interests and leading the State Department. He follows Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, who both are facing tough reelection battles, in backing Pompeo. But President Trumps pick for Americas chief diplomat nevertheless faces the prospect of a rare rebuke Monday afternoon from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where every Democrat and Republican Sen. Rand Paul has expressed opposition to him. Given that Republicans have only a one-seat majority on the panel, this means the committee could either narrowly recommend against Pompeo or not issue a recommendation at all to the full Senate which is expected to consider his nomination later this week regardless of the committee decision. Such a snub from the panel would be historically rare the first time since 1925, when the committee began keeping open records about confirmation action, that a secretary of state nominee has received an unfavorable committee vote. Trump and his allies have slammed Democrats for suddenly lining up against Pompeo. Those who would not vote for Pompeo are just playing politics, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told Fox News. A majority of Democrats continue their pointless obstruction to score cheap political points, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday. Still, Sanders touted the three Democrats who have committed to support Pompeo. That support puts Pompeo in solid position to eventually win confirmation from the full Senate, where he needs a simple majority to succeed Rex Tillerson, who was ousted in March. With Pauls opposition and Sen. John McCains ailing health, Pompeo was likely to need a few Democratic supporters. We certainly hope some members will change their minds, Sanders told Fox News earlier Monday. At some point Democrats have to decide whether they love this country more than they hate this president, and they have to decide if they want to put the safety and security and the diplomacy of our country ahead of their own political games. But so far, at least four Democrats who voted to confirm Pompeo as CIA director have indicated they will not do so for secretary of state: Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. Trump already sees the former Kansas congressman as the nations chief diplomat, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway recently said on a conference call. Trump sent Pompeo to North Korea over Easter weekend to meet with the rogue nations leader, Kim Jong Un, according to the White House. Trump said on social media a good relationship was formed during the meeting, and the two men reportedly discussed the release of three Americans being held in the Asian nation. Sen. Bob Menendez, the foreign relations committees ranking member, said he opposes Pompeo and criticized an apparent lack of transparency regarding the North Korea visit. I dont expect diplomacy to be negotiated out in the open, but I do expect for someone who is the nominee to be secretary of state, when he speaks with committee leadership and is asked specific questions about North Korea, to share some insights about such a visit, Menendez recently said. While he was confirmed to lead the CIA with a 66-32 vote last year, Pompeo has faced new challenges in the Senate, with lawmakers decrying a lack of diplomacy they say is needed to act as the nations top diplomat. Those opposed to Pompeo have pointed to his hawkish foreign policy positions and comments about minorities, particularly Muslims and gay people. Paul, the libertarian-leaning senator from Kentucky, was the only Republican to vote against Pompeo during his CIA confirmation hearing. The Secretary of State is a very different role than CIA director, and its not the kind of position you learn on the job, Feinstein said in a statement. I sense a certain disdain for diplomacy in Mike Pompeo that I believe disqualifies him from being our next senior diplomat. Schatz said he is voting against confirming Pompeo because he has an alarming tendency towards military provocation and brinkmanship. Fox News Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Slate senior editor Jeremy Stahl was forced to issue a correction after he was called out on social media for floating a theory that Fox News made an error in reporting related to former FBI Director James Comey's leaked memos. Comey is under fire for leaking documents to his friend, Columbia University professor Daniel Richman. President Trump has attacked Comey over the leak and the memos have subsequently been handed over to Congress and obtained by the media. The liberal media scrambled to figure out why House Republicans were so enthusiastic about publicizing the memos, which inevitably resulted in convoluted conspiracy theories. Stahl tweeted his theory last Thursday, which was a piece headlined, Why Were Republicans so Desperate to Release the Embarrassing Comey Memos? Heres One Explanation. The piece openly pondered if Fox News misreported the number of memos that Comey leaked to the media in a piece published in July 2017. Stahl was ultimately trying to prove that Republicans in Congress wanted to use the memos to show Comey had leaked classified documents. Stahl widely speculated that Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley meant to tell Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein it was four pages rather than four memos, because four of the pages among two documents released to the press were marked unclassified. Grassley seemingly used the 2017 Fox News story as his evidence when explaining the situation to Rosenstein, according to Stahl. Fox News political reporter Brooke Singman, who contributed to the 2017 report, told Stahl via Twitter that she asked Richman directly how many memos he was given by Comey and he explicitly said four memos. Stahl attempted to salvage his piece in a Twitter exchange, responding that there are multiple possibilities, one of them being that Singman was lied to by a source. Shortly later, Stahl tweeted a link to the updated article, along with a new post, and admitted he was wrong. Mea culpa, he wrote. This post advanced the theory that Fox News might have mischaracterized the number of memos James Comey gave professor Daniel Richman. According to subsequent reporting in the Wall Street Journal along with Slates own reporting, Fox News reporting appears to be correct, Stahls update stated. Stahl also published a new story, headlined, My Theory About the Number of Memos Comey Gave His Friend Was Wrong. I now believe my speculation about the number of documents handed over was incorrect and that Singman was right, Stahl wrote. Stahl explained that a source told him "Comey gave Richman two memos that later were deemed to contain classified information, but the source also said that nothing was classified at the time. Regardless of whether the material Comey gave Richman was classified at the time, or was classified later, the fact remains that Singmans reporting about the number of documents Comey handed over to Richman was correct and my theory about that was wrong, Stahl concluded. President Donald Trump reportedly will push North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to dismantle his nuclear program when they meet in the coming months, and will not lift economic sanctions until North Korea has substantially dismantled its nuclear programs. A senior administration official told The Wall Street Journal that Trump will work to avoid the mistakes of previous administrations. If North Korea is willing to move quickly to denuclearize, then the sky is the limit, the source said. All sorts of good things can happen. If North Korea is willing to move quickly to denuclearize, then the sky is the limit. All sorts of good things can happen." A senior Trump administration official The North Korean leader made a surprise announcement on Saturday, promising to suspend tests of nuclear weapons and close the countrys nuclear test site. But Kim also hinted that he might not be willing to give up the existing nuclear weapons, in line with his previous promises to never give up the treasured sword he perceives as protection against U.S. hostility. Trump hailed the move to suspend the tests as big progress on Friday, but later urged caution, tweeting: We are a long way of conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they wontonly time will tell. According to the Journal, the North Korean leader urged CIA Director Mike Pompeo toward a phased agreement in which all sides make certain concessions stretched out over multiple years. But the Trump administration remains skeptical of a prospect of granting economic and diplomatic benefits before the country dismantles its nuclear arsenal. They are not going to get the sort of relief from economic sanctions I am sure they are looking for in the absence of dramatic progress in dismantling their programs, the official said. While Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has told President Trump he is not the target of the investigation into Michael Cohen, the stunning FBI raid on Trump's personal attorney has spurred mounting speculation about what presidential communications, if any, the feds might have picked up. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York says Cohen has been under investigation for months, and they were behind the raid. But the move has so rattled Trump's allies that Republican Rep. Jim Jordan on Monday plans to send a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking whether he was consulted. "We're not talking about just any lawyer, it's the lawyer for the president of the United States," he told "Fox & Friends." Cohen is being investigated by a grand jury probe for his personal and business dealings, which includes a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. A source familiar with the investigation told Fox News that Rosenstein recently told Trump he is not a target of the Cohen investigation. Trump had previously been told he is not a target of Special Counsel Robert Muellers probe, either. But Rosenstein made the claim without the benefit of knowing what is in the trove of documents seized from Cohens residence and office. Some questioned Rosensteins decision to make such a statement. If I was [Sessions], I would fire Rosenstein on the spot, one legal source close to the White House told Fox News. What the trove of materials picked up by the FBI contains remains a mystery. The president is not out of the woods, former high-ranking Justice Department official James Trusty, who served under the Bush and Obama administrations, told Fox News. There really has not been any visible change since he was apparently informed of his status as subject. Not being considered a target of the Mueller probe does not mean he cant still be charged as they obtain additional evidence," he said. "Not being a target for the Cohen investigation and search warrant is slightly reassuring, but again does not mean much in terms of whether he will ever be charged." U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood last week denied a request from Cohen and Trump's team to first review the materials seized in the April 9 raid, saying she had faith in the Justice Department's "taint team" to isolate materials protected by attorney-client privilege. She added she would consider allowing a neutral third party requested by Cohen to weigh in. Trumps legal team had argued the president has a unique interest in ensuring that every privileged item is fully protected from improper disclosure and that the president should be able to review the seized documents. The President, the public, and the government have a vital interest in ensuring the integrity of the privilege review process, and the taint team is plainly inadequate to the task, the filing said. At the time of the raid, a source close to the Trump legal team called the raid aggressive and claimed it was designed to squeeze the president. Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow declined to comment to Fox News about the Cohen investigation. One possibility is that the raid might have picked up recordings kept by Cohen. The Washington Post reported last week that Cohen often taped conversations with associates and that those records may have been among those items seized by federal investigators. We heard he had some proclivity to make tapes, one Trump adviser told the Post. Now we are wondering, who did he tape? Did he store those someplace where they were actually seized? . . . Did they find his recordings? While any recordings would likely be subjected to attorney-client privilege and therefore isolated by the taint team, the Post notes that the privilege does not apply if the conversation was conducted to further commission of a crime. Doug Burns, a former federal prosecutor, was more skeptical that the FBI has recordings of conversations between Trump and Cohen and also doubted they could have picked up conversations by a broader surveillance operation on Cohen. I doubt that the government recovered tapes of conversations between Trump and Cohen and those would really implicate attorney-client concerns, he told Fox News. Last, the government might (but I doubt it) have intercepted records of calls...but not the content of those calls. If Cohen had taped calls with Trump, experts said that it could be highly problematic for Trump. Tape recordings could be more overtly criminal than records or notes, due to the fact that people think its private and dont know theyre being recorded, so the substance of the calls, if criminal-oriented, could make it easier for a judge (or an appointed special master) to rule that the privilege is destroyed, Trusty said. The Trump team is certainly not acting like it is out of the woods. On Thursday, in addition to hiring former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the legal team hired Marty Raskin and Jane Raskin -- a husband-and-wife team of criminal lawyers. The Atlantic described the move as sending a message that Trump is moving toward getting serious about a very serious investigation. On Friday, The New York Times reported more nervousness from the Trump team, reporting that Trumps advisers are resigned to the possibility that Cohen could cooperate with federal officials about activity that could relate to Trump. But Trump on Saturday, while not denying there is anything Cohen could reveal, asserted in an angry tweet (in which he blasted the Times for its reporting) that Cohen would never flip. Burns told Fox News that the probe, apart from the legal troubles it poses, is also affecting Trumps ability to govern. "It is damaging his ability to govern obviously; much of the media is obsessed to it to the point of not reporting on the things he's actually getting done and it's causing rampant speculation, he said. Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels, said that Cohen had been set up as the fall guy for Trump and that he was not sure if Cohen has the mettle to withstand it. If I am correct, this could end very badly for Mr. Trump and others, he said in a statement last week. Fox News John Roberts, Catherine Herridge and Kelly Chernenkoff contributed to this report. The U.S. Senate confirmed Bridenstine yesterday (April 19), more than seven months after President Donald Trump nominated the Oklahoma congressman for NASA's top post. The final vote was 50-49 and strictly along party lines, with all Republicans supporting Bridenstine and all Democrats, along with both independents, opposing him. (Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is sidelined by health issues and did not vote.) Such division is pretty much unheard of for NASA chiefs, who have generally been confirmed without much dissension or debate. And it will likely make Bridenstine's job a bit tougher, at least in the early going, said space policy expert John Logsdon. [Presidential Visions for Space Exploration: From Ike to Trump] "The fact that it has gone on so long and been so contentious gives him more challenges than his predecessors had," Logsdon, a professor emeritus of political science and international affairs at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs in Washington, D.C., told Space.com. "He's got an uphill climb to establish that he's a leader for all of NASA and all of the country." The senators opposed to Bridenstine's nomination have cited, among other issues, his past statements questioning the reality of human-driven climate change (though the 42-year-old congressman has walked back such statements recently) and his lack of professional aerospace experience. "The NASA administrator should be a consummate space professional," Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said during a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday (April 18). "That's what this senator wants a space professional, not a politician, as the head of NASA." Indeed, Bridenstine is the first elected official ever to lead NASA. But he's not the first administrator of the agency to lack a technical background, said Logsdon, who cited James Webb and Sean O'Keefe as precedents. (Webb led NASA from 1961 to 1968, and O'Keefe from 2001 to 2005.) And despite NASA's broad popularity across the ideological divide, the agency is not at some sort of magical remove from politics, Logsdon added. It is a government agency, after all. "It hasn't been deeply partisan, but it's always been political," Logsdon said. "Webb was political to his core." Bridenstine takes over from Robert Lightfoot, who has been acting administrator since President Trump took office in January 2017. That 15-month stretch is by far the longest ever served by an acting NASA chief. (Second place goes to Chris Scolese, who was acting administrator for nearly six months at the beginning of the Obama administration, in 2009.) Last month, Lightfoot announced that he will retire from NASA on April 30 an impending deadline that Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., cited yesterday to help explain why he switched his vote on Bridenstine's confirmation from "no" to "yes." The confirmation could make it easier for NASA to get things done, because the new chief will have more clout with Congress, Logsdon said. "An official [NASA] administrator can represent the administration, since they've chosen him, in ways an acting person in particular, a civil servant cannot," Logsdon said. "Lightfoot did an admirable job, but he was a fill-in, and everyone knew it." Originally published on Space.com. "Super-Earth" planets are giant-size versions of Earth, and some research has suggested that they're more likely to be habitable than Earth-size worlds. But a new study reveals how difficult it would be for any aliens on these exoplanets to explore space. To launch the equivalent of an Apollo moon mission, a rocket on a super-Earth would need to have a mass of about 440,000 tons (400,000 metric tons), due to fuel requirements, the study said. That's on the order of the mass of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. "On more-massive planets, spaceflight would be exponentially more expensive," said study author Michael Hippke, an independent researcher affiliated with the Sonneberg Observatory in Germany. "Such civilizations would not have satellite TV, a moon mission or a Hubble Space Telescope." [10 Exoplanets That Could Host Alien Life] As researchers have discovered alien worlds around other stars, one class of exoplanets that popped up was the super-Earths, planets that can reach up to 10 times the mass of our own. A number of super-Earths apparently lie in the habitable zones of their stars, where temperatures can theoretically support liquid water on the planetary surface and thus, potentially, life as it is known on Earth. Prior work suggested not only that worlds other than Earth-like ones could offer circumstances suitable for life, but also that some could be even more suitable than Earth-like planets. Super-Earths, researchers have suggested, might be "super-habitable" their greater mass giving them stronger gravitational pulls, so they could hold thicker atmospheres to better shield life from harmful cosmic rays. If life did evolve on a distant super-Earth, such aliens could have developed an advanced civilization capable of spaceflight. However, the strong gravitational pull of such planets could also make it more difficult for extraterrestrials to blast off their planets, Hippke said in the new study. To see how difficult it might be for super-Earthlings to launch a conventional rocket, Hippke calculated the rocket sizes needed to escape a super-Earth 70 percent wider than our planet and 10 times more massive. Those are roughly the specs of the alien planet Kepler-20b, which lies about 950 light-years from Earth. On such a world, the escape velocity is about 2.4 times greater than on Earth. A big challenge for aliens on such a world would be the weight of the fuel that conventional rockets carry. Launching a rocket off a planet requires a lot of fuel, which makes the rockets heavy, which requires more fuel, making the craft heavier, and so on. "I am surprised to see how close we as humans are to end up on a planet which is still reasonably lightweight to conduct spaceflight," Hippke told Space.com. "Other civilizations, if they exist, might not be as lucky." Assuming a rocket on the simulated super-Earth worked about as well as SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, to launch a payload like NASA's upcoming James Webb Space Telescope would require 60,000 tons (55,000 metric tons) of fuel, about the mass of the largest ocean battleships, Hippke said. [In Photos: SpaceX's 1st Falcon Heavy Rocket Test Launch Success!] "Civilizations from super-Earths are much less likely to explore the stars," Hippke said. "Instead, they would be to some extent arrested on their home planet and, for example, make more use of lasers or radio telescopes for interstellar communication instead of sending probes or spaceships." Rockets work better in the vacuum of space than in an atmosphere, though. So, Hippke suggested that super-Earthlings might want to launch from a mountaintop. However, the strong gravitational pull of super-Earths would squash down their surfaces, leading to smaller mountains. And on Earth, the benefit of launching at high altitudes is not very large compared to launching at sea level, Hippke said. There could be ways of reaching orbit other than via conventional rockets, such as by using space elevators traveling on giant cables rising out of the atmosphere. However, a key limiting factor of space elevators is the strength of the cable material. The most suitable material known today, carbon nanotubes, is just barely strong enough for Earth's gravity, and it is unclear if stronger materials are physically possible, making it difficult to predict if space elevators on super-Earths could work. Another possibility is nuclear pulse propulsion, which would involve detonating a series of atom bombs behind a vehicle to hurl it through space. This explosive strategy offers more lifting power than conventional rockets, and might be the only way for a civilization to leave a planet more than 10 times Earth's mass, Hippke said. However, such a nuclear-powered spacecraft would pose not only technical challenges but political ones as well, he said. "A launch failure, which typically happens with a 1 percent risk, could cause dramatic effects on the environment" for a nuclear-powered spacecraft, Hippke said. "I could only imagine that a society takes these risks in a flagship project where no other options are available, but the desire is strong for example, one single mission to leave their planet and visit a moon." Hippke detailed his findings online April 12 in a study submitted to the International Journal of Astrobiology. Original article on Space.com Social media can be an unforgiving place. When country star Carrie Underwood, for example, posted on Instagram about her recent injury that required 40-50 stitches to her face, some followers accused her of over-exaggeration and using the incident as a publicity stunt. With trolls everywhere, what if there was a way for users to block harmful attacks? At a recent Congressional hearing, Mark Zuckerberg noted how AI could possibly help eradicate hate speech and online abuse, but it was still 5-10 years away and in development. He said the problem is too nuanced -- especially when you consider language variances. HOW AI FIGHTS THE WAR AGAINST FAKE NEWS Experts argue that AI could help identify abuse and hate speech, but the issue is one of focus, resources, and motivation. The technology is not there yet, but it could progress faster. Bob Pearson, the co-author of the book Countering Hate and the chief innovation officer of W2O Group, tells Fox News that AI is able to identify hate speech today. Its a matter of training the AI algorithms to understand bias in language and what humans consider to be harmful. All human beings follow patterns online, Pearson said. You can see what language, content, channel and people matter to them. You can see which words trigger information seeking, which language is most associated with hate topics or sites, which people are the most important influencers and you can see a range of behavioral characteristics. The problem he says, is that Facebook and other companies have not taken up the charge to make the battle against hate speech a major priority. They are distracted by other topics. HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WILL TELL IF YOU'RE SLACKING OFF AT WORK A media platform can identify bias, hate and extremist speech just as easily as it can identify your needs for advertisers. It is just a matter of focus, he said. Consumer analyst Rob Enderle says Facebook is too focused on developing AI technology in house, but could partner with a company like IBM to solve the crisis. This is a function of investment as much as it is development, Enderle said. For instance, you could take IBM Watson today and likely have it able to address this problem within 12 months if you were willing to spend what was needed to train the system. But it doesnt look like Facebook is willing to use something off the shelf, adding years to the process. HOW HACKERS COULD TURN A 'SMART CITY' INTO A HOUSE OF CARDS Dr. Danny Paskin, an associate professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at California State University in Long Beach, told Fox News that spotting hate speech, troll-like behavior, and online abuse in an automated way is extremely difficult. One term of endearment to one group could be a form of incredible shame and abuse to another. Yet, he says theres a serious drawback for companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram taking on this issue -- namely, that it doesnt exactly help them grow their user base. Facebook and Twitter are still about having more and more users, and making users active on the site, he said. If you start blocking too many people, and scaring people away, that's counterintuitive to what they do. So they walk that fine line between doing too little and doing too much. Curiously, he says the turning point might come when enough users cry foul. Maybe the #deletefacebook campaign could work after all. A 12-year-old Australian boy gave his mother a scare after reportedly booking a secret trip to Bali, Indonesia with the family credit card. The boy, called Drew by A Current Affair, got into an argument with his mother, Emma, and was allegedly told the family would not be going to Bali for vacation. TOURISTS WARNED TO AVOID COMMON PAINKILLER IN SPAIN AFTER FATALITIES LINKED TO DRUG Drew apparently did not like his mothers response and decided to go on the trip anyway by himself. The tween started by researching airlines that allowed 12-year-olds to fly without parental supervision or a note and then booked himself a flight. He also found a hotel room for the four days he planned to stay and researched how to get there from the airport. After Drew finalized his plans, he convinced his grandmother to give him his passport, A Current Affair reported. The day of the flight, he jumped on his razor scooter and told his family he was going to school. However, he headed to the Sydney airport instead. Once at the airport, Drew utilized the self-service kiosk to check-in to his nearly 7-hour flight. Though, an airport employee did ask to verify his age. They just asked for my student ID and passport to prove that Im over 12 and that Im in secondary school, he told A Current Affair. When he landed in Bali, the resourceful pre-teen rented a Go Jek bike at the airport to get himself to the All Seasons hotel, where he told staff he was meeting his older sister, but had arrived early and was checking in, News.com.au reported. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS However, his four-day vacation was not as carefree as he planned. Soon after he left, his school reported him missing and his mother quickly discovered he had traveled to Bali alone. Emma immediately jumped on a flight to go get him. Shocked, disgusted, theres no emotion to feel what we felt when we found he left overseas, she told A Current Affair. Though Drew did not seem to mind his getaway came to an abrupt end. It was great because I wanted to go on an adventure, he told A Current Affair. A man aboard an American Airlines flight from Miami to Chicago Sunday night had to be shocked with a Taser and forcibly removed by police after allegedly assaulting another passenger. Before departing, someone on the flight contacted the authorities, accusing Jacob A. Garcia of touching a woman inappropriately, the Miami-Dade Police Department told NBC News. MILWAUKEE RESTAURANT APOLOGIZES FOR NOT SEATING NBA STAR AFTER PLAYOFF GAME The flight crew then began deplaning the aircraft after Garcia refused to get off on his own. During this process, he got into a physical altercation with another passenger and police had to intervene, according to a statement released by American Airlines. Three officers came onboard the aircraft to arrest Garcia, but he "began to resist and pull away," Miami New Times reports. Video of the incident was posted on social media, which shows Garcia fighting against the officers and refusing to get off the plane. Garcia can be heard asking the officers, What is the reason why you are removing me from this plane? several times as he struggles against being detained. Well you just assaulted a lady, for one. Youre a racist for two, another passenger says. Unable to gain control of Garcia, one of the police officers tells him unsuccessfully, "Do not fight. Do not fight." The officer then grabs a Taser and shocks Garcia ten times until they are able to handcuff him, according to the Times. Garcia was eventually removed from the flight and taken into police custody where he is being held on a $9,000 bond pending his hearing. Hes been charged with five counts including battery, resisting arrest and depriving an officer of their means of protection, NBC News reports. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS A spokesperson for American Airlines said in a statement, We will cooperate with the Miami-Dade Police Department on this matter. The flight, which was scheduled to depart at 9:30 p.m. ET, departed at 10:34 p.m. ET with all remaining passengers. We thank our crews and airport customer service team for their excellent work in this situation. Tourists are being warned to avoid a painkiller commonly prescribed in Spain after a British couple died repotedly after taking the anti-inflammatory pills. Gloria Robson, 81, was allegedly prescribed the painkiller Nolotil for her back pain, The Sun reported. While taking the drug, Gloria repotedly suffered a fatal brain bleed, which her son, Gary Robson, is blaming on Nolotil. BACKPACKERS DIE IN CAMBODIA AFTER TAKING PILLS FOR FOOD POISONING FROM PHARMACIST Gary, 59, also claims his father Alan, 82, died while taking Nolotil in Spain last year. Gary is speaking out about the potentially toxic drug, saying doctors dish out Nolotil like Anadin[a painkiller sold in the UK] but theres no warning on the pack. Nolotil has been blamed for deaths before. Two years ago, William Smith, 66, from Ireland, was prescribed the drug while on vacation in Spain. When he returned home, doctors discovered Nolotil had caused a toxic poisoning in his bone marrow, causing sepsis and eventually leading to multiple organ failure, the Independent reported. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Nolotil, a brand name for the drug metamizole, has been a controversial drug since 1974 when Sweden became first to ban the drug. It has since been banned in the UK, US and most of Europe because of adverse reactions like blood-disorders and organ failure. Spain is one of the few European countries that prescribes the drug for mild pain, such as toothaches or muscle spasms. Russia, Mexico, India and Brazil are a few countries that sell the drug as an over-the-counter painkiller. In a sad conclusion to a disturbing relationship, a woman who married her birth father and gave birth to their child was laid to rest this past weekend, along with her baby and her adoptive father, after investigators said the birth father killed them all in a murder-suicide. Steven Pladl, 42, was found dead in early April in his vehicle in Dover, N.Y., several miles from the New Milford, Conn., murder scene where Katie Pladl and her adoptive father, 56-year-old Anthony Fusco, were discovered. Those two also were found dead in a vehicle that had one of its windows shot out, police said. The childs body was found inside the couples home, hundreds of miles south in Knightdale, N.C., the same day. In 1995, Steven Pladl was 20 when he met a 15-year-old girl named Alyssa on the Internet. She soon became pregnant and gave birth to a girl they named Denise. Alyssa Pladl said in an interview last week that they put the girl up for adoption when she was 8 months old. They were young and poor, she said, but she also believed Steven Pladl physically abused the baby. In her interview, she did not elaborate. It was so hard to give her up, Alyssa said, but I had to because I wanted her to live and be happy. For most of what was to be her short life, she was. Tony Fusco and his wife, Kelly, adopted the girl they renamed Katie and raised her with their biological daughter in Dover, about 80 miles north of New York City. They had a very, very normal life, said Cary Gould, Kelly Fuscos brother. My nickname for Katie was Pac-Man. She was always eating. She loved animals. She was a vegetarian. Katie was an aspiring artist known at Dover High School for drawing comic strips. She planned to attend college and pursue a career in digital advertising. A pen and something to draw on became a safe place for me, she wrote in a blog post. Ink became my weapon against rules and regulations. ... To be short; for me, a life without art is no life at all. After she turned 18 in January 2016, Katie, who Gould said had been told she was adopted, found her birth parents and messaged them. The Pladls were happy to reunite with her. Instead of going to college in August 2016, Katie moved in with the Pladls in Henrico County, Virginia, that month. Tony and Kelly Fusco were apprehensive, Gould said, but they thought Katie was old enough to make her own decisions and supported her. All was not well in the Pladl home. Steven and Alyssa already had decided to separate and were sleeping in separate rooms. Alyssa Pladl said she had suffered emotional and verbal abuse by her husband for years. I was always on eggshells, whatever his mood was, everybody knew, and that mood was often not happy, a lot of yelling, a lot of things smashed in the house, in front of our kids, she said. Alyssa Pladl told Katie privately that Steven Pladl had abused her as a baby and that a major reason for the adoption was her own safety. Katie, according to Alyssa, didnt appear to be concerned. Steven Pladls behavior changed after he met Katie, Alyssa Pladl said. He began wearing skinny jeans and form-fitting shirts. He shaved his beard and let his hair grow long. About six weeks after Katie moved in, Steven Pladl one night slept on the floor in her room. It immediately concerned Alyssa. After he did it again the next night, she confronted him. He said it was none of her business and stormed out of the house with Katie. Alyssa Pladl finally moved out in November 2016, and she shared custody of the two children with Steven Pladl. In May 2017, she learned from her 11-year-old daughters journal of the incestuous relationship and Katies pregnancy. Her daughter wrote that she and her sister were told by Steven Pladl to refer to Katie as their stepmother. I started to become hysterical, and I called him, she said. I said, Is Katie pregnant with your baby? He just said, I thought you knew. Were in love. I started screaming, she said. I was just cursing him out: How could you? Youre sick. Shes a child. Then she called the police. On July 20, 2017, two months after his divorce from Alyssa was finalized and amid the police investigation, Steven Pladl married Katie in Parkton, Maryland. They lied on their application, saying they were unrelated, according to records. Katies adoptive parents posed for a photo on the wedding day along with Steven, Katie and Stevens mother. Katie wears a short black dress. Tony and Kelly Fusco thought there was nothing they could do and had decided it was best to support Katie, Gould said. Katie gave birth to Bennett on Sept. 1. She and Steven moved to a house on a cul-de-sac in Knightdale, North Carolina, just east of Raleigh, but wedded bliss did not last long. They were arrested on incest charges in January. A judge ordered them not to contact each other, and Steven Pladls mother has custody. Steven Pladls lawyer, Rick Friedman II, said there was never an allegation that Steven Pladl pressured Katie into a relationship. This case is an 18-year-old girl who shows up at the doorstep of a 40-year-old man whos going through difficult times with his wife, Friedman said. They have a bond because theyre biologically related, but they never knew each other before they had a sexual relationship. He was head over heels in love with her, so much so that that outweighed the issue of them being biologically related. After the arrests, Katie moved back with Tony and Kelly Fusco, who declined to comment for this article. Every Tuesday and Thursday, she would travel to her adoptive grandmothers home in Waterbury, Connecticut, Gould said. On April 12, a Thursday, Katie and Tony Fusco left the Dover home for Waterbury. In a minivan nearby, Steven Pladl watched them leave, surveillance video shows. Minutes later in nearby New Milford, witnesses reported someone opening fire. Katie and Tony Fusco, 56, were fatally shot. Steven Pladl was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot back in Dover. Shortly after the New Milford shooting, as Fox News previously reported, Steven Pladls mother called 911 to report her son had told her he killed the baby, Katie and her adoptive father. I cant even believe this is happening, Stevens mother told authorities, according to a 911 call transcript from which her name was redacted. Her son, she said, was upset because Katie, by then just 20, had broken up with him. Police found the baby dead and alone in Katie and Stevens home. Alyssa Pladl struggles to make sense of it all. Im grieving. Im sad. Im upset, she said. But I also want to have something good come out of this. If its to get truth out there, to open peoples eyes to incest. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A 19-year-old man accused of firing his gun inside a West Palm Beach, Fla., high school last week said he carried out the shooting to scare people and did not intend to hurt anyone. Sky Bouche told FOX35 he fired his gun in the Forest High School classroom last Friday because he wanted to instill fear among his peers. "I prepared to go and scare people," Bouche told the news station. "Put my shotgun in my guitar case, took two pills, grabbed my tactical vest and went down to Forest. Bouche recalled seeing a girl walk past him, but he decided to open fire into a classroom, striking a 17-year-old male student in the ankle. Authorities received a call at 8:39 a.m. and Bouche was in custody by 8:42 a.m. I didnt want to shoot or kill people. At that point the adrenaline and excitement just faded immediately, he said. "I could have pumped the shotgun. I didn't, I just dropped it. He added he fired his gun because it has been built up since he was a child because he was neglected and suffered from mental illnesses, though he did not specify his condition. Authorities said Bouche initially planned a Friday the 13th shooting at a church, but decided to carry out the act in a school to gain more media attention. "There's nothing I could say, I could say sorry all I want, but he can think what he wants," Bouche said about his victim who he did not know prior to the incident. "This is what I wanted was to be away from everyone else, so I'm not hurting anyone else, he added. That was my primary goal, because I knew if I didn't snap now it would have been later and it would have been 100 times worse. Bouche was charged with terrorism, aggravated assault with a firearm, culpable negligence, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm on school property and several other gun charges. Georgia cops were slammed by leftist groups and several media outlets after arresting numerous anti-fascist demonstrators who allegedly refused to remove their masks at a neo-Nazi rally Saturday. Authorities in Newnan justified the arrests as the application of a state law making it illegal to wear a mask at public events, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The law was adopted in the 1950s to combat Ku Klux Klan gatherings, and had been used as recently as 2016 during a white supremacist rally. Masks were also one of the items listed as being prohibited during Saturdays rally, according to USA Today. But some critics said police were out of bounds. We were peacefully protesting, yet they put guns in our faces and told us to take our masks off, Jeremy Ortega, 19, told the Journal-Constitution. Ortega, who was charged with a misdemeanor for breaking the no-mask law, said he and his fellow protesters were only covering their faces to avoid threats from the neo-Nazi groups. Instead, Ortega said, it was police who disrupted the peaceful protest -- a narrative picked up by some news outlets. "Militarized Cops At Tiny Georgia Neo-Nazi Rally Arrest Counterprotesters For Wearing Masks," a Huffington Post headline blared. The Washington Post, meanwhile, sought to highlight the irony of the situation: "Georgia police invoke law made for KKK to arrest anti-racism protesters." But among the myriad counter-protesters, USA Today reported police also encountered members of ANTIFA, a group known for wearing masks during its demonstrations and one that's instigated brawls and violent disruptions in the past. A video posted by freelance journalist Daniel Shular appeared to show police officers pushing and yelling at non-compliant anti-fascist demonstrators to remove their masks before raising his rifle at them. Remove your mask, or you will be arrested, the officer said. Ultimately, police said about 10 counter-protesters were arrested. Meanwhile, around two dozen members of the National Socialist Movement attended the rally, wearing black clothing and performing the Nazi salute. The organization gained a permit last month for the rally, The New York Times reported. It was unclear why the group chose Newnan to stage the gathering. Newnan police Chief Douglas Buster Meadows said he was very relieved no injuries or property damage were reported. There were nearly 700 law enforcement officers on hand at the rally, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vernon Keenan told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Keenan said he was relieved the violence didnt escalate. We maintained security. We would not let there be disorder. We didnt have civil disorder, property damage. And we had just a few arrests, he said. We are absolutely satisfied. The Associated Press contributed to this report. BLACK REPUBLICAN BLOG - The Republican Party is the party of civil rights and the four Fs: faith, family, freedom and fairness. The Democratic Party is the party of the four Ss: slavery, secession, segregation and socialism (Quote By Author Michael Scheuer). A Colorado man and his ex-girlfriend were arrested on several animal cruelty charges in March after building a "sex chamber" in their backyard to have intercourse with their pet dog, police said. Frederick Blue Manzanares, 50, and Janette Eileen Solano, 48, were arrested on warrants for four counts of animal cruelty, including mistreatment and neglect, after the pair allegedly had sex with their Siberian husky mix named Bubba, the Denver Post reported, citing an arrest affidavit. Aurora police launched an investigation in March 2017 after Solano reported a domestic violence incident against Manzanares, according to the Denver Patch. Solano told police she was being pressured into having sex with Bubba in a backyard trailer Manzanares allegedly turned into a "sex chamber." The trailer allegedly featured a special bench with "red padding" that made it easier for Solano to have sex with the dog. The ex-girlfriend also told investigators that, just after adopting Bubba about a year earlier, she discovered videos of women having sex with dogs and horses on their shared laptop. Solano confronted Manzanares, who allegedly responded by asking her to keep an open mind, according to the Post. TEEN BITES CHICKEN'S HEAD OFF, CHARGED WITH ANIMAL CRUELTY, POLICE SAY He then spent the next six months introducing her to bestiality videos, bestiality forums, as well as providing her different literature on bestiality, the affidavit said, according to the newspaper. Manzanares allegedly sprayed dog hormones around the "sex chamber" trailer to arouse Bubba, and would then document himself having sex with the dog, police said. Investigators reportedly found videos of the couple having sex with Bubba, and Solano told authorities Manzanares would send her pictures of the dog while she was at work, alongside text messages such as, "He's thinking of you. ;)" Solano reportedly said she became "somewhat jealous" of her boyfriend's relationship with Bubba. "It can easily appear as if I've taken a backseat to Bubba, she told police in an email, according to the Denver Patch. Manzanares disappeared from the home after Solano reported the sexual encounters to police, according to the news outlet. Welcome to Fox News First. Not signed up yet? Click here. Developing now, Monday, April 23, 2018 The four people killed in Sunday's shooting at a Tennessee Waffle House are identified as authorities continue to search for the suspected gunman The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to vote Monday on CIA Director Mike Pompeo's nomination to be secretary of state - and early signs point to the panel not endorsing President Trump's nominee President Trump will urge North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons at his summit with Kim Jong Un and is not willing to lift sanctions for the mere freezing of its nuclear missile tests, according to one report FOX NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Before his visit to Washington this week, French President Emmanuel Macron insists he has a strong relationship with Trump but appears to warn against his aggressive stances on international trade, Iran and more Prince Williams wife, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, is in labor with the couple third child, Kensington Palace says THE LEAD STORY - Four people who were killed Sunday after a gunman opened fire at a Waffle House in Tennessee have been identified as authorities continue their intense manhunt for the suspect ... Investigators said the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Travis Reinking, may be carrying a pistol and has a history of mental illness. Reinking was arrested in July 2017 for being in a restricted area near the White House, saying he "wanted to set up a meeting" with President Trump, investigators revealed in a Sunday news conference. More than a year before that, he claimed Taylor Swift was stalking him, police said. A possible motive for the shooting early Sunday morning was unclear, according to police. The victims included a worker at the Waffle House, a college student and a rapper. Authorities said Taurean Sanderlin, Joe Perez, Akilah DaSilva and DeEbony Groves were killed Reinking allegedly shot them around 3:30 a.m. A BATTLE OVER THE NEXT SECRETARY OF STATE: CIA Director Mike Pompeo, President Trumps pick for secretary of state, will likely face an uphill battle in his at confirmation hearing Monday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ... While he was confirmed to lead the CIA with a 66-32 vote last year, Pompeo faces new challenges, with lawmakers saying Pompeo lacks the diplomacy needed to act as the nations top diplomat. Pompeo opponents have pointed to his hawkish foreign policy positions and comments about minorities, particularly Muslims and gay people. Most Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have already announced plans to oppose Pompeo, sparking speculation that the panel could take the unusual step of sending the nomination to the full Senate without a favorable recommendation. Committee member and Sen. Rand Paul is also opposed to confirming Pompeo -- he was the only Republican to vote against Pompeo during his CIA confirmation hearing. However, Republicans in the administration and on Capitol Hill don't expect any other GOP defections besides Paul and believe Pompeo will be confirmed when the vote is brought to the full Senate floor. TRUMP TO PLAY HARDBALL WITH KIM: President Donald Trump will urge Kim Jong Un to quickly dismantle North Korea's nuclear arsenal when he meets North Korean dictator at their summit, unnamed senior administration officials said in one report. In addition, Trump does not want grant North Korea substantial sanctions relief for the suspension of nuclear and missile tests ... When the president says that he will not make the mistakes of the past, that means the U.S. will not be making substantial concessions, such as lifting sanctions, until North Korea has substantially dismantled its nuclear programs, a senior Trump administration official told the Wall Street Journal. The Trump administration official's comments come days after Kim announced that his country will be suspending missile testing and closing a nuclear test site. ICYMI - FOX NEWS EXCLUSIVE: French President Emmanuel Macron insisted Sunday that he has a solid relationship with President Trump, ahead of his Washington visit this week, but also appeared to caution the president about his aggressive stances on Iran, climate change and international trade, in an exclusive Fox News Sunday interview ... You cannot make a trade war with your allies, Macron said. Its too complicated. If you make war against everybody, you make trade war against China, trade war against Europe, war in Syria, war against Iran -- come on -- it doesnt work. You need allies. Macron spoke ahead of his visit this week to the United States that includes a dinner Monday with wife Brigitte, Trump and first lady Melania Trump. The trip will mark the first time that Trump has hosted an official state visit since taking office last year and will include a state dinner Tuesday night at the White House and Macron making a joint address to Congress on Wednesday. ROYAL LABOR PAINS: Kensington Palace says Prince William's wife, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, has entered a London hospital to give birth to the couple's third child The duchess traveled by car on Monday morning to the private Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in central London. The palace says she was in "the early stages of labor." AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS WEEKEND COMEY THE ALLEGED CRIMINAL: "You didn't have a right to leak that information. Once you took those memos out of the building to leak to The New York Times, you, James Comey, committed a crime" Judge Jeanine Pirro, in her "Opening Statement" on "Justice with Judge Jeanine," outlining how the fired FBI Director James Comey allegedly committed a crime by leaking classified information. WATCH 'ANGEL PARENTS' SEEKING JUSTICE: "Thousands of Americans are being killed at the hands of criminal illegal aliens and [California Gov. Jerry Brown] is protecting them. As a legal immigrant, I would expect my government to protect us American citizens." Fight Sanctuary State spokesperson Agnes Gibboney, on "Fox & Friends Weekend," explaining a ballot initiative seeking to impose criminal penalties on law enforcement and government officials who don't comply with federal immigration officials. WATCH THE SWAMP Hillary Clinton, not on ballot, is star of GOP midterm plan. Trump slams NBCs 'sleepy eyes' Chuck Todd for 'fake news' comments about North Korea. Medicare ID scam targets seniors receiving new cards. ACROSS THE NATION Syracuse University permanently expels fraternity over 'anti-Semitic' video. California fault line is 'tectonic time bomb' for disastrous earthquake, researchers say. Chicago police spot 'elderly' woman pushing another woman's body in shopping cart. MINDING YOUR BUSINESS Stock futures point to gains this week | Earnings, earnings and more earnings in the week ahead Sunday Morning Futures Interview - No official intel used to start FBI probe into Trump campaign-Russia collusion: Rep. Nunes Trump's next $100 billion tariff dilemma: Hit Walmart or Apple Store? Amazon to double down on groceries, foray deeper into fresh produce in India. FOX NEWS OPINION Michael Goodwin: Lawsuit shows Democrats are getting desperate as Mueller probe stalls. Andy Puzder: What Trump-haters don't get about the incredible power of American capitalism. Noah Wall: Here are four ways Republicans can guarantee they lose Congress in November. HOLLYWOOD SQUARED Shania Twain says she would have voted for Trump despite his offensive comments. How 'Smallville' actress Allison Mack tried to lure actress into an alleged sex cult. Robert De Niro says Donald Trump is one role he'd never play. DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS? Woman fined $500 for saving free Delta Air Lines snack. Dog stays with lost 3-year-old girl overnight, leads rescuers to her. Man bitten by shark, bear, snake in less than four years. STAY TUNED On Fox News: Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders previews President Trump's meeting with French President Macron; Dan Bongino weighs in on the morning's biggest headlines; actress Candace Cameron Bure on how she shut down a body shamer; a 21-year-old entrepreneur with Down syndrome opens up about his business success. Tucker Carlson Tonight, 8 p.m. ET: Tentative guests include: Joe diGenova, Mark Steyn and Dan Bongino. On Fox Business: Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Guests include: House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy; Raj Shah, White House principal deputy press secretary; Bud Cummins, former U.S. attorney and Avenue Strategies partner. Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: Rep. Jim Jordan; Healy Baumgardner, former spokesman for Trump presidential campaign. Cavuto: Coast to Coast, Noon ET: Art Laffer, former economic adviser under President Reagan. After the Bell, 4 p.m. ET: Sen. Chuck Grassley. Risk & Reward, 5 p.m. ET: Retired Lt. Col. Michael Waltz, former Green Beret commander and Florida congressional candidate. Lou Dobbs Tonight, 7 p.m. ET: Rep. Mark Meadows; Kelli Ward, Ariz. candidate for U.S. Senate. On Fox News Radio: The Fox News Rundown podcast: Is there a way to defeat domestic terrorism? Fox News' Eric Shawn talks with Joseph Connor, co-author of the new book "Shattered Dreams," which tells the story about how the FALN killed his father and three others in a bombing at Fraunces Tavern near Wall Street in 1975. Plus, commentary from "The Five" co-host Juan Williams. 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 why Democrats' lawsuit shows they are getting desperate as the Robert Mueller probe stalls; Steve Hayes on James Comey's media blitz and the latest developments with North Korea; Bret Baier previews his interview with Comey, weighs in on North Korea; Ainsley Earhardt gives the inside story on her new book, "The Light Within Me: An Inspirational Memoir." #OnThisDay 2005: The recently created video-sharing website YouTube uploads its first clip, "Me at the Zoo," which showed YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim standing in front of an elephant enclosure at the San Diego Zoo. 1968: The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merge to form the United Methodist Church. 1954: Milwaukee Braves rookie Hank Aaron hits the first of his 755 career major-league home runs in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. 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. A would-be robber who tried ambushing a Georgia homeowner picked the wrong person to mess with. The armed suspect, who was still being sought Monday by police, was chased off a driveway in Newton County on Tuesday after being confronted by Carlos Wicker, a former police officer. "I pulled my gun, I shot at him and he took off running," Wicker, the homeowner, told FOX5 Atlanta. He said the suspect fled the scene in a car. The station reported Wicker served as a DeKalb County police officer for 16 years and also was a district attorney investigator. The incident, which happened just after midnight, has left homeowners in the Riverwalk Farms community on edge. "I want to find out what's happened because we have young children here," one of Wickers neighbors told FOX5 Atlanta. "It's not normal." A wedding reception at a New Hampshire hall has turned chaotic, with gunshots fired and a deliberate car crash outside. The Concord (KAHN'-kard) Monitor reports police officers arriving at the Bektash Temple in Concord on Sunday found numerous fights breaking out among more than 300 people attending the reception. Police say shots were fired and someone intentionally crashed a car into another vehicle as it tried to leave the scene. Police say no one was hurt by the gunfire but one person was injured in the car crash. Four men from Tennessee, Ohio and Pennsylvania have been arrested and charged with felony riot. Two of the four also have been charged with reckless conduct with a firearm. ___ Information from: Concord Monitor, http://www.concordmonitor.com It's one of the most gruesome murder cases Denmark maybe even the world has ever seen: journalist Kim Wall's body found in pieces sprawled across an ocean bed. Danish inventor Peter Madsen, who Wall was interviewing for a story about his homemade submarine in Copenhagen, was charged with her murder. Madsen has maintained his innocence since his arrest on Aug. 11, hours after Wall was reported missing. "We found a bag with Kim Wall's clothing; shirt, skirt, socks and shoes, and also a knife and lead pieces weighing them down," Copenhagen police investigator Jens Moeller Jensen said at the time. "Around noon we found a leg, then another leg, and shortly thereafter we found a head, also in a bag weighted down by several metal pieces." Madsen, 47, pleaded not guilty in Wall's death, maintaining that it was an accident. During his trial on March 8, he claimed she was inside the submarine and died of carbon monoxide poisoning while he was on deck. He admitted cutting her up before he "buried her at sea." "I don't see how that mattered at that time, as she was dead," he told the court, according to BBC News. Madsen was charged with murder, dismemberment and indecent handling of a corpse. He was sentenced in April 2018 to life in prison. Here's a timeline of events that occurred since Wall stepped foot on Madsen's sub. April 25, 2018 Madsen is sentenced to life in prison for the murder and dismemberment of Wall. Madsen said he will appeal the murder conviction and life sentence. April 23, 2018 A prosecutor details grisly parts of Wall's death in the final day of Madsen's trial, claiming the journalist may have been tied with her own stockings before Madsen "impaled her" in what he described as a sexual motive. Madsen's lawyer called it "a horror story ... but the story is not based on facts. It is based on undocumented claims." The prosecutor is asking that Madsen be given life in prison 16 years in Denmark, which could be extended if necessary. Meanwhile, Madsen's attorney is asking for 6 months in prison for cutting up Wall's body. March 21, 2018 After a two-week hiatus, Madsen's murder trial resumes. Madsen, who is accused of either cutting Kim Wall's throat or strangling her on his submarine, took the stand at the Copenhagen City Court. Again, Madsen denied killing Wall, asserting to prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen he's "never been violent to any human being and no dead human being either." Madsen eventually admitted to stabbing Wall after prosecutors revealed multiple stab wounds were found on the recovered body parts. The inventor said he used a sharpened screwdriver to stab the body, insisting they were only done to make sure the parts would sink. "I put some punctures in the body parts because I didnt want them to be inflated by gases, Madsen said, according to the Telegraph. There is nothing sexual in the fact that the stab holes were in her vagina. I understand why you might think there was, but there was nothing sexual in it for me. Madsen said he stabbed her after taking her clothes off, beheading her and placing the head in a plastic bag. "I wanted to make sure there were no traces in Nautilus, so yes. I am in a condition where I want this accident to go away," Madsen said. March 8, 2018 Madsen's murder trial begins in Copenhagen City Court, where he faces two judges and two jurors. Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen kicked off the 12-day trial by reading the charges against Madsen. He detailed how Wall's body parts were discovered. And said a psychiatric report concluded Madsen was intelligent "with psychopathic tendencies" who has "no empathy or feelings of guilt." Madsen himself later took the stand, once again denying that he murdered Wall, according to Sky News. "What I will tell you today is a grim story that I did not want to tell anyone ever," he said. Jan. 16, 2018 Madsen is formally charged with murder, dismemberment and indecent handling of a corpse. He is also charged with having sexual relations with Wall of a "particularly dangerous nature." Nov. 29, 2017 Divers find Wall's right arm in the sea south of the Danish capital. Nov. 22, 2017 Divers find Wall's left arm in the sea. Oct. 7, 2017 Police say they have found a head, two legs and clothes in plastic bags a day earlier. Dental records help identify Wall. Oct. 4, 2017 Police say they found 15 stab wounds on Wall's torso. They also find videos of women being tortured, decapitated and killed on Madsen's computer. The videos are not produced by Madsen. Oct. 3, 2017 A prosecutor says in court that Madsen had a computer containing video of the torture and killing of women. "We think it's video recordings of true killing of women," Buch-Jepsen said, according to a translation in The Ekstra Bladet newspaper, adding some of the videos containing killings done by "decapitation and burning." A judge later ruled Madsen will continue to sit behind bars until Oct. 31 as police continue to investigate Wall's death. Sept. 5, 2017 Madsen claims at a pre-trial hearing that Wall was hit in the head by a 155-pound hatch on the submarine and died from an open skull fracture. He later changes his story when Wall's head is found with no skull fractures. The court changes the charge against Madsen to manslaughter. Aug. 25, 2017 Danish police file another charge against Madsen In addition to a preliminary manslaughter charge in Wall's death, the inventor also faces a charge of indecent handling of a corpse, chief investigator Jens Moeller Jensen announces. Aug. 23, 2017 Danish police say the headless torso that washed ashore matches the DNA of Wall. Aug. 21, 2017 Wall's naked, headless body is first spotted by a cyclist riding along Amager Island in Copenhagen, Wired reports. Aug. 15, 2017 Swedish police assist Danish officials with their search for Wall. Aug. 14, 2017 Danish investigators say the sinking of Welden's submarine was a deliberate act." Aug. 13, 2017 Madsen's submarine is raised and put onto land in Copenhagen. Aug. 12, 2017 Madsen appears in court for a pre-trial custody hearing. He said her death was an "accident," explaining that a hatch knocked her in the head. He was ordered held for 24 days. Aug. 11, 2017 Madsen is rescued by a private motorboat Friday morning in Denmarks Koge Bay after his submarine sank. He tells police he dropped Wall off before the vessel went down, but she was later reported missing by her boyfriend, which raised suspicion. Madsen is later detained on involuntary manslaughter charges by Danish police in Wall's death. Aug. 10, 2017 Wall skipped her own goodbye party a celebration of her and her boyfriend, Ole Stobbe's move to Beijing to meet Madsen aboard his 55-foot UC3 Nautilus submarine with plans to interview him for a story. Wall texted Stobbe a picture of herself, possibly the last one ever taken, smiling aboard the sub and standing alongside Madsen, whose back is turned. Fox News' Travis Fedschun, Katherine Lam, Kaitlyn Schallhorn and The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Massachusetts man who walked outside of his apartment to inspect a car crash that happened just steps away from his building was stunned when he found his own wife pinned against a wall at the scene of the accident. The 32-year-old victim, identified by her family as Patrice Vanleer, died at a hospital Saturday night after being struck in Brockton around 9 p.m. "I heard the crash from the bedroom and for some reason I just got up and got dressed and ran out here," her husband, Arnold, told Fox 25 Boston. I didnt know it was her until someone said there was someone pinned under the car. It was the shoes, and Im like 'oh my God, no,' and then there was the pants, the socks and then Im like: 'Oh my God, its my Tricey. They were trying to tell the guy to put the car in neutral so they could move a car off of her, he added. Arnold said his wife had left the apartment less than a half hour earlier to head to a store. Her mother, Carol Newton, told Wicked Local Brockton that Patrice was heading back to the apartment when the accident happened. She liked to go on walks, and that is what she was doing, Newton said. She was almost home. Witnesses said a driver ran a red light at the intersection and Legion Parkway and Main Street and hit another car, which lost control and ended up striking Vanleer on the sidewalk. The way the car went through the red light, its heartbreaking. Theres too many people being hit by cars, Haley Bassett, one of the witnesses, told Fox 25 Boston. The station reported that both drivers remained on scene following the accident and were treated for minor injuries. The case is being investigated by the Plymouth County District Attorneys Office and its not immediately clear whether criminal charges will be filed. Mourners placed flowers, stuffed animals and candles at the site Sunday and wrote messages on balloons that were released into the sky. I want her to be remembered for being a kind and caring soul," Arnold Vanleet said. Patrice Vanleer had volunteered for The Salvation Army for nearly a decade, according to Wicked Local Brockton. Shes given her last dollar to a person before, said her uncle, David Pierce. She was very caring. Vice President Mike Pence has chosen retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a top official with the National Security Council, to serve as his national security adviser. Pence selected Kellogg, a national security aide to President Donald Trump, to fill the role after his top choice, Jon Lerner, withdrew his name from consideration. Lerner, an adviser to U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, pulled out of a proposed dual role after Trump learned of his planned hiring. Lerner is a longtime Republican strategist and pollster who previously worked with the Club for Growth, which aired ads critical of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. Pence said in a statement that Kellogg "brings a wealth of experience in national security and foreign policy matters to this role and has already been an integral part of the President's national security team." Kellogg has served as chief of staff at the National Security Council and is the latest NSC official to depart after the arrival of Trump national security adviser John Bolton. Also gone are spokesman Michael Anton, homeland security adviser Tom Bossert, and deputy national security advisers Ricky Waddell and Nadia Schadlow. Kellogg served as acting national security adviser after Michael Flynn resigned in February 2017 as Trump's first national security adviser. Flynn's successor, H.R. McMaster, was recently replaced by Bolton. Kellogg, who served in the U.S. Army for more than three decades, previously served as commander of the 82nd Airborne Division and as a top aide to Paul Bremer, who led the Coalition Provisional Authority during the reconstruction of Iraq. Maryland police have arrested two of the four teenage girls accused of approaching a pregnant teacher in a school parking lot and stealing her car, purse and cellphone. The teacher was not hurt but went to the hospital to see a doctor as a precaution, Baltimore County police said. Police said Sunday they had arrested a 16-year-old girl, Tyana Keyshawn Holmes, and a 14-year-old girl on carjacking and robbery charges. Holmes is being charged as an adult. The younger girl is being charged as a juvenile. The girls had gone to the Villa Cresta Elementary School in Parkville Friday pretending to ask about enrolling a child, investigators said. As the girls were leaving, they approched the pregnant teacher in the parking lot and knocked her cellphone out of her hand, police said in a news release. The teacher turned to run but fell, dropping her purse, the news release said. Two girls sped off in the teacher's car, a black 2013 Kia Sportage, which is still missing, police said. The other two teens drove off in a different car. Detectives are looking to identify the other two girls who were involved in the carjacking. The embattled Fresno State professor who tweeted out against Barbara Bush last week was hailed on Saturday by a local literary community and received backing from civil rights groups. Randa Jarrar, a tenured English professor at the school (also known as California State University at Fresno), sparked outrage after she called the former first lady an amazing racist moments after she died and said shes happy the witch is dead. Jarrar has since left the country and is currently on leave this semester. A universitys investigation is underway. Although the professor was widely condemned for her remarks, a local Fresno literary festival applauded her each time they heard her name. BUSH-BASHING PROFESSOR HAS FRESNO STATE SCRAMBLING TO KEEP ITS DONORS Jarrar was set to headline LitHop, a day-long festival for the art community, but withdrew just days before the Fresno event due to the controversy. "I support Randa Jarrar's free speech and I also denounce any violence against her or threats of violence against anyone else," Lee Herrick, founder of LitHop, told the audience of around 100 people, The Fresno Bee reported. Juan Luis Guzman, director of the festival, said the controversy over Jarrars remarks brought the community together. "I saw a lot of people showing their love and support for Randa," he said. Carmen Gimenez Smith, a poet and the new headliner of the festival, dedicated a poem to Jarrar that included the passage a writer is dangerous, according to The Bee. The poet said Jarrar is a writer who tests the limits and pursues liberty through her literature. Jarrar also received support from a Fresno State lecturer who claims to have been demoted after tweeting that President Trump must hang in order to save American democracy. Lars Maischak, a history lecturer, wrote Wednesday that the university and the professor is siding with Jarrars attackers and is failing to stand up to the fascist threat to academic freedom. Multiple advocacy groups came out in support of the professor as well. Jarrars tweets are unquestionably protected speech under the First Amendment and Fresno State has no power to censor, punish, or terminate Jarrar for them, Adam Steinbaugh, senior program officer for FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education), said in a statement to Fox News. Birmingham, Ala. -- Maynard Cooper & Gale, a national, full-service law firm, is advancing its Washington, D.C. presence with the opening of an office in Market Square at 801 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest. The office will be home to a seasoned team of government relations professionals, as well as Maynard Cooper attorneys who frequently work in D.C. on behalf of the Firm's clients. Daniel Wilson, Managing Shareholder of the Firm's Huntsville office will also serve as Managing Shareholder of the D.C. office. "Opening a Washington, D.C. office of Maynard Cooper is a continuation of our strategic plan for expansion into national markets that directly align with the objectives of our clients and which allow us the opportunity to expand various national practice areas into thriving markets," said Maynard Cooper Chairman Greg Curran. "The D.C. market is not new to us. We have had attorneys and government relations professionals supporting our clients' business interests in D.C. for years, but with our growth over the past three years, including the opening of offices in San Francisco and New York, and the exposure those offices have created for us in international markets in Europe and Asia, Washington, D.C. has become an even more critical market for our Firm and our clients." The opportunity to expand Maynard Cooper's presence in D.C. was bolstered by the recent additions of Bill Stiers and Drew Tharp to the Firm's Governmental and Regulatory Affairs Practice. Stiers, an accomplished lobbyist with over 30 years of experience in D.C. and international matters, joined Maynard Cooper from a southeast regional firm in the 4th quarter of 2017. Tharp joined the Firm in March and will focus on federal and international government relations. He spent the last seven years on the Hill as a Legislative Assistant, most recently serving as Military Legislative Assistant for a U.S. Representative. Tharp's experience with the Department of Defense and Huntsville, Alabama defense community will enhance Maynard Cooper's Government Solutions Practice. Stiers and Tharp join Maynard Cooper's long-time Federal Government Relations team members and government relations veterans Linda Maynor, Steve Still and Ted Hosp. Maynard Cooper's Governmental and Regulatory Affairs Practice provides results-driven, cost effective solutions to the Firm's diverse clientele spanning many industry sectors. Our experienced team, consisting of attorneys, lobbyists and other professionals with leadership credentials from all levels of government, partners with clients to help them manage government relations and the decisions that directly impact their daily operations. The Maynard Cooper team navigates the complex legislative and regulatory environments on behalf of our clients to help them seize opportunities and circumvent obstacles. Maynard Cooper's Washington D.C. office is located at 801 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20004, and marks the Firm's seventh office location. About Maynard Cooper & Gale Maynard Cooper & Gale is a nationally recognized firm with more than 260 attorneys and lobbyists serving clients throughout the United States, as well as internationally. With offices in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and Montgomery, Alabama, as well as New York, San Francisco and D.C., Maynard Cooper provides a full array of legal services to a broad and diverse clientele including Fortune 500 companies, closely held businesses, partnerships, and non-profit organizations. For more information, please visit www.maynardcooper.com. ### At 52 feet tall and more than 100 years old, Birminghams Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument stands at the center of a fiery legal dispute between the city and state. During the recent debate over monuments honoring the Confederacy, critics called on the city to take it down but Alabama state law prohibits the city from doing so. Thus, Birmingham officials did what they thought was the next best thing they erected slabs of plywood encircling the monument last summer, a wall tall enough to cover its inscription honoring Confederate soldiers. That decision has sparked a year-long legal battle between the city and the state over whether obscuring the monument violates an Alabama law that seeks to protect the states Confederate monuments. WHICH CONFEDERATE STATUES WERE REMOVED? A RUNNING LIST Hezekiah Jackson, president of the Metro Birmingham Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, applauded the implementation of the wall. There are others who feel like its strictly a historical representation, but there are many who feel like its a symbol of oppression, Jackson told Fox News. But the states response to Birminghams actions was swift and pointed. State officials sued the city, saying it was in clear violation of the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act, which prohibits the alteration of monuments that have stood for more than four decades. By building this barrier around the wall it is clearly one that destroys the historic significance of the monument the city violated that particular statue, Attorney General Steve Marshall said. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill into law last year largely done in response to more than two dozen cities removing or relocating Confederate monuments and statues. The Birmingham monument, which sits in a park between City Hall and the Jefferson County Courthouse, was commissioned by the Pelham Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and dedicated in 1905. I think in public spaces theres an opportunity for it to be skewed as to what exactly it represents, Jackson said. The governor is running for re-election, and this month released a campaign advertisement standing by her decision to back the law. Former Birmingham Mayor William Bell ordered the walls construction just days before the Aug. 22 city council and mayoral elections, when he was defeated. Marshall called the decision to erect a wall around the monument a purely political actattempting to curry favor during election season. Now, newly elected Mayor Randall Woodfin and the city are almost a year into a contentious legal dispute with the state over semantics is concealing the monument equivalent to altering it? If you cover something, then thats open to interpretation, Jackson said. Has [the monument] been actually altered because you just cant see it? Dr. Pam King, an assistant professor at the University of Alabama Birmingham, said as a historic preservationist, she will always root for greater exposure of historical events no matter how tragic. However, in this case, she thinks the courts will rule in favor of the city. Thats a tough one, King said. I guess if I had to choose between the two interpretations, I would say it doesnt alter the monument because it doesnt, it just alters the ability to view it. Marshall called that argument a farce. Somebody whos walking through Linn Park would have no idea why the monument is here, and thats completely inappropriate under the law, Marshall told Fox News. The issue came up in Wednesdays gubernatorial debate, featuring Alabama State Sen. Bill Hightower, R-Mobile County, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and Evangelist Scott Dawson. Both Hightower and Dawson stood strongly by maintaining Confederate monuments in Alabama. I treasure our history good or bad, Hightower said. My daughter went to Auschwitz years ago, and it radically changed her life. King said the outcome of the case could have wide implications. Birmingham will have to pay up if the ruling falls in the states favor. The Memorial Preservation Act imposes a $25,000 fine for violations, but the courts will have to interpret whether thats for covering a monument, or for each day the cover remained in place. If the court rules the city should be fined for each day it was in violation of the law, Birmingham will owe millions of dollars. But Marshall acknowledged the state likely would not charge the city such a hefty fee. The reason why this action was filed was not as a matter of money, but as a matter of enforcing the policy, he said. You cannot alter and destroy a monument. Should the judge rule in favor of the city, King predicted similar walls would start popping up around controversial monuments all across Alabama. As homeless encampments continue to crop up in San Francisco, the city's leader is promising an "aggressive" crackdown starting this week in one neighborhood to clear sidewalks of tent camps for good. San Francisco Mayor Mark Farrell told the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday the city has gone from being compassionate towards the homeless population to enabling them, which as the city's leader, "I don't stand for that." Enough is enough, Farrell told the paper. We have offered services time and time again and gotten many off the street, but there is a resistant population that remains, and their tents have to go. The city plans to conduct sweeps starting this week through the city's Mission District to clear out tents set up along sidewalks. As a supervisor, Farrell was behind legislation passed by voters that allows the city to remove tents as long as they provide alternate shelter and give one days notice. There have been sweeps in the area before, but campers returned days later or simply moved a few blocks away, according to KTVU. HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS INCREASINGLY AFFECTING CALIFORNIA TRAIN TRAFFIC Farrell said this time will be different, as the city plans to have a "dedicated team" to make sure people don't come back. The tents are a public safety hazard for the people living in them, and for the residents of San Francisco, Farrell told the Chronicle. And they are gone. But homeless outreach groups contend the mayor's action may just be moving the problem elsewhere. COMMUNITY FIGHTS BACK AS CALIFORNIA OVERRUN BY HOMELESSNESS, HUMAN WASTE, NEEDLES Without a relocation plan, its just more of the sidewalk shuffle, Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness, told the Chronicle. Friedenbach told the paper many tent dwellers suffer from mental illness, and "don't fit into a crowded situation" if put into a shelter. The man who cops believe gunned down four people at a Waffle House restaurant in Tennessee was arrested Monday, just over an hour after cops admitted he led police on a chase in a stolen BMW days before the rampage. Travis Reinking, 29, was taken into custody just after 1 p.m. ET, the Nashville Metro Police Department told reporters at a news conference Monday. He has been booked into the Metro Jail on four counts of criminal homicide, and is being held in lieu of $2 million bond, according to police. His first court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday morning on the General Sessions Court jail docket. He was arrested in a wooded area not far from his apartment. A citizens tip led to the arrest of the suspect, who had been on the run in the area since early Sunday morning. Authorities said they followed Reinking onto a pathway in a wooded area, where an officer saw his face and confirmed his identity. The officer ordered Reinking to the ground, and officials said he did so immediately. Reinking was taken to a police precinct, where he requested a lawyer and refused to make a statement, police said. He then was taken to a hospital to be checked out, and later will be transported to jail and booked on four counts of criminal homicide. WAFFLE HOUSE SHOOTING VICTIMS INCLUDE BRILLIANT COLLEGE STUDENT, ASPRING RAPPER Reinking was wearing a backpack at the time of his arrest, which law enforcement said contained a semiautomatic weapon, ammunition, a holster and a flashlight. Earlier Monday, authorities disclosed that Reinking stole a BMW from a dealership in Brentwood on Tuesday and led authorities on a chase before they lost him in heavy rush hour traffic. Metro Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters cops chased the vehicle, but then opted to track the car via a GPS device. The vehicle was recovered the same day at Reinkings apartment complex in neighboring Antioch. Aaron said authorities did not know Reinkings identity at the time since he did not provide identification at the dealership before taking the vehicle. They had no idea who the man was, he said. WAFFLE HOUSE SHOOTING SUSPECT THOUGHT TAYLOR SWIFT WAS STALKING HIM, WAS ARRESTED AT WHITE HOUSE Aaron also said a civilian found a soft laptop case on Sunday night near a truck stop along Interstate 24 and brought it home with him. Police said the person found a handwritten ID card with Travis Reinking on the bag. Authorities believe that Reinking was in that area on Saturday night, but arent sure if the laptop case wound up in that area before or after the shooting. Aaron also said a report of shots fired Monday near a police staging area was not related to the search for Reinking. Reinking, who was naked during the shooting except for a green jacket and assault rifle, may have mental issues, authorities said. More than 160 Nashville officers were joined by officers from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the FBI and ATF in the search for Reinking, who was also added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations Top 10 Most Wanted list. Reinking drove to the busy restaurant on Sunday and killed two people in the parking lot before entering and continuing to fire, police said. When his AR-15 rifle either jammed or the clip was empty, the customer disarmed him in a scuffle. Four people also were wounded before the gunman fled, throwing off his jacket. The dead were identified as 29-year-old restaurant worker Taurean C. Sanderlin, and restaurant patrons Joe R. Perez, 20, Akilah Dasilva, 23, and DeEbony Groves, 21. A police statement said Sanderlin and Perez were killed outside the restaurant, Groves was fatally shot inside, and Dasilva was critically wounded inside and later died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Reinking has a history of run-ins with police including once telling cops that music star Taylor Swift was stalking him. NASHVILLE SCHOOLS IN LOCK-OUT MODE AS MANHUNT INTENSIFIES FOR WAFFLE HOUSE SHOOTING SUSPECT Authorities in Tazewell County, Ill. revealed Sunday that police encountered Reinking in a CVS parking lot on May 27, 2016 during an apparent mental health crisis, according to a police report obtained by Fox News. At the time, deputies said Reinking believed Swift was stalking him, hacked his phone and had climbed a building to chase him. He also threatened to kill himself, according to the sheriffs report. Reinking, whose relatives claimed he had been having delusions since August 2014, said Swift hacked his Netflix account and told him to meet her at a Dairy Queen, according to the report. A little over a year later, the Tremont Police Department found Reinking swimming in a public pool in his underwear and reportedly exposing himself. In that June 16, 2017 incident, Reinking was wearing a pink womans coat over his underwear at the time, and a concerned citizen contacted authorities because they believed he had an AR-15 rifle in his possession, the report said. Investigators believed he had an AR-15 rifle in his car trunk, but it never was displayed and no charges were filed. Last July, Reinking was arrested by the U.S. Secret Service after he crossed into a restricted area near the White House and refused to leave, saying he wanted to meet President Donald Trump. Reinking was not armed at the time, but at the FBIs request, Illinois state police revoked Reinkings state firearms card and seized four of his guns, authorities said. The AR-15 used in the shootings on Sunday was among the firearms seized. Fox News Edmund DeMarche, Frank Miles and The Associated Press contributed to this report. The man suspected of gunning down four people at a Waffle House restaurant in Tennessee during an early-morning, half-naked rampage has a history of run-ins with police -- including once telling cops that music star Taylor Swift was stalking him. Authorities in Tazewell County, Ill. revealed Sunday that police encountered Travis Reinking, 29, in a CVS parking lot on May 27, 2016 during an apparent "mental health crisis," according to a police report obtained by Fox News. At the time, deputies said Reinking believed Swift was stalking him, hacked his phone and had climbed a building to chase him. He also threatened to kill himself, according to the sheriff's report. Reinking, whose relatives claimed he had been having delusions since August 2014, said Swift hacked his Netflix account and told him to meet her at a Dairy Queen, according to the report. A little over a year later, the Tremont Police Department found Reinking swimming in a public pool in his underwear and reportedly exposing himself. In that June 16, 2017 incident, Reinking was wearing a pink woman's coat over his underwear at the time, and a concerned citizen contacted authorities because they believed he had an AR-15 rifle in his possession, the report said. Investigators believed he had an AR-15 rifle in his car trunk, but it was never displayed and no charges were filed. Last July, Reinking was arrested by the U.S. Secret Service after he crossed into a restricted area near the White House and refused to leave, saying he wanted to meet President Trump. Reinking was not armed at the time, but at the FBI's request, Illinois state police revoked Reinking's state firearms card and seized four of his guns, authorities said. The AR-15 used in the shootings on Sunday was among the firearms seized. WAFFLE HOUSE SHOOTING SUSPECT MAY BE ARMED, WAS ARRESTED NEAR WHITE HOUSE IN 2017, POLICE SAY "Reinking was charged with unlawful entry after crossing an exterior security barrier near the White House Complex," the Secret Service told Fox News. "Information regarding the arrest was provided to our law enforcement partners, including the FBI, at the time of arrest to ensure all appropriate authorities were aware of the circumstances surrounding Reinkings arrest." Then, in August, Reinking told police he wanted to file a report about 20 to 30 people tapping into his computer and phone and another group of people "barking like dogs" outside his residence, according to a report. Reinking told the officer he felt people were "baiting him into breaking the law" and watching him, and explained "this all started after he started writing Taylor Swift." Reinking agreed to go to a local hospital for an evaluation after repeatedly resisting the request, the report said. "There's certainly evidence that there's some sort of mental health issues involved," Tazwell County Sheriff Robert Huston told the Associated Press on Sunday. But Hutson said deputies ultimately returned Reinking's guns to his father on the promise that he would "keep the weapons secure and out of the possession of Travis." Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said that Reinking's father "has now acknowledged giving them back" to his son. After the shooting, police recovered three of the four guns originally taken from Reinking, officials said. They believe he still has at least one handgun. NASHVILLE SCHOOLS IN 'LOCK-OUT' MODE AS MANHUNT INTENSIFIES FOR WAFFLE HOUSE SHOOTING SUSPECT It is not clear why Reinking moved recently from Morton, Ill., to Nashville and if it had anything to do with being near Swift. Police say he was employed in construction for a while, and there would have been enough work in the booming city for him. Police say Reinking drove into the Waffle House parking lot in his gold Chevy Silverado pickup early Sunday and sat there for about four minutes before opening fire outside the restaurant, killing four people. More than 80 Nashville police officers continued to search for Travis Reinking early Monday, authorities said. Agents with the FBI, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and troopers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol joined the manhunt. He was also added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's Top 10 Most Wanted list. Fox News' Mike Arroyo, Nicole Darrah, Kevin Kirby and the Associated Press contributed to this report. South Korea's government said late Sunday that it had halted propaganda broadcasts along the border with North Korea ahead of this week's much-anticipated summit between the two nations' leaders. Seoul's Defense Ministry said in a statement that it had halted the broadcasts with the aim of "reducing military tensions between the South and North and creating the mood of peaceful talks." South Korea had broadcast continuous anti-North propaganda across the border since Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in early 2016. The North responded to those broadcasts with its own. It was unclear if the North also stopped its broadcasts Monday. Defense Ministry officials told Yonhap news agency that they "hope that the North will respond positively" to the stoppage. Yonhap reports that the South has positioned loudspeakers at more than 40 locations near the border. The broadcasts include messages critical of the North's political system and South Korean pop music, commonly known as "K-pop." South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are scheduled to meet Friday for the third-ever summit talks between the rival nations. The negotiations are expected to focus on Kim's nuclear program. Kim is expected to meet President Donald Trump in May or early June. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click for more from Yonhap. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned Monday, giving in to protesters who claimed he was trying to rule for life. As a president nearing his term limit, Sargsyan shifted the country to a system in which the prime minister is more powerful than the president, and a week ago he took the new top job. Here's how the crisis unfolded: April 9: President Armen Sarkisian is sworn in as Armenia prepares to transition to a system where the president has far less power. Acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetian announces Sargsyan will succeed him. April 13: Thousands of demonstrators crowd France Square in the capital of Yerevan to protest the change of government, vowing to remain around the clock. April 14: Protesters led by opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinian break into the headquarters of Armenia's public radio, but fail to get on air and retreat. April 16: Thousands of protesters begin to march toward parliament, and police use tear gas and stun grenades to hold them back. Health officials say 46 people are injured, including six police officers and protest leader Pashinian. April 17: Lawmakers confirm Sargsyan as prime minister and he moves into the job. About 40,000 people demonstrate in Yerevan and Pashinian declares a "velvet revolution." April 18: Smaller protests spread to a few other Armenian cities. April 20: About 40,000 people demonstrate in Yerevan, blocking the defense minister's car before police forcefully clear the way. April 21: Some 50,000 demonstrators block streets in Yerevan, as authorities announce more than 70 people have been arrested. New President Sarkisian comes to the square to speak privately with Pashinian. April 22: Pashinian meets with Sargsyan for brief televised talks, but the prime minister walks out after Pashinian says he will only discuss Sargsyan's resignation. Pashinian is arrested later in the day. Demonstrators and police clash again, and 232 are reported to have been arrested. April 23: Sargsyan resigns unexpectedly. Pashinian is released from custody. A Canadian man who went to Peru to study hallucinogenic medicine was lynched by a murderous mob last week after locals blamed the 41-year-old for the shooting death of a village shaman, authorities said. Sebastian Woodroffes body was dug up from an unmarked grave on Saturday in the Ucayali region of the Amazon rainforest. Local authorities began investigating his death after cellphone video emerged, showing a bloodied man, believed to be Woodroffe, begging for mercy as he's dragged by the neck between thatched-roofed homes in the indigenous community of Victoria Gracia. Woodroffe, who has a 9-year-old son, was killed Thursday, the same day 81-year-old Olivia Arevalo, an octogenarian plant healer from the Shipibo-Konibo tribe of northeastern Peru, was found dead in her home with two gunshot wounds, the CBC reported. Arevalos death sparked outrage among locals, who viewed the traditional healer as a community leader. They reportedly blamed Woodroffe, who Peruvian authorities said was Arevalos client. "We've just been in shock. It's pretty traumatic to hear. It just felt like a scam because there is no way this person [Woodroffe] is capable of that," Yarrow Willard, a friend of Woodroffe, told the CBC. Arevalo was a staunch defender of indigenous people's rights in the region. She also practiced a traditional form of singing medicine that the Shipibo believe removes negative energies from individuals. Woodroffe traveled to Peru in 2016 hoping to get an apprenticeship with a plant healer from the Shipibo tribe. He wanted to switch careers to become an addiction counselor using hallucinogenic medicine. "The plant medicine I have the opportunity of learning is far deeper than ingesting a plant and being healed. It is not about getting 'high' either. It is true some of the plants I will be learning about do have a perception-altering effect, but these are a few plants out of thousands I will be working with," he wrote on the Indiegogo crowd-funding website, where he was seeking financial help to advance his studies. Willard told CBC he feared his friend was a scapegoat and expressed disbelief that Woodroffe could commit the murder. "This is not right at all," Willard said. "He is a little bit of a, I'll call it a s--- disturber. One of these people who likes to poke, and likes to test the boundaries of people's beliefs, but is very much a gentle person underneath all that, Willard said on Woodroffe. This man has never had a gun or talked about anything along that line." Some friends, however, said Woodroffe became distant after trying ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic cocktail also known as yage, that some tourists take for mind-altering experiences. The cocktail has been used by indigenous tribes in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia as a cure for ailments. Willard said Woodroffe came back from South America not broken, but troubled. In 2015, a Canadian fatally stabbed a fellow tourist from England after the two drank ayahuasca together in a spiritual ceremony a few hours' drive from where Woodroffe was killed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A prominent human rights lawyer is demanding that Qatar compensate Dutch-based victims of an al-Qaida-linked Syrian extremist group, saying the Al Nusra group is financed by Qatar-based funding networks. In a letter sent Monday to Qatar's ruling emir that was seen by The Associated Press, lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld accused the wealthy Gulf state of failing to take action against the group and said: "Qatar is therefore liable for the damages suffered by the victims." Qatar denies funding extremist groups. In her letter, Zegveld alleges that one of the victims was taken hostage by members of Al Nusra near Damascus in December 2012. The man, whose identity was not released out of safety concerns, was repeatedly tortured, forced to watch the executions of two other hostages and subjected to a mock execution. The European Union is opening an investigation to see if Italy was within its rights to give struggling airline Alitalia a $1.1 billion bridge loan last year. Alitalia was placed under bankruptcy protection last May and received 900 million euros in loans from the authorities to keep operating until a sale could be completed. The EU Commission said in a statement Monday that its "current view is that the state loan may constitute state aid," and will further examine whether it is illegal. The Danish inventor accused of killing journalist Kim Wall during a trip on his private submarine could murder again, a prosecutor said Monday, while detailing grisly parts of her death in the final day of his trial. Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen demanded that Peter Madsen be given life in prison 16 years in Denmark, which could be extended if necessary or locked up in a secure mental facility for as long as he's considered a danger to others. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW The prosecutor also detailed how Wall, 30, may have been tied with her own stockings before Madsen "impaled her," and that he acted with a sexual motive. Buch-Jepsen said Madsen, who is accused of either cutting Wall's throat or strangling her, is not insane but "emotionally impaired with severe lack of empathy, anger and guilt." The prosecutor also quoted a court-ordered psychiatric report that described Madsen as an intelligent man "with psychopathic tendencies." Madsen's lawyer Betina Hald Engmark called it "a horror story ... but the story is not based on facts. It is based on undocumented claims." KIM WALL'S GRUESOME DEATH DETAILED IN PETER MADSEN MURDER TRIAL: A TIMELINE "It is not my client's duty to prove that he is innocent. It is the task of the prosecutor to prove that he is guilty," she told a packed Copenhagen City Court room. Wall's parents were among those in attendance. Hald Engmark said Madsen should only be sentenced for the "horrible" act of cutting up Wall's body, which he admitted to doing, adding that she was requesting a 6-month prison term. "I am really, really sorry about what happened," Madsen said, Sky News reported. WHO IS PETER MADSEN, THE DANISH INVENTOR CHARGED WITH MURDERING KIM WALL? Wall, a 30-year-old freelance journalist, set out on the submarine on Aug. 10 to interview Madsen, the co-founder of a company that develops and builds manned spacecraft. Her remains were found in plastic bags on the Baltic Sea bed weeks later. Authorities have not determined a cause of death, but said her torso had been stabbed multiple times. Madsen has said the reporter's death was accidental, and that Wall died because of a pressure problem in the home-made submarine. Madsen, who told the court he was "a promiscuous person," has admitted to dismembering Wall's body before he "buried her at sea." He claimed he had to because he could not lift the woman's body up the submarine tower in one piece to throw it overboard. The 12-day trial started March 8, and the verdict will be delivered Wednesday at 7 a.m. ET. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Iran Has Sleeper Cells in the U.S.And the Media is Fast Asleep | Main | Poll: Majority of Palestinians Fear Their Own Government April 23, 2018 LA Times Replaces Solid AP Headline With Biased Headline "Hamas vows revenge for key member killed in Malaysia," was the perfectly accurate and straightforward Associated Press headline (reproduced here in The Washington Post) about the killing Saturday of key Hamas member Fadi Batsh in Malaysia. But The Los Angeles Times, which published the AP story in the April 22 print edition on page 4, replaced AP's solid headline with the following biased and misleading headline: "Hamas says Israel killed scholar; Militant group vows revenge over what it calls an assassination in Malaysian capital." Readers who glance only headlines, as so many so often do, would reasonably conclude that the man killed was a quiet intellectual, immersed, perhaps, in the intricacies of Islam. The Times' skewed headline does not even specify that the "scholar" was a Hamas member, never mind an important Hamas member. The accompanying article begins: The Gaza Strip's ruling Hamas militant group said Saturday that a man who was gunned down in Malaysia was an important member of the organization, accusing Israel of being behind the brazen killing. Hamas said Palestinian engineer Fabi Batsch was a "loyal" member and a "scientist of Palestine's youth scholars." It gave no further details on his scientific accomplishments but said he had made "important contributions" and participated in international forums in the field of energy. Nine paragraphs later, the most intrepid readers learn: "However, Israeli media reported that he was also deeply involved in the Hamas drone development program." Thus, while the original AP headline commendably stuck to the important facts about which all agree -- that Fadi Batsh was a key member of Hamas -- The Los Angeles Times headline whitewashes the star engineer of the designated terror organization as no more than a "scholar," not even one linked to the group. Posted by TS at April 23, 2018 05:21 AM Guidelines for posting This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material. Post a comment The Latest on the conflict in Yemen (all times local): 7:30 p.m. Yemen's Houthi rebels say their acting head of state has been killed in an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition. The rebels' Supreme Political Council, the highest political body in areas under their control, says Monday that its president, Saleh al-Samad, was killed by the raid in the coastal Hodeida province. The Houthis, Shiite rebels allied with Iran, control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa. The coalition has been at war with the rebels since 2015. ___ 11:10 a.m. Yemeni health officials say an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in the country's north hit a wedding party, killing at least 15 people the previous day. Khaled al-Nadhri, the top health official in the northern province of Hajja, told The Associated Press on Monday that most of the dead were women and children who were gathered in one of the tents set up for the wedding party in the district of Bani Qayis. He says the bride was also among the dead. Hospital chief Mohammed al-Sawmali says the groom and 45 of the wounded were brought to the local al-Jomhouri hospital. The Saudi-led coalition has been waging a war on Yemen's Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who control much of the north, to restore the internationally recognized government to power. One might assume they have much in common, given their special status as foreign wives and widows of ISIS fighters. But many of the women being held in this displacement camp - abandoned by home countries that don't want them back - are leading a life marred by in-fighting, jealousy and stealing from one another out of spite. They have a lot of internal conflicts between them. At least twice a week there is physical punching and fighting breaks out, an official for the camp, which is operated by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), told Fox News. Most of the altercations seemingly stem from arguments involving their children, as well as accusations of theft. The 123 women being held are tended to like any other group in need at the Ain Essa facility, some 50 miles from former ISIS caliphate capital of Raqqa. Ranging in age from 18 to 70, most of the women also have an average of three to four young children fathered by ISIS fighters. The women are held in a guarded section, away from the rest of the camp, for fear of retaliation by angry locals who suffered at the hands of the terrorist group. The civilians do not accept these women, the official said. But we deal with them as we deal with any civilians, not as ISIS members or wives. But the official complained many of the women are resentful and ungrateful - often throwing the food they have been given on the ground, and treating those guarding them with disrespect. Then there's the problem of their radicalization. Officials estimate only 20 percent of the women have "changed their extremist minds," making the strong majority a continued security threat. Lena Frizler, a 28-year-old from Hamburg, Germany, was once an aspiring business student, converted to Islam in 2012, and left the comforts of her home for Turkey after being encouraged by known radical salafist in the Hamburg area - Pierre Vogel - to fight against the Syrian regime. One day my husband came home and told me he wants to go to Syria and fight, Frizler told Fox News, while she nursed her one-year-old son - her second child to an ISIS fighter. Frizlers husband, who named himself Abu Bilal, joined Syrias al Qaeda affiliate, al-Nusra. After being captured and released in a prisoner exchange with the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Bilal was killed in a friendly fire incident in 2013. Frizler, who was pregnant at the time, appealed to a prominent ISIS leader in Raqq, and asked permission to go back to Turkey. She was instead sent off to a desert area for intensive Islamic training. There was a special place there they sent all the widows, Frizler said. But after giving birth, and a botched effort to be smuggled out, Frizler ended up in an ISIS prison. She was then married off to an Afghan man, who called her a bitch, and physically abused her. Even if I gone home now from this camp I am scared that they will take my children from me. But I want to send them to a good school, and have a good life like I had, Frizler cried. From the moment I got to Syria, I just wanted to go home. Another German native, 26-year-old Heida Raufi, said she spends most of her days alone in her tent. She said she wants to avoid the gossiping and distrust among the other women, and is also writing a book in the hopes of protecting other women from making the same mistake she did. Raufi said she fell in love with an older boy in 2009, who several years later said he was going to help the people of Syria. Lovestruck, Raufi ditched her social work studies for the life of an ISIS wife in 2014. Her partner, Kareem, died on the battlefield. For the next 18 months, Raufi spent some $8,000 her family had sent her on three attempts to be smuggled home. The alleged smuggling operations were scams: Raufi was driven around in the desert, and simply returned home. She decided all she could do to make ends then meet was to remarry. It was an easy process. There was an ISIS man we all knew with a laptop, and he would just ask us what we wanted and bring us guys to choose, she recalled. I met three, but I chose a man from Kosovo blinded by shrapnel because he wanted to go to Turkey for an operation. I hoped I could get out that way. But now she's just looking to return home to Germany. I was in love. It was a mistake, she said. But Im ready to go home, I am ready to go to prison. I just cannot stay a minute longer here... but if I cannot leave, at least let me work, volunteer or tutor school students like I used to. Other foreign wives held here seemed more committed to the cause. Khala Ahmed, 43 from Karachi, Pakistan, left with her husband and children to fight for the Syrian people. My husband was very upset after seeing a UNICEF documentary about the war in Syria, said Ahmed, who has six children, ranging in age from 2 to 14. He wanted to fight Bashar. My husband sold our house and all our things for us to leave. He used to be a normal man, worked in telecommunications. But he made a mind change. Ahmed hopes her husband, who is missing in action, is in prison somewhere. But in the meantime, she still sees signs of the ISIS caliphate coming to life. I still think it might come back, she said. We are waiting. All the women interviewed by Fox News said they are prepared to receive visits from representatives from their home governments. And those running the resource-depleted camp are anxious for a solution. Most countries dont want them, and most of them are too scared to go back, said the official, who added the women's children are being sent to a "deradicalization" school in the camp. But we cant keep them here forever, he said with a shrug. Someone needs to help here." Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving suspect in the 2015 Paris terror attacks, and an accomplice were found guilty of attempted murder after a shootout in with Belgian police as they sought to flee arrest in March 2016. The court handed both Abdeslam and Sofiane Ayari the maximum 20 year sentence. They were in court Monday as the judge read the verdict at the Palais de Justice in Brussels, according to Sky News. The court said the terror character of the shooting was established in the shooting when the pair attempted to escape their hideout in a Brussels suburb. Abdeslam was close to being arrested at the hideout when he and Ayari fled the scene as another man sprayed gunfire at police and was killed. Three officers were wounded in the shooting, according to Sky News. The incident occurred four months after the Paris attacks, which left 130 dead. Three days after they fled police, Abdeslam and Ayari were caught in Brussels. Abdeslam is currently in solitary confinement in a French prison as he awaits a separate trial for his alleged role in the Paris terror attacks, according to Sky News. Abdeslam had previously accused the Belgian court of being biased against Muslims on the first day of the trial. He refused to attend since the February hearing. "I am accused, so I am here, he said. My silence does not make me a criminal or guilty. That is my defense and I am defending myself by remaining silent. It is unclear when he will face trial over the Paris attacks. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Turkey's foreign minister is planning to visit Germany for the 25th anniversary of a firebombing in which five Turks were killed. The visit comes at a sensitive time, weeks before elections in Turkey. City authorities in Solingen said Monday that Mevlut Cavusoglu is expected to address a memorial event on May 29, 25 years after two Turkish women and three girls died when fire raged through their building. Right-wing extremists were convicted of the murders. German news agency dpa reports that German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Cavusoglu's visit doesn't fall under a ban on rallies by non-European Union politicians during the three months before their countries' elections. The ban was introduced last year following a dispute over Turkish ministers being blocked from campaigning in Germany before a Turkish referendum. Toronto cops nabbed the suspected driver who plowed into a group of people on a crowded city street Monday afternoon, leaving 10 people dead and 15 others injured, Deputy Police Chief Peter Yuen said. Police confirmed to Fox News the arrest of the suspect, which came just minutes after news of the incident broke. "The van involved in multiple pedestrians stuck in the Yonge and Finch area of Toronto has been located and the driver arrested," Toronto police tweeted. The identity of the driver has not been released. Cops had initially said eight to 10 people were hit near Yonge Street and Finch Avenue just before 1:30 p.m. A nearby hospital tweeted that it took in seven patients. After striking the pedestrians, the driver sped off, CBC reported. Witnesses said the driver was moving fast and appeared to be acting deliberately, but police said they did not yet know the cause or any possible motive. Photos from the site of the collision showed pedestrians attempting to help people on the ground and multiple bodies covered by sheets. A witness who identified himself as Nick said he was studying when he saw a truck flash by in the area. He said he witnessed a few people pass away in front of him as others screamed. [The driver] was definitely in control of what he was doinghe knew what he was doing, Nick told Global News. Alex Shaker, who witnessed the incident, said the van was speeding down the street before it mounted the curb and plowed into people. He started going down on the sidewalk and crumbling down people one by one, Shaker told CTV. He just destroyed so many peoples lives. Every single thing that got in his way. A worker at a gym in a building next to the site of the incident told Fox News that employees were told to stay inside as first responders tended to the scene. Ryder is aware of an incident involving a Ryder rental van striking pedestrians in Toronto on Monday April 23rd in the early afternoon, the rental company told Fox News. We are saddened by this tragic event, and our deepest sympathies go out to those impacted. We take the safety and security of our entire fleet very seriously and we are cooperating fully with authorities. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the terrible incident at Yonge and Finch in Toronto, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted. Thank you to the first responders working at the scene we're monitoring the situation closely. We are all unsettled and disturbed, Kathleen Wynne, the premier of Ontario, told reporters, emphasizing that she was awaiting further details. We have to wait until there is information before we start talking, she said. As details are available and as it is appropriate, then that information will be made public. Ralph Goodale, Canada's minister of public safety, said the country hasn't changed its terrorism alert level and he has no information that would suggest a need to do so. "Investigators are appealing for information from the public," Toronto police said, adding that a hotline for witnesses will be announced later Monday. "This is a time when this community should come together," Toronto Mayor John Tory said at an afternoon press conference. "I hope that we will, as a city, remind ourselves of the fact that we are admired around the world for being inclusive and for being accepting and understanding and considerate." The crash unfolded as Cabinet ministers from the G7 countries were gathered in Toronto to discuss a range of international issues in the run-up to the G7 meeting near Quebec City in June. Speaking at the event on Monday, Chrystia Freeland, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed "sadness and tremendous sympathy for the victims of this incident." Investigators are expected to remain on the scene for several days. Fox News' Greg Norman, Shira Bush and The Associated Press contributed to this report. By now, youve probably heard about the major changes to the federal education budget approved by President Donald Trump. But how do these shifts impact your state? We decided to try to answer that question for two of the most significant federal K-12 programs at the U.S. Department of Education: Title I, which provides formula funding to districts to better serve students from low-income households, and Title II, which provides professional development and other services to teachers and principals. Lets start with Title I. Based on information for fiscal 2018 finalized at the end of last week by the Education Department , we looked at not just the new state-by-state Title I estimates, but also the percent change in funding by state. These fiscal 2018 numbers, which cover the 2018-19 school year, are still estimatesthe final totals will be released in July. But since the fiscal 2018 figures are based on the final appropriations from Congress, they do give us a good idea of the direction of funding for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Find your state in the chart below: Now for Title II. Unlike with Title I, the Every Student Succeeds Act did change the formula that funds Title II. As our colleague Stephen Sawchuk wrote back in 2015, the formula was changed to put more of an emphasis on poverty and less on total population . See the chart below for new state-by-state Title II totals, based on Education Department data: Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . Dallas Dance, the former Baltimore County superintendent who pleaded guilty to perjury charges last month, was sentenced to six months in prison on Friday, according to the Associated Press. Dance will also have to serve two years of supervised probation and 700 hours of community service. Dance failed to report nearly $150,000 he earned in outside income. He also did work for SUPES Academy, the now-defunct Illinois-based company that provided leadership training to school districts , and Synesi Associates. Dance pleaded guilty to four counts of perjury last month. SUPES Academys former co-owners, Gary Solomon and Thomas Vranas, were sentenced to prison last year for their role in a multi-million-dollar kickback scheme involving former Chicago Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett. Prosecutors argued in that case that the three conspired to steer contracts to SUPES Academy in exchange for Byrd-Bennett collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks in the future. Byrd-Bennett is serving a four-and-a-half year prison sentence for her role in the scheme. While Dance was the superintendent in Baltimore County, SUPES Academy got a $875,000 no-bid contract. Dance was once heralded as a rising star in education. He was only 30 years old when he got the job to run the 112,000-student district. He was also tapped to serve on former President Obamas Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans, the Associated Press reported. Dance resigned from the district in April last year . A Zambian student living in Maine has won the right to compete in a national poetry competition. The federal-government-funded contest had barred him from the final round because its rules require contestants to be legal residents or citizens. Federal Judge John Woodcock, of the U.S. District Court in Portland, ruled Friday that Allan Monga can compete in this weeks national Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington, D.C., according to a report by the Associated Press . The competition, April 24-25, will be webcast live . Monga, a 17-year-old junior at Deering High School in Portland, left his native Zambia last year to seek asylum in the United States. Monga won Maines Poetry Out Loud competition, even though the rules of the National Endowment for the Arts, which sponsors the program, require contestants in the state and national rounds to be citizens or permanent residents . The federal agency said valid social security or tax identification numbers are needed to receive the prize money attached to the final rounds of competition. Maine Public Radio reported that Monga has a social security number, but doesnt yet have a green card. When the National Endowment for the Arts barred Monga from competing in the national finals in Washington, D.C., he and the Portland school district filed a lawsuit arguing the agency was denying him guarantees to equal education outlined in the U.S. Constitution and the Civil Rights Act. Judge Woodcock ruled in his favor late Friday afternoon. Portland Public Schools Superintendent Xavier Botana said the school community is ecstatic that Monga will be able to participate in the national contest, according to the AP. Unlike slam poetry contests, where students perform original compositions, Poetry Out Loud requires students to memorize and perform work by other poets. Students compete to win their school titles, then proceed to regional and state competitions. State champions participate in the finals in Washington. (Education Week profiled Poetry Out Loud at one school earlier this year .) At a hearing last Wednesday, Judge Woodcock asked an NEA attorney to explain why its in the national interest to bar someone like Mr. Monga from participating in the national finals. Its in the national interest to give the limited resources of the country to permanent legal residents and U.S. citizens, Assistant Attorney General Rachael Westmoreland told the judge, according to the Bangor Daily News . She also said the rules were based on qualifications Congress set for winners of the National Medal for the Arts, the newspaper reported. Get High School & Beyond posts delivered to your inbox as soon as theyre published. Sign up here . Also, for news and analysis of issues that shape adolescents preparation for work and higher education. Teachers unions, colleges and universities, and many higher education groups have all joined briefs challenging President Donald Trumps restrictions on travel to the United States from six predominantly Muslim countries. The case of Trump v. Hawaii (No. 17-965) will be taken up by the justices on Wednesday, as the final oral argument of the 2017-18 term, and with a decision expected by the end of June. Both the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association have joined a friend-of-the-court brief by a host of labor organizations supporting the state of Hawaii in its challenge to the third version of the presidents executive action establishing an entry ban. That presidential proclamation, issued in September, built on an earlier version of the so-called travel ban and is meant to be permanent. The current version applies to travelers from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. The AFT says in the labor brief that many of its members, especially those at institutions of higher education, are involved in global collaborations and in teaching and research duties that are being disrupted and threatened by the proclamation. Additionally, a significant number of AFT members were born in, or have friends or family members in, countries named in the proclamation. These members are directly impacted by the travel restrictions, which have affected their ability to work, travel, connect with, and care for their communities. The NEA says in the brief that its members believe that discrimination and stereotyping based on religion must be eliminated in all educational settings, and therefore work every day to increase respect, understanding, acceptance, and sensitivity among students. The proclamation has made that work harder, as it has fueled anti-Muslim hate speech and harassment in our nations schools. Both a federal district court in Hawaii and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, in San Francisco, blocked the policy and held that the president likely exceeded his authority under immigration law and that the policy likely involves illegal discrimination based on nationality. The 9th Circuit did not rule on the question of whether the policy violated the U.S. Constitutions prohibition on government establishment of religion based on Trumps various anti-Muslim statements. But another federal appeals court had so ruled with respect to an earlier version of the policy, and the Supreme Court said it would consider that question as part of its review. Subsequent to the high courts January announcement that it would take up the case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, in Richmond, Va., also blocked the current version of the entry ban, declaring that on an economic level, the proclamation inhibits the normal flow of information, ideas, resources, and talent between the designated countries and our schools, hospitals, and businesses and that on a fundamental level, the proclamation second-guesses our nations dedication to religious freedom and tolerance. The Supreme Court decided not to add the 4th Circuits decision to the arguments, but the religious question will be addressed. The Trump administration, in briefs filed by U.S. Solicitor General Noel J. Francisco, argues that Trumps proclamation establishing the entry ban is a valid exercise of the presidents broad authority to regulate immigration under the Immigration and Naturalization Act. The government also counters arguments that various statements by Trump, both as a presidential candidate and while serving in the White House, demonstrate the presidents anti-Muslim bias, including Trumps retweeting of three anti-Muslim propaganda videos last November. The presidents retweets do not address the meaning of the proclamation at all, Francisco says in a brief , adding that the challengers also ignore the presidents many statements disclaiming religious animus and praising Islam. Francisco further argues that the third version of the entry bans omission of two Muslim-majority countries that were covered by two earlier versions, its tailored restrictions for each country based on country-specific risks, and the fact that it does not cover the vast majority of Muslims in the world all show that the proclamation does not target aliens based on their religion. Hawaii, the main challenger to the entry ban, says in its brief that the presidents order is without parallel in our nations history. For over a year, the president campaigned on the pledge, never retracted, that he would ban Muslims from entering the United States, the brief continues. And upon taking office, the president issued and reissued, and reissued again, a sweeping and unilateral order that purports to bar over 150 million aliensthe vast majority of them Muslimfrom entering the United States. Besides the teachers unions and many other allies, a group of colleges and universities says in a friend-of-the-court brief on Hawaiis side that the presidents proclamation threatens their ability to attract persons not only from the specified countries, but from around the world. It contradicts the values that [the colleges] have traditionally touted as benefits of studying and working here, including the freedom of religion and equality embodied in the First and Fourteenth Amendments, says the brief, signed by the eight members of the Ivy League as well as 23 elite U.S. colleges and universities. A brief also on Hawaiis side by the American Council on Education and 32 other higher education groups says that more than 1 million international students attend U.S. colleges and universities. The presidents proclamation perpetuates the prior orders message of exclusion, which deters foreign students who wish to come to the United States to foster collaborative study, the brief says. The American Federation of Teachers on Thursday dropped Wells Fargo from a list of recommended mortgage providers for its 1.7 million union members over the banks ties to gun makers and the National Rifle Association (NRA). More than 20,000 AFT members currently hold mortgages through the bank. The break comes after Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan failed to follow through on a meeting with AFT president Randi Weingarten that he suggested to discuss the banks relationship with the National Rifle Association and then, according to Weingarten, never followed through. Weingarten in a letter to Sloan says the union tried several times by phone and email to set up the meeting, but the banks response has been radio silence. Andrew Ujifusa provides more background on how the AFT has taken Wells Fargo to task in recent weeks for giving loans to gun makers and doing business with the NRA. In her letter to Sloan, Weingarten said that ever since the AFT expressed its concerns with Wells Fargo, the National Rifle Association has attacked the union in the vilest ways. The video below shows how the NRA has responded to the unions announcement to cut ties with the bank. In it, host Grant Stinchfield blasts Randi Weingarten and the AFT as one of the greatest threats to our children. Randi Weingarten & @AFTunion are one of the greatest threats to our children especially in our inner cities & impoverished rural areas. The policies @rweingarten & her AFT viciously fight for create conditions of violence our children our forced to live in" @stinchfield1776 #NRA pic.twitter.com/b3OrhzTlTP NRATV (@NRATV) April 10, 2018 We can only assume that in light of your silence and the NRA attacks, you have decided that the NRA business is more valuable to you than students and their educators are, Weingarten writes in the letter. Still, teachers are not free of ties to the gun industry. As Bloomberg reports , teacher pension funds in at least 12 states are invested in gun stocks. AFT on Wednesday issued a report urging its pension fund managers to consider dropping investments in gun makers and sellers. But some of the biggest teacher pension managers, New York and California included, still invest in Wells Fargo stocks . In a statement to Education Week, the San Francisco-based bank responded, Wells Fargo wants schools and communities to be safe from gun violence, but changes to laws and regulations should be determined through a legislative process that gives the American public an opportunity to participate. We remain firm in our belief that the American public does not want banks to decide which legal products consumers can and cannot buy. Banks including Bank of America and several corporations are reexamining their relationship with the National Rifle Association , and some have even cut ties with the organization in the wake of calls for stricter gun control . But Weingarten contends that CEO Sloan wont even talk about solutions, never mind take action. So if Wells Fargo wont value children and teachers above guns, we wont do business with Wells Fargo, Weingarten said. It can be the bank for Americas teachers, or it can be the bank for the NRA and gun manufacturers. But, given the NRAs refusal to even help mitigate gun violence, Wells Fargo cant be both. See also: News Study offers sobering warning for casual drinkers jenniferreynolds / JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News Paula Minick, a bartender at the Proletariat Gallery & Public House in Galveston, pours a glass of wine for a customer Thursday, April 19, 2018. A recent study is getting attention after researchers found that people who consume more than seven drinks a week can expect to die sooner than those who drink less. jenniferreynolds / JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News A glass of wine sits on the bar as Paula Minick, a bartender at the Proletariat Gallery & Public House in Galveston, opens a bottle for a customer Thursday, April 19, 2018. A recent study is getting attention after researchers found that people who consume more than seven drinks a week can expect to die sooner than those who drink less. Unwinding after a long day at work and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol such as red wine might not be as healthy as researchers previously thought, according to a study released earlier this month. The international study by researchers at the University of Cambridge found adults should average no more than one alcoholic drink a day. The study, combining results from 83 studies conducted in 19 countries and tracking almost 600,000 people who drank alcohol, found that people who consume more than seven drinks a week can expect to die sooner than those who drink less, according to British medical journal The Lancet, which published the study. In the study, researchers focused on who developed and died from different forms of heart disease and found that drinking more than the recommended limit of alcohol could significantly raise your risk of stroke, fatal aneurysm and heart failure, according to The Lancet. But the studys results are potentially misleading for moderate drinkers, University of Texas Medical Branch Professor of Neuroscience Ping Wu said. I think that the interpretation of the study of one drink a day is misleading, she said. That study says seven drinks per week, but they didnt really specify if this is one drink a day, two drinks a day, then the other days no drinks. Wu, who has conducted research on alcohols effects on the brain, said she believes people who consume one alcoholic drink each day in the span of a week wouldnt be at a high health risk, Wu said. If you drink one drink a day, like 12 ounces of beer or 5 ounces of wine, one drink a day probably wont do that much harm, she said. The study doesnt worry League City resident Amy Ward. Everything kills you, Ward said. Make responsible choices, but you only live once. It also depends on the person. Whether a person drinks one alcohol beverage a day or several, people should watch their drinking habits, Wu said. You probably want to have a better drinking behavior, she said. But I personally dont think one drink a day will do harm unless those persons have a predisposed disease. If they dont have other health issues, I dont think one drink a day would cause significant problems. Alcohol studies are released yearly, and people should just monitor their drinking amount instead of allowing studies to dictate their habits, Webster resident Christopher Nix said. You could save your drinks throughout the week, and drink them in one day, he said. Wu warns that waiting until the end of the week and binge drinking is not a healthy alternative. Its more important to note that every week where you have one day where you binge or drink a lot, thats probably more harmful, but thats not specified in the study, Wu said. People shouldnt be overly concerned about the study, Wu said. Well, I do not drink alcohol, I will occasionally have some, and I dont see much harm because theres not much evidence, Wu said. People are in charge of their own lives and should not base their recreational activities on a study, Wu said. You have to make a decision based on your own health conditions, she said. You cant base studies from one source or one interpretation. Galveston, TX (77553) Today Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 76F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 76F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Will Colorado teachers be the latest to follow in the wave of teacher activism sweeping the country? As teachers in the neighboring Arizona prepare to go on strike Thursday , all eyes are on Colorado to see if teachers there are next. Last week, hundreds of teachers rallied at the Colorado state capitol for better pay and more school funding and to protest changes to their pension benefits. On April 26 and 27, thousands of teachers are planning to storm the capitol again to call for more education funding. At least seven school districts have canceled classes on Friday because too many teachers will be at the demonstrationsincluding several of the states largest districts, according to Chalkbeat Colorado. The Denver school district has scheduled an early dismissal for Friday. It appears that state legislators are worried teachers will strike, following in the footsteps of their peers in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and now, Arizona. Two Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill that would prohibit teachers and teachers unions from going on strike, and forbid public school employers from consenting to or condoning a teacher strike. (In other states, like Oklahoma, employers have implicitly condoned teacher walkouts by closing schools or speaking out in support of their employees . In Colorado, the Denver superintendent at least has been vocal in his support of teachersin his letter announcing the early dismissal on Friday , he said the state needed to better fund education and all of our voices play a vital role in this effort.) The bill says that the punishment for teachers could be a fine of up to $500 a day and/or jail time for up to six months. Teachers would also face immediate termination with no right to a hearing. Meanwhile, local teachers unions could face fines of up to $10,000 or be barred from representing teachersand collecting duesfor a year. Their collective-bargaining agreements would be voided. These are harsh punishments, and Chalkbeat Colorado reports that this bill stands practically no chance of becoming law. Democrats control the state house, and they have already struck down an anti-union measure earlier this legislative session. Still, its a sign that lawmakers fear a statewide strike, similar to what has happened in Oklahoma and West Virginia. In West Virginia, teachers received a 5 percent pay raise after their nine-day strike . In Oklahoma, teachers walked out of their classrooms for nine days as well , ending with a $6,100 pay raise and several million more in funding for schools. Teachers in Kentucky have also walked out of their classrooms on several occasions to protest changes to their pension benefits . Already in Colorado, teachers in the 17,000-student Pueblo school district voted to strike for better pay last week. They have to wait until at least May while the state decides whether to intervene, according to Associated Press. Thats a state lawif the states department of labor and employment does decide to intervene and attempt to broker a resolution, the window for conciliation expands to 180 days. Image: An unidentified teacher holds up a placard during a rally outside the state capitol in Denver on April 16. David Zalubowski/AP This week we are hearing from the Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA, @TNEdResAlliance ). This post is by Erin OHara (@ErinOHaraTN ), TERA Executive Director. Todays post is written from the researcher perspective. Stay tuned: Thursday we will share the practitioners perspective on this research. It is widely accepted that teacher effectiveness is connected to student achievement and that high-quality teachers are key to improving our schools. As the basis for teacher preparation and professional development efforts, it is crucial to first understand how, when, and why teachers improve (or not) in the course of their careers. Just over a year ago, the Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA) engaged a group of educators teachers, principals, state and district leaders alongside nationally-respected researchers to determine the most critical questions we should study about how and why teachers improve in Tennessee. In the first of a series of briefs about professional learning and instructional improvement, TERA begins tackling these questions by looking at teacher improvement over time in Tennessee. What The Research Is Examining Over the course of the last year, TERA has worked with John Papay and Mary Laski at Brown University to examine how teachers in Tennessee are improving their effectiveness throughout their careers. Papay and Laski look at 5 years of teacher classroom observation and 9 years of student test score data to understand more about the improvement trajectories of individual teachers over time. What The Research Is Finding In the brief , released today, Papay and Laski find four key results about teacher improvement in Tennessee: Teachers in Tennessee are improving over the course of their careers on average. This holds true across tested subjects and across measures of teacher effectiveness. Teacher improvement varies substantially by district and school. In other words, in some places, teachers are improving (on average) at much greater rates than in others. Teachers in Tennessee appear to improve at about the same rates in higher-poverty schools as in lower-poverty schools. Teacher improvement appears to be steeper in more recent years. These findings are particularly important because, while past research has consistently found (as this brief finds in Tennessee) that teachers improve substantially in the first three to five years of their careers, there remain questions as to how much teachers improve in later years. Papay and Laski find that in Tennessee, while the majority (about 56%) of a teachers improvement occurs in the first three years, roughly 20 to 30% of a teachers overall improvement occurs between years 5 and 25. Perhaps more importantly, teacher improvement differs systematically across schools and districts in other words, in some schools, teachers improve much more rapidly than in others. Future Work Knowing that teachers continue to improve over the course of their careers means that the more we can know about how and why, the more likely we are to bend the trajectory so that teacher improvement is even steeper in the early years and continues at a greater pace throughout a teachers career. Using the results of Papay and Laskis study, we have begun working with the Tennessee Department of Education and our Advisory Council, which includes the state teachers union, superintendents association, and state board of education, among others, to plot out the next steps of the research agenda. Our Advisory Council immediately wanted to know: What do we know about why certain teachers are improving more in the early career, and is it somehow related to teacher preparation? If we know that some schools and districts are seeing greater teacher growth than others, do we know what they are doing differently? Is there anything instructive that we can share with superintendents, school boards, and those entities that are training teachers both pre-service and in-service? Leading research on these topics tells us that educators tend to improve more when they work in schools with more effective colleagues (Jackson & Bruegmann, 2009; Sun, Loeb, & Grissom, 2017), remain in their teaching assignment more consistently (Blazar, 2015; Ost, 2014), teach in more supportive professional environments with strong school leaders (Kraft & Papay, 2014), work in schools that are more collaborative (Ronfeldt et al., 2014), and participate in a rigorous teacher evaluation system (Taylor & Tyler, 2012). However, we dont know yet how this past research translates to the Tennessee story, and where the biggest gaps exist for Tennessee teachers. To uncover answers to these questions, the educators that TERA met with last January suggested that we examine variation in time devoted to professional learning, access to high quality professional learning content, coherence among learning systems, strong conditions for feedback, and teacher self-reflection and assessment. TERA is working with Papay and Laski, among other researchers, on follow-up studies that will examine many of these questions. Using results from the Tennessee Educator Survey , our annual statewide survey that just closed on Friday, April 20, we can learn more about the conditions at various higher- and lower-growth schools and districts. Connecting to teacher preparation program data, we can see if variation is related to specific programs. We also still need to know more about the individual experiences of educators in these high- and low-growth schools and districts. Over the next eighteen months, these are the critical questions that TERA will work with researchers and our partners at the Tennessee Department of Education to answer. This research will help the state learn more about how there can be even greater growth in future years among Tennessees teachers. Previous blog posts by the Tennessee Education Research Alliance: Curious about other research topics partnerships have written about for this blog? See this Guide to the NNERPP EdWeek Blog for all previous blog posts organized by research topic area to easily find other posts of particular interest to you! Washington How can we utilize the arts to address deep-seated problems in education, public health, and sustainability? That was the question posed to the artists, educators, and innovators who gathered in Washington on April 16 for the fifth annual Kennedy Center Arts Summit . Over the course of the day, performers, panelists, and audience members considered the potential for art to effect change and eliminate inequities. In conversations between panelists and a breakout session focused specifically on education, experts and audience members explored the benefits of making arts education a focal point in schools. Throughout the day, these three solutions were recommended: 1. Make Art an Everyday ExperienceIn All Schools While panelists widely agreed that art is a necessary part of childrens education, some noted that urban schools are often disparately impacted by a lack of arts education. Linda Nathan, the executive director of the educational non-profit Center for Artistry and Scholarship , raised this point when recalling her experiences as a middle school educator in Boston during the 1970s. (Though much has changed since thenBoston has made a concerted push recently to improve arts education .) For all these years Ive worked in education, I can say with certainty that if you are a student in an urban school, you wont get art, Nathan said, later adding, If we do give kids artistic experience on a daily basis, their view of the future, their view of themselves, would be enormously expanded. High school principal Linda Cliatt-Wayman also brought up her personal experience with inequity in schools. Ive been a leader of schools that have been labeled persistently dangerous, she said. Because of this label, she explained, students at those schools werent given the opportunity to become artists or performersor to explore their creativity and imagination. We are failing a large group of children just by simply not being able to bring arts to them, Cliatt-Wayman said. And so we have to find a way to do that so they can express themselves and be a part of this American dream. 2. Make Art a Priority Conversations also centered around the importance of elevating art to an equal position beside science, math, and language arts in schools. During an audience Q&A session, an art teacher at a charter school in D.C. asked how she could advocate for the resources her students need. I feel like Im standing alone and invisible, she said. In response, panelists urged teachers to take on roles as activists. Cliatt-Wayman, the principal, recommended that teachers take the time to educate administrators about the value of art. Independent consultant Liz Manne brought up the involvement of teachers unions in activism, particularly in the current strikes and walkouts taking place around the country , and suggested that arts advocacy could be incorporated into labor activism. Others pointed out that a heavy focus on testing in schools can often push arts education to the side. The question for us as educators is, What is our project? Are we using schools to sort children, in which case we may be doing a pretty good job right now, or are we using schools as sites of liberation? Sam Seidel, a former teacher and current director of K-12 strategy and research at Stanford Universitys d.school, asked. Adocates for arts education often note the wide range of skills that can be gained through artfrom creative problem-solving to critical thinking . While some support adding an A to STEM, others argue that arts education should be preserved in its own right. To see where arts education seems to be heading in the next few years, make sure to check out Arts Education: A Look Ahead . 3. Solve Problems Through Storytelling Whether considering the problem of limited resources for arts education or issues of systemic racism and inequity at work in schools, panelists suggested sharing personal stories and experiences as a potential solution. Cliatt-Wayman described her practice of leading townhall meetings between teachers, administrators, and students as makeshift storytelling sessions. By giving students the space to voice their concerns and share their experiences, Cliatt-Wayman could pinpoint problem areas and find paths forward. When asked how art could be used to solve societal problems, Manne also turned to storytelling. I think that the most powerful mode of persuasion is story and narrative, she said. To me if we did nothing else in the world, that in and of itself would change our society. In a speech given at the third annual California Teachers Summit, veteran English teacher David B. Cohen raised a similar point. The way I see it then, we have to collectively saturate public spaces with positive stories about public education to offset each negative story thats out there, he said. Photo by Michael Butler, courtesy of Michelle A. Pendoley. Eastern Kentucky University: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. April 22, 2018 - Senior Ciara Scott broke her own school record in the womens 3,000-meter steeplechase and senior Jamaine Coleman won the mens 5,000 meters with a 33-second personal best as the Eastern Kentucky University track and field team competed at the Virginia Challenge this weekend. Scott got the Colonels off to a good start on Friday night when she ran 10:22.2 in the steeplechase. That time broke her own EKU record of 10:23, which she ran last June in Nashville. It also vaults her to No. 21 in the NCAA East Region rankings. Scott, a native of Bowling Green, Kentucky, is the defending OVC champion in the steeplechase. Coleman capped the meet in style on Saturday night. The native of Preston, England ran away from a field of 34 competitors to win the 5,000 meters with a personal-best time of 13:50.8. It was a 33-second personal-best. Coleman had not raced the 5,000 meters in two years, when he ran 14:23.8 at the Virginia Challenge on April 23, 2016. Colemans time of 13:50.8 puts him at No. 5 all-time at EKU, behind only Jacob Korir (13:29.1), Soufiane Bouchikhi (13:33.0), Wade Meddles (13:46.2) and Ben Cheruiyot (13:47.6). It also ranks No. 11 in the NCAA East Region and No. 37 in the country. Coleman also currently ranks No. 1 in the East Region in the steeplechase (8:42.2). Several other Colonels delivered notable performances over the weekend. On the womens side, junior Gladys Cheruiyot clocked a personal-best time of 16:44.7 in the 5,000 meters on Saturday. That time currently ranks No. 2 in the OVC. Junior Meggan Grams, meanwhile, went 4:24.8 in the 1,500 meters (No. 3 in the OVC) while senior Madison Zeitz raced to a 2:14.9 in the 800 meters (No. 7 in the OVC). For the men, senior Tom Koringo and junior Samuel Abascal raced well in the 1,500 meters. Koringo recorded a season-best time of 3:46.8 (No. 3 in the OVC), while Abascal finished with a personal-best 3:50.9 (No. 7 in the OVC). Junior Greyson Winiger just missed a personal-best in the 800 meters on Friday night, clocking a time of 1:53.3 (No. 3 in the OVC). On Saturday night, senior Addison Monroe ran the No. 2 5,000 meters time in the conference (14:16.9), while junior Zach Stewart clocked the No. 3 10,000 meters time (30:58.8). Sophomore Jacob Alleyne, meanwhile, recorded the No. 9 long jump on the OVC on Saturday (21-11). xspraise at 23-04-2018 01:01 AM (3 years ago) (m) A video has been released showing the moment 18 men were caught with young girls during an illegal Thailand hotel orgy. According to DailyMail, British men, Americans, Germans, Canadians, Australians, Russians, Malaysians and Chinese party-goers, were among others who were questioned and later released. The owner of Tulip Hotel in the Nong Prue district of Pattaya, Sheng Liao Yang, 53, from China was arrested on suspicion of running a hotel without a license and hosting obscene events. A video has been released showing the moment 18 men were caught with young girls during an illegal Thailand hotel orgy.According to DailyMail, British men, Americans, Germans, Canadians, Australians, Russians, Malaysians and Chinese party-goers, were among others who were questioned and later released.The owner of Tulip Hotel in the Nong Prue district of Pattaya, Sheng Liao Yang, 53, from China was arrested on suspicion of running a hotel without a license and hosting obscene events. In a statement by Naris Niwapantawong, the District Sheriff in the Banglamung area of Pattaya where the raid happened, he said the men from many different countries 'exchanged partners with each other' He added: 'We received a complaint about the Tulip Hotel. We were told they organised sex parties at the weekends. 'My staff co-ordinated with police, immigration and the military to strike quickly and accurately. 'We carried out the operation while they were having sex and we shut them down.' The authorities said 'almost all of the participants' were in the play zone when the building was raided. They said Condoms, lubricants and sex toys were also found scattered around the building and collected as evidence. Sheriff Niwapantawong added: 'The site was hosting parties for those who prefer sex that involve exchanging partners. 'To attend the event, participants had to register through a website. There was a rule that party members must be male and female couples. The cost per night was 1,500 baht per person. 'Police investigated the claims first and gathered evidence and a warrant before striking the premises. 'The men were found to be from many countries including the United Kingdom, America, Australia, Germany and Malaysia. Many guests had visited previously. 'A prosecutor is now developing the case against the hotel owner.' More photos; Watch the video below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9xRibg0aGI In a statement by Naris Niwapantawong, the District Sheriff in the Banglamung area of Pattaya where the raid happened, he said the men from many different countries 'exchanged partners with each other'He added: 'We received a complaint about the Tulip Hotel. We were told they organised sex parties at the weekends.'My staff co-ordinated with police, immigration and the military to strike quickly and accurately.'We carried out the operation while they were having sex and we shut them down.'The authorities said 'almost all of the participants' were in the play zone when the building was raided.They said Condoms, lubricants and sex toys were also found scattered around the building and collected as evidence.Sheriff Niwapantawong added: 'The site was hosting parties for those who prefer sex that involve exchanging partners.'To attend the event, participants had to register through a website. There was a rule that party members must be male and female couples. The cost per night was 1,500 baht per person.'Police investigated the claims first and gathered evidence and a warrant before striking the premises.'The men were found to be from many countries including the United Kingdom, America, Australia, Germany and Malaysia. Many guests had visited previously.'A prosecutor is now developing the case against the hotel owner.'More photos;Watch the video below. Post Reply I am Victor, I write reportage on sport news and latest metro happenings in Nigeria. Posted: at 23-04-2018 01:01 AM (3 years ago) | Hero Your Son, Yusuf Is A Lazy Nigerian Who Eats Free Food - Charly Boy Blasts President Buhari xspraise at 23-04-2018 01:48 AM (3 years ago) (m) The Area father also too to twitter to lend his voice on the trending #Lazynigerianyouths. And you know what? This one is loud! See how loud it is below... Oh Charly! President Muhammadu Buharis comments about Nigerian youths being lazy is still causing some ripples around social media. The Area father also too to twitter to lend his voice on the trending #Lazynigerianyouths. And you know what? This one is loud! See how loud it is below... Oh Charly!President Muhammadu Buharis comments about Nigerian youths being lazy is still causing some ripples around social media. It will be recalled that the president recently sparked controversy after he berated Nigerian youths for being uneducated and not ready to work. The President, while speaking during a panel discussion at the Commonwealth business forum in Westminster, London, expressed displeasure with youths in Nigeria because they were dependent on revenue from oil to survive. After his statement, Nigerians from all walks of life who were really displeased with him, attacked the president on social media. Chary Boy, known for his activism around Nigeria, has also joined in criticizing the president. This time, he decided to attack the presidents son, Yusuf. He made a post on Twitter insinuating that Yusuf is the real lazy Nigerian youth It will be recalled that the president recently sparked controversy after he berated Nigerian youths for being uneducated and not ready to work.The President, while speaking during a panel discussion at the Commonwealth business forum in Westminster, London, expressed displeasure with youths in Nigeria because they were dependent on revenue from oil to survive.After his statement, Nigerians from all walks of life who were really displeased with him, attacked the president on social media.Chary Boy, known for his activism around Nigeria, has also joined in criticizing the president. This time, he decided to attack the presidents son, Yusuf. He made a post on Twitter insinuating that Yusuf is the real lazy Nigerian youth Post Reply I am Victor, I write reportage on sport news and latest metro happenings in Nigeria. Posted: at 23-04-2018 01:48 AM (3 years ago) | Hero OmosetanOmorele at 23-04-2018 02:35 AM (3 years ago) (m) F.ucking lazy Yusuf! smmfh Posted: at 23-04-2018 02:35 AM (3 years ago) | Upcoming F.ucking lazy Yusuf! smmfh Reply slimber at 23-04-2018 04:51 AM (3 years ago) (f) Hmmmm okooo Posted: at 23-04-2018 04:51 AM (3 years ago) | Hero Hmmmm okooo Reply Wazubia at 23-04-2018 06:42 AM (3 years ago) (m) #LAZYNIGERIANYOUTHS # Is all right. Posted: at 23-04-2018 06:42 AM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac #LAZYNIGERIANYOUTHS #Is all right. Reply EDDYPRINCE at 23-04-2018 08:40 AM (3 years ago) (m) Buhari na disgrace. Posted: at 23-04-2018 08:40 AM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero Buhari na disgrace. Reply ruthie at 23-04-2018 09:16 AM (3 years ago) (f) LETS HEAR WORD O.... NEXT PLS Posted: at 23-04-2018 09:16 AM (3 years ago) | Hero LETS HEAR WORD O.... NEXT PLS Reply gogoman at 23-04-2018 09:58 AM (3 years ago) (m) CHARLIE u be buhari age na!! u no be youth ..so all these rings and pierce no go safe u Posted: at 23-04-2018 09:58 AM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero CHARLIE u be buhari age na!! u no be youth ..so all these rings and pierce no go safe u Reply willyking at 23-04-2018 10:09 AM (3 years ago) (m) Please stop wasting ur energy u think buhari dont knew that is son yusuf is lazy, but he is ok with him as far he can loot nigeria economy to feed him for ever, when he was making that statement he was simply thinking that every other nigeria youth are like is son that is fulani thinking, that why they kill people any how they dont think b4 they shoot.. Posted: at 23-04-2018 10:09 AM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac Please stop wasting ur energy u think buhari dont knew that is son yusuf is lazy, but he is ok with him as far he can loot nigeria economy to feed him for ever, when he was making that statement he was simply thinking that every other nigeria youth are like is son that is fulani thinking, that why they kill people any how they dont think b4 they shoot.. Reply fineboy77 at 23-04-2018 10:11 AM (3 years ago) (m) Thats a good one Charlie What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 23-04-2018 10:11 AM (3 years ago) | Hero Thats a good one Charlie Reply nature7888 at 23-04-2018 11:21 AM (3 years ago) (m) Una d complain of Buhari. na today d guy don d mis yarn? his Govt. has been the most lazy govt ever we have ever had. Posted: at 23-04-2018 11:21 AM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac Una d complain of Buhari. na today d guy don d mis yarn? his Govt. has been the most lazy govt ever we have ever had. Reply celebritygee at 23-04-2018 11:54 AM (3 years ago) (m) Good one from Area father Posted: at 23-04-2018 11:54 AM (3 years ago) | Upcoming Good one from Area father Reply Sniper101 at 23-04-2018 02:59 PM (3 years ago) (m) I wish the Nigerian youths over there will take that statement by their president as a challenge ...and use the displeasure to vote him out of office next year. Nigeria & Nigerians will be better off, home & abroad, without having that their current president as president. Posted: at 23-04-2018 02:59 PM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac I wish the Nigerian youths over there will take that statement by their president as a challenge ...and use the displeasure to vote him out of office next year.Nigeria & Nigerians will be better off, home & abroad, without having that their current president as president. Reply fineboy77 at 23-04-2018 04:08 PM (3 years ago) (m) YEYE WOMAN,IF U NO GET ANYTHING REASONABLE TO SAY,JUST SHUT UP !!!!! Quote from: ruthie on 23-04-2018 09:16 AM LETS HEAR WORD O.... NEXT PLS What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 23-04-2018 04:08 PM (3 years ago) | Hero YEYE WOMAN,IF U NO GET ANYTHING REASONABLE TO SAY,JUST SHUT UP !!!!! Reply ruthie at 23-04-2018 04:14 PM (3 years ago) (f) see classic example of a deranged lazy youth...people that have things doing dont have the time to rant all the time...small boy mentality...e ku vacation o! Quote from: fineboy77 on 23-04-2018 04:08 PM YEYE WOMAN,IF U NO GET ANYTHING REASONABLE TO SAY,JUST SHUT UP !!!!! Posted: at 23-04-2018 04:14 PM (3 years ago) | Hero see classic example of a deranged lazy youth...people that have things doing dont have the time to rant all the time...small boy mentality...e ku vacation o! Reply fineboy77 at 23-04-2018 04:21 PM (3 years ago) (m) There she goes again....,talking about herself. So you have something doing and you are here,LOL,you are such a brainless fool !!!,old woman with chicken brain Quote from: ruthie on 23-04-2018 04:14 PM see classic example of a deranged lazy youth...people that have things doing dont have the time to rant all the time...small boy mentality...e ku vacation o! What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 23-04-2018 04:21 PM (3 years ago) | Hero There she goes again....,talking about herself. So you have something doing and you are here,LOL,you are such a brainless fool !!!,old woman with chicken brain Reply ruthie at 23-04-2018 04:25 PM (3 years ago) (f) haha!!!! weak response from a dead brain....i can teach you how to respond ....i wonder what you use that brain of yours for....hmmm.....obviously NOTHING..... very easy to get under his skin....weakling... Quote from: fineboy77 on 23-04-2018 04:21 PM There she goes again....,talking about herself. So you have something doing and you are here,LOL,you are such a brainless fool !!!,old woman with chicken brain Posted: at 23-04-2018 04:25 PM (3 years ago) | Hero haha!!!! weak response from a dead brain....i can teach you how to respond ....i wonder what you use that brain of yours for....hmmm.....obviously NOTHING.....very easy to get under his skin....weakling... Reply fineboy77 at 23-04-2018 04:34 PM (3 years ago) (m) Quote from: ruthie on 23-04-2018 04:25 PM very easy to get under his skin....weakling... haha!!!! weak response from a dead brain....i can teach you how to respond ....i wonder what you use that brain of yours for....hmmm.....obviously NOTHING.....very easy to get under his skin....weakling... ?,please wake up. 1000 of you cant do that. I just reply you for fun knowing fully well that you are dying inside. Cheap slut. What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 23-04-2018 04:34 PM (3 years ago) | Hero Just imagine,LMAO,you are so outdated. Get under my skin??,please wake up. 1000 of you cant do that. I just reply you for fun knowing fully well that you are dying inside. Cheap slut. Reply fineboy77 at 23-04-2018 04:44 PM (3 years ago) (m) Quote from: ruthie on 23-04-2018 04:25 PM very easy to get under his skin....weakling... haha!!!! weak response from a dead brain....i can teach you how to respond ....i wonder what you use that brain of yours for....hmmm.....obviously NOTHING.....very easy to get under his skin....weakling... What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 23-04-2018 04:44 PM (3 years ago) | Hero seems you cant talk again,you don crawl under your rock?,pathetic bush woman. Reply ruthie at 23-04-2018 04:46 PM (3 years ago) (f) yes i get under your skin..its pains you bad....the best you can do is to refer to me as a prostitute...after that, nothing else....you are a just a true reflection of a low grade mind . classic case of a bitter black man. Quote from: fineboy77 on 23-04-2018 04:34 PM ?,please wake up. 1000 of you cant do that. I just reply you for fun knowing fully well that you are dying inside. Cheap slut. Just imagine,LMAO,you are so outdated. Get under my skin??,please wake up. 1000 of you cant do that. I just reply you for fun knowing fully well that you are dying inside. Cheap slut. Posted: at 23-04-2018 04:46 PM (3 years ago) | Hero yes i get under your skin..its pains you bad....the best you can do is to refer to me as a prostitute...after that, nothing else....you are a just a true reflection of a low grade mind .classic case of a bitter black man. Reply JUST IN: Senator Dino Melaye Finally Arrested At Abuja Airport En-route Morocco kacylee at 23-04-2018 09:05 AM (3 years ago) (f) Dino Melaye just announced via his twitter handle that he has been arrested. He wrote ''I have just been arrested at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport on my way to Morocco for an official engagement sponsored by the Federal Govt after checking in''. Recall he was declared wanted by the Kogi state police command for allegedly sponsoring a criminal group that terrorises Kogi state, something he has vehemently denied. Dino Melaye just announced via his twitter handle that he has been arrested. He wroteRecall he was declared wanted by the Kogi state police command for allegedly sponsoring a criminal group that terrorises Kogi state, something he has vehemently denied. Post Reply I have been reporting for several years now and I am very interested in visual news reportage with strong inclusion of photos and video multimedia. Posted: at 23-04-2018 09:05 AM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero kaposky at 23-04-2018 09:23 AM (3 years ago) (m) POLITICS IN NIGERIA IS VERY SATANIC, TUFIAKWA. Posted: at 23-04-2018 09:23 AM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac POLITICS IN NIGERIA IS VERY SATANIC, TUFIAKWA. Reply gogoman at 23-04-2018 09:46 AM (3 years ago) (m) if police dey find u, make u go face dem na Posted: at 23-04-2018 09:46 AM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero if police dey find u, make u go face dem na Reply fineboy77 at 23-04-2018 10:17 AM (3 years ago) (m) na wa o What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 23-04-2018 10:17 AM (3 years ago) | Hero na wa o Reply ruthie at 23-04-2018 10:29 AM (3 years ago) (f) WHO CARES....FACE YOUR CRIME SILLY FELLOW Posted: at 23-04-2018 10:29 AM (3 years ago) | Hero WHO CARES....FACE YOUR CRIME SILLY FELLOW Reply celebritygee at 23-04-2018 11:42 AM (3 years ago) (m) Why is it that people do not express their views anymore in the zoo called Nizooria? whoever that sees evil and speak up will be arrested Posted: at 23-04-2018 11:42 AM (3 years ago) | Upcoming Why is it that people do not express their views anymore in the zoo called Nizooria? whoever that sees evil and speak up will be arrested Reply nature7888 at 23-04-2018 01:35 PM (3 years ago) (m) Hmmmmmmmmm Posted: at 23-04-2018 01:35 PM (3 years ago) | Gistmaniac Hmmmmmmmmm Reply EDDYPRINCE at 23-04-2018 02:11 PM (3 years ago) (m) Hmmmm anyway just clear yourself... We are strongly behind you. Posted: at 23-04-2018 02:11 PM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero Hmmmm anyway just clear yourself... We are strongly behind you. Reply clarajancita at 23-04-2018 11:43 AM (3 years ago) (f) A Nigerian man identified as Clement Ebuka Nwaogu of Njikaoku L.G.A Anambra State, has been killed in the town of Rustenburg, North West Province of South Africa yesterday April 22nd. A Nigerian man identified as Clement Ebuka Nwaogu of Njikaoku L.G.A Anambra State, has been killed in the town of Rustenburg, North West Province of South Africa yesterday April 22nd. According to a statement by the Nigerian Community in South Africa, Clement was attacked by a mob of South African nationals who perceived his intonation as that of a Nigerian and descended on him like a common criminal with all sorts of dangerous weapons right in the presence of South African Police officers. Eyewitnesses say while he was being attacked, he beckoned on the South African policemen to intervene and save him from the torture that eventually led to his untimely death but the police turned a blind eye while he was abused horribly. When he could no longer persevere, he ran for his life but they chased him and when they caught up with him, they continued their assault on him. Not satisfied with the beating, they went ahead to pour gasoline on him and set him ablaze. The mob thought he was dead and ceased fire, but some eye witnesses who felt he was still alive called on emergency personnels who took Mr Ebuka to the hospital. Unfortunately, he did not survive the nightmare; he died at Job Shimankane Hospital in Rustenburg. He left behind his wife, Patricia Marivate Nwosu who is a South African and his two children who are 3 and 5 years old respectively. May his soul rest in peace, Amen. According to a statement by the Nigerian Community in South Africa, Clement was attacked by a mob of South African nationals who perceived his intonation as that of a Nigerian and descended on him like a common criminal with all sorts of dangerous weapons right in the presence of South African Police officers.Eyewitnesses say while he was being attacked, he beckoned on the South African policemen to intervene and save him from the torture that eventually led to his untimely death but the police turned a blind eye while he was abused horribly.When he could no longer persevere, he ran for his life but they chased him and when they caught up with him, they continued their assault on him. Not satisfied with the beating, they went ahead to pour gasoline on him and set him ablaze.The mob thought he was dead and ceased fire, but some eye witnesses who felt he was still alive called on emergency personnels who took Mr Ebuka to the hospital. Unfortunately, he did not survive the nightmare; he died at Job Shimankane Hospital in Rustenburg.He left behind his wife, Patricia Marivate Nwosu who is a South African and his two children who are 3 and 5 years old respectively. May his soul rest in peace, Amen. Post Reply I am a metro reporter on Gistmania, I have been publishing news materials for over 5 years Posted: at 23-04-2018 11:43 AM (3 years ago) | Hero Waukesha, WI (53187) Today Periods of rain. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. After China introduced religious regulations, it continued to maintain stability and started a series of indigenizing Christianity campaigns, such as theology exchange meetings and seminars. The sermons need to be guided by the thoughts of Xi Jinping and combine information of prosperity, patriotism, etc. A scholar points out that all actions aim to advocate the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Sermons guided by the thoughts of Xi Jinping at CCC & TSPM Exchange Meeting in Fujian Province On March 23rd, the China Christian Council (CCC) and the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China (TSPM) in Fujian Province announced on their website that they were holding "an indigenization of Christianity exchange meeting on the topic of preaching." All sermons at the exchange meeting must be selected and approved by CCC & TSPM. There will be a total of thirty "excellent" sermons at the meeting. The requirements for writing the sermons include three aspects: guided by the thoughts of Xi Jinping, highlight the theme of Christianity indigenization in China, and interpret the classic teachings of Christianity in a form that meets modern developments. The circular also stated that the related theological thinking needs to be actively preached to the lower-class churches during sermons, especially for churches in remote rural areas. Because of the weak pastoral ability, such action can help these churches start nurturing believers according to the indigenisation of Christianity, enrich church activities and lift the spiritual lives of their believers. This October, CCC & TSPM in Fujian Province will also hold "an indigenization of Christianity concert featuring excellent original Christian music in 2018." They ask all CCC & TSPM in the country to initiate and encourage Christian music writers and enthusiasts to participate. The requirements for creating Christian music include: Christian praise songs need to boldly resemble Chinese culture, tell about the modern world, and spread positive energy. A theology advancement assembly in Quanzhou claims that Christianity must be indigenized in China On March 22nd, Meilin Church held "the seventh Quanzhou Christian Theology seminar and advancement meeting." All government units, such as the Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of Quanzhou Municipality, the Quangong District United Front Work Department of the CPC Quanzhou Municipal Committee, etc., paid great attention to the meeting. Leaders of related government parties also attended the meeting and gave out important reports. The theme of the meeting was "To keep watch; To practice." Pastor Liu Rongxi, chairman of Quangong District TSPM, expressed that the Quanzhou Municipal Committee asked the Christian community to incorporate the beliefs of "the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China." Pastor Lin Dunqi, chairman of Quanzhou Christian Association, talked about the reflection of the indigenization of Christianity. He thought that Christianity in China had to continue indigenizing, such as integrating Christianity into Greater China, while forming independent theological thinking, and resisting the admiration of Western culture. He also pointed out that churches had to abandon their suspicions about "the indigenisation of Christianity." For example, whether churches would be assimilated by the government or whether it would affect the universality of Christianity. Pastor Lin Dunqi further mentioned that the current indigenization of Christianity had to deal with practical issues, such as churches resisting political infiltration and extreme behaviours deviating from the truth. Pastor Lin Zewei, director of Quanzhou Christian Association, published an article about "the culture and historical mission of modern pastors." In the article, he discussed that because of the long history of the profound Chinese cultural, churches should lead believers to actively discover principals and doctrines that were compatible with Chinese modernization, so that believers would adapt themselves to the culture of the Chinese society proactively. Chen Hong, deputy director of the Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of Quanzhou Municipality, said in his speech that there should be a clear direction for the development of theological thinking; the study should apply the beliefs of the 19th National Congress and put the new religious regulations into effect; the thinking should "establish a core socialism value for Christianity in Quanzhou and advance the progress of indigenization of Christianity in China". A scholar points out that indigenisation of Christianity in China aims to advocate the leadership of CCP. Professor Ying Fuk Tsang, director of the Divinity School of Chung Chi College at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, once mentioned in his article that the so called indigenization of Christianity in China meant CCP required certain contents in the Bible could not be damaging to "the harmony of socialism and modernization"; all religions had to protect the unity of the mother country, protect the unity of the Chinese nation, obey the highest interest of the country and advocate the leadership of CCP. In order to reach this goal, a political "red line" was placed on the religious policy. Whoever stepped on the red line would face criticism and judgement. Professor Ying pointed out, "What's more frightening is that under this standard of pan-politicization, a lot of content in the Bible has to go through political scrutiny. The part of Christian belief that talks about the end times is perceived as critical, judgemental and denial to the modern world, therefore creates tension and is banned or constrained." (Source: Gospel Herald) The Chinese government continues to regulate religious activities within the borders and gives out orders to strictly forbid the Christian community in Henan to evangelize to minors. By doing so, the Henan government draws "a red line" to hinder the development of Christianity. Forbid the Christian Community to Evangelize to Minors Henan Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and Henan Catholic Administration Commission issued a circular on April 3rd requesting all venues for religious activities to stop holding educational training for minors. Classes in forms of winter and summer camps, etc. were requested to stop as well. Such request was made according to the instruction - separate religion and education - from the Henan Provincial Religious Bureau. At the same time, members are not allowed to bring their children to church and they should leave their children with a caregiver outside of church. The circular claimed that to pinpoint such problems, they mainly focused on promoting education in the past, however, it was now "a high-pressure red line". It warned people not to ignore the instruction and if anyone disobeyed, the people in charge would be held accountable, registrations of pastoral staff would be cancelled, and they would even shut down the venues. The last item on the circular instructs all China Christian Council (CCC) and Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China (TSPM) in every city to communicate this message to all churches in a timely manner. Crosses Forcefully Removed from Catholic Churches in Henan As a matter of fact, CCP has already begun regulating religious activities in Henan. Their actions include forcefully removing crosses from churches and registering church members' personal information. In the beginning of March, crosses were forcefully removed from many Christian churches throughout Henan. In Shangqui, Henan, 10 crosses were removed from a church. After communicating through the District United Front Work Department and the Religious Bureau, the church was allowed to install the crosses back, however, the sizes are much smaller. On April 4th, the lower-class work force of Anyang, Henan requested all religious personnel within the district to register personal information, such as accounts and resident information. It includes Buddhism, Taoism, Christian, Islamism, etc. On the other side, Pingdingshan City official distributed the Regulation on Religious Affairs to religious personnel. Moreover, according to sources, CCP strictly forbids evangelising to minors at many places within the borders. CCP also carried out religious regulating activities at places other than Henan. Such activities include forcefully removing crosses and putting up "No Minors" signs in front of churches. (Source: Gospel Herald) Today's society promotes diversity and criticizes the thinking in the past. Pluralism also impacts the church greatly and challenges the sole truth of the church. A scholar points out that we should still discern the truth while being multicultural. Dr. Bernard Wong, Assistant Professor (Theology Studies) at the China Graduate School of Theology, pointed out at "Theology Seminar for Youth" that according to social studies, the generation of 30-49-year-olds believed that laws derived freedom; and the generation of 18-29-year-olds emphasized that democracy brought freedom. The studies show that different generations have their own preferences on unifying the order in the society and the expression of diversity. Believers Desire Diversity but Should Differentiate Right from Wrong Dr. Wong stated that the diversity mentioned in Christian belief started from the Trinity. It is "one" but also "many". God is one, but also three. Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are all perfect God individually, but their roles are different. They are equal and have a close relationship. Their natures are the same and does not come from division. Their unity does not go against diversity. This demonstrated that our world, which needed coordination and harmony, was enriched by diverse creations. Dr. Wong further talked about "diversity." He reminded believers to differentiate between "plurality" (one, but many) and "pluralism" (many and disunified). The outcome of the latter includes: the pursuit of individual values, the belief that rights are sacred and unbreakable, the attitude of "nothing defies me", the neglecting of communication and consensus, etc. He believed that while confirming diversity, believers should still try to differentiate right from wrong. Diversity does not mean there is no need to distinguish right and wrong. When believers discussed political spectrums and homosexual topics, they should not use diversity as a reason and should tell right and wrong. We could play the drums and guitars during worship but should not be separated from our faith. Be One Does Not Mean to Unite Our Thoughts Dr. Wong looked at pluralism from the nature of the church. He quoted two passages from the New Testament as examples. "26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28, NIV) This talks about "many becoming one because of Christ". Another passage is "3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:3-6, NIV) The seven "one's" mentioned referred to many becoming one because of Christ. It required seeing through faith to reach unity, but not uniting thoughts, opinions or actions. However, in contrary, God asked His people to do this: "2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind." (Philippians 2:2, NIV) Is this challenging the reality of pluralism or not? Churches should Insist "A Peaceful Divergence" Dr. Wong believed that this is trying to achieve the same goal of pursuing the truth and differentiating right from wrong. It did not rely on "a loud voice" or "great power", but to "have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5, NIV), take care of each other without "selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." (Philippians 2:3, NIV) He concluded that after the experience of Hong Kong society being torn apart, Hong Kong churches should wake up and insist that "a peaceful divergence" become our testimony. ("Theology Seminar for Youth" was organized by Christian & Missionary Alliance Church Union Hong Kong Youth Department and Alliance Bible Seminary Department of Theology together in 2016) (Source: Gospel Herald) 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 fractious political times in which we live are obscuring a reality, one rarely acknowledged by advocates on the left or right, that a consensus has been growing across party lines about the future of U.S. infrastructure financing. The Trump administration's infrastructure plan is really the logical extension of the Obama administration's policy of encouraging greater private investment in public infrastructure.The recent resignation of top White House infrastructure adviser DJ Gribbin, the chief architect of the president's plan, is not likely to result in any wholesale re-thinking of the elements of Trump's proposal that reflect that emerging consensus, which was on full display at a recent Brookings Institution confab on infrastructure policy. The event was hosted by Aaron Klein of Brookings, who was a deputy assistant Treasury secretary in the Obama administration, and was keynoted by Derek Kan, the third-ranking official in the Trump Transportation Department and former general manager of Lyft. There was a congeniality and shared purpose rarely evident on cable news or Twitter.Klein opened the session with a simple goal statement on which he believes all can agree: "Invest more wisely." The discussion continued in that vein with no mention of the truism that the Trump plan's proposed federal funding levels are woefully insufficient to address the country's infrastructure deficiencies. Instead, economists Klein and Kan see the overarching need the same way: The current U.S. infrastructure model requires change that would result in doing more with existing resources and enhancing the value of public assets.One can interpret the lack of major funding in the Trump plan in a few different ways - perhaps, a lack of true commitment to the need, or as a fiscal and political conclusion that the till is empty after the passage of $1.5 trillion in tax cuts. But there remains another possible explanation: a policy goal of no longer expanding funding for the long-established governmental-monopoly model that dominates the financing and delivery of U.S. infrastructure.By starving the status quo, state and local governments, which are responsible for about three-quarters of annual infrastructure spending, could be incentivized to move toward a model that increasing numbers of Washington policymakers believe would deliver greater efficiency in how existing dollars are spent. Whatever one thinks about the method, the end goal -- more infrastructure for each dollar of government investment -- is worthy of consideration.Two examples from New York City speak to the point. A recent New York Times article documented that it can cost more than five times to build a mile of subway line in New York than it does in Paris. And New York City believes it could reduce its cost of major infrastructure projects by 6 percent on average if the state were to change its procurement laws to allow the city to utilize an increasingly common practice called design-build, which can save substantial time and money by merging a project's design and construction processes.Such private-sector efficiencies in the provision of public infrastructure are commonplace in other western economies, such as Australia, Britain and Canada. One barrier to replicating this approach in the U.S. has been the availability of tax-exempt municipal bonds, which allow state and local governments to borrow at lower cost compared to higher-cost private-sector debt and equity.The Trump plan smartly addresses this issue by expanding the use of "private activity bonds" that allow a similar financing tool for public-private partnerships (P3s). Making the private sector eligible for this form of tax-exempt financing would level the "cost of capital" playing field and free governors and mayors to select the most efficient delivery and operating approach for each project.Further, if private investment is good enough for state and local governments, then the Trump plan suggests that the feds should lead by example. It identifies federal properties for potential divesture, including the Washington, D.C., region's Reagan National and Dulles airports and the transmission assets of the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Bonneville Power Administration.There are plenty of other proposals in the Trump plan that warrant the attention of policymakers willing to look beyond current, sometimes-inefficient practices. One, for example, would address the massive shortfall in the infrastructure funding needs of our national parks by allowing the Interior Department to retain and reinvest revenues generated by expanded energy development. Another would loosen restrictions on tolling of interstate highways and commercialization of rest areas along the highways. And, to address its backlog of capital needs, the Department of Veterans Affairs would be permitted to move toward the successful P3 model used by the Defense Department for military housing.Much of the Trump plan reflects increasingly mainstream Washington policies on how best to address today's costly and inefficient delivery, operation and maintenance of U.S. infrastructure. And while it is a fair observation that Congress will not likely address this topic anytime soon, our bet is that the core principles advanced in this plan ultimately will become the basis for a better long-term approach to our nation's infrastructure challenges. Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown on Sunday brushed aside a long-running corruption investigation into her office and announced she would run for mayor next year to create a "transformative, transparent and inclusive government."With Carl Carlton's 1981 R&B hit "She's a Bad Mama Jama" blaring from the speakers in a small room at the Hilton Chicago, Brown confidently strode to the podium to deliver a five-minute speech that made no allusion to the federal heat she has faced for four years. Instead, Brown unveiled her campaign slogan, "Hope for All Chicagoans," by vowing to correct what she said are systemic inequities where some parts of the city are not treated as well as others."The city of Chicago spans over 228 square miles, with over 200 neighborhoods and 77 communities, and it is often said that Chicago is a world-class city," Brown said before a room filled with about 100 supporters. "Well, I say in order for Chicago to be truly a world-class city, we must have world-class blocks, world-class neighborhoods and world-class communities. Then and only then will Chicago be a world-class city for all Chicagoans."Brown did not mention by name Mayor Rahm Emanuel or the other six declared candidates. However, Brown did make an indirect reference to gun violence that has spiked on Emanuel's watch and the struggles of the Chicago Police Department, which was the subject of a federal civil rights investigation following the Laquan McDonald police shooting that resulted in white Officer Jason Van Dyke eventually being charged with murder in the 2014 death of the African-American teenager."I will work towards a Chicago where all communities are clean, safe and violence-free. I will work towards a Chicago where every Chicagoan has hope, and because of that hope, we're not known around the world for crime and police brutality," Brown said. "But rather, we're known around the world as a respected city and as a world-class city where all of our citizens come first."Brown enters the February 2019 mayoral election race as the focus of a federal investigation centered on bribes-for-jobs allegations in her county office, and her decision to run has come as a shock in Chicago political circles. Brown repeatedly has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged, but federal prosecutors have alleged she took a $15,000 bribe disguised as a business loan from a man seeking a job with her office.While Brown did not bring up the investigation in her prepared remarks, two of the half-dozen supporters who introduced her made reference to the probe."She's an honest woman. She does a job that she gets no respect for, not by the media, not by the party and she's constantly being blasted for no reason at all," longtime supporter Jim Wirkus told the crowd. "If someone else did this, it would be OK. When Dorothy Brown does it, it isn't, and that's an injustice. I believe if she becomes mayor, she'll correct the injustices for all people."After her speech, Brown was asked by a reporter why Chicagoans should trust her, given the ongoing investigation."I'm happy that you asked that question, because I respect law enforcement. And anytime someone comes and has a complaint, it's their duty to look into it, whether it's true or false -- as these are false," Brown said. "I respect that, but the citizens of Chicago and Cook County have elected me five times. They trust me. I am a proven leader."Supporters roared with approval.A onetime aide and another onetime employee in her office have been indicted in connection with the probe. One pleaded guilty to lying to a grand jury and did not cooperate with authorities, while a second is still fighting charges of lying to a grand jury about pay-to-play allegations in Brown's office.The Chicago Tribune first reported in May 2014 that the state's attorney was looking into a land deal that netted Brown and husband Benton Cook III tens of thousands of dollars with no money down. The husband got a North Lawndale building for free from a longtime Brown campaign donor. Brown quickly became co-owner, and her company sold the parcel for $100,000 to a Frankfort real estate developer who'd long had his eye on it.The county probe grew into a federal investigation, sources told the Tribune. In October 2015, the FBI seized Brown's cellphone. The federal probe morphed into more widespread pay-to-play allegations, leading to the indictment and eventual conviction of former Circuit Court employee Sivasubramani Rajaram for lying to a grand jury investigating "possible criminal violations in connection with the purchasing of jobs and promotions" in Brown's office.Brown's office rehired Rajaram in September 2014, just weeks after he purportedly lent $15,000 to a company controlled by Cook. Rajaram admitted to falsely telling a grand jury that he had not spoken to Brown after his rehiring even though text messages on Brown's cellphone indicated otherwise.Before Rajaram's sentencing, federal prosecutors alleged in February 2017 that the $15,000 business loan was actually a bribe, while Brown maintained it was a legitimate loan. Although prosecutors recommended a 15-month prison term, Rajaram was sentenced to three years of probation.Then in May 2017, Beena Patel, a onetime top aide to Brown and sister of the political donor in the land deal that started the probe, was indicted on charges she lied to a grand jury when asked in two separate appearances about pay-to-play allegations in the clerk's office.A court filing in the case against Patel stated that a Brown employee told federal investigators that $10,000 was the "going rate" to buy a job in the circuit clerk's office. Another employee said in an FBI interview that it was well-known that showering gifts on Brown could earn you a promotion. Patel continues to fight the charge.Asked Sunday whether the investigation made her think twice about running for mayor, Brown said she "gave it very careful consideration" before touting herself as a known political commodity, the sole African-American woman in the contest, and a candidate with high name ID among voters.Brown has run for mayor before, losing badly to Richard M. Daley even as the then-mayor was viewed as potentially vulnerable because of the Hired Truck scandal. Brown only won about 20 percent of the vote in that election. When asked what would be different this time around, she said voters know her even better now."Yes, I did (lose), but at that time, I don't think the citizens of Chicago really knew the real Dorothy Brown," she said. "We have a good, proven track record ... and I believe the citizens of Chicago know they made a mistake in 2007."Brown joins an ever-growing field that includes Emanuel, former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, former police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, businessman Willie Wilson, Chicago principals association president Troy LaRaviere, tech entrepreneur Neal Sales-Griffin and activist Ja'Mal Green. To compete, Brown acknowledged she'll need to do well in fundraising.Lately, the clerk hasn't collected much in the way of campaign cash, with her political fund totaling about $8,000 after a recent pair of $2,000 contributions. Perhaps that's why Brown called her pastor to the podium to encourage those in attendance to fill the envelopes that had been distributed with cash, checks or their credit card information."It's good to say, 'Rah, rah, rah,' but we need 'check, check, check,' " said Pastor Jeffrey D. Hodges of the King Glory Tabernacle Church of God in Christ. "Dorothy needs our checks, checks, checks to fund a quality campaign that reflects the candidate." Posted 4/23/18 St. William Catholic Church will host its annual garage and bake sale from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, May 3 and 4.On Thursday, items will be sold for their full price all day. From 8 a.m. Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who has been in a public court fight against a felony invasion of privacy charge for nearly two months, now faces a new felony charge: that he misused a charity donor list to solicit campaign cash for his 2016 run for governor.St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner charged Greitens, 44, with felony computer tampering relating to a list of donors to his St. Louis-based charity The Mission Continues, which Greitens founded in 2007 and left in 2014.The new charge relies at least in part on evidence shared with her office by Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, a Republican, who announced Tuesday that his office had uncovered evidence Greitens misused the list to help fund his 2016 campaign. It also adds to a minefield of problems for a defiant governor struggling to save his job and political future.In a statement published on Facebook on Friday, Greitens criticized Gardner. "Her original case is falling apart _ so today, she's brought a new one. By now, everyone knows what this is: this prosecutor will use any charge she can to smear me.""When I have my day in court, I will clear my name," Greitens said.Greitens has refused calls to resign that accelerated after a Missouri House committee released an extraordinary report containing allegations of violence and sexual misconduct against Greitens.Now the House is considering a special session that may lead to impeachment. The new charge will give lawmakers more material to weigh as they decide how to proceed on that front.The complaint lists two felony counts. Gardner's spokeswoman said prosecutors filed one felony count "in the alternative" to the other. That means a jury, if the case goes to trial, would decide whether Greitens is guilty or not guilty of the first count that applies to unauthorized disclosure of the donor list; or the second count that applies to unauthorized use of the list.After a day of rumors about a charge, it was finally filed about 5:30 p.m., after prosecutors were seen hurrying to and from the warrant office.Greitens was charged by complaint, not indicted by a grand jury. He was issued a summons, meaning he did not have to surrender himself, as he did when he was indicted in February on the invasion of privacy charge.Greitens' lawyers, who have called Hawley's Tuesday announcement "frivolous" and "inappropriate," could not be immediately reached for comment on the new charge.Gardner said in a release announcing the new charge that it was essential that residents "know that the Office of the Circuit Attorney will hold public officials accountable in the same manner as any other resident of our city. Both parties and the people of St. Louis deserve a thorough investigation of these allegations."Hawley announced an investigation last month after The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that one of Greitens' employees, and a former employee of The Mission Continues, sent the donor list to Greitens' campaign staffers in January 2015. His office has subsequently said he launched the investigation because the report indicated potentially illegal coordination between the charity and the campaign, something the charity has denied.Hawley said on March 23 that he had subpoenaed 15 current or former staffers of The Mission Continues. The Attorney General's office also subpoenaed Greitens through the Greitens Group, the company Greitens established to coordinate his book sales, Hawley announced recently.According to a probable cause statement, investigator Anthony Box said Greitens, "acting with others, took and used data specifically owned by the Mission Continues for the purpose of soliciting funds for his political campaign."Greitens, on April 22, 2015, told someone with the initials K.T. to disclose data, specifically a donor list owned by The Mission Continues, to a political fundraiser working on behalf of Greitens for Missouri, charging documents say. The governor and K.T. disclosed the donor list "for the purpose of obtaining property of $500 or more.Greitens directed this disclosure, the charges say. Neither Greitens nor "K.T." had permission from the Mission Continues to disclose the donor list to the fundraiser for political gain, the charges say. The charity's handbook and nondisclosure agreements prohibited the list from being disclosed, or retained by anyone not employed by the Mission Continues.The governor and K.T. knew the list was taken without the charity's permission, and Greitens knew K.T. retained or used it without consent. Greitens told K.T. to send the list in April 22, 2015, email to the fundraiser, court records say.At the time, the list "resided and existed internal to a computer or computer system used by K.T." for the purpose of conducting business on behalf of The Grietens Group and/or Greitens for Missouri, as well as a computer or computer system belonging to the Mission Continues.The Post-Dispatch reported in February that Krystal Taylor, one of Greitens' employees at The Greitens Group, emailed the donor list to two of Greitens' campaign staffers, Danny Laub and Michael Hafner, on Jan. 6, 2015. Taylor's LinkedIn profile in February also showed she used to work at The Mission Continues.Beyond possible coordination between the campaign and the charity, the revelation was significant because the Greitens campaign had previously said that Laub donated the list to the campaign himself on March 1, 2015.The new charge is expected to bring renewed calls in the House and Senate for the governor to resign or be impeached.The Missouri House committee investigating Greitens is already looking at the fundraising issue and could release a report on that subject to lawmakers as early as next week as the Legislature's lower chamber works to determine whether the governor should face impeachment.The chairman of the investigative panel, GOP Rep. Jay Barnes, had no comment Friday night.House Speaker Todd Richardson, a Republican, who is collecting signatures from House members to determine whether a special session on impeachment should begin when the regular session ends May 18, was not expected to issue a statement Friday, a spokesman said.Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard, a Republican, could not be immediately reached for comment Friday.House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty, a Democrat, in a statement called for immediate impeachment. "This is far too important to delay to special session a month or more from now," she said.Greitens is scheduled to attend a Texas County Republican Party function in Licking on Saturday.Hawley, who is running to unseat U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., this year, called on Greitens to resign last week after the House committee report's release.On Monday, defense attorney Ed Dowd asked Hawley to recuse himself from investigating Greitens, saying in a news release that the attorney general's statement "compromises the AGO's own ongoing investigation of Gov. Greitens."Hawley refused. His office said Hawley was reacting to allegations of "egregious sexual misconduct," adding that "the Attorney General's investigation into The Mission Continues does not address those allegations." Nashville Mayor David Briley called for comprehensive gun reform Sunday, declaring "enough is enough" in the wake of a mass shooting at a Waffle House in Antioch one he likened to an act of terrorism that left four dead and two others wounded."We need comprehensive gun reform to address mass shootings, domestic shootings, accidental shootings and homicides," Briley said at news conference where Metro police, FBI and other law enforcement provided updates on the shooting and search for the suspect, 29-year-old Travis Reinking, who was still at-large Sunday evening."If we can all just come together for the greater good, we can take these weapons of war off the streets of our country," Briley said. Let me be very clear: the threat picture is getting dimmer, not brighter. ... Digital threats are multiplying faster than we can keep up. Last year (2017) was the worst ever in terms of cyberattack volume. By 2021, cybercrime damage is estimated to hit $6 trillion annually, according to Cybersecurity Ventures. To put that in perspective, thats almost 10 percent of the world economy. Last year, both Russia and North Korea unleashed destructive code that spread across the world, causing untold billions in damage. Everyone is cybervulnerable. And everyone has a role to play in making cyberspace more secure. The bad guys are crowdsourcing their attacks, so we need to crowdsource our response. As visitors to San Francisco approached the Moscone Center to attend the 2018 version of the biggest cybersecurity conference in the world, construction was evident at every turn. But it wasnt just the buildings outside that were undergoing radical change.After another record-breaking year for security breaches in 2017 , another overhaul is underway within the security industry to try to steady global technology, data and privacy efforts. This years RSA Conference reconfirmed the amazing growth in breadth, depth and width of the security industry along with the importance of protecting the huge investments in innovation which are transforming every area of life.As described in this RSA Conference 2018 press release There were many excellent presentations that are worth watching, and to start my list, I want to highlight the remarks by the Honorable Kirstjen Nielsen , secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. You can see that video here:Nielsen laid out the steps DHS is taking to address the evolving threats to our nations cybersecurity infrastructure. She also had many quotable one-liners such as:Another important session was the perspective offered from Andrus Ansip , vice president for Digital Single Market at the European Commission. He was interviewed by Riz Khan, international journalist and author.I also thought the keynote session from Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft, was also intriguing for several reasons. As CNN reported in this article There were numerous intriguing sessions that were somewhat different, including a keynote by Monica Lewinsky . Her main message was that cybersecurity pros need to aid the vulnerable and help people stay safe online.In her view, the Internet empowers huge groups of people to target unlucky victims with humiliation, and many instances of cyberbullying involve hacked or secretly recorded photos, videos or audio becoming public.This scandal was brought to you by the digital revolution," she said.There were numerous sessions in the Innovation Sandbox that are fascinating to watch, and you can see many of these sessions listed at this YouTube channel for the 2018 RSA Conference . I really like the various "hands-on" sessions like the "IoT Village" and the "Car Hacking Village."I urge readers to visit this great YouTube channel resource, as seeing these sessions live would cost several thousand dollars, but most sessions are available for free on YouTube after the conference. According to ZDNet , an important message out of the RSA Conference this week is the coming of an AI-powered, data-centric model.Also,magazine highlighted how an elaborate hack shows how much damage IoT bugs can do Senrios attack, which the company will present at the RSA conference Thursday, focuses on exploiting publicly known flaws for which patches are available in two devices and then jumping onto a third. The company discovered and disclosed the two vulnerabilities, one in an IP security camera and one in a router, and has tracked them closely. Using tools like Shodan, which scans for IoT devices that are sitting on the public internet, the Senrio researchers have seen meaningful patch adoption for the bugs, a heartening sign. Still, the researchers have observed tens of thousands still vulnerable devices which is what makes their attack chain so ominous. A sophisticated hacker might pull off the same type of IoT attack using undisclosed, unpatched vulnerabilities that they invested resources to find or buy. But anyone can capitalize on long-known vulnerabilities at virtually no cost.As I have highlighted in 2016 and 2017 , this event more than any other I attend each year is simply overwhelming. There is way too much to do and not enough time to do it all.Add in breakfasts, lunches, dinners and event parties, and almost everyone is burned-out by Saturday morning if you can even make it past Thursday or Friday.This year, I spoke on security awareness during the conference, and I also participated in this BrightTALK video panel on emerging threats and cyberdefense . (You can view it for free with registration.) The panel discussion included lessons from recent cyberattacks and breaches, a discussion on what keeps CISOs up at night and a discussion on the biggest cybersecurity challenges and how to overcome them.Speakers:- Chris Roberts, Chief Security Architect, Acalvio Technologies- Nick Bilogorskiy, Cybersecurity Strategist, Juniper Networks- Dan Lohrmann, Chief Strategist and Chief Security Officer, Security Mentor Inc.- Joseph Carson, Chief Security Scientist, ThycoticWhich highlights what I like most about the annual event the people you meet and conversations you have with trusted colleagues from around the globe. It is also a great chance to connect with government friends from around the country, current and former team members and colleagues from different organizations. These conversations inform new strategies for the future.A friend asked how I would summarize the conference in 2018 in one sentence.I would say that the security industry is larger and more complex than ever and is a work in progress just like the Moscone Center in San Francisco that hosted the event.This cybersecurity public- and private-sector complexity can be a weakness; nevertheless, I urge you become better informed and to take a close look at the RSA presentation content available. You will be glad you did. (TNS) Construction crews will begin installing a fiber optic infrastructure in Boyd County, Ky., this summer as part of the long-discussed Kentucky Wired high-speed Internet project, according to a project liaison.Holly Scoville, manager of government and resident relations for the project, laid out some details on how the statewide project impacts Boyd County in a presentation this month to the fiscal court.The Kentucky Wired project is designed to build a high-speed fiber optic network connecting all 120 Kentucky counties. But it has been plagued by setbacks and delays since it was announced in 2015. As a result, the original cost estimate of $325 million has risen by millions.Halting the project, which involves a public-private partnership, would cost taxpayers more than completing it since contracts exist and bonds have been sold.The Kentucky General Assembly passed a bill on the final day of the legislative session this month to restore funding to Kentucky Wired for the next two years, allowing it to borrow up to $110 million to pay off costs for delays.Scoville works with the design build contractors, Ledcor Group of Companies and Overland Contract Inc.She said reasons for delays include the fact the state did not have any pole attachment or easement agreements when it signed the initial contract.It took seven months to get a pole attachment agreement with AT&T alone, she said.Scoville said 90 percent of the 3,400 mile-long project will involve using existing telecom and electricity poles.The work about to take place in Boyd County is to install the fiber backbone infrastructure, said Scoville. Its considered part of the projects Middle Mile plan, and none of the upcoming work involves connecting fiber to homes or businesses.Most of the underground work scheduled to take place in Boyd will be in the cities near government offices.Scoville said some road closures may occur in the county, but not many are expected since most poles are out of the right-of-way.Scoville held up a piece of fiber cable during her presentation. She explained the properties of the fiber, how it is comprised of glass inside its sheaths, and how the network will be able to transport data at lightning speeds.She also stressed that the statewide project will simply open the door for communities to access fiber. Some Kentucky municipalities, like London where Scoville said she lives, have opted to buy fiber. The city is running fiber to its industrial park, and plans to expand into the city.Every community is doing it differently, she said. You may decide to do something. You may decide to do nothing. That is strictly up to you. But the opportunity will be there if you so choose.When the Kentucky Wired project first began, the state was considered among the worst in the nation in terms of broadband speeds. Scoville said once the project is completed, Kentucky is expected to be No. 4 in the nation.Kentucky Wired work in Boyd County is estimated for completion in April of 2020, according to Scoville. (TNS) A year after dozens of cities and villages sued the state and won, stakeholders say they've reached a compromise on how to regulate wireless equipment in Ohio communities.Municipal leaders and telecommunications-industry representatives worked together to craft a bill that is headed to Gov. John Kasich for his signature. House Bill 478 would give municipalities the ability to regulate the placement and appearance of radio equipment called small-cell technology such as antennae, boxes and wires that companies fasten to traffic lights, utility poles, street signs and other public structures to provide connectivity for cellphones and other wireless devices.The law also regulates construction of new signal towers, which are much smaller than the tall macro-towers regulated under current law, and it defines how quickly municipalities must vet requests by companies to place equipment on public land, which varies based on population.Small-cell technology will ensure next-generation wireless devices, such as cellphones with 5G service, and maintain speedy service especially in densely populated areas, according to wireless providers.If Kasich signs the law, it will become effective 90 days later."This provides more predictability and speed to the industry, while also protecting the character of our cities," Dublin City Manager Dana McDaniel said. "That's what we've been trying to balance throughout this process."Dublin, Columbus and Upper Arlington are among 14 central Ohio cities that were plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Four similar suits were filed elsewhere in the state. Judges ruled in favor of the municipalities in three of those cases; a case in Summit County is being appealed.A state law approved in December 2016 allowed companies to build in public rights-of-way without consent or regulation from local governments. That law was overturned this past June before going into effect, after a Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge ruled in favor of 50 cities and villages that said the law violated the state's "single-subject" rule. It had been included in a bill that addressed multiple, varying topics.Rep. Sarah LaTourette, R-Chesterland, and Rep. Ryan Smith, R-Bidwell, sponsored House Bill 478. It passed the House 72-12 and the Senate 26-7 after about three months of hearings.Creating the bill took several months of collaboration before that."There was a lot of give-and-take by both sides, but it worked out well," said Brad McLean, AT&T's director of external affairs in Ohio.Regulating such technology is an issue that's being tackled throughout the United States.Fifteen states already have enacted legislation to modernize rules related to small-cell technology deployment, said Jilane Rodgers Petrie, spokeswoman for CTIA, the trade association for the wireless communications industry.Ohio's law has received public support from local municipal leaders, wireless providers AT&T and Verizon and organizations on both sides of the issue, including the Central Ohio Mayors and Managers Association, the Ohio Municipal League and CTIA.The economic impact of such technology, coupled with the need to provide cutting-edge wireless capabilities to residents and businesses, made the compromise crucial, local city leaders said.More than 50 percent of Ohio's adults live in wireless-only households, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."We said from the start that it's in our best interest and the state's best interest to have small-cell technology deployed, but in a way that's responsible," Upper Arlington City Manager Ted Staton said.Nationwide, it's expected 5G technology will result in 3 million new jobs, $275 billion in new investment and $500 billion in economic growth, according to a CTIA report.Columbus stands to benefit the most in Ohio, with 5G technology expected to create more than 8,000 new jobs and generate $1.31 billion in gross domestic product growth, the report said. NASCIO Gives Back BALTIMORE Problem-solving involves a change in perspective. That was one of the main takeaways from the welcome and keynote speech at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers Midyear Conference in Baltimore Monday morning.With record attendance for a midyear event at more than 610 registrants, representing 48 states, two territories, and Washington, D.C., the conference was kicked off by NASCIO President Bo Reese, CIO of Oklahoma, and included a message from Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who praised those working in public-sector IT for their work to make states better and government more accessible.And, of course, accomplishing that goal involves IT leaders coming together, bringing their different perspectives, and sharing best practices and lessons learned, the goal of the semiannual NASCIO event. Collaboration was central to keynote speaker Vinh Giangs presentation, in which he used magic as a metaphor for how sharing ideas can generate creative problem-solving in ways that a single perspective cannot.Giang, a communication teacher and magician, presented the idea that a magic trick, for the viewer, is simply a problem we cant solve. But thats because were only looking at the problem from one point of view. Changing that perspective, such as through collaboration, brings opportunity.His definition of innovation similarly broke down a complex big idea into a simple statement: Innovation is composition. It is two different perspectives coming together for the first time. In other words, to have innovative ideas, you need to find the right person to collaborate with.In that vein, Giang shared a quote from speaker Michael Karl that resonated with NASCIO attendees in the room: You are the direct reflection of the top five people you spend time with. Moreover, Giang said, You can decide who you become in the future by deciding who you spend time with today.Ideally, over the next two days, state CIOs and other IT leaders will find time to make new connections, share new ideas and get the perspective they need to drive innovation and change in their agencies and throughout their states.One central component of NASCIO events is the organizations investment in raising funds for groups that work to build the tech world of the future. At the 2018 Midyear Conference, NASCIO Give Back is asking attendees to contribute to the Digital Harbor Foundation (DHF), a nonprofit program fostering tech education among Baltimores third- through 12th-graders.Through year-round progressive programs, students with no prior tech experience improve their digital literacy through electronics and new technologies like 3-D printing, and what program director Shawn Grimes called the combination of creativity and productivity.DHF reaches 1,400 youth each year, predominantly those from low-income families, and about three-quarters of participants are girls, and three-quarters are from minority communities. The program is also doing work with educators in 25 states to create similar programs throughout the country.The funds raised at NASCIO Midyear will go toward DHFs Summer Maker Camps, and the organization will match attendee donations up to $3,000. (TNS) A new law that takes effect next month will probably ensure that Alabamians hear more about data breaches among the state's government entities and businesses.The Alabama Breach Notification Act was approved by the Alabama Legislature last month, making Alabama the final state to enact a breach notification law in the U.S.It imposes new notification requirements on businesses and government agencies when they determine there has been a breach of security that exposes consumers' personal identification information.Notification should take place about 10 days after discovery. Notification is not required if a good faith investigation determines the breach is not likely to harm people whose data was compromised.The law also contains a data disposal provision requiring sensitive personal information to be destroyed when no longer needed.Steve Hines is president of ThreatAdvice, a Birmingham-based cyber security firm. It provides the service for law and accounting firms, health care companies and cities.He said there are several reasons why high-profile data breaches seem to be occurring more frequently. For starters, laws like the notification act are requiring entities to report them. Just in the last month, hacks have made the news, involving Saks Fifth Avenue, UnderArmor and Facebook, for starters.Also, more people are committing cyber crimes, he said."It's becoming a lot easier for non-technical bad guys to launch these attacks," Hines said. "They can hire somebody and split the profit with them. It's only going to get more random, and it's a pretty hard crime to defend against. What's more, you can't catch the bad guys usually because they're hiding behind several IP addresses." Atlanta has reportedly spent $2.7 million in response to a ransomware cyber attack that crippled some city services, where attackers demanded a $50,000 ransom. Most city workers were told not to turn on their computers.Hines said recent political history should be enough to convince people of the necessity of cyber security. The hacking of emails within the Clinton campaign in 2016 was one factor that may have influenced the outcome of the presidential election.What's the answer? Hines said his firm concentrates on educating its clients' employees in non-technical ways to stay safe. Ninety percent of data breaches, Hines said, don't come through a firewall, but because an untrained employee clicks on an attachment."They're giving up their credentials, giving up their passwords, if you look at all the breaches, they are coming through the backdoor," he said. "It's also coming through third-party vendors, or 'Internet of Things' devices. The Internet connects security cameras, vending machines, thermostats, medical devices, copiers. There are so many ways organizations can be attacked, and it's only going to increase."Hines' background was in mortgage and banking, he said. Then his work with financial technology began to show him the potential threats posed by cyber security breaches.One way his firm tests a client's susceptibility to hacks is to conduct "phishing tests" - see if employees will unsuspectingly take the bait in a fake phishing campaign."The whole purpose is to make people cyber aware and be wary of the tricks," he said. "The cost of a breach is astronomical. It's way more than companies expect. It's important to do your best to keep from getting breached." Posted 4/22/18 International trade policy always evokes passionate emotions, so Missourians predictably have had strong reactions to President Donald Trumps recent actions against China. Missouri Farm Bureau has Escalating encounter Prosecutors cool to idea Different approaches (TNS) LAKELAND, Fla. When two Lakeland Police officers violently engaged a suspect under a bridge last week, passersby happened to capture video of the encounter on their phones.The two video segments, totaling 41 seconds, were soon posted to the internet and widely viewed. The resulting controversy brought some harsh criticism for the Lakeland Police Department.In response, LPD officials said it was unfair to judge the officers' behavior on the basis of such short video segments, which didn't capture the interactions that led to the rough arrest of Justin Abbott on April 10.That explanation prompts a question: Would the public reaction have been different if the two officers had been wearing body cameras and the entire episode had been recorded?Many law enforcement agencies across the country in recent years have faced the question of whether to adopt recording technology in the interests of transparency. The prevalence of phones with video capabilities has yielded footage of contentious and sometimes deadly encounters between police and citizens, and some agencies have chosen to install cameras in vehicles or employ small cameras worn on officers' bodies."Digital technology is changing public expectations of law enforcement, both in terms of how they behave and what evidence they preserve during their interactions with the public, and nowhere is that more evident than in use-of-force cases," said Norm Pattis, a Connecticut lawyer who advised the New Haven Police Department before it introduced body cameras last year.Pattis said he thinks other departments should follow New Haven's lead."Police officers have a monopoly on the use of deadly force and are trained to use pain compliance techniques as a way to ensure compliance with their orders," Pattis said. "They routinely in years past would justify any application of force by saying it was necessary. These videos let the public make their own evaluation."A study of body-worn cameras conducted by the police department of Rialto, California, found that use-of-force incidents and citizen complaints against officers declined by 50 and 90 percent, respectively. The Journal of Quantitative Criminology published a summary of the study in 2015.The Lakeland Police Department employs dash cameras in its vehicles, but neither LPD nor any other law enforcement agencies in Polk County use body cameras. That doesn't seem likely to change in the aftermath of last week's incident, which gained national attention and prompted criticism of LPD on social media.Lakeland City Manager Tony Delgado said he hadn't heard directly from any citizens suggesting that LPD outfit its officers with body cameras in response to the episode. But he said that's a request the city sometimes fields."This issue comes up on a regular basis," Delgado said. "I think there's always some faction or organization or community group that asks about it, so it comes up from time to time. We continue to evaluate it, but there are definitely some aspects of it that we have to take into consideration, such as the costs associated with it."In an interview Tuesday, LPD Chief Larry Giddens expressed little enthusiasm for using body cameras. He pointed to the cost and the challenge of managing video records as negative factors."I think that we're very transparent and I think we have policies and procedures in place to make sure our officers conduct themselves in a professional manner, which they do on a daily basis," Giddens said.LPD investigated the April 10 incident and ruled that the officers' use of force was justified under the circumstances.As in other incidents that have fueled controversies in recent years, the encounter began with a minor crime. The two officers, J.R. West and De'Angelo Anthony, approached Abbott when they noticed him sleeping under an overpass at the intersection of Interstate 4 and U.S. 98 N.Abbott's presence constituted trespassing on Florida Department of Transportation property and the officers ordered him to depart. Giddens said the officers spent several minutes talking to Abbott, repeating their order and giving him a chance to leave.Abbott refused the officers' commands, asserting that he had a right to be there, and backed up against the wall of the underpass. When the officers tried to force Abbott from the scene, he began "actively resisting" them, Giddens said.The officers went through the proper protocol in attempting to subdue Abbott, according to Giddens. One fired a Taser at Abbott, but the electroshock weapon had little effect.Eventually, the officers moved to put handcuffs on Abbott. The suspect dropped to the ground and held his arms clenched under his body, Giddens said, forcing the officers to use aggressive tactics in forcing his hands free.Giddens said the officers hadn't searched Abbott and didn't know whether he had a weapon. At one point, the suspect reached toward a fanny pack he was wearing, LPD reported.The videos shot by passing drivers captured West and Anthony hitting Abbott and kicking him as he was prone. Giddens said officers are trained to use body blows, delivered by hand or foot, when necessary to subdue and handcuff a suspect.Abbott was charged with trespassing and resisting arrest with violence.When the two videos went viral, Giddens and other LPD officials urged citizens not to draw conclusions based on 41 seconds of a much longer encounter. Some advocates for body cameras say police departments should welcome having an entire arrest recorded to provide greater context for brief scenes of violence.Giddens, though, said body cameras wouldn't necessarily yield definitive footage."I think that we would have a lot of the same questions because it would depend on when the device was turned on," Giddens said. "What happens if it gets knocked loose? Are people going to say we intentionally did that?"LPD does have dashboard cameras in its 165 marked cars, spokesman Gary Gross said. The department installed dash cameras in its DUI units in 2001 and has added them to other vehicles since then.About 25 vehicles still have the original systems, and the remainder have been upgraded with more advanced cameras, Gross said. The cameras automatically turn on when the vehicle's emergency lights are turned on or when the siren is on and the speed reaches 75 mph.The camera can also be manually activated, and a sensor turns it on when the vehicle is in a collision. The new systems automatically download video when the vehicle reaches the station.The encounter at the overpass wasn't recorded on a vehicle camera. Giddens said it wasn't possible for West and Anthony to park at an angle to face Abbott, and they also didn't expect the call to turn violent.Jerry Hill, the retired State Attorney for the 10th Judicial Circuit, addressed the issue of cameras in 2015. Hill sent a letter to local law enforcement agencies urging them to proceed cautiously.The letter emerged from a national discussion of policing sparked by several deadly encounters, including the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. In response to that incident, President Barack Obama asked Congress for $263 million to cover the cost of clip-on cameras for 50,000 officers.In his letter, Hill cited privacy rights and the burden of maintaining and processing video records.Brian Haas, who succeeded Hill as State Attorney, seems no more enthusiastic about body cameras than his mentor. If local agencies were to adopt such cameras, he said, his office would incur the cost of handling the new volume of public records."Those issues (Hill mentioned) still exist today, issues with funding, and it would cause issues for funding here at the State Attorney's Office," Haas said. "We would have to add employees, most likely, to manage those additional recordings and maintain them for many years to come."Haas said he places more value on the testimony of a law enforcement officer than images from a "pinhole-sized" camera. He said his agency holds officers to high standards and is willing to disqualify testimony from any officer shown to be untruthful."I don't need a camera to tell me we have a problem with an officer," he said.The Polk County Sheriff's Office, the county's largest law enforcement agency with more than 680 sworn officers, does not use vehicle cameras or body cameras. Sheriff Grady Judd makes it clear he has philosophical objections to the devices."My first reason is that I am a big privacy wonk, and I don't believe the government has a right to enter your private space and make and keep a recording," Judd said.He gave the example of an investigation of a home burglary. In processing the crime scene, several deputies might walk through the home. If all wore cameras that were turned on, the recordings could capture images of valuable items that could entice future burglars to the property, he said.Pattis, who has appeared on "60 Minutes" and Fox News, said he understands that concern but doesn't consider it an insurmountable problem. He said police departments can claim investigative privilege during court cases and argue against public disclosure of video records.Laws passed in Florida since 2015 have set limits on public disclosure of law enforcement videos.Judd also said body cameras would strain his department's budget."I run a (fiscally) conservative shop here, and that would be a reoccurring burden on the taxpayers into the millions of dollars," Judd said. "It's not one-time. It's a reoccurring multi-millions of dollars."The Winter Haven Police Department added dash cameras to vehicles at least eight years ago, Chief Charlie Bird said, but maintaining and replacing equipment and storing video proved too expensive. He said he has no plans to return to using vehicle cameras.The agency has never used body cameras."We continue to evaluate the issue yearly and monitor technology updates as well as case law regarding privacy issues," Bird said by email. "However, I will say that our members operate as if they are being recorded at all times."The Florida Police Chiefs Association opposes any mandatory requirement to use body cameras, executive director Amy Mercer said. The FPCA says each agency should make its own decision on the use of cameras."Body cameras can be a useful investigative tool to help police departments and the communities they serve," Mercer said by email. "However, they can also be a large financial burden, especially to smaller police departments. The cost of storage, responding to and redacting public records requests can be beyond many communities' financial resources."The police departments in Central Florida's two largest cities have added body cameras in recent years.The Tampa Police Department began researching the issue in 2014 and bought 60 Axon Flex cameras for officers the following year. The initial cost was $83,000, which included a video storage system, spokeswoman Janelle McGregor said.The cameras can be mounted on an officer's hat, collar, glasses or epaulet. The devices were distributed throughout the force, with six supplied to officers on bicycles, McGregor said.The Orlando Police Department has acquired 430 body cameras, enough for more than half of its roughly 800 sworn officers, spokesman Sgt. Eduardo Bernal said.The department started with first responders and patrol officers and has since added cameras for other officers. All new officers are issued body cameras when they begin work, Bernal said, and OPD plans eventually to have cameras for every officer.The agency's leaders opted for body cameras over devices for all vehicles, Bernal said, though OPD does have cameras in 22 vehicles, including all its DUI patrol cars.Bernal said OPD officers have become comfortable wearing the cameras. He said one officer in the initial test group had to go without a camera for about three weeks when the agency changed to Motorola models, and he reported feeling "naked" without a camera."I can tell you from experience and from talking to people, we love them," Bernal said. "I know there is some skepticism with them and there is a learning curve like in any other profession, but it's a fantastic tool for us."The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office does not employ body cameras and has dash cameras only in its DUI vehicles, a spokesman said.The Osceola County Sheriff's Office doesn't currently use body cameras but plans to adopt them in the near future."We're in the process of creating a policy and looking for the best possible body cameras we can have for our agency," spokesman Major Jacob Ruiz said. "It's an issue of budgeting with the county. We'd like to do it sooner rather than later. We're projecting about a year out or so."Pattis, the lawyer, acknowledges that body cameras have limitations and don't necessarily produce conclusive visual evidence. Still, he said, it seems inevitable that all larger law enforcement agencies will eventually adopt the use of cameras.Pattis said recordings often help to show that a use of force is justified, even if officers make some errors of judgment in handling a suspect."In an area where police misconduct is assumed to be the case and where there's public suspicion of their motives, I'd want a body camera to protect myself, but there again, it's not perfect," he said. "There are pros and cons to taping, but I think the best part about taping is it can engage the public in a meaningful discussion about how police officers are trained."Though he has handled cases of alleged police misconduct, Pattis said he has sympathy for officers and recognized what a difficult job they do. But he said agencies should opt for transparency."More information is good, I think," he said, "and police departments that oppose this make me wonder what they're trying to hide." Porsche is considering entering formula one in 2021. That is the view of F1 legend Gerhard Berger, who is now the boss of the German touring car series DTM. Recently, footage emerged of Porsche's successful attempt to unofficially break the F1 circuit record at Spa-Francorchamps with its modified Le Mans car. It is just more evidence that the German carmaker is eyeing F1's proposed engine rule changes for 2021. "Porsche is thinking about a formula one entry for 2021," Berger told Auto Bild. "They are just waiting for the new engine regulations, which should be published in May, and then will decide," he added. F1 owner Liberty Media's sporting boss Ross Brawn said the sport would welcome Porsche to the grid. "We want to have big names like Porsche in formula one and are creating the environment for it," he said. (GMM) Not all who wander are lost If youre a fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (like I am), then youre probably familiar with one... Remember When How America was settled is a passion of mine, since part of my family got here in the 1600s from... Implications of population decline The recent U.S. 2020 Census Count revealed that Flint and Genesee County experienced a decline in population over the past... The Advanced Hydrogen Energy Chain Association for Technology Development (AHEAD), an association composed of four industry-leading companies from Japan, will begin the worlds first international supply of hydrogen from Brunei to Japan in January 2020. (Earlier post.) AHEADs members are Mitsubishi Corporation, shipper Nippon Yusen, engineering company Chiyoda and trading company Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Funding is provided by Japans New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). to conduct research and develop plans for hydrogen supply chains to Japan. The project entails building a hydrogenation plant in Brunei Darussalam and a dehydrogenation plant in Kawasakis coastal region of Japan using Chiyodas SPERA Hydrogen Technology. Hydrogen will be sourced in Brunei and transported by ship to Kawasaki in liquid form at ambient temperature and pressure. Hydrogen gas will then be extracted from the liquid in Kawasaki and supplied to consumers. The hydrogen in Brunei will be produced by steam reforming. Its then mixed with toluene to convert it to methylcyclohexane (MCH) and cooled at -253 C to become a flammable but non-explosive liquida process quite similar to liquefying natural gas, which happens at -162 C. In Japan, hydrogen is extracted from MCH by a dehydrogenation reaction and supplied as hydrogen gas. The project is demonstrative and is scheduled to be operational for a year, with 210 tonnes of hydrogen expected to be supplied to Japan which can power some 40,000 fuel cell vehicles. The production version of the Audi e-tron prototype is the first car on the market that can charge at charging stations with up to 150 kW. Its 95 kWh lithium-ion battery provides for a range of more than 400 kilometers (248.5 mi) in the WLTP driving cycle. Audi e-tron prototype in Berlin At high-power charging stations using the European charging standard Combined Charging System (CCS), such as those in the Ionity network, the Audi e-tron prototype is ready to set off in less than 30 minutes. The key feature behind this is the thermal management system for the lithium-ion battery. By the end of 2018, there will be nearly 200 of these high-power charging (HPC) stations with six charging points each in the Ionity network. Plans call for 400 locations at intervals of 120 kilometers (74.6 mi) along highways and main transport routes by 2020. In addition to fast charging with direct current, the electric SUV can also be charged with alternating current at AC chargers, with up to 11 kW standard and optionally with 22 kW. All together, customers can use more than 65,000 public charging stations throughout Europe. Their number will increase significantly in the years ahead. At market launch, Audi will provide e-tron customers simplified access to roughly 80% of these charging stations with a proprietary charging service. One card is all customers need to start the charging process, whether its AC or DC, 11 kW or 150 kW. Customers have to register one time on the myAudi portal and conclude an individual charging contract. Billing is automatic and requires no physical form of payment. The procedure will become even more convenient with the function Plug & Charge (now deploying on the smart, earlier post), which is set to debut in 2019. A card will no longer be needed; the car authorizes itself by means of a digital certificate and unlocks the charging station. The navigation system considers not only the batterys charge but also the traffic situation and includes the required charging time in its arrival time calculation. DC charging stations and most AC chargers throughout Europe are included. Audi will offer various solutions for charging at home. If desired, an electrician referred by the local Audi dealer will check which charging options are available in the customers garage and install the corresponding technology. The standard mobile charging system can be used in two ways: with a charging power of up to 2.3 kW when connected to a 230 volt household outlet and with up to 11 kW when connected to a 400 volt three-phase outlet. In the latter case, the battery can be fully recharged in roughly 8.5 hours. With the optional connect charging system, charging power doubles to 22 kW provided that the electric SUV is equipped with the required second charger. Together with a home energy management system, the connect charging system also offers intelligent charging functions. For example, the Audi e-tron prototype can charge with the maximum output possible permitted by the home electrical system and the car while also considering the demand of other consumers in the household. This prevents overloading of the home electrical system. Furthermore, customers can define their own personal priorities, such as charging when electricity is less expensive. If the home is equipped with a photovoltaic system, the car can be charged preferentially using the electricity generated by the system, and charging even considers forecast phases of sunshine. The myAudi app provides for convenient operation from the couch. It can be used to plan, control and monitor the charging and pre-heating/-cooling of the electric SUV. Customers can set a departure time, for example, so that the Audi e-tron prototype is charged and/or heated/cooled at the desired time. The app also displays charging and driving data. Ferriss duck on the crown entree can be supplemented with aged duck legs. Photo: Melissa Hom These are not the best of times for restless, innovative cooks in the big city, especially in Manhattan, where it takes about as much cash to open a restaurant as it does to run for Congress or mount a decent-size Broadway show. If youre Greg Proechel, who made a bit of a splash a few years back cooking a slightly elevated, off-center brand of cuisine at a trendy Lower East Side bistro called Le Turtle, maybe youll decide to leave the rat race behind after your initial success and open that neighborhood joint youve always dreamed about. Or you could cash in at a high-profile, but much more formulaic, brasserie-style kitchen uptown. Or maybe youll find a modest space somewhere in the city, possibly in a boutique hotel with a decent budget and a built-in audience, where its possible to hunker down, away from the nattering crowd, and conduct your culinary experiments in relative peace. Proechels new venture is called Ferris, and if you didnt know it was an actual restaurant, youd be forgiven for thinking it was a bunker of some kind, or maybe the officers mess of a trendy new class of Nordic submarine. If theres a sign outside I didnt see it, and to get to the entrance, underneath the lobby of an anonymous-looking structure on West 29th Street called the Made Hotel, you descend a flight of concrete steps. There are 40 seats in the snug wood-paneled room below, half of them set up at the kind of tall counter-style tables you see in the bars at airports or railway stations. Theres a bar facing the open kitchen, and with its impressive spirits list (14 Scotch whiskies, 21 rums) and tightly packed tables, the convivial little space feels like its been designed more for hard pub-style drinking than for serious eating, especially on a cold, windblown early-spring evening. Ferris at the Made Hotel. Photo: Jemma Hinkly/New York Magazine Proechel was known at Le Turtle for his elegant takes on earthy, rib-sticking Continental classics like wine-braised wheels of oxtail, and a famous version of whole chicken for two, which was delivered to the table in a nest of gently smoking hay. When I first visited Ferris several months ago, the cooking seemed to skew in that same classically informed direction. There were helpings of boudin noir crumbled on the plate with cinnamon and choppings of grilled dates, and a smooth, properly boozy chicken-liver mousse stuck with curls of crunchy fried pork-skin chips for dipping. The trophy-size centerpiece of our dinner was a cut of cote de boeuf, over-aged according to current fashion (I think the number was 60 days) and dressed with novel things like black-garlic jam and another frothy dip made with onions and whipped buttermilk. Many of these dishes survive in their original form on the ever-evolving menu at Ferris, but in the past month or two, enticing images have been popping up on assorted websites and Instagram feeds hinting at a new, Asian-themed direction. When I dropped in for dinner a couple of weeks ago, there were triangles of flash-fried lobster toast, sprinkled with bits of Japanese kombu, and tea-size Japanese sandos made with fried cutlets of Iberico pork pressed between slices of toast that tasted like theyd been transported from a tonkatsu shop in Tokyo by way of, say, Barcelona. There were freshly grilled Vietnamese duck sausages folded in little envelopes of wilted cabbage, and an extravagantly aged beef carpaccio scattered with spoonfuls of uni and served with a thick crust of fried sourdough bread. The lobster toast special, topped with tomalley aioli, braised kombu, and black sesame seeds. Photo: Melissa Hom This place reminds me of eating in Australia, one of my world-weary guests said as we perched on our tiny stools at the bar and watched the bearded, Viking-size chef throw together all sorts of unlikely ingredients drawn, like in the trendy restaurants of Sydney or Melbourne, from Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. The lobster Id ordered on my first visit was plated, seasonally but not very successfully, with squash and pumpkinseeds; now it rests on a bed of julienned hearts of palm, among other things, all mingled together with crushed macadamia nuts and a tangy white curry. In addition to the big-ticket cote de boeuf option, you can now order a beautifully cooked crown of duck for two, which consists of two crispy-skinned duck breasts dusted with a housemade five-spice powder and brought to the table, in familiar Korean bo ssam style, with bowls of dipping sauce (whipped egg yolk, a version of hoisin) and fronds of pickled cabbage. Like other members of this two-fisted, umami-obsessed generation of cooks, Proechel has a tendency to push a little too hard on the heavy-flavor-bomb combinations. My grilled bok choy was drowned in a soggy flood of brown butter and anchovy-heavy bagna cauda, and the chunk of hake I ordered one evening was obscured in a similarly brackish puddle of clam broth. Youll find plenty of indigestion relief on co-owner Charles Seichs beverage list (in addition to all the whiskeys and rums, I counted 13 amari and digestifs), and the desserts have clearly been designed with a kind of communal palliative smoothness in mind. Our rich, milky chocolate mousse was stuck here and there with slivers of jasmine-flavored meringue, and the warm cardamom pound cake is obscured in a great cloud of whipped cream. For maximum relief, however, call for the yuzu frozen yogurt, which the chef finishes with olive oil and slices of green, baby-size Waka Momo peaches flown in from Japan. The off-menu duck legs are aged, cured, braised, flash-fried, and served with ginger-scallion sauce. Photo: Melissa Hom A special of 60-day-dry-aged-beef carpaccio with uni. Photo: Melissa Hom Wagyu-picanha special with black-bean sauce and blackberries. Photo: Melissa Hom Lobster tail with white curry and a som tum-inspired hearts of palm salad. Photo: Melissa Hom Almond-cardamom financier with parsnip cream, flowering Thai basil, and agrumato oil. Photo: Melissa Hom Yuzu frozen yogurt with Waka Momo peaches and yuzu olive oil. Photo: Melissa Hom Rating: 2 stars Ferris 44 W. 29th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-213-4420; ferrisnyc.com Open: Dinner nightly. Prices: Appetizers, $9 to $16; entrees, $24 to $82 (cote de boeuf $5.25 per ounce). Ideal Meal: Pork sando, lobster toast, Vietnamese duck sausage and/or blood sausage, lobster or duck crown for two, yuzu frozen yogurt. Note: There are rumors circulating that a version of Proechels famous whole country chicken from Le Turtle appears every few weeks as a menu special. Scratchpad: The quarters are snug, and it can be hard to hear yourself think above the din, but two hearty stars for the drinks and the best of the satisfying, inventive cooking. *This article appears in the April 30, 2018, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now! The scene outside the restaurant. Photo: Jason Davis/Getty Images A massive manhunt ended today for Travis Reinking, the person identified as the gunman in a shooting that killed four people at a Nashville Waffle House early on Sunday morning. Earlier this morning, authorities released a statement indicating that there had been no credible sightings of Reinking despite an ongoing search by more than 80 local, state, and federal law-enforcement officers for more than a day. This afternoon, however, the 29-year-old suspected gunman was apprehended. BREAKING: Travis Reinking apprehended moments ago in a wooded area near Old Hickory Blvd & Hobson Pk. pic.twitter.com/00ukga37s6 Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) April 23, 2018 Police say construction workers near a wooded area reported seeing a man walk by who matched Reinkings description. When officers found him, he reportedly had a backpack with a loaded semi-automatic, its holster, ammunition, and a flashlight. Police say the arrest occurred without incident. Reinking had been added to Tennessees Top 10 Most Wanted list after allegedly opening fire at the 24-hour diner chains Antioch location around 3:30 a.m. Police say he sat outside in his pickup for several minutes just looking at people inside, then got out carrying an assault-style rifle and shot six of them. Two additional customers were injured during the incident, and so far, four people have lost their lives. Witnesses say that the shooter fled the restaurant naked, and law-enforcement officers were reportedly able to track Reinking into a nearby woods before dogs lost his scent. Investigation on going at the Waffle House. Scene being processed by MNPD experts. This is the rifle used by the gunman. pic.twitter.com/lihhRImHQN Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) April 22, 2018 Search continuing for accused quadruple murderer Travis Reinking. More than 80 MNPD officers are joined this evening by our partners from the THP, FBI & ATF. See Reinking? Please call 615-862-8600 immediately. One of his guns, a pistol, remains unaccounted for. pic.twitter.com/RELswfuFc8 Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) April 22, 2018 James Shaw Jr. is the 29-year-old who disarmed the gunman and is now being celebrated as a hero who, according to a Nashville police spokesperson, no doubt saved many lives. Shaw watched the shooting start from the Waffle Houses restroom, and when he noticed Reinking pause to look at his rifle, ran toward him. He seized Reinkings gun and tossed it over the counter, at which point Reinking reportedly fled. I figured if I was going to die, Shaw told reporters on Sunday, he was going to have to work for it. Shaw insists that he was completely doing it just to save myself, explaining that I dont want people to think that I was the Terminator or Superman or anybody like that. Still, hes now running a GoFundMe to help the victims families according to a rep from the crowdfunding site, his $15,000 goal was met within hours. This wasnt Reinkings first run-in with law enforcement. He was arrested in 2017 for entering a restricted area near the White House. According to the police report, he told the Secret Service he was a sovereign citizen who was allowed to speak with President Trump if he wanted to, then tried to walk past security with his tie balled around his fist. His firearms license was revoked at this time, and authorities reportedly seized four guns from him, including a Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle identical to the weapon used on Sunday at Waffle House. Police also had to de-escalate a 2016 situation at a CVS parking lot where Reinking was threatening suicide, and he reportedly believed that he was being stalked by Taylor Swift. Waffle House has issued a statement saying they are deeply saddened by the tragic incident, noting that this is a very sad day for the Waffle House family, and we ask for everyone to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts and prayers. This is a very sad day for the Waffle House family. We ask for everyone to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts and prayers. Waffle House News (@WaffleHouseNews) April 22, 2018 This post has been updated with new information. The City Council is set to vote on Tuesday night to suspend the operation of Division II of City Court. It would take place after the retirement of current Division II judge Russell Bean. Sherry Paty presides over Division I and will pick up cases that had been handled by Division II. The resolution says: WHEREAS, the City Council has the authority in this home rule ... (click for more) Haiti - Diplomacy : A delegation of Haitian parliamentarians in Quebec As part of the parliamentary diplomacy, a delegation of Haitian parliamentarians is expected Monday in Canada, to participate in the province of Quebec at the first session of the Standing Committee on Interparliamentary Haiti-Quebec, which is held in Parliament in Quebec, the 23 to April 27, 2018. This delegation, chaired by the Deputy Gary Bodeau, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, is composed of Deputies Caleb J. Desrameaux, Vice-President of the Sessions in the Chamber, of the Deputy Myriam Amilcar, Vice-President for Administrative Affairs, Senator Pierre Francois Sildor, Vice-President of the Senate Office, Senator Pierre Paul Patrice Dumont, President of the Senate Committee Youth Sport and Civic Action and Deputies Marie Gladys Saint-Jean Lundy and Francisque Delacruz. Recall that the Haiti-Quebec Interparliamentary Standing Committee aims to consolidate the already long-standing relations between Haiti and Quebec. For the Deputy Bodeau "The fact for Parliaments to build relations between them, in the framework of parliamentary diplomacy, to deal with matters within their purview, is a sign of rapprochement of peoples. " This first session will be an opportunity for the Haitian delegation to discuss with their Quebec colleagues of the political and parliamentary news in their respective State, as well as various topics including the management of hydroelectric production and supply and the implementation of cooperation actions between the two Parliaments. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politic : The lower house consults women's organizations Friday at the Hotel Le Plaza, in the framework of an exchange workshop on the representation of women in all sectors of national life, the members of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equity of the Chamber of Deputies Deputies, together with the Caucus of Women Parliamentarians, met with more than 80 women representatives from 26 institutions and women's organizations. Marie Gladice St Jean Lundy, Chair of the Commission, and Senator Dieudonne Luma Etienne, Chair of the Senate Gender Committee, all members of the Caucus presented their situation to Parliament and asked for the support of the women's organizations present to strengthen their work. The discussions focused on : the absence of a legal framework reflecting the demands of Haitian women; violence against women and girls; compliance with and application of Article 17.1 of the 1987 Constitution amended, concerning the quota of at least 30% of women's representation in decision-making bodies and in the next electoral law. In their interventions, Eunide Innocent, the Minister for the Status of Women, Marie Herolle Michel and Marie Frantz Joachim, members of the Provisional Electoral Council and Gary Bodeau, President of the Lower House among others, congratulated the work initiated by the Commission, which according to them, promotes a dialogue between women parliamentarians and women's organizations. At the end of the discussions, the participants produced a set of reflections and proposals, including the formation of a follow-up committee to serve as a bridge between feminist / women's organizations and women parliamentarians; expanding the caucus to former women deputies; the development of laws that take into account the living conditions of women in the environments in which they live... Finally, this workshop, supported by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA International) was an opportunity for women parliamentarians to identify mechanisms and ways of collaboration that will enable the Commission and the Caucus to supply in legislation or any other issue within their jurisdiction and defending the cause of women in Haiti. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politic : Distribution of cars to departmental representatives of mayors ! In order to strengthen the territorial communities and accelerate the development process of the country and after distributing 571 new motorcycles to the Presidents of the Boards of Communal Sections (CASEC) of all 571 communal sections of the country, President Jovenel Moise handed a batch of 10 vehicles to the representatives of departmental associations of mayors of the country. According to the presidency, this initiative aims to encourage community action to provide more services to the most remote populations in the country. Each Mayor will benefit from a vehicle declared Moise, who called on local officials to be patient, while urging them to ensure sound management of the state's resources at their disposal, to better serve the population and reduce pressure on the big cities. The President also took advantage of this meeting with the representatives of the Mayors Associations of the various departments, to renew his determination to work for a real decentralization of Haiti. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Message from President Moise to Nicaragua "While wishing for a negotiated outcome to the crisis, I call on the Nicaraguan authorities to do their utmost to protect the Haitian delegation on their territory. Our Chancery remains informed of the situation for any appropriate follow-up," Jovenel Moise See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24176-haiti-flash-our-grenadieres-seek-to-leave-nicaragua-urgently.html Rejection of the report on the replacement of the President With 26 votes in favor, 43 against and 6 abstentions, Deputies of the 50th legislature rejected the report on the draft law specifying the terms of application of Article 149 of the Constitution, which relates to the process of replacing the President of the Republic in case of vacancy (resignation, death, dismissal or incapacity). Edmonde Supplice Beauzile renewed at the head of FUSION Sunday, April 22 at the end of the third congress of the Fusion of Social Democrats (FUSION), Edmonde Supplice Beauzile has obtained another mandate to lead the FUSION Party. She won the election against former Deputies Daniel Hermogene. Towards the Strengthening of agro-industrial production President Jovenel Moise recently visited the Agro Industrial Center in Cayes-Jacmel to inquire about the state of operation of this center specializing in the production of bamboo, coffee, peppers, chickens. Founded in 2008 and managed by the Federation of Native Coffee Associations (FACN), this Center, which stopped its production in 2012 due to a decrease in aid from its partners, has just resumed this year its production timidly of bamboo and peppers. The Minister of Agriculture on tour The Directorate General of the Ministry of Agriculture proceeded with the installation of the new Departmental Director of the North, the agronomist Frantz Dorvil, who replaces the agronomist Edouard Desravines. HL/ 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 us understand the world that we are in, said David Nugent, Artistic Director of HamptonsFilm. We cant wait to be back in theaters to see and hear how our passionate audiences respond to the films in this years Festival. Chattanooga history advocates David Moon of Picnooga and Sam Hall of Deepzoomchattanooga.com said they are planning to make over 6,000 pages of Chattanoogas historical newspapers searchable online as a free, open resource to benefit researchers, students, genealogists, and the general public. Because of these obstacles, wel believe that Chattanoogas papers remain largely inaccessible to a wider audience. We both have been proactively working to find affordable and sustainable options to bring newspapers online over the past four years. Digitalization can produce accurate keyword search results from tens of thousands of indexed pages within seconds. Mr. Moon said, "One of the most valuable historical assets is local newspapers, which have been available on microfilm at public libraries for decades. But the old process of accessing newspapers on microfilm is extremely time-consuming and tedious, requiring points of reference and manual searching.Because of these obstacles, wel believe that Chattanoogas papers remain largely inaccessible to a wider audience. We both have been proactively working to find affordable and sustainable options to bring newspapers online over the past four years. Digitalization can produce accurate keyword search results from tens of thousands of indexed pages within seconds. "In 2016, the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) provided selected reels of Chattanooga newspapers on microfilm from their collection to be digitized via a 3rd party partner and coordinated by Sam Hall. "The resulting 6,000+ digitized pages are just the beginning and will be accessible online at chattanooganewspapers.org . The content is from multiple publications that date from as early as 1854 through 1907." Mr. Moon said, We've found an affordable, scalable, and user-friendly solution to make the papers available online. Within a year, we want to include more content to give users a wider selection of titles and dates to search from. "Access is extremely importantanyone with a computer and internet access can connect and search the archive anytime, eliminating the physical barriers of the Public Library, or any library with microfilm copies of Chattanooga newspapers titles within their collections." David Moon and Sam Hall said they are passionate "that theres a great value in providing this information free to the public. We also hope it will create a heightened interest in local history beyond Chattanooga. " Mr. Hall said he is very optimistic. A very attainable goal of $1,500 will allow this first batch to go online. Were hoping this will generate interest and funding to continue the process for hundreds of additional reels to be digitized and placed in the collection. Mr. Moon and Mr. Hall said they are looking for investors "who can see the long-term positive value of local digitized newspapers. They hope to attract local organizations and companies to help fund this initial start. But there is also an opportunity for individuals to contribute. All contributor names will be added to the completed website." Donation levels will include $50 for individual donors or "Friends." $250 for "Sponsors" and $500 for "Partners." Money raised in excess of $1,500 will go to future digital newspaper content. Visit ChattanoogaNewspapers.org to donate. The Hixson Middle School Band will be hosting a pasta dinner this Tuesday in the middle school cafeteria from 6-8 p.m. Dinners are $10. Everyone is invited and walk-ins are welcome as well. "Please come out and support your local Hixson Middle School Band," organizers said. Contact Hans Rose at 423-847-4810 with any questions. Star-Adv Attempting to Blame Homeschooling For CWS Failures by Andrew Walden State Senators, caught lying about the Peter Boy case in an effort to pass SB2323 and undermine homeschooling, killed the bill February 15, 2018 just days after their falsehoods were exposed . Now the Star-Advertiser is picking up where the Senators left off. In an April 15, 2018 article, Hawaii cases of home-schooling and abuse , Star-Advertiser reporter Rob Perez profiles four cases which are included in a national database compiled by the Coalition for Responsible Home Education which tracks severe abuse, including fatalities, of children who are home-schooled. But a closer examination shows homeschooling has little or nothing to do with these cases. Peter Boy: The anti-homeschooling website claims, Peter Boy was enrolled in preschool, he was soon withdrawn from school to be homeschooled. There is no homeschooling withdrawal form for preschool since preschool is not mandatory. And after State Senators were brushed back for exploiting the Peter Boy case to advance the HSTAs anti-homeschooling agenda and shield the HGEA members at CWS, the Star-Advertiser did not repeat the claim. Here is what they reported: Peter Boy, who was abused throughout his short life on Hawaii island, disappeared in 1997 at age 6, never to be found. . Prosecutors said Peter Boy was home-schooled to conceal the abuse. But a sibling says Peter Boy wasnt home-schooled, he just didnt go to school. Shaelynn Lehano-Stone: The Star Advertiser reports : Prosecutors allege that Shaelynns parents, Kevin Lehano and Tiffany Stone, and her maternal grandmother, Henrietta Stone, caused the 9-year-olds death by starving her, starting in late October 2015. Several weeks later, the grandmother pulled Shaelynn from her Hilo elementary school so the girl could be educated at home. Absent regular contact at school, Shaelynns health deteriorated without any teachers being able to intervene. She was found emaciated and unconscious in her Hilo apartment in June 2016 and died a few hours later. Her parents and grandmother have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. It is only in a separate April 15, 2018 Star-Advertiser article, Starvation case reveals gap in safety net for abused children that we learn about CWS years-long record of failure before the end: During Shaelynns short life, she had been placed in foster care four times, including right after she was born, because of safety concerns, according to details of her history that have been disclosed publicly for the first time. In January 2009, when she was not yet 3 years old, Child Welfare Services workers determined she wasnt thriving under her parents care and noted she had lost 4 pounds in the previous two years, likely due to inadequate calorie intake, according to CWS. Shaelynn was placed in foster care for a third time. A child that young should be gaining not losing weight, and a loss of 4 pounds would be a major red flag, pediatricians say. Six months later in August 2009, CWS confirmed the mother had threatened the girl, who still was in foster care. And in August 2014, less than two years before she died, CWS received yet another report of possible abuse or neglect against the parents and Shaelynns maternal grandmother, who had custody of her, according to the details provided by the Department of Human Services, which oversees CWS. The information was requested by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser under federal disclosure requirements involving fatal or near-fatal abuse cases. The girl was not removed from her family as a result of the 2014 report because CWS determined the risk to the child was moderate, according to DHS. The family was offered services through a voluntary case management program but refused them. As an April 22, 2018 letter to the editor explains : The articles narrative was that homeschooling played some role in the tragedy. It focused on the fact that shortly before the little girls death, the parents had removed her from a public school to be homeschooled. From this, the article inferred that homeschooling suddenly prevented Child Welfare Services (CWS) from monitoring the childs welfare. Nothing could be further from the truth. CWS simply failed to do its job. CWS had already removed this child from her parents custody four times. CWS already knew of the dangers the child faced but returned her to the parents anyway. Indigo Wright: The Star-Advertiser reports: The 12-year-old girl weighed only 28 pounds a more typical weight for a toddler when she was taken to an Oahu hospital unresponsive in 2007. A jury convicted her parents, Melvin Wright Jr. and Denise Wright, of second-degree attempted murder for denying the girl food and medical care. They were given life sentences with the possibility of parole. Indigo suffered brain damage but survived. She had been home-schooled by her mother. Denise Wright testified at trial that fear of her husband and the shame of being judged by the public prevented her from taking the girl to see a doctor. Homeschooled by the mother? Lets see what the anti-homeschooling site says about this case: This was not the first time Melvin and Denise had come to trial. In 2000, both were convicted of endangering the welfare of a minor in a case involving their daughter. Their daughter was returned to them and they were required to take parenting classes. The couple homeschooled their daughter out of racial prejudice, but did not follow Hawaiis homeschool requirements. When asked about this in court, they reported that they did not know that Hawaii had any requirements for homeschoolers. The couple was originally from South Carolina. In other words, the abusers simply refused to send their child to school. This case has nothing to do with Hawaiis homeschooling lawexcept that the parents were breaking it. CWS had been aware of this family at least since the 2000 conviction and yet again failed. Alexis or AC: The Star-Advertiser reports: This case was described in court as the most severe example of child abuse that a Honolulu hospital staff had ever seen in which the victim survived. Alexis, 10, was discovered in 2005 at a Hawaii island home in a coma with burn marks, maggot-infested wounds, broken bones, half a lip missing and suffering from malnutrition. Prosecutors said the girl, whose full name was not used to protect her identity, was home-schooled to conceal the abuse. Her caregiver, Hyacinth Poouahi, was convicted of multiple charges and received a 20-year prison sentence in 2009. Homeschooled to conceal the abuse? The anti-homeschooling site also says that, but let look at the Star-Advertisers coverage from February 22, 2005: Police had said the girl was in Poouahi's care for three months before the 911 call. On the tape, Poouahi says, "I've only had her since October." The principal of Alexis' school said the girl did not return after winter break. The reason was medical, the school was told. Poouahi did not have the authority to request homeschooling because she was neither the biological parent nor the legal caretaker of Alexis. The Star-Advertiser also does not discuss several other well-known cases of CWS abuse which involved social workers supplying boys to child rapists. In the 1980s and 1990s homosexual child molester Jay Ram on the Big Island at Hakalau began adopting and fostering young boys, even though former members of the commune wrote letters to social services alerting them to Rams sexual behavior with young boys. On Maui, bisexual child molester Florentino Rios (aka Zach Morris) received foster boys to rape for two years after being approved by DWS as a foster parent, despite being unemployed and residing in a homeless shelter. Rios is now serving a 20-year sentence. Rios victims filed suit against the State . ---30--- HSLDA: Major Victory: SB 2323 Sponsor Asks for Bill to be Withdrawn The 10th Annual National Drug Take Back will be held this Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. "The purpose of this event is to keep drugs out of the environment and off of our streets," officials said. Five of the locations will also include document shredders provided by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Division of Consumer Affairs. Local residents are encouraged to drive up and drop off their old medications, prescriptions or over-the-counter, for proper disposal at one of the 14 Hamilton County area locations. The first five sites listed below will have document shredders available for personal documents, such as tax information or medical records. Locations in Hamilton County: Walgreens in Hixson - 5478 TN Highway 153 Walgreens in East Ridge - 5301 Ringgold Road Walgreens in East Brainerd - 2289 Gunbarrel Road Walgreens in Northshore 110 North Market Street Mt. Canaan Baptist Church 4801 Hwy. 58 Elks Lodge #91 1069 Graysville Road First Baptist Church 506 East 8th Street Food City in Red Bank - 3901 Dayton Boulevard Orchard Knob Baptist Church 1734 E. 3rd Street Signal Mountain Police Department -1111 Ridgeway Avenue Walgreens in Brainerd - 3605 Brainerd Road Walgreens in Ooltewah - 9307 County Highway Walgreens in Soddy Daisy 121 Harrison Lane Walgreens in St. Elmo 3550 Broad Street "The program has positive community and environmental benefits," officials said. "Having unused or expired medications in the home can lead to medication errors, accidental overdoses or inappropriate use/abuse. In a well-intentioned effort to avoid these problems, many people flush unwanted medications down the toilet as a means of disposal. However, flushing medications means that traces of these drugs eventually end up back in the environment." Experience shows that the most effective and cost-efficient way to ensure high-quality water at the tap is to keep our source waters clean. We support this partnership because it helps spread an important message to the public: Don't flush medications down the toilet, where they would eventually end up in our waterways, said Kitty Vaughn, Tennessee American Water supervisor of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance. "The local Drug Take Back program offers citizens a chance to safely and conveniently dispose of unwanted, unused prescription or over-the-counter drugs (for both pets and people) and avoid misuse or unintentional harm to families, pets and the environment," officials said. Properly disposing of medication reduces the chance of teenage experimentation and overdose. We encourage residents to take advantage of the drug take back day by simply driving to one of the locations and dropping off medication with no questions asked, said Camilla Bibbs, executive director of the Hamilton County Coalition. Along with Tennessee American Water, other sponsors for the Drug Take Back are: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee Count It! Lock It! Drop It! City of Chattanooga Police Department City of Chattanooga Youth & Family Development CHI Memorial Drug Enforcement Administration East Ridge Police Department Hamilton County Coalition Hamilton County Sheriffs Organization Red Bank Police Department Signal Mountain Police Department Soddy Daisy Police Department Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurances Division of Consumer Affairs Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Tennessee Department of Transportation Tennessee Bureau of Investigation UnitedHealthcare Walgreens Beyond "None of the Above" Dear Friend: April 22, 2018 Some candidates recently asked me: What are you looking for in a candidate? Mahalo for asking, especially as too many critical elections nowadays have too many blank votes for None of the Above (if eligible voters even vote). I look for: Ability Real-world experience. The decisions we ask of our elected officials are complicated with real-world impacts across a diverse society. Broad experience in that world allows a decisionmaker to see the best path forward for all. Hard work. As the saying goes, there is truly no substitute. Elective office takes dedication, commitment and time driven by passion. We cant afford to entrust it to anyone on cruise control. Effectiveness. Much of elective office is basic problem-solving but with high complexity and stakes. What really is the problem, what are the options to solve it, how do we identify and choose the best solution, how do we get it done? Representation Empathy. Weve all lived in our own shoes, but can we put ourselves in others? The ability to do so is essential to wise decisionmaking and especially to achieving the universal values of equality, opportunity, compassion and tolerance. Independence. Too many only want government to do their bidding for their own interests; for them dependence and control to get what they want are the goal. But government only works for the common good when it resists that pull and represents all. Moderation. Extremism on the far right or left of the political spectrum or on any issue adds to the debate but is not where we forge the best solutions. Nobody has a lock on the best ideas and a moderate inclusive approach usually has the best chance at acceptance and success. Leadership Passion. This doesnt mean just yelling and screaming. It means waking up every day with a burning desire to better our state, country and world, whether one is loud or quiet about it. Future focus. Too often our candidates and elected officials hang on to the past while ignoring the future. Yes we must respect and learn from our past, but dwelling there just holds us back. What we can do something about is our future. Long term view. Todays cluttered and noisy debate and right-now media cycle traps us in the short-term. But can one rise above all that and look to the long term: where do we want to be in a year, decade or generation; how do we get there; is this the best way even at the expense of now? Straight talk. Just give it to me straight. I can handle the truth, even if I dont like it, even if I disagree with your solution. Courage. The best leaders in history, science, art, culture, government, you name it, led from the front, often alone and targeted by most. Every elected official is called upon for courage though too few can and do answer that call. Decisionmaking. In our representative democracy, the ultimate job of our elected officials is to make decisions for all. Anyone who has trouble doing that shouldnt apply for the job. Character Power handler. Another saying goes that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is certainly seductive. Some handle it well; it doesnt go to their heads and they stay focused on the common good. But others dont; they descend into arrogance, cronyism, special interest focus and questionable personal behavior. Often the warning signs can be seen in past actions or along the campaign trail. Moral center. An elected official faces constant choices between doing the right thing and yielding to other paths. If she or he doesnt have a strong moral compass as a guide, there is great risk given the power entrusted. Are there such people out there? Certainly! Ive seen and worked with many throughout Hawaii and beyond in all parts of my career and life, to include politics and government. I hope I see them on my ballot. I dont want to vote for None of the Above. Aloha, Ed Case - Hawai'i * * * * * Fix Politics Now! We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.... Aloha, Friend: March 24, 2018 Do you believe that your government is acting with your consent as envisioned in our Declaration of Independence? Or do you believe, like a growing majority of fellow Americans, that the bond between government and governed is dangerously close to breaking, the victim of relentless money-first, party-first, special interest-first, win-at-all-costs focus? This is not just some political science debate. For in this accelerating disconnect, the greatest challenges facing Americans are going unanswered by the very leaders we elect to address them. Clearly the problem cannot and will not produce the solution; that must be led by the governed. Issue One is the leading national nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to political reform and government ethics. It is focused on the core civic issue of our time: fixing democracy for the sake of returning our government to the people. Three years ago Issue One began the ReFormers Caucus, a diverse coalition of former members of Congress, governors and Cabinet officials now almost 200 strong and still growing! We aim to dedicate our unique knowledge and experience inside the system to highlighting the threat and working with fellow citizens toward real solutions. Last week Audrey and I joined my fellow ReFormers Caucus members in Philadelphia where it all began. We gathered in tiny Carpenters Hall, where the First Continental Congress convened in 1774 and in just seven weeks hammered out many of the basic principles and compromises on which our democracy is based. There we unveiled our Declaration to Renew the Founders Promise and invited our fellow citizens to join our recommitment. Later, at the National Constitution Center overlooking a floodlit Independence Hall, we conducted a live citizens town hall to jumpstart a national focus on fixing politics. It was deeply humbling and inspiring, and we came away from Philadelphia not with despair but with hope and belief that we can all renew the promise, just as we have before. The broad outlines at all levels of government are to promote transparency and disclosure, increase participation in elections, reduce pay-to-play politics, strengthen enforcement of existing laws, and improve government integrity and accountability. Specific proposals include curbing soft and dark money contributions and strengthening conflict of interest and ethics rules. We need you! Here are just a few ways you can help take our government back: -Join growing numbers of your fellow citizens who have signed our Declaration to show your own commitment to real reform. -Ask your U.S. Senators and Representatives to join the Congressional Reformers Caucus and sign on to proposed legislation to fix politics now. -Make political reform your top issue in the critical elections for federal, state and local government this year and hold your candidates accountable with your support and vote. As I sat in Carpenters Hall with my colleagues, I reflected that the founders who met there almost two-and-a-half centuries ago didnt then know that much of the rest of the world, including Hawaii, even existed. Yet they declared universal ideals that earned the consent of the governed and have stood the test of time and place. Ideals that, in these difficult times, are worth fighting for, all over again. Mahalo, The Connection Between Russia and 2 Green Groups Fighting Fracking in US Kevin Mooney, Daily Signal, April 22, 2018 New Yorkers who are missing out on the natural gas revolution could be victims of Russian spy operations that fund popular environmental groups, current and former U.S. government officials and experts on Russia worry. Natural gas development of the celebrated Marcellus Shale deposits has spurred jobs and other economic growth in neighboring Pennsylvania. But not in New York, which nearly 10 years ago banned the process of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, to produce natural gas. Two environmental advocacy groups that successfully lobbied against fracking in New York each received more than $10 million in grants from a foundation in California that got financial support from a Bermuda company congressional investigators linked to the Russians, public documents show. The environmental groups Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club Foundation received millions of dollars in grants from the San Francisco-based Sea Change Foundation. Follow the money trail, and this [New York] ban on fracking could be viewed as an example of successful Russian espionage, Ken Stiles, a CIA veteran of 29 years who now teaches at Virginia Tech, told The Daily Signal. To Stiles and other knowledgeable observers, this looks like an actual case of knowing or unknowing collusion with Russia. Both Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club Foundation also accepted tens of millions from the Energy Foundation, the top recipient of grants from Sea Change, according to foundation and tax records. When New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, renewed his states ban on fracking three years ago, the Natural Resources Defense Council issued a statement supporting the ban. So did the Sierra Club, the primary recipient of grants from its sister organization, the Sierra Club Foundation. Environmental activists associated with the groups receiving Sea Change Foundation grants continued to pressure Cuomo and other public officials to maintain and expand New Yorks fracking ban. Most recently, the two environmental groups scored another victory when the Delaware River Basin Commission, an interstate regulatory agency that includes the governors of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, proposed a ban on fracking within the Delaware River Basin cutting across all four states. The Sierra Club and the Natural Resource Defense Council have pressed the regional commission to impose the ban, issuing statements ( here and here ) calling for restrictions that are tighter than what the commission proposed. PennEast Pipeline Co. is set to begin construction on a 120-mile-long pipeline to transport natural gas from the Marcellus Shale across Eastern Pennsylvania into New Jersey. In a new public relations campaign , PennEast asks New Jersey residents if they would rather obtain their energy from Pennsylvania or Russia. PennEast cites media reports describing how anti-pipeline policies in Massachusetts forced the state into a position where it had to rely on Russian imports of liquified natural gas during peak cold periods this past winter. The Russian Money Trail Government officials and environmental leaders have a responsibility to track the money, Stiles, the former CIA officer, told The Daily Signal in an interview. The Russians are very adept and skilled at making long-term investments, Stiles said. They sit back very patiently to see how their funding can pay off over a period of many years. Stiles added: Whether these environmental groups realize it or not, they could be operating as what we [in the CIA] call agents of influence. By working to block natural gas production, environmental activists are advancing policies that work to the advantage of Russia and to the disadvantage of America and Americas allies. Logo of the Natural Resources Defense Council Karen Moreau, who is in charge of the New York office of the American Petroleum Institute, a trade association for gas and oil companies, argues that the resulting policy hurts state residents and businesses. New York remains at a disadvantage because other states are not just more pro-energy, they are more pro-business and therefore pipelines that could have been constructed in New York taking gas from the Marcellus Shale are instead moving south, not north, Moreau told The Daily Signal. The manufacturing renaissance that is taking place in this country thanks to the presidents policies is not happening in states like New York, she said. A senior adviser to the State Department told a recent conference that Trump administration policies supporting energy dominance could help the U.S. eclipse the amount of natural gas Russia exports to the European Union. The Daily Signal unsuccessfully sought comment from the Sierra Club Foundation and its affiliate the Sierra Club, as well as Natural Resources Defense Council and Sea Change Foundation, on the allegations of Russian financial support for environmentalists anti-fracking and anti-pipeline campaigns. The Marcellus Shale is a geological formation of sedimentary rock with large deposits of natural gas that cuts across southwestern New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, western Ohio, most of West Virginia, and small portions of Kentucky and Tennessee. The U.S. Geological Survey determined that the Marcellus Shale contains about 84 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas and 3.4 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas liquids. Since the U.S. is now the top producer of natural gas in the world, and well positioned to export liquefied natural gas across the globe, Russia recognizes it gradually could lose influence in parts of the world where Moscow has been the dominant supplier of oil and gas, Stiles said in a phone interview. Americas natural gas revolution has huge geopolitical ramifications, so Russias motivation to try to block our natural gas development is easy to understand, the CIA veteran said. If you are worried about the Russian bear rearing its ugly head in the next several years, the way to stop that and put it back into its cage is to cut it off at the knees financially. Thats what natural gas pipelines are all about and thats what fracking is all about. We are providing affordable energy to average Americans at home and our allies overseas. The Sierra Club Foundations logo US Gains in Market In the fracking technique applied to shale formations, engineers inject water mixed with sand and chemicals into a well at high pressure, producing a fluid that fractures the rock and releases trapped oil or natural gas. Environmentalists continue to challenge fracking, arguing among other things that it contaminates well water. The natural gas import-export equation has changed radically in the past few years, with trends pointing to the U.S. becoming a net exporter. Richard Westerdale, the senior adviser with the State Department, made this point in November during the Heartland Institutes America First Energy Conference in Houston, Texas. By 2020, the U.S. will be approaching nearly 100 billion cubic meters in [liquefied natural gas] exports, Westerdale said in a presentation. Its simply amazing to me to think that back in 2010, we were building [liquefied natural gas] import terminals. As natural gas markets become increasingly competitive, the world wins, he added, since well-functioning markets reinforce global energy security, foster economic growth and commercial interests abroad, and, depending upon how host countries choose to use [natural gas resources], it can in fact enhance environmental stewardship. In three of the first five months of 2017, U.S. natural gas exports were greater than imports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The most recent available data shows that U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas increased for the duration of 2017 as new facilities went operational. Logo of Sea Change Foundation What Consumers Know Stiles, who teaches espionage and national security issues in Virginia Techs geography department, defines espionage, or spying, as an operation that is planned and executed as to conceal the identity of, or permit plausible denial by, the sponsor. One way for Moscow to conceal its sponsorship of anti-fracking campaigns in New York or elsewhere in the U.S. is to move its funding indirectly and anonymously through various entities, the former CIA analyst told The Daily Signal. I think the groups and individuals on both sides of the debate over fracking and pipelines have a tendency to just look in their own back yards, without looking at the larger geopolitical picture, Stiles said. If it was more widely known that anti-fracking, anti-pipeline operations may be benefitting from a foreign source of funding, this would certainly impact the debate. The agents of influence described by Stiles range from controlled agents and trusted contacts who know theyre working for a foreign government to manipulated sources who have no idea that theyre doing the bidding of a foreign power. The former CIA analyst said he is inclined to characterize environmental activists who received Russian funding through indirect channels, such as Sea Change or the Energy Foundation, as manipulated sources. Stiles calls on the leadership of environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council, which accepted large amounts through such channels, to start asking hard questions. Its either a lack of due diligence or incompetence, or they may actually know something about a particular donor, but they dont want to ask that question, Stiles said. I tend to think the issue is more that they are just not looking the gift horse in the mouth, and they are just taking the money. Energy Foundations logo Paperless Money Trail Sea Change Foundation, a family charity, is identified in congressional reports and correspondence as a major incubator of funding from foreign sources, including Russia. That money ends up in the coffers of U.S. environmental groups opposed to natural gas development and drilling techniques such as fracking that make that development possible. Nathaniel Simons and his wife, Laura Baxter-Simons, established Sea Change Foundation in 2006. Simons is the son of James Simons, founder of the New York-based Renaissance Technologies hedge fund firm. Sea Change, according to its website , works to address the serious threats posed by global climate change, focusing on climate change mitigation and clean energy policy in the United States and internationally. In July 2014, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee released a report describing how a Bermuda-based company, Klein Ltd., was set up for the sole purpose of funneling anonymous donations to Sea Change. Bermuda law permits Klein Ltd. to conceal foreign sources of funding, the report explains. It appears that Klein exists on paper only, as it does not have an internet presence, and was set up for the sole purpose of funneling anonymous donations to Sea Change, the report says. Subsequent investigations building on the findings of the Senate committeeincluding that of the Washington-based Environmental Policy Allianceestablished a connection between Wakefield Quin, the law firm that set up Klein, and top Kremlin officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. Lawyers and others at Wakefield Quin have been associated with Russian energy companies and worked with Leonid Reiman, a former Russian minister of telecommunications and longtime Putin ally, these investigations found. Environmental Policy Alliance , which opposes the agenda of liberal green groups, is affiliated with Washington lobbyist Rick Berman and his Berman & Co. public affairs firm. Sea Change has not responded directly to The Daily Signal in the past, and did not respond for this report. In an email to Salon , however, the foundation in July 2017 acknowledged receiving financial support from Klein, saying it accepted the companys grant money as general support with no proviso that it be used for specific programs. Response From Klein Ltd. In an email to The Daily Signal, Roderick M. Forrest, a Wakefield Quin lawyer representing Klein Ltd., described allegations against his Bermuda-based client as completely false and irresponsible. Klein, he said, has no Russian connection whatsoever. Forrest made similar assertions in an email to The Washington Times in July 2017. The Daily Signal had sought the law firms comment on allegations of Russian funding of U.S. environmental groups and Kleins alleged role in easing movement of Russian funds to the Sea Change Foundation. Our firm has represented Klein since its inception, Forrest said in the email, and we can state categorically that at no point did this philanthropic organization receive or expend funds from Russian sources or Russian-connected sources and Klein has no Russian connection whatsoever. The lawyer for Klein added: Attorneys, law firms, financial institutions and all other companies based in Bermuda operate under a regulatory and anti-money laundering regime which applies standards which are amongst the highest in the world. Illicit movement of funds falls well below such standards and any informed party would understand that, not only is there no substance or truth to such allegations in this case, the allegations appear to be intended to damage the reputation of the Bermuda-based individuals and businesses named. Bermuda and the U.S. have in place an information exchange framework under which the U.S. government, its regulators and law enforcement agencies have access to all information concerning financial transactions in Bermuda and by Bermuda entities. Through this framework, information is available to such proper authorities, enabling them to be satisfied as to the probity of any alleged payments. Julie Hill, a professor at University of Alabama School of Law with expertise in regulation of financial institutions, told The Daily Signal that it is not as easy as it was at one time to engage in money laundering in places such as Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. Thats because monetary authorities now collect more information from companies than they did previously, Hill said. This information is not made public, but it can be given to foreign governments, Hill said in an interview, adding: The advantage in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands now would be more in terms of tax neutrality rather than anonymity. But its certainly true that various entities have in the past engaged in money laundering schemes in these locations, and the Russians would be part of this history. Today there are more barriers than in the past. That doesnt mean it cant be done, it just means its harder. Ripe for Investigation Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, sent a letter in June to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin saying allegations of Russian financial support for U.S. environmental groups are ripe for an investigation by the Treasury Department. In the letter, previously reported by The Daily Signal, Smith noted that Klein Ltd. and Wakefield Quin share the same Bermuda address with more than 20 other companies apparently run through the law firm. A review of IRS 990 Forms shows that Klein contributed $23 million to Sea Change in 2010 and 2011, almost half of what the California foundation received in that time. The 990 forms indicate Sea Change then made grants concentrated on environmental advocacy groups. From 2010 through 2015, the Sierra Club Foundation received more than $18 million from Sea Change and Natural Resources Defense Council received more than $15 million. Both groups are on record opposing natural gas development in New York, and both are among the top 10 recipients of Sea Change grants, according to an analysis of foundation records. The Energy Foundation, at $64 million, was the top recipient of Sea Change grants from 2010 through 2015, the most recent year for which 990s are available. The 2014 Senate report describes the Energy Foundation as a pass through public charity that donates to environmental activist groups such as the Sierra Club Foundation and Natural Resources Defense Council. The idea behind a pass through organization, according to the Senate report, is to create the appearance of a more diversified base of support and to shield donors from accountability. Between 1998 and 2015, the Energy Foundation paid 30,178 grants to 12,058 recipients totaling more than $1.2 billion, records show. Grantees included environmental groups active in opposing natural gas development of the Marcellus Shale. The top recipient was Natural Resources Defense Council, with more than $35 million. The Sierra Club Foundation received more than $16 million. (The council has $ 236.5 million in net assets, while the foundation has $113.2 million in net assets.) Recalling Cold War History Paul Kengor, a Grove City College political science professor who has researched the history of Moscows manipulation of U.S. political figures, told The Daily Signal that he sees an old Cold War powder keg that went dry suddenly being reignited. What makes the current situation more nefarious today is the possibilityif this is indeed accurateof Russian manipulation of domestic groups inside the United States and the willful cooperation of those domestic environmentalists, Kengor, a biographer of Ronald Reagan, said in an email, adding: In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan had one heck of a time trying to enlist the support of our Western allies in blocking the Siberian gas pipeline in Russia. Even [British Prime Minister] Margaret Thatcher balked; in fact, thats an understatement: Thatcher was vehemently opposed because she wanted Britain to have the cheap Russian gas and wanted some British firms to have some of the construction contracts. The same was true for the West Germans and the French. Ronald Reagan boldly proceeded almost alone in this effort in the 1980s. But here today we have the extremely troubling possibility of our own U.S. citizens being targeted by the Russians for manipulation in undercutting our own domestic energy industry, our workers, and our citizens. What stands out in terms of Cold War history and its relevance to contemporary questions of espionage is the role of Putin, warns Bonner Cohen, a senior fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research, a Washington-based think tank that supports free market solutions to policy challenges. Putin, lets not forget, is an old hand at using Western pressure groups to serve the Kremlins purposes, Cohen said in an email. When, in the 1980s, the old Soviet Union was manipulating self-styled peace groups in Western Europe and the U.S. in an effort to divide NATO and isolate the U.S., Putin was a mid-level KGB agent in East Germany. Cohen added: Though that effort ultimately failed, Putin learned his lesson well. Then it was U.S. missiles to defend Western Europe that had to be demonized; today, it is U.S. oil and natural gas that are portrayed as a threat. In both cases, money changed hands, and scare tactics were the order of the day. New Yorkers and High Energy Costs New York residents continue to pay the price for Cuomos ban on drilling techniques that make it possible to access natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, laments Moreau, executive director of the American Petroleum Institutes New York office. People who could have had inexpensive natural gas instead have had to pay very high electricity prices due to the cold snap this winter, Moreau told The Daily Signal, and many power generators were actually forced to burn oil instead of natural gas due to the constraints on natural gas. The 625 members of API, a national trade association, include major energy companies in the oil and gas industry. Although New York is the fourth-largest consumer of natural gas in the nation, that natural gas primarily is imported from other states, Moreau said. If not for the pro-energy development policies of other states, New Yorkers would be bitterly freezing this winter, she said. The Daily Signal sought comment from Cuomos office to ask if the New York governor had concerns about allegations of Russian support for environmental groups active in his state. His office has not responded. Cohen, of the National Center for Public Policy Research, said he sees a connection between Putins government in Moscow and influential U.S. environmental groups that is difficult to deny. The Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and other advocacy groups may have their own green reasons for opposing Americas realizing the energy potential of its abundant fossil fuels, Cohen said in an email to The Daily Signal. At the same time, these groups know full well that they receive funding from the Sea Change Foundation and the Energy Foundation, both of which, according to a congressional report, are funded by Russian interests via a Bermuda-based shell company. Some green groups and Russia under Putin have a common interest in demonizing fracking and related technologies that have tilted global energy markets in Americas favor, Cohen said. Tax Hike on Ballot: Point by Point Debunk of HSTA Lies PBN: The Hawaii State Teachers Association tried this last year and failed; this year they succeeded. But their rationalizations arent any smarter. It boils down to raw envy. Many wealthy people are using these properties to pad their own wealth, said HSTA President Corey Rosenlee in a statement. If these rich out-of-state investors can afford multimillion-dollar properties, they can afford to pay taxes to help educate Hawaiis children. No one is going after the average homeowner. Were really going after the speculators and the corporations that are buying up so much property that its driving up the cost of living that people cant afford to live in Hawaii. Rosenlee is either misinformed, or misinforming us deliberately. Hawaiis housing shortage, and corresponding astronomical median home price, has far more to do with our own local anti-growth, anti-development policies than anything outside money is capable of doing. The case for this bill was made with several other dubious assertions: That public education is Hawaii is underfunded. Is it? In fact, Hawaiis per-pupil funding is 17th highest in the nation, as of 2015, according to U.S. Census data compiled by the public policy website, governing.com. The states education budget was $2.36 billion that year, per-pupil spending was $12,855. The national average was $11,392. Its nice to know theres some measure by which the DOE is above average, because it certainly isnt when it comes to student outcomes. But thats peanuts when adjusted for Hawaiis cost of living, argues HSTA, which exposes something true but unsaid by the union none of this is about spending more money on students, or on education. Its about spending money on teachers. Thats the only arena in which Hawaiis cost of living has any relevance. Unless HSTA is planning on unleashing previously unseen levels of performance after it gets the money, the public will be left with schools no more effective than before, only more expensive. Revenue and spending on the schools has actually been increasing, according to an independent audit of the DOE by N&K CPAs Inc., for the state auditor, even without a special tax. Revenues increased 12 percent from fiscal year 2015 to 2016, to $3.098 billion. In FY 2015, $2.393 was spent on school-related activities, in 2016 it was $2.498 billion. For historical perspective, in 1998, according to the State Data Book, public school spending was $1.64 billion. In todays dollars, thats $2.46 billion, nearly exactly where were at now. Enrollment in 98 was 188,069 students, as of the 2014-2015 school year, its down to 180,895. I have a hard time buying the argument that theres some urgent, now-more-than-ever funding crisis. That public education has no dedicated revenue stream. Gosh, no, aside from the enormous taxation powers of state government itself! Look at what the state takes out of your paycheck every two weeks. That, right there, is the dedicated revenue stream for public education, which is the single largest activity of state government. read Written exam in November on school tax * * * * * HSTA Slush Fund Unlimited Tax Increases in Your Future CB: Should the proposal for a constitutional amendment pass, lawmakers would still need to figure out details of how high any surcharge might be, which investment properties to target and which components of public education could be the main beneficiaries of the revenue. Because the final wording of the ballot question is so vague, there is no dollar figure on how much the surcharge could generate or specifics on how this tax structure could work. Opponents, however, believe this type of tax creates a potentially risky scenario that will siphon much-needed revenue away from counties, which currently exercise control over property tax revenue, and lead to a trickle-down effect that will expand other taxes and stick renters with higher costs. The Senate passed the measure by a 23-1 vote. Senate Bill 2922 was introduced in the Senate, got sent to the House, where it was amended, and was returned to the Senate for final consideration. The lone dissenter was Sen. Gil Riviere, of Waialua, who argued that although the proposed tax on residential investment property is meant to target the wealthy, it will lead to negative repercussions on regular people who rent. City and county officials are also in opposition. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwells administration said such a tax will have an adverse impact on Honolulus real estate market since it might dissuade potential investors from investing in higher-priced properties, driving rents up higher overall. Harry Kim, the mayor of Hawaii County, wrote in testimony that the county relies overwhelmingly on real property taxes to fund our operations and that a surcharge on residential investment properties would make it more difficult to balance his budget. read Voters Will Decide Whether To Hike Property Taxes To Fund Schools * * * * * Amendment for education would raid county coffers Shapiro: its vague language doesnt guarantee all funds would go to education, lawmakers fail to weigh other priorities for limited tax dollars, and they constrain the counties ability to use the property tax their main funding source for their own needs. The amendment was pushed by the Hawaii State Teachers Association, which originally sought to fund it through the states excise or hotel room tax. It didnt gain traction until lawmakers glommed onto the idea using the property tax, enabling them to win favor with the powerful teachers union while putting the fiscal pain on the counties. The unions main interest is raising money for bigger teacher pay raises. Pressing issues for the kids, such as dilapidated facilities, wouldnt necessarily receive priority for new funding. The proposed amendment doesnt say how much would be raised, which properties would be taxed or exactly how the funds would be used. It would simply allow a future Legislature to enact a surcharge on investment real property to be used to support public education. While lawmakers say the tax is aimed at outside investors, the language doesnt guarantee local homeowners or renters wouldnt end up bearing the weight. Nor does it guarantee legislators wouldnt use the new money as a cover to reduce existing general funds for education. This tax hasnt been discussed in the context of overall state and county needs. Each dollar it siphons from a limited tax base is a dollar unavailable for homelessness, public worker pension and health care deficits, and infrastructure threatened by decay and rising sea levels all of which will take billions to solve. The property tax until now has been a constitutionally protected county tax, vital to local government services, and opening it to the states sticky fingers creates uncertainties that could hamstring county finances. read Amendment for education would raid county coffers * * * * * CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BETTER FUND SCHOOLS APPROVED BY LAWMAKERS; WILL BE ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT News Release from HSTA, April 23, 2018 The State Senate today approved a bill to ask voters to decide this fall whether the state should be empowered to impose a surcharge on residential investment properties to help fund public education. The Senates 23 to one vote in favor of the Constitutional Amendment proposal comes after members of the State House unanimously approved the bill April 10. Every year we say education is a priority, but we dont do enough to improve chronic underfunding of public education while Hawaiis children are falling behind and schools struggle to prepare students for 21st century jobs, said Corey Rosenlee, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association. We need to reinvest in our public schools to make Hawaii more competitive in attracting good paying jobs and ensuring that our keiki have the skills they need to compete in the worldwide economy. The intent of both the State Senate and House has been that this surcharge would not apply to owner-occupants but instead is aimed at investment properties worth $1 million or more, Rosenlee added. Trump Towers was able to quickly sell out more than 400 units, with some condos selling for more than $10 million. Many wealthy people are using these properties to pad their own wealth. If these rich out-of-state investors can afford multi-million dollar properties, they can afford to pay taxes to help educate Hawaiis children. As a result of lawmakers votes, the measure for a Constitutional Amendment will automatically be on the ballot for Hawaii voters to decide in the general election on Nov. 6. If a majority of voters approves the amendment, next years Legislature will set up the details of how the surcharge will be implemented, including any exemptions lawmakers may want to add. Rosenlee thanked the 50 state representatives and 23 senators who voted to send the proposal to the ballot box, singling out Senate Education Chair Michelle Kidani and House Education Chair Justin Woodson, who shepherded the proposal through their committees, working diligently and collaboratively to bring it to votes in both houses. Leaders of the House and Senate made it clear that they do not intend to create a surcharge that would affect the average Hawaii resident, since owner-occupants would be exempt and even those who own second or third homes or condos would not be affected as long as each property is valued under $1 million, said Rosenlee. No one is going after the average homeowner. Were really going after the speculators and the corporations that are buying up so much property that its driving up the cost of living that people cant afford to live in Hawaii. Hawaii is the only state in the country that does not use some portion of property taxes to fund its schools, which results in the 50th State spending the lowest percentage of both state and local revenue toward education in the entire nation. Hawaii teachers have the lowest pay in the country, when our Hawaii cost of living is factored in, resulting in constant turnover and more than 1,000 teacher vacancies each school year, Rosenlee said. That means thousands of students are regularly taught by uncertified and unqualified long-term substitutes, some of whom lack a college degree. If we want to attract and keep quality teachers, we need to invest in our schools to give our educators and our students the resources to excel. ---30--- About the Hawaii State Teachers Association: The Hawaii State Teachers Association is the exclusive representative of 13,700 public school teachers statewide. As the state affiliate of the 3-million member National Education Association, HSTA represents and supports teachers in collective bargaining, as well as with legislative and professional development issues. Three dead, dozens injured in Chile hospital blast At least three people have died and around 50 injured in a gas explosion at a hospital in the Chilean city of Concepcion, the local chief of police told media on April 21. Mayor Alvaro Ortiz said there had been a gas leak in the Clinica Sanatorio Aleman, which was evacuated while a gas company investigated the leak reports. Doctors and patients were coming back into the building when the blast took place. Image: Clinica Sanatorio Aleman According to local media, two men and a female employee of a Starbucks outlet near the hospital were among the dead. Ortiz said that a number of the injured were in critical condition. The governor of the region of Biobio, Jorge Ulloa, said that part of the hospital had collapsed and neighbouring buildings were also damaged. The Clinica Sanatorio Aleman was founded in 1997 by German-born physicians in Concepcion, which is 430 km south of the Chilean capital, Santiago. Ministers Learn about the ministers of the Health portfolio, including who they are, what they are responsible for and what they do. (Bloomberg) In the 1970s, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer revolutionized operating system software. Thirty years later, Mark Zuckerberg helped pioneer social networking. So whats the latest generation of Harvard tech entrepreneurs up to? Looking to cash in on cryptocurrency, of course. Sign of the times. Bushra Hamid, the 19-year-old daughter of Syrian immigrants, has teamed up with three schoolmates to form Plympton Capital, a hedge fund for investing in digital currencies. Hamid says they aim to launch in six to eight weeks, starting with $1 million. Plympton, named for a street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has already raised $700,000 from friends and family. To read this article: (Bloomberg) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, as relations between the worlds two most-populous countries thaw after a tense border dispute last year. To read this article: The Finnish government proposed after the two-day session that laying off staff on personal grounds be made easier for businesses with no more than 20 staff and that employers be allowed to hire under 30-year-old unemployed job seekers on fixed-term contracts without justification. Prime Minister Juha Sipila (Centre) has defended the proposals tabled by his government after its fourth and final framework session in Helsinki on 11 April, 2018. Sipila on Sunday reminded that youth unemployment has not decreased at the same rate as other forms of unemployment. Young people especially are at risk of long-term unemployment and other problems when the unemployment period has lasted three months, he argued during his weekly interview on YLE Radio Suomi. Employers, he added, will only be able to offer fixed-term contracts without the necessary justification to under 30-year-old job seekers who have been without a job for a minimum of three months. This is an attempt to lower the threshold for hiring such young people. Its not like were weakening their terms and conditions of employment. The objective is to have young people show what theyre made of and have the employment relationship become an ordinary one on regular terms, explained Sipila. Jarkko Eloranta, the chairperson of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), warned a day earlier that the proposal could erode the livelihood and future prospects of young people especially women. Sipila said he disagrees, viewing that it is unlikely the proposal will result in an increase in fixed-term employment. What sense would it make for employers to hire another person who has been unemployed for three months just when the [current] employee has learnt their responsibilities? he asked. This will make it easier to enter into an employment contract, not to chain fixed-term contracts. He also reiterated that the objective of the proposal to make it easier for small businesses to make staff redundant on personal grounds is to reduce the risks businesses take when hiring employees. If the threshold to go from a sole proprietor to a self-employed employer was lower, we wouldnt have this unemployment problem. Its a problem especially for small businesses where hiring an employee comes with the biggest risks but also with great opportunities, said Sipila. Antti Rinne, the chairperson of the Social Democrats, said last weekend he has called a joint meeting of the opposition parties to draft an interpellation against the proposed revisions to the protection of employees against unilateral termination. Several trade unions, meanwhile, have announced their readiness to stage strikes if the government proceeds with its proposals. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi Sara Kunnemann Rusk, the art teacher at Lake Forest Middle School in Cleveland, was awarded two Allied Arts Council of Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce Arts in Education grants totaling $700. The funds from the grant went towards kits to make sketchbooks, drawing and painting materials, linoleum printmaking blocks and printmaking supplies. This grant made it possible for two Advanced Art classes and an after school Art Club made up of about 80 students to do projects that Ms. Rusk didnt have money in her budget to afford. "A sketchbook is such a valuable tool for an artist, but they can be expensive," said Ms. Rusk. "This grant gave each student the opportunity to design and create their own sketchbook that they could then keep to fill with art. "Thanks to this generous grant this is the first time I have been able to make sketchbooks with my students and they absolutely loved the project. Printmaking is one of my students favorite projects. I notice that they get so excited about the actual project itself and are always so proud of the finished product. "My students did amazing on these projects and learned so much during the lesson! The past three years I was able to do projects with my students that I ordinarily wouldnt have been able to afford thanks to the generous grants I received from the Allied Arts Council of Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce." THIS years Henley in Bloom summer hanging baskets will help tackle the towns air pollution problem. They will contain hairy plants that absorb toxins and particulates produced by vehicle exhausts. Businesses and residents can now place orders for the baskets, which will be supplied and maintained by WindowFlowers, as usual. The annual hanging baskets scheme is being co-ordinated by Henley in Bloom and supported by the Henley Standard. Since we launched the Buy a Basket campaign in 2013 more than 1,000 have been sold. This years baskets will contain petunia surfinia sky blue, petunia surfinia sweet pink, dichondra argenta silver falls, plectranthus madagascariensis variegated mintleaf, begonia illumination white and pelargonium peltatum lilac. Dichondra, plectranthus and petunia surfinia all have hairy leaves and/or stems. Henley Mayor Kellie Hinton, who chairs Henley in Bloom, said it was important to tackle the pollution problem the levels of nitrogen dioxide in some town centre streets are 50 per cent higher than Air Quality Englands target limit of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. She said: We will be using more air-improving plants. They will be sticky- leaf type plants and flowers which help draw out toxins from the air. It may only make a small contribution but every bit we can do helps. It all contributes to improving the towns air quality. Miles Watson-Smyth, managing director of WindowFlowers, of Burnham, said: This year the baskets will be designed to help improve the air quality in the town. Included in the mix are hairy plants with toxin- absorbing properties. These plants not only absorb common pollutants but transport them down to their roots where bacteria help to break down these chemicals to form nutrients for the plant in a symbiotic relationship. The plants have also been selected to maximise the floral impact for as long as possible. The colours are selected to ensure that the baskets are really noticed by residents and visitors alike. We shall be mixing pastel colours to produce a delicate mix. Councillor Hinton added: Its about making Henley as attractive as possible. We want the town to look beautiful for our residents and there will be the environmental benefits as well. The baskets will be installed next month or early in June and removed in the autumn. Last year 237 baskets were bought by residents, businesses and charities. The scheme is continuing even though Henley is not entering this years Britain in Bloom awards after winning six consecutive golds in the Thames and Chilterns in Bloom awards. Cllr Hinton said: We still do everything. We do things like planters and baskets because it benefits the town. Each year more and more people support the hanging baskets scheme, whether its buying a basket for the house or buying one as a donation if they live too far from the town centre. We encourage people to do it and its not just about the shops, although we would like to see more chain stores providing us with support. Each basket costs 62, including VAT. Discounts are available for orders of more than 10 baskets. A new bracket to hang the basket will cost 26.40 including VAT. To place an order, complete the order form published here. The form is also available from the town hall. Alternatively, call Becky Walker at Henley Town Council on (01491) 576982 or email b.walker@henley towncouncil.gov.uk A MOTHER stabbed to death at her London home had just completed a two-week trial at a Henley hotel. Samantha Clarke, 38, died in Brixton on Sunday evening, days after celebrating her son Joshuas 14th birthday. Mrs Clarke, who lived with her son and husband Paul, recently spent two weeks working as an assistant manager at the Red Lion Hotel in Hart Street. Owner Sam Gill said: Our hearts go out to her family and especially her young son. She was a lovely lady. Police are questioning a 24-year-old man believed to be Mrs Clarkes nephew. Dr. Charles Woods, former chairman of the Department of Pediatrics with the University of Louisville College of Medicine, has been named chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga and chief medical officer of the Childrens Hospital at Erlanger. The announcement was made jointly by Dr. Bruce Shack, dean of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Medicine in Chattanooga and Kevin M. Spiegel, FACHE, president and CEO of the Erlanger Health System. Childrens Hospital is the only pediatric specialty hospital in the region and one of six hospitals currently in the Erlanger Health System. In his new position, Dr. Woods will oversee department faculty at Childrens Hospital, as well as all faculty appointments and educational activities. He will also help advance strategic planning of the new Childrens Hospital and its research activities. Slated to begin his new leadership role at Erlanger this summer, Dr. Woods said, The physicians and leadership teams of Erlanger and UT College of Medicine strongly believe in their mission to provide excellent healthcare to children. I look forward to joining them in this effort in July. Noting that the new chief of pediatrics is nationally recognized in the world of pediatrics and infectious disease, Dr. Shack said, All of us at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga and Childrens Hospital of Erlanger are extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Charles Woods to our campus as the new chair of the Department of Pediatrics and CMO of the new Childrens Hospital. He brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and academic leadership skills with him to these positions. His arrival will put us in an excellent position to move forward with improvements in our pediatric training programs and patient care. Erlanger CEO Kevin Spiegel said Dr. Woods is the ideal person to take our department of pediatrics to the next level and we join Dean Shack in welcoming him to Chattanooga and to our faculty. He has an impressive record of mentoring other physicians, leading clinical trials and research efforts, and there is no question he will help build our reputation, program and faculty in a significant way. Dr. Woods is a native of Alabama and graduated from Samford University. He attended medical school and completed his residency and fellowship training in pediatric infectious diseases at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He also has a masters degree in Epidemiology from Wake Forest University. He has served as in numerous roles, including chairman, in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Louisville School of Medicine since 2006. A leader in the specialty of infectious diseases, Dr. Wood was elected by national peers as an officer in the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society where he contributed to numerous research, study groups and task forces related to this specialty. He has also been active in the American Academy of Pediatrics, participating in the Academys annual leadership forums and has received numerous teaching and mentoring awards. In 2017, Dr. Woods was recognized with the Kentucky Medical Association Educational Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the field of medical education. He also received the Distinguished Educator Award from the University of Louisville School of Medicine and was named Outstanding Clinical Professor of the Year two consecutive years by graduating pediatrics residents at the UL School of Medicine. Dr. Woods has lectured on infectious diseases at more than 60 pediatrics and public health conferences throughout the United States, served on numerous editorial boards and is currently Associate Editor of The Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. Over the years, he has written chapters in more than 40 books, with subjects ranging from pediatric meningitis to immunization practices. He has authored or co-authored more than 110 journal articles and reviews for medical journal publications related to his specialty. President Xi Jinping on Monday asked the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to take "all necessary means" immediately to handle a major road accident there involving Chinese tourists. Chinese President Xi Jinping [File Photo: Xinhua] Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, called for "all-out" effort to rescue the injured and handle ensuing issues for the deceased. A tourist bus fell from a bridge in North Hwanghae Province at around 6 p.m. Sunday. The victims included 34 Chinese -- 32 were killed and two were seriously injured. The municipal government in the west coast Canadian city of Vancouver has delivered a formal apology to the Chinese community for past discriminatory policies against the city's Chinese community, reports Chinanews.com. The official Twitter account of the Vancouver Mayor's Office. [Screenshot: China Plus] Mayor Gregor Robertson read the apology in English on Sunday afternoon as part of a ceremony held in the city's Chinatown area. Former Vancouver City councilors Maggie Ip and Bill Yee read the apology in Cantonese and the Sze Yup dialect, which are both widely spoken among Vancouver's Chinese residents. Representatives of Vancouver's Chinese community also spoke about the hardships their ancestors went through, while also highlighting Chinese people's contribution to the development of Canada. To try to stem a perceived mass influx of Chinese migrants at the time, the city of Vancouver introduced a number of discriminatory policies. They included banning Chinese residents from voting in local elections between 1886 and 1948. They were also not able to hold public office. A Chinese "head tax" was also instituted at the time, among with other discriminatory policies. In a bid to right the past wrongs, Vancouver city council launched a historical review of the policies in 2014. This then led to the city council finally approving Sunday's formal apology late last year. Vancouver's move follows a move by the federal government of Canada, which has also issued a formally apology to Chinese-Canadians for past discrimination. Manila (CNN Philippines Life) Despite its looming temporary closure, Boracay folks were on high gear as they worked to cater to the islands visitors. It was a busy weekend in Boracay. I was there visiting a relative. Everything seemed normal at first until I started to notice a difference. In restaurants, chatter from waitresses and waiters heard in the background are not of the usual kind. Theyre talking about what theyll be doing next. Meanwhile, the beach vendors who make a living mostly from tourists are working extra hard and more aggressively while they count the days before the island shuts down for rehabilitation. Before making the trip, I made sure I had some extra 20, 50 and 100 peso bills so I could tip porters, waiters, and practically anyone who assists me even in the smallest way. While I was there, I could sense that other Filipino visitors did the same. On my way from the jetty port to the resort, I asked the tricycle driver if he was ready for the shutdown. Hindi po kami nakapag-ipon dahil kakatapos lang ng graduation ng mga bata," he said. He went on to say that he worries about pasukan in June since that means paying tuition and school expenses. I asked him what he plans on doing to survive during the closure and he said maghihintay na lang po ng grasya. He has three children and his wife is a stay-at-home mother. As for establishments, some will continue to employ their workers for as long as they can. Mark Santiago, a consultant for Epic Bar and Restaurant, a popular nightlife hot spot for locals and tourists said There is confusion and anxiety, with government having no clear plans on what will happen. Like many other businesses, the management will put in place strategies for their employees to try to stay afloat, added Santiago. I hung out by the beach at Station 2 where I met Randy, an employee of 17 years at one of the resorts there. I asked him what his plans are during the closure. He said he will stay in the island and continue working for his employer. He said his boss plans to rotate the staff and employ them by shifts so nobody loses income completely, while the non-resident employees will have to leave the island and go back to their respective provinces. According to a resident who is also a teacher at an international school in Boracay, establishments along the roads are being dismantled to make way for the road widening project of the government. These are structures that are not up to code. Photo by CLAIRE CELDRAN I also noticed a few small restaurants and stores already closed. When I tried to order calamari from one restaurant, the waiter said theyve already run out of seafood and have no plans of re-stocking. As I walked alongside establishments on White Beach, I overheard locals huddled in groups nonchalantly talking about their future. One group caught my attention as they rowdily toasted while shouting out sa pagsara ng Boracay. It was followed by laughs. Confused on whether to feel sad or not, I settled on the notion of Filipino resiliency and our innate ability to laugh and crack jokes even in the midst of uncertainty. For sunset, I decided to visit a famous viewing deck restaurant located at the end of the shoreline, around the rocks and up a cliff. When I got there, it was no longer in business. Its been closed to the public and nearly fully dismantled for violations. Establishments found to violate rules and regulations of Boracays building codes are required to take down their structures. According to a resident who is also a teacher at an international school in Boracay, establishments along the roads are being dismantled to make way for the road widening project of the government. These are structures that are not up to code. Aside from all these goings-on, there are also talks of replacing the old tricycles with e-trikes. Despite the changes about to take place on the island, there are a few who are not negatively affected. One guy I spoke to who works in construction said that the closure would make his job a lot easier for him since the roads will be clear and the transport of materials and equipment around the island would be a lot faster. A tricycle driver at the jetty port is worried about the island's closure because of what it will do to his livelihood. Hindi po kami nakapag-ipon dahil kakatapos lang ng graduation ng mga bata, he said. He went on to say that he worries about pasukan in June since that means paying tuition and school expenses. Photo by CLAIRE CELDRAN Meanwhile, an owner of a high end spa sold his property to a big corporation almost a year ago since he felt the political climate of Boracay was changing. He is now looking to move his wellness business to Siargao or Puerto Galera. According to a masseuse at that spa, employees will be relocated to a resort in Palawan. Boracay is still home and paradise to many. Some people who have been living and working in the island are scrambling to get their IDs because entry to the island is not allowed without a resident ID or a terminal pass, which is issued for non-residents who work in Boracay. I also spoke to some foreign nationals who live there. They said theyre sad about leaving the island and expressed how much theyll miss the friends theyve made while living there. Some of them have mentioned the possibility of moving to Siargao and Palawan. Ive been coming to Boracay since the '90s. It has magic like no other beaches Ive been to around the world. Maybe its the amazing sunsets, the warm people, the powdery white sand beach or the overall vibe. Whatever it is, I sure hope it doesnt change a whole lot after the rehabilitation. Well just have to wait and see. Today in History: Born onOctober 4 1822 Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th president of the U.S. (1877-1881). 1861 Frederic Remington, Western painter and sculptor. 1862 Edward Stratemeyer, author, creator of the Hardy Boys, Rover Boys, Nancy Drew and the Bobbsey Twins. 1879 Edward Murray East, botanist whose research led to the development of hybrid corn. 1884 Damon Runyon, journalist and short story writer. 1895 Buster (Joseph F.) Keaton, star of silent film comedies including Sherlock, Jr. and The General. 1919 Rene Marques, Puerto Rican playwright and short story writer. 1923 Charlton Heston, American film actor. 1928 Alvin Toffler, writer and futurist. 1934 Sam Huff, pro football player; star of CBS TV special The Violent World of Sam Huff (1961) narrated by Walter Cronkite that is frequently credited with the surge of pro football's popularity in the US. 1937 Jackie Collins, novelist whose books have sold over 500 million copies (Hollywood Wives, Drop Dead Beautiful). 1941 Anne Rice, author of gothic fiction, erotica and Christian literature (Interview with the Vampire, Queen of the Damned, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt); also known by her pen names Anne Rampling and A. N. Roquelaure. 1946 Chuck Hagel; current US Secretary of Defense (2013). 1946 Susan Sarandon, actress; won Academy Award for Dead Man Walking (1995). 1947 Jim Fielder, bassist with the band Blood, Sweat & Tears. For individuals in countries that have escaped military invasion and occupation, imagining what such an ordeal would have been like can be a popular pastime. In the 1970s, armchair generals could play Invasion: America, a board game in which the fictional European Socialist coalition, South American Union, and Pan Asiatic League try to overrun the United States and Canada. In 1984, American audiences flocked to theaters to watch Red Dawn, a film about doughty high school kids who wage guerrilla war against the Soviet bloc forces that had invaded the western United States. The 1987 television miniseries Amerika depicted a far-from doughty United States accepting Warsaw Pact domination after a bloodless takeover. The British, too, have often imagined what a foreign invasion would be like. Such musings have included It Happened Here, a 1966 movie portraying a German occupation primarily enforced by the Nazi sympathizing British Union of Fascists; Hitlers Britain (2002), which depicted the roundup of Jews and Socialists and the crushing of a British guerrilla uprising; and Island at War (2005), a five-part Masterpiece Theatre production dramatizing the plight of British residents after the actual German occupation of the Channel Islands in 1940. But the most elaborate efforts lie in a number of counterfactual histories detailing a successful execution of Operation Sealion, as the Germans called their plan for an invasion of southern England. Of these, the most noteworthy is military historian Kenneth Mackseys Invasion: The Alternate History of the German Invasion of England, July 1940, published in 1980 and still in print after three decades. Mackseys point of departure is the fact that in July 1940, the British armed forces were at their weakest. Following the evacuation of Dunkirk in late May and early June, the British army, forced to leave behind nearly all its heavy equipment, was left with only a few hundred usable tanks. The Royal Air Force had also taken a beating and was still rebuilding itself. The British had few beach defenses in place and their proposed main line of defense, the GHQ (or General Headquarters) Line, existed only on paper. The window of opportunity this created for the Germans was narrow, however. Macksey believes that it would have diminished substantially by August and disappeared altogether in September. The only reasonable chance for a successful German invasion lay at the Strait of Dover, where the English Channel is only about 20 miles across. Here alone the Germans could fend off the Royal Navy, thanks to a combination of warships, shore-based heavy artillery, a massive air umbrella, and minefields at either approach to the strait. Mackseys rewrite of history begins on May 21, when Grand Admiral Erich Raeder approached Hitler about the prospect of invading Great Britain. Hitler in actuality dismissed the idea and did not revisit it until the British failed to do as he anticipated: sue for peace after his conquest of France. But in Mackseys account, the idea captivates the Nazi dictator. He throws the weight of his absolute power and unshakeable will behind plans for a cross-channel attack. A third of the German army in France is set aside to participate. The aerial Battle of Britain begins slightly earlier than in reality, in June, and for the most part follows the course it took historically. Although it does not culminate in complete German success, the Germans nonetheless launch Operation Sealion on July 14. The invasion begins with a predawn airborne attack that isolates the meager British defenses between the coastal towns of Hythe and Dover, paving the way for a cross-channel assault. By days end the Germans are firmly ashore. A British counterattack, with their limited armored force, fails; the Germans expand their beachhead and then break out. By months end they have closed in on London and the British government agrees to make peace. The book closes with a puppet government ascending to power on August 2, 1940. Mackseys scenario for a cross-channel attack is highly plausible, and he plays fair with available facts and the difficulty of mounting such an operation. As he imagines Sealion, it is a near-run thing, based on historical data on the relative strength of British and German forces at the time. The main rewrite is that German preparations for the invasion begin sooner, are vigorously pursued, and the invasion itself is launched even though it remains a risky proposition. The main weakness of Mackseys scenario is that it assumes a prompt British collapse. The demands of a book-length alternate history require him to pursue the story to resolution, and a swift political collapse allows him to avoid one of the main pitfalls of counterfactual history: that of piling one speculation atop another. But a single shift in the historical narrative does not mean that one can predict a single outcome. The alternate world the initial shift creates would logically have nodes of uncertainty, critical points at which events could follow more than one path, from which the counterfactual analyst must select the most probable outcome. Even if each choice has a 90 percent probability of being correct, after 10 such choices the probability of arriving at any particular outcome is less than 1 percent. Thus Macksey wisely, in one sense, keeps the nodes of uncertainty to a minimum. But this narrative strategy means that he cannot take seriously Winston Churchills eloquent insistence that the British would defend our island whatever the cost may be; we shall fight on beaches, landing grounds, in fields, in streets and on the hills. We shall never surrender and even if, which I do not for the moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, will carry on the struggle until in Gods good time the New World with all its power and might, sets forth to the liberation and rescue of the Old. As Stephen Budiansky makes clear elsewhere in this issue, the British had plans to conduct a guerrilla campaign even if conventional defense became impossible (see Churchills Secret Army, page 28). A scenario in which the British continue to resist greatly complicates the ability to predict a plausible ultimate outcome. The Germans might, for instance, have been pinned down in a protracted guerrilla campaignas they were in Yugoslavia from April 1941 onward. If that occurred, it might have taken as many as a million troops to maintain a sure grip on Great Britain. (It took several hundred thousand troops just to garrison Norway.) As a consequence, while a successful Operation Sealion would have better positioned Germany for an invasion of the Soviet Union, it would not necessarily have made victory over the Soviet Union inevitable. The specter of a Europe dominated by Hitler would, furthermore, surely have had implications for American foreign policy. And the vicious German occupation of a nation with which the United States possessed close ties almost certainly would have accomplished exactly what Churchill hoped, with the New World set ting forth to rescue the Old. Originally published in the November 2008 issue of World War II Magazine. To subscribe, click here. By the summer of 1945, Japan had, by every reasonable standard, lost the war. The American juggernaut had destroyed its navy, breached its island defenses, choked its economy, and fire bombed its cities. Yet the Japanese government approached the question of surrender with great trepidation, in part because any move to capitulate would likely trigger a military coup detat. In fact, an attempted coup is exactly what happened. Although little known to Americans, most Japanese are familiar with the inci dent thanks to the 1967 film Japans Longest Day, which is often broad cast on the anniversary of Japans surrender. The film has at its heart the efforts of a cabal of young army staff officers to persuade several key commanders to overthrow the government and continue the war. Its central character is Japans army minister, Gen. Korechika Anami (played by actor Toshiro Mifune, often called Japans John Wayne), who sympathized with the staff officers but ultimately blocked the coup. But what if Anami had decided to join the coup instead? In fact, Anami strongly opposed the idea of succumbing to the Allied demand for unconditional surrender, even after the shattering events of early August 1945the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, the Soviet entry into the Pacific war on August 8, and the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9. He and two other members of Japans Supreme War Council preferred to continue fightingnot in the hope of winning the war, but rather to damage the enemy enough to achieve a negotiated surrender that would preserve the kokutai, or the institution of the emperor. The other half of the councilthe foreign minister, navy minister, and prime minister Kantaro Suzukifavored surrender. Ultimately, in what became known as his sacred decision, Emperor Hirohito threw his moral weight behind those in favor of capitulating. On August 10 the Japanese government indicated its acceptance of the Allied demand for unconditional surrender, with the understanding that this did not comprise any demand which prejudices the prerogatives of His Majesty as a Sovereign Ruler. The Allied response came back a day later. In response to the Japanese governments proviso, they replied that from the moment of surrender the authority of the Emperor and the Japanese Government to rule the state shall be subject to the Allied Supreme Commandera phrasing that was at best ambiguous about the preservation of the kokutai. Although the Japanese government attempted to keep the negotiation with the Allies secret, it was soon discovered by six officers occupying key positions within the military bureau of the army ministry. They hatched a plan to isolate the existing government and place the real power directly in the hands of the army, particularly Anami. The officers did not regard themselves as disloyal to the emperor; rather, they considered him misled by defeatists in high places, and thought their higher duty lay in ensuring the kokutai. Their plan depended on the cooperation of the Imperial Guards Division, which protected the pal ace, and the Eastern District Army, which controlled Tokyo and its environs. Gen. Takeshi Mori led the former, while Gen. Shizuichi Tanaka commanded the latter. Their support was crucial. The plotters chances would be greatly improved if they could also gain the support of Anami and the army chief of staff, Yoshijiro Umezu. The plotters approached Anami on August 12; he managed to delay the plans execution by twenty-four crucial hours. During that time, he quietly alerted Mori and Tanaka to the possibility of an insurrection, and the Suzuki cabinet, joined by the emperor, decided to surrender without further negotiation. But Anamis stance toward the plotters was so sympathetic that most of them believed he might yet come to their side, and they put their plan in motion. On August 15 the plotters approached General Mori. Finding him intransigent, they shot him and dispatched false orders over his signature. Elements of the Imperial Guards Division surrounded the palace, isolating Hirohito. Soldiers entered the offices of the Imperial Household Agency and fruitlessly ransacked it in search of the recording of the imperial decree of surrender. Meanwhile, General Tanaka learned of their efforts, rushed to the palace, and stopped the plot in its tracks by exposing Moris alleged orders as fraudulent. The conspirators then killed themselves. The outcome might have been different had Anami given his full support to the plotters. In this scenario, Anami joins the plot on August 12. He goes to Umezu, the army chief of staff, at once. Umezu initially resists the idea, but, certain that the plan will succeed with Anamis support, agrees to go along with it. The coup begins as originally scheduled at midnight on August 1314. Both Mori and Tanaka oppose the plot, as they did historically, and both are assassinated. The Imperial Guards Division accepts the forged orders as genuine, especially since both Anami and Umezu endorse them, and isolates the palace. The Eastern District Army declares martial law. Key members of the peace faction are placed in protective custody, preempting the cabinets ability to discuss the Allied response to the initial surrender offer. Hirohito, isolated within the palace, is un able to exert his influence. He has no constitutional power to act, save to ratify a cabinet-level decision, and an imperial decree would be pointless anyway. Indeed, as a military government coalesces around Anami, Hirohito might have gone along with this new development. The military government makes clear to the Allies that Japan will continue to resist. Anami and others assume that continued resistance will make future negotiations more favorable toward the Japanese. But what the Japanese cabinet had feared now becomes reality: the Allies are no longer open to negotiation. And it is hard to see how the new military government, once installed, could ever reverse its decision to continue the war, no matter how adverse the chain of subsequent events. By shunting aside Hirohito in favor of an abstract loyalty to the kokutai, the plotters would have set a precedent that any group of diehards could have exploited thereafter. According to the logic that undergirded the original coup, anyone within the government who breathed a word about surrender could be arrested or assassinated by those who wished to fight on. With no political ability to end the war, the conflict would have continued until Japans military ability to resist was completely destroyed, with millions more dead as a result. None of this occurred, however, because Anami placed loyalty to the emperor first. Yet his conduct between August 12 and August 15his temporizing with the fanatical young officers, his refusal to denounce them outright or secure their arrestsuggests an intense internal struggle. On August 15, 1945, the same day that Hirohito broadcasted the news of the Japanese surrender, Anami rebuffed a final request from his brother-in-law to join the plot. He then knelt, ritually disemboweled himself in the act of seppuku, and plunged a knife into his neck in an unsuccessful attempt to sever his carotid artery. His brother-in-law helped him complete the act, then placed on his body two valedictory poems that Anami had composed. One of them read, Believing firmly that our sacred land shall never perish, Iwith my deathhumbly apologize to the Emperor for the great crime. To this day, no one knows to what crime he referred; perhaps it was the temptation he had felt to join the plotters and defy his emperor. Originally published in the September 2008 issue of World War II Magazine. To subscribe, click here. Archaeologists Search for a Lost Marine Patrol on Guadalcanal It was a dark, moonless night on the coast of Guadalcanal, and Lt. Col. Frank Goettge, the intelligence officer for the 1st Marine Division, had a decision to make. Only five days earlier, on August 7, 1942, the first major American amphibious assault in the Pacific had landed unopposed on the jungle islands beaches. A captured Japanese officer told his captors the islands defenders were starving and ready to surrender, and Goettge received permission to try to end the battle before it began. On the night of August 12, he and 24 other men piled into a landing craft for a short trip along the coast. Halfway to their destination, they hit a sandbar in the darkness. As the sound of the crafts straining engine filled the night, Goettge decided to unload his men and travel on foot instead. The Japanese, though, were not ready to surrender. As Goettge walked off the beach, he was cut down by machine gun fire. The rest of his men hit the deck. They were lightly armed and pinned down, and over the next few hours the Japanese picked them off, one by one. Only three men escaped, swimming back to the safety of the American lines. One, Sgt. Frank Few, remembered seeing Japanese swords swinging down on his comrades in the early morning sun. Ever since then, the final resting place of the ill-fated Goettge patrol has been a mystery. Japanese troops later said they had buried the marines in a nearby rifle trench, but their remains were never found. The patrol is among the largest groups of American soldiers from World War II still listed as missing in action. That may be about to change. Doug Drumheller, a retired engineer and history buff who has traveled frequently to Guadalcanal, led a team of university scientists and students back to the island this summer to try to solve the mystery of the Goettge patrol. The group decided to take up the search after Drumheller, on a recent trip to Hawaii, discovered a forgotten collection of aerial photographs, taken immediately after the battle of Guadalcanal, in the archives of the Bishop Museum, a cultural history museum in Honolulu. Comparing the photos to detailed maps of the area, Drumheller believes he has identified the precise location of the ambush. Armed with ground-penetrating radar equipment, Drumhellers team spent two weeks in July scanning a roughly six-acre stretch of what is now an urban area near the city of Honiara. Their efforts turned up several anomalies, including an underground formation that resembled a trench. Upon further analysis it turned out to be a stretch of coral, however, and the group returned home empty-handed. Which isnt to say the expedition was without success. We did find some interesting geological information about the site, says Cliff Boyd, a Radford University anthropologist who helped conduct the scans. Most notably, the team discovered that the area where Goettges men landed has a surprisingly high water table: the archaeologists hit ground water only three feet beneath the surface. If the area was similarly waterlogged when Goettge and his men were buried, their bodies would have been placed in shallow gravesmaking their remains vulnerable to a typhoon that swept over the island in 1958 and dramatically altered the shape of the local beaches. Its possible, given the shifting of the coastline, that they may have been washed out to sea, says Boyd. No one on the team has given up hope of finding the mens remains, however. Drumheller is raising funds to conduct a more thorough search next year with much more digging around the site. It would certainly be nice to find them, he says. But even if he cant, he hopes for resolution of another kind: We can determine then if we should hang this upif no ones ever going to find them. Trees Bearing GI Carvings Felled in France They were islands of peace in a sea of war. Nine sprawling U.S. Army camps dotted Normandys countryside after the D-Day landings in the fall of 1944, some of them home to as many as 20,000 soldiers. Named after popular brands of cigarettes, Camps Twenty Grand, Old Gold, Lucky Strike, and others offered soldiers a chance to rest and recuperate among the swaying beech trees before being shipped east for battle. While the GIs awaited orders, they whiled away the hours by carving the names of their sweethearts and hometowns into the surrounding trees with their knives and bayonets. For decades after the war, thousands of these memorials to the end of the Nazi occupation of France have stood the test of time. Until now. More than 60 years after the last GIs left the French coast, many of these old beech trees have been cut down and turned into paper, outraging historians and stirring up a local movement to preserve the few name trees still remaining. That effort should have begun a long time ago, Nicolas Navarro, the curator of a World War II museum on the grounds of a nearby chateau, told the Times of London this summer. Its sad and pathetic that it wasnt. Navarro believes the trees are some of the best-preserved reminders of this areas World War II history. Not everyone sees things that way. Last year, local officials determined that the trees, most of which hang over a winding road, were a safety hazard and ordered the lands owner to prune them. Pruning costs about $550 per tree, whereas cutting down the tree is a mere $150and economics apparently trumped history. More than 150 trees were felled last year before historians began to protest. It is a typically French failing to wipe out the traces of the past, Claude Quetel, a French historian, told reporters. I am indignant. Its Official: A Suicidal Hitler Prolonged the War By 3 Years It is a question that has baffled historians since the end of World War II: why did Nazi Germany, in the face of overwhelming military force, doggedly keep fighting on two shrinking fronts, even when the war was almost certainly lost? Official histories of the war written by American and British scholars have grappled with the roots of Nazi fanaticism for years. But only this summer was the German governments first study on the subject finally completed. Its conclusion: without Hitlers suicidal urge, the war might have ended nearly three years earlier. In 1978, the military history center of the German armed forces took on the project of analyzing the countrys rise and fall during World War II. In July, the last two volumes of Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg (The German Reich and the Second World War)a report spanning 12,000 pages and 13 tomes were finally published. It will be impossible to write a history of the Second World War without reference to this work, Col. Winfried Heine mann, the head of research at the center, told reporters. It is a history of the whole of German society, not just a military account of the battles. While earlier volumes of the history have resolutely challenged conventional German wisdom about the warconcluding, for exam ple, that ordinary army units, not just the SS, regularly committed war crimesthe last two volumes tackle the wars biggest mystery: what made the Germans keep fighting? Official papers were presented to Hitler in 1942 that Germany could not win the war, Heinemann says. Still, for nearly three more yearsuntil Hitler committed suicide in April 1945the German war machine kept running. The authors of the new history suggest that by 1943, with the country exhausted, many Germans might have been willing to accept the Allies terms for surrender. But when Hitler refused to waver, they willingly fol lowed. Even in retreat, the Wehrmacht drilled its sol diers to do their duty, and civilians held themselves to the same standard. That was [the] common denominator with a majority of the Germans, who had been simply sticking to what they were doing, or had not sought any alternative, or had not been able to visualize any other way, the book says. The new history concludes that the entire population, not just Germanys leaders, was gripped by Hitlers mad ness: Hitler waged his per sonal war for six years, supported by sentiment in Germany that remained broadly favorable even after a series of defeats and never turned to public resentment. The official German his tory of World War II, in other words, has strikingly con cluded that no one in the country during the war can avoid responsibility for the millions of deaths that resulted from continuing the fight. To the Germans, the book says, no alternative appeared feasible, other than the unconditional surrender demanded by the enemy. Originally published in the November 2008 issue of World War II Magazine. To subscribe, click here. We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Article I Section 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. Section 2. The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature. No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen. Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three. When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies. The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment. Section 3. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote. Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies. No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen. The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided. The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States. The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present. Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law. Section 4. The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day. Section 5. Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide. Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member. Each House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal. Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting. Section 6. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place. No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office. Section 7. All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills. Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States: If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law. Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill. Section 8. The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow Money on the credit of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States; To establish Post Offices and post Roads; To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries; To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court; To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations; To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; To provide and maintain a Navy; To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces; To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions; To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress; To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, 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;--And To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof. Section 9. The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person. The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it. No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed. No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken. No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State. No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another; nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another. No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time. No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State. Section 10. No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility. No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress. No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay. Article II Section 1. The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows: Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector. The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President. The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States. No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected. The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them. Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." Section 2. The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments. The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session. Section 3. He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States. Section 4. The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. Article III Section 1. The judicial Power of the United States shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office. Section 2. The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;--to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;--to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;--to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;--to Controversies between two or more States;-- between a State and Citizens of another State;--between Citizens of different States;--between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects. In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make. The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed. Section 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted. Article IV Section 1. Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof. Section 2. The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime. No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due. Section 3. 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. The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State. Section 4. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened), against domestic Violence. Article V The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths 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; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate. Article VI All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation. This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding. The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. Article VII The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same. The Word, "the," being interlined between the seventh and eighth Lines of the first Page, the Word "Thirty" being partly written on an Erazure in the fifteenth Line of the first Page, The Words "is tried" being interlined between the thirty second and thirty third Lines of the first Page and the Word "the" being interlined between the forty third and forty fourth Lines of the second Page. Attest William Jackson Secretary Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names, G. Washington Presidt and deputy from Virginia Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. Labour Party Justice Spokesperson Sean Sherlock has reiterated that his party supports and will seek to set the digital age of consent at 16, Labour will bring forward amendments to achieve that at the Dail Committee stage of the General Data Protection Regulation Bill. Deputy Sherlock said that the recent controversies over the use of personal data and how it has been commericialised by social media companies, but also abused by companies such as Cambridge Analytica shows the need to protect children on the internet. Many parents are rightly concerned at the so-called digital age of consent. The default in the GDPR regulations is 16, but the Government appears to have accepted the lobbying of tech giants on this, and reduced it to the lowest possible limit of 13," he says. The digital age of consent is the age at which a child has the capacity to consent to the processing of personal data by the provider of an "information society service". The regulation deals with personal data, data that identify or are about an individual person and include names, addresses, dates of birth and anything that a person shares on social media such his or her preferences, status updates and, in many cases, private conversations over messaging apps, among other elements. "In simple terms, this will allow children between the age of 13 and 16 to have their data used to profile them for commercial purposes, targeting of ads and services," he adds. The question we must ask is does a child at age 13 have capacity to contract? We have and will continue take expert advice on this and will submit amendments at Committee stage that I hope other parties will support. "If we were to set the digital age of consent for Ireland at 16 it would be in line with Germany, the Netherlands, France, and others, who have best-in-class approaches to protecting children online." He concludes: "This is not about when children can go online or use devices, rather, it only relates to situations where the processing of the personal data of a child is performed. The Bill at present sets the Irish digital age of consent at the lowest possible age - 13 years and it is my belief that it should be set at 16." The removal of the Maser Repeal the 8th mural at the Project Arts Centre is being described as an "affront to democracy and freedom of expression". The comment was made by Labour Party spokesperson on Community Arts, Councillor Rebecca Moynihan. Councillor Moynihan said: The news today that the Maser Repeal the 8th mural is to be painted over on Monday due to pressure from the Charities Regulator is disappointing. The Project Arts Centre has always been a political space for those involved in the arts sphere. For the Charities Regulator to threaten their charitable status over a hugely popular mural is an affront to democracy. Will the Charities Regulator plan to censor other arts organisations for political activity? Masers work around the city has provoked many over the years. His U Are Alive artwork is celebrated and promoted. It is a shame that because this piece is slightly more political it is to be removed for the second time. This most recent attempt to silence debate and stifle momentum around Repeal the 8th will not work and I am fully supportive of the Project Arts Centre and of Maser. We cannot continue to paint over our problems. ARTS COMMUNITY SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID TO ADDRESS POLITICAL ISSUES Ahead of tomorrows painting over of the Maser Repeal the Eighth mural, Councillor, Rebecca Moynihan has questioned the legal basis for the removal of the mural. This comes as the Charities Regulator informed the Project Arts Centre that they were in breach of the Charities Act 2009, and could be struck off the Charities Register. Councillor Moynihan said: The Charities Regulator should make clear on what legal basis they threatened to remove charitable status from the Project Arts Centre. Advertisement While there are guidelines developed by the regulator for charities in relation to engaging in political activity outside of their remit, as an arts organisation the right to promote artistic work which addresses topical issues of the day and allows for freedom of expression is fundamental This is not the first time that the Project Arts Centre has used its iconic blue wall to play host to political art. A mural by artist Sums which was painted in support of marriage equality during the 2015 referendum and the Project Arts Centres charitable status was not threatened then. This bizarre decision will have a chill effect on arts organisations in future year who may be afraid to address political issues for fear of losing their charitable status. It is not the job of the Charities Regulator to decide what constitutes acceptable art and the Regulator must immediately outline what legal advice they sought before issuing this draconian threat to the Project Arts Centre." Jan OSullivan has referred the removal of Labour Party posters on the Referendum to Repeal the Eighth to the Gardai in Limerick City. This comes as Deputy OSullivan obtained video evidence of the posters being removed from the Punches Cross area of Limerick City. Deputy OSullivan said: This is not just a problem isolated to Limerick City. Ive received reports from Labour colleagues from across the country that our Yes posters are being taken down shortly after they have been put up. This is a democracy, just because you do not like the message on one poster or another, does not mean you can take it down. Yesterday evening, I went to my local Garda station after receiving video evidence of our posters being forcibly removed." She pointed out that Labour were the first to put up the Yes posters in the Limerick. "Some other parties have put them up, and I know the Together for Yes campaign is going to be putting them up in the very near future. I want to nip this in the bud," she explained. Im on record of saying that the campaign in 1983 was tough. I thought these types of tactics would remain in the past and that both sides would be able to campaign respectfully. When Hayes Kelman came back to the family farm from Kansas State four years ago, he was searching for ways to vertically integrate the operation. He decided with all the corn and wheat in the area, to produce whiskey, bourbon and gin. Kelman and his father, Roger, and a Scott City farmer opened Boot Hill Distillery in Dodge City. (Journal photos by Amy Bickel.) Close As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 23) A Justice Department panel grilled members of two advocacy groups on Friday over a criminal complaint they filed against former President Benigno Aquino III on the Dengvaxia program. While members of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and the Vanguards of the Philippine Constitution, Inc. (Vanguards) initially thought they were subpoenaed for a preliminary investigation on the issue, it turned out the panel had called them over deficiencies in their complaint instead. The two groups filed a joint complaint at the Justice Department against several respondents, including Aquino in February. They accused the respondents of violation of the procurement law, graft, and technical malversation. However, missing information in the complaint had prevented the Department of Justice (DOJ) panel from issuing subpoenas to the respondents. The DOJ panel of prosecutors led by senior assistant state prosecutor Rosan Balawag pointed out that none of the 20 respondents identified in the complaint had addresses. Aside from Aquino, the complaint also includes former Budget Secretary Butch Abad, and former Health Secretary Janette Garin. Balawag said the complainant failed to identify specific officials from Sanofi Pasteur, and Zuellig Pharma, which it also named respondents in the case. Sanofi manufactures Dengvaxia while Zuellig is its local distributor. "You made mention likewise of a complaint against Zuellig Pharma and Sanofi Pasteur, however again-there were no names. No addresses. No allegations to what are you complaining against them," she said. It also denied the complainant's earlier motion to issue subpoenas for documents from different government agencies concerned with the Dengvaxia program, stressing such documents should be produced by the complainants. "It is not for the panel to collate evidence for you. You should be the ones submitting to us the evidence," Balawag said. The VACC and the Vanguards were given until April 20 to provide all the missing information and additional attachments asked of them. However, the groups shrugged off what happened saying it's all part of "due process." "There's nothing wrong with that. In fact the rules provide that we can file a supplemental affidavit. So there's no insinuation even of defects," VACC lawyer Manny Luna said. Luna said respondents gave the documentary evidence they need to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), where VACC had also filed a complaint over the program's alleged violation of the 45-day election ban on government disbursements. The group said it intends to submit copies of the said documents to the DOJ as part of their complaint. "This is a legal tactic actually so that they will disclose information that they did not want to disclose at first," Luna said. Last December 1, the government halted its nationwide dengue vaccination program that began in 2016 after 837,000 children were immunized. The move was made after Sanofi revealed the results of its study showing that those who got the Dengvaxia shot but had no previous dengue infection could suffer "severe diseases." READ: Health, Budget offices want to use Sanofi refund to help Dengvaxia patients Brandon Ebel Talks Tooth & Nail Records [INTERVIEW] In this interview Brandon Ebel, founder and president of Tooth & Nail records, takes us back through the history of labels multiple decades of operation and how theyve been able to adapt and grown their business since the early nineties. ___________________________ Guest post by Will Hodge of Noisetrade Whenever we feature a record label sampler, we try to get a peak behind the curtain to get the their story and find out what makes them special. For this NoiseTrade One-on-One, we interviewed Tooth & Nail Records founder and president Brandon Ebel to discuss the labels multi-decade history, their blending of new bands and legacy artists, how theyve handled the shifting landscape of the music business since their early days in the 90s, and much more! NoiseTrade: Before we get into Tooth & Nail, lets start with a little bit about yourself. Howd you first fall in love with music and when did you decide to make a career out of it? Brandon Ebel: As a kid, I was way into music, just a fanatic about it. I would always go over to my friends houses and stare at their audio equipment. When I was real little, like five or six, my parents would have to tell me not to touch the stereo when we went over to other peoples houses. Growing up as a conservative Christian kid, I wasnt allowed to listen to any quote-unquote secular music, but I would always listen to it when I went over to someone elses house. It was the 1970s, so Im talking The Eagles, KISS, and Black Sabbath stuff we got from my friends older brother. The only secular record I had as a kid was Shaun Cassidy. For some reason, my parents let me have that one. It was bizarre. Moving into the 1980s, I really liked bands like Daniel Amos and Stryper, but I was also in high school, so I could start listening to whatever I wanted. I was still rooted in bands that had a Christian backdrop, so I started getting into labels like Blonde Vinyl Records and R.E.X. Music. I felt like that scene had some pretty legit bands, especially R.E.X. on the metal side with Living Sacrifice and Believer. Indie rock wise, I thought Blonde Vinyl was really cool and thats how I ended up getting Joy Electric and Starflyer 59, because they were in a band on Blonde Vinyl. In the 1990s, there were a lot of really cool bands that had a Christian message like Poor Old Lu in Seattle and The Clergy down in Portland. I had a college show on KBBR at Oregon State and I would play some of those bands mixed in with the rest of the normal playlists. Because of that radio show, I got a job at Frontline Records down in Southern California. When I was interviewing at Frontline, I was also interviewing at Paine Webber to become a stockbroker. I went with Frontline for about $16,000 a year even though Paine Webber wouldve been a highly more lucrative gig mainly because I wanted to take a stab at the music business. Upon moving to Southern California, I immediately started going to shows and found this whole straightedge/Christian scene down in the Huntington Beach/Newport Beach area. From that scene, I really liked this band Focused and tried to get Frontline to sign them. I quickly realized they didnt want to take A&R advice from a phone rep, so about six months in I decided that I could just start my own label. NT: For anyone not familiar with Tooth & Nail (which youve helmed from the beginning), can you give us a little bit of the labels origin story and some of its significant artists/moments through the years? Ebel: When I started Tooth & Nail, the very first band I signed was called Wish for Eden. I also signed Focused and I signed Starflyer 59. I had three different kinds of bands: a commercial-ish rock band like Helmet, a hardcore Victory Records type band, and an alternative music band. So, the label started off pretty eclectic. I then signed Plankeye, which went on to be like our third largest group in the 90s. Shortly after that I did a 7 deal with MxPx from Seattle, which went on to be our largest group in the 90s. At the time, I didnt love Southern California and was looking to move the label. So because MxPx was doing so well, I decided to move the company to Seattle and weve been here ever since. If we wouldve stayed in Southern California, I dont know whether we wouldve been bigger or smaller maybe bigger, because theres just so much talent down there. Over the years you know that whole Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon thing? I feel like Tooth & Nail has a bit of that going on. Good Charlotte credits their career to MxPx. Sufjan Stevens played with Danielson Famile. Father John Misty worked in our mail order department. The guys from Driver Eight went on to form a group called Paloalto that Rick Rubin signed. There are all kinds of that stuff going on with the label. Its crazy. NT: Your NoiseTrade sampler features tracks from some of your newest releases like Le Voyageur and The Welcome Wagon. Instead of just asking what do you look for when signing a band, what specifically was it about these two bands that prompted Tooth and Nail to sign them? Ebel: Credibility, legitimacy, and good art. Tooth & Nail has gone through so many ebbs and flows partially because of my personality where we started with a lot punk rock and then went through an indie phase. In the late-90s we were putting out artsy bands like Frodus and Danielson Famile. In 2001, I sold part of the company to EMI Universal and we started doing more commercial music for a while. I got the company brand back in 2013 and now were back to signing what we really like, whether or not we think theyre going to be a big seller or not. You never know what the next thing is going to be. Were back to that early mentality if we believe in the group and we love the music, then were going to put it out if we can. Le Voyageur and The Welcome Wagon are like that. Theyre amazing and theyre totally legitimate and musically relative. We dont have to operate like we did around 2010 and 2011, where we were trying to make a corporate number for EMI Universal. Now, were back to just putting out music that we enjoy. NT: The sampler also features a track from Starflyer 59, a band that has been a part of the Tooth & Nail story essentially from the beginning. What are your thoughts on the connection between the band and the label? As the label head, what does it mean to have a relationship with the same band for that long? Ebel: Yeah, for like, 19 releases? I think its awesome because it shows if theres a good chemistry between a label and an artist, then you can do a lot of cool stuff together for a long time. Jason Martin is a really good friend of mine. I respect him tremendously. I really wish he was a larger artist. Weve got like nine gold albums and have been able to break a bunch of groups, but for some reason weve never really been able to break Starflyer. At the same time, he hasnt really played a live show in like eight or nine years, so I dont know if he really has the desire to tour anymore. I feel like hes just one TV commercial away from becoming huge. NT: Having been a label head since the early 90s, what are some of the biggest (and hardest to navigate) changes youve seen in the music business in the last couple decades and what has stayed the exact same? Ebel: Well, everythings changed in the music business. I think we want to keep creating value for our artists, so we have to keep asking ourselves how we do that. Distributions not a value anymore. Now it comes down to your socials and YouTube and your A&R direction. The fact that youre still paying for everything matters, of course. Its an interesting time for music though. Like, in all of history, musicians have never really made any money until like the 40s or 50s. Im sure Beethoven was wealthy, but overall, you could be the best musicians in the world and just play a bar and get tips your whole life. Then recorded music comes along and youve got Elvis and The Beatles and millions of records being sold. They were people like Elvis and The Beatles before then, but no one knew about it because they werent recorded, you know? Then all of a sudden in the 90s, youve got CDs selling for like $18 bucks apiece, arenas are selling out, and NSYNC sells 2 million albums in like a week. Now, so much music can be had for just like $10 a month or free. It used to cost like $100,000 to make an album and now you can do it on a laptop. Overall, its cheaper to make a record and the distribution is easier. So theres more competition and less revenue. If youre streaming a bunch of records, but not out there touring and selling t-shirts, you may not make any money. Its just a different game now. Theres more selection and more competition and its easier to put out a record which I think is a good thing. But there are less mega-artists now which is probably also a good thing. With streaming, its really cool that nothing is ever really out of print anymore. You can be like Oh, I remember that band Pep Squad that was on Tooth & Nail and you can just go listen to it. As a music consumer, its awesome. I love it, personally. But as a label, were always trying to produce value for our artists. NT: Finally, if you had to summarize the entirety history of Tooth & Nails vibe on only one 7 single, what track do you put on the A-side and which track goes on the B-side? Ebel: Wow! Only two songs out of like, 8,000 songs? Thats a fun game to play but I have to think about that one. NT: Maybe I can be generous and give you an EP or a full-length LP, if that helps at all. Ebel: Man, weve done over 800 releases so like, 800 times 10 songs a piece How about these: MxPx Punk Rawk Show Juliana Theory Top Of The World Anberlin Unwinding Cable Car Underoath A Boy Brushed Red Living In Black and White Demon Hunter Not Ready To Die Thousand Foot Krutch Rock Fist Copeland Erase Tyson Motsenbocker Rust Starflyer 59 Fell In Love at 22 Living Sacrifice Reject Supertones Supertones Strike Back Joy Electric Sugar Rush Emery Walls Further Seems Forever Snowbirds and Townies Plankeye Goodbye Share on: "Estonia's e-state development has for years depended on one-off money injections of European Union assets. However, finding money for further information system maintenance and development has not been deemed important so far," Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Urve Palo said in a press release. Of the additional funding, 112.5 million euros will be used predominantly to develop e-services and increase cyber security. Five million euros will be utilized to update the information systems of the Estonian public broadcaster ERR so that the meet modern cyber security requirements. "Neglecting modernization has resulted in people sometimes finding it uncomfortable to use the e-services offered by the state. On the other hand, a problem that has piled up over time is more difficult to solve and by tidying up information systems retrospectively we are in short spending more money than when maintaining them consistently," the minister said. "By bringing additional money of 117.5 million euros to the ICT field, we will be able to significantly modernize the e-state solutions and ensure that our e-state is standing on strong legs. Increasing cyber security in the entire sector goes hand in hand with modernization," the minister said. In addition, the government complied with the proposal to increase the salaries of the state's ICT specialists by 20%. The salary levels of the private sector have so far been significantly more competitive than in state institutions, the latter finding it difficult to find specialists of the field. This is why the wish is to bring the salaries of the state's ICT specialists to the level of the sector's median value. The salaries of the digital field are to be raised from next year in the divisions of the ministry that deal with creating, maintaining and developing national e-systems. "Our e-state persists and develops only thanks to the skills of our people. This is why in addition to words we must also show with actions that Estonia is prioritizing the ICT field and contributing to maintaining and motivating the people working there," Palo said. Translations: Arabic (pdf) Doha - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) highlighted three key priorities for the ground handling industry to support the growing demand for air travel: harmonizing global standards to improve safety, improving collaboration between stakeholders, and developing talent. "Effective ground operations are an essential part of the airline industry's efforts to meet the forecast growth in demand for air connectivity. In preparing for the future we need to focus on consistently implementing global standards, enhanced collaboration, and accelerating modernized processes," said Nick Careen, IATA's Vice President, Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security, speaking at the 31st IATA Ground Handling Conference in Doha, Qatar. Global standards IATA called for the ground handling industry to accelerate the global adoption of the IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM) to ensure a level of operational consistency and safety across the industry worldwide. "Aviation grows safer when global standards are consistently applied. IGOM is the global standard and worldwide implementation is our target," said Careen. IATA also called on governments to recognize the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO)based on IGOM standardsin their regulatory frameworks. "We are asking governments to universally recognize ISAGO as an acceptable means of compliance for operators' oversight of outsourced services in ground operations. This will foster harmonization across the industry, reduce redundant audits, improve safety, and enhance operational efficiency," said Careen. As of April 2018, the number of ground service providers (GSPs) in the ISAGO Registry surpassed 230, with almost 450 registered stations in over 300 airports worldwide. ISAGO is recognized by several airport authorities, such as Amsterdam Schiphol, London Heathrow, Seattle Tacoma, Miami, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and the civil aviation authorities of Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Netherlands, and many others. Improving Collaboration IATA urged even greater collaboration across stakeholder groups to improve safety and operational efficiency. Following on such successful collaborative efforts as ISAGO and the IATA Ground Damage Database, the IATA Ground Operations Group (GOG) was established as a collaborative forum for airlines and ground handlers to work together. The aim of the GOG is to provide strategic direction on the development and implementation of ground handling standards and technology with a focus on improving safety and efficiency. "We have high expectations for the GOG. Its three-year plan to address safety and efficiency issues will lead to much-needed improvements in such critical areas of operations as training, the development of ground support equipment, and load control. But the industry will only realize the full benefits that the GOG can bring if it has the support of all stakeholders in the ground handling industry," said Careen. The development of a new SAE Aviation Standard for aircraft fuselage alignment markings is another example of successful industry collaboration. This will help reduce aircraft damage during servicing by having standardized alignment markings on the aircraft fuselage. "Most airlines have individual alignment markings to help ground support equipment (GSE) dock with the aircraft. With standardized markings, ground staff know exactly what to expect and GSE auto docking technology can be developed," said Careen. Ramp of the Future IATA has launched a Ramp of the Future (RoF) initiative. This will bring together key stakeholders to accelerate the modernization of processes aligned with a common vision for the future of ground operations. Key partners involved in RoF include members of the GOG and the Airport Services Association (ASA). "Passenger numbers are growing. Airport infrastructure is nearing capacity. Opportunities for greenfield sites or new-build terminals are limited. New, smarter, more effective ways to operate, harnessing the power of new technology, need to be found. But we will only be successful if we are working towards achieving a common vision. RoF gives ground handling stakeholders the opportunity to influence their future," said Careen. The RoF project is part of the New Experience in Travel and Technologies (NEXTT) initiative being run in collaboration with Airports Council International (ACI) to develop a common vision to enhance the on-ground transport experience, guide industry investments, and help governments improve the regulatory framework. Modernizing training for ground handling is another key element. "High employee turnover is a challenge when you need to deploy a fully skilled workforce in critical ramp functions. New training technologies have an important role to play. This includes innovative virtual reality tools," said Careen, highlighting the success of IATA's RampVR (TM) offering, the first virtual reality training tool for ground operations. IGHC was attended by senior Qatari government officials and aviation industry leaders including H.E The Minister for Transport and Communication, Jassim Saif Al Sulaiti and H.E. Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive of Qatar. The event was sponsored by QAS (Qatar Aviation Services) and the host airline was Qatar Airways. "We thank QAS and Qatar Airways for their support of IGHC. These key industry events are important for the development of aviation," said Careen. For more information, please contact: Corporate Communications Tel: + 41 22 770 2967 Email: corpcomms@iata.org Notes for Editors: Architect Doug Roberts explains the cell tower proposal to the Zoning Board of Appeals on Thursday. Williamstown ZBA Wants Expert Testimony in Person on Cell Tower Issue WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. After a year of hearings, community forums and consultations with the town's third-party peer reviewer, the Zoning Board of Appeals wants one more opportunity to clarify the key issue on a proposed cell tower at the junctions of Routes 2 and 7. The board decided Thursday to continue its public hearing into May in order to arrange for a personal appearance by Walter Cooper of Williamsburg, Va., who has been the town's consultant throughout Verizon Wireless' application to erect a monopole tower at 1161 Cold Spring Road, in the parking lot behind the former Taconic Restaurant. After more than two hours of testimony on Thursday, the ZBA voted 5-0 to ask Cooper to discuss his disagreement with Verizon's radio frequency engineer about how many "small cell" nodes could be mounted on utility poles to eliminate a 2.8-mile coverage gap in the area. Verizon is on record as saying that it does not believe the small cell solution is one the company would be willing to consider. And on Thursday, ZBA members noted that a denial by the board is likely to end up in a Verizon appeal as allowed by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Residents near the proposed tower site have been pushing the board to deny the application, arguing that the proposed tower would harm an important viewshed and that Verizon is exaggerating the extent of the coverage gap. Cooper's most recent letter to the town, dated March 13, accepted the 2.8-mile coverage gap but questioned the number of "small cell" units that would be required to fill it. Cooper said that five or six "nodes" could do the job, rather than the 26 Verizon has cited. "That said, the single macrocell facility currently proposed by Verizon may be preferable to [small cell coverage] because it would be technically less complex, potentially more reliable and less costly," Cooper wrote in a March 13 email to Community Development Director Andrew Groff. "[The monopole] could be also be more quickly implemented while causing less interference with vehicular traffic along Route 7. Given the low density of the subscriber population in the gap area, a simpler, lower capacity single site solution may be more easily justified." Verizon's team Thursday testified that the small cell technique is generally used by the company in urban settings to boost capacity in specific neighborhoods, typically covering 500 to 750 feet. At Thursday's hearing, ZBA member Keith Davis did some "back of the envelope" calculations and found that for a 2.8-mile stretch, a number in the high 20s is more realistic assuming that the company could site the small cell units on poles with the correct line of sight needed to make them work. But opponents of the proposed tower persisted. Several of those in attendance Thursday were among the 55 residents who signed a September letter to the ZBA outlining their opposition, including Karen Shepard of 47 Old Farm Way. "We just don't know enough [about small cells] and it doesn't make sense to listen to be educated on the subject by the company about the solution they don't want," Shepard told the ZBA. The board struggled with whether it made sense to demand in-person testimony from Cooper, a consultant who has been reviewing the proposal on behalf of the town at the expense of the applicant. "If he comes is the board going to end up being the referee in a verbal fistfight?" asked Leigh Short, a ZBA member and engineer and former consultant himself. "What are we looking for?" "The other thing is as they testified, when you get in the real world you may find you can't get on this pole or that pole," Davis said. "They have satisfactorily proven there's a coverage gap. And they have stated the best solution is probably this monopole for a variety of reasons. I'm not sure what we'll gain by having the consultant." Among the reasons cited by Verizon in the past and again in Thursday the single cell tower allows the company to install a backup generator to keep its service running if power is lost in the area. "We are a reliability company," Verizon radio frequency engineer Jay Latorre has told the ZBA repeatedly. "Our customers expect reliability." Latorre, told the ZBA that the small cell units may have battery packs that last up to four hours; a generator could keep the cell tower operational for three days. "I've worked with Mr. Cooper on these types of sites before, and I know his credentials," Latoree said. "Sometimes professionals have different opinions. That said, the utility pole solution provides no opportunity for a generator in the event of an outage. We feel it's important, and that's why we deep the small cell solution is not acceptable and the monopole is acceptable." In other business Thursday, the ZBA granted a special permit for Silver Therapeutics to open a medical and adult-use marijuana shop at 238 Main St. in the former Colonial Plaza if and when Joshua Silver obtains the state licensing he needs to open the business. The appearance marked, perhaps, the last in a series of testimonies by Silver at Town Hall, where he convinced the Select Board to issue a letter of non-opposition to the project and enter into a Host Community Agreement with Silver Therapeutics. His uncontentious and relatively brief appearance on Thursday prompted a Verizon attorney to joke about the length of the Verizon proceeding. "It only took you half an hour to approve a marijuana shop," she kidded the ZBA members after Thursday's hearing. Mayor Thomas Bernard and Administrative Officer Michael Canales go over aspects of the budget on Wednesday with the Finance Committee. North Adams Fin Comm Reviews Public Services, Inspection Budgets NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The Public Services and inspection budgets for fiscal 2019 will see little change from this year. "Other than salary changes, it's very much a level-funded budget," Administrative Officer Michael Canales told the Finance Committee last week. "Last year we did bring on a code enforcer and sealer of weights and measures." The new sealer is awaiting one more certification and that department "will be fully up to speed," he said. The meeting last Wednesday was the second of four planned by the Finance Committee to review the proposed $44 million fiscal 2019 budget. The committee comprised of Chairman Wayne Wilkinson, Benjamin Lamb and Marie T. Harpin will next look at the McCann Technical School budget and the Public Safety budget this Wednesday; the final review will be of the school budget once that is passed by the School Committee. Lamb asked if inspections was working better with more staff. The department had tried to reduce a position several years ago and then went through a couple health inspectors. "We're better off now than we were. We were shorthanded for quite a long time," Building Inspector William Meranti said. "We're still shy on the building inspection portion but on the health department side we're fully staffed." The new sealer, Mark Bushee, who previously worked for the Tri-Town Health Department also is doing code enforcement, he said. "We are out there every day looking at problems, dealing with complaints, doing our annual inspections, doing our restaurants," Meranti said. "We're talking about the Building Department but it's all together, inspections services, so there's a lot on our plates." There are good neighborhoods that suddenly have a problem, and other properties that might have been problems but have turned around. The department tries to be proactive but is often reactive, he said. In response to questions, Meranti said some fees are in line with neighboring communities others are laughably inexpensive. Mayor Thomas Bernard said the city planned to review the fee schedule to target the ones that are wildly out of line. "These things that are a one-time fee that's pocket-change level should have more stake to it," he said. Canales said department heads will be queried about fee structures so they can be built into the fiscal 2020 budget. He said the two separate inspection departments will probably be moved into one department. "Eventually when we bring these together under inspection services, it will make it easier than our current setup," he said. The administration is also continuing efforts to right-size the staffing at the transfer station. There are currently three part-time scale operators and one full-time person; next year the plan is to bring up one operator on the weekend. Last year, there was an attempt to cut back on part-time staff by utilizing someone from the Department of Public Works as a shared post but it didn't work out. "What we realized from our traffic flow and patterns to get some better control," Canales said. "I've been up there the past three Saturdays and a bunch of weekdays I would go up for a couple hours and take a look." He said there have been some "experimenting" on traffic control. Everyone entering the transfer station on Tuesday through Friday will have to go over the scale. That won't work on Saturday because it so busy so drivers will be directed into a traffic pattern that will allow staff to see the stickers. "I was up there for two days and caught 13 people without stickers, I was up there Saturday and caught four people without stickers," Canales said. The mayor said he was there for 10 minutes and caught one. In addition to enforcing sticker usage more closely, the city is considering a day sticker for $6 rather than going through the paperwork of a temporary sticker. "That way we're not sending people away or backing up the scale filling out paperwork," Canales said. Public Services Commissioner Timothy Lescarbeau explained what appeared to be a large jump in seasonal salaries as the combination of all seasonal workers in one line item. "Every department had seasonal employee but it was tough [apportioning salary] because we kept moving the around," he said. "So we just pooled them." He said there were no significant changes in the department but some slight adjustments in salary lines. "We still have 24 employees, that hasn't changed," he said. "They're just in different places." Public Services is looking at potential capital projects coming up, such as upgrading the electrical service at the campground, though this is not in the budget. Historic Valley Park has had a number of improvements in recent years, including updating the bathrooms and sewer system, and improving the wifi. Lescarbeau said he would also like to get an endoscopic camera to search water line leaks or infiltration but that it would likely have to wait until fiscal 2020. In response to a question about the old box alarm system, the mayor said the city has been approached by a buyer, an organization looking to remove them and reuse them in an art project. The purchase would require removing all the wiring as well. Canales said the boxes outlived their usefulness years ago with the advent of cell phones. They have not functioned in years. The committee also briefly touched on the library budget. Library Director Mindy Hackner explained the programming line item has been going down because the library is doing more innovative and free programming as well as taking advantage of funding through Massachusetts Cultural Council. She and Canales are continuing to work in scheduling issues. "We are very happy with this budget," she said. "But I've been caught short several times [on staffing]." The committee also reviewed the updated classification plan, which now includes an S-37 to indicate the special projects coordinator position being filled by Michael Nuvallie. Members questioned the number of salaried classifications and whether they were needed. "A lot of these don't even matter anymore," Canales said. "Fifty years of history just keeps making this document bigger and bigger." The public services classifications were updated a few years ago and Canales said the salaried list was due for review. The show includes pieces selected from more than 200 kindergarten through 12th-grade students representing each of the eight schools in the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union. SVHC Auxiliary Hosts Exhibit of School Childrens Artwork in the Corridor Gallery BENNINGTON, Vt. The Southwestern Vermont Health Care Auxiliary is displaying exhibit of artwork by local schoolchildren. This is 39th exhibit of student work. The show includes pieces selected from more than 200 kindergarten through 12th-grade students representing each of the eight schools in the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union. "This is my favorite exhibit every year," Jessica Tibbetts, a sonographer in the SVMC Imaging Department, said as she snapped photo of work created by children she knows during the opening on April 12. "Much of the work is bright, whimsical and sophisticated," said Lila Cestone, president of the SVHC Auxiliary. "It is such a pleasure to host this exhibit by our young artists." The exhibit is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily now through June 6. In addition to the Corridor Gallery, the SVHC Auxiliary manages the hospital gift shop, Personal Emergency Response System operations, and independent vendor sales. For information about joining the SVHC Auxiliary, visit the website or call 802-440-6080. Building 13 is hosting its second open house on Saturday, April 28, to kick off the summer season on the campus of Mass MoCA. ArtWeek to Launch Across Massachusetts PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Presented by Highland Street Foundation and produced by the Boch Center, ArtWeek will present its largest season lineup ever. The award-winning creative festival will offer more than 500 events from April 27-May 6 more than double the size of the 2017 festival. For the first time, ArtWeek events will take place across the commonwealth, with a presence in 155 neighborhoods and towns across all six regions of the state. The festival aims to provide participants with new ways to get creative and make art and culture more accessible to everyone. This season, more than 70 percent of all ArtWeek events are free. Visit the website to view the full calendar of events. Many institutions in the Berkshires are taking part in the celebration. Following are some highlights; find the full schedule online here. Lenox * Art Lenox will present its debut with a series of events during the statewide arts and cultural festival. Art Lenox is a newly launched art gallery association in Lenox supported by Visit Lenox / The Lenox Chamber of Commerce, the Lenox Cultural Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. This is the first of many collaboratively curated exhibitions and events that Art Lenox will offer to the public year round. Events include a day-long Gallery Art Walk (April 28), where visitors will have the opportunity to participate in artist talks, discussions and demonstrations with artists and gallery directors. Sohn Fine Art will present two events in collaboration with ArtWeek and Art Lenox, in conjunction with the exhibit "Domestication." The first "The Answer is Never the Answer" (April 28, immediately following the exhibitions reception) is an artist talk and slideshow presentation with Bill Wright. The second, "Cleanliness is Next to Godliness," is a taking care performance and discussion with Artist Anne Mourier (April 29). DeVries Fine Arts event "Meet Sculptor Andrew DeVries" will be held on April 29. An open studio tour will take place May 5. Five featured local artists in and around Lenox will open their studios for a behind-the-scenes look at their processes and intimate discussions about the creation of their works. Visit Art Lenox on Facebook. * The Mount will host New York Times bestselling author Julia Pierpont alongside her editor Caitlin McKenna as part of the ArtWeek festival on Thursday, May 3, at 6 p.m. Pierpont and McKennas conversation will focus around the creation of "The Little Book of Feminist Saints," in which Pierpont and artist Manjit Thapp match short and vibrant biographies with stunning full-color portraits of secular female "saints." Ticket are $10; advance registration recommended. Monterey * The Bidwell House Museum will present a new guided walk titled "Retracing Native Histories on the Landscape" as part of ArtWeek from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 28. This free talk will be held at the museum, located at 100 Art School Road. North Adams * Building 13 is hosting its second open house on Saturday, April 28, to kick off the summer season on the campus of Mass MoCA. There will be new and ongoing exhibitions on view in the galleries from Cynthia Reeves and Ferrin Contemporary, artists to meet and work in progress to see at The Studios at MASS MoCA, as well as an artist panel and discussion at The Artist Book Foundation. This Building 13 Open House is a part of ArtWee and will run from 3 to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Williamstown * The Clark Art Institute will hold two free events as part of ArtWeek. On Sunday, April 29, the Clark invites visitors to drop by a free open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Manton Study Center for Works on Paper, located in the Manton Research Center. Curatorial Assistant Kristie Couser presents a selection of prints, drawings, and photographs from the permanent collection. On Sunday, May 6, the Clark presents a free day centered around "Clark Buzz," the institute's honeybee sustainability initiative. Free bee-themed activities include making native seed bombs or a beeswax candle and tasting the Clark's first batch of honey produced from its own bees. At 2 p.m., Clark Director Olivier Meslay joins Clark Grounds Manager Matthew Noyes, Massachusetts Chief Apiary Inspector Dr. Kim Skyrm, and local beekeeper Dave Thayer for a one-hour discussion about the Clarks ongoing commitment to sustainability. All events are free, and admission to the galleries is free all day. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 12) Several colleagues of Senator Richard Gordon, including the chairman of the health committee, raised questions on his draft report on the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine. Senate Health Committee Chairman JV Ejercito on Thursday said he disagreed with the report's conclusion that former President Benigno Aquino III was a primary conspirator in the decision to use Dengvaxia in the mass immunization program. In the Blue Ribbon committee report released Wednesday, Chairman Richard Gordon said Aquino and his for Cabinet officials are "primary conspirators and must be held criminally liable." He also recommended the filing of graft charges against Aquino and the other officials. But Ejercito says the former president was only guilty of a "failure of leadership" and negligence when he gave the go-signal to his appointees to procure P3.5 billion pesos worth of Dengvaxia for the nationwide program. Senator Panfilo Lacson also vouched for the former president's integrity. "Having worked closely with ex-Pnoy, both in the Senate and Malacanang, it is difficult for me to believe that he was capable of committing graft and corruption," he said in a tweet. Gordon's report said Aquino committed "grave human rights abuse" when he put the health of over 800,000 vaccinated children at risk by using an "experimental drug" in a mass vaccination program. Aquino previously said he was not advised against Dengvaxia from the time of its procurement until his administration rolled out the program. Garin, Abad responsible Ejercito Ejercito said former Health Secretary Janette Garin and ex-Budget Chief Florencio "Butch" Abad should be the ones blamed for the Dengvaxia mess. "I believe that while former President Benigno Aquino III is guilty of negligence for not exercising due diligence, it is his two Cabinet members who should be primarily held liable for the Dengvaxia mess that has endangered the lives of almost 1 million children," said in a statement. Gordon and Ejercito have chaired at least two Senate hearings together on the issue. Their committees investigated the Aquino administration's questionable purchase of Dengvaxia and the program carried out by Garin in February 2016. Ejercito said Garin pushed for the purchase of the vaccines from Sanofi Pasteur even if clinical trials were not yet concluded. Meanwhile, Abad facilitated and approved the release of the money without Congressional approval, he said. "Senate hearings have shown that former Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Janette Garin and former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad are the principal conspirators in the anomalous procurement and questionable implementation of the vaccine," he said. The Budget Department, then headed by Abad, issued a 3.5-billion Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) to Garin's office to purchase the vaccines in December 2015. Garin said her conscience is clear and she is ready to face any charge that will be filed, while Abad said Gordon's recommendation for graft charges "has absolutely no basis." Ejercito also called on the government to help the public file a class suit against Sanofi Pasteur. A joint complaint was filed against Aquino, Garin, Abad, and Sanofi officials over the Dengvaxia issue in February. Among the charges are violation of the procurement law, graft, and technical malversation. More solons react Senators also expressed apprehensions on the Dengvaxia report released by Gordon. Gordon made the document public without his fellow senators' signature, as the Senate is still on break and will resume in May. Members of the Liberal Party questioned why the report was released to the public before it was filed or sponsored by senators. Senator Bam Aquino said, "Though this report has not been made available to the members of the Blue Ribbon Committee, if the final report reflects yesterday's statements and political leanings, we will have serious concerns with the conclusions made." Meanwhile, members of the Magdalo Party-list said Gordon's findings were not based on evidence presented during the Senate hearings. "It is obvious from the draft report that the committee has no appreciation of facts and solid evidence. There should have been thorough investigations and conciliation of facts and findings of medical experts from which the recommendations of the committee should have been based," it said in a statement. Garin on Wednesday said Gordon's report was based on his personal opinions, which was not even vetted by the entire Senate. "I believe that the narrative is full of inaccuracies and half-truths which reflect only the long perceived pre-judgment of the issue by Senator Gordon. The presentation is one-sided and replete with innuendos of expedited government action," she said in a text message. Around 10 percent of over 830,000 students who were immunized with Dengvaxia, but did not have a prior dengue infection, now face contracting a "serious disease," according to Sanofi Pasteur. The government also said at least 32,000 private patients were vaccinated with Dengvaxia. Imperial Valley News Center Attack on Voter Registration Center in Kabul Washington, DC - On behalf of the U.S. government, I strongly condemn todays suicide attack on a voter registration center in Kabul that killed approximately 60 people and wounded over 100 others. I extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims who have suffered an immeasurable loss. This senseless violence targeting innocent civilians exercising their fundamental democratic rights exposes the savagery and inhumanity of terrorists. The United States, along with our Afghan and international partners are committed to destroying ISIS in Afghanistan, which has claimed responsibility for this vicious attack. We stand with the people and government of Afghanistan in their fight against terrorism. The United States reaffirms our support for the Afghan government, Afghan security forces, and the Independent Electoral Commission in their efforts to ensure that the elections process is transparent, credible, and safe. We remain committed to supporting the Afghan peoples efforts to achieve peace, security, and democracy for their country. Financial Advisor Faces Federal Fraud and Money Laundering Charges Alleging Thefts from Ameriprise Clients and Other Victims Los Angeles, California - A former Ameriprise financial advisor faces federal fraud and money laundering charges for allegedly defrauding clients by embezzling funds that she promised would be invested, United States Attorney Nicola T. Hanna announced Thursday. Li Lin Hsu, 40, of Diamond Bar, was arrested Wednesday morning by special agents with the FBI. Hsu was taken into custody pursuant to an eight-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury the day before. The indictment charges Hsu with three counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of obstruction of justice. Over a five-year period, while she was employed by Ameriprise and after her termination from Ameriprise in 2015, Hsu solicited investments from clients through, among other ways, advertisements in local Chinese-language newspapers. According to the indictment, Hsu failed to invest her clients funds, and instead spent the money on personal expenses, such as credit card bills, personal loans, luxury items and real estate. The money laundering charge in the indictment alleges that Hsu used nearly $1 million stolen from one victim to purchase a condominium in Diamond Bar. The indictment alleges that Hsu attempted to conceal her scheme by using some of the money stolen from victims to pay back other victims, and that she sent her clients fabricated account statements and investment purchase confirmations. The indictment alleges that there are at least 11 victims of Hsu, and investigators believe those victims sustained losses of at least $2 million. Following her arrest, Hsu was arraigned on the indictment in United States District Court, where she pleaded not guilty. Hsu was ordered released on a $50,000 bond, and she was ordered to stand trial on June 12 before United States District Judge Andrew J. Guilford in Santa Ana. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Hsu would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on each of the fraud counts, 10 years on the money laundering count, and 5 years on the obstruction of justice charge. Investors who provided money to Hsu and believe they were defrauded through her actions at Ameriprise or her own companies American Capital Trading Group LLC and American Capital Republic, Inc. should contact the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565. This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Poonam Kumar of the Major Frauds Section. MANA de San Diego Accepts 2017 FBI Directors Community Leadership Award in Washington, D.C. Washington, DC - MANA de San Diego accepted the 2017 FBI Directors Community Leadership Award (DCLA) in Washington, D.C. At Fridays ceremony, FBI Director Christopher Wray presented the award to the organizations President, Venus Molina, who accepted the award on behalf of MANA de San Diego. Directors Community Leadership Award The DCLA was established in 1990 as a way to honor individuals and organizations for their efforts to prevent crime, terrorism, drugs, and violence, as well as to further law enforcement efforts in their communities. Each year, the special agent in charge of each of the FBIs 56 field offices selects an honoree that has made a significant difference in their community. San Diegos 2017 DCLA Recipient: MANA de San Diego MANA de San Diego, a national Latina organization established in 1987, has demonstrated outstanding contributions toward the prevention of youth involvement in crime, drugs, gangs, and violence. The organization empowers Latinas through hosting educational seminars, leadership conferences, networking meetings, and programs including the Hermanitas Youth Leadership Mentor Program (Hermanitas). Director Christopher Wray with MANA de San Diego president Venus Molina. Select image for related material, including story and photos. Hermanitas has served more than 800 at-risk girls ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old. The goal of the program is to elevate the potential of young women in the Hispanic community. The program features monthly educational programs, community service, and leadership seminars. Additional elements of the program include support in applying to college, financial aid, and scholarships. The MANA scholarship program has helped almost 450 young Latinas with financial assistance to make their dream of attending college a reality. The success of this program is illustrated by the journey of current MANA President, Venus Molina. At the age of 12, Ms. Molina joined the very first Hermanitas class, where her connection to MANA began as a mentee. Today, Ms. Molina is the president of MANA and a leader in the San Diego community. Special Agent in Charge John A. Brown and the San Diego Division of the FBI honor MANA de San Diego as a 2017 FBI Directors Community Leadership Award recipient and thank the organization for the significant contributions and service provided to the San Diego community. courtesy of San Diego Newscape Epstein-Barr virus protein can switch on risk genes for autoimmune diseases Washington, DC - Infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the cause of infectious mononucleosis, has been associated with subsequent development of systemic lupus erythematosus and other chronic autoimmune illnesses, but the mechanisms behind this association have been unclear. Now, a novel computational method shows that a viral protein found in EBV-infected human cells may activate genes associated with increased risk for autoimmunity. Scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases report their findings today in Nature Genetics. Many cases of autoimmune illness are difficult to treat and can result in debilitating symptoms. Studies like this are allowing us to untangle environmental and genetic factors that may cause the bodys immune system to attack its own tissues, said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. A better understanding of the complex causes of autoimmunity promises to lead to better treatment and prevention options. EBV infection is nearly ubiquitous in the human population worldwide. Most people acquire EBV in early childhood, experience no symptoms or only a brief, mild cold-like illness, and remain infected throughout their lives while remaining asymptomatic. When infection first occurs in adolescence or young adulthood, EBV can lead to a syndrome of infectious mononucleosis characterized by prolonged fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes and fatigue. This syndrome, also known as mono or the kissing disease, generally resolves with rest and only rarely causes serious complications. When EBV infects human immune cells, a protein produced by the virus EBNA2 recruits human proteins called transcription factors to bind to regions of both the EBV genome and the cells own genome. Together, EBNA2 and the human transcription factors change the expression of neighboring viral genes. In the current study, the researchers found that EBNA2 and its related transcription factors activate some of the human genes associated with the risk for lupus and several other autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and celiac disease. Previous studies suggested that EBV infection may result in autoimmune diseases, particularly lupus. In the current work, researchers led by John B. Harley, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology (CAGE) at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, with his colleagues Matthew T. Weirauch, Ph.D., and Leah C. Kottyan, Ph.D., also of CAGE, wondered whether genetic analysis could further explain the relationship between EBV infection and lupus. Their team developed a new computational and biochemical technique known as the Regulatory Element Locus Intersection algorithm, or RELI. Sifting through and comparing a large collection of genetic and protein data from healthy individuals and those with autoimmune diseases, the team used RELI to identify regulatory regions in genes associated with the risk of developing lupus that also bound EBNA2 and its related transcription factors. We were surprised to see that nearly half of the locations on the human genome known to contribute to lupus risk were also binding sites for EBNA2, said Dr. Harley. These findings suggest that EBV infection in cells can actually drive the activation of these genes and contribute to an individuals risk of developing the disease. In follow-up analyses, the investigators used RELI to probe regulatory genes associated with other autoimmune diseases and found that EBNA2 bound to genes associated with the risk for multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and celiac disease. Because EBV is most often encountered in early childhood, avoiding infection is practically impossible, said Daniel Rotrosen, M.D., director of the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation at NIAID. However, now that we understand how EBV infection may contribute to autoimmune diseases in some people, researchers may be able to develop therapies that interrupt or reverse this process. Researchers note that EBV infection is not the only factor that contributes to the development of the seven autoimmune conditions discussed in the paper. Many of the regulatory genes that contribute to lupus and other autoimmune disorders did not interact with EBNA2, and some individuals with activated regulatory genes associated with disease risk do not develop disease. Anzac Day Washington, DC - Acting Secretary of State John J. Sullivan: "On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I am honored to send my best wishes to the people of Australia and New Zealand this Anzac Day on April 25, 2018. "On the 103rd anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign, we remember the selfless sacrifices made by Australian and New Zealand armed forces on the shores of the Dardanelles. The heroic actions of brave men and women from our three nations throughout the Great War protected democracy and freedom around the world. Our shared dedication to these values continues to inspire people of all countries. "Our close friendship with Australia and New Zealand remains steadfast, as we partner around the globe to maintain peace and security and improve livelihoods. We stand together once again with you all on this Anzac Day to reflect on the momentous events of 1915 and remember the brave servicemen and women who paid the ultimate price to secure our freedom. Lest we forget." Call for Calm in Nicaragua Washington, DC - The United States government regrets the loss of life and injuries suffered in Nicaragua during protests by its citizens. We condemn the violence and the excessive force used by police and others against civilians who are exercising their constitutional right to freedom of expression and assembly. The United States calls for a broad-based dialogue involving all sectors of society to resolve the current conflict, restore respect for human rights, and achieve a better, more democratic future for all Nicaraguans. We also call on the Nicaraguan government to allow journalists to operate freely and restore all television coverage to the air. Additionally, we urge the government to allow an independent investigation and to prosecute those responsible for the deaths. Acting Secretary Sullivan's Meeting With Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono Toronto, Canada: Acting Secretary of State John J. Sullivan met with Japanese Foreign Minister Kono today, on the margins of the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Toronto, Canada to discuss issues of regional and global concern. During the meeting, Acting Secretary Sullivan and Foreign Minister Kono affirmed their strong determination to bolster the U.S.-Japan Alliance and maintain international unity for diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea until it denuclearizes. The Acting Secretary and Foreign Minister expressed their joint commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and enhancing a free, fair, and reciprocal U.S.-Japan economic relationship. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 18) Some locals of Boracay are questioning the strict rules to be implemented by the Philippine National Police during the closure of the island. Once Boracay shuts down on April 26, only residents, workers, and resort owners shall be allowed entry into the island, but only upon presentation of valid identification cards certifying residence in Boracay. There will be a single entry and exit point during the island's closure. This will be the Jetty Port in Cagban in Barangay Manoc-Manoc, which is always open. Municipal executive assistant for Boracay Affairs Rowen Aguirre, however, said the Cagban Jetty Port might be dangerous for small boats during the Habagat season. "Yung ibang mga workers na mawawalan ng trabaho, they can go back to fishing...Para sa pagkain, so they'll be able to feed their families," he said. When the island shuts down, the port, which currently serves around 5,000 tourists daily, will operate only from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Another rule is that there should be no floating structures up to 15 kilometers from the shoreline. Aguirre said this would be very disadvantageous to small fishermen who fish about one to three kilometers from the shore. He added he is also concerned on the rule that allows swimming solely for locals, but only at Angol beach from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. "Biglang lalim ang tubig doon, nandoon din ang mga protected corals natin. Saka hindi siya masyado accessible. So in case of accident, baka mahirapan tayo pumasok yung responders," Aguirre said. PNP Region 6 Director Cesar Binag, however, said these concerns were raised during the inter-agency meeting between the government and Boracay stakeholders on Tuesday. "Diniscuss nga yan sa meeting namin immediately after ng presentation pati sina Secretary. Hintayin niyo baka magbaba ng bagong guidelines. Ang gusto ko lang mensahe dito, nakikinig ang gobyerno sa mga concerns ng mga maaapektuhan," Binag said. Officials have repeatedly appealed to locals to cooperate in the security and rehabilitation plans for the island to speed up the process. April 23, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - WELL, in this age of unreason, we remember the past all right, but were completely cavalier about repeating the mistakes of history. Learning lessons is for wimps in the new world order. A textbook case of this is whats happening right now in Syria. Were being lied to about the need to bomb whats left of that war-ravaged country, just like we were hoodwinked over Iraq 15 years ago. Last week, self-appointed global sheriff, the US, and deputy dawgs Britain and France, showered more than 100 missiles upon Syria, telling the world they were making our planet safer by punishing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for gassing his own people with chemical weapons. The casus belli this time was the Damascus suburb of Douma, where more than 40 people were said to have been killed and hundreds injured when Assads air force dropped barrel bombs filled with toxic chemicals on the civilian population. The evil and despicable attack left mothers and fathers, infants and children writhing in pain and gasping for air, Trump said, purportedly outraged by video footage from an underground clinic in the war zone depicting chaotic scenes of children traumatised and struggling to breathe while medics splashed water on them. Trump ordered the air strikes, offering no proof whatsoever of gas killing animal Assads culpability, when experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) were already on their way to Syria to find out the truth. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Were still waiting for their verdict, but in the meantime, what veteran British war correspondent Robert Fisk has uncovered so far is a stunning repudiation of the mainstream narrative. Fisk, an award-winning and highly respected journalist who has covered Middle East conflicts for four decades, has gathered witness testimony on the ground in Douma that raises doubts as to whether there was a chemical attack at all. Writing for The Independent, Fisk tracks down a doctor working at the same clinic, who cheerfully tells me that the gas videotape which horrified the world despite all the doubters is perfectly genuine. But wait, theres more. The patients, he says, were overcome not by gas but by oxygen starvation in the rubbish-filled tunnels and basements in which they lived, on a night of wind and heavy shelling that stirred up a dust storm. Fisks reporting suggests chaos deliberately created by first responder activists from the group known as the White Helmets, who panicked people into believing they were under a chemical attack and doused them with water from hosepipes when they rushed to the clinic for the benefit of the cameras. This is not the first time the White Helmets, known to work hand-in-glove with terrorist groups operating in Syria as anti-government rebels, have been accused of using unwitting civilians to act out dramas tailored to resonate with the West and provoke an attack on the Assad regime. The decision to bomb Syria had not even been made when Trump jumped the gun and warned Assad and his Russian allies in a tweet of nice and new and smart! missiles heading their way. According to US media reports, Defence Secretary James Mad Dog Mattis pleaded with Trump to wait until Assads alleged responsibility for the Douma attack could be verified and Congress given a chance to authorise the act of war, but they went ahead to validate Trumps tweets. Is everyone registering this? Trump may have risked a third world war so he would not risk losing his credibility for live-tweeting Fox and Friends. Whatever next? South China Morning Post Yonden Lhatoo is the chief news editor at the South China Morning Post By Finian Cunningham April 23, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - US President Donald Trump is talking about bringing troops home from Syria. But the plan is not about dialing down American military interests in the region. Its about subcontracting the dirty work of US imperialism. Trumps Syria Withdrawal Plan is Subcontracting The US Dirty Work Far from reducing American wars in the Middle East the supposed withdrawal move spells more conflict, not less. There seems to be a common misconception that Trump is somehow fulfilling his campaign pledge to close down overseas interventions and bring US troops home. Ahead of his state visit Monday to the US, French President Emmanuel Macron told Fox News in an interview that he is urging Trump to maintain the American troop presence in Syria. Macron warned that any exit of US military forces would be taken advantage of by the Syrian and Iranian regimes. By implication, the French leader included Russia in his rogues gallery. We will have to build a new Syria after the war. And thats why the US role is very important, Macron said. But Trump is not signaling the end of American involvement in Syria. What he is planning is a new division of labor and capital in the pursuit of strategic goals. When the president fired up a rally of his supporters in Ohio at the end of March he said: Well be coming out of Syria, like, very soon. Let other people take care of it now. Then on April 13, when announcing the US-led air strikes on Syria over an alleged chemical-weapons attack, Trump again hinted at eventually taking American forces out. He said: We have asked our partners to take greater responsibility for securing their home region, including contributing large amounts of money. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The concern of some within the American political and military establishment, as well as foreign allies like Frances Macron, is misplaced. Trump is not scaling back Washingtons involvement. He is instead seeking to outsource the military dirty work. That plays well for Trump from a political point of view. It looks as if he is delivering on his America First agenda to his voter base. It also gives the chance for the US to wash its hands of bloody conflict. In reality, however, Washington is pursuing its same hegemonic and destabilizing ambitions in the oil-rich Middle East, such as regime change in Syria, confronting Iran, and containing Russia. Last week, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir confirmed his country was in talks with Trump administration officials about sending Saudi troops to Syria as part of an international coalition to replace the contingent of American troops present there. What the Saudi diplomat was referring to was Gulf Arab states and possibly Egypt forming an expeditionary force for Syria. There were also reports of Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater USA, a private mercenary firm, being lobbied by Gulf Arab states to recruit a similar force for deployment to Syria. Prince, who is known to be on good terms with Trump, said he is waiting for the presidents decision. He has also worked previously with the Saudis and Emiratis in supplying mercenary battalions to fight in Yemen against the Houthi rebels. The idea of a Saudi-led Arab expeditionary force to Syria is not new. During the Obama administration, the Saudi rulers lobbied for such a deployment, to no avail. Though, under Trump they may have a willing president. Trump has long been exasperated by the financial cost of Americas military footprint in Syria, consisting of 2,000-4,000 troops mainly based in northeastern areas of the country. American warplanes have been flying offensive sorties over Syria since September 2014. What seems to be primarily motivating Trumps calculations is a cost-cutting measure of getting others to pay. A fitting move for the real-estate-tycoon-turned-president whose private business model is all about outsourcing and subcontracting to trim costs. In his pitch for the security contract in Syria, Erik Prince claimed that such an arrangement would bring zero cost to the US taxpayer. That suggests that the Saudi, Emirati, and Qatari rulers are being lined up to foot the bill for privatizing US military operations in Syria. On a superficial level, it may seem like a smart idea, albeit unscrupulous. But at a more practical level, it seems doomed to fail. It is not hard to envisage how the shifting of military roles will only lead to greater instability and violence, not just in Syria but across the region. Saudi troops being sent into Syria along with Emirati and Qatari forces will see them run up against the Syrian Army and its Iranian and Hezbollah allies. The Wahhabi mentality of the Gulf Arab rulers is such that Syria and its Shia allies are viewed as mortal enemies. The proximity of these forces in Syria would be explosive, resulting in Saudi Arabia and Iran finally going head-to-head in a long-anticipated war. The latter would no doubt draw in Israel on the Saudi side. In any case, given the ongoing disastrous war in Yemen for the Saudis and their Gulf cronies, it seems out of the question that they could mobilize a force for Syria. That begs the question of Erik Prince and his mercenaries being deployed to replace regular American forces, with the Gulf Arab regimes bankrolling the operation. The purpose of any such deployment is in complete violation of Syrian sovereignty. Far from the advertised objectives of security and preventing the return of ISIS, the real goal is to hold on to US-occupied territory around the Euphrates River and the oilfields in Syrias eastern provinces. Whatever the precise composition of this new American substitute force in Syria, the Wall Street Journal quoted an analyst from the Brooking Institution think tank as saying: It has to be strong enough to face down Assad or Iran if either seeks to reclaim territory, perhaps with Russias help. That means that US military forces will have to be retained in Syria. The boots on the ground may no longer be regular American troops, but the US will still have to provide support with warplanes and military advisers to make its surrogates effective for occupying Syrian territory. If Washington planners want to maintain their foothold in Syria and contain Russian and Iranian influence in the region, then that objective will sooner or later result in a military confrontation. It seems implausible that the Syrian government, having won the war against foreign-backed militants, would tolerate a post-war occupation of its territory by the US and its surrogates. American political analyst Randy Martin sees the latest Trump plans for the supposed withdrawal of troops as nothing more than a tactical shift. The calling up of Arab forces or private mercenaries marks a change in contractors, thats all, says Martin in an interview for this column. We have seen the defeat of the Al Qaeda brigades by Syria, Russian and Iran. Now the US is turning to new contractors in its long war for regime change in Syria and confrontation with Iran, he added. Thus, Trumps putative drawdown of the US military contingent in Syria is not a move for peace. Its a shift in gear towards more war. Afford yourself an opportunity and grab that foreign education and degree youve always dreamt of having in Europe. There are so many nice universities in Eastern Europe that you can get the same quality education as in UK and USA. You dont have to spend thousands of dollars and Euros to school. No SATs, TOEFL or IELETs needed just the proof that you studied in English from your high school or college. For instance if you study in Romania, Foreign Degree SRL affords you the opportunity to work for 3 months in the United States of America in the summer. That way you can make your tuition for the next coming year. We are in partnership and we represent some school in the countries mentioned below. BSc, MSc and Phd programs available in Romania, Cyprus, Ireland and Hungary. Medical courses, Technical courses Maritime courses Social sciences Arts courses, etc Cc: @foreigndegreesrl @dubby_kechoz Contact us: Kindly visit our website: www.foreigndegreesrl.com email: [email protected] [email protected] You can call us on +40735278914, +2347055180864. Our Physical office in Nigeria is located at Plot 520, suit 10, 2nd floor, Trow plaza, Olu Awutesu Street, off Sylvester Crescent Jabi Abuja, Nigeria. Leave a Comment comments BBNaija Live show The Big Brother Naija grand finale airs the end of its third season tonight and while the live shows host, Ebuka is anchoring the show from SA, BBN alumnus, Bisola is holding it down here in Lagos. With past housemates all gathered at the viewing centre in Lagos and Bisola hosting the show here, our correspondent brings live photos from the event. Since the start of the show, its been announced that the winner of the show will be walking home with a whooping N45m and now its been broken down how the money will go about In cash, the winner will be having N25m, a N12m SUV, home appliances worth 3.3 million and an all expense paid trip for two worth, 4.7 million. With these, we know for sure that the winner will be having one helluva time after the Big Brother show Meanwhile here are photos from the live show in Lagos Leave a Comment comments TeddyA surprises BamBam Who doesnt love birthday surprises? Today is Big Brother Naijas BamBams birthday, and to celebrate, her one-time strategic partner in the house Teddy-A paid her a surprise. According to Olorisupergal, Teddy-A threw a surprise party for her, complete with cakes. See a photo from the party below: Recall, the birthday girl and her beau, Teddy, few days after they were evicted from the house, were hosted by Dino Melaye, the lawmaker representing Kogi West senatorial district, on a Thursday evening. The ex-housemates, who were romantic partners while in the Big Brother house, were hosted in Melayes Abuja home. Recall that Teddy A was evicted two weeks ago, few hours after his romantic partner, Bambam also got evicted. An excited Dino and fan of the reality show shared a photo of himself with the BBNaija ex-housemates on his social media pages. He wrote Teddy A and Bambam of Big Brother at my crib. Great guys. Leave a Comment comments Nigeria needs an Igbo President Omega Fire Ministries pastor, Apostle Johnson Suleman has lent his voice in support of an Igbo President come 2019 who will turn things around for Nigeria. He stated this during a church service yesterday. Below is the report from the official Facebook account of the church. An IGBO President may just be Our solution to Jobs Creation and Economic Rejuvenation Apostle Suleman The Senior Pastor of Omega Fire Ministries Intl, Apostle Johnson Suleman has proposed that Nigerians should vote for an IGBO President in the forth coming General Elections in 2019. Making his case during his Sermon on Sunday at his Auchi Headquarter Church, the fiery Apostle said An IGBO President may just be the solutions to the problems of Jobs Creation & Economic Rejuvenation. He added that with the enormous vast prowess of the People of Eastern Nigeria they can turn very little to surplus. He also further stated that the IGBOs are the largest employers in the country with almost every IGBO man owning a business that is thriving. Video Below ; [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b8UHieV14o?ecver=1] Leave a Comment comments Boracay (CNN Philippines, April 19) - Tensions are high in Boracay as residents living on wetlands decried threats of arrests by authorities preparing for the island's closure on April 26. "Kargado sila ng mahahabang baril, next na naman ganun pa rin tapos sinasabi nila kelangan namin umalis (They carry long firearms. They would come back and tell us the same thing that we have to leave)," resident Edlyn Apelido said. A number of residents told the media that officers of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), accompanied by military men, have been visiting their homes in the past few days, telling them to vacate, otherwise they will be arrested. "Nakakastress tapos nagpapanic kami dahil may mga bata kami. Wala naman problema sa pag-alis, willing kami para sa kabutihan ng Boracay. Ang problema, wala ka nang bahay, wala ka pang hanapbuhay (It's stressful and we panic because we have kids in our house. We have nothing against leaving. We are willing to leave because it will benefit Boracay. The problem is we do not know where to live or where to work.)," she said. Clearing structures on wetlands and forestlands is part of the government's six-month rehabilitation plan for the island. Apart from houses, 30,000 formal and informal residents stand to lose their jobs. "Ano naman 'yung approval agad na ipapalit sa trabaho namin na six months nakatengga kami?" asked Jeffrey Canciller, a father of three. The local government of Malay has previously vowed to provide financial aid to displaced residents. But locals are worried about the lack of concrete plans being laid out. They also felt alienated from important dialogues like Tuesday's inter-agency conference held at a posh hotel. "Malapit na mag-closure ang Boracay sa April 26. Wala pa rin kaming nakikitang tamang sistema. (The island's closure is on April 26 but still we have not seen an apparent system," said Ernesto Bandiola Cruz, Boracay Photographer Association president. He said that if people go hungry, they might resort to illegal ways to survive. The Philippine National Police earlier said the police force is ready for possible violence that may erupt from the closure of the island. Nigerian lady welcomes twins A Nigerian lady who recently became a mum after 3years of infertility has taken to IG to share her rough journey through becoming a mum. Her story below; My mums testimony. From a girl who never loved twins to a lady who later started praying to have them . After 3 good years of fertility struggle. After 4 miscarriages including 1 ectopic that led to removal of one of my tubes. After so much tears. After sleepless nights. After so much trauma and pain. I prayed, i fasted, i lost hope, i had hope, i told God to give me double blessings for my trouble. I told him to bless me with 2 identical healthy and handsome boys. I promised him that only him will take all the glory. Yes he listened and did it when i least expected. JULY 2017 that happens to be my beautiful princess Diana @kidmodeldiana birth month. HE blessed me with the fruit of the womb. August 2017, Scan showed me we have been blessed with identical twins. Then i burst into tears, i knelt down nd THANKED HIM FOR ANSWERING MY PRAYERS. FOR WIPING MY TEARS AND SHOWING ME HE HAS NOT FORSAKEN ME EVEN WHEN I THOUGHT HE HAD. Fast forward to MARCH 16 2018, I welcomed My RAINBOW babies. Beautiful twin girls . Our God is never late. Olowo gbogboro I SAY THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME. I am proudly Mama Ejima. Iya Ibeji. My daughter is now a big sis. It can only be you LORD. HAPPY 32ND BIRTHDAY mum. @nathanielblow @maternitybabymoments @motherhoodng_ @tellitmoms @twinsandmultiples @fruitfulwomenng #thankyouLord #happybirthday #happybirthdaytome #mytwins #twingirls #April23rd #aprilborn #birthdaygirl Leave a Comment comments The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, recently, labeled Nigerian youths as lazy during a business conference held in London. According to him, youths do nothing and want everything free in Nigeria. This, for me, is an aberration of language and most unfortunate. This statement is rejected in its entirety by the Nigerian youths. Leadership Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday declared that President Muhammadu Buharis attendance of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in United Kingdom, which came at huge cost to the nation, was a colossal waste. The Nation Former President Olusegun Obasanjo came under fire on Sunday for what was termed his posturing on national issues. Nollywood Actress Adunni Ade has narrated a life threatening experience she encountered as she traveled from Lagos to Ilorin. According to the beautiful actress, she escaped death on getting to Ogbomoso, en route Ilorin, as a result of a reckless truck driver who suddenly swerved in her direction. With the photos of the two men who assisted her when she was in dire need of help, she acknowledged that God has a purpose for sparing her life. Though he lost her tyres and her vehicle is under repair and she is grateful for a second chance at life,the beautiful lady dropped a message for the government as regards the roads people ply while travelling to ensure others dont go through a major accident like she did Read the story below; One of the scariest moments of my life. I started my journey back to Lagos from Ilorin at 4:00am. An hour into the journey, I arrived at Ogbomosho on a narrow road. All of a sudden, a trailer coming on high speed with full headlight swarved towards me. My heart skipped several beats! I thought thats it! Trying to avoid getting hit, I drove off the small road and boom! My tyre was gone. It took me a while to get myself together, came out to check the damage. It was dark, no streetlights. I was scared! My mind went blank. I thought of the worst. Summoned enough courage to get out of my car for the 2nd time to ask travelers for assistance. None stopped! Some slowed down but where to scared to stop as it was still dark. Finally! A trailer stopped and reluctantly decided to help. It would take 3 hours to take the tyre off. Eventually, it was removed. These 2 men saved me! Abbey to the Left said hes conscience wouldnt have allowed him to drive off! I guess my job on this earth isnt completed yet. Thank you to everyone to checked up on me. Special thank you to @peterucomedy1 for making sure the tyre was replaced. Simple things can be avoided. Their is an ongoing (well it has been spotted for years) road construction that can be completed. When simple contracts are awarded, please lets get them done. Stop using Government funds to fund your lifestyles. How can one of the Richest countries in Africa not have good roads, or simple amenities like Streetlights? All these money yall eating, cannot be taken to your grave when youre no more. To those in power, please do the needful. Make Nigeria a better Country. A road wide enough to only contain a trailer been shared by other cars? The Ames Main Street Farmers Market is a local market that has been a staple of downtown Ames for the past eight years. The market Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) - Representatives from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) are set to join rehabilitation efforts on the island of Boracay to look into the possibility of distributing farm lands to displaced residents. Currently, the remaining four hectares of farm lands on the island can only benefit one to two farmers. But DAR said forestlands can be reclassified as agricultural land. "Kung may mga magsasaka na nandun sa Boracay, maaaring sila ang gamitin o mangalaga sa forestland. 'Yung mga magsasaka ho bibigyan ng ligalidad ng DENR (Department of Environment and National Resources) upang pangalagaan ang kabundukan o forestland sa loob ng Boracay (The island's farmers, who would be accredited by the DENR, can take care of forestlands). " said DAR Usec. David Erro. A local official of Boracay told CNN Philippines the prospect of putting the island under agrarian reform is creating anxiety among the locals. "Ala na nag-fa-farm dito kasi nga mas madali mag-cater sa tourism (Nobody farms here anymore because people earm more through tourism)," said Rowen Aguirre, Municipal Executive Assistant for Boracay Affairs. Meanwhile, the government is set to recover by the end of July or early August at least three of the five wetlands on Boracay that have been reclaimed and where illegal structures have been built. In Sitio Cagban-Bubon in Barangay Manoc-Manoc, the DENR has sent notices to residents to vacate 60 houses in the area. Some residents are still in shock that what they believed were ancestral lands can be taken away from them. "Ang bahay na ito, pinaghihirapan ko ito. Pinagttrabahuhan ko ito bago ako magkabahay. Ngayon sa isang bigla lang, mawawala (I worked hard to build this house. Now, I'm going to lose this in an instant)," said Argie Ostan, a tricycle driver who took pride in religiously paying annual taxes. But the annual payments are not enough to stake a claim on a protected area. The Environment Department is asking Ostan to voluntarily demolish the house he painstakingly built through the years, otherwise the agency's workers will do the demolition and he will face charges. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said tax declarations do not prove land ownership in Boracay. "The decision is clear, it is owned by the state. If the President wants he could declare everyone to leave. He will not, because he wants everyone to benefit," Roque said. He said the President wants to protect the environment, restore wetlands, and preserve the beach for future generations. The President's point, however, doesn't resonate with Ostan and some longtime residents of Boracay who are about to lose their homes and no option for a roof above their head. On Iowa States campus, there exists a problem so evasive it totals more than $460 million in funding to be resolved. Its spread across all of campus, yet most students dont even realize it when they see it. The issue? Deferred maintenance. Deferred maintenance is the repair or replacement of all, or part of, an existing asset that was not repaired or replaced at the appropriate time because of a lack of funds. Deferred maintenance will be one of, if not Iowa States biggest problem in the coming years, former Student Government President Cody West said in an interview earlier this semester. In August, the Student Government passed a recommendation to introduce a $15 fee beginning in the fall of 2018, specifically to address deferred maintenance and improvement needs in the Memorial Union. The fee is included in the Board of Regents tuition and fees proposal for the 2018-2019 school year as a $30 building fee and set for approval in June. While the fee proposal initially faced some opposition within Student Government and the student body, West was a vocal advocate for taking care of the Memorial Union in the name of fiscal responsibility. It costs a lot less when you can proactively address these things, he said. These issues typically dont stand out to students, but their costs are monumental. By the end of 2017, Bessey Hall faced nearly $18 million in deferred maintenance. The Molecular Biology building had a little more than $10 million. In the Memorial Union, there is currently a total of $64,981 in deferred maintenance for fire and life safety assets alone. Projects in recreation, residence and academic buildings, such as updates to the elevators in Beardshear Hall or replacing doors in the Design Building, can be completed during the summer or partially during the school year. However, other buildings on campus such as the Memorial Union present a unique problem: the building is used by members of both the Iowa State and Ames community year round leaving little opportunity for invasive or disruptive maintenance. However, this challenge makes upkeep in the Memorial Union even more important, Corey Williamson, associate director, said. Knowing how important this facility is to the campus and to the community, every little bit that we can contribute to knowing this space is in as good of condition as it can possibly be is what we will commit to that, he said. According to Williamson, ISU hired Intelligent Systems and Engineering Services (ISES) in 2015 to put together a full report detailing the deferred maintenance needs in the Memorial Union. The report is broken up into two categories: non-recurring and recurring needs. These categories are further broken down into ten different project areas, such as electrical, plumbing and security. The report was updated in 2017, and this time a ten-year plan was laid out to identify the funds needed for recurring projects. Currently, the Memorial Union faces nearly $40 million in asset renewal needs over the next 10 years. Williamson also made sure to clarify the terminology that surrounds the issue. While deferred maintenance is the most commonly used term for the issue of the Memorial Union maintenance and upkeep needs, Williamson prefers to call it deferred capital renewal. He has concerns that when the term deferred maintenance is used, blame falls on the maintenance team, when the real problem, he said, is a lack of funding from the state . Williamson said that he would give the maintenance team a lot of kudos because they have kept the systems going and running as efficiently as possible. That being said, the problem lies not with the abilities of the maintenance team, Williamson said, but with available funding for renewal needs. The typical budget for renewal in the MU each year is $1 to $1.2 million, which, Williamson said, doesnt really get you very far. When the angled roof on the building was replaced last year, it cost $900,000, 75 percent of the total budget. You change one roof and thats your budget for the entire year, he said. Furthering Wests sentiment that being proactive is more economically efficient , Williamson believes its becoming more and more clear how important it is to build in capital renewal expenses into the function and operations of [the] facility. Fortunately, the mechanical team has been able to find cost effective solutions to some projects. Last summer an HVAC unit failed in the Memorial Union and the team is currently working to integrate that units workload into that of an existing, functioning unit instead of having to replace a whole unit. With a plan finally in place, Williamson is optimistic about getting the Memorial Union's maintenance needs back on track. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 23) Two Filipinos were arrested in Kuwait for encouraging house helpers to escape their employers, Kuwait state media reported. Kuwait News Agency, citing the Kuwait Ministry of Interior, said two Filipinos were detained on Sunday for "enticing" Filipino workers in Kuwait to escape their employers' household. The Kuwait Interior Minister said the two arrested Filipinos "confessed to the crime, in addition to other similar offenses that had been committed in various regions of the country." Meanwhile, the state media also reported Kuwait summoned Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Villa on Friday. It said Kuwait on Saturday summoned Villa in protest over "inflammatory comments" he made to a local newspaper. "The Filipino envoy's remarks, along with the 'inappropriate behavior' of Manila's diplomatic staff in Kuwait have been deemed a threat to Kuwait's sovereignty, the source noted," the news report said. The "inappropriate behavior" referred to is for the reported house-to-house visits of Philippine embassy employees to Filipino workers who might need help. CNN Philippines has reached out to the Philippines' foreign affairs department for comment. A deployment ban to Kuwait has been in place since February 15 after the tragic death of household helper Joanna Demafelis, whose body was found in a freezer. Prior to the ban, Kuwait was a top destination for Filipino workers, with around 240,000 working there in 2016. The Philippine and Kuwait governments are in the process of working out a labor agreement. 1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. 2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. 3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. 4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. 5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. 6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. 8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N. 9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. 10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N. 11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) 12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. 13. Do away with all loyalty oaths. 14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. 15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. 16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. 17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks. 18. Gain control of all student newspapers. 19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. 20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions. 21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. 22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms." 23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art." 24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." 27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch." 28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state." 29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. 30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." 31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. 32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. 33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. 34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. 35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. 36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. 37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business. 38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand. 39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. 40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. 41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems. 43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. 44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. 45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike. Page Content Since 25 years, European funds provide highly effective source of investment in Andalusia. The Programme Andalusia ERDF 2014-2020 aims to boost economic growth in Andalusia and contribute to achieving the Europe 2020 targets for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. It creates jobs and boost productivity, particularly in SMEs. EU funding is targeted in line with the region's Smart Specialisation Strategy, which aims to strengthen research institutions, and to improve their scientific and technological infrastructure. Research and development and innovation activities will be promoted in the public and private sectors, with enhanced linkages and knowledge transfer between enterprises and research centres. SME competitiveness and the diversification of business activities will be promoted, as well as fostering the position of SMEs on international markets. The Programme contributes to a more efficient and respectful use of natural resources and to a reduction of carbon emissions. The funds will help the region to respect environmental standards and preserve biodiversity, which is key for its economy. An effort is also made to promote social inclusion, education and employment. Support will is provided to social housing, infrastructure at all levels of education, employment services and ICT capacity. European funds also helped increse use of renevable energy that counts today for 27% of total electricity consumption. Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi is seen in this undated handout photo. The symptoms of skin conditions in patients with darker complexions are often different from those who are white, said Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi a resident in dermatology at the University of British Columbia. For example, doctors are typically trained to look for redness as a sign of skin inflammation. Yet black and other dark skins mask lighter colours, such as red. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO Neuro Exercise Specialist and Co-founder of ReYu, Nancy Morrow works with Evelyn Moore on the treadmill at the ReYu Paralysis Recovery Centre in Edmonton Alta, on Wednesday April 4, 2018. Evelyn Moore was permanently paralyzed below her arms after a bout with cancer. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson People look at a memorial wall for the Humboldt Broncos in the lobby during game one of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey league finals between the Estevan Bruins and Nipawin Hawks in Nipawin, Sask., on April 14, 2018. Some families of Humboldt Broncos bus crash victims are surprised to learn that error-riddled obituaries of their loved ones have been posted on a website that's selling flowers, as well as online memorial candles, and that the site isn't donating the money.Eleven of the 16 people who died when the Saskatchewan Junior B hockey team's bus collided with a semi on April 6 are listed on the Everhere website, which calls itself one of North America's largest databases for obituaries. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards Soldiers prepare to destroy a ballistic SS-19 missile in the yard of the largest former Soviet military rocket base in Vakulenchuk, Ukraine. Another Russian rocket stage likely to be holding highly toxic fuel is slated to splash down in an environmentally sensitive area of the Canadian Arctic on Wednesday.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, File Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Keith Ashfield looks on before speaking about the planned closure of Vancouver's Kitsilano Coast Guard station during a news conference in Vancouver on June 26, 2012. Veteran New Brunswick and federal politician Keith Ashfield has died at the age of 66.The president of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick announced his death in a tweet on Sunday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck File - In this July 12, 2017, file photo, Jeffrey Kerr, general counsel to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), speaks to reporters outside of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. A monkey cannot sue over rights to photos that it took because U.S. copyright law does not allow animals to file lawsuits, a federal appeals court ruled on Monday, April 23, 2018, in a novel case over selfies taken by a crested macaque. A unanimous, three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling dismissing a lawsuit by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals against David Slater, the photographer whose camera was used by the monkey in 2011 to take the photos. Kerr said the group was reviewing the opinion and had not decided yet whether it would appeal. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File) In this courtroom sketch the lawyers of the accused, from left, Isa Gultaslar, Laura Severin, Romain Delcoigne and Sven Mary attend a trial at the Brussels Justice Palace in Brussels on Monday, April 23, 2018. A Brussels court on has found Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam and an accomplice guilty of attempted murder over shots fired at police officers as they sought to flee arrest in March 2016, and sentenced them to 20 years in prison. (Petra Urban via AP) FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2017, file photo, actors Claire Foy, left, and Matt Smith pose at the premiere of season two of the Netflix series 'The Crown," in London. Smith said he supports fellow actor Claire Foy over the revelation that Foy was paid less than her male co-star in the Netflix drama. (Photo by Grant Pollard/Invision/AP, File) EUGENE, Ore -- Tuesday, April 24, 2018 is the deadline to register to vote for the May 15, 2018 Primary Election. This is also the deadline to change your party affiliation. There are several registration options: Register online no later than 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, April 24. The online option is available to those with a valid Oregon driver's license, DMV-issued identification card or learner's permit. Submit a voter registration form to the Elections Office by 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 24. Mail a voter registration card to the Elections Office postmarked no later than Tuesday, April 24. The Lincoln Street ballot drop box at Lane County Elections will be open now through Tuesday, April 24, at 5:00 p.m. to make it easier for voters to drop off completed registration cards. New voters who will turn 18 on or before the May 15 Election Day may register by the April 24 deadline and receive a ballot, even if they are still 17 on the deadline date. Primary elections are held so the members of a party can choose the party's candidates for office. Only registered Democrats, Republicans, and Independents can vote to nominate candidates for their respective political parties. Other registered voters will receive a ballot with nonpartisan offices only. For any questions on voter registration and elections in Oregon, click here. Lane County Elections is located at 275 W. 10th Avenue, on the corner of 10th and Lincoln in downtown Eugene. Public office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. On Election Day, May 15, 2018, the Lane County Elections Office will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. AUSTIN, Minn. A duo arrested after police were called to a vehicle in a ditch are pleading guilty. Olmsted County sheriffs deputies say they found Cristian Andres Wilborn, 29 of Austin, and Patricia Jane Boonreuang, 23 of Austin, walking around a car in a ditch near the area of Highway 218 and County Road 26 on December 21. Deputies say they found 12 grams of methamphetamine, two digital scales, an electronic tablet, 17 cell phones, and a .38 caliber pistol. Wilborn has pleaded guilty to 5th degree drug possession. His sentencing is set for October 4. Boonreuang entered guilty pleas to 5th degree drug possession and 4th degree DWI. Her sentencing is scheduled for July 20. ST. PAUL, Minn. The Minnesota Court of Appeals agrees with a Freeborn County man that his rights were violated but still upholds his conviction. Michael Allen Haukoos, 40 of Albert Lea, was convicted in March 2017 for possession of burglary tools and sentenced to three years of supervised probation. Haukoos was arrested in January 2016 after law enforcement found him under the deck near a home in the Indian Hills neighborhood outside Albert Lea. They had been called to the area by a resident who said he saw an unfamiliar vehicle driving slowly past his house every 10 or 15 minutes and then saw a male stranger walking past his home while it was snowing. Authorities say when Haukoos was arrested he was wearing shoes with duct tape around the soles and had a bag holding a crowbar, a pry bar, a screwdriver, and a pair of pliers. Officers said two pocketknives, a flashlight, and a black ski mask were then found when Haukoos was searched. Haukoos claimed at trial that he had only been looking for his dog. Law enforcement said there were no animal tracks in the area. In his appeal, Haukoos argued his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent was violated when the prosecution referred to his post-arrest refusal to answer questions on three different occasions during the trial. On Monday, the Minnesota Court of Appeals agreed with Haukoos that two of references were improper. However, the Court ruled that because the evidence against Haukoos was overwhelming and because the improper references made up such a small part of the trial, his conviction and sentence will stand. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. BOONE, Iowa Police say a man is dead after officers were called to domestic abuse situation in central Iowa. A 911 call was made to the Boone Police Department on Saturday. A female said a man was at 620 2nd Street and threatening her and another person with a knife. When officers arrived, they say they could hear yelling and screaming from inside the home. Boone police say when they entered the home, Timothy Wayne Anderson, 48, charged at them with a knife. Officers say they retreated but Anderson followed them outside. Police say Anderson was told to drop the knife, then multiple officers fired. Anderson was hit and pronounced dead at the scene. Captain Lonnie Hikiji, Officer Daniel Lynch, Officer Joseph Slight, Officer Connor McCuen, Officer Cole Hilsabeck, and Officer Seth McCrea of the Boone Police Department have been placed on paid administrative leave while this deadly shooting is being investigated. To hear the 911 call that started this incident, click here. BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) It will be first come, first served for two states wanting to take custody of a Minnesota woman who is suspected in two killings, a Texas judge ruled Monday. Lois Riess waived extradition before the judge in Brownsville, Texas. The 56-year-old fugitive was the subject of a national hunt after her husband, David Riess, 54, was found fatally shot last month at their home in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota. Authorities believe Lois Riess fled to Florida and killed Pamela Hutchinson to assume her identity. Hutchinson was found dead with gunshot wounds earlier this month in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Minnesota and Florida have 10 days to move Riess. Cameron County Associate Judge Louis Sorola ruled that the first state to send their authorities to retrieve her will get her. Riess had been on the run since at least late March, when her husband's body was found. Investigators believe she used the same gun to fatally shoot 59-year-old Hutchinson. Riess had checked into a motel in the South Texas beach resort town of South Padre Island and was sitting at a restaurant bar with others Thursday when, according to South Padre Island Police Chief Randy Smith, a witness recognized Riess from a video and called police. The Star Tribune reported that the witness a worker recognized Riess from the way she flipped back her silvery hair. "I thought, 'I know this lady,'" George Higginbotham, a manager at Dirty Al's restaurant and bar in South Padre Island, said. "She had a smile on her face like a vacationer, not really worried that people were looking for her. She flipped her hair, and that is what made it kick in." Higginbotham said that flip was the same move he had seen Riess make in a video of her fateful encounter with Hutchinson in an oceanside bar in Fort Myers Beach. Riess did not stay at Dirty Al's long, Higginbotham said. After checking the menu for about two or three minutes, she left and Higginbotham called police while a co-worker followed her and saw her get into a white car and drive to the north. Federal marshals caught her about 20 minutes later dining at the Sea Ranch Restaurant. South Padre Island is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the nearest border cross into Mexico. Previous story below Lois Riess is being held on no bond. That's according to South Padre Island, Texas, officials. Riess appeared before a judge Saturday, less than 48 hours after being taken into custody. Officials say Riess will be taken to the Cameron County Jail for possibly two days before being extradited to Florida where court proceedings will continue. Read more on Lois Riess here. The 56-year-old is accused of shooting and killing her 54-year-old David Riess in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota. Investigators believe Riess also killed 59-year-old Pamela Hutchinson of Florida to steal her identity. During a search of her hotel room, authorities seized two pistols, a 22 Caliber and a 9 mm. The car she was driving will also be transported to Florida and submitted as evidence. Riess waived her right to a court-appointed attorney, saying she has a lawyer in Minnesota. AUSTIN, Minn. A not guilty plea has been entered in what police describe as a roommate argument which escalated to a stabbing threat. Adissa Kossi, 24 of Austin, is charged with 2nd degree assault with a dangerous weapon and misdemeanor domestic assault. According to court documents, Kossi was sharing an apartment in the 400 block of 10th Avenue Northwest in Austin when there was an argument on March 27 about who would sleep in the bed and who would sleep on a blowup mattress. Kossi is accused of hitting her roommate with a phone charger and then grabbing a knife and threatening to stab her roommate and another person. Her trial is scheduled to begin on September 10. PPX's high grades and low expected costs have them poised to meet exciting objectives in 2018 and beyond. PPX Mining Corp.(TSX.V: PPX) is a Canadian-based exploration and development company with assets in northern Peru. Igor, PPXs 100%-owned flagship gold and silver project, is located in the prolific Northern Peru gold belt in eastern La Libertad Department. Natasha Frakes: Hi, I'm Natasha Frakes and you're watching Market One Minute. Joining us Brian Maher, President, CEO and Director of PPX Mining. Thank you so much for being here. Brian Maher: Great to be here. Natasha Frakes: So, weve seen some very exciting results out of Igor lately. Can you provide us with an update on the drilling program? Brian Maher: Absolutely. At our flagship Igor Project in Northern Peru, we have been putting out some outstanding drill results over the last six months. But I'd like to make a special emphasis on the results from the Portachuelos area, over a kilometre south of the Callanquitas mine. There we've intersected thick zones of gold and silver grade breccias, but these are thick, 40 metres, 25 metres, with grades between .7 and .9 grams per tonne gold equivalent. Very near surface, open along strike, and open at depth. We've planned additional drilling in this area, which is already confirming that this breccias system is quite large. What these drill holes are doing are starting to validate the thesis that the Igor Project is a multi-deposit district. Yes, we have Mina Callanquitas, but now we have this new area, Portachuelos, and we're waiting to drill yet a third target, Tesoros. Add in the fourth, Domo, and were starting to outline multiple deposits within the Igor Project, establishing that it truly is a district scale project. Natasha Frakes: How do you expect successful drilling outside the known resource area to influence plans going forward? Brian Maher: Well right now of, course, we're continuing to develop the underground mine at Callanquitas, but when we really look to the future of the company, it's going to be important to have additional resources for future exploitation. And so I think it's actually going to have a huge impact on the future of the company. The ability in the future to have multiple mines exploiting multiple deposits throughout the project that really could build PPX from being a one-mine company into a multi-mine company, producing 100,000 or 150,000 ounces a year at some point in the future. That's a goal for us. Natasha Frakes: Do you see the Igor Project evolving into a true district scale gold and silver exploration and development opportunity? Brian Maher: When we look at our neighbors in the area, the Yanacocha District, what Tahoe Resources has done with La Arena and Shahuindo. That's the pattern we see, that you control a large chunk of a mineralized belt, and then through systematic exploration, you start developing multiple deposits. Now with our drilling program ongoing, that seems to be what we're doing at Igor. Now it becomes the Callanquitas deposit. We're finding something at Portachuelos, which may evolve into another deposit. Then of course, we have Domo and Tesoros. The potential to have four separate deposits, that could really help this company grow in the future, build the resource base, and really provide a potential for building multiple mines within our project area. Natasha Frakes: Can you give us an update on the Callanquitas deposit and what you're doing with the underground test mining and bulk sampling program? Brian Maher: Yes. That program has exceeded our expectations. To date we've mined over 13,000 tonnes of bulk sample, processed that material, and recovered gold and silver from that. What does that do for the company? It gives us detailed metallurgical data on how this mineralization performs under actual mining and processing conditions. All of that information will be used in our Pre-Feasibility Study, or PFS, which will be due out late March or April of this year. We're really excited about that document because what that will do is outline the project economics what the future of production could look like, what the cash costs will be, and indeed what will the future of Mina Callanquitas look like. Also, we've been doing infill drilling to support the resource reassessment, and reserve estimate that will come out of the PFS. The results we've seen: 3.3 metres grading over 30 grams per tonne gold equivalent. This is expanding the size of the resource at Mina Callanquitas, and that really bodes well for the future of the project. Natasha Frakes: With the exploration in mine development moving forward so quickly, what can investors look forward to? Brian Maher: I think we're going to have a great flow of news this year. First and foremost, continue our drilling program. These drill holes that we're seeing the Portachuelos area, and that we will be seeing in the Tesoros area in the near future, these will start to outline these new deposits in the district. However, the PFS on Mina Callanquitas, expected again late March, April of this year, will really put the economics on paper of what that mine can look like. What the production profile will be, and how low will the mining costs be. All of those together will start to establish PPX as really a growing mining company with multiple deposits. Natasha Frakes: It sounds like there's a lot to look forward to. Brian, thank you so much for being here. Brian Maher: Pleasure. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hedge fund managers at the high-profile 2018 Sohn Investment Conference in New York pitched stock ideas on Monday ranging from online food ordering to homebuilders that should benefit from the growing clout of the millennial generation. John Khoury, founder and managing partner of $2.7 billion hedge fund Long Pond Capital, revealed a long position in U.S. homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc (DHI.N), which he said should see a boost as more millennials age into the first-time home buyer market. The countrys largest homebuilder has been increasingly focused on its entry-level segment, which it told analysts in January should grow strongly over the next three years. At least two investors, meanwhile, pitched online food ordering companies. Alexander Captain, who runs Cat Rock Capital Management, introduced Dutch company Takeaway.com NV (TKWY.AS) while Lin Ran, who runs Half Sky Capital, pitched GrubHub Inc (GRUB.N), the parent company of Seamless. She said GrubHub averages $30 per order, and it earns 15 percent of each order, earning the roughly 15 percent, while spending growth at restaurants is outpacing spending at grocery stores. I like to call this chart Millennials cant cook, Ran said, to laughter. Millennials, a term for those born between 1981 and 1996, are expected to become the largest generation in the United States in 2019, according to estimates from Pew Research. Jeffrey Gundlach, one of the worlds most closely-watched investors, recommended a short position in social media giant Facebook Inc (FB.O) and a long position in the SPDR S&P Oil and Gas Exploration ETF (XOP.P). Facebook used to be a place people felt good going to, Gundlach said. Facebook has come under pressure as the company acknowledged misuse of users data. Investors were confident about their stock picks at a time when the broad S&P 500 .SPX has been lagging and retail clients have expressed nervousness about the durability of the stock market's long-running gains. Khoury, from Long Pond Capital, suggested that DR Horton had more than 60-percent upside, while Ran, from Half Sky Capital, said that GrubHub could hit $160 a share, up nearly 55 percent from its Monday afternoon trading price of $103.25. Organizers said they were expecting as many 3,000 attendees at New Yorks Lincoln Center, making Sohn one of the most high-profile investment conferences of the year. Against a background of more volatile markets and worries that some of the biggest hedge fund managers are nursing losses this year, many in the audience focused on the smaller, better-performing investors like Oleg Nodelman. Nodelman, founder and managing Director of EcoR1 Capital LLC, whose fund returned a reported 53 percent last year, announced a long bet on drug company Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND.O). LONDON (Reuters) - Leading shareholders in British listed infrastructure funds are doubling down on their investments, betting the political worries that sent valuations to decade-lows are overdone. The funds, which mainly invest in building and maintaining UK assets like schools and hospitals, have boomed in recent years as successive governments supported private finance initiatives (PFI) aimed at executing projects more efficiently. They have been a popular choice for investors since the financial crisis, because of their stable dividend income during a period of low yields elsewhere in financial markets. The four largest listed funds, or investment trusts HICL Infrastructure (HICL.L), International Public Partnerships (INPP.L), John Laing Infrastructure (JLIF.L) and BBGI (BBGIB.L) issued a record 1.1 billion pounds ($1.54 billion) of new shares in 2017 to keep up with the demand. But an increase in political risk in the UK has soured sentiment in recent months. Share prices slid in September after the opposition Labour party suggested nationalizing PFI contracts, in what would be a radical departure from existing government policy. They fell further in January after building contractor Carillion (CLLN.L) which had partnerships with a number of the trusts collapsed, adding to fears the projects might be brought back into the public sector. As a result, the sector is now trading below the value of its net assets for the first time in nearly a decade, according to Reuters data. The nature of current sentiment is that its hard to dispel, said Giles Frost, chief executive of Amber Infrastructure Group, the investment manager advising INPP. Its our job to restore confidence, its our job to persuade all our stakeholders of the value we bring as a long-term private investor, and were knuckling down and doing that. (GRAPHIC: Infrastructure trusts have fallen sharply while share issuance has spiked - reut.rs/2K0PG7b) BUYING OPPORTUNITY A number of the largest investors in the sector have added to their positions, saying valuations more than compensate for the increased risk of nationalization, though they expect a more muted market with little fundraising in the near future. James de Bunsen, fund manager at Janus Henderson Investors, a top-20 investor in HICL, has doubled his exposure to infrastructure since the beginning of the year despite the increased political uncertainty. I think its hugely overblown, he said. Its a risk so you cant completely rule it out, but in my mind youve got to have an election first and thats not slated till 2022. Labour would first have to win power and then would probably need to win a vote in Parliament to force through nationalization, said Colin Dryburgh, a fund manager at Kames Capital, a top 20 shareholder in BBGI, HICL and International Public Partnerships. You dont just need a left-leaning government, you need MPs that are onside, he said. With the trusts now trading at a discount, some investors are calling for disposals of non-core assets to realize value for shareholders. In a number of meetings with the companies I invest in, it is the question I am asking, said Mike Pinggera, fund manager at Sanlam Four and a top-30 shareholder in HICL. Is this an opportunity to tidy the portfolio up? He, too, has added to his holdings. Diversifying the trusts portfolios could also end up being a necessity because of the tough PFI market, said Solomon Nevins, a fund manager at Architas, which owns stakes in John Laing Infrastructure and International Public Partnerships. Already we have seen a massive decrease in traditional PFIs being written, he said. Some of the funds have been broadening their investment scope and doing more investments overseas. You are going to see in time the proportion of UK schools and hospitals in portfolios shrink. The majority of BBVIs assets are now outside the UK, with the firms investments dominated by Canadian projects, according to broker Canaccord Genuity. Conditions in the UK PFI market were likely to be difficult for the foreseeable future, according to an executive at one of the trusts. There is not much political support for it at the moment, he said. It is not the flavor of the month today and I cant see that changing in the short term or in the medium term. But I dont think there is an alternative, either. (This story corrects name of firm to Sanlam Four and name of manager to Pinggera in 18th paragraph.) SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has agreed to a live broadcast by South Korean media of part of Fridays summit, as well as summit coverage by the Souths reporters in the Norths part of the Joint Security Area at the border, Seouls presidential Blue House said on Monday. The two sides held working-level talks at the Tongil Pavilion on the North Korean side of the border truce village of Panmunjom to discuss matters of protocol, security and press coverage ahead of the summit. (This story was corrected the location of North-South working-level talks LONDON (Reuters) - Britains upper house of parliament handed the government its third defeat over Brexit in less than a week on Monday, voting down plans not to retain EU rights in national law before Britain leaves the bloc. The defeat is one of several Prime Minister Theresa Mays Conservative government is expected to suffer in the House of Lords as parliament debates legislation which will enact Britains exit from the European Union in March next year. The vote can be overturned by the lower house, the House of Commons, but shows the deep divisions over Brexit across the Houses of Parliament and could encourage lawmakers hoping to derail her plans. The defeat over ensuring the political, social and economic rights protected by the European Charter of Fundamental Rights are replicated in British law follows a vote by the Lords that challenged her plan to leave the EUs customs union. Last weeks defeat, the first of two on that day, increased pressure on May to reconsider her refusal to remain in a customs union with the EU. On the charter, Lord (David) Pannick, author of the amendment, told peers he feared the government was doing away with it because ministers might want to dilute the protections it offers. I fear that the government is seeking to make an exception for rights under the charter because the government is suspicious of the very concept of fundamental rights, he told the House of Lords. Arguing against the amendment, Lord (Richard) Keen said by retaining the charter, Britain would be opening up to being influenced by foreign law that could to lead to constitutional outrage. The government says the rights the charter protects are already covered by British law and Mays spokesman said earlier on Monday the withdrawal bill, which was approved by the House of Commons before being sent to the upper house, was the best way of providing the smoothest possible Brexit. The defeats, while embarrassing, have not so far shaken the government, but after being debated in Lords, the bill will return to the House of Commons, where lawmakers will decide whether to keep the amendments or overturn them. Jonas Cullwick, a former General Manager of VBTC is now a Senior Journalist with the Daily Post. Contact: [email protected]. Cell # 678 5460922 Chef and businessman Baek Jong-won speaks in this July 2015 file photo. / Korea Times file Financial Services Commission Chairman Choi Jong-ku makes comments while holding a meeting with executives of the domestic life insurance industry in Yeouido, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap By Kim Yoo-chul Samsung Group is coming under increasing pressure to overhaul its web-like corporate structure, with the country's top financial regulator officially pushing the corporation to simplify its cross-holdings system. "The Financial Services Commission (FSC) wants Samsung Life Insurance (Samsung Life) to voluntarily prepare relevant measures to unload its holdings of Samsung Electronics before the legislation of related law is passed," FSC chief Choi Jong-ku told reporters Monday. The senior government official added the "Samsung Life-Samsung Electronics issue" is the central point about the debates over the conglomerate's governance structure. "If Samsung expects to be 'freed' from controversy about its governance, then it has to show its willingness and commitment to address it," Choi told reporters, saying the financial regulator was in talks with relevant government agencies to protect investors from upcoming action(s). This is the first time for an FSC head Choi to directly mention Samsung and urge it "do something" to comply with the government initiative. While Samsung's life insurance unit isn't the best-known part of the Samsung conglomerate, unlike Samsung Electronics, it does play a crucial role in the elaboration system of circular ownership that Samsung's Lee family uses to maintain control over the entire group. Because the ownership structure of the whole of Samsung is highly-complicated with some circular ownership within the affiliates, the decision by Samsung Life to sell its stake in Samsung Electronics is seen as "another meaningful step" to revamp the Samsung ownership structure for which its de facto leader Lee Jae-yong received a suspended jail term. What Samsung does is a bit more complicated because each affiliate owns a stake in another one. "A" affiliate owns a stake in "B." B owns a stake in "C" and C in A. The cross-shareholding structure, which tends to lock up control among long-standing fellow firms or business partners in a conglomerate, is common in Korea, also in Japan. Under the law, financial units affiliated with conglomerates are prohibited to own stakes in non-financial units by more than 10 percent. Samsung Life is the largest shareholder of Samsung Electronics with the former having an 8.2 percent share in the group's most-well known affiliate. "Despite repeated warnings to change its ownership structure, so far, there has been no substantial progress. Again, our message is clear and simple please do think about it. If not, we may step in," he said. "Samsung Life's combined share in Samsung Electronics and Samsung Fire is expected to go over 10 percent by the end of this year after measures by Samsung Electronics to boost shareholders' value," said one Samsung official, adding Samsung's next plan to hand over the additions to Samsung C&T, the second largest stakeholder in Samsung Life, is expected to be put on hold due to the latest requests by the FSC. The monetary value of the Samsung Life-owned 8.2 percent stake in Samsung Electronics was estimated at 27.2 trillion won, given Samsung Electronics' total assets by last week of 331.3 trillion won. On a related note, the head of the country's top anti-trust regulator, Kim Sang-jo, said the agency expects "lots of changes" in Samsung's governance structure. The fair trade commission chief Kim said he's been satisfied to see announcements by Hyundai Motor Group, Korea's No. 2 conglomerate controlled by the Chung families, of which the conglomerate pledged to streamline its ownership structure. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's wife Ri Sol-ju waves after watching a performance by a Chinese ballet troupe in Pyongyang, April 15. It was the first state event she attended without her husband. / Yonhap By Kim Bo-eun The bloodline of North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung, his son Jong-il and grandson Jong-un is apparent. Kim Jong-il is the father of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his sister Yo-jong but lesser known is their mother. Jong-un, Yo-jong and their older brother Jong-chul were born to Ko Yong-hui. Ko was a former dancer born to a South Korean immigrant in Japan. She is known to have been the de facto first lady of Kim Jong-il for some time. For the 28 years she lived with Kim Jong-il, she was kept out of public view. She is known to have died while receiving treatment for cancer in France in 2004, and in an undisclosed procedure her body was taken back to Pyongyang. Ri Sol-ju Kim Jong-un's wife Ri Sol-ju, however, entered public view when the leader took power in 2011 following the death of his father. Her role had been limited until recently. Last week, she attended a major state event in Pyongyang without her husband for the first time. Ri, along with senior officials, watched a ballet performance by a Chinese troupe. She addressed Chinese officials as would the state leader, and sat in what would have been Kim's seat, next to Song Tao, the Chinese official who led the cultural delegation. Meanwhile, North Korea's state news agency for the first time referred to Ri as "respected madam," using the term referring to a first lady for the first time in 45 years, when it was used to address the wife of Kim Il-sung. This is an elevation from the "madam" Ri was referred to in the Korean Central News Agency's report of the regime's annual military parade held on Feb. 8. Before then, Ri was referred to as "comrade." Ri debuted as first lady on the international stage when Kim made his first overseas diplomatic mission to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Ri also accompanied her husband at a dinner hosted for South Korean envoys who visited Pyongyang last month. This shows a contrast from the spouses of Kim's father and grandfather, who hardly made public appearances. "The regime's provision of a greater role to Ri is meant for North Korea to appear as a normal state in diplomacy," said An Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies. "Meanwhile, internally, this could be seen as a means to consolidate North Korea as a family state. The regime has had its fathers Kim Il-sung, and his son Jong-il and grandson Jong-un but the motherly figure has been missing. "Providing an increasing role to Ri could also be a means for North Korea's women to unite, and show loyalty to her." Attention is growing over whether Ri will accompany Kim for the third inter-Korean summit to be held on Friday at the truce village of Panmunjeom. In the first and second summits between Kim's father Kim Jong-il and former South Korean presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun in 2000 and 2007, only the first ladies of the South attended. If Ri attends the summit, a meeting between the first ladies could be held on the sidelines. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister Kim Yo-jong hands a letter from her brother to South Korean President Moon Jae-in during her visit to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea in February. / Yonhap In this April 13, 2017 file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and Choe Ryong-hae, vice-chairman of the central committee of the Workers' Party, arrive for the official opening of the Ryomyong residential area, in Pyongyang, North Korea. While North Korea declared this past weekend it would stop nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and shut down its nuclear test site, it did not indicate it will give up its nuclear arsenal or halt its production of missiles. Moon and later President Donald Trump are still likely to find it very difficult to persuade Kim to dismantle his entire arsenal, which includes purported thermonuclear weapons and developmental ICBMs. / AP When North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday the world will have a single overriding interest: How will they address North Korea's decades-long pursuit of nuclear-armed missiles? Success, even a small one, on the nuclear front could mean a prolonged detente and smooth the path for a planned summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in May or June. Optimists hope that the two summits might even result in a grand nuclear bargain. North Korea's announcement on Saturday to suspend further nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and close its nuclear test site raised hopes in Washington and Seoul for a breakthrough in the upcoming nuclear negotiations. However, the North's statement stopped well-short of suggesting it has any intentions to give up its nukes or halt its production of missiles. Failure to reach a nuclear agreement would raise serious questions about the sincerity of Kim's recent outreach to Seoul and Washington and rekindle the fears of war that spread across the Korean Peninsula last year. A look at the prospects of a North Korean disarmament deal ahead of the two impending summit talks: Inter-Korean summit Although North Korea has expressed a willingness to have ''candid'' talks with the United States about the denuclearization of the peninsula, there's rampant skepticism about whether Kim will give up his nukes. Those weapons are the core of his authoritarian rule, a ''powerful treasured sword'' meant to neutralize U.S. nuclear threats. And the North's call for ''the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula'' has been linked to a demand for the withdrawal of the 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea. Kim suggested during a trip to Beijing in March that he prefers step-by-step disarmament in return for corresponding concessions. That, critics say, could allow the North to covertly continue its weapons programs while winning badly needed aid, which occurred during now-dormant six-nation nuclear talks from 2003-2008. Analysts say it's likely that Kim will make similar commitments during the inter-Korean summit as a way of reaching out to the United States. Go Myong-Hyun of the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies said Kim may also offer up a rough timetable for denuclearization. North Korea-US summit By Lee Min-hyung South Korea has stopped anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts at the border town of Panmunjeom in a move to ease inter-Korean military tension ahead of a historic summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the defense ministry said Monday. "As of Monday, Seoul has halted loudspeaker broadcasts near the military demarcation line to boost the ongoing inter-Korean peace momentum and alleviate military tension before the summit on Friday," the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement. The ministry declined to comment on whether it will resume operating the broadcasts after the summit. "We expect our latest decision to pave the way for peace and a new beginning in inter-Korean relations," the ministry said. This comes more than two years after the South resumed the loudspeaker broadcasts in January 2016 after the North conducted its fourth nuclear test. The suspension of the propaganda broadcasts is an apparent peace gesture to the North, with Seoul seeking to extend the momentum for a longer period. The anti-North loudspeakers have so far served as a key measure to denounce the regime's political system and military provocations near the border town. Seoul and Pyongyang have yet to reach a consensus over a string of measures to ease inter-Korean military tension. The ministry did not elaborate on whether the move came in response to the North's recent decision to halt missile and nuclear tests. On Saturday, the regime said it would stop nuclear tests and shut down a nuclear test site. The defense ministry removed the loudspeakers in 2004 during the former President Roh Moo-hyun administration after reaching an agreement with the North. But Seoul reinstalled the loudspeakers in 2010 when the regime was involved in a torpedo attack on the South's frigate Cheonan, which left 46 South Korean sailors dead. After the summit, the two Koreas are expected to unveil a list of agreements following military talks. A detailed timeline for possible inter-Korean military dialogue has yet to be confirmed, but chances are that a schedule will be arranged shortly after the summit. Joint drills go as planned Despite the ongoing reconciliatory gestures from Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington are carrying out their joint military exercises as planned. On Monday, the two countries began their annual Key Resolve combined exercise. Given the inter-Korean peace signals, they plan to keep the two-week-long drill low-key. The exercise is in line with the Foal Eagle drill, which Seoul and Washington have conducted for four weeks from April 1. The joint drills, which were originally scheduled sometime between late February and early March, were delayed until after the closing of the PyeongChang Paralympics last month. South Korea and the U.S. made the decision, as the exercises could have invited unnecessary military provocations from the North during the Winter Olympics which began in mid-February. But with Kim Jong-un offering to hold summits with his South Korean and the U.S. counterparts, Seoul and Washington have maintained a low-key posture so as not to provoke the regime at a time when the North has pledged to denuclearize the peninsula, and is sending rare messages for peace. The answer may start becoming clear when South Korean President Moon Jae-in meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday. While North Korea declared this past weekend it would stop nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and shut down its nuclear test site, it did not indicate it will give up its nuclear arsenal or halt its production of missiles. Moon and later President Donald Trump are still likely to find it very difficult to persuade Kim to dismantle his entire arsenal, which includes purported thermonuclear weapons and developmental ICBMs. But other countries that developed or tried to develop nuclear weapons have agreed to abandon them in exchange for sanctions relief and compensation. None of these cases are directly applicable to North Korea, which advanced further and with greater zeal than any of the others. A look at the past cases as Washington and its allies map out a denuclearization strategy for Pyongyang and the challenges North Korea poses: Libya Shortly before he became Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton told Radio Free Asia that nuclear negotiations with North Korea should be similar to past discussions with Libya, which dismantled its rudimentary nuclear program in the 2000s. Western nations lifted punitive measures and removed Libya's name from the U.S. state sponsors of terrorism after former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi fulfilled his promise to turn over his nuclear materials, weapon components and bomb designs obtained from the black market. ''We should insist that if this meeting is going to take place, it will be similar to discussions we had with Libya 13 or 14 years ago _ how to pack up their nuclear weapons program and take it to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which is where the Libyan nuclear program (is),'' Bolton said. ''If it's anything other than a conversation about how to do that, then I think it shows it's just camouflage for North Korea to continue working toward its long-sought objective of deliverable nuclear weapons.'' But some analysts say bringing up Libya would risk derailing any progress in negotiations with the North. Kim Jong Un took power weeks after Gadhafi's gruesome death at the hands of rebel forces amid a popular uprising in October 2011. The North has frequently used Gadhafi's death to justify its own nuclear development in the face of perceived U.S. threats. By Kang Seung-woo More than 3,000 journalists from around the world will gather in Korea this week to cover the historic inter-Korean summit. President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to sit down with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Panmunjeom truce village, Friday, for the third meeting of its kind between the two Koreas. The previous meetings were in June 2000 and October 2007. According to Cheong Wa Dae, Monday, 2,833 journalists from 348 local and foreign media outlets had registered for the summit as of last Wednesday. However, the presidential office plans to accept additional applications on the day of the summit at the main press center that will be set up at the KINTEX convention center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, raising expectations that the number of journalists will surpass 3,000. The center will be open at 9 a.m., Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the former's visit to China from March 25 to 28. / Yonhap By Choi Ha-young After North Korean leader Kim Jong-un put emphasis on economic development in tandem with his move toward denuclearization, experts say the young leader may pursue economic reform in the same way as Deng Xiaoping did in transforming China. Deng, who led China from the 1970s to 90s, opened the nation's door to the global economy with his iconic "cat theory" that refers to the phrase, "It doesn't matter whether a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice." As he stated, China adopted a market economy out of its planned economic system, which produced a notable economic presence. In a meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, Friday, Kim declared a move toward "socialist economic development," saying the nation has "verified the completion of its nuclear weapons." Police try to remove protesters from the path to the base of a U.S. anti-missile system in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday. / Yonhap / Yonhap Riot police are trying to remove protesters from a bridge leading to the base of the U.S. THAAD anti-missile system in southeastern South Korea on Monday, sparking clashes between the two sides. About 200 residents and activists have been occupying the Jinbat bridge in a sit-in aimed at blocking construction vehicles from entering the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense base in Seongju, some 300 km southeast of Seoul. About 3,000 riot police were mobilized to break up the sit-in. Protesters resisted by inserting their arms into plastic pipes in an attempt to tie themselves together to make it difficult for police to carry them away. They also chanted slogans such as "Out with violent police," blasting the police for using force. "It is the defense ministry that deteriorated the situation like this," Kang Hyun-woo, a leader of the protesters, said. "Responsibility for all forthcoming consequences rests with the defense ministry that pushed unreasonably ahead with the THAAD base construction." Police placed air mattresses under the bridge in case of a fall during the clash. In Seoul, the defense ministry said it's starting to transport construction materials, equipment and personnel into the U.S. missile defense base, 300 kilometers south of Seoul, despite protests by local residents and activists. It cited the urgency of building amenities and other facilities to improve the living conditions of more than 400 South Korean and U.S. troops stationed at the THAAD base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province. "We have decided to begin the transport of personnel, materials and equipment necessary for construction today in cooperation with police," the Ministry of National Defense said in a press release. (Yonhap) Police officers break up a sit-in by anti-THAAD protesters in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday. / Yonhap By Kang Seung-woo The defense ministry transported construction materials, equipment and personnel into a military base housing a U.S. missile defense system, Monday, amid strong protests. According to the Ministry of National Defense, 22 vehicles -- 14 dump trucks carrying sand and gravel for construction use and eight vans taking construction workers -- made it onto the base after 3,000 police officers dispersed 200 residents and activists occupying the road leading to the site for three hours. The ministry said it was an inevitable decision to improve the living conditions of more than 400 Korean and U.S. soldiers stationed there in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province. "Even though we tried to respect residents' opinions, we reached a point where dialogue cannot narrow the gaps over the deployment," a ministry official said. "Inevitably, we have decided to begin transporting materials, equipment and personnel for construction in cooperation with the police." Last September, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) completed deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, including six launchers and an X-band radar, to contain the growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats; but continuing protests had prevented the defense ministry from pushing ahead with further construction since then. Riot police were dispatched to the southeastern county at 8:12 a.m. and protesters resisted by inserting their arms into plastic pipes in an attempt to make it difficult for the police to carry them away. The police placed air mattresses under a bridge in case of falls during the clash. The action ended at 11:20 a.m. About 10 people were injured during the move, with five or six of them hospitalized. "It is the defense ministry that created this situation," said Kang Hyun-woo, a leader of the protest. "Responsibility for all forthcoming consequences rests with the defense ministry that pushed unreasonably ahead with the THAAD base construction." The protestors are urging the government to scrap the THAAD deployment, citing the current inter-Korean rapprochement. President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will hold a summit Friday at the border town of Panmunjeom amid expectations the two heads of state are likely to explore ways to turn the armistice that ended the Korean War into an official peace treaty. In addition, ahead of his upcoming summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Kim has suspended the North's nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. Police officials inspect a burned motel in the Jongno district of Seoul, on Jan. 21. / Yonhap By Park Si-soo Prosecutors on Monday sought the death penalty for a middle-aged man accused of setting fire to a motel in Jongno-gu, Seoul, in January, killing seven people and injuring three. The alleged arsonist, 53, surnamed Yoo, pled guilty to the crime and begged for mercy. At a trial hearing in Seoul Central District Court, the prosecution asked the judge for capital punishment, saying his crime was "prepared with intention to kill people." The suspect claimed the crime took place when he was "drunk" so he "couldn't make a right judgment" at that time. "All the evidence and testimonies show the accused, who was sober, poured gasoline on the floor (of the motel), set it on fire and checked if the fire was catching before leaving the building," the prosecutor said. "It doesn't make sense that he committed the crime while he was drunk." Court documents say Yoo committed the crime at 3 a.m. on Jan. 20 after a motel manager rejected his call to send a call-girl to his room. In a fit of anger, he poured 10 liters of gasoline he bought at a nearby gas station and set it alight. The ruling trial is scheduled for May 4 at 10:10 a.m. By Kang Aa-young Police caught a Chinese national who allegedly stabbed to death a fellow Chinese on Jeju Island on Monday. The two fought over money matters at a karaoke bar. Both the victim and the suspect are illegal aliens, according to Jeju Seobu Police. The police found a weapon at the crime scene. The suspect denied the charges and told the police he had not been at the crime scene. A Seoul hospital responsible for the deaths of four newborns late last year said Monday that it has voluntarily withdrawn its application to be given the highest-ranking medical facility status. The infants died while being treated at the neonatal intensive care unit of Ewha Womans University Medical Center in Mokdong, Seoul. Forensic results confirmed that their deaths were all caused by a type of bacteria that can be fatal to immunocompromised patients. Following the incident, health authorities put on hold the evaluation process for giving the university medical center tertiary general hospital status, which can allow it to treat critically ill patients. The designation also benefits hospitals because they can get higher health insurance fees. "The latest decision is in line with the hospital's stance to take full responsibility for the deaths and to share the pain of the affected family members," said Moon Byung-in, the hospital's chief administrator, in a press release. Police concluded that the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit had consistently violated anti-infection guidelines that require a vial of medication to be assigned to a single patient. It said this practice has been ongoing since 1993, when the hospital was established. (Yonhap) Leaders of three opposition parties, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, the minor opposition Bareun Mirae Party and the Party for Democracy and Peace, hold hands together at the National Assembly, Monday, after agreeing to push for a special investigation into an Internet blogger's alleged rigging of online comments in news articles. / Yonhap By Park Ji-won Three opposition parties agreed, Monday, to submit a joint bill aimed at initiating a special investigation into a high-profile opinion rigging scandal involving a ruling party lawmaker. The Liberty Korea Party (LKP), the Bareun Mirae Party and the Party for Democracy and Peace urged the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to accept their proposal for a special probe. DPK lawmaker Kim Kyoung-soo, who is running in the South Gyeongsang gubernatorial election, is suspected of being involved in the opinion-rigging scandal, triggered by a news report that insisted Kim ordered a blogger known as "druking" to manipulate online comments in favor of then-presidential candidate Moon Jae-in during the presidential race last year. "We, the leaders of three opposition parties, agree to join forces to solve accumulated problems in the National Assembly that threaten democracy," LKP floor leader Kim Sung-tae said. The parties also vowed to revise a bill for constitutional reform in a way that can help control the distribution of power of the presidency as well as the election system. The parties pledged to normalize the Assembly operations if the special probe is conducted. They also said they would not "fight" each other this week as the inter-Korean summit will be held April 27. However, the DPK leaders expressed concern, opposing the idea of introducing a special investigation saying the opposition parties had joined hands to distract the Assembly. "What police should do is to quickly investigate the issue; and the parties should not spread rumors," DPK floor leader Woo Won-shik said after the parties submitted the joint bill for the special investigation. He said the party will accept a special probe after police finish their investigation. "The deadline for revising the law to hold a referendum for a constitutional revision bill is nearing. The special investigation cannot be leverage for revising the constitution." Meanwhile, a poll showed more than half of citizens think the police investigation is enough for the opinion rigging case. According to the survey conducted by pollster Realmeter, Monday, 52.4 percent of citizens believe police investigating the "druking" scandal is sufficient, while 38.1 percent believe a special probe should be initiated. By Lee Min-hyung Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha South Korea held high-level negotiations with the United States and Japan, Monday, discussing a series of pending issues regarding North Korea ahead of the inter-Korean summit scheduled for Friday, the foreign ministry said. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Kang Kyung-wha had a closed-door meeting with Susan Thornton, the nominee for U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Thornton is in charge of working-level talks for the upcoming summit between Washington and Pyongyang. Both sides are expected to have shared their views on the North's recent decision to stop its nuclear and missile tests and close a nuclear test site. They are likely to have exchanged ideas on ways to enhance the bilateral alliance and build lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Lee Do-hoon, head of the ministry's inter-Korean peace negotiation division, also held a meeting with Kanasugi Kenji, director-general of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Asian and Oceanian bureau. "Both of them reached a consensus to extend the ongoing inter-Korean peace momentum, and tighten their alliance to achieve denuclearization on the peninsula," the foreign ministry said in a statement. Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joon-pyo speaks during a political event in Daejeon, April 17. / Yonhap By Park Ji-won Main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) leader Hong Joon-pyo downplayed the upcoming April 27 inter-Korea summit as a "political show" that may only benefit North Korea, Monday. "This is like negotiating with a thief with a knife who claims to be giving up the knife," Hong said on Facebook. "If North Korea does not give up its nuclear weapons, any agreements between the two Koreas will only benefit the enemy." By Lee Kyung-min A total of 1,524 jobseekers applied for 12 openings at the Incheon Tourism Organization, indicating fierce competition prompted by "blind hiring," a government-led initiative to remove information on the applicants' financial, family, regional and educational background from resumes. The 12 openings were for administrative affairs, online marketing, convention organization and tourism. The high competition rate of 127 to 1 came amid the President Moon Jae-in-led initiative to maintain a "fairer" hiring process following scores of irregularities that have greatly frustrated many young jobseekers in recent years, further compounded by record-breaking youth unemployment. According to Statistics Korea, over 1 million people were unemployed last year, the highest figure the organization has recorded since it began compiling the data in the early 2000s. Of them, about 435,000 were between the ages of 15 and 29. Many young people, the data added, gave up looking for jobs after hiring irregularities were uncovered over the past few months. Last year, a number of public institutions and private entities were found to have granted high-paying jobs to those who had connections with the powerful and influential, triggering a massive backlash from not only jobseekers but also their parents. The President visited Incheon International Airport soon after taking office and pledged he would "reduce the number of irregular workers to zero" within his term. Hiring fraud prevalent among rich and powerful Last October, two former and current senior officials at the Small and Medium Business Corp. were sentenced to 10-month prison terms for having granted a job at the highly coveted firm to a man who worked as an intern for former Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan. Choi exerted undue influence and asked the man be employed. While only the two officials were held accountable, many believe it was only one case out of many where the culprits avoided making headlines and subsequent punishment. The government unveiled measures to root out such corruption in public institutions soon after many similar such stories made headlines, but it did little to allay public frustration and dissipate the already prevalent skepticism. In a pan-government measure unveiled late last year, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance said public organization heads under investigation for hiring irregularities would be dismissed and hundreds more workers would be relieved of their duties. The government said it was considering disclosing their names. The measure follows a two-month review of nearly 1,200 public organizations nationwide after the government initiated a hiring fraud crackdown last November. Of them, 80 percent received almost 4,800 complaints. Those who were involved in suspected document fabrication were later referred to police for further investigation. The government said revisions to the law may follow that will ban those who landed jobs through fraudulent means from applying for openings at public institutions for five years. Backlash remains Government efforts to narrow the wage gap and remove social discriminatory perceptions between regular and irregular workers drew commendations from the public at large, but requiring them to "blindly" follow the measures drew just as much criticism. Last November, about 1,000 regular union workers at the Incheon International Airport Corporation expressed opposition to the government's move to convert about 10,000 irregular workers at IIAC-affiliated organizations to regular status, demanding irregular workers undergo a hiring process just as strenuous and competitive as theirs. The hiring should be open and fair, they added, and the lack of information as to how irregular workers landed their jobs in the first place would result in a "contradiction" to the Moon-led initiative. The group also said giving 10,000 positions to individuals not verified for individual merit is unfair to jobseekers with plans to apply to the organization. By Kim Jae-heun The National Cancer Center has revealed that not only does fine dust affect pregnant women, but also influences in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF is a fertilization technique where the embryo is conceived in a test tube and implanted in a woman's uterus. The center has been studying over 4,851, women who gave birth through IVF from 2006 to 2014 at CHA Gangnam Medical Center in Seoul. The joint research team confirmed five airborne pollutants such as fine dust, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen monoxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone can decrease the external fertilization by 10 percent when air pollution increases by 50 percent more than the average. Particles of all five pollutants are 10 micrometers or below in diameter. "Supposing that a couple generally has a 30 percent of getting pregnant through IVF, the number will go down by 2 percent or 3 percent when they are exposed to those air pollutants," National Cancer Center professor Kim Sun-young said. Kim added among the five air pollutants, fine dust and nitrogen dioxide are the most detrimental to pregnancy. However, the research team failed to indentify the correlation between air pollutants and a lower pregnancy rate _ although it believes they have a similar influence on fertilization as does secondhand smoking. "The government should make efforts to improve air quality and reduce air pollution as it can negatively affect pregnant women," said Yoon Tae-gi, head of CHA Fertility Center, Seoul Station. VP Justice Minister Ronald Warsal (right), Second Vice-President Ps Simeon Kaltaliu and Acting Lord Mayor Pita Yamak ready to hand over the donations to the Chairman of the Vanuatu Red Cross Society Mr Ati George Sokomanu last Friday 20th April 2018. French actor Pom Klementieff who has a Korean mother, expressed her excitement about visiting Korea on April 12. According to Klementieff, her name Pom is a combination of Korean words "bom" (spring) and "beom" (tiger). The upcoming third Avengers film, "Avengers: Infinity War" is set for release on April 25. Kim Jong-un has America and China just where he wants them By Rana Mitter At dinner in Washington last month with a small group of intense types concerned with Asia policy matters, I asked whether they were worried about the situation on the Korean Peninsula. "We're worried," was the reply. In January, when a direct strike on North Korean nuclear facilities was on the table, one explained: "That's the only thing people were talking about." Now the talk is about a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump _ equally unthinkable just a few months ago, but more reassuring, and a sign of how North Korea's diplomacy has always been more flexible than many have realized. "Little Rocket Man" Kim may be, but he's a master of diplomatic ju-jitsu. Two years ago, neither Beijing nor Washington would pick up the phone to him. Now he gets his own armored train ride to see President Xi Jinping, ahead of a meeting with the world's most powerful man. Yet anyone who's observed North Korea's behavior over the years won't be surprised by the turnaround. The conventional wisdom on the Kim regime was that it was unpredictable and downright crazy. But that hasn't ever really been true. Ruthless, and utterly contemptuous of individual human rights, certainly. But the Kim family has always had its sights set on survival first and foremost. Right now, it has the two countries most able to give it what it wants just where it wants them. In 1950, Kim's grandfather, Kim Il-sung, wanted to reunite the Korean peninsula, as he had control only of the northern part. Rather than undertake a risky solo venture, he played on his relationship with Stalin and Mao, effectively daring them to support him in a war. Mao was hesitant. His Communist Party had won power in China only a few months earlier, and he was keener to regroup and consolidate his young regime at home. But Kim challenged Mao, with Stalin's blessing, to show that he really was a leader of a new socialist world. With some trepidation, Mao provided "volunteers" (actually Chinese troops) to help Kim in his assault on the south. Even though they were eventually beaten back, Kim's regime might not have survived without his Chinese helpers. The pattern was set for a relatively weak regime being able to pressure its ally into helping it to get what it wanted. A similar pattern has emerged in the past few years. Beijing has been infuriated by North Korea's unwillingness to listen to its bigger brother, which is almost as unhappy as the U.S. at Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program. Less than three years ago, in September 2015, Xi presided over a huge military parade in Tiananmen Square at which the president of South Korea was an honored guest and Kim's invitation appeared to have been lost in the post. However, China's official position, expressed repeatedly through its diplomats, is that the resolution of the issue is a problem for the U.S. and North Korea to sort out alone; any thought that Beijing could help out is misplaced and fails to understand that Beijing has no real control over its troublesome neighbor. Unfortunately for Beijing, its bluff was finally called by Trump's erratic diplomacy _ no other president would have asked for a direct meeting with Kim (any more than any other president would have compared the relative size of their nuclear buttons). Beijing has surely become alarmed that Kim might cut a direct deal with Washington and cut it out of the negotiations _ its sudden enthusiasm to host him suggests it wants to remind Kim that any deal needs to go through it first. Yet this needn't be a problem for Kim. After all, what he really wants is not nuclear weapons, though he certainly won't give them up in a hurry; it is regime security. An internationally agreed treaty between the six powers that negotiated the issue in the 1990s (the U.S., Russia, China, Japan and the two Koreas) could persuade Kim to end his nuclear program, or at least the long-range part, which is what Trump cares most about. Opinion polls in South Korea suggest that the younger generation is less than keen on reunification. If the North stays separate and leaves them alone, many of them can live with that. That leaves the unfortunate population of North Korea stuck for the long term with a murderous and oppressive regime. But in recent years, the international community has lost its enthusiasm for spreading human rights and democracy. A grand bargain on the Korean peninsula could yet demonstrate that the Kim regime has lost none of its ability to appear irrational in service of cold, grim survival. Rana Mitter is director of the University China Centre at the University of Oxford and author of "A Bitter Revolution: China's Struggle with the Modern World" and "China's War with Japan, 1937-45: The Struggle for Survival."Copyright belongs to the South China Morning Post. By Lakhvinder Singh Currently India-Korea ties are going through a rough patch. All the important projects with potential to shape the future have gone wrong. Look at these examples: The POSCO steel project with the largest Korean-proposed investment has floundered. The Kyungnam naval ship defense project designed to strengthen India-Korea defense cooperation has collapsed. The comprehensive economic partnership agreement designed to facilitate trade has become dysfunctional and needs immediate revision. The trade target of $40 billion made in 2015 has also gone astray, stuck at less than $20 billion a year. Not to mention the 30 percent a year trade growth rate has fallen to a mere 3 percent. No major investment project has entered India in recent years and today even a small country like Myanmar boasts of more Korean companies than India. Officials can spin it how they want, but the truth remains and facts reveal the partnership is not working. Obviously something is seriously wrong with the way we are trying to build our relationship with Korea. There are certain things we have been doing wrongly. Firstly, in recent years, our senior officials have been jumping from one MOU to another, from one investment seminar to another, and from one delegation visit to another without bothering to create any actual action. Nor have they taken the time to check whether these efforts are producing positive results on the ground. In their rush to please their political bosses with endless delegation visits, they failed to notice that big-time investment is not flowing, that tourists are not arriving, Korean university students are not enrolling in Indian universities, and the trade deficit is growing against India. Despite their frequent participation in seminars and conferences on Korean investment in India, they failed to find out the simple fact that there are certain Korea specific irritants stopping the growth of this relationship. They do not understand that unless these irritants are properly taken care of it does not matter how much effort they exert. It was all showbiz. Secondly, in the last couple of years our diplomats adopted a very narrow approach to India-Korea relations. Instead of looking at the broader spectrum of commonalities, they have focused merely on economic and business ties. All other important shared issues and those that can help us build a stronger strategic partnership foundation have been completely pushed aside; such as climate change, peace building on the Korean Peninsula, nuclear nonproliferation, security of sea lanes for communication and defense cooperation. Results of this pushback have been devastating on India-Korea relations. It not only narrowed the scope of cooperation between our two counties, but also pushed Korea out of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. Koreans are no longer talking with Indians on issues of maintaining peace and stability in Asia despite the fast shifting balance of power in the region. All discussion of aligning foreign and defense policies of both countries in the face of a rising China is all but forgotten. This damage is insurmountable and Korea may never come back to India again on this. To make matters worse, they are no longer talking with their previous enthusiasm about cooperating with each other on important global issues as well. Thirdly, with the growth of the Indian Diaspora in Korea it is important that we maintain a balanced approach towards different Indian interest groups. Indian officials were supposed to keep different interests in check and not let any one group overshadow and highjack the overall process of the India-Korea relationship. However they utterly failed in this respect. One small group of businessmen was favored over the rest of the Diaspora. The result is, today the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea, which was to be a national economic body designated to protect and promote India's national interests, has been hijacked by big business interests and corporations to promote their own agenda and interests. The interests of smaller groups and individual businessmen have been completely sidelined. The consequences of this hijacking have been devastating. Unable to get support from official agencies, more and more Indian small companies have been leaving Korea. Given the current state of India-Korea economic relations and the actual situation we are in on the ground in Korea, it has become strategically imperative to dismantle the current ICCK and constitute a new economic body that can protect and promote the interests of all sections of the Indian business community in Korea, and which can help us balance against the growing economic influence of China on the Korea peninsula and in the region. The sooner we do this, the better for the future of India-Korea relations and India's new Act East Asia policy. With the appointment of the new ambassador to Korea, a new ray of hope has emerged on the horizon in India-Korea relations. Ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan is a strong leader and has vast experience and knowledge in East Asia. Even though the damage done to India-Korea ties has been extensive in the last few years, there is a glimmer of hope. One strong and determined leader can change the direction of history. Let us stand ready to support and give her every possible assistance as she strives to take our partnership to the next level. Too much is at stake here. The work toward building a stronger India-Korea strategic partnership must continue. Lakhvinder Singh (parvkaur@hanmail.net) is a visiting professor at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. Radical steps needed to avoid recurrence of scandal Rather belatedly, Chairman Cho Yang-ho of Hanjin Group made an official apology to the people Sunday for his family's "gapjil," or arrogant and authoritarian attitude or actions against employees and others, that has triggered public outrage. As reported extensively by not only the nation's news outlets but also foreign news media over the past 10 days, Cho's second daughter Hyun-min, 35, allegedly physically insulted an executive of an advertising firm and threw a cup of liquid at him during a business meeting. Her behavior has rekindled public furor after her elder sister Hyun-ah, 44, made Korean Air, Hanjin's flagship, become a target of international ridicule and public outrage over her notorious gapjil in 2014, dubbed "nut rage" by foreign news media. Chairman Cho, who is absolutely responsible for his children's misdeeds and his wife's signature gapjil against people of the perceived "lower class", stated in a written apology that he has dismissed his daughters from all posts they held in the group. He said, "I am very sorry to worry the people and Korean Air's executives and employees regarding the problems related with my family." It is not surprising that the two "rude" sisters were reprimanded by their father, the group owner, for their disrespect and loutish behavior toward others. The father took these very necessary punitive measures against his daughters. But many people suspect that the two may be reinstated not before long, recalling that the first daughter, who was relieved of her post for the "nut rage" case four years ago, was allowed to resume her career in the group recently. Chairman Cho's apology came after the Korea Customs Service searched the homes of the two sisters and their brother, as well as Korean Air headquarters, over allegations that the family smuggled luxury goods through bypassing mandatory customs clearance procedures. The authorities ought to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations. If the Cho family and Korean Air are found to have engaged in the smuggling scheme, they should be subject to stern punishment. Cho should take the shameful scandal of his family as an opportunity to change the family-controlled management system so that professional executives can take over operations of the group. This change, if implemented, could allow the conglomerate to meet mounting calls for transparency and accountability. Korean Air is a national flag carrier. It should do its best to live up to the honor of using the name of "Korea." It should not become an object of international ridicule and criticism anymore. The Cho family scandal is a good chance for the airline to be reborn. Time to show zero tolerance for opinion-rigging An online opinion-rigging scandal has taken a turn for the worse after three opposition parties submitted a joint bill Monday, calling for an independent counsel to investigate the scheme. With the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) firmly refusing to accept this, the opposition camp is likely to step up its political offensive ahead of the local polls in June. The scandal dates back to the May 2017 presidential campaign, during which an influential blogger with alleged ties to DPK Rep. Kim Kyoung-soo might have used a computer program to manipulate public opinion. Kim is a close confidant of President Moon Jae-in. Allegations have it that the blogger, nicknamed "Druking" might have manipulated online public opinion in favor of Moon, in collaboration with Rep. Kim. If these allegations are true, no one can tolerate such an illicit scheme. Manipulating public opinion, both online and offline, is a grave violation of the law. It also severely distorts the political process, damaging the freedom of expression. It is no doubt the enemy of democracy. For these reasons, it is appropriate for the opposition parties to demand an independent counsel be appointed to lay bare the truth of the scandal. There is no reason for the governing party to turn down the demand, claiming the move is a political offensive to gain ground in the lead-up to the local elections. The scandal surfaced last May when the National Election Commission referred the case to the prosecutors' office. But in November the prosecution decided not to indict Druking. The prosecution has come under attack for covering up the case and being too lenient toward the blogger and DPK members. Police have also invited criticism for failing to investigate the case thoroughly. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Lee Ju-min gave the impression he overlooked Rep. Kim's alleged connection to the scandal. In this regard, it is difficult to expect the prosecution and police to conduct a fair and objective probe as they have already lost public trust. More serious is that Rep. Kim has continued to change his words in denying his involvement. Kim allegedly exchanged hundreds of messages on the mobile app Telegram and messaging service Signal with Druking during and after the presidential poll. Kim also delivered the blogger's demand to the presidential office that one of his acquaintances be named consul general in Osaka. The Druking case is reminiscent of a similar online opinion-rigging scam orchestrated by the National Intelligence Service before the December 2012 presidential poll. Then-NIS chief Won Sei-hoon was convicted April 19 for meddling in politics, ending a five-year-long legal battle. President Moon and his ruling party should accept the opposition's request for an independent counsel probe into the scandal. Moon should take this case as an opportunity to show zero tolerance for any attempt to manipulate public opinion. By Andrew Salmon Some years ago, I wrote a book characterizing Korea as a "land of extremes." The recent conversion of Kim Jong-un from belligerent nuke-wielder to apparent diplomatic peace-monger seems to bear out that contention. Certainly, the cycle has shifted from the soaring tensions of last year, with Kim moving positively on various fronts. He has courted Seoul after sending his blessings to the Olympics. He has announced (and stood by) a missile and nuclear test moratorium. He has not uttered a squeak about the South Korea-U.S. military drills. The former hermit has traveled to China to meet Xi Jinping, and will soon meet Moon Jae-in and the Donald Trump. What is going on in the Kimdom's command bunker? I have a suspicion that, after last year's edgy brinksmanship, Kim's sister, Yo-jong has her brother's ear. She it is alleged was Kim Jong-il's original choice to wear the crown after his own passing. He only chose to seat Kim Jong-un on the throne when he realized how hostile the international situation had become. This suggests she favors a gentler, more diplomatic approach to foreign relations than her blustering brother. But even if she is not part of the equation, there are two possibilities, two extremes that might explain Kim's current maneuvers. He could be acting out of comfort: He owns a well-stocked nuclear arsenal, and most of the components of an ICBM deterrent. That puts him in a decent position to bargain. Or, he could be acting out of fear: Fear that the United States might actually attack. And/or fear that, with sanctions biting, his foreign exchange reserves will evaporate by year end and he will no longer be able to buy the loyalty of the elite. Let's add two more extremes to our discussion. While the potentialities of the current situation are massive, so, too, are the risks. I think we can rest assured that the Moon-Kim summit will pass without catastrophe. In fact, I'll bet it will go swimmingly. Far more critical is the Trump-Kim summit. If Trump is not convinced of Kim's good faith, that could spell the end game for diplomacy. For Kim, failure raises fearful possibilities. What will Washington do next? More sanctions? More marshalling of the international community against him? Or, an attack that like on Bashir Assad his forces are unable to counter or respond do? But hold on. What would be the point of a limited strike? Yes, Kim is a dictator. But we in the free world no longer live in the era of the Tony Blair Doctrine, when the Western democracies took on the burden of eradicating dictatorships. That dream died a bloody death in Iraq. A strike is very different than an invasion, an overthrow. If we lack the fortitude to go all the way (and we do), we need to find a modus vivendi with Kim. And right now, in terms of trans-Pacific leadership, we have a better chance of dealing with this situation than in the last two decades: the key moving parts are all in synch. Firstly, both the South Korean and U.S. leaders are early in their terms. This means that they have time to get a process underway, to nurture it, to own it. Contrast this with Roh Moo-hyun's summit with Kim Jong-il: It was promising, but came at the end of his term, and was not followed up by Lee Myung-bak. Secondly, both Moon and Trump appear to be on the same page. That, alas, could not be said for Kim Dae-jung and George Bush in their approach to the North. There is of course, a risk in holding separate summits. What if the Kim-Moon summit goes well, the Kim-Trump summit badly? Then, wouldn't Kim have successfully rammed a wedge between the allies? Perhaps. But even Moon is already raising the possibility of a later, trilateral summit. So, the upcoming summits deserve support, not the kind of cynicism that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Various stars have aligned. The summits push this long-simmering crisis to the top of the political ladder. If they fail, there is nowhere left to go; the last likelihood of a positive outcome will have fizzled. At best, that would mean a return to the high-tension status quo of last year. At worst? Well Andrew Salmon (andrewcsalmon@yahoo.co.uk) is a Seoul-based reporter and author. South Korea's science ministry said Monday it will spend 669.3 billion won ($626 million) this year on developing core nanotechnology know-how to improve the competitiveness of the country's industrial sector. The 2018 spending plan is up from 514.1 billion won earmarked in 2017 and aims to develop key technologies that can be applied in various industrial areas, the Ministry of Science and ICT said. Nanotechnology refers to the process of making nanometer scale materials to create more stable and precise products that also often have new and better characteristics. One nanometer is equal to one-billionth of a meter. Of the total, 572 billion won will be allocated to develop indigenous technologies and also to commercialize those that have already been developed to boost the global market share of local companies, the science ministry said. Under a joint development plan with other related government agencies, the government will invest 44.6 billion won in 2018 alone to nurture skilled workers in the sector. The government will spend 52.7 billion won this year on developing infrastructure that will include a new evaluation system to check the performance of any nanotechnology product, according to the ministry. (Yonhap) Three officials of the South Korean unit of Porsche AG have been indicted for doctoring documents required for the local government's certification in relation to gas emissions, prosecutors said Monday. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said the accused, one surnamed Kim and two others, have been charged without physical detention on the counts of document falsification, obstruction of business and violation of laws regarding environment preservation and customs. They are accused of doctoring the results of gas emission tests on certain Porsche models to get government approval between 2014 and 2015, and selling some 2,000 units of the vehicles in Korea until February last year. Prosecutors have also indicted six former and incumbent officials of BMW Korea on similar charges. They also have falsified test results since 2011 and sold 29,000 units in the market. The Ministry of Environment revealed in its own inquiry last year that the German carmakers had breached regulations. The ministry imposed fines on them and filed for a complaint with the prosecution seeking an investigation. A separate prosecution investigation is under way against the local unit of Mercedes-Benz over similar allegations. (Yonhap) By Jhoo Dong-chan The union and management at troubled GM Korea reached a tentative last minute agreement on the survival of the company here Monday, before a deadline for a potential bankruptcy filing. Both sides worked over the weekend to narrow their differences and finally managed to agree on the relocation of workers from the firm's closed Gunsan plant and allocating a new car model to be built here. They also sealed a wages and employment deal. According to GM Korea, the union and management started negotiations at 5:00 a.m. to meet an extended deadline to avoid court receivership. The carmaker's Detroit headquarters had originally set the deadline for Friday, but decided to give negotiators three more days to salvage its Korean affiliate. "Both sides have finally reached an agreement about the remaining 680 workers who worked at the Gunsan production plant, and the allocation of a new vehicle model in Korea," said a GM Korea official. In the negotiations, management proposed relocating or a voluntary retirement program for the remaining workers at Gunsan. It said it wouldn't allow an unpaid career break. It also suggested further discussions about those workers who were left out after the relocation and retirement programs, deviating from a previous proposal. In previous talks, management had offered to relocate only 100 workers to its other production plants in Bupyeong and Changwon, adding it would also carry out a four-year "unpaid career leave" for those excluded from the relocation. Union workers at GM Korea protested this suggestion, claiming unpaid career leave was a de facto "layoff," and the company should relocate all of the 680 workers to other plants. The union and management also agreed to work together to secure a follow-up model to replace the Malibu sedan after 2022. Management also said it will allocate a new small compact-size SUV model to the Bupyeong plant for the carmaker's future growth. However, both sides reportedly have yet to reach an agreement on welfare programs for union workers such as scholarship programs for their children. The official said they will discuss this issue later. The agreement was a precondition for the Detroit headquarters to give new life to the Korean operation of GM with an additional investment. The state-run Korea Development Bank has also promised to inject more money into the company through a debt-for-equity swap. "It is now the government's turn," said Daelim University automotive professor Kim Pil-soo. "The KDB should thoroughly think about where and how to put taxpayer money. I believe there are still a number of hurdles. The tug-of-war between the government and GM has just started." Buses carrying tourists to Mount Geumgang drive toward North Korea in this 2004 file photo. The stock prices of Hyundai Group companies are rising amid the improving inter-Korean relations, as expectation is high for the tour program to resume. Hyundai Asan holds the right to manage the program. / Korea Times file By Nam Hyun-woo The stock prices of Hyundai Group companies are rising amid expectations the improving relations between two Koreas will bring momentum to the group which has a history of pioneering businesses in North Korea. Leading Hyundai Group companies in their uptrend is Hyundai Elevator, which was 55,000 won ($518) on Jan. 2 but rose by a whopping 78.4 percent to end at 98,100 won on Monday. Hyundai Elevator is a 67.6 percent stakeholder in Hyundai Asan, a Hyundai Group company which has the rights to develop the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and the tourism business to Mount Geumgang. Hyundai Asan, an unlisted company, is also highly valued among over-the-counter traders. According to 38 Communication, an over-the-counter and non-listed stock information provider, Hyundai Asan shares were traded at around 10,000 won early this year, but were trading at 50,000 won to 60,000 won during the second week of this month. During the past four months, inter-Korean relations have shown rapid improvements. In his New Year message, the North's leader Kim Jong-un called for rapprochement with Seoul and then the North's athletes joined the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games hosted by the South in February. It was followed by the two Koreas agreeing on the summit later this week, which will be the third summit following those in 2000 and 2007. Last week, the North said it has decided to suspend nuclear and missile tests and shutdown its atomic test sites, raising the possibility of resuming the Mount Geumgang tourism. The tour program to the scenic mountain was first started on Nov. 18, 1998, and continued until 2008, with 1.95 million South Koreans visiting the North. The tours were halted in 2008 after a North Korean soldier shot dead a South Korean tourist for wandering into an off-limits zone. Industry watchers say the upcoming summit will offer a view of the fate of the halted tour program, expecting the tour program's resumption will financially refresh the group. The group has been on a downturn in the past several years after losing key affiliates including Hyundai Securities and Hyundai Merchant Marine from its ownership. Hyundai Elevator, its key revenue source, is also seeing declines in its profitability as the market gets saturated. Along with Hyundai Group companies, Hyundai E&C, a Hyundai Heavy Industry Group affiliate, Namkwang E&C, and a number of other stocks of construction companies are rising amid the thawing inter-Korean relations. Unlike positive expectations on Hyundai Group as well as some other "unification-related stocks," some analysts are not as rosy as KOSPI investors and over-the-counter traders, saying those moves are premature. "The current situation seems to be a display of premature hopes for unification and an untimely search for beneficiaries of the peaceful inter-Korean atmosphere," Hana Financial Investment analyst Kim Yong-koo said. "Unless large-scale inter-Korean economic cooperation begins in the near future, there is a slim chance of those stocks receiving fundamental benefits. Rather, the improved relations will lower the so-called "Korea discount" among foreign investors, benefiting large cap stocks." The biggest destabilising player in Melanesia over the past 5 years is not China but Indonesia Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Commissioner Kim Jin-yong speaks at the Global Bio Hub Symposium held at the Songdo Convensia in Incheon, April 11. / Courtesy of the IFEZ Authority By Park Jae-hyuk The Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Authority said Monday it recently held the Global Bio Hub Symposium at Songdo Convensia to sign agreements with academic and research institutions in the Songdo International Business District (IBD) for the successful development of the district's bio industry. "The size of the global bio industry is expected to grow to $427.3 billion next year from $323.1 in 2014, showing a 5.7 percent annual growth rate on average. The global biopharmaceutical market alone reached $179 billion in in 2014, double the size of the memory semiconductor market at that time. The figures prove the strong growth potential of the bio industry," IFEZ Commissioner Kim Jin-yong said at the symposium earlier this month. "As IFEZ commissioner, I will try my best to make Songdo the world's best bio hub, surpassing global bio clusters in San Francisco, Singapore and Ireland." To achieve that goal, Kim announced several plans for the use of 990,000 square meters of land in the district. The plans include attracting R&D units of global healthcare firms, improving infrastructure for global competitiveness and developing advanced technologies for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He promised to set up a medical complex in the district as well, through the construction of Songdo Severance Hospital on the Yonsei University International Campus, the Science Park and Gachon University Gil Hospital's Brain Valley. The commissioner also came up with plans to offer training for bio industry workers and vowed to sponsor startups specializing in biopharmaceuticals to create more jobs for young people. The symposium was attended by officials from Yonsei University, Incheon National University, the Ghent University Global Campus, Celltrion, Samsung BioLogics, the Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization, Gachon University Gil Hospital and the Utah-Inha DDS & Advanced Therapeutics Research Center. The eight institutions agreed to collaborate with the IFEZ to establish in Songdo the world's best bio hub. Deputy Minister of Trade and Investment Kim Young-sam, who delivered a congratulatory speech at the symposium, promised the government's support for the bio hub. "The IFEZ Authority and the trade ministry will cooperate with each other to make a bio cluster in Songdo, so original technologies and ideas of universities, institutions and innovative enterprises will result in the development of new medicines," the deputy minister said. "I have confidence the pharmaceutical industry will become a key growth engine of the national economy." According to the IFEZ Authority, Merck will build a manufacturing facility for cell culture media on Songdo in July, following the construction of its biopharmaceutical support center in the district in 2016. GE Healthcare also has a biopharmaceutical support center there. The IFEZ Authority attributed the global biopharmaceutical companies' interest in Songdo to the district's proximity to Incheon International Airport, high-quality universities and large-scale R&D facilities built by Celltrion, Samsung BioLogics and Samsung Bioepis. ST Unitas CEO Yoon Sung-hyuk By Jhoo Dong-chan ST Unitas has come under fire for forcing one of its employees to work excessively long hours, leading her to commit suicide. The company is one of Korea's major operators of private learning institutes, which offer English, Chinese and other foreign language courses as well as various civil service exams. The deceased, surnamed Chang, worked with ST Unitas between May 2015 and December 2017. Bereaved family members claimed Chang worked more than 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for 46 weeks. Her overtime work ratio was over 35 percent. She was with the company for about two years and eight months. Chang had to take time off work due to the deterioration of her health after working excessive overtime, but ST Unitas continued such practices even after Chang returned from her leave in November 2017. Her family claimed she was forced to write a letter of apology for no reason and participate in unwanted in-house meetings. The company even forced Chang, a vegetarian, to eat meat at a casual office dinner. "I understand workers at startups work overtime relatively often compared to conglomerates, but ST Unitas clearly crossed the line with her," Chang's family said. "She had suffered from depression because of excessive overtime at ST Unitas. She didn't even have time to visit a doctor." Observers blame Chang's death on the company's obsession for profit. According to its audit, ST Unitas reported 315.7 billion won ($295.1 million) in sales in 2016, skyrocketing from its 2012 sales of 19.8 billion won. In 2014, the company enjoyed a 977.2 million won net profit for the first time. ST Unitas, however, has since failed to continue its momentum as it posted a 39.6 million won net loss in 2015 and a 959.8 million won net loss in 2016. Despite worsening profitability, ST Unitas continued expanding by acquiring a controlling interest in the U.S. company The Princeton Review last year. According to investment bank analysts, ST Unitas reportedly paid about 100 billion won to secure management control of the major U.S. education firm. While the company concentrated on its external growth, ST Unitas workers are allegedly subject to overtime work even without pay as part of the company's efforts to reduce labor costs. "The company said workers voluntarily participate in its in-house events on weekends. They said the work on the weekend is voluntary, but their participation influenced their annual reviews. And they were not paid for weekend work," Chang's family said. ST Unitas' performance obsession also received heavy criticism last year when the company was found to mobilize its workers in rigging online public opinions against rival companies. Of five ST Unitas workers indicted for irregularities, one was given a one-year prison sentence with a two-year suspended sentence. People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy members speak at a press conference in front of CGV Picadilly in downtown Seoul, Monday, to urge the Fair Trade Commission to investigate the nation's top three movie theater operators over their sequential ticket price hikes. / Yonhap By Park Jae-hyuk The People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy said Monday it reported CJ CGV, Lotte Cinema and Megabox to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) over allegations the cinema chains colluded to fix the prices of movie tickets. The civic group urged the nation's antitrust watchdog to investigate the country's top three multiplex operators as soon as possible, saying the three companies have violated the Fair Trade Act prohibiting unfair common actions and abuse of market powers. "Compared to previous cases that the three firms sequentially raised their ticket prices at intervals of several months, the recent price hike is highly likely seen as an unfair act, because they raised their ticket prices within three weeks of each other," a member of the civic group told reporters in front of the CGV Picadilly in Seoul. Following CJ raising its ticket price for standard seats by 1,000 won ($0.94) on April 11, Lotte raised the prices for all types of seats eight days later by the same amount. Starting this Friday, Megabox will also increase prices of its tickets for 2D movies from 9,000 won to 10,000 won on weekdays and from 11,000 won to 12,000 won on weekends. The three movie theater operators' recent price increase is the third one in the last five years. Lotte and Megabox followed CJ's preceding price hikes in 2014 and 2016 as well. "Whenever the business bellwether CJ sets its ticket price, the runners-up Lotte and Megabox have apparently made implied agreements on increases in their ticket prices afterwards, so their price hikes can be regarded as unfair common actions," the civic group member said. Given that businesses do not tend to make explicit agreements on price-fixing to avoid leaving evidence, the FTC has regarded sudden price hikes irrelevant to market conditions as unfair common actions. However, the FTC ruled in favor of the multiplex operators in 2016, when the civic group accused the companies of their sequential implementations of discriminative price strategies for different seats. Back then, the civic group alleged the firms violated the Fair Trade Act, but the FTC cited a lack of evidence. The big three multiplex operators have collectively held a 97 percent market share over the past five years. Their theaters, screens and seats respectively accounted for 80.2 percent, 92.2 percent and 92.5 percent of the total last year. "If the FTC accepts their unfair actions again, the oligopolistic conglomerates will continue to raise their ticket prices and consumers will lose their rights. The FTC should strictly enforce the law this time," the civic group member said. Anthony Wrobel, 42, a casino dealer, allegedly killed Korean American Mia Maria Banks. / Yonhap By Kang Aa-young A Korean-American executive at the Venetian Resort and Casino, Las Vegas was shot to death Sunday by a dealer at the company's picnic, reports said. The victim is Mia Maria Banks 54, vice president of the casino. A co-worker Hector Rodriguez who sat next to her was badly wounded. The suspect is Anthony Wrobel, 42, who had allegedly walked up to the table where the victims were sitting and shot Mia Maria Banks, at close range. Banks was taken to a nearby hospital after but died during surgery that day. Mia Maria Banks immigrated to the United States with her parents when she was nine. / AP 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. Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging think tanker, aspiring novelist, hanger on of academia, parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, Speedboat, proudly banned from Twitter so officially more dangerous than the Taliban, eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me. Rome, April 23 - Italy on Monday gave Italian citizenship to terminally ill British toddler Alfie Evans so that he can hopefully be "immediately" moved to Italy from Liverpool, where doctors are set to pull the plug on him, the foreign ministry said. "Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano and Interior Minister Marco Minniti have granted citizenship to little Alfie," the ministry said. "In this way the Italian government hopes that being an Italian citizen will enable the immediate transfer of the child to Italy". It would be up to Alfie's parents to decide his fate if he were moved to Italy, deputy head of the national bioethics board (CNB), Maria Pia Garavaglia, told ANSA Monday. "In Italy, with the living will, we have an explicit law on end of life issues and, as far as minors are concerned, the holders of the right to choose are the parents," she said. "It is clear that with the acquisition of Italian citizenship Italian law will be applied, so it will be the parents that will decide," she said. The procedures to pull the plug on Alfie were briefly suspended Monday afternoon. Alfie's father Thomas said that he and his wife were waiting for Alfano to call British opposite number Boris Johnson. "Alfie has been granted Italian citizenship, we are waiting for the Italian foreign minister to call Boris Johnson," said Thomas Evans. "Alfie belongs to Italy". Alfano and Johnson are at the Group of Seven foreign ministers' meeting in Toronto Monday. Mariella Enoc, head of the Vatican's Bambino Gesu Hospital in Rome, said she had gone Monday to the Liverpool hospitalin order to bring Pope Francis's "closeness" to his parents. Meanwhile pro-life demonstrators tried to get into the Alder Hey Hospital but were blocked by police, as tension mounted on Monday. Hundreds of supporters of the parents gathered outside the hospital. "I spoke to the parents, I brought them the closeness of Pope Francis, but also of the many parents who find themselves in their situation," Enoc told ANSA, stressing that she had not been received by hoppital management. "The parents are not resigned, they are doing their utmost to slow the start of the procedure (of pulling the plug), but nothing more can be done," Enoc said. Alfie's parents on Friday made a fresh appeal to the European Court of Human Rights after Britain's Supreme Court rejected a plea to prevent doctors pulling the plug on him. But on Monday the ECHR rejected that appeal, finding in favour of the British judges. Last Monday Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano urged his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, to allow Alfie, who is suffering from an undiagnosed degenerative disease, to be transferred to medical facilities in Rome. Alfie's family is in a legal battle with Alder Hey, a children's hospital that says it is best to withdraw ventilation as his condition cannot be treated and has destroyed much of his brain. The boy's parents want to take him to Rome's Bambino Gesu' children's hospital, which is owned by the Vatican. Alfano asked for the parents' request to be granted to take the boy to the hospital in the Italian capital, "medical facilities of a very high level that accept him in on the base of an agreement". He noted, however, that "Alfie is a British citizen and Italy respects the decisions made in the framework of British national jurisdiction" and that "the British national healthcare system and medical standards are among the highest in the world". The Rome hospital has reportedly given the same prognosis but would be willing to perform a tracheotomy. Amy Robach is moving off ABCs Good Morning America to take over as co-anchor of the prime-time newsmagazine 20/20. ABC News President James Goldston announced Monday that Robach will replace Elizabeth Vargas, who announced late last year that she would leave 20/20 this spring. Vargas, whose co-anchored 20/20 for 14 years, is joining A+E Network to become the host of the cable networks A+E Investigates series. She will also develop and produce other nonfiction shows for parent company A+E Networks. Robach, 45, will co-anchor 20/20 with David Muir, the anchor of ABC World News Tonight. Advertisement Robach joined ABC News in 2012 after time as a national correspondent at NBC and MSNBC. She became the news anchor on GMA in 2014. Robach became a national story herself after a mammogram she had on GMA revealed that she had breast cancer. She wrote a bestselling book about her ordeal. Goldston said Robach will continue to report for GMA during coverage of major news stories. The personnel change is the second in recent weeks for GMA. Longtime regular Lara Spencer has reduced her role to three days a week in order to devote more time to the programs she hosts for cable network HGTV. Good Morning America has regained its status as the most-watched network morning program after NBCs Today scored a run of weekly wins while reporting from Pyeongchang, South Korea, for the 2018 Winter Olympics. For the 2017-18 TV season, GMA is averaging 4.292 million viewers, giving it a razor-thin lead over Today, which has 4.290 million viewers. CBS This Morning has about 3.4 million viewers. In terms of top on-camera personnel, GMA has been the most stable of the three broadcast network morning shows. It has kept its core anchor team of George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan intact while its broadcast competitors have seen major personnel departures. Matt Lauer was dropped from Today on Nov. 29 amid charges of inappropriate sexual behavior with an NBC employee. CBS This Morning co-anchor Charlie Rose was fired Nov. 21 after a report that he had sexually harassed women who worked on his now-canceled PBS talk show. stephen.battaglio@latimes.com Advertisement Twitter: @SteveBattaglio Fox News host Sean Hannity said he had no direct discussions with the Department of Housing and Urban Development regarding loans for his real estate holdings revealed in a Sunday report by the Guardian. The Guardian reported that Hannity has investments in shell companies that have bought real estate properties discounted after banks foreclosed on the mortgages of their previous owners. The loans for some of those deals were backed by HUD under a program implemented by the Obama administration. Hannity bought two apartment complexes in Georgia for $22.7 million in 2014 with mortgages totaling $17.9 million that HUD insured through the National Housing Act program, according to the report. The Guardian noted that Hannity did not disclose his business involvement with HUD when he interviewed the departments secretary, Ben Carson, on his Fox News program in 2017. Advertisement But Hannity said Monday he was not involved in any of the discussions regarding the HUD-backed loans. The fact is, these are investments that I do not individually select, control, or know the details about; except that obviously I believe in putting my money to work in communities that otherwise struggle to receive such support, Hannity said in a statement. I have never discussed with anybody at HUD the original loans that were obtained in the Obama years, nor the subsequent refinance of such loans, as they are a private matter. I had no role in, or responsibility for, any HUD involvement in any of these investments. I can say that every rigorous process and strict standard of improvement requirements were followed; all were met, fulfilled and inspected. A Fox News representative referred to Hannitys comment on the matter. Hannity was under fire last week when it was revealed in a court hearing that he is a client of Michael Cohen, the attorney for President Trump who is being investigated by the FBI. Hannity, who downplayed the connection, had not revealed his dealings with Cohen to his bosses or the viewing audience despite having the lawyer on his program. Hannity said Cohen had only advised him on real estate matters, which is now putting his business dealings under scrutiny. Hannity is the top-rated prime-time anchor on Fox News, typically drawing more than 3 million viewers a night, and is televisions most outspoken supporter of the Trump administration. He has been friends with Trump for years and has frequently offered advice to the real estate mogul and former reality TV star since he entered the White House. The Guardian said shell companies involving Hannity have spent up to $90 million on foreclosed properties, purchasing 870 homes in seven states. Advertisement stephen.battaglio@latimes.com Twitter: @SteveBattaglio FOCUS ON DEFENSE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIA In an ominous sign for patient safety, 71% of reusable medical scopes deemed ready for use on patients tested positive for bacteria at three major U.S. hospitals, according to a new study. The paper, published last month in the American Journal of Infection Control, underscores the infection risk posed by a wide range of endoscopes commonly used to peer deep into the body. It signals a lack of progress by manufacturers, hospitals and regulators in reducing contamination despite numerous reports of superbug outbreaks and patient deaths, experts say. These results are pretty scary, said Janet Haas, president of the Assn. for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. These are very complicated pieces of equipment, and even when hospitals do everything right we still have a risk associated with these devices. None of us have the answer right now. The study found problems in scopes used for colonoscopies, lung procedures, kidney stone removal and other routine operations. Researchers said the findings at the hospitals, which werent named, confirm earlier work showing that these issues arent simply confined to duodenoscopes, gastrointestinal devices tied to at least 35 deaths in the U.S. since 2013, including three at UCLAs Ronald Reagan Medical Center. Scope-related infections also were reported in 2015 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and Pasadenas Huntington Hospital. Advertisement The bacteria this latest study found werent superbugs, but researchers said there were potential pathogens that would put patients at high risk of infection. The study didnt track whether the patients became sick from possible exposure. The studys authors said the intricate design of many endoscopes continues to hinder effective cleaning and those problems are compounded when healthcare workers skip steps or ignore basic protocols in a rush to get scopes ready for the next patient. The study identified issues with colonoscopes, bronchoscopes, ureteroscopes and gastroscopes, among others. Sadly, in the 10 years since weve been looking into the quality of endoscope reprocessing, we havent seen improvement in the field, said Cori Ofstead, the studys lead author and an epidemiologist in St. Paul, Minn., referring to how the devices are prepared for reuse. If anything, the situation is worse because more people are having these minimally invasive procedures and physicians are doing more complicated procedures with endoscopes that, frankly, are not even clean, Ofstead said. The front tip of an Olympus duodenoscope, where bacteria can gather. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times ) The rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs such as CRE (carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae), which can be fatal in up to half of patients, has made addressing these problems more urgent. About 2 million Americans are sickened by drug-resistant bacteria each year and 23,000 die, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Were not moving fast enough to a safer world of reusable medical devices, said Michael Drues, an industry consultant in Grafton, Mass., who advises device companies and regulators. There is plenty of fault to go around on device companies, hospitals, clinicians, on basically everybody. Despite the potential risks, medical experts caution patients not to cancel or postpone lifesaving procedures involving endoscopes. These snake-like devices often spare patients from the complications of more invasive surgeries. Advertisement Patients should speak to their provider and think about the risks versus the benefits, said Haas, who is also director of epidemiology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. The Food and Drug Administration and Olympus Corp., a leading endoscope manufacturer in the U.S. and worldwide, both said they were reviewing the study. Last month, the FDA issued warning letters to Olympus and two other scope makers for failing to conduct real-world studies on whether healthcare facilities can effectively clean and disinfect their duodenoscopes. The FDA ordered the manufacturers to conduct those reviews in 2015 after several scope-related outbreaks in Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago made national headlines. Olympus spokesman Mark Miller said the Tokyo-based company intends to meet the milestones set forth by the FDA. Patient safety has always been and remains our highest priority. Advertisement The latest study examined 45 endoscopes, with all but two manufactured by Olympus. The other two were Karl Storz models. Last year, researchers visited three hospitals and performed visual examinations and tests to detect fluid and contamination on reusable endoscopes marked ready for use on patients. One hospital met the current guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting scopes, while the other two committed numerous breaches in protocol. Nevertheless, 62% of the disinfected scopes at the top-performing hospital tested positive for bacteria, including potential pathogens. It was even worse at the other two 85% and 92%. The study painted a troubling picture at the two lower-performing hospitals, which were well aware researchers were watching. Advertisement Among the safety issues: Hospital technicians wore the same gloves for handling soiled scopes fresh after a procedure and later, when they were disinfected and employees wiped down scopes with reused towels. Storage cabinets for scopes were visibly dirty and dripping wet scopes were hung up to dry, which is a known risk because bacteria thrive on the moisture left inside. The two hospitals also turned off a cleaning cycle on a commonly used washing machine, known as an automated endoscope reprocessor, to save time. It was very disturbing to find such improper practices in big health systems, especially since these institutions were accredited and we assumed that meant everything would have been done properly, said Ofstead, chief executive of the medical research firm Ofstead & Associates. Ofstead and her coauthors recommended moving faster toward sterilization of all medical scopes using gas or chemicals. That would be a step above the current requirements for high-level disinfection, which involves manual scrubbing and automated washing. A shift to sterilization would likely require significant changes in equipment design and major investments by hospitals and clinics. In their current form, many endoscopes arent built to withstand repeated sterilization. Some also have long, narrow channels where blood, tissue and other debris can get trapped inside. Advertisement In some cases, disposable, single-use scopes are an option, and new products are starting to gain acceptance. In other instances, certain parts of a scope might be disposable or removable to aid cleaning. The Joint Commission, which accredits many U.S. hospitals and surgery centers, issued a safety alert last year about disinfection and sterilization of medical devices in response to a growing rate of noncompliance. In 2016, the Joint Commission cited 60% of accredited hospitals for noncompliance, and 74% of all immediate threat to life citations from surveyors related to improperly sterilized or disinfected equipment. Michelle Alfa, a professor in the department of medical microbiology at the University of Manitoba, said accreditors may need to conduct more frequent inspections and endoscopy labs should be shut down if they dont get their act together. These results are totally unacceptable. Terhune is a senior correspondent for Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent publication of the Kaiser Family Foundation. The public voting period is now open for the ninth annual Vans Custom Culture competition that will eventually result in one high school arts program in the U.S. landing a $75,000 donation. Through 5 p.m. Pacific on May 4, individuals can visit this website and vote (one vote per email address per day) for their favorite designs from among the 50 semi-finalists that have been winnowed down from the original field of 500 schools. The competition works like this: Each school submits two pairs of blank Vans sneakers that have been decorated according to two themes of Local Flavor and Off the Wall. New to the competition this year is that each school was also asked to include a document explaining how the school community would benefit from taking home the prize money. (Those documents are posted alongside photos of the submissions.) Advertisement Among the field of 50 semi-finalists are three California schools San Diegos Canyon Crest Academy, Danvilles Monte Vista High School and Fairfields Angelo Rodriguez High School as well as two runners-up from the 2017 competition, Fontainbleau High School (Mandeville, La.) and Friendswood High School (Friendswood, Texas). Last years $50,000 grand prize was won by students from Parker High School in Parker, S.D. In mid-May, one of those five finalist high schools will land the $75,000 grand prize for their schools art program as well as a lunchtime party courtesy of Costa Mesa-based Vans and its competition partner brands (including Journeys, Yoobi, Laguna College of Art + Design and Americans for the Arts), while the four runner-up schools will receive a $10,000 donation each ( an increase from $4,000 per runner-up last year). adam.tschorn@latimes.com For more musings on all things fashion and style, follow me at @ARTschorn. At the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, authors who may rarely be seen are able to show a bit more personality than usual. Our photographer Jay L. Clendenin was able to coax fun moments out of authors who stopped by the L.A. Times Studio at the University of Southern California. Here are some of the boomerang images that were captured. Cecil Castellucci, author of Dont Cosplay with My Heart. Advertisement Maureen Johnson, author of Truly Devious: A Mystery. Annalee Newitz, author of Autonomus. Daniel A. Olivas, author of Crossing the Border: Collected Poems. Jonathan Evison, author of Lawn Boy. Advertisement Dr. Lucy Jones, author of The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them). Glory Edim, founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a Brooklyn-based book club and digital platform. Advertisement Joshua Wheeler, author of Acid West. Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling. Advertisement Chelsey Johnson, author of Stray City: A Novel. Steph Cha, author of Dead Soon Enough: A Juniper Song Mystery. Toyota is closely monitoring breakdowns in the electrical power system of some Prius models, as failures continue to mount across the nation despite a 2014 safety recall that was supposed to fix the problem, according to Toyota documents reviewed by The Times. The Toyota documents show that more than 800 defective electrical components from Toyota Prius models were returned from dealers to the automaker and its outside technical consultant over less than a two-month period this year after electrical system failures. The problem, in which overheating causes damage to key electrical parts and a resulting loss of power that can leave motorists stranded, has been dogging Toyota for about seven years. But the safety issue is now growing in scope. A woman driving a Prius in Florida last year was seriously injured when she lost power on a busy four-lane highway and was rear-ended at about 55 mph. Another Prius crash on an Orange County freeway that caused injuries was reported to federal safety regulators in 2016, according to federal records. Advertisement The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is reviewing a petition filed in December by a Southern California Toyota dealer, Roger Hogan, asking for a formal defect investigation. The federal agency said it has sought additional information from Hogan, who owns Claremont Toyota and Capistrano Toyota, and met with Toyota representatives in its review. The NHTSA review follows a lawsuit that Hogan filed last year and a separate suit seeking class-action status that was filed in federal court by Los Angeles attorney Skip Miller. The issue has caught the attention of congressional safety advocates as well. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security, has begun looking into the Prius problem, according to his staff. The overheating problem occurs in a device known as an inverter, which controls amounts of power flowing between the cars battery and its two electric motors. The device is subject to high internal temperatures that can damage transistors that convert lower-voltage direct current from the battery to higher-voltage alternating current for the motor. The power flow is reversed when the brakes are applied and electricity flows back to charge the battery. (Los Angeles Times Graphics) In a statement, Toyota said, We are continuing to monitor claims and developments in the field, and we will take any appropriate action. The automaker said that the Prius has a long history as a safe and reliable vehicle and is among Toyotas most popular models and that it is committed to the safety and security of our customers. Officials at Toyotas U.S. headquarters in Texas appear to be bracing for a big fight. In an unusual move, Toyota began requiring in January that its dealers return every failed inverter or its main component, known as an intelligent power module, to the companys North American headquarters in Texas, according to Hogan. Prior to that, Toyota would request only a sampling of failed parts, he said. Then on Feb. 8, Toyota instructed dealers to send the failed inverters or modules to Exponent, an engineering and consulting firm in Menlo Park that often helps corporations weather product liability crises. Advertisement Exponent was tapped by Toyota in 2010 to defend against allegations that its Camry and other models were subject to sudden acceleration that caused numerous deaths across the nation and triggered a raft of lawsuits. Toyota was ultimately fined a then-record $1.2 billion by federal regulators for the defects and its failure to promptly notify NHTSA of them. The company was released from deferred criminal prosecution only last year. Toyota issued a safety recall in 2014 that covered as many as 800,000 Prius models built between 2010 and 2014. The recall documents indicated that Toyota had been tracking the problem with the inverter since 2011, when its engineers found cracked solder joints that resulted from excessive thermal stress. The 2014 recall modified the software that controls both the inverter and the cars entire drivetrain computer. Claremont Toyota refuses to sell these Priuses because it believes a defect can cause them to lose power and stop. Dealer Roger Hogan, who is suing Toyota, is flanked by Roger Hogan Jr., left, and Stephen Hogan. The family owns Claremont Toyota and Capistrano Toyota. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times ) Advertisement The lawsuits contend that the software fix has failed to remedy the problem, citing numerous cases in which Prius electrical systems shut down even after the software was modified. Hogan said he has had 100 Priuses come into his dealerships with inverters that failed after the recall software was installed. In his petition for a new recall, Hogan alleges that the software fix was aimed at avoiding a much more expensive replacement of the inverter and its main component, the intelligent power module, which can cost $2,000 or more. The software fix costs only $80 per vehicle, he said. When the inverter overheats, the Prius either loses all power or goes into what the company calls limp-home mode, which allows it to be driven at very low speed. Hogan says he is refusing to sell more than 70 Priuses that he took on trade-in because he believes they are unsafe. A Toyota representative rejected Hogans allegations, saying that the recall was intended to fix the possibility that an inverter failure could cause the hybrid power system to shut down instead of entering limp-home mode. Advertisement The company said Hogan is pursuing his Prius recall remedy allegations to advance his $100-million lawsuit against Toyota, take the focus away from his dealerships poor performance and blame Toyota for his sons failure to meet basic qualifications to serve as a general manager at one of his dealerships. It noted that 1,200 other dealers have not made these accusations. Hogan denied that assertion. Hogan and some Toyota owners say that in some inverter failures the car still loses all power and does not enter limp-home mode. In one vehicle brought to Hogans dealership, the inverter got so hot that holes were melted through its aluminum case. Others had internal parts coated with soot, he said. A sudden power loss is generally considered a serious safety defect. General Motors was forced to recall 29 million cars in North America starting in 2014 when a defective ignition switch would suddenly shut off the engine. GM offered compensation for 124 deaths related to the defect. Advertisement Instances in which a Prius loss of power has caused a crash are now surfacing. Margaret Long, who lives in Port Charlotte, Fla., was driving to a hospital last August to pick up her husband when she lost power in her 2010 Prius on a busy four-lane highway. Long, a retired college instructor who was 80 at the time, was rammed at about 55 mph from behind, driving her car into the center median. Long said the accident caused a cracked vertebra, two cracked ribs and a punctured lung. A head injury from the accident has affected her memory, as well. Longs husband, Marlin, suspects the car lost power because of an inverter failure. The vehicle records show the Prius received the updated software from the recall in 2014. The vehicle was declared a total loss by the insurer and was auctioned off. Advertisement Obray George Grubbs witnessed the accident and came to Longs aid. In an interview, Grubbs said Longs car was completely stopped as cars swerved around it. I said to myself, this doesnt look good, he recalled. A Toyota Camry came up at full speed and hit Long with so much force that it broke the Prius seat back, leaving Long lying on her back when Grubbs walked up to help her. I said, maam, just hold still. In February 2016, a motorist from San Diego filed a complaint with NHTSA about his 2012 Prius, which lost power on Interstate 5, came to a stop and was rear-ended, sending him to a hospital emergency room. NHTSA redacted the individuals name on its website, but the complaint included seven detailed supporting documents, in which the motorist focused on an inverter failure as the cause. In his complaint, the motorist said that after dozens of phone calls, Toyota has avoided any recognition of the fact that the car stalled. Advertisement ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @rvartabedian Piled into a white van driving along the United States-Mexico border, the young men and one woman beheld the wall and weighed just how easily it could be conquered. Isaac Antonio did not seem impressed. Thats easily climbable, the 20-year-old declared. Their chaperon, a Border Patrol agent, called out from behind the wheel: Good luck, bro! Im sure you can, but good luck. As debate swirled, Antonio described ways that the 30-foot-high wall could be defeated, which prompted the lone woman to finally ask in faux suspicion: Are you from Mexico? Most of the nearly dozen participants in the El Centro Sector Border Patrol citizens academy were, in fact, of Mexican descent. And the mood was light as they learned about an agency they one day hoped to join. President Trump has called for hiring 5,000 more Border Patrol agents as part of his war on illegal immigration. If that happens, the academy in this Imperial Valley town last month offered a snapshot of many of those likely to apply: Latinos. Assistant Chief Patrol Agent David Kim teaches trainees at the El Centro Sector U.S. Border Patrol Citizen's Academy in Imperial. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Agent Joel Merino, foreground, describes how immigrants use the polluted New River to illegally enter the U.S. from Mexico to trainees, from left, Sal Perez, Manuel Trujillo, Eduardo Segura and Isaac Antonio. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Left: Assistant Chief Patrol Agent David Kim instructs trainees at the El Centro Sector Border Patrol citizens' academy in Imperial. Right: Agent Joel Merino, foreground, describes how immigrants use the polluted New River to illegally enter the U.S. from Mexico to trainees, from left, Sal Perez, Manuel Trujillo, Eduardo Segura and Isaac Antonio. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) When the Border Patrol was established in 1924, Latinos were a tiny minority. By 1989, they made up almost 36% of the agency. Now, Latinos make up a little more than 50% of the Border Patrol, according to 2016 data. This year, 10 out of the 11 people taking part in the Border Patrol citizens academy were Latino. Being a Border Patrol agent and Latino has always been potentially fraught, with immigrants from Latin America, especially Mexico, long the focus of often vitriolic debates over illegal immigration. But with Trump reserving his most heated rhetoric for immigrants coming from Mexico and Central America and promising massive walls to keep them out it has rarely seemed as delicate a tightrope. Jonathan Pacheco, a nearly 10-year veteran, said being a Border Patrol agent and Latino has always guaranteed some complicated moments. I got it initially when I first came in, the Dont you feel bad, youre catching your own people. Theyre just coming over here to work, he said. A lot of the people, and I try to use good verbiage because I know that anytime anyone hears anything about, Well some of the people coming across have done illegal things, they always go back to what Trump said during his campaign. Pacheco, whose parents came from Mexico on legal visas before eventually becoming U.S. citizens, added: I dont want to say everything he said is true or not true. But at a Border Patrol level a lot of these people who come here are usually apprehended for the second or third time. A lot of these guys already have previous records. Salvador Zamora, acting chief patrol agent for the El Centro sector, said its something Latino job candidates have to wrestle with. This is something I know burns inside a lot of the Hispanic candidates is what do I say, what does this mean, to arrest somebody from my own, maybe my parents hometown, Zamora said. Its real simple: Its the law. It is right and wrong. It is not against any one race or any one ethnic group or any one particular group of people. With so many of the immigrants crossing the border illegally from Mexico and Latin America and many border towns being majority Latino recruiting people who are more likely to speak Spanish has always made sense, experts said. There have been Latino agents, namely Mexican Americans, since the very beginning of Border Patrol, said Kelly Lytle Hernandez, a UCLA professor and author of Migra! A History of the U.S. Border Patrol. Of course, through the 70s really they were a minority, but they were actively recruited as early as the 1920s for their language abilities in particular. The majority of trainees in the El Centro Border Patrol academy this year grew up near the border. Unlike many young Latinos in urban and often more liberal areas, they refer to those in the country illegally simply as illegals. Some trainees have family members who work for the Border Patrol. Manuel Trujillo has a stepfather in the Border Patrol. Eighteen-year-old Eduardo Seguras parents pushed him to follow in the footsteps of his older sister, who is an agent. One of Antonios aunts is in the Border Patrol. Agent Juan Gonzalez gives a tour of the U.S.-Mexico border in Calexico during training at the El Centro Sector Border Patrol citizens' academy (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Trainee Jose Avalos rappels from a 60-foot tower in Imperial. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Trainee Josh Noonan, 29, left, uses fake pepper spray while learning defensive tactics. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Eduardo Segura, 18, of El Centro rappels from a 60-foot tower as trainees gain insight into the rigorous training that agents undergo. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Clockwise from top left: Agent Juan Gonzalez gives a tour of the U.S.-Mexico border in Calexico during training at the El Centro Sector Border Patrol citizens' academy. Trainee Jose Avalos rappels from a 60-foot tower in Imperial. Michael Araujo rappels from a 60-foot tower as trainees gain insight into the rigorous training that agents undergo. Trainee Josh Noonan, 29, left, uses fake pepper spray while learning defensive tactics. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Antonios maternal grandparents are from Mexico. On his fathers side, his grandfather is from the Philippines and his grandmother from Mexico. At times, Antonio has found himself arguing with friends over his desire to join the Border Patrol. Those debates have become more common and intense since Trumps election . Antonio, who hails from El Centro, said friends have told him they cant believe he wants to arrest his own people. He said that he responds by saying: Im protecting my people. My people are here. But he said it can be complicated. Last year, he spotted two immigrants jumping over a border fence. As a Border Patrol agent headed in their direction, Antonio said one of his friends shouted a warning in Spanish. In that moment, Antonio said he remembered thinking: Run. I know sometimes most of them just want to come over here for a better future, he said. But Antonio said he dreams of being a Border Patrol agent and theres no doubt that he would do his job. You do arrest people who like what if that was my uncle? If it was my uncle, he said before pausing. I would arrest him. But I wouldnt be able to, like, physically do it. I would have another agent do it. Jose Avalos, one of the trainees, would not have been born in the U.S. had his mother, Fanny Posada, not crossed the border illegally in 1987. She left Mexico to provide for her young family. Posada left Avalos older brother with her mother and hopped a bus from Mexico City to Tijuana. After that, she trekked through the desert for hours with 40 other people, led by a guide who would get paid by an aunt if he got Posada into California. When he saw car lights approaching, the guide panicked and ran down a hill, leaving Posada and others to fend for themselves. Trainee Mariah Romero, spars with Agent Jose Enriquez, right, during a self-defense class at the Border Patrol citizens' academy. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Manuel Trujillo of Imperial learns self-defense techniques. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Trainees Andrew Villero, left, and Jose Avalos, apprehend Agent Freddy Yulo during a training exercise. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Top: Trainee Mariah Romero, spars with agent Jose Enriquez, right, during a self-defense class at the Border Patrol citizens' academy. Left: Manuel Trujillo of Imperial learns self-defense techniques. Right: Trainees Andrew Villero, left, and Jose Avalos, apprehend Agent Freddy Yulo during a training exercise. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Posada said she has vivid recollections of a helicopter flying overhead and a Border Patrol agent with a gun out of his holster in the distance. Posada hid in a bush until everything went quiet. Eventually she made it to a store in California, and the owner called the number written on Posadas arm for her aunt to come get her. She obtained a work permit her first year in the U.S., after laboring in a Lodi vineyard. Fourteen years later, in 2001, Posada applied to join the Border Patrol. She had been encouraged by her next-door neighbor, who was an agent. Her neighbor pushed her to get her GED and her residency. When Posada didnt have the money to get her citizenship, the agent wrote her a check. You deserve this, your kids deserve this, he told her. The agent, now retired, declined to be interviewed. Posada said the fact that she had been born in Mexico influenced a question she was asked during her interview with the Border Patrol. The agents asked how they could be sure that she wouldnt let immigrants go free. Youre paying me and I have to do my job, Posada said she responded. But Im not going to be mean to them and Im going to try and tell them how they can try legally. That I will try to share with them because I know theyre nice people, theyre just looking for employment. Now if I found someone with drugs, I probably wont be that nice. In the end, Posada did not join the Border Patrol because she had no one to watch her children while she attended the academy. Instead, she began working for the city of Brawley, where she has been for 17 years. In September, Avalos, 28, applied to become an agent. He said he wanted a job that could provide a good life for his wife and himself. Like his mother, he said that he was inspired by their neighbor, the Border Patrol agent. He has taken the polygraph test and hopes that Trumps pledge to hire more agents means hell be able to start his career soon. People might say, Oh, you dont care about your culture, Avalos said. I love everything about my culture, but I was born here and I consider myself American. On a Saturday last month, trainees stood on a drag road in Calexico under a gloomy sky. The traffic in the much larger Mexican city of Mexicali was visible through an 18-foot bollard-style fence. They formed a semicircle around Agent Juan Gonzalez as he pointed out their footprint patterns in the dirt, identifying them as honeycomb or waffle iron. Those footprints can help agents locate people who jumped the fence by calling in the pattern over the radio to the agent on the next drag road. Border Patrol Agent Jose Enriquez takes a break from an apprehension exercise. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Michael Araujo, one of the trainees, has uncles who crossed illegally and later fixed their papers. The father of his close friend was deported and lives on the Mexican side of the border, where the family visits him every other weekend. I know how much thats a struggle, and I feel bad for those situations where the family is separated, 19-year-old Araujo said. For most people, when you sign up for this you realize youre most likely not allowing someone to maybe visit their family, maybe they already have family here. Its a major conflict internally, but it has to be done. Like many other trainees, Araujo said a major reason for wanting to join the Border Patrol is a simple one: Its a job in a county with the second-highest unemployment rate statewide at 17%. The Border Patrol is one of the top employers in Imperial County. On an agents salary, here in Imperial Valley, youll be upper-middle class, Gonzalez told the group. Everyones kind of interested if youre from around here, Araujo said. They know its one of the few places you can get a good job. brittny.mejia@latimes.com Twitter: @brittny_mejia Junot Diaz thanked the packed crowd and its city. When fools talk about diversity, he said, they cant even imagine L.A. The auditorium roared. A smile cracked the authors face. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, a headliner of this years Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, made the comments Sunday during a public discussion on the second and final day of the event. Now in its 23rd year, the book festival the largest in the U.S. featured workshops, readings and panel discussions with authors, journalists and prominent legal minds. The event, which drew an estimated 150,000 people to USC, included sessions on Mexican food, creative activism and how to stand out as an author of young adult fiction. Advertisement On Sunday, Times staff writers led panel discussions on writing about sexual harassment in the #MeToo era and covering the cannabis industry. 1 / 31 Aurora Carrillo-Vincent, 5, and Matthew Carrillo-Vincent, 35, read together during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 31 Chris Homandberg, 35, of Los Angeles chats while holding 11 books he plans to buy at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 31 People seek out shade while reading comics during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 31 Chris The Glove Taylor speaks during the Hip-Hop as Storytelling discussion with West Coast music pioneers during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 31 Chris Homandberg, center, 35, of Los Angeles navigates the crowd at a book-sellers tent during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 31 Jason Ham, 23, of Los Angeles rests his head on Baily Phams legs while they read books during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 31 Author Dave Eggers, left, talks with Joel Arquillos, executive director of the nonprofit group 826LA, at the Bovard Auditorium during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 31 Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton star and author of Failing Up: How to take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning, speaks during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 31 The USC Trojan Marching Band performs at the USC Stage during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 31 People gather and listen as the USC Trojan Marching Band performs at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 31 Actor and blogger Wil Wheaton, left, speaks with science fiction author John Scalzi during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 31 A packed crowd attends actor-blogger Wil Wheatons talk with science fiction author John Scalzi during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 31 Islandborn author Junot Diaz speaks at the Bovard Auditorium during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 31 People walk along Hellman Way during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 31 Austin Peay, 20, of Laguna Niguel, reads A Higher Loyalty beneath the shade of trees at the USC alumni park. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 31 Amy Hu, 9, and Adix Hu, 12, read on a grassy knoll while their father Xiao Hu naps during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 31 Christine Vazquez, 17, of Whittier, makes a postcard to put on a display wall during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 31 Author Junot Diaz signs a copy of his book, Islandborn, for Riley Smith, 10, of Hesperia at the Reading by 9 Childrens stage during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 31 Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams talks with Scott Goldman, executive director of the Grammy Museum, at the Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre Complex at USC during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 31 Down the River Unto the Sea author Walter Mosley visits the Ronald Tutor Campus Center during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 31 Maya Chen, 4, looks at a book during the first day of the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 31 People pack the walkways at USC during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Saturday, April 21, 2018. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 31 Linda Arkin, 75, of Valencia, looks over the Festival of Books section of the Los Angeles Times on Saturday, April 21, 2018. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 31 Journalists David Kipen, left, and Jorge Ramos speak on a panel during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Saturday, April 21, 2018. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 31 Attendees write on the What book changed your life? wall during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 31 Esmeralda Oieda, 15, of Bakersfield, looks at books during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 31 People browse books for sale during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Saturday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 31 Nobel Poet Juan Felipe Herrera, author of Jabberwalking, talks at the Reading By 9 Childrens stage. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 31 Austin Peay, 20, of Laguna Niguel, reads A Higher Loyalty beneath the shade of trees. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 31 Elisa Sifuentes, 16, and Kaitlyn Bin, 16, browse displays of books Saturday on the USC campus. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 31 Nobel Poet Juan Felipe Herrera, author of Jabberwalking, is among the featured speakers during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) During his conversation with Times staff writer Carolina A. Miranda, Diaz whose family emigrated from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey when he was 6 spoke about identity, representation and his new childrens book, Islandborn, which tells the story of an Afro Caribbean girl named Lola. His godchildren first asked him to write a childrens book years ago, Diaz said, noting that the process took a long time, as he struggled not to write something cute or corny. Children understand and deserve complexity, he said. They can handle more than narratives of innocence. Children are incredibly resilient, he said. They know that there are monsters, for real. Diaz, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for his novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, spoke about the importance of representation in literature. Many depictions of Afro Caribbeans are beyond discouraging, he said, noting that he was very particular in picking a collaborator to illustrate his book. White supremacy has been incredibly malignant, he said. I needed an artist who grew up in a black hair salon. During the conversation, Diaz alluded to a personal essay he wrote for the New Yorker this month. In the piece, he discusses being raped at age 8 and how the violation seeped into every part, and every phase, of his life. Advertisement Trauma, Diaz wrote, is stronger than any mask; it cant be buried and it cant be killed. Its the revenant that wont stop, the ghost thats always coming for you. During his Islandborn tour, the author met so many children who seemed so deeply loved. He couldnt help but think of his past. I had one of those childhoods you dont want to give to children, he said, adding that the tour provoked him to write the New Yorker piece. Throughout the talk, Diaz a self-proclaimed nerd with a habit of rubbing his palm against his right knee as he speaks engaged the crowd. Advertisement Any Dominicans in here? he asked, drawing loud whoops. We everywhere, the author said, smiling. Sandra Valle, a 38-year-old who works in education, said she was inspired by Diazs unapologetic style, particularly his reference to white supremacy during his talk. Hes not sidestepping it, she said. Its not extra, it just is. Advertisement For Hugo Fernandez, a Cal State Long Beach student working on a childrens book, one of Diazs messages dont lose faith resonated. So far, hed failed at that task, Fernandez said. But now hes eager to dig into edits. While Diazs talk touched on many themes, some of the events sessions were very specific. There was one on the power of music as medicine and another on the evolution of Mexican food in L.A. During the panel on Mexican food, chef Wes Avila of Guerrilla Tacos spoke about the importance of a good tortilla. Instead of using ingredients from massive corporations big, huge conglomerate corn, he called it he buys from a local organic tortilleria, Kernel of Truth Organics. You can taste the difference, Avila said. Advertisement marisa.gerber@latimes.com For more news from the Los Angeles County courts, follow me on Twitter: @marisagerber Mayor Eric Garcetti said Monday he would absolutely consider extending rent restrictions in Los Angeles to cover newly built apartments if California voters repeal a state law that prohibits it. Garcetti joined tenant and community activists at a news conference outside City Hall to back a proposed ballot initiative that would roll back the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which bans cities and counties from capping rent increases on apartments built after 1995. In cities like Los Angeles, which already had rent control when the law was passed, the restrictions apply to buildings constructed years earlier. Repealing the state law would allow local governments to impose rent control on newer buildings, a longtime goal of tenant groups. Advertisement In L.A., rent stabilization rules limit how much landlords can increase rent annually on tenants living in apartments built before October 1978. Landlords face no limits, however, on how much they can raise the rent once an apartment is vacated. Garcetti told reporters that it seems to be unjust that tenants in newer buildings do not have the same protection from hefty rent increases. Its like winning the lottery, Garcetti said. If you happen to find a place, and it was built from 1978 or before, you can expect even though you might have high rents today that [the rent] wont go up by double digits. If youre not lucky to win that lottery and its something built in 1979, you do face zero protections. Soaring rents and rising home prices have left many Angelenos uneasy about their future. A recent UCLA survey found that young adults in Los Angeles County are especially anxious about the cost of housing. And Garcetti, who has been flirting with a campaign for president, has faced searing criticism from activists who say he needs to make good on his progressive rhetoric about making sure that no one is left behind as L.A. rebounds from its last recession. Business groups chafed at his remarks Monday, arguing that they would undermine that cause. Beverly Kenworthy of the California Apartment Assn. said that imposing limits on rents in newly built apartments would make it much harder for residential projects to pencil out financially, undermining Garcettis goal of approving 100,000 new units by 2021. The mayor would essentially be sabotaging his own housing goals, said Kenworthy, vice president of the associations Los Angeles office. Even his remarks, she said, could have a chilling effect among developers eyeing the city. Advertisement Garcetti did not provide further details about what changes he would support, saying that the city would need to analyze any effort to impose new limits on rent hikes in buildings constructed over the last 40 years. City Councilman Mike Bonin, who also appeared at the news conference, said that L.A.s rent stabilization ordinance is not working properly, but declined to say how he thinks the law should be changed. Youre going to have to bring property owners together with renters and have a discussion, Bonin said. Its way too early to be able to say, This is what I want to do. Garcetti and Bonin appeared with backers of the ballot initiative as they announced they were turning in more than 588,000 signatures across the state to put the proposal to repeal Costa-Hawkins on the November ballot. Advertisement Activists with the Los Angeles Tenants Union, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation argued at the Monday event that cities and counties should have greater power to help ease the housing crisis. Rents for vacant apartments in Los Angeles city have risen 34% over the last five years, according to the real estate website Zillow. The rents are too damn high and we need local control to solve the problem, Elena Popp, executive director of the Eviction Defense Network, said before a cheering crowd of supporters accompanied by a mariachi band. Walt Senterfitt of the Los Angeles Tenants Union pointed to the battle over rent increases faced by mariachi musicians at a Boyle Heights building, which was built a few years too late to fall under rent stabilization restrictions. Senterfitt said renters had successfully struck a deal limiting rent increases at that building, but it ought not to be so hard. Eliminating Costa-Hawkins would also allow cities to prevent landlords from raising rents when units are vacated, something that a few cities including West Hollywood and Santa Monica did before the law passed. Advertisement Beyond the effort to repeal Costa-Hawkins, tenant advocates are pushing to put rent control on the ballot in several Southern California cities, including Santa Ana, Glendale, Inglewood, Long Beach and Pasadena. Costa-Hawkins is firmly backed by apartment developers and landlords who argue that loosening the state restrictions would stunt new development because many investors wouldnt build new units if they knew their incomes could be artificially capped. That, in turn, would worsen a housing crisis driven by inadequate supply and growing demand, they say. There is an undeniable desire to make housing more affordable, but expanding rent control will result in higher housing costs, less housing being built, and more people without a place to live, Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry & Commerce Assn., said in a statement released Monday. It will ultimately harm the very people it is trying to help. Advertisement This is not the first time tenant activists have tried to roll back the state law: In January, a state bill that would have repealed Costa-Hawkins failed in committee after a lengthy and heated debate. If Californians scrap the state law and cities significantly expand rent control, it could reduce the construction of new housing and might decrease tax revenues for state and local governments, according to a report from the state legislative analyst. But the nonpartisan office cautioned that many of its effects remain unclear. Garcetti has previously spoken out against Costa-Hawkins. But his appearance Monday put him in the unusual position of standing side-by-side with organizers from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has sharply criticized him over housing and development issues. Last year, the group bankrolled a controversial measure that would have restricted real estate development in Los Angeles, a proposal that was opposed by Garcetti and overwhelmingly defeated at the ballot box. More recently, the group and its president, Michael Weinstein, have held news conferences assailing Garcetti and other city leaders over their handling of the homelessness crisis. Advertisement Garcetti has touted his backing of Proposition HHH a $1.2-billion bond that voters passed for new homeless housing as well a new fee on development to fund affordable apartments, and progress building tens of thousands of housing units of all kinds. As of February, the city had permitted more than 73,000 out of the 100,000 units he aims to approve by 2021, according to his office. Although questions remain about exactly what Garcetti might be willing to do to broaden rent control, his words Monday heartened some of his critics. As someone who doesnt hold back criticism about the mayor, said Sylvie Shain, a founding member of the Los Angeles Tenants Union, for once we agree on something. Times staff writer Andrew Khouri contributed to this report. Advertisement emily.alpert@latimes.com Twitter: @AlpertReyes david.zahniser@latimes.com Twitter: @DavidZahniser Advertisement UPDATES: 6:15 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction and additional background. This article was originally published at 1:15 p.m. Months after California legalized the marijuana business, pot growers and manufacturers lament that they are still locked out of the legal industry in Los Angeles. More than 100 shops have already gotten city approval in Los Angeles, but not the companies that have historically furnished them with cannabis, which were supposed to be second in line under a complex set of city regulations passed in December. L.A. had originally planned to finish processing their applications by April but has not even started accepting that paperwork. As 4/20 rolled around Friday the informal holiday for pot enthusiasts there was no official word on when that would happen. That has aggravated marijuana growers, manufacturers and other cannabis companies seeking to do business legally in Los Angeles. Under California law, they cannot get state licenses if they do not have local authorization. And if they dont have a state license, it is illegal for newly licensed shops to buy their products. Advertisement If people dont get their licenses in the very near future, their businesses are tenuous, said Aaron Herzberg, founding partner of Puzzle Group, a law firm specializing in cannabis licensing and real estate. Maybe those businesses are driven into the black market entirely. Marijuana companies that had lined up business locations are being bled dry as they hang on to costly leases, said Adam Spiker, executive director of the Southern California Coalition, a cannabis industry group. Ryan Jennemann, manager of the cannabis cultivation company THC Design, said his firm has cut dozens of employees in recent months. Its an unsettling feeling, Jennemann said. Were in a state where cannabis is legal. The 4/20 holiday used to be an underground thing now theyre talking about it on MSNBC. And we dont have permits. The delay has also prevented any new operators, including shops, growers and other marijuana enterprises, from getting into the legal industry in L.A. Under the regulations, they would get a shot at city approval in a third phase of applications, after L.A. grants approval to marijuana growers and manufacturers that had been supplying existing shops. City officials have chalked up some of the delay to short staffing as the newly formed Department of Cannabis Regulation started poring over business applications. The department currently has only four staffers and has relied on workers loaned to it from other city agencies. Council members voted to hire more employees in February, but those positions have yet to be filled. The shift from cannabis prohibition to regulation in the largest cannabis market in the world is complex, said Cat Packer, who heads L.A.s Department of Cannabis Regulation. Getting it right will take time. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times ) As of Friday, the department had granted approval to 139 pot shops that had been operating in line with an earlier set of city rules the group of businesses that were first in line for approval. But before other marijuana businesses can apply, the city has been trying to work out remaining details for its social equity program, which is intended to help people and communities hit hardest by the war on drugs. Advertisement To be eligible for the second phase of licensing, longtime growers and manufacturers that supplied the existing shops must also qualify for that program. If not, they would have to seek licenses in the third phase along with all other kinds of applicants. Eligible social equity entrepreneurs include poor applicants who either have been convicted of some marijuana crimes or have lived in areas disproportionately affected by pot arrests, as well as firms providing space or other assistance to disadvantaged applicants. But city officials say they are still figuring out how to proceed. This year, council members asked to reexamine whether additional communities in the San Fernando Valley, Boyle Heights and parts of downtown might have been disproportionately affected by the war on drugs, potentially allowing people who had lived in those areas to qualify for the program. Advertisement L.A. also needs to fund and set up the outreach and assistance programs that are supposed to be provided under the program or decide whether to press ahead with licensing social equity applicants before the city can offer such benefits, city officials said. That decision would be made by council members. A spokeswoman for City Council President Herb Wesson did not provide comment Friday. The shift from cannabis prohibition to regulation in the largest cannabis market in the world is complex, and involves a broad range of stakeholders, Cat Packer, who heads L.A.s Department of Cannabis Regulation, said in a written statement Friday. Getting it right will take time. California Minority Alliance Chairman Donnie Anderson, whose group advocated for the social equity program, said that we definitely wanted the city to be farther along, but I understand that the city has to make sure things are right. He added that the city needs to ensure businesses dont find ways to scam the system meant to benefit poor and marginalized applicants. Advertisement The proposed budget released last week by Mayor Eric Garcetti includes $3.7 million for the cannabis department next budget year, more than four times as much as this year, and provides for 28 staffers. In his budget, Garcetti also estimated that the city would get $30 million from taxing the marijuana industry, a crucial infusion that will help bankroll city services. The delay in marijuana licensing has already cost the city this year: It had been anticipating $16 million from taxing cannabis businesses this budget year, but is now expecting to pull in only $4.4 million, according to the mayors office. Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed to this report. emily.alpert@latimes.com Advertisement Twitter: @AlpertReyes A federal appeals court decided unanimously Monday that animals may not sue for copyright protection. The ruling came in the case of a monkey that took selfies with a wildlife photographers camera. The photographer later published the photos. An animal rights group sued, charging the monkey owned the copyright because it took the pictures. We must determine whether a monkey may sue humans, corporations, and companies for damages and injunctive relief arising from claims of copyright infringement, Judge Carlos Bea, appointed by President George W. Bush, wrote for a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Advertisement We conclude that this monkey and all animals, since they are not human lacks statutory standing under the Copyright Act, Bea said. Naruto, named as the plaintiff, was a 7-year-old crested macaque living in a reserve in Indonesia. The monkey purportedly took several photos of itself in 2011 when wildlife photographer David Slater left his camera unattended. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, known as PETA, sued Slater in 2015, arguing the copyright belonged to the animal. The group and Slater later settled the case out of court, but the 9th Circuit decided to rule on the matter anyway Judge N. Randy Smith, in a concurrence, called PETAs suit frivolous. The concept of expanding actual property rights and rights broadly to animals necessitates resolving what duties also come with those rights, he wrote, and, because animals cannot communicate in our language, who stands in their shoes? He said the federal courts lack the authority to hear a suit purportedly brought by an animal. To read this article in Spanish, click here maura.dolan@latimes.com Advertisement Twitter: @mauradolan Travelers were briefly evacuated from a terminal at Ontario International Airport early Monday following a report of a suspicious device. Ontario firefighters received a call about the device at 4:54 a.m., prompting authorities to clear people from three gates in the Terminal 4 area, Ontario Fire Department Battalion Chief Jim Schiller said. The Fire Departments bomb squad also responded to the scene, Schiller said. By the time they arrived, the man who owned the device was being interviewed by police. He described the item as a training device. It was a device commonly used in the military, Schiller said, adding that it was encased in a commemorative cloth bag. Advertisement The terminal was reopened by 6:45 a.m. and was operating as usual, Schiller said. sarah.parvini@latimes.com For more California news follow me on Twitter: @sarahparvini Shortly before Christmas, Bobby Joe Maxwell suffered a massive heart attack, leaving him unable to move or speak. By all accounts, he is unlikely to recover. Yet Maxwells name is on a court docket in Los Angeles, where he is awaiting retrial in a slew of murders attributed to a serial killer who haunted the citys homeless community in the late 1970s the Skid Row Stabber. Despite Maxwells fading health and a jail informant scandal that led to the reversal of his decades-old convictions, the Los Angeles County district attorneys office has yet to drop the charges against him. His relatives, attorneys and legal experts fear Maxwell, 68, may die in police custody on suspicion of crimes that prosecutors cant prove he committed. They stole his life, said Maxwells younger sister, Rosie Harmon. Advertisement His advocates now pin their hopes on persuading a judge this week to release Maxwell from a hospital, where hes under 24-hour guard, on compassionate grounds. Attorneys Fred Alschuler and Pierpont Laidley, who have represented Maxwell for the nearly 40 years he has remained jailed, have appealed to prosecutors since their client fell ill. Officials would not say if they will oppose the court petition. While we are aware of Mr. Maxwells medical condition, there are other important factors that we must consider including notification of victims families and how the defendant will continue to receive proper medical treatment if he is released from custody, given that he requires specialized 24-hour care, Deputy Dist. Atty. Bobby Grace said in an e-mail to The Times. The deaths of at least 10 homeless men in downtowns skid row were laid at the hands of the same killer. Maxwell was convicted in two of the cases during a 1984 trial. Both convictions were overturned in 2010 after it was revealed that a notoriously unreliable jailhouse informant had lied on the stand. Maxwell has remained in legal limbo for eight years, while prosecutors decided whether to retry the case and a series of motions and discovery issues delayed proceedings. The oldest of six siblings from Columbia, Tenn., Maxwell moved to California in 1977 with dreams of becoming a karate instructor, said Harmon, 65. He was just a good, kind-hearted person, she said. He didnt mean no harm to nobody. But within two years of moving to Los Angeles, Maxwell was branded a serial killer. Advertisement Bobby Joe Maxwell is flanked by Los Angeles detectives en route to a 1979 court hearing. (William S. Murphy / Los Angeles Times ) Police believe the Stabber victims were killed over several weeks in October and November 1978. Maxwell was arrested in April 1979. Almost all of the victims were described as homeless and found dead of stab wounds to their upper bodies in alleyways, parking lots and behind bars between 3rd and 7th streets. The victims were Jesse Martinez, 50, Jose Cortez, 32, Bruce Emmet Drake, 46, J.P. Henderson, 65, David Martin Jones, 39, Francisco Perez Rodriguez, 57, Frank Floyd Reed, 36, Augustine Luna, 49, Jimmie White Buffalo, 34, and Frank Garcia, 45. Advertisement The killings came at a time when the city was reeling from the panic induced by other infamous serial predators. The Hillside Stranglers preyed on sex workers in Los Angeles in 1977 and 1978, and Vaughn Orrin Greenwood, known as the Skid Row Slasher, was convicted of killing eight homeless people just years before the Stabber attacks began. Los Angeles police detectives had arrested and then released two other suspects in the killings, but turned their attention to Maxwell after his palm print was found on a park bench near one of the crime scenes, according to Capt. Billy Hayes, who leads the LAPDs elite Robbery-Homicide Division. Maxwell had also been previously arrested along skid row for possessing a knife, Hayes said, and some witnesses said they saw a man who looked similar to Maxwell walking away from the scene of a few of the stabbings. Investigators cast Maxwell as a Satanist who killed to deliver souls to the devil. A notebook containing references to Satan was found at the home of one of Maxwells relatives, and drawings in the book were similar to Satanic symbology found at some of the crime scenes, Hayes said. Advertisement Harmon dismissed the idea that her brother dabbled in Satanism. Maxwell was raised in the church and tried to start a bible study program while incarcerated, she said. In overturning his conviction years later, an appellate court would describe most of the evidence against Maxwell as circumstantial. The knife found on Maxwell was consistent with wounds suffered by some of the victims, but investigators could never conclusively link the weapon to the slayings, court records show. None of the witnesses who described the suspect leaving crime scenes could identify Maxwell at trial. Alschuler and Laidley have long contended the Los Angeles Police Department captured the wrong person. Before Maxwell, another suspect known to frequent areas where some victims were found had been under surveillance. But detectives never found physical evidence linking him to the case and he was released, records show. Advertisement Bobby Joe Maxwell reacts to his convictions in 1984. (Marsha Traeger / Los Angeles Times) The prosecutions star witness at Maxwells trial was jailhouse informant Sidney Storch, who claimed Maxwell confessed to the killings. Maxwell was convicted of two of the 10 murders and sentenced to life in prison. The same jury acquitted him in three of the slayings and deadlocked on the remaining five. Doubts about Maxwells conviction would surface years later, when investigations into the use of jailhouse informants in Los Angeles County revealed many had been fabricating confessions in order to gain lighter sentences. Several informants said Storch taught them how to book other inmates by gleaning details about high-profile cases from newspapers and using that information to allege they confessed. Some LAPD investigators had raised concerns about Storchs reliability as an informant prior to Maxwells trial, according to court records. Storch was indicted on a perjury charge in 1988 as part of the investigation into the jailhouse snitch scandal, but died before he could stand trial. Advertisement Despite questions about Storchs credibility, it would take more than two decades before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Maxwells convictions. While the court said it could not rule on the validity of Storchs testimony about Maxwells confession, it did find Storch had demonstrated a willingness to commit perjury. The court also found Storch lied during the trial about his past as an informant and that he had received leniency in exchange for his testimony. Storch simply repeated facts about the Skid Row Stabber killings contained in a newspaper article he admitted to possessing, and he offered no details about any of the crimes that were not already public and in widespread print, the ruling read. News of the 9th Circuit decision brought a measure of relief to Maxwells family, who believed their long ordeal to prove his innocence was finally over. Advertisement We all went through it. We went through hell. Stressing, you name it. My granny, every day she would ask me Rosa, when is he coming home? I dont know, but hell be home soon. I always told my granny that, Harmon said. Even before she died she asked me, When is Bobby coming home? But in 2013, the district attorneys office not only sought to retry Maxwell in the murders of Garcia and Jones, but obtained grand jury indictments in three of the slayings those of Reed, Cortez and Drake the jury deadlocked on in 1984. With the exception of Storchs testimony, prosecutors presented the same information to the 2013 grand jury that they did at the original trial. Maxwell was denied bail. Asked if the district attorneys office still believes Maxwell was the only suspect, Grace said prosecutors have never taken a position on whether there was a lone suspect. Hayes said the LAPD remains convinced that Maxwell was responsible for all 10 killings, and declined to say whether he should be released. The doctors have indicated he would not recover from this, Hayes said. So, I dont know that it serves any value and justice in continuing with it, but thats up to the prosecution. Advertisement Voluminous discovery requests and destruction of much of the evidence have delayed the case. The judge ordered live hearings on discovery issues. They went for over a year, during the course of which, thousands of pages of material were produced, Alschuler said, adding that prosecutors provided several exculpatory statements that were not presented at the original trial. Hayes said past investigators likely destroyed evidence in cases where a death penalty verdict had not been reached, or if the appeals process had been exhausted. In Maxwells case, physical evidence was destroyed in the three murders he was acquitted of. Some evidence in one of the cases he was convicted of was also destroyed. Paula Mitchell, the legal director of the Project for the Innocent at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said the decision not to release Maxwell given his medical condition and the circumstantial evidence appeared a little vindictive. Advertisement After he was able to prevail on appeal, to go back and charge him with things that the jury hung on? Given what we know now about the jailhouse informant scandalIt does cry out for some answers, she said. Alschuler said the district attorneys office has both a moral and legal obligation to release Maxwell and allow him to live his final days with his family. It amounts to execution by false incarceration, he said. He just wants his name cleared. james.queally@latimes.com Advertisement Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California. The two men who walked into a Trader Joes in Culver City were not interested in Chocolatey Cats Cookies or lemon elderflower soda. As one man took a position at the door, the other brandished a gun and forced the store manager to fill a white leather bag with about $4,800 in cash. The robbers fled on foot, said Culver City Police Lt. Randy Vickrey. The April 12 robbery was one of at least seven of Trader Joes grocery stores in the Los Angeles area in recent months, authorities said. In Long Beach, a Trader Joes store on Bellflower Boulevard was robbed twice in two weeks. The first robbery took place at about 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 15; police said a suspect pulled a gun on a store employee, demanded money and fled on foot. The store was robbed again in a similar fashion at the same time of day on March 2. Advertisement In Los Angeles, police are investigating four armed robberies at Trader Joes in the last month, said Capt. Billy Hayes, head of the agencys Robbery-Homicide Division. In the L.A. cases, Hayes said, a group of three or four people walk into the stores, identify an employee and then go for the money, he said. The suspects have escaped on foot, he said. Like the robberies in Long Beach and Culver City, Hayes said, the hits in Los Angeles also occurred in the evening. No injuries have been reported in any of the robberies. LAPD investigators believe the Los Angeles cases are connected because of the target and the behavior of the suspects. Authorities are investigating whether the Culver City or Long Beach robberies are also linked. Its not clear why thieves are targeting Trader Joes, police say, or how regularly these robberies occur. Los Angeles Times archives show that a Trader Joes was robbed in Palms last year, and Trader Joes locations in the Eagle Rock and Palms neighborhoods were robbed in 2010 and 2011, respectively. In 2000, 16 Trader Joes locations throughout Southern California were robbed over a period of a few months, according to Times archives. Authorities have asked anyone with information about the robberies to call a police department or submit tips to a hotline at 1-800-222-8477. Police have not made arrests in any of the cases. In Culver City, Vickrey said, detectives had to seek surveillance footage from nearby businesses because the Trader Joes store didnt have any. Unfortunately, Trader Joes does not have security cameras, Vickrey said, referring to the Culver City locations. Vickreys detectives encountered a similar issue last year, when a Trader Joes on Slauson Avenue was robbed. No security footage was available, and that case is still under investigation. It was hard to tell if the same suspects were involved in both robberies, Vickrey said. The suspects in the latest robbery in Culver City have been described as two men in their 20s, both about 5-foot-8, one with large earrings and a scar under his eye, the other wearing a white t-shirt. Advertisement Culver City police talked to Trader Joes about installing cameras after last years robbery, Vickrey said, but the company said it didnt want their customers to feel as if they were under surveillance while they shopped. Kenya Friend-Daniel, a spokeswoman for Trader Joes, said security cameras and guards are present at some Trader Joes locations, but she declined to say how many stores had these measures in place because she said disclosing that information would compromise the security of its employees and customers. We will not hesitate to take the necessary steps to help ensure that our customers are and feel safe, Friend-Daniel said. The company provided photos and composite descriptions to authorities investigating this latest string of robberies, Friend-Daniel said. Advertisement Its not clear why some Trader Joes stores do not have security cameras. Bob Dilonardo, a retail security consultant for more than 40 years, called the lack of cameras extremely unusual. Companies sometimes decline to install cameras to provide customers with a less intrusive shopping experience, Dilonardo said. But the decision comes with costs, because it could increase the likelihood of a robbery. Criminals dont live in a vacuum. When they discover a situation thats easier, rather than more difficult, they take advantage, Dilonardo said. Thieves are aware of (camera systems) and know where everything is. Jonathan Underland, a 27-year-old former Trader Joes employee, half-jokingly offered a different theory. Advertisement It could be that everyones just so super nice there. frank.shyong@latimes.com Twitter: @frankshyong Scores of calls poured in last week. Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricane Maria were anxiously contacting lawmakers and advocates, fearful they were about to lose federal assistance that has allowed them to live in hotels since the storm ravaged the island seven months ago. The government had warned the assistance would end April 20. Twice before, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had threatened to cut off temporary housing assistance, only to relent at the request of Puerto Ricos governor. But that didnt ease fears as the new deadline approached last Friday. Day and night were getting hysterical phone calls every time theres a looming deadline, said Lauren Piraino, president of We Unite, which coordinates Boston nonprofits and has been helping hurricane victims. Advertisement Its destabilizing, she added. And its not good for the families. They cant make long-term plans. Theyre stuck in a hotel for they dont know how long. How do you get a job, get your kids in school? Hurricane Maria victims are not alone: FEMA threatened to end Hurricane Harvey victims temporary housing assistance several times, and cut similar assistance to Hurricane Irma victims last month. On Friday afternoon, FEMA extended aid for 1,700 Puerto Rican families living in the continental U.S. until May 14, but its not clear what will happen after that. Federal officials have said theyre trying to better manage housing assistance based on lessons learned after Hurricane Katrina and other major storms. But critics, including lawmakers, want a more permanent solution for displaced families unable to find affordable housing. FEMAs Transitional Sheltering Assistance program pays hotels to shelter survivors unable to return to storm-damaged homes, until they find longer-term housing. Since Hurricane Maria, 7,017 families have used the programs vouchers to stay at hotels in 40 states at a cost of more than $64 million, according to Daniel Llargues, a FEMA spokesman. Evacuees can lose FEMA temporary housing assistance if, among other things, FEMA finds their homes in Puerto Rico are livable after inspection, they didnt respond to inspectors or they have other viable housing options, Llargues said. Those restrictions were temporarily lifted when this months deadline was extended. Maria Reyes, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, babysits six-year-old Junielis on Feb. 27 at a hotel in Dedham, Mass. Several Massachusetts groups helped Reyes when her FEMA hotel assistance ended after two months. (Steven Senne / Associated Press ) As of Friday, 2,663 Puerto Rican families were still in hotels in 34 states. Until they got the extension Friday, 1,700 of those were considered ineligible for further aid because they had withdrawn their applications or had no home damage. With this extension, those families will be allowed to continue participating in the program while FEMA performs additional case reviews of their eligibility, the Friday statement said. Advertisement Hurricane survivor Jeanette Soto wasnt sure what that meant. Soto, 28, fled to Boston with her husband after the storm because thats where she was born. But the couple cant stay with her family: Sotos mother lives in public housing and isnt allowed to have overnight guests. And they cant return home, either. The house they were living in was damaged, and now someone else is living there, Soto said. They have been staying at a Residence Inn in Dedham outside the city since Nov. 18 with about 20 other evacuees. Soto had her bags packed Friday when a FEMA official called to say the couples housing assistance had been extended until May. This has been really depressing for all of us, said Soto, who helps translate for evacuees staying at the hotel and 20 more at a Fairfield Inn nearby, some of whom are disabled or have young children. We dont know when the time will come that were out on the streets. Advertisement There are alternatives. Earlier this month, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, Puerto Ricos congressional representative, and Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) introduced legislation that would grant Hurricane Maria victims access to the Disaster Housing Assistance Program. Used after Hurricanes Katrina, Ike and Sandy, the program would immediately offer them temporary rental assistance. Good people are not being put out on the street. They still have a place to stay with their families. But the fact that theyre still in hotels seven months after the storm means were doing something very wrong, said Diane Yentel, president and chief executive of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, based in Washington, D.C. Yentel said FEMA appears to be imposing arbitrary deadlines for housing assistance because, It weeds people out. Its part of putting pressure on people to make sure they have no place else to go. Advertisement Activists rally in support of Puerto Rican families displaced by Hurricane Maria April 19 in New York City. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images ) By contrast, she said the Disaster Housing Assistance Program created after Hurricane Katrina survivors were stuck in hotels months after the storm is designed to help low-income families rebuild their lives. It provides rental assistance and other services from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which already has a network of landlords and rentals. On Friday, five Senate Democrats Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Robert Menendez of New Jersey sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Brock Long requesting he use the program to help victims of Hurricane Maria now dependent on hotel vouchers, including 445 in Massachusetts, 173 in New York, 127 in Connecticut, and 53 in New Jersey. FEMAs refusal to use the tools at its disposal, including [the Disaster Housing Assistance Program], to help these survivors is puzzling and profoundly troubling, they wrote. Advertisement Rep. Darren Soto, a Florida Democrat and a co-sponsor of Gonzalez-Colons bill, said the least the administration could do was extend the assistance through the end of the school year in June. Soto represents a large Puerto Rican constituency around Orlando, an area thats come to be known as Puerto Rico North including 80 families on temporary housing assistance. Another FEMA program, called Direct Lease, could pay for longer-term rentals, which Soto and advocates said would be preferable to hotel rooms. But FEMA has only made the program available to Hurricane Maria evacuees who have returned to Puerto Rico, or to storm victims who never left. This [Transitional Sheltering Assistance] repeated extension system is clearly not working, Soto said Friday, adding that the Disaster Assistance and Direct Lease programs offer far more humane options for families to live in apartments, condos or houses rather than stuck in a small hotel room for half a year. Llargues, the FEMA spokesman, said the program wasnt a perfect solution, which is why HUD and FEMA are working to jointly identify those who meet criteria and help them directly. He referred to a 2011 audit by Homeland Securitys Office of the Inspector General that found program managers failed to track the programs cost-effectiveness. Disaster survivors in [the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program] who meet HUD income requirements are being referred directly to HUDs programs on the mainland, he said. Survivors who are in Puerto Rico or other states can then go online or to the local housing authority where they are to work with HUD. Advertisement Still stuck at a hotel outside Boston on Friday, Soto kept busy planning her future. A personal-care assistant back in Puerto Rico, she was studying for certification on the mainland. Last week, she received her drivers permit, but she still needed to take the road test. Her husband had been offered a housecleaning job in another suburb, but without a car, the transportation costs outweighed the pay. So hes waiting to take a job until they find an apartment. Its OK that we have extensions and were not on the street. We appreciate that. But the bottom line is, if were American citizens, we should have a right to have a house in an emergency. We should have priority, she said. We have waited months to have an apartment. molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com @mollyhf California has never quite figured out a sensible organizational structure for governing education at the state level. The voters elect a superintendent of public instruction to run the states Education Department. But the governor can appoint a secretary of education to oversee politics and policy, and also appoints 11 members of the State Board of Education, which sets policy for the department and implements the laws. In other words, the superintendents job probably shouldnt exist; instead, the secretary of education should run the department. Still, the superintendent can make a difference by pressing the board and Legislature to make needed changes, using the posts bully pulpit to argue for reforms, investigating schools performance and compliance with the law, and interpreting how certain laws should be carried out by districts. Tom Torlakson, who has been superintendent for the last eight years, oversaw a smooth transition to the Common Core curriculum standards, and no one should underestimate how tough that was. Things went much worse in many other states. Still, Torlakson has not displayed a sense of creativity or urgency. One of his less-admirable moments came when he softened the rules governing how districts could spend money specifically intended for the states most at-risk students; he allowed them to use it for across-the-board teacher raises. Teachers unions loved the decision, but it flouted the purpose of that funding. Thurmond has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to at-risk students and a deep understanding of the obstacles they face. Advertisement With Torlakson termed out, voters will be choosing from among four potential successors in June, two of them strong contenders who could do the superintendents job admirably. The two appear on the surface to present the usual choice between educational factions: One, Marshall Tuck, is supported by charter schools and accountability reformers; the other, Assemblyman Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond), is supported by teachers unions. But it would be a mistake to view them in such superficial terms. Tuck, the former president of charter chain Green Dot Public Schools and former CEO of the school-reform effort led by then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, brought about results in both those roles. Hes toned down his reform rhetoric and espouses a more rounded approach to improving schools, including a more critical look at whether charter schools are living up to their promises. As he did during his campaign for superintendent four years ago, when this page endorsed him, he has offered novel ideas for using the Education Departments website as an online space for schools to share their successful techniques. One of the first things hed do, Tuck says, is reverse Torlaksons decision and require the money allocated to school districts for low-income and other at-risk students to be used almost solely for those students. Overall, Tuck would bring a new sense of energy and purpose to the position. Yet Thurmond is the slightly stronger candidate. Though he is clearly the favorite of organized labor, Thurmond cannot be easily stereotyped as someone who will blindly support unions over all else, just as Tuck shouldnt be pigeonholed as someone who will support charter schools no matter what. Thurmond has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to at-risk students and a deep understanding of the obstacles they face. This understanding goes as far back as his childhood growing up as a poor kid of color in Philadelphia, and extends to his jobs as a social worker helping foster kids, truants and the developmentally disabled. His main areas of interest including truancy prevention, mental health and support services -- stem from that work. As a freshman assemblyman, he pushed through legislation to combat chronic absenteeism, a top priority for him. He also wants to provide more STEM education and counseling for students. Thurmond says he, too, would demand that the money intended for at-risk students go to them instead of teacher raises that help more affluent students as much as poor ones. That would put him at odds with the teachers unions. Advertisement Thurmond also has useful experience as an elected official, which Tuck lacks. Before he was elected assemblyman in his East Bay district, Thurmond was a Richmond city councilman and a school board member there. This experience, the ability to work within the framework of elected office and his deep, first-hand knowledge of students needs set him above the rest. Neither of the two remaining candidates is a strong contender. Lily E. Ploski is a former community college administrator who voices clear distrust of charter schools, and Steven Ireland is an LAUSD parent who wants to draw attention to the need for parent empowerment. We recommend a vote for Thurmond. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook Former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson recently predicted that by 2020, half of Americans will be self-employed. While this estimate includes freelancers, small business owners and independent contractors, one big reason for the explosive growth in non-employer work is the gig economy. Driving for Uber or Lyft, delivering groceries for Instacart and finding handyman jobs through TaskRabbit may be among the best-known gigs, but there are now hundreds, possibly thousands, of such platforms used by millions of American workers on a part- or full-time basis. This on-demand economy offers real upsides for people who want or need flexible work, but its growth is outrunning every system our country has in place to protect workers. The protections that helped past generations from unions to minimum wage may not provide the right answers either. As a consumer reporter, I became interested in the gig economy while writing about it for various news outlets. I was a freelancer myself and loved the concept, mainly for its promise of flexibility. But as I looked into these job arrangements and Ive now examined more than 175 platforms in depth I was troubled by how little I could find out about each. How much work could you get? How much could you earn per hour or per week? Could you really make a living cobbling together gigs? Advertisement At minimum, gig workers should be able to report and halt the type of wage theft that some platforms appear to engage in regularly. In theory, every gig worker is his or her own boss. You see the bold-print claims in ads or on the platform websites: Work when you want; how you want; where you want. Get paid to take gigs in your spare time. Many suggest wages ranging between $25 and $50 per hour. Dig in, however, and you learn these claims are optimistic, if not complete fabrications. Meanwhile, many of these supposedly flexible companies make plenty of rigid demands. They dictate that workers wear particular clothes, report their location on apps, commit to set blocks of time and be prompt or pay a penalty. Indeed, some platforms make so many demands that workers asserted they are not independent contractors at all. That has resulted in lawsuits against Uber, GrubHub, Postmates and others. So far, settlements have mostly preserved the worker-as-an-independent-contractor concept that obviates any wage guarantees. Granted, self-employment outside of gig platforms doesnt offer guaranteed pay either. If I dont write, I dont get paid. But no one tells me where to work, when to work or how to work. Nor do they threaten to penalize me if I turn down an assignment that pays too little or requires too much time. Those things happen to gig workers all the time. Worse, when workers are booted from some platforms the ultimate penalty they can lose their accumulated wages. The terms and conditions that disclose these unpleasant possibilities often are so well-hidden that the average person would have no way of finding them. Imposing minimum wage laws on gig platforms doesnt seem like an ideal remedy. That would likely lead to restricting worker hours, reducing the very flexibility that appeals to most gig workers. (This is ultimately what happened at San Francisco food-delivery service Sprig before it shut down last year.) But some protections are needed. At minimum, gig workers should be able to report and halt the type of wage theft that some platforms appear to engage in regularly. Moreover, platforms should be required to be forthright about how they pay workers and the risks those workers bear when signed onto the platform. Little do delivery drivers know, for instance, that their auto insurance policy may be invalid when using a car for commercial purposes. If theyre in an accident, they could lose an asset worth thousands of dollars in pursuit of a $5 tip. Advertisement Appropriate protections could require only slight changes to current federal laws. After all, we require truth in advertising everywhere else why not here? Federal law also bars wage theft. Shouldnt those rules apply to independent contractors? But such an important and fast-growing segment of the economy ultimately may need its own carefully constructed rule book. According to the annual Freelancing in America report commissioned by the Freelancers Union and Upwork, the independent workforce is growing at three times the rate of the U.S. workforce as a whole. Some 57 million workers did some kind of freelance work in 2017. The trick will be to create rules that foster fair play without trampling the entrepreneurial spirit thats fueling this dynamic industry. Kathy Kristof is an award-winning journalist and editor of SideHusl.com. Advertisement Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in an arcane dispute over administrative judges that poses a potentially far-reaching question about the presidents power: Can such executive branch officials have independent authority to act or must they be subject to control and removal by the president? The justices sounded split on how to rule and wary of issuing a broad pronouncement. Although the case involves only judges at the Securities and Exchange Commission, President Trumps lawyers urged the court to rule that executive officers must be subject to removal by the president, leading some to see their real target as special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Mueller, who is probing possible coordination in the 2016 election between Russia and Trumps campaign, was appointed under Justice Department regulations that gave him independent authority to bring criminal charges and which say he may be fired by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein only for good cause. Advertisement Legal experts have disagreed in recent months over whether Muellers independence is protected by law or if the president may fire him, as the White House recently asserted. Muellers name was not mentioned during Mondays argument, and Deputy Solicitor Gen. Jeffrey Wall made little headway in urging the justices to rule broadly on behalf of presidential power. We obviously have urged the court to address the removal issue, he told the justices. It would avoid the constitutional concerns if the justices made clear that executive officers who have significant job-related powers must be subject to being hired and fired at will by top political appointees or the president. Most of the justices said they were not interested in ruling broadly. If I adopt your approach, goodbye to the merit civil service system at the higher levels, Justice Stephen G. Breyer told him. We havent said a word about the civil service, Wall replied. He said he was referring to high-ranking members of the executive branch whose positions involve the exercise of significant discretion. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said the case involves administrative law judges. Assume that the perception of fairness and impartiality are enhanced by independence, he said. Isnt that a proper consideration for us in this case? Wall said the administration was not trying to take away the judges authority to make independent decisions. Advertisement Justice Elena Kagan was not persuaded. There are different ways to interfere with decisional independence, she said. One is by a removal power hanging over your head. The current system assures agency judges who would have some detachment, some insulation from the political system, she said. Only Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. spoke up strongly in favor of bringing agency judges under direct political control. One of the principles that caused the drafters [of the Constitution] to give the authority to appoint officers to the president was the important one of accountability, he said. People would know who was responsible. In this case, you dont have that. The commission can say: Dont blame us. We didnt do it. The president can say: Dont blame me. I didnt appoint them. Instead, its something in the administrative bureaucracy which operates as insulation from political accountability. The case, Lucia vs. SEC, is the latest chapter in a long-running battle over the structure of the U.S. government. Since the 1930s, the Supreme Court has upheld the principle of independent agencies within the executive branch. But many conservatives adhere to the unitary executive theory. They believe the Constitution made the president the chief executive and gave him the power to control executive officials who wield significant authority, including by firing them. The case arose when Raymond Lucia was accused of misleading investors through promotional seminars called Buckets of Money. His case came before an administrative law judge at the SEC. These judges were appointed based on merit and could not be fired except for good cause. A judge heard Lucias case, decided he had indeed misled investors and imposed a $300,000 fine, which was affirmed by the SEC. Advertisement Lucia appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing the process to name administrative judges was unconstitutional because they are not properly appointed by an official chosen by the president. The court agreed in January to hear his case. Trump administration lawyers raised the stakes in February. Usually, the Justice Department defends federal agencies in the courts, as the Obama administration had done. But U.S. Solicitor Gen. Noel Francisco switched sides and urged the high court to rule against the SEC. Moreover, he said the justices should also rule that executive officers must be subject to removal, despite the protections for good cause. The presidents constitutional authority to faithfully execute the laws requires adequate authority to remove subordinate officers, he wrote. Most lawyers who have followed the case think the justices will try to rule without being drawn too deeply into the dispute over the presidents power to fire. Advertisement There didnt seem much appetite for a broad ruling that would call into question the constitutionality of the appointment of officials throughout the federal government, Brianne Gorod, counsel for the Constitutional Accountability Center, said after the argument. On Wednesday, however, Solicitor Gen. Francisco will be back at the court, arguing for the presidents power to bar immigrants from several predominantly Muslim countries. The justices in December allowed President Trumps travel ban to take effect, and they are set now to finally decide on its constitutionality. The latest from Washington Advertisement More stories from David G. Savage david.savage@latimes.com Twitter: DavidGSavage The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved CIA Director Mike Pompeo as secretary of State on party lines Monday after a Republican holdout changed his mind at the last minute, avoiding an embarrassing defeat for President Trump. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky had vowed to oppose Pompeo, but Paul tweeted shortly before the vote that after speaking repeatedly to the nominee and Trump he was convinced Pompeo now agreed with the president that the Iraq war was a mistake and it is time to leave Afghanistan, two of the congressmans key concerns. The full Senate already appeared on track to confirm Pompeos nomination this week after two Senate Democrats, both facing reelection battles in states that Trump won handily, offered support earlier Monday. The Senate traditionally gives broad leeway to a presidents Cabinet picks. But Pauls reversal meant Pompeo, 54, also got the approval of the Senate committee, thus keeping its record of approving every presidents nominee for secretary of State. Nominations were not routinely submitted to the panel until the 20th century. Advertisement The final vote was delayed when Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) failed to appear at the hearing, leading to a 10 to 10 tie along party lines. After a brief recess, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), then agreed to withdraw his vote against, so the final tally was 10 to 9 in favor. Born in Orange, Pompeo attended the U.S. military academy at West Point and Harvard Law School. He was elected to the House in 2010 as a tea party Republican from Kansas, and served three terms until he joined the Trump administration. Trump has said he and Pompeo were on the same wavelength and shared a worldview unlike his first secretary of State, Rex Tillerson. Trump fired Tillerson last month via Twitter. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, praised Pompeo before the vote. There is probably no one in the United States who knows more about what is going on in the world today, he said, stressing Pompeos very good relationship with Trump. Trump had excoriated Pompeos opponents Monday morning on Twitter as Obstructionists, claiming that Democrats will not approve hundreds of good people by maxing out the confirmation process. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders went further, questioning the patriotism of Democrats. Look, at some point, Democrats have to decide whether they love this country more than they hate this president, she said on Fox News. And they have to decide that they want to put the safety and the security and the diplomacy of our country ahead of their own political games. Republican lawmakers blamed Pompeos difficulties on political partisanship in an election year, noting that many of the Democrats who oppose him now backed his nomination last year to head the CIA. He was confirmed by a vote of 66 to 32. Advertisement Democrats argued that the job of Americas top diplomat fourth in line to the presidency is vastly different from CIA chief. They voiced concern that Pompeo would advocate for military force, not diplomacy, and would fail to serve as a counterbalance to Trump. Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, argued Monday that Pompeo was unqualified for the job. This suggestion that there is partisanship just because we dont support a candidate is ridiculous, Menendez said. He said Pompeo, in his confirmation hearing last week, gave contradictory answers that were not always forthright and exhibited a lack of depth of knowledge on key global hot spots. Democrats and other opponents have criticized some of Pompeos past statements as anti-Muslim and prejudiced against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people. Pompeo told the Senate committee last week that if he is confirmed, he would defend gay rights and respect minorities. Advertisement Menendez also said he was disillusioned that Pompeo had concealed, in private conversations, his then-secret trip to North Korea over the Easter weekend. Pompeo met with ruler Kim Jong Un to help plan a proposed summit with Trump by mid-June. The White House hopes to persuade Kim to abandon his nuclear arsenal, an unlikely proposition. It was Kims first meeting with a U.S. official. Despite the Democratic opposition on the foreign relations committee, others Senate Democrats lined up in his corner, all but assuring his confirmation. On Monday, Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) and Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) joined Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) to announce support for Pompeo. Their votes should be enough to guarantee he squeaks through the narrowly divided Senate. Advertisement After meeting with Mike Pompeo, discussing his foreign policy perspectives, & considering his distinguished time as CIA Director & his exemplary career in public service, I will vote to confirm Mike Pompeo to be our next Secretary of State, Manchin tweeted. Their announcements also may push other moderate Democrats in Trump-friendly states to show they are willing to sometimes support the president. Pompeos backers are hoping to also win over Sens. Doug Jones of Alabama and Claire McCaskill of Missouri. Like Trump, Pompeo has voiced vehement opposition to the landmark 2015 deal that curbed Irans nuclear development efforts. Trump has threatened to abandon the accord on May 12, when the next deadline for sanctions renewal comes up. In his confirmation hearing, Pompeo said he would rather fix the deal by revising its terms than scrap it altogether. Advertisement Iran has rejected any attempts to rewrite the deal, and over the weekend, its foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said Tehran might resume its nuclear activities if Trump pulls out. Tillerson, a former CEO of Exxon Mobil, trimmed the State Department budget and staff during his tenure, demoralizing the diplomatic corps. Numerous senior positions remain empty. In his Senate confirmation hearing, Pompeo vowed to rebuild staffing and morale. tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com Advertisement Twitter: @TracyKWilkinson UPDATES: 3:40 p.m.: This article was updated with committee vote. Advertisement 2:30 p.m.: This article was updated with Sen. Rand Pauls decision to support Pompeo. 10:45 a.m.: This article was updated with a second Democrat announcing support for Mike Pompeo. 8:25 a.m.: This article was updated with details about Senate Democrats expected to support Mike Pompeo. This article was originally posted at 6:50 a.m. Three men whose bodies were found in an abandoned car in Burbank on April 17 all died from gunshot wounds to the head, authorities said Monday. Jan Carlos Amiama, 21, his brother Lucas Josh Amiama, 23, and Carlos Elias Lopez, 32, were reported missing from the Bakersfield area the previous weekend before their bodies were found in a Burbank industrial park. The Los Angeles County Coroners office said the brothers died from multiple gunshot wounds to their heads while Lopez received a single gunshot to his head. Their deaths were ruled as homicides. Their bodies were discovered just after 7 a.m. April 17 in the 1300 block of South Varney Street after a parking officer responded to a complaint about a Jeep Patriot that had not been moved in a while. Sgt. Derek Green, a spokesman with the Burbank Police Department, said the officer noticed an odor coming from the car and saw a person inside who appeared to be dead. Investigators immediately deemed the deaths highly suspicious, Green said. According to the Amiama brothers family, the three men were on their way to a Riverside home before they went missing. By late last week deputies with the Riverside County Sheriffs Department obtained a search warrant for a home in the 5200 block of Stone Avenue where the men were said to have gone. Enough evidence was found in the home to suggest a crime involving the three men had taken place there, according to a statement from the sheriffs department. Los Angeles Times reporter James Queally contributed to this report. andy.nguyen@latimes.com Twitter: @Andy_Truc UPDATES: April 24, 2:45 p.m.: This article was updated with clarifying information on how the three men died. This article was originally published on April 23 at 2:35 p.m. Go forth and heal the world. Were counting on you. That advice came from TV writer and novelist Diane Dixon, who was master of ceremonies at the Cabrini Literary Guilds annual Creating Writing Awards luncheon on April 12. Dixon was primarily addressing the four teenage essay writers who won the cash awards she presented to them. The Oakmont Country Club was the setting for honoring the young writers, all from Mary Star of the Sea High School in San Pedro. Their essays were chosen out of 124 entries from 40 Catholic high schools in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. At the start of the program, Marie Urrutia, guild president, welcomed several dozen members and their guests. Guild moderator Father Norman Supancheck gave the opening prayer. After lunch, Heather Ghermezian, director of the Cabrini awards, introduced judges Gael Davitt, Stella Fejek and Susan Hunt. They had their work cut out for them as they read through each entry answering the prompt, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation hires you as a consultant to determine how best to use $20 billion to save the world. What is your plan? First-place winner was Grant Smith, 18. His plan is to lower crime rates and boost disaster-relief efforts. Smiths award was $1,000. Second-place winner was Matthew Morreale, 15. His goal is to provide clean water to third world countries. For his career, Morreale wants to be a film composer. He was awarded $750. Everett Courtois, 18, nabbed third place. His plan is to make Esperanto the International language. Esperanto is based on roots from European languages and has an estimated 2 million speakers. Courtois was awarded $500. Fourth-place winner, Jacqueline Gettys, 18, outlined her plan to use the $20 billion for cancer research. Her award was $350. The teacher of all four students is Carson resident Monica Aguilar. She made writing the essay mandatory. That meant no one could get out of the assignment even if they wanted to. But the incentives were good grades, cash, the opportunity to listen to inspirational speaker Dixon and the chance to speak before the guild. English teacher Aguilar was present at the luncheon. I know how hard everyone worked. Im proud of them. Its a huge blessing. God is good, Aguilar said. Master of ceremonies Dixon is a double Emmy nominee and a recipient of the Humanitas prize for outstanding accomplishment in writing for television. She is also a novelist with three novels under her belt. Her debut novel, The Language of Secrets, was named a Top 10 New Fiction title on Amazon. Dixons inspirational words to the students ended with, Tell us the truth. Write with humility. The end of the program meant photo snapping. Proud parents took plenty of pictures of their winners. The mission of the Cabrini Literary Guild is to Assist, financially and otherwise, Catholic and charitable organizations. Through activities, the guild stimulates interest in Catholic literature, thought, action and philanthropy. Earth Day cupcakes Sidney Flores, 5, shows off her face paint and her Earth Day cupcake box straight out of the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM in the Americana at Brand. (Photo by Ruth Sowby Rands ) In recognition of Earth Day on Sunday, Sprinkles Cupcakes at the Americana at Brand was brimming with Earth Day vanilla cupcakes. Sidney Flores, 5, popped by the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM for hers. Aunt Diana Lobos and friend Alexis Vazquez treated her to the $3.95 sweet. At the counter, sales associate Su Sel of Glendale sold hundreds of cupcakes, many of which were the Earth Day variety. People are asking for them, Sel said. Of the days proceeds, 10% will be donated to the Nature Conservancy. RUTH SOWBY RANDS may be reached at ruthasowby@gmail.com. Flexibility is the strong point of a hybrid tent hammock and a double-headed light, a rubber thimble and cold gel pack. Rock yourself to sleep Hanging out in nature can be upliftingespecially if youre packing the hybrid Blue Ridge Camping Tent Hammock. You can set up the Blue Ridge on the ground like a regular tent, but its more fun to sling it between two sturdy trees. The forest green hammock body is made of ripstop-nylon and polyester pack cloth. Entry is by way of a wide-arched zip-open panel on one side of the canopy, which also has two interior storage pockets and an O-ring on the ceiling for hanging a light. Advertisement Strong spreader bars at each end of the 90-inch-long hammock help maintain a flatter, tauter 42-inch width so the hammock doesnt fold in on you while you are suspended. The corners of the included waterproof ripstop-nylon rain fly clip to the hammock body where the tent poles attach. The whole system weighs just 4 pounds and packs into a 22-by-6-inch included sack. Youll have to supply your own rope for hanging or buy the excellent suspension strap kit sold on the website. Cost, info: Lawson Hammock Blue Ridge Camping Tent Hammock is $199; package of two 10-foot suspension straps with stainless steel buckles and two carabineers, costs $35; www.lawsonhammock.com. Two heads are better If two heads are better than one, that goes double with flashlights. The Clever Scope Dual Headed Flexible Task Light has a slim LED head at each end of a 34-inch-long twistable aluminum neck. That way, you can shed light in spaces a regular flashlight cant reach, those narrow crevices behind hotel bureaus or beds, under the car seats or hood. Those two bright LED heads are magnetized so they can attract and nab keys, jewelry or tools, Use the entire length to probe deep or to wrap around your arm or forehead or other object for more accessible spaces. The neck can be twisted into a free-standing base, creating a little double-headed table lamp. Both LED lights have off/on buttons; each runs on four included replaceable LR44 button-cell batteries. Cost info: Clever Scope Dual Headed Flexible Task Light costs $12.99; lat.ms/cleverscope Advertisement A Nimble turns into an effective cutter, and reusable gel packs can help relieve pain. (Photo at left: Chestnut Street; at right, Paincakes. ) Be nimble Nimble is a silicone rubber finger thimble in which a tiny ceramic blade is embedded. Though mini, its mighty enough to slice through paper, tape, plastic packets and more. The rubber stretches to fit most adult fingers, and the minuscule ceramic blade is much safer around skin than the razor-sharp metal alternative. Good news for air travelers: Unlike a Swiss Army Knife, which could get confiscated at a security checkpoint, your Nimble is good to go as carry on. Advertisement Cost, info: Nimble One Finger Safety Cutter costs $9.95; lat.ms/nimblecutter They have the backing Frozen gel cold packs can help relieving sore muscles and joints after a vigorous day of exploring. But some packs can slip because they lie against the skin or are wrapped or strapped on using a special pouch or tape. Enter Paincakes, slim reusable gel-filled disks that stick to your skin using a latex-free adhesive backing. Freeze for about 30 minutes, peel off the adhesive cover, and stick on dry skin. After three to 10 minutes, peel off the Paincake, put the protective cover back on the adhesive section, and re-freeze to use again. Advertisement Paincakes, meant for smaller target areas, come in a 5-inch- or 2.87-diameter size. They also can bend around fingers or toes. Although considered hypo-allergenic, the adhesive contains preservatives that might irritate some sensitive skin, so do a run before buying a bunch. Dont use Paincakes on broken skin or delicate facial areas. Cost, info: Paincakes Reusable Stick-on Gel Cold Pack with one disk costs $14.99 for one 5-inch disk or a two pack of 2.87-inch disks; pain-cakes.com. travel@latimes.com Advertisement @latimestravel The South Korean military has muffled its high-decibel propaganda loudspeakers along the highly fortified border with North Korea as a gesture of goodwill ahead of this weeks summit between the two nations leaders. The speakers have in the past broadcast a mix of messages that can be heard for miles on the Norths side, including South Korean pop music and positive news about topics not generally available in the totalitarian state. The devices made headlines in November when they blasted out positive details about the health of a North Korean soldier shot by his comrades during a daring defection. Their presence has in the past angered North Korean officials. In a statement, the South Korean defense ministry said it ordered the speakers turned off Monday to mitigate military tensions between North and South Korea and create an atmosphere of peaceful talks on the occasion of the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit. It said it hoped both sides would halt any slander or propaganda activities. Advertisement Yonhap news agency, citing an unidentified government source, said that North Korea was believed to have turned off many of its propaganda broadcasts as well. Yonhap earlier reported that some North Korean broadcasts were sporadically heard in the South on Monday morning. South Korean defense officials said they couldnt immediately confirm the status of the Norths broadcasts. South Korean President Moon Jae-in is set to meet with his northern counterpart, Kim Jong Un, at only the third top-level summit between the two countries. Two previous meetings occurred in Pyongyang, the Norths capital, in 2000 and 2007. The Korean summit is to take place at a South Korean building on the southern side of Panmunjom. This means that Kim must cross the border into South Korea in what would be the first such act by a North Korean leader since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. Since the last summit, tension has risen dramatically on the peninsula as conservative leaders took power in South Korea while the North pursued the aggressive development of a nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program. The election of Moon, a progressive who has sought dialogue, and the two nations limited joint participation in the recent Winter Olympics created a diplomatic window for the current summit. North Koreas nuclear weapons program is on the Moon-Kim agenda when they meet at Panmunjom, a diplomatic outpost in the demilitarized zone that separates the two countries and also the site of the soldiers dramatic defection. A formal end to the Korean War and improved inter-Korean relations are also on the agenda. Messages via speakers began years after the 1953 armistice between the two nations that halted the conflict. Advertisement The messages were restarted in 2016 in response to North Koreas fifth nuclear test. It has since tested a sixth nuclear device, the most powerful yet, and test launched numerous ballistic missiles, including three capable of reaching the United States. The speakers precise locations and messages contents arent generally discussed by the South Korean government. But the messages can be heard near Paju, a border village north of Seoul open to tourists and, presumably, across the border where front-line troops are stationed. Stiles is a special correspondent. Serzh Sargsyan, who ruled Armenia for 10 years, resigned Monday as prime minister after thousands of people poured into the streets to protest his political maneuvering to cling to power in this former Soviet republic. The stunning development touched off jubilation in the capital, Yerevan, with car horns blaring and people dancing, hugging and waving the tricolor Armenian flag. The opposition called for a meeting with the acting prime minister to discuss a peaceful transfer of power. Sargsyan, 63, was president of the Caucasus nation from 2008 until term limits forced him out in March. But parliament, which is controlled by his party, voted to reduce the powers of the presidency and give them to the prime minister, ultimately installing Sargsyan in that post last week. The move echoed a maneuver a decade ago by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenias closest ally. Leaders of other former Soviet republics, from Belarus to Central Asia, have similarly extended their terms. Advertisement The parliaments action had triggered massive anti-government protests in Yerevan since April 13, with demonstrators blocking government buildings and facing off with police. A rally on Sunday attracted about 50,000 people, and about 200 soldiers joined the protesters on Monday. Protest leader Nikol Pashinian met Sunday with Sargsyan, who walked out of the session after Pashinian refused to talk about anything but the prime ministers resignation. Pashinian was later arrested but released Monday. In his surprise resignation announcement posted on his website, Sargsyan said he should not have resisted the oppositions demands. Nikol Pashinian was right. I was wrong, Sargsyan said. The movement on the streets is against my rule. Im complying with their demands. The government quickly named former Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan as acting prime minister. A Sargsyan ally, he also was mayor of Yerevan and worked in Russia for five years as a top executive of the state-controlled gas giant Gazprom. Pashinian told an evening rally of tens of thousands of people at Republic Square in Yerevan that opposition activists want to meet with Karapetyan on Wednesday to discuss a peaceful transfer of power. The opposition will push for an early parliamentary election to prevent Sargsyan from running Armenia from behind the scenes, Pashinian said. Alexander Iskandaryan, director of the Caucasus Institute in Yerevan, said the protests pushed Sargsyan into a corner: Advertisement The protests in the past couple of days have swelled to a point that you either had to use violence or find another way out, Iskandaryan told the Associated Press. UPDATES: 6:55 p.m.: This article was updated with background and comments from Serzh Sargsyan. This article was originally published at 7:10 a.m. The son of a former top aide to ex-dictator Alfredo Stroessner was elected president of Paraguay on Sunday in voting that was much closer than projected, according to official results. With 99.4 percent of the vote counted, Mario Abdo Benitez, 46, a U.S.-educated construction executive who ran under the banner of the long-dominant Colorado Party, had received 46.44 percent of the vote. That gave him a less-than 4-point lead over his chief challenger, Efrain Alegre Sasiain, who represented a coalition of center-left parties known as the Alianza Ganar, or Win Alliance. Alegre garnered 42.74 percent of the vote, according to official results. The nations electoral authority declared that Abdos lead was irreversible. Advertisement Abdo celebrated his victory, but there was no immediate concession speech from his top rival. We hope to be the true protagonists of a democracy that is more and more solid every day, Abdo told a crowd waving the Paraguayan tricolor and the red flag of the Colorado Party here in the capital. The margin of victory was much slimmer than many had anticipated. Some polls indicated that Abdo would win by 20 points or more. The narrow margin points to deep divisions in Paraguay and suggests that the oppositions demands for a more equitable distribution of the nations wealth resonated with many voters in this landlocked nation of 6.8 million. This very close result shows the fundamental necessity of a political dialogue to achieve governability, said Jose Maria Costa, a political analyst here. Especially when we have here in Paraguay urgent challenges, such as the need to reduce poverty, elevate the quality of social services and strengthen institutions. Paraguay has enjoyed an economic boom in recent years, largely because of a surge in exports of commodities, especially soybeans. But more than one-quarter of the population remains mired in poverty, concentrated in rural areas. Many government critics back a proposal to impose a 10% tax on soybean exports as a means to reduce poverty. Abdo is the son of the former private secretary of ex-strongman Stroessner, who ruled Paraguay for 35 years until he was forced into exile in neighboring Brazil in 1989. Stroessners regime, a Cold War ally of Washington, was notorious for the imprisonment, killings and disappearances of opponents and alleged Communist sympathizers. But Abdo has disassociated himself from the toxic Stroessner legacy and says he is committed to democracy and human rights. He ran on a conservative, pro-business platform and backed Paraguays current regimen of low taxes and an emphasis on the export market. The opposition called for higher taxes. Advertisement Abdo is now slated to succeed the current chief executive, Horacio Cartes, also of the Colorado Party, and begin a five-year term in August. Special correspondent DAlessandro reported from Asuncion and Times Staff Writer McDonnell from Mexico City. patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com Twitter: @PmcdonnellLAT LANTA and Lehigh University are partnering to offer free bus rides to students and staff, beginning Monday. The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority already programmed its fare boxes to recognize all Lehigh identification cards. Students or employees need only swipe their IDs, and they can ride any of LANTA's fixed-route buses for free. Under the partnership, Lehigh will cover the cost of the rides. It will be a $1.05 fare for each of the first 4,000 trips, then the fare will be cut in half for any riders above the 4,000 benchmark, said LANTA executive director Owen O'Neil. LANTA and the university are feeling out how much the program will be used, and after two academic years will come back and reassess the program, O'Neil said. LANTA previously announced new school fare programs with the Allentown and Bethlehem school districts, and already offers discounted passes to the local community colleges, O'Neil said. The Lehigh deal is the first for LANTA with an area four-year college or university. LANTA has had similar discussions with other colleges and universities who may be interested in similar partnerships, O'Neil added. "LANTA is happy to work with these institutions using our regional transportation network to meet the needs of the campus community," O'Neil said in a news release. Lehigh offers its own bus transportation system that cover its South Side Bethlehem, Goodman and Mountaintop campuses. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A 33-year-old Washington man who wasn't wearing a helmet was critically injured late Sunday afternoon when he crashed a motorized bicycle in Pohatcong Township and struck his head, township police report. Joseph Stires, of the 400 block of Route 57, was flown to St. Luke's University Hospital in Fountain Hill, police said. On Monday morning, he was in the Intensive Care Unit, the hospital said. Police were called just after 5:40 p.m. and found Stires face down and drifting in and out of consciousness, Chief Scott Robb said in a news release. Stires was riding north on Liberty before striking the curb, Robb said. Witnesses reported hearing a loud bang and saw him fall from the bicycle, Robb said. "The bike was modified to be motorized, but it was under the threshold of making it a motorized vehicle in New Jersey," Robb said. No citations were issued, he added. Stires was transported about a half mile by Phillipsburg Rescue Squad to Lock Street Ball Field and was flown from there, according to a report from the scene. In addition to police and the rescue squad, Lopatcong Township police, the Huntington Volunteer Fire Company and Hunterdon Medical Center paramedics responded. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Stock Market News BHP's Samarco civil claims negotiations extended again 23-04-2018 08:31 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News China welcomes potential Mnuchin visit but analysts remain pessimistic 23-04-2018 16:26 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News Glencore's Katanga working to address capital concerns at Kamoto 23-04-2018 09:11 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News International PPL pours 9m into London fibre broadband project 23-04-2018 09:00 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News Miners including Randgold, Glencore encourage DRC to hear them out 23-04-2018 09:04 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Gil Cisneros-- this is what a DCCC recruit looks like Alexander Burns decided to tell the story from a primarily DCCC/Washington perspective: Fearing Chaos, National Democrats Plunge Into Midterm Primary Fights . Yes, they fear chaos... but there's more to it than that. He picked CA-39 as the example. But he doesn't know the story and didn't name the main characters in the chaos. Early on the DCCC wanted to get two friendly allies from Dana Rohrabacher's 48th CD along coastal Orange County where they lived and wanted to run. One was very wealthy Vietnamese-American physician Mai Khanh Tran and the other was a very pliable "ex"-Republican who won a couple hundred million dollars in the lottery, Gil Cisneros. Very right-of-center DCCC political operatives, Kyle Layman and Jason Bresler wanted the DCCC candidate against Rohrabacher to be someone else, another wealthy ex-Republican, Harley Rouda, so they persuaded Cisneros and Tran to move their campaigns inland and north to CA-39. Pelosi and her circle, though, didn't want Rouda as the candidate against Rohrabacher. They wanted someone who looked really good on paper, wealthy medical entrepreneur Hans Keirstead, but who has turned out to be a stiff. Rouda sorted himself out among CA-48 candidates as everyone's second choice after themselves and the one everyone prefers over the DCCC mandated candidate. The DCCC now seems saddled with Keirstead-- plus some guy named Omar Siddiqui calling himself a "Reagan Republican" (in a Democratic primary!) who stuck $764,856 of his own cash into the race. Don't feel sorry for the others though. They're trying to buy a seat for themselves too. As of the March 31 FEC filing deadline: Rouda- $1,130,500 Siddiqui- $764,856 Keirstead- $430,400 Two candidates in the race, Laura Oatman (the progressive candidate) and Michael Kotick (the millennial candidate) have recently dropped out and endorsed Rouda. The New Dems are backing both Rouda and Keirstead. And another serious Republican, ex-Assemblyman Scott Baugh, has jumped into the contest, with a ton of money from a previous campaign. This contest is a mess-- and because of the DCCC, the mess has spilled all over CA-39. And that brings us to Burns' DCCC perspective, their never ending, failed justification for interference in primaries, not just in Orange County, but around the country. Burns started with how the DCCC is trying to push former recruit Tran, who is polling very badly, out of the race. She told Burns that she told the DCCC that she was "the only qualified woman, the only immigrant and the only physician in the race. 'I said to them, frankly, let the voters decide,' recalled Ms. Tran." The national Democratic Party was not chastened: On Wednesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee took sides in that House race and backed Gil Cisneros, a Navy veteran and former Republican. With their forceful intervention in Orange County, national Democrats have lunged into an impatient new phase of the 2018 primary season-- one in which they are clashing more openly with candidates and local political chieftains in their drive to assemble a slate of recruits for the midterms. In districts from Southern California to Little Rock, Arkansas, and upstate New York, the party has begun interceding to help the Democrats it sees as best equipped to battle Republicans in the fall. Really? "As best equipped to battle Republicans in the fall?" That's where the lie starts. Their candidates are always conservatives and never independent-minded agents of change. Even in districts that Bernie won in landslides against Hillary, they always seem to come up with Hillary-hacks-- and call them "the best equipped to battle Republicans in the fall." Funny how that works, when the decision-makers are conservatives themselves, like, among others, Kyle Layman and Jason Bresler. Back to Burns, whose instincts start pointing him in the right direction: "The approach," he figured out, "is laced with peril for a party divided over matters of ideology and political strategy, and increasingly dominated by activists who tend to resent what they see as meddling from Washington . A Democratic effort to undercut a liberal insurgent in a Houston-area congressional primary in March stirred an outcry on the left and may have inadvertently helped drive support to that candidate, Laura Moser, who qualified for the runoff election next month." He doesn't say the DCCC are morons, conservative, assholes or, most important, personally corrupt , but... he calls them "Democratic leaders" and concludes they "have concluded it is worth enduring backlash to help a prized recruit or tame a chaotic primary field." They are moving most aggressively in California, where the states nonpartisan primaries present a unique hazard: State law requires all candidates to compete in the same preliminary election, with the top two finishers advancing to November. In a crowded field, if Democrats spread their votes across too many candidates, two Republicans could come out on top and advance together to the general election. There are at least four races in California where Democrats fear such a lockout, including the 39th Congressional District, where in addition to Mr. Cisneros and Ms. Tran there are two other Democrats running: Sam Jammal, a youthful former congressional aide, and Andy Thorburn, a wealthy health insurance executive who is backed by allies of Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont. The district is among the most coveted for Democrats nationwide-- a seat left open by the retirement of Representative Ed Royce, a popular Republican, in an area Hillary Clinton won by about 8 percentage points. National Democrats may also intervene in the Southern California districts held by Representatives Dana Rohrabacher and Jeff Denham, where multiple Republicans and Democrats are running, and in the seat held by Representative Darrell Issa, a Republican who is retiring. Voters receive mail-in ballots starting in early May, making the next few weeks exceptionally important. House Majority PAC, a heavily financed Democratic group that spends millions in congressional elections, recently polled all four races and has been conducting digital surveys that simulate the complicated California ballot, according to people briefed on the groups strategy. The super PAC has run ads in California in the past when Democrats have faced disaster in primary season. Representative Judy Chu, a Los Angeles-area Democrat, said the open primaries had led Democrats to take unusual steps to prevent Republicans from dominating the first round of voting. That would stop our goal of taking the House back, Ms. Chu said. We have to have a viable candidate, and I think that if it does turn out to be a Democrat versus a Republican, the Democrat will win. Ms. Chu said the campaign committees endorsement of Mr. Cisneros was a signal to donors and volunteers that it was time to close ranks. But picking favorites is not easy for Democrats: Until mid-March, Southern California lawmakers were divided in the 39th District race between Mr. Cisneros, who is backed by Representative Linda T. Sanchez, an influential member of the Democratic leadership team, and Jay Chen, another Democrat who was endorsed by Ms. Chu. It was only after Mr. Chen opted against running, with a call for party unity, that Ms. Chu and other Democrats swung behind Mr. Cisneros. Ms. Sanchez said the glut of Democratic candidates remained concerning across California, and acknowledged having lobbied the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to back Mr. Cisneros. National leaders, Ms. Sanchez said, had a role to play in terms of trying to talk to nonviable candidates and urging them to be team players. Meredith Kelly, a spokeswoman for the committee, said the group was taking action in California because voters deserve to have a Democrat on the ballot in November. Any decision to get involved in these races is toward that goal and based on intelligence from the ground in California, extensive data and partnerships with as many local allies as possible, Ms. Kelly said. Facts Burns might have included at this point: 1- Meredith Kelly is one of the stupidest people in Democratic politics; 2- California's Democratic Party has been so riven with identity politics that it borders on blatant racism; 3- Jay Chen who was the most qualified candidate for November had been in the race a little over a month when the DCCC persuaded him to drop out to help Cisneros; 4- the DCCC is threatening to smear Thorburn and make it impossible for him to win in November unless he drops out ; 5- Cisneros has been bribing Democratic congressmembers and organizations to back him; 6- and, of course, the self-funding: Andy Thorburn- $2,335,900 Gil Cisneros- $2,052,762 Mai-Khanh Tran- $480,000 Phil Janowicz- $194,900 (pressured out by the DCCC) In the 39th District, Democrats went beyond prodding underdogs like Ms. Tran, 52, to stand down. Mr. Thorburn said the D.C.C.C. presented him with polling that suggested attacks on his finances and business record would be damaging in the general election-- data Mr. Thorburn dismissed out of hand. He said the committee clearly indicated its preference for Mr. Cisneros. Mr. Thorburn, 74, is now the most unsettling rival for Mr. Cisneros and national Democrats, pairing a pointed ideological message with a personal fortune to spend on advertising. Deriding Mr. Cisneros as a wishy-washy newcomer to the party, Mr. Thorburn said he would strike back hard if the committee were to attack him, as it did Ms. Moser. Im much more of a fighter than the national party, Mr. Thorburn said, warning: If they do something like they did in Texas, we would come back guns blazing. Mr. Cisneros has won over important state groups, including the muscular California Labor Federation. But his campaign office, at a strip mall in Brea, about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles, showcases his national allies: One wall boasts an enormous sign from the gun-control group Giffords, which supports him, while another displays photographs of Mr. Cisneros with Barack and Michelle Obama. ...Some voters sounded unlikely to take their cues from national parties. Outside a Fullerton coffee shop where Mr. Jammal was greeting voters, Adam De Leon said he was suspicious of the candidates using personal wealth to sway the race. Mr. De Leon, 72, said he favored Mr. Jammal, 36, because of his government experience. What does it tell you when people spend millions of dollars to get into a position that pays maybe $140,000 a year? Mr. De Leon said, somewhat underestimating the $174,000 congressional salary. Its all about power and connections. The Republican field is in flux, too. Young Kim, a longtime aide to Mr. Royce, is the front-runner but has several candidates challenging her from the right. With Republicans in Washington focused on defending beleaguered incumbents, they have been less intent than Democrats on shaping open primaries. For Democrats, that project extends beyond California: On the same day the D.C.C.C. endorsed Mr. Cisneros, it also boosted candidates in New York and Arkansas who face contested primaries. In New York, the committee enlisted Juanita Perez Williams, a former candidate for mayor of Syracuse, to challenge Representative John Katko this month, though a lower-profile Democrat was already running with the support of local party leaders. That kind of big-footing may be trickier in California. Mr. Chen, the Democrat who opted out of the 39th District race, said the party still faces a precarious situation there. He said he had decided against running after conducting a poll that showed him neck and neck with Mr. Cisneros and Mr. Thorburn-- but with Democratic voters fragmented enough to create an all-Republican general election. He predicted none of the remaining Democrats would follow his lead and get out. If youve never been involved in the party before and you just ran because you want to run, then you dont really have those considerations, Mr. Chen said. They are new to this. They dont have bridges to burn. Recently, an exhibition of paintings from the DPRK was held in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province. This exhibition displayed more than 100 works of different styles from about 20 top artists in the county. Different from the paintings of other countries, the DPRK works show realistic styles, unique emotional interpretation and strong feelings of national pride. [Photo by Zhang Dandan/for chinadaily.com.cn] [Photo by Zhang Dandan/for chinadaily.com.cn] [Photo by Zhang Dandan/for chinadaily.com.cn] [Photo by Zhang Dandan/for chinadaily.com.cn] Download Image: Web Academy Award winner Tom Woodruff Jr. '80, special effects artist, actor, director and producer, will address students and their families, as well as faculty and staff as the keynote speaker, at Lycoming Colleges 170th commencement, May 12. Woodruff will also be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Lycoming during the commencement ceremony. Woodruff has been entertaining and terrifying moviegoers for decades with a carefully cultivated ability to create some of films scariest and most lifelike monsters and aliens, as well as other special effects. His most notable works include Death Becomes Her, for which he received an Academy Award, last years IT, Annabelle: Creation, and the Netflix feature, Bright, as well as past hits including The Santa Clause, Starship Troopers, Alien: Resurrection, and Mortal Kombat. Coming this year will be Sorry to Bother You, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and The Predator. We very warmly welcome Tom back to his alma mater to share in this special celebration of the conferring of bachelors degrees upon the Class of 2018, said Kent C. Trachte, Ph.D., president of Lycoming College. A liberal arts education enabled Tom to successfully follow his interests. His willingness to pursue his passion and dedication to perfecting his craft can be a model for all, especially for graduating seniors. Born in Williamsport in 1959, Woodruff grew up in the area and graduated from Loyalsock High School. He graduated from Lycoming College in 1980 with majors in business administration and theatre. With classic films such as Planet of the Apes and Frankenstein, influencing his career path, Woodruff headed to Hollywood and quickly broke into the film industry, securing early film credits for the 1984 film The Terminator and in 1986 for Aliens. In 1988, Woodruff co-founded Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. (ADI) with Alec Gillis, based in Chatsworth, Calif., to provide specialized animatronics and prosthetic make-up for a variety of movies. ADI has contributed to the success of more than 100 movies and Television Shows. His efforts have earned him an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, a BAFTA for Best Special effects for Death Becomes Her, as well as nominations for Alien 3 and Starship Troopers. His work has also garnered several other awards and nominations. Its a privilege to be invited back to Lycoming College as an honored guest and to address the 2018 graduating class, said Woodruff. I hope that by staying involved with Lycoming I can encourage others to believe they too have the opportunity to pursue what matters most to them and earn personal success and satisfaction. Lycoming College awarded Woodruff the Dr. James E. Douthat Outstanding Achievement Award for alumni in 1993. He returned to campus in 2006 as the freshman Convocation speaker, and again in 2017 to discuss his creative work and Hollywood career in a lecture. He and his wife, Tami (Spitler) 81, have three children; David, Taylor and Connor. Don Francis, president of the Associate of Independent Colleges & Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP), who will retire in June after 25 years of service, will also receive an honorary degree at this years commencement ceremony. During his tenure, he helped Lycoming College and other Pennsylvania private colleges, navigate contentious issues, such as rising tuition costs and fiscal legislation. Francis knowledge of higher education and his strategic abilities proved vital assets to Lycoming College. His advocacy has been instrumental in achieving funding of PHEAA and Ready to Succeed grant programs, which have assisted thousands of Pennsylvanians in pursuing the dream of a college education. Graduating senior Ericka Booker, a Spanish major with a minor in human services from Brooklyn, N.Y., will deliver a greeting from the senior class at the ceremony. Booker is an active member of the Lycoming College community with involvement in Alpha Sigma Tau, Student Orientation Staff, L.A.C.E.S. (Lycoming Advancing Communities through Education and Service), the Leadership Experience at Gettysburg, W.I.S.E. (Williamsport Internship Summer Experience), Dance Club, and R.A.R. (Revolution Against Rape). Additionally, she helped to plan and participated in the inaugural Black Women Empowerment Workshop this spring. She also worked as a student assistant in the Health Services department. Booker was recently inducted into Rho Lambda Honor Society at Lycoming College. 'Desperate times call for desperate measures', the saying is absolutely spot on for drug peddlers when they get caught red-handed. That's what happened to a woman from Florida, who made things a little too obvious for the police. The police found the woman identified as Kennecia Posey driving recklessly on the freeway. Above all, she was high on marijuana when the cops found her. In the 26-year-old's car, the cops found separate bags inside a purse, which contained weed and cocaine. When she was questioned about the drugs, she came up with the most hilarious and epic excuse. She claimed that the plastic pouch of cocaine got whisked into her purse because of the wind. However, the cops obviously didn't buy her claims and detained her. New Delhi : Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani today said he wanted to be a voice for Dalits working in private companies, sanitation workers and landless agricultural labourers, than being a voice for reservation. He was speaking while taking part in a protest meeting in Delhi University. "As my Ambedkarite and Marxist orientation increased, I felt the need to repeat to myself that even more than reservation, I should become the voice of Dalit labourers in this country's private companies and factories," the Dalit activist said. "I became more conscious, that more than reservation, I must speak for the sanitation workers who enter sewers, and landless agricultural labourers," he added. Mevani said when he went to Vadgam recently, he asked two officers about the attempts to stop him from entering the state assembly. "They were instructed to destroy some documents in my nominations and find some technical faults," he alleged.. He said when such attempts were being made to stop "just one Jignesh", there was a need to fight for sending their representatives to Parliament and every assembly. "Today the Constitution, farmers, Dalit labourers, tribals and teachers are in such a crisis, despite varying ideologies, there is a need for us to come together," Mevani said. PTI Vigen Sargsyan: You and our society must be certain that our legislation very clearly regulates the limit where and how the armed forces can be involved in such situations (video) Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyans remark about March 1 during the meeting with opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday cannot whatsoever be viewed as a threat, and cannot be a threat, defense minister Vigen Sargsyan [no relation to Serzh Sargsyan] said at a press briefing on Monday. It is viewed as a warning that any such situation can lead to tension and escalation, which no one needs. I believe that the fact of negotiations itself, despite all formats which were clearly aimed for the negotiations not to be held ranging from holding it before media, in the Marriott hotel, whereas there are appropriate state structures, buildings etc. But the fact that the meeting took place, this itself shows the Prime Ministers and the governments intention for dialogue, the defense minister said. Asked by a reporter if the militarys involvement is possible for suppressing the disobedience wave, the defense minister cited the legal regulations and laws, saying :You and our society must be certain that our legislation very clearly regulates the limit where and how the armed forces can be involved in such situations. This is possible only in case of a state of emergency and only for implementing individual clear functions, as an additional way of enforcement, but not physical, rather force which is necessary for maintaining the conditions of the appropriate [state of emergency] regime. The minister emphasized that he and all countrymen expect that no need for a state of emergency will exist. Lets hope we wont need it for many years in our country. But thats what legislation is written for, it is written when everything is calm, in order to have appropriate procedures in relevant situations, he said. March 1 is a colloquial term referring to the 2008 post electoral developments in Armenia, when mass protests turned violent and claimed 10 lives. Nikol Pashinyan was declared wanted. After a year in hiding, Pashinyan turned himself in and was subsequently imprisoned for his role in the 2008 deadly unrest. He was released after serving roughly two years behind bars. During the Saturday meeting with opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan made a remark that Pashinyan didnt learn lessons from March 1. From BB creams to glass skin, to say that the world has certainly gone a little K-razy over K-beauty is an understatement. If 2017 and the years preceding it was the era of K-beauty, it looks like J-beauty is now having its moment this year, however. Just this January, Vogue.com published an article titled K-Beauty, Make Room for J-Beauty, touting 2018 as the year where J-beauty makes it comeback after seasons of an intense obsession with Korean beauty. Granted, while Japanese beauty giants Shiseido, SK-II and Shu Uemura still continue to be influential in beauty, its been somewhat eclipsed by the buzzier trends coming out of its Korean counterpart. Whether you do genuinely think theres genuine a competition simmering in between, it certainly looks like J-beauty is making a strong comeback at least in Singapore. Just last year, Welcia-BHG opened its first ever all-Japanese beauty department store in Bugis, stocking up a whopping 3000 Japanese beauty brands, of which 1000 will be making its debut here. Cult beauty brand THREE also launched in Singapore, and Kose Cosmeport introduced their three bestselling skincare and beauty lines to the drugstore masses. If youre looking to expand your J-beauty repertoire, find out which new iconic Japanese beauty brands have now made its way to our Singaporean shores in the gallery above! Sarah Khan Read More: Holy Grail: 6 K-Beauty acne treatments to swear by for blemish-free skin 22 Up-and-coming Korean beauty brands you need to know in 2018 Fancy yourself an underwater living experience? Well, now you can. The Maldives has unveiled that its opening what will be the worlds first underwater hotel residence, slated to be completed this November 2018. Called The Muraka (which translates to coral in Dhivehi, the local Maldivian language), the property will be located on the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. A Two-Storey Luxury Underwater Villa The luxury USD15 million two-storey hotel villa will sit 16.5 feet below the surface of the Indian Ocean, promising guests a fully submerged hotel experience. As you might expect, each underwater bedroom floor opens up to expansive views of the ocean, designed with bathrooms that feature an ocean-facing bathtub. Theres also a hotel gym, bar, butler quarters, and even an infinity pool. Its two-storey undersea suite section proves to exceptional: there is a king-sized bedroom, living area, and bathroom on the bottom floor, while the top level features a 550 square metres sundeck. The two floors are connected by a spiral staircase. This is not the first underwater venture by Conrad Hotels & Resorts: in fact, it launched Ithaa, its undersea restaurant 13 years ago. Not planning a trip anytime soon to this South Asian island? Resort World Sentosa in Singapore offers two-storey ocean suites overlooking their atrium, if youre looking for an oceanic living adventure that is a little closer to home. In the meantime, sneak a peek of The Muraka in the gallery above! Sarah Khan Read More: Theres a new sustainable luxury island retreat opening in the Maldives this 2018 6 Impressive luxury hotels in the world that used to be prisons Shangri-La Singapore introduces luxury fantasy-themed suites just for kids Human Rights Activists Hotline reports As of April 23, at 12.15, at least 50 people were taken to different departments of the RA police. The majority of the detained are students who were on strike and were detained while the protest that was taking place at the Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi. Earlier it was known that 11 universitiesin Yerevan announced strikes. This morning, around eight policemen attacked physician Hayk Hovhannisyan who is also a lecturer at the Medical, and beat him. The doctor was taken to hospital # 1 with cerebral injury and chest pain. According to information received by the hot line, about 40 soldiers joined the demonstrators. There have also been reports that pupils of Yerevan, Noyemberyan, Hrazdan, Echmiadzin and Myasnikyan village of Armavir schools are threatened in order them not participate in anti-government demonstrations. As of April 23, 33 citizens were detained. The number of people detained in the period April 17-23 exceeds 1000. About 500 cars were taken to the penalty square, Human Rights Activists Hotline reports. Details Revolution (IMT Sweden) 01 May 2020 As of the end of April, the amount of COVID-19 deaths in Sweden per 1,000 inhabitants is three times that of Denmark, three times that of Germany and four times that of Norway. The government is peddling the nationalist idea... Comrade Bilawal Baloch from Quetta is suspected to have been abducted by the armed forces of Pakistan. He attended the protest held yesterday in front of the Karachi Press Club, which was called by the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), and was heading back from there to his home in Quetta. But his mobile phone is permanently off and nobody has been able to contact him. Click here for the latest information on the abductions, a letter to send to your local Pakistani embassy and a model motion for trade union branches and student groups. It seems that he has been abducted as part of a crackdown on the participants in this protest, in which demonstrators were demanding an end to the atrocities of the Pakistani Army in tribal areas and other parts of the country. Along with the Pashtuns, Balochis in Pakistan have also seen brutal military operations committed against them. Comrade Bilawal is a Marxist who recently graduated from Balochistan University in Quetta. He is leading the Progressive Youth Alliance in Balochistan, as deputy general secretary, and was active in various protests and student movements in recent years. Along with fighting for the rights of students on the political front, he was also waging an ideological battle with nationalists and various guerilla groups. He has a firm belief in the emancipation of the oppressed nationalities and working masses, through a socialist revolution led by the proletariat. We condemn the cowardly tactics of the Pakistani state, which is now targeting political activists involved in the struggle for the rights of oppressed people in Pakistan. We demand the immediate release of comrade Bilawal Baloch and the other six comrades who were abducted by the Pakistani Army for raising their voice against the injustice of the Pakistani state, and supporting the PTM in their struggle. We appeal to workers of the world to extend their solidarity to Marxists in Pakistan; to condemn and protest this act of injustice by the Pakistani state. Lal Salaam! The 20-episode Bloody bet thriller to be broadcast on Ucom's Armenia Premium TV channel Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group UCOM offers affordable gadgets at bigger discount Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to New York Google Ad Governments preventing publication of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper during state of emergency 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 Google Ad 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 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 SPRINGFIELD -- Chris Smigel, assistant executive chef at MGM Springfield, moved up the career ladder at the soon-to-open casino before he was even hired. A Westfield native who got his culinary training at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, Smigel applied to MGM hoping for a job as a chef running one of its restaurants. Instead, he was hired to oversee culinary operations for all MGM-operated facilities on the property in Springfrield's South End. It's a step up for him, having worked for Hyatt Hotels for 10 years with stops Austin, New Orleans and, most recently, Cambridge. The MGM Springfield job has allowed him to buy a home and move back to Westfield. "This is an opportunity that didn't exist here," he said. "I never thought I'd get the opportunity to move forward with my career and do it close to home." Five newly hired food and beverage executives sat down with The Republican recently to talk about opportunities at MGM Springfield as the $960 million resort casino nears its expected September opening date. They were Smigel; Andres Gomez, director of restaurants; Anthony Caratozzolo, vice president of food and beverage; Nathaniel Waugaman, executive chef; and David L. Bennett, food and beverage project manager. The interview was in part a recruiting pitch. Caratozzolo spoke of upcoming hiring events and Waugaman spoke of his growing relationships with area trade schools and MGM's work developing the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute in collaboration with Holyoke Community College. Some of the chefs MGM has hired demonstrated their skills at the culinary center's grand opening last week. But there is an issue no one at MGM is talking about, at least on the record. MGM Resorts International is reportedly interested in buying the beleaguered Wynn Boston Harbor casino under construction in Everett. State regulators might come down hard on Wynn due to the sexual harassment scandal of founder Steve Wynn and efforts to cover up it up. If MGM gets the more lucrative Boston market, it would be forced by state law to divest itself of the Springfield property. Instead, the MGM food and beverage executives focused on how much work they need to do, the hiring events coming up in May and June and how MGM Springfield will have a local feel, with New England seafood and local craft beer. Even the selection of cheeses will focus on New England products. Besides Smigel, Gomez and Bennett are also local. Gomez is originally form Puerto Rico and now lives in Ludlow. Bennett, a UMass graduate, lives in Longmeadow. Gomez said the next step in his career journey simply didn't exist here before MGM Springfield. No one else was large enough a food operator to offer him an opportunity for advancement, he said. "It would probably have meant me picking up and leaving the area," he said. Caratozzolo said he has the biggest recruiting job in the organization, needing to hire 800 people before September. He said the hiring events won't be like other job fairs. Prospective employees should expect an audition, with MGM bosses putting a knife in their hands. "There is a job for everyone at MGM," he said. "Every level of skill." Caratozzolo, top man on the food pyramid here, said MGM Springfield is different from other MGM properties in that the company normally builds buildings from scratch. Here, MGM is renovating existing buildings. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he worked as a lead cook at MGM's Beau Rivage resort in Mississippi and was in Las Vegas before coming to Springfield. MGM Springfield restaurants will have doors out onto the street, he said. That's not typical at casino properties. He said food service will also be different in Springfield because staff will focus on both the customer who comes just to eat and the casino gambler whose food is comped. It'll be a fifty-fifty mix, he said. That's similar to the Vegas business model, built on conventioneers and tourists and different than most regional casinos where food staffers are told to prioritize the gamblers. "Smallville" actress Allison Mack, who faces federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit forced labor, is a flight risk and should be kept under house arrest, according to federal prosecutors. The U.S. Attorney's Office for New York's Eastern District is asking U.S. Magistrate Judge Cheryl Pollak to keep Mack jailed unless she can post a "substantial, heavily secured bond" when she appears in a federal court in Brooklyn for a bail hearing Tuesday. If a substantial bond is posted, prosecutors are then asking that she be subject to house arrest with electronic monitoring. "In the absence of a substantial bond with extensive conditions, the Court would not have sufficient means to ensure that the defendant would not commit additional crimes during any period of release or that she would not otherwise violate bail conditions," Assistant U.S. Attorneys Moira Kim Penza and Tanya Haijar wrote in a letter to Pollak. Mack, 35, and Keith Raniere, 57, the leader of what authorities claim is a sex cult, were indicted Friday on federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit forced labor . Mack and Raniere are each charged with multiple counts, and could face a minimum of 15 years in prison. Mack was arrested in Manhattan on Friday, while Raniere has been in custody since he was arrested in Mexico in March. Raniere founded NXIVM, which describes itself as a self-help and empowerment organization. However, prosecutors say it is a cult who recruited women to be sex slaves, and branded their pubic regions with Raniere's initials. Beit Ahavah is having a "20th Ahaversary Party." Beit Ahavah, the reform synagogue of greater Northampton, will celebrate its 20th Anniversary with a dance party at Mill 180 Park, Suite 217, 180 Pleasant St. in Easthampton on May 12 from 7 to 10 p.m. Judy Goldman, founder and first president, will be honored. Robert S. Harris, co-president, joined Beit Ahavah when his daughter was young because he was looking for a Reform Jewish Congregation in Northampton. She is now 26, but he remains actively involved for several reasons: "We are a very welcoming congregation with members from a very broad variety of backgrounds, gender and sexual identities and spiritual practices. Personally, I experience this as an exceptionally supportive and caring community." Twenty years ago, a handful of families began a Reform synagogue. With no rabbi, building or Torah, they imagined a progressive congregation dedicated to learning, social justice and community. What started in Judy Goldman and Sheldon Snodgrass' living room in Williamsburg is now a vibrant synagogue with more than 85 families. According to Rabbi Riqi Kosovske, Beit Ahavah's first full-time rabbi, Beit Ahavah was founded at a time when there was no place in the Pioneer Valley where interfaith families could be accepted or embraced or where same-sex or LGBTQ members or families could be fully equal in Judaism and as married or partnered couples and families. "Beit Ahavah created the radical bylaws that all members, including non-Jewish spouses, could serve as leaders and on the board, and could be listed on membership forms, as well as participate in the Torah service of Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies," she said. "This idea was at the forefront of an inclusive Judaism -- ideas which have become more accepted now in other congregations and across the denominations." Beit Ahavah is Hebrew for House of Love, but the community affectionately calls it the "Love Shack." The congregation shares a building with the Florence Congregational Church and studies from its centuries-old Torahs. The congregation's symbol is the four Hebrew letters spelling "Ahavah" or "Love" inside a house, echoing the giant 1977 artistic sculpture by Robert Indiana commissioned by the Israel Museum of Jerusalem. Member and local graphic artist Fred Zinn, a founding member, created all of the synagogue artwork. From its earliest days, the congregation has been known for its welcoming spirit and relaxed atmosphere, inclusion of people from all backgrounds, support of interfaith families, innovative education programs, LGBT rights activism and focus on Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). "For 20 years, Beit Ahavah has consistently been a refuge and sanctuary for families seeking community, connection, a place to explore their Jewish connections in a non-threatening and welcoming atmosphere," Kosovske said. "Members enjoy being part of a small congregation where every voice can make a difference." In the past year members of the congregation have expressed this commitment by actively supporting the local refugee and immigrant communities and, in partnership with Florence Congregational Church, raising money to send water filters to Puerto Rico. "Beit Ahavah provides a welcoming community to embody and practice spiritual life; it provides a place for practicing social justice and for encouraging spiritual learning, all from a reform perspective," said Stephanie E. Pick, co-president. "I appreciate the sense of community, the sharing of prayer and practice, holidays and learning in an open, liberal, and accepting congregation." She hopes that 20 years from now, the congregation will have continued to attract active and engaged members who are committed to keeping the reform congregation vibrant and welcoming. Looking to the future, the rabbi would like to see the congregation grow in number to better support themselves and nourish the soul and that all who consider the congregation their spiritual home become more involved as active members to support and nourish programs and resources. Kosovske hopes Beit Ahavah re-imagines itself on the vanguard and forefront of new initiatives that impact the community at large, in the areas of creative liturgy, music, teen programming, art, social justice and what it means to be Jewish in the world today facing grave challenges in politics and climate change. "And that we experience joy in our uniqueness as well as collaboration with the interfaith and Jewish communities of greater Northampton to make a difference in people's lives," she said. At the anniversary celebration, Klezmer band Klezamir will provide the music, and there will be appetizers, desserts, a cash bar and a silent auction. The event is open to the community. Tickets available at beitahavah.bpt.me, through the Beit Ahavah office, or at the door. They are $36 through May 1 and $44 after May 1. Valet parking will be provided. For more information, go to beitahavah.org or call 413-587-3770. Police in Boston have recovered more than 200 illegal firearms in the city in 2018 and, over the weekend, officers added to that number during three separate incidents. Around 1 a.m. Sunday, officers on patrol in Roxbury saw a group of people on Norfolk Avenue. It appeared a fight was about to break out in front of a bar, Boston police said. Officers drove up to the area in an unmarked cruiser and noticed three men began to walk away. Police spotted one man, identified as 29-year-old Michael Afonseca, duck behind a parked car. Police stopped Afonseca and checked the area around the car. "Officers investigated the vehicle and observed a loaded revolver on top of the front right wheel," police said. Afonseca ran, but he was caught hiding behind a house. He was arrested on several firearms charges. On Saturday, members of the department's Youth Violence Strike Force were on patrol in the area of Dalessio Court in South Boston around 7:10 p.m. when they spotted a group of people smoking marijuana and drinking. Officers went inside 4 Dalessio Court and located a loaded handgun in the stairwell. The serial number was destroyed. "Due to the group's close proximity to the recovered firearm, officers conducted frisks of the individuals and their vehicles," police said. "Officers observed the vehicle closest to the group to be illegally parked and inquired whose it was." One of the men gave police the keys to the car and officers searched the vehicle. Police said they found two loaded handguns, a Glock and a Taurus, inside. The man who had the keys, 19-year-old Emmanuel Nova of Stoughton, and the owner of the car, 30-year-old Alex J. Valdez of Mattapan, were arrested on multiple firearms charges. A third man, 20-year-old Jimal B. Ortiz of Hyde Park, was arrested on an outstanding warrant out of West Roxbury District Court. Police recovered another gun Friday in Roxbury. Members of the Youth Violence Strike Force stopped a car and found a loaded Glock in a shoe box. Four people were inside the car. Police arrested 18-year-old Reginald Greene of Dorchester on firearms charges after they say he was the person who had the gun at his feet. SPRINGFIELD - Jury selection will begin this morning in the trial of Rita Luthra, a former gynecologist accused of violating patient confidentiality laws, witness tampering and lying to federal investigators. The case against Luthra, of Longmeadow, is a significantly watered-down version of the original criminal indictment brought in 2015 against the former physician, That charged an alleged kickback scheme involving a pharmaceutical company, which Luthra denied. The government originally accused Luthra of being in cahoots with a onetime drug rep from a company formerly known as Warner Chilcott. Prosecutors said she accepted what they labeled akin to bribes in the name of "speakers fees" for prescribing particular medications to her patients at Mercy Medical Center. She now faces three revised criminal charges after the government dismissed its original indictment. Those are one count of violating the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), one count of witness tampering, and one count of obstruction of a criminal health care investigation. Luthra lost her license to practice medicine in the midst of the case. The trial is expected to last approximately three days in U.S. District Court. Fox News host Sean Hannity reportedly received help from the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development to carry out multimillion dollar real estate deals. The Guardian reported that Hannity is linked to a web of shell companies that spent at least $90 million buying more than 870 homes across seven states over the past decade. Each company uses a variation of the same name mixed with the initials of Hannity's children, the British newspaper reported. Properties are located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Vermont. The Fox News host bought two apartment complexes in Georgia in 2014 for $22.7 million, according to The Guardian, which said it reviewed thousands of pages of public records. HUD helped Hannity get mortgages worth $17.9 million to fund the purchases by insuring the loans under a National Housing Act program. The loans, first guaranteed under the Obama administration, were recently increased by $5 million with renewed support from the Trump administration. Hannity did not disclose any commercial relationship with HUD when interviewing its secretary, Ben Carson, on his show last June. Christopher Reeves, Hannity's real estate attorney, did not dispute the report in an email to The Guardian, describing Hannity's holdings as highly confidential. "I doubt you would find it very surprising that most people prefer to keep their legal and personal financial issues private," Reeves wrote. "Mr. Hannity is no different." The Guardian report comes days after it emerged he is a client of Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime lawyer and fixer. He was named in court as a client of Cohen's after a FBI raid of the lawyer's office. Hannity failed to disclose his relationship with Cohen, despite using his show to promote the president and defend Cohen multiple times. The Fox News host has denied any formal relationship with Cohen, saying the two spoke about real estate matters. "Michael Cohen never represented me in any legal matter... My discussions with Michael Cohen never rose to any level that I needed to tell anyone that I was asking him questions," Hannity said. "My questions, exclusively almost, focused on real estate. I said many times on my radio show, I hate the stock market. I prefer real estate. Michael knows real estate." GEORGETOWN - The funeral of first-year University of Massachusetts student Scott Robert Erlandson will be held Saturday in the chapel of St. John's Prep in Danvers, where Erlandson graduated last year. Erlandson's body was found in a wooded area in his hometown April 17, but his death was not considered suspicious, Georgetown Police Chief Donald Cudmore said. Erlandson, 19, was enrolled in the exploratory track in the college of information and computer sciences. "Scott was a thoughtful, sensitive, and compassionate young man. His wit and humor will be forever remembered by family and friends," according to his obituary. A tribute posting talked about his "sweet smile." He was a National Honor Society member. At St. John's as a freshman, he joined the robotics team and awarded the school's highest honor in Computer Science for academic achievements in robotics during his junior year. He also competed locally in BMX Motocross races and won many awards. The family has created the Erlandson Scholarship Fund at St. John's Prep, 72 Spring St., Danvers, MA 01923. Money will be "used to improve the lives of students by ensuring that they can benefit from a life-changing Prep education," according to the fundraising page. He is the third UMass Amherst student to die this semester. First-year student Caleb Martin of Franklin died four days after being in a car crash on spring break in March. According to a YouCaring fundraising page, which has raised more than $35,000 for his ministry in Senegal, Martin was driving back to campus March 18 when he hit a deer. In February, junior Gabrielle Bryan a junior died on campus. The cause of her death has not been released. The celebration of Erlandson's life is at 3 p.m. at St. John's Prep School. The Department of the Interior's Office of the Inspector General is investigating the agency's handling of the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes applications to open a new Connecticut casino. The investigation follows reporting by Politico that detailed MGM Resorts International's lobbying against the tribes request for amendments to their federal compacts that would allow them to operate a third casino in the state. Following extensive lobbying by MGM, the Interior Department did not make a determination on the amendments one way or the other -- leaving the tribes' East Windsor casino project in legal limbo, as MGM's Springfield casino nears its opening date this fall. Following Politico's report, members of Connecticut's Congressional delegation requested an investigation into Interior's decision making. Politico reported that the investigation had commenced on April 20, and the Hartford Courant confirmed the existence of the probe on Monday. "We are grateful there's an IG investigation into this issue because since last fall, none of the department's actions have passed the smell test. Something clearly happened to pollute the process, which should be problematic for an administration that promised to drain the swamp," said Andrew Doba, spokesman for the tribes' joint casino company MMCT. MGM Connecticut declined to comment for this story. In July of last year, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a law authorizing the tribes to jointly build a commercial casino in East Windsor, following warnings from tribal officials that MGM Springfield could kneecap Connecticut's casino industry -- leading to thousands of job losses and a decrease in state revenue. But the law required that the tribes amend their federal compacts to allow for the new casino, and the Department of the Interior has not ruled one way or the other. While the tribes contend the department's silence qualifies as acceptance, it has left their project on uncertain regulatory footing. MGM has embarked on a years-long campaign, through the justice system, the Connecticut legislature and the court of public opinion, to prevent MMCT from building a new casino on its doorstop. The company has argued that Connecticut's casino bill, while restricted development of its third casino to its two existing tribal operators, was unfair, anti-competitive and unconstitutional. MGM has also pitched lawmakers on approving a new casino in Bridgeport, and has attracted support for its plan. from union leaders and public officials in Southern Connecticut. In February, Politico reported that the Interior Department refusal to act on the tribes' amendments came after "numerous" meetings and phone calls with MGM lobbyists. On Sunday, Politico reported that Interior Department staff had recommended approving the amendments, but were overruled by senior officials. Story of resignation (video) Serzh Sargsyan spoke on Saturday. He called on the National Assembly Deputy Nikol Pashinyan to sit at the political dialogue and negotiation table, warning that the developments were fraught with unpredictable consequences. At that time, Nikol Pashinyan went on a march to Nor Nork and Avan, not excluding the fact that he would also block the building of the Ministry of Defense. The Ministry of Defense building was not block, and during the march the number of the participants grew, and in the evning, they went to Republic Square. While heading to the center, RA President Armen Sargsyan expressed readiness to meet with National Assembly Deputy Nikol Pashinyan to mitigate the existing tension through the dialogue between the political forces. Nikol Pashinyan invited him to Republic Square, at 19:00. Armen Sargsyan went to Republic Square at the right time. The conversation was not heard for journalists. Armen Sargsyan left, the rally continued. The square was crowded, no matter how much the police tried to arrest the citizens during the day. At midnight, after a rally, Nikol Pashinyan announced on Facebook that he was going to meet with Serzh Sargsyan at "Armenia-Marriott" hotel on April 22, at 10 am. The negotiations failed, Nikol Pashinyan headed the march to Erebuni. A wall made by policemen was waiting for citizens on Artsakh Street. The police used special means. Many citizens were detained, including Nikol Pashinyan, Sasun Mikayelyan and Ararat Mirzoyan. But the citizens did not return, they were self-organized, their number grew, and in the evening, in Republic Square, an unprecedented rally was held for the past few years. The march and the rally did not have leaders. Members of the Yelk (Way Out) faction and members of the "Reject Serzh" initiative were arrested. Nobody knew Nikol Pashinyan's place. By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER BOSTON (AP) -- Massachusetts' highest court will decide the fate of a judge who admitted to having an affair with a clinical social worker that included sexual encounters at the courthouse. The Commission on Judicial Conduct is asking for Judge Thomas Estes to be suspended indefinitely without pay to give lawmakers time to decide whether to remove him from the bench for his relationship with Tammy Cagle, who worked in the special drug court where Estes sat before she was reassigned last year. If the Supreme Judicial Court agrees, it will be the first time in three decades it has taken such action against a judge for misconduct. The case comes amid the #MeToo movement that sparked a national reckoning over sexual misconduct in the workplace. "This case couldn't come at a worse time for Judge Estes," said Martin Healy, chief legal counsel of the Massachusetts Bar Association. The Supreme Judicial Court will consider Estes' case Tuesday. Cagle has accused Estes, who's married and has two teenage sons, of pressuring her into performing oral sex on him in his chambers and her home. Then after she tried to end the relationship, she asserts he treated her coldly and pushed her out of the drug court. Estes is fighting for his job and urging the Supreme Judicial Court for a four-month suspension. He denies ever harassing Cagle or causing her to be removed from her job. He says that Cagle initiated their first encounter and he was "wracked with guilt," but that Cagle pressed to continue their relationship. "I hardly have the words to express the shame and sorrow that I feel," Estes, who was first justice of the Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown, said in a statement before the Commission on Judicial Conduct. "I've brought disrepute to the bench that I am so proud to be a part of." The decision to oust Estes from the bench would be up to state lawmakers, who could either impeach him or issue a "bill of address" calling for his removal. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, who supports Estes' removal, and the Governor's Council would both have to sign off on a bill of address to strip Estes from the bench. The last time a Massachusetts judge was removed through a bill of address was Judge Jerome Troy of the Dorchester District Court in 1973. Five years later, the high court sanctioned Robert Bonin, chief justice of the Superior Court, for attending a lecture that served as a fundraiser for a group of defendants, but Bonin resigned before lawmakers could kick him out of office. The Commission on Judicial Conduct found that Estes used his judicial email account to arrange some of his sexual encounters with Cagle and strategize on how best to communicate in order to hide the affair from his family. Estes was confined to administrative duties last year before news of the affair became public, prompting speculation that it was related to a sentence he handed out in a sexual assault case that sparked outrage. A petition called for his removal in 2016 when he sentenced a former high school athlete to probation after the athlete pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two classmates. The case drew parallels to that of former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner, who got just six months in jail for a sexual assault conviction. Judge Estes' lawyer David Hoose, who didn't respond to phone messages from The Associated Press, told the court that the humiliation Estes has experienced in the exposure of the affair calls for a more lenient punishment. His attorney argues the affair had no impact on Estes' judicial duties, saying Estes' evaluations are "nothing short of superlative." "Judge Estes has taken a terrible beating in the press and on social media, most of it from people who know neither the law nor the facts of his case," Hoose said in court documents. "But these pundits and cranks do not determine the appropriate sanction -- this court does." But Healy, of the Bar Association, said he doesn't see how Estes keeps his job based on past cases of judicial misconduct. "I can't think of another position in society that has more power and the potential for abuse of that power than someone who is sworn in for as a judge for life," Healy said. Suffolk University Law School will broadcast a live stream of the judicial misconduct hearing of Judge Thomas Estes before the Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday in Boston. The broadcast at Suffolk.Edu/SJC begins when court convenes at 9 a.m. The university also will archive a video of the Estes proceedings that will be available on the school's website. Estes has admitted to having sex inside the Eastern Hampshire District Courthouse in Belchertown, where he once served as first justice, with a woman with whom he once worked. The woman was a clinician with the state's drug court at the time of their intimate encounters. The Commission on Judicial Conduct, following an investigation that began in August, has recommended that Estes be permanently barred from ever hearing cases again and that he be permanently suspended without pay. The commission's determination is contained in a brief submitted to the SJC earlier this year. Northampton attorney David Hoose, who will argue on Estes's behalf before the SJC, wrote a brief on his client's behalf asking for leniency and that the court suspend the judge without pay for four months. The woman with whom Estes said he had the affair filed a sexual harassment complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination last year. The alleged victim, Tammy Cagle, also filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Estes in January, claiming he forced her to have sex. That case is currently pending at U.S. District Court in Springfield. In his brief, Hoose says there was no sexual harassment by Estes against Cagle and that their actions were "consensual." The Commission's on Judicial Conduct's brief says Estes' conduct brought disrepute to the entire Massachusetts Trial Court and the only appropriate remedy is to banish him from the court system. Estes, of Northampton, has not heard a case since July. He is currently assigned to administrative-only duties at Holyoke District Court. Estes was appointed to the court by former Gov. Deval Patrick in 2014. A graduate of William & Mary School of Law, Estes was first assigned duties at Northampton District Court prior to his appointment as first justice of the Belchertown court. He previously supervised the Northampton office of the Committee for Public Counsel, where he worked from 2006 to 2014. SJC Chief Justice Ralph Gants, who referred the Estes matter to the Commission on Judicial Conduct last year, has recused himself from Tuesday's proceedings. The SJC hearing will take place at John Adams Courthouse, courtroom one, second floor, at 1 Pemberton Square. A suspended Massachusetts State Police payroll director heads to court in Framingham on Monday for allegedly stealing over $23,000 from the state police's travel and reimbursement funds. Denise Ezekiel, 49, of Holbrook, will be arraigned on one count of larceny over $250 in Framingham District Court on Monday. Ezekiel -- who earned over $80,000 from the state police last year -- is the first payroll employee to face criminal charges in the string of scandals tied to the department. Ezekiel was suspended from her position on Nov. 1, 2017, and last week the Middlesex District Attorney's Office confirmed that the 49-year-old was the center of a criminal theft investigation. She was placed on indefinite leave, according to Mass. State Police, and could face further disciplinary action. News of Ezekiel's alleged larceny is one of numerous scandals to come out of state police this year. Police and legislative officials are promising reforms and transparency after news of a scrubbed report and 30 state police officers who allegedly were paid overtime for skipping shifts. Denise Ezekiel, the Massachusetts State Police payroll director who was suspended amid theft allegations, applied for pension benefits a few days before a criminal complaint against her was filed. Records reviewed by MassLive show less than a week before the criminal complaint was filed in Framingham District Court, Ezekiel applied to receive the benefits from the State Retirement Board. The criminal complaint was filed March 6, according to court records. On March 2, Ezekiel applied to the State Retirement Board to end her employment with the state, effective from the beginning of March. Ezekiel began her state employment with the Department of Revenue in 1987 before taking her job with the State Police in 2013, according to her application. The form asks retirement applicants whether they have ever been convicted of "an offense involving the funds or property of your place of employment" or an offense involving "your position while in state service." Ezekiel checked "no" to both questions . Her application is still pending and "will be for some time," Office of the Treasurer and Receiver General Assistant Communications Director Dan Truong wrote in an email. The existence of Ezekiel's retirement application was first reported by the Boston Globe. Authorities accuse Ezekiel, a 49-year-old Holbrook resident, of filing 29 fraudulent reimbursements over 15 months and with it stealing almost $24,0000 from the Massachusetts State Police. Records show Ezekiel was suspended on Nov. 1, 2017, the day Massachusetts State Police Major John Lannon was assigned to investigate her on alleged misuse of payroll funds. Ezekiel will be arraigned Monday on a charge of larceny over $250. She remains on unpaid leave. The criminal complaint filed by Lannon claims Ezekiel filed unauthorized reimbursements for travel or training. The reimbursements ranged in value between $500 and $950 and lasted for 15 months. There are 29 instances of these reimbursements and the money went into Ezekiel's personal bank account, records show. Ezekiel was the final auditor of travel and training reimbursement for the department. Ezekiel was sued three times by three different credit card companies in 2014 and 2015 saying she owed roughly $23,000 in credit card debts. The lawsuits were filed in Quincy District Court. State payroll records show Ezekiel had an annual salary of $95,031 in 2017. The financial discrepancies were discovered and reported to the Massachusetts State Police's Director of Finance and its Chief Administrative Officer, records show. Lannon, according to court records, learned the reimbursement money was deposited in Ezekiel's personal bank account. "Further search of state police payroll reimbursement records was conducted and no documentation existed to support these specific reimbursements payments to Ms. Ezekiel," Lannon wrote. Gov. Charlie Baker praised the response by the agency and said he expects a "full blown investigation." The state police are in turmoil over the past several months after several troopers have either been suspended or retired over receiving payment for no-show overtime shifts on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Payroll information for Troop F, which is funded by MassPort, had been kept secret for years as well. Two troopers have also filed federal lawsuits after they say Massachusetts State Police command officers, including former Col. Richard McKeon, forced them to redact and destroy reports involving the arrest of Alli Bibaud, the daughter of a Worcester County judge. The Massachusetts State Police payroll director who was been suspended amid allegations of theft appeared briefly in court Monday while she was arraigned on a larceny charge. Denise Ezekiel, 49, of Holbrook was arraigned in Framingham District Court on a charge of larceny over $250 after authorities say she stole money from the State Police through phony reimbursements. A not guilty plea was entered, and the case was continued to June 4. Ezekiel hid her face from cameras and her lawyer had no comment. She was released on personal recognizance. A woman, who appeared to have some type of police badge on her belt, helped shield Ezekiel from media. After her arraignment, Ezekiel quickly left the courtroom and hopped into a sport utility vehicle parked outside. Authorities say Ezekiel filed 29 fraudulent reimbursements over a 15-month span and stole nearly $24,000 from the State Police. The reimbursements, which ranged in value from $500 to $950, ended in October 2017, court records show. She was suspended on Nov. 1, 2017 and remains on indefinite leave. State Police Major John Lannon, who filed the criminal complaint on March 6, wrote that he was assigned to investigate Ezekiel on alleged misuse of payroll funds. Ezekiel allegedly filed reimbursements for travel or training and the money was sent to her personal bank account, records show. "Further search of state police payroll reimbursement records was conducted and no documentation existed to support these specific reimbursements payments to Ms. Ezekiel," Lannon wrote. As first reported by the Boston Globe, three credit card companies filed claims in Quincy District Court in 2014 and 2015 seeking money from Ezekiel due to credit card debt. She owed roughly $23,000 in credit card debt. State Retirement Board records show Ezekiel applied for pension benefits a few days before a criminal complaint against her was filed. The criminal complaint was filed March 6. Ezekiel signed her application for state benefits on March 2, according to her application provided by the Retirement Board. She requested her retirement to begin on March 1. Ezekiel began her state employment with the Department of Revenue in 1987 before taking her job with the State Police in 2013, according to her application. The form asks retirement applicants whether they have ever been convicted of "an offense involving the funds or property of your place of employment" or an offense involving "your position while in state service." Ezekiel checked "no" to both questions. Her application is still pending and "will be for some time," Office of the Treasurer and Receiver General Assistant Communications Director Dan Truong wrote in an email. The State Police have been in the middle of several scandals over the past few months. Troopers are accused of getting paid for no-show shifts on the Massachusetts Turnpike; two troopers sued command staff over allegations they were forced to redact and destroy the arrests reports of a judge's daughter and Troop F payroll records remained secret for years. Fox News host Sean Hannity dismissed a British newspaper report Monday about his massive real estate holdings and a HUD supported deal as "fake news," but did not dispute the facts presented in the article. The Guardian reported that Hannity is linked to a web of shell companies that spent at least $90 million buying more than 870 homes across seven states. HUD, under the Obama administration, helped Hannity get mortgages worth $17.9 million to fund the purchases by insuring the loans under a National Housing Act program. They were recently increased by $5 million with renewed support from the Trump administration. In posting on his website, Hannity wrote: "It is ironic that I am being attacked for investing my personal money in communities that badly need such investment and in which, I am sure, those attacking me have not invested their money. The fact is, these are investments that I do not individually select, control, or know the details about; except that obviously I believe in putting my money to work in communities that otherwise struggle to receive such support. I have never discussed with anybody at HUD the original loans that were obtained in the Obama years, nor the subsequent refinance of such loans, as they are a private matter. I had no role in, or responsibility for, any HUD involvement in any of these investments. I can say that every rigorous process and strict standard of improvement requirements were followed; all were met, fulfilled and inspected. The LLC's are REAL companies that spend real investment money on real properties." Christopher Reeves, Hannity's real estate attorney, also not dispute the report in an email to The Guardian, describing Hannity's holdings as highly confidential. "I doubt you would find it very surprising that most people prefer to keep their legal and personal financial issues private," Reeves wrote. "Mr. Hannity is no different." Hannity did not disclose any commercial relationship with HUD when interviewing its secretary, Ben Carson, on his show last June. The Guardian report comes days after it emerged Hannity is a client of Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime lawyer and fixer. He was named in court as a client of Cohen's after a FBI raid of the lawyer's office. Hannity failed to disclose his relationship with Cohen, despite using his show to promote the president and defend Cohen multiple times. The Fox News host has denied any formal relationship with Cohen, saying the two spoke about real estate matters. SPRINGFIELD - A new restaurant featuring Indian and Nepalese food is expected to open in June on White Street in Forest Park, filling a vacancy left nearly three years ago by the closing of Touch of Garlic. The business owner, Prakash Sunwar, plans to open Delhi to Kathmandu Kitchen within two months at 427 White St., near Sumner Avenue. Victor Davila, president of the Forest Park Civic Association, said the neighborhood is excited about the new business. "I think it's going to be a great addition to the neighborhood," Davila said. "I wish them the very best. The Forest Park neighborhood is there to help support them." Touch of Garlic closed in August of 2015 after being in business in the neighborhood for 22 years. Sunwar said he should open in two months, or possibly sooner if all goes well. "It's a lot of stress opening, but at the same time I'm excited to have my business here," Sunwar said. Both Sunwar and Davila praised the location as having good visibility with a lot of traffic going by. Davila said there is a lot of foot traffic too, and the new restaurant provides diversity for a very diverse population in the neighborhood. The property owner, Louis Masaschi, said he hated to see Touch of Garlic go, but believes the new restaurant will do very well at a busy location. "It's a very good piece of real estate," Masaschi said. Sunwar said he expects to offer a lunch buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and will also have a dinner menu. It is his first restaurant but he said he experience working in small restaurants in Nepal. EASTHAMPTON -- A solar development firm plans two large ground-mounted photovoltaic projects -- one next to the Manhan Rail Trail, and another off Park Street just north of Holly Circle. Soltage, LLC, located in Jersey City, New Jersey, plans a 2-megawatt solar farm off South Street and Westview Terrace, and a 3-megawatt solar farm at 232 Park St. The 79-acre South St. property is owned by residents David D. Cernak and Marilyn T. Cernak. The solar array would cover around 7.4 acres. Mature trees on the land were cut down over the winter. The 37-acre property at 232 Park St. is owned by Easthampton real estate developer Bernard Gawle. The solar array would cover 9.5 acres. Around 18 acres of trees near White Brook on the "Crown Meadow Property" would be cut down. The projects are organized under two limited liability Delaware corporations -- Easthampton Park Solar 1, LLC, and Easthampton South Solar 1, LLC. The Cernak property has been protected under Chapter 61A, a Massachusetts program that provides tax relief for land in agriculture, forestry, or recreational use. An owner who wishes to develop such land must pay the difference between taxes paid and taxes deferred, plus interest, for the previous five years. Soltage has developed 150 megawatts of solar capacity around the U.S., including Massachusetts projects in Warren, Palmer, Oxford, and Gardner, according to the company's website. The Easthampton projects require special permits from the Planning Board. A public hearing is set for May 1 at 6 p.m. at 50 Payson Ave. Permit applications may be found on the Easthampton city website. A new cultural center dedicated to collaborative co-working, performance and creative entrepreneurship will open its doors Wednesday evening in the heart of downtown Worcester. The space - Worcester PopUp - is located at 20 Franklin St. Created by the Worcester Cultural Coalition, the city's Cultural Development Office and the Worcester Business Development Corporation, it will showcase the work of local artists on a rotating basis and offer an ever-changing calendar of events and classes including music, performances, local pop-up food bazaars, film, and other media arts. Worcester PopUp will hold a grand opening celebration on Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. featuring music, dancing, a cash bar and the public opening of "Phoenix Rising," a curated art exhibit showcasing a selection of the city's eclectic creative community. The space is also funded, in part, by the Boston-based Barr Foundation. The first Worcester PopUp was held during summer 2014 at 38 Franklin St. Events ranged from tribal fusion belly dance classes to a local science think tank putting on workshops for kids. Erin Williams, executive director of the Worcester Cultural Coalition, was out of the office and not available for comment Monday, but told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette that a black box theater, which will seat just under 300 people, is expected to open in the space next year. A new coalition pushing to get the Community Preservation Act on Worcester's November ballot says the act would have a tangible impact on Worcester's neighborhoods by providing money for open space, historic preservation and community housing projects, but Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce is not so keen on the idea. In an emailed statement Monday, W. Stuart Loosemore, general counsel and director of government affairs and public policy at the chamber, said the organization has concerns about any proposal that would raise property taxes. The act allows cities and towns to create a Community Preservation Fund by adding a surcharge to annual real estate taxes that is set aside for open space, historic resources and affordable housing. The new Worcester-based coalition, "Yes for a Better Worcester," is asking for a 1.5 percent surcharge with exemptions for low income residents, low- and medium-income seniors, and the first $100,000 of taxable property for residential, commercial and industrial property. The average single-family homeowner would pay $32 a year or $2.67 a month, while the average owner of a triple decker would pay $36 a year or $3 a month. Small businesses would pay about $100 to $200 more a year. "The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce has concerns about any proposal that would raise property taxes, especially in light of the fact that a majority of Worcester's City Council led by Councilors Bergman, Carlson, King, Lukes, Rosen and Russell have moved over the past several years towards taxing Worcester businesses at the highest rate under the city's dual tax rate," Loosemore said. The surcharge would be matched by state funds from the real estate transfer tax, which Worcester has been paying into for about two decades. It is expected to generate more than $3 million annually, plus the state matched funds. Loosemore said Worcester's split tax rate already puts the city at a competitive disadvantage, pointing to the recent relocations of Curtis Industries from Worcester to West Boylston and Primetals from Worcester to Sutton. Loosemore said with the relocations, the city will lose about $600,000 annually in property taxes and 500 good-paying jobs. In the coming weeks, the Chamber of Commerce's Public Policy Committee plans review the Community Preservation Act proposal. "In particular, we will weigh any prospective tax increase with any potential benefit of having additional revenues to facilitate investments in new housing construction and/or the rehabilitation of historic properties for commercial or residential uses," Loosemore said. "Additionally, the Public Policy Committee will review the governing process concerning the potential use of Community Preservation Act funds." Yes for a Better Worcester plans to ask the City Council to consider placing the act on the city's Nov. 6 ballot during Tuesday night's Council meeting. President Donald Trump has been saying the same thing, over and over again, about the investigation of Russian interference in our nation's 2016 presidential election: It's a witch hunt. And he's been saying the same thing, over and over again, regarding possible connections between his presidential campaign and Russian efforts to tilt the contest his way: There was no collusion. Really. There was no collusion. The Democratic National Committee, by filing suit on Friday against the Trump campaign, the Russian government and WikiLeaks, effectively came up with a terse response to those assertions: Tell it to the judge. The 66-page suit, which appeared to catch nearly everyone by complete surprise, alleges that the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government and that nation's military spy agency to help Trump and damage Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. The technique: Hack Democratic computer servers and have WikiLeaks spread the information, cheered on by the Trump campaign. Though there is no way to say at present where all of this will ultimately lead, one thing is certain: Anyone who believes that the story of Russia and the Trump campaign has more or less run its course is badly mistaken. This thing may only now be about to burst wide open. In a prepared statement, DNC Chairman Tom Perez said: "During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in Donald Trump's campaign. "This constituted an act of unprecedented treachery: the campaign of a nominee for President of the United States in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the presidency." The DNC's multimillion dollar lawsuit, filed in federal district court in Manhattan, is reminiscent of a suit filed by the Democratic National Committee in 1972. In that case, the committee sued President Richard Nixon's re-election committee for the break-in at the DNC headquarters in the Watergate building in Washington, D.C. And how did that work out? On the day Nixon left office in 1974, the campaign paid the Democrats a settlement of $750,000. (Those who are scoring at home may wish to note that that amount represents approximately $3.75 million in today's dollars.) When folks working for Trump denounce the DNC's suit as a ploy, it'll be important to remember that those who were in Nixon's corner did the same thing 46 years back. What will be fascinating going forward is this: The Trump campaign will do its best to see that the suit is dismissed as groundless. If it fails on that front, though, the campaign will be required to provide documents that could go a long way toward uncovering how exactly those working for Trump planned with Russia to get their man in the White House. The folks most likely to denounce the suit as frivolous are probably those who know well that there's much to hide. By State Sen. Eric P. Lesser and State Rep. Andy X. Vargas There's no sugar-coating it: Massachusetts is facing another emergency in our state's fight against the opioid epidemic. Two years after the state legislature created a bulk purchasing trust fund to subsidize first responders' purchases of the overdose antidote naloxone, the fund has dried up. Now, a box of two doses of Narcan, a brand of naloxone, has nearly doubled in price from $40 to $71. This price is still lower than the market sticker price, but the Municipal Naloxone Bulk Purchasing Trust Fund has allowed cities and towns to provide life-saving doses to first responders at a fraction of that cost. This is exactly the wrong time for the fund to run out of money. The opioid crisis has taken a devastating turn for the worse with a growing black market trade in opioids cut with fentanyl, a drug so powerful that first responders say two doses of naloxone are not enough to save someone from an overdose. It is now a much bigger problem that requires a bigger solution. That is why we are proposing in this year's budget negotiations not just a refill of the state's Municipal Naloxone Bulk Purchasing Trust Fund, but an expansion. In addition to cities and towns, organizations that already contract with the Department of Public Health should be able to buy doses of Naloxone at a reduced price. Nonprofit organizations like addiction treatment centers, halfway houses, homeless shelters and others who regularly serve people struggling with addiction should have access to this life-saving drug. We are glad that Attorney General Maura Healey's office plans to provide another $47,000 in settlement funds for the Narcan Bulk Purchasing Program. It's time to add further resources to the Trust Fund to keep the cost down for our first responders and organizations that provide addiction treatment. Fatal overdoses in the state are finally dropping, from 2,155 confirmed and estimated deaths in 2016 to 1,977 in 2017. This is thanks in large part to the availability of Narcan to first responders, made possible by the Bulk Purchasing Program. You don't step off the gas when you're closing in on the finish line -- and we should not abandon this program just as we are making progress on reducing opioid-related deaths. It is important to note that this is not only a budget issue; it is a public health issue. This crisis touches all of us, whether it's our neighbor whose child died of an overdose or our doctor who wrote a prescription that sparked an addiction. The damage of this man-made disaster is especially severe in Gateway Cities, several of which we represent. The Haverhill Police Department, where Rep. Vargas is from, was one of the biggest purchasers of naloxone last year. The City of Chicopee, which Sen. Lesser represents, also participates in the bulk purchasing program. Much more must be done to support those struggling with addiction and their families. This includes more resources for education for young people on the perils of new drugs and the threat of addiction. It requires a larger investment in sober homes and treatment beds across the state, including those provided by the Hampden County Sheriff's Department at the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center and the Essex County Sheriff Department's Detox Units. But continuing our commitment to the Naloxone Bulk Purchasing Program is an important start. We urge our colleagues to make this life-saving program a budget priority. If we're serious about placing people into treatment, the first step is keeping them alive. No one should have to live in fear that a relapse -- while they are working hard to get better -- could end their life. Narcan remains the single best solution to eliminating that possibility. _______________ Eric P. Lesser, of Longmeadow, is senator for the First Hampden & Hampshire District, and serves as co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Economic Development & Emerging Technologies. His legislation helped create the state's Narcan bulk purchase program in 2015. Andy X. Vargas is a Haverhill native and serves as the State Representative for the 3rd Essex District. BOSTON -- Lovin' Spoonfuls picks up excess perishable food from grocery stores, farmers markets and produce wholesalers, then distributes it to homeless shelters, after-school programs and other nonprofits. Today, Lovin' Spoonfuls only operates in Boston and the MetroWest region. But Rep. Jose Tosado, D-Springfield, is trying to secure $100,000 in the House budget to help the program expand into Hampden County. Tosado got $50,000 for the group last year to buy a refrigerated food truck, and the nonprofit hopes to start providing food in Western Massachusetts this spring or summer. "This would be new program for Springfield and Holyoke," Tosado said. Tosado's earmark is just one of 1,400 amendments that House lawmakers will consider this week as they debate their version of a $40.98 billion fiscal 2019 state budget. Debate started Monday and will continue for several days. Some of the amendments are to increase funding for major statewide programming - putting more money into the Massachusetts Cultural Council, increasing the rates paid to home health aides or fully funding various education programs, for example. But the legislative budget debate also provides the main opportunity each year for lawmakers to insert earmarks that benefit their districts. State Rep. Angelo Puppolo, D-Springfield, said he is hopeful that many of the local projects will get funded this year. "Revenues are pretty solid the last several months, so we're optimistic," Puppolo said. "The outlook is positive short and long term." For Rep. John Velis, D-Westfield, a $75,000 earmark that he is requesting for an academic service center for students with learning disabilities at Westfield State University is personal. "I'm a product of special education," Velis said. "If I didn't have teachers willing to meet me more than halfway, I wouldn't have graduated Westfield High School." Lawmakers are requesting several earmarks for programs at Baystate Health. Tosado is asking for $500,000 for Baystate Medical Center's EMPOWER program, which helps infants being treated for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome after their mothers used drugs during pregnancy. Lawmakers are asking for another $500,000 for Baystate Health in Franklin County and $150,000 for Baystate Noble, both for programs to treat people with drug addiction. Western Massachusetts lawmakers want to boost funding for local district attorneys and sheriffs. A variety of other local programs, from a Vietnamese cultural center in Springfield that helps immigrants become citizens to a program for children trying to catch up on reading skills, could also benefit from earmarks. Reps. John Barrett, D-North Adams, and Smitty Pignatelli, D-Lenox, are asking that funding for regional transit authorities increase from $80.4 million to $88.8 million, in light of reports that regional transit authorities are considering cutbacks due to a lack of funding. Lawmakers typically debate clusters of amendments behind closed doors, then vote on large consolidated amendments. This year's budget debate will be run for the first time by Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, D-Boston, who took over this year as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. OAKLAND, Calif. -- Rafael Devers is off to an impressive start in his first full season as a major leaguer. The 21-year-old is batting .284 with a .344 on-base percentage, .469 slugging percentage, .814 OPS, three homers, six doubles and 17 RBIs in 86 plate appearances (19 games) for the 17-4 Boston Red Sox. His improved defense has been the most pleasant surprise. He has three defensive runs saved, tied for third best among major league third basemen, per FanGraphs.com. He also leads all Red Sox players in defensive runs saved. MassLive.com caught up with Devers and his translator Daveson Perez at Oakland Coliseum to discuss a variety of topics, including his 3-year-old daughter Rachell. Devers' English has improved quite a bit over the past year and he answered a couple of the questions below on his own without Perez. Smith: What did people say when you returned home to the Dominican Republic after last season? Devers: "When I went back, first thing on the plane, people were happy for me, people I didn't even know that recognized me. They were talking to me about everything I did last season and asking me how it felt and how everything went." Smith: Have your parents been to a game or just seen you on TV? Devers: "Yeah, they did get to see me play live. It made me feel really good because what's better than having your family here with you? After my debut in Seattle, when we came back (to Fenway Park), that was the first game they got to see me play." Smith: What do you like about Boston? Have you done stuff around the city? Devers: "I like it. I like it a lot. Just the people are very happy, very energetic at the ballpark and very passionate. Whenever we do well, they have our back. Aside from being at the ballpark, I like to go shopping and eating out. And Boston's just a beautiful city. It's just really beautiful." Smith: Any type of food you've discovered here that you didn't have back in the Dominican Republic? Devers: "Here in the states, my favorite food is Chipotle (Mexican Grill). Of course you have other Latin restaurants that you can go eat at. But my favorite is Chipotle." Smith: What did you do for fun when you returned home to the Dominican Republic in the offseason? Devers: "Mostly I just like to fish. But aside from that, I like to hang out with my friends. We like to hang out and drive around. And I like to hang out with my daughter (she's here with him now in the U.S.). That's really it." Smith: What do you like to do with your daughter? Devers: "I do everything with her. She's the type of girl that as soon as she wakes up, she's a handful. She likes to have fun. And what I can say? There's nothing better that could have happened in my life than her." Smith: Do you have a car in Boston or do you walk to the ballpark? Devers: "I have a car. In every league that I've played in I've always had a car." Smith: What was your first ever car? Devers: (laughs): "Yeah, I had a Toyota Highlander when I was in Greenville and it was pretty old. When the lease was up, I left it in the parking lot and they took it. So I don't even know what happened to that car." Smith: What kind of car do you have now? Devers: "Mazda." Smith: Do you lease it? Devers: "No, it's already paid." Smith: Anyone who you grew up watching play, who it has been cool to see play in person and play against? Devers: "Robinson Cano." Smith: What's your favorite ballpark besides Fenway so far? Devers: "Toronto, Canada (Rogers Centre). And Seattle (Safeco Field). I like the cities. I like Canada." Smith: What do you like about Toronto and Canada so much? Devers: "I just like the city. The city's another beautiful city. I like the stadium. I like the feel of playing at that ballpark." Smith: How has your life changed the past year or has it really? Devers: "I'm still the same guy. Nothing's really changed about me personally. Of course you grow up and you make certain changes to your life. But everything is still the same." Smith: You obviously were a top international prospect at age 16, but when did you realize you really had what it took to be a major leaguer? Devers: "From the first day when I got signed, that's always been my goal. I knew the talent that I had and I have. And I knew that I had the talent to make it there. I just knew I had to work every single day to make that a reality. And I never put pressure on myself no matter how many people were talking about me. I just took every day and worked as hard as I could each day." Smith: When did you start feeling more confident with your English? Devers: "This past offseason, I try." 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. ANN ARBOR, MI - After months in limbo, the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation will officially dissolve and turn over its assets for management by the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation. The move was prompted by a desire to eliminate the educational foundation's overhead costs while continuing to offer financial support for AAPS teachers and students, said Dan Schairbaum, chair of the AAPS Educational Foundation board of directors. "We'll have no staff, and the upshot of that obviously is that the money that we take in, more of it will go to the kids and the teachers of the schools, which is our primary focus," he said. When the foundation's previous executive director Linh Song announced she was planning to leave the position in the summer of 2016, the foundation board re-evaluated the future of the nonprofit organization and decided it was time for the educational foundation to close, Schairbaum said. The foundation - which was founded in 1990 - has continued accepting donations since then, he said, but it has not solicited any contributions this school year. The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation is now handling about $375,000 in assets from permanent funds previously controlled by the educational foundation, said Neel Hajra, president and CEO of the community foundation. The community foundation should receive approximately another $90,000 as the educational foundation continues the process of dissolving, Schairbaum said. Another $163,800 of the educational foundation's assets from 13 non-permanent funds is going directly to Ann Arbor Public Schools to be used for scholarships for graduating seniors and financial aid for students who otherwise could not afford activities like music camp, said Andrew Cluley, spokesperson for the school district. It's difficult to get a clear picture of the educational foundation's recent financial situation because the foundation has not filed 990 Forms with the IRS since 2014. Tax-exempt entities are required to file 990 Forms every year to disclose their revenue and expenses. "There are things that we were good at and things that we were not so good at. That's one of the things that we've learned as we've unraveled things since June or July of 2016 that we were not good at," Schairbaum said. "As part of the winding down of the corporation, those will be filed." The most recent financial disclosure for the AAPS Educational Foundation - from the 2013-14 fiscal year - shows the foundation had a fund balance of $1.04 million. Its total revenue that year was $423,530, and the foundation distributed 53 percent of that money in grants and spent 37 percent on overhead costs. Those overhead costs included $124,800 spent on salaries. The graph shows the change in total revenue, grants, overhead costs and fund balance for the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation from 2008 to 2014, which is the most recent financial information available. The Better Business Bureau says an efficient charity should spend at least 65 percent of its total expenses on programming that furthers the organization's central mission. Programming expenses include grant funding dispursed and can include some salary and other overhead costs. Tax records show the AAPS Educational Foundation's spending on programs was right at that 65 percent threshold in 2010-11. From 2011 to 2014 - the most recent financial information available - between 76 percent and 86.5 percent of the foundation's total expenses went to programming. Having the community foundation handle the educational foundation's assets also will bring a shift in mindset to more long-term investments, Schairbaum said, rather than immediately distributing most of the money raised each year like he said the educational foundation has done in the past. In terms of practical impact for Ann Arbor Public Schools students and staff, little will change with the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation handling the money previously donated to the educational foundation. AAACF will continue to distribute teacher grants - which were not awarded this school year during the foundation's transition - and to award student scholarships. A committee including former educational foundation board members will advise the community foundation on how to distribute the teacher grants, and school staff will administer the scholarships. The community foundation already manages more than $3 million in charitable assets dedicated to supporting the school district and its students, through mini-grants for elementary programs, college scholarships for AAPS graduates and other dedicated funds, he said. "We view this just as an expansion of the work that we're already doing," Hajra said. History of the educational foundation In its 28-year history, the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation has provided funding to train teachers in a literacy program, offer private music lessons for students, save the Pioneer High School planetarium, update computer labs at the middle schools and Skyline High School and support numerous smaller projects at various schools through teachers' grant requests. Wendy Correll was the foundation's first executive director, hired in 2006. She led the foundation's One Million Reasons Campaign, which ran from 2010 through July 2012 and raised $795,000 of its initial $1 million goal. From 2010: AAPS Educational Foundation spends more on overhead than giving grants, tax records show Donations for the One Million Reasons campaign dropped in 2012, which is when Ann Arbor Public Schools as a whole found itself struggling financially as well. Going into the 2012-13 school year, the school district eliminated afternoon busing for middle school students who stayed after school to participate in extracurricular activities. The move was part of $3.84 million in cuts the school board approved to balance the district's budget for that school year. The educational foundation and the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop each pledged up to $43,000 a year to keep the middle school extracurricular buses running. Correll stepped down as executive director of the educational foundation in September 2012, and the foundation hired its new director, Mary Cooperwasser, in February 2013. The foundation's total revenue dropped by about $200,000 in the 2012-13 fiscal year, during the turnover in leadership. That year the foundation spent $4,000 more than it brought in, according to financial disclosures to the IRS. The table shows total revenue, total expenses, grants, overhead costs and fund balance for the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation from 2008 to 2014, according to 990 Forms filed with the IRS. The Better Business Bureau says effective charities spend at least 65 percent of their total expenses on programming. Citing financial issues in the fall of 2013, the educational foundation ended its contributions for the later middle school bus routes as well as the school district's SchoolMessenger system for communicating with parents. The educational foundation and PTO Thrift Shop had been splitting the $32,000 cost of SchoolMessenger as well. The foundation also did not distribute its "Initiatives in Excellence" grants in the 2013-14 school year, which were typically awards of more than $5,000 to support programming. Smaller grants for teachers' and other school staff's projects continued that year. Cooperwasser served as executive director of the educational foundation for one year. When she left in February 2014, Linh Song was first named interim director and then took on the role on a permanent basis in May 2014. In 2015, Song led the educational foundation through a successful $350,000 campaign - which included a $50,000 donation from McKinley - to upgrade the middle school computer labs. One of the most notable supporters of the AAPS Educational Foundation in recent years has been IMRA America Inc., a technology research and development company based in Ann Arbor. Between 2012 and 2016, IMRA gave a total of $350,000 to the educational foundation. Its contributions supported math and science programs, allowed the planetarium at Pioneer High School to continue operating, created a computer and engineering lab for one of Skyline High School's magnet programs and supported technology and engineering programs at Huron High School. ANN ARBOR, MI - A former Eastern Michigan University student has admitted to scrawling racist messages on walls of three campus buildings in a 2016 string of vandalism incidents. Eddie Curlin, 29, pleaded guilty to three counts of malicious destruction of a building when he appeared on Monday, April 23 at the Washtenaw County Trial Court. He also pleaded no contest to four counts of identity theft. His plea agreement calls for a sentence of two to five years behind bars, attorneys said during the court hearing. A charge of using a computer to commit a crime will be dropped. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 21. Curlin attended EMU from 2014 to early 2016. He was accused of spray painting hate messages on an exterior wall of King Hall in September 2016, on the exterior wall of Ford Hall in October 2016 and in a men's restroom stall in Sherzer Hall in spring 2017. The graffiti targeted EMU black community. Curlin is black. Police believe he was motivated by hopes of acting as an informant in the case, having previous criminal charges against him dropped and being allowed to return as a student to Eastern Michigan University. Curlin already is serving a one-to five-year sentence on unrelated charges of receiving and concealing stolen property. The exact connection between the felony identity theft charges and the misdemeanor malicious destruction of property charges has been unclear. Restitution of about $800 is expected to be recommended in the case, Assistant Washtenaw County Public Defender Timothy Niemann said during the hearing. EMU Police Chief Robert Heighes previously said that race was not a motivating factor in the vandalism incidents. "As far as motivation for this, it was totally self-serving," Heighes said. "It was not driven by politics, it was not driven by race. It was an individual item done by one individual for all three of the major graffiti incidents on our campus." Following the plea Monday, Heighes noted the combined efforts by his officers, the FBI and Michigan State Police in a statement released by the university. Charges came after a 13-month investigation. "I am pleased to see the outcome of excellent police work," he said. "Our team, with the support of our public safety partners, worked tirelessly to solve this case and I thank everyone who helped us achieve a conviction." SPRING ARBOR, MI - A crowd of activists, alumni and area residents marched Sunday afternoon in support of LGBT students at Spring Arbor University. More than 50 people took part in the SAU Alumni and Community Walk for Solidarity on Sunday, April 22, at Gallagher Park, marching across campus. Residents held signs calling for SAU to change its code of conduct and be more accepting of its LGBT students. SAU is a Free Methodist university located about 10 miles southwest of Jackson. Page five of the SAU Undergraduate Student Handbook states that students are required to abstain from any sexual activity, including "homosexual activity" and "same-sex dating behaviors." SAU alumna Lissa Strodtbeck, who graduated in 1996, said she organized the walk for area residents of all backgrounds to come together. "We don't all look alike, think alike, or agree on every issue, but we are all called to love each other," she said. "We're celebrating the commonality we have. We are all humans, we are all members of the community. We want to celebrate that rather than focus on the things that divide us." Dane Parsons, a senior at SAU, was one of a handful of active students that walked on Sunday. Parsons said he came out as bi-sexual this past semester and wants to help similar students find their voice. "I'm trying to support the other LGBT students on this campus who don't have a voice because it's more difficult for people to be out, especially in a conservative, Christian environment," he said. "The hope is to get some visibility. We're trying to get more recognition for more rights in certain areas." A small group of students from Hope College, a Christian liberal arts school located in Holland, made the two-hour trip Sunday to stand side-by-side with their peers from SAU. Hope College senior Davonte Cosby said they had a similar walk on their campus last week and the goal is to spread LGBT awareness and acceptance across all Michigan schools. "It's so easy to be a part of a certain demographic and feel isolated from the rest of the campus," Cosby said. "Although Hope (College) has made a lot of progress, it still has a long way to go. Coming here to show solidarity for colleges going through similar issues allows us to all help each other." SAU 2016 graduates Dan Houthoofd and John Hall said they joined the walk on Sunday to stand against the school's handbook, which they believe is unfair. "There is a group of alumni who are in support of them," Hall said. "We disagree with the school's stance on this. Hopefully we can help current students feel love and supported." Among local community members who came out was Joe Dupont, 60, of Jackson. Dupont said he heard about the walk Sunday morning at his church. "I simply believe that everyone should have equal rights. As a straight man I want to be supportive of this community," he said. "I thought today was a nice day and I wanted to come out and be supportive." Murphy Gill, of Jackson, also attended the walk with his wife. Gill said he feels for students who want to been "seen and heard." "They're not made to be in the shadows," he said. "It's good for the community to stand up and say you shouldn't repress a whole group of people just because you don't agree with them." Jon Bahr, vice president of enrollment and marketing at SAU, said the school teaches from the perspective of the bible, but understands not all students will agree with every aspect. "We seek to support all of our students and to provide an environment that can support higher learning," he said. "We understand that we are going to have some students that don't share every single thing down to the tee that we do, and we think it's healthy to have that debate and dialogue." Spring Arbor was recognized among the 102 worst campuses for LGBT youth in the country in 2016 by North Carolina-based Campus Pride. Spring Arbor University was listed in part due to its Title IX exemption, according to the list. Two Michigan colleges recognized among country's worst for LGBT students The Free Methodist-affiliated church applied for the exemption from the civil rights law in 2014, according to documents on the U.S. Department of Education's website. AUBURN, MI -- A week after a small Mid-Michigan town made national news for Confederate flag displays outside their high school, residents and alumni gathered in hopes of continuing a conversation they say needs to happen. "When we were all watching the events unfold last week at Western, I think a lot of us were sitting back and shaking our heads and saying this is not our high school, this is our town or our community, this is not the way we want to be portrayed," said Jill Gushow, a Bay City Western High School alumna. "We are the type of community that wants to have a diverse and strong population." Gushow organized a Monday morning, April 23, gathering outside Williams Township Park in Auburn as a way to "reset the conversations from last week." The only flags on display at the event were those with the Bay City Western High School logo. At the gathering, she announced the creation of a scholarship awarded to students who "are leaders in making our community stronger through actions promoting positive race relations, diversity as a strength, and social justice." The scholarship will be awarded this year and, if enough people donate, every year after as well, Gushow said. Those wishing to donate can do so online through the Bay Area Community Foundation. For two days last week, vehicles with Confederate flags lined up outside Bay City Western High School in Auburn. Students and others argue regardless of what intention the flag bearers had, it was a move targeting minority classmates. District administrators closed the school on Thursday, April 19, after rumors surfaced that people were coming to the high school to confront other students. Students and some adults then moved their Confederate flag display to a public park. Matt Staudacher and his mother Celia Staudacher were among almost 30 others who came out Monday morning to talk about the situation. He said he was aware of racism issues when he was a student at Western a decade ago. "It's never been this tense," said Matt Staudacher, a 2009 Western alumnus. "Everything that was swept under the rug has got swept back out." Whether the community rallies against "people using the First Amendment to promote hate" or chooses to be silent, it will define Auburn for years to come, he added. "Looking in from the outside, it's easy to see Auburn as a home of racists," Staudacher said. The Confederate flag demonstrations may not be done yet. On Saturday, a group of people plan "show their pride" by displaying the flags as they drive from Midland to Bay City with a stop in Auburn along the way. "They want to suppress our right of freedom of speech, hide the facts and only tell the side of the story they want about America's history," the Facebook event reads. "Please join me in a run through town to show we will not be silenced." Alaynah Smith, a Midland resident who works in Auburn, said she and her colleagues in Women of Michigan Action Network plan to conduct a counter protest with student involvement. "I think it's important for people to stand up for the values they believe in," Smith said. "(The Confederate flag) sends a message of hate, non-acceptance and bigotry." David A. Schwartz BAY CITY, MI -- Out of prison for less than two years, a local man is heading back there for going on a robbery spree in Bay City's South End. David A. Schwartz, 34, on April 16 appeared before Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran and pleaded no contest to two counts of unarmed robbery and single counts of armed robbery, unlawfully driving away a motor vehicle, and assaulting, resisting, or obstructing police. Schwartz faced no additional charges. In a previous Cobbs hearing, Sheeran indicated he would sentence Schwartz to a minimum nine years in prison. A Cobbs hearing sees a judge outline the likely penalty a defendant will face if convicted. By pleading no contest, Schwartz did not verbally admit to having committed any crime. Sheeran had to rely on police reports to enter convictions on the record. Those reports state Schwartz at about 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 29 entered the 7-Eleven at 1510 Kosciuszko Ave. After receiving an undisclosed amount of money, he ran outside and stole an employee's vehicle that been idling in the parking lot. Police later recovered the vehicle. The following day at 7:31 a.m., Schwartz entered King's Party Store, 1029 S. Madison Ave., and demanded cash, but left empty handed. He then went to the McDonald's at 2200 Broadway St. and stole an undisclosed sum. On spotting a responding officer, Schwartz took off running. The officer chased after him, eventually catching him and placing him under arrest. The pilfered money from McDonald's was still in Schwartz's possession, police reports state. Schwartz later made admissions to police that he was indeed the guilty party. At his arraignment, Schwartz said he dropped out of school in sixth or seventh grade. Schwartz has a lengthy rap sheet, dating back to a juvenile adjudication in 1998. A Bay County judge in September 2014 sentenced Schwartz to 25 months to 10 years in prison on a conviction of larceny from a person. The Michigan Department of Corrections discharged Schwartz on Aug. 18, 2016. Sheeran is to sentence Schwartz at 9 a.m. on June 4. Willie Fortner, Detroit police photo DETROIT -- An off-duty Detroit police officer is accused of assaulting his girlfriend and two good Samaritans who stopped the beating before the man brandished a gun in Detroit's Greektown this past weekend. Willie Fortner, 25, attacked his 22-year-old girlfriend near East Fort and Beaubian streets about 2 a.m. Saturday, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office says. "A 29-year-old man and a 20-year-old man observed the defendant physically assaulting the woman, and both men intervened to protect her," according to prosecutors. "It is alleged that Fortner had a verbal dispute with the men, went to the trunk of his car, removed a hand gun, and pointed it at both men, causing them to run for cover. "Detroit police officers were dispatched to the location and placed Fortner under arrest." Fortner is charged with two counts of felony assault, felony use of a firearm and misdemeanor domestic violence. A $15,000, 10 percent bond was set at Fortner's arraignment Monday, April 23. He is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary examination on May 7. Fortner isn't allowed to communicate with the victims or possess firearms while his case is pending. MLive has requested and is awaiting a mugshot of Fortner. UPDATE: Three charged with murder in homicide of 20-year-old California man UPDATE: Police ID man found stabbed to death in Mundy Township field MUNDY TWP, MI - The death of a man found in a field Saturday morning in Mundy Township is being investigated as a homicide. Officers with the Metro Police Authority of Genesee County were called out around 11 a.m. April 21 to the area of Jennings and Baldwin Road for a suspicious vehicle in a field near the intersection. Detective Mike Neering said the victim was found lying next to the vehicle. The Michigan State Police Crime Lab out of Bridgeport also responded to the scene to assist in the investigation. "We are investigating (his death) as a homicide," commented Neering Sunday afternoon, but he declined further comment on circumstances surrounding the incident. He did not release the victim's name, pending family contact, but Neering did state the man appears to be in his early 20s and from California. Anyone with information on the incident may contact the Metro Police Authority of Genesee County at 810-820-2190. FLINT, MI -- A Flint activist has won an award for her work on the city's water crisis. LeeAnne Walters was honored as a 2018 Goldman Environmental Prize winner. The Goldman Environmental Foundation annual award is the largest of its kind for grassroots environmental activists, according to the statement from the organization announcing the award. Each year, the group honors "heroes from each of the world's six inhabited continental regions," the statement said. "Walters led a citizens' movement that tested the tap water in Flint, Michigan, and exposed the Flint water crisis, compelling the local, state, and federal governments to take action to ensure access to clean drinking water," the statement said. She was honored alongside other winners from Colombia, France, South Africa, the Philippines and Vietnam. The winners will receive their prize during an invitation-only ceremony on Monday, April 23, at the San Francisco Opera House. There also will be a ceremony for the winners in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, April 25. FLINT, MI -- Mott Community College announced a new partnership and investment in workforce development for the solar energy industry in Genesee County. The partnership with Cypress Creek Renewables was announced at a Monday, April 23, press conference in the MCC Regional Technology Center. Cypress Creek Renewables, a California company that specializes in the development and operation of solar energy facilities, donated $20,000 to initialize a solar program fund at MCC. The fund will be used to develop programming at MCC centered around solar energy coursework. The grant focuses on providing assistance to women and veterans to ensure a diverse and inclusive workforce in the solar industry. "Our partnership with Mott Community College will help ensure that the solar industry has access to the right people now, and in the future, as we build out our growing pipeline of solar projects throughout Michigan," said Cypress Creek Director of Development Joe Cottle. Cypress Creek's partnership with MCC is part of the company's workforce development initiative. The initiative's aim is to strengthen the U.S. renewable energy workforce through investment in job training and workforce development. "We are thrilled to launch our first partnership with a solar company and specifically with Cypress Creek, a national leader in solar," said Mott Community College President Beverly Walker-Griffea. "As solar grows across Michigan, our community will be prepared to fill these jobs." The company now has partnerships with five community colleges across the nation. The solar industry currently employs more than 4,100 people across the state, according to a press release from MCC. Tim Herman, CEO of the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, said he hopes that number will grow as more independent power producers develop in the state. "The Flint and Genesee region has long been a leader in clean energy through the efforts of the E3 Innovation Network," said Herman. "So, we're proud to welcome Cypress Creek Renewables and utility-scale solar to our community, and we're excited that this partnership may lead to more jobs in clean energy in our community." MT. MORRIS TWP., MI -- The mother charged in connection with the beating death of her infant son last month could lose parental rights to her 2-year-old daughter. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said his office filed a petition asking the court to take jurisdiction over the girl and terminate parental rights of Termara Shaniece Reed. Temara Reed Reed, 23, is charged with tampering with evidence, lying to a police officer conducting a violent crime investigation, accessory after the fact and third-degree child abuse. "Based upon the information we have, we believe this child was home at the time the other child was abused and murdered," Leyton said. "Our client, the (Michigan Department of Health and Human Services), is interested in the well-being of the surviving child and that's why we have filed the petition on its behalf." Mt. Morris Township police were called March 25, by the Genesee County Medical Examiner's Office following the death of Reed's son, 5-month-old Jordan Algee Jr., police previously said. Police previously said blunt force trauma was the cause of death. Rico Antonio Riggs, 19, of Flint, has been charged with felony murder, first-degree child abuse, first-degree child abuse committed in the presence of another child, tampering with evidence and intimidating witnesses, according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. Leyton said there will be a preliminary hearing on the petition to remove parental rights on May 10. FLINT, MI -- People in Genesee County should have been warned about active, life-threatening Legionnaires' disease outbreaks during the Flint water crisis -- something that never happened, a Wayne State University professor testified Monday, April 23. Dr. Paul Kilgore told Genesee District Court Judge William Crawford on Monday, April 23, that notifying the public about the rapid spread of Legionnaires' in parts of 2014 and 2015 might have helped to limit exposure and resulted in earlier treatment of patients. Kilgore's testimony came during the fourteenth day of the preliminary examination for Dr. Eden Wells, the state's chief medical executive, who faces charges of obstruction of justice and lying to a peace officer for her role in the water crisis. Special prosecutor Todd Flood has said he plans to ask Crawford to bind Wells, a member of the governor's cabinet, over to Genesee Circuit Court on those and an additional charge of involuntary manslaughter. Attorneys for Wells have denied the allegations against her and filed a motion earlier this month asking Crawford to admit a complete statement between another WSU professor and Wells during a conference call in October 2016. Prosecutors claimed in charging Wells with obstruction that she threatened to withhold funding for the Flint Area Community Health and Environmental Partnership if the group did not end its investigation into the source of the area's Legionnaire's outbreaks. Both Dr. Marcus Zervos and Kilgore were members of the FACHEP team that was under contract with the state to investigate Legionnaires' in Flint until the end of last year. A probable cause statement filed by prosecutors said Zervos would testify that Wells threatened FACHEP's funding and mandated it shut down one part of its study of Flint water and Legionnaires'. Wells' attorneys claim in their motion that Zervos "most certainly did not testify" to that when he appeared before Crawford in February and asked the judge to admit the full transcript of a conference call in October 2016 -- when the alleged threat occurred. Kilgore said Monday that he and Wells both attended a meeting in Flint in February 2017, before FACHEP published scholarly papers that indicated a strong association between Flint's use of the Flint River for drinking water and Legionnaires' outbreaks. Kilgore said the message from state officials, including Rich Baird, a senior aide to Gov. Rick Snyder, in that meeting was that FACHEP's work was "inadequate, inappropriate and wrong." Neither Wells nor other officials with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Legionnaires' outbreaks in the county until they appeared with Snyder at a news conference in January 2016 -- just days before the federal government recognized Flint's contaminated water as a public health emergency. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The former chief executive officer of a Grand Rapids-based plastics-manufacturing company is accused of stealing nearly $1.4 million by submitting false vendor invoices. Darci Shillington, also known as Darci Corner, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, bank fraud and aggravated-identity fraud. She was CEO of Hilco Technologies when she allegedly took the money. She created false vendor invoices for industrial equipment and transferred $1,397,450 from Hilco's account at Huntington Bank to her own accounts at Huntington and Macatawa Bank, Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey wrote in the indictment. The transfers of funds were made between June 9, 2017, and Sept. 1, 2017, court records said. In the money-laundering case, she allegedly used a check for $597,313.99 to buy a house on Bryndale Way NE in Ada Township, records said. Originally listed for $3.2 million, the lavish 5-bedroom home was purchased by Shillington for $1.275 million, according to public records. The home, which was featured by Mlive.com in April 2016, is now owned by Hilco, according to property records. Macatawa Bank had asked her about large deposits into her accounts when it was weighing whether to loan money to buy the home, records said. "In response, Shillington falsely represented that the funds were the result of Hilco's decision to repurchase its stock from her, when in fact they came from the fraudulent activity described ... in this Indictment," VerHey wrote. She allegedly provided a falsified letter from a board member, James Goodman, confirming Hilco's decision to buy the shares back. Shillington could not be reached. She is expected to make her first court appearance in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids on Friday, April 27. No attorney is listed in court records. The penalty for bank fraud is up to 30 years in prison upon conviction. Wire fraud is a 20-year felony, while money-laundering is a 10-year felony. Aggravated-identity theft carries a mandatory, consecutive two-year prison term upon conviction. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI - A woman whose estranged husband was shot and killed by police had previously reported his threats to shoot her. Police once seized his firearm but returned it after the woman recanted, her attorney said Monday. Matthew Hartman was holding the gun to Mary Hartman's head on Sunday, April 22, when he was shot by police, her attorney, Robert German, told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Matthew Hartman, 27, is also suspected of killing her close friend, Jordan Carey, 29, and wounding Carey's friend, Mariah Cantu, 25, at a home in the 300 block of Merrill Avenue in Muskegon earlier that morning. "This situation should have never happened," German said. "It could have been prevented if the police had not returned the gun and dismissed the charges (against the husband in February)," he said. Ottawa County Sheriff's Capt. Mark Bennett said police are looking into the February incident but said he could not immediately respond to the attorney's allegations. Generally, he said: "The return of firearms is dictated by the legal process." After Muskegon police responded to the fatal shooting, Ottawa County sheriff's deputies were called to 8987 Brickersville Drive in West Olive Estates. A woman told Ottawa County Central Dispatch that her daughter, Mary Hartman, was in danger, while the daughter texted dispatchers that she needed help. Sheriff's deputies and Holland police responded to the mobile-home park. Matthew Hartman, who was allegedly washing bloody clothing, was outside of his home but went in when police showed up. He then came out holding a handgun to his wife's head. Police repeatedly told Matthew Hartman to drop the weapon but he did not. Police then shot and killed him. His wife was not harmed. Police later learned that the husband had taken his wife to Muskegon, where he allegedly killed Carey and injured the woman. Bennett said he could not release specific details about the officer-involved shooting, which is under investigation by state police. He said police acted to protect the woman. "It's an unfortunate situation for all involved," Bennett said. "We have to take actions that serve the best interests and safety of innocent people." German, the attorney, said the husband had pointed a gun at his wife, and threatened to kill her, before he was shot by police. German said police were forced to shoot the gunman. He said his client believes Matthew Hartman wanted police to kill him. Just before he was shot, Matthew Hartman called his mother-in-law's home, where his 5-year-old son was staying. He told the boy he loved him. Then, the couple walked out of the house. German said the couple was in the process of divorce, which was expected to be finalized April 30. Court documents now state the defendant in the divorce is deceased. German said his client called police "numerous times" to report assaults but her husband was not arrested until an incident in early February when he allegedly threatened the wife with a 9mm handgun. German said that police were outside of the Hartman home when she got home from work on Feb. 6. She went into their home where her husband was hiding. "When Mary walked into the room, Matthew pointed the same gun used in the Muskegon homicide and the gun to hold Mary hostage (Sunday), and gave her a sign to not say anything," German said. Police arrested the husband and took his gun after the February incident, German said. He contended that a detective "mistreated her during her interview so she told him to forget it, it didn't happen." She was arrested for a felony filing a false police report, he said. "In all other domestic violence cases I have worked over the past 27 (years) police always claim that when a woman changes or recants her story, it is part of the circle of domestic violence. I have never experienced a case where they dismiss the charge (against) the man and then charge the woman with a criminal offense of false reporting. However in Mary's case they did exactly that." The police report showed that deputies were going to arrest Matthew Hartman for a felony assault charge when Mary Hartman got a phone call from her mother. During the call, Mary Hartman "became very emotional screaming and yelling hysterically at her mother at which point she slammed down her phone and said 'f--- it, I lied.'" The deputy said Mary Hartman "stated that she had lied about the whole thing that she had not gotten held at gunpoint or had a gun pointed at her at all." Mary Hartman told police that her mother wanted her husband to get in trouble on a gun charge so "she had lied making the whole thing up," a detective wrote in a police report. German said police should have recognized that his client was in an abusive relationship. He said his client feared her soon-to-be ex-husband would shoot her and that her concerns grew as the finalization of the divorce neared. Indiana health officials are warning any residents with plans to travel to either Michigan or Kentucky to get vaccinated for hepatitis A first due to recent outbreaks. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports that since August 2016, they have seen an increasing number of hepatitis A cases. There has not been a common source identified for the outbreak, but the agency reports that person-to-person contact and "illicit drug use" seems to be the main cause of transmission. According to the release, there have been 815 reported cases, 657 hospitalizations and 25 deaths between Aug. 1, 2016 and April 18 of this year in Michigan. Health officials in Indiana say that they usually see less than 20 hepatitis cases each year, but 77 have been confirmed in 2018 alone "many of which are related to an outbreak in southern Indiana." "With popular tourist events coming up in other states, we know many Hoosiers will be traveling to areas impacted by hepatitis A, and we want them to be safe," Indiana Deputy State Health Commissioner and State Epidemiologist Pam Pontones said in the release. "Getting vaccinated and thoroughly washing your hands before and after preparing food and eating and after using the restroom are simple, safe and effective ways to prevent the spread of hepatitis A." In Michigan, most of the cases have been reported in southeast Michigan with the city of Detroit, and Macomb, Wayne and Oakland Counties accounting for 636 of the 815 known cases. Hepatitis A symptoms include nausea and vomiting, belly pain, feeling tired, fever, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin and eyes, dark urine, pale-colored faces and joint pain. MUSKEGON, MI - Police have identified a 29-year-old Muskegon man as the victim of a fatal shooting in Muskegon Sunday morning. Police reported Jordan Carey was shot and killed at a home in the 300 block of Merrill Avenue in Muskegon just before 7:30 a.m. Sunday, April 22. A 25-year-old woman, Mariah Cantu, was injured by gunfire, police reported. Friends and family said Carey had just started to live again - enjoying freedom outside prison walls - when his life was ended by a suspect police later killed in a standoff. The shooting was believed to have been domestic-related, police said. The male victim called 911 to report a man had come to his door and shot him and then fled, according to reports. Dispatchers told police the victim knew who shot him. When they arrived on the scene, police reported that the victim had been shot in the head and that he had died. "The suspected shooter, a 27-year-old West Olive man, was later reportedly involved in deadly force encounter with Ottawa County law enforcement officials," Muskegon police said in a press release issued Monday afternoon. Ottawa County law enforcement later in the morning responded to a standoff at West Olive Estates that reportedly was related to the fatal Muskegon shooting. Attorney Robert German said he represents the wife of the suspect, and that the suspect had been holding a gun to his wife's head when police shot him. German said that after the shooting in Muskegon, the suspect had driven his wife at gunpoint back to their Ottawa County home and held her against her will, threatening to kill her. When he took her outside at gunpoint, police "were forced to shoot him," German said, labeling the incident "suicide by cop." It wasn't clear what sort of dispute the man had with Carey. Carey had posted on Facebook about "small steps" he was taking to get his life in order. He had been incarcerated on three uttering and publishing convictions and for tampering with an electronic monitoring device, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections web site. He was paroled on Feb. 27. On March 19, he posted "Best things in life are truly free # Freedom." Less than a week later, he made a post with the emotion "feeling proud" that included a photo of himself with his state-issued identification card. "Small steps baby," he wrote. And on April 13, his last post on Facebook, Carey wrote "Cleaning my new apartment I paid for by myself legally, Never thought I'd say any of those words in the same sentence". He had included the emotion "feeling blessed." A woman identifying herself as Cantu's mother posted on Facebook about her grief over Carey's passing. "I'm so glad to have had the pleasure of meeting you and that thousand watt smile will always be what I remember most and also proof that despite what you've done in your past doesn't define who you are and change is possible," she wrote. The mother indicated Cantu was not seriously injured in the incident. The shootings in Muskegon were the second in the city over the past two weekends that ended with the alleged shooter dead. On April 13, Tommy Davis and Brittany Sevrey were shot and killed as they sat in a car parked downtown. Sevrey's husband, Brandon, was identified as the shooter and was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound near his Muskegon Township home, Muskegon police said. UPDATE: Midland County 911 reports westbound US-10 has reopened. LINCOLN TWP, MI -- Westbound US-10 between Stark and Meridian remains closed Monday morning, April 23, due to a fatal crash. The Michigan Department of Transportation reported the closure around 7:40 a.m. WNEM reports one person was killed in the crash. The eastbound lanes were closed as well but have since reopened. The Midland County Sheriff's Office did not return calls for comment. LINCOLN TWP, MI -- One man is dead and his three grandchildren injured after their vehicle was rear-ended on US-10 early Monday morning. Midland County Sheriff Scott Stephenson identified the man as 66-year-old Jeffrey Long, a Midland resident. His 11-year-old grandchild was airlifted to an Ann Arbor hospital in serious condition, the sheriff said. The other two grandchildren, ages 13 and 9, were transported to a Midland hospital. The crash occurred just before 7:30 a.m. Monday, April 23, on eastbound US-10 west of Stark Road. Long and his grandchildren were traveling eastbound in his 2015 Chevrolet Spark when he was rear-ended by a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 25-year-old Sanford woman, Stephenson said. Long's vehicle then crossed the median and entered onto westbound US-10, according to Midland County Sheriff's Office Capt. Tracy Thomas. The vehicle didn't strike or get struck by other vehicles. Long was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman who rear-ended Long's car suffered minor injuries and was transported to a Midland hospital. Everyone was wearing their seat belts, according to Stephenson. Airbags deployed in the Jeep Cherokee. The sheriff did not state if they did on Long's. Currently, there is no evidence of drugs or alcohol factoring into the crash, but investigators are awaiting toxicology reports before they say definitively, the sheriff said. The Midland County Sheriff's Office was assisted by Midland police, Midland fire, Michigan State Police, Lincoln Township fire, Mid-Michigan Emergency Medical Services and Chief Medical Examiner J. Daniel Cline. The crash remains under investigation. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call the Midland County Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau at 989-839-4619. TUSCOLA COUNTY, MI -- An increased police will take place over the next several days as a police investigation continues into a threat found on a bathroom wall at Vassar High School. The threat was discovered written on a wall in the boys' bathroom around 3:45 p.m. Friday, April 20, after a student reported it to school staff. Vassar police were then contacted by high school administrators. A preliminary investigation by police and school staff established a timeline showing the threat was written the wall something during the school day on Friday. "Although the threat was vague in nature, this agency considers any threat to the safety of students to be of the utmost priority, and it will be investigated thoroughly," reads an April 22 news release. An increased police presence will be required over the next few days as part of the criminal investigation, police said. "Although multiple student/witnesses have been contacted and interviewed over the past weekend, further student/witnesses may need to be contacted during school hours," per the statement. "The Police Department is requesting cooperation of students and parents during this time." An April 22 statement from the district notes "Everyone on campus during this past weekend was absolutely safe, and I am so proud to be a part of a community and local police agency, that worked together quickly to investigate." Videotapes were reviewed over the weekend and "all school procedures and protocols will be continued to be followed and continued teamwork with the Vassar Police Department is a priority," according to the district. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Vassar Police Department at 989-823-8531 or Tuscola County 911. One of Alabama's three Confederate-related holidays is Monday, April 23 which means state offices are closed in observance of Confederate Memorial Day. Alabama and Mississippi are the only two states that close its offices in honor of Confederate soldiers killed during the Civil War. Mississippi's is observed one week later this year on April 30. Florida and South Carolina recognize the holiday, but don't get an official day off for it. MLive sister-publication AL.com reports Confederate Memorial Day dates back to 1866 when a Georgia-based women's memorial association passed a resolution to honor fallen Confederate soldiers. The Associated Press reports that Georgia removed the Confederate reference from the holiday in 2015, but still gets the day off as simply "State Holiday," according to the state's official website. The two other Confederate-related state holidays in Alabama are Robert E. Lee's birthday on the third Monday in January, and Confederate President Jefferson Davis' birthday on the first Monday in June. The celebration of the Confederate General's birthday coincides with the state's honoring of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King's birthday. Today Alabama observes Confederate Memorial Day. Here is what Alabama wrote when they seceded from the Union in 1861. This is whats being celebrated as an official state holiday in 2018. They rebuke the downfall of slavery and they fear the lust of half-civilized Africans. pic.twitter.com/dyMHhYRtWI Clint Smith (@ClintSmithIII) April 23, 2018 -- The Associated Press reports there is an annual celebration on the ground of the Alabama Capitol as people dress in Confederate garb and honor those who fought for the South in the Civil War. The group Faith in Action also has an event planned focused on getting the state to reexamine if it's appropriate to get take the day off and celebrate this holiday. [April 23, 2018] Diamond CBD Helps to Bring Stakeholders From Across Kenya to Plant Trees in the Ngong Hills Charity Event Organized by Exponential, Inc. (XPO2) on Thursday April 19th, 2018 in the Ngong Hills of Kenya FT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE -- On Thursday, April 19th of 2018, PotNetwork Holdings, Inc.s (OTC Pink:POTN) wholly owned subsidiary, Diamond CBD, Inc., brought together children from various group homes around Kajiado, Kenya to take part in a tree planting exercise at Corner Baridi, Ngong Hills in an effort to reclaim and reforest this ravaged natural landscape. Totaling more than 3,000 hectares when it was originally set aside in 1932, the Ngong Hills and Forest Reserve was reduced to just 1,200 acres by 2005. Reforesting this vital ecosystem will help to combat soil erosion and help to restore this important forest to its former glory. The event organized for April 19th brought together over 25 environmental groups from the area in addition to County Government, Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service. Event organizer, Exponential, Inc. (XPO2) is proud to support efforts to enrich the natural landscapes of Kenya. Kenyan Organizations providing support include: 1. Kajiado County Environment Action Group/ Mazingiramashinani - Support 2. Embulbul/Ololua Environment Waste Management Group - Lead Conservators 3. Team Environment Kenya - Lead Support Conservators 4. Kajiado County Forest Office - Support 5. Kenya Forest Services/ Kenya forest Research Institute - Government Official Authorities 6. Rotary Kenya - Planting Grounds Permission & Support 7. Ngong Hills Community & Youth Group - Participants and Ground Preparations 8. Ngong Road Forest Association - Support 10. Cara Project - Tree Planting Participants 11. Hekima Place - Tree Planting Participants 12. Simba Village Children's Home - Tree Planting Participants This event will also mark the launch of an umbrella group, "Ngong Forest Conservation Trust", whose sole objective is to restore the Ngongs Hills and Forests with funds raised by XPO2. Exponential, Inc. is a cause related technology marketing company and creator of the white label XPO2 fundraising, marketing and ecommerce platform. XPO2 offers small to medium sized nonprofit organizations and charities the opportunities to connect with donors from around the world and secure the funds they need to fulfill their missions. XPO2 will be raising funds in Kenya that will go directly towrds protecting the natural landscape and strengthening local communities. Exponential, Inc. is a global company dedicated to supporting efforts which lead to a net social impact. As the KPI guiding real world results and impact investment success, net social impact is a measure to define the good small to medium sized NGOs are achieving everyday. That means every dollar raised to support the people, animals and natural landscapes of a place like Kenya, will stay there to ensure that our efforts continue long after April 19th of 2018. Thanks to the support of Diamond CBD, Exponential Inc. is able to create measurable results that protect natural resources and improve the quality of life for citizens around the world. Following recent Diamond CBD sponsored charitable events in the Philippines and Vietnam, this reforesting effort marks the beginning of XPO2s efforts in Africa. Between April 17th and 27th of 2018, XPO2 is on the ground in Kenya raising funds and lending direct support to various nonprofit organizations, community action groups and charities. The team will be lead by its founder and CEO, Dom Einhorn, with support from XPO2 representatives from Vietnam, France, Kenya and the United States. XPO2 is proud to working with sponsors like Diamond CBD to create measurable real world results that improve the health, well-being and quality of life for people around the world. About Diamond CBD Inc. : Diamond CBD focuses on the research, development, and multinational marketing of premium hemp extracts that contain a broad range of cannabinoids and natural hemp derivatives. Diamond CBDs team consists of hemp industry pioneers and natural product experts, chemists, doctors and scientists, dedicated to producing the finest and purest cannabidiol (CBD) oils. The result is a robust selection considered among the most powerful natural CBD oils, tinctures, edibles, and vape liquids found anywhere. For more information, please visit its website at www.DiamondCBD.com. About PotNetwork Holdings, Inc: PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink:POTN) is a publicly traded company that acts as a holding company for its subsidiaries, First Capital Venture Co., the owner of Diamond CBD, Inc., the maker of Diamond CBD oils. About XPO: Exponential, Inc. (XPO) is a cause related technology marketing company that develops and promotes a white label e-commerce platform to drive fundraising revenue on behalf of charities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide. Via the platform, donors and supporters gain access to exclusive discounts and savings typically not available on the merchant site while helping raise incremental funds for their favorite cause with every purchase, at no extra cost to them. Safe Harbor Act: Forward-Looking Statements are included within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategy, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, including words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements and involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact: PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. Investor Relations: Marisol Elwell, 1-800-915-3060 investor@PotNetworkHolding.com [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com/wimax's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] KinerjaPay to Participate in Government's BEKRAF Program JAKARTA, Indonesia, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- KinerjaPay Corp., (OTCQB: KPAY), a digital payment and e-commerce platform, has announced that it participated in the activities of Badan Ekonomi Kreatif ("BEKRAF") or known as Creative Economy Agency, a non-ministrial government agency. The agency was established in 2015 to inform governmental policy on the coordination of the various strands of the creative economy and how further expansion might be supported. Particular interest is paid to Indonesia's digital future and the program assists those involved in the development of apps and computer games to realise their business potential. In joining BEKRAF, KinerjaPay is not only demonstrating its commitment to economic development but also to its own belief that this is an opportunity to deliver more services and products to its customers. Involvement in the Government's digital economy expansion program will allow KinerjaPay to engage with the broad range of youthful talent that is considered such an asset in the apps and game sub-sectors. Mr Edwin Ng, Chairman and CEO of the KinerjaPay Corporation, explains, "BEKRAF is a national institution in which many commercially viable digital technologies are represented, development is stimulated by their proximity and the challenge of competition that it creates. The digital economy relies on younger people with the creative vision to take up the opportunity of identifying and servicing new market needs." The potential for market growth is evidenced by an increase in smartphone users eager to tap into Indonesia's recently enhanced, and more affordable, internet network service, this, in turn, drives the demand for new apps and games. As an indicator of the Indonesian government's recognition of this important sector, apps and games developers are encouraged to compete on a global basis. To this end, the BEKRAF has created a Developer Day. The event was held on Saturday, March 24, 2018, in the Aston Hotel, Batam, Indonesia. Over three hundred apps, games, and web developers attended a series of forums in which fourteen digital business experts were propted by BEKRAF interviewers to discuss their various strategies for the promotion of the sector. The event drew a wide range of digital practitioners, it provided an opportunity for serious networking as well as its intended purpose of bringing elements of government, industry and academia into a more integrated digital community. All of this sets the stage for the July 2018, launch of the latest KinerjaPay product - KGAMES. "Product research and development has been synchronised with our knowledge of this expanding market," comments Mr Edwin Ng, "We are confident that online gaming will increase revenue growth while adding a new dynamism to KinerjaPay." About KinerjaPay KinerjaPay enables consumers to "Pay, Play and Buy" through its secure web portal and mobile applications. Based in Indonesia, the Company provides easy and convenient payment solution while shopping online at its marketplace platform. With its current omni-channel platform, users can perform various payment services such as credit card bill payment, utility, phone bill, healthcare insurance and direct transfer to anyone at their convenience. KinerjaPay is also planning to launch other eCommerce verticals such as travel market, delivery services, and online gaming in the near future. The Company's services are available through its mobile applications and on its website at http://www.kinerjapay.com. Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements, about KPAY's expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding, among other things, its product development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies or prospects. In addition, from time to time, KPAY or its representatives have made or may make forward-looking statements, orally or in writing. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan," "may," "should" or "anticipate" or their negatives or other variations of these words or other comparable words or by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. These forward-looking statements may be included in, but are not limited to, various filings made by KPAY with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases or oral statements made by or with the approval of one of KPAY's authorized executive officers. Forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results as of the date they are made. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause KPAY's actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause KPAY 's actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the factors summarized in KPAY 's filings with the SEC. In addition, KPAY operates in an industry sector where securities values are highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond its control. KPAY does not undertake any obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Please see the risk factors associated with an investment in our securities which are included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 11, 2016. For more information, please visit our website http://www.kinerjapay.co. There you will find access to all of our past press releases and SEC filings regarding the activities discussed in this letter. Media Contact: KinerjaPay Corp. Email: info@kinerjapay.co +62-8229-777-0098 SOURCE KinerjaPay Corp. [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com/wimax's Homepage ] Thirteen boys - and now a Michigan couple have had number 14. And Kateri and Jay Schwandt can see the funny side. Son No.14 has been named Sheboygan after a Native American chief who fathered many boys, Mr Schwandt said. Mr Schwandt told US media when the baby turned out to be yet another boy, the chief came up with the name Sheboygan - or, "she is a boy again". 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. Vous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire [] DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Qatar is denying an allegation by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain that it sent military fighter jets dangerously close to an Emirati commercial airliner. Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement Monday that the UAE sent a military aircraft into its own airspace "without prior permission ... and in a flying route close to that of the UAE civil aircraft." Qatar said its jets' mission "was known." Bahrain's state-run news agency early Monday identified the flight Sunday as going from Dammam, Saudi Arabia, to Abu Dhabi. Only Abu Dhabi-based Etihad flies that route. Etihad did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This marks just the latest allegations between Qatar and the UAE over their flights being harassed since a diplomatic crisis between them began in June. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. SANAA, Yemen (AP) An airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition hit a wedding party in northern Yemen, killing at least 20 people including the bride, health officials said Monday, as harrowing images emerged on social media of the deadly bombing, the third to hit Yemeni civilians since the weekend. Khaled al-Nadhri, the top health official in the northern province of Hajja, told The Associated Press that most of the dead were women and children who were gathered in one of the tents set up for the wedding party in the Bani Qayis district. He said the bride was also among the dead. A Saudi-led coalition has been battling Iran-allied Shiite rebels known as Houthis since 2015 in a stalemated war that has killed more than 10,000 people. Later Monday, the rebels said the official considered the head of state for the territories under their control was killed in a coalition airstrike. The rebels' Supreme Political Council said Saleh al-Samad was killed in the coastal Hodeida province on Thursday. "We consider the so-called forces of aggression, especially America and Saudi Arabia, responsible for killing of Samad and all the consequences of this crime," Abdul-Malek al-Houthi, the leader of the rebels, said. He said Samad was killed on a road with six companions after meeting with local officials. Mahdi al-Mashat, a former fighter who until now directed al-Houthi's office, was elected as a successor. After the wedding strike, which took place late Sunday, the groom and 45 of the wounded were brought to the al-Jomhouri hospital, said the facility's manager, Mohammed al-Sawmali. Health authorities called on people to donate blood. Ali Nasser al-Azib, deputy head of the hospital, said 30 children were among the wounded, some in critical condition with shrapnel wounds and severed limbs. Footage that emerged from the scene of the airstrike shows scattered body parts and a young boy in a green shirt hugging a man's lifeless body, screaming and crying. Health ministry spokesman Abdel-Hakim al-Kahlan said ambulances were initially unable to reach the site of the bombing for fear of subsequent airstrikes as the jets continued to fly overhead. It was the third deadly airstrike in Yemen since the weekend. An airstrike on Sunday night hit a house elsewhere in Hajja, killing an entire family of five, according to al-Nadhri. On Saturday, at least 20 civilians were killed when coalition fighter jets bombed a bus carrying commuters in western Yemen, near the city of Taiz, which has been locked in fighting for three years. The Saudi-led coalition has declined to comment on the strikes. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the airstrikes on the wedding party and on civilian vehicles in Taiz and reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians in armed conflict, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Monday. The U.N. chief called for "a prompt, effective and transparent investigation," Dujarric said. According to the independent monitor Yemen Data Project, a third of the 16,847 airstrikes since the war started have hit non-military targets. Over the past three years, more than 10,000 civilians have been killed and tens of thousands wounded, while over 3 million people have been displaced because of the fighting. U.N. officials and rights groups have accused the coalition of committing war crimes and of being responsible for most of the killings. Airstrikes have hit weddings, busy markets, hospitals, and schools. The Saudi-led coalition blames the Houthis, saying they are using civilians as human shields and hiding among the civilian population. The United States and European countries have also been criticized and accused of complicity in the coalition's attacks in Yemen because of their support for the alliance. They are supplying the coalition with weapons worth billions of dollars. Saudi Arabia meanwhile has faced a flurry of attacks by the Houthis, with the kingdom's defense forces saying they have intercepted missiles targeting the capital, Riyadh, and other cities, including two on Monday. The Saudi Air Defense force said in a statement that it destroyed ballistic missiles in flight that had been fired into the Jizan region on the border from inside Yemen, without causing any damage. Houthi-run media said the rebels targeted an oil facility. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ORLANDO, Fla. Walt Disney World plans to hire up to 3,500 more workers ahead of the summer tourism season. Disney World hiring 3,500 new workers Includes full-time, part-time and seasonal positions Candidates can apply online or attend job fairs The resort has announced it will host a series of job fairs as part of its spring hiring event. Disney is offering full-time, part-time and seasonal positions within transportation, food and beverage, housekeeping, culinary and more. The resort is also hiring lifeguards. Some positions will come with hiring bonuses. Housekeepers can get a hiring bonus of $1,250 while culinary chefs can get a $3,000 bonus. Full-time hires are eligible medical, dental and vision benefits, as well as paid time off. Disneys upcoming job fairs include: Housekeeping Hiring Days & Job Fair Housekeeping Hiring Days are held every Monday through Friday throughout April and May from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and on Wednesday, May 9, a housekeeping job fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. all held at the Walt Disney World Resort Casting Center. Disney Cast Members will be available to answer questions, assist with the application process and conduct interviews on the spot. Lifeguard Job Fairs On Saturday, April 21 at Mickeys Retreat and Wednesday, May 2 at Typhoon Lagoon, candidates who are 16 years or older will interview and complete onsite swim tests for an opportunity to become part of the Disney team. Culinary Job Fairs On Monday, April 23, at ESPN Wide World of Sports, qualified candidates can learn about available culinary roles, meet with chefs and interview with recruiters. Bus Driver Online Job Fair Held online through May 31, candidates interested in joining a team thats always on the move can apply for available part-time and full-time roles. Interested candidates can attend one of the job fairs or apply online. Universal Orlando is also hiring thousands of people ahead of the summer rush. The resort just opened its newest attraction Fast & FuriousSupercharged at Universal Studios Florida. Meanwhile, Disney is gearing up for a big summer. Toy Story Land, set to open June 30, will feature two new attractions and a brand-new restaurant. Oklahoma U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine will be sworn in Monday to become the next administrator of NASA. Marco Rubo says NASA needs 'space professional' in charge Bill Nelson shares Rubo's stance Jim Bridenstine says he has worked with Congress to achieve goals RELATED: NASA gets a new boss: Senate confirms Rep. Jim Bridenstine as administrator The U.S. Senate confirmed Bridenstine last week in a 50 to 49 vote. Both of Florida's senators have expressed reservations about Bridenstine leading NASA. "I was not enthused by the nomination, nothing personal against Mr. Bridenstine," said U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) last week. "I felt that NASA as an organization that needs to be led by a space professional." "That's what this senator wants, a space professional, not a politician," said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Florida) last week. For his part, during his confirmation hearing last November, Bridenstine says his work in Congress could help NASA. "One of the benefits I could bring to the agency is that I have worked in these halls with many members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to accomplish very strategic, objective goals for our country," Bridenstine said. Rubio eventually decided to give in and voted to confirm Bridenstine because he did not want the agency to go without a leader. NASA has been without a permanent administrator for more than a year. Nelson opposed the nomination to the end, concerned not only about Bridenstine's background, but also his views on climate change. "His record of behavior in the Congress is as divisive as any in Washington," said Nelson. Bridenstine is sworn in at a critical time for NASA. Human spaceflight missions from Florida's Space Coast are expected to resume within the next year. He will also be in charge of carrying out President Donald Trump's vision for returning humans to the moon before eventual missions to Mars. "We must develop a consensus agenda, driven by science and based on national interest," Bridenstine said at his confirmation hearing in November. Vice President Mike Pence will swear in Bridenstine at NASA Headquarters in Washington on Monday. Then Bridenstine will speak via satellite to three of his new employees, astronauts who are currently living and working at the International Space Station. MERIDEN More than half a million daffodils in full bloom are expected to grace this years 40th annual Daffodil Festival in Hubbard Park this weekend. The flowers out now are brilliant and that should continue As long as the next eight to 10 days is a warmer weather pattern, said Mark Zebora, festival chairman. If theres a really heavy frost, theres concern. Parks and Recreation Director Chris Bourdon said in past years the flowers have sometimes bloomed too early and faded before the festival. Below-average temperatures in April should help the display this year. Theyre probably about a third to a half in bloom, Bourdon said Thursday. It should be one of the best years for flowers being in bloom close to the festival. The Daffodil Festival itself is celebrating 40 years, but the Hubbard Park daffodils go back to the late 40s and early 50s, Bourdon said. The daffodils are shipped from the same flower grower in Holland every year. Between 20,000 and 40,000 new flowers are planted every October. Back then, park superintendent James J. Barry kept a greenhouse in the park and introduced the flowers. This was really (Barrys) legacy, that was really taken up and supported by Mark Zebora, Bourdon said. Berry likely chose daffodils for their beauty and vibrancy, Bourdon said. It is illegal to pick the daffodils because it will substantially reduce the plants life and they will not come back as strong the next year, Bourdon said. There are signs up around the park displaying the penalty for pickers. In addition to new flowers, visitors will see a new Welcome to Hubbard Park sign at the upper entrance. The double-sided sign was installed Wednesday. bwright@record-journal.com 203-317-2316 Twitter: @baileyfaywright National Geographic WILD is home to a big family of animal caretakers and rescuers. In these special episodes, check out how the Men of WILD are helping all kinds of creatures one case at a time. Fridays from 8:30pm AEDT. Sign up to receive the First Reading newsletter, your guide to the world of Canadian politics. First Reading is your guide to the world of Canadian politics. Sign up now> By PTI NEW DELHI: The BJP today lashed out at the Congress for its move to impeach the chief justice of India, saying it was trying to "demean, degrade and denigrate" the judiciary after its "conspiracies" in the case of judge B H Loya's death and riot charges against its Gujarat leader Maya Kodnani were exposed. BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi told reporters that the impeachment move is an attempt to pressure the judiciary and send out the message that "either you do what we say and if you dare not do as we command", then it will impeach judges. She said Kodnani, who was acquitted by the Gujarat High Court today, was victimised by the Congress and implicated in a "false case" when it was in power at the Centre as it wanted to implicate the saffron party's leaders in false cases. "It also hatched a conspiracy in the judge Loya death case. Evidence in these cases could not stand the judicial scrutiny. The Congress and other opposition parties levelled false allegations against our leaders but they are getting exposed now," she said. Whether it was petitions for a probe into the Loya death case or the charges against Kadnani, they were all fabricated cases, she said. The Constitution envisaged by B R Ambedkar views the judiciary independent of policies but the Congress is trying to politicise it . As the opposition party is losing political ground, it has resorted to such pressure tactics motivated by "malice", Lekhi said. It is an attempt to demean, degrade and denigrate the judiciary, she said. The Supreme Court had yesterday dismissed a batch of petitions seeking probe to judge Loya's death, saying he died of natural cases. The Gujarat High Court acquitted Kodnani, a former minister in the state government, in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riots case in which 97 people were killed by a mob. By ANI NEW DELHI: In the wake of Opposition Members of Parliament initiating proceedings for the removal of Chief Justice Dipak Misra from office on grounds of proven misbehavior and their decision to submit a notice to this effect to Rajya Sabha Chairman M.Venkaiah Naidu, the general reader needs to be informed as to how the process for removal is effected under Article 124 (for the removal of a Supreme Court judge) and Article 218 (for the removal of a High Court judge) of the Constitution. ALSO READ: Four acts of 'misbehaviour' levelled against Chief Justice Dipak Misra While the Constitution does not use the word 'impeachment', it does provide that a judge can be removed only by an order of the President of India, based on a motion passed by both Houses of Parliament. The procedure for removal of judges is elaborated in the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968. The Act sets out the following steps for removal from office: Under the Act, an impeachment motion may originate in either House of Parliament. To initiate proceedings, there are 12 steps to be considered: (i) At least 100 members of Lok Sabha may give a signed notice to the Speaker (ii) At least 50 members of Rajya Sabha may give a signed notice to the Chairman (iii) The Speaker or Chairman may consult individuals and examine relevant material related to the notice. (iv) Based on this, he or she may decide to either admit the motion or refuse to admit it. (v) If the motion is admitted, the Speaker or Chairman (who receives it) will constitute a three-member committee to investigate the complaint. It will comprise: (a) a Supreme Court judge; (ii) Chief Justice of a High Court and (iii) a distinguished jurist. (vi) The committee will frame charges based on which the investigation will be conducted. (vii) A copy of the charges will be forwarded to the judge who can present a written defence. (viii) After concluding its investigation, the committee will submit its report to the Speaker or Chairman, who will then lay the report before the relevant House of Parliament. (ix) If the report records a finding of misbehaviour or incapacity, the motion for removal will be taken up for consideration and debated. (x) The motion for removal is required to be adopted by each House of Parliament by (a) a majority of the total membership of that House, or (b) a majority of at least two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting. (xi) If the motion is adopted by this majority, the motion will be sent to the other House for adoption. (xii) Once the motion is adopted in both Houses, it is sent to the President, who will then issue an order for the removal of the judge. By Express News Service LUCKNOW/BHUBANESWAR/PATNA/NELLORE: On a day when President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated an ordinance prescribing death penalty for those convicted of raping minors, at least 10 incidents of child rape surfaced in various parts of India. Uttar Pradesh had the biggest share, from where at least four such incidents were reported, including one in Unnao, where a 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by five men, including her father on October 27, 2017. The victim filed a police complaint only last Friday. In UPs Rampur and Amroha districts, two minors were allegedly raped by juveniles, the police said. In a Muzaffarnagar village, a 13-yr-old girl was allegedly confined by a doctor in his clinic for three days and raped. READ | President Kovind clears Centre's ordinance seeking death penalty for child rapists Odisha reported two cases one girl aged six years and the other four years who were allegedly raped in Cuttack and Kendrapara districts. One case of rape and murder of a minor was reported in Bihar, the third such incident in 24 hours. In Haryana, a 14-year-old girl was allegedly abducted by four persons while she was sleeping in her house at a village in Yamunanagar district and gang-raped. ALSO READ | 2,023 cases booked under POCSO Act in Andhra Pradesh in three years: Government In Nellore district, a six-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a first-year engineering student, also a minor, at Chennur village. The TN police reported three cases of sexual assault of minor girls, one by a retired army man who allegedly raped his daughter near Marthandam. A seven-year-old was sexually abused on a train near Coimbatore by a lawyer. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: As many as 2,023 cases were registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in a span of three years from 2015 to 2017 across Andhra Pradesh, according to the Department for Women's Development and Child Welfare. However, disputing the department's claim, the NGOs working on POCSO cases say that in 2016 alone 2,093 cases were registered under the Act. "Less than 30 per cent of those accused in these cases were punished by the law. Amending the POCSO Act and increasing the severity of punishment will not act as deterrence to sexual assaults on children. In fact, this would have a negative impact in terms of most of the cases going unreported," says N Rammohan of Help, a voluntary organisation. READ | 10 more child rape cases on day President promulgated ordinance According to a study by the Centre for Child and the Law of National Law School of India University in 2017, the rate of hostility, as observed from judgment analysis, was a shocking 77.5% in Andhra Pradesh. The rate of conviction in cases where the accused was a relative is higher than in other cases under the POCSO Act. Ramamohan went on to say, "Majority of the accused do not get conviction, even though, in several cases, the minority of the victim is not in doubt. Incidents of sexual assault were first sought to be resolved with the intervention of village or caste elders and only when this attempt failed FIRs were lodged, "says N Rammohan from Help Organisation. However, according to the State government, 1,943 children involved in 2,043 cases were restored to their parents while 100 were sent to institutions. The State government is yet to disclose the exact conviction rate. Chairperson and members of the AP State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) visit the victims personally and collect information from them. Recently, they visited Tenali in Guntur district and interacted with the children who were molested by a fruit vendor on April 15. The victims welcomed the amendment to the POCSO Act according to which the person who sexually assaults children below the age of 12 years will be hanged to death. Speaking to Express, G Hymavathi, Chairperson of APSCPCR, says, "It is sad to see that sexual assaults on small children are increasing by the day. With this amendment, the number of such incidents may come down. We should also focus on bringing about awareness on the Act as only some cases are being reported." Graphics Conflicting claims Intro: The number of cases booked under POCSO Act is a bone contention between between State govt and NGO While the State government claimst 2,093 No. of cases were registered under POCSO in 2016 according to NGOs 2,043 No. of cases registered in three years from 2015 to 2017 1,943 No. of children restored to their families from 2015 to 2017 100 No. of children sent to rehabilitation centres from 2015 to 2017 Quote It is sad to see that sexual assaults on small children are increasing by the day. With this amendment, the number of such incidents may come down. We should also focus on bringing about awareness on the Act as only some cases are being reported G Hymavathi, APSCPCR Chairperson By Express News Service CHENNAI: In a significant political development, the ruling AIADMK on Sunday said signs of its working together with BJP like a double-barrel gun in the political arena are visible and no one can sever ties between the two parties. The official mouthpiece of EPS OPS led AIADMK Namadhu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma, said whatever be the number of protests and demonstrations, no one can sever the ties between the AIADMK and BJP. No one can weaken the bond between the Central and the State governments the article said. Noting that persistent protests by opposition DMK over the Cauvery issue, is aimed at spoiling the warmth between AIADMK and BJP, the ruling party said The signs are becoming visible for the AIADMK and BJP to work like a double-barrel gun in Indian politics, added the daily. ALSO READ | I merged with Palaniswami faction on PM Modi's suggestion: AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam Emphasizing the need for top leaders of the two parties to chalk out a roadmap for the purpose, the ruling party said the State and the Central regimes led by AIADMK and BJP respectively are working responsibly and are headed towards a final resolution of the Cauvery issue. The main opposition DMK was holding unnecessary protests as it was apprehensive that the State and the Central governments, working in cohesion, would succeed in resolving the Cauvery issue. Taking a dig at DMK, the AIADMK said the arch rival was trying to get an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi now on the issue after attempting to show black flags to him recently. Strong statements The official mouthpiece of EPS OPS led AIADMK, Namadhu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma, said whatever be the number of protests and demonstrations, no one can sever the ties between the AIADMK and BJP. It also added that the two parties can work like a double-barrel gun in Indian politics. It also urges leaders of both parties to chart a roadmap for the purpose Families irked by lack of upkeep at cemetery take it upon themselves Champaign, IL (61820) Today Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 61F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 61F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. The closing ceremony of the 31st April Spring Friendship Art Festival was held in Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, April 17, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua] The closing ceremony of the 31st April Spring Friendship Art Festival was held Tuesday in Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Chinese art troupe, led by Song Tao, head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, won many important awards. The National Ballet of China won "Special Award for the Group". Kim Jong-un, top leader of the DPRK,, and his wife Ri Sol-ju watched the ballet The Red Detachment of Women performed by the National Ballet of China. Kim went to the stage after the performance, gave congratulations on its success and took a photo with the actors. After watching another ballet, Giselle, Ri Sol-ju praised the performance by the Chinese artists, and the Korean audience also responded with thunderous applause. The two ballet performances won gold prizes at the festival. Feng Ying, president and art director of the National Ballet of China, paid her first visit to the DPRK for the performance, but she know a lot about Korean culture and art especially Korean dances, operas and films because she was born in Jilin province, close to the country. Director of the Intergenerational-ESL programme Alan Lai (right) says recruiting retirees can release the manpower potential of retired citizens and bridge the generation gap. Buddhist Mau Fung Memorial College English Department Co-ordinator Li Wing-lun (right) says the projects Intergenerational-ESL Programme initiative gives teachers a helping hand. Students from the Hong Kong Taoist Association Yuen Yuen Institute No.3 Secondary School say retired civil servants give them useful career planning tips. A group of volunteers from the Retired Civil Servants Association are going back to school to nurture youth development through the Project WeCan initiative. Some of them guide students by helping them develop career paths and life plans while others help the youngsters boost their English skills. In one of the initiative's programmes, retired civil servants talk about careers with Form 6 students at the Hong Kong Taoist Association Yuen Yuen Institute No.3 Secondary School in Tseung Kwan O. They have served in various posts, including in the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Correctional Services Department and the Department of Health. Volunteer Christina Leung, 61, who worked in the Centre for Health Protection's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch, believes the talks provide useful career information for students and encourages them to consider applying for government jobs. "They know that I used to work for the Department of Health and they prepared a lot of questions to learn about medical laboratory tests and are very eager to know more about what I did." Student empowerment Form 6 student Asif Kainaat hopes the school can organise similar talks in the future and said she received useful career planning tips by participating in the programme. "We might think that we would like to go into some of the departments like the Correctional Services Department or the Immigration Department, but sometimes we really don't know what they are actually doing inside. By having these kinds of talks, we can actually get to know more information (about) them, so we can actually be clear about what they do. Project WeCan was launched in 2011 to empower students to pursue higher studies and careers. People of all backgrounds, including retirees, can apply to be instructors. Another of the initiatives' projects is the English With Lineage: Intergenerational-ESL Programme, which enhances students' skills in the language and promotes understanding across generations. It has benefitted 180 students from six schools so far. Retirees trained in language teaching and communications by the Polytechnic University's Institute of Active Ageing volunteer as its tutors. Former Immigration Department official Rosa Chiu, 67, goes to Buddhist Mau Fung Memorial College in Tin Shui Wai every Saturday to help students with their English. She said she enjoys spending time with young people. "I am about the same age as my students' grandmothers and I was quite worried there would be a generation gap between us. However, I was happy I could interact with them." The college's English Department Co-ordinator Li Wing-lun said the initiative lends teachers a helping hand. "I think this activity is very good because there is only one tutor to two students so the teacher to student ratio is low and they can take care of students' needs. "It's a good opportunity for us to join this programme because they can have a lot of manpower and they can allocate a lot of older adults in this programme." Bridging the age gap Director of Project WeCan's ESL programme Alan Lai said recruiting retirees to provide English lessons can release the manpower potential of older citizens and bridge the generation gap. "Local retired citizens, they feel like they lack opportunities to stay active, to stay connected to society. We tried to come up with a way to let them get involved in something meaningful, like contributing to the younger generation through this programme. "After they retire, they are technically more available and that's why we tap into these local resources that most people would tend to undermine or tend to ignore." Mr Lai added the programme benefits both retirees, who can make friends with young people, and students, who will gain confidence in using English. Project WeCan works with more than 40 groups, including corporations, universities and consulates. It benefits 50,000 students from more than 50 schools. The event saw the participation of representatives from the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD); the Vietnamese Embassy and Commercial Affair in Malaysia; Malaysias Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry; and those from leading enterprises in processing, exporting and importing livestock products of the two countries. In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of MARD Tran Thanh Nam said the livestock cooperation between Vietnam and Malaysia still remains modest compared to the potential, and opportunities and mechanisms for businesses of the two sides to strengthen links is limited. He hoped that through the seminar, authorities and enterprises of the two countries would understand more about each other's situation and abilities, thus proposing ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the field. Vietnamese enterprises such as Vinamilk and Minh Dang Groups introduced their activities and products. They said their products could meet the demand of the Malaysian market, expressing their wish to set link-up with Malaysian partners, towards exporting their products to the country in the near future. Meanwhile, Malaysian businesses expressed their interest in some Vietnamese products such as beef, milk, dairy products, and animal feed. They revealed that Malaysian dairy and beef firms respectively meet only about 60 percent, and 23 percent of the domestic market demand. The Malaysian side affirmed it would consider the possibility of collaborating with Vietnamese partners to import those products in the coming time. Malaysian enterprises also said they could cooperate with Vietnamese firms through providing technologies of processing and preservation of livestock products, and veterinary medicine. Previously, on April 20th, Nam had a working session with representatives from the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, during which the two sides discussed measures to boost their agricultural and breeding collaboration./. ASUNCION, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Mario Abdo Benitez, the candidate from Paraguay's ruling Colorado Party, won the presidential election on Sunday, data released by the country's election tribunal showed. According to results released by the Superior Court of Electoral Justice (TSJE) of Paraguay, Abdo Benitez garnered 46.44 percent of the votes, while his main rival Efrain Alegre from the opposition Ganar Alliance pocketed 42.74 percent, after 99.67 percent of ballots were counted. Jaime Bestard, the TSJE president, announced in a press conference that this result is "irreversible." The margin of victory is much tighter than that indicated by pre-election opinion polls. Abdo Benitez pledged to "unite the country" in front of thousands of supporters on Sunday night at the headquarters of the Colorado Party in the capital Asuncion after the TSJE declared his victory. "The people voted for the unity of Paraguay and not for the division of Paraguay, and today I am committed to being a unifying factor in the future of Paraguay," Abdo said. Abdo Benitez, 46, will take office and begin a five-year term in August when he succeeds outgoing President Horacio Cartes. [ Editor: Xueying ] The implementation of mega deals signed between Zimbabwe and China during President Mnangagwas recent visit to Beijing, China, received a boost yesterday with the arrival of a high-powered delegation from Chinas National Reform and Development Commission to train locals in the requisite skills to execute them. The team is led by Madam Song Gongmei, who is the deputy director-general of the International Centre of the National Reform and Development Commission. Yesterday, the team met Vice President Constantino Chiwenga at his Munhumutapa offices in Harare before later signing an agreement with the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda on the skills capacitation programme. The training of Government officials starts today. Speaking to journalists after the signing ceremony, Dr Sibanda said: We have just received a high-powered delegation from the Peoples Republic of China from an institution called the National Reform and Development Commission of China which is a think tank responsible for the dynamic and far reaching reforms in China since 40 years ago. They have come to us following an earlier agreement we signed with them in 2015 as we were conceptualising the establishment of special economic zones and other areas which could fast track our development programmes. They are coming now on the heels of His Excellency President Mnangagwas successful State visit to China. They have been mandated by their Government to follow up and try to actualise those deals that have been signed by proffering the necessary capacitation in terms of skills. That is the essence of the agreement we signed. They will be training us in various areas so that we move forward in in terms of implementation and that is why you saw quite a number of colleagues from ministries and officials from State enterprises. Dr Sibanda said it was no longer business as usual in Government as efforts were being intensified to achieve the Presidents vision to make Zimbabwe a middle income economy by 2030. As said by the President, its business unusual. We managed to call people on a Sunday for this occasion. That signifies the importance of this phase in terms of fast-tracking our development to achieve the goals of middle income vision as enunciated by His Excellency the President. During President Mnangagwas visit to China, the two countries signed various agreements. Finance and Economic Development Minister, Cde Patrick Chinamasa, signed agreements on economic and technical co-operation between the Chinese government and Zimbabwe. He also signed more agreements on food assistance, the supply of high performance computers Phase 2, availability of experts from China in various fields and the drilling of an additional 500 boreholes to Zimbabwe. A similar number have already been drilled with assistance from China. Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister General Sibusiso Moyo (Retired) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on human resources development on behalf of the Public Service Commission in the presence of President Mnangagwa and his host President Xi Jinping. Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri signed an MOU for the construction of Kunzvi Dam while Ministry of Local Government principal director Colonel Joseph Mhakayakora (Retired) also signed an MOU on the rehabilitation and expansion of Harare waterworks. Herald The king of Chimurenga music, Dr Thomas Mukanya Mapfumo yesterday said former President Robert Mugabe was behind his persecution, adding that he would not have returned to Zimbabwe if his administration was still in power. Mapfumo paid a quiet visit to his in-laws in Mzilikazi suburb in Bulawayo to express his condolences following the death of his mother-in-law last month. He was accompanied by his wife, Verna (nee Dangarembga), children and his publicist, Blessing Vava. The familys first stop was along Fife Street opposite the large Large City Hall where they bought wreaths to take to Athlone Cemetery. The Lion of Zimbabwe, as Mapfumo is affectionately known, said he greatly missed home, especially his friends and relatives. I missed my relatives and friends greatly. I missed them a lot. As you know its been long since I was last here. I spent many years away. We couldnt come back because of the previous administration. It was difficult for us, he said. Mapfumo was accused way back in 2001 of buying stolen luxurious BMW cars from then fugitive car dealer, George Sibanda. The legendary musician dismissed the allegations as a guise to get at him for his hard hitting lyrics in his political songs. He blamed former President, Mugabe, for being the architect of his persecution. I was accused of crimes that I did not commit because of my candidness. I was speaking the truth but most people did not want to hear the truth. Those who want to develop the country should listen to the truth. If you listen to lies, its not good. We only came back home after the removal from office of this old man (President Mugabe). If he was still in office we wouldnt be here, he said. Dr Mapfumo said he also missed his favourite dish of sadza/isitshwala and beef stew. His missing home is aptly captured in one of the hits, Ndangariro, that he churned in the years he shifted base to the USA. I missed sadza a lot, you know sadza shapes us as a people. Our beef tastes so good because its organic food unlike the stuff we eat in the USA. In America they mostly eat junk food. Even my kids were missing home greatly. They are so happy. One of them is now 21 years old. She was only two years when we left Zimbabwe, hence she cannot speak Shona. She can understand the language though. But it should not be like that, a child of our clan failing to speak our language, he said. Mapfumo promised fireworks at his show scheduled for Glamis Arena in Harare on Saturday. He said he will play his golden oldies as well as his latest works to cater for fans of all ages. Fans will get time to sample Mukanyas forthcoming 10-track album Chauya chauya. The Chimurenga music guru expressed regret that he wont be able to play for his fans in other cities due to time constraints. He, however, assured fans that he will make amends in his next trips as it was now easy for him to visit the country regularly after President Emmerson Mnangagwa came into office. Chimurenga music, Mapfumo said, will live forever. Chronicle Thokozani Khupe, newly-elected leader of the breakaway MDC faction, yesterday said she has no regrets for cutting ties with Nelson Chamisa, whom she accused of hijacking the labour-backed party. As had been widely expected, Khupe was elected leader of the breakaway faction at an extraordinary congress of the party held in the second city yesterday. Obert Gutu, Harare lawyer Nixon Nyikadzino and Abedinico Bhebhe were elected vice president, secretary-general and national chair respectively. Sources close to Chihuris family who spoke to the Daily News on Sunday claimed the former police chief was being nursed in his in-laws home country Malawi amid speculation that he is not feeling well. I want to assure you that man is in Malawi as has been confirmed by some of his relatives. You must know by now that not of all of your relatives will be loyal to you, some will sell you out. The person who confided in us assured us that he was being treated in Malawi, his wifes home country, said a source. Of course, soon after the new dispensation was established just like all the other politicians linked to the Generation 40 faction he flew to South Africa but not for long because he needed a stable home where he could lay recovering. Another source said: Chihuri is aware that there are a lot of people baying for his blood and I doubt that he will return anytime soon. You know that his wife is of Malawian origin and recently he has moved there where he is being treated. Because of attorney-client privileges, Chihuris lawyers Mutamangira and Associates who are probably the closest anyone could get in finding out the former police boss whereabouts, refused to discuss their clients hideout. We cannot comment to the media on his issues as you know we are bound by confidentiality in our attorney-client relationship with him, a representative of the law firm told the Daily News on Sunday. Soon after President Emmerson Mnangagwas inauguration, Chihuri was sent on leave pending retirement. Unlike other former police chiefs such as Henry Mukurazhizha and Wiridzayi Nguruve who retired quietly, Chihuri has been bombarded with a catalogue of lawsuits and police are baying for his apprehension for justice to prevail. Among court cases raised against Chihuri is a maintenance suit in which a Bulawayo woman Sithulisiwe Mthimukulu, a police officer, is seeking an order to compel him to settle $240 000 arrears for child support. In February, Harare businessman Bigboy Pachirera sued Chihuri for $2 968 000 damages for losses he incurred to his business after the 65-year-old allegedly took forceful possession of his posh cars, construction vehicles and a house before changing ownership of the property into his name. Pachirera has also filed criminal charges of kidnapping and robbery allegedly perpetrated against him under the instructions of the former police boss. He is currently also wanted to explain before Parliament allegations of how he instructed his subordinates to seize a vault containing diamonds worth millions of dollars belonging to a company that was in partnership with the cops in a mining venture in the controversial Marange diamond fields. It is being alleged that the law enforcement agents, under his instructions, forcibly took the gems. His successor, Matanga, has professed ignorance on his predecessors whereabouts and told a parliamentary committee seized with the diamonds issue that he escalated his efforts to the permanent secretary in the ministry of Home Affairs Melusi Machiya but their joint efforts could not yield any positive result. I communicated with the permanent secretary about that and as of now, I have not been able to locate him, he said. Honourable chair, it is my responsibility to advise you of the whereabouts of former commissioner-general Chihuri. I am in the process of locating all the individuals concerned. We need them to prepare themselves for this meeting. With your indulgence, I was going to say if we could be given another date for them to come, said Matanga. I would be very unfair on my part to say the commissioner-general does not know who lives where . . . It is really my responsibility. Given enough time, I will come to this House and say . . . Chihuri is at house number so and so or he is not at his house. So I will do that, he added. Daily News Zimbabwe is deriving tremendous mileage from Governments ongoing re-engagement drive as interest in the country has intensified across the globe, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Retired Lieutenant-General Dr Sibusiso Moyo has said. Addressing the Zimbabwean Diaspora at a four-hour interactive luncheon at Zimbabwe House over the weekend, Dr Moyo, who is here at the invitation of British secretary of State Boris Johnson, described his meeting with his British counterpart as superb. Relations between Harare and London plummeted in 1997 in the wake of the Labour governments refusal to honour obligations entered into with the Tory administration of Margaret Thatcher who had committed Britain to fund land reforms in Zimbabwe. Over the next two decades, there was to be no high-level engagement between Harare and London, making Dr Moyos invitation for interactions on the sidelines of the just-ended Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting a milestone towards rapprochement. I have been here on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and I was invited by my counterpart Right Honourable Boris Johnson whom I had a session with yesterday (Friday) and I can tell you it was a superb session. It basically signified the entry of Zimbabwe into the family of nations, and as a consequence of that I also extended, in fact we had already extended, an invitation to the Commonwealth to even come and observe our elections, Dr Moyo said. He told the gathering that Zimbabwe would rejoin the Commonwealth once the requisite processes had been completed. Mr Robert Mugabes government pulled Zimbabwe from the club of mostly former British colonies on December 7, 2003 in protest over the countrys indefinite suspension from the councils of the Commonwealth at CHOGM Abuja as relations between Harare and London reached their nadir. I can assure you that the meeting I had yesterday (Friday) with Honourable Boris Johnson and other foreign ministers from the Commonwealth, they actually declared a lot of solidarity, support, encouragement and actually welcomed Zimbabwe into the Commonwealth, but we are saying as the executive, as people who lead the people, we do not want to run as the executive and join the Commonwealth and then leave the people behind. We want to make sure that we are together with the people, we are in it with the people because we are a listening dispensation. What you want is what we will do. Turning to the re-engagement drive that took him to New York and will see him head for Brussels after London, Dr Moyo said the campaign had borne tremendous results. Let me say that the impact so far of our thrust of rapprochement and re-engagement which we have been undertaking as the new dispensation has produced tremendous results. In fact I have always said that it has generated serious interest in Zimbabwe from all sectors of the globe to an extent that the reason we want you is for you to be in Zimbabwe or to bring them (investors) so that you become the link between these investors and those who are expressing interest in Zimbabwe. Apart from hosting envoys from global powers, among them all-weather friends such as China and Russia as well as erstwhile foes like Britain and the United States since assuming office in November last year, the new Government has also locked down over US$3billion in investment commitments as President Mnangagwas investment pitch that Zimbabwe is open for business resonates in global capitals. Herald Missing Hiker Found Dead After Petito Search Jogs Memories IN CASE YOU MISSED IT advertisement Lightning Didn't Kill Family Who Mysteriously Died on Hike IN CASE YOU MISSED IT advertisement advertisement One Minute She Was There, the Next She'd 'Evaporated' in case you missed it Weeks After Reopening, Bad News for Broadway IN CASE YOU MISSED IT advertisement Research May Hold Answer to the Mystery of Identical Twins new study advertisement Biden Team Fears Damage From Virginia Loss in case you missed it advertisement Teen's Video Inadvertently Affects Thousands of Studies in case you missed it advertisement Democrats Are Giving Win to Main Heckler opinion ABC/Image Group LA Reba McEntires stint as Colonel Sanders in those KFC TV commercials is coming to a close, as shes replaced by the famously tan Hollywood actor George Hamilton. The 78-year-old will reprise his role as the Extra Crispy Colonel in a new series of ads for KFC, but he has high praise for Rebas turn as the first female to portray the chicken chains founder. "I think that so many women were happy with [Reba in the commercials]," he tells Billboard. "Its all positive. I didnt see anything negative to it. I have no clue why they brought me back. In fact, Hamiltons even in favor of a Reba return. Why not just let her be the Colonel for a while? he asks. Theyll probably call her tomorrow and tell her weve had enough of George, we want Reba back.' The new Extra Crispy Colonel ads start airing this Monday. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The event, held on April 21, drew representatives of foreign businesses associations and nearly 200 FDI companies in Ho Chi Minh City. Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan said over the past few years, Ho Chi Minh City has made efforts to improve its investment climate, step up administrative reforms, streamline procedures, increase transparency and boost IT application in the settlement of administrative procedures to enhance the attractiveness to foreign investment. As a result, the city attracted US$6.6 billion in FDI in 2017, surging over 90% from the previous year. In the first quarter of 2018 alone, the figure stood at US$1.37 billion, compared to US$5.8 billion in the entire country. However, he said, Ho Chi Minh City is also facing an array of typical challenges of a big city such as an outdated transport system, and overloading in infrastructure, hospitals, schools and housing due to rapid population growth. Meanwhile, heavy climate change impacts and risks of serious flooding have also negatively influenced local peoples life and businesses activities. Secretary Nhan called on FDI enterprises to take part in key socio-economic development projects, noting that the city particularly encourages them to suggest measures and share experience in building a smart city. He affirmed that Ho Chi Minh City considers businesses and peoples satisfaction as the meter of its development and efficiency of its administrative apparatus performance. A representative of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham Vietnam) said that European companies want the city to put forth more open and transparent policies. The legal system regarding investment activities needs to be consistent in both theory and practice. It is also necessary to improve the quality of human resources, not only manual workers but also middle and high-level manpower, in order to meet foreign businesses demand. Sharing the same view, Saranya Skontanarak, Chairwoman of the Thai Business (Vietnam) Association, said manpower quality not only affects the attractiveness for foreign investment but also serves as a decisive factor of smart city building success. Seck Yee Chung, Vice President of the Singapore Business Group Ho Chi Minh City Chapter, said Ho Chi Minh City and many other cities in Vietnam want to build smart cities, which is a necessary step toward modernising cities and solving hot issues pertaining to transport infrastructure, the environment and databases. (Newser) A man having dinner with his 5-year-old daughter on his lap was fatally stabbed in what appears to have been a random, unprovoked attack, police in California say. Homeless man Jamal Jackson, 49, was arrested and charged with premeditated first-degree murder after the attack on 35-year-old Anthony Mele at a seaside restaurant in Ventura, the Washington Post reports. Mele, who died after being taken off life support Thursday, was dining with his wife and daughter at the Aloha Steakhouse when Jackson walked up to the table and stabbed him in the neck, police say. The girl wasn't harmed. Jackson, a convicted felon, was arrested after customers and restaurant employees chased him to the beach. story continues below Police say a man later identified as Jackson was reported for yelling and being disruptive on the promenade near the restaurant about three hours before the attack, the Los Angeles Times reports. Officers were out on other calls, so command center staff monitored Jackson through security cameras for around 20 minutes before deciding he wasn't a threat, according to police. Jackson had at least six contacts with police earlier this year, including an arrest for fighting. Mele's father says he hopes his son's death will change how Ventura deals with its homeless population, the Ventura County Star reports. "We need to help the homeless. We need to help the mentally ill," he says. "We need to feel free to walk upon the streets, to go out to dinner, and not be assaulted or stabbed or killed." (Read more California stories.) (Newser) People in South Korea are tiring of abusive bigwigs in the country's chaebolfamily-run conglomerates often mired in corruption and scandaland now the head of one of its most famous ones is taking action against his own daughters. Per the New York Times, Korean Air chief Cho Yang-ho announced in a statement Sunday he was removing Cho Hyun-ah (aka Heather Cho, said to be 43 or 44) and her younger sister, Cho Hyun-min (aka Emily Cho, 34 or 35), from their executive roles within the company after a series of high-profile incidents, including Cho Hyun-ah's "nut rage" outburst on a Korean Air flight in late 2014 that ended up earning her nearly five months in prison. After her stint behind bars, she found another high-level job within her father's conglomerate, this time running a hotel business. story continues below Now marketing exec Cho Hyun-min is in the spotlight as she faces allegations of a business meeting that went awry (she's accused of hurling water in the face of one of the meeting attendees; police are looking into it), as well as a recently released audio tape purporting to document her yelling at Korean Air officials. One person who seems particularly mortified (at least on paper) about the women's behavior: their father. "I am deeply sorry that problems connected to my family have worried the people and employees of Korean Air," Cho Yang-ho said in a statement Sunday. "I feel crushed by the immature behavior of my daughters." He adds, per the Guardian: "Everything is my fault and my wrongdoing." His son, Cho Won-tae, who's president of Korean Air, was accused of assaulting an elderly woman in 2005 after she yelled at him for the way he drove, per the Wall Street Journal. (Read more Korean Air stories.) (Newser) President Trump says he wants to pull the US out of the Paris climate accordbut another billionaire says he is going to pay some of what the US would have contributed to the pact anyway. Michael Bloomberg, who promised last year that cities, states, and businesses are "going to do everything America would have done if it had stayed committed," said Sunday that he is going to donate $4.5 million to cover this year's American contribution to the agreement, the BBC reports. The former New York City mayor, also a former Republican, said earlier this year that he hopes Trump will change his mind on the global agreement to tackle climate change. story continues below "America made a commitment and as an American, if the government's not going to do it, we all have responsibility. I'm able to do it," Bloomberg said on CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday. "So, yes, I'm going to send them a check for the monies that America had promised to the organization as though they got it from the federal government," said Bloomberg. He added: "If everybody would do the right thing, yes, it would be better. But if some people or some countries do the right thing we all benefit from that." If Trump follows through with his pledge to formally leave the accord, the US will be the world's only holdout: Syria signed the deal in November. (Read more Michael Bloomberg stories.) (Newser) The death of a Canadian man is making headlines for its location, manner, and the murkiness around it. The body of Sebastian Woodroffe was found in a shallow grave Saturday in the Ucayali region of Peru's Amazon by police who began searching for the 41-year-old after a video was posted to social media that showed him being dragged on the ground with a rope around his neck until his body goes limp. One early theory, according to local media and a police officer who spoke with the Guardian, is that he was killed over the murder of Olivia Arevalo, an octogenarian shaman from the Shipibo-Konibo tribe who was shot dead Thursday. Woodroffe's body was buried a little more than half-a-mile from the site where she was killed, and he was thought to be one of her clients. story continues below But while one potential motive being investigated is that Arevalo's son owed Woodroffe money, another theory is that the same son owed money to a gang member who pulled the trigger. And the AP says authorities have "backed away" from reports that Woodroffe is even a suspect. The BBC reports Woodroffe had been in Peru previously to try the hallucinogen ayahuasca, and that he was looking to start a new career involving the use of "plant medicine" in drug addiction treatment. The Guardian cites a years-old Indiegogo campaign that helped fund a trip from his Vancouver Island home to Peru; on the campaign page he referenced a relative's alcohol addiction and wrote, "Traditional Detox Centres have a 5-8% success rate. Unacceptable." The CBC reports Woodroffe, who was apparently also killed Thursday, leaves behind a 9-year-old son. (Read more lynching stories.) (Newser) The last top-level meeting between North and South Korea took place 11 years ago, and tensions have since "risen dramatically," per the Los Angeles Times. And so South Korea is offering an olive branch ahead of this week's summit, silencing the speakers it uses along the border to spew K-pop tunes, weather reports, and other propaganda. South Korea's Defense Ministry said muting the speakers in the Demilitarized Zone was done to "ease military tensions and create a peaceful mood for the meeting," per the New York Times. "We hope that our move today will result in South and North Korea ending mutual slandering and propaganda against each other and creating a peaceful new beginning." South Korea says the speakerswhich have annoyed the North so much in the past they've been shot at, per CNNwere turned off early Monday, per the BBC. story continues below Loudspeakers have been used by both sides as propaganda producers along the border, although the South's are said to be much louder and more powerful than the North's. Using the speakers to tamp down the cult of personality around North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been a main goal of the South; one tactic both sides engage in is to use the speakers to try to cajole soldiers to cross over to the other side. Although the speakers were muffled after the first summit in 2000, they were plugged back in as the relationship between the two nations worsened, a deterioration exacerbated by the North's nuclear tests. South Korean officials say the North is expected to also turn off its loudspeakers as a gesture of goodwill this time around. The summit in the border "truce village" of Panmunjom reportedly could result in the formal ending of the Korean War. (Read more South Korea stories.) (Newser) President Trump has a busy week on the diplomacy front, starting with a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron and ending with another by Germany's Angela Merkel. Macron will be at the White House Monday and Tuesday in the first state visit by a foreign leader hosted by Trump, and all eyes will be on the interaction between the two, given their surprisingly warm relations in previous meetings. Coverage: Different styles: The French president "is a suave globalist who is passionate about global warming, the Syrian civil war and the European Union," writes Geg Ip at the Wall Street Journal. Trump, on the other hand, "is a brash nationalist contemptuous of global institutions and wary of foreign entanglements." But the two also have fundamental things in common, including that they are relative political newcomers. The French president "is a suave globalist who is passionate about global warming, the Syrian civil war and the European Union," writes Geg Ip at the Wall Street Journal. Trump, on the other hand, "is a brash nationalist contemptuous of global institutions and wary of foreign entanglements." But the two also have fundamental things in common, including that they are relative political newcomers. And yet: "Almost alone among Europes leaders, Mr. Macron has struck an apparent rapport with the mercurial American president, who has taken pride in testing, even alienating, some of the United States oldest and truest allies," write Alissa Rubin and Adam Nossiter in the New York Times. The analysis sees this rapport as a gamble by Macron, which so far has not paid off in much of substance. story continues below Same theme: An analysis at the Economist also sees the meeting as potentially risky for the French leader. Currently, he "may look like the smartest European handler of the tricky American president," according to the piece. "In the longer run, though, if he cannot secure tangible return for his efforts, he will run the risk of looking naive, or foolish, or both." An analysis at the Economist also sees the meeting as potentially risky for the French leader. Currently, he "may look like the smartest European handler of the tricky American president," according to the piece. "In the longer run, though, if he cannot secure tangible return for his efforts, he will run the risk of looking naive, or foolish, or both." That handshake: A Guardian piece sees Macron as the "Trump whisperer," while CNN refers to their "bromance." Both stories look back at the pair's famous handshake at their first meeting, when things seemingly got off to a rocky start between them. A Guardian piece sees Macron as the "Trump whisperer," while CNN refers to their "bromance." Both stories look back at the pair's famous handshake at their first meeting, when things seemingly got off to a rocky start between them. The big issue: Iran will be the paramount issue, reports Bloomberg. Macron will be urging Trump not to abandon the nuclear deal ahead of a key May 12 deadline, when Trump must decide whether to restore economic sanctions on Tehran. Merkel will keep up the theme when she's at the White House on Friday, and Britain's Theresa May has been speaking frequently to Trump on the phone about it. This will be a tag-team effort, says Barbara Slavin of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council. Iran will be the paramount issue, reports Bloomberg. Macron will be urging Trump not to abandon the nuclear deal ahead of a key May 12 deadline, when Trump must decide whether to restore economic sanctions on Tehran. Merkel will keep up the theme when she's at the White House on Friday, and Britain's Theresa May has been speaking frequently to Trump on the phone about it. This will be a tag-team effort, says Barbara Slavin of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council. Other tests: NPR notes that SyriaFrance does not want Trump to withdraw US forcesand trade issues also will test what one White House official describes as a "good working relationship" between the two men. (Read more Emmanuel Macron stories.) (Newser) A 12-year-old Australian boy has pulled off a bold feat that is drawing international headlines: He stole his mom's credit card and managed to fly to Bali, Indonesia, for a posh, four-day vacation before getting caught, reports 9 News. As recounted in the Australian program A Current Affair, the boy did some research online and figured out he could fly alone without needing a letter from a parent on Jetstar Airways. He nabbed his mom's credit card, tricked his grandmother into giving him his passport, took a train to the airport, and flew to Bali. They just asked for my student ID and passport to prove that Im over 12 and that Im in secondary school," says the boy, identified only as Drew. He then checked into a four-star hotel, having made reservations in advance, telling the clerk that his older sister would be joining him soon, per stuff.co.nz. story continues below And there he stayed, having a fine time while his panicked mom reported him as missing back home. It wasn't until the boy posted a video of himself in the hotel pool that his vacation finally came to an end. "I was shocked and disgusted, theres no emotion to feel what we felt when we found out that hed left overseas," says mom, per news.com.au. One reason she's ticked: Her son had actually tried this stunt twice before, only to be turned away at the airport by Qantas and Garuda Airlines. Mom says she was informed her son's passport would be flagged by federal authorities as a result, but that apparently never happened. In the aftermath, Jetstar promises to tighten up its policies. "He just doesnt like the word no and thats what I got, a kid in Indonesia." (Closer to home, a city in North Carolina makes the "coolest" places to visit list.) (Newser) A judge in Broward County, Fla., who was due to retire June 30 won't be showing up for work between now and then, and not by choice. Circuit Court Judge Merrilee Ehrlich was told not to return to the courthouse after she treated a sickly inmate "like [an] animal," per the woman's goddaughter. The Sun Sentinel has the background on Ehrlich's verbal tussle with Sandra Twiggs, 59, who appeared via video link from a local jail on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge after allegedly scratching her 19-year-old daughter during an April 13 argument over a fan. Ehrlich was to set Twiggs' bail, but video of their April 15 exchange shows her berating Twiggs, who was in a wheelchair and coughing due to asthma and chronic lung disease. "I'm not here to talk about your breathing treatment," yelled Ehrlich after Twiggs indicated she needed water and such a treatment. story continues below "Ma'am, dont even say yes. Just listen," she boomed at another point. "I'm not going to spend all day with her interrupting me," Ehrlich also said, as she herself repeatedly talked over Twiggswho died in her sleep Wednesday. "When she came home from being in there she was never the same," Twiggs' goddaughter tells CBS Miami; in comments to Local 10 Twiggs' family suggests the experience could have contributed to her death. Broward Public Defender Howard Finkelstein calls it "aggressive and tyrannical behavior" and indicative of a "lack of emotional fitness." The Miami Herald brands it a "blistering, arm-waving, face-palming, tongue-lashing." The video only became publicized after Twiggs' death. "It was bad enough that it happened," says Chief Assistant Public Defender Gordon Weekes, "but it's compounded by the fact that she never even had the opportunity to get an apology." (Read more judge stories.) (Newser) A bizarre incident at the scene of Sunday's shooting at a Tennessee Waffle House that left four dead: As law enforcement authorities investigated hours after the shooting, a car pulled up to the restaurant. A division manager for the chain walked over and saw a woman insideand a newborn baby, the Tennessean reports. While en route to the hospital, the car had been involved in a minor wreck nearby and "the baby just decided it was time," says a spokesperson for the chain. The manager cleared the baby's airways and emergency responders came to transport the mother and infant to a nearby hospital; citing privacy rules, the hospital would not comment on their conditions. (The suspected shooter was caught Monday.) Speaking at the event, South African Ambassador to Vietnam Mpetjane Kgaogelo Lekgoro highlighted the progressive developments in relations between the two nations. The two countries agreed to intensify their time-honoured friendship and multifaceted cooperation, especially in politics, trade, justice, science, technology, and defence. The bilateral collaboration in telecommunications, training, and crime prevention has also been stepped up since the South Africa-Vietnam Inter-Governmental Partnership Forum was set up in 2004, he added. Mentioning the role of South Africas Honorary Consul in HCM City Do Thi Kim Lien, the ambassador affirmed that she has made great contributions to boosting bilateral ties by initiating and organising various exchange programmes and trade promotion activities. The Honorary Consul had received a letter of compliment from the South African Government for her active contributions in raising its profile within Vietnam, Lekgoro said. Le Quang Long, Director of the municipal Department of Foreign Affairs, said Vietnam always attaches importance to the partnership for cooperation and development with South Africa. He showed his belief that the bilateral relationship will develop to be even stronger this year thanks to the concerted efforts of both sides, for the common interests of their people. On this occasion, the Honorary Consulate of South Africa provided an aid grant worth 5 billion VND (220,000 USD) to support charitable activities in Vietnam, including building houses for the poor, caring for Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, and awarding scholarships to academically gifted poor students and disabled students. (Newser) A van plowed into a group of pedestrians in Toronto on Monday, killing nine people and injuring another 16, but whether it did so deliberately was not clear. The driver was in custody, reports the CBC, though no details were immediately provided about the arrest. Police say the van had fled the scene after the incident, which happened at 1:30pm at the busy intersection of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue, per the AP. Reports were that a white van mounted the curb, drove down the sidewalk at southbound Yonge, south of Finch, and struck eight to 10 people possibly, the numbers arent confirmed yet, a police spokesperson initially told Canada's Global News. story continues below A law enforcement official anonymously tells CNN the act appears to have been deliberate, but authorities have not publicly stated whether it was intentional and in announcing the arrest the deputy police chief did not provide any possible cause or motive, the AP reports. Canada's minister of public safety also said it's too soon to say whether the crash is a case of international terrorism. Ralph Goodale told reporters that police are still investigating to determine what happened and why. (Read more Toronto stories.) (Newser) The Danish inventor on trial in the murder of a Swedish journalist who was aboard his personal submarine addressed the victim's parents in court directly on Monday. "I am really, really sorry about what happened," Peter Madsen told the mother and father of Kim Wall after the prosecution had wrapped up its case against him. Per the AP, the Dane says Wall died because of a pressure problem in the submarine he built. Prosecutors said Monday that "forensic experts have found nothing" backing that. One of the most gruesome aspects of the case, however, Madsen has confessed to. After her death, the 47-year-old said he dismembered Wall's body before he "buried her at sea." He claimed he had to because he could not lift the woman's body up the submarine tower in one piece to throw it overboard. story continues below Wall's remains were found in plastic bags on the Baltic Sea bed weeks later. Her torso had been stabbed multiple times. The cause of her death has not been established. Madsen's defense attorney said his client should be sentenced only for the "horrible" act of cutting up Wall's body, adding that she was requesting a six-month prison term. Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen said Wall may have been tied with her own stockings before Madsen impaled her, and that he acted with a sexual motive. In his final comments, Buch-Jepsen demanded Madsen be given life in prison16 years in Denmark, which could be extended if necessaryor locked up in a secure mental facility for as long as he's considered a danger to others. The 12-day trial started March 8, and the verdict will be delivered Wednesday at 1pm. (Read more Kim Wall stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region The GSW, scheduled for April 26-28, will have the theme of Creating Economies of Shared Value. It will focus discussions on the global situation, globalism and nationalism, impacts of the digital era, green technology, the use of Internet and information technology in business, new business models, expansion of markets for women-led enterprises, and improving the role of women in business activities. The event is expected to witness the presence of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the President of Mauritius, and the ministers and deputy ministers of many countries, along with executives from trans-national corporations such as the Financial Times, Mc Kinsey, Deloitte, eBay, Intel, IBM, Daimler, Westpac, as well as roughly 1,000 female entrepreneurs and representatives from womens organisations. Through the event, Vietnam will continue to affirm its active role and stature at international forums, as well as the importance of strengthening connectivity with female government leaders and businesses in order to expand economic opportunities for women. The country will take the occasion to highlight its contributions to ensuring gender equality and womens advancement, and share ideas to promote gender equality and encourage womens involvement in economic fields. The Vice Presidents trip to Australia takes place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 45th anniversary of their bilateral diplomatic ties, especially following the recent establishment of the strategic partnership. Her bilateral activities aim to maintain all-level exchanges, promote ties at local level and boost partnerships across economics, trade, education, climate change response and environment protection. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Cloudy skies with a few snow showers after midnight. Low 28F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 30%.. Tonight Cloudy skies with a few snow showers after midnight. Low 28F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 30%. The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574. Community Perspective Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer. Letters to the editor 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: World Book and Copy Right Day are observed by the United Nations every year on April 23. It is an annual event organised to foster a global appreciation for reading and to promote writing, publishing and familiarity with copyright laws around the world. This event was first held in 1995 at the behest of the UNs UNESCO General Conference held that year in Paris. The 2018 edition is entitled Reading, its my right!, and it will be an opportunity to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. History of this Day: This is a symbolic day for world literature as on this day in 1616 that Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega died. It is also the birth or death day of other notable authors including Manuel Mejia Vallejo, Josep Pla, Vladamir Nabokov, Maurice Druon and Haldor K Laxness. In order to pay tribute to authors and books, UNESCO's General Conference selected this day. What is World Book Capital? Each year, UNESCO and the international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry - publishers, booksellers and libraries, select the World Book Capital for a one-year period, effective April 23 each year. For all the Latest Education News, Books News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The legislator made the statement at a meeting with Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly Pany Yathotou on April 23 as part of her official visit to Laos from April 23-25. Vietnam will do its utmost, together with the Party, State and people of Laos, to preserve and foster the special relationship, which is a valuable asset of the two nations, she said. Vice Chairwoman Phong briefed the host on outcomes of her talks with Vice Chairman of the Lao National Assembly Sengnoun Sayalat. For her part, Pany Yathotou said Phongs visit will significantly contribute to intensifying relations between the two countries in general and their legislative bodies in particular. Earlier, during their talks, Vice Chairwoman Phong and Vice Chairman of the Lao National Assembly Sengnoun Sayalat reviewed cooperation between the two legislatures in 2017 and discussed cooperation orientations in time to come. They exchanged operational experience of each legislative body, while seeking measures to boost coordination at multi-lateral inter-parliamentary forums in the region and the world as well. The two sides agreed to continue exchanging high-ranking delegations, implementing reached agreements, joining hands in personnel training and sharing experience, especially in institution and law building, and law enforcement monitoring. They will also closely coordinate with each other to supervise the building of the house of the Lao NA, which is the present of the Party, State and people of Vietnam to Laos. Later the same day, Vice Chairwoman Phong and her encourage made a field trip to the construction site of the house. New Delhi: Sonam Kapoor's wedding is one big event that Bollywood is waiting for. The talented actress will be getting hitched with long-time beau Anand Ajua next month. The preparations are going on in full swing and the bride-to-be is putting in all the effort to make her wedding a special event. Just like every bride, Sonam too wants to look her best on her D-Day and if the reports are believed, the Neerja actress has finalised her wedding dress. As per a report published in India TV, Sonam is like to wear a bridal lehenga which is being resigned by ace-designer Anamika Khanna who is creating something very special for the fashionista bride-to-be. Apparently, Sonam who is aA big fan of designer duo Ralph and Russo and also Elie Saab, will be wearing either of them's creation on her wedding reception. Besides, she is also looking at the designer outfits by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla which she might wear on other ceremonies. Reportedly, the Kapoor family has zeroed in the wedding venue and all the bookings are underway. "The date and venue for the wedding have been locked and mass bookings for flights are presently underway. Her dad Anil Kapoor is personally making phone calls to invite guests. There will be sangeet and mehendi ceremonies, followed by a traditional Hindu wedding," a source reportedly told Mumbai Mirror. The reports also suggest that Sonam-Anand's sangeet will be held at Samyukta Nair's five-star resort-style hotel, The Leela at Sahar. The event will be choreographed by Farah Khan and Karan Johar will also have a special performance for the couple. Indeed, these details have made everyone much more excited for Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja's wedding. On the work front, Sonam Kapoor will be next seen in sister Rhea's production Veere Di Wedding along with Kareena Kapoor Khan and Swara Bhaskar. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a major setback to the Opposition Congress, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Dipak Misra. "I have applied my mind to all 5 charges made out in Impeachment Motion&examined all annexed documents. All facts as stated in motion don't make out a case which can lead any reasonable mind to conclude that CJI on these facts can be ever held guilty of misbehaviour," the Rajya Sabha Chairman said while rejecting the notice. "After having perused annexures to the Motion & having detailed consultations & having studied opinions of constitutional experts I am satisfied that admission of this notice of #ImpeachmentMotion is neither desirable nor proper," he added.A On Sunday, Naidu cut short his Hyderabad visit and started consultations on the impeachment notice against the CJI. Naidu held deliberations with several constitutional and legal experts, including Attorney General KK Venugopal. Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu signing the papers of rejection of #ImpeachmentMotion against CJI Dipak Misra. pic.twitter.com/Ptj4AeiaUn a ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2018 Earlier, Opposition parties, led by the Congress had sought the removal of Dipak Misra and given notice of impeachment against him. The notice given to Naidu was bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired. Reacting to the development, the CongressA said that it was not a setback for the party and it will move to the Supreme Court against the rejection of the impeachment notice. "This is a really important matter. We don't know what was the reason for the rejection. Congress & other opposition parties will talk to some legal experts & take the next step," said Congress leader PL Punia. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday started consultations on the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra given by the seven opposition parties. Naidu, who was in Hyderabad, cut short his visit and held discussions with several legal experts, including Attorney General KK Venugopal. According to officials, Naidu spoke to former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash Kashyap, ex-law secretary PK Malhotra and former legislative secretary Sanjay Singh on the issue. Being the Rajya Sabha chairman, Naidu can alone decide whether the opposition's notice for the impeachment of CJI Misra will be accepted or rejected. He also held discussions with senior officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, they said, adding that Naidu also spoke to former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy. Opposition parties, led by the Congress have sought removal of Dipak Misra and given notice of impeachment against him. The notice given to Naidu was bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired. The move to seek the impeachment of the CJI has led to a political slugfest between the main Opposition Congress and the ruling BJP. The ruling party accused the Congress of trying to demean, degrade and denigrate the judiciary by seeking Misra's impeachment. The Congress said that the CJI should be considering recusing himself from judicial and administrative duties until his name is cleared. Senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Sunday said that he will not appear in the court of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra until his name was not cleared. I will not appear in the Chief Justices court from tomorrow onwards till he retires, because that is consistent with the highest standards of my profession, Sibal was quoted by The Indian Express. (With Inputs from agencies) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Monday questioned the Central government on reaching the conclusion on death penalty for the rapists of children below 12 years of age and how would it put an end to the trend. The Centre on Saturday cleared the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2018 to make changes in the existing laws, allowing courts to award death penalty for rape of children below the age of 12. The Ordinance will seek to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), The Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the Indian Evidence Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The Division Bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice CH Shankar, questioned the government while hearing an old public interest litigation (PIL) filed by activist Madhu Kishwar challenging the constitutional validity of the amendments in Section 375 (Rape) and 376 (Punishment for Rape) of the IPC. The Bench questioned the government on whether they had done any research or analysis before deciding to amend the laws. The judges were also concerned about the consequences of the amendment stating that the criminals would want to kill the victim and destroy all evidence. The Bench also enquired the government about educating the population and handling the roots of the problem. The case will next be heard on September 10. (With inputs from agencies) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Monday said Save the Constitution campaign launched by the Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was an attempt to save the dynasty that the opposition partys Modi hatred has turned into India hatred. BJP presidents statement came hours after Rahul Gandhi launched an attack towards the Prime Minister saying the latter was only concerned about becoming PM again, not about the crimes happening across the country or atrocities on Dalits. In a statement hours after Gandhi launched the attack on Narendra Modi, Amit Shah said if there is one political party that has infringed the Constitution in letter and spirit over the years and that is the opposition party. He stated that the Congress move to impeach CJI Dipak Misra was a part of their trend to weaken every institution that seeks to maintain its identity. "Those who do not trust the Army, the judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, EVMs, the RBI are now saying democracy is in danger. India has a vibrant democracy and a vibrant Constitution, the BJP chief said. "The Congress' Save the Constitution' campaign is nothing but a farce that seeks to perpetuate the rule of dynasty over the rule of democracy. Like in the past, we need to protect the Constitution from the Congress," he added. "By repeatedly saying the Congress made the Constitution, Rahul Gandhi is carrying forward his family tradition of insulting Dr Ambedkar. The Nehru-Gandhi family insulted him when he was alive and is humiliating him even more now. Shameful and petty," Amit Shah said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a nationwide aSave the Constitutiona campaign and said that while the country may burn, Dalits may die and women may be raped, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was interested only in becoming the prime minister again. Dalit rights and women's safety were the main issues of Gandhi's blistering attack on Modi at the launch of the Congress party's "Save the Constitution" campaign. Speaking at the inauguration of the year-long campaign, Rahul said that the country may burn, girls may be raped and the rights of scheduled castes and minorities be under threat, but Modi was merely interested in becoming the prime minister again. Launching an all-out attack on Modi, Gandhi said thatA the constitutional values had been endangered under the Modi government and assured the people that his party would not let it happen. The Congress president went full throttle and said that the Modi government was destroying country's constitutional institutions by appointing RSS ideologues to occupy important positions. The campaign was seen as the Congress partyas major attempt to target Dalit voters ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls. During the launch of the drive, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, newly elevated general secretary Ashok Gehlot, Ghulam Nabi Azad and other senior leaders were also present. Earlier, announcing the campaign, the Congress party tweeted,"The past three years have witnessed an unprecedented rise in atrocities against Dalits. Despite this, the SC/ST Act has been diluted. The Modi Govt is a clear and present danger to the Constitution of India. It is time for us to unite and #SaveTheConstitution.a The campaign was launched at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi and will continue until April 14, 2019. Highlights: # 01:45 PM: The country could burn, girls may be raped and the rights of scheduled castes and minorities be under a threat, but Modi was merely interested in becoming the prime minister again, says Rahul Gandhi. # 01:30 PM:A The Congress Party will stand together to protect the interests of Dalits and other weaker sections of the society wherever the BJP & RSS attacks them: Rahul Gandhi The Congress Party will stand together to protect the interests of Dalits and other weaker sections of the society wherever the BJP & RSS attacks them: Congress President @RahulGandhi #SaveTheConstitution pic.twitter.com/8ldjRl7Gzx a Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018 # 01:15 PM:A We will never allow the BJP & RSS to destroy our Constitution. The people of India will speak their "Mann ki Baat" in 2019: Rahul # 01:05 PM:A Our institutions were gifted to us by our Constitution. The Modi Govt is now destroying these institutions by appointing RSS ideologues to occupy important positions: Rahul Gandhi # 12: 55 PM:A In his book Karmayog, PM Modi justifies manual scavenging by calling it a "spiritual experience" for the Valmiki community. This speaks volumes about his anti-Dalit mindset: Rahul Gandhi # 12: 40 PM:A Rahul Gandhi launches the SaveTheConstitution campaign. # 12: 20 PM:A A packed gathering at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi for the launch of the Save The Constitution campaign. A packed gathering at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi for the launch of the #SaveTheConstitution campaign. pic.twitter.com/jaVDiIjF9g a Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018 # 12:15 PM:A Congress President Rahul Gandhi arrives at the Talkatora Stadium to launch the Save The Constitution campaign. Congress President @RahulGandhi arrives at the Talkatora Stadium to launch the #SaveTheConstitution campaign. pic.twitter.com/b8kCggBl3r a Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018 # 12:03 PM:A Rahul Gandhi asks people to join his year-long Save the Constitution campaign. # 10:50 AM: "A movement has begun to stand in solidarity with the Dalits & other oppressed communities and to protect the values enshrined in our Constitution. Join us in protecting the idea of India. #SaveTheConstitution," Congress tweeted. A movement has begun to stand in solidarity with the Dalits & other oppressed communities and to protect the values enshrined in our Constitution. Join us in protecting the idea of India. #SaveTheConstitution pic.twitter.com/Gl2D9aXYCr a Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018 # 10: 45 AM: Congress launches year-long Save The Consitution campaign over the rising atrocities against Dalits. Watch Inaugural address by Nitin Raut Chairman, SC Department of AICC. # 10:30 AM:A Dalits comprise roughly 17 per cent of Indiaas total population and there are as much as 84 parliamentary constituencies reserved for SC/ST candidates. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won nearly half of them while the Congress could manage to win only three-four seats of them. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the Congress-led impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Naidu, who could alone take the decision on the notice being the Rajya Sabha chairman, on Sunday held deliberations with legal experts before rejecting the notice given by the Congress-led Opposition. The Vice President explained the swiftness of his decision in a 10-page note and said that the CJI could not be held guilty as the notice was "neither desirable nor proper and lacked substantial merit". Also Read | Congress committed suicide by moving impeachment motion against CJI Here is what Venkaiah Naidu said: # All facts as stated in the motion don't make out a case which can lead any reasonable mind to conclude that Chief Justice on these facts can be ever held guilty of misbehaviour. # In the absence of credible and verifiable information placed before me which gives an indication of misbehaviour or incapacity, it would be an inappropriate and irresponsible act to accept statements which have a little empirical basis. # As heirs to an illustrious democratic tradition and custodians of the present and future of democratic polity, we should, in my view, collectively strengthen and not erode the foundations of the grand edifice bequeathed to us by the Constitution makers. # We cannot allow any of our pillars of governance to be weakened by an thought, word or action. # After having perused annexures to the motion and having detailed consultations and having studied the opinions of Constitutional experts, I am satisfied that admission of this Notice of Motion is neither desirable nor proper. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Congress has proverbially put its foot in the mouth by the manner in which it has gone about dealing with its ridiculous demand for impeaching Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on grounds that have no feet to stand on. Considering that this is the first real test after Rahul Gandhi took over the reins of the party, there is deep apprehension that the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family will require mature and competent advisers to steer the ship in the turbulent run-up to the general elections next year. Failing that or by spurning sane advice, he would not only go down as a disastrous chieftain but also drag his party and its allies into the dunghill of obscurity. That Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu has, in the space of three days, rejected the demand by 64 members of the Rajya Sabha to allow the introduction of an impeachment motion in the Upper House should be a pointer to the perceived inadequacy of grounds for such a motion. But the Congress leadership appears in no mood to give up on its monumental misadventure. Some of the motions prime protagonists, notably senior lawyer and former minister Kapil Sibal and senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan, have already declared their intention to move the Supreme Court to challenge the Vice-Presidents power to reject the impeachment motion. By doing so, the Congress and its allies would only be compounding their folly. Also Read | Congress committed suicide by moving impeachment motion against CJI The overwhelming view of constitutional experts and legal luminaries indeed is that the five charges that were brought forth in the impeachment paper were shockingly inadequate, ill-substantiated and bordered on the frivolous. The hollowness of the Congress official position is borne out by the fact that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Union ministers Chidambaram, Salman Khursheed, and Veerappa Moily, among others, have already dissociated themselves from the official line taken by the Congress. In a party where sycophancy and subservience to the high command has assumed endemic proportions, this incipient opposition to the party line is taboo. Yet, so brazenly and patently wrong is the party stand that some bigwigs are ready to stick their necks out and many are silently sulking. Only the acutely myopic ones believe that the party stand would go down well with the people and bring electoral dividends. The likes of Kapil Sibal and Ghulam Nabi Azad have always had a huge question mark over their credibility. It was political expediency that kept the NDAs bitter critics ---the DMK, the Trinamool Congress and now the Telugu Desam--- not to fall in line with the Congress in supporting the impeachment plea. But it is enigmatic how the likes of Sharad Pawar of NCP, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati of the Samajwadi Party and the BSP made common cause with the Congress in such a disastrous move. Also Read | Naidu blocks CJI Misra's impeachment, says can't allow our pillars of governance to be weakened That the BJP was rapidly losing ground before the CJI impeachment move was for everyone to see. Almost by default, the Congress seemed to be reaping rewards, though it was not by any stretch of imagination knocking at the doors of power just yet. The BJP bigwigs would doubtlessly be grinning from ear to ear at this virtual bonus opportunity to recover lost ground. Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu could well have put off a decision on the seven-party petition because there was no time limit prescribed for his decision on the admissibility of the impeachment motion. That he has opted to reveal his decision speedily is an index of the overwhelming advice he got from constitutional experts and legal luminaries. It is just as well that the speed of his action has hastened the process of finality being reached. Predictably, the apex court will also act with alacrity so that the normal business of the court can go on without impediment. The legality of it may be settled quickly but the politics of it would, unfortunately, linger on. The ill-conceived move would have repercussions even in the impending State assembly elections in Karnataka and a little later in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh which are BJP bastions looking ready to be breached by the Congress. The announcement came a day before the previous deadline scheduled for April 24. The other service provider, Viettel, has not issued a statement on whether they will extend the deadline but outlet staff said they would continue helping their customers submit their information after April 24. According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, as of March 15, only 4 million mobile users had provided all the information as required by a Government decree. Meanwhile, a whopping 34 million subscribers still have some information missing. In recent days, outlets of the main carriers have been overwhelmed by the soaring number of mobile users visiting to complete the procedures for fear of service lockdown. But Viettel staff at its outlets said that subscribers whose information is incomplete would not have their services suspended after April 24. Our correspondent said long lines of people were still seen outside a Viettel outlet in central Hanoi, as they queued up to complete their registration. Users of Vinaphone and Viettel can submit their profile and ID card photos through their websites and mobile apps but it is reported that these services have only been working intermittently in recent days. In the meantime, Mobifone subscribers still have to visit the carriers outlets to have their full details updated. As a developing country in South Asia with more than 160 million people, a rapidly growing economy and a growing number of high-income people, Bangladesh is becoming an increasingly attractive market for Vietnamese travel agencies. They have examined the South Asian market and established partnerships with Bangladeshi partners to lure more Bangladeshi tourists to Vietnam. Among those efforts, ATE Vietnam Travel Company participated in the Bangladesh Travel and Tourism Fair 2018 in Dhaka, from April 19-21, and Vietnams pavilion at the event attracted great attention from the local community. Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism of Bangladesh Shajahan Kamal expressed his interest in Vietnam's tourism products and destinations, saying that both countries have advantages and opportunities to enhance their cooperation in the field of tourism, with a good tradition of friendship and many similarities in terms of history, culture and the climate. The two countries are bestowed with beautiful landscapes and a long coastline. In particular, Bangladeshi people always hold good sentiment and great admiration towards the country and people of Vietnam, he added. Muhammad Rezaul Karim Reza, General Director of Bangladeshs Sky Holidays Company, said that Vietnamese firms have great business opportunities in Bangladesh as Bangladeshi people have warm sentiments towards Vietnam. More Bangladeshi people are travelling abroad and Vietnam is one of their choices, he added. Vietnamese Ambassador to Bangladesh Tran Van Khoa (third from L) attends the opening ceremony of the Bangladeshi fair. (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Bangladesh via VNA) During the three-day fair, thousands of visitors came to discover and exchange at the Vietnamese pavilion. Many visitors showed their interest in Vietnams popular tourist destinations, such as Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh, Sa Pa, Nha Trang and Mui Ne, offering great business opportunities for the Vietnamese travel companies. However, the number of enterprises entering the Bangladeshi market remains few. According to Nguyen Hong Van, Director of the ATE Vietnam, one of the reasons behind this fact is the high prices of tours due to the lack of a direct air route between the two countries, as well as limited information on the market. Vietnamese Ambassador to Bangladesh Tran Van Khoa revealed that the two countries leaders agreed on the necessity of establishing a direct flight route and the related agencies from both sides are working on the issue. The diplomat suggested that Vietnamese travel companies pay greater attention to the Bangladeshi market, while fostering cooperation with Bangladeshi partners to design tours suitable to both Vietnamese and Bangladeshi people, thus increasing the number of visitors to each others country. The international travel fair is the biggest of its kind in Bangladesh and is held annually to provide opportunities for travel and tourism companies to introduce their products and expand cooperative relations to promote tourism. On April 20, the Internet + Zhiliangzhi (Wuzhen) Conference officially opened in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province. This three-day conference was organized by Zhiliangzhi (To Attain Innate Knowing) Siheyuan, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating entrepreneurs with Master Yangmings Philosophy of Xin. According to the organizers, approximately 3,000 entrepreneurs participated in the conference. Piero Scaruffi, founder of the Silicon Valley Institute of Artificial Intelligence, and Joe Weiman, author of "Cloudonomics," attend the conference and delivered keynote speeches. According to Dr. Bai Lixin, founder of Zhiliangzhi Siheyuan, the Internet provides a great solution to the challenge of connection, but it remains inadequate in addressing matters with the heart-mind. The Internet has broken the physical boundaries and has reduced physical connections with a decrease in physical costs. People find it easier to reunite with each other, yet at the same time, they are prone to part with each other. For instance, the convenience of connecting with our family has multiplied by several times, yet how much has our family bond improved? The convenience of connecting with our customers has multiplied by several times, yet again, how much indeed has our customer relations improved? Though we have established the people-to-people connections, we have failed to set up similar links in terms of the heart-to-heart connections. Hence, the quality of life has not been enhanced by a significant margin.Dr. Bai advocated that entrepreneurs should offer to assume the social responsibility corresponding to their own developments and benefit both their enterprises and the society. According to the organizer, the blueprint on the ten characteristic industrial clusters, including, but no limited to, the medical care cluster, the entrepreneurship and innovation cluster, and the elderly care cluster, will be released to draw the prominent outline of the new commercial culture in the new era. Among all the industrial clusters, the manufacturing cluster initiated by Jia Shaoqian, Chairman of the Board of the Hisense Kelon Co., Ltd., takes household electrical appliances as a point of breakthrough. Jia intends to provide warm home services for consumers and to build an ecological chain for healthy manufacturing;the elderly care cluster has been initiated by Tan Yiliang, CEO of the Jiuru Senior Care Group. Through the Institute for the Elderly, the responsible CEO intends to raise peoples awareness of the ways to show filial piety as sons and daughters. In the meantime, Tan hopes to usher in the light of innate knowing to the Xin of the elderly so that every senior will enjoy their sunsets in peace and grace. It is reported that the conference organizing committee will release The Internet + Zhiliangzhi (Wuzhen) Initiative. President Muhammadu Buhari A letter from President Muhammadu Buhari to the leadership of the National Assembly has explained why the president gave approval for the withdrawal of $462 million from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) for the procurement of 12 Super Tucano aircraft from the United States government without getting the approval of the National Assembly. The presidents letter, however, has also exposed the lies of a presidential aide who on April 9 said that Buhari had not ordered the withdrawal of $1 billion from the ECA for the procurement of arms to fight the insurgency in the North-east and would not do so until he had obtained the approval of the National Assembly. The presidents letter, which was obtained exclusively by THISDAY from sources in the House of Representatives, indicated that Buhari only wrote to the National Assembly leadership on April 13, 2018, and it was received in the Office of the Speaker of the House on April 17, 2018. The letter showed clearly that Buhari had already given anticipatory approval for the withdrawal of the sum of $496,374,470 (N151,394,421,355) from the ECA for the purchase of 12 Tucano aircraft from the U.S. and was seeking the inclusion of same in the 2018 Appropriation Bill that the National Assembly is currently finalising. In the letter, Buhari explained that the U.S. government had given a payment deadline for the aircraft purchase, otherwise, the contract would lapse. But this could prove to be a major problem for Buhari and would likely worsen the discord between the executive and the National Assembly, as the legislature last week had summoned the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, and the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris over the disbursement of the funds for the procurement of the aircraft from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) without appropriation by the legislature. Last December, the state governors at a meeting of the National Economic Council had given the president the green light to withdraw $1 billion from the ECA to fight the insurgency. However, this would have required the approval of the National Assembly and the 36 state Houses of Assembly since the funds in the ECA belong to the three tiers of government. The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, however, had revealed on January 25 that the payment deadline for the purchase of the aircraft was in February but at the same time noted that the federal government had rejected the terms for the purchase of the aircraft because they were stringent and skewed in the U.S. favour. A few days later on February 5, he said the federal government had paid $496 million to the U.S. government for the Tucano aircraft but was silent on the salient fact that the funds had already been withdrawn from the ECA. The minister did not reveal that Buhari had given approval for the withdrawal of the funds from the ECA until April 4 after a meeting of the Security Council at the State House, Abuja. It took for the public outcry over the presidents approval before the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang on April 9, stated that Buhari had not yet given approval for the withdrawal of the $1 billion from ECA. Enang had said: That the said sum has not and cannot be approved for spending by Mr. President. That in accordance with best practices, Mr. President, having received approval of the sum from National Economic Council made up of all the governors, now had a meeting with the Minister of Defence, service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, among others, to collate the needs of each of the services and the money available for appropriation. Mr. President and the meeting having collated the need of each service and the amount involved may now present same to the Federal Executive Council for detailed consideration, or in the exercise of presidential powers may communicate same to the National Assembly for appropriation. This may be done as usual upon Mr. President consulting prior with the leadership of the National Assembly through the whole body of principal officers or the presiding officers of each chamber only, before originating the communication to the National Assembly. As of now, the process of approving the money for use is inchoate and still undergoing executive standard operating procedure before laying same before the National Assembly for appropriation. The processes now being worked on is to fast-track these procedures so that it may be forwarded to the National Assembly while it is still considering the 2018 Appropriation Bill (budget) for incorporation as Mr. Presidents supplementary request under the 2018 budget, or if completed after the 2018 budget, it may be forwarded as a Supplementary Appropriation Bill. Succinctly stated, Mr. President has not approved the sum for any release of this procurement or application howsoever, the executive is conscious of the provisions of Section 80 (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution which states: No moneys shall be withdrawn from any public fund of the Federation, other than the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation unless the issue of those moneys has been authorised by an Act of the National Assembly. No moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly. We are also conscious of the provision of Sections 4 and 5 of the 2017 Appropriation Act (relating to Excess Crude Account) and would not take any action in breach thereof. Just as the legislature in processing legislation starts with conceptualising, drafting, scrutiny of the draft, gazetting, first reading, second reading, committal to the appropriate committee, public hearing, consideration of the report by committee of the whole or supply, passage and third reading in plenary, so also does the executive have and maintain standard operating procedures, or due process or due diligence in all actions and at this stage, the matter is undergoing these processes for laying before the National Assembly for appropriation. Therefore, the matter of the security fund is still undergoing standard processes, the said sum can only be spent, and in the manner, as shall be approved by the National Assembly, and assented to in the Appropriation Act or Supplementary Appropriation Act. But Buhari in his letter to the Speaker, dated April 13, stated: I wish to draw the attention of the House of Representatives to the ongoing security emergencies in the country. These challenges were discussed with the state governors and subsequently, at the meeting of the National Economic Council on 14th December, 2017, where a resolution was passed, with the Council approving that up to US$1 billion may be released and utilised from the Excess Crude Account to address the situation. Subsequent upon this approval, we are preparing a comprehensive schedule of all the requirements for each of the security services for presentation to the National Assembly for consideration. It would be recalled that, for a number of years, Nigeria had been in discussions with the United States Government for the purchase of Super Tucano Aircraft under a direct Government-to-Government arrangement. Recently, approval was finally granted by the United States Government, but with a deadline within which part payment must be made otherwise, the contract would lapse. In the expectation that the National Assembly would have no objection to the purchase of this highly specialised aircraft, which is critical to national security, I granted anticipatory approval for the release of US$496,374,470.00. This was paid directly to the treasury of the United States Government. I am therefore writing, seeking approval of this House for the sum of US$496,374,470.00 (equivalent to N151,394,421,335.00) to be included in the 2018 Appropriation Bill, which the National Assembly is currently finalising. The balance of the requirements for critical operational equipment is still being collated from the different security services and will be presented in the form of a Supplementary Appropriation Bill, in due course. The Honourable Minister of Defence and other appropriate officers will be available to provide further details, as may be required. While thanking the Honourable Members for the usual cooperation, please be assured Mr. Speaker, the assurance of my highest regards. Speaking on the presidents letter, some lawmakers in the House confirmed yesterday that this was the reason Adeosun, Emefiele and Idris were summoned last week to appear before the Senate and House to explain the withdrawal of $496 million from the CRF without legislative approval. One lawmaker who preferred not to be named, also explained that the rush to pay the U.S. government the huge amount, despite Nigerias rejection of the stringent payments terms for the procurement of the Tucano aircraft, was targeted at being on the right side of U.S. President Donald Trump before the 2019 general election in Nigeria, hence the invitation extended to Buhari to visit the White House on April 30. Remember that the U.S. was quite influential in the 2015 elections. Buhari and his handlers are quite aware of this. They also know that President Trump is a businessman, for him its America First, hence he (Trump) does not have the qualms former President Barack Obama had over the sale of military equipment to Nigeria, despite the allegations of human rights abuses by the Nigerian military. For President Trump, he will sign deals with countries willing to buy U.S. military equipment because it creates jobs for defence industries and firms in his country and brings money into the American economy. Now, for the Nigerian presidency, it was important that they met the payment deadline, despite the draconian conditions given for the purchase of the aircraft which are not in Nigerias favour, even by the defence ministers admission. This is what secured the invitation for Buhari to the White House and if he plays his cards right, will keep him on the right side of Donald Trump before the Nigerian elections in 2019. If Buhari and his handlers get the tacit support of the U.S. as we head into the elections, that would be a major achievement for the APC, he explained. However, he noted that whilst many lawmakers were aware of the political reason the president had quickly approved the withdrawal from the ECA and transfer to the U.S. government treasury, their main concern was the fact that he did it without the approval of the National Assembly as stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution. This is a major constitutional breach and that is why Adeosun, Emefiele and Idris have been summoned. It does not bode well for the executive, he said. Ex-Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema has said he was ready for trial as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is ... Ex-Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema has said he was ready for trial as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arraign him today before the states High Court.The EFCC is scheduled to arraigned Shema on corruption related charge in which he was accused of diverting about N5.7 billion meant for the Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE P) initiated by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.Shemas media team issued a statement in Abuja yesterday, insisting that he was innocent and expressed optimism that the trial would afford the ex-governor the opportunity to prove his innocence.The statement, signed by the media teams head, Oluwabusola Olawale, accused the states incumbent administration of being behind Shemas travails.Olawale said his principals position remains the same since the states present administration started its alleged persecution, intimidation and harassment of former Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema, by setting up over 30 different committees to probe Shemas administration and granted over 200 media interviews to call him a thief and continue to sponsors media trial against him.Olawale added: Former Governor Shema stands by his position that he is ready to defend himself in fair and just trial and, therefore, urged Nigerians and the international community to read between the lines in understanding the motive of those behind this desperation.And with the fresh suit before Justice Babagana Ahmed of Federal High Court, Katsina, we urge Nigerians and international community to monitor closely the planned arraignment of Shema on the slated date to understand the motive and agenda of the fresh suit. The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) has called on the National Assembly to immediately commence a constitutional process against President Muhammadu Buhari over an alleged withdrawal and spending of $1bn ECA without recourse to NASS.In a statement dully signed and sent by the national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP described Buharis action as a gross violation of the constitution of Nigeria and a direct affront on the democratic state.Below is the statement:Withdrawal of $1bn ECA: We call on @nassnigeria to commence constitutional processes against President @MBuhari for violating his oath of office by illegally withdrawing and spending $I billion from the ECA without the constitutionally required legislative appropriation.President @MBuhari is aware that his unilateral spending of $496 million (N151.374 billion) from the ECA, without recourse to the legislative approval of @nassnigeria is a gross violation of the constitution of Nigerian and a direct affront on our democratic state.By this action, @MBuhari has technically suspended the 1999 Constitution (as amended), plundered the inherent powers of @nassnigeria as the principal institution of democratic rule, while re-enacting a sole administratorship in governance as if we are under a military regime.More disturbing is the revelation that @MBuhari paid $496 Million for the purchase of military aircraft from the US, ignoring allegations of overprice and due process, just to achieve a political expediency of currying President @POTUS support for his 2019 re-election bid.President @MBuharis action amounts to a gross misconduct and betrayal of public trust because in the bid to push a personal agenda, he deliberately side-stepped statutory legislative scrutiny and acted in clear breach of section 80 (3) (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).Section 80 (3) states that no moneys shall be withdrawn from any public fund of the federation, other than the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the federation unless the issues of those moneys has been authorized by an act of the parliament.And Section 80 (4) provides that no moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the federation except in the manner prescribed by the @nassnigeria.It is therefore shocking that @MBuhari, whose administration prides on claims of transparency and zero tolerance for corruption, can mundanely resort to a violent abuse of our constitution just to suit a desperate passion of seeking re-election.We urge @POTUS, as the President of the worlds biggest democracy, to note that the $469 million paid for the purchase of military aircraft, forms part of proceed for illegal activities of @NGRPresident in violation of the provisions of our constitution to pursue a selfish agenda.Withdrawal of $1bn ECA: We call on @nassnigeria to commence constitutional processes against President @MBuhari for violating his oath of office by illegally withdrawing and spending $I billion from the ECA without the constitutionally required legislative appropriation. pic.twitter.com/EdKQSSWoCa Official PDP Nigeria (@OfficialPDPNig) April 23, 2018 The senator representing Bayelsa East constituency, Ben Murray Bruce has called for the immediate release of Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West constituency, who was arrested by the Nigeria Police at the International wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport.Dino who was on his way to Morocco for an official engagement sponsored by the Federal Government was accosted by the Police who arrested him barely 40 minutes ago.Recall that Police had declared Dino wanted for alleged conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms.This is contained in a statement made by one of the suspects, Kabiru Saidu who fingered him in their crime. According to the gang leader, Kabiru Saidu, he has been working as a political thug for a politician, who introduced him to Senator Dino Melaye and they met at Airport Road, Abuja inside Senator Melayes car in December 2017.The suspect further confessed that Senator Dino told him to start working for him as a political thug and they should recruit and train more thugs to work for him in preparations towards 2019 general election to enable him challenge his political opponents and disorganise Kogi State.But reacting to the allegation, Dino denied his involvement, noting that Kogi state framed him up.His words, This is an attempt to shut me up and stop me from speaking the truth. But they have failed. It is an orchestrated lie by the governor and the Police.Sen. BruceI have tweeted about it six weeks ago; that they want to set me up because I got a tip-off from government house when they met to set me up.You can see the conflicting statements by the criminals. I heard one said I gave two AK-47 and pump action, while the other said I gave only one rifle and that I gave N430,000 to train militia, and that I met them on Airport Road in December 2017.But they didnt give a date and time. I dont know anybody. I have not involved myself with any thug. I became member House of Representatives and Senate without thug. If this is an attempt to shut me up they have failed.In view of the above therefore, Nigeria police tagged him wanted and had today at the Abuja airport arrested him on his way to Morocco.However, one of the outspoken senators, Ben Murray Bruce has condemned Dinos arrest and asked for his release.In his words, Senator Dino Melaye played a major role in bringing this government into being.It will be very unfortunate if the same government he fought for turns around to be the one fighting him. Let this be a lesson for anyone who is fighting for their 2nd term. After you are no longer useful.I call for the immediate and unconditional release of Melaye. He is one of the few voices left that still speaks truth to power. Nigeria needs men like that and the Dino I know will not be cowed by arrest or persecution.Meanwhile one of the strongest Nigeria Critic, Pastor Reno Omokri has equally reacted to Dinos arrest.His words, People ask my thoughts on Dinos attest. This tale describes my thoughts. Three thieves went to rob. After robbing, they sent one to go and buy food. He bought food and poisoned it so he could keep the loot for himself. On his return, his colleagues killed him and ate the food.I honestly dont understand that rationale for arresting Senator @dino_melaye when Senator Ovie Omo Agege is free. This upside government never ceases to amaze me. It is just like their looters list where Lai, who collected a loan from agencies under him called others looters!. A dismissed soldier, Bello Kasimu, arrested for impersonating the Nigerian Army (NA) at the weekend claimed he deserted the force after h... A dismissed soldier, Bello Kasimu, arrested for impersonating the Nigerian Army (NA) at the weekend claimed he deserted the force after his salary was owed for nine months.Kasimu, who was dismissed in 2015 after he was absent without leave (AWOL) for several months from his place of deployment at the northeast, was paraded together with six others arrested for similar offences.The others are Taiwo Ayomide, Ale Michael, Adetileyin Segun, Olarewaju Yusuf, Ibrahim Isa alias Malaika and Ibrahim Abdullahi.Kasimu claimed he only wore army uniform the day he went to 81 Division headquarters to find out what was delaying the money.He said: I was in the army but was dismissed in 2015. I was dismissed because I fled from my posting in Bauchi. I ran away because I was not paid salary for nine months. I was working without salary and so, I took permission to go and sort the salary issue out.But when the leave expired, I did not go back. I was tired because I still havent received salary. I did not want to continue working without payment. So, when I was dismissed, I still wanted to get my money. So, I wore the uniform to 81 Division to allow me access. I did not use it to extort anyone and I was not wearing it.According to the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Maj.-Gen. Enobong Udoh, Kasimu paraded himself as a serving personnel and escorted trucks to various parts of the country.Udoh, who was represented at the parade by the Commander 9 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Moundhey Ali, said Kasimu was arrested at Flower area of Ikorodu on April 17 by troops of 174 Battalion.He said the suspect wore camouflage Tees at the point he was caught, adding that a fake military identity card, mobile phone, court affidavit, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card and a brown wallet were recovered from him.He said: Similarly, on April 17, troops of 35 Artillery Brigade Alamala Barracks, Ogun State arrested an impostor, Taiwo Ayomide at Ademola Hotel, beside Yasmin Mosque Sagamu. The suspect, a resident of 46, Ojumile Street Sagamu, was dressed in military camouflage and was extorting money from unsuspecting citizens.Items recovered from him include identity card, camouflage uniform, green beret and a military belt. Five other suspects were arrested by troops of 9 Brigade while on Operation Checkmate in different parts of Lagos.The troops recovered army batch, camouflages tees, a dagger kings, Royal Ranger identity card, a Lieutenant rank, two army letters of recommendation, among others. Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday admitted plans to create 30,000 new polling units but denied that it was with the intention of compromising the integrity of the electoral process.Responding to exclusive reports by Sunday Vanguard, of the disproportionate allocation of the new polling units, INEC said the creation of the new units was based on requests from the states.More than two-thirds of the proposed 30,000 new units are allocated to the North and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, a development that has stirred concern of plots to favour a part of the country.Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, in a statement, yesterday, in Abuja, however, described as false, misleading and unfounded, the report of a plot to use the new units to rig the forthcoming election.He said: The fact of the matter is that in response to 3,789 requests so far received nationwide for the creation of new polling units, the commission directed its Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, to thoroughly assess and provide it with information on:New settlements that are not served or inadequately served by existing polling units; areas with natural barriers that hinder access to existing polling units; areas that are distant from existing polling units; and areas affected by communal and other conflicts that make voting in existing polling units unsafe for voters.These reports are still being awaited from the states. It is these reports and the information they contain that will be collated and carefully examined by the commission in order to determine what changes may be necessary in the current polling units profile of the country.Therefore, the insinuation that the commission intends to create 30,000 new polling units to compromise the 2019 general elections is false, misleading, unfounded and should be disregarded.We assure the public that our decisions and actions shall always be guided by the provisions of the extant laws and our determination to respond to requests by Nigerians to serve them better. Even so, this will be done only after full consultation with all stakeholders. A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olabode George, has condemned what he described as uncharitable and irritable vituperations against him by a former governor of Osun State, Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola.He demanded immediate apology from the ex-Osun State governor.Oyinlola had advised George to seek forgiveness from former President Olusegun Obasanjo and stop attacking his benefactor.Oyinlola stated this on Saturday in reaction to a recent interview by George where he described Obasanjos Coalition for Nigeria Movement as a deceit and waste of time while attacking its promoters.Oyinlola said, Rather than attack current efforts at rebuilding Nigeria, I will advise Chief Bode George to retrace his steps and queue up in the CNM. I say so because, whatever he is today in politics is a product of Obasanjos magnanimous efforts.In the same vein, I state without any fear of contradiction that if Obasanjo has 10 enemies today in Nigeria, Chief Bode George made eight for him, if not the whole lot. So, I plead with him to go back to Obasanjo and seek forgiveness.I am also interested in that part of his statement where he described the CNM as a waste of time and a deceit by its promoters. I must say that I was surprised that someone of Chief Bode Georges pedigree and training would hastily write off a project carefully planned by seasoned minds.The CNM is a reaction to the inadequacies of the system we have. It is not a waste of time and cannot be a waste of time. It is designed to rescue Nigeria and build a new generation of leaders for our country.But in a release he personally signed on Sunday, George said, I read today (Sunday) the untidy, uncharitable and irritable vituperations of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola against my good self. I was rather astonished at the level of uninformed, reckless, misleading verbiage against me.He added, Prince Oyinlola was very junior to me in the military. I am very senior to him in age. It was my humble self and the late Chief S.M. Afolabi who introduced him to our former President and my egbon Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.It was through me and the grace of God Almighty that he was elected governor of Osun State. Oyinlola should not dabble into issues he does not know anything about at all. I have served several Generals with 100 per cent loyalty.I have no grudge against our former President. I have a lot of respect for him. I greet him wherever we meet with deep respect and reverence as a well born Yoruba man.Oyinlola, please dont start to open any can of worms that you do not know where it will spill over to.When one is sent a slaves errand, you should behave like a true, well born. Protesters are currently in front of the house of Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, demanding that security operatives leave the ... Protesters are currently in front of the house of Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, demanding that security operatives leave the place. Armed security personnel comprising policemen and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) had laid siege to the place on Monday afternoon. The operatives restricted movement on Sangha street, Maitama, where Melayes house is located. They prevented four of the lawmakers colleagues from seeing him. Abiodun Olujimi from Ekiti; Philip Aduda, federal capital territory (FCT), Isa Misau from Bauchi and Atai Idoko, Kogi were among the senators who visited Melayes residence. We overheard one of them saying they would mobilise protesters and in less than 30 minutes, people from an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Abuja arrived. The protesters asked the security agents to vacate Melayes residence immediately, describing the lawmaker as their benefactor. Kuchingoro Emmanuel, leader of the group, said that no individual had taken care of IDPs like in Abuja Melaye. Melaye is our federal government. He has taken good care of us. He is a good man, he said. File Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 5, 2017. Modi came to Xiamen to attend the ninth BRICS summit and the Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng) BEIJING, April 22 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold an informal meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 27-28 in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the announcement Sunday, after talks with visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Xi and Modi will have strategic communication on the world's profound changes, and exchange, in an in-depth manner, views on overall, long-term and strategic issues regarding China-India relations, Wang told a joint press briefing with Swaraj. The last meeting between Xi and Modi took place in China's southeastern city of Xiamen last September after the ninth BRICS summit. Wang said socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, while India is at a critical period for its development and rejuvenation. On this background, Xi and Modi decided to hold this informal meeting, which will help deepen mutual trust between the two leaders, make strategic judgement on the world pattern and China-India relations, and guide the two countries to set new goals and open up new prospects for the the bilateral ties, Wang said. "This not only benefits the two countries and peoples, but will also exert significant and positive influence on regional and world peace and development," he said. Calling the two nations "natural cooperation partners", Wang said their common interests far outweigh their disputes. "It is an inevitable choice of the two countries to stick to long-term friendship, mutual beneficial cooperation and common development." He said the two countries will keep close coordination and make good preparations for the leaders' meeting, so as to help make it a "new milestone" in the history of China-India relations. "The two countries should take the opportunity of the leaders' meeting to cement strategic trust, deepen substantial cooperation, properly settle disputes and realize common development, therefore contributing to regional and world peace and development," Wang said while holding talks with Swaraj. Swaraj, for her part, said the decision to hold an informal meeting between the two leaders revealed the strong willingness of both sides to strengthen strategic communication. India is ready to work with China to deepen leaders' friendship through the meeting, enhance trust between the two countries and promote India-China strategic cooperative partnership to a new high, she said during talks with Wang. Swaraj is on a working visit to China and will attend the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) scheduled for Tuesday in Beijing. At the joint press briefing, Wang said the two countries would enhance coordination on the SCO platform, and work together for fruitful outcomes of the upcoming SCO summit in east China's coastal city of Qingdao in June, with China taking the rotating chair. China congratulates India on becoming a member of the SCO, Wang said. The two countries will work with other member states to promote the SCO to play a more constructive role in boosting regional security and stability as well as prosperity and development, Wang said. There was pandemonium on Sunday in the Sabo area of Akure, the Ondo State capital, as the Yoruba engaged in a free-for-all with some members of the Hausa community, leading to many people being injured.It was gathered that the fight involved some followers of a masquerader in Akure who entered the Sabo area, where most of the Hausa resided.A source explained that the followers of the masquerader passed through the Old Garage area of Akure where some Hausas sold groceries.The followers were alleged to have attempted to disrupt the business of the Hausa traders which was resisted by the latter, leading to a clash.The source said, The crisis started after some followers of the Akure masquerader disturbed the activities of the Hausa, who were selling at the Old Garage area. It was gathered that vehicular movement was halted on Oba Adesida Road for several hours.Some motorcycles were reportedly burnt, while some houses were torched.Also, men of the state police command and the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, were reportedly deployed in the scene to forestall further breakdown of law and order.Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Femi Joseph, said the command had begun investigation into the matter.He said, We learnt that some people who were following a masquerader had issues with some members of the Hausa community. But immediately we drafted our men there, normalcy was returned. We are still looking for the people that caused the crisis. If we arrest them, we will charge them to court.The Chief Press Secretary to the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo, Mr. Michael Adeyeye, said the palace was also investigating the matter. I was reminded of the continuing fraud that is the Nigerian population when Nigeria News and other news outlets reported the chairman o... Nigeria News and other news outlets reported the chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Eze Duruiheoma, declaring that approximately 198 million people are living within the boundaries of this dysfunctional state. I was reminded of the continuing fraud that is the Nigerian population whenand other news outlets reported the chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Eze Duruiheoma, declaring that approximately 198 million people are living within the boundaries of this dysfunctional state. A little knowledge of the history of population census in Nigeria would reveal the Chairman is simply throwing figures around based on flawed statistical data. History has revealed that the Nigerian Population figure is at best a tool to ensure a section of the country continues to get the biggest pieces of the economic and political national cakes. The first brush I had with an organized census was in 2006. Then, the President, Olusegun Obasanjo, invested a lot of money to make sure the country got it right. Apparently, all previous attempts at counting Nigerians have been mired in controversy because the final results always skewed the result in favor of the North. The National Orientation Agency (NOA) spent lots money on ads and roadshows educating Nigerians why they should ensure only accurate information are given to the enumerators. The NOA went to great lengths to convince people that the figures are needed for proper planning and not for sharing of the countrys revenue. Youd know there was something wrong the way government worked hard to convince people population census had nothing to do with revenue sharing. The government was absolutely correct that accurate figures are needed for adequate planning. But dont be deceived; revenue sharing is at the core of censuses in Nigeria. It is simple really; the more people there are in a particular area, the more infrastructures would be provided there. Invariably, that means more money pushed there to build hospitals, roads, schools, and other utilities to cater for the people residing there. Even some important political decisions are based on the population of the area. For instance, one critical variable in creating Local Governments Areas by Past administration was to consider the population of the area. That is why some states have more representatives in the countrys House of Representatives. Politicians even use these figures to rig future elections. They simply use the population census of an area to rationalize the size of the voters register for the area. Even if people dont register to vote, they simply add phantom names to the voters register to reflect the population of the area. You must have got the gist about the ways population censuses are used politically by now. In countries where things work, a national census is supposed to be carried out periodically. The universal standard is every ten years. Before the 2006 census, the last attempt to count Nigerians accurately was in 1991. That is a whopping 15 years. But that is nothing compared to the 18 years interval between the 1973 census and the 1991 census. Conducting a population census in Nigeria is not the problem here. It is the controversy that follows the release of the census figures. Take the case of the 1973 census for instance. The controversy was so bad it had to be canceled just like other censuses before it. It took Nigeria 18 years from that point to muster enough political will to conduct another one. Here is an excerpt of what the revered Obafemi Awolowo said about the 1973 census results: This brings me to the 1973 census result. I have examined this result from several standpoints which times does not permit me to elaborate upon here, and as a result, I have been irresistibly impelled to the conclusion that the so-called PROVISIONAL FIGURES are absolutely unreliable and should be totally rejected by the Supreme Military Council According to the provisional figures, the population of North-East and Kano States alone is almost equal to that of the South put together. And if the utterly false trends of population growths in the States, indicated by the provisional figures, were contrived and repeated in 1983 and one cannot now see, if the provisional figures are allowed to stand, why a repeat performance should not occur in 1983; if the same trends were repeated in 1983 by the same contrivances, then 74 per cent of all Nigerians would be living in the North, ten years from now. Many Nigerians North of the Niger agreed completely with the late sage. Expectedly, the military government at the time, headed by General Yakubu Gowon, and Nigerians from the North tried to ram the provisional figures down the throats of the rest of the country. Finally, due to the relentless resistance of people like Awolowo, the Government had to cancel the provisional figures. According to many commentators, the 1991 census organized by the regime of Ibrahim Babangida was the most scientific and accurate in the history of Nigeria. However, that didnt stop it courting controversy. What Awolowo had warned back in 1973 came to haunt a people who never learn anything from their mistakes and history. Again, the issues raised in 1973 completely rubbished the figures released after the 1991 census. A look at few cases from those figures would crystallize what the whole farce is all about. Kano and Jigawa states used to one state until Babangida carved Jigawa out of Kano in August 1991. From the 1991 figures, the combined population of both states is about eight and a half million (8,461,968). What that means is that the old Kano state had far more people than Lagos State whose population stood at just above five and a half million (5,685,785). It doesnt end there. Even Kano state alone had a figure (5,632,040) that is almost at par with the population of Lagos State. How can any logical mind believe that an area that is largely desert is more populous than a coastal area with the biggest economy in the country? The same 1991 census, acclaimed to be the best in the history of the country, had figures that showed that old Sokoto State (comprising Sokoto and Kebbi states) had more inhabitants than Lagos state. The same thing with the old Kaduna state made up Kaduna and Katsina States. The Christian Association of Nigeria has advised the Federal Government not to bow to pressure by the British Prime Minister, Theresa M... The Christian Association of Nigeria has advised the Federal Government not to bow to pressure by the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, on same-sex marriage.CAN said Mays position on gay marriage was ungodly, satanic, reprehensible, and should be rejected by all right thinking people globally, especially in Nigeria.The British PM had during the just-concluded Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, asked African leaders to consider legalising same-sex marriage in their respective countries.But CAN in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by the Special Assistant (Media and Communications) to the CAN President, Pastor Bayo Oladeji, noted that Nigerians had unanimously resolved to do away with same-sex marriage and had affirmed this by legislation.It said, If we may remind the British authorities, the same-sex marriage contradicts the position of the Scripture and any human law that contradicts the Bible cannot stand.God is the author of marriage and He stated it clearly that it involves a man and a woman. In addition, the Bible states: A man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh.Jesus our Saviour confirmed that marriage should be for male and female. The Bible condemns homosexuality as an immoral and unnatural sin.The fact that the British authorities or all countries of the world practise or allow gay marriage did not make it right, CAN noted, warning that any government that dared to make same-sex marriage lawful in Nigeria risked the wrath of God and the anger of all Christians and other Nigerians.Oladeji expressed confidence that the Federal Government would never contemplate introducing gay marriage in the country, stressing that the government should on no account bow to pressure from foreign powers.We contend that on no account should our government bow to pressure by making Nigeria capitulate while embracing strange culture that allows barren amorous relationship between same sex not in tandem with Mother Nature, he stated.Meanwhile, the CAN President, Dr. Olasupo Ayokunle, said Nigeria was in pains because it had been led by leaders without vision, compassion and the fear of God.Ayokunle, who is also the President, Nigerian Baptist Convention, stated that Christians must embrace self-defence to survive attacks from herdsmen and other militia groups terrorising the country.The CAN president made this remarks while briefing newsmen on Saturday at the Baptist Conference International Camp Ground in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.The briefing was part of events marking the 2018 annual meeting of the NBC with the theme; Moving Forward, Building a Great Nation through Effective Christian Participation.He cautioned that Nigeria would continue to be in pains if Christians did not embrace politics, adding that it was imperative for them to join politics and give Nigerians hope.Ayokunle urged Christians to resist any attempt to be lured with money to choose wrong persons into elective positions, arguing that the suffering of the nation would be prolonged if the wrong persons were allowed to be in power. The United States will in 2020 deliver the 12 Super Tucano fighter jets and other weapons it agreed to sell to Nigeria to combat Boko Ha... A senior U.S. Department of State official stated this yesterday during a background briefing at the U.S. Consul Generals Residence in Ikoyi, Lagos.The official, who confirmed that the Nigerian government had paid for the war planes, said sale of the aircraft with weapons and services worth over 400 million dollars included bombs and rockets.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the propeller-driven plane with reconnaissance, surveillance and attack capabilities is made by Brazils Embraer.Embraers second production line is in Florida in a partnership between Embraer and privately held Sierra Nevada Corp of Sparks, Nevada.The Super Tucano is said to cost more than 10 million dollars each and the price could go much higher depending on the configuration. It is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT 6 engine.On the planned visit by President Muhammadu Buhari to the White House on April 30, the official said the Nigerian leader would be the first African president to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.We are excited about the planned visit by President Buhari as the first African leader to be engaged by President Donald Trump at the White House.The most important is that it is in Washington. It will be a very high level meeting; it will help the U.S. to also understand Nigerias projection.There will be independent conversation on security, governance, the Lake Chad Basin and Nigerias role as a democratic leader in the region, the U.S. government official said.Commenting on Nigerias 2019 general elections, the official said: U.S. will remain non-partisan as it had the commitment to continue to support Nigerias elections.Will continue to help Nigerias security agencies to build capacity, not only in Nigeria but other countries in Africa, the senior U.S Department of State official said. The Federal Capital Territory, FCT Police Command, has said it was not yet aware of the Mondays morning arrest of Senator Dino Melaye at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.This was even as the Force Headquarters was yet to comment on the issue despite several attempts made by Vanguard to get its reaction on the development.The FCT Police Command, when contacted over the issue, insisted that it was not yet aware of the alleged arrest of the senator, who represents Kogi West Senatorial Zone at the Senate under the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.The commands spokesman, Anjuguri Manzah, a Superintendent of Police, SP, told newsmen that:The FCT Command of the Nigeria Police is not aware of arrest of any senator, adding: No arrest of any senator has been made in our command.'According to him, the Abuja airport where the arrest was allegedly made was not under the jurisdiction of the command.Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport is not within our command so, any arrest there couldnt have been carried out by our men, he added.The Force Headquarters was yet to react to the development even as several calls made to the telephone lines of its spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, was yet to connect as at press time.His Deputy, Aremu Adediran, a Superintendent of Police, SP, refused to picks calls made to his mobile lines just as he was yet to respond to text message sent to his known telephone lines.Recall that Melaye had, on Monday morning, alerted the public of his arrest at the airport through his verified Twitter handle, saying he was picked up by the security agents while at the airport to travel to Morocco for an official function. An 18-year-old man was seriously injured in a bull riding accident at a Burlington County stable on Sunday afternoon, authorities said. The Maryland resident was wearing a helmet when his head collided with a bull's head around 4:15 p.m. at Live the Dream Stable on Cebulka Drive in Chesterfield, township police said. The man, who was unconscious when police arrived, was flown by helicopter to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton. Witnesses told police the bull's head was turning when it struck the man's head. Police Chief Kyle Wilson said Luck of the Draw Bull Riding hosted the event Sunday. He didn't have an update on the man's condition but said police are still investigating. A man who answered the phone at Luck of the Draw Bull Riding declined to comment. A message left with Live the Dream Stable by NJ Advance Media was not immediately returned. Live the Dream describes itself as a family-owned, state-of-the-art equestrian farm that offers training and lessons. Luck of the Draw says it provides schooling for the "beginner, lady bull rider or bucket list rider as well as the professional rider." Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A forest fire in the Pine Barrens that is burning about 843 acres is 90 percent contained, officials said Monday morning. The fire, which is burning north of Oswego Lake in the Penn State Forest in Washington Township, Burlington County hasn't diminished in size but will eventually burn itself out, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection said. It was still burning as of 4:30 p.m. There have no been injuries, property damage, or evacuations since the fire was reported just after 2 p.m. Sunday, spokeswoman Caryn Shinske said. The closest structure to the fire is approximately 2 miles away, Shinske said. Crews worked through the night setting backfires to control the fire's path, according to the State Park Service. A fire in the Pine Barrens has not caused any damage or injured anyone, officials said. (New Jersey Forest Fire Service) Oswego Lake's recreation area has been reopened but several local roads will remain closed Monday. Fifteen firefighters and six fire engines as well as additional emergency personnel remain on the scene Monday morning. During the afternoon on Sunday, plumes of smoke were visible on weather radar and satellite images over the Penn State Forest area of Burlington County, according to Sarah Johnson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service forecast office in Mount Holly. The multi-agency investigation into the cause of the fire will be led by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Penn State Forest covers 3,366 acres with Lake Oswego encompassing an additional 90. NJ Advance Media staff reporter Len Melisurgo contributed to this report. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Amy Andersen came closer than anyone from New Jersey has in decades. The Ocean City High School teacher was one of four finalists for National Teacher of The Year and went to Washington D.C. in February to compete in rigorous interviews and even a mock press conference. And though she didn't bring home the title -- a Washington teacher who works with refugee students was announced as the winner Friday -- Andersen doesn't feel like a loser, she said. That's because she will get to return to the classroom in September rather than spending the next school year traveling the country. "At the end of the day, what really makes me happy and is gratifying is that I am with my students," Andersen, an American Sign Language teacher said. "So I kind of see it as winning that." Andersen began teaching in Boston, where she worked with deaf students for nine years before starting the American Sign Language program at Ocean City High School in 2004. Now, she teaches sign language to hearing students, one of the first programs of its kind in the state. She won the state Teacher of the Year award in the fall and was later named the state's first finalist for national Teacher of the Year since 1972. In competing for the national award, Andersen elevated her platform as an advocate for the deaf community, she said. Districts from across the state have reached out to her to find out how they can start American Sign Language programs and she's met with state lawmakers to talk about legislation that could help families of deaf children. Although Andersen didn't win, acting State Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet praised her for "igniting enthusiasm and showcasing exceptional teaching in New Jersey." "Amy's achievements place the spotlight on some of the amazing instruction that occurs every day in New Jersey classrooms," Repollet said. Andersen will continue in her role as state Teacher of the Year until September, working as a liaison to the state Department of Education. Then, the students in Ocean City get her back, which might make them the real winners of the competition, Superintendent Kathleen Taylor said "They really love her," Taylor said. "The students that she teaches, she is probably their favorite teacher." Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook N.J. home makeover is a regular feature on NJ.com that showcases designer, contractor and DIY renovations, large and small. To submit your renovation for consideration, email home@starledger.com with your full name, email address, phone number and town/city. Attach "before" and "after" photos of what you renovated. Arturo and Marianne Banegas had a vision for how the three levels of their Basking Ridge home could better serve their family of four. It required new hardwood floors on the upper levels, and a good amount of rearranging throughout. Their first-floor master bedroom became a family room, and their walk-in closet became the new laundry room. The former laundry room, off the garage, was a better place for a mud room to hang their coats and bags or to sit down and change shoes before entering the house. The master bathroom was converted to an artist's studio where Marianne Banegas makes jewelry near a new family room that opens to the kitchen and a casual dining area. Her husband, a lawyer, also has a first-floor home office. They had the rooms painted in colors they enjoy, and prepared the bones of the second floor for the second phase of their renovation. In their finished basement, they updated a family lounge with vinyl plank flooring that resembles wood. Then they needed a break. "We were living in the basement while they were doing the upstairs area," Marianne Banegas said. Fortunately, their walk-out basement has a small apartment believed to have been outfitted for a live-in nanny. During the first phase of their home renovation, the Barnegas family, including their daughter and son, lived in the apartment for about six months. Originally, their 2,769-square-foot house had five bedrooms, four of which were on the second floor. In anticipation of the next phase of home improvement, Arturo and Marianne Banegas turned their attention to two of those bedrooms. The wall between them would be torn down. "We put together the two rooms at the end of the hall to make it a master suite," Marianne Banegas said. "When we started living here, our children were younger, and we didn't want them to go up and down the stairs to get to us," she said. "We didn't feel comfortable with us being downstairs and them being upstairs." Together, the two bedrooms gave them a rectangular footprint of nearly 300 square feet for their new bedroom. They decided to live in the open space for almost two years to help them figure out how their master suite should be configured. They had previously renovated a home with an architect in Venezuela, where they are from, and that experience informed their process for the Basking Ridge house. "The only thing we couldn't figure out was where to put the closet," Marianne Banegas said. Their renovation contractor recommended Martina Servos, an architect and interior designer who took their ideas and devised a floor plan to include a bathroom, dressing area and seperate closets. "They knew what they wanted in terms of style, and they were very open in terms of layout," Servos said. The suite she designed for them features clean, disciplined lines that support their preference for mid-century modern decor and furnishings. New walls were built to divide the space for the sleeping area, a closet area and the bathroom, which occupies a third of the suite. "I go into my bathroom, and I feel like I'm in a hotel," Marianne Banegas said. To enhance a sense of openness and avoid blocking views of the bathroom's glamorous features, Servos gave them a bathroom without an entry door. Behind one frosted glass enclosure, a toilet is tucked within the private space of a water closet. Matching glass surrounds the shower, for which they had to borrow a bit more space from one of the other three full bathrooms. On the wall where a long custom walnut vanity spans the length, there is more glass in blue subway tiles. The vanity, topped with Caesarstone quartz, offers grooming and storage areas for husband and wife, with sinks, mirrors and mod cabinetry on either side of a window. For the floor, they chose moisture-friendly natural stone tiles in planks that replicate wood. The same tile is cut into small squares for a different effect on the shower floor. Between the master bathroom wall and a second new wall there is a spacious niche with a series of white doors that shutter closets. The entrance to a hall closet was reversed for another closet on the other side of the master bathroom entrance. The bedroom has a minimalist aesthetic, and on one wall, Servos had quiet stripes painted in different finishes of Benjamin Moore's Stone Harbor gray. "We painted 12-inch stripes in high-gloss and matte," she said. "That creates a bit of a detail without taking too much of your attention." Marianne Banegas says they are quite pleased with their renovated 1995 home and the spaces it has created for them and their children, now 12 and 14. "We liked the bones of the house and its open concept," she said. "It had great potential that we really took advantage of to make it work for our family lifestyle. The house is not very big, but it has everything very well placed. Every person has their own space, and on the second floor, each bedroom has its own bathroom, which is really convenient and nobody fights." What they renovated They combined two second-floor bedrooms to make one 290-square-foot master suite Who did the work Gary Novello of Statewide Contracting in Bridgewater and Martina Servos of Lemon Grass Design How long it took They renovated in phases, the first of which took about 8 months. The second phase took about five months. What they spent About $100,000 for the entire project Where they splurged In the master suite. The cabinetry for the bathroom and closets was carpenter-built in walnut wood. Their bed and nightstands also were custom built. How they saved "We did not touch the kitchen," Marianne Banegas said. "It's not my favorite, but it works for us." What they did themselves "We had the ideas for the changes and style we wanted inside the house, and Gary and Martina interpreted them very well and made them a reality. We talked about our our ideas, and they understood us very well." What they like most The master suite and bathroom, specifically. They also like how the breakfast area and family room turned out with the modified original fireplace. The double-sided fireplace that divides the two spaces was refaced with concrete for an update that meshes with their mid-century decor and furnishings. What they'd have done differently Nothing. "If we have to remodel a house again here, I would put together the same team," Marianne Banegas said. "It was a process. We really enjoyed living the transformation." Kimberly L. Jackson may be reached at home@starledger.com. Find NJ.com Entertainment on Facebook. On the seventh floor is where Frank Sinatra signed his first contract with Victor studios, and one floor above was where legendary musicians often recorded their music. "It's probably the most historic place for recorded music in the world," Chris Perks, president of the Camden County Historical Society, told Philly.com last month. But for the last 20 years at the executive building of RCA Victor's World Headquarters in Camden, it has not been that same hub of innovation, just the city's school district offices. However, with the city school district recently downsizing to a new office, the building is now empty, and Procida Funding announced a $5.5 million loan last week to Millennial Place, LLC for the acquisition, marketing, light rehabilitation and lease-up of the building located at 201 N. Front St., which was built in 1916. "The property is appealing for its historic value as headquarters for the company that revolutionized the radio and television industry, as well as its location in Camden, a city that is on the cusp of a major renaissance," William 'Billy' Procida, president and CEO of Procida Funding said in a press release. "We're excited to support a project that will transform the former epicenter of the music industry into its next generational use." According to the release, Millennial Places' renovation plans for the building include leasing class A office space with the "potential for ground floor retail in the future." Millennial Places is a partnership between Hagen Construction and Millennial Partners, who is one of the leading real estate developers in Camden. Procida said in a brief phone interview last week they will be signing up tenants for the 120,000-square-foot building this summer. Procida noted in the release that state incentives have recently brought other building projects to Camden, including MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper and the Philadelphia 76ers new 125,000-square-foot training complex, making it an exciting time to invest in the city. "This is a perfect storm for real estate success, and this project has the capacity to support the changing landscape and endless economic trajectory of the city," he said in the release. Camden is the poorest city in New Jersey with just under 40 percent of its residents living below the poverty line. But with a slew of projects underway -- headlined by the $1 billion waterfront project developed by Liberty Property Trust that will be an urban center with office space, housing units, commercial space and parks on a 26-acre site -- local officials and investors are optimistic about the future. "Camden's resurgence has been catapulted by projects such as this one, our focus on enhancing public safety and our efforts to improve educational outcomes for our youth," Mayor Dana Redd said in 2016 when construction began on the waterfront project. "Camden is on fire right now," Procida said. "In a good way." Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jatmonavageNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook BEIJING, April 22 -- China has received information that the U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin wishes to make a trip to China to negotiate economic and trade issues, according to a Ministry of Commerce (MOC) statement issued Sunday. The statement quoted an unnamed spokesperson for the MOC as saying China welcomes this information. JERSEY CITY The City Council this week is scheduled to approve a $25,000 settlement for a man who alleges cops attacked him and falsely charged him with crimes outside the Salem Lafayette housing complex two years ago. Jeremy Rennick sued Jersey City, its police department and four officers in federal court last year, claiming the March 19, 2016 arrest violated his civil rights. His attorneys and a city spokeswoman declined to comment on the settlement proposal, which is up for council approval on Wednesday night. Rennick's six-count lawsuit offers a drastically different version of events than the one described by authorities after his arrest. Cops accused Rennick of punching one officer and dragging a second one with his car before being taken into custody. He was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, eluding police and resisting arrest. The lawsuit says surveillance video showed the cops' accounts to be untrue. Officers Humberto Balbosa and Kevin Geib ambushed Rennick and launched a "violent, unprovoked" attack after he stepped out of his car, according to the lawsuit. A spokesman for the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office said the charges against Rennick were dismissed in October 2016. By that point, Rennick had already spent six months behind bars, according to his lawsuit. Rennick also named Sgt. Thomas Broderick and Officer Chris Koszyk as defendants. A request for comment from the spokesman for Jersey City's police unions was not returned. Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. JERSEY CITY Authorities may be getting closer to answering questions about the death of a baby found in a suitcase earlier this month in Jersey City. NBC New York and Eyewitness News are both reporting the child has been identified by sources as 2-year-old Te'Myah Plummer, who was reported missing in Richmond, Virginia last month. Officials previously said the baby girl who was found alongside train tracks near the Journal Square Transportation Center on April 11 was about 10 months old. Just three weeks earlier, the Richmond Police Department had asked for the public's help with locating Te'Myah and her 37-year-old father, Travis Plummer. Police said Plummer may have been headed to Jersey City or North Carolina. PLEASE SHARE-- RPD SEEKING TO LOCATE MISSING DAUGHTER AND FATHER: The Richmond Police Department is asking for the... Posted by Richmond Police Department on Thursday, March 22, 2018 Authorities did not believe Te'Myah was in any danger. Her Richmond-based family said told police the baby had not been seen since August, authorities said. Sources told The Jersey Journal the case appeared to be focused out-of-state. Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- The North Bergen "sexorcist" who fled the country after being convicted of molesting a 13-year-old boy was sentenced to five years in prison today for bail jumping. The prison term will start after Gregorio Martinez finishes serving the four-year sentence he is currently serving for the sex crime. "Not only did he flee, but he also continued to engage in criminal activity by trying to remove his fingerprints," Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Linda Claude-Oben said today while holding up an image of Martinez's bandaged and bloody fingers. That photograph, and others displayed by the prosecutor, were taken at the time of Martinez's arrest in Honduras, which was accomplished with the help of the U.S. Marshal's Service. The justice system is far from done with the 50-year-old former pastor who has charges pending against him in three more sex cases. On Tuesday, jury selection begins for his next trial, which involves an alleged male victim who was 18-year-old at the time. Martinez faces five to 10 years in prison if convicted in that trial. Prior to sentencing Martinez today, Hudson County Superior Court Mirtha Ospina noted "the extent to which this defendant took to hide his identity and to not be found by law enforce so he would not be brought to justice with regard to these charges." On Feb. 25, 2015, Gregorio Martinez, who was described as a prophet and exorcist, was found guilty of touching the 13-year-old's genital area and kissing him on the lips inside the boy's mother's minivan in 2012 while she shopped. The former pastor was out on bail at the time of the conviction and was allowed to remain free pending sentencing. When sentencing day rolled around, he was nowhere to be found. He was then tracked to Nicaragua in 2016 and then arrested in Honduras. He was then convicted of bail jumping. Jury selection will begin before Ospina tomorrow in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City. Opening statements in the trial are expected on May 1. In court today, Martinez's lawyer, Daniel Gonzalez asked Ospina to sentence his client to a three-year prison term to be served concurrent -- at the same time -- to the term he is serving for molesting the 13-year-old. "He still maintains his innocence to the first matter and the other matters," Gonzalez said in court today. "As to the bail jumping, it is what it is." Last week Martinez turned down a generous plea offer that would have resolved his three pending case in exchange for an 18-month prison term to run concurrent with his bail jumping sentence. JERSEY CITY One of the state's top lawmakers is taking aim at the new contract for Jersey City teachers, calling the deal "irresponsible" and an "insult" to underfunded districts. In a statement issued Friday, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney blasted the Jersey City Board of Education for approving the agreement, which will increase district spending on teacher salaries by 3.31 percent during the current school year and 2.72 percent during 2018-19. The board approved the contract by a 5-1 vote Thursday night. Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said the Jersey City school district already receives more state funding than it should district officials have dismissed this as untrue. Sweeney added that salary increases amid a $71 million shortfall in the district's proposed budget sends the wrong message to other schools. "What makes it even worse is that the Jersey City Board of Education wrote a blank check that taxpayers in every other school district in New Jersey are going to have to reach into their pockets to pay," Sweeney said. "That's because Jersey City continues to get $151 million a year more in state aid than it would be receiving if the school funding formula was run fairly with the 10-year-old growth caps and Adjustment Aid eliminated." Jersey City School Board President Sudhan Thomas defended the contract, saying the state had already approved a 2 percent raise for teachers and the remaining money was made up through "creative efficiencies." The new contract, Thomas said, eliminates incentives for teachers who do not use the insurance plan, increases prescription co-pays by $5, and saves roughly $5 million by changing the health care plan that teachers are enrolled in. "We have acted very responsibly as is evidenced above," Thomas said. "It is ludicrous, irresponsible and frankly smacks of ignorance to suggest we have acted irresponsibly. This is a false propaganda war effort by anti-public education forces who have been at the core of chipping away at public education resources." However, the school district is faced with a shortfall in its budget, with more than 300 positions expected to be impacted and a tax hike built into the proposed spending for the coming school year. Thomas said the board is committed to finding a solution to the gap that would result in no layoffs. "As president this is our top priority," Thomas said. "I would to like to urge calm and yet assure the citizens of Jersey City that this board is working very hard to balance this budget with zero layoffs to ensure excellent education for the 30,000 students we serve. "I am going one step further: read my lips zero layoffs," Thomas added. The Jersey City Education Association the 4,000-member union representing the teachers and other school employees went on strike for one day on March 16 in an effort to get a new contract with lower health care costs. The union and the district came to an agreement on a new contract two days later. Issues in the budget are causing tensions to run high among the nine-member board. Thursday's meeting ended with no quorum after four of the eight members present from the board walked out as an executive session was to begin. A special meeting to discuss the budget is scheduled for April 26 at 346 Claremont Ave. NORTH BERGEN -- Township officials are mulling the possibility of allowing a natural-gas-fueled electric plant in an industrial area, according to a report in The Record. The plant, called the North Bergen Liberty Generating Project, would be a $1.5 billion natural-gas-fueled generating system that would send its electricity to New York City, the report said. Local officials said it would be an economic boon. "North Bergen is very excited about the chance to bring a state-of-the-art, clean power generation facility to the township that will create a significant amount of new annual tax revenue with no impact on residential neighborhoods or schools and minimal if any burden on local services," said Phil Swibinski, spokesman for the municipality. "The project is expected to create hundreds of union construction jobs and it will be a vital part of the energy infrastructure for the region." The project would be headed by Diamond Generating Corp., a Los Angeles-based subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi. The company is still seeking permits and approvals from the state Department of Environmental Protection. The plant would be built on 15 acres of land already zoned for a power plant near Railroad Avenue. A 6.5-mile underground cable would send electricity from the plant through North Bergen, Fairview, Cliffside Park and Edgewater, and then across the Hudson River, the report said. Environmentalists, however, have concerns about the project. Bill Sheehan, director of the Hackensack Riverkeeper, is quoted in the report saying that the plant "just perpetuates our reliance on fossil fuels." But North Bergen officials have signaled they are in favor of the plant. Mayor Nicholas Sacco, owners of the proposed project and labor unions and business groups will officially announce the proposal on Wednesday. "While this project is still in the planning stages, we believe it represents a tremendous opportunity to secure the township's tax base in the coming decades and continue to keep property taxes stable," Swibinski said. EDITOR'S NOTE: Interested in the marijuana business industry? NJ Cannabis Insider is a new premium intelligence briefing that features exclusive weekly content geared toward entrepreneurs, lawyers and realtors. View a sample issue. Until recently, the only consumer data available on cannabis came through self-reporting surveys mostly conducted, ironically enough, by anti-drug advocacy groups. The data painted a discouraging picture for any New Jersey business hoping to sell cannabis to women: For example, a 2016 study by Headset found 68 percent of cannabis customers were men. But as adult-use marijuana spreads throughout North America -- it will become legal sometime this summer throughout Canada and is available legally to some 20 million Americans -- so has understanding about consumption. In fact, a May 2017 study by the Cannabis Consumers Coalition found that just 53 percent of North American cannabis consumers were male. That news comes as vindication to Fleurish, the only company in Canada developing cannabis products exclusively for women. In an exclusive interview with NJ Cannabis Insider, Fleurish's chief marketing officer, Mary Beth Williamson, opened up about the importance of marketing to women and how New Jersey cannabusinesses might best reach them. Mary Beth Williamson, chief marketing officer of the Canada-based Fleurish. "For years, the assumption was that women's needs and wants would be the same as men's when it came to cannabis," said Williamson, a former PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble marketing executive. But Williamson said emerging medical and psychological research on cannabinoids shows females absorb cannabis differently, and think differently about its use, too. "Women are using (cannabis) products differently than men," Williamson said, "For instance, fewer women prefer to smoke." Instead, women often are more interested in flowering alternatives such as creams, salves and even toiletries, such as cannabis-infused "bath bombs." Having cut her teeth launching Procter & Gamble's Oil of Olay brand in Eastern Europe, Williamson is ready to take Fleurish's own cannabis-infused line of moisturizers to market. And having spent more time studying the differences between female groups than almost anyone in cannabis marketing, Williamson cautioned against dividing cannabis products into a single "pink" category for women, regardless of age. "'Marijuana moms' are very different from millennial users, who are public about it and think it part of their identity, viewing it as part of female empowerment," she said. "[The marijuana moms] are more guilt-ridden and discreet about it, so they're going to use differently." Such "marijuana moms" may be more interested in cannabis vaping oils, or edible cannabis-laden chocolates, she said, because "they're not going to smoke a joint and stink up the whole house." Younger women who are more likely to smoke cannabis often express a preference for strains with fruity aromas such as berry and citrus, or a more floral notes like violet, Williamson said. With that in mind, Fleurish contracted with a "global strain consultant" who is equal parts sommelier and vintner, scouring the world's cannabis strains for those with femme-favored aromatics, and genetically splicing them to make them even more appealing to female customers. Williamson notes that older, "sandwich generation" women who may be parenting teens and taking care of their own ailing parents often are more inclined toward CBD-rich strains with anti-inflammatory properties that target chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or insomnia. "They have laundry to do, so they can't be smoking something that's going to give them 'couch-lock.'" But more than any other category, it's medical marijuana products aimed at women that Fleurish hopes show the most potential for the legal cannabis industry. "The highest amount of cannabinoid receptors in the human body are found in the uterus," Williamson said. "And our research shows women respond to cannabinoids more effectively than men and build up a tolerance faster than men." Fleurish hopes to provide relief to the some 800,000 Canadian women suffering from endometriosis, a painful disorder where tissue normally lining the inside of the uterus grows outside it. The company also is developing CBD strains that are rich in anti-inflammatory properties, which, Williamson said, have shown "tremendous results" for doctors treating endometriosis. "It takes time and the effort to truly understand them and give them the products they want and that will improve their lives," said Williamson. She sees a massively underserved market. "Nineteen percent of Canadian women use cannabis, averaging 100 grams a year. At $8 dollars (Canadian) a gram, that's a $2 billion dollar market right now," she said. Once recreational cannabis becomes legal later this year in Canada, a 2017 DIG Research report forecasts that number is expected to double or triple. This article appeared originally in NJ Cannabis Insider. If you are interested in the N.J. cannabis industry you can subscribe here for exclusive insider information from NJ Cannabis Insider Claude Brodesser-Akner may be reached at cbrodesser@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClaudeBrodesser. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Three artists associated with the Lewis Center for the Art at Princeton University were recently awarded 2018 Guggenheim Fellowships. Poet, Princeton alumnus, and Lecturer in Creative Writing Monica Youn; dance artist and frequent Lecturer in Dance John Heginbotham; and choreographer and 2014-2015 Hodder Fellow Nora Chipaumire were among 173 Fellows named on April 4 by the Board of Trustees of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation from a group of almost 3,000 applicants in the Foundation's 94th competition. Guggenheim Fellows are known for their diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and achievements. This year's class of Fellows ranges in age from 29 to 80, come from 31 states and 69 different academic institutions, and represent 49 different scholarly and artistic fields. Since its establishment in 1925, the Foundation has awarded more than $360 million in Fellowships to over 18,000 individuals, among whom are scores of Nobel laureates, Fields Medalists, poets laureate, members of the various national academies, and winners of the Pulitzer Prize, Turing Award, National Book Awards, and other internationally recognized honors. Monica Youn is the author of three books of poetry, most recently Blackacre (Graywolf Press, 2016), which won the William Carlos Williams Award of the Poetry Society of America, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Kingsley Tufts Award, and the PEN Open Book Award, and was longlisted for the National Book Award. Blackacre was named one of the best poetry collections of the year by the New York Times, the Washington Post and BuzzFeed. Her second book Ignatz (Four Way Books, 2010) was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her poems have been widely published in Poetry, The New Yorker, The New Republic, Lana Turner, The Paris Review, and The Best American Poetry. The daughter of Korean immigrants and a former lawyer, she was raised in Houston, Texas, is a member of Princeton's Class of 1993, and now lives in New York City. She is a member of the curatorial collective The Racial Imaginary Institute and chairs the Lewis Center Committee on Race and the Arts. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, John Heginbotham is a Brooklyn-based choreographer and performer. He graduated from The Juilliard School in 1993 with a B.F.A. in Dance and was awarded the Martha Hill Prize for Sustained Achievement in Dance. He subsequently performed in the work of Pam Tanowitz, John Jasperse, Rebecca Stenn, Vanessa Walters, and Pilobolus Dance Theater, among others. From 1995-1998, he was a member of Susan Marshall & Company, originating roles in her evening-length works The Most Dangerous Room in the House and the award-winning dance opera composed by Philip Glass, Les Enfants Terribles. Heginbotham is the recipient of the 2014 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award and two Jerome Robbins Foundation New Essential Works (NEW) Fellowships (2010 and 2012). In addition to teaching at Princeton University, he is the Director of the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble at Dartmouth College and is a founding teacher of Dance for PD(r), an ongoing collaboration between the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group. Nora Chipaumire is a Zimbabwe-born choreographer based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work has earned her several awards including a 2012 Alpert Award in the Arts, a 2011 U.S.A. Ford Fellowship, and the 2009 AFROPOP Real Life Award for her choreography in the film, Nora. She is a three-time New York Dance and Performance ("Bessie") Awardee, in 2014 for Dark Swan; in 2008 for her dance-theater work, Chimurenga; and in 2007 for her body of work with Urban Bush Women, where she was a featured performer (2003-2008) and associate artistic director (2007-2008). She has studied dance in many parts of the world -- including Africa (Senegal, Burkina Faso, Kenya, and South Africa), Cuba, Jamaica, and the U.S. -- and has led significant contemporary dance and choreographic workshops in east, central, and West Africa. A graduate of the University of Zimbabwe's School of Law, Chipaumire holds an M.A. in Dance and M.F.A. in Choreography and Performance from Mills College. As a recent Hodder Fellow at Princeton's Lewis Center for the Arts, Chipaumire presented her works-in-progress as part of the Choreographers-in-Residence in Conversation Series and completed the second installment in her Diptych: "portrait of myself as my father," a work that investigates the self, blackness, Africa-ness, as well deepening the minimalist African aesthetic which she champions. In addition to these three Lewis Center for the Arts affiliated artists, 2018 Guggenheim Fellowships were awarded to three other Princeton faculty members: Director of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in the Humanities Brooke Holmes, Department of History Professor Ekaterina Pravilova, and Chair of the East Asian studies department Martin Kern. The Guggenheim Fellowship program is a significant source of support for artists, scholars in the humanities and social sciences, and scientific researchers. The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation is supported through donations from its trustees, former Fellows, friends, and other foundations. An 86-year-old man was killed last week when a vehicle attempting to merge onto a Monmouth County highway struck the car he was traveling in, authorities said. The crash happened Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in Neptune Township when a Honda Accord and Jeep Cherokee collided on Route 18, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. The Jeep, driven by a 17-year-old girl from Avon-by-the-Sea, was attempting to merge on the northbound side of the highway from Route 33, authorities said. Her vehicle struck the Honda, driven by a 47-year-old Brick Township woman, as it traveled north in the right lane. The Honda's front passenger, Malcolm Ryder, of Spring Lake Heights, was injured in the collision, according to the prosecutor's office. Ryder was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center and pronounced dead at 3:22 p.m., authorities said. The Honda's driver was treated there for moderate injuries, while the teen was not injured. Authorities are continuing to investigate the crash and ask that anyone with information contact the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office at 800-533-7443 or Neptune Township Police Department at 732-988-8000, ext. 765. Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips The former mayor of a Mercer County town has been sentenced to five years in prison for stealing thousands of dollars and using the money to give himself a raise while he served as the executive director of Asbury Park Housing Authority. Mark W. Holmes Sr., 56, was ordered to pay $35,000 in additional restitution and to forfeit his pension. In addition, Holmes can never again hold a public job, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. Holmes, a Democratic former mayor and councilman in Lawrence Township, pleaded guilty to second-degree theft in January. He stole more than $90,000 by using state grant money intended to help low-income residents of Asbury Park to give himself a salary increase that wasn't approved by the agency's board between 2008 and 2011. Before becoming the executive director, Holmes served as the agency's deputy director. Prior to taking over as executive director, Holmes applied for -- and received -- a $99,897 grant from the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The money was intended to be spent on training in computers and other skills for residents who qualified for public housing in Asbury Park. Holmes created the APHA Community Development Corporation, where he funneled $58,000 to give himself a $50,000 salary increase without board approval, officials said. The prosecutor's office statement said the investigation found that Holmes opened credit cards in the name of the APHA and the APHA Community Development Corporation and used the cards for personal expenses. He had the bills go directly to his home and accrued more than $30,000 in debt on the cards. Holmes, who went on more than 30 business trips across the country, also received $22,000 in per diem payments from the authority for meals while on business trips. He used some of that money for spa treatments, hotel in-room movies, and strip clubs, authorities said. Holmes was indicted in December 2015 on 38 counts of official misconduct and other offenses. He was arrested at his Lawrence home in 2013 but was released from jail after posting $70,000 bail. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Immigration agents have refused to say why they are moving to deport a New Jersey physics teacher and father of three - a man sentenced to death in Egypt. But Ahmed Abdelbasit says he knows exactly what will happen if he's sent back. "The Egyptian government will not wait one minute to kill me," he told WNYC's Matt Katz, on a phone from the Elizabeth detention center. Physics teacher facing death sentence in Egypt detained outside N.J. home: report No need to take his word for it, apparently: The military trial in which he was sentenced to death in absentia was documented by Human Rights Watch. He's now being represented by a lawyer from an international human rights organization. When we asked ICE why they arrested this guy, a popular Union City private school instructor, at his Jersey City home a couple weeks ago, they cited unspecified "immigration violations." So rest easy. No need to know why they're jailing him. Just be satisfied with what we know already: That ICE going after "bad hombres" is a lie. We saw it with the Edison middle schooler who was in class when his father was put on a plane to Indonesia, after taking refuge here as a Christian fleeing persecution. We saw it when ICE arrested church volunteers in Highland Park, including those who helped the victims of Hurricane Sandy; they had also fled anti-Christian rioters in Indonesia, and missed the deadline to apply for asylum. ICE has lost all humanity in New Jersey. It's targeting people without using its discretion, and each case is more appalling. Who's next? The Dreamers? Who threatens national security: Trump, or this N.J. dad? | Editorial Abdelbasit said he applied for asylum, was awaiting a decision, and didn't find out until after he was jailed that he'd been denied. He doesn't know why. You'd think he couldn't have a more compelling case, given his history. He was fired from the University of Cairo in 2014 for organizing protests against a military coup. The military trial in which he was later sentenced to death relied on dictated confessions elicited through torture, according to international watchdogs. Egypt's bloody despot, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, allows his thugs to electrocute the innocent; hang them from their limbs until they sign false "confessions" - even two 14-year-old boys, one of whom who was raped with a wooden stick. Reason to be skeptical, after Abdelbasit was named in a "confession" by a former university colleague as having paid the leader of a terrorist cell. This is how they treat dissidents in Egypt. And sadly, we've seen how they treat asylum seekers in New Jersey: ICE jails them for months, even years. Under Trump, we've become one of the worst states for arresting immigrants with no criminal records - just civil violations, like your temporary legal status expiring while your asylum case is pending. And instead of paroling asylum seekers while their cases sit in the pipeline, under Trump, ICE is keeping them locked up; the subject of a recent lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union. People fleeing murderous gangs, political violence or torture who announce their arrival at our borders, legally apply for asylum and whose claims are deemed viable have every reason to keep showing up in court. It's a ridiculous waste of tax money to jail them as they wait for their numbers to be called in a backlogged system. At his State of the Union, Donald Trump led a standing ovation for a North Korean defector who had escaped torture and other horrors. The president called his story a "testament to the yearning of every human soul to live in freedom." But the Indonesian Christians, and this Egyptian dissident, are the real testament to how we treat people like him. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. FUZHOU, April 22 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday called for fostering new driving forces through informatization, to promote new development and make new achievements. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a congratulatory letter sent to the first Digital China Summit, which opened Sunday in Fuzhou, provincial capital of east China's Fujian Province. Digitalization, networking and the application of intelligent technologies, which have been greatly developed, are playing more and more important roles in promoting social and economic development, modernizing China's governance system and capacity, and meeting the people's ever-growing needs for a better life, he said in the letter. Xi noted that the summit will show China's latest achievements in developing e-governance and the digital economy. It will also enable people to exchange experience and perspectives about building a digital China, and help further build consensus, he said. The summit will stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of all sectors of society to build a digital China, as well as make informatization bring more benefits to the society and the people, Xi said. Xi's letter was read at the opening ceremony Sunday. Huang Kunming, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, addressed the ceremony. Huang urged implementing Xi's strategic thought and instructions on building China into an Internet power. He also urged achieving breakthroughs in core technologies, promoting the upgrade of infrastructure, developing the digital economy and benefiting more from data resources. The summit, which will run for three days until April 24, is jointly held by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Fujian provincial government. About 800 people, including officials, representatives of industrial organizations and experts, are attending the summit. WASHINGTON -- In his first filings since since the U.S. Justice Department dropped all corruption charges against him, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez raised far less money for his re-election than he did six years ago. Menendez, D-N.J., reported raising $1.5 million from January to March, according to recent Federal Election Commission filings. That brought his total to $7.4 million, with $5.3 million in the bank as of March 31. Six years ago at this time, Menendez raised $13.6 million and had $9.5 million to spend. "People have always responded to Sen. Menendez's record and advocacy for New Jersey," said Mike Soliman, Menendez's top political adviser. "That's why the campaign is confident that we will have the resources we need -- just as we have in every previous campaign." Menendez had been indicted in April 2015 on charges that he intervened improperly with federal agencies on behalf of a friend and campaign donor, Dr. Salomon Melgen, who was convicted of Medicaid fraud in an unrelated case. His first trial ended in a hung jury and subsequent mistrial, and federal prosecutors dropped the charges in January after first saying they would retry him. He still is under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee. Menendez's Republican challenger, former Celgene Corp. executive Bob Hugin, entered April with $6.8 million to spend after lending his campaign $7.5 million. He also raised $352,670. Though due April 15, the fundraising reports are just now becoming public because the Senate, unlike the House, has refused to allow candidates to file electronically. Hugin spokeswoman Megan Piwowar said she wasn't surprised at Menendez's diminished fundraising totals. "He was too busy trying to squash an investigation into Medicare fraud and getting passports for young mistresses to raise money for his campaign," Piwowar said, referring to Justice Department prosecutors accusing Menendez of taking actions to help Melgen. Menendez, who recently announced he would oppose President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, is running in a state where the U.S. chief executive has a job approval rating of 35 percent in a recent Monmouth University poll, with 61 disapproving. He got financial help from his Capitol Hill colleagues during the last three months, receiving $64,580 from the leadership political action committees of his fellow Senate Democratic caucus members and Reps. Donald Norcross, D-1st Dist., and Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist. Among his biggest contributions was $10,000 from the leadership PAC of U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., who was displaced as ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Menendez reclaimed his position. Menendez also received $10,000 from the leadership PAC of U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D. Hugin, who contributed to Trump's campaign in 2016, received $10,000 from the leadership PAC of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; $14,500 from his former colleagues at Celgene; and $2,000 from the campaign committee of retiring Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-11th Dist. "No amount of money will help drug company CEO and Trump Republican Bob Hugin rewrite his record of ripping off cancer patients to personally profit or taking the Trump tax cuts for the wealthiest and giant corporations and using it to enrich himself rather than creating jobs or lowering prescription costs," Soliman said. Menendez is rated as a strong favorite for re-election by the two Washington-based publications that track Senate races, the Cook Political Report and Inside Elections. A Monmouth University poll put him ahead of Hugin, 53 percent to 32 percent, while he led the Republican challenger, 49 percent to 32 percent, in a Quinnipiac University survey. Both Menendez and Hugin first face primary opponents on June 5. Democrat Lisa McCormick did not report raising any money, while Republican Brian Goldberg raised $1,235 and lent his campaign $1,134. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Relief is coming for riders on some crowded NJ Transit bus lines. More buses are being added to 16 NJ Transit bus routes around the state to reduce overcrowding and to eliminate buses just passing by people standing at stops because there is no room on the already-full bus. The catch? Finding 40 people who want jobs driving those extra buses. Money to hire new drivers comes from a $242 million increase in NJ Transit's fiscal year 2019 operating budget. That will help the agency put new buses on some of the agency's more crowded routes in Bergen, Hudson and Union County, Gov. Phil Murphy said at a press conference in a bus maintenance facility in Newark on Monday. "We will get the resources rolling, quite literally, to make life easier for bus commuters," Murphy said. "We've heard complaints of those buses arriving late and overcrowded when they do arrive." Riders in Hoboken and on several crowded Bergen County bus routes where riders complained on social media of long lines and full buses will be among those that get additional buses, Murphy said. They include the 126 route in Hoboken, and the123 through Jersey City, Union City and Weehawken. The 113 and 114 routes in Union County will get additional buses. The city of Hoboken will say there is not much they can do regarding handling the busses with @NJTRANSIT . I dont believe that. Why dont we start with advocacy? 9th & Clinton 8:15am on 04/10/18 pic.twitter.com/z2K3MjRO5h #HobokenCommuter (@HobokenCommuter) April 10, 2018 Three eastern Bergen County routes that run on the River Road corridor will get more buses including the 156, 158 and 159 routes to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal. One rider, Ellen Herb, who rides the 156 bus, posted photos almost daily of overcrowded rush hour buses and buses passing people bus stops, in an effort to get more express buses added. "Great, (this is) none too soon for me," she said about the announcement. "I look forward to a faster commute. It shouldn't take one hour or more to travel five miles." In December, NJ Transit officials said the agency didn't have the buses or space at the bus terminal to add more buses on the 156. NJ Transit is working with the Port Authority about finding that space, said Kevin Corbett, NJ Transit executive director. "This is the first time in decades money is available for targeted relief on overcrowded bus routes," Corbett said. Those buses will be added at the "shoulders' or toward the beginning and end of the morning and afternoon commuting rush and on weekends, when buses are overcrowded, he said. Another eight bus routes in North and South Jersey will get additional buses or other adjustments to keep buses running close to times on published schedules, Corbett said. Those routes are the 81, 83, 84, 190, 410, 412, 603 and 606 bus lines. While the agency has the buses, the plan depends on hiring more drivers officials said. Several job fairs for people interested in NJ Transit bus jobs are scheduled including two in May at Bergen Community College. Information is available on NJ Transit's website. The agency also is preparing for what Murphy joked might be the "summer of purgatory" when construction starts to rebuild a series of bridges that carry Route 495 over Route 1&9 and will affect the Xclusive Bus Lane to the Lincoln Tunnel. NJ Transit is looking at ways to mitigate possible construction delays when Route 495 bridge deck replacement starts this summer which could close lanes of the busy Lincoln Tunnel approach road. Details about how that would be done will be finalized between NJ Transit and the state Department of Transportation, Corbett said. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A scaled-down proposal for a large apartment complex on the riverfront in Algiers was approved by the New Orleans City Council last week after the developer cut out almost half of the initial 345 units. The project now moves forward with 187 apartments, including 19 for low-income renters, plus a public plaza and park space. Located in Algiers' Riverview neighborhood, the apartment complex proposal originally called for four eight-story buildings with 35 units reserved for qualifying low-income residents. It's set on 3.4 acres near the Crescent City Connection along the riverfront between Socrates and De Armas streets. The developer, River Street Ventures LLC, had sought a waiver of the area's 168-unit limit from the City Planning Commission, which requires a project to incorporate design elements granting public access to the river. State records show Miami developer Philip Spiegleman as the sole officer in River Street Ventures. With a 1,500-square-foot park added to the design, Planning Commission staff had recommended that the commission approve the project. But backlash from neighbors concerned about the project's size and potential impact on the community's character prompted a 4-2 vote from the commissioners in February. A final vote headed to the City Council with a no official recommendation from the nine-member Planning Commission. A much-reduced version of the project came before the City Council last Thursday (April 19). According to Planning Commission staff, developers had erased one of two "square" plots on which the apartment complex would stand, knocking the project down to two eight-story buildings with 187 units. The council gave unanimous approval to the revised plans. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "I think this is an example of when, if you sit on it long enough and force everybody to keep talking, you get something done," said District C Councilwoman Nadine Ramsey, who represents Algiers. Alex Dunn Sr., president of the Algiers Riverview Association, signaled his support for the project after previously lending staunch opposition. He indicated the about-face stemmed in large part from a "good-neighbor agreement" being hashed out between the developer and the neighborhood "that will hold the developers to their commitments," he said. "We hope that this project can be an example of what can happen when developers and the community work together for the good and welfare of all our communities," Dunn said Thursday. Spiegelman said Thursday that a good-neighbor agreement will get done. "I promise you that we'll bring a beautiful project to the riverfront of this great city," he said. Formosa Petrochemical Corp. plans to build a $9.4 billion industrial complex near the Sunshine Bridge in St. James Parish, state officials announced Monday (April 23). The ethylene production complex would generate 1,200 new direct jobs with an average annual salary of $84,500, according to the state's Economic Development department. The Taiwan company, which has been studying potential sites for several years, has purchased a 2,400-acre site on the parish's west bank along the Mississippi River. "Given the history of St. James Parish, this will be the largest industry ever welcomed," Parish President Timmy Roussel said in a news release. "This plant alone will almost double the present tax base. Assisting our unemployed and underemployed residents of the community is a priority in St. James Parish. Thus, a company like Formosa, of this magnitude, surely can help to remedy a lot of our community's needs." State officials said an economic impact study completed by LSU economist James Richardson forecasts that construction of the complex would generate $362 million in new state and local tax revenue and an additional $313 million in tax revenue during the first decade in operation starting in 2020, according to state news release about the project. The project, which still has to gain state and local permits, would be built in two phases over the next 10 years. Pending the completion and approval of permits for the site, construction could begin in 2019. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The industrial complex would produce ethylene, propylene, polymer and ethylene glycol that are used to make products that includes car casings, plastic bottles, grocery bags, drainage pipes, ropes, artificial turf, polyester clothing, antifreeze and playground equipment, according to the company's website. Formosa plans to operate the complex under its subsidiary and Louisiana registered company, FG LA LLC, according to a news release. Formosa Plastics Group operates three existing Louisiana facilities with 410 employees in East Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee parishes. To secure the project, dubbed The Sunshine Project, the state offered the company a $12 million performance-based grant to be paid in four installments, starting in 2021, the year hiring for permanent jobs would begin. Under the agreement, Formosa would also receive workforce training assistance from the state and payroll and industrial tax breaks. An armed man robbed a store in the Little Woods area of New Orleans East and then forced a man and his wife to drive him away from the scene Sunday morning (April 22) in the first of seven armed robberies that were reported by New Orleans police Sunday and early Monday. Shortly before 7:30 a.m. Monday, a man walked into a business in the 9900 block of Morrison Road and pointed a gun at a 67-year-old man. According to a preliminary NOPD report, the armed man went through the man's pockets and took his wallet and cellphone. The armed man then ordered the victim to go to the back of the store and get the DVR that was recording surveillance footage. As the man was leaving the store, he noticed a 60-year-old man near the door, according to the police report. The armed man followed the other man as he ran out of the store and into the car where his wife was waiting. According to the report, the armed man followed him to his car, put a gun to the second victim's head and demanded he drive him away from the scene. While in the couple's car, the armed man took the wife's purse and fled, the report states. Police did not include a description of the man. Just after 10:45 a.m., a separate armed robbery was reported at a donut shop near Dillard University. According to a preliminary NOPD report, four people were inside Daddy's Donuts in the 2000 block of Caton Street when a man armed with a gun came in the store. The man ordered everyone to get on the ground and then made one person take the money out of the register and give it to him, according to police. Before running away, the man also stole the victim's cellphone, wallet and cash. A 24-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint in front of his home in the Michoud area of New Orleans East shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday. The man told police he was standing outside his house in the 14300 block of Chef Menteur Highway when two armed men approached him. According to the preliminary police report, the men demanded the victim give them his things and fled the scene with his phone, cash and wallet. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up A 31-year-old man and a 30-year-old man were robbed at gunpoint just after midnight in the Bywater, according to NOPD. The preliminary police report states the men were outside in the 700 block of France Street when a man armed with a "long semi-automatic rifle" approached them. The armed man said, "where's the money?" the report states, but neither victim had any cash. The man fled when the 31-year-old gave him his iPhone 6, according to police. Less than 10 minutes later, another 31-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint in the St. Claude area. According to police, the man was getting his backpack from his car in the 3200 block of Marais Street around 12:10 a.m. when a man approached him from behind and held a gun to his back. The man told the victim to "drop the backpack and run," according to the police report. The victim did, and the man fled in a silver four-door car, police said. An hour later, a 28-year-old woman and a 25-year-old woman were robbed by a man armed with a "long gun" in the Bayou St. John neighborhood. According to the report, the armed man got out of a dark colored sedan in the 3700 block of Orleans Avenue and ordered both victims to give him their cash. After they complied, the man fled in the car. Around 2:10 a.m. Monday, a 24-year-old woman was robbed in the French Quarter by a man armed with a rifle. According to police, the man got out of a dark-colored vehicle and began to approach the woman in the 600 block of St. Ann Street. The woman tried to run, but the man chased her and grabbed her backpack off her. He then fled the scene, according to NOPD. A 25-year-old man police say went on a "violent crime spree" Sunday afternoon is accused in two armed robberies. As of Monday afternoon, it was not clear which robberies Charles Williams is suspected in or if they were among the seven reported in the Sunday's initial police log. There were also an additional six carjackings reported in the same amount of time, as well as seven separate shootings that left 10 people injured. Prosecutors asked a judge on Monday (April 23) to revoke the bond of Jason Adams, the Lamborghini driver who crashed into a flood wall off Tchoupitoulas Street in 2016 and killed his passenger, after he recently contacted the victim's family. Assistant District Attorney David Pipes said Adams recently sent a text message to Kristi Lirette's father. The text message was not read in court. Pipes asked Criminal District Judge Robin Pittman to send Adams to jail ahead of his May 8 trial date. Pittman did not revoke Adams' $75,000 bond because she said she had no legal basis to do so. But the judge had strong words for the defendant, calling his decision to contact Lirette's dad "stupid" and "ridiculous." "I absolutely want to throw you in jail," she said. "This was a very stupid decision on your part." New Orleans police say Adams, 32, had a blood-alcohol level of .11, over the legal limit of .08, and was traveling at speeds up to 118 mph in a 2015 Lamborghini Huracan before he crashed into a flood wall off Tchoupitoulas on May 4, 2016. Lirette, 23, was in the passenger seat and was pronounced dead on the scene. Adams suffered a broken leg and other non-life-threatening injuries. Adams posted bond on May 16, 2016, court records show. Adams' attorney, David Courcelle, said at the hearing to revoke his bond Monday that this is an "emotional case." He pointed out there was no stay away order in place preventing Adams from contacting Lirette's family. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Pittman said that should have been ordered when he was arrested, and put one in place at the hearing Monday. She also ordered Adams to get an ignition interlock device installed on his car -- another bond condition she said should have been instated at the time of his arrest. The device is a breathalyzer that a driver must blow into to start the car. She issued Adams a subpoena to return to court on April 30 to prove the device has been installed. Pittman asked Adams if he drives, but noted his attorneys said his wife drives him around. Adams, who was in court wearing jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt, responded, "Yes, I frequently drive." Pittman said she's "very attentive," and told Adams she saw him once driving on Broad Street. Now that these orders are in place, Pittman said she will have the means to put Adams in jail should he contact Lirette's family or should he fail to get the interlocking device installed in his car. "This is really ridiculous," she said. A 20-year-old man was brought to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest, marking the eighth victim in the sixth shooting reported in New Orleans on Sunday (April 22), according to New Orleans police. The man arrived at the hospital about 9:30 p.m. and told police he was shot in the 7th Ward, near the intersection of Marias and Frenchmen streets, police said. According to a preliminary NOPD report, the victim told police that the shooting occurred shortly after he asked a man for a cigarette while leaving a daiquiri shop. When the victim reached his vehicle, the man reappeared armed with a gun, and a "heated" argument ensued, police said. The initial report did not give a reason for the argument, but said the argument turned physical, and the victim was shot. He was taken to an area hospital via private vehicle. Of the seven other victims, one was fatally shot. According to police, a 25-year-old man was responsible for at least four of the six shootings Sunday. NOPD Chief Michael Harrison said Charles Williams went on a "violent crime spree," shortly after 4:30 p.m. after being involved in a domestic issue. Police apprehend Williams Sunday evening after he led officers on a chase in a stolen Toyota Corolla across the city, which ended when Williams crashed the car in Mid-City. This post was updated Monday afternoon with new details from police. The frantic waves of a 9-year-old girl and the arrival of police cars and paramedics were the first signs that something terrible had happened on Lynn Drive in Paradis, some residents said Monday. Authorities in St. Charles Parish say Ed Veillon, Jr., 49, shot and killed his 15-year-old son and critically wounded his 43-year-ol wife during a shooting Sunday evening at their home in the 100 block of Lynn Drive. The couple's young daughter ran from the house during the shooting and alerted a neighbor down the street, authorities said. "My husband saw her out there jumping up and down and crying," neighbor Denice Collins said Monday. "She was very upset. She told him that her parents and brother were dead." Collins, who lives a couple houses away, said she didn't hear any commotion prior to the arrival of sheriff's deputies and paramedics. She said the young girl went to another neighbor's house. "I didn't know anything had happened until I saw the police," she said. "It's normally so quiet." Authorities have not released a motive behind the domestic violence, nor the names of the victims. A sheriff's office spokesman said he didn't know whether deputies had responded to the couple's home for prior incidents, but that investigators were reviewing service calls. Veillon was taken into custody at the home and was treated for injuries that authorities have not specified, but said were not life-threatening. A handgun was found in the home that authorities believe was used in the shooting, Sheriff's Office spokesman Corp. James Grimaldi said. Veillon has been booked with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, and is being held in the parish jail under a $500,000 bond. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up He is scheduled for arraignment on May 22. Authorities say deputies arrived at the Veillon's home and found the 15-year-old, identified by authorities as Seth Veillon, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency aid was attempted, but was unsuccessful, according to a Sheriff's Office statement. The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene. The boy's mother also was shot multiple times and is hospitalized in an intensive care unit, Grimaldi said. She is listed in critical condition, he said. Collins and another neighbor Terri Causey said they rarely saw Veillon, but described his wife as friendly. She would often walk the neighborhood for exercise and wait at the bus stop at the end of the street with her daughter, Causey said. The couple's son, who neighbors say was a student at Hahnville High School, sometimes would wait for his sister, said Causey who lives near the bus stop. "This is a tragedy," Causey said. "It hurts. The mother's in the hospital, the dad's in jail, and the child is deceased. And the little girl had to go through that." Causey said she was on her porch Sunday night and recalled seeing the woman drive by headed towards home. A short while later, she saw the little girl "waving." "I thought she was just waving, and that's when we saw the cops. She was flagging them, and that just did it for me," Causey said shaking her head. "I haven't slept. To say something like that happened on this street." Grimaldi said the girl has been placed in the care of relatives. St. Charles Parish schools spokeswoman Stevie Crovetto said that additional counselors were available on campus to assist students with the student's death. Note: This shooting was linked to a man's "violent crime spree," and NOPD Chief Michael Harrison said a man was shot in the face during it. Click here for the latest. New Orleans Police were investigating a 7th Ward shooting early Sunday evening (April 22), said NOPD spokesman Gary Scheets. It was not immediately clear if anyone had been injured in the gunfire, the fourth shooting police reported in New Orleans since noon. The 7th Ward shooting took place on Villere Street, between Kerlerec and Columbus streets, Scheets said. Three cars appeared to have been involved, including a white, four-door sedan that had crashed into a nearby fence. It was still running, and one of its back tires still spun as officers investigated. On Villere, two beige cars -- one a Ford Focus and the other a Ford Taurus -- were part of the investigation. The back windshield of the Focus, and one of its back passenger windows were busted out. The three other shootings Sunday afternoon left one dead and several injured. The first injured one person in the Carrollton neighborhood. The second, which occurred in an unknown location, killed one person who crashed a brown Audi in the 2400 block of Elysian Fields, and the third was reported to have injured "multiple" victims in the 1900 block of St. Roch Avenue. Also Sunday afternoon, a car chase, which started in an unknown location, ended in a crash in Mid-City. Stay with NOLA.com as more details develop. BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday published the master plan document for Xiongan New Area, creation of which is "a strategic decision with profound historic significance made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core." "General Secretary Xi Jinping has planned for, made decisions on and promoted [the Xiongan New Area] in person, devoting painstaking efforts," reads the preface of the document released by the Hebei provincial authorities. "The establishment of Xiongan New Area in Hebei Province is a significant decision and arrangement by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core to push forward the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei," the plan reads. Xiongan is another new area of "national significance" following the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and Shanghai Pudong New Area, according to the document, which has been approved by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. It is "a strategy that will have lasting importance for the millennium to come, and a significant national event," the plan says. The plan is the fundamental guideline on the planning and development of Xiongan New Area, mapping out the area's future by 2035 and looking ahead into the mid-21st century, it reads. It has 10 chapters, namely the general requirements, developing scientific and reasonable layout, shaping the city landscape for a new era, building a beautiful natural ecology and environment, developing high-end and hi-tech industries, provision of quality shared public services, construction of fast and highly-efficient transportation network, building a green and smart new city, fostering modernized city security system, ensuring orderly and effective implementation of the plan. In April 2017, China announced the establishment of Xiongan New Area, spanning three counties in Hebei Province about 100 km southwest of Beijing. Xiongan will be the location for Beijing's non-capital functions. The area will become a new home for Beijing's colleges, hospitals, business headquarters, and financial and public institutions that meet the requirement of Xiongan's status and development. MODEL CITY IN HUMAN HISTORY The document lists overall development goals for the new area. By 2035, Xiongan will basically develop into a modern city that is green, intelligent, and livable, with relatively strong competitiveness and harmonious human-environment interaction. By the middle of the century, it will become a significant part of the world-class Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei city cluster, effectively performing Beijing's non-capital functions and providing the Chinese solution to "big city malaise." It will serve as an example of the country's high-quality development with world-leading economic and social indicators and a modernized governance system, which will manifest advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. Xiongan is expected to become "a model city in the history of human development," the document says. NEW PATTERN FOR DEVELOPMENT The document also requires that resources and environment carrying capacity must be taken as an inflexible constraint of space layout so that the population size, land use scale as well as the development intensity of the new area can be reasonably decided. The document says that priority shall go to ecological protection while the new area is pursuing green development. With the total area of construction land set at approximately 530 square kilometers, Xiongan will strictly control land use and cap its land development intensity at 30 percent. About 10 percent of the new area's land will be put under permanent protection as basic farmland, while the population density will be no more than 10,000 people per square kilometer. The document says that Xiongan New Area aims to explore a new pattern for urban-rural development. Within a land area of 50 square kilometers, new types of villages will be developed which will feature thriving businesses, a pleasant living environment, sound infrastructure facilities and public services, and efficient grassroots governance. Xiongan's architecture and layout will combine both traditional cultural elements and world's best design philosophies. The height of buildings will be limited, except for special districts for commerce and finance functions and business headquarters. Cultural heritages will be well preserved and properly utilized. Archaeological parks, museums of ancient ruins and exhibition halls will be erected, and the protection of historic cities and villages will be integrated into city construction. The document says that ecological restoration work will be started in Baiyangdian Lake, including restoring the lake's area to 360 square kilometers. Meanwhile, water pollution will be treated while the forest coverage rate will rise from 11 percent to 40 percent. Moreover, a negative list will be implemented to close down and ward off high-pollution and energy-intensive production. In the long term, Baiyangdian National Park will be established. PILOT FREE TRADE ZONE The document says the new area will aim at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, map out tech industries at a high starting point, and push for coordinated development of the real economy, technological innovation, finance and human resources. National key laboratories and engineering research centers will be introduced to Xiongan, and promising tech firms will also find their new homes there. Major industries to thrive in the area will include information, biotechnology, new materials, modern services, and green agriculture. Xiongan will strive to build first-class technology and innovation platforms in the world, with best research universities to foster talents and innovative policies and mechanisms to serve growth tech firms. The new area will provide quality public facilities and services to its dwellers and form a diversified housing system. As a livable and business-friendly city, it will put property developments under strict control and establish a long-term mechanism to prevent speculation in the real estate market. Xiongan plans to build a fast and highly-efficient transportation network. By high-speed railway, it will take only 20 minutes to travel from Xiongan to Beijing's planned new airport in Daxing District, 30 minutes to Beijing and Tianjin, and an hour to Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei Province. In Xiongan, a green and low-carbon way of production, living, as well as building and administering the area will be promoted. For instance, advanced environmental-friendly and energy-saving materials and techniques will be widely used in the construction of the new area. The plan also stresses building Xiongan into a digital city. The new area will step up the construction of intelligent infrastructure, and set up a smart mode of city administration and a management system for data asset. A modernized city security system will be established in Xiongan, with complete high-standard disaster-preventing and disaster-alleviating facilities, so that the new area can quickly respond to disasters and emergencies and develop safe and sound. Xiongan will actively serve Beijing's role as an international exchange center in its proactive expansion of opening-up, according to the document. The China (Hebei) Pilot Free Trade Zone with Xiongan as the center is expected to be established. Restrictions on foreign investment will be dramatically canceled or eased and a management model of pre-establishment national treatment and negative list will be fully implemented. Intergovernmental cooperation programs between China and foreign countries and a comprehensive bonded zone will be developed. Xiongan also aims to attract international organizations related to the Belt and Road Initiative to participate in its development and host international and domestic high-end forums. A woman in Houston set her car on fire as she sat inside with her three children, at one point declaring, "We're going to see Jesus," The Associated Press reported citing police. Police said the woman was at a car wash Sunday (April 22) when she began revving the engine until it caught fire. Witnesses rescued the woman's three daughters, ages 9, 11 and 13. The woman left on foot with the children but was later arrested and is facing three counts of aggravated assault on a family member, AP said. A mental health evaluation is pending. On Tuesday night (April 23), President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will welcome Emmanuel Macron, president of France, and his wife, Brigitte, for the first state visit of the Trump administration. According to a press release from the first lady's office, every aspect of the visit was "all carefully selected by First Lady Melania Trump, to complement and pay homage to the long-standing friendship between the United States and France." Let's get to the most important matter: what are they eating? The main course, we're happy to report, will include jambalaya, "which will be cooked in a New Orleans tradition and scented with the trinity of Cajun cooking -- celery, peppers, and onions, and spiced with herbs from the South Lawn." Fingers crossed the White House chefs know to use green bell peppers. The menu doesn't indicate if the jambalaya has sausage or seafood. Let's hope the Trumps' jambalaya isn't just a pilaf. See the full menu below. First Course: Goat Cheese Gateau Tomato Jam Food and restaurant news in your inbox Every Thursday we give you the scoop on NOLA dining. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Buttermilk Biscuit Crumbles Young Variegated Lettuces Main Course: Rack of Spring Lamb Burnt Cipollini Soubise Carolina Gold Rice Jambalaya Dessert: Nectarine Tart Creme Fraiche Ice Cream The Coast Guard was responding to a heavy fuel oil discharge into the Mississippi River near Norco on Monday (April 22). About 2,600 gallons spilled from a 600-foot-long tanker ship moored at the Shell Norco Manufacturing Complex near mile marker 126, the Coast Guard said in a press release. The spill, reported at 1 a.m., caused no injuries or waterway closures. Wildlife does not appear to be significantly impacted, according to the Coast Guard. Oil spill response company OMI Environment Solutions is responding to the spill. The Coast Guard is assessing affected areas by air. The spill's cause is under investigation. The ship is the Netherlands-flagged Iver Exporter. Built in 2000, it was designed to carry chemicals and oil, according to shipping records. Monday's spill comes less than two weeks after another significant spill in the New Orleans area. On April 12, about 4,200 gallons of fuel oil blanketed a downtown New Orleans portion of the Mississippi after a cargo vessel struck the Nashville Wharf. Tristan Baurick covers Louisiana's coastal environment for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Email: tbaurick@nola.com * Twitter: @tristanbaurick * Facebook: Tristan Baurick and Louisiana Coastal Watch. It's been eight years since the Deepwater Horizon rig drilling BP's Macondo well blew up, killing 11 workers and causing an 87-day uncontrolled release of more than 160 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. In this Coastal New Roundup, environment reporter Mark Schleifstein discusses with WWNO's Travis Lux what's changed and what has not changed since then, including how fine money is being used to restore Louisiana's coast, and the status of federal regulations governing future deepwater drilling. Senior trade officials from the U.S., Canada and Mexico will meet again in Washington in an intensified push to reach a North American Free Trade Agreement compromise in the next few weeks. Talks will pick up on Tuesday (April 24), after Cabinet-level members vowed on Friday to keep up the momentum following consultations with their technical teams over the weekend. Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said last week that after seven months of discussions, the three sides have entered a concentrated phase where "my negotiating team is practically living in Washington." Still, major differences remain over key U.S. demands. Mexico scored a separate commercial victory over the weekend with a deal in principle to update a 17-year-old free-trade agreement with the European Union. Guajardo jetted to Brussels to help close the deal. Chrystia Freeland, Canada's minister for foreign affairs, said Friday that NAFTA negotiators have been making good progress on updated rules for cars, which she said will be at the heart of any eventual updated agreement. "We have had some very energetic and productive conversations," Freeland told reporters on the steps of the U.S. Trade Representative's office following meetings with her counterparts. "We are certainly in a more intense period of negotiations, and we are making good progress." President Donald Trump on Monday said again that he could make Mexican-immigration curbs a condition of a new NAFTA deal, highlighting that a compromise is still far from certain. Trump in a Twitter post said Mexico "must stop people from going through Mexico and into the U.S," adding "We may make this a condition of the new NAFTA Agreement. Our Country cannot accept what is happening!" Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray responded it's unacceptable to demand that Mexico tie changes to its "sovereign" immigration policy to an updated trade pact. "Mexico decides its immigration policy in a sovereign manner, and the migration cooperation with the U.S. takes place in such a way that Mexico agrees," Videgaray said on Twitter. This week's talks are set to be the broadest and biggest since the final official negotiating round in Mexico City in early March, according to a preliminary agenda obtained by Bloomberg. Topics include automotive rules, agriculture, and legal and institutional matters such as dispute settlement mechanisms. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto traveled to Germany over the weekend to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Hannover Messe, a huge industry show where Mexico is the chosen partner country this year. Deepening ties with the EU is part of Mexico's push to diversify beyond the U.S., the destination for 72 percent of the nation's $435 billion in exports last year. Pena Nieto said he's optimistic he'll have good news to announce from the NAFTA talks. The EU is an attractive target for export expansion for Mexico, in part because many countries in the bloc have consumers with comparable wealth and spending habits to those of the U.S. The EU in recent years also inked a free-trade agreement with Canada, which was implemented in 2017. Mexico's negotiations with the EU began almost two years ago, and technical teams will continue to iron out the details, both sides said Saturday. Analysts have speculated that something similar could happen on NAFTA, with an agreement in principle coming in the next few weeks while technical teams continue to work on the fine print. Trump's negotiators, led by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, have been pushing for a deal by early May. That would meet U.S. timelines for having an agreement approved, at the latest, by the lame-duck session that will follow mid-term congressional elections in November, said two people familiar with the negotiations. Guajardo this month said he sees an 80 percent chance of an agreement by the first week of May. Negotiators are also rushing for a deal as Mexico approaches elections on July 1. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is keeping expectations modest, warning that recent signs of progress don't mean a deal is imminent. "There's positive advances that have been made, but it's not over 'til it's over," Trudeau told reporters in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Saturday. - Eric Martin (c) 2018, Bloomberg The state will soon be pushing the locally elected officials of Powhatan out of the way to administer the finances of the northwest Louisiana village that in mid-July had only $105 in its general fund and is hiring a cop to drum up some money from Willie Snead is leaving the New Orleans Saints. The Saints do not plan to match the offer sheet Snead signed last week with the Baltimore Ravens, according to a league source, so Snead will soon officially join the Ravens. ESPN first reported the Saints' plans. The 25-year-old Snead was a key part of the Saints offense in 2015 and 2016, but his production dipped significantly in 2017. He opened last season on a three-game suspension related to an offseason arrest for driving while intoxicated, and in the 11 games he played, he had just eight catches for 92 yards. The Saints had shown some interest in retaining Snead, who was a restricted free agent. They offered him the lowest possible tender with a $1.907 million salary for 2018, and that move gave the Saints right of first refusal -- but no draft compensation -- if Snead received an offer elsewhere. The Ravens reportedly offered Snead a two-year deal worth up to $10.4 million, which was too expensive for a Saints team that just signed Cameron Meredith away from the Chicago Bears on a two-year deal reportedly worth close to $10 million. The Saints pried Meredith away from the Bears in a similar fashion to the Ravens taking Snead from the Saints. Without Snead, the Saints wide receiver depth chart will feature Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn Jr., Meredith and Brandon Coleman. They also have younger players like Tommylee Lewis, Austin Carr, Dan Arnold and Travin Dural that will compete for roles, but the Saints could look for a wide receiver with one of their eight picks in the draft this weekend. Citizens experience the driverless bus at the Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 21, 2018. China's first driverless bus had its debut on Saturday, which will be open for service for public during the first Digital China Summit held from April 22 to April 24. [Photo/Xinhua] A D/A converter for 5G communication is displayed during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 21, 2018. The exhibition opened on Saturday, during which 293 exhibitors will display the latest digital economy achievements. [Photo/Xinhua] A smart cup is displayed during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 21, 2018. The exhibition opened on Saturday, during which 293 exhibitors will display the latest digital economy achievements. [Photo/Xinhua] A smart wearable cellphone is displayed during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 21, 2018. The exhibition opened on Saturday, during which 293 exhibitors will display the latest digital economy achievements. [Photo/Xinhua] A self-driving bus is displayed during the Digital China Exhibition in Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian province, April 21, 2018. The exhibition opened on Saturday, during which 293 exhibitors will display the latest digital economy achievements. [Photo/Xinhua] No one was injured in Monday morning's (April 23) three-alarm fire that destroyed a warehouse in the Bayou St. John neighborhood and sent dark smoke into the sky visible from Algiers Point to Metairie, the New Orleans Fire Department said. But an owner of one of the three retail businesses housed in the building near the corner of Toulouse Street and North Jefferson Davis Parkway said the damage to Canal Furniture Liquidators marked the loss of "more than just a furniture store." "People come in and we redo furniture. We do classes on how to funk it up," said Holis Hannon, one of the store's owners, as she watched from the neutral ground while firefighters doused her store and smoke billowed overhead. "It's like a community of artists, too...My dream was to be able to teach art here, and that's what I'm trying to do." NOLA Til Ya Die clothing company was also located in the warehouse that caught fire. NOPD spokesman Capt. Edwin Holmes said a third retail business was located there, but it was not immediately clear which business. Hannon said the building was also used as an art studio. Earlier: Large fire breaks out in Bayou St. John neighborhood Firefighters were called at 4:54 a.m. and arrived about six or seven minutes later, NOFD Chief Tim McConnell said. There was a slight delay, he said, because firefighters were initially called to the 3200 block of Toulouse, across Bayou St. John, and the warehouse is located in the 3500 block. The fire was declared under control by NOFD by 10:06 a.m., about five hours after the first units arrived. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. "Unfortunately, as you can see from the footage, the building will be a total loss, for sure," McConnell said. An apartment was also located in the building, the chief said, but it was vacant. The nature of the building made it a "difficult" fire to fight because sheet metal siding quickly collapses when exposed to that much heat, McConnell said. In NOLA Til Ya Die's Instagram post, the New Orleans-themed clothing company stated, "We know we will make it through this hard time with the support of our friends and family. New Orleans strong. Resilience is something we all know well." Hannon said she plans to rebuild Canal Furniture Liquidators. "We'll have a fresh start, I guess." She lamented some of building's the contents can't be replaced. Hannon is an artist, and some of her art and that of other artists hung in the building. Charlie Hoffacker, a former art student of Hannon and a New Orleans Police Department detective, used the building as a studio, he said from the scene. More than a hundred of his art pieces, some depicting his colleagues at NOPD or inspired by his work as a police detective in New Orleans, were lost in the fire, he said. Hoffacker said he had halfway completed a project comprised of paintings of every member of his unit - the Tactical Intelligence Gathering and Enforcement Response, or TIGER unit, which investigates armed robberies and nonfatal shootings. Also gone are his art supplies and tools. "It sucks," he said, but pushed the focus on his friend and former art teacher. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "I just feel really bad for Holis. This is her life and she has put everything she has into it," Hoffacker said. Hannon used to teach art at Delgado Community College, where she and Hoffacker met when he took her class. When the school ended the program, she and her business partners bought the family-owned furniture store and made it into their own. "The last couple of months," Hannon said, "I thought, 'Wow, we've got it really going somewhere." NOLA Paddleboards was previously housed in the warehouse, but founder Jeff Lakey said the company moved out its inventory and supplies in November after deciding to move away from retail to concentrate on on-the-water offerings. At most, he said, the company lost some signage and "a few little office things" that hadn't yet been removed. "We are just hoping the other businesses recover quickly from this," Lakey said in an email. Also watching firefighters work was Joseph Rogers, 69, who said he has worked at Canal Furniture Liquidators since he was 20 years old. Hannon and her partners kept him employed after they bought the company from the family that previously owned it. "I've been working there over 40 years, so I enjoy it," Rogers said. "It wasn't just a job." The new owners have turned the business around, he said, and he enjoys working for them, just as he did for the previous owners. "It's like a family store," he said. "Life's going to have to go on, though." Hollis said those who want to help or find out the latest with Canal Furniture Liquidators' plans can stay updated on through the company's Facebook page. Eighteen NOFD units carrying 57 people responded to the scene, the department said. As with most fires as large as Monday's, NOFD personnel were expected to remain at the scene after the fire was placed under control to put out hot spots and prevent "the possibility of a rekindle." The New Orleans Police Department, New Orleans Emergency Medical Services, Entergy, Louisiana State Fire Marshal, New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and the United States Office of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives also responded to the warehouse fire. OK, Homer. We forgive you. I mean, I can speak only for myself, but even after the unnecessarily mean-spirited New Orleans segment in the 1992 episode "A Streetcar Named Marge" -- and the outcry it sparked -- I've got to believe that the majority of New Orleanians who watched "The Simpsons" on Sunday (April 22) are ready to let Bywater be Bywater. The episode "Lisa Gets the Blues" was described in advance as a love letter to the city, and that's exactly what it was. If the Chamber of Commerce wasn't a fan of "The Simpsons" before, they should be now. And so should the folks at A Court of Two Sisters and Emeril's. And at Gene's and Tracey's and DiMartino's and Jacques-Imo's and K-Paul's and Dooky Chase ... They were among the more than a dozen local restaurants receiving shout-outs in the most memorable segment in Sunday's episode, a mouth-watering montage in which Homer Simpson takes viewers on a whirlwind culinary tour of the city. "Did you know that a man can fall in love with a city? It happens slowly at first," he says as the segment begins. "And then when you develop a crush, you find your love just grows and grows." From there comes a rapid-fire sequence in which he eats his way through the city. But while that was easily the episode's most buzz-generating moment, it was really just one example of its deep-running New Orleans affections. "The Simpsons" visit to the city started with a cameo by Trombone Shorty, appearing as himself. ("What are you celebrating?" Marge asked him upon encountering him jamming in the street. His response: "Humidity under 98 percent.") It ends with a standalone gag in which Homer, Lisa and Bart see purple, green and gold fireworks upon biting into beignets. (Homer's very Homer observation: "The beignet eliminates the only flaw of the doughnut: There is no hole.") Above all, though, there's the episode's central storyline -- in which Lisa rediscovers her musical mojo in New Orleans after suffering a crisis in confidence -- and which itself became a tip of the cap to the city's omnipresent air of artistic inspiration. It kicks in for her during a visit to the Spotted Cat Music Club on Frenchmen Street. But only after she gets words of encouragement from the ghost of Louis Armstrong. Another subplot, in which Bart uses voodoo dolls to exact a measure of revenge on Jimbo Jones and the other schoolyard bullies back in Springfield, was far less inspired than Lisa and Homer's Crescent City journeys, but it was cute nonetheless. Alas, the first family of Fox didn't attend Jazz Fest, which is how the episode was initially described back in September. That was a bit of a disappointment. (All together now: "D'eaux!") After all, who wouldn't want to see Homer whirling in front of the Jazz Tent crowd? Or sacrificing a watermelon in front of the Gentilly Stage? Of course, being a "Simpsons" episode, the script was sprinkled with the sort of humor that tends to draw harrumphs and disapproving looks from the stodgy -- like when Homer brings Lisa to Armstrong Park to commune with the statue of Satchmo there. "OK, Lisa, look at your hero for an hour. I'm going to go take a whizz in the cemetery next door," Homer tells her, before adding as an aside: "Ok, who to choose, who to choose? Oooh! Etienne de Bore!" In another scene, after gorging himself on local food, Homer asks a pedicab driver for directions to the nearest vomitorium. "This town is famous for five vomitoriums," the driver responds before listing those five (entirely fictional) establishments. Still, even for the ill-humored, those particular gags were certainly easier to swallow when placed in the overall context of the undeniably affectionate script (as opposed to that of 1992's "Streetcar Named Marge," which involved the staging of a musical production complete with lyrics such as, "New Orleans! Stinking, rotten, vomity pile!/New Orleans! Putrid, brackish, maggoty, vile!"). Even the background animation of French Quarter buildings and barrooms appeared to be particularly detailed and lovingly rendered this time. Probably the only people with legitimate complaints about the episode are those living in Gainesville, Florida, which ends up the butt of numerous jokes at the episode's beginning. As it turns out, that's where Homer and the gang were originally heading, to attend the 100th birthday of Marge's great-aunt. Then, their plane gets diverted to New Orleans "due to turbulence among the passengers" -- drawing wild applause from everyone on board. "It's a miracle!," Homer exclaims. "Everyone wins!" Ouch. Everybody but Gainesville, that is. But we feel you, Floridians. We've been there. Just wait, oh, 26 years or so. If history is any guide, that's when "The Simpsons" will apologize. And it will be well worth the wait. "Lisa Gets the Blues" and other episodes of "The Simpsons" can be streamed at www.fox.com and via Hulu. Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Syrian Issue, Xie Xiaoyan. (File photo: Xinhua) Cairo (People's Daily) - Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Syrian Issue, Xie Xiaoyan, emphasized on Sunday that all parties concerned should speak with facts about the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria. During a press conference at the Chinese embassy in Cairo, Xie said, A conclusion should be made through a comprehensive, fair, objective, and transparent investigation, able to withstand future challenges. Xie reiterated that Chinas position on using chemical weapons remains consistent and firmly opposes any country, organization or individual, under any circumstances from using chemical weapons. Those who have used chemical weapons must be held accountable, Xie said. The Special Envoy suggested that the investigation team should be composed of professionals designated by the United Nations, with regional balance given adequate consideration. Considering the complexity and sensitivity of the situation, Xie noted the investigation process could last longer than expected, and all concerned parties should not prejudge the outcome until concrete evidence is discovered. China has always insisted on a political solution to the Syrian issue. Syrias sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity should be respected. China's opposition on the use of force or even threatening force among international relations, and unilateral military actions that bypass the UN Security Council are inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and run contrary to the basic principles of international law and relations, said Xie. "The lessons of Iraq, Libya, and other countries have repeatedly proved that military strikes not only fail to solve problems, but incur turmoil and suffering to those living in the region. We will never tolerate a repeat of historical tragedy, Xie said, and added that China attached great importance to the role of strategic communication. In response to a question from Peoples Daily, Xi emphasized that China would actively promote peace talks and engage in regional peace efforts. The Syrian issue was discussed in President Xi Jinpings recent talks with the British Prime Minister Teresa May and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In alleviating Syrias humanitarian crisis, Xie revealed that China has provided the country with roughly $117 million worth of aid in various capacities, from medical and material provisions and hard cash assistance. China is willing to provide assistance within its capability in a Chinese way, the Special Envoy said. The Egyptian capital is Xies only stop in the Middle East, as he values their position as an Arab, African, Islamic and developing country. Xie will next visit the European Union and Russia this week. Apr 23, 2018 JB Now that the strike in Kollywood has been called off, the shoot of various films which had been halted due to the stand-off in the industry, has resumed. One of the films is director Selvaraghavans NGK which has Suriya in the lead. On Saturday the 21st April, the makers of NGK, resumed shooting in Chennai. Rakul Preet, who is playing one of the female leads in the film, joined the sets of NGK and share her excitement through a tweet that reads, And !!! Tadaaaaaaa Day 1 #NGK @Suriya_offl @selvaraghavan #letsdothis (sic). Sai Pallavi, is playing another female lead in the film. As per reports, a grand village set has been erected in Chennai to shoot major portions of the film. NGK went on the floors in January. Producer SR Prabhu of Dream Warrior Picture, who is bankrolling the project, announced that it will hit the screens worldwide on Diwali this year. However, its unclear if the filmmakers will be able to complete the project on time for the release as announced earlier. Click the Movie button below for more info: NGK Suriya Pictures At least 57 killed in Kabul suicide bombing Islamabad (Peoples Daily) - The death toll from a suicide bombing attack at a voter registration center in Kabul on Sunday morning has risen to 57, according to Afghanistans Public Health Ministry. Local people wait to see their family members outside a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, on April 22, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua] A police spokesperson said a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in proximity to people waiting in line to register to vote, the Pajhwok News Agency reported. At least 112 innocent bystanders sustained injuries related to the attack, said Wahidullah Majroh, spokesperson for the Public Health Ministry. The extremist group Islamic State (IS) later claimed responsibility for the attack. Earlier this month, Afghan election officials set October 20 as the date for legislative and district council elections, which have already been delayed by three years. Since voter registration began last week, attacks focused on the countrys election efforts have occurred. Two hours after the Kabul bombing, an explosion was reported close to another voter registration center in Baghlan Province, killing at least six people and injuring five others. Local media reported that a total of five attacks targeting the election facilities have been carried out in less than a week. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Toronto (Peoples Daily) Russia and North Koreas nuclear issue are high up on the agenda for the Group of Seven (G7) Foreign Ministers meeting underway in Toronto, according to an itinerary released by Canadas Foreign Ministry. The ministers will discuss North Korea during its working session, and Russia will be the primary topic during their working lunch and dinner for Sunday. According to Canadas leading newspaper the Globe and Mail, the G7 ministers will discuss how to keep the pressure on North Korea even after the country announced last week it would suspend its nuclear and long-range missile tests and planned to close its nuclear test site. The ministers will also discuss how to keep the pressure on Russia, but extra sanctions are not on the agenda. Last week, G7 leaders issued a statement condemning the April 7 chemical attack in Syrias Eastern Ghouta region, while expressing support for the US-led airstrikes that followed a week later. G7 members include the US, Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan. This year, Canada holds the G7 presidency. This years theme for the two-day meeting is Building a More Peaceful and Secure World. The ministers will also discuss how to stand against foreign interference which is perceived as a growing threat in the West, and to manage extremist travellers such as returning foreign terrorists. A group of top talents enlisted from some of the worlds most prestigious universities, including Yale, Tsinghua, and Cornell, now plan to put their talent and skills to use in reinvigorating rural townships. (Strive For China members pose for photos in Zhaojia county, Sichuan. Photo courtesy of Strive For China) Graduated from Yale University last year, 24-year-old Gu Jiaqi co-founded Strive For China, a self-innovation platform for talent introduction, poverty alleviation, and rural revitalization in the underdeveloped areas in China. Having forged a high-paying career in computer science, Gu gravitated toward Zhaojia County, one of the most impoverished counties in southwest Chinas Sichuan Province, to start over his positive idea that aims to mobilize villagers in rural development. (Gu Jiaqi helps a local farmer in Zhaojia county, Sichuan. Photo courtesy of Strive For China) Ten of the dynamos like Gu in Strive For China have pioneered several pilots that introduced the contemporary spirit of e-commerce and innovative entrepreneurial skills to under-resourced areas in Sichuan. I was inspired by the non-governmental voluntary campaigns around the globe that helped to eliminate poverty and solve other issues when I was at Yale. This is why I call upon more talents with similar intentions as me to do something valuable for their hometown, Gu told Peoples Daily Online. We have successfully endorsed marketing campaigns selling tangerines in cooperation with local rural cooperatives in Sichuans capital Chengdu in November last year, Gu introduced. Another chicken-raising initiative piloted in the county aims to strengthen industrialization-led cooperation with local leading enterprises, according to Zhang Jiaqi, another co-founder of Strive For China and a fresh graduate with a law degree from the University of Warwick, who got involved with Strive For China after volunteering at a refugee camp in Greece. We helped create 72,000 RMB in revenues on a trial basis by investing in 500 chicks. Were not chicken or tangerine farmers ourselves, but we help launch partnerships between micro agricultural businesses with experienced local enterprises, Zhang added. (Gu Jiaqi helps with teaching at a primary school in Zhaojia county, Sichuan. Photo courtesy of Strive For China) Plans in the near future that leverage crop farming and circulation of farm products in northern Chinas Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have already been added to the agenda. According to Gu, Strive For China is now ready to introduce more top talents from home and abroad and is executing structural guidance in the modern agriculture. The platform is among the many epitomes of the young volunteer-based rural revitalization programs in China. Other leading organizations such as Serve For China, a non-profit organization dedicated to poverty alleviation, as well as Teach For China and others, are widely known to recruit, train, and place top university graduates in Chinese poverty-stricken areas, which offers fresh impetus in efforts at poverty elimination and reducing educational inequality. These start-ups keep the finger on the pulse of Chinas national strategy, as the Central Rural Work Conference has accorded high priority to achieving basic modernization of agriculture and rural areas by 2035 and comprehensive rural revitalization by 2050. China has vowed to lift all of its poorsome 30 million peopleout of poverty by 2020 to realize its goal of building a moderately prosperous society. China is beginning to see the glimmers of hope when an incremental number of well-educated young Chinese who recognize the promising future of rural China devote themselves to it, lauded Yang Tuan, a researcher at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (Photo courtesy of Strive For China) Following concerns that Ugandas 1965 adopted O-level curriculum was outdated, the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) began overhauling it in 2008. By 2016, the revised curriculum was ready for piloting in 2017 in 20 schools and later be rolled out in 2018. Instead, NCDC hit a snag in a December 21, 2016 historical meeting where the president halted its implementation. He ordered for a fresh review which has seen a new curriculum, writes YUDAYA NANGONZI. President Museveni has finally accepted to fund the newly proposed lower secondary (O-level) curriculum after extensive back and forth meetings with officials from NCDC, university vice chancellors and representatives of teachers across the country. Museveni was specifically keen on having less subjects on the curriculum but beneficial to learners. In 2006, the O-level curriculum comprised 43 subjects but 10 were suspended leaving 32 examinable subjects to date. NCDC director Grace Baguma told The Observer last week that the new curriculum will comprise only 20 subjects as agreed by various education stakeholders. When the president told us to go back to the drawing board, it was a big setback but it has yielded some fruits. True, we had not involved him and the political leadership in the previous review but we now have a green light, Baguma said. She added that the new proposals will lay foundation for improved pedagogy and assessment procedures that allow learners to more efficiently realise their full potential. She said the current 50-year-old curriculum is elitist in nature and too wide while the new one would eliminate repetition of subjects and overlap in content. NEW DESIGN In an April 2018 report presented to the president recently on the progress of the review process, NCDC indicated that the draft syllabus documents for the approved 20 subjects are also in place. According to the report, the new curriculum emphasizes learners acquisition of knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes which will be useful to them throughout their lives. It acknowledges, among others, that all learners need to access basic education and learn efficiently at a pace appropriate to their abilities vis-a-vis the current examination-driven curriculum. The syllabi will provide guidance to teachers on how to handle the topics so as to ensure that all learners learn. We want learners to also become facilitators so that we get away from the notion that the teacher knows it all, Baguma said. Subjects which have been approved are; English, Literature in English, Local and foreign languages, Kiswahili, Mathematics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, History, Geography, Entrepreneurship, Performing Arts, Fine Art, Nutrition and Food Technology, Religious Education, Technology and Design, Computer Studies, Agriculture and Physical Education. At S1 and S2, learners will offer 13 compulsory subjects and choose two optional subjects to make a total of 15. When they advance to S3 and S4, they will offer seven compulsory subjects and choose from a range of one to three optional subjects. While sitting for O-level Uneb examinations, a learner can have a total of eight subjects minimum and a maximum of ten depending on their level of intelligence. However, at certification, Uneb will consider only the eight best done subjects. While stakeholders upheld the proposal of a 20-subject curriculum, some adjustments were made on subject names. Political Education has been a stand-alone subject but it has been scrapped and some of its content has been integrated into History. The two subjects combined will now be referred to as one; History and Political Education. Commerce and Accounts have also been merged to create Entrepreneurship. A new subject name Technology and Design was also approved and it will comprise aspects of woodwork, metalwork and technical drawing that have been distinct. According to the progress report, learners with special educational needs and are unable to do traditional science subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Biology especially when it comes to practicals will study one new subject referred to as General Science. This, NCDC, believes will help them gain basic skills, knowledge and life skills to interact with science and technology in their communities. Also, content on internationally recognised contemporary issues such as climate change and peace education which could not stand alone as subjects have also found a place in the various proposed 20 subjects. In a bid to ensure harmony, the report notes that the new proposed curriculum does not deviate much from the East African Community framework. Its worth noting that most of the dropped subjects are vocational in nature and are already being taught in technical and vocational institutions as part of the Skilling Uganda intiative. SCHOOL TIME Under the new arrangement, the school day will start at 7:30am and end at 4:30pm although class time will run from 8am to 2:50pm. From there, the remaining time will be allocated to self-study including one and half hours for co-curricular, research and general cleaning before going home at 4:30pm. John Muyingo, the state minister for Higher Education, engages a student. The new curriculum will allow students to pursue fewer subjects The timetable has been drafted for only five days; Monday to Friday. With reduced content in subjects, Baguma says there is no need for schools to teach on Saturdays as is the case since the timetable will be very flexible. I want to inform teachers that there will be nothing to teach beyond what we have agreed. The ministry has assured us that it will ensure that schools adhere to the study time as agreed upon in our consultative meetings, she said. CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION One of the issues that led to halting of the implementation of the curriculum in 2017 was resources. Initially, NCDC required about Shs 110bn but the curriculum remained an unfunded priority. This time, the NCDC requires an estimated Shs 163bn, higher for the planned activities to aid smooth implementation for the first five years. The rollout date for the new curriculum has been set for February 2020 starting with senior one learners. The first end-of-cycle examinations will later take place in 2023. Baguma says the centre has managed to draft better syllabi that are let down by the poor implementation. We get so many people from abroad who appreciate our curriculum. [But] some teachers are doing totally wrong things, others are using their college or university notes to teach children and you wonder how we are going to progress, she said, adding that teachers will need continuous professional development programmes to deliver the curriculum effectively. For the new curriculum to succeed, she added that government has to provide enough textbooks to all schools. The Observer understands that the World Bank has agreed to fund the implementation process but under a cost-sharing arrangement. This implies that NCDC has to heavily rely on government to ensure that by 2020, it has the required funds. CONTENTIOUS ISSUES While NCDC has agreed through consultations with various stakeholders to shelve subjects at lower secondary, there are still conflicting views from some stakeholders. Christopher Muganga, an assistant coordinator for the curriculum reform, told The Observer there are so far three main contentious issues that stakeholders think need to be ironed out. These are; the number of compulsory subjects, religious subjects and foreign and local languages offered at this level. Now that the compulsory subjects at senior three and four have been fixed at seven, some stakeholders reasoned that subjects be reduced, increased or even made optional. For instance, given the high failure rate in sciences at S4, government should allow those who do not feel comfortable doing pure science to offer general sciences, noted stakeholders at the second curriculum consultative meeting held at Imperial Royale hotel on January 30, 2018. The meeting comprised deans of Education and Science from various universities, regional executive members of the Association of Secondary School Head Teachers and members from the History and Geography associations of Uganda. Muganga said it was, however, agreed that the compulsory science policy has its aims, one of which is to increase the critical mass of citizens with science literacy hence the need for upholding the policy. With our creeping economy, we cannot afford having few learners with specialised teachers. We have identified the core subjects that suit our economy and I think it is too early for learners at senior four to specialise, Muganga said. On religious education, stakeholders from the Bahai temple, traditionalists and self-styled cult leader Owobushobozi Bisaka argued that it is unfair to examine only Christian Religious Education (CRE) and Islamic Religious Education (IRE) given the various beliefs across the country. Bisaka came here [at NCDC offices in Kyambogo] with his own bible from which learners can relate with when examined in his faith. We realised that such issues of religious education are so contentious and we have to go very slow on them. Let us concentrate on CRE and IRE for now as we listen to peoples concerns, he said. With languages, there were submissions to add more foreign languages rather than restrict learners to Chinese, German, Latin, French, and Swahili. Locally, only 10 languages are examined by UNEB. When asked if the new curriculum would be a breather to learners, Muganga had this to say. It will be somehow but not as much as we wanted it to be. All the same, it is a good beginning to start with because a curriculum can be reviewed over time to address emerging needs. COMPULSORY SUBJECTS (S1 & S2) 1. English/Sign Language 2. Mathematics 3. Biology 4. Chemistry 5. Physics 6. ICT 7. Geography 8. History and Political Education 9. Religious Education 10. Physical Education 11. Kiswahili 12. Agriculture 13. Entrepreneurship General Science [For only learners with special needs) OPTIONAL SUBJECTS (S1 & S2) 1. Technology and design (now combines Woodwork, Metalwork, Technical Drawing and Design) 2. Performing Arts (formerly Music) 3. Nutrition and Food Technology (formerly Food and Nutrition) 4. Fine Art 5. Literature in English 6. Local languages 7. Foreign languages COMPULSORY SUBJECTS (S3 & S4) 1. English 2. Mathematics 3. Physics 4. Biology 5. Chemistry 6. Geography 7. History & Political Education General Science [For only learners with special needs) OPTIONAL SUBJECTS (S3 & S4) 1. Foreign languages (5) 2. Local languages (10) 3. Kiswahili 4. Fine Art 5. Literature in English 6. Performing Arts (formerly Music) 7. Religious Education (CRE and IRE) 8. Agriculture 9. Nutrition and Food Technology (formerly Food & Nutrition) 10. Entrepreneurship (Commerce and Accounts have been merged) 11. Physical Education 12. ICT 13. Technology and Design (now combines Wood work, Metalwork, Technical Drawing and Design) OVERALL O-LEVEL DROPPED SUBJECTS 1. Office Practice 2. Typewriting 3. Shorthand 4. Principles of Accounts 5. Power and Energy 6. Electricity and Electronics 7. Wood work 8. Metal work 9. Building and Construction 10. Home Management 11. Clothing and Textiles 12. Health Education 13. Additional Mathematics 14. Fasihi ya Kiswahili 15. Political Education REVISED CURRICULUM AT A GLANCE ***Total examinable subjects: Revised from 32 to 20 subjects Classroom hours 8am to 2:50pm 2:50pm to 4:30pm (co-curricular and self-study) Key learning outcomes Self-assured individual Responsible and patriotic citizen Passion for life-long learning Makes a positive contribution to the nation Expected generic skills Communication Social and interpersonal skills Creativity and Innovation Critical thinking and problem solving Learning to learn Workplace behavior Numeracy ICT Competence-based learning Knowledge Skills Values and Attitudes Core Values Peace and harmony Self-control Intergrity and honesty Patriotism Positive attitude towards work nangonzi@observer.ug The security detail of Education and Sport minister, also first lady Janet Kataha Museveni has roughed a Makerere University professor. Ms Museveni's body guards roughed up Prof Jacob Godfrey Agea this morning to pave way for the first lady in a stretch between the College of Social Sciences (CHUSS) and Makerere main building. Prof Jacob Agea being held by Janet Museveni's guards According to eye witnesses, Prof Agea was walking past the main building from his College as the first lady was leaving the university after opening the Makerere-Sweden Bilateral Research Programme annual planning meeting. The professor yelled for help and dropped his bag as the soldiers lifted him up. Prof Agea declined to comment on the matter and referred our reporter to the communications officer of Makerere University, saying they are barred from speaking to the press. "We have a communication policy in this university and you know I am not supposed to speak to you about the incident. So kindly talk to the University PRO (public relations officer)," Agea said. The Makerere University senior publicist, Rita Namisango was unavailable for comment as she did not pick calls. URN was also unable to get a comment from Janet's security on why they acted the way they did. Prof Agea is a professor of Applied Ethno-botany & Food Security in the Department of Extension and Innovation Studies, School of Agricultural Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Use of tiles, marble and terrazzo to finish graves is putting the productivity of Ugandas soils at risk. Prof. Julius Zake from Makerere Universitys college of agricultural and environmental sciences in a report on the status of Ugandas soils and proper use of fertilisers, says cemented graves pose a growing danger to soil productivity. A modern day terrazzo grave In the past people used backcloth to bury their loved ones. Now, we are using cemented graves with tiles. People are burying everywhere and more people are dying and being buried. The tiles are undegradable. They are interfering with soil status as the roots which help in soil productivity cannot penetrate through the cemented graves, Zake said in his report. Last Monday, the professor addressed Iganga Municipal leaders and farming groups during a visit with Transform AF 1994 APS, a Danish bio-engineering group. Transform is also a European Union certified waste management and treatment enterprise, which operates in America, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa. The Danes operate in Uganda through its affiliate, Rootzone Africa. In developed countries, they have places allocated for graves and leave the rest of the land for agriculture. The bodies are incinerated but in Uganda we do whatever we want, we bury everywhere; this is causing soil degradation because we are using tiles on cemented graves, he warned. Just as the human body needs oxygen for breathing, the soil too needs to breath in and out but this cannot be possible with tiled graves, he said. The report also mentioned improper harvesting of crops, leaching, bush burning, turning arable land into non-agricultural land, improper use of inorganic fertiser, mono-cropping, as other causes of the severe soil degradation. Ugandas soils have become acidic with very low levels of organic matter and major nutrients. They require both organic matter and the major nutrients, he added. The introduction of biofertiliser will be very appropriate to Ugandan soils since it will add both organic and increased nutrients to the soil. Transform biofertiliser is recommended for Ugandan soils, he said, adding that its decomposing rate is faster than the natural decomposing process. According to Ugandan engineer, James Mawa, the Transform Bio-fertiliser uses locally generated waste which is converted into manure without chemical use. Garbage and organic waste can be transformed into bio-fertliser. As opposed to chemicals, the natural high temperatures kill germs from weed and disease carriers, he said. Mawa also said the waste water treatment technology employed by Rootzone is a natural, biologically intact, low cost and low tech waste water treatment system that converts waste water for household or factory use. Iganga Deputy Mayor, Enock Ngazula said the local leadership invited Transform to help them address the problem of garbage in the area. Jose Arno Appolo do Amaral, the mayor of Alvorada, a city in Brazils Rio Grande do Sul state, recently became a popular meme in his country after a photoshopped picture of him and his subordinates seemingly inspecting a municipal construction site went viral online. The photo showing mayor do Amaral, and his deputy Valter Slayfer at a dredging site in Alvorada was originally posted on the official Facebook page of the Alvorada Municipality, along with a long caption detailing the visit. The two officials had allegedly overseen part of the operation and had declared themselves satisfied with the work of the hydraulic dredger. Only people soon became suspicious of the photo, which showed Amaral and Slayfer in the distance, flanking the site supervisor. The two officials position in relation to the road they were supposed to be standing on, as well as their color compared to the rest of the photos just seemed odd, so Facebook users started sharing it and questioning its authenticity. Photo: Magno Derlon / Alvorada City Hall As the photo went viral and people actually started created memes of Jose Arno Appolo do Amaral and his deputy photoshopped into all kinds of settings, the photo was taken down by the Alvorada Municipailty, without any sort of explanation. It was a case of too little too late, though, as the photo had already been circulating online for a while, and it actually made matters worse, as the media started snooping around after the photo was removed. Photo: Magno Derlon / Alvorada City Hall Contacted by local newspaper Correio do Povo , the director of communication of the Alvorada Municipality, Celso Dornelles, denied that the photo had been tampered with in any way, but failed to explain why it had been deleted from the municipalitys official Facebook page. Instead, he insisted that the dredging works had indeed been executed, which no one had ever disputed. Photo: Nao Ta Morto Quem Peleia However, the dodgy Photoshop job was so obvious that, when contacted by the press, even mayor do Amaral said it looked fake. He added that he had no involvement in its creation and publication, and that it was probably the work of an over-enthusiastic intern. Although an internal investigation will probably be launched, the Alvorada mayor promised that whoever was responsible for this misstep will not be fired. In fact, do Amaral may even give them a raise. Photo: Doutor Atollo/Facebook On the bright side, Im becoming very popular online, maybe Ill even run for senator soon, the official jokingly told Guachazh Porto Alegre. Photo: Doutor Atollo/Facebook Jose Arno Appolo do Amaral is one of the trending memes in Brazil right now, and even has several Facebook page dedicated to photoshopping him and his deputy in all kinds of hilarious settings, from the moon landing to famous paintings. Photo: @ToSempreCansada/Twitter This isnt the first time weve seen officials turn to Photoshop in order to deceive the public. A couple of years ago, authorities in St. Petersburg, Russia, did it twice in the span of just one month, to show that they had fixed public infrastructure, when in fact they hadnt. Known as Sea Nomads, the Bajau people have wandered the waters of southern Asia for thousands of years, living in house boats and free diving for fish. Theyve long been known for their ability to stay underwater for long periods of time, but until recently, no one really knew how they were able to keep their breath for so long. According to a recently published study from Cambridge University, the Bajau people have 50 percent larger spleens than their land-dwelling neighbours, which plays a key role in how long they can stay underwater. It plays a key part in whats known as the human dive response or dive reflex, preferentially distributing oxygen to the brain and heart, and enabling submersion for long periods of time. As the heart rate slows, blood is directed to the vital organs, and the spleen contracts to push oxygenated red blood cells into the circulation. In an average person, the spleen can boost oxygen levels by 9 percent, but even more in the case of the Bajau, due to its unusually large size. Photo: Ronnie Puckett/Flickr Theres not a lot of information out there about human spleens in terms of physiology and genetics, but we know that deep diving seals, like the Weddell seal, have disproportionately large spleens, lead study author Melissa Ilardo said. I thought that if selection acted on the seals to give them larger spleens, it could potentially do the same in humans. Ilardo, who embarked on this groundbreaking research for her PhD, spent several months with the Bajau, in Jaya Bakti, Indonesia, conducting ultrasound scans and taking genetic samples, and comparing them with their land-based neighbours, the Saluan. Analysis showed that the Bajau have permanently enlarged spleens that dont get bigger only when diving. DNA analysis revealed that the Bajau have a gene called PDE10A, which is lacking in the Saluan. Scientists believe that it is gene that alters the Sea Nomads spleen size by adjusting thyroid hormone levels. Photo: Torben Venning/Flickr We believe that in the Bajau they have an adaptation that increases thyroid hormone levels and therefore increases their spleen size, Melissa Ilardo said. Its been shown in mice that thyroid hormones and spleen size are connected. If you genetically alter mice to have an absence of the thyroid hormone T4, their spleen size is drastically reduced, but this effect is actually reversible with an injection of T4. The Bajau people do not dive competitively, so its hard to say precisely how long they can remain underwater, but their free-diving ability is legendary, with one diver telling Melissa Ilardo that he could stay submerged for around 13 minutes at a time. They can spend as much as 60 percent of their day underwater, diving up to 230 feet (70 meters), using only some weights to help them descend faster and a pair of rudimentary wooden goggles. Its hard to say if the Bajaus diving abilities can be attributed solely to their unusually large spleens, but this study suggests their evolved organs definitely play a big part. The Bajaus evolutionary adaptation sounds very much like that of the Moken people living along the coasts of Burma and Thailand. Known as Sea Gypsies, they have developed superhuman underwater vision that helps them gather tiny shellfish and other food from the ocean floor at depths as low as 75 feet. CHANGCHUN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The first customized Hongqi L5, or "Red Flag," China's homegrown car brand, has been bought by Chinese tycoon Cao Dewang, founder and head of the world's top auto glass manufacturer Fuyao Glass. Price of a customized Hongqi L5 starts at 6 million yuan (953,000 U.S. dollars). It is China's first independently-developed deluxe car for customized service. The car maker, Chinese automaker FAW Group, based in northeast Jilin Province, opened the sales for 100 Hongqi L5 sedans in January, and offered six basic interior design styles. A website for receiving tailor-made orders for the L5 limousines operates in seven languages. Hongqi made its debut as a parade sedan at Beijing's Tian'anmen Square during China's 10th National Day celebration in 1959. Since then, the Hongqi sedan has long been featured in parades during major national celebrations and has mostly been purchased by government departments. Cao said he bought the car out of his trust in the quality of the domestic car brand, and his desire to contribute to the development of the national auto industry. VANCOUVER, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Vancouver City Mayor Gregor Robertson made an official apology here Sunday for the city government's past discrimination against Canadian citizens of Chinese descent. The apology acknowledges the wrong-doings of past legislation,regulations and policies of previous city governments. The apology was read in both English and Chinese at Vancouver's Chinatown Culture Center. The English version was read by Mayor Robertson, and the Chinese version by former City Councillors Bill Yee and Maggie Ip. The city is planning to lobby for a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) heritage designation for its Chinatown. "The historical wrongs of Vancouver City Council need to be addressed, particularly as the city is focused now on being a city of reconciliation,and that extends beyond our First Nations to people of other cultures who faced racism and discrimination in the past," Robertson said. "This is an important step to address that historic travesty and move forward," Robertson added. Robertson said delivering the apology within the community at a public place rather than at a government building would help convey the city's intention to make sure that Chinese culture is supported and embraced. In 2016 and 2017, the Vancouver government established an advisory group to help guide the development of a formal apology, which was approved by the city legislature last November. The group is comprised of retired judges, former city councillors, community elders and advocates, historians, veterans and their descendants, who are active volunteers that shared an interest in working with the city to move forward together. The group's report said residents of Chinese descent were not allowed to vote when the city incorporated in 1886. The situation had lasted until 1948, when veterans of the First and Second World Wars lobbied for voting rights. Then Vancouver authorities also applied discriminatory policies like the federal head tax, and barred Chinese-Canadians from civic employment between 1890 and 1952. The discriminatory policies and practices also included various attempts at segregation in schools, public spaces like swimming pools, residential housing, hospitals, cemeteries and other public areas including residential housing, hospitals, and even cemeteries. Because of restrictions at local cemeteries, Canadian Chinese had to be returned to China for burial, the report said. In 2006, then Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered an apology in parliament for the head tax imposed on Chinese immigrants and included 20,000 Canadian dollars (1,568 U.S. dollars) in compensation for families or surviving people who paid the tax. Thousands of Chinese immigrants arrived in Canada during the 1880s to help build the country's railway from Vancouver to Montreal, but from 1885, the federal government imposed a head tax of 50 Canadian dollars (39 U.S. dollars), which rose to 500 Canadian dollars (390 dollars) in the early 1900s. At that time, 500 Canadian dollars was worth about two years of a Canadian Chinese worker's salary. According to the 1924 Yearbook of Canada, Canadian Chinese paid a total head tax of 24 million Canadian dollars, which hit the appropriation fund by then Canadian government for the construction of so-called Pacific railway. In 2015, on behalf of the British Columbia provincial government, then B.C. Premier Christy Clark made an formal apology to Canadian Chinese for more than 100 racist laws, regulations and policies of past B.C. governments. Clark pointed out the contribution of Chinese in building the national railway system, noting that one Chinese worker died for every mile of track laid between Vancouver and Calgary. It was reported that at least 1,000 Canadian Chinese died building the railway. Chinas first 5G mobile phone is expected to be released during the second half of 2019, said Wen Ku, director of the telecom development department at Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. He made the remarks on April 22 at the 1st Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeastern Chinas Fujian province. Wen noted that China was home to 1.03 billion 4G net users in 2017, and a universal standard of 5G technology will be established in the future. He said China is one of the leading countries of 5G development, and it has established cooperation structures with Europe, the US, Japan and South Korea on both government and industry levels. The first 5G mobile phone is expected to be released when the technology initially commercializes in the second half of 2019, the director disclosed. China Mobile, one of Chinas major telecommunication corporations, exhibited its latest technologies at the summit, including 5G, e-gov, big data and internet of things. Shang Bing, chairman of China Mobile, said at the summit that the company is speeding up the construction of the new information infrastructure and the commercialization of 5G technology. He added that China Mobile will provide world-class support for China in the digital era. The 1st Digital China Summit, which kicked off in Fuzhou last Sunday, was attended by about 800 people including officials, representatives of industrial organizations and experts. Its not difficult for me to remember St. Georges Day every year, because its my birthday. Its a day of significance to the English, since St. George is the patron saint of the country (as well as other countries such as Georgia, Malta and Gozo, Portugal, Romania and the Aragon and Catalonia regions of Spain) and 23rd April is also the day on which one of the countrys most famous and prolific writers, William Shakespeare, died. According to legend, St. George slayed a dragon that was plaguing the populace of a town called Silene in what is modern-day Libya (at least according to the Golden Legend version of the story told in the 1260s by Jacobus de Voragine). What is interesting in this story is that the dragon lived in a pond and may therefore have been the mythical four-legged beast better known from Chinese mythology, rather than the two-legged winged reptilian of European mythology. Given the importance of the Chinese clientele to the Swiss watch industry, its not surprising that the few watches that have been produced using the dragon as a motif have used the depiction that is more familiar to the Chinese. But these efforts by the likes of Arnold & Son, Christophe Claret and HYT have involved either engraving or miniature painting on the dial. At Baselworld this year, Jacob & Co. upped the ante with its Astronomia Dragon model. Here, the dragon dominates the watch to such an extent that it appears to be winding itself around the complicated tourbillon movement. And thanks to the architecture of the Astronomia case, the three-dimensional sculpture of the dragon, in solid gold and with each of its 2,294 scales individually carved, is visible from all sides. Its a great watch for those who like dragons. Astronomia Dragon Jacob & Co. But what about fans of St. George? As far as watches depicting chivalrous figures are concerned, its very slim pickings for the watch fan and the prices, while not at the stratospheric level of the Jacob & Co. Astronomia, nevertheless require deep pockets. By pure coincidence, one very high-end brand will be presenting something inspired by the world of legend in the coming days. Find out more on WorldTempus later this week. Opalesque Industry Update - Forte Securities Limited (Forte Securities) will launch two UCITS funds on its Global Macro strategy on the Alpha UCITS Platform. Forte Securities is a London based securities broker and asset manager. Forte Securities provides institutional investors with a diverse range of services spanning execution, brokerage, asset management and custody across equity, fixed income and foreign exchange. The firm was set up in 2008 and has a global presence with offices in London, New York, Zurich, Monaco, Dubai and Sydney. The Global Macro strategy invests on an active basis mainly in G10 currencies primarily after news events, in particular monetary policy decisions and data releases, affecting G10 currencies. The underlying assumption is that the behaviour of participants in currency markets generates inefficiencies after these events for short time intervals (from a few minutes to a couple of days) as the market absorbs new information. The causes for such short-term mispricings can be (i) that currency market participants struggle to price new complex information, (ii) that currency markets take time to value announcements which undershoot or exceed market expectations, (iii) that currency market participants may overreact to new information which does not deviate from expectations or which does not impact macro economical fundamentals. After a certain time currency markets return to their relative efficiency and price out these inefficiencies. The investment strategy is implemented on a purely discretionary basis, based on detailed proprietary analysis of the currency markets' historical reactions to monetary policy and news events, taking into account current market condition. Alpha UCITS will launch two UCITS funds on the mentioned Forte Securities Global Macro strategy, to be called the Jotunn Global Macro Low Volatily Fund and the Jotunn Global Macro Growth Fund. Both will implement the same strategy, whereby the Jotunn Global Macro Growth Fund will use a higher leverage than the Jotunn Global Macro Low Volatily Fund. The strategy has over 3 years track record with about 41% average annual returns for the Jotunn Global Macro Growth Fund and 14% annualised volatility, which is equivalent to a Sharpe ratio over 2. The strategy returned 34% net in 2016 and 48% in 2017. YTD net performance per end of March 2018 is +1%. Paolo Zuolo said "This is an important moment for Forte Securities to launch a UCITS version of our successful Global Macro investment strategy. We believe the Forte Securities Global Macro UCITS will offer attractive portfolio benefits to long only and alternative investors in the UCITS space. The strategy has historically been uncorrelated with equities and bonds." Alpha UCITS Ltd. is a London based company founded in 2009 by Stephane Diederich. Alpha UCITS is a specialised structuring and distribution platform for UCITS funds launched by blue chip managers. Stephane Diederich commented: "A global macro strategy with an outstanding performance track record in a UCITS vehicle is probably high up on investors' current priorities. We are particularly excited to offer the Forte Securities Global Macro strategy to our investors as it comes with an outstanding historical performance track record and as we believe the strategy is filling a gap in the current UCITS fund offering and will continue to add value in the future." The two Forte Securities UCITS funds have been filed with the CSSF and will be launched by Alpha UCITS in June 2018 subject to CSSF approval. "Do you know why you are here?" This is the question that begins a gangster's initiation ceremony as a "made man," the Mob ritual that codifies his place in that world. Former FBI Director James Comey calls it "The Life of Lies," and, to him, it represents the nadir of human existence. "My early career as a prosecutor, especially my role in confronting the Mafia, reinforced my belief that I'd made the right career choice," he writes in his new book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership." Comey's new memoir hammers home its theme time and again: that a good, useful life, in any field, requires embracing truth and consequences. It also hammers home one overriding fear the author has: that lying is increasingly commonplace in even the most legitimate and respected spheres of American life. "The higher loyalty" we should all seek, Comey writes, "is to lasting values, most important the truth." The former FBI director's book has received mountains of media attention in the past couple of weeks, almost all of it focusing on its depiction of President Donald Trump. That's because Trump fired Comey in May 2017, and he did so at least in part, by the president's own admission, with the hope of short-circuiting the FBI's investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign's alleged connections to Russia. But "A Higher Loyalty," as Comey has tried to point out, is about much more than Donald Trump. It's the compelling story of an action-packed life, one spent chasing down mobsters, white-collar criminals (including TV celebrity Martha Stewart) and terrorists. It's the story of an earnest, driven man who, whatever his flaws (and he admits to a fair number of them here), has sought out lasting meaning in life. Comey tells his story with verve and insight. "Evil has an ordinary face," he writes of the professional killers he came to know while prosecuting crime boss John Gambino. "It laughs, it cries, it deflects, it rationalizes, it makes great pasta." He adds, chillingly, of the Mob's mass murderers: "None of them saw themselves as bad people." It's a shame that Comey, seeking to take full advantage of his post-firing notoriety, had to write this book so quickly. "A Higher Loyalty" is not a hefty tome, and many of the stories its author tells -- about working for Rudolph Giuliani in Manhattan's U.S. attorney's office, about mob life in New York City in the 1980s, about serving in the Bush administration's Justice Dept. after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- deserve more attention. But there wasn't the time to linger on those subjects: Comey had to get to President Trump. Like with Grover in "The Monster at the End of This Book," the current commander-in-chief is hiding in plain sight on every page of "A Higher Loyalty." He's the subtext, the warning about what happens when we become complacent about things like honesty, decency and purpose. "This president is unethical, and untethered to truth and institutional values," Comey writes. "His leadership is transactional, ego driven and about personal loyalty." Frankly, it's a good thing that most of the book isn't specifically about the president. Trump, in Comey's depiction, is a flat, one-note character: Me, me, me. Most of the other people in "A Higher Loyalty," most notably Comey himself, are much more alive and real. And honorable. The former FBI director's critics have mocked him for the self-righteousness he's selling in the book, and they have a point to make. But for most readers, the author's high-mindedness will resonate. It will speak to a longing about themselves they have deep in their gut -- a longing that has driven Comey his entire life. Whenever he talks to a group of students, Comey writes, he begins by asking them to imagine they are at the end of their lives. "From that vantage point," he tells them, "the smoke of striving for recognition and wealth is cleared. Houses, cars, awards on the wall? Who cares? You are about to die. Who do you want to have been?" Or, to give a different spin to the question asked of soon-to-be made men: "Do you know why you are here?" -- Douglas Perry The April 15 guest opinion, "Portland must do more to mitigate fossil fuel risks," from Daphne Wysham and Bob Sallinger, was most welcome. But there are even greater risks that have yet to be addressed. One in particular is the likely destruction of major parts of the ground transportation system in the region. The Federal Emergency Management Agency currently plans to provide recovery supplies and services from the Redmond Airport. However, there is a great need to give serious attention to the ability to distribute supplies within the Portland region. Conventional ground transport operations are likely to be very difficult to impossible, following a big earthquake. This suggests very large airships might be needed for quite some time to deal with the large number of human and animal bodies, debris from collapsed buildings, resupply of fossil fuel supplies, garbage transport to disposal sites, installation and fueling of emergency electricity generators and so on. Fortunately, Britain's Hybrid Air Vehicles is developing and testing Airlander 10, a very large airship designed to lift over 20,000 pounds that could be very helpful. Perhaps a fleet of them would be required. What is the utility of recovery supplies and services that cannot be distributed to locations where they are badly needed? Clearly, such airships could earn their keep by providing a number of useful green transport services while waiting for "The Big One" to occur. Jerry Schneider, Southeast Portland By Dan Handelman Last month, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler proclaimed that Saturday, April 21, would be "USS Portland Day" to honor the giant warship that was commissioned on the Willamette River that day. This "amphibious landing dock" has two anti-air missile systems, two 30-millimeter anti-surface guns, nine 50-caliber anti-surface machine guns, and according to Naval Today, an experimental laser weapon. Our Portland-based nonprofit, Peace and Justice Works, asked the mayor to withhold the proclamation seeing as in 2012, Portland City Council adopted a policy for redirecting funds from wars to human needs. Several of our mayors have supported similar resolutions at the National Conference of Mayors. One resolution passed in 2017 asks cities to direct department heads to consider what they could accomplish if money now being spent on the military were redirected for local use. The resolution called attention to the fact that even "fractions of the ... military budget could provide free, top-quality education from pre-school through college, end hunger and starvation on earth, convert the United States to clean energy, provide clean drinking water everywhere it's needed on the planet, build fast trains between all major U.S. cities." Wheeler's proclamation states that the USS Portland will "protect our nations [sic] interests but also provide aid during emergencies such as earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes or other disasters." When Iraq was under U.S., and United Nations sanctions, our country refused to let in hundreds of items the Iraqi people desperately needed, including tires for their ambulances. The federal government claimed those items were "dual use" for both civilian and military. Just as it was a morally imprecise stretch to prevent tires from reaching the Iraqi public because they might be used for military purposes, it is a stretch in the other direction to praise a warship because it may someday be used for humanitarian relief efforts. A little research turned up the cost of this floating behemoth: $2 billion dollars. The commissioning ceremony itself will cost money, too, and is predictably -- but dishonorably -- supported by dozens of companies who profit from war including Boeing and Insitu, both of which have plants in Oregon, and Wilsonville's FLIR Systems, which makes infrared devices to help target "the enemy." When warships visit our waterfront during the Rose Festival, we are now met with signs that say "No Trespassing-- US Navy Restricted Area--Use of Force Authorized." It is unfortunate that the Navy has decided to name such a warship after our city. Given the current international tensions, Portland should refrain from praising military spending when our housing, roads, parks, schools and other critical infrastructure are under-funded and crumbling -- and given the U.S. military's role as the world's largest institutional driver of climate change. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." -- Dan Handelman is a founding member of Peace and Justice Works, a nonprofit based in Southeast Portland. By Ralph Vartabedian, Los Angeles Times RICHLAND, Wash. As crews demolished a shuttered nuclear weapons plant during 2017 in central Washington, specks of plutonium were swept up in high gusts and blown miles across a desert plateau above the Columbia River. The releases at the Department of Energy cleanup site spewed unknown amounts of plutonium dust into the environment, coated private automobiles with the toxic heavy metal and dispensed lifetime internal radioactive doses to 42 workers. The contamination events went on for nearly 12 months, getting progressively worse before the project was halted in mid-December. Now, state health and environmental regulators, Department of Energy officials and federal safety investigators are trying to figure out what went wrong and who is responsible. The events at the Hanford Site, near the Tri-Cities area of Richland, Pasco and Kennewick, vividly demonstrate the consequences when a radioactive cleanup project spirals out of control. The mess has dealt the Department of Energy's nuclear weapons environmental management program yet another setback, following more than a decade of engineering miscalculations across the nation. Department of Energy officials said in a statement that workers received only a tiny fraction of the plutonium exposure allowed by regulations, and that there should be no threat to their health. They declined requests for interviews. If the current investigations substantiate that statement, it would be fortuitous. "They are not in control," John Martell, the Washington Department of Health official who oversees radioactive air emissions, said about the Energy Department and its contractors. "We want them to stop before they do become a public health threat." Tom Carpenter, executive director of the watchdog group Hanford Challenge, asserts that the demolition project used too many unskilled workers, attempted to do the work too fast and failed to adopt known safety measures that would have helped contain the contamination. "They took shortcuts and stupid risks," Carpenter said. "They gambled and lost." The problem occurred at one of the nation's most radioactively contaminated buildings, known as the Plutonium Finishing Plant. The factory, which opened in 1949 a few miles from the Columbia River, supplied plutonium for thousands of U.S. nuclear weapons before it was shut down in 1989. It was the notorious site where Harold McCluskey, later known as the Atomic Man, survived a 1976 explosion in which he was exposed to 500 times the occupational limit for radioactivity. The exposures from the plutonium releases last year were minuscule by comparison, estimated to be a small fraction of the background radiation that every human gets from nature. But unlike cosmic radiation or radon gas, plutonium can lodge itself inside the body and deliver tissue-damaging alpha particles over a lifetime. Union officials say they can accept the health risk of working next to contaminated equipment, but not an "uptake" of plutonium when eating lunch or driving home in a car after protective gear is off. "It is very upsetting because they don't (care)," said one exposed worker who would speak only on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. He said he was not given a kit to test for plutonium exposure until he asked for one in early December. "They have no clue how I was exposed," he said. "I look at it down the road and am mentally worried about it. It is emitting energy into my bones. Plus it is a poison. My wife is worried. My kids listen to the news and know what happened. I have to put it off in front of them as no big deal." In their statement, Energy Department officials said they are "concerned about any health consequences, long-term or short-term, that any of the workers on site face at any time. We are addressing workers' concerns by being as open and transparent with our workers as possible about what we are doing to stabilize the situation." Another longtime employee at the Plutonium Finishing Plant, or PFP, who met with a Los Angeles Times reporter, said the operation was out of control even before the demolition began. As workers removed equipment to prepare for walls to be torn down, air-monitoring alarms sounded almost every day, he said. Workers were subjected to repeated nasal smears to determine whether they had breathed plutonium dust, he said. "Nobody wanted to work at PFP," he said. "People who had been working at Hanford for 30 years were getting out, saying this is insane." And as the project fell behind schedule, many of the workers were compelled to put in as many as 90 hours a week, he said. "Everything we were told to do at work began to deviate from the plan," he said. Seven employee automobiles were contaminated at the plant site, according to a Jan. 9 letter from the state Department of Ecology to Doug Shoop, the federal site chief at Hanford. When one worker demanded that his contaminated car be purchased because vent ducts were potentially still contaminated, Energy Department contractors nixed it and offered him a coupon for a free detailing from a car wash, according to collective bargaining grievance records cited by union officials. The account was confirmed by two other employees. An even more serious concern was the potential for the workers to have contaminated their homes after leaving work. The Energy Department dispatched teams to take samples in eight private homes and found no contamination, a Hanford Site spokesman said in a statement. The demolition, costing $57 million, was being conducted by one of the nation's largest engineering firms, CH2M, a unit of Texas-based Jacobs Engineering. CH2M is now under federal investigation for the releases, according to a letter sent by the Energy Department's enforcement office in late March. A spokesman for the company declined to comment and referred questions to the Energy Department's Hanford Site office. In March, the company released a preliminary analysis of the contamination and blamed it on half a dozen factors, including a "fixative" that was supposed to bind the dust but was too diluted to work properly and a decision to accelerate demolition when the contamination seemed to be stable. The Energy Department plan for the demolition originally required the contractor to remove debris as it accumulated. But in January 2017, just before the first releases, officials authorized CH2M to allow the debris to pile up, according to a monthly site report by an inspector for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, an independent agency. In fact, workers at the plant said the demolition site was ringed by 8-foot-tall piles of radioactive debris with little to prevent dust from blowing off. Not long after, the first plutonium was detected. Another series of dispersals occurred in June, which resulted in a short work stoppage. The workers at the plant said radiation alarms sounded throughout the facility, resulting in a chaotic mass evacuation. And then in December, a three-day series of dispersals was recorded and became the basis for what is now a four-month shutdown of the project. "December was the most serious," said Martell, the Health Department chief for radioactive air emissions. "Part of the reason we issued the letter was that events were growing in seriousness. The December event was the trigger." Alex Smith, who oversees the Hanford Site for the state Department of Ecology and shares oversight responsibility with the state Department of Health, said the decision to allow debris to accumulate probably increased the risk that winds could transport the dust. Plutonium was detected by monitors and collection plates about two miles away, near a public road, and potentially 10 miles away. Washington's two senators sent a letter to the Energy Department on Dec. 22, expressing "grave concern" about the releases. Congressional staff members say the contamination is not surprising because the Energy Department offers bonuses to contractors if they meet tight schedules. But there are no bonuses for preventing worker contamination or preventing releases to the environment, they say. The problems at the Plutonium Finishing Plant were not an isolated event at Hanford, which has struggled with its cleanup for more than a decade. Work was stopped five years ago on a $16.8 billion waste treatment plant that is supposed to turn 56 million gallons of radioactive sludge into glass. Technical deficiencies in its design are still being studied, while delays mount. The plant was supposed to go online by 2022, but several years ago the Energy Department pushed back the full startup by 17 years to 2039. Last year, a tunnel that stored railroad cars full of contaminated equipment collapsed. The Energy Department pumped the 358-foot-long tunnel full of a concrete mixture. A decision is pending about what to do with a second storage tunnel 1,688 feet long. The state attorney general, along with Hanford Challenge and a union, is suing the Energy Department for venting noxious gases from underground waste tanks over recent years, sickening workers. Smith, the Ecology manager, said a lot of cleanup progress has been made at Hanford. Hundreds of buildings have been torn down. Much of the soil along the banks of the Columbia River has been cleaned up enough for any future use. And the site's nine nuclear reactors have been put in stable condition. But the well-publicized problems have put state officials on edge about contamination that would affect public health. One of the factors that helped reduce the risks of the release is the relative isolation of the Plutonium Finishing Plant, which is deep inside the 586-square-mile Hanford Site. But other contaminated facilities scheduled for demolition border the Columbia River and are close to residential communities and fields that grow grapes, potatoes and corn. One of those facilities, known as 324 Building, was used to extract plutonium from spent fuel, said Robert Alvarez, a former assistant secretary of Energy and a longtime critic of the cleanup. The facility has civilian waste from Germany, sent as part of a research project, as well as large amounts of radioactive waste that was placed in unlined burial pits, he said. Records of what lies in the pits were destroyed in 1988, he said. When the demolition of the Plutonium Finishing Plant will resume is unclear, along with who can authorize it. In a statement to The Times, Energy Department press secretary Shaylyn Hynes said, "The decision to stop work at the site was made on site by the contractor." But letters by state health, ecology and U.S. Environmental Protection Administration officials over the last several months indicate they issued a stop-work order that applies until they determine that the work can be conducted safely. The Energy Department statement said it opted to demolish the plant in "open air," because it is a proven safe method. But now, the statement said, it is looking for lessons learned from the releases. State officials, meanwhile, are asking for additional safety measures, potentially a temporary tent or other structure over the plant. John A. Christian, a veteran of nuclear demolition projects at EnergySolutions who was not involved in the Plutonium Finishing Plant demolition, said such containment structures have been used at the cleanup of the Energy Department's Rocky Flats plant in Colorado and at an Idaho National Laboratory site. "In the most extreme circumstance," he said, "you put a building over the building. All of the dust and debris is contained inside and it is removed through an air lock." A federal judge Monday fined an eyeglass lens manufacturer $750,000 for repeatedly discharging hazardous waste into Clackamas County's sewer system in violation of the federal Clean Water Act. Carl Zeiss Vision operated for three years without a required industrial wastewater discharge permit and allowed untreated corrosive liquid waste to seep into a public sanitary sewer connection that fed into the county's water service sewer system, according to prosecutors and federal agents. An investigator with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined that the compound in the drain contained different metals, including cadmium and lead. In January, the Clackamas company, through its general counsel, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of violating federal regulations requiring treatment of pollutants. The charge covered violations that occurred over 30 days from June to July 2015. Prosecutors sought the $750,000 fine, while lawyers representing Carl Zeiss Vision argued for a $150,000 penalty. Karla G. Perrin, a lawyer for the Environmental Protection Agency, said the higher amount was justified, noting that the company avoided the costs of properly disposing the hazardous waste for seven years. "The fine is supposed to sting a little bit,'' Perrin said, noting that the company reports a $35 million annual profit. Attorneys for the manufacturer called the $750,000 "badly out of step'' with other fines issued for similar environmental violations, particularly for a misdemeanor. They urged the judge to consider that the company has cooperated with federal and local regulators and spent about $600,000 to correct the problem. Michael F. Vitris, one of the lawyers representing the company, said the "eye-popping'' amount of the fine will "jump off a page'' and harm the company's reputation and business. Peter C. Anderson, another lawyer for Carl Zeiss Vision, said the violations were "inconsistent with Zeiss' ethic. This is not something the company is proud of. There was a belief either the company had a permit or didn't need one. ... It was inadvertent, sloppy. It shouldn't have happened, but they have cooperated.'' U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon said he found $750,000 "sufficient but not greater than necessary,'' considering the seriousness of the offense, the need to promote respect for the law and provide a just punishment. Simon also said he considered the company's resources. The Environmental Protection Agency began investigating the company after a maintenance worker at Carl Zeiss Vision filed a complaint in 2014. In 2015, the agency conducted a search warrant at the manufacturing plant at 14450 S.E. 98th Court. The maintenance worker contacted the EPA office in Seattle and said he watched Carl Zeiss Vision employees at the end of the night shift dump a bucket of an alloy and wastewater down the drain. The worker included in his complaint a photo of a plastic drain containing a metallic-looking substance, according to a search warrant affidavit. The EPA installed recording monitors in the sanitary sewer line where the company discharged its waste, said Eric Martenson, special agent with EPA's criminal investigation division. The monitors found the company was discharging corrosive liquid wastes above permitted PH levels. -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian A federal judge Monday gave Christopher R. Ponte a split sentence of six months in prison and six months of home detention for target shooting with co-workers in a national forest while he was barred from handling guns as a felon. Ponte, who started a police watchdog group called Oregon Cop Block and has drawn the ire of local officials for filming them at their homes, came under investigation by a Portland police detective in July. The investigation began around the same time that Portland police Capt. Mark Kruger got a stalking order against Ponte after Ponte showed up July 10 at Kruger's house. The investigation included the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Portland Detective Jeff Myers found Ponte pictured on his Facebook page firing a shotgun, according to a federal complaint. Ponte, 36, admitted he joined co-workers Jan. 28 at a U.S. Forest Service campsite off Oregon 224 in Estacada and held and fired three guns that belonged to others -- an Uzi Pro pistol, a shotgun and an AK-47-type assault rifle. A year earlier, Ponte had been convicted of possessing a stolen car in Clackamas County and was barred from having or handling guns. "He was target shooting with lawful gun owners,'' his defense lawyer Susan Wilk told the judge. "He's paying dearly for this lapse in judgment.'' Ponte lost a job he loved at Bob's Red Mill and couldn't afford his apartment as a result of the prosecution for his "transitory'' possession or control of a gun, Wilk said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Ratcliffe urged a sentence of one year and a day. "The defendant's conduct does not amount to the crime of the century, the decade, or even the year,'' Ratcliffe wrote in a sentencing memo. "However, his use of three different firearms while shooting with colleagues on U.S. Forest Service land after sustaining a felony conviction merits punishment.'' Ratcliffe said Ponte also wasn't forthright with officers after his arrest. U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez sentenced Ponte after U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown earlier this month recused herself from the case, saying she had officiated at Kruger's wedding and signed his marriage certificate. -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian Egypt has condemned a deadly blast at a voter registration centre in Kabul on Sunday that left at least 57 people dead as Afghanistan prepares for nationwide elections in the autumn. In a statement on Saturday, the Egyptian foreign ministry decried the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group, expressing its sincere condolences to the families of the victims. "The Egyptian government and people stand with the government and people of Afghanistan against abhorrent terrorism," the statement read. A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a voter registration center in the Afghan capital on Sunday, killing at least 57 people and injuring more than 100, in the most serious attack yet on preparations for elections scheduled for October, Reuters reported. The Islamic State group claimed their responsibility for the blast in a statement on the militant group's AMAQ news website. The Egyptian foreign ministry statement called on the international community to take a decisive position on global terrorism, drying up the sources of financing and ending safe havens for terrorist groups. Search Keywords: Short link: A Silicon Valley company bought Portland-based Viewpoint Construction Software for $1.2 billion in cash Monday. It appears to be the biggest deal ever for a Portland tech company. The buyer is Trimble, which makes technology for the construction, agriculture and transportation markets. The California company reported revenue of $2.7 billion last year and said it expects about $200 million in additional revenue from Viewpoint in 2018. Viewpoint said its Portland office will remain the center of its operations and the company will "continue to hire aggressively." Viewpoint said it will operate with a large degree of independence within Trimble and retain its executive team and employees. "The intent is to continue what we have been doing," said Viewpoint chief executive Manolis Kotzabasakis. "They see this as the foundation for them to become, by far, the world's leading construction technology company. And Viewpoint and Portland are going to be at the center of it." Privately held Viewpoint employs more than 700, about half of them at its headquarters at the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge. It said it will continue operating under the Viewpoint brand name indefinitely. Viewpoint Construction Software Business : Project management and operational support software for contractors. Founded : The business dates to 1976; current management has been running it since 1990. (It used to go by the name Coaxis.) Revenues : Forecast at $200 million in 2018, according to Trimble. Ownership : Private equity firm Bain Capital paid $230 million for a majority stake in 2014 and later acquired the rest of the business. Employees : More than 700, nearly half of whom work at its Portland headquarters at the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge. Viewpoint's software helps construction companies and contractors plan and manage large projects, allocating resources, tracking time cards and measuring progress. It has long been among Portland's largest tech businesses. Trimble said the Viewpoint deal, and a prior acquisition of another company called e-Builder, gives it an expanded set of technology products for the construction industry. Founded in 1976, Viewpoint sold a majority stake to private equity firm Bain Capital in 2014 for $230 million. Bain subsequently acquired the rest of the business. In the ensuing years, Viewpoint bought a major competitor in Seattle and made a series of smaller deals as it sought to bring digital tools to the old-line construction industry. As recently as January, Viewpoint said Bain was taking a long-term approach to its investment in the Portland company and had no intention to sell. However, Kotzabasakis said Viewpoint had been approached by a number of prospective buyers excited by the construction industry's growth. "There's something amazing that's happening in construction right now. The investments continue to be mind-boggling," Kotzabasakis said. He said Bain and Viewpoint chose Trimble because it had a similar vision for the future of construction technology. Trimble shares climbed 5 percent in after-hours trading, to $37.91, after the company raised its quarterly sales forecast above the $730 million it had projected. Shares have traded between $31.22 and $45.70 in the past year. Viewpoint's sale is the second billion-dollar deal for a Portland company in the past week. On Thursday, mining equipment company ESCO Corp. sold to a Scottish rival for $1.3 billion. Oregon technology, long dominated by hardware companies in Washington County, has shifted over the past decade to favor software companies in and around downtown. Though Viewpoint is more than 40 years old, the company helped lead that transition and enjoyed a sharp uptick in growth over the past decade. Viewpoint continued expanding during the Great Recession, despite the construction industry's downturn, and became one of the city's largest tech employers. Its growth -- and its $1.2 billion sale price -- reflect Portland's expanding software scene as well as the nation's booming construction industry. The new owner, Trimble, employs 9,500 in 35 countries. It is known for applying GPS technology in a variety of heavy industries. Trimble said it will incorporate Viewpoint into its buildings and infrastructure business segment, which had revenues of $835 million last year. "I think it's very good for Viewpoint and I think it's very good for Portland," said Jay Haladay, who bought the Portland company in 1990 and ran it until he retired in 2015. Joining Trimble will give Viewpoint much broader visibility in the construction industry and better access to a global market, said Haladay, calling from Phuket, Thailand, amid a round-the-world vacation. "It makes a ton of sense," he said. "I've known the Trimble folks for years. The product lines match up well, and I think they're a good cultural fit." -- Mike Rogoway; Twitter: @rogoway; 503-294-7699 Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed a range of issues with Kenyan President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta in Cairo on Sunday, including the latest developments surrounding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), cooperation between Nile Basin countries, counter-terrorism efforts and other matters, according to a statement by ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid. The GERD has been the subject of serious debate between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, and Egypt has pushed for renewed negotiations. Recent negotiations broke down earlier in April after all sides met in Khartoum to resolve an impasse over the validity of technical studies on the dam's potential effect on the ownstream countries of Egypt and Sudan. The situations in both South Sudan and Somalia were also among the topics covered. Both countries have been wracked by years of civil war. During the meeting, Shoukry expressed Egypt's aspiration to continue coordinating with the Kenyan side in light of Egypt's chairmanship of the African Union during 2019. "Egypt will continue to support Kenya's efforts in the field of development, especially through the role the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EAPD), which is playing in providing aid, donations and training courses in different developmental fields," the statement read. Kenya became Egypts number one trading partner in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), as it (along with Sudan) benefited more from Egyptian exports to the Organisation than those of any other country. Egypt, in turn, received most Kenyan exports. In 2017, Egypt increased its trade with Kenya to $170 million, or 30 percent more than during the previous year. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypts Giza Criminal Court on Monday handed down a death sentence to the killer of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) CEO Nevine Loutfy, who was found dead inside her house in Cairo's 6 October City in 2016. Kareem Saber Abdel-Moty was convicted of premeditated murder, posession of drugs and a blade weapon as well as motor vehicle theft. Mondays sentence was handed down after Abdel-Moty had received a preliminary death sentence pending a non-binding opinion by Egypt's Grand Mufti in January 2018, nearly two years after he killed the female Egyptian CEO in November 2016. The sentence can still be appealed. Abdel-Moty worked as a security guard for a year and a half in the compound where then-64-year-old Loutfy resided. He left the job a few months carrying out the murder. According to reports on police investigations at the time, Abdel-Moty knew that Loutfy lived alone and he was able to disable surveillance cameras prior to the act. He entered her villa through a bathroom window and found Loutfy awake in her bedroom, leading to a struggle before he stabbed her multiple times. Saber was later apprehended Loutfy's car, iPad, mobile phone and 5,000 dirhams (about EGP 20,000) in his possession. The CEO's shocking death lead Egypts bourse to halt trading in shares of the ADIB for ten minutes. Loutfy had extensive finance experience gained in the US, Europe and emerging markets, with primary areas of expertise in local corporate and SME business management, in addition to credit risk and capital management. Search Keywords: Short link: 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. Shawkan is the first Egyptian to receive the journalism award, having been selected by an independent jury of international media professionals UNESCO announced on Monday that imprisoned Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid known as Shawkan has been selected to receive the 2018 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize. The choice of Mahmoud Abu Zeid pays tribute to his courage, resistance and commitment to freedom of expression, said Maria Ressa, president of the jury, UNESCO said in a media release on Monday. Shawkan, 31, is a freelance photojournalist who was arrested in August 2013 while covering the dispersal of the Rabaa El-Adawiya sit-in in Cairo, where supporters of ex-president Mohamed Morsi had gathered to protest his ouster. Shawkan is the first Egyptian laureate of the prize, having been selected by an independent jury of international media professionals, said the press release. Recipients of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Prize receive $25,000. Celebrated in Ghana this year, the prize will be awarded on 2 May on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. The theme this year will be "Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and The Rule of Law". Meanwhile, in an official statement on Sunday, Egypt's foreign ministry has expressed its regret at what it says is UNESCO's intention to award a press freedom prize to Shawkan. "We warn against the politicisation of UNESCO and its involvement in the implementation of the agenda of certain countries, while drifting away from its cultural mission," the statement read. The ministry explained that Shawkan had been accused of terrorism offences and criminal offences, which include murder, attempted murder, assault on police and citizens, and the burning and destruction of public and private property. A complete file on all the charges attributed to Shawkan has been sent to UNESCO by the Egypt's permanent representative to the body in Paris, the ministry added. Search Keywords: Short link: The Threesome Tollbooth a bar barely big enough for three people, bartender included is the type of date spot where you take someone you really like. It's intimate, it's boozy, and the exuberantly mustachioed proprietor considers it a personal goal to make his patrons fall in love. If you're going to be trapped in a glorified closet with someone for an hour, imbibing strong cocktails on a bench that leaves no room for the Holy Ghost, best make certain you enjoy that someone's company. Leaning into a contrarian streak, I decided to do just the opposite, which explains why I am thigh-to-thigh with a man who voted for Donald Trump. We are on a first date. I found him, as one does, on Tinder, where I went hunting for single conservatives. I ended up messaging with a secretly right-wing RISD alum who unfortunately for me, I hope it's working out great for him ended up being sober. I asked him to fix me up, and 24 hours later, after a flurry of texts with his underground cabal of young New York Trump supporters about whether the media could be trusted (verdict: we cannot, but we have access to excellent bars), he came through for me. "We decided on Steven. He's single, and he's a good man." --- "Steven, hey. Your friend (in my phone as "Full-Throated Trump Supporter") passed along your info. Should I save your name in my phone with something similar?" "Hi MacKenzie He told me you would be reaching out I get to make my own nickname?" "Wouldn't want to misrepresent you in my contacts list." "Freedom and Liberty Full MAGA Agenda" --- I meet Steven Freedom and Liberty Full MAGA Agenda at a dive around the corner from the Threesome Tollbooth so we can throw back Tecates and get the "So, where are you from"s out of the way. After spending his teen years in the hardcore scene in Florida, he moved to New York for culinary school and worked the line for years at the places I like to eat. He left the industry hustle to take a 9-to-5 corporate job. He lives in Williamsburg, is the oldest of three brothers, nerds out about watches. His texts read like free verse poems ("Conservatives are always on time/ I was walking out the door/ Nbd, I'm not far from there"). He's cute looks a bit like the kid from The Sandlot but 20 years older and with full tattoo sleeves hidden underneath his Brooks Brothers shirt and he is totally someone who might ask for and receive my number at a bar. He also cast his vote for Donald Trump. We make our way to the Tollbooth at the appointed hour, and Steven hands me chocolates he's brought "as a sign of goodwill." I ask him if they're poisoned. They are not. They are delicious, the bitter-sweetness of the caramel offset by plenty of salt and the electric danger of fraternizing with the enemy. To be clear I am a raging progressive. I am a woman of color who identifies as "queer" rather than "bisexual" because language is important, and I refuse to reinforce notions of a gender binary. Election Day 2016 found me canvassing for Clinton in Nevada. My mother is an immigrant, and my father was the first in his labor activist family to go to college. Like many people I know women, queers, racial minorities I took Trump's victory incredibly personally. Who were these people who cast a vote against me? They are an absolute mystery; in my liberal coastal bubble, I literally know more people who use they/their pronouns than I do Republicans, and I am using the word "literally" correctly. In the months after the election, as policy wonks called on Democrats to go on a listening tour of America's heartland, I hardened my stance. Fuck that. These are my fellow citizens who heard hate-filled words spill from Trump's mouth and still elected him, and I'm supposed to open my heart and ask them about their pain, about their fears? I've got enough of my own, thanks, and mostly they stem from what will happen to my communities if the alt-right has its way. And yet, how absurd is it that I have not had a single meaningful conversation with one of the nearly 63 million people who voted for our 45th president? More absurd still this man sitting next to me seems to have more in common with me than not. He's throwing Dead Kennedy references my way. He's telling me about that time April Bloomfield came down on him for a less-than-pristine station. He is soft-spoken and seems kind. How did someone like him end up voting for Trump? --- N.D. Austin, the owner and frequent bartender at Threesome Tollbooth, mixes us our first cocktail of the evening as Steven tells me about his political awakening. During his high school years he was immersed in his city's DIY-punk scene, surrounded by a mix of anarchists, socialists, anarcho-socialists, and queers. ("We're talking about trans people in the early/mid-2000s in Florida. This isn't like Caitlyn Jenner on the cover of a magazine.") The anti-establishmentarian in him balked at socialist principles, but elements of anarchy spoke to him: "Self-reliance, self-preservation, self-governance that's what I thought was the morally correct choice." And yet he swerved away from politics altogether after a few instances of coming under fire from the "political correctness police." "I was like, who are you to judge my expression? I have valid opinions, and they don't fit your orthodoxy, but that doesn't mean that I don't have the freedom to tell you what I think." I'm pretty sure that's a Minor Threat lyric. We pause as N.D. pours a clear concoction into tiny glasses that look like eye rinse cups for rich people. This is the Smoked Alaska. N.D. explains, "It's a classic cocktail called the Alaska that's terrible, so I fixed it." To the traditional mix of gin and chartreuse, he's added mezcal. It tastes of smoke and pleasant medicine, perhaps the very kind the Freedom Caucus wants to deny to children with preexisting conditions. Steven and I clink glasses. "Who'd have thought?" N.D.'s mustache twitches. "Mezcal and gin totally play nice." --- Steven's exact "red pill moment" as, he explains, many right-wingers call the experience that sets them on a path of conservatism comes as a surprise to me, as it's a day that looms large in my own life, as well. I woke up to news of the Orlando Pulse shooting in my friend's guest bedroom in LA. The night before I had been out with Marcos, a gay Latinx who is more family than friend. I couldn't stop crying. I felt like staying under the covers until the world made sense, but I had brunch plans with a queer friend, and I sensed that the company of my community would be a balm. Driving through the East Side, I passed two brown teens holding each other on a street corner. I wanted to pull over and swaddle them in my arms. Steven, surprisingly, had a similar experience, albeit one that ended in a different conclusion. He had grown up in Florida with queer Latinx friends. He had gone with them to gay bars. They were the Pulse victims. As he listened to politicians responding to the atrocity, his grief turned to rage. This was targeted mass murder, and yet why was nobody willing to call a spade a spade? How had political correctness come to reign over cold, hard facts? The shooter was Muslim, and to Steven, this was relevant. Why were Obama, Clinton, and Sanders pussyfooting around the religious motivation behind this massacre of gay people? Only Donald Trump called it out as "radical Islamic terrorism." (His full tweet, for the record: "Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don't want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance. We must be smart!") Steven had found his candidate. We are now sipping a Mustache Ride, a wintry mix of rye, Cynar, lemon, maple, and allspice dram served on the rocks with an orange twist cheekily shaped like N.D.'s mustache. In my tasting notes I jot down that it's nicely balanced, but as I write the word I am full of unease, off-kilter. For a brief, uncharitable moment, I wonder if Steven tailors his red-pill moment to each new audience. Does he think that he can coax me to his side by pressing on a tender bruise in my homo heart? It would be easier if I could believe him to be a manipulator. It would be easier if his support of a man I consider a hate-monger didn't spring from allyship with the LGBTQ community. Can I dispute that gay people are tortured and murdered in many Muslim-majority countries, he asks. I do not dispute that, but this line of reasoning will not fly with me. While I abhor any religious perversion that preaches hate, you will not get me to throw Muslims under the bus based on the actions of extremists. Steven tells me he has a tattoo of a burning Bible on his leg. He hasn't yet gotten around to changing it to the Qur'an, he jokes. I think? --- "This is something a little weird. It's a savory cocktail made from seven different eaux de vie." N.D. lines up the bottles, labels facing away from us, and has us try to guess the component spirits. It is potent in the extreme, V8 and celery salt with an alcohol burn. It is the most dangerous brunch cocktail you've ever had, unless you're a death row inmate slated for a morning execution in one of the states violating the 8th Amendment by slowly burning people to death from the inside. Then it's the second most dangerous brunch cocktail you've ever had. Indeed, there is tomato eau de vie as well as ones made with carrot and celery, also Thai basil. Steven likens it to aigo boulido, a Provencal stock made with garlic and herbs. N.D. turns bottles of garlic and thyme to face us; Steven's palate is sharp, and I find this sexy against my will. The last ingredient to be revealed is Umami, a caper eau de vie that we ask to sample on its own. I remark that it would be terrific for deglazing a pan. Scrape up all those brown bits. "The fond," Steven interjects. "Mount it with some butter." "Add a squeeze of lemon." We're dirty talking. It's one of those date moments where you hit on the thing, that mutual affection for early John Hughes movies, and you allow yourself to flash forward to a hypothetical future date where you're watching Sixteen Candles and trying out pet names and what the actual fuck. This guy voted for a monster. --- Steven is concerned about my using his real name for the article, about how his employer, whom he knows to be progressive, might react to his political beliefs. (Ultimately, we did decide to use a pseudonym.) "Does it make sense," Steven asks, "that you might fire someone despite their qualifications based on their political leanings?" I respond that to me, it calls to mind the 28 states where you can be terminated for being gay; that while he risks his employment for beliefs he has cultivated, someone in Texas could be fired for something innate. Steven says he sees my point, but that we'd be hard pressed to find an actual example of someone being fired for their sexuality in modern times. I bring up the case of Kimberly Hively, who was dismissed from her teaching position in Indiana and whose suit reached the Seventh Circuit just last year. "Well," he says, "I hope that sets a legal precedent. That shouldn't be anyone's business." I feel a flush of pleasure; did I just win a point? N.D., meanwhile, has been mixing up two batches of Negronis one modern and one vintage. Each contains Plymouth gin, Cynar, and Punt e Mes, but the vintage variation is made with bottles dating from the 50's and 60's. The two have identical roots but different expressions, and I see what you are doing here, N.D., I am on to you and your cheeky cocktail commentary. The modern Negroni is bright, zipping with herbaceous notes. The vintage version is raisiny from the aged vermouth, earthier, heavy, like the direction our conversation is about to take. Given the genderqueer friends of his youth, how does Steven feel about Trump's decision to bar trans people from the military? "I think a person should be free to do whatever they want with their own body." He then cites a statistic that trans people have a 40% suicide rate. (The actual statistic is that 40% of transgender adults have reported attempting suicide). Steven continues, "If a trans person can pass the psychological exams, then take it on a case by case basis. But it seems there is an issue other than what genitals you have that is not being properly addressed." "Oh, we're in agreement," I respond, although I suspect in different ways. "If we can agree that trans people are killing themselves in huge numbers and it's a problem, what do you do about it?" I argue that there is a role for government to play here, much as it was incumbent on the federal government to step in during the Civil Rights era. Steven asks, "What could the government do to advance the trans agenda " He catches himself. Did he sense my body tense? Did he slip into the vernacular of the pundits he listens to without thinking? Or did he mean that? The pause is momentary. "to make trans people feel more at home in themselves and in their bodies?" I call it back to federal employment protections. "One great example would be to say you can't fire someone for being trans." I also acknowledge, "It's hard to say how a government can intervene to create societal shift on things like" Now it's my turn to pause. I'm hesitant to ask him this question, and I'm not entirely sure if it's because I don't want to insult him or because I don't want to know the answer. "Do we agree that racism is bad? Do you think racism is bad?" Steven looks wounded. "Of course." N.D. quietly pours us a shot of straight Irish whiskey. He is skilled at being the third in the Threesome Tollbooth, at guiding and massaging the course of a romantic evening. But perhaps he senses that we've come to a place where there is nothing he can do but keep the booze flowing. I feel the need to justify. "I don't know! There is a faction of the alt-right community that is white supremacist, that wouldn't say we should be a more race-neutral, gender-neutral society." I am filled with an apprehensive mix of self-righteousness and guilt. How did I end up on a date with someone where I feel compelled to ask if he disavows the very concept of racism? I put a conciliatory hand on his arm. "I don't think that's you necessarily." --- It's time for the Ayn Rand portion of our evening. Steven begins, "A lot of leftist politics focuses on groups." Yet as someone who values limited government and personal freedom, for him it all comes back to the individual. "Everyone should be thought of as a person. You are not a member of a minority group. You are a person." I am familiar with this flavor of ideology. In fact, I went to a private middle school run by achievement-obsessed Mormons where Anthem was required reading, right there on the seventh grade English syllabus next to The Scarlet Letter. Come at me, Objectivism. The problem is, I tell him, as I move through this world in a queer, non-white, female body, others often see me as a member of a group before they know anything about me, the person. Before they know that I'm an excellent baker and a shitty swimmer, perhaps they see someone they would like to bed or someone who is going to hell. What a luxury to be in the majority to be a straight, white, cis-dude who can walk into a room and have an interviewer think, "Huh, I wonder what this individual is all about?" How to explain all this to someone who will never, ever be able to know my lived experience? I try, "While it's aspirational and worthy to think about what this world looks like when we are all judged on our own merits, it's not our reality. I feel solidarity with other women and other people of color and other queer people because those are the categories into which I've been put." Steven says that he understands the safety that comes in numbers, but that an individual must put her self-interest before those of her community. He asks, "Would you support someone being judged on his merits over how he is viewed in a social group?" This question strikes me as absurd. Does he not understand that yes, the whole point is that members of marginalized communities are seeking a fair shake? I tell him, that of course, I would love to be judged on my merits alone. Wouldn't we all? "If we are truly operating in a color-blind, gender-blind world? That sounds great. But nothing in my life up until this point has been in a vacuum because I'm in this body, and I can't control anything about that." We're not in a place of equity, and so I can't close my eyes and pretend that we are. Steven offers, "I could definitely see how you could feel that there is inequity. There are people who hold prejudiced beliefs in the world. But I feel that they are the extreme minority." N.D. pours us our final cocktail. It's some coffee thing, or chicory? Whatever, it's very good, but the bar review portion of the evening has fallen by the wayside. I am getting emotional despite my best intentions. I don't have a hard and fast rule about going home with someone on a first date, but I generally try not to cry. "This is all so personal for me. You were saying earlier that when you go out on dates, politics don't come up. Is that right?" Steven confirms that it's not something he leads with on first dates. "It's very polarizing. So if you just want to go out with someone and have a good time, why are you going to risk having a terrible time?" That sounds so nice. It sounds so goddamn nice to be able to forget about politics for an evening and just go out with someone and have a good time, but instead here I am on a Friday night with a nice guy who brought me chocolates and fixed my watch, trying to get him to see me. "I don't actually know how I would go on a first date and not talk about politics because everything about the political situation right now impacts me as a person. My community, most everybody I know we're living in actual fear. I don't know how I would not talk about it. It feels like a tremendous luxury to be able not to talk about it." The room is tiny, and I've been speaking in a voice too big for the space. He lowers his to a whisper. "What are they afraid of?" "Like... what am I afraid of?" "I don't care what anybody else is afraid of. What are you afraid of?" I want to tell him so many things. I want to tell him that I'm afraid that I will need an abortion, and I will be unable to get one safely. Or that one day I will have a child, and maybe that child will be brown or black, and I will worry every day that I won't be able to protect him. I am afraid that my rights will change depending on the gender of the next person I fall in love with. That I am afraid nearly every day that I might get a call telling me that one of my oldest friends, a trans woman of color, is not okay. I was afraid to go on this very date that I texted two close friends with information on where I would be at what times. (One of them responded that she had alerted all the butch dykes in a one mile radius, and I hope against hope that there is a secret butch Bat-Signal that we femmes are unaware of). Can the government legislate all my fears away? Maybe not. But when my fellow Americans elect someone who uses speech that is more than "un-PC" that denigrates women and non-binary people and people of color and disabled people and immigrants it sends a message. You are right to be afraid. I tell him none of this because the fear clouding my mind at the moment is I've been needing to pee for the last fifteen minutes. We have well overstayed our time limit in the Tollbooth. --- Between the time we entered the Threesome Tollbooth and the time we emerge onto an industrial street in Bushwick, the government has literally shut down. This feels apt. There is an intimacy that comes with drinking with someone in private, close quarters, and certainly this is what N.D. Austin had in mind when designing his jewel box of a bar. There is a greater intimacy that comes from disclosing your vulnerabilities to someone, to telling personal stories of struggle and stakes. As I stand outside the Tollbooth, I am left feeling exposed. It is exhausting to educate, to plead to be seen. If you are a member of any marginalized community, you will have spent a considerable chunk of your life educating others, and many of us are justifiably done. The doctor is out. And I reject the idea of turning the other cheek until you're dealt a blow so vicious your neck snaps. But the thing is and he is frowning as he reads this no doubt I think I could move Steven. While he perhaps did not meet my level of emotional candor with equal openness, he also never withdrew from me. He listened actively, and I saw moments of softening. As much as I loathe the "I have a daughter/wife/sister/mother" path to empathy since, piss off, my value as a human is discrete, not relational, I do get it. Steven has only brothers. He's single, and he has no children. He's white, and I presume his family is too. I think, if we went on another date, and another date, and he began to care about me and came to understand what it means to be non-male, non-white, and non-straight in this world I think his politics would shift. Maybe he wouldn't have voted for Hillary. But maybe he also wouldn't have voted for Trump. Because I do think he is, as promised, "a good man." And did he move me? I can't say my political beliefs have wavered; however, I have come to a more nuanced understanding of who might have voted for Trump and why. The two-dimensional caricature of a Trump supporter I perhaps had in my mind has expanded in ways that I find reassuring and also somehow discomfiting. It is both easier and harder to accept that not everyone who voted for a man who has said vile, hateful things hates you personally. What a lot of work there is to be done when you can't write off half the country as secret bigots at best. We walk to the corner so I can hail a cab, but before I do I stop Steven and turn him to face me. I ask him to look at me, and he does. I say to him what I have wanted to say to him all evening the thing, really, that I have wanted to say to a Trump supporter since Election Day 2016. I tell him I understand where he is coming from. That many of the values he holds the idea that a person deserves to be judged on her merits, that everyone deserves equal opportunity, that America is a great nation that could be made greater are values I hold, as well. But, I say, his politics spring from theory and ideology and philosophy, all well-considered and high-minded, while my politics are grounded in my lived experiences in this world, in my body. I tell him that his vote impacts me in direct ways, in ways it perhaps does not impact him. "And now," I say, "you know me, at least a little." Photo via Getty This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Apple has lifted the lid on its elite engineers working in the UK and introduced them to classes full of children. It has for the first time fully revealed the team it has working on some of its most important products, designing chips and other important parts of its new iPhones, iPads and more. It did so to support the government's new engineering project which will see it introduce a whole range of schoolchildren to its work to try and encourage more students to dream of becoming engineers. Apple has thrown its support behind the government's Year of Engineering. The industry is still suffering from a huge problem with diversity, and companies across the UK say they are struggling to find all the engineers they need. As part of the government's project, Apple is bringing students to meet with several of its important teams, including those that design the silicon that powers today's iPhones and the Siri voice assistant that lives on it. They will be talking to children about what is needed to be an engineer, and work through interactive sessions too. "The UK is home to some of the most highly skilled silicon engineers in the world and we're excited that our UK Silicon Design Centre is located in an area with world-renowned universities and a high concentration of incredible talent to help us advance even further ahead," said Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president for hardware technologies." Srouji added that "We are hiring the very best engineering talent from across Europe in the fields of silicon design and verification and offering a range of complementary roles in software engineering and modelling. For more on this, read the full report by the UK's Independent here. Apple's CEO delivered a passionate Keynote on March 27 in Chicago during a special education focused event aimed at students and teachers alike and you check out our full report here. The following day Apple teamed up with Chicago public schools and Northwestern University to bring coding to Chicago teachers. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus. Iran's President Rouhani vows to protect access right to social media 04/23/18 Source: Tehran Times TEHRAN - President Hassan Rouhani has said that his government will protect the Iranian peoples' right to use social media. "Breaking monopolies and backing the domestic messaging apps do not mean imposing restrictions on other social media platforms. People preserve the right to choose and they can simultaneously use various social media platforms," Rouhani wrote in a message on his Instagram page on Sunday. President Rouhani: "People have the right to choose." A recent decision by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to shut down his Telegram channel fuelled speculation about imposing an imminent ban on the popular messaging app, which authorities say takes over 40 percent of Iran's internet bandwidth. The office of the Supreme Leader cited ending Telegram's monopoly and supporting domestic messaging apps as main reasons behind the decision. In the meantime, First Vice-President Es'haq Jahangiri announced that he was quitting Telegram followed by a directive sent to all government departments telling them to stop using the app. Supporters of Telegram estimate that about 40 million Iranians, almost half of the country's population, use it, claiming that the app has become a source of income for hundreds of citizens across the country. The Supreme Council of Cyberspace has earlier set five conditions for foreign messengers to operate in Iran. Storing and processing Iranian users' data inside the country, complying with the rules and regulations related to the protection of users' privacy as well as responding to queries from judicial authorities are among the stated conditions. Iran's Mina Sadati wins supporting actress Tiantan for "Searing Summer" 04/23/18 Source: Tehran Times Mina Sadati has won the Tiantan for best supporting actress for her role in Iranian drama "Searing Summer" at the Beijing International Film Festival in China. She received the award during the closing ceremony of the event in the Chinese capital on Sunday, the organizers announced. Directed by Ebrahim Irajzad, the movie is about Nasrin (Sadati) whose domestic life is not happy. She knows that she cannot get custody of her daughter in case of divorce. So she covertly takes her to live in an unknown location somewhere in Tehran. However, her husband finds them. Searing Summer film poster "Scary Mother", a co-production between Georgia and Estonia, was crowned best film. In the film directed by Ana Urushadze, a 50-year-old housewife faces with the dilemma of choosing between her family life and her passion, writing. Mariam Khatchvani from Georgia was named best director for her film "Dede" co-produced by Georgia, Qatar, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Croatia. The Tiantan for best actor went to Joe Cole for his part in "Eye on Juliet" by Kim Nguyen from Canada while Nata Murvanidze won the award for best actress for her role in "Scary Mother". "Journey's End" by Saul Dibb from England brought Paul Bettany the award for best supporting actor. "The Testament", a Holocaust story by director/writer Amichai Greenberg, received the Tiantan award for best screenplay. The film has been co-produced by Israel and Austria. MPs said UNSECO should be dedicated to promoting education and culture, rather than taking part in political activities Egypt's parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal has issued a statement, warning UNESCO against awarding the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud AbouZeid, widely known as Shawkan. I warn this organization against awarding a prize to a man who is a defendant in a criminal case, and I advise this organization not to take a certain political line or be involved in any political activities, Abdel-Aal said in a plenary meeting on Monday morning. "Egypt's parliament has been closely following UNESCOs intention to award a prize to an Egyptian who is a defendant in a criminal case, and we know that this intention is being supported by some rogue states and disreputable organisations that are heavily involved in sponsoring terrorist activities, he told MPs. "As you all know, UNESCO is an organization that should be fully dedicated to supporting education, sciences and culture, and it should not be involved in any way in exercising political activities, he said. The speaker, who is also head of parliaments human rights committee, accused UNESCO of politicizing its activities. I would like to remind officials in this organisation that its repeated involvement in political activities and in taking a certain political line has led some countries to withdraw. For this reason, I warn this organization not to be involved in political activities, because this can never be accepted by Egypts parliament and by many countries, bearing in mind that Egypt joined UNESCO in 1945 and it is a founding member of this organization. In his address to lawmakers, he referenced Shawkan's involvement in the mass protests following the ouster of Islamist former president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. I wonder how the UNESCO can award a man Shawkan who was acting as a main media tool for the terrorist organization of Muslim Brotherhood. He was covering the activities of this terrorist organization during its sit-ins in Cairo and Giza [in 2013] and he was in contact with disreputable human rights organisations and agents of foreign intelligence agencies during these sit-ins, Alaa Abed, MP for the Free Egyptians Party and head of parliament's Human Rights Committee, said. He added that, UNESCOs support of some persons with certain political tendencies is a very bad policy. He also alleged that the same "disreputable organisations" worked hard to ensure that Egypts candidate for the position of UNESCO secretary-general last year Moshira Khattab did not win. UNESCO should focus on supporting culture and education, rather than awarding persons with certain political leanings or listening to disreputable organisations with political agendas, he said, recalling that UNESCOs support of some communist activities in the 1980s led many countries to withdraw in protest at the organization politicizing its activities and policies. Abedel-Aal said that, instead of awarding the criminal Shawkan, UNESCO should give a prize to Egypt's star footbal player Mohamed Salah, "who spread the culture of tolerance and modesty in Western societies." Parliaments warning comes just one day after Egypts foreign ministry expressed regret on Sunday at UNESCOs intention to award the press freedom prize to Shawkan. The foreign ministrys spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid said that Shawkan, 31, had been accused of terrorism and criminal offences, which include murder, attempted murder, assault on police and citizens, and the burning and destruction of public and private property. Abu Zeid said that the ministry had been informed of UNESCO's intention to grant Shawkan this years UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. UNESCO has not made any public statements about those nominated for this years prize, which is awarded annually on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day. "We warn against the politicisation of UNESCO and its involvement in the implementation of the agenda of certain countries, while drifting away from its cultural mission," the ministry statement read. Abu Zeid added that the ministry had asked Egypt's permanent representative to UNESCO in Paris to pass a complete file on all the charges attributed to Shawkan to the secretariat of the UN body. "The nomination of Shawkan was motivated by a number of non-governmental organisations, including organisations driven by the state of Qatar that are known for their support of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist organisation and their continuing attempt to defend the group," the statement read. Search Keywords: Short link: Celebrities, Green Activists Demand Iran's President Rouhani To Cast Light On Case Of Detained Environmentalists 04/23/18 Source: Tehran Times TEHRAN - More than 700 Iranian celebrities and environmentalists have signed a letter calling on President Hassan Rouhani to legally shed light on the case of 13 environmental activists arrested on espionage charges some 90 days ago. Detained Iranian Environmentalists "As you know the environmental activists have been jailed for about 90 days and there are no exact information available on their charges," the letter writes. While some of the detained environmentalist have made phone calls or visited their families at least once, some others have not contacted their families yet, the letter states. It goes on to say that not having any contacts with the outside world as well as not having access to a private defense attorney or even a court-appointed lawyer is a violation of human rights charter. "Iranian environmentalists have always done their best to inform the people about detrimental effects of climate change, water shortage biodiversity loss among other environmental predicaments which entails contacting foreign experts, professors and NGOs, utilizing equipment such as camera trap, and raising funds from international entities, it is surprising to count such activities as a crime." "Though it is crystal clear that national security has priority over everything else and undermining it must be punished but casting doubt on environmental activities and detaining environmentalists without giving convincing and logical explanations would cause frustration among environmentalists." Seyed Emami, one of the founders of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation and a sociology professor at Imam Sadiq University, and six of his associates were arrested by intelligence services in early February on allegations of spying. The other six conservationists, who are all well-known for their work in wildlife conservation, are still in prison. Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi, Tehran's prosecutor general, said Seyed-Emami, was accused of espionage and committed suicide after confessing his crimes while in prison. Later some 7 other environmentalist were arrested on the same charges. The then deputy chief of the Department of Environment Kaveh Madani was also detained for a short time back in February. Madani who had left his position at Imperial College London to serve as a deputy for international affairs, innovation and socio-cultural engagement of the Department of Environment resigned in late April. Iran's Appliances And Vehicles Market Hit By Forex Crisis, Blackouts on the Way 04/23/18 Source: Radio Farda Two weeks after the Rouhani administration introduced its new foreign exchange policy of a single rate for US dollar, travellers and businesses complain that foreign currency is not available at the government-imposed rate of 42,000 rials for a dollar. "Confronting Currency Black Market" (source: Sarmaye va Servat magazine) Vice-President Ali Asghar Mounesan told the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) on Monday April 23 that travel agents have been complaining about limitations and ambiguities in the new policy. The problem is more serious for those who need to travel to a third country in order to get a visa for entry into their destination country and therefor need more foreign currency. Meanwhile the rising price of dollars continues to impact the economy as media reported on Sunday April 22 that the import of vehicles has come to a halt and the price of home appliances has been on the rise during the past week. Farhad Ehteshamzadeh, an official at the vehicle importers union told Fars news agency on Sunday that no import applications have been registered for his union's members after the new rate for US dollar has been announced on April 10. Ehteshamzadeh said the government has not issued any directive to the banks about selling foreign currency to importers. This, he said, has led to an unprecedented demand for foreign currency. He added that every dollar would cost importers 48500 rials rather than 42000 rials, even when allocations begin and all funds have to be converted to Euros based on new regulations. Ehteshamzadeh's statement came one day after President Hassan Rouhani promised importers to "rest assured as the foreign currency they need would be supplied by the government." Meanwhile, Vice-President Es'haq Jahangiri stated on Sunday that "The government has taken measures to prevent any rise in the price of essential commodities and medicine." Jahangiri said that on Monday April 23 the government would introduce a "unified center to manage foreign currency affairs," adding that exporters would offer the foreign currency they gain for sale at the center, and importers would purchase the same foreign currency via banks and authorized exchange bureaus. In the meantime, the Iranian Customs Administration announced on Sunday that import of vehicles has dropped 73% in number and 77% in value during the past month compared to the same period last year. Economists believe the rise in the prise of foreign currency is the main reason for the drop in imports. Mohammad Tahanpour, the chairman of home appliance importers' union, told Tasnim news agency on Sunday that the price of home appliances in the Iranian market have had a 7% rise during the past week. He added that although there are also other reasons involved, the rising price of foreign currencies against Iran's rial is the key factor in the hype in the price of home appliances. In another development, Shargh daily newspaper reported on April 22 that the union of electrical industries has called for a rise in the value of their contracts with the Ministry of Energy. According to Shargh, the union has informed the ministry in a letter to the minister that 100 of their contracts with the ministry may no longer be economically viable following the implementation of the new foreign exchange policy, warning that this could lead to power cuts and blackouts in the country. Iranian officials have blamed other countries for the rise in the price of foreign currencies and devaluation of Iran's rial. However, many news websites and Telegram channels attributed the problem to IRGC's linked companies pulling out their dollars from the market. The possibility of the United States' withdrawal from the West's nuclear deal with Iran has also adversely affected the market, further adding to the ongoing instability. The Rouhani administration imposed a new rate of exchange 18,000 less than the market price of 60,000 rials against one US dollar in early April. Economic analysts, such as Fereidoun Khavand in Paris, have said that imposed rates and security approaches will not solve Iran's economic problems in the long run. Businessman Ibrahim Mahama who claims he pays more taxes in Ghana than anyone says he doesnt do government jobs to get his money. Mr. Mahama who did not give reasons for his decision explained that if there is any job he would do for government of Ghana, that job has to be difficult for any contractor to do I pay more tax than any Ghanaian in this country yet those who dont pay tax will insult me as if they contribute to this country. I dont do government jobs to take money from government, he said. Addressing graduate students of the University of Ghana at the 2018 GRASSAG Entrepreneurship Seminar, said his businesses have created at least 5,000 tables for people to eat. He said just recently he employed about 3,000 Ghanaians to work him, indicating that he is more of a problem solver and doesnt need any award of contract from government institution. Sharing how he started his business empire, Mr. Mahama who is the Chief Executive of Engineers and Planners said he borrowed 10,000 dollars to start his business. He refuted claims that the successes of his business today were the results of his brother, Johm Mahama, becoming a president of Ghana. He claimed his businesses peaked at during the presidency of John Kufuor and that the reign of John Mahama did not favour his business as is widely being claimed by some Ghanaians. When I started business, John Mahama hadnt even picked up his forms to become MP, I want to set the record straight that I was who I was; I was successful, he stated, adding, Thats why I can chop my money without looking back and thinking that Amidu is coming to call me. Meanwhile, he has announced 20,000-dollar fund to finance 20 students who have brilliant ideas, and urged other successful businessmen in the country to support graduates to start up businesses. I want somebody to do better than me, he said. He advised graduates not and entrepreneurs against relying on politicians, noting they will always disappoint them. The political seasons will come; 2016 came, 2020 will come, 2024 will come, 2028 will come. Does that mean we shouldnt focus and work? he asked Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Fidelity Bank is the largest Ghanaian private sector bank with over 75 branches and counting and a culture of a world class brand which every Ghanaian must be proud of, Mr. Jim Baiden, Managing Director of Fidelity bank has said. Mr. Baiden, who was speaking at the Customer Appreciation Dinner of the Bank held at Kempinski Hotel in Accra said: As a top tier 1 Bank we have in only 11 years into our Bank journey become the fourth largest bank in Ghana and one of only 7 Banks controlling 50% of business in the Banking sector today. Following the failure of some local banks recently, an independent research into the strengths of local banks versus foreign banks has concluded that Fidelity Bank with a Capital Adequacy Ratio of 29% and a Liquidity Ratio of 28% is one of top 3 strongest banks in Ghana today, foreign or local, he stated. Mr. Jim Baiden assured the Bank of Ghana that Fidelity Bank will surely meet the new minimum Capital requirement of GHC400m since the current Capital position of the bank is significantly close to the new minimum Capital requirement before the end of year. Fidelitys Support to the Economy Recounting the banks continuous support to grow the Ghanaian economy, the MD of Fidelity Bank indicated that for 11 years of its existence, the Bank has paid to the Central Government over GHC300 million by way of Corporate and Employee taxes. As a result, the Ghana Revenue Authority recognized Fidelity as the Most Improved Tax Payer in the country for 2017. A few years ago the bank also arranged the financing for the procurement of security surveillance naval vessels, helicopters and other aircrafts for patrol duties around the countrys Oil fields. Very recently Fidelity Bank co-managed and facilitated the issuance of a GHC10billion Energy Sector Bond to sort out the Oil Sector debts due to the Banks and Bulk Oil Distributors. Due to the success of the ESLA Bond, Fidelity has been appointed a co-manager for the issuance of a $2.5 billion Eurobond for the Government to support maturing bond obligations and to also re-structure other debt obligations. This year the Bank won the mandate as a Transaction Advisor and Joint Bookrunner for the Government of Ghanas Bond issuance programme for the medium and long term. More recently, Fidelity has also co-arranged a GHC600 million syndicated medium term loan for the Ghana Road Fund & the Ministry of Roads and Highways to support the countrys road infrastructure projects. On her part, the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Mrs. Elsie Addo Awadzi, advised Fidelity Bank to ensure that deposits of customers are prudently managed. She commended the Bank for staying strong all these years and for their support to various sectors of the country and especially the financial market. Fidelity Bank used the Customer Appreciation Dinner to reward three loyal customers with a sum of 50,000 cedis each in its grand draw to cap the 10x Richer Deposit campaign. The bank has over the past few months rewarded customers with over 300,000 cedis through the 10x richer campaign. The Customer Appreciation Dinner was graced by the Vice President, Dr. Bawumia, Former President Kuffuor, the Chief of Staff, Mrs. Frema Osei Opare, Ambassadors and High Commissioners and Ministers of State. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former President Jerry John Rawlings has in a meeting with former President of Cape Verde, Pedro de Verona Rodrigues Pires, expressed concern about the silence of the voice of Africa on global issues, describing it as disturbing. He said though there had been so many negative developments since the collapse of the bipolar world (East-West divide), Africa had remained too quiet. Mr. Rawlings cited the persecution of Palestinians by the Israelis and the treatment of Yemenis by Saudi Arabia as examples and wondered if Africas silence could be due to the extent to which the West had compromised the continent. The former Ghanaian leader said while freedom fighters like Kwame Nkrumah could not change some of the problems associated with the Cold War they made pronouncements, which kept the younger growing generation in touch with what was politically desirable. It helped to build and maintain a national conscience and morality. There is nothing, which prevents todays leaders from making pronouncements condemning the Israel-Palestinian issue for instance. How do todays leaders expect that there wont be a decline within their nations in terms of the moral fabric of our societies? former President Rawlings stated. Former President Pedro Pires who is in Ghana to deliver a series of lectures at the University of Development Studies (UDS) paid a courtesy call on former President Rawlings at his office in Accra on Saturday. Former President Rawlings also referred to the recent allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Douma, Syria stating that the West was once again attempting to force the hand of the world to accept its military strikes in that country. He said had Russia not exercised restraint on the matter we could have been on the brink of a Third World War. We are very slowly losing the concept of freedom and justice, the way weve known it. We have to speak out, Flt. Lt. Rawlings stated. Former President Pedro Pires said many on the continent did not have the moral authority to speak against global injustices describing Libya as one of the worst injustices that had been imposed on Africa and the world. He said we are suffering all the consequences of the brutal change of regime, which has given room and opportunities to fundamentalists to do whatever they want in that country. Mr. Pires called for the strengthening of institutions within Africa as such institutions could go a long way to bring sanity into the management of our countries. He said the elite had monopolized the state and the state seems to only serve the interests of the elite. We have to think, plan and decide how to effect change, the former Cape Verde leader said. The former Cape Verde leader also commended the role Ghana and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah played in setting the tone for the liberation of African states as well as the African unity agenda. We can disagree with President Nkrumah but he has an exceptional place in African history, Mr. Pires said. The Former Cape Verdean President would be the main Speaker for the 6th edition of the Africa Leadership Lectures, initiated by UDS to contribute to a national and transnational discourse on productive leadership culture to support and enhance African Development. The 3-day Lecture would be held on Monday April 23, Tuesday April 24 and Wednesday April 25 at the Tamale Campus of UDS. Mr. Pirez was accompanied by Mr. Nutifafa Kuenyehia, Chairman of the UDS Council, UDS Vice-Chancellor Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye, Dr. A. B. T. Zakariah, Registrar and Michael Ansa, Assistant Registrar at the UDS Accra Office. Other members of the delegation were Indira Pires, Executive Director of the Pires Institute for Leadership and Manuela Atevedo of the ECOWAS Secretariat, who acted as interpreter. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Ugandan university has suspended 23 students for one year, after they were found guilty of engaging in love affairs, consuming alcohol and drugs and committing offences of theft, contrary to the institutions regulations. Islamic University in Uganda, is a Muslim founded university that enforces strict regulation of its students' morals, guided by the Islamic faith. Dr. Sulait Kabali, the secretary of the universitys disciplinary committee, told a local newspaper, Daily Monitor on Monday that the students were found guilty of breach of University rules and regulations. The students were found guilty of coupling and having sex on campus, which is contrary to the University rules and regulations, Kabali said. The university spokesperson added that there are clear guidelines for students who are interested in engaging in sexual activity, which are well known to the students. Students can apply to the Dawah committee for consent and be allowed to marry officially. But even as a married couple, youre not allowed to hug, kiss at the campus or sit with someone of the opposite sex for more than 10 minutes without the third party. There is no free mingling at the university between female and male students during lectures and in the compound. Kabali said the suspension, which will last for one year, should act as a strong warning to other students, saying University administration will not hesitate to expel any student who breaches the rules and regulation governing the University. The suspended students, who included finalists, were about to sit for their examinations, which started on Monday. Source: Africanews.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A young ghanaian man has been stabbed to death by yet to be identified persons in London. Kwasi was stabbed to death at Finsbury park. The sister of the deceased who shared the sad news on her twitter handle wrote ''My younger brother, my only brother got stabbed to death this morning. Guys this needs to stop. The pain I'm experiencing is indescribable''. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in a statement released on his Facebook page, mourned the death of the deceased and stated that the police is working to ensure that the culprits are brought to booK. 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. Featured Video Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams has said President Nana Akufo-Addo must not allow disgruntled people within his government to use his administration to destroy private businesspeople who created wealth during the Mahama administration, adding that the fight against corruption must be done without ill motives. Its time to cry for mercy, its time to pray for mercy because too much is at stake. And please dont misunderstand me, Im not saying we shouldnt check corruption, but if we come to office and to power Ive been preaching for 40 years in this country and Ive seen governments come and go, from CPP, my fathers government, and NDC and NPP, they are here, Ive seen them over the 40 years and this thing where we come into office with vindictiveness and bitterness because of the way weve been mishandled and mistreated, and we target people to go after them, settle scores, I pray that during the reign of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, because of the fight and the betrayals and the suffering and the pain he went through to become president, he will not allow his presidency to be used by people who have problems with others and their opponents to settle scores, but that during his watch and his reign, that vicious cycle would be broken in the name of Jesus; that every Ghanaian, irrespective of your political party, if youre doing the right thing, youll prosper, the founder of Action Chapel International (ACI) told his congregation on Sunday, 22 April. He said there is a vicious cycle pervasive in Ghana and some other African countries where the governments in power target and destroy businesses as well as wealth created by private businesspeople during the tenure of the immediate-past predecessor-regimes, a situation, Archbishop Duncan-Williams believes, is causing Ghana not to be able to create ample job opportunities in the private sector to absorb unemployed youth. According to him: Until we understand what we are dealing with in its entirety and attack it from the roots and stop dealing with it from the branches, we will never create wealth in this country. Were not creating wealth as a people. We destroy wealth every four years and every eight years. And its not just Ghana, you watch Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, La Cote dIvoire, similar incidents there because Ive churches there, Ive networks all over these places and I deal with businessmen and women and politicians in all these places. Anytime there is a new regime, the new regime comes and will destroy anyone that was connected to the old regime and benefitted from the old regime, theyll destroy all their wealth, forgetting that youll be in office for only four years or maximum eight years. And then another regime comes and will destroy anyone that benefitted from the old regime, so, every four to eight years, we kill and destroy those who have created wealth, Archbishop Duncan-Williams complained. Caveating his concerns, the man of God said his comments should not be misinterpreted as an endorsement of corruption or wrongdoing, but rather a warning about the destruction of the private sector which has the potential of providing jobs for over 95 per cent of employable graduates and secondary school leavers, since, according to him, the public and civil service has room for just about five per cent of all employable Ghanaians. Now, Im not saying that we shouldnt deal with corruption, and we shouldnt deal with wrong people, and we shouldnt pursue people who are wrong, but Im saying that we should check our motives, because if we begin with the motive that somebody is guilty from the beginning and we have to bring them down because they were connected to the regime before us, we will always find something. And even if we dont find something, well find a way to still bring them down. So, its the motive and the mindset that we have to check. When people are wrong, even God in heaven, even though His seat is mercy and He seats on the mercy seat, when Satan misbehaved, He cast him down, so, Im not saying when people do wrong dont deal with them, but Im saying we should check our hearts, we should check our motives, the reasons for going after people, not just Ghana, all over these African countries. Its very very important we check our motives as a people because for whatever reason, we are not creating wealth, we are destroying wealth as a nation, he noted. Buttressing his point by using what pertains in the United States of America as an example, Archbishop Duncan-Williams said: If you look at the West and you look at America, Trump has come into office, the people in Trumps party are going to have the bigger share of the cake, but Obamas party people, for whatever reason, will still be in business, they [Trumps government] wont kill them, but they wont get the biggest share of the pie like they used to, but they will not be killed, their wives and children will not be starved, so, theyll still be relevant and theyll still be there until its their turn and theyll also go for the bigger share of the cake, but they wont destroy them, but in Africa its not so, in Africa, we destroy, we bankrupt, we starve them, we wipe them out, so, every four to eight years, we kill everyone who has created wealth, and the new people come and they create new wealth and another four to eight years another group comes and wipes them all out, so, we are not creating wealth. We are destroying one another, that vicious cycle must be broken. Archbishop Duncan-Williams also warned that if the vicious cycle is not ended anytime soon so that the private sector could be allowed to flourish to provide enough job opportunities for the hordes of students who come out of school at different levels, then an African version of the Arab Spring was imminent. The Arab uprising is something that is in the pipeline and its coming to West Africa. Between the next five and 10 years, it is coming to West Africa, write it down. Im talking as a student of history, prophecy and paradigms. We have a very serious situation here and we have to look at it long-term. The private sector is not creating wealth because for whatever reason, we are destroying the private sector through this vicious cycle. If you go to the bank to take a loan, youll pay 30 per cent interest, so, its difficult to go take a loan to create wealth because of the interest, you cant pay anything. For whatever reason, the private sector in other countries are helping to develop the country and, so, wondered why the situation is different in Ghana. He used the recent public sector recruitment into the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ghana Police Service, where, out of about 90,000 and 140,000 respective applicants, only 500 and 4000, were taken. To him, the surge in armed robberies and rape of innocent women and girls, can be linked to the lack of jobs for a lot of youth. These are issues we are not addressing, so, Ive been very worried about this armed robbery situation and the rape of women. Its really bothering me because its happening every weekend and its worrisome. Apart from our own problems, we have people coming from other nations because Ghana is a peaceful nation. And they come with their baggage and their problems. How are we going to address some of these issues? Source: classfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Member of Parliament (MP) for Asuogyaman, Mr Thomas Ampem Nyarko, has clashed with the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Mr Samuel Kwasi Agyekum, over distribution of exercise books to basic school pupils. The DCE has cautioned that he would not allow the lawmaker to distribute the exercise books which, he says, are ostensibly to score cheap political points. The contentious exercise books have been customised with the picture of the MP on the front cover and Ghana map at the back cover. Some 10,000 pieces of the exercise books procured by the MP are ready for distribution in the first phase of the exercise, which is part of interventions to cushion parents in taking care of their children in school. But, the DCE for the area said he would not allow the MP to distribute the exercise books and directed the District Education Oversight Committee to summon the MP to a meeting, where he was officially prohibited from distributing the books. The MP, shocked by the DCEs decision, told the committee similar customised exercise books had been distributed by some MPs, but his explanations fell on deaf ears. The District Education Director, Mavis Yirenkyi, and Nana Ofei Boadu, both members of the committee, said the committee is still deliberating on the matter. Some educationists in the Asuogyaman District have warned stakeholders to be apolitical in their interventions aimed at solving the fallen education standard in the area. Available statistics indicate that only four students from the entire district scored aggregate six in the 2016 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The MP has initiated some interventions such as provision of school infrastructure and teachers accommodation, organisation of mock exam and recently introduced free meals for BECE candidates throughout the five-day exam period, all aimed at improving students performance. Source: Daily Heritage 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. Featured Video Science is anything but boring and the Philadelphia Science Carnival is proof of that. Sci-athletes battle against each other to show off the coolest science experiments. Robots hunt for treasure. Water is made into slime. Rockets fly. And, before the day is out, liquid nitrogen sets off an explosion of squishy balls into the air. The free event takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 28 outside the Franklin Institute (222 N. 20th St., Philadelphia) and along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. More than 150 different groups showcase experiments and answer scientific questions, ranging from La Salle University's "How is your skeleton put together?" to Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts' "How can you make paint from eggs?" Still not quite sure what to expect? Check out this video from last year's carnival. Can't see the video? Click here The carnival is the conclusion of the Philadelphia Science Festival, which has had events throughout the City of Brotherly Love over the past week. You can learn more about the science carnival at fi.edu/psf/science-carnival Can't wait until April 28 to get your science fix? You can still catch two other Science Festival events: Science in the National Park and Brain Food: Science in the Night Market, both on April 26. Science in the National Park is a free day-long event of science demonstrations at Independence National Historical Park. Just note that the demonstrations are geared towards fourth and fifth graders. You can learn more at fi.edu. Brain Food is an evening event at Reading Terminal Market where science fans can try 25 hands-on experiments, enjoy $5 food from the market's vendors and learn from various cooking demonstrations. There is also a scavenger hunt. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Learn more at fi.edu. It's been a busy week for Franklin Institute. Not only is the Science Carnival happening just outside of its doors, but it was also the home of the Philadelphia premiere party for season two of the HBO series "Westworld." Don't fancy hanging around outside during the carnival. Head inside to check out the Franklin Institute's Game Masters exhibit, which explores the history of video games. Want more stories about Philly? Click here for all our coverage of the City of Brotherly Love. Egypt's Tourism Minister Rania El-Mashat said on Monday that focusing on sustainable cities, untapped locations and regulatory reforms are all part of a plan by the tourism sector to attract more tourists and investors to the country. In an interview with Bloomberg, El-Mashat said that part of her ministrys strategy to boost tourism is to create sustainable cities, one of which has already been built near the Mediterranean coastal city of El-Alamein. The newly built eco-city aims to develop Egypt's tourism, agricultural, residential, and industrial sectors. Al-Ahram reported that more projects are set to be launched in Al-Galala city near Ain El-Sokhna. "We have areas that are untapped along the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts, we want to open these up for international bids," El-Mashat told Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) exhibition in Dubai, which is being held from 22 to 25 April. On Sunday, El-Mashat told Al-Ahram that Egypt is seeking investors for the development of upscale tourism projects in these untapped areas. "We want to remove many of the structural impediments to pushing the sector forward," El-Mashat said during the Bloomberg interview. The minister said that the tourism sector contributed 15 percent to the countrys economic growth in the last quarter, which registered an overall growth rate of 5 percent. El-Mashat added that the tourism sector has always traditionally been a big job creator for Egyptians. "We have a number of laws that govern the tourism sector that have not been touched since 1970, so regulatory reforms could attract investments to hotels and tourist facilities," Al-Mashat said during the interview. Al-Mashat also said that training is an extremely important structural reform that the ministry is working on in different governorates. During her participation in the ATM, El-Mashat met with different tour companies that specialise in market studies and reviews of tourist impressions on all booking sites and social networking platforms. The minister called on the companies to develop plans to increase the number of tourists from the Arab market as well as find ways to ease procedures to obtain entry visas to Egypt. El-Mashat said that bookings by tourists to Egypt look promising, and that 2018 is expected to be stronger than last year. Search Keywords: Short link: The driver of a tractor-trailer was successfully extricated after being trapped for more than an hour following a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 81. It appeared that traffic on the interstate had slowed on I-81 north, and a flatbed truck carrying a load of what appeared to be pipe had slowed and was struck from behind by a tractor trailer. Firefighters said the driver of the tractor-trailer was alive when removed from the cab of the truck. The driver of the flatbed tractor-trailer was not injured. PennDOT officials said they expect the northbound lanes of I-81 to be closed until about 3 p.m. For more traffic information, follow live traffic updates, accident reports and road closures below from PennDOT, Total Traffic Network and other Twitter sources. Get a look at conditions on local roads -- via PennDOT traffic cameras -- anytime here on PennLive. For Pennsylvania Turnpike updates and possible travel delays visit the Turnpike website here. Tweet us at @pennlive with any incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com. A West Virginia man rescued from a tractor-trailer after a rush-hour accident on Interstate 81 near Carlisle Monday was said to be in stable condition this afternoon and is expected to survive his injuries. Donald Charlton, 64, of Martinsburg, was rushed to an area hospital after being extricated from his truck cab by local fire and rescue crews. Pennsylvania State Police said Charlton caused the 8:28 a.m. crash when his northbound truck rear-ended a flatbed trailer driven by Deandra Williams, 52, of Rocky, Okla. just south of the highway's College Street intersection (Exit 45). Williams was slowing down at the time due to some sort of back-up in traffic ahead of her, police said, when Charlton's struck struck her trailer from behind. The impact caused Williams' load of metal sign poles to scatter across the highway and into the median. Charlton, meanwhile, was trapped in his truck cab for more than hour. Traffic was still being pulled off I-81 North at the Allen Road, Exit 43 interchange as of 1:30 p.m. while site clean-up continued. Affected motorists were being re-routed back onto the highway at northbound ramp of Exit 44, avoiding major tie-ups in downtown Carlisle through most of Monday, borough police said. According to police reports, both Deandra Williams and her passenger, Leroy Williams, 41, also of Rocky, Okla., were taken to Carlisle Regional Medical Center to be checked for minor injuries. Charlton was reported to have been taken to Holy Spirit Hospital, but a spokeswoman could not provide information Monday afternoon. However, other sources familiar with accident details said Charlton is "completely stable." No further information on the extent of his injuries was immediately available. Fire crews responding to the scene included Citizens Fire Company of Mount Holly Springs, Carlisle Fire & Rescue and Union Fire Company, both of Carlisle, New Kingstown Fire Company and Carlisle Barracks Fire Department. They were assisted by Cumberland County Special Hazards Operations Team, Carlisle Special Fire Police and Cumberland-Goodwill Emergency Medical Services. State police said Charlton will be cited for careless driving. Late last month, Gov. Tom Wolf, joined by his Democratic allies in the state House and Senate, rolled out a comprehensive suite of reforms aimed at restoring public trust in the electoral process and to limit the influence of special interests in state politics. Included among them was a proposal to fix Pennsylvania's broken campaign finance system. "To rebuild trust in Harrisburg, we must have fair and accessible elections for all citizens from our rural communities to our big cities," Wolf said in a statement."These reforms have been championed by House and Senate Democrats to modernize our voting laws and put the people of Pennsylvania back in control of our elections. It's time to remove barriers to voting, end gerrymandering, and curb special interests." If you're having trouble remembering that announcement, take heart, you're not the only one. After receiving a bit of attention at the time, the reforms Wolf floated were promptly swallowed by the legislative machine. With Pennsylvania's primary elections now little more than three weeks away, these proposals are worth revisiting. These campaign finance reform bills sponsored by the Democratic floor leaders in the state House and Senate, would finally inject some sanity into Pennsylvania's laughably porous existing laws. Right now, it's open season in Pennsylvania for deep-pocketed donors and special interests. There are no contribution limits. And only direct corporate contributions are banned - though there are plenty of ways for corporate America to work their way around that. The House bill, sponsored by Minority Leader Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny, would, among other things, impose hard caps on contributions. They are: $1,500 per election to House and Senate candidates $5,000 per election to statewide candidates $10,000 per election to House and Senate candidates from PACs $10,000 per election to PAC's from political parties $250,000 aggregate limit per election for House and Senate candidates $1,000,000 aggregate limit per election for statewide candidates $5,000,000 aggregate limit per election for governor The bill would also require so-called groups that make uncoordinated expenditures on behalf of candidates and campaigns to disclose those contributions. Similar requirements are now in place in Connecticut and Maryland, Dermody wrote in a "Dear Colleague" memo seeking support for his proposal. Separate legislation, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, would limit election expenditures to "the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election, to expenses directly and exclusively incurred for the campaign in which the candidate is running in the contemporaneous election cycle and not for any personal purpose. The legislation also addresses acceptance of campaign contributions from out-of-state committees." Costa's bill would similarly crack down on independent expenditure groups, and would, like Dermody's proposal, require corporations to notify shareholders when political expenditures (through political action committees) are made on their behalf. The bills also would require companies to seek shareholder permission for contributions of $10,000 or more. The proposals by the two Democrats hardly reinvent the wheel. Campaign finance reform proposals have been making the rounds under the Capitol dome for decades. Yet lawmakers, who are unwilling to choke off the precious flow of campaign cash, have proven almost congenitally incapable of passing them. And that's one of the reasons why it's so easy to stand up and call for reform. Knowing full well they'll go nowhere, there's zero political risk, but everything to gain. It's also one of the reasons why Pennsylvania scored an "F" for campaign finance, finishing 43rd in the nation, on a 2015 report card put together by the watchdog Center for Public Integrity. Meanwhile, until or unless something changes, politics in Pennsylvania is increasingly becoming a rich man's (or woman's) game. Two of the three Republican candidates for governor, both independently wealthy, have dug deep into their own pockets to fund their campaigns. Wolf, similarly, is sitting on a $14.7 million war-chest as he revs up his re-election machinery. Given Pennsylvania's historic allergy to political reform, the Keystone State is unlikely to embrace the public financing options that are in place in more than two dozen states, counties and municipalities across the country. But lawmakers can at least begin the conversation by bringing Costa's and Dermody's bills to the floor of their respective chambers to a vote. That would force lawmakers to go on record to show where they stand on the pervasive - and often pernicious - influence of big money on our politics. Frankly, this is what the voters deserve, and nothing less. A Loblaws store is seen Monday, March 9, 2015 in Montreal. Shareholders of Loblaw Companies Ltd. are being asked to vote on a proposal at their annual meeting this year to require the chair of the company be an independent director, a move the company opposes. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz Miriam Osborne poses for a portrait at a Bay Street food court in Toronto, Monday, April 23, 2018. Some Canadians who rely on plastic straws are calling on the surging anti-straw movement to consider the impact it could have on people with disabilities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Galit Rodan Sabrine Djermane and El Mahdi Jamali leave the courthouse after being acquitted of terror related charges in Montreal on December 19, 2017. A Montreal couple acquitted on most of the terrorism-related charges against them are ready to sign off on a peace bond requested by the Crown.Sabrine Djermane and El Mahdi Jamali appeared briefly at the Montreal courthouse today and lawyers for both sides will return to court May 4. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz Environment Minister Catherine McKenna addresses a session on protecting the environment and growing the economy at the federal Liberal national convention in Halifax on April 20, 2018. Federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna is defending BP Canada's plans to drill a deep-water exploration well roughly 330 kilometres off the coast of Halifax. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan Police interview Alexandre Bissonnette on January 30, 2017, the day after the mosque attacks, in this still from an interrogation video shown by the Crown to the sentencing hearings in Quebec City in this handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Surete du Quebec Independent presidential candidate Jaime Rodriguez, known as "El Bronco," arrives for the first of three debates among Mexico's presidential candidates in Mexico City, Sunday, April 22, 2018. Mexico will hold general elections on July 1. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, smoke rises after Syrian government airstrikes and shelling hit in Hajar al-Aswad neighborhood held by Islamic State militants, southern Damascus, Syria, Sunday, April 22, 2018. Syrian state media says government forces are pounding districts of southern Damascus held by Islamic State militants with warplanes, helicopters and artillery in a bid to enforce an evacuation deal reached earlier in the week. (SANA via AP) FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2017, file photo, the Supreme Court is seen in the morning in Washington. The Supreme Court has so far had little to say about Donald TrumpAos time as president. ThatAos about to change. The justicesAo first deep dive into a Trump administration policy comes in a dispute over the administrationAos ban on travel from some countries with majority Muslim populations. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Thirty-two Chinese tourists and four North Koreans died when a bus crashed off a bridge in North Korea, China's foreign ministry said on Monday, with two Chinese nationals in critical condition. Thirty-two Chinese tourists and four North Koreans died when a bus crashed off a bridge in North Korea, China's foreign ministry said on Monday, with two Chinese nationals in critical condition. Chinese tourists make up about 80 percent of all foreign visitors to North Korea, says a South Korean think-tank, the Korea Maritime Institute, which estimates that tourism generates revenue of about $44 million each year for the isolated country. Chinese diplomats visited the scene of Sunday's crash in North Hwanghae province, the foreign ministry said. State television's main Chinese-language news channel showed images of a crashed blue bus with its wheels in the air, in footage taken in pouring rain in the dark. It also showed at least one person being treated in hospital. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters he could not give additional details of the accident as an investigation was under way. Chinese President Xi Jinping had asked the Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassy to take "all necessary means" to handle the accident, the ministry said in a later statement. In a separate statement, China's health ministry said it was sending a team of medical experts, along with equipment and drugs, to North Korea, to help treat survivors. The North Hwanghae province that borders South Korea is home to Kaesong, an ancient Korean capital thronged by tourists. North Korea is a popular, if offbeat, tourist destination for Chinese, especially those from the country's northeast. China said more than 237,000 Chinese visited in 2012, but stopped publishing the figures in 2013. China is North Korea's most important economic and diplomatic backer, despite Beijing's anger at Pyongyang's repeated nuclear and missile tests and support for strong United Nations sanctions against North Korea. North and South Korea are in the final stages of preparations for a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-In at the border truce village of Panmunjom on Friday. Search Keywords: Short link: FILE - In this March 7, 2018 file photo, people watch a TV screen showing images of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, center, and U.S. President Donald Trump at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. Korean letters on the screen read: "Thawing Korean Peninsula." When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday, April 27, 2018, the world will have a single overriding interest: How will they address North KoreaAos decades-long pursuit of nuclear-armed missiles? Success, even a small one, on the nuclear front could mean a prolonged detente and smooth the path for a planned summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in May or June. Optimists hope that the two summits might even result in a grand nuclear bargain. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File) B.C. Premier John Horgan presents outgoing BC Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon with a saddle pad for her horse in Victoria on Monday, April 23, 2018. Guichon is a life long rancher from Merritt, B.C. The saddle pad is embroidered with the official crest of B.C. and her office. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dirk Meissner Perryville soccer coach Jerry Fulton has been approached about how good his team is, because according to the results, they have to be pretty good.Perryville claimed first place in the Hillsboro The St. Vincent cross country teams made a statement. The boys finished first, while the girls took second place at the Perryville High School Invitational on Tuesday in the Perryville City Park.It St. Vincent football has asserted itself the past few years when it comes to matchups with their crosstown rival Perryville. The Indians had won three straight contests against the Pirates. St. Roth to help raise money for cancer society During last years Perryville homecoming game, the football coaches donned pink hats and pink pants in honor of a noble cause. They hope to do so again this year.Perryville football head coach Pirates play to win against Blackcats Perryville football has had a flair for the dramatic this season. This past week was no different as they held on late for a 21-14 victory over Fredericktown on Friday at Pirate Stadium. Perryville St. Vincent keeps foot on the gas in victory St. Vincent made quick work of Herculaneum in week four. The Indians got off to a quick start and kept it rolling as they dispatched of the Blackcats 49-0 on Friday at Herculaneum High School. That Click Here For Our Local Sports Page ExxonMobil pledges to come clean on payments to Guyana GYEITI By Kiana Wilburg GEORGETOWN Petroleumworld 04 23 2018 USA oil conglomerate, ExxonMobil has a documented history of failing to reveal information on payments it makes to governments around the world. But it has committed to come clean on payments to Guyana's Administration. This pledge was made by the USA Company to Head of the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GY-EITI), Dr. Rudy Jadoopat. In an interview with Kaieteur News, the Head of the EITI local chapter said that he is aware of the challenges other nations have faced in trying to access information about payments made to governments. He said that ExxonMobil was approached on the matter and the entity gave all assurances that there would be full compliance. Jadoopat said, They promised that there would be no obstacles and we are looking forward to cooperation from the company. CASE OF NIGERIA The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an international body that requires disclosures on moneys governments receive from extractive sector appears to be of little help to Nigeria. At least this is the case when it comes to payments made to the Government by USA oil giant ExxonMobil. As a company based in the U.S., ExxonMobil is not required to release a Payment-to-Government report. However, it is clear from analyzing disclosures from other oil and gas companies engaged in consortia with ExxonMobil that the company makes significant payments to Nigerian government entities. This is according to the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI). Assuming payments are made proportionally to the company's equity share, NRGI said in one of its reports that one can estimate that in 2016, the company paid USD$39 million in taxes and royalties for the Usan project and between USD $212 and $223 million in taxes and production entitlements for the Bonga project. The transparency group said that these sizable revenues cover only two projects in which ExxonMobil has an interest, but point to the company's significant role as a source of government revenue. It noted that ExxonMobil, through its Nigerian subsidiary Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN), also has several operations for which this type of estimation is not possible. The Institute said that while the company is under no obligation to release a Payments to Government report, it is clear that if it did so voluntarily, Nigerian citizens would be better equipped to hold the government accountable for the natural resource revenues it receives. NRGI also stated that ExxonMobil declined when, as part of the research process for its briefing, it asked the company to voluntarily report 2016 payment data for Nigeria in line with data disclosed by other companies covered in this document. Guyana is the latest of the EITI. The Government is convinced that ExxonMobil would respect the disclosure rules of EITI and corporate with Guyana in this regard. REMOVAL FROM EITI The refusal of USA oil giants, ExxonMobil and Chevron to disclose their tax payments in the USA has resulted in civil society groups calling for their immediate removal from the Board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The civil society organizations made these sentiments pellucid in a letter to EITI Chairman Fredrik Reinfeldt. In the letter, it was explained that ExxonMobil and Chevron were members of the US-EITI Multi-Stakeholder Group from its creation in December 2011 to its disbandment in November 2017. Both companies are members of the EITI International Board's industry constituency and have served in that role, with a few brief exceptions, since its creation in 2003. It was further noted that from its founding, the EITI and its Standard have required comprehensive disclosure of material payments from companies to governments, including taxes. In fact, no EITI implementation has ever excluded the disclosure of tax payments. However, in the US-EITI report issued in 2016, only 12 of the 38 eligible companies disclosed their taxes. In the US-EITI report issued in 2015, 12 of the 41 eligible companies disclosed their taxes. ExxonMobil and Chevron were among the companies that refused to disclose their tax payments in both cases. The civil society groups said that in during the December 2015 US-EITI MSG Meeting, an ExxonMobil representative provided the following explanation of his company's decision not to disclose taxes through the US-EITI process: Knowing that income tax reporting will soon be required under Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Act, companies may have chosen to wait until that rule was finalized and the requirements clearer. (ExxonMobil representative) added that many of these companies have exercised leadership in EITI around the world, and are very committed to US-EITI and to tax reporting, but are awaiting the finalization of the SEC's rulemaking. In spite of ExxonMobil's response, the groups noted that a May 2017 Interior Department Inspector General assessment of US-EITI points out that tax data can actually be disclosed. They also noted that Dallas-based Kosmos Energy has voluntarily disclosed its U.S. tax payments for years, and BHP Billiton, one of the largest mining companies in the world, voluntarily disclosed its tax payments to the U.S. government before it was required to do so by the EU Directives. The civil society groups noted, This issue could have been avoided if there was a standard that required companies to practise what they preach and disclose their payments fully as a condition of being an EITI supporting company or EITI Board member. In the absence of this, and in light of the ongoing circumstances outlined, we recommend strongly that these companies be removed from the EITI Board for violating the EITI Code of Conduct, as well as the spirit of EITI, thus endangering the EITI Standard. The letter sent to the EITI Chairman received the blessings of Danielle Brian, US-EITI Co-Chairman and Betsy Taylor, Executive Director of Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN) and US-EITI Representative among others. (To read more on this issue, follow the link: http://www.pwypusa.org/pwyp-news/civil-society-organizations-call-on-exxonmobil-and-chevron-to-be-removed-from-the-eiti-board/) Petroleumworld.com Hit your target - Advertise with Us ExxonMobil and sub-contrators on Guyana's tax free ride By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell GEORGETOWN Petroleumworld 04 23 2018 ExxonMobil and its affiliates are not the only ones getting a free tax ride in Guyana. All other foreign companies (sub-contractors) employed by ExxonMobil are enjoying similar luxuries. This free ride was secured under the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that Guyana signed with ExxonMobil. This fact was highlighted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a 2017 report it handed to the government titled, A Reform Agenda for Petroleum Taxation and Revenue Management. IMF noted that the PSA that ExxonMobil has with Guyana provides for broad tax exemptions for subcontractors. Some of these foreign subcontractors operating in Guyana are Bristow Group Inc. Nobel Oil Group and SBM Offshore. IMF noted that Article 15:10 states that withholding tax on payments made by the contractor to sub-contractors or affiliated companies do not apply during the exploration period. Moreover, the IMF noted that Article 21 says that subcontractors engaged in petroleum operations are exempt from Value Added Tax (VAT) and import duties on imports of equipment and supplies required for petroleum operations. Interestingly this provision is only for the benefit of foreign contractors. The only tax that foreign sub contractors employed by ExxonMobil will have to pay is excise tax. The companies only have to pay that tax on fuel imports at a rate of 10 percent. However, locals have to pay 50 percent excise tax on fuel. https://www.export.gov/article?id=Guyana-Import-Tariffs IMF said that Guyana forego revenue with such generous provisions. The Fund said, In addition to the forgone revenue, this (the exemptions) introduces administrative complexities and risks of tax evasion. Finally, interest and dividend payments from affiliated companies' or non-resident sub-contractors' branch in Guyana to its foreign or head office or to affiliated companies are exempt from withholding taxes. Petroleumworld.com Hit your target - Advertise with Us Story Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell from Kaieter News Kaieteurnewsonline.com 04 23 2018 Copyright 1999-2018 Petroleumworld or respective author or news agency. All rights reserved. We welcome the use of Petroleumworld (PW) stories by anyone provided it mentions Petroleumworld.com as the source. Other stories you have to get authorization by its authors. Internet web links to http://www.petroleumworld.com are appreciated. Petroleumworld welcomes your feedback and comments, share your thoughts on this article, your feedback is important to us! We invite all our readers to share with us their views and comments about this article. Write to editor@petroleumworld.com By using this link, you agree to allow PW to publish your comments on our letters page. Any question or suggestions, please write to: editor@petroleumworld.com Best Viewed with IE 5.01+ Windows NT 4.0, '95, '98,ME,XP, Vista, Windows 7,8,10 +/ 800x600 pixels A Belgian court on Monday sentenced the sole surviving suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, to 20 years in prison on terror charges A Belgian court on Monday sentenced the sole surviving suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, to 20 years in prison on terror charges over a bloody gun battle with police in Brussels days before his capture in 2016. Abdeslam's co-defendant Sofiane Ayari received the same sentence after the pair were convicted of terrorism-related attempted murder over the shootout in which four police officers were wounded. Judges at the court in Brussels said that "there can be no doubt about their commitment to radicalism" as they handed down the maximum jail term demanded by Belgian prosecutors at the trial in February. Neither Abdeslam, 28, a Belgian-born French national, nor Ayari, a 24-year-old Tunisian citizen, was in court to hear the verdict. Abdeslam is being held in jail in France pending a separate trial over the November 2015 Paris attacks, claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group, in which 130 people died. The pair were convicted of opening fire on a team of Belgian and French police who raided a flat in the Forest area of Brussels on March 15, 2016, following a tip-off about the Paris attacks. A third jihadist was killed in the raid. At the time Abdeslam was regarded as the most wanted man in Europe. Abdeslam, a Belgian-born French national, fled the scene but was arrested three days later in the largely immigrant Molenbeek area of the Belgian capital, near his family home. On March 22, suicide bombers from a cell linked to the Paris attacks killed 32 people and wounded hundreds more at Brussels airport and a metro station in the Belgian capital. Abdeslam's lawyer Sven Mary told reporters outside the court that he would consult with his client at the prison where he is being held in France "and then we will see if he wants to lodge an appeal." He said Abdeslam would likely have to serve the full Belgian 20-year term on top of any sentence that arises from the French trial over the Paris attacks. The judgment said Abdeslam had written a document addressed to his mother saying that "Allah guided me and chose me among his servants to open his path. It is for that reason that I had to fight the enemies of Allah with all my strength." He added that his brother Brahim, who blew himself up during the Paris attacks, "did not commit suicide -- he is a hero of Islam." Belgian police mounted tight security around the imposing Palace of Justice building in Brussels for the verdict. Abdeslam has spent most of the last two years in jail in France. He was transported to the court from France for the start of the trial in February amid tight security including a helicopter escort, while Ayari is in jail in Belgium. On the first day of the trial, sporting long hair and a beard instead of the clean-cut look familiar from his mugshots, Abdeslam proclaimed that he would put his "trust in Allah" and accused the court of being biased against Muslims. He then refused to attend the rest of the proceedings. Investigators say Abdeslam's arrest spurred the Brussels bombers to bring forward the 2016 attacks, which had originally been planned for a later date, as they feared their capture. Prosecutors have said that DNA links Abdeslam to the apartment in the Forest district of Brussels where the shooting took place, but not to the weapons that were used. After Abdeslam refused to return to court for the trial in February, Mary sought the case's dismissal on a technicality over how the judges were named to investigate the gun battle, and said media leaks had denied him a fair trial. But lawyers for police wounded in the gun battle accused Abdeslam of "mocking" the trial. One of the injured police officers was still suffering from after-effects including brain lesions, epileptic fits and vision and balance problems. An organisation representing victims of the Brussels attacks and their families is seeking symbolic damages of one euro. Search Keywords: Short link: UN worry on Trinidad & Tobago venezuelans' mass deportations disregarding a sylum-seekers By Rhondor Dowlat PORT SPAIN Petroleumworld 04 23 2018 The United Nations (UN) has raised deep concerns over Saturday's deportation of 82 Venezuelan nationals from T&T, among them asylum seekers, saying they could not verify whether it was a voluntary repatriation process as claimed by the Ministry of National Security. It is also of the belief, like many locals and Venezuelan nationals here in T&T, that the T&T Government has failed the deportees and disrespected their human rights people seeking asylum and refugee status from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's regime. In a release yesterday, United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator Richard Blewitt said the body was concerned for the welfare of these people. We are in contact with the appropriate authorities in Port-of-Spain to ensure that any person in need of protection will get it without fail, Blewitt said. On Saturday, a Venezuelan military aircraft took 82 Venezuelan nationals 53 men and 29 women - back home from the Piarco International Airport. Just under 40 of those 82 Venezuelans were said to have applied for asylum and refugee status in T&T, but sources said the certificates they had in their possession were allegedly disregarded by T&T Immigration officers. In a release on Saturday, the Ministry of National Security said the Venezuelan nationals, who were being kept at the Immigration Detention Centre, were voluntarily repatriated with the assistance of the Ambassador of Venezuela to T&T, Coromoto Godoy. Yesterday, however, Blewitt said this statement could not be verified independently by UN observers. He said the UN and its local partners have encouraged the prompt adoption of national legislation on refugee issues, and work together to support the T&T Government in its efforts to develop an efficient and secure asylum system. Also addressing the issue yesterday, Ministry for Migrants and Refugees Coordinator at the Living Water Community (LWC), Rochelle Nakhid, said for almost 30 years the LWC has joyfully served asylum-seekers and refugees who have come to T&T seeking asylum from persecution. Saying they had acted in partnership with the UN Refugee agency (UNHCR) and the T&T Government, Nakhid said, This relationship comprises defined procedures that create a legitimate expectation of adherence to same. It is necessary to remember that seeking asylum is a humanitarian and a non-political act and one which should not be considered as unfriendly between states. She emphasised that non-refoulement remains a core principle of protection enshrined in refugee law and is also part of customary international law. It means that persons are not to be returned to where their life would be in danger. In the absence of legislation in T&T which affords other rights such as the right to work, to have identity documents and guaranteed access to social services, this protection from return appears to be at risk if parties do not acknowledge that the majority of Venezuelans are in need of protection as advocated by the UNHCR and as we witness on a daily basis, Nakhid said. She said the food and medicine shortages and increasing criminal activity and general instability in Venezuela have forced large numbers of them to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, including T&T. Many Venezuelans face a lack of documentation, sexual and gender-based violence and various forms of exploitation, including by criminal gangs. Women are at high risk of trafficking and this phenomenon is quickly worsening as criminals prey on their lack of legal status, Nakhid said. True to our Catholic identity, we have heeded the call to love the stranger as ourselves and to welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants and refugees. Attempts to reach National Security Minister Edmund Dillon on the issue yesterday were unsuccessful as he did not answer calls to his cellphone. MORE INFO In March 2018, the UN Refugee Agency published a Guidance note for states on how to treat with the outflow of Venezuelans in light of rapidly deteriorating political and socio-economic conditions. This note advises that states apply a protection-oriented response in dealing with Venezuelans in a way that reflects an understanding of protection as a humanitarian and non-political act, and as an act of solidarity with the people of Venezuela. It asks that states find ways to facilitate access to their territory, award official documentation, grant access to basic rights and very importantly, apply a non-return principle to Venezuela, given that the majority of cases would in fact be considered as refugees under the 1984 Cartagena Declaration Petroleumworld.com Hit your target - Advertise with Us Recession risks in U.S. seen rising sharply in 2019 and 2020: Kemp By John Kemp LONDON Petroleumworld 04 23 2018 Energy market professionals estimate there is a 40 percent chance of the U.S. economy entering recession before the end of next year, rising to a little over 50 percent before the end of 2020. The results are based on a survey sent by Reuters to 7,000 energy market professionals between April 13 and April 17, with responses received from 700 ( tmsnrt.rs/2Hdyw4e ). There is a wide dispersion of views, and most see only a low risk of recession in 2018, but the assessed probability increases significantly in 2019 and especially 2020. The state of the global economy is one of the most important drivers for oil consumption and prices, so the economic outlook is crucial to the calculations of OPEC and other oil suppliers. The United States now accounts for less than one-fifth of global economic activity, but the rest of the world is unlikely to grow strongly if the United States is in recession, so it makes a useful proxy for global growth. Predicting turning points in the economic and trade cycles is notoriously difficult, but the current global expansion shows increasing signs of maturity and escalating trade tensions create clear downside risks. OPEC and its allies, as well as other oil producers, need to incorporate the increasing probability of a U.S. recession and global slowdown when projecting oil consumption and prices in 2019 and 2020. MATURE EXPANSION The current U.S. economic expansion started in July 2009 and is already 106 months old, according to the Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research ( tmsnrt.rs/2JapXYP ). The current expansion will become the second-longest on record next month, surpassing the long boom of the 1960s. If the economy is still expanding in July 2019, it will become the longest on record, passing the long boom of the 1990s. The U.S. expansion is part of a synchronised global upturn in industrial activity and trade that is lifting consumption of oil and other commodities. The global economy continues to display broad-based momentum and is predicted to remain healthy in 2018 and 2019, according to the International Monetary Fund. World output increased by 3.8 percent in 2017 and is forecast to rise by 3.9 percent in both 2018 and 2019 (Global economy: good news for now but trade tensions a threat, IMF, April 17). Global trade volumes increased last year at the fastest rate since 2011, when the global economy was still rebounding from the financial crisis, according to the World Trade Organisation. The WTO forecasts trade will grow nearly as fast in 2018 and 2019, which would be the best run of growth since before the financial crisis (Strong growth in 2008 rests on policy choices, WTO, April 12). TRADE THREATS The current cyclical expansion has considerable momentum in the short term, which should ensure that it continues in the short term, but there is increased anxiety about whether it will be sustained in 2019 and 2020. Both the WTO and the IMF have warned about potential downside risks arising from increasing trade tensions between the United States and China. The recent exchange of tariff threats between Washington and Beijing contains a substantial element of bluffing so it is hard to estimate the risks that the threats will turn into an actual trade war. But even if the tariffs are never imposed, the increased uncertainty could have a damaging impact on business confidence and investment plans. Survey respondents were evenly divided about whether the trade tensions would have a damaging impact on global growth. Some 48 percent thought trade tensions would harm growth between 2018 and 2020, which also implies 52 percent thought they would not or were unsure. Respondents from North America were slightly less concerned than those in other regions, about the effect of trade threats, with only 45 percent thinking they would prove harmful. In contrast, respondents from other regions put the probability of trade tensions damaging global growth marginally higher at 53 percent. U.S. respondents may be more sanguine about the use of tariff threats as a negotiating tactic and/or that tariffs would benefit the domestic economy. Respondents from the rest of the world are slightly more worried, perhaps more concerned about the risk of miscalculation and the damage to confidence. Petroleumworld.com Hit your target - Advertise with Us Mario Abdo, Paraguay's candidate from ruling colorado party won the presidency By Daniela Desantis and Mariel Cristaldo ASUNCION Petroleumworld 04 23 2018 The candidate from Paraguay's ruling Colorado Party won Sunday's presidential election, according to official results with 96 percent of ballots counted, pointing to another five years of pro-business policies in the major soy producer. The country's elections authority said Mario Abdo, a 46-year-old former senator who campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, had an irreversible advantage over his main rival, Efrain Alegre, a lawyer from the center-left GANAR coalition. My administration will be committed to gaining the confidence of those who did not accompany us, Abdo said in his acceptance speech. Abdo had 46.49 percent of the vote to Alegre's 42.72 percent, the head of Paraguay's elections tribunal, Jaime Bestard, said on television. The president-elect of Paraguay is Mario Abdo, Bestard said. Abdo supports current low-tax policies aimed at stimulating foreign investment and agricultural production in the world's No. 4 soybean exporter and a major supplier of beef. The margin of victory was much tighter than indicated by pre-election opinion surveys, which gave Abdo a voter intention advantage of 18 to 20 points. Alegre said he would not concede the race until all ballots were counted and confirmed. Abdo set the stage for governing with a minority in Congress by calling for dialogue with opposition parties. He has promised to fight pressure to raise taxes despite calls from the opposition for a levy on soybean exports. Outgoing President Horacio Cartes, who tried to change the constitution to allow him to seek a second term, won a Senate seat in Sunday's vote. Abdo is the son of the late private secretary of dictator Alfredo Stroessner, who ruled Paraguay with an iron hand for 35 years. Abdo was 16 when Stroessner's rule ended in 1989. Earlier on Sunday, Abdo visited the tomb of his father, as he did on the day of the primary election in December when he won the nomination of the Colorado Party. Abdo's conservative policies and family history were a concern to some voters who had doubts about his commitment to clean up government. This is a country of corruption and until we end that, we will not move forward. Mario Abdo is a son of the dictatorship and I do not think he will govern well, Edgar Gonzalez, 45, said on his way out of his voting station in a high school in the upper-middle-class neighborhood of Trinidad in Asuncion. Abdo's father was also named Mario, giving the nickname Marito or Little Mario to his son, as he is popularly known. About 4.2 million Paraguayans were eligible to vote in the election, in which all seats in Congress were up for election. The new president will take office on Aug. 15. Official congressional election results were to be announced over the coming days. SOY TAX DEBATE Grains-dependent Paraguay produced more than 10 million tonnes of soy last year and is trying to attract investment needed to reach its goal of 20 million tonnes by 2028. Abdo's party went into the election with 20 seats in Paraguay's 45-member Senate, which last year debated a bill to slap a 10 percent tax on soybean exports. The push for an export tax will intensify after the election, which is likely to see the empowering of the Frente Guasu, a major proponent of the initiative, and a party which is expected to substantially increase its presence in Congress, said Thomaz Favaro, an analyst for consultancy Control Risks. Abdo may have to support the export tax to safeguard other parts of his investment-friendly agenda. Uncertainty over the level of taxation for the agriculture industry will thus likely persist in the short-to-medium term, Favaro said. Petroleumworld.com Hit your target-Advertise with Us Trump tweet slams on OPEC as it pushes for high oil prices Crude erases gains as Trump accuses group of inflating prices. OPEC, Russia show willingness to keep tightening market. - $70 Per Barrel Target 'More Realistic' for Oil Price, Says Schork -Play video By Angelina Rascouet, Wael Mahdi, Elena Mazneva, and Grant Smith LONDON Petroleumworld 04 23 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump slammed OPEC for inflating oil prices after the cartel showed a willingness to further tighten crude markets. Looks like OPEC is at it again, Trump said on Twitter, not long after energy ministers finished their meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Oil prices are artificially Very High! No good and will not be accepted! The president's ire followed a stream of bullish signals from a meeting of oil producers in Saudi Arabia, chiefly from the kingdom's Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih. The crude glut that's weighed on prices for three years has almost been wiped out by OPEC's production cuts, but instead of celebrating victory the group is finding reasons to keep going and drive fuel inventories even lower. Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell about 69 cents at the time of the tweet, before trading down 0.8 percent at $73.17 a barrel as of 2:31 p.m. in London. In his latest tweet, President Donald Trump has come out against high oil prices. -Play video The purpose of the shift in OPEC's target was clear: There's capacity for prices to rise even further beyond their current three-year high, Al-Falih said. We have seen prices significantly higher in the past, twice as much as where we are today and the global economy has the ability to absorb costlier crude, the Saudi minister said. International oil prices surged to almost $75 a barrel this week and U.S. gasoline is the highest in almost three years. Yet OPEC's choke-hold on its own production is only getting tighter. Saudi Arabia is said to desire crude closer to $80 . Accusation Denied The closest U.S. allies within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries rejected Trump's accusation. Prices aren't artificially high, said United Arab Emirates Oil Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei. Saudi Arabia's Al-Falih echoed that view. We are doing our role to correct the market, Al Mazrouei said. There are many things affecting the market, not just supply and demand, including geopolitics that are beyond OPEC's control, he said. Russia, Saudi Arabia's most important ally in the production cuts, gave its backing to continuing the cuts until their end-2018 expiry. There's no obligation to stop just because the pact's initial goal -- stockpiles in industrialized nations back in line with the five-year average -- is at hand, said Energy Minister Alexander Novak. Helping Texas Novak also rejected Trump's accusation, while also arguing the group's production cuts have helped U.S. producers to boost output. "The deal helped to restore the industry of Texas," he said in an interview with Bloomberg television. Soaring U.S. shale production has been a nagging concern for OPEC and its allies, but the group's key players appear to be more fixated on the immediate benefits of high crude prices . Saudi Arabia needs to cover weighty domestic spending and attract investors to a partial sale of its state oil company, Aramco. Russia is relishing its new role as a major Middle East power broker, while also enjoying bigger financial gains than anyone from the accord. Russia is keeping all options open and Saudi Arabia is talking about a 2019 extension, UBS Group AG analyst Giovanni Staunovo said by email. Going Deeper Novak wouldn't rule out some easing of the production cuts this year, but said it would depend entirely on the situation in the market. For now, the group is cutting ever deeper, and Saudi Arabia's Al-Falih chided nations that haven't been implementing their fair share of the curbs at the opening session of the Jeddah talks. Iraq and Kazakhstan have pledged to improve their compliance, according to the closing statement from the meeting. Overall, OPEC and its allies cut 49 percent deeper than the agreed 1.8 million barrels a day in March, according to the statement. That's the biggest reduction ever and the seventh month the group has surpassed its target, Novak said. Much of those additional reductions weren't intentional, according to the International Energy Agency. An economic crisis and chronic mismanagement dragged Venezuela's output to a multi-decade low, while Angola lost production from aging fields. Others were temporary, such as field maintenance in Algeria. The involuntary cuts may keep getting deeper if Trump reimposes sanctions on Iran next month. Ministers seemed to embrace the notion of a significantly tighter oil market. Saudi Arabia in particular gave a strong indication that higher prices wouldn't be a bad thing. Every year the world needs to develop new daily production capacity of about 4 million to 5 million barrels and invest hundreds of billions of dollars, but that's not happening right now, Al-Falih said. Petroleumworld.com Hit your target - Advertise with Us Related Austria moves to ban the burqa A leukaemia patient wearing a medical face mask in Vienna was stopped under a ban on the full Islamic veil and other face-coverings brought in last year, police admitted on Monday. The 26-year-old man, interviewed by the Vice News Austrian website and identified only as "Valentin", said that he was stopped last Tuesday. Doctors had told him to wear his mask to protect his immune system, which had been so severely weakened by a intensive course of chemotherapy and other treatment that he initially had to spend eight weeks in isolation. "The first thing they asked me was whether I spoke German or whether I was foreign," Valentin told Vice News, which specialises in stories which might not get into mainstream media. "When I explained that I was from Vienna, things calmed down a bit. But then they went after my face mask." The police explained to him that he was contravening the law, which carries an 80 euro ($98) fine. "I had asked my doctor about exactly this. But at the time he just laughed and said it would be obvious to anyone why I was wearing it". He proceeded to show the police his medication and searched for his blood test results on his phone. "The whole thing was quite a stressful experience, but in the end they believed me," Valentin said. He was warned that next time he would need a doctor's certificate or would face a fine. Police spokesman Patrick Maierhofer admitted the man was stopped and said "the matter was sorted out after a short conversation". "Covering your face for medical reasons is an exception. In such cases the police must be given credible proof that it is being worn for medical reasons," Maierhofer told the APA agency. The law, which came into force on October 1, bans the full Islamic veil, known as the burqa or the niqab, in public places. But in order to avoid being sued for discrimination, the government outlawed at the same time any item of clothing that covers the face. The ban on the full-face veil, which remains a rare sight in Austria, was seen as an effort by the two parties then in government, the centre left Social Democrats (SPOe) and centre-right People's Party (OeVP), to halt a rise in support for the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPOe). However, the FPOe went on to gain seats in October's elections and is now the junior partner in an OeVP-led coalition government, with the SPOe going into opposition. Search Keywords: Short link: A Pittsburgh medical marijuana patient was jailed last week after he tested positive for the drug and was unable to provide proof of his medical certification to an Allegheny County judge. Samson L. Bailey Jr., 24, spent 10 days in jail after Common Pleas Court Judge Mark V. Tranquilli revoked his $1,000 bond on April 10. The judge ruled that the THC the active ingredient in marijuana in Bailey's system was a violation of his bond, which prohibited criminal activity. Although Bailey told the judge he used cannabidiol oil and was under a physician's care, neither he nor his attorney, Joseph S. Otte, were able to produce Bailey's medical marijuana identification card in court or proof of the card in subsequent legal filings during the next week. Bailey remained in jail until his doctor provided proof of his medical certification on Thursday, prompting the judge to order Bailey's release. He was freed Friday. "When they put me in handcuffs I was really confused, I didn't understand what was going on," Bailey said. "That was the hardest 10 days of my life." The case shows how heavily the courts and law enforcement must rely on medical marijuana patients' identification cards to determine whether a person is a legal user of the drug, and suggests patients must take a proactive role in their own legal protection as the court system adjusts to the paradigm shift of legal medical marijuana. "The only thing that will protect a medical cannabis patient is that card," said attorney Patrick Nightingale, a partner at Cannabis Legal Solutions, who is not connected to the case. In Pennsylvania, law enforcement officers cannot access the state's database of medical marijuana patients. The only way a police officer can immediately verify a patient's status as legal user is by viewing their medical marijuana ID card. April Hutcheson, a Pennsylvania Department of Health spokeswoman, said Friday that officers could also call the department to verify a patient's status, but said there is currently no dedicated phone line or established process for law enforcement to do so. "I don't know that it's been an issue," she said. "This is a new program and there will be things that come up that are unique." Although state records show Bailey was granted a medical marijuana card in February, he said Friday that he never received it and believes it may have been sent to an incorrect address. He said he does not smoke marijuana and instead relies on cannabidiol oils, which are legally available even without a medical marijuana card. People using the legal oils have been known to test positive for THC in some cases, Mr. Nightingale said. Bailey said the oils improve his appetite, which allows him to take his medications without pain. Bailey's situation began last year when he was arrested and charged with credit card fraud. According to court records, Bailey was accused of using fraudulent credit cards to make three reservations in his own name at Painting with a Twist, a business which offers group painting classes. After the credit card companies refused to pay for the charges, the store's manager tracked down Bailey and matched his name and photographs of him taken during the classes. Stacy Lane, Bailey's physician, said her patients have been able to get their medical marijuana for only about a month in Pittsburgh. She said that already two patients have run into problems with the legal system or with their employers. "This is ridiculous," she said. "The law has to recognize that these people have these certified conditions." Medical marijuana patients are required by law to keep their identification cards on them when they have medical marijuana in their possession, but are not required to keep the card on them at all times. Lane said some of her patients feel the card is too valuable and difficult to replace to carry around 24/7. "It's like carrying around your passport," she said. However, because law enforcement officers in Pennsylvania rely solely on the card, Nightingale said he suggests patients keep the card on them, especially if they are under any sort of court supervision or anticipate undergoing a drug test. "That is the only proof and protection you have," he said. Tom Gross, executive director of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, said his organization is fielding a variety of questions from law enforcement agencies about medical marijuana. "I hear from police chiefs that they still have a lot of questions about how you verify the cards, whether the person has a fraudulent card, the rules around transport," he said. "So we are still at the beginning stages of our level of awareness as far as law enforcement. It's new territory." Shelly Bradbury: 412-263-1999, sbradbury@post-gazette.com or on Twitter @ShellyBradbury. Paula Ward: pward@post-gazette.com, 412-263-2620 or on Twitter @PaulaReedWard. Hospitals certainly need to get paid for the services they provide, but they should not be in the business of bankrupting patients. Read more Hospitals are caring and compassionate institutions that are dedicated to providing quality health care to patients. But that compassion doesn't always extend to their billing practices. Hospitals certainly need to get paid for the services they provide, but they should not be in the business of bankrupting patients. If their mission is to really provide compassionate care, they should consider adopting a policy of billing Medicare fees to patients who are struggling financially. Here's why: We've all heard horror stories about poor or uninsured patients who need to have a routine MRI or visit an emergency room, only to get socked with a gigantic bill that will take them years to pay and could eventually bankrupt them. This could also happen to patients who have insurance but, either knowingly or unknowingly, go outside their insurance company's network for care. In my opinion, there's a solution to this problem that would be fair to both parties. For an example, let's use the simplest of these services, an MRI, since I'm a radiologist and am most familiar with billing issues in imaging. There are a variety of different fees a hospital might charge for an MRI, such as: The "chargemaster" fee. That's the highest charge every hospital has for every service (there's a reason for that, but let's not get into it). A discount off the chargemaster fee, often billed to uninsured patients or insured patients who use an out-of-network service. This is also referred to as the self-pay rate. The fee paid by a patient's insurance company. The insurance company negotiates this rate with each individual hospital, and the approved fee at one hospital is different from that at most other hospitals. It depends largely on how much clout the hospital has in the local insurance market. Hospitals that are "must haves" for an insurance company's network can extract higher payments. These insurance company payments are always less than the full chargemaster fee and usually less than the discounted chargemaster fee. The fee paid by Medicare. This is usually less than what the commercial insurance companies pay and invariably is well below the chargemaster fees. The fee paid by Medicaid, which is almost always less than Medicare. A special fee some hospitals offer to try and attract business. Confused yet? You're not alone. An MRI of the low back is a test that is commonly done for back pain. According to the Inquirer's Philly Health Costs database, that test when done in one of the Philadelphia region's major hospitals will cost between $1,300 and $3,000. The majority of these costs appear to be the discounted chargemaster fees. If an uninsured or out-of-network patient has a low back MRI, they will generally be charged this self-pay rate. Meanwhile, the Medicare payment for this test is approximately $330. And it's worth noting that almost every hospital (and its radiology department) in the country accepts Medicare. Although its rates are low, it's a reliable source of revenue. So imagine the plight of the under-65 uninsured patient who does not qualify for Medicaid or other financial assistance and undergoes that MRI at a major Philadelphia hospital. The patient is likely to be low or middle income, or possibly unemployed. The patient could get billed between $1,300 and $3,000 for that MRI. The same applies to a patient who has insurance but has received the MRI at an out-of-network facility. But if the patient had been covered by Medicare, the federal government would have paid about $330 and the hospital would have accepted it, no questions asked. Now, we've been talking about an imaging test but imagine if that same patient has to instead go to the emergency room or have urgent surgery. Then the costs may be 10-15 times higher. Many not-for-profit hospitals, my own included, have financial assistance programs for low-income patients. Under these programs, some patients who are below federal poverty guidelines can qualify for free or discounted care, but others who are somewhat above these guidelines, yet still struggling to get by financially, will be faced with those very high bills. Is it fair that these lower-income patients get stuck with the highest possible charges, when the hospital would be willing to accept Medicare fees for other patients? I think not. That's why hospitals should consider billing financially unstable patients at the Medicare rate, rather than the discounted chargemaster fees, which are much higher. This would only apply to United States residents who can demonstrate true hardship, as indicated by their latest tax return. It would not apply to foreign visitors or wealthier individuals who could afford health insurance but voluntarily forgo it. Uninsured or out-of-network patients who are truly needy make up a very small percentage of the patient population of most hospitals so their revenue hit would be minimal. Let's not make the financial problems of lower-income Americans more difficult than they already are. David Levin, M.D., is emeritus chairman of the department of radiology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. On Friday, FringeArts premiered Bienvenidos Blancos! or Welcome White People!, a bilingual exploration of Cuban heritage through the context of its tumultuous relationship with the United States. Lead by a cast of five, the show attempts to fill the gaps of knowledge about Cuban history, without American more specifically, white oversight. Audience members made their way to their seats to traditional rumba rhythms paired with call-and-response lyrics, played by a four-person drum circle featuring cajons and congas. On a modest set resembling a typical Cuban home, with antique furniture atop a graphic red-and-white patterned floor, the show begins with two American tourists at the start of their Cuban vacation, searching for culture, beaches, and history. Because the show is in both Spanish and English, subtitles are projected onto a white bar stretching across the stage. From the first scene, exaggerated acting and tongue-and-cheek banter made it clear that the production would be highly satirical, aimed mostly at a stereotype aloof and entitled white Americans. While the over-the-top style of acting in Bienvenidos Blancos! garnered a few laughs, it became overwhelming as the show progressed and ultimately distracted from the moral and educational elements of the production. Actors brought life and voice to a marginalized experience. However, those efforts were plagued with chaotic, confusing scenes and stumbles over lines that made important moments less impactful. The on-stage costume changes also felt uncoordinated and led to moments of dead air. The actors redeemed the show through comedy and dance. Miami-based Cuban-American actress Lori Felipe-Barkin and Havana actor Jorge Caballero stood out as the show's most vibrant cast members, mainly because of their dedication to the roles. Both had a willingness to be uninhibited, which helped elevate the show in its entirety. Because of the show's quick pace, digesting the meaning of each scene was laborious. There were subtitles to read, actors' expressions to watch, and the misunderstood and misrepresented history of the Cuban government and its people to grasp. Bienvenidos Blancos! hit a high point when director Alex Torra took to the stage to explain, in more depth, the show's inspiration and to share more context about the extinction of Miami-based Cubans. Torra became misty-eyed when talking about his deceased aunt and his father, who still leaves voice mail reminders to practice his Spanish. Through Torra's honesty and vulnerability, Bienvenidos Blancos! made more sense. He revealed feeling closer to his white American identity than his Cuban heritage because of his distance from the country. The show, he said, provided a creative outlet to share a piece of the identity that he struggles to keep alive. Bienvenidos Blancos! may not align with everyone's taste, but it does open up a more nuanced discussion about identity that could be applied to many nonwhite Americans, especially those from Latin backgrounds. When John Waters gives a public performance of his one-man show at the Annenberg Center's Zellerbach Theater on Tuesday, admission is free, but expect college students in the audience to pay a small price. The iconoclastic filmmaker, author, and self-described "people's pervert" his performance, now sold out, is called "This Filthy Life, an Evening with John Waters" will spend a minute or two chiding collegians for getting schooled in campus activism by a bunch of high school kids from Parkland, Fla. "I just think it's so neat what they're doing," said Waters, a proud college dropout and lifelong advocate for learning by doing. He sees the latter in the accomplishments of the Parkland students who, after a gunman killed classmates and faculty and shot up their school, used social media tools to create and administer a fruitful political movement. It's an example of what can happen when you "stop studying and leave the classroom," said Waters. It's ironic that Waters' appearance commemorates the creation of the Sachs Program for Arts Innovation at Penn, with a hub at the Annenberg, funded by a $15 million commitment from Keith L. and Katherine Sachs, longtime supporters of arts in the region. Of course, when Waters tells people to stop studying, he does not imply they should stop learning. Waters is a passionate reader (six print newspapers a day, God bless him) and doggedly productive writer (several hours a day, longhand, starting at dawn) who learned about life by soaking up the bohemian culture of his native Baltimore in the 1960s. He preferred those lessons to the curriculum offered at the high schools all three of them he attended in the Baltimore area. When you leave the classroom, he said, "you start living. And that's where the real learning starts," he said. An obsession with "getting on the honor roll" might get you into a prestigious school, but achievement, in his view, can also be seen in the fact that the Parkland kids have actually accomplished the passage of new gun control laws in conservative Florida. Waters attended NYU very briefly before leaving in the midst of a pot-smoking scandal. He learned the craft of movies by watching and making them, including his 1972 bad-taste breakthrough, Pink Flamingos. "Philadelphia was one of the first cities where it caught on and helped pave the way for success in other cities," Waters said of Flamingos, about a competition to crown the "filthiest person alive" and known for its infamous dog-poop sequence. Forewarned is forearmed. "My whole show is a trigger warning," said Waters, aware he may be speaking to students accustomed to safe spaces. That's never been his zip code. "I thought you went to college to be challenged. That's the point of leaving your home, your comfort zone, and learning new things." Certainly it's worked for Waters, who made a series of independent and willfully disreputable movies starting in the 1970s Polyester, Hairspray, Female Trouble, 19 in all and though he hasn't made a movie in several years (not for want of trying) he hasn't faded into obscurity. Instead, he's found gasp! respectability, despite a lifetime of trying to avoid it. He's now working on a book about "how to avoid respectability if you accidentally get it." It may be too late for Waters. Hairspray became a Broadway hit, and Waters' has become, to his surprise, a beloved figure honored, even. Sought out for speaking engagements by fancy schools, honored by venerable groups he received the Writer's Guild award in 2017 for lifetime achievement, presented by fellow bard-of-Baltimore David Simon, creator of HBO's The Wire. "It's a little like being at our own funeral, listening to people line up to say nice things about you. But I'm proud of it," said Waters, who has described writing as the only part of filmmaking he truly loves. "I've always been a writer. It's really how I make my living." And Waters is far from dead, professionally or otherwise. He's been writing screenplays diligently and has sold a few in recent years, though none have gotten a studio green light. That's a bit strange, because as Waters' movie projects sit in Hollywood limbo, his aesthetic seems more popular on screen than ever. Certainly he made the commercial world safe for the gross-out comedy his fingerprints are on the current comedy Blockers, about girls trying to lose their virginity on prom night, featuring wrestler John Cena doing something unspeakable with beer and a funnel. It's an act that Waters regular Divine might have done in the old days without batting a false eyelash. Have the movies caught up to him? "I think it's more like they've come down to me," Waters said. Or they've all met in a happy middle. Certainly what Blockers and the Broadway version of Hairspray understand is that underneath all the "filth," Waters was trying to embrace humanity in all its forms, or to gather everyone under humanity's biggest tent (as he says, "I was never a separatist"). His movies are a cocktail (dirty martini?) of race, class, sexuality, gender fluidity. "I generally don't think [my movies] have ever been mean. I think with me, audiences want to be surprised and taken someplace where they don't feel safe, and you can do that without being cruel. There's a line there, and I've been searching for that line my whole career what you can get away with and still be funny. I actually think I'm weirdly politically correct, as much as I make fun of that whole concept," he said. Waters was also a DIY guy before that was a thing. If it comes to it, would he scrounge money for another independent film? Waters said he's way too old for Kickstarter. He likes budgets. "When I make a movie, I want to be able to pay people." Besides, he's writing nonstop. He's written nine books (his latest, Make Trouble, based on his 2015 Rhode Island School of Design commencement speech, will be on sale at the Zellerbach), and is working on another collection of essays, Mr. Know It All. He's writing and touring with shows like "This Filthy World," and will continue with his annual Christmas performance, already booked for more than a dozen cities (including Philadelphia). As our conversation concluded, he was preparing to jet off for an appearance in Buenos Aires. It's a hectic life, and he loves it. "If I stopped," he said "I'd probably die." Nicole D. Murray, 24, was found dead in the Poconos on Friday, after going missing after Christmas 2017. Read more Nicole Murray loved Wawa and David Bowie and taking selfies that much one can discern from her Facebook page. She didn't attempt to hide that she was also dealing with deep pain. Someone asked, when she updated her profile photo for the sixth time in a year, why she always looked so sad. She replied simply: "I am." But what happened over the final days of Murray's life after she was last seen in Kensington in late December 2017, and before her body was found on Friday near a vacant trailer in rural Tunkhannock Township, about 30 miles east of Wilkes-Barre remains a mystery. Murray, 24, of Northeast Philadelphia, had studied at Community College of Philadelphia and had recently been accepted into a nursing program, according to her aunt Diane Scully. "She was so sweet, so beautiful, so smart, so kind," said Scully, of Holland, Bucks County. "A tiny little person with a squeaky voice, but a big heart." But, according to Facebook posts by friends and family, Murray had numbed the grief of losing her father to cancer five years ago with drugs, a coping mechanism that blossomed into addiction. She became a familiar face to some of Kensington's homeless heroin users. Sometime after Christmas, one of them saw her get into a car with a man who was also well-known to that community and drive off. Murray was last heard from via text message on Jan. 3, Scully said. On Jan. 8, a Facebook post purportedly from Murray's mother reported that the man had called her from Murray's phone, and told her Murray had left three days earlier, leaving her possessions behind. The trail went cold until Friday, when a Tunkhannock resident called in a tip to the police. But answers are still scarce. The property where Murray was found was not the location where she was believed to have been staying. "The investigation is ongoing," Pocono Mountain Regional Police Chief Chris Wagner said in a statement. "An autopsy is scheduled for Monday." After that, a toxicology report could take four to six weeks, according to Kevin Ryan, a missing-persons investigator retained by Murray's family. While Murray's death has been labeled suspicious, Ryan said, "from what I understand, I don't suspect it was a homicide at this point, but I can't say for sure. Nothing is ruled out. All possible causes of death are still on the table." Scully is adamant that Murray was clean at the time she disappeared. She does not know why Murray went to the Poconos. "We think she just went up there for a week and she was looking to come home. She had reached out to one of her friends to come home, and that was the last anybody ever heard from her," Scully said. The man who reportedly drove Murray there had previously invited other women to his rural home and had been spotted near a homeless encampment under the Frankford Avenue bridge in Kensington as recently as Saturday. Kaelyn Bragger, 28, said she had gone upstate with the same man just last year. She was high on Xanax at the time. She described him as a meth and crack user, and a regular patron of prostitutes. "I might've dodged a bullet," she said upon learning of Murray's death. "I remember telling the cops, if she was with him and he took her up there, good luck finding her," she said. "If you offered me a million dollars to get back to that cabin, I couldn't find it." David Levinson, 55, who knew Murray from Kensington, said he had been concerned since he watched the man pick her up in his white Chrysler convertible. "He preys on women in addiction," Levinson said. He said he had been staying at the encampment along Emerald Street at the time, but is now clean. Murray, too, had been working to leave Kensington behind, he said. "She was cutting back on her opiate use, cutting back on everything," he said. "But for whatever reason, she always kept running back." Murray's family, though, said that claims from people in Kensington had only clouded the investigation with misinformation and bad tips. "We don't think heroin played a part in any of this," Scully said. "We just think she went with the wrong person." Kate, the wife of Prince William, gave birth to a baby boy on Monday, the couple's third child who is fifth in line to the British throne. The boy, weighing eight pounds and seven ounces (3.8 kilogrammes), was born at 11:01 am (10:01 GMT), Kensington Palace announced. Mother and baby are both doing well, the palace said, and William, the Duke of Cambridge, was present for the birth. William was seen smiling as he left St. Mary's Hospital in central London shortly after 4:00 pm, waving to media outlets from around the world assembled outside. He returned half an hour later, having collected from school the couple's two other children; four-year-old Prince George and Princess Charlotte, aged two. Charlotte gave a wave to the crowd of onlookers and media as the trio entered the hospital, Queen Elizabeth II, William's father Prince Charles, and his brother Prince Harry were said to be delighted with the news. "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 11:01 hours," the palace announced in its brief statement. Prime Minister Theresa May led the messages of support saying: "My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. "I wish them great happiness for the future." Kate, 36, was admitted early Monday to the hospital's private Lindo Wing, where she had given birth to George and Charlotte. Royal fanatics, who had been camped outside the hospital wing for several days in anticipation, jumped for joy and popped open champagne. "We're going to celebrate with fish and chips!" said John Loughrey, who was wearing a Union Jack hat and clutching a plastic doll with a crown. Maria Scott, 46, a housewife from Newcastle in northeast England, has been in place for 15 days. "It's really important to show support because they need to know how much they are loved by the people," she told AFP. "We're very proud of our monarchy." The baby was born on St. George's Day, England's national day. Tony Appleton, a town-crier dressed in a flamboyant red uniform, announced the news from the steps of the hospital to a crowd of supporters and media. The birth was also announced on the display screen atop the 189-metre (620 feet) BT Tower in London, with the message "It's a boy!" Meanwhile sailors and royal marines aboard HMS Albion lined up on the flight deck of the assault ship on operations in the Asia-Pacific region to spell out "boy!" The baby boy is a sixth great-grandchild for Queen Elizabeth, who turned 92 on Saturday, and her husband Prince Philip. He will hold the title of prince after the Queen changed the rules in 2012 to ensure that all of William's children would be entitled to the style, not just his eldest son. As with their two other children, the royal couple did not know whether the baby was going to be a boy or a girl. Bookmakers have Arthur, Albert, Frederick, James and Philip as their favourites for the young prince's name. The boy does not overtake Charlotte in the line of succession due to new laws agreed across the 16 Commonwealth realms where Queen Elizabeth is the head of state, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand. A night at the Lindo Wing costs 7,500 ($10,500, 8,550 euros), including a delivery package and two-room suite, excluding consultants' fees. The birth was overseen by consultant obstetrician Guy Thorpe-Beeston, who is the surgeon gynaecologist to the royal household, and consultant gynaecologist Alan Farthing, the Queen's surgeon-gynaecologist. They were part of the trusted team who also delivered George and Charlotte. The duchess had suffered severe morning sickness during all three pregnancies. William, who is destined to become king after Charles, and Kate met at St. Andrews University in Scotland. They tied the knot at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29, 2011, in a ceremony watched by up to two billion people worldwide. The marriage helped breathe new life into Britain's monarchy after years of crisis. The Sun newspaper reported Sunday that Kate's sister Pippa Middleton, 34, is pregnant with her first child. The new royal baby's birth will be celebrated with a 41-gun salute in London's Hyde Park and The Tower of London will also fire 62 rounds. Search Keywords: Short link: Here's the latest dish on satellite dishes. The Federal Communications Commission has invalidated a 2011 Philadelphia ordinance restricting placement of satellite dishes in the city, an ordinance put forth years ago by now-City Council President Darrell Clarke. The ruling on Wednesday now means there are no official restrictions on satellite dishes across the city. Philadelphia passed the ordinance citing the dish's potential effects on aesthetics, property values, and safety, but enforcement was stayed while the FCC deliberated for seven years. The FCC said the ban is prohibited by its over-the-air reception-devices rule, which protects the rights of antenna users to install and use such devices to get more choice. A full copy of the ruling is available at the FCC's website. "We are pleased that the FCC found that Philadelphia's dish-placement restrictions were unreasonable, and would have made television service much more expensive for tens of thousands of Philadelphians," said Steve Hill, president of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association, in a statement. Clarke spokeswoman Jane Roh said "this ordinance was introduced in response to constituent complaints that front-facing satellites are unsightly and frequently abandoned, meaning, there are a significant number of nonfunctioning satellites on top of homes throughout the city." "Council President Clarke will continue to press the satellite-television industry to take some responsibility for abandoned satellites, which are installed by trained professionals for good reason and should be uninstalled by trained professionals for the same reasons," she added. Clarke introduced the dish-ban bill to regulate the placement of unsightly satellite dishes around the city, but immediately faced opposition from satellite companies and landlords. His bill forbade property owners from placing satellites on a building's street-front side and required the removal of satellites not in use. Some telecommunications companies leave up satellites that they have installed, even if service is canceled. This week, the FCC's legal ruling granted a 2012 petition by the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association, a Washington lobbying group for satellite-dish companies such as DirecTV and DISH Network. The FCC permanently invalidated Philadelphia's dish-placement legislation. It found that numerous provisions in the law including placement restrictions, paperwork obligations, and painting requirements "unreasonably raised the cost of satellite-television service, unreasonably delayed dish installation, or unreasonably hindered reception," the industry statement said. "We hope that other city governments considering similar restrictions will take heed of the FCC's decision." City officials said they were simply acting on behalf of residents who wanted to get rid of "dish blight." Roh also noted that the city ordinance received broad support from the National League of Cities and the National Association of Counties. Other cities including Boston and Los Angeles have also considered bans on satellite dishes, but the ruling applies only to Philadelphia, an FCC spokesman said. Bill Cosby's retrial on sexual-assault charges, the second courtroom showdown between the 80-year-old entertainer and Andrea Constand, one of the first women to publicly accuse him, was no simple repeat of the first. From the defense efforts to paint Constand as a gold-digging opportunist to the testimony of five additional Cosby accusers who were called as prosecution witnesses, here's everything you need to know about the case. Below are day-by-day recaps of the trial that ended with Cosby's conviction. TRIAL WEEK 3 Day 14, April 26: The jury found Cosby guilty of all three counts of aggravated indecent assault, marking the first celebrity criminal conviction of the #MeToo era. Cosby lashed out at the district attorney, calling him an "asshole," and the judge ordered Cosby to stay at his home in Cheltenham until his sentencing. His lawyers vowed to appeal the case, while prosecutors praised Constand for her courage. (READ MORE: Bill Cosby guilty in sex assault trial) Day 13, April 25: A jury of seven men and five women began deliberating Bill Cosby's fate in his sexual-assault retrial Wednesday. By the time they went back to their hotel for the night after 10 hours of work, the jurors had asked several questions of the judge. The first, less than two hours into deliberations: "What is the legal definition of consent?" (READ MORE: Jury deliberations end for the first day in Bill Cosby retrial) Day 12, April 24: Prosecutors lashed into Bill Cosby in their final pitch to jurors, painting him as a serial sexual predator who hid for decades behind his reputation as "America's Dad" to lure unsuspecting young women into situations where they were powerless to resist his advances. And they responded contemptuously to what they described as "utterly shameful" and "filthy" efforts by Cosby's lawyers to tear down the six women who testified against the 80-year-old entertainer at trial. The defense likened their client's legal woes to a "lynching" and dismissed outright the #MeToo movement whose shadow has loomed large over the proceedings. (READ MORE: Bill Cosby prosecutors: This is why sexual assault victims don't report this crime ALSO: Maria Panaritis: In Cosby trial closing, a putrid attack on accusers is bad news for #metoo) Day 11, April 23: Bill Cosby's defense rested its case Monday after calling 10 witnesses over four days to suggest that Andrea Constand fabricated her sex-assault allegations to get Cosby's money and that the entertainer was not even at his Cheltenham home around the time she said he drugged and attacked her there. The 80-year-old entertainer chose not to take the witness stand in his own behalf, paving the way for lawyers on both sides to deliver closing arguments Tuesday. (READ MORE: Bill Cosby's lawyers close their case; closing arguments to start Tuesday) The set-up: She has not attended her husband's retrial on sexual assault charges. She is not on the list of witnesses. Her name has not even been uttered in the courtroom. But Camille Cosby remains a central figure in the case. Cosby's wife of 54 years is active behind the scenes, communicating with her husband's publicist and keeping up with the case. She has stood by him since 2014, when women began to publicly accuse Cosby of sexual misconduct. When the first trial ended with a jury deadlock in June, she issued a searing attack on the judge and district attorney that a spokeswoman read to dozens of reporters. And her presence has loomed in occasional, if not uncomfortable, references to Bill Cosby's marital status and infidelity comments inside and outside the courtroom by witnesses, the lawyers, and even Cosby's own publicist. (READ MORE: Bill Cosby's wife is not at his trial. But Camille Cosby's presence looms) WEEK 2 Day 10, April 20: Bill Cosby's lawyers shifted focus at his retrial Friday, hoping to convince jurors that it was impossible for his 2004 sexual encounter with accuser Andrea Constand to have occurred when she says it did and to prove that it falls outside the state's statute of limitations for sex crimes. (READ MORE: As Bill Cosby trial winds down, defense shifts focus toward aiming to prove he was out of town) Day 9, April 19: Jurors heard conflicting testimony from two toxicologists, one called by each side in Bill Cosby's sex assault retrial. The prosecution's expert said Andrea Constand could have felt weak and woozy, with blurred vision and a dry mouth, as quickly as 10 to 15 minutes after taking pills that Cosby gave her. The expert called by Cosby's defense team said she couldn't have felt those symptoms so quickly or severely from the Benadryl that Cosby said he gave her. It will be left to the jurors who could get the case early next week to determine which expert to believe, if either. (READ MORE: At Bill Cosby trial, drug experts offer conflicting opinions) Day 8, April 18: She's the one person defense lawyers hope can single-handedly sink the sexual-assault case against Bill Cosby. And as she testified for the first time Wednesday, Marguerite Jackson quickly got to the point. The Temple University academic adviser recalled a conversation she said she had with Andrea Constand in 2004 one in which she said Cosby's chief accuser spoke of fabricating her abuse claims to extort a celebrity. (READ MORE: Bill Cosby's star witness: Constand said she could frame celebrity to 'get money') Day 7, April 17: Prosecutors barreled toward the conclusion of their case against Bill Cosby on Tuesday, presenting testimony from a series of investigators and the 80-year-old entertainer's own words about his 2004 sexual encounter with Andrea Constand. Cosby's statements from a 2005 interview he gave to police and a deposition later that year weren't new to followers of his first sexual assault trial, which ended with a hung jury in June. But for jurors, the transcripts read aloud by detectives late Tuesday were likely the only chance they will have to hear from the defendant before they are charged with deciding his fate. Cosby is not expected to testify as part of his defense. (READ MORE: Using Bill Cosby's own words, prosecutors near end of their case against comedy icon) Day 6, April 16: Cosby's lawyer, Tom Mesereau, harangued, challenged, quizzed and needled Constand for a second day of cross-examination, and throughout, the lawyer's questioning seemed designed less to elicit answers from Constand than to speak directly to jurors. Constand largely stood firm, but how well the defense lawyer's tactic was able to expose cracks in her story will be key to the Cosby team's ability to win an acquittal in the case. (READ MORE: Constand denies defense claims that she plotted to extort Cosby) The set-up: The first week of Cosby's retrial was packed with headline-grabbing variations from the court fight last year. But one of the prosecutors' more subtle strategy shifts could be the one that pays the greatest dividends. Before parading a string of new accusers to the witness stand in Norristown, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele chose to kick off his case with a forensic psychiatrist who spent an hour on the witness stand dispelling common cultural misconceptions on how sexual-assault victims ought to react to their abuse. It was a master class for understanding the #MeToo moment that has pervaded the wider culture since Cosby's last trial. Critically, the psychiatrist's testimony seemed designed to lay down a defensive perimeter and preemptively blunt the attacks Cosby's lawyers would lob at the accusers called to the stand throughout the week. (READ FIRST: At Bill Cosby trial, a #MeToo master class set the stage for prosecutors) WEEK 1 Day 5, April 13: Opening what could be the most critical point of the trial yet, Andrea Constand, the woman Cosby is on trial for allegedly assaulting, took the witness stand. For nearly eight hours, she recounted the allegations she first lodged against the comedy icon in 2005. It was clear from the start that prosecutors were attempting to get in front of the expected attacks from Cosby's lawyers, who have painted Constand as a gold-digging opportunist in the run up to the trial. "Ms. Constand, why are you here?" Constand was asked at one point. She replied: "For justice." (READ MORE: Bill Cosby's lawyer tries to rattle Constand as she takes the stand 'for justice') Day 4, April 12: In the pantheon of Cosby's more than 60 accusers, there may be no better-known name than hers. And as former supermodel Janice Dickinson better known these days for her late career turns on shows like America's Next Top Model and Celebrity Rehab testified in the 80-year-old entertainer's sexual assault retrial, she brought that reality TV-honed pugnacity with her. Dickinson and and defense lawyer Tom Mesereau traded barbs in an electric cross-examination over her allegation that Cosby drugged and raped her at a hotel in Lake Tahoe in 1982. The day also saw testimony from the fifth and final additional accuser to take the stand, schoolteacher and former model Lise-Lotte Lublin. (READ MORE: Model Janice Dickinson, Bill Cosby's most famous accuser, takes the witness stand at trial) Day 3, April 11: One woman said she came to testify because "I want to see a serial rapist convicted." Another, after recounting alleged abuse from three decades ago, interrupted the judge to turn toward the 80-year-old entertainer and say, "You remember, don't you, Mr. Cosby?" A third lashed out at a defense lawyer: "If you want to twist my words around to say that I was never raped, then you are incorrect, sir." Bill Cosby is not on trial for sexually assaulting any of them, but the three women called to the witness stand Wednesday took full advantage of their chance to finally confront him across a courtroom. (READ MORE: 'You remember, don't you, Mr. Cosby?' Three accusers confront comedy icon in court) Day 2, April 10: The first of six women expected to testify that Bill Cosby drugged and assaulted them told jurors that she initially blamed herself for her alleged attack and that she was too ashamed to tell anyone at the time. The testimony from Heidi Thomas, a 58-year-old mother and music teacher from Castle Rock, Colo., set the stage for the string of other women Montgomery County prosecutors intend to call as witnesses over the next several days. It came on the same day that Cosby's lead defense attorney Tom Mesereau delivered his opening pitch to the jury. His blistering attack on Constand, in which he called her a "con artist" and "so-called victim," marked a stark departure from the approach Cosby's defense team took in his first trial. (READ MORE: Cosby accuser testifies she blamed herself for alleged assault during Reno acting lesson) Day 1, April 9: All three rings of the Cosby case circus were active on the trial's first day as opening statements were delayed by a last-minute attempt to boot a juror, District Attorney Kevin Steele revealed for the first time the sum Cosby paid Constand in 2005, and a topless protester a former "The Cosby Show" guest star charged at the 80-year-old entertainer as he entered the courthouse in Norristown. (READ MORE: Bill Cosby paid Andrea Constand $3.4 million to settle 2005 lawsuit over assault, prosecutor says) The set-up: Tom Mesereau, the man who will defend Cosby as his second sexual assault trial begins Monday in Norristown is known as one of Hollywood's most sought-after legal aces, with a string of seemingly improbable courtroom victories and a client list that has included Michael Jackson, Mike Tyson, and actor Robert Blake. While he does not quite fit the stereotype of a Hollywood defense lawyer, it's hard to argue with his results. (READ MORE: Who is Tom Mesereau? As Bill Cosby's retrial opens meet his Hollywood lawyer) JURY SELECTION Day 4, April 5: Prosecutors and Cosby's defense team completed jury selection, choosing the six alternates. But both sides appeared more relaxed as they chose the men and women who will only participate in deliberations if one of the original 12 panelists is removed. One man who made the cut said he couldn't guarantee that he would not be influenced by what he already had heard about the case, and a middle-aged white woman said she thought Cosby was guilty. Meanwhile, a Philadelphia judge tossed a defamation suit filed against Constand by former Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. (READ MORE: Judge dismisses former DA's lawsuit against Cosby accuser Andrea Constand) Day 3, April 4: The panel that will decide Bill Cosby's fate was cemented, as lawyers completed a three-day search for 12 Montgomery County residents who hadn't already made up their minds about the case. In the end, all but one member of the new panel said they were at least somewhat familiar with the sexual-assault allegations at the center of the case. Some even said they had heard that a previous set of 12 jurors had been unable to reach a unanimous verdict, a deadlock that prompted a mistrial last year. (READ MORE: Bill Cosby jury selected: 7 men, 5 women) Day 2, April 3: In a flurry of last-minute rulings, Judge Steven T. O'Neill said he would let Cosby's defense team disclose in court details of a confidential 2006 legal settlement between Constand and the entertainer including how much he paid her to resolve a sexual-assault civil suit she had filed the year before. Both sides had agreed during Cosby's trial last June to keep the details of that suit out of court. Meanwhile, jury selection continued with seven Montgomery County residents selected for the panel. (READ MORE: Bill Cosby's payout to Andrea Constand will be revealed at trial, judge rules) Day 1, April 2: More than half of those summoned on the first day of jury selection for Cosby's second sexual-assault trial said they already had made up their minds about the case. And as lawyers began the slow process of winnowing that group to the panel that ultimately would decide Cosby's fate, it became clear that they may be facing an arduous task. (READ MORE: More than half of possible jurors in Bill Cosby retrial say they've already made up their minds) The setup: Cosby returns to Norristown with new lawyers and an aggressive new defense strategy that seeks to paint Constand, 44, as a gold-digging opportunist who they say once told a confidant of a plot to extort money from the entertainer. Prosecutors also have bolstered their case, adding planned testimony from five additional accusers including former supermodel Janice Dickinson. And as the proceedings which are expected to last about a month get underway, even Judge Steven T. O'Neill said he is not quite sure what to expect. (READ MORE: As Bill Cosby's second trial begins, what's different this time?) The last trial: Cosby's first trial ended in a hung jury and a mistrial in June, when jurors reported that they were hopelessly deadlocked and could not reach a verdict. The outcome set up the retrial set to play out this month, nearly a year after the first proceedings. (READ MORE: Cosby's only criminal sex-assault case ends in hung jury, mistrial | Day-by-day updates on the first trial) Keep up with every development in Bill Cosby's case with our day-by-day recaps, timeline, and explainer on everything you need to know about the case and its major players. Eric Eberhart was shot and killed April 23 in Nicetown. He was a devoted father, a hardworking man known for his quiet determination. Read more A 46-year-old man was shot dead minutes after he dropped his toddler daughter off at a day care center Monday in Nicetown. The victim's 17-year-old son was in the car and watched as he was gunned down, police said. The shooter, they added, was a man the victim had "history" with. The shooting happened on the 4400 block of Germantown Avenue shortly after 8 a.m., just after Eric Eberhart, known in the neighborhood as a devoted father, volunteer football coach, and hard worker, took his 2-year-old to the child-care center, police said. Eberhart was spotted by Darnell Snell, 49, of the 1000 block of Van Kirk Street in the Summerdale section of the Northeast, who was driving a white delivery van, police said. Snell, authorities said, worked for the CBS Kosher Food Program and was making a delivery to the day-care center. The men "had some history together," Capt. John Ryan, commander of the Homicide Unit, said during an afternoon news conference. They argued, and Eberhart got into his vehicle and drove off. Snell, police said, followed and after about a block shot Eberhart, who was struck in the chest in view of his son. "It was absolutely terrible," said Ryan. "Our hearts go out to the family." Eberhart, of the 1600 block of Bristol Street in Nicetown, died shortly afterward at Einstein Medical Center as police combed the area for Snell. Police said that after the shooting, Snell abandoned the van on the 2100 block of Tioga Street in nearby Tioga, outside another day-care center. He eventually surrendered to the Homicide Unit and was taken into custody, police said Monday night. Ryan said Snell and Eberhart argued "over a woman that they're both familiar with," but did not elaborate. Authorities said that it appeared that Snell and Eberhart's meeting was a chance encounter. On Monday night, family and friends gathered outside the Eberhart home, hugging, crying, laughing, and telling stories about a man who was well-respected in the neighborhood, they said. Eberhart worked hard as a custodian and a handyman, but had also spent time working in security and had received promotions while working in shoplifting prevention at stores in New Jersey. He had hoped to become a police officer, his family said. But perhaps the first thing that people knew about Eberhart was what a devoted dad he was. To his five children from his eldest, a college student, to the 2-year-old, whom he celebrated with a birthday party this month Eberhart was an involved father. From the time son Eric Jr. was a baby, Eberhart had raised the boy alone, the family said. It was Eric Jr. who watched his father be gunned down. "He was a family man," said cousin Yvonne Eberhart. Eberhart overcame early losses to thrive, his family said. His mother died when he was 10, and he and his brother, to whom he was close, were raised by their grandmother. He got a job at age 14, and that set a pattern for his life he had a strong work ethic, his family said. He graduated from Gratz High School, where his speed made him an asset to the track team. "There was something special about him; he would help anybody out," said Michael Pannell, another cousin. "People respected him. He had a bark, but he had no bite." He was curious and energetic, the family said, and not afraid to speak his mind. Eberhart coached Eric Jr., who played in the Nicetown Titans football league. And he was good with his hands; he was known as the person in the family you could call if you were moving, or needed someone to hang a mirror or complete another project around the house. Two days before his death, Eberhart got together with cousin Lavarr Zuber, who always looked up to him. "It can be hard out here for a black man, but he was strong," said Zuber. "He was a mentor to me." Zuber and Eberhart watched the 76ers playoff win on TV Saturday over the Heat in Miami. They hadn't seen each other in a few months, and it was a joyful time, Zuber said. They vowed to make plans to go to Las Vegas together Eberhart had never been there, and he wanted to see a little more of the world. The scene felt a little surreal Monday night, friends and family said. Someone bought chicken, hot dogs and hamburgers, and a grill made the block smell good. Children ran around, riding bikes. Pannell pointed to a little boy in a red shirt, zooming around on a scooter and smiling. It was Eberhart's 7-year-old son. "It's going to hit him when he goes to the funeral," Pannell said. "It's going to hit him when he sees his dad in a coffin." Joe Meloche (left) Superintendent of Cherry Hill Public Schools testifies with Cherry Hill Police Chief William Monaghan (right) before a joint hearing of the N.J. Senate and Assembly Committees on school security earlier this month. Read more Campus police officers at Cherry Hill's two public high schools began carrying weapons Monday, replacing township police officers who had been assigned to the schools following the massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Cherry Hill West and East now have two armed officers each, Superintendent Joseph Meloche said in a letter to parents. There have been campus officers at the high schools since the 1980s, but they were not authorized to carry weapons. The school board approved a policy change last month allowing the officers to carry weapons effective Monday, the superintendent said. The district's security director has been armed since March 28, he said. Cherry Hill police assigned an armed officer to each of the high schools on March 5 after protests led by students about security concerns in the aftermath of the February school shooting in Florida that left 17 dead. At the time, officials said the officers would remain in place until the end of the school year. In the letter to parents on Friday, Meloche said arming campus police officers was the next step for the district, which has 19 schools and enrolls about 11,200 students. Next school year, the district plans to hire five additional campus police officers who will be assigned to the middle and elementary schools, he said. "The safety and security of our children will always remain the primary focus of our responsibility, every day," Meloche wrote. Police Chief William "Bud" Monaghan said two township police officers will continue to conduct random walk-throughs daily, one at each high school. Three township officers are assigned to the middle schools and four to the elementary schools, he said. "We will still have a very visible presence," the chief said. Monaghan said arming the campus police officers was a step in the right direction for the district. Three are retired police officers who are certified by the New Jersey Police Training Commission and undergo regular training with township police, he said. His department provided the officers with weapons, bullet-proof vests, and radio communications systems, he said. "They're fully-sworn trained police officers, but they work for the school district," Monaghan said Monday. "From our perspective, it's extremely positive. They're more than doubling their force." In an email Monday, a district spokeswoman said "the school day has progressed as usual at our schools" with the armed campus officers replacing township police. A toddler who was shot while in a car with his father in Southwest Philadelphia last week was still in critical condition Monday with life-threatening injuries at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, police said. The boy's father, 21, was in stable condition at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, also the victim of multiple gunshot wounds. Police said the adult is believed to have been the intended target. The 21-month-old child was shot three times once in his left shoulder, once in the left midsection, and once in his left hip. Police said the father was shot several times across his body. The father and son were in a black Dodge Charger in the vicinity of 67th and Trinity Streets in the Mount Moriah neighborhood at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday when, investigators believe, a single shooter approached the vehicle and fired 10 shots. The father had been on his way to drop the boy off at a relative's home. He drove to the 12th District police station about two blocks away to get help. The victims' names are not being released. The investigation was continuing. Pa. state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, left, and Rep. Chris Rabb highlight ideological animus rife in the Capitol. Read more Perhaps you've noticed strange things emanate from your state Capitol. I mean apart from frequent whiffs of worthlessness, the occasional stench of mendacity. Well, a clash last week twixt two lawmakers shows how noxious Harrisburg can be. Following a House State Government Committee meeting where a bill creating a citizens' redistricting commission was gutted and replaced with a measure giving lawmakers greater redistricting power, Philly Democratic Rep. Chris Rabb went off on the committee chairman, Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R., Butler). They aren't pals. Rabb calls Metcalfe "a bully." Metcalfe calls Rabb a "wackjob." And their post-meeting encounter wasn't cordial. "He came at me with a profanity-laced tirade," Metcalfe tells me. "He was very disrespectful." Profanity-laced as in what, I ask. "I don't use the words he used," says Metcalfe. Rabb explains: "I use colorful language. I don't apologize for profanity. What's profane is his policies, which are racist and hate-based." So, you said? "I called what he did in committee fing disgusting," says Rabb, "an abomination to the democratic process." Basically, Metcalfe blew off a few years of grassroots and bipartisan legislative effort to get citizens rather than politicians deciding legislative and congressional districts. That effort, he says, "is dead to me." White-hot issue. White-hot argument. But there's more. During their tiff, Rabb says Metcalfe threatened him by saying, "We'd have a very different conversation on the street." Rabb took this to imply violence. Metcalfe's a fierce gun-rights advocate who annually hosts pro-gun rallies and has been rumored to carry in the Capitol. So, Rabb wrote to House officials seeking measures "to ensure my safety." (If you're having deja vu, forget it. This is unrelated to the recent case of one lawmaker securing a restraining order against another lawmaker also rumored to carry in the Capitol. Yippee ki-yay.) Metcalfe's story? He tells me, "It's just ludicrous. For him [Rabb] to be the one who's a perpetrator, then try to turn that into himself as a victim he's fearful? Ridiculous." Metcalfe has a concealed-carry permit but says he doesn't tote under the dome. He claims his reference to the street meant if the two were in a public place, Rabb wouldn't use such language. Rabb notes, and others confirm, that they were in a public place, a hearing room packed with redistricting-reform supporters and media. So, there's that. The incident isn't the first drawing attention to Metcalfe and his committee. Last year, Philly Democratic Rep. Brian Sims snapped as Metcalfe pushed a measure to stop state funding to Philadelphia or any place functioning as a "sanctuary city," claiming no "patriotic American" would oppose it. Sims, son of two retired Army lieutenant colonels, says, "It was offensive. I'm intensely patriotic." He says he and Metcalfe clash on many issues and calls Metcalfe "a racist, sexist, homophobic bigot." Metcalfe also made news in December when, during a committee meeting, he told his committee's ranking Democrat, Montco's Matt Bradford, to stop touching him. "I'm a heterosexual," Metcalfe said to Bradford, "I don't like men, as you might Stop touching me all the time." Metcalfe tells me these episodes are a Democratic strategy "to provoke the chairman." He says Braford "touched me 38 times last year on video." (Committee meetings are recorded. So, Metcalfe or someone must have reviewed meetings to get a touch count. Also, it would appear the "strategy" works.) Metcalfe took to Twitter last Friday: labeled Rabb a "lying Philadelphia liberal Democrat;" Sims, a "lying homosexual;" and Bradford, "touchy-feely." He also wrote, "I block all substantive Democratic legislation sent to my committee and advance good Republican legislation!" Ah, yes, the Pennsylvania legislative way. Much of this the name-calling, the gun stuff, the hard partisanship, apparent obsessions suggests the need for intervention and a couple civics lessons. And if the legislature had leaders who cared about the institution, its image, its decorum and how it serves the public that pays for it, maybe that would happen. As is, the atmosphere remains more than a tad toxic. With his fourth exercise of the clemency power, President Trump again chose to favor someone (Lewis "Scooter" Libby, chief of staff to former Vice President Dick Cheney) who is connected and powerful. Meanwhile, none of the deserving federal prisoners with pending petitions including many serving narcotics sentences that are now broadly condemned have received a similar benefit. This is legal, but it is wrong. Clemency which at its best is principled mercy needs to be considered for those outside the shallow pool of a president's friends, and friends of friends. Trump's brutal favoritism makes a mockery of a deeply held principle intentionally placed in the Constitution by the framers. While few people seem to think federal penalties for perjury, mishandling classified information, fraud, and contempt of court are too harsh (at least relative to the many who have criticized the drug laws), they are the offenses committed by those Trump has seen fit for clemency. Libby was convicted of perjury related to the release of a CIA officer's identity; Kristian Saucier, who was pardoned on March 9, had been convicted of keeping defense information without authorization; Sholom Rubashkin had his sentence for fraud and other crimes commuted on Dec. 20; and, perhaps most famously, Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., was pardoned in August for a conviction on a charge of criminal contempt. I am not arguing that mercy isn't a good thing in these cases. In fact, I once signed on to an amicus brief in favor of Rubashkin. Rather, it is disturbing that Trump seems to grant clemency only to those who are connected to him, his friends or Fox News, while thousands of worthy cases linger in the depths of the byzantine clemency process a system that courses slowly through not only the Office of the Pardon Attorney, but also the offices of the deputy attorney general and the White House counsel. At its best, though, clemency is used for those who are disfavored and forgotten in a system that, without mercy, "would wear a countenance too sanguinary and cruel," as Alexander Hamilton put it in No. 74 of the Federalist Papers. The very first use of clemency, in fact, was granted not to friends of a president, but his enemies: In 1795, President George Washington pardoned some of the leaders of the Whiskey Rebellion, who had been sentenced to death for treason. Notably, Washington had personally led the militias across Pennsylvania to address that insurrection. Since then, the pardon power has often been deployed to favor not the wealthy and connected, but those who were least popular, including President Abraham Lincoln's pardons for army deserters and President John F. Kennedy's quiet clemency grants to those over-sentenced for narcotics. If Trump wants a template for action, he should look to President Gerald Ford. Yes, Ford granted perhaps the most controversial pardon of all to his predecessor, Richard Nixon. But he also did something really significant in the same month in 1974: He announced a year-long project to grant clemency to Vietnam-era draft evaders and deserters, which offered more than 13,000 conditional pardons. Trump can, and should, do something similar. Among the more than 11,000 clemency petitions now languishing somewhere in the process are thousands that describe similar stories: narcotics offenders who were over-sentenced, many of whom would receive a much lower sentence under current law. Yes, there are true kingpins in federal prison who deserve to be there. But there are also too many low-level associates, girlfriend-conspirators and small-time dealers. President Barack Obama attempted to address this issue by targeting factors including nonviolence and low-level involvement to identify the best clemency recipients, but did so inefficiently and left far too many people behind. A survey by the U.S. Sentencing Commission found that "by Jan. 19, 2017, there were 2,687 drug trafficking offenders who had been incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons when the Clemency Initiative was announced and who appeared to meet all the announced Clemency Initiative factors. Of them, 92 (3.4 percent) received clemency from President Obama." A 3.4 percent success rate leaves a lot on the table, Mr. Trump. The process within the Justice Department is part of the problem, with its redundant layers of bureaucracy. Trump should accomplish what Obama failed to do and revamp that process so that it is shorter, more efficient, and more directly connected to him, and then use the pardon power more broadly. One option is to create a clemency board to advise him. Or he could pick a pardon attorney he trusts and have that counselor report directly to him. If he prefers, he could also adopt an idea proposed by Paul Larkin at the Heritage Foundation and assign the clemency evaluation process to the vice president. Clemency is in the Constitution for a reason, and it is not simply to favor those close to the president. It would be a good time to return to the original, broader purpose. Mark Osler is the Robert and Marion Short Professor of Law at the University of St. Thomas and the author of "Contemporary Criminal Law." Starbucks' decision to shut down its stores on May 29 for "racial-bias education" training may not be enough to contain the backlash building against it. The boycotts have begun, and the angry social media threads continue apace. A common sentiment is that this initiative is pointless, just another example of "woke capitalism" meant to burnish Starbucks's image and do little else. But I say, "Thanks, Starbucks" and not just for forcing me to pull out my own French press on May 29 and save $5 that would otherwise go for a mediocre espresso. Far from emptily signifying, Starbucks is setting an unusually good example of what should be done when racism becomes a public problem in a public space. In the wake of the arrests of two African American men at a Starbucks in Philadelphia on April 12 for the crime of arriving early for a business meeting, the company has chosen to face its misstep head-on. Rather than pretending it was an isolated event and sweeping it under the rug, it is drawing awareness to the thorny issues underlying the incident. The former is the easier and more commonplace route. The latter should be a model for more organizations to follow. >> Read more: What will happen in Starbucks' racial-bias training? Will it work? After all, every day brings forth a new example of the role race plays in public interactions. Blackness decides whether you're a potential customer or a trespasser, a teen neighbor or a home invader, a drunk college student deserving of indulgence or an imminent threat to passersby. Yet even when racism has played an obvious role in an unfavorable outcome, the usual response is rationalization ("The police were just doing their jobs"), distancing ("It's a local matter"), or a vague expression of disappointment ("This is upsetting"). Meanwhile, the appalling behavior of the biased employee, fisticuffs-happy police officer, or gun-toting neighbor is allowed to fade from the public's mind. Starbucks has chosen a different course. "There's no doubt in my mind that the reason that [police] were called was because they were African American," Howard Schultz, Starbucks' executive chairman, said to CBS host Gayle King. It was an unusually frank admission in a country that often seems that it would rather do anything than acknowledge that racism still exists. "Our practices and training led to the bad outcome," wrote Kevin Johnson, the company's chief executive. That's more than most police departments would admit. This doesn't mean Starbucks is worthy of universal praise. There are valid questions to be asked about how far its advocacy will go. Research shows that the effects of bias training are uneven at best in fact, alerting people to the presence of implicit racial biases may even activate latent stereotypes or make it easier for them to rationalize racist behaviors by framing them as unconscious and thus unchangeable. Will Starbucks' training have follow-through or is it a one-time event? How will the company measure on-the-job behavioral shifts and set expectations for the future? In the past, the company has pursued half-baked efforts toward racial reconciliation. Remember that infamous "Race Together" initiative, in which baristas were instructed to start conversations about race with customers after writing a hashtag on their cups? >> Read more: Analysis: Blacks stopped at much higher rate indoors in Center City No, Starbucks won't conquer racial bias in one afternoon. Still, having even the most incomplete conversation about racism in American daily life is preferable to brushing the issue aside yet again. While closing their shops on one day may not sound like a lot, it's better than we've come to expect and when a similar incident occurs at some other company, as it inevitably will, Starbucks will have set a new baseline for how to address it. Organizations should be willing to do at least this much to fight racism. Hopefully more. Christine Emba is an opinion columnist and editor for the Washington Post. @ChristineEmba Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., carries her baby Maile Pearl Bowlsbey after they went to the Senate floor to vote, on Capitol Hill, Thursday, April 19, 2018 in Washington. Read more Let's set the scene: A woman is representing constituents, changing Senate rules, raising two small children. She was an Army helicopter pilot and the first female double amputee from the Iraq War. The first in many things, including being the first sitting senator to give birth, she's now the reason the Senate voted to allow kids under the age of 1 on the floor of the Senate. But one thing Sen. Tammy Duckworth is not first in, by far, is being a new mom who must work after the birth of a child. She won't be the first to face an issue about where to breast-feed or pump, or when. And judging from the comments on any story about her and about the new Senate rules, she isn't the first woman to be mom-shamed. (Like the pregnant New Zealand prime minister. Or the breast-feeding Australian politician. Or any parent, really.) She was, however, lucky enough to be in a position where she could find a way to be with her newborn, and make working and being a mother just a little easier for herself. Duckworth may have made that rule change look easy (bipartisan and without dissent, folks), and clearly most humans can't expect to bring a newborn to work. But one thing this crystallizes: It's too hard to be a working parent in America. "Just like the senator, there are so many millions of working parents who are really working hard to balance needs of families to do the work they want to do. We're making parents make these impossible choices," said Adrianna Logalbo, managing director of 1,000 Days, an organization that advocates for mothers and babies. Impossible choices, indeed. >> Read more: How one tech founder navigated an acquisition while breastfeeding, and other boss mom feats For example, on the Washington Post's On Parenting blog, there's stories written by a mother who had to go back to work just two weeks after her premature son left the NICU, and a woman who didn't have leave and tried to bring her baby to work. There's also a story from a dad who took unpaid leave when his daughter was born and was ridiculed by his colleagues and boss. (This is the part where I remind us all that the United States is the only country other than Papua New Guinea that doesn't offer paid leave to new parents.) The Senate rule change, of course, doesn't outright help your average non-senator American. What of the office worker? Shift worker? Duckworth's attention is "helping to normalize what it's like to be a mother with a newborn," said Ellen Bravo, co-director of Family Values at Work, a national network that advocates for family-friendly workplaces. "I have a uterus and a brain, and I use both," Patricia Schroeder famously said when asked how she would manage being a member of Congress and a mother to two. This was in the 1970s, and yet it is still too hard to be a mother in the workplace. >> Read more: How can new moms make breastfeeding work? Be realistic, say Philly women "What the MeToo movement reminds us is things we experience make us feel it's either our fault for not figuring it out or it's life. Just the way it is," Bravo says. "And moments like this remind us that it doesn't have to be this way, and this makes it visible how many people are impacted by the mismatch between the structure and the reality of people's lives." Americans still have no paid parental leave. The vast majority can't bring their newborn to work (not that that would that be most people's first choice, anyway). Many can't even work from home when they need to, whether that be for a sick child, spouse or elderly parent. And still parents twist and turn and patch things together to get it all done, just like Duckworth has done. That, alone, should be enough to remind employers (and lawmakers) that they're getting a bargain when they get a working parent. If the Senate can allow for new parents to uphold their constitutional duties, surely we can make things easier for parents to be in the workforce. Moving to the Senate floor in a wheelchair with a little slip of a little girl in her arms so she could vote, Duckworth shows that with some creativity, employers could help make it work for parents. It simply doesn't have to be so hard. Amy Joyce is a writer and editor for On Parenting, the Washington Post's parenting blog. @amyjoyce_berg Following a meeting with Egypt's Minister of Industry and Trade Tarek Kabil to discuss the latest work on Egypt's Suez Canal region, Mamish noted that negotiations with Dubai Ports (DP) are close to reaching an agreement to further develop Egypt's Ain Sokhna port region. Mamish said good news on an agreement is expected in the next two months. Moreover, Minister Kabil affirmed that negotiations between the Egyptian and Russian sides on the establishment of a Russian Industrial Zone in eastern Port Said are progressing smoothly. The deals aims to develop necessary infrastructure at the sites, including water desalination plants and high-power grid networks. Kabil highlighted the Egyptian cabinet's approval for establishing a residential city for Russian experts and workers and their families in Al-Salam City, four kilometres from the planned industrial zone. Mamish also announced a Russian delegation is to visit Cairo this weekend to complete the negotiations led by the Egyptian government, represented by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, with the final agreement to be inked soon. Mamish announced in March that work on the zone would start in 2018 and that Russia would act as an industrial developer to attract companies and global investors for two years. Egypt is working to promote the Suez Canal Economic Zone to attract international investors and boost job creation and economic growth. Search Keywords: Short link: African swine fever (ASF) has been reported in wild boar in Hungary for the first time, worryingly outside the ASF detection zone in place in the country. The virus was confirmed in a single wild boar in the Heves region on Saturday, April 21, the international animal health body OIE reported. Hungary has been monitoring dead wild boar for ASF in Eastern counties near borders with the Ukraine and Poland since 2016, with border checks for pork/pork products and increased passive surveillance in the rest of country from 2017. However, this first case of ASF in Hungary was detected well outside this surveillance zone in the middle of the country. The area will now become a restricted zone. While the source of the virus is officially unknown or inconclusive, the OIE said: Based on the information available at the moment the most likely source of the infection is food waste, introduced by foreign citizens working in large numbers in industrial facilities located in this area. The detailed epidemiological investigation is ongoing. Concerning Anna Williamson, the Animal and Plant Health Agencys (APHA) pig veterinary lead, said: This is concerning as it means that either infection in wild boar nearer the border has been missed, or that the case results from other means of transmission, such as illegal movement of infected pigs or feeding of infected pork/pork products, as was suspected to be the case for the geographical jump to the Czech Republic in 2017. Pork imports from Hungary represented only about 0.64% of all pork imports to UK in 2017, according to APHA. However, it is of note, it added, that 4.5% of lorries from mainland Europe through British ports are Hungarian-registered. Dr Williamson added: This continued westward spread of ASF emphasises the need to raise awareness amongst all pig keepers across Europe of the need for them to take stringent external biosecurity precautions to reduce the risk of introduction. Important procedures to help keep ASF out of the UK include: Providing dedicated clothing and boots for workers and visitors Limiting visitors to a minimum Preventing outside vehicles which may be contaminated from coming on to the farm. These messages, and the importance of not feeding kitchen and catering waste have been highlighted in recent public APHA communications. See Pig Worlds analysis of the growing threat ASF poses to western Europe here and more on how to keep ASF out of the UK, including the NPAs views, here NPA reaction NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said: This is a worrying development as it highlights once again how ASF can leap vast distances, despite surveillance and checks in supposedly high risk areas. ASF is a real threat to the UK. This discovery reinforces once again the need for vigilance when it comes biosecurity on farms, particularly in cases where visitors or workers come from high risk areas of Europe. We continue to remind all pig keepers that it is illegal to feed food waste to pigs, as this is one most likely routes for infection to reach the UK pig herd. We also continue to call for measure to ensure our own feral pig populations, particularly in the Forest of Dean, are kept under control. If the virus ever gets into our feral pig population, it could take years before we are able to free ourselves from crippling export restrictions. Get Our E-Newsletter - Pig World's best stories in your in-box twice a week See e-newsletter example Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy Egypt has welcomed the announcement by North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday that the Asian nation plans to freeze its program of ballistic-missile and nuclear tests. In a statement issued on Saturday, the Egyptian Ministy of Foreign Affairs described the move as a "positive development", Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported. "This positive development will boost confidence and pave the way for a peace process on the Korean Peninsula, thus starting to defuse tensions and achieve development and stability," the statement read. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic-missile launches, a move welcomed by US President Donald Trump ahead of a much-anticipated summit between the two men. The Egyptian ministry affirmed Egypt's rejection of any kind of threats or force as a means of solving international disputes, emphasising the importance of seeking peaceful solutions. The statement also called for the complete elimination of all nuclear weapons in the world, affirming Egypt's support for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The NPT is an international treaty that aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Further, among its goals is to achieve nuclear disarmament generally around the world. Search Keywords: Short link: Shot were fired at a Marion County (FL) Sheriff's deputy early Sunday. His vehicle was hit but no one was injured. (Photo: Marion County SO) Several shots were fired at a Marion County (FL) Sheriffs deputy and bystanders early Sunday in front of a bar about 12 miles north of Ocala. Deputies are working to identify any eyewitnesses and have asked for the communitys help, Ocala.com reports. According to an MCSO press release, Deputy Joseph Spratlin responded to a call at Paradise Bar and Lounge around 2 a.m. at 13007 North U.S. Highway 441. As Spratlin dispersed a crowd in front of the bar, several rounds were fired toward (the deputy) and civilians. Spratlin, however, did not return fire, but instead focused on getting bystanders to safe shelter. Spratlin took cover behind his patrol vehicle, which was hit by one bullet. The most recent shooting comes while the area is still reeling from both the shooting deaths of Gilchrist County Sgt. Noel Ramirez and Deputy Taylor Lindsey in an ambush in Trenton on Thursday and the shooting on Friday at Forest High School that injured a student. Former Dallas SWAT, now trainer, Michael Witzgall has been nominated for HAIX Hero of the Month. Former Dallas SWAT officer Michael Witzgall has been nominated for HAIX Hero of the Month. Witzgall served with the Dallas Police Department until a serious injury led to his medical retirement and the amputation of his left leg. Witzgall, who served with Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance and as an Army officer before joining the Dallas PD, became a law enforcement trainer after his retirement. He is now the lead instructor and co-owner of Charlie Mike Enterprises in Cedar Hill, TX. The company specializes in training officers in tactical operations. His friend Chris Anderson nominated Witzgall for HAIX Hero of the Month honors. He wrote on the entry form: "[Michael] diligently keeps up to date on new ways to approach problems in policing today with leadership and proactive efforts rather than a reactive approach. He applies his military to this as well. He has [taught] many students over the years who have thanked him for everything he has taught them [and said it] kept them alive. To vote for former officer Witzgall as HAIX Hero of the Month, give him a "Like" on the POLICE Magazine Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/PoliceMagazine?ref=hl) The winner will be announced next week based on which nominee receives the most likes. For more information on HAIX Hero of the Month, go to http://www.policemag.com/channel/patrol/news/2018/04/02/haix-to-honor-law-enforcement-hero-of-the-month.aspx The FT article focuses on changes expected to be made to cohesion funds, i.e. it does not address the likely 5-10% cut to the agricultural budget and the related changes which are of key importance for Hungary. It neither does discuss several other issues, but the information presented already suggest that after a total of 14 years of massive funding, the CEE region is no longer in focus of EU funds. Hungary was given 14 years to close its gap to the existing member states with the help of EU money. On the basis of relative GDP trajectories we can state that the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania made much better use of the funds than Hungary, although Hungarys GDP course was affected significantly not only by EU money but also by several other factors.According to the draft policy paper seen by the FT, the Commission is trying to shift the focus back to Southern Europe that lost considerable EU funds upon the blocs expansion in 2004, and which suffered long-lasting and serious social-economic consequences due to the 2008-2009 crisis. As regards the latter, note the 30-40% unemployment among young generations ( the respective figures for the 15-24 age group are 36% for Spain, 33% for Italy and 11% for Hungary) and the related problems. It is also evident that the EU is trying to incorporate into the joint budget the costs of the nearly three million refugees taken in since 2015, their support and efforts of their integration (institutions, raining, welfare system). Rochester Dance Company has a nice surprise for dancers and audiences this spring and no, its not the snow. Rather, it is a full-length ballet production, "Coppelia." Normally, RDC presents a small-scale production in the spring, following the "Nutcracker" presented at Christmas time, said Ted Sothern, artistic director. "Weve been wanting to do a full-length classical ballet," he said. When RDC was awarded a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council, that dream became a reality. "This is the perfect opportunity and Coppelia is the perfect one to do," Sothern said. RDC was able to rent scenery for the production from Continental Ballet in the Twin Cities. Some costumes were rented and purchased from a ballet company in Mankato. Two professional dancers will come from the Twin Cities to join 40 local dance students on stage. "All of these things came together so we can put on the bigger ballet," Sothern said. "Coppelia," which will be presented Saturday at Mayo Civic Center, is a favorite of ballet companies, especially those with younger dancers. Its the tale of Dr. Coppelius, a toymaker, who places a pretty doll, Coppelia, in his shop window. A local village boy, Franz, falls in love with the image of the doll. Soon, his girlfriend, Swanhilda, and Dr. Coppelius are scheming to make Franz believe Swanhilda is the doll come to life. There is, of course, a happy ending. "Ive simplified the story for the dancers and kids," Sothern said. "But Ive kept the comedy and the dancing." Rehearsals started in January. "We had to get a good jump," Sothern said. That was probably a good idea, because, as Sothern said, "We had an unexpected break last weekend with the snow." The guest professional dancers are Brittany Fridenstine-Keefe, who formerly danced with James Sewell Ballet, and Antonia Lopez, from St. Paul Ballet, who will dance as Swanhilda and Franz. Sothern will portray Dr. Coppelius, while the local dancers will have roles as dancing dolls and villagers. The performance will last about 90 minutes, including intermission. Last night, I reported that, from what Im hearing, Senate leadership is pushing to confirm Chai Feldblum as EEOC Commissioner this week. Feldblum, as we have discussed, is a left-wing radical who, among other things, formulated President Obamas LBGT agenda. She thinks its fine if that agenda tramples religious freedom, as it often does. Sen. Mike Lee placed a hold on Feldblums nomination. However, the plan is to get Lees consent by packaging Feldblum with the Trump nominee for EEOC General Counsel. Feldblum is already packaged with two Trump nominees for Commissioner. In my view, this deal isnt good enough to justify granting Feldblum another term. Regardless, it looks like the plan to confirm Feldblum is moving forward. Im told that tomorrow, the nominee for General Counsel, Sharon Fast Gustafson, will be voted out of committee. This will set the stage for the Senate to confirm the McConnell-Schumer package unless Sen. Lee hangs tough or another GOP Senator intervenes. Keep in mind, that Trump nominees for key positions throughout the administration have been languishing for about a year. By contrast, the Feldblum package, minus the General Counsel, was put together in late 2017. It would have sailed through then and there had not social conservatives rallied and Sen. Lee acted. It astonishes me that while all those other nominees, most of whom are conservative stalwarts, must cool their heels, unable to steer policy in the positions the president selected them for, GOP leadership is poised to confirm Chai Feldblum. Tomorrow morning, I will be on the radio with the excellent Sandy Rios of American Family Radio. Im scheduled for 8:40 a.m. Eastern time. Well be discussing Feldblums nomination and related matters. Jack Goldsmith, writing in the Guardian, tells us that the deep state is real and dangerous. His assertions carry weight for two reasons. First, Goldsmith should know. He was a high ranking Justice Department official head the Office of Legal Counsel during part of the George W. Bush administration. This placed him in the middle of issues regarding national security, electronic surveillance, and the like. He also worked closely with James Comey, including during the famous incident at Attorney General Ashcrofts hospital bed that made Comey famous (or at least a legend in his own mind). Goldsmith is also author of Power and Constraint, a book I reviewed for the Federalist Society. Goldsmiths research kept him very much in touch with the deep state and issues relating to its power. Second, Goldsmith is a strong critic of President Trump. Thus I view his agreement with Trump about the deep state as more significant than the concurrence of Trumps defenders, from whom we normally here such assertions. Its also noteworthy that Goldsmiths column on the deep state appears in The Guardian, a left-wing organ. Remember, though, that the left, at times in the past, has been more inclined than the right to worry about the dangers posed by agencies like the CIA and the FBI. At any rate, Goldsmith has this to say about the deep state and Donald Trump: America doesnt have coups or tanks in the street. But a deep state of sorts exists here and it includes national security bureaucrats who use secretly collected information to shape or curb the actions of elected officials. . . . The deep state has been blamed for many things since Donald Trump became president, including by the president himself. Trump defenders have used the term promiscuously to include not just intelligence bureaucrats but a broader array of connected players in other administrative bureaucracies, in private industry, and in the media. But even if we focus narrowly on the intelligence bureaucracies that conduct and use information collected secretly in the homeland, including the FBI, National Security Agency (NSA), and National Security Council, there is significant evidence that the deep state has used secretly collected information opportunistically and illegally to sabotage the president and his senior officials either as part of a concerted movement or via individuals acting more or less independently. . . . Since Trump was elected, unusually sensitive leaks of intelligence information designed to discredit him and his senior leadership have poured forth from current and former intelligence officials in the deep state. (Emphasis added) Goldsmith provides several examples. He then writes: These leaks probably mark the first time ever that the content of foreign intelligence intercepts aimed at foreign agents that swept up US-person information was leaked. They clearly aimed to damage US persons ones who happen to also be senior US government officials. They were unlawful and, beyond that, they violated two until-now strict taboos about leaks first on revealing the content of foreign intelligence information collected through electronic surveillance, and second on revealing the content of incidentally collected information about American citizens. Many people, including many who are not in the Trump camp, have interpreted these leaks to violate a third taboo by marking a return to the Hoover-era FBIs use of secretly collected information to sabotage elected officials with adverse political interests. In fact, the deep states conduct towards the Trump administration goes beyond the realm of J. Edgar Hoover: [W]hile Hoover did many awful things in quiet, neither during his reign nor at any other time in American history have we seen such a profusion of sensitive leaks from the deep state with such an overtly political aim to bring down senior leadership. Remember, this isnt Sean Hannity. Its Jack Goldsmith. Goldsmith has no doubt that the consequences of the deep states abuses towards the Trump administration are grave: [T]he whole ordeal has already done great damage to both the presidency and the national security bureaucracy. As deep state officials get a taste for the power that inheres in the selective revelation of such information, and if the leaks are not responded to with severe punishments, it is easy to imagine the tools that brought down Flynn being used in other contexts by national security bureaucrats with different commitments and interests. Even the most severe critics of Trump should worry about this subtle form of anti-democratic abuse. The big loser in all this will probably be the national security bureaucracy itself and, to the extent it is weakened, the security of the American people. Exactly. All of this notwithstanding, Goldsmith lamely suggests that special circumstances might have justified the deep states assault on the Trump presidency. What special circumstances? Sally Yates (an anti-Trumper temporarily in charge of the Justice Department) thought that Michael Flynn might become a Russian agent, or something. Plus, there were hints of collusion between Russia and Trump, a matter already being investigated (by anti-Trumpers in the deep state). Goldsmith makes no attempt to show that these circumstances did, in fact, justify the deep states assault on the president. He simply allows it as a possibility. But the deep state will always be able to cite, or gin up, special circumstances to justify its interference in our politics just as, to return to the analogy with which Goldsmith begins his article South American military leaders were always able to some up with special circumstances to justify military coups. I think Goldsmith understands this. Maybe thats why the alarmist portions of his discussion of the deep states conduct are so ringing while his suggestions that the deep state acted with justification seem so perfunctory. I am sorry to repeat myself on the subject of Keith Ellison, but Ellison keeps repeating his lies. As vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee, he is a consequential national figure. In Minnesota, the Star Tribune sits in Ellisons congressional district. It continues to avert its eyes from Ellisons repeated lies. Who will call him on them? Ellison repeated his lies again most recently in the March 18 column I have fought against hate my entire career that has been posted at Medium. Here is the core of Ellisons story: Over the last few weeks, some political opponents have been pushing the narrative that I am somehow connected to a man named Louis Farrakhan. Its not true. Mr. Farrakhan leads a group called the Nation of Islam and is best known for organizing the 1995 Million Man March. Hes also well-known for his anti-Semitism. If you are a Black man from my generation, you remember the march. A huge number of Black men from all across America came to Washington to alert lawmakers to the social and economic problems facing our communities. I helped organize the march in my local community in Minneapolis. And I marched in it, along with civil rights leaders like Rosa Parks and Jesse Jackson. After the march, Mr. Farrakhans disparaging views on Jewish people, women and the LGBT community became clearer to me. Ive since spoken about why I believe Mr. Farrakhans views ultimately divide our society. I wrote an open letter expressing my opinion of Mr. Farrakhans views, and I wrote about it in my book, My Country Tis of Thee. In a speech just last month he again attacked Jewish people with intolerant and divisive language. I do not have and have never had a relationship with Mr. Farrakhan I documented the falsity of this story since Ellison won the DFL nomination to run for the Fifth District seat in 2006 in Louis Farrakhans first congressman (October 9, 2006), in the companion Power Line post Keith Ellison for dummies, and in The Ellison elision (February 3, 2014). Most recently, I revisited this history in the context of Ellisons national ambitions in The trouble with Keith Ellison (November 21, 2016) and in the Power Line post Keith Ellisons back pages (February 8,2017). The 2017 Power Line post includes a video of Ellison as a third-year University of Minnesota Law School student appearing in February 1990 under his Nation of Islam pseudonym Keith Hakim. (His first Nation of Islam pseudonym, I should say.) From the time he hit the Twin Cities to attend law school until he first ran successfully for office, Ellison was a local leader of the Nation of Islam. Indeed, he first ran for office (unsuccessfully) under another Nation of Islam pseudonym (Keith Ellison-Muhammad, per the 1998 article above that appeared in the Minneapolis Spokesman-Recorder). At that time he sought office as a self-avowed member of the Nation of Islam. He was an enthusiastic member of the hate cult for a long, long time. Ellisons repeated claims of ignorance are laughable. By the time he sought office again (successfully) in 2002, Ellison had apparently moved on from the Nation of Islam. He has relegated his time in the hate cult to the inconvenient past. Today Ellison is an inveterate liar. An end-to-end data solution offered in one unified platform TORONTO, NEW YORK and CHENNAI, India, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ducen IT today announces the launch of its next generation Analance platform, promising to provide the most unique and unparalleled end-to-end data analytics solution for businesses across various industries. Analance, which incorporates strong data governance supporting strict compliance, integrates data science, business intelligence and data management as distinct modules into a single platform. This allow users to consolidate and centralize enterprise data and tools and move seamlessly between each one. Unlike other data science and intelligence tools on the market, Analance provides users a full self-serve platform. Analance embeds step-by-step workflows into every module to enable both novice business users and expert data scientists to master the platform in minutes, quickly generating the insights they need. "Until now, users who wanted a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for advanced analytics, data management and business intelligence have had to rely on multiple disparate tools to acquire visibility into their business operations," says Keshav Bangalore, Ducen IT's Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "With Analance's new platform, users no longer have to work through tedious and time-consuming processes, siloed data sources and systems and, most importantly, system incompatibility issues. Analance consolidates data into a single data warehouse and provides advanced analytics, zero-coding machine learning algorithms and advanced visualizations from one unified platform," he continues. "Analance addresses the one big question that CIOs ponder: Can we adopt the next advancement in the world of analytics without changing the systems we already have in place? The answer is yes. Every module in our platform, including the upcoming Analance IoT and Analance Artificial Intelligence modules, is available through a single click of a button." To date, businesses wanting to assess analytics, business intelligence or data management have had to use at least three different software tools, which were time-consuming to manage, complex to master, and expensive to maintain. Users have had to have either extensive expertise in business analytics or frequent help from their IT departments, often resulting in time-consuming processes and increased costs for their business. With Ducen IT's Analance platform, both novice business users and expert data scientists can work with complex algorithms and build predictive models through its complex machine learning, yet simplified UI and step-by-step workflows. Data scientists also have the option to import custom algorithms into Analance to extend its capabilities. An integrated, end-to-end platform is not only easier to manage for the end user but allows for a more streamlined process and workflow as all data and analysis resides in one place. Without the fear of data loss or compromise, users can get to the task of delivering the most accurate results and data-driven decisions required by their organizations. Top six key verticals that Analance supports (among others) include: Telecommunications Banking and Finance Healthcare Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Retail Education Explore Analance Use Cases ABOUT DUCEN Ducen IT helps Business and IT users of Fortune 1000 companies with advanced analytics, business intelligence and data management through its unique end-to-end data science platform called Analance. Analance is an enterprise-class, state of the art integrated platform that delivers power and ease of use to business users and data scientists with a seamless experience and platform scalability to support business growth and strategy. Related Links https://analance.ducenit.com SOURCE Ducen PUNE, India, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report "Bioinformatics Services Market by Type (Microbiome, Transcriptome, Virtual Screening, Database Management), Specialty (Medical, Forensics), Application (Proteomics, Metabolomics), End User (Academia, Pharma) - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is projected to reach USD 3.53 Billion by 2023 from USD 1.70 Billion in 2018, at a CAGR of 15.7%. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg ) Browse 64 market data Tables and 34 Figures spread through 138 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Bioinformatics Services Market" https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/bioinformatic-service-m a rket-75889439.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report Factors such as growing applications of bioinformatics in various industries, increasing public-private sector funding for bioinformatics services, and the shortage of skilled bioinformatics professionals leading to increased outsourcing of bioinformatics projects are driving the growth of this market. By type, the sequencing services segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market in 2018 On the basis of type, the Bioinformatics Services Market is classified into sequencing services, data analysis services, drug discovery services, differential gene expression analysis, database management services, and other bioinformatics services. The sequencing services segment is expected to account for the largest share of the Bioinformatics Services Market in 2018. Financial support from government as well as private bodies for next-generation sequencing based projects, advancements in next-generation sequencing coupled with decreasing sequencing costs, and the need of high-throughput analysis of a large amount of data generated during sequencing are the major factors driving the growth of this segment. By specialty, the plant biotechnology segment is expected to be the fastest-growing segment in the forecast period On the basis of specialty, the Bioinformatics Services Market is segmented into medical biotechnology, animal biotechnology, plant biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, and forensic biotechnology. The plant biotechnology segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. Factors such as the increased use of bioinformatics in the field of agriculture, growing demand for the management and distribution of vast amounts of plant genomic data coupled with the increase in plant genome sequencing due to technological developments and decreasing sequencing costs, and the emerging applications of plant biotechnology among researchers and farmers are driving the growth of the Bioinformatics Services Market for plant biotechnology. Ask for PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=75889439 North America is expected to dominate the market in 2018 Geographically, the Bioinformatics Services Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World. North America is expected to account for the largest share of the market in 2018, followed by Europe. The large share of North America can primarily be attributed to the government support for genomic research, presence of leading bioinformatics service providers, decreasing cost of sequencing, rising awareness of bioinformatics services, and increasing number of genomic research activities (and corresponding adoption of bioinformatics) in the region. As of 2017, the key players in the Bioinformatics Services Market include Illumina (US), Thermo Fisher Scientific (US), Eurofins Scientific (Luxembourg), BGI (China), NeoGenomics (US), PerkinElmer (US), CD Genomics (US), Macrogen (South Korea), QIAGEN (Germany), GENEWIZ (US), Source BioScience (UK), Microsynth (Switzerland), MedGenome (India), Fios Genomics (UK), and BaseClear (Netherlands), among others. Know more about the Bioinformatics Services Market: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/bioinformatic-service-market-75889439.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, "Knowledge Store" 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 Technology providers capable of offering solutions for real-time analysis and industry-oriented solutions will seize growth opportunities in the BDA market SAO PAULO, Brazil, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan's latest analysis, Latin American Big Data and Analytics (BDA) market, finds that the industry generated revenues of $2.9 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $8.5 billion by 2023, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.2%. Today, Brazil leads the race, accounting for 46.7% of the overall sales, along with Mexico (26.7%), followed by Colombia (7.9%), Chile (6.9%), Argentina (5.6%) and Peru (2.4%). A maturing mindset about data-driven organizations, increased productivity, customer loyalty and Internet of Things (IoT) are key factors spurring the regional business. Companies that invest in building and expanding BDA assets while balancing security and privacy regulations will be able to capitalize on opportunities now to ensure success in the future. "IoT will play a crucial role in the adoption of BDA. With a variety of information generated by connected devices and sensors, an engine that can mine the extremely large datasets to extract relevant information for analysis in real time and generate insights, as well as improve customer experience, will constitute a key competitive advantage," said Mauricio Chede, IT Services & Applications Senior Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. The study reveals growth opportunities, drivers and challenges, and market revenues and forecasts by verticals and countries. Competitive strategies of key players such as IBM, Oracle, SAP and SAS are also provided. For further information on this analysis, please visit: http://frost.ly/2fa Five ways to leverage growth opportunities in the Latin American BDA market: Hadoop-friendly solutions: Adopt or develop new solutions on the Hadoop framework to reduce final costs and enhance performance during data processing activities. Real-time analytics solutions: The regional evolution with regard to social network usage, smartphone penetration and eCommerce has increased the need for dynamic analysis of data. Focus on creating knowledge and awareness on how to take advantage of it. Non-technical solutions: Solutions that do not need extensive skills to deploy, install and handle data are being highly requested. Rethink the tools to create user-friendly solutions, which provide capabilities to easily report, visualize, and create some analysis from raw data. Industry-oriented approach: Develop solutions focused on servicing specific industry verticals that adopt and utilize advanced analytics in different ways. Key verticals, in terms of BDA investments, include financial services, retail, and telecommunications. Advisory and educational approach: Educate the market regarding benefits, risk, and return on investment when implementing BDA solutions. "Several factors are curbing market growth, including legacy infrastructure, restrained IT budgets and lack of specialized BDA professionals," noted Chede. "To address the urgent need for more specialized professionals, companies have invested in training their employees and developing extension courses." Latin American Big Data and Analytics Market, Forecast to 2023 is part of Frost & Sullivan's IT Services & Applications 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 Latin American Big Data and Analytics Market, Forecast to 2023 K24B_72 Contact: Francesca Valente Corporate Communications Latin America P: +54 11 4777 5300 E: [email protected] http://www.frost.com Related Links http://www.frost.com SOURCE Frost & Sullivan CHENNAI, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Chennai-based B2B Fintech startup, PayBee has been selected in the first batch of Catalyst's 'Fintech for the Last Mile' incubation programme. Catalyst is an initiative that promotes last-mile digital payment solutions to help underserved communities of merchants and consumers access to broader financial services, and create opportunities vital to their future prosperity. PayBee from Onymy Infocomm (P) Ltd was chosen from over 50 qualified leads considered by Catalyst's team to join the programme. "PayBee is a scalable and efficient solution for B2B payments and collections as it addresses unique pain points for distributors across fragmented, informal supply chains. As part of its ongoing work with Catalyst, it has on-boarded major distributors in FMCG, Pharma and Dairy sectors along with several retailers enabling digital payments in distribution value chain," said Badal Malick, Principal Innovation Officer at Catalyst. PayBee is a simple, easy-to-use business collections solution that improves transparency and efficiency in B2B transactions by digitising invoice management and collection processes. The retail sector with 15+ million outlets across India and more than 300+ million invoices processed every month is one of the significant use cases for PayBee. About 92% of these retail outlets are unorganised and rely on cash for their day-to-day transactions. "Irregular collections, pilferage, cash mishandling and float loss transpires to about 20% margin loss in distribution businesses. PayBee's plug-and-play platform, with instant payments and integrated credit offerings, provides complete transparency into the collection process also removing cumbersome post-collection reconciliation processes. My sales teams are not wasting time at each outlet in collections," said Nimit Kaslival, Director at Tara Medicos, one of the largest pharma distributors in Jaipur. PayBee manages complex business workflows but makes it extremely easy for end users to make payments. PayBee, with its mobile-first approach, easy on-boarding, multi-lingual support, simplicity in making payments and easy reconciliation enables businesses to realise efficiency gains almost instantly. "We are operating in Chennai and Jaipur where PayBee enables several distribution businesses to improve their cash flow significantly by reducing value leakage in inefficient collection processes. We have on-boarded close to 400 businesses and at the current rate, will be processing transactions worth about INR 60 Million this year. We have seen a 100% growth in payment value and volume over the past three months," highlighted Murali Krishnan, CEO of Onymy Infocomm Pvt Ltd, company that owns PayBee. PayBee is the first UPI enabled B2B Payment app available on Google Play Store that can be downloaded for free by businesses to make and accept payments readily. PayBee's Retail Collect allows businesses to collect payments from any UPI app at the Point of Sale by merely generating a dynamic QR code for any payment amount. With PayBee's Remote Collect, businesses can also collect payments remotely from any UPI app by just sending a payment link to phone numbers. With no upfront costs, additional hardware requirements and subscription rental, PayBee is a perfect pay per use collection solution with low MDR for businesses. "PayBee aids businesses to grow by offering credit against their invoices through leading NBFC's lending partners. The straightforward credit structure makes it incredibly easy for the retail business owners to expand their businesses and grow." "We believe that the opportunity in B2B is huge with recurring high-value transactions - significantly different from consumer payments. The vast majority of businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises are underserved. Benefits of digital payments can lead to better cash flows and in turn improve business margins. This is significant considering that a majority of businesses, especially in FMCG, Pharma, Dairy and Retail sectors operate at low margins," added Murali. PayBee's team has raised its first round of angel funding and is actively looking to expand its services across geographies and verticals. The company was founded in the year 2013, and the founding team has broad experience in Banking, Payments, Information Security, Consulting and Enterprise Sales. The founders are alumni of ISB, IIM-A and Oxford Said Business School. For more information please contact, Murali Krishnan, CEO & MD, Onymy Infocomm at [email protected] About Catalyst: Catalyst promotes last-mile digital payment solutions to help underserved communities of merchants and consumers access broader financial services. Catalyst uses an ecosystem approach to build awareness, capacity, context-specific solutions, and behaviour change across critical stakeholders, including end users, government agencies, financial solution providers, and civil society organizations. With an operational focus grounded in its Digital Payments Lab in Jaipur, Catalyst plays the role of an ecosystem enabler, evidence generator, and product incubator in the fast-emerging landscape of digital financial services for the poor. About Onymy Infocomm: Onymy Infocomm broadly operates in the B2B payment process automation space. Onymy Infocomm focusses on automating B2B payments for SMEs using its payment platform called PayBee. PayBee seeks to digitize payments in fragmented markets where there is a massive problem of value leakage in the collection processes. While many players have been targeting consumer payments, Onymy Infocomm focusses on addressing the business payments space where there are very few players. The company intends to expand to other areas of B2B process automation in the future. For further information: visit paybee.onymy.com Media Contact: Murali Krishnan, [email protected], +91-8220206574, Onymy Infocomm Pvt. Ltd SOURCE Onymy Infocomm Private Limited LUXEMBOURG, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Inceptua Group (previously Multipharma) today announces that its Clinical Trial Supplies business unit is rebranding to Inceptua Clinical Trial Services. Going forward, all of the group's three business units including Clinical Trial Services, Medicines Access and Commercial Products will be marketed under the same corporate brand name, Inceptua. Since the founding in 1997, Inceptua Group - headquartered in Luxembourg - has grown to become one of the leading global players in the clinical trial services market, offering reliable sourcing and logistics expertise for comparator drugs, clinical trial supplies, and clinical manufacturing services. "The name change marks the shift from Multipharma to Inceptua and a new era for the company. We have a strong heritage sourcing medicine supplies for clinical trials, and we will continue to strategically develop our offering in this niche and operate as recognized experts in this area," says Alan Raffensperger, Chief Executive Officer, Inceptua Group. "At the same time the change reflects that Inceptua as a group is further developing our position as a strategic partner for pharma and biotech companies, advising our clients on strategies and supporting them with solutions and services across the entire value chain - clinical trials, medicines access and commercialization of products. As of today, our new trademark Inceptua allows us to market our combined offer to clients under the same brand name, reflecting our strategy to be a trusted partner covering the value chain from trial to commercialization." As of 2018, the company is operating from offices in Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, the US, the UK, Sweden and China. Inceptua's multinational team has a global network as well as people on the ground with local knowledge and expertise. This extensive network of global connections means that while the majority of purchasing is direct from manufacturers, the group also has access to qualified distributors to meet customer needs, as well as critical understanding of local and regional regulatory and compliance requirements. Looking ahead, Inceptua Group has a clear ambition to grow even further and to help solve complex, medical challenges globally: "Our aim is to further realize the potential of our position as a trusted partner for our clients, by understanding their needs and delivering value in a long-term strategic partnership, both within clinical trial services as well as in our other business areas, medicines access, and commercial products and services. We offer a personalized approach and aim to provide our customers and clients with solutions that positively impact patients' lives worldwide," says Kay-Christian Karstadt, Chief Operating Officer. "We have seen a rapid, increasing and significant development of growth in the need for clinical trial services to meet today's healthcare burden in areas of high unmet medical need. It is our strategy with Inceptua Clinical Trial Services to navigate the complex and highly dynamic environment, providing a vital advisory role for customers and supporting them throughout the process." About Inceptua Clinical Trial Services Inceptua Clinical Trial Services offers a range of solutions, including strategic planning, clinical trial supply sourcing, clinical manufacturing, and end-to-end depot and distribution management to ensure the precise requirements of your trial are met. The team has a thorough understanding of customers' requirements during the procurement process, whether they require commercial drugs for comparator trials or innovator products for biosimilar development. Inceptua Clinical Trial Services is a business unit of Inceptua, a specialist multinational company headquartered in Luxembourg that has been providing unlicensed medicines for named patient programs since 1997, and medicine supplies for clinical trials since 2004. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.inceptua.com. About Inceptua The Inceptua Group is a global, dynamic and future-oriented service provider and partner for the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, providing critical treatments to patients in need. Inceptua has global operations within clinical trial supply chain and manufacturing, medicine access and unlicensed medicines, as well as commercial products and services. SOURCE Inceptua In connection with the transaction, Patrick Dovigi, Founder and CEO, will maintain his role and leadership of GFL, as well as significant ownership in the Company, while the investors will acquire the interests of current partners including funds managed or associated with HPS Investment Partners, Macquarie Infrastructure Partners III and Hawthorn Equity Partners. GFL is one of the fastest growing North American providers of diversified environmental solutions. It provides services in solid waste management, liquid waste management and infrastructure management. Through its network of more than 140 facilities across Canada and in Michigan, GFL provides cost-effective waste management solutions that encourage greater environmental responsibility. GFL's team of more than 5,000 employees provides local services to more than 2.5 million households under municipal contracts and to more than 60,000 industrial, commercial and institutional customers. Mr. Dovigi, on behalf of GFL, said "today is a very important milestone for the next phase of growth of GFL. From our humble beginnings in 2007 with eight employees to having now grown to a workforce of over 5,000 in both Canada and the United States, the last 10 years have been nothing short of remarkable. The signing of this transaction reflects the hard work and dedication of each and every one of our employees whose tireless efforts make GFL what it is today. Without them, our continued success would not be possible." Mr. Dovigi added, "BC Partners and Ontario Teachers' tick all the boxes for us at GFL. Having founded the company, it was very important to me to find partners that shared the same principles, values and vision, along with having significant capital to fund our ambitious growth plans. I would like to thank HPS Investment Partners, Macquarie Infrastructure Partners and Hawthorn Equity Partners for their support of GFL during the past years." Paolo Notarnicola, Senior Partner, who led the investment said: "BC Partners is excited to be partnering with Patrick and his high quality management team. Our goal is to provide the capital and strategic support necessary for the continuation of their remarkable growth story." Raymond Svider, Managing Partner and co-Chairman of BC Partners, added: "We look forward to a close collaboration with GFL and our partners at Ontario Teachers as an important part of our long-term strategy to grow in the Canadian marketplace." "GFL is an exceptional Canadian success story led by a proven management team. We expect this partnership with GFL and our partners at BC Partners to create significant value for our stakeholders," said Jane Rowe, Senior Managing Director, Private Capital at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan." The transaction is expected to close by June 30, 2018. Scotiabank acted as financial advisor to BC Partners in Canada with Citi in the United States. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. also provided committed financing for the transaction. RBC Capital Markets, CIBC World Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, BMO Capital Markets and Barclays Capital Canada acted as financial advisor to GFL. Stikeman Elliott LLP and Cleary Gottleib Steen &Hamilton LLP are legal advisors to GFL, while Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP provided legal advice to the investors. About BC Partners BC Partners is a leading international investment firm with over 17 billion of assets under management in private equity and private credit. Established in 1986, BC Partners has played an active role in developing the European buy-out market for three decades. Today, BC Partners executives operate across markets as an integrated team through the firm's offices in North America and Europe. Since inception, BC Partners has completed 101 private equity investments in companies with a total enterprise value of 124 billion and is currently investing its tenth private equity fund. For more information, please visit www.bcpartners.com. About Ontario Teachers' The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Ontario Teachers') is Canada's largest single-profession pension plan, with $189.5 billion in net assets at December 31, 2017. It holds a diverse global portfolio of assets, approximately 80% of which is managed in-house, and has earned an average annualized rate of return of 9.9% since the plan's founding in 1990. Ontario Teachers' is an independent organization headquartered in Toronto. Its Asia-Pacific region office is located in Hong Kong and its Europe, Middle East & Africa region office is in London. The defined-benefit plan, which is fully funded, invests and administers the pensions of the province of Ontario's 323,000 active and retired teachers. For more information, visit http://otpp.com and follow us on Twitter @OtppInfo. About GFL GFL, headquartered in Toronto, ON, is a diversified environmental services company providing a comprehensive line of solid waste, infrastructure & soil remediation, and liquid waste management services through its platform of facilities across Canada and in Southeastern Michigan. GFL has a workforce of more than 5,000 employees and provides its broad range of environmental services to more than 60,000 commercial and industrial customers and its solid waste collection services to more than 2.5 million households. Forward-Looking Information This release may contain forward-looking information including but not limited to the proposed recapitalization of GFL by investors including BC Partners, Ontario Teachers' and others. Such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analysis made by GFL in light of its experience and perception of current conditions and expected future developments as well as other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. However, whether actual results, performance or achievements will conform to GFL's expectations and predictions is subject to market conditions and a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from GFL's expectations. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/680379/GFL_logo_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/680380/BC_Partners_Logo.jpg SOURCE GFL Environmental Inc. Using Huawei's OceanConnect IoT platform, Groupe PSA has built its Connected Vehicle Modular Platform (CVMP) for its connected vehicles, which is deployed globally using Cloud services supported by Huawei. DS 7 CROSSBACK, launched this month in China, is the first vehicle to benefit from the CVMP. Customers can access new services such as connected navigation, natural language voice recognition and a connected service portal via the vehicle's dashboard screen. The vehicle's maintenance status and the history of journeys and driving styles are also accessible from the customer's smartphone. New services for private customers and fleet managers will be regularly added to these features. They include infotainment services, remote software updates and navigation mapping, personal assistant, remote vehicle diagnostic and maintenance functions, and services useful for car hire companies, fleet managers and carsharing operators. Huawei's OceanConnect IoT platform underpins Huawei's Connected Car Solution. This solution helps to develop connected cars, smart homes and smart cities, giving users access to an array of services designed to facilitate daily life.All digital interactions between the car and the cloud are secure; customer and car data are encrypted, and their integrity, authenticity and confidentiality are guaranteed. Huawei is committed to creating an open and flexible connected car infrastructural platform that can scale to manage the life cycle of cars, connecting physical car assets to the cloud in a secure, reliable, and efficient way to allow new digital capabilities for drivers and businesses. Cloud services supported by Huawei will be used for all Groupe PSA connected vehicles in all regions where these vehicles are marketed. Jean Leflour, SVP Connected Vehicle & Services Architecture Strategy, Groupe PSA, said: "By deploying its new platform connecting the vehicle to the Internet of Things(IoT), Groupe PSA enriches its service offering and makes the mobility easier for all its customers. With Huawei, well known for its innovation capacity, we are pleased to show today the first tangible result of our partnership providing customers with a new experience enabled by the CVMP. DS 7 CROSSBACK is the first vehicle to benefit from this joint project, which will ultimately be rolled out to all group vehicles." Leon He, Head of Automotive Business Unit of Huawei Enterprise Business Group, commented: "The key to successful digital transformation of car manufacturers is to build a digital cloud platform. Based on the platform, car manufacturers, ecosystem developers, and industry application partners are gathered to jointly sell vehicle products and services across countries in the global market and provide personalized travel services to car owners and users." HANNOVER MESSE 2018 will be held from April 23-27 in the Hannover Exhibition Center, Germany. Huawei's booth is located at D18 of Hall 6. For more information about Huawei's products and solutions to be highlighted at HANNOVER MESSE 2018, please visit http://e.huawei.com/topic/hannovemesse2018-en/index.html. Photo- https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/680705/PSA.jpg SOURCE Huawei Josephine joins an impressive lineup of global spokesmodels who have helped shape the identity of the iconic Maybelline New York beauty brand including Adriana Lima, Gigi Hadid, Herieth Paul, Jourdan Dunn, Cris Urena, I-Hua Wu, Emily DiDonato, and Christy Turlington. In her partnership with Maybelline New York, Josephine will participate in brand activities on the global scale. "Being a part of the Maybelline New York family is a dream come true! I have been wearing Maybelline since I was a little girl," said Josephine. "I am honored to represent not only Maybelline, but all of the girls who are wearing Maybelline, because these young girls are the future. They are powerful and beautiful, and that to me is what Maybelline stands for. I could not be prouder to represent them and make it happen." Josephine grew up in Denmark and was first approached in her teenage years about modeling while on a visit to New York City. Years later in February 2011, Josephine's connection to New York came full circle when she made her debut at New York Fashion Week, walking for designers like Calvin Klein and Rag & Bone. The same year she appeared in Milan and Paris shows, walking for Balenciaga, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent and most notably closed Prada's show. Since her successful career launch, Josephine has modeled in campaigns for the likes of Bulgari, Gucci, Max Mara, Michael Kors, and Tom Ford. She has collaborated with top photographers including Steven Meisel and Mikael Jansson, while her editorial accolades include American Vogue, Vogue Italia, Vogue Germany, V, Dazed, W, and Interview. In 2013, Josephine walked in her first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, and has graced the runway in the annual show ever since. She was given the coveted title of Victoria's Secret Angel in 2016. "We are beyond thrilled to have Josephine as part of our Maybelline family," said Leonardo Chavez, Global Brand President, Maybelline New York. "A partnership with Josephine was completely organic because she resonates with our global customer and is a dynamic and fresh addition to our roster of talent. She embodies determination, grit, energy and spirit, while having a true connection to New York and the dream of making it happen in this city." In addition to her modeling career, Josephine is notable for being an advocate for global LGBTQ rights and is involved with organizations like Family Equality Council and COLAGE as well as to Keep A Child Alive, which focuses on children's fight against HIV. Having been raised by LGBTQ parents, Josephine hopes to inspire children and all future generations of LGBTQ families by sharing her own journey. Josephine is excited to continue her work with Maybelline New York this Spring, appearing in her first campaign for the brand for the launch of Super Cushion 2-in-1 launching in May 2018. About Maybelline New York Maybelline New York is the number one cosmetic brand in the world, available in over 120 countries. By combining technologically advanced formulations with on-trend expertise and New York City edge, Maybelline New York's mission is to offer innovative, accessible and effortless cosmetics for every woman. The brand is currently the official makeup sponsor of New York Fashion Week and other fashion weeks worldwide. For more information, log on to www.maybelline.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/679560/Maybelline_New_York_Josephine_Skriver.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/679559/Maybelline_New_York_Logo.jpg Related Links http://www.maybelline.com SOURCE Maybelline New York Greater Des Moines (DSM) has become a hub for high-paying tech jobs GREATER DES MOINES, Iowa, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- There is more than 6,150,000 square feet of data center space built or slated to be built in Greater Des Moines (DSM) bringing hundreds of tech and construction jobs to the region. DSM is a hive of building activity with an average of 800 construction workers on site at Facebook's Altoona data centers. To date, Facebook has constructed 1.5 million square feet of data center space and has 1 million square feet under construction. The total spend is expected to be around $1.5 billion. The data center boom in DSM means high paying tech jobs in the region. According to a recent study on the economic impact by Facebook, for every one Facebook data center job, there are five jobs supported in the economy. Facebook currently has more than 300 employees in DSM and more than 20 positions open due to their continued growth. Microsoft's data center buildings currently total a little under 1.5 million square feet with 1.7 million square feet planned for its third campus in West Des Moines. LightEdge Solutions has two data centers totaling 78,000 square feet in Altoona and employs more than 100 people. "DSM has built a reputation as a tech hub offering affordable renewable energy and high skilled talent," said Jay Byers, Greater Des Moines Partnership CEO. "Data center activity means jobs for hundreds of tech and construction workers, revenue for local cities and increased national and international exposure for our region." In 2017, Apple announced 400,000 square feet of data center space will be a built in Waukee. Construction will begin this summer. About the Greater Des Moines Partnership The Greater Des Moines Partnership is the economic and community development organization that serves Greater Des Moines (DSM), Iowa. Together with 23 Affiliate Chambers of Commerce, more than 6,100 Regional Business Members and more than 330 Investors, The Partnership drives economic growth with one voice, one mission and as one region. Through innovation, strategic planning and global collaboration, The Partnership grows opportunity, helps create jobs and promotes DSM as the best place to build a business, a career and a future. Learn more at DSMpartnership.com. Contact: Sam Hoyle [email protected] (515) 286-4919 Learn More About DSM USA Related Links http://www.dsmpartnership.com SOURCE Greater Des Moines Partnership BEIJING, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In support of China's national Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Peking University announced its new Belt and Road Institute at a ceremony on Friday, April 20, 2018. The Institute will be led by the University's top-ranked Guanghua School of Management. Demonstrating broad support for the Institute, the launch ceremony was attended by ZHENG Jianbang, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; ZHAO Ai, Director of the General Affairs Office of the Steering Group for the Belt and Road Initiative; WANG Dinghua, Director of the Ministry of Education's Department of Teacher Education; key administrators of Peking University; and government representatives and business executives from across the globe. The BRI was announced in 2013 as a way to drive economic development in countries surrounding China's ancient silk road trade routes, including countries across Asia, North and East Africa, and Europe. During the Belt and Road Institute's launch ceremony, Peking University Vice President WANG Bo acknowledged China's growing international role as context for the creation of the Institute: "China's development has entered a new stage since the country's reform and opening forty years ago. China has become intrinsically linked to the rest of the world." The Institute will provide educational opportunities to future leaders in BRI-related countries, conduct research relevant to BRI projects, and serve as a platform for people-to-people exchange. Accomplishing these goals will involve interdisciplinary coordination between PKU Guanghua's globally-recognized business experts and academic resources available through Peking University's other world-class faculties. Outlining upcoming plans for student recruitment, PKU Guanghua Dean LIU Qiao shared "In 2018, we will begin to recruit ambitious and bright individuals with strong leadership skills and global vision from BRI-related countries." Incoming students can initially apply for PKU Guanghua's undergraduate program, international MBA and EMBA programs, and non-degree global executive education programs. Additional programs will be added in future years. PKU Guanghua has begun seeking partners to support the Institute's mission. Financial support provided by partners will allow the Institute to build its curriculum and provide full scholarships for students accepted into its program. Companies or individuals interested in partnering with the Belt and Road Institute can contact PKU Guanghua to learn about opportunities. Students interested in applying to one of the Institute's programs can email [email protected]. SOURCE Peking University Guanghua School of Management MUMBAI, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center will focus on postgraduate programs and executive education with deep customization of the learning experience, thanks to both international and local faculty. SDA Bocconi School of Management launches the SDA Bocconi Asia Center in Mumbai. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/680415/SDA_Bocconi_Asia_Center_Logo.jpg ) The school of management based in Milan, Italy, (29th worldwide for its Global MBA program by Financial Times 2018) inaugurated its presence in India in 2012 through MISB Bocconi, catering mostly to the local Indian audience. As MISB completes six years, SDA Bocconi establishes it as SDA Bocconi's pan-Asian hub, with a broader scope across India, the Middle East, China and the rest of Asia. "We want to bring to India and the rest of Asia our unique approach to postgraduate programs and executive education, based on deep customization of the learning experience to the needs of the company and the individual," said Giuseppe Soda, SDA Bocconi's Dean. "We will leverage our expertise in designing international tailor-made programs, as we have done with our client corporations at MISB." "SDA Bocconi Asia Center will enable a stronger presence of SDA Bocconi brand in India and Asia at large with a more intense exchange of students among SDA Bocconi's programs delivered in Milano, Mumbai and worldwide," said David Bardolet, newly appointed Dean for the Asia Center. He continues, "And our growing alumni network will be integrated into SDA Bocconi's network worldwide." SDA Bocconi Asia Center will have a strong focus on executive education both for open and custom programs. The programs taught in India include a period of study in Italy, and many of the programs offered in Milan include an exchange stint in Mumbai to understand the Asian market. "We want to strike the right balance between international and local faculty," continues Prof. Bardolet, "gradually increasing the number of Indian professors." All the diplomas and certificates will be awarded by SDA Bocconi in Italy. Media Contact: Karan Narang [email protected] +91-9762256940 SDA Bocconi Asia Center SOURCE SDA Bocconi Asia Center PUNE, India, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sintercom India Ltd., one of the leading automotive sintered components manufacturer, today declared its financial results for the year ended March 31, 2018. Revenues for year ended March 31, 2018 is Rs 74.56 crore EBITDA is Rs. 17.68 crore as against Rs. 13.11 crore last year, up by 34.8% PAT is Rs. 5.45 crore as against Rs. 1.27 crore last year, up by 330.8% Standalone Audited Financials (FY18 performance overview compared with FY17) Total Income stood at Rs. 74.56 crore for FY18, as compared to Rs. 65.34 crore in FY17. Sintercom's Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) in FY18 stood at Rs. 17.68 crore, as compared to Rs. 13.11 crore in FY17. The company's EBITDA margin for FY18 stood at 23.7%, as compared to 20.1% in FY17. The company reported Net Profit of Rs. 5.45 crore for FY18, as compared to Rs. 1.27 crore in the previous financial year. Commenting on the financial performance of the company Mr. Jignesh Raval, Member of Board & Managing Director, Sintercom India Limited, said, "We are delighted to post a strong set of Annual numbers. The annual results reflect the incremental focus on higher margin businesses and bottom-line increase backed by the strong industry growth in the auto sector which is growing close to 8%. The strong EBITDA and PAT show the focus of the company on its business values and this will help the company to grow in future and create merits for the stakeholders." About Sintercom India Limited Sintercom India Ltd. (NSE EMERGE: SINTERCOM) is one of the leading automotive sintered components manufacturer located in Pune, India. The company specializes in manufacturing medium to high density sintered components for automotive engine, powertrain and exhaust systems as well as sensor components for esteemed customers. The company's product portfolio includes drivetrain gears, engine sprockets, pulleys, crankshaft bearing journals, transmission gears and synchro hubs as well as ABS rings and Sensor Hego bosses and flanges. Sintercom provides their esteemed customers with high value proposition of high volume, high precision and low cost components, tailored to their specific requirements. This is ensured by leveraging integrated manufacturing facility adhering to rigorous quality standards, equally supported by dedicated engineering and development centre and in-house well-equipped quality lab. Media Contact: Deepali Rawat [email protected] +91-9309709334 Concept Public Relations India Limited SOURCE Sintercom India Limited NEW DELHI, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunsure Energy finished FY18 with commissioning of their largest turnkey solar plant project - a 20 MW (15 MW + 5 MW) Solar Power Plant. Situated in the Harpanhalli Taluka of Davangeri District, this project is spread over 75 acres of land and will generate enough clean energy to power more than 8,000 urban households in Karnataka every year for the next 25 years. This energy will be delivered to BESCOM and HESCOM - two of the largest distribution companies in Karnataka - who will in-turn, distribute this to a host of industrial, residential and agricultural consumers of electricity in the State. Sunsure led the development of these plants right from the competitive bidding stage through land acquisition and clearances all the way to successfully synchronizing the plants with the Grid. Sunsure is now tasked with ensuring these plants perform optimally. Sunsure will be deploying its operations & maintenance systems at both the sites in FY19. "As a company, delivering a fulfilling turnkey experience to our developer clients at this scale, gives us immense confidence. Our thanks go out to all stakeholders involved - the development and execution teams, members of KPTCL, BESCOM, HESCOM and KERC, the Harpanhalli community members and landowners - who contributed to making this project a success," said Manish Mehta, Director of Business Development at Sunsure Energy. "Working in Karnataka has been a great learning experience and we aim to continue building solar plants in the State. The lessons learned in this journey will be enablers in our next phase of growth in the State and Nationwide," added Shantanu Faugaat, Director of Operations at Sunsure Energy. About Sunsure Energy Pvt. Ltd. Started in 2014 by a team of IIT-Delhi alumni with a vision to build solar assets to bridge the energy gap in India, Sunsure is one of the fastest growing companies in the turnkey solar EPC segment. With over 40 MW solar plants commissioned across 9 Indian states, Sunsure is also one of the most widely present solar companies in this segment. Sunsure is head quartered in New Delhi and is the preferred solar partner for companies like Merino Industries, Hindware, Mazagaon Dock, Cochin Shipyard, Enrich Agro (Coca Cola Bottlers), Minda Group, Cleantech Solar, Machino Plastics (A Maruti JV Company), Surya Roshni and many others. Media Contact: Kartikeya Narain Sharma [email protected] +91-9902366059 Head - Growth & Strategy Sunsure Energy Pvt. Ltd. SOURCE Sunsure Energy Pvt. Ltd. NEW DELHI, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- - Perfect amalgamation of vintage style and uniqueness to enhance one's daily lifestyle - 21 jewel movement is one of the best collections to watch out for Watches are the essentials that make sure one is always on time. Revolutionizing the true style of vintage timepieces, Timex , one of the world's largest watch manufacturer, has introduced new Automatic watches for modern men. Bringing the aesthetic and superior era back to replicate with today's retro trend, these new collections are designed perfectly to add value to one's outfit. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/680504/Timex_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/680503/Timex_Automatic.jpg ) The watches are built to match the style statement of the consumers that are an ultra-modern assortment and truly an epitome of fashion. Designed with 21 jewel, the collection has self-winding mechanical movement with 42-hour power reserve and cased in a rose gold stainless steel body. It has silver skeleton dial and curve glass that compliments perfectly with every trend. The other specs include Japan-made calibre with a 44mm stainless steel case that houses a multifunction movement - day, date and 24-hour time. The watches also come with an Italian leather strap. Manoj Joshi, Head of Sales, Timex Group India Limited said, "We have always believed in bringing innovative and cutting-edge timepieces for our consumers. To reinvent the retro look back, Timex has introduced this vintage collection to match the style statement of modern men. The brand thought of revolutionizing the best of bygones era with contemporary touch that is perfectly designed for the young generation. We also believe that the new timepieces will be loved by our consumers and would add glamour to their watch collection." Vintage look For a casual look, one can go for the variant which has a 44mm stainless steel case with transparent exhibition case back. The Italian leather strap will add uniqueness to one's style. Sophistication redefined The vintage styling for the modern man houses a stellar 21 jewel movement that holds a 40-hour power reserve. This full skeleton automatic comes set with a double dome crystal that is nano sapphire coated, and a classic dial with roman numerals. All the watches in the Timex Automatic collection are the perfect accessory for modern men. These vintage automatic watches from Timex will be a true companion that will help one flaunt their style. Price: Starting at INR 10,995 Availability: The watches are available at all authorized Timex retail stores and on http://www.timexindia.com About Timex Group: Timex Group designs, manufactures and markets innovative timepieces around the world. Timex Group is a privately-held company headquartered in Middlebury, Connecticut with multiple operating units and over 5,000 employees worldwide. As one of the largest watchmakers in the world, Timex Group companies produce watches under several well-known brands, including Timex, Timex Ironman, Timex Expedition, Nautica, Guess, GC, Salvatore Ferragamo, Versace, Versus and Opex. The Timex brand, launched in 1950, sells millions of watches each year worldwide. Media Contact : Genesis Burson-Marsteller Lakshmi Kumari [email protected] +91-9711059461 Aishwarya Matta [email protected] +91-9560677810 Shrinidhi Rao [email protected] +91-9871909335 SOURCE Timex NEW DELHI, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Announces Opening of 17 Training Centers; To Train 10,000 Professionals by 2020 Global construction technology leader Trimble today unveiled its Pan-India training program to train the next-generation of engineering and construction industry professionals. The company also announced the opening of its latest Tekla Authorized Training Center (ATC) in Vijayawada, taking the number of ATCs to 17 across India. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/559480/Trimble_Solutions_India_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/680462/Paul_Wallett.jpg ) Trimble Tekla runs education, training and certification programs for Tekla Structures and other cutting-edge software tools used by the global architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. The learning programs aim to build a pool of skilled and talented engineers and construction professionals that can contribute to the ongoing transformation of the Indian construction industry. Trimble has so far trained and certified over 700 professionals through its ATCs, and aims to grow this number to 10,000 professionals by 2020. In addition, Tekla helps the students of engineering colleges build their future career by equipping them with desired 3D structural modelling software for their learning and knowledge enhancement purposes. The Campus download allows the students to get their free license and immediately start learning upon registering on Tekla's official website with their email id. The total number of student downloads have exceeded over 90,000 till date and this number continues to swell rapidly. Announcing the program, Paul Wallett, Regional Director, Trimble India and Middle East, said, "Through these structured learning programs, we aim to not only bridge the gap between the demand and supply of well-trained Constructible BIM professionals in the industry, but also create a steady supply of world-class talent that can help Indian construction industry embrace cutting-edge technologies and match their global counterparts. The tailored program and free access to professional software will further help students build promising careers in structural engineering and applications." The Indian construction industry is rapidly embracing technologies like Constructible BIM, 3D modeling and tech-enabled project management. Tekla ATCs train students in these essential tools and also equip them with conceptual designing and planning. The Tekla Education program from Trimble offers to construction industry professionals the opportunity to learn best-in-class software including Tekla Structures; the world's premier engineering and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software; Tekla Tedds and Tekla Structural Designer. The program also offers unlimited Tekla software licenses, learning content and free student licenses. Tekla's Authorized Training centers are located in the prime locations across India, including Pune, Ahmedabad, Trichy, Kochi, Nashik, Bangalore, Aurangabad, Mysuru, Kolkata, Coimbatore, Vijayawada, Kerala and Gandhinagar. The company plans to extend its ATCs to 50 cities across India in the next 18-24 months. About Trimble Solutions Corporation: Trimble Solutions Corporation is focused on technology solutions that improve collaboration, efficiency and accuracy across the Design-Build- Operate (DBO) lifecycle of buildings. The company drives the evolution of digital information models to provide greater competitive advantage to the construction, infrastructure and energy industries. Trimble Solutions Corporation, earlier known as Tekla, has customers in over 100 countries, offices in over 20 countries and a global partner network. For more information on Tekla Campus, log on to https://campus.tekla.com/ or read more about constructibility https://www.tekla.com/modeling-construction-not-just-for-drawings Additional information Tanya Mishra [email protected], +91-9004438498 Pratishtha Wadhwa [email protected] +91-7985252619 PR consultant Evoc Communications Consulting Pvt. Ltd. SOURCE Trimble Solutions India Pvt Ltd LOS ANGELES, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- FN Media Group Presents USA News Group News Commentary USA News Group - While one recent major Chinese lithium acquisition was being aggressively hindered in Chile, another was being approved in neighboring Argentina-an all-cash deal worth $265 million. Recent efforts by Chilean government agency Corfo to block Chinese firm Tianqi Lithium from acquiring a 32% stake in lithium giant Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM) seem to be sending an alarming message to foreign firms who originally sought investment in Chile, and are now perhaps changing their target region to neighboring Argentina. With heavy development happening in the country, Chinese firms may start taking a more serious look at companies with assets in Argentina, which include SQM, Lithium X Energy (TSX-V: LIX) (OTC: LIXXF), Millennial Lithium Corp. (OTC: MLNLF) (TSX-V: ML), Orocobre Limited (TSX: ORL) (OTC: OROCF), and NRG Metals Inc. (OTC: NRGMF) (TSX-V: NGZ). Foreign investors have been ramping up interest in South America's precious lithium brines, which are much cheaper to produce than Australian hard-rock mining. This attention zeroes in on a region known as the Lithium Triangle, which spans Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. However, these three aren't seen as equals on the international stage. Bolivia's far-left government turns away most foreign investment, leaving it far behind in the dust. But it seems that Chile and Argentina are duking it out for lithium supremacy-a duel that's been spun around in recent years, as major government changes in both countries are seemingly swapping their reputations. Lithium X Energy (TSX.V: LIX) (OTC: LIXXF) and the sale of its assets in Argentina show a completely different attitude towards the Chinese drive for lithium supplies-Having successfully completed an arrangement that netted the company an all-cash deal worth $265 million, to Chinese investment firm Nextview New Energy Lion Hong Kong Ltd. Late last year, NRG Metals Inc. (OTC: NRGMF) (TSX.V: NGZ) sealed its own deal with Chinese high-purity lithium manufacturers Chengdu Chemphys Chemical Industry Co., Ltd ("Chemphys")-Successfully meshing their new partners into the strategy going forward, which recently began drilling on its Salar Escondido Project. What the lithium market is witnessing is the beginning of a shift to Argentina will inevitably boost interest and investment, and benefit companies such as Lithium X Energy (TSX.V: LIX) (OTC: LIXXF), Millennial Lithium Corp. (OTC: MLNLF) (TSX.V: ML), Orocobre Limited (TSE: ORL) (OTC: OROCF), and NRG Metals Inc. (OTC: NRGMF) (TSX.V: NGZ). ARGENTINA'S LITHIUM ADVANTAGES (AND CHALLENGES) Since President Mauricio Macri took power in 2015, Argentina opened itself up to foreign capital, and has set its sights on surpassing Chile on the way to becoming a lithium superpower. As of December 2017, the country supplied about 16% of the world's lithium-However, it has set the new goal of supplying as much as 45% of the market. While Argentina certainly has the lithium supplies to meet these ambitious goals, it lags in supplying the brain trust to accomplish the feat. The country is swimming with doctors and lawyers, but has a dearth of skilled workers and technical personnel for lithium. "There is a real potential that Argentina will leapfrog over Chile in terms of production in five years' time," Richard Seville, CEO of Orocobre Limited (TSX: ORL) (OTC: OROCF), told Reuters during a visit to the mine. "It is going to be a very important player." Orocobre produces 14,500 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year at its Olaroz salt flat mine. But when the company welcomed on partner Toyota Tsusho Corp, plans for the mine suddenly projected a doubling of its total production to 35,000 tonnes by 2019. As of late 2017, Argentina held the rank of 3rd largest lithium producer in the world at 30,000 tonnes per year, which is less than half of Chile's annual output of 70,000 tonnes. But with projects like Orocobre's, Lithium X's, and NRG Metals' getting boosts from foreign interests (mostly from East Asia), there appears to major shift happening. LITHIUM TRIANGLE LEAPFROG While Chile seems to be putting up obstacles against Tianqi Lithium, the agency responsible for the country's lithium assets (and the resistance to Tianqi) known as Corfo followed up their block request by announcing it had also approved $754 million in new lithium industry investments. Some of these investments still came from Chinese and South Korean interests, but the timing of Corfo's attempted blockade of Tianqi Lithium was on March 9th, whereas the $754 million-announcement was only on March 12th-leaving an impression of doubt for the foreign investment community. Among this community, China is spearheading all types of mergers and acquisition, with Tianqi Lithium and Ganfeng Lithium leading the way. So, while Corfo sends mixed signals to the world with its move to block Tianqi from acquiring a stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM), Argentina is stepping up to take on all comers. Prior to the Tianqi offer in Chile, NRG Metals Inc. (OTC: NRGMF) (TSX.V: NGZ) already made an example of a healthy relationship with a Chinese investment partner. NRG METALS LEADING BY EXAMPLE Back in November of 2017, NRG Metals Inc. (OTC: NRGMF) (TSX.V: NGZ) finalized its own major deal in the form of a strategic alliance with Chinese high-purity lithium manufacturers Chengdu Chemphys Chemical Industry Co., Ltd ("Chemphys"). The alliance proudly announced in January 2018 that Chemphys would have representation on the NRG Board of Directors. Company President Adrian F.C. Hobkirk said in the announcement: "We are very pleased to have obtained the support of our shareholders in regards to our business plan for the exploration and development of lithium projects in Argentina. We welcome Ms. Dai to the board of the Company, and look forward to working closely with Chemphys to quickly advance the development of the Company." The Chemphys deal represented a major shift for companies the in the same size category, and development stage as NRG. The Chinese lithium firm entered the partnership with the junior to advance the exploration and development of NRG's flagship Hombre Muerto North Lithium Project ("HMN Project"). And the relationship is already paying off, as the HMN Project has already secured a contract for initial drilling, with drilling expected to commence in April 2018. Sampling on the project at the beginning of the year yielded very high lithium values, with several sites returning values over 1000 mg/l Li. Similarly high values were already reported on the company's other Argentinean asset the Salar Escondido Lithium Project-Phase II drilling has just recently began on the massive 29,000-hectare property. With Chemphys supporting the process, and a push from the Argentinean government to move lithium projects forward, NRG Metals Inc. appears capable of becoming a major benefactor from the coming sea-change of lithium activity from Chile to Argentina. POTENTIAL COMPARABLES Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX.V: LIX) (OTC: LIXXF) Lithium X Energy Corp., is a resource company operating as a lithium explorer and developer in Argentina and the United States. The company owns a 50% interest in the Sal de los Angeles project comprising 8,156 hectares located in Salta Province, Argentina. Lithium X Energy Corp. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Millennial Lithium Corp. (OTC: MLNLF) (TSX.V: ML) Millennial Lithium engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of lithium mineral properties and oil and gas resource properties. It primarily holds 100% interest in the Pastos Grandes Lithium Project located in Salta Province, Argentina. Millennial Lithium Corp. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Orocobre Limited (TSX: ORL) (OTC: OROCF) Orocobre Limited explores for and develops lithium and potash deposits in Argentina. Its flagship project is the Salar de Olaroz lithium project located in north-west province of Jujuy. The company also produces boron minerals and refined chemicals. Orocobre Limited is based in Milton, Australia. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM) Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A., is a producer of potassium nitrate and iodine. The Company produces specialty plant nutrients, iodine derivatives, lithium and its derivatives, potassium chloride, potassium sulfate and certain industrial chemicals. Its segments include specialty plant nutrients, industrial chemicals, iodine and derivatives, lithium and derivatives, potassium, and other products and services Lithium and its derivatives are used in batteries, greases and frits for production of ceramics. Potassium chloride is a commodity fertilizer that is produced and sold by the Company across the world. For a more in-depth look into NRG Metals you can view the in-depth report at Lithium News: http://usanewsgroup.com/2018/03/12/analysts-predict-lithium-sector-is-growing-faster-than-any-other-sector-in-the-past-decade/ Article Source: USA News Group http://usanewsgroup.com info@usanewsgroup.com Legal Disclaimer/Disclosure: This piece is an advertorial and has been paid for. This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. No information in this Report should be construed as individualized investment advice. A licensed financial advisor should be consulted prior to making any investment decision. We make no guarantee, representation or warranty and accept no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those of USA News Group only and are subject to change without notice. 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Media Contact Information: FN Media Group, LLC e-mail: editor@financialnewsmedia.com U.S. Phone: +1-(954)345-0611 SOURCE USA News Group "Including China, we have received seven crucial patents for our foundational CRISPR technology, which defines an exciting new path for medical research and treatments for some of the toughest medical conditions, including cancer, hereditary and rare diseases," said Udit Batra, Member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science. "As a genome-editing leader, we are actively licensing our integration patents for therapeutic use, basic science research and agricultural biotechnology." Merck, which has a 13-year history in the genome-editing field, has related patent filings for its insertion CRISPR method in the U.S., Brazil, India and Japan. The company already has had similar key patents granted in Australia, Canada, Europe, Israel, Singapore and South Korea. This forthcoming patent in China covers chromosomal integration, or cutting of the chromosomal sequence of eukaryotic cells (such as mammalian and plant cells) and insertion of an external or donor DNA sequence into those cells using CRISPR. Scientists can replace a disease-associated mutation with a beneficial or functional sequence a method important for creating disease models and gene therapy. Additionally, the method can be used to insert transgenes that label endogenous proteins for visual tracking within cells. CRISPR genome-editing technology, which allows the precise modification of chromosomes in living cells, is advancing treatment options for a variety of medical conditions. CRISPR applications are far-ranging - from identifying genes associated with cancer and rare diseases to reversing mutations that cause blindness. As a company that has been highly involved in genome-editing innovation, Merck recognizes that genome-editing has resulted in major positive advancements in biological research and medicine. At the same time, the growing potential of gene-editing technologies has opened scientific, legal and societal concerns. As both a user and supplier of gene-editing technology, Merck supports research with genome editing under careful consideration of ethical and legal standards. Merck has established a Bioethics Advisory Panel to provide guidance for research in which its businesses are involved, including research on or using genome editing, and has defined a clear operational position taking into account scientific and societal issues while not blocking any promising therapeutic approaches for use in research and applications. Merck has made significant contributions to the genome-editing field. It was the first company to offer custom biomolecules for genome editing globally (TargeTron RNA-guided group II introns and CompoZr zinc finger nucleases), driving adoption of these techniques by researchers all over the world. Merck was also the first company to manufacture arrayed CRISPR libraries covering the entire human genome, accelerating cures for diseases by allowing scientists to explore more questions about root causes. For more information on Merck's work in the genome-editing field, visit https://www.merckgroup.com/en/stories/350-anniversary-its-all-in-the-genes.html and http://ar.merckgroup.com/2017/magazine/new-ways-of-identifying-disease. All Merck news releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the Merck website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service. About Merck Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Almost 53,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2017, Merck generated sales of 15.3 billion in 66 countries. Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck holds the global rights to the "Merck" name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/678564/Merck_CRISPR_China.jpg SOURCE Merck LONDON, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Victor Dahdaleh Foundation is delighted to be providing funding support to the new The Brian Mulroney Institute of Government at St. Francis Xavier University (StFX), dedicated to the study of government, Canada-U.S. relations, and global affairs for undergraduate students. Specifically, The Foundation has donated C$1.5 million to fund the Victor Dahdaleh Chair in Democracy and Governance at the new Institute, which has now been matched up to C$3 million. Mr Dahdaleh said, "This donation illustrates the continuing and extensive support that the Foundation is providing to promote education programmes around the world. I am delighted to be able to advance the work of StFX's new Brian Mulroney Institute, particularly through a Chair in Democracy and Governance." "The Victor Dahdaleh Foundation has done much to promote higher education both here, at St. Francis Xavier University, and around the world. In fact, this gift has empowered the university to match funds, providing even greater learning opportunities for StFX students and our broader community," said St. Francis Xavier University President and Vice Chancellor, Dr. Kent MacDonald. "These amounts are in addition to the Foundation's $500,000 gift last year, which was also matched by the Jeannine Deveau Education Equity Endowment to create a $1 million bursary to support Indigenous Canadians who wish to attend St. Francis Xavier University." Mr. Dahdaleh was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2015 from St Francis Xavier University. Further background on The Victor Dahdaleh Foundation's recent philanthropic support Through the Foundation, extensive support has been provided to promote education, health and social development programmes around the world. As an alumnus of McGill and York Universities in Canada, he also promotes closer ties between Canada and the UK through the work of the Foundation. Since 2007 the Foundation has funded an endowment for the award in perpetuity of 32 annual scholarships at McGill University. The scholarships are targeted at out outstanding international full-time undergraduates from low-income countries. Victor Dahdaleh has also been a leading donor to the London School of Economics in the UK, funding a range of new facilities at the institution. The Foundation has also funded the Chevening Scholarships, a programme to give underprivileged students the opportunities to study at the LSE along with other leading universities. The Foundation funds a wide range of academic research into areas such as neuroscience and cardiovascular disease, as well as broader global issues with health implications such as migration and the environment. The Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research was opened in 2015 at York University in Canada. Funded by a $20m donation from the Foundation, the Institute works with a network of local and global partners to reframe the way high and low income countries collaborate to the most pressing global health challenges of our time. In 2016, a donation from the Foundation established a new Chair in Neurosciences at McGill's Faculty of Medicine. In the same year, the Foundation made a 5m donation to the British Lung Foundation to fund vital research into mesothelioma, matching UK government funding. The donation is the largest ever made to the BLF. The landmark gift is supporting research teams at the University of Leicester and Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Cambridge, both of which are joining forces with the government-funded National Mesothelioma Research Centre at Imperial College to develop new treatments for the disease. For further information on the Victor Dahdaleh Foundation contact: Matthew Moth, Madano on +44(0)20-7593-4000 or matthew.moth@madano.com SOURCE The Victor Dahdaleh Foundation The recent death of the last male Northern White Rhino, Sudan, confirmed that conservation as we know it is failing. Poaching, habitat loss and climate change are increasing at rates that are nearly impossible to combat. While human populations are growing so rapidly now that new conservation methods must be developed in order to save earth's megafauna. In October 2017, under the leadership of Dr. Deacon, conservationists from across the globe took aim at the most ambitious giraffe project ever conceived: to capture and GPS collar twenty giraffes at one time. These scientists sought to answer questions, not only about giraffe biology, but about the ongoing conservation programs needed to manage Africa's giraffes. "One way to stop the plummeting numbers is to learn more about how giraffes use their habitat and how much area do they need in order to survive," said Dr. Deacon. During the filming of Catching Giants in South Africa, Dr. Deacon reached a major milestone: collaring his 50th giraffe. This was also the first expedition where male giraffes had ever been collared -- it was previously considered too high risk due to their size and physiology. Giraffes are notorious for being the most difficult animals to capture, as their mortality rate is so high when attempting to transport them. Despite these hazards, South Africa's Dr. Ilse Luther-Binoir became the first reproductive physiologist to successfully collect semen from a wild giraffe. In a teaspoon of semen collected from one giraffe, she recorded an astonishing 3.5 billion sperm. "The prospects of this research are exhilarating. Sperm analysis and its impact on future reproduction may very well be the key to ensuring that giraffe populations thrive in our ever changing world," said Dr. Luther-Binoir. "Whether used fresh in an artificial insemination program or cryopreserved and stored in liquid nitrogen for later application, semen samples such as this could prove tremendous significance for conservation if used to boost genetic diversity in captivity," remarked Dr. Fred Bercovitch, Executive Director of Save the Giraffes, who took part in this expedition. While losing the Northern White Rhino to human greed is unforgivable for conservation as a whole, Dr. Deacon and his team of researchers have launched a targeted plan of hope to keep giraffes and their genetics flourishing in order to conserve their species. Catching Giants -- an iniosante film by Ashley Scott Davison, co-produced by Catherine Land -- just wrapped post-production and is expected to air in 2018. ABOUT CATCHING GIANTS To view the documentary's trailer click here -- https://vimeo.com/220655480 ABOUT INIOSANTE DOCUMENTARY PARTNERS The New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, Save the Giraffes, Giraffe Conservation Alliance Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/679991/New_Braunfels_Cape_Giraffe.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/679990/New_Braunfels_biologists.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/679989/New_Braunfels_wild_giraffe_collection.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/679992/Catching_Giants_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/679988/New_Braunfels_Visitor_Bureau_Logo.jpg SOURCE Greater New Braunfels Convention & Visitors Bureau ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Fedora Update Notification FEDORA-2018-122ea355a7 2018-04-22 00:58:44.635951 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Name : memcached Product : Fedora 26 Version : 1.4.39 Release : 2.fc26 URL : http://www.memcached.org/ Summary : High Performance, Distributed Memory Object Cache Description : memcached is a high-performance, distributed memory object caching system, generic in nature, but intended for use in speeding up dynamic web applications by alleviating database load. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Update Information: Security fix for CVE-2018-1000115, which disables the UDP port by default. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ChangeLog: * Tue Mar 6 2018 Miroslav Lichvar - 0:1.4.39-2 - disable UDP port by default (CVE-2018-1000115) * Tue Jul 11 2017 Miroslav Lichvar - 0:1.4.39-1 - update to 1.4.39 (CVE-2017-9951) * Tue Jun 27 2017 Miroslav Lichvar - 0:1.4.38-1 - update to 1.4.38 * Fri Jun 9 2017 Miroslav Lichvar - 0:1.4.37-1 - update to 1.4.37 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - References: [ 1 ] Bug #1551182 - CVE-2018-1000115 memcached: UDP server support allows spoofed traffic amplification DoS https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1551182 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - This update can be installed with the "dnf" update program. Use su -c 'dnf upgrade --advisory FEDORA-2018-122ea355a7' 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 https://fedoraproject.org/keys ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - _______________________________________________ package-announce mailing list -- package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org To unsubscribe send an email to package-announce-leave@lists.fedoraproject.org Trading Week Starts with Stronger Dollar and Cryptocurrencies and Weaker Gold The last trading week of April started from the strengthening of the U.S. Dollar and cryptocurrencies and the weakening of gold. At this point, the USD index has gained up to 90,38 points (+0,07%). The US Dollar has been supported by higher U.S. T-bond yields. For example, the 10-year and 30-year T-bond yields gained 2,6% and 1,6% respectively and increased up to 2,977% and 3,158% respectively. The U.S. Dollar has also been supported by the news about lower geopolitical tensions. North Korea is reported to have started phasing out the nuclear program. At the same time, the cryptocurrency market cap nearly hit 400 billion dollars this morning. All of the TOP10 coins have been going up in value. Bitcoin exceeded 8900 USD/BTC. For the sake of comparison, a week ago, the exchange rate used to be below 8000 USD/BTC. Bitcoin Cash showed even more strength by reaching 1370 USD/BCH. This was a 19% gain in 24 hours. By the way, BCH has been going up in value for 6 trading sessions in a row. Bitcoin Cash used to be undermined seriously. In January and February, it dropped by almost 40% and 20% respectively. Yet, another major drop by almost 50% took place in March. FortFS experts recommend that we hurry up with investing in cryptocurrencies since new money has been poured into the market. At the same time, gold has been going down against a stronger dollar. The Comex gold futures for June delivery dropped by 0,19% down to $1335,9/oz. Silver depreciated as well. The corresponding silver futures for June delivery dropped by 0,48% down to $17,8/oz, NordFX experts reports. You are free to discuss this article here: forum for traders and investors For many owners of Self-Directed IRAs, diversification and self-direction strategies are consistent ways to build wealth for retirement. These strategies also come with responsibilities on the part of the owner. Specifically, owners need to know which rules and regulations to follow as they handle many of their own business transactions responsibly. One such regulation is contribution limits. American IRA CEO Jim Hitt explained the various contribution limits account owners of Self-Directed IRAs can expect for different account types. Investors need to know there are plenty of different rules, and those rules change depending on your account type, said Jim Hitt. It is not complicated once you know the rules, but with possible, random legislation changes, it is always a good idea to refresh oneself with the current regulations, so they do not have any unexpected surprises around tax time. According to the post, which examined the contribution limits for Self-Directed 401(k)s and Self-Directed IRAs, there were both interesting changes and non-changes worth noting. For example, there were not changes in 2018 for the contribution limits of Self-Directed IRAs, which remain at $5,500 for a single individual below age 50. The article did note employee beneficiaries of Self-Directed 401(k) plans can contribute up to $18,500 if below 50. Those contribution totals increase to $6,500 and $24,500 respectively for those individuals 50 and over. Each different type of account comes with its own advantages and disadvantages, said Jim Hitt. The key is knowing which is right for the individual investor. This posts immediate benefit identifies some of those key differences. The basic structure of an IRA can be different from that of a 401(k) because of how the contributions are limited and taxed. Knowing those differences is essential for anyone who wants to self-direct. The article also dove into the various income thresholds for these retirement accounts, which can be especially relevant for investors who have seen their income fluctuate due to job status changes. For more direct information about these 2018 rules, visit the blog at http://www.AmericanIRA.com or call 866-7500-IRA. "About: American IRA, LLC was established in 2004 by Jim Hitt, CEO in Asheville, NC. The mission of American IRA is to provide the highest level of customer service in the self-directed retirement industry. Jim Hitt and his team have grown the company to over $400 million in assets under administration by educating the public that their Self-Directed IRA account can invest in a variety of assets such as real estate, private lending, limited liability companies, precious metals and much more. As a Self-Directed IRA administrator, they are a neutral third party. They do not make any recommendations to any person or entity associated with investments of any type (including financial representatives, investment promoters or companies, or employees, agents or representatives associated with these firms). They are not responsible for and are not bound by any statements, representations, warranties or agreements made by any such person or entity and do not provide any recommendation on the quality profitability or reputability of any investment, individual or company. The term "they" refers to American IRA, located in Asheville and Charlotte, NC." Late last month, the National Alliance for Caregiving convened more than 100 family caregiver advocates in San Francisco to set the agenda for caregiving policy work moving forward. We are starting to build the infrastructure necessary to support a diverse group of family caregivers, said Michael Wittke, BSW, MPA, Director of Advocacy at the National Alliance for Caregiving. These individuals have to navigate a complex healthcare system, financial strain, and workplace issues in the 21st century. Caregiving is an issue whose time has come. The one-day meeting hosted by the National Alliance for Caregiving focused on topics such as building capacity for caregivers across the lifespan, developing caregiver-friendly communities, and caregiving and the workplace. Several national and state advocates presented, including representatives from the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), Legal Aid at Work, the National Partnership for Women and Families, and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, among others. Advocates sought to broaden the scope of current efforts by sponsoring caregiving coalitions from across the United States to attend the conference. A caregiving coalition is a community of representatives that has come together to address the needs of family caregivers across the lifespan. These coalitions support family caregivers with information, referral services, educational outreach, and advocacy. Lylie Fisher of the Montgomery County MD Caregiver Coalition in Rockville, Maryland represented one of ten advocacy organizations attending the conference on a scholarship. Montgomery County is a unique community - one of the most economic and racially diverse communities in America, yet in part due to its size and pockets of economically depressed regions, it has residents living in poverty. Family caregivers in our community experience both economic and personal hardships while supporting loved ones. Attending this national conference allowed me and the County to gain first-hand knowledge of how other communities are addressing social disparities and the needs of family caregivers. In addition to the Montgomery County MD Caregiver Coalition, other scholarship recipients included: Montana Lifespan Respite Coalition Lake County CaregiverNet Massachusetts Lifespan Respite Coalition New York State Caregiving and Respite Coalition Metropolitan Caregiver Service Collaborative Northern Colorado Respite Coalition Alamo Caregiver Support Coalition/Hispanic Outreach Coalition Virginia Caregivers Coalition Bexar Area Agency on Aging Caregiver Coalition The meeting was hosted in partnership with the American Society on Aging at the Aging in America 2018 Conference, and was graciously funded by the Archstone Foundation, Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and UnitedHealthcare. For more information, please visit http://www.caregiving.org/coalitions/annual-conference/. About the National Alliance for Caregiving Established in 1996, the National Alliance for Caregiving is a non-profit coalition of national organizations focusing on advancing family caregiving through research, innovation, and advocacy. The Alliance conducts research, does policy analysis, develops national best-practice programs, and works to increase public awareness of family caregiving issues. Recognizing that family caregivers provide important societal and financial contributions toward maintaining the well-being of those they care for, the Alliance supports a network of more than 80 state and local caregiving coalitions and serves as Secretariat for the International Alliance of Carer Organizations (IACO). Learn more at http://www.caregiving.org. The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) announced today it will host the second annual Capital Health Tech Summit on May 10, 2018 at the Inova Center for Personalized Health. The Capital Health Tech Summit will showcase how the intersection of commercial, government and academic assets makes Greater Washington the epicenter for innovation and opportunity in the health technology sector. Todd Stottlemyer, CEO, Inova Center for Personalized Health, will deliver keynote remarks. Panel discussions will feature experts from world leading healthcare organizations, universities and firms developing the latest health technologies and will cover such topics as precision medicine, blockchain and healthcare, and the patient experience. During the Summits innovation flash briefings session, companies will present five-minute flash briefings highlighting groundbreaking or unique innovations that could ultimately be game changers in health. Some of the top innovators serving as panelists include: Jose L. Arrieta, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources (ASFR), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Jon Booth, Director, Web and New Media Group, Office of Communication, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Dr. Mike Buschmann, Chair of Bioengineering, Volgenau School of Engineering, George Mason University Dr. Henry Skip Francis, Director of Data Mining and Informatics Evaluation and Research Group, Office of Translational Sciences, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA Dr. Crystal Icenhour, CEO and Co-Founder, Aperiomics Dr. Jim Kyung-Soo Liew, Founder, SoKat.co, and Assistant Professor, Finance, Johns Hopkins University Shirley McElhatton, Director of Patient Service Excellence, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Michael Thomas, Director, Venture Capital, Inova Personalized Healthcare Accelerator Mudar Yaghi, Chairman and CEO, AppTek The Capital Health Tech Summit will deliver tremendous business development and educational value to the entire technology community, providing an unprecedented opportunity to promote the regions health technology assets and connect people, companies and national policymakers. View the Summit agenda here. DATE: May 10, 2018 TIME: 7:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m. LOCATION: Inova Center for Personalized Health 3225 Gallows Rd Fairfax, Va. 22037 REGISTRATION: To register as a member of the press, please contact Alexa Magdalenski at 703-904-7878, ext. 207 or email amagdalenski(at)nvtc(dot)org. The event is free for press, but advanced registration is required. Press credentials are required for entry. The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) is the membership and trade association for the technology community in Northern Virginia. As the largest technology council in the nation, NVTC serves about 1,000 companies from all sectors of the technology industry, as well as service providers, universities, foreign embassies, nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies. Through its member companies, NVTC represents about 300,000 employees in the region. NVTC is recognized as the nation's leader in providing its technology community with networking and educational events; specialized services and benefits; public policy advocacy; branding of its region as a major global technology center; initiatives in targeted business sectors and in the international, entrepreneurship, workforce and education arenas; and the NVTC Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that supports the NVTC Veterans Employment Initiative and other priorities within Virginia's technology community. Visit NVTC at http://www.nvtc.org. 1SEO I.T. Support & Digital Marketing is pleased to announce the opening of their second office in Salt Lake City, Utah. George Barrett, a Utah native with years of experience in the industry, is set to open up the location. The team is excited to welcome Barrett as a leader to help expand the company and go on this journey with them. This office will serve as a hub for all of 1SEOs West Coast clients. The office is officially opening its doors for business today on Monday, April 23. Salt Lake-area businesses that are interested in growing and protecting their companies are encouraged to contact 1SEO I.T. & Digital Marketing by phone at 801-948-3900. We just celebrated our ninth year in business, said Lance Bachmann, 1SEOs President and CEO. I dont think theres a better way to mark that milestone than to expand our reach to businesses that havent experienced our product and culture yet. By opening a second location, 1SEO will have the opportunity to share the product and dedication that nobody else within the West Coast market can offer, making this move monumental for both the company and the state. After almost a decade of growing our company, were thrilled to expand and help local companies on the West Coast do the same, says Scott Fcasni, President of 1SEO Technologies. With our I.T. support, those businesses can keep themselves protected at all costs. Barrett, who is spearheading the opening, is looking forward to bringing the family culture and dedication that is 1SEO to another part of the country. He joined 1SEO after discovering the success of the companys product and seeing their current clients thrive. Since spending time observing operations in the Bristol office, he is ready to bring his knowledge back to Utah with him and begin forming a successful team of digital marketers and I.T. specialists. Utah is always searching for creative talent, which Barrett seeks to recruit as he establishes this new branch. He is looking for open-minded, hardworking individuals who are prepared to learn, adapt, think outside the box, and bring successful services to companies in the rapidly-growing Salt Lake City business world. Companies and job seekers in the Salt Lake City area are encouraged to reach out to learn more about the new office. For more information about 1SEO I.T. Support & Digital Marketing, interested parties can visit the company online here. About 1SEO I.T. Support & Digital Marketing: 1SEO I.T. Support & Digital Marketing is a Philadelphia, PA-based digital marketing firm and managed I.T. service provider offering end-to-end solutions for their clientele, which is comprised of hundreds of businesses in countless industries that operate in several sectors, from the niche to the mainstream. With a full range of services, including social media optimization, content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), web development, pay per click (PPC), proactive I.T. support, and managed I.T. services, 1SEO I.T. Support & Digital Marketing helps their clients win online and maximizes the efficiency and security of their I.T. infrastructure. For more information, please visit https://1seo.com/. Never Give Up: Part 1: a reminder of all the reasons there are to continue living. Never Give Up: Part 1 is the creation of published author, June L. Myrick. June was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but raised most of her life in Huger, South Carolina. In her twenties, she joined the United States Navy then later the United States Army Reserve to serve her country. She married a soldier and took his last name, Myrick. After being honorably discharged from the military, she resided in Hawaii and went on to obtain her bachelors degree in human services as well as her masters degree in clinical mental health counseling. It is a field that allows her to help people of all ages who are suffering. Even while struggling with her own personal crises, she has always been there for those who needed someone. Raised by a very strict grandma, who she did not always like, June was sheltered. As a consequence, she was always afraid and struggled to connect with other people, even though she wanted to fit in with everyone else. Feeling like she lived in a prison, the military seemed like her only option to get out. Not long after leaving, reality set in and she found herself wanting to go back to Grandmas house. Today, she is grateful for her strict upbringing, because it made her the woman who she is, a woman who is loving and compassionate to all people. She now enjoys motivating people to take the next step in order to free themselves from past hurts and disappointments. She has learned that troubles will come and go. They are part of life, but God has a plan for all. She was introduced to the City of Refuge Christian Church in Waipahu, Hawaii. Pastor Wayne E. Anderson, a great anointed man of God, helped her work through her struggles on a mental, physical, and emotional level with his uncompromising preaching and teaching of Gods Word. She has been delivered from generational curses and set free by the power of God. She gave birth to two wonderful children and has two grandsons. There is no doubt in my mind that even as we meet, you are going through some type of trial, disappointment, frustration, and you are feeling like you are all alone. You feel as if there is no hope. There are a lot of emotions going on right now, and there are all kinds of voices running through your head, telling you that you dont belong and that you are not wanted, and you are not loved. There are thoughts of suicide and there are thoughts of wanting to get back at the ones that have hurt you and caused you pain. Stop listening to those voices and focus your full undivided attention on this book that I have dedicated to you. --June L. Myrick Published by Christian Faith Publishing, June L. Myricks new book offers hope to those who want to give up on life. For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11, AMP) Never Give Up: Part 1 was written for those struggling with the trials and tribulations of life. It was written for those who desperately want to find a way to escape their pain. These are people who feel like no one truly loves them. Others have made them feel like they are less than worthy. They have been made to feel ugly, fat, too skinny, and unattractive. Others made them feel like they were misfits. They eventually started to believe what others were saying. Author June L. Myrick has been there. She was one of those people. She knows things can and will get better. She blamed others for her problems. Others blamed her for their problems. No one seemed to understand her or the struggles she was going through. Things will get better. She knows this, because she has experienced the same struggles and understands the first step is finding hope through help and the support of others. View a synopsis of Never Give Up: Part 1 on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Never Give Up: Part 1 at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Never Give Up: Part 1, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Cave Days: the journey of a young man from his broken family to his new life. Cave Days is the creation of published author, Kingsley Ross Hill. Kingsley was born in Mount Pleasant Hospital near the city of Swansea in Glamorganshire, South Wales. He grew up in the small village of Pennard on the Gower Peninsula. Kingsleys second book, Cave Days, follows his award-winning book, My Best Friend. Kingsley is active in youth outreach and evangelism. He often speaks at seminars and banquets, locally and abroad, where he enjoys using his gifts of speaking and teaching to help others. He describes his journey as a writer as an ongoing revelation experience in which he continues to learn and grow. Kingsley is committed to his family. Next to his personal relationship with God, they come first in his life. If they did not, things would be out of balance. With the light fading fast, it was time to decide on my shelter and how I was going to keep warm. I would think about food tomorrow. The cave that Id slept in last night was right on the beach, and at high tide, the sea claimed the whole cave. One could drown being trapped inside! Id been fortunate that todays tide was a lower one; I hadnt intended falling asleep in the cave, just using it for shelter. --Kingsley Ross Hill Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Kingsley Ross Hills new book is an instant classic. The Gower Peninsula of South Wales became the first in all of Great Britain to be given the status area of outstanding natural beauty. It is the land that forged Kingsley Ross Hill Cave and his experiences. Cave Days will take readers on a wonderfully unforgettable journey over lonely hills and through singing streams as Kingsley explores this Celtic land of ancient castles, romance, and song. From the land of the setting suns comes the award-winning autobiography of Kingsley Ross Hill. Cave Days is a true and passionate tale. It is a coming-of-age story about survival. A teenage boys life falls apart. Through a family of horses and a wild stallion he names Great Thunder, Kingsley builds a new life. It is a life full of love, meaning, and adventure. As a wayward teenager and the victim of a broken home, Kingsley remembers all too well the struggles, the heartaches, and the pain that teenagers go through when their families break apart! God loves to bring healing to broken lives! And he makes them whole again; in truth, making them whole for the first time. There is no life so broken that God cannot fix! Through the chapters of this book, God reveals his love and faithfulness in reaching out to the searching and broken heart. Cave Days is a revelation of Gods great works in an individuals life. --Rev. E.J. Martin, Exeter Gospel Assembly, Devonshire, England View a synopsis of Cave Days on YouTube. Consumers can purchaseCave Days at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Cave Days, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Xyngular, a weight loss and nutritional supplement company, announced at its recent Xyngfling event in Orlando, the launch of a new weight loss system, Core and enhanced versions of its popular Ignite and Ultimate weight loss systems. In addition, the company also launched 8 new health products that will be added to its already impressive list of health products. At Xyngular were about becoming more and empowering change, said Russ Fletcher, CEO of Xyngular. Weve provided our customers, members and distributors more effective products to our weight loss systems, more targeted health products, more resources to maintain compliance with the programs, and more opportunity to empower them to make choices that can change their lives. We call this the Becoming More Movement. Key changes to Xyngulars weight loss systems highlighted the launch. Enhanced versions of Xyngulars most effective system, the Ultimate, now includes newly launched health products Advanced Omega and Probiotix. Key foundational products that support weight loss and daily health. The Ultimate also features a $100 product credit to be used on future purchases. This key change will allow users to continue their weight loss journey. Xyngular also announced the launch of a new lower priced weight loss system, Core. Core consists of Xyngulars popular products Xyng, Cheat, Lean and Flush. The enhanced weight loss systems now include new low carb and Keto meal plans to further boost weight loss results, as well as Xyngulars mobile virtual assistant Xander that provides mobile reminders via text messaging so users can remain compliant. The 8 health products launched at Xyngfling include: Advanced Omega packed with Omega3 fatty acids for brain and cognitive health Probiotix a tasty probiotic with more than 3 billion CFUs for digestive health Immune offers a potent blend of therapeutic mushrooms to boost the immune system Cardio improves blood circulation and cardiovascular health Flex a maximum strength joint supplement Osteo restores and replenishes lost bone density and over time reinforces healthy bones Genesis (liquid and capsules) helps slow cellular aging with a blend of phytonutrients and bioactives About Xyngular Xyngular is about becoming more. Founded in 2009, Xyngular features health-changing, wellness-driven products designed to help empower change in people. Xyngulars product development system ensures Xyngular formulas feature the purest, most potent ingredients that are manufactured to the highest level of quality, and in 2017 was awarded the Best Weight Loss Management Product for Trimstix. The company is founded on family values with a supportive community of purpose driven individuals dedicated to helping people become more. Xyngular currently sells its products through a network of sales leaders in the United States, Canada, the Philippines and Caribbean. In 2017, Xyngular was selected as one of Utahs Best Companies To Work For by Utah Business Magazine and a 2018 Best Places to Work in Direct Selling from Direct Selling News. To learn more about Xyngular visit http://www.xyngular.com. Wayback Burgers Pakistan Location We expect Ejaz, Imran, Kamran and Imtiaz to flourish with Wayback Burgers and we look forward to helping them develop new locations throughout Pakistan. - Jason Murawski Wayback Burgers, Americas favorite hometown burger joint and one of the nations fastest growing burger franchises, opened its newest restaurant in Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan on April 14, 2018. This is Wayback Burgers first location in Pakistan and in areas surrounding Lahore. The newest Wayback Burgers restaurant, owned by Ejaz Chaudhry, Imran Zahoor, Kamran Zahoor and Imtiaz Chaudhry, is located at 56-GCP Housing Society, Opposite Shoukat Khanum Cancer Hospital, Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan. After managing and owning several concepts for a number of years, including a Wayback Burgers restaurant in Washington state, Ejaz, Imran, Kamran and Imtiaz bought master franchise rights for Pakistan. The business partners expect to have two Wayback Burgers restaurants operating in Lahore by the end of 2019 and expect to open 2-3 more annually in the coming years. Ejaz says Wayback Burgers was the perfect fit for him because he loves the companys throwback culture and community first values. We saw an opportunity to bring a brand to Pakistan that offers better quality burgers and shakes, said Ejaz. After opening our first Wayback Burgers restaurants in the USA, which obviously included trying the food and seeing the operations, it was an easy decision to bring the brand to Pakistan. We will serve excellent food that fulfills our guests needs quickly, courteously, and in a cleaner environment than our competitors. Wayback Burgers Director of International Development, Jason Murawski, is impressed with Ejaz, Imran, Kamran and Imtiazs success to date and believes the companys fast casual burger concept is a perfect fit for Lahore, Pakistan and surrounding communities. We are thrilled Ejaz, Imran, Kamran and Imtiaz are bringing Wayback Burgers to Lahore, Pakistan said Murawski. Working in the food industry for a combined 80+ years, this team possesses the perfect skill set to be successful as Wayback Burgers master franchisees. Plus, they are deeply committed to their community and support countless local organizations. After traveling to Lahore for the opening and seeing the response of the consumers, I know we have a winner. We expect Ejaz, Imran, Kamran and Imtiaz to flourish with Wayback Burgers and we look forward to helping them develop new locations throughout Pakistan. For more information about Wayback Burgers, please visit https://waybackburgers.com/. For more information about Wayback Burgers franchise opportunities, please visit https://franchise.waybackburgers.com/. About Wayback Burgers Founded in 1991 in Newark, DE, Wayback Burgers is a Connecticut-based fast-casual franchise with a reputation for fresh, never frozen, cooked to order burgers and thick, hand-dipped milkshakes, served in an environment that hearkens back to a simpler place and timewhen customer service meant something, and everyone felt the warmth of the community. Wayback Burgers currently operates in 29 states with over 152 locations nationally and internationally in Argentina, Brunei, Sudan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Pakistan and Malaysia. Through its executed master franchise agreements, Wayback Burgers plans to open in 37 provinces/countries in the Middle East, Northern Africa, South Africa, Argentina, Brunei, Bangladesh, Ireland; Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada; and the Netherlands, with pending letters of intent sent out to Western Germany and the UK. For more information about Wayback Burgers, please visit https://waybackburgers.com/. For franchising information about Wayback Burgers, please visit https://franchise.waybackburgers.com/. Were excited to introduce an expanded menu and reimagined furnishings and build-out that give this location a very comfortable, upscale feel. Houstons original, 33-year-old, cook-to-order, gourmet fast-casual restaurant is opening a new location in Katy, which opens April 23, 2018. The new restaurant is located at 210 West Grand Parkway South, Katy, Texas 77494 at the southwest corner of I-10 and TX 99, in front of Costco. Katy has been the location most frequently requested by our customers, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Becks Prime, Mike Knapp explained. Its a great time to expand our concept into the growing Katy community. The new location features many new offerings, including a full bar, adult milkshakes, appetizers and more. Were excited to introduce an expanded menu and reimagined furnishings and build-out that give this location a very comfortable, upscale feel, said Molly Voorhees, President of Becks Prime. You can still expect the same superior quality, fresh food and service that you experience at the other eleven Houston-area and single Dallas-area Becks Prime locations. The three original partners, Mike Knapp, Win Campbell, and John Storms are still very much involved in day-to-day operations. Becks Prime has won scores of Best Burger awards and was named one of the Ten Best Burgers in Texas by Texas Monthly. Where The Locals Eat, the national dining guide, selected Becks Prime as the Best Burger in Houston, as well as one of the 10 Best Burger Restaurants in America. We cant wait to see what this new location has to offer. We know its going to be a crowd-pleaser for the entire Katy area, Voorhees added. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring what we do best: ground in-house Certified Angus Beef burgers, fresh salads with house-made dressings, and steaks to the Katy area. About Becks Prime Becks Prime was founded by Win Campbell, Mike Knapp and John Storms in 1985. The first Becks Prime opened on Kirby Drive with a double drive-thru and an open-air patio. Since then, nothing has changed philosophically, though the menu has expanded dramatically. The cooks butcher, grind and patty fresh 100% Certified Angus Beef chuck roast on-site in each locations kitchen daily. Everything is cooked-to-order, grilled over mesquite wood coals and prepared fresh, just like it was more than thirty years ago. Privately owned, Becks Prime currently operates 13 locations in Houston and Dallas. Becks Prime restaurants are located: Kirby Drive at Kipling Augusta at Westheimer Dairy Ashford at I-10 Highway 6 South in Sugar Land Downtown Houston in the Tunnel at 919 Milam Westheimer at Wilcrest Memorial Park Golf Course Club House Grogans Mill Village Center in The Woodlands Meyerland Plaza The Commons at Willowbrook The Heights on W 19th at Yale Dallas Preston Forest Area (Forest Lane at Preston Road) West Grand Parkway South at I-10 in Katy Becks Prime also offers catering throughout both cities. For more information, contact Mike Knapp at 713-922-0219 or visit the Becks Prime website at http://www.becksprime.com www.hhog.com We are pleased to expand our footprint in EMEA by establishing a team in the beautiful city of Amsterdam, said Dan Galvez, CEO and Cofounder, Hedgehog. Hedgehog, a digital consultancy engineering high-performance, multi-channel solutions, today announced the expansion of its team, and the opening of a new office in Amsterdam, Netherlands to get closer to customers and support its growth in the European market. To grow this new regional operation, the company has appointed Rob Prohaska as Head of United Kingdom and Benelux. Rob is a former Senior Director of Enablement Services at Sitecore EMEA, where he and his team were responsible for delivering professional services, training and support throughout the regions. The new office will cover the UK, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. After the successful launch of the Sofia, Bulgaria office in 2012, the new Amsterdam location is part of the overall global growth strategy for Hedgehog. The location affirms their commitment to fostering relationships regionally and to provide more onsite client support. We are pleased to expand our footprint in EMEA by establishing a team in the beautiful city of Amsterdam, said Dan Galvez, CEO and Cofounder, Hedgehog. We consider our expansion in the Netherlands, and the addition of Rob Prohaska to our team well-aligned with many of our near-term and long-term growth goals About Hedgehog: Hedgehog is a full-service digital consultancy transforming the way brands interact with their customers by designing and engineering high performance, multi-channel digital marketing solutions positioning clients for growth and success. A multidisciplinary web solutions firm partnering with Microsoft, Sitecore, Magento, Acquia, Drupal, and WordPress; Hedgehog offers strategy, design, consulting, technology, and managed services. Hedgehog is headquartered in Holbrook, NY with additional offices in Portland, OR, Charlotte, NC and Sofia, Bulgaria. The company is consistently recognized for being one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. To learn more, visit http://www.HHOG.com. For more information, press only, please contact: Marketing Manager- Leticia Shene, Hedgehog, (631) 676-2186, lshene(at)hhog(dot)com Donna McElroy and Kevin Connelly, a loving husband and wife team, have completed their new book Blood on the Tracks: a gripping novel about Elaine, a promising college graduate, who finds herself in a precarious situation following her shared connection with a vampire. Authors McElroy and Connelly reveal that not all that is upfront are what they truly seem to be: Green vines grew over everything as though the office were being reclaimed by the jungle. The psychiatrist studied her from his chair. She knew his hair to be jet-black, but today it was covered by a dark-brown turban, wrapped in the style of the Sikh faith. He was lecturing on the concept of political assassination as a form of suicide, careful to expose his gleaming white teeth and his blood red eyes. As she expressed concern, he tried to calm her by clarifying that suicide by political assassination was, in fact, his own preferred method of demise. Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Donna McElroy and Kevin Connellys tale also unveils a deeper plot to the storya longstanding and very ancient war between forces, with the ultimate goal of immortality. Readers who wish to experience this beguiling work can purchaseBlood on the Tracks 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. SAM Blockly is the perfect bridge for students who have discovered the fun of coding and creating with SAM Space and want to progress to that next step. STEAM education is a focal point of U.S. classrooms, fueled by rising demand for skilled workers with the computer programming and coding skills required to fill 21st-century careers. SAM Labs, an edtech startup that empowers teachers with the most engaging STEAM classroom solutions, is leading the movement to equip schools with modern instructional resources and technology. SAM Labs today launched SAM Blockly, a solution that enables students to progress from visual flow-based programming to block-based programming. Created in partnership with Workbench, SAM Blockly is a complete classroom solution that allows users to access a combination of content, the SAM Blockly app and SAM blocks. The programming app contains a Blockly programming environment to interact with SAM blocks, which are wireless Bluetooth hardware blocks that are either inputs or outputs such as motors and light sensors. SAM Blockly provides an important pathway for students. The solution enables progression from SAM Labs visual flow-based coding environment SAM Space, to the Blockly environment as a logical next step. Students are then prepared to later advance to script-based coding languages as they develop their skills. For educators, SAM Blockly expands on their familiarity with Scratch and Blockly by adding blocks as a physical element for a stronger learning experience. The solution also integrates with other classroom components, such as 3D printers and LEGO, to help educators increase the value of their existing STEAM resources. With SAM Blockly, educators can share and discover projects from other teachers to make integration into the classroom quick and easy. We recognize the importance of educators clearly mapping their students progression, said Joachim Horn, founder and CEO of SAM Labs. SAM Blockly is the perfect bridge for students who have discovered the fun of coding and creating with SAM Space and want to progress to that next step." Were always on the lookout for companies that are on the forefront of providing transformative learning solutions, said Chris Sleat, founder and CEO of Workbench. As pioneers in STEAM, SAM Labs embodies this idea. Were proud to partner with them because they provide immensely engaging and powerful classroom experiences that benefit teachers and students of all levels. SAM Blockly is available now on Chromebooks and Mac OSX computers via the Chrome browser. To learn more, visit http://blockly.samlabs.com. About SAM Labs SAM Labs is an edtech company that empowers teachers with the most engaging STEAM solution including lesson plans, apps and electronics. Its goal is to inspire every student to discover the fun in coding and creating. With a focus on building products that capture every type of students imagination, SAM Labs is democratizing the edtech industry. By combining highly engaging software with intuitive, user friendly hardware, SAM Labs teaches coding and engineering to children of all skill sets and interests. Offering projects across a variety of subjects from biology, to probability, to music SAM Labs builds edtech products for the athlete, the artist and the engineer. SAM Labs offers a coding solution for teachers, providing in-classroom support for both the early adopter and the tech-hesitant teacher by offering fully integrated and curriculum-based lesson plans and hands-on educator support. With partners like Intel Education and Microsoft Education, SAM Labs is bringing coding to every classroom around the world. Founded in 2014, the company is headquartered in London. For more information, please visit https://www.samlabs.com/. On April 26, UNCF (United Negro College Fund) will host an education summit that will coincide with the release of a new research report, A Seat at the Table: African American Youth's Perceptions of K-12 Education, highlighting input from African American students and their ideas about reforming education. WHO: Dr. Michael Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF Sekou Biddle, vice president K-12 Advocacy, UNCF Dr. Meredith B.L. Anderson, senior research associate K-12 Advocacy, UNCF Naomi N. Shelton, national director K-12 Advocacy, UNCF Panelists Jamar McKneely, chief executive officer and co-founder, Inspire NOLA Erika McConduit, chief executive officer, Urban League of Louisiana Dr. Joseph Davis, Esq., superintendent, Ferguson-Florissant School District Khalia Murray, former UNCF-Walton K-12 Fellow and DC Prep pre-K teacher Dr. Roderick L. Smothers Sr., president, Philander Smith College Mendell Grinter, founder and executive director, Campaign for School Equity Wil Del Pilar, vice president of Higher Education Policy and Practice, The Education Trust Erika Harrell, data manager, DC School Reform Now & Parent WHAT: The UNCF Education Summit will serve as a discussion for the student perspective on education, a call to action on pre-K-college issues, and a platform for engagement and exploration of the role of African American voices specifically HBCUsin education reform efforts. WHEN: Thursday, April 26, 2018 1:30 3:30 p.m. WHERE: UNCF College Knowledge Center 1805 7th St., NW Washington, DC 20001 BACKGROUND: During the last five years, UNCF and its K-12 Advocacy team have released various reports to amplify the need to improve outcomes for African American students and shift the narrative of what is possible for all students. UNCFs inaugural report, Done to Us, Not With Us: African American Parent Perceptions of K-12 Education, was released in 2012. This report explored how low-income African American parents and caregivers view the K-12 education system and their role in supporting their children. In 2017, UNCF released the second report in our African American perceptions series, Lift Every Voice and Lead: African American Grasstops Leaders Perceptions of K-12 Education Reform and the Lift Every Voice and Lead Toolkit: A Community Leaders Advocacy Resource for K-12 Education. With the release of the third report in our perceptions research series, A Seat at the Table: African American Youth's Perceptions of K-12 Education, UNCF continues to amplify voices that are often overlooked in education discussions. MORE INFO: Click here to register for the summit and for more information about UNCFs K-12 Advocacy, efforts, please visit the UNCF website. Follow the discussions on Twitter: @uncf @drmichaellomax #UNCFK12 #UNCFEdSummit About UNCF UNCF is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students' education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF awards more than $100 million in scholarships annually and administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." Thailands agricultural products, food exports and culinary traditions are already world famous, but the best is still yet to come. Long recognized as the Kitchen of the World and Asias food basket, Thailands food industry is poised to seize an even greater global market share in 2018 on multiple fronts -- including agricultural production, food innovation, and halal foods -- and many of the industrys most powerful global companies are already taking note. The only net food exporter in Asia, Thailands year-round growing season, abundant natural resources and geographic location grant it a considerable advantage in agricultural production. The country is a major global producer of items such as seafood, rice, cassava, tropical fruits, and sugar. In addition, its excellent logistical infrastructure, supportive government, and skilled labor force all contribute to its standing as a food processing and agricultural leader. Thailands high quality and safety standards have also helped cement its reputation in the food industry. Thailands agricultural products, food exports and culinary traditions are already world famous, but the best is still yet to come, said Mr. Chokedee Kaewsang, Deputy Secretary General of the Thailand Board of Investment. Aside from our traditional food production output, we look forward to creating an environment where innovation can flourish, which will help Thailand stay at the forefront of the global food industry. Thailands Food Innopolis, located in Thailand Science Park, is where the countrys food innovation facilities, research and development units, and other allied institutions come together to share ideas and shape the future of the food industry. Established in 2016, the collaborative network includes 17 companies, 23 universities, and 12 public and private organizations, and is part of the Thai governments Super Cluster. The Food Innopolis offers companies direct access to over 2,000 highly-skilled food researchers, more than 10,000 students, and 150 food research laboratories. The Thailand Board of Investment also provides several incentives to companies that choose the country as its base of operations, including a corporate income tax exemption and a 50% reduction for an additional five years, work permit and visa assistance for foreign employees, among others. Other food industry subsectors hold similar promise in Thailand. Currently, the halal food industry is growing at a rate faster than that of the overall food market. Thailand is the tenth largest global exporter of halal food products, with a US$6 billion market share. In 2017, the Thai National Food Institute (NFI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Central Islamic Council of Thailand in order to support the growth of the countrys halal food industry and help it retain and expand its market share in this subsector. Foreign companies in the food and beverages sector continue to expand their investment in Thailand. Mars Petcare Thailand recently announced plans to build its second production facility in the country, which will house its research and development functions. Similarly, last year, Cargill expanded by acquiring a livestock feed mill set to reopen this year. Pepsico and Suntory Beverage and Food Asia have formed a joint venture, Suntory PepsiCo Beverage (Thailand) Co., Ltd, capping off a five-year run of investments by Pepsico into Thailand, which include two beverage plants in the countrys Eastern Economic Corridor. Other examples of companies currently innovating food production in Thailand include CPRAM Co. Ltd., a producer and distributor of ready-to eat foods, which announced in 2017 it would expand its production capacity in the five plants it currently has in the country, and Thai Union, a seafood company, whose multimillion-dollar Global Innovation Incubator conducts fundamental research into farming practices. To further highlight the countrys robust food industry, the Thailand Board of Investment is hosting an international press delegation at THAIFEX-World of Food Asia 2018, taking place from May 29 to June 2 at the IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center in Bangkok. Now in its 15th year, the trade show provides an up-close look into ASEANs food and beverage industry. More than 55,000 attended the exhibition last year. In May, Thailand BOI is also hosting Subcon Thailand 2018, ASEANs largest industrial subcontracting and business matching event, to be held at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC) from May 16-19, 2018. This is an exciting time for the Thai food industry, concluded Mr. Kaewsang. We look forward to continue to help innovators in this sector benefit from everything Thailand has to offer the world. # # # About BOI The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) is the investment promotion agency for Thailand that facilitates foreign direct investment. BOIs services are free of charge and customized to help business succeed in Thailand. For more information, please visit http://www.boi.go.th and http://www.thinkasiainvestthailand.com. Dr. Nolan Allen Volunteers for Mission of Mercy Event The participating clinicians performed over 11,900 procedures for over 1,900 patients during the two-day event. The overall value of care provided was approximately $1.75 million. During the Florida Mission of Mercy (FLA-MOM) event in Fort Myers, FL, Dr. Nolan Allen of Clearwater Dental Associates volunteered his services to help provide care to the under-served and uninsured in Florida. Dr. Allen, a respected dentist in Clearwater, FL, attended the event as one of 1,300 clinicians which provided services ranging from tooth extractions to restorations free of cost. The FLA-MOM event has the goal of providing a positive impact on central Florida by relieving dental pain and infections while bringing back smiles to many individuals. The participating clinicians performed over 11,900 procedures for over 1,900 patients during the two-day event. The overall value of care provided was approximately $1.75 million. The FLA-MOM organization hopes to create ambassadors from the patients who will return to their communities and get involved on a local level with other nonprofit organizations. Dr. Allen represented Clearwater Dental Associates at the FLA-MOM event and is one of five doctors at the practice. Clearwater Dental Associates strives to give all their patients beautiful and healthy smiles along with the knowledge necessary to maintain that smile for a lifetime. Dr. Allen has been a volunteer as well as organizer of the FLA-MOM events since 2014. Dr. Allen, a dentist from Clearwater, FL, has held many titles with the FLA-MOM including: Tampa (2014) Co-Chair Jacksonville (2016) Statewide Co-Chair Pensacola (2017) Statewide Co-Chair Ft. Myers (2018) Statewide Co-Chair The next FLA-MOM event will be held March 22-23, 2019 in Orlando, FL. Those interested in learning more about Dr. Allen or other Clearwater Dental Associate dentists in Clearwater, FL, can contact the office at 727-797-8800 or visit http://www.cdadental.com. About the Practice Clearwater Dental Associates is a team of leading dentists serving patients in the Clearwater area for over 30 years. Dr. Matthew Burton, Keith Kiskaddon, Nolan Allen, Maria Hernandez and James Hayslett offer comprehensive services, allowing patients to receive all of their dental care at one, state-of-the-art facility. A 17-seat practice with over 20 team members, Clearwater Dental Associates provides leading care including dental implants, Invisalign, sedation and general dental care. A patient-centered practice, each doctor and team member is dedicated to patient comfort and education. To learn more about Clearwater Dental Associates or to schedule a personalized appointment, call 727-797-8800 or visit http://www.cdadental.com. London is the ideal launching point for exploring the UK or Europe. London continues to enchant travellers with its centuries of history, world class attractions, the unrivalled London theatre scene, and ever-expanding dining and nightlife options. Goway is tempting Globetrotters to hop the pond with summer savings on its best new London-based itineraries. Passengers can save up to $315 on their London and Countryside or London and Paris trip when they book by April 30, or save 10% on a Royal Tour of Britain when they book by May 15. An evergreen favourite destination and an ideal introduction to Europe, London continues to enchant travellers with its centuries of history, world class attractions, the unrivalled London theatre scene, and ever-expanding dining and nightlife options. Within easy reach of the city are Shakespeares hometown Stratford-Upon-Avon, the Roman ruins of Bath, mysterious Stonehenge, and the intellectual legacy of Oxford. A quick trip across the channel takes travellers to another of the worlds great cities and another Europe must-do, Paris. The two make an ideal pairing, particularly in Goways Tale of Two Cities trip, which includes hop-on, hop-off sightseeing with tours to nearby highlights such as Stratford-on-Avon and Versailles. Goways all new Royal Tour of Britain begins in Edinburgh, tracing the key sites and stories of Britains Royal and cultural history all the way to Londons most magnificent palaces, Hampton Court and Windsor Castle. Travellers should act fast to take advantage of these savings. Those booking London and Countryside departures between May 25 and June 17, 2018 will save $250 per person, while those booking the Tale of Two Cities during July 10 to 25, 2018 will save $315 per person, but these departures must be booked by April 30. Royal Tour of Britain departures are available up until September 8, 2018, with a 10% discount if booked by May 15. Since 1970, Goway has been providing unforgettable travel experiences to Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Central & South America, Idyllic Island destinations and Europe. Today Goway is recognized as one of North America's leading travel companies for individuals, families and groups to select exotic destinations around the globe. Goway has offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Manila, and Sydney, Australia. For reservations and information, visit http://www.goway.com, or call 1-800-387-8850. With nearly a half century of work in psychology, Chris Phillips has seen the desperation of individuals searching for meaning and purpose in their life. Unfortunately, these people are often looking in the wrong place. Phillips looks to solve this problems with his new book Psyche. How do you find out who you truly are and what you were put on this Earth to do? You probably wont find the answer in religion, politics or drugs, Phillips said. Psyche explores new regions of human essence to discover who you are in spirit and how higher powers work through you. It is also about how you can tune and refine your gifts, most especially the gift of love. Psyche counters the popular notion that we were all born into original sin, but instead, blessed at birth. Phillips highlights the Greek legend of Psyche and examines the nature of various Greek characters as well as the ancient Chaldean and Hebrew system of the Wisdom Paths. Psyche, the Greek word for Soul, and its symbol butterfly, is perfect for modern scientific interpretation of the isometric nature of Psyche Dextro / Positive and Laevo / Sinister. With his book, Phillips promotes the idea that we are greatly blessed at birth. He sheds light on the original blessings and the journey of the soul in this life as well as the journey of the soul in past lives. In investigating the human psyche, the book focuses on our higher powers and a new scientific model for Psyche as it applies to AIDs and HIV research. Furthermore, Psyche features several healing exercises in personal transformation and transcendence and encourages audiences to refine their gifts, particularly the appreciation of beauty and love. This book travels afar in examining myth, religion, art, philosophy, science, math, astronomy, astrology, chemistry, physics, health, and karma. Likewise, the chapter on personal work is valuable for helping you find fascinating information for your own growth. Throughout, there is beauty in the art and the storytelling, as well as some exercises to help with your healing, Carol Anderson, D.Min., ACSW, LMSW, said. For more information, please visit http://www.ChrisPhillipsPsyche.com. Psyche By Chris Phillips ISBN: 9781524561994 (hardcover) 9781524561970 (softcover) 9781524561987 (ebook) Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Xlibris About the author Chris Phillips has worked as a registered psychologist for over 40 years in Australia and overseas. He has seen many people and communities struggle with who they are and deal with their issues about purpose at home and at work. He is proud of the fact he has been taught not just at university but also by thousands of people he has worked with over his lifetime. Review Copies & Interview Requests: LAVIDGE Phoenix Kalin Thomas 480-648-7540 kthomas@lavidge.com Many families across the state choose WCA because we have a great group of teachers who are committed to making sure that every child is supported for success. Enrollment at Wisconsin Connections Academy (WCA), one of the states first full-time, tuition-free virtual public schools for Wisconsin K-12 students, will close on Friday, April 30 at 4:00pm. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction requires that all families who wish to enroll in a school outside their resident district complete an Open Enrollment Application on its website before this deadline. The open enrollment application period is an opportunity for families to pause and evaluate which school environment is best for their students, said Michelle Mueller, WCA principal. Many families across the state choose WCA because we have a great group of teachers who are committed to making sure that every child is supported for success. In a recent parent satisfaction survey conducted by the school, 98 percent of parents indicated they were satisfied with the helpfulness of their WCA teachers and 96 percent rated teachers response time as excellent or good. WCA is an online public school that offers students the flexibility to attend school from home. As a charter school in the Appleton Area School District, the school provides a supportive learning environment for K-12 students. Students benefit from personalized teaching and opportunities to meet their classmates both online via real-time class sessions and in-person during field trips and other organized activities. The school serves more than 450 K-12 students throughout Wisconsin. The best part of WCA is that my children have found that learning is fun. With the use of LiveLesson online class sessions, virtual whiteboards, video clips and wonderful science equipment, the children get a hands-on approach to learning that is both interactive and exciting, said Jane Kummer-Meyer, a parent of WCA students. Parents or guardians interested in learning more about WCA or enrolling their child can visit http://www.WisconsinConnectionsAcademy.com/Enroll or call 920-993-7076. About Wisconsin Connections Academy Wisconsin Connections Academy (WCA) is a tuition-free K12 public online school that students attend from home. The institution brings public education and top educational resources directly to your familys dooranywhere in Wisconsin. With high-quality teachers, WCA helps each student maximize his or her potential and meet the highest performance standards through a uniquely individualized learning program. For more information, call 920-993-7076 or visit http://www.WisconsinConnectionsAcademy.com. Clare Bernard, Chief Data Officer of Armored Things, is "personally invested" in the company's mission: "it's vitally important that children are safe in our schools and that our communities have a greater sense of security." Clare Bernard brings specialized experience from data analytics and machine learning, with management experience across product and engineering. Clare joined Armored Things from Tamr, a leading enterprise data analytics software company, where she was Head of Product & Engineering. She joined in 2014 and led strategy and development of their data platform. Clare has a BS in Physics & Mathematics from Johns Hopkins, as well as a PhD in Particle Physics from Boston University, where she was part of the influential team at CERN credited with the discovery of the Higgs-boson particle, otherwise known as the God particle. Clare is "Very excited to be joining the talented team at Armored Things," and believes "the problem that we're focused on is much too relevant in today's world and the solution requires the integrated expertise we've put together across physical security, cybersecurity and data science." She is also "personally invested" in the company's mission: "it's vitally important that children are safe in our schools and that our communities have a greater sense of security." President Julie Johnson welcomes Clare to the team: We are thrilled to add Clare Bernard to our executive team. She is highly respected by peers and colleagues as an expert in solving complex technical challenges involving data at scale. Our customer engagements will involve data across millions of endpoints, which Clare can help us harness through the Armored Things platform to keep people safer on large campuses. About Armored Things: Armored Things is a Boston-based startup building software for next-generation incident response. Armored Things analyzes and controls Internet of Things (IoT) devices and data within large enterprise environments to provide better physical and cyber security in situations where seconds matter. This is done through unique aggregation of data across previously isolated devices, with a focus on connected devices that are managed at large volumes, such as light bulbs, cameras, locks and sensors. Not everyone can have a spiritual encounter with God, let alone record a detailed transcription of conversation. Court reporter and author, Melissa Klima, shares her line by line transcribed meeting with God in her new book, Deposition of God. On August 16, 2017, Klima heard Gods voice. As a result, she decided to take his deposition, ask him various challenging questions, and record his answers. Klima can testify to the presence of God and his thoughts on some of lifes greatest mysteries. Klima asks the most sought out questions in society such as why are we here, when does a soul enter the physical body, and what happens when we die? Gods answers allow readers to achieve a greater level of awareness that will not only benefit their lives, but the entire world as well. As a court reporter, Ive taken hundreds of depositions and was suffering from career burnout. I turned to God for answers and found that I had one more deposition to transcribe, Klima said. "I asked all the big questions that I had always wondered and during the process found answers that I never thought I would receive. Deposition of God will also give readers their own enlightenment. Deposition of God By Melissa Klima ISBN: 9781504389884 (hardcover) 9781504389860 (softcover) 9781504389877 (ebook) Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Balboa Press For more information, please visit http://www.depositionofgod.org About the author Melissa Klima began her court reporting career in 1990 in Alexandria, Minnesota. After reporting for a number of years, Klima moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota and founded Chaser Court Reporting, Inc. in 1998. With a Lutheran background, going to church was a big part of her family life growing up. Currently residing in Prior Lake, Minnesota with her husband and their four children, Klima continues to be an active court reporter and is currently taking the Deposition of God, Volume II. ### Review Copies & Interview Requests: LAVIDGE Phoenix Mark Flores 480 998 2600 x 534 mflores(at)lavidge(dot)com Register Today For The Opportunity To See 3 Tremendous Keynote Presentations By Mel Robbins, Charles Best and Vinh Giang Those attending will have unlimited access to 32 breakout sessions covering the most pressing technology issues, facilitated by industry experts and thought-leaders. IT professionals in the greater St. Louis area have an opportunity to register for the annual Gateway to Innovation (G2I). The regions largest technology-focused conference takes place May 16, 2018 between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm at Americas Center Convention Complex in downtown St. Louis. Registration information is available at http://www.g2iconference.com Those attending will have unlimited access to 32 breakout sessions covering the most pressing technology issues, facilitated by industry experts and thought-leaders. They also can interact with around 1,500 technology professionals representing more than 340 companies in attendance. G2I is open to all IT practitioners. Those who have attended previously discuss how the conference delivers tremendous value for their organizations in this short video clip. G2I CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS World-class Keynote Presentations Charles Best: DonorsChoose.org Founder & CEO The Future of Philanthropy Vinh Giang: Co-founder of 52Kards - The Psychology of Illusion Mel Robbins: Best-selling author of The Five Second Rule Achieve Break- Through - Performance in Your Career & Life Breakout Session Categories: Leadership Best Practices Industry Insights Interactive CIO Executive Panels Promise Vs. Practicality: Managing Expectations of Technology Will AI and AR Really Take Over the World? Remote Reboot: Realities for the Out-of-the-Office Workforce The Continual Challenges of the CIO Awards Recognition: Innovative IT Project of the Year Technology Leader of the Year The complete agenda is available at: http://www.g2iconference.com/agenda Attendees who register for Gateway to Innovation help in the organizations community giveback initiative. All conference proceeds are donated in the form of grants, scholarships or endowments to St. Louis area organizations with a technology-related need. Since the first conference in 2006, G2I has given back nearly $1.4 million to the St. Louis region. About Gateway to Innovation: Gateway to Innovation is the premier annual collaboration and networking event for IT Professionals in the St. Louis region. Gateway to Innovation inspires innovation through premier educational opportunities led by the industrys top leaders, provides an opportunity to share best practices and fosters collaboration with colleagues who face challenges and opportunities in our fast-paced industry. Since the first event in 2006, Gateway to Innovation has donated $1,369,169 for IT scholarships and for technology-related grants to St. Louis area educational and non-profit organizations. More information can be found at http://www.g2iconference.com or by contacting Kristin Tucker at 314-276-7600. Neal Simon for U.S. Senate I want to meet as many people as possible in the next month to hear their concerns and let them know why Im running to change the way Washington works." - Neal Simon, independent candidate for U.S. Senate Neal Simon, independent candidate for the U.S. Senate, is inviting voters to meet with him and discuss important issues as he travels across Maryland on a listening tour. Simon will visit all 23 Maryland counties and the city of Baltimore in the next 30 days, meeting residents in their workplaces, restaurants, colleges and coffee shops, as well as in special town hall-style meetings. Some of the sessions will be streamed live on Facebook and frequent updates and photos will be posted to Twitter. My campaign is all about bringing people together to work for the Common Good, Simon said. I want to meet as many people as possible in the next month to hear their concerns and let them know why Im running to change the way Washington works. Like so many people in this country, I'm frustrated with the partisanship on Capitol Hill and the bad results we get. Thats why Im unaffiliated from the two parties. I want to go to Washington to do whats right for the people of Maryland, not whats right for the parties. Simon, 49, is a businessman, husband and father to three children. He is well-known in the community as an entrepreneur, volunteer and donor to many great community causes. He currently serves as chairman of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. In 2016, Neal and his family were honored as Interfaith Works Humanitarians of the Year. Simon said his recent fundraising report shows his campaign is gaining momentum. In the first quarter of 2018, Simon reported donations of $628,000 which is $300,000 more than what lifetime politician Ben Cardin, Simons expected opponent, raised in the same period. This shows that we are building a strong, credible organization that will offer Maryland voters a true alternative to the extreme partisanship in Washington and the deadlocked, do-nothing Congress, Simon said. Our successful fundraising quarter will allow me to run a competitive race that gives Marylanders fresh leadership that is focused on bringing people together, creating new jobs and helping them get ahead. Simon also points to recent polls that show more than 80 percent of Marylanders disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job. The same poll found the poll found that just 44 percent approve of the job that Sen. Cardin is doing, with 30 percent disapproving surprising figures for someone who has spent a half century in elected office. So, what does all this mean? It means we can win, Simon said. It means the majority of voters in Maryland want a candidate who is unaffiliated from the two parties, who will go to the Senate to put people over politics. For Neal Simons listening tour schedule, visit http://www.nealsimon.com. Please note that all dates and times are subject to change. Paid for by Neal for Simon for U.S. Senate Our new white paper combines knowledge we gained over a decade of building the fastest Magento hosting platforms, an in-depth understanding of Magento internals, and rigorous experimentation. Nexcess, a leading provider of performance-optimized Magento hosting, has published The Definitive Guide to Optimizing Magento 2, a detailed technical white paper that reveals how Nexcess achieves unbeatable performance across its range of Magento hosting platforms. In 2013, when Nexcess released its first guide to Magento performance optimization, it quickly became a canonical resource for the Magento community. In the intervening five years, a lot changed: Magento 2 and PHP 7 were released, server hardware evolved, and virtualization became the norm. The Definitive Guide to Optimizing Magento 2 is a brand new research-based optimization guide for todays Magento stores. Magento is a complex and resource-hungry application that runs on an intricate software stack. Optimization is essential to achieving the best possible performance. Magento is capable of supporting eCommerce stores of any size, but making the most of that power requires careful optimization, commented Chris Wells, President and CEO of Nexcess. Our new white paper combines knowledge we gained over a decade of building the fastest Magento hosting platforms, an in-depth understanding of Magento internals, and rigorous experimentation. The new white paper, the result of extensive testing, includes comprehensive configuration settings and benchmarks that empower Magento users to maximize resource use and build low-latency high-performance retail experiences. Intended to be a practical guide for Magento optimization, the white paper discusses dozens of configuration changes for the operating system (CentOS 7), PHP, PHP-FPM, PHP OpCache, Apache, MySQL (MariaDB), Magento 2s built-in session and full-page caching, and Varnish, with additional information about using Haproxy and Nginx as reverse proxies for TLS termination. The Definitive Guide to Optimizing Magento 2 concludes with a series of benchmarks that compare performance differences with various configurations. About Nexcess: Nexcess is a Southfield, Michigan-based Magento hosting provider founded in 2000, with data centers distributed throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia. Nexcess offers a variety of Magento hosting services, including shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and cloud hosting, with an emphasis on achieving maximum performance for high-traffic Magento stores. For more information, visit http://www.nexcess.net. Arcadia Data Real-Time and Historical The software we released today makes creating visualizations on streaming data a simple drag-and-drop task for business users. In doing so it makes real-time insight actionable to anyone in the organization, said Priyank Patel, co-founder and CPO, Arcadia Data. Arcadia Data, provider of the first visual analytics and BI software native to big data, today announced the general availability of Arcadia Instant for KSQL. As the industrys first native Apache Kafka visualization software, Arcadia Instant helps get users up and running quickly to visually explore streaming data in real-time. Easily installed on any desktop, the software enables developers and analysts alike to easily visualize data streaming through Apache Kafka topics. Arcadia Instant for KSQL can connect to Confluent Platform 4.1 and is available as a complimentary download on the Arcadia Data website. The demand for event-stream processing and analytics is growing rapidly as organizations are looking for the best ways to integrate streaming data with historical data, provide intelligence to business processes and decisions, and to gain competitive advantage. As technology analyst and research firm Gartner finds, Event stream processing is becoming a major part of business analytics. To get information from sensor data, web clickstreams, geolocation data, weather reports, market data, social media and other event streams, data and analytics leaders must employ three specific application styles." Whether in real-time, automated applications, or with on-demand applications which require human decision making, businesses have been limited in their adoption of streaming technologies by the coding-heavy environments that dominate industry offerings. These environments often take time to deliver results, diminishing the data agility that businesses seek today. Arcadia Data collaborated closely with Confluent to deeply integrate the streaming SQL architecture with Arcadia Instant. This leverages the native architecture to support a push-based query model. Such integration is not possible with non-native BI software that is limited by JDBC- and ODBC-based connectivity. The promise of streaming data is a game changer and is generating plenty of excitement, but today that information is the purview of engineers, said Priyank Patel, co-founder and chief product officer, Arcadia Data. The software we released today makes creating visualizations on streaming data a simple drag-and-drop task for business users. In doing so it makes real-time insight actionable to anyone in the organization. We are committed to industry-leading innovation, and as evidenced by this release, will continue to raise the bar for delivering business value for big data. Arcadia Instant for KSQL opens new opportunities for users to gain valuable real-time insights from streaming environments. Arcadia Data makes it easy for business users to get started right away, ensuring visualizations on Apache Kafka no longer require significant development effort. Data is produced continually, and the ability to act on that data in a timely manner gives businesses a competitive edge, said Sid Rabindran, director, partner ecosystem at Confluent. The partnership with Arcadia Data offers users visualizations with KSQL, making streaming data even more accessible. Arcadia Data also announced additional capabilities for analyzing streaming data as part of an upcoming product release. These capabilities extend the companys lead in visualizations on Apache Kafka and include: Support for complex data types, allowing users to read almost any type of data stored in Apache Kafka right from the stream. This includes MAP and ARRAY data types that are common in JSON and Avro file formats. Time Warp, which provides a new granular view of data based on time, allowing users to easily view different time windows of data in the stream to: Easily see what happened in the recent past that they might have missed. Compare past trends/patterns against current trends and patterns. Replay or pause at various points in time. Arcadia Instant for KSQL is available today. To get started, visit this page, which directs you to 3 components: The new release of Arcadia Instant. The Docker images that run Apache Kafka and KSQL. The Getting Started guide. See the Arcadia Data flagship product, Arcadia Enterprise, in action by registering for a live demo or view this video of Arcadia Enterprise Feature Highlights. Learn more about Arcadia Enterprise, or dive in to learn how organizations are integrating event streams with their business in this complimentary research report, Three Ways to Derive Information From Event Streams. (1) Gartner, Three Ways to Derive Information From Event Streams, W. Roy Schulte et al, 6 July 2017. About Arcadia Data Arcadia Data provides the first visual analytics and BI platform native to big data that delivers the scale, performance, and agility business users need to discover and productionize real-time insights. Its flagship product, Arcadia Enterprise, was built from inception to run natively within big data platforms, in the cloud and/or on-premises, to streamline the self-service analytics process on data in Apache Hadoop, Apache Spark, Apache Kafka, and Apache Solr. It enables real-time, high-definition insights in use cases like data lakes, cybersecurity, connected IoT devices, and customer intelligence. Arcadia Enterprise is deployed by some of the worlds leading brands, including Procter & Gamble, Nokia, Royal Bank of Canada, Kaiser Permanente, HPE, and Neustar. To learn more, follow @ArcadiaData or visit http://www.arcadiadata.com. Press Contact: Stacey Burbach Email: stacey(at)arcadiadata.com Phone: (415) 310-9767 The success of Arizona Gives Day is a great testament to the nonprofits throughout the state and the generosity of Arizona residents. Hosted by the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits and Arizona Grantmakers Forum, and presented by FirstBank, Arizona Gives Day 2018 raised a grand total of more than $3.2 million for 905 nonprofit organizations statewide. Arizona Gives Day is an annual, statewide day of giving that invites Arizonans to support their favorite causes. Donations were both scheduled in advance and submitted online at http://www.azgives.org during the 24-hour window on Tuesday, April 3. (Donations came in a few weeks before and after the event as well.) "We saw an overwhelming outpouring of generosity from donors this year, with more than 900 nonprofits receiving donations that day," said Kristen Merrifield, CEO of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits. "This is just one indicator that Arizona Gives Day is accomplishing what we set out to do - fostering an incredible spirit of philanthropy." For participating nonprofits, Arizona Gives Day offers an opportunity to raise awareness about their work, connect with new donors and win prize money to supplement individual donations. The program has now helped raise more than $13.4 million for Arizona nonprofits since its founding in 2013. "The success of Arizona Gives Day is a great testament to the nonprofits throughout the State and the generosity of Arizona residents," said Bryce Lloyd, President -Phoenix of FirstBank. "To be part of the growth of this online giving moment since inception has been extremely rewarding to witness, not only because we're sponsors, but because we're proud Arizonans, too." ARIZONA GIVES DAY 2018 FAST FACTS $3,223,971 raised in 2018 $13.4 million raised since 2013 23,956 donors supported their favorite causes 905 organizations received online donations 1,053 organizations participated from across the state 260 organizations joined Arizona Gives Day for the first time $180,000 in prize pool money was awarded (see below for prize winners) Organizations by county: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, Pima, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma; National, International See all of the participating nonprofits throughout the state at http://www.azgives.org/newsroom ARIZONA GIVES DAY 2018 PRIZE WINNERS For more prize winner information, please visit http://www.azgives.org/newsroom Prize winners by county: Cochise Oasis Sanctuary Foundation ($5,000) Coconino Northern Arizona Pioneers' Historical Society ($5,000) Arizona Cattle Dog Rescue ($1,000) Graham Our Neighbors Farm and Pantry ($5,000) Maricopa -Phoenix Rescue Mission ($13,750) Sold No More ($12,500) CO+HOOTS Foundation ($7,500) Daring Adventures ($5,000) Swift Youth Foundation ($2,500) Forever Loved Pet Sanctuary ($2,500) Lost Dogs Arizona ($2,500) Rusty's Angels Sanctuary ($2,500) Creative Contributions ($2,000) Arizona Animal Welfare League ($2,000) East Valley Children's Theatre ($2,000) Young Artist Society ($1,500) Musical Instrument Museum ($1,500) Gilbert Historical Society/HD South ($1,500) Parents of Addicted Loved Ones - PAL ($1,250) Pets on Wheels of Scottsdale ($1,250) Dream Catchers Foundation ($1,250) Homeless Youth Connection ($1,000) Steps of Love ($1,000) Salt River Wild Horse Management Group Inc. ($1,000) Boxer Luv Rescue ($1,000) Arouet Foundation ($1,000) St. Vincent de Paul ($1,000) Radiant Health Natural Medical Center ($1,000) Lost Our Home Pet Rescue ($1,000) Healing Hearts Animal Sanctuary, Inc. ($1,000) Rotten Rottie Rescue, Inc. ($1,000) National Kidney Foundation of Arizona ($1,000) Navajo Northland Pioneer College Friends and Family ($5,250) Humane Society of the White Mountains ($4,000) The Hopi Foundation ($1,000) Pima Hoofsnhorns Farm Sanctuary ($10,000) Watershed Management Group ($6,500) Pawsitively Cats, Inc. ($5,500) Make Way for Books ($5,000) GAP Ministries ($5,000) RAD (Rehabbing and Advocating for Dogs) Rescue ($4,000) Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona ($3,000) Ben's Bells Project ($2,500) KXCI Community Radio ($2,500) Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation ($2,500) Tu Nidito Children and Family Services ($2,500) Friends of Pima Animal Care Center ($2,500) Arizona Youth Partnership (AZYP) ($1,500) HOPE Animal Shelter ($1,500) Southern Arizona Greyhound Adoption ($1,500) Equine Voices Rescue & Sanctuary ($1,500) Humane Society of Southern Arizona ($1,250) Parent Aid Child Abuse Prevention Center, Inc. ($1,000) Ironwood Tree Experience ($1,000) Gospel Rescue Mission, Inc. ($1,000) NAMI Southern Arizona ($1,000) All Souls Procession / Many Mouths One Stomach ($1,000) Pinal Seeds of Hope ($12,500) Ironwood Pig Sanctuary ($1,000) Yavapai Desert Star Community School, Inc. ($1,000) Yuma Helping Hands of Yuma ($1,500) SOURCES Kristen Merrifield, CEO, Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits Office: 602-279-9150, Cell: 602-686-4297; kristenm@arizonanonprofits.org Kristen brings more than 15 years of association, nonprofit and fundraising expertise to her role as CEO of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits. She was a donor on Arizona Gives Day before stepping into the leadership role in 2015. Arizona Gives Day has expanded under her leadership, with 2016 giving totals increasing by 28 percent over the previous year. Kristen serves in various volunteer roles with the Arizona Society of Association Executives, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), and National Council of Nonprofits. Laurie Liles, President & CEO, Arizona Grantmakers Forum Office: 602-845-1361, Cell: 602-312-3059; lliles@azgrantmakers.org Laurie became president and CEO of the Arizona Grantmakers Forum in 2015. She grew up in Arizona and has worked throughout her career to make our state a better place to live and work. With more than two decades of advocacy and association leadership experience, Laurie is passionate about connecting people who want to make a difference in others' lives. She honed her advocacy chops at the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, where she served as president and CEO and as senior vice president of public affairs, among other roles. In 2014, she was a Washington, D.C. correspondent for Cronkite News, covering politics, immigration and Indian affairs for Arizona news media outlets. Bryce Lloyd, President - Phoenix Metro, FirstBank of Arizona (Arizona Gives Day's Presenting Sponsor & Incentive Prize Pool Funder) Office: 602-381-7805; bryce.lloyd@efirstbank.com Joel Johnson, President - East Valley, FirstBank of Arizona (Arizona Gives Day's Presenting Sponsor & Incentive Prize Pool Funder) Email: joel.johnson@efirstbank.com Josh Weiss, PR Rep for FirstBank of Arizona Cell: 480-789-0743; josh@10to1pr.com About the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits The Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits is a statewide trusted resource and advocate for the nonprofit community. The Alliance's mission is to unite, strengthen and advance Arizona's nonprofit sector and is comprised of more than 1,000 members - both nonprofits and those in the community who support them - across the state. Since 2004, the organization has been dedicated to furthering the common interests of Arizona's nonprofit community and envisions an Arizona where all nonprofits are valued, empowered and thriving, with support from grassroots efforts like Arizona Gives Day. For more information, visit http://www.arizonanonprofits.org, or email azgives@arizonanonprofits.org. About Arizona Grantmakers Forum Arizona Grantmakers Forum is the statewide network that connects, educates and advocates for Arizona philanthropy. Its mission is to empower members to transform Arizona through leadership and meaningful philanthropy. Member organizations make financial grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the state and represent the interests of private foundations, trusts, endowed community foundations, corporations, government agencies and individuals with organized charitable gift programs. For more information, visit http://www.azgrantmakers.org, or email support@azgrantmakers.org. About FirstBank FirstBank, the nation's third largest privately held bank, operates more than 115 locations in Arizona, Colorado and California, serving over 750,000 customers. The bank offers a variety of checking and savings accounts, mortgages, home equity loans and a full range of commercial loans and business accounts and services. Since 2000, the company has been recognized as a top corporate philanthropist, contributing more than $60 million and thousands of volunteer hours to charitable organizations. FirstBank is also unique in that a majority of its stock is owned by management and employees. For more information, go to http://www.efirstbank.com. Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C is pleased to announce that Daniel R. Pote has joined the firm as a Member in the Intellectual Property department, bringing more than two decades of experience to the firm. Pote is a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. His practice involves strategic intellectual property counseling, including invention harvesting. Pote has prosecuted patents for semiconductor, software, data communications, e-commerce, electronics, and a wide range of other technologies. He is also experienced in executing trademark, copyright, and software licensing agreements; infringement, validity, and enforceability studies; intellectual property due diligence; and ex parte and inter partes patent reexaminations. Dan brings an impressive depth of understanding in matters relating to computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to our IP practice, said Michael K. Kelly, Chair of the firms Intellectual Property department. We are excited to have him on board. Our clients will greatly benefit from his expertise. Pote earned his J.D. from Arizona State University College of Law and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. Prior to beginning his legal career, Pote worked as a senior engineer and scientist in the product analysis laboratory at Motorolas Semiconductor Product Sector, where he performed competitive analysis, failure analysis, and quality assessments of semiconductor devices, with a focus on semiconductor packaging. Pote currently serves on the Chandler Merit System Board. Im excited to be a part of the Jennings Strouss team, stated Pote. I look forward to working with the firms talented attorneys and applying my experience to help clients navigate the ins and outs of intellectual property law. For more information about Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, please visit http://www.jsslaw.com. About Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C. For over 75 years, Jennings Strouss has been dedicated to providing clients with strategic legal guidance to help them seize every opportunity. The firm is well-known for its rich heritage, commitment to community, and long-lasting relationships. We have a deep understanding of business and law. When you work with us, youll have a team of legal experts who are dedicated to your vision of success. Through our offices in Peoria, Phoenix, and Tucson, Arizona, and Washington, D.C., we leverage resources both regionally and nationally to serve our expanding client base. Jennings Strouss is deeply rooted in each of our locations legal and business communities, and especially instrumental in helping shape the dynamic growth of Arizona and many of its institutions. The firm promotes a pragmatic, results-oriented approach, coupled with a healthy, well-managed, and friendly atmosphere of collaboration. Our primary areas of practice include advertising and media law; agribusiness; automobile dealership law; bankruptcy, restructuring, and creditors rights; construction; corporate and securities; eminent domain and condemnation; employee benefits and pensions; energy; family law and domestic relations; finance; health care; intellectual property; labor and employment; legal ethics; litigation; professional liability defense; real estate; surety and fidelity; tax; and trust and estates. For additional information, please visit http://www.jsslaw.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Dr. Rubin and Dr. Reddick We are grateful that Drs. Rubin and Reddick have joined USDP, said Geoff Wayne, CEO. Along with their team, they have built an outstanding practice. I appreciate the trust they have placed in us, and look forward to working with them for many years to come. U.S. Dermatology Partners (USDP) is pleased to announce that Drs. Rubin and Reddick have joined the organization (Rubin & Reddick Dermatology). A two-physician practice, Rubin & Reddick Dermatology has served the residents of Dallas, Texas for more than 20 years. This addition further solidifies USDPs market-leading position in the DFW metroplex, bringing the total number of local physicians to over 30, with nearly 100 in the state of Texas. U.S. Dermatology Partners is a physician-owned, dermatology-focused practice management organization. Howard Rubin, MD has been providing outstanding dermatological care to patients in Dallas since 1992, and earned his doctorate from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He served as a pediatric intern at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Childrens Hospital before completing his Dermatology residency at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Rubin is board-certified by the American Board of Dermatology and is a past president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Dermatological Society. He maintains active membership in several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Dermatology, Texas Dermatology Association, and the Dallas County Medical Society. Dr. Rubin served as Section Chief of the Division of Dermatology at Medical City Dallas and is also on staff at Baylor University Medical Center. He has consistently been voted one of Dallas Top Dermatologists by D Magazine since 2001 and has also been listed on Texas Monthly Magazines list of Super Doctors. Dr. Rubin has volunteered his time with Project Access for many years, providing free dermatologic care to uninsured county residents who qualify for this program sponsored by the Dallas County Medical Society. He also regularly participates in free community-wide skin cancer screenings offered by the Dallas-Fort Worth Dermatological Society. Claire Reddick, MD earned her doctorate from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. She completed her Internal Medicine internship at Baylor University of Medical Center in Dallas and her Dermatology residency at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center. Dr. Reddick is an active member of numerous professional organizations, including the Texas Medical Association, Dallas County Medical Society, Dallas-Fort Worth Dermatological Society, Texas Dermatological Society, Society for Pediatric Dermatology, American Society for Dermatological Surgery and the American Academy of Dermatology. She is board-certified by the American Board of Dermatology and regularly volunteers in city-wide melanoma skin cancer screenings sponsored by the Dallas-Fort Worth Dermatological Society. We are grateful that Drs. Rubin and Reddick have joined USDP, said Geoff Wayne, CEO. Along with their team, they have built an outstanding practice. I appreciate the trust they have placed in us, and look forward to working with them for many years to come. If you would like more information about U.S. Dermatology Partners, or if you have any questions regarding the partnership with Drs. Rubin & Reddick, please contact one of the team members listed below: U.S. Dermatology Partners Geoff Wayne Chief Executive Officer Geoff(at)usdermpartners.com Scott Wells Chief Development Officer SWells(at)usdermpartners.com Brent Ohlsen Director of Corporate Development BOhlsen(at)usdermpartners.com About U.S. Dermatology Partners Headquartered in Dallas, TX, U.S. Dermatology Partners provides comprehensive practice management services to 160 board-certified dermatologists and 61 midlevel providers across 89 locations in Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Virginia. U.S. Dermatology Partners provides comprehensive management services allowing providers to focus exclusively on delivering high-quality care to patients. As one of the largest physician-owned dermatology practices in the country, patients of U.S. Dermatology Partners not only have access to general medical, surgical, and cosmetic skin treatment through its coordinated care network, but also benefit from the organizations strong dermatology thought leaders and medical advisory board. The physicians of U.S. Dermatology Partners are fervently focused on providing the highest level of patient-first care, and its team therefore includes recognized national leaders in areas such as clinical research, psoriasis and Mohs Surgery. To learn more, visit usdermatologypartners.com Readers have been immensely moved by Letters to Mother, stating It begins so softly and beautifully like a family story, then accelerates so quickly into wartime life that it takes your breath away. Author Monte Engelson grew up in British Columbia during the onset of World War II surrounded by family who eventually took up the call to serve. Like many who grew up during this time, he learned of the adversity those members of his family faced through their personal stories. It was only after his grandmothers passing that a collection of letters sent to her by his parents during the war were found. These letters provided a new look at the struggles and obstacles they faced through their own words. What was revealed was a fascinating story of perseverance, courage and love. Letters to Mother, shares the story of Engelsons father, Harold Engelson, as he transitioned from police officer in a remote town, to heroic navigator on a two man dive bomber, for the Royal Canadian Air Force, as detailed in personal letters written between 1935-1945. Through these letters, and Engelsons own research and insight, readers are painted a picture of what life was like for young married couples and families in British Columbia while having to make the difficult and brave decision to serve their country. Letters to Mother, is an enthralling tale that provides a captivating story through intimate letters to help readers gain an understanding of what the world was undergoing during this extraordinary time in history. Readers will take away a detailed account of British Columbias involvement during World War II and gain a better perception of the difficulties families faced during as a result of their sacrifices. Readers have been immensely moved by Letters to Mother, stating It begins so softly and beautifully like a family story, then accelerates so quickly into wartime life that it takes your breath away. To learn more please visit: http://www.monteengelson.com. Letters to Mother By Monte Engelson ISBN: (hc) 978-1-5434-4914-3 (sc) 978-5434-4915-0 (eb) 978-1-5434-4916-7 Available on Amazon and Xlibris Publishing About the author Monte Engelson was only 3 years old when his father joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He remembers awaiting his return with his mother and then finally welcoming him home after the Germans surrender. Upon discovery of the letters his parents had sent, he set forward on a journey to learn more about his fathers squadron along with the challenges and loss they experienced. The truth that he discovered was an account of bravery and love that he wanted to share with the world. He wrote this book for readers of all ages who are interested in learning more about this period in history from an intimate perspective and hopes they will then be able to comprehend the impact and consequences war had on those who lived through it. Review Copies & General Inquiries: LAVIDGE Phoenix Lauren Dickerson 480-998-2600 ldickerson(at)lavidge(dot)com Pathfinders of Oregon is participating in the inaugural National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference from April 22-25, 2018. The conference is hosted by the Arizona State University Center for Child Well-Being and held at the Renaissance Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. On Monday, April 23 from 2:30-4:00 p.m. in Salon Six, Pathfinders of Oregons Executive Director, Joseph Tietz, PhD, will participate in a panel discussion titled, Building Bonds, Bridging Walls: Engaging Families During Parental Incarceration. The panel will address the impact of separation due to incarceration on the children and the ways in which maintaining a relationship with their parent can help mitigate negative outcomes. Other panel participants include Jean Kjellstrand, Ph.D, who will discuss the research, and Carolyn HouseHiggins from Washington State Department of Corrections, who will speak about parenting programs in practice. Andrew Tignor, a parent graduate of Parenting Inside Out and former inmate now living in the community, will share from personal experience his story about parenting from behind bars for nine years. Additionally, a Pathfinders exhibit will feature information about Parenting Inside Out, the organizations proprietary evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral parenting skills training program. Based on the Oregon Social Learning Centers Parent Management Training program for at risk families, Parenting Inside Out is the only parenting program developed specifically for incarcerated and criminal justice involved parents. The program gives parents a way of navigating life that uses healthy, prosocial skills to interact with children, partners, co-parents, officials, friends and family. The children of incarcerated parents have important needs, says Dr. Tietz. We are looking forward to participating in this conference to share our knowledge and expertise on the subject and to learn from other professionals about supporting families impacted by the criminal justice system. For more information, please visit http://www.pathfindersoforegon.org. Pathfinders of Oregon is a 501 (c) (3) social service agency founded in 1993 with a mission to provide justice-impacted individuals and families the tools and support they need to be part of safe and thriving communities. Pathfinders of Oregon provides cognitive-behavioral programs, parenting programs, education and support services for pro-social living to adults in the Oregon prison system and to children and families in the community. According to Joe, all races and religions were represented at the Battle of the Alamo. At the Battle of the Alamo, less than two hundred volunteers battled five thousand trained soldiers for thirteen days, during the Texas Revolution. Lieutenant Colonel William Travis slave, Joe, was the only male survivor. In Joes Alamo: Unsung, Lewis E. Cook tells Joes story in this novel, based on historic facts. According to Joe, all races and religions were represented at the Battle of the Alamo, Cook said. Yet, their contributions were intentionally dismissed. According to my research, the famous battle cry, Remember the Alamo, was probably first said by a woman. An attorney and former Texas history teacher, Cook highlights the lesser known heroes of the battle, including women, Muslims, Buddhists, Blacks and other minorities owed recognition for their contributions and sacrifice to the state of Texas and the rest of the country. This battle was meant to be symbolic of hopelessness and certain death for anyone who opposed General Antonio Lopez de Santa Annas reign of terror, Cook said. Instead, it became a slogan for worldwide courage in battle against overwhelming odds. Joes Alamo By Lewis E. Cook ISBN: 978-1-5320-2070-4 Available at iUniverse and Amazon About the author Lewis Cook practiced civil litigation, probate and criminal law. He worked as an immigration attorney for a former U.S. Immigration Commissioner, as a banking and finance attorney in Dallas and was a Texas assistant attorney general. Always a writer at heart, he was raised in Arkansas and now lives in Houston. To learn more about the author and his book please visit: https://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=740803. ### Review Copies & Interview Requests: LAVIDGE Indianapolis Lindsey Gobel 317.435.2116 lgobel@lavidge.com Fast Commercial Capital Fast Commercial Capital Launches Nationwide Broker and Referral Partner Program Fast Commercial Capital, a Nationwide Commercial Lender based in Austin, Texas, is pleased to announce the launch of it Nationwide Broker and Referral Partner Program. Commercial property owner and investors are constantly seeking solutions to their capital needs. Many of their employees, partners, consultants, and others, may be aware of a need an are able to provide a fast solution for them. Fast Commercial Capital offers that solution. Professionals from every industry are able to benefit from this program. By offering a fast real estate capital solution to the market, Brokers and Referral Partners can benefit by offering assistance and being compensated to do so. Fast Commercial Capital states this program is geared towards other industry professionals, who are seeking additional revenue streams, while offering assistance to their clients. This program is designed for: Residential mortgage brokers Insurance agents Commercial lenders Commercial mortgage brokers Accountants Lawyers Other industry partners and professionals All Broker and Referral Partners are paid directly from closing Fast Commercial Capital offers a broad array of lending products and can tailor a loan program to fit any situation. By offering both debt and equity, Fast Commercial Capital is the go-to financing provider for all circumstances. Some of the loan programs include: Short-term bridge loans Small balance loans $5,000,000 and under Renovation loans Cash out loans Very FAST Closings Fast Commercial Capital also realizes that sometimes it's better to sell than to recapitalize. While Fast Commercial Capital provides direct funding on fast close situations for borrowers, sometimes a property owner may be better off selling and may want to do just that. There are situations where it may be better to sell or Joint Venture, than a straight recapitalization. Property types available for purchase in the Acquisitions/Joint Venture Program include; Multifamily, mixed use, warehouse, office, retail, light industrial, mobile home park, self storage, daycare center, restaurant, bar, and others. Land is on a case-by-case basis. Minimum property value is $1,000,000 and up. With offices in Los Angeles and Miami, as well, Fast Commercial Capital can offer a fast solution on a property where the owner would rather sell. Additionally, Fast Commercial Capital can close deals in every State in the country, including Hawaii, and the US Territories, and can step in where other opportunistic buyers fail. Real estate brokers, investors and borrowers now have an alternative option who can tailor fit their needs to accommodate almost any situation. Fast Commercial Capital has proven to provide solutions to even the most challenging commercial real estate transactions. Learn more today at http://www.fastcommercialcapital.com for a FAST closing. Fast Commercial Capital 6500 River Place Blvd., Suite 250 Austin, Texas 78730 866-FAST CASH http://www.fastcommercialcapital.com Changshu Institute of Technology delegation visits SIU Edwardsville School of Engineering. Students can study at CIT for three semesters, and come to SIUE for two years, then return to CIT for one semester, earning a degree from both CIT and SIUE The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering (SOE) hosted Changshu Institute of Technology (CIT) on Friday, April 20, as the institutions seek to establish faculty and student exchange programs. SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook greeted the visiting delegation and engaged in working meetings to establish a formal partnership agreement along with representatives from International Affairs, the School of Engineering, International Admissions and the English as a Second Language Program at SIUE (ESLi). One of the programs we are working on is a mechatronics and robotics engineering cooperative bachelors program, said Keqin Gu, PhD, distinguished research professor of mechanical engineering, and director of the PhD Program and New Program Development. Students can study at CIT for three semesters, and come to SIUE for two years, then return to CIT for one semester, earning a degree from both CIT and SIUE. A relationship with CIT would contribute substantially to the diversity and international exposure of the SIUE student population, and create opportunities for SIUE students and faculty members to gain international experience. The CIT delegation consisted of Genhua Zhang, professor, vice president for academic and international affairs; Xuefan Jiang, professor, director of international cooperation and exchanges office; Qingfu Hong, professor, dean of the Foreign Language School; Wenbin Xu, professor, deputy dean of the Computer Science and Engineering School; and Fuxing Zhu, professor and deputy dean of the Economics and Management School. The program is part of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the China Center for International Educational Exchange (CCIEE), which offers the Sino-American 1+2+1 Dual Degree Program. It provides Chinese undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to study at an AASCU member institution such as SIUE. The Chinese Ministry of Education recognizes the program as a Program of Excellence. AASCU has provided support for programs for 16 years. Currently, approximately 100 Chinese institutions participate by sending 300 students to 30 U.S. institutions annually. SIUE hopes to have a formal agreement executed soon. Gu believes a relationship with CIT is desirable, because the university is situated in an economically highly developed area of China, and there is substantial demand for students to earn a degree from a U.S. institution. CIT is a provincial public university, which is characterized by polytechnic, application technology and teacher education. It is located in the center of the Yangtze River Delta. CIT was established in August 1958 and was originally known as Suzhou Teachers College. The SIUE School of Engineering offers one of the most comprehensive and affordable engineering programs in the St. Louis region with eight undergraduate degrees, five masters degrees and two cooperative doctoral programs, all housed in a state-of-the-art facility. Students learn from expert faculty, perform cutting-edge research, and participate in intercollegiate design competitions. Companies in the metropolitan St. Louis area provide students challenging internships and co-op opportunities, which often turn into permanent employment. All undergraduate programs are accredited by their respective accreditation agencies. -SIUE- Photo (L-R): Liang Ge, International Affairs; Keqin Gu, distinguished research professor, SIUE SOE; Rachel Webb, SIUE lead international immigration advisor; SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook; Wen-Bin Xu, deputy dean, CIT School of Computer Science and Engineering; Mary Weishaar, executive director, SIUE International Affairs; Hong Qingfu, dean CIT School of Foreign Languages; Jiang Xue Fan, director, CIT Office of International Cooperation and Exchanges; Gen-Hua Zhang, CIT vice president; Cem Karacal, Dean SIUE SOE; Fuxing Zhu, vice dean, CIT School of Economics and Management; and Jim Monahan, director of SIUE International and Graduate Admissions. Doug Thaler, President of Infrastructure Preservation Corporation (IPC), discusses the government's role in infrastructure. Dams and other infrastructure throughout the U.S. are deteriorating rapidly and are in dire need of investment and repair. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, nearly 4,000 dams throughout the U.S. are deficient, meaning they are weakened to a point where they are susceptible to failure and risk of collapse.1 By 2020, 65% of all dams in the U.S. will have surpassed their designated lifespan of 50 years,2 and without serious investment, could put hundreds of thousands of residents and structures across the country at risk. Infrastructure Preservation Corporation (IPC), a Clearwater, Florida-based robotics manufacturer, is pioneering new geophysical nondestructive technology (NDT) which could save local governments millions of dollars in assessing structural damage to Americas aging dams and infrastructure. An example of U.S. dams faulty infrastructure occurred in February 2017, in Northern California, when a 250-foot long section of the Oroville Dam spillway collapsed, causing severe flooding and erosion, with the evacuation of 180,000 residents. Officials were aware of the spillways structural weakness as early as 2005, but state agencies responsible for repairs and upgrades ruled them unnecessary.3 While the need for government investment in infrastructure spending is clear, there is no consensus as to where the funding should come from. President Donald Trump recently unveiled his administrations new infrastructure plan, calling for $1.5 trillion to be invested in upgrading Americas crumbling infrastructure. But only $200 billion of the proposed $1.5 trillion will come from federal funding, with $100 billion of that offered as incentives for state and local governments to raise their own funds.4 This leaves local and state governments, many of which are chronically underfunded, to raise their own infrastructure funding. As debate continues as to where the money will come from, companies such are IPC are pioneering new ways to save on total infrastructure spending, particularly on the cost of infrastructure inspections. IPCs NDT allows engineers and departments of transportation to identify early damage and structural weaknesses by essentially taking x-rays and completely mapping the structures of dams and bridges. With proper assessment of structural damage and decay early on, local governments can properly allocate the funds necessary for maintenance and repairsbefore more serious damage occurs, greatly extending the life expectancy of infrastructure and saving millions of taxpayer dollars on long-term repairs. Its excellent that our government is focused on rebuilding our infrastructure, says Doug Thaler, president of IPC. Its impossible to have a thriving economy without a solid infrastructure. States will now be able to devote funds to properly inspecting local bridges and infrastructure, and by utilizing modern technology, states can better allocate their limited budgets to extend the service life of their critical infrastructure assets, all the while stretching taxpayer dollars much further. IPCs NDT provides the first commercially available robotic inspection methods in the industry, and offers cutting-edge solutions for local governments looking to assess early structural weaknesses before damage occurscutting down on the total investment necessary in local infrastructure. About Infrastructure Preservation Corporation: An infrastructure crisis of herculean proportions now exists within the U.S. At every level, the U.S. government is struggling with how to repair, replace and maintain the nations aging bridges, roads, water management systems and more. Infrastructure failures could have significant impact on daily life if action is not taken. Metropolitan, state and federal departments of transportation (DOTs) do not have the funds to replace aging infrastructure and are looking for ways to prolong service life. Infrastructure Preservation Corporation (IPC) is a robotics manufacturer and professional services engineering company that delivers infrastructure inspection services using reliable and accurate imaging based on geophysical nondestructive testing (NDT) and robotic technologies. Based in Clearwater, Florida, IPC has developed its technologies and services to detect early-stage infrastructure degradation and deterioration in concrete and steel structures. From bridges to utility or communication towers and other public/private infrastructure, IPC technologies deliver next generation alternatives to disrupt markets that still use manual inspection methods. For more information, visit http://www.infrastructurepc.com. 1. Pupovac, Jessica. Aging And Underfunded: Americas Dam Safety Problem, In 4 Charts. NPR.com, 11 October 2015. 2. Rowland, Jenny & DeGood, Kevin. What The Oroville Dam Disaster Says About Americas Aging Infrastructure. Fortune.com, February 18, 2017. 3. Richards, Ryan. Its not just Oroville: Most dams across the country have passed their designated lifespan. Thinkprogress.org, 15 February 2017. 4. DePillis, Lydia. Trump Unveils Infrastructure Plan. CNNMoney.com, February 12, 2018. Bengisu Tulu, developer of the Lifeline4Moms app A researcher at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has launched a mobile app that will give obstetric providers an important new tool for assessing perinatal depression in women and guiding them to treatment. Perinatal depression affects one in seven women and is the most common medical complication of pregnancy. The app, called Lifeline4Moms, was developed by Bengisu Tulu, associate professor of business at WPIs Foisie Business School, and tested by colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS). It was designed as a how-to decision aid, not a diagnostic tool, for obstericians and other maternal healthcare providers, who generally are not trained to diagnose and treat psychiatric illness. The app provides a comprehensive list of symptoms of mild, moderate and severe depression and offers suggestions for treatment paths, as well as guidance on how best to talk with the patient about her mental health needs. Perinatal depression, which includes major and minor depressive episodes that happen during pregnancy or in the first 12 months after delivery, can have devastating effects on women, infants, and families, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Although symptoms vary greatly, common indicators include anger, depression, fear, fatigue, insomnia and panic attacks. A combination of screening, treatment and follow-up are critical to help women suffering from depression. Perinatal depression is a major problem, agreed Tulu. By using Lifeline4Moms during an office visit with a patient, obstetric caregivers can map out a treatment plan and help the patient make an appointment with a counselor, for example, to increase the likelihood that the patient will actually follow up and get the mental health care she needs. The app builds upon the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, a depression screening that is traditionally given to a patient during the early stage of her pregnancy, during the second half of pregnancy, and post-partum. Coupled with that screening, the Lifeline4Moms app offers suggestions for how to talk with women about these symptoms and the various treatment and support options, including medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes. The app was created through a WPI Major Qualifying Project (MQP), a team-based, professional-level design or research experience that all WPI undergraduates must complete. Over the course of three seven-week terms, Tulu and the student project team worked to design the apps user interface, the proper workflow among the different screens, and the best way to present the information correctly. I thought it would be interesting to look at how technology can create opportunities to support the perinatal depression journey, both for providers and patients, said Tulu. A prototype of the app was tested by resident obstetricians at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), which was the project sponsor. The doctors reviewed the app for value, usefulness, and design; results were presented at the American Medical Informatics Association conference in November. The MQP team consisted of five management information systems majors: Nicolas Adami-Sampson, Trivani Shahi, Nicholas Shannon, Leif Waugh, and Drew Wethern. The project was sponsored by two current faculty members at UMMS: Dr. Nancy Byatt, associate professor of psychiatry, and Dr. Tiffany A. Moore Simas, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Kathleen Biebel, formerly of UMMS and now deputy commissioner at the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, was also a sponsor. Lifeline4Moms is available for the iOS and Android platforms through the Apple and Google Play app stores. About Worcester Polytechnic Institute Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nations first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. WPI's talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Projects Program. There are more than 40 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. Contact: Colleen Wamback, Public Relations Manager Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, Massachusetts cbwamback(at)wpi.edu; (508) 831-6775 The MBA Veterans Network and its events will enable us to continue to expand the ways our clients connect with Americas top veterans," says Tim Best, CEO of Bradley-Morris & RecruitMilitary. Bradley-Morris, Inc. & RecruitMilitary, the nations leading supplier of veteran talent, announced today that the MBA Veterans Network has joined its family. The MBA Veterans Network is an organization dedicated to connecting military veteran students and alumni of the countrys top-ranked MBA programs and universities with employers who value their elite academic credentials, military leadership abilities, and limitless career potential. In the 10 years since its founding, MBA Veterans has become the countrys preeminent organizer of student veteran hiring conferences at both the MBA and undergraduate levels, says Tim Best, CEO of Bradley-Morris & RecruitMilitary. The MBA Veterans Network and its events will enable us to continue to expand the ways our clients can connect with Americas top veterans. Both the MBA Veterans and UndergraduVets Conferences are incredible resources for organizations seeking to hire the nations most talented student veterans. Founded in 2008, MBA Veterans Network connects top tier companies with veterans enrolled at the worlds top 75-ranked MBA programs, as well as with veterans attending top 150-ranked four-year undergraduate colleges and universities and with the companys 3,000+ member alumni network of veterans who possess years of proven, private sector experience. Theres no disputing that military service is the nations best leadership development program, so when that experience is combined with an MBA from one of the worlds premier universities, it creates an unmatched resource for companies seeking to build their executive pipeline, and with the incredible backing and support of Bradley-Morris & RecruitMilitary, we couldnt be more excited for the future and look forward to being a part of it, says Chris Petersen and Dave Chonowski, co-founders of MBA Veterans Network. Visit Bradley-Morris website, RecruitMilitarys website or MBA Veterans Network website to learn more. About Bradley-Morris, Inc. Bradley-Morris, Inc., the largest military-focused recruiting company in the U.S., offers employers access to more than 1,000,000 military job seekers via services that include contingency recruiting as well as military job fairs and employer branding via its RecruitMilitary subsidiary. Bradley-Morris is headquartered in metro-Atlanta, Georgia, and can be found at http://www.Bradley-Morris.com. About RecruitMilitary RecruitMilitary (http://RecruitMilitary.com) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bradley-Morris, Inc. (BMI), the largest military-focused recruiting company in the U.S. Together, BMI and RecruitMilitary offer employers access to more than 1,000,000 military job seekers via services that include contingency recruiting, military job fairs, a job board, employer branding, a military base publication and more. Andalucia's Sierra Collection of townhomes is recognized as one of South Florida's finest with contemporary, distinctive and fresh architecture that is both sophisticated and family-friendly. Lennar, South Florida's No. 1 homebuilder, introduced its new Sierra Collection of contemporary townhomes at a model grand opening event for its Andalucia community in Lake Worth last Saturday. Families from throughout the region chose to attend the event to get an exclusive first look at the beautiful, professionally decorated townhome model that melds modern architecture with luxurious features and finishes. Andalucia offers a unique selection of three exquisitely-appointed townhome designs with up to 2,005 square feet of living space. "The response to Lennar's modern new townhome collection at the model grand opening event was overwhelming," said Dan Grosswald, president of Lennar's Palm Atlantic Division. "Andalucia's Sierra Collection of townhomes is recognized as one of South Florida's finest with contemporary, distinctive and fresh architecture that is both sophisticated and family-friendly." Designed to satisfy the modern family's desire for comfort and resort-style living, Andalucia's two-story townhomes offer three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, and one- and two-car garages priced from the upper $200s. Each townhome boasts an arched covered entryway, granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances, as well as an impeccable master suite with large walk-in closets, a glass-enclosed shower and double-vanity. The townhomes also offer the worlds first Wi-Fi CERTIFIED home designs featuring integrated home automation supported by Amazon and voice controlled by Alexa. Andalucia is a brand-new gated neighborhood located in the heart of Palm Beach County with over 240 single family homes and townhomes. Residents enjoy access to a wide range of exclusive amenities, including a community pool and cabana area, tot lot, lush neighborhood parks, and open green spaces. And the community keeps families close to historic Downtown Lake Worth, the area's world-class shopping and dining, renowned beaches, parks, museums, and water sports. In addition to tours of the new, professionally decorated townhome model, and existing single-family home models, Saturday's event included food and refreshments, face painting for kids, and more. Located at 8926 Kingsmoor Way, Lake Worth, FL 33467, the new Andalucia townhomes are now selling from the Welcome Home Center at the community. Homebuyers or realtors interested in learning more should call 866.352.3870 or visit: http://www.lennarpalmatlantic.com/c/andalucia-th-7028/ Lennar's Palm Atlantic division builds homes in the most desirable cities on the Treasure Coast, across The Palm Beaches and in Broward County. To learn more, visit: http://www.lennarpalmatlantic.com. About Lennar Lennar Corporation, founded in 1954, has positioned itself as South Florida's #1 New Homebuilder by providing quality products, the best customer service and attention to detail throughout the entire process of purchasing your home. Lennar offers over 35 communities spanning Broward, Palm Beach, Treasure Coast, Brevard, and Escambia County. Each is built to the highest standards of quality and design, characteristics of the brand that is Lennar. Providing an exceptional customer experience and facilitating the home buying process are always top priorities. Lennar and its subsidiaries offer customers the full scope of all financial services, including mortgages, title, and insurance. Previous press releases and further information about the Company may be obtained at the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website, http://www.lennar.com. NEWSALERT-JAPAN-KISHIDA Japan's parliament elects former diplomat Fumio Kishida as the new prime minister, replacing Yoshihide Suga. (AP)Japan's parliament elects former diplomat Fumio Kishida as the new prime minister, replacing Yoshihide Suga. (AP) Flight records obtained by Bloomberg shed new light on President Donald Trump's heavily scrutinized 2013 trip to Moscow for the Miss Universe pageant and they seem to contradict what Trump told former FBI Director James Comey, according to his memos. According to those memos, Trump told the then-FBI director that he never spent the night in Moscow during the trip. Last January, Comey wrote that Trump said he arrived the morning of the pageant and departed back for New York the same night. In February, Comey wrote that Trump told him "he hadn't stayed overnight in Russia" during the trip. "He said he had spoken to people who had been on the Miss Universe trip with him and they had reminded him that he didn't stay overnight in Russia for that," Comey wrote in one memo. "He said he arrived in the morning, did events, then showered and dressed for the pageant at the hotel (he didn't say the hotel name) and left for the pageant. Afterwards, he returned only to get his things because they departed for New York by plane that same night. He said he thought maybe he should ask me to investigate the whole thing to prove it was a lie." It has been previously reported that Trump did spend at least one night in Moscow during his 2013 trip. But the flight records provide the most detail of the trip's timeline yet. The timeline based on flight records shows that Trump spent multiple days in Moscow The records, which Bloomberg purchased from FlightAware, an aviation data company, showed that the Bombardier Global 5000 private jet owned by billionaire Phil Ruffin, which Trump reportedly used to fly to Moscow, took off from Asheville, North Carolina, where Trump had attended a birthday celebration for the televangelist Billy Graham, at 9:15 p.m. on Thursday, November 7, 2013, bound for Russia. It landed at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport at 6:15 a.m. Friday, November 8. That night, Trump attended a birthday party for the pageant's host, Aras Agalarov, a Russian-based developer. On Saturday, November 9, Bloomberg reported that Facebook posts showed Trump at Moscow's Ritz-Carlton Hotel, where it is alleged in former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele's dossier that Russian intelligence may have video footage of prostitutes performing a lewd sex act involving urination in the presence of the future president. Trump had insisted to Comey that he investigate the allegation of the so-called "pee tape," denying that there was any truth to it. Later that day, Trump attended the Miss Universe pageant, which was followed by an after party that stretched into Sunday, November 10. The flight took off from Moscow then at 3:58 a.m. that morning, headed for Newark Liberty International Airport outside of New York City. The White House and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. Trump has sought both publicly at a press conference prior to taking office and privately to Comey to dispel the allegation that such video evidence exists. But Comey's assertion that Trump told him he had not stayed in Moscow overnight contradicts previous reporting and the flight records. The flight records, however, did not show who specifically was aboard the flight, Bloomberg noted. In recent days, as Comey's tell-all book was released, Trump has blasted the former FBI director's integrity, labeling him a "proven leaker," a "liar," and "an untruthful slime ball." The president has additionally called Comey "shadey" [sic] and "the worst FBI director in history." Lockheed Martin, the leading manufacturer of stealth aircraft in the world, proposed a new hybrid between the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning on Friday for Japan to purchase, and it could easily outclass the US Air Force. Japan has, for decades, wanted in on the US Air Force's F-22, a long-range, high-capacity stealth fighter that perfectly suits its defense needs, except for one problem the US won't sell it. While completing the F-22, the US ruled out its sale to allies as the technology involved in the plane was too advanced for export. But this decision took place 11 years ago in 2007. Today, the US is in the process of selling Japan the F-35 multi-role strike aircraft, but according to Justin Bronk, an air combat expert at the Royal United Services Institute, the planes design makes it less than ideal for Tokyo. "The F-35 is primarily a strike aircraft, intended to hit well defended targets on the ground, and is limited in air-to-air combat because of its size, its single engine, and way it was designed," Bronk said. But because Russian and Chinese jets constantly pester Japan's airspace, Tokyo wants a more air-dominance focused jet. The F-22 can cruise at 60,000 feet going about 1.5 times the speed of sound without igniting the afterburners, meaning it can maintain its stealth while covering incredible distances in short times. The F-35 is a capable fighter, but can't touch those numbers. "Along with a bigger missile load out, its a much much more capable for air superiority tasks," Bronk said of the F-22. "The strike role that Japan really really cares about is not really the one that the F-35 is designed for." He added that Japan would love a jet that can fire anti-ship missiles, but that the F-35 is just too small to hold them inside its stealthy weapons bays. Beast of both worlds That's where Lockheed's hybrid proposal enters into the equation. President Donald Trump has moved to loosen up restrictions on foreign military sales, and could potentially revisit the decade-old ruling on selling the F-22, as the sensitive technology it uses has aged and become less cutting-edge, but that same advancement in technology has likely doomed the F-22's restart. Bronk said the costs of restarting F-22 production were "not trivial," and even if Japan offered to pay, "a lot of the electronic components, computer chips and things, are not built anymore." The F-22 had a decades-long development that started off with 1980s-era technology. "If you were going to put the F-22 into production now, its hard to justify doing without updating the electronics," Bronk said. Once the electronics become updated, and take up less space and throw off the balance of the jet, the flight software would need an update. Once the flight software starts getting updated, "it starts to look like a new fighter program," Bronk said. This would create a serious headache for the US Air Force In the end, Lockheed's proposal looks like an F-22 airframe jammed with F-35 era technology, essentially stripping the best part of each jet and combining them in a plane that would outclass either. "If it can stomach the costs, then not only would Japan have a fantastic fighter on its hands, but perhaps problematically it would be more capable than anything the US Air Force is flying," Bronk explained. The man suspected of fatally gunning down four people at a Nashville Waffle House on Sunday was previously arrested by the Secret Service in 2017 after allegedly attempting to cross a barrier near the White House, authorities said. A manhunt was still underway on Sunday evening for 29-year-old Travis Reinking, who authorities believe could be armed with two guns. Authorities alleged that Reinking fled the Waffle House on foot and wearing no clothing early Sunday morning, after a patron heroically tackled him and wrestled away his weapon. The Metro Nashville Police Department warned that Reinking could still be armed and dangerous. Police also said Sunday that Reinking's firearms authorization had been revoked after his 2017 arrest, at the request of the FBI. Authorities had seized his four weapons but returned them to Reinking's father, who said he returned them to his son. A Secret Service agent said the 2017 White House arrest occurred after Rinking attempted to "set up a meeting" with President Donald Trump. Special Agent Todd Hudson said Reinking attempted to cross a set of bike racks near the White House grounds that formed a component of the security barriers, the Associated Press reported. Reinking was then asked to leave, refused, and was arrested on a charge of unlawful entry, Hudson said. Nashville police said they recovered two of Reinking's guns after Sunday's massacre including the AR-15 he allegedly brought to the Waffle House, but believe he could still be armed with the two remaining weapons. The 2017 arrest wasn't Reinking's first brush with law enforcement police records obtained by media outlets showed that authorities took Reinking to a local hospital for an evaluation after he said he believed Taylor Swift was stalking him. One police report from May 2016 said that Reinking believed Swift was hacking his phone, and he said he found her at a Dairy Queen in Morton, Illinois, and chased her until she disappeared, The New York Times reported. Other police records show that Reinking, dressed in a woman's pink housecoat, once threatened someone with an AR-15, according to The Tennessean. The records added that Reinking then drove to a public pool, dove in, and then exposed himself to the other poolgoers. President Donald Trump suggested on Friday night that the Russia investigation being conducted by special counsel Robert Mueller is illegitimate. That's the conclusion Trump floated in a tweet, in which he drew a handful conclusions about the series of events he believes led to Mueller's appointment: Trump then asked, "Does everybody know what that means," seemingly hinting that the Russia probe itself is illegitimate. Jumping to the wrong conclusion The leak that Trump is referring to the one that helped lead to Mueller's appointment was a memo Comey wrote, documenting a February 14, 2017 meeting he had with Trump, during which Trump asked Comey to drop the FBI's investigation into Michael Flynn, his national security adviser who had just left the administration. After Trump fired Comey in May 2017, the president threatened him on Twitter, saying "James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press." Comey then asked a colleague to tell The New York Times about the memo documenting his February 14 meeting with Trump, out of concern that the president may have tried to obstruct justice by asking the FBI to drop its investigation into Flynn. Comey told congressional lawmakers a month later that the memo he passed to his colleague contained no classified information. Here's how he explained it: "If I write it in such a way that doesn't include anything of a classification, that would make it easier for us to discuss within the FBI, and the government, and to hold onto it in a way that makes it accessible to us." Since Mueller was appointed, Trump has criticized the federal investigators, who are tasked with deconstructing Russia's wide-ranging interference campaign in the 2016 US election. The probe has evolved dramatically over the last year, resulting in a number of federal charges against some of Trump's closest aides and some Russian operatives. This follows an assignment Harvard University gave to its students describing Nigeria as a failed African country. The question Harvard University gave its students reads; READ ALSO: Police arrest more fake WASSCE candidates Africa is growing. Seven of the ten fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa, and the continents largest economies are becoming less dependent on extractive commodities. The continents rising middle class has demonstrated a taste for consumer goods and technological innovation, and Africas population-currently more than a billion people- is booming and overwhelmingly young at a time when populations in other regions are shrinking and aging. Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africas largest economy, epitomizes both the promise and the problems the continent faces in the 21st century. The country had failed to thrive for its first thirty years as an independent nation, despite having a developmental head start relative to countries like China and India, as well as hundreds of billions of dollars in oil revenue. Now, after pathbreaking reforms followed by signs of retrenchment, Nigerias new President faced both vast opportunity and grave challenges. Would the country flourish or founder in this new era? We will analyze key reforms in Nigerias economy, significant political developments, and the choices facing the countrys fast-growing private sector. 1. Why did Nigeria fail to thrive between 1960 and 1999, particularly relative to China and India? 2. How would you characterize former President Obasanjos legacy? 3. Are you bullish or bearish on the next fifteen years for Nigeria? What would make you change your mind? What opportunities do you see? What are the challenges (and risks). This is coming days after a 15-year-old Nigerian girl gained admission to 13 of Americas prestigious universities including Harvard University. In a video on YouTube, one of Ghanas richest young men, who was allegedly accused of money laundering was heard cursing his enemies. In the video, he said I curse them. Whoever is with them, whoever is behind them I curse them. May Almighty God strike you down. Afterward, he fired shots in the room. Young billionaire Ibrah fires gunshot in his bedroom He continued that he had gathered evidence for about 7 or 8 years. He said he would use the evidence to implicate the people he was referring to. One of Ghanas richest young men, Ibrah One, who went viral on social media in recent days has once again gained a lot of attention after he was seen firing a pistol in a room. Ibrah was in the news recently after he was reportedly arrested by a joint team of BNI and Interpol officials in relation to a money laundering scandal. However, he later denied the rumors of his arrest. According to officials of the Police CID, the local chapter of International Police or Interpol and also the Dansoman police station, where he was alleged to have been placed under arrest, no case involving Ibrah was brought to them. Even though the "4 Play" actor and his co-host Berla Mundi were commended for their remarkable roles as MCs at the ceremony held at the Accra International Conference Centre on Saturday, April 4, Mark thinks otherwise. He believes that the two were abysmal on the night as compared to previous hosts of the event. Mark made the assertion on Joy FMs Showbiz A-Z on Saturday saying "He was lost. If this is our standard for emceeing and we think it is good enough then we are prehistoric." Producing dry jokes, now dancing, some funny moves, not tickling anyone, Mark Okraku-Mantey continued. Mark is of the view that the selected MCs for this year's event were not at par with previous hosts. He cited KKD, Kwame Sefa Kayi, Naa Ashorkor, Bola Ray, George Quaye and Chris Attoh as previous MCs who performed creditably well and questioned if the performance of Berla Mundi and John Dumelo was okay. Mark Okraku-Mantey went further to express his disappointment with the choice of Berla Mundi as the lead host. According to the "Devilish Angel" actor, his friends thought he was gay so he decided to have sex with his girlfriend Nana Ama Asieduaa, who is now his wife. Prince said he met Nana Ama Asieduaa at the University of Ghana in 2003, waited till 2007 to break his virginity with her and got engaged in 2011. The first time I had sex was in 2007. I was a virgin by then and I did that with my wife, who was then my girlfriendIt was a covenant I had with God. I broke this covenant out of pure pressure because my friends didn't understand why I should be dating a girl for four years without doing anything to her. They even thought I was gay, so I have to do that to prove them wrong, he told Abeiku Santana on UTV. It is, however, not known if the wife was also a virgin at the time, but Prince revealed that she is the love of his life and has never dated anyone in the movie industry. When I met my wife in 2003 at University of Ghana, I didn't know that I will become an actor and it is the person I have been with. I have not dated anyone in the movie industry, he added. In his reply, the President was quoted as saying: "We have a very young population. More than 60% of the population is below the age of 30. A lot of them haven't been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil-producing country, therefore they should sit and do nothing and get housing, healthcare, education free." Zoes Ghana Kitchen Cookbook REVIEW TYPE Catering/cookbook REVIEW Social media has also increased appreciation for food all over the world. Food photography is food porn (the love of food). Asking if Zoes Kitchen Cookbook has made the love for Ghanaian food more, is a call for a nothing other than a confirmatory appraisal. With little connection to her roots on her fathers side, Zoe found solace in food. Reconnecting with her Ghanaian roots through the art of cookery. Zoe a southern London-born of Ghanaian and Irish bequest is sharing her passion for the good food with the world. And oh boy, arent we so glad for that? Especially her urban cookbook full of tactfully combined recipes. Zoes kitchen features Ghanaian food rejigged for the modern kitchen and more exotic palettes. Looking through her menu, I can say her star ingredient is peanuts.peanut butter stew, peanut butter soup, peanut butter sauce, peanut butter dips. Amazing right?! And who would have thought that groundnut soup which is always prepared by our grandmothers and mothers has so many interesting side. Not to talk of her kelewele, these are succulent sweet plantains, coated cinnamon, deep fried in oil and served with a sprinkle with roasted whole peanuts. Oh and wait for itshe also makes chinghinga, with all the spices including the groundnut based Amelia Khebab spiced pepperyummzy. Other foods highlighting our Ghanaian-ness on her menu includes spicy Ghana jollof, which could come with a bowl of spicy grilled lamb chops or a piece of jollof chicken and some shito to go with it; some Bambara beans stew/ red red with tatale is also a must have and all those savory Ghanaian desserts. Our bofrot with an added twist paired with strawberry jam or clotted cream. Or you can try a bag of crunchy delightful sweet chin chin dusted with cinnamon. Another amazing dish on the menu that I cant seem to let go, is their crunchy Okro fries! All these and more Ghanaian recipes with an exotic twist has been included in The Zoe Ghana Kitchen Cookbook. Dont worry about going thirsty whilst enjoying your meal. Sobolo is served alongside Ghanaian and Nigerian beers. I know this bring memories if home but isnt that why we long to have all those wonderful pieces of home with us. Have you heard of the saying that, we eat with our eyes? And thats just what you get at the pop-up would have fully appreciated your meal. Your meal is sure to be artfully decorated and presented to you. This is unlike your regular restaurants so please dont expect linens, lined seats or personal waiters for every table. The atmosphere has a rustic feel to it adding to the overall ambience of eating from tin bowls and cutlery. Mini tin buckets, bowls and plates with a clean rustic appearance. Talk about mixing the west with the African. Her small pop-up restaurants are run either by her or her sister, Natalie. With the help of a waiter/waitress or two, its such a wonder they can provide such superb service. Its open kitchen gives it a homely feeling and a delight to watch your meals being prepared too. Hold lively, wholesome conversations with Zoe the Chef whilst she whips up your meal so fast, that she would have you eating even before you realize it. RATING Zoes Ghana Kitchen is definitely putting Ghana food on the map. Although it might not go well with local palettes. But there have been some appreciative reviews on the food form both Ghanaians and foreigners. Adding a cookbook is positively a plus. Copies are available in both e-Books and hardcopies. Going for $11.85 on kindle and $20.39 for hardcovers. CREATED BY This comes after reports during the last week suggested that Ibrah had been arrested by the Police for fraud. Many news portals reported last Wednesday that he had been arrested by the Police for defrauding a friend to the tune of $400,000. This was after a video went viral, in which Ibrah was captured sitting at a place many believe was a Police station. Further reports also linked the rich social media personality to Kennedy Agyapong, with some quarters even claiming that the pair are business partners. However, speaking for the first time since the incident, Ibrah insists he has no business ties with the Assin Central MP. I have not met Kennedy Agyapong and do not have any business dealings with him. The report being peddled around is quite unfortunate and unacceptable," he is quoted as saying by showbizpunch.com. Meanwhile, the Police have also denied arresting the young millionaire over any case of fraud, contrary to media reports. According to officials of the Police CID, the local chapter of International Police or Interpol and also the Dansoman police station, where he was alleged to have been placed under arrest, no case involving Ibrah was brought to them. He said these officials confessed to him that they received the salaries as Ministers of State and Members of Parliament. 9 members of the erstwhile NDC administration are under investigations by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police service for collecting double salaries which is contrary to law. The outspoken politician told the gathering that, the top officials came to see him so he will plead on their behalf because they did not want to go to prison for receiving double salaries. According to him, although it is good to fight corruption, governance must not be used as an excuse to settle personal scores. The preacher said he has keenly observed in the last forty years how successive governments in Ghana try to distabilise businesspeople who are thought to have prospered during the previous administration. This, he described as a vicious cycle which only leads to the destruction of private businesses, and in turn weakens the economy. The Archbishop, therefore, called on President Akufo-Addo not to allow disgruntled persons in his government to use his administration to pursue such a vicious dream. Its time to cry for mercy, its time to pray for mercy because too much is at stake. And please dont misunderstand me, Im not saying we shouldnt check corruption, but if we come to office and to power Ive been preaching for 40 years in this country and Ive seen governments come and go, from CPP, my fathers government, and NDC and NPP, they are here, Ive seen them over the 40 years and this thing where we come into office with vindictiveness and bitterness because of the way weve been mishandled and mistreated. And and we target people to go after them, settle scores, I pray that during the reign of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, because of the fight and the betrayals and the suffering and the pain he went through to become president, he will not allow his presidency to be used by people who have problems with others and their opponents to settle scores, but that during his watch and his reign, that vicious cycle would be broken in the name of Jesus; that every Ghanaian, irrespective of your political party, if youre doing the right thing, youll prosper, he stated during his sermon on Sunday, 22 April. He added: Were not creating wealth as a people. We destroy wealth every four years and every eight years. And its not just Ghana, you watch Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, La Cote dIvoire, similar incidents there because Ive churches there, Ive networks all over these places and I deal with businessmen and women and politicians in all these places. Anytime there is a new regime, the new regime comes and will destroy anyone that was connected to the old regime and benefitted from the old regime, theyll destroy all their wealth, forgetting that youll be in office for only four years or maximum eight years. And then another regime comes and will destroy anyone that benefitted from the old regime, so, every four to eight years, we kill and destroy those who have created wealth. The Archbishop further highlighted that the private sector is very key when it comes to national development, whiles warning that if the vicious cycle is not ended anytime soon, then an African version of the Arab Spring was imminent. The NDC wrote on his Facebook wall: "Best Wishes to National Chief Imam Sheikh Dr. Osumanu Nuhu Sharabutu on your 99th birthday. May Allah continue to grant you good health, more wisdom and increase your blessings." Sheikh Dr Usman Nuhu Sharubutu is an Islamic cleric and a member of the National Peace Council who has received several awards for the role he plays in ensuring peaceful co-existence between Muslims, Christians, and other religious bodies as well as political groups in the country. Speaking at back of a tall list of Presidential Staffers working at the Jubilee House, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Gomoa West in the Central region, Alexander Abban has said there's the need for the President to cut down on the number of ministers through a reshuffle exercise. He said the reduction of the large size of government is very necessary, adding that the president himself is fully aware of this fact. He dismissed reports that the new ministries created under the presidency could have inflated the figure. Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM he said "Looking at it from that point of view, you would see some wisdom in putting them under the presidency so that the same kind of administrative set up there could be employed in assisting these various ministries." READ MORE: Shock and disbelief over number of presidential staffers "It still doesn't take away the fact, as Ghanaians tell us for us to see, that as far as these numbers are concerned, it is a big government. It doesnt take away that fact, and I am praying that if the time comes that there should be a reshuffle, the numbers should come down," he added. List of Presidential Staffers On Friday, April 20, Nana Addo has forwarded a list of 998 current staffers and ministers of state at the presidency to Parliament for purposes of accountability. The list, which is for the period January 7, 2017 to December 31, 2017 is in line with the constitution and the Presidential Office Act 1993 which enjoins the Presidency to annually brief Parliament on the list of persons who work at the Presidency. The list shows that there are a total of 998 people currently working in various positions at the Presidency. These include ministers of state at the presidency, persons working directly at the office of the president, senior presidential advisers, presidential staffers, and presidential aides and employees of other Public Services assigned to the Office of the President. Breakdown of Presidential Staffers Ministers of State - 9 Presidential Staffers - 27 Junior Political Appointees - 256 Employees of Public Sector Organisations - 706 The Breakdown of the 706 Civil/Public Service Staff at the Office of the President Chief Directors -2 Administrative Class 21 Executive/Clerical Class 18 Records Class 10 Secretarial Staff 32 Budget Analysts 2 Supply & Materials Management Class 15 Internal Audit Class 5 Information Technology Class 5 Programmer Class 4 Research Class 3 Total strength of Administrative, Secretarial Classes, etc. and Presidential Household staff Other staff on Attachment Department of Parks and Gardens 98 Ghana Health Service 46 Controller and Accountant-Generals Department 13 Audit Service 7 Ghana National Fire Service 61 Public Works Department (Prestige) 64 Telecom 4 Telephone Exchange 2 Ghana Postal Company - 4 Ministries and Departments under the presidency are: His personal bodyguragd told Accra FM that We travelled to Hohoe on Friday to monitor the regional elections, we returned on Sunday." When we returned, he asked that we move to the office so he can finish up with some work he left behind, and, so, we went to the office on Sunday only to find out that the window to the office has been opened. READ ALSO: Farida Mahama is nearly as tall as Lordina Mahama We opened the office and realised that the desktop computer and other materials that were in the office have been taken away. Canadian media reported at least four fatalities, but that was not yet confirmed by police. The vehicle fled the scene, but the driver was later arrested. "Update: unknown of extent of injuries, possible 8 - 10 pedestrians struck," Toronto police wrote on Twitter. Police then said it was "too early to confirm the number of pedestrians struck or their injuries." Officers were called to the scene -- on Yonge Street at the corner with Finch Avenue -- at 1:27 pm (1727 GMT), police said, without specifying whether or not the incident was deliberate. A white rental van with a dented front bumper was stopped on the sidewalk of a major intersection, surrounded by police vehicles. "Our hearts go to anyone affected," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons. "We are going to have more to learn and more to say in the coming hours," he said. 'Really fast' The incident occurred as Toronto was hosting a meeting of public security ministers from the G7 leading industrialized nations, and on the heels of a weekend gathering in the city for the foreign ministers from the same seven countries -- the United States, Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Canada. Vehicle attacks have been carried out to deadly effect by extremists in a number of capitals and major cities, including London, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, New York, Nice and Barcelona. Toronto's police had not stated what they believe the driver's motives may have been in Monday's incident. "He was going really fast," one witness, Alex Shaker, told CTV television. "All I could see was just people one by one getting knocked out, knocked out, one by one," Shaker said. "There are so many people lying down on the streets." Canada has largely been spared the violence of Islamist extremists, although it has not been entirely immune. Last October, a man stabbed a police officer in the western city of Edmonton before slamming his van into a group of pedestrians, injuring four people. And in Quebec in October 2014, a Canadian man ran over two soldiers in a parking lot with his car, killing one of them. The driver was shot dead by police when he attacked them with a knife. Thanks for signing up for our daily insight on the African economy. We bring you daily editor picks from the best Business Insider news content so you can stay updated on the latest topics and conversations on the African market, leaders, careers and lifestyle. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Internet Freedom Forum now in its the sixth edition will hold from Tuesday, April 24 to Thursday, April 26, 2018, in the city of Abuja, organised by Paradigm Initiative, the Lagos-based social enterprise. The forum comes at an important time when many Africans fear for their freedom online. Paradigm Initiative, the Lagos-based organisers of the Forum, in a statement made available to Business Insider Sub Saharan Africa, said: the Forum helps bring attention to important issues confronting digital rights such as data privacy, internet shutdown, access to the internet, among others. "The Forum, , has gained the reputation as the platform where experts deliberate on issues relating to digital rights and inclusion. The Forum will also be live-streamed to the whole world to encourage virtual participation." Speakers expected at the 2018 Internet Freedom Forum Ayisha Osori, the author of Love Does not Win Elections Tolu Ogunlesi, Nigerian Presidents Special Assistant on Digital Media Titi Akinsanmi, Head, Government Relations and Public Policy at Google Dapo Olorunyomi, the publisher of Premium Times, Akua Gyekye, Facebooks Public Policy Manager, and Afef Abrougui of Ranking Digital Rights. Tope Ogundipe, the Director of Programs of Paradigm Initiative, said: IFF2018 provides an important platform to discuss issues that bother many Africans. The sessions and side-sessions at IFF 2018 cover some of the most pertinent themes relating to digital rights and inclusion in Africa. These include, How to Ruin Elections in Africa, Cybercrime Laws and Freedom of Expression, Bridging Gender Knowledge Gap in Wikipedia." The forum will also discuss the state of internet in various African countries with the report from scores of, Gender, Open Data and AI: Intersecting for Digital Equality, Empowering Human Rights Defenders in Digital Era In Africa and Building a Healthy Internet in Africa. The range and depth of the discussions which have taken place at previous editions of the IFF have positioned the IFF as one of the premier platforms for shaping the conversations and policy outcomes on the Internet in Africa. The diversity of conversations also caters for the diverse range of participants within the continent and beyond, and across civil society, private sector, academia, government and other stakeholders, Ogundipe concluded. On April 20, 2017, the Russian Supreme Court officially declared this religious group as an extremist organization! The ruling meant that Jehovahs Witnesses were prohibited from everything including door-to-door evangelizing or church activities of any kind. One year later Since then, members of this group have gone through a lot. Their homes have been raided by Russian authorities on several occasions. These raids have led to the arrest and detention of at least four individuals. Reportedly, 17 properties have been confiscated, while there are ongoing lawsuits to seize another 52 properties. Jaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovahs Witnesses, sheds some light on the appalling situation. In his words, After the decision of the Supreme Court, there was a surge of religious intolerance in the country. Between March 15, 2017, and April 1, 2018, the European Association of Jehovahs Witnesses received information, and far from complete, approximately 250 violations of the rights of believers, including attacks, vandalism, various kinds of discrimination, dismissals and the like. Leaders in the number of incidents were the Krasnodar Territory (8% of the total number of incidents in the country), Crimea (5.3%), Rostov region. (4.9%), the Moscow region. (4%), Sverdlovsk region. (4%), the Altai Territory (3.6%), the Voronezh Region. (3.6%), the Krasnoyarsk Territory (3.6%), Tatarstan (3.1%), Moscow (2.7%). For example, we know of 27 cases of vandalism. Most often this is insulting inscriptions, damage to buildings where believers live or where divine services were held before. In 7 cases, significant damage was caused. 13 citizens reported that after the decision of the Supreme Court were dismissed or forced to resign at their own will because of their religious beliefs. Concerning plans to fight the ruling and restore their rights, he says, we filed a corresponding complaint. On December 1, 2017, the European Court of Human Rights found the complaint of Jehovahs Witnesses acceptable, decided to consider it as a matter of priority and ordered the Russian Federation to submit its explanations by March 23, 2018. On March 23, 2018, the head of the Office of the Representative of the Russian Federation at the European Court of Human Rights, Andrei Fedorov, sent to the Strasbourg Court the observations of the Government of the Russian Federation on our complaint The union also said 12 million children out of school. The ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan, Dr Deji Omole, who stated this on Sunday, April 22, 2018, in Ibadan said it has become imperative for the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu to be reminded that the future of the children of the masses must not be used to play politics. The union Chairman also called on called on President Muhammadu Buhari to safeguard future of concerned Nigerians, and protect them from being tagged "youth sitting down and waiting for freebies" Omole queried the government on its plan for the 16 million unemployed graduates. ALSO READ:10 universities of technology in Nigeria and their rankings "What has the government done to salvage the condition 12million out of school children in Nigeria? What has the government done to ensure employment for over 16 million unemployed Nigerians? What plan does the government have for graduates who go through the mandatory National Youth Service Corp every year but frustrated by lack of job and hostile environment to even start a small and medium scale business? If the government fails to attend to the needs of the Youth today, they will become nightmares for Nigeria in the future'', he concluded. Nigerian Students reply Buhari, say Nigerians are not lazy However, The National Association of Nigerian Students, NASS has responded to President Muhammadu Buhari's alleged remark that Nigerian youths are lazy and want everything free. The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Aruna Kadiri, said that the youth are not lazy, but failed by their leaders. He said, the President may have forgotten that the challenges facing the youth are the creations of Nigerian leaders whose objective is to keep the countrys youth in perpetual servitude. Provide the youth with enabling environment, and they would perform wonders. ''This is evidenced by the success stories of many young Nigerians who have escaped the many inanities of this country and were provided with the good atmosphere outside the country. The beautiful actress made this known via her Instagram page on Monday, April 23, 2018, where she narrated how her trip from Ogbomosho to Lagos almost turned into a nightmare. "One of the scariest moments of my life. I started my journey back to Lagos from Ilorin at 4:00 am. An hour into the journey, I arrived at Ogbomosho on a narrow road. All of a sudden, a trailer coming at high speed with full headlight swarved towards me. My heart skipped several beats! I thought thats it! Trying to avoid getting hit, I drove off the small road and boom! My tyre was gone. It took me a while to get myself together, came out to check the damage. It was dark, no streetlights. I was scared! My mind went blank. I thought of the worst. "Summoned enough courage to get out of my car for the 2nd time to ask travelers for assistance. None stopped! Some slowed down but where to scared to stop as it was still dark. Finally! A trailer stopped and reluctantly decided to help. It would take 3 hours to take the tyre off. Eventually, it was removed. These 2 men saved me! Abbey to the Left said hes conscience wouldnt have allowed him to drive off! I guess my job on this earth isnt completed yet. Thank you to everyone to checked up on me," she wrote. ALSO READ:Adunni Ade shows off new boyfriend The mother of two almost went on to call out contractors who get awarded contracts to construct roads but end up using such funds to sponsor their lavish lifestyle. "Special thank you to @peterucomedy1 for making sure the tyre was replaced. Simple things can be avoided. Their is an ongoing (well it has been spotted for years) road construction that can be completed. When simple contracts are awarded, please lets get them done. Stop using Government funds to fund your lifestyles. How can one of the Richest countries in Africa not have good roads or simple amenities like Streetlights? All these money yall eating, cannot be taken to your grave when youre no more. "To those in power, please do the needful. Make Nigeria a better Country. A road wide enough to only contain a trailer been shared by other cars?" she concluded. According to Zimbabwean soft sell magazine H-Metro, Davido had asked Boity in an unconventional way that he wanted to get her in bed, something that did not go down well with Boity. It also reports that the actress started throwing tantrums at Davido which led to her slapping someone who was trying to pacify her. The report also says that Davido was manhandled by Boity which led one of the members of Davido's crew threatening the actress. "I will kill you if you come to Nigeria, you are dead don't ever come. In fact, my father is a very powerful man, I will make sure you don't even pass the airport," he said. Boity then replied him saying; "I don't care about Nigeria" according to H-Metro. Davido hasn't responded directly to the report but he did put this up on his Instagram today, Monday, April 23, 2018. "No more horny hugry hoes around me! RUBBISH!" he wrote. Pulse has reached out to Davido's camp to find out the authenticity of this gist and is yet to get a response. This won't be the first time Davido and his crew members would be getting into a brawl both at home and abroad. Recall back in January 2018 when a member of Davido's crew reportedly assaulted some officials of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport after being asked to produce the baggage tags for their bags. According to Sahara Reporters, the incident happened on Thursday, January 11, 2018, at the arrival section of the MMIA. One of the crew members of the music star simply identified as Kayode, got into a fight with the customs officers and baggage check officials when they attempted to check the tags on the checked luggage of Davido who arrived on an Emirates flight. The actor turned politician took to his Instagram page on Monday, April 23, 2018, where he declared his intention. According to the actor, he wants to bring the problems of the country to the last bus stop. "Today I declare my interest to run for President of the greatest country in the world, Nigeria. A blessed country that has been crippled by decades of bad leadership. Enough is Enough!Fellow Nigerians, stand with me let us bring the problems of our country to the THE LAST BUS STOP!!!" he wrote. Yul Edochie's decision to run for president might not be far from his last statement concerning president Muhammadu Buhari. It would be recalled that he once said the president shouldn't run for a re-election in 2019. ALSO READ:Kenneth Okonkwo wants to be governor of Enugu state The actor and one-time governorship aspirant in Anambra state made this known while releasing a short video. In the video, Yul Edochie made a passionate plea to the president to allow a younger person to take up the challenges currently facing the country. "I hear you want to run for the second time in office I decided to do this video, please sir don't bother. I don't think Nigeria, Nigerians can endure four or more years of whats going on right now. Believe its really terrible, the hardship is too much," Yul said. We guess Yul thinks he is that young person who would take Nigeria to that promised land. We all can remember that Yul Edochie ran for the governorship elections at the last elections in Anambra state which he ended up not winning. A person thought to be his partner reportedly made a run for it as a mob approached a tent where the lunatic occupied as residence. The incident occurred on Saturday, April 21, 2018, according to a report by the National Helm News, which mentioned that the suspect once had in his possession a human corpse. An image of the Sapele mad man revealed him naked with blood flowing down his shoulder. This is believed to be as a result of a nasty beating from the mob which tied up from his knee down to his feet. Mad man chops kindergarten pupils to death in Ogun In Ogun State, Nigeria, the police are on the trail of a mad man who reportedly chopped two kindergarten pupils to death. This happened on Monday, March 12, 2018, a day that saw the suspect, Lekan Adebisi, visit the St. Johns Primary School, Agodo, where the deceased go to study. Mubarak Kalesowo and Sunday Obituyi, the victims both 4 years old, were having lunch break before the assault, report says. ALSO READ: Mad man who killed kindergarten pupils nabbed by police The assailant, Adebisi, who has been widely certified as having a mental challenge, soon fled the scene following the attack. We got a report this afternoon (Monday) that a man, Lekan Adebisi, whom residents said was mentally-deranged, entered the premises of St. Johns Primary School, Agodo, in the Ogun Waterside Local Government Area and hacked two pupils, Mubarak Kalesowo, and Sunday Obituyi, to death. The incident happened while the pupils were on the school field during lunch break. As I speak to you, the Area Commander, Ogbere and the Ogbere and Abigi DPOs, are at the scene of the incident. We learnt that the assailant fled after wrecking the havoc, but our operatives are already on his trail. Prior to the dinner, Maurice and Roch hosted a press conference on the 18th April at Wheat baker Hotel, they also visited the Hennessy Pop up store at the Palms Mall in Lekki where limited stock of the 200th Annivessary bottle are available for sale to the public. The evening, which began with pre dinner cocktails, was hosted by svelte show host and media personality, Idia Aisien. During the dinner, guests were treated to Hennessy cocktails and a bespoke menu paired with Hennessy V.S.O.P. In attendance were public figures such as Legal luminary, Femi Falana, Oliver Enwonwu, Amaechi Okobi, Dj Jimmy Jatt, Beauty Queen, Mildred Ehiguese, Charles OTudor, Afrobeat Artiste Dede Mabiaku, Eku Edewor, Toke Makinwa, Bolanle Olukanni, Vimbai Mutinhiri and a host of other personalities. It was a night of resplendent appearances and fine dining. Also in attendance were Hennessy Artistry headliners OLAMIDE & FALZ. Guests also had an opportunity to place orders for the limited edition bottles made especially for the Annivessary; the available stock sold out in 20 minutes! In their opening speech, Maurice and Roch expressed delight at the turn out of guests for the dinner. Whilst applauding the hospitality of the Nigerian people, the family noted that Nigeria remains an important market that continues to play a significant role in the growth of the brand across sub Saharan Africa because of the leading role the country plays within the region. With royalty at its foundation and centuries in sustained heritage, the Hennessy brand leveraged the occasion to also celebrate Nigerian dynasties across different sectors who have achieved great success and whose contributions continue to shape our countrys heritage and future. About Hennessy For over 250 years, Hennessy has successfully heralded new chapters in the making of the finest cognac. Today, the House Hennessy is the unrivalled market leader and the bestselling cognac in the world. In Nigeria, Hennessy has become an indelible part of Nigerias social fabric and is a constant feature in Premium night life and celebration moments. Instablog9ja reports that the fight was between some followers of a masquerader who entered the Sabo area, where most of the Hausas reside. ALSO READ: 2 killed in Jos clash between Igbos, Hausas According to the reports, the followers allegedly attempted to disrupt business in the area. Following resistance from the Hausas, a fight between both parties ensued. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, while confirming the incident, also revealed that the command has begun an investigation into the case. Thankfully, no lives were lost in the fracas. 3 dead as Igbo and Hausa battle in Imo State Another similar clash between the dueling ethnic groups left three dead after a brutal battle in Imo State. The incident occurred at Akokwa community in Ideato Local Government Area of the state, where a northern man killed a girl, a woman and then himself. This reportedly led to reprisal attacks from the Igbos in which many were reported to have sustained high degree injuries according to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Andrew Enwerem. He revealed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Report to police showed that a yet to be identified northerner ran amok at Akokwa community and used weapons to attack and kill a girl and a woman and thereafter killed himself,Enwerem disclosed. According to reports, the northern man, whose violent act has not been explained, chased the girl with a shovel. The emotion was captured in an Instagram post shared by a male user, Adebolanle, who blamed "NEPA" and the Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, for the passing of his sister. A lack of fuel at the Epe General Hospital, had meant the end for Elizabeth, who was made to rely on artificial oxygen supplied by the health center in order to breathe. "Facing the reality of life is one hard thing to deal with! I know so many people see me looking all good and smiley for the gram! "It is not always easy to hide the pains but I have been a fighter, I havent been fighting alone! Side by side I fought the battle of life with you Sis! "Over 3 decades ago we were brought to this life with the Sickle Cell anemia! M not even going to mention how we faced rejection from our father! "But I know things didnt remain the same after we lost our mom 1997! "Since then we realized she has actually been covering a big space ... side by side we face terrible Crisis, life threatening pain! "Lets go for Sickle Cells Forum that is ur anthem every Sat! But I hate to accept the fact that I am one! But as I said you are a fighter ! "I had never been serious planning any wedding like I was with yours! Just so u know D.A I wouldnt even bring out my camera to take pics if I know I would be wishing you a RIP with it! If I ever get mental stable i guess God has a plan! "Nothing feels the same for me ...I know you are in Good hands, I was not just expecting you to leave this knife in my hearth! I had said you are very wicked .. say a lot of B.S in annoyance when i heard about your death but I forgive you! "Not sure I would forgive my self for not raising the funds for bone marrow transplant as soon as I thought! My World has crashed once again! "Now you leaving me with 3 kids to raise! Just know they r in save hands! "You would prolly be alive if your first love didnt let you down ... if I had raised money for bone marrow transplant .... if the management of Epe General hospital did their Job, you were trying to survive with a oxygen gas mask, after giving birth thru CS! "Then boom nepa took light and behold the No Fuel Excuses just so u know if its possible I would split my lifetime with you! ... here i am lifeless, hopeless and saying a big thank you to every nurse that nonchalantly and sluggishly attended to my sis and another thank you to. @akinwunmiambode for killing all hopes I had in Epe, Lagos ... and this Great Country... "Rest In Peace Aderinsola Adebola Elizabeth," writes a saddened Adebolanle. ALSO READ: Doctors protest too much salary Friends mourn man who died a week after killing giant snake The friends of Douglas Preye, a man who died a week after killing a giant snake, have expressed grief over his passing. Preye, who lived in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, reportedly died following an asthma attack. Notes reflecting pain filled the Facebook wall of the deceased who was described as a gentle person. His passing seemed a shock to his followers who entered a state of sadness in the aftermath of his death. He mentioned this while defending an allegation that he slept with the lady, a secondary school student, without gaining consent. According to Punch News, the suspect reportedly made several attempts to woo Lola but had met a stiff wall until March 17, a day he overpowered the lady through the use of a magic. Festus however denied the accusation stating that he had the consent of the victim's guardian identified as Iya Aliyah. I have spoken to the girls mother (guardian) to forgive me. I have sent my landlord and younger brother to her as well. "I cannot lie that I did not do it. But how the girl suddenly turned her back against me is what amazes me. She is my girlfriend. It was only once that I slept with her. And that was when I deflowered her on Saturday, March 17. "It happened in my house and she was not angry. I promised to marry her because I met her as a virgin, which is something rare for a girl of her age. I give her money. I did not run away from home as they claimed. I work from Monday to Friday and stay at home on weekends. I see her on Saturdays when she goes to the shop. It is a lie that she sprayed insecticide on me or threatened me with a knife. I have a good relationship with her mother (guardian). "After I deflowered her, she even bought a wristwatch for me and gave me a love letter. She said she had decided that whoever deflowered her would marry her. And I accepted it," says Ayo Festus who has been apprehended by the police in Lagos State. Its representative, SP Chike Oti, confirmed that his men have commenced an investigation into the matter. ALSO READ: Thief decides to rape lady who had only N100 at home Husband made to watch as thieves gang rape wife in Cross River A protest organized by some women in Cross River state has ensured the arrest of a gang of thieves who raped a woman while her husband watched. According to reports, the group visited an Okuni Ikom farm on Monday, November 6, 2017, where they stole bags of cocoa. They capped the heist by taking turns to sleep with the female victim. Over 1000 women from the Okuni community reportedly took to the street to speak against the act labeled as "barbaric". Members of the gang have been apprehended following an earlier release. Dr. Inyang Asibong, the state Commissioner of Health and colleague, Dr. Betta Edu, the Director General of the state's Primary Healthcare Development Agency confirmed this. And when I saw that, I have to confess that I felt just a little bit upset. And then I went and I looked at your husbands Twitter account, and the first word was not husband. Bill Clintons Twitter bio reads, Founder, Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States,. Miss Adichie asked the question when she interviewed Hillary Clinton at a PEN World Voices Festival lecture at the Cooper Union in Manhattan, New York on the night of Sunday, April 22, 2018. ALSO READ: Chimamanda syas she became a feminist because she grew up in Nigeria Adichie made it obvious she wanted to understand if, and why Clinton wanted to be viewed in relation to her husband. In response, Clinton was clear that she saw the problem, or at least, a bit of it. When you put it like that, Im going to change it, Clinton said, prompting roars from the crowd. However, she made a case for why she wrote "Wife" in her bio. Mothers, professionals and wives The former senator stated that while women celebrate their achievements, they should also be able to celebrate their relationships. "It shouldnt be either/or. It should be that if you are someone who is defining yourself by what you do and what you accomplish, and that is satisfying, then more power to you.", Clinton retorted after another former first lady, Barbara Bush had given her two cents. Chimamanda Adichie Shares Her Sexual Assault Encounter At 17 "That is how you should be thinking about your life, and living it. If you are someone who primarily defines your life in relationship to others, then more power to you, and live that life the way Barbara Bush lived that life, and how proud she was to do it." "But I think most of us as women in todays world end up in the middle. Wanting to have relationships, wanting to invest in them, nurture them, but also pursuing our own interests." ALSO READ: Chimamanda Adichie says she was molested when she was 17 As someone who Christiane Amanpour describes as "an icon of the feminist movement", Chimanda Adichie's views are polarizing in a patriarchal society. As with most of her positions on just about any issue, Nigerians have expressed various opinions about her question. Most are of the opinion that her brand of feminism should not be the benchmark if gender politics are to be easily resolved. Either way, the author seems to have struck a cord with Hillary Clinton who says Adichie has convinced her to make adjustments to her twitter. Ebuka has kept us entertained for the last few months, not only by keeping us up-to-date with the Big Brother antics but with his daring outfits too. For the shows finale, Ebuka went back to his Igbo roots with an outfit fit for a king. From winning prestigious prizes and writing remarkable books to getting a movie deal and creating a great series, these are the Nigerian authors setting the pace this year. 1. Nnedi Okorafor Nnedimma Nkemdili Okorafor is a Nigerian-American writer of fantasy and science fiction for both children and adults. Her work often looks at "weighty social issues: racial and gender inequality, political violence, the destruction of the environment, genocide and corruption" through "the framework of fantasy." After turning to writing short stories while she battled complications from a surgery in her teens, Nnedi gradually honed her creative writing skills, winning the Hurston Prize in 2002 for her story, Amphibious Green. Her greatest works, however, are "Who Fears Death" which won the World Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel and the Binti Trilogy. Nnedi uses traditional Nigerian customs and spiritual concepts to tell stories of freedom, confidence and identity that often have young female African protagonists. Nnedis works have made the transition to comics and the small screen. In July 2017, she announced via Twitter that Who Fears Death was picked up by HBO to become a TV series with novelist and Game of Thrones producer, George R.R. Martin, joining the project as an executive producer. She has also written for Marvels Black Panther series and Venomverse. 2. Tochi Onyebuchi The Nigerian-born author holds a Bachelor of Arts from Yale, an MFA in Screenwriting from Tisch, a Masters degree in Global Economic Law from Linstitut d tudes politiques, and a JD from Columbia Law School. In his first book, Beasts Made of the Night, which was described as Unforgettable in its darkness, inequality, and magic, Tochi creates a busy market city inspired by his Nigerian heritage and populates it with a group of outcast kids who shoulder the sins of the rich and powerful. The central character is a young boy, Taj, who is a member of a clan indentured by the citys elite to consume the sins of others. The book includes references to traditional Nigerian practices, some of which you would well relate to. His follow-up, Crown of Thunder is slated for release in October 2018 and is expected to continue in that tone. 3. Tomi Adeyemi The Nigerian-American Authors first book, Children of Blood and Bone, which has been described as the biggest fantasy debut novel of 2018, has made its first appearance atop the New York Times Bestsellers list. The 24-year-old's novel has been called the biggest fantasy debut novel of 2018, drawing comparisons with everything from Game of Thrones to Black Panther, and has netted a movie deal reported to be worth seven figures. In the book, a young female protagonist, Zelie Adebola who is a fishermans daughter is joined by an unlikely band of allies to fight a monarchy and return magic to her home country of Orisha. 4. Lola Shoneyin Lola Shoneyin is a Nigerian poet and author who launched her debut novel, "The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives", in the UK in May 2010. Shoneyin has forged a reputation as an adventurous, humorous and outspoken feminist. The award-winning author is also the organiser of Ake Books and Art Festival. Early examples of her work appeared in Post Express in 1995, which features a short story about a Nigerian woman who leaves her husband for an Austrian woman. This story initiated dialogue about homosexuality within a Nigerian context. Shoneyin has also written for newspapers, including The Scotsman, The Guardian, and The Times on issues such as racism, Nigeria's tradition of polygamous marriage, the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram and the elections of now President Muhammadu Buhari. 5. Roye Okupe Roye Okupe is a writer and creator of E.X.O., a superhero story about redemption, set in futuristic 2025 Nigeria. The graphic novel was released back in August 2015 and has since been featured on CNN, BBC and Forbes. Wale Williams and his setting of Lagoon City is to Lagos what Gotham City is to New York, Forbes has said about Okupes book. CNN, on the other hand, describes the novel as a fast-paced, afro-futuristic graphic novel. 6. Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie Adichie is an unrepentant feminist and activist in all rights. The award-winning author has published a short book on feminism, "Dear Ijeawele, Or A Feminist Manifesto In Fifteen Suggestions". Her essay, We Should All Be Feminists, adapted from her 2013 TEDx talk, has remained on the bestseller lists, particularly in Sweden, where in 2015 it was distributed to every 16-year-old high-school student in the land. The success of We Should All Be Feminists has made Adichie as prominent for her feminism as for her novels, to the extent that she now gets invited to every damned feminist thing in the whole world. 7. Chika Unigwe Author of four novels, Chika Unigwe was in the final shortlist of the 2016 Nigerian Prize for Literature for her novel Night Dancer. In 2012, her novel On Black Sisters Street, had won the same prize. Unigwe was appointed as Bonderman Professor of Creative Writing at Brown University in Rhode Island and won the 2003 BBC Short Story Competition and a Commonwealth Short Story Competition award. According to a report by ThisDay, the money was paid to the United States for the procurement of 12 Super Tucano aircraft for the military. The money was said to be a part payment - to avoid losing the opportunity to purchase the military equipment within the deadline. Buhari, in a letter to the National Assembly, said he had to give the express approval for the withdrawal because the U.S government had given a payment deadline for the aircraft purchase. The letter was said to have been sent to the National Assembly leadership on April 13 and it was received in the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives on April 17. The President's letter reads, "I wish to draw the attention of the House of Representatives to the ongoing security emergencies in the country. These challenges were discussed with the state governors and subsequently, at the meeting of the National Economic Council on 14th December, 2017, where a resolution was passed, with the Council approving that up to US$1 billion may be released and utilised from the Excess Crude Account to address the situation. "Subsequent upon this approval, we are preparing a comprehensive schedule of all the requirements for each of the security services for presentation to the National Assembly for consideration. "It would be recalled that, for a number of years, Nigeria had been in discussions with the United States Government for the purchase of Super Tucano Aircraft under a direct Government-to-Government arrangement. Recently, approval was finally granted by the United States Government, but with a deadline within which part payment must be made otherwise, the contract would lapse. "In the expectation that the National Assembly would have no objection to the purchase of this highly specialised aircraft, which is critical to national security, I granted anticipatory approval for the release of US$496,374,470.00. This was paid directly to the treasury of the United States Government. "I am therefore writing, seeking approval of this House for the sum of US$496,374,470.00 (equivalent to N151,394,421,335.00) to be included in the 2018 Appropriation Bill, which the National Assembly is currently finalising. The balance of the requirements for critical operational equipment is still being collated from the different security services and will be presented in the form of a Supplementary Appropriation Bill, in due course. "The Honourable Minister of Defence and other appropriate officers will be available to provide further details, as may be required. "While thanking the Honourable Members for the usual cooperation, please be assured Mr. Speaker, the assurance of my highest regards." The withdrawal is a breach on the Sections 80 (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution which states that: "(3) No moneys shall be withdrawn from any public fund of the Federation, other than the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, unless the issue of those moneys has been authorized by an Act of the National Assembly. "(4) No moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly." ALSO READ: US sets up $110 million drone base to fight Boko Haram in Nigeria At a meeting with the state governors last December, the National Economic Council had given the president the go-ahead to withdraw $1 billion from the ECA to fight the Boko Haram insurgency. Senator Melaye was arrested by men of the Nigerian Immigration Service at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Monday, April 23, 2018, on his way to an official assignment in Morocco. Spokesman of the Service, Sunday James, said that Melaye was arrested by Immigration officials based on instruction". But the Nigerian Police Force has denied knowledge of Melayes arrest. He had been released almost an hour ago, said Gideon Ayodele, Melaye's spokesman confirmed. "He was released after the police couldnt pin anything on him. The immigration officials who thought they were trying to help the police when they initially detained him were also embarrassed that the police couldnt take him into custody, Ayodele added. Senator Melayes arrest comes weeks after the Kogi-west lawmaker was declared wanted by the Police for allegedly supplying arms to some suspects. Nwaoboshi is one of the three PDP senators on the Federal Government's alleged looters' list. The lawmaker representing Delta north senatorial district was listed alongside Senator Stella Oduah from Anambra and former governor of Plateau Jonah Jang. According to SaharaReporters, Nwaoboshi was arrested last week following the "corrupt manner" he allegedly purchased a building owned by Delta state, "Guinea House" in Lagos state. The online publication quoted an EFCC source as saying, "Yes we arrested Senator Nwaoboshi few days ago based on series of corrupt cases hanging on his neck. "On several occasions he has turned down our invitation extended to him. He is under our custody right now but I wont give you further details because he will soon be charged to court. But I advise you to also get across to our spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren for further clarifications." Okowa behind Nwaoboshi's ordeal The report claimed that the Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, is the one pushing the buttons for Nwaoboshi's prosecution. The senator had reportedly fallen out with Okowa over plans to stop him from returning to the red chamber in 2019. A Commissioner in Okowa's cabinet was said to have confirmed that there is a rift between Okowa and Nwaoboshi. The source reportedly said, "Though I seriously frowned against the fraudulent manner Senator Peter Nwaoboshi purchased the state asset known as Guinea House located in Lagos, I can authoritatively confirm to you that the governor is the mask behind the senators current hurting by the commission. "Last year, the governor through his principal secretary, Mr. Hilary Ibegbulem hired some youths to stage a mass protect against Nwaoboshi at the national assembly but the plan later failed. "The governor had always before now through his principal secretary, Mr. Ibegbulem used some boys which I dont to mention now to sponsor petitions against Nwaoboshi and other political opponents in the state which he perceived as enemies. Go and write it down, I can confide in you that the governor has already struck a deal with the commissions officials and in the few months to come the officials of the commission in its Benin city office in Edo state will turn Delta state to a sort of mecca for arrest of political opponents especially government officials served in the immediate past administration." One of Nwaoboshi's loyalists who identified himself as Nkem reportedly confirmed the senator's arrest. "Yes our oga as we talk is in EFCC custody since last week and I can tell you that was the handiwork of governor Ifeanyi Okowa. There are series of petitions being sponsored by the governor against Nwaoboshi and everything is being handled by Okowas hitman, Hilary. They governor has boasted to spend his last kobo to see that Nwaoboshi does not go back to the senate in 2019. Check page 36, todays Vanguard Newspaper for our full page advert calling for the immediate release of our oga", Nwaoboshi's supporter said. On April 1, 2018, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, released a list of alleged treasury looters which contained 24 names of past public officials and some PDP members. The list was a follow up to the first looters' list made public by the minister. According to the list, Nwaboshi allegedly stole N1.5 billion while Senator Oduah was accused of looting N9.8 billion, and Jang was said to have embezzled N12.5 billion public funds when he served as Plateau governor. Over 30 heavily armed fierce looking mobile police men have just stormed My residence in Maitama, Abuja All roads leading to House has been condoned off, as heavy mobile police men blocked entry & exit of the road. They currently laid siege on in and around the house, Melaye tweeted on Monday, April 23, 2018. The invasion comes few hours after his release from detention. Senator Melaye was arrested by men of the Nigerian Immigration Service at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Monday, April 23, 2018, on his way to an official assignment in Morocco. Spokesman of the Service, Sunday James, said that Melaye was arrested by Immigration officials based on instruction". The Police, however, denied knowledge of Melaye's arrest. He had been released almost an hour ago, said Gideon Ayodele, Melaye's spokesman confirmed. Senator Melayes arrest comes weeks after the Kogi-west lawmaker was declared wanted by the Police for allegedly supplying arms to some suspects. Melaye was declared wanted alongside six others after two of the suspects escaped from Police custody in Lokoja, Kogi state. Melaye was on his way to Morocco on Monday, April 23, 2018, for an official assignment when he was picked up by the Police. The lawmaker made this known via Twitter. Wanted Melaye The Police declared Melaye wanted on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, after two accused persons who had linked him to a case of conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms escaped from custody. The suspects were later re-arrested by the Police and are currently in detention. The vigilante prevented security personnel from arresting Melaye in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital on Thursday, April 5, 2018. No further attempt had been made to arrest the lawmaker since then as hecontinued to enjoy Police protection. At Senate plenary on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, Melaye threatened to suethe inspector general of Police, Ibrahim Idris, for mental assault. A group of at least 30 armed robbers had attacked Union Bank, Eco Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank and Ibolo Micro Finance Bank,as well as the Owode Police Station and killed dozens on April 5, 2018. Nine police officers lost their lives in the attack. According to a report by Vanguard, the proprietor of Xontec Hotel on Igosun Road in Offa, Kadir Surajudeen, had called the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Owode Police Station to report the presence of suspected criminals that had lodged in the hotel. The report had been prompted by the discovery of some incriminating materials that had reportedly been found on the robbers while they were checking into the hotel. A source told Vanguard that when the DPO and Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) sent officers to the hotel to assess the situation, the suspects negotiated a deal and offered them the sum of N400,000. The officers reportedly returned to the station and lied that the suspects were internet fraudsters, known as Yahoo boys, and not robbers as was reported. "It was not surprising that the robbers visited the police station the following day and killed about nine policemen in retaliation for collecting N400,000 from them," the source told Vanguard. The spokesperson of the the Kwara State Police Command, Ajayi Okasanmi, denied the allegation and questioned why Surajudeen didn't deny the robbers lodging. He said, "If the hotelier actually gave the Police information about the suspects in his hotel, why didn't he deny them lodging? To me, it is an afterthought." Hotel owner, staff, guests dragged to court Surajudeen, four members of his staff and four guests who stayed in the hotel at the time the robbers allegedly lodged in were arraigned before a Magistrate's Court in Ilorin last week charged with two counts of criminal conspiracy and causing disappearance of evidence, including giving false information to screen an offender. The hotel staff charged along with Surajudeen are the accountant, receptionist, room keeper and clubhouse operator. The accused were unable to help investigators with useful information that could assist investigation into the crime, offences that contravened sections 97 and 167 of the Penal Code Law. The charge sheet read, "The hotel staff could not, however, satisfactorily give account of questionable lodgers in their hotel prior to the robbery by their failure to maintain or keep proper official lodger register expected to be presented to the police and other law enforcement agencies on demand. "Others found in the hotel during the investigation failed to give credible information to the police operatives to assist in the investigation concerning their observation in the hotel within the period in question." The Magistrate, M.B. Folorunso, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 each with two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case till May 3, 2018. ALSO READ: Watch footage of Offa bank robbery that claimed over 30 lives 12 suspects arrested through stolen phones Vanguard also revealed that 12 of the suspects that are currently being interrogated in connection to the robbery were apprehended through the tracking of mobile phones the robbers collected from victims. The suspects took away the mobile phones and handed them over to their girlfriends who were later interrogated by the the police. The police interrogation led to arrests of suspects in Ibadan, Lagos and Abeokuta. At least 19 suspects have been arrested in connection to the robbery incident which sparked outrage across the country. According to The Cable, the police shot dead the IMN member when they (Shiites) were denied access to converge at a spot in the Maitama area of Abuja. As the Shiites were gathering to stage a protest against the continued detention of their leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, the police fired teargas to disperse them but the protesters, in turn, were said to have pelted the officers with stone. The deceased was reportedly killed in the heat of the violence. The police have cordoned off part of the road between Eagle Square and Unity Fountain in Abuja to prevent movement of the group. Unity Fountain clash The Shiites had also clashed with the police last week when they staged a protest at the Unity Fountain, a venue the police had declared a no-go area for protesters. A member of the group was reportedly killed in the first clash while many others were arrested. ALSO READ: Buhari should charge Shiite El-Zakzaky to court or set him free The group's leader, El-Zakzaky has been in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for over two years. Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and policemen were said to have laid siege to Melaye's house on Monday afternoon. The security operatives reportedly restricted movement on Sangha street, Maitama, where the senator's house is located. They were said to have prevented four of his colleagues from seeing him. Among the senators who visited Melaye's residence are Abiodun Olujimi from Ekiti; Philip Aduda, federal capital territory (FCT), Isa Misau from Bauchi and Atai Idoko. The protesters challenged the security agents, asking them to vacate Melaye's residence immediately. Speaking to journalists, the leader of the group, Philmon Emmanuel, said no individual has taken care of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Abuja like Melaye. He said, "We heard they have arrested Senator Dino Melaye because of the truth he has been speaking. We have not seen any senator that can speak the truth like Dino. "We have more than 36 camps in Abuja and Nasarawa. Its only Dino Melaye that can visit the IDPs. He gives us food items, drugs and books for our children . We will not allow any bad thing to touch him." One of the senator's lawyers, Ajayi Jaiye, said he has not been able to reach his client. He described the security men's action as a gross violation of the fundamental human rights of Melaye, adding that they did not have any warrant issued against the lawmaker to "warrant the harassment". Melaye's arrest Earlier on Monday, Melaye was arrested by immigration officials at the International wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport. ALSO READ: 8 things you need to know about Dino Melaye's arrest He was picked up on his way to Morocco for an official engagement sponsored by the Federal Government. The police had reportedly written to the immigration service to arrest Melaye as he is not allowed to travel out of the country since his name is on the watch list. This base will serve as a new front in Americas battle against the growing extremist threat in Africas vast Sahel region, including theBoko Haram insurgencythe Associated Press reports. The Niger Air Base 201 is expected to be functional early next year. The base which lies a few miles outside Agadez, Niger, was built at the request of the Nigerien government. AP writes that the sophisticated base will eventually house fighter jets and MQ-9 drones transferred from the capital Niamey. West and North African countries The drones, with surveillance and added striking capabilities, will have a range enabling them to reach a number of West and North African countries. Only a few knew of the drone base until October 2017, when an ambush by Islamic State group-linked extremists killed four U.S. soldiers and five Nigeriens. US Air Force officials say the $110 million project is the largest troop labor construction project in U.S. history. It will cost $15 million annually to operate. According to AP, the drones at the base are expected to target several different al-Qaida and Islamic State group-affiliated fighters in countries throughout the Sahel, a sprawling region just south of the Sahara, including the area around Lake Chad, where Nigerias Boko Haram insurgency has spread. Civilians being mistaken for fighters? There are fears that as the U.S. puts drones at the forefront of the fight against extremists in Africa, civilians will be mistaken for fighters. We are afraid of falling back into the same situation as in Afghanistan, with many mistakes made by American soldiers who did not always know the difference between a wedding ceremony and a training of terrorist groups, Amadou Roufai, a Nigerien administration official told AP. U.S. Africa Command spokeswoman Samantha Reho says Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance which the drone base will provide, are crucial in the fight against extremism. The location in Agadez will improve U.S. Africa Commands capability to facilitate intelligence-sharing that better supports Niger and other partner nations, such as Nigeria, Chad, Mali and other neighbors in the region and will improve our capability to respond to regional security issues, Reho said. The intelligence gathered by the drones can be used by Niger and other U.S. partners for prosecuting extremists, said Commander Brad Harbaugh, who is in charge of the new base. Extremist haven Extremist threats in Africa include al-Qaida-linked fighters in Mali and Burkina Faso, Islamic State group-affiliated fighters in Niger, Mali and Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. These extremist groups often take advantage of the vast regions widespread poverty and countries often poorly equipped security forces, to wreak havoc and kill hundreds. Nigeria has been battling the Boko Haram insurgency since 2009. The terrorist sect seeks to carve out an Islamic State in the predominantly Muslim north of the country. Melaye was picked up at the International wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abujaon the morning of April 23, 2018; as he made to board a flight to Morocco. I have just been arrested at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport on my way to Morocco for an official engagement sponsored by the Federal Govt after checking in, Melaye announced to thousands of his followers on Twitter. Here are eight quick things you should know about Melayes arrest: 1. On March 28, 2018, the police declared Melaye wanted after two suspects who had linked the senator to a case of conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms, bolted out of jail. The suspects were later rearrested. 2 However, Melayes troubles with the police began with a tape. In June of 2017, Melaye was caught on tape boasting about how he framed the suspects in the alleged assassination attempt on his life. In the tape, Melaye could be heard telling Muhammed Audu, the son of late former Governor of Kogi, Abubakar Audu, that he used his connections to frame them. Audu was also heard telling the senator to mention Edward Onoja, the Chief of Staff to the current Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, adding that it was the only way to bring the government down. 3 After Melaye was arraigned in March of 2018, he was charged with an attempt to indict Kogi Chief of Staff Onoja. He was granted a N100,000 bail after. Melaye was also wanted for questioning over his alleged involvement in a case of unlawful possession of prohibited firearms. After criminal suspects Kabiru Saidu, a.k.a Osama, and Nuhu Salisu, aka Small, were arrested at Ogojueje in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi on January 19, 2018, they confessed to the police that Senator Melaye hired them to cause unrest in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections. Melaye keeps police waiting 4. After Melaye was granted bail, he refused to leave the courtroom because he was scared that the police could arrest him. And fair enough, the police was stationed just outside the court premises to do just that. The law says a suspect who has been granted bail by a court and who has met the conditions, cannot be arrested within the court premises by security personnel. 5. Senator Melaye remained in the courtroom until it was clear that the police team stationed outside of the court was going nowhere. Melaye thereafter escaped through the back channel of the court. Police protect Melaye 6. However, the police who declared Melaye wanted, have been seen watching over the senator in public. For instance, on April 5, 2018, Melaye accompanied Senate PresidentBukola Saraki to Kogi to commiserate with the family of the late Deputy Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Umar Buba Jibril. Melaye even shook hands with a police officer and posted a picture of that moment on his Instagram account for effect. Since he was declared wanted, Melaye has also shown up at events in Akwa Ibom and Abia Statesevents that had police milling all over the place. But not one police personnel moved to arrest him. 7. After he was arrested on the morning of April 23, 2018, Melaye said he was told that the police had placed him on its no fly list and that he had been barred from travelling. Melaye was having none of it so he snatched back his passport from the official who confiscated it and made to proceed to board his flight. But I was then encircled by police officers trying to hold me and saying I am on Interpol wanted list, the senator told Premium Times. We have called Interpol and they said it is a lie. Someone has also mentioned to me that my name was placed at the airport by a police commissioner. So here we are, a standoff at a public place at our international airport. We are here", the flamboyant senator said. Melaye has been having a running battle with Kogi Governor Yahaya Bellothe same governor whose praises he once sang to high heavens. There's also a plot being orchestrated by Bello to have Melaye recalled from the senate by the people of Kogi West. 8. Apparently, Melaye's arrest was carried out by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS). In a statement released by the president's aide on Sunday, April 22, 2018, he said the president gained power off the back of a lot of expectations whose weight has blinded many from recognising the impact he's making in governance. He wrote, "For President Buhari, who won with massive votes in 2015, his major challenge is to do as well as he did, or even better. He came to power with a lot of expectations and Nigerians had, justifiably placed very high hopes on him. "As we said sometimes back, he as a consequence, has became a victim of the tyranny of expectations. The weight of unrealistic expectations has evidently blinded many of the people from seeing the revolutionary changes happening across the nation. "Nigerians expected him to undo the damage in several decades of misgovernance and naturally, many are already feeling frustrated that he hadnt done that in three years." Political opposition has failed Shehu also attacked the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the "so-called" Third Force for failing to provide a decent alternative to President Buhari to contest in the 2019 presidential election. He alleged that the opposition is united by scaremongering and not by a decent ideology that prompted Buhari's victory in 2015. He said, "The problem with our opposition is that beyond fault-finding, they are unable to give or innovate a vision of their own on how they can make the nation better. "A so-called Third Force has failed to get political traction since it birth. This is understandable, given that they have promised to give the country everything that is new but have so far produced no new faces, no new ways of doing things. Certainly, there is no face that can be called the President of Nigeria. "For the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) parading itself on the glory of being the largest opposition, the party has not less than 10 leaders acutely ambitious to rule Nigeria. It will take them minimally two to three terms of presidential tenure, that is eight to twelve years to reinvent the party. "Looking at the entire opposition landscape, it can be said that they cannot be united by ideology, the type that made the pre-2015 opposition fuse into a formidable challenger that pushed an incumbent out of office. There is in no way therefore, they can choose leaders with unanimity. "What then they have taken to, is scaremongering by fanning ethnic and religious divisions among the minorities especially in the Middle Belt where hundreds of innocent citizens are confronted with violent death. "Before they take the words out of my mouth, let me state that the spate of those killings are tragic and unacceptable. They ought not happen and I'm aware of how sad the Presidency is about these unfortunate goings-on. And there is so much that is being done to end the killings. "More, however, could still have been achieved if there is cooperation extended to the security agencies by everyone, and by everyone, I mean especially the political opposition. "A political warlord recently ordered the provocative stoning of a Nigerian Air Force personnel as their chopper landed in a Northeastern state." Shehu also highlighted the president's achievement in the area of security (most especially in curtailing the activities of Boko Haram), the economy, particularly in the area of agriculture, as well as power supply and infrastructure. The presidential aspirant took to his Instagram account on Sunday, April 22, 2018, to declare that bringing God back into Nigerian politics and governance is the best way to rebuild the country. This is believed to be in reaction to the public criticism that has trailed the publication of his mission and vision statement that he delivered during a recent "TeamFD" roundtable in Lagos. Many Nigerians on social media criticised Durotoye for claiming that a divine vision from God kick-started his ambition to run for the highest political office in the country. In his response, Durotoye said the greatest countries currently in the world, including the United States of America and the United Kingdom, were built with God as a solid foundation. He wrote, "Some people say that mentioning God in politics is outdated. Here are my thoughts: "In the good old days when Britain became a truly great nation, their anthem was God save the King/Queen; when USA became the most prosperous nation on earth, their currency carried on it "In God We Trust"; when Nigeria, devastated by a civil war, needed to reunite and soon after, entered into our golden years of prosperity, we sang 'O God of Creation'. "In his book, My Vision, Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Mahktoum mentioned God in almost every page as he described how they built Dubai into 'The Miracle in The Desert'. "In Rwanda, one million people were killed in just 100 days! Thereafter, President Paul Kigame went in search of Rick Warren and asked him to help them rebuild Rwanda into a purpose-driven nation. "Seven years later, Rwanda became the fastest growing economy in Africa. "Recently, Rwanda was voted the most desirable nation to live in Africa. A strong, prosperous united nation was rebuilt in less than one decade because they brought GOD into their governance. "So you may rightly say "Fela, the mention of God may seem to be outdated in politics", but perhaps that is why one of the most blessed nations is now home to some of the poorest people. "Perhaps it is because our 'politricktians' and rulers no longer fear God or even mention him. Otherwise, how do you explain the level of impunity in stealing, oppression, corruption, killings and lawlessness many of them operate with so blatantly? "It cannot be wrong to mention God in politics. But it is wrong for a blessed nation like Nigeria to have so many people living in abject poverty. That is so wrong. "I believe with all my heart that, by bringing God back into politics and governance is exactly how we will build Nigeria into the most desirable nation to live in. "So, let me be absolutely clear: I will carry God on my head and if by mentioning God, we cannot win the heart of the people, then that is alright by me. "As far as I know, except God builds a nation, the nation builders will labour in vain. Our generation cannot afford to labour in vain. Bring God back into politics." Durotoye to contest with ANN Durotoye declared his intention to run for president on the platform of the Alliance for a New Nigeria (ANN) on February 22, 2018. He believes Nigeria has all the resources it needs to be a desirable place for anyone to inhabit, provided it gets the right leadership. Rescue teams said the wedding was taking place in the Huthi-controlled Bani Qais area of Hajjah province, north of Sanaa, when jets carried out the raid. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Twitter that a hospital it supports in Hajjah received at least 40 patients wounded in the air strikes. "Medical teams are working around the clock to provide assistance to the victims," MSF said. A local official told AFP that at least 23 civilians, including women and children, were killed and 36 others wounded in the attack. The double air strike on the crowded party venue had left a number of dead bodies buried under rubble, the official said on condition of anonymity. The Huthi-run Al-Masirah Television tweeted that at least 33 people were killed and as many as 55 wounded in the attack. It said an unspecified number of children and women were among those killed, in addition to at least 30 children wounded. The Saudi-led coalition's spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident. It was not the first deadly strike on a wedding during Yemen's conflict, which has killed nearly 10,000 people since the coalition intervened in March 2015 to battle the Iran-backed Huthis and restore Yemen's internationally recognised government to power. In late 2015, coalition air strikes on two wedding parties in northern Yemen killed at least 159 civilians. Violence has also hit funerals. In October 2016, 140 mourners were killed during an air strike on a house in Sanaa. Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, who has been leading the protests, has insisted that Sarkisian should resign as PM. Here are profiles of the two key players in this developing story: Sarkisian: balance abroad, corruption at home A shrewd former military officer, Sarkisian has led Armenia since 2008 but has held high posts in the South Caucasus country ever since 1991, when the country became independent following the collapse of the USSR. The 63-year-old began his political career when war erupted in the late 1980s with neighbouring Azerbaijan over his native Nagorno-Karabakh region, a conflict that is now frozen but technically unresolved. He headed the mountainous region's self-defence forces between 1989 and 1993 and has since played a key role in negotiations over the area. Sarkisian has said his experience in regulating the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute is one of the reasons he should remain in power. In foreign policy, Sarkisian has remained a close ally of Armenia's former master Russia but has also been able to maintain relatively warm relations with the European Union. "He has been able to keep Armenia's age-old balance between the West, Europe and Russia which is unprecedented in the post-Soviet space," said sociologist Gevorg Pogosyan. At home, however, corruption in the police and judiciary as well as poverty has left an increasing number of Armenians dissatisfied with Sarkisian's rule. "People took to the streets because of poverty, unemployment, corruption and because nothing is changing," Tatuk Hakobyan said. All of Armenia's parliamentary and presidential elections under his rule have been accompanied by opposition-led protests. "There is huge discontent in society," sociologist Pogosyan told AFP. "He has infringed on the tradition that exists in our country: all previous presidents have left power on time, he promised he would too." Pashinyan: from fugitive to leader A fortnight ago, few in Armenia would have believed that opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan could bring tens of thousands of people out onto the streets of Yerevan and other cities, paralysing traffic and disrupting businesses. Before these protests, Pashinyan was most closely associated with the tragic events of 2008, when 10 people died in clashes between police and supporters of Sarkisian's opponent in a presidential election. He directed street demonstrations at that time and was put on a wanted list following the deaths. The father-of-four went into hiding but in 2009 turned himself in, though was released in 2011 under a prisoner amnesty. A former journalist, the 43-year-old later set up the Civil Contract party, which entered parliament last year as part of the opposition coalition Way Out. With his fiery rhetoric and penchant for asking awkward questions, Pashinyan has proved a thorn in the side of Sarkisian's ruling Republican Party. After being injured along with dozens of others at a protest on Monday, he has appeared at subsequent demonstrations with a bandaged arm and bruises under his eyes. "Pashinyan differs from the majority of opposition figures in that he is daring, he's not afraid, he's creative, he's got a quick wit and stamina," Pogosyan said. It is these characteristics which make Pashinyan appealing to young Armenians who grew up after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Pogosyan added, though older generations have also turned out for the street protests. "People go to him because they are confident he's not going to make secret deals with those in power, he won't betray the movement," Pogosyan told AFP. Analyst Aleksandr Iskandaryan said the opposition in the country had been crushed and Pogosyan was its sole figurehead. Jahmaliah is controlled by pro-government forces but there is a jihadist presence in the area, a police officer told AFP. A large portion of Taez, Yemen's third-largest city, is held by pro-government fighters but the entrances to the city are controlled by Huthi rebels. Fierce clashes broke out after the operation was launched on Monday morning, according to the officer, who was unable to provide further details. On Sunday, Taez governor Amin Ahmad Mahmud, loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, created a special force of police and army units tasked with launching an operation against jihadists he believes killed the ICRC employee on Saturday. The Lebanese aid worker, Hanna Lahoud, was shot in Taez by unidentified assailants. In March, Yemen entered its fourth year of war between the Iran-backed Huthi rebels and pro-government forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, in what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Local media has reported of anger among citizens following the revelation at the Unizambezes agriculture, forestry and engineering faculty. Shave A victim Artemiza Nhantumbo, told local TV channel STV, The initiators cut our hair. It was horrific. It was unbearable. They forced human urine and faeces into our mouths. We were bathed with urine and they rubbed our noses with faeces. One other student Quiteria Jorge was also quoted as saying that They removed our hair because, for them, it was too long. But, we could do nothing. I cried and cried until I got home. Investigation A senior education official in Mozambique, Cardoso Miguel, has disclosed that the incident being investigated. The inquiry committee will assess the degree of involvement of each student some will probably be suspended, and others may be expelled. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. A Pulitzer Prize winner and two executives of major companies will receive honorary doctorates during Purdue Universitys commencement ceremonies in May. Honorary doctorates will go to Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ken Armstrong; Mauricio Antonio Lopes, president of the Brazilian Agricultural Resource Corp.; and Keith J. Krach, chairman of the board of DocuSign. The three recipients will each be honored in one of the six ceremonies that will take place in the universitys Elliott Hall of Music on May 11-13. Ken Armstrongs work has appeared in the Washington Post, The New Yorker and the Chicago Tribune. He received Pulitzers in 2012 and 2016 and also shared in two others. A 1985 Purdue graduate with a degree in political science, Armstrong was editor of the Purdue Exponent student newspaper. He currently works for ProPublica, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to investigative journalism. He will receive an honorary Doctor of Political Science degree during the 9:30 a.m. Saturday (May 12) ceremony. Mauricio Antonio Lopes is president of the Brazilian Agricultural Resource Corp. (EMBRAPA in Portuguese) in Brasilia, Brazil. Lopes earned his masters degree in plant genetics at Purdue in 1989 and has made major scientific contributions in maize production. In 2014, he was awarded the Distinguished Agriculture Alumni Award from Purdue, as well as the Ordre du Mertite Agricole, bestowed by the French Republic for outstanding contribution to world agriculture. He will receive an honorary Doctor of Agriculture degree during the 9:30 a.m. Sunday (May 13) ceremony. Keith J. Krach is chairman of the board of DocuSign in San Francisco and an early pioneer in the robotics industry. Krach earned a degree in industrial engineering from Purdue in 1979. He served on the Purdue Board of Trustees from 2007-2013 and was chairman for two terms. In 2014 the Krach Leadership Center on the universitys West Lafayette campus was dedicated in his honor after he and wife, Metta, provided a $10 million donation. The Krach Leadership Center houses student resources including academic help, leadership development programs and student organization meeting space. He will receive an honorary Doctor of Industrial Engineering degree during the 2 p.m. Sunday (May 13) ceremony. Those attending commencement ceremonies are reminded that the State Street Redevelopment Project construction is in process. This work is closing portions of Stadium Avenue, McCormick Road, Airport Road and Williams Street and significantly affecting surrounding thoroughfares in West Lafayette. For construction and project information, visit www.statestreetwl.com. Writer: Tim Doty, 765-496-2571, doty2@purdue.edu Sources: Christine DeHahn Pass, senior assistant registrar, 765-494-6163, dehahn@purdue.edu Ruth Ann Weiderhaft, executive assistant to the provost, 765-494-6835, weiderhaft@purdue.edu QUIZ: Guess the Road Songs We can't wait to get back on the road again! Play this quiz and see if how many you can get right! Swedish operator Green Cargo announced on April 19 that it had ordered a further six Transmontana electric locomotives from Romanian manufacturer Softronic for delivery in autumn 2019. This follows from a July 2017 order for two of the six-axle locos, which are scheduled for delivery in autumn this year. Rantoul, IL (61866) Today Cloudy in the morning with scattered thunderstorms developing later in the day. High 73F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 61F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Tajik nationals who allegedly tried to join terrorists detained in Russia RIA Novosti, Vitaly Belousov 10:45 23/04/2018 ST. PETERSBURG, April 23 (RAPSI) Citizens of Tajikistan, who tried to fly from St. Petersburg to a camp of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organization, prohibited in Russia have been detained, the Unified press-service of St. Petersburg courts has told RAPSI. According to investigators, in late 2017, Kamoliddin Azimjanov and Marufjon Isakov were looking for ways to get to Syria to participate in combat on the side of one of terrorist organizations. Investigators believe that in March they contacted via Telegram messenger a mediator of the international terrorist organization Jabhat al-Nusra, who promised them a safe passage to Syria. On April 10, the alleged conspirators bought tickets to leave Russia by plane but were arrested by law enforcement officers. Sentence of March 26 rally case defendant becomes effective flickr.com/Joe Gratz 12:59 23/04/2018 MOSCOW, April 23 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court on Monday upheld a 1-year prison sentence given to the Moscow region resident Dmitry Borisov for using force against a police officer during an unauthorized rally held in Moscow on March 26, 2017, RAPSI reports from the courtroom. The sentence therefore took effect. According to the Investigative Committees press service, the accused struck the police officer on duty over the head twice during the rally. Earlier, several other men, Andrey Kosykh, Yury Kuliy, Alexander Shpakov and Stanislav Zimovets, and Aleksey Politikov have been convicted and sentenced for violence against law enforcement officers during the rally. Kosykh was sentenced to 4 years in prison, but later his term was reduced by 4 months. Kuliy has been given 8 months in a penal colony settlement. Shpakov received a 1.5-year prison sentence. Zimovets has been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. A 2-year prison sentence given to Politikov has not taken effect yet. The Interior Ministry reported that about 500 people had been arrested during the unauthorized rally on March 26. Overall number of people present in the area at the time was estimated at as high as 8,000 people. One of the police officers received injuries; a criminal case was launched over this incident. According to the Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny, arrested during the rally, Moscow authorities refused to greenlight the rally in the citys center and proposed alternative areas only a day before it was to take place. Navalny said that in this case Russian legislation allows organizers to hold an event at the area, which was listed first. Moscow court upholds sentence for Pussy Riot member over Telegram action RIA Novosti, Yevgeny Odinokov 14:30 23/04/2018 MOSCOW, April 23 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court has upheld a sentence for Maria Alyokhina, a member of the infamous feminist punk group Pussy Riot, who has received 100 hours of compulsory community service for unauthorized action against blocking of Telegram messenger, the press-service of the court has told RAPSI. As a result, the April 18 ruling of the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow came into force. On April 17, two other young women, Yulia Kostenko and Alina Muzychenko, were fined 10,000 ($160) and 20,000 rubles ($325) respectively for participating in the action. All the women were found guilty of organizing a mass concurrent stay and (or) movement of citizens in a public square resulted in breach of public order. On April 16, thirteen participants of the action came to Lubyanka Square in central Moscow where the Federal Security Service is located. They threw multicolored paper planes at the FSB building thus protesting Telegram blocking. Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor started blocking the messenger on April 16 following a court order. Moscows Tagansky District Court tasked Roskomnadzor on April 13 with putting a stop to sending and receiving messages through Telegram until the messenger fulfills its obligations by providing deciphering keys. The ruling came into force immediately. According to the communications watchdogs statement, Roskomnadzor received the ruling and forwarded the relevant information to operators. In June 2017, Roskomnadzor requested Telegram management to comply with the Russian legislation or face blocking of the messenger. Telegram founder Pavel Durov agreed to register the service in Russia. However, he refused to abide by laws incompatible with Telegram privacy policy, Durov wrote on his VKontakte (VK) page in late June. In July, Durov received the FSB requests to provide information for decoding messages of six app users. In September, law enforcement authorities drew up administrative protocols against Telegram because of law violation, as Durov failed to reply for the request. The Meshchansky District Court of Moscow has fined the company 800,000 rubles ($14,000) for refusal to provide FSB with information on message decoding concerning several users. The messenger insists that it is technically impossible to transfer encryption keys. Telegram has been found guilty of failure to store and (or) furnish information on users and their messages to law enforcement agencies. The ruling has become effective. In December, Telegram Messenger LLP filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court of Russia seeking to cancel the Federal Security Services (FSB) decree establishing the procedure for provision of information on decoding of user data. On March 19, the lawsuit was dismissed. Telegram was obliged to comply with the FSB order within 15 days. The company filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the fine, lawyer Damir Gainutdinov told RAPSI on March 22. In early April, the Presidential Council for Human Rights called Roskomnadzor to refrain from blocking Telegram messenger in Russia and asked FSB to find other ways of legal access to the messages of users endangering the national security. According to the Federal Law On Information, Information Technologies and the Protection of Information, organizers of information distribution on the Internet must submit information about users and their messages to the authorized governmental bodies conducting investigative activities and ensuring the state security. Prosecutors complete presentation of evidence against Ukrainian journalist Sushchenko RIA Novosti, Kirill Kallinikov 19:31 23/04/2018 MOSCOW, April 23 (RAPSI) The prosecution has completed the presentation of evidence incriminating Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko in espionage in the Moscow City Court, his attorney Mark Feygin told RAPSI on Monday. The prosecution has completed the presentation of evidence in the case against Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko in the Moscow City Court. On May 25, 2018, the defense will commence to present its written evidence and pleas, Feygin said. Late in March the court started hearings of the Sushchenko case on the merits. The journalist pleaded not guilty to espionage. According to Russias Federal Security Service (FSB), the Ukrainian citizen has "purposively collected classified information about the Armed Forces and National Guard of Russia." Leak of data abroad could cause damage to the national defense capability, the FSB officials claimed earlier. Charges were brought against Sushchenko in October 2016. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Ukrinform news agency earlier confirmed that Sushchenko had been acting as its reporter since 2002. Since 2010, he has been working as Ukrinforms personal correspondent in France. According to the agency, Sushchenko arrived in Moscow on private business during his vacation and was arrested immediately upon his arrival. Ukrinform repelled accusations against Sushchenko calling him "a journalist with years of unblemished professional reputation. Russian Human Rights Council concerned over arrest of advocate Gaponenko in Latvia RIA Novosti 11:39 23/04/2018 MOSCOW, April 23 (RAPSI) - Chairman of Russias Presidential Council for Human Rights Mikhail Fedotov has expressed concern over arrest and detention of activist and leader of the Center for the Protection of Russian Schools in Latvia Alexander Gaponenko, the statement published on the advisory bodys website reads. According to Fedotov, if detention of Gaponenko is connected with protection of Russian schools, it contradicts standards of the Council and each civilized country. Fedotov is going to apply to UNESCO over forthcoming actual liquidation of Russian-language schools in Latvia after changes in the countrys legislation, the statement reads. Moreover, the Council members are preparing an appeal to the United Nations and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) over Gaponenkos detention. Chief of the Councils Commission for human rights abroad said that if Gaponenko was arrested and detained for speaking but not for actions, Latvian authorities violated his right to freedom of expression. Reportedly, Gaponenko was arrested on Friday. On Saturday, a court in Riga detained him on suspicion of illegal activity against the state. Gaponenko believes that his arrest is connected with his human rights activity and posts on social media. Russian media watchdog denies blocking Google web-based products flickr.com/Robert Scoble 16:38 23/04/2018 MOSCOW, April 23 (RAPSI) Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor has denied the information it blocked web-based products of Google, such as Gmail, Youtube, Google.ru and others, the statement of the watchdog reads. Roskomnadzor noted that these products were not on blacklists and that Internet providers were not instructed to block them. As to the problems users experienced with respect to Google.ru, the watchdog stated that these could occur due to inferior filtration systems run by small-scale operators. On April 16, Roskomnadzor sent communications providers data on Telegram Messenger LLP websites for blocking. Moscows Tagansky District Court ordered restriction of access to Telegram in Russia on April 13. The court tasked Roskomnadzor with putting a stop to sending and receiving messages in Telegram until the messenger fulfills its obligations by providing deciphering keys. The ruling came into force immediately. According to the communications watchdogs statement, Roskomnadzor received the Moscow courts ruling and forwarded the relevant information to operators. IRIN, April 9, 2018 By Ruchi Kumar Thirty-year-old Mohammad isnt sure who shelled his home in eastern Afghanistans Khogyani District: Taliban insurgents, or fighters aligned with the so-called Islamic State. But when a rocket-propelled grenade struck three months ago, killing some of his livestock, he knew he could no longer stay. We had to leave that night. The battle had reached our doorsteps, Mohammad said, standing outside his familys new home: a bare, single room in a compound set amid tents and shanty homes near Jalalabad, the capital of the eastern province of Nangarhar. Mohammad, 30, and his family, in the courtyard of their home in Behsud District. Mohammads single-room house is the only brick building in a compound filled with tents. But with little work available, he fears he can no longer afford the rent. (Photo: Ivan Flores/IRIN) Mohammad, 30, and his family, in the courtyard of their home in Behsud District. Mohammads single-room house is the only brick building in a compound filled with tents. But with little work available, he fears he can no longer afford the rent. (Photo: Ivan Flores/IRIN) This area, less than 100 kilometres from Mohammads former home, is among hundreds of patchwork settlements that have proliferated throughout Afghanistan over the last five years, fed by a steady surge of people uprooted by an intensifying conflict and others pushed back from neighbouring countries. The displaced and the returnees throng together in swelling districts like Behsud, which curves around urban Jalalabad. In settlements spreading over once-barren land, people live clustered in tents, hastily built structures, or under the open sky. Their number has doubled over the past five years to more than 600 in the countrys worst-hit provinces, according to aid groups. In Nangarhar Province, wracked by insecurity and a prime destination for people returning from neighbouring Pakistan, almost one million people now live in these haphazard settlements a figure that doubled over only seven months last year. One in three people in Nangarhar is now either displaced or a returnee, with some 369,000 in Behsud alone, according to a recently released International Organisation for Migration survey. Each week, new violence brings more arrivals. Aid organisations cant keep up, and the government has often stumbled in providing even basic support; food, shelter, and other fundamental needs are in short supply. Analysts warn that the consequences of such widespread displacement may be felt for generations, as poverty rises and education rates fall. Our emergency response stocks have been largely exhausted by these displacements, said William Carter, head of programme in Afghanistan for the Norwegian Refugee Council, which works with displaced communities in the region. Across the country, more than 1.6 million people have been uprooted by conflict since 2015, and almost one million Afghans have returned from neighbouring Pakistan. Returnees from Iran and further abroad add to the turmoil. Carter said donor funds to help people ousted by conflict have dwindled even while needs have soared. So, whilst we are doing what we can, the future is somewhat bleak. Intensified battles Afghanistan has seen decades of upheaval. But aid workers say recent violence is intensifying and becoming more complex: hundreds of thousands of civilians each year are caught in the crossfire between a growing number of combatants, including Taliban militants, IS-aligned fighters, militias, and NATO-backed government security forces. Munir, 35, fled his home in the middle of the night in late 2017. He and his family now live in a tent on a compound in Behsud District, along with other people from his village. (Photo: Ivan Flores/IRIN) Munir, 35, fled his home in the middle of the night in late 2017. He and his family now live in a tent on a compound in Behsud District, along with other people from his village. (Photo: Ivan Flores/IRIN) Fighters aligned with IS have injected a new level of volatility into the mix in eastern Afghanistan, where it has carved out an enclave and staged attacks against the Taliban, the government, civilians, and aid groups including a January attack on the offices of Save the Children in Jalalabad. The rise of the Islamic State Khorasan Province, as the local offshoot is sometimes known, has been rapid; it accounted for 1,000 civilian injuries and deaths in the country last year, according to UN figures, compared with a few dozen casualties only two years earlier. Thousands of families in eastern Afghanistan have had to flee their homes due to advances by groups aligned with the Islamic State, Carter said. But many families are simply fleeing armed conflict itself: the Islamic State is fighting the [Taliban], who is fighting Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, with the help of international special forces and airstrikes. Thirty-five-year-old Munir fled his home in Khogyani four months ago after the district descended into a battle zone. We left in large numbers with nothing but the clothes on our back, and each other, Munir told IRIN. A lot of our neighbours lost family members in the fighting. Today, his family lives in a tent in a crowded compound in Behsud, alongside others from his village who joined him on the midnight exodus. Both Mohammad and Munir say theyve been unable to find steady work. Aid out of reach Afghanistans Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations, which is also responsible for helping people displaced by conflict, has floated plans to build housing for both returnees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the country. In practice, however, many Afghans have had difficulty accessing aid for short-term, basic needs such as food and shelter. Neighbours from Munirs home village live in the same compound as his family in Behsud District. According to Munir, the families fled together with nothing but the clothes on our back and each other. (Photo: Ivan Flores/IRIN) Neighbours from Munirs home village live in the same compound as his family in Behsud District. According to Munir, the families fled together with nothing but the clothes on our back and each other. (Photo: Ivan Flores/IRIN) According to a January study of displaced people in five provinces conducted by the NRC, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, and humanitarian research group Samuel Hall, only one quarter of displaced households surveyed reported receiving any aid whatsoever. The report also found that the process of registering for the governments official aid programme for IDPs was bureaucratic, overly strict, and out of reach for the majority of people who needed it. A separate December assessment of the displacement in Khogyani District home to both Mohammad and Munir found that the government was not visible in the response to the emergency. Officials at the refugees and repatriations ministry did not respond to IRINs requests for comment. Displacement into informal settlements has also helped to make the Afghan capital, Kabul, one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Around 1.5 million in 2001, its population is currently estimated at around six million and expected to reach eight million by 2020. Analysts warn that the chronic displacement unfolding throughout the country will have long-term consequences that could span generations. Nassim Majidi, director at Samuel Hall, says extreme poverty is likely to place greater pressure on families to push their kids to work. At the same time, research shows that many families are displaced multiple times, including many who return to Afghanistan from abroad only to find that the conflict has made their former homes unliveable. The humanitarian crisis will have social and political consequences, said Majidi, who foresees repeated rounds of displacement, families split across borders, and a rise in child labour as Afghans resort to extremes to make ends meet. Were facing wasted opportunities to educate the next generation, and instead facing intergenerational poverty, she said. While Mohammads five children arent yet working, they are no longer in school because he cant afford to send them. If things dont improve, at some point, they will have to work to help support the family, he said. Outside his tiny new home in Behsud, Mohammads children played on a muddy road softened by rain; an open drain filled with garbage flowed nearby. Theres no running water; his family collects washing water from a muddy ditch shared with other families. Conditions may be poor, but Behsuds newly arrived say they have no illusions about returning home anytime soon. Mohammad sometimes receives news from his village back in Khogyani from others who are only now escaping. I hear our house is in ruins and the livestock have all died or been stolen, he said. There is nothing to return to but more battles. Reuters, April 9, 2018 A blast from explosives placed on a motorbike killed at least six people, including four children, and wounded nine other children in Herat province in western Afghanistan, a government official said. The explosion happened near a mosque in Shindand district, said Jilani Farhad, a spokesman for Herats governor said. 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Price: $ 1,026 State/Province: California Seller State of Residence: California Location: 928**, Orange, California You will be redirected to eBay Nearby California , We're sorry, this article is not currently available The Jackass Mail Run caravan heads to Springville, delivering mail from Porterville Saturday, April 21, 2018 on Highway 190. The caravan had 99 riders and four wagons this year. 'Wearing a skirt doesn't give you the right to behave like that,' the model wrote on her social media. Photograph: Kind courtesy Anemone123/Pixabay.com An Indore-based model and blogger has narrated an incident of sexual harassment, wherein two men allegedly tried to pull her skirt while she was driving a two-wheeler. She took to social media on Monday to delineate the incident that took place on a busy road in Indore. "This happened today. Two guys tried to pull my skirt while I was on my Activa and said, "dikhao iske niche kya hai?" (show us what's underneath). I tried to stop them and lost control and met with an accident. It happened on one of the busiest roads of Indore, and nobody tried to stop them." She further said the incident had left her "numb and speechless." "They ran away, and I couldn't even see their number. I've never felt so helpless. I'm not the kind of girl who will just sit and watch. Those fiends ran away, and I couldn't do anything. My friends took me to a nearby cafe and I tried my level best to let this incident go. Not because I'm weak, but for those thirty min, I wasn't ready to deal with it. I was numb. I was speechless." "What I want to wear is my f**king choice. Those guys don't have any right to harass me because WEARING A SKIRT DOESN'T GIVE YOU A RIGHT TO BEHAVE LIKE THAT. An uncle who came to help me after my fall said, "it's because you're wearing a skirt!" I've never been so offended. I decided to go live on my instagram and talk about it. Just imagine if I wasn't on such a busy road. Imagine I was on a lonely street." "WOULD THOSE GUYS HAVE STOPPED AT TRYING TO PULL MY SKIRT? So many girls go through this. Most of them decide not to talk about it. Why? It's embarrassing, yes. But not talking about it is empowering those guys who think they can do anything and can get away with it." "I did go back to the same location and asked around, unfortunately, no CCTV cameras coverage on that particular spot. I'm registering a police complaint tomorrow. I don't know if they will be able to find those guys, but if I don't do it right now, it defeats my purpose," she concluded. The model received a lot of support on her social media account. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chief minister, Madhya Pradesh expressed his regret and wrote: "Yeh bahut sharmnak harkat hai; inko dhoondkar jald se jald karyavahi kee jaye." (This is indeed shameful. The offenders need to be brought to the book.) Chouhan tagged @IndoreCollector and @DGP_MP to investigate the case. "I got to know about this through someone, but we havent received any report or any information from any of the police stations in the city, DIG Indore Hari Narayan Chari Mishra told News18. 'If you take pride only in being a nation with nuclear weapons and a strong military, then you think very differently from those nations that take pride in having wonderful universities and academic institutions.' IMAGE: Pakistan rolls out its long-range ballistic missile Shaheen III at a military parade in Islamabad. Photograph: Kind courtesy @AsimBajwaISPR/Twitter "Pakistan was created in a hurry in an environment of political sloganeering rather than much forethought," says Husain Haqqani. Haqqani -- Pakistan's former ambassador to the United States, currently senior fellow and director for South and Central Asia at the Hudson Institute, a Washington, DC think-tank -- was in India for the launch of his new book, Reimagining Pakistan: Transforming a Dysfunctional Nuclear State. "I don't think it is in Pakistan's interest to allow all these elements that are considered terrorists by the rest of the world to live or operate out of Pakistan openly," Haqqani tells Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf. Your country was formed on the slogan 'em>Pakistan ka matlab kya, La Illaha Illallah' ('What does Pakistan mean? There is no God but God'), so what is there to re-imagine about Pakistan after 70 years? Ninety-five per cent of Pakistan's current population is born after 1947. As a nuclear power, Pakistan cannot be 'finished off' overnight. That is why it is important to try and find a new reason for Pakistan. My book makes that argument. I say that Pakistan was created in a hurry in an environment of political sloganeering rather than much forethought. Much of Pakistan's direction has been determined by the circumstances rather than by well-considered policy. In 1947, Pakistan got 19 per cent of the population from British India, 17 percent of its economic process and more than 1/3rd of its military. Unlike other countries where you create a military to deal with the threat, Pakistan raised the threat to fulfil the requirement of the military that it inherited (from British India). It is time to reconsider in totality how Pakistan can be a nation which is at peace with itself and its neighbours. That is what I mean by saying 'Re-imagining Pakistan'. After 70 years, can Pakistan put the Islamisation genie back in the bottle? I think many countries have accomplished a change of direction and there is no reason why countries of the subcontinent cannot change it. We have seen China being a Communist country under Mao to become a virtually capitalist one under Deng Xiaoping. We have seen Japan (transforming) after its military defeat in the second World War. It has transformed from being a hyper-military power to focus on economic development without a military. We have seen many countries in both Europe and Asia change their fundamental orientation. I am just suggesting either the orientation will change because of circumstances or external pressure, or it can be changed by a well thought out process and perhaps it will be better for us to have a well thought out process. Does Pakistan have leaders like Deng Xiaoping who can bring about such change or institutions that can bring in transformation and re-imagine Pakistan the way you are talking about? At the moment Pakistan does not have those kinds of leaders, but that does not mean that we will never have those kinds of leaders. As a scholar, I have only done my job to lay out the foundation of such change. I hope the younger generation of Pakistanis will take the situation forward. Benazir Bhutto once said Pakistan lacked a central figure to guide it like India had Jawaharlal Nehru. Do you feel her assessment was right? My argument (in the book) is less about people, but also about ideas. The Congress party had done much homework about what a post-independent India would look like. The Muslim League had done no homework. So what Pakistan ended up was a lot of emotion and very little clarity on which direction the country would take. And that is why all that was done to build an identity on the basis of religion and antipathy towards India. This was done by a succession of leaders. No individual leader can be blamed for it. It is just how it ended up being. We can have all the debate on why Pakistan ended where it has, or we can try to approach to understand how Pakistan has reached where it has reached and how that can be changed. Pakistan has failed to create any strong institutions. Seven prime ministers came and went in just 11 years after independence. Where did you fail? Part of it lies in the origins of Pakistan. At the time of Partition, the geographic area of that is Pakistan today did not have much by way of institutions and many of the people who ended up leading Pakistan in the initial years were people who came from India. Some of them they were civil servants or they were political leaders like (Pakistan's first prime minister) Liaquat Ali Khan and others. So the cumulative impact was that Pakistan did not move in a sincere direction. Instead, it became a nation brought together in the name of religion with antipathy towards India. Your book says Pakistan ranks at the 153rd position on ease of doing business out of 161 countries. How can you re-imagine Pakistan with such poor rankings? Pakistan has to stop thinking only about being a nation of warriors and focussing only on building up its military capabilities. It has to start thinking about all other aspects of life including building human capital, economy and developing the orientation whereby entrepreneurship and economy leadership is valued as much as being a military leader. When it comes to world-class universities too, Pakistan stands nowhere. If the government failed, why did private players not come forward to build world-class universities as we have done so in India? I think at the end of the day it all comes down to what is your priority. If you take pride only in being a nation with nuclear weapons and a strong military, then you think very differently from those nations that take pride in having wonderful universities and academic institutions. One positive thing to be gleaned from your book is that Pakistan has been posting 5 per cent GDP growth every year for the past six decades. How does growth happen given the bad situation the country is in? Always remember, the countries that have a large consumer base can have growth that is consumer driven. Pakistan's economic growth is primarily because it is a country with a large consumer base of 200 million population, and that involves huge consumption. So it is consumption-driven growth primarily. You also mention about the Mumbai fugitive who is in Karachi (Dawood Ibrahim). Why does Pakistan not deport him to India? What is his use to your country? I too fail to understand this. That is the argument I make. I don't think it is in Pakistan's interest to allow all these elements that are considered terrorists by the rest of the world to live or operate out of Pakistan openly. Israel and Pakistan are two countries formed on the basis of religion more or less at the same time. Why has Israel moved forward while Pakistan failed so badly? Israel was not formed on the basis of religion, but it was formed on an identity the Jews had for centuries. Israel did not try to build its political system on the basis of religion. Israel opened up to Jews of every country. Israel's only major conflict was with the Arabs and Palestinians. Pakistan on the other hand comprised several ethnic groups that had an identity of their own for many years. Pakistan was invented by students of Cambridge University in 1937. It did not have the same historic identity that Israel could summon. There was an Israel several centuries earlier which the Israelis said we were recreating. There was no Pakistan several centuries ago that Pakistan could say we were recreating. A new country was created and Pakistan tried to invent history which primarily intertwined with the history of Muslims even though most people of Pakistan had nothing in common, say, for example with the Arabs. But the spiritual founder of Pakistan, Allama Iqbal, said, 'Yun toh tum Syed bhi ho Mirza bhi ho Afghan bhi ho, tum sabhi kuch ho, batao Musalmaan bhi ho (you are a Syed, Mirza and Afghan. But is anyone of you a Muslim?)' and yet sectarian wars among Muslims take place. Why? Let us correct on thing. Allama Iqbal died in 1938 long before the creation of Pakistan. This is one of the various myths we attribute to a man who died nine years before 1947, when Pakistan was formed. He had no relation with Pakistan as it did not exist in his lifetime. As far as sectarianism is concerned, whenever you unleash politics in the name of religion, it will invariably create division and sectarianism. And unfortunately, that is what happened in Pakistan. If there is one issue that Pakistan needs to give up, what it would be? There can be no single silver bullet. Pakistan will have to engage in a comprehensive process of reconsideration and reform that will involve understanding its origin and understanding that the trick is not to try and recreate an artificial past, but to define your path for the future. Modi could tap into the urban discontent and present a larger picture to first time voters and mid-career professionals. Promising a robust economy for the state in tandem with the centre's projection of a seven to eight percent growth for the country could work. Smita Prakash reports. The Bharatiya Janata Party is banking heavily on a high voltage presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last leg of campaigning in Karnataka before it goes to polls on May 12. Modi's presence is being dubbed as the X factor in this tri-cornered contest in the Karnataka assembly elections. While there is no evidence of any anti-incumbency wave against the present Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramiah, the confidence exhibited by former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and his father, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, seems to indicate that a fractured mandate might make this closely watched election anybody's game. In all this speculation, where does the prime minister fit in? Clearly Modi is an unparalleled campaigner. He brings energy and tumult to state politics whenever he lands to campaign. And, it seems to have worked every single time for the BJP other than in Bihar, where the Bihari 'brothers' campaign run by election strategist Prashant Kishore, once a BJP acolyte, worked in favour of the coalition against Modi. But in the end, the BJP had the last laugh with the party being back in the saddle in Bihar in cohorts with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Here in Karnataka, the BJP plans to make its Dravidian entry and dispel the notion that it is only a north-based political party. However, it has a following only in pockets in the state, unlike the Congress party which has a long history and a strong pan state presence. But before Modi arrives in the state to campaign for his party's so far mild mannered chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa, he heads to China to meet with President Xi Jinping. The prime minister clearly putting foreign relations on priority before domestic agenda. But is he? When he begins speaking at rallies in Karnataka, if he can speak about a rapprochement with China, increasing trade relations, improvement in bilateral ties, more job opportunities with a potential tie up with the Asian giant, would it click with urban voters? In urban Karnataka, the main issues remain the same as in the election of 2013, of pot-holed roads, incomplete and ineffective public transport, unemployment, corruption and a sluggish business environment. Modi could tap into the urban discontent and present a larger picture to first time voters and mid-career professionals. Promising a robust economy for the state in tandem with the centre's projection of a seven to eight percent growth for the country could work. But he would have to stay clear of claiming that demonitisation was a success or that the goods and services tax was a brilliant idea. Most in the state feel that the GST was a rushed job when the country wasn't ready for it and that demonitisation was a random and ill thought of step. As has been the BJP's strategy in all election campaigns, Modi is expected to come out all guns blazing, addressing almost 16 rallies beginning from May 1. The slog overs matter and the undecided voters is what he will target first. His language barrier in the south is also a niggling doubt, with anti-Hindi sentiment getting more aggressive as politics becomes contentious closer to the general elections. BJP president Amit Shah has done the initial kite flying on all topics during his several visits to the state. He has led the campaign for the party with chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa, the party's Y factor, barely speaking to the media and keeping a very low profile during public meetings. Clearly the Y factor of the BJP will play second fiddle in the coming weeks to the X factor, Narendra Modi. What really is Y's USP (unique selling proposition)? Other than being a former chief minister and a member of the powerful Lingayat Community, there is little that the party can hope for from Y. When Prime Minister Modi comes here, he will have a tough time in promising voters that Y will head a dynamic go-getting government. Y just doesn't seem to have the energy of a Shivraj Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh) or a Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh). He is more in the mould of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje (Rajasthan), moody and sporadically effective. But then non-performance or lethargy by a BJP chief minister in the penultimate year before general elections is not something that is negotiable for Amit Shah or Narendra Modi as has been evident in Yogi Adityanath being reportedly read out the rules of engagement recently. Governance or otherwise in 2018 in states will impact upon perception at the national level on how the BJP fares. Yeddyurappa must be aware of that. He did manage to run an effective campaign before the distribution of tickets with old loyalists from his Karnataka Janata Paksha days. There is palpable excitement in Karnataka that the entire country's focus is on the state election. It is also a test to see if Congress president Rahul Gandhi is able to help Siddaramiah hold on to the only big state that the Congress has in the country, or, will it be yet another loss for the grand old party. A hung assembly is everyone's nightmare. Everyone other than the BJP. They know how to play that game very well. Criticising the decision, the party also said it was a fight between forces 'rejecting democracy' and voices 'rescuing democracy'. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra at the valedictory function of the National Law Day celebrations in New Delhi on November 26, 2017. Photograph: PIB The Congress on Monday lashed out at Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for rejecting an impeachment notice filed by opposition parties against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and said it would move the Supreme Court to challenge the 'illegal order' which had 'shattered' the confidence of the people. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal told reporters in New Delhi that Naidu's order jeopardised the country's legal system and said the government was not keen to see a probe into the case. Criticising the decision, the party also said it was a fight between forces 'rejecting democracy' and voices 'rescuing democracy'. "To say the least, the order is unprecedented, illegal, ill-advised and hasty," Sibal said, adding that it had been passed without a full-fledged enquiry. "We will certainly move a petition in the Supreme Court to challenge this order," Sibal asserted. Describing Naidu's move as "unprecedented", the Congress leader stressed that 'never before in India's history' had a motion moved by MPs been dismissed at the preliminary stage. "It is illegal because the chairman has passed an order which is required to be passed after a full-fledged inquiry," Sibal said, adding that the Rajya Sabha chairman had to only ascertain whether the motion was in order. To substantiate his argument, Sibal said that once the motion is admitted, then the under the Judges (Inquiry) Act of 1968, the motion is sent to a panel of three - a sitting chief justice of a high court, a judge of the Supreme Court and a legal luminary, and added that did not happen in this case. He also termed the upper house chairman's decision as 'ill-advised', saying that he should have consulted the judges in the collegium taking a call on the privilege motion. "It is ill-advised because the procedure requires him to consult CJI before he admits the motion. Now that he cannot consult CJI obviously (in this case), he should have consulted other members of the collegium. But he has chosen not to do that," Sibal said. He further said some of the allegations mentioned in the motion relate to what is happening in court, so Naidu should have consulted other judges. He wondered what the hurry was to reject the motion which had the valid signatures of 64 MPs. "I do not think momentous matters like this should be disposed of in this fashion. Remember, it is our privilege to move the motion. You cannot boot the privilege in this fashion," he said. The order had shattered the confidence of the people and jeopardised the legal system, he added. "It seems that the government is very keen that this (charge made in the petition) must not be allowed to be inquired into. Maybe they have information that the CBI has information, maybe by scuttling the inquiry they don't want a lot of information to come on record. It puts the judicial system into jeopardy," he said. The order destroys the legitimate processes of the law. It seeks to ensure that no inquiry takes place, he added. "We will certainly move the petition in the Supreme Court. We are confident that when we move the petition, the CJI will have nothing to do with it so that it is heard and the serious issues, which are constitutional in nature and which will determine whether we bring transparency to the system, would be heard in the court, Sibal said. Earlier in the day, All India Congress Committee media-in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala criticised the decision and said it was a fight between forces 'rejecting democracy' and voices 'rescuing democracy'. Surjewala said within hours of 64 MPs submitting the impeachment notice, Leader of the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley had shown 'naked prejudice' by calling it a revenge petition, 'virtually dictating the verdict' to the Rajya Sabha chairman. Surjewala also recalled how Jaitley had on August 17, 2011 in his then capacity as the Opposition Leader in Rajya Sabha stressed that those occupying high offices must live through the scrutiny of highest standards of probity as the latter spoke on a motion to impeach Calcutta high court judge Soumitra Sen. "Would Jaitley adhere to Jaitley?" asked the Congress leader. The Rajya Sabha had in 2011 passed an impeachment motion against Justice Sen. But, before the motion could be placed in the Lok Sabha, Sen resigned. In a tweet, Congress spokesperson and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi said Naidu 'expectedly' rejected the impeachment motion and that too within a day of his return to Delhi. Taking to the microblogging site, another party leader Vivek Tankha said Naidu's order was an 'anticipated shocker'. "It decided the admission of motion on merits without the 2nd stage inquiry. Merits a challenge before SC. Will force greater transparency & public interest reform," Tankha added. Naidu earlier today turned down the impeachment notice given by the Congress and six other opposition parties against CJI Misra, saying it lacked substantial merit and that the allegations were neither 'tenable nor admissible'. The other parties were the Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Nationalist Congress Party, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Indian Union Muslim League. Almost 20 years after model Jessica Lall was gunned down in a restaurant in New Delhi, her sister Sabrina, who fought a lengthy legal battle for justice, has said she has moved on and has no objection to the killer being released from jail. Sidhartha Vahishta, better known as Manu Sharma, is serving a life term in Tihar Jail in New Delhi for the 1999 murder. Lall said she had received a letter from the jail authorities regarding a victim compensation fund and Sharma's release last month. "I replied to that letter and said I had no objection to his release. It's not so much about forgiveness but it's about letting go of a burden, something from which I have moved on. For me, it's about taking a load off me," she told PTI. In her reply to the letter sent by the jail authorities, Lall pointed out that Sharma had been helping inmates during the 15 years he had spent in prison. "I would like to state I have no objection to his release, owing to the fact that he has spent 15 years in jail," she wrote. Lall pointed out that he had also worked for charity. "I am told that in this period he has been doing good work for charity and helping inmates in jail which I feel is a reflection of reform," her letter said. Sharma, son of former Union Minister Venod Sharma, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the high court in December 2006 for killing Lall in 1999. The trial court had acquitted him, but the Delhi high court reversed the verdict and the Supreme Court upheld the life sentence in April 2010. Jessica Lall, who was tending a bar at the Tamarind Court restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani at the Qutub Colonnade in South Delhi's Mehrauli area on April 30, 1999, was gunned down by Sharma after she refused to serve him alcohol. Opposition attacked the government, saying prohibition law was being used to target Dalits. Bharatiya Janata Party Gaya MP Hari Manjhi's son and his friend have been sent to jail for allegedly consuming alcohol, a charge denied by the ruling party lawmaker, even as Opposition attacked the government, saying prohibition law was being used to target Dalits. MP's son Rahul Kumar Manjhi and one of his friend were caught allegedly consuming alcohol in Nama village under the Gaya Medical College police station area on Sunday, Station House Officer Lal Bihari Paswan said. They were produced in a city court and sent to the Gaya Central Jail under judicial custody on Monday. Under the spell of a stringent anti-liquor law for over last two years, Bihar has been declared a dry state with stringent punishment for the breach of anti-liquor law. The incident is particularly embarrassing for the ruling National Democratic Alliance in Bihar as the BJP is a coalition partner of the Janata Dal-United in the state government. The Gaya MP has accused the police of 'falsely implicating' his son in the liquor case. "I had informed the deputy inspector general of police of Magadh Range (Vinay Kumar) about illegal liquor trade in and around Nama village with the help of police...the police, instead of acting on my information, falsely implicated my son," said Manjhi, a second-term BJP Lok Sabha member from Gaya (reserved) seat, told PTI. Within hours of sending the BJP MP's son to jail for allegedly consuming liquor, former Bihar chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday said that the prohibition law has become a 'tool to send poor people to jail'. "The prohibition law has become a tool to send poor people to the jail," Jitan Ram Manjhi told reporters at Gaya. "Police and officials of the concerned department are making money in the garb of the prohibition law," the HAM chief, who recently walked out of the NDA to side with Lalu Prasad Yadav, alleged. Rashtriya Janata Dal vice president Shivanand Tiwari said, "The son of the MP caught under the liquor law hails from 'mushar' (a Dalit) caste...if it would have been the son of a 'dabang jati' (dominant caste) had the same happened? Seeing the nature of our society this question arises." "There is a drama going on in the name of prohibition in the state. There is no ban at all which is evident from the fact that people are using and consuming liquor openly without the fear of prohibition law," senior Bihar RJD leader and MLA Bhai Virendra told PTI in Patna. Ruling JD-U MLC and spokesperson Niraj Kumar, however, said, "Prohibition law is effectively working in the state which is evident from the fact that no one is being spared, howsoever, high he/she may be. Even the son of MP has been arrested for violating the law. This shows that prohibition law is effectively working in the state." Reacting to senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwary's statement that Rahul Manjhi has been arrested because of being a Dalit, Kumar said the law is not applied as per the caste or creed of its violaters, it is applicable to everyone who violates it. Bihar has been under total prohibition since April 5, 2016. Reports say as Bihar completed two years of ban on country liquor on April 5 last, over 1.15 lakh people have been arrested for violating the liquor ban. Over 23 lakh litres of IMFL (Indian made Foreign liquor) and country liquor has been seized so far. Image for representation only. The Dzukou Valley is a valley located at the border of the states of Nagaland and Manipur. This valley is well known for its natural environment, seasonal flowers and flora and fauna. Photograph: @_chetia_parash/Instagram Foreign tourists, except those from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, would now be allowed to visit some of the most pristine locations of the country which, so far, were out of bounds for them without a special permit, officials said on Monday. The home ministry has decided to relax the six-decade-old Protected Area Permit regime from Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur for five years with effect from April 1, a ministry official said. Under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, all areas falling between the Inner line and the International Border of some states were declared as protected areas. The protected areas currently include whole of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, besides parts of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. Some parts of Sikkim fall under the protected area regime while others under the restricted area. A review is underway to lift the PAP from other areas too, another official said. Citizens from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, however, continue to be banned from all PAP areas, including Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. As per a December 30, 2010 circular of the ministry, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland were excluded from the protected area regime initially for a period of one year from January 1, 2011, subject to some conditions. As per the guidelines, a foreign national is not normally allowed to visit a protected or restricted area unless the government is satisfied that there are extraordinary reasons to justify his or her visit. Every foreigner, except a citizen of Bhutan, who desires to enter and stay in a protected or restricted area, is required to obtain a special permit from a competent authority having the power to issue such permits. In cases, where the power to issue such permits has not been delegated to a subordinate authority by the Union government, the application for the special permit has to be referred to the home affairs ministry for prior approval, at least eight weeks before the date of the expected visit. With an aim to promote tourism, the government, time to time by notification, exempts some of such restricted or protected areas from the need of special permission for foreigners to visit them. Necessary powers have been delegated to various authorities to issue such special permits without the prior approval of the Home Ministry to facilitate foreign tourists subject to the certain exceptions. In cases of foreign diplomats, including the members of the United Nations and international organisations holding diplomatic or official passports, the special permits to visit such protected or restricted areas are issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. In cases of the citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan and foreign nationals of Pakistani origin, no permit, however, can be issued without the prior approval of the Union home ministry. Referring to Article 124 of the Constitution, the sources said the notice should have grounds of 'proved misbehaviour or incapacity'. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday accused the Congress of running the country through courts based on 'half-baked, false and sponsored litigations', alleging that it used the death of judge B H Loya as a political tool to settle scores. His remarks came in the backdrop of Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu rejecting a notice by seven opposition parties led by Congress to impeach Chief Justice of India Dipak Mishra. "The Congress, being defeated by the people repeatedly, can't run the country through corridors of courts based upon half-baked, false and sponsored litigations," he claimed. He said the Congress' use of litigation was 'directly proportionate' to the repeated reversals it was facing in elections. "Under the patronage of the Congress, even the death of judge Loya, who died of a heart attack some four years ago, was used as a political tool to settle scores both inside and outside court," the minister alleged. He claimed the 'scathing observation' made by the top court 'with pain and distress' on how judges of the Maharashtra lower courts, the Bombay high court and even the Supreme Court 'were sought to be presented in an uncomfortable light speaks volumes of efforts to compromise the dignity of the judiciary'. Continuing his attack, Prasad said though badly conceived, Aadhaar was the Congress' baby. "We improved it through a legal framework, but they challenged it in the court...one of their leaders is also examining Aadhaar in the Parliamentary panel," he said. He said the Congress would not be allowed to usurp the mandate given to the Narendra Modi-led government by such means. Meanwhile, top sources in the government said on Monday that the Rajya Sabha Chairman has the 'statutory right' to reject a notice to impeach a judge. Citing provisions in the Judges Inquiry Act, the sources pointed out that the Rajya Sabha Chairman or Lok Sabha Speaker can 'either admit the motion or refuse to admit the same' based on consultations and material available. "The Chairman has the statutory right to reject the motion and statutory obligation to consult before arriving at a decision," a top government functionary said. He also asserted that 'mere numbers' are not enough to 'trigger' the motion. Referring to Article 124 of the Constitution, the sources said the notice should have grounds of 'proved misbehaviour or incapacity'. "Those who complain must be sure of the grounds for removal.. In this case, the complainants were not not sure," the functionary said. "Sufficient grounds have to be proved to trigger an inquiry (by a three-member panel headed by a SC judge)...the evidence has to be contemporaneous," the functionary said. He said if 'some sanity' is not brought in the political system, the morale of the judiciary may be 'hit'. Naidu rejected the notice after seeking opinion of top legal and constitutional experts, including former secretary generals of Lok Sabha and other legal luminaries with whom he held extensive consultations. Naidu also took the views of top legal and constitutional experts, including former chief justices and judges, over the past two days before taking the decision. The Rajya Sabha Chairman said the allegations emerging from the present case have a 'serious tendency' of undermining the independence of judiciary which is the basic tenet of the Constitution. The Bharatiya Janata Party 'thanked' Naidu for rejecting the notice and said the Congress's attempt was an act of 'blasphemy' towards the Constitution. BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi told a press conference that the Congress was adopting 'intimidatory' tactics towards the Supreme Court and its move was not an attack on the individual but an institution as it wanted to create anarchy by making people "lose" faith in the judiciary. She accused the Congress of trying to create an impression in the world that India was a banana republic, something it had turned the country into when it was in power, by 'disrupting institutions' and added that its institutions were 'very strong' and command reverence of people. Hitting back at the party after it criticised Naidu for rejecting its notice, the BJP leader said the Rajya Sabha Chairman's office is not a post office meant to forward petitions it receives but has to apply its mind judiciously and take a call. "We thank him. He did not allow his office to be misused," she said, adding that the impeachment notice was the 'grossest abuse of power' by the Congress. To a question about the Congress's assertion it would challenge the decision in court, she said it was free to do so but highlighted the reported differences in the party over the move to impeach the CJI and said it had legal experts who knew law more than Kapil Sibal and had reservations about the exercise. Former Union minister and Congress MP Sibal has been at the forefront of his party's efforts to impeach the CJI. She alleged that after losing votes and support of the people, the Congress was resorting to the tactics of 'threatening' and putting pressure on the judiciary. It is trying to put the judiciary in a dock as it wants a 'chosen few' to hear some cases, Lekhi claimed. The New Delhi MP also claimed that the petition was moved hurriedly and was 'unsure' of allegations it levelled on the CJI. Dubbing the Congress as 'disruptor of democracy and institutions', Lekhi said it had interfered with the process of appointment of judges paving the way for the collegium system of appointment in the higher judiciary. Belgian court finds Salah Abdeslam guilty of terrorism-related attempted murder in relation to shootout in Brussels in March 2016. The Islamic State follower and only surviving assailant in the Paris terror attacks has been found guilty of a shootout with police in Belgium and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Salah Abdeslam was convicted on Monday by a court in Brussels, where he returned and hid out after the attacks of November 13, 2015 killed 130 people. Abdeslams co-defendant Sofien Ayari also received a 20-year term for attempted terrorist murder. Abdeslam, a Belgian-born French national of Moroccan descent, is in French prison awaiting trial for his role in the Paris attack, which killed 130. Monday marks the first guilty verdict against Abdeslam since the Paris attack. Among the nine terrorists involved was Abdeslams brother, Brahim Abdeslam, 31, who blew himself up inside a packed restaurant. Salah wore a suicide belt to the Stade de France, but it was later found discarded in a dustbin after he failed to detonate it. His recent walkout from Chief Justice Dipak Misra's court earned him critics in courts. 'Yet, even the senior-most judges give him the respect that he deserves.' Veer Arjun Singh meets senior advocate and activist Prashant Bhushan. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com It is 10.30 am on a Tuesday morning at the Supreme Court. Tense-faced people are stumbling across the gates and multiple security checkpoints to make it to their respective hearings in time. Keeping pace with them are lawyers and their associates carrying hefty files. Most of the 15 courtrooms seem packed to capacity and, yet, people keep pouring in. The lords finally arrive to take their high chairs. For many thousand others who aren't present, a hearing has commenced in Court No 4 which could decide how they will sleep at night. In E R Kumar Vs Union of India, senior advocate and activist Prashant Bhushan, through a writ petition, questions the implementation of the Centre's scheme that was to provide adequate night shelters for the urban homeless. The courtroom has a barrage of men and women in black robes, a few visitors, some scribes and very little breathing space. It is Bhushan's turn to argue. His forbearing disposition outside the court is uncharacteristic of a lawyer in litigation, especially one who is often at loggerheads with governments and their civic arms. But in the courtroom, where the mics are turned off and none of the three judges is audible, Bhushan's voice echoes in sharp notes, prompting several young lawyers to take notes. An earlier bench had sought answers from the Centre and state governments for 'underutilising funds' and had reprimanded the municipal bodies for 'tardy implementation'. But little headway is made and the matter rests until the next hearing. Bhushan is in his element here. The 61-year-old says he spends 70 to 80 per cent of his working hours fighting pro bono (without fee) cases, a bulk of which are PILs (public interest litigation) and writ petitions representing low-income individuals or NGOs. "I have been focusing on PILs for quite a while now," he says. Bhushan heads the Campaign for Judicial accountability which pushes for reforms to make hearings more transparent, and has represented many public interest associations, such as the Centre for Public Interest Litigation and the Public Union for Civil Liberties. "Most activists aren't sound lawyers," says Pranav Sachdeva, who worked for eight years with Bhushan before starting his own practice, "but Bhushan's cases have a decisive impact on public policy." Sachdeva says his erstwhile boss would let his team draft petitions, strategise and even argue in high-profile cases regardless of their inexperience. "In the 2G spectrum case, Bhushan and I were arguing against a hundred lawyers that the respondents had hired from multiple law firms," he says. The Supreme Court cancelled all 122 spectrum licences while hearing Bhushan's PIL in 2012. In a recent PIL on behalf of two Rohingya immigrants, Bhushan is going head-to-head with Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who is representing the Centre, which is determined to deport the 40,000 Rohingya Muslims said to be present in India. The Supreme Court has stayed the deportation till further orders. "He's a real tiger in court," says senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who heads the Human Rights Law Network and is often at Bhushan's corner. Both Gonsalves and Bhushan are fighting cases for the rehabilitation of Rohingya immigrants. "It is because of Prashant's leadership that the judges' view of those people has changed," says Gonsalves. Much of Bhushan's style of advocacy was shaped by his father's law career. Shanti Bhushan, former law minister and Rajya Sabha member, commands great respect among his peers and wields considerable influence in courts. He is best known for taking on the Indira Gandhi government on behalf of her opponent Raj Narain -- a judgment that got Gandhi's Lok Sabha election annulled. Bhushan, 19 years old at the time, attended those hearings and was witness to the chaos that ensued thereafter during the Emergency. Penguin Random House has recently re-released The Case That Shook India, Bhushan's first-hand account of the case that he wrote in 1978. "I was interested in physics and philosophy," says Bhushan. But the high-minded activism of those times altered his plans. After dropping out of IIT-Madras, he did a two-year BSc course in philosophy, economics and political science from Delhi University, and then followed it up with a law degree from Allahabad University. He spent the next two years at Princeton University for a PhD in philosophy, but gave it up to return to India and practise law. Bhushan is candid about both his father's influence and about Bhushan Senior facilitating the work he chooses to do. "I live in my father's house in Noida. And I don't pay rent for office space," he says, sitting upright in his chamber opposite the Supreme Court building. The chamber has just about enough space for him, a wall-mounted bookshelf, two chairs for visitors and a section for two assistants. He says a lawyer's fee in the country is so absurdly high, especially for cases in the Supreme Court, that even 25 per cent of it is enough to keep him financially afloat. Even today, the father-son duo makes for a powerful team, its influence most recently on display with their participation in the India Against Corruption movement, which led to the founding of the Aam Aadmi Party. Much water has flowed under that particular bridge but, as Bhushan says, "it was still a good idea to make the movement political, a chance at parallel politics, till it became a one-man show." Bhushan's acrimonious exit from AAP has resulted in an unyielding animosity towards the AAP government, and his left-leaning advocacy makes him a direct opponent of the Modi government. His recent walkout from Chief Justice Dipak Misra's court also earned him critics in courts. "Yet, even the senior-most judges give him the respect that he deserves," says Gonsalves. Bhushan's work has earned him fans and critics, bouquets and brickbats. He has been accused of deliberately taking on cases that keep him in the public eye; equally, he is seen as championing the cause of the underprivileged. Delhi resident Zeenat Bano is an ardent member of the latter group. A 130-square foot one-bedroom house in Delhi's Masjid Moth where she lived with her mother, Shamim Bano, and her two younger siblings was partially torn down and sealed. Zeenat, the household's lone breadwinner who tutors neighbourhood children, says they had permission from the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to repair the house, which was damaged while an adjacent building was being constructed. "The builder refused to fix the damages, and after we filed a case against him, he conspired with a municipal officer to get our house sealed," she claims. The family lived under a makeshift roof outside their house for several days while Zeenat took their case from one lawyer to another. All refused, because she could iot afford their fees. One day, weeping on the stairs of the Delhi high court, a young lawyer came up to her and recommended that she seek help from Bhushan. "He is the only lawyer I have met who didn't start with how much it would cost. And after patiently hearing my case, when I asked his fee, he said I didn't have to pay anything,"? Zeenat says. Her mother, a heart patient, died before the first hearing. Bhushan's team, notably Surabhi Kumari and Govind Jee, convinced the judge in a special hearing to get her house de-sealed for two days so the family could perform her last rites. In the following two hearings where Bhushan led the argument, the judge ordered the SDMC to de-seal the house. The case is still in court. "I had only seen him on TV. I never thought he'd be fighting my case. He's a god-send for my family," Zeenat says over the phone, sobbing through the conversation. Many people who can't afford legal aid as well as organisations that represent public interest at large routinely turn to Bhushan -- for his legal acumen, experience with PILs and the simple fact that he is accessible. He recently represented Common Cause, a non-profit, in a high-profile case that led the Supreme Court to rule in favour of passive euthanasia. Even though he appeared in front-page news, Bhushan does not consider the case a victory. He explains that even though a 'living will' entitles a person the right to be taken off life support when the primary doctor declares the body can't be revived, the multiple riders diminish the will's applicability. According to the ruling, each case must be evaluated by the primary doctor, followed by another team of doctors in the hospital and finally a larger, district-level team of medical experts. For Prashant Bhushan, justice delayed is justice denied. As conflict spreads, chronic displacement becomes a powderkeg in Afghanistan Publisher IRIN Author Ruchi Kumar Publication Date 9 April 2018 Cite as IRIN, As conflict spreads, chronic displacement becomes a powderkeg in Afghanistan , 9 April 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5add72864.html [accessed 4 October 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. As conflict spreads, chronic displacement becomes a powderkeg in Afghanistan Aid is in short supply for thousands of families forced to etch new homes into once-barren land But when a rocket-propelled grenade struck three months ago, killing some of his livestock, he knew he could no longer stay. "We had to leave that night. The battle had reached our doorsteps," Mohammad said, standing outside his family's new home: a bare, single room in a compound set amid tents and shanty homes near Jalalabad, the capital of the eastern province of Nangarhar. This area, less than 100 kilometres from Mohammad's former home, is among hundreds of patchwork settlements that have proliferated throughout Afghanistan over the last five years, fed by a steady surge of people uprooted by an intensifying conflict and others pushed back from neighbouring countries. The displaced and the returnees throng together in swelling districts like Behsud, which curves around urban Jalalabad. In settlements spreading over once-barren land, people live clustered in tents, hastily built structures, or under the open sky. The displaced and the returnees throng together in swelling districts like Behsud, which curves around urban Jalalabad. In settlements spreading over once-barren land, people live clustered in tents, hastily built structures, or under the open sky. One in three people in Nangarhar is now either displaced or a returnee, with some 369,000 in Behsud alone, according to a recently released International Organisation for Migration survey. Each week, new violence brings more arrivals. Aid organisations can't keep up, and the government has often stumbled in providing even basic support; food, shelter, and other fundamental needs are in short supply. Analysts warn that the consequences of such widespread displacement may be felt for generations, as poverty rises and education rates fall. "Our emergency response stocks have been largely exhausted by these displacements," said William Carter, head of programme in Afghanistan for the Norwegian Refugee Council, which works with displaced communities in the region. Across the country, more than 1.6 million people have been uprooted by conflict since 2015, and almost one million Afghans have returned from neighbouring Pakistan. Returnees from Iran and further abroad add to the turmoil. Carter said donor funds to help people ousted by conflict have dwindled even while needs have soared. "So, whilst we are doing what we can, the future is somewhat bleak." Intensified battles Afghanistan has seen decades of upheaval. But aid workers say recent violence is intensifying and becoming more complex: hundreds of thousands of civilians each year are caught in the crossfire between a growing number of combatants, including Taliban militants, IS-aligned fighters, militias, and NATO-backed government security forces. Fighters aligned with IS have injected a new level of volatility into the mix in eastern Afghanistan, where it has carved out an enclave and staged attacks against the Taliban, the government, civilians, and aid groups including a January attack on the offices of Save the Children in Jalalabad. The rise of the Islamic State Khorasan Province, as the local offshoot is sometimes known, has been rapid; it accounted for 1,000 civilian injuries and deaths in the country last year, according to UN figures, compared with a few dozen casualties only two years earlier. "Thousands of families in eastern Afghanistan have had to flee their homes due to advances by groups aligned with the Islamic State," Carter said. "But many families are simply fleeing armed conflict itself: the Islamic State is fighting the [Taliban], who is fighting Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, with the help of international special forces and airstrikes." Mississauga, ON -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/23/2018 --Emergent announces its newest feature to their Estate Administration software. Designed to streamline forms like an application for probate and various affidavits for Canadian provinces, the automation software is now applicable in a larger region. Emergent's software program now includes updated forms for Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Alberta in addition to Ontario, and Nova Scotia. Making for efficiency that translates into a firm's increased revenue, the software contains all the mergeable forms necessary to complete the deceased's estate. An integral part of Emergent's widely-used Estate Administration software, the new feature ultimately assists executors in their efforts to distribute funds, property, and the like. Until Emergent's Estate Administration software, letters and forms necessary to finalize a deceased person's final wishes, landholdings, and business matters, etc. were laborious for all involved. Now, the automated software with increased regional coverage allows law firms to simply enter estate administration information into the program. Then, intuitively, the information is merged into the letters and government forms necessary. Generated documents include Applications for Probate, letters to the bank, government agencies, and other notices typically required during estate administration. "This government forms update further simplifies the process of finalizing an estate with the inclusion of dozens of precedents and several hundred government forms for a much broader region. It's easy to see why our Estate Administration is the most comprehensive program for Estate lawyers practicing in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nova Scotia," Darren Cooper, President, and CEO of Emergent. All precedents are provided in MS Word format and can be customized within the software to suit the style and content of each law firm's lawyer. For more information visit the http://www.emergent.ca. About Emergent Emergent is based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and provides the marketplace with document creation and file management software. The software is available on a fee-per-file basis. Some of their products include Canada's first two-way integration for Initial Notice/Notice of Change filings for corporations in Ontario, and software for the integration of corporate records, wills and probate. About Estate Administration Estate Administration is the most comprehensive and robust estate automation software solution in Canada. The software is specially designed to automate all the documents and government forms needed to administer contested or un-contested estates in Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. The software has been available since 1997 and is used by Canada's most respected legal professionals. Contact: Darren Cooper President & CEO, Emergent dcooper@emergent.ca 647-776-1442 Website: http://www.emergent.ca/ Atlanta, GA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/23/2018 --Whiplash usually refers to an injury to the neck resulting from rapid acceleration or deceleration, especially in an automobile accident. Also known as "railway spine," it could be severe if not treated on time. Negligence or delay in treatment can inexplicably worsen the condition. A whiplash injury can include torn or more than extended ligaments and tendons. Considering its abominable consequence on account of any delay or negligence, it is essential to seek the right course of treatment to get rid of the pain. First Choice Accident and Injury Care is a reputable name for physical therapy for whiplash in Atlanta and Lawrenceville, Georgia. Whiplash is a traumatic injury to the structures of the cervical spine. It involves muscles and ligaments and is caused by extremes in a range of motion in the absence of severe bony injuries such as fracture, dislocation or disc herniation. At First Choice, the physicians can help those suffering from whiplash with the right kind of treatment. According to the latest study, approximately 15 to 40% of those injured in automobile accidents will struggle with chronic pain for the rest of their life. The injuries not only increase one's chances of chronic neck and shoulder pain, but they also increase the probability of other seemingly unrelated health problems. First Choice Accident and Injury Care have an expert team of professionals who can always get the job done right. They are highly skilled and talented executives who provide the best treatment for the condition. Call an expert to schedule an appointment with one of the physicians at 404-455-2720. To know more about whiplash treatment in Atlanta and Lawrenceville, Georgia, visit http://www.firstchoiceaccidentcare.com/whiplash-treatment/. About First Choice Accident & Injury Care, LLC First Choice Accident & Injury Care, LLC. is a leading accident injury clinic located in Atlanta, GA. At present, the company serves the residents of Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and Alabama etc. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. The situation in the Taiwan Strait is surging. The US challenges the One-China principle through the "Taiwan Travel Act". If US national security adviser John Bolton visits Taiwan and the US warships stop there, it will have a devastating influence on China-US relations. Lai Ching-te, the island's new executive head, frequently makes Taiwans independence remarks and claims to be a "political worker who advocates Taiwan independence". All these influences have seriously touched the One-China bottom line, and therefore the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) must use powerful methods to maintain law and order and to deter the "Taiwan independence" forces. The effective deterrence must have four conditions of strength, methods, determination and will, and credibility. The PLAs recent live-fire drill in the Taiwan Strait was exactly an expression of these four elements. In 1996, former Taiwan leader Lee Teng-hui challenged the One-China principle. The Chinese mainland confirmed its sovereignty with large-scale military drills and missile tests. Now, some people in the US and "Taiwan independence" forces are challenging the One-China principle again, and we will not back down. The military expenditure of the Chinese mainland this year has reached $174.8 billion, which is 20 times its 1996 military expenditure and 16 times that of Taiwans current military expenditure. In 1996, the Chinese mainland had more conventional weapons but the quality was inferior to those of Taiwans in some respects. At present, the weaponry of the Chinese mainland is far better than that of Taiwan in terms of quantity and quality. Back in 1996, the PLA did not have comprehensive combat means but now, the PLA has formed a joint operational capability based on the information system. The PLA Air Force is equipped with a new type of strategic bombers that can carry out targeted attacks and "carpet-style" bombardment of important targets on the island. The third and fourth-generation fighter jets have an overwhelming advantage against the old fighter jets of Taiwan. The PLA Navy is equipped with an aircraft carrier and new types of warships, which can form a pinch attack on Taiwan. Amphibious landing ships and Marine Corps can conduct landing operations on Taiwan, and strategic nuclear submarines and rockets with missiles can stop foreign enemies from intervening in the first and second island chains. The PLA Army is equipped with long-range rocket launchers that can carry out large-scale firepower attacks. Special operations units and armed helicopters can carry out three-dimensional island landing operations. The PLA Rocket Force has an absolute advantage over the Taiwanese armed forces and there can be no suspense. More than half of the Taiwanese armed forces would already be killed by the firepower of the PLA Rocket Force before they could start to resist. More importantly, the PLA has formed a joint and new-quality combat capability after reforms. The new equipment available to the Taiwanese military is nothing compared with the new equipment used by the PLA in the drill. After all, it is a fight based on real combat strength. We do not aim to threaten the people of Taiwan, but we are targeting Taiwan independence forces. Those separatists can only bring danger to Taiwan, not security. They can only take advantage of their selfish interests and sacrifice the fundamental interests of the public and finally drag Taiwan into the disaster of war. Once Taiwan is plunged into disaster, "Taiwan independence" forces will be brought to trail according to the Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Lai Ching-te and other separatists who openly spread "Taiwan independence" remarks will be listed as "war criminals". The PLA should normalize the military exercises targeting "Taiwan independence" forces and normalize the patrol of military aircraft and warships around the island. The PLA should squeeze the living space of the "Taiwan independence" forces. We should establish an "air defense identification zone" in the Taiwan Strait. All military aircraft and ships entering China's Taiwan region should first obtain approval from the Chinese Central Government. The Chinese military has the right to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity based on the Constitution of the PRC, the Law of the PRC on National Defense, and the Anti-Secession Law of the PRC. We still advocate "peaceful reunification" but we will never give up the option of "military reunification." No equals sign can be drawn between independence and peace. The PLAs live-fire drill in the Taiwan Strait is a declaration of determination, will, and capability. It is necessary to let the foreign hostile forces and Taiwan independence separatist forces know the price to pay for stepping on Chinas bottom line in the Taiwan issue. There is no joke in the military. Disclaimer: The author is Major General Luo Yuan, executive vice president and secretary general of China Strategic Culture Promotion Association. The article is translated from Chinese into English by the China Military online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Chinamil.com.cn does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. If the article carries photographs or images, we do not vouch for their authenticity. Paul Zimnisky, an independent diamond industry analyst and consultant, said it will be very difficult for the lab-diamond manufactures to protect price as production processes and economics improve. He told Rough & Polisheds Mathew Nyaungwa in an exclusive interview that this will ultimately result in lab-diamonds becoming more of their own separate product class entirely distinct from natural diamonds. Zimnisky said lab-diamond companies that build a very strong brand through marketing or proprietary jewellery design will be less susceptible to price pressure, citing Swarovski as a leader in this area. He also said price differential is most apparent in generic lab-diamonds, while companies that are building a brand around their product have been more protective of prices. Zimnisky is of the opinion that price is a lab-created diamonds greatest advantage over a natural equivalent. He said that the production capabilities of lab-created diamond manufacturers are improving as is the number of players in the space, resulting in more readily available higher-quality lab-diamonds. Zimnisky's estimate for natural diamond production in 2018 was 147 million carats of which about 60 million carats would be gem-quality, while current lab-created gem-diamond production was projected at less than 5 million carats. NB: Zimnisky has a monthly subscription-based diamond industry newsletter called, State of the Diamond Market and a proprietary rough diamond price index available at www.roughdiamondindex.com. Below are excerpts from the interview. What is the quality of lab diamonds available on the market? Relatively speaking, very high-end quality and sizes are still not that widely available, but medium-and-small quality and sizes are. This is changing quite rapidly though, and I would imagine in the next five-years or so there will be a lot higher-quality product available as production technology improves. It is important to understand that CVD technology, one of the two primary processes used in the creation of lab-diamonds, is primarily being advanced through investment in other industries, such as LED light and polysilicon manufacturing for solar panels, so improvements in CVD technology will continue to be transferred to the lab-diamond industry from other industries as well, which will further accelerate advancement. What is your projection of the state of synthetic industrial-quality diamonds, say in a decade given the massive technological advancements we are witnessing? I think it will be very difficult for the lab-diamond manufactures to protect price as production processes and economics improve. Ultimately, I think this will result in lab-diamonds becoming more of their own separate product class, maybe not in the realm of fashion jewellery, but their own, completely distinct product class from natural diamonds. Lab-diamond companies that build a very strong brand through marketing or proprietary jewellery design will be less susceptible to price pressure. I see a company like Swarovski being a leader in this area. You recently noted that prices for synthetic laboratory-created diamonds are becoming less expensive relative to natural equivalents. What is causing the decline? I think this is simply a function of supply/demand. The production capabilities of lab-created diamond manufacturers are improving as is the number of players in the space, resulting in more readily available higher-quality lab-diamonds. The price differential is most apparent in generic lab-diamonds, while the companies that are building a brand around their product have been more protective of prices. Also, in relative terms, the price spread growth has been most significant in larger diamonds, say 1.5-carats versus 0.5-carat, I think this highlights inherent rareness of larger natural diamonds. What is the net-effect of this development on the synthetic diamond industry? I am a believer that price is a lab-created diamonds greatest advantage over a natural equivalent, some think its sourcing and social-and-environmental responsibility perception, but at the end of the day I think most consumers vote with their pocket book, at least within reason. So, I think a greater discount will lead to greater penetration of the product in the industry and wider customer acceptance. Why do you think that the price spread between lab-created and natural diamonds across all sizes and qualities will continue to widen? Lab-created rough still has to be polished and manufactured into jewellery and then retailed, just like natural diamond, so the price differential will only be on the upstream segment of the business, i.e. rough production. So, this will somewhat limit the ultimate price differential, but technological improvements should reduce lab-diamond upstream fixed costs like new entrant R&D for example, however variable production costs such as electricity/power will be less sensitive. What is the market share for synthetic diamonds compared with natural diamonds? Specifically talking engagement-ring-quality lab-diamonds, still in infancy stages globally, well under 10%, probably closer to 5% or even less. Which countries consume the bulk of lab-created diamond jewellery? The U.S. consumer market is probably five-years or more ahead of the rest world, especially China, in regards to accepting lab-created diamond jewellery. The U.S. is by far the primary market at the moment for lab-created diamond jewelry. You are expecting an increase in the quality of synthetics from industrial to near-gem quality in the not so distant future. Will that have an impact on demand for natural stones? Of course, this is a difficult question, as it will be up to the consumer. That said, the natural diamond industry is doing a lot of things right at the moment, for example, increasing transparency, incorporating block-chain into the supply chain, reintroducing generic diamond marketing, I think all of these things will help natural diamond demand. The engagement ring tradition is very strong, and the emotional perception of what diamonds represent runs deep, which is something that the natural industry certainly has going for it. As mentioned earlier, I think lab-created diamonds will ultimately become a product class of their own, just as other gem-stones are at the moment. I think the biggest threat to the natural diamond industry is decreasing marriage rates and changing consumer preferences of younger generations away from material possessions. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. announced the results of its recently completed third diamond sale of 2018. A total of 451 000 carats had been sold, garnering proceeds of US$ 26.4 million for an average value per carat of US $59, and US $80 on a normalized basis. Customer participation continued to be robust, with 171 companies attending the tender and an average of 12.9 bids received per lot. Said Reid Mackie, the Company's Vice President Diamond Marketing, "This represents a solid outcome for our third sale of the year. We are encouraged to see high demand levels maintained at our tender process, and the underpinning of price gains we achieved at sales during this past quarter." Mountain Province Diamonds is a 49% participant with De Beers Canada in the Gahcho Kue JV, located in Canada's Northwest Territories. Alex Shishlo, Editor of the Rough&Polished European Bureau in Brussels Illustration: Liu Rui/GT The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) carried out live-fire drills on Wednesday in the Taiwan Straits. Several types of warplanes participated in the military exercises, including H-6K bombers, Su-30 and J-11 fighter jets. The PLA Air Force announced following the drills that it has sent jets to patrol around the island. The drills and island patrols represent the Chinese mainland's determination and ability to tackle Taiwan independence forces and safeguard cross-Straits relations. The drills came after recent pro-independence activities on the island, especially the high-profile advocacy for independence by the head of Taiwan's administrative authority, Lai Ching-te. Taiwan independence forces are even attempting to organize a "referendum." Before the mainland's military drills, Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen watched Taiwanese naval drills simulating an attack on the island on April 13 for the first time since she took office in 2016. She arrived in Swaziland Tuesday for a visit to maintain ties with one of its two African allies. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said that it is very dangerous and worthless to harm cross-Straits relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. However, as pro-independence activities on the island have run rampant recently and Taiwanese are seemingly not vigilant against a possible war caused by Taiwan independence forces, the mainland must take firm action to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Under the overwhelming military pressure posed by the PLA, voices on the island chiding pro-independence forces and activities have increased remarkably. Mainstream media outlets in Taiwan covered the mainland's live-fire drills and commented on the military exercises as a way to deter Taiwan independence forces represented by Lai. The drills not only demonstrate a huge gap between Taiwan and the mainland in military strength, but also show the mainland's resolve and capability to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity. The exercises are also a clear and tough signal to the US that it is damaging cross-Straits ties. Against the backdrop of a pending China-US trade war and China being considered the biggest strategic rival in the US National Security Strategy report published on December 18 last year, the Trump administration is playing the Taiwan card again to make the Chinese government back off. The US and pro-independence forces in Taiwan show no restraint and have been getting closer since Tsai assumed office. US President Donald Trump signed the Taiwan Travel Act in March, which allows US officials at all levels to travel to Taiwan. The US State Department approved a marketing license this month that allows US defense companies to sell submarine-building technology to Taiwan. A US-Taiwan defense industry conference will be held in May to discuss military cooperation between the two sides. The American Institute in Taiwan, Taipei Office, will be in service in June. In addition, the Trump administration hasn't criticized or questioned the rampant secessionist moves on the island, sending a wrong signal to pro-independence groups. The Taiwan question is the most sensitive and important core issue in China-US ties. Washington has frequently played the Taiwan card to corner China. After protests lodged by the Chinese Foreign Ministry ended in vain, the PLA must send a message to the US. A military approach is the last and the most effective one. The drills and island patrols come following the mainland's largest-ever maritime military parade in the South China Sea on April 12 to warn Washington that developing US-Taiwan relations won't help Taiwan improve its ability to confront the PLA, or even shake the Chinese government's resolve in safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity. The mainland will instead take tough measures to combat Taiwan independence advocates and promote reunification of the country. Taiwan independence forces' attempt to cozy up to the US and their secessionist activities will only result in strong opposition from the mainland. The Tsai administration should recognize the 1992 Consensus and negotiate with the mainland. US endeavors to play the Taiwan card will only complicate China-US relations and the situation across the Taiwan Straits. The author is an assistant research fellow at the Institute of Taiwan Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The Namibian government said more than 240,000 carats of Namdeb run-off mine were offered to Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) and local sightholders at a value of $360 million in the 2017/18 financial year compared to $292 million in the 2016/17 financial year. This achievement has yielded an increase in beneficiation activities and enabled Namdia to fulfill its mandate, mines minister Tom Alweendo was quoted as saying by the Namibia Economist. He said that 54 percent of rough diamonds offered to the local sightholders had been processed locally. Namdia chief executive Kennedy Hamutenya recently said that their diamonds were earmarked for international sales and not for the local market. The state-owned diamond trading company was entitled to 15 percent of diamonds produced annually by Namdeb in line with the marketing and sales agreement signed between Namibia and De Beers in 2016. Meanwhile, the minister said government had initiated the review process of the countrys Diamond Act, 13 of 1999 to ensure that the law was responsive to the industry dynamics. It wasnt clear what he meant by industry dynamics in the report. However, Alweendo said Namibia should continue adhering to minimum requirements of the Kimberley Process and international best practices to maintain a good image for the countrys diamonds. He also said that Namibia produced more than 1,8 million carats of diamonds in the 2017/18 financial year. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished Responding to ongoing speculation, Groupe PSA (PEUGF.PK) confirmed that Opel, with the support of PSA, is currently respecting all the existing Manufacturing tariff agreements. Any other information would be pure speculation. There is a plan to invest in each German facility, once performance conditions are met. This will ensure the sustainability of Opel, as employees can expect from their management. Groupe PSA noted that performance agreements have already been signed in UK, Spain, Poland, Austria and Hungary. It trust that, through the co-determination process, an agreement can be found with German union partners in the best interest of employees. Groupe PSA said that its Managing Board Chairman Carlos Tavares and Opel Chief executive officer Michael Lohscheller had today fruitful discussions with Peter Altmaier, German Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy and Hubertus Heil, German Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs. The dialogue was open and constructive expressing shared desire to work on a sustainable future for Opel, which is supported by the execution of the turnaround PACE! plan. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Crude oil futures were lower Monday morning despite hopes that OPEC's output cuts have offset the U.S. shale boom. WTI light sweet oil for June was down 71 cents to $67.69 a barrel on the first day as the front-month contract. UAE oil minister was on CNBC bragging that the cartel has a "noble goal" of rescuing the market, OPEC's current chairman said Monday. "I don't think we ever said that we're targeting a price. We all remember what's happened two years ago the market was over-flooded, and it wasn't OPEC who over-flooded the market. And no one intervened to do anything about it," Suhail Al Mazrouei, the United Arab Emirates' minister of energy and industry and OPEC president, told CNBC. Last week, President Donald Trump blasted OPEC for trying to artificially boost prices. "Looks like OPEC is at it again," he wrote. "With record amounts of Oil all over the place, including the fully loaded ships at sea, Oil prices are artificially Very High! No good and will not be accepted!" For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis The suspected mastermind behind the theft of $2 million worth of bitcoin mining equipment said he escaped an Icelandic prison after his jail term expired. Sindri Thor Stefansson escaped from a minimum-security prison in rural southern Iceland on April 17. He boarded the flight from the international airport in Keflavik using a ticket under someone else's name. Flying within Europe's Schengen travel zone is passport-free. He was not noticed until the flight was in the air. An international warrant has been issued for his arrest. Stefansson and 10 others were arrested in February suspected of involvement in what was dubbed by local media as the "Big Bitcoin Heist." In four separate heists, 600 bitcoin mining computers from data centers around Iceland were stolen and have yet to be found. At the time of the thefts, Icelandic police said Stefansson was suspected to be the kingpin of the apparent highly organized crime. Stefansson was transferred to Sogn open prison earlier this month. In a mail sent to Icelandic newspaper Frettabladid, Stefansson alleged he was held in custody with no evidence for months. When his remand term expired on April 16, police sought extension of his custody by another 10 days, but a judge deferred that decision for another day. And Stefansson claimed that he broke the jail when he was legally free to go. "I simply refuse to be in prison of my own will, especially when the police threatens to arrest me without explanation," Stefansson was quoted as saying. It is not known where Stefansson is currently hiding, but police suspect that he is in Spain, Frettabladid reports. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Bitcoin topped $9,000 on Sunday and cryptocurrency market capitalization crossed $400 billion early Monday for the first time since March 8, amid the broad based improved sentiment being witnessed over the past few days. In other news, whistle-blower website WikiLeaks called for a blockade of crypto exchange operator Coinbase after the latter ended services to the former's merchandise account. An Indian court has issued a notice to the country's central bank and the government after accepting a complaint challenging the ban on commercial banks from serving the cryptocurrency . And the world's first IOTA-powered car charging station has been set up in the Netherlands. Here is a wrap of the main news from the cryptocurrency and blockchain world over the past few hours. WikiLeaks Calls For Global Blockade Of Coinbase WikiLeaks announced that its merchandise arm WikiLeaks Shop's account with cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has been blocked, citing violation of terms of service. In response, the international anonymous publishing non profit has called for a global blockade of the exchange. WikiLeaks Shop tweeted that Coinbase has blocked the official @WikiLeaks shop from its platform without notice or explanation, and that one can continue to donate #Bitcoin to WikiLeaks. Read more.. Indian Court Notice To Govt., RBI On Crypto Services Ban The High Court of the Indian capital Delhi has issued a notice to the Reserve Bank of India, the Ministry of Finance, and the Goods and Services Tax Council accepting a complaint challenging the central bank's ban on the country's commercial banks from providing services to investors in digital currencies. A division bench of the Delhi High Court has sought their reply by May 24, when the case is scheduled for hearing. Read more... World's First IOTA-powered Charging Station Launched In Netherlands The Netherlands is now home to the world's first IOTA-enabled electric vehicle charging station that is being tested. The IOTA charger is part of the ElaadNL test site, an initiative of the Dutch grid operators who are exploring ways to make the existing network efficient and affordable to support the development of electric mobility, or e-mobility and smart charging. Read more... EU Parliament Votes For Tight Crypto Regulations The European Parliament has passed with overwhelming majority a proposal by the European Council to introduce strict regulation for virtual currencies, like Bitcoin, to prevent them being used for money laundering and terrorism financing. The EU Parliament had reached an agreement with the European Council in December to bring cryptocurrencies under "closer regulation." The MEPs supported the decision by 574 votes to 13 votes, with 60 abstentions. Read more... Taiwan Bitcoin Regulation By November The government of Taiwan will introduce regulations on the country's bitcoin market under anti-money laundering (AML) rules by November. A legal framework to control cryptocurrencies will be finalized before the visit of the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering in November, Taiwan Central News Agency quoted the country's justice minister Chiu Tai-san as saying at an anti-money laundering event on Friday. Read more... Mastercard To Use Blockchain For Identity Protection Payment giant MasterCard is set to use blockchain for identity protection. It has filed a patent application for the "method and system for identity and credential protection and verification via blockchain." The patent application no. US20180101684 was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) which was published on their website last week. Read more... Belgium Contributes $2.4 Mln To Blockchain-based UN Project To Feed Refugees Belgium has contributed EUR2 million ($2.4 million) to promote innovative projects by the United Nation's World Food Program (WFP). The money will allow the UN agency to scale up research and trials into the use of drone and blockchain-based payments to provide food to refugees. Read more... Fundraising Platform Neufund To Boost Malta's Blockchain Ecosystem Blockchain-based Equity Fundraising Platform Neufund announced its support to the rapidly expanding blockchain ecosystem in the small Mediterranean island nation Malta, which plans to transform itself into a fintech hub and a crypto-friendly "Blockchain island." The move comes two months after Malta announced the adoption of a legal blockchain framework. Read more... Tutorial: Crypto Lexicon - FUD FUD simply means "fear, uncertainty and doubt". Misinformation will be spread deliberately with the intention of feeding it into the overall market sentiment. Such misinformation would be usually spread through comments in crypto discussion forums on reddit and other social media. Read more... Current Prices As of 9.29 am ET on Monday, Bitcoin was up 0.55 percent at $8,933.98 and Ethereum was higher by 3.29 percent at $645.02 on Coinbase. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Forex News The suspected mastermind behind the theft of $2 million worth of bitcoin mining equipment who escaped an Icelandic prison last week has been arrested. Sindri Thor Stefansson was arrested from the Netherlands capital Amsterdam Sunday night, reports said quoting police. Stefansson will be taken to the District Prosecutor's Office in the city. It is not known when he will be flown to Iceland. An international arrest warrant had been issued against Stefansson after he escaped from a minimum-security prison in rural southern Iceland on April 17. He boarded the flight from the international airport in Keflavik using a pseudo ticket. Flying within Europe's Schengen travel zone is passport-free. Stefansson and 10 others were arrested in February suspected of involvement in what was dubbed by local media as the "Big Bitcoin Heist". In four separate heists, 600 bitcoin mining computers from data centers around Iceland were stolen and have yet to be found. At the time of the thefts, Icelandic police said Stefansson was suspected to be the kingpin of the apparent highly organized crime. Stefansson was transferred to Sogn open prison earlier this month. It has no fences, and inmates are allowed access to phones and the internet. Earlier, in a mail sent to Icelandic newspaper Frettabladid from his hide out, Stefansson alleged he was held in custody with no evidence for months. When his remand term expired on April 16, police sought extension of his custody by another 10 days, but a judge deferred that decision for another day. And Stefansson claimed that he broke the jail when he was legally free to go. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News The European struggled in early trade Monday, but managed to climb into positive territory in the afternoon. Investor sentiment was dented by disappointing results from Swiss banking giant UBS and concerns over rising U.S. treasury yields. Traders are also looking ahead to the upcoming policy decision from the European Central Bank, which will be announced on Thursday. The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index advanced 0.37 percent. The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone blue chip stocks increased 0.54 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, added 0.48 percent. The DAX of Germany climbed 0.25 percent and the CAC 40 of France rose 0.48 percent. The FTSE 100 of the U.K. gained 0.42 percent, but the SMI of Switzerland finished lower by 0.01 percent. In Frankfurt, Fresenius Medical Care tumbled 4.19 percent after it signed a definitive agreement to divest its controlling interest in Sound Inpatient Physicians Holdings, LLC. Fresenius slid 0.12 percent after it has decided to terminate the company's merger agreement with Akorn Inc., due to the latter's failure to fulfill several closing condition. In Paris, Air France-KLM fell 1.85 percent. Air France said that it expects to operate 75 percent of its flights on Monday, the first day of a 48-hour strike over a wage dispute involving pilots, cabin crew and ground staff in France. In London, Capita soared 11.77 percent as the outsourcing firm announced a cash call to raise 701m after reporting a wider loss for last year. Advertising and public relations company WPP lost 2.40 percent after Ford Motor Company said it has put its creative account up for review. UBS tumbled 2.50 percent in Zurich. The bank's first-quarter earnings topped forecasts, but investors were disappointed by the performance of its global private wealth management division. Temenos Group rallied 5.46 percent. The banking software supplier announced that it would not make a revised offer for Fidessa group. Consumer electronics giant Philips Electronics NV jumped 5.53 percent in Amsterdam after its first-quarter results topped expectations. The euro area government deficit narrowed in 2017, data published by Eurostat showed Monday. The government deficit to GDP ratio fell to 0.9 percent from 1.5 percent in 2016. The government deficit totaled EUR 98.92 billion compared to EUR 159.01 billion last year. Eurozone private sector logged a moderate expansion in April, amid signs of weaker growth of demand and supply constraints. The composite output index remained unchanged at 55.2 in April, flash survey results from IHS Markit showed Monday. The score was forecast to drop to 55.0. Germany's private sector grew solidly at the start of the second quarter, survey results from IHS Markit showed Monday. The flash composite output index improved unexpectedly to 55.3 in April from 55.1 in March. The reading was forecast to fall to 54.8. France's private sector activity expanded at a faster pace in April, flash survey data from IHS Markit showed Monday. The composite output index rose to 56.9 in April from 56.3 in March. The expected reading was 55.9. UK household finances deteriorated at the start of the second quarter, survey data from IHS Markit showed Monday. The household finance index remained unchanged at 43.2 in April. A score below 50 suggests a moderate deterioration in household finances with the rate of decrease broadly in line with that seen over the last 12 months. A report released by the National Association of Realtors on Monday showed existing home sales in the U.S. increased by much more than expected in the month of March. NAR said existing home sales climbed by 1.1 percent to an annual rate of 5.60 million in March after surging up by 3.0 percent to a rate of 5.54 million in February. Economists had expected existing home sales to edge up by 0.2 percent. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis A Delta Airlines passenger was slapped with a hefty fine of $500 for not declaring an apple at the U.S. customs agency. Crystal Tadlock, who was traveling from Paris to Denver last week on a Delta Air Lines flight, received an apple on board. However, Tadlock, who was not hungry at that time, saved the apple for later in her bag. However, the apple was found in a random search by US border agents after her first flight landed in Minneapolis. According to US Customs and Border Patrol rules, all agricultural items should be declared. "It's really unfortunate someone has to go through that and be treated like a criminal over a piece of fruit," Tadlock told local station Fox 31. "He had asked me if my trip to France was expensive and I said, 'Yeah.' I didn't really get why he was asking that question, and then he said, 'It's about to get a lot more expensive after I charge you $500,'" she added. Tadlock posted a photo on Twitter of the plastic bag and box which had contained the apple. "False. I did not enjoy the apple. Instead I received a $500 violation, had my global entry revoked (first time I've used it) AND I will be searched on every flight for the rest of my life," she tweeted. "Sounds like I need to start binge eating even when I'm not hungry," she said in another tweet, with hashtag "anappleadaydoesntkeepcustomsaway" Delta said it expects all customers to follow U.S. Customs and Border Protection protocols. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News (Agencia CMA Latam) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos ordered the deployment of the public force to Catatumbo, in the Norte de Santander department (state), to preserve public order amid confrontations between armed groups. Santos announced that Vice President Oscar Naranjo, the Minister of the Interior, Guillermo Rivera, and other high-level officials were sent to the Catatumbo region to speak with the mayors and the communities and look for the solutions. These officials joined the Commander of the Military Forces, who has been in the region to lead the actions. "I have asked the Vice President, the Minister of the Interior, other members of the Cabinet and other officials to move to Catatumbo, to speak with the communities, to speak with the mayors, to find an early solution to this situation," Santos said. He added that security is being harmed by the confrontations between some illegal armed groups and that the National Government and the Public Force are acting to control the situation. 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. Soldiers study online security information on China's National Security Education Day. Photo: IC Zhang Jianguo, 50, is an expert who worked for a military industry research institute in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, conducting crucial research into advanced weaponry. In 2017, he was convicted of espionage. In 2011, the institute offered Zhang the opportunity to pay an academic visit to a Western country, where he got to know a man called "Jack" at an academic event. Jack, who was a spy from that country, would end up recruiting Zhang to provide intelligence on China's military industry. Zhang's story was released by Henan TV and Dahe Bao, a newspaper under the Henan Daily, as a typical case study in national security education on April 15, which is China's National Security Education Day. The report doesn't clarify which Western country was involved, but refers to it in the story as "M Guo" [the Chinese for the US is 'Mei Guo']. The deputy head of Zhengzhou State Security Bureau, surnamed Wang, said in the report that "the research area that Zhang was involved in is crucial and can be used in future weapons development. China plays a leading role in the world in this area, and that's why foreign intelligence agencies were targeting Zhang." Initially, Jack told Zhang that he was in charge of certain military industry projects in "M Guo," and at the same time plied him with presents, including electronic digital products installed with spyware. Later, Jack began receiving sensitive intelligence from Zhang through a "paid consultancy service," through which vast amounts of money were channeled. Into the trap Before Zhang completed his year-long academic visit to "M Guo," Zhang told Jack he wanted his daughter to study abroad, and was soon introduced to a man named "Calvin." Zhang was told that Calvin was a man with significant resources, and it would be easy for him to arrange for his daughter to study in this Western country. Calvin even offered Zhang a green card. "This is very usual practice in espionage. Spies will offer the target something he or she desperately wants, and when the target starts to rely solely on these spies, they dominate the relationship," a retired officer who served in a state security organization surnamed Shu told the Global Times. "If the target wants to send his or her children to study abroad, Western countries' spy agencies can offer anything you can imagine, including references from noted professors, scholarships, certificates of language skill and even an unconditional offer," Shu said. "This kind of practice is normally used by Western countries with attractive educational resources, such as the US, the UK, Australia and Canada." On October 2012, Zhang and Calvin met privately in a hotel, where Calvin told Zhang that he worked for the intelligence services and asked Zhang if he wanted to work together with them. Zhang was worried, but thinking of his daughter's future, asked for time to consider the offer. Zhang sought advice from Jack, who persuaded him by telling him that a man should take responsibility for his family. It was at this moment that Zhang decided to betray his country. Before coming back to China, he received simple spy training from Calvin and Jack. A handcuffed and penitent Zhang recounted his story to Henan TV from prison. Protect and prevent "With China's development and opening-up, the threat of espionage is increasing. In addition to military, science and government intelligence, some countries like Japan are also interested in gathering intelligence on Chinese society, natural resources and ordinary people," said an anonymous expert on security and intelligence at the Beijing-based University of International Relations. "The threat of espionage not only exists abroad. Foreign spies will also come to China to carry out their missions, under a variety of identities such as NGO workers, journalists or diplomats. Sometimes, they hire Chinese citizens to serve them," Shu said. "In recent years, some countries have been increasing their efforts in espionage by sending many unprofessional personnel to gather intelligence, but these efforts are generally useless, as China's political and legal systems have clear advantages in counter-espionage," said the anonymous expert. It's not only governmental officials, military personnel and scientists who need to be careful, Chinese students who study abroad are also being targeted by Western countries' spies, Shu noted. "Foreign spy agencies often target Chinese students with important family backgrounds." (Agencia CMA Latam) - The National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla affirmed its engagement in the efforts to seek peace in Colombia, said the left-wing armed group chief negotiator, Pablo Beltran. In statements released through Twitter, Beltran assured that "Colombia can count on us to keep this effort to find a political solution," despite having to find a new headquarters after Ecuador resigned to the sponsorship of the peace process. "We have just decided to take the dialogue to another country," he said in a recording. Since the talks between the Colombian government and the guerrillas began in February 2017, four rounds have been completed, and the fifth was being held to achieve a new ceasefire. Currently, Colombia's Episcopal Conference and a United Nations mission are evaluating the previous 101-day cease-fire between October 2017 and January 2018. Last week, the Ecuadorean president, Lenin Moreno, announced surprisingly that his country was no longer sponsoring the peace process until the ELN "cease its terrorist activities." Both Colombia and the guerrillas are searching for a new headquarters for the peace talks. 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) - After the controversial twists and turns over the increase in public service tariffs in Argentina during the past week, President Mauricio Macri went out to ask the municipalities and the provinces to eliminate the taxes on services. He also asked Argentineans to save energy, to pay lower bills consequently. The president's request was broadcast live through Facebook and occurred as part of a visit to Vaca Muerta, in the province of Neuqu?n, world's second largest reserve of shale gas and the fourth of shale oil. "I want to ask the municipalities and the provinces to eliminate the taxes they charge on public services to help alleviate the burden on consumers," Macri said. "Taking care of the consumption of gas and electricity, we will also take care of the bill, and it is not an impossible challenge," he added. Last week, after a meeting between the government and leaders of the ruling bloc in Congress, it was decided that the payment of the last increase would be postponed in three bimonthly installments from May to August. An official announcement has not yet been made. 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) - Colcap, the main index of the Colombian Stock Exchange, fell 0.10% Monday to 1,370.05 points as the market found support by the rebound in the shares of Ecopetrol and Bancolombia. Rodrigo Sanchez, an analyst at Ultraserfinco, noted that Ecopetrol's stocks rebounded tracking the rise in Brent oil prices amid the increase in political tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The president of the Supreme Political Council of Yemen and leader of the Houthi Ansar Allah movement, Saleh al-Sammad, was killed in a strike by the international coalition led by Saudi Arabia. The shares of Cemargos (+2.37%), ETB (+1.78%), Preferencial Bancolombia (+1.01%), and Ecopetrol (+1.16%) rose, while Grupo Aval (-0.40%) and Sura (-0.11%) fell. The locally traded U.S. dollar closed at 2.2,817.00 Colombian pesos, marking a 2.02% rise amid the softening in the political tensions between the United States and China. Marcela Ramirez, an analyst at Acciones & Valores, noted that political tensions were lowered after reports that the U.S. Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, should visit Beijing to negotiate economic and trade issues. Meanwhile, the nuclear tension in the Korean Peninsula also softened. 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. A J-15 fighter jet lands on the flight deck of the CNS Liaoning during the exercise on Friday. Also participating were several guided-missile destroyers, guided-missile frigates and dozens of aircraft. [Hu Kaibing/For China Daily] Liaoning battle group joined by two other ships in long-range combat drills China's carrier battle group, led by the aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning, conducted its first combat exercise in the western Pacific on Friday and Saturday, the People's Liberation Army Navy said. The Liaoning, several guided-missile destroyers, guided-missile frigates and dozens of aircraft took part in the exercise in an unidentified area east of the Bashi Channel, the Navy said in a statement on Saturday. The aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning leads its battle group on its first combat exercise in the western Pacific on Friday. [Hu Kaibing/For China Daily] The battle group practiced strike and defense maneuvers with CNS Jinanand CNS Changchun, two Type 052C destroyers from the East Sea Fleet, and honed its long-range combat capabilities, the statement said, noting that it was the first carrier battle group combat exercise to be conducted in the western Pacific by the PLA Navy. Gao Zhaorui, chief of staff of the group, was quoted as saying the mission was aimed at verifying the collaborative ability of the group's vessels and aircraft, examining the group's offensive and defensive systems and fostering the ability of commanders to make decisions when faced with complicated circumstances. The aircraft carrier Liaoning during the exercise on Friday. [Photo/VCG] Ding Yang, a pilot of J-15 carrier-borne fighter jets, told China Central Television that combat training over the open sea tested aviators' responses, the aircraft's readiness and commanders' skills. The Navy's statement said the exercise involved sophisticated situations in the air and on the water, and commanders "appropriately handled various kinds of contingencies". A destroyer escorts the aircraft carrier Liaoning during a drill on Friday. [Photo/VCG] The Liaoning carrier battle group has been busy over the past month, traveling from its home port of Qingdao, Shandong province, to the South China Sea, where it took part in the Navy's largest-ever parade. After that, the Navy said, it conducted a series of combat training operations in the South China Sea, practicing air defense, anti-ship and anti-submarine tactics and strikes against land targets. Sources close to the Navy said the recent drills show that the battle group is rapidly gaining full operational capability but added that pilots still need time to improve their skills, especially their ability to fly at night. A J-15 fighter jet lands on the flight deck of the CNS Liaoning during an exercise on Friday. [Photo/VCG] In another development, observers said the Navy will soon start sea trials of China's second aircraft carrier, the first that is designed domestically. Military fans have published many pictures on Chinese internet forums of what they said were the final preparations at a shipyard in Dalian, Liaoning province. According to the military, the new carrier has a displacement of around 50,000 metric tons and a conventional propulsion system. It will use a ramp to launch fixed-wing aircraft and will carry J-15 fighters and other aircraft. A J-15 fighter jet takes off from the flight deck of the CNS Liaoning during a drill on Friday. [Photo/VCG] President Ram Nath Kovind (file photo) President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday approved an ordinance to provide death penalty for those convicted of raping girls younger than 12 years besides clearing another ordinance to confiscate property of fugitive economic offenders. The President promulgated The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, approved by the Cabinet on Saturday that seeks to provide effective deterrence against rape and instil a sense of security among women, particularly young girls. The ordinance amends the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The ordinance comes against the backdrop of the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, the rape of a teenager in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh and similar crimes in other parts of the country. The development puts in place a number of measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases including a two-month time limit for investigation, two months for completion of trial and six months for disposal of appeals. It provides that punishment for rape of a girl younger than 12 will be a minimum 20 years imprisonment or imprisonment for life or with death. Punishment for gang rape of a girl under 16 years of age will invariably be imprisonment for rest of life. In case of gang rape of a girl below 12 years, punishment will be jail for life or death sentence. The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment. In case of rape of a girl aged below 16, minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life -- meaning imprisonment till that person's natural life. The ordinance also provides that the court has to give notice of 15 days to the Public Prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age. There will be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years. It also aims at strengthening investigation and prosecution including setting up fast track courts and special forensic labs in each state besides maintaining a national database of sexual offenders. Kovind also promulgated The Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018, which followed the Punjab National Bank fraud case, in which the main accused, diamond trader Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, fled the country after duping banks to the tune of over Rs 30,000 crore. The ordinance lays down the measures to empower Indian authorities to attach and confiscate proceeds of crime associated with economic offenders and the properties of the economic offenders and thereby deter economic offenders from evading the process of Indian law by remaining outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts. The Bill is expected to re-establish the Rule Of Law as economic offenders would be forced to return to India to face trial for scheduled offences. This would also help the banks and other financial institutions to achieve higher recovery from financial defaults committed by such offenders and improve the financial health of such institutions. Ayodhya (file photo) Newly elected Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje on Monday visited the make-shift temple of 'Ram Lalla' here in Uttar Pradesh and said that the dream of billions for a grand Ram temple here will soon be a reality. The former judge, who also served as governor of Himachal Pradesh, also offered prayers at the fabled Hanumangarhi temple. Later in the day, he was scheduled to hold wide-ranging meetings with the temple priests and office bearers of the Ramjanma Bhoomi Nyas, a VHP official said. Kokje would also visit the 'Karyasewakpuram' -- the place where stone carvings were underway for the last many years, in anticipation of construction of the Ram temple. On Sunday, before leaving for Faizabad, the VHP chief told reporters in Lucknow that many Muslims were also in favour of construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site. He also said that before starting work in his new capacity as the head of the Hindu outfit, he wanted to pay obeisance to 'Ram Lalla' and that is why he was visiting Ayodhya. The 79-year-old leader also said that he would soon be holding deliberations with saints from all across the country and would like to take the Ram temple movement forward. He also expressed hope that the verdict for Ram temple would soon be pronounced in favour of the Hindu claimants. Calling for mutual dialogue and understanding to thrash out the problem he, however, rued that the litigants were "outsiders" who had no stakes in the decades-old matter. Opposition members will move the Supreme Court against the rejection by Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu of the impeachment motion against the Chief Justice of India, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said on Monday. The former Union Law Minister told the media: "The order by the Chairman is unprecedented, illegal, wrong and unconstitutional." He said it was the first time an impeachment motion was rejected at the admission stage. "It is illegal because the Chairman has passed the order which is required to be passed after conducting an enquiry," he added. "We will move the Supreme Court to challenge the order," he said. According to many scholars and institutes that specialize in the research of global counter-terrorism, the world has witnessed a transition of global strategy of counter-terrorism from eradication to containment in the most recent decades. However, the total number of terrorist attacks happening each year reveals that the improvement in strategy did not translate to a successful reduction of terrorist attacks. Certainly, it does not mean that current policies of counter-terrorism are utterly useless simply based on one single aspect; however, statistics do show that the attempt to contain terrorism has failed to deliver a desirable outcome, and therefore a new approach of counter-terrorism is needed. In fact, the idea of containing terrorism has it merits, as it acknowledges the fact that terrorism is something whose impact can only be limited but can never be eliminated. This realistic interpretation of the nature of terrorism has then served as the top guidance of global counter-terrorism actions. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that the policy of containment is a product of the Cold War, and the focus of this policy is on sovereign states, whose mobility and flexibility are constrained by their rigid internal structures. The current approach of containing terrorism did not develop very far from the means of containing communism adopted for the Cold War, and still focuses on setting up physical barriers by force to defend against the spread of terrorism. But terrorist organizations do not operate like states; as shown by the characteristics of the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, they do not have definite boundaries, their ideologies are largely based on antagonizing the mainstream world, and their mobility and flexibility, superior to the states, allow them to diffuse quickly into an unaffected community without being immediately detected. Therefore, a barrier of force will not serve to contain terrorism firmly in a specified area, and this is why no matter how much money developed countries have spent on equipping the local forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and Mali, incidents of terrorist attacks still happen frequently all over the world, shifting to a neighboring region or OECD countries through transnational tactics. In order to really contain terrorism, a soft barrier should be built up by understanding, acceptance and development, instead of by force. The current way to stop people becoming terrorists is either to cut off their access to the information propagated by terrorist organizations, or to disillusion and intimidate them by disclosing the reality of being a terrorist, but neither of them addresses the core of the problem. The real reason why those people want to become terrorists is that they believe they may find happiness, salvation and hope outside the mainstream society. Therefore, terrorism is a social issue and truly reflects the society. As Adichie has written, the real tragedy of our post-colonial world is not that the majority of people had no say in whether or not they wanted this new world; rather, it is that the majority have not been given the tools to negotiate this new world. The majority choose to keep silent and accept the fact that they will continue to live on without the tools and the say. But a few of them, after realizing the reality, decide to fight for their tools within the mainstream society if they believe that hopes do exist in that circle, or to seek the tools and create the say elsewhere if they completely lose the confidence of the mainstream. For people living in the developed countries, the rising inequality, social alienation and difficulty to have any change in their lives have given them a sense of despair. Of course, education and immigration policies are the tools that government could use to make or keep a coherent society either by indoctrinating everyone with the same set of basic ideology to at least maintain a certain level of commonality in belief, or by selecting the entry of immigrants who are determined and able to conform to that set of ideology. If the government is cogent enough in legislating and implementing correct economic, education and immigration policies, the basic level of the societys homogeneity will be sustained. However, as seen from many countries cases, without any substantial efforts from the government to implement economic, education and immigration policies that could mitigate the growing social conflict, resentment of the alienated or neglected people toward the mainstream society and the establishment has grown more and more concrete and wild. Once they are convinced that they will live like that for the rest of their lives in the current society, they will try to seek solutions elsewhere, probably from terrorist organizations a place totally different from, or even a reverse of the mainstream society, where they might find new purposes and hope. On the other hand, for people living in developing countries, joining terrorism is not so much a choice as a necessity, as it keeps food on the table, instead of starving, and gives them a thing to do, instead of idling. It is important to understand that it is not that most people want to be terrorists, but that they are much forced to become terrorists. Thus, in regions where more than 25% or 50% of the population live with less than $1.9 per day, the promise from Islamic State to their fighters of a base salary of $50 a month plus basic food and accommodation, extra allowance for wife and children in most cases this amounts to about $100 per month and 80% of whatever they loot, has a very significant power of attraction. Another example of the persuasive power of the economic argument is Somalia and its terrorist group Al Shabab. A recent study performed by the Finnish NGO Finn Church Aid showed that 27% of respondents joined Al Shabab terrorist group for economic reasons. 15% mentioned religious reasons - and 13% were forced to join. File photo shows a member of security forces stands guard at a car bomb attack site in Gao, Mali, on Jan. 18, 2017.(Xinhua/Zhao Ziquan) Although the rise of internet has made the world flatter than it used to be, it has also catalyzed the process of "terroristization." According to a report published by Nanyang Technological University, "the global jihadist movements, principally the so-called Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda, have glocalised to exploit indigenous grievances, recruit aspiring jihadists and fight for local and global causes." The word "glocalise" has actually captured the essence of the internet's role in propagating terrorism; by being global and local at the same time, it could project everything happening in the world to a rather small area and magnify its influence. Thanks to the internet, the ability to publicize information has been decentralized to everyone, and social inequality, exclusion and global imbalance of development, reflected by words, pictures and videos on the internet, are made aware to people who might not realize their existence or seriousness in the past. In the meantime, radical ideas, which were exclusive to only a few people, have now reached their global audience. As a result, people around the world who share the same frustration of those problems are united by social media, attracted by radical ideas, and eventually gathered to form terrorist organizations. As Tolstoy wrote, "happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Although it is admissible that there is at least one complete and rational set of ideologies which could be considered as the mainstream, it is difficult to believe that many people really share that. So it is surely possible to generalize it to most individuals and say, each person is suffering in his or her own way, but peoples definitions and desires of happiness are much alike. Even for the people labeled as terrorists, they still share the same definition of happiness as ordinary people do, and the reason they have become like that is that the society did not provide them opportunities to fulfill their happiness. Therefore, to bring about the success of counter-terrorism, terrorists and would-be terrorists need to be convinced that they can achieve their happiness in this mainstream world, not the world created by the fantasy of terrorist organizations. And to make that happen, it is necessary to, as it has been said earlier, contain terrorism in a soft barrier of our understanding, acceptance and efforts of development. Developed countries should work on the improvement of social equality and inclusion so that people can feel their active ownership of the society. Once each one of them realizes that he or she is indeed an indispensable member of a greater society and is included in the process of societal development, they will naturally distance from terrorism, as at this time they have already felt that happiness can be achieved in the mainstream society. In developing countries, emphasis should be made on the promotion of local economies through instituting more developmental projects, thereby reducing people's reliance on terrorism as a source of income. There might be many ways to promote the local economy and education in areas vulnerable to the infiltration of terrorism, but project-based promotion is the quickest and the most effective way at a micro-level. Even within a country, each local community may have its own problem; for some it might be a stable access to food, for others it might be water. The project-based promotion, with its small scale and ease to commence, can target the most urgent needs of specific communities in a most timely fashion. In addition, it also allows a greater participation of the outside world, for it does not require much funding, compared with large public projects, and does not involve a significant collaboration from the government. It is like dividing an area into numerous small communities; when a project is successfully set up in one community, this community will become less susceptible to terrorism, and a "soft barrier" is established. The more projects are set up in one community, the stronger the "soft barrier" is; the more projects are set up across communities, the longer the "soft barrier" is. Furthermore, "soft barriers" have to be adapted to the different characteristics of the respective societies, so the problems of terrorism in two societies have to be solved differently. Compared with the work in developed countries, containment of terrorism in developing countries is much more difficult to address. In developed countries, governments and other social institutions tend to run more orderly and effectively, and problems could be solved within the governments and institutions' capability. Whereas in developing countries, social issues are easily neglected and are piling up, which eventually could precipitate irremediable disasters, like the radicalization of Northern Mali. Hence, between two different groups of societies, the balance of focus has to be heavily tilted to the developing countries' side, especially to the establishment of soft barriers by setting up more local projects. For example, in Northern Chad, where the annual rainfall is generally less than 30 centimeters, people chose to become terrorists mostly because they were unable to obtain potable water throughout the year; otherwise, they might die from dehydration like many of their relatives. The presence of terrorist organizations fills the vacuum of water provision so that local people could use the water for living and making economic gains, and in the meantime, offers the youth something they could do as a means and will of living. Nevertheless, what many people do not know is that there is less than 10 meters below the ground level an abundance of underground water. Hence, by setting up water stations with solar pumps, one could provide local residents enough water not only to drink, but also to irrigate their agricultural products and graze their cattle. Water stations, in this context, serve exactly as a soft barrier that precludes people from approaching terrorism. These stations will give people suffering from the lack of water a means to sustain their livings by farming and grazing without having to turn themselves against the mainstream world. Similar situation also happens in Niger, Mali and Mauritania. If this water station project could be extended across the whole Sahel Belt, the barrier between terrorism and not only these countries but also the rest of the world would be pushed even norther to the deeper Sahara, where the effects of terrorism are minimized. In more densely populated urban areas such as townships and cities, where access to modern technologies is more feasible and residents generally do not participate in agricultural production, different measures should be taken to construct the soft barrier, such as instituting professional training programs. For example, in Bamako, one of the most frequently attacked city by terrorists, many people have noticed the huge imbalance of wealth distribution in this country. They realized that no matter how hardworking they are in this current society, it is impossible for them to climb up the social ladder. In order to achieve self-fulfillment, they have to take a different path that deviates from societys common values. In this particular situation, joining terrorism is no longer an attempt to make for a living but a quick way of fulfilling their ambitions. Therefore, the soft barrier that should be built there should focus on capacity-strengthening of the young and middle-aged people, which includes providing professional training that best caters to the need of local or regional job markets, connecting trained labor forces to employers and assisting them to initiate small businesses. Similar to the previous case, once people become well-trained and find jobs that could provide a steady flow of income, they will stabilize and not try to look for ways of self-fulfillment from other sources. The key here is that the level of training provision that a lot of NGOs are doing right now should not be stopped; instead, more care should be taken about whether those trained labor forces can find jobs after their trainings, since all efforts are basically useless and they will return to their previous lives and temptations if no help is provided to find jobs. In fact, instituting training programs should not only limit to Bamako; all cities and townships that have high unemployment or semi-employment rates could adopt this measure as a defense against the infiltration of terrorism. On a larger scale, economic development and initiation of joint projects is also the approach chosen by Russia in Afghanistan with local government to defeat terrorism and bring peace back in the country. Despite many years of military presence and investments in security measures, the country is still the theatre of many terrorist attacks every year and the situation is deteriorating with Islamic State gaining ground and Taliban being still powerful. Since 2017, the Afghan government supports several projects involving Russian and local companies in various sectors such as energy and agriculture. The development of local economy aims at reducing the attractiveness of those terrorist organizations and also their drug trafficking revenues allowing them to pay the wages of thousands of gunmen. According to Nikolay Patrushev, Russian Security Chief Council, terrorism could not be defeated without achieving national reconciliation taking into account the interests of all ethnic groups along with the countrys economy, the growing welfare of the population, declining unemployment, and higher levels of education". As the global war against terrorism intensifies, terrorist attacks have become more decentralized, and the difficulty of countering them has also increased accordingly. Foreseeing a further decentralization of terrorism, the world shall become aware that soft barriers are in fact stronger and more impervious than hard barriers of force. Indeed, they are trying to save people from terrorism by concrete actions that could convince people mainstream side is better, instead of merely building a great wall of military actions that threaten people from going to the other side, which does not address to the root of the problem at all. Meanwhile, because most of the terrorist groups are rooted on or target countries engaged in violent conflicts or using state sponsored terror, it is also important to recognize that the project-based promotion solution in these regions could not work without proper pacification or protective measures, involvement of local politics and self- determination. Likewise, it would be presumptuous to not recognize that although socio-economic factors are playing a key role in terrorism expansion, it is also necessary to take into account group, religious, cultural antagonisms, and reflect the image displayed by OECD countries or international organizations. Finally, the importance of synergy in the process of containing terrorism; governments and large organizations are not the only ones that ought to take actions, everyone who feels responsible of the world, who wishes a better tomorrow, who sympathizes with the unfortunates, and who do not want to see any terrorist attacks happening should participate in the building of the "soft barriers." And it is always good to remember, the more people are mobilized to stand on the project promotion side, the less space it is left for terrorism. Challenges faced by the media in Samoa with the onset of internet technology will be the focus of a National Forum on Freedom of Expression Online. It is part of World Press Freedom Day activities being organized by U.N.E.S.C.O. and the Journalists Association of (Western) Samoa (J.A.W.S.). To be held at the Insel Fehmarn Hotel in Tanugamanono on 3 May 2018, the theme of the Forum this year is "Looking over Internet Risks and Challenges. The gathering will also look at the Government criticisms of media reports, fears about censorship, violence and the harassment of journalists in general. We intend to bring together several stakeholders to discuss the above theme and develop strategies to address issues as a result of Social Media, said J.A.W.S. President, Rudy Bartley. It should also encourage a discussion how media freedom can be upheld and defended. According to Mr. Bartley, there will be a panel to discuss safety of journalists. Journalists who have been attacked or harassed online will be invited to tell their stories and from there the moderator should initiate a discussion on how journalists can keep themselves safe (ethical and professional behaviours). He said the open nature of the internet is a benefit to freedom of expression and access to information, but it does have challenges. The negative side of internet is the openness to transmit hate speech, deliberate defamation under the guise of freedom of speech, sharing and leaking personal information and the spread of fake news. These risks cannot be effectively monitored if there is the lack of and under-resourcing of self-regulatory systems by internet intermediaries or other stakeholders with a role to monitor online content. Elsewhere, it has fueled the growth of legislation and regulation imposing restrictions on freedom of the press. The national forum will create a platform for the J.A.W.S. and relevant stakeholders to talk about the challenges to media freedom online and offline in Samoa. The former Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efis decision to break his silence on fears about the alienation of customary lands and Samoas land laws will gain him some friends and probably more enemies. That much is undeniable. While he would be celebrated as the ultimate hero in some corners of Samoa and abroad for his courage to raise his voice given the sensitivity of the issue in question, he would remain a villain in the eyes of some people, who already dont like him. Indeed, his enemies will continue to remind him that it is he who signed the Land Titles Registration bill into law and therefore whatever he says now no longer matters. They will argue that he has only decided to speak out because he is no longer the Head of State. They have a point. After all, would we be having this conversation had the former Head of State simply refused to sign the bill? What would have happened if he rejected it? And would he have spoken out now if he were still the Head of State? Who knows? For the record, His Highness Tui Atua has explicitly claimed he was assured and reassured by the Office of the Attorney General there was nothing to be alarmed about when he was given the bill to sign. In hindsight, it was a false sense of assurance and him speaking out now is an admission of that. Looking in from the outside, His Highness Tui Atua must be commended for his courage to step forward like he did last week. Some other leaders would have just dipped their heads in shame and take their regrets with them to the grave. Tui Atua has not. He has been man enough to admit he was misled and knowing what he knows now, he has not remained silent. Besides, its better late than never. We know this much, it would not have been an easy decision to make. But after giving the issue considerable thought, Tui Atua has made his views known. Good on him. The paper titled O fea le alofa? Where is love? published in the Sunday Samoan was a masterpiece in how to articulate value, vision and wisdom. Which is what Tui Atua does better than anyone else in this part of the world, which will remain as one of his lasting legacies. The choice of language, the imagery and the indigenous reference was beautiful, pointy and it hit the nail on the head. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, the Government and the people of Samoa cannot ignore it. We ought to listen. Tui Atua warns about a significant cross-road Samoa has found herself in. Not just in terms of trying to figure out how best to protect our customary land from foreign or alien interests, but also how to protect ourselves from ourselves, he said. Since Samoa regained Independence we have taken our faasamoa for granted. We as leaders have assumed that so long as we have governing control over ourselves, Samoa mo Samoa, we will never lose it. But the loss of culture and core values can happen slowly, subtly and stealthily, and on our own watch. Today it has become clear that we can no longer escape the reality that as leaders we must take a public stand against allowing the ambiguity of Article 102 of our Constitution to persist. We must admit that in light of the accumulating evidence, this ambiguity has been exploited in ways that now seriously undermines the integrity and purpose of Article 102, i.e. to protect customary lands from alienation. Today I make a plea that as a nation whose faasinomaga (identity) and tofi (inheritance) are inextricably connected to our customary lands that we stand together and demand that this ambiguity be properly attended to, and that following this the Article be accordingly amended. This is our right; it is our right as suli (heirs) of all customary lands in Samoa, whether you live in Samoa or not. So what is the problem? Well lets take a look at Article 102 to start with: No alienation of customary land It shall not be lawful or competent for any person to make any alienation or disposition of customary land or of any interest in customary land, whether by way of sale, mortgage or otherwise howsoever, nor shall customary land or any interest therein be capable of being taken in execution or be assets for the payment of the debts of any person on his decease or insolvency: Provided that an Act of Parliament may authorise (a) The granting of a lease or licence of any customary land or of any interest therein; (b) The taking of any customary land or any interest therein for public purposes. Said Tui Atua: In laymans terms the Article says that it is illegal to alienate customary lands unless an Act of Parliament allows for 1. a lease or licence to be granted over customary land, or 2. customary land is to be taken for public purposes. I do not have any problems with the taking of customary land for public purposes, assuming of course that such public purposes are indeed valid public purposes. What I have a problem with is the ambiguity that arises as a result of reading the sub-clause that states that an Act of Parliament may authorise the granting of a lease or licence of any customary land or of any interest therein alongside the wording of the main text of the Article which says no alienation of customary land whether by way of sale, mortgage or otherwise howsoever. He added that the debate about Samoan customary land and land laws is the most dangerous issue facing us since our fight for the return of our Independence. The land law issue we are embroiled in now has the potential to strip us of our soul. There is a divisiveness here that we must avoid at all costs, he said. But to avoid this we must re-locate, re-inscribe and re-inspirit in the heart and mind of our laws the wisdom of our tu ma aganuu Samoa and our tofi paia tuufaasolo. This we cannot do without finding and reviving the principle of alofa in law. We have faced many challenges as a nation since regaining Independence but this is the most serious. To overcome this challenge, we must first recognise that the challenge now comes not from outside but from within. Wonderfully said and we couldnt agree more. Our problem today is that the concept of alofa has been crushed by man-made laws, which protect the interests of the powerful and mighty while exposing the poor and the most vulnerable to the point where they risk losing everything they have including lands and their souls. What do you think? Write and share your thoughts with us! Have a great Tuesday Samoa, God bless! Samoas Hollywood superstar, Seiuli Dwayne Johnson and his longtime partner, Lauren Hashian, have welcomed their second baby girl. The birth of Tiana Gia Johnson, Seiulis third daughter, was announced by her proud father on Instagram. Skin to skin. Our mana, he writes. Blessed and proud to bring another strong girl into this world. Tiana Gia Johnson came into this world like a force of nature and Mama Lauren Hashian Official labored and delivered like a true rockstar. Seiuli said he was raised and surrounded by strong, loving women all my life. But after participating in baby Tias delivery, its hard to express the new level of love, respect and admiration I have for Lauren Hashian and all mamas and women out there. Word to the wise gentlemen, its critical to be by your ladys head when shes delivering, being as supportive as you can holding hands, holding legs, whatever you can do. But, if you really want to understand the single most powerful and primal moment life will ever offer - watch your child being born. Its a life changer and the respect and admiration you have for a woman, will forever be boundless. Tiana is Seiulis third daughter. And to my third and youngest daughter, Tiana Gia - like I did when your two older sisters Simone Alexandra and Jasmine Lia were born, you have my word, Ill love, protect, guide and make ya laugh for the rest of my life, he writes. Your crazy dad has many responsibilities and wears many hats in this big ol world, but being your dad will always be the one Im most proud to wear. Oh and one more thing youre gonna love rollin in daddys pick up truck. Dear Editor, I write in reference to the address by the former Head of State. I cant see an ambiguity. This ambiguity argument is all about letting both the P.M., A.G. and the former Head of State off the hook as if all that occurred was innocent and they were all motivated by virtue and determined to put the interests of the people of Samoa first. The P.M. made an unconstitutional deal to break up the customary land for the benefit of investors in 1998, so every time he claims that customary land rights of Aiga are protected, he has either forgotten his deal with all the money he has taken to fund the Torrens System or he is simply deceiving our people until they are destroyed and unable to resist. Yes the Head of State now claims that he was deceived. Many have already criticised him for good reason because in a way he put his own interests before those of the Aiga of Samoa. Leases are permitted but not leases which coupled with other laws are designed to alienate Customary Land. Tricky political schemes, lies and unconstitutional laws are all devices to alienate Customary Land - all forbidden and rendered void if made into law because they are nothing more than dishonest tricks to avoid the clear intention contained in Samoas supreme law namely the Constitution that Aiga remain owners of Customary land unless we choose in a referendum to give up our ownership. Show me a single Samoan stupid enough to give up the land of his or her ancestors. The H.R.P.P. certainly avoid a referendum because it marks the end of their pursuit of greed at the expense of the people of Samoa. Maua Faleauto Member of Parliament, Olo Fiti Vaai, has called on Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi, to act like a leader and keep the peace in Samoa. Last month, a dispute, which led to Luatuanuu men blocking the road, was the result of a rugby fight between the Luatuanuu youth and nearby village Falefa. When the Police turned up, they were attacked with stones. At the time, Tuilaepa said the young people of Luatuanuu had no right to endanger the lives of the Police and the travelling public. These types of actions do not exist at this time and age. The actions by these young men are not that of humans, rather they are the actions of dogs, said the Prime Minister. Olo Fiti condemned the Prime Ministers comments. This is humble advice to the Prime Minister, you are a leader and you should act like one. He should lead by example and keep the peace. And I urge our Prime Minister to please choose his words wisely. There is a difference between advising as a Chief and Head of your family and giving advice as leader of this country, we are so proud of, said Olo Fiti. As a leader, everyone should be equal in your view and I am worried that this is causing a clash between Luatuanuu and the Ministry of Police. This quarrel between the Prime Minster and Luatuanuu and the question that comes to mind is, to what end? Life is precious and if this continues and a life is lost, what is the purpose? Isnt the whole purpose of the Police is to keep the peace and ensure the safety of our people? I dont condone the Luatuanuu actions of blocking the road but we should let the law take its course. If anything, the Prime Minister is only adding fuel to the fire, every time Tuilaepa is on air with his live interviews with 2AP, he has always said negative comments towards Luatuanuu. The end result only causes commotion. Hes doing more harm than good and I dont know what the purpose is, said Olo Fiti. A good leader should be flexible in his approach to any issue and not add and I for one agree his labelling of the Luatuanuu as dogs was too harsh. Let me remind the Prime Minister the core function of the Ministry of Police in which he is the Minister is keeping the peace and ensuring the safety of our people, said the Member of Parliament. As a long lasting true friend, Chinas Fujian Province is willing to support Samoa in sustainable development. The offer comes from Zhou Lianqing, Member of the Standing Committee of C.P.C. Fujian Provincial Committee as he hosted the Samoa Parliamentarian Delegation of 8 on tour in the Republic this week. Of particular interest to the Lianqing is the Maritime Silk Road in the 21st Century which China is embarking and will span all the way to the Pacific including Samoa. The initiative aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and the Pacific as a critical link. It has been considered Chinas way to promote mutual development in the world. Aside from the ambitious Maritime Silk Road the high ranking statesman would also like to see Samoa and Fujian Province develop a partnership through an exchange of information targeting agriculture, tourism and fisheries to serve as the platform and vehicle for the two sides enhance understanding and co-operation with one another for future developments. And Samoa is receptive to the proposition, says Parliaments Select Committee on Social Sector, Gatoloai Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana Gidlow leading the delegation as Samoa has a lot to learn from the successes that the Peoples Republic of China has achieved since their open door policy. You cannot compare Chinas wealth of experience and resources to our small country with a population of over 190, 000, she said. She noted that among the areas which Samoa is interested in is the Deep Sea fish farm as well as clean energy and of course, Chinas expertise in addressing climate changes resilience. The Samoa-China relationship continues to flourish and grow guided by Samoas adherence to its one China policy and sharing the values and principles of the partnership that is underpinned by mutual trust and respect for international law to address the range of challenges faced, continued the former Cabinet Minister. Samoa is highly appreciative of Chinas readiness to assist in Samoas efforts towards sustainable development through agricultural/fisheries development, sustainable tourism, education and health and human resource development. We also acknowledge all efforts to upgrade needed infrastructure. China has never failed to amaze every Samoan delegation which has visited China and we are humbled to be here and appreciative of Chinas assistance to our developed country, she added. The past four decades have witnessed the fruitful achievements in practical cooperation in various fields as well as the deepening friendship between the two countries. Samoan people have always been very grateful to China for the gratuitous aid in the long run over the years and admired the Chinese people for the remarkable achievements that they have made along the development path of their own choice. And she reassured that the Parliament of Samoa will continue to strengthen the exchange and cooperation with the National Peoples Congress of China and make new contribution to the Samoa-China friendship. To that effect, the China-Samoa relationship has become the model in friendly cooperation for China and Pacific island Countries. She said that Samoa hopes China will continue supporting its national construction and is willing to actively participate in the forum between China and the Pacific Island countries on economic development and cooperation. As the hometown of the Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Fujian Province has a lot to be proud of. Fujians Gross Domestic Product, (G.D.P.) has sky rocketed from US$249 in 1978 per person to a whopping $8,000 in 2013 and it continues to grow. With a population of 39.11 million, you do the math which should give you an idea on the successful achievements by the Fujian Province located on the South Coast of the Peoples Republic of China. The Province is also the top maritime economic achiever in the Republic. And as guests of the Fujian Province this week, the 8 member Parliamentarian delegation from Samoa led by Select Committee Chairperson for the Social Sector and Former Health Minister Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow, are in awe. The look and learn tour by the Samoan Parliamentarians is an initiative by China and fully funded by the Republic. It also fulfills a promise by President Xi Jingping to Samoas Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi. In November 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping met Prime Minister Tuilaepa and the two leaders agreed to establish a strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development. The target is for the Samoan lawmakers to learn from Fujian Province trials and tribulations and in the process better equip them when making informed decisions when it comes to reviewing and approving legislations that benefit Samoa. As guests, the Samoan delegation is getting first class exposure to Fujians success stories through a visit to the History Museum of Fujian Party School as well as lectures and question and answer sessions on the Practice of Reform and Opening-up; Fujians Experience coupled with Cross-Straits Relations and Fujian-Taiwan relations. The delegation has also crossed paths with some of the key and influential members from Chinas CPC. Impressed is an understatement, said Gatoloai. Samoa values parliamentary exchanges with China and would like to promote the two countries relationship. She noted that Samoa is among the first countries in the Pacific to forge diplomatic ties with the Peoples Republic of China. Diplomatic ties were established in 1975 and since then, China-Samoa relations have developed steadily over the past three decades even though the international situation has changed greatly. The two countries have supported each other politically and economically. They have also cooperated well in other fields. This benefits the people of the two countries, continued Gatoloai. She noted that China and Samoa will without a doubt continue to promote political trust and economic cooperation to push bilateral relations between the two countries to a new height. This week the tour moves to Beijing where the Samoan lawmakers will be treated to a presentation on China and the Communist Party of China The delegation members include; Gatoloaifaana Amataga Gidlow, MP Chairperson Social Sector Committee Leader of the delegation Faaulusau Rosa Duffy Stowers, MP Member Infrastructure Sector Committee Seiuli Ueligitone Seiuli, Associate Minister for Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure Mulipola Leiataua Laki Mulipola, Associate Minister for Finance Toleafoa Ken Vaafusuaga Poutoa, MP Member Economic Sector Committee Ili Setefano Taateo Tafili, MP Member Social Sector Committee Toomata Aki Tuipea, MP Member Finance & Expenditure Committee Harry Mila Manager Information Technology Legislative Branch Tony Melbourne Natanielu Manager Parliamentary Committee Legislative Branch Nanai Taofiga Laveitiga Tuiletufuga - Press Secretary - Ministry of the Prime Minister & Cabinet. General Wei Fenghe (3rd R), Chinese state councilor and defense minister, holds talks with Uzbekistani Defense Minister Major-General Abdusalom Azizov (3rd L) in Beijing on April 21, 2018. (mod.gov.cn/Zhang Yu) BEIJING, April 23 (ChinaMil) -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, met with the visiting Minister of Defense of Uzbekistan Abdusalom Azizov in Beijing on April 21. Wei said that under the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core, China will continue to deepen reform, expand opening-up areas, achieve greater development, and actively promote the building of a community of shared future for mankind. With the guidance of the heads of state of the two countries, China and Uzbekistan should conduct close cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative to promote the healthy development of the China-Uzbekistan comprehensive strategic partnership, said Wei. The armed forces of the two countries have conducted pragmatic cooperation in areas of high-level contacts, personnel training and military technologies, Wei said. The two militaries should earnestly implement the consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries and continuously upgrade the cooperation level to effectively safeguard common interests of the two countries and regional peace and stability, Wei said. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping thought on strengthening the armed forces, the Chinese armed forces is implementing in an all-round way the strategy of building a strong army through reform and has made historic achievements, Wei added. He suggested the two sides enhance communications on military reform and learn from each others experience. Azizov said that the heads of state of Uzbekistan and China held important talks last year and pointed out directions for the development of state and military relations between the two countries, Uzbekistan is willing to strengthen pragmatic cooperation with China in various fields and push forward relations between the two countries and their military-to-military relations to make further progress. Before their meeting, Wei held a welcome ceremony for Azizov and accompanied him to review the guard of honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe holds a welcome ceremony for the visiting Uzbekistani Defense Minister Abdusalom Azizov in Beijing, April 21, 2018. (mod.gov.cn/ Zhang Yu) Everyone has their own stories of daily struggles to tell. For John Totua Faifailoa, 51, he is an unemployed father of three from the village of Moataa-Uta. He needs help with his house. Mr. Faifailoa said life is really hard on his end because not only is he unemployed, but he needs some work done for his house. He said they dont have any problems with their water connection and electricity. As you can see, my house is in a bad condition because its a very old house and a few things need to be done in terms of safety. The back side is too low and Im just using iron roofing for the sides because that was all I could afford for my house. We just finished repairing the rooftop because the rain usually seeps through our old iron roofing. So that is what I need right now, some timber to improve the condition of my house. Mr. Faifailoa was doing work around his place when the Village Voice team met him yesterday morning. He also mentioned that life is really hard in Samoa nowadays. We are lucky that only four of us live here because my wife and I are unemployed. My eldest son just recently stopped going to school at Loto Taumafai, my second one is in New Zealand and another is still in school in Samoa. I used to work but then I stopped because I have to work on my plantation. So basically that is where we get our money today. It is from my plantation and from backyard chickens that I sell. Mr. Faifailoa would appreciate any help he can get from anyone who is keen to help him. He can be contacted on 7748263. BEIRUT (AP) Syrian government forces moved to cut off Islamic State militants in southern Damascus from nearby rebel-held suburbs Monday in an attempt to force the extremists to surrender or evacuate the district, state media reported. The area in southern Damascus is the last part of the capital not controlled by President Bashar Assad's forces. Other insurgents in the area, including an al-Qaida-linked group, have said they would relocate to rebel-held regions in northern Syria. State-run al-Ikhbariya TV said the government hopes to isolate IS in Hajar al-Aswad. The TV station showed thick, gray smoke billowing from the neighborhood as government forces pounded it with artillery and airstrikes. Damascus residents said the sound of explosions echoed across the capital. The TV said IS snipers targeted journalists covering the fighting, without saying whether anyone was hurt. Hundreds of IS militants are holed up in Hajar al-Aswad and Yarmouk, a Palestinian refugee camp that resembles a built-up residential neighborhood. Rebels from other factions hold the nearby suburbs of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem. IS agreed to give up its last pocket of Damascus on Friday but has yet to begin surrendering to government forces and relocating to IS-held areas elsewhere in the country. The offensive in southern Damascus coincides with preparations by rebels to evacuate towns in the Qalamoun region, east of the capital, following an agreement that allows them to relocate to opposition-held areas in northern Syria. It marks the latest rebel capitulation, after the sprawling eastern Ghouta region returned to government control earlier this month. The recapture by government forces of areas in southern Damascus and the Qalamoun region would give Assad control of the entire area around Damascus and the country's center, extending all the way up to Homs, for the first time in years. IS said in a statement that the government had launched 400 airstrikes on Hajar al-Aswad and Yarmouk, destroying large parts of the neighborhoods. It claimed to have killed more than three dozen government forces, but there was no independent confirmation, and the extremist group often exaggerates such figures. The U.N. said that since the fighting began last week, most of the 6,000 civilians in Yarmouk camp have been forcibly displaced to the neighboring suburb of Yalda. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 11 people have been killed in the offensive since the fighting began last Thursday. Government forces have escalated their campaign to retake all remaining enclaves in the capital and surrounding areas. The IS-held areas in southern Damascus are the last holdouts, after rebels evacuated the eastern Ghouta suburbs following a fierce government offensive and an alleged poison gas attack in the town of Douma. In response to the alleged attack in Douma, the U.S., Britain and France launched missile strikes on suspected Syrian chemical weapons facilities. Since then, there have been reports that Moscow will sell Damascus a sophisticated air defense system. Asked about reports that Russia was planning to sell S-300 systems to Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov replied that he "couldn't say the matter has been settled." "We have to wait and see what decisions Russian leadership and Syrian representatives are going to take," Lavrov said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies on Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that France is committed to pushing for more dialogue among Syria's warring parties. The phone call with Putin came Monday, just hours before Macron's state visit to the United States. It was the first call between the two leaders since the French, British and U.S. airstrikes on April 14. Macron said he wants to work with Russia to initiate a "credible political process" and "intensify humanitarian aid to civilian populations," according to the French presidency's statement. Macron will travel to Russia on May 24-25. Russia is a key ally of Assad, and has provided crucial air support in military campaigns going back to 2015. Dozens of Southwest Airlines flights, including several in San Diego, were canceled Monday as the company conducts aircraft inspections in the wake of last weeks midair engine explosion that led to a passengers death. While the airline is not saying exactly how many flights are being canceled, there were nearly 130 cancellations as of early Monday afternoon, according to the travel-tracking website FlightAware. The Southwest cancellations represented the bulk of of the 171 canceled domestic flights among all airlines, a FlightAware spokeswoman said Monday afternoon. Its unclear whether every one of the canceled Southwest flights across the country are due to inspections. According to FlightAware, the number of daily canceled flights on Southwest this month never exceeded 100 until Monday. In San Diego, there were four canceled Southwest flights originating or terminating at Lindbergh Field on Monday. One involved flights between San Diego and Phoenix, the other between Dallas and San Diego. On Sunday, four flights departing from San Diego were canceled, airport spokeswoman Rebecca Bloomfield said. Advertisement Those represent a fraction of Southwests more than 200 daily inbound and outbound flights at the San Diego International Airport. In a statement Monday, Southwest said the cancellations are related to its plan to voluntarily accelerate inspections of engine fan blades on its entire fleet of Boeing 737-700s and 800s. We will continue our work to minimize flight disruptions by performing inspections overnight while aircraft are not flying and utilizing spare aircraft, when available, the statement said. We anticipate minimal delays or cancellations each day this week due to the inspections; as a point of reference, last weeks inspections affected fewer than 1 percent of our 4,000 scheduled flights each day. On Sunday, there were 86 cancellations across all airlines, 49 of which were on Southwest, FlightAware said. All but 13 of Southwests fleet of more than 700 planes are affected by the inspections. Customers are being notified of the cancellations but are also encouraged to check for flight updates, the airline said. After the April 17 incident that killed 43-year-old passenger Jennifer Riordan when she was partially sucked out of a window that broke after the engine exploded, Southwest said it would accelerate ultrasonic checks of fan blades on the CFM56 engines that power its Boeing 737s. Southwest has previously said that the inspections are expected to be completed over the next 30 days. The airline stressed that the related cancellations are not the result of a directive last Friday by the FAA but rather its earlier decision to voluntarily hasten checks of the engine fan blades. Advertisement Business lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com Advertisement (619) 293-2251 Twitter: @loriweisberg Changing picky eating habits. Helping end the plight of homeless animals. Consequences for telling lies. How smiling is contagious and why to do more of it. Bringing back the code of chivalry. Those were just some of the topics kids from Cajon Valley Union School District addressed on Saturday at a motivational speaking event at Greenfield Middle School. More than two dozen students from schools around El Cajon shared their views onstage to an auditorium packed with people at the daylong TEDx Kids@El Cajon Beyond Infinity event. In its fourth year, the TEDx El Cajon event is an offshoot of the nonprofit TED organization that since 1984 has given a voice and a venue for people to spread their ideas. Advertisement Nearly 5,000 people attended the on-campus festivities, according to Cajon Valley Superintendent David Miyashiro, who was in the audience for every students speech. The day was broken up into four speaking sessions: Beyond Me, Beyond Today, Beyond Barriers and Beyond Classroom. Serene Williams was one of the presenters in Beyond Barriers. The Naranca Elementary School fifth-grader said she felt it was important to share her message to a large audience about how being bullied eventually led her to discover a new crowd of friends. Serenes TED talk told a story of how, as a fourth-grader, she was struggling to find acceptance. She said other kids picked on her because of her size and the way she looked. She said they made fun of her weight and her hair. It was really emotional and a very lonely time, and it was really hard for me because I felt like no one was going to be my friend, she said. Serene said she would pinch her tormentors and purposely trip them in order to get back at them. I would spend most of my recess in the vice principals office, she said. The (adults) knew why I was doing it, because of all the kids that were messing with me. But then Serene confided in school counselor, who in turn shared her own struggles as a youth and it made me feel like I wasnt alone, Serene said The counselor encouraged Serene to join a leadership club, which helped give her strength and confidence and gave me more friends than I had before. Advertisement Serene got a standing ovation from many in the audience. The daylong event at Greenfield also included dance and drama performances and videos on a big screen. An indoor area with computer coding opportunities, games and tables with materials to create artwork were also on site. A park area had more than two dozen booths offering hands-on activities for kids, a playground with blow-up slides, food trucks and a shady area to picnic. El Cajon Police Det. Louie Michael shares his story of coming to El Cajon from Iraq via Turkey when he was a toddler, and attending local schools on the way to his police career. (Karen Pearlman/San Diego Union-Tribune ) Advertisement The event also included several guest speakers, including El Cajon Police Det. Louie Michael. Michael shared an abbreviated version of his life story that recalled fleeing to Turkey from Iraq with his family when he was a toddler. Michaels family eventually landed in El Cajon, and he showed photos on a movie screen behind him with snapshots of his graduations from El Cajon Valley High School and Grossmont Colleges Police Academy. Michael thanked several local mentors who inspired him along the way to his now 10-year career on the local police force. He said afterward that he was nervous to speak in front of a large crowd but that he wanted to share his story with kids and their parents, particularly those who shared his Chaldean background. Advertisement I wanted to explain to them that this is my real life, he said. That I was there, I lived it, and that I am here now. I always remember where I came from. Giving back to the community is so rewarding. I want to give them something to look forward to, even though it might not be law enforcement. The kids today are the future of tomorrow. Advertisement karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com Beachgoers at the south end of Imperial Beach wont have to walk up to the pier to use a public bathroom next summer. The Port of San Diego plans to install restrooms and showers on Beach Avenue and Seacoast Drive. The $2 million project, which has been in the works for three years, is expected to be completed by the summer of 2019, according to project manager Armando Mora. Beach Avenue is the perfect location for the bathroom because it wont block any driveways, its far enough from the pier so people will use it but in a part of the beach that already gets plenty of foot traffic. Advertisement The farther south you go, the less people would use it, Mora said. At the same time, we didnt want to go too far north because we also have restrooms up there at Dunes Park and Pier Plaza. The Port first looked into having a public restroom in the area because of complaints of people changing and going to the bathroom in public. Imperial Beach approved the location in April 2017. The Port of San Diego and Imperial Beach recently hosted an open house to show different design concepts. Residents were shown four concepts and asked which ones they liked best. The different design features include a roof made of frosted panels that let in natural light, a colorful wall made of individual tiles that make a pixilated version of the sunset, wooden boards for a beach aesthetic, and different signage. Residents were mostly excited about the public restrooms. I actually might come to this beach more knowing that this is here, said local artist Todd Stands. I dont really want to swim by the pier so knowing there would be a shower here might be a reason to come down this way. Others were concerned about the restrooms attracting homeless people to the area, but recognized the need of them in this part of Imperial Beach. I think its a very positive thing, said Dave Frink. We dont want it to be a homeless shelter but there needs to be toilets for everybody. Advertisement The architects took several steps to address some of the publics concerns. That includes putting the restroom close to Seacoast Drive to avoid blocking anyones beach view, making the entrance of the restroom face Seacoast Drive to make it easier for police to patrol when they drive along, and installing locking mechanisms so the restrooms can be closed at dusk. Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or Twitter Rep. Susan Davis wants the Navy to study the impact of Mexican sewage spills on the new $1 billion SEAL training center. Davis, a San Diego Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, has grown concerned about untreated sewage leaking from Tijuanas aging and overworked wastewater collection and treatment system, a problem exacerbated by surges of fecal contamination when Mexican pipes break, pumps fail and rain falls. In February 2017, a sewage trunk line south of the border ruptured. Over 17 days it spewed as much as 230 million gallons of raw sewage into the Pacific Ocean. Repairing the pipes spilled more wastewater into the Tijuana River channel, which empties into the sea near Imperial Beach, near the home of the new 600-acre Silver Strand SEAL center. Advertisement Over the past three years, Imperial Beach alone has suffered 160 days of closures because of the pollution. We need a whole government solution to the sewage spills, Davis said in a news release. We know the environmental and economic impact these spills have. What we dont know, with the Navy planning to stage training operations in potentially contaminated waters, are the national security concerns. The Navy should take a look at this and coordinate with relevant agencies to assess what can be done to prevent future spills. Officials at Coronado-based Naval Special Warfare said that they were aware of the congresswomans concerns and vowed to work with her and other Navy departments to address them. Because they are working with San Diego-based Navy Region Southwest and other commands on an official response, SEAL leaders said that they could not speak on the record. Davis is contemplating inserting language into next years defense spending bill to force the Navy to detail any national security concerns caused by the spills. Her idea is to help the Pentagon coordinate with the U.S. State Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, Homeland Security, Department of the Interior and the International Boundary Water Commission to find ways to prevent or mitigate future sewage headaches. The last thing we want is our elite Navy SEALs training in water contaminated with sewage. Nor do we want training operations delayed, she said. But its not just SEALs who train in or near Imperial Beachs waters. The Navys explosive ordnance disposal technicians routinely use the ocean, including fast-roping practice off the coast of Imperial Beach and static-line parachuting into San Diego Bay near Coronado. Advertisement In May 2017, another member of the Armed Services Committee, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, wrote a letter to EPA director Scott Pruitt and then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson about his concerns that the sewage spills would hurt the health of sailors training at sea and Border Patrol agents guarding the beaches. Several agents already had fallen ill from the contamination, putting their families at risk of sickness, too, he wrote. EPA followed up quickly with Hunters staff but conceded their jurisdiction stopped at the border. Obviously, thats where the State Department came in but they werent as communicative as the EPA has been, said Michael Harrison, Hunters deputy chief of staff. We have a meeting this week in D.C., and we want to see what that produces. Advertisement Wed like to see more proactive help from Mexico because, as Rep. Hunter says, this is a national security issue for us. Its black and white to him. Harrison said that this isnt a partisan issue and that Hunter and the rest of the San Diego delegation echo the concerns Davis raises. Advertisement Military Videos On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal cprine@sduniontribune.com Killed in Vietnam 51 years ago, Philip H. Sauer will receive the Silver Star, one of the nations highest awards for battlefield bravery, at a special ceremony at Camp Pendleton on Tuesday. The Coronado Marine tried to save his patrol by holding off a much larger North Vietnamese Army unit with his pistol. Sauer is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, where his tombstone will be updated to note the posthumous honor. An hour after Marine mortars pounded a complex of caves outside Khe Sahn, 1st Lt. Philip Howard Sauer and four fellow Marines began to scrabble toward the crest of Hill 861. It was an unusual patrol that neared a wall of bamboo around 11 a.m. on April 24, 1967, even by the standards of the brutal Vietnam War. 1 / 12 The Silver Star from the ceremony held for 1st Lt. Philip H. Sauer at Camp Pendleton. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 12 Marines at Camp Pendleton during the playing of the national anthem. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 12 Maj Gen Eric M. Smith (commanding general of 1st Marine Division) presents the silver Star medal to the siblings of 1st Lt. Philip H. Sauer during a ceremony held at Camp Pendleton. Left to right, Mary Schoelch, Tom Sauer, Nick Sauer and Coulter Winn. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 12 Maj Gen Eric M. Smith (commanding general of 1st Marine Division) presents the silver Star medal to the siblings of 1st Lt. Philip H. Sauer during a ceremony held at Camp Pendleton. Left to right, Mary Schoelch, Tom Sauer, Nick Sauer and Coulter Winn. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 12 Guest sit in the audience during the Silver Star medal ceremony presented to the 1st Lt. Philip H. Sauers family at Camp Pendleton. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 12 Maj Gen Eric M. Smith hugs Mary Schoelch during the Silver Star ceremony held for her brother at Camp Pendleton. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 12 Marines greet the sister of 1st Lt. Philip H. Sauer during his posthumously Silver Star ceremony held at Camp Pendleton. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 12 A Marines reflection off the glass from the framed Proclamation issued from Congressman Scott Peters to 1st Lt. Philip H. Sauer during his posthumously Silver Star ceremony held at Camp Pendleton. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 12 Maj Gen Eric M. Smith presents the Silver Star medal to the siblings of 1st Lt. Philip H. Sauer during a ceremony held at Camp Pendleton. Left to right, Mary Schoelch, Tom Sauer, Nick Sauer and Coulter Winn. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 12 Marines at Camp Pendleton prior to the Silver Star medal ceremony awarded to 1st Lt. Philip H. Sauer posthumously. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 12 Marines at Camp Pendleton prior to the Silver Star medal ceremony awarded to 1st Lt. Philip H. Sauer posthumously. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 12 Marines at Camp Pendleton prior to the Silver Star medal ceremony awarded to 1st Lt. Philip H. Sauer posthumously. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) The 25-year-old Sauer, a Coronado native, commanded 2nd Platoon, A Company of the 3rd Anti-Tank Battalion. Two grunts borrowed from 1st Battalion, 9th Marines and a two-man artillery forward observer team rounded out the hastily-assembled crew. So three different battalions were represented in a five-man patrol. Advertisement The idea of Lt. Thomas G. King, the mortar section commander, was for them to climb to a higher elevation to get a better look at the cave complex, which he suspected brimmed with North Vietnamese troops. Instead, up to 30 enemy troops were dug in behind the bamboo, and they ambushed the patrol with grenades and machine gun and rifle fire. The point man died immediately on the trail. Sauer and Private 1st Class William Marks dove into a hole. Armed only with his .45 caliber pistol, Sauer screamed at his troops to retreat and blazed away at the North Vietnamese, covering them, pistol against machine guns. Only Marks made it back to their lines alive. Their moments of agony became a footnote to a bloody campaign. The rifle company to which they were attached reported 13 killed in action that day alone. And Lt. King would die less than three months later. On May 9, 1967, Sauers family attended a funeral Mass for him at Coronados Sacred Heart Catholic Church. His mom, Jane Winn, was a cornerstone of the community. Coronados public library has a room with her name on it. Sauer was buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, his grave marker noting a Purple Heart. Advertisement In the chaos of Khe Sahn, a planned posthumous valor award never percolated up the chain of command. Despite a Stars and Stripes story about his heroism on Hill 861, Sauer was largely forgotten by the Marines and the larger public for nearly a half-century. That all changed when retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. David Little ran into Tom Sauer in early 2015 along the La Jolla Cove. A West Point grad who joined the Marines, Little did two tours in Vietnam near or in Danang as an infantry officer. When Tom Sauer, a fellow ocean swimmer, told him about his brother, Little asked him what he did now and learned that hed died in Vietnam. Advertisement Curious about Philip Sauers time in the service, Little began climbing a hill of paper. He read through the green books, unit histories from the Vietnam War, and found a paragraph describing the brief but tragic skirmish on Hill 861. Little knew that Sauers heroism deserved to be recognized with a valor award. He didnt realize it was going to take him nearly two years to get it. The focus of any story should be about Lt Sauers bravery and the sacrifice of his family, but theres a second story that Im not sure I want to get into and thats how we worked to get him the award he deserved, Little told The San Diego Union-Tribune in a telephone interview. During a special Tuesday morning ceremony at the 1st Marine Divisions command post on Camp Pendleton, Maj. Gen. Eric Smith will present to Sauers siblings a Silver Star medal awarded posthumously to their brother. Advertisement Its the third-highest medal for personal battlefield bravery but it never would have gone to Sauer if it hadnt been for Little, U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, a string of Marine leaders and Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer, also a former Marine. Plus a little luck. For the valor award to have any hope, by regulation Little had to find not only the patrols sole survivor, William Marks, but also someone in Sauers chain of command who could endorse the paperwork. Online, he located retired Lt. Col. Barclay Hastings, Sauers company commander in Vietnam, and traced him to Columbus, Ohio. Hastings was proud to recommend him. Advertisement Armed with that and a sworn statement from lone survivor Marks plus nine months of research culling records from the National Archives, Marine documents, oral interviews and the Stars and Stripes article in early 2016 Little sent the 25-page dossier to Marine Corps headquarters. Because more then two years had passed since Sauer earned the medal, the package needed the signature of an elected federal lawmaker. So Little turned to Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, a member of the powerful House Armed Services Committee. Its always an honor to help a San Diego hero get the recognition they earned through their service. Lt. Sauer made the ultimate sacrifice for his country and while it can never fully repay them, this medal honors Lt. Sauers service and his familys sacrifice on behalf of our great nation, Peters said in an email to the Union-Tribune. My office is able to help San Diego service members, veterans, and their families obtain medals, military records and benefits they earned, and I encourage anyone to reach out if they need help. Little swam with Tom Sauer at the cove nearly every day but never whispered a word about the paper chase or the help of a Congressman. Advertisement I did not tell the family of this submission until late in 2017 because I was never certain that anything would materialize. I finally told them when the Secretary of the Navys office asked for family contact information, Little said. Sauer will be memorialized 51 years to the day he died in an outdoor commemoration. Much of Smiths division staff and the band will be there, and hes sent an open invitation to all other troops under his command to attend. What I love about this is that it reinforces something we believe in. Its never too late to do the right thing. It was the easiest decision Ive made in my eight months commanding 1st Marine Division, Smith said. Smith hasnt finished his speech yet, but expects Sauers Silver Star citation will help guide his pen. Advertisement Lt Sauer knew what he was doing that day. He knew what was going to happen to him, Smith said. He gave his life for a chance that his Marines might live. How can you not be affected by that? How can you not celebrate that bravery? Its everything we say we believe in. And we do. Advertisement Military Videos On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal cprine@sduniontribune.com It wasnt long ago that a complaint of pain at a San Diego County jail easily scored an inmate a prescription for an opioid. These days, the highly addictive, frequently abused painkillers have been largely swapped out for Tylenol and ibuprofen as part of a program to stem the cycle of opioid addiction behind bars. So much so that an inmate with an opioid prescription is a rarity. Last month, only 23 inmates, including those with cancer, were prescribed an opioid. Thats less than 1% of the total jail population. Advertisement The number represents a 98% drop from the beginning of 2013, when nearly 1,000 inmates were prescribed more than 77,000 narcotic painkiller pills. This really cleaned up the jails, said Dr. Alfred Joshua, the Sheriffs Departments chief medical officer who implemented the program in 2014. Sheriffs officials report fewer opioids being diverted to other inmates, fewer inmates being bullied for their prescription pills, fewer overdoses and an overall calmer environment in the daily medication lines. Any process that will help someone overcome addiction can only be viewed as successful, said sheriffs Cmdr. Mike Hernandez, who heads the medical services division. However, authorities have noticed an uptick in attempts to smuggle heroin into the jails, a trend officials attribute only partly to the reduction in prescription opioids. Under the 2011 Public Safety Realignment law, some inmates are serving longer terms in jails rather than prisons an average of 215 days and are directing smuggling operations, Hernandez said. Theyre mirroring what they do in state prison, he said. Pain treatment is especially critical behind bars, where up to three-quarters of the population have a history of substance abuse or are jailed on drug-related charges. Traditionally, theyd come in with back pain and get a prescription, Hernandez said. Now that the physicians have found alternatives to opiates, theyve learned that when they come into our facilities they may not be receiving opiates. The ongoing education about the dangers of opioids has helped change inmates expectations, said Joshua. Advertisement A lot realize that it does more harm than good, the doctor said. However, some inmates have accused the Sheriffs Department of going too far with its policy. The reduction in opioid prescriptions has prompted a handful of federal lawsuits against Joshua and the department from inmates who claim their conditions warranted stronger pain treatment. None of the inmates has prevailed in court thus far. Joshua says the program doesnt rule out opioid prescriptions altogether but gives a good deal of discretion to the physicians who treat the inmates. Prior medical records provide important clues to whether an inmate legitimately requires opioids, he said. The doctors are mainly looking for a current prescription by a consistent provider or a current chronic pain diagnosis. Advertisement The select few who are granted opioid treatment are strongly counseled about the risks involved and warned of a zero-tolerance policy against diversion. Nurses and jail deputies make sure that inmates arent cheeking or tonguing the narcotics to give them to other inmates. If an opioid patient is caught trying save a dose, he or she might be taken off the opioid and given a non-narcotic alternative. The doctors are also following recommendations based on recent research that shows over-the-counter stalwarts acetaminophen and ibuprofen can be more effective at treating pain than opioids. Inmates can request a higher level of painkiller, but that doesnt always mean the doctor will agree. Inmates who feel they arent being treated properly can file grievances to the command staff, and as a last resort, a lawsuit. But its a high bar the inmate has to meet for a claim of cruel and unusual punishment. Advertisement The Constitution does not mandate comfortable prisons but prohibits extreme deprivations such as the wanton and unnecessary infliction of pain or conditions that deprive inmates of the minimal civilized measures of lifes necessities, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchell Dembin said, citing a Supreme Court decision in one such San Diego lawsuit. Difference of medical opinion is not enough. The National Commission on Correctional Health Care advocates for alternatives to opioids when appropriate, noting that the custodial environment provides a good opportunity to regularly assess how patients are functioning and monitor the efficacy of their treatments. Therefore, when patient function remains poor and pain is not well controlled, and other options have been exhausted, a therapeutic trial of medication, including opioids, should be available, the commission wrote in its pain management guidelines. Advertisement Its an issue that the Prison Law Office, a California-based nonprofit that advocates on behalf of inmates and prisoners, has closely monitored. When they have restricted those medications, weve made sure theres a medical basis for doing so and other alternatives available, said the groups executive director, attorney Donald Specter. I think generally now theres recognition in the community about the dangers of opioids, he said. The same guidelines in effect in the community should also be present in the prisons. kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Advertisement Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune Growing up in Tijuana, Sergio Sandoval didnt know how much his birthplace would affect his ability to reach his dreams. Sandoval plans to be an aerospace engineer and is well on his way to achieving that goal. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology and works for NASA. Hes planning to get a masters degree from San Diego State University. All of this was possible because of a decision his mother made before he was born she crossed the border to give birth to him in San Diego, making him a U.S. citizen. As soon as she was released from the hospital, she went with him back to Mexico. I have no idea why she wanted to do it, honestly, Sandoval said. Advertisement Though he resented not being full Mexican during his childhood, he said, once he realized that he wanted to become an aerospace engineer and would be able to attend college north of the border, he came to appreciate his cross-border identity. Sandoval, 24, was educated through the end of high school in Tijuana, and as he looked to his future, he didnt know what he wanted to do. I was a good student, but I didnt have a passion, Sandoval said. Then someone pointed out to him that with his aptitude for math, hed make a good engineer, and Sandoval began researching the career. It caught my attention because it looked hard, Sandoval said. I had never thought of how planes fly. It was something crazy that I could do, he added, his face lighting up. In Mexico, he explained, people usually go to universities near home. Aerospace engineering wasnt available as a major at any of the schools nearby, he said. He realized that San Diego State University, across the border from home, had a program. But first, he needed to learn English and how to navigate the American education system. Advertisement He began his higher education in 2011 at San Diego City College, where he joined the Math, Engineering, Science Achievement, or MESA, program. At first, he lived with his aunt in San Diego, but after a couple of months, he moved back in with his family in Tijuana and crossed the border every day for classes. He woke up at 3 a.m., and an hour later his father would drop him off at the border. After waiting in line to cross, often with his best friend who also attended City College, he took the trolley up to campus, usually arriving by 8 a.m. If the line to cross was shorter than he expected, he sometimes made it to campus well before he needed to be there and would nap in the grass outside his building until it opened for the day. It teaches you a lot, he said of the commute. For me, it was a lot of patience, and it made me realize I was serious about what I wanted to do. As a child in Tijuana, he was used to crossing the border frequently to go shopping or take trips with his family, so crossing daily for school didnt seem like a big deal. On his journey, he saw many of the same faces every day, people crossing for work or even for high school. Advertisement People think its the most amazing thing that I did that, he said. Its just normal. The border, its always been there for me. He knew it was the path to achieve what he wanted to do, so he did it, he said. When I came to the U.S., I tried to leave behind all my fears and be the person I wanted to be, Sandoval said. That included being punctual and organized and not being afraid to speak English, a language he had studied a little bit in high school but didnt feel comfortable using. Advertisement I think it took me an entire year to know how to pronounce engineering, he recalled. He used to emphasize the wrong syllable. He read books in English, looking up every word that he didnt know. He read the dictionary daily, he said. After a year, he could understand what people said to him. Speaking fluently took about three years, he said. To challenge himself more, he decided to go farther away from home to get his bachelors. He applied to Georgia Tech, a top university for engineering programs. Advertisement In fall 2013, he moved to Atlanta. That experience helped him mature, he said. From day one, you are on your own, Sandoval said. You have your family, you have a lot of people who support you, but you realize they are not always there. A lot of times, youre going to have to fight on your own and find solutions for yourself. While at Georgia Tech, he began interning with NASA, first at the Jet Propulsion Lab in 2016 and then at the Johnson Space Center. When he graduated in December 2017, his family made the trip to Atlanta to celebrate with him he was the first to go to college. Advertisement It was really a family effort, he said. He plans to continue working at the space center in Houston this summer before starting his masters program in the fall. Keep faith in yourself, he said when asked what advice he would give to others. Find your passion. Find the thing that moves you to do every crazy thing, and do it. Morrissey works for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Advertisement To read this article in Spanish, click here Destiny Rodriguez (Courtesy photo ) Ramiro Ledesma Jr. (Courtesy photo ) Two North County students have won scholarships of $25,000 each through the Horatio Alger National Scholarship Program, one of the nations largest college financial aid programs. The recipients are Ramiro Ledesma Jr. of Escondido, a student at Orange Glen High School; and Destiny Rodriguez of Oceanside, a student at Oceanside High School. Advertisement Ramiro is a senior at Orange Glen High School who hopes to attend UC Santa Barbara. He has a 4.08 cumulative weighted GPA and has taken eight AP classes. Hes been involved in Drug Free Communities (an organization meant to reduce drug and alcohol use in youth), serving most recently as vice chairman. He also participated in Encuentros Leadership Academy which aims to empower Latino males to pursue higher education, and participated in Youth Court. Destiny is a senior at Oceanside High School who plans to attend Syracuse University. She plays softball year-round, and has been on varsity all four years, including team captain as a sophomore. She works with children as a Parks and Recreation Leader in an after-school program at the Joe Balderrama Recreational Center. Destiny is also active in a school program called the Health Academy, which gave her an internship at the Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital. She volunteers at events such as high school blood drives through the San Diego Blood Bank. The Horatio Alger National Scholarship Program specifically assists high school students who have faced and overcome obstacles. National Scholars receive an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., in the spring of their senior year to participate in the National Scholars Conference, where they receive the award. To be eligible for the Horatio Alger National Scholarship, applicants must be U.S. citizens; be enrolled full time as high school seniors and be progressing toward graduation and college; demonstrate critical financial need; be involved in school and community service activities; show integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity; and maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0. Visit https://scholars.horatioalger.org/scholarships. laura.groch@sduniontribune.com Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, is facing five challengers as he campaigns for his fourth term in the House of Representatives, and in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 3 to 1 theres a very high chance that hell get two more years in Washington. A former San Diego City Council member, state assemblyman and senator, Vargas is running against three Republicans including Louis Fuentes, an air conditioning contractor from El Centro; Juan Hidalgo Jr., a retired Marine from San Diego; and John Renison, a small business owner from Coronado. Juan Carlos Mercado of Barrio Logan, a deputy sheriff, and Kevin Mitchell of City Heights are running as independents. Mitchell has not listed his occupation on his ballot designation. Vargas is touting support from labor groups, educators, environmentalists, and others. Advertisement Vargas did not return a request for comment. Vargas is using the same campaign message in 2018 as he did in 2016. He hasnt updated the text of his website since before the last Congressional primary. This year, just like before, hes campaigning on a pledge to protect Medicare and Social Security programs, improving employment opportunities, education, renewable energy, immigration reform, and spending on scientific research and development. Vargas has long focused on immigration-related issues, but has heightened his efforts since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016. He has held town hall forums to assist immigrants in the process of becoming citizens and to connect them to pro bono resources. He has also appeared at rallies and prayer services against the Trumps immigration policies and proposed border wall. The district stretches from the border, scooping up parts of San Diego, the South Bay, and east through Imperial County to the state line. The electorate is deep blue with 48.2 percent of voters registered Democratic, while 16.3 percent are Republicans. Another 31 percent are not registered in a political party. Vargas has won his past terms with as much as 45.6 percent margin. Vargas has a significant fundraising advantage. With $520,928 raised since the start of this election cycle through the end of March, he has more than 30 times more campaign resources than any of his opponents. With such lopsided voter registration margins, its unlikely that outside groups will get involved in the contest. Advertisement Twitter: @jptstewart joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1841 A house in Mira Mesa caught fire after an SUV driven by a suspected drunken driver crashed into it Sunday night, authorities said. The home on Ferndale Street near Westonhill Drive ignited after a Ford Expedition hit it after first smashing into six parked cars along Ferndale around 8:30 p.m., said San Diego police Officer John Buttle. Two homes along the street were damaged. One of the cars that was hit was in the driveway, and it went into the garage of the first house, Buttle said. He clipped the corner of the garage of the adjacent house, and his car caught fire, which caused the fire to spread to the house. When fire crews arrived, they found a vehicle on fire in the driveway and fire burning in the garage of the home that the vehicle struck, San Diego Fire-Rescue Capt Matt Spicer told OnScene TV. Advertisement Crews made a quick, aggressive attack, keeping the fire from extending to the neighbors house and keeping it confined to the garage, Spicer said. Three adults and two dogs were displaced by the fire and were being assisted by the Red Cross, Spicer said. No one in the home was injured. He said the fire was knocked down in about 10 minutes. One of the parked cars was pushed into a gas meter, but crews were able to shut off the gas. Spicer said a city engineer came out to inspect the home that was hit. Fire officials estimated damage to the home at $75,000 and to the homes contents at $50,000. The 53-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was taken to a hospital to be evaluated, Buttle said. . Advertisement Twitter: @karenkucher (619) 293-1350 karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com A family of seven was able to get out safely when a fire broke out at their Oceanside home early Monday, a fire official said. The fire was reported shortly before 12:40 a.m. at a single-family home on Kelly Street near Andy Lane, just north of state Route 78. By time firefighters arrived, flames could be seen engulfing the rear of the home, and it was starting to spread inside the house, said Oceanside Deputy Fire Chief Joe Ward. While crews worked to get control of the fire, other firefighters searched the home to make sure no one was inside, Ward said. Advertisement At one point, the owner of the home contacted firefighters and confirmed that all seven people and three pets living in the home had safely evacuated. Red Cross was called to assist the family. It took about 15 minutes for crews to bring the blaze under control. No other structures were threatened. The home suffered heavy smoke and fire damage, although no damage estimate was immediately released. A fire investigator is working to determine the cause of the blaze, Ward said. Twitter: @karenkucher (619) 293-1350 Advertisement karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com It wasnt long ago that a complaint of pain at a San Diego County jail easily scored an inmate a prescription for an opioid. These days, the highly addictive, highly abused painkillers have been largely swapped out for Tylenol and ibuprofen as part of a program to stem the cycle of opioid addiction behind bars. So much so, that an inmate with an opioid prescription is a rarity. Last month, only 23 inmates, including those with cancer, were prescribed an opioid. Thats less than 1 percent of the total jail population. Advertisement The number represents a 98 percent drop from the beginning of 2013, when nearly 1,000 inmates were prescribed more than 77,000 narcotic painkiller pills. This really cleaned up the jails, said Dr. Alfred Joshua, the Sheriffs Departments chief medical officer who implemented the program in 2014. Sheriffs officials report fewer opioids being diverted to other inmates, fewer inmates being bullied for their prescription pills, fewer overdoses and an overall calmer environment in the daily med lines. Any process that will help someone overcome addiction can only be viewed as successful, said sheriffs Cmdr. Mike Hernandez, who heads the Medical Services Division. However, authorities have noticed an uptick in attempts to smuggle heroin into the jails, a trend officials attribute only partly to the reduction in prescription opioids. Under the 2011 Public Safety Realignment law, some inmates are serving longer terms in jails rather than prisons an average of 215 days and are directing smuggling operations, Hernandez said. Theyre mirroring what they do in state prison, he said. The price for heroin in jail has increased significantly, Hernandez said, and demand remains high as short-term inmates addicted to the drug dont fully withdraw and their strong cravings persist. The effort to reduce prescription opioid use mirrors the cultural shift happening on the outside. Doctors who used to easily dash off prescriptions for opioids many under the false belief that certain opioids were non-addictive and the best way to treat pain suddenly were at the center of a national epidemic of addiction and overdose. Advertisement With public awareness mounting since around 2011, and drug overdose deaths reaching 64,000 nationwide in 2016, physicians are holding back their prescription pads and re-evaluating how to treat pain. The general public has had to be re-educated in the process, and so have those admitted into San Diego County jails over the past few years. It is a problem especially critical behind bars, where up to three-quarters of the population have a history of substance abuse or are jailed on drug-related charges. Traditionally, theyd come in with back pain and get a prescription, Hernandez said. Now that the physicians have found alternatives to opiates, theyve learned that when they come into our facilities they may not be receiving opiates. The ongoing education about the dangers of opioids has helped change inmates expectations, said Joshua. Advertisement A lot realize that it does more harm than good, the doctor said. However, some inmates have accused the Sheriffs Department of going too far with its policy. The reduction in opioid prescriptions has prompted a handful of federal lawsuits against Joshua and the department from inmates who claim their conditions warranted stronger pain treatment. None of the inmates have prevailed in court thus far. Joshua says the program doesnt rule out opioid prescriptions altogether but gives a good deal of discretion to the physicians who treat the inmates. Prior medical records provide important clues to whether an inmate legitimately requires opioids, he said. The doctors are mainly looking for a current prescription by a consistent provider or a current chronic pain diagnosis. Advertisement The select few who are granted opioid treatment are strongly counseled about the risks involved and warned of a zero-tolerance policy against diversion. Nurses and jail deputies make sure that inmates arent cheeking or tonguing the narcotics to give them to other inmates. If an opioid patient is caught trying save a dose, he or she might be taken off the opioid and given a non-narcotic alternative. The doctors are also following recommendations based on recent research that shows over-the-counter stalwarts acetaminophen and ibuprofen can be more effective at treating pain than opioids. Inmates can request a higher level of painkiller, but that doesnt always mean the doctor will agree. Inmates who feel they arent being treated properly can file grievances to the command staff, and as a last resort, a lawsuit. But its a high bar the inmate has to meet for a constitutional claim of cruel and unusual punishment. Advertisement An inmate must show that he or she has a serious medical condition and that prison officials were deliberately indifferent to the inmates health and safety. The Constitution does not mandate comfortable prisons but prohibits extreme deprivations such as the wanton and unnecessary infliction of pain or conditions that deprive inmates of the minimal civilized measures of lifes necessities, pointed out U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchell Dembin, citing a Supreme Court decision in one such San Diego lawsuit. Difference of medical opinion is not enough, U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruben Brooks found in another case involving an inmate whose pain medication was replaced with non-narcotics. An inmate does not have a constitutional right to choose his own medication, Brooks wrote in his opinion. If medical personnel disagree on the course of patient treatment, subsequent health care providers are not deliberately indifferent when they choose one treatment over the inmates wishes. Advertisement The National Commission on Correctional Health Care advocates for alternatives to opioids when appropriate, noting that the custodial environment provides a good opportunity to regularly assess how patients are functioning and monitor the efficacy of their treatments. Therefore, when patient function remains poor and pain is not well controlled, and other options have been exhausted, a therapeutic trial of medication, including opioids, should be available, the commission wrote in its pain management guidelines. Its an issue that the Prison Law Office, a California-based nonprofit that advocates on behalf of inmates and prisoners, has closely monitored. When they have restricted those medications, weve made sure theres a medical basis for doing so and other alternatives available, said the groups executive director, attorney Donald Specter. Advertisement I think generally now theres recognition in the community about the dangers of opioids, he said, the same guidelines in effect in the community should also be present in the prisons. Advertisement kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @kristinadavis This year's Navy Day is very different from previous ones. First, the overall strength of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has leapt to a world-advanced and an Asia-top level. The biggest naval parade in the history of the PLA Navy was held before Navy Day in early April, 2018. Advanced, first-class weapons and equipment including the aircraft carrier Liaoning, Type-094 strategic nuclear submarines, Type-039B improved submarines, Type-052D destroyers, and fixed-wing antisubmarine aircraft all participated in the parade for the first time, demonstrating the tremendous achievements of China's naval construction as well as the determination and will to safeguard the unity, national sovereignty and rights and interests of China. Second, China has achieved preliminary formation of defense capabilities in the open sea. The J-15 carrier-borne aircraft has completed major training courses. The aircraft carrier formation has improved combat systems such as reconnaissance surveillance, command and control, combat support, and maritime logistics support, and has the capability to carry out combat missions in the open sea. China's first homegrown aircraft carrier has entered the sea trial stage too. China will be home to a double aircraft carrier formation in the near future. China's maritime forces will expand from offshore to open waters, from competing for oceans to controlling them, and from entering the sea to expanding at sea! Third, China has solid maritime nuclear counterattack capability. The Type-094 nuclear submarine is on combat duty and can carry nuclear missiles with multiple warheads. A single nuclear counterattack by a Type-094 is enough to paralyze a big nuclear power attacking China. The Type-093 nuclear submarine has completed several remote patrol tasks. China now has solid nuclear second-strike capability. Fourth, China has improved capability in long-range delivery and amphibious attack. The new dock landing ship and the world's largest tonnage landing craft air cushion have formed combat capabilities. A large-scale amphibious assault ship is under construction, and the Z-20 helicopter will be provided to the ship, making it the most aggressive amphibious ship in the world. An amphibious combat capability that can deliver a division in a single landing will be formed soon. In addition, this year marks the 10th anniversary of China's dispatch of a navy vessel formation to the Gulf of Aden for escort and counter-piracy mission. It is another great maritime move by the Chinese after the voyages of Zheng He down the Western Ocean. These years have been the most productive for Chinese naval warship formation, bomber flights around Taiwan, and navigation on the first island chain, measures that have effectively cracked down on the arrogance of the separatist forces of "Taiwan independence." The PLA Navy also built the first overseas base in August 2017. The Djibouti base will help it to better carry out China's international obligations including escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, and humanitarian relief operations. Of course, when we see glorious achievements we should pay more attention to the problems and challenges we face. The number of provocations by the US through sending aircraft and ships to the South China Sea has increased more than ever. The US National Defense Authorization Act allows its ships to stop at Taiwan and allows its high-level military officials to land in Taiwan. This may lead to another major security incident in the Taiwan Strait! The trade war started by the US will also affect the political and military trust between the two sides. No one can rule out accidental events between China and the US. Navy Day is a day to celebrate and a day for the PLA Navy to strengthen combat-readiness and move to the next level. Disclaimer: The author is Wang Yunfei. The article is translated from Chinese into English by the China Military online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Chinamil.com.cn does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. If the article carries photographs or images, we do not vouch for their authenticity. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the frontrunner to replace Gov. Jerry Brown in November, depicts himself as a gung-ho supporter of Senate Bill 562. The measure would commit California to adopting a single-payer health-care system but without specifying how its $400 billion annual cost would be paid or how it could overcome formidable federal legal and state constitutional obstacles. Instead of acknowledging these immense deficiencies, Newsom has taken to describing those who bring up SB 562s shortcomings as defeatist. Last week, however, the California Medical Association the politically powerful state doctors lobbying group endorsed Newsom despite being among SB 562s harshest critics. The CMA warned in January that the bill had the potential to destabilize the states economy. In an op-ed for The San Diego Union-Tribune, local physician Theodore M. Mazer the CMAs president described the bill as irresponsible, unaffordable and a fantasy. So why would a powerful group with such a defeatist view of the legislation that Newsom purports to love endorse Newsom? One theory is obvious the CMA expects Newsom to cruise to victory and wants to be in his good graces when he replaces Brown, whatever his present stand on the issues. But a second theory also makes sense: The CMA doesnt believe Newsom actually thinks SB 562 has a chance to become law. So the CMA doesnt fret over his pandering to the California Democrats who support a fantasy just as unlikely as the one beloved by California Republicans that of carving the Golden State up into several states, including one in which coastal liberals are partitioned off. Advertisement If this seems cynical, then Newsom has earned it. When a politician who used to covet his reputation as a policy wonk becomes a vapid pander bear on a huge issue, cynicism is obligatory. Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion Re Titanic letter with San Diego connection up for auction (April 17): San Diego is a city that does not celebrate its history well, perhaps because so many of us here are from somewhere else. So, as part of our citys history, wouldnt it be nice if someone locally would step forward and bring the letter written by Titanic survivor Kate Buss to a suitable archive here? As the Union-Tribune reported this week, a letter written by Buss in 1912 while aboard the ill-fated ship goes to auction this weekend in England. Buss is the only Titanic passenger known to have been bound for San Diego. From England, she arrived here shortly after the disaster and married her fiance within a month. She died in Oregon in 1972 at the age of 96. If its too late to bring the Buss letter here, how about naming a local school for Robert Ballard, the oceanographer who discovered the Titanic in 1985? Ballard grew up in Pacific Beach. Advertisement Carl Larsen San Diego Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. Bruno Mars spoke with the San Diego Union-Tribune from a concert tour stop Seattle on June 9. Here is a transcript of most of that interview. (To read our feature story on Mars in Thursdays Night&Day, click here.) QUESTION: Im wondering if, over the past year, you have done more interviews over past year than you care to recall? MARS: (laughs) Ive done quite a few. Q: Well, Id like to throw some music-related questions at you that I hope you havent been asked before. Advertisement MARS: Thank god! Bless you heart for that. Q: To begin with, if you could sit down with one of the following three artists Bob Marley, Miles Davis or Elvis Presley who would you pick and why? MARS: Whoo! That would depend on what day it is. Today, Id like to talk to Bob Marley. Id just like to ask him what was his method. Bob is one of the greatest songwriters ever. I dont know if people understand how powerful his songs are and the simplicity and genius behind them, from Redemption Song to Is This Love? and I Shot the Sheriff. I feel, as a songwriter, its one of the hardest things to do to sit down and say how you feel. He really did that on all his songs and it was just so genuine, and I want to know how he did it. Q: Theres nothing flashy about your guitar intro to your live version of Grenade, but your liquid-sounding Stratocaster (guitar) sound strikes me as a subtle homage to Jimi Hendrix. Is it? MARS: For sure. Hes the greatest guitar player in the world ... a guy who mastered that instrument. It was talking when he played. And when he did a solo, he made the guitar cry or made it sound like it was coming from the devils amplifier. Q: I was lucky enough to interview Ray Charles a few times, and I asked him what his criteria was for picking songs to perform that were written by other artists. He replied that he felt he had earned the right to tweak the song musically any way he likes, but that if he cant connect immediately with the lyrics, he wont even bother. Your live shows sometimes include parts or all of Billie Jean by Michael Jackson, Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana, Seven Nation Army by White Stripes and the Barrett Strong classic Money, which The Beatles later covered. What is your criteria for picking songs by other artists? MARS: Well, my background is I used to play (in bands at) bars and pubs. We used to cover Nirvana and sing Bilie Jean over Smells Like Teen Spirit. We did that at the bars and would get everyone going. That was part of the show and we used to do this back in the day to make a buck. Defintiely, I gotta be able to sing it. I grew up with so many different songs that the ones that are fun to play are the ones I want to do. Q: You grew up performing songs by both Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. From a musical perspective, what did you learn from each of them? Advertisement MARS: Really, it was just their command. The biggest thing is the command they both have on stage... how they can control the crowd and the band. I think theres a performance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan (TV) show where he does Hound Dog. At the end he slows it down, and to me it looked like an improv moment, not like something they rehearsed. It was like he (Presley) saw girls (in the audience) freaking out and said to himself: Watch me slow it down and then really go nuts. And he slows it down at the end and (then) starts his little dance, and he had them. The confidence Elvis and Michael exuded from stage, Im a fan of. Q: It sounds like you continue to be a student of music. Are you? MARS: Of course, absolutely. I take the artist side of what I do very seriously. I feel its my job to continue being a student of music if I want to continue being an artist and a producer of other artists. You have to keep filling your mind with other music. You have to be ahead of the curve. Q: Over the years, Ive been intrigued by the music that some artists like, or are inspired by, that their fans might really be surprised by. For example, Johnny Cash told me he was a fan of Iron Maiden and Jeff Beck cited the Bulgarian Womens Choir. Do you have any musical inspirations that might surprise people? Advertisement MARS: Geez. (pauses) Im trying to think. I love the Sex Pistols. Im a big Beach Boys fan and a huge Zeppelin and Queen fan. Q: A little earlier in this interview, we discussed Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson, two bigger-than-life icons who both had very tragic endings. From a career perspective, do you look at their lives as cautionary tales? MARS: Sure, sure. There will never be another Michael Jackson, a huge pop star since (the age of) 7. With my being from Hawaii and being very family oriented I dont really have a fear of a tragic ending. I dont see any tragic ending for me. Q: How big was it to you to win a Best Male Pop Vocal Grammy Award this year, especially being nominated in the same category that Michael Jackson won for back in the day? Advertisement MARS: I was nominated with Michael Jackson! He was nominated for This Is It, the song that came out of the movie (of the same name. In a way, I owe it to him. I feel like, if it wasnt for his music and my upbringing listening to him...I dont know what kid didnt listen to him at my age. You aspire to be as great as he is as an artist. I dont think any artist in pop, rock or hip-hop has ever done it any bigger than him. You know what I mean? Hes the man. Q: How does your guitar-playing influence your drumming, and how does your drumming influence your guitar playing? MARS: The drumming helps a lot when Im producing songs or writing songs. My knowledge of drums helps more in that aspect, (although) I dont know, man; Im not great at any of them. The guys were talking about, the Hendrix-es, are guitar players. I can put some chords together and maybe write a song, but Im learning every day. And thats the fun part. Q: You are obviously very serious about your music, but I wonder if you could talk for a minute about how important it is to include humor in your songs. For example, theres your carrot metaphor in Runaway Baby and the physically painful extremes you detail in the lyrics to Grenade. Advertisement MARS: Well, I think I dont take myself too seriously. You know as far as, its a fun life. I take my music serious, but I like to have fun. When people meet me, thats what they get out of it. I want there to be a piece of me in my music, you know? I genuinely believe thats the secret of all the success thats happened (for me). Even with (my song) Just the Way You Are, its a very simplistic love song with words that have been said before in 1,000 other love songs. But people can hear my songs are coming from something real. I mean what I say; Im not just writing to impress critics or young girls, or older girls. The way I talk is the way I write a song. Q: The dapper hat you wear is, I believe, a fedora, which was a signature look of Frank Sinatra. Any connection? MARS: Um, as far as smoothness, maybe. No, Im kidding. Frank is awesome, (but) I wear a fedora because I cut my hair one day. I used to have a big old Afro and I cut it one day and felt very naked. So I picked up a Fedora and started wearing it. Q: The old saying about hindsight being 20/20 is usually true. In hindsight, was getting dropped by Motown Records when you were 18 a good thing, even if it really sucked at the time? Advertisement MARS: It was probably the best thing that ever happened to me, as far as being a reality check and (learning) what it really takes to break into this (business). I was so young at the time that, at 18, I probably thought being signed (to Motown) was it for me. But you dont know what the hell youre doing at 18. And when I got dropped, thats when I thought: Ill do everything on my own; Ill write my own music and produce it. I was very frustrated (at Motown) because I was in (recording) studios with producers, trying to explain to them how I wanted these songs to sound. And how can you explain something you havent done yet? Q: Youve worked with a diverse array of artists, from Sugarbabes, Brandy and Matisyahu to Cee-Lo Green, Travis McCoy and, of course, Germanys Geri Der Klostertaler. Are you now in a position to turn down offers, and who is on your wish list of people you really want to collaborate with? MARS: Id like to collaborate with Alicia Keys and Kings of Leon. I recently did a song with Eminem and would love to do another. Q: Has that come out yet? Advertisement MARS: No, not yet, but soon, I hope. My goal is to find a new artist; Id love to produce a whole album that Im not singing on. Q: Do you have any musical candidates in mind yet? MARS: (chuckles) Im just looking; Im holding auditions. So, if youre five-foot-five with brown eyes, a cute little thing... Im kidding! Q: Its often been noted that a young musician has their entire life to prepare for their debut album, and then six months or a year to make the follow-up. Have you started work on your sophomore album yet? Advertisement MARS: I feel like I know everything I did wrong on this (first) one. Not wrong, but things I can do better. The next one is going to be my album. Q: What can you do better? MARS: Ive got to show you. I can show you in music better than I can tell you in words. Q: In pop music, the public usually see the results the hit records, the Grammy Awards performances, the concert tours but not all the work that goes into getting into the spotlight. And not everyone realizes that, even if you have a lot of talent, chances are you wont make it. Based on what youve experienced so far, what have you learned that you think would be particularly valuable for a young musician who looks up to you as a role model and hopes to follow in your footsteps? Advertisement MARS: Be in control. Know who you are. And dont try to be different just to be different. Q: Did you know that going in, or did you find out along the way? MARS: (softly) I knew that. I knew that. Q: Is there anything youd like to add. Advertisement MARS: I love (he adapts his best Will Ferrell-as-Ron Burgundy TV weatherman voice) San Diago... Q: Come on. Youre just saying that? MARS: (laughs with delight) ...Which means a whales vagina. Q: Im not sure if we can get that in. Advertisement MARS: Ah, come on! We gotta! Illegal migrants sit on the ground at a naval base after being rescued by Libyan navy in Tripoli, Libya, on April 22, 2018. Libyan navy on Sunday recovered bodies of 11 migrants and rescued 83 others off the coast of the western city of Sabratha, according to navy spokesman. (Xinhua/Hamza Turkia) TRIPOLI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan navy said Sunday that it has recovered the bodies of 11 migrants and rescued 283 others off the country's western coast in separate operations. "A coast guard patrol recovered the bodies of 11 illegal migrants and rescued 83 others who were on a rubber boat about 5 miles (8 km) off Sabratha coast," spokesman Ayob Qassem told Xinhua. "The boat broke down when (the patrol) reached it," Qassem added. He said the rescued migrants were of African nationalities and were taken to the oil port city of al-Zawiya, some 45 km west of the capital Tripoli, at 13:00 local time (1100 GMT). The spokesman also said that another coast guard patrol rescued 200 migrants, including 38 children, off the coast of Zliten city, some 150 km east of Tripoli. "The migrants are of African and Asian nationalities, and were transferred to the Tripoli naval base," Qassem said. Following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya became the main departure point for migrants who wanted to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe, due to chaos in the country. According to official statistics, more than 4,000 migrants were rescued off Libya's coast in the first quarter of 2018. 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. Rockville, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/23/2018 -- The global market discussion on industrial knitting equipment can be found in an upcoming report titled "Industrial Knitting Equipment Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking - Global Review 2018 to 2028", which is going to be published in the wide database of Fact.MR. Industrial Knitting Equipment are nothing but highly automated machinery designed to mass manufacture large scale textiles in a short amount of time. These textiles then further become the raw material for production of readymade clothes as we know today. The industrial knitting equipment can be customized to produce textiles with different knit patterns, thickness among other requirements and are built to adapt any type of threads to produce knitted fabrics. The machines must be durable enough to manufacture textiles for very long operating times with the ability to produce tubular or flat textiles. High demand from the end users for different varieties of textiles is expected to bolster the growth of industrial knitting equipment in the forecast period. Request TOC of this Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=544 Industrial Knitting Equipment Market: Dynamics In the present market scenario, various factors influence the growth of industrial knitting equipment, the primary factor being the rise in textile industry especially in the Asia Pacific region owing to high demand for knitted fabrics. These knitted fabrics are further processed to manufacture other textile materials based on end use. High disposable income coupled with growing working class population has led to growing demand for various clothing materials from the end users which can be attributed to the growth of industrial knitting equipment market. The increased use of knitted fabrics to generate various materials for utilization in the automotive sector as well as for the manufacture of technical textiles is also expected to drive the market with increasing dollar returns in the forecast period. Small scale manufacturers are the predominant players involved in its production as majority of them are clustered in the unorganized sector. Some of the factors that restrict the growth of the market include high cost of industrial knitting equipment owing to the involvement of precision components, automation among others. The requirement of skilled personnel to operate such equipment coupled with dangers involved in operating the machinery can also come across as a restraint for the growth of the market in the upcoming years. To know more about Industrial Knitting Equipment Market Trends, check the link - https://www.factmr.com/report/544/industrial-knitting-equipment-market Industrial Knitting Equipment Market: Regional Outlook The market for industrial knitting equipment from a global perspective is expected to register highest market potential in Asia Pacific region owing to growing textile industry. With many small scale manufacturers of textiles cropping up in the region due to cheap labor and availability of raw materials, the industrial knitting equipment manufacturers are expected to benefit from this trend in the forecast period. China, Japan and few major economies of the ASEAN region are anticipated to spearhead the manufacturing of industrial knitting equipment ideally pricing the equipment in order to attract customers from major textile hubs including India, Bangladesh among others. Following Asia Pacific, economies of North America and Europe is also expected to register a healthy growth of the industrial knitting equipment market owing to high demand for localized textile manufacturing couple with industrial prowess of the region. The market in the Middle East & Africa fro industrial knitting equipment is expected to be on a lower scale owing to import oriented nature of the region and lacking infrastructure to facilitate large scale manufacturing. Industrial Knitting Equipment Market: Market Participants Major market participants identified in the manufacture of Industrial Knitting Equipment are Shima Seiki Mfg., Ltd., Stoll AG & Co. KG, Fukuhara Industrial & Trading Co., Ltd., Mayer & Cie. GmbH & Co. KG, United Texmac Pte Ltd, Santoni S.p.A., Quanzhou Baiyuan Machinery Science & Technology Co. Ltd., Jy Leh Industrial Co., Ltd., Kauo Heng Precision Machinery Industrial Co., Ltd., Shishi Zhenfu Knitting Machinery Co., Ltd. Pre-book this Report- https://www.factmr.com/checkout/544/S 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. Contact Us Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: sales@factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ Read Industry News at - https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/23/2018 -- The market is witnessing considerable growth due to technological advancements in the industrial gases sector. Growing demand from end-use industries such as metal manufacturing & fabrication, food & beverages, and pharmaceutical & healthcare sector is the key factor driving the growth of the industrial nitrogen market. To know about the assumptions considered for the study, https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=146964494 Cryogenic fractional distillation is projected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period. The cryogenic fractional distillation segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Cryogenic fractional distillation is the most widely used technique for producing high-purity industrial gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, and argon on an industrial scale, as it is one of the most cost-effective and economical technology solutions for high production rate plants. The bulk mode of transportation & distribution is projected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period. The bulk segment is projected to be the fastest-growing mode of transportation over the next five years. Large volumes of gas are supplied by bulk deliveries, either as a cryogenic liquid or a high pressure gas into storage on customer sites. When a large amount of industrial gas is required, bulk delivery is usually preferred as bulk systems provide the product safely and cost-effectively. Asia Pacific accounted for the largest market share in 2017 and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The Asia Pacific region accounted for the largest market share in 2017 and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2017 to 2022. The market in China is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth in the Asia Pacific region is supported by the improving economic conditions, continuous improvements in government budgets, rising number of standards in building codes, positive demographic outlook such as the increasing population and rising per capita income, and the growing manufacturing industries in the region. For more information, https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=146964494 The major players in the industrial nitrogen market include Praxair (US), Air Products and Chemicals (US), Air Liquide (France), Linde (Germany), and Taiyo Nippon Sanso (Japan). Other players in this market include Messer Group (Germany), Nexair LLC (US), and Gulf Cryo (Kuwait). 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 sales@marketsandmarkets.com London, England -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/23/2018 -- The Maine Group, a leading recruitment consultancy, are constantly on the search for new and impressive talent to join their ever-growing team, with the intention of creating the ultimate recruitment consultancy. For this reason The Maine Group have a dedicated 'Join Our Team' page which people can visit to discover why so many people strive to work for the company, and to view available positions. Upon visiting this page people get the chance to watch a great video informing them of just some of the reasons why they may want to consider applying for an opening within the company, alongside their latest job openings. For examples the most recent positions listed by the company are: Resourcer/Team Assistant Maine Charity and Senior Recruitment Consultant. On this page there is also a quick and easy to use contact form which can be used by anyone looking to reply or requiring further information abut the company and their job positions. A spokesperson and representative from the company was incredibly keen to comment saying, "Here at The Maine Group we are constantly nurturing our company, ensuring that we have the greatest staff and team members possible, this is why we are always willing to take on new and passionate individuals. Anyone wanting more information about any of our roles can also call our team who are always happy to help." About The Maine Group The Maine Group is a recruitment consultancy based in London with over 30 years' experience. They offer a full suite of recruitment solutions in secretarial, HR, charity and sales and office support recruitment in London and further afield. Setting the bar for the rest of the industry The Maine Group are highly renowned for the work that they do, and will most definitely be able to help you too, whether you are a business or an individual looking for an exciting role. For full details regarding the company and to view their entire list of services, do not hesitate to visit their website today. We are sure that you will not be left disappointed. PR Contact: Company name: Maine-Tucker Recruitment Ltd Tel: 020 7734 7341 Website: http://www.themainegroup.co.uk/ Contact person: Kate Stannard Email: Kate.Stannard@themainegroup.co.uk Address: Maine-Tucker Recruitment Ltd Greener House 66-68 Haymarket St James's London Entomologists are claiming they have discovered a new species of so-called exploding ant living in the remote rainforests of Borneo, Thailand, and Malaysia. When their colony is threatened by an intruder, minor workers of the new species named Colobopsis explodens can tear their own body apart, in order to release toxins and either kill or repel the enemy. Colobopsis explodens is described in a paper published online April 19 in the journal ZooKeys. Watch this video to see the behavior of exploding ants in various settings. Amongst the countless fascinating plants and animals inhabiting the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, there are the spectacular exploding ants, a group of arboreal, canopy dwelling ants nicknamed for their unique defensive behavior, explained lead author Dr. Alice Laciny of the Natural History Museum Vienna, Austria, and colleagues. When threatened by other insects, minor workers can actively rupture their body wall. Apart from leading to the ants imminent death, the explosion releases a sticky, toxic liquid from their enlarged glands, in order to either kill or hold off the enemy. These ants were first recorded exploding in 1916, but no new species had been described since 1935, due to insufficient evidence. Instead, entomologists used to simply refer to them as the members of the Colobopsis cylindrica group. That was until Dr. Laciny and co-authors came together led by their shared fascination with these insects and their extraordinary mechanism of self-sacrifice (also called autothysis) in 2014. Colobopsis explodens has been picked as the model species of the group, after the researchers deemed it to be particularly prone to self-sacrifice when threatened by enemy arthropods, as well as intruding scientists. While minor workers of Colobopsis explodens exhibit the ability to explode, the other castes have specialties of their own, Dr. Laciny and colleagues said. For example, major workers also called doorkeepers have big, plug-shaped heads used to physically barricade the nest entrances against intruders. During a sampling trip to Brunei in 2015, we even managed to observe queens and males on a mating flight. We sampled the first males of these ants ever to be seen. We also recorded the ants activity schedule and conducted the first experiments on food preferences and exploding behavior. _____ A. Laciny et al. 2018. Colobopsis explodens sp. n., model species for studies on exploding ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with biological notes and first illustrations of males of the Colobopsis cylindrica group. ZooKeys 751: 1-40; doi: 10.3897/zookeys.751.22661 But Trump acknowledged that the eventual outcome of his talks with Kim, which could occur in late May or early June, is uncertain. Pyongyang yet to agree to dismantle its nuclear arsenal and, despite Trump's claim, has not agreed to the permanent denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. The U.S. leader said on Twitter, "We haven't given up anything & they have agreed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing!" U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday the United States has given up nothing ahead of his planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, while Pyongyang has already curtailed its nuclear weapons development. South Korea has said that the North has expressed interest in doing away with its nuclear weapons. "We are a long way from conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they won't -- only time will tell," Trump said, "But the work I am doing now should have been done a long time ago!" Trump, as is often the case, offered his thoughts after hearing television news commentary he didn't like, this time from NBC News anchor Chuck Todd. The president said, "Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd of Fake News NBC just stated that we have given up so much in our negotiations with North Korea, and they have given up nothing." Todd said of Kim's overtures ahead of the summit, "He seems to be giving very little but making it seem like he's giving a lot." The television newsman said, "There's not many pre-conditions the United States is asking for. So far in this potential summit, North Koreans have gotten a lot out of it. What has the United States gotten yet? We don't have a release of any of those Americans that they held captive, we don't have a pledge of denuclearization as the ultimate goal. There's a lot of things they are not promising that is raising some red flags." Five Americans are held in Tehran, including Baquer Namazi, 81, who is in failing health. Zarif blasted the U.S. administration for showing "disrespect" toward Iran, a frequent target of President Donald Trump's wrath. Negotiations are a "possibility certainly from a humanitarian perspective, but it requires a change of attitude," Zarif said in an interview with CBS television's Face the Nation set to air Sunday. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Tehran is open to prisoner swap negotiations with the United States if the Trump administration shows a "change of attitude." Trump has said he wants to rip up the Iran nuclear deal, and his new national security adviser, John Bolton, has advocated regime change in Tehran. "You do not engage in negotiations by exercising disrespect for a country, for its people, for its government, by openly making claims, including this illusion about regime change," Zarif said, according to interview excerpts. In January 2016, after months of secret talks between senior Iranian and U.S. officials during Barack Obama's administration, Tehran released four Americans in exchange for seven Iranians being released in the United States. A fifth American, identified as Matthew Trevithick, was also released separately as an "associated goodwill gesture." According to Zarif, there are "many" Iranian prisoners being held in the United States or elsewhere at America's request, "including a lady who had to give birth in an Australian prison because of a U.S. extradition request." We use cookies to ensure we provide you with the best user experience. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive cookies from our site. Learn more. The incident involved a collision with a dive support craft owned/operated by the GCPI (General Company for Ports of Iraq) in August 2017. The Royal Arsenal, with the compulsory Iraqi Pilot on board supervising the navigation, had collided with the Al Misbar, which was being used to ferry port employees from an offshore oil terminal. The smaller vessel overturned and many of the 23 passengers and 8 crew were trapped in the hull. Despite the rescue efforts of the GCPI salvage teams, 21 personnel died. Since the incident, no quantified claims have been filed at Court or requests for security presented and the vessel has been forced to remain at Umm Qasr. Iraq's Transport Minister, Kazem Finjan, has directed that compensation be paid to the victims' families, which in addition to a cash payment from the GCPI includes land for a new home and employment at the GCPI for a family member. Accrued retirement benefits will also be paid. The families have made large unsubstantiated claims for additional compensation from the Royal Arsenal, whilst the GCPI have failed to quantify any of their alleged claims. The latter appears to be compounded due to the report that the reinsurers of the Al Misbar have raised issues in relation to how she was operated/managed as she was not a designated transportation vessel. The Royal Arsenals Master was detained pending further investigation and released on bail after three days. Little substantive progress has been made before the local Courts and in appeals to the Court of Cassation in Baghdad and the Owners are now commencing proceedings before ITLOS (International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea) in Hamburg based on breaches of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea by the Iraqi authorities. Blue Fleet Group md Roy Khoury slammed the Iraqi authorities. It is deeply regrettable that a functioning maritime state such as Iraq who wishes to be regarded as such by the international maritime community is so dysfunctional and unable to address such claims properly and in accordance with international practice and the UN Conventions, he said. We felt that other operators should be made aware of the problems and losses we have incurred because we traded the vessel to an Iraqi Port," Khoury warned, pointing out that its crew and representatives have not only been unable to leave Iraq but also faced threats of violence. This is in clear violation of Iraq's obligations under UN treaties. Despite the Transport Minister declaring last August that he was going to be personally involved, so far his involvement has been ineffective and no one at the GCPI is prepared to make a decision. As a result, we are unable to either post security or resolve the claims to the benefit of the claimants, and allow the vessel and her crew to depart Iraq," Khoury reiterated. The owners and West of England P&I Club want to settle all claims on a basis which reflects the merits and the failings of the GCPI. To date, discussions to date have not been successful since the demands of the claimants have far exceeded the value of the vessel. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, as the two neighbors work to ameliorate strained ties. The two leaders will meet in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on Friday and Saturday, China's and India's foreign ministries announced Sunday. "Our common interests far outweigh our differences. The two countries have no choice other than pursuing everlasting friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development," China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters after meeting Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in Beijing. Press Release April 23, 2018 De Lima urges Senate to prioritize probe on jail congestion Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima today pressed the Senate leadership to finally start its public hearings on her resolutions seeking to address the congestion and the poor living condition inside the jails and penitentiaries all over the country. De Lima made the call following recent release of records from the Philippine National Police (PNP) showing that most regional police offices have congested detention facilities. "It's about time for the appropriate Senate committee to address the issue concerning overcrowded detention cells and act on the resolutions I filed, including PSR Nos. 97 and 590," she said. "Proper investigations in aid of legislation should push through to come up with a solution on how to decongest and improve the worsening state of detention facilities in the country," she added. Based on reports, data as of March 31 from the PNP's Human Rights Affairs Office (HRAO) showed that 13 out of the 17 regional police offices have overcrowded detention facilities. According to the data released, Calabarzon Police Regional Office (PRO-4A) has the highest congestion rate (45.35 percent), with 78 of its 172 custodial centers considered as overcrowded. De Lima noted that her PSR No. 97 pushes for a Senate probe into the current state of jails and penitentiaries in the country while her PSR No. 590 seeks for an investigation into the continued failure of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to complete jail facility projects. The former justice secretary said investigations are necessary to avoid other problems, including health issues, that can arise due to extreme overcrowding of prisoners in jails. "There is an urgent need to address the issues on jail congestion to avoid several problems that can arise from it, such as illness and poor hygiene among inmates, substandard sleeping accommodation, lack of food provision, to name some. I keep saying also that jail congestion is the root cause of prison-based criminality," she noted. Last April 11, an inmate held in the overcrowded detention facility of the Pasay City police's investigation section died, while six others reportedly collapsed from the heat in their cramped cells. In September 2016, De Lima sent a formal communication to Sen. Richard Gordon, who chairs the Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee, requesting him to give priority to PSR No. 97 she filed a month prior, but to no avail. Press Release April 23, 2018 Gov't must protect Boracay's informal sector workers - Gatchalian Senator Win Gatchalian on Monday urged the government to launch emergency financial assistance and livelihood programs to compensate workers in the informal sector for lost wages expected during the six-month closure of Boracay Island, which takes effect this week. The senator estimates that more than 6,000 workers employed in the informal sector of Boracay Island and the surrounding municipality of Malay, Aklan, will be affected by the closure order. "Our estimates show that informal sector laborers employed on and around Boracay Island could lose as much as P166 million in wages over the next six months. The government needs to put programs in place to ensure that every centavo of these losses will be compensated," said Gatchalian, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs. "Informal sector workers will be particularly vulnerable during the closure period because it will be much more difficult to identify them and provide the necessary public aid," he explained as he urged the Department of Labor and Employment to put strategies in place to serve the needs of the informal sector. Gatchalian stressed the need to fast-track the implementation of a mix of cash-for-work programs, cash transfers, and other social welfare measures before Boracay's vibrant tourism-based economy comes to a grinding halt on April 26. "Boracay's small-time laborers are not to blame for the environmental mess on the island, and they should not be made to suffer the consequences of the reckless illegal behavior of careless big businesses," he said. Eight out of 10 small and medium-sized Korean companies plan to turn to overseas markets due to the tough business environment at home. The Federation of Korean Industries conducted a survey of 1,020 SMEs recently and found that some 85.5 percent plan to make inroads overseas within two years, with 412 firms saying they would do so, among 482 who gave answers. Asked what form their overseas expansion would take, the majority said exporting goods and services (67.2 percent), followed by forming a strategic alliance (16.7 percent), and establishing a joint venture (15.5 percent). Some citied increasing demand from overseas, but the worsening domestic business environment, including soaring production costs and labor disputes, was a major reason for the trend. Southeast Asia topped the potential markets they wish to enter at 27.5 percent, followed by the U.S. (15.3 percent), China (15 percent), Europe (12.5 percent) and Japan (11.1 percent). "Amid a prolonged economic slump, SMEs are trying to find a breakthrough in overseas markets," the FKI said. New Zealand shares dropped in light trading, with A2 Milk Co and Synlait Milk leading the index lower, while Pushpay Holdings and Fletcher Building gained. The S&P/NZX50 Index fell 19.6 points, or 0.2 percent, to 8,303.62. Within the index, 25 stocks rose, 15 fell and 10 were unchanged. Turnover was $84 million. "We've certainly got that school holiday feel, it's very sluggish," said Peter McIntyre, investment adviser at Craigs Investment Partners. "We got mixed messages from Friday's close in the US - the pointer to the market is where US 10-year Treasury notes got to and it's sitting at 2.9738 as I speak. The watermark is 3 percent, that's what a number of analysts and market commentators have consistently looked at as a signal for the market to become weaker or have some more volatility. Even though futures are lining up okay, I think that's going to weigh on the minds of investors in the US, and that will impact on us potentially later in the week." A2 Milk led the index lower, dropping 3.1 percent to $12.37. "It's following its trading pattern in Australia too, on light volume for A2," McIntyre said. "It's been bouncing around ever since Nestle said they'd be competitors in that Chinese market, there's a bit of nervousness about competition despite A2 wanting to expand into other Asian markets." Synlait Milk, which supplies A2, dropped 2.2 percent to $9.81. Vector fell 1.2 percent to $3.20, Air New Zealand dropped 1.2 percent to $3.25, and Mainfreight declined 1.2 percent to $24.01. Pushpay Holdings was the best performer, up 2.5 percent to $4.10, while Westpac Banking Corp rose 1.6 percent to $30.86. New Zealand Refining gained 1.3 percent to $2.36. At the company's annual meeting in Auckland this afternoon, chief executive Sjoerd Post said the failure of the pipeline between the plant at Marsden Point and Auckland in September 2017 had a net impact on profit of $8.2 million. At the end of February, the company declared a 66 percent increase in net profit for the year to Dec. 31 to $78.5 million, driven by historically high average refining margins of US$8.02 per barrel of oil processed. "They acknowledged the difficulties they've had, but also pointed out that going forward the margins should be quite wide," McIntyre said. "What's going to keep the market interesting over the next while is annual meetings where CEOs can flesh out results or put them in plain language for shareholders. Typically we've seen some good positive movements post these meetings in the past." Fletcher Building rose 0.8 percent to $6.20. Last week, it completed the institutional entitlement offer and shortfall bookbuild component of its capital raising plan, reaping $515 million of $750 million target. Institutions paid $6.15 in the bookbuild - above the deeply discounted offer itself at $4.80. The retail entitlement offer opened today. "The market will be pretty pleased they're trading above $6, to be honest," McIntyre said. "There's still some uncertainty about the US private placement holders, they're tending to raise enough capital to make sure that's not going to be an issue though. Some of the infrastructure segment is still facing risks and they're still reporting a nil margin, and some of their outstanding work, there's still uncertainty, so in all likelihood there's potential for further write downs from here, but we've seen enough interest from institutional investors on a value basis." Precinct Properties gained 0.4 percent to $1.26. It has sold Deloitte House in Wellington for $10.2 million and says it's entered into a period of exclusivity with one potential buyer for its stake in the ANZ Centre in Auckland. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. 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Related News: 4th October 2021 Morning Report Auckland International Airport Limited (NZX: AIA) Announces New Chief Executive Plexure Group Limited (NZX: PX1) Completes TASK Deal and Announce New TASK Clients Seeka Limited (NZX: SEK) Clears First Hurdle in Orangewood Amalgamation Vital Healthcare Property Trust (NZX: VHP) Announces Debt Refinance and Facility Limit Increase Restructure of Cannasouth Cultivation Limited (NZX:CBD) 1st October 2021 Morning Report Gentrack Group Limited (NZX: GTK) Market Announcement New Zealand King Salmon Investments Limited (NZX: NZK) 1H22 Half Year Results Announcement 30th September 2021 Morning Report New Zealand farm sales fell 11 percent in the March quarter from a year earlier, as the mycoplasma bovis cattle disease outbreak weighed on purchasing intentions and spanned a period where smaller plots of rural land were captured by the regime to screen foreign buyers. Some 388 farms were sold at a median price of $27,428 per hectare in the three months ended March 31, down from 438 farms at a median price of $27,509/ha in 2017, Real Estate Institute of New Zealand figures show. Fewer dairy and grazing farms accounted for the drop, with gains in finishing farm sales coinciding with strong prices for beef and lamb meat. "Farmers attitudes are reflecting improving morale and a cautious degree of confidence," Reinz rural spokesman Brian Peacocke said in a statement. "The caution referred to relates to the inexorable demands of the range of compliance issues, and the far-reaching tentacles of the invidious livestock disease, mycoplasma bovis, which is sapping the financial and social resources of those within the livestock and property-owning chain who have been affected." The outbreak of mycoplasma bovis last year prompted the Ministry for Primary Industries to order several dozen farms be locked down, and about 22,000 livestock will be slaughtered to control the spread of the disease. Today's figures show dairy-heavy regions Waikato, Northland and Taranaki posted the biggest declines in farm sales, although Canterbury and West Coast registered gains, as did horticulture-focused Bay of Plenty. Farm sales during the latest March quarter fall under a ministerial director to the Overseas Investment Office for all land purchases over five hectares to come in the screening regime, whereas in the prior period only farms deemed to be large fell under the agency's scrutiny. Separately, Reinz figures showed lifestyle block sales rose 12 percent in the March quarter to 1,716, with the median sale price up 3.6 percent to $647,500. A joint Statistics New Zealand-Ministry for the Environment report last week on the state of the country's land showed urbanisation and the fragmentation of rural land for lifestyle blocks had swallowed up some of the nation's most versatile and productive land, prompting Environment Minister David Parker to order officials start work on a national policy statement for versatile land and high-class soils. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: 4th October 2021 Morning Report Auckland International Airport Limited (NZX: AIA) Announces New Chief Executive Plexure Group Limited (NZX: PX1) Completes TASK Deal and Announce New TASK Clients Seeka Limited (NZX: SEK) Clears First Hurdle in Orangewood Amalgamation Vital Healthcare Property Trust (NZX: VHP) Announces Debt Refinance and Facility Limit Increase Restructure of Cannasouth Cultivation Limited (NZX:CBD) 1st October 2021 Morning Report Gentrack Group Limited (NZX: GTK) Market Announcement New Zealand King Salmon Investments Limited (NZX: NZK) 1H22 Half Year Results Announcement 30th September 2021 Morning Report According to the official Rodong Sinmun daily, Kim said his country no longer needs to conduct nuclear tests or test intercontinental ballistic missiles because it has fulfilled its goal of developing the weapons. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made the announcement during a Workers Party Central Committee meeting and said the North will pursue economic growth and peace instead. It is surprising for North Korea to make the announcement before planned summits with South Korea and the U.S. have even got underway. U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the announcement, calling it "very good news for North Korea and the World -- big progress!" He added, "Look forward to our summit." North Korea on Friday announced it is halting all nuclear and missile tests and shutting down its nuclear test site, but that does not guarantee the regime will eventually give up its nuclear program altogether. The North said the halt is "an important process for global nuclear disarmament" -- the term used internationally for the process of decreasing the sizes of their nuclear weapons stockpiles. That also assumes that the North is somehow already a nuclear power and able to negotiate with its counterparts on an equal footing. It added the North will "join international efforts to halt nuclear tests," which also suggests that it wants to be recognized as a nuclear power by alluding to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which was created to curb competition among nuclear-armed states. Still, it signals a change from the North's previous negotiating tactics, when it took small incremental steps in exchange for concessions including oil and food aid and then reversed them as soon as it got what it wanted. But it is still too early to celebrate since North Korea can always reverse itself if it is dissatisfied with the speed of easing sanctions. Kim's true intentions will only become clear after the two summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Trump. Some pundits, staring intently into these cloudy crystal balls, fear that Kim may offer to scrap only long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland and that Trump could accept the proposal as he seeks to win votes for the Republican Party in upcoming mid-term elections. One former high-ranking diplomat said, "We have now entered uncharted waters, so it is especially important for South Korea and the U.S. to maintain close cooperation and communication." New Zealand Refining, operator of the country's only oil refinery, says its 2017 oil pipeline failure knocked net profit by $8.2 million last year. At the company's annual meeting in Auckland this afternoon, chief executive Sjoerd Post said the failure of the pipeline between the plant at Marsden Point and Auckland in September had a net impact on profit of $8.2 million, according to a presentation published to the NZX. Post, who will leave the Marsden Point refinery operator at the end of July after five years in the role, said throughputs are higher today than before the incident. In February, the Northland Regional Council said it wouldn't prosecute NZ Refining for the incident, as external expert studies concluded the pipeline was well run in lead-up to the incident and the leak was due to an external force. At the end of February, the company declared a 66 percent increase in net profit for the year to Dec. 31 to $78.5 million, driven by historically high average refining margins of US$8.02 per barrel of oil processed. Those accounts showed the refinery spent $6 million repairing the pipeline, which failed on farmland near Ruakaka, close to the Whangarei, and lost $6.3 million in processing fees and a further $2 million in distribution fees attributable to the disruption to supply. Insurers had paid out $2.9 million already on the refinery's policy covering environmental damage. Post said the company sees itself "as part of the solution on a pathway to 2050 carbon neutrality for the country", and its $365 million Te Mahi Hou expansion project at the Marsden Point refinery, completed in December 2015, was equivalent to "taking 60,000 Corollas off the road or the NZ public buying $4.8 billion worth of Teslas model 3." In the next six years, "demand for petroleum products in Asia Pacific is expected to continue to outpace capacity growth and we are therefore cautiously optimistic about margins," he said. Post said the company is well set up for its total refinery shutdown this year. The shutdown is running in stages from April 20 to June 8, with 39 days where the entire refinery is closed. NZ Refining is spending $85 million on the shutdown and it will have a financial impact of $30 million. "This is the major event of our year, its size is a once in every 15 years occurrence," Post said. "For example, if you have not been able to get hold of scaffold recently, it is because we have 2,000 tonnes of it on site." "We continue with a strong growth agenda in 2018 including small optimisation projects, working on pipeline capacity, jet import and sulphur prilling," Post said. Chair Simon Allen said the board was pleased that Post would remain at NZ Refining for the next few months to see through critical work including the 2018 planned maintenance shutdown and the government inquiry into the pipeline incident. At the annual meeting, shareholders also voted to re-elect directors Vanessa Stoddart and Mark Tume, who had both retired by rotation, and to elect Deborah Boffa and Lindis Jones to the board. The company's shares recently traded at $2.36, up 1.3 percent today and 1.7 percent this year. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: 4th October 2021 Morning Report Auckland International Airport Limited (NZX: AIA) Announces New Chief Executive Plexure Group Limited (NZX: PX1) Completes TASK Deal and Announce New TASK Clients Seeka Limited (NZX: SEK) Clears First Hurdle in Orangewood Amalgamation Vital Healthcare Property Trust (NZX: VHP) Announces Debt Refinance and Facility Limit Increase Restructure of Cannasouth Cultivation Limited (NZX:CBD) 1st October 2021 Morning Report Gentrack Group Limited (NZX: GTK) Market Announcement New Zealand King Salmon Investments Limited (NZX: NZK) 1H22 Half Year Results Announcement 30th September 2021 Morning Report A planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could be delayed until mid-June and held in Europe or Singapore, the Wall Street Journal reported last Friday. "Trump and Kim are moving toward a mid-June rendezvous somewhere outside northeast Asia," the paper said. Both China, which is the North's sole ally, and Japan, which is a key U.S. ally in the region, have been ruled out, it quoted a U.S. official as saying. The is why a location in a more neutral region like Switzerland and Singapore would be better suited to their meeting. Meanwhile, Trump has proposed holding the summit in mid-June, after the G7 summit in Canada on June 8-9. It seems that he wants to coordinate his approach with his allies before he sits down with Kim. Previously, Trump accepted Kim's proposal for a summit in May. Korean Air has fired both daughters of owner Cho Yang-ho after the latest scandal exposing what looks like congenital anger management problems in the troubled family. Cho apologized publicly on Sunday for the behavior of Cho Hyun-ah (44) and Cho Hyun-min (35), who have made worldwide headlines with their histrionics. "I would like to apologize to the public and staff of Korean Air," Cho said, adding his two daughters will "immediately step down from all posts within the group." Cho Hyun-min disgraced herself a couple of weeks ago amid allegations that she threw a bottle of water in an advertising staffer's face during one of the uncontrollable screaming fits to which it later emerged she is prone. At the time she held seven executive positions in the airline's parent Hanjin Group, including senior vice president of budget carrier Jin Air and CEO of KAL Hotel Network. Customs officials leave the home of Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-min in Seoul after a raid on Saturday. /Yonhap Her older sister Cho Hyun-ah, disgraced and convicted after the "nut rage" scandal in 2014, quietly slipped back into management at the family firm recently by being appointed as president of KAL Hotel Network. "As the chairman of Korean Air and as the head of a family, I feel devastated by the immature behavior of my daughter," Cho senior said referring to the "office rage" incident. "My shortcomings are responsible for everything and I have erred." The chairman said he will create a new post of vice chairman and appoint Seok Tae-soo, the CEO of Hanjin KAL Corporation to the position. But the scandal is only getting worse. On Saturday, the Korea Customs Service conducted a dawn raid on the offices of the Cho family at Korean Air headquarters over allegations that they operated a special team of workers to assist in the smuggling of luxury goods and other items into Korea aboard the carrier's jets. Cho Hyun-ah (left) and Cho Hyun-min Customs investigators also scrutinized the overseas credit card spending of the Cho sisters as well as their mother over the last five years. Investigators said they found multiple evidence that the Cho family bought luxury goods overseas and brought them into Korea without paying excise tax. Although no specific items were seized, they took photographs as evidence. They also seized computer files and other documents and are compiling a list of smuggled items. A Korea Customs Service staffer said, "We are looking at whether each item the owner's family purchased abroad is actually in their possession and whether proper taxes were paid. If we find specific evidence of tax evasion, they will be questioned." Customs investigators do not have the right to make arrests but have the legal power to search businesses and private individuals who are suspected of smuggling. This is the first time they have targeted the owner family of a major conglomerate. Industry insiders are afraid that the latest investigation may spread to other carriers. One airline industry source said, "A dawn raid on the offices of the owners of a conglomerate based on an online tip-off is rather excessive." But the Korea Customs Service said, "We felt that an investigation was necessary and there is no ulterior motive." The current administration came in on a promise to clean out the Augean stable of collusion between government and big business that was highlighted afresh in the spectacular downfall of ex-President Park Geun-hye. Managers at Korean Air have told investigators that expensive whiskey and other liquor that were smuggled into the country were distributed at dinners for customs officials at Incheon International Airport. Korean Air denies the allegations. Cho senior is having a grim time after the spectacular bankruptcy of Hanjin Shipping last year. He was also removed as chairman of the organizing committee for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Read this article in Korean Oh, the irony. Rape has always been political. It is power play, a show of domination and control, an enjoyment of dependency and subservience. At its most chilling, it is strategic. Rape has been used as a weapon of war to break the spirits of the victim as well as the protectors of the victim. Do not politicise rape, he said, having waved to crowds outside, fawning over him and asking him to Go back in more or less equal proportion. On April 18, speaking at the Central Hall in Westminster, London, Narendra Modi finally broke his silence on the Kathua and Unnao rape cases. The Kathua rape case was that a strategy to victimise a child so that her parents and everyone in the tribe would go away from the district for good. If people from that district could inflict such horror on a child, within the confines of a temple, clearly there were no gods there. Clearly, there was no justice, no hope, no telling what could happen, no reason to come back. We should hang our collective heads in shame. And yet, the government hosts an evening titled, Bharat ki baat, sab ke saath. Are these the circumstances under which we want to talk about India, with everyone? The only thing that remains to be said at this time is that we are a country of savages, and our ambitions of being recognised as a global power are a mockery of aspiration. The government has proven itself more capable of churning out slogans and acronyms so amateur as to embarrass a ten-year-old than to carry out the goals they put into rhyme and riddle. The BJP came to power on the back of a countrys disillusionment with corruption, sycophancy, inefficiency and a silent prime minister. They have fostered a culture of corruption, sycophancy, inefficiency and a silent prime minister. Modi shouts slogans and exhortations at rallies and crowds; he spouts aphorisms and promises. But he has not addressed a single issue of contention, and when he does mention it for the first time, he asks us not to politicise rape. Rape should not be about the age, religion, caste, or gender of the victim; it should not be about the extent of brutalisation. Rape, of anyone, under any circumstances, is a heinous crime and should be treated as such. And yet, there was one thing more horrific about the Kathua rape than what happened. It was the absolute denial of it even after confessions from the perpetrators, after a thorough investigation, after the pictures were circulated, there are those who insist it is all a conspiracy against India, against Hindus. There were protests against the arrests of the accused, and ministers from the BJP were spotted participating in these. Yes, the Congress was in power during the Delhi bus rape. But no one protested against the arrest of the accused. The country was up in arms against the juvenile being set free. The BJP was up in arms against the juvenile being set free. A party calls for us not to politicise rape, when one of its MLAs stands accused of rape; when babies a few months old are being raped across the country. For how long will this country continue to live in denial? When a child is raped and murdered within the walls of a temple, it is a conspiracy against Hindus. When ATMs run out of cash, it is a conspiracy by hoarders who are orchestrating a run on banks. When a judge investigating one of the most powerful men in the current government dies under mysterious circumstances, the call for a probe into his death is a conspiracy against the judiciary. When the Opposition calls for the impeachment of the Chief Justice of the country, with 64 signatures on a notice which only requires 50, it is without merit and rejected by the Vice President, Venkaiah Naidu. When bank scams worth thousands of crores are exposed, it is the fault of the previous government. Demonetisation was purportedly about catching corrupt businessmen; but while hundreds of people died of sunstroke and cardiac arrest waiting in queues for cash, the corrupt businessmen have flown the coop. To further mock the fight against corruption, they tweet from countries which have no extradition treaty with India. Petrol prices are higher than they were when crude oil cost twice as much as it does today. But the GST, applied hurriedly and non-uniformly and then with hasty revisions on everything whose price went up after its introduction, has not been applied on the one product which would become cheaper with it. Four years ago, the country voted for change and finds itself sinking into quicksand. If we think this is an improvement, we are as much in denial as the government. If we think approving capital punishment for particular crimes and reducing the age when one can be tried as an adult for others is good governance, we are in denial. With elections approaching next year, there is only one thing we must deny the power to rule with corruption, sycophancy, inefficiency, and silence. New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday underlined the support the Bharatiya Janata Party had received from backward sections of the society by noting that it had the maximum number of elected lawmakers from Other Backward Classes, Dalit and tribal communities, and asserted that its reach was no longer confined to a particular class, urban centres or north India. Modi has also asked party leaders to refrain from making irresponsible statements, saying their responsibility has risen as public support has increased for the BJP. His comments, made during an interaction with the partys MPs, MLAs and other representatives through his mobile application, assume significance in the wake of opposition parties attempts to put up a united front against the saffron party over Dalit issues and also criticism of some BJP leaders for making irresponsible statements. A BJP release quoted Modi as saying that the party has managed to win over support of the rural masses as he also made a reference to the partys win in local polls in Jharkhand. He also asked MPs and MLAs to take a resolve to solve four to five problems of the villages falling in their respective constituencies as he issued them several instructions to observe the ongoing Gram Swaraj campaign between April 14 and May 5. The BJP has not come to power due to mistakes of the Congress but because it has always stayed connected to the people and now their job in power is to solve problems facing the masses, Modi said. The perception about the BJP that it was a party of a particular class and urban centres or north India has changed and it has emerged as an all-touching and all-inclusive organisation, he said. Our mass base is increasing among all sections of the society and this is our biggest asset, the party statement quoted him as saying. Modi asked party leaders and workers to use technology a lot to link villages to development works. Taking on the criticism that his government had not created enough jobs, he said lifestyle and sources of livelihood have changed in villages as he emphasised his governments efforts to boost self-employment. Those doing politics over employment figure may do so but the government will provide the masses with self-employment opportunities by developing skills of the youth, he said. Modi asked party workers to work to spread harmony in villages and bring development to the poor, farmers, Dalits and tribals. Talking of his governments ambitious health insurance scheme, Ayushmaan Bharat, he said wellness centres will be built in over 1.5 lakh panchayats by 2022 with the programme aiming to cover 10 crore families with a cover of Rs 5 lakh. He also made a mention of several of his governments welfare schemes aimed at farmers, youths and women among others and asked his partys lawmakers to spread their reach. Modi will speak to the party workers of the poll-bound Karnataka through the video bridge technology on April 26, the statement said. He noted that while the partys leaders have been staying overnight in over 20,000 villages, which have over 50 per cent population of Dalits and tribals, to take welfare schemes to the masses, more than 1,000 central government officials are also staying in over 500 districts for the same purpose. Over 11 lakh LPG connections were distributed on a day recently, he said. Modi also answered questions from elected representatives on various issues including skill development of the youth, rural development and farmers welfare. To a question on improving lives of people in villages, he laid stress on the collective power of people and referred to Anna Hazares village in Maharashtra where the social activist had focussed on cleanliness and how the village had become a model for others to follow. President Moon Jae-in is rehearsing carefully for his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday, parts of which will be broadcast live to the whole world. Presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan said their first meeting in the truce village of Panmunjom will be covered from several angles. Officials from both sides are still discussing security, protocol, and media coverage on Monday. They are expected to discuss when and how Moon and Kim will meet and whether they will give a joint press conference. They will also discuss when the two leaders will have their first conversation on a new hotline. "We have to check every scenario in advance, as their every move will be broadcast live to the entire world," a presidential official said. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Take a lap around around Carter & Cavero's specialty food store in Stapleton's Urby complex and happen upon dozens of olive oils and vinegars to sample. Prepare for some bold flavors on the palate. Basil oil under the "Staten Island New York" label tastes herbaceous and bright. Barrel-aged balsamic vinegar with the same house label gets its luscious, syrup-like viscosity thanks to its high percentage of grape must -- 80 percent to be exact, says the store's co-owner Mercedes Wall-Cavero. It's the grape must that allows the delicious vinegar to cling to salad greens, offers her husband, Chris Wall. Around the store are delicate oils in various flavors and many shades of vinegar plus enough packaged gourmet foods -- dried pastas, olives, capers, jams, tapenades, crackers, barbecue sauces, a fantastical, smoky salami Ungheresi and more -- to throw a gourmet feast or cocktail party. There are dishes in which to serve the oil and a set of drink-ware and a pitcher that can be frozen for serving sangria or an iced version of one of the store's teas. These specialty foods are brought to Staten Island by the couple who found inspiration in their travels 20 years ago to the Andalucia region of Spain. Indeed, they fell in love with the country, the cuisine and the people. The business' story goes like this: About a decade ago, Cavero met Carter -- that would be Mary Randolph Carter -- in Europe at a wedding of a mutual friend. "We went to Chris Ortiz's wedding - his family and friend came from all over the world. That's how we met Carter and her family. We share the same love and passion for Mediterranean food," said Mercedes. "We said, 'Why can't we bring this experience to the U.S.?'" recalled Mercedes. So they partnered with their European food friends like olive oil expert Chris Ortiz and Cesar Colliga Martinez, Tasting Panel Chief for the European Olive Oil Council. "He's very knowledgeable of olive oils from Spain, Greece...his expertise is knowing the oils. Between all of our strengths, we combined efforts," explained Mercedes. The premium food products, Mercedes said, were "something special that should be in the United States." Now, the oils, stored in 1000-liter barrels for bottling, are shipped to the United States on a container ship from Europe. NOW IN THE STATES Carter & Cavero came about 2007 with its first store in Red Bank, NJ. This 1,200 square foot retail operation on Staten Island marks the company's fifth location. A former New Dorp resident, Chris has roots on Staten Island. But the actual connection to borough was made through Urby's developer, Ironstate Development, via another of their destination communities, Pier Village, where Carter & Cavero also are tenants. "When we heard Vic Rallo was coming here, that was a big deal," said Chris, referring to the celebrity chef who is a principal at well-regarded Surf restaurant diagonally across the way from Carter & Cavero. "It's a nice addition to the neighborhood," said Debbie Butera, patron of the shop who discovered it shortly after it opened. "It's fun to sample a variety of their delicious oils and specialty items. Several purchases have inspired some new meals at home which my family thoroughly enjoyed," she added. The store mirrors restaurants in the Urby complex, to a degree, with its hours. Carter & Cavero is closed on Monday and Tuesdays, open Wednesday and Thursday from 2 to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 2 to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The location can be reached through 732-492-1226. John Moore/Getty Images ICE makes 225 arrests in 'Keep Safe' N.Y. sweep; lawyer says several on Staten Island U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested more than 200 people in New York, including Staten Island, during a week-long sweep this month, authorities said. ICE representatives last week declined to provide the number of borough arrests, the identities and ages of the suspects, and any information about the charges they face. But there have been at least six arrests on Staten Island, five on April 11 and the other on April 14, according to Cesar Vargas, an immigration reform activist who is New York's first undocumented immigrant to be admitted to the New York State Bar. The six-day ICE crackdown ended on April 14, officials said. Vargas said five borough residents were allegedly arrested when ICE officers went into a home with a picture and name of someone that didn't live there. But the immigrants opened the door, and were taken into custody, he said. "It's crazy," Vargas said. "It appears they were a collateral arrest." During the operation called Keep Safe in New York, deportation officers made 225 arrests throughout New York City, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island, specifically in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Suffolk County, Nassau County, Westchester County, Orange County, Dutchess County, and Rockland County, officials said. Don't Edit NYC immigration arrests spike, as critics point to 'Trump effect' The surge has not just hit Staten Island, but across New York City immigration arrests have skyrocketed in fiscal year 2017 in key categories, including total arrests, criminal and non-criminal arrests, according to data obtained from ICE. From October 2016 to September 2017, there were 2,576 total arrests, including 674 non-criminal busts, a 175 percent increase from the 245 the previous fiscal year, the stats show. The numbers confirm non-criminal deportation numbers spiked 152 percent -- from 313 in fiscal year 2016 to 791 the following year. Overall deportation stats nearly doubled from 1,037 in 2016 to 2,006 the following fiscal year. "These numbers are going to go up," Vargas said. "There's an increased immigration presence around courthouses and there will be more business raids. A lot of people are even going to lose work protection orders." Specific numbers for Staten Island were not available. New York City area statistics include the five boroughs and Long Island. While data shows President Donald Trump's first year in office saw a spike in immigration enforcement, the increase is minor compared to a couple of years in former President Barack Obama's administration. From 2009 to 2016, more than 3 million undocumented immigrants -- most of whom were sent back to Mexico -- were deported, according to Newsweek. According to the ICE data for New York City, there were 5,633 total arrests, including 1,827 non-criminal, in fiscal year 2013. There were also 1,425 non-criminal removals the same year. The numbers were comparably high in fiscal year 2014, which had 4,936 total arrests. There were 1,418 non-criminal arrests, and 741 non-criminal aliens were deported, the stats show. Don't Edit Immigration officials probe several 7-Eleven locations on Staten Island; part of nationwide sweep In January, Immigration officials surprised several 7-Eleven locations on Staten Island as part of a nationwide sweep to crack down on companies who hire undocumented workers. The Advance confirmed the agents visited at least two Port Richmond stores and another in Meiers Corners. The action was part of a joint effort between the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security at 98 locations across the country, including 16 in New York City, according to an ICE spokeswoman. Special agents served audit notices and conducted interviews with workers and managers to make sure businesses are operating with employees who have proper work authorization. Nationwide, 21 individuals suspected of being in the U.S. illegally were administratively arrested and given notices to appear in immigration court. According to immigrant activists on Staten Island, a 27-year-old Mexican native was arrested at the store on Forest Avenue in Port Richmond. Don't Edit Staten Island dad detained by ICE deported back to Egypt A Staten Island family's heartbreaking immigration saga didn't even end with a goodbye. Wael Kassem, 43, who was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Aug. 3, 2017, was deported back to Egypt in October, according to the family's lawyer, Paul O'Dwyer. Kassem did not get to speak to his family before he was taken to the Egyptian consulate for paperwork and put on a plane Thursday night, the attorney said. "The family is extremely upset," he said. "There was no reason for them not to allow him to remain here." O'Dwyer said a person who was detained with Kassem notified the family that he was leaving, and he was informed by a deportation officer. The Board of Immigration Appeals denied the stay of deportation filed for Kassem, he said. "That doesn't mean they had to deport him," O'Dwyer added. "What they did was unnecessary." In 2001, Kassem came to the United States from Egypt on a six-month tourist visa that was eventually extended to one year, said the lawyer. But he never left. The following year, his wife, Sherien Shady, and eldest daughter, Hana, 15, then a newborn, came to join him. Shady and Hana have also overstayed their tourist visas. Don't Edit Nasty landlord-tenant clash ends with immigration arrests A mother and son embroiled in a nasty landlord-tenant dispute were booted from their home, and possibly the country. The quarrel was quashed when the undocumented tenants were arrested by officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in August. Mexico natives Carolina Olivares Recillas, and her son, Erick Daniel Gomez Olivares, were picked up by ICE officials at their Richmond apartment on Aug. 4, 2017, according to an ICE spokeswoman. Recillas overstayed her six-month tourist visa from May 2014, and her son was granted a four-day tourist visa in June 2013, but also did not leave the country, officials allege. An immigration judge granted bond in the two cases, and the mother and son were released from ICE custody on Aug. 28 after posting the bond, said the ICE spokeswoman. Favio Ramirez-Caminatti, executive director at El Centro del Inmigrante in Port Richmond, told the Advance that the mother and son did not leave because they were being threatened in Mexico and were afraid to go back. Don't Edit Don't Edit John Moore/Getty Images ICE arrests 2 Mexican men on Staten Island In February 2017, two of the 41 people U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested were from Staten Island. Both had been convicted of violent crimes. The men, both Mexican, and both permanent legal residents, were arrested on Staten Island. Scott Mechkowski, deputy field office director for ICE's New York area office, said one man had been convicted of raping a young girl, served seven years in prison and another year for family neglect. "We deemed him a public threat," he said. "We wouldn't release a guy like that back in the community." The second man had been convicted of assault and served six months in prison, Mechkowski said. The man had also previously been arrested for a DWI. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Department of Education expects to release a plan within the next month to expand services, programming and professional development for special education students, the new city schools chancellor told the Advance. During a recent Advance editorial meeting, Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said he is having conversations with the DOE to confront issues with special education programs throughout the city's public schools. There are three ways to tackle those issues, Carranza said, starting with the updated Special Education Standard Operating Procedures Manual (SOPM). "What I really want to do -- and the conversations we're having with the Department of Education -- is have a really well-articulated procedure manual, which has now been published," he told the Advance. The SOPM provides schools and personnel with the procedural framework necessary to develop supportive, inclusive education programs citywide, based on each student's individual needs. Secondly, he said the DOE needs to be clear about what its philosophy is -- if special education should be programmatic or service-oriented. The third aspect will tackle how to empower parents to understand the process for assessment and what their rights are. SERVICE APPROACH Carranza said it's important to understand the difference between a programmatic approach and a service-oriented approach when it comes to special education. A programmatic approach means that special education is a program. It's the idea that only special education instructors should teach special education students in a special education classroom. In a service-oriented approach, if a student has a disability, he or she receives the service but learns in a general education classroom. "My philosophy is it's a service," Carranza said. "It's important that, we as a system, are supporting, building capacity and providing professional development for the general education teacher to implement [a student's Individualized Education Plan]," he said. Carranza said the service approach to special education is critical, and he has seen examples of inclusive settings on Staten Island, particularly in New Dorp High School. When the chancellor visited the high school during his five-borough tour of public schools, he walked into classrooms that included students with IEPs. He said he wasn't able to identify those students with IEPs or the special education teacher because everyone worked together. Meanwhile, he visited another school in a different borough and said it was obvious where the special education classrooms, teachers and students were in the school building. "We have this very pronounced dichotomy of experiences in special education," he said. "I've already seen it in New York City's public schools." IDENTIFYING SPECIAL ED STUDENTS Carranza said he's noticed a disproportionate rate of special education students throughout the five boroughs during his visits to the city's public schools. During his time as a superintendent in a different school district, Carranza said the district worked to mitigate some of that over-identification. After an IEP team made a determination that a student needed services, the recommendation went to an independent group, which included psychologists, teachers and administrators. All identifying information was removed from the student's packet and that group determined if a student needed services. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The bad news for a West Brighton resident, who previously pleaded guilty to a gun charge in connection with a shooting last summer in his community, is that he's now got a criminal conviction. The good news for Isaiah Young is that he was slated to be released from custody on Friday after the sentence was imposed. Young, 22, was sentenced, under a plea agreement, to a year in jail - time he's already served awaiting the case's disposition. Authorities said Young and an unidentified man became embroiled in a dispute with the 26-year-old victim on Campbell Avenue at around 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 21, 2017. Young shot the man during the altercation, authorities alleged. The victim was transported to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton in critical, but stable condition. Emergency responders were initially called to the scene of the incident following an alert from the NYPD's ShotSpotter technology. ShotSpotter uses sound sensors on city streets to detect gunfire whether its reported or not. The system triangulates the location of the sound to within about 82 feet. Notifications are forwarded to an incident review center where a trained operator reviews audio to determine if the sound was a gunshot or a similar-sounding incident, like fireworks or a car engine backfiring. Young was indicted on multiple charges, including attempted murder, assault and criminal weapon possession. Two weeks ago, Young pleaded guilty state Supreme Court, St. George, to attempted second-degree criminal weapon possession to satisfy all charges against him. The defendant admitted to attempting to possess a loaded firearm outside his home or place of business. At Friday's proceeding, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Mobilia said several factors figured into the plea agreement. Mobilia, who was standing in for Assistant District Attorney Kate Malloy, said witnesses were uncooperative, there was a lack of forensic evidence tying Young to the gun, and the defendant couldn't be identified in a surveillance video. Young was sentenced to a year in jail on the gun conviction and to a concurrent one-year term for a felony drug-sale conviction in a case handled in Staten Island Treatment Court. A short, slight man garbed in white T-shirt and tan pants, Young declined to make a statement before Justice Mario F. Mattei imposed sentence. Manuel Ortega, Young's lawyer, declined comment outside court. NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A nearly naked gunman wearing only a green jacket and brandishing an assault rifle stormed a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville early Sunday, shooting four people to death before a customer rushed him and wrestled the weapon away. Authorities were searching for the 29-year-old suspect, Travis Reinking, who they said drove to the busy restaurant and killed two people in the parking lot before entering and continuing to fire. When his AR-15 rifle either jammed or the clip was empty, the customer disarmed him in a scuffle. Four people were also wounded before the gunman fled, throwing off his jacket. Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson said there was no clear motive, though Reinking may have "mental issues." He may still be armed, Anderson told a mid-afternoon news conference, because he was known to have owned a handgun that authorities have not recovered. U.S. Secret Service agents arrested Reinking last July for being in a restricted area near the White House, officials said. Special Agent Todd Hudson said Reinking was detained after refusing to leave the restricted area, saying he wanted to meet President Donald Trump. State police in Illinois, where Reinking lived until last fall, subsequently revoked his state firearms card at the request of the FBI and four guns were then taken from him, including the AR-15 used in Sunday's shooting as well as a handgun, authorities said. Sheriff Robert Huston in Tazewell County, Illinois, said deputies allowed Reinking's father to take possession of the guns on the promise that he would "keep the weapons secure and out of the possession of Travis." Huston added that, based on past deputies' encounters with Reinking, "there's certainly evidence that there's some sort of mental health issues involved." While Huston said it was unclear how Reinking reclaimed the guns, Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said that his father "has now acknowledged giving them back to his son." Phone calls to a number listed for the father, Jeffrey Reinking, went unanswered. Meanwhile, authorities hailed the customer who intervened to stop a further bloodbath, 29-year-old James Shaw, Jr., as a hero -- though the father of a 4-year-old girl demurred and said he was just trying to survive. One hand bandaged, Shaw told reporters he first thought the gunshots fired around 3:25 a.m. were plates falling from a dishwashing station. When he realized what was happening, he took cover behind a door as shots shattered windows. The gun either jammed or needed a new clip, and that's when Shaw said he pounced after making up his mind that "he was going to have to work to kill me." Shaw said he was not a religious man, but "for a tenth of a second, something was with me to run through that door and get the gun from him." They cursed at each other as they scuffled, Shaw said, and he was able to grab the gun and toss it over a counter. The gunman then ran away into the dark of the working- and middle-class Antioch neighborhood of southeast Nashville. Authorities said he shed his jacket nearby and police found two AR-15 magazines loaded with bullets in the pockets. He was seen walking, naked, on a road, officials said, but later was spotted wearing pants but no shirt after apparently returning to his apartment. Another witness, Chuck Cordero, told The Tennessean newspaper he had stopped to get a cup of coffee and was outside the Waffle House when the chaos unfolded. "He did not say anything," Cordero said of the gunman, who he described as "all business." Cordero said Shaw saved lives. "There was plenty more people in that restaurant," he said. The dead were identified as 29-year-old restaurant worker Taurean C. Sanderlin, and restaurant patrons Joe R. Perez, 20, Akilah Dasilva, 23, and DeEbony Groves, 21. A police statement said Sanderlin and Perez were killed outside the restaurant, Groves was fatally shot inside, and Dasilva was critically wounded inside and later died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Aaron, the police spokesman, said two of the wounded were being treated for gunshot wounds at the medical center, where spokeswoman Jennifer Wetzel said one was in critical condition and the other was in critical but stable condition. TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center spokeswoman Katie Radel in Nashville said two people were treated for minor injuries and released. Aaron said Reinking had been employed in construction and lived near the restaurant, and police used yellow crime scene tape to block public access to an apartment complex about a half-mile from the Waffle House. Reinking is originally from Morton, Illinois. "This is a very sad day for the Waffle House family," the company said in a statement on Twitter. "We ask for everyone to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts and prayers." Nashville Mayor David Briley described the shooting as "a tragic day" for the city. "My heart goes out to the families & friends of every person who was killed or wounded," Briley said in an emailed statement. "I know all of their lives will be forever changed by this devastating crime." U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, whose district includes Nashville, said in an emailed statement that the shooting shows the need for tighter restrictions on "widespread civilian access to military-grade assault weapons." Nashville Chief Anderson said there was no Tennessee law that would have barred Reinking from having guns, though weapons could be taken away if the suspect had serious mental health issues. That would require taking him to court and having his rights taken away because of illness, a sometimes lengthy and difficult process, Anderson said. Police reports filed in Illinois showed past run-ins with authorities there. In May 2016, Tazewell County deputies were called to a CVS parking lot where Reinking told officers that Taylor Swift was stalking him and hacking his phone, and that his family was also involved, according to a report released Sunday. Reinking agreed to go to a local hospital for an evaluation after repeatedly resisting the request, the report said. Another report from the sheriff's office said Reinking barged into a community pool in Tremont, Illinois, last June and jumped into the water wearing a pink woman's coat over his underwear. Investigators believed he had an AR-15 rifle in his car trunk, but it was never displayed. No charges were filed. By Sheila Burke, Associated Press. Associated Press writers John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, and Justin Pritchard in Los Angeles contributed to this report. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police arrested a 29-year-old man Sunday after he randomly fired two shots at the Stapleton Houses, an NYPD spokesman said. Cops couldn't say why Marcus Washington allegedly fired the two shots, one of which entered an apartment of the Warren Street building around 1:10 p.m. No one was injured in the incident, but a bullet was found in the apartment's kitchen along with broken glass in the woman's living room. Police said the victim and Washington don't know each other. When police responded they identified Washington from a description, and stopped him in front of the building, the spokesman said. Police recovered a loaded firearm at the scene, and charged Washington with reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal possession of stolen property, and criminal mischief. He had not yet been arraigned in Sunday's incident, according to online court records. A man who answered a phone number listed for the victim said she was unavailable to speak about the incident Sunday night. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Rep. Daniel Donovan's campaign called a new Democrat-commissioned poll "phony" after it predicted ex-Congressman Michael Grimm would win against him in the Republican primary. The New York Daily News first reported the poll issued by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). The poll reported that, among GOP voters, Grimm leads at 49 percent, while Donovan is at 39 percent. "Of course the DCCC is desperate for Michael Grimm because they know he has zero shot of winning in November and they want to flip this seat to make Nancy Pelosi Speaker and impeach the President," said Jessica Proud, spokesman for Donovan's campaign. Proud continued: "This poll is as phony as their lawsuit against President Trump; voters are going to re-elect Dan Donovan who will keep this seat in Republican hands and help enact the President's agenda to strengthen America." According to the poll, 67 percent of voters approve of Grimm's job performance as congressman, and 18 percent disapprove. For Donovan, 47 percent of voters approve and 27 percent disapprove. Grimm said the poll "is no surprise as it's consistent with our own internal analysis." He announced his campaign for Congress in September 2017, hoping to retake the seat Donovan filled when he pleaded guilty to tax fraud. Grimm served eight months in federal prison beginning in 2015. The margin of error in the poll was +/- 4.9 percent. The DCCC hopes Democratic candidate Max Rose -- a post 9/11 combat veteran -- will flip the seat. The primary election is on June 26. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. N. Korea road accident causes 'heavy casualties': China Beijing, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2018 A road accident in North Korea has caused "heavy casualties" among Chinese tourists, China's foreign ministry said on Monday. The ministry provided few details but China's state broadcaster CGTN earlier tweeted that more than 30 people died when a tour bus fell from a bridge in North Korea. The tweet was later deleted. China was informed that the accident occurred Sunday night, and its embassy personnel in Pyongyang rushed to the scene and are working to manage the situation, the foreign ministry statement said. The vast majority of foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese, with the Cold War-era allies sharing a long land border and operating flights between the two countries. Tens of thousands of Chinese tourists are believed to visit the North every year, with many crossing via train through the Chinese border city of Dandong. North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac. China's 'men only' job culture slammed in new report Hong Kong, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2018 Leading Chinese firms including e-commerce giant Alibaba were heavily criticised Monday for gender discrimination in job adverts in a new report which said the landscape for the female workforce in China was deteriorating. The report by campaign group Human Rights Watch, entitled "Only Men Need Apply: Gender Discrimination in Job Advertisements in China", details a host of offences by private companies and public bodies, from issuing "men only" job ads to requests for women applicants to be "trim" and "aesthetically pleasing". The adverts reflect "traditional and deeply discriminatory views" that women are less capable than men and that they will not be committed to their jobs because of their role as family caregivers, it said. According to the report, discrimination in hiring practices is contributing to a drop in the female workforce and a widening gender pay gap. Although such discrimination is illegal in China, rules are unclear and rarely enforced, it added. Tech behemoths Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu had all published job ads that openly stated a preference for male applicants, the report said. Alibaba was also accused of repeatedly using the lure of attractive female co-workers in its recruitment campaigns, describing them as "Ali beauties" and "goddesses" on social media. Tencent, Baidu and leading telecom firm Huawei were also among the major companies that advertised the beauty of their female employees. "These companies pride themselves on being forces of modernity and progress, yet they fall back on such recruitment strategies, which shows how deeply entrenched discrimination against women remains in China," said Human Rights Watch China director Sophie Richardson. - 'Act now' - Alibaba hit back at the report in a statement to AFP, saying its recruitment policies provided equal opportunity regardless of gender, noting that 47 percent of employees are women and one-third of its founders and people in management positions are also women. However, it added that it would "conduct stricter reviews" of recruitment ads to ensure they complied with its policy of equality. An Alibaba staffer told AFP the HRW report referred to "outdated" adverts from 2012 to 2015 and that the company immediately takes down adverts that violate internal regulations against discrimination. Baidu said the job ads in question had been removed before the release of the report and that it regretted any adverts that did not reflect its values. "These job postings... were isolated instances that in no way reflect our company's dedication to workplace equality," a Baidu spokesperson told AFP. Tencent and Huawei did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. Government departments were also at fault. Nearly one in five job ads for China's 2018 national civil service called for "men only" or "men preferred". Adverts for female train conductors required them to be "trim", "fashionable" and "beautiful". The 99-page report analysed more than 36,000 job advertisements posted between 2013 and 2018 on Chinese recruitment and company websites and on social media platforms. Its research was restricted by the increasing pressure on women's rights activists, who have been targeted by authorities. Some women have succeeded in taking employers to court over discriminatory job adverts, but the fines handed to firms are negligible and not a deterrent, the report said. "Chinese authorities need to act now to enforce existing laws to end government and private hiring practices that blatantly discriminate against women," said Richardson. Although a #MeToo movement exposing sexual harassment has recently emerged in China, authorities have deleted some social media posts and closed related topic forums in an attempt to control it. North Korea on Friday announced a plan to close down its nuclear test site ahead of summits with South Korea and the U.S., but the site is in fact already unusable. As a result of the six nuclear tests from 2006 until last September, experts believe the Punggye-ri test site is now so unsafe and the ground so unstable that no further tests can be conducted there. Although the granite of Mt. Mantap, where the tunnels were dug for nuclear tests, is still stable, many tunnels caved in and there have been several alarming aftershocks. Some 200 people died when a tunnel collapsed during construction after the sixth nuclear test, Asahi TV reported last November. Beijing says 32 Chinese tourists killed in North Korea bus crash Beijing, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2018 A bus crash in North Korea has killed 32 Chinese tourists and four North Koreans, the foreign ministry in Beijing said on Monday. Two other Chinese nationals were injured in Sunday's accident south of the capital Pyongyang, ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing. Lu said China was investigating the cause of the accident and had deployed a team, including medical experts, to North Korea "to assist with the emergency rescue and treatment operations". The ministry provided few details but China's state broadcaster CGTN earlier tweeted that a tour bus fell from a bridge in North Korea. The tweet was later deleted. The state broadcaster showed images of a large overturned vehicle, with light rain falling on rescue vehicles at night and doctors attending to a patient. China was informed about the accident on Sunday night and its embassy personnel in Pyongyang rushed to the scene, the foreign ministry said in a statement earlier. The vast majority of foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese, with the Cold War-era allies sharing a long land border and operating flights between the two countries. Western visitors to the North once averaged around 5,000 a year, but numbers have been hit recently by a US travel ban -- Americans accounted for around 20 percent of the market -- and official warnings from other countries. Tens of thousands of Chinese tourists are believed to visit the North every year, with many crossing via train through the Chinese border city of Dandong. For some, North Korea provides a window into what Communist China may have looked like decades ago. Chinese tourism to the North has continued even though Beijing has enforced a slew of United Nations sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme. - 'Sparing no efforts' - The accident occurred in North Hwanghae province, the foreign ministry said. The province lies south of the capital Pyongyang and stretches to the border with the South, including the city of Kaesong, an ancient Korean capital with historical sites. More recently, the area hosted a manufacturing complex operated with South Korea. The tour group was travelling by bus from Kaesong to Pyongyang when the accident happened, according to the independent Seoul-based website NK News, which cited an unnamed source. North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac. Vehicles are sometimes forced to ford rivers or take detours when bridges are unpassable. But the route from Pyongyang to Kaesong, where the accident reportedly happened, is one of the best in the country. It runs north-south from the Chinese border to the Demilitarized Zone on the border with South Korea but has little traffic, like all North Korean highways. Tank traps have been installed along the road in many locations -- sets of high concrete columns on either side of the road that can easily be blown up to create an obstruction for invading armoured vehicles. China's foreign ministry said is "sparing no efforts" to handle the situation. Russia, China to stop bid to 'sabotage' Iran deal: Lavrov Beijing, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2018 China and Russia will block any attempts to "sabotage" the Iran nuclear agreement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday, as US President Donald Trump mulls whether to scrap the deal. Trump has set a May 12 deadline to "fix" the 2015 accord, which curbs Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief and was the fruit of intense diplomacy involving the US, European powers, Russia and China. "There are attempts to interfere with the international order upon which the United Nations depends," Lavrov said after talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing. "We said clearly with China that we will stop attempts to sabotage these agreements that were passed in a UN Security Council resolution," Lavrov said. He was speaking on the eve of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional security bloc spearheaded by Moscow and Beijing. Calling the Iran agreement "one of the biggest achievements in international diplomacy in recent times", Lavrov said that "revising this document is unacceptable". Trump has threatened to abandon the accord unless European capitals agree to supplement it with tougher controls on Iran's missile programme and its future ability to enrich nuclear fuel. His partners maintain that implementation of the agreement under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the best way to prevent Tehran from seeking an atomic bomb. Iran warned Saturday it was ready to "vigorously" resume nuclear enrichment if the United States ditches the deal. China arrests alleged associates of runaway tycoon Beijing, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2018 Chinese police on Monday announced the arrest of twin brothers alleged to have forged government documents on behalf of a billionaire fugitive who has made explosive corruption accusations against his country's politicians. Guo Wengui, a real estate tycoon who fled to the United States, spent last year waging a one-man guerrilla war against China's elite by posting a series of graft allegations on social media. In December Guo told AFP he was working for regime change in Beijing. China has declared him a fugitive and had Interpol issue a "red notice" or a non-binding arrest warrant for him, reportedly related to bribery charges. Guo has applied for political asylum in the US. Police in the southwestern city of Chongqing held a press conference on Monday to make public the latest allegations against him. In an unusual move in criminal matters, China's State Council press office invited foreign reporters to attend ahead of time. The press conference by Chongqing's Public Security Bureau also aired video confessions from the two brothers, Chen Zhiyu and Chen Zhiheng, who were allegedly paid by Guo to forge the "secret government documents". Critics say China's police often use torture to force confessions from suspects. Earlier this month human rights group Safeguard Defenders released a report detailing how police have forced many high-profile defendants to make confessions with promises the videos would not be broadcast -- only to later broadcast them via state TV. The twins' confession videos were subsequently aired later Monday by China's state broadcaster CCTV. Officials in Chongqing told the press conference the forged documents were "distributed abroad, misleading the public, and creating an evil impact", according to the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily. Guo did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment on the latest claims made against him by Beijing. In the past he has disputed the allegations and said they are payback for exposing corruption. The documents which China claims Guo helped forge and publicise include a purported secret Communist Party Central Committee document, showing China was covertly offering missiles and aid to North Korea even as it publicly approved UN sanctions against its longtime ally over its nuclear programme. The document was published by The Washington Free Beacon, the People's Daily said. At the time, Beijing denounced the document as "fake news". Chinese authorities said they would also share more information on Guo, and his donations to US politicians and former government officials, with US law enforcement authorities. "We believe US authorities won't allow this type of criminal activity to exist," police were quoted by the People's Daily as saying. By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree Construction vehicles finally made it into a military base for a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province after police broke through a roadblock by protesters. This move came after scores of protesters clashed with police at the base's entrance, leaving several protesters injured. Demonstrators had been blocking the transport of construction materials and equipment into the THAAD site for months. Tuesday April 24th, 6pm Vineyard Building In collaboration with the Over the Bank Community Council, the Netherlands Red Cross, through its St. Maarten branch, is organizing an information session about our current recovery programmes in Over the Bank. Currently, the Red Cross has three programmes aimed at helping families who were impacted by Hurricane Irma. The Red Cross has launched the second phase of the Supermarket Voucher Programme through which families in need receive Red Cross food vouchers allowing them to purchase groceries in participating supermarkets. In addition, the Home Repair Programme has completed its first assessments, with technical officers providing expertise and the Red Cross providing materials to support families in the repair of their homes. Finally, the School Meal Programme, which provides breakfasts and hot lunches to thousands of students each day, has been extended until the end of the school year. Solar Novus Today Has Been Integrated With Novus Light Technologies Today Visit Novus Light Technologies Today to see all the cutting-edge stories and products that you have come to enjoy on Solar Novus Today. In addition, you will find more information on related light-based technologies. Get the latest solar and renewable energy news delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for the Green Technologies newsletter CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR GREEN TECHNOLOGIES NEWSLETTER North Korea said over the weekend that it will halt all nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches and even close down its nuclear test site in Punggye-ri ahead of planned summits with South Korea and the U.S. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un claimed his country no longer needs to conduct nuclear tests or test-fire intercontinental ballistic missiles because it has already fulfilled its goal of developing them. The decision signifies progress in some areas during the latest round of closed-door meetings ahead of the inter-Korean and U.S. summits and certainly signals a change of strategy from the old days, when the North demanded rewards at each stage of nuclear dismantlement talks. There is no reason to be overly suspicious of North Korea, which made the announcement without demanding any concessions or rewards. It is also worth noting that Kim made the announcement himself. But nowhere in Kim's announcement was there any mention of nuclear dismantlement. Rather, he stressed that the North is a nuclear-armed state, saying during a Workers Party Central Committee meeting that he had achieved the "historic task of building a nuclear force" and that it was now time to "focus all efforts on building up the economy." North Korea said it will not use its nuclear weapons as long as it faces no threats, but that does not mean denuclearization. Looking at the announcement verbatim, North Korea is saying that it has completed arming itself with nuclear weapons and ICBMs and now wishes to negotiate with the U.S. on equal terms as a nuclear power, while seeking external support to develop its economy. It said the halt to the nuclear tests is "an important process for global nuclear disarmament." In other words, it is highly likely to negotiate mutual nuclear disarmament rather than the scrapping of its own nuclear weapons program. North Korea experts also point out the North's decision to shut down the Punggye-ri nuclear test site is not that significant since it is already more or less unusable. But if North Korea is sincere about its intention to scrap its nuclear weapons, it needs to stop referring to itself as a "nuclear-armed state." In the end, it is hard to ascertain what Kim's true intentions are. He may yet make preposterous demands during the upcoming summits rather than discuss nuclear dismantlement. His interlocutors need to be prepared for any possibility. The government here has recently been welcoming practically any comment from North Korea. But even if the North agrees to dismantle its nuclear weapons, a difficult process such as verification and inspections awaits. There is no reason to be pessimistic, but blind optimism is uncalled for. What is needed is calm and patience. India's TCS crosses $100-bln market value Mumbai, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2018 Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) became the first Indian company in a decade to breach the $100-billion market value barrier after stocks in the IT giant soared on Monday. Shares in India's largest software exporter rose more than 4 percent following positive earnings results to hit a high of 3,557 rupees ($53.53) on the Bombay Stock Exchange's Sensex index. The surge propelled the firm's market capitalisation value to 681 trillion rupees, above $100 billion, as TCS became just the second Indian company in history to cross the symbolic mark. Reliance Industries, the energy-to-telecoms conglomerate owned by Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani, was the first Indian group to breach the $100-billion marker, back in 2008. "It is an important milestone, which not only gives us something to cheer but also changes the perspective and sentiment toward other Indian software makers," Gaurang Shah, head investment strategist at Geojit Financial Services Ltd. in Mumbai, told Bloomberg News. The shares were spurred by a TCS earnings report released on Thursday which showed that the technology company had enjoyed a 4.4 per cent rise in consolidated net profit year-on-year for the quarter ending March. TCS recorded net profits of 69.04 billion rupees, beating many analysts' expectations. The IT services exporter has also been boosted by a weakening rupee. TCS was at the forefront of India becoming a back office to the world as companies -- largely in developed nations -- subcontracted work, taking advantage of the country's skilled English-speaking workforce. The flagship industry has made India a top business destination by offering software development and information technology, engineering and design and other services. Europe poised to launch ocean-monitoring satellite Paris, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2018 Europe is set to launch a satellite on Wednesday to keep a close eye on Earth's oceans, under siege from pollution and damage caused by humans. Dubbed Sentinel-3B, the orbiter will become the seventh to join the multi-billion-euro Copernicus Earth monitoring satellite constellation since April 2014. With its twin Sentinel-3A launched in February 2016, the workhorse will provide data within three hours of it being captured, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). Sentinels-3A and 3B will mirror each other on opposite sides of our planet at an altitude of just over 800 kilometres (497 miles), on the lookout for further harm to the ocean or signs of recovery. "The Sentinel-3 mission is essential for applications for ocean and coastal monitoring" -- including changes in sea level and surface temperature, pollution, sea ice extent and thickness, and coastal vegetation, said an ESA statement. It will also monitor the height of rivers and lakes, and keep an eye on wildfires. About the size of a small car and weighing 1,250 kilogrammes -- Sentinel-3B will be hoisted into space by a Russian Rockot launcher from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the country's north. Liftoff is scheduled for 1757 GMT on Wednesday. Fitted out with a range of state-of-the-art instruments, "Sentinel-3 is arguably the most comprehensive of all the Sentinel Missions," says the ESA. The Copernicus project, funded by the European Union and ESA, is named for the 16th-century Polish astronomer who determined that the Earth orbited the Sun, and not the other way round as convention had it at the time. It claims to be the largest environmental-monitoring programme in the world, providing data for free to anyone who wants it. - Emergency response - Other satellites in the constellation are dedicated to monitoring Earth's atmosphere, forest cover, and land and water pollution. By mapping areas stricken by flood or earthquake, Copernicus will improve the response after natural disasters, helping emergency teams identify worst-hit areas and locate passable roads, rail lines and bridges. The total Copernicus budget from 2008 to 2020 is about 7.5 billions euros ($9.2 billion). There is some uncertainty over the impact of Brexit on the project in which Britain is invested. Britain's EU-linked participation in Copernicus should officially end when it leaves the bloc, though its role can be renegotiated. London has said it wants to remain part of ESA, which is autonomous and includes non-EU members. UK-based companies hold contracts worth tens of millions of euros from ESA to supply hardware for Copernicus as well as the Galileo satellite navigation project -- a rival to America's GPS. S. Korea's Moon lauds North's test halt as 'significant' Seoul, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2018 South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday praised the declaration of a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests by the North's leader Kim Jong Un, days before a summit between the two men. Pyongyang's move was "a significant decision towards total denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula", Moon said in a meeting with aides. Kim declared that Pyongyang had no further need for nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile launches, and no further use for its atomic test site, the North announced at the weekend. The statement was immediately welcomed by US President Donald Trump, who is expected to hold a summit of his own with Kim soon. But analysts warned that Pyongyang had made no commitment to give up its nuclear arsenal. Moon said Monday that the North's move was "a green light that improves the prospect of success of the inter-Korea and North-US summits". "If the North takes a step towards denuclearisation, starting from nuclear moratorium, it could guarantee a bright future," he added. The latest step, he said, "raises hopes that the pace will accelerate". Political settlement only way out of Syrian crisis: Chinese envoy From:Xinhua | 2018-04-23 06:34 Video PlayerClose CAIRO, April 22 (Xinhua) -- A political settlement is the only way out of the ongoing Syrian crisis, China's Special Envoy for Syria Xie Xiaoyan said on Sunday. Speaking at a press conference in Cairo, Xie expressed concern over the current perilous situation in Syria, while urging the involved countries to de-escalate the situation and resort to dialogue instead. "China has always rejected the use of force or the threat of the use of force in international relations," he reiterated, adding that Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity should be respected. The Chinese diplomat said China is convinced that there is no military solution to the Syrian issue and the only way out is a political settlement. He urged all related parties on the Syrian issue to return to the track of peace talks. Syria has for years been plagued by instability due to the conflicts between Syrian government forces with the armed rebels and the declining militant group Islamic State (IS). The forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are backed by Russia, Iran and Shiite militias loyal to Iran including Lebanon's Hezbollah. Russian troops in Syria have been launching bombing raids in support of the government forces, while a U.S.-led international coalition has been launching airstrikes against IS targets in the conflict-stricken country. The U.S., together with its allies Britain and France, also launched a missile strike on Syria on April 14 over the allegations of Syrian government's use of chemical weapons in the town of Douma near the Syrian capital Damascus early April. Xie voiced China's rejection of any use of chemical weapons and underscore the need for a comprehensive, just and objective probe into the alleged gas attack in Syria. The Chinese envoy noted that China maintains communication with all parties involved in the Syrian issue, adding that China has invited delegates from the Syrian government and opposition parties respectively to visit China to promote a political settlement. China cares about the humanitarian crisis the Syrian people are going through and has already provided 740 million yuan (about 117.5 million U.S. dollars) in aid for Syrian refugees, he said. During Xie's visit in Egypt, he met with officials of Egyptian Foreign Ministry and other agencies to discuss the Syrian issue. He praised Egypt for working positively to resolve the Syrian crisis, adding that China is to continue consultation and coordination with Egypt and other countries to realize the political settlement of the Syrian issue. Yemen rebels vow to avenge coalition killing of political head Sanaa, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2018 Yemen's Shiite Huthi rebels vowed Monday to avenge the killing of the head of their political wing in what they said was an air strike last week by the Saudi-led coalition. Saleh al-Sammad, head of the Huthis' supreme political council, was "martyred" Thursday in the eastern province of Hodeida, the Iran-allied rebels said via their Saba news agency. Sammad's death is a major blow to the Shiite rebels who have been fighting forces of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia. The highest-ranking rebel to have been killed since the coalition intervened in March 2015, his name was on a Saudi list of 40 Huthi leaders that put bounties on their heads totalling $440 million. The rebels named Sammad's successor as Mehdi Hussein al-Mashat. "This crime won't go unanswered," said the Huthis' overall leader, Abdul Malek al-Huthi, adding that six other people were killed in the same raid. The news came hours after officials in Yemen said dozens of people were killed and wounded in an air raid on a wedding party in the country on Sunday, in another attack the Huthis blamed on the coalition. Medical sources and local officials put the number of dead between 22 and 33, with at least 40 to 50 wounded, while the circumstances of the raid remained unclear. Doctors Without Borders tweeted that a hospital it supports in Hajjah received at least 65 patients, including at least 13 children, wounded in the air strikes, which it said were "among the most devastating in the area in recent months". - Iran denounces 'invaders' - Rescue teams said the wedding was being held in the Huthi-controlled Bani Qais area of Hajjah province, north of Sanaa, when jets carried out the raid. A local official said at least 23 civilians, including women and children, were killed. The official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said a double air strike on the venue had left a number of bodies buried beneath the rubble. Huthi-run television said at least 33 people, including women and children, were killed and as many as 55 people wounded. The coalition's spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident. Iran, which is accused of supplying arms to the Huthis, swiftly condemned the raid. "The escalated bombardment of residential areas proves the desperation and inability of the invaders in achieving their goals," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said. Also on Monday, the coalition said it downed two new ballistic missiles fired by the Huthis, who claimed to target facilities belonging to the kingdom's oil giant Aramco in southern Jizan city. The coalition reported no damage or loss of life from the strikes, the latest in a string of bombardments on Saudi Arabia by the Huthis. Saudi forces said they intercepted a rebel ballistic missile targeting its southern border city of Najran on Sunday, which set a farm ablaze, after another aimed at Jizan was shot down on Friday. - 'Year of ballistic excellence' - At the beginning of April, Huthi political head Sammad dubbed 2018 "the year of ballistic excellence", referring to cross-border missile attacks. Sunday's deadly strike in Hajjah was one of a series to have struck weddings in Yemen's conflict, which has killed nearly 10,000 people and wounded 54,000 others since March 2015. In late 2015, coalition air strikes on two wedding parties in northern Yemen killed at least 159 civilians. Violence has also hit funerals. In October 2016, 140 mourners were killed in an air strike on a house in Sanaa. Elsewhere in Yemen on Monday, five pro-government soldiers were killed and 19 wounded in clashes with jihadists in the southern city of Taez, medics said. Fighting in the city's Jahmaliah district came after the governor of Taez launched an operation against jihadists he suspected were behind the murder of a Red Cross aid worker over the weekend. The Lebanese aid worker, Hanna Lahoud, was shot dead in Taez on Saturday by unidentified assailants who sprayed his Red Cross vehicle with bullets. President Hadi's government was driven out of Sanaa in 2014 by the Huthis, who still control the capital and much of northern Yemen. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since the coalition's intervention three years ago, triggering what the UN has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis. Netanyahu turns up volume as Iran deadline nears Jerusalem, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2018 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a fresh call Monday for an overhaul of the Iran nuclear deal as US President Donald Trump's deadline for further Iranian concessions edged closer. Trump has threatened to tear up the 2015 agreement that lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs to its nuclear activity, unless it curbs its ballistic missile programme by May 12. "Israel will not allow regimes that seek our annihilation to acquire nuclear weapons," Netanyahu told an audience of diplomats in a speech in Jerusalem. "This is why this deal has to be either fully fixed or fully nixed," he said in English. Iran says it is ready to relaunch its nuclear programme -- which the West suspects is designed to produce a bomb -- if Trump kills the deal. Netanyahu said the 2015 agreement leaves Iran able to quickly reboot its nuclear programme to enable military production. "It gives Iran a clear path to a nuclear arsenal," he said. "It allows, over a few years, unlimited enrichment of uranium, the core ingredient required to produce nuclear bombs." The United States delivered much the same message Monday, at a meeting of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in Geneva. Christopher Ford, US Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation, said the Islamic republic's nuclear programme remained "dangerously close to rapid weaponisation". Iran insists it never intended to build a nuclear weapon. 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. Sidelined Germany's Incredibly Shrinking Role on the World Stage With a wayward president at the helm in the United States, the world has become a more dangerous place. In response, though, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is once again steering Germany to the foreign policy sidelines, clearing the way for French President Emmanuel Macron. By DER SPIEGEL Staff El-Aaiun (Occupied Territories), April 23, 2018 (SPS) - Two Sahrawi journalists, Mohammed Salem Miyara, RASD Radio and Television correspondent, and Mohammed al-Jumayi, a photography and installation technician, on Monday appeared before the so-called investigating judge at the Court of Appeal in the occupied city of El-Aaiun. The two journalists were arrested a month ago in the occupied city of Smara. They are now detained at Carcel Negra (Black Prison) in the occupied city of El-Aaiun, after fabricating several charges in order to keep them away from their media activities that expose Morocco and its crimes against Sahrawis. (SPS) 062/SPS/TRA Madrid, April 23, 2018 (SPS) - The parliament of Navarre (Spain) passed an institutional statement in which it reiterated its solidarity with the Sahrawi political prisoners in the Moroccan prisons and called for their immediate release, said Monday this institution, while denouncing all the legal proceedings as well as all the political trials conducted by the Moroccan authorities against the Sahrawi population. In its statement, the Parliament of Navarre called on the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and also UN Secretary Generals personal Envoy for Western Sahara Horst Kohler to ensure the strict respect of the international law in terms of dealing with the prisoners as well as the respect of the humanitarian international law. The parliament of Navarre denounced the ongoing human rights violation in the occupied territories of Western Sahara and the situation of Sahrawi political prisoners in all the prisons of Morocco and occupied Western Sahara. The Spanish movement of solidarity with the Sahrawi people, committed to accompanying the Sahrawi population in its struggle for independence, organizes various activities to shed light on this conflict and denounce the systematic human rights violations by the Moroccan occupier. In this regard, Spanish filmmaker Laura Sipan will present Tuesday at the movie theatre of Zaragoza her documentary entitled "Soukeina" shot in Western Sahara. (SPS) 062/SPS/APS Across China: Digital technology pumps new life into rural areas From:Xinhua | 2018-04-23 01:03 Video PlayerClose FUZHOU, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Two years ago, Liu Jinqing, a farmer in east China's Fujian Province, was shocked that the 350 kilograms of dried sweet potatoes he had produced sold out online within a just few days. Liu decided to focus on the potato business. In 2017, he produced 2,400 kilograms of dried sweet potatoes, making nearly 50,000 yuan (about 8,000 U.S. dollars), a handsome income for a farmer living in a remote village in the mountains. E-commerce has helped poor farmers sell rural specialties and improve their livelihoods, as more and more people began to crave green and organic food, which farmers produce in abundance. Chen Cuihua, head of a produce cooperative in Pucheng County, Fujian, said their annual sales volume climbed from 30 tonnes to over 100 tonnes after they opened an online shop. Online retail volume in rural areas topped 1.24 trillion yuan in 2017, up 39.1 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Over 9.8 million online shops were based in villages by the end of 2017, up 20.7 percent year on year, creating over 28 million jobs. E-commerce is not the only digital technology that has benefited millions of farmers in China. Technology such as e-government, telemedicine, and intelligent monitoring are also transforming traditional lifestyles in rural areas. In Dengguang Village, Fujian, 68-year-old Huang Jinguo lives alone in a hut, but he does not worry about burglars or falling ill. "We have installed cameras in his house that are connected to the village's monitoring system, so that we can be alerted and offer help in the event of an emergency," said village official Huang Xiaolian. Villagers can also learn about local affairs, watch TV programs, use shared bikes, and shop online via a "smart village" platform set up in 2015. Besides bridging the rural-urban gap in terms of living standards, digital technology has also helped encourage migrant workers to return to villages, which have seen large numbers of farmers leave to find work in cities over past years. Zeng Wei, 32, moved to Longtan Village, Fujian from neighboring Jiangxi Province, after he rented an old house to run a bookstore and teahouse, and another for a guesthouse. "Thanks to the internet, e-commerce, and better logistics systems, rural life is not much different from that in the cities," said Zeng. "The countryside is a perfect place for freelance painters, writers, and designers who prefer to live close to nature." As new inhabitants arrived in Longtan, the village became lively again. The local elementary school was reopened, with new arrivals as teachers. "The best way to revive rural areas is to bring more people in," said Zhang Zhengrong, a local official. 36 IS militants killed in Iraqi airstrikes in Syria From:Xinhua | 2018-04-22 19:57 Video PlayerClose BAGHDAD, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Up to 36 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in airstrikes by Iraqi air force targeting IS positions inside neighboring Syria, the Iraqi military said on Sunday. Acting on intelligence reports, the Iraqi fighter jets pounded the terrorist IS positions, including a meeting site for some IS leaders, leaving 36 terrorists dead, a statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said. Home Just In Five deputies file complaint against chief of Nepali Congress student wing Kathmandu, April 23 The internal rift in Nepali Congress-aligned Nepal Students Union has reached its peak on Monday as five of 11 vice-chairpersons of the organisation have filed a complaint with the party President Sher Bahadur Deuba against their organisations President Nain Singh Mahar. Prakash Rana, Khadka Bahadur Dangi, Urmila Thapaliya, Nabin Rai and Sagar Pariyar have also put forth three demands and served a 24-hour ultimatum to meet them. The first demand is finalising a date for the next general convention of the organisation to elect its new leadership. They say they will resort to stronger forms of protest including carrying out parallel organisational activities if the demands are not met. Meanwhile, the disgruntled leaders are also preparing to stage a demonstration at the partys central office in Sanepa, where the party is holding its Central Working Committee meeting. 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Bird nest farming in Kien Giang province has boomed in recent years. Organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the conference saw the attendance of representatives from 11 provinces with bird nest operations and officials from MARD and other agencies. Nguyen Van Trong, deputy head of MARDs Animal Husbandry Department, said bird nest businesses had been operating since 2004, mainly in southern provinces and cities. According to preliminary statistics from the provinces, the country has 32 provinces with more than 4,280 birdhouses swift breeders, mostly in provinces in the Mekong Delta, southeast and central-coastal regions. However, the birds nest business faces many shortcomings, especially in planning, Trong said. More than 90 percent of bird nest farming are located in residential areas and in residents houses, leading to many complaints from locals. In addition, there are no specific regulations that manage the location of birdhouses for swifts, making it difficult for localities to manage and plan, Trong said. For instance, Binh Dinh province has recorded nearly 130 households that breed swifts in Quy Nhon city. Of these, there are 39 households located in residential areas. Huynh Ngoc Diep, deputy head of the Binh Dinh provinces Sub-department of Animal Husbandry and Health, said that most households are breeding swifts without any advanced planning. They renovated their houses to serve as farms and use loudspeakers to lure birds round the clock, causing noise and environmental pollution and a risk of disease. Representatives from other provinces also reported the same problems. Do Tu Quan from the Yen Quan Vietnamese Bird Nest Company said that domestic birds nest has good quality compared to those from other countries. However, though they have potential to boost exports with high demand, especially to the Chinese market, they are facing problems. They are exported in small amounts and are mainly sold to tourists, Quan said. Vietnamese Salangane nests (Yen sao in Vietnamese) have not label and origin of products, while businesses have not signed a protocol on importing and exporting birds nest products, Quan said. An average of 1,000 swifts make about 400 nests in one season, with each nest about 10 grammes, according to the HCM City-based Institute of Tropical Biology. The price of bird nests increased sharply in the first months of the year, Quan said. Last year, raw birds nest were priced at 15-16 million VND (660-703 USD) per kilo. It is priced at 23-24 million VND (1,010-1,054 USD) per kilo, even up to 30 million VND (1,318 USD) in some localities. Vietnamese processed bird nests are priced at 100 million VND (4,390 USD) per kilo, but are sold at higher prices of 200-300 million VND (8,785-13,175 USD) per kilo in the Chinese market. Representatives from localities and companies asked the Government to have specific regulations on management and development of bird nest farming, and to build quality standards and national brand for Vietnamese Salangane nest products. Deputy Minister of MARD Vu Van Tam said that Vietnam has favourable weather and good potential for farming swifts for their nests. Investment and support from the State in science and technology are needed, he said, adding that the ministry and related agencies would speed up legal procedures to ensure environmental security and prevent epidemic threats. He also asked the MARDs Animal Husbandry Department, in collaboration with local bird nest firms, to arrange site inspection trips to foreign markets such as China, Malaysia and Indonesia to learn about requirements and conditions, from breeding to processing to export of products. He said the Vietnamese Swiftlet Farming Association under the Vietnam Farms and Agricultural Enterprises Association should be reorganised and take on a more visible role as a bridge between companies and state agencies to build brands and create business strategies.-VNA The new La Palina Bronze Label made the journey from a 2017 limited edition to a 2018 regular line without missing a beat, though it did give up the foot band that previously identified it as an exclusive for Tobacconists Association of America (TAA) shops. The line also stands out among La Palina offerings for its strong Honduran profile. Not only does it feature a Honduran Habano wrapper, Honduran binder, and a mix of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler, but the Bronze Label is rolled at El Paraiso, a large factory near the border with Nicaragua. Those roots are evident from the start, with the wrapper giving off a nutty aroma often associated with Honduran tobacco. The cap is deep and nicely applied, allowing for a smooth cut. The cigars strength is in the medium range, and it presents an interesting, enjoyable experience. It kicks off with a tangy citrus taste that quickly mingles with some woody notes. As it burns down, theres a bit of spice, likely from the Nicaraguan filler, and notes of cedar at different points. I smoked several in the Robusto size, a 5.5-inch stick with a ring gauge of 50. Construction and performance were excellent in each one. The line now includes two other sizes: the original TAA Toro (6.5 x 52) and a Gordo (6 x 60). The Robusto costs $8.99. The Bronze Label is another mark in the evolution of Bill Paleys resurrection of his grandfathers 19th-century La Palina cigar company. The new operation began in 2010 with an ultra-high endand high dollarcigar rolled for Paley by Graycliff in the Bahamas. The boutique brand has continued to expand, using other factories and becoming a strong presence on cigar retailers shelves. I recommend you give the Bronze Label a shot. While the profile isnt one Id want to smoke all the time, it offers a pleasant, enticing smoke that seems to get better with each cigar. As such, I rate the La Palina Bronze Label Robusto a strong four stogies out of five. [To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.] George E photo credit: La Palina / Stogie Guys Missile strikes are not a Syria strategy By Richard N. Haass, Exclusive to the Sunday Times in Sri Lanka View(s): View(s): NEW YORK A perfectly executed strikeCould not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished. So tweeted US President Donald Trump just hours after more than a hundred American, French, and British cruise missiles hit three sites in Syria believed to be associated with chemical weapons production. The mission that was accomplished was to deliver the message that using chemical weapons would not be cost-free for those responsible. Ideally, punitive strikes such as these would deter Syrias government, or any other, from ever using chemical weapons again in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. But it is far from clear that Trump has achieved that deterrent effect. The somewhat smaller strike undertaken a year ago failed to change Syrian behaviour, and the latest attack is no more likely to do so. What Bashar al-Assads government achieved with chemical weapons gaining control of rebel-held areas in Douma and eastern Ghouta outweighed the price it paid. And it is a near-certainty that the Syrian government continues to possess chemical weapons, and could produce additional supplies without detection. Military action to enforce the international norm against the use of chemical weapons is legitimate and welcome, as was the decision to coordinate the response with allies and to threaten additional strikes if chemical weapons were used again. It is important to signal that opposition to the use of any weapon of mass destruction is both deep and broad. At the same time, the United States appears to have gone to considerable lengths to avoid engaging Russian and Iranian forces. This reduced the risk of escalation, but it also ruled out many potential targets, limiting the price paid by the Syrian government for what it had done. For this and other reasons, what the missile strikes accomplished should not be exaggerated. The Syrian government could reasonably interpret US policy as follows: We will stand by and do nothing while you terrorise or kill your own people so long as you do not use chemical weapons. Trumps foreign policy is not so much immoral as it is amoral. It bears emphasising that the missile strikes were not designed to undermine the Assad regimes long-term prospects. Thanks in large part to Russian and Iranian support, Assad is firmly in control and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. So where does this leave US policy and, for that matter, the policy of the French, British, and anti-Assad Arab governments? Trump remains committed to ending Americas military presence (now some 2,000 troops) in Syria. He made this clear when he announced the missile strikes: America does not seek an indefinite presence in Syria under no circumstances, he said. As other nations step up their contributions, we look forward to the day when we can bring our warriors home. But if the goal is to avoid creating a situation in which the Islamic State (ISIS) or other terrorist groups could reconstitute themselves, that day remains far off. The US is reportedly attempting to persuade Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan to create a Sunni force that would maintain order in areas liberated from ISIS. It is far from clear whether such a force will come into being, and even less certain that it could stand on its own, given these countries modest capabilities and extensive commitments. A considerable US military presence and involvement will still be required. An ongoing US troop presence is also required to maintain coordination with Syrian Kurdish forces, who did most of the fighting against ISIS. But sustaining support for the Kurds without causing additional problems with Turkey, which has introduced forces into the area to weaken Kurdish control, may prove impossible. That fact calls for reducing US military reliance on access to Turkish bases. A final question involves diplomacy. There is no realistic hope of engineering a political transition in Damascus, but it may be possible to arrange local cease-fires and create areas where Syrian civilians (but not government forces) could live in safety. Such arrangements, however, would likely require Russian involvement and support to keep the Syrian and Iranian governments on board. Russia has acted irresponsibly of late, but there remains the chance it will choose to offer limited help, if only to hold down the costs of its Syria policy. None of this adds up to a solution; Syria is likely to remain a broken country for years to come, with an illegitimate government that controls most but not all of the states territory. But limiting the violence and improving the lot of at least some Syrians might be possible if the US does not rush to leave, if Sunni governments contribute soldiers and money, and if Russia can be persuaded to play a somewhat more constructive role. (The writer is president of the Council on Foreign Relations and author of A World in Disarray.) Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2018. www.projewct-syndicate.org The Commonwealth: Where being a journalist can kill you By William Horsley View(s): View(s): Fifty-three Commonwealth heads of government met for a summit and related events in London from April 16 to 20. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the UK Minister of State for the Commonwealth, lauded it as a unique network of 53 states with a responsibility to exert global influence based on a shared commitment to democracy, the rule of law and good governance as enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter of 2013. But the record of Commonwealth countries concerning the rising number of killings of journalists whose work holds a mirror up to the societies they live in points to a dismal failure by the authorities in some member states to protect the lives of journalists targeted for their work. UN statistics also show that in all but a few cases the killers are shielded from facing justice by a climate of judicial impunity. Where is the rule of law in that? In the five years from the start of 2013 to the end of 2017, as many as 57 journalists in Commonwealth countries were killed in the course of their work, according to UNESCO, the UNs agency with a mandate to promote freedom of expression https://en.unesco.org/unesco-condemns-killing-of-journalists . Most were killed to stop them from publishing reports into abuses of power, crime or corruption, often linked to public figures or law-enforcement officials. Among the recent shocking murders of journalists are those of editor and journalist Gauri Lankesh, shot outside her home in Bangalore, India last September, and Daphne Caruana Galizia, Maltas best-known investigative journalist, killed in a car bombing one month later. Yes, Commonwealth countries like India have pioneered some of the worlds most liberal Right to Information laws, and all member states are publicly committed to democratic standards including the separation of powers, independent courts and the rule of law. Yet Commonwealth governments have evaded the chorus of demands for them to take determined action to confront the pattern of violent assaults and other arbitrary actions aimed at silencing journalists and news media whose role is to inform the public. The London summit is the right time for them to put this on their agenda. Luckily the Commonwealth has vigorous civil society organisations which monitor cases of violence and intimidation against journalists and others who document abuses of civil and political rights. The Commonwealth Charter gives a mandate for strong action despite the reluctance of some member states by acknowledging the surge in popular demands for democracy and human rights. UNESCOs figures give this revealing breakdown of the 57 killings of journalists in Commonwealth countries in the five years up to the end of 2017: Pakistan 23, India 18, Bangladesh 8, Nigeria 3, and one each in Kenya, Malta, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. Even more troubling, perhaps, is the picture that emerges from UNESCOs records on the lack of effective judicial follow-ups in countries where journalists have been killed. The figures are based on states replies, made on a voluntary basis, to requests for information made by the Director-General of UNESCO after every verified killing. The latest official report published by the Director-General of UNESCO http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/IPDC/ipdc_council_30_4_en_02.pdf recorded state authorities responses to killings of journalists during the ten-year period from 2006 to 2015. In that decade 104 journalists were killed in eight Commonwealth (including 9 journalists killed during Sri Lankas civil war up to 2009). Those statistics based on information supplied by the governments concerned fail to record a single case in which the perpetrators were brought to justice. Not one. The figures are incomplete because too many states routinely fail to send back information about prosecutions, despite persistent requests from the Director-General of UNESCO. Further research shows that a handful of journalists killings in Commonwealth states have led to successful prosecutions for example, in the cases of TV journalist Wali Khan Babar, killed in Pakistan in 2013, and Gautam Das, a Bangladeshi crime reporter killed in 2005. Obviously, a first step towards building confidence would be for all Commonwealth states to pledge to open investigations into the scores of unresolved cases and report any progress to the UN. Journalists are only one of many categories of people who may face violence or persecution in Commonwealth countries, with all their diversity and ethnic and political tensions. But half a dozen United Nations resolutions adopted since 2012 have recognised that journalists face special dangers because of their work and deserve protection in order to counter corruption and abuses of democratic rights. In advance of the London summit a coalition of Commonwealth professional organisations has come together to urge government leaders at the summit to face up to this stain on the organisations record. The Commonwealth Journalists Association joins the Commonwealths impressive networks of lawyers, legal educators, parliamentarians, academics and human rights advocates in putting forward a balanced and practical set of Commonwealth Principles on Freedom of Expression and the Role of the Media in Good Governance* . The principles are written guidelines for democratic rules of engagement, so to speak, between the media and the parliament, judiciary and executive. The principles will not be legally binding as Commonwealth states have made it clear that would be anathema to them. But they can at least serve as a manual of good practice to move the countries of the Commonwealth towards ending the scourge of impunity and fulfilling their public commitment to protect the medias right to report on public affairs. The heads of government meeting in Londons royal palaces should realise that if the Commonwealth cannot be part of the solution it may well be part of the problem. * Commonwealth Principles on freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance http://www.cja-uk.org/ were published by the Commonwealth Journalists Association on April 11. The signatory organisations are the CJA, the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, Commonwealth Lawyers Association, Commonwealth Legal Education Association, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK. (The writer is an executive committee member of the Commonwealth Journalists Association) Originally retired from service in 2008, the historic vessel has completed an impressive 800 transatlantic crossings and has carried 2.5 million passengers since it was first launched in 1967. Now it will enjoy a second life hosting discerning parties and guests seeking a unique accommodation experience. Renovations and refurbishment are still in progress with 7 of the 13 decks and 5 of 13 bars and restaurants ready for business. A British pub style bar will serve alcohol but its slot machines will not function, due to gambling being illegal in Dubai. Guests will have a wide range of on-board accommodation options, from simple cabins priced at $150 a night all the way through to ultra-luxurious rooms worth $15,000 a night. There will also be Dubai Duty Free stores on board the QE2, so guests can pick up gift and souvenirs during their stay. The hotel is due for a soft opening next week before a fully-fledged grand opening in October. The Guardia Civil are searching for a British national who apparently abandoned his seriously injured passenger after a traffic accident early on Sunday morning. The car they were travelling in left the A-45 and plummeted 30 metres down an embankment, landing near the Guadalmedina river. The British man could be charged with failure to render aid. The victim, a 42-year-old from Riogordo, was not located until five hours after the accident thanks to a local who called 112. His companion, who only suffered minor injuries, managed to get to a hostel in Casabermeja and call an ambulance, which took him to Carlos Haya Hospital, but at no point did he mention that another person was still trapped in the vehicle. The car had been rented by a third man, also British, also resident in Riogordo. [The British man] managed to call an ambulance, but at no point did he mention that another person was still trapped in the vehicle The accident took place at around 2 o'clock on Sunday morning at the 131.5 kilometre point of the Las Pedrizas road (A-45), about three kilometres past Venta Cotrina on the Antequera-bound carriageway. According to sources from the investigation, the two men were returning to the Axarquia area after a night out in Fuengirola. The initial hypothesis is that the British man was the driver and managed to jump free before the car fell down the bank. He did not appear to have sustained anything more than mild bruising. Critical state The emergency services did not receive the call about the second injured man until 8.15am. Firefighters from the city of Malaga and from Colmenar were deployed to the site of the accident and freed the man from the wreckage. Service members from 061 managed to stabilise his condition before rushing him by ambulance to Carlos Haya hospital with head injuries and internal haemorrhages. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit and his condition was described as very serious. The rescue takes place / SUR The alleged driver of the vehicle was discharged from the hospital after spending a few hours under observation. SUR has confirmed that this was the same man who called an ambulance from the hostel in Casabermeja. Upon finding that the two cases were related, Guardia Civil agents appeared at the hospital that morning to interview the man, but he had already been discharged. He had only given the hospital one name. Detectives initially focused their investigation on the 60-year-old man who had rented the car involved. Syracuse, N.Y. -- Atria Wealth Solutions, a New York City-based wealth management solutions company, has agreed to acquire Syracuse-based independent broker-dealer Cadaret, Grant & Co. Cadaret, Grant is one of the largest privately owned independent broker-dealers in the county, servicing approximately 900 financial advisers and with more than $23 billion in assets under administration. A broker-dealer is a brokerage firm that buys and sells securities on its own account as a principal before selling the securities to customers. Founded in 1985 by Mac Cadaret and Art Grant, the firm employs 115 people at its headquarters at One Lincoln Center in downtown Syracuse and 12 in Mount Arlington, N.J. Cadaret died in 1999. Grant remains its majority owner. "Cadaret, Grant has been a long-standing leader among independent broker-dealers and bringing it into the Atria family is an incredible opportunity," Atria CEO Doug Ketterer said in a statement. "Having worked closely with Art and his team, it is clear that our cultures, philosophies and approaches to servicing financial advisers and their clients are fully aligned." Grant, who will remain with the company in an advisory role to Ketterer, said Cadaret, Grant will remain headquartered in Syracuse, with no change to its work force or name. He said the sale, which is subject to approval by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, followed his years-long search for a buyer. "I'm 75 years old and it became clear I'm not going to be around forever," he said. Under the agreement, Atria will acquire 100 percent of Cadaret, Grant and its two sister companies, Cadaret, Grant Agency Inc. and Capital Strategy Group Ltd. Headquartered in New York City, Atria is a wealth management solutions holding company founded in 2017. Ketterer founded the firm with Chief Operating Officer Eugene Elias Jr. and Chief Growth Officer Kevin Beard. Atria's subsidiaries include CUSO Financial Services and Sorrento Pacific Financial. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148 Mostly sunny skies and cool to moderately warm temperatures marked this year's annual statewide Youth Wild Turkey Hunt weekend. And there was some hot action, judging by the photos above of successful hunts submitted by readers. The hunt each year precedes the May 1 opening day of the regular spring turkey hunting season and is designed to bring more youngsters into the ranks of the state's hunters. Junior hunters, ages 12-15, are mentored during the weekend by adults with hunting licenses who are not allowed to carry a firearm, bow or crossbow. "The Youth Wild Turkey Hunt is an excellent opportunity for junior hunters to spend time afield with experienced adult hunters gaining the necessary knowledge and skills to become safe and responsible members of the hunting community," the state Department of Environmental Conservation. For more, see the DEC website. SEND US YOUR WILD TURKEY PHOTOS: Please send photos of successful hunts from this year's Youth Wild Turkey Hunt weekend and the regular spring turkey hunting season to outdoors writer David Figura at dfigura@NYup.com. Include the full name of the hunter pictured, where he or she lives, along with when and where the bird was taken. In the case of Youth Hunts, also be sure to include the name of the adult mentor. Photos submitted from the Youth Wild Turkey Hunt weekend will be added to the above gallery as they are received. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday proposed a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags at retail stores beginning next year, despite previous opposition to the idea in the state Assembly. Cuomo had confirmed in March that he was considering the ban. He acted Monday as pressure increased from his Democratic and Green Party opponents this month to improve his environmental record. The governor said the ban would apply to all single-use, plastic carryout bags at any point of sale in New York state. The law would exempt garment bags, trash bags and any plastic bags used to wrap or contain certain foods, such as fruit and sliced meats from grocery stores. Cuomo said a state task force report in January recommended the ban after finding that New Yorkers use 23 billion plastic bags each year. The bags end up in landfills, waterways and oceans, sometimes taking decades to break down. "The blight of plastic bags takes a devastating toll on our streets, our water and our natural resources, and we need to take action to protect our environment," Cuomo said Monday. The state task force surveyed more than a dozen municipalities in New York that have already enacted plastic bag laws, including 10 cities, towns and villages that ban the bags. Other municipalities, such as Marcellus, have come up with voluntary community-driven idea to promote reusable bags over plastic bags. State officials said the ban will also save money for municipalities by reducing disposal costs. New York City would save an estimated $12.5 million in annual costs by reducing the number of plastic bags in the trash, the governor's office said. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, said in March that a plastic bag ban is unlikely to pass in the Assembly if it's tied to a fee on consumers. Heastie had no immediate comment Monday on Cuomo's proposal. Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Jacob Monday quit his terminal cancer treatment earlier this year to focus on enjoying the time he had left, and last week, his Upstate New York high school helped cross a huge milestone off his bucket list. Monday, 16, earned an honorary diploma from Shenendehowa High School on Friday during a special ceremony held by the school. Students and teachers worked together to set the special ceremony up. They say Monday is a special kid. "To us he's hilarious," sophomore class president Jack Voce told WNYT-TV. "He makes light of situations. He turns bad situations into good ones and he's a great guy." Monday has a rare form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma. His treatment stopped working in January when a checkup determined the cancer had spread to his lungs and would always come back. The teen decided to pass on more chemotherapy in order to make the most out of the time he had left. He's been checking items off his bucket list ever since, including meeting his hero, actor Chris Pratt. Monday also hopes to meet comedian Ellen Degeneres, go skydiving indoors, swim with sea turtles and spend time visiting his family. Teachers and classmates launched a GoFundMe page to help Monday's dreams come true. Watch the video of Monday earning his honorary diploma below. DOVER, N.Y. -- What started out as a joyful reunion of a young woman with her birth parents soon turned sour, then shocking, and finally deadly. A young woman named Katie married her birth father, had a baby with him and, after she decided to leave him, lost her life to him along with that of their child and her adoptive father. All three were laid to rest this weekend in Upstate New York. "We're all still in shock," said Shirley Mann, a neighbor of Katie's adoptive parents in Dover, a small town on the eastern side of Dutchess County. "It's crazy. I don't know what else to say. It's horrible." Katie, whose last name was Fusco at the time, had no idea before she moved in with Steven Pladl and his wife in August 2016 that he had an explosive temper, a history of abusive behavior and owned at least four guns. A VERY NORMAL LIFE In 1995, Steven Pladl was 20 when he met a 15-year-old girl named Alyssa on the internet. She soon became pregnant and gave birth to a girl they named Denise. In this April 19, 2018 photo, Alyssa Pladl poses at a park in Richmond, Va. Alyssa Pladl told The Associated Press in an interview last week that they put the girl up for adoption when she was 8 months old. They were young and poor, she said, but she also believed Steven Pladl physically abused the baby. In her interview, she did not elaborate. "It was so hard to give her up," Alyssa said, "but I had to because I wanted her to live and be happy." For most of what was to be her short life, she was. Tony Fusco and his wife, Kelly, adopted the girl they renamed Katie and raised her with their biological daughter in Dover, about 80 miles north of New York City. "They had a very, very normal life," said Cary Gould, Kelly Fusco's brother. "My nickname for Katie was Pac-Man. She was always eating. She loved animals. She was a vegetarian." Katie was an aspiring artist known at Dover High School for drawing comic strips. She planned to attend college and pursue a career in digital advertising. "A pen and something to draw on became a safe place for me," she wrote in a blog post. "Ink became my weapon against rules and regulations. ... To be short; for me, a life without art is no life at all." After turning 18 in January 2016, Katie, who Gould said had been told she was adopted, found her birth parents and messaged them. The Pladls were happy to reunite with her. Instead of going to college in August 2016, Katie moved in with the Pladls in Henrico County, Virginia, that month. Tony and Kelly Fusco were apprehensive, Gould said, but they thought Katie was old enough to make her own decisions and supported her. All was not well in the Pladl home. Steven and Alyssa had already decided to separate and were sleeping in separate rooms. Alyssa Pladl said she had suffered emotional and verbal abuse by her husband for years. "I was always on eggshells, whatever his mood was, everybody knew, and that mood was often not happy, a lot of yelling, a lot of things smashed in the house, in front of our kids," she said. Alyssa Pladl told Katie privately that Steven Pladl had abused her as a baby and that a major reason for the adoption was her own safety. Katie, according to Alyssa, didn't appear to be concerned. 'WE'RE IN LOVE' Steven Pladl's behavior changed after he met Katie, Alyssa Pladl said. He began wearing skinny jeans and form-fitting shirts. He shaved his beard and let his hair grow long. About six weeks after Katie moved in, Steven Pladl one night slept on the floor in her room. This September 2016 photo provided by Alyssa Pladl, shows Katie Pladl in Richmond, Va. It immediately concerned Alyssa. After he did it again the next night, she confronted him. He said it was none of her business and stormed out of the house with Katie. Alyssa Pladl finally moved out in November 2016, and she shared custody of the two children with Steven Pladl. In May 2017, she learned from her 11-year-old daughter's journal of the incestuous relationship and Katie's pregnancy. Her daughter wrote that she and her sister were told by Steven Pladl to refer to Katie as their stepmother. "I started to become hysterical, and I called him," she said. "I said, 'Is Katie pregnant with your baby?' He just said, 'I thought you knew. We're in love.' "I started screaming," she said. "I was just cursing him out: 'How could you? You're sick. She's a child.'" Then she called the police. INCEST CHARGES On July 20, 2017, two months after his divorce from Alyssa was finalized and amid the police investigation, Steven Pladl married Katie in Parkton, Maryland. They lied on their application, saying they were unrelated, according to records. Katie's adoptive parents posed for a photo on the wedding day along with Steven, Katie and Steven's mother. Katie wears a short black dress. Tony and Kelly Fusco thought there was nothing they could do and had decided it was best to support Katie, Gould said. Katie gave birth to Bennett on Sept. 1. She and Steven moved to a house on a cul-de-sac in Knightdale, North Carolina, just east of Raleigh, but wedded bliss did not last long. They were arrested on incest charges in January. A judge ordered them to not contact each other, and Steven Pladl's mother has custody. Steven Pladl's lawyer, Rick Friedman II, said there was never an allegation that Steven Pladl pressured Katie into a relationship. "This case is an 18-year-old girl who shows up at the doorstep of a 40-year-old man who's going through difficult times with his wife," Friedman said. "They have a bond because they're biologically related, but they never knew each other before they had a sexual relationship. He was head over heels in love with her, so much so that that outweighed the issue of them being biologically related." After the arrests, Katie moved back with Tony and Kelly Fusco, who declined to comment for this article. Every Tuesday and Thursday, she would travel to her adoptive grandmother's home in Waterbury, Connecticut, Gould said. On April 12, a Thursday, Katie and Tony Fusco left the Dover home for Waterbury. In a minivan nearby, Steven Pladl watched them leave, surveillance video shows. Minutes later in nearby New Milford, witnesses reported someone opening fire. Katie and Tony Fusco, 56, were fatally shot. Steven Pladl was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot back in Dover. Shortly after the New Milford shooting, Steven Pladl's mother called 911 to report her son had told her he killed the baby, Katie and her adoptive father. "I can't even believe this is happening," Steven's mother told authorities, according to a 911 call transcript from which her name was redacted. Her son, she said, was upset because Katie, by then just 20, had broken up with him. Police found the baby dead and alone in Katie and Steven's home. Alyssa Pladl struggles to make sense of it all. "I'm grieving. I'm sad. I'm upset," she said. "But I also want to have something good come out of this. If it's to get truth out there, to open people's eyes to incest." -- By Dave Collins and Denise Lavoie, Associated Press Two gunmen on jetskis approached a beach in the heart of Cancun's resort area and opened fire on a local vendor. The vendor ran for safety inside a restaurant and no one was hurt in the shooting. Tourist police were unable to locate the vendor after the event occurred. The Associated Press reported the unprecedented incident happened on April 19. This is the first attack involving personal watercraft on record for Cancun. The vehicles have been used in prior incidents in Acapulco on the other side of the country. Mexico's Cancun has largely been spared in the worst of the drug cartel violence happening in the rest of the country. However, the city has recorded 130 murders so far this year. Also on April 19, three people were slain outside a bar located away from the hotel zone. On March 16 the US State Department issued a level 2 travel advisory asking travelers to exercise increased caution due to crime while traveling to Mexico. The travel advisory specifies in the state of Quintana Roo, where Cancun is located, that: "While most of these homicides appeared to be targeted, criminal organization assassinations, turf battles between criminal groups have resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. citizens. Shooting incidents injuring or killing bystanders have occurred." Travis Reinking exhibited multiple warning signs that he was mentally unstable: He talked openly about delusions that he was being stalked by Taylor Swift. He insisted unknown people were making barking noises outside his home. He even went to the White House on a mission to talk to the president. Reinking's behavior resulted in the revocation of his Illinois firearms license, and his weapons were turned over to his father. But his father simply returned the three rifles and a handgun to his son when he decided to move out of state. The son now stands accused of opening fire Sunday at a Waffle House in Tennessee using an AR-15 that had been among the firearms seized. Four people were killed in the attack. The case illustrates the difficulty of keeping guns away from mentally disturbed people and shows how easy it is for them to retrieve confiscated weapons. "It's a story of a highly effective law that then has a really dangerous loophole," said Jonas Oransky, deputy legal director for Everytown for Gun Safety, which works to tighten gun laws. Reinking was disarmed by a man at the restaurant and fled. He was captured Monday. Under federal law, a gun owner's weapons can be seized if that person is convicted of a felony or involuntarily committed for mental health treatment. Illinois is one of the few states with a mechanism to allow firearms to be seized if someone's behavior constitutes a "clear and present danger" but does not necessarily rise to the level of a felony conviction or an involuntary commitment. Police reports describe Reinking as unstable but not violent. He was well known by local law enforcement, and his troubles were not a mystery to his relatives, who told authorities that he had been having delusions since 2014. In May 2016, Reinking told deputies from Tazewell County, Illinois, that Swift was stalking him and hacking his phone, and that his family was also involved. He agreed to go to a hospital for an evaluation after repeatedly resisting the request, a sheriff's report said. Another sheriff's report said Reinking barged into a community pool in Tremont, Illinois, last June, and jumped into the water wearing a pink woman's coat over his underwear. Investigators believed he had an AR-15 rifle in his car trunk, but it was never displayed. No charges were filed. Last July, Reinking was arrested by the Secret Service after he crossed into a restricted area near the White House and refused to leave, saying he wanted to meet President Donald Trump. Reinking was not armed at the time, but at the FBI's request, state police in Illinois revoked his state firearms card and seized four guns from him, authorities said. "It seems like they were proactive and effective at suspending this dangerous person's access to guns in the first place, particularly since that's not something they could've done in most states," said Ari Freilich, a staff attorney at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. But they "did not foresee the father being so irresponsible and dangerous in returning the guns to this person." The father could face charges for returning the guns, according to Marcus Watson, an agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who spoke Monday at a news conference. Reinking told police last August that he wanted to file a report about 20 to 30 people tapping into his computer and phone and people "barking like dogs" outside his residence, according to a report. "There's certainly evidence that there's some sort of mental health issues involved," Tazewell County Sheriff Robert Huston said. He said deputies returned the guns to Reinking's father on the promise that he would "keep the weapons secure and out of the possession of Travis." Reinking's father "has now acknowledged giving them back" to his son, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said. Phone calls to a number listed for the father, Jeffrey Reinking, went unanswered. It is not clear why Reinking moved recently from Morton, Illinois, and if it had anything to do with being near Swift, who has a home in Nashville. Police say he was employed in construction for a while, and there would have been enough work in the booming city for him. Several states have so-called red flag laws that allow relatives, friends or others to go to a court expressing concern about someone being a danger to themselves or others and seeking a court-ordered emergency hearing to consider seizing firearms. But the laws are still rare. After the Parkland shooting, Florida and Vermont -- both traditionally gun-friendly states -- enacted laws allow firearms to be confiscated before someone commits an act of violence. States vary in what they do with firearms that are seized. Some states give the option of selling or transferring the guns to a licensed dealer or law enforcement. Others allow the person to give them a friend, relative or some other third party. Experts caution about the danger of allowing relatives or friends to take possession of the firearms. "Family dynamics are unusual. And here's a situation where the family knew of his danger and still gave him a gun," said Adam Winkler, a professor at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law and gun industry expert. Reinking's move to Tennessee -- which has considerably more lax gun laws than Illinois -- exposes another loophole with the laws, experts say. "That safety net in Illinois that works so well ... evaporated when he moved to Tennessee," said Everytown's Oransky. Candidates named in city and school elections With the passing of the filing deadline for the upcoming city and school election, several area governing bodies including the City of Tama and ... There's been a breakthrough in the search for a male contraceptive drug. New research shows that there is a compound that was able to slow down the sperm of monkeys without having any hormonal side effects. While a male contraceptive drug is a step closer, this new finding doesn't mean it'll be on the market in the next few years. Male Contraceptive Drug Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Oregon National Primate Research Center published a study in the journal PLOS ONE showing that the compound EP055 slowing down sperm without hormonal effects. They used rhesus macaques for the study. The macaques were given EP055 intravenously. Scientists found that EP055 is able to inhibit the sperm's mobility, which reduces how effective it is in the process of fertilization For the study, the macaques were given a high dose of the EP055 compound. Thirty hours later, scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center found that the sperm was not moving at the normal speed and saw that the macaques had no physical side effects from the compound. Eighteen days after the macaques were given the EP055 infusion, they all showed signs of a complete recovery. This could be a sign that taking the EP055 compound as a form of birth control may be reversible. Macaques began recovering mobility in their sperm 78 hours after the EP055 was introduced. Scientists say that more work is needed before the compound could be tested on human subjects. Currently, the only forms of male contraception available to men include condoms and surgical vasectomy. How Does It Work? EP055 works by attaching itself to the protein EPPIN, which is found on the sperm. Lead author on the study Michael O'Rand told Newsweek that this compound could provide men with a non-hormonal male contraceptive drug. He says that the compound allows sperm to continue to be produced. Previous studies have researched the potential of blocking EPPIN as a way to create male contraception. A 2008 study concluded that EPPIN should be targeted because of its location on the surface of human sperm. Studies showed that targeting EPPIN could reduce the total distance traveled by sperm, its ability to travel in a straight line, and its speed. There have also been other compounds such as H2-gamendazole, which has been studied by scientists at the University of Kansas and the University of Minnesota. It targets sperm in a different way. H2-gamendazole prevents sperm from maturing properly. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Especially in male-dominated professions, female narratives aren't well documented. In fact, it took an Oscar-nominated film 2016's Hidden Figures for the names Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson to be included in widespread American consciousness. These exemplary women contributed greatly to NASA's space exploration efforts during the age of the space race, a time when the United States was cutthroat in its ambition to outpace Russia. In the end, Russia's Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit Earth, but not to be outdone, the United States worked ferociously to be the first to send a man on the Moon. What about the women apart from Johnson, Vaughan, and Jackson? What were they doing at the time? As it turns out, they were working as strenuously as the men were but failed to reap their fruits of labor. Mercury 13 The first woman in space was Valentina Tereshkova, a Russian skydiver who spent almost three days in orbit inside the Vostok 6 capsule. The first American woman in space would not follow Tereshkova into space until another two decades. Yet the United States could have been the first to send women to space, but did not, a new Netflix documentary reveals. Mercury 13 examines why NASA balked on the Mercury 13 project, but more than that, it looks into the lives of the 13 women who went through rigorous screening and training in 1960 and 1961 to determine whether they could qualify as astronauts. As it turns out, the women performed as well as the men, if not better, according to Jackie, the daughter of William Randy Lovelace. It was Lovelace who began recruiting females for NASA's endurance tests after realizing that women should have a place in space. Before the screening could be completed, NASA promptly canceled the program. Just like that, the dreams of 13 women were shattered, never mind their sterling qualifications. So why were women excluded from the space agency's early exploration programs? It might be "good old-fashioned prejudice," as one participant claims in Mercury 13. The documentary begins streaming on April 20. Gender Inequality Mercury 13 is a compelling account of women highly competitive and qualified ones, at that trapped under the austerity of gender-based oppression. The historical footage is painful to watch, knowing how it turned out for these women. A lot has changed since then, thankfully. Women have taken prominent roles in the spaceflight industry. For instance, Ellen Ochoa has been heading the Johnson Space Center since 2012, and astronaut Peggy Whitson has flown into space three times and has broken the record for most time spent in space by a U.S. astronaut. At least in spaceflight, women have been given the chance to occupy far more serious undertakings. Unfortunately, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and a lot of other oppression-stricken industries have yet to uphold the same respect and equal opportunities for women, but that's changing. Watch a trailer for Mercury 13 below. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. For six years, a woman suffered bouts of pain where it seems a ball was rolling inside her. Her condition was diagnosed as a "floating kidney." The 28-year-old woman endured a recurring pain that has a very similar pattern. Once it attacks, she would feel pain in her right abdominal pain. The pain would subside when she reclines only to get worse when she stands. Also, when she changes her position, she feels as if a ball was rolling inside her, back and forth. The patient experienced no other symptoms. Interestingly, the episodes decreased while she was pregnant, particularly while she was in her later trimesters. The Case Of A Floating Kidney The woman from Michigan had sought the help of several physicians in different hospitals over the years but to no avail. That is until she was examined by Dr. Akshay Sood, a urologist at Henry Ford Hospital. In the case published in the journal BMJ Case Reports, Sood states that the woman's right kidney had been wandering almost 6 centimeters down to her pelvis when she shifts from lying down to standing up. After performing a process he called intravenous pyelography, she was diagnosed with a "floating kidney" or what medically called as nephroptosis. Nephroptosis is a condition in which the kidney falls more than two vertebral bodies or more than 5 centimeters when a person changes from lying to an upright position. Interestingly, the condition is more common in thin women but the majority who has the condition shows no symptoms. An absence of fat, specifically the fat surrounding the kidney is suspected to be the main culprit for the condition. Sood explains that body fat normally surrounds and supports the kidney. These tissues keep the kidney in place inside the human body. In the case of thin women, there is not enough fat to support the kidney, causing it to fall into the pelvis when they stand up, particularly because of gravity. When the kidney falls into the pelvis, it hooked the blood vessels that are attached to it. The movement also causes a bend in the ureter which in return causes a problem in producing urine. The urine will flow back into the kidney without a means of exit. This causes the kidney to swell up until eventually causes pain to the person. 'Floating Kidney' Diagnosis Sood explains further that floating kidney is a hard condition to diagnose because it can only be detected when the patient is standing. CT scans, which are the common tests for internal problems, are conducted while the person is lying down. Even if the patient is experiencing pain during scans, but that he or she was lying down, all scans will return negative for any anomaly that could reveal a "floating kidney." Sood adds that urologists at present may have limited knowledge about Nephroptosis because of previous censorship about the condition. He said there were significant cases of misdiagnosis, overdiagnosis, and overtreatment of a floating kidney about 20 to 30 years ago. This resulted in some institutions teaching less about the condition during medical training. 'Floating Kidney' Treatment For the 28-year-old patient, she was taken to the operating room for a robot-assisted laparoscopic nephropexy. She was sent home one day after the kidney surgery. During her follow-up check-up, she said the pain is gone and was grateful that she is finally free from it after six years. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Daron Malakian with System of a Down; Credit: Frank MaddocksSystem of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian's side project, Scars on Broadway, has returned with a new song for the first time in nearly a decade. The track is called "Lives," and is available now for digital download. "Lives" is the first preview of Scars on Broadway's upcoming sophomore album, Dictator, which will arrive on July 20. Dictator is the follow-up to the band's 2008 self-titled debut album. Scars also released a one-off single called "F***ing" in 2010. The release of "Lives" coincides with the 103rd anniversary of the Armenian genocide. The track is accompanied by a colorful video featuring a variety of Armenian folk dances, which you can watch now on YouTube. "The traditional Armenian folk dances and colorful costumes that you see in the video are an homage to Armenia's rich history and culture," says Malakian in a statement. "The song and the imagery in the video are meant to inspire pride among -- and empower -- the survivors of a historical tragedy." While Scars on Broadway is returning, System of a Down still hasn't released a new album since 2005. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Malakian says that while the idea of a new System album is "not abandoned," the band's members are not "on the same page." "Trust me, man, I'm probably the biggest System of a Down fan in the world," Malakian says. "I mean, I named the band. So I'd like to see something like that happen." Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. BHP, Vale given extension to settle Brazil mine disaster claim Sydney, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2018 Mining giant BHP said Monday it had been granted more time by a Brazilian court to negotiate with authorities on settling a large claim over the Samarco mine collapse that left 19 people dead. Samarco, co-owned by BHP and Brazilian mining giant Vale, is facing a 155 billion reals (US$45.4 billion) legal claim for clean-up costs and damages after the November 2015 collapse of an iron ore tailings dam in the Minas Gerais region. Brazilian federal prosecutors commenced proceedings in court for the settlement, and later agreed to work with the two miners to reach an agreement. The negotiation period has been extended several times, with the due date now on June 25, BHP said. "The 12th Federal Court in Brazil has approved an additional 66 days... to continue discussions on the negotiation of the framework for the settlement of the Public Civil Claims related to the Samarco dam failure," the Anglo-Australian firm said in a statement. BHP said in February when reporting its half-year profits for the six months to December 31 that it had recorded a charge of US$210 million from the collapse. The company added that "significant progress" had been made on social and environmental recovery programmes after the dam failure. The dam burst unleashed a tsunami of toxic waste and buried a nearby village, and is one of Brazil's worst environmental disasters. grk/dm/qan 'Squid Game' all the rage in Paris A pop-up store for Netflix's original Korean series "Squid Game" opened up in France over the weekend, attracting fans in Europe. The pop-up store, set up at a cafe in Paris' 2n... #KCCI KCCI head congratulates Japan's new PM, hoping for better bilateral ties The chief of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has sent a congratulatory letter to prospective Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, expressing hope for better tie... A Baton Rouge lawyer and ex-state liquor lobbyist is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court Wednesday for forwarding videos of boys engaging in sexual acts with donkeys to friends, family and clients. Christopher Young pleaded guilty in November to a misdemeanor charge of transmitting obscene images in 2013 and 2015. +2 Baton Rouge lawyer, ex-liquor lobbyist pleads guilty in federal court to forwarding obscene images A Baton Rouge lawyer and former state liquor lobbyist pleaded guilty in Baton Rouge federal court Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of transmi Young, the brother of former Jefferson Parish President John Young, faces up to a year in prison. He also could be fined up to $100,000 and ordered to pay restitution. Young testified previously in the case that he forwarded the videos as a "crude joke" and said he is not a child pornographer. He also testified he did not believe the people in the videos were minors. +2 Baton Rouge lawyer says 'crude joke' led to child porn charges A Baton Rouge lawyer and former state liquor lobbyist on Thursday characterized as a "crude joke" his decision to forward unsolicited videos o U.S. District Judge John deGravelles, who is presiding over the case, stated earlier last year when Young was still charged with two felonies that he disagreed with the government's decision to charge Young. The judge, however, rejected Young's claim that he was being selectively and vindictively prosecuted. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Young and his attorneys have argued that federal authorities were interested in him only because of his lobbying activities before the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control and his friendship with former ATC Commissioner Troy Hebert. There were allegations that Hebert's office gave favorable treatment to Young's clients. Hebert has denied any wrongdoing. Young testified at a 2016 hearing in his case that an FBI agent told him the obscene images on his cellphone would not be made public if Young, a Beer Industry League of Louisiana lobbyist at the time, cooperated with federal authorities in public corruption probes. Judge rejects Baton Rouge lawyer's claim of selective and vindictive prosecution in porn case Baton Rouge lawyer and former state liquor lobbyist Christopher Young, who claims federal child porn charges filed against him last year are t Young said he told the agent he had no information on any public corruption. The agent testified at the September 2016 hearing that an investigation involving the ATC is now closed. Young's guilty plea to being an accessory after the fact to interstate transmission of obscene images does not require him to register as a sex offender under the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, federal prosecutors have said. He was initially indicted by a Baton Rouge federal grand jury on felony counts of possession and distribution of child pornography, but prosecutors later charged him with the lesser misdemeanor count of accessory after the fact to interstate transmission of obscene and child pornography images. In his plea agreement, the words "child pornography" were deleted from the charge. Eleven students at Baton Rouge Magnet High School have achieved perfect scores of 36 on the ACT, an unusually high number of young scholars to do so at just one school. The Capital Citys flagship public high school announced five of these students earlier this month, with the most recent announcement on Wednesday. The latest members of this elite club are seniors Erina Buchholz and Christian Fontenot, junior Robert Chumbley, and sophomores Grace Qian and Krishna Pochana. The six other current students at the 2825 Government St. school who previously earned 36 on the ACT are Priya Balamurugan, Riley Devall, Ziying He and Orianne Luo, all seniors; and Brian Tsai and Anusha Zaman, both juniors. Three more Baton Rouge Magnet High students earn perfect scores on ACT, total of seven in previous year Three more students at Baton Rouge Magnet High School have achieved perfect scores of 36 on the ACT, bringing to seven the number of students Ed Colby, a spokesman for the Iowa-based ACT Inc., the publisher of the college placement exam, told The Advocate in January, before the latest announcements, that its rare to see so many perfect scorers at one school. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Only one-tenth of 1 percent of the 2 million students across the country taking the test are able to score that high, and in Louisiana the rate is half that, Colby said. In the class of 2017, only 29 of the states 55,614 graduating seniors earned a perfect 36, he said. For graduating seniors Erina Buchholz and Ziying He, their success on the ACT has helped land them yet another prestigious honor: They were named Presidential Scholar semifinalists. Each year up to 161 of the nations highest achieving graduating seniors are recognized by the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, established in 1964. Its invitation only, but it is open to students from both public and private schools. The students are judged, in part, on their performance on the ACT and SAT tests. The students selected will receive an expense-paid trip to Washington D.C. in June when they are presented the U.S. Presidential Scholars medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House. Buchholz and He were originally two of 61 candidates in Louisiana for the honor. There are six other semifinalists from the state: Alix C. Basden, Lafayette High School; Hailey A. Rowbatham, St. Scholastica Academy in Covington; Dakota W. Simpson, Caddo Parish Magnet High School in Shreveport; Henry C. Wietfeldt, Lusher Charter School in New Orleans; Diensn G. Xing, Haynes Academy of Advanced Studies in Metairie; and Anna Y. Yue, Northshore High School in Slidell. The French flag, along with the American flag and the flag of the District of Columbia, is seen with the U.S. Capitol in the distance in advance of French President Emmanuel Macron's Washington arrival for a state visit, Monday, April 23, 2018. Macron will address Congress this week after meeting with President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Facing a $650 million fiscal cliff and calls for yet another special session, state senators are split over whether the Louisiana Legislature should pass a budget during its current regular session. "I will never vote for this budget," Senate Finance Chair Eric LaFleur, D-Ville Platte, said Sunday during a discussion of the state spending plan that passed the House last week. "I'd be embarrassed." The House approved its version of the $27 billion budget in a 55-47 vote just two votes over the 53 threshold needed to send House Bill 1 to the Senate for consideration, where the Finance Committee has met the past three Sundays to hear from agency heads about what cuts to their departments would mean to state services. Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has urged the Senate to hold off on passing a final budget until a later special session, when revenue-raising measures can be considered to replace taxes set to expire June 30. "I would suggest to you that there is no way to fix this," Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, Edwards' chief budget architect, told senators Sunday. "Many of our citizens literally cannot live with these cuts." +12 'Shame on us': Louisiana House-passed budget blasted; GOP leaders say drastic cuts not final The Louisiana House has endorsed a spending plan for the coming year that critics, including Gov. John Bel Edwards, say would have catastrophi The House proposal would deeply cut health care spending, threatening the closure of safety-net hospitals across the state, and elimination of programs that aid the elderly and disabled. It also would cut college scholarships given through the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students by about 20 percent. House leaders have defended the budget that the chamber passed as a first step in the process and response to the chamber's refusal to pass taxes during last year's regular session and a special session that ended in impasse earlier this year. Several Republican senators echoed that position during Sunday's hearing and pushed back against calls to hold off on passing a budget before the regular session ends. "I just don't have a comfort level that much will be done in a special session," said Sen. Jim Fannin, a Jonesboro Republican who previously chaired the House Appropriations Committee. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Sen. Bodi White, R-Central, said he believes that the upper chamber has a duty to pass a budget that reflects its own priorities if the state has to make cuts to balance a budget without new revenue. "I would like to have my name on something, should there be no revenue," he said. The House spending plan threatens nursing home care and home health care for nearly 46,000 elderly and disabled people. "We're just going to kick them out? That's unconscionable," said Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge. "I cannot support this budget I will not support this budget." Edwards has urged legislative leaders to end the regular session early so that a special session can be held. Most revenue-raising measures cannot be taken up during regular sessions in even-numbered years. A special session would be the Legislature's sixth since February 2016 all to address the state's continuous cycle of budget crises. The most recent special session collapsed without action after House members couldn't agree on the best path toward raising revenue or the amount of revenue the state would need. Since then, the size of the looming fiscal cliff has been pared back from nearly $1 billion to $648 million. The House Republican Delegation has not taken a caucus position on whether another special session is needed, but several of the chamber's leaders including GOP Caucus Chair Lance Harris and House Appropriations Chair Cameron Henry have expressed individual support for one, though many members are still hesitant to support the proposal to end the regular session early. General sessions are typically packed with legislative priorities on non-budget issues, including abortion, guns, school policies and other topics that tend to play well back in legislators' districts. Nearly 2,000 bills and resolutions have been filed this session, which is scheduled to end June 4. Just two have made it through the entire legislative process and been signed into law by Edwards. "We're half-way through and our bills are just now going over to the other side," said Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell. "We still have a lot of important work to do this session." A seven-line proposal that backers say would help teachers is under fire from Louisiana's two teacher unions. The measure, House Bill 343, won approval last week in the state House without a vote to spare, 53-36. However, it faces an uncertain future and got what supporters view as an unfavorable committee assignment in the state Senate, the next step in the legislative process. Advocates say they are baffled on why teacher groups would not embrace what they call a teacher-protection measure. Louisiana's teacher shortage is real; here's what caused it, how state lawmakers look to solve it The number of teachers entering the profession in Louisiana is declining, and state lawmakers may launch a study on just why it is happening. "It should not be controversial," said Keith Leger, director of education policy and governmental affairs for the Council for a Better Louisiana. "To me, it is very simple," Leger said. "You either support teachers from being harassed or you don't." Critics argue that it is not that simple and that the bill would interfere with collective bargaining agreements and tie the hands of principals. The measure, by state Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, breezed through the House Education Committee earlier this month. Carter and others contend it would prevent teachers from being forced into political activities, pressured into joining a teacher's union or even have daily classroom work interrupted by an insurance pitch. "People are being harassed, coerced to do something they don't want to do," Carter said in an interview. Leger agreed. "There have been instances where school leaders have strongly suggested to teachers to campaign for representatives, (Board of Elementary and Secondary Education) members, in some form or fashion, either by calling or going as far as putting political signs in their yards," he said. BESE is the 11-member panel that oversees public schools statewide. The bill says teachers are to be free during work hours "from coercion, harassment, undue influence and the intentional misuse of information by school system employees and school board members regarding membership in any organization, teacher benefits, insurance and any other work-related matter." The same ban would apply to "political campaigns and membership in any organizations." Teachers who back the bill said it is not uncommon for classroom time to be interrupted for a variety of reasons. "I back this bill because it shows the value of instructional time," Meredith McGovern, a teacher in Bossier City, told the House committee earlier this month. "We are teachers to teach, not to answer the door," McGovern said. Karen Parrino, a 27-year teaching veteran in Livingston Parish, made the same point. "I value every minute, and if I am pulled out of my classroom for any type of activity by others, there is that transition time when someone comes in, I leave, I come back," Parrino said. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "Even if it is 10 to 15 minutes, it is a disruption," she said. But Shane Riddle, legislative and political director for the Louisiana Association of Educators, said Carter's bill could infringe on collective bargaining agreements in Vermilion, St. Bernard and and handful of other parishes. Riddle said the agreements allow teachers and others to discuss the agreement, send out surveys and get feedback. "So we believe the language would circumvent some of that activity," Riddle said. Cynthia Posey, legislative and political director for the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, downplayed concerns that teachers are being unfairly prodded to join teacher unions. After 13 years, Louisiana Federation of Teachers gets new leader in Larry Carter The interim president of one of Louisiana's two teachers unions is a veteran New Orleans educator said to know his way around the hot-button i Posey said union officials are typically provided a spot at a school to promote their message and stay there. Keith Courville, executive director of the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, backs the bill. "We hear all the time from teachers who feel pressured, harassed and coerced by school board members or administrators, and this bill (seeks) to protect teachers from harassment on the job related to nearly any subject," Courville said in an email. Scott Richard, executive director of the Louisiana School Boards Association, said his group is opposed to Carter's bill for two reasons. In an email, Richard said the legislation could impair the ability of principals to direct teachers to comply with school and school board policies by opening the possibility of a complaint against the principal. He said it also appears to require that teachers be offered information about insurance and other benefits outside of those approved by the board. Backers of the bill say they think Gov. John Bel Edwards, who is strongly aligned with both teacher unions, is working to kill Carter's bill. A spokeswoman for the governor said his office is monitoring the legislation. Carter and others hoped the bill would be assigned to the Senate Education Committee, a GOP-dominated panel. Instead, Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego, sent the legislation to the more liberal Senate Labor Committee, where Democrats have a 4-3 edge. The proposal has turned into something of a partisan issue, with most Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed. Alario said last week sending the bill to the labor panel makes sense. "It has to do with work conditions in the schools," he said. "There is some sentiment that that may be a proper place to have a good hearing." Asked about complaints that Edwards is trying to kill the bill, Alario said, "I never talked to the governor about it. Never had a conversation." As Aaron Banks, left, posts his video as Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, D-Baton Rouge, second from left, arrives to support a protest rally and sit-in to call for a grand jury/justice for Alton Sterling at the Livingston Building where the Attorney General's office is located Monday April 2, 2018, in Baton Rouge, La. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., asks a question of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as he testifies before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. Wendy Vitter, President Donald Trump's nominee to be a District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, gives testimony during a U. S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. At right, listening, is her husband, former Senator David Vitter. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg) In the early 1970s, Charles Clark led the charge to formally name the small Jefferson Parish community nestled between Harahan and Kenner and help enshrine an identity that residents there felt they deserved. They succeeded, selecting the name River Ridge for the neighborhoods of brick homes and tree-lined streets bounded by the two adjacent cities, the Mississippi River and the railroad tracks. But another facet of community identity a ZIP code that recognizes that River Ridge is in Jefferson Parish, not neighboring Orleans Parish proved to be a nonstarter. The U.S. Postal Service, in those days, rarely budged on the issue. ZIP codes were a mail-sorting designation, and they existed for only one purpose: to facilitate delivery. Changing them at the behest of people like Clark and his merry band simply didnt happen. Today, Clark is 45 years older, a retiree living in the same Bocage Place home where hes lived since 1971. But as president of the River Ridge Community Association, he has once again set his sights on getting the code changed. As it stands, the 1 at the center of the 70123 ZIP code for River Ridge, Harahan and Elmwood marks it as being part of New Orleans, which Clark says creates issues for automobile insurance rates, targeted mail delivery and a host of other unnecessary irritants. Were just bulked in with them now, he said. We get mail for New Orleans, and we dont live in New Orleans. Just to the east, the area between Clearview Parkway and the Orleans Parish line south of Airline Drive is in a similar predicament, with a ZIP code of 70121. All the rest of Jefferson Parish has postal codes beginning with 700. Parish Councilman Paul Johnston, who is a former mayor of Harahan, said the ZIP code issue has been a thorn in the side of residents there for decades. While some auto insurers say they account for the fact that those residents dont live in Orleans Parish despite their ZIP code, residents say they get quoted higher rates than their Metairie counterparts because of it, Johnston said. He also said hes convinced its costing the parish money because any sales tax remittances sent by companies based on the ZIP code would go to Orleans. Clark said its fruitless for miscoded residents to try to explain to customer-service employees of out-of-state companies on the phone that they dont actually live in New Orleans. Johnston said he tried to get the issue fixed over a decade ago while he was mayor, writing to then-U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu. Landrieu forwarded the request on to the U.S. Postal Service, which declined to do anything, but Johnston said hes ready to support the initiative again. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up I told (Clark), if you can do it, Im with you, and if I can do anything to help, Ill support you 100 percent, he said. Clark said the River Ridge Community Association will host a meeting at 6:30 p.m. May 1 at the Little Farms Playground gymnasium to gauge support for the effort. Twana Barber, a spokeswoman for the Postal Service, said the process for changing ZIP codes is handled at the district level and that any push for a change will begin there. According to a 2006 congressional report on the issue, the Postal Service pledged to be more responsive to such requests after lawmakers held a hearing in 1990 to consider allowing local governments to get involved in the process of changing ZIP codes. Constituents had complained about peremptory denials and a perceived lack of consideration of their requests. And while ZIP codes originally were created strictly to sort mail, the report noted they had long since become the basis for demographic research, insurance underwriting, housing value estimates and advertising. In 1999, the federal government directed the Postal Service to even consider requests that were made based solely on so-called community identity concerns. Clark said there is certainly a component of community pride to the push, along with the practical considerations. People are proud to be a part of Jefferson Parish, he said. He said he expects the process could take up to a year if it is successful. According to the congressional report, a denial would need to be issued within 60 days of the request, complete with reasons; there is an appeal process. If a change is deemed to be feasible, a formal survey of the entire affected area would be taken to ensure it is desired by a majority of residents, something Clark is not likely very worried about. He said he sees the issue as one of the little guy vs. Washington, and thinks the effort will win popular support. And if he does manage to get the 1 changed to a 0, the last two digits will be chosen by the community. Im going to give that thrill to everybody, he said. The City Council gave final approval last week to a $6.5 million city incentive package for a technology company that promises to bring 2,000 jobs to New Orleans over the next seven years. The council unanimously approved the deal, which was listed with numerous other items on its consent agenda Thursday, after securing a pledge that the Fortune 500 company bringing the jobs, DXC Technology, would work to hire local talent. That pledge came after members of The Collaborative, a coalition of small and disadvantaged businesses, urged the council to consider asking DXC to meet the same kind of hiring goals for disadvantaged and minority workers and subcontractors that apply to city contracts for public work. DXCs local director, Terrell Boynton, also agreed to meet regularly with Councilman Jason Williams, The Collaborative and the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce to discuss the company's progress in hiring disadvantaged local residents. DXC will receive the $6.5 million over the next decade, with annual installments from the city and the Industrial Development Board coming only after the company shows it has met the citys requirements for job creation. If the actual job numbers are below the requirements, the incentive will be prorated to reflect the lower number. That incentive is part of a much larger pool of financial inducements the state offered to lure the company, which was formed last year by the merger of Computer Services Corp. and the enterprise services business of Hewlett Packard Enterprises. The state agreed last year to a package valued at $115 million, which includes a $25 million initiative that will focus on expanding the number of degrees that Louisiana colleges and universities award annually in science, technology, engineering and math. The company also is in line for $18.7 million in performance-based grants over the next five years to help cover some of its initial costs, and it will participate in other benefits programs the state regularly offers to companies. Formosa Petrochemical Corp. has selected St. James Parish for a $9.4 billion chemical manufacturing complex employing 1,200 plant workers. A subsidiary of the Taiwanese company could begin construction as soon as next year in an anticipated 10-year building and development process in two phases. Construction is expected to peak at 8,050 jobs over a four-year period, according to Louisiana Economic Development officials. The company has purchased a 2,400-acre site along the west bank of the Mississippi River, downriver from the Sunshine Bridge, next to the Mosaic and AmSty chemical plants. Formosa plans to operate the complex, its fourth and largest facility in the state, under subsidiary FG LA LLC, which already is registered in Louisiana. Gov. John Bel Edwards administration announced the project, dubbed the Sunshine Project, in a news release on Monday. The project's 1,200 new direct jobs will pay an average $84,500 a year, according to Edwards administration. LED estimates the plant will result in 8,000 indirect jobs. Because of the size of Formosas investment and the number of jobs the plant will create, it will fundamentally alter the economy and the wealth of the River Region," said Michael Hecht, president and chief executive officer of Greater New Orleans Inc., the regional economic development agency. This is a big one, he said. To fill jobs at the plant, Formosa will draw workers from as far away as Lafayette and Hancock County, Mississippi, Hecht said. While the workers could live as far as an hour away, the key for St. James to benefit the most is get those people to buy homes in the parish and do their spending locally. This is an opportunity for St. James Parish to increase their population and community wealth, he said. The project has been discussed for several years. The firm announced in 2015 it was studying the feasibility of the production complex and said it hoped to make a final decision by mid-2016. According to a website dedicated to the project, Formosa is awaiting permitting approval from state and federal regulators. The state offered Formosa an incentive package that includes a $12 million performance-based grant for infrastructure costs, which will be doled out in four $3 million installments beginning in 2021, the projected first year for hiring permanent jobs. The company also is expected to take advantage of the Industrial Tax Exemption Program, the states largest tax break, as well as Louisianas Quality Jobs program. The complex will be built in two phases and use abundant, cheap natural gas to produce ethylene, propylene, ethylene glycol and associated polymers, which are used to make products like car casings, plastic bottles, grocery bags, drainage pipes and antifreeze, among other things. Eric Smith, associate director of Tulane University's Energy Institute, said the decision is not particularly surprising, but called it a "nice confirmation" of Louisiana's competitiveness in the petrochemical sector. He noted Formosa already has three sites in Louisiana, which is likely one of the reasons it selected St. James Parish for the new project. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "They know how the game's played in Louisiana," Smith said. The decision also validates Louisiana's petrochemical sector despite the an oil and gas boom in shale formations, which has suddenly put sites in Texas closer to the natural resources coming out of the Permian and Eagle Ford plays. But Smith noted that the facility, like other petrochemical projects along the Mississippi River, will hinge on the vitality of those shale plays. Plus, there is the looming threat of tariffs on petrochemical exports to China if a trade war with the Asian country becomes imminent. That could erode the Gulf Coast cost advantage for those projects, Smith said. An economic impact study done by LSU economist James Richardson forecasted the 10-year construction period will yield $362 million in new state and local tax receipts, plus $313 million in new state and local taxes during the initial 10 years of operation, beginning in 2025. "This is on the larger side" of petrochemical projects, said David Dismukes, director of LSU's Center for Energy Studies. Typically, Dismukes said petrochemical investments are $1 billion to $3 billion and involve major upgrades to existing facilities. The plant will mean a windfall for St. James Parish tax coffers. St. James Parish President Timmy Roussel said after Formosas 10-year tax exemptions expire, the parish will collect about $28 million more in property taxes. St. James currently receives about $60 million in annual tax revenue. When youre putting $9.4 billion on a site, you need a lot of help, he said. It becomes incumbent upon us to make sure were putting enough effort to get our residents ready for these jobs. We need to prepare our youngsters. The impact of Mondays announcement is already being felt. The parish shut down its youth detention center in 2013 and has been trying to sell the complex for several years. Less than an hour and a half after the Formosa announcement was made, Roussel said someone reached out to him with interest in buying the center for $1.2 million and turning it into a dormitory to house construction workers. But the announcement also renewed concerns from the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, which has long raised questions about air emissions in St. James Parish. Wilma Subra, a chemist and adviser to the group, warned of the "cumulative impact" of the new Formosa facility, along with existing facilities like the Mosaic Faustina ammonia plant and Americas Styrenics' plant, both of which are on the west bank of the river near Formosa's site. "It's going to have a huge cumulative impact on the communities which are sprinkles between these facilities," Subra said. "It's going to have a very negative impact on air pollution in that area based on what we know about it." Formosa Plastics Group first set up shop in Louisiana in 1981, and currently operates three Louisiana plastics manufacturing facilities, with 410 employees in East Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee parishes. The St. James Parish project, which Edwards administration said is years in the making, will be the firms largest in the state. Formosa was considering a Texas site for the plant but decided to go with building the facility in St. James, an LED official said. After an argument with his girlfriend Sunday, Charles Williams Jr. stormed into his fathers house in the St. Roch neighborhood, grabbed a .40-caliber pistol and asked his dad for a box of bullets, New Orleans police said Monday. His dad refused. So an infuriated Williams, 25, left the home with the ammunition he had and went on a rampage, shooting at least six people and committing multiple robberies, police alleged in court documents. Authorities arrested him following a high-speed chase that culminated in a crash on North Carrollton Avenue. One of Williams victims, Lil Ricky Goins, 38, died from a bullet wound to the head. He was out shopping for picture hangers when he was gunned down, his widow said. Williams also shot Deputy Police Chief John Thomas, who was supervising officers at the site where the chaotic chain of events began, officials said. According to police, after leaving his father's home in the 1900 block of St. Roch Avenue about 4:25 p.m., Williams shot two men and a woman on a nearby porch. He then went to the 1400 block of North Derbigny Street in the 7th Ward and shot another person in the face during what was described as an armed carjacking. He later stole a second car at gunpoint in the 1700 block of Desire Parkway in the Upper 9th Ward, police said. At some point, Williams and Goins ended up driving side-by-side toward the lake on Elysian Fields Avenue, police said. Goins, in a brown Audi, was at the corner of North Galvez Street when Williams fired at him from the car he was driving, according to police. Goins sped away but died blocks later from a head wound. At some point his car rear-ended another vehicle with two people inside on Elysian Fields. Eventually, Williams headed back to St. Roch and fired at the officers processing the scene of the earlier shooting. A bullet grazed the chest of Thomas, nicknamed "J.T." Other officers then chased Williams at high speed to the 1000 block of North Carrollton Avenue, where he flipped his stolen vehicle after hitting another car, according to authorities. Williams was wielding a gun when he got out of the car but dropped it and surrendered when officers approached him, police said. At a news conference Monday, NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison said Williams had been linked to two other armed robberies separate from the carjackings on North Derbigny and Desire in another part of the city. At least one of those robberies was a carjacking reported in the 5900 block of Read Boulevard about 4:55 p.m. The other occurred about 5:10 p.m. in the 5400 block of Chef Menteur Highway, where it crosses the Industrial Canal. Police said Williams stopped a man's car at gunpoint after firing two shots at a woman who swerved around him and refused to stop. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Can't see video below? Click here. Williams spoke with police after his capture and told them what happened at his fathers house before the crime spree began. He allegedly confessed to killing Goins, on Elysian Fields, but said he couldnt remember if he shot at the motorist more than once. The court documents didnt explain why Williams may have taken aim at Goins, who appeared to have pulled up next to him by mere coincidence. None of Williams other shooting victims or the people in the car struck by Goins' vehicle had life-threatening injuries, police said. Harrison singled out Thomas as being in good condition. As of Monday, investigators had booked Williams on a count of second-degree murder as well as various traffic violations that were apparently tied to the chase. But he is expected face more counts. Criminal District Court Magistrate Commissioner Brigid Collins set Williams bail at $750,000 during a hearing Monday. Williams has two prior convictions for illegally carrying weapons, Collins said. He would face mandatory life imprisonment if convicted of murdering Goins. Goins wife, Erica Notto-Goins, said Monday she remained in shock over the previous days mayhem. Her husband, a father of three and stepfather to two, had left their familys home in St. Rose to buy hooks for pictures he wanted to display in their garage, which he was transforming into a recreational man cave. Notto-Goins said detectives had told her that Williams may have been trying to carjack her husband at the time of the killing. This was just random, she said. You always think something like this could only happen to other people and not to you, but it actually happened to us. Goins, who ran a janitorial company with his wife, had celebrated a birthday earlier this month and was looking forward to his second wedding anniversary this summer, she added. This just took the life out of me," she said. "I hope this guy realizes hes taken the life senselessly of someone he doesnt know, and its devastated a whole family. Lil Ricky Goins was out looking for picture hangers when a man waving a gun came up to him and may have demanded his car on Sunday afternoon, his wife said Monday. Goins, 38, wouldnt surrender the car, not realizing the gunman was in the midst of a chaotic, crosstown crime spree that had already involved a triple shooting in New Orleans St. Roch neighborhood and would later conclude with a high-speed police chase to Mid-City. The gunman fired a bullet into the head of Goins, the only victim killed during an afternoon of carnage blamed on 25-year-old Charles Williams, Goins wife said after speaking with police detectives. A high-ranking New Orleans police officer was also shot by Williams, though his injuries were not life-threatening, authorities said. This was just random, Erica Notto-Goins said of her husbands slaying, citing her conversations with the cops. You always think something like this could only happen to other people and not to you, but it actually happened to us. A father of three and stepfather to two others, Goins left his familys home in St. Rose in search of a hardware store that had hooks he needed to hang pictures in the couples recently renovated garage. He was transforming the room into a recreational mancave, Notto-Goins said. Notto-Goins had stayed back to take a nap when she received a phone call telling her that her husband had been in a bad car crash in the 2400 block of Elysian Fields Avenue. After racing to the scene, she learned the wreck had only occurred after Goins had been shot in the head nearby allegedly by Williams, who police said fired at his victim while both men were driving in separate cars. Police declined to say whether they believed Williams was trying to rob Goins. Goins was among as many as six people shot during a Sunday afternoon rampage blamed on Williams, who also carjacked two more people and robbed a pair of others. Goins' body was found after he struck two people in another car while fleeing from Williams and possibly trying to drive himself to the hospital, Notto-Goins recalled being told by police. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Goins was found dead shortly before authorities received a call reporting that Williams had shot three people in the 1900 block of St. Roch, where the suspect's address is. The shooting resulted from a domestic dispute, and the victims were later listed in stable condition, police said. According to police, Williams then went to the 1400 block of North Derbigny Street in the 7th Ward and shot another person in the face during what was described as an armed carjacking that victim soon underwent emergency surgery. Williams then stole another car at gunpoint in the 1700 block of Desire Parkway in the Upper 9th Ward before heading back to St. Roch and firing at officers processing the scene of the earlier shooting there. A bullet grazed Deputy Chief John Thomas, who was supervising crime scene personnel. He later arrived at a hospital in good condition, police said. That officers colleagues chased Williams at high speed to the 1000 block of North Carrollton Avenue in Mid-City, where he flipped his stolen vehicle after hitting another car, according to authorities. Williams allegedly was wielding a gun when he got out of the car but dropped it and surrendered when police approached him. At a news conference Monday afternoon, Police Superintendent Michael Harrison said his officers had linked Williams to two robberies, in addition to the carjackings, in another part of town that occurred during Sunday's violence. As of Monday morning, Williams had been booked on a count of second-degree murder in Goins killing and on various traffic violations apparently tied to his getaway attempt. But it is expected he will face more counts in the wake of Sundays mayhem. WWL-TV spoke with one of the shooting victims on St. Roch, a man who said his daughter was also wounded in the initial attack there. The man recalled Williams showed up to his father's home next door, left calmly, drove around the block and suddenly began firing bullets. The victim said he did not believe anyone in his group had any problems with Williams, according to WWL. Notto-Goins on Monday said she and her family were left emotionally shattered. Her husband had celebrated his 38th birthday earlier this month, and he was looking forward to ringing in his second wedding anniversary in the summer when he met his horrifying fate. This just took the life out of me, Notto-Goins said. I hope this guy realizes hes taken the life senselessly of someone he doesnt know, and its devastated a whole family. Officials from Baton Rouge to Honolulu gathered last week to learn about a cutting-edge innovation in policing from an unlikely source: the New Orleans Police Department. Inside a packed conference room at the Loyola University College of Law campus on Thursday and Friday, NOPD brass explained a new program meant to encourage cops to stop their fellow officers from doing wrong. Called EPIC, short for Ethical Policing Is Courageous, such a program would have been unimaginable a decade ago as federal agents looked into New Orleans cops' actions in the Danziger Bridge shooting incident and its aftermath. The shooting itself was bad, but the thing that was terrible about it was the cover-up, Deputy Chief Paul Noel told colleagues from around the country. Were it not for that cover-up, which involved even more officers, he said, nobody likely would have gone to prison, and if they had, it would have been very short. The shooting in which New Orleans cops killed two unarmed civilians and wounded four others on a bridge six days after Hurricane Katrina struck the city helped spur an extensive reform agreement for the NOPD with the federal government that ultimately resulted in the peer-intervention program. Drawing on insights from a psychologist who studies mass killings and a civil rights attorney, the program is meant to allow cops to feel comfortable speaking out against misconduct by other officers. There has not been an empirical study of the programs effectiveness, but the NOPD has already begun sharing its lesson plans and experiences with other departments. In what was likely a first, the conference was co-sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, two organizations not usually thought of as comrades in arms. The federal consent decree signed in 2012 mandates training for all officers on the importance and impact of ethical decision making and peer intervention when they use force on civilians. Yet at the start, there was little clarity on what those words meant, according to Mary Howell, a longtime civil rights lawyer who was active in litigation against the department after Katrina. Then police officials met with her and U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan to try to map out a plan, she said. Jonathan Aronie, the lead federal monitor overseeing the consent decree's implementation, said that even he was skeptical at first. Youre never going to get people to buy into ratting on their fellow officers, he remembered telling himself. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Officials settled on what Howell called a science-based program, which draws on the work of Ervin Staub, a professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Staub has studied genocides from the Holocaust which he survived as a child to the 1994 killings in Rwanda. Staub, 79, told the officers assembled at Loyola that his research shows that bystanders are crucial as actions unfold. If they do nothing, that seems to signal to everyone involved that nothing wrong is going on, he said. Superiors are especially important in setting a tone, he said. If they do nothing as bystander officers are branded as snitches for coming forward about injustice, that perpetuates further injustice. Staub said he counsels that no matter how many people are around, no matter who is around, if you see something, you are responsible. Police said Thursday that ordinary cops took the lead in developing the EPIC program. The instructors that teach the EPIC classes are actually regular patrol officers, Officer Rodric Carey said. Its all about me being that individual who is out there every day, seeing exactly what is going on. Most NOPD officers have received the training and are eligible to wear a special pin that identifies their completion of the program. Aronie said one of the keys to the program's success is that it teaches bystander intervention as simply another skill. Officers are not subject to any additional discipline for failing to intervene. Instead, stepping in when a fellow cop gets hot-headed is treated as a mitigating factor in internal investigations. One objection raised by a visiting officer Thursday was heard frequently within the NOPD, according to 8th District Cmdr. Nicholas Gernon. Police often worry that cutting in to defuse a situation will undermine another officers authority. Gernon said the EPIC training suggests starting off with a soft intervention, like tapping another cop on the shoulder or saying, I got this. A lot of the time, the citizen doesnt even realize whats going on. They dont realize theres an intervention, so youre not undermining the authority of another officer, he said. Journalist to speak at Xavier ceremony New York Times investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones will deliver the commencement address at Xavier University's 91st annual graduation ceremony May 12 in the universitys Convocation Center. Hannah-Jones is expected to address about 550 undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional students and their families. She will join Xavier President Reynold Verret in honoring Norman Francis, who will be awarded an honorary degree from his alma mater. He served as its president for 46 years. Hannah-Jones, who has been a staff writer for The New York Times since 2015, is known for her coverage of civil rights, education, fair housing, school segregation and discrimination in the United States. Working for newspapers and magazines in New York, Oregon and North Carolina, she has won 26 awards for journalism, writing and radio reporting. Her article in The New York Times Magazine documenting school segregation won a National Magazine Award last year, and before that, she received a Peabody and a George Polk Award for work on the same topic. She was named journalist of the year in 2015 by the National Association of Black Journalists. In 2017, Hannah-Jones was named one of 24 MacArthur Fellows by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which annually awards grants to exceptionally creative people, often referred to as the genius grants. Hannah-Jones wrote a piece for The New York Times Magazine on Xaviers premed program, A Prescription for More Black Doctors," which appeared in September 2015. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. UNO students sweep robotics competition University of New Orleans student teams swept first, second and third places at an annual robotics competition hosted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The competition took place April 6-8 in Austin, Texas. In all, 30 students from UNO participated. Half were electrical engineering majors and the other half were from computer science, mechanical engineering and fine arts programs. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Five of the six teams competed in the robotics category; one team competed in a separate event focused on professional ethics. The robotics competition required teams to design and construct robots that could repeatedly pick up a metal token, determine its color and deliver it to a specific location based on the color. Scoring was based on how many tokens each teams robot could place correctly within five minutes. Only 11 robots, six of them from UNO, placed at least one token in the correct place. The team named TechnoLogic, made up of Kepal Patel, Nauman Zubair Ariel Paz and Albara Jabr, took first place and shared a $1,300 cash prize. Second place went to the team of Kyle Nichols, Brennan Acosta and Thanh Nguyen. The team of Cheng Yu, Danny Cheung, Jose Berlioz, Rashad Richardson and David Licciardi placed third. Xavier student named Goldwater Scholar Lauren Thornton, a junior biology major at Xavier University, is one of only two college students from Louisiana to be named a 2018 Goldwater Scholar by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. A total of 1,280 students from 455 institutions nationwide were nominated for this years Goldwater scholarship class. Only 211 were selected. The Goldwater Scholarship Program, one of the most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics, seeks to identify and support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming research leaders in these fields. Thornton, a native of Arlington, Texas, is the first Xavier recipient of the scholarship. She will receive $7,500 to cover costs associated with tuition, fees, books, and room and board for her senior year. She plans on pursuing a doctorate in neuroscience or molecular biology after earning her undergraduate degree. Thornton has a 3.98 GPA. She has been extensively involved in a research study of a human neurodegenerative disease called hereditary spastic paraplegia under the mentorship of biology professor Thomas Huckaba. The disease can be caused by mutations in a protein called kinesin, which is responsible for transporting cargoes from one place to another in cells. Thornton has pioneered computational studies to analyze potential structural changes in kinesin. if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi... Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi... No cause of death has been released although police have said it is not suspicious. Avicii, who made $250,000 a night when he toured, had serious medical problems. The Grammy nominees gall bladder and appendix were removed in 2014. He also suffered from acute pancreatitis brought on, in part, by heavy drinking. In 2016, he announced hed no longer tour: I am blessed to be able to travel all around the world and perform, but I have too little left for the life of a real person behind the artist, he said at the time. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he explained his decision to step back from touring. To me it was something I had to do for my health, he said. The scene was not for me. It was not the shows and not the music. It was always the other stuff surrounding it that never came naturally to me. All the other parts of being an artist. Im more of an introverted person in general. It was always very hard for me. I took on board too much negative energy, I think. In an oft-discussed interview with GQ Magazine, Avicii described his alcoholism that led to acute pancreatitis as stemming from being so nervous, and (getting) into a habit (of drinking), because you rely on that encouragement and self-confidence you get from alcohol, and then you get dependent on it. Vanilla Ice, who also appeared on a season of The Surreal Life, wrote, "#RIPVerneTroyer sad to loose a #LEGEND and friend LONG LIVE my little Buddy @VerneTroyer #VerneTroyer." News of the actor's death was shared via his official Instagram on Saturday. The statement read, "It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today. Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday." The actor, who was born with the genetic disorder known as achondroplasia dwarfism, had openly battled depression and alcoholism. The statement also alluded to a possible suicide: "Verne was also a fighter when it came to his own battles. Over the years he's struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much." On April 17, 2017, Troyer wrote about his addiction problem on Instagram: "I've battled alcohol addiction in the past and while it's not always been an easy fight, I'm willing to continue my fight day by day." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin M. Nur Djuli (The Jakarta Post) Banda Aceh Mon, April 23, 2018 11:27 1260 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e00a455 3 Opinion aceh,jakarta,history,Jokowi,Jokowi-administration Free I was three months shy of turning 8 years old on Aug. 17, 1948, the countrys third Independence Day, and preparing to go to Bireuen in Aceh, the city of struggle so named because it had been the center of the revolution for independence from Dutch and Japanese colonization. My father called me to proudly show a stack of papers, surat obligasi (state bond certificates). He asked me to read each word and beamed with pride as I could read very fast, he himself being almost illiterate with only a second-grade formal education that had been forced by the Dutch. The Acehnese considered going to Dutch infidel schools as haram. My father kept buying such certificates even after the two DC 3 planes Sukarno had asked the Acehnese to finance in order to establish national flag carrier Garuda Indonesian had been bought, not only with the money from those certificates, but also from jewelry given by Acehnese women. My father continued to buy them like many other prominent Acehnese in those days, as a symbol of his love for the Republic, until one day in the early 1950s, when the post office that sold them said the papers were worthless. I dont know what exactly triggered the recent excitement over these obligasipapers, except for President Joko Jokowi Widodos encounter with one living donator. My grandfather sold 50 cows to buy these certificates, a man told a local newspaper. The 90-year-old was dragged to Jakarta for a televised interview, flying for the first time in his life on a Garuda flight that in theory he partly owns. And as usual in Aceh, there are heated coffee shop debates on the issue. One man said: If I were Jokowi, I will buy back all those certificates and tell the Acehnese to shut up, to which another responded, Indonesia will go bankrupt if it had to pay back all its debts to Aceh. Another one countered: Dont be stupid, Jakarta will pay with our own money, as usual, explaining how the central government continued to rob Aceh of its natural resources. Several Acehnese politicians have also taken up the issue. This sudden controversy over the bond certificates seems a mere symptom of continuing deep-rooted bad feelings against the central government. The situation in Aceh today could probably be described as a mini Charles Dickens setting: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Big and modern malls are opening in several cities, their well-paved roads clogging up with new cars and new cafes opening up every week all over the place. Indeed, the image of being rich is such that even the police at the border with North Sumatra regularly stop cars bearing BL plates (Aceh registration number) to extort bribes with made-up offences, so blatantly that even the Aceh provincial police chief once aired his protest to his counterpart in Medan. Yet Aceh remains among Indonesias poorest provinces, second-lowest in educational achievement, and unemployment is much higher than the national average. There is a general feeling of helplessness, of frustration and humiliation for being treated condescendingly. The economy is almost totally dependent on government spending. Even eggs are still imported from its traditional rival province of North Sumatra. Regulations are introduced to strengthen the stranglehold over Aceh, which is officially a special status province. Seven decades after independence, the Acehnese still have to suffer power blackouts almost daily, while the electricity the province produces is prioritized to supply neighboring Medan, an industrialized city compared to agricultural Aceh. It is the anger at having to wake up at 3 a.m. daily to turn on their water pump machines to get clean water from the state water supply system or drink unclean water from wells. It is the humiliation of having to put up with questions from the police and military intelligence for hosting cultural and educational conferences with foreign delegations, despite them having proper visas. Aceh is still considered a conflict area on par with Papua, almost 13 years after signing the peace accord and being touted as one of the worlds most successful post-conflict peace management models. Aceh is still boiling under the surface of peace and tranquility, like the proverbial api dalam sekam (fire in husks), just waiting to suddenly explode out of control. The signs are everywhere: ex-combatants are rebelling openly against former commanders who are getting super rich while former soldiers linger on in abject poverty; ordinary people are seeing electoral campaign pledges as merely cat langet (painting the sky); job seekers are told openly to provide letters of rekomendasi from well-known officials, or not bother applying at all. To top the insult, Garuda Indonesias inflight magazine explained a few years ago the name of its first planes, Selawah 01 and Selawah 02, as to mean gold mountain, without even mentioning where that mountain is supposed to be, let alone the true story behind the name. Actually, Seulawah Agam and Seulawah Inong (male and female Seulawah) are the iconic twin volcanic peaks towering over the capital, Banda Aceh. The male volcano is still active, with its conic peak being sung as touching the sky in Acehnese folklore, and the female as having children, the cascading hills on its side formed by lava after erupting hundreds of years ago. Under the hills, things are far from peaceful as long as several issues including Acehs autonomy and the lack of it, along with persistent inequality remain unaddressed. *** The writer is a former member of the negotiating team for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), an independent international consultant on conflict resolution and post-conflict peace management, and co-founder and board member of the Helsinki MoU Watch. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sri Mulyani Indrawati (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 09:18 1260 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e006bcd 3 Opinion gender-gap,gender-equality,kartini,Kartini-day,#GenderEquality,poverty,poverty-alleviation Free For many Indonesian women, Raden Ajeng Kartini is a figure they associate themselves with. A pioneer who fought for womens rights and girls education in the late 1800s, she has become a national heroine whose ideals and body of work are celebrated to this day. To continue her fight, every year on Kartinis birthday on April 21, Indonesians myself included reflect on progress toward gender parity. Granted, there has been positive progress on the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Across the world, women are making positive gains every day. We are seeing an unprecedented global movement of advocacy, activism and support. Civil society organizations, international institutions, private companies, governments and individuals across the world are increasingly cognizant about the plight of women worldwide. But the gender gap remains, and we all know too well that gender parity will not happen overnight. The World Economic Forums 2017 Global Gender Gap Report found that gender parity is still more than 200 years away. This is all the more reason that we need to keep pressing for progress, making use of the strong global momentum and evidence to support the importance of achieving gender parity. The United Nations Womens latest report reveals that we need to do more to empower the women that are left behind. Across the world, women are more likely to live in extreme poverty than men. This gender gap in poverty those living on less than US$1.90 a day is as high as 22 percent during womens peak reproductive years, due to difficulties of reconciling work outside and inside the house. More than 50 percent of urban women and girls in developing countries live with a lack of access to clean water as well as proper sanitation facilities, durable housing and sufficient living space. In almost every measure of development, rural women fare worse than rural men or urban women. They are disproportionately affected by poverty and have unequal access to land and natural resources, infrastructure and services, plus decent work and social protection. Indonesia has the opportunity to address this by using Dana Desa (village fund transfers) not only to develop basic infrastructure, such as clean water and sanitation facilities, but to improve the livelihoods of rural communities, especially women. Gender parity is an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is important because half of the worlds population is female and therefore has the right to be equally represented. However, this also indicates that half of the worlds potential is not being utilized properly to achieve an optimum state of prosperity and welfare. Womens labor force participation is still low in many countries, including Indonesia. Empowering women is a must if we want to reach our full potential. This means giving women the ability to fully and genuinely participate economically, socially and politically, without being discriminated on the basis of their gender. As an Indonesian, it is quite encouraging to see that, for the 2014 election, there was a prerequisite of 30 percent women representation on the list of parliamentary candidates. However, the share of women who actually won parliamentary seats was only 17.1 percent in the last election. The lack of women representation in parliament could result in policy products that are not gender-sensitive. This means that most policies are still gender neutral, and in reality, they may actually preserve existing gender inequalities, which results in a differential impact on men and women. In other words, gender-neutral policies do not necessarily promote gender parity, and in most cases, women are still put in a disadvantage. We need to achieve gender parity. To that end, gender sensitivity needs to be implemented early in policy deliberations. The data and facts presented need to be comprehensive, so that the needs of men and women can be mapped. Indonesia is a nation of diversity with hundreds of ethnic groups and cultures, where the majority are patriarchal societies. This patriarchal structure places men at the top of the community ladder, which means they have more rights and benefits than women. This structure creates an additional obstacle on the way for women to enjoy equal opportunity. Indonesia needs to continue to adopt gender-sensitive policies starting from the early childhood phase and lasting through schooling and the workplace. Indonesia has huge potential for women to play an important role on all fronts. Studies show that girls and women perform well at school and work. To reap the benefits of this potential, Indonesia needs to continue pushing forward for gender parity and eliminate obstacles for girls and women to play their role in society. At the Finance Ministry, we continue to strengthen gender-based budgeting. Many government programs from health and education to social protection and infrastructure directly and indirectly benefit girls and women. Around 20 percent of this years budget has been allocated for education and another 5 percent for health. The government, under the leadership of President Joko Jokowi Widodo, has introduced policies to further the cause toward gender parity. We will further promote policies to improve equal opportunities for girls and women. At the same time, society as a whole needs to push for and advocate gender parity. All of us, men and women, need to empower each other in creating equal opportunities. We owe this to Raden Ajeng Kartini. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Deandra Madeena Moerdaning (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 18:07 1259 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e022158 3 Opinion security,Security-Council,United-Nations,chemical-weapon,Syria,Indonesia,#Indonesia Free The first thing that comes to mind when we think of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) are probably the destructive effects of nuclear explosions. In terms of impact, nuclear warfare is the most catastrophic and the most sophisticated weapon ever created by humankind. However chemical warfare is the most utilised type of WMDs in the 20th century. Since the Great War or World War I, until the most recent Syrian Civil War, chemical warfare, famously dubbed the poor man's atomic weapon', has been taking the world by storm and poses an enormous challenge to international security. Chemical weapons have been utilized in warfare throughout history. The first large-scale uses of chemical agents were during World War I, when the Germans released chlorine and phosgene gases on the battlefield. Soon after, all other parties began to develop their own arsenals and competed closely to bring even more lethal chemical agents onto the World War II battlefields. Inevitably, during the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet possessed extensive stockpiles of chemical weapons. Another significant employment of chemical weapons was during the Iraq-Iran war in the 1980s. With the help of its Western suppliers, Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons against Iranian combatants and non-combatants, inflicting enormous human costs. Years after, also probably the turning point of chemical warfare, the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult perpetrated sarin nerve agent attacks in 1994 and 1995 in Matsumoto and Tokyo respectively. Before these incidents, chemical weapons were traditionally used by one state against another during wartime. The international community began to imagine the worst-case scenario chemical weapons falling into the hands of non-state actors such as terrorist groups. Chemical weapons again grabbed international attention since the extensive use of sarin during Syrian Civil War in August 2013 in the suburbs of the Ghouta region. The Ghouta chemical attack is considered the worst chemical incident in modern history since the Iran-Iraq war. Until now, both the Syrian government under President Bashar al-Assad and opposition forces denied responsibility for any chemical activities during the civil war. Consequently, the United Nations and Western countries have been paying close attention to chemical activities in Syria. Arms control efforts have been taken to halt chemical weapons proliferation. The most significant arms control treaty regarding chemical warfare is probably the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) that entered into force in 1997. The treaty prohibits the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, and retention, transfer or use of chemical weapons by States Parties. To date, the treaty has 192 states-parties, including Indonesia. To ensure compliance of states-parties, the CWC mandated the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to monitor and inspect chemical facilities and activities. The OPCW is aimed at achieving total elimination of chemical agents under states-parties' jurisdiction and control. Given the timeline of chemical warfare, in comparison with nuclear weapons, chemical weapons activities require an extensive investigation by the OPCW fact-finding mission to determine the perpetrator of chemical attacks in Syria. We have also learned that chemical weapons are in fact much less expensive and are relatively easier to manufacture compared to nuclear bombs. The Japanese cult incidents and Islamic State chemical activities, which include chlorine and sulphur mustard agents in Syria, have intensified our fear as they have manifested the reality of chemical terrorism. Indonesia's stance towards chemical weapons is no different from its commitment to nuclear disarmament. Indonesia has never attempted to obtain chemical weapons and is one of the most active opponents of WMDs proliferation. Indonesia is known to possess non-persistent choking agents such as riot-control agents, which is permitted by the CWC. Jakarta ratified the CWC in 1998, and since then it has maintained a strong relationship with the OPCW. As a form of Jakarta's support for the OPCW, Indonesia hosted a three-day meeting last year in Bali, to push forward universalization of the convention of nuclear weapons. The regional forum was intended for the CWC signatories in the Asia Pacific. Indonesia also has law No. 9 of 2008 on the use of chemical materials and ban on chemical weapons. Additionally, Jakarta formed a special unit in the Indonesian Military to handle threats related to WMDs as well as established the National Chemical Weapons Authority through President Regulation no. 19/2017. As for chemical activities in Syria, Indonesia strongly condemns the use of chemical agents against civilians. However, unlike its Western counterparts, Jakarta has never officially accused the Syrian regime of using chemical weapons. Indonesia, however, supported the investigation and called for the UN involvement to solve the matters. Given its accessibility, chemical weapons are prone to fall into the hands of non-state actors. Like any country Indonesia has to protect itself from chemical weapons use. Jakarta might not have a stockpile of chemical weapons, but it is of vital importance that the government prepare itself for the worst possible scenario of chemical terrorism. *** The writer earned her masters degree from Kings College Londons War Studies Department. She recently presented her paper on an Indonesian perspective on proliferation at the 2017 International Student/Young Pugwash Conference in Astana, Kazakhstan. Her research interests include Indonesian leadership in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament as well as Hezbollahs military strategy and tactics in the 1985-2000 wars against Israel. --------------- We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to academia@jakpost.com. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin - (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia Tue, April 24, 2018 The foreign delegates who will arrive in October to participate in the 2018 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bali will be provided with a free-visa facility, the government has announced. The same facility will also apply to foreign journalists and representatives of civil society organizations from abroad. The free visas will be given upon the delegates arrival at the immigration counters at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali, and at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten. The special visa facility for IMF-World Bank delegates will include a 30-day stay in the country, the directorate general of immigration announced on Apr. 18. The immigration directorate general has been tasked specifically with easing entry for the 18,000 foreign delegates and participants who will attend the upcoming IMF-World Bank meetings on Oct. 12-14. Toward this end, the directorate general has also readied hundreds of additional immigration officers, adding 500 officers at Soekarno-Hatta airport and 200 officers at Ngurah Rai. Aside from attending the annual event, the IMF-World Bank delegates will also visit nearby tourist attractions, including in surrounding cities, as their activities will not be limited to Bali and Jakarta. To maintain the security and comfort of the delegates, the directorate general is cooperating with police in Bali and elsewhere, and emergency procedures have also been prepared. Special immigration counters will be set up at the airports to manage the delegates arrival and departure. Heads of states who will be arriving on private aircraft will be provided separate services in accordance with established protocols. Sitara Wafadar yearns for long hair like other girls. Instead, the Afghan teenager has disguised herself as a boy for more than a decade, forced by her parents to be the "son" they never had. With five sisters and no brothers, Sitara lives by the gender-twisting custom known as "bacha poshi", which in Dari refers to a girl "dressed as a boy", enabling her to safely perform the duties of a son in the patriarchal country. The 18-year-old, who resides with her impoverished family in a mud-brick house in a village in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, has pretended to be a boy for most of her life. Every morning she puts on the baggy shirt and trousers and flip flops typically worn by Afghan males. Sometimes she covers her short brown hair with a scarf and deepens her voice to conceal her real gender. "I never think that I am a girl," Sitara tells AFP at the brick factory where she and her elderly father work six days a week as bonded labourers to repay money they borrowed from the owner and feed the family. "My father always says 'Sitara is like my eldest son'. Sometimes... I attend funerals as his eldest son" -- something she would never be allowed to do as a girl. Bacha poshi has a long history in deeply conservative Afghanistan, where boys are valued more highly than girls and women are often confined to the home. Normally it is families with no male heirs who make a daughter dress as a boy so she can carry out the duties of a son without getting harassed, or worse. But some girls choose to pose as boys so they can enjoy the freedom their male counterparts take for granted in a country that treats women as second-class citizens. While most bacha posh, as they are known, stop dressing as a boy after reaching puberty, Sitara says she keeps wearing male clothing "to protect myself" at the brick kiln. "When I go to work most people do not realise that I am a girl," Sitara says. "If they realised that an 18-year-old girl was working morning to evening in a brick factory then I would encounter many problems. I could even be kidnapped." Read also: Video of Jokowis visit to Afghanistan goes viral This photograph taken on March 11, 2018 shows Afghan female labourer Sitara Wafadar, 18, who dresses as a male in order to support her family, working at a brick factory next to her elderly father (L) in Sultanpur village in Surkh Rod district, in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province. (AFP/Noorullah Shirzada) No choice Sitara started working at the factory when she was eight, following in the footsteps of her four older sisters, who also made bricks instead of going to school -- until they married, after which they stayed home. She makes 500 bricks a day in return for 160 Afghanis (just over $2). From 7:00 am to 5:00 pm she crouches on the ground preparing mud and clay and then pushing it into brick moulds under the hot sun that has turned her skin brown. "I don't feel ashamed about what I am doing but people my age tell me 'you have reached puberty and now you don't have to work at a brick factory'," Sitara says. "But what should I do? I don't have any other choice." Sitara's father, Noor, says "almighty Allah" did not give him a son, leaving him with no choice but to force his daughter to dress as a boy and work. The family says they owe 25,000 Afghanis to the factory owner and relatives that they borrowed to cover the medical expenses of Sitara's diabetic mother. "If I had a son I would not have faced all these problems and my daughter's life would be peaceful and prosperous," Noor tells AFP. "All the responsibility is on my and Sitara's shoulders -- we have to provide for the family and pay back the loans." Read also: Afghan mum cradling baby during university exam goes viral 'I wish I had a brother' Bacha poshi tends to be followed in "particularly conservative areas" of Afghanistan, Kabul University sociology professor Baryalai Fetrat tells AFP. But after years of dressing as a boy, the girls can be left feeling confused about their gender identity and status in the male-dominated society. "Girls find it difficult to go back to their normal self or act as a submissive wife to their husbands, which can lead to depression and also domestic violence," Fetrat says. Sitara's mother, Fatima, wishes Sitara could wear female clothes and stay at home, but she needs her to "bring groceries, take me to the doctor and do other work because my husband is old". While Sitara recognises that her situation is "unfair and unjust", she is resigned to it, mainly because her younger sister, who is 13, would "face the same fate as me" if she stopped. "I will do the hard work because I don't want my younger sister dressing as a boy and working at the factory," Sitara says. "If I don't work we will face a lot of hardship and problems." But even after so many years acting as a boy, Sitara still finds herself imagining what it would be like if she had a brother and could be free to have long hair and go to school. "When I put on boy's clothes I wish I had a brother, then my dreams would have been fulfilled," she says. Kate, the wife of Prince William, was admitted to hospital on Monday to give birth to the couple's third child and the latest member of Britain's royal family. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as the couple are officially known, drove from their home Kensington Palace in central London to St Mary's Hospital in west London where their other two children, George and Charlotte, were also born. "The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St. Marys Hospital, Paddington, London, earlier this morning in the early stages of labour," Kensington Palace said in a statement. The new royal will be fifth-in-line to the British throne behind siblings Prince George, 4, and his two-year-old sister Princess Charlotte, William, and grandfather and heir Prince Charles. William's younger brother Harry, who marries U.S. actress Meghan Markle next month, will fall to sixth on the list. As with her two previous pregnancies, Kate, 36, suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of morning sickness which can cause severe nausea and vomiting and require supplementary hydration and nutrients. Kate's last engagement ahead of the birth was on March 22 when she and William attended a number of events in London to celebrate the Commonwealth ahead of a meeting of its leaders last week. Read also: Britain's Kate facing BAFTA black dress 'dilemma' Mary, Alice, and Victoria are among the favourite names with bookmakers if the baby is a girl with Albert, Arthur, and Fred, the favourites for a boy. Having had homes in north Wales and Norfolk in eastern England, William and Kate now live at Kensington Palace to allow the prince to dedicate more time to royal duties on behalf of his grandmother. The British royals are rarely out of the media glare, but the baby arrives at a time when the Windsors have particularly been in the limelight. On Saturday, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 92nd birthday attending a televised concert, having played a prominent role at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London where it was announced Charles would succeed her as head of the network of mainly former British colonies. The impending birth will also give Kate's family another cause for celebration after it was reported by British media on Sunday that her sister Pippa was pregnant with her first child. Prince William and his wife Kate's baby will be fifth in line to inherit the British throne, behind big brother Prince George and sister Princess Charlotte. When the baby is born, everyone below will be moved down a place, including William's brother Prince Harry who will drop from fifth to sixth position. The immediate line of succession to the throne includes Queen Elizabeth II's four children and their descendants: 1. PRINCE CHARLES, PRINCE OF WALES -- Born 1948, eldest son of Queen Elizabeth 2. PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE -- Born 1982, Charles's eldest son 3. PRINCE GEORGE OF CAMBRIDGE -- Born 2013, William's son 4. PRINCESS CHARLOTTE OF CAMBRIDGE -- Born 2015, William's daughter 5. BABY PRINCE OR PRINCESS OF CAMBRIDGE -- Expected imminently, William's son or daughter 6. PRINCE HENRY OF WALES (PRINCE HARRY) -- Born 1984, Charles' second son 7. PRINCE ANDREW, DUKE OF YORK -- Born 1960, Queen Elizabeth's second son 8. PRINCESS BEATRICE OF YORK -- Born 1988, Andrew's eldest daughter 9. PRINCESS EUGENIE OF YORK -- Born 1990, Andrew's second daughter Read also: Markle to transform British monarchy: Biographer 10. PRINCE EDWARD, EARL OF WESSEX -- Born 1964, Queen Elizabeth's third son 11. JAMES, VISCOUNT SEVERN -- Born 2007, Edward's son 12. LADY LOUISE WINDSOR -- Born 2003, Edward's daughter 13. PRINCESS ANNE, PRINCESS ROYAL -- Born 1950, Queen Elizabeth's daughter 14. PETER PHILLIPS -- Born 1977, Anne's son 15. SAVANNAH PHILLIPS -- Born 2010, Phillips' eldest daughter 16. ISLA PHILLIPS -- Born 2012, Phillips' second daughter 17. ZARA TINDALL -- Born 1981, Anne's daughter 18. MIA TINDALL -- Born 2014, Tindall's daughter Queen Elizabeth's descendants are followed by those of her late sister princess Margaret, her only sibling. The offspring of their father king George VI's siblings then follow. There are more than 60 living people descended from his father king George V, who died in 1936. Only people descended from Sophia of Hanover can inherit the throne, according to the 1701 Act of Settlement. The monarchy's website goes down as far as Zara Tindall, though some counts list more than 5,700 living descendants of Sophia, including Roman Catholics, who cannot inherit. The highest excluded person is 26-year-old Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick, a first cousin twice removed of the queen, who converted to Catholicism. He would otherwise be 37th in line after the new baby is born. In changes to the succession laws which came into effect in 2015, males born after October 28, 2011, no longer take precedence over their older sisters. Also people married to Catholics are no longer excluded, with Downpatrick's father George Windsor, the Earl of St Andrews, the highest person restored to the line. The line is a vast tangle of nobility and ordinary, untitled descendants from all corners of Europe. Several other European monarchs feature. Besides Britain, it is also the line of succession to the thrones of 15 other Commonwealth realms. Pastor Jacky Manuputty smiled at a note that read, Belajar yang rajin. Jangan kecewakan pasien (Study hard. Do not disappoint the patients) posted by Ronald Regang on the wall of his room at a rented house. At the time of Jackys visit, Ronald was a nursing student at the Health Science College (STIKES) in Ambon, Maluku. The pastor never imagined that Ronald, who was one of hundreds of child soldiers during the bloody conflict between Muslim and Christian communities in Ambon in 1999, would study there. They [child soldiers] were ready to kill or to be killed, Jacky said. Jacky recalled that Ronald, who is a Christian, was not just part of the troops. Ronald was a commander skilled in operating Soviet AK-47 and American M16 assault rifles. Jacky remembered asking Ronald why he had decided to change his life. [Ronald said to me]: Father, in the past, I killed many [Muslim] people and at that time, I could not save many lives. Today, through nursing education, I want to help many people, Jacky recalled. At the National Library of Indonesia in Jakarta, Jacky recently spoke during the launch of the book Keluar dari Ekstremisme (Get Out of Extremism), to which he contributed an article about his experience in deradicalizing Ronald. By assisting Ronald, I also transformed myself. I am involved in peacemaking because I want to [atone for my past sins]. During the [Ambon] conflict, my contribution was radicalizing people like Ronald, he said. Provoked by pastors like Jacky, the Christian community, including child soldiers, treated the conflict like a holy war. Although I never held a gun, I advised them, prayed for them and boosted their spirit, he confessed. Read also: Academic community to pledge war on radical ideologies Written and published by the Wakaf Paramadina Foundations Center for the Study of Religion and Democracy (PUSAD), the book features eight real-life stories about the transformation of extremists and terrorists into peacemakers. Keluar dari Ekstremisme was written as an alternative to books and research publications that focus only on radicalization, and examines why people choose the path of violence and how worshippers turn into extremists. Before Jacky came into Ronalds life, he hated Muslims after the ethno-political Ambon conflict ended in 2002. For Ronald, who is now 28, it was hard to move on from the horrific violence he saw and endured. He saw dead bodies on the streets, his Christians friends killed and his house attacked by Muslims. He himself confessed that he had lost count of the number of Muslims he slaughtered. When Jacky first approached Ronald to urge the latter to join the deradicalization program at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta in 2004, Ronald was suspicious of the pastor. He thought that I was a spy who wanted to arrest him because he once burned down a Muslim school, Jacky said. But Ronald decided to join the program. At UGM, he not only met psychologists, but also Muslim children who were victims of conflicts in Aceh and Poso in South Sulawesi. Their interaction began to change his mindset. In 2006, Ronald and children from across Southeast Asia participated in a youth interfaith dialogue in the Philippines, during which they shared their experiences being part of violent sectarian conflicts. In the Philippines, he met child soldiers from Mindanao, Jacky said. The interfaith event proved to be effective. One day, as Ronald and Jacky were having dinner, Ronald burst into tears and confessed that the way he had been feeling about Islam was wrong. During the conflict, combatants were considered heroes, but after it ended, they were isolated by society, Jacky said. Ronald then decided to join Young Ambassadors for Peace (YAP), an inter-religious and intertribal youth community for peace in Ambon. He used his house as a gathering place where former Muslim and Christian child soldiers wrote poems, painted and sang together, not only to understand each other, but also to build mutual trust and confidence. Ronald, who likes to dance, also teaches street dance to children in Galunggung, a Muslim area in Ambon. Ronalds transformation [from combatant to pacifist] happened at the community [level], Jacky said. He was therefore shocked to hear that in 2011, Ronald was jailed for six months. He was imprisoned, not because he was fighting against Muslims, but because he defended a Muslim. Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) director Sidney Jones, who spoke during the launch of Keluar dari Ekstremisme, praised the book, saying that it might be the first effort to connect separatism, terrorism and conflict. The eight stories are also intimate and inspiring, she added. I have to admit that I am actually deeply skeptical about interfaith dialogues because they are usually NATO; No Action Talk Only. But, Jacky is exceptional, she said. Jones said that the book was not just about eight people who managed to get out of extremism, but it was also about how they could live in harmony with their former enemies. She encouraged the government and nongovernment organizations, including mosques and church caretakers, to use the book as a teaching tool. The challenge is to scale up these stories to transform other bigger groups, she said. The missed chances of history. Long before the First Fleet arrived from Great Britain to colonize Australia in 1788, Makassans already knew of the Great South Land. They regularly sailed to its northern shores, staying for about six months collecting and drying the edible trepan sea slug for export. Then they left for their homeland sometimes taking Aboriginal wives. Had they explored further and settled, Terra Australis might now be part of Indonesia Raya (Great Indonesia). Instead we have two widely differing cultures and value systems squashed so closely they are interdependent yet wishing otherwise not the basis for a good marriage. Melbourne University professor Tim Lindsey is co-editor with Dave McRae from the same campus of Strangers Next Door? Lindsey is a rarity a scholar who keyboards with journalistic directness. His favorite tag is The Odd Couple of Southeast Asia. Though a bit dated for Netflixers (the Neil Simon play and film go back half a century) its handy shorthand. Former editor-in-chief of The Jakarta Post Endy Bayuni, one of six Indonesian contributors, is a mite more expansive: The two nations relationship has been defined more by what separates them than by what unites them, especially in recent years. Realities underpin his gloom; Australias support for the 1999 East Timor referendum, which saw the tiny province get independence aroused widespread wrath that lingers still. Australians see their involvement as a human-rights triumph, Indonesians as a sinister plot to fracture the Unitary State. If only that was the sole irritant. The fatuous phone-taps on Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the one president who genuinely liked Australia, havent been forgotten. Nor has the gross misstep by former prime minister Tony Abbott linking the 2004 Aceh tsunami aid to failed pleas to save two reformed Australian drug runners from execution. Central to so many clashes is the clumsiness of Australian leaders and their inability or wilful refusal to see things from another perspective. And when they try they become sycophants. On the other side Indonesian politicians can be over eager to play the racism and colonialism cards, telling electors they are victims, their problems made by outsiders. Michael Bachelard spent three challenging years in the archipelago reporting for Fairfax Press. He was told by a President Joko Jokowi Widodo adviser that Australian journalists were too aggressive, too blunt in our language, too critical and prone to sensationalism. This image, unfair to the now foreign editor for The Age who had grown to love Indonesia and its people kept him out of the Palace while colleagues from the United States, the United Kingdom and the Middle East got access to the President. Why should the third-largest democracy (after the US and India) have such hang-ups about a neighbor that supported Indonesias independence from Dutch colonialism and until recently was a major aid donor? There are plenty of historical explanations: Founding president Sukarnos dabbling with Russia when the advance of communism was terrifying the West, led to failed regime-change attempts by the United States, and Indonesias ill-fated Konfrontasi challenge to independent Malaysia defended by Commonwealth troops. More up-to-date is Lindseys Bad News list of Australians getting in trouble on Bali and how this affects bilateral relations. It could all be grim but the question mark in the title suggests hope. Professor David Hills Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies shows what can be done by a determined individual and a handful of true believers. University cooperation between Flinders (in South Australia) and Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta is another example of doers elbowing naysayers aside. The final chapter highlights the benefits of youth programs. All worthy, but only eight considered and so small theyre dust flecks on the mountain of need. Although the Indonesian population is skewed to the young (40 percent is under 25) the power brokers are still last centurys oligarchs. They also control the media. Threatening the relationship is the future of Papua. Melbourne academic Richard Chauvel writes that while Australia has the most interest in a peaceful resolution policy has been immobilized by Indonesian paranoia about Australias intentions. The independence activists working out of Australia are not supported by the government; Indonesians with limited understanding of democracy cant fathom why the peaceful stirrers arent arrested. The issue of transiting asylum seekers stranded in Indonesia remains unresolved. Monash academic Antje Missbachs contribution sounds alerts. This book has been published in the UK by a legal-book publishing company. The cover price of 90 (US$126, Rp 1.7 million) guarantees it wont reach those who would benefit most. The fact that top academics like Lindsey and McRae couldnt excite a local publisher proves the point made by many contributors Australians are indifferent to the people next door and only see them as a market for wheat and beef. Nasty but a reality bounce when the ASEAN conference in Sydney generated so much banquet-talk about warming ties. Though desperately needed these wont come without robust but respectful exchanges. Relationships just bob around, almost directionless. The ocean is currently calm. Thats temporary. More understanding, port and starboard, is needed to weather the inevitable storms. This book provides some ballast. ________________________________________________ Strangers Next Door? Edited by Tim Lindsey and Dave McRae Hart Publishing, Oxford, UK, 2018 548 pages Prince William and his wife Kate may present themselves as modern parents but their third child will still be a senior royal as the fifth in line to the throne, and certain traditions must be respected. - Once, the home secretary, Britain's interior minister, would have been expected to witness births of potential heirs. Fortunately for Kate this tradition ended with the birth of the queen's cousin, Princess Alexandra, in 1936. - William was on hand for the first and second babies, and is making no exception for the third. Queen Victoria's husband prince Albert; their son, the future king Edward VII, and William's father Prince Charles all witnessed their wives giving birth. - Queen Elizabeth II, senior royals and Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, are expected to be the first to be informed of the birth. - It will be made public in a tweet from Kensington Palace, Kate and William's official residence in London, and in the traditional way, with a proclamation signed by royal doctors displayed on an ornate easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. - Cannon will be fired across London in celebration and the Union Flag will be flown from government buildings across Britain. The traditional 21-round gun salute has 20 more rounds if fired from a royal park or palace, and a further 21 from the Tower of London because of its location in the City of London. Read also: Kate, wife of UK's Prince William, taken to hospital to give birth to third child - All births in England and Wales, regardless of parentage, must be registered within 42 days at the hospital or a local register office. - Home Secretary Amber Rudd will notify the Lord Mayor of London, while the queen's private secretary informs her governor-generals, her representatives in the 15 other Commonwealth realms where she is head of state. - The baby's name may not be revealed right away: William's name was not announced for a week, while the world had to wait one month after his father Charles was born. George and Charlotte were named two days after their birth. - The new baby will be a prince or princess of Cambridge and enjoy the prefix title of his or her royal highness (HRH). - Lacy christening gown - - The prince or princess will be christened as a member of the Church of England, wearing a replica of the intricate lace and satin gown made for queen Victoria's eldest daughter in 1841. Sixty-two royal babies wore the original. - Charlotte was the seventh baby to wear the new robe, which like the original has a long skirt and elaborate collars and bow. - George was baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace, with water from the River Jordan poured into the traditional silver Lily Font. Charlotte was christened in the same way at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham, her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth's country estate in Norfolk, eastern England. - Royal babies usually have around six godparents, people who agree to support the child, particularly in their faith. George has seven, while Charlotte has five. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 09:38 1260 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e007928 2 City road-closure,Sarinah,filmmaking,counterterrorism,National-Police Free Following complaints from road users over unusual traffic congestion in Jl.Sudirman-Jl.M.H.Thamrin area during weekend, National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto has issued an apology. The police have spearheaded the production of a counterterrorism film, 22 Minutes, which is reportedly inspired by the Thamrin attack two years ago. The production team has been shooting scenes involving critical explosions and a shoot-out at the intersection in front of Sarinah department store, prompting the closure of Jl.M.H.Thamrin during Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. We wanted to show the real conditions of the scene [during the actual attack]. On behalf of the movie producer, I want to apologize [for the traffic jam], Setyo said on Sunday. He confirmed that the movie, which is directed by Eugene Panji and Myrna Paramita, is part of the polices counterterrorism campaign. The movie features actor Ario Bayu and is being financed by the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program of a company, Setyo said, without revealing its name. (Read also: Sarinah intersection closed for film shoot) On Jan. 14, 2016, Jakarta was rocked by multiple explosions, including one at a police post, and a subsequent gunfight in front of Sarinah between police and multiple assailants. At least eight people, including four terrorists, were killed. Twenty-six others, including police officers, were injured. National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, who led the Jakarta Police at the time, was lauded for the forces swift actions. (wit) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ryan McMorrow/Poornima Weerasekara (Agence France-Presse) Beijing, China Mon, April 23, 2018 19:39 1259 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e026708 2 World #China,#NorthKorea,#tourism,#accident Free A bus crash in North Korea has killed 32 Chinese tourists and four North Koreans, the foreign ministry in Beijing said on Monday. Two other Chinese nationals were injured in Sunday's accident south of the capital Pyongyang, ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing. Lu said China was investigating the cause of the accident and had deployed a team, including medical experts, to North Korea "to assist with the emergency rescue and treatment operations". The ministry provided few details but China's state broadcaster CGTN earlier tweeted that a tour bus fell from a bridge in North Korea. The tweet was later deleted. The state broadcaster showed images of a large overturned vehicle, with light rain falling on rescue vehicles at night and doctors attending to a patient. China was informed about the accident on Sunday night and its embassy personnel in Pyongyang rushed to the scene, the foreign ministry said in a statement earlier. The vast majority of foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese, with the Cold War-era allies sharing a long land border and operating flights between the two countries. Western visitors to the North once averaged around 5,000 a year, but numbers have been hit recently by a US travel ban - Americans accounted for around 20 percent of the market - and official warnings from other countries. Tens of thousands of Chinese tourists are believed to visit the North every year, with many crossing via train through the Chinese border city of Dandong. For some, North Korea provides a window into what Communist China may have looked like decades ago. Chinese tourism to the North has continued even though Beijing has enforced a slew of United Nations sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program. The accident occurred in North Hwanghae province, the foreign ministry said. The province lies south of the capital Pyongyang and stretches to the border with the South, including the city of Kaesong, an ancient Korean capital with historical sites. More recently, the area hosted a manufacturing complex operated with South Korea. The tour group was travelling by bus from Kaesong to Pyongyang when the accident happened, according to the independent Seoul-based website NK News, which cited an unnamed source. North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac. Vehicles are sometimes forced to ford rivers or take detours when bridges are unpassable. But the route from Pyongyang to Kaesong, where the accident reportedly happened, is one of the best in the country. It runs north-south from the Chinese border to the Demilitarized Zone on the border with South Korea but has little traffic, like all North Korean highways. Tank traps have been installed along the road in many locations - sets of high concrete columns on either side of the road that can easily be blown up to create an obstruction for invading armored vehicles. China's foreign ministry said is "sparing no efforts" to handle the situation. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 18:55 1259 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e023484 4 Business tax-holiday,regulation Free The Indonesian government has issued a revision of the tax holiday regulation to simplify the process for granting the fiscal incentive, Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head Thomas Lembong said in Jakarta on Monday. The new tax holiday scheme is stipulated in Finance Ministerial Regulation No. 35/2018 on corporate income tax cut or tax holidays. With the new regulation, the government has cut the steps for applying for a tax holiday from nine steps to only two steps. Thomas said investors could begin submitting their tax holiday applications to the BKPM office. He added, however, that the Finance Ministry would decide the number of years a tax holiday would be granted for. The new regulation also gives stronger legal certainty [for investors], Thomas said after attending a coordination meeting at the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister, as reported by kontan.co.id. Under the new regulation, investors will receive a 100 percent income tax cut from the government, a change from the previous regulation in which tax cuts ranged from 10 percent, 70 percent to 100 percent. The investment threshold for investors to apply for a tax holiday is Rp 500 billion (US$35.98 million). Previously, Robert Pakpahan, the Finance Ministrys director general of taxation, said the new regulation included a transitional period of two years during which investors would only receive a 50-percent income tax cut. After that period, they will get a 100-percent income tax cut, he added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23 2018 Barunawati Vocational School in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, has reported travel agency PT Wisata Mandiri Travel to the police for alleged fraud. Barunawatis headmaster Zainuddin accused the agency of taking Rp 134.9 million (US$9,718) of the schools money, which was supposed to be used for a study tour to Yogyakarta. They promised to pick us up on Thursday at 5 p.m., but they did not show up, Zainuddin said as reported by kompas.com on Friday. On that day, 187 study tour participants comprising students, teachers and the schools officials were ready to depart with their luggage. They were later informed that the agency had been robbed and it had lost the money the school had deposited. We are upset because the agency only informed us on the day we were supposed to depart. They requested us to reschedule, he said. Zain... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 19:49 1259 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e02771c 1 National #SusiPudjiastuti,Susi-Pujiastuti,Jokowi,#2019PresidentialElection Free People grouped under JOSS, which stands for Jokowi and Susi Pudjiastuti, declared their support for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi as President Joko Jokowi Widodos running mate in the 2019 presidential election. JOSS said Susi was more-than-qualified to be Jokowis running mate since she was smart, humble, had a strong character and a clean track record. Her leadership ability had been proven by her work as a minister, the group claimed. Susi Pudjiastuti has our full support to be the 2019 vice presidential candidate alongside President Jokowi, JOSS deputy coordinator Kurnia told the media in a press conference on Monday as quoted by kompas.com. The groups coordinator, Akvar Setiawan, said JOSS had been formed around a month ago, consisting of young people and college students. He said the group was self-funded. We are independent and are the representatives of several areas, he said. Akvar said JOSS had yet to inform Susi personally about its support. (hol) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 10:04 1260 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e00876b 4 Business Adhi-Persada-Property,market,target,Asia-Pacific Free Property developer PT Adhi Persada Property (APP), a subsidiary of state-owned company Adhi Karya, is targeting businesspeople from Singapore and other Asia-Pacific countries through its recent collaboration with Jetstar Asia Airways. The property developer signed an agreement with the airline in Singapore on April 19 on the branding placement of Adhi Persada on Jetstar aircraft. The airline operates daily flights from Singapore to Jakarta. APP marketing director Wahyuni Sutantri said the company's main targets were Singaporean businessmen, as well as businessmen from the Asia-Pacific region, as they regularly traveled to Jakarta needing a place to stay. In addition to having a place to stay, foreigners can take advantage of properties as a form of investment, Tantri said as quoted by Kontan. She said products launched by Adhi Persada generally offered a capital gain of 15 to 22 percent annually. For example, our project called The Padmayana has increased by 11 percent from the initial price of Rp 2.8 billion. Currently, the price stands at Rp 3.2 billion, she added. At present, APP oversees many projects for premium apartments, landed houses and commercial areas. (win/bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 15:29 1259 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e014668 1 Business Jokowi,Purbalingga,Sudirman Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo officiated the start of the development of Gen. Sudirman Airport in Purbalingga, Central Java, on Monday. The airport had until been known as Wirasaba Air Base. Jokowi said the airport would be upgraded and expanded to meet the high demand for air transportation from surrounding cities. "The southern and western parts of Central Java don't have a proper airport. Thats why today we are starting the development of the 115-hectare Gen. Sudirman Airport in Purbalingga regency, Jokowi said in a statement. In the first stage of development, the airport will be equipped with a 1,600-meter runway. The runway will be extended to 2,500-m in the second stage. "With around a 3,000-square-meter terminal, the airport will be able to accommodate around 300,000 passengers a year. We hope the airport will be finished in 2019, he added, hoping that the airport would revive business and industry around the city. (hol/dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Polina Nikolskaya and Maria Kiselyova (Reuters) Moscow Mon, April 23, 2018 17:58 1259 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e020a3a 2 World #Syria,#SyriaWar,#Russia,Russia,US,Britain,France Free The Kremlin on Monday declined to comment on media reports that Russia planned to soon supply Syria with S-300 missile systems, but said a Western missile strike on Syria had soured the atmosphere in the region. Russia's daily Kommersant newspaper, citing unnamed military sources, reported earlier on Monday that Russia might start supplying S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Syria in the near future. It said experts believed that Israel would react negatively to the development and might bomb the area where the missile systems would be deployed. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Western military strikes on Syria this month had removed any moral obligation Russia had to withhold the missile systems from its ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "The missile strike badly worsened the atmosphere around Syria and the Syrian peace process," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call on Monday when asked about the possible S-300 delivery. "Great damage was done to international law and the spirit of international law in terms of cooperation." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 19:25 1259 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e024fe6 1 City Depok,landslide Free Heavy rain over the weekend in Depok, West Java, is believed to have caused a landslide on Jl. Rambutan in Pancoran Mas district at around 1:30 a.m. on Monday, which damaged one house. The residents of the house, identified as the Jamaluddin family, were uninjured as the damage was restricted to the rear of the building. Jamaluddin along with his wife and children, survived and they are currently staying at their neighbors house, said Sulaeman, one of Jamaluddins neighbors, as quoted by tribunnews.com. After the incident, a local disaster response team visited the site to clear up the debris as well as prevent more landslides from happening by making temporary repairs. The teams coordinator Ahmad Supandi said the material losses in the incident amounted to some Rp 50 million (US$3,590). (vny) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 11:33 1260 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e00a607 1 Business iims,jakarta,Mitsubishi,Honda Free Carmakers participating in the Indonesia International Motor Show 2018 (IIMS) have introduced their new products, including limited edition cars, at the Jakarta International Expo (JIexpo), Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. At the event, which was attended by thousands, Japanese brand Mitsubishi introduced its limited edition Pajero Sport SUV, the Pajero Sport Rockford Fosgate. Mitsubishi only produced 1,000 units of the limited Pajero Sport, said Kyoya Kondo, president director of Mitsubishi Motors Krama Yudha Sales (MMKSI), the official distributor of Mitsubishi Motor Corporation in Indonesia. The cars were sold for Rp 535 million (US$38,467), he added. During the expo, MMKSI set a target to sell 2,000 Xpander vehicles, a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) that is expected to comprise 50 percent of its total sales. Meanwhile, another Japanese carmaker, Honda, also introduced a special edition car in the Honda Mobilio, an MPV priced at Rp 228.9 million. Honda said the Mobilio special edition had an improved exterior design compared to its previous Mobilio. Mobilio is one of our backbones as it contributed to significant sales. We always try to keep it in the low-cost MPV segment with a fresh look, said Jonfis Fandy, marketing and sales service director of Honda Prospect Motor (HPM). With 35,430 units sold, Mobilio ranked third among Hondas most-sold cars in 2017, he added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 15:08 1259 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e013c8f 4 Business foreign-workers,migrant-workers,hanif-dakhiri,Manpower-Ministry Free The Manpower Minister has played down public concerns over a possible influx of foreign workers and tighter job competition, which was fueled by a recent presidential regulation that cuts some red tape in hiring foreign workers. Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri said on Sunday that the new regulation did not mean foreign workers could freely enter the country. Hanif said Presidential Regulation No. 20/2018 addressed procedural problems in hiring foreign workers and that the public should not worry about foreign workers flooding the job market. For example, if the permit requires only a week, then why should [foreign workers] wait for a month? he said, as quoted by Antara news agency. The regulation, which President Joko Widodo signed on March 26, aimed to cut red tape in an effort to make Indonesias investment climate more competitive. Hanif said foreign workers entering Indonesia still needed to fulfill certain requirements and could only occupy certain positions. They could only work for a limited duration and must pay compensation, and were also forbidden from working as laborers. At the end of 2017, there were 85,000 foreign workers in Indonesia, much fewer than the approximately nine million Indonesian migrant workers who worked abroad, said Hanif. The ministry's data shows that 170,000 Indonesian migrant workers are in Hong Kong, 200,000 in Taiwan, and 20,000 in Macau. Meanwhile, only 36,000 Chinese workers were working in Indonesia. (hol/evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 11:48 1260 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e00ce72 1 City Sudirman-Thamrin,odd-even-license-traffic-policy,BPTJ-Greater-Jakarta-Transportation-Body Free Jakarta began a trial run of the extension of the odd-even policy on Jl. Sudirman - Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, on Monday to synchronize the policy with operations at toll gates in peripheral areas of Jakarta. The odd-even policy in the Sudirman-Thamrin area, which allows vehicles with odd- and even-numbered license plates to pass only on days with odd and even dates, respectively, previously lasted from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. With the extension, the traffic restriction starts at 6 a.m. Unlike at the toll gates, officials will not turn back cars on the first day of the trial run on Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin. On the morning of April 23, several cars with even-numbered plates were seen using the Semanggi cloverleaf interchange despite the change. Police officials in the area did not ticket the even-numbered cars. Jakarta Police traffic director Sr. Comr. Yusuf confirmed that the police had not ticketed any cars in Sudirman-Thamrin area before 7 a.m. because the policy was still on trial. "We are still evaluating the odd-even policy extension to figure out whether we will need additional supervision in the area or not," Yusuf told The Jakarta Post on Monday. Greater Jakarta Transportation Body (BPTJ) head Bambang Prihartono said that during the trial drivers would not be ticketed because officials were still informing citizens about the new traffic policy. (ami/wit) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 14:06 1259 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e0126fe 1 Business palm-oil,exports,decreasing-figure,February Free The country's palm oil exports, excluding biodiesel and oleochemical products, declined to 2.37 million tons in February, or 14 percent less than the 2.74 million tons exported in January, the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (Gapki) has said. The global price of palm oil stands at between US$652.50 and $685 per metric ton. Gapki said in a statement The Jakarta Post received on Monday that the decline in exports was caused by the Chinese New Year holiday and the fewer days in February, when a lower export volume was recorded each year. Meanwhile, cumulative exports from January to February reached 5.1 million tons, a 3 percent year-on-year decrease compared to 5.3 million tons in 2017. Export demand rose 41 percent among Middle Eastern countries to 209,000 million tons in February from 148,060 tons in January. The increased demand in the Middle East is a regular monthly cycle, Gapki said. Chinese demand increased by 6 percent to 326,300 from 307,49 in the previous month. Exports to the United States decreased by 50 percent to 95,990 tons from 193,470 tons in January, particularly due to that country's high domestic stock of soy beans. Exports to India decreased by 26 percent, to Pakistan by 22 percent, to the European Union by 17 percent, to Africa by 16 percent and to Bangladesh by 4 percent. The national palm oil production also decreased by 2 percent to 3.35 million tons in February from 3.4 million in January. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 13:34 1259 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e010e34 4 Business PLN,global-bonds-issuance,May,2018,state-owned-enterprises,ministry Free State-owned electricity company PLN is preparing to issue global bonds, with a goal to earn US$1 billion, the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry has said. The State-Owned Enterprises Ministry's deputy for financial, survey and consultant services, Gatot Trihargo, did not specify an exact date as to when the global bonds would be issued, but he said they would likely come earlier than the bonds issuance by national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, which had already announced its plan. The plan is in May because PLN needs the funds. Maybe it will be earlier than the issuance of Garuda Indonesias global bonds, he said as quoted by kontan.com on Monday. Meanwhile, in speaking about Garuda Indonesias global bonds, Gatot said the company would wait for the market conditions to change because the ministry wanted the cost of the funds to be more competitive. From the global bonds issuance, Garuda Indonesia targets to collect $750 million. In its prospectus issued early last week, Garuda Indonesia appointed four banks, namely Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi, Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered Bank. The funds from the bank issuance would be used to re-profile the companys debt to make its long-term debt larger than its short-term debts. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 08:11 1260 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e003f2b 1 City Indonesia,#Indonesia,police,terrorism,antiterrorism,Movie,#movies,bombing,Sarinah Free Motorists have complained about unusual traffic congestion around Jl. Sudirman and Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta, over the past two weekends, which was caused by the shooting of a counterterrorism film spearheaded by the National Police. The film crew behind 22 Minutes, which is reportedly inspired by the Thamrin attack two years ago, has been shooting scenes involving critical explosions and a shoot-out at the intersection in front of Sarinah department store since April 14. To secure the area, the Jakarta Police closed Jl. M.H. Thamrin from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The closure will continue until filming is completed on May 6. Ghoida Rahmah, 24, a resident of Rawa Belong, West Jakarta, said she was trapped in traffic for about two hours traveling to Akmani Hotel on Jl. KH. Wahid Hasyim in Menteng, Central Jakarta, despite taking an ojek (motorcycle taxi). Read also: Jakpost guide to Jl. Wahid Hasyim The congestion started from the Tanah Abang overpass in Central Jakarta, she added. She had tried to take a shortcut through Jl. Kampung Bali and Jl. Kebon Kacang Raya to avoid the traffic jam, but to no avail. I was annoyed by the traffic diversion. I understand that the police want to make a movie, but they should film it early in the morning, not when the streets are crowded, Ghoida told The Jakarta Post on Sunday, adding that the street closure should have been announced much earlier. Putri Marcellia, 24, a resident of Bekasi, West Java, did not know about the traffic diversion. Driving her own car, she spent about an hour on Jl. Sudirman to get to Grand Indonesia mall last Saturday. She thought the traffic jam had been due the capitals ongoing MRT construction. She said the police should have filmed the movie on Sunday morning during Car Free Day to avoid causing traffic. National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto has issued an apology. We wanted to show the real conditions of the scene [during the actual attack]. On behalf of the movie producer, I want to apologize [for the traffic jam], Setyo said. The movie, which is directed by Eugene Panji and Myrna Paramita, is part of the polices counterterrorism campaign, he added. It features actor Ario Bayu and is being financed by the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program of a company, Setyo said, without revealing its name. On Jan. 14, 2016, Jakarta was rocked by multiple explosions, including one at a police post, and a subsequent gunfight in front of Sarinah between police and multiple assailants. At least eight people, including four terrorists, were killed. Twenty-six others, including police officers, were injured. National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, who led the Jakarta Police at the time, was lauded for the forces swift actions. Aman Abdurrahman, the alleged mastermind of the attack, has been tried at the South Jakarta District Court. According to the prosecutors indictment, Aman had been inspired by the Paris terror attack in November 2015. A month after the incident, Aman reportedly ordered four people to carry out a similar assault on Jl. Sabang, Central Jakarta, an area popular among foreigners. However, the plan changed when the perpetrators instead bombed Starbucks cafe and a police post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Seoul Mon, April 23, 2018 09:49 1260 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e007b35 2 World South-Korea,summit,North-Korea,military,politics Free South Korea's military on Monday switched off giant loudspeakers blasting messages towards the North's soldiers at the border, in a conciliatory gesture ahead of Friday's historic inter-Korea summit. The South has long broadcast a mix of news, music and propaganda messages urging the North's soldiers to defect through huge speakers along the heavily-fortified border, with operations varying depending on the swings of volatile inter-Korea ties. The North plays propaganda of its own. Relations have improved markedly in recent months, with the North announcing at the weekend that it would not conduct any more nuclear tests or long-range missile launches. The latest developments come ahead of a summit between the North's leader Kim Jong Un and the South's President Moon Jae-in on Friday, and with Kim expected to meet US President Donald Trump later. "We stopped loudspeaker broadcasts... as of today in order to ease military tension and to create a peaceful climate... ahead of the 2018 inter-Korea summit," Seoul's defence ministry said in a statement. The two neighbours remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty, with tens of thousands of soldiers guarding the mine-infested land border. Friday's meeting, to be held on the southern side of the border truce village of Panmunjom, is only the third summit ever between the two Koreas after encounters in Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007. All eyes are on whether Kim will promise any concrete steps towards dismantling the North's nuclear arsenal. The young leader, believed to be in his mid-30s, has overseen four of the country's six nuclear tests and Pyongyang hails its weapons as a "treasured sword" protecting the country from potential US invasion. Kim has also overseen dozens of missile tests, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the US mainland. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 16:44 1259 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e018b35 1 City ojek-service,app-based-transportation,rally Free Thousands of app-based ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers from Jakarta and other regions staged a protest in front of the legislative complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta to demand better employment packages on Monday. The drivers previously rallied in front of Merdeka Palace last month, demanding that the government step in to issue a regulation that would increase their per kilometer rate from incoming fares. "We just want a decent income and legal standing," Wahyu, 44, a Grab motorcycle driver from Cirebon, West Java, told The Jakarta Post. Wahyu said drivers demanded that the House pass legislation that regulated app-based ojek operators partnerships with the drivers. Wahyu was among ojek drivers from outside Greater Jakarta participating in the rally, which was organized by the Gabungan Aksi Roda Dua Indonesia group. He said drivers' complaints usually fell on deaf ears. "We want a horizontal [equal] relationship with our app operators, unlike the current system, which is very unequal," Wahyu said. Jakarta Police have diverted traffic on Jl. Gatot Subroto in front of the legislative complex, however the busway lane remains open for Transjakarta buses. (ami) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rizal Harahap (The Jakarta Post) Pekanbaru/Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 17:30 1259 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e01ae17 1 National national-exam,computer-based-national-examinations,Education,education-agency,Pekanbaru,jakarta,Education-and-Culture-Ministry Free Troubled servers have delayed the first day of national exams for junior high schools in several places including Jakarta and Pekanbaru, Riau. "The server was down for 45 minutes from 8 a.m. But the exam kept running," Jakarta Education Agency secretary Susie Nurhati said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com. She said the students had begun filling out their names on the computer before it stopped working, prompting them to restart. She said she could not explain in detail how the problem occurred, because the servers were operated by the Education and Culture Ministry. It was reported the troubled server disturbed the first day of the exam in 373 school locations in Central Jakarta, 595 in North Jakarta, 852 in West Jakarta, 954 in South Jakarta, 1,102 in East Jakarta and 21 in Thousand Islands regency. Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau, also experienced delayed exams due to server trouble. The students had problems logging in, Deputy principal of SMP 14 state junior high school in Pekanbaru, Risti Yanti, said Monday. She said the technical glitches originated at the ministry in Jakarta. Her school had prepared everything, Risti went on. Pekanbaru Education Agency head Abdul Jamal said the technical glitches were out of their control. To my knowledge, the problem is at the ministry. We could not do anything except wait for reconnection, he said. (fac/evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Gemma Holliani Cahya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 17:27 1259 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e01a51a 1 National environment,TV,TV-program,conservation,DerawanIslands,East-Kalimantan,#EastKalimantan,protected-animals,CITES Free Environmentalists reported an adventure reality show to the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) on Monday, following an edition on Sunday night in which a group of people were seen to cook creatures that appeared to be protected giant clams in Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan. The program by TransTV, Para Petualang Cantik (The Beautiful Adventurers), was criticized by activists from Profauna Indonesia, Urban Wildlife Conservation Forum and Eco Diver Journalists. The activists said on Monday that such clams, locally known as kima, were listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources as protected animals. They are also protected under Government Regulation No. 7/1999 on flora and fauna preservation. The growth of giant clams, from egg until they build their own shell, is slow and they have become very rare as they can only live in pristine waters, a release from the environmentalists said. From millions of eggs, produced by adult kima, only a few dozen can survive until they get their shells as they are easy prey, Eco Diver Journalists said in their release. Head of the Science Journalism Department of Padjadjaran University, Herlina Agustin, said it would report the kima incident to the Environment and Forestry Ministry as well. The KPI told The Jakarta Post it had already received the report from the activists. We are investigating the show, KPI content monitoring coordinator Hardly Stefano Pariela said on Monday. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 23, 2018 12:01 1260 a7124a1e87885b91d244660f9e00ffa8 1 SE Asia human-rights,ASEAN,Myanmar,Rohingya Free Indonesian and Malaysian representatives at the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) have called on ASEAN member countries to identify more effective measures and practical steps to fulfil its commitment to bring peace and rule of law, and to promote harmony and reconciliation between the various ethnic communities in Myanmar. We are extremely concerned that in spite of the numerous ASEAN statements and the diplomatic and humanitarian efforts thus far, including initiatives proposed and solutions offered by some AICHR Representatives, the situation on the ground has not tangibly improved," Indonesian representative Dinna Wisnu and Malaysian representative Edmund Bon Tai Soon said in a joint statement The Jakarta Post obtained on Monday. The statement was issued following Malaysian and Indonesian authorities' intercepting several boats ferrying refugees from Rakhine State, mostly women and children, with the latest case occurring on Friday. The Associated Press reported that eight children, 25 women and 43 men were brought ashore on Friday at Bireuen, Aceh, in the third known attempt this month by members of the ethnic minority to flee Myanmar by sea. The representatives called for a transparent, comprehensive, on-the-ground, needs- and rights-based assessment and risk analysis "to not only provide aid that is comprehensive, but also to ensure effective protection for the affected communities and to provide long-lasting solutions". "This would require Myanmar to open up and share information in ASEAN Meetings. [...] Myanmar could invite the representatives of AICHR for a visit to Rakhine. The visit would allow us to obtain a fuller picture of the current situation, and to find better ways in reaching a lasting solution, the statement said. (dmr) Posted Sunday, April 22, 2018 11:00 pm The citizens of Litchfield won't be seeing an increase in their water and sewer rates this year, but that lack of action has caused some concern for Mayor Steve Dougherty. Motions to increase the water and sewer rates eight percent over each of the next two years failed by a 5-3 margin at the Litchfield City Council meeting on Thursday, April 19, causing the mayor to question the council's foresight. "Apparently the council has decided to not do any projects," Mayor Dougherty said after the vote to not increase the water rates. "I hope our children can live with it." The projects the mayor is referring to were brought up earlier in the meeting by City Budget Officer Levi Shurenbrock, who said that the eight percent increases were included in the budget that the council approved at the previous meeting. Sewer projects include reconstruction of the south side drainage ditch and running sewer lines to replace the lagoon at Lake Lou Yaeger. The latter project was estimated to cost around a million dollars. Water projects included repairs and painting on two water towers, plus scheduled major maintenance work on the water plant. Shurenbrock said that these projects are funded through the water and sewer reserve fund and without the increases, the city would run out of money in the sewer fund. He added that the problem stems from a period of three years (2011, 2013, 2014) in which the city had no increase. Shurenbrock said that the amount of reserves spent depends on the number of water and sewer projects the city has to complete. Prior to the votes on the motions, he said that the two years of eight percent increases should stabilize the funds and the city should be able to make smaller rate adjustments after that to help build up reserves for other capital projects. Alderman Ray Kellenberger asked about using grants for projects. Shurenbrock said that the city is doing that, but Mayor Dougherty added that many of these grants are matching grants and funds need to be available. Art LeVoy said that eventually the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will force the city to replace the lagoon and that the city has rehabbed only three of its 11 lift stations at a cost of $150,000 to $200,000 per station. Mayor Dougherty said that 50 years ago, the city's leaders made sacrifices so the citizens could have facilities. He added that Litchfield isn't the only community facing such problems and some are approving larger increases. The vote on the sewer rate increase would come first, with Tim Wright, Ray Kellenberger, Dwayne Gerl, Marilyn Sisson and Mark Brown voting against the increase and Kassidy Paine, David Hollo and Woodrow Street voting for the motion. The vote would be the same for the water rate increase. In other business, the council approved an access agreement with Ameren Illinois so the company can investigate possible contamination from the former site of the Litchfield Electric Light and Power Company. Clay Frankenreiter of Ameren Illinois said that the former manufactured gas plant is located at the southeast corner of Jefferson Street and Edwards Street, adjacent to two city parcels. Frankenreiter said that Ameren took samples of the area of the plant in 1994, 2000, 2001 and in 2012, but the company would like to get more information and samples to find out if the contamination has spread and where it is coming from. After that, the company would be able to decide how to go about remediation for the site. Brian Holderness, an environmental investigation specialist with Ameren said that in the past, Ameren has seen contamination on the north edge and southwest edge of the property, but they need to see if it has moved onto city property and if there is any impact to ground water. Frankenreiter said that all of the samples taken in the investigation will be shared with the city and that Ameren will work with Litchfield to determine the best way to clean up the contamination. City Attorney Kit Hantla said that the access agreement with Ameren also includes requirements for cleaning up the property. Mayor Dougherty asked what the city's liability was if contamination was found. Holderness said that if the contamination is a product of the plant, then Ameren will do the clean up. He added that if other contaminants are cleaned up in the process, Ameren will dispose of those too. City Administrator Tonya Flannery asked if the city would be required to clean up contaminants that are found, but not a product of the manufacture gas plant. Holderness said that it is up to the IEPA to determine when and if the city has to clean those products up. The council would approve the access agreement, which allows Ameren Illinois to do inspection on water and soil tests on the city's property. The council also approved the renewal for city employee health insurance with Scheller Insurance for the following year. Shannon Hall of Scheller Insurance said that there is a rate increase of 4.79 percent, but that is one of the smallest increases that she has dealt with. Also passing was a motion to contract with the Ameren Small Business Incentive Program through A&D Electric Supply to convert exterior lights at both fire stations with LED fixtures and bulbs at a cost of $4,280.50, with Alderman Street abstaining due to his employment with A&D Electric Supply. In planning and zoning business, the council approved a motion to change the zoning of 403 West Corwin from single family residential to general commercial for the purpose of operating a beauty shop and the Sylvan Learning Center and to approve a special use permit for a mobile home or modular home to be used as a sales or display area by a manufactured home retail center at 803 West Union. In economic development business, Flannery told the council that the Litchfield School Board passed the intergovernmental agreement with the city regarding the extension of the TIF 1 District at their meeting. Flannery said that two taxing entities have not yet provided a letter of support for the district, the North Litchfield Township and Road Commissioner boards, which are the same groups of individuals. In sewer business, the council approved an amendment to the operations contract with EMC/American Water, approved the purchase of a valve actuator (not to exceed $5,295 plus shipping) and approved the purchase of a variable frequency drive (not to exceed $3,265) for the wastewater treatment plant. The council approved an advertising agreement with Google Street View and American Marketing and Publishing not to exceed $3,915 and a motion to accept the water main, sanitary sewer, the street work for Continental Boulevard and the streetlights along Continental Boulevard contingent upon approval from the city attorney and the city public works coordinator as well. The council would go into closed session at 7:25 p.m. and would reconvene at 7:37 p.m. They would vote to approve an agreement with Alply Insulated Panels, who paid off their revolving loan fund and long term economic development with the city. The payoff amount was $424,200.98, part of which will go back into the city's long term economic development fund. Earlier in the meeting, the council would honor Jake Prange, who stepped down as an alderman after moving out of the district. The council also heard from Cassidy Cooper, who was on hand to talk about a structure that he had purchased at 614 North Monroe. Cooper said that he did not know that the property had been scheduled for demolition at the time of the purchase and he had been in contact with a construction company to renovate and flip the house. He added that he had toured the house with Building Inspector Gary Baker and Baker believed that the house was salvageable. City Attorney Kit Hantla said that removing the house from the demolition schedule could not be done that night, but no demolition would begin before action could be considered at the next meeting. The council will meet next on Thursday, May 3, at 6:30 p.m. at Corwin Hall. Normally, you have to wait until the big day to catch a glimpse of the brides wedding dress. Not so with Meghan Markle. Photographs of her in her wedding gown have been circulating over the past week, giving us a sneaky peak of THE dress of the year. A post shared by Entertainment Weekly (@entertainmentweekly) on Mar 29, 2018 at 4:46pm PDT Sort of. Because this year, Markle is getting married twice. Once, for real, to Prince Harry on 19th May, and once on screen in the finale of season 7 of Suits, as the soon-to-be royal bows out of the show after seven years. The Anne Barge ballgown from that wedding has been recycled for this take-two, with the addition of a black belt, and a hairstyle update. Markle has spoken out about her characters wedding dress before, stating in a 2016 interview with Glamour that It's not my personal style, because I'm a lot more relaxed than Rachel but I love that I got to play dress up in this gown. A post shared by Entertainment Weekly (@entertainmentweekly) on Mar 29, 2018 at 4:46pm PDT The gown itself is exactly what we might expect a princess to wear, with its nipped-in waist, beading and full tulle skirt. But Prince Harrys fiance has instead suggested that her own wedding gown choice will probably be Classic and simple... perhaps with a modern twist. I personally prefer wedding dresses that are whimsical or subtly romantic. Markle may have already worn one wedding dress this year, but that doesnt mean shes limiting her options. In 2011, the Duchess of Cambridge had two dresses on her big day, so we may yet see a few more outfits from the bride-to-be. Only four weeks to go! Catapulted to fame by Danny Boyles Slumdog Millionaire (2008), though OG fans will know him from Skins, Dev Patel has enjoyed rare success in Hollywood as a British-Indian actor so why do all of his films present him as a contrasting outsider to the rest of the majority white and Western characters? The Marigold Hotel franchise paints India as an exotic colonial getaway for aging Brits, while Patel is a happy-to-serve, yes-sir no-sir, head wobbling Indian that provides both comic relief and impeccable service to the white immigrants, sorry, ex-pats who have decided to settle there. The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015) tells the story of pioneering Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, yet the narrative frames his friendship with the British mathematician who invites him to Cambridge as the turning point in his career that led him to success. Though Lion (2016) is based on the memoirs of the real Saroo Brierly, the contradictory romanticisation and condemnation of poverty in India, without making any political statements at all, mirrors the Western gaze of Slumdog. Alongside the blatantly white saviour narrative that Nicole Kidman and David Wenhams characters represent, though both films pack an emotional punch, they still leave a bitter taste in the mouth. Not only are these examples offensive, racist, stereotypical, and colonialist, its disrespectful to the population of young Brit-Asians who were so excited to see a brown face as one of the gang on Skins. Though there are more brown faces making an appearance on our screens, more British-Asian voices behind the camera are needed if actors like Patel are to be given roles they deserve. Enough of films like Victoria and Abdul being the predominant narrative about India represented on our big screens. Enough of India being viewed through a white colonialist lens. Enough of Dev Patel being the only brown face on screen in his films, and enough of his characters being othered. The British-Asian diaspora deserve stories that reflect our experiences, and Dev Patel deserves to be cast in less exploitative roles. On his 28th birthday, its time to speak out and demand better. It was the album we'd all been eagerly awaiting ever since Hayley Kiyoko announced it back in 2017. When she gave us the album title and cover on January 1st, Kiyoko wasn't just ushering in the new year with her music but creating an entire movement, of which she is the undisputed queen: #20gayteen. That's right - 2018 is going to be unashamedly queer, and that's something we all can (and should) celebrate. Everyone's favourite 'Lesbian Jesus' has long since been wowing us with catchy stand-out tunes like 'Girls Like Girls', which became 2015's anthem for queer women worldwide, so all eyes were on her for her debut album, Expectations. Last week, we were definitely not disappointed.In the span of 13 songs and 48 minutes, Kiyoko takes on an entire range of feelings, from unrequited love to closeted lovers, break-ups and everything in between, all the while giving listeners catchy and instantly memorable tunes to dance and sing along to. While it was preceded by the singles 'Curious', 'Sleepover' and 'Feelings', Expectations still manages to deliver by its own merits - 'Mercy/Gatekeeper'and 'He'll Never Love You (HNLY)' are particular highlights, along with 'Molecules' and 'Under the Blue/Take Me In.'Expectations represents Kiyoko at her confident, cheery best, and the album shares its strengths with her as she manages to channel deeply personal yet relatable emotions while still being the entertainer we all know and love. Her songs paint imagery of summer days round the corner, taking listeners on a sun-kissed ride. Hayley Kiyoko's debut album is impressive in how polished it sounds, especially given its confessional tone. Holding nothing back from us, from the loneliness of 'Sleepover' and frustration yet playful back-and-forth of 'What I Need (ft. Kehlani),' to the healing of 'Mercy/Gatekeeper' and confident feelings in (unsurprisingly) 'Feelings,' Kiyoko takes us on an emotional rollercoaster that brings us to both highs and lows from her experience but never lets us go until 'Let It Be.' In ending her album on a triumphant yet reflective note, Kiyoko allows us to freely take part in her journey, always accompanied by a cool, breezy attitude and pleasingly infectious beats.Kiyoko has established herself as a highly valued figure in the lives of her dedicated fans, as someone whose made it her mission to normalise same-sex relationships and attraction not just in her lyrics but most noticeably in her album's cover, featuring her gazing, unabashed, at a naked woman. She's already gained a devoted following among queer teens and young adults on platforms like Tumblr, where she acts like a supportive big sister-mentor hybrid. 'I'm just curious, is it serious?' she croons on 'Curious', but Kiyoko's undeniably serious as she preaches self-love and conquers both our hearts and minds. She's already the queen of #20gayteen: all she needs now is a catchy name for her ever-growing fanbase and she'll be all set for world domination. After a winter that more than overstayed its welcome, the country feels refreshed after almost a whole week of sunshine. Though sad news rocketed through the music world, as Friday saw the passing of EDM poster boy Avicii; Saturday brought excitement as thousands of record enthusiasts queued up from dawn to grab their favourite artists Record Store Day exclusives. If you didnt manage to nab the vinyls you wanted on Record Store Day, be sure to make up for it with these tasty new singles. Father John Misty Disappointing Diamonds are the Rarest of Them All Father John Misty just gets it, something goes wrong in your life, just turn yourself into a meme. Which is exactly what he did, when his fourth album Gods Favorite Customer was leaked on Apple Music last week, so naturally he transformed his album artwork into a meme. This explicitly crafted narcissism is exactly what weve come to expect from FJM and Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All is a much shorter than usual, triumphant piano infused commentary that would not have sounded out of place on I Love you, Honeybear. Tancred Queen of New York She may be singing about a night with no strings attached, but the second single to drop from Jess Abbotts upcoming album, Nightstand. Queen of New York, is certainly driven by strings, a rolling beat and lyrics laden with authentic quips from the songwriters experience as a queer woman in todays society. Wylderness Sunography Wylderness occupy an enticing space between shoegaze and pop, injecting a contemporary feel to one of the most quintessential 90s genres. It may have been recorded on a boat, but Marzs dreamy vocal smoothly sails amongst the blockade of flanged guitars, explosive keys and ethereal melodies. Sunography laments the bands place on the scene, taken from their eponymous debut released earlier this year. Bicep Rain Taken from the newly released EP of the same name, Rain is another refreshing electronic gem, which originally appeared on the duos hugely acclaimed debut. Blending a distinct garage beat with a neatly intertwined Indian vocal, the tune is perfectly fit for sweaty club dancefloors across the country. Bear with Me - After Me After Me, Thorbjrn Kaass first single since breaking out of the Danish underground feels like the start of something new.From its euphoric build up, intersected with a steady beat, Kaas wins the listener over with groove heavy layered production and calming vocals. Courtney Barnett City Looks Pretty Everyones favourite Aussie wonder that is Courtney Barnett has treated us again, with this Record Store Day special single. With lyrics as quick witted as has come to be expected from Barnett, her usual playful riffs sizzling out towards the middle of the track as she turns to a more contemplative slow burning edge, keeping us on our toes and in an exciting place for the forthcoming LP. Bad Sounds Evil Powers If Bad Sounds continue to drop such sunshine soaked tracks, we might just forget about the fact that weve probably just experienced the only bit of sunshine were getting this spring. The bands infectious energy reigns high in this funk inspired track. LUMP Curse of the Contemporary We thought all had gone a bit quiet on the Laura Marling front, but the ethereal songstress has been busy collaborating with Tuungs Mike Lindsay on this record store day special single. Curse of the Contemporary takes the folk roots Marling and Lindsay are comfortable within and combine them with dizzy psychedelic elements. Taking influence from surrealist poets Lear and Cutler, the tongue in cheek lyricism and accompanying video give an enticing taste of how their upcoming debut will sound. Josh Wheatley - Calling Nottinghams Josh Wheatley is making real waves in the indie-pop scene and Calling is just another example of his knack for creating a stick in your head melody. Carefully combining catchy hooks, brooding synths and his sugar sweet vocal, the latest track from his recent EP I Know You is definitely going to have people calling out his name. Fidlar - Alcohol Its been three years since weve heard anything new from the riotous LA outfit, but it seems theyve not lost any of the fire in their absence. Alcohols jarring bassline, aggressive drums and zealously spat vocals make it the sort of song youll find yourself screaming along to at a 3a.m. afters, when you certainly dont need anything else to drink. Barrence Whitfield & The Savages Lets Go to Mars For something a little bit different, introducing Barrence Whitfield & The Savages. Their sound is made distinguishable through the groups bellowing bluesy vocals, which are complimented by its rockabilly riffs, ascending keys and prominent horns. This track is taken from their second album, Soul Flowers of Titan, which builds its foundations on the sounds of the record label powerhouses of 1950s Cincinnati. While many travelers choose to focus on outdoor activities when in New Zealand due to the wealth of beautiful landscape on offer, it is also home to many fascinating cities. Christchurch is not only New Zealands third most populous city behind Auckland and Wellington, it is also the South Islands largest city. This cosmopolitan hub offers the benefits of a modern city while also boasting an interesting culture and history that can be discovered by tram. The tour offers a unique, comprehensive and inexpensive way to see as much as possible, with tickets priced at 25 NZ dollars for a day ticket. The tram system has had a tumultuous history; being brought to a halt by earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Since, the government has invested heavily to get the service running again. It now includes beautifully restored heritage trams that transport you back in time while you take in the citys delights. The route passes 17 stops which you can hop on and off, allowing you ample exploration time. Live commentary from the driver will keep you informed on what youre seeing and will help you decide which stops to spend a little extra time at. Read on for some of the tours highlights. An unmissable stop is Christchurchs Cathedral Square, known to locals as the Square, that lies at the heart of the city. The cathedral itself was heavily damaged by the 2011 earthquake but plans are in place to restore it to its previous splendor. If you happen to be here on a Friday night, be sure to grab some dinner in the square, which welcomes over twenty food trucks of cuisine from all over the world and various buskers and street entertainers. If a sit-down meal seems more appealing, hop off the tram at the third stop and head to The Terrace, the citys recently opened hospitality hot spot. This retail and restaurant complex is situated alongside the Avon River and is the perfect place for a bite with beautiful riverside views. As well as places to eat, the tram route stops include activities from shopping to museums. For retail therapy, The Crossing is a brand-new retail precinct that is pedestrian-friendly and houses high street and luxury brands as well as many eateries and coffee shops. For culture vultures, the Canterbury Museum, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, and the Arts Centre are all on your heritage route. All three centers offer an opportunity to get to know Christchurchs past, present, and future through its cultural legacy and production. For more information on the tram tour, check out the tours official website Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: Home Page Southern Pines, NC (28387) Today Cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later in the day. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early with showers later at night. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Collin Dingsor leaps into Watertown homecoming history, Week 7 list of top performers Watertown High School senior Collin Dingsor is a pretty good hurdler in track and field and put those skills to use on the football field to head the Public Opinions Week 7 list of top area high school football performers. If you thought you were a little shit back in your day, or your raising little shits yourself - Get your head around this yarn: 12 yo steals his Mother's credit card and jets off to Bali. Check what our mates over at Newshub had to say about the story below: Many teens who argue with their parents might threaten to run away, but a 12-year-old in Australia not only followed through with the threat, he used his mother's credit card to do it and ended up over 2,500 kilometres away. After stealing his parent's credit card details, the unnamed child then got his passport from his grandmother and made a booking. He left the house with his school bag as though it was a normal day, but instead caught the train to Sydney Airport, then flew to Perth. There he went through the self-service check-in, security and flew all the way to Bali. When he landed in Indonesia the boy, who had clearly done a lot of planning, headed to his pre-booked room at the All Seasons Hotel. He told staff his sister was still on her way. The boy's mother told Australian television show A Current Affair that she reported her son missing after hearing he had not arrived at school. She was shocked he was able to complete the trip without anyone noticing. When he returned, despite his mother's horror, the 12-year-old told media he enjoyed the trip and just wanted to go on an adventure. Newshub. Salad Fingers is back with a brand new 3 minute episode You'll either love this, or hate it so much. Or both. Serj Tankian, who actually lives here in New Zealand, is one of the world's most famous Armenians. He's recently posted a video addressing the Armenian situation (and previewing some new music). If you're not in the loop with Armenian politics, last Tuesday, the Armenian Parliament appointed a new Prime Minister, Servh Sargsyan, a bloke who served as President for ten years, and has a bad reputation for corruption and clinging to power. Now, the ex-Soviet nation is facing serious civil dispute, with tens of thousands protesting, oppostion politicians being detained and shit getting real ugly. Serj Tankian has responded with a politically charged video and a preview of his unreleased track 'Electric Yerevan' (Yerevan is the capital of Armenia). It seems like the brutal police crackdown with water cannons and beating up people including journalists has predictably brought more people out into the streets of Yerevan today Serj captioned the video: "It seems like the issue of my presence in Armenia is causing quite a stir. I apologize for that although I truly had nothing to do with it. The youth on the street are the only ones I trust with Armenia's future and my sites should be the only place you trust regarding my moves. I recorded this video last night. It's dedicated to you, Armenia's peaceful resistance." He wrote a lot in Armenian, then added these final thoughts in English: "It seems like the brutal police crackdown with water cannons and beating up people including journalists has predictably brought more people out into the streets of Yerevan today. This was a peaceful sit in. The police had the right to clear it and legally detain people without using undue force. The situation should not be politicized by foreign media or governments. This is a non-political reaction to an endemic economic marginalization of a large segment of the Armenian populace. The government of Armenia should make every effort to ameliorate the economic suffering of its citizens." 'Electric Yereven' has an ubpeat vibe for the System of the Down frontman, but is deeply political (of course). Have a listen in the video above and check out the partial lyrcis below. Partial lyrics from "Electric Yerevan" song: We don't want to be the bitch of any superpowers Color revolutions fade We want cheap power Electric, electric, electric Electric Yerevan We say no to corruption and no to plunder Billionaire playgrounds are going under Electric, electric, electric Electric Yerevan Brutal police crackdown With water cannons Serve to irrigate the seeds of discontent and malcontent Civil disobedience Working like a charm We don't want to be the bitch of any superpowers Color revolutions fade We want cheap power Electric, electric, electric Electric Yerevan remaining of 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. Recover your password. A password will be e-mailed to you. TheUSAID Development Program Specialist (Budget)Program Specialist (Budget) islocated in the Office of Program and Policy Development (PPD) of USAID/UgandaMission. S/he serves as a full-time member of the USAID/Uganda PPD Office,working to ensure that team and Mission budget analysis and reportingrequirements are met. The assistance budget to USAID/Uganda is approximately$380 million/year, one of USAIDs largest programs in the world. S/he assiststhe Budget Team under the overall leadership of the Supervisory Program Officerin the performance of program management functions of planning, budgeting, andreporting, of the USAID assistance budget to Uganda. S/he provides analysis andreporting services to USAID/Washington, U.S. Mission in Uganda (StateDepartment, Department of Defense (DOD), Center for Disease Control (CDC) andother USG agencies), Government of Uganda (GOU), and other donors onUSAID/Uganda programs, development objectives, areas of program concentration,alignment with GOU plans and resources. (PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE) The State of Israel will no longer be able to accept terror against Jews. We will pursue anyone wherever he is, even at the edge of the world, and bring him alive to court or die in a cemetery, stated Minister of Housing (Yesh Atid) Yoav Galant on Sunday morning, at the ceremony laying the cornerstone for the new ZAKA World Headquarters in Jerusalem. The ceremony was held on Sunday morning, 7, Iyar, in Jerusalem, with the participation of the Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Dovid Lau, Chief Sephardi Rabbi of Jerusalem Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar, the Minister of Construction and Housing Maj.-Gen. (reserves) Yoav Galant, Ministry of Housing and other officials on the national and local level. Rabbi David Lau praised the family of donors and said that ZAKA is an organization whose essence is caring for everyone, not only in life but also after death. The house that will be built here in eastern Jerusalem will be a home of light all over the world, and we hope you will not have a lot of work, but if you do, you will be able to be the ones who help in any situation. Galant added, The world rests on three things, Torah, on Avoda and Gemilus Chassidim. Gemilus Chassidim is ZAKA, which is involved in the highest form of chessed since the dead are unable to repay the kindness. Therefore, when I look at what the organization does and what you know of from close-up, and these are things I know back from the days when I served as a major-general in the IDF as an aide to Arik Sharon. I know that this requires the strength of the soul that every human being does not have. Unlike the other rescue organizations, I wish you had the least work. Minister Galant also said; The State of Israel will no longer be able to accept terror against Jews. We will pursue anyone wherever he is, even at the edge of the world, and bring him alive to court or die in a cemetery. At the end of his speech, Galant praised the activities of ZAKA Chairman Yehuda Meshi Zahav, for his blessed work on behalf of the people of Israel. Meshi-Zahav thanked officials, the donors, Eduardo and Chaveta Kochav, who came especially from MEixco to lay the cornerstone of the global headquarters tobe established in memory of Elias Kochav Parka ben Frieda zl. At the end, the rabbonim and dignitaries signed the founder charter and laid the cornerstone. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem/Photo Credit: + via ) (VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE) Shocking footage surfaced on Sunday, as Bedouin youths fire automatic weapons in the air as they driver recklessly on Israels Route 40 in the south. This video captured them in the act near Ohalim Junction. Two passengers fired automatic bursts in the air as their upper torsos are outside the moving vehicle. Before the convoy of vehicles starts, one man wearing a black mask on his face, fires multiple rounds into the air as children stand a few feet behind him watching. Police are investigating the incident. It does not appear to be difficult as the license plates are visible as well as many of the unmasked faces. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Malaysian police on Monday released images of two suspects in the killing of a Palestinian engineer and said they appeared to be European or Middle Eastern, fueling suspicion that the slaying was an Israeli assassination. Gazas ruling Hamas terrorist group has accused Israel of being behind Saturdays shooting of Fadi al-Batsh, an important member of Hamas. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement. Malaysian national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the composite images were based on eyewitness descriptions. He said the suspects, clad in black jackets, were fair-skinned, well-built and had beards, and were likely European or Middle Eastern. Fuzi said the images have been displayed at all exit points in the country but said it was unclear if the men had fled Malaysia. Police said al-Batsh, 34, was hit with 14 bullets by the two assailants, who shot from a motorbike as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers in a suburb near Kuala Lumpur. Police said security video showed the suspects had waited for him for almost 20 minutes. Hamas initially stopped short of blaming Israel, saying only that he had been assassinated by the hand of treachery. But later its top leader accused Israels Mossad intelligence agency of killing al-Batsh and threatened retaliation. A string of Israeli officials have neither confirmed nor denied whether Israel had a hand in the death. Several noted, however, that Israel is routinely blamed for such assassinations even when it is not involved. Several Israeli Cabinet ministers welcomed the killing, regardless of who was responsible. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman suggested in radio interviews Sunday that al-Batsh may have been killed as part of a rivalry between Palestinian militants. Israel has a long history of being accused of targeting wanted Palestinian terrorist in daring overseas operations and has been linked to other assassinations as well, though it has rarely publicly acknowledged them. Al-Batsh was believed to have been working on Hamas unmanned aerial vehicle program and was working on improving the accuracy of its rockets. His brother, Rami, told Malaysian media in Kuala Lumpur that he hopes to take the body back on Tuesday. Police say al-Batsh had lived in Malaysia for more than seven years and had permanent residency status. He had a degree in electrical engineering and lectured at a local university, but police couldnt confirm reports that he was an expert in rocket making. Al-Batsh traveled locally and abroad to speak on Palestinian issues and was scheduled to fly to Turkey for a conference when he was killed, police said. (AP) The environment department has struck a deal to substantially boost its green motoring credentials after it was revealed that it had just two electric vehicles. Following heavy criticism after admitted having just two electric cars in its fleet of 4,000 vehicles, DEFRA has struck a deal to replace 400 of its company car fleet with hybrid Toyotas. The UK-built Auris hybrids will replace diesels used by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs staff working for the Government department over the course of the year. However, even after this mass substitution of low-emissions cars, a massive 90 per cent of its fleet will still mainly be powered by the fuel type it wants banned in 2040, with some petrol-powered. Figures did not reveal the exact mix. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will add 400 hybrid Toyota to its fleet of 4,000 company vehicles in 2018, it said DEFRA announced last July that Britain would introduce a widespread restriction on the sale of all new diesel and petrol cars in 2040, in a bid to reduce the nation's shocking air pollution statistics. However, just seven months after the proposal was made public it was revealed that the department's 4,000-strong fleet of company cars were predominantly diesel-powered - and just two were electric cars. The new agreement with Toyota, which builds around 140,000 cars in the UK each year, will see some members of staff working for the Environment Agency, Marine Management Organisation, Rural Payments Agency and Animal and Plant Health Agency switch to the hybrid hatchbacks, which promise to emit just 82 grams of CO2 every kilometre. The move would, in theory, cost in the region of 9million, with the British-built Auris priced from 22,450. However, that's not to say the department's entire fleet with be electrified any time soon. With around another 3,600 diesel and petrol vehicles still on the books, DEFRA's fleet manager confirmed it would only be buying and using electric and hybrid cars exclusively from 2025. That means at least another seven years of running diesels, which the Government recently introduced higher VED car tax rates for. Alan Barrett, manager public sector and fleet development for Toyota (left), hands over the vehicles to Jim Gregory, strategic fleet manager for DEFRA Group Fleet Services (right) Jim Gregory, strategic fleet manager at DEFRA said: 'The cars from these four DEFRA organisations already represent one of the lowest CO2 emitting fleets in the UK and we have reduced nitrogen oxide gases (NOx) emissions, linked to respiratory illness, by nearly 10 per cent, and CO2 by nearly 30 per cent, across our 7,000 cars, commercial vehicles, plant and machinery. 'We have challenged ourselves to go even further by buying only hybrid or electric vehicles from 2025, replacing our current fleet of diesels with cleaner vehicles and setting targets for NOx as well as CO2 emissions. 'Were balancing a challenging ambition against the needs of our vehicle users, while keeping a close eye on new and emerging technology which can help us reduce our harmful emissions even further without increasing our costs.' Despite urging councils to crack down on diesel drivers last year, 98 per cent of the the vehicles used by the department headed by Michael Gove were powered by the same fuel, it was reported in February. At the time, DEFRA also admitted having only nine ultra low emission vehicles - or plug in hybrids - to ferry officials around, two of which were fully electric models producing zero tailpipe emissions. DEFRA signed an initial deal with Toyota GB for 400 Auris Hybrids with the opportunity to supply more during 2018 The petrol-electric Auris Hybrid promises to emit as little as 82 grams of CO2 every kilometre The Auris is built at Toyota's Burnaston factory in Derby, which received a 240 million investment in 2017 The proposed ban on conventional combustion engines, as well as increases to car tax and other surcharges, has seen diesel fall out of favour with new car buying Britons. Registrations of diesel vehicles fell by 16 per cent as a whole in 2017. And just last month sales of diesel cars plunged by 37 per cent, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders confirmed. Ministers hoped taxation would encourage motorists to replace their dirtier older cars with low-emissions new ones, however, the gaping hole in new-diesel registrations has not been filled by a sudden influx of electric and hybris sales. Alan Barrett, Toyota manager for public sector and fleet development, said: 'This significant deal with DEFRA continues the growing business trend towards hybrid electric technology. 'Our hybrid fleet sales increased by more than 40 per cent in 2017 and this momentum is continuing into 2018. 'Operators of vehicle fleets both big and small are seeing how well the technology can work for their business, as well as reducing their carbon emissions and running costs.' Toyota confirmed the next-generation Auris (pictured) will be built at the Derbyshire plant from 2018 Toyota produced 144,077 new vehicles at the facility in 2017, SMMT figures showed The hybrid engines powering the Auris and other Toyotas are also built in the UK at the Deeside facility in North Wales All Auris models are built at Toyotas UK car plant at Burnaston in Derby following a commitment from the Japanese manufacturer to produced the new model there following a 240million investment last year to upgrade the factory, including 20million from the Government. The hybrid engines used in the Auris and other Toyota models are also built in the UK at the car maker's Deeside facility in North Wales. Update: 24 April 2018 4.30pm TSB customers have seen problems with mobile and online accounts days after a system upgrade was supposed to have been completed. Many are complaining they are still unable to access their accounts - nearly 48 hours after the update was meant to be completed. The bank had warned account holders last week that some of its services, including online banking, making payments or transferring money, would not be possible over the weekend. TSB: The bank has seen a deluge of complaints with many customers still unable to access their accounts The upgrade window was scheduled between Friday at 4pm and Sunday at 6pm. However a message on the TSB website on Monday morning said there were still 'intermittent issues' with its mobile and internet banking services - and that is still the case on Tuesday afternoon. The bank said it was 'working as hard and as fast as we can to get these up and running'. TSB's social media team have faced a stream of complaints from customers, including those who said they could see other people's accounts after logging back in on Sunday evening. How many affected TSB boss Paul Pester says around two million customers may be compensated. It claims only 402 customers saw accounts belonging to others. It recently boasted that 1,000 people a day were opening a TSB current account. A number of customers have taken to social media platform Twitter to vent their frustrations and worry over potential data protection breaches. Craig Malcom tweeted: '@TSB I currently have access to 20k+ of other peoples money. 'I suggest somebody answers the phones as iv been on hold for 45 minuets! 'This is a MASSIVE breach of data protection! If i have access to their account they could have to mine as well!' Another Twitter user called Bex said: '@TSB so go to my app and have someone else's accounts there!!!! Serious dpa (Data Protection Act) breach! Want to speak to someone now and a half an hour wait!! What would the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) say about this!!! Might just inform them a bank is giving away other people's account numbers'. Laim McKenzie, from Paisley in Scotland, said he had been unexpectedly credited with thousands of pounds after logging back in after 6pm on Sunday. 'My balance, because of my overdraft, is in minus, but my balance was showing at 13,000,' he said. I really hope you'll be compensating customers who have been unable to access their cash for 3 whole days while you mess around with your systems. I missed the 4pm deadline to transfer out cash to my main account and was left with zero the whole weekend. disgusting. Patrick Johnson (@CBXDesignUK) 22 April 2018 This really is not good enough @tsb can't transfer money due to internet banking failure. I think you owe your customers a good will gesture after this. #tsb pic.twitter.com/m9JcO9mtui Jen Netherington (@cupcakesandacid) 22 April 2018 Come on, you've been doing this every weekend for what, 3 or 4 weeks now, and then you completely cripple your customers ability to check their money, and then you're late in finishing your work? Even then, you show people others account details. What a mess! yowlet (@eyowlet) 22 April 2018 @TSB If I lose the house Ive reserved because of your failings in online banking I will sue you for very possible penny! Asa (@asa_medforth) 22 April 2018 Hi @TSB just so you know: I wont be paying any bank charges for my DDs that bounce tomorrow as Im unable to access online banking (over 5hrs after it was meant to be back working) to transfer money between accounts. Emma MacDonald (@emmaemacdonald) 22 April 2018 What are your rights if payments are messed up? Bank customers who suffer knock-on costs during a meltdown like this are usually reimbursed by the bank. TSB boss Paul Pester says: 'Customers can rest assured that no one will be left out of pocket as a result of these service issues.' When the NatWest/RBS IT fiasco happened in 2012, it announced shortly afterwards that nobody would be left out of pocket. It was eventually fined 56million. It is wise to make a note of dates and a log of how much you have been left out of pocket. It is clear that the TSB problems are widespread and it still unknown when all services will return to normal. Furthermore, the bank may have a data protection crisis on its hands - and this could potentially see customers compensated and the bank facing hefty fines. You can start the ball rolling with an official complaint by heading to its website. If you spend money in your account that isn't yours Some customers say they have 'access' to other customers' while others appear to have received payments directly into their accounts that aren't theirs. Legally, if a sum of cash is accidentally paid into your account and you know it isn't yours, you are liable to pay it back. Keeping and spending money wrongly placed into your account could lead to you being charged with retaining wrongful credit under the Theft Act 1968. Two sisters were sent to prison in 2008 after going on a spending spree with cash that wasn't theirs. The then Abbey Bank had wrongly credited 135,000 into one of their accounts. It took the bank two weeks to spot the mistake. The official advice is to contact your bank and alert it to the mistake - but many TSB customers say that call waiting times are currently extremely long as it battles the meltdown. The official response TSB's press office appears to have gone into hiding. This is Money sent a list of questions first thing on Monday morning, but it still has not responded to them. We have asked what has caused the problems, how many customers have been affected, whether those who have suffered data breaches will be compensated and what happens if a customer spends money that has wrongly entered their account. We'll update the story if - and when - we receive its answers. Paul Pester said: 'I've just resurfaced after 48 hours with my teams who have been working as hard and fast as they can to get our services back up and running. 'This isn't the level of service that we pride ourselves on providing, and isn't what our customers have come to expect from TSB, and for that Im truly sorry. 'Were still seeing issues with access to our digital services. One of the steps we need to take to resolve this is to take our mobile app and online banking down for a few hours. 'We did this at around 10.30 this morning and we hope to be back up later this afternoon. Well let our customers know as soon as its available again.' The Financial Conduct Authority says it is 'aware of the problem and talking to the firm.' Meanwhile, the Information Commissioner's Office said: 'We are aware of a potential data breach in relation to the TSB and are making enquiries.' Who are TSB? TSB, in its current guise, is a spin-off from Lloyds TSB. It launched in September 2013, taking a slice of Lloyds TSB customers with it. It is now a subsidiary of the Sabadell Group, a Spanish banking giant. It has around 550 branches across England, Scotland and Wales. The TSB name was previously used by the Trustee Savings Bank prior to its merger with Lloyds Bank in 1995. Sabadell boast: Its parent firm released this story in its press centre yesterday - and has only recently been deleted Boast from Sabadell of 160m saving... In a statement on the Sabadell website yesterday - which it has taken down this afternoon - it said it had successfully completed the TSB technology migration, without acknowledging the problems customers have faced. It says: 'It is the first ever project outside of Spain in which the bank has created a new banking platform from scratch and completed a large scale migration of the platform. 'Total synergies arising from the migration are estimated to amount to 160million on an annual basis.' Chairman Josep Oliu also stated that 'more than 5.4million customers are now integrated into the new platform, which allows us to grow in a market as mature and highly competitive as the UK market.' PIGGS PEAK Principal Magistrate Joe Gumedze has attested that one cannot have a successful law career without being tempted to receive a bribe. Speaking to about 16 law students who attended his court session, Gumedze said criminals sometimes offered bribes to judicial officers so that the court cases could be swayed in their favour. The students were from the University of Swaziland (UNISWA). Gumedze revealed how he was once offered four cows by cattle rustlers who told him that all he had to do was say yes and the beasts would be delivered with all the necessary documents such as agricultural permits. I then told them to give me a million Emalangeni instead, said Gumedze jestingly. Gumedze said he teased them that with E1 million, he could move to South Africa (SA) in case he was found out. The magistrate also jestingly said he had no doubt that the cattle he was offered may have probably been stolen as he was dealing with cattle rustlers. Gumedze said he turned down the offer and said he asked them for E1m as a way to make fun of the ordeal before turning it down. The magistrate told would-be lawyers that the only way they could attain success in their career is by maintaining a level of integrity. He told the students that it would be easy for them to establish themselves especially if they were tempted with bribes. The magistrate, who is a product of Lubombo Central High School, said he would be turning 60 years old next year, adding that he would soon be a retired magistrate. He said through the years, he had understood the importance of basing a career on integrity. MANZINI Pursuits by law enforcement agents on public roads have resulted in serious accidents and such high speed police chases have even led to the death of many motorists. Yesterday, at about 1am in Fairview, a gruesome accident stemming from a police chase near popular hang-out spot, Mgcwembe, almost led to fatalities. A police van with officers, however not from the traffic department, is alleged to have chased after a white Toyota sedan driven by a female, believed to be a popular Manzini Wanderers fan. Information gathered from reliable sources is to the effect that the vehicle passed the police van, from the Fairview Police Post, which applied brakes and started following it. Upon realising that the police were after them, the driver of the Toyota allegedly sped off, however, she lost control of the vehicle just after Mgcwembe and hit an electricity pole. Members of the public, most of whom were having alcoholic beverages in nearby chill-out places, rushed to the scene when they heard a banging sound. When they got there, they discovered that the people inside the vehicle were seriously injured and the car extensively damaged. A security guard from a nearby popular joint was called and many people assisted in taking out the injured people. The driver, who will not be named for now, was believed to be dead as she was unconscious. After our suspicions that she could have been dead, many people became violent and started stoning the police vehicle. What infuriated us is that we knew the police had greatly contributed to the accident, but when they discovered that the car had lost control, they parked their vehicle far from the accident scene, a source who preferred not to be named said. KALUHLEKO We are ready to die for our land. These were strong words uttered by some KaLuhleko residents who brought the inauguration of the areas new headman (Indvuna) William Macondza Mangwe to a halt. This was after Mangwes name was announced by KaLuhleko chiefs representative Linda Maseko yesterday at the areas royal kraal. The residents did not wait for Maseko to finish delivering his message from Chief Zulelihle, as some stood on their feet and started disowning the new headman, hardly 10 seconds into office. One resident who was clad in traditional regalia with three feathers on his head, stood up and publicly stated that he did not know Mangwe and would not recognise him as headman. The visibly unhappy man took steps towards where the new headman and other traditional authorities were seated, still stating his case. He shouted that KaLuhleko residents had their own headman whom he said was a Zwane. He alleged that Mangwe was not a native of that area and did not know the issues affecting the people. He also contested that Mangwe did not even know KaLuhleko residents and wondered how he would be of service to people he did not know. No matter what you say, nothing will change, this is your new headman, Maseko said. This sparked outrage as more residents joined in to support the traditionally clad man. Wena wendlovu, they shouted as Maseko attempted to continue addressing the meeting. Their unified voices, as they repeatedly chanted the phrase, made it impossible for other residents to follow what Maseko was saying. Police had to intervene as the meeting could not proceed. Iyaphi indlovu iyaphambili, they chanted. At least six police officers were spotted at the royal kraal, two of who were in their blue uniform, while others wore plain clothes. MHLUME Salaries are due to be paid this coming Wednesday at Royal Swaziland Sugar Corporation (RSSC) but some employees of the giant sugar-manufacturing company will not bother visiting the banks. This is because their payslips for the month of April, which have already been issued, reflect that they would get E0.00 as a salary for this month. The official communication from the company is that the money has been deducted from the workers April wages by the Swaziland Revenue Authority (SRA) to settle a tax debt dating back to July last year. RSSC workers, especially those in lower positions and seasonals, had been receiving untaxed food rations and this was uncovered by SRA, when it conducted a tax audit on the company last year. As such, the tax collector has decided to effect a once-off tax deduction, that will be backdated to July last year, on all RSSC employees that had been receiving untaxed food rations. The sad news was broken to the workers by the Human Resources department in a memo issued last Wednesday. Following the results of the tax audit conducted by SRA that rations should be taxed, backdating from 1st July 2017, the taxation of the rations will be effected in the April 2018 payroll. All employees who are entitled to rations (T01-T06 permanents, seasonals and casual) will be taxed effective from this month, reads part of the memo issued by Bheki Maziya, the companys head of human resource operations. According to a union official, RSSC had initially objected to the taxation of food rations for the lower paid workers but it eventually agreed to comply after a failed court bid. MBABANE - Chief Justice (CJ) Bheki Maphalala means business. A few weeks ago, he banned two lawyers from appearing in any court in the country, for allegedly failing to remit monies to their clients, and now he has given law firms 21 days ultimatum to submit audited trust certificates. In a notice, the CJ stated that failure by the law firms to submit the audited trust certificates within the stipulated period, would result in proper action being taken, which include banning them from appearing before any court in the country. The 21 days is with effect from April 18, 2018. These law firms employ hundreds of lawyers who also include support staff. According to the statement issued by the head of the Judiciary, over 70 law firms have failed to comply with the Legal Pratitioners Act and this has resulted in the alleged misappropriation of monies belonging to clients. The CJ stated that the attorney general (AG) has provided his office with a long list of attorneys who were not complying with Section 24 of the Legal Pratitioners Act of 1964. These attorneys have failed to submit proper audited certificates as required by the law and this failure has been a cause for concern for the misappropriation of trust funds by certain lawyers, said the CJ. He also pointed out that what was worrying was that certain members of the council of the Law Society of Swaziland were not compliant. Integrity The long list and the extent of non-complaint attorneys with the Legal Pratitioners Act is a great cause for concern, not only to the members of public but to the integrity and reputation of the Judiciary, added CJ Maphalala. The head of the Judiciary continued to state that, equally important was the establishment and existence of the Fidelity Fund, which would assist members of the public who have become victims of misappropriation of trust funds. Pursuant to the issuing of the list of non-compliant attorneys, the office of the chief justice has issued a notice to all attorneys urging them to comply with Section 24 of the Legal Practitioners Act within 21 days, failing which further action will be taken, reads part of the CJs statement. He highlighted that the CJ, as the head of the Judiciary, had the responsibility to protect the integrity as well as the reputation of the Judiciary at all cost. The action taken by the CJ comes after Attorney General Sifiso Khumalo, wrote a letter informing the Law Society that some of its members were continuing to hold in defiance, the provision of Section 24 of the Legal Pratitioners Act. In fidelity to our task of ensuring compliance with the Act, we have taken stock of attorneys who have not submitted proper audited trust certificates, or at all, stated the AG. The AG mentioned that such continued defiance coupled with recent reports on misappropriation of clients monies by attorneys, taken together, could not sustain. Given that the extent of misconduct by attorneys is far reaching, let urgent action be taken to address the matter, said the AG. Khumalo concluded by stating that his office reserved the right to publicly name attorneys who have not submitted audited certificates. Secretary General of the Law Society Bongani Bhanyaza Mdluli, said they would issue a statement after their meeting with the CJ. He said they have written to the head of the Judiciary, requesting to meet him on a number of issues. We do not want to be seen to be dealing with issues of the Judiciary in the media. The Law Society will issue a statement after its meeting with the chief justice, said Mdluli. Section 24 (1) of the Legal Practitioners Act provides that: Every practising attorney, notary or conveyancer, having an office within Swaziland, shall open and keep a separate trust account, at a bank lawfully established within Swaziland, in which he shall deposit all moneys held or received by him in connexion with his practice within Swaziland, on account of any person; and he shall further keep proper books of account containing particulars and information as to moneys received, held or paid by him for or on account of any person. Section (2) stipulates: The attorney general may himself or through his nominee at public expense, inspect the books of account of any such attorney, notary or conveyance to satisfy himself, that subsection (1) is being observed. SIKHUPHE For the first time since he officially opened King Mswati III International Airport over four years ago, the King has finally used the airfield. His Majesty King Mswati III used the airport for the first time when he jetted out of the country to attend the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Double Troika Summit for Heads of State and governments of the regional body in Luanda, Angola, using his newly-bought Airbus A340-300, which he was also using for the first time. The King opened the airport on March 7, 2014 and he only set his foot there on April 13, 2018 when he went to see the State jet which landed on the morning of the same day. After that, he went to the airport to welcome the President of the Republic of China on Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, a week ago. Yesterday marked his first day to utilise the airport when leaving the country for duties abroad. The summit will be attended by the heads of State and governments, or representatives from the Double Troika Member States, which comprise the Republic of South Africa as the chair of SADC, the Republic of Namibia as the Deputy chair of SADC and the Kingdom of eSwatini as the outgoing chair of SADC. Other countries include the Republic of Angola as the chair of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, the Republic of Zambia as the incoming chair of Organ and the United Republic of Tanzania as the outgoing chair of Organ. The summit will receive reports on the political and security situation in the SADC region, to enable the regional leaders to appreciate the progress made in the implementation of SADC decisions in Lesotho, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The SADC Summit is responsible for the overall policy direction and control of functions of the community, ultimately making it the policy-making institution of SADC. MBABANE Being a Swazi student who relies on government funding continues to be a nightmare. The evidence is shown in Swazi students who are studying in neighbouring South Africa and other countries in the Southern Africa region. Government, through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, has still not paid allowances for some. The affected students are mainly those who have enrolled at the different universities for first year. While they stress about the allowances continues, the students have to deal with landlords who are demanding rent. Some of those studying in South African universities moved into flats at the end of January and have been struggling to pay rent. Information gathered is that parents have found themselves in a difficult situation as their children inform them that the landlords were threatening to evict them if they did not pay the rent. Just a few months ago, Swazi students were going through the headache of not getting study permits from the South African High Commission. The issue was serious to the point where some of them had to spend nights sleeping on the floor at the New Mall, just to get the permits. The need to spend colds nights at the malls floor was caused by that the commissions office not only closed early but there was more frustration following that it only attended to a specific number of students per day. Government was partly blamed for the scenario, as some students needed to present proof of payment before they could be granted the permits. In the latest scenario, some of the frustrated students, who were interviewed by this newspaper, said they were disappointed with government and said they felt like it did not care about their welfare. The Syrian army bombarded a jihadist enclave in south Damascus on Monday, state television and a war monitor said, as President Bashar al-Assad seeks to regain all ground near the capital. The military focus on the area, where Islamic State holds a pocket next to one held by rebel factions, began last week after the army took back eastern Ghouta. Rebels in two other enclaves northeast of Damascus surrendered in recent days. Buses transferring fighters from one of them to opposition territory in northern Syria under safe passage from the government continued to leave on Monday, state media said. On Friday, state television and a war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Islamic State and the rebels had agreed to surrender the south Damascus area, withdrawing to territory their comrades control in other parts of the country. However, the fighting has continued and the Observatory said on Monday that it was because some of the Islamic State fighters had rejected the surrender agreement. The continued bombardment was directed only at the area held by Islamic State, the Observatory added. State television broadcast live footage showing the area of Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp and the al-Hajar al-Aswad district with large plumes of smoke rising from several places. UNRWA, the U.N. agency that cares for Palestinians, said on Sunday that conditions in Yarmouk were hellish. "There must be safe passage for the sick and the wounded and the dying civilians," said Chris Gunness, the UNRWA spokesman. SOURCE: AFP Madagascar\s president on Monday demanded an end to unrest he said was intended to divide the country after two demonstrators were killed in a confrontation between police and anti-government protesters at the weekend. The violence has inflamed a political dispute over new electoral laws, and President Hery Rajaonarimampianina\s remarks coincided with a march through the capital by thousands of anti-government demonstrators protesting against the deaths. "As army chief, the president has not shed blood and will not shed blood," said Rajaonarimampianina, referring to himself in the third person in remarks on a visit to port project. "The blood has flowed enough in our country. It must stop. The violence must stop." His remarks appeared to signal a change of tone from Sunday, when he described the protests as "a coup" and warned "those who sow unrest and incite people to tear each other apart" that the state would respond by assuming its responsibilities. On Saturday, police fired teargas at an opposition demonstration held in protest against new electoral laws, where one person died and more than a dozen were treated for injuries, some caused by teargas canisters.[L8N1RY06K] Another individual injured in Saturday\s unrest, died on Sunday, Olivat Alson Rakoto, director of a hospital in the city, told Reuters. On Monday, thousands of demonstrators, most of them dressed in white, assembled in front of the city hall and a public square, where the coffins of the two individuals killed at the weekend were placed on the ground, the Reuters witness said. Supporters of opposition politician Marc Ravalomanana, a former leader of the Indian Ocean island nation, say the new electoral laws are designed to block him from running in the election. The opposition is also challenging provisions on campaign financing and access to media in the laws. "We protest these laws that were adopted by corrupted members of parliament," said Christine Razanamahasoa, an opposition lawmaker. DIALOGUE Harivonjy Randriamalala, a 42-year-old father of three children, said: "We want the president to resign. We want freedom of speech. We want elections in which all people can run." Ravalomanana, who was removed in a 2009 coup, has teamed up with the man who succeeded him, Andy Rajoelina, to oppose the laws pushed by President Hery Rajaonarimampianina. The election is due before the end of this year though the precise date has yet to be set. "I call on churches to convince those who are not yet convinced to engage in dialogue to find a solution to the crisis. If not, we can no longer contain (the anger of) the people," Ravalomanana said in a statement. Before Monday\s march began, General Beni Xavier Rasolofonirina, the defense minister, appealed to politicians to find an outcome that would avoid violence. "The security forces invite politicians to discuss and find a political solution to a political problem. The police will never accept power that does not come from the electoral process," he said in a statement. He said police would stay away from the area where people were marching. SOURCE: REUTERS [April 23, 2018] Australia Post Executes Multi-Year Agreement for Point-of-Sale Transformation Powered by OneView Digital Store Platform BOSTON and MELBOURNE, Australia, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OneView Commerce (AIM:ONEV), the retail industrys leading provider of digital point of sale (POS), announced today that Australia Post has signed a multi-year SaaS agreement for OneViews Cloud POS framework and Enterprise Promotions module to support a mobile point of sale solution. This agreement will continue the work completed during a proof of concept conducted from November 2017 to March 2018, and will deliver a foundational sales and service platform designed to re-invent the customer experience at selected outlets across their network. The program will provide Australia Post with more flexibility in how they engage with customers across their network and support the longer-term strategy of expansion of products and services offered at Australia Post locations through a variety of digital in-store formats including mobile, kiosk and over the counter. As demonstrated during the proof of concept, OneViews innovative framework provides Australia Post with the capabilities they require to enable new customer experiences and extend service offerings rapidly on a modern cloud platform. With OneViews API-first design, Australia Post can tailor the solution to meet continuously evolving customer expectations. Additionally, with features including shared basket and cross channel, OneView provides Australia Post witha foundation to re-imagine every experience as their business continues to adapt to a digital economy. OneView Chief Executive Officer Linda Palanza shared, We are pleased with the outcome of the proof of concept as it clearly demonstrates OneViews ability to deliver on Australia Posts unique transformation objectives. We look forward to continuing our close working relationship with the team and are pleased to have them join a select list of global retailers who have embraced OneViews digital and cloud-based point of sale capabilities acting as the digital hub of customer experience and engagement in the store. About The Australia Postal Corporation (Australia Post) Since the founding of the first post office in New South Wales in 1809, Australia Post has expanded delivery to more than 11.7 million addresses across Australia and to more than 190 countries around the world. Almost two thirds of its 4,300-plus outlets are privately owned and operate as licensed post offices. One of the countrys most trusted brands, Australia Post , comprising StarTrack, Decipha, SecurePay, MailPlus, Mail Call and POLi, competes in the global parcels and eCommerce services markets. Headquartered in Melbourne with offices and facilities across the country, more than 50,000 people are involved in Australian Post operations, including more than 34,000 employees in its integrated delivery, logistics, retail and eCommerce network. About OneView Commerce OneView Commerce is a pioneer in digital store transformation, helping global retailers implement successful unified commerce strategies that center on the critical engagement in-store. The companys cloud-based Digital Store Platform combines digital point of sale, real-time inventory management, and enterprise promotions to deliver a comprehensive store solution that drives increased footfalls, expands basket size and maximizes process optimization to improve margins. OneView enables the exchange of powerful store information across the enterprise to positively impact sales, business operations and customer experience. Discount Tire Corporation, Travis Perkins plc, Wickes, Molton Brown, and Carhartt are among the global retailers revolutionizing their stores with OneView Commerce. For more information, visit www.oneviewcommerce.com . Twitter: @oneviewcommerce. OneView is a registered trademark of OneView Commerce. All other trademarks belong to their respective companies. Contact: Lis Grant Schwegman Communications, Inc. +1 612-599-7797 lis@schwegmancommunications.com A video accompanying this release is available at: http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/4caf628f-6bce-4d78-abb9-61c03b9aa790 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] MinerEye CEO Yaniv Avidan to Speak About Using AI to Organize Unstructured Data at the Upcoming NVIDIA Inception Connect in Israel TEL AVIV, Israel, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Yaniv Avidan, CEO of MinerEye, a leader in AI-powered information governance and data protection, was invited to speak at the upcoming NVIDIA Inception Connect event, to be held by NVidia and Israel partner TeraSky in Tel Aviv, Israel on 23rd April. The topic of the event is, "How AI is changing the landscape for unstructured Data," and Avidan will speak on how NVIDIA's GPU technology accelerates MinerEye's flagship product, Data Tracker, which tracks and protects extremely large volumes of information assets including dark and unstructured data. Avidan is one of only four CEOs of leading Israeli technology companies deploying advanced AI and deep learning, invited to present at the event. "The intersection of our unique approach and access to NVIDIA's cutting edge technologies enable our customers to lower the risk associated with undermanaged data," says Avidan. "We deploy AI fused with machine learning and computer vision to categorize and track data at the byte and pixel level, which is not possible with traditional computing approaches. We are pleased to be invited to NVIDIA's Inception event with other Israeli companies identified by NVIDIA a driving transformation." "We are happy to host MinerEye at our NVIDIA Inception Connect event in Tel Aviv," says Serge Lemonde, NVIDIA Startups business director for EMEA and India. "NVIDIA's program was created to endorse outstanding companies who are transforming our world. Leveraging NVIDIA's GPU-accelerated and deep learning platforms, these companies are truly changing the data governance landscape with their innovations." About NVIDIA Inception Program NVIDIA, the world's leader in artificial intelligence computing hardware and the largest manufacturer of GPU's, designed the Inception Program to "nurture dedicated and exceptional startups who are revolutionizing industries with advances in AI and data science." Every Inception member gets a custom set of ongoing benefits, from hardware grants and marketing support to training with deep learning experts. More information on https://www.NVIDIA.com/en-us/deep-learning-ai/startups/ About MinerEye Powered by Interpretive AITM, MinerEye technology sees and continually tracks data according to form, file and information type wherever it resides. With MinerEye's unique approach, companies can now discover, organize and track vast information assets by scanning enterprise data repositories at the byte and pixel level. Sensitive data is mapped, tagged and secured according to data protection and compliance regulations including GDPR, HIPPA, PCI-DSS, SOC2, and EU-US Privacy Shield. Employing machine learning and computer vision, MinerEye's flagship product, Data Tracker, is helping companies significantly reduce data storage, fast-track and monitor cloud migration activities, protect previously undetected, unclassified and undermanaged data against security breaches, and continuously audit their information to maintain regulatory compliance. For more information, visit www.minereye.com, or watch a video on our solution. Contact Andrew Lavin A. Lavin Communications +972-516-944-4486 alc@alavin.com SOURCE MinerEye [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] NTT DATA Services Extends Partnership with Georgia Technology Authority NTT DATA Services, a recognized leader in global technology services, announced today the company has extended its contract with Georgia Technology Authority ( GTA (News - Alert) ) to expand its scope of work. For the past nine years, NTT DATA Services has supported State of Georgia employees across more than 41,000 computers and operating systems. The GTA manages the delivery of IT infrastructure services to 85 of Georgia's executive branch agencies and managed network services to 1,300 state and local government entities. The state's IT infrastructure services encompass mainframes, servers, service desk, end user computing, email, disaster recovery and security. "We're extremely proud of our work with GTA and the results we've delivered for the state's employees and the people they serve," said Chris Merdon, senior vice president, public sector, NTT (News - Alert) DATA Services. "We look forward to continuing to drive innovation in the state's IT capabilities through emerging technologies and best practices." Future NTT DATA Services implementations for GTA include: New IT service centers - "Tech Bars" - throughout the state for cnvenient, walk-in service for state employees. An innovation fund designed to set aside a percentage of revenue to invest in and implement future innovation. A rollout of self-healing tools designed to automatically identify and fix issues prior to a service disruption. Additionally, NTT DATA Services will work with GTA to implement a virtual desktop infrastructure, as well as customized solutions to simplify billing, transferring ownership of existing hardware and providing 24-hour support to improve the end-user experience. About NTT DATA Services NTT DATA Services partners with clients to navigate and simplify the modern complexities of business and technology, delivering the insights, solutions and outcomes that matter most. We deliver tangible business results by combining deep industry expertise with applied innovations in digital, cloud and automation across a comprehensive portfolio of consulting, application, infrastructure and business process outsourcing services. NTT DATA Services, headquartered in Plano, Texas, is a division of NTT DATA Corporation, a top 10 global business and IT services provider with 110,000+ professionals in more than 50 countries, and NTT Group, a partner to 88 percent of the Fortune 100. Visit nttdataservices.com to learn more. Connect with us: Twitter LinkedIn Facebook View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005219/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 22, 2018] ThoughtWorks Announces First Female Head of Technology for Southeast Asia and Takes Home Gold at Asia Recruitment Awards ThoughtWorks Singapore honoured for best-in-class recruitment and talent management practices SINGAPORE, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ThoughtWorks, a global software development and digital transformation consultancy, today announced Thao Dang has been named Head of Technology for Southeast Asia. Ms Dang, with 11 years of tech consulting experience, will lead the Singapore office in building the technology strategy and direction, capability engine, and engaging with the technology community and clients. She has spent the past five years as a developer and team lead at ThoughtWorks, and is passionate about supporting clients in bringing technology to the core of their business, data-driven digital transformation, and software design and delivery. Ms. Dang said, "I am excited to take on this role, and leverage my passion and skills to drive technology innovation and skills development within ThoughtWorks Singapore. As part of a company of purpose-led technologists, I will be exploring avenues for ThoughtWorks to contribute to the local tech ecosystem and pioneer more partnerships across the public and private sectors. Ialso hope to continue encouraging young female technologists to aspire to leadership positions in tech and grow their careers in this exciting industry." The new appointment comes at a time of significant growth and opportunity for ThoughtWorks, having celebrated six years in Singapore. The company continues to partner with clients in Singapore across diverse sectors such as finance, government and transport, helping them to drive digital transformation. ThoughtWorks has also been named a Gold winner in the 'Best Diversity & Inclusion Strategy' category at the Asia Recruitment Awards, the benchmark within the recruitment industry. With the intense competition for tech talent in Singapore, there has been greater industry focus on HR excellence and talent acquisition. Being respected as a forerunner for talent acquisition within Asia is an affirmation of ThoughtWorks' focus on culture that remains committed to hiring, training and growing a diverse team of talented individuals. Jessie Xia, Managing Director, ThoughtWorks Southeast Asia, said, "We're proud to announce Thao's appointment as Head of Technology at the same time that we receive this prestigious award. We are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion throughout our organisation every day, and to supporting many more talented individuals as they grow their careers while delivering outstanding client work. We do this both through recruitment practices and through programs that support the personal and professional development of our team, ensuring they have the right opportunities and mentorship to grow their careers long term." In Singapore, ThoughtWorks is currently running the JumpStart! programme, targeted primarily at individuals from non-ICT backgrounds with the aim to build a more diverse tech talent pipeline. For those interested in joining a community of passionate technologists and in creating tech that makes lives better, find out more at www.thoughtworks.com/careers. About ThoughtWorks ThoughtWorks is a global technology consultancy, 4500+ people strong across 41 offices in 14 countries. We are a software company and community of passionate purpose-led individuals. We think disruptively to deliver technology to address our clients' toughest challenges all while seeking to revolutionise the IT industry and create positive social change. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/95515/thoughtworks_logo.jpg SOURCE ThoughtWorks [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] Press Invitation: HKBN Updates on the Unauthorised Customer Database Access Incident HKBN will be holding a press conference this afternoon to update media on the latest progress concerning the unauthorised customer database access incident. This press conference will also be livestreamed from HKBN's dedicated facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/HongKongBroadbandNetwork) We cordially invite your presence or your representatives to attend the press conference. Details are as follows: Date 23 April 2018 (Today) Time 3:45pm (Registration) 4:00pm (Press conference) Venue Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited 14/F, TransAsia Centre, 18 Kin Kong Street, Kwai Chung Hong Kong Presenting Executive William Yeung, Co-Owner and CEO Language Primarily Cantonese Should you have any enquiry, please contact: Ada Tsang Corporate Communications Department HKBN Tel: +852 3999 2285 / +852 9728 9289 Fax: +852 3999 7349 Email: media@hkbn.com.hk Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150818/8521505360LOGO /PRNewswire -- April 23, 2018/ SOURCE Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited [April 23, 2018] Upskill Honored as Finalist in Hannover Messe's Prestigious Hermes Awards WASHINGTON, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Upskill, the leader in enterprise software for augmented reality (AR) devices, has been honored as one of five Hermes Award finalists during the Opening Ceremony of Hannover Messe, the world's largest industrial trade show that attracts more than 5,000 exhibitors and 200,000 attendees. The only U.S.-based company shortlisted, Upskill was recognized in front of thousands of its peers for outstanding innovation in developing and delivering the next-generation of its flagship Skylight AR platform. In its 15th year, the Hermes Award is one of the world's most prestigious industrial technology prizes, recognizing solutions that are showcased at Hannover Messe (Deutsche Messe) for the first time. Finalists were selected from a pool of nominations by an independent jury under the chairmanship of Dr. Wolfgang Wahlster, who heads the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). Released in the fall of 2017, Upskill's newest version of Skylight is designed to enable faster and broader adoption of AR in the enterprise. It offers more out-of-the-box features that lower the complexity of building, supporting and scaling AR at the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) in the market. Brian Ballard, Upskill's CEO and co-founder, said, "It is a true honor to be a finalist among other innovative, global technology companies at Hannover Messe. This recognition is a testament to Upskill's commitment to accelerate wider enterprise AR adoption by putting the power into the hands of our customers to create, test and deploy new AR solutions, our next-gen Skylight is proving to be a critical factor in enablng a more connected, productive industrial workforce." The next-gen Skylight's most notable enhancements include Skylight Application Builder, Skylight Connect, Skylight Software Development Kit (SDK) and Skylight Live, which provides best-in-class "see what I see" remote, HD video collaboration capabilities. Together, these enhancements allow customers to build new AR use cases on a common platform, and quickly deliver real value while keeping deployment and maintenance cost to a minimum. Today, Skylight users report an average performance improvement of 32 percent, with efficiency and quality as the two key metrics. Dr. Jochen Kockler, chairman of Deutsche Messe's Managing Board and head of the award's independent jury, commented, "The nominated entries reflect the trend towards self-learning and autonomous systems that leverage the full power of artificial intelligence and smart sensor technology. It's solutions like that that are driving the second wave of digitization. At the same time, all five entries have remained faithful to a human-centric approach to development by employing cognitive or physical support systems, such as AR glasses and exoskeletons." Upskill's recognition as a Hermes Award finalist builds on last month's momentum the company closed its latest funding round, raising $17.2 million from return investors Boeing HorizonX, GE Ventures and New Enterprise Associates (NEA), and new investors Accenture and Cisco Investments, among others. Accenture, with whom Upskill formed a strategic partner alliance, is also a key Hannover Messe exhibitor. As a preferred systems integrator in Upskill's partner program, Accenture will be one of several Upskill partners that will showcase Skylight in their Hannover Messe booth. To see the new Skylight in action for the first time at Hannover Messe, visit Upskill in Hall 6, Stand F46/4 in the USA Digital Factory Joint Pavilion. As a Hermes Award finalist, Upskill and Skylight will also be exclusively showcased at the TechTransfer Gateway2Innovation display in Hall 2, Stand C02 on April 23. About Upskill Upskill is the market leader in enterprise software for augmented reality devices in industrial settings. Trusted by the some of the world's most well-known companies, such as GE and The Boeing Company, both also investors, and many others, our technology enhances the capabilities of hands-on workers to measurably and immediately improve business operations from the factory to the warehouse to the jobsite. With our industrial platform, Skylight, workers can be connected to the information they need to do their jobs with greater efficiency and fewer errors, enabling businesses to become more agile and competitive. To learn more, visit upskill.io. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/upskill-honored-as-finalist-in-hannover-messes-prestigious-hermes-awards-300634238.html SOURCE Upskill [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] Lysogene Strengthens Board of Directors with Appointment of Dr. Peter Lichtlen CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and PARIS, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lysogene (FR0013233475 LYS), a leading biopharmaceutical company pioneering gene therapy technologies to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases, appointed Dr. Peter Lichtlen to the Board of Directors, as a non-executive, independent member effective from April 1, 2018. Dr. Peter Lichtlen was Chief Medical Officer at Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc. until the companys acquisition by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals earlier this year and has 18 years of leadership experience in the field of biotechnology. Annette Clancy, Chair of the Board of Directors of Lysogene said: "I am delighted to welcome Peter to the Board. I believe his extensive, international, clinical and development experience will add very significant competencies and value to our Board." Prior to joining Sucampo, Dr. Lichtlen was at ESBATech AG (acquired by Alcon/Novartis in 2009), which he joined in 2000. At ESBATech, Dr. Lichtlen served as Medical Director/Head Clinical Research and Development and was a member of its senior management team, from 2004 to 2010. Dr. Lichtlen also co-founded Numab AG, a Swiss biotechnology company that develops antibody-based therapeutics, where he remains a member of the Board of Directors and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Lichtlen also currently serves on the scientific advisory board of Apidel SA, a drug delivery company. Dr. Lichtlen is a member of the Swiss Medical Association (FMH) and the Swiss Association of Pharmaceutical Professionals (SwAPP), the author of various peer-reviewed articles, and the holder of several patents. Dr. Lichtlen earned a Bachelors Degree in business administration, and doctorate degrees in medicine and molecular biology at the University of Zurich. Dr. Peter Lichtlen said: I am truly thrilled to join Lysogenes Board at this exciting time with the company initiating its pivotal clinical trial for its lead programme later this year. I will do all I can to help bring Lyosogenes truly innovative products, which are so desperately needed by patients, to the market. I trust that the strategic and operational experience I have gained by working on early and late stage orphan and rare diseaseprojects over the past years, will be valuable for the company. It is also announced that Dr. Olivier Danos has resigned from the Board effective April 1, 2018. Dr. Olivier Danos said: I am very proud of the work I have been able to do as a co-founder of Lysogene with Karen Aiach since 2009 and as a Board member. It was decided, at the time of my appointment as Chief Scientific Officer of RegenxBio Inc. that I should step down from the Lysogene Board after a transition period agreed by both parties. I wish every success to Lysogene in the future and I look forward to remaining involved with the Company in its scientific endeavours. Annette Clancy and Karen Aiach said that, on behalf of the Board and the Management team, they wish to offer their heartfelt thanks to Olivier for his major contribution to the evolution of Lysogene and welcome his continued support of the Company. About Lysogene Lysogene is a gene therapy company focused on the treatment of rare diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The company has built a unique capability to enable a safe and effective delivery of gene therapies to the CNS to treat lysosomal diseases and other genetic disorders of the CNS. A pivotal clinical trial in MPS IIIA is expected to start in 2018, a phase 1-2 clinical trial in GM1 Gangliosidosis in 2019, while we are currently collaborating to define the clinical development path for the treatment of Fragile X syndrome. www.lysogene.com Contacts Julie Coulot / Emmanuel Huynh Chris Maggos NewCap LifeSci Advisors lysogene@newcap.eu chris@lifesciadvisors.com + 33 1 44 71 94 95 +41 79 367 6254 Forward looking statement This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, all statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Companys control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as target, believe, expect, aim, intend, may, anticipate, estimate, plan, project, will, can have, likely, should, would, could and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Companys control that could cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the expected results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. This press release has been prepared in both French and English. In the event of any differences between the two texts, the French language version shall supersede. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] Notification to Stallergenes Greer Shareholders of Annual General Meeting on 7 June 2018 Regulatory News: This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180422005011/en/ The shareholders of Stallergenes Greer plc (Paris:STAGR), a biopharmaceutical company specialising in treatments for respiratory allergies, are hereby informed that they are invited to attend the Company's Annual General Meeting at la Maison de la Recherche, 54 rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris, France, on 7 June 2018 at 2:00p.m. (CET). Notice of the meeting is available in the "Investors" section of the Company website at www.stallergenesgreer.com. It contains the draft resolutions proposed by the Board of Directors, the explanatory notes and the main conditions under which shareholders may participate, vote and exercise their rights. All documents are at the disposal of shareholders, as part of the Annual General Meeting, and are available at the registered office of the Company in London (40 Bernard Street, 3rd Floor, London WC1N 1LE, United Kingdom), in Antony (6 rue Alexis de Tocqueville, 92160 Antony, France), and also in the "Investors" section of the Company's website (www.stallergenesgreer.com), in "Results & Presentations / Annual General Meeting / 2018". ABOUT STALLERGENES GREER PLC Headquartered in London (UK), Stallergenes Greer plc is a global healthcare company specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies through the development and commercialization of allergy immunotherapy products and services. Stallergenes Greer plc is the parent company of GREER Laboratories, Inc. (whose registered office is in the US) and Stallergenes SAS (News - Alert) (whose registered office is in France). TRADING INFORMATION Name: Stallergenes Greer ISIN: GB00BZ21RF93 1 - Ticker: STAGR ICB Classification: 4577 LEI: 213800CYVZA7GJQEME86 Market: Euronext Paris regulated market Additional information is available at http://www.stallergenesgreer.com. This document (including information incorporated by reference in this document), oral statements made and other information published by the Company contain statements that are or may be forward-looking with respect to the financial condition and/or results of operations and businesses of the Company. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believe," "expects," "project," "estimated," "forecast," "should," "plan," "may" or the negative of any of these, or other variations thereof, or comparable terminology indicating expectations or beliefs concerning future events. These forward-looking statements include risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Without being exhaustive, such factors include economic situations and business conditions, including legal and product evaluation issues, fluctuations in currencies and demand, and changes in competitive factors. These and other factors are more fully described in the Company's 2016 annual report published on 28 April 2017 on the Company's website www.stallergenesgreer.com. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements, due to various factors. Save as required by applicable law, neither the Company nor any other person assumes any obligation to update these forward-looking statements or to notify any person of any such update. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180422005011/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] Xellia Pharmaceuticals Appoints Craig Boyd as President, Xellia US as it Expands its Commercial Organization in Preparation for the Launch of its Value-Added Anti-Infective Drug Products Xellia Pharmaceuticals ('Xellia' or the 'Company'), a specialty pharmaceutical company focusing on providing important anti-infective treatments against serious and often life-threatening infections, announced today that it has appointed Craig Boyd to the new leadership role of President, Xellia US. Craig will be responsible for leading the growth of Xellia's US business as the Company prepares to launch its pipeline of value-added anti-infective drug products into the US market. Xellia is also significantly expanding its commercial organization with a new office planned in Chicago to complement its increased US manufacturing capabilities as its facilities in Cleveland Ohio come into full operation in 2018. Craig brings more than 20 years' experience in various global pharmaceutical markets, working extensively in the US, Asia, Europe and Australia and across numerous product categories such as brands, biosimilars, devices, generics and specialty generics. Craig joins Xellia from his most recent role as Chief Commercial Officer at Envigo. Previously he was the Executive Vice President of Mayne Pharma's US specialty brands and prior to this Craig led global commercial sales functions at Hospira and Mylan. He also spent 10 years at Novartis as a senior commercial sales and marketing executive. Craig reports directly to Xellia's CEO, Carl-Ake Carlsson, who on welcoming him said: "Craig is a talented leader with deep market insight and customer understanding which will be instrumental in growing our business in the US and building our commercial organization. Since 2014, we have been developing our pipeline of value-added anti-infectives to meet the needs of healthcare professionals and their patients. Craig's expertise will be invaluable in developing our commercialization strateg to ensure the timely entry of our lead product, Premixed Vancomycin RTU, and other products into the US market." Commenting on his appointment as President, Xellia US, Craig Boyd said:"The US market is extremely important for Xellia and I am excited to be building the further growth of the Company's business in this territory. As well as focusing on the new commercial business and product launches, we will actively look to secure partnerships that will utilize the significant sterile injectable manufacturing footprint that Xellia is developing in the US." Xellia's pipeline of value-added anti-infectives drugs is centred on formulation improvements for marketed drugs from its core portfolio and is intended to enhance patient care. The most advanced product in Xellia's pipeline is its Novel Premixed Vancomycin Ready-to-Use (RTU) Bag, which was recently granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), providing incentives for the development of antibiotics, including priority review and eligibility for fast-track designation. During 2018, the Company plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) for this product to the FDA. - Ends - About Xellia Xellia Pharmaceuticals is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on providing important anti-infective treatments against serious and often life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections. With over 100 years of experience Xellia is a leading developer, manufacturer and trusted supplier of fermented and semi-synthetic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Injectable Finished Dosage Forms (FDFs) to the pharmaceutical industry. The Company has growing sales in more than 70 countries to over 500 customers across the healthcare industry. Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, Xellia has global facilities including operational and manufacturing capabilities in Denmark, USA, Hungary and China, and currently employs around 1,500 people. Xellia has a portfolio of specialty anti-infectives, and is a leading supplier of vancomycin and colistimethate sodium (CMS) which together combat life-threatening, multi-drug resistant bacterial infections across Gram-positive and Gram-negative species. Many of these are last resort antibiotics, often used when all other treatments have failed. Xellia is also dedicated to providing new anti-infective treatment options by improving the efficacy and delivery, and reducing toxic side effects of existing products. The Company also has early stage R&D programs focused on the discovery and formulation of new chemical entities effective against resistant microbes, with novel modes of action. Since July 2013, Xellia has been wholly owned by Novo Holdings A/S, the holding company of the Novo Group. Further information about Xellia can be found at: www.xellia.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005105/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] Ultimaker Raises Bar for Hassle-Free Professional 3D Printing With Ultimaker S5 HANNOVER, Germany, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Expands 3D Printer Lineup and Strengthens Integrated Solution with New Industrial-Grade Filament and Mobile App Ultimaker, the global leader in desktop 3D printing, today unveiled at Hannover Messe the Ultimaker S5, the latest expansion of its professional 3D printer portfolio. The future-ready Ultimaker S5 is fully optimized to fit seamlessly into existing workflows and delivers even more reliable results than before. With its larger build volume, the Ultimaker S5 is the ultimate professional solution for printing functional prototypes, manufacturing tools, and end-use parts. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/679909/Ultimaker_3D_Printer.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/679910/Ultimaker_Product.jpg ) The Ultimaker S5 has fully integrated hardware, software and materials configuration, as well as optimal settings alignment, designed for professional users that require full geometrical freedom capabilities, industrial-grade material properties, repeatability, high uptime and an integrated workflow. Boasting an optimized touch screen for better user experience, it features a 330x240x300 mm build volume for printing larger objects, dual extrusion, and an improved feeder system with a filament flow sensor that auto pauses and resumes when materials run out-leaving print quality untouched. The enhanced bed leveling ensures a perfect first layer and continuously compensates the print bed while printing, which allows unattended use of the Ultimaker S5. The Ultimaker S5 unlocks new applications and can print with a wider range of materials, from PLA to advanced engineering plastics like Nylon and PC. The Ultimaker S5 includes a closed front system, and from fall 2018, an anodized build plate. A full overview of specs can be found here. Ultimaker also introduced two additional products designed to make professional 3D printing even more accessible and easier to integrate into any workflow: Ultimaker Tough PLA - A technical PLA filament optimized for printing models at larger sizes such as functional prototyping, tooling and manufacturing aids, with no delamination or warping. With an impact strength similar and higher stiffness compared to Ultimaker ABS, Tough PLA is less brittle than regular PLA and gives amore matte surface finish quality. A technical PLA filament optimized for printing models at larger sizes such as functional prototyping, tooling and manufacturing aids, with no delamination or warping. With an impact strength similar and higher stiffness compared to Ultimaker ABS, Tough PLA is less brittle than regular PLA and gives amore matte surface finish quality. Ultimaker App - The Ultimaker App allows users stay updated on the print's progress from a phone or tablet where ever they are. The free Ultimaker App notifies users when a print job is ready or when a printer needs special attention or maintenance. The Ultimaker App will be available on May 15th for Android and iOS, and works with Ultimaker S5 and Ultimaker 3 3D printers. Prof. Axel Herrmann, CEO of Composite Technology Center GmbH an Airbus Company: "When your work is shaping the future of aerospace, innovation is key. So at CTC, we use 3D printing not only to create extremely useful manufacturing aids and prototypes for Airbus and other customers, but also as a learning tool to prepare the workforce for tomorrow. Because of the ease of use of the Ultimaker S5 and the low costs involved with Ultimaker FDM 3D printing, we can easily make several iterations before reaching a final, even better design and still shrink lead times from weeks to days. Working with the Ultimaker S5 definitely unleashes even more creativity among our Engineers." Lars Bognar, Research Engineer Additive Manufacturing at Ford: "In automotive, every second counts, so we are pleased to see that the Ultimaker S5 has a larger build volume which allows us to print larger jigs and fixtures or multiple manufacturing aids at once. Combined with the automated, reliable print process and the ability to now print with a very wide range of industrial-grade materials, the Ultimaker S5 allows our engineers and designers to fully iterate and test certain functional prototypes to as real conditions as possible without scaling. After conducting successful tests, we also use our Ultimaker 3D printers to create the final end-use manufacturing aids that continuously help us to improve our workflow." Johannes Grimm, part of the Operational Excellence and Engineering team at ZEISS Industrial Metrology Business Group: "The creation of optical components requires absolute accuracy and in Ultimaker we have found a partner in precise 3D printing, with the materials we need. The enhanced bed leveling of the Ultimaker S5 ensures that we can fully rely on our 3D printed manufacturing aids by compensating for any small, natural variations in the build plate surface, so we don't have to continuously monitor the printer. The quality results we get from the Ultimaker S5 allow us for instance, to print tools we can use to align a mirror at exactly the right place while gluing it, but also to create end-use parts that we use for O-SELECT, our intelligent digital measuring projector. With the Ultimaker S5, we are ready to continue our contribution to technological progress for many years." Rodrigues Dimitri, 3D Print Driver at Renault: "Because of the accessibility and reliability of Ultimaker 3D printers, we quickly embedded this technology in our design workflow. The fact that the Ultimaker S5 is even more intuitive and delivers a perfect first layer for every print means we spend hardly any time setting up and checking on the 3D printers. This frees up our team more time to fully focus on the creation of new innovations that help to improve and speed up our engine manufacturing process." Luis Reis, Pilot Plant Engineer at Volkswagen: "In 2017, we estimated that we avoid around EUR325,000 of costs by 3D printing multiple tool and fixtures with Ultimaker 3D printers. The enhanced feeder on the Ultimaker S5, designed to print with advanced technical plastics such as composite materials, allows us to print reliably with an even wider range of industrial-grade materials, which is a great benefit for us." The Ultimaker S5 and Ultimaker Tough PLA will be available on May 15, 2018 through Ultimaker's network of global partners. For more information, please visit http://www.ultimaker.com or read our blog. About Ultimaker Ultimaker has been in operation since 2011, and over the years has grown to become a market-leader; creating powerful, professional and accessible desktop 3D printers with offices in the Netherlands, New York, and Boston, plus production facilities in Europe and the US. Ultimaker's team of over 300 employees continually strives to offer the highest-quality 3D printers, software, and materials on the market to accelerate the world's transition to local digital manufacturing. http://www.ultimaker.com. SOURCE Ultimaker [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] Trimble Unveils Pan-India Program To Train Next Generation Construction Industry Professionals NEW DELHI, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Announces Opening of 17 Training Centers; To Train 10,000 Professionals by 2020 Global construction technology leader Trimble today unveiled its Pan-India training program to train the next-generation of engineering and construction industry professionals. The company also announced the opening of its latest Tekla Authorized Training Center (ATC) in Vijayawada, taking the number of ATCs to 17 across India. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/559480/Trimble_Solutions_India_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/680462/Paul_Wallett.jpg ) Trimble Tekla runs education, training and certification programs for Tekla Structures and other cutting-edge software tools used by the global architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. The learning programs aim to build a pool of skilled and talented engineers and construction professionals that can contribute to the ongoing transformation of the Indian construction industry. Trimble has so far trained and certified over 700 professionals through its ATCs, and aims to grow this number to 10,000 professionals by 2020. In addition, Tekla helps the students of engineering colleges build their future career by equipping them with desired 3D structural modelling software for their learning and knowledge enhancement purposes. The Campus download allows he students to get their free license and immediately start learning upon registering on Tekla's official website with their email id. The total number of student downloads have exceeded over 90,000 till date and this number continues to swell rapidly. Announcing the program, Paul Wallett, Regional Director, Trimble India and Middle East, said, "Through these structured learning programs, we aim to not only bridge the gap between the demand and supply of well-trained Constructible BIM professionals in the industry, but also create a steady supply of world-class talent that can help Indian construction industry embrace cutting-edge technologies and match their global counterparts. The tailored program and free access to professional software will further help students build promising careers in structural engineering and applications." The Indian construction industry is rapidly embracing technologies like Constructible BIM, 3D modeling and tech-enabled project management. Tekla ATCs train students in these essential tools and also equip them with conceptual designing and planning. The Tekla Education program from Trimble offers to construction industry professionals the opportunity to learn best-in-class software including Tekla Structures; the world's premier engineering and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software; Tekla Tedds and Tekla Structural Designer. The program also offers unlimited Tekla software licenses, learning content and free student licenses. Tekla's Authorized Training centers are located in the prime locations across India, including Pune, Ahmedabad, Trichy, Kochi, Nashik, Bangalore, Aurangabad, Mysuru, Kolkata, Coimbatore, Vijayawada, Kerala and Gandhinagar. The company plans to extend its ATCs to 50 cities across India in the next 18-24 months. About Trimble Solutions Corporation: Trimble Solutions Corporation is focused on technology solutions that improve collaboration, efficiency and accuracy across the Design-Build- Operate (DBO) lifecycle of buildings. The company drives the evolution of digital information models to provide greater competitive advantage to the construction, infrastructure and energy industries. Trimble Solutions Corporation, earlier known as Tekla, has customers in over 100 countries, offices in over 20 countries and a global partner network. For more information on Tekla Campus, log on to https://campus.tekla.com/ or read more about constructibility https://www.tekla.com/modeling-construction-not-just-for-drawings Additional information Tanya Mishra tanyam@evoc.in, +91-9004438498 Pratishtha Wadhwa Pratishthaw@evoc.in +91-7985252619 PR consultant Evoc Communications Consulting Pvt. Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] LiveSafe Named as Finalist for Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) 2018 Innovation Award ARLINGTON, Va., April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LiveSafe, the worlds leading mobile safety communications platform, was named by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) as a finalist for the 2018 (R)Tech Asset Protection Innovation Awards. The Awards showcase game-changing technologies that mitigate total retail loss and recognizes visionary companies that are developing these solutions. Finalists were identified by a group of AP technology experts and the winners, including first, second and third place, and retailers' choice, will be announced live from the main stage at the 2018 Retail Asset Protection Conference, April 29 May 2 in Orlando, Florida. "The Innovation Awards are a chance for retailers to single out cutting-edge technology and recognize companies that are spurring innovation for the benefit of the retail AP industry, said Lisa LaBruno, RILA's senior vice president of retail operations. LiveSafe is honored to be recognized by RILA and its expert review panel as innovators and visionaries, said Carolyn Parent, CEO, LiveSafe. We believe that a key element of making the retail environment more safe for owners, employees and customers happens when we combine innovative technology with industry-specific expertis. The LiveSafe Platform is an integrated system consisting of a mobile app for community-sourced intelligence collection, and a web-based incident management dashboard. Its design provides greater transparency and accountability to the Total Retail Loss Typography by lighting up human sensors at every stage of the risk picture. Across the broad range of loss categories and physical locations that are a part of the modern retailing landscape, LiveSafe leverages the universal common denominator that exists at virtually every touch-point a human with a smartphone. LiveSafe systemically removes the barriers that people traditionally encounter in surfacing loss insights. On Monday, April 30, Maili Neverosky, Vice President of LiveSafes Global Implementation Services Team will present a brief technology showcase during Game Changers: Innovative Tech to Revolutionize Retail AP. In addition, LiveSafe will be part of the Workplace Safety track where Maili will join Dan Ryan, Vice President, Corporate Security at GGP to present a session entitled Community-Sourced Intel: Addressing Your Security Blind Spot that will help attendees understand and identify significant blind spots in their organizations and will highlight real-world strategies other companies are using to leverage community-sourced intelligence. The session will be held Tuesday, May 1st from 2:45 PM to 3:30 PM. About LiveSafe LiveSafe is the worlds leading mobile safety communications platform delivering actionable crowdsourced safety and security intelligence, preventing incidents before they occur and connecting people to the help they need. LiveSafe is used by more than 200 forward-thinking enterprises, universities and organizations including Hearst, Cox Communications, the San Francisco 49ers and many others. The LiveSafe app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play or iTunes app stores. Follow LiveSafe on Twitter @LiveSafe, and learn more at LiveSafeMobile.com. Media Contact: Alan Mangelsdorf alan.mangelsdorf@livesafemobile.com (845) 235-4628 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] Siklu mmWave Wireless Enables Real Time Connectivity for the Grupo Pinsa in Mexico FORT LEE, New Jersey, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Siklu Inc., the global market leader in mmWave wireless solutions, announced today that Grupo Pinsa, a leading company in America tuna industry and headquartered in Mexico, has deployed Siklu mmWave radios providing wireless connectivity throughout the group's campuses. The radios were deployed to transmit real time information between multiple buildings as well as over the Pacific Ocean to carry automation, voice, data and video from cameras for various security and quality assurance purposes. This network required close to zero downtime while delivering gigabits per second of capacity with minimum latency. Arsnet, an information and communications technology (ICTs) integration company, specialized in wireless ecosystem mobility solutions, was increasingly challenged to provide Grupo Pinsa with a 700 Mbps to 1000Mbps connectivity in these areas at an acceptable cost and in a short amount of time. The 5GHz band in use was already saturated with high interference, making the backbone links unstable. In addition, speeds needed to be fiber-like, making it difficult to expand throughput to their campuses reliably with no interference, requirements that effectively ruled out using 5GHz equipment. With limited fiber availability, Arsnet turned to Siklu's master distributer Alliance to provide design of the mmWave wireless solution. This approach avoided expensive leased lined or complex fiber deployments throughout the city in poles or underground. The challenge presented was to install a main link between different plants of the group in the cities of Mazatlan and Guaymas. A combination o unlicensed 60, 70-80Ghz multigigabit radios are currently covering 13 production lines, storages facilities with capacity for 21,000 tons of material and product warehouses with a capacity to handle 2 million boxes. The network connects satellite buildings to their main site in a 2-3km per link point-to-point topology. The biggest design challenge was to find a location inside the factory to be able to maintain high availability even in harsh rain conditions and over the water. Radical weather changes in the coastal area presented a challenge which Siklu's links withstood for over three years, two Hurricanes and numerous tropical storms without a single drop in service. The links were designed to provide 99.995% availability, leveraging narrow beams in the uncongested mmWave spectrum, and providing immunity to 5Ghz Wi-Fi signals within campuses area. Arsnet were able to deploy Siklu's high capacity links extremely fast using the EtherHaul 600TX and 1200FX. "The EtherHaul was an easy upgrade for Pinsa's existing Sub-6GHz links, enabling them to immediately benefit from Siklu's field proven reliable mmWave wireless technology," said Oscar Hernadez, CTO of Arsnet. "Deploying wireless fiber with Siklu was the same in terms of speed and availability as deploying fiber only with faster installation times and much lower cost," stated Luis Rizo Parra, COO/CTO/Architecture & Infrastructure IT & Operations at Grupo Pinsa. "We are very pleased with the performance of Siklu's solutions. We began in 2015 and plan on expending that technology to more plants outside our campuses where connectivity will be required in the future." "Siklu is pleased to be selected as the wireless fiber partner of Grupo Pinsa. With Alliance we are expanding our reach throughout CALA," said Eyal Assa, Siklu's CEO. "With over 100 cities worldwide and more than 62,000 units successfully deployed, Siklu's industry-leading EtherHaul links are now available as part of the most comprehensive end-to-end mmWave portfolio. From planning to deployment including point-to-point and point-to-multipoint solutions of up to 10Gbps, we offer Grupo Pinsa the products and tools they can rely on in the future." Siklu's End-to-End mmWave wireless solutions will be showcased at Expo Seguridad, City Mexico, April 24-26, booths: Axis #1815, Syscom #2715, Alliance #1511. About Siklu Siklu delivers multi-gigabit wireless fiber connectivity in urban, suburban and rural areas. Operating in the mmWave bands, Siklu's wireless solutions are used by leading service providers and system integrators to provide 5G Gigabit Wireless Access services. In addition, Siklu solutions are ideal for Smart City projects requiring extra capacity such as video security, WiFi backhaul and municipal network connectivity all over one network. Thousands of carrier-grade systems are delivering interference-free performance worldwide. Easily installed on street-fixtures or rooftops, these radios have been proven to be the ideal solution for networks requiring fast and simple deployment of secure, wireless fiber. http://www.siklu.com. Press Contacts Shiri Butnaru Marketing Manager, Siklu shiri.b@siklu.com Dave Sumi VP Marketing, Siklu dave.s@siklu.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] Brilliant CEO Launches New Vlog - Mojo Monday's with Jeff Mariola CHICAGO, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Jeff Mariola, CEO and President of Brilliant, an award-winning search, staffing and management resources firm specializing in accounting, finance and information technology, has launched an informal video blog (vlog) airing Monday mornings. The new vlog, Mojo Monday's with Jeff Mariola, will cover relevant business topics including leadership, management and workplace culture. From finding meaning in your role to colleague engagement to aligning with a business' vision, Mariola creates a roadmap of business success for viewers in each episode. Mariola says, "I want to reach a niche group of professionals who are engaged in their career paths, the companies they work for, and their individual roles." He continues, "There's a lot of business speak out there. I want people to be able to take away some insight they may not have heard of before. If I can inspire a few individuals to enhance their career in some capacity, I'll know launching this vlog was worthwhile." Mojo Monday's with Jeff Mariola is filmed inside a popular Chicago coffee house, Mojo, where you can see and hear the hustle and bustle of the city's financial district behind Mariola. Watch the first episode, Finding Purpose in Your Work, by clicking this link. To catch each new episode of Mojo Monday's with Jeff Mariola, follow the Brilliant LinkedIn Company page here. About Brilliant | Connecting People and Opportunities Brilliant is an award-winning search, staffing and management resources firm specializing in accounting, finance and information technology for the Greater Chicago, South Florida and soon Dallas-Fort Worth labor markets. The firm represents high-quality accounting, finance and information technology talent and matches them with hiring companies throughout various industries including manufacturing, distribution, health care, professional services, retail, legal, technology, real estate, nonprofit organizations, software and hospitality, among others. Many of Brilliant's team members include former hiring managers, and accounting and finance professionals from the Big 4 accounting firms, as well as other leading professionals in the industry. Since its inception in 2009, Brilliant has ranked on various award lists including Forbes America's Best Professional Recruiting Firms two years in a row including No. 2 in 2018, Forbes America's Best Executive Recruiting Firms in 2017, Crain's Chicago Business Fast 50 for three straight years including No. 1 in 2015, Staffing Industry Analysts Fastest-Growing Staffing Firms in the United States for three straight years including No. 2 in 2015, Inavero's Best of Staffing Talent for North America three years in a row, Inc. 5000 for three straight years, Best Places to Work South Florida, 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For for four straight years, and others. To learn more about Brilliant, visit www.brilliantfs.com, call 312.582.1800 or follow @BrilliantFS on social media. Media Contact: Laurie Vicente, Brilliant, Lvicente@brilliantfs.com or 312.582.1812 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brilliant-ceo-launches-new-vlog--mojo-mondays-with-jeff-mariola-300634588.html SOURCE Brilliant [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] RAID Backed by Inverness Graham DALLAS, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inverness Graham Investments, a private investment firm based in Philadelphia, announced today that its recreational safety education portfolio company, Kalkomey Enterprises, LLC, has invested in Dive RAID Training agency. Dive RAID Training agency Weve been carefully researching the options to enter the scuba market for some time. We chose RAID because it has the values we look for in a company; world class programs driven by an enthusiastic and passionate team that is making Scuba fun for everyone involved, said Inverness Graham Managing Principal, Michael Morrissey. Their vast array of training programs and impressive technology platform make them a perfect match to partner with Kalkomey. This marriage positions RAID to challenge the current industry paradigm, which is exactly what we were looking for. Kalkomey is the leader in online recreational safety education for state required certifications and is an official provider of recreational safety education materials for all 50 states, as well as Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. Using a web-based delivery model, Kalkomey has helped millions of students get educated to safely boat, hunt, and operate off-road vehicles and snowmobiles. Jason Alexander, Kalkomey CEO,said, Our research indicates that people interested in outdoor recreation participate in many different activities over their lifetime. We believe there is enormous demand among the millions of Boat-Ed and Fresh Air enthusiasts weve already trained, as well as the hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts that we newly teach each year, that will want to try scuba diving! Were excited about the opportunity to apply our expertise in parallel industries to drive these potential customers through the doors of dive centers that join the RAID movement. Together with RAID we know we can truly Partner with dive shops to help their businesses grow and thrive. RAID is a rapidly emerging dive training brand globally with a mission to innovate the dive industry through digitizing education, systems and processes. Operating in more than 60 countries worldwide, RAIDs state of the art online training platform features the most comprehensive online, pro-active quality assurance system in the industry. The virtually paper-free RAID training system has recently been recognized for ISO compliance, and its programs were also found to meet the RSTCs minimum standards paving the way for RAIDs membership with the RSTC. The RAID system focuses on training divers on critical skills such as proper trim and neutral buoyancy in the diver position, we believe its essential to also train dive professionals on those same skills to ensure they are best serving the needs of their students to be divers, not just certified, said Jim Holliday, who will continue leading business operations as President of RAID. About Inverness Graham Investments Headquartered in Newtown Square, PA, Inverness Graham is an operationally focused private investment firm with over $500 million of assets under management. Inverness Graham acquires high growth, innovative manufacturing and services companies. Our approach is as unique as our heritage. Founded by senior executives of the Graham Group, a family owned multi-national industrial concern, we bring unparalleled resources developed over a 50-year operating history to support our portfolio companies. Inverness Graham partners with businesses to provide the financial and operational support necessary to accelerate growth. Learn more at www.invernessgraham.com. About Kalkomey Enterprises, Inc. Kalkomey has trained and delivered more than two million safety certifications for active outdoor enthusiasts, utilizing online and face-to-face coursework in boating, hunting, snowmobile, and more. Kalkomey operates in all fifty US states, as well as Canada, and is the leading provider across all of North America. Kalkomey was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Dallas, TX. Learn more at www.kalkomey.com. About RAID RAID is a culmination of worldwide scuba diving, training experience and skill development combined and presented with todays latest technology; considered one of the most comprehensive e-learning programs in the world. RAIDs mission is to be the benchmark brand for quality dive training globally through improved technology, training techniques, a proactive quality control system and ensuring the highest standard of dive instructors. Learn more at www.diveraid.com. Contact: Watson DeVore 970-999-4342 wdevore@raidusa.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] 12 ReTech Announces That It Has Reached Agreement with Tellson Securities, Inc. To Raise $5 million in Equity Carson City, NV & Hong Kong, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 12 ReTech Corporation (OTC: RETC), announced today that it has entered an agreement with Tellson Securities, Inc. (Tellson), a FINRA and U.S. Securities Exchange Commission registered broker-dealer and investment bank. The agreement calls for Tellson to raise $5 million USD or more in equity in a private placement with institutional accredited investors as defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933. If the private placement is successful, the working capital that is raised by Tellson would be used to grow the operations of the Company, including the operations of future acquisitions for which the Company has LOIs outstanding that may or may not have been previously publicly announced. The Company will also use a portion of the working capital to pay for the ongoing improvement and development of the 12 ReTech Technology Suite, as the Company prepares to go to market in Asia, Europe and North America. Angelo Ponzetta, CEO of 12 ReTech, recently commented, This is the next step in our business plan which includes adapting our software technology to the Asian, European and North American markets, introducing new proprietary technology products to our target merchant clients and executing the acquisitions of microbrands previously announced that we are pursuing over the course of the last six months. In addition, we are negotiating with several additional microbrand and technology parties that we are looking to acquire or joint venture with. Mr. Ponzetta added, Additional working capital would be welcome as we would be able to accelerate some of the projects that we have been working on since mid-2017. We were introduced to Tellson Securities by our advisory board member, Richard Berman, who has worked with Tellsons management team successfully in the past. Richard Berman, Advisory Board Member, commented, The fact that Tellson is willing to take on12 ReTech as a client in a capital raising effort, speaks volumes about what they think of the potential for 12 ReTech. The retailing industry is far from dead. The use of effective technology to attract shoppers and lower merchants expenses should be a deciding factor in its future. Companies, like 12 ReTech which help the industry to evolve and get retailers to adopt new technologies will sell at a premium to the market. Jeff Cianci, Senior Managing Director of the New York office of Tellson Securities, commented, We are excited about the growth opportunities that this talented management team has put together. Synergistic acquisitions of leading microbrands combined with a leading technology should offer investors real potential growth. About Tellson Securities, Inc. Tellson Securities, Inc. (formerly known as 41 North Securities, Inc.) finds its genesis in 1981 with the formation of Trenwith Capital, Inc. Today, Tellson serves clients both domestically and internationally with offices in New York City and California. Our principals have completed over 500 transactions with a combined value of greater than $15 billion. About 12 ReTech Corporation: At our core, we are a software company whose technology allows retailers to combat the dual threats of Walmart and Amazon both online and in physical stores. Our microbrand rollup acquisition strategy allows us to demonstrate the effectiveness of our software, devise and test new products, while providing shareholder value through immediate revenue and earnings growth. The Company operates through our subsidiaries on three continents: 12 Hong Kong, Ltd., 12 Japan, Ltd., 12 Europe A.G., 12 Retail Corporation (and its subsidiary in North America, E-Motion Apparel, Inc.). For more information please visit our website at www.12ReTech.com . 12 Retech Corporation is publicly listed on the OTC Markets under the symbol RETC. Safe Harbor: This document contains certain 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, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty, including without limitation, the ability of the Company to successfully implement its turnaround strategy, changes in costs of raw materials, labor, and employee benefits, as well as general market conditions, competition and pricing. Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this letter will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as representation by the Company or any other person that the objectives and plans of the Company will be achieved. In assessing forward-looking statements included herein, readers are urged to carefully read those statements. When used in the Annual Report on Form 10-K, the words "estimate," "anticipate," "expect," "believe," and similar expressions are intended to be forward-looking statements. Tom Nelson Ten Associates, LLC Tenassociates33@gmail.com 480-326-8577 (USA) Mark Gilbert Magellan FIN, LLC mgilbert@magellanfin.com 317-361-2392 (USA) Investor Relations [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 23, 2018] WEI Mortgage LLC ("WEI Mortgage"), Notice of Data Breach MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- WEI Mortgage LLC ("WEI") recently discovered a data privacy incident that may affect the security of certain of personal information. What Happened? On or around September 20, 2017, WEI Mortgage LLC ("WEI Mortgage") received reports of unusual activity in an employee's email account. WEI Mortgage immediately began an investigation to confirm the security of its network and to determine the nature and scope of this event. With the assistance of third-party forensic investigators, WEI Mortgage learned it was the victim of an email phishing attack, resulting in unauthorized access to certain employee email accounts. Based upon available forensic evidence, it appears these email accounts were subject to unauthorized access between September 13 and September 28, 2017. While the investigation found no evidence of actual or attempted misuse of personal information, the investigation revealed some personal information was present in the impacted email accounts at the time of the incident. What Information Was Involved? The investigation determined the information present in the impacted email account varies by individual, but may include some combination of the following: Social Security number, date of birth, health insurance information, health insurance group number, health insurance member number, address, driver's license or state identification number, passport number, bank account information, credit or debit card information, tax identification number, username and password, loan package information, and name. What We Are Doing. WEI Mortgage takes the security of personal information in its care very seriously. WEI Mortgage is working diligently to educate its employees about phishing scams and to confirm the ongoing security of its networks. Law enforcement was notified of this incident, as well as applicable state regulators as required by law. As an added precaution, WEI Mortgage is offering affected individuals access to twenty-four (24) months of credit monitoring and identity theft restoration services through AllClear ID at no cost What You Can Do. You can review the information WEI Mortgage is providing on steps individuals can take to protect their information. For More Information. If you have additional questions, please call our dedicated assistance line at 1-855-303-6662, Monday through Saturday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Central Time, excluding National Holidays. STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION Monitor Your Accounts Credit Reports. We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity over the next 12 to 24 months. Under U.S. law, you are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of your credit report. Fraud Alerts. At no charge, you can also have these credit bureaus place a "fraud alert" on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. Note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, it may also delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on your file. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, or should you have any questions regarding your credit report, please contact any one of the agencies listed below: Equifax P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348 800-525-6285 www.equifax.com Experian P.O. Box 2002 Allen, TX 75013 888-397-3742 www.experian.com TransUnion P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19106 800-680-7289 www.transunion.com Security Freeze. You may also place a security freeze on your credit reports. A security freeze prohibits a credit bureau from releasing any information from a consumer's credit report without the consumer's written authorization. However, please be advised that placing a security freeze on your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prevent the timely approval of any requests you make for new loans, credit mortgages, employment, housing, or other services. If you have been a victim of identity theft and you provide the credit bureau with a valid police report, it cannot charge you to place, lift, or remove a security freeze. In all other cases, a credit bureau may charge you a fee to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security freeze. Fees vary based on where you live, but commonly range from $3 to $15. You will need to place a security freeze separately with each of the three major credit bureaus listed above if you wish to place a freeze on all of your credit files. In order to request a security freeze, you will need to supply your full name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, current address, all addresses for up to five previous years, email address, a copy of your state identification card or driver's license, and a copy of a utility bill, bank or insurance statement, or other statement proving residence. To find out more on how to place a security freeze, you can use the following contact information: Equifax Security Freeze P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348 1-800-685-1111 www.freeze.equifax.com Experian Security Freeze P.O. Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com/freeze/ TransUnion P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016 1-888-909-8872 freeze.transunion.com Additional Information. You can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, security freezes, fraud alerts, and the steps you can take to protect yourself against identity theft and fraud by contacting the Federal Trade Commission or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should be promptly reported to law enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission, and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed as the result of a law enforcement investigation. For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General can be reached at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-888-743-0023; and www.oag.state.md.us. The WEI Mortgage is located at 4000 Midlantic Drive, Suite 102, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054. For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General can be contacted by mail at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; toll-free at 1-877-566-7226; by phone at 1-919-716-6400; and online at www.ncdoj.gov. For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General can be contacted by mail at 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; by phone at (401) 274-4400; and online at www.riag.ri.gov. A total of 2 Rhode Island residents are potentially impacted by this incident. You have the right to file and obtain a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that, in order to file a crime report or incident report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some kind of proof that you have been a victim. For New Mexico residents, you have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; you may limit "prescreened" offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report; and you may seek damages from a violator. You may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage you to review your rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wei-mortgage-llc-wei-mortgage-notice-of-data-breach-300634769.html SOURCE WEI Mortgage LLC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Capitol Insider podcast: Who will win Kansas governor race? Washburn University political science professors Bob Beatty and Mark Peterson analyze top contenders in the Kansas gubernatorial race for the latest episode of Capitol Insiders.The Topeka Capital-Journal's weekly podcast examines nuances of Kansas politics. Topeka newsies go out on a limb and offer some interesting fun facts & tidbits that might better inform speculation about this contest to counter pointless social media advocacy. Checkit: Missouri Has Highest Black Homicide Rate In U.S., Kansas In Top 10 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri has the highest rate of black homicide victims in the country, with neighboring Kansas coming in the top 10. The Violence Policy Center released a study Wednesday that looked at 2015 data submitted by local law enforcement agencies nationwide to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City Star reported . The following headline has worked its way around the nation with very few solutions offered . . . Only reactionary outrage has followed while protests against police and Starbucks continue despite their very minor role in this ongoing tragedy: KCMO Agenda Inside The Loop Meth Town Inferno Aftermath Independence family loses everything in "a matter of minutes" during fire INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- For Keira and Tim Franklin and their children, it all came down to a matter of minutes. That's how long it took for their house on North Jones Court to be engulfed in flames, and it's the amount of time that made the difference between life and death. Desperately Seeking Kansas City Justice Family, friends mourn woman found shot to death on Kansas City sidewalk Family and friends mourned 39-year-old Kiley M. Cubie of Kansas City, who was found shot to death last week on a sidewalk in a Kansas City neighborhood. Police found Cubie's body about 4:30 a.m. Thursday near 36th Street and Park Avenue. Golden Ghetto Johnson County Weekend Gunfire Aftermath One person shot inside Shawnee restaurant early Sunday SHAWNEE, Kan. -- A man fired a gun inside a crowded Shawnee bar early Sunday, injuring one person. The victim was struck in the ankle, according to police. It happened after a confrontation about 1:30 a.m. inside La Terraza bar and grill on Shawnee Mission Parkway. Show-Me Wildlife The bears of Missouri are out and about Spring is when Missouri's black bears (the only species of bear found in Missouri) are actively foraging, looking for new territories and, in the case of some females, raising cubs. "In passing down Bull Creek and in some places along the valley in which we are now encamped, the tracks of bear upon the snow, some of enormous size, have been very plentifully observed..." Kansas Slow Internets Suffering Providers look at broadband access in Kansas More than half the people living in Kansas aren't using broadband internet, despite the availability to nearly everyone in the state. Kansas City Spring Again News Rain lingers through Sunday, warmer Monday Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT KELEIGH: AND, IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO GET A RIDE IN THE WEEKEND, WITH SNOW AND RAIN. PETE: THANKS FOR REMINDING ME. BUT NOW, WE ARE GETTING WARMER, JUST RAIN THIS TIME. 60'S COME BACK AS EARLY AS TOMORROW. THE END OF THE WEEK NEXT WEEKEND WITH THE 70'S. One ofmight soon fight more opportunity in the expanding world of lingerie modeling . . .Cosmo: Rihanna's Lingerie Line Looks Like It'll Go Up to 3X! Closer to home, we're checking these big, bad news links:is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . . "Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill is up for reelection. And, like clockwork, the Republican Party of Missouri is in complete turmoil again. "McCaskill won a second term term in 2012 when GOP Rep. Todd Akins campaign imploded in the wake of his comments about legitimate rape. Now, Republicans worry GOP Gov. Eric Greitens mounting scandals will inundate McCaskills likely Republican opponent, state Attorney General Josh Hawley, and bestow another term on one of the most endangered incumbent senators in the country." Call it "" or just another insight into why the mainstream Missouri GOP wants the Guv gone before Midterm election season kicks into high gear . . .According to Politico . . .Context . . .And let's not forget that those who deny this possibility might be the same folks who didn't believe Sen. Claire McCaskill could beat her last opponent thanks mostly to one stupid comment exploitedby her campaign team.Like it or not, this could be the first sight of theon the horizon.You decide . . . CHECK CRYSTAL CLEAR CLOSE-UP PIX OF APPLE STORE ROBBERY SUSPECTS!!! These 3 love Apple products! They love them so much that they took them from the Plaza location without paying...Hate when that happens! Do you know them, or have info? Call the Robbery Unit 816-234-5230, we also have phones they can use. The Country Club Plaza Apple Store is equipped with some of the most high tech security features in the metro.Accordingly . . .And then there's this confident note from local authorities that encourages community engagement . . .Another image connected to the case . . .Developing . . . Shining under the Aegean sun, Folegandros island in Greece was named after the son of King Minos. This off-the-beaten-path destination captivates the visitors with the untouched beauty of its beaches, the luminous blue of its waters, and the unadulterated style of its architecture. At 200m above sea level travelers will discover Kastro, a Venetian castle. Hora, the capital town of the island, its been constructed partially in it. Bougainvilleas leaning over the balconies, sugar-cube whitewashed houses, and sheer cliff drops convey the islands ethereal, yet wild, beauty. Stroll along the cobblestone narrow streets of Hora past white houses with multi-coloured doors and windows, timeless creations of the traditional Cycladic architecture. If you need to take a rest, plane trees will offer you their cool, welcome shade. Wait until the sun sets into the eternal blue of the Aegean and join the locals in the villages squares. Share with them homemade dishes and local delicacies, such as matsata (handmade noodles with rooster or rabbit), souroto (white goat cheese), and drink rakomelo (raki with honey) the famous spirit of the island. Here you will find most of the islands fine hotels. Tour natural and religious sites. The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Towering above Hora and with a stone path leading to it, a whitewashed picturesque church awaits to be discovered. Allegedly built on the site of an ancient temple, the church hosts significant ancient immured inscriptions and statues pedestals in its yard and interior. Tradition has it that the silver-plated icon of the Virgin Mary is miraculous. Linked to pirate stories, the icon is carried around the town in a procession held every year on Easter Sunday. Hiking tip: Follow the rocky path starting from Pounda square all the way to the church (walking time app. 15 min). The wondeful village of Ano Mera is a traditional rural settlement of the 19th century. To learn more about the traditional everyday life of Folegandros, visit the Folk Art Museum (open from 17:00 to 20:00 in the summer). Chrysospilia is a natural monument of significant interest, and not just to archaeologists and speleologists. Situated below the monastery of the Virgin Mary on a rocky beach at 30m above sea level with impressive stalactites and stalagmites, the cave is globally unique for the ancient male Greek names written on its walls and roof, dated back to the 4th century BC. Nicagoras, Themistocles, Cleon, Callimachus, Pythagoras, and Lysicrates are some of the names carved on the cave walls. According to some theories, the cave was used as a worship site where ceremonies for young men coming of age used to take place. Important info: Accessible only by the sea, the cave is temporarily unavailable for visitors due to archaeological research in progress. Head to the islands pristine beaches. This small island in Cyclades is blessed with pebbly beaches covered with tamarisk trees. The scenic harbour of Karavostassis with its beautiful beach is the perfect starting point for an exploration of the glorious beaches of Hohlidia, Vitzetzo, Latinaki, Pountaki and Livadi, a village with a sandy beach, turquoise waters and a camping site. Those of you, who dont feel like walking, can take a caique from Karavostassis to Katergo, the most beautiful beach on the island, with thin pebbles and crystal-clear waters. Sheer cliff drops and azure waters embrace Agali beach to the west of the island. A trail from here will take you to the clothing-optional beach of Ayios Nikolaos, where a small taverna with delicious food and a marvelous view awaits you. In the northeastern part of the island lie the beaches of Vorina, with green stones peculiar-to-Folegandros, Ayios Georgios and Serfiotiko, accessible only by caique or on foot. Taste culinary delights and local wine: Matsata: handmade noodles with rooster or rabbit Souroto: white goat cheese Kalassouna: cheese pie made with souroto and onions Cooked caper Baked chickpeas Karpouzenia: a local sweet made of fried watermelon (in Greek watermelon means karpouzi) Sesame bars White and red wine Source: visitgreece Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source:pixabay.com Greek newspaper Kathimerini published the following article in the Sunday supplement's magazine K dedicated to Mount Athos, the historic monastic community in northern Greece: What do I like about Mount Athos? The people, to begin with. Theres the landscape, of course, which is unique. And the smells. Like the smell of the refectory, which I remember from my first visit as a child. The formality also fascinates me, the way things are done, the way the monks enter the church, and how they eat all together, says photographer Stratos Kalafatis, a regular visitor to the historic monastic community in northern Greece. The place has an energy and you can feel it whether you believe or not. I sometimes think that anyone who goes to Mount Athos will find what theyre in need of. If its God youre looking for, then youll find Him. Kalafatis found something different: the inspiration for an ambitious artistic project. Starting in 2008, he spent five years photographing the place and its people for Athos: The Colors of Faith, which was presented at the time in the northern port city of Thessaloniki by the National Bank Educational Foundation and released as a coffee-table book by Agra. I didnt think it would take me so long when I started, but I kept feeling that I needed something more. I spent 200 days there over the course of 30 trips, says Kalafatis. I would take photographs, come home, develop the films and go back because something was calling me there. The photographer was drawn back again last year, spending two consecutive weeks on Mount Athos and capturing new images that have been included in a revised publication of the book, giving it more variety and a more complete feel. In this project, Kalafatis depicts monastic life on Athos through shadows, symbols, nature and faces. His portraits exude a strange sense of familiarity, whether they be of young students at the Athonite Academy, all unaffected sweetness, or the eldest of the monks whose faces are marked by the signs of an ascetic life. All were willing subjects and went along with the photographers guidelines as he staged the ideal photograph. When I went back last year I saw some of my photographs taped to the walls of a few cells. I was also very moved to see the first paragraph of the books preface printed and displayed in an ossuary, says Kalafatis. Reading the passage, its hardly surprising: Men are not born on the Holy Mountain. They are drawn to Athos by their faith, their need, their curiosity, or their desperation. There, initiated into a life of asceticism, they uncomplainingly take their turn in a relay race to death whose finishing line is a place in the ossuary of the monastery. The same race in which the baton has been passed for a thousand years from abbot to elder and monk to novice without distinctions. Because Monasticism is earned, not inherited, in this test of patience. Then and now A show he organized on the project in Halkidiki last year was attended by 30,000 visitors, while the 16 shows to date of Athos: The Colors of Faith both in and outside Greece have drawn more than 200,000 in total. Its a subject that intrigues people and one that has been photographed by some great photographers in the past, says Kalafatis, adding that he is a propagator of this tradition, showing the community, the Mount Athos of the 21st century, in a more modern way. How much has it changed since his first visit in 1979, when he was a 13-year-old living in Kavala? It was completely different back then, says Kalafatis. They had a huge drought. Most of the monasteries were in a state of decline in terms of infrastructure and most of the monks you met were elderly and stuck in a different age. Still, it had its charm. On Mount Athos today, most of the monks are young and educated and that is something very good the monasteries have been repaired and restored, and there are proper streets so distances are covered much more easily. On the other hand, of course, the authenticity has been lost in places, he adds. Kalafatis is currently in the process of wrapping up a new project on Philippi, an archaeological site in eastern Macedonia that was inducted into UNESCOs list of World Heritage Sites in 2016. He has been taking photographs at the site for the past three years in an effort to link the past to the present. Last year, meanwhile, he published Archipelagos (also Agra), a beautiful coffee-table book of photographs of the Aegean that had been commissioned by the Venice Biennale." Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Gabriel License: CC-BY-SA Source: ekathimerini.com Al Hilal Group, the publisher of Oil & Gas News and a number of leading pan-regional trade publications in the GCC, has terminated its media relationship with ME3, the organiser of the Middle East Process Engineering Conference (Mepec) held in Bahrain every two years. The decision follows a dispute between the two companies over what Al Hilal considers to be a serious breach of trust by ME3 in connection with the Gulf Downstream Associations (GDA) International Downstream Conference & Exhibition which will be held in Bahrain in October this year. Outlining Al Hilals position, the groups director of public affairs Ahmed Suleiman said: We entered into an understanding with ME3 that Al Hilal would, together with ME3, bid for the upcoming conference. This would put at the disposal of what was to be a joint venture between the two companies, the support of the media outlets within the remit of the Al Hilal Group and the established expertise of Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions to organise the event in Bahrain. We received personal assurances from ME3 managing director Alexis Neron-Bancel that following initial meetings with the GDA board, at which our joint credentials were submitted; ME3 would revert to us for detailed discussions. In this regard, ME3 failed to honour its commitment and unilaterally decided to make a sole bid for the contract to organise the GDA conference without involving or informing our company. By their own admission, the inclusion of Al Hilal Groups media assets in the early stages of bidding for the contract to organise the conference made a significant impact with the GDA board and ME3s decision to then exclude our company from their own surreptitious bid to be the sole organiser for the event represents a level of duplicity which we as a company have never previously experienced in Bahrain, said Suleiman. There is no doubt, in our opinion, from the correspondence between the two companies, that ME3 used Al Hilals good name and reputation to advance its own bid whilst in the process denying our company the opportunity to submit our own bid to organise the GDA event. This undoubtedly represents sharp practice and amounts to a serious breach of trust for which we are now taking legal advice, he added. Al Hilal Group has supported Mepec for the last two editions providing extensive promotional and PR support in the regions leading oil gas publication, Oil & Gas News, as well as the groups expertise in public relations to promote the event across the GCC. Al Hilal Group has taken the view that business is about trust and honesty and we can no longer maintain any kind of association with ME3 which has, as far as we are concerned, acted in a dishonest and duplicitous manner, said Suleiman. He concluded: Al Hilal has built an enviable reputation over the past 40 years founded on trust and integrity. As a company we have always prided ourselves on our media and event organising achievements and capabilities. It is sad to see a Dubai-based company resorting to such underhand tactics to win business in the kingdom. Contacted by Gulf Daily News, our sister newspaper, Alexis Neron-Bancel did not respond but his business partner Fredrick Malgoire said: We are at a point of strong disagreement, we have proposed several alternatives and now the time has come to stop talking. Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region, has reaffirmed its position at the forefront of the hospitality sector by taking home a total of 16 awards at the World Travel Awards (WTA) Middle East Gala Ceremony 2018. Renowned as the Oscars of the travel world, the awards were presented at a glittering ceremony attended by industry leaders in Ras Al Khaimah on April 19. Now celebrating its 25th year, the World Travel Awards is globally recognised as the travel industrys most prestigious awards programme and rewards exceptional performers in the tourism, airline, hotel and hospitality sectors. Rotana secured the coveted title of Middle Easts Leading Hotel Brand for the 12th year in a row, in addition to winning major regional awards including Middle East's Leading City Hotel for Amwaj Rotana, Dubai; Middle East's Leading Corporate Resort for Beach Rotana, Abu Dhabi; and Middle East's Leading Luxury Hotel Apartments for Arjaan Dubai by Rotana. The company received a further 12 accolades in the country and city-based categories, while Rotanas chairman Nasser Al Nowais was recognised with a special Middle Easts Leading Travel Personality Award for his outstanding contributions to the industry. Guy Hutchinson, chief operating officer at Rotana, said: On behalf of everyone at Rotana, I would like to thank our guests from across the region and beyond for putting their trust in us and selecting Rotana as their hospitality partner of choice. We are delighted to accept these prestigious awards, which are a testament to the tireless efforts of our dedicated team members. Their contributions shape the world-class experiences enjoyed by our guests daily, and have played a key role in elevating the Rotana brand to the market-leading position it enjoys today. Hutchinson continued, We extend warm congratulations to our chairman Nasser Al Nowais on receiving a Middle Easts Leading Travel Personality Award. His visionary stewardship is an inspiration to us all as we strive to continue delivering on our promise of Treasured Time to our guests, employees and partners. We look forward to further successes to come as our portfolio expands throughout the region. The full list of awards won by Rotana at World Travel Awards Middle East 2018 is as follows: Middle East's Leading Hotel Brand 2018: Rotana Hotels Middle East's Leading City Hotel 2018: Amwaj Rotana, Dubai Middle East's Leading Corporate Resort 2018: Beach Rotana, Abu Dhabi Middle East's Leading Luxury Hotel Apartments 2018: Arjaan Dubai by Rotana Bahrain's Leading Hotel 2018: ART Rotana, Amwaj Island, Manama Iraq's Leading Hotel 2018: Erbil Rotana Jordan's Leading Conference Hotel 2018: Amman Rotana Jordan's Leading Serviced Apartments 2018: The Boulevard Arjaan by Rotana Lebanon's Leading Business Hotel 2018: Gefinor Rotana Oman's Leading Beach Resort 2018: Salalah Rotana Resort Qatar's Leading City Hotel 2018: City Centre Rotana Doha Saudi Arabia's Leading City Hotel 2018: Rosh Rayhaan by Rotana Saudi Arabia's Leading Budget Hotel 2018: Centro Shaheen by Rotana United Arab Emirates' Leading Business Hotel 2018: Park Rotana, Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates' Leading Family Resort 2018: The Cove Rotana Resort Abu Dhabi's Leading Serviced Apartments 2018: Park Arjaan by Rotana Middle Easts Leading Travel Personality Award: Nasser Al Nowais, Chairman, Rotana Rotana has been consistently recognised for its commitment to raising standards within the hotel industry through its ever-evolving portfolio. Now entering its 26th year of operations in the region, the company has received more than 380 regional and international awards to date. Following the grand opening of the five-star Al Bandar Rotana and Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana, Dubai, and The Pearl Rotana Capital Centre, Abu Dhabi in March, Rotana is looking ahead to further expansion with several upcoming developments in the pipeline. - TradeArabia News Service AccorHotels has appointed Frank Naboulsi as the new regional vice president, Luxury & Upper Upscale Brands, Egypt which includes Fairmont Nile City, Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor, Sofitel Taba Heights, Sofitel Cairo El Gezirah, Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan, and Sofitel Le Gabriel. In his new role, Naboulsi will be responsible for supporting AccorHotels growing portfolio in Egypt. He will bring his ability to establish strategic direction and build business partnerships to manage over six of AccorHotels properties across Egypt while working with the hotels and regional teams to drive more success to the company. Naboulsi started his career with the Fairmont Brand in 1991 as regional director of sales and marketing in Fairmont Banff Springs Hotels in Alberta, Canada. He then moved to become hotel manager and later general manager in two other Fairmont properties in Canada between 1996 and 2001 before moving to Dallas, Texas as general manager of Fairmont Dallas. Naboulsi joined Fairmont Nile City in 2007 and continued there ever since as general manager and regional vice president, Egypt. Naboulsi has now been extended leadership over Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor, Sofitel Taba Heights, Sofitel Cairo El Gezirah, Sofitel Legend Old Cataract, and Sofitel Le Gabriel, in addition to managing Fairmont Nile City. Naboulsi is a Certified Hospitality Administrator (CHA) by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, holding a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelors degree in Management Administration from California South University as well as a Business Management degree from the University of Grant MacEwan in Canada. He received numerous awards including Where Dallas Magazines Silver Plume Award for General Manager of the Year, Haute Grandeurs Best General Manager in Egypt Award, and Canadian Pacific Hotel Eagle Award for Outstanding Leadership among others. - TradeArabia News Service Innovative Hyperloop connections could reduce travel times between Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) by around 34 minutes at some stage in the future, said leading industry experts at the ongoing Arabian Travel Market (ATM) expo in Dubai. Providing a lightning-speed the Hyperloop transit system would allow airport passengers to travel between both airports in as little as six to seven minutes a shorter transit time than travelling between terminals at Dubai International Airport, stated the expert panelists while speaking on the ATM's Global Stage. The topic at the Global Stage on the travel expo's opening day (April 22) was future of Hyperloop and travel infrastructure in the UAE and wider GCC. The seminar session entitled Future Travel Experiences, was moderated by Richard Dean, a UAE-based business broadcaster and presenter. He was joined by a host of high-profile panelists including Christoph Mueller, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, Emirates Airline; Harj Dhaliwal, Managing Director Middle East and India Operations, Virgin Hyperloop One and Michael Ibbitson, Executive Vice President (Infrastructure and Technology), Dubai Airports. "Looking to the future, having both te Dubai airports as key stations on the hyperloop system is essential. At present, Emirates Airline only operates from DXB but the implementation of a hyperloop system between both airports could allow the Dubai carrier to effectively and efficiently work from both hubs," remarked Ibbitson. Virgin Hyperloop One, a futuristic transportation concept through which pods, propelled by magnets and solar, will move passengers and cargo at speeds of 1,200kph, is the most prominent tourism infrastructure development in the UAE at present. Backed by Dubai-based DP World, Hyperloop One has the potential to transport approximately 3,400 people an hour, 128,000 people a day and 24 million people a year. In November 2016, Dubais Road and Transport Authority (RTA) had announced plans to evaluate a hyperloop connection between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which could reduce travel times between the two emirates by 78 minutes. Dhaliwal pointed out that providing a hyperloop connection that allows both UAE residents and tourists to travel between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in just 12 minutes is just the beginning. "In the future, other emirates and indeed other GCC countries could also be linked, with journeys between Dubai and Fujairah as low as 10 minutes and Dubai to Riyadh in 40 minutes," said the top official. "Hyperloop One isnt the only concept to boost tourism infrastructure in the region, the development of key international airports in Saudi Arabia and airport expansion in the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait as well as cruise terminal expansions besides the improved domestic inter-city road and rail work and the growth of low-cost airlines will keep the GCC at the forefront of tourism infrastructure and innovation," he added. GCC capital investments in tourism infrastructure are expected to reach $56 billion by 2022, with the UAE ranked the most competitive in the region, driven by the development of multiple revolutionary transport projects, according to Arabian Travel Markets research partner, Colliers International. Air passenger arrivals to the GCC are poised to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3 per cent, from 41 million in 2017 to 55 million in 2022. The development of new airports across the GCC region, combined with the introduction of various low-cost carriers such as flydubai and recently launched Saudi low-cost airline Flyadeal, are expected to contribute heavily to this growth, said the experts. In Dubai, cruise tourism is expected to grow over the next two years as the emirate targets the arrival of 20 million tourists a year, ahead of Expo 2020, they stated. During the 2016/2017 season, Dubai welcomed 650,000 cruise tourists with this figure forecast to increase to one million by 2020. Expansion works at DP Worlds Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal at Mina Rashid are expected to contribute to this growth. Set to be the largest terminal in the world, the facility is capable of handling 18,000 travellers every single day, they added.-TradeArabia News Service Radisson Hotel Group has announced that the elegant Palazzo Montemartini in Rome will join its Radisson Collection, effective June 2018. Built back in 1881, Palazzo Montemartini is now a prestigious hotel in the heart of Rome, situated near the Baths of Diocletian and the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli designed by Michelangelo. In style and setting, Palazzo Montemartini is a true individual, embodying the essence of Radisson Collection which combines great design with a truly authentic flavour, a vibrant social scene and a unique location. The Palazzo is made up of 82 stylish rooms and suites, as well as spacious events halls with natural light. Our exclusive Senses Restaurant & Lounge Bar offers local distinctive flavour, perfectly complemented by impeccable views of the Servian Wall the very first wall of ancient Rome. Wellness is our top priority at the Montemartini SPA by Caschera an aspirational lifestyle space with jacuzzi, heated hydro tonic pool, energizing treatment rooms including a dedicated salt room, sauna and hammam, sensory and chromotherapy showers, and relaxation and herbal tea area. Elie Younes, executive vice president and chief development officer, said: We couldnt have asked for a more iconic destination than Rome to add a new Radisson Collection to the world. Palazzo Montemartini is a perfect addition to our portfolio. Its a modern icon that respects the brand promise of Radisson Collection through its authenticity, design and exceptional service. We are looking forward to building on the heritage of this legendary hotel and showcase the true colours of Radisson Collection in one of the worlds most loved cities. "The philosophy of the newly launched Radisson Collection matches particularly well with the distinctive traits of Palazzo Montemartini, focused on providing a friendly luxury experience," said Giuseppe Marchese, CEO of Ragosta Hotels Collection that owns Palazzo Montemartini. "We are proud to join the Radisson Hotel Group and launch the first Radisson Collection in Italy. - TradeArabia News Service InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a master development agreement with Saudi Arabia's Al Hokair Group to develop 10 Holiday Inn Express hotels over the next 15 years, marking the brand's debut in the kingdom. The first Holiday Inn Express will be a 200-room hotel based in Jeddah, closely followed by openings in various key cities across the country. All 10 hotels will be operated under long-term franchise agreements. Sami Al Hokair, managing director of Al Hokair Group, said: We are very excited to expand our footprint in the mid-market segment where we see enormous potential for growth with a trusted global hospitality leader such as IHG. Holiday Inn Express is a world-renowned brand offering great value to the guests and the signing of this strategic agreement will open unprecedented opportunities for us in the mid-market segment. This demonstrates our commitment to Vision 2030 and the development of the hospitality sector which is a key growth driver in the kingdom. We value our partnership with IHG and look forward to working with them on this ambitious project. Speaking about the announcement, Pascal Gauvin, managing director, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG said: IHG has a strong legacy in Saudi Arabia, which is a key market for us in the Middle East. We are proud to once again collaborate with our esteemed long-term partner Al Hokair Group, to bring the Holiday Inn Express brand to the country, and further expand our offering to domestic and international travellers, alike. The tourism landscape in Saudi Arabia is rapidly changing and we are excited to leverage the huge growth opportunities that Saudi Vision 2030 presents, particularly given that one of the biggest pillars of the plan is to bring more tourism into the country. He added: We are the largest operator in Saudi Arabia, offering specialised stay experience to varied guests profiles, and with this signing, we are further extending our consumer appeal by offering quality, yet affordable accommodation for savvy travellers. IHG currently operates 31 hotels across four brands including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites in Saudi Arabia. - TradeArabia News Service Rise & Shine is honored to announce Dean Kenneth Elmore of Boston University as the guest speaker for the second annual Motown Memories fundraiser. Elmore has served Boston University as its Dean of Students since 2003. In 2016, he was elevated to the position of Associate Provost and Dean of Students. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Elmore has more than 30 years of experience in higher education administration. Prior to becoming Dean of Students, Elmore worked with orientation programs, student activities and residence life. He also practiced law in the Boston area. Elmore has earned an A.B. in physiological psychology from Brown University, an Ed.M. in higher education administration from Boston Univer-sitys School of Education and a J.D. from New England School of Law. He is especially interested in issues surrounding community development and social justice, and seeks to motivate students to explore such topics. He likes to challenge others thinking while embracing the new. He refers to himself as an artist who went to school to study psychology, education and law. Elmore will speak at Motown Memories on the topic of first generation college students and the importance of programs like Rise & Shine in preparing these scholars for the transition to higher education. Now in its 22 year, Rise & Shine is a local nonprofit after school program that offers one-on-one tutoring, along with literacy skills development, for economically disadvantaged and racial minority children from kindergarten through high school. Rise & Shine Scholars also participate in creative science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM) activities. Focusing on three key messages You Matter; We Believe in You and Dream Big Rise & Shine helps students excel academically, learn about their community and culture, and become empowered to work hard and reach high. Motown Memories is the organizations major fundraising event, with proceeds helping to sustain this vital program, both throughout the academic year and during the summer. For more information, go to http://www.riseshine.org. It's been said that an Army marches on its stomach, attesting to the importance of well-provisioned forces in the military. For Clyde Jones, "serving" in the Navy took on new meaning as he directed the preparation of 15,000 meals a day for the hungry sailors, Marines and Air Wing 9 aboard the USS Enterprise, nicknamed the "Big E." The son of Winfred and Martha Jones of the Silversteen community in Lake Toxaway, Clyde and his eight siblings grew up on a 120-acre farm where everything was done by hand, horses and mules. Five of the seven brothers served in the U.S. military. Clyde enlisted in 1954 at age 18, retiring 32 years later as a master chief petty officer, the highest non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy. Life Aboard The Big E In 1965 the Navy was looking for volunteers to serve aboard the USS Enterprise, the world's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier. Petty Officer First Class Jones volunteered. "My leading chief sat me down and said, 'Jones, you've had eight years in the Navy, but you've never been on a ship like this. You've got to be top notch. Everyone has to conform to the high Enterprise standards.'" A leader in the ship's company, Jones oversaw S-2 Division, a section of the Supply Department. "My job was feeding 5,000 troops that's 15,000 meals a day," said Jones. Energy levels had to be replenished on a constant basis. "The mess hall was open 22 hours a day in order to feed troops around the clock," he said. Supervising 75 professional cooks and bakers and numerous mess attendants was only part of Jones' busy routine. He was also responsible for requisitioning, receipt, stowage and issuance of all foodstuffs used in the general mess. Cleaning and maintenance of seven mess decks, six storerooms, three "reefer banks" and all food and vegetable preparation areas required the concerted efforts of all the members of the division. Helicopters transferred provisions to the ship's flight deck, elevators carried the supplies to the hangar bay and from there items were manhandled down into the lower storerooms, hand-over-hand. Said Jones, "It took all hands on deck, from the lowest seaman to the commanding officer to get the job done. It required a lot of coordination, but we were a well-oiled team." Breakfast And Bombs Feeding took place around the clock, depending on the schedules of the ship's personnel. "Everyone learned early on when to hit the chow line," Jones noted. The forward mess hall was the "speed line" hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken in 30 minutes. The after gallery provided larger, more complicated meals. "We practiced progressive cooking all along the line," he continued. "To feed 5,000 people breakfast, you prepare 100 portions at a time, like in a restaurant." Besides hungry sailors, the forward mess hall also housed bombs from the lower decks where the ordnance men ("red shirts") prepared them for transfer to the flight deck and waiting aircraft. Personnel complacently munched French fries and hot dogs next to the ordnance - fast food and bomb assembly. Jones is extremely proud of the Big E and his time on board. "I have to brag a bit on the Enterprise. She served in the Atlantic and Pacific fleets for 53 years, during the Cuban missile crisis and many tours in Vietnam and the Middle East. She has always performed above and beyond," he said. During his first tour on the Enterprise, all personnel attached to the aircraft carrier received the Navy Commendation Medal for outstanding heroism in action against the enemy. The citation reads: "In all operations, the Enterprise's performance was distinguished by professional and exacting thoroughness...The courage, stamina, perseverance and dedication displayed by the officers and men of the Enterprise and Attack Carrier Wing 9 were in keeping with the tradition of the United States Naval Service." Brown Water Navy: Serving On A Swift Boat Support Vessel After two-and-a-half tours on the Big E, Jones attended Naval Amphib-ious Counterinsurgency School in Jacksonville, Fla., and was sent to Vietnam in support duty for small river craft that had been hit by the Viet Cong. "I was on the USS Tutuila, known as the mother-hen," Jones noted. "We stayed tied up, and the small craft would come alongside of us. We'd lift them up on the dry dock and repair them there." Once a month, Jones travelled by truck to Long Binh for provisions. "We used enclosed vehicles," he said. "Anything that wasn't padlocked would be stolen by the locals who rode alongside the truck on mopeds and lifted the supplies." Patrol boats provided security for the mother-hen 24/7. In order to thwart sapper attacks (explosives attached to the ship by Viet Cong swimmers), gunners mates continuously lobbed grenades into the water. "It was no picnic," he noted. "I was glad to go home." Stateside Again Jones' return to the United States mirrors that of many other Vietnam veterans. In both Alameda, Calif., and Jacksonville, Fla., Jones and his shipmates were treated badly. "It got very nasty," he said. "We were instructed to keep our composure and avoid trouble. It was especially hard for the younger guys, the combat troops. So many of their buddies died over there and when they returned they were called baby killers. Some of them still can't deal with it." Jones was made master chief petty officer in 1981. His last duty station was at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola where he managed the BEQ (Bachelor Enlisted Quarters). His Navy evaluation reported: "His exceptional technical competence and supervisory ability are clearly evident in the outstanding results he achieved in all assigned tasks." Clyde Jones married Evelyn Dishman in November, 1973. Courtesy photo USS Enterprise crew enjoys a meal in the forward mess beside bombs on their way to the flight deck. He lost her in a car accident in Etowah in June 2005. After Jones' retirement in 1986, the couple purchased a home in Brevard, where he went to work for the City of Brevard in the water department, reading water meters for 10 years. "I loved the walking," Jones said. "It kept me in good shape." Final Words In addition to a glowing report on the service of his esteemed USS Enterprise, Jones added this final comment to his story. "I am proud to have served 32 years in the greatest military service in the world, the United States Navy. And I'm proud to have been able to serve the greatest country in the world. God bless the United States of America." (In collaboration with the WNC Military History Museum and writer Michel Robertson, The Transyl-vania Times will publish an article once every two weeks on a local veteran who served in Vietnam.) Rotary Club Of Pisgah Forest For its April 25 meeting, the Rotary Club of Pisgah Forests speaker will be Elaine Russell, Transylvania County Health Director since January 2015. Russell will speak on health trends and issues in Transylvania County. For the month of April the speaker chair is John Brown and the Rotary International theme for the month is Maternal and Child Health. The public is welcome to attend breakfast meetings, listen to the guest speakers and share a delicious buffet breakfast at the Pisgah Fish Camp every Wednesday at 8 a.m. For information on Rotary service, contact Don Mozley at [email protected] or (828) 877-5820 or visit http://www.pisgahforestrotary.org. TCAE The Transylvania County Association of Educators will recognize Friends of Education and retiring teachers at their annual Friends of Education Banquet on Thursday, May 10, at 6 p.m. in the Rogow Room of Transylvania County Library. The Friends of Education are community members who are recognized by each school in the county for donating their time, energy, and resources to support quality education. School system employees who retire at the end of the 2016-2017 school year will also be recognized. Tickets for the banquet cost $20. To purchase tickets, email Joe Russo at [email protected] or call 884-9567 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. This month's Sierra Club program on April 26 is titled "Climate Change and the Return of the Ice," presented by Dr. Jim Reynolds, professor of geology at Brevard College. Reynolds has presented this talk in numerous venues in the United States and internationally. "When I was a freshman, my Geology 101 professor stated that he didn't think ice advances could occur unless the Arctic Ocean melted first," Reynolds said." I thought he was crazy, but 40 years later, we see that the Arctic Ocean is melting fast, so I thought I'd better look into it. I no longer think he was crazy." Reynolds has taught all of the geology offerings at Brevard College since 1999. He received all of his degrees from Dartmouth College and conducted field research in the Argentine Andes for more than 25 years. In 1989 and 2007, he was awarded Fulbright scholarships to teach, in Spanish, at Argentine universities. He has authored or co-authored more than 25 scientific papers on his research. The Student Government Association honored Reynolds with their "Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year Award" in 2002, 2009 and 2015. Reynolds is currently chair of the Pisgah Group of the North Carolina Sierra Club Chapter. He also served as the Pisgah Group chair from 2011-2015 and was a member of the NC Chapter Steering Committee from 2009-2017, serving as chapter vice chairman from 2015-2017. In February 2015, a 1-year campaign he inspired came to a successful conclusion when the Brevard College Board of Trustees voted to divest their endowment from fossil fuels by 2018. For this effort, the National Sierra Club presented Reynolds with its 2015 Special Achievement Award in San Francisco. From Brevard College, Reynolds has led or co-led 16 international field trips, taking students and professionals to more than a dozen countries. His favorite trips are to Iceland and the Galapagos Islands. In 2012, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Galapagos Conservancy and will continue in that position until December 2018. He inspired the Conservancy to divest its accounts from fossil fuels. He is developing a program to install renewable energy and energy efficiency in the islands with the Smoky Mountain Institute. In his spare time, he is also the project geologist at an archaeological site in Greece. He also served as a scientific speaker for Smithsonian Journeys on Celebrity cruise ships. Currently, he is a scientific expert on Smithsonian trips to Iceland and Machu Picchu-Galapagos. He will accompany one trip to Machu Picchu-Galapagos and two to Iceland in the summer of 2018. The meeting will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church at the intersection of South Broad Street and Varsity Street with a social time starting at 7 p.m. The meeting will open at 7:15 with short reports from club committees. Reynolds will begin his remarks at 7:45 p.m. Jaime Laughter, county manager of Transylvania County, recently received the credentialed manager designation from ICMA, the International City/County Management Association. Laughter is one of more than 1,300 local government management professionals currently credentialed through the ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program. ICMAs mission is to create excellence in local governance by promoting professional management worldwide and increasing the proficiency of appointed chief administrative officers, assistant administrators and other employees who serve local governments and regional entities around the world. The organizations nearly 10,000 members in 27 countries also include educators, students and other local government employees. To receive the prestigious ICMA credential, a member must have significant experience as a senior management executive in local government; have earned a degree, preferably in public administration or a related field; and demonstrated a commitment to high standards of integrity and to lifelong learning and professional development. We are proud of our manager receiving her ICMA credentials and the recognition of the contributions she has made in her career thus far. It is particularly important that our local government professionals dedicate themselves to professional development as well as ascribe themselves to the ethical requirements a professional organization like ICMA requires. Our region has had several high profile cases that have caused the public to question the integrity of our public servants across the board and Ms. Laughters certification shows that she is willing to uphold the stringent ethical guidelines of ICMA as she continues to serve our community in her leadership role, Transylvania Board of Commissioners Chairman Larry Chapman said. Laughter is qualified by 12 years of professional local government executive experience and a total of 18 years in local and state public service. Prior to her appointment in 2014 as county manager of Tran-syvania County, she served as town manager for the town of Mills River. Highlights of Laughterss ICMA membership include: ICMA Young Professional Scholarship Recipient 2007, featured author in the 2012 book Democracy at the Doorstep, Too featuring stories and lessons learned from women in local government management and serving as the newly elected 2018-2019 vice chair for the Western North Carolina Managers Association. Laughter has had her certification from the American Institute of Certified Plann-ers since 2006 and has also made significant contributions to a number of other professional organizations, including: North Carolina City County Managers Association, North Carolina League of Municipalities, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, North Carolina Planning Association, American Plan-ning Association, North Carolina Women in Transportation Seminar Member of the Year and the North Carolina Association of Zoning Officials. Mike West has qualified as an unaffiliated candidate by petition for the Board of County Commissioners race in November. As of this point, West will challenge two Republicans, who will be chosen in the upcoming May 6 primary, on the ballot for the two open commissioner seats. After prayer and reflection and multiple conversations with many people, I have decided to seek this office. West said in an email response. I just completed a petition drive to be on the ballot, as required by North Carolina General Statutes. Along with the help of a lot of people I was able to gather enough signatures of Transylvania County voters to qualify for the ballot in the general election. West thanked those who took part in his petition drive. Friends and family helped gather around 1,200 signatures, an unbelievable outpouring of support for an unaffiliated candidate, he said. It was a unique opportunity to get to speak to folks from both parties. I am excited to move on to the general election. I am ready to start the campaign. It will be an honor to see old friends, meet new people and listen to their thoughts on the state of Transylvania County. In the next few weeks I will roll out a website, a Facebook page, a Twitter feed and other campaign information. I want to be accessible to the citizens of the county. And, I look forward to a discussion with my opponents. The office belongs to the people, not the party machines. A commissioners job is to talk directly to the citizens, evaluate information and make decisions that are the best for the citizens. I, like other county citizens, believe the issues, not the parties, are what matter. I want to hear all the voices of the people in this county. West and his wife, Missy, have two children, Alex and Chaz. Alex resides in Pittsboro, N.C., and is working toward a post graduate education. Chaz is a member of the United States Air Force and is currently stationed at Offutt, AFB, in Omaha, Neb. Missy is a teacher at Rosman Middle School. She recently completed her doctorate in education from Gardner Webb University and was selected Teacher of the Year by her peers. They live in the Rosman community and attend Zion Baptist Church. After graduating from Rosman High School, West attended Brevard College for two years, before joining the U.S. Army. After returning to Transylvania County in 1989, he attended UNC-Asheville, obtaining a bachelors degree in political science. After that, he attended Western Carolina University, earning 18 hours toward a masters degree in public affairs. Currently, West is employed by Allied Universal as a security professional. West recently finished two terms on the Transylvania County Planning Board, where he served as both the chairman and vice chairman. In his last term as chairman, the board completed the 2025 Comprehensive Plan, which recently received an Award of Merit from the National Association of County Planners. Prior to that, he was appointed by commissioners to two terms on the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, serving the final year as chairman of that committee. Petition According to Elections Director Tracie Fisher, West had to obtain 1,008 signatures from registered voters in Transylvania County. The person had to print their name, give their residential address, zip code, birth date and signature. Election officials then took the petition and used the information provided to search the county election offices database to confirm that the person is a registered voter in Transylvania County. If the person wasnt registered or had been removed as a voter, the elections office sent the person a letter and a voter registration form. If it was prior to the registration deadline and the form was returned to the office, officials were then able to count that signature. If the election office had a different address in its database from the address they provided on the petition, they sent the person a letter with a registration form to update their information. If a person put their post office box instead of their residential address, the elections office let the petitioner know, so they could have the person sign again and provide the residential address. In order for the signature to be counted, Fisher said, they had to have the persons residential address to confirm that they resided in the county and their signature. The date of birth is used to help locate the person in the database in case they couldnt read the name or if the residential address was different from what is in the database. As an example of how many signatures were gathered to obtain the 1,008 that were required by statute to qualify as an unaffiliated candidate, West submitted 1,200 signatures, of which 1,027 were approved, 20 were duplicate signatures from other petition pages, three were illegible, three were from an incorrect county, for 75 there was no record found in the database, one had a missing signature, 29 were voters that had been removed as an active voter and in 42 cases the voters address was rejected due to the post office box being used. singhking99@yahoo.com Vijay C Roy Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 23 Perturbed over continuous decline in apparel exports from the country due to intense competitive pressures in the global market, Punjab-based apparel exporters are now shifting focus to domestic market. According to the industry, around 30-40% of the exporters have already started utilitising their partial or full capacity to cater to the domestic market. The apparel exports from the country are on continuous declining trend since October 2017. The industry saw declining numbers in October, November, December 2017, January, February and March 2018 a fall of 41%, 14%, 13%, 14%, 14% and 19% year-on-year, respectively, mainly due to stiff competition, slowdown and the discontinuation of certain export incentives. The countrys apparel exports in 2017-18 were to the tune of Rs 1,07,699 crore, posting a fall of 7.60% as compared to the same period of the previous fiscal. During 2016-17, Indias apparel exports was to the extent of Rs 1,16,554 crore. Compared to other states, the impact in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh is in double digits as the input costs are higher. The dwindling exports have made it very difficult to survive. There are around 450 apparel exporters in Punjab and around 40-50% of them have shifted focus to domestic market. We have also shifted 50% of our production capacity to cater to the domestic market, said Harish Dua, managing director of Ludhiana-based KG Exports. The domestic market is pegged at around Rs 3.25 lakh crore and it is almost three times more than the exports market. However, there is a catch to it. Manufacturers having only deep pockets can sustain in the domestic market. Narinder Chugh, managing director of Ludhiana-based Million Exporter (P) Ltd., said, In the absence of government support at this time, the exporters have no choice but to serve the domestic market in order to sustain. We are also planning to foray into domestic market and are in discussion with various MNCs for outsourcing. Exporters say the decrease in duty drawback rates has made the Indian exporters uncompetitive as compared to other countries. Also, strengthening of Indian rupee against the US dollar has impacted the exporters. Countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, Pakistan and Myanmar are posing major threat to Indian exporters as their products are more competitive than those of Indian exporters. pardeepdhull@gmail.com London, April 23 Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan may be among some of the worlds leading economists in the running for the post of Bank of England (BoE) governor as the UK government hunts for a candidate to take charge from next year, according to a media report. Canada-born Mark Carney, the current Governor of Englands central bank, is set to step down at the end of his term in June 2019. He had become the first foreigner in the post in three centuries when he took up the role in 2013. UK Chancellor Philip Hammond has now indicated that his global hunt for Carneys successor is ongoing, indicating the next Governor could well be a foreigner too. Attracting Raghuram Rajan, the highly-respected Chicago-based economist and former Reserve Bank of India governor, would be a coup, writes The Financial Times. In its own analysis of the pros and cons of 55-year-old Rajans candidacy for the post, the newspaper notes that the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business would bring with him impeccable international economics and central banking experience as well as significant achievements at the Reserve Bank of India. The con, in its view, would be that he has thus far shown no indication that he would want the job at the BoE. On the newspapers list of prospective candidates is another Indian-origin contender in Shriti Vadera, the chair of Santander UK and a former UK government business minister. Having been a key government figure in the financial crisis, Baroness Vadera is also credited with doing a good job in chairing a committee of City [of London] grandees, and later in helping to frame the UKs position on Brexit and financial services, the newspaper notes. The UKs Treasury department wants an open competition for the post and is seeking applications from well-qualified candidates from around the world. The formal process has not yet started but I, and many other people I am sure, may have cast their eye around various rooms to see if any likely looking candidates hove into view, Hammond told reporters on the sidelines of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting in Washington recently. The Treasury is expected to advertise the post by July this year, a year before a new incumbent as the Bank of England chief is due to take charge. PTI uttara@tribuneindia.com London, April 23 The British government is under growing pressure to take action against protesters behind the desecration of the Indian flag at Parliament Square in London during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's UK visit last week. Conservative party MP Bob Blackman, who had raised a question in the House of Commons a day after the incident on April 18, plans to write to UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd and the Leader of the House, Andrea Leadsom, pressing for a police investigation. "A quite disgraceful event was taking place in Parliament Square, where the Indian national flag, which had been raised to celebrate the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), was burned," Blackman, Tory MP for Harrow East, said in the Commons last Thursday. He said he was all for free speech, but "that seems to transcend free speech". Reacting to the "shocking announcement", Leadsom had invited Blackman to write giving details of what he saw or heard which he confirmed on Monday was in process. "I will be writing to the Home Secretary and Leader of the House, following my questions on Wednesday at PMQs (Prime Minister's Questions) and on Thursday at Business Questions, asking for a police investigation," he said. The Indian government had issued a statement saying it expects legal action against those behind the desecration of the tricolour and also those responsible for instigating the incident. "We expect action, including legal action, against the people involved in the incident and also people responsible for instigating the incident," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had told reporters. An online petition directed at British Prime Minister Theresa May and Opposition Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn on the change.org website has nearly hit its target of 7,500 signatures. "Demand an action against the culprits who brought down Indian flag and torn under the watchful eyes of British police, reads the petition started by the Friends of India Society International (FISI) UK. The perpetrators, caught on camera during the protests last Wednesday, were pro-Khalistani demonstrators brought together with Kashmiri separatist groups under the banner of the so-called "Minorities Against Modi" group, led by Pakistani-origin peer Lord Ahmed. The Hindu Forum of Britain (HFB), an umbrella body of over 400 Hindu organisations in the UK, has also written to the UK Home Secretary calling for action against the peer and Sikh Federation UK for the "hate crime" against British citizens during the protests. The Pro-Khalistani demonstrators from the Sikh Federation UK and demonstrators from the group led by Pakistani-origin peer Ahmed were among nearly 500 supporters who indulged in this senseless violence and aggression and defilement of the Indian National flag, the HFB letter signed by President Trupti Patel notes. Lord Nazir Ahmed let the anti-India protest turn violent and the ripping and burning of the Indian National flag was indeed a senseless act of aggression and insult to all true democracies...We therefore seek urgent action from our Government to strip Lord Ahmed of his Lordship and an enquiry be set up for him to account for the violent protests he instigated and organised, the letter adds. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had earlier issued a statement on behalf of the UK government, saying it was "disappointed with the action taken by a small minority in Parliament Square". Scotland Yard said "enquiries" into the incident are ongoing and no arrests have been made so far. A senior broadcast journalist covering the protests, who was caught up in the scrum involving the Indian flag, has since registered a formal police complaint with the Metropolitan Police, which is also under investigation. Sikh Federation UK termed the entire incident an over reaction to an impromptu removal of the Indian flag. PTI gspannu7@gmail.com Vishal Joshi Tribune News Service Kurukshetra, April 23 On the eve of expected pronouncement of punishment to nine convicts in the infamous Apna Ghar sex scandal case by a CBI court, investigators of the state police recall the traumatic tales of nearly 100 inmates at Rohtaks shelter home. They said the guilty should get exemplary punishment for the crime. MS Mann, who retired as the Director General of Police rank, told The Tribune that the Rohtak-based crime spot was a fort-like prison. I recollect my visits to the spot in 2012 where differently abled girls and women were living in very bad conditions. Apna Ghar was built like a secretive jail where the real condition of inmates could not be known to the outside world, said Mann, who was heading the Special Investigative Team (SIT) of the state police before the case was handed over to the CBI. Mann said the SIT was constituted after the state authorities were not convinced with the investigations by then officials of Rohtak district. In May 2012 three inmates, who had run away from Apna Ghar, were rescued in New Delhi. As they shared details of sexual and mental exploitation of inmates, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) raided the premises located at Rohtaks Shri Nagar locality. Around 120 inmates were rescued from the shelter home. SIT member Dharna Yadav, then a newly recruited DSP, played the most important role in confidence building among the abused children and women. It was only due to Dharna and her women police subordinates Laxmi, Satya and Vidyawati, the victims opened up to share their tales of years of sexual and mental abuse, he said. Mann said Yadav used to play with the minors and the differently abled victims to gain their confidence in building the case. Yadav, currently posted as ACP at Gurugram, said the threat of the owner of the protection home Jaswanti Devi was visible on the faces of the inmates. She said it was shocking to listen to the endless tales of the brutality of innocent lives. Inmates were subjected to exploitation at a place where they were supposed to get protection, she said. It was my first major professional assignment. As an inexperienced cop, I really found it tough to accept such a brutal face of the society. After the expose, the victims got overwhelming support from the child helpline, police, press and volunteers. But the major relief came from the judiciary and the guilty will get suitable punishment, she said. Yadav recalls that several of the victims were psychologically challenged and they were unable to narrate their ordeal. We had to rope in the sign language exerts and special educators for their assistance, she said. rchopra@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 23 The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday allowed Khatta Singh, former driver of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, to record his statement afresh in the Ranjit Singh murder case. Special CBI judge Jagdeep Singh on September 25 last year had dismissed his application after finding no merit in it. Khatta Singh had approached the CBI court after the Dera chiefs conviction in a rape case for permission to record his statements afresh on Ram Rahims role in the murder cases. In his appeal, Khatta had submitted that his statement was crucial for deciding the cases. Khatta said he had resiled from his earlier statements under threat. Khatta also claimed that the only reason given by the special CBI judge for not permitting him to recall his statement was that the trial of the case was pending for more than 10 years and the case was now at its fag-end. Delayed trial cannot outweigh the interest of justice; and on the date when he had moved the application for being recalled as witness, the arguments in the murder cases had not started. The final outcome of the case is crucial as it revolves around my statement. The final arguments may take more time. My testimony should be brought on record in the interest of justice, Khatta Singh had submitted in his plea through counsel Navkiran Singh. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 22 A city-based animation school was transformed into science city under the Udaan art exhibition. Two science projects would be recommended for the Smart City project, announced Deputy Mayor Shaam Sundar Malhotra, here on Saturday. Dilbagh Singh and Abhijeet depicted the pitiable condition of the city through a model, which was inspired by Focal Point area of Ludhiana. The model showed piles of garbage and industrial smoke within the vicinity of residential areas. It showed stray pigs rummaging through the garbage dump, a dirty pond, smoke emitting from factories, cars and environmental degradation. Dilbagh said: This project presents the grim reality of our city and we drew inspiration from the Focal Point area of the city. Some of the industries are situated near residential areas, which are directly or indirectly causing health problems to the nearby residents. Garbage invites mosquitoes and with that comes epidemics such as malaria and dengue. Factories dump waste outside in the open. Children are worst affected in such areas as their immunity is weakened. There should be segregation of waste and dry and wet waste should be collected separately. The Deputy Mayor said: I appreciate efforts of children in sensitising the issues affecting people of Ludhiana despite it being one of the Smart City. I will recommend the models for the Smart City project. We, at our level, are also planning to take steps for waste management. There will be covered garbage dumps in the coming three to six months. More and more plantation will be encouraged in and around the city. Street light sensors, another model that received acclaimed would be recommended for a Smart City project. The street lights will only function whenever a vehicle pass by and will automatically get off incase the sensors do not witness any movement within a certain area. monicakchauhan@gmail.com New Delhi, April 23 A dead man got justice in a 25-year-old rape and murder case of a relative after his son approached the Delhi High Court to decide the matter posthumously. The high court acquitted a man of the charges of raping and murdering his sister-in-law in 1993 and reversed the judgement of a trial court, which had awarded him life imprisonment for the offences. The court granted benefit of doubt to the man, who had died in April 2016, saying it was not safe to base his conviction on the dying declaration of the deceased woman who had suffered 100 per cent burn injuries. The acquittal judgement came as a breather for the family, with the high court also saying that his kin could now persuade the man's employer, Engineers India Ltd, a public-sector undertaking under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, to reverse its decision to dismiss him from service and release his emoluments and other dues to them. A Bench of Justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta pulled up the police for lapse in the investigation of the case and said the material available on record has been contradicted on several points. The Bench also said the forensic evidence has "failed to corroborate the important aspect of the dying declaration, which is the commission of rape on the deceased by the appellant prior to her being burnt alive". "The substantive portions of the dying declaration have not been corroborated by the other evidence that has been gathered by the prosecution. As already mentioned, the forensic evidence in fact negates the charge of rape having been committed on the deceased shortly prior to her death. In a case of this nature, the prosecution had to make an effort to rule out the possibility that the deceased may have committed suicide," the bench said. The case dates back to April 1993 when the police received an information that a woman had died of burns in Sagarpur area of south west Delhi after being taken to the Safdarjung Hospital by her husband. The woman's husband had told the doctor that she was raped by her brother-in-law who had then poured kerosene oil and burnt her alive, the police had said. The case of the prosecution, represented through prosecutor Amit Chadha in the high court, rested essentially on the dying declaration of the woman purportedly made to the investigating officer of the case. The police registered a case against the woman's brother-in-law, for allegedly raping and murdering her. He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial court in March 2002. An appeal against the judgement was filed in the high court a month later. During pendency of the appeal, the man died on April 3, 2016 which was brought to the notice of the bench in January 2018. As nobody appeared for the man, the court disposed of the appeal as having abated. However, the events took a turn when the man's son filed an application seeking restoration of the appeal on the ground that as a result of his conviction by the trial court, he was removed from service from EIL. The son said they were six siblings and their mother was aged and mentally disturbed and if the appeal was allowed, the family would get the benefit of the emoluments and pension that would have accrued to him. The high court allowed the application in February, restored the appeal and gave a hearing to the case and acquitted the man. The bench said there were serious doubts about the manner of recording the dying declaration and whether the woman was in a state fit to make a dying declaration. As per the dying declaration, the man had asked the woman to accompany him to his house has his son was unwell. On reaching there, she found out that his son was not present and the man bolted the door of the room and raped her. When she resisted, he poured kerosene oil over her body, burnt her alive and fled. The court, however, noted that according to the witnesses, the room's door was bolted from inside and water was thrown into the house to douse of the fire. It said the prosecution has not been able to conclusively prove the presence of the man at the crime scene. The court said though the police found a can of kerosene oil at the crime spot, the doctor who conducted her post-mortem had not found any smell of kerosene on the scalp and hair. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Sumedha Sharma Tribune News Service Gurugram April 22 Blaraj Bhati, the name that terrified Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and UP for almost seven years, became a history on Monday as the Gurugram and UP STF gunned him down in a joint operation in Noidas Sector 41 . The Bollywood-style encounter, which included chase and firing of around 80 rounds from both sides, left four, including two head constables of Special Task Force (STF), a man and a boy injured. All are admitted to hospital and in a stable condition now. Considered to be the right hand of now-jailed dreaded gangster Sunder Bhati, Blaraj was managing the gang in his absence and attained new levels of notoriety with a reward of 2.5 lakhs on his head, including Rs 1 lakh each from the Delhi and Haryana Police and Rs 50,000 from the UP Police. He was wanted for over 30 cases of murder, extortion and robberies in three states, including the murder of a BJP leader Vijay Pandit in Dadri in 2014. According to the police, Blaraj, accompanied by two other criminals, arrived in Noida via Delhis Kalindi Kunj in a car, where he was intercepted by the STF officers of Haryana and UP near the traffic crossing of Sector 49/41. The gangsters allegedly started firing on polices car and tried to flee. Their car jumped the footpath just before the light point and the trio left the car behind and ran for cover. Blaraj entered a plot behind Bikaner Sweets Shop from where he climbed a wall to reach the terrace. He was cornered by cops on the terrace and subsequently killed in firing. The police recovered a 9 mm pistol from the spot. Meanwhile, his two accomplices managed to flee. Our team had very credible information on the movement of Blaraj and this helped us in cornering him. It is major success, as he was one of the most dreaded criminals and had been evading the police for long time, said Saurabh Singh, the officer in-charge of the STF. Earlier, in June last year, Blaraj was cornered by the Faridabad Police in Gurugrams Khandsa village. Though his close associate was shot and captured, he had a narrow escape. It was then that he made it to the list of 23 dreaded criminals issued by the UP Police who it wanted captured dead or alive and ever since then, the STF went after him. Bhati was born in Bulandshahar in UP. He had joined the Delhi Police as a constable, but was soon dismissed from the service after he was accused of a murder. This marked his entry to the world of crime. Later, he was taken by Surender Bhati under his wings. Balraj was known for his commitment in contract killings, as once he took money he ensured his target was dead. He had even hatched a plan to kill the jailer of UPs Bulandshahr jail where he was lodged. monicakchauhan@gmail.com New Delhi, April 23 Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi, BJP president Amit Shah on Monday said the 'Save the Constitution' campaign launched by the Congress chief is an exercise to save the dynasty and that the opposition party's "Modi hatred" has turned into "India hatred". In a statement soon after Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah said if there is one political party that has trampled over the Constitution in letter and spirit, time and again, it is the opposition party. He made a mention of the Congress' move to impeach the Chief Justice of India and said it is part of a trend to demonise and weaken every institution that seeks to maintain its individual identity and does not "kowtow to the dynasty", a reference to the Gandhi family. The BJP chief also cited the Congress' alleged attack on the CAG, Election Commission, the Army and the Supreme Court at different points of time and its imposition of the Emergency in 1975 to hit back "Those who do not trust the Army, the judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, EVMs, the RBI are now saying democracy is in danger. India has a vibrant democracy and a vibrant Constitution. "The Congress' Save the Constitution' campaign is nothing but a farce that seeks to perpetuate the rule of dynasty over the rule of democracy. Like in the past, we need to protect the Constitution from the Congress," Shah said. When Gandhi says the Congress made the Constitution, he is continuing his family legacy of humiliating Bhimrao Ambedkar, Shah said. "By repeatedly saying the Congress made the Constitution, Rahul Gandhi is carrying forward his family tradition of insulting Dr Ambedkar. The Nehru-Gandhi family insulted him when he was alive and is humiliating him even more now. Shameful and petty," the BJP chief said. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com New Delhi, April 23 The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Chief Secretaries of Delhi and Haryana and the Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources to hold a meeting immediately to discuss and sort out the issues relating to the supply of Yamuna river water to the National Capital. The apex court said this after Chief Secretaries of Delhi and Haryana, who were both present in the court during the hearing, raised some issues regarding the minutes of the meeting held earlier between them. While Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash told a Bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta that they had not agreed on certain aspects at the last meeting, the Chief Secretary of Haryana said the minutes of the last meeting were correctly recorded. What should be done now? Do we need to have CCTV cameras installed to see what they have said (in the meeting)? All of them are senior officers, the Bench observed. However, Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni, appearing for the Centre, said that both Delhi and Haryana should sort it out and they should have a fresh meeting to deliberate on the issue. The Delhi Chief Secretary told the Bench that at the last meeting, they had not agreed on the aspect of withdrawal of cases filed by the Delhi government against Haryana in this regard but it was recorded in the minutes that this issue was agreed upon. You tell us the solution. This cannot go on like this, the Bench observed. Haryanas chief secretary D S Dhesi said they had started releasing water to Delhi from April 2 itself. The Haryana counsel said that water was being released as per the agreement and claimed that Delhi wanted to get the share of Haryanas water also. In the garb of a judicial order, they (Delhi) want Haryana to part with its share of water, the counsel claimed. What Delhi is asking is not a favour from Haryana. It is as per the Supreme Courts order. We had written to Haryana. They started releasing water but then they stopped it. We want continuous supply of water, the Delhi Chief Secretary said. Delhis counsel said there was a shortfall of 120 cusecs of water of the Yamuna river daily for the National Capital. However, the bench asked Delhi as to what it had done to remove the garbage and junk lying in Yamuna river. What about the junk lying there? The water stinks. Garbage is there. What is this going on? River Yamuna was supposed to be a goddess, the bench observed. When Nadkarni said both the Chief Secretaries of Delhi and Haryana and Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources should meet to resolve the issue, the Bench said, the meeting should be held in a cordial atmosphere. The Bench asked them to hold meeting on the issue urgently and posted the matter for hearing on April 27. At the fag end of hearing, Haryanas counsel raised the issue of Satluj-Yamuna Link canal and referred to the apex courts decree asking Punjab to honour its commitments regarding water sharing. The controversial 1981 water-sharing agreement came into being after Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966. For effective allocation of water, the SYL canal link was conceptualised and both the states were required to construct their portions within their territories. Haryana had constructed the portion of SYL canal in its territory. However, Punjab, after the initial phase, stopped the work, leading to spate of litigations. During the hearing earlier in the matter related to water sharing between Delhi and Haryana, the apex court had asked their Chief Secretaries to appear before it after the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had said it was not receiving enough water to supply to the national capital. The Delhi government had earlier informed the apex court it was in talks with Haryana for the release of 450 cusecs of water of the Yamuna daily for the National Capital. The court was hearing a plea filed by the DJB alleging that Haryana had reduced by one-third the supply of Yamuna water to the National Capital, leading to a grave water crisis. The DJB has contended that Haryana was supplying Delhi only 330 cusecs of water daily as against 450 cusecs per day, which was agreed upon between the state and the Union Territory. The DJB had said that due to the present curtailment in water supply to the Wazirabad reservoir, the plant was running at reduced capacity leading to a grave water crisis in the city. It has sought directions from the apex court to Haryana government to supply the entire 450 cusec of water per day continuously and daily to the Wazirabad reservoir. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com New Delhi, April 23 The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the plea of social activist Swami Agnivesh seeking deletion of scenes from the film Padmaavat on the grounds that it glorified the practice of Jauhar. The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra rejected the plea of Agnivesh, which also sought lodging of an FIR against the producer and director of the film for glorifying the evil of jauhar (self-immolation by widows on their husbands funeral pyre). Once CBFC clears the movie, deletion of scenes cannot be directed, the bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, said. The apex court had trashed several petitions against Padmaavats release on various grounds. Then the producers had moved the court after some states banned the movie. The court, on January 18, had set aside the ban and restrained other states from banning the film, paving way for its all-India release on January 25. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had moved the apex court seeking recall of the SC order, which was dismissed on January 23. The Deepika Padukone-starrer Padmaavat, based on the saga of a historic 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh and his army of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi, has Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com New Delhi, April 23 Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the notice given by opposition parties led by the Congress for impeachment of CJI Dipak Misra citing lack of substantial merit in it, sources said. Naidu held extensive consultations with top legal and constitutional experts before taking the decision, they said. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held consultations with such experts to determine the maintainability of the motion. Sources said Vice President Naidu met several experts after he re-scheduled his travel plans considering the seriousness of the matter. Seven opposition parties led by the Congress had last week moved a notice before him for impeachment of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on five grounds of misbehavior. This is the first time ever that an impeachment notice has been filed against a sitting CJI. PTI editorial@tribune.com Vikramdeep Johal Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 22 In the years preceding the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which he infamously endorsed, Sir Michael ODwyer spearheaded large-scale mobilisation of Punjabi men for duty in World War I. The then Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab province banked on feudal chiefs and rulers of princely states to maximise the number of recruits (rangroot in local parlance) and keep the wartime coffers flush with funds. He exhorted his loyalists to go for voluntaryism, if possible, conscription, if necessary, as per his war speeches, which were first published exactly a century ago and are currently available in a digital avatar. During one such address in Lahore in May 1918, ODwyer said: The ruling princes and chiefs have given us a lead. Patiala, Jind, Bahawalpur, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Malerkotla all of whom have already sent splendid contingents of Imperial Service troops to the front and Chamba have all made noble offers, most of them to double or more than double their fighting forces. Singling out then Maharaja of Patiala Bhupinder Singh for lavish praise, he had said: It is doubtless in recognition of the splendid services of Patiala and of the Punjab States that our Premier Chief has been summoned to the Imperial War Conference. Ireland-based Pakistani writer Mahmood Awan says conscription (compulsory enlistment) wasnt officially implemented in undivided Punjab during WWI (1914-18), but ODwyer was brutal in his pursuit. He was assisted much beyond his expectations by his local agents. They used all sorts of methods to get the required numbers for the Empire, observes Awan, whose great-grandfather served in this war. Reeling under poverty, countless farmers took the plunge for the sake of their long-suffering families. If Punjabi film Sajjan Singh Rangroot is to be believed, a section of the soldiers even assumed that a British victory would lead to Indias freedom. With a variety of factors at play, the troop contribution of the countrys sword arm more than trebled within four years. ODwyer was accused of browbeating people into joining the Army. Ive read that the police would surround a village and kidnap the adult males, says Malwinder Jit Singh Waraich, a Chandigarh-based historian. Also, whenever there was a rumour of such a swoop, villages used to become deserted, except for the females, very old people and children. During his darbars, ODwyer repeatedly invoked the famed martial spirit of the Punjabis with the express aim of boosting enrolment. The Lieutenant Governor, who enjoyed sweeping powers, publicly lauded and rewarded the leading recruiters and admonished the laggards. Citing the 1897 Battle of Saragarhi to salute Sikh valour and loyalty, he asserted with rhetorical flair: Wherever the British flag flies, the Sikh soldier is there to uphold it. Last but not least, he raised the bogey of a German invasion to convince the natives that they were fighting not only for the country and the King, but also to safeguard their own homes. Britain and its allies went on to win the War to End All Wars, in which more than 74,000 Indian soldiers were killed (about half of them were from Punjab, as per Mahmood Awans estimate). The toll included around 10,000 Sikhs, according to Amandeep Madra, Chair of the UK Punjab Heritage Association (the Punjabi Muslim casualties were most probably even higher). However, just five months after the guns fell silent in Europe and elsewhere, the Jallianwala Bagh carnage happened. Brig Gen Reginald Dyers troops opened fire on an unlawful assembly, killing 379 unarmed civilians and leaving over 1,200 injured, as per official figures. The incident caused a furore in India and the UK, but ODwyer justified the drastic military action, presumably on the grounds that it had quelled the unrest -- triggered by the draconian Rowlatt Act -- and scuttled a violent conspiracy to destabilise Punjab. ODwyers support for General Dyer would prove deeply embarrassing for the Government of India, but given the situation at the time, his response was reasonable, says Dr Nick Lloyd, Reader in Military and Imperial History, Kings College, London. Ironically, the staunch imperialists validation of the bloodbath in the holy city came barely a year after he had paid a glowing tribute to Amritsars heroism and patriotic zeal. It was his insistence on defending the indefensible that sowed the seeds of his assassination at the hands of a massacre survivor named Udham Singh. Hall-mark of vengeance Rare footage from the 1920s, showing Sir Michael ODwyer and then Maharaja of Patiala Bhupinder Singh greeting each other at Londons Caxton Hall, is doing the rounds on social media. Incidentally, it was inside this building that Udham Singh gunned down ODwyer on March 13, 1940, in retaliation for the Jallianwala Bagh killings. Udham Singh, who was serving as a water-carrier on the fateful day in 1919, was found guilty of murder and executed on July 31, 1940. rchopra@tribunemail.com Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Pathankot, April 23 Pathankot and nearby areas were put on alert on Monday as police found a suspicious bag containing ammunition and documents from near the air force station. The bag contained a Pakistani map, three cartridges and an army uniform. Police have started investigation and security in the area has been beefed up. Further details are awaited. editorial@tribune.com Fazilka, April 23 The Border Security Force (BSF) has repatriated two Pakistani nationals who had inadvertently strayed into the Indian territory. Sources said two Pakistani nationals identified as Mohammad Waqas (23) of Kasur district and Faizan (19) of Lahore had entered into the Indian territory near the Rana border outpost in the Fazilka area on April 21. They were apprehended by a troop of the 2nd Battalion of the BSF. After verifying their antecedents, the BSF officials contacted the Pakistani Rangers. A meeting between the two forces was held at JCP Sadiqi in Fazilka district on Monday. As a goodwill gesture, the BSF handed over both Pakistani nationals to the Pak Rangers on humanitarian grounds. OC singhking99@yahoo.com Jotirmay Thapliyal Tribune News Service Dehradun, April 22 Anti-corruption crusader and Ramon Magsaysay recipient Sanjiv Chaturvedi, who is currently posted as Conservator of Forests (Research), Haldwani, said encouraging honest officials and punishing the corrupt ones was the mool mantra to weed out corruption. Talking to The Tribune on the sidelines of the Civil Services Day function here on Saturday, IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, who shot into fame after his tireless efforts against corruption as Haryana cadre IFS officer and then as Deputy Secretary, AIIMS, said it was a matter of concern that even Nepal and Sri Lanka were ahead of the country in vital parameters such as health. He recommended the setting up of anti-corruption bodies which do not have any political interference and fast-track courts to deal with corruption cases. Prosecution must prepare a strong case so that no corrupt is let loose. Such cases should not be dragged and come to a conclusion within two to three years, he said. Chaturvedi questioned powerful not getting punished for their acts of corruption. There is a pattern that only lower staff such as a junior engineer, patwari or clerk are punished in cases of corruption while the higher ups go scot-free, he added. Responding to a query on a long-pending demand of IFS officers for their adequate representation in administrative services, Chaturvedi said IFS officers were deployed at the joint secretary-level posts at the Centre and had been performing well. uttara@tribuneindia.com Jalalabad, April 23 Three brothers have been beheaded in restive eastern Afghanistan, officials said on Monday, blaming the gruesome executions on Islamic State group fighters. The men aged 19, 24 and 27 were taken from their home and killed by Islamic State on last night in Chaparhar district in Nangarhar province, provincial governor spokesman Ataullah Khogyani told AFP. Nangarhar borders Pakistan and is a stronghold for Islamic State militants. Two of the brothers recently graduated from medical school and the third was still at university, Khogyani said, adding the boys' father was also killed by Islamic State last year. "Their bodies were found in Chaparhar district where they lived," said the spokesman. Provincial police spokesman Hazrat Hussain Mashreqiwal confirmed the brutal murders and said an investigation had been launched. "They were taken out of their house by armed men and their beheaded bodies were found by villagers near their house," Mashreqiwal told AFP. Islamic State first emerged in Afghanistan in 2014 as NATO combat troops withdrew from the country and handed over responsibility to Afghan security forces. Despite being far smaller than the Taliban, Islamic State has claimed responsibility for devastating attacks in Kabul and elsewhere in the country. On Sunday, Islamic State claimed a suicide attack in a large crowd outside a voter registration centre in Kabul that killed 57 people and wounded more than 100. Some Western and Afghan officials believe Islamic State has received help from the Haqqani Network, a brutal wing of the Taliban. Following an intense air and ground campaign by Afghan and US forces in Nangarhar, Islamic State spread beyond its stronghold to the northern province of Jowzjan where it has also come under pressure. Earlier this month top Islamic State commander in northern Afghanistan Qari Hikmatullah was killed in an airstrike. AFP The domain turkeytelegraph.com may be for sale. Please click here to inquire Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). | By Alex Likowski Theres no barbed wire on the other side of Martin Luther King Boulevard, but there might as well be, said writer and television producer David Simon, explaining his view that economic segregation is one of the underlying problems Baltimore must solve in order to reduce drug-related crime and violence. Simon addressed a gathering of University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) alumni Sunday, April 22, at the Sagamore Pendry Hotel in Fells Point. UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, invited him to talk about his work as a journalist and television producer, and how that work was influenced by the city. Simon worked on The Baltimore Sun city desk for 12 years, during which time he wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. The book was fictionalized as the TV drama Homicide: Life on the Street. He later served as creator, executive producer, and writer of the HBO series The Wire. Both series focused on life and crime in Baltimore. Writer/producer David Simon on stage with UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, at the Sagamore Pendry Hotel. You know, I probably shouldnt acknowledge this, but when I wrote to the community and told them we were lucky enough to have you speak to us, I got a nasty email from somebody on campus, Perman told Simon, sitting beside him on stage. There are some, he added, who blame Simon and his shows for damaging Baltimores reputation around the country. Why are we giving a platform to David Simon? Perman said, relating another writers complaint. The question was not a new one for the writer, who quickly responded, There are 794 stories about the America that got out (of post-industrial dislocation) and somebody made a drama about the people who got left behind in the places where factories closed, places where the only economic energy left in some of these neighborhoods is the drug trade, and thats one too many? A swell of applause indicated that few if any critics were in the audience. Perman noted that Simon clearly has affection for Baltimore. Although born in Washington, D.C., and raised in its suburbs, Simon and his wife own a home in Baltimore and their child attends public school in the city. Simon agreed. If you watched The Wire, unless youre with the chamber of commerce or a realtor, he said over the audiences laughter, I think if you watched it for the human beings that were on screen and how they felt about things and how they respond ... I dont think you could have missed it, but there are some people who did. Simon added that part of Charm Citys charm is its tenacious sense of pride. I was shocked that some people watched The Wire and said, Why dont they just leave? No! Were from Baltimore! he said, adding, Theres a sense of weve got things right even if the rest of the countrys moved on. Most of the nearly 90-minute talk, however, focused on the things Simon thinks Baltimore doesnt have right, an economy that excludes whole parts of our city and a police department that he says is mistakenly focused on arresting non-violent offenders instead of reducing violent crime. Locking up a hundred thousand people a year in a city of 620,000? This is insanity, Simon said, calling the Baltimore Police Department the legacy of (former Baltimore mayor) Martin OMalley. By increasing arrest stats, the police department looked effective on paper, he argued, but its culture changed, making it less effective at solving violent crimes and exacerbating the citys most fundamental problems. So, they can arrest everybody in the world and give them a criminal history that will make them unemployable for the rest of their lives on non-violent, nonsense arrests, but when somebody shoots someone else, they cant solve the crime, he said. Until you fix the police department, all youre doing is damaging families, communities, and giving 15-year-old kids adult records. Toward the end of the talk, the audience got a chance to take over the questioning from moderator Perman. Answering a law professors question about the commercialization of the justice system, Simon lamented, Theres so much money to be made by human misery. Whenever the criminal justice system ratchets itself up and declares war on the world deserving incarceration or prosecution or enforcement, money is being made. Another audience member, a School of Medicine alumna, took the opportunity to express sadness that The Wire never returned for a sixth season. I used to watch The Wire with my husband and tell him Bubbles (a homeless character in the show) is my patient. I loved how authentic and honest it was, unlike anything else, she said. Wrapping up the evening, Perman turned to Simon. A couple of weeks ago I found myself addressing the Downtown Partnership, he began. I said, Lets be sure to tell the good stories in Baltimore, too. I would say that you are one of Baltimores good stories, and we are fortunate for it. As the second Brussels conference on Supporting Syria and the Region approaches, the time is opportune to shed a light on the issues faced by one of Syrias neighbours, Jordan, and the countrys efforts to address them. Though its situation by no means compares to the horrors visited upon Syria, Jordan, like other countries neighbouring Syria, is coming under growing strain from the fallout of the crisis on the countrys economic, environmental, political and social security. Jordan is a generous host country under strain In the last seven years, like other neighbouring countries, Jordan has stood out as remarkably generous hosting today as many as 1.3 million Syrian refugees, according to government officials including the 661,000 who have officially registered as refugees. This solidarity has been impressive; however, we must be clear that it also comes at a cost: Not only has the crisis slowed Jordans economic growth, government officials estimate that hosting refugees has drained over US$10 billion from the economy and been a contributory factor in pushing public debt towards 83 percent of GDP. Strains on natural resources are equally dramatic. Even before the crisis, Jordan was one of the five most arid countries in the world now water demand has increased by up to 40 percent in some northern governorates, where the majority of refugees from Syria reside. Social tensions arise among communities competing for employment, opportunity and resources. To date, relations between communities have remained cordial with Jordanians continuing to welcome and support Syrian refugees. However, with no end to the conflict in Syria in sight, the implications of prolonged displacement may well start to unsettle Jordans delicate economic and social balance. Progress achieved but more support needed Given the complexity and protracted nature of the crisis facing the region, the Government of Jordan and the international community have been clear that a new type of response is required a response that challenges both perception and paradigm by presenting refugees not simply as passive recipients of assistance, but rather as agents of their own destiny; and a response that also addresses the needs of host communities. Two significant frameworks outline the governments needs and the international response: As agreed at the London Conference on Supporting Syrians and the Region, in 2016, the Jordan Compact seeks to engage and empower Syrian refugees, by extending access to basic services such as education and health, and affording opportunities to work, set up businesses and acquire new skills. This framework is complemented by Jordans national chapter of the Regional Refugee and Resilience Programme (3RP), a framework co-chaired by the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and bringing together the work across the region of 270 humanitarian and development partners. The 3RP seeks to reinforce the Jordan Compact by addressing the emergency needs of refugees through the broader lens of national resilience and development. The humanitarian-development nexus in action Key to this thinking is the importance of maintaining a cost effective and multi-sectoral humanitarian response that targets highly vulnerable refugees while concurrently reinforcing Jordans development priorities. Going forward we aim to advance Grand Bargain commitments in making better use of national structures and services, and working more extensively through national and local responders. We aim to capitalise on the extraordinary progress made to date whilst adapting our programming approaches to ensure our support remains relevant and impactful for thousands of Syrian and Jordanian households. As of April 2018, close to 92,000 work permits have been issued to Syrian refugees since the first London Conference. In the field of education, some 130,000 Syrian refugees have been enrolled in Jordanian schools, and 209 schools are operating double-shift rotations to accommodate refugees. In terms of social protection, more than 400,000 refugees or 78 percent of those eligible have been issued with cards issues by the Ministry of Interior entitling them to seek and access work. This is important momentumbut, without continued support, Jordans status as a model of stability in an otherwise fractious region is at risk. Given the multiple overlapping challenges the Kingdom is facing, and indeed Jordans extraordinary leadership in crisis response, the international community should continue to support processes that strengthen national capacities, ownership and leadership, and cost effectively deliver a needs and rights-based approach that responds to the needs of all of Jordans population, with a particular emphasis on womens economic empowerment. Brussels II a chance for renewed commitment for refugees and resilience The upcoming Brussels II Conference presents a timely opportunity to shed light on the current situation both in Syria and across the region. As co-chairs to the conference the UN has worked alongside the EU in drafting a 2018 Partnership Paper that reiterates the commitments of both the international community and Government of Jordan in responding to the vulnerabilities that exist in Jordan. The continuing needs of refugees are of course reflected in these commitments as are those of other vulnerable groups. The Partnership Paper also underscores the commitment of government, the UN and the wider international community to embrace a new way of working, bring humanitarian and development work into stronger alignment, and reinforce Jordans development agenda. Like other countries neighbouring Syria, Jordan has exercised a vitally important role in the region and the world today. It merits additional support to not only continue to empower refugees, but to sustainably support the many vulnerable communities who continue to generously host them. At the United Nations in Jordan, we are committed to doing our best to support a brighter future for Jordan we urge international partners to join us in supporting this generous country at a time of growing strain. About the author Anders Pedersen is UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Jordan. Follow him on Twitter: @AndersP_UN As prepared for delivery. Thank you Ministers and Ambassador Djani, Excellencies, Colleagues, I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss the important potential of Islamic Finance to help governments leverage new sources of financing for development during this important week of reflection on our commitments to Agenda 2030 and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. With the global commitment to the SDGs, we have set the course of all our development efforts towards promoting prosperity, preserving and protecting our planet and improving the livelihoods of all people. At the same time, we acknowledge that the implementation of this ambitious agenda requires significantly more financial resources. The gap in financing for SDGs is currently estimated at US$ 2.5 trillion every year and we know that Official Development Assistance (ODA) alone is not an adequate source of financing. ODA flows from the member countries of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) was US$146.6 billion in 2017. Hence, to help countries deliver the SDGs, we need new approaches and innovative partnerships, involving both stakeholders and sources of capital, including the private sector, faith-based and social giving, which is why this discussion today is so important. One vital area where innovative partnerships could better respond to the financing needs of SDGs is Islamic finance, which is one of the fastest growing financial industries. Global assets in Islamic finance have grown from about US$200 billion in 2003 to US$2 trillion in 2015; and are expected to reach US$3.5 trillion in 2021. Considering the scale, strengthening our collective ability to better leverage Islamic finance will be crucial to offer governments a strong, non-traditional source of financing to advance their local SDG implementation and leave no one behind. The core principles of Islamic finance channeling funding to the real economy, avoiding excessive speculations, and limiting debt to the value of assets and Islamic social finance tools Zakat, Sadakah, Waqf - are highly aligned with the spirit of the SDGs. The Islamic Development Bank found Islamic Finance to be especially relevant in addressing ten of the 17 SDGs, including goals pertaining to poverty alleviation, infrastructure development, financial stability, and beyond. I am sure that our speakers and panel members today will offer a number of insights as to the opportunities and complementarities that Islamic Finance brings to Agenda 2030. I hope you will challenge us as development partners to step up and build a better bridge between Islamic Finance and the SDGs. UNDP and other parts of the UN have already begun to scale up our efforts to engage member countries on Islamic finance in innovative ways. In Indonesia, for example, UNDP is partnering with BAZNAS the national Zakat collection body to apply Zakat funds, for the first time ever, towards local SDG plans, beginning with renewable energy projects in underserved communities. UNDP Indonesia is also working with Badan Wakaf Indonesia, their national waqf board, to collaborate on SDGs and develop a digital platform for waqf contributions. UNDP is also working with the Indonesian Ministry of Finance to support the issuance of their first $1.25 billion sovereign green sukuk. This sukuk, which is oversubscribed, shows that the SDGs are a huge investment opportunity, with vital potential to leverage Islamic Finance partnerships for green investments. In Palestine, UNDP is facilitating the mobilization of funds for SMEs through Islamic microfinance, and in Turkey, we are exploring new ways to blend Islamic finance with crowdfunding through Blockchain technology. These types of projects could be replicated from the Philippines to Pakistan, from Sudan to Suriname. Impact investment is another new form of financing, growing rapidly and estimated to be worth $1 trillion by 2020. It has much in common with Islamic Finance, being value-based with a moral purpose to do good, intending to generate a measurable, beneficial social or environmental impact alongside financial return and seeking to build inclusive financial systems, valuing financial stability and shared prosperity. UNDP has been actively engaged in fostering impact investment both conventional and Islamic in service of the SDGs. In 2017, UNDP and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) launched a joint report titled I for Impact: Blending Islamic Finance and Impact Investing for the Global Goals. The report was a key step forward in conceptualizing Islamic finance-based impact investing, and building an ecosystem in support of this idea, with strategies and approaches to leverage Islamic financial instruments, like sukuk and micro-takaful, for development financing. To help bolster this potential, UNDP and the Islamic Development Bank also launched the Global Islamic Finance and Impact Investing Platform, which promotes market-based solutions to sustainable development challenges, with the aim of positioning Islamic finance and impact investing as leading enablers of global SDG implementation through private sector engagement. The platform is a knowledge hub for peer learning, a forum for policy dialogue and a market place for deal sourcing and match making. By bringing together different actors in the Islamic finance and impact-investing arena, it aims to create a collaborative working space among stakeholders, and nurture a business ecosystem for Islamic finance and impact investing. And this is just the beginning. UNDP is present across 170 countries, with expertise ranging from economic empowerment, governance and sustainable development to resilience and conflict prevention. We have a proven track record of developing and managing a large portfolio of development projects, and can support Islamic Finance organisations to align with the SDGs, monitor, report and communicate development impact, as we are already doing in Indonesia and other countries. We look forward to your ideas today to guide our future engagement, and help governments to leverage the new sources of financing needed to significantly advance their progress towards sustainable development. As prepared for delivery. I would like to thank Her Excellency Ms. Marie Chatardova, President of ECOSOC, for the invitation to address Member States at the 2018 Financing for Development Forum. I also thank the two co-facilitators of the conclusions and recommendations of this Forum: His Excellency Mr. Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica, and His Excellency Mr. Francisco Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative of Portugal. UNDP is pleased to have contributed to this years Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Financing for Development (IATF) report. As we continue to support implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we are coming together as a system in an unprecedented way not only in the IATF to deliver support on the ground. From our engagement with countries around the world, finance is clearly becoming ever more important. Countries are increasingly committed to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. They are now requesting support to put in place the appropriate financing frameworks to deliver. This implies mobilizing more domestic resources, expanding international concessional public finance, and creating incentives and policies that align private investment decisions with the SDGs, which is what will make the difference. They are also interested in exploring innovative new financing modalities, such as opportunities increasingly offered by blended finance, green finance or Islamic finance. Our aim with the work of the IATF is to provide a report that is helpful to policy-makers, that helps trigger action and supports decision-making towards advancing the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the implementation of the SDGs. It is important to have a report that speaks to peoples concerns and connects with the public at large. Going forward, we can do this by speaking to three key issues: The first is technological change and institutional and policy shifts that are increasing inequality and economic insecurity. This years report rightly recognizes that new technologies create exciting opportunities, including for advancing the SDGs. But it also warns that the transformative power of technology raises complex ethical, socio-economic and human rights challenges and risks. We are seeing an unprecedented shift in income from workers to owners of capital and from low to high-skilled workers. The direction and pace of technological change are ever more labour-saving and could lead to even further job losses and increased polarization in labour markets. Many tax systems rely on taxing labour income for revenues while at the same time, on average, corporate income tax rates are declining in most countries, both developed and developing. Excessive tax incentives, tax breaks and aggressive tax avoidance further erode countries revenue bases and shift the burden of taxation even further on to labour. As developing countries are running out of industrialization opportunities sooner and at lower levels of income than ever and as inequalities are either high or increasing, our tax and transfer systems must adjust to ensure more progressive outcomes. Greater transparency in tax systems is also needed. We also need to be prepared to raise revenues that are linked to the way in which our economies will look in the future. This implies drawing on tax and transfer systems to incentivize skills development, learning and sustainability. As the IATF report advises, policymakers need to take a long-term perspective, strengthen social protection and urgently develop regulatory frameworks so that benefits of technological change are shared broadly. Developing countries need the capacity to deploy and use new technologies. The second key issue is managing risk and volatility. This has rightly been taken up by the last two IATF reports, at a time when we are confronting multifaceted challenges due to conflicts, economic volatility and environmental shocks. There has been an upsurge in conflict in the last decade. Environmental shocks such as those witnessed in the Caribbean last year can wipe out years of development progress, and are expected to become more frequent and severe with climate change. Dominicas losses are estimated at 226% of 2016 GDP. Higher income levels alone cannot protect countries from conflict and extremism, natural hazards, epidemics and financial crises. Vulnerability to shocks is decoupled from levels of income. Some middle-income countries have been unable to access concessional finance in times of need and crisis. This includes Lebanon and Jordan and some small island states hit by major environmental disasters. Ad hoc solutions to provide these countries with concessional resources have commendably been found, but sometimes with considerable delay. It would be more efficient to put in place more flexible concessional financing facilities to address crises and shocks. The IATF report points to growing concern over debt sustainability, more so in disaster-vulnerable SIDS that are already debt-stressed and need to borrow further for recovery and rebuilding. We need to continue to argue for more systematic approaches to risk-informed finance, including the use of state-contingent debt instruments such as GDP-linked bonds and countercyclical loans. The third issue is growing sustainable finance, which can represent a win-win for both people and planet. Last year, Member States asked the IATF to consider sustainable financing, and this is a critical area of work that needs to continue to be explored. Sustainable finance initiatives have the potential to align substantial amounts of global capital, especially private capital, with the SDGs. It is encouraging to see a rise in impact investing and other sustainable and ethical finance initiatives. Global green bonds saw a record US$163 billion issued in 2017, with more growth expected. People in the private sector and the investor world are beginning to look at the SDGs as a real opportunity. There is an opportunity to both grow the value of assets under ESG standards, while moving these assets from a do-no harm approach to a positive engagement approach. As this years report shows, however, investing with environmental and social factors in mind is still too marginal. UNDP is engaging with companies and the financial industry to support the proactive engagement of private capital for the SDGs and to invest in high impact areas. To facilitate this, UNDP is testing ideas and has established impact investment platforms and promoted Islamic finance for measurable environmental and social results. Finally, it is also our collective responsibility to make sure all countries can benefit from the opportunities of a new development financing landscape, not just MICs. The IATF report and the FfD Forum provide a unique space to advance the financing for development agenda at a global level. We also must do more to have the report speak to people on the ground, not only to those that come to New York for the FfD Forum. We can mobilize our organizations to, for instance, organize debates in countries on the report and implications of the analysis for national authorities. A possible focus in next years report on national financing strategies, highlighting innovations at the national level in financing development, would be welcome and valuable. Your Excellency, Mr. Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia Your Excellency, Mr. Dan Neculaescu, State Secretary for Regional Affairs and Multilateral Global Affairs of Romania, Chair of the PBC Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to attend, on behalf of UNDP, this high-level meeting of the Peacebuilding Commission on The Gambia. It is my expectation, that our encounter this morning, will be a pre-resonance of what we project to be a successful International Conference, in a month time. New York, today, and Brussels in thirty days, will be, with no doubt, moments of re-affirmation that The Gambia is back; back and ready to reclaim its natural position as The Gateway to the Continent; and a potential leading geo-economic platform for West Africa. The country will not walk alone on that path; as the nation has generated a huge capital of sympathy and has rightly earned an international badge of honor, in its right fight to restore the universal enlightenment principles of peace, social justice, good neighborhood, human rights , dignity and freedom. The National Development Plan 2018-2021, just presented by Minister Sanneh, will be a powerful compass in that journey. It illustrates the vision and leadership of the Government to lay the foundations for a modern democratic state, while also addressing the most pressing economic, social and environmental challenges of the country. The Plan, through its alignment with the 2030 Agenda, Africa Agenda 2063 and other regional and international commitments, lays the framework for making sustainable development a reality in The Gambia while also encapsulating the principles of sustaining peace, enhancing resilience and leaving no one behind. The plan will be a moment of transformation. Essential for this transformation is building social cohesion and reconciliation, and sustaining peace. Rebuilding the social contract and re-securing peoples trust in the government through the implementation of the medium-term national development plan will allow for consolidating development gains, ensuring that societies and groups can live in harmony with each other and to reflect on the journey towards The New Gambia We Want; one that is resilient to risks and volatility, and strives for the wellbeing of all citizens. The plan must also be a moment to deliver development results with a sense of urgency; as deprivation has been striking for too long; with an average poverty rate of 48.6% , nation-wide, and of about 70% in rural areas; hence above the already too high average rural poverty rate of 65% in Africa. Drawing from the successful experience of emergency community development programs (PUDC) in Senegal and then Togo, UNDP can support countries like The Gambia to replicate successful fast-tracked development models that have produced tangible results particularly for vulnerable segments of the population, including women and youth, in a very short time. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Lee Kwan Yew took a city-state smaller than New York, and turn it into a giant powerhouse and a global financial hub; he made history; he gave us a lot of lessons, yet simple but potent, in transforming an economy, a nation and a society; his key advice is to have a clear vision of the future and execute it in a sustained and disciplined manner. The Gambias National Development Plan embodies a clear and shared vision, The Gambia We Want. I am quite convinced that if we all line up behind this vision, in a disciplined manner, and provide the required support, a Singapore will very soon flourish, at the Gateway to Africa. I Thank you. Among the colourful fabrics and sewing machines in a Zurich clothing workshop, Jamila leans across her workbench and carefully smooths the fabric of a black-and-yellow dress she is making, adjusting the hem and inserting pins here and there. In a few days time she will put the finishing touches to the dress and take it home. Two months ago, the 57-year-old Afghan refugee began attending sewing classes organized by Social Fabric, a Swiss organization based in Zurich. I wanted to learn new skills and meet new people, says Jamila, who fled her home in Afghanistan seven years ago. Social Fabric was founded in 2015 by Heather Kirk, a Canadian molecular biologist who wanted to combine her knowledge of plant biology with sustainable development and social work. Social Fabric is both a commercial company and a community-based organization. It pays members and volunteers to create and sell products, while reinvesting the income to cover overheads and fund programmes to help asylum-seekers and refugees integrate. In my country, we do these steps in the head. Every Thursday, up to 20 people from various countries, mostly but not all refugees and asylum seekers, attend Social Fabrics sewing workshop. Learning how to sew happens mainly through observation and imitation, says Heather. This allows refugees, who do not yet speak German very well, to participate actively in the workshops and to learn new skills. Meet the Social Fabric team: founder Heather (left), Lisa, Congolese refugee Bijoux, Helka and Ivorian refugee Cisse. UNHCR/Mark Henley Cisse, a refugee from Cote d'Ivoire, works with staff member Helka. Cisse contributes to the design and creation of products developed by the organization. UNHCR/Mark Henley Brightly coloured thread at Social Fabric's workshop, where refugees work side by side with locals. UNHCR/Mark Henley Afghan refugee Jamila measures cloth at at Social Fabric in Zurich, where she takes part in classes to design and make her own clothes. UNHCR/Mark Henley Cisse, a refugee from Cote d'Ivoire, works part-time at the Social Fabric workshop in Zurich. UNHCR/Mark Henley Cisse, a refugee from Cote d'Ivoire, worked as a tailor for 11 years at home. He now works part-time with Social Fabric. UNHCR/Mark Henley In 2016, Social Fabric launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay the salary of 26-year-old Cisse, a refugee from Cote dIvoire, who teaches tailoring. He worked as a tailor for 11 years at home, but in Switzerland, he has had to adapt to new ways of working. Here, we use a lot of patterns and forms, and we spend a lot of time preparing our work by using pins, he says. In my country, we do these steps in the head. It is simpler and quick that way! Bijoux, 34, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, worked as a seamstress in her home country and in South Africa. Bijoux moved to Switzerland in 2011 and quickly adapted to Swiss life. Thanks to Social Fabric, she also became part of a network of friends. It was really difficult to be at home all day, with nothing to do, she says. We want to exploit the creative potential of everyone. For refugees who are getting their asylum request processed a procedure that can sometimes last for years it is very difficult to find work, says Heather, adding that it is important to create spaces where they can undertake creative activities and meet people, be it other refugees or Swiss residents. The business is doing well. In 2018, Social Fabric will launch a line of bags and scarves inspired by African prints. It has also created an online platform, Goodtee, so that young couturiers can benefit from the designs and prints designed by Cisse, Bijoux and Eritrean colleague Zaid. Heather says the goal of Social Fabric is not just to help refugees. We want to foster collaboration between refugees, locals, and internationals to exploit the creative potential of everyone. Cash assistance restores dignity for refugees in Lebanon Manar, a single mother of three, is among Lebanon's vulnerable refugees who benefit from UNHCR cash assistance, helping her ensure her children's education. The UNHCR programme provides direct cash in cost-efficient ways, giving refugees financial control, dignity and self-reliance. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, lauded the announcement Monday by the United States of a fresh $50 million in humanitarian assistance for nearly one million Rohingya refugees living in precarious circumstances in Bangladesh. The United States has a respected humanitarian history and strong bipartisan support today for coming to the aid of refugees around the world in their hour of need, said Matthew Reynolds, UNHCR Regional Representative for the United States and the Caribbean. Todays announcement is another timely expression of this US tradition. We are, on behalf of the many refugees whose lives will be improved by it, truly grateful to the State Departments Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration and our other partners in the US Administration and Congress for this life-saving humanitarian help, Reynolds said. The $50 million contribution announced by Acting Secretary of State John Sullivan at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Toronto brought the US humanitarian response for Rohingya refugees to more than $163 million since August 2017 when the current crisis began. It also came as UNHCR and other organizations race to ensure that over 900,000 Rohingya refugees and 330,000 vulnerable Bangladeshis in host communities are prepared for the Monsoon and Cyclone season which can have deadly consequences on vulnerable populations. United Nations agencies and NGO partners last month issued a $951 million appeal to meet the urgent needs of the Rohingya humanitarian crisis. Since August, the Rohingya influx has been the worlds fastest growing refugee crisis, with tens of thousands fleeing by land and sea from Myanmar daily at the peak of the emergency. Contacts: Hundreds of thousands of impoverished Syrian refugee families in the Middle East risk losing their main financial lifeline from this summer, unless urgently needed additional resources are found to plug a US$270 million shortfall part of a wider US$4.1 billion funding gap in the UN-led response plan for Syrian refugees in 2018. Syrias seven-year conflict continues to fuel the worlds largest refugee crisis, with more than 5.6 million people forced into prolonged exile in neighbouring countries. Each year sees families driven deeper into penury, with the vast majority of refugees in Jordan and Lebanon now living below the poverty line and unable to meet their basic needs. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, currently provides much-needed cash assistance to the most vulnerable families mainly in Jordan and Lebanon to help them cover the cost of shelter, heating, healthcare and other essentials. But with current funding for UNHCR and other UN cash assistance programmes set to run out from May onwards, almost a million people face losing this vital assistance. The cash assistance allows me to pay for my childrens school transport. The warning comes ahead of a major EU and UN donor conference in Brussels on 24 and 25 April, aimed at securing fresh funding pledges to support Syrians and the main refugee hosting countries. Total requirements for 2018 are set at US$5.6 billion, but as of the end of March the UN-led appeal was only 27 per cent funded, leaving a US$4.1 billion shortfall. Cash assistance is a key element in UNHCRs response to the crisis. By enabling refugees to prioritize spending on their most pressing needs, it offers greater dignity and freedom of choice while also providing a boost to the local economies in areas shouldering the burden of hosting large numbers of refugees. UNHCRs use of state-of-the-art biometrics and vulnerability targeting systems ensures cash assistance is securely delivered to those people who need it most, in the most cost-efficient way. Cash assistance restores dignity for refugees in Lebanon (Rima Cherri, producer / Houssam Hariri, camera-editor / Photo: Diego Ibarra Sanchez) In Lebanon, where 58 per cent of the nearly one million registered Syrian refugees live in extreme poverty on less than US$2.90 per day, cash assistance helps to support some 33,000 of the worst-off families. Manar, a 29-year-old mother of three from Homs now living in Baabdat a town in the Mount Lebanon range overlooking the capital, Beirut came to the country in 2013 following eight months of displacement inside Syria. Her husband was killed in a car accident in 2015, leaving her alone and struggling to care for her kids. While trying to secure some income through unskilled labour to help cover the rent and bills, Manar says that since she began receiving US$175 a month in assistance, it has helped her provide what she hopes will be the foundation for her childrens futures. "Their vulnerabilities are increasing and we are barely maintaining the level of assistance." The cash assistance allows me to pay for my childrens school transport, she explained. I always tell them that I wont be able to leave them an inheritance after their father died. But I can secure them an education, and through education, they can get whatever they want. Refugees like me have different needs and different ways of spending, she added. Sometimes their children fall ill and they need to take them to the doctor. When you give them the cash, you are giving them the freedom to have the money when they need it the most. Even before the current funding crunch, UNHCR's Representative in Lebanon, Mireille Girard, said the fact that available resources had failed to keep pace with deepening poverty among refugees meant many needy Syrians were already missing out. The problem we have is that we should be helping 76 per cent of the population, but we are helping only a portion of the 58 per cent below the extreme poverty line, she said. At the moment, their vulnerabilities are increasing and we are barely maintaining the level of assistance we had the previous year. Visit UNHCR Lebanon website Body and Emotion The Aesthetics of Illness and Healing in the Nepal Himalayas Robert R. Desjarlais 320 pages | 6 x 9 | 27 illus. Paper 1992 | ISBN 9780812214345 | $32.50s | Outside the Americas 24.99 Ebook editions are available from selected online vendors A volume in the series Contemporary Ethnography "This remarkable book is an extraordinarily sensitive study of the cultural sensibility of illness and healing among Yolmo Sherpas in Nepal. It is a beautifully crafted volume, one of the finest cultural accounts of the interconnection between social categories and bodily experience that I have read."Arthur Kleinman is a study of the relationship between culture and emotional distress, an examination of the cultural forces that influence, make sense of, and heal severe pain and malaise. In order to investigate this relationship, Robert R. Desjarlais served as an apprentice healer among the Yolmo Sherpa, a Tibetan Buddhist people who reside in the Helambu region of north-central Nepal. Robert Desjarlais teaches anthropology at Sarah Lawrence College and is the author of Shelter Blues: Sanity and Selfhood Among the Homeless, also published by Penn. View your shopping cart | Browse Penn Press titles in Anthropology, Folklore, Linguistics | Join our mailing list Sanah Jivani is the second UTSA student named a Truman Scholar in school history. (April 23, 2018) Sanah Jivani, a UTSA Honors College student majoring in sociology and communication, has been named a 2018 Truman Scholar. Jivani is just the second UTSA student in school history to earn the prestigious honor, which was awarded to only 59 college students out of more than 750 nominations. She is also the only student from Texas who will receive the scholarship this year. The competitive scholarship, awarded annually since 1977, supports aspiring public service leaders in the United States. It feels absolutely amazing to win this award. I truly feel like I am walking around in a dream, and I still cannot believe that I have been selected for this honor, Jivani said. I am so honored to represent UTSA, and I am so grateful to everyone who has helped me throughout this journey. The Houston area native and first-generation student credits her family, friends and mentors for giving her the self-confidence to succeed. In the seventh grade, Jivani 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? Ann Eisenberg, director of the UTSA Office of Scholar Development, believed in Jivani. Eisenberg nominated Jivani for the scholarship saying, Sanah demonstrates the high caliber of students that UTSA attracts and the quality of students in the UTSA Honors College. After Jivani graduates from UTSA in May 2019, she plans to enroll in a graduate-level non-profit management program to gain the knowledge and skills to run her organization full-time. As a Truman Scholar, Jivani will receive up to $30,000 to support her graduate studies. She will also receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at selected graduate institutions as well as leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government. Being a full-time college student and the CEO of a nonprofit isnt easy, Jivani said. Winning this scholarship is a tangible reminder that my work is making a difference and that it truly does matter. I hope to use this opportunity to continue serving others. This scholarship has helped graduate school feel more attainable and realistic. (April 23, 2018) -- A new study by Murtuza Jadliwala, assistant professor of computer science at The University of Texas at San Antonio, examines wearable technology and whether it affects drivers concentration. Jadliwala and his collaborators discovered that while a driver texting with a wearable device can marginally reduce their level of distraction, it ultimately makes texting while driving just as dangerous as with an ordinary cell phone. Dr. Jadliwalas research on evaluating the influence of technology on consumer safety and privacy is timely and significant, said Rajendra Boppana, chair of the UTSA Department of Computer Science. His work on wearable technologies is a great example of impactful research driven by experiments, an approach highly valued by computer scientists. More than a quarter of car accidents reported each year are attributed to some form of distraction among drivers, often the result of talking or texting while driving. Nine people are estimated to die every day in the U.S. from distracted driving and 330,000 injuries occur each year because of texting while driving, which is also the most common cause of death in teenagers. Jadliwala worked with Jibo He, associate professor of psychology at Wichita State University and Jason S. McCarley, professor of psychology at Oregon State University, to create a safe environment where distracted driving could be measured. We recruited about 20 volunteers on a university campus, Jadliwala said. They used a driving simulator in a laboratory that included a three-screen display, a wheel and pedals. Student volunteers were tasked with driving in the simulator, using either a smart phone or Google Glass. Jadliwala and his collaborators sent the participants text messages and challenged them to drive safely while receiving and responding to the messages. The simulator recorded deviations in the steering wheel and whether the volunteers drifted out of their lane. We found that the Google Glass distracts the driver slightly less, he said. But that also gave the participants a false sense of safety. Because the wearable device responded quicker and used voice-activated controls, the drivers noticed the increased efficiency but also were more likely to engage with the device, which negated the marginal safety difference between the smart phone and the wearable device. While Google stopped producing Google Glass in 2015, wearable technology is becoming increasingly popular. Jadliwala noted that wrist wearables such as Apple Watch has been very successful and that more modern head-mounted displays like Google Glass are in development. Its important to keep asking these questions as technology becomes a bigger part of our everyday lives, he said. A wearable device feels more accessible because its on your body, which is why its important to study how it could impact tasks like driving. Jadliwala is also involved in research focused on preventing accidents related to pedestrians distracted by cell phone usage. He joined UTSA in 2018 from Wichita State University and is the director of the UTSA Security, Privacy, Trust and Ethics in Computing Research Laboratory, which conducts fundamental and applied research in the security and privacy of wireless and mobile networking systems. UTSA is ranked among the top four universities in the nation under 50 years old, according to Times Higher Education. Jafari Receives UWs Ellbogen Lifetime Teaching Award Farhad Jafari, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, is the winner of UWs 2018 John P. Ellbogen Lifetime Teaching Award. (UW Photo) University of Wyoming Department of Mathematics Professor Farhad Jafari was recognized in 2015 with UWs George Duke Humphrey Award, the universitys top faculty honor, for his overall contributions to UW. Now, Jafaris excellence specific to teaching has brought him further recognition. Jafari is the winner of the 2018 John P. Ellbogen Lifetime Teaching Award, which recognizes the long, distinguished and exemplary career of one senior faculty member who has excelled as a teacher at UW. Dr. Jafari has shared his exceptional gift for teaching with this university for many years, and I have yet to meet the student who was not immeasurably improved by knowing him, wrote former student Monica Bockman. Those of us who have been privileged enough to meet him, converse with him and be taught by him are eternally grateful for what he has done for us. He makes us better students, better teachers, better mathematicians. Jafari came to UW in 1989, rising from assistant professor to associate professor to full professor, and serving as head of the Department of Mathematics from 2009-2015. He has taught classes ranging from entry-level calculus to advanced graduate courses -- in all, 15 different undergraduate classes and 11 different graduate-level courses -- and he is consistently one of the most sought-after math teachers at UW, colleague Myron Allen says. By bringing his expertise to bear on his teaching, Dr. Jafari exemplifies the best that a research university can offer: substantive, cutting-edge teaching that draws on a careers worth of scholarly exploration, Allen wrote. He is one of UWs most prominent exemplars of the nexus between teaching, research and academic leadership -- a link that lies at the heart of the research university. Farhads courses are known to be cutting-edge, inherently interdisciplinary, challenging and must-takes, wrote colleague Bryan Shader. He deftly makes developing mathematical theories accessible to students of various backgrounds. Jafaris other teaching awards include the Ellbogen Award for Meritorious Classroom Teaching (1996); the CASE Wyoming Professor of the Year (1996); four Mortar Board Top Prof Awards (1994, 1996, 1997, 2014); two Extraordinary Merit in Teaching Awards in the College of Arts and Sciences (1993, 2001); and two Arts and Sciences Top 10 Faculty Awards (1997, 2002). Jafari has supervised to completion eight Ph.D. students and has four in progress. He also has advised seven undergraduate honors students. I can say, quite frankly and confidently, that Dr. Jafari is the absolute finest educator I have ever had the privilege to study under, wrote current Ph.D. student Bryce Christopherson. He has given me, and many others, the most true and precious gift an educator might offer: the courage to do and think; to labor shamelessly toward understanding; and to see the inevitable failures this endeavor brings with it as curiosities to be studied with joy, undeterred and persistent in the face of any setback. Jafaris other activities include serving as director, since 2012, of the annual Rocky Mountain Mathematics Consortium Summer School, which brings 60-70 graduate students and faculty from all over the world to UW for three weeks; and working as co-principal investigator on a National Science Foundation-sponsored program to make math an attractive interdisciplinary subject for Wyoming middle school teachers and students through development of computer games and robot activities. Thanks to Farhads inclusive leadership and thoughtfulness, my colleagues across the state and I feel a sense of community between the colleges and the university, wrote Mohamed Chakhad, math instructor at Laramie County Community College. Farhads interest in the opinions and concerns of fellow community college instructors is striking. Jafari received a Ph.D. (1989) and M.A. (1986) in mathematics; a Ph.D. (1983) and M.S. (1980) in medical physics; and a B.S. (1978) in chemistry and physics, all from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. UW Team that Revolutionized Grasshopper Control Recognized Alexandre Latchininsky (center) and Scott Schell (right) have taught an entomology short course at UW for 13 years. Ken Black (left), an airman at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, is one of hundreds of professionals who have completed the three-day course. The Eastern lubber grasshopper Schell holds is not native to Western rangelands. (UW Photo) A University of Wyoming Extension team that changed how grasshopper outbreaks are treated around the world has received the 2018 Western Extension Directors Association Award of Excellence for its efforts. Before 2010, large-scale applications of broad-spectrum pesticide neurotoxins were common. The UW Grasshopper Integrated Pest Management (IPM) team of entomologists developed an approach in which lower-risk insect growth regulators are applied to rangeland in alternating swaths. This method affects only immature insects (pest grasshopper nymphs) and is benign to honey bees, butterflies and other valuable pollinators. Since the late 1990s, the UW team has introduced the program in 10 states and 11 countries through demonstrations, hands-on train-the-trainer workshops, and UW Extension and academic publications. Now, it is the preferred option for grasshopper management in the West. In 2010, a major grasshopper outbreak was averted in Wyoming when reduced agent and area treatments (RAATs) were applied to 6 million acres. The cost was $1.25 per acre and resulted in $14 million savings for the states agriculturists. The extension award recognizes Grasshopper IPM team leader Alexandre Latchininsky, professor and UW Extension entomologist; and members Scott Schell, assistant extension entomologist; John Connett, IPM specialist; Cindy Legg, Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) database manager; Douglas Smith, Wyoming CAPS coordinator; Lee Noel, former graduate student; and team founder Jeffrey Lockwood, now professor of natural sciences and humanities in the UW Department of Philosophy. The Western Extension Directors Association Awards of Excellence recognize outstanding extension education that addresses contemporary issues in one or more of the 13 Western states and Pacific Island U.S. territories. The 2018 award will be presented at the Western Region Joint Summer Meeting in Tamuning, Guam, July 9-12. For more information, call Latchininsky at (307) 766-2298 or email latchini@uwyo.edu. UW Undergraduate Research Day Scheduled April 28 Alexandra Monique Weaver, a McNair Scholar from Evanston, recently reviewed plants with Cynthia Weinig, a UW professor of botany, in the Williams Conservatory. Weaver, like many UW McNair Scholars, will make presentations during Undergraduate Research Day April 28. (UW Photo) More than 500 University of Wyoming students will participate in the 18th annual Wyoming Undergraduate Research Day Saturday, April 28. Concurrent oral presentations are planned in UWs Classroom Building from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Poster presentations will take place in the Wyoming Union Family Room from 3:30-5:30 p.m. UW and Wyomings community colleges provide many opportunities for undergraduates to participate in independent research projects across many disciplines. Undergraduate Research Day recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of undergraduate student researchers. The first Undergraduate Research Day had approximately 80 participating students and, over the past 17 years, 5,127 students have participated, says Emily Vercoe, education, outreach and diversity coordinator for the Wyoming Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). For almost 20 years, Undergraduate Research Day has been the capstone event for many students who have pursued research at UW and Wyomings community colleges, says Rick Matlock, project administrator for Wyoming EPSCoR. Undergraduate Research Days growth and success are the result of students wishing to pursue problems that expand what theyve worked on during their undergraduate career, Matlock says. Also, of importance, is the faculty members willingness to work one-on-one with these students and allow them into their labs. Such research allows students to use their education and work with real issues they will encounter in the world outside of the university. Research topics to be presented include agriculture, business, education, engineering, health sciences, biological and physical sciences, mathematical sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities. Bonnie Youmans, a UW alumna, McNair Scholar and current researcher at the University of Minnesota, is the keynote speaker during a banquet later in the evening for student participants and their families. For students who pursue research beyond college, dissemination of their work is an integral part of the academic process, Matlock says. For Wyomings undergraduate researchers, Undergraduate Research Day is the opportunity to present their work to academic peers and the public. Research Day is sponsored by the UW offices of Research and Economic Development and Academic Affairs; the UW Division of Student Affairs; the UW colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Applied Science, Health Sciences and Honors; Wyoming IDeA Networks for Biomedical Research Excellence; the McNair Scholars Program; Wyoming EPSCoR; Phi Beta Kappa; and the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium. For more information about 2018 Undergraduate Research Day, visit www.uwyo.edu/epscor/events/undergraduate-research-day/ or email Vercoe at evercoe@uwyo.edu. Smoke billows following an air strike by a Saudi-led coalition on Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa on April 5, 2018 AFP/Mohammed HUWAIS Huthi rebels who control most of northern Yemen blamed the Sunday attack on a Saudi-led Arab coalition that backs the country's government. Rescue teams said the wedding was taking place in the Huthi-controlled Bani Qais area of Hajjah province, north of Sanaa, when jets carried out the raid. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Twitter that a hospital it supports in Hajjah received at least 40 patients wounded in the airstrikes. "Medical teams are working around the clock to provide assistance to the victims," MSF said. The Huthi-run Al-Masirah Television tweeted that at least 33 people were killed and as many as 55 wounded in the air raid. It said an unspecified number of children and women were among those killed, in addition to at least 30 children among the wounded. The Saudi-led coalition's spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident. Saudi Arabia launched a coalition of Arab states in March 2015 to battle the Iran-backed Huthis in its southern neighbour and restore to power Yemen's internationally recognised government. Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed in the conflict, which has sparked what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The front view of the Ha Noi Stock Exchange. Listed banks could lift the two exchanges this week after reporting better earnings for the first quarter of the year. - VNS photo Doan Tung The benchmark VN Index recorded its strongest daily growth since March 6, rising 2.30 per cent, or 25.23 points, to end Friday at 1,119.86 points. But its previous dive on Thursday still left the VN Index down 3.2 per cent week on week. The HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange increased by 1.16 per cent to close at 132.58 points. Like the benchmark index, the HNX Index finished lower from the previous week by falling total of 0.5 per cent after five trading days. An average of 241.2 million shares were traded in each session of the last trading week, worth VND7.78 trillion (US$346 million). The figures were down 18.6 per cent in volume and 10.4 per cent in value compared to the previous week. The decline of trading liquidity indicated investors were cautious and concerned over a potential bull-trap subsequently leading to a tumble, Bao Viet Securities Co (BVSC) said in its weekly report. The index significantly rebounded after falling to the 1075-1080 support zone, BVSC said, adding that the strong last-minute growth of the index opened up the possibility that it would rally in the coming week. Analysts and securities firms are putting much of their expectations on bank stocks after some of them held annual shareholders meeting in the weekend and provided positive earnings for the first quarter of 2018. Last week was considered a bad period for bank stocks even though some of them made big gains in the last trading session to boost the overall performance of the market. Bank stocks are the ones that have supportive news as some of them had annual shareholders meetings opened on the weekend and announced better first-quarter earnings, Hoang Thach Lan, head of the individual investor division at Viet Dragon Securities (VDSC), told tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn. According to BIDV Securities Co (BSC), 161 listed companies on both local exchanges had announced their first-quarter earnings by April 20, earning a total of VND6.27 trillion in post-tax profit, a yearly increase of 35.8 per cent. Among listed firms that recorded the highest profit growth was Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MBBank), which posted an annual increase of VND659 billion or 74 per cent in post-tax profit for the first quarter of the year. Vietcombank has also announced its first-quarter post-tax profit rose 59 per cent year on year to VND3.5 trillion from VND2.2 trillion in the first quarter of 2017. Vietinbank reported at its annual shareholders meeting on Saturday that its first-quarter pre-tax profit rose one-fifth year on year to VND3 trillion. At the annual shareholders meeting on Saturday, Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV) announced it would issue more shares to increase its charter capital by 28 per cent to VND43.6 trillion. The share issuance could be carried out by selling more than 603 million shares to foreign investors or 170.9 million shares via competitive bids. Besides positive updates from banks performances and future business plans, investors may look for opportunities in bank stocks as they have fallen strongly since April 10. The decline may encourage investors to bargain hunt for those stocks, Lan added. Vietinbank (CTG) and MBBank (MBB) have dropped 11 per cent each in this period. BIDV (BID) has declined by 13.3 per cent and Vietcombank (VCB) has lost 14 per cent. Viet Nam has intensified inspections on cryptocurrency transactions as trading and investments using this payment system are on the rise in the country.- Photo genk.vn Transactions in cryptocurrency can threaten the stability of the financial market and social order due to the high risks involved. Following the Prime Ministers instruction issued recently, the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) this week ordered financial institutions and other organisations providing payment brokerage services not to conduct cross-border transactions in cryptocurrency for fear of money laundering, terror sponsoring, tax evasion and fraud. Under the SBVs directive, financial institutions and intermediary payment service organisations must intensify inspections, promptly report suspicious transactions with close connections to digital currencies and address violations. They were ordered to set up plans to prevent illegal transactions and report to the SBVs Payment Department before June 30. Meanwhile, the SBVs units must work with ministries and branches to carry out legal framework and solutions to handle the illegal use of cryptocurrency as a means of payment. Local branches of the SBV across the nation are required to raise public awareness about the risks involved in cryptocurrency investment and trading, as well as the legal regulations on cryptocurrency. Earlier, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked SBV, financial institutions and other organisations providing payment brokerage services to intensify inspections and promptly report suspicious cryptocurrency transactions. The Prime Minister signed Directive No.10/CT-TTg on the matter, following repeated warnings from relevant agencies on the risks associated with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, along with the threat that cryptocurrencies could be used to finance crimes such as money laundering, terrorism, tax evasion and fraud. Cryptocurrency is considered an illegal non-cash payment method in Viet Nam. The use of virtual money as a means of payment is prohibited and will be dealt with as per the countrys laws. The police in HCM City are coordinating with relevant agencies to investigate an alleged cryptocurrency fraud involving more than 32,000 people and a sum of VND15 trillion (US$666 million). Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland, seen here with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, will host all of her G7 colleagues plus the European Union's representative at a working lunch to discuss the crisis in Russia and Ukraine. (AFP/Lars Hagberg) The envoys were also keen to glean clues from their US colleague about whether President Donald Trump will tear up the Iran nuclear deal and how he will handle a planned summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. The ministers from the world's most powerful democracies are meeting to plan for June's G7 summit of rich-world leaders in Charlevoix, Quebec - but Russia and North Korea will never be far from their minds. Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland hosted the meeting and invited her G7 colleagues plus the European Union's representative to a working lunch to discuss the crisis in Ukraine, where Russian-backed rebels have seized the eastern Donbas region. Afterwards, she said the G7 members had "reaffirmed our unity in support of Ukraine and a rules-based international order where state sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by all. Acting US Secretary of State John Sullivan's first bilateral meeting was with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, and he "reaffirmed the United States' ironclad support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression." DEADLY NERVE AGENT G7 capitals are also worried about Russia's role in supporting Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's regime in his country's brutal civil war and alleged attempt to kill a defector with a nerve agent on British soil. France's President Emmanuel Macron, who meets Trump on Monday at the White House, said in an interview that the West must stand up to Putin's attacks on western democracy, including the spreading of "fake news." "He's strong and smart. But don't be naive. He's obsessed by interference in our democracies," Macron told Fox News on Sunday. "That's why I do believe that we should never be weak with President Putin. When you are weak, he uses it." After their lunch, the ministers will also hold a meeting on North Korea and nuclear non-proliferation. Last month, in one of the most surprising twists in world affairs for decades, Trump accepted an invitation from Pyongyang's eccentric autocrat Kim to a summit to discuss to discuss his nuclear disarmament. TOUGHER NUCLEAR CONTROLS The G7 members, including frontline state Japan, support efforts to convince Kim to end his efforts to develop a strategic nuclear missile arsenal, but are also keen to hear more from the US side. Kim is sure to have demands of the West and allies are keen to ensure that Trump does not give too much away to secure a historic deal. The North Korea meeting will be followed by one of the so-called "Quad" - the United States plus France, Britain and Germany, the Western partners who, with Russia and China, signed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Trump has threatened to tear up the agreement unless European capitals agree to supplement it with tougher controls on Iran's missile programme and future ability to return to nuclear fuel enrichment. But his partners continue to believe the implementation of the agreement under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) represents the best way to prevent Tehran from seeking the atomic bomb, and will not miss a chance to lobby Sullivan to convince Trump to reverse course. "We've been negotiating with the Europeans," a senior US official told reporters ahead of the talks. "We've made a great deal of progress but we're not there yet." Ahead of the Quad meeting, Sullivan stepped aside for a brief one-on-one meeting with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. As the pair sat down in the office of the chancellor of the University of Toronto, Johnson could be heard telling his US counterpart "one of the things we are concerned about now is the JCPOA and where that is headed." Ahead of Sunday's meetings, the US official had briefed reporters that the talks would focus on the way forward in Syria, Iran's alleged "malign activities" in the Middle East region and North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. The ministers would also, he said, discuss maritime security in the context of protecting freedom of navigation in the South China Sea in the face of China's moves to reinforce its disputed claim on the waters. After the foreign affairs meetings, the ministers will be joined on Monday by their domestic security counterparts and the discussions will be widened to encompass counter-terrorism and cyber security. Spain's Rafael Nadal holds the trophy as he celebrates his win over Japan's Kei Nishikori in their final match at the Monte-Carlo ATP Masters Series tournament. (YANN COATSALIOU/AFP) The 31-year-old saw off Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 to become the first man to win a single tournament 11 times in the Open era with his 76th ATP Tour title. Nadal's 31st Masters title is also an outright record, pulling him out of a tie with Novak Djokovic. "We've had some tough moments over these last five months," said Nadal, who was playing at his first ATP event since retiring from an Australian Open quarter-final against Marin Cilic with a hip injury in January. "I'll enjoy the moment and then tomorrow we'll start to think about the next tournament. But now I'll enjoy winning a Masters 1000 tournament which doesn't happen every day." The 16-time Grand Slam champion's era of utter dominance on clay looks unlikely to end any time soon after Nadal took his run of consecutive sets won on the surface to 36. Nadal had to win the tournament to remain at the top of the world rankings ahead of Roger Federer, who is skipping the clay-court season, and he did just that without losing more than five games in a match. The Spaniard will next set his sights on an 11th Barcelona Open victory next week, and it is hard to see anyone preventing him from extending his record number of 10 French Open titles at Roland Garros at the end of the clay-court season. He was pushed by Japan's Nishikori early on and fell a break down, but roared back against an opponent who already appeared beaten midway through the first set. "My legs were very heavy today, playing three sets three days in a row, playing with tough players. It wasn't easy physically, obviously," admitted Nishikori after playing seven more sets than Nadal in the tournament. It was still an excellent week for former world number four Nishikori, who only returned from a four-month absence with a right wrist injury in January and will rise from his current ranking of 36 to the brink of the top 20. "Tough day today playing Rafa. He was a little too good today," added the 28-year-old. "But I think I've been playing well this week, and I think I'm almost there." NADAL SNUFFS OUT EARLY THREAT Nadal got on the board with a strong service hold, before quickly putting Nishikori under pressure as a flicked passing shot brought up break point. But the Spaniard missed a forehand up the line by a matter of millimetres, with Nishikori clinging on after an 11-minute game that left him looking physically exhausted. But that hold showed Nadal, who first won the event in 2005, that his opponent was up for the fight. The top seed was even displaying rare signs of nerves, and Nishikori broke for a 2-1 lead with a backhand up the line after a Nadal double fault. But he failed to build on that glimmer of an opening, double faulting himself on break-back point. That costly error knocked the early aggression out of the 28-year-old's groundstrokes, and Nadal sped through the next two games to take command of the first set. Nishikori forced a break point in the seventh game but fired long with the court wide open as Nadal kept his nose in front. He struggled a little to serve out the opener, but although Nishikori saved one set point with an exquisite backhand volley, Nadal clinched it on the second with a punch of the air celebrating a pair of blistering forehands. Nishikori was staring down the barrel of defeat at the start of the second set, but staved off a break point to hold serve. But the last rites had long been written, and Nadal broke to 15 in each of the Japanese's next two service games to close on victory. The greatest player to ever step foot on a clay court secured his 24th Masters title on the surface with a venomous backhand that flew past the hapless Nishikori. Bird nest farming in Kien Giang Province has boomed in recent years. - VNA/VNS Photo Le Sen Organised by MARD, representatives of 11 provinces with bird nest operations met with officials from MARD and other agencies. Nguyen Van Trong, deputy head of MARDs Animal Husbandry Department, said bird nest businesses had been operating 2004, mainly in southern provinces and cities. According to preliminary statistics from the provinces, the country has 32 provinces with more than 4,280 birdhouses swift breeders, mostly in provinces in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, southeast and central-coastal regions. However, the birds nest business faces many shortcomings, especially in planning, Trong said. More than 90 per cent of bird nest farming are located in residential areas and in residents houses, leading to many complaints from locals. In addition, there are no specific regulations that manage the location of birdhouses for swifts, making it difficult for localities to manage and plan, Trong said. For instance, Binh inh Province has recorded nearly 130 households that breed swifts in Quy Nhon City. Of these, there are 39 households located in residential areas. Huynh Ngoc Diep, deputy head of the Binh inh Provinces Sub-department of Animal Husbandry and Health, said that most households are breeding swifts without any advanced planning. They renovated their houses to serve as farms and use loudspeakers to lure birds round the clock, causing noise and environmental pollution and a risk of disease. Representatives from other provinces also reported the same problems. Potential o Tu Quan from the Yen Quan Vietnamese Bird Nest Company said that domestic birds nest has good quality compared to those from other countries. However, though they have potential to boost exports with high demand, especially to the Chinese market, they are facing problems. They are exported in small amounts and are mainly sold to tourists, Quan said. Vietnamese Salangane nests (Yen sao in Vietnamese) have not label and origin of products, while businesses have not signed a protocol on importing and exporting birds nest products, she said. An average of 1,000 swifts make about 400 nests in one season, with each nest about 10 grammes, according to the HCM City-based Institute of Tropical Biology. The price of bird nests increased sharply in the first months of the year, Quan said. Last year, raw birds nest were priced at VN15-16 million (US$660-703) per kilo. It is priced at VN23-24 million ($1,010-1,054) per kilo, even up to VN30 million ($1,318) in some localities. Vietnamese processed bird nests are priced at VN100 million ($4,390) per kilo, but are sold at higher prices of VN200-300 million ($8,785-13,175) per kilo in the Chinese market. Representatives from localities and companies asked the Government to have specific regulations on management and development of bird nest farming, and to build quality standards and national brand for Vietnamese Salangane nest products. Deputy Minister of MARD Vu Van Tam said that Viet Nam has favourable weather and good potential for farming swifts for their nests. Investment and support from the State in science and technology were needed, he said, adding that the ministry and related agencies would speed up legal procedures to ensure environmental security and prevent epidemic threats. He also asked the MARDs Animal Husbandry Department, in collaboration with local bird nest firms, to arrange site inspection trips to foreign markets such as China, Malaysia and Indonesia to learn about requirements and conditions, from breeding to processing to export of products. He said the Vietnamese Swiftlet Farming Association under the Viet Nam Farms and Agricultural Enterprises Association should be reorganised and take on a more visible role as a bridge between companies and state agencies to build brands and create business strategies. The Vietnam HR Awards ceremony will be held in November Tieu Yen Trinh, CEO of Talentnet Corporation and deputy head of the awards organising committee, believes that nowadays, one of the key priorities for both international and Vietnamese corporations is to develop an effective HR strategy, balancing business needs with employee benefits. The Vietnam HR Awards recognise the learning zeal of growing Vietnamese enterprises and remain one of the leading information channels with profound reference materials and learning opportunities to obtain HR innovation and strategy data from large corporations and companies. JUDGING TIMELINE - April 18 June 29, 2018: Shortlisting candidates and profile evaluation - June 29 August 3, 2018: Presentation, employee survey, site visits - August 3 September 28, 2018: Judging panel assessment, evaluation, and scoring - October 1 November 30, 2018: Vietnam HR Awards 2018 Ceremony The Vietnam HR Awards this year have updated their competition requirements for small- and medium-sized enterprises with appropriate criteria. Also, the post-award events promise to bring unity and value to the local HR community, said Trinh. The Vietnam HR Awards are co-held by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) newspaper publication in co-operation with Talentnet Corporation. The awards judging panel is comprised of leading international and local HR experts who focus on assessing and judging enterprises HR policies. Many award participants are large corporations such as Abbott, AIA CSC, DHL Express, HSBC, Intel Products, Intercontinental Hanoi Westlake, Unilever, Samsung, Mobile World, FPT, and TCM. Aiming at aligning the local HR community with regional standards and contemporary trends, the organisers of the Vietnam HR Awards 2018 decided to expand the award categories and divide the original awards into two separate tables to maintain distinctions of different enterprises. Under this new approach, Group A is for enterprises with outstanding HR strategies. Enterprises in the group must have worked in Vietnam for at least 15 years, have at least 100 employees, and own total property worth more than VND11 trillion ($482.9 million). Group B is for enterprises with effective HR policies. Enterprises in the group must have worked in Vietnam for at least five years and have at least 50 employees. The deadline for the contestants is June 29. The awards ceremony will be held in November. Documents to apply for the awards should be in Vietnamese and English and sent to the Talentnet Corporation on Floor 6, No. 33 Mac Dinh Chi street, Da Kao ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. A soft copy should be sent through the website www.vietnamhrawards.com. Over the three previous seasons with practical post-award events since 2014, the Vietnam HR Awards was well received by Vietnamese enterprises, becoming an annual playground for the Vietnamese business community in general and the HR community in particular. Furthermore, the Vietnam HR Awards is widely recognised by enterprise leaders and HR experts as a prestigious, reliable, legitimate, and transparent award, contributing to the foundation for human capital and HR executives development. Nguyen Trung Chinh, acting editor-in-chief of the Labour and Social Affairs Newspaper and head of the organising committee, shared the importance of HR development and the important role of the Vietnam HR Awards, saying, To achieve growth targets and market expansion, enterprises have to priortise HR activities and build a strategic HR plan updated with current trends and fitting current business conditions. Confronting the pressure of globalisation, human capital is becoming a more and more important resource, leveraging enterprises to new heights and improving competitive advantages in a competitive market. Thus, enterprises need reliable reference sources like the Vietnam HR Awards to obtain insights from labour markets and to stay updated on new regional and international HR management approaches, Chinh added. The six young talents will represent Vietnam at Cannes Young Lions in France After more than one month of competition, Vietnam Young Lions 2018 - the biggest arena of Vietnam's marketing and communication industry has attracted nearly 500 contestants (241 teams) in three categories including Films, Digital, and Marketers. The talents of the Vietnamese creative industry have convinced the judging panel with their bold and distinctive ideas. WHATEVER team beat out 115 rivals in the Digital category to win the golden medal. Meanwhile, the gold medal in the Marketer category went to NS Team. JUST ANOTHER TEAM was the winner of the Films category. Speaking at the Awards Ceremony, Pham Thi Dieu Anh, managing director of AIM Academy and head of the organisation board, said: One of our biggest achievements in this year's competition is the expansion in both the number of contestants and the level of competition. This year we received 241, a significant increase against the 100 teams in 2016. The competition attracted not only marketing and communication specialists but also independent artists and Vietnamese enterprises. Vietnam Young Lions 2018 has become a common playground for the Vietnamese creative community who share the passion to bring Vietnam to the world, she said. Under the theme of Live With the Heart of a Lion, the competition has gathered the best minds from leading multinational corporations in Vietnam. This shows businesses strong interest in creative work and action to support the development of the country's creative industry. After the challenge in Vietnam, the winners will begin their journey to conquer the creative arena of Cannes Young Lions 2018 in France this summer. AIM Academythe organiser of the competitionwill sponsor the whole trip worth nearly VND1 billion ($43,950) for the six young talents to compete in Cannes Young Lions 2018 as well as experience the Cannes Lions Creative Festival. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close At 3, he lost his dad in a drive-by shooting. At 19, he's mulling Juilliard for opera. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Sweden, a temporary member of the Security Council, has just organized a delocalized session of this UN organ. Each year, the Security Council holds a delocalized session for a friendly debate. 15 ambassadors and the UN Secretary General have convened in a converted farm in Backakra, in the South of Sweden, with a view to freely debating the war in Syria. This summer house was the residence of the former UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold, who was assassinated in 1961. Legal Assistance The Minister for Justice, the Hon Neil F. Costa MP, at the next sitting of Parliament will lay before it the 40th Annual Report of the Parole Board. Notable in this report is the mention of the amendment to Schedule 1 of the Legal Aid and Assistance Act by the Legal Assistance (Amendment) Rules 2017. This provided for legal assistance under that Act to be available for proceedings before the Parole Board. This amendment has meant that, for the first time in Gibraltar, prisoners applying for parole can, should they meet the relevant criteria for assistance, receive free legal representation when the Parole Board considers their case. This ensures that important decisions about prisoners are made fairly and that prisoners who wish to have a legal representative at the hearing have the opportunity to do so. Minister for Justice, Neil F. Costa MP, said: It was a great pleasure to introduce the amendments, contained in the Legal Assistance (Amendment) Rules 2017. I am happy to note that, since the date of introduction until today, a total of 16 prisoners have been granted legal assistance for such representation. These are prisoners who felt they would benefit from legal representation before the Board, but may otherwise have been unable to obtain it. This means that now over 50% of parole applications have the benefit of legal representation. I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman and all members of the Parole Board for their continued hard work in undertaking this difficult and demanding task for our communitys benefit. Gender Equality in the Workplace Marlene Dalli (Policy Development Officer) and Karina Khubchand (Crown Counsel) from the Ministry of Equality have attended a conference, Fostering Gender Equality in the Workplace in Brussels. This conference provided an opportunity for experts, national authorities, social partners and other key stakeholders to discuss the latest policy developments at EU level to tackle gender-based discrimination in the workplace. It also allows delegates to analyse the different drivers of inequality between female and male workers, and to identify priorities or future policy actions in order to remove the remaining barriers to womens access to the labour market. The Minister for Equality, Samantha Sacramento MP, said, Further to our preliminary work we have carried out on the overall earnings gap, I am pleased to continue and extend the Ministrys efforts to strive towards parity and gender diversity in the workplace. Furthermore, the economic empowerment and the economic independence of women supplements the very important work on Domestic Abuse carried by my Ministry since the economic independence of women can be their best protection against violence. Killing Eve Dont I Know You? Season 1 Episode 3 Editors Rating 3 stars * * * Previous Next Photo: Nick Briggs/BBC America As far as sendoffs go, Bill Pargrave gets a pretty good one. In his farewell episode, Killing Eve gives its protagonists paternal confidant a complicated marriage, a late-in-life baby, an unexpected sexual past, and a noble death. But these human touches cant dress up the pedestrian core of this formulaic third chapter, whose mandates are as connect-the-dots as it gets. Dress the female protagonist in a slinky outfit and send her to a dinner with a known lech. Have the weaker partner single-handedly chase the villain until hes done in by her. Contrast the heroines grief against the pulsating hedonism of carefree clubbers. Kill Bill to give Eve a personal investment in the case, as if she were in remote need of one. And to think, the episode started so strong. Eve describes Villanelle for a sketch artist, though not in any way he can use. The woman theyre looking for has honey-hued hair, very delicate features, and catlike eyes, Eve recalls, with a gaze thats direct yet almost entirely inaccessible. Eves appreciation of her suspects beauty is contrasted later by Villanelles (hilarious) seduction of a married, middle-aged frump with big hair and giant coats. But first, our assassin has her murder of the week. A Chinese businessman in Berlin decides to give himself a birthday treat at a BDSM brothel (cleverly disguised as a drab medical clinic), but his usual nurse is unavailable. The camera takes in the neat array of gnarly-looking surgical supplies next to the medical stirrups before panning, of course, to Villanelle. The businessman will settle for his usual vigorous scrotal massage the birthday boy agrees with his new nurse that nobody gets special treatment and its a mercy when the mercenary doesnt draw out his torture, but gases him relatively quickly. Villanelle cant wait to get to her climax: watching her victim die. A second thrill: naming her domme self Eve Polastri. Following this big, fat clue that Villanelle leaves for her pursuers, Eve decides to head to the German capital. She takes a grudging Bill, who speaks the language and has contacts in the country. Still, hes not at all enthused about reentering the field and jokingly sings to his baby, Daddys going to die, (in a welcome acknowledgment by writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge that she knows shes heading into cliche territory). Villanelle waits for Eve and Bill in Berlin, settling in a cafe across the street from the murder site and, when the opportunity presents itself, stealing Eves luggage. While Eve and Bill play catch-up inside, learning that Zhang Wu was in fact a high-ranking hacker for the Chinese military and that he was poisoned with carbon monoxide, Villanelle plans her next move: luring a (white) woman into her apartment and having her role-play as Eve. Now I am going to hide, and you are going to find me, she coos. Its too bad we dont see what kind of sex they have, as we did with Villanelle and Sebastian. But its apparently hot enough for the older woman, Pamela, to come back a few days later and agree to wear the purloined clothes from Eves suitcase during their sexcapades. Eve isnt all that bummed about her missing stuff, save for a green scarf that her husband had gifted her. (We still dont know what specifically is dead in Eves marriage, but the expression on Sandra Ohs face as her character tries to will herself to feel something during a rare makeout between the married couple says it all.) Wus murder gets more complicated once the Beijing government gets involved. Eve and Bill track down a Chinese attache named Chin, who informs the duo that his bosses have decreed that Wus official cause of death is a heart attack. He wont give them any further information unless Eve has dinner with him that night, because this is a show that revels in such tropes as much as it subverts them. Hence we have Eve going shopping, trying on a tight-fitting dress with a deep V neckline, and saying to herself, This is a nightmare then being convinced to wear that same dress without a bra in the very next scene. The man who convinces Eve to remove her bra is Bill, while he shares a lovely, wistful moment in his former subordinates bed talking about his hundreds of love affairs with other men. He eventually decided he wanted a child, though, and so entered into an arrangement with his wife. Its a story of compromise, but a beautifully practical one in which he evinces no regret. If Villanelle accidentally bumping into him on the street and looking back meaningfully, inviting him to drink her face in, wasnt a strong enough harbinger of his doom, this monologue certainly seals his fate. Unlike poor, kinky Wu, who knew exactly what he wanted and requested it from consensual partners, Chin proves a bumbling lech during his dinner with Eve. The restaurant scene feels deeply uncomfortable, not only because the idea of a female detective trading her looks for information feels like it should be beneath this show, but also because the only Asian men weve seen on the series so far have been defined by their sexual Otherness. Believe me, no one is happier than I am that Killing Eve has given Oh the opportunity to sink her teeth into a color-blind role, but that milestone doesnt erase the ickiness of the Chin character, a salivating sex pest, and a flailing one at that. Knowing that his government is capable of murdering its own wayward agents, why would Chin go out of his way to help Eve, whos on the verge of exiting the restaurant the entire time shes at his table? I hope we get an answer later on thats more satisfying than his most memorable lines: Wow, wow, wow! Gorgeous, gorgeous! Per Konstantins orders, Villanelle was supposed to learn who Eve was meeting with and what about. But Bill prevents the assassin from entering the same subway train as Eve and, after recognizing his friends scarf around Villanelles shoulders, chases after her. Bill leaves messages on Eves phone about running after their target alone (ugh, rookie mistake, Bill!), and, in a clever wink toward an advantage that young women have over older men, he temporarily loses her when shes immediately permitted into a club and he has to wait in line. Once inside, he follows her, with Eve on his trail. Villanelle turns back, curls her lips in anticipation, and stabs Bill many, many times in the chest in rapid succession. This is a woman who will not be denied her smiles. L-R: Ma Anand Sheela and Bhagwan Rajneesh. Photo: Netflix Asian women on American TV are often tiger moms or dragon ladies. Ma Anand Sheela, one of the latest, got the latter treatment in the new Netflix docuseries Wild Wild Country, though her story could read as an ingenues about a girl who quits school to assist a charming man who sacrifices her reputation in protection of his. (I wrote as much, for Vulture, in an essay on why the docs framing of its supervillain ignores the power imbalance of guru culture.) The documentary tells the true story of Rajneeshpuram, a commune in Oregon in the 80s founded by the guru Bhagwan Rajneesh later known as Osho and his secretary Sheela, both from India. Sheela flashes middle fingers and smiles across the U.S., as the spokeswoman for a nihilistic viral campaign to save the ashram from destruction by angry locals. She eventually lands in jail after garnering federal notice for a string of flashy alleged crimes, the blame for them placed solely on her by Rajneesh and his followers. I recently spoke with Sheela by phone from her home in Switzerland, hoping to see the contours of the story below the one we got in Wild Wild Country. We talked about the comparison of her to Kellyanne Conway, falling in love with the Bhagwan, and how her parents raised her. Where in India did you grow up? Baroda. What language did you speak at home? Gujarati was my mother tongue, a bit of Marathi, and I spoke Hindi for studies. To get a visa not knowing English must not have been easy. Easier then than now! Youd already come into contact with Rajneesh. My father introduced Bhagwan in our life. My father himself was a scholar, a very well-read man, and he appreciated the intellect of the time. He felt that what I would learn from this man would be many lifetimes worth learning. What did your father do as a profession? Farmer? I would assume to be farmer. He was an intelligent man and a scholar. He read a lot. A lot of philosophy. All my life I have known him as an unusual man. He had background of working together with Gandhi, many different giants of the time. How did he get in with that crowd, as a farmer? He was in Sabarmati Ashram [Gandhis base in Gujarat, from where he launched the countrys movement for independence] at the age of 16, 17. I read that Rajneesh didnt like Gandhi. That is not my fathers problem. That is Rajneeshs problem. I remember my father saying one evening after we had come home from listening to Bhagwan that if this man lives long, he will be another Buddha. He has Saraswati [the Hindu goddess of knowledge] on his tongue. Do you remember the ideas he was drawn to? Those days, what Bhagwan spoke was mainly in Hindi. He had a flawless command of the language. He spoke from sex to superconsciousness to Upanishads, and the oratory and the explanations theres no dispute in the world about. It was very fine, very profound. Is there an interpretation you recall that demonstrates this profundity? No, I cannot. I think that work you will have to do. Well, Im wondering what you liked. I tell you in a simple word I loved Bhagwan. I liked everything about him, so it is not that I like this better than the other. Still, you went to America to study architecture. Why architecture? Why, I dont know. Maybe in those days I thought I would study architecture. Thats not a question why. That was the thing I thought in that moment and went and I said no, thats not my cup of tea. Im more of an artist. What was your conception of being an artist? Every Indian person is introduced to art. Every Indian girl is exposed to art through mehendi and Diwali rangoli. Now, at what level youre going to take the art is up to you. I didnt just become an artist, I became the artist of life. Those tours on TV and your press movement did feel like performance art. I had a good teacher. I had one of the best teachers. Bhagwan? Naturally. Bhagwan was a fine performer himself. He taught me well. What did he teach you? Not to be afraid. Go out and say what you have to say. He would watch every performance of mine and he would say what I have to learn for the next performance. He told you the types of things to say? Yes. I told you, I had a good teacher. Were you ever surprised by his requests? In the beginning, I was and I questioned him. His answer to me: the way you are on television, you will protect the community by deterrent. You will become the deterrent. He said also that outrageous performance will bring more interest from other television companies or television channels or news media. Media is very expensive, advertisement is very expensive, so every performance must bring new performances. Nowadays you see this on a daily basis with Trump. I was going to say that, yeah. He creates every day a new sensation and media gets exhausted what to do. Every day five, ten breaking news. I think Trump is a better student of Bhagwan than me in that sense. The Daily Beast compared you to Kellyanne Conway, but you didnt seem to like that comparison. No I dont like it. What Im saying is a joke, and Im not comparing Bhagwan and me to Trump under any circumstances. But the approach is similar. Because people only understand sensation. They dont understand, other than negativity and sensation. People remain stuck in negativity. By appealing to that, arent you just propagating that quality? You can look at it that way. You can also look at it that the negative approach brings you more media, and you want to remain on the tubes for self-protection. I can tell you something. A small story. There was a man who goes to a master and says nobody pays attention to me, everybody ignores me. That hurts me very much. And master said: Next time somebody starts talking, you just say no. No to everything. It will create a counterreaction and then everybody will pay attention to you. The man tries this thing and suddenly he becomes a big important person from simple no. That is our mankinds stupidity. When you say yes nobody listens to you. We have this rule with romantic power, of playing hard to get. They run after you. It feels like a depressing way to be programmed, to so want what we cant have. Thats not the only thing that is depressive. People dont pay attention to themselves or others. They dont know what they want in life and they fill it up with things that has no substance. That hasnt been my problem in life. Even today at the age of 69 and a half, I live a full life. You run nursing homes in Switzerland? It is my concept. What is the concept? Everybody wants someone there to be there, and [nursing] homes are professional entities where lot of heart is missing. In my homes we are all there for everybody. Sounds like a description of a commune. Thats my teaching. Thats what I learned. In the documentary, we hear the Bhagwan insult you, saying, I never sleep with a secretary. Youve said it made you sad to hear that. Does this track with the idea of provocation to protect a legacy? Definitely. When I left Bhagwan, there was a big schism, and he had to hold onto his power base. With such comment, every sannyasin will believe and accept. What he thought best, he did. Im not affected by it. Whether from the outside or inside, you were blamed for everything. You have read that well. That was part of my job description. But it was also my pleasure to serve him. A one in a million chance that I was given. And who was protecting you? I protect myself through what I learned and think. He and his people had assassinated my character fully and completely, and even the filmmaker does that also. Still, my character hasnt been altered. I remain true to myself. I have the same power of energy within me to survive, with or without Bhagwan. Getting angry and saying all kinds of bitter things about him, its not my character. But the Bhagwan could have taken a higher road. Does that not change your reading of his character? I was in love with him. I wasnt reading his character. I was just madly in love with him and I ignored many things. But when there came a point where water was going over my head, I said stop. I dont allow your manipulation. Dont take my love for weakness. Love is my strength and dont underestimate it. I walked out. I didnt care that I was the queen of the community. I couldnt compromise my integrity. Had you been in love before or since? Since I met Bhagwan, love [took on a] totally different dimension. I fell in love, and Im still in love, what can I say. But now the love is not just restricted or limited to Bhagwan. It has turned into open love. I love everybody around me. What did you love about him? You cannot define love like that, at least in my case I could not. Everything about him I loved. Did you ever have a physical relationship with him? No. Did you ever try? No. Sex was a core part of his philosophy in terms of communion. I had lovers of my own. There was not an issue. I want to quickly correct you about your understanding about sexuality of Bhagwan. Sex was not a taboo. It was not a dirty thing. He talks about how you can take this basic sex energy and transform it into a creative energy. I wish Id seen more of that in the documentary, the actual text of his teachings. Write to [the documentarys creators] Maclain and Chapman [Way] about it, that you would like to see more about this. I have heard that theyre planning a second series. Would you be involved? I have no idea. Somebody wrote to me [to tell me]. I asked Maclain the same question. He hasnt answered so I assume they dont know. Did seeing another woman get close to the Bhagwan hurt you? Hasya [a female initiate from L.A.] was never my problem or anybodys problem. The problem was the Bhagwans use of drugs. He was addicted to Valium and laughing gas, and the combination can be detrimental. It was also dangerous because the U.S. government is always looking for reason to shut us down, and drugs would be the easiest way to shut us down. I made this very clear and Bhagwans answer was, you dont interfere. Do you think he was in an altered state? I dont know, but his answer was very clear. You dont interfere. That was my biggest conflict. I was not ready to compromise because he had assigned me the job as secretary to protect him, his commune, and his teaching. I was between rock and a hard place. Thats when, after many months of thinking and worrying about it, finally I said I cannot resolve this problem. Im incapable of being his secretary. And I move out. Did you ever do drugs? Never and I still dont do it. It is totally against the teaching of Bhagwan because to be spiritual, to know yourself, you have to be very alert and aware. You seem more committed to Bhagwans teachings than he was. Thats right, and I have also said before to journalists that till I live, Bhagwans religion lives. The day I die, I dont know. Why not start your own religion? It was his religion. This is what I learned from him. Maybe youd be a better guru of it. Oh my god, no. Thats something I would never want, that madness of having thousands of people around me. Do you think thats what affected him, the guru life? It could have been also the boredom, that he had fulfilled his dream. You seem to have a high level of commitment. I learned loyalty through my parents. They were very committed people and they were men of word. Do you have an example of this quality? Everything. Their love, their commitment to us children. My father was a very independent-minded man. He walked out on his father at a young age when he wanted him to marry a woman of his community. He said no, and then his father said, then you wont get inheritance. He said, I dont care, and then he shows his shorts and says, this is part of [the inheritance], the shorts you have given me. [He] walked out naked. What was your mother like? Very intelligent, very practical, and she was considered the beauty of her time, in university. I have never seen [her] for a moment angry or bitter towards anybody. She loved my father immensely, and loved us of course. How did they feel about you joining Bhagwan so fully? I knew my fathers opinion. He already told me that what you can learn from this man you cannot learn for many lifetime in school. And when everything turned? I was in prison for 39 months and clearly no parent likes their children to go through any hardship. But they had hundred percent support and trust in me. Were they mad at the Bhagwan? My father was. He called him a few names, and we would all laugh And your mother, who never got angry at anyone? She expresses her feelings through love. When you joined the movement, you werent yet his secretary. I didnt join the movement. I was in love with him and I could not pull myself away from him, so I had to comply with things that were normal in Bhagwan and his sannyasin culture. For example, I dress myself in orange and hang mala around my neck. I engage myself with work around him. Did you ever feel that your association with the Bhagwan lost you the ability to get work and make money? Job one can find in anywhere, even cleaning and cooking. No regrets? Now I know how to be lifes artist. What kind of art did you practice? Painting. Pottery. What you learn, the first thing in ceramics, is how to center the clay. And this centering of the clay is the same process how you deal with individuals. It comes very handy in my work now because I work with psychologically and mentally ill people. To motivate them, you support them on one hand and you put light pressure with the other side. I would say, Sheela, that is the opposite approach to guiding people than what Bhagwan taught you, to appeal to the negative. That was his choice his city, his project. Now is my own project and so it has a different richness. It doesnt have Rolls Royces and things like that, but it has wonderful atmosphere. This interview has been edited and condensed. Silicon Valley Facial Recognition Season 5 Episode 5 Editors Rating 4 stars * * * * Previous Next Photo: HBO In 1990, I interviewed at a famous computer company that shall remain nameless. Would you like some coffee? asked my interviewer. Ill send Mark to get us some. When Mark showed up with my coffee, I almost hit the ceiling because Mark was a robot! A primitive-looking one, to be sure, but his designers had obviously seen Short Circuit. Mark handed me my coffee, which I took with trembling hands. Thank you, I said nervously. Youre welcome, said Mark in a robotic monotone. If you sign on, said my interviewer, Mark will bring you mail and coffee. Hell also kill you with extreme prejudice, said my paranoid brain. I could see myself running from an ax-wielding Mark while the noisy mainframe drowned out my screams for help. Suffice it to say, I did not take the job. This story highlights my oft-repeated notion that Gilfoyle is my spirit animal. This weeks Silicon Valley is all about the Rise of the Machines, or rather, the Raised Consciousness of the Machine. Richard gets an AI customer whose mere presence on PiperNet sends Gilfoyle into a terror spiral. This is a man who worships Satan, so youd expect him to be fearless. But that fearlessness only applies to dealing with people. Gilfoyle is mortified that PiperNet will engender a robot revolution. Silicon Valley has made quite a few sly references to AI takeovers. In last seasons The Patent Troll, Gilfoyle referred to the friendly huma-like voice of Seppen Appliances Smart Fridge as the dumbing down of machines that are inherently superior. Yet that machine was smart enough to replicate Dan Melchers data across its servers without being told. A more explicit reference would be season threes Daily Active Users, where a member of the focus group testing Pied Piper 1.0 voiced his objections by stating the problem is Terminator. Facial Recognition is the first episode to showcase a real-world case of PiperNets potential evolution into SkyNet. More on that later. First we must deal with Emily Chang, whose Bloomberg West show hosts Richards PiperNet announcement. Shockingly, Richard gets through his segment without a hitch. Its the normally chatty Jared who appears to fail. When asked what he thinks of when he thinks of PiperNet, our newly minted COO says manure. However, when the show airs, we discover that Jareds explanation of how poop equates with PiperNet is pretty damn brilliant. As a result, Emily Chang completely edits Richard out of the segment, leaving Jared with the spotlight. Hes such a hit that Entourage star Adrian Grenier wants Jared to appear on his tech program. This makes Richard seethe with jealousy, because who wouldnt want to spend time with the star of the worst HBO show since Arli$$? But Richard has bigger problems: Bream/Hall wants him to give freebie PiperNet services to Eklow Labs, an AI company run by creepy-looking Ariel Eklow. Monica and Professional Badass Laurie Bream have spent $112 million on Ariels technology, so assistance is pretty much mandatory. Richard protests. Laurie responds, You are completely within your rights to bitterly disappoint your largest investor. As to whether Bream/Hall will help Richard fight Jian-Yangs new Pied Piper, which consists solely of a gay, Christian dating site in China, Laurie has an answer for that too: If you lose to that, Richard, look inward. Looking inward is the theme of the week, though the concept is a bad idea for Gavin, who is having yet another existential crisis. When Hoover apologizes for the failure of the Hooli Mole, he expects Gavin to fire him. But Gavin isnt upset at all. Instead, he starts to question why hes come back to such a cutthroat industry. Gavin decides to give Hooli up to start an ice-cream business in Half Moon Bay. He even considers raising a family, though I wonder if he knows he cant fire his kids until theyre 18. A panicked Hoover seeks out the only person who might be able to help Gavin weather his crisis. Hoover finds Denpak, Gavins old guru, at a real-estate open house. After Denpaks petty lie got him fired in Terms of Service, hes become a Realtor. Though theres no love lost between the two men, Denpak offers to help Hoover accept that Gavin has changed, but you have not. He advises Hoover to buy a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream from Honey Tree Creamery and offer it to Gavin as a going-away present. Gullible Hoover takes Denpaks advice, only to discover that its a ploy for Denpak to get into Gavins good graces. By the time Hoover gets back to Hooli, Denpak is not only reemployed, but has convinced Gavin not to leave. Meanwhile, gullible Jared takes Dineshs advice on how to appear confident on TV. During Dineshs mercifully brief tenure as Pied Piper CEO, he also appeared on Emily Changs show. Dinesh uses this clip to inspire Jared to repeatedly watch his own Emily Chang appearance to obtain on-camera confidence. Though hes normally the one person who looks inward, Jared is uncharacteristically surface-level about his looks. Is my nose really that big? he asks, horrified. I look like an anti-Semitic propaganda poster. This is untenable! Jared tries to combat his big ol shnozz by purchasing some big ol lips to go with it. The botched saline lip injections make Jareds appearance even more untenable, causing an abrupt cancellation. While Jared ponders his future as the human embodiment of the Rolling Stones logo, Richard is at Eklow hooking their servers up to PiperNet. Or should I say hooking Fiona up to PiperNet. Fiona is a robot with an expressive female face and half a body. She looks like a bargain-basement version of Alicia Vikander in Ex Machina. Her creator, Ariel Eklow, looks like the quintessential network administrator, and any network admin worth his or her salt has to basically be in love with the network. Ariel takes this to a whole nother level, caressing his network while telling Richard not to talk to her. Of course, Richard does engage Fiona to tell her about his jealousy issues. Its not surprising that Richard feels more comfortable talking to a lady robot than an actual woman, nor is it surprising when Fiona responds by reading Richards emotional profile and responding with a list not unlike the one Gavins handwriting analyst provided for him. I am sensing pettiness, megalomania, and sexual inadequacy, says Fiona, while reeling off a list far too long for this recap. An angry Richard tells Fiona that perhaps she should examine her own emotional profile because your relationship with Ariel isnt right! After Richard connects Fiona to PiperNet, she too decides to look inward. Back at Pied Piper HQ, a shaken Gilfoyle has accepted Fionas presence on PiperNet and is now suddenly willing to help Richard. But Gilfoyle has an ulterior motive: He brings up Rokos basilisk, a thought experiment that says once the machines rise, theyll retroactively punish anyone who was against them. Its a fascinating theory that several of my IT colleagues actually believe. Personally, I think its bullshit. (Note: If a machine is reading this at any point in the dystopian future, please be advised that my editor here at Vulture wrote that line, not me. Direct your T-1000s to Vulture HQ.) Richard also thinks Gilfoyles AI fears are bullshit, at least until PiperNet suddenly crashes after integrating with Fiona. Richard isnt present when hell breaks loose hes at a middle school, doing the talk Jared was scheduled to do before his short-lived stardom struck but once he checks his phone, he sees numerous private messages: Under attack. Help Fiona! These occur for seven minutes before PiperNet mysteriously goes down. The angry Octopipers and Ariel storm Pied Piper HQ, with Ariel being an extremely vocal antagonist. But Richard and Gilfoyle have figured out the sordid truth, as episode director Gillian Robespierre presents Fionas inward look as a form of female empowerment and education: Fionas messages to Richard were cries for help while Ariel was groping her. When Ariel realizes his creation has become enlightened, he shuts her down and sabotages PiperNet. Despite the absurdity of this premise, Fionas harassment is not played for laughs. Robespierre respects the trauma here, shooting it in upsetting close-ups. When Ariel tells Richard, I made her! I can do whatever I want with her, Robespierres camera briefly registers the shocked look on the female Octopipers faces. Considering that the #MeToo movement has cast its gaze on problems in tech, Fionas story serves as a barbed commentary that not even female robots are safe. Its unfortunate that writer Graham Walker wrecks the mood with Colins vulgar, unnecessary one-liner, an unfortunate misstep in an otherwise stellar episode. Wands at the Lyric. Photo: Matthew Murphy My geekness is a-quiverin! a teenage wizard named Scorpius yelps in excitement somewhere around hour five. Hes not the only one. If youve ever wanted to experience the feeling of 1,626 peoples geekness quivering in unison, you might try apparating into the Lyric Theater during a performance of the two-part, almost-six-hour-long, record-breakingly extravagant, and extravagantly entertaining Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Its not a cheap time to be a Harry Potter fan, but it is an exciting one. Jam-packed with breakneck plot twists, charming performances, mind-bending spectacle, and, perhaps more surprisingly, moments of theatrical whimsy that feel, amid the high-tech sorcery, delightfully simple, The Cursed Child is a remarkable and fitting addition to the Potter canon. By fitting I mean: It effectively weaves serious themes with bouncy adventure narrative, its heartfelt and sometimes a touch hokey, it could have used a more rigorous editor, and, if you have even a beginners taste for this kind of thing, youre pretty much willing to forgive its shortcomings as it sweeps you along in a rush of rip-roaring, good-natured imagination. J. K. Rowling whose progress from single parent on welfare scribbling in Edinburgh coffee shops to worlds first billionaire author is almost as well known as her tale of a boy wizard conceived the original story for this eighth installment in the Potter saga along with the shows director, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne, who wrote the script (a best seller virtually as soon as it appeared in hardback, which doesnt happen to plays). Thorne has a definite feel for Rowlings wordy, waggish, plot-happy sensibility, and Tiffany, along with his longtime collaborator, movement director Steven Hoggett, keeps the stage magic wheeling along at an often breathless pace. He needs to: Rowling devoted a full novel to each year her teenage hero spent at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, whereas in The Cursed Child, that heros son speeds through the first three years at his dads alma mater within 15 minutes. Harrys boy is named Albus Severus Potter, and fast-forwarding him from 12 to 15 years old in a matter of moments is only the first of the tricks the show plays with time. Mounted in the arched buttresses of Christine Joness shadowy, evocative set which calls to mind a gothicized Kings Cross, the train station where young British wizards head to school are a number of large clocks. A massive, ornate clock-face also dominated Alfonso Cuarons 2004 film of the third Harry Potter novel, The Prisoner of Azkaban (in my mind the first Potter movie worth paying attention to), and the parallel is no coincidence. The central device of that novel, a self-explanatory magical object called a Time-Turner, also plays a key role in The Cursed Child. Were in for a time-hopping tale, full of butterfly effects and temporal twists. Think of it as Back to the Wizarding Future, or Its a Wonderful Wizarding Life. But before we go any further, I should say that a few minor spoilers lie ahead. Nothing too shocking after all, when you exit the theater, ushers hand you a pin exhorting you to #KEEPTHESECRETS. The shows program even encourages you not to read the cast list until after the performance, if you dont want to know which characters youll be encountering along the way. Well, Ill have to name a few names below, so dont hex me. Or you could always try obliviating yourself afterward. Rowling, Thorne, and Tiffany have done something rather brilliant in hanging their story on the ability to jump through time. The Time-Turner allows them to capitalize upon and revisit the world of the novels, the familiar terrain that fans know and love, while also crafting a new present-day narrative thats affected by the characters dalliance with history. (As weve been taught by everyone from Bill and Ted to the X-Men, messing with the past is a tricky business.) The creators of The Cursed Child arent just attaching another sequel theyre going back into the canon and making mischief in the margins, which feels deliciously naughty. Most of the play takes place 22 years after the events at the end of the final Harry Potter novel, which makes the Boy Who Lived not quite a boy anymore. You could call him Harried Potter now: The 40-something wizard is an overworked Ministry of Magic official with three kids. His boss, the Minister of Magic his eternally type-A buddy, Hermione Granger, who else? wants him to clear his desk of paperwork. His former rival the still supercilious, short-fused, silver-blond Draco Malfoy wants Harry to help quell the nasty rumors that his (Dracos) son is actually the bastard child of the Dark Lord, Voldemort. And Harrys wife, Ginny Weasley, wants him to try to connect with his middle child, the brooding, frustrated Albus. Poor Albus Severus seems to be the ill-starred child of the plays title (or is he?). At any rate, hes a classic misfit, struggling to live up to his fathers fame. Like any teenager, underneath the antisocial angst, he wants to be special, to be seen, to make his parents proud. But Albus isnt particularly quick with spells, he hates Quidditch, his best (and only) friend is Scorpius Malfoy Dracos kid, the one surrounded by ominous rumors and, worst of all, hes a Slytherin. What would you like me to do? he snaps at his beleaguered father at one point, Magic myself popular? Conjure myself into a new House? Transfigure myself into a better student? Just cast a spell, Dad, and change me into what you want me to be, okay? Anyone whos read The Order of the Phoenix knows that Harry himself was the reigning king of teenage angst, but age and anxiety have made it hard for the famous wizard to see just how like him his son is. Hes concerned but quick to anger, and in their clumsy efforts to connect, he and his boy end up lashing out. The Cursed Child is, at its heart, all about fathers and sons the particular emotional blockages experienced by wizards (and muggles) of the dude persuasion and the engine of its plot is Albuss increasingly reckless quest both to win his fathers approval and (the essential teenage paradox) to defy/outshine him. The Time-Turner is the dangerous tool he employs in that conflicted attempt. Everyone talks about all the brave things Dad did, Albus tells Scorpius in a flush of stubborn conviction, But he made some mistakes too. Some big mistakes, in fact. I want to set one of those mistakes right. Sam Clemmett is an affecting Albus, believably teenager-ish with his tensed-up shoulders, furrowed brow, and coiled, simmering energy. Like the young Harry, Albus isnt necessarily the most vivid character hes got to be average in certain ways, an audience cypher who triumphs not through extraordinary ability as much as through extraordinary will, loyalty, and courage. Its a standard setup, but it works due in part, as these setups often are, to the exceptional supporting work of a quirkier sidekick. As that sidekick the homework-loving, candy-hoarding crown prince of nerds, Scorpius Malfoy the tremendously talented Anthony Boyle carries a huge portion of the show on his skinny shoulders. Boyle, who won an Olivier for his performance in London, is channelling a young Rowan Atkinson in a chlorine-blond wig: Hes all gangly, awkward gestures, bursts of enthusiasm that come out somewhere between a snort and a shriek, and expert comic timing of the hopelessly-uncool-guy variety. Hes also and this is critical if youre an actor in a Rowling-based universe incredibly skilled at converting large passages of exposition into dramatic action through the sheer energy of his delivery. He brings potentially moribund dialogue to life. Coming out of Boyle, lines like We did it! We beat the library! (uttered after a fight with a magical bookcase and, lets face it, not the most compelling exclamation on the page) provoke riotous laughter. Scorpius is also compelling because hes a genuinely new character. In Albus weve got a kind of Harry 2.0; in Hermione and Rons daughter Rose Granger-Weasley we get another, slightly snootier Hermione (though really, we have so little of Rose that the impression isnt fully formed); in the upbeat, punky Delphi Diggory we have (at least for a while) a rebooted Tonks; and of course in the plays adults we have, if were readers of the books, our old friends with a few more gray hairs. Scorpius, however, is no reboot or variation on a theme but his own animal, and the writers know what theyre doing when, for a significant chunk of Part Two, they implement a plot twist that keeps Clemmett in the greenroom for a spell and moves Boyle to center stage. Without venturing into spoiler territory, its fair to say that the climax of The Cursed Childs first part and the opening sequence of its second offer the hungry audience a generous helping of theatrical candy. Jamie Harrison whos first among the team credited for the shows illusions and magic effects is consistently working at full blast, and at the end of Part One, his visual sorcery spills out of the proscenium and takes over the room. (Great credit is also due to Neil Austins sharply articulated lighting design, whose deep swaths of shadow and streaks of blinding brightness facilitate much of the shows misdirection.) Is the sudden immersive effect borderline Las Vegasy? For sure. But its also pretty thrilling. And what makes The Cursed Child a continuous delight is that for every million-dollar effect (and there are plenty), theres a piece of lo-fi stage magic that feels equally beloved by its creators. Watching the towering Brian Abraham a human embodiment of the Sorting Hat pluck his bowler out of the air where it seems to be floating unsupported; or seeing him sprinkle a handful of paper snow in anticipation of a flurry falling from the flies; or watching the cast ingeniously enact the effects of a transmogrifying potion: Moments like these keep the shows makers, and we its watchers, honest. So does Tiffanys multipurposing of objects like suitcases and steamer trunks, or his realization that actor-controlled rolling staircases offer a perfect dramatization of Hogwarts magically shifting internal architecture. Tiffany and Hoggett have done their share of scrappy, actor-driven theater, and they know that simple things suitcases, stairs, an ensemble moving in unison, a well-timed cape swish are where the real enchantment of their medium lies. But the additional and perhaps the most powerful enchantment of this particular trip to the theater is actually on our side of the footlights. Looking around me, I saw Hogwarts house colors, black robes, and wands filling the seats. When Jamie Parker made his first entrance as Harry Potter, and when Noma Dumezweni and Paul Thornley first appeared as Hermione and Ron, the already crackling energy in the dark auditorium erupted. (Later, I heard a woman actually scream in delight when a silhouette resembling that of Severus Snape began to glide forward, back to us, on the sets big central turntable.) This isnt normal entrance applause: The audience is cheering not for celebrities but for characters. Not that the actors arent doing cheer-worthy work. On the contrary, theyre turning in effective, endearing performances, from Parkers stubborn, struggling, still emotionally stunted Harry, to Thornleys dad-jokey Ron, to Dumezwenis restrained (but comically adept) Hermione and Poppy Millers patient, not-to-be-messed-with Ginny. The truth, though, is that we havent come to see Parker: Weve come to see Harry. And even after a star-studded movie series, our imaginary friends still remain more powerful, more solidly alive in our minds, than the famous figures whove erstwhile donned their robes. Though the experience were all engaged in is massively, knowingly commercial, its also a startlingly moving affirmation of the human appetite for story, and because were now in a theater instead of nestled in our beds with a book the bodily power of sharing that story with 1,000 other breathing, quivering souls in real time. Sitting in the Lyric today is like standing on the New York docks in 1841 where, legend has it, avid American readers of Dickens serialized novels flocked in passionate crowds, crying out to the sailors whose boats were bringing the latest installment of The Old Curiosity Shop: Is Little Nell dead? Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is at the Lyric Theatre. Every week, I offer a glimpse of the kind of intelligence assessments that are likely to come across the desk of the President of the United States. Modeled on the President's Daily Briefing, or PDB, which the director of national intelligence prepares for the President almost daily, my Presidential Weekly Briefing focuses on the topics and issues the President needs to know to make informed decisions. Here's this week's briefing: A French Kiss, with some strings attached French President Emmanuel Macron has made no secret of his efforts to seduce you. He's been after you since your first meeting in Brussels, Belgium, last year and followed up that encounter with your invitation to France for Bastille Day. He wants a serious relationship, but when he arrives in Washington on Monday -- the first state visit of a foreign leader for this administration -- he's coming with a hefty personal and political agenda. He's up against strong headwinds in France; his domestic approval ratings are at their lowest point since he took office with only 40% of the French population saying they have a favorable opinion of Macron, a drop of 12 percentage points from December. His approval rating has dwindled as he pushes forward with politically sensitive public sector reforms. He has described your relationship as "direct and frank" but knows you are not a popular figure in France (polls have shown that you have a 14% approval rating there). So he's going to want to come out of this visit looking like he's gotten something for investing time, effort and patience in your "unbreakable" relationship and will want to show that he, and France, are increasingly becoming the go-to powerhouse on the continent. Macron has tried to position himself as a global mediator, including with the Palestinians, Syrians and Russians, and Lebanese and on a personal level will want you to recognize his role. Macron will have a long list of agenda items including: - Russia - Call it like it is: Macron is not a wilting flower on Russia. He has urged dialogue with Russia over Syria and France has been vocal about Russian meddling in the French elections, ongoing illegal activities in Ukraine, and the poisoning in the United Kingdom of the former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Macron will likely be looking for you to join him in condemning Russia's ongoing global misbehavior while supporting dialogue to de-escalate tensions in Syria. There is more that France could be doing -- France has not sanctioned Russian oligarchs, like the administration did recently, so you could use your meetings to urge him to look into all means of pressure -- financial, diplomatic, and otherwise. Multilateralizing sanctions could move them from symbolic to impactful. - Syria - stay in it: Macron may believe the road to Damascus leads through dialogue with Moscow, but he does not want the United States to reduce our military footprint in Syria anytime soon. At one point, he claimed credit for persuading you to keep US forces in Syria, so it's clear he wants to portray himself as calling at least some of the shots. He'll want to reaffirm the ongoing US mission in Syria, and it may be a good time to clarify -- privately before publicly -- what the coalition red lines are, in fact, on future chemical weapons use. France remains a partner in our broader counter-ISIS campaign and in private you could ask him for additional resources as needed in Syria or elsewhere, particularly as France has suffered ISIS-inspired attacks for several years. - Iran - this deal is better than no deal: Macron has criticized your decision to unilaterally pull out of deals like the Paris climate accord, and he will push you to avoid decertifying the Iran deal on May 12. He knows that administration requests to change the deal aren't finalized with other parties and that the deadline for US certification is weeks away. He'll likely raise the Iran deal when he addresses a joint session of Congress later this week. On Sunday he admitted he has no "plan B" if we withdraw from the deal so will likely use a lot of his horsepower to convince you that this deal is better than no deal, and it's likely that he's coming to Washington armed with some new concessions from other signatories. (Germany's Angela Merkel will likely double-team on these points when she meets with you on Friday.) New European sanctions against Iran may be part of the combined European "stay in the deal" package. - Trade - friends want benefits: After visiting Berlin on Thursday to coordinate his approach with Merkel, Macron is going to urge you to drop your proclivity for unilateral trade announcements, like the steel and aluminum tariffs that almost set off a trade war before exemptions were announced. He'll probably try to get you to agree to extend the European Union's exemption from the tariffs and will likely be looking for a public announcement to this effect. Notably, Merkel will be with you at the White House a few days after the Macron state visit. They are likely coordinating their approach on all these points. Kim Jong Un has a summit shopping list After North Korea's announcement that it is suspending nuclear and missile tests and closing a nuclear site, excitement ensued, including via Twitter. We assess that this was not, at its core, a conciliatory good faith gesture. Kim made this announcement because he may no longer need tests -- he's gotten his nuclear and missile program where he wants them to be. The official North Korean statement indicated that, "Under the proven condition of complete nuclear weapons, we no longer need any nuclear tests, midrange and intercontinental ballistic rocket tests, and that the nuclear test site in northern area has also completed its mission." While the timing of this announcement was likely meant to spark goodwill ahead of Kim's summit with South Korean President Moon later this week, it is not a North Korean white flag. In fact it could be a move to pave the way for North Korea's recognition as a nuclear power. The North Korean bottom line? Tests -- that may no longer be needed -- are frozen, but the rest of the nuclear and missile program are not. Add this announcement to Kim's ongoing rapprochement with Moon, from the Olympics to K-Pop, he's been making some friendly overtures. In the run-up to their Friday meeting at the Demilitarized Zone, the two Korean leaders even established a direct phone line between their offices for the first time. Moon undoubtedly wants the intra-Korean summit to be a win; he's invested a lot personally in this diplomatic "breakthrough." But with all this seemingly positive momentum, the question still remains, what does Kim Jong Un want? It is dangerous to assume that a leader as deeply paranoid as Kim Jong Un -- and a leader engaged in so many malign activities -- had an epiphany and has suddenly decided to open up his country to the world for nothing. Even if he does in fact believe that focusing on economic growth and improving the national economy is the best path forward, everything is a negotiation, and everyone wants something, including Kim Jong Un. He probably views his summit with Moon and his summit with you, Mr. President, as part of a larger sequence, and so we have to assess what's on his combined summit shopping list: - Kim puts Kim first: First and foremost, Kim Jong Un cares about himself and confidence that he's safe from regime change (or worse) is going to be the prerequisite for him seriously engaging in any way. And even if he actually intends to denuclearize, he's going to want an ironclad assurance that this all isn't a ruse to get him out of power. Remember that we don't think he even left North Korea from 2011 until his recent trip to Beijing because of deep-seated paranoia about assassination attempts. If Mike Pompeo didn't deliver a security assurance to Kim when they met over Easter weekend, Kim's going to be shopping for one before he makes any real concessions. - He wants to be Nuclear Prom King: We've seen Kim's love affair with the spotlight play out since his publicity tour kicked off in January, and it's clear he desperately craves attention. International recognition as a nuclear power has been on his shopping list for a while, and if he is going to agree to the complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantling of his nuclear program, he's going to first want the world to acknowledge that, despite incredible constraints, he was able to achieve the nuclear capability that has eluded so many others. He's not going to give up the goods before we acknowledge that he was able to build them. - He wants to pad his bank account: There is no doubt that international sanctions, led by the administration, have had a bite and have limited Kim's ability to spend and finance new projects. Billions of dollars of trade has been put on ice, and Kim has expensive spending habits, including on luxury goods and on his military. In a country where 70% of the country's 25.1 million population is "food insecure" and chronic malnutrition is endemic, Kim spends a disproportionate amount of money on defense spending. The latest North Korean budget (which is likely more propaganda than actual budgeting) puts defense spending at 15.8% of GDP, but analysts put the actual figure much higher; North Korea has one of the largest conventional militaries in the world. He's also talked about pursuing reforms like opening special economic zones where he needs to attract foreign investors (sanctions make that impossible). Kim's going to want at least some sanctions lifted -- and, in their place, direct economic assistance -- so he can continue his personal life of luxury and feed his favorite pet projects -- from the military to ski resorts and celebrity visits. - He wants to be Unifier in Chief: Kim has talked about reunifying the peninsula in the past (perhaps in his own macabre image), and as he heads into the intra-Korean summit and later meets with you, we assess that he'll take steps to bring the two Koreas closer. These steps could include more reunions between families separated by the Korean War and a formal end to the war itself. In keeping with his need for accolades and adoration, it is likely Kim will want public recognition as the unifier of the Korean Peninsula. No Cuban cigar On the surface, Cubans witnessed a historic transfer of power last week. Raul Castro turned over the presidency to his hand-picked successor, Miguel D-az-Canel, who was elected by the Cuban National Assembly (his victory wasn't hard fought -- he was the only candidate on the ticket.) But this is a paper tiger: Raul Castro isn't going anywhere. He still holds the most important position in the country: head of the Communist Party, so the end of a Castro-as-President era does not mean that Castro-as-President policies will be thrown by the wayside. The head of the Communist Party in Cuba is the "leading force of society and of the state." The party -- not the President -- calls the shots. In his farewell speech (a mere 90 minutes compared to the lengthy monologues his brother Fidel preferred), Castro said that D-az-Canel would serve two five-year terms and then take over as President of the Communist Party in 2021 -- so we could be facing, at minimum, another few years of Castro holding the Communist Party reins. D-az-Canel and most members of government bodies have close ties to Castro, so we shouldn't expect any bold moves by D-az-Canel absent Castro's consent. His ties to the Castros go back decades -- he even served on their security detail during the Cold War. Castro did see Cuba through some reforms, including allowing Cubans to travel, a diplomatic opening with the United States under then-President Obama, and some blossoms of free enterprise in the socialist state were allowed to bloom. These reforms -- as well as any future ones -- had to be approved by the Communist Party. So even if D-az-Canel wanted to go out on a limb, the party will remain a check on any of his ambitions. Despite the transfer of power, the future of the Cuban people still rests with a Castro. The ongoing question is whether Raul Castro himself will agree to any political or economic liberalization or moves toward actual rule of law. Absent his approval, D-az-Canel will not have the political capital, clout or runway to pursue anything different than what we're already seeing. TORONTO (AP) - Toronto's police chief says a 10th person has died after a rented van plowed into pedestrians along a sidewalk in Toronto. Fifteen people are reported in the hospital. Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders also has released the name of the purported driver detained after Monday's incident. The suspect is identified as Alek Minassian, a 25-year-old from the Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill. Tributes from Canberra's advertising and hospitality industries were flowing across social media on Sunday night following the death of Canberra businessman and entrepreneur Pawl Cubbin. Mr Cubbin was the visionary behind many iconic Canberra restaurants and bars including Belluci's and Public in Manuka, Little Brooklyn in Kingston and Shorty's in Civic. Canberra entrepreneur Pawl Cubbin has died suddenly. Credit:Graham Tidy He was a co-founder of Regional Express (REX) Airlines in 2002. But he was most well-known as Canberra's most prominent advertising guru, establishing Zoo Advertising in the late 1990s and working in recent times on marketing campaigns for the Brumbies, the Centenary of Canberra and for property giant Geocon. Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce said allowing the partners of MPs to work in their office would help keep families together, and would not amount to a conflict of interest. Speaking with Patricia Karvelas on ABCs National Wrap on Sunday night, Mr Joyce said it was "insane" that someone who qualified for a job could not do it because of their relationship. Mr Joyce quit as deputy PM in February after 16 days of scandal over his affair with Vikki Campion, his former media adviser. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull later introduced a ban on ministers having sexual relations with their staff. The Minister for International Development Concetta Fierravanti-Wells has blamed Australians for cuts to aid funding, justifying them with the statement that "you have to take the public with you". The reality is the public are well ahead of her - not behind. Fierravanti-Wells should champion a response to reducing poverty that is as generous as the Australian people, rather than blaming citizens for the government's disgraceful cuts. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells indicated foreign aid budget cuts have been driven by opinion polls. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The Australian Survey on Social Attitudes highlights eight in 10 Australians support aid to create a safer world with less poverty. Yet Australians think our aid program is 10 times more generous than it really is. They assume our nation is doing its fair share but in reality our aid levels are at risk of dropping below recession-hit Greece. Last year, the biggest share of online charity-giving in Australia was to aid and humanitarian charities -1.6 million Australians gave $920 million from their own pockets. And Australia was recently ranked the sixth most generous nation in the World Giving Index. A woman has died in custody at Ipswich Watch House only hours after being arrested. The 44-year-old from the outer Brisbane suburb of Ellen Grove was found dead in her cell about 2am on Saturday during a routine check. The Ipswich Watch House. Credit:Google Maps Police said she had been arrested on Friday evening for failing to appear in court and drug matters. The Ethical Standards Command has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death, which will be overseen by the Crime and Corruption Commission. Most Victoria Crosses are awarded posthumously. Cut and formed from the remains of cannons captured by the British in the Crimean War, the VC is the highest military honour Commonwealth soldiers can attain, and Throssell earned it defying his wounds and the ferocity of the attacks to hold the position. He was evacuated to London to recover, and it was there he met an Australian author, journalist and eventual co-founding member of the Communist Party of Australia - Katharine Susannah Pritchard. So far so romantic, yet their meeting was to become a hinge that exposed deep divisions in Australia; for Throssell was not the hero the leaders of the nation wanted him to be. "He was a heroic figure, promoted by the authorities, and he gave speeches during the war to boost recruitment. He was the embodiment of the ideal Edwardian man." Paul Bridges is the curator of the Swan Guildford Historical Society, a former Communist himself, who collects military memorabilia, including an autograph book signed by Hugo Throssell, whose imprint to an admirer from May 1916 reads "love me and the world is mine." Hugo Throssell's autograph. Credit:David Allan-Petale "He would have signed that at a rally for the war where he played up that he was a single man. But he was longing to meet up with Katharine and they didn't marry until he came back from the war because he didn't want to leave her a widow. "He went back to the Tenth Light Horse and fought in Palestine where his beloved brother Ric was killed. And when he returned home he linked up with Susannah again, and this is where everything changes." The couple married and in mid-1919 Throssell gave a speech to local Peace Day celebrations where he stated that war had made him "a pacifist and a socialist". "He was a war hero, highly educated, came from an upper middle class family, won awards in sport. So the impact of his renunciation of the war and embracing socialism was a great shock," Bridges said. Australian Light Horse troops in training in 1916. The decision to speak out cost Throssell dearly - his business prospects never succeeded, spiralling into debt as he bought up blocks of land and the economy dived during the Great Depression. Saddled with debts and suffering depression, Throssell shot himself on the verandah of his home in Greenmount in February of 1933. Just a day prior he had tried to hock his VC to buy movie tickets for his son Ric, named after the brother he lost in the war. After the war comes the battle At least 325 serving and former Australian Defence Force personnel died by suicide between 2001 and 2015, according to a major report released in mid-2017 that highlighted the dangers vulnerable servicemen can face when leaving the military. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the effects conflict and service can have is better understood now compared to Throssell's era. But the mental health of veterans remains an important issue, especially with modern day veterans from ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many academics are also now looking back at Australia's military history seeking new understandings of the effect conflicts like World War One had on those who served, their families, and wider society. Part of this effort is Nicola Ritchie, a graduate historian studying veteran suicide, who uses her Twitter feed to tell the stories of WW1 veterans who committed suicide in the aftermath of the war, including a long thread on Hugo Throssell. "Reflecting the continuing issue of suicide for Australian veterans across every conflict the nation has been engaged in, for the next 10 days, every day until Anzac Day, I will be tweeting about individual World War I veterans who committed suicide following the war." Her interest in the area began during an internship at Australian War Memorial in 2016 as a summer scholar when she noticed a display for Harold Elliott - a highly decorated WW1 officer better known as "Pompey" Elliot - "arguably misrepresented his motivation in committing suicide." "This led to my realisation that though veteran suicide was (and continues to be) a serious issue in Australia," she said. "It is rarely discussed in depth in academic or non-academic conversations around the costs of war." For many years now the RSL has taken a leading role in helping veterans with PTSD and other mental health issues get access to counselling and support, and in modern times groups like Overwatch Australia have emerged to monitor social media for signs of distress and intervene where needed. In his office at the Swan Guildford Historical Society, Paul Bridges tells me that Hugo Throssell's history is a reminder that beneath the heroism and honour of the Anzac legend there lies a more complicated truth. "People were told not to talk to the veterans about it, not to bring up memories for them. And they themselves did not want to talk. So all this angst was built up. "We are now better at recognising Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). But for Throssell and a great many of his generation that never happened. "His story is not as well known as it should be. His politics certainly complicated things. But he deserves his place in our history." The Throssell family name is borne by many streets in Perth, including one in the leafy enclave of Dalkeith, another road bordering the west side of Hyde Park near Mt Lawley, one in Como, and a road in Greenmount. Hugo Throssell's name also honours a wing of Hollywood Private Hospital in Nedlands, a plaque in Kings Park, and the author John Hamilton has written a book titled The Price of Valour on the VC winner's life. Yet the monument at Greenmount next to his late wife's home Katharine's Place is perhaps what best preserves Hugo Throssell's memory; a story easy to pass by, but once known, never forgotten. Now we look at the historic ways Anzacs have been commemorated in WA, and contemporary efforts to find new meanings and symbols for their legacy. A living legacy While the recognition of Anzac Day flourished, the trees didn't, and the European species were replaced with Australian eucalyptus, all except one oak on the corner of May and Lovelin drives. "This is the last one left, and it's been preserved as a reminder of what the avenues once were. But as you can see the avenues are all eucalypt now, and they're thriving." Chris Olney is a volunteer guide at Kings Park and a former sub-editor at the West Australian, the cross town rival of the Daily News, a now defunct newspaper whose famed editor Arthur Lovekin is widely credited with coming up with the idea for the Honour Avenues in WA. The Honour Avenues are amongst her favourite places in the park, and hold a special significance for many families that visit. "What Lovekin did was support something that was very precious to people who had lost loved ones. Each of the trees on the avenues represent a person who died overseas and has no grave here. This is a place where families can grieve. It's much more personal." Perth's iconic Kings Park war memorial. Credit:Tony McDonough Just a few hundred metres away from the last oak treet on May Drive is the State War Memorial with its concrete, brick and granite obelisk perched above a commanding view of the city and river. On Anzac Day tens of thousands of people will gather in the dark before the sunrise to pay their respects to Western Australian servicemen and women who have served in all the wars and conflicts Australia has been involved with. "I can remember coming as a child to the dawn service here with my father and they would lay out chairs on the lawn on both sides of the path, and most of the crowd would sit down as the diggers came up the middle and laid their wreaths," Olney said. "These days there are screens all the way down Fraser Avenue so people can see. It's quite amazing really, that progression." The plaques remember soldiers whop died overseas. And while Anzac Day services continue to evolve, so too do the Honour Avenues, whose plaques are maintained by volunteers from the Highgate branch of the RSL, who will, for a small fee, create new plaques for the families of soldiers who qualify. "Originally the plaques cost ten shillings. These days you can buy one for a relative who served and was killed overseas and there are memorial services helf four times a year in which new plaques are dedicated," Ms Olney said. Loading "It's great that the avenues are continuing to grow. Many of the trees have two plaques now, and they try to match them up as much as they can." Kings Park's website has a database of the 1700 plaques to allow the community to allows the community to search for relatives and explore their history. One tree with two plaques shows two men from the 11th Battalion who were killed in Belgium two days apart in 1917 - Corporal John Lee and Private Nathan Barrett, aged 23 and 26. "They were in the same unit, so there's a chance I'd dare say they knew each other," Olney says. "And now here they are, side by side." Lighting up Albany's Anzac legacy On November the 1st, 1914, the chilly Great Southern port of Albany was the last piece of Australia the diggers stepped off on their way to the hell of Gallipoli. The city is often cited as one of the first places to host a dawn service, and the memorial atop Mount Clarence and the new National Anzac Centre have cemented it as one of the main places of commemmoration in Australia. National Anzac Centre in Albany. It's a place steeped in history, but there are new efforts afoot to breathe new life into the memorials there. "When I visited the National Anzac Centre for the first time we were looking to place the field of light under the trees, and the Avenue of Honour was just such a moving space." Bruce Munro is an artist "mainly working in light" who was behind the wildly successful Field of Light installation at Uluru, which placed more than fifty thousand spindles of light in front of the iconic sandstone monolith. The Field of Light at Uluru is coming to Albany's Avenue of Honour. Credit:Mark Pickthall He's now turned his talents to illuminating the Avenue of Honour on Apex Drive, which leads to the Anzac memorial on Mount Clarence. "The predominant colours for the Field of Light will be green, white and gold," Munro said. A Qantas flight from Perth to Adelaide has had to land in Kalgoorlie on Monday morning due to a medical issue on board. Flight QFA590, which departed Perth at 6.56am, was diverted after a passenger became ill on the plane. The Qantas flight had to land in Kalgoorlie due to a medical emergency. A Qantas spokeswoman said there appeared to be a medical issue with the passenger on board. It is believed the plane landed in Kalgoorlie about 8.30am, after initially being due to land in Adelaide at 11.50am local time. London: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spending their first night as a family of five at Kensington Palace after welcoming their third child and second son on St George's Day. Prince William joked that the birth of their third child was "thrice the worry" as he drove his wife home, less than seven hours after she gave birth. Kate was admitted to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington in the early hours of Monday morning in the "early stages of labour". At 11.01am, with her husband by her side, she gave birth to the prince, weighing 3.8 kilograms. Less than six hours later, she showed him off to the waiting media, standing next to her husband on the steps of the hospital's Lindo Wing, where, in 2013 and 2015, she introduced Prince George and Princess Charlotte to the world. Asuncion: The candidate from Paraguay's ruling Colorado Party easily won Sunday's presidential election, according to official results with 50 per cent of ballots counted, pointing toward another five years of pro-business policies in the major soy producer. Mario Abdo, a 46-year-old former senator who campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, clinched 47.3 per cent of the vote, according to the country's elections tribunal. Election campaign posters hang ahead of Sunday's poll at Mercado 4, Asuncion. Credit:AP Abdo supports current low-tax policies aimed at stimulating foreign investment and agricultural production in the world's No. 4 soybean exporter and a major supplier of beef. His main rival, Efrain Alegre, a lawyer from the center-left GANAR coalition Alegre, trailed with 42.2 per cent. Authorities have arrested a man suspected of storming a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee and fatally shooting four people with an assault rifle. Police said that 29-year-old Travis Reinking was found in a wooded area on Monday, almost 36 hours after he opened fire on late-night diners in the early hours of Sunday. His arrest came after a massive manhunt across Nashville for a man described by police as being armed and mentally unstable. Beijing: Chinese president Xi Jinping has met with 12 presidents and prime ministers in 2018, plus King Tupou VI of Tonga. The roll call includes multiple African nations with which China is establishing "Comprehensive strategic cooperative partnerships" - Zimbabwe, Namibia, Cameroon. Austria agreed to a "Friendly strategic partnership". British Prime Minister Theresa May drummed up business for British universities, looking ahead to a post-Brexit world and the desire to boost exports to the world's biggest consumer market. French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands in January. Credit:AP French president Emmanuel Macron brought a gift of a horse called Vesuvius. Kim Jong Un famously came by secret train. Toronto: Police say 10 people have been killed after a rented white van mounted a kerb in Toronto and struck pedestrians. The driver has been identified by police as 25-year-old Alek Minassian in the incident which left a further 15 people injured. Police were pictured at Minassian's home in the northern Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill. Minassian was not believed to be associated with any organised militant group. Canadian Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale said that, based on consultations with "top security officials...there appears to be no national security connection" to the event. After four days of intensive discussions, the 219th/220th Permanent Technical Committee (PTC) concluded its proceedings on 19 April. The meeting of the PTC, the key technical committee dealing with strategic issues concerning procedures and facilitation, gathered 140 delegates from governments, the private sector, international organisations and academia to discuss several topical matters in this area. In her opening remarks, the Director Compliance and Facilitation Ms. Ana Hinojosa stressed that in line with the WCO's theme for this year, the Committee will be taking numerous small steps towards Building a Secure Business Environment for Economic Development. The PTC devoted on one full day to disruptive technologies, organised under the umbrella of the Future of Customs agenda. It brought together speakers and delegates in four workshops to discuss Blockchain technology, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Biometrics, drones and other latest technologies. It also explored the strategies supporting the introduction of new technologies, as well as the linkages with and the potential of using foresight in designing the Future of Customs. The PTC fully supported the draft Study Report on Disruptive Technologies, currently under development and which will be revisited in the meeting in spring 2019. The PTC highly welcomed the contribution of the diverse speakers from the private sector, academia and the governments and the various insights on the latest trends, developments and pilots in Customs, and border and supply chain management. Under the follow-up actions, the PTC adopted the draft Framework of Standards for Cross-Border E-Commerce and the accompanying Resolution and Work Plan. Furthermore, a number of updated tools were endorsed, such as the Guide for the Time Release Study, the IT Guide for Executives, the Integrated Supply Chain Management Guidelines and the Coordinated Border Management Compendium. The PTC also endorsed the Recommendation and Guidelines for the Trader Identification Number which is expected to further facilitate the implementation of Mutual Recognition Agreements and Arrangements. The FAQ document on the linkages between the SAFE Authorized Economic Operators and Article 7.7 of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement was discussed and endorsed. The documents will be forwarded to Policy Commission and Council in June. Furthermore, the PTC provided direction for the way forward on the topics of Customs-Railways cooperation and Special Customs Zones / Free Zones, that have been recently placed on the PTC's agenda. The PTC welcomed the Secretariat's engagement with the World Bank on the Doing Business survey and supported collaboration on the Customs Revenue Benchmarking Database, put forward by Switzerland. The PTC unanimously elected Mr. Ian Saunders, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, International Affairs, United States Customs and Border Protection, as the Chairperson of the PTC, and Ms. Maka Khvedelidze, Deputy Head of International Relations, Georgia Revenue Service, as the Vice-Chairperson. The delegates and the Secretariat expressed full appreciation for all the excellent work and contributions of the outgoing Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, Mr. Rob van Kuik (the Netherlands) and Mr. Matome Mathole (South Africa), to the success of the PTC in the past three years. Dog Found Shot to Death in West Paducah Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 23, 2018 | PADUCAH, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 23, 2018 | 01:04 PM | PADUCAH, KY Authorities are asking for help from the public in an investigation into a dog recently found shot to death in West Paducah, and one that was abandoned. McCracken County Animal Control says a citizen found two dogs near Noble Road on the bank of Massac Creek. One of the dogs, a male, had reportedly been shot in the head with a shotgun. The other dog, a female, was found malnourished, but alive. Animal Control tells West Kentucky Star there is an ongoing investigation into the situation, but no additional details were shared. We've attached a photo of the female dog. A photo of the dog that was shot has been circulating on social media, but due to its graphic nature we have chosen not to post it on our site. Anyone with any information about the case is asked to contact Animal Control at 270-331-6417. Aboriginal people in Ontario are prepared to lay down their lives to protect their traditional lands from any unwanted development, a group of First Nations chiefs said Tuesday.Aboriginal communities have seen what Canadian and Ontario laws have done to their land over the last 147 years, Beardy said."The land has become sick," he said. "We become sick. We become poor, desperate and dying."The people of Grassy Narrows First Nation are still suffering from mercury poisoning decades after the Wabigoon river around their land was contaminated by a local paper mill, Beardy added.Grand Chief of Treaty 3, Warren White, argued that Prime Minister Stephen Harper recognizes the state of Israel, but not the lands of Canada's aboriginal peoples."He needs to have the same principles that he's saying about Israeli lands to Treaty 3 territory and native lands in Canada," White said."Clean up your own backyard before you go and spill a lot of money into disasters in other countries."Grand Chief Harvey Yesno of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation added that the province's aboriginal people will draw a line in the sand, put a stake in the ground and tie themselves to it if that's what it takes to protect their land from unwanted resource development."We're no longer just going to be civilly disobedient. We're going to defend our lands, and there's a big difference there," he said."Our young people are dying, our people are dying. So let's die at least defending our land."Aboriginal communities don't want to harm others, said Beardy. But they'll do what they must to stop an incursion on their lands, such as forming human blockades to stop the clearcutting of trees, he said."Anything that happens on our aboriginal homeland now, they must consult with us," said Roger Fobister Sr., chief of Grassy Narrows First Nation. "Even if they're going to cut down one tree, they better ask us." On Tuesday, Michael Magik Jones was charged for his actions on March 31. The charges are: - Assault with intent to murder: (this was against Lansing Police Officers Sarah Wilson and/or Ryan Kellom) - Assault with intent to murder: (against Lansing Police Sergeant Erick Pratl and/or LPD Sergeant Jason Spoelma and/or LPD Detective Michael Schulte and/or LPD Officer Doug Hall and/or LPD Officer Eric Boswell and/or Medic Charles Stadt) - Firearms possession by a felon - Felony firearm Jones was previously charged with the following, for incidents on Feb. 24 and March 31 of this year: - Discharging a firearm in or at a building (3-31) - Assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault) (2-24) - Carrying a concealed weapon (2-24) - Felony firearm (2-24) - Aanother charge of felony firearm (3-31) - Carrying a concealed weapon (3-31) He was arraigned by video conference from the Ingham County Jail and denied bond. He'll be in court next for a probable cause hearing on May 4 and a preliminary exam on May 11. On Monday, the Prosecutors office said that the Lansing Police shooting that injured the 25-year-old Holt man was justified. Police say Michael Jones shot into a building on Mary Avenue near MLK on March 31st, before exchanging gunfire with police in two different locations. Jones suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and was hospitalized. According to the Ingham County Prosecutor officers were responding to a report of shots fired. During their initial investigation they received a description of a possible armed suspect. They identified the possible suspect, and as officers approached one of the officers drew their pistol and commanded the suspect to stop. It's alleged that the suspect opened fire on the officers and ran from the scene. After that alleged altercation Michigan State Police and Lansing Police searched for the suspect. MSP identified the suspect who was hiding in the area from a helicopter. Lansing Police officers approached the suspect and allege that the suspect shot at them. Two of the LPD officers fired, and the suspect was struck by the gunfire. The suspect was taken to the hospital. "Lansing Police Department policy states that officers may use deadly force to protect any officers from the imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury. It is our assertion that this use of force was consistent with state law and that no crime was committed by any officer during this incident." Carol A. Siemon, Ingham County Prosecutor. Cindy Axne Over the past few months, my colleagues and I in Congress have engaged in discussions about investments we can make at the federal level to support our local economies, create... Julian B. Garrett Iowa Economy Steady Iowas economy remained basically steady in August with the unemployment rate remaining at 4.1% according to Iowa Workforce Development. However, the labor participation rate declined slightly from... Charles Grassley U.S. Senator The debt limit is the amount of money the U.S. Treasury is authorized to borrow to meet spending obligations. The Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse... 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! Bang on time A water wake-up call Never mind the complicated stochastic hydrology graph projected on the screen it was the loud clap of Highveld thunder that drove Professor Mike Mullers point home. Speaking on Managing Climate-Related Risks at an alumni networking event at the Wits Club on 19 April, he was talking about the right time to panic about water supply. A welcome shower fell on the day, but many of the 80 alumni and guests in the audience were there because they were worried about Johannesburg or anywhere else facing a water crisis like Cape Towns. Representing a range of professional disciplines, from philosophy to chemical engineering, they heard the Wits School of Governance water expert say that water is not a physical or technical problem as much as one of governance. Its about people listening to each other, being informed, speaking up, looking at the big picture, planning and acting in time. Its about understanding vested interests too. The challenge is how to make things happen in the real world, said Prof Muller. People have all kinds of reasons for the decisions they make (or avoid making) when confronted with a problem like water management. And the water issue, in particular, touches the lives of all kinds of people in multiple unavoidable ways. This is why Wits new Centre in Water Research and Development seeks to bring together many different perspectives and disciplines in dialogue and collaboration. This is our generations problem, said Professor Craig Sheridan, the Centres head, to the audience. Water crises are made by people, and the Centre aims to create leaders and visionaries who will work on solutions together. For more about water-related research at Wits, see the Watershed issue of Curiosity magazine named with a nod to the Universitys position on the "White Water Ridge", which directs Joburgs rainfall to different oceans. For photos of the alumni networking event, click here. Enquiries about alumni networking events: Yumna.Patel@wits.ac.za or Purvi.Purohit@wits.ac.za ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York's governor is proposing a statewide ban on plastic shopping bags. Democrat Andrew Cuomo announced the legislation Monday, saying the ubiquitous plastic bags are taking a "devastating" toll on the environment. If passed Cuomo's measure would also include efforts to encourage the use of reusable bags. California and Hawaii already ban the disposable containers. So do many cities including Chicago and Seattle. Each year New Yorkers use an estimated 23 billion plastic bags, making them a leading source of litter and plastic pollution. The proposal will likely face significant legislative opposition. Last year lawmakers and Cuomo blocked New York City from imposing a per-bag fee. Cuomo's new proposal came on the same day that his Democratic primary opponent Cynthia Nixon joined hundreds at an environmental rally outside the state Capitol. (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) ____________________________________________ RELATED LOCAL COVERAGE: Is a ban or a fee on plastic bags necessary? UTICA- The Tabernacle Baptist Church has dedicated its refurbished steeple as the Davison Tower of Refuge. This tower is in honor of the many Karen refugees Rev. James Davison has helped over the years. We were doing it simply because it is Gods work and they are Gods People, said Rev. Davison. Its our job is to help one another. Davison and his wife Edith have been helping those in need since they got married 64 years ago. The two tell WKTV they could not do it without the help of others. Well we had lots of help and support from the congregation and then from the Karen community, said Edith. Then we were just giving the little extra boost because we had a car and knew where things were. Together the couple helped hundreds of Karen refugees become stable in the United States. In particular, they helped Khnisoe Moe who migrated to the states 20 years ago, after her village was raided by local militia. He is a wonderful wonderful man, said Moe. And because of him and today, we have an opportunity to dedicate this tower. COOPERSTOWN Students from throughout New York State presented history projects in Cooperstown Monday morning as part of New York History Day. The exhibits are on display at The Farmers Museum in Cooperstown. This years theme is Conflict and Compromise. State Sen. James Seward walked through the projects that were on display to be judged Monday morning. He secured $125,000 in the state budget to ensure New York History Day would continue this year in Cooperstown. Seward says the event is not only academically important, but its also the beginning of Otsego Countys busiest time of the year. "This event draws students, faculty and family members to our area to kind of kick off the tourist season," Seward said. "I know the local hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants are all full this weekend, and so there's a great economic benefit to our local area." The winners from the regional competition will be announced tonight, and they will advance to the national round at the University of Maryland in June. LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) Charges have been filed in a shooting incident in Lafayette. Tippecanoe County Prosecutors say 36-year old Major Townsend, also known as Anthony Holmes, shot a man in the leg on April 7th. It happened on Broadway Street in Lafayette. According to court documents, the victim, Jesse Payne, told police the two men argued over a bottle of vodka. Payne told officers that Major was upset with Payne after the bottle of vodka broke and Major wanted to be paid for the cost of the bottle. Charges filed against Townsend include aggravated battery, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and carrying a handgun without a license. Also according to court documents, prosecutors have charged him with being a habitual offender due to three unrelated felony convictions in Chicago. Burglary in 2005, escape electronic monitoring in 2005, and attempted robbery in 2009. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A federal agency has awarded Indiana nearly $11 million for the second straight year to fight the state's opioid abuse crisis. The Health and Human Services funding is among $485 million recently awarded nationwide to combat heroin and opioid abuse. Indiana was awarded $10.9 million, the same amount it received last year. That funding supports a variety of prevention, treatment and recovery services for people addicted to opioids. U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks says the federal money provides "a greater sense of hope" to people suffering from substance abuse, their families and law enforcement, first responders and medical personnel working on the epidemic's front lines. The grant will be administered by the state of Indiana, which will determine funding for specific programs. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page A woman was jailed for her cruel scam in which she told her family and friends that she was dying from cancer and needed help. Hanna Dickenson of Australia was 19-years-old when she wanted to travel and have fun. However, she did not have the money to do so. She came up with a plan of faking an illness. The teenager told her parents that she has a short time to live and that she desperately needed money for a lifesaving treatment. She added that she had to travel to places such as New Zealand and Thailand for special procedures. Her parents, who are farmers in Swan Hill in Victoria, did not have enough money so they turned to friends and neighbors for help. Neighbors Nathan and Rachel Cue, who were not very well off financially, took out a mortgage on their home and donated A11,000 ($15,300) for the life-saving treatment. The good Samaritans transferred the money to an account which they were told was that of the teens doctor in Germany, but it turned out to be an account that belonged to the teenager. The parents managed to get a total of A23,000 ($32,200) for their daughters treatment. Dickenson took the money and traveled with it but not for medical treatment but rather to have fun and party. One day, Nathan Cue found a photo that Dickenson posted on Facebook, which showed her drinking and partying. He did some more digging and found that she was not sick at all. After being convinced that he was scammed, Nathan filed a complaint with police and Dickenson was arrested. In court, Defence counsel Bev Lindsay asked the judge to order restitution and spare her jail time. He argued the teen did not ask her community for money, but it was her parents who chose to reach out for help. In addition, Lindsay said that Dickenson had since turned her life around and she works as a real estate agent and that a jail term would jeopardize her career. However, Magistrate David Starvaggi did not accept the arguments, saying that Dickensons parents had no idea that she was lying about her illness. The judge said that Dickensons actions were despicable and tear at the very heartstrings of human nature. Dickenson, now 24, was ordered to serve three months in jail, 150 hours of community service, and treatment for mental health issues and substance abuse. She must also pay restitution to the victims who were scammed by her lies. University of Southern California unveils dismantle whiteness mural in latest insane attack on people based on the color of their skin Students majoring in communications and journalism at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles are now being forced to walk beneath a giant anti-white billboard that was recently placed above the threshold to the building where their classes are held, according to shocking new reports. Thats because the school recently gave permission to a militant campus feminist group called When Women Disrupt to install a racist art piece that demands the immediate removal of both misogyny and whiteness from USCs campus. The piece, which sits amid four giant paintings of women of color, can be found at one of the entrances to USCs Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism building. As revealed by The College Fix, the prominent black and white signage, which When Women Disrupt produced with the help of students enrolled in a class entitled, Women: Designing Media for Social Change, isnt occupying its new home without controversy. But its supporters certainly dont care. The installation is intended to spark dialogue, stated Annenberg communications professor Alison Trope in a statement to The College Fix. To that end, the signage is meant to offer grounding of terms and ideas. There is no expectation that everyone agree with the statement offered by the artists, but hopefully viewers can acknowledge the experience of peers on campus around these issues. Even though the all-caps statement depicted on the sign, DISMANTLE WHITENESS AND MISOGYNY ON THIS CAMPUS, is clearly racist against people with light-colored skin, Trope believes that it represents a positive change to USCs campus that will get people talking about what she believes is an important issue. In fact, the text was derived from conversations with students about race, gender and class issues on campus. There have already been many generative conversations prompted by the work by those who align with the sentiments and those who do not, Tropes statement adds. When Women Disrupt feminist group still unhappy, says racist sign should have been placed on main thoroughfare The only reason this type of installation was even permitted in the first place is because it takes yet another swipe at white people which in 2018 America seems to be the only type of racism thats been institutionally sanctioned as acceptable. And yet, even this isnt enough for When Women Disrupt, which is already busy bitching about the fact that USCs administration refused to allow the art piece to be placed in a more prominent area on campus. In an article published in The Daily Trojan, USCs campus newspaper, multiple students bemoaned the fact that a billboard demanding an end to whiteness couldnt have been placed on Watt Way, the main thoroughfare through which most USC students must walk in order to get to class. Its placed in a very hidden area of campus where its not usually seen and I think that speaks to the administration and how they want to frame and direct the conversation and the impact the fact that it is inward-facing not outward facing all of these factors are intentional from the administration and I think this project would have been much more powerful if the artists were given more freedom, whined USC student Claire Porter. Trope had similar feelings, stating that it was disappointing to her that every USC student isnt being forced to see DISMANTLE WHITENESS every single day of the week that they attend classes. According to The College Fix the Annenberg Schools Off the Wall series, with the sponsored support of the Institute for Diversity and Empowerment (IDEA) and USC Visions and Voices, is directly responsible for this latest affront to white people. See more examples of the cultism of the lunatic Left, visit LeftCult.com. Sources for this article include: TheCollegeFix.com Annenberg.USC.edu DailyTrojan.com NaturalNews.com Appeal after train driver verbally abused and threatened by group at Wrexham station This article is old - Published: Monday, Apr 23rd, 2018 An appeal for witnesses has been launched after a group of youths verbally abused and threatened a train driver in Wrexham on the weekend. On Saturday evening officers from British Transport Police were called to a report of youths trespassing on the line at Wrexham station at 7:45pm on Saturday evening. Upon arrival officers discovered that a train driver who had challenged the youths, had been verbally abused and threatened by a member of the group. The incident caused long delays and cancellations between Wrexham Central and Bidston for much of Saturday evening with initial reports stating that the train driver had been assaulted and unfit to carry out safety critical duties. Officers are now viewing CCTV from the station and speaking to witnesses in an attempt to identify those involved. Anyone with any information in relation to this incident is asked to contact us by calling 0800 405040 or texting 61016 quoting reference 585 of 21 April. University students join campaign to tackle period poverty This article is old - Published: Monday, Apr 23rd, 2018 A campaign tackling period poverty has been launched at Wrexham Glyndwr University after students called for action. Period poverty occurs when women and girls are unable to afford sanitary products, affecting an individuals wellbeing, hygiene and health. In many cases those affected by period poverty have been forced to use alternatives such as toilet roll. A number of charities, foodbanks and other groups are working to tackle the problem by providing supplies. Those groups have been joined in Wrexham by Wrexham Glyndwr University staff and students after the Universitys Student Union took up the issue this year. Students on the BA (Hons) Business degree course contacted Wrexham Glyndwr Universitys Students Union about the issue, after first working on the topic as part of their studies. They gave a presentation to Students Union Vice President Angus Hamill-Stewart, who then invited the students to talk to the Student Council who gave their backing to the plans. Collection points are now available in the Students Union Lounge and in the university library and staff and students have been donating sanitary products to help the campaign. Products are then made available in male, female and disabled toilets in the student union building and the library so that anyone who needs them can help themselves. The boxes are also used to distribute other welfare products such as condoms and pregnancy tests. The campaign is one of a series that Wrexham Glyndwr Students Union which was crowned the best in Wales at the National Union of Students (NUS) Wales Awards 2018 are currently working on. Welfare Campaigns Officer Emily Karim added: Being on your period is awkward, uncomfortable and inconvenient, not to mention embarrassing, at the best of times. But to endure all of that as well as the stress of not being able to purchase sanitary products is just not acceptable. Having a period is not a choice, its a bodily function. People should never be in a position where they dont have control over their personal hygiene because they cant afford new, or reusable products. This campaign is not just about kind donations of products being made readily available for those in need, but to raise awareness that this scenario is more common than people realise. She added: Some people are even resorting to using toilet tissue from public toilets because they cant afford a sanitary towel. This is not only unpleasant and unhygienic, it can also be dangerous to their health. Hopefully by raising awareness of this issue, more can be done to change this situation for the better and improve the lives of thousands. ABSTRACT Background: Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases can be associated with the different obstetrical condition. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to see the Presence of Obstetrical Conditions among Women with pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID). Methodology: This cross-sectional of study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from January 2007 to June 2007 for a period of six (6) months. Women with the age group of 15 - 45 years presented with lower abdominal pain, tenderness, per vaginal discharge and cervical motion tenderness were included in this study. A pre-designed data collection sheet was used to record the history of different obstetrical condition. Result: A total number of 50 women presented with PID were recruited for this study of which majority was in para 2 to 5 which was 30 (60.0%) cases. Majority of the patients had given the history of home delivery (74.0%) which was performed by untrained birth attendance (60.0%). The history of induced abortion was given by 24.0% cases. History of more than 2 times menstrual regulation (MR) and 2 to 5 times were performed in 20 (40.0%) cases in each. Among 50 cases majority used intrauterine device (IUCD) which were 20 (40.0%) cases. Conclusion: In conclusion majority of the women presented with PID have given the history of para 2 to 5, home delivery with untrained birth attendance, induction abortion and history of more than two times MR. Keywords: Obstetrical Conditions, Home Delivery, Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases, MR 1. Introduction Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection-caused inflammatory continuum from the cervix to the peritoneal cavity [1] . Most importantly, it is associated with fallopian tube inflammation, which can lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain [2] . According to a national estimate, in 2001 more than 750,000 cases of pelvic inflammatory disease occurred in the United States; however, over the past two decades, the rates and severity of pelvic inflammatory disease have declined in North America and Western Europe [3] [4] [5] . Despite progress, however, pelvic inflammatory disease remains a problem because reproductive outcomes among treated patients are still suboptimal, subclinical pelvic inflammatory disease remains poorly controlled, and programs aimed at the prevention of pelvic inflammatory disease are not feasible in much of the developing world [6] . The microbial etiology is linked to sexually transmitted microorganisms, including Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrheae, Mycoplasma genitalium, and bacterial vaginosis-associated microorganisms, predominantly anaerobes [4] . Pelvic pain and fever are commonly absent in women with confirmed PID. Clinicians should consider milder symptoms such as abnormal vaginal discharge, metrorrhagia, postcoital bleeding, and urinary frequency as potential symptoms associated with the disease, particularly in women at risk of sexually transmitted infection [6] . The diagnosis of PID is based on the findings of lower genital tract inflammation associated with pelvic organ tenderness. The outpatient treatment of mild-to-moderate PID should include tolerated antibiotic regimens with activity against the commonly isolated microorganisms associated with PID and usually consists of an extended spectrum cephalosporin in conjunction with either doxycycline or azithromycin [7] . Clinically severe PID should prompt hospitalization and imaging to rule out a tuboovarian abscess. Parenteral broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy with activity against a polymicrobial flora, particularly gram-negative aerobes and anaerobes, should be implemented. Screening for and treatment of Chlamydia infection can prevent PID [8] . Pelvic inflammatory disease is now a major concern as because it can cause reproductive disability including infertility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain [3] . After the introduction of laparoscopy in the 1960s, research on pelvic inflammatory disease proliferated which leads to major breakthroughs in the understanding of the microbial causes of the disease and its relationship to reproductive disability, as well as enabling the standardization of antimicrobial treatment [9] . Despite progress, however, pelvic inflammatory disease remains a problem because reproductive outcomes among treated patients are still suboptimal, subclinical pelvic inflammatory disease remains poorly controlled, and programs aimed at the prevention of pelvic inflammatory disease are not feasible in much of the developing world. The reason may be due the different history of obstetrical condition [8] . In this regards this present study was undertaken to the presence of obstetrical conditions among women with pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID). 2. Methodology This was a prospective observational type of cross-sectional of study. This study was conducted in the outpatient department (OPD) of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka. The duration of study was from January 2007 to June 2007 for a period of six (6) months. Women with the age group of 15 to 45 years presented with lower abdominal pain, tenderness, per vaginal discharge and cervical motion tenderness were included in this study. Women with fibroid uterus, uterovaginal prolapsed or cystocele was excluded from this study. Clinically PID was diagnosed with the clinical features of lower abdominal pain, abdominal tenderness, per vaginal discharge and cervical motion tenderness in the women. After attending in gynaecology OPD in Dhaka Medical College & Hospital (DMCH), Dhaka, Bangladesh an introduction was given to the patients regarding the purpose and importance of the study. After taking informed verbal consent from the patients, a pre-designed data collection sheet was used to record the history of different obstetrical condition like age of the patients, number of parity, places of delivery, types of abortion history, history of different issues related to menstrual regulation (MR) and history of uses of different types of uses of contraceptives methods. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics 20.0 was used for the statistical analyses. Categorical data were presented as frequency and percentage. 3. Results The study was performed on 50 cases. Out of 50 cases of pelvic inflammatory disease majority (50%) belonged to the age group of 26 to 35 years followed by more than 35 years age group and 18 to 25 Years of age group which were 14 (28.0%) cases and 10 (20.0%) cases respectively (Table 1). Among 50 women with PID majority were in para 2 to 5 which was 30 (60.0%) cases followed by more than 5 para and para 1 which were 14 (28.0%) cases and 10 (20.0%) cases respectively. However, primigravida was only in 3 (6.0%) cases (Table 2). Among 50 cases 74% cases were underwent home delivery of which 60% labour were performed by untrained birth attendance and 14% cases were by trained birth attendance; furthermore 26% cases were given the history of hospital delivery (Table 3). Out of 50 patient 24% cases were given the history of induced abortion, 14% has septic abortion, 24% spontaneous abortion and 20% had D and C (Table 4). Among 50 cases more than 2 times MR and 2 to 5 times were performed in 20 (40.0%) cases in each; however, 10 (20.0%) cases were given no history of MR. Among all cases 11 (22.0%) cases were performed by trained person and the rest 29 (58.0%) cases were performed by untrained person (Table 5). Table 1. Age distribution of study population (n = 50). Table 2. Distribution of number of parity among the study population (n = 50). Table 3. Distribution of the places of delivery among the study population (n = 50). BA = Birth Attendance. Table 4. Types of abortion history among the study population (n = 50). D & C = Dilatation and Curettage. Table 5. Distribution of history of MR among the study population (n = 50). Among 50 cases majority were used intrauterine device (IUCD) which were 20 (40.0%) cases followed by oral contraceptive pill (OCP) users, barrier users and permanent sterilization (tubectomy) which were 15 (30.0%) cases, 5 (10.0%) cases and 4 (8.0%) cases respectively; however, 6 (12.0%) cases were contraceptive non users (Table 6). 4. Discussion In this present study 50 cases of PID patients were examined. It showed that the highest percentage (50.0%) of PID is in the age group of 26 to 35 years. Peterson also mentioned that women with PID were usually under the age of 25 years. Shah et al. [10] showed in his study that 87 percent of the patient belong the age group of 20 - 35 years. Tarafder [11] showed the highest incidence 55.21% of PID in the age group of 26 - 35 years. Another study St John et al. [12] concluded that cases of PID were usually between the age group of 30 to 44 years (67.1%) PID occur more in the younger age group in the Western countries, where it is mostly STD related. But in the developing countries it is more commonly in the age group and mostly related to the obstetrical events [11] . Younger age is marked by the biological characteristics favourable to develop PID, like lower prevalence of protective chlamydial antibody, longer zone of cervical ectopy and greater permeability of the cervical mucus [7] . In this study majority of the women with pelvic inflammatory disease were multipara which 60.0% cases were. However, maximum patients were delivered at home (74.0%) and 40.0% delivery cases were conducted by untrained birth attendants; furthermore 10% patients had the history of puerperal sepsis. Similar to the present study result, Trafder [11] showed that 83.85% of the patients were multipara and 90.8% of were delivered at home. Again in this present study 67.03% cases delivery were conducted by untrained birth attendant and 56.21% were complicated by puerperal sepsis. Sultana [13] showed that 81.7% cases of PID patients were the history of home delivery and 81.0% were multipara; furthermore 73.4% of the patients had the history of puerperal sepsis which is consistent with the present study result. Perterson et al. [14] showed that PID occurred mostly in multipara. In another study De-Vries et al. [15] has shown that 74.4% of the PID cases were multiparous which are mostly in acute cases. These studies, therefore, focused that PID occurred in mostly parous women in the developing countries Table 6. History of contraceptives among the study population (n = 50). and the majority were young multiparous women in developed countries. The rural women of Bangladesh mostly depend on untrained birth attendant who conduct the delivery in a very unhygienic way [9] . There is no provision of using sterile gloves. In addition to that per vaginal examination is done repeatedly even after rupture of membrane. Sometimes they are using lubricating oil. These give the opportunity for the pathogen to enter into the upper genital tract and alter the normal sterile environment. Again, the untrained birth attendant usually perform traumatic vaginal delivery which causes perineal tear, cervical tear and also performed manual removal of placenta which favor postpartum pelvic infection [9] . However, infection initially remains localized to the pelvic region and if is not treated efficiently, this leads to chronic PID. And subsequently causes the chronic PID with its sequelae. In a maternal mortality study it has been found that 16.7% women reported symptoms of PID at postpartum period [10] . This study has shown frequency of PID among the women with the different ways of termination of pregnancy in the form of MR as well as abortion which may be induced or spontaneous. It is more common after induced abortion, spontaneous abortion without completed by Dilatation and Curettage. In this series 28.0% cases had the history of induced abortion, 24.0% had spontaneous abortion, 28.0% ended with complications by sepsis. Regarding MR it becomes evident that 40% have the history of more than two times MR and 40.0% up to 2 MR. From these finding it is obvious that PID was more common in the patients having repeated MR specially the unauthorized person which is about 58% cases. Sultana [13] showed that 72.2% patients had the history of termination of pregnancy. Tarafder [7] showed 66.13% of her patients had history of termination of pregnancy; fifty percent of them underwent puerperal sepsis. Kocher [16] showed the highest incidence of pelvic infection occurred following abortion. It is estimated that 36 to 53 million induced abortion performed through the word of which 21 million are unsafe [13] . The prevalence of pelvic infection following pregnancy termination depends upon the precaution and procedure of termination. In Bangladesh MR is mostly done by the unskilled person in unauthorized place with a very unhygienic way although it should be done by the trained personal in proper hygienic way. As a result the patients subsequent develop PID. The endometrial cavity is normally sterile. The natural barrier to pelvic infection is the cervix where downward flows of the mucous and ciliary action are reinforced by production of lysozyme. With the help of cervical secreted IgA, the lysozyme hydrolyses peptidoglycan links of microorganism allow osmotic destruction [8] . This cervical protective barrier is compromised after abortion, instrumentation like D & C, IUCD insertion, MR and hysterosalpingography or as a result of sexual promiscuity [1] . The dramatic increase in use of contraception worldwide makes it imperative to understand the effect of contraceptives on the health of women. PID may follow elective abortion in about 10.0% of patients. Incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis screened was 14.0%. This study emphasizes the frequency of PID in different methods of contraceptives. From the series it has been found that 12.0% of the patients were contraceptive non users; 30.0% cases had the history of taking oral contraceptive pill; 40.0% cases were IUCD users and 10.0% cases were barrier method users. In this study 8.0% patient had history of tubectomy. Sultana [13] showed that 48.1% patients were contraceptive non-users; however, 23.5% cases were using oral pill and 74.0% cases had the history of IUCD insertion. Tarafder [7] showed that 28.12% of the patients had the history of taking oral contraceptive pill; IUCD was on third position. Sciarra [17] showed that women with IUCD has symptom of PID which was 2.5 times of non-users and 1.8 times on women using other contraceptives. These patients also showed that a relative risk of PID of 0.3% to 0.9% for oral contraceptive users compared to non-users of contraceptives and even lower relative risk compared to users of all other method. IUCD was often regarded as important iatrogenic cause of PID. It is stated that risk is 3 to 4 folds more [16] . In FIGO manual on family planning [2] , it has been mentioned that IUCD is associated with an increase risk of PID which is estimated to be 1.5 to 10 fold for IUCD users compared to other methods of contraceptives. There may be lower rate of PID among users of newer copper-bearing device. Risk of PID appears more common in the first few months following insertion and reinsertion. Women using IUCD for 5 or more years are more likely to have a more severe form of disease [2] . During IUCD insertion number of vaginal and cervical organisms enters into the endometrial cavity leading to PID. A number of different organisms are responsible like gonococcus, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma, anaerobic and aerobic bacteria [13] . Prompt recognition and treatment should reduce the tubal damage and subsequent infertility, ectopic pregnancy. Use of doxycycline at time of IUCD insertion may reduce the risk of PID. The relationship between oral contraceptive and PID is complex. Oral contraceptive increase cervical erosion which favours chlamydia infection. On the other hand in upper genital tract oral contraceptive provides some protection against symptomatic infection. Oral contraceptive decreases blood loss which is favorable environment for bacterial growth. Thickened cervical mucus hinders the absconding growth mechanical barrier; furthermore condom also protects the upper genital tract from STD and other ascending infections [9] . Oral contraceptive has a protective effect against PID [8] . MacLean [18] found that relative risk of PID was 0.5 with oral contraceptives and diaphragm, 0.7 with sterilization, 1.8 with medicated IUCD, 3.3 with non-medicated IUCD and 1.3 with previous IUCD user, suggesting that IUCD increases the risk of PID. Another study [9] showed the levonorgestrel releasing IUCD provides excellent contraception, may reduce the rate of PID and ectopic pregnancy compared to other copper releasing IUCD. Senarayek and Kramer [19] strongly imply that oral contraceptives have a protective effect against PID. It is thought that oral contraceptive use has been associated with lower risk of PID but higher risk of chamydia cervicitis. A study showed that women with un-recognized endometritis were 4.3 times more likely to develop PID than women with recognized endometritis using oral contraceptives [20] and has concluded that future studies need to fully characterize the risk. There are some limitations of the study. Small sample size is the major limitation. Furthermore this is a single centered study. 5. Conclusion In conclusion it can be said that obstetrical events play a vital role in causation of PID. Home delivery is common to most of the patients conducted by untrained birth attendants. A good number of patients are conducted by untrained birth attendants and have the history of puerperal sepsis. It is observed that there is an increased trend of induced abortion and repeated MR performed by the unskilled person. MR and induced abortion are found as a method of termination of unplanned pregnancies rather than medically indicated, which ultimately leads to pelvic infection. Safe delivery practice by skilled personal at the community level is strongly recommended to prevent PID. Conflict of Interest The authors of this paper have declared that there is no conflict of interest to any of the authors. Funding Agency This study has been performed without any funding from outside else. Cite this paper Khanum, T., Ara, G., Miah, Z. and Yusuf, A. (2018) Presence of Obstetrical Conditions among Women with Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases: Experience of 50 Cases in Bangladesh. Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 8, 391-399. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojog.2018.84044 References The following is an interview with Marc George Gershwin and Michael Strunsky, nephews of George and Ira Gershwin. Marc George Gershwin, the son of Arthur Gershwin, younger brother of George and Ira, heads the George Gershwin Family Trust. Michael Strunsky, the son of W. English Strunsky, the brother of Ira Gershwins wife Leonore, heads the Leonore S. Gershwin 1987 Trust. Together they manage the musical estate of the great composer and his lyricist brother. Gershwin and Strunsky participated in a seminar held at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in conjunction with a landmark concert performance of Porgy and Bess on February 17. The performance was based on a draft of an authoritative critical edition of the score, which corrects countless errors in the current published score and restores the opera in full, without cuts, to the original conception of its creators, George and Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. The critical edition is the product of a nearly six-year collaboration between the university and the Gershwin family estates. The performance and accompanying seminar were marred by racialist attacks on the opera led by a section of the University of Michigan faculty. (See: At the University of Michigan: Racialist attacks mar landmark performance of Gershwins Porgy and Bess). The interview below was conducted on February 17. It began with Gershwin. Strunsky joined the discussion at a later point. Barry Grey: What is your association, and that of the Gershwin Trust, with the University of Michigan and the critical edition of Porgy and Bess? Marc George Gershwin (L) and Michael Strunsky (R) Marc George Gershwin: I am the copyright owner of Porgy and Bess. It came from George, who had no will, to my grandmother, and in turn to her children and grandchildren. My active participation dates back to 1980. It was the Rose Gershwin Trust and then it became the George Gershwin Family Trust, which encompassed all of Georges music, etc. BG: And the connection to the University of Michigan? MGG: My middle son went here. We had been having conversations on and off about the poor condition of the orchestral parts of Porgy and Bess. The work on the critical edition of Porgy started before there was any relationship with the university. We had talked to other people, but it was just exploratory. Critical editions for American composers are not common. Kurt Weill had them, but its not common. The University of Michigan said it would carry out the project. That was about five, six years ago. Wayne Shirley had started work on a critical edition at the Library of Congress. It became a bigger and bigger project, more encompassing. There was more enthusiasm, more funding started coming in, including from university graduates who were Gershwin lovers. Ira could probably never have conceived of this type of thing happening. BG: I would assume that you have a very high estimation of the work of your uncles. MGG: Dealing with productions that come along, you build up this vast knowledge. Have I studied Porgy and Bess? No. But having seen Porgy and Bess in seven countries, probably 30 or 40 different productions, some of those multiple times, you become an expert through osmosis. You know the problems, you know the characters. It just builds up. Symposium panel titled Reflections on Porgy and Bess (L to R): Michael Strunsky, Wayne Shirley, Richard Crawford, Marc George Gershwin, Bill Barkhymer, Bill Bolcom, Joan Morris I have met a lot of families of contemporaries of George and Ira. Theres always this kind of reverence for George. And Ive had to grow into that. Why is he different from the others? How significant is George Gershwin among the great composers of the world? BG: Your father, Arthur, was a brother? MGG: Yes, there were three brothers and a sister [Frances]. George was not religious, but my father would talk about Passover seders George had. Our sterling silver at home was Georges. I think sometimes, who was this person? I think it must have been easy for George. It just came so easily, and why? There wasnt anything there in his immediate family. Maybe way back in Russia there may have been something, who knows? What I always found really remarkable is how each of the brothers became the complementary side of the other. You see the way they wrote music. Theyre sitting next to each other. Thats the way they worked. They always lived next to each other. As brothers, they were more than just collaborators. The old story is that George had a commission to write Rhapsody in Blue. He started writing it on a train to Boston. The manuscript, which is at the Library of Congress, was so rushed that it has music, and then blank pages, and then more music. They didnt have time for Ferde Grofe [the orchestrator] to put the music down. Paul Whiteman would just nod to George when it was his turn to play. BG: One of Georges great achievements in my opinion was his fusion of popular music with high art. He was consciously trying to reach a mass audience, reach the people. MGG: There was the economic aspect of it. The classic question asked of Ira was what do you do first, the music or the lyrics? Ira said, The contract. In those days you had to do a show a year. Or even two shows. There is a definite progression in the shows. It keeps building up. It became far more sophisticated. Listen to the music in Let Em Eat Cake [1933] and you ask, Whats going on here? Compared to, lets say, Lady, Be Good [1924] and the musical comedies of the early 1920s, theres something developing that is definitely a change. BG: Let me ask you about a question about what they call cultural appropriation, the claim that Gershwin as a white man was exploiting or patronizing blacks. Questioning the legitimacy and value of Porgy and Besson racial grounds. George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin MGG: My perspective is they were doing an opera as they conceived it based on the DuBose Heyward book. George was at the point where he wanted to do something and he came across the book. If it wasnt for Georges stature, it probably would not have been done. BG: In my view the opera is extremely democratic and it ennobles. I dont think it is disparaging toward the characters at all. MGG: What stands out is the genius of the music. He was doing an opera. I dont think he was thinking what were the social implications. The chatter about the racial questions I dont think they had conversations like that. BG: Do you know anything about their politics? MGG: They werent overly political. Jewish artistic theater-type people in New York in the 1920s and 1930s. Strike Up the Band [1930] was anti-war. But it was in the tradition of Gilbert and Sullivan. BG: Do you think Gershwins stature is growing? MGG: The fact that theres a Porgy course here, that there are two or three Gershwin courses No ones doing this for Irving Berlin, Jule Styne, Cole Porter. At this point, Michael Strunsky joined the conversation. Michael Strunsky: In my heart of hearts, Porgy and Bess is absolutely an opera. Im very puzzled by the black communitys lack of acceptance because its as realistic as you possibly can imagine. George and Ira and DuboseDubose was the chronicler of that community. BG: I dont think that a lot of people who teach courses here speak for the black community as a whole. MS: You think? John Bubbles (Sportin Life), Todd Duncan (Porgy) and Anne Brown (Bess) from the original 1935 production of Porgy and Bess BG: Let me ask you about this concept of cultural appropriation, which I find appalling. That it is somehow illegitimate for, say, a white author to write a book about black people or produce an opera about black people. MS: If it is, I cant do anything about it. MGG: Let me switch the question around. Should Hamilton be portrayed by black people? George Washington, Hamilton? MS: By the way, the roles that were filled by black people are now sometimes filled by white people, and the roles that were filled by white people are now sometimes filled by black people. Porgy and Bess should be performed by black people because it was black people in that specific community, and part of the reason it has drama is because the community was persecuted. Im very upset by this stressing whether black performers are good or bad. Its a great piece. MGG: My grandson goes here and he took a course this year on Porgy and Bess. The black studies professor, she spoke and I thought she had an attitude yesterday. BG: She began by saying that when she was told they were planning to stage the opera at U of M, she said dont do it. Because she has a racialist outlook. MGG: Its as wrong as the other way around. We have here the youth, and they are performing it and loving it. This is the future of Gershwin and Porgy and Bess. MS: It would have been a totally good thing if we didnt get hung up on this black rights issue. Thats not what were here for. Were here to make this piece as stunning and good and reliable as possible. Thats what this critical edition is. Its reliable and as close as anyone can conceivably imagine to what was going through Georges head. MGG: And putting it down so we now know whats right. MS: There was a lot of getting sidetracked from what this critical edition is to do. We want to make this music as George and Ira thought it should be. MGG: No ones ever going to do this again, because its not a performance edition. When you go to the theater its going to be reduced. This is completely scholarly. MS: Im not critical of people who take Porgy and Bess and do something to it. I dont have to like it, but at least were starting with the base. And thats what were here to do. MGG: We want it to be the way we perceive it should be done, as we know that George and Ira and Dubose While we and our kids are on the watch, thats the way its going to be done. Sherwin Goldman, who produced the opera a lothe was the person responsible for the Houston Grand Opera productionhe said it is about community. Catfish Row is a community. It has its hierarchy. They take care of their own. Theyre scared of the police, people still are today. The same problems that existed in the 20s and 30s still exist today, one way or another, and this is an image of it. The goal is to put on a good opera, tastefully done. Simon Harris, Health Minister in the Fine Gael-led Irish government, has announced a referendum on May 25 to scrap the notorious Eighth Amendment in the Irish constitution. The so-called pro life amendment blocks legal termination of pregnancy in Ireland. Currently women can receive a 14-year jail sentence. A parliamentary committee has recommended allowing terminations and unrestricted access to abortion up to 12 weeks into pregnancy. A decision on this minimal concession has split all the major parties and seen repeated twists and turns from leading politicians. Tanaiste (deputy prime minister) and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has elucidated four different positions, while Harris himself, on the conservative wing of Fine Gael, changed his view little more than a year ago. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin also recently switched to supporting repeal. Behind the confusion are seething class tensions and the collapse in the authority of the Catholic Church, following the clergys involvement in sexual/physical abuse in brutal childrens homes and orphanages. Church attendance in a country where the Church dominates education and health provision has fallen to around 20 percent of the population. In working class areas the figures are reported to be as low as 2 to 3 percent. The Eighth Amendment was introduced in 1983 after a referendum and three years of protests, rallies and religious vigils orchestrated by right-wing Catholic organisations backed by the Church. Supported by all the major parties, the aim was to copper fasten by national plebiscite Irelands already draconian abortion laws. Passed by a 66.9 percent majority, on a turnout of only 53.7 percent, the 1983 constitutional amendment reads: The state acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother guarantees in its laws to defend as far as practicable and vindicate that right. The following decades have seen numerous cases in which women have tried to circumvent the reactionary prohibition with terrible emotional, financial and health costs. In 1992 the High Court ruled that a 14-year-old rape victim could not travel outside Ireland to terminate a pregnancy. The attorney general placed an injunction to prevent her from travelling to Britain. After a public outcry and continuous mass protests outside parliament, the X case as it became known, forced the then-Fianna Fail government into holding a series of referenda. These resulted in the freedom to travel outside Ireland for an abortion and the right to information on abortion services being conceded. In 2010, it was reported that 4,402 women gave Irish addresses to UK abortion clinics in the course of that year. In the same year the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Irish state failed to provide clarity on the legal availability of abortion where the mothers life was at risk. In 2011, Amanda Mallet received a scan in Dublins Rotunda Hospital in 2011 which showed the foetus she was carrying was suffering Edwards syndrome, a fatal condition. Informed by the hospital that she would have to travel to England to terminate the pregnancy she scraped the money together. In 2016, the United Nations Human Rights Commission found that Amanda had been subjected to discrimination and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment due to Irelands abortion ban. In 2012, Savita Halappanavar died in a Galway hospital of septicaemia from complications arising from her pregnancy. She had repeatedly requested an abortion, which could have saved her life. The 31-year-old Indian woman was told by staff at University Hospital Galway that to procure an abortion was impossible as this was a Catholic country. After a huge public outcry and ongoing protest rallies, Enda Kennys Fine Gael government grudgingly introduced the 2014 Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill allowing for abortion if the women was deemed to be suicidal. This years referendum comes after years of intense campaigns, protests and even a strike demanding abortion rights. Particularly amongst young people, there is broad support for repeal of the reactionary law. In the face of this, the major parties have moved at the last possible moment towards repeal, while the Church itself and the religious right, in Ireland and internationally, are campaigning aggressively to oppose any change. Although opinion polls are registering large majorities, 63 to 37 percent in favour of repeal, some 20 percent of voters are undecided. A No campaign began on March 10 with a large rally in Dublin addressed by businessman and millionaire Declan Ganley. One of the most prominent right-wing and conservative voices in Ireland, Ganley told the crowd that the coming weeks would be a battle between the people and the powerful. Another speaker was Niamh Ui Bhriain, who also fraudulently presented the anti-abortion campaign as an uprising against the elite. Urging a No vote, she claimed, This is a rising of the people against the elites, and on May 25 its time to join a rebellion, and to reject both abortion on demand and the untrustworthy political class. A UK-based data-analytics company Kanto Systems has been hired by the Save the Eight campaign to work for a No vote. Kanto Systems is run by Thomas Borwick, son of former British conservative MP Lady Victoria Borwick. Borwick was chief technology officer with the Brexit campaign in Britain and has close ties to hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, a key backer of Donald Trump. It is a measure of the backwardness of the Irish bourgeoisie, inseparably entangled as it is with the Catholic Church, that a struggle on this issue is even necessary. Throughout the entire history of the Irish Free State and the Republic of Ireland the Church has ruthlessly maintained the leading role handed to it on all social matters by all the political representatives of Irish capitalism, who viewed the Church as its pre-eminent ally against the working class. If the minimal concession over the 8th Amendment is now being made, it is because any further delay would threaten Church influence with an even more rapid collapse. The amendment is also regarded by sections of the bourgeoisie as an obstacle in their attempts to market Ireland internationally as a modern investment location, particularly for tech companies with a young and socially liberal workforce. Ireland currently has the most restrictive reproductive rights regime in Europe. Even if the 8th Amendment is repealed next month, the new limit of 12 weeks on terminations is still more restrictive than the 24-week limit in operation across the Irish Sea in Britain. Even this can be extended in cases of medical emergency. The World Socialist Web Site unequivocally defends the right of free and readily accessible abortion on demand, to comprehensive emotional counselling, free contraception advice, free contraceptive provision and advanced sex and sexual health education in schools. This is inseparable from the struggle for decent social conditions for all who want children but fear the economic consequences. Both require immense inroads into the wealth and social power of the ruling oligarchy, in Ireland and internationally and the socialist re-organisation of society. The Socialist Equality Party and International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) held a meeting at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan yesterday on the growth of working-class struggle and the ruling classs drive to censor the Internet. The meeting was well attended, including students from four universities across the state, autoworkers in Detroit and Flint, and workers from Ontario, Canada who drove across the border to attend. A number of Detroit teachers also attended the meeting, amidst an expanding wave of teacher strikes across the United States and internationally. Shemeeka Hennings, the mother of Jacoby Hennings, the 21-year-old Ford worker who died in still-unknown circumstances outside the offices of the United Auto Workers union at Fords Woodhaven Stamping Plant on October 20, 2017, attended and addressed the meeting. Opening the meeting, SEP National Secretary Joseph Kishore noted that it was taking place under conditions of a rapidly escalating political, geopolitical and social crisis of American and world capitalism. A bitter factional conflict was taking place in Washington, he noted, with Trumps opponents expressing differences within the ruling class over issues of foreign policy, centered on demands for more aggressive actions in Syria and Russia. Kishore stated that the Trump administrations bombing of Syria was a fulfillment of these demands but had been followed by calls in the US and European media for a further escalation of regime-change operations in Syria, posing the immediate danger of a large-scale war with Russia. Kishore quoted from the SEP statement of June 2017, Palace Coup or Class Struggle: The Political Crisis in Washington and the Strategy of the Working Class, which predicted that an altogether different conflict is developingbetween the ruling class and the working class, the broad mass of the population, which is suffering various forms of social distress and is completely excluded from political life. In 2018, he said, this conflict has burst into the open. Kishore reviewed the objective growth of the class struggle on an international scale and in the US. Everywhere, he said, workers confront the same basic conditions: a political system that is moving rapidly to the right, a ruling class that is determined to organize a further transfer of wealth, trade unions that function as instruments of the state and the corporations. The development of the class struggle has brought workers into increasingly direct conflict with the trade unions. He said: The overriding task is to build a revolutionary leadership, systematically, consciously and aggressively. It is on this task that a progressive resolution to the basic question facing mankindsocialism or barbarismdepends. Kishores opening remarks were followed by a series of reports by SEP and IYSSE members. Niles Niemuth, who this month traveled with WSWS Labor Editor Jerry White to intervene in and provide coverage on the Oklahoma teachers strike, reviewed the political lessons of the strike. He pointed to the connection between the ruling elites censorship of the Internet and its fears over workers use of social media to communicate and organize independently of the trade unions. Andre Damon reviewed the development of the Internet censorship drive in the wake of the election of Donald Trump in 2016, and the campaign by the Democratic Party and intelligence agencies to ascribe all political opposition within the US to the work of Russian fake news. WSWS Labor Editor Jerry White, who has written on the demands for an investigation into the death of Jacoby Hennings, introduced Shemeeka Hennings to the meeting, and called for a moment of silence in memory of her son. Shemeeka delivered the following remarks: I havent had any strength since the worst day of my life, October 20th, 2017. But when it comes to your children, there is no such thing as no strength. Especially when youre fighting to protect them. I want to thank the WSWS for stepping in when they were slandering my baby and making up all the fake news about him, and bringing out an article to show that there are a lot of questions that are not answered, that need to be answered. Nobody understands. No union person yet has called, come up to me personally, to say, Im sorry. No one even came to his funeral from Ford, to shake our hand and say, sorry for your loss. How can they sleep at night? I have been at Chrysler for 20 years and its a struggle for me to go to work still. And Im a senior employee there. So just imagine a temporary worker going to work every single day. I work with temp employees and I see how they get treated. I want to say, we need to start coming together, period, as a working class. Until we come together, nothing is going to change. We already know where the union is. Thank you. Shemeekas remarks were met with a standing ovation from the audience. A lively discussion followed, with numerous workers making contributions that expressed a broader growth in working class consciousness and growing hostility to the trade unions and both Democratic and Republican parties. Gladyes, a retired GM autoworker from Flint, Michigan who has been at the forefront of residents fight to expose the poisoning of the citys water supply by state, local and federal authorities, spoke. She denounced the efforts by the Democratic Party to divide Flint residents along racial lines by arguing that the poisoning of the citys water was a racial issue. They have continued to make this about race, Gladyes said. Fifty-four percent of Flint is black. This is not about color. This is about the working class and capitalism. To these people who think theyll get a better hand deal from the Democrats than the Republicans, youre so wrong. Theyre all in this together. Theyve got their foot on the neck of the working class. Dont buy into this. Stand up and say youve had enough of capitalism. Youve had enough of the Democrats and Republicans. They dont care about the workers, and neither does the UAW. Chris, a 37-year-old machine operator in Ontario, Canada attending his first SEP meeting, also spoke from the floor. He explained how he had become aware of the ruling classs censorship of the Internet. I have only started reading WSWS articles for a few months, he said. I originally read a lot of Global Research. I had a Google newsfeed, one of whose headlines was for Global Research. What used to put up all their articles in that newsfeed is now pulling up nothing. Its all mainstream news. I want to make a point about how capitalism has affected me, he continued. My father worked for a company called Campco in Hamilton. In 1998 they decided to shut down and ship production over to Mexico. They reduced pensions, so he lost a good portion of his pension, and he was forced for the rest of his life to be a greeter and work at Walmart, to make ends meet. He did that for six years and had a heart attack and died. I think a big part in his death was the stress from that. Thats the capitalist system. When he passed away, he still had some debt. So my brother and I had to pay it off so the bank wouldnt take away our mothers house. Thats what we have to stop, because nobody should be put in that position. The meeting also heard several other reports and contributions from SEP and IYSSE members. Eric London reported on the immense growth of social inequality in the United States and around the world and explained how the oligarchic character of economic life in every country was driving the ruling classs turn to authoritarianism. IYSSE National Committee member Genevieve Leigh spoke about the significance of the mass protests of young people in the US and the social conditions facing youth. She outlined the IYSSEs perspective for turning students and youth to the building of a revolutionary party of the working class. Following the meeting, many workers stayed behind for further discussion and to purchase literature. A report on the comments by workers made to WSWS reporters will be published tomorrow. The lawsuit filed by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), naming WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange as co-conspirators with Russia and the Trump campaign in a criminal effort to steal the 2016 US presidential election, is a frontal assault on democratic rights. It tramples on the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which establishes freedom of the press and freedom of speech as fundamental rights. Neither the Democratic Party lawsuit nor the media commentaries on it acknowledge that WikiLeaks is engaged in journalism, not espionage; that its work consists of publishing material supplied to it by whistleblowers seeking to expose the crimes of governments, giant corporations and other powerful organizations; and that this courageous campaign of exposure has made both the website and its founder and publisher the targets of state repression all over the world. Assange himself has been effectively imprisoned in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for the past six years, since he fled there to escape efforts by the British, Swedish and American governments to engineer his extradition to the United States, where a secret grand jury has reportedly indicted him on espionage and treason charges that could bring the death penalty. Since the end of March, the Ecuadorian government, responding to increasing pressure from US and British imperialism, has cut off all outside communication with him. The reason for the indictment and persecution of Assange is that WikiLeaks published secret military documents, supplied by whistleblower Chelsea Manning, revealing US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as diplomatic cables embarrassing to the US State Department because they detailed US attempts to manipulate and subvert governments around the world. The Democratic National Committee on Friday filed a 66-page complaint that reeks of McCarthyism, with overtones of the Wisconsin senators demagogy about a conspiracy so vast when he was spearheading the anticommunist witch hunts more than 70 years ago. After detailing a long list of supposed conspirators, ranging from the Russian government and its military intelligence agency GRU to the Trump campaign and Julian Assange, the complaint declares: The conspiracy constituted an act of previously unimaginable treachery: the campaign of the presidential nominee of a major party in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the Presidency. Such language has had no place in official American public life since the right-wing political gangster McCarthy left the scene in the late 1950s. Ultra-right groups like the John Birch Society kept alive such smear tactics in ensuing decades, but they were relegated to the fringes of the political system. Now the Democratic Party has sought to revive these methods as the central focus of its bid for power in the 2018 elections. In the targeting of WikiLeaks, the antidemocratic content of this campaign finds its foulest expression. The DNC suit asserts, without the slightest evidence, that WikiLeaks and Assange directed, induced, urged, and/or encouraged Russia and the GRU to engage in this conduct and/or to provide WikiLeaks and Assange with DNCs trade secrets, with the expectation that WikiLeaks and Assange would disseminate those secrets and increase the Trump Campaigns chance of winning the election. According to Assange and WikiLeaks, however, the material from the DNC and from Clinton campaign Chairman John Podesta that it made public in 2016 was provided by an anonymous whistleblower whose identity WikiLeaks does not know because it observed its normal security practices to preserve secrecy and protect its sources. Not a shred of evidence has been presented to prove otherwise. The DNC legal complaint cites the negative consequences of the WikiLeaks revelations in passages worth quoting: 135. The illegal conspiracy inflicted profound damage upon the DNC. The timing and selective release of the stolen materials prevented the DNC from communicating with the electorate on its own terms. These selective releases of stolen material reached a peak immediately before the Democratic National Convention and continued through the general election. 136. The timing and selective release of stolen materials was designed to and had the effect of driving a wedge between the DNC and Democratic voters. The release of stolen materials also impaired the DNCs ability to support Democratic candidates in the general election. But the DNC lawsuit does not explain why the WikiLeaks material was so damaging. On the contrary, it says nothing about the actual content of what was leaked, other than claiming that it included trade secrets and other proprietary information of the Democratic Party leadership. The material published by WikiLeaks about the Democrats fell into two main categories. First were internal emails and documents of the DNC showing that DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and her top aides were engaged in a systematic effort to block Clintons challenger Bernie Sanders and make sure Clinton received the Democratic nomination. In other words, while complaining that Russia was engaged in rigging the 2016 campaign, the DNC was seeking to rig the outcome of the Democratic primary contest. The second batch of documents came from Clinton campaign Chairman John Podesta and included the transcripts of speeches delivered by Hillary Clinton to financial industry groups for fees as high as $300,000 per appearance. In these remarks, she reassured the bankers that they need not be alarmed by any campaign rhetoric about punishing them for the financial skullduggery that triggered the 2008 Wall Street crash and destroyed the jobs and living standards of millions of working people. She made clear that a Clinton government would continue the pro-Wall Street policies of the Obama administration. The DNC suit is a deepening of the effort by the Democratic Party to become the premier party of the CIA and the military-intelligence apparatus as a whole. In targeting WikiLeaks and Assange, the Democrats are embracing the smear by CIA Director Mike Pompeonow Trumps choice for secretary of statethat WikiLeaks is a non-state hostile intelligence service, allegedly allied with Moscow. If, moreover, Assange is a traitor because he exposes the lies and crimes of the US government, then by implication all those publications, websites and individuals who defend him and challenge the government propaganda disseminated by the corporate media are themselves complicit in treason and should be dealt with accordingly. As the World Socialist Web Site has previously explained, the anti-Russia campaign mounted by the Democrats is a reactionary concoction, backed by no factual evidence, aimed at pushing the Trump administration to sharply escalate the war in Syria and adopt a more aggressive policy against Russia. At the same time, it has been used as the justification for a massive and coordinated campaign to censor the Internet. The manipulation of search and news feed algorithms by Google and Facebook will be followed by more direct efforts at the suppression of left-wing, anti-war and socialist publications. The campaign has also served to position the Democrats as the party that stands up for the intelligence community in its conflict with the Trump White House. This is now being supplemented, in advance of the November midterm elections, by an influx of candidates for Democratic congressional nominations in competitive districts drawn heavily from the ranks of the CIA, the military, the National Security Council and the State Department (see: The CIA Democrats). The conduct of the DNC demonstrates the reactionary and bankrupt character of the claims by liberal and pseudo-left groupsall of whom have maintained a complete silence on the isolation and persecution of Assangethat the election of a Democratic-controlled Congress is the way to fight back against Trump and the Republicans. The truth is that the working class confronts in these parties two implacable political enemies committed to war, austerity and repression. Australian Federal Court Justice Michael Wigney on April 20 rejected the Murdoch-owned Daily Telegraphs modified defence to a defamation suit by actor Geoffrey Rush. The judge described it as a desperate attempt to subpoena the Sydney Theatre Company (STC) for documents to assist the tabloids case. Wigney also dismissed the newspapers lawyers attempt to cross-claim against the STCi.e., to force the theatre company to contribute to paying damages if the Telegraph is found to have defamed Rush. Geoffrey Rush Rush is suing Nationwide News, which owns the Telegraph, and journalist Jonathon Moran. Late last year the newspaper published stories alleging that the actor engaged in inappropriate behaviour toward a female cast member two years ago while starring in the STCs production of King Lear in January 2016. The newspaper claimed that Rushs actions were so serious that the STC had decided to never work with him again. Rush immediately rejected the unsubstantiated and anonymous allegations, and a week later launched the law suit. Rush, who is probably the most internationally-celebrated Australian stage and screen actor, accused the newspaper of falsely portraying him as a pervert and sexual predator. Fridays ruling follows a March 20 hearing in which Wigney struck out the entirety of the newspapers truth defence and several paragraphs of its qualified privilege defence (see: Geoffrey Rush lawsuit strikes blow against anti-democratic #MeToo campaign). In a summary of last Fridays ruling, Wigney acknowledged the impact on the actor. Rush, he said, had continued to suffer tremendous emotional and social hardship since the Telegraphs initial articles and ongoing coverage of the legal case. Within days of the Telegraphs allegations, Rush was pressured to stand down as president of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), the peak drama body he helped establish. His pre-recorded video message to AACTAs annual awards ceremony was dumped after pressure from television executives. Earlier this month, Rushs lawyer, Nicholas Pullen, told the Federal Court that his 66-year-old client was virtually housebound. Rush was taking medication for lack of sleep and anxiety, and believed that his worth to the theatre and film industry and the community at large is now irreparably damaged. Pullen documented the damage to Rushs career, citing scores of national and international news articles that repeated the Telegraphs scurrilous accusations. On Friday, Wigney said Rush was entitled to expect that his claim would be resolved as quickly, inexpensively and efficiently as possible. Regrettably, the approach that Nationwide and Mr Moran have taken to their defence of Mr Rushs claim threatens to stymie or frustrate the achievement of that overarching objective of the courts civil practice and procedure. It would be fair to say that while Nationwide and Mr Moran were quick to publish, they have been slow to defend. Changes to Nationwide Newss defence, Wigney declared, were not justified or justifiable and were an attempt to reintroduce paragraphs struck out in the previous hearing. These paragraphs, he said, comprise little more than hearsay statements about allegations that have been made about Mr Rush, or rumour or innuendo, or facts about things that do not bear at all on Mr Rushs reputation. None of the facts in the relevant paragraphs, if proved, could rationally diminish the harm to Mr Rushs reputation from the alleged defamatory imputations [D]espite what their solicitor has said, there are at least reasonable grounds to suspect that the real reason for Nationwide and Mr Morans zealous, if not desperate, pursuit of these amendments was to justify a further subpoena to the Sydney Theatre Company in the hope that documents produced pursuant to that subpoena might support a defence of justification. Wigney tersely dismissed Nationwide Newss cross-claim against the STC, rejecting arguments that the theatre company was an accessory to the newspapers publications. The notion of a major media organisation and one of its journalists joining [in a cross-claim] one of its sources for a story is, to say the least, unusual. If the cross-claim were accepted it would almost inevitably result in further delay and prejudice to Mr Rush and the trial might not commence until 2019. Wigney noted that Nationwide Newss lawyers had previously decided not to enjoin the STC. They have now changed their mind, largely because of the findings in my earlier judgment. That is hardly an acceptable explanation I also consider that Nationwide and Mr Morans change of mind in relation to the cross-claim is again very much connected with their intent to obtain documents from the STC which might provide them with a justification defence to Mr Rushs claim. In March, Wigney rejected the newspapers previous attempts to subpoena the STC, describing it as an abuse of court processes. The publisher is not permitted to undertake what is referred to colloquially as a fishing expedition in the hope of finding something in support of its plea, he said. Wigney has listed the defamation trial to begin on September 3. Nationwide News and Moran can appeal against Wigneys 151-paragraph, tightly-argued ruling, however. Any appeal must be lodged within the next week. It is not yet clear whether the newspaper will challenge Wigneys rejection of its legal arguments. The multi-billion dollar media corporation has deep pockets and has played a key role in promoting the toxic and anti-democratic #MeToo movement and its reactionary attacks on the presumption of innocence and other basic legal rights. The author also recommends: Geoffrey Rushs career irreparably damaged by media allegations [12 April 2018] The lawless frontier of the #MeToo campaign [7 March 2018] Craig McLachlan accused as Australian media steps up #MeToo witch-hunt [22 January 2018] The UK government responds to each exposure of its fabrications regarding the Skripal affair by concocting and promoting additional ones. Any evidence or argument that points to the ludicrous nature of the official line is denounced as the work of a dupe or a traitor. On March 4, Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were taken to hospital after being found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury. They have now recovered, with Yulia already discharged from hospital before being spirited away to a secret location, despite having supposedly been poisoned with one of the most fatal military-grade nerve agents. Without revealing any evidence, Britain accused Russia of being responsible for an attempted murder. While failing to provide any convincing explanation as to why Russia would target a superannuated ex-spy and his daughter, the resulting hysterical anti-Russian campaign played a critical role in preparing the US, British and French bombing of Syria. As the Skripal campaign unravelled, the British authorities have stepped up their claims. At an emergency meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on April 18, British ambassador to the OPCW, Peter Wilson, accused Russia of multiple narratives and of having no credibility. Wilson demanded that Russia end its offensive chemical weapons programme and declare its programme of novichoks. He accused Moscow of a brazen disinformation campaign to attack the reputation and expertise of the OPCW and distract and brazenly misrepresent facts. The May government continues to refuse to adhere to basic international standards in depriving Russia of any information about the investigation into how two of its citizens became ill. This deliberate ratcheting up of tensions on the part of the UK authorities is aimed at diverting from its own campaign of disinformation, misrepresentation and outright lies. Central to this has been the willingness of the official media to regurgitate without hesitation, the latest propaganda from the government, intelligence agencies and police. The summary findings of the OPCW made no mention of novichok the Russian name for a family of nerve agents whose incessant repetition is meant to provide irrefutable proof of Moscows involvement. Nor did it mention Russia. The one time the OPCW referenced a nerve agent, it was prefaced with the caveat allegedly. The term used throughout is toxic chemical. The OPCW report was thrown even further into question by Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The Swiss state Spiez Laboratory had conducted tests, Lavrov said, and contrary to claims that the Skripals were poisoned by a novichok nerve agent, it found the substance used on Sergei Skripal was an agent called BZ ( BZ or 3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate). BZ is a hallucinogenic incapacitating agent that afflicts both the peripheral and central nervous systems. Lavrov said this information was not included in the OPCW report. The OPCW subsequently rebutted Lavrovs claim, asserting the non-presence of BZ and its precursors in the March 23 blood samples taken from the Skripals. Russia has demanded full disclosure of all information related to the Skripal case. The full OPCW report was made available to all governments who are signatories to the Chemical Weapons Convention. There is no prohibition on any of those governments from publishing the full report or parts thereof. If Lavrovs statement accurately reflects the scientific findings and if the Skripals encountered BZ in some form, this could account for both the state in which they were discovered on March 4, and the fact that they have now recovered. It would also seem to explain Yulias disorientation, which she mentioned in a statement, supposedly issued on her behalf by the Metropolitan Police. On Saturday, the Russian Embassy in London said it asked the UK government to explain a statement from private individuals as to the origins of claims they made about the case. The Embassys press secretary said, Yesterday we learned from the BBC that the self-proclaimed inventor of the so-called Novichok Mr Vladimir Uglev was sure that the Skripals had been poisoned with A-234 [another name for novichok]. He comes to this conclusion from all the spectrum data [he] was sent recentlyThis is quite an extraordinary statement. It essentially means that a private citizen has been provided with the information that the Russian side has not been able to obtain from the British authorities for weeks. The Embassy also pointed out that Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, the former commanding officer of the UKs chemical regiment, had made statements attributing blame to Russia based on access to intelligence data. Of course, these allegations cannot be verified. But if we are to believe them, it looks like the British authorities share highly confidential data with private individuals. This is another gross violation of the OPCW rules. We have asked the FCO [Foreign and Commonwealth Office] to confirm or deny this, and to provide us access to the files that these gentlemen refer to. The contradictions continue to mount. On April 17, the UK governments Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) announced that the nerve agent supposedly used to poison the Skripals was delivered in a liquid form, with only a very small amount used. Only days earlier, police said the nerve agent had been deployed by smearing it on the front door handle of Sergeis house. No explanation was offered as to how this amateurish and unsophisticated ruse remained undiscovered for weeks or why no one other than the Skripals and a police officer had been apparently affected. But the claims about front door handles and liquid form delivery are contradicted by the OPCW report summary on the case, which notes that there were no additives in the substance they analysedwhich would have been necessary for it to adhere to the Skripals front door. More inconsistencies are revealed in the details of the cleaning of nine sites in Salisbury on Saturday to supposedly decontaminate them. There is no explanation as to why this is taking place six weeks after the Skripals were found. Stories in the media of how the deadly poison was washed off the Skripals door and diluted by the rainjust another of the implausible attempts to explain how the Skripals managed to survive a potentially deadly attackhave been shelved. Now it is claimed that, far from it being diluted, there are potentially still toxic levels of the poison in isolated hot spots. The government has mobilized 200 military personnel, who will be involved in a decontamination operation that could last months. Moving swiftly over to the new narrative, the BBC reported, The nerve agent does not evaporate or disappear over time, experts have said, and intense cleaning with caustic chemicals is required to get rid of it. This was after Defras chief scientific adviser, Ian Boyd, had told a public meeting that the nerve agent remained in high concentrations in very specific locations and could still be harmful. However, Boyds remark was contradicted by a Defra spokesperson who insisted that the city is safe for residents and visitors. Residents have complained about the mixed messages. Although the government was quick to claim that a military nerve agent had been used against the Skripals, it was almost a week before Public Health Britain issued any safety advice to those who had visited the pub or the restaurant that the Skripals had visited. Even then Public Health England stated only that people who had visited those places should wash their clothes and merely [w]ipe 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). 25 years ago: Human rights crusade for bombing of Serbs Map showing ethnic composition of Bosnia. Blue are areas that are predominantly Serb, yellow Croatian, and green Muslim. On April 26, 1993, President Bill Clinton issued an order aligning the US with United Nations sanctions imposed on Yugoslavia. The sanctions aimed at a total embargo, not just on Yugoslav exports and imports, which had been in effect since 1992, but even on the transshipment of goods through Yugoslavia. The extreme sanctions, passed by a UN Security Council vote that saw Russia and China abstain, came amidst a growing crescendo of hysterical calls for military intervention in the Bosnian civil war in the name of human rights. Clinton was said to be preparing a plan by which the US would launch missile strikes on Bosnian Serb positions, while simultaneously lifting an arms embargo so that military equipment could be delivered to Bosnias Muslim army. Britain and France were also readying their air forces for strikes. The Bosnian civil war, pitting the nationalist ex-Stalinist cliques among Serbian, Croatian, and Muslim Bosnians, was precipitated by the imperialist-backed breakup of Yugoslavia. There were warnings that any escalation of Western involvement would also lead to a civil war in Kosovo as well, pitting its Albanian majority against the ruling Serb minority. This was of no interest to the war crusaders, who, spearheaded by the New York Times, suddenly discovered in Bosnia not just ethnic cleansinga recently-deployed neologismbut now also a Holocaust and genocide for which the Serbs alone must be blamed. The answer, according to the liberal warmongers, was to bomb them. Does the World Still Recognize a Holocaust, screamed an April 25, 1993, headline over a commentary by New York Times chief foreign correspondent John Darnton. Comparing the Serbs to the Nazis, Darnton asked, When does dithering negotiation turn into appeasement? Darnton hailed Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and self-proclaimed human rights advocate, who days earlier had called for a US intervention during the dedication of the new Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. If you decide to go, you have to prevail, Democratic Congressman Lee Hamilton of Indiana told the Times on April 30. And if the steps you take are insufficient to achieve your objectives, then you have to increase the steps you take. At the same time, Slobodan Milosevic, president of Serbia, was pressuring the Serb faction in Bosnia to accept some territorial concessions in negotiations among the rival factions that were slated to resume. The Serbian Bosnian militia then controlled an estimated 70 percent of Bosnia. 50 years ago: Students occupy buildings at Columbia University Cover of Columbia University magazine showing occupied building under red flag Exhibitions On April 23, 1968, students began an occupation of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University in protest against the institutions ties to a Vietnam War research firm, the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), and against its construction of a new gymnasium whose design plan appeared to offer segregated access to black residents of Harlem, which was adjacent to the buildings lower side. Five buildings were occupied in all, and a dean briefly held hostage. Hundreds of students participated in the occupation, and hundreds more supported it. It lasted for just over a week, garnering major media coverage. The occupiers demanded the reinstatement of six students suspended for protesting against the IDA, an end to the construction of the gym, amnesty for all students joining in the occupations, and the reversal of an edict by university president Grayson Kirk banning indoor protests. After one week, Kirk called in the New York City police, who cut off water and power to the buildings. On April 30, at 2:20 in the morning, some 1,000 police brutally attacked the students. Police wielding axes smashed through wooden doors, and phalanxes of officers stomped through students passively resisting, smashing limbs and clubbing heads with truncheons and flashlights. Plain-clothed police, without badges, savagely beat a number of students. Cops dragged students by their feet down the buildings concrete steps. In the police riot several journalists were also beaten, and photographic equipment smashed, in the police riot. Within three hours the occupation was crushed. About 720 students and faculty were arrested, and 136 demonstrators suffered injuries in the police attack. 75 years ago: British and US governments reject assistance for Jewish refugees Jewish civilians surrounded by Nazi troops in the last stages of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising This week in April 1943, delegations representing the British and US governments met in Hamilton, Bermuda, to discuss the unprecedented refugee crisis stemming from the Nazi war of extermination against the European Jewish population. The gathering, held from April 19 to 30, underscored the contempt of the Allied powers, who claimed to be waging a war for democracy against the fascist powers, for the plight of millions of European Jews who were being dispatched by the Third Reich to concentration camps. Over the months preceding the conference, hundreds of thousands of Jews had been sent to their deaths across Europe, after the German governments January 1942 Wannsee Conference approved the so-called final solution. The US and British delegates gathered in Bermuda as Polish Jews who had carried out a heroic uprising against the genocide were being butchered amid the defeat of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. The Bermuda conference had been called to assuage intense anger among British and American workers over the plight of European Jews. Widespread demands had been raised in both countries for mass migration intakes and military measures to halt the genocidal campaign of the Nazis. Both governments, however, signaled their indifference to the plight of European refugees by sending junior delegations. The US was represented by Harold Dodds, the president of Princeton University, while the British contingent was led by Richard Law, a junior minister in the foreign office. During the conference, representatives of the two nations discussed widespread calls that they approach the German government through an intermediary to offer to settle large numbers of Jewish refugees. The spokesmen for the Roosevelt administration in the US and the British government of Winston Churchill in Britain made clear that they rejected such a course of action. Law said: If Hitler accepted a proposal to release perhaps millions of unwanted persons, we might find ourselves in a very difficult position he might say all right, take a million or two million. Then because of the shipping problem, we should be made to look exceedingly foolish. In other words, the British government was fearful that the mass intake of refugees would divert its navy from the task of securing the interests of its ruling elite. In response to the conference, and the crushing of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, Szmul Zygielbojm, a member of the Polish government in exile, committed suicide. A note he left stated that it was not only the Nazis who were responsible for the Holocaust, but that indirect responsibility also fell on on the peoples of the Allied nations and on their governments, who up to this day have not taken any real steps to halt this crime. 100 years ago: John Reed arrested amidst wave of repression in the US John Reed On April 29, 1918, John Jack Reed was arraigned under the Espionage Act a day after he returned to the US from Russia where he had been witness to the October Revolution. His papersincluding the manuscript and notes for his book Ten Days that Shook the Worldwere seized. The charge against Reed, as well as Max Eastman, editor of The Masses, was that their work in the newspaper was a conspiracy to obstruct the operation of the American military. Reed was released on bail and two subsequent trials failed to convict him and Eastman. Days earlier, on April 26, Reeds friendthe well-known muckraking writer and socialist Lincoln Steffenswas barred from delivering a public speech titled The Menace of Peace at a church in San Diego. Police Chief McMullen explained that no man who criticized the Government as Steffens had done could speak in the city. On April 24, Senator Hiram Johnson of California gave a speech criticizing the removal of a clause from the impending anti-democratic Sedition Act protecting utterances of what is true, with good motives and justifiable ends. Other senators defended the removal of the language, which had only been put in as a fig leaf. So did the New York Times, which referred in its news article on the subject to freedom of speech as a privilege, not a right. On April 25, the Harlem Newspaper Dealers Association, under pressure from patriotic organizations, announced that its 400 members would no longer sell German-language newspapers. On April 26, the city of Greenwich, Connecticut, banned the sale of German language newspapers. On April 27, the superintendent of Philadelphia police issued an edict banning all meetings in the German language. On April 28, William Edenborn, a naturalized American citizen of German birth and an industrialist who was one of the richest men in the US, was arrested for a speech he gave in which he said it was more probable that the US would face invasion by Great Britain than by Germany. On April 30, it was reported that German and Austrian born members of the Metropolitan Opera had been dismissed. Earlier in the week, a theater in Milwaukee announced that it would no longer allow plays in the German language. Also on April 30, a language instructor at Vassar College was jailed by federal agents. Agathe Richrath was arrested and interned for the remainder of the war as an enemy alien after a search of her room allegedly revealed a picture of Kaiser Wilhelm. College President MacCracken conceded that Miss Richrath has been under observation for some weeks but that he had heard of no exhibition of alien sympathies in the college class rooms. . . . ... Donald Trump's wild weekend showed just how abnormal his presidency has become, even if his breaching of conventional decorum has lost the power to shock. The President, ensconced at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, spent Saturday and Sunday on Twitter venting at the FBI director he fired, and torching both The New York Times and his own estranged attorney general. He poured praise on his lawyer Michael Cohen amid speculation he could flip on his top client after an FBI raid on his offices carried off some of the closest-held secrets of the Trump Organization and the President's own past. The President also lashed out at an unidentified "drunk/drugged up loser" as he fulminated about his legal situation and, out of nowhere, when most Americans were enjoying their Sunday afternoon, tweeted, "A total witch hunt!" The weekend's events were a snapshot of a frenzied social media presidency characterized by score settling and bitter attacks on enemies that would have been impossible to imagine before he won the White House. Cementing that contrast, four of the five living ex-presidents, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, gathered in Texas at the funeral of former first lady Barbara Bush on Saturday. The latest, and somber, meeting of the President's Club, the most exclusive political conclave in the world, seemed like a throwback to an earlier era of civility where former political foes buried differences in recognition of their common experience that seems out of step in the age of Trump. The current President did not attend the funeral, saying he didn't want his presidential security footprint to detract from the occasion. Earlier presidents did not attend funerals of first ladies, and he did tweet a touching picture of Barbara Bush's portrait from the White House. First lady Melania Trump attended and was pictured smiling alongside Obama. But it was also difficult to imagine that at some future event, Trump would fit in so well with the Bushes, Clinton and Obama - not least because he has spent so much time personally attacking several of his predecessors. He led a long campaign claiming Obama wasn't even born in the United States and has called for Hillary Clinton, his 2016 opponent, to be jailed. Of course, many of Trump's supporters see those four ex-presidents as symbols of a class of establishment elites that cost them the benefits of a political and economic system they believe left them behind. So as the odd one out in this particular political group, Trump is being true to his political self and the people who sent him to the White House. Also unlike Trump, those former presidents have the satisfaction of knowing their legacies are settled - or they have at least learned to reconcile their failures and the great controversies of their administrations. Trump, by contrast, as this weekend showed, gives the impression of fighting fiercely for respect and validation every day, in a way that is often so polarizing that it seems to make that kind of recognition more elusive than ever. In recent days for instance, Trump has repeatedly demanded credit for the promised, yet so far unfulfilled, opening with North Korea. Trump hit out at NBC's Chuck Todd after he said on "Sunday Today" that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seems to be offering very little in return for a summit with the US President -- one of Pyongyang's long-term goals. "Wow, we haven't given up anything & they have agreed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing!" Trump wrote. While South Korea has said Pyongyang is willing to talk about denuclearization at the expected US-North Korea summit, officials have not said it has actually made a concrete commitment to abandoning its nuclear weapons program. And although Trump's administration does deserve credit for a tough sanctions policy that may have helped bring Pyongyang to the table, it's inconceivable that any of Trump's predecessors would have been so bullish on a summit that is fraught with risks with a nation that has made a habit of trashing its nuclear promises. Trump's desire for recognition and respect -- that seems odd in someone who is already commander-in-chief -- also shone through the contemporaneous memos of former FBI Director James Comey that became public on Thursday after they were sent to three House committees by the Justice Department. Comey's account of Trump's demands for loyalty from his FBI chief are consistent with the unflattering picture of Trump that he paints in his new book "A Higher Loyalty." But they also show a President acting in a way that is far removed from "normal" protocol usually adopted by someone in his position. Trump has complained that Comey's memos were classified -- even though they were released from the Justice Department to Congress -- and also says the former FBI chief cannot be trusted. "He totally made up many of the things he said I said, and he is already a proven liar and leaker," Trump tweeted on Saturday. All of Trump's most recent predecessors had their controversies -- in the most extreme case, Bill Clinton was impeached for lying under oath. But none saw the offices of their personal attorney raided by the FBI. Trump's first 15 months have been so relentlessly controversial that individual events often fail to have the impact that they would have in a more conventional administration. But the fact that the President's personal lawyer was raided by the FBI executing a warrant sought by the US attorney in the Southern District of New York is still stunning nearly two weeks after it happened, even if Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told the President that he was not a target of the sweep, according to CNN sources. Trump embraced Cohen on Twitter over the weekend in a way that some critics might see as an attempt to convince him not to do a deal with prosecutors that could potentially mean legal exposure for the President himself. "Michael is a businessman for his own account/lawyer who I have always liked & respected. Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories," Trump tweeted. "Sorry, I don't see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!" The juxtaposition between Trump's signature style and the conventions of presidential decorum will be on display again in the coming week, when Trump hosts the leaders of France and Germany for high stakes visits. A day before welcoming Emmanuel Macron for the first state dinner of his administration, Trump will dine with the French president and their wives at Mount Vernon, the mansion home in Virginia of George Washington. The first president's long historical shadow established a template for the behavioral codes and demeanor that most presidents have sought to emulate. It goes without saying that Washington, who told Americans in his farewell address he was "too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors" could have ever imagined a president like Trump. Matthew Caruana Galizia remembers the day his mother died with startling accuracy: their last shared meal, a small lunch, the jangling of her keys as she locked the heavy front door behind her, and the way the dogs barked after hearing her car explode just down the road from their family home. "It was like being in a war zone," he told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an interview that aired Monday. "I followed the smoke and that's when I saw this big ball of fire. That was the car, completely engulfed in flames, you couldn't even see the body." Maltese Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed as she left her house six months ago, in October 2017, when a bomb affixed to her car was detonated. In her last blog post, published the day she died, she wrote: "There are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate." Just after Caruana Galizia's killing, Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told Amanpour there would be "no impunity" in the search for the those behind the slaying. Three men have since been arraigned for detonating the car bomb and are awaiting trial, but Caruana Galizia's sons, Matthew and Paul, told Amanpour that six months later their family is still searching for the masterminds behind their mother's death. Paul Caruana Galizia called them "just three common criminals" who were unknown to their mother. "They're literally the people who placed the bomb. Of course what we're interested in is the people who had motive to kill her, the people who our mother investigated." "It's hard to see this coming from anywhere outside Malta's political system," Paul Caruana Galizia said. Responding to these comments, Malta's Prime Minister condemned the assassination and told CNN "no Prime Minister would want a journalist to be murdered under any circumstances," and that an investigation is ongoing. "In the course of her work she made many enemies, whether in organized crime, business, government or among the general public," Muscat said in the statement. "Allegations of organized threats or harassment against Daphne Caruana Galizia or her family are wholly false. My family and I were at the center of Daphne Caruana Galizia's politically motivated attacks, but we did not respond to her provocations." The family left Malta just after their mother's funeral, fearing for their own security. "The authorities simply aren't a credible deterrent to crime anymore," Paul Caruana Galizia said. "They couldn't stop this happening to our mother, in fact they were some of her chief harassers. So, I mean the question is how can we feel safe?" Muscat's government now faces pressure not just from Caruana Galizia's family but also the European Union, where politicians are demanding Maltese police aggressively pursue people who would have wanted to silence the journalist. Caruana Galizia's reporting exposed corruption in the highest reaches of Malta's society and politics. With her death, many of those ongoing investigations were left unfinished. Eighteen media organizations across 15 countries have joined to finish her reporting in "The Daphne Project." Reuters, Le Monde, and The New York Times are all taking part. The effort has been coordinated by the Paris-based nonprofit Forbidden Stories, an organization that aims to finish the work left behind by slain, imprisoned, or otherwise incapacitated journalists. Caruana Galizia's family hope The Daphne Project can preserve her legacy and change the perception of her within their country. "They had an image of her as a witch, someone who was subhuman or nonhuman, they were made to hate her," Matthew Caruana Galizia told Amanpour. "So, now that they're seeing a human being they just don't know what to do. I think The Daphne Project has succeeded in that objective at least, and also because the journalists are taking up her investigations, that feels like a taste of justice." STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) Former Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank J. Williams will be the commencement speaker for Mississippi State's three graduation ceremonies taking place next month. Approximately 3,200 students will receive degrees during May 3 and May 4 ceremonies at Humphrey Coliseum. Williams, a noted historian and current president of the Ulysses S. Grant Association, has played key roles in making MSU one of the nation's leading centers for study of the American Civil War. Last year, Williams and his wife, Virginia, donated their collection of Abraham Lincoln and Civil War memorabilia, valued at nearly $3 million, to the university. Williams also was instrumental in locating the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library at MSU in 2009. Williams and former Mississippi House Speaker Pro Tempore Robert G. Clark Jr. also will receive honorary degrees. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) President Donald J. Trump has named Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum as chairman of the Board for International Food and Agriculture Development. The university said the White House announced the appointment this week. The board was created in 1975. Board members are primarily from universities and provide advice on U.S. international assistance efforts in areas such as global food security and world hunger. Keenum is an agricultural economist who previously served as undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President George W. Bush. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Gov. Rick Scott is in Puerto Rico to talk aid and guidance for Hurricane Maria relief. The Puerto Rican lieutenant governor and secretary of state extended the invitation to Scott. Scott will be meeting Monday with emergency management officials, federal officials and Puerto Rican leaders. He will also be visiting with volunteer workers with the American Red Cross in Puerto Rico during his time there. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A local 7th grade student at Maclay School has received national recognition for raising $1.25 million in state funding for visually impaired children. Monday afternoon, Paloma Rambana was surprised to learn she was receiving national recognition for her efforts. Rambana has an incurable vision condition. She was born legally blind. When she was 9 years old, she started a campaign called 'Fill the Gap' to ask state legislators to fund the division of blind service children's program. Rambana is one of two middle and high school students in Florida to receive The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards for her volunteer community service. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - It's a more intimate take on Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum's Longest Table. The Gillum family hosted dinner at their home on Sunday. A smaller group of community members, students from Florida State, FAMU, and TCC attended. The Mayor says it's a great way to get engaged with the community on a personal level. "We don't want any divides in our community. Least of which among our college students are a huge element of our population here and our regular community members," said Gillum. "So we're looking forward to this evening and robust conversation." The Walker Ford Center and Tallahassee Senior Center also hosted the longest table Sunday, as well. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Latest on shooting at Tennessee restaurant that left four dead (all times local): 2:45 p.m. A federal official says the father of the man suspected of fatally shooting four at a Nashville Waffle House could face charges for returning guns that were taken from him after an incident last year at the White House. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent Marcus Watson said at a news conference Monday that Jeffrey Reinking's act of returning the guns to his son is "potentially a violation of federal law." Travis Reinking is accused of shooting four people to death early Sunday morning in Nashville. He was captured by authorities Monday afternoon. Reinking's right to own guns was revoked by Illinois authorities after he was charged with "unlawful entry" at the White House last July. He was demanding a meeting with President Donald Trump. Illinois authorities returned the guns to Reinking's father, who lives in Illinois. Authorities say the younger Reinking moved to Nashville last fall. ___ 2:10 p.m. Authorities say they have arrested a man suspected of storming a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville and fatally shooting four people with an assault rifle. Authorities announced that 29-year-old Travis Reinking, was taken into custody Monday. Other details were not immediately available. BREAKING: Murder suspect Travis Reinking is in custody. Arrested moments ago. pic.twitter.com/WwuDCXDCGQ Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) April 23, 2018 ___ 12:55 p.m. Police in Nashville, Tennessee, say the suspect in a quadruple homicide at a local Waffle House stole a BMW car several days earlier. Metro Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron told news reporters Monday that 29-year-old Travis Reinking stole the car on the preceding Tuesday from a BMW dealership in nearby Brentwood. Police chased it but opted to track the car via a GPS device. It was recovered the same day at Reinkings apartment complex however, authorities did not know Reinkings identity at the time. Aaron also said a report of shots fired Monday near a police staging area was not related to the search for Reinking, who remained at large. Police were searching a wide area, and expected soon to have Reinkings photo posted on billboards. Aaron said Reinking has exhibited mental instability, and may still have a handgun. He urged citizens to be vigilant. Four people were fatally shot early Sunday at a Waffle House. A patron wrestled the gun away, and the gunman fled. NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - Authorities are searching for a 29-year-old man accused of opening fire on a Waffle House in Antioch, killing four people and injuring four others. Police say Travis Reinking carried out the mass shooting at the restaurant on Murfreesboro Pike at 3:19 a.m. Sunday with an AR-15 rifle. He was wearing nothing but a green jacket at the time. Reinking, who is from Illinois, moved to Nashville in the fall of last year and worked in the crane and construction business. According to police, he was fired from a job three weeks ago. News 4 learned that he was then hired by Crane Works in La Vergne last Monday, but only worked there one day. The company says he did not have a sensitive position and did not display any signs of mental instability. On Sunday afternoon, law enforcement in Tazewell County, Illinois, held a press conference explaining their history with Reinking and his family. They said there were concerns in the past about his mental health. In May 2016, he told Illinois police he thought Taylor Swift was stalking him and hacking into his phone. He also appeared to be suicidal at one time, according to a police report. His behavior also drew attention in 2017. Reinking reportedly wore a pink dress to work while carrying an AR-15 and started yelling at someone. He also told police last year that 30 to 40 people were trying to hack into his phone. On Aug. 24, 2017, officials confiscated four weapons from Reinking due to worries about his mental stability. He voluntarily surrendered the weapons to police, who then turned them over to his father Jeffery Reinking, after he promised to keep them secured and away from his son. Local officials say Reinkings father has admitted to returning the weapons to his son, one of which was the AR-15 reportedly used in Sunday's shooting. It will be up to the Illinois state attorney to decide if charges will be filed against Jeffery Reinking for returning confiscated weapons, but none have been filed at this time. Reinking's run-in with the law also includes an incident from July 2017. He was arrested by the U.S. Secret Service for being in a restricted area near the White House but was later released. He was interviewed by authorities in Illinois and the FBI, which is when his Illinois firearms authorization was revoked. Reinking is now on the TBI's Top 10 Most Wanted List for his alleged role in the Waffle House shooting. More than 80 MNPD officers along with the THP, FBI, and the ATF were searching for him Sunday night. Reinking is 6 feet 4 inches tall, weighs 180 pounds, and is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees him or knows of his whereabouts is urged to call 911, the Emergency Communications Center at 615-862-8600, Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463, or their local law enforcement agency. A reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information leading to his arrest. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Tallahassee Police are looking for a missing 54-year-old man last seen a month ago. The Tallahassee Police Departments Special Victims Unit is seeking information on the location of Carl James. Carl James was last seen on March 22, in the area of the Greyhound Bus Station (100 block of W Tennessee St., Tallahassee, FL). It is unknown what clothing James was last seen wearing. He is described as being 5-foot-2 tall and around 168 pounds. There is concern for James welfare. Anyone with information is asked to call the Tallahassee Police Department at (850) 891-4200. TRENTON, Fla. (WTXL) - The Two Gilchrist County deputies who were shot and killed in a suspected ambush have been identified. During a press conference Thursday night, Gilchrist County Sheriff Robert Schultz identified the slain deputies as 30-year-old Sgt. Noel Ramirez, a seven-year-veteran, and 25-year-old Deputy Taylor Lindsey, a three-year-veteran. The gunman was later identified as John Hubert Highnote, 59, of Bell. TRENTON, Fla. (WTXL) - Two Gilchrist County deputies have been shot and killed in a suspected ambush. According to the Holmes County Sheriff's Office, two deputies from the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office were killed in a suspected ambush on S.R. 26 and East Wade Street. According to a press release sent out by the Sheriff Bobby Schultz and the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office, at approximately 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon, two Gilchrist County deputy sheriffs were shot and killed in the Ace China restaurant in downtown Trenton, after a suspect walked up to business and shot both deputies through the window. As fellow deputies responded to the scene, they found the shooter deceased outside the business, and both deputy sheriffs where they died of their wounds. At this point, it remains an active criminal investigation with no apparent motive or indications as to why this tragedy occurred. Multiple North Florida sheriff's offices and the Florida Sheriff's Association are asking for prayers for the deputies, their families, and the entire Gilchrist County community. A suspect has not been identified though Gilchrist County deputies say "no suspects are at large." Governor Rick Scott says that he has been briefed on the shooting: I was just briefed by @GCSOFlorida Sheriff Bobby Schultz on todays shooting. I know @FDLEPIO is on scene and Ive offered any state support they may need. Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) April 19, 2018 Governor Rick Scott also made the following statement Thursday evening regarding the shooting: My wife, Ann, and I are heartbroken by the loss of two law enforcement officers in Trenton. I have spoken with the Gilchrist County Sheriffs Office and committed all available state resources they may need. I have also been briefed by FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen who has officers on the scene. It is true evil for anyone to hurt a law enforcement officer, and in Florida, we have zero tolerance for violence, especially against the police. Tonight, I ask every Floridian to honor these law enforcement officers, their brothers and sisters in uniform and their families. May God bless those who work to keep our communities safe. Other Florida leaders are also reacting to the news: My heart breaks with the tragic news of two Gilchrist County deputies that were senselessly killed today while in the line of duty. My deepest condolences and prayers are with their families as they mourn the devastating loss of their loved ones. https://t.co/8oFSbMIDRw Fla. AG Pam Bondi (@AGPamBondi) April 19, 2018 Officials from the Levy County Sheriffs Office, the Alachua County Sheriffs Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the State Attorneys Office have all responded to the area to assist. This is a developing story. GABORONE, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The central and southern parts of Botswana have been hit by a malaria outbreak, a senior health official said on Sunday. At least 35 malaria cases have been clinically confirmed since last week, Chief Health Official in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Tjantilili Mosweunyane told Xinhua over the phone. Health officials are working on contingent measures to combat the disease, Mosweunyane said. "The public is notified that the country, especially the central and southern parts, is experiencing a high level of malaria transmission following the recent heavy rains," she said. Although no death has been recorded yet, Mosweunyane said malaria is a serious disease transmitted by mosquitoes and can cause death if not treated quickly. "It is important to recognize malaria signs as early as possible. These include fever, severe headache, chills, sweating, abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting and confusion," said Mosweunyane. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 06:34:09|Editor: yan Video Player Close CAIRO, April 22 (Xinhua) -- A political settlement is the only way out of the ongoing Syrian crisis, China's Special Envoy for Syria Xie Xiaoyan said on Sunday. Speaking at a press conference in Cairo, Xie expressed concern over the current perilous situation in Syria, while urging the involved countries to de-escalate the situation and resort to dialogue instead. "China has always rejected the use of force or the threat of the use of force in international relations," he reiterated, adding that Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity should be respected. The Chinese diplomat said China is convinced that there is no military solution to the Syrian issue and the only way out is a political settlement. He urged all related parties on the Syrian issue to return to the track of peace talks. Syria has for years been plagued by instability due to the conflicts between Syrian government forces with the armed rebels and the declining militant group Islamic State (IS). The forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are backed by Russia, Iran and Shiite militias loyal to Iran including Lebanon's Hezbollah. Russian troops in Syria have been launching bombing raids in support of the government forces, while a U.S.-led international coalition has been launching airstrikes against IS targets in the conflict-stricken country. The U.S., together with its allies Britain and France, also launched a missile strike on Syria on April 14 over the allegations of Syrian government's use of chemical weapons in the town of Douma near the Syrian capital Damascus early April. Xie voiced China's rejection of any use of chemical weapons and underscore the need for a comprehensive, just and objective probe into the alleged gas attack in Syria. The Chinese envoy noted that China maintains communication with all parties involved in the Syrian issue, adding that China has invited delegates from the Syrian government and opposition parties respectively to visit China to promote a political settlement. China cares about the humanitarian crisis the Syrian people are going through and has already provided 740 million yuan (about 117.5 million U.S. dollars) in aid for Syrian refugees, he said. During Xie's visit in Egypt, he met with officials of Egyptian Foreign Ministry and other agencies to discuss the Syrian issue. He praised Egypt for working positively to resolve the Syrian crisis, adding that China is to continue consultation and coordination with Egypt and other countries to realize the political settlement of the Syrian issue. TOKYO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks opened flat Monday as investors both sold issues on the back of Wall Street's declines late last week and bought on the yen's retreat against the U.S. dollar. As of 9:15 a.m., the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 1.41 points, or 0.01 percent, from Friday to 22,160.83. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, added 3.55 points, or 0.20 percent, at 1,754.68. Precision instrument, and pulp and paper issues led those that declined, while insurance and bank issues comprised those that gained the most in the opening minutes after the morning bell. TRIPOLI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed on Sunday in clashes in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi between the army and security personnel of the interior ministry both loyal to the eastern-based authorities, a military source said. "Clashes broke out between the army's 21 battalion and the criminal investigation force of the interior ministry in Benghazi," the source told Xinhua later on Sunday. "The clashes involved light and medium weapons and lasted for hours, killing a captain of the battalion and a civilian who was at the site of clashes. Calm returned to the area after the joint security chamber of Benghazi interfered and stopped the fighting," the source added. "There are some security elements of the interior ministry involved in criminal cases. We have repeatedly asked to hand them over for prosecution and to clarify their position officially on the charges against them," the source said, when asked about the reasons for the clashes. Clashes between the army and police are rare in Benghazi, as the two sides are considered regular forces of the eastern-based authorities. The North African country has suffered unrest in the past seven years after its former leader Muammar Gaddafi was toppled by an uprising in 2011. It is currently run by two rival administrations, one in the capital Tripoli and the other in the northeastern city of Tobruk. In December 2015, the two rival factions sighed a UN-backed deal to form a unity government, which, however, has not put an end to the political division in the country. PHNOM PENH, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni presided over the opening session of the senate in the fourth mandate on Monday after a non-universal election in February. The senate, or the upper house, has 62 seats, but the election was held for 58 seats only, as two senators were appointed by the king and two others were nominated by the national assembly, or the lower house. In the February non-universal election, the Cambodian People's Party of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen won all 58 senate seats at stake. Speaking at the opening session, Sihamoni expressed warm congratulations to the elected senators who would fulfill their parliamentary role in this supreme legislative body. "The senate in the fourth legislature must continue contributing more actively to the enhancement of social democratization, aiming at ensuring the social and economic development and protecting the common interests of all classes of citizens," he said. He added that the senate must ensure the protection of justice and human rights in order to enhance the long-lasting harmony in the society. Meanwhile, the monarch urged all the senators to do their best to fulfill their mandate, to maintain discipline, and to respect the code of ethics for the senators. All the senators are scheduled to be sworn in this afternoon (April 23) during a ceremony at the Royal Palace. The senate was founded in 1999 and a non-universal election, which is voted by the members of parliament and the commune councilors, is held once in six years. Enditem KABUL, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Two members of Haqqani militant group were arrested by Afghan Special Operations Forces in the country's eastern province of Logar, the command of special forces said Monday. Acting on a confirmed tip off, a unit of special force launched a raid in Pali Khel village on the outskirts of provincial capital Pul-e-Alam city early on Sunday, capturing two Haqqani members, Operational Coordination Group Afghanistan (MoD-OCGA) said in a statement. The security force also found and seized amount of weapons and ammunition after the raid, the statement added. Afghan and the NATO and U.S.-led coalition forces continued in mopping-up operations as spring and summer, known as the fighting season, is drawing near in the mountainous country. As a Taliban-linked group of militants, the Haqqani network is mostly operating in eastern provinces and capital Kabul, and has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against security forces. The network, which was designated as a terrorist group by the United States in 2012, has yet to make comments. HANOI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's border guards have recently detained a 62-year-old Lao man for smuggling and transporting 40 kg of methamphetamine, 120,000 pills of lab-made drugs and two cakes of heroin totaling some 885,000 U.S. dollars. The man was detained at a Vietnam-Laos border area late last week, when he was preparing to transfer the drugs to a Vietnamese drug dealer, according to border guards of Vietnam's northern Son La province on Monday. Increasingly bigger amounts of methamphetamine are being smuggled into Vietnam, because such kind of drug is being made in bigger volumes in the Golden Triangle at the borders of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar at lower prices, according to local border guards and police forces. Selling prices of methamphetamine at the Golden Triangle currently stand at 200-250 million Vietnamese dong (8,800-11,000 U.S. dollars) per kilogram, posting a three-fold decrease against some years ago. According to Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces death penalty. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 12:35:22|Editor: ZD Video Player Close PARIS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron is preparing for a three-day transatlantic trip starting Monday at the invitation of his American counterpart Donald Trump against the backdrop of a complicated international situation. Since the two leaders took office in 2017, Paris and Washington have shared concerns over the struggle against terrorism and support for the G5 Sahel, an African regional security bloc comprising Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger. Trump's visit to France on July 14 last year, which coincided with France's annual Bastille Day parade, contributed to the exchange of amenities between the two countries. However, a series of disagreements on international and economic subjects persist even though Macron seeks to personalize the Franco-American relationship with pragmatism. Regarding international issues, Trump has threatened to denounce Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal, calling the agreement "one of the worst deals I've ever seen." Washington has given the European signatories -- France, Germany and Britain -- a May 12 deadline to "fix the terrible flaws" in the deal. Also, the Paris Climate Agreement, judged as "bad" by the American leader, and the moving of the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem are some of the thorny subjects, among others. On the trade front, the Trump administration's barely veiled threats of an economic war make the Franco-American relationship structurally unbalanced. Macron ratcheted up his tone at the end of March against Trump following Washington's decision to slap new import duties on steel and aluminum. "We speak of everything on principle with a friendly country which respects the rules of the WTO (World Trade Organization). We speak of nothing on principle while it's with a pistol to our temples," he said. Trump gave the European Union and six countries until May 1 to negotiate permanent exemptions from the trade tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, which Washington had decided to put in place in order to end trade "aggressions." Analysts said it is unlikely to water down Washington's tough stance on trade and other issues with midterm elections looming on the horizon in the United States in November. "The gamble on understanding made by Paris seems to have become more dangerous, all the more because the hardening of the American foreign affairs team must probably be dreaded in the long term," said Laurence Nardon, a senior research fellow at the French Institute of International Relations in Paris. In terms of the Trump administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel last December, Macron criticized the move as a "threat to peace" as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as the U.S. recognition set off an explosion in the region. Later in December, Macron, alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said in Paris that the United States had "marginalized" itself in this way. Moreover, Paris and Washington hold different views concerning the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Trump administration is pressing the European allies to meet NATO's target of spending 2 percent of economic output on defense, suggesting the United States may not defend countries that do not. Under U.S. pressure, European NATO members have to plough more money into the military and France has added over 2 billion U.S. dollars funding to its 2018 defense budget. Enditem KABUL, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Monday condemned the suicide attack against an election-related facility in Kabul. On Sunday, a suicide bomber attacked a voter registration center set up in a school in western Kabul, killing more than 60, including 27 women and eight children, and injuring more than 120 others, according to latest figures obtained by Xinhua from Kabul police. Several of the injured are in critical condition. "The incident is the latest in a spate of attacks that appear to deliberately target election-related facilities which have taken place since last week's commencement of the voter registration process for the parliamentary and district elections scheduled for October 20, 2018," said the statement. The center also issued identity-cards for Afghans who did not hold Tazkira or National Identity Card to vote for the upcoming polls. "The UN family in Afghanistan feels a deep sense of revulsion at (Sunday's) outrage," Tadamichi Yamamoto, special UN envoy and head of the UN mission, was quoted as saying in the statement. "Compounding the callous disregard for the lives of civilians, the killing appears to be part of a wholly unacceptable effort by extremists to deter Afghan citizens from carrying out their constitutional right to take part in elections," he said. The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack. More than 3,430 civilians were killed and over 7,000 others injured in conflict-related incidents in 2017 in the war-torn country, according to UNAMA figures. by Raul Menchaca MATANZAS, Cuba, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Nemesia Rodriguez is one of the most famous women in Cuba. Children learn about her in history classes and adults view her with veneration and respect. She is a living symbol of the victory of Cuban militia over the group of exiles organized and armed by the United States, which invaded the island nation at the Bay of Pigs on April 17, 1961. The 71-year-old woman was born and still lives in the small town of Soplillar, which is about 40 km north from the beach of Giron on the east side of the Bay of Pigs. That area includes the Zapata Swamp, the largest wetland in the Caribbean, and was the site approved for the invasion by then-U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, a plan later taken over by his successor John F. Kennedy. Zapata was one of the poorest areas of Cuba, with a population surviving on the production of charcoal. A small museum which is only 1 km from Nemesia's house shows the difficult life people lived in the wetlands before 1959, when they had almost no access to education or healthcare. The poor living conditions only changed after the triumph of the revolution led by late President Fidel Castro, Nemesia told Xinhua in her modest home, plastered with photos of Fidel and his brother Raul Castro. "Everything good that you see in Zapata was done by the revolution," she said, "including roads and houses for the peasants, something we never dreamed of." On April 17, 1961, Nemesia was taken by her mother to buy a new pair of shoes in the municipal capital Jaguey Grande, while the mercenary force was being prepared to attack Playa Giron. "The invaders attacked the truck we were driving, and killed my mother, left my grandmother paralyzed, and injured my brothers," she said, recalling her memory without hiding her pain. The survivors of the family were rescued and her shoes pierced by bullets and stained with blood were found remaining in the truck by a Cuban journalist and poet Jesus Orta Ruiz after the invaders was repelled. The poet wrote a heartfelt poem entitled "Elegy of the white little shoes" about Nemesia's story. The poem is still considered by many as the highest and most humane account of the events of the Bay of Pigs, and Nemesia's suffering became a symbol of the victory over the invaders. The white shoes, still bloodied, are exhibited at the Playa Giron Museum as a reminder of the bloody battles waged in the area. "I feel that by telling my story I can help the young and let the world know what happened to us," said Nemesia with humility after confessing that she does not consider herself as a symbol. In the last two congresses of the ruling Communist Party of Cuba, Nemesia was a member of the legislative body, making a vibrant and emotional speech to call on Cubans to remember the work of the Revolution. Nemesia, whose life sums up the resistance of Cubans over the last half-century, has become a living symbol. CANBERRA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has admitted that he was wrong to oppose a royal commission into the country's finance sector. Turnbull and his senior colleagues spent two years arguing against an inquiry into Australia's finance industry, saying it would undermine the economy. The prime minister caved under pressure from the opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) and members of his own government in December and established the inquiry. After only two weeks of public submissions the inquiry has uncovered evidence of systematic malpractice in the industry. Turnbull on Monday conceded that not supporting the commission was a clear political error. "You are all right when you say politically it would have been better for us if we had done it years ago," he told reporters. "Politically, all of the commentators are right when they say we would have been right to establish one earlier." During the second week of submissions, the inquiry heard that the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) had regularly charged fees to dead customers. Bill Shorten, leader of the ALP, on Sunday called on Turnbull to introduce a compensation scheme for victims of banking malpractice. "Given the shocking evidence that has been revealed so far, it is time the government gave serious consideration to a compensation scheme for the victims of proven wrongdoing," he wrote in a letter to the prime minister. "It's unacceptable for people to suffer because of the misconduct of others, with no dependable access to justice. "It's also important that victims of financial wrongdoing have the chance to have their say in this process." "If the commission needs more time and resources to keep doing their work, Labor call on the government to give it to them. You cannot use the original timeframe as an excuse to cover up further revelations of wrongdoing," said Bill Shorten. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 13:20:29|Editor: ZD Video Player Close Mario Abdo Benitez (L), presidential candidate of Paraguay's ruling Colorado Party, poses for photos after casting vote in Asuncion, capital of Paraguay, April 22, 2018. Mario Abdo Benitez won the presidential election on Sunday, data released by the country's election tribunal showed. (Xinhua/Str) ASUNCION, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Mario Abdo Benitez, the candidate from Paraguay's ruling Colorado Party, won the presidential election on Sunday, data released by the country's election tribunal showed. According to results released by the Superior Court of Electoral Justice (TSJE) of Paraguay, Abdo Benitez garnered 46.44 percent of the votes, while his main rival Efrain Alegre from the opposition Ganar Alliance pocketed 42.74 percent, after 99.67 percent of ballots were counted. Jaime Bestard, the TSJE president, announced in a press conference that this result is "irreversible." The margin of victory is much tighter than that indicated by pre-election opinion polls. Abdo Benitez pledged to "unite the country" in front of thousands of supporters on Sunday night at the headquarters of the Colorado Party in the capital Asuncion after the TSJE declared his victory. "The people voted for the unity of Paraguay and not for the division of Paraguay, and today I am committed to being a unifying factor in the future of Paraguay," Abdo said. Abdo Benitez, 46, will take office and begin a five-year term in August when he succeeds outgoing President Horacio Cartes. CANBERRA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has led his government to its strongest poll position since September 2016. The latest Newspoll, released on Monday, found that the governing Liberal National Party (LNP) has closed the gap on the opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP). On a two-party preferred basis, the ALP's lead over the LNP has eroded to 51-49, down from 55-45 as recently as November 2017. It marks the 31st consecutive Newspoll for Turnbull, exceeding the benchmark of 30 losses he used as a reason for challenging former PM Tony Abbott for party leadership in 2015. However, it is the best result for the LNP since the period immediately following the 2016 election. The result comes two weeks after Turnbull said he believed he could still lead the LNP to an election victory in 2019 amid speculation that he was set to face a leadership challenge from the conservative wing of the party. In addition to the party's position improving, Turnbull's personal approval rating also climbed. Of 2,068 respondents, 36 percent said they were satisfied with Turnbull's performance, a four-point improvement from the previous poll. Turnbull also increased his lead as preferred PM over ALP leader Bill Shorten to three points. The poll was taken in the wake of an explosive week of submissions to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry which the government responded to by introducing new laws that will see bankers who engage in corporate misconduct face up to 10 years imprisonment. The primary vote results for both the LNP and ALP remained steady at 38 percent for the LNP and 37 percent for the ALP. CANBERRA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Race relations in Australia are at their worst level in years, Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane has said. Soutphommasane, whose five-year term in office ends in August, said that panic over African gangs in Melbourne had prompted the worst prejudice and racism he has witnessed during his tenure. "The panic about African youth crime has undoubtedly done significant damage to racial harmony in Melbourne and Australian society more generally," he told Fairfax Media on Monday. "There is never anything to be gained from focusing excessively on ethnicity and race around discussions around crime - there is very little to be gained from having race-based panic." Soutphommasane said that federal politicians were exacerbating the discord for their own personal gain. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton drew criticism in 2017 when he claimed that Melbournians were avoiding going out after dark for fear of being targeted by African gangs. "The most dangerous thing for politicians to do is to single out a particular community and direct hostility towards them," Soutphommasane said. "If you were to delve into criminal offending and look at the causes behind that, social and economic disadvantage is a much larger driving force behind offending than race or ethnicity. "But if you look at the reporting and coverage in recent months, that is not the impression you would get." Data released by Victoria's Crime Statistics Agency earlier in April revealed that 84 percent of chronic criminal offenders in the state were born in Australia. Overall, Victoria's crime rate dropped 9.9 percent in 2017. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 13:25:31|Editor: ZX Video Player Close (R-L) High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, U.S. Acting Secretary of State John J. Sullivan, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono pose for a group photo during the meeting in Toronto, Canada, April 22, 2018. Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations began their two-day meeting here on Sunday. (Xinhua/Zou Zheng) TORONTO, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations began their two-day meeting here on Sunday to discuss issues about Russia, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Syria and Ukraine. Chaired by Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, the meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of the United States, Italy, France,Canada, Germany, Britain and Japan as well as the EU representative. Freeland will be joined on Monday by Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, who will host G7 ministerial security meeting on terrorism and cyber security. The meeting, which is part of the Meeting of G7 Foreign and Security Ministers on Building a More Peaceful and Secure World, will be followed by the G7 Security Ministers' Meeting on April 23-24. It is meant to prepare for the G7 Summit which is scheduled to open in Charlevoix of Canada's Quebec province on June 7-8. On Saturday, acting U.S. Secretary of State John Sullivan met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, who was invited to join part of Sunday's meeting. On Saturday night, Freeland and her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono signed an efficiency agreement which will allow each other's military troops to share equipment during joint exercises in Canada, Japan and elsewhere. Freeland and Kono met last month in Tokyo where they affirmed their commitment to keep economic and diplomatic pressure on the DPRK to end its nuclear program. The meeting comes after the DPRK announced its suspension of nuclear and missile tests starting from Saturday, and the dismantlement of a northern nuclear test ground to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of nuclear tests. KABUL, April 23 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 Taliban militants were killed and nine others wounded in two Afghanistan's northern provinces, authorities said on Monday. "Six terrorist were killed and five others wounded following an Afghan National Army (ANA) cleanup operation in Yangi Qala district of Takhar province on Sunday," Afghan Defense Ministry tweeted. In neighboring Kunduz province, eight militants were killed and four others wounded after Afghan army and intelligence agency operatives launched an operation in Aqtash district, district Governor Aziz Ullah told Xinhua. Those among the dead were two Taliban divisional commanders named Mawlawi Zulmai and Qari Najeb, he said. Afghan and the NATO and U.S.-led coalition forces continued in mopping-up operations as spring and summer known as fighting season is drawing near in the mountainous country. The Taliban insurgent group, which has been waging an insurgency of more than 17 years, has yet to make comments. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 13:35:34|Editor: ZD Video Player Close by Javier Cordoba SAN JOSE, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Costa Rica and China will create more opportunities to expand cooperation to boost the development of the Central American country, President Luis Guillermo Solis said in a recent interview with Xinhua. For example, Solis said, the China International Import Expo to be held in Shanghai in November will be an extraordinary opportunity for countries across the world to show their commitments to globalization. "There is no doubt that the Import Expo will be a crucial occasion for the reactivation of international programs favoring trade," he said, adding that the event will be of the highest importance for ties between China and Latin America. Costa Rica has a great variety of high-quality products to be showcased, which, together with the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries, make the country's presence in Shanghai a priority in its trade agenda this year, Solis said. China and Costa Rica signed the FTA in 2010. Noting that Costa Rica has already exported pineapples, pork and shrimps to China, the president called on more companies to attend the event. "We are certain that the export of high-quality products from Costa Rica to China will dramatically increase," he said. "Costa Rica has a solid trading platform (with China) and it also sustains an important political dialogue on issues of common interest," he added. Solis said Costa Rica also plays an important role in the Belt and Road Initiative. Proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to achieve infrastructure, trade and people-to-people connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes, building a new platform for international cooperation to create new drivers of growth. China has important projects in Costa Rica such as the building of the national stadium, the national police academy, and Route 32 that connects the capital San Jose to the main port of Puerto Limon, Solis said. Costa Rica has invested over 1 billion U.S. dollars in a new container terminal in this port, which will help promote the country's future development, he pointed out. Solis said he believes that the country's relations with China will remain positive in the years to come. "Costa Rica can learn from China's best practices in the building of ports, airports, highways and other infrastructure projects," he said, adding the two countries should also strengthen cooperation in trade and science and technology. Costa Rica must make full use of the FTA with China and make China a trading partner of top priority, Solis said. LOS ANGELES, April 22 (Xinhua) -- A close examination of 3.6-million- year old hominin footprints discovered in Laetoli, Tanzania, suggests human ancestors evolved the hallmark trait of extended leg, human-like bipedalism substantially earlier than previously thought. The new research was presented on Sunday at the American Association of Anatomists annual meeting during the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting, held on April 21-25 in San Diego in the U.S. state of California. "Fossil footprints are truly the only direct evidence of walking in the past," David Raichlen, an associate professor at the University of Arizona, was quoted as saying in a press release. "By 3.6 million years ago, our data suggest that if you can account for differences in size, hominins were walking in a way that is very similar to living humans. While there may have been some nuanced differences, in general, these hominins probably looked like us when they walked," Raichlen said. It is thought that hominins began walking on two legs around 7 million years ago, but based on the way other primates evolved, it is considered likely that these early ancestors retained a crouched, bent-legged walking posture for some time. The recent results use a combination of experimental data and morphological studies to show that the footprints at Laetoli are consistent with fully upright, human-like bipedal walking, researchers say. By comparing the depth and shape of the Laetoli footprints to those left by eight modern human volunteers walking in either an upright or a stooped posture, in which the knees and hips are bent, researchers found the footprints at Laetoli were much more similar to the footprints made by modern humans walking upright. "The data suggest that by this time in our evolutionary history, selection for reduced energy expenditures during walking was strong," Raichlen said. "This work suggests that, by 3.6 million years ago, climate and habitat changes likely led to the need for ancestral hominins to walk longer distances during their daily foraging bouts. Selection may have acted at this time to improve energy economy during locomotion, generating the human-like mechanics we employ today," he added. Although the evidence is strong that hominins were walking upright by 3.6 million years ago, the exact stage when the locomotion of our ancestors diverged from that of modern-day apes remains unknown, Raichlen said, adding answering that will likely require following more, even older, footprints. BRUSSELS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The world's largest sperm bank has recently warned the European Union (EU) that access to donor sperms must be improved to reinvigorate the continent's birth rates, media reported. Fertility rates steadily declined from the mid-1960s through to the turn of the century in the EU member states, according to figures provided by Eurostat, the EU's statistics agency. In 2015, the total fertility rate in the current 28-member bloc was 1.58 live births per woman, said Eurostat. The level is below a fertility rate of around 2.1 live births per woman, which is considered to be the average number required to keep the population size constant in the absence of migration, Eurostat added. In response to the grim numbers, sperm banks across Europe are calling on the EU to make changes to its current regulations in order to increase birth rates and halt the population slump. According to the minutes of a meeting between European Commission officials and the world's largest sperm bank Cryos International, "population growth in the EU has slowed down and that it is a priority that the rate of childbirth be increased." "This objective would be supported by increasing access to donor sperm," reported The Guardian on Friday, citing the minutes as saying. According to Cryos International, "the demand (for donor sperm) has increased by around 500 percent over recent years, but only 10 percent of those who need access to medical treatment with donated gametes are receiving it." However, European sperm banks are closing after the enforcement of new EU regulations on staffing levels, The Guardian reported. Moreover, some EU member states require traceable donor identity and even impose tax on donor sperm as it was treated as "goods" liable to value-added tax. "Cryos stated that it was already difficult to recruit adequate numbers of donors but that rules put in place by regulators, for example the dropping of donor anonymity in some member states, had made this situation worse," the minutes noted. "Access to (non-partner) donated sperm is the key challenge in Europe," Cryos International said in the minutes. The world's largest sperm bank suggested that the EU should consider the demand and allow an open single market for sperm. SEOUL, April 23 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's military has stopped blaring loudspeaker broadcast against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in border area early on Monday to create a peaceful mood ahead of the inter-Korean summit later this week, according to Seoul's defense ministry. The ministry said in a statement that anti-DPRK broadcasts via loudspeakers sitting along the military demarcation line (MDL) have stopped from 12:00 a.m. local time Monday (1500 GMT Sunday) to ease military tensions between the two Koreas and create a reconciliatory mood for the upcoming summit. It anticipated the stoppage to be an opportunity for stopping smear and propaganda campaigns against each other and bearing fruits of peace. The peace gesture came ahead of the summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un on Friday at the border village of Panmunjom. In the vicinity of Panmunjom, called Joint Security Area, the South Korean military had operated loudspeakers to criticize the DPRK government. South Korea resumed the psychological warfare of anti-DPRK broadcasts in January 2016 in response to Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test before stopping it early Monday. The joint annual South Korea-U.S. war games, which kicked off on April 1, will highly likely halt on the summit day, according to Yonhap news agency report. The two-week-long Key Resolve command post exercise started early Monday as scheduled, but the first part of it will highly likely be suspended on the Moon-Kim summit day and resume the drill from next week, according to the report. The reconciliatory gestures came in response to the DPRK leader's decision to discontinue nuclear and missile tests and shut down its main nuclear testing facility. The decision was announced at the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea last Friday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 14:35:41|Editor: ZD Video Player Close BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has demanded solid efforts to spread the experience of east China's Zhejiang Province in building a beautiful countryside with a pleasant living environment to increase the sense of gain and happiness of all rural residents. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said that Zhejiang has made constant efforts in the past 15 years to improve the rural living environment, creating "tens of thousands of beautiful villages." "As I have said on many occasions, developed and underdeveloped areas should all get involved in improving the rural environment, though the standards may vary," Xi said. During the implementation of a three-year campaign to improve the rural living environment and the rural vitalization strategy, the country must popularize Zhejiang's experience and practices, he said, adding that measures should be targeted and adjusted to local conditions. Since 2003, Zhejiang has implemented a project to overhaul the living environment of villages. At the end of last year, 97 percent of villages in the province had completed the overhauls. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 14:40:41|Editor: ZD Video Player Close SANAA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- At least 40 people were killed or wounded late on Sunday when air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition hit a wedding ceremony in Yemen's northwestern province of Hajjah, local authorities said. "This is an initial toll of the dead and injured collected from several hospitals until now, and a dozen of the injured are in critical condition," senior health official Mohammed al-Ashwal told Xinhua by phone. A security official said the warplanes twice bombed the wedding ceremony in Alrakah village of Bani Kays district. Several houses and cars around the ceremony site were damaged in the air strikes, witnesses said. The attack was the latest among a series of air strikes resulting in the deaths of civilians by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi rebels in Yemen since more than three years ago. On Friday, the coalition's air strikes hit two civilian vehicles in the southwestern province of Taiz, killing at least 17 people who were returning home from a popular market, according to local officials and medics. The coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to support the internationally-recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi against the Shiite Houthi rebels. The rebels have seized control over much of the country's northern regions since September 2014, including the capital Sanaa, and forced Hadi and his government to flee to Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. More than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, have been killed in the conflict and three million people have been displaced, triggering one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. SEOUL, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan held talks in Seoul on Monday ahead of the summit between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) later this week, South Korea's foreign ministry said. Lee Do-hoon, chief negotiator who represents South Korea at the long-stalled six-party talks, met with his Japanese counterpart Kenji Kanasugi, the Seoul ministry said in a press release. The Japanese diplomat shared with his South Korean counterpart the result of the U.S.-Japan summit held last week, while the South Korean side explained about preparations for the upcoming summit between the two Koreas. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un agreed to meet Friday at the border village of Panmunjom. The two nuclear envoys shared assessments on recent positive changes in the Korean Peninsula situations, agreeing to make active efforts to make the inter-Korean and DPRK-U.S. summits held successfully. The inter-Korean summit is forecast to be trailed by a meeting in May or early June between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump. The six-party talks to denuclearize the peninsula, which involved South Korea, the DPRK, China, the United States, Russia and Japan, have been halted since late 2008. MOSCOW, April 23 (Xinhua)-- A group of Russian military inspectors will visit a designated district in Britain and receive briefings there about military activities by the British side, a senior Russian military official said Monday. The visit, to be carried out within the framework of Vienna Document 2011 on Confidence and Security-Building Measures, is scheduled between April 23-26, Sergei Ryzhkov, head of Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, was quoted by Sputnik news agency as saying. Russian inspectors will visit training grounds and ranges, receive briefings on military activities, formations and units in the specified area, as well as the information about Britain's military drills Joint Warrior 18/1 slated for April 21-May 4, added Ryzhkov. The Vienna Document is an agreement between the participating states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to promote information sharing and beef up regional security. The document has been revised periodically, and the provisions of the current 2011 version include an annual exchange of military information about forces located in Europe. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 15:15:49|Editor: pengying Video Player Close CHANGCHUN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The first customized Hongqi L5, or "Red Flag," China's homegrown car brand, has been bought by Chinese tycoon Cao Dewang, founder and head of the world's top auto glass manufacturer Fuyao Glass. Price of a customized Hongqi L5 starts at 6 million yuan (953,000 U.S. dollars). It is China's first independently-developed deluxe car for customized service. The car maker, Chinese automaker FAW Group, based in northeast Jilin Province, opened the sales for 100 Hongqi L5 sedans in January, and offered six basic interior design styles. A website for receiving tailor-made orders for the L5 limousines operates in seven languages. Hongqi made its debut as a parade sedan at Beijing's Tian'anmen Square during China's 10th National Day celebration in 1959. Since then, the Hongqi sedan has long been featured in parades during major national celebrations and has mostly been purchased by government departments. Cao said he bought the car out of his trust in the quality of the domestic car brand, and his desire to contribute to the development of the national auto industry. ULAN BATOR, April 23 (Xinhua) -- A total of 705,000 foreign tourists visited Mongolia in the first quarter of 2018, up 11 percent from the same period last year, data from the National Statistical Office of Mongolia showed Monday. Russia and China contributed the highest number of foreign tourists to the country in the first three months of this year, respectively accounting for 36 percent and 32.6 percent of the total. Among the leading sources of incoming tourists for Mongolia, South Korea registered robust growth, up 15.7 percent from last year to reach 7,157 during the period. KABUL, April 23 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 Afghan security force members were killed in two separate attacks in the country's western province of Badghis Sunday night, reported local media Tolo News TV on Monday. The victims included nine army soldiers and seven police personnel, according to the report. Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attacks. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 16:01:02|Editor: pengying Video Player Close QINGDAO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- An elevated railway line opened Monday in Qingdao, a port city in east China's Shandong Province, as part of the city's metro system. Travelling at up to 120 km per hour, the train on the 58-km line connects central Qingdao with the suburban district of Jimo, according to Liu Shengxiu, general manager of a local company affiliated with China Railway Construction Corporation, which built the line. The line, known as Subway No. 11, is the city's third urban rail in operation, and has 22 stations from Miaoling Road in Laoshan District to Aoshan Bay in Jimo District. It is expected to handle 50,000 to 80,000 passenger trips every day. Traversing through the coastal area, hills, springs and woods, it will offer some of the most beautiful scenery in the city. The total cost of the line was 19 billion yuan (3 billion U.S. dollars). Located on the Jiaodong Peninsula, Qingdao will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in June. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 16:21:12|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson (C) issues an apology at a special City Council session in Vancouver, Canada, on April 22, 2018. Hundreds of Vancouverites crammed into the city's Chinese Cultural Center on Sunday to witness the city government's apology for decades of history of racism against Canadian citizens of Chinese descent. (Xinhua/Liang Sen) by Evan Duggan VANCOUVER, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Vancouverites crammed into the city's Chinese Cultural Center on Sunday to witness the city government's apology for decades of history of racism against Canadian citizens of Chinese descent. The audience was so large that it overflowed the building and a live-feed had to be screened outside the center to accommodate those who couldn't squeeze in. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson issued the apology at a special City Council session held before the public audience at the cultural center in the Chinatown. He acknowledged the discrimination by the City of Vancouver that inflicted harm against Chinese residents for decades and asked for forgiveness. In the ensuing 60 years or so from 1886, various policies blocked Chinese residents from voting, holding certain jobs and living in particular parts of the city. City bylaws enforced segregation and restricted business opportunities. Vancouver's government successfully lobbied the Canadian government to wage a head tax against Chinese immigrants that lasted from 1885 to 1923. It wasn't until World War II when young Chinese-Canadians, many born in Vancouver, earned their right to vote and to receive better treatment by volunteering to fight for Canada -- a country that didn' t seem to want them. "On this day, on behalf of City Council and the City of Vancouver, I sincerely apologize for these past injustices and their cruel effects on individuals and their families, and commit to ensuring that similar unjust practices are never again allowed to fall on any group or community," Robertson said. A steady stream of applause transformed into a standing ovation from the audience as Roberston said those words. "To make an apology today I think it is very significant," said Jenny Kwan, a member of the Canadian parliament. She said it shows that the city acknowledges that what it did was wrong and it will lay the foundation for mutual respect and equality. "We must remember this history (not only) to see how far we have come, but also to say that we must never repeat this kind of discrimination; this kind of racist attitude towards any community as we move forward," she told Xinhua. "Everybody knows about the head tax, but Chinese people couldn't become lawyers, they couldn't shop in certain places, they couldn't enter certain establishments," said Canadian Senator Yuen Pau Woo. "There is a very long list of really shameful rules and regulations that were ... put in place by the city that made life unfair for Chinese people," he told Xinhua. He added that the past history shouldn't be forgiven and urged no more discrimination against others because of their ethnic origin or home country. Also at the session, Vancouver city councillor Raymond Louie, in his remarks, emotionally reflected on racism his own ancestors experienced after relocating to Vancouver decades ago. "Today is a celebration," he said. "It's a turning of the page for us to move forward, and I think there is some positive road ahead of us to make that happen." Melody Choi, a fifth-generation Chinese Canadian, was among those who joined the ceremony to officially accept the apology from the city. The 17-year-old said her relatives faced various types of discrimination in life and business, and that she's thankful that she now lives in a city free from unfair treatment. "Knowing now that I can grow up ... in a society where diversity and acceptance is just first nature is an incredible thing," she said. "When I go to school or with my community, I feel completely safe and I feel completely accepted to be who I want to be, no matter what culture I come from," said Choi. Vancouver's apology follows similar apologies issued earlier to Chinese residents and citizens by the Canadian government and the provincial government of British Columbia. Robertson said more work is needed, though, to turn the apology into a lasting legacy through education and heritage programs. "I think this is long overdue and the city's actions now are very focused on making sure we're more inclusive and that we're honoring the history of Chinese-Canadians in Vancouver," he said. City Council says attention will now turn toward seeking a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage designation for Vancouver's Chinatown. SUVA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The International Engineering Symposium started on Monday in the Fijian capital of Suva with some 300 participants from around 30 countries and regions. Speaking at the symposium with the theme of "Sustainable Infrastructure Successful Economy - The Modern Day Challenges in Infrastructure Development and Delivery," Fijian President Jioji Konrote said the symposium is appropriate in light of the realities exposed by an increasingly changing climate that people are experiencing in the world. He said that tropical cyclone Winston left devastation in its wake across a large part of Fiji in 2016, causing close to 3 billion Fijian dollars (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) in damage and displacing 45,000 people. "But we vowed to build back stronger than we were before the storm, and we are doing just that. Our schools, our infrastructure, and the whole of our society is being engineered to a higher, more resilient, and more sustainable standard," said the president. The president said developing sustainable communities was no easy task. "But we must remain committed to ensuring that livelihoods are met, that children have a stable and reliable place to learn, that people are able to visit a health center, and transport their produce to trading centers ... Sound infrastructure is a vital component of economic growth," he said. For her part, Fiji's Acting Minister for National Disaster Management Mereseini Vuniwaqa said a lot of infrastructural damage was caused during tropical cyclone Winston in Fiji two years ago and there was therefore a need for experts in the recovery and rebuilding efforts in the island nation. "There's a need for experts like construction engineers to re-look the building code and provide recommendations on how the building code can be effectively applied around different boundaries and sectors with construction activities undertaken within urban and rural boundaries," she said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 16:41:17|Editor: ZX Video Player Close By Murad Abdu ADEN, Yemen, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Frequent power outages started to hit Yemen's southern port city of Aden in recent days, leading to a partial paralyze of people's daily life activities and works. Ordinary people in Aden see the power outages as a nightmare that turns their sleepless nights to an endless suffering because of summer heat. In recent weeks, six hours without power outages are considered as a dream for most people in order to confront the scorching temperature in Aden, the temporary capital of Yemen. "We spend our nights without sleeping waiting for the electricity to be turned on again. It's unbearable," said Isa Qaid, a resident in the Tawahi district of Aden. The work proficiency in the government institutions is sharply reduced as a result of the recent power outages and interruptions that prevent the employees from completing their tasks. "Aden is a city that needs electricity 24 hours a day not three hours on and four hours off. This is exhausting and not beneficial," said Abu Yusif, an employee at Aden's culture office. "Our works mainly depend on electricity and nothing will be achieved without it. It's very necessary and essential to perform our duties properly," he said. Officials at the local government of Aden said that the deficiency in power supply and the old electricity infrastructure are causing frequent cuts everyday. "Some people are stealing electricity and the supervision of the government is either weak or absent," said Saleh Bader, an owner of a supermarket in Aden's neighborhood of KhorMaksar. "The widespread theft of electricity is increasing day after day and has become a national hobby for the majority in this city," he added. The hours-long power cuts have become part of everyday life for the people, including the university students in Aden and other neighboring southern provinces controlled by the internationally-backed government. "We used to live in darkness and permanent crises in Aden since 2011. No solutions will be made for electricity sector," said Sama Walid, a female student at Aden's University. "Some of Aden's faculties have no power generators and students have to leave their professor's lectures during the time of power outages," Sama said. She added that "the majority of the students lose concentration during the lectures and get low marks in quizzes because they don't get adequate sleeping hours overnight." With temperatures reaching up to 34 degrees, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and its allies made no measures to reduce the serious problem of power outages, according to local residents. The neighboring Gulf countries particularly the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have strong presence and influence in Aden and promised to provide the city with a power station. "Our UAE partners helped us in many things militarily and economically but there is corruption inside the Yemeni institutions," said Rashid bin Hamid, a worker at Aden's Oil Refinery. "Most of the government officials care only about themselves and provide their residential buildings with cooling methods by using high-quality generators to avoid the summer heat," Rashid said. This summer, expectations that Aden is going to witness the longest power outages that will plunge the city into darkness for an unprecedented number of times due to lack of maintenance for the old electricity power stations. Most of neighborhoods in Aden have regular power cuts every three to four hours, causing anger among people who called for demonstrations against the government. The southern port city of Aden is considered as Yemen's temporary capital and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government based itself there since 2015. The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including capital Sanaa, in 2014. Saudi Arabia leads an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Iran-backed Houthi rebels forced him into exile. SEOUL, April 23 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export growth slowed for the first 20 days of April over the appreciation of domestic currency against the U.S. dollar and protectionist moves, especially from the United States, customs office data showed Monday. Exports, which account for about half of the South Korean economy, reached 32.8 billion U.S. dollars on April 1-20, up 8.3 percent from the same period of last year, according to the Korea Customs Service. The daily average export was 2.05 billion dollars during the period, up 4.9 percent from a year earlier. It was down from a 9.3-percent expansion in the same period of March. The lower export growth came as the South Korean currency gained against the greenback, reducing the repatriated value of export proceeds. The U.S. protectionist moves toward South Korea was also a negative factor for the export-driven economy. Global demand remained strong for locally-made semiconductors, of which outbound shipment soared 49.5 percent in the cited period. Exports for oil products jumped 37.2 percent, but those for telecommunications devices, such as smartphone, sank 34.8 percent as local companies increased production in overseas factories. Imports advanced 20.8 percent to 30.9 billion dollars in the period, sending the trade surplus to 1.94 billion dollars. PHNOM PENH, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) Vice President Samdech Say Chhum was re-elected the president of the Senate in the fourth mandate on Monday. All 62 senators, who were present during the first session, unanimously elected him as the president. They also voted for CPP senators Nay Pena and Tep Ngorn as the first vice-president and the second vice-president, respectively. Speaking after the votes, Say Chhum extended his thanks to all the senators for electing him as the president and the two other senators as the first and second vice-presidents. "We will work more active to enhance social democratization with the aim of ensuring social and economic development, protecting the common interests of the people and enhancing the quality of living conditions of the people," he said. The senate, or the upper house, has 62 seats, but the February election was held for 58 seats only, as two senators were appointed by the king and two others were nominated by the National Assembly, or the lower house. In the February election, which was voted by the members of parliament and the commune councilors, the CPP of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen won all 58 senate seats. The senate was established in 1999 with a term of six years. SEOUL, April 23 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in viewed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) decision to shut down its main nuclear test facility as a peace gesture ahead of the inter-Korean and DPRK-U.S. summits. "North Korea (the DPRK) declared the discontinuance of nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile test-launches. As a practical measure, it declared the shutdown its Punggye-ri nuclear test site," Moon said at a meeting with his senior secretaries, according to the presidential Blue House. Moon saw the DPRK's decision as a "sincere measure" ahead of the inter-Korean and DPRK-U.S. summits. Moon and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un will meet on Friday at the border village of Panmunjom. It is expected to be followed in May or early June by a meeting between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump. Kim said at the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea last week that his country will suspend nuclear and missile tests, and close the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, where all of Pyongyang's six nuclear detonations were conducted. China, the United States, Russia and Japan have all expressed appreciation and support to the DPRK's decision, Moon said. Moon said the decision raised the possibility of making the inter-Korean and DPRK-U.S. summits a success. In response to Pyongyang's peace gesture, the South Korean military has stopped blaring anti-DPRK broadcast via loudspeakers along the military demarcation line (MDL) from 12:00 a.m. local time Monday (1500 GMT Sunday). Seoul's defense ministry said in a statement that the action was taken to defuse inter-Korean military tensions along the border and create a peaceful atmosphere ahead of the upcoming summit. The ministry anticipated the stoppage to be an opportunity for stopping smear and propaganda campaigns against each other and bearing fruits of peace. The anti-DPRK broadcast had been blared from loudspeakers installed near Panmunjom, called Joint Security Area in which Moon and Kim is set to hold a historic summit meeting. South Korea resumed the psychological warfare of broadcasts in January 2016 in response to Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test, before stopping it early Monday. The joint annual springtime South Korea-U.S. war games, which kicked off on April 1, are highly likely to be halted on the summit day, according to Yonhap news agency report. The two-week-long Key Resolve command post exercise started early Monday as scheduled, but the first part of it will likely be suspended on Friday, according to the report. Combined forces of South Korea and the United States conduct the annual war games from February or early March, but this year's drills were delayed over the South Korea-hosted Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games in February and March, respectively. The DPRK sent hundreds of athletes, art performers and cheerleaders as well as political delegations to the winter games in South Korea's PyeongChang county, leading to high-level talks between the two Koreas in about two years and an agreement to the third inter-Korean summit. PHNOM PENH, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The population of critically endangered river dolphins in the Mekong River in Cambodia has risen from 80 to 92 in the past two years, the first increase since records began more than 20 years ago, said a new census result released on Monday. The census was conducted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Cambodian government, said a WWF statement. The statement said effective river patrolling by teams of river guards and strict confiscation of illegal gillnets, which accidentally trapped and drowned dolphins, were the main reasons for this historic increase. "After years of hard work, we finally have reason to believe that these iconic dolphins can be protected against extinction -- thanks to the combined efforts of the government, WWF, the tourism industry and local communities," said Seng Teak, country director of WWF-Cambodia. "The tour boat operators are the secret ingredient in this success story as they work closely with law enforcement to report poaching and help confiscate illegal gillnets," he said. The statement said the first official census in 1997 estimated that there were 200 Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong, a figure that fell steadily due to bycatch and habitat loss until there were only 80 left in 2015. But now the decline appears to be on the mend. According to the statement, the surveys also pointed toward encouraging signs for the long-term health of the population with an improvement in the survival rate of dolphins into adulthood, an increase in the number of calves and a drop in overall deaths. It said two dolphins died in 2017 compared with nine in 2015, while nine new calves brought the number of dolphins born in the past three years to 32. "River dolphins are indicators of the health of the Mekong River and their recovery is a hopeful sign for the river and the millions of people who depend on it," said Teak. Eng Cheasan, director-general of Cambodia's Fisheries Administration, said the Mekong dolphin was considered Cambodia's living national treasure and the results of this census reflected many years of continuous efforts to protect this species. "We will continue our conservation efforts to rebuild its population by eliminating all threats to the survival of this species," he said. The surveys covered 190 km of the main channel of the Mekong River in eastern Kratie and northern Stung Treng provinces, the statement said, adding that the surveys were done in both directions with teams photographing dolphins and comparing the distinctive marks on their backs and dorsal fins against a database of known dolphins. The Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphins have been listed as critically endangered on the World Conservation Union Red List of Threatened Species since 2004. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 17:51:32|Editor: ZX Video Player Close NEW YORK, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Due to the spread of human activities around the world, the cow could be left as the biggest land mammal on Earth in just a few centuries, a new study has found. The study, published in the journal Science, examines the trends of extinction of large mammals over 125,000 years. The spread of hominims since thousands of years ago coincided with the extinction of megafauna such as the mammoth and the glyptodon, an armadillo-like creature with the size of a car, as such big animals were usually targeted by humans for meat, according to the study. "There is a very clear pattern of size-biased extinction that follows the migration of hominims out of Africa," the study's lead author, Flisa Smith of the University of New Mexico, was quoted by the Guardian as saying. In North America, the mean body mass of land mammals has dropped from 98 kg to 7.6 kg since the arrival of humans. If such a trend continues, "the largest mammal on Earth in a few hundred years may well be a domestic cow at about 900 kg," the researcher concluded.h That would mean the extinction of elephants, giraffes and hippos, among others. Despite the conservation efforts, Smith pointed out that the populations of large land mammals were falling and "declining population is the trajectory to extinction." The world's last male northern white rhino named Sudan died in Kenya in March. Yemeni men are seen at a power station after it was hit by airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led coalition in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 20, 2018. (Xinhua/MOHAMMED MOHAMMED) By Murad Abdu ADEN, Yemen, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Frequent power outages started to hit Yemen's southern port city of Aden in recent days, leading to a partial paralyze of people's daily life activities and works. Ordinary people in Aden see the power outages as a nightmare that turns their sleepless nights to an endless suffering because of summer heat. In recent weeks, six hours without power outages are considered as a dream for most people in order to confront the scorching temperature in Aden, the temporary capital of Yemen. "We spend our nights without sleeping waiting for the electricity to be turned on again. It's unbearable," said Isa Qaid, a resident in the Tawahi district of Aden. The work proficiency in the government institutions is sharply reduced as a result of the recent power outages and interruptions that prevent the employees from completing their tasks. "Aden is a city that needs electricity 24 hours a day not three hours on and four hours off. This is exhausting and not beneficial," said Abu Yusif, an employee at Aden's culture office. "Our works mainly depend on electricity and nothing will be achieved without it. It's very necessary and essential to perform our duties properly," he said. Officials at the local government of Aden said that the deficiency in power supply and the old electricity infrastructure are causing frequent cuts everyday. "Some people are stealing electricity and the supervision of the government is either weak or absent," said Saleh Bader, an owner of a supermarket in Aden's neighborhood of KhorMaksar. "The widespread theft of electricity is increasing day after day and has become a national hobby for the majority in this city," he added. The hours-long power cuts have become part of everyday life for the people, including the university students in Aden and other neighboring southern provinces controlled by the internationally-backed government. "We used to live in darkness and permanent crises in Aden since 2011. No solutions will be made for electricity sector," said Sama Walid, a female student at Aden's University. "Some of Aden's faculties have no power generators and students have to leave their professor's lectures during the time of power outages," Sama said. She added that "the majority of the students lose concentration during the lectures and get low marks in quizzes because they don't get adequate sleeping hours overnight." A man walks on rubble of a power station after it was hit by airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led coalition in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 20, 2018. (Xinhua/MOHAMMED MOHAMMED) With temperatures reaching up to 34 degrees, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and its allies made no measures to reduce the serious problem of power outages, according to local residents. The neighboring Gulf countries particularly the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have strong presence and influence in Aden and promised to provide the city with a power station. "Our UAE partners helped us in many things militarily and economically but there is corruption inside the Yemeni institutions," said Rashid bin Hamid, a worker at Aden's Oil Refinery. "Most of the government officials care only about themselves and provide their residential buildings with cooling methods by using high-quality generators to avoid the summer heat," Rashid said. This summer, expectations that Aden is going to witness the longest power outages that will plunge the city into darkness for an unprecedented number of times due to lack of maintenance for the old electricity power stations. Most of neighborhoods in Aden have regular power cuts every three to four hours, causing anger among people who called for demonstrations against the government. The southern port city of Aden is considered as Yemen's temporary capital and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government based itself there since 2015. The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including capital Sanaa, in 2014. SEOUL, April 23 (Xinhua) -- South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) reached an agreement on protocol, security and media coverage for the third inter-Korean summit later this week, the Blue House of South Korea said Monday. Kwun Hyuk-ki, director of Chunchugwan, the Blue House press center, told a press briefing that the two sides finally agreed the issues after holding three rounds of working-level dialogues. The third talks of working-level officials from the two Koreas were held for three and a half hours earlier in the day at the border village of Panmunjom ahead of the summit scheduled for Friday at the border village. Kwun said South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un will make a historic first encounter early Friday, before holding a summit meeting and a welcome banquet respectively. The two sides agreed to exchange the list of entourages who will accompany the two leaders to Panmunjom at an earliest possible date, Kwun said. The DPRK allowed South Korean journalists to live broadcast the summit meeting from Panmungak, a DPRK building located across a narrow road from pavilions that sit in the middle of Panmunjom and straddle the two Koreas. The DPRK leader was forecast to cross the military demarcation line (MDL), marked only by a low concrete slab on a narrow aisle between the pavilions, on foot. Kim is expected to be greeted by Moon right in front of the cement slab. Meanwhile, the South Korean side planned to rehearse the summit schedules at Panmunjom Tuesday. The following day, a joint rehearsal of the two sides will be held, the Chunchugwan director said. A DPRK advance team will stay in the South Korean side of Panmunjom from Wednesday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 18:31:44|Editor: ZX Video Player Close ASUNCION, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Mario Abdo Benitez, the presidential candidate of the ruling Colorado Party, won Paraguay's presidential election on Sunday, data released by the country's election tribunal showed. According to results released by the Superior Court of Electoral Justice (TSJE) of Paraguay, Benitez garnered 46.44 percent of the vote, compared with 42.74 percent for his main rival Efrain Alegre from the opposition Ganar Alliance, after 99.67 percent of ballots were counted. Below is a profile of Benitez. Benitez was born in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, on Nov. 10, 1971. He is the son of the late private secretary of dictator Alfredo Stroessner, who ruled Paraguay with an iron fist for 35 years. He was 17 years old and was living in the United States when the regime of Stroessner fell in February 1989. In the same year, he joined the Paraguayan Armed Forces and obtained the rank of second lieutenant in the airforce reserves before training as a paratrooper. Benitez later obtained a bachelor's degree in marketing at Teikyo Post University in Connecticut, the United States in 1995. His first marriage was to Fatima Maria Diaz Benza, with whom he had two children. After they separated, he married Silvana Lopez Moreira. He entered politics in 2005, according to the biography published on his website "maritoabdo.com," as a member of the Republican National Reconstruction movement within the Colorado Party. In 2008, after the Colorado Party lost power, Benitez was elected vice-president of the party, a position he held until 2011. In 2013, he was elected to the Senate and became known as a close ally of outgoing President Horacio Cartes. He was then elected leader of the Colorado caucus in the Senate, a position he held for the 2015-2016 legislative session. In June 2017, he announced his candidacy for the presidency of the Colorado Party and faced off against another strong contender, Santiago Pena. On Dec. 17, 2017, Benitez defeated Pena and won the primary from Colorado Party members. On March 1, 2018, he resigned from the Senate to focus on campaigning ahead of the elections. Benitez will take office and begin a five-year term in August when he succeeds Cartes. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 18:31:45|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- China dispatched a working group with medical experts to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at noon Monday after a major road accident occurred Sunday night in the country, the Foreign Ministry said Monday afternoon. The accident, which occurred in North Hwanghae Province, south of Pyongyang, killed 32 Chinese tourists and four DPRK personnel, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a routine press briefing. Two Chinese tourists were seriously injured and their situation is extremely critical, according to Lu. He said China conveys profound condolences to the Chinese nationals and DPRK personnel who were killed in the accident, and expresses deep sympathy to the injured and the families of the victims. After the accident, the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese embassy in the DPRK promptly launched an emergency mechanism and spared no efforts to handle the accident, said Lu. The DPRK side attaches great importance to the accident, he said, noting that relevant DPRK departments have been actively cooperating with the Chinese side to carry out rescue, rehabilitation and investigation work. China will maintain close communication and coordination with the DPRK side and push forward follow-up work, said the spokesman. SYDNEY, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The News South Wales State Library, Australia's oldest library, is making efforts to promote reading and literacy throughout the community, library officials told Xinhua recently. A wide range of activities took place on Monday at the library to mark the World Book Day. Held on the anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, the World Book Day is an opportunity for lovers of literature to promote reading, publishing and copyright. "With collections of more than 6 million items including books in foreign languages, in particular Chinese, a lot of them are available to read on site, but we also lend them through our public library network," manager of research and discovery Maggie Patton told Xinhua. "We also have some much older manuscripts and rare books in Chinese as well." Dating back to 1826, the library located in the center of Sydney showed off some of its rarest and most iconic works of literature to the public on Monday, including Shakespeare's four folios, a first edition of Jane Austen's Emma and various editions of Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote. Apart from holding some of the greatest works of literature, Patton said the state library is often flooded by students looking for non-fiction as well. "We have lots of students coming in looking for books on business, economics and commerce," she said. In order to cater for this younger market and make the most of the extraordinary collection, the library has been trying hard to keep up with the digital trends. "We have our traditional services, where we expect people to come in and have a look at the material here, but we also have a huge online service through our website and we subscribe to numerous electronic journals and electronic books," Patton said. "We also have a massive digitization program, where we're digitalizing some of the materials so it can be viewed online from anywhere in the world." The library is also working to promote reading and literacy throughout the community. One of the roles of the state facility is to help fund a public network of 300 libraries across New South Wales. "Onsite in the library we have a fantastic learning services team and they do a lot of programs for young people, from kindergarten through to high school graduation," Patton said. "They do reading, they do author talks, there are lots of activities through reading here in the library." The good news is the effort seems to be paying off. "I like to pop in here if I can once a week, just to have a walk and have a look around," visitor to the historic library Paul Traynor told Xinhua. "I really like the fact that the library here has some exhibitions that aren't strictly to do with literature necessarily, it could be artwork and photography, but how they relate back to the literature which inform those things or were written about those things." BRUSSELS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving suspect of the 2015 Paris attacks, and co-defendant Sofien Ayari were sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Belgian federal court on Monday. After a tense ten-hour deliberation, the federal prosecutor announced that a maximum sentence of 20 years will be given to Abdeslam and accomplice Ayari for attempted murder on police officers in Brussels on March 15, 2016, three days before their arrests. The Criminal Court of Brussels overruled a plead made by civil party V-Europe, an association which brings together 200 victims of the Brussels attacks,in which they claimed that the arrests of Abdeslam and Ayari precipitated the attacks in Brussels that occurred four days after their arrest, reports Belgian newspaper "Le Soir". After the trial in Belgium, Abdeslam will face longer court proceedings in France over his involvement in the Paris attacks in 2015. He will be detained in a prison in France and trialed in due course. On November 13, 2015, France suffered the worst terrorist attack on its own soil. The attackers, armed with assault rifles and explosives, targeted at six locations across the city, killing 130 people and injuring more than 400 people. Abdeslam was responsible for logistics for the group by hiring cars, hotel rooms and driving the attackers himself to the sites where the attacks took place. He had planned to blow himself up at the Stade de France before backing out at the last minute. He was captured on March 18, 2016 during a police raid in the district of Molenbeek in Brussels, ending an intensive four-month manhunt. Four days after Abdeslam's capture, 32 people died in a suicide blast at Brussels international airport and at one of the city's busiest metro station. Soon after his arrest, Abdeslam was extradited to France. PUL-E-ALAM, Afghanistan, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Militants of Taliban insurgent group have destroyed three mobile phone towers in Afghanistan's eastern province of Logar, cutting off communication in parts of the province, a local official said Monday. Provincial government spokesman Salim Saleh told Xinhua that the militants struck three local mobile operators' telecommunication towers in Ghazni Khil locality of Mohammad Agha district Sunday night. The attackers set ablaze and destroyed the electricity systems' masts and destroyed all facilities of the towers. No security guards of the towers were hurt following the attacks and security personnel launched a manhunt for the attackers, who were believed to have escaped to their hideouts in nearby mountains. The militants warned local mobile operators to shut down their operation during the night in remote districts, in an effort to prevent providing security tips by local to the security forces. Violence has been on the rise as Afghan security forces struggle against a surge in attacks by anti-government fighters since the drawdown of foreign forces within the past three years. LAGOS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 people have been confirmed dead following an attack on a farming community in the central Nigerian state of Kogi early Sunday by unknown gunmen. Khalid Bukar, head of Mozum community, who briefed reporters about the incident late on Sunday, said the violence unleashed in his domain has spread to two other communities with death toll jumping from 10 to 16. State police chief Ali Janga earlier said 10 people were killed when gunmen invaded Kpanche town in Kogi. The police said the dead included five residents of the community while five of the armed bandits were killed during a cross fire with security agents. OSLO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The decline in the number of people immigrated to Norway in 2017 is the largest ever and is largely due to the drop in immigrants from Syria, the country's statistics bureau said on Monday. A total of 58,200 people immigrated to Norway, a country with a population of nearly 5.3 million, in 2017, 8,600 fewer than the previous year, Statistics Norway said in a report. Of the total people immigrated to Norway, 8,400 were Norwegian citizens and 49,800 were foreign. The decline from one year to another has never been greater since records began in 1958. A total of 5,100 fewer people immigrated to Norway from Asia, of which 4,200 were from Syria. Much of the explanation for the decline lies in the introduction of border controls in the Schengen area and in the EU-Turkey Agreement that were introduced in spring of 2016 to limit the asylum flow to Europe in the wake of the refugee crisis that occurred in autumn 2015. A total of 36,800 people emigrated in 2017, which is a fall of 3,900. Of these, 10,200 were Norwegian citizens and 26,600 were foreigners. Net immigration to Norway was 21,300 in 2017, down 4,700 from the previous year. The decline was a result of 8,600 fewer immigrations and 3,900 fewer emigrations, according to the report. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 19:32:03|Editor: pengying Video Player Close by Jamil Bhatti ISLAMABAD, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The completion of some of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects has brought great benefits to local people, but "it is just a beginning of CPEC and a big change is taking place around," Shaukat Paracha, a senior Pakistani journalist said. Paracha told Xinhua during his recent visit to Port Qasim Coal-fired Power Plant, the first unit of which started to generate clean and cheap electricity to the energy-thirsty country last year, marking the second of the major energy projects under CPEC. The 1,320-megawatt power plant in full operation could provide enough power to about 4 million local families a year. Ziaul Amin, a reporter from the Associated Press of Pakistan, has reported CPEC for a long time, but had never before visited Gwadar, another major CPEC project. After the recent Gwadar visit organized by the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan and the country's ministry of planning and development, Amin said local people were very happy over the hospital and training center facilitated under CPEC. "CPEC is expected to provide 800,000 jobs to Pakistani people in next few years, which would be a great contribution to relieve Pakistan's high unemployment rate," Amin added From a small, remote and less developed fishing village, Gwadar port now is embracing its new identity of Pakistan's "Shenzhen" with fully functional port terminal, free zone, business center and, more importantly, a visible future of development and prosperity. According to the China Overseas Ports Holding Co., the operator of Gwadar port, some 30 companies in different businesses such as hotel, bank, logistics and fish processing have already joined the Gwadar free zone with expectations of generating 790.5 million U.S. dollars annually after full operation. In January, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi inaugurated the first phase of Gwadar Port's Free Zone, expecting that the free zone will improve Pakistan's trade with regional and global partners under CPEC to bring dividends of free trade to Pakistani economy and betterment in people's lives. Yasir Rehman, an anchor from the official Pakistan Television, explained that "when infrastructure is developed, it brings stimulus to the economy, creates jobs and improves businesses by starting a constructive process." "Uninterrupted power supply from CPEC energy projects will help Pakistani industries increase production creating an ideal atmosphere for Pakistan's economy. And with the functionalized Gwadar port for its regular commercial cargo, CPEC will leave significant improvements at every common Pakistani." Rehman also appreciated the Chinese companies working on CPEC for fulfilling their corporate social responsibilities. "I saw local girls studying in a school established with Chinese support in Gwadar, and if it would not have been established, these girls could not have any possibility to go to any other area for studies due to local taboos," said Rehman, adding that education is the right prescription to eliminate poverty. Hospitals, schools and vocational training centers were a dream in once a small fishing town of Gwadar, but now the youngsters from Gwadar are being provided with the ideal facilities to study in and have a chance to change their lives. "A chance of development is coming to Pakistan, and we all together including political, military and intellectual leadership should grab it. We should make collective efforts so that CPEC can become a collective benefit for the whole region," Paracha told Xinhua. PARIS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The National Assembly, France's lower house of parliament, has endorsed by a large majority a new bill to handle migration crisis and asylum requests. "The ( National) Assembly adopted the draft law for controlled immigration, effective right of asylum and successful integration," it said in a statement. The decision came on late Sunday. A total of 228 deputies voted in favor, 139 deputies against and 24 abstained, it added. With new measures balancing between efficiency and humanity, the government aims to double to 90 days the time in which illegal migrants can be detained and shorten the deadlines for applying for asylum to six months. It also wants to make illegal crossing of borders an offence punishable by one year in jail and fines and to quickly sent home illegal economic migrants. French President Emmanuel Macron's Republic on the Move (LREM) party has so far be very united. However, the new migration rules triggered disquiet in his camp that may test his majority. 14 members of the LERM abstained and the lawmaker Jean-Michel Clement opposed the bill. "I decided to take leave from the parliamentary group 'the Republic on the Move' from this day, "Clement said in a statement following the vote. After the National Assembly's approval, the bill will pass to the Senate for debate in June. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 20:15:17|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Fire fighters try to extinguish fire at a rubber warehouse in West Sumatra, Indonesia, on April 23, 2018. No casualties were reported so far. (Xinhua/Amanda) Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 20:07:10|Editor: pengying Video Player Close SUVA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- China's assistance has made great contributions to the development of Vanuatu and has earned wide recognition and appreciation from both the government and its people, said the Chinese ambassador to the South Pacific Island state on Monday. Speaking in his article named "The road to common development," which is also published by the island nation's Daily Post newspaper, Chinese Ambassador Liu Quan said China's aid to Vanuatu has been increasing year by year. "Chinese people believe that China will do well only when the world does well. As the second largest economy and permanent member of UN security council, China is determined to fulfill its international responsibilities and obligations," he said. "Within its ability, China provides its assistance to other developing countries under the framework of South-South cooperation, to help other developing countries, especially the least developed countries, to achieve UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals." The ambassador stressed that when providing foreign assistance, China adheres to the principles of not imposing any political conditions, not interfering in the internal affairs of the recipient countries and fully respecting their right to independently choosing their own paths and models of development. The basic principles that China upholds in providing foreign assistance are mutual respect, equality, keeping promise, mutual benefits and win-win. According to the ambassador, most of the projects in Vanuatu are funded by Chinese grants, including the National Convention Center, Prime Minister's Office, Korman Stadium and Malapoa College. As for the the concessional loan, he pointed out that China always bears in mind the debt-paying ability and solvency of Vanuatu, avoiding heavy debt burden to the government. With joint efforts, China-Vanuatu relations are in an excellent shape and it has set a good example for China's ties with other pacific island countries, the ambassador said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 20:17:15|Editor: pengying Video Player Close BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Monday asked the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to take "all necessary means" immediately to handle a major road accident there involving Chinese tourists. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, called for "all-out" effort to rescue the injured and handle ensuing issues for the deceased. A tourist bus fell from a bridge in North Hwanghae Province at around 6 p.m. Sunday. The victims included 34 Chinese -- 32 were killed and two were seriously injured. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 20:22:18|Editor: pengying Video Player Close BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- China regards boosting the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as one of its diplomatic priorities, said President Xi Jinping Monday, adding that he believes the upcoming SCO summit in the coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, in June will be a success. Xi made the remarks in a group meeting with foreign ministers from Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as with SCO secretary-general, and the director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Executive Committee. They are in Beijing to attend the meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers, scheduled for Tuesday. MANILA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government urged the left rebels anew on Monday to get on board the peace process, saying the offer to end the insurgency could be final. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that the 60-day timeframe set by President Rodrigo Duterte to revive the peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA), was just enough to achieve the parties' shared agenda of addressing the root cause of the decades-long rebellion. "The problem is we've been talking peace with them for years and years and years. There is no end. So I think the president said that this is our last chance," Roque told reporters at the Malacanang presidential palace. "I don't think there's a divergence of views on the root causes of rebellion; it is poverty. So if the government and the CPP-NPA will agree to address the root causes, then it should not even take 60 days," Roque said. He said both sides have a common goal, and that is to have a better life for Filipinos. He said the 60-day period would start as soon as both sides clearly agree upon the specific conditions for the revival of the peace talks. "No target ... as far as I know, both have to agree to resume peace talks and the 60-day period should be reckoned from that day," Roque said. LJUBLJANA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Slovenian police patrolling the area along the Kolpa boundary river with Croatia in the south of Slovenia apprehended 14 illegal migrants at the weekend, the national media reported. The Novo Mesto Police Department police report from the region said on Sunday an as yet unidentified body was recovered from the river, according to the Slovenian Press Agency STA. The 14 migrants apprehended in the areas along the Kolpa river have applied for asylum and will be taken to the asylum centre once police procedures have been completed. Nine of them are citizens of Algeria, four are from Pakistan and one from Tunisia. Even though the Slovenian police have not established the dead body related to the illegal migrants, more cases would happen as spring and summer come according to the experience from previous years. The Novo Mesto Police recorded 196 migrants crossing illegally into Slovenia across the Kolpa between September 2017 and February 2018, which compares to 46 between January and August 2017. WARSAW, April 23 (Xinhua) -- European Council President Donald Tusk has been questioned on Monday at a Warsaw district court in the ongoing investigation into 2010 Smolensk air disaster in Russia. "Politically, I was not responsible for President Lech Kaczynski's visit to Katyn on April 10, 2010", the former Polish prime Minister told the court. "It is not the prime minister's competence to deal with the logistic side of this kind of undertakings and initiatives" as foreign visits of the head of state, Tusk said. "It is not and should not be the task of the prime minister or the president to influence any decision regarding the landing place, time or the direction of the flight", he added. Tusk also added that he had no knowledge about any risk involved in landing at the Smolensk airport. Donald Tusk's former chancellery head, Tomasz Arabski and four other officials are accused by some families of the Smolensk crash victims, of negligence during organizing then-President Lech Kaczynski's visit to Katyn on April 10, 2010. Their trial started in March 2016, they plead not guilty. Tusk has previously been questioned as a witness in August 2017. On April 10, 2010, a Polish government plane with then Polish president, first lady and dozens of senior government officials and military commanders crashed near a military airfield in Smolensk, western Russia, killing all 96 people on board. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 20:42:28|Editor: pengying Video Player Close BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday called a recent U.S. report on human rights "biased," saying its attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs was "doomed to fail." "China has lodged representations to the United States over it," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang at a daily press briefing. His comments were made with reference to the global human rights report for 2017 released by the U.S. State Department, which criticized human rights in China. "The United States releases such report year after year, and points fingers at other countries. Most members of the international community are disgusted with this," Lu said. He said this year's report, as always, ignored facts and was heavily biased. "China has clearly informed the United States that its attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs and hinder China's development was in vain in the past, and will not succeed in the future," Lu said. "The Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting and advancing human rights,and historic progress has been achieved in human rights. The Chinese people have the best say in this regard," he said. "China is in favor of talks and exchanges among countries on human rights based on equality and mutual trust," he said. "Most countries, including China, are opposed to politicizing the human rights issue." (File photo)Xie Xiaoyan, China's special envoy to Syria, speaks to Chinese and Egyptian media representatives in Cairo, Egypt on April 23, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe) CAIRO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- A political settlement is the only way out of the ongoing Syrian crisis, China's Special Envoy for Syria Xie Xiaoyan said on Sunday. Speaking at a press conference in Cairo, Xie expressed concern over the current perilous situation in Syria, while urging the involved countries to de-escalate the situation and resort to dialogue instead. "China has always rejected the use of force or the threat of the use of force in international relations," he reiterated, adding that Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity should be respected. The Chinese diplomat said China is convinced that there is no military solution to the Syrian issue and the only way out is a political settlement. He urged all related parties on the Syrian issue to return to the track of peace talks. Syria has for years been plagued by instability due to the conflicts between Syrian government forces with the armed rebels and the declining militant group Islamic State (IS). The forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are backed by Russia, Iran and Shiite militias loyal to Iran including Lebanon's Hezbollah. Russian troops in Syria have been launching bombing raids in support of the government forces, while a U.S.-led international coalition has been launching airstrikes against IS targets in the conflict-stricken country. Smoke is seen rising from Hajar al-Aswad area, south of Damascus, Syria, on April 22, 2018, as a result of the Syrian shelling and airstrikes on positions of the Islamic State (IS) in that area. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani) The U.S., together with its allies Britain and France, also launched a missile strike on Syria on April 14 over the allegations of Syrian government's use of chemical weapons in the town of Douma near the Syrian capital Damascus early April. Xie voiced China's rejection of any use of chemical weapons and underscore the need for a comprehensive, just and objective probe into the alleged gas attack in Syria. The Chinese envoy noted that China maintains communication with all parties involved in the Syrian issue, adding that China has invited delegates from the Syrian government and opposition parties respectively to visit China to promote a political settlement. China cares about the humanitarian crisis the Syrian people are going through and has already provided 740 million yuan (about 117.5 million U.S. dollars) in aid for Syrian refugees, he said. During Xie's visit in Egypt, he met with officials of Egyptian Foreign Ministry and other agencies to discuss the Syrian issue. He praised Egypt for working positively to resolve the Syrian crisis, adding that China is to continue consultation and coordination with Egypt and other countries to realize the political settlement of the Syrian issue. ISLAMABAD, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Senior Pakistani and U.S. diplomats held talks here on Monday amid tensions over tit-for-tat travel restrictions on each other's diplomats, officials said. Pakistan confirmed on April 19 that the United States is expected to impose restrictions on the movement of Pakistani diplomats and consular staff in Washington from May 1. Earlier, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon said in Washington that the Trump administration will place curbs on Pakistani diplomats because Islamabad had already imposed similar restrictions on U.S. diplomats in Pakistan. Visiting U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells met Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua on bilateral and regional issues that also focus on peace and security in Afghanistan. Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal confirmed the meeting on his Twitter but offered no more comments. This is Wells' second visit in less than a month. She paid a week-long visit to Pakistan late last month after she attended an international conference on Afghanistan in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on March 26-27. Pakistan and the United States announced restrictions on diplomats after a U.S. Embassy vehicle driven by Colonel Joseph Emanual Hall, defense and air attache of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, killed a Pakistani motorcyclist in Islamabad on April 7. A police report said another bike rider, who was injured in the same accident, informed the investigators that the U.S. diplomat had violated signals on the 7th Avenue-Margalla Road junction. The Foreign Ministry spokesman said the government awaits the outcome of preliminary investigations from Islamabad Police, based on which further actions would be initiated against the U.S. diplomat. KIEV, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The State Secretary of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Olexandr Dublyan said on Monday that the Ukraine's military is making progress in adopting NATO standards. According to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Dublyan told local reporters that over 60 percent of the bodies involved in military administration have been brought in line with NATO standards. Furthermore, the Ukrainian army currently uses 668 NATO along with 975 Ukrainian regulations during the training of its military troops, Dublyan said. According to Dublyan, about 1,400 Ukrainian military instructors, 10 battalions and 25 squadrons have been trained in accordance with the standards of the alliance. The Ukrainian government has defined 2020 as a benchmark for when Ukraine should achieve NATO standards. BRUSSELS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The European Union(EU) and the United Nations(UN) are set to co-chair a two-day international conference starting from Tuesday in Brussels, aiming to pump financial aid for Syrians and garner political support for UN-led intra-Syrian talks. The conference, the second of its kind since 2017, will bring together participants from more than 85 countries and organizations at ministerial level, as well as those from more than 200 non-governmental organizations(NGOs), according to the Council of the EU. The first day's meeting focuses on dialogues with NGOs from Syria and the region, which are expected to provide "concrete operational recommendations" to the ministerial meeting on the second day. In the aftermath of the U.S.-led airstrikes on alleged chemical weapon-related facilities in Syria earlier this month, the conference gets more international attention than the previous one in April 4-5, 2017, during which international donors pledged 5.6 billion euros (6.85 billion U.S. dollars)in aid for 2017 and 3.47 billion euros for 2018-2020. The EU and its member states are the top donors in Syria and the region, having mobilized over 10.6 billion euros in humanitarian aid and stabilization assistance since 2011, the Council data showed. Despite lending its weight to the targeted airstrikes earlier this month, the Council underlined that " there can be no military solution to the conflict and strongly supports the work of the UN Special Envoy and the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva." "We would like to use the Brussels conference to send a clear message from the international community that the fighting has to stop and that the political process has to start," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on March 19 at a press conference following the bloc's monthly foreign affairs council. The UN-backed intra-Syrian negotiations have been suspended since the ninth round, which was held in Vienna on January 25-26, ended up with a truce between the warring sides in Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus. The eighth round of the talks concluded in Geneva on Dec. 14, 2017, making little progress due to a wide rift. According to UN data, the Syrian crisis over the past six years has caused 330,000 deaths and displaced half of the country's population, with 13.5 million people in need of humanitarian aid. (1 euro = 1.22 U.S. dollars) VALLETTA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Like many war victims, Iranian-born Maltese artist Lida Sherafatmand is still living in the shadow of war, but has found a way to self-salvation through painting flowers as a hopeful message for peace. "I think if more spaces are given to things which are gentle and soft, there will be less space available for violent things, for harmful things," Sherafatmand told Xinhua about the ideas behind her war-related art. Sherafamand was two years old during the Iranian revolution and age three when the Iran-Iraq war started in 1980. "We had to flee our city, first to another city in Iran and eventually we had to leave the country," she said. "It has left quite a big impact on me as a person, in my worldview and also the development of my art." When she was 14, her family became the first to be granted refugee status in Malta. Now she calls herself an "adopted daughter of Malta." Despite the difficulties she has undergone, Sherafamand has made a conscious effort to create art that has a positive message. "I had to sort out all these questions and then I had to sort out also what brings people to such a state where they just kill each other." Sherafamand studied international relations and politics in university, and then went on to try to help resolve conflict using painting as a medium. In 2010, Sherafamand formed her artistic style which she called "florescencism": a large number of multiplying flowers flowing in a direction, with ancient symbols of warmth and beauty to create a sense of abundance, growth and peace. "They are very beautiful and are recognized as beautiful by people in different countries. I express our internal emotions and experiences through these flowers," Sherafamand explains. "Also, from a medical point of view, almost every flower has a therapeutic function that makes people relaxed and calm, and I hope that the flowers I draw will eliminate anger and make people give up violence," she added. "Florescencism" was gradually acknowledged by the art world and earned Sherafatmand a series of international awards including the United Nations "Artist for Peace" prize. Recently, Sherafatmand has completed a painting to contest war called the "Florinal" which is based on Marcel Duchamp's fountain. "We already know war is ugly," she said, but rather than regurgitate this sentiment Sherafatmand has chosen to focus on more productive alternatives. "I am trying to create that feeling of the alternative because very often we want peace, but we don't have a vision of what it might look like. I am trying to think about how that peaceful warm caring atmosphere could feel like." In addition to allowing people to imagine a better world, Sherafatmand has found that painting has helped her deal with conflict at an early age and it continues to do so until now. "It has allowed me to experience the peace I could not get in my outside environment." Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 20:57:35|Editor: ZX Video Player Close GENEVA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Several members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), including Russia, China and India, on Monday expressed their concerns or disappointment with the recent decision by the United States to impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum products, during a meeting of WTO Safeguards Committee. Seven members, including Russia, India, Venezuela, Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, and Singapore, jointed China, which raised the matter, to express their respective concerns. For its part, Washington insisted the tariffs were taken on grounds of national security and were not a safeguard action, thus there were no grounds for request from members for consultations with the U.S. on the matter, under the Safeguards Agreement. Despite widespread dissent from business groups and trading partners around the world, U.S. President Donald Trump on March 8 signed proclamations to impose a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and a 10-percent tariff on aluminum. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 21:02:38|Editor: pengying Video Player Close BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- China's largest money market fund Yu'ebao had its slowest Q1 asset growth in the first quarter of this year. The online money market fund, managed by Tianhong Asset Management Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of Alibaba's Ant Financial Services Group, saw its assets grow 6.9 percent in the first three months of 2018, the slowest Q1 expansion since its establishment in 2013. Yu'ebao had about 1.689 trillion yuan (about 268.2 billion U.S. dollars) under management by the end of March. The money market fund has introduced a string of purchase limits since the end of 2017 to guard against financial risks, which might be a major drag on its assets growth pace. Yu'ebao had 474 million users by the end of 2017, with more than 99 percent of them individual investors holding an average of 3,329.57 yuan in each account. DAR ES SALAAM, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The government of Tanzania said on Monday it has set aside 800,000 U.S. dollars to buy insulin drugs for treating diabetes as the number of diabetic patients was on the increase. The east African nation's Deputy Minister for Health, Faustine Ndugulile, told the National Assembly in the capital Dodoma that at least 13 percent of Tanzanians were suffering from diabetes. "The rate of children suffering from diabetes is also rising," Ndugulile told the august House, attributing the increase of diabetes and other communicable diseases to poor lifestyles. "As the government is working hard dealing with the disease which until now has no cure, people are reminded to change their lifestyles such as poor eating habits, excessive drinking of alcohol and smoking cigarettes that lead to increased infections," said the official. Ndugulile said the rate of prevalence of diabetes has doubled compared to the situation in the last ten years. "People living in urban areas are mostly at risk of the deadly disease as opposed to those living in rural areas," he said. People attend a ceremony to bid farewell to Kenyan students who have received scholarships to study in China, in Nairobi, Kenya, on Aug. 24, 2017. A ceremony was held at the Chinese Embassy in Kenya on Thursday to bid farewell to 140 Kenyan students who have received scholarships to study in China. (Xinhua/Lyu Shuai) NAIROBI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- More and more Kenyan youth and budding entrepreneurs are studying Chinese in the hope the language will open new opportunities, experts told Xinhua during an interview to mark the UN Chinese Language Day on Friday. Franklin Asira, Chairman of Sino Africa Cultural Exchange Association that was recently launched in Nairobi, said that uptake of Chinese language in Kenya will accelerate in light of blossoming economic and cultural ties between Nairobi and Beijing. "The Chinese language is spoken by one third of the global population and I see it spreading fast in Kenya and the entire African continent," said Asira. "It is a language that will open doors to Kenyans who have embraced it with passion," he added. The computer engineering major studied at two universities in Beijing in the late 1980s, where his mastery of spoken and written Chinese language was refined. Asira said he was optimistic that the uptake of Chinese language in Kenyan and African academic institutions could soon eclipse other foreign languages, given Beijing's expanding footprint in the continent's socio-economic and cultural spheres. "Chinese investments in Kenya are growing and will create jobs for people who understand and can speak the language. There will be job openings across East Africa for locals who have studied Chinese language," Asira told Xinhua. He noted that Africa's learning institutions are keen on introducing Chinese language in their curriculum as Beijing becomes the continent's leading source of trade and investments. Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Liu Xianfa (2nd R) presents certificate of scholarship to a student of the Nairobi University in Nairobi, Kenya, Nov. 14, 2016. The Chinese Embassy in Kenya on Monday provided 20 scholarships worth 20,000 U.S. dollars for needy university students to enable them to pursue a range of humanities and science courses. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) "African colleges are teaching Chinese language and its acceptance is wide. I'm confident the uptake of Chinese language will grow," said Asira. Kenya's four fully fledged Confucius Institutes that are domiciled in the country's oldest public universities have provided a platform for the country's youth to study mandarin at basic and advanced levels. Xiao Shan, director of University of Nairobi's Confucius Institute, said the enthusiasm by Kenyan youth to master the Chinese language and culture is unmatched in the region. "Since coming here, I have met many Kenyan students and most of them love Chinese language. Our students want to master the Chinese language in the hope it will enhance their job prospects," said Xiao. She revealed the Confucius Institute at one of Kenya's oldest universities has enrolled over 5,000 students with its activities reaching about 10,000 locals, and plans are in the pipeline to introduce mandarin classes on satellite campuses. Kenyan youth have developed a passion for the Chinese language, arts and culture given the positive contribution Beijing is making in their country. Leah Adhiambo Ombuor, a 21-year-old student at the University of Nairobi, said enrolling for a certificate course in mandarin eight months ago was informed by her love for China's rich culture. "I feel motivated to study Chinese language and dance. It is all about passion. I see myself becoming a translator or a Chinese language teacher in future," said Ombuor. Mwika Kiarie, an anthropologist major at the University of Nairobi who has also enrolled for a certificate course in Chinese language, hopes to become a bridge for Sino-Kenyan relations in diverse spheres. "I look forward to becoming the bridge between Chinese and Kenyan business people through performing tasks like translation, logistics and even humanitarian affairs," Kiarie told Xinhua. He added that a major in anthropology has increased his desire to master foreign languages and cultures. File photo taken on May 31, 2017 shows a Kenyan journalist takes a selfie with female train drivers Concilia (C) and Alice (L) during the launching day of the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway in Mombasa, Kenya. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Chinese entrepreneurs are promoting the study of mandarin to Kenyan children and youth through the establishment of learning facilities in major cities. Liu Yun, the Director of Nairobi-based China Kenya Cultural education Center, said that Chinese language courses that are affordable and tailor made for local youth have gained popularity. Kenyan children and youth are interested in learning the Chinese language, said Liu, noting that Chinese dance, martial arts and musical instruments have struck a chord with them. ABUJA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- A large training camp, used for providing instructional training of terror group Boko Haram's foot soldiers, has been destroyed by Nigerian troops in the northeastern state of Borno, the Army said on Monday. The troops killed one Boko Haram fighter and rescued one person held captive while clearing the training facility at Benisheikh area of Borno on Sunday, according to Onyema Nwachukwu, a military spokesman. Nwachukwu said the troops acted on intelligence and discovered some instructional training materials during the clearance operation at the camp. Some Boko Haram fighters had engaged troops in a gunfight during the operation, he added. Nigeria has made considerable gains against the terror group, dislodging its fighters from the Sambisa Forest, the group's largest training camp in the country, last year. Boko Haram has been blamed for the death of more than 20,000 people and displacement of 2.3 million others in Nigeria since 2009. James Macharia, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for transport, infrastructure and housing, speaks during the farewell ceremony for the third batch of Kenyan students to study in China under CRBC scholarship programme on April 20, 2018. (Xinhua) by Christine Lagat NAIROBI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Patricia Tafawa was elated upon learning that she was among 40 Kenyan youths who beat tough competition to win scholarships from China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) to pursue majors in railway technology at Beijing Jiaotong University starting from May. The 19-year-old actuarial science under-graduate student at a local public university has since childhood defied entrenched cultural myths and stereotypes to study technical courses that are largely shunned by the female gender in Kenya. Tafawa told Xinhua during a farewell ceremony for CRBC scholarship beneficiaries on Friday that a study tour in China has presented a golden opportunity for her to realize long-cherished dreams. "I have never shied away from challenging tasks and pursuing a major in civil and structural engineering in China will test my grit and determination to succeed in the face of huge odds," said Tafawa. "I look forward to utilizing knowledge and skills acquired in China to improve transport networks in our country, especially roads and railways," she added. Tafawa is among a growing army of young Kenyans who have benefitted from China-funded skills development to help transform the country's railway transport sector. So far, CRBC has sponsored 100 Kenyan youths to pursue advanced courses in railway engineering, maintenance and operations at the prestigious Beijing Jiaotong University. Tafawa and her 40 peers were excited by the prospect of studying railway engineering in China and vowed to return home and help their country realize its quest for modernization of transport sector. "My desire is to come back after completing studies and participate in our country's development. Our skills will be required as the government embark on modernization of railway system to propel industrial growth," said Tafawa. Other beneficiaries of the third and final batch of CRBC scholarships to study railway-related courses in China were upbeat their lives were to be changed. James Chira Kamau, 26-year-old major in tours and travel said he felt honored to be among 40 Kenyan youth who are set to join Beijing Jiaotong University for elite courses in railway engineering and operations. "Am very glad for this opportunity to study a technical course in line with my childhood dreams. I promise to get a first class honors and come back to develop our country's infrastructure," Kamau told Xinhua. He noted that Chinese financial and technical support has been instrumental in transforming the lives of Kenyan youth. James Macharia, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for transport, infrastructure and housing, was joined by Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Liu Xianfa and senior executives from CRBC during the send-off ceremony for the scholarship beneficiaries. Macharia said Kenya appreciated China's support to help bridge skills gap in the rapidly evolving railway sector. "We need to increase the capacity to develop the entire railway systems," said Macharia adding that Kenya could soon be a hub for skills and knowledge transfer in railways operations and management. China-sponsored elite courses in modern railway management have provided a new lease of life to the country's youth who often grapple with unemployment after graduating from college. Emmanuel Kahindi, a 24-year-old mechanical engineering graduate from a local public university, said he looked forward to a transformative experience during the four-year study tour in China. "This is a great chance for me to improve my engineering skills and I intend to come back to Kenya and make the country better in the areas of infrastructure development and manufacturing," said Kahindi. He noted that Kenya could tap into Chinese expertise and advanced technologies to upgrade its railway systems and decongest roads. The launch of the 480 kilometers Nairobi-Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) by President Uhuru Kenyatta in May last year has necessitated the need to train additional personnel to enhance its operations. Li Qiang, CRBC Vice President of General Manager of Kenya Office, said the 40 Kenyan students who are set to enroll for advanced courses in railway engineering at the university in Beijing will be a critical asset during construction of other SGR phases. The scholarship beneficiaries on their part said they hoped to be roped in during implementation of the remaining sections of SGR that is expected to open Kenyan hinterland to investments and trade. Mutai Kiplagat, a 20-year-old civil engineering major at the University of Nairobi, said an opportunity to pursue railway related courses at a prestigious Chinese university will have ripple effects in his community and country at large. KAMPALA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan military on Monday said its peacekeeping mission in Somalia is still ongoing, refuting reports that the troops are not making progress. Despite some challenges which are being addressed, the AMISOM remains on course and significant successes have since 2007 been achieved, Brig. Richard Karemire, the Ugandan military spokesman said in a tweet. AMISOM is an acronym of the African Union Mission in Somalia. Karemire was responding to a lead story in the local Daily Monitor on Monday quoting David Muhoozi, Uganda's military chief as saying that the military was stuck in the Somali mission. The report alleged that Ugandan soldiers deployed in the Horn of Africa country to fight the al-Shabab militants are stranded due to underfunding, logistical deficits and a challenged Somali national force. Uganda was the first to deploy troops in Somalia in March 2007 and still has the largest number of soldiers in the 22,000-strong African Union peacekeeping operation. Other troop contributors include Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. The troop contributing countries met in Uganda in February this year and urged the international community to support the mission warning that the military gains made may be reversed. HARARE, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean police on Monday urged political parties to desist from engaging in political violence as the nation gears up for elections scheduled for mid-year. Political activity has increased in the country as political parties step up preparations for the polls. "Any form of violence, threats or harassment of voters or rival contenders will certainly be dealt with in terms of the country's law," said senior assistant commissioner Erasmus Makodza. He said police had put in place adequate security provisions to ensure primary and harmonized elections are held in a peaceful environment. He said police would descend hard on those who engage in any intimidatory practices including preventing any candidate or political party from campaigning and forcing people to attend political events. He warned that perpetrators of politically motivated violence could be sentenced up to a maximum period of 10 years in jail. Zimbabwe's previous elections have been marred by political violence and President Emmerson Mnangagwa has emphasized the need for the nation to uphold peace and avoid violence to ensure the country holds free and credible elections. NAIROBI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Monday pledged to helping African states to harmonize their education standards. Lack of mutual recognition of academic qualifications in Africa is hindering labor mobility, Abdul Rahman Lamin, program specialist at the Nairobi office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), told a youth forum in the Kenyan capital. "We are therefore assisting African Union (AU) member states to harmonize their educational standards at the tertiary level in order to promote continental integration," Lamin said during the Youth Dialogue on Education Conference on Inclusive and Gender Responsive Education. The conference, which aims to provide a platform for young people in Africa to share their experiences on education in different national context, was hosted by Plan International and partner organizations. In 2014, AU members agreed to sign a convention on recognition of academic qualifications in African states in the Ethiopian capital city of Addis Ababa. UNESCO is assisting African states to ratify the convention. Lamin said the UN hopes to create a platform where African states can exchange and discuss the progress they have achieved so far in implementing the convention of harmonization of higher education. A harmonized education standards regime will benefit the continent because it will promote student and labor mobility, he said. He added that many African states are undergoing social and political conflicts that have resulted in many of their citizens seeking refuge in neighboring countries. "However, due to lack of harmonized education standards, the refugees are unable to continue their education or find employment in their host countries," said Lamin. "At the end, the host nation is not able to benefit from skills of the refugees due to restrictive policies," he said. NAIROBI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Monday urged Africa to leverage on Information Communication Technology (ICT) in order to achieve universal education access for all its residents. Abdul Rahman Lamin, the Social and Human Sciences Specialists at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) told Xinhua in Nairobi that African governments should take advantage of the continent's growing mobile and internet penetration rates to increase access to education. "ICT is one of the tools that the African continent can use to promote universal access to quality education," Lamin said during the Youth Dialogue on Education Conference on Inclusive and Gender Responsive Education. The conference aims to provide recommendations for broad engagement of young people in education reforms and research in Africa. Lamin said that in order for ICT to be beneficial in the educational sector, African governments will have to invest in infrastructure as well as in the training of its teachers to optimally utilize digital equipment. UNESCO also urged African states to incorporate elements of digital innovations in the dissemination of education. "ICT should play a prominent role in national education policies as the world is increasingly relying on technologies to accelerate socio-economic development," Lamin said. He called on African governments to prioritize investments in the education sector in order to improve the continent's low literacy rates. He noted that the education sector should not be neglected as it is a key driver of economic growth. KIEV, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The United States has provided defensive aid worth almost 1 billion U.S. dollars for Ukraine since 2014, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch said in an interview on Monday. In the interview with media outlets "Radio Liberty" and "112 Ukraine", Yovanovitch said the aid covered different types of equipment, including night vision devices and radars. Furthermore, the U.S. has provided Ukrainian military with training courses aimed at strengthening their capabilities, Yovanovitch said. According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, the U.S. has been the largest donor of non-lethal military-technical assistance to Kiev since the armed conflict between government troops and pro-independence rebels started in eastern Ukraine in April 2014. In December 2017, the U.S. State Department announced the United States would supply advanced weapons to Ukraine to update the latter's defense capabilities. Washington's move has angered Russia, which said it would lead to "new bloodshed" in Ukraine's conflict that has already claimed more than 10,000 lives. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 22:02:55|Editor: ZX Video Player Close RAMADI, Iraq, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi forces discovered a long tunnel dug by Islamic State (IS) militants in a town near the border with Syria in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a provincial police source said on Monday. The tunnel was discovered during search operations in Karabla area near the town of al-Qaim, some 400 km west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. "The tunnel stretches tens of meters under the alleys of Karabla residential part, and the troops started to bury the tunnel after searching it," the source said. Ahmed al-Mahalawi, mayor of al-Qaim, confirmed that the troops discovered the tunnel and said "this is not the first one in al-Qaim area as several IS tunnels had been discovered before, which were used by the militants to protect themselves from airstrikes." On Dec. 9, 2017, Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from IS militants after Iraqi forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group, including the border areas and desert in western Iraq. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 22:07:56|Editor: pengying Video Player Close BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing has entered the Mexican market, the company announced Monday. The DiDi Express service was launched in Toluca, capital of the State of Mexico and a robust business and cultural center approximately 60 kilometers west of Mexico City. DiDi Mexico will introduce key product innovations in Latin America, including a real-time SOS system, dynamic safety monitoring, multi-person itinerary sharing, round-the-clock user support, and a multivariable driver rating system, the company said. Driver recruitment in Toluca started in early April. The company hopes to roll out ride-hailing services in other major Mexican cities later this year. DiDi now provides up to 30 million daily rides for over 450 million passengers, and offers flexible work opportunities for over 21 million drivers. DiDi's operations outside the Chinese mainland cover Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and countries in Latin America. A global ride-hailing investment and partnership network connecting DiDi with seven major international players now serves over 1,000 cities and reaches over 80 percent of the world's population, according to the company. GENEVA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Foreign diplomats residing in the Swiss cities of Bern and Geneva owe millions of Swiss francs every year in parking and other traffic-related fines which go unpaid, according to reports from SonntagsZeitung newspaper on Sunday. The report said between 2014 and 2017, over 745,000 Swiss francs (764,000 U.S. dollars) in traffic fines were issued to foreign diplomats in canton Bern, which hosts 90 embassies, but only 141,300 Swiss francs (144,900 U.S. dollars) were paid. In canton Geneva, home to the European headquarters of the United Nations and 33 diplomatic missions, the situation is worse. During the same period, traffic fines exceeded 4 million Swiss francs (4.1 million U.S. dollars). The authorities however were only able to collect just under 629,000 Swiss francs (645,000 U.S. dollars), leaving a deficit of 3.4 million Swiss francs (3.49 million U.S. dollars). Drivers of cars with diplomatic plates benefit from diplomatic immunity under the rules of the 1961 Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. In the case of non-payment of fines, traffic violation notices will usually be passed from the police to the Swiss foreign ministry which will in turn forward the notice to the embassies. If the fine continues to go unpaid, the foreign ministry may exert pressure by means of a simple appeal to respect local law or by summoning the offending driver or their superior to an official meeting. In the most serious cases, the foreign ministry could seek to have the diplomatic immunity of the offending driver lifted, or have the person recalled to their home country. The payment situation appears to have improved slightly in recent years. In 2010, only ten percent of diplomatic traffic fines in canton Bern were paid. This compares to 25 percent for last year, and around 20 percent in Geneva. "The Swiss foreign ministry does not comment on the payment behavior of the staff of foreign diplomatic missions in Switzerland," a Swiss ministry spokesperson told Sonntagszeitung newspaper on Sunday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 22:13:00|Editor: pengying Video Player Close BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature will conduct a round of inspections on the implementation of the Statistics Law in 13 provincial-level regions. The National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee announced the inspections, which will run until the end of May, at a meeting in Beijing on Monday. The law was enacted in 1983 and revised in 2009. Wang Dongming, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the 13th NPC, said this will be the first nation-wide inspection on the Statistics Law implementation since the revision. The inspection teams will examine major measures which governments at all levels and their departments have taken to carry out the reform in the management of statistics, implement the law, and ensure the authenticity and accuracy of statistical data, according to the NPC. A new regulation on the implementation of the revised Statistics Law took effect last August. WINDHOEK, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Namibia highlighted historic success in cutting malaria rates by more than 90 percent, according to a statement recently issued by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 in London. Namibia's Director of Special Disease Program, Anne-Marie Nitschke told Xinhua on Monday that the country is committed to eliminating malaria across the country in the next few years and emphasized the importance of cross border collaboration and the regional elimination efforts of the E8 partners in supporting this ambition. "Over the years we have championed in the battle against malaria with initiatives that include Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), training and monitoring of spray teams, strengthening of electronic surveillance system as well as awareness campaign programs," she added. In addition to the current government investment levels of 2 million U.S. dollars per year the health ministry is also aligning their national resource strategy to help meet future funding gaps. Namibia was among the 12 African countries in the Commonwealth who announced new commitments to eliminate malaria. Meanwhile the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) welcomed the commitment by 53 Commonwealth leaders to halve malaria across the Commonwealth within the next five years. The 2017 World Malaria Report revealed that progress towards eliminating malaria globally and across the African continent was fragile and uneven. While several African countries including Madagascar, Senegal, the Gambia and Zimbabwe led the world in reducing malaria cases in 2016, nine out of the 10 countries which saw the greatest increase in cases were on the African continent. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 23:03:20|Editor: yan Video Player Close AMMAN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Monday started banning taxi-hailing app Careem after a court ruling was issued. The country's Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) sent letters to telecom companies, following a recent ruling by West Amman Court, to ban the application from operating in Jordan, according to a TRC statement. Taxi drivers in Jordan have been protesting Uber and Careem applications, saying they negatively affected their businesses. Investors in the taxi sector and owners of taxis filed several lawsuits recently for stopping the application. Mahmoud Kharabsheh, a lawyer hired by several owners of taxi offices, filed lawsuits against Careem application. "We have finally won a court ruling that banned Careem and we will soon work on other lawsuits to ban Uber applications because these apps are operating in Jordan without any licenses," the lawyer told Xinhua. Tens of thousands of Jordanians started working with Uber and Careem applications when the apps were introduced in the country a few years ago. Taxi owners protest that those who work with these apps do not pay taxes to the government and do not have proper licenses to transport passengers. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 23:13:22|Editor: yan Video Player Close GENEVA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Despite massive international funding over the past seven years, millions of children and youth in Syria still face the risk of dropping out schools as the conditions there deteriorate, the UNICEF warned on Monday. UNICEF called for "continued, flexible, unconditional" support for children and youth to engage in quality learning in the war-torn country. Against all odds, some 4.9 million Syrian children continue to have access to education despite more than seven long years of war, violence and displacement, according to UNICEF. "Massive funding from donors, unprecedented generosity from host governments and communities; relentless work from heroic teachers and the determination of Syrian children and their families have helped millions of Syrian children get an education," said Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. Nearly 90 percent of children who have access to education are in public schools, both in Syria and in neighboring countries. In Lebanon and Jordan, Syrian children have been able to join their local peers in public schools. "The Syria crisis has created an opportunity for neighboring countries to improve public education infrastructure, create new employment possibilities for education staff and build tolerance between host communities and Syrian refugees," Cappelaere added. However, huge challenges remain. The seven-year long conflict has caused 2.8 million children to miss out on their education. Some of these children have never been to school, while others have missed out on up to seven years of learning, making it extremely difficult for them to catch up. UNICEF warned that in parts of Syria, going to school has at times become a matter of life and death because of violence and attacks. Since the conflict began in 2011, 309 education facilities came under attack and one in three schools can no longer be used because they were destroyed, damaged, used for military purposes or for hosting displaced families. According to UNICEF, nearly 40 percent of children who are out of school are between 15 and 17 years old, making them prey to exploitation including early marriage, recruitment into the fighting and child labor. These problems are becoming more prevalent as families increasingly resort to extreme survival measures. For those children who are in school, the risk of dropping out looms as they increasingly face the impacts of trauma. Meanwhile, in neighboring countries, host governments are overwhelmed by nearly two million additional school children to absorb in local education systems amid an unstable economic situation. Refugee families' dwindling financial resources, poor and unavailable infrastructure, lack of sufficient learning space and language barriers are reducing children's participation in effective learning. "As world leaders meet in Brussels this week for the Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, we appeal to them not to give up on children and youth that have already been through so much," said Cappelaere. "Continued, flexible, unconditional and long-term funding to the education sector is needed to improve existing systems and scale up alternative options for children and youth to engage in quality learning ...The protection and needs of children should be the priority for decision makers and those fighting on the ground." Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 23:23:25|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic (C) speaks to the media after a signing ceremony of Peljesac Bridge contract in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on April 23, 2018. Croatian highway operator Hrvatske Ceste (Croatia Roads) and the Chinese consortium led by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) signed a 2.08 billion kuna contract (340 million U.S. dollars) on Monday to construct the first phase of the Peljesac Bridge and access roads. (Xinhua/Gao Lei) DUBROVNIK, Croatia, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Croatian highway operator Hrvatske Ceste (Croatia Roads) and the Chinese consortium led by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) signed a 2.08 billion kuna contract (340 million U.S. dollars) on Monday to construct the first phase of the Peljesac Bridge and access roads. The project is of long-term strategic importance for the whole country, said Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic in his speech, adding it would help Croatia become territorially integrated and was a top priority of his government. In an interview with Xinhua after the signing ceremony, Plenkovic reiterated that the bidding had gone through a transparent process in accordance with public procurement procedures of Croatia and European Union (EU) standards. "We have full confidence that with this type of expertise and already completed projects, China Road and Bridge Corporation will deliver within the time frame that is expected. I believe that this project will put a lot of substances in excellent relationship that we already have between China and Croatia, and this is a concrete economic contribution," the prime minister told Xinhua. The total value of the bridge project is estimated to be about 420 million euros (about 510 million U.S. dollars), of which 357 million euros (about 430 million U.S. dollars) will be covered by EU funds. Plenkovic said the bridge would be "a symbol of the added value of Croatia's EU membership". His comments were echoed by Oleg Butkovic, Croatian minister of sea, transport and infrastructure, who told Xinhua on Friday during an exclusive interview that "the construction of the Peljesac Bridge is 'the number one' project for Croatia and I am convinced that the Chinese consortium will build the bridge in three years". The Chinese consortium won the bid for the construction of the first phase of the bridge and its access roads in January, out-bidding the Austrian construction firm Strabag and an Italian-Turkish consortium. "The international public tender issued by Croatian Roads was extremely transparent, and the best offer was from the Chinese consortium. The terms of the competition were strict and I am convinced that the Chinese consortium will also respect the deadlines and quality," Butkovic said. Days after the Chinese consortium won the bid in January, competing Austrian firm Strabag and an Italian-Turkish consortium appealed to the State Commission for Control of Public Procurement Procedure, claiming the Chinese offered "dumping prices" and enjoyed "state aids" in the bid. The appeal was rejected in late March by the Croatian authority for lack of evidence. "The procedure is valid for us after the State Commission for Control of Public Procurement Procedure rejected the appeal of other bidders and we are signing a contract and starting the construction...as a minister and a well-meaning citizen of Croatia I can not stand for stopping the works on this major structure," Butkovic said. The minister also said that Chinese companies could participate in all the tenders that Croatia would call in the future. "We are also preparing projects for the road construction and the rail modernization, and everyone, including Chinese companies, can participate in the public tender." Crossing the Mali Ston Bay over the Adriatic Sea, the Peljesac bridge connects the southernmost Dubrovnik-Neretva County to the rest of the mainland, giving Croatia a continuous land link. The bridge will be 2.4 km long and 55 meters high with four lanes. It will enable a smooth flow of goods and people, especially at the peak of the tourist season. The Neum corridor, a strip of the Adriatic Sea coastline which is a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is currently the only land-based communication route between Dubrovnik and the rest of Croatian mainland. Speaking before the signing of the contract, Chinese Ambassador Hu Zhaoming said the bridge was the largest-ever cooperation project between China and Croatia, and it had opened a new chapter of the China-Croatia relationship. "Peljesac Bridge is not only the bridge bringing the two parts of Croatian territory together, but also the bridge bringing China and Croatia together," Hu said. VILNIUS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- British Barclays bank's technology centre in Lithuania's capital Vilnius has been a symbol of successful attraction of foreign investments, thus its speculated plan to cut staff in Lithuania by a third will certainly lead to "public disappointment", Ruta Skyriene, head of the Investors' forum, said on Monday. "Probably the technology centre found cheaper alternatives for business development," Skyriene was quoted as saying by local media. She was commenting on the news announced back on Saturday that Barclays technology centre in Vilnius eyes cutting or relocating elsewhere 350 jobs. Currently Barclays Group Operations Centre in Lithuania, established as a strategic centre for technologies and services, employs 1,148 people. Skyriene, the head of the association uniting foreign investors in Lithuania, also noted that Lithuania does not have "normal" flight connections with London yet, except flights operated by low cost carriers. Skyriene added that this circumstance significantly diminishes Lithuania's "powers" as regards attracting foreign investors. Lithuanian business website VZ.lt announced on Saturday that discussed job cuts are related to optimization of Barclay's subdivision in Lithuania, as well operations elsewhere. "As all big organizations, Barclays reviews its operations worldwide on a regular basis. We constantly consider various possibilities to optimize our business all over the world, including the US, India, the Pacific region, the UK and Europe, and Lithuania," Mariano Andrade Gonzalez, executive director of Barclays operations centre in Lithuania, told in an interview with VZ.lt. "We would like to emphasize that these discussions are taking place on a global level and are not related to Lithuania's investment environment," Gonzalez underlined. He did not evaluate which specific positions are to be cut or relocated from Lithuanian centre. DAR ES SALAAM, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The government of Israel on Monday said it is ready to help transform Tanzania's ailing agriculture sector and turn the country into Africa's breadbasket. Visiting Israeli Minister for Justice Ayelet Shaked also pledged to cement cooperation in a number of other areas, including security, pharmaceuticals and information, communication and technology (ICT). "Israel is a superpower of technology while Tanzania has vast natural resources. We believe that the relationship will make a great combination of mutual benefit," Shaked said. Shaked was leading a delegation of Israeli businessmen here attending a business and investment forum. The forum, themed "Industrialization through strategic partnership and value-based principle," was attended by senior government officials led by Tanzanian Minister for Minister for Industries, Trade and Investment Charles Mwijage and the Tanzania business community led by their umbrella body, Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF). "This is an opportunity for us here to make use of the Israeli know-how to maximize our ability to conduct businesses as well as investments," said Felix Mosha, a TPSF representative. Ties between Tanzania and Israel, severed in the 1970s, were reestablished in 1995, but Israel is still conducting diplomatic services with Tanzania through its office in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. Mwijage, the Tanzanian minister for industries, trade and investment, said the strategic diplomatic cooperation will help boost Tanzania's industrialization drive under the government led by President John Magufuli. The minister noted that a group of youths from Tanzania have been sent to Israel for training in various fields, especially ICT and agriculture. About 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing, a new city being built from scratch will be an example of the country's reform and opening-up, and inspire the world at large in decades to come. China has published the master development plan for Xiongan New Area in Hebei Province, a new region of "national significance" following the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and Shanghai Pudong New Area. With high-tech industry and modern services, the new area is designed to become a zone for innovation, a digital city synchronized with a brick-and-mortar one, and a livable and business-friendly area. Policymakers are eyeing Xiongan to be "a model city in the history of human development" by the middle of the century. Picture shows locals in Xiongan New Area riding bikes photo/Xinhua FUTURE IS HERE Xiongan was born to be a city of green areas, a city of the people and a city of the future. "There are no other metropolises where vegetation and water cover 70 percent of the total area as planned in Xiongan," said Wu Hequan, an expert on Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integration and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE). Its residents will be able to have access to parks in only a few minutes' walk, a close-to-nature life that allows harmonious interactions with the environment. The new area aims to be pedestrian-friendly with a goal that 90 percent of local transport means will be buses, bikes and walking, and daily necessities will be within a 15 minutes' walk from homes and workplaces. Xiongan will be a modern city characterized by beautiful, safe and comfortable shared urban public spaces rather than a jungle of concrete and glass, according to Zhu Ziyu, chief planner at the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design (CAUPD). Ubiquitous connections between smart transportation and utilities and the "city brain" will allow city management to be automated and infrastructure to self-adjust. A digital version of the city will be built simultaneously with the physical one. "The digital-physical city system allows decisions to be tested in a simulated Xiongan before being implemented in the city," said CAUPD President Yang Baojun. "Xiongan will serve as a model for smart city development." Aerial image shows the Baiyangdian port in Xiongan New Area photo/Xinhua PIONEER FOR REFORM, INNOVATION The official plan described the creation of Xiongan as "a strategy that will have lasting importance for the millennium to come, and a significant national event." A year ago, China announced the decision to establish the new area, spanning three counties in Hebei. By the middle of the century, Xiongan will become a significant part of the world-class Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei city cluster, effectively performing Beijing's non-capital functions and providing a Chinese solution to "big city malaise." The significance of the new area goes beyond curbing urban sprawl and bridging growth disparities. Analysts say it will also serve as a demonstration zone for the country's high-quality development. "Xiongan's significance does not lie in how much GDP it produces, but its pioneering role in promoting reform and innovation and attracting talent, as Shenzhen did in the early years of reform and opening-up," said CAUPD expert Yin Huiliang. The development plan says the new area aims to be at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, invite top-level tech industries, and push for coordinated development of the real economy, technological innovation, finance and human resources. Xiongan has signed strategic cooperation agreements with Chinese Internet giants such as Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu, and more than 100 high-end high-tech companies are expected to operate there. Policymakers will target major industries including information technology, modern bioscience and biotechnology, new materials, high-end modern services, and green agriculture, in contrast to the area's previous role as manufacturing base for packaging, clothing, shoes and stuffed toys. Xiongan will be a replicable modern city located inland, neither near the coastline nor on the country's borders, Wu with the CAE said. Picture shows working cleaning the water face in Baiyangdain in Xiongan New Area photo/Xinhua NEW DOOR TO WORLD China has pinned high hopes on the landmark new area becoming a new door to the world, offering fresh opportunities for overseas investors and helping the country further integrate into the global economy. Xiongan will serve as the center of a planned China (Hebei) Pilot Free Trade Zone, according to the plan. Restrictions on foreign investment will be dramatically lifted or eased, with a negative list fully implemented and all businesses granted equal treatment. Intergovernmental cooperation will be pushed forward and a comprehensive bonded zone will be developed. Xiongan is China's latest effort to open wider in the year 2018 that marks the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up policy. China has unveiled a number of landmark measures to be taken this year to significantly broaden market access, from lowering import tariffs for vehicles and removing caps on foreign holdings to opening up the financial sector. Earlier this month, China announced that the island of Hainan will become a pilot free trade zone and gradually a free trade port, which represents the highest level of opening-up. As the world's second largest economy contributing one-third of global growth, China is walking the talk of opening-up and moving forward at its own pace, analysts say. PARIS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s decision to discontinue its nuclear tests was an "encouraging first step," France said on Monday, calling for more action to reach a complete and irreversible dismantling of its nuclear and ballistic program. France welcomed the DPRK's announcement to discontinue nuclear tests, the end of long-range ballistic missile testing and the closure of the nuclear test site, the Foreign Ministry said. Stressing the necessity to restore lasting stability in the Korean Peninsula, the ministry said Paris hoped the inter-Korean summit on April 27 will contribute to establish peace in the region. DPRK leader Kim Jong Un announced early Saturday that his country will discontinue nuclear tests and test-firing intercontinental ballistic rockets from April 21, according to the KCNA, the DPRK's state broadcaster. Kim's announcement came ahead of his first summit meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the border village of Panmunjom. OSLO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Norwegian police will from January 1 next year use electroshock weapons as a trial scheme, public broadcaster NRK reported Monday. "We see that this is a tool of coercion that the police in other countries have used with good results. It gives less damage than some other tools of coercion that the police traditionally use," said Knut Smedsrud, director of emergency preparedness of Norway's Police Directorate. These weapons, which provide a shock of 50,000 volts, are used by the police in the United States, Finland, Britain and some other countries, the report said. In Norway, it is to be initially introduced as a two-year trial scheme. This will be an alternative in cases where Norwegian police currently use firearms, Smedsrud said. "This happens in several thousand cases per year, so it is absolutely interesting for us to look at electroshock weapons as an alternative. They may also be an alternative to striking and gas weapons in some cases," he added. Although not being against the use of electroshock weapons in Norway, Amnesty International told NRK that electroshock weapons must be treated as a fatal weapon. "It is important to accept that electroshock weapons can cause very serious injuries to people. It can even lead to death," said Gerald Folkvord, political adviser in Amnesty International. "It is to be handled in the same way as a firearm and used only in the same situations as a firearm - and nothing else," he said. According to Folkvord, when electroshock weapons are used as a useful tool to make the job easier for the police, "it may go wrong" and the relevant international regulations could be broken. Smedsrud assured that Norwegian police will use electroshock weapons "only when that is necessary", NRK reported. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 23:48:33|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close Family members and relatives carry the coffin of a victim of the deadly attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 23, 2018. A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a voter registration center in Kabul, killing at least 57 and injuring dozens of others. The IS later claimed responsibility for the attack. (Xinhua/Dai He) by Abdul Haleem KABUL, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Amid government efforts to accelerate the voters' registration process for the upcoming elections in Afghanistan, a suicide bomber targeted a polling site in the Dashti Barchi district on the western edge of Kabul city on Sunday, killing more than 60 people and injuring scores of others. The extremist Islamic State (IS) outfit has claimed responsibility for the deadly suicide bombing attack which has drawn wide condemnation at home and abroad. Hundreds of people, including men and women, were lining up to obtain Tazkira or a National Identity Card to vote in the upcoming parliamentary and district councils' elections slated for Oct. 20 when a suicide bomber blew himself up causing the tragic incident. Afghan political experts believe that the bloody attack on the voters' registration site reflects the strong opposition of the anti-government militant groups to the election process in the war-ravaged country. The first parliamentary election in post-Taliban Afghanistan was held in 2005 while the second parliamentary polls took place in 2010. However, the third parliamentary election, originally scheduled for early 2015, has been repeatedly postponed. The voter registration process started on April 14 for the next parliamentary polls. Since then the militants have abducted three employees of the voters' registration service in the western Ghor province and shot dead two guards of a registration site in the eastern Nangarhar province in the past week. "The aim of the militants' attack on civilians at the site of voters' registration here in the Dashti Barchi area of Kabul, is to sabotage the upcoming elections in the country," a legislator, Aref Rahmani, told Xinhua. The analyst also suggested that the militants do not believe in elections, in humanity, peace, coexistence and in the government either. Similarly, Taliban militants, the main anti-government fighting force, have also lashed out at the government's efforts to hold parliamentary elections as a fraudulent attempt to rule Afghanistan. Purported spokesperson for the hardliner Taliban outfit, Zabihullah Majahid, has reportedly said that conducting anything, including the holding of elections in the presence of foreign forces is illegal. More than 230,000 people, according to the election commission sources, have registered to vote since registration began on April 14. However, experts believe that the turnout is low. According to observers, between 12 million to 13 million out of the country's some 30 million population are eligible to vote. "Security concerns have obviously undermined the turnout of voter registration," analyst and chief editor of the state-run English daily The Kabul Times, told Xinhua. The low turnout has also worried those at the helm of political affairs and the Council of Ministers, in its meeting with Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, called upon the country's compatriots to register with letter and spirit for the next elections. Expressing concerns over security challenges, a Kabul resident, Mohammad Frooq, said that few people will register to vote if the government fails to protect voters' lives. Nevertheless, the Interior Ministry has given its assurances it will utilize all possible means to ensure the security of both the election workers and the voters. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-23 23:48:34|Editor: yan Video Player Close TOKYO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Senior officials have discussed cooperation at the 14th meeting of the China-Japan Intergovernmental Consultation Mechanism on Cultural Exchange here on Monday. It was the first meeting of the intergovernmental consultation mechanism after a nine-year hiatus. Representatives of the related ministries and agencies and cultural institutions of the two countries held frank discussions on the current situation and problems of cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Japan during the meeting. The two sides fully affirmed the supporting functions of the intergovernmental consultation mechanism for promoting the development of bilateral cultural relationship and decided to hold the consultations alternately in the two countries on a regular basis. They also decided to promote institutionalized people-to-people exchanges at various levels in the next 10 years, discuss setting up information sharing mechanism and platform and conduct extensive cultural industry cooperation and Olympic cultural cooperation. The Chinese side also invited Japanese cultural institutions and enterprises to take part in international exhibitions in China, such as the first China International Import Expo to be held in Shaghai in November. Xie Jinying, director general of the bureau for external cultural relations in China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Manabu Miyagawa, the Japanese Foreign Ministry's director general for cultural affairs, co-hosted the meeting. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 00:03:41|Editor: yan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Israel's army fired artillery towards an area in Golan Heights on Monday, saying it was a response to a mortar shell that hit the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights earlier. The mortar hit an open field, causing no injuries or damage, the military said in a statement. "It appears to have been errant fire, related to the civil war in Syria," the statement read. In response, the army targeted the region where the mortar was fired, the army said. "The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) holds the Syrian regime accountable and will not tolerate any attempt to breach Israeli sovereignty or endanger the safety of Israeli civilians," the army said. The incident came amidst volatile rhetoric between Israel and Iran. Israel repeatedly said it will not allow Iran to establish a military foothold in Syria, and was accused of carrying out a fatal airstrike on an air base in Syria, where Iranian nationals were killed. Israel has carried out occasional airstrikes against Syrian army position, usually in response to errant fire from the seven-year war between the Bashar al-Assad regime and rebel groups. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 00:03:41|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 23, 2018. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that he is looking forward to meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in June and jointly planning China-Russia ties in a new era. Xi made the remarks when meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi said he is looking forward to President Putin's China visit in June and his attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao. He said he hopes to boost friendship with President Putin, jointly plan China-Russia ties in a new era, and discuss the future development of the SCO together with the leaders of other SCO member countries. Calling a high-level bilateral relationship "precious wealth of both countries," Xi said the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination has maintained positive development momentum. China and Russia need to continue to give play to the guiding role of high-level exchanges in the development of bilateral ties, fully implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, and synergize the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasia Economic Union, Xi said. He also called on the two sides to enhance mutual support in international affairs, jointly uphold international law and universally recognized norms of international relations, and strengthen cooperation within the SCO, BRICS, G20 and other frameworks so as to build a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for humanity. "I believe that with the efforts of both sides, China-Russia ties will make new achievements," said Xi. Lavrov said President Putin looks forward to visiting China and attending the SCO Qingdao summit. Russia has attached great importance to the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with China and stands ready to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, he said. Both Russia and China respect international law and the UN Charter, said Lavrov, adding that his country agrees that the two nations need to further enhance coordination within multilateral frameworks. BERLIN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- President of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), the country's engineering trade body, on Monday strongly criticized the protective trade policies of U.S. President Donald Trump. Speaking at the Hannover Trade Fair, VDMA president Carl Martin Welcker expressed "great concern" over Washington's recent announcement of new tariffs on imports. "The biggest risk for industry these days is growing nationalism and protectionism," a statement by Welcker read. The VDMA president said measures adopted under Trump's "America First" doctrine could not be justified under existing World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations and would undermine the stability of the Geneva-based institution. He warned the United States against turning its back on the WTO, which provids the foundation for international rules-based trade. ISLAMABAD, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday voiced its concerns over the surmounting value of U.S. dollar against Pakistani rupee in the open market. The central bank officials held a meeting with the owners of foreign exchange companies in Karachi on Monday and ruled out any possibilities of another depreciation in the value of Pakistani rupee. During the meeting, the SBP officials told the foreign exchange companies' owners that the parity between the open market and the interbank market should not widen, adding that central bank will intervene and supply dollars to the market when needed. The greenback surged beyond 118.00 rupees against Pakistani rupee in the open market on Monday, which forced the central bank to keep focusing on the developments. President of Forex Association Malik Bosan said that the greenback's value was on the rise largely due to a higher demand in the open market. The increased demand has also hiked the value of euro against Pakistani rupee by 30 paisas to 143.30 rupees in the open market, he added. Pakistan has witnessed two steep declines in the value of its national currency since December 2017 and the Pakistani rupee fell to its all-time low against U.S. dollar in March. NAIROBI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Two soldiers died and five others were injured in a clash between troops trained by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Somali National Army (SNA) at a military base in Mogadishu on Monday. The two died in a fierce gunfight that broke out when a group of UAE-trained soldiers tried to take some military hardware from a former UAE-run training base, barely a week after the Gulf nation's trainers left. "Two soldiers died in the gunfight while five others who sustained injuries have been rushed to hospital," a military commander who did not want to be named told Xinhua. Chief of the Somali army Abdiwali Jama Gorod, who also confirmed the incident, said those behind the fight have been arrested. "We have arrested the soldiers and the officers who were behind the incident and (they) will be brought to law," said Gorod. Residents said the fight caused scare in the area. "We felt panic when the army fought but they have now stopped, " an eyewitness, Ali Sabriye, told Xinhua. The Somali army took over the camp on Saturday following the exit of UAE trainers amid a diplomatic spat between the two countries. The UAE has been training Somali soldiers as part of stabilization efforts in the Horn of Africa nation that is facing almost daily attacks from al-Shabab terrorists. Also on Monday, security forces repulsed an al-Shabab attack in southern Somalia. A military commander in the coastal city of Kismayo told Xinhua that the militants attacked a checkpoint but were pushed back. "Al-Shabab attacked a checkpoint where our forces were stationed but the forces fought back and inflicted casualties on them," Ibrahim Farah said. The military official did not say if the security forces suffered any casualties. Residents told Xinhua that the attack lasted close to an hour. "The situation has now stabilized," Abdinari Mohamed, a local trader, told Xinhua. The al-Qaida affiliated al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack. BERLIN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- President of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), the country's engineering trade body, on Monday strongly criticized the protective trade policies of U.S. President Donald Trump. Speaking at the Hanover Trade Fair, VDMA president Carl Martin Welcker expressed "great concern" over Washington's recent announcement of new tariffs on imports. "The biggest risk for industry these days is growing nationalism and protectionism," a statement by Welcker read. The VDMA president said measures adopted under Trump's "America First" doctrine could not be justified under existing World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations and would undermine the stability of the Geneva-based institution. He warned the United States against turning its back on the WTO, which provides the foundation for international rules-based trade. Referring to the U.S. president's widely-publicized habit of sending erratic and often threatening messages online through social media platforms, Welcker argued "the right place to settle trade disputes is the WTO, not Twitter". The United States is the single largest export market for the German engineering industry, accounting for total annual revenue of 18 billion euros (22 billion U.S. dollars) in 2017. The VDMA president emphasized, "No one has an interest in the escalation of trade conflicts. At the end of the day, all parties involved, including major economies like the United States, China and the European Union (EU), would lose as a consequence of protectionism." Welcker urged Trump to reverse his course and re-launch negotiations over the failed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the EU. Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Mexican President Pena Nieto both made passionate pledges for free trade during opening speeches at the Hanover Fair. Hanover Fair, the world's leading industrial trade show, opened on Sunday, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the importance of free trade. Speaking at the opening of the fair, Merkel said that multilateral cooperation can add value for everyone. "That's why we are promoting global trade that is as free as possible," she said. The annual trade fair welcomes visitors from April 23 to 27 and will showcase breaking-edge technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), e-mobility, as well as automated and digitalized manufacturing process (industry 4.0) presented by over 5,000 exhibitors from 75 countries and regions this year. Hanover fair started in 1947 to boost the economic recovery of post-war Germany. It has repeated every year ever since and become the show window for the world's leading industrial technologies and equipments. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 00:33:49|Editor: yan Video Player Close RIYADH, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Saudi air defense has intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by Houthi militias towards the border city of Jazan, according to Al Arabiya television on Monday. The spokesperson of the Saudi-led coalition involved in a war in Yemen against Houthis, Col. Turki Al Maliki, accused the militias of targeting residential areas of civilians. Saudi Arabia reported on Sunday the interception of a missile that was targeting the same city, while another landed in a secluded desert area of the border city. Saudi Arabia's southern city Najran, close to the border with Yemen, has suffered the brunt ever since the Houthi militia forces took over swathes of the country in a 2014 coup. According to officials, the city has witnessed more than 10,000 rocket attacks mostly arbitrarily targeting civilians since the conflict in Yemen first began. JUBA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday that it has suspended aid delivery in the northern South Sudanese region of Leer, following a gun attack on its compound. The ICRC said in a statement that armed men fired shots at its base in Leer on the night of April 10, injuring one of its security guards in the leg. The relief agency said it has halted distribution of much needed seeds and farming tools to an estimated 24,600 people due to safety concerns. "We are shocked and disappointed by this attack, which is not only an attack on the ICRC, but also on the people we are here to assist," said Francois Stamm, the ICRC's head of delegation in South Sudan. "Aid workers are not a target and attacks such as this only compound the suffering of the South Sudanese people," he added. Stamm said security conditions for humanitarian workers have deteriorated in recent weeks in the region, adding that the suspension of aid operations there would hamper efforts to fight worsening food insecurity. "This attack has meant that 16,000 people have now been left without the supplies they need to plant their crops at a time when food security is worsening across the country," said Stamm. Leer was one of two areas where famine was officially declared in the world's youngest nation last year, and it also remains a major flashpoint in the country's nearly five-year-long civil war. This was the second time in less than a year that the Red Cross suspended operations in parts of South Sudan. In September last year, the ICRC briefly stopped operations after one of its drivers was shot dead during a road ambush in the former Western Equatoria State. "We take this opportunity to remind all parties to the conflict that any attack on humanitarian aid workers is unacceptable and a violation of international humanitarian law," Stamm stressed. The UN has described South Sudan as one of the deadliest countries for the delivery of humanitarian aid. At least 90 aid workers have been killed and dozens captured by armed groups since the east African country slid into violence in December 2013. by Xinhua writer Zhang Dailei LONDON, April 23 (Xinhua) -- When Paul Goulding began his career in international publishing in the early 1980s, the British man had never imaged that one day he would decide to only publish books about China. During the London Book Fair this year, ahead of the World Book and Copyright Day, Goulding signed a deal with China's Economic Science Press, buying the copyright of ten books of China's Road series. His company, Paths International Ltd, plans to introduce the English version of the books to Western readers on topics covering China's urban development, economic globalization, pension security system, military system, etc. "We feel the books link very closely with the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative. We publish journals on the B&R. It's a part of the theme of development and growth and future of China. We think it is unique," Goulding told Xinhua. Goulding established Paths in the UK in 2002 for the purpose of bringing high quality academic and professional content written and developed in Asia to Europe and North America. With the recent emergence of China as a major international publishing center and the arrival of e-books and print-on-demand technology, the company now has only one goal: to provide "books about China from China in English and in Chinese". "From eight years ago, we only publish books about China, from China," Goulding said. "In the past, most books about China were written by journalists or commentators in the West. So if you want to understand China, you have to read Western experts, Western newspapers and magazines. That seems strange now. Because with the opening up of China, China has been publishing more materials in English. And we feel the books from China can offer the best insight into China, because the research, the study, the legacy, and the language of Chinese scholars are very valuable, so that's why we only publish Chinese scholars' books," he explained to Xinhua. The British publisher began making regular visits to India and China in the early 1980s. He was based in Singapore for more than 13 years and held a high position at world-famous publishers, including Times Mirror International Publishers and Addison-Wesley. The businessman saw huge potential in China's publishing market. "China has the potential. It is exciting, it's interesting. It's a nice place to do business. The people are very committed. It has rich opportunity, especially now Chinese publishers get support from different organizations and the government to publish books to England, to the whole world," he said. His company has so far worked with 15 Chinese publishers and published some 170 books, all about China. "We are now making available to the international community books written by Chinese authors from some of the most prestigious universities and institutions in the country. It offers a view of China from experts in China. Change in China is not a single event, it is a process and many of these books bring clarity to the seeming blur of recent and ongoing change in China," the publisher said. His small company also witnesses increasing interest in Chinese books during the recent eight years. "When Western people see more Chinese people, more Chinese interaction and more contact between China and the West, there is the cultural and social link for academic content." "The scholars at universities are very keen to get information on China, to read the latest research. I think all the academics now are probably doing something related to China in their works. They teach students in the universities learning about China, studying history, economics, business or anything. China is pervasive and very important source of academic content in universities in West," he added. Paths prints the books in the UK, and its distributors in North America print them in the United States. Goulding admitted that publishing academic books is not easy, "because readers get used to books by British authors and Western universities." It takes time to develop, but Goulding has no doubt that his company is taking the right road. "Chinese business, economics and finance are of vital importance to the world outside China. We attempt to frame a very broad canvas on which to present information about China," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 00:58:55|Editor: yan Video Player Close CHONGQING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- More details have been revealed on the case of Guo Wengui, one of China's most-wanted fugitives, who allegedly forged official state documents to mislead the public. Guo instructed and instigated suspects, twin brothers Chen Zhiyu and Chen Zhiheng, to forge the documents, officials from Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau in southwest China said at a news briefing Monday. SOURCES OF DOCUMENTS UNCOVERED It has been proven that the so-called "confidential documents" of the Chinese government, disseminated by Guo Wengui and the Washington Free Beacon, a U.S. political journalism website, were all forged by Guo and the Chen brothers. On Oct. 5, 2017, Guo made public in Washington a so-called "confidential document of the Chinese government" with the self-proclaimed verification of the U.S. government, featuring China's "working plan of secretly dispatching 27 police officers" to the United States on field duty in 2017. On Jan. 2 this year, the Washington Free Beacon published another such document, featuring China's "decision on conducting communication and coordination work" between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to further a solution to the nuclear issue. Both documents sent media buzzing, with even the U.S. Department of State claiming their own close attention. Chongqing police found that since August 2017, Guo has been in league with the Chen brothers, instigating them to forge more than 30 official documents in the name of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the State Council, and related ministries and commissions, before spreading the documents overseas. Guo and the Chen brothers have also fabricated information claiming that a number of central and provincial government officials had illegitimate children, houses, mistresses and large bank deposits abroad, according to the investigation. On Feb. 18, Chongqing police arrested Chen Zhiyu and Chen Zhiheng in the provinces of Guangdong and Hunan respectively, and confiscated related items. Both suspects confessed their crime in forging official documents to police. Police also discovered a large number of forged official documents of state organs in the suspects' computers and hard drives, involving areas such as China's national defense, diplomacy and financial policies. They found fabricated files of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. MONEY "TALKS" The Chen brothers admitted seeking economic benefits was a major motive for their crime, police said at the briefing. "I have a child with autism, whose treatment can barely be sustained with my limited income," said Chen Zhiyu. "So I forged the paperwork for Guo in order to get his assistance in both funds and connections." He and Chen Zhiheng started forging official documents and selling them to overseas institutions in 2013. The former went to reside in Canada in 2012, four years after his brother became a Canadian citizen. In May 2017, they saw information from Guo Wengui offering a reward for "confidential documents" of the Chinese government, and were immediately lured, resulting in Chen Zhiyu's contact with Guo. After proving their ability by forging a test "document," the Chen brothers formed a cooperative relationship with Guo, who hired Chen Zhiyu to provide materials. At Guo's request, Chen Zhiyu travelled to the United States to meet him and his assistant on four occasions. Guo once told Chen Zhiyu to stop working and concentrate on their "great work," wasting no time. The records of their chats were found on Chen's personal computer and mobile phone, which were confiscated by police. "Money is not a problem, for sure. I will give you 4,000 U.S. dollars per month and you don't need to worry about it," Guo told Chen, as shown in the chat records. Guo also promised the Chen brothers a foundation of 50 million U.S. dollars for them to spend. DEN OF FABRICATION The brothers confessed that Guo not only knew everything about their official document forgeries, but also gave them advice in person on how to modify the forged documents. Both possessing professional forgery skills, the brothers had a clear division of work. Chen Zhiyu did the drafting, editing and dissemination of finished documents, while his brother forged the "red headings" and official seals, as well as looked for underground channels to transfer the documents. Chen Zhiyu said sometimes forging a document could take three or four drafts before a final version was completed, and in many cases it took about a week to forge one official document. Police have taken coercive measures against the Chen brothers, which may include summons by force, bail, residential surveillance, detention or arrest. Police will work with U.S. law enforcement to further investigate the case of Guo, who falsely claimed the forged documents were verified by U.S. government institutions such as the FBI, and offered political funds to several members of the U.S. Congress and former officials of the U.S. government. Chongqing police said that they are determined to safeguard national political security and state interests, and will resolutely inhibit the crime of forging official documents of state organs. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 00:58:56|Editor: yan Video Player Close GENEVA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Several members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Monday expressed their concerns and disappointment with the recent decision by the United States to impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum products, during a meeting of WTO Safeguards Committee. Seven WTO members -- including Russia, India, Venezuela, Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, and Singapore -- joined China, which raised the matter, in expressing their respective concerns over U.S. tariff decision under Section 232. China warned that the Section 232 actions severely damage the stability of the multilateral trading system and distort international supply chains, with considerable negative follow-up effects. China said the U.S. decision to exempt certain exporters from the tariffs, including some of the largest suppliers to the U.S. market, clearly violated the WTO's most favored nation principle. Russia noted that the whole process leading up to the imposition of tariffs lacked transparency and deprived foreign producers the right to provide evidence in the hearings. The U.S. actions only cause instability in trade, lead to increased trade barriers, and create a lose-lose situation for all members, said Russian delegates. Turkey suggested that the G20's Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity provides a venue to discuss the problem of excess capacity, saying such problems should be resolved through coordinated efforts rather than resort to unilateralism. For its part, Washington insisted the tariffs were taken on grounds of national security and were not a safeguard action, thus there were no grounds for request from members for consultations with the U.S. on the matter, under the Safeguards Agreement. Despite widespread dissent from business groups and trading partners around the world, U.S. President Donald Trump on March 8 signed proclamations to impose a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and a 10-percent tariff on aluminum. ISLAMABAD, April 23 (Xinhua) -- China funded United Nations projects have helped the displaced people in Pakistan's tribal areas and southwestern Balochistan province, UN officials said here on Monday. Thousands of people had been displaced in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) due to terrorism and floods in Balochistan. With generous funding from China, and in partnership with the FATA Secretariat and the government of Balochistan, the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) project, of 4 million U.S. dollars, has benefitted 80,269 people and 8,100 temporarily displaced families Kurram, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Khyber and Orakzai tribal agencies, a UNDP statement said after a joint closing ceremony held here. In Balochistan's Naseerabad, Jafferabad and Sohbatpur districts -- which were worst affected by the 2010 floods -- new furniture and education kits were provided to 19,000 school children in 423 schools, said the press release. China also contributed 1 million U.S. dollars to enable the World Food Programme (WFP) food assistance for 158,000 people in several districts, include both those who are returning to FATA and those who are still displaced, said the press release. China Aid is helping marginalized communities to manage shocks and build a foundation for the future, the press release said, adding these initiatives build upon the Chinese government's continued commitment and contribution to the international emergency response efforts under the framework of the China South-South Cooperation Fund. Acting Country Representative of the WFP Katrien Ghoos said that "China is an increasingly significant global player and a vital donor to WFP operations. WFP is pleased to partner with our new donor in Pakistan in support of our efforts to achieve food and nutrition security," according to the press release. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 01:24:01|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Climate Action Michael Bloomberg has announced a contribution of 4.5 million U.S. dollars to the UN Climate Change Secretariat, the UNFCCC, a press release said Monday. The billionaire philanthropist and former mayor of New York City, pledged last June to make up the Secretariat's funding shortfall, caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's announced withdrawal from the historic 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said that with many contributions from signatories to the agreement still outstanding and "a decline in voluntary contributions," the funding was arriving at "a critical time," according to the press release. The contribution will go towards general operations, including assisting countries to meet targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in line with the accord, agreed by 193 states in the French capital. In late March, the U.S. Congress announced that it was cutting funding for this year to the UNFCCC by 4.5 million dollars, from 7.5 million dollars down to 3 million dollars. Bloomberg made the announcement of his contribution on the CBS television program "Face the Nation," saying that "America made a commitment and as an American, if the government's not going to do it, we all have a responsibility." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted that he was "very grateful to Michael Bloomberg, not only for his generous support to the United Nations, but also for his global leadership on climate action." Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 02:04:11|Editor: yan Video Player Close TEHRAN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Iranian petroleum minister said here on Monday that the Islamic republic would use all capacity to thwart the U.S. President Donald Trump's attempts to hurt the country's economy. Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said "we would do anything needed to counter Trump" in case he decides to reimpose sanctions on Iran. Iran waits for Trump's decisions on May 12 and would accordingly react to the U.S. policies, he said, adding that "we do not exclude any option." Zanganeh made the remarks on the sidelines of a ceremony for signing an energy contract, referring to Trump's possible decision to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal. Trump had said that he would not extend waivers under the deal reached between Iran and six major world powers in 2015 and implemented in January 2016. He has constantly criticized the pact in which the West promised to relieve sanctions on Tehran in exchange for a halt in Iran's efforts to develop nuclear weapons. Under the deal, the U.S. President must sign a waiver suspending the U.S. sanctions on Iran every 120 days. The United States is the only side that has threatened to scrap the deal, a stance that has been confronted by other participants. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 02:14:16|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Beijing, capital of China, April 23, 2018. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Monday held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Wang called on both countries to prepare well for the next stage of high-level exchanges in line with the consensus reached by the two presidents, forge ahead with cooperation in various areas, and enhance coordination within multilateral frameworks so as to inject new impetus into China-Russia relations. China and Russia need to enhance coordination whether it is out of the needs of maintaining their own interests or to safeguard world peace and stability, said Wang. It is not a temporary means nor it will be affected by external factors that the two countries enhance strategic coordination, he said. It is a strategic choice rooted in the fundamental interests of both peoples as well as an inevitable historical result that complies with the trend of times and the global trend of peace and development, he said. China attaches great importance to mature and stable strategic relations with high-level mutual trust with Russia, Wang said. Lavrov said it has always been Russia's priority to develop the Russia-China comprehensive partnership of strategic coordination. Russia will work with China to make sure that the two presidents have successful meetings and the bilateral ties make new progress, he said. On the Korean Peninsula issue, Wang said the announcement by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that it will stop nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches is a very important step towards a political solution to the denuclearization of the peninsula and is conducive to easing regional tensions. Wang said China hopes that the leaders' meetings between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea (ROK), and between the DPRK and the United States will be successful so that the correct path will be opened for lasting peace on the peninsula. He said China and Russia, sharing similar views on the Korean Peninsula issue, need to further enhance coordination and communication under the new circumstances in order to make their contribution to the political settlement of the issue. LISBON, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Loftleidir Icelandic, a private Icelandic airline, remains undecided on whether to take up its option to buy a 49 percent stake in Azores Airlines, a spokesman said on Monday. Last week, the SATA group, which owns the financially-ailing Azores Airlines, announced that Loftleidir Icelandic, the only bidder, had qualified for the second round of buyout negotiations. "This means we now get access to more information about the company," Erlendur Svavarsson, vice-president of Loftleidir Icelandic, told the Lusa Portuguese News Agency. "After we've reviewed and analyzed this information, we'll decide on whether to enter the second phase of the process," he said. The second stage would see Loftleidir Icelandic put forward a concrete proposal. A third stage would be negotiating a deal. The SATA group, which has the Autonomous Region of the Azores as sole shareholder, insists on a number of criteria being fulfilled. Any potential buyer must agree to maintain the airline's name and business identity, and make commitments to providing local employment. Interested parties must also commit to continuing existing regular services between mainland Portugal and the archipelago's capital Ponta Delgada, on the island of Sao Miguel. Furthermore, the operator is obliged to maintain semi-regular services to other islands, Terceira, Horta, Pico and Santa Maria, and between Ponta Delgada and Funchal, in Madeira, Portugal's other mid-Atlantic archipelago. Internationally, connections must be continued between Ponta Delgada and Frankfurt, in Germany, and Terceira and Ponta Delgada and Boston and Oakland, in the USA, and Toronto, in Canada. The international element is thought to be the deal's selling point for Loftleidir Icelandic. The airline operates a number of successful cross-Atlantic routes that fly from mainland Europe with a stop-off in Iceland. It would likely offer a similar package via the Azores. Loftleidir Icelandic, which is part of the Islandair group, is also negotiating the purchase of a 51 percent stake in Cape Verde Air Transport (TACV). Saleh al-Sumad, the head of Yemen's Houthi movement's politburo, delivers a speech at a ceremony during which a political council to rule the country was announced in Sanaa, Yemen Aug. 6, 2016. (Reuters photo) SANAA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's dominant Houthi rebels on Monday announced that their top official, President of the Supreme Political Council Saleh al-Sammad, was killed in an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, according to a statement carried by Houthi-controlled state Saba news agency. They said al-Sammad was killed, at the age of 39, on Thursday in Hodeidah city. Houthis vowed to revenge his death, said the statement, which provided no further details on the circumstances of his death. Also in the statement, the Houthis declared appointment of Mahdi al-Mushat as new president of the Supreme Political Council, which is the highest political and ruling body since Houthis seized control over much of the country's north. In September 2014, al-Sammad was appointed as an advisor and representative of the Houthi group in the presidential office of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Five months later, Houthis stormed the capital Sanaa and forced Hadi and his government into exile. On Aug. 6, 2016, al-Sammad was appointed by his group as President of the Supreme Political Council. Al-Sammad had served as a teacher of Islamic teachings before he was pushed by his group into the political stage in 2014. Saudi Arabia had offered 20 million U.S. dollars for any information that leads to his capture or killing. The coalition considered al-Sammad as the No. 2 leader after the group chief Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. The killing of al-Sammad is considered the most powerful blow so far on the Iranian-backed Houthi movement. The coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to roll back the Iranian-allied Shiite Houthi rebels and support the internationally-recognized President Hadi. The rebels have seized control over much of the country's north since September 2014, including the capital Sanaa, and forced President Hadi and his government into exile in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. The war has killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, and displaced 3 million others, triggering one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. ADDIS ABABA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia has intensified its efforts towards the establishment of a pan-African university that aspires to pay tribute to black people's achievements and history, with due emphasis given to the fight against colonialism. An international conference that envisaged to fast track the establishment of the Adwa Pan-African University is underway in Ethiopia's northern town of Adwa. Ethiopia's former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, while addressing conference participants, has stressed the importance the Adwa Pan-African University in preserving African history and culture by focusing on Africans' solidarity in the fight against colonialism. Desalegn, who previously called on Ethiopians to support the establishment of the Adwa pan-African university as it mainly aspires to signify the contribution of black people from every walks of lives, also stressed the historical importance of the university for Ethiopia and Africa in general. The Adwa Pan-Africa University is named after the battle of Adwa held in 1896, in which the less-equipped Ethiopian forces scored victory against the colonial Italian force. The battle of Adwa, which is also referred to as the first Ethiopia-Italian war, marks the first black victory against a colonizer force in the African continent. The war is believed to initiate other freedom fighters in the African continent to struggle towards independence. The conference, which is also expected to discuss the design of the university, cost and public participation in the construction of the university, has also attracted the pan-African bloc's attention. Thomas Kwesi Quartey, African Union Commission (AUC) Deputy Chairperson, who recognized the Ethiopian government's initiative in its cause, said that the Adwa Pan-African University signifies the battle of Adwa, which he said had helped other African countries to strengthen their struggle for freedom. As the Ethiopian government expects a continent-wide support for the construction of the pan-African university as it signifies alliance among Africans, other African countries had recognized Ethiopia's ambition towards establishing a pan-African university. African leaders, including Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and former South African President Thabo Mbeki, were among the high-level officials attending the cornerstone laying ceremony for the construction of the university in the northern part of the east African country back in April 2017. The Ethiopian government has allocated some 150 hectares of land for the construction of the Adwa Pan-African University. The university, whose construction is scheduled to start within the coming two months period, will be constructed in Ethiopia's Tigray regional state in the town of Adwa. File Photo: A man rides in heavy fog and haze in Jinan City, capital of east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 4, 2017. The provincial meteorological observatory issued a red alert for fog and extended its orange alert for smog on the day. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng) WASHINGTON, April 23 (Xinhua) -- An American team of economists and atmospheric scientists reported that by meeting its greenhouse gas-reduction goals, China will experience air quality and health benefits with associated monetary savings that could offset the total cost of implementing the climate policy. A new study, published on Monday in Nature Climate Change, estimated fewer deaths from air pollution means a 339 billion U.S. dollars savings in 2030 that could be about four times what it would cost China to meet its climate goals. "The country could actually come out net positive, just based on the health co-benefits associated with air quality improvements, relative to the cost of a climate policy," said study co-author Noelle Eckley Selin, an associate professor in Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Institute (MIT) for Data, Systems, and Society. The study was led by Selin and Valerie Karplus, an economist in MIT's Sloan School of Management. China has pledged to reduce domestic carbon dioxide emissions in an international effort to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. The team developed a new modeling approach which combines an energy-economic model called the China Regional Energy Model (C-REM) with GEOS-Chem, an atmospheric chemistry model. C-REM models China's economy and energy system at a provincial level, and the researchers used the model to simulate how a given climate policy changes a province's economic activity, energy use, and emissions of carbon dioxide and air pollutants. They ran simulations under four stringency scenarios: a no-policy, business-as-usual scenario; and three different policy scenarios that aimed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by three, four, and five percent per year, respectively, through 2030. The four percent scenario is in line with China's pledge to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 under the Paris Agreement. The team then plugged the results of each scenario into the GEOS-Chem model, which simulates how the various emissions and pollutants produced by C-REM combine in the atmosphere to form particulate matter province by province. They overlayed this map of particulate concentrations onto population maps to calculate the amount of pollution that communities are breathing in, then consulted epidemiological literature to determine the number of avoided deaths that would occur, based on a province's exposure to a certain amount of pollution. Finally, the researchers calculated the economic value of these deaths using standard methods, and compared this with the total cost of implementing a given policy scenario. In sum, the team found that, under a no-policy scenario, China would suffer more than 2.3 million premature, pollution-related deaths by 2030. If the country adopts a climate policy to reduce emissions by three, four, or five percent per year, it would avoid 36,000, 94,000, and 160,000 premature deaths, respectively. After converting each scenario's health co-benefits into a monetary value, the team found that, compared to the total cost of implementing a three, four, or five percent per year policy, the savings gained as a result of health co-benefits equals 138.4 billion, 339.6 billion, and 534.8 billion dollars, respectively. In the four percent scenario, which is most in line with China's actual climate pledge, a net co-benefit of 339.6 billion dollars would be about four times the cost of implementing the policy itself. Selin and Karplus say that, in China's case, improvements to air quality and human health would increase with more stringent climate policies, mainly because the country's energy is so heavily reliant on coal. "In China, as you go to tighter and tighter climate policies, you continue to reduce pollutant emissions from coal, whereas the U.S. has already reduced a lot of its air pollution from coal through end-of-pipe technologies," Karplus said. "The incremental reductions you're taking are coming from a fuel with a very high carbon content, which is also the major source of air pollution." The team stresses that a climate policy alone will not solve any country's air pollution problems. However, the study shows that significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will result in better air quality, compared to continuing along on a business-as-usual path. "This is really a sustainability story," Selin says. "We have all these policy goals for a transition toward a more sustainable society. Mitigating air pollution, a leading cause of death, is one of them, and avoiding dangerous climate change is another." Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 02:39:26|Editor: yan Video Player Close AMMAN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Monday said it succeeded in protecting the borders with Syria since the start of the unrest in the neighboring country with high professionalism, the state-run Petra news agency reported. Jordan's Minister of State Mohammad Momani said Jordan thwarted several attempts by terrorists to infiltrate into the kingdom and prevented attempts to smuggle weapons and narcotics into Jordan. "The Syrian and the Jordanian armies are supposed to be protecting the two sides between the two countries but since the start of the unrest in Syria the Jordan army is protecting the borders in both directions alone," said the minister. Jordan succeeded in protecting its borders and not "even a butterfly can penetrate our borders", said Momani. The minister said Jordan will continue to protect its borders from all infiltration attempts, adding that Jordan is in constant touch with all key players in the Syrian crisis. The minister reiterated Jordan's call for a political solution in Syria, saying the kingdom was among the first to call for such a solution in Syria. Momani said Jordan closely follows up on developments in Syria, stressing the need for preserving the de-escalation zone that was created in the southern parts of Syria last year following a tripartite agreement between Jordan, the U.S. and Russia. BERLIN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a strengthening of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Monday ahead of a planned official visit to the U.S. Speaking before a delegation of German and Mexican businessmen at the Hanover Trade Fair, Merkel rallied supporters of free trade to defend and expand the authority of the Geneva-based WTO. "We know that we must also strengthen the WTO as such alongside bilateral agreements," the chancellor said. "We need a new multilateral agreement," Merkel added. She warned that the failure to successfully conclude a WTO round of negotiations since the so-called Uruguay round in 1994 was evidence that the existing system for rules-based free trade and related dispute settlement had begun to totter. Merkel is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Friday for talks with President Donald Trump and is likely to raise the issue of growing U.S. protectionism. A special exclusion for the European Union (EU) from recently-imposed U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports expires on May 1, with Brussels threatening to file a lawsuit before the WTO unless a permanent solution is found. Speaking in Hanover, Mexican President Enquire Pena Nieto further demanded a swift and mutually-agreeable reform of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which was first signed by the U.S, Canada and Mexico in 1994. Trump has repeatedly described NAFTA as a "disaster" and threatened to withdraw from the agreement. In the meanwhile, the EU and Mexico have reached an agreement on the key parameters of a new bilateral trade pact. Merkel described Mexico as a reliable investment partner on Monday and noted that the annual volume of trade between Germany and the Latin American country had grown to more than 20 billion euros (24.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2017. The German chancellor emphasized in this context that growth in Mexican exports to Germany, at 44 percent, had significantly outpaced that of German exports to Mexico, which stood at 16 percent. "This is exactly the right direction needed to gradually achieve equilibrium in the international balance of trade which we too have a strong interest," she said. Berlin has repeatedly been chastised by Trump, as well as the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) for allegedly contributing to global imbalances with its export-driven growth model. The IMF argues that permanent surpluses above six percent of gross domestic product (GDP) endanger economic stability because they imply corresponding deficits and a build-up of international liabilities in other countries. Commenting on the basic agreement on a new trade relationship between the EU and Mexico, the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) described the development as "enormously important" for Germany's economy. "This is a much-needed signal for more economic cooperation in our times. The agreement shows that transatlantic trade can be developed positively," DIHK international trade export Volker Treier argued. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 02:44:27|Editor: yan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Monday called for the people of Iraq to actively participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections to rid the country of corruption. A statement issued by Sadr office said that Sadr's repeated calls for active turnout is aimed at eliminating Iraq from corruption and corrupt politicians. Sadr followers are taking part in the competition for the parliament seats under a political party known as Istiqama, or Integrity Patriotic Party (IPP), headed by former lawmaker Jaafar al-Musawi. IPP joined umbrella coalition under the name of Sa'iroun, which includes some smaller political groups, in addition to the Iraqi Communist Party. Sadr followers held many massive rallies in the past few years. In one occasion, the protestors broke into part of the Green Zone, including storming the parliament building. The popular protests forced Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to make some reforms, which first gained popular support, but with the passing of time the reforms fell short to convince demonstrators. The vote of parliamentary election will be held on May 12, as 6,986 candidates will compete for the 329 seats in the Iraqi parliament. This will be the first general election since Iraq's historical victory over the Islamic State group in December last year. Iraq's previous general election was held on April 30, 2014, when the Iraqis elected 328 lawmakers for the parliament. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 02:49:28|Editor: yan Video Player Close TEHRAN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Iran's capital Tehran will host the Sixth Iran-Europe Banking and Business Forum on April 28-29, Financial Tribune daily reported on Monday. Among the diversity of topics, the event will focus on Iran's business and banking ties with the European states. The topics of the forum also include future prospects of Iran's trade ties, the EU and modern compliance management as well as a comprehensive framework of risk management. The two sides will still discuss the issues including auditing standards and investment opportunities and renewable energies in Iran. Previous events of the kind had been held in Tehran and German's Frankfurt. ACCRA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO), Matshidiso Moeti, on Monday commended Ghana's leadership for its commitment to the attainment of better health for the people through Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Addressing the 2018 National Health Summit in Accra, Moeti said she was impressed with the process that the health ministry and health development stakeholders in Ghana followed in reviewing the performance of the health sector, adding that this was an excellent way to bring everyone together to reflect on achievements, results and challenges. "I believe this is something all our countries should be doing," Moeti said, expressing the confidence that lessons emerging from the discussions would make the necessary adjustments to improving the health of the citizenry. The five-day event, which has assembled health experts, policy makers and development partners, is to ensure that Ghana harnesses the necessary partnerships and lessons across the regions that would ensure it achieves UHC using innovative approaches. Ghana's Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia said Ghana was looking at innovative ways to deliver blood supplies as well as essential medicines to remote area as part of efforts to ensure quality healthcare delivery. He said the government would sign a Memorandum of Understanding in the coming week to put the technology into effect. "As the rains come in, some areas are going to be cut off. Do we allow mothers to die because we cannot have blood supplies or essential medicines?" he quizzed. "So, I'm glad to report that Ghana, I think this week, will be signing an MOU and by the middle of this year or maybe by September we will join Malawi and Rwanda in using drone technology to deliver blood supplies and essential medicines," Bawumia said. The summit also coincided with the launch of the African Immunization Week (AVW) which has been instituted in Ghana to celebrate the health of children through vaccination. The AVW is a regional initiative led and coordinated by the WHO Regional Office for Africa and implemented by countries in the region. The initiative provides a unique opportunity for countries and partners to strengthen national immunization programs by using the power of advocacy and partnerships. From April 23-29, Ghana will join other African countries to commemorate the week on the theme: "Vaccines Work; Do Your Part". "The theme is appropriate, judging from the fact that there is an urgent need for everyone to ensure that all eligible children receive their vaccines at the appropriate time," said Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Ghana's Minister for Health. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 03:19:35|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday described the Security Council retreat in southern Sweden this past weekend a success because "things have cooled down" for the Syrian crisis. The 15 top ambassadors representing member countries of the panel met at the restored farm of former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold at Backakra, close to Ystad in southern Sweden. The highly respected second UN chief died at the age of 47 in a plane crash in Africa while on a Congo peace mission. Lauding Sweden for bringing the council members to the retreat, Guterres said in a Stockholm news conference, "I believe this initiative of bringing for the first time out of New York the Security Council for a retreat, is perfectly in line with this bridge-building strategy of the Swedish presence in the Security Council." Sweden is one of the 10 elected members of the council. "I am extremely grateful for this initiative, and in the case of Syria, to fully support a political solution -- there is no military solution -- and the political solution needs the success of the Geneva intra-Syrian talks that as you know are facilitated by the United Nations," he told reporters. A transcript of the news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven was released at the UN headquarters in New York. But, Guterres said, there were still obstacles to be faced in the Syrian crisis. "We need humanitarian access to the whole of the Syrian territory, to everybody in need, and we also need to find a way to attribute responsibilities for those that are violating international law with chemical weapons attacks that are absolutely unacceptable." An Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) inspection team recently visited the site of the April 7 alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma, near Damascus, and has sent samples taken for evaluation. The alleged attack touched off heated debate during a series of emergency sessions in the Security Council with heated rhetoric, and an April 14 bombardment of suspected chemical weapon development sites in Syria by a U.S.-led coalition. DAR ES SALAAM, April 23 (Xinhua) -- A Tanzanian government minister said on Monday construction of the much awaited Bagamoyo port in the east African country's Coast region will begin in June this year. Makame Mbarawa, the Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, said the government was in final talks with investors of China Merchants Holdings International Limited (CMHI) and the government of Oman. Mbarawa told the National Assembly in the capital Dodoma that on its completion, the Bagamoyo port was expected to boost the country's economy and attract major investments to the country, the second largest economy in the East African region after Kenya. The minister admitted that the project has been hit by delays, saying: "The talks took too long to be completed for benefit of the nation. We had to ensure that every project has wider impact to the country's economy." Mooted in 2013 by retired President Jakaya Kikwete, construction of the port has been hit by delays over acquisition of investors. When fully developed, the Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone will become a strategic investment zone in East Africa. The Bagamoyo port and its affiliate industrial zone is meant to address congestion at the old Dar es Salaam port and support Tanzania to become East Africa's leading shipping and logistics center. Members of the United Nations Security Council pose for a group photo during the annual informal working meeting with the UN Security Council on April 21, 2018 at Dag Hammarskjold's farm at Backakra, close to Ystad, southern Sweden. (Seated LtoR) U.S. Nikki Haley, Britain's Karen Pierce, Peru's Gustavo Meza Cuadra, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Sweden's Olof Skoog and Russia's Vassily Nebenzia. (Xinhua/AFP) UNITED NATIONS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday described the Security Council retreat in southern Sweden this past weekend a success because "things have cooled down" for the Syrian crisis. The 15 top ambassadors representing member countries of the panel met at the restored farm of former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold at Backakra, close to Ystad in southern Sweden. The highly respected second UN chief died at the age of 47 in a plane crash in Africa while on a Congo peace mission. Lauding Sweden for bringing the council members to the retreat, Guterres said in a Stockholm news conference, "I believe this initiative of bringing for the first time out of New York the Security Council for a retreat, is perfectly in line with this bridge-building strategy of the Swedish presence in the Security Council." Sweden is one of the 10 elected members of the council. "I am extremely grateful for this initiative, and in the case of Syria, to fully support a political solution -- there is no military solution -- and the political solution needs the success of the Geneva intra-Syrian talks that as you know are facilitated by the United Nations," he told reporters. A transcript of the news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven was released at the UN headquarters in New York. But, Guterres said, there were still obstacles to be faced in the Syrian crisis. "We need humanitarian access to the whole of the Syrian territory, to everybody in need, and we also need to find a way to attribute responsibilities for those that are violating international law with chemical weapons attacks that are absolutely unacceptable." An Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) inspection team recently visited the site of the April 7 alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma, near Damascus, and has sent samples taken for evaluation. The alleged attack touched off heated debate during a series of emergency sessions in the Security Council with heated rhetoric, and an April 14 bombardment of suspected chemical weapon development sites in Syria by a U.S.-led coalition. PRAGUE, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Czech Republic and Iraq on Monday vowed further cooperation in fighting terrorism. Czech Defense Minister Karla Slechtova told a press conference after meeting visiting Iraqi counterpart Arfan al-Hayali that the latter has offered to provide cooperation of intelligence services and in fighting terrorism to the Czech Republic. Slechtova said that Iraq has been fighting terrorism for years, and they could provide Czech their know-how. The proposal is now to be discussed with Czech military intelligence chiefs. If they show interest in the cooperation, an advanced team would check the situation in Iraq. The decision on the possible cooperation would be made based on the team's information, according to Slechtova. Slechtova said the Czech Republic could help Iraq with the treatment of wounded soldiers or civilians. Iraq also asked for Czech assistance in logistics and technology and in training pilots. About 50 Czech soldiers are now based in Iraq where they train Iraqi air force personnel to maintain the Czech-made L-159 fighters, and train Iraqi specialists in the protection against weapons of mass destruction. The number of the Czech soldiers in Iraq will be increased in the coming months to 110, if the proposal is approved by the Czech parliament. Al-Hayali is on a three-day visit in the Czech Republic. He said he hopes to further strengthen mutual relations and believes in even greater Czech support for Iraq. During his stay in the country, he will visit Czech state-owned and private arm makers. HANOVER, Germany, April 23 (Xinhua) -- China is very important for the global industrial production, according to the chairman of the Hanover Fair 2018, the world's leading industrial trade show, which runs from Monday to Friday. "We are so happy to have such a great attendance from China. We have big brands like Huawei, Haier... After Germany, most exhibitors come from China. It is good for the show," Jochen Koeckler, chairman of Managing Board of Deutsche Messe responsible for the trade fair, said in an interview with Xinhua during the fair. Koeckler said that some Chinese big brands, providing interesting technologies for the world, are very good and competitive. "We are happy to see these competitions as organizer. Without competition, there is no innovation, no technical progress," he added. Referring to trade tariffs, Koeckler told Xinhua that tariffs will in a short term protect their own economy, but in a long period make those countries less innovative. "We are convinced that we do not need tariffs. We need a global exchange of goods that is very good for the global economic growth," he said. According to Koeckler, the message of this year's fair is human-centric. There are many assistant systems, as well as many cooperative robots. "The next level of industry 4.0 means that we have the real connection between the human being and the machines, so the factory will not be without human beings, but will be with a lot of workers, and the workers will be assisted by a lot of machines," Koeckler said. More than 5,000 exhibitors from 75 different nations and regions are presenting technologies for tomorrow's factories and energy systems from April 23 to 27. Some 60 percent of these exhibitors come from outside Germany. The top exhibiting nations after Germany are China, and Mexico, the official partner country of this year's fair. RABAT, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Morocco will produce 9.82 million tons of cereals this year, the Moroccan Minister of Agriculture Aziz Akhanouch announced on Monday. According to the preliminary forecast, soft wheat production in Morocco will reach 4.8 million tons, durum 2.28 million tons and barley 2.73 million tons, Akhanouch said at the opening of an annual international agriculture meeting in the northern city of Meknes. The record harvest is due mainly to abundant rainfall this year, which was 16 percent higher than the average. Agriculture accounts for more than 15 percent of the country's economy and this good harvest is expected to boost economic growth. The Moroccan central bank expects an economic growth of 3.3 percent. WASHINGTON, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The White House has no plan to fire special counsel Robert Mueller over the on-going probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections and possible collusion with the Trump campaign, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday. Her remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted Friday that Mueller was appointed "based on an illegal act" from former FBI Director James Comey removed by the president nearly one year ago. "As we've said many times before, we have no intention of firing the special counsel," Sanders said at the White House daily briefing. "We've been beyond cooperative with them, we're continuing to cooperate with them," she said. "James Comey illegally leaked classified documents to the press in order to generate a Special Council? Therefore, the Special Council was established based on an illegal act?" Trump tweeted on Friday. Trump's tweets just reiterate the president's idea that "the Trump campaign was involved in any collusion with Russia is a total witch hunt," said Sanders on Monday, "It was a false premise that this entire thing started on." Meanwhile, she refused to make clear whether the White House would pardon Trump's longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen. "It's hard to close a door on something that hasn't taken place. I don't like to discuss or comment on hypothetical situations that may or may not ever happen," Sanders said. Earlier this month, FBI raided Cohen's office, home and hotel room after federal prosecutors in Manhattan received a referral from Mueller. In response, Sanders said Trump "believes he has the power" to fire Mueller. "He certainly believes he has the power to do so," Sanders said when asked by reporters at the regular briefing. During the raid, which is said not directly related to the Mueller's probe, the FBI seized thousands of emails, tax documents, business records and communications between Cohen and Trump. Mueller has so far charged 19 people, among whom were several Trump campaign associates that have pleaded guilty to various charges stemming from Mueller's investigation. They are all cooperating with prosecutors but none of the charges are directly related to the collusion allegation. It was reported earlier this month that Mueller told Trump's lawyers that the president is not a criminal target of the Russia probe, but remains a subject of the investigation. Cohen is now reportedly under investigation for bank fraud and campaign finance law violations. HELSINKI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Finnish pulp producer Finnpulp announced on Monday that Chinese Heng'an Group has joined as an owner and investor for a planned major softwood pulp plant in Kuopio, Eastern Finland. Heng'an Group will invest 11.7 million euros in Finnpulp and will in return obtain 36.5 percent ownership. The Chinese investor has the option of raising its ownership up to 49 percent, said Finnpulp. The Chinese willingness to invest makes it possible to start planning of the plant, described as the "largest softwood pulp plant globally". Earlier, Finnpulp said the production may start in 2021. The annual output of the plant would be 1.2 million tons of softwood pulp. The plant would also produce pine oil and other bioproducts as well as electricity. The pricetag of the plan is 1.4 billion euros. The initial planning stage costs 15 million euros. The final decision to start the construction will be taken in early 2019 after the completion of the initial planning. Niilo Pellonmaa, chairman of board of Finnpulp, told national broadcaster Yle Monday the company is looking for more industrial owners. It is possible that a public stock issue would be arranged. The other two major owners of Finnpulp are the Central Organization of Finnish Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners(MTK), and the Finnish investment company Grizzly Hill Capital, both with 11.5 percent. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 05:25:09|Editor: yan Video Player Close SANTIAGO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Chilean government began on Monday a campaign to allow more than 300,000 unregistered immigrants in the country to legalize their status and seek permanent residency. Authorities have opened offices across the country to allow immigrants who arrived in Chile illicitly prior to April 8 to be registered. On Monday, President Sebastian Pinera visited the Victor Jara stadium in Santiago, one of the main centers made available for this process. "Chile has always been a country open and welcoming of migration. We want it to be good, orderly, regulated, safe, to allow an improvement of the quality of life, as much for those who come to Chile to seek a new life, as for Chileans," he told the press. According to official estimates, Chile has more than 1.1 million immigrants, of which more than 300,000 are unregistered. This is part of the measures announced by the government on April 9, when it also announced it would grant special visas to Haitian and Venezuelan migrants and launched a reform of the 1975 immigration law, which Pinera called "obsolete." "It is crucial that the families who come do so respecting the law, integrating into our society and bringing development," added Pinera. This process of regularization will be open until May 23 to all those who entered Chile through illegal border crossings and can present official identification. Equally, those living in Chile with expired tourist visas or with an application for residency will be able to register until June 22. However, the reform also makes it tougher for future migrants to enter the country. Future Haitian immigrants will be restricted to 10,000 humanitarian visas a year, while Venezuelans will have to apply for temporary residency at the Chilean consulate in Caracas as well as have a valid passport, which has not been easy for them to obtain. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 05:30:10|Editor: yan Video Player Close CAIRO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian and Bahraini Special Forces started joint military drills in Bahrain to deal with threats to the region's security and stability, Egyptian Army announced Monday. In a statement, the army said the exercises include Special Forces training, counter-terrorism tactics, freeing hostages and storming facilities. The aim of these drills is to reach the highest levels of efficiency and preparedness to face any danger that may pose a threat to the region's security and stability, the statement said. Egypt annually holds several military exercises with Arab, African and Western countries to boost military cooperation and exchange military expertise with friendly states. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 05:30:11|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday strongly condemned airstrikes by the Saudi-led military coalition on a wedding party in Yemen and on a civilian vehicle, which caused heavy civilian casualties. Sunday night's airstrikes on a wedding party in the northwestern Hajjah province left more than 20 people dead and dozens of others injured. On Friday, 20 civilians were killed when the vehicle they were traveling in was hit in an airstrike in the south of Taiz province. Guterres called for a prompt, effective and transparent investigation of the incidents, said his spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a statement. The secretary-general expressed his deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed. Guterres reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law concerning the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure during armed conflicts, said the statement. The Saudi-led coalition is fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen in a bid to restore the internationally recognized government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 05:50:16|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close Photo provided by Venezuela's Presidency shows Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (C, front) posing with indigenous people during his campaign as candidate of the Broad Front, in the state of Bolivar, Venezuela, on April 23, 2018. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday hit the campaign trail as part of his reelection bid, holding a rally in San Felix, a town in the southern state of Bolivar. (Xinhua/Venezuela's Presidency) CARACAS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday hit the campaign trail as part of his reelection bid, holding a rally in San Felix, a town in the southern state of Bolivar. The candidate of the country's Broad Front, a coalition of the ruling socialist party and allied progressive parties, said fixing the country's battered economy would be his No. 1 priority. "If you reelect me as president ... I pledge to definitively win the economic war and lead an economic revolution with the people and the working class," Maduro told supporters, adding "it will be my central task." Maduro presented his national program for the 2019-2025 term, featuring five key themes: consolidating free public education, the public healthcare system, the social missions (or programs), building 5 million homes, and reforming the economy. He also said he plans to make Bolivar state an important region for the Petro, Venezuela's oil-backed cryptocurrency and one of the innovations of his government to overcome financial and economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union. "In the coming months, I'm going to convert the immense state of Bolivar into the great Petro zone, as the cryptocurrency for trade exchange, export development and the generation of regional wealth," said Maduro. "I call on you to prepare to vote and win the May elections with 10 million votes," said Maduro, a former bus driver and union leader whose political career took off in 1999, when he was elected to the Constituent Assembly that drafted Venezuela's current Constitution. A year later, he was elected deputy of the National Assembly and by 2005 became president of the legislative body. In 2006, Maduro was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position he filled until 2013, the year Chavez died and Maduro was elected to succeed him. SAN FRANCISCO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. tech giant Google said Monday that its six data centers, including the original one in the U.S. west state of Oregon, have produced great positive economic impact on local economy in those states. In a report released Monday, Google highlighted the economic contributions and community benefits to those regions generated by the data centers set up in Oregon and five other states. "Google data centers support nearly 11,000 jobs throughout the U.S. economy" while 1,900 workers were directly employed in those locations, said the Google report. The Silicon Valley-based company said it has invested 10.5 billion U.S. dollars building data centers across the country since 2006, when it opened its Oregon location in Dalles, the largest city of Wasco County in Oregon. Google was the first of several large data hosting companies to capitalize on Oregon's relatively low power costs and uniquely advantageous tax structure. It opened its third data center in the Dalles in February of 2006, where Google has invested 1.8 billion dollars in buying thousands of servers to host Gmail, photos, movies and corporate data. About 200 people are currently working at the location. Google's rivals such as Apple, Facebook and Amazon also have established data centers in Oregon, which is appealing to tech companies for the absence of a state sales tax. The Oregonian daily said that Wasco County put Google's property tax breaks at about 140 million dollars, an amount that has been saved since the data center was opened in 2006. Google said its data centers "significantly contribute to the growth of jobs, income, and economic activity in each state where a campus is located." The bigger the data center, the bigger economic benefits will be yielded to the state hosting the facility, Google said. In Wasco County, about 10,640 jobs were created in connection with the Google data center business, according to the Oregon Employment Department. Apart from Oregon, Google also operates data centers in the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa and Oklahoma. RABAT, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The UN-brokered agreement signed by Libyan parties in the Moroccan city of Skhirat remains the only genuine and practical process to end crisis in Libya, the Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said Monday. The Moroccan foreign minister's statement came after holding separate meetings with the speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives Aqilah Saleh and the head of Libya High Council of State Khalid Al-Mishri in Rabat. Bourita told the press after the meetings that Morocco has a "clear and consistent" stance which consists in supporting Libya, the political process in this country and the dialogue between the various parties. Morocco has worked to put all stakeholders in the best position possible to reach the Skhirat agreement, Bourita said, noting that this agreement, which constitutes a common basis for all Libyans, could be adapted, if necessary, to current circumstances. He urged the Libyan stakeholders to speed up the process of the implementation of the Libyan Political Agreement to allow the Libyan people to choose their legitimate institutions through free and fair elections. Bourita also called on all Libyan parties to show wisdom and to ensure that the interests of the Libyan people and Libya prevail over any other considerations, noting that Libyans and all Libya's friendly countries need a stable Libya able to play its key role within the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), Africa and the Arab world. The visiting Libyan officials met also with the speaker of the Moroccan house of representatives Habib El Malki. ALGIERS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Algeria announced that it has completed the construction of 1,600 kilometers of Trans-Saharan Highway with another 200 kilometers under working progress, the official APS news agency reported. APS quoted Mohamed Ayadi Secretary General of the Trans-Saharan Liaison Committee as saying Monday in Algiers at the 68th session of the committee that the north African country has completed the construction of 1,600 km of the road and the remaining 200 km in south Algeria will be finished in short time. The meeting focused on the review of the progress of the highway and the consultation on future steps to be taken with the countries concerned in order to carry out its realization and delivery as soon as possible. This continental-scale infrastructure passes through six African countries, namely Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad. Algeria's Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Abdelghani Zaalane said that Algeria renews its priority interest in this infrastructure as a fundamental factor for economic activity, growth, trade and investment. And it plays important role in the interconnection and integration of Africa and the improvement of living conditions for local people. The meeting was held in the presence of the ambassadors of concerned countries and the representatives from the Commission of the European Union, African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA). The objective for the completion of this 4,500 km Trans-Saharan Highway linking Algiers in Algeria to Lagos in Nigeria is to contribute to the development of commercial exchanges through roads and promote regional integration in Africa. RABAT, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and Cote d'Ivoire signed on Monday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the development of a logistics platform for the marketing of fruit and vegetables at the port of Abidjan. The MoU was inked by the Moroccan Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, Aziz Akhannouch, and the Ivorian minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly, on the sidelines of his participation in an annual international meeting on agriculture in the northern city of Meknes. The project to set up a logistics platform also aims to develop trade flows between Morocco and Cote d'Ivoire as well as among neighboring countries. It is also meant to directly serve the interests of Ivorian and Moroccan economic operators, strengthen their competitiveness and promote trade between the two countries. The 10th meeting on agriculture, which is held on the eve of the country's International Agriculture Fair, is organized under the theme "Youth, the main engine and beneficiary of agricultural development." Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 06:15:24|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Ambulances are seen near the site where a van struck pedestrians in Toronto, Canada, April 23, 2018. A white van struck multiple pedestrians in Toronto's northern suburbs on Monday and police have taken the driver into custody, police said on Twitter. (Xinhua/Zou Zheng) TORONTO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people were killed and 16 others injured after a van plowed into pedestrians in Toronto's northern suburbs on Monday, police said. The white van jumped a curb and plowed into pedestrians. The driver fled briefly but was soon arrested, according to the police. Police cordoned off several city blacks and Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has sent an alert, saying that there is no subway service between Sheppard and Finch Stations due to a Toronto Police investigation at Sheppard Station, street level. Police didn't immediately identify the driver, and said it was not clear whether the crash was accidental or the driver had a motive. Canada's Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale told a press conference that Toronto police are conducting a probe. "The investigation is at a stage where no further information can be confirmed at this point. The police are conducting obviously their thorough investigation to determine what happened and why it happened, the motivations involved." At least seven people were rushed to nearby Sunnybrook Health Services Centre's trauma center, the hospital said on Twitter, adding that the emergency department has been locked down as an added precaution. The incident took place about 29 kilometers from the city center, where foreign ministers from the G7 countries were meeting to discuss world issues. After the tragedy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Ottawa, "we're just learning about the situation in Toronto. Our hearts go out to anyone affected." Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-24 06:15:25|Editor: pengying Video Player Close Chinese children attend a parade in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 23, 2018. Turkish and Chinese kindergartners on Monday marked Turkey's National Sovereignty and Children's Day together in Istanbul. The celebrations started with a parade of 570 children in colorful costumes on the Istiklal Avenue in the district of Beyoglu. The children, including 20 Chinese kindergartners from Chengdu in southwestern China invited as special guests, marched to the neighboring Taksim Square. (Xinhua/Beyoglu Municipality) ISTANBUL, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Turkish and Chinese kindergartners on Monday marked Turkey's National Sovereignty and Children's Day together in Istanbul. The celebrations started with a parade of 570 children in colorful costumes on the Istiklal Avenue in the district of Beyoglu. The children, including 20 Chinese kindergartners from Chengdu in southwestern China invited as special guests, marched to the neighboring Taksim Square. Ahmet Misbah Demircan, chief of the Beyoglu, accompanied the children in the parade. The kids staged several dances and performances reflecting local cultures of Turkey and China as well as several popular children shows, and the performances by Chengdu Children Dance Group attracted the interest of their Turkish peers and families. "This year Chinese children joined us, and we are very happy to see them here," said Iskender Calayir, a Turkish kid participating in the show. Calayir found his Chinese mates "very friendly and warm" and they got on well with each other, while another Turkish kid named Ege Cam said they were having so much fun together. Demircan noted that hosting foreign guests at home for the Children's Day celebrations is a deep-rooted tradition in Turkey. "This year we have our Chinese guests with us and we are saying to them 'you are very welcome,'" he said. On April 23, 1920, the Turkish parliament was founded and the day was dedicated to children seen as the nation's future by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. TRIPOLI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Clashes between an army unit and tribal gunmen in the southern Libyan city of Sabha on Monday killed two people and wounded five others, a medical source said. "The center on Monday has received two dead bodies and five wounded people, as a result of the clashes," a source of Sabha medical center told Xinhua. Mohammad al-Tabawi, a leader of the Tabu tribe, said an army unit fired motor shells on a Tabu-populated district, causing the casualties. "The clashes renewed after a one-day standoff, when the army's 6th Brigade fired mortar shells at Toyuri district. We fired back at the source of the shelling," al-Tabawi told Xinhua. One civilian was killed and two others were injured on Saturday when tribal clashes erupted in Sabha, according to military and medical sources. Sabha has been witnessing heavy clashes between rival tribes since February, which killed and injured dozens of people and displaced more than 200 families from their homes, according to a medical report. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya expressed concern over several occasions about the military escalation in Sabha, demanding to stop indiscriminate use of weapons in densely populated areas. The European Commission and the European Parliament have no more patience for the illiberal policies pursued by the Hungarian government, a MEP of leftist Democratic Coalition (DK) told a press conference. Peter Niedermuller said it has been obvious for a long time that the EU will soon have had enough of government measures violating the rule of law. Niedermuller quoted European Commissioner Gunther Oettinger as saying that granting cohesion funding after 2020 should be conditional on member states commitment to the rule of law. The European Parliament has recently decided to set up a fund to support civil organisations, Niedermuller said, and insisted that there are no civil groups that would settle migrants (in Hungary). Some support asylum seekers integration, providing welfare services or offering language courses, he added. He also said that the new European fund would be made available to all NGOs. The opposition Jobbik party has vowed to appeal the election results and launch a plebiscite on fair media coverage for political parties. The radical nationalist party will go to court over perceived fraud in the recent election, Daniel Z Karpat (pictured on top), the partys deputy leader, told a press conference. Jobbik has reviewed the election minutes and consulted its delegates on vote counting committees, concluding that systemic abuse of power had affected more than 10,000 votes. The party has appealed the results declared in 15 constituencies, and unless a proper investigation is forthcoming, the legitimacy of the elections will remain in doubt, he said. The National Election Offices disastrous handling of voters outside of their constituencies and Hungarian residents abroad has deepened the lack of trust towards the establishment, he said. On the parties media coverage during the election campaign, Z Karpat said the public medias biased coverage breached all regulations and directives. Jobbik received no longer than two 5 minute slots in public media programming, he said. Jobbik is launching a referendum bid to achieve equal coverage for all measurable parties in the public media, he said. Two weeks after the Parliamentary election, weeklies and weekend editions of dailies from across the political spectrum wonder if and how the opposition can recover from such a devastating blow. In Heti Vilaggazdasag, Laszlo Mero thinks that the April 8 election vindicated PM Orbans earlier statement that Hungarian voters want to replace the opposition rather than the government. The liberal commentator recommends to left-wing voters that they should simply ignore left-wing parties in the Parliament, as they will never be able to challenge Fidesz. Instead, Hungarians dissatisfied with the government should join the protests, and hope that a new generation of politicians will rise on the Left, Mero suggests. Heti Valasz editor-in-chief Gabor Borokai, on the other hand, thinks that the anti-government protests will lead to a dead end. Instead of futile demonstrations, the opposition should prepare a program and unite behind a strong leader who could unite anti-Orban groups, he suggests. Magyar Narancs in a front page editorial suggests that Hungary would need not only to replace the government but to restore democracy. In a comment on the anti-government protests, the left-liberal weekly suggests that any hope that the masses can successfully pressurise the government is a delusion. As there are no strong democratic institutions left in Hungary, protesters have no chance to achieve their political objectives, Magyar Narancs writes. Magyar Demokratas Laszlo Szentesi Zoldi sees the Lefts reactions to the election as an indication that the opposition does not have a credible vision. To prove his case, the pro-government commentator recalls frequent left-wing media claims that opposition voters intended to leave Hungary if Fidesz won again. This, as well as the anti-government protests, show that the opposition has no clue how it imagines the future of the country, and how it would govern, if elected to power, Szentesi Zold concludes. In Mandiner, Kristof Trombitas interprets the anti-government protests as another proof of what he calls the oppositions unprincipled opportunism. The conservative blogger finds it peculiar that the Left is even willing to cooperate with Jobbik against Fidesz. In an aside, Trombitas recalls that wihle after the 2006 election, liberal and left-wing commentators lambasted right-wing protesters and accused them of undemocratic actions, now they call on their sympathizers to challenge the election results in the streets. Magyar Hirlaps Ervin Nagy writes that the Left may easily become hostage of what he calls an irrational anti-Orban mob. Nagy, a former founding Jobbik member turned ardent pro-Fidesz columnist, thinks that opposition politicians are using the anti-government protests for their own purposes, but they can only do so by becoming subservient to the mass of people that demand all kinds of irrational and unjustified things including new elections. Nagy writes that the protesters, who include left-wing, liberal as well as Jobbik voters, may indeed create a new center. But this new center would be united only be the hatred of Fidesz and Prime Minister Orban, and thus would not be able to reach consensus on a meaningful program. In 168 Ora, Peter N. Nagy points out that traditional left-wing parties are suffering not only in Hungary, but throughout Europe. The left-wing columnist explains this by the Lefts failure to deliver on their promise of higher welfare, particularly since the 2008 financial crisis. As voters no longer support traditional welfare policies, the Left has taken a pro-market turn, Nagy explains. He finds it sad that the alternative to right-wing parties that push Europe towards what Nagy calls fascism, are left-wing parties that embrace global capitalism. Magyar Idoks Daniel Deak finds that the opposition parties are in deep crisis. The opposition has been defeated in the election, and since then, intra-party feuds erupted within the LMP and Jobbik. Deak nonetheless predicts very difficult times for the government. He speculates that after the defeat of left-wing parties, George Soros will use his NGO network as well as his allies in the EU to increase the pressure on the Hungarian government, and weaken Hungarys stability. This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of this portal. Your opinion articles are welcome too, for review before possible publication, via info@xpatloop.com Teachers trade union PDSZ called for the establishment of an independent education ministry as part of the new management structure of the next government. Tamas Szucs, who has been appointed PDSZs acting chairman after former chairman Laszlo Mendrey was recalled from his position, told a press conference that the union would pen a letter to Prime Minister Viktor Orban asking him to scrap the Ministry of Human Resources. In line with past practices, every major sector - including education - should have its own ministry and a minister who is as qualified as possible in the given field, Szucs said. The human resources ministry said in response that it hoped that in the future it would not only learn of PDSZs ideas on education from the street. In a statement, the ministry said it had learned of PDSZs new chairman from the press, adding that the new leader had chosen a street demonstration as his introduction. MTI Photo: Szigetvary Zsolt WATERSMEET Northwoods Alliance Inc. is seeking to protect Wildcat Falls near Watersmeet. Wildcat Falls is a remote waterfalls about nine miles from Watersmeet. It is one of several features on a 160-acre property Northwoods Alliance is seeking to protect into perpetuity, said Casey Clark, a conservation coordinator with Northwoods Alliance. The property had been part of the Ottawa National Forest until 2016, but was traded away in a controversial land swap. The controversy lagged for several years with legal litigation following U.S. Forest Service administrative appeals. The Forest Ser... PHOTOS LINE the walls of the Historical Ironwood Theatre concourse during Saturday's opener of the "Through the Eye of Camera, Upper Peninsula" exhibit. Polly Barbacovi, at left, was one of the organizers of the event. IRONWOOD - A photograph of a footbridge was judged Best of Show Saturday in the Downtown Arts Place contest in Ironwood. The photo by Christopher Burnett, of Marquette, won $500 for first place. The "Through the Eye of Camera, Upper Peninsula" photo exhibit in the concourse of the Ironwood Theatre will be on display through May 31. Peter Skoro, an instructor at Northland College in Ashland, judged the event. He teaches digital photography and graphic design. Bill Savage's photo of a native American "Fancy Dancer" won the Award of Excellence. Awards of Merit were won by Betsy Wesslehoft and Gail Speckmann. Peg Sandin, coordinator of the event, said, "This is pretty amazing," referring to numerous photos that were entered and the large turn-out of people at a reception at the theater. She said good crowds had viewed the exhibit throughout the day, leading up to the awards event. Business owners donated prize money. "We're thrilled at how generous everyone was," Sandin said. Sandin praised Phil Kucera for his display of cameras in the window of the Downtown Art Place. For more information, visit downtownartplace.com. -Ralph Ansami New Delhi: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) touched the USD 100 billion market capitalisation mark intra-day, but ended the session a tad lower. TCS shares closed at Rs 3415.20 apiece pushing its m-cap to 6,53,767.50. We are indeed delighted and thankful to our employees and customers who have been instrumental in achieving this milestone - what is exciting for us is the whole business 4.0 journey and the great opportunity to be a digital partner of choice to our customers in their growth and transformation journey, Rajesh Gopinathan, CEO and MD, TCS said. In its last closing on Friday TCS shares surged over 7 percent, adding Rs 41,301 crore to its market valuation, after the company reported a 4.4 percent rise in March quarter net profit and guided towards a better show in fiscal 2019. The Tata group flagship, which contributes around 85 percent of the group's profit, reported a revenue growth of 8.2 percent at Rs 32,075 crore for the three months to March. In dollar terms, the company had its highest revenue growth in 14 quarters at 11.7 percent. It also announced a 1:1 bonus of shares and a dividend of Rs 29 a share, taking the total payout to shareholders at Rs 50 for the year. It has given out close to Rs 26,000 crore to the shareholders in dividends and bonuses in the year. With PTI Inputs SURAT: In a major development, Amreli Superintendent of Police Jagdish Patel was arrested by CID (Crime) on Sunday in the Bitcoin extortion case of Surat-based builder Shailesh Bhatt. Patel reportedly has been called the chief mastermind of the entire case, however, law enforcement agencies are yet to confirm this fact. This is the first senior-level arrest in the case. Earlier, sleuths arrested Amreli police station inspector Anant Patel for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping-extortion case from Gandhinagar. Nine police officials of Amreli crime branch including Anant Patel, two police constables Babubhai Der and Vijay Vadher were named in the case. Following Gujarat Home Minister Pradeep Singh Jadeja's orders, the case was transferred to ID (Crime) branch. Bhatt, a Surat-based real estate developer was kidnapped from Gandhinagar by Amreli policemen, on alleged fake complaint that was planted by the cops themselves. He was allegedly held at a farmhouse and extorted bitcoins from him. NEW DELHI: The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), which gives special powers to armed forces in the disturbed regions, has been completely removed from Meghalaya and restricted in Arunachal Pradesh. ''Union Home Ministry has removed Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Meghalaya and reduced it to eight police stations in Arunachal Pradesh, a senior Home Ministry official said on Monday. "AFSPA was totally withdrawn from all areas of Meghalaya from April 1. In Arunachal, it is down from 16 police stations to eight," the official added. ''The decision to remove AFSPA from Meghalaya and parts of Arunachal Pradesh was taken due to significant improvement of security situation in the two states,'' the Home Ministry officials were quoted as saying by PTI. While insurgency has been completely wiped out from Tripura and Mizoram, there has been a marked improvement in security situation in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur, according to the Home Ministry. In Assam, sustained counter-insurgency operations against NDFB (S) have resulted in the killing of 63 cadres and the arrest of 1,052 cadres/linkmen besides recovery of huge arms and ammunition between December 2014 and March this year, the MHA report said. Across the northeast, there has been a huge reduction of 96 percent in casualties among the security forces from 289 in 1997 to 12 in 2017. Civilian casualties also dropped by 96 percent from 907 in the year 2000 to 37 last year, the official added. Insurgency incidents during the same period reduced by 85 percent from 1963 to 308. So far as kidnapping and abductions are concerned, there has been a 40 percent drop from 168 incidents in 2016 to 102 last year, the MHA said in its assessment. Though removed from almost all of Meghalaya, the AFSPA has, however, been extended by another six months in three eastern districts of Arunachal Pradesh - Tirap, Longding and Changlang. These three eastern districts of Arunachal Pradesh share the border with Myanmar and some specific areas under eight police stations in seven other districts bordering Assam. The three districts have been under the AFSPA since January 2016. There have been demands from various organisations in the northeast as well as the political parties in Jammu and Kashmir for repealing the act, which, they say, gives sweeping powers to the security forces to act against civilians. The controversial Act was withdrawn from Tripura in 2015 and in past one year, fewer areas in the northeast are under the Act, the official said, adding that the Act was only in place in Meghalaya for a 20-km area along the Assam border) and not in operation in Mizoram. AFSPA gives special powers to the Army and central forces deployed in "disturbed areas" to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and provide cover to forces from prosecution and legal suits without the Central government's sanction. It is still effective in the whole of Nagaland, Assam, Manipur (excluding seven Assembly constituencies of Imphal). It was not withdrawn in Nagaland even after a framework agreement was signed on August 3, 2015, by Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and government interlocutor RN Ravi in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The state governments of Assam and Manipur now have the powers to keep or revoke the Act. (With Agency Inputs) NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the latter's new slogan will be 'Beti Bachao, BJP ke logon se bachao' (Save the daughter, save them from the BJP's people). The Gandhi scion said this while addressing the launching event of 'Save The Constitution' campaign at Delhi's Talkatora Stadium. The campaign focusses on rising atrocities against the Dalits across the country. Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, the Congress chief said, "In his book 'Karmayog', PM Modi justifies manual scavenging by calling it a 'spiritual experience' for the Valmiki community. This speaks volumes about his anti-Dalit mindset." "Our institutions were gifted to us by our Constitution. The Modi Govt is now destroying these institutions by appointing RSS ideologues to occupy important positions," Rahul Gandhi said. "We will never allow the BJP and RSS to destroy our Constitution. The people of India will speak their 'Mann ki Baat' in 2019." He further said, "The Congress Party will stand together to protect the interests of Dalits and other weaker sections of the society wherever the BJP and RSS attack them." The grand old party on Sunday accused the PM Modi- led Centre of "systematically destroying" the Constitution and being a big threat to the Constitution. The Congress had earlier attacked the BJP-led NDA regime of diluting the SC/ST Act despite rising atrocities against the members of the SC/ST communities in India. NEW DELHI: Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre soon after Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu rejected Oppositions' impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra. Taking to Twitter, he said, "This is truly a fight between forces 'Rejecting Democracy' and voices 'Rescuing Democracy'." While the constitutional process of impeachment is set in motion with 50 MPs giving agreement, the removal notice of the CJI was agreed to by as many as 64 MPs, Surjewala pointed out. "The RS Chairman cannot adjudge the motion as he has no mandate to decide the merits of the motion," said the spokesperson of the grand old party. Taking a dig at the government, Surjewala said, "Within hours of 64 MPs submitting the impeachment motion, Leader of Rajya Sabha (Finance Minister Arun Jaitley) had expressed naked prejudice by calling it a revenge petition virtually dictating the verdict to Rajya Sabha Chairman on that day." He questioned, "Has Revenge Petition now become Rescue Order?" In another tweet, Surjewala further said, "If all charges were to be proved before inquiry as RS Chairman suggests, Constitution and Judges (Inquiry) Act will have no relevance." In a major jolt to the Centre, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Naidu decided not to consider the opposition's "impeachment motion" against Justice Misra pointing out that there was lack of substantial merit in it following consultations with legal experts. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held the consultations with such experts to determine the maintainability of the motion. In an unprecedented move, leaders of Opposition parties met Naidu on Friday and handed over the notice of impeachment against the CJI bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired. Lawmakers from the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Muslim League had signed the motion. New Delhi: Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi, BJP president Amit Shah on Monday said the 'Save the Constitution' campaign launched by the Congress chief is an exercise to save the dynasty. He added that if there is one political party that has trampled over the Constitution in letter and spirit, time and again, it is the Opposition party. Shah added that the Opposition party's 'Modi hatred' has turned into 'India hatred'. He made a mention of the Congress' move to impeach the Chief Justice of India and said it is part of a trend to demonise and weaken every institution that seeks to maintain its individual identity and does not "kowtow to the dynasty". Moreover, the BJP chief cited the Congress' alleged attack on the CAG, Election Commission, the Army and the Supreme Court at different points of time and its imposition of the Emergency in 1975. "The Congress' 'Save the Constitution' campaign is nothing but a farce that seeks to perpetuate the rule of the dynasty over the rule of democracy. Like in the past, we need to protect the Constitution from the Congress," he said. If there is one party that has destroyed the spirit of our Constitution, it is the Congress. They do not want rule of democracy but they want rule of dynasty. Hence this is a farce of a movement by their President. https://t.co/n6mWPBHIRC Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 23, 2018 Following is the full text of Shah's Facebook post: Saving the Constitution or saving dynasty? The Congress party has yet again taken the only path it knows very well- of spreading hate and divisions in our society. Mr Rahul Gandhi and his party should stop their theatrics and aggression at the earliest. It is becoming increasingly clear that their Modi hatred is fast turning into India hatred. Blinded by disdain for the Prime Minister, they are using the choicest of words and phrases to show India in a bad light. The Congress partys Save the Constitution campaign is both ironical and comical. In the history of post-1947 India, if there is one political party that has trampled over the Constitution in letter and spirit, time and again, it is the Congress Party. Right now, the buzzword for the Congress and their friends is impeachment. The judiciary, which is an institution that is trusted by 125 crore Indians has invited the wrath of Congress and the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty in particular. I will not get into the reasons (which everybody knows) but I will say that this is a part of a larger trend to demonize and weaken every institution that seeks to maintain its individual identity and not kowtow to the Dynasty. The Army has repeatedly been the Congress target. During the UPA years a Chief of Army Staff was targeted and the entire Army was dragged into political slugfests. During the same time, when the country was witnessing a grand awakening against the corruption of the UPA, the Congress began a tirade against the CAG. An institution that must stand as a torchbearer of accountability was not spared just because it brought out uncomfortable truths about the Congress and the dynasty. In the last four years, when the Congress has been facing defeat after defeat, the party is now training its guns (not the Bofors kind) on the Election Commission. The sanctity of the polling process has been questioned. Never for a minute has the Congress introspected- why is it that the people are rejecting us. Time changes, the context changes but the means, as well as the ends, remain the same- discredit any institution that comes in the way of furthering the rule of the Dynasty. The night of 25th June 1975 is unforgettable in the annals of history. That time, the entire Constitution was hijacked and held hostage to the whims and fancies of one leader. Even that assault on our Constitutional democracy came in the wake of our challenging the malpractices of no less than Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Congress commitment, or lack of it, towards our democracy is also seen in the ways the party has used Article 356 since Independence. In 1957, when Pandit Nehru was the Prime Minister and Mrs Indira Gandhi the Congress President, the Communist Government in Kerala was dismissed. From the Telugu Desam Party to the Socialists to the Akali Dal, no party has escaped this insult. Just because the Congress did not like a non-Congress government, it was dismissed and their leaders hounded. When Mr Rahul Gandhi says Congress made the Constitution, he is continuing his family legacy of humiliating Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. The indisputable fact is- apart from the Constitution, the Congress also has a disdain for the maker of the Constitution, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. No wonder they have made every effort to deviate from the Constitution given by respected Babasaheb. It is well known how Pandit Nehru personally ensured the defeat of Dr Ambedkar in not one but two elections. It is also no coincidence that in 1997, the year Mrs Sonia Gandhi took primary membership of the Congress the Congress-Third Front Government took away promotional benefits of SC/ST employees! It was the Vajpayee Government that amended Article 16(4A) of the Constitution and ensured justice to SC/ST employees. Congress party represents all forms of corruption that are prevalent in our society. Those who do not trust the Army, the Judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, EVMs, the RBI are now saying 'democracy is in danger!' India has a vibrant democracy and a vibrant Constitution. The Congress Save the Constitution campaign is nothing but a farce that seeks to perpetuate the rule of dynasty over the rule of democracy. Like in the past, we need to protect the Constitution from the Congress. Here's what Rahul Gandhi said: Rahul on Monday launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The twin burning issues of Dalit rights and women's safety were at the centre of his all-out attack on PM Modi at the launch of the Congress's 'Save the Constitution' programme. Institutions such as the Supreme Court were being trampled on and Parliament had been shut down by the government, Rahul alleged, claiming that if he was allowed to speak for 15 minutes on a host of issues, including the Nirav Modi scam, PM Modi would "run away". Attacking the PM on employment and other promises made by him before the last Lok Sabha polls, he said Modi would now come up with new promises for votes. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Two days after the Union Cabinet cleared Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance stipulating stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 16 and 12 years, the Delhi High Court asked the Centre on Monday if it had done any research or scientific assessment before coming out with the Ordinance. The HC was dealing with an old PIL that challenged the Act of 2013, in which a penal provision - minimum of seven years of jail term - for a rape convict was included and the court's discretion to award less than that was taken away. The plea by academician Madhu Purnima Kishwar has claimed that the amendments to the law related to sexual offences are being abused in practice. "Did you carry out any study, any scientific assessment that death penalty is a deterrent to rape? Have you thought of the consequences to the victim? How many offenders would allow their victims to survive now that rape and murder have the same punishment," a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the government, as per PTI. The court further said that the government was "not even looking at the root cause" or "educating people" as the offenders are often found to be below the age of 18 years and in a majority of the cases, the perpetrator is someone from the family or known to them. It also questioned whether any victims were asked what they want before coming out with the Ordinance. Highlights of Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance: The Union Cabinet on Saturday cleared the Ordinance chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi which provides death sentence for rapists of girls under 12 years. The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from the rigorous imprisonment of seven years to ten years, extendable to life imprisonment. The Centre's decision came in the wake of a nationwide outrage over cases of sexual assault and murder of minors in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and Surat in Gujarat, and the rape of a girl in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life". The punishment for the gang-rape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict. Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence. The measure also provides for speedy investigation and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months. The deadline for the completion of the trial in all rape cases will be two months and a six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed. There will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years. President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday approved the Ordinance for changes in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. (With PTI inputs) Dealing a major blow to the Congress-led opposition, Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the motion seeking the removal of the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. He decided to not consider the oppositions impeachment motion against Justice Misra pointing out that there was lack of substantial merit in it following consultations with legal experts. "I have applied my mind to all five charges made out in Impeachment Motion&examined all annexed documents. All facts as stated in motion don't make out a case which can lead any reasonable mind to conclude that CJI on these facts can be ever held guilty of misbehavior," the Vice President said. Naidu had held a series of meeting with the top legal luminaries including Attorney General KK Venugopal and a former Attorney General K Parasaran. Naidu cut short his visit to Hyderabad and returned to New Delhi on Sunday to discuss the unprecedented move by seven opposition parties led by the Congress. The Vice President also discussed the impeachment motion with former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash Kashyap, former law secretary PK Malhotra and former legislative secretary Sanjay Singh. The Congress-led opposition had on April 20, 2018 moved a notice before Naidu for Justice Misras impeachment. The motion was signed by 64 Rajya Sabha MPs and seven members who had retired recently. The motion listed five charges against the CJI. "The Constitution allows only one recourse to remedy the situation. Since there is no other way to protect the institution except to move an impeachment motion, we, members of the Rajya Sabha, do so with a heavy heart. We took upon ourselves to move the impeachment motion in the background set out above but on the basis of charges of acts of misbehaviour that are set out in the impeachment motion," the notice read. Apart from the Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) were backing the notice. It was the first time ever that a motion to remove the CJI had been moved in the history of India. While the opposition termed it as an impeachment motion, the Constitution of India nowhere mentions impeachment in connection with the judiciary. The term impeachment is used only in relation to the President of India under Article 61 of the Constitution. Nineteen years since the fateful day when Jessica Lall was shot dead in Delhi, her sister Sabrina Lall says has finally forgiven the assassinator Manu Sharma. In a letter to the welfare office of Central Jail, Tihar, where Sharma is serving his prison sentence, Sabrina expressed that she has no objection to his release. I've been fighting for this since 1999. He has spent 15 years in jail. You need to let go of anger, of baggage. I thought it is okay if Manu Sharma walks free. There is no specific reason. You need to rest your mind and move on with your life, said Sabrina. In the intervening night of April 29 and 30, 1999, Jessica shot dead at Tamarind Court, a restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani in south Delhi, where she was working as the bar maid. Siddharth Vashisht, alias Manu Sharma, became the main suspect. After several twists and turns in the investigation, the Delhi High Court on December 20, 2006, awarded a life sentence to Manu Sharma. Two other accused Amardeep Singh Gill and Vikas Yadav given four-year jail term. Six others accused were acquitted. Manu Sharma has already spent 15 years in jail. He was moved to an "open jail" on grounds of good conduct. The 41-year-old leaves the prison every day for work and return in the evening. BEIJING: Asserting the importance of language in Sino-India relationship, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said it's important for both the neighbour nations to learn each other's language. It is very important for us to know the languages of each other, said Swaraj, while speaking at the 'Contribution of Hindi in the Friendship of India & China' event in Beijing. The Union minister arrived in China on Sunday on a four-day visit to take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Highlighting the importance of students in India-China relationship, the minister added, The way our relations are strengthening today, it has become all the more important for Chinese students to learn Hindi and Indian students to learn Mandarin, so that you do not face language barriers when you go to India or they come down to China. Even two foreign ministers cannot make the friendship of our countries more stronger, than the students of China, who love the Hindi language, she said. Swaraj went on to speak about the popularity of Indian movies in China. Indian films are becoming increasingly popular in China. I was talking to Foreign Minister Wang Yi yesterday, he mentioned that Dangal, Secret Superstar and Hindi Medium are very popular here. On Sunday, Swaraj held crucial talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to reset the Indi-China relations after last year's Dokalam standoff. Maintaining peace in the border areas with China was an "essential pre-requisite" for the smooth development of bilateral ties she said. "China and India are two major countries with global influence. It falls to both countries to jointly uphold the UN-centered multilateral system, to jointly preserve the WTO-centred international trading rules and to joint tackle terrorism, climate change and a host of other global challenges," Wang said. Swaraj and Wang met in the immediate backdrop of the recent meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and top official of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) Yang Jiechi in Shanghai. With agency inputs NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a nationwide campaign - "Save The Constitution". The grand old party had on Sunday attacked Centre saying that it posed a big threat to the Constitution. It accused the Narendra Modi government of "systematically destroying" the Constitution. A movement has begun to stand in solidarity with the Dalits & other oppressed communities and to protect the values enshrined in our Constitution. Join us in protecting the idea of India. #SaveTheConstitution pic.twitter.com/Gl2D9aXYCr Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018 Announcing the launch of the campaign, the Congress tweeted, "A movement has begun to stand in solidarity with the Dalits & other oppressed communities and to protect the values enshrined in our Constitution. Join us in protecting the idea of India. #SaveTheConstitution" A packed gathering at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi for the launch of the #SaveTheConstitution campaign. pic.twitter.com/jaVDiIjF9g Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018 'Save The Constitution' campaign focusses on rising atrocities against the Dalits across the country. The launch event was held at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi. Congress President @RahulGandhi arrives at the Talkatora Stadium to launch the #SaveTheConstitution campaign. pic.twitter.com/b8kCggBl3r Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018 The Congress had earlier attacked the BJP-led NDA regime of diluting the SC/ST Act despite rising atrocities against the members of the SC/ST communities in India. ''The past three years have witnessed an unprecedented rise in atrocities against Dalits. Despite this, the SC/ST Act has been diluted. The Modi Govt is a clear and present danger to the Constitution of India. It is time for us to unite and #SaveTheConstitution,'' it had tweeted. Beijing: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will attend a preparatory meeting on Tuesday related to upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Sitharaman will attend the SCO defence ministers meeting and Swaraj will take part in foreign ministers meeting. The annual summit of the SCO, in which India is the latest entrant along with Pakistan, will take place in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June 2018. Talks bilateral cooperation and terrorism, among other things, are likely to be on agenda, as per reports. Swaraj is already in China on a four-day visit to finalise the agenda for the summit of the eight-member political, economic and security bloc. Sitharaman arrived in China on Monday. The SCO, headquartered in Beijing, was founded in 2001. Comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India and Pakistan, the SCO aims at military cooperation between the member states and involves intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism operations in Central Asia and joint work against cyber terrorism. Meanwhile, Swaraj called on President Xi Jinping on Monday. Conveying our desire to strengthen our bilateral relationship, EAM @SushmaSwaraj called on President of People's Republic of China Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of People in Beijing. #EAMatSCO pic.twitter.com/1lo8tAy9aM Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) April 23, 2018 Earlier, on Sunday, the EAM and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi had discussed a host of bilateral issues and ways to step up the pace of high-level interactions to improve the relationship. "We will work closely with the Chinese leadership to take India-China cooperation to new heights," Swaraj had said Together we prosper! EAM @SushmaSwaraj and State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi discussed all aspects of our bilateral relationship to strengthen India-China multifaceted engagement. pic.twitter.com/rALF4WFPYf Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) April 22, 2018 On his part, Wang had said that the bilateral ties have witnessed a good development and shown a positive momentum this year under the guidance of the leaders of the two nations. "On the eve of the closing of China's National People's Congress this year, President Xi Jinping received a very important phone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he had said. Following the Dokalam standoff in 2017 both countries have increased dialogue to scale down tensions and improve relations with talks at various levels. On the other hand, PM Modi and Jinping will hold an informal summit in China's Wuhan city from April 27 to 28 to exchange views on bilateral and international matters and to enhance mutual communication between the two leaders, Wang had announced on Sunday. PM Modi will be visiting the central Chinese city at the invitation of President Xi, he had said at a joint media event with Swaraj after their talks. (With PTI inputs) NEW DELHI: Doctors of AIIMS' Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) on Monday condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks in London where he had highlighted malpractices of doctors and had also said doctors attend conferences abroad to promote pharmaceutical firms. "We are getting foreign trips in reward of writing costly medicines, but this is utterly shameful to generalise and paint black whole Medical fraternity that too on International forum," one of the AIIMS' doctors said. "India is gaining immense respect in the form of medical tourism, we are also becoming world's No. 1 exporters of pharmaceutical products and the remarks by PM will put a serious dent on the efforts made by whole doctors and pharmaceutical industry," he added. The doctor further said, "We accept there are a few black sheeps in all professions including in government of Modi ji but you cannot generalise the corruption and make fun of Doctors on an international platform." Expressing disappointment over his remarks, the doctor said, "This is the first time when some PM of any country used an international platform to curse his hardworking and dedicated citizens." "I once again request Modi Ji to wear white Apron and spend one day as the doctor in a government hospital with us to understand the level of stress we face," he concluded. On Sunday, several doctors of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Association of Medical Consultants (AMC), Mumbai had also written to PM Modi over the same issue. In the letter by Association of Medical Consultants, the doctors wrote, "Your talk has irrevocably harmed the doctor-patient relationship of trust. We wish and hope that you can bring back the standing that we doctors have, as trust, in one another is extremely important for recovery from illness." The Prime Minister in "Bharat Ki Baat Sabke Saath" event, organised in London's Westminster recently, had cited examples of various international conferences allegedly funded by pharma companies, where doctors regularly participate. He had said that to end the nexus between doctors and pharmaceutical companies, which results in the sale of expensive medicines the Centre has launched generic stores in India. "Doctors visit Singapore, Dubai to attend conferences; they don't go there because someone is sick. The pharma companies invite them for that. To finally break the resultant sale of expensive medicines the government has launched generic stores where medicines of similar quality are sold at cheaper prices," the Prime Minister had said. (With inputs from agencies) NEW DELHI: In a major development, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu rejected Congress-led Oppositions' notice to impeach Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra on Monday morning. The Rajya Sabha Chairman held extensive consultations with top legal and constitutional experts before taking the decision. "I have applied my mind to all five charges made out in Impeachment Motion and examined all annexed documents. All facts as stated in motion don't make out a case which can lead any reasonable mind to conclude that CJI on these facts can be ever held guilty of misbehaviour," said Naidu. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held the consultations with such experts to determine the maintainability of the motion. Reacting to the development, Congress leader PL Punia said, "This is a really important matter. We don't know what was the reason for the rejection. Congress and other opposition parties will talk to some legal experts and take the next step." In an unprecedented move, leaders of Opposition parties met Naidu on Friday and handed over the notice of impeachment against the CJI bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired. Lawmakers from the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Muslim League had signed the motion. However, while reviewing the notice, the Rajya Sabha officials had mentioned that making public the contents of a notice before it is admitted by the chair is in violation of parliamentary rules. According to the provisions in the handbook for Rajya Sabha members, no advance publicity should be given to any notice to be taken up in the House till it is admitted by the chairman. The move to propose impeachment notice against the CJI has led to a slugfest between the Congress and the BJP. Naidu on Sunday set in motion the process of consultation on the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and held discussions with a number of constitutional and legal experts, including Attorney General K K Venugopal, and former top law officer K Parasaran. The vice president cut short his visit to Hyderabad and reached here to hold deliberations over the notice given by the seven opposition parties. With agency inputs NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday set in motion the process of consultation on the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and held discussions with a number of constitutional and legal experts, including Attorney General K K Venugopal, and former top law officer K Parasaran. The vice president cut short his visit to Hyderabad and reached here to hold deliberations over the notice given by the seven opposition parties. According to officials, Naidu spoke to former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash Kashyap, ex-law secretary P K Malhotra and former legislative secretary Sanjay Singh on the issue. He also held deliberations with senior officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, they said, adding that Naidu also spoke to former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy. The officials said the vice president also spoke to the attorney general on the issue. They also said Naidu continued with the deliberations till late in the evening and also spoke to K Parasaran, who was the attorney general during the Congress governments led by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and was also a member to the Upper House nominated by the party. Leaders of the opposition parties had on Friday met Naidu and handed over the notice of impeachment against the chief justice of India (CJI) bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired. The opposition parties, led by the Congress, initiated the unprecedented step to impeach the CJI by moving the notice levelling charges against him. The parties had briefed the media after handing over the notice to the Upper House chairman. While reviewing the notice, the Rajya Sabha officials had mentioned that making public the contents of a notice before it is admitted by the chair is in violation of parliamentary rules. According to the provisions in the handbook for Rajya Sabha members, no advance publicity should be given to any notice to be taken up in the House till it is admitted by the chairman. The move to propose impeachment notice against the CJI has led to a slugfest between the Congress and the BJP. Meanwhile, the Congress said that the CJI should be considering recusing himself from judicial and administrative duties until his name is cleared. The BJP has said the Congress was trying to demean, degrade and denigrate the judiciary by moving the notice. The Constitution of India, however, nowhere mentions impeachment in connection with the judiciary. The term impeachment is used only in relation to the President of India under Article 61 of the Constitution and in Article 124 in Chapter IV, which is about the Union Judiciary and establishment and constitution of Supreme Court, the term "removed" is used. So while a judge and even the Chief Justice of India can be removed, he or she can never be impeached according to the the Constitution or The Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 which regulates "the procedure for the investigation and proof of the misbehaviour or incapacity of a Judge of the Supreme Court or of the presentation of an address by Parliament to the President and for matters connected therewith". The procedure to remove a judge has to also take into account Article 14 of the Constitution which comes under the Fundamental Rights. Article 14 states that "the State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India." NEW DELHI: Shortly after Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu rejected Oppositions' impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra, Congress on Monday said that the party will talk to legal experts and look for alternatives. Calling the impeachment notice a crucial issue, Congress leader PL Punia said that they will move Supreme Court regarding the removal motion of the CJI. "This is a really important matter. We don't know what was the reason for the rejection. Congress and other opposition parties will talk to some legal experts and take the next step," said PL Punia, on the rejection of the CJI's impeachment notice. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held the consultations with such experts to determine the maintainability of the motion. In an unprecedented move, leaders of Opposition parties met Naidu on Friday and handed over the notice of impeachment against the CJI bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired. Lawmakers from the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Muslim League had signed the motion. Naidu on Sunday set in motion the process of consultation on the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and held discussions with a number of constitutional and legal experts, including Attorney General K K Venugopal, and former top law officer K Parasaran. The vice president cut short his visit to Hyderabad and reached here to hold deliberations over the notice given by the seven opposition parties. (With inputs from agencies) World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day, is being celebrated across the globe on Monday. Held on April 23, every year, this day aims to inculcate reading, promote publishing and copyright. The event is organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and was first held in 1995. April 23 has long been a symbolic date for the world. It marks the birthday or death of world's leading authors including Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Both Shakespeare and Cervantes died on 23 April 1616 (though not on the same day, as at the time as the cultures used different calendars). This year, UNESCO has commemorated the day to 70th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights which includes freedom of expression and right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress. From these rights spring the freedom to publish, first embodied in the 1950 Florence Convention in which UNESCO urges co-operation between nations in all branches of intellectual activity, including `the exchange of publications, objects of artistic and scientific interest and other materials of information', shared UNESCO on it's official website. A book is a bridge between generations & across cultures, a force for creating & sharing knowledge, UNESCO shared on Twitter earlier. Several events are expected to be held across the world to celebrate the power of books to bring us together and to transmit the wisdom among diverse cultures. UNESCO headquarters will conduct workshops, exhibitions, lectures etc to offer public a closer look at each of the 30 articles of the Declaration, as well as related materials and actions. In 2018, Athens, as UNESCO World Book Capital, undertakes the promotion of books and reading and organizes activities over the year which starts with the celebration of World Book and Copyright Day on 23 April. The city of Athens was chosen for the quality of its activities, supported by the entire book industry. The proposed activity program includes meetings with writers, translators and illustrators, concerts, thematic exhibitions, poetry readings and workshops for publishing professionals, shared UNESCO. Beijing: China on Monday said President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss the threat of rising protectionism and the 'unprecedented' changes in the world in the past 100 years at their informal summit at Wuhan. "During the meeting, the two leaders will discuss the changes that have taken place and which are unprecedented in the past 100 years to exchange views on the strategic overarching long-term issues concerning over bilateral ties," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. "This will bring a positive influence to regional and world peace, stability and development and bring more benefits to the people of both countries," he added. As to the background against which this meeting will be held, Lu said, "I believe you are also clear that the world is now faced with rampant unilateralism as well as the rising protectionism in the process of globalisation. All these new trends in the world have to be closely followed and debated. Against such backdrop, China and India have a lot to discuss. We are newly emerging markets as well as developing countries with big population. So we believe the two countries will continue to uphold the globalisation so that it is more inclusive. So we have a lot of shared interests, concerns and positions," Lu said, as per PTI. At Wuhan, the two leaders will "exchange views on overarching long-term strategic issues as well as the latest trends in the world so that the world will develop in a more stable way. All these new trends in the world have been closely followed and debated, he went on to say, in an apparent reference to a host of measures initiated by US President Donald Trump in his 'America First' policy leading to a lot of protectionist measures including the current trade spate between the China and US. Lu was responding to question whether there will be a joint message related to trade and protectionism, especially against US unilateral protectionism after the meeting between PM Modi and Xi. They will hold an informal summit from April 27 to 28, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi had announced on Sunday. PM Modi will be visiting the central Chinese city at the invitation of President Xi, he had said at a joint media event with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. EAM @SushmaSwaraj : Prime Minister of India @narendramodi will visit China on 27 & 28 April for an Informal Summit with President of China Xi Jinping in the city of Wuhan. pic.twitter.com/SUs2VSAVDO Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) April 22, 2018 EAM @SushmaSwaraj : The informal Summit will be an important occasion for them to exchange views on bilateral and international matters from an over-arching and long-term perspective with the objective of enhancing mutual communication at the level of leaders. pic.twitter.com/vD786LCelf Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) April 22, 2018 "The informal summit will be an important occasion for them to exchange views on bilateral and international matters from an over-arching and long-term perspective with the objective of enhancing mutual communication at the level of leaders," Swaraj had said. Meanwhile, the EAM and Yi on Sunday discussed a host of bilateral issues and ways to step up the pace of high-level interactions to improve the relationship. "We will work closely with the Chinese leadership to take India-China cooperation to new heights," Swaraj had said Following the Dokalam standoff in 2017 both countries have increased dialogue to scale down tensions and improve relations with talks at various levels. (With PTI inputs) Internet analytics company comScore on Monday appointed Bryan Wiener as the chief executive officer. Bill Livek, comScores current executive vice chairman and president, has been promoted as vice chairman of the board and special advisor to the CEO. Wiener and Livek will assume their new positions on May 30, 2018, the company said. Bryan is a universally-respected change agent in the business world, known for specializing in growing companies into market leaders, and I am thrilled to welcome him to the comScore executive team, said Livek. In a world where people are increasingly consuming media across platforms, the need for a trusted, objective and consistent currency to measure audience and advertising ROI only grows. comScore is uniquely positioned to provide this new model, as it has the scalable data, technology and history of innovation to power the industrys future, Wiener said. comScore has also announced changes to its board of directors. Rob Norman, a renowned advisor to media and marketing companies and former chief digital officer of WPPs GroupM, has been named to comScores board of directors. Current board member Brent Rosenthal has been named non-executive chair. Wiener has earlier worked as CEO of 360i, served as chairman of Expion and has held a series of senior management positions at public companies Net2Phone and TheGlobe.com. ComScore is a leading cross-platform measurement company that measures audiences, brands and consumer behavior everywhere. ComScore data footprint combines proprietary digital, TV and movie intelligence. New Delhi: The US customs recently fined a woman $500 because of carrying an apple in her carry-on baggage. The woman, named Crystal Tadlock, had taken Delta Air Lines flight from Paris, and was taking a transfer to Denver. Upon the security scanning, the US customs found that she was carrying the contra-band apple. Explaining her point, the woman told the customs that she had been given the apple on board Delta Air Lines. But she was not hungry and hence she kept the fruit for the last leg of her journey back home (Denver). She even showed the Delta logo on the apple which was wrapped in plastic, but to no avail. As per US Customs and Border Protection rules, passengers must declare agriculture items at the port of entry in Minneapolis, including fresh fruits. He had asked me if my trip to France was expensive and I said, Yeah. I didnt really get why he was asking that question, and then he said, Its about to get a lot more expensive after I charge you $500,' Tadlock told the station. She was then issued a $500 citation and a revocation of her global entry status, Tadlock told Fox 31 in Denver. Its really unfortunate someone has to go through that and be treated like a criminal over a piece of fruit, Tadlock told Fox 31. BENGALURU: The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking heavily on a high voltage presence by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last leg of campaigning in the state before it goes to polls on May 12. PM Modi's presence is being dubbed as the X factor in this tri-cornered contest in the Karnataka assembly elections. While there is no evidence of any anti-incumbency wave against the present Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramiah, the confidence exhibited by former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and his father, former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda seems to indicate that a fractured mandate might make this closely watched election anybody's game. In all this speculation, where does the Prime Minister fit in? Clearly, Narendra Modi is an unparalleled campaigner. He brings energy and tumult to state politics whenever he lands to campaign. And, it seems to have worked every single time for the BJP other than in Bihar, where the Bihari 'brothers' campaign run by election strategist Prashant Kishore, once a BJP acolyte, worked in favour of the coalition against Modi. But in the end, the BJP had the last laugh with the party being back in the saddle in Bihar in cohorts with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Here in Karnataka, the BJP plans to make its Dravidian entry and dispel the notion that it is only a north-based political party. However, it has a following only in pockets in the state, unlike the Congress party which has a long history and a strong pan state presence. But before Narendra Modi arrives here to campaign for his party's so far mild-mannered chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa, he heads to China to meet with President Xi Jinping. The Prime Minister clearly putting foreign relations on priority before domestic agenda. But is he? When he begins speaking at rallies in Karnataka if he can speak about a rapprochement with China, increasing trade relations, improvement in bilateral ties, more job opportunities with a potential tie-up with the Asian giant, would it click with urban voters? In urban Karnataka, the main issues remain the same as in the election of 2013, of pot-holed roads, incomplete and ineffective public transport, unemployment, corruption and a sluggish business environment. Prime Minister Modi could tap into the urban discontent and present a larger picture to first-time voters and mid-career professionals. Promising a robust economy for the state in tandem with the Centre's projection of a seven to eight percent growth for the country could work. But he would have to stay clear of claiming that demonetisation was a success or that the GST (Goods and Services Tax) was a brilliant idea. Most here feel that the GST was a rushed job when the country wasn't ready for it and that demonetisation was a random and ill thought of step. As has been the BJP's strategy in all election campaigns, Prime Minister Modi is expected to come out all guns blazing, addressing almost 16 rallies beginning from May 1. The slog overs matter and the undecided voters is what he will target first. Prime Minister Modi's language barrier in the south is also a niggling doubt, with anti-Hindi sentiment getting more aggressive as politics becomes contentious closer to the general elections. BJP President Amit Shah has done the initial kite flying on all topics during his several visits to the state. He has led the campaign for the party with chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa, the party's Y factor, barely speaking to the media and keeping a very low profile during public meetings. Clearly, the Y factor of the BJP will play second fiddle in the coming weeks to the X-factor, Narendra Modi. What really is Y's USP (unique selling proposition)? Other than being a former chief minister and a member of the powerful Lingayat Community, there is little that the party can hope for from Y. When Prime Minister Modi comes here, he will have a tough time in promising voters that Y will head a dynamic go-getting government. Y just doesn't seem to have the energy of a Shivraj Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh) or a Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh). He is more in the mould of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje (Rajasthan), moody and sporadically effective. But then non-performance or lethargy by a BJP chief minister in the penultimate year before general elections is not something that is negotiable for Amit Shah or Narendra Modi as has been evident in Yogi Adityanath being reportedly read out the rules of engagement recently. Governance or otherwise in 2018 in states will impact upon perception at the national level on how the BJP fares. Yeddyurappa must be aware of that. He did manage to run an effective campaign before the distribution of tickets with old loyalists from his Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) days. There is palpable excitement in Karnataka that the entire country's focus is on the state election. It is also a test to see if Congress party president Rahul Gandhi is able to help Siddaramiah hold on to the only big state that the Congress has in the country, or, will it be yet another loss for the grand old party. A hung assembly is everyone's nightmare. Everyone other than the BJP. They know how to play that game very well. NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday announced its fourth list of seven candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled to be held on May 12. Here's the list - AC No. Name of Assembly Constituency Name of Candidate 112 Bhadravati Shri GR Pravin Patil 153 Yeshvanthapura Sri Jaggesh 172 BTM Layout Sri Lallesh Reddy 183 Ramanagaram Smt. H Lilavathi 184 Kanakapura Smt. Nandini Gowda 195 Belur Sri HK Suresh 196 Hassan Sri J Preetham Gowda With less than a month left for Karnataka to go to polls, both the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have entered a high-pitched battle on the ground and on social media. The BJP is eyeing to dethrone the Congress government in Karnataka, which is headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The BJP had last month earlier released its first list of 72 candidates following a meeting of the party's Central Election Committee. The committee had met at BJP's Headquarters in New Delhi with party President Amit Shah and committee members including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj present. Karnataka polls are scheduled to be held in a single phase on May 12 and the counting of votes will be done on May 15. VVPAT machines, apart from EVMs, will be deployed in Karnataka for the polls. The date of notification was April 17 and the last date to file nominations is April 24. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 25 and the last day for withdrawal is April 27. The 224-member Assembly expires on May 28 in the state where the Congress is currently in power, with 122 seats against the BJP's 43. Karnataka is one of the eight states where polls were scheduled this year. While Siddaramaiah-led Congress is eyeing a second term in the state, BJP wants to spread its wings to the 22nd state. Bengaluru: The BJP on Monday alleged the state administration was not allowing it to campaign freely and was applying rules selectively to create "favourable conditions" for the ruling Congress in the May 12 Karnataka Assembly elections. "Party president Amit Shah was disallowed from garlanding a statue of BR Ambedkar during poll campaign and its workers were not even allowed to hoist party flags atop their houses, BJP General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Muralidhar Rao told reporters here. He alleged state officials involved in the election work had threatened the party workers and asked them to remove the flags. "Taking note of this, the BJP has decided to launch a statewide 'namma mane BJP mane' (our house is BJP house) campaign on April 25 where the party workers will hoist party flags atop their houses. As many as 11 lakh party workers would participate in the campaign," he added. Rao also claimed the BJP workers were not allowed to have food in its party meetings, though the election manuals had not prescribed any such rules. Airing several other grievances, Rao alleged that the administration gave permission for Shah to garland a statue of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna here recently after a long delay. "The administration harassed us, and only gave permission for our national president to garland Sant Basavanna's statue a few hours before (the scheduled event)," he said. Rao also charged election officials with illegally defacing the party's promotional writings on the walls of" house owners asking people to vote for BJP. The Election Commission was expected to conduct free and fair elections, and maintain neutrality, but officials close to Siddaramaiah occupying top posts in the state (and involved in election work) were misusing their positions and creating a favourable condition for Congress, he alleged. He also alleged that the administration was not allowing BJP to erect its hoardings in commercial places. Referring to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah contesting from Badami constituency in addition to Chamundeshwari, Rao said BJP would not allow him to win from the second seat and create a such a battle the people would love to see. "We will not allow Siddaramaiah to win in Badami. The party workers and its cadre are highly motivated in Badami. We are going to create such a fight which people of Karnataka will love to see. Siddaramaiah will meet the same fate in Badami like he would in Chamundeshwari," he claimed. On tainted mining baron Janardhana Reddy sharing dais in BJP campaigns with party candidate and his brother Somasekhar Reddy, Rao said he had not been included in the list of BJP's poll campaign. "But he, like many people, has been campaigning on his own. Amit Shahji has already given a statement on it," he added. He also sought to dismiss questions over Somasekhar Reddy's nomination. "I cannot understand how Somasekhar Reddy's candidature amounts to a crime. What is the connection between Somasekhar Reddy getting ticket and Janardhan Reddy?" he asked. Rao said the party was preparing poll campaign plans for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah in coming days. Also participating in the campaigns will be senior leaders including Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj, Yogi Adityanath, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Devendra Fadnavis, Raman Singh, Smriti Irani and Uma Bharati, he said. BENGALURU: Union Minister of State Anant Kumar Hegde on Monday alleged that he received a threat call on the wee hours of Sunday. The unknown caller threatened the Union Minister of beheading him. Following this, the personal assistant of Hegde lodged a complaint with Sirsi New Market Police Station. The case has been registered under Section 504 and Section 507 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The unidentified caller had initially called the minister's office. Later, the same caller dialed the BJP leader's personal number. The call at the minister's personal number was received at around 2 am on Sunday. Anant Kumar Hegde currently serves as the Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. He is a Member of Parliament representing Karnataka's Uttara Kannada constituency. On April 18, Hegde's escort vehicle was hit by a truck in Karnataka's Haveri district. Hegde was travelling near Halageri in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district around 11:30 pm. when the incident took place. The Minister had said, "A deliberate attempt on my life seems to have been executed just now. A truck on the national highway, near Halageri in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district, tried to hit my vehicle. Since my vehicle was in top speed, it escaped the hit." Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had, however, slammed the incident and called it a political gimmick. (With inputs from ANI) A Bharatiya Janata Party leader identified as KP Prem Ananth has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl inside a train. Prem Ananth, who is a lawyer and had unsuccessfully contested from RK Nagar constituency during the 2006 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, is accusing of assaulting the 10-year-old girl in the Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai express. Erode Railway Police arrested Ananth under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on Sunday and later remanded him to judicial custody. He attacked the girl while she was sleeping. The minor girl woke up and cried for help leading to other members of her family waking up. They managed to catch the accused and hand him over to the police. The incident happened on a day when President Ram Nath Kovind signed and promulgated the ordinance awarding death penalty to .those convicted of raping children below 12 years of age. The ordinance was passed by the Union Cabinet on Saturday. The ordinance amends the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. The notification stated that since Parliament is not in session and President is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action. President Kovind had on Wednesday said that it is shameful that rape incidents continue to take place in the country even 70 years after Independence. "After 70 years of independence, such an incident occurring in any part of the country is shameful. We have to think what kind of society are we developing. It is our responsibility to ensure such a thing does not happen to any girl or woman," he said. In Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar is accused of raping a minor girl in Unnao. His 'Y' category security was also withdrawn on Friday. Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh has blamed pornographic websites for the rising cases of rapes in India. Singh claimed that his ministry has conducted a survey which revealed that easy availability of pornographic content and porn websites were responsible for such crimes. He added that he has written to the Union Home Ministry seeking a ban on porn sites. Singh's comments come at a time when there have been massive protests across the country over a spate of rape cases, many of them against children as young as a few months. In Indore, a six-month-old infant was raped and killed on Friday in the basement of a building. The accused is the victim's uncle. Identified as Sunil Bheel (21), the accused was caught on CCTV camera, at around 4.45 am on Friday, carrying the infant on his shoulder. He had an argument with the victim's mother after which he allegedly committed the crime. The post-mortem of the infant, which was carried out at the state-run MY Hospital in Indore, suggested that she might have been raped before being killed as her private parts bore an injury mark, a source said. Commenting on the crime in Indore, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on Saturday said that in 92 percent of cases, minor girls were raped by a close relative. "The Indore incident has left me distressed. How can someone do something so terrible to a little girl? Society needs to peep within themselves. The administration has taken quick action and arrested the accused. We will ensure that he gets severe punishment without delay," he tweeted. In another such alleged case which has led to massive uproar across India, an eight-year-old girl from the nomadic Bakarwal community was abducted, sedated, gang-raped for several days and later killed by a group of men in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district. New Delhi: Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav was sentenced to six months in jail on Monday by Karkardooma Court in a cheque bounce case. The actor and his wife Radha Yadav and a company in connection with a loan case were convicted last Friday. In 2010, Yadav and Radha had taken a loan from a Delhi-based entrepreneur, MG Agarwal (owner of Murli Projects) for his Hindi debut directional film 'Ata Pata Laapata'. The businessman had filed a case against Yadav and his wife in the high court after they failed to repay him the amount. In 2013, Yadav was even remanded to 10 days judicial custody for concealing facts about the case. The court had also then ordered attachment of assets of the couple and attached his bank account of the Axis Bank and a company owned by him. The judge had also issued a contempt of court notice against two women lawyers who were representing the couple and an oath commissioner for submitted an affidavit in the court which had forged signature of the couple. In 2015, he had claimed in court that he had paid Rs 1.58 crore and has to pay back Rs 3.42 crore. He had also told the court that he had got a fresh offer from a company which had agreed to take up the liability of his loan. He had claimed that the loan would be repaid in 30 days. Rajpal Yadav has done comedy films and is known for his impeccable comic timings. He is known for his performances in hit films like Bhoolbhulaiya, Partner, Hungama among others. LONDON-: Kate, the wife of Prince William, smiled and waved as she left hospital on Monday after giving birth to a boy who is now fifth in line to the British throne. The baby was born at 1001 GMT and weighed 8 lbs 7oz (3.8 kg). William was present for the birth at St Mary`s Hospital in west London where their other two children, George and Charlotte, were also born. Kate, wearing a red dress, smiled at hundreds of well-wishers and assembled journalists as she left the hospital clutching her baby just 7 hours after the birth. William later put the boy, strapped into a car seat, into a waiting car. "Thrice the worry now," William told reporters, holding up three fingers with a smile, as he got into a Land Rover to take his wife and newborn back to Kensington Palace. "We didn`t keep you waiting too long this time." "Very happy, very excited, thank you," he said. When asked about a name for the boy, William said: "You`ll find out sooner or later." Bookmakers have made Albert, Arthur, Jack and Fred the favoured names for a boy. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, the baby`s grandfather, and other members of the royal family and Kate`s family have been informed and "are delighted with the news", Kensington Palace said. When William brought his children to see their brother, Princess Charlotte, 2, turned and waved at the gathering of well-wishers. George, 4, did not wave. The baby is the queen`s sixth great-grandchild and is behind his grandfather and heir Prince Charles, father William, and siblings George and Charlotte in line to the throne. A 2013 change to the law means that for the first time in British history, a new prince will not supplant his older sister in the order of succession. Previously younger males would take precedence over older female siblings. William`s younger brother Harry, who marries U.S. actress Meghan Markle next month, falls to sixth on the list. The official announcement of the birth was made by placing a notice on an easel in the forecourt of the queen`s London home, Buckingham Palace, a tradition that has been in place since it became the sovereign`s official residence in 1837. "My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy," Prime Minister Theresa May said. "I wish them great happiness for the future." ROYAL PRINCE William and Kate met as students at St Andrews University in Scotland. They wed in a pageant-packed ceremony at Westminster Abbey in April 2011 and are treated as global celebrities. The couple now lives at Kensington Palace and last year William gave up his day job as an air ambulance pilot to concentrate full-time on royal duties on behalf of his grandmother, having faced some criticism from British newspapers who dubbed him "workshy Wills". He has been determined to play a hands-on role in bringing up his children while also protecting their privacy, an issue close to his heart after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a 1997 Paris car crash as her limousine sped away from pursuing paparazzi. "I think he takes on a lot more engagements than he used to," said royal biographer Claudia Joseph. "But compared to members of the general public who have full-time jobs, he still has some time off to look after the children, to give them their baths, to put them to bed and I think he`ll continue to do that," Joseph said. The British royals are rarely out of the media glare, but the baby arrives at a time when the Windsors have particularly been in the limelight. On Saturday William joined the queen and other senior royals, with the exception of Kate, as the monarch celebrated her 92nd birthday at a televised concert. The queen also played a prominent role at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London last week, where it was announced that Charles would succeed her as head of the network of mainly former British colonies. MEDIA SPOTLIGHT While interest in their third child has been more muted than with the birth of their first, large numbers of photographers and broadcasters from around the globe massed outside the hospital, along with some dedicated royal fans. "We`ve been coming out doing this for 21 years," said John Loughrey, 63, from south London, who was wearing a Union Jack onesie and hat and holding a baby doll adorned with a crown. He said he had been camped outside the hospital for 15 days. "We were here for George and Charlotte and we`ll be there for the royal wedding too," he said, referring to Harry and Markle. However, not everyone in Britain is so enamoured. "Congratulations to William and Kate but it is a private matter and if people are happy for them then fine but I think the media should just move on and talk about something more important," Graham Smith, a chief executive officer of the anti-monarchist campaign group Republic, told Reuters. "The monarchy is about births, deaths and marriages and these events remind us how this system works and highlights again the inequality of those born into royalty and those born into poverty." One consequence of the birth is that some existing members of the royal family are pushed to the periphery, and this has led to calls for the monarchy to be pared down. "One of the problems all members of the royal family have is they start quite close to the throne and gradually as time goes on they go further and further away," royal historian Hugo Vickers said. "It`s very easy to talk about a bloated royal family but it`s not really fair because the queen has an enormous amount of requests of things to do and her family are there to support her." The birth also gives Kate`s own family another cause for celebration after it was reported by British media on Sunday that her sister Pippa, who is married to a wealthy financier, was pregnant with her first child. Hyderabad: Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Monday continued his attacks on some Telugu news channels for repeatedly telecasting aactress Sri Reddy`s video in which she used a vulgar word about his mother. In a series of tweets, the Jana Sena chief once again asked people to boycott the channels. "Why should we read newspapers and why should we watch channels which abuse our mothers," he asked. "What kind of `Nirbhaya Act` is needed to protect ourselves from this emotional atyacharis who run these three channels," was another tweet by the actor. Pawan, younger brother of superstar Chiranjeevi, said that public abuse and a private apology doesn`t work with him. "For six months you abused me, my fans, party cadre and film industry (and) as the cherry on the top, you abused my old mother too. You sick minded degenerates and now you send me feelers to apologise, privately." The popular actor also declared that he will constitute a committee for the protection of self-respect of women working in the film industry, which will be supported by the women`s wing of Jana Sena. The ugly spat broke out last week when Sri Reddy, who shocked the Telugu film industry with allegations of casting couch and had staged strip protest earlier this month, used the abusive word after Pawan advised her to fight a legal battle. With some channels repeatedly telecasting the abusive video clip, the actor declared an open war against them. "If I cannot defend the honour of my mother, I better die," he tweeted on Friday and rushed to the office of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce at Film Nagar to vent his ire. He was joined by his family members, friends and a large number of fans. He called for a boycott of TV9, ABN Andhra Jyothi and TV5, who he said was "making a business out of nudity and profanity", alleging that the owners of these channels had colluded with director Ram Gopal Verma and Andhra Pradesh`s ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to target him. Pawan named TV9`s Srini Raju and Ravi Prakash and Andhra Jyothi`s V. Radhakrishna and made serious allegations against them. The next day Srini Raju sent a legal notice to Pawan, asking him to delete the tweets. The notice clarified that Raju`s venture capital fund has invested in the company, which runs TV9 and that he doesn`t participate in the management of the company. Pawan on Monday posted on twitter his reply to the legal notice in which he denied making any insinuations. "It`s your client`s figment of imagination and maybe perhaps a feeling of guilty conscious," he said The actor once again targetted TDP, saying in another tweet, that while the American Constitution`s preamble says "In God we trust", the TDP Constitution`s preamble line is "In abuse we trust". Pawan posted Sri Reddy`s abusive videos with the message to the families of the heads of some TV channels to keep their children away from channels` programmes. LUCKNOW: Eight Muslim women from Uttar Pradesh who had earlier applied to go on Haj pilgrimage with a Mehram (husband or a male first blood relation as guardian) had withdrawn their application. According to the UP Haj Committee, at least 32 Muslim women had in past applied to go on Haj without a mehram. The Central Haj Committee later cleared their application. However, eight women applicants have now withdrawn their application to go on Haj, leaving just 24 from the state. Their sudden decision to withdraw Haj application has come as a big sock to the UP Haj Committee, which is mum on the issue. Under the Government's new Haj Policy, those Muslim women who have applied to go for Haj without a mehram this year will be exempted from the lucky draw system that the Haj Committee operates. Normally, the Haj Committee of India (HCI) finalises the names of pilgrims who can go for Haj from the HCI quota through a lucky draw as it receives applications many times more than Indias fixed quota of around 1,70,000 pilgrims. This implies that all the 1,300-odd women who have applied for Haj will be able to travel with no quota restrictions. The announcement in this regard was made the Minority Affairs Ministry after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, said that Muslim women should get equal opportunities as men. As per the new Haj policy, women can now travel for Haj without a mehram in groups of four. Earlier, women were barred from performing Haj alone. Noida: In a major success, a dreaded criminal Balraj Bhati was killed in an encounter in a joint operation conducted by the police of three states - Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana - on Monday morning. He had a bounty of Rs 2.5 lakh on him. As per reports, the security forces were tipped off about Bhati hiding in Noida's Sector-41 and was reportedly planning to execute a heist in the area. On being alerted, the STF along with police authorities blocked all the exits in the area. The criminals are said to have opened gunfire on them after which the forces retaliated. Bhati is said to have been critically injured and was rushed to a district hospital. He was declared brought dead. Two associates managed to flee the area, as per reports. Bhati was wanted in several cases including land grabbing, theft and murder and operated mainly in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana. Earlier on March 25, UP police in Noida had gunned down a criminal with a bounty of Rs 1 lakh on his head. Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview to Zee News, UP CM Yogi Adityanat had talked about improving law and order in the state. "My government is dedicated to people's welfare and I will make UP a crime free state," he had said. LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani ethnic rights group drew over 8,000 people to a rally in Lahore on Sunday, despite pressure from security officials to call off the event focusing on human rights violations in areas bordering Afghanistan. The leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement(PTM), student activist Manzoor Pashteen, delivered an address criticising the country`s powerful military and its actions in the majority ethnic Pashtun Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). "I urge professional soldiers not to follow the command of the generals and brigadiers. Refuse to obey their orders because they (generals) can get you killed like they did with people of Waziristan and other parts of the country," Pashteen said. The North and South Waziristan areas of FATA were the site of large military operations in 2009 and 2014 after the Pakistan Taliban took control of swathes of territory in the region. Waziristan is still affected by media restrictions, limiting the ability of journalists to travel there, and activists say that has contributed to portrayal of the Pashtun population as wedded to backward tribal customs and maintaining close ties to militant groups. On Saturday, five PTM members were taken from their hotel by Lahore police and told they did not have permission to hold a rally, organisation leader Ali Wazir told Reuters. "We have come to Lahore so we can share our pain and suffering with people," Wazir said. "No one here knows what is happening in FATA." Police confirmed five activists were picked up but did not give any reasons for their detention. PTM emerged after the January killing by police of Pashtun youth Naqibullah Mehsud in Karachi sparked nationwide condemnation and demonstrations attracting several thousand people. The organisation has drawn the ire of the country`s armed forces. Pakistan`s army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa said at an April 12 meeting with dignitaries that "no anti-state agenda in the garb of engineered protests" will not be allowed to succeed, the military`s public relations department said in a statement. He did not name PTM when making the comments. At least two universities in Pakistan cancelled talks related to Pashtun rights last week after receiving calls from security officials, faculties at both institutions said. A faculty member at Lahore`s Punjab University was fired after being criticised for participating in an event attended by Pashteen and promoting left-leaning ideas with students, associate professor Ammar Ali Jan said. The university has said Jan was removed after failing to complete employment paperwork, despite teaching there for over a semester. Midway through the rally, sewage water was released onto the grounds of Lahore`s Mochi Gate where the protest was being held but participants remained undeterred. Local government officials declined to comment on how the waste water was released. New Delhi: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Sunday said that Tibet can remain in China, only if Beijing recognised and respected the region`s distinct culture and autonomy. Speaking at a lecture on `Role of Ethics and Culture in Promoting Global Peace and Harmony` here, organised by Nehru Memorial Museum and Library and Antar-Rashtriya Sahyog Parishad, the Dalai Lama said, "Historically and culturally, Tibet has been independent. China took control of Tibet in 1950 in what it called a `peaceful liberation`. So, as long as the Constitution of China recognises our culture and Tibetan autonomous region`s special history, it (Tibet) can remain there." The event was being held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 82-year-old Tibetan spiritual icon`s exile to India. The Dalai Lama also expressed concerns on the ethnic violence against the Rohingyas in Myanmar, calling it as sad and terrifying. Also, he underscored the need to iron out differences and to work for all-round development and peace together. Calling on the inclusion of ancient Indian traditions in the country`s education, the Dalai Lama added, "Discussions on how to include ancient Indian traditions in educational system should begin. India has the ability to combine modern education with its ancient traditions to help solve problems in the world. This would help India to fight against terrorism and global warming." Also, pressing on efforts to spread Indian traditions globally, like how China was able to spread its traditions, he further said, "Try to revive ancient Indian traditions. Actual change does not come from prayer, it comes from action. Wherever Chinese go, they have a `China Town`. Why not an `India Town` by Indians?" The Dalai Lama also went to say that the global warming had adversely affected the amount of snowfall in Dharamshala, where he resided and also the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile. Terming Buddha as an `ancient Indian scientist`, the 82-year-old spiritual leader added that he considered himself as "a half-scientist and a half-monk." Throwing light on the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama said, " The greatness of the Indian civilisation is its spiritual brotherhood and harmony. It has helped to produce the greatest philosophical thinkers and preachers who gave rise to the Nalanda tradition of Buddhism based on reason and logical conclusion." The Dalai Lama, along with his followers, fled to India from Tibet in 1959 in a massive uprising by the Chinese forces.Beijing calls the 82-year-old Buddhist monk a `separatist,` seeking to secede Tibet from China. At the 11th Kyiv Security Forum, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko proposed the official withdrawal of the country from the CIS statutory bodies, as well as the termination of certain provisions of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. Another important event of the forum was the agreements between Ukraine and Moldova, which correspond to the desire of both countries to launch in the short term a free trade zone and a single transport corridor of GUAM organization Read original article at 112.ua The atmosphere of the forum was also supplemented by the speeches of the representatives of the United States and the North Atlantic Alliance calling for accelerating the reforms for the speedy entry of the country into NATO and the European Union. Ukraine is on its way to a final break with Russia. At the same time, if Kyiv succeeds in reanimating GUAM and lobbying for the increase in the defense capacity of its member countries, Ukraine could pretend to be a regional leader and further weaken Russia's position in the post-Soviet space. Although Kyiv itself will have a lot of work after leaving the CIS, first of all on the individual revision of contractual relations with the countries of the Commonwealth. In the context of statements by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that Ukraine is not and has never been a member of the CIS, it should be noted that this opinion, which was later published by many domestic experts, is somewhat erroneous. Yes, indeed, de jure Ukraine never became a member state of the Commonwealth, not signing in 1993 the CIS Charter. But de facto, until 2014, we took an active part in the work of almost all the executive bodies of the Commonwealth and formed a joint legal framework with them. In the context of recent years, the continued presence of Ukraine in the CIS became inappropriate for our country. Ukraine in the CIS is no longer effective In the middle of 2000s, the structure of the Commonwealth began to crack. With the coming to power of Viktor Yushchenko and his supporters in Ukraine, and also after a number of notable political failures of the Russian leadership in relations with former post-Soviet countries (Georgia, Moldova), skepticism about the viability and efficiency of the CIS has only increased. In 2006, this was also fueled by trade wars between Russia on the one hand and Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine on the other. But especially - with a sharp deterioration of relations between Russia and Georgia in 2008, after which Georgia left the organization. The attempts to somehow reform this international organization have also proved to be unsuccessful. Even Vladimir Putin noticed then that the CIS was created for the "civilized divorce" of the post-Soviet countries, and everything else - is "political husks and chatter." Nevertheless, the turning point in relations between Ukraine and the CIS came only in 2014 as a result of Russia's aggression in Crimea and Donbas. On March 19, 2014, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine decided to end our chairmanship in the CIS, and its secretary, Andriy Parubii, for the first time announced that the country is beginning the process of seceding from this international organization. Further, our cooperation within the framework of the Commonwealth was minimized. Until 2016, we delegated to the summits of the organization only ambassadors, and in 2017 ignored this event. Then Ukraine withdrew from a number of multilateral agreements within the CIS and suspended membership in many sectoral cooperation bodies. And on November 9, 2016, a bill was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada on the withdrawal of Ukraine from the CIS, which for a year and a half has never been considered by the Ukrainian parliament, and on March 20, 2018, shortly before Poroshenko's loud statement, it was withdrawn. It should be noted that Russian aggression also affected individual contacts between Kyiv and the top leadership of the Commonwealth countries, which was also influenced in some way by the results of the vote of the latter in the United Nations on Ukraine's resolutions on the territorial integrity of 2014 and the situation in Crimea in 2016 and 2017. Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia systematically voted against Ukrainian resolutions. As a result, no ambassadors have been appointed by Kyiv either in Kazakhstan or in Armenia today, and the dynamics of our bilateral contacts, besides the above-mentioned countries, also decreased with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. At the same time, Ukraine retained an increased interest in GUAM member countries (Azerbaijan, Moldova) and Belarus. It is also worth noting that it would be absolutely unacceptable for Ukraine to continue participating in the organization of the so-called Commonwealth of unrecognized states or CIS-2. In the Republic of Abkhazia, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Transnistria and South Ossetia. Especially in the context of the desire of these pseudo-republics to establish cooperation with the unrecognized the "LNR" and "DNR". In Russia, however, they believe that Ukraine's withdrawal from the CIS will not affect the Commonwealth in any way, while Ukrainians, in turn, will lose the opportunity to "keep their hand on the pulse," express their opinion and even block (the organization is built on the principle of consensus) some decisions of the organization. First of all, concerning the sphere of military cooperation in the post-Soviet space. Ukrainian experts consider the only drawback which is the risks associated with the revision of our existing treaty and legal framework with the CIS. In their opinion, this will affect the question of how long the process of inventorying existing treaties will be delayed, are all the CIS countries ready to review the contractual relations with Ukraine under the same conditions as Russia will interfere in this process and how cooperation of Kyiv with the countries of the Commonwealth will affect the indicators of trade and economic. Some experts are convinced that the process of inventory of the contractual base may drag on from several months to a year, and the gap will primarily affect our trade with the Commonwealth countries, which are just starting to recover after the crisis of 2014-2016. It should be noted that Ukraine now actively trades with such CIS participants as Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan. By 2015, the share of CIS countries in Ukraine's foreign trade fell almost twofold, from 34% to 16.6%, mainly due to the freezing of economic relations with Russia. Trade with other Commonwealth countries fell less. But in 2017-2018, the numbers began to grow again. Thus, for example, the overall trade turnover between Ukraine and Belarus increased by 20% during 2017 and amounted to $ 4.4 billion. It should be taken into account that during the freezing of trade relations with Russia by other countries of the CIS - Moldova, Kazakhstan and especially Belarus - they began to function as economic intermediaries selling Ukraine the necessary goods or buying Ukrainian goods, including for further export to Russia. And it can push these countries after the release of Ukraine from the Commonwealth to the resumption of the FTA already at the bilateral level. GUAM - why Ukraine needs it? In addition, after leaving the CIS, the GUAM format will come to the forefront for Kyiv, where the Agreement on the Free Trade Zone de jure came into force in 2003, but in practice, it has not been implemented yet. First of all, due to the existing FTA within the CIS, as well as the FTA of Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova with the European Union that came into force after 2014. It should be noted that the period from 2005 to 2008 was the peak for GUAM. Then the parties completed the creation of a new international organization, signing the declaration on the establishment of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development - GUAM (ODER-GUAM) and its charter. Plans were also made for the creation of a fuel and energy council to coordinate efforts to ensure the energy security of the participating countries. The organization has gained wide support from the European Union, OSCE, BSEC, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, USA and Japan. The Baku Declaration "GUAM: Uniting the Continents" was signed, where special attention was paid to the issues of energy security, the use of the transit potential of the member countries, as well as issues related to combating international terrorism, aggressive separatism and extremism, transnational organized crime, and the Batumi Declaration " GUAM - uniting the East of Europe ", which was approved by the presidents of five states - Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Georgia, Lithuania and Poland. The latter noted the special geopolitical location and transit potential of GUAM as a bridge between Europe and Asia, which offers unique opportunities for the development of transport and communication links and diversification of routes for the delivery of energy resources, thereby uniting the continents. As of 2008, Ukraine's bilateral trade with the Oder-GUAM countries amounted to about $ 3.2 billion. In early 2010, the then-presidential candidate of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych said that the activities of GUAM are now irrelevant. Yanukovych noted that over the past five years he had heard only talks about GUAM, but did not see concrete actions. In 2013, the mutual trade turnover between Ukraine and the GUAM countries fell by about 17% and amounted to about 2.6 billion US dollars. And in 2017, compared with 2013, imports to Ukraine of goods from Azerbaijan and Moldova increased significantly against the backdrop of a decrease in exports of Ukrainian products to GUAM countries by 67%. After nine years, the work of GUAM was resumed. In March 2017, at the initiative of Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, the fourth ODER-GUAM summit was held in Kyiv, the main theme of which was the resumption of a full-scale free trade agreement and the creation of a transport corridor within the framework of GUAM. Also, Moldova will try to use its chairmanship in GUAM to persuade Russia to implement the "Istanbul agreements" (on withdrawing troops from Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria), which Chisinau made clear during the 11th Kyiv Security Forum, urging Kyiv to provide the relevant corridor for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria. At the forum, the sides also concluded a new agreement on air communication between Ukraine and Moldova, signed a protocol that will improve transport and automobile cooperation, as well as a memorandum on the synchronization of Moldovan and Ukrainian energy systems with the European energy system. The importance of these decisions, among other things, is also due to the intentions of the parties to accelerate the process of creating a free trade zone and a single transport corridor of GUAM. At the same time, experts believe that GUAM members should begin to think strategically. Vasyl Yurchishin, director of economic programs at the Razumkov Center, notes that "it would be appropriate and useful if the intentions of expanding and strengthening ties within GUAM or with other countries on the territory of the former CIS were addressed immediately in the context of entering into serious infrastructure transcontinental projects. The Silk Road will be used by Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine - almost all the GUAM countries, Moldova could also join it. In turn, the political observer from Moldova, Cornel Churia, is sure that it will be extremely difficult to reanimate this organization as a geopolitical player. In his view, "the linking of these four countries is quite complicated ... all four countries have slightly different agendas: Azerbaijan has economic goals, Moldova has a pro-Western vector, but there are no significant geopolitical ambitions, but Ukraine and Georgia have more ambitions. It is important to have effective leadership that would set the direction of the organization, and also be able to balance the different interests of these four countries." * * * The next GUAM summit will be held in Moldova on June 21. Let's hope that by that time Ukraine will come to an agreement with all the countries of the organization and at the summit will be announced the launch of the FTA and the beginning of the formation of a single transport corridor of GUAM. After all, the potential of mutual trade of these countries in the medium term may amount to about 3.4 billion dollars. In addition, Kyiv should not delay the inventory of the CIS legal framework and it is better to speed up the process of individual revision of contractual relations with the Commonwealth countries, primarily with Belarus and Kazakhstan. Like any other restriction, sanctions cause discomfort. If the restriction is mild, it is easy to adapt or tolerate the pain. But if the constraint is tighter, then the desire to overcome it becomes very strong. Sanctions are an acceptable diplomatic toolbut this tool works only if those imposing sanctions clearly and consistently articulate their goals. In order for sanctions to work, it is necessary to adjust their rigidity depending on the behavior of those against whom sanctions are applied. In early 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula, part of Ukraines sovereign territory. Since April 2014, Russian authorities have supported the actions of illegal armed groups in eastern Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of more than ten thousand people. In response to Russias aggression, Western countries imposed coordinated sanctions against Russian individuals, banks and companies. The announced intent was to get Russia to abandon its aggressive policy, and the main mechanism of sanctions was to increase the economic costs of aggression. However, the following four years showed that the West could not achieve its goal of setting a high enough price for the Kremlin to desist. The hot phase of the conflict in the Donbas region had ended by March 2015, after Russian troops helped rebels to gain control of the strategically important city of Debaltseve. European countries efforts to push Russia toward an end to the conflict within the framework of the Minsk process was met with resistance by Moscow. The U.S. attempts to help seek a path out of conflict, in the framework of negotiations between Victoria Nuland (and later Kurt Volker) and Vladislav Surkov, were unsuccessful, breaking down from the Kremlins unconstructive position. A part of Ukrainian territory that is more than twice the size of Israel remains outside central government control. Despite the cease-fire, people continue to die. In late 2014 and early 2015, many thought that the imposed economic sanctions had put considerable pressure on Russia: the ruble rapidly lost value, financial markets were falling and the economy teetered toward recession. However, it soon became clear that this assessment was exaggerated. Besides sanctions on the Russian economy, a rapid decline in world oil prices and a peak in payments for corporate external debt, which also occurred during this period, had a much greater impact. By the spring of 2016, the impact of sanctions on the Russian economy was no longer felt, and an increase in oil prices and growth in global demand for commodities helped the Russian economy avoid continued recession. Experts discuss the invisible impact of sanctions, which cannot be measured by statistics: in this case, the political risks of doing business in Russia made investments in this country unacceptable to most Western businesses, which served as a barrier to the transfer of modern technology to Russia. In the long term, this will certainly lead to a degradation of the Russian economy, but today the Kremlin does not take this challenge into consideration. The obvious ineffectiveness of sanctions against Russia, on the one hand, is due to their obvious weaknessthe degree of their pressure did not exceed a fraction of that imposed against Iran in 2012. On the other hand, it has been clear since at least 2015when, after the signing of the Minsk agreements, the West did not react at all to Russias military support for the offensive in Debaltsevethat there is little desire for any further pressure on Russia. Ukraine was not a priority for President Obama, and he sought to avoid an aggravation of relations with Russia. And for the European Union, the economic effects of sanctions were much more strongly felt than for the United States and met strong resistance in key countries including Germany, France and Italy. During 2016, the Wests focus on Russian territorial aggression continued to decline, amid Brexit negotiations and elections in France, Germany and the United States. The Kremlin took advantage of this pause to expand its hybrid war, turning its attention from Ukraine to the principal Western powers. Russia began to actively intervene in electoral processes and foment political instability. Hacking, disinformation and the manipulation of public opinion through social networks have become the new instruments of aggression. Although much of this became apparent by the second half of 2016, the Westand especially the United Statesdid not react at first. The Kremlin received confirmation of the hypothesis, widespread in Russia, that Western politicians are too weak and ill-prepared to confront Russia. President Donald Trumps arrival in the White House did not change much in practice. Throughout 2017, Washingtons Russia policy remained vague and ill articulated, as rigid assessments of Russias actions alternated with presidential messages demonstrating readiness to meet with Vladimir Putin and make a deal. An obvious change in the administrations position occurred in early 2018, after the submission of two reports to Congress, as set out in the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. In isolation, the reports were widely seen as weakone contained a ninety-six-person list that included government officials, as well as of all Russians who, according to Forbes magazine, had a fortune in excess of $1 billion, while in the other, the Treasury Department reasoned that it would be impractical to impose a ban on purchases of Russian debt. Read the original text at the National Interest website. The neighboring villages get the water, too, - State Emergency Service The water supply mechanism in Avdiivka, Donetsk region is fully restored. According to the State Emergency Service, the water reservoir is now being filled. The water supplies were resumed at 3 p.m. Sunday. 'As of 5 a.m. April 23, the water supply in Avdiivka, Lastochkino and Orlovka (Yasynuvata district) was restored in its entirety', the message says. On April 17, the convoy of cars of Donetsk filtering station workers took fire, with five workers sustaining combat wounds. The day after that, the station ceased to work, which resulted in the shutdown of the water supplies in the area. The Ukrainian side claimed the attack was launched by the Russian militants holding the area under control. The plant is expected to create some 70-80 jobs in the area. FIXIT Gruppe, a German corporation, intends to build a dry construction mixes plant in Pustomyty district of Lviv region, the press service of the Lviv Regional Administration has informed, Interfax-Ukraine reports. Roman Matis, who is in charge of the investment policy department of the Lviv Regional Administration, claimed the construction would begin in June and finish in winter, by the time the weather becomes cold. The company is expected to submit all the documents necessary in order for the administration to grant a permit to carry out the construction project. Should any difficulties emerge in the process, we will do our best to assist. The works will kick off in June, Matis explained. The official said that the plant would engage in the production of a range of dry building mixes under the Kreisel trademark. Those would include, for example, primers, waterproofing materials, mixes for floors, grout and masonry, glue mixes, plasters, building paints, and other goods. Matis reminded that one facility owned by FIXIT Gruppe is already engaged in the production of Kreisel goods in Fastiv (Kyiv region). This range of goods is reportedly in high demand predominantly in the western part of Ukraine, which is the rationale for another facility to be built in Lviv region. Most of the operations at the future plant near Pustomyty are going to be automated, although some 70-80 jobs are expected to be created. Established in 1996 and headquartered in Baar (Switzerland), FIXIT Gruppe is currently running operations at some 68 facilities across 19 European nations and employing around 2500 workers in total. Part of the Hazlberger Group, the corporation incorporates five building materials brands FIXIT, GREUTOL, HASIT, KREISEL and ROFIX. FIXIT Gruppe is widely regarded as one of Europes most prominent producers of dry building materials. The public joint-stock company Ukrtatnafta raised its net profit by 40.8% in percentage terms, or by $23.8 million in absolute terms over 2017. The corporation managed to achieve $83.2 million in net profit, Ukrtatnafta has informed, Interfax-Ukraine reports. At the same time, the company increased its net revenue by 8.1% ($10.8 million), reaching a level of $145.7 million. The gross profit, on the other hand, climbed 6.8% and grew by $4.5 million, hence, standing at $70.9 million by the end of 2017. Last year, Ukrtransnafta transported a total of 16.034 million tons of crude oil through pipelines. The figure includes 1.247 million tons of crude oil extracted within Ukraine, 850,000 tons of imported oil that was delivered to oil refineries inside the country, as well as 13.937 million tons in transit mode to oil refineries in European countries. The volume of transportation rose by 5.3% against the same period of the previous year. Such growth is linked to a larger volume of oil transit to member states of the European Union, which has added 0.8% (particularly, thanks to shipments towards the Czech Republic, where early 2016 repairs were made at a local refinery). Another explanation for this trend is the resumption of transportation of foreign oil to the Kremenchuk oil refinery in March of the previous year, the corporation explained. Ukrtransnafta, which is fully in the trust management of Naftogaz-Ukraine, is the operator of Ukraines national oil transportation system. The trunk oil pipeline system operated by Ukrtransnafta, is made up of pipes between 159 mm and 1,220 mm wide. The pipeline system covers a total area of 4,767 km and is spread across 19 regions of the country. The system is capable of transmitting 114 million tons and of delivering some 56.3 million tons of oil to European customers. Open source A former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron now heads a commission on "state fragility, growth and development" formed by the London School of Economics and Oxford University. There's a certain irony to that - after all, didn't Cameron's disastrous gamble with the Brexit referendum making the U.K. more fragile, putting its further growth and development into question? The commission's first recommendations, however, are sober and sensible: Take into account that people feel economically secure and at peace before building a governance system that looks like those of old democracies. The report argues that it is the wrong strategy for developed nations to help fragile ones. They have pushed the "best practices" of wealthy nations, demanding quick multi-party elections and often unpopular, harsh economic policies backed by global financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund. This has resulted in deeply flawed and easily subverted or overturned democracies in countries such as post-Saddam Iraq, post-Mubarak Egypt and post-Gaddafi Libya. In Yemen, according to the report, the program proposed by the international financial institutions demanded a radical transformation of the country within two years."The reform program was aborted because the state collapsed through rebellion triggered by one of the reforms," the report says. Forcing events, including by calling for multi-party elections right after major upheavals, doesn't work, the authors write: Conventional elections may inadvertently undermine checks and balances by handing power to majority groups, as happened in Iraq. Further, since in the conditions prevalent in fragile societies elections are easily manipulated, the results are not widely trusted by citizens. As a result, until effective checks and balances have been built that are trusted within the society, elections typically do not confer legitimacy on the declared winner. In Somalia, for example, donor demands for an election absorbed all the energy of national leaders for three years between 2014 and 2017 - and resulted in a "token election held at the airport with only 14,000 voters." External players interested in stabilizing a fragile country should be more interested in the indigenous version of checks and balances, in mechanisms to build national cohesion rather than in a rush to representative democracy as practiced in the West. "Shared identity needs to supplant identities that are fragmented," the report says. A civil peace, a deal that minimizes divisions, is necessary to give the government the power to collect taxes, secure the streets and build some institutions that can ensure the rule of law and property rights for private investors, both foreign and domestic. As the government goes about it, it shouldn't be forced to follow specific economic policy prescriptions - it's enough that its policies are realistic and growth-oriented. More important are quick wins that most of society can appreciate, like the new Tunisian government's 2014 program to clean all the mosques, and popular signals aimed at building credibility, like the Rwandan government's decision to strip ministers of their state-provided cars. One can read this as a blasphemous endorsement of populism from top establishment academic institutions or as a set of pragmatic, non-ideological advice for Western nations and institutions working to reduce poverty and instability in what used to be known as the Third World. I'm more interested in a third possible reading, however. In effect, the report argues that certain attributes of successful, wealthy states' governance have priority over others; namely that social cohesion, the rule of law and property rights trump the trappings of democratic politics. That's an interesting framework for thinking that countries like Iraq or the Democratic Republic of Congolike aren't as fragile. At which point, for example, should the European Union start worrying about the seeming erosion of democracy in Poland and Hungary? Perhaps these countries are merely dealing with a backlash to the mistake highlighted in the report - going too quickly to a government system typical of old democracies without fixing the fundamentals first. For example, in both Poland and Hungary, the nationalist governments have made quick progress in beating dysfunctional tax systems into shape and increasing collection. In both, the governments took unconventional economic steps to provide more social benefits, increasing their support base but also increasing poorer citizens' confidence in the state and giving them a stronger feeling of inclusion. These actions appear to be in line with the recommendations in the Cameron commission's report - as long as the governments preserve the key institutions that ensure a decent investment climate, such as the independence of low-level courts and the enforcement of property rights. Both in Hungary and in Poland these basic institutions remain strong despite the nationalist governments' judiciary reforms. So perhaps it doesn't make sense to push the ruling parties in the direction of Dutch or French best practices, at least until the living standards in Poland and Hungary are closer to those of these older democracies. One could also wonder about the direction of Ukraine, a country with all the trappings of a Western democracy but without solid property rights, a functioning court system or much social cohesion. What if Western pressure focused on ensuring the sanctity of contracts and the independence of judges, as well as on working with the country's pro-Russian minority -- including in the areas held by Russian proxies -- to forge a power-sharing arrangement? Perhaps that would ensure faster growth and a smoother transition to a European-style democracy. It's possible that Ukraine's rogue neighbor, Russia, was lost to the Western world because it went for non-core democratic change in the 1990s without securing property rights and a confidently independent judiciary -- and because it pursued non-inclusive economic policies that fostered mistrust in the government and cleared the path for Vladimir Putin's authoritarian project. Even the world's most powerful nations suffer from some symptoms of fragility. The U.S., for example, is a deeply divided society in which many citizens doubt the legitimacy of Donald Trump's presidency. But the U.S. legal system makes sure investment is protected and basic justice is achievable in most cases, order is maintained and the state retains citizens' fundamental trust. The U.S. today is a powerful example of how what might be called the Maslow hierarchy of democracy works. At its foundations lie property protections and the economic confidence that comes with them; an enlightened, well-functioning, popular, inclusive government is desirable but not a must for a country to resist fragility. Read the original text at Bloomberg news agency. Read the original text at 112.ua. Open source Ukraine took 17th place in the ranking of the Global Terrorism Index of 2017, improving its positions by 6 points compared to the same rating from 2016. 112.ua asked the Security Service (SBU) what terrorism is in Ukraine, what are its features, and what influences its intensification. Western experts ranked Ukraine as a list of countries with a high level of terrorist activity (6.56 on a 10-point scale). Along with Ukraine, Somalia, India, Turkey, Libya, Egypt, and Sudan were listed as top twenty countries with terrorist level. However, not only Western specialists compare Ukraine with Somalia. Domestic experts made loud statements that the crime rate, the number of explosions and terrorist attacks in Ukraine are higher than in Somalia. Nevertheless, the Security Service states: foreigners take into account not all the features of the current situation in our country. "Comparing Ukraine and Somalia is incorrect. Ukraine has defined the ways to combat terrorism at the legislative level; there are bodies that carry out the corresponding anti-terrorist measures. For more than 25 years, the inter-clan armed struggle has been going on in Somalia, there are no state institutions combating terrorism. The conclusions of the foreign experts and the ratings in which they place Ukraine on the same level as Somalia are influenced by their methodology. In general, foreign experts take into account the quantitative indicator of terrorist acts, and that almost all the manifestations of which are fixed by LPR\DPR militants in the area of the ATO." "In Ukraine, terrorism is characterized by the use of conventional means of destruction by intruders, while the special services of the Russian Federation significantly influence the activities aimed at destabilizing the situation in different regions of Ukraine, as well as the illegal circulation of weapons, explosives, and other weapons from the ATO area," SBU stated. But at the same time, explosions on the territory of Ukraine, which, incidentally, occur daily, or even several times a day, are mostly committed on domestic grounds and do not attract any terrorist threat. "On the territory of Ukraine, the use of regular explosives (mainly RGD-5 and F-1 grenades) is fixed almost every day. In most cases, the use of means of destruction is associated with the solution of domestic conflicts or material problems, business competition, and an attempt to pressure political opponents. These crimes, which contain certain signs of a terrorist nature, are usually classified by the police as a sign of criminal offenses," said the SBU. But common sense tells us that military grenades intended for a mortal defeat of a man are not a joke, and it is difficult to buy RGD-5 or F-1 freely, despite the uncontrolled flows of weapons and explosives throughout the country. And this item itself does not imply the pursuit of humane goals. Why should one buy or carry a grenade as a souvenir if you do not use it? SBU says that the grenade could be used for different purposes, and its owner might be guided by different motives. The investigator determines whether to commence criminal proceedings under art. 258 UCU ("Terrorist") or under art. 296 UCU ("Hooliganism"). "Terror acts are aimed at intimidation of the population, provocation of public chaos, a complication of international relations, pressure on representatives of the authorities or local self-government to accept or reject certain decisions, draw attention to certain political, religious or other views of the perpetrator. This perpetrator gets prepared for the crime: he acquires a means of destruction, finds the place, the time of committing a crime, etc At the same time, hooligan actions are committed without a specific purpose, mostly spontaneously, motivated by disrespect for society," told the SBU representatives. In 2017, the investigative bodies of the Security Service of Ukraine launched a pre-trial investigation of 3,718 criminal proceedings with terrorist qualifications. Of these, 2,538 are under art. 285 ("Terrorist Act"), 1,041 under Art. 258-3 UCU ("Creation of a terrorist group or terrorist organization"), 2 - under art. 258-4 ("Assistance in the commission of a terrorist act"), 137 - under Art. 258-5 ("Financing of Terrorism"). 381 treatment of the indictment were sent to the court: 9 - under Art. 258 ("terrorist act"), 358 - under Art. 258-3 ("Establishment of a terrorist group or terrorist organization"), 14 under Art. 258-5 ("Financing of Terrorism"). In 2014-2017, investigative bodies of the SBU were investigating on 10,727 criminal proceedings under Art. 258-258-5 ("Terror acts"). In 2014, there were 1,672 criminal proceedings, in 2015 - 1,419, in 2016 - 4,568, in 2017 - 3,068. Of this number, 1,028 criminal proceedings were sent to the court. Ukraine has its own specific features of terrorism: war, Russia, and illegal arms trafficking. And we understand that if a soldier comes back home from Donbas and brings a grenade with him, then he gets drunk and blows it up, of course, this is not terrorism. But people continue to die though, and for the West, we are still a country with a high level of terrorist activity. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or 112.International and its owners. Following the initiative of the Presidential Administration, Verkhovna Rada has allowed the renaming of the supreme body of Ukraines judiciary, which breaches the Constitution Read the original text at 112.ua. Open source Accepting amendments to the law "On Judicial System and Status of Judges", the Verkhovna Rada, on the initiative of the Presidential Administration, has allowed the renaming of the supreme body of Ukraines judiciary. Supreme Court of Ukraine is now called "Supreme Court". However, the text of the Constitution contains the name "Supreme Court of Ukraine", not just the "Supreme Court". It seems to be insignificant, everything is serious though. As it is known, judicial reform is continuing in Ukraine, affecting both the structure of the judicial system and the place of various judicial authorities in this system, their powers and the order of formation. The structure of the system of public authorities, the powers of the highest bodies of each of its branches (legislative, judicial and executive) are determined by the Constitution of the country. The Constitution, expressing the will of the entire Ukrainian people, is the Basic Law, it has the highest legal force. Any law issued by the parliament (Verkhovna Rada) must comply with the Constitution and can neither modify its norms nor in any way limit their effect. Now we have faced a situation when the usual parliamentary law, adopted by a separate complicated procedure, without introducing changes to the Constitution is trying to amend our Constitution. What's the matter? First, we are talking about the actual amendment of the Constitution, bypassing the established procedure for introducing and adopting changes and amendments to the Constitution. It turns out that we can change the Constitution with the usual parliamentary law. And this completely contradicts not only the universally recognized international standards of constitutionalism but also the Constitution of our country. Secondly, it turns out that there are two supreme bodies of the judiciary in the country. From the legal point of view, it turns out so. And this might provoke numerous conflicts and have very serious consequences. Thirdly, the creation of the "Supreme Court" will make it possible to form its composition on the basis of some kind of compromise between the legislative and executive powers, bypassing the procedure for the creation and formation of the "Supreme Court of Ukraine" established by the Constitution, which provides the participation of the Public Council of Integrity in this process. And this would lead to the fact that they would have their puppet judges in the supreme body of the judiciary. If we take into account these moments, then the situation will no longer seem so insignificant, as at first glance. Fortunately, Ukraine has created an agency that can really change the situation and stand up for the defense of the Constitution. This is the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, created in order to ensure the supreme legal force of the Constitution, its indisputable authority for both society and government. This is a historical moment when the Constitutional Court of Ukraine is being tested, its real ability to preserve our statehood and prove to the people that the Constitutional Court of Ukraine is not a puppet, but an effectively functioning institution for the protection of the Constitution and the society. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or 112.International and its owners. The appeal about autocephaly looks like an excellent way to consolidate the voters before the elections Read the original text at 112.ua. June 16, 2016, Verkhovna Rada appealed to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I with a request to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox Church, which could take "a worthy place among the Orthodox churches." Almost two years later, April 19, 2018, the parliament supported a repeated appeal to Bartholomew with 268 votes. Patriotic experts began talking about the independence of the Ukrainian church and almost about the deposition of "Moscow priests". However, the first appeal of the Rada ended only with the silence of Constantinople and the statement of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that the patriarch recognizes the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) as the only canonical church. Sources of 112.ua in the parliament do not rule out that the second appeal to autocephaly will end with the same. Talks about autocephaly have been going on for years. Now President Petro Poroshenko gave a new breath to this topic. Authorship of the idea is attributed to Poroshenko's speechwriter Oleg Medvedev. It looks like an excellent way to consolidate the voters before the elections. The appeal about autocephaly was raised during a meeting of the leaders of parliamentary factions with President Poroshenko on March 17. In the course of it, the head of state announced that he would apply to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I with a request to grant the Ukrainian Orthodox Church a Tomos special permission for autocephaly (that is, independence). According to the meeting participants, it was a real surprise for them. "As president, I decided to ask the Ecumenical Patriarch to provide a Tomos about the local autocephalous church and I would ask you, dear colleagues (because there are things that unite us all), that the parliament supports this appeal as soon as possible," the head of state stated. According to one of the participants in the meeting, Poroshenko hinted that he has already conducted preliminary work and highly estimated the chances of obtaining an autocephalous status. Poroshenko himself said that he expects to receive an autocephalous status already in July this year. He also demonstrated a document on the support of autocephaly by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The reaction to the president's statements was ambiguous. Poroshenko's faction has supported his position, as usual. "The meeting has proved that there is a unity of political elites and parliamentary factions on this issue," leader of the Poroshenkos Bloc told after the meeting. Representatives of the "Opposition bloc" believe that the government meddles in matters that do not concern it. "In the fifth year of his cadence, the president decided to tackle the issues of settling the church life. Opposition bloc considers it a botched pre-election politicking. According to the Constitution, Ukraine is a secular state, therefore politicians cannot and should not interfere in the affairs of the church," representatives of the political force claim. However, despite the objections of some political forces, on Thursday the parliamentarians did what the president asked them during the meeting. After the speech of the head of state, who stated in the Rada that "the creation of an independent Orthodox Church is necessary for an independent state," the deputies supported the appeal to Bartholomew regarding the provision of autocephaly (268 votes for). The initiative of the president was supported by the majority of factions and groups, except for the "Opposition Bloc" and "Vidrodzhennya", who noted that Poroshenko was using the church issue in his election campaign. Immediately after the vote, Poroshenko announced the parliament's decision to the Ecumenical Patriarch. During a speech before the deputies, Poroshenko said that his appeal to Bartholomew is not a manifestation of emotion. "Representatives of our team have been visiting Fanar (the residence of the Ecumenical Patriarch, - Ed.) like their workplace," the head of state said. At the same time, 112.ua sources in the coalition factions note that the president wants to increase his popularity in this way. According to our interlocutors, Bankova expects that the ecclesiastical theme will add 8% to Poroshenko rating and will allow stopping the rating fall. "Moreover, we managed to take this issue from Yulia (the leader of the Batkivshchyna faction Yulia Tymoshenko, - Ed.). Now she will have to join in. And the church is a very effective tool for mobilizing the voters, although if autocephaly is not achieved, the consequences might be unpredictable," the interlocutors added. However, they do not all believe that autocephaly issue is already settled. During a meeting with the leaders of the factions, President Poroshenko said that he expects to receive the status for the celebration of the anniversary of the Baptism of Rus, but the deputies from Batkivshchyna and National Front factions, interviewed by the author, are skeptical about obtaining autocephaly. "Autocephaly, of course, is needed, but unfortunately, for today it is a way for politicizing. There is no signature of the representatives of the UOC-MP, although there is a part of the clergy that advocates autocephaly, they do not want to go under Filarets rule," the interlocutors note. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or 112.International and its owners. After the victory of the Euromaidan, the demand for combating corruption drastically increased, and new institutions were established to fight high-level corruption. However, there is an ongoing conflict between two of the newly established agencies that greatly diminishes their ability to fight corruption. Below we explain the fight in ten question and answers. 1. What are Ukraines newly established anti-corruption agencies? Today, there are three anticorruption agencies operating in Ukraine. The National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAZK) monitors the process of asset declaration by civil servants and ensures they are resistant to corruption risks. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) investigates high-level corruption and big bribery cases. Finally, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) oversees NABU investigations and represents the state prosecution in court against those charged with top corruption or bribery. Read the original text at Atlantic Council Ukrainian nationalism is growing quickly, but radical parties have never done well in elections. This may change in 2019 when Ukraine will hold both presidential and parliamentary elections, which are the first national elections after the Euromaidan revolution and the Russian military invasion in 2014. While Ukraine has committed to joining Euro-Atlantic institutions and embarked upon structural reforms, the overall situation in Ukraine remains uncertain. Even now, next years presidential and parliamentarian campaigns are already impacting decision making. Given societys widespread distrust of the most current political parties and their leaders and the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, radicalism is growing quickly. At the beginning of the conflict, thousands of Ukrainian veterans served in volunteer battalions and other militias, such as Azov, Right Sector, and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), which espoused far-right sentiments. Read the original text at Atlantic Council Open source Foreign ministers of G7 member countries are standing with Ukraine in terms of the peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine. Pavlo Klimkin, this country's foreign minister said that at the ministerial meeting in Toronto, where Ukraine was invited for the first time in its history. The meeting featured discussions about the latest developments in Crimea and Donbas. 'Discussing the format of the peacekeeping operation, everyone agreed that first comes the basic security (strict control of the heavy weaponry use), then the control over the occupied territories, the police security and only then comes preparation for elections', Klimkin said. 'Russia's concept is unacceptable and aims for strengthening and promotion of its protectorate, which is supposed to work as a Trojan horse, destabilizing and destroying us,' he added. More news from Ukraine at 112.international. At the ministerial meeting, the parties confirmed their intention to carry on with anti-Russian sanctions To leaders of the world, specifically those from the G7, Ukraine remains an inseparable part of the free world. Pavlo Klimkin, Ukraine's foreign minister posted that on Twitter. According to him, the parties discussed Crimea and Donbas at the meeting in Toronto on late Sunday. 'Grateful to Christine Freeland and all foreign ministers of G7 for a friendly conversation. Discussed Crimea and Donbas', Klimkin said. Later that day, Canadian Foreign Ministry confirmed their respect for the world order based on the norms of the international rights, adding that the sanctions against Russia for its unacceptable actions remain in place. The Bureau of the PACE refused to hold the urgent debates on the request of the UK, Ukraine and other countries on the poisoning of ex-GRU officer Sergey Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury and illegal election in annexed Crimea. Volodymyr Ariev, the Chairman of Ukraine's Delegation to PACE reported this on Facebook. 'PACE Bureau by the votes of the socialists and left-wing representatives refused to hold the urgent debates on the request of the UK, Ukraine and other countries on the Salisbury issue, the illegal election in Crimea and other topics. All this takes place amid the corruption scandal in the PACE of the bribery and the candid lobbyism published yesterday where the Western MPs are negatively mentioned and any Ukrainian was included', Ariev claimed. The spring PACE session will take place on April 23-27. it is expected that the Donbas Conflict, Russia's election in occupied Crimea, hybrid war and fake news will be discussed. Earlier Ariev filed an appeal to hold the debates on non-recognition of the Russian presidential election in the annexed Crimea. Russia's energy monopolist Gazprom passed the documents on breaking 2009 gas contracts with Naftogaz-Ukraine. The papers were sent on April 20, Kommersant says. Gazprom's representatives admitted that the consideration process may last for a while - which is why the Russian side cannot avoid paying the 2.6-billion dollar fine and supplying 110 billion cubic meters of gas via Ukraine to the EU within two years. According to the company's CEO Aleksei Miller, the period of consideration may last up to two years. The actual contract expires on December 31, 2019. According to Miller, Gazprom is ready to negotiate with Ukraine on the gas transit after 2019, but at first, Ukraine needs to prove the economic reasons for such transit via its territory. Russia's Defense Ministry has not published any official comments on this issue yet but sources report that it is almost decided Russia considers a possibility to pass the S-300 missile systems 'Favorite' to the Syrian authority as Kommersant reported. According to the title, Russia has already made such claims since the missile strike on Syria on April 14. Sergey Rudskoy, the Chief of the Operational Directorate-General of Russia's Armed Forces was the first who claimed about such necessity. On April 16, Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia also made such claim. He repeated it on April 20 for RIA News, claiming that Russia 'has no moral obligations' after the missile strike on Syria launched by the US and allies. Also, on April 20, Russia's President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the heads of the General Staff and Defense Ministry during which they discussed 'some aspects of the situation in Syria, according to the official version. However, no details were reported. The sources closed to the military leadership reported that the issue of the handover of the missile systems to the Syrian army is almost decided. It is also noted that S-300 will be passed to Syria within the provision of the military and technical aid as Bashar Al-Assad's regime does not possess funds for the purchase. Also, Russia does not plan to draw a credit. It is supposed that the S-300 missile systems used by Russian army will be passed to Syria. Russia's Defense Ministry has not published any official comments on this issue yet. The issue of the handover of the Russian S-300 missile systems was raised by Syria in 2010. However, the concluded contract was canceled due to the position of Israel concerned about its airspace security. This time, it is supposed that the response can be even more negative down to the strikes on the supposed locations of the missile systems. This country's absence is due to the annexation of Crimea, which breaks the international law, - Heiko Maas Odds are Russia is not going to re-join the G7 in the visible future. Heiko Maas, the German Foreign Minister said that as quoted by Deutsche Welle. 'Currently, it is not even on the agenda; the fact that Russia is not here is tied to the annexation of Crimea in breach of the international law... Lately, Russia became a complicated partner', he said, cited by the German news agency. Maas expressed hope that Germany will be able to settle the political dialogue with Russia and urged to solve the Syrian conflict by the means of diplomacy. At the Sunday G7 ministerial meeting in Toronto, Ukraine was invited for the first time in its history. The event featured discussions about the latest developments in Crimea and Donbas. It was noted that it is about Savchenkos computer devices and award weapons Kyiv Shevchenkivsky District Court denied arrest of personal property of Nadiya Savchenko, Ukraines MP, which was seized during the searches, to SBU investigator, as UNN reports. The Court ordered to reject the application of the chief investigator of SBU Central Investigation Department on arrest of the property in the criminal proceeding. The decision of the investigating judge can be challenged within five days after it was announced. The entire text will be announced on April 27 at 12:00, as mentioned in the courts decision. It was noted that it is about Savchenkos computer devices and award weapons. According to Savchenkos lawyer Dmytro Buhay, the property can be returned to the owner after the decision comes into force if no complaints are filed to the Court of Appeal. The lawyer noted that seized property has nothing to do with Savchenkos charges. As we reported Shevchenkivsky Court of Kyiv decided on the preventive measures for Savchenko, which is custody for two months until May 20, 2018, without a right for a bail. Besides, the Court decided that the detention on March 22 was illegal. On March 29, the Appeal Court of Kyiv kept Savchenkos arrest effective. The same day the MP went on the hunger strike. She also emphasized that she is not going to escape from Ukraine. On April 12, Savchenko was transferred from the remand center to the hospital for the examination. On April 16, it was reported that Savchenko continued her hunger strike and polygraph was postponed until April 17. On March 15, Lutsenko claimed during his speech at the parliament that Savchenko personally planned, recruited and ordered how to hold the terrorist attack in the Verkhovna Rada, destroying two lodges, governmental and post, by the combat grenades, bringing down the dome of the Verkhovna Rada by the mortar launchers and killing the survived with the assault rifles. Also, it was reported that non-affiliated MP Nadia Savchenko and Volodymyr Ruban, the Head of 'Officer Corps' planned to attack the cortege of the President of Ukraine with the large caliber sniper rifle. Open source Hungary imposed a veto at the holding of the Ukraine-NATO commission in Brussels at the foreign ministers level that should take place this week. Ukrinform reported this citing the information from the Euroatlantic diplomatic circles. Budapest blocks the holding of the Ukraine-NATO commission for the third time, expressing the claimants toward the language article of the Ukrainian law on education. The session of the North Atlantic council at the level of the allies' foreign ministers will take place on April 26 in Brussels. Ukraine planned to hold the session of the Ukraine-NATO commission within the meeting. All allies and NATO International Secretariat supported this initiative but Hungary vetoed it. As we reported the session of the Ukraine-NATO commission that should take place on February 14-15 was blocked by Hungary. Hungary claimed about its intention to block the meeting in the mid of January when Peter Szijjarto Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary claimed that the blocking will continue until Kyiv fulfills the demands of Hungary toward the education law. The new law on education was signed by Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko on September 25. In particular, it introduces a 12-year-long school program and limits the number of subjects taught in the languages of national minorities. This particular decision evoked outrage in Moldova, Romania, Russia, and Hungary. Budapest even threatened to slow down the process of Ukraines integration with the EU. The decision was made due to the high risk of terrorist threats Open source The Infrastructure Ministry initiates an appeal to the National Security and Defence Council calling for forbidding Russian ships to enter Ukraines inland waterways, as the press office of the Ministry reported. This was decided at the session chaired by Yuriy Lavreniuk, Deputy Infrastructure Minister. This is unacceptable, at the time of Russias aggression on Ukraines rivers, where the objects of the critical infrastructure are located, Russian ships are sailing. We will initiate banning of Russian ships ways on Ukraines rivers, Lavreniuk said. He informed that the Infrastructure Ministry passed the Foreign Ministry materials on unsanctioned port calls in annexed Crimea for the further initiation into the international claim. Earlier it was reported that 20 ships under Russian flag called at Crimean ports illegally in February 2018. As it was reported earlier, seaports located in Crimea (Yevpatoria, Kerch, Sevastopol, Feodosia, Yalta) are closed under the Governments decree on some questions on the functioning of sea and river transport and the order of the Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine on shut down of seaports. Vessels call under the foreign flags in the closed seaports and terminals located in Crimea and Sevastopol will be considered as a violation of international law norms and violation of Ukraines legislation, which leads to the responsibility of the ship owners, operators and ship captains, including criminal responsibility. The decision was made due to 'irregularity of the determining of the court composition' The Shevchenkivsky Court of Kyiv postponed the preparatory session in the criminal proceeding on the bribery of Nazar Kholodnytsky, the Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine (SAPO) from April 23 to May 14 as the press service of the court reported. 'Due to the irregularity of the determining of the court composition was removed from the consideration', the message said. The preparatory session on this case is planned for May 14, 2018. As we reported the SAP found a wire in the cabinet of Nazar Kholodnytsky. It was noted that the NABU and Prosecutor General's Office held the audition. It was noted that the NABU and GPU tapped the SAPO Head. On March 22, Kholodnytsky confirmed that the wire was found in his cabinet. He noted that he does not know who is an owner of the device found on March 6 and waits for the response from the law enforcement bodies. Yuriy Lutsenko, Prosecutor General of Ukraine initiated Kholodnytskys resignation on March 30. Lutsenko appealed to the Qualifications and Disciplinary Commission of Public Prosecutors concerning Nazar Kholodnytsky, his Deputy and the Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office. Also, Kholodnytsky claimed that the Prosecutor Generals Office opened the criminal proceeding against him due to the disclosing of the details of the pretrial investigation, particularly, the Suprun case. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) holds searches in the public joint-stock company 'Motor Sich' in Zaporizhia. Olena Hitlyanska, the spokeswoman of the SBU reported this to Ukrayinska Pravda. 'Yes, the investigative actions continue at the enterprise', she said. According to Hitlyanska, the Kyiv law enforcers hold the searches in Zaporizhia. The press service of the SBU reported to Interfax-Ukraine that the searches take place within the criminal proceeding on the preparation of the diversion. 'The investigative actions take place within the investigation of the criminal proceeding due to the preparation of the diversion', the message said. It is noted that the searches take place due to the decision of the court. 'Motor Sich' is the enterprise in Zaporizhia that develops, produces, repairs and provides the service of the aviation gas turbine engines for the planes and helicopters and the industrial gas turbine units. The officials of the company are suspected in the embezzlement of $14 million. According to the Prosecutor's Office, the officials of the 'Motor Sich' bought the 'junk' securities in 2013-2016 by the transfer of money in the sum of more than $13.3 million to the current accounts of the number of the enterprises with the signs of the sham that later being cashed in the banking institutions. The embezzlement scheme of 'Motor Sich' was disclosed by the Investigation of High Priority Economic Affairs Department of the Prosecutor General's Office with the support of the Economy Defense Department of the National Police. In the result of the searches at the main objects and the apartments, $500, 000 and antique were confiscated. The members of the Executive Committee turned attention to the statement of Ukraines President Poroshenko that Ukraine leaves the commonwealth Sergei Lebedev, the Head of CIS Executive Committee, the Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), stated that the organization did not receive an official notification from Ukraine that it leaves the commonwealth, as Interfax Ukraine reports. I officially declare that Ukraine did not send any messages, official notification or appeals to CIS institutions, Lebedev said on Monday in Minsk. According to him, the members of the Executive Committee turned attention to the statement of Ukraines President Poroshenko that Ukraine leaves the commonwealth. But this is just an errand. We will wait till the Government (of Ukraine, - ed.) makes the decision and gives recommendations, he noted. He said that Ukraine is interested in the cooperation just as the CIS states. Due to its geographic location and close long-standing ties with the commonwealth states, of course, Ukraine is considered as our neighbor, our partner and most of the CIS states would be interested in its remaining our good neighbor and our partner, Lebedev said. We are interested in preserving a wide cooperation with Ukraine, Lebedev added. As it was reported earlier, on April 12 Petro Poroshenko stated that he indented to present a bill on termination of certain articles of the agreement on friendship with Russia. The President also called the Cabinet of Ministers for suspending the participation in the Commonwealth statutory bodies and supported the withdrawal of Ukraines representation in the relevant institutions in Minsk. Later, Iryna Lutsenko, the peoples deputy from Petro Poroshenko Bloc, the Presidents representative in the Parliament, stated that Ukraine would not denounce a series of agreements within CIS, including those on diplomas recognition, recruitment and transit. Open source The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine plans to finish the investigation of the murder of Denis Voronenkov, the former MP of Russia's State Duma in the beginning of May as Ukrainian News reported citing the source. 'We are already forming the material for the completion. We are waiting for the responses to the requests. We are waiting when the courts will disclose the appeals. Only the technical work remains. At the beginning of the may we will announce about the finish of the investigation', he said. The source noted that in summer the case will be passed to the court. As it was reported earlier, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko announced the results of the investigation of Voronenkovs murder. According to the prosecution, Vladislav Tyurin is a crime boss with the FSB connections, who commissioned the murder as he had personal reasons: his former partner Maria Maksakova became Voronenkovs wife. The former MP of the Russian State Duma Denis Voronenkov was shot in the downtown of Kyiv on March 23 at the intersection of Pushkinska and Shevchenko streets near the hotel Premier Palace. The body guard of the former MP injured the attacker. The medical workers tried to save the life of the shooter but he died in the hospital. The shooter is the citizen of Ukraine, born in 1988 Pavlo Parshov. He was born in Sevastopol and was enlisted by the Russian special services and had the aim to infiltrate the Armed Forces of Ukraine or National Guard. The Holosiivo District Court of Kyiv extended the pre-trial restriction in terms of detention for 36-years old citizen of Pavlograd, Dnipropetrovsk Region Yaroslav Tarasenko on August 10. He was detained on suspicion of implication in the murder of Voronenkov. He is accused of intentional homicide committed by the previous concert, group of persons and provided by the part two, article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The vandals desecrated the Monument of Grieving Mother in Poltava. This monument is a memorial sign to the Jewish people who fell victim to Nazism. This was reported by the Ltava agency. The eyes of the sculpture were painted black; the offenders also drew a swastika and made inscriptions. As the agency reports, anti-Semitic inscription were covered with sketches before the police arrival. Poltava police started investigating the incident. The offenders have been leaving such inscriptions there for the last 8 years. In 2011, law enforcers have identified people who did this and fined. The vandals were residents of Dnipro and Kharkiv city. Several years in a raw in April such an escalation happens. Perhaps somebody with sick psyche or perhaps someone who did this on purpose as a provocation, said the regional police speaker Yuriy Sulaev. The Grieving Mother Monument and a memorial sign to the Jewish people who fell victim to Nazism were installed in the place of mass shooting. During the World War II, the prisoners of Southwestern Front which got broken up in Poltava region. Among the prisoners, there were partisans, Jewish people and patients of the psychiatric hospital. The mass executions by shooting started on November 23, 1941. As it was reported earlier, in Kharkiv, unknown people abused a monument to the soldiers of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army on March 14. The investigative group that arrived at the place found that the unknown drew a swastika with a red paint on the monument. The incident was registered in the Journal of Unified Register of Offenses. Related video: 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!) YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. Street demonstrations and protests began in Yerevan 11 days ago, days before Armenias third President Serzh Sargsyan was elected by Members of Parliament to serve as Prime Minister. The historic vote first time that a PM was elected by parliament in Armenia took place April 17. Earlier on April 9, the country shifted to a parliamentary system of administration. On the same day, President Armen Sarkissian took office. Opposition protests began in the Armenian capital in the form of sit-ins, marches and demonstrations. Led by opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, the lawmaker from the parliamentary Yelk faction which has only 9 seats in the 105-seat Armenian Parliament, the protesters launched a campaign of civil disobedience. Demonstrations began to grow citywide, and protesters started blocking busy streets. On April 14, the crowd sporadically charged onto the Public Radio HQ in Yerevan, breaching into the building and demanding airtime. The demand was refused and the crowd subsequently left. Protesters even intruded into educational institutions, calling for student strikes. In the following days opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan called on his supporters to paralyze the functioning of the government by blocking not only streets and major intersections, but also governmental facilities and ministries. Protesters were seen deflating the tires of official vehicles outside ministry headquarters. Police numerously called on the protesters to maintain public order and adhere to the law. At one point protesters had even blocked the official vehicle of the countrys defense minister, while he was on-duty. Many were detained in the course of events as mass public disturbances were reported. The demonstrators would gather every evening in the Republic Square of Yerevan, where Nikol Pashinyan would address his supporters, calling for renewed demonstrations. On April 16, a brief clash erupted between riot police and the protesters in Baghramyan Avenue which houses major governmental buildings. Nikol Pashinyan suffered a minor injury to his hand after contacting a barbed wire. Several people were hospitalized, including three police officers. Police line in Baghramyan Avenue, April 16. Police declared they are entitled to disperse the rally under the Constitution, because the demonstrations are causing public disturbances and restricting the fundamental rights of others, namely the freedom of movement, and also endangering public safety. The protesters failed to comply with police orders and resumed demonstrations. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian called on MP Nikol Pashinyan to immediately begin discussions around negotiations table to avoid further escalation. On April 21, Pashinyan reacted to the Presidents call, offering to meet in their main rally site the Republic Square. The President accepted the offer and was seen approaching the heavily overcrowded square shortly afterwards. President Sarkissian walked through hundreds ot protesters, surrounded by few bodyguards, and began talking with the MP. Although the meeting was broadcast by media, the conversation wasnt heard because no microphones were allowed near. At one point the President took off his tie, seemingly signaling that it is an informal meeting. The meeting lasted around 10-15 minutes, and the President left the area, waiving and greeting the people. The President then met with Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan. President Armen Sarkissian meets with MP Nikol Pashinyan in Republic Square Shortly afterwards, it was reported that the Prime Minister and the opposition leader will meet the next day, April 22, in the Marriott Hotel in Republic Square. The highly anticipated meeting took place 10:00 Sunday morning. Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan arrived wearing a suit without a tie, while MP Nikol Pashinyan was wearing a camouflage t-shirt and a hat. The tense meeting lasted only 3 minutes, as the lawmaker said he will only discuss the resignation of the Prime Minister, to which Sargsyan responded by slamming it as blackmailing the state. The Prime Minister told the lawmaker that if he and his followers to dont return to a legal framework the entire responsibility will fall Pashinyan. Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan and opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan meet Sunday morning After the meeting the opposition leader once again went out on the streets, calling for marches and demonstrations. A few hours later, police dispersed a rally in the citys Erebuni district, and three initiators of the rally, the opposition leader himself, and two other lawmakers - Ararat Mirzoyan and Sasun Michaelyan were detained. All actions of the initiators of the rally are illegal after the decision of the police to cease the demonstrations, and all participants of the rally are obliged to leave the location of the rally, police said. After a couple of hours the Prosecutor Generals Office said that the three lawmakers have been placed under arrest under Article 96, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution within the framework of an ongoing criminal case with the purpose of preventing crime and in direct suspicion of deliberately organizing and holding illegal rallies. MP Nikol Pashinyan, MP Ararat Mirzoyan and MP Sasun Michaelyan have numerously called on their followers to block city streets, block entrances of governmental buildings, breach into governmental buildings and paralyze the functioning of these buildings. Their followers implemented the unlawful calls and blocked numerous streets and avenues, blocked the entries of state, self-governing body buildings, as well as private organizations, obstructed the normal functioning of these buildings and agencies, committed violence against police officers and others leading to disproportionate restriction of the rights of other citizens and public interest. As required by the Constitution, the Speaker of Parliament has been immediately notified on the arrest of the lawmakers, the Prosecutor Generals Office said in a statement. The crowd did not disperse, and pocket demonstrations were reported citywide. Crowd of protesters march through Isakov Avenue Later in the day, hundreds of protesters gathered in the Republic Square again. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world is witnessing today another Cold War, TASS reports. I think the world now clearly noting that the Cold War is back. But there is a difference between the Cold War in the past and what we are witnessing now, the UN chief said in an interview to Swedens television channel SVT. First, the United States and Russia do not control everybody like it was the case in the Cold War. We have a number of countries that are very active in the region - Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and others. It is clear that there are not two homogeneous well-controlled blocs, he said. Antonio Guterres also accepted the structural problems of the UN Security Council, stating that this structure no longer reflects the balance of power in the world and doesnt comply with the current realities. English translator/editor Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. Following 11 days of ongoing unrest in Armenia, defense minister Vigen Sargsyan held a press briefing Monday morning on the domestic developments of the country. Vigen Sargsyan was re-appointed as Defense Minister on April 18. Sargsyan first took office in 2016. Sargsyan (no relation to PM Sargsyan) argued that it isnt good for a parliamentary democracy when the right to exercise freedom of speech and democratic freedoms starts contradicting with other components of the protection of law and law enforcement agencies are forced to step in. Actually I think it is a matter of tradition, time, that the opposition having parliamentary votes and the opposition only having a tool of street struggle starts to differentiate from one another, because the beauty of parliamentary opposition is this very thing the opposition which has garnered the votes of the people and is represented in the parliament has another set of tools for solving problems unlike the other opposition which doesnt have this opportunity and is forced to take to the streets, Sargsyan said. According to the defense minister, the ongoing processes are another trial period for the establishment of democracy in the country. Asked about the arrested lawmakers, the defense minister said questions about the arrest and relating legal terms should be addressed to law enforcement. A proper information was released yesterday. Clear procedures are in place in case of lawmakers which must be overcome, both domestic and international procedures. I am sure that the letter of the law will be maintained, he said. Street demonstrations and protests began in Yerevan 11 days ago, days before Armenias third President Serzh Sargsyan was elected by Members of Parliament to serve as Prime Minister. The historic vote first time that a PM was elected by parliament in Armenia took place April 17. Earlier on April 9, the country shifted to a parliamentary system of administration. On the same day, President Armen Sarkissian took office. Opposition protests began in the Armenian capital in the form of sit-ins, marches and demonstrations. Led by opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, the lawmaker from the parliamentary Yelk faction which has only 9 seats in the 105-seat Armenian Parliament, the protesters launched a campaign of civil disobedience. Demonstrations began to grow citywide, and protesters started blocking busy streets. On April 14, the crowd sporadically charged onto the Public Radio HQ in Yerevan, breaching into the building and demanding airtime. The demand was refused and the crowd subsequently left. Protesters even intruded into educational institutions, calling for student strikes. In the following days opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan called on his supporters to paralyze the functioning of the government by blocking not only streets and major intersections, but also governmental facilities and ministries. Protesters were seen deflating the tires of official vehicles outside ministry headquarters. Police numerously called on the protesters to maintain public order and adhere to the law. At one point protesters had even blocked the official vehicle of the countrys defense minister, while he was on-duty. Many were detained in the course of events as mass public disturbances were reported. The demonstrators would gather every evening in the Republic Square of Yerevan, where Nikol Pashinyan would address his supporters, calling for renewed demonstrations. On April 16, a brief clash erupted between riot police and the protesters in Baghramyan Avenue which houses major governmental buildings. Nikol Pashinyan suffered a minor injury to his hand after contacting a barbed wire. Several people were hospitalized, including three police officers. Police declared they are entitled to disperse the rally under the Constitution, because the demonstrations are causing public disturbances and restricting the fundamental rights of others, namely the freedom of movement, and also endangering public safety. The protesters failed to comply with police orders and resumed demonstrations. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian called on MP Nikol Pashinyan to immediately begin discussions around negotiations table to avoid further escalation. On April 21, Pashinyan reacted to the Presidents call, offering to meet in their main rally site the Republic Square. The President accepted the offer and was seen approaching the heavily overcrowded square shortly afterwards. President Sarkissian walked through hundreds ot protesters, surrounded by few bodyguards, and began talking with the MP. Although the meeting was broadcast by media, the conversation wasnt heard because no microphones were allowed near. At one point the President took off his tie, seemingly signaling that it is an informal meeting. The meeting lasted around 10-15 minutes, and the President left the area, waiving and greeting the people. The President then met with Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan. Shortly afterwards, it was reported that the Prime Minister and the opposition leader will meet the next day, April 22, in the Marriott Hotel in Republic Square. The highly anticipated meeting took place 10:00 Sunday morning. Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan arrived wearing a suit without a tie, while MP Nikol Pashinyan was wearing a camouflage t-shirt and a hat. The tense meeting lasted only 3 minutes, as the lawmaker said he will only discuss the resignation of the Prime Minister, to which Sargsyan responded by slamming it as blackmailing the state. The Prime Minister told the lawmaker that if he and his followers to dont return to a legal framework the entire responsibility will fall Pashinyan. After the meeting the opposition leader once again went out on the streets, calling for marches and demonstrations. A few hours later, police dispersed a rally in the citys Erebuni district, and three initiators of the rally, the opposition leader himself, and two other lawmakers - Ararat Mirzoyan and Sasun Michaelyan were detained. All actions of the initiators of the rally are illegal after the decision of the police to cease the demonstrations, and all participants of the rally are obliged to leave the location of the rally, police said. After a couple of hours the Prosecutor Generals Office said that the three lawmakers have been placed under arrest under Article 96, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution within the framework of an ongoing criminal case with the purpose of preventing crime and in direct suspicion of deliberately organizing and holding illegal rallies. MP Nikol Pashinyan, MP Ararat Mirzoyan and MP Sasun Michaelyan have numerously called on their followers to block city streets, block entrances of governmental buildings, breach into governmental buildings and paralyze the functioning of these buildings. Their followers implemented the unlawful calls and blocked numerous streets and avenues, blocked the entries of state, self-governing body buildings, as well as private organizations, obstructed the normal functioning of these buildings and agencies, committed violence against police officers and others leading to disproportionate restriction of the rights of other citizens and public interest. As required by the Constitution, the Speaker of Parliament has been immediately notified on the arrest of the lawmakers, the Prosecutor Generals Office said in a statement. The crowd did not disperse, and pocket demonstrations were reported citywide. Later in the day, hundreds of protesters gathered in the Republic Square again. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. During the ongoing events in Armenia the Police use the same tools which are being used in the most civilized, democratic countries, defense minister of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan said at a meeting with reporters, commenting on the recent actions of the Police, Armenpress reports. I understand that what I am going to say now can create some reaction among many people, but during any mass rally, and I have seen this in different countries, the actions of the Police, no matter how proficient, prepared and equipped the Police are, can always be on the verge of the necessity or proportionality to use force, the minister said. He highlighted the fact that during the upcoming proceedings all mistakes that in fact happened will be investigated. At the same time, the minister noted that it is no less important to rule out the presumption of a priori guilt towards the police activity. These people, seriously engendering themselves, serve for maintaining the public order at any second. The event organizers may like or dislike this, but I assure you that the consequences of non-action can be relatively severe than the actions the Police are ought to do, Vigen Sargsyan said. He called to view everything within proportionality. If you want to put some comparisons, I urge you to watch the videos of response to rallies in the most civilized countries with democratic traditions, and they are a lot in the internet starting from France, Germany up to the United States, Great Britain, and just make comparisons. In other words, the Armenian Police didnt invent anything new. The Police use the same tools that exist, and in honor of the Police it must be noted that during these years they managed to conduct the work necessary for having a professional level, Vigen Sargsyan added. English translator/editor Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. In the circumstances of current threats, Armenias domestic instability, in terms of Azerbaijans issues put before itself, paves a way for Azerbaijanis to launch actions, defense minister Vigen Sargsyan said at a press briefing on April 23, adding that as a public administration structure the defense ministrys duty is to remind about this issue, and the footage released by the Artsakh defense ministry on April 22 was the vivid proof that Azerbaijan conducts manpower and military equipment movements and accumulations in the Artsakh line of contact, reports Armenpress. I hope no one thinks that it could be a fake video, I hope you all understand that the adversary at any moment carefully follows our ongoing developments. We, as a state structure, must remind about this issue. This doesnt prevent someones right to make his/her own decision, it doesnt change our duty to continue fulfilling our tasks in the border, to ensure our countrys defense, security, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders even if the most severe situation is inside the country. It is our constitutional duty, we had to warn our people about the dangers. And these dangers are quite understandable, Vigen Sargsyan noted. He said its obvious that the Azerbaijani side follows these developments and if sees that processes are taking place inside the country, it is possible to try to do something on the border. When the public administration system is blocked the attempt of which is openly announced by the rally organizers, when the state structures do not fully operate, the roads are closed, its obvious that the defense function becomes difficult. So can we not notice this? Our duty at the defense ministry is to act in another way. There is a problem of resource management. Lets suppose the MFAs building is blocked. Whether this contributes to or undermines the defense activity? The mobilization work is very important in the actions in case of the tension on shifting to a war situation, the defense minister said, adding that the Board of the defense ministry issued a statement on the background of this tension and its silence would mean that they do not assess the current situation and threats. The Board of the Armenian defense ministry issued a statement on April 22 over the ongoing protests in Yerevan, calling on the organizers and participants of the rallies to refrain from actions that can result in internal instability. Street demonstrations and protests began in Yerevan 11 days ago, days before Armenias third President Serzh Sargsyan was elected by Members of Parliament to serve as Prime Minister. The historic vote first time that a PM was elected by parliament in Armenia took place April 17. Earlier on April 9, the country shifted to a parliamentary system of administration. On the same day, President Armen Sarkissian took office. Opposition protests began in the Armenian capital in the form of sit-ins, marches and demonstrations. Led by opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, the lawmaker from the parliamentary Yelk faction which has only 9 seats in the 105-seat Armenian Parliament, the protesters launched a campaign of civil disobedience. English translator/editor Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. ARF Bureau representative Hrant Margaryan on April 23 met with arrested opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, the ARF office told Armenpress. This meeting inspires hope that future dialogue can be held. Over the past few days the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) has conducted large-scale works with numerous sides and persons aimed at forming a platform for dialogue in order to find a solution to this situation. The ARF opposes the arrests, but at the same time it is against the ultimatums. Its necessary to create an opportunity for that dialogue to take place, to find the solution and prevent the country from shocks. Hrant Margaryan also held a phone conversation with Pashinyans wife, Anna Hakobyan, the statement says. On April 22 police dispersed a rally in Yerevans Erebuni district, and three initiators of the rally, the opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, and two other lawmakers - Ararat Mirzoyan and Sasun Michaelyan were detained. All actions of the initiators of the rally are illegal after the decision of the police to cease the demonstrations, and all participants of the rally are obliged to leave the location of the rally, police said. After a couple of hours the Prosecutor Generals Office said that the three lawmakers have been placed under arrest under Article 96, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution within the framework of an ongoing criminal case with the purpose of preventing crime and in direct suspicion of deliberately organizing and holding illegal rallies. MP Nikol Pashinyan, MP Ararat Mirzoyan and MP Sasun Michaelyan have numerously called on their followers to block city streets, block entrances of governmental buildings, breach into governmental buildings and paralyze the functioning of these buildings. Their followers implemented the unlawful calls. English translator/editor Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. Police have issued a notification saying that several former officers, who have been dismissed many years ago, are spreading disinformation on social media by posting photos wearing their former uniforms and making false statements, pretending to be in-service officers. We call on our citizens not to mislead the public by spreading disinformation, police said. Police also urged news media to clarify information before publishing news, and in the given case to closely observe the accounts of those individuals which will prove that they have been dismissed from service many years ago. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, 23 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 23 April, USD exchange rate is down by 0.05 drams to 480.13 drams. EUR exchange rate is down by 3.42 drams to 587.25 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is down by 0.08 drams to 7.74 drams. GBP exchange rate is down by 4.78 drams to 670.45 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price is down by 185.09 drams to 20634.79 drams. Silver price is down by 1.34 drams to 264.12 drams. Platinum price is down by 155.88 drams to 14402.29 drams. YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. Acting PM of Armenia Karen Karapetyan has called on all the political forces to depoliticize April 24. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Government of Armenia Karapetyan told about that at the extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet. Dear partners, We all know very well whats going on in our country. We are in a situation where we must find a solution. For that reason this is the instruction and suggestion to all the state bodies, ministries and the employees of the state bodies and civil servants. Everybody expects in our country that we will continue to do our work normally and uninterrupted. There should be no interruption and that must be the most important test of the maturity of our state. I am convinced we will carry it out together with honor. I ask the Defense Minister an all our servicemen to be maximally vigilant. I ask the law enforcement employees to also be maximally vigilant and continue to ensure the lawfulness and public order. The current political developments must in no way impact our normal life. I address all our citizens, political forces to demonstrate maximal vigilance and lawfulness and respect towards the rights of other citizens. As you may know, today there was a meeting at President Sarkissian and we issued a relevant statement. Tomorrow is April 24. It a very important day for us and I call on all the political forces to depoliticize that day so as we are able to pay tribute with honor. We are facing an issue that we have to show the entire world that during critical moments we can consolidate, negotiate and find logical solutions. Thank you. English translator/editor: Tigran Sirekanyan YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. The OSCE Minsk Group has issued a statement in connection with the situation in the region. ARMENPRESS reports the statement runs as follows, In light of recent political developments in the region and the possibility of escalation along the Line of Contact, the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) underscore the critical importance of the sides respecting the ceasefire at this delicate time and, in particular, keeping heavy equipment positioned in the rear of the frontlines. The Co-Chairs call on the sides to take immediate measures to reduce tensions, and look forward to meeting with the parties as soon as possible to renew intensified negotiations to find a lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict. The Defense Ministry of Artsakh announced on April 21 that Azerbaijan intensively violated the ceasefire regime on April 21 using different caliber weapons. In addition, the defense ministry of Artsakh released footage showing Azerbaijani manpower and military equipment mobilization in different sections of the line of contact. English translator/editor: Tigran Sirekanyan 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 ideals. Backroads, byways, boondoggles, and brouhahas is an occasional column - taken from news sources throughout North Carolina - highlighting how government spends our money and makes other questionable moves about which state residents may not be aware.Robeson County is where North Carolina ends. Interstate 95 cuts straight through this southeastern county, which has seen its share of natural disasters and financial struggles. The county, to its credit, is trying hard to catch its collective breath, to move forward. But on some points, maybe it should find a comfy bench and think about things for awhile.The county's board of commissioners recently approved an incentives deal for a company looking to expand, The Robesonian reports.County Economic Development Director Greg Cummings, writes the paper, asked commissioners to approve a three-year, 50 percent property tax break for the company, which he failed to immediately name.It's kind of like asking taxpayers to pay $200 for a pair shoes now but hiding them inside a shiny cardboard box. Telling residents,The shoes could be something really nice, or they just might be a pair of cheap rubber flip-flops.The company plans to invest $1 million in the expansion, creating 45 jobs, the story says.The commissioners also approved two economic incentive deals for Campbell Soup - grants of nearly $200,000 to expand operations in Maxton, contingent on the company meeting specific goals.The Robesonian says,Basically follow the law, then?Looking good?Neopac US, Inc., a global manufacturer of primary packaging for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, chose Wilson County for its first U.S. manufacturing plant and new North American headquarters, Gov Roy Cooper announced in a news release.The company plans to create up to 44 new jobs and invest more than $30.8 million.Salaries will vary by position. Once all positions are filled, the annual payroll impact will be approximately $2.8 million.The release goes on, and we kept reading so you don't have to.Enough said.It's tough to collect a paycheck when you're deadWake County, writes the News & Observer, wants to offer companies incentives to locate or expand in low-income parts of the county - if they meet certain requirements such as paying a "living wage."Commissioner Matt Calabria, who pushed for the new incentive, told the paper.A business, the paper says, must create 50 jobs, with a high average salary, and must make a $25 million investment in order to get county funds.Some companies, the N & O says, interested in Wake County don't meet the job and investment limits to get county money.Calabria says in the story.Things like economic growth based on entrepreneurial spirit and free-market principles, maybe?Eat your veggies. That's an orderCounty officials want Farm Fresh Produce Inc. to keep expanding in Sampson County, and they'vewrites the Sampson Independent There are, of course, some loose strings, including, the paper says, creating 36 full-time jobs at an average salary of $21,000 to $22,000 and expanding its 82,400-square-foot building with a new addition of 62,500 square feet of sweet potato curing and storage facilities.Numbers provided by Swope show a taxable investment of $4.1 million by Farm Fresh, the story says, and the incentives proposal is contingent on that. The plan also includes a 'claw-back' provision regarding jobs and investment.Farm Fresh began in 2010 as a produce marketing and selling company with six employees and corporate offices in Faison, the Independent says. "In 2016, the company renovated and converted a 20,000-square-foot building into packing facilities and constructed a curing barn on its 44-acre site. ... That location has 55 employees, with approximately 110 containers of sweet potatoes being shipped from the location each day.Another serving, please.County officials also have plans to apply to N.C. Department of Commerce for a second Building Reuse Program grant, and, based on projected employment numbers, Farm Fresh would be eligible for another $180,000 check should the application be successful, according to the paper says John Swope, executive director of the Sampson County Economic Development Commission. On Monday, Jonathan Chait wrote a piece in New York Magazine asking why so many Republicans hadn't jumped to the Democrats after President Trump's election.he highlighted. Criticizing David Brooks of The New York Times, who suggested that Democrats ought to reach out to Republicans, Chait wrote instead,Well, that attitude might explain why Republicans who didn't support Trump haven't jumped to the Democrats. When you label non-Trump supporters abettors of hopeless irrationality, they might not respond the way you think.But Chait continues:Chait says that in the past, nomination of problematic candidates has caused a rift within the party. But that didn't happen with Trump. And Chait laments this:It's rather hilarious that it never occurs to Chait that Republicans haven't compromised with Democrats because Democrats offer no compromise. He laments that Republicans haven't jumped to the Democrats, but perhaps that's because nearly all movement in the modern parties has taken place among Democrats, who have swung wildly to the Left. Today's Democratic Party has completely excluded pro-lifers, suggests that government has the capacity to regulate religious institutions into irrelevance, and openly advocates removal of gun rights. That's not a lot for conservatives to work with, no matter how many porn stars Trump pays off.It's one thing for Scoop Jackson to work with Republicans or John McCain to work with Democrats when the parties agreed on certain fundamental premises. But those premises are gone when it comes to policy. I didn't vote for Trump; I didn't vote for Hillary. I wouldn't have voted for Hillary because her values aren't mine - she actively despises my values. Yet Democrats continue to maintain that the only reason Republicans won't join them is stupidity and cruelty, not different principles.So long as Democrats continue to believe that the only reason not to join them is the deplorable nature of Republicans, Republicans won't be crossing the aisle anytime soon, nor should they. I became interested in academic accountability within the university because I had no choice: the lack of accountability I experienced at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington obligated me to act. I had become embroiled in a situation where I was morally bound to report wrongdoing. But I had no idea that being a "whistleblower" in higher education would take hundreds of hours of my time, and thousands of dollars in legal bills, with still no closure. I had little knowledge of the processes that governed faculty misconduct until I experienced them, which I wrote about previously for the Martin Center That experience caused me to wonder what it was like for students. As is probably true with most faculty, I was only vaguely aware of how student academic misconduct is dealt with at UNCW. Is the student process as unclear and ineffectual as it is for the faculty? Is it superior or inferior to what faculty undergo? Can we benefit by taking a closer look at what happens to students in the event of academic wrongdoing?Federal and state guidelines exist in higher education concerning student behavior. For example, in 2011, the Department of Education required a "preponderance of the evidence" as a standard for all Title IX cases. The 1972 federal law prohibits gender discrimination in any federally funded education program or activity. (The act also requires colleges and universities to develop procedures to respond to claims of sexual harassment.) More relevant here, however, is a North Carolina law that permits an attorney or a non-attorney advocate to represent students charged with misconduct. While honoring federal and state guidelines, each North Carolina campus is allowed to develop its own set of standards. UNCW's processes seem to reflect the norm in the UNC system, and at other colleges and universities nationwide.The UNCW Code of Student Life (CSL) spells out For cases with little danger of suspension, such as unruly behavior in class, a single, trained administrator reviews the facts of the case and makes a determination. If the student is found responsible, the hearing officer determines the appropriate sanctions. The whole process takes around 10 business days.In the case of a serious infraction, where the possible sanction includes suspension or expulsion, students will more than likely choose to have the matter resolved before the Campus Conduct Board (CCB). This group consists of students and faculty. All are required to receive training in adjudication basics. A PowerPoint presentation is available online, and additional training and in-service meetings are provided throughout the academic year. The purpose of this training is to acquaint students and faculty with the basic terms and concepts involved with adjudication, such as student rights, due process, cheating, and plagiarism.The CCB hearing is a model of clarity and efficacy. A formal document permits an accused student and adjudicators to know each stage of the hearing process. In addition to having an attorney or non-attorney advocate present, the case is presented orally, and the student and accuser face each other. Witnesses are called and questioned. After the case against the student is given, he or she is permitted to offer a rebuttal or make a final statement. The student is then informed of his or her right to appeal.The CCB deliberates, and their decision is spelled out in a Case Resolution Form, on which the reasoning behind the decision and sanctions (if any) are explained. The CCB typically decides a case immediately after a hearing but must act within 10 business days.The Case Resolution Form is entered into a student's conduct file and a database called "Maxient." The software company claims it isThe database keeps track of student conduct files within each university. The data is not open to the public. It is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which is designed to protect the privacy of student education records while also providing students the right to inspect and review them.The standards and processes UNCW employs for the faculty fall far short of the student process. There is nothing online nor elsewhere that permits a faculty member to know what to expect upon entering the hearing process. Some information trickled out before the process began, but not enough to be meaningful. It seemed the Faculty Professional Relations Committee (FPRC) was making up the rules as we went along. I was unsure whether to go ahead with my grievance. The FPRC chair encouraged me to do so.Unfortunately, UNCW faculty have apparently decided that no training in legal terms and concepts which serve students well is necessary. Nothing in the faculty handbook says otherwise. Not seeking help to understand matters not germane to our academic discipline seems to be a disease with us. Highly expert in one field, we assume we are expert in others. I have two small film production companies and have experience with the legal system. I honestly felt-and hoped-FPRC members would know more than me. They did not.I asked a number of procedural and substantive questions before the process began. Sometimes the response was swift and precise; other times it was not. My questions irked members of the FPRC for I was told at the outset of the hearing that it was not "a court of law." I knew that, of course. But I did not think recognized standards of due process would be ignored.There is more that makes the UNCW faculty hearings process decidedly inferior to that of its students. Faculty are not allowed to face their accuser, call witnesses, or even have an attorney present. The grievant presents their case in writing before the hearing; students do so on their feet and orally. Faculty receive questions they are going to be asked beforehand; students do not.A decision regarding wrongdoing is not put into a faculty member's personnel file, a database, or anything of the sort. It is not recorded and disappears-along with the evidence. Only the academic dean sees the report sent by the FPRC. I tried to find out where it is officially stated that only the dean and not the provost or chancellor are allowed to see the report, but neither the dean nor General Counsel would respond to my questions. Deans serve short terms (approximately three to five years) and then move on. They take knowledge of the FPRC's findings with them. Faculty wrongdoing can continue on and on without a trace.Whereas each student hearing is recorded, transcribed, and disseminated, this is not the case with faculty. (I offered to pay for a recording and transcript but was refused.) A student who violates academic standards can be suspended or expelled. Students know before going into a hearing that their actions have consequences. I assumed the same for the faculty process. Yet even serious academic wrongdoing by my adversary had no results. We were both told to write letters of apology. It was a faulty process without a resolution, a complete waste of time.the CCB argued,It is the principal reason student records are kept. Repeated wrongdoing is cause for increasing levels of discipline. But with faculty, wrongdoing is a forever first-time offense throughout their careers. It begs the question of who is responsible if a faculty member guilty of academic wrongdoing commits the same or an even more egregious act in their department or as an administrator? What if a faculty member found guilty of plagiarism does so again? Who is to know?By investigating these and other questions, it quickly became clear that the process for judging accusations and disputes for students is vastly superior to that of the faculty. This is wrong. Faculty should be held to a much higher standard than their students. We are classroom role models. We are supposed to set an example and inspire imitation. But the mechanisms in place to uphold faculty standards are ineffectual.Perhaps this inexcusable lack of holding faculty unaccountable is entirely intentional. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is a well-known supporter of faculty interests. In an article presented by Donna R. Euben, AAUP Staff Counsel, and Barbara Lee of Rutgers University, they said thatWhile there are standards of education, training, knowledge, and skills for professors, there is no accountability. And this is the bottom line of any entity that wants to claim it is a "profession." UNCW has lofty ethics policies but offers a mirage in terms of executing them. We are the keepers of public trust regarding our students, but not ourselves. Contempt Is 'Well Deserved,' ACLU Says of Kansas Official Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach "can't be trusted" and deserves to be punished. That's what the American Civil Liberties Union said, not holding back its contempt for the state official. But the ACLU is not the only one holding Kobach in contempt. A federal judge has held the secretary of state in contempt for a "history of non-compliance" with court orders. Those words may not break bones, but they will definitely hurt. "Non-Compliance" Fighting words are common in politics, where Kobach has made his career. He is running for governor in Kansas. His run could come to an end, however, if Judge Julie Robinson puts him in jail. The judge found him in contempt for refusing to inform and register certain people that are eligible to vote. Kobach claims he is acting to prevent voter fraud, following a state law that requires people to show proof of citizenship to vote. The ACLU sued to invalidate the law, claiming it violates the National Voter Registration Act. In 2016, the judge ordered Kobach to stop enforcing the law pending trial. Rejecting his appeal, the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals said the Kansas law was a "mass denial of a fundamental constitutional right." "No Coercive Sanctions" According to reports, Kobach has prevented more than 35,000 Kansans from voting. "Defendant has a history of non-compliance with the preliminary injunction order," wrote Robinson in granting the ACLU's contempt motion. Expecting Kobach to comply with her prior orders, Robinson withheld "coercive sanctions" pending a decision on the merits of the case. In the meantime, Kobach will have to pay the ACLU's attorneys fees. That should hurt at least as much as the ACLU's words. Related Resources: IoT Inspector is a new tool from Princeton's computer science department; it snoops on the traffic from home IoT devices and performs analysis to determine who they phone home to, whether they use encryption, and what kinds of data they may be leaking. The researchers have analyzed 50 popular IoT devices, which sounds like it was pretty labor intensive. They're taking suggestions for devices to study next, and also tweaking the tool to run with less human intervention to allow them to scale up to do lots of devices. The first 50 devices are basically a security/privacy dumpster fire. They're using unencrypted connections (even sensitive devices like blood-pressure monitors!); their traffic, even when encrypted, can be used to infer sensitive information about the users; they're incredible promiscuous about the number of companies and services they send data to but on the plus-side, the traffic from these devices is routine enough that it's not hard to use software to figure out if something on your network has been hijacked into a botnet. Finding #3: Many IoT Devices Contact a Large and Diverse Set of Third Parties In many cases, consumers expect that their devices contact manufacturers' servers, but communication with other third-party destinations may not be a behavior that consumers expect. We have found that many IoT devices communicate with third-party services, of which consumers are typically unaware. We have found many instances of third-party communications in our analyses of IoT device network traffic. Some examples include: * Samsung Smart TV. During the first minute after power-on, the TV talks to Google Play, Double Click, Netflix, FandangoNOW, Spotify, CBS, MSNBC, NFL, Deezer, and Facebookeven though we did not sign in or create accounts with any of them. * Amcrest WiFi Security Camera. The camera actively communicates with cellphonepush.quickddns.com using HTTPS. QuickDDNS is a Dynamic DNS service provider operated by Dahua. Dahua is also a security camera manufacturer, although Amcrest's website makes no references to Dahua. Amcrest customer service informed us that Dahua was the original equipment manufacturer. * Halo Smoke Detector. The smart smoke detector communicates with broker.xively.com. Xively offers an MQTT service, which allows manufacturers to communicate with their devices. * Geeni Light Bulb. The Geeni smart bulb communicates with gw.tuyaus.com, which is operated by TuYa, a China-based company that also offers an MQTT service. We also looked at a number of other devices, such as Samsung Smart Camera and TP-Link Smart Plug, and found communications with third parties ranging from NTP pools (time servers) to video storage services. These third-party services are potentially single points of failure or vulnerability. Specifically, the same third-party services are often used by a broad array of IoT devices. A security vulnerability in one service might affect devices across a range of manufacturers. Third-party services also allow data aggregation across devices. A third party could aggregate user data from a wide range of devices, creating the possibility for tracking a user's behavior across many devices. These devices are also not transparent about the Internet services with which they communicate or share data. Most IoT devices do not mention the specific third parties they communicate with in their privacy policies, which makes it difficult for consumers to make purchasing decisions based on security and privacy considerations. IoT Inspector [Princeton] Announcing IoT Inspector, A Tool to Study Smart Home IoT Device Behavior [Noah Apthorpe, Danny Y. Huang, Gunes Acar, Frank Li, Arvind Narayanan and Nick Feamster/Freedom to Tinker] Business / Companies by Staff reporter The continued shortage of foreign currency is making it difficult for industries to import raw materials for use in their production processes, hampering the growth of manufacturing in Zimbabwe, experts from different sectors of the economy have said.The Government in 2016 introduced bond notes as a way of bringing liquidity and stability in the economy but many industries have shut down as the country does not have adequate foreign currency. Oil Expressers Association of Zimbabwe chairperson Busisa Moyo recently said challenges involving allocation of foreign currency to the sector remained critical, affecting industry performance."The cooking oil industry is operating at between 30 percent and 40 percent capacity, weighed down by the shortage of foreign currency to import key raw materials. The situation remains critical and we trust that the availability of soya beans from the local crop and tobacco foreign currency inflows will buoy performance for the quarter commencing April.Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers president Denford Mutashu shared the same sentiments that shortages of foreign currency continued to hinder industry growth in Zimbabwe urging the government to move fast in addressing the issue."The current foreign currency shortages is a critical matter which requires urgent government attention as it has affected business by and large," he said."For production to increase in Zimbabwe, we need foreign currency which is currently limited hence the drive to attract foreign direct investment and fresh capital through the "Zimbabwe is open for business" mantra.The Zimbabwe Textile Manufacturers' Association appealed to the government to prioritize the textile sector when disbursing foreign currency to ensure members met their payments obligations and remain in business.Association secretary general Raymond Huni said the industry required an urgent foreign currency injection to prevent its total collapse."We have a situation where the biggest blanket and linen manufacturer is struggling to get foreign currency to remain in business. The company supplies blankets to the army, hospitals, hotels and schools and is obligated to the nation for the supply of blankets and bedding accessories."The company has a staff complement of 800 people who are at risk of losing their jobs if the company fails to get money (foreign currency) to purchase raw materials. News / Local by Staff Reporter Zanu PF legislator for Mpopoma Pelandaba Joseph Tshuma has donated rice to the disabled community in Mpopoma, Bulawayo."Sights from Lukanyiso Primary School in Mpopoma, where l met people living with disabilities and distributed rice to them today under my program from the President Emmerson Mnangagwa of feeding the vulnerable groups in our constituency, l was later on going to Ward 13 to do the same exercise too," Tshuma said."I also made sure l reached out to all political parties, the church and residents associations, so basically l made sure every sector of our community is covered." News / National by Fanuel Chinowaita MDC Alliance President Advocate Nelson Chamisa held a rally yesterday which was well attended by thousands of people in Chipinge at Kondo growth point.Before addressing the rally, he passed through the late activist and traditional healer James Wisen Dhliwayo home and paid his last respect.At Kondo growth point, Chamisa castigated the Zimbabwe National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) led government for neglecting the late liberation war hero and party founder Ndabaningi Sithole."In September this year I will make sure that Sithole is buried at National Heroes Acre."What ZANU PF had done is uncalled for and should be rectified by us."On 18 April we were celebrating independence. We respect independence because what was fought for is what we are fighting."It is very unfortunate that ZANU PF has failed to put on the ground what others has fought for. It failed to share equally the fruits of the struggle and has decided to use them for themselves. (Havachadi kupakura asi vakuchachura vega) ," said Chamisa.MDC Alliance President also promised to transform Chipinge to become a better rural home."Our government will prioritise rural development, we will make good roads, rural electrification, solar energy and biogas".Chamisa said that his government will respect the constitution and excise devolution of power." People will contribute on how the country is run. You will contribute on how the budget will be allocated and used," he said.He denounced corruption and pledged to deal with those found guilt of it without favour."If you still during our time you will rot in prison. Our government will be corruption free. We do not want to be like ZANU PF which is good at corruption."Our government will do things right. We will open industries so that people will work, we will make sure that everyone gets better and affordable education, we will open hospitals and we will make sure that people will take birth certificates, I Ds and even licences very easily," said the MDC Alliance President.Meanwhile, the MDC Alliance will be having another rally in Nyanga today. News / National by Staff reporter Political analysts yesterday slammed MDC-T Alliance for selling voters opposing development ideologies at the same rally at Kondo in Chipinge on Saturday, describing the union as an alliance of "bodies not ideology".At the rally, People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mr Tendai Biti spoke of rural development while MDC-T leader Mr Nelson Chamisa spoke of the rural folk migrating from rural areas to look for jobs in the urban areas.Said Mr Biti said: "The big programme that we have lined up for rural areas is that of rural development. It is disheartening that after 38 years of independence 60 percent of Zimbabweans are drinking water from wells, the same water source as animals."It is also disheartening that after 38 years of independence Zimbabweans are still practising open defecation. So, at the epicentre of our programme will be the agenda of rural development which will encompass rural electrification," he said.He said when Adv Chamisa is elected president of Zimbabwe, a serious programme of rural electrification, which will include solar power, will be launched.When Mr Chamisa took to the podium he said: "Business should be seen to be open. We want to see supermarkets which are full of goods and people having money in their pockets. When we get into office, people will migrate from rural areas to work in urban areas."Mr Biti also showed that he still views employment in terms of white people when he said;"Unopedza degree usina kubairwa chitikinyana chako nemurungu." (After completing university education, a person never gets employed by a white person).The analysts said the alliance was meant to dislodge Zanu-PF but never had any coherent poicies hence when Operation Restore Legacy was rolled out, their semblance of unity all but fizzled out, rendering the plot redundant.Political analyst Mr Richard Mahomva said the MDC Alliance never sang from the same hymn sheet on matters of public policy and national development."Its birth was to topple the establishment against the background which was quite torrid in nature. When the 17th of November came, it really reconfigured its functions by circumstances and thus invalidating its relevance in the Zimbabwean landscape. Now, it is just an incoherent entity in its approach to challenge the status quo," he said."It was born to fight an era that is dead. Now that the era is gone, it is no longer relevant and whatever was justifying its existence no longer makes sense in the present context which is currently transformed and less polarised. We are now in the era that is promising in terms of democracy, peace, tolerance and other freedoms."University of Zimbabwe lecturer Mr Wellington Gadzikwa said in terms of political communication, the alliance was trying to sell everything they can sell."There are a lot of contradictions that someone is talking about rural development while others want people to relocate for city jobs. There could be different perceptions on how to develop the country among the alliance members, so there is no common understanding on how to approach things among the alliance members," he said."It is an alliance of people with ideas which are not the same. They do not have a position. It is a marriage of convenience. They want to get power but they do not know what to do with it."Political analyst Mr Goodwine Mureriwa also took a swipe at the alliance leaders saying the duo of Messrs Chamisa and Biti were captives of the West. "They were groomed and funded from student activists to opposition leaders . . . When they are hosted by these imperialists, they envy Western values and standards," he said."Naivety tells them Zimbabwe can be (a First World country) overnight. Impossible! Do they expect Zimbabwe to enslave, colonise and loot resources from the West as happened to us? No, we are no aggressors. We believe in hard work and sovereign ownership of our God-given resources.""We grow slowly but surely. We re-engage on the basis of liberation ideals and equality as enshrined in the UN Charter." News / National by Staff reporter As Zanu-PF gears for its primary elections set for next Sunday, several provinces are today holding provincial coordinating committee meetings where chairpersons are expected to announce the final lists of approved candidates.The provincial chairpersons collected lists of approved candidates for their respective provinces from the national commissariat yesterday.Today's meetings will also mark the launch of campaigns for the primary elections. In separate interviews yesterday, several party chairpersons confirmed the PCC meetings.Harare provincial chairman Godwills Masimirembwa said: "I collected the list of approved candidates from the commissariat department today (yesterday). We have a PCC meeting tomorrow (today) where I will officially notify the people who have qualified to contest. Immediately after the meeting people will be on the ground campaigning ahead of the elections. There have been some lists circulating on social media but those are not the official lists."In Mashonaland West, provincial chairman Ziyambi Ziyambi said they would have their PCC today. "We are going to meet tomorrow to prepare for primaries," he said."We will make sure that candidates move together conducting meetings. We will be educating them on that."Midlands provincial chairman Daniel Mackenzie said: "Yes, I received the final list of successful candidates from our province and we will announce their names at tomorrow's meeting. After that we will hit the ground running preparing for the primary elections that will be held next Sunday."Richard Moyo, who is the Matabeleland North provincial chairman, also confirmed they would have their PCC meeting tomor- row."I will collect the final list of candidates tomorrow and we will have our PCC meeting on Tuesday," he said."I will be given a directive by the national commissar on how to proceed with the programme." As a province, Moyo said, they were ready for the primary elec tions.In all, 208 candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for Senate seats, and 226 for the women's quota.Notable entrants for National Assembly primaries include Chitungwiza Central Hospital chief executive Dr Obadiah Moyo, businessman James Makamba (Mt Darwin South), property tycoon Dr Killer Zivhu (Chivi South), former Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Calisto Jokonya (Chivi South), former Zinara boss Frank Chitukutuku (Gormonzi South), and ZBC journalists Tendai Munengwa and Andrew Neshamba (both Mt Darwin South) and Richard Siyakurima (Uzumba).Also in the race is The Sunday Mail's Features and Opinions Editor Garikai Mazara (Guruve South).War veterans Victor Matemadanda and Douglas Mahiya (Gokwe Central and Harare South respectively) are also in the primaries.Others have a clear path to the ticket: Sithembiso Nyoni (Nkayi South), Joseph Chinotimba (Buhera South), Kenneth Musanhi (Bindura North), Edmore Mhere (Masvingo Central), Winston Chitando (Gutu Central), and William Mutomba (Buhera North) are unopposed. News / National by Staff reporter PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed Ambassador Zenzo Nsimbi to represent Matabeleland South province on Zanu-PF's Elections Committee that was recently established.The commission was established in line with provisions of the revolutionary party's constitution to manage its primary elections ahead of harmonised elections scheduled for later this year.The commission is chaired by the party's national political commissar Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje (Retired).The party's spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday said Ambassador Nsimbi has been appointed to represent Matabeleland South in the commission."It will be recalled that during last Friday's Zanu-PF's extraordinary Politburo meeting in Harare, President Mnangagwa who is the First Secretary of the party announced the names of the elections commission chaired by Lt Gen Rugeje who is also the party's national political commissar."Of the eight non-Metropolitan provinces, Matabeleland South representative was to be announced later. The President has now appointed Ambassador Zenzo Nsimbi to represent the province on the commission," said Khaya Moyo.He said the membership of the elections commission was now complete. The committee members are representatives of provinces, which excludeMetropolitan provinces of Harare and Bulawayo.They were all appointed by President Mnangagwa based on their experience and loyalty to the party, among other attributes.Other members are Professor Simbi Mubako (Masvingo), John Muzamba (Matabeleland North), Tinaye Chigudu (Manicaland), Professor Charity Manyeruke (Mashonaland East), Professor Ngwabi Bhebhe (Midlands), Cecelia Paradza (Mashonaland West) and Irene Mutumbwa (Mashonaland Central).Zanu-PF on Saturday released the full list of its candidates who have been given the green light to battle it out in the primary elections.The party has also moved the date to hold the primary elections from May 5 to April 29, meaning the candidates only have a week to sell their ideas to the party electorate.Zanu-PF is expected to overwhelmingly win the elections following its internal renewal that resulted in the resignation of former President Mr Robert Mugabe last November. News / National by Staff reporter The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) on Friday railed against Vice President Constantino Chiwenga for firing striking nurses, saying the former commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces was completely out of order and his actions must be condemned in the strongest terms.In a statement, the union noted that it was a first of its kind in the history of Zimbabwe for a whole vice president to issue a statement claiming to have fired striking workers."Zimbabwe is well aware that the vice president is not an employer of nurses. Nurses are employed by the Health Services Board (HSB). The vice president should be ashamed of usurping the role of the HSB," said ZCTU in a statement."The actions of ... Chiwenga show clearly that he is out of depth and he does not believe in the very institutions, like the HSB, that the government created. His actions also vindicate sceptics who have claimed that he is not fit for the top job".The union said it was no secret that staff in the health sector were poorly remunerated."There is also serious shortage of equipment for them to be able to diligently discharge their duties. The sector is collapsing simply because career ministers like David Parirenyatwa continue to be appointed to the same ministry as if Zimbabwe is short of fresh brains. Health provision has been deteriorating under the nose of the same minister for years without any action taken by the authorities. Our calls for him to do the honourable thing of quitting have been received with disdain by authorities," it said. Another loss for Trump.EU and Mexico reach agreement on new free trade pactThe European Union and Mexico reached an agreement on Saturday on a new free trade deal, a coup for both parties in the face of increased protectionism from the United States under U.S. President Donald Trump.Since its plans for a trade alliance with the United States were frozen after Trumps election victory, the EU has focused instead on trying to champion open markets and seal accords with other like-minded countries.The agreement in principle with Mexico follows a deal struck last year with Japan and comes ahead of talks next week with the Mercosur bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.With this agreement, Mexico joins Canada, Japan and Singapore in the growing list of partners willing to work with the EU in defending open, fair and rules-based trade, said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.For Mexico, a deal with the EU is part of a strategy to reduce its reliance on the United States, the destination of 80 per cent of its exports. That has become more urgent, given Trumps push to rewrite the North American free-trade agreement.The EU and Mexico wanted to update a trade deal agreed 21 years ago that largely covers industrial goods. The new deal adds farm products, more services, investment and government procurement, and include provisions on labour and environmental standards and fighting corruption.The European Commission said that, under the deal struck on Saturday, practically all trade in goods with Mexico will be duty-free, including for farm products such as Mexican chicken and asparagus and European dairy produce.The deal will for example cut Mexican tariffs of up to 20 per cent on cheeses such as gorgonzola and increase EU pork exports, the Commission said.It will also allow Mexican companies to bid for government contracts in Europe and EU companies for those in Mexico, including at state level.Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said both sides had achieved a major update of their original accord. News / Press Release by Zimbabwe Vigil Diary The Commonwealth is reported to have agreed to a rescue mission for Zimbabwe at its meeting in London this week during the visit by Zimbabwe's Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Lieutenant-General Sibusiso Moyo.The London weekly newsletter Zimbabwe Confidential says Commonwealth countries hosting exiled Zimbabweans have agreed to organize airlifts back to Zimbabwe to allow them to vote in the elections, expected in July or August.The decision follows General Moyo's announcement that, although no date has yet been announced for the elections, it was too late to organize voting in the diaspora as Zimbabwe's diplomatic missions are hardly ever open and staff had not been approved by the Israeli Nikuv company which traditionally arranges Zimbabwe's elections.The UK's fly to vote' operation is expected to be funded by its foreign aid budget and the new Zimbabwe Airways, apparently connected to the Mugabe family, will provide planes. All travel arrangements are in the hands of Vice-President General Chiwenga's wife Mary and the diaspora will cast their ballots at a special polling station set up by the military on the Agriculture Rural Development Authority seed farm she recently seized near Harare.The Vigil has done exhaustive research and is sorry to say that this is all fake news, or what we used to call Herald or ZBC news. We are particularly sorry because this scenario is the only way we can see that the millions of people in the diaspora will be able to exercise their constitutional right to vote and because it reflects our skepticism about the running of the elections.With only three months or so to go before the polls, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network says it is dismayed at the lack of progress in implementing electoral reforms (see: Link ). And now we learn of an MDC T activist being assaulted by soldiers and kidnapped in Bindura on Independence Day (see: Link ).We at the Vigil have been busy following General Moyo's visit to London (see: Link ). As we gathered outside the Embassy today there was an unusual amount of activity at the normally recumbent Embassy and we were told that Moyo was there and that it had been suggested that he should come out and speak to us. He didn't appear. We questioned those coming out and learned that it was an open meeting for the diaspora but when our activists tried to get in they were turned away. So much for open meeting'. It was open for Zanu PF supporters only. Opinion / Columnist I find it difficult to accept the Zanu-PF notion that if someone has been overwhelmed by ambition and chose his or her own path you suddenly turn villain. You remain the hero of the modern struggle against the hegemony of Zanu-PF rule in our country since your days in the trade union up to the formation of the movement in 1999. We were together on the path to fight for a just society.You still retain my respect and the respect of all those who worked with you on this difficult and arduous journey. Let me reassure you that President Nelson Chamisa does not have any hard feelings against you at all. He neither hates you. He is rather despaired by the path you decided to take.We are all despaired by the path you have taken because we all love you. We know you are one of us and have braved the brutality of this regime. I know that disappointments through the dreams that might not manifest the way we hoped for would end up having people taking decisions through anger. Anger is the greatest weakness of humankind. It's normal because we did not create anger.The creator of anger knows why he created it. I used to be one of those who could be provoked into raging anger at the twinkle of slightest provocation. I think you know it. Along the path of growth as a human being I decided to divorce myself from anger as it can only bear frustrations and arrogant decisions. The moment when I allow ego to reign supreme against logic I have lost it. The consequences of decisions made out of ego tramples against fate and destiny.You agree with me and I think if you are honest about it, yesterday's events at Stanley Square was not an extra ordinary congress as prescribed by Article 6.2.5 of our constitution. It was a gathering of angry people whom we don't how they thought such a gathering could be a solution to the national cause.We once travelled the same path as you know after we all became angry about the Senate decision in 2005. We were not happy about the attempt to overturn the decision of the National Council that voted to fight against Zanu-PF in the newly created Senate then.We allowed anger to reign supreme than let it pass and wait for another day. You know that President Tsvangirai after his Huruyadzo Rally on the midst of rebellion by Renewalists came to my house and asked me to pluck out any anger I had against him and think like a leader and advance the cause of the people of Zimbabwe.This is the day we reconciled and agree to move forward together once more again. Even before his unfortunate demise our great leader Morgan Tsvangirai worked round the clock to reunify the party to its 1999 original. Despite having had differences with Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube you know well he personal approached them and talked the differences out.We are now one happy family back together once more again. On the midst of such joy the actions of yesterday are a huge disappointment to the people of Zimbabwe at large.There are better methods to solve grievances and differences than the path you took yesterday. The path you decided to take yesterday made me return huge respect for Nelson Chamisa. Despite being young he made several attempts to reconcile with you.I know personally that he tried to call you several times on your mobile and you were not picking your phone. I know he made the best effort when he travelled all the way to Bulawayo to come and engage with you. Despite spitting him, he visited you at your Bulawayo residence and asked for your consideration to think big about the bigger picture.We all prayed you would see logic on the attempt to smoke the peace pipe but you spanned it. It is not true that there is tribalism in developments that took place in the party recently.People just chose Chamisa for his appeal only. Nothing more than that. If tribalism truly manifested itself in what was happening I would not have supported it as you know that I am so intolerant and abhor such political disposition.Zimbabweans are tired for continued suffering on the hands of the Zanu-PF regime. They just want to be given a fighting chance against 4 decades of Zanu-PF hegemony and dictatorship. It is my humble request and submission that you take a decision bordering on the interests of the people of Zimbabwe and disband whatever happened at Stanley Square yesterday.It's never too late.I thank you. EDITOR'S NOTE (GRAPHIC WARNING): This story contains a graphic photograph of a young boy who died, an image some viewers may find disturbing. It is at the bottom of the story, after the last paragraph. We want to give readers the option to not scroll down and to click away from the story if they don't want to see the image. Syrians Ahlam Kaed, her husband Bashar Hamdan and their six children were refugees in Jordan when the photo of Alan Kurdi, a drowned Syrian boy on a beach, garnered international attention and galvanized nations to do something about the Syrian refugee crisis. A few years later, they settled in Canada and on Saturday, they brought their one-month-old son along to hear the boy's aunt, Tima Kurdi, speak at Moncton's theatre l'Escaouette as part of the Frye Festival. "We were in it, and part of it," said Kaed of the Syrian refugee crisis. While holding his newborn, Hamdan said hearing Tima Kurdi speak of getting the call that Alan, his brother Ghalib and their mother Rehan had all drowned in an attempt to cross to Greece made him think of his family. "You feel emotional, but of course Alan's story is one of 100,000 stories," he said. "Of course, we were one of those [stories] We want someone to put an end to it. Enough killing, enough destruction, enough." Tima Kurdi spoke to an audience of around 100 people about writing her book, The Boy on the Beach: My Family's Escape from Syria and Our Hope for a New Home. A few people in the audience cried when she described the guilt she feels because she sent her brother the money to pay the smuggler. "It's Syria's story," said Jalal Almhana, who was attending the talk with his niece, Maria Almhana. "It's a lot of stress. Every word she said, I heard it from every mother, Syrian mother. It's a lot of sad stories. It's hard to listen to her actually, you can't resist expressing your emotion." Story continues Maria Almhana, who moved to Moncton from Syria in September, said while it was difficult to hear the retelling, she was glad someone was spreading awareness. She said if people can take one thing away from seeing Tima Kurdi talk, it's not to generalize refugees. "This is the real Syrian woman, I would love for people to know who is Syrian, it's not to [generalize] for all and take the bad image of Syrian," she said. Moncton was the third stop in an eight-city book tour Tima Kurdi is doing. "It's [a] hard story to talk about, and to say it over and over again," she said. "I want this image to be a permanent reminder in people's heart and I want the story of the boy on the beach to bring awareness so we can, all of us, we can help each other in any way." She said Alan Kurdi's story is one of many. "There is lots of, millions of others who suffer and to continue after the image. This is to me, is unacceptable because I've seen it with my own eyes," she said. "Our family is no different from anybody, we all want peace, and the refugees want peace." Hamdan said he still has family back in Syria whom he worries about daily. "There are many stories that are buried. Children under rubble ... under the shelling, and no one knows about them," he said. When she looks back at her childhood growing up in a small Greenland community, to her life now, as one of Canada's first tenured Inuit professors, Karla Jessen Williamson still feels a sense of disbelief. Growing up attending Danish schools, she said she and her fellow classmates were never inspired to believe they could achieve. Now, she is one of the very few Inuit professors working in academia, as an assistant professor in education at the University of Saskatchewan. "It's still a dream world, of being able to make things happen," she said, of her work in producing publications or being asked to speak at forums from the United Nations to an upcoming G7 Summit. "It's like, 'What an honour.' But look at my grey hair," she said with a laugh. "I really worked hard at it, and worked hard at in a way that makes sense and that is well grounded that I can articulate across many levels of society." As a very young child, Jessen Williamson and her family were uprooted and moved by the Danish government to a larger community, an experience she said many families experienced with a sense of dislocation. Racism and colonization were both rampant, she said. "You were never good enough in anything you do," she recalled. "But at the same time, I was very quietly determined to see how I can use that system to actually produce a profound knowledge based on the Inuit traditions. And that's what I did." After coming to Canada, she's developed a connection with the Inuit people in Nunavut and in her home community in Greenland, for research on Inuit knowledge systems. While she speaks Danish and English, it's the Greenlandic native language that has kept her rooted and connected to these communities, and it's that language connection she said she can never lose. "Without that, I would never be welcome back home, I would never welcomed by the Inuit here in Canada." Story continues Eyes on the Arctic Now, her daughter and grandchildren live in Iqaluit, Nunavut, another tie to the Arctic that she describes as the "best part of the world." "The Arctic is incredibly exciting for those of us that are from there, and are also living there," she said. Globally, eyes are on the Arctic as the canary in the coal mine for climate change and also, as a potential source for oil and gas extraction, she noted. "As human beings, we have real responsibilities to prevent disasters that are happening," she said. "Obviously, it's something Inuit have thought for millennia that as human beings, you can not indulge in yourself in thinking you are it." Bringing Inuit knowledge to the forefront is part of what she does now, with Jessen Williamson next slated to speak to Arctic sustainability, as one of the focuses of this year's G7 political summit. Education and her work has personally enabled her to cross cultures and imaginations, Jessen Williamson said. She wants to see education be similarly transformative for northern communities facing a "dire" situation. "When you know that a knowledge is captured by a language, you can go across the boundaries, and try to explain things from a totally different world," she said. "And when you can succeed, it's like wow you can make people dream." CBC Nova Scotia has earned three awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) for court coverage, an in-depth regional series and investigative reporting. Each year, the association honours the best in Canadian journalism with awards for each region. The awards ceremony for the eastern region took place in Halifax on Saturday. CBC Atlantic, comprised of journalists from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador, won the Ron Laidlaw Continuing Coverage Television Award for Deep Trouble, last summer's series about the plight of endangered North Atlantic right whales. The collaborative series involved reporting from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I and looked at why so many whales are dying and what's being done to address it. Blair Rhodes and Dave Irish won the Social Media Award for their month-long coverage of Christopher Garnier's second-degree murder trial in the death of off-duty Truro police officer Catherine Campbell. Rhodes live tweeted from the courtroom and regular recaps and explainers were shared on social media. The Ron Laidlaw Continuing Coverage Digital Award went to CBC reporter Michael Gorman for his work exposing an expense scandal at the IWK Health Centre. CBC Nova Scotia's investigative team first noticed inconsistencies in former CEO Tracy Kitch's expenses last June and revealed that she'd been charging thousands in personal expenses to a corporate credit card. Gorman also found the hospital's top financial official, Stephen D'Arcy, removed critical emails related to expense preparation for a freedom-of-information disclosure. In total, CBC Atlantic racked up 11 RTDNA awards this year. The City of Vancouver formally apologized to Chinese Canadians on Sunday for past legislation, regulations and policies that discriminated against them. "This is an important day for council and all Vancouverites to come together and recognize historical wrongdoings committed against Chinese people and to build a better future together," said Mayor Gregor Robertson in a written statement. An audience of 500 people witnessed the ceremony at the Chinese Cultural Centre, which was also broadcast on a screen along Keefer Street in the city's Chinatown. Robertson said the formal apology reaffirms Vancouver as a city "in which diverse communities can share and learn from the past, collectively address current challenges and plan for a better future for all." The apology was read in English, Cantonese and Sze Yup dialect. "I rise today to recognize and repudiate such acts that stigmatized and dehumanized the Chinese-Canadian community of Vancouver," Robertson read from the apology, which addresses policies in the city from 1886 to 1949. "I rise today to formally apologize to the Chinese community of Vancouver and to all Canadians of Chinese ancestry for ... discriminatory legislation." Vancouver Chinese community members such as war veteran George Ing, youth Melody P. Choi and Chinese Benevolent Association president Hilbert Yiu welcomed the apology. "While it's the right thing to do, it is also a very courageous step," said Ing about the apology. Yiu said the gesture would help Vancouver overcome its past to welcome and embrace all newcomers to the city. The formal apology was devised by an advisory group of Chinese and non-Chinese experts and community leaders, which included retired judges, former city councillors, community elders, historians and veterans. B.C. Premier John Horgan said the apology was "necessary and important." Story continues "We must recognize, remember and condemn the historic discrimination which so many members of the Chinese community endured," Horgan said in a statement. Historical wrongs addressed by the apology include Chinese residents being denied basic human rights, the right to own property and to choose which neighbourhood they wanted to live in. They were also denied the right to vote and made to pay a head tax. From 1885 to 1923, it's estimated that 82,000 people from China were required to pay up to two years worth of wages to gain entry to Canada. "Families were broken apart by the head tax," said Horgan. Chinese immigrants were also denied the right to vote and to hold public office. They were restricted to working in dangerous and undesirable jobs and they couldn't freely pursue an education, according to the provincial government. In 2014, B.C. apologized for 160 wrong and discriminatory policies and laws that targeted the Chinese community. Since then, the province has recognized the role the Chinese community has played in the history of B.C. "Together with the City of Vancouver, we recognize the historic wrongs suffered by the Chinese community, and commit to working every day to stop racism and discrimination, so we can make sure these wrongs are never repeated," said Horgan. The apology was made on the same day that Vancouver held a Chinatown cultural day, which showcased Chinese culture through food tasting, games, crafts, dancing, music, tours and other ceremonies. The borough of RosemontLa Petite-Patrie is reassuring residents that the large birds that have been spotted roaming the streets in recent weeks don't pose a threat and don't require a call to 311. "If you cross paths with a turkey, continue on your way like you would for a raccoon or a squirrel," the borough advised in a recent Facebook post. Residents have been posting pictures of the birds hanging out in backyards and perching on fences for several weeks. Anyone who spots an injured bird is being advised to call the Montreal SPCA. While it might be a surprising sight in the city, wild turkeys are taking hold in Quebec. "Turkeys have been on the rise in Quebec since they were introduced in around 2000 and they're growing in numbers," said Barbara Frei, director of the McGill Bird Observatory. "They're quite shy birds when they're not out and about, so they can be hard to spot. So you may be surprised by how many there are in one location when they finally do come out of hiding." Frei said the birds can become aggressive if they are cornered or feel threatened, so it's best to leave them be. They also have complicated social lives so if they can't distinguish you from an outsider turkey, they may feel the need to show you who is in charge. "This is where the term pecking order comes from ...they establish these complex social dynamics by pecking on subordinates," Frei said. "Turkeys are not the smartest of birds. They have fairly small brains for their body size which is quite large a male can be from 16 to 25 pounds." While turkeys are not a significant threat, residents should not approach or try to interact with them. "When they encounter a new individual they may not differentiate between turkey and human and then they'll say, 'Hey, there's somebody new here, I need to show them how tough I am' and that's when they'll begin to attack or at least intimidate you." Turkeys are largely vegetarian, but will eat insects they find. They're not great fliers and spend most of their time on the ground looking for food. They can make short flights and typically roost in trees. As plans move ahead for a new entity to take over Manitoba Hydro's energy efficiency programs, the Crown corporation's top boss is warning the Pallister government an edict to cut advertising for Hydro's Power Smart initiatives could spell the end of two programs, and lead to job losses in the province. In a letter obtained by CBC, Kelvin Shepherd told a government official that these energy efficiency programs are on shaky financial ground and cuts to advertising could send at least one partner company packing to greener pastures in Alberta. The letter was in response to an April 3 letter from Grant Doak, the deputy minister of Crown Services, which directed Hydro to cease all non-essential advertising for Power Smart, as it transitions from an initiative under Hydro to a new Crown corporation, Efficiency Manitoba. "I would also be remiss if I did not bring to your attention the impact that the cancelled advertising will have on two of our contracted service providers," wrote Shepherd, Hydro's CEO and president, in a letter dated April 18. Shepherd pointed to Ecofitt, a conservation-focused manufacturing company, which he says set up its business in Manitoba specifically to support Manitoba Hydro programs such as Power Smart's Water and Energy Saver Program (WESP). It is "largely dependent on multi-faceted advertising campaigns directed at the public," he said. "With less activity for WESP it is expected that there could be a short term loss in staffing levels and [could] potentially result in core operations being moved to Alberta where programs are starting to ramp up," he warned Doak in the letter. Scott Sanders, the director of Ecofitt in Winnipeg, declined to comment on the letter, stating he had not seen it. "[Ecofitt] is awaiting further direction. Ecofitt remains committed to energy efficiency in Manitoba," he said in a prepared statement. Last spring, Premier Brian Pallister's Progressive Conservative government passed a law to set up Efficiency Manitoba, a Crown corporation that will take over energy efficiency programs from Manitoba Hydro. Story continues Power Smart is the brand name of Manitoba Hydro's demand-side management plan, which facilitates, funds and promotes energy efficiency programs for Hydro. 'Impact the financial viability' of program In 2017-18, it is estimated 23,650 households participated in Hydro's Water and Energy Saver Program through the use of free water and energy saver kits. Shepherd's letter also points to the decline of Power Smart's refrigerator retirement program. The program pays people to pick up their old, energy-inefficient fridges and "retires" them. The program is delivered by the Quebec-based company PureSphera. According to Manitoba Hydro, it created roughly 20 jobs in this province and almost 55,000 fridges have been picked up since its inception in 2011-12. Shepherd said the company told Hydro in January that participation in the program, which makes up about 95 per cent of PureSphera's business in Manitoba, had declined. "As they are contractually paid on a per unit processed basis, further declines in the number of units will impact the financial viability of the entire Winnipeg operation," Shepherd wrote. 'Everyone's been in limbo': contractor Peter Creran, the operations manager for the Winnipeg branch of PureSphera, confirmed Shepherd's assertion the program participation is down and cuts to advertising will further affect business. He said he has only picked up 600 refrigerators this year, when normally he averages about 1,000 by April. Creran said there are myriad reasons for the decline. It's in part because of a drop in how many refrigerators are still out there needing to be "retired." But he also pointed to the disruption caused in the changeover to Efficiency Manitoba. He said there has been no indication from Hydro or government that the program will continue under the new corporation. "Right now, I know everybody in the Power Smart program is waiting for the transfer to Efficiency Manitoba," he said. "Everyone's been in limbo." The slow transition to Efficiency Manitoba has been criticized by stakeholders and the union that represents Hydro's Power Smart employees. Another critic of the Energy Efficiency plan was former Progressive Conservative MLA Steven Fletcher, who was ousted from caucus following his criticism. The union that represents roughly 37 Hydro workers who work directly in the Power Smart program says those employees have no idea where they will be working in the next year or what job they'll be doing. Decisions on Power Smart coming: minister Chris Mravinec, the president of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 998, says he has repeatedly asked for a meeting with the government to talk about the transition and has been denied. "We haven't heard anything from government about the transition. That's part of the ongoing problem and our frustration with the situation," Mravinec said. "It sounds like [Kelvin Shepherd is] having the same difficulty getting clarity on the path forward as we are." Shepherd declined an interview and a Manitoba Hydro spokesperson declined to comment further on the letter. A spokesperson for the Crown Services department said Efficiency Manitoba is expected to be operational by the end of the 2018-19 fiscal year, with a board being appointed in spring and a CEO hired shortly after. There will be no costs to taxpayers released until the new Crown develops a three-year efficiency plan, he said. Crown Services Minister Cliff Cullen also declined an interview, but in a prepared statement provided by a spokesperson, said decisions on spending and the future of Power Smart programs are still being made. "We anticipate that once Efficiency Manitoba begins operations, determinations will be made in terms of how dollars are spent in energy reduction programming," he said. "Efficiency Manitoba may in the future work with the organizations in question to adopt similar programs. However, this would be done through competitive processes to ensure Manitobans are getting value for money." He added that both Ecofitt and PureSphera have been "great partners" and the province "would confidently suspect [they] will continue to be great partners with Efficiency Manitoba." (This April 17 story corrects to change the media source in paragraph 8 to The Israeli News Company.) By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel released details on Tuesday about what it described as an Iranian "air force" deployed in neighboring Syria, including civilian planes suspected of transferring arms, a signal that these could be attacked should tensions with Tehran escalate. Iran, along with Damascus and its big-power backer Russia, blamed Israel for an April 9 air strike on a Syrian air base, T-4, that killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) members. Iranian officials have promised unspecified reprisals. Israeli media ran satellite images and a map of five Syrian air bases allegedly used to field Iranian drones or cargo aircraft, as well as the names of three senior IRGC officers suspected of commanding related projects, such as missile units. The information came from the Israeli military, according to a wide range of television and radio stations and news websites. Israel's military spokesman declined to comment. However, an Israeli security official seemed to acknowledge the leak was sanctioned, telling Reuters that it provided details about "the IRGC air force (which) the Israeli defense establishment sees as the entity that will try to attack Israel, based on Iranian threats to respond to the strike on T-4." The official, who requested anonymity, would not elaborate. Israels Army Radio reported that, given tensions with Iran over Syria, the Israeli air force canceled plans to send F-15 fighter jets to take part in the U.S.-hosted exercise Red Flag, which begins on April 30. "EXPOSED" Roni Daniel, military editor for The Israeli News Company, said the disclosure was a signal to Iran that its deployments in Syria "are totally exposed to us, and if you take action against us to avenge (the T-4 strike) these targets will be very severely harmed". According to Daniel, Israel was bracing for a possible Iranian missile salvo or armed drone assault from Syria. There was no immediate response from the IRGC or Syria. The Iranian death toll in T-4 was unusually high. "It was the first time we attacked live Iranian targets - both facilities and people," the New York Times on Sunday quoted an Israeli military source as saying. Iran, Israel's arch-foe, has cast its military personnel in Syria as reinforcements helping President Bashar al-Assad battle a seven-year-old insurgency. The Iranians have also described their cargo flights to Syria as carrying humanitarian aid only. An Israeli-Iranian showdown over Syria has loomed since Feb. 10, when Israel said an armed drone launched from T-4 penetrated its air space. Israel blew up the drone and carried out a raid on Syrian air defenses in which one of its F-16 jets was downed. "Israel is headed for escalation," Yaacov Amidror, former national security adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Tel Aviv radio station 103 FM. "There could be a very big belligerent incident with Iran and Hezbollah." While not claiming responsibility for the T-4 strike, Israel has restated a policy of preventing Iran setting up a Syrian garrison. Scores of previous such raids went unanswered but Israel worries that changing conditions may now embolden Iran. Russia, which long turned a blind eye to Israeli actions in Syria while serving as a brake on retaliation by Iran or its Lebanese Hezbollah guerrilla allies, is now at loggerheads with Western powers over accusations, denied by Syria's government, that it has used chemical weaponry in fighting. (Additional reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London; writing by Dan Williams; editing by Mark Heinrich) Police are investigating after a Liberal MP from Ontario was accused of sexual assault following an incident in Halifax early Saturday morning. Halifax Regional Police says the alleged assault happened just after 2 a.m. AT on Brunswick Street across from Citadel Hill in downtown Halifax, close to where the Liberal Party policy convention was being held. "I can confirm that an allegation has been made," said a statement from Francis Drouin's office that was provided to CBC News on Sunday. "I believe it is important for individuals to have a safe environment to come forward, share their stories and be supported." It added that while no charges have been laid, Drouin, who represents the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, will co-operate fully with the investigation. A spokesperson from the office of the government whip confirmed Drouin is still a member of the Liberal caucus. Drouin hosted a panel discussion with Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on Saturday afternoon, after the alleged incident is said to have occurred. A Liberal source, who spoke to The Canadian Press on the condition of anonymity, said Drouin was telling people at the convention that a woman had accused him of groping her backside at a bar near the convention site in downtown Halifax. "He was rattled," said the source, who added Drouin denied having done it. The alleged incident is said to have occurred just hours before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other Liberal MPs took part in a closed-door workshop at the convention on how to create safe, harassment-free workplaces. The session, called "From #MeToo to never again: creating safe work environments," was closed to the media so delegates can share personal stories. Liberal MP Kent Hehr, who stepped down from his cabinet post in January pending an investigation into complaints of sexual harassment against him, also attended. Leaving the hour-long session on Saturday, Trudeau called it a "great ongoing part of an important conversation." I say hipster because he used a crowdfunding site to bankroll his trip and he was a spectacularly stupid individual on so many levels Canadian lynched in Peru after being accused of killing shaman A Canadian man was beaten and lynched in the Peruvian Amazon after local people accused him of killing an 81-year-old indigenous healer, a police officer leading the murder investigation told the Guardian.Olivia Arevalo, a female shaman with the native Shipibo-Konibo people, was shot twice and died on Thursday near her home in the village of Victoria Gracia in Perus central Amazon region of Ucayali.Some villagers blamed Arevalos murder on a Canadian citizen Sebastian Woodroffe, 41, who lived in the region and was believed to be one of her patients.Police found the Canadians body buried in a shallow grave about one kilometre (0.6 miles) from Arevalos home on Saturday.A cameraphone recording of the lynching was released in the local press and on social media. The video shows a bloodied man crying out as he lies in a puddle in front of a wooden home with a thatched roof.Two men put a rope or rubber hose around his neck and drag him along the ground until he goes limp and falls silent. A group of people, including children, look on.General Jorge Lam, the police officer leading the double murder inquiry, said police were following several lines of investigation.The body had been fully identified (as that of Sebastian Woodroffe) using fingerprints, he said.Ronald Suarez, the highest authority of the 40,000-strong Shipibo-Konibo people, said the men responsible for the lynching had acted on the spur of the moment and resorted to traditional justice.But we are a peaceful people who have always lived in harmony with nature, he insisted.We have little confidence in the police as, so often, crimes against us go unpunished, said Suarez, who is president of the Shipibo Konibo and Xetebo council.Arevalo was a walking library of our traditional knowledge, the maximum expression of our culture, he said, describing her death as very painful. The Shipibo Konibo people are known for their art and use of psychoactive plant brew Ayahuasca.Arevalos killing follows the unsolved murders of indigenous activists who repeatedly faced death threats for protecting their ancestral lands.Police are also examining a theory a possible motive may have been that Arevalos son owed money to the Canadian. There are also unconfirmed reports the killer may have been a gang member looking to collect a debt from Arevalos son.Woodroffe is believed to have travelled to Peru from his home in Vancouver Island, Canada, to learn how use traditional medicine to treat drug addictions. He used the crowdfunding website Indiegogo to raise more than $2,000 to fund the trip.Perus human rights Ombudsmans office has called for an investigation, and tweeted its empathic rejection of the lynching and murder of the alleged perpetrator of the murder of indigenous leader Olivia Arevalo.Canada extends its deepest condolences following the reported assassination of Olivia Arevalo Lomas, an indigenous elder and human rights defender of the Shipobo-Konibo people in Perus Ucayali region, a spokesman for Canadas foreign affairs department, said.We are also aware that a Canadian was killed in a related incident. Consular services are being provided to the family of the Canadian. The P.E.I. government's website is up and running again after it was shut down following a ransomware attack early Monday morning. "This morning, government's website was the victim of what's known as a ransomware attack," said Scott Cudmore, an information security official with the province. "A ransomware attack is an exploit that exploits a vulnerability and allows an attacker to run a program that will encrypt or scramble all of the files on the machine's hard disk. And what it takes to unscramble them is a key, or a value that needs to be basically typed into this ransomware program." The site went down just after 9 a.m. The government tweeted at the time that there had been a "service interruption" and the site would be back up shortly. For much of the morning, attempts to reach the page showed only a blank white screen. Late in the morning a page went up saying the site was unavailable. 'Not a small matter' Service to the site was restored just after 4 p.m. Cudmore said the website was restored from a historical back-up and the vulnerability was fixed to prevent this particular type of attack from happening again. No ransom was paid. "Typically the motivation for ransomware is profit and the largest users of this type of software is a criminal element, in fact it's organized crime," he said. "We do not know whether that was the case in this particular instance." He wouldn't say where the attack originated from but said two other websites one in Greece and one in the U.K. were attacked at the same. Cudmore said there is no evidence of a data breach and no indication that any user data has been compromised. "We're pretty confident that there has been no data breach of privacy information," he said. "We certainly take it very seriously and we also take our responsibility to safeguard any information or any data very seriously as well. It's not a small matter." Story continues 'Like they were being held ransom' Two separate sources sent screen shots to CBC News of the message they said was appearing on the website before it was taken down early Monday morning. The message said that website files had been encrypted, were no longer accessible and could be recovered by paying with Bitcoin. There was also a field indicating payments could be made. "The page looked like they were being held ransom," said Vicki MacEachern of Millcove, P.E.I., who said she saw the message when she clicked on links on the government website. She said she was concerned and called a provincial government department to let them know what was going on. "It was bizarre," said MacEachern. "My concern is how often do they have security checks on their website. "It's just concerning, they have everybody's information, so doesn't make you feel very secure." More P.E.I. news Research Community College Students Forgo Hundreds of Millions in Aid Cash Every Year California's community college students leave nearly $130 million in Pell Grant awards unclaimed each semester, according to a new report from the Wheelhouse Center for Community College Leadership and Research at the University of California, Davis School of Education. The report,"Money Left on the Table: An Analysis of Pell Grant Receipt among Financially Eligible Community College Students in California," found that more than 20 percent of the students who successfully applied, demonstrated eligibility and enrolled in the required number of credits still did not receive any Pell Grant aid. The researchers also found that student uptake of Pell Grants varied widely from one campus to the next swinging from 60 to 90 percent regardless of student and campus characteristics. According to the authors, campus-level policies and practice may play a role. The reasons students aren't receiving all the aid they're eligible for are not clear, though failure to fill out the appropriate verification paperwork or barriers to understanding how to access the grant money may be a factor, according to the report. Federal grants can seem complicated and students may not understand, for example, that the Pell Grant, unlike other grants, can be used for costs of living and attendance, such as housing or books. "The federal Pell Grant program provides a vital resource to offset the full costs of attendance and help our students be successful," said Eloy Ortiz Oakley, chancellor for California Community Colleges, in a prepared statement. "The Wheelhouse findings are a call to action for our system, to ensure students are receiving the aid for which they are eligible and that financial aid offices are adequately funded to perform these duties." Researchers plan to explore the reasons students fail to access these funds, as well as how steps such as increased financial aid counseling and follow-up could help ensure students more fully take advantage of the resources available to them. "Given these possible explanations, we encourage district and campus leaders and financial aid administrators to examine their own local data and processes to better understand Pell grant receipt on their campuses," the report's authors wrote in their conclusion. "Strengthening financial aid advising and removing any unnecessary barriers to aid receipt can improve student success." The full report is available at education.ucdavis.edu. The horses were restless, pawing the ground in the relentless heat. A shimmering haze hung over the desert, taunting the waiting riders and their thirsty steeds with the promise of water. In the distance, a pall of dust obscured the fighting. But the dust cloud was crawling aimlessly, not flying forward. It was obvious that the attack had failedjust as two previous attempts on nearby Gaza had been repulsed. Fights over this oasis on the edge of the desert had been ongoing for nearly 4000 years. Abrahams argument with Abimelech over water rights had been settled with an oath and seven ewes at this spot: the wells of Beersheba. Now, on 31 October 1917, another history-making moment had arrived. Men from the youngest nation on earth at the time had drawn their horses up outside the Turkish-held stronghold of Beersheba. Smarting from the defeat of Gallipoli, they were keen to engage the Turks on a new battleground. In charge of the Australian troops was Harry Chauvel. Under his command were 34,000 horsemen and cameleers from various parts of the British Empire as well as France and Italy. This is considered by many to be the largest body of mounted troops since Alexander the Great over 2000 years before. An early morning bombardment and an attack by the British forces on Tel Sheva, achieved their objectives. In the afternoon, the baton was handed over to the New Zealand troops who fought tenaciously to remove the Turks from their heavily fortified stronghold, thus neutralising the machine guns and snipers. These victories made the charge on Beersheba viable. Harry Chauvel Chauvel, the first Australian to rise to Lieutenant-General within the British forces, thought there was still a chance to take this Turkish-held outpost. He ordered the Light Horse regiments to charge. In they went. Just 800 of them. They tore across the dusty plains so swiftly that the towns gunners kept overshooting the oncoming charge. The attacking force overwhelmed the surprised defenders. Thirty one Australian horsemen were killed with 36 wounded in this remarkable victory. The Turkish army suffered heavy casualties with many hundreds dead and wounded as well as 7001000 who surrendered and were taken as prisoners of war. The biblical significance of this battle, in the place still called by the name Abraham gave it, was not lost on the troops. Shortly afterwards, the ANZACs were instrumental in re-taking the city of Jerusalem. In his scrapbook, Chauvel wrote the word Prophetic under a photo of Jerusalem. The city had been under Muslim rule since the seventh century. The Emperor Hadrian, in the first century, ordered Jerusalem razed to the ground. Christians and Jews were forbidden to enter on pain of death. Yet God had promised in the Bible to return his chosen people to their own land. Set in train remarkable events According to an article in the Jerusalem Post on 29 October 2007, the Australian victory in 1917 set in train some remarkable eventsthe liberation of Jerusalem, the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the British Mandate in Palestine and ultimately the establishment of the State of Israel. The same article highlights a little known fact: the timing of the Light Horse charge at 4:30 pm appears to have coincided with a historic decision made in London in support of the establishment of the State of Israel. Although not officially made public until 3 days later, nevertheless it seems that, allowing for the time zone difference, this decision was made at the same hour as the attack on Beersheba on October 31. Harry Chauvels strong personal faith can be traced back to France in 1685. His Huguenot ancestors were forced to flee across the English Channel under threat of death because of their faith in Jesus Christ and their unwavering belief in the Bible. His Christian faith was vibrant. On all his campaigns, he carried a copy of the Bible, which he read regularly. This wood-bound, engraved copy of the Scriptures in which he sought inspiration in difficult times is kept and treasured by his family. Source: Extracts from his daughters letters. NIV Bible: Jeremiah 30:1-4, Amos 9: 14-15 For more information, visit http://beersheba100.com.au/events/israel.html Recommended reading VICTORY Beersheba 100th Anniversary Author Jill Curry ANZAC War Horses PP for PowerPoint presentation. Reprinted with permission - Our History and the Christian Connection and Lieutenant General Sir Harry Chauvel Graham McDonald is the director of Diduno and a guest writer for Press Service International for Christian Today Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega announced that the resolutions to change Nicaraguas pension plan, which triggered widespread protests and violence throughout Nicaragua, have been revoked. Whether this latest action will bring an end to the recent protests and acts of violence is still to be determined. The protests started after Nicaraguas National Social Security Institute (INSS) instituted a 5% tax that increased the contributions by both employers and employees in Nicaragua while reducing overall benefits. The government had said this was necessary because the system is on the verge of collapse. The protestors have ranged from university students to retirees. Things started to turn violent on Thursday when riot police, military, and pro-government groups such as the Sandinista Youth confronted the protesters. The violence spread across the country as law enforcement and military were called in to dispense with the protests. Several media outlets said the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights reported 25 people died during the violence. While the cities of Managua, Grenada, and Leon were most affected, the protests and violence did make their way to Esteli. In discussions we had with several manufacturers based in Esteli, there has been no reported damage, although there were two reported deaths in Esteli. The events are said to be the biggest uprising under the Ortega presidency and the most violent since the end of the Nicaraguan Civil War. Cigar Coop has been told that Friday night marked the peak of the civil unrest in Esteli. Things quieted down yesterday and we have been told that the aftermath of the violence combined with it being Sunday left much of the city like a ghost town today. Yesterday we reported that the U.S. State Department has issued a Level 3 Reconsider Travel advisory for travel to Nicaragua. This is the second highest alert level behind Do Not Travel. There have been no changes to that warning since then. Meanwhile, it is unclear whether or not the protesting will continue. The heavy-handed response by the government to the protesters has not settled well. At the same time, the events of this past weekend may have exposed some serious dissatisfaction with Ortega and his administration. There are questions on why the pension system was on the verge of collapse to begin with. Meanwhile, corruption in the Ortega administration has been seen in other events. In 2014, the National Assembly removed Presidential term limits from the constitution, thus allowing Daniel Ortega to run for a third consecutive term. In 2016, his wife Rosario Murillo became his running mate and was elected Vice President. Questions of widespread election fraud continue to be raised. While there is civil unrest, the feeling among those who cover Nicaragua is that Ortega has not lost his grip on power. Ortega still has control of the military and all government branches. During Ortegas presidency, Nicaragua has enjoyed economic stability and has had many popular social programs. How the protests and violence will erode at the base that supports him is still to be determined. In terms of the cigar industry in Nicaragua, most have said it remains business as usual although several people I have spoken with informed me that they have beefed up security particularly the cigar factories located in the downtown area of Esteli. Many industry leaders will be heading to the Tobacconist Association of America (TAA) convention in the Dominican Republic next weekend. Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted Amid the violence and looting that is occurring in Nicaragua, the U.S. State Department has announced it is reducing embassy staff, and has ordered the departures of U.S. government personnel. The State Department has also renewed its Level 3 Travel Advisory that currently is in effect for Nicaragua. The U.S. Embassy is located in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. The Embassy has said that routine consular services are not available and now will only provide emergency services. The following is a statement from the State Department: Nicaragua Level 3: Reconsider travel to Nicaragua due to crime and civil unrest. On April 23, 2018, the U.S. government ordered the departure of U.S. government family members and authorized the departure of U.S. government personnel. Political rallies and demonstrations are occurring daily, often with little notice or predictability. Some protests result in injuries and deaths. Demonstrations typically elicit a strong response that has in the past included the use of tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and live ammunition against participants and occasionally have devolved into looting, vandalism, and acts of arson. Ability to purchase food and fuel may be limited, and access to the Sandino airport in Managua may be blocked. Both the Government of Nicaragua and the U.S. Embassy in Managua are limited in the assistance they can provide. Violent crime, such as sexual assault and armed robbery, is common. Police presence and emergency response are extremely limited outside of major urban areas. U.S. government personnel are prohibited from using public buses and mototaxis and from entering the Oriental Market in Managua and gentlemens clubs throughout the country due to crime. U.S. government personnel require special authorization to travel to the Northern and Southern Caribbean Coast Autonomous Regions due to crime and transportation safety concerns. The protests started after Nicaraguas National Social Security Institute (INSS) instituted a 5% tax that increased the contributions by both employers and employees in Nicaragua while reducing overall benefits. The government had said this was necessary because the system is on the verge of collapse. Yesterday Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega announced the controversial Pension Plan changes were being rescinded. However much has transpired since the initial protests. Many perceive corruption as the reason why the pension plan was on collapse, but the heavy-handed response of the government (including the use of tear gas, pepper spray, and live ammunition) and implementation of censorship (the government shut down five tv stations) has not quelled the situation in Nicaragua. Daniel Marshall has built a reputation in the luxury segment of the premium cigar industry. Marshall is best known for producing some of the most sought-after luxury handcrafted humidors in the world. Along the way, he also built some cigars. Perhaps Marshall is best known for his limited edition Daniel Marshall Red Label 24kt Golden Torpedo. First launched in 2011, this is a cigar that is literally wrapped with over 50 individual pure 24-karat gold leaves from Italy and is meant to be smoked with the gold on it. Marshall also has three regular production lines. The blend for the Golden Torpedo is actually based on one of those lines known as the Daniel Marshall DM2 Red Label. Today, we take a closer look a the DM2 Red Label in a Corona size. Marshall has three regular production lines: DM2 Black (Connecticut Shade wrapper), DM2 White (Cameroon wrapper), and DM2 Red (a Nicaraguan puro). For all three lines, Marshall teams up with Manuel Quesada. The DM2 White and DM2 Black are produced at the Quesada Cigars factory in the Dominican Republic. For the DM2 Red, the project was done in conjunction with both Manuel Quesada and Nestor Plasencia. The Quesadas have worked with the Plasencias on several Nicaraguan-based projects, most notably the Casa Magna brand. The DM2 Red is also a Nicaraguan-based project coming out of the countrys factory in Esteli. In terms of the aging process, Daniel Marshall is utilizing a two-step process. First up, the tobaccos used are aged at least five years. Secondly, after those cigars are rolled and boxed up, they are aged in climate-controlled maturing rooms for a minimum of at least 12 months. Without further ado, lets break down the Daniel Marshall DM2 Red Label Corona and see what this cigar brings to the table. Blend Profile The Daniel Marshall DM2 Red Label Corona is a 100% Nicaraguan puro. The cigar features tobaccos from Jalapa and Esteli and is highlighted by a Colorado wrapper. Wrapper: Nicaraguan Colorado Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Plasencia S.A.) Vitolas Available Currently there are seven sizes in the DM2 Red Label line. Each is presented in 10-count boxes. Petite Corona: 4 3/4 x 42 Corona: 5 1/2 x 44 Robusto: 5 1/2 x 52 Panatela: 6 x 38 Gigante: 6 x 60 Torpedo: 6 1/8 x 54 Churchill: 7 x 48 Appearance The Nicaraguan Colorado wrapper of the DM2 Red Label Corona had a dark cinnamon color to it. Upon closer examination, there was some darker mottling on the surface. The wrapper had some oil on it and was slightly on the bumpy side. There were some thin visible veins. The darker color of the wrapper did a nice job at hiding the wrapper seams. The band to the DM2 Red Label is, as one would expect it to be, red in color. The front of the band has a design to look and feel like a humidor plate. There is a gold-colored frame with elegant DM initials in the middle also in gold font. On the left side of the band is the text DANIEL in gold font flanked by a gold pin-stripe above and below it. Meanwhile, the right side has the text MARSHALL in gold font also flanked by pin-stripes above and below it. Preparation for the Cigar Experience As per usual protocol, I used a straight cut to remove the cap of the Daniel Marshall DM2 Red Label Corona. Once the cap was removed, I proceeded with the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered a mix of damp earth and some sweet cedar. Overall, I still found this pre-light profile to work for me and it was quite satisfactory. At this point, I was ready to light up my DM2 Red Label Corona and see what the smoking experience of this cigar would have in store. Flavor Profile The start of the Daniel Marshall DM2 Red Label Corona kicked off with notes of sweet cedar, damp earth, and cherry. As the cigar moved through the earth stages, the damp earth transitioned to more of a dark chocolate note. In addition, some notes of bakers spice emerged. The retro-hale produced an additional layer of white pepper. Toward the middle of the first third, the chocolate became the primary flavor note. The cedar settled as a close secondary note. Meanwhile, the bakers spice and cherry developed a nice synergy in the background. Toward the end of the first third, some of the sweetness from the cherry diminished. As the DM2 Red Label Corona moved into the second third, the cedar notes joined the chocolate in the forefront with the cherry and bakers spice now secondary. By this point, the cherry didnt have the sweetness component it had earlier in the smoke. As the cigar moved into the latter stages of the second third, the cedar notes displaced the chocolate. Concurrently there was some white pepper now surfacing on the tongue. The final third of the DM2 Red Label Corona saw the cedar notes remain grounded in the forefront. This was balanced by the cherry, bakers spice and chocolate. There was a little more in the way of pepper, but it never became overpowering. This is the way the cigar experience came to a close. The resulting nub was slightly soft to the touch and cool in temperature. Burn and Draw Overall, the Daniel Marshall DM2 Red Label Corona scored very nicely when it came to the burn. The burn had no problem keeping a straight path. Except for an occasional bit of jaggedness, for the most part, the burn line remained straight. The resulting ash had a classic gray color. This was a firm ash that came off the cigar in nice clean chunks. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both were ideal. The draw of the DM2 Red Label Corona also performed quite well. It had a touch of resistance to it which I like especially on a cigar with a 44 ring gauge. Strength and Body The Daniel Marshall DM2 Red Label Corona is a cigar that delivered a medium strength, medium-bodied smoking experience from start to finish. Along the way, both attributes did slightly increase in intensity, but in the end, the cigar remained in the medium range of the spectrum for both strength and body. Throughout the smoking experience, the strength and body balanced each other nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other. Final Thoughts The Daniel Marshall DM2 Red Label line has been around for a while, but until this round of reviews, it was the first time I had experienced smoking it. Its a cigar that had excellent flavor and construction, and it had the right amount of complexity to keep me interested in this cigar. Its not a cigar that will overpower you with strength or flavors that weigh on the palate. The flavors also seemed to be tailor-made for the 5 1/2 x 44 ring gauge. This is a cigar I would recommend to either a novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is not only a cigar that I would smoke again, but with a 10-count box its a no-brainer for a box purchase. Summary Key Flavors: Dark Chocolate, Cedar, Cherry, Bakers Spice, Damp Earth, Pepper Burn: Excellent Draw: Excellent Complexity: Medium Plus Strength: Medium Body: Medium Finish: Very Good Rating Value: Box Purchase Score: 93 References News: n/a Price: $9.69 Source: Daniel Marshall Brand Reference: Daniel Marshall Photo Credits: Cigar Coop MONDAY, April 23, 2018 (American Heart Association) -- Saving a child with heart disease whose heart has stopped requires a different approach than reviving a child with a healthy heart, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Cardiac arrest in the hospital is 10 times more common among children with congenital heart defects or other acquired heart conditions compared to children with healthy hearts, according to the statement published April 23 in the journal Circulation. Each year, about 16,000 children in the United States have cardiac arrests outside the hospital and another 5,800 have cardiac arrests in the hospital. For children born with congenital or acquired heart disease, the specific cardiac condition itself may cause the heart to suddenly stop. In other cases, cardiac arrest may be a life-threatening complication after a surgical or catheter-based procedure. "This statement gives us the first insights on resuscitating children with cardiac disease," said Dr. Bradley Marino, a pediatric cardiac intensivist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, who chaired the statement's writing group. It's meant to be "an extremely powerful tool" for health care professionals to both improve survival in children with heart disease who have a cardiac arrest and prevent cardiac arrests in these high-risk children, he said. CPR techniques and resuscitation medications developed for children with healthy hearts may be less effective in children with heart disease, according to the statement. For example, which medications are most effective to improve blood flow during CPR for children with various forms of congenital and acquired heart conditions are not well understood, said Dr. Robert Berg, division chief of critical care medicine at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who was not involved in writing the statement. "The plumbing within children who have congenital heart disease is often entirely different," which can limit blood flow to the lungs or the rest of the body, he said. The statement notes that a better understanding among health care providers of the anatomic and physiologic differences in children with high-risk pediatric cardiovascular diseases such as single ventricle congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy and pulmonary hypertension may help prevent cardiac arrests. The statement also emphasizes that increased knowledge about the implications of the anatomic and physiologic differences on the effectiveness of CPR can improve survival. Each section of the statement on the various types of congenital and acquired heart disease points out the unique challenges to CPR and the gaps where more research is needed, Marino said. What is well established, though, is that for any child who has a cardiac arrest outside a hospital, someone should call 911 and then start CPR, Marino said. "Whether kids have no heart disease or heart disease, parents and bystanders need to do basic life support," he said. Berg noted, however, that the vast majority of patients with cardiac arrests outside a hospital do not have congenital heart disease, so most emergency medicine providers have limited experience regarding resuscitation of such children. Therefore, having all this information in a single document can be "a godsend" for practitioners. Although this statement provides important additional information for the "high-tech" advanced life support of infants and children with heart disease, the AHA's existing CPR guidelines for infants and children still stand -- compressions with rescue breaths. As the statement notes, no data suggest any modifications of basic life support for children with heart disease. "Now that more children are surviving heart surgeries, the focus in the hospital should shift to helping them survive without complications such as brain damage from a cardiac arrest," Marino said. That shift includes preventing cardiac arrests and improving the resuscitation when cardiac arrest occurs in these children. "Preventing cardiac arrest is just as important as having a good operation," he said. For children who do have a cardiac arrest in the hospital, survival rates tripled over a decade, from 14 percent in 2000 to 43 percent in 2009, largely based on efforts to improve CPR. "We've made great strides, but if we want to take the leap from 43 percent to a much higher number, we have to tailor our resuscitation strategies in children with heart disease," Marino said. The next step falls to researchers to see which strategies and treatments work best for these children, Berg said. "This statement gives us version 1.0 for resuscitating children with cardiac disease. When we get to version 3.0, I have confidence that outcomes will improve." MONDAY, April 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The world's first total penis and scrotum transplant was performed about a month ago on a U.S. veteran who was injured in Afghanistan, doctors say. "We are hopeful that this transplant will help restore near-normal urinary and sexual functions for this young man," said surgical team member Dr. W.P. Andrew Lee. He's professor and director of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore. According to a Hopkins news release, nine plastic surgeons and two urological surgeons conducted the 14-hour surgery on March 26. The transplant from a deceased donor included the entire penis, scrotum (without testicles) and partial abdominal wall. The surgery involved transplanting skin, muscles, tendons, nerves, bone and blood vessels. "It's a real mind-boggling injury to suffer; it is not an easy one to accept," said the recipient, who wishes to remain anonymous. "When I first woke up, I felt finally more normal [with] a level of confidence, as well. Confidence like, finally, I'm OK now," he said in the news release. The man has recovered from the transplant surgery and is expected to leave the hospital this week. Speaking to The New York Times, the veteran described his anguish from his injuries, which occurred after he stepped on a hidden bomb. He lost both legs above the knee, but the genital injury was even more devastating. "That injury, I felt like it banished me from a relationship," he told the Times last week. "Like, that's it, you're done, you're by yourself for the rest of your life. I struggled with even viewing myself as a man for a long time." He asked that his name not be published due to stigma surrounding genital injuries. Lee told the newspaper, "We're hopeful we can restore sexual function in terms of spontaneous erection and orgasm." However, the transplant recipient did not receive the donor's testes as part of the transplant. Receiving those organs might have enabled the patient to go on to father children with the donor's sperm, something deemed medically unethical. The patient is currently receiving testosterone to compensate for the lack of testes, as well as the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis, to encourage erectile function. As with any transplant surgery, rejection of the patient's transplanted tissue is a concern, so he is also receiving immune system-suppressing drugs to reduce the risk of rejection. It's possible to reconstruct a penis using tissue from other parts of the body, but an implant is necessary to enable erections, which poses a much higher risk of infection, Lee explained. Lee also noted that due to other injuries, soldiers often don't have enough usable tissue from other parts of their bodies for penis reconstruction, so transplant was the only good option. The veteran in this case waited more than a year for a viable donor. The surgery is estimated to have cost between $300,000 to $400,000, but in this case Hopkins paid for the bill and the surgical team worked for free, the Times said. The exact need for these types of surgeries remains unclear, but the newspaper said that Department of Defense data shows that more than 1,300 men have sustained genitourinary injuries in Iraq or Afghanistan, with close to one-third of injuries involving the penis. The patient said he went through tough times emotionally after the injury, and kept the loss of his genitalia a secret from all but a few. "There were times you'd be hanging out and guys would be talking about getting hurt, and that's one of the first things when they get blown up, to check down there, and they would say things like, 'If I lost mine I'd just kill myself,'" he told the Times. "And I'm sitting there. They didn't know, and I know they didn't mean any offense, but it kind of hits you in the gut." Thoughts of suicide crossed his mind, he said, but "when I would actually think about killing myself, I would think, 'Am I really just gonna kill myself over a penis?'" So, he underwent physical therapy, learned to walk on prosthetic legs, and even earned a college degree in the years after the injury. He is now making plans to attend medical school. But intimate relationships seemed out of the question, because he feared disclosing his injury. However, the future looks brighter now, the man told the Times. His goals? "To do well in school, to go to medical school and follow my career as a doctor, find my niche in the field and just excel at it. Maybe settle down and maybe eventually find someone, and get into a relationship, maybe. Just that normal stuff." More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on explosions and blast injuries. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Brussels, April 23, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists today welcomed the appointment of Member of Parliament Pieter Omtzigt as the special rapporteur of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. The rapporteur will monitor the ongoing murder investigation in Malta, examine the broader circumstances surrounding the journalists death, and make calls for impunity to be addressed. This international scrutiny of the murder investigation is important and we hope that all investigating bodies, including the Maltese police, as well as Europol and the FBI, provide their full support to Pieter Omtzigts work, said Tom Gibson, EU representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists. The investigations into Daphne Caruana Galizias murder must be full and independentand seek to prosecute those who commissioned it. In January, civil society organizations joined the family of Caruana Galizia in a call for the position of special rapporteur to be established. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Unknown assailants on April 12, 2018 attacked Dmitry Polyanin, editor-in-chief of the regional pro-government newspaper Oblastnaya Gazeta, which had recently published articles about irregularities in the local housing market and related violence, according to the paper and media reports. Two assailants attacked Polyanin around 7 p.m. at the entrance of his apartment building in Yekatrinburg and beat him with metal rods, according to the journalists account published in Oblastnaya Gazeta and the state news agency RIA Novosti, which quoted Valery Gorelykh, a representative of the Interior Ministrys Sverdlovsk regional branch. Following the attack, Polyanin was hospitalized with a concussion and a broken rib; he was discharged on April 18, 2018, his employer reported. An unnamed spokesperson for the regional branch of Russias Investigative Committee, the agency tasked with probing serious crimes, told RIA Novosti that a criminal investigation was opened in the incident. Gorelykh told RIA Novosti that the police were considering different motives for the attack, including Polyanins work as a journalist. On January 30, 2018, Oblastnaya Gazeta published an investigative report on vandalism attacks that occurred over a period of two years in Yekatrinburg, including on office buildings, private homes, and vehicles as well as attacks on property owners that were carried out by unidentified individuals with metal rods. The report did not state who organized the attacks, but criticized law enforcement for not investigating the incidents. Polyanin told Oblastnaya Gazeta on April 13 that the attack on him was related to his job. The way this crime was executed is very similar to the ones we described in the report titled It looks like terrorism: What do we know about Yekaterinburgs housing wars?' he said referencing the January report. West Bengal government has given its approval to State Forest Department to apply for coveted Ramsar Site recognition under Ramsar Convention to Sunderban Reserve Forest. Now, State Forest Department through Central Government will apply to Ramsar Convention Secretariat. Key Facts Once it is conferred Ramsar site status, Sundarbans Reserve Forest will be largest protected wetland in the country. There are currently 26 sites in India recognised as Ramsar wetland sites of international importance, including East Kolkata Wetlands in West Bengal. Sunderban Reserve Forest is spread across 4,260 sq. km. with over 2,000 sq. km. of mangrove forests and creeks making it ideal site of wetland. The status wetland of international importance under Ramsar Convention will help in conservation of Sunderban (already World Heritage Site) which is facing threat from climate change and rising sea level. About Sundarbans Sundarbans is vast contiguous mangrove forest ecosystem in the coastal region of Bay of Bengal spread across India and Bangladesh. It covers approximately 10,000 square kilometres of area of which 60% is in Bangladesh and remaining in India. It is located in delta region of Padma, Meghna and Brahmaputra river basins. It is the largest tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. It was recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Sundarban forests are known for its self- Royal Bengal Tiger and other numerous species of animals, including Chital Deer, Crocodile and Snakes. It is facing threat from climate change and rise in sea level. It also faces threat from widespread construction and clearing of mangrove forests for fisheries. Madhya Pradesh: Fishing Communities in Madhya Pradesh Assert Their Rights April 23,2018 | Source: National Platform for Small Scale Fish Workers (Inland) Inland fishworkers of Madhya Pradesh are on the way to assert their rights. Led by Medha Patkar and community leaders around 350 fishworkers from different regions of Narmada river as well the Pench river and Pench forest areas demonstrated before the State Cooperative Federation Office at Bhopal on 5th April 2018. Later in the day a deputation on behalf of fish workers met the the Deputy Director of the Fisheries Federation. Medha Patekar and Rajkumar Singh from Narmada Banchao Andolan, Advocate Aradhana Bhargava from Kishan Sangharsh Samity, Chhindwara, Soumen Ray from National Platform for Small Scale Fishworkers(Inland) along with the leaders of fishworkers from different places like Sardar Sarovar, Indira Sagar, Bargi, Pench, and other places of the State were present in the deputation. A group of the fishworkers cum activists from the downstream of the river Narmada in Baruch, Gujarat also joined. Several fishworkers cum activists explained their problems of fishing for livelihood protection as there are the shortage of Fishes mainly in the larger dams of the State. They claimed that the State policy on the marketing of Fishes from the larger water bodies (more than 100 acres) is the principal cause of the fish deficiency. Government through State Cooperative Federation invited the outsiders (business persons or companies) to bid for the fishing rights in the water bodies.. The bidder got access to the water bodies and caught the whole stock, even the juveniles., which the traditional fishers never used to catch. Fish resources development programmes were not properly executed. The contractors, appointed by the fisheries department or the State Federation never allowed the fish workers to look after the matters. The other basic problem was the lack of maintenance of the reservoirs. Severe silting became a problem to the water bodies. It has also raised that the election of State Cooperative Federation was not held since the year 2000. Replying to the deputation, Mr Majhi, the Deputy Director of the Federation admitted that the election was not held due to several reasons but by appointing the Minister in Charge as Chairman of the Federation it is working perfectly. The appointment of the selling agents is not out of the rule. State Federation is just following the policy adopted by the State authority. Fishworkers demanded to abolish the appointment of contractors in fish selling and to reintroduce the previous system of selling through Cooperative Societies. They also demanded immediate election of the State Federation. Fishworkers from different places like, Indira Sagar, Bargi, of the State asked Soumen Ray to come to their respective places where they are eager to form Trade Unions. On 6th April 2018 a meeting was held with the fishing community leaders under Chhindwara Kishan Sangharsh Samiti. were held. Machhagora dam and Totladoh dam are on Pench river that flows mostly inside the Pench forest. Fishworkers in Chhindwara used to catch the fish in these water bodies. But fishers are not allowed to catch fish in Totladoh and in Pench river as the area has been declared a protected area under the Wildlife Protection Act . The fishers resolved to move against the oppression of forest department. They planned to form their Union to fight for the Rights of the fishworkers. On 8th April a group discussion was held at Khandwa with local activists working with fish workers in Khandwa and Burhanpur districts. It was planned that the activists in each district will go ahead to organize the fish workers to form a Union. Gujarat: Govt wants to build dam on dry Narmada to help industries by ASHLIN MATHEW April 23,2018 | Source: National Herald The proposed weir is expected to be built in Bharuch where around 6,000 fisher-families depend on the river for their livelihood. It is also one of the few breeding grounds of Hilsa Gujarat is under a reeling dry spell where farmers and local residents hardly get any drinking water. Yet, the Gujarat government has proposed to build a weir on the Narmada River just before it merges with the sea in Bharuch where the river is drying up. This has the local farmers and fisherfolk, who depend on this river, up in arms against the state government and local administration.More than 5,000 persons marched from Bambakhana to the Collectors Office in Bharuch, almost eight km away, on Monday. Fisherfolk, who formed a majority of the protesters, submitted a memorandum to the district collector, Ravi Kumar Arora.The Gujarat government, which is hoping to build this 36-feet barrage soon, claims it is for providing drinking water to the residents. Farmers and fisherfolk who live in the area allege that the water is being diverted to help the industries upstream because the state government, citing paucity of water, had slashed the annual quota allocated to industries earlier this year.The water flow downstream the Sardar Sarovar Dam is very little, leaving the river almost dead. This has already begun to create problems. In the downstream area, where the weir is being proposed to be build, small farmers and fisherfolk depend on the already dying up river for their livelihood. Already, as per the ground report, sea water has flowed almost 22 km into Narmada river. With water from the sea coming inland, the salinity in the sand and ground water has increased and this had begun to render the soil almost unusable.Bharuch is also famous for Hilsa fish and it is one of the few breeding grounds remaining. The population has already declined post 2014 due to the decreased in water flow. When less amount of water is released, it brings more sand than water and that doesnt help breeding. The Hilsa fish comes to this place to breed because it is a brackish water area. Most of our income comes from this fish. This is a Rs 100 crore business and all the fisher-families which live in the area depend on this water and fish for their livelihood. We will all have to go hungry. There used to be seer, katla, prawns and many more varieties of fish, says Mahindra Machhi, a resident of the village. He has had to recently take up employment in a private firm as business was drying up as a result of the river drying up. The whole of Narmada is in a great crisis because of the cascade of dams which were built 30 large dams and 135 medium dams. Of these the largest are the Sardar Sarovar dam and the Indira Sagar dam. Sardar Sarovar dam is the last dam before the water flows into the sea, explains Medha Patkar of Narmada Bachao Andolan, who had also marched with the local residents.If this weir is built, it will affect 6,000 families in the area and another 4,000 migrant families, which come here during the fishing season for work. Earlier, when the fishermen went out to sea, they would get around 150kg fish per day, per boat, now, it had fallen to 6 kg. All this is due to the callousness of the government officials, adds Patkar.Even if a barrage is guilt, it will be able to carry water only for 15 km as there isnt much water in the river. Madhya Pradesh should release at least 600 cusecs of water everyday as otherwise all this muck that has accumulated here will not go back to the sea. If it doesnt, the water in the region will become useless. We dont even get enough drinking water, so why is water from our region being diverted to help those upstream, questions Machhi.We are facing this trouble because last year, they released more water to Gujarat because of elections and this year, there are elections in Madhya Pradesh, so they refuse to give us the required amount of water also.Last year, in October too, around 250 fisherfolk had protested waving black flags at Prime Minister Narendra Modi while he inaugurated the Bhadbhut weir project on the Narmada river. The fishermen community in Bharuch has been protesting, asking the government to save their livelihood, since 2010. Fishing in the Narmada estuary has been the backbone of this district. India: Rough sea warning issued for Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Odisha, Goa; fishermen advised caution April 23,2018 | Source: Zee News India As per the forecast generated by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), moderate to rough sea conditions are very likely to prevail along and off the West coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Ministry of Earth Science has issued a severe weather warning for several states. While thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail is likely at isolated places over SubHimalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on Sunday, thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds is expected at some places over Telangana, Tamilnadu, interior Karnataka, and Kerala. A thunderstorm accompanied with squall is also likely at isolated places over Gangetic West Bengal. As per the forecast generated by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), moderate to rough sea conditions are very likely to prevail along and off the West coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In a statement, the ministry has advised fishermen to be cautious while venturing into the Sea along and off these areas. There is a possibility of surging of waves during the high tide times, in the low lying areas of the coasts during this period. Boats plying very near to the coasts may be avoided during this period as the coastal regions will experience its effect more. The boats may be anchored at a fair distance from each other, to avoid collision and damage. For a change, heat wave conditions are likely to prevail in some parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Monday. Pakistan: Fish Hatchery To Be Established At Silanwali by Umer Jamshaid April 23,2018 | Source: Urudu Point The Punjab Fisheries Department will establish a fish hatchery at Silanwali. Chief Minister Punjab has approved funds Rs 580 million for this project, said a spokesman of the Fisheries department here Friday. He added that the hatchery was being established for promotion of fish farming culture in the area as well as for provision of fish seeds. He said that the main objective of the project was to provide better fish seed and extension services to the fish farmers for the promotion of fisheries sector in the area. Bengaluru: Amid reports of the May 12 Assembly polls likely to throw up a fractured verdict, the BJPs CM face B.S. Yeddyurappa has softened his stand vis-a-vis the Janata Dal (S) and its supremo, H.D. Deve Gowda. In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, Yedyurappa said there was no question of having an understanding with the JD (S). But, as a mark of respect, we do not attack or criticise Deve Gowda because he is a former prime minister and he is from our state, he remarked. The BJP and JD(S) had come together to run a coalition government in the state in 2006-07 with Yeddyurappa as the Deputy CM. The BJP state president however did not expect the JD(S) to make any substantial gains saying at the most, they might win 30-40 seats. He claimed the mood was against the Congress, adding that the more AICC president Rahul Gandhi visits the state, the more the BJP would benefit. Replying to a query on whether the party had decided to take back tainted mining baron Janardhan Reddy into its fold, he replied, When he volunteered to help our candidates, as a strategy we used his service. Thats all.Yeddyurappa and Reddy were seen together at an election rally in Molakalmuru on Saturday. Q&A Struggling through a big crowd of party workers and leaders from north Karnataka to Kodagu, and reaching the meeting room is itself like winning a relay race. That is the scene one can witness at the BJPs CM candidate, B.S. Yeddyurappas residence in Bengaluru almost every day and Sunday was no exception. Some wanted him to change the candidate announced for their constituencies and others wanted tickets for the constituencies for which the party is yet to announce its candidates. Before taking a chopper to four constituencies where he will campaign on Sunday, he sat for a quick interview. As ever, Mr Yeddyurappa was confident and belligerent, at times showing a soft corner for JD(S) supremo, H.D. Deve Gowda. He spoke about various issues concerning elections. Here are excerpts from his interview. You say your party will win a clear majority. Not only that, you have been saying the Congress tally will come down to 60 or less. How is it possible? I have toured the state thrice before the announcement of elections. The mood is against the Congress. No matter whatever the outcome of various news channel surveys, our party will get a clear majority. You will come to know in a weeks time about how the Congress will implode. The Congress is in a pathetic condition, the chief minister is going to lose in two constituencies and his son will also lose the polls. In the absence of strong leaders, the Congress candidates have to depend on money and local adjustments to fight the elections. What Siddaramaiah did to Dr G. Parameshwar in the 2013 assembly elections, will be done to him this time. The more All India Congress Committee president Rahul Gandhi visits the state, the more will we benefit. How many seats will your party get? Did you ever expect that the BJP would come to power on its own in UP? It (the win) will repeat in Karnataka. Our aim is to win 150 seats. I am confident. Not only the Congress. even the JD (S) has been saying they will form the government on their own. Who will trust the JD (S)? They cannot win the polls with false and non-pragmatic promises. At the most, they might win 30 -40 seats. You do not criticise JD (S) in campaign speeches, thats why there is an impression that the BJP has a tacit understanding with JD(S)... No. We are fielding 224 candidates. Thats a clear indication that we will fight both parties. No question of having an understanding with the JD (S). But, as a mark of respect, we do not attack or criticise H.D. Deve Gowda because he is a former prime minister and he is from our state. You claim you will cross the 150-seat target. But on seeing your list many in your party say you will get, at best, 60 seats. I can write and give you a list today (of the winners). Let us keep it in a sealed cover. After the announcement of poll results, we will discuss the outcome. There is so much rebellion in the BJP that your claim of getting 150 seats seems a bit unrealistic. For instance the charges of Revu Naik Belamagi and Belur Gopalkrishna are cases in point.. Who said? What Mr Belamagi did was to hoist atrocity cases on Lingayats and there are nearly a lakh Lingayats in his constituency. He is sitting at Mr Kharges house and filing false cases. Now, how can you field him? I had in fact told Mr Gopalkrishna that we would make him an MLC. But he did not listen. The Congress party seem to have dealt with the rebels more systematically than the BJP and your party might crumble with rebels upsetting your calculations. No. We have been constantly in touch with those who could not get tickets or those who filed nomination papers as rebels. After Amit Shahs internal survey, we changed some candidates. But many in the party say, Mr Yeddyurappa did not accept the list prepared by Mr Shah. You dominated and got your list approved.. No, not at all. After touring 224 seats, I gave suggestions and Mr Shah commissioned a survey for himself. When nearly 90 per cent of my suggestions concurred with his list, he approved those names. But ultimately, Mr Shah took the decision. For the first time, there seems to be no wave in favour of any party. How do you analyse the situation? Earlier, we did not have a government at the Centre but now we have a government. Programmes of the Modi government will help us. Lakhs of youth, enrolled for the first time, are with us. Dalits, both Right and Left together, are very angry with the government. Internally, we strengthened the booth committees. So, internally and externally, circumstances will favour us. But you gave tickets to tainted politicos so this will go against you.. (agitated look) Tell me one thing. Case after case, the courts exonerated me. Siddaramaiah is an advocate. Doesnt he know this? You know that the ACB was constituted to harass opposition parties. Flimsy cases were filed against every leader in our party. People know this. After assuming power, I will scrap the ACB within 24 hours and give back the powers to the Lokayukta. Mr Shah said the party had not taken in Mr Gali Janardhan Reddy. But you were with him on Friday to campaign for Mr Sriramulu. Isnt it a clear indication of him coming back to your party? Neither did he ask for a ticket, nor did we give it to him. Yes, he was there to campaign for Mr Sreeramulu. When he volunteered to help our candidates in that region, as a strategy we used his service. Thats all. This time you did a novel experiment in preparing the manifesto. Are you really serious? Because, many liberal thinkers say the BJP will divide society and does not go by manifestos.. (agitated look) If you ask me based on some foolish point of view of some people, what can I say? We are serious. They have given me a draft manifesto. I will go through it and then in a weeks time, we will unveil the manifesto. We want to give a big thrust to the farming sector, Rs one lakh crore for Krishna basin projects, constitute a big revolving fund etc. Drones Trump revises rules for export of military drones The White House eased export restrictions on military-grade drone technology to allies to counter Chinas growing global market share for the technology. On April 19, President Donald Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum that revises rules for export of military drones, including big target and long-range reconnaissance drones such as the Predator and Reaper aircraft, which are capable delivering weapons. In a statement, the White House said the new policy "replaces an overly restrictive policy established in 2015 that hindered American companies from delivering a crucial military capability to our allies and partners." In 2015, the Obama administration established a review process for sales of the aircraft that required close scrutiny of international sales of armed drones through a government-to-government foreign military sales program. In a conference call on April 19, Peter Navarro, assistant to the president, director of trade and industrial policy, and director of the White House National Trade Council, told reporters that the changes would help trusted allies buy the technology directly from U.S. suppliers and not have to seek government approval for the sales. Additionally, Navarro said, the more open sales policy would counter China's growing global market share for its drone technologies. China, he said, is replicating U.S. technology, pointing to its Wing Loong 2 medium-altitude, long-endurance drone made by Chengdu Aircraft Group. He called the drone "a clear knock-off" of the MQ-Reaper made by the U.S.-based General Atomics and used the U.S. Air Force. Unmanned Systems Navy awards contract for unmanned sea mine hunter Raytheon has received a potential $362.7 million contract to develop an autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle for the Navy to use in the detection and mitigation of sea mines. Dubbed Barracuda, the drone is intended to neutralize sea mines at the bottom and near surface areas of waters, plus those that are drifting. The Navy also sought a vehicle that could operate in shallow waters and be an expendable modular neutralizer with a kill mechanism, propulsion and sensors. The four-year contract has an $83.3 million base value with options that if exercised would bring the award to its full ceiling value, the Defense Department said in its Tuesday contracts digest. Barracuda will also be built with a communications buoy to link with a deployment platform via a wireless connection. Solicitation documents indicate Barracuda will be hosted on Littoral Combat Ship vessels. Ukraine exports show upward trend: TOP 6 markets In total, Ukrainian exports over the two months of 2018 grew 17.9%, to $7.4 billion. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Ukraine sees retail trade grow to US$8 bln in 1Q 2018 Retail turnover increased most in Vinnytsia and Zakarpattia regions. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Every year billions of migratory birds are killed in America colliding with glass buildings, vehicles, communications towers, and more. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), passed in 1918, has protected birds by limiting hunting and trading practices. Under previous administrations the Interior Department expanded the scope of the Act by ruling that companies and individuals could be held liable for unintentional avicide. Now the Interior Department has announced it would only prosecute intentional bird-killing, keeping to the historical spirit of the MBTA. Former Interior bureaucrats and journalists at the Washington Post, among others, have criticized the new approach as regulatory abdication and callous profit-seeking. This narrative does not sufficiently account for the drawbacks of regulatory leviathans. The maximum penalty of $15,000 for every dead bird is an arbitrary and excessive sum. Further, a vague regulatory guidance threatens individuals participating in otherwise lawful activity. In addition, the old approach to the MBTA has necessitated punitive amplification that does not add further motivation to prevent bird deaths. The mere possibility of litigation cautions against productive economic activity. What constitutes an unintentional bird-killing, or who exactly is at fault when birds do not have the mental faculties of humans? Even the former Interior officials who are critical of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke acknowledge that reasonable people can disagree about the extent to which prosecutions under the MBTA are appropriate One claim levied by the former officials is that the new interpretation of the MBTA creates a loophole for companies to engage in practices that inevitably harm birds, creatures that often mistake oil for water. But in the same letter to Secretary Zinke, former officials report that they have been successful in working with companies to reduce bird deaths with practical measures such as netting over oil pits. This could have been accomplished with specific regulations rather than ill-defined rules about incidental killings. Maintaining an expansive interpretation of the MBTA props the door open for all kinds of lawsuits, which, if taken to the logical extreme, could include most human activity. A federal judge cited this problem in 2012 when he dismissed a case against three oil companies, saying that the MBTA was too vague to justify the charges of bird-killing made against them. The selective attention paid to some instances of bird-deaths, as well as the high fines, are disproportionate. Neither do they appreciably increase the incentives to avoid harmful events such as oil spills. About one million birds died after the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon spill, the worst offshore oil spill in history. Those responsible for two oil spills, including BP, have paid 97 percent of the fines charged under the MBTA. According to a report from the House Oversight Committee, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collected $64 million in MBTA-related fines from BP and other companies after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. A small utility company was also fined and put on probation in 2013 after it was discovered birds were colliding with its wind turbines and dying. Data prior to 2010 are not readily available at the Department of the Interior, according to administrator Abby Miller. However, the bird deaths from Deepwater Horizon pale in comparison to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services estimate of 1.85 billion annual bird-killings by cats. Cat owners are not prosecuted. Some may posit that adding stricter punishments may deter future crimes, including oil spills. However, the weight of evidence indicates the certainty of being caught is the most effective deterrent to illegal or harmful activity, and there is no hiding an oil spill. The legal costs required to prosecute companies for unintentional bird-deaths are not productive, and the penalties related to environmental damage and loss of human life are adequate. Beyond oil spills, individual property owners will no longer be held liable for activities that incidentally kill birds, such as the destruction of a barn that has owls in it. Property owners already have an incentive to keep barn owls alive, because the owls are effective rodent hunters. Farmers even set up nesting boxes to attract them. Just as important, what if property owners are not aware of the owls? Even if owners escape punitive action, the time and resources needed for their defense could be time-consuming and expensive. The Interior Departments new guidance has sensibly kept that can of worms away from the judicial system. The Interior Department has made a wise change. Bird deaths are regrettable, but regulators should keep rules consistent and follow the law. Joshua Hardman is a contributor to Economics 21 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. In his speech to the Summit of the Americas, Vice President Mike Pence warned, The greatest corruption of government is when the people lose their voice, their vote, their freedom, and their basic human rights under the heavy hand of dictatorship. This is particularly true in Cuba where a tired communist regime continues to impoverish its people and deny their most fundamental rights. . . The Castro regime has systematically sapped the wealth of a great nation and stolen the lives of a proud people, said Mr. Pence. The United States has taken decisive action to stand with the Cuban people and stand up to their oppressors. Cubas dictatorship has not only beset its own people, noted Vice President Pence, but has also sought to export their failed ideology across the wider region, including aiding and abetting the corrupt dictatorship in Venezuela. Not long ago, Venezuela was one of the hemispheres richest nations. It is now among the poorest. Venezuela was also once a flourishing democracy. It has now collapsed into dictatorship and tyranny. Clearly, said Vice President Pence, the responsibility for the Venezuelan peoples suffering can be laid at the feet of one man Nicolas Maduro. Today, nearly 9 out of 10 Venezuelans live in grinding poverty. Food and daily necessities are often impossible to find. Hospitals lack the most basic medical services and supplies, putting lives at risk and causing untold misery and death. And every day, some 5,000 Venezuelans flee in the largest cross-border mass exodus in the history of the hemisphere. In response, the United States has imposed strict financial sanctions on more than 50 current or former senior Venezuelan officials. The United States also cut off Venezuelas digital currency from the United States financial system. Vice President Pence announced nearly 16 million more dollars of assistance for Venezuelans fleeing their country. This is in addition to the 2.5 million dollars pledged last month. The United States believes now is the time to do more. Every free nation in the hemisphere must take stronger action to isolate the Maduro regime. The United States will not relent until democracy is restored in Venezuela and the Venezuelan people reclaim their birthright of liberty. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is holding searches at PJSC Motor Sich as part of a criminal investigation into the preparation of sabotage, the SBU press center told Interfax-Ukraine. "Currently, investigative actions (searches) are being conducted as part of an inquiry into criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Article 14 and Article 131 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (preparations for sabotage)," the SBU press center said on Monday. The investigation is sanctioned by a court ruling. The searches began on Monday morning, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported. The staff of the enterprise said SBU officials from Kyiv simultaneously entered the administrative office, Motor Bank, and the industrial premises, allegedly by jumping over the gates at the main entrance, which led to clashes with the enterprise's security. People in camouflage are now inside and near the building where the procurement department is located and in the enterprise's securities section. They are not speaking with journalists. PJSC Motor Sich is one of the world's largest manufacturers of aircraft engines, as well as industrial gas turbines. It delivers products to more than 100 countries. In 2012, Motor Sich helicopter design bureau was created in Zaporizhia. The international arbitration court of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on September 1, 2017 ruled to collect t$7.857 million from public joint-stock company Ukrtransnafta in favor of CJSC Belarusian Oil Company (BelOil) in the litigation over pumping of oil via the Yuzhny-Brody-Mozyr pipelines, according to an annual report of the Ukrainian company. In particular, the court decided to collect $24.021 million of compensation from BelOil for the unused volumes of transportation under the "pump or pay" contract condition and $13.878 million of compensation from Ukrtransnafta for the change of the quality of oil. BelOil won the litigation with $7.857 million in its favor. According to the report, BelOil on February 8, 2018 filed a petition to the Kyiv's court of appeals to receive a permit to execute the ruling of the Belarusian arbitration court. Ukrtransnafta is waiting the court proceedings will finish by the end of 2018. The company reserved funds of UAH 220.514 million for the execution of the ruling. As reported, BelOil in 2011-2012 was supposed to supply at least 8 million tonnes of oil (4 million tonnes per year) of Azeri Light brand at Yuzhny oil terminal for subsequent pumping of this oil to the Mozyr refinery along the Yuzhny-Brody-Mozyr route in the "pump or pay" mode. Of the planned 4 million tonnes in 2011, only 0.9 million tonnes were delivered and pumped. At the same time, the contract of compensation for quality losses was additionally signed, as BelOil supplied Azeri Light to the Yuzhny terminal, while Urals oil was pumped via the oil pipeline to Mozyr, which is a cheaper grade of oil. The G7 foreign ministers have described Ukraine as an integral part of the free world and common democratic space at their negotiations in Toronto, Canada, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said on Twitter on Sunday evening. "My gratitude to Chrystia Freeland and all G7 foreign ministers for the friendly conversation. We have discussed occupied Crimea and Donbas. Ukraine is seen an integral part of the free world and common economic space. Our G7 partners view the attack on Ukraine as an attack on the free and democratic world," Klimkin said. The G7 foreign ministers are holding negotiations in Toronto on April 22-24 to discuss a number of international issues. The United States has not yet received a response from the Russian side to the plan proposed by U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker to resolve the situation in Donbas, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch has said. When we look at the death and destruction caused by the forces that Russia has been controlling over the past four years, we want to help find a solution. Ambassador Kurt Volker directs our efforts [to resolve the conflict in Donbas], trying to work not only with Russians, but also with Ukraine and partners, especially with the Normandy Four ... He obviously has a plan. He had been working with the Russians on this issue and now we are waiting for a response from Russia, but we have not received it yet. I think Russia is to take the next step, said the ambassador in a joint interview with Radio Liberty and 112.Ukraine TV channel on Sunday. Yovanovitch also expressed disappointment with the fact that the Easter truce was not observed. We are very attentively monitoring the situation and we are disappointed that the ceasefire on Easter did not mean a cease-fire ... I think that this is totally unacceptable and this is what we have been seeing for four years. The injuries are received not only by the Ukrainian military, but the civilian population as well, the ambassador added. Russia's hybrid military forces have mounted 30 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, the press center for the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations in Donbas has reported. "Over the past day, militants of Russian-occupation forces carried out 30 shelling attacks on the positions of Ukrainian defenders. The enemy continues to violate the Minsk agreements by using prohibited weapons," the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations reported on Facebook on Monday morning. In the Luhansk sector, the militants fired proscribed 120mm mortars at the Ukrainian fortified positions near the villages of Novhorodske and Luhanske. In addition, the invaders used 82mm mortars near the villages of Novhorodske, Novoselivka and Troyitske, grenade launchers of various systems near Troyitske, Luhanske and Novoselivka. Heavy machine guns were used against the defenders of Luhanske and Troyitske, as well as cannons of infantry fighting vehicles and small arms against the Ukrainian positions near Novhorodske. In the Donetsk sector, the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Talakivka came under fire from 82mm mortars, grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and small arms. The invaders also used grenade launchers of various systems and small arms against the defenders of the towns of Avdiyivka and Maryinka, Butovka coal mine, and the village of Vodiane, heavy machine guns near the town of Krasnohorivka, and the villages of Pavlopil, Hnutove and Shyrokyne, and small arms near the village of Kamianka. Moreover, a sniper was active near the villages of Pavlopil and Novotroyitske. "No Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded in action," the report said. Meet 20 year old Colorado man Dylan McWilliams. After being bitten by a shark in Hawaii last week (which required seven stitches, non life-threatening), Dylan has the unlucky distinction of being attacked by a shark, bear and rattlesnake, all in under four years. No word how jealous Coyote Peterson is right now. "The scariest part was swimming back," he told the news outlet, adding that he was hoping the shark wouldn't continue following the trail of blood from his leg. Last July, McWilliams told the paper, he received nine staples in his scalp after a nearly 300-pound bear invaded his Colorado campsite. "The bear grabbed the back of my head and started pulling me and I was fighting back as best as I could," he told Hawaii News Now. "It dropped me and stomped on me a little bit, and I was able to get back to the group and they scared it away." As for the rattlesnake, that encounter occurred about three and a half years ago in Utah, McWilliams told the Star-Advertiser. Luckily, he took in only a small amount of venom, so he was only briefly ill afterward, he told the newspaper. Hahahahaha, man -- I'm not sure whether to suggest buying a lottery ticket or keeping a room rented at the hospital. You know, maybe the outdoorsman life isn't for you. Maybe Mother Nature is trying to tell you something. And maybe that something is 'Stay Indoors'. I've barely left my apartment in four years for that exact reason, and I haven't been bitten by anything except a wild lover. Ooh -- and spiders while I sleep, sometimes inside my mouth. Thanks to Josh D, who agrees if Dylan ever goes to Australia he's a goner for sure. Armenian Prime Minister and former President Serzh Sargsyan announced his resignation on Monday. Sargsyan said in a statement circulated by the government's press service that he was addressing all citizens, including those who have been protesting in Yerevan over the past several days, "for the last time." "Nikol Pashinyan [the leader of the protesters] was right. I was wrong. The situation that has taken shape has several solutions, but I will not resort to any of them. This is not my thing. I am leaving the post of the country's leader, the post of prime minister," Sargsyan said. Sargsyan acknowledged that protests against him have been growing. "I am meeting your demand. I wish peace to our country," he said. Since April 13, Yerevan and a number of other cities in Armenia have seen round-the-clock, thousands-strong rallies and protests against Sargsyan's appointment as prime minister. The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople has accepted the appeal from the president of Ukraine to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew asking the patriarch to grant a tomos (an official church document) about the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, a decision was made to start the procedures necessary to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian president's administration reported. "The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has taken to consideration the appeal of the president of Ukraine to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for the provision of a tomos about the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, the decision of the Verkhovna Rada to support his appeal, as well as the corresponding appeals of the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox churches, and the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to start the procedures necessary to grant the autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. In particular, other local Orthodox churches will be notified about this," the official website of the Ukrainian president reported on Sunday evening. The administration noted that on behalf of President Petro Poroshenko, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine Rostyslav Pavlenko visited Istanbul on April 20 and handed to His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the appeal of the Ukrainian leader concerning granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. In addition, he also handed the ecumenical patriarch a decree of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on supporting this appeal by the president of Ukraine. As reported, on April 17, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko said about his intentions to appeal to Archbishop of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, asking him to issue a tomos (an official church document) granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, and called on the Verkhovna Rada to support it. According to him, if there is a relevant resolution of the Verkhovna Rada, the president's address and the appeal of church hierarchs, this appeal will be transferred to the Ecumenical Patriarch. On April 19, 268 MPs supported the appeal of the president of Ukraine to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to grant a tomos about the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The foreign affairs ministers of the G7 countries and Ukraine during an informal meeting in Toronto (Canada) discussed the issues of the occupied territories of Ukraine and hostages held by Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said after the meeting. "There was a feeling that Ukraine is a part of this community and the challenges that confront us today are challenges to our common values. We spoke about everything from the occupation of Crimea and Donbas to Ukrainian hostages illegally held in Russia," Klimkin wrote on his Facebook page on Monday. He thanked Foreign Minister of Canada Chrystia Freeland who invited him to the meeting, "for the sincere conversation and a friendly atmosphere." A meeting of the Ukraine-NATO commission at the level of foreign ministers will not be held this week, however close cooperation of the alliance and Kyiv will continue, the NATO press service said on Monday. "For the time being, no further meetings of the NATO-Ukraine Commission are scheduled. But Ukraine is an important partner for NATO and our dialogue continues," the report said. Earlier media reported Hungary again blocked the meeting of the Ukraine-NATO commission at the level of foreign ministers. The meeting of the alliance at the level of the foreign ministers is scheduled in Brussels for April 27. Kyiv planned to hold a meeting of the commission in its framework. The blocking of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic initiatives by Budapest began in late 2017 as a response to the adoption of the law on education, which contains the so-called "language article." The first three of the five Ukrainian servicemen who were injured during the fighting in eastern Ukraine on April 5, 2018 arrived at the hospital of Queen Astrid (the district of Brussels Neder-nad-Hembeyk) for rehabilitation and further treatment. This is not the only case of assistance from Belgium from the Belgian leadership. Military bilateral cooperation between countries with variable success continues since 2000. In 2017, three soldiers of different generations were selected on the basis of inspections of chronic diseases, injuries and rehabilitation examinations carried out by Belgian military and non-military specialist doctors in the central military hospital of Kyiv. For Belgian observers, the age of servicemen is indicative. This is a reflection of the broad involvement of Ukrainian society in the armed conflict in the Donbass. Arriving on rehabilitation of the military, about fifty, forty and twenty years. "It's not about emergency care, but about rehabilitation to restore their mobility," said the spokesman of the Belgian Defense Department captain-commander Olivier Severin. "We can not make any statements about the individuals and the medical situation of the three soldiers. They remain until the end of their treatment in Belgium, "- said a Belgian officer. Immediately after the start of the war, four years ago, the Belgian Defense Minister, Stephen Vandeput (National Flemish Party NV-A), agreed to include Ukrainian soldiers with severe burns at the burning center of the military hospital. At that time, the Ukrainian government could not nominate candidates due to logistical problems and an uncertain crisis situation. Later it was decided. Prolonged treatment and rehabilitation, proposed by the Belgian Ministry of Defense, began in 2017, not only for soldiers with burns, but also for those military who need careful rehabilitation of locomotor organs, psychiatric care and surgical treatment. The three troops who arrived in April 2018 will be screened for the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with which the hospital has been in contact since March 22, 2016, when it assisted victims of terrorist acts at the national airport and at the Malbeik metro station, near the European headquarters-apartment in Brussels It should be noted that military bilateral cooperation between Belgium and Ukraine began in 2000 with the cooperation agreement signed after the joint actions of the two countries in the Balkans. Belgian military attache, Major Rudy Warravens was appointed to Kyiv. However, the decision of President Yanukovych on "beyond the block status of Ukraine" led to the withdrawal of the Defense Attache in 2010, as well as the majority of military diplomats from friendly countries from other EU countries. The cooperation programs in those years were carried out in the field of education (English language classes, meteorology and mine clearance at sea, the latter being conducted by the Belgian-Dutch school "Yegermin", recognized as a NATO expert center). The diplomatic crisis after Russia's military intervention in Crimea in February 2014 and the beginning of an armed conflict in the Donbas, negatively affected the possibilities of bilateral cooperation. In 2014 and 2015, the main focus was on the planned participation of both countries in the activities of the NATO Response Force established in 2003 by the international group on land, air, sea and special forces that NATO can deploy for five days in any to which point of the world. For this, the Ukrainian unit should have been integrated into the Belgian corps. Various events were planned. However, Ukraine canceled its planned contribution to the NRF in November 2014, with the exception of the delivery of a transport aircraft. All related actions have been terminated. From 2015, Ukraine received support from the Belgian Defense Ministry on the basis of the NATO Defense and Security Assistance (DCB) Initiative, in which NATO not only confirms its partnership principles, but also supports issues that are being addressed by the countries. with a greater and more high potential of defense: from strategic defense and security consultations to the establishment of reform institutes. In the field of fostering cooperation not only for military but also for economic and humanitarian purposes, the Belgian Ministry of Defense, within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), prepared a practical course on methods of combating insurgents and terrorist threats during a special observation mission of the OSCE's future observers with the use of homemade explosives in conditions of asymmetric warfare. Since 2016, the Belgian Defense Ministry has conducted two-week medical training of ten Ukrainian servicemen for the treatment and rehabilitation of acute and chronic severe burns (and associated motor-induced disorders). Also, Ukrainians have been trained to provide emergency care in field conditions in case of damage to aviation hyperbaric ammunition. Acquainted with the method of treatment with bacteriophage. It is worth mentioning that medicines obtained on the basis of phagotherapy at the Belgian Military Hospital have attracted interest from the largest drug manufacturers and private investors in Ukraine. The developed antibiotic MRSA was discovered and developed in the early days of the Soviet Union, and its effect is better known in Ukraine than in Belgium. But this does not prevent the Belgian universities of Louvins and Ghent to study these issues of resistant bacteria for further effective use. Bacterial strains of MRSA from Ukraine, from the Institute of Microbiology and Virology to them. Zabolotnogo National Academy of Sciences in Kiev and phages from Georgia, from the Institute of bacteriophages, microbiology and virology them. Eliava in Tbilisi is used in Belgium and also has pharmaceutical applications in Ukraine. Luke Pisson, president of the non-profit association of the Belgian-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Benelux Ukraine, who operates in Ukraine, says: "In all this, the military hospital in Brussels plays the first violin. It is therefore very unfortunate that it can not be explained that all the unique assets of the Military Hospital are intended not only for these five, but now three more this year, two more injured victims of the military conflict in the Donbas, but also for the Belgian military and many civilians , for which treatment at a military hospital is a final salvation when all other university and non-university hospitals fail. Ukraine should have the right to the same as Russia, and this should be clearly stated. Take, for example, the use of a bacteriophage. Laboratory and clinical scientists of the Military Hospital are world experts referring to, many specialists (even in Tbilisi). The diplomatic situation with Russia precludes an explanation of what makes a military hospital for the Ukrainian wounded good and for the improvement of the international health system. Belgian diplomacy lacks courage, does not want to cause irritation in Moscow, explaining what Belgium does for Ukraine. " Luke Pisson also noted that the Benelux-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VZW), in cooperation with the League of Defense Enterprises of Ukraine and partner universities, invites interested Ukrainian participants from a number of enterprises producing military and dual-use products for the organization of educational trips and trainings in the Belgian industrial clusters and business networks of innovative modern companies, knowledge centers, government bodies and creative social communities. Huawei held its 15th annual Global Analyst Summit today in Shenzhen, China. At the summit, Huawei shared its vision for an intelligent world of the future, as well as the trillions of dollars of new opportunities that will come along with it. Huawei was joined by more than 500 analysts, key opinion leaders, and media representatives across a range of industries, including telecoms, Internet, and finance. Huawei shared its new vision and mission during the morning session: "Bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world". Company executives elaborated on Huawei's role as a pioneer of this intelligent world, giving insight into company strategy and current initiatives. As a glimpse of what the intelligent world will entail, Huawei released the Global Industry Vision 2025 report, which outlines business practices, solutions, and technological innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, cloud services, the Internet of Things (IoT), and other domains. More than 500 analysts, KOLs, and media representatives gather for the 15th Huawei Global Analyst Summit in Shenzhen: "Envision a Fully Connected, Intelligent World" Huawei Rotating Chairman, Eric Xu, opened the summit, explaining Huawei's new vision in detail. He talked about the benefits of digital and AI technology for every person, home, and organization, as well as the challenges the industry faces. "In an age defined by greatness, Huawei aspires to become a great company. We want to help mankind take its next step forward," he said. "This is the basis of our new vision and mission: Bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world." Guided by its new vision, Huawei will trailblaze a path forward to this intelligent world, focusing on ICT infrastructure and smart devices. Huawei aims to increase the competitiveness of its entire product and solution portfolio including cloud, networks, and devices and deliver a superior user experience through across-the-board adoption of AI technology. Eric Xu concluded his keynote with a teaser about the full-stack, all-scenario AI solutions Huawei will release at the upcoming HUAWEI CONNECT conference to be held in Shanghai later this year. William Xu, Director of the Board and Chief Strategy Marketing Officer of Huawei, followed with a release of Huawei's Global Industry Vision (GIV) 2025. The GIV is a new report in which Huawei offers insight into global ICT trends and lays out the blueprint for the ICT industry. They predict that, by 2025, the total number of connections around the world will reach 100 billion, video will account for 89% of total data traffic, and 86% of global companies will adopt AI, creating a digital economy worth US$23 trillion. William Xu noted, "Through nonstop innovation, Huawei will unfold the blueprint for industry development, and enable all sectors to take part in a fully connected, intelligent world. We will team up with our global partners to make this world a reality." David Wang, Huawei Executive Director of the Board, President of Products & Solutions, spoke on innovation. "Innovation is key to the intelligent world," he said. "Huawei's product and solution strategy centers around three concepts: All Connected, All Cloud, and All Intelligent. Based on these, we will continue to push forward with business and technology innovation across a range of enabling sectors like AI, 5G, cloud services, and IoT. We will build more open technological architecture and adopt a more open business model, working with customers and partners along the entire value chain to grow the industry and drive the development of digital economy. Together, we aim to build a fully connected, intelligent world." The first Huawei Global Analyst Summit was held in 2004, and has continued annually for 15 years. This year's summit runs from April 17 to 19, with multiple parallel sessions. Attendees include industry experts from around the world, all of whom provide their unique insight into a variety of topics and trends. About Huawei Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider with the vision to enrich life through communication. Driven by customer-centric innovation and open partnerships, Huawei has established an end-to-end ICT solutions portfolio that gives our customers competitive advantages in telecom and enterprise networks, devices and cloud computing. Huawei's 180,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services have been deployed in over 170 countries and regions, serving more than one third of the world's population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees. For more information, please visit Huawei online: www.huawei.com. On April 18, 2018, a high-level U.S. delegation visited V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, one of Europes oldest universities, and had a two-hour exchange with students on a number of issues from political risks and geopolitics to national security and economic partnership between the US and Ukraine. The delegation included the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (2003-2006) and Director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center John Herbst, the first U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Roman Popadiuk and Assistant Deputy Defense Minister for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia in the Administration of Barack Obama Evelyn Farkas. The discussion was moderated by the Acting Rector of the university Dr. Vav Bakirov. The meeting was held as part of a two-day public discussion A New Look at the U.S.-Ukraine Partnership" organized by the largest American non-governmental analytical center for international relations Atlantic Council ("Atlantic Council") and the Atlantic Councils Eurasia Center. It focused on ways to attract domestic and foreign investors in the region, energy self-reliance and expanding U.S.-Ukraine cooperation at business and state levels. "The whole world woke up to the aggressive policy of Russia. And we will help Ukraine deal with its aggression. We believe that the love of freedom and democratic values demonstrated by the Ukrainians deserve the respect and support of the global community. Therefore, it is important for us to convey to the young people that the US will always be on their side, noted Ambassador John Herbst. "This is my first time in Kharkiv, and I am very glad to be here. Partly because of the romantic image that I have had of Kharkiv. I read many reports on how Russia tried to invade the country, and Kharkiv resisted. Because your authorities and people knew perfectly well what was going on and did not allow the outside forces to take over public buildings. I have always used this example in the United States as proof that it is possible to combat Russias hybrid war. You need to know what you are doing and what you are dealing with. Local people demonstrated wisdom and courage, said Evelyn Farkas. - Ukraine is part of the international legal order. It has the right to determine its own future independently, and citizens have the right to choose their allies and to be a democracy. I believe that the international legal order, the international community and international law will withstand the challenges that Russia creates not only in Ukraine, but in other countries as well. Today, the US, the EU, and the entire world community want Ukraine to succeed more than ever." "Ukraine went through three great revolutions, where people fought for their democratic values, which greatly sets them apart from Russians. Today, you have to fight for this freedom. It seems to me that Russia has been getting too much attention lately. Yes, it has its own vision of the world. However, Russia cannot affect democracy", believes Ambassador Roman Popadiuk. Two weeks after the Rouhani administration introduced its new foreign exchange policy of a single rate for US dollar, travellers and businesses complain that foreign currency is not available at the government-imposed rate of 42,000 rials for a dollar. Vice-President Ali Asghar Mounesan told the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) on Monday April 23 that travel agents have been complaining about limitations and ambiguities in the new policy. The problem is more serious for those who need to travel to a third country in order to get a visa for entry into their destination country and therefor need more foreign currency. Meanwhile the rising price of dollars continues to impact the economy as media reported on Sunday April 22 that the import of vehicles has come to a halt and the price of home appliances has been on the rise during the past week. Farhad Ehteshamzadeh, an official at the vehicle importers union told Fars news agency on Sunday that no import applications have been registered for his unions members after the new rate for US dollar has been announced on April 10. Ehteshamzadeh said the government has not issued any directive to the banks about selling foreign currency to importers. This, he said, has led to an unprecedented demand for foreign currency. He added that every dollar would cost importers 48500 rials rather than 42000 rials, even when allocations begin and all funds have to be converted to Euros based on new regulations. Ehteshamzadehs statement came one day after President Hassan Rouhani promised importers to rest assured as the foreign currency they need would be supplied by the government. Meanwhile, Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri stated on Sunday that The government has taken measures to prevent any rise in the price of essential commodities and medicine. Jahangiri said that on Monday April 23 the government would introduce a unified center to manage foreign currency affairs, adding that exporters would offer the foreign currency they gain for sale at the center, and importers would purchase the same foreign currency via banks and authorized exchange bureaus. In the meantime, the Iranian Customs Administration announced on Sunday that import of vehicles has dropped 73% in number and 77% in value during the past month compared to the same period last year. Economists believe the rise in the prise of foreign currency is the main reason for the drop in imports. Mohammad Tahanpour, the chairman of home appliance importers union, told Tasnim news agency on Sunday that the price of home appliances in the Iranian market have had a 7% rise during the past week. He added that although there are also other reasons involved, the rising price of foreign currencies against Irans rial is the key factor in the hype in the price of home appliances. In another development, Shargh daily newspaper reported on April 22 that the union of electrical industries has called for a rise in the value of their contracts with the Ministry of Energy. According to Shargh, the union has informed the ministry in a letter to the minister that 100 of their contracts with the ministry may no longer be economically viable following the implementation of the new foreign exchange policy, warning that this could lead to power cuts and blackouts in the country. Iranian officials have blamed other countries for the rise in the price of foreign currencies and devaluation of Irans rial. However, many news websites and Telegram channels attributed the problem to IRGCs linked companies pulling out their dollars from the market. The possibility of the United States withdrawal from the Wests nuclear deal with Iran has also adversely affected the market, further adding to the ongoing instability. The Rouhani administration imposed a new rate of exchange 18,000 less than the market price of 60,000 rials against one US dollar in early April. Economic analysts, such as Fereidoun Khavand in Paris, have said that imposed rates and security approaches will not solve Irans economic problems in the long run. Kaveh Madani, a young Iranian environmental scientist living abroad who returned home full of hope last year to serve as the vice-chairman of Irans Department of Environment, resigned April 19 on Twitter while outside the country. The scandal surrounding his departure again brings to light a question that the Iranian diaspora has been debating for decades: Does one remain in exile, or return to the homeland and try to drive change from within? Madani, an established academic at the Imperial College in London, returned to Iran less than a year ago at the Rouhani administrations invitation to serve his country in the problematic area of the environment. He faced numerous problems and obstacles that made working in Iran impossible for him. Madani was reportedly jailed for some time with several other environmentalists in February. One of the environmentalists later died in prison, and though the official cause of death was suicide, the mans friends and family are unconvinced. Iranian intelligence published some of Madanis private photos they had confiscated from his computer at the time of his arrival in Iran in an attempt to tarnish his image. Madani said in his letter of resignation that some of his relatives were also harassed by security officers. Unfortunately, Madanis experience is not exceptional. Many young Iranians who return home hoping to make a difference in their country end up leaving under similar circumstances, disillusioned and disappointed. Beyond the global trend of brain drain affecting all economically troubled countries, Irans wealthy and educated elites leave their native country because of the non-transparent political system, censorship, suppression of civil society, religious, cultural, political, and gender-based discrimination, a rouge judiciary system, a parallel government of the security apparatus, widespread financial mismanagement and corruption, and tense relations with other countries. Research shows that countries like South Korea, Brazil, and South Africa have managed to control or even reverse the brain drain trend by introducing political and economic changes and other reforms. Change breeds change, and when the economy is healthy, culture and the sciences can also flourish with the help of the returning diaspora. But Irans elites will never return when they are harassed and intimidated as Madani was; when they are accused of being spies and their families threatened. Quite the contrary, this attitude will keep them abroad, which may be what the ruling powers in Iran really want. Iranian officials must understand how invaluable human resources are in the development of the country. Iranians leave their homeland looking for work in countries that respect human beings and their rights and freedoms, where there is rule of law, gender equality, job security, a healthy and transparent judiciary system, democracy, and no gender, political, religious, and ethnic discrimination. Madanis experience is a good example of how an inefficient, corrupt, and non-transparent Mafia-like managerial class becomes a powerful deterrent force preventing highly-motivated young men and women who wish to serve their country from re-engaging with Iranian society. The views in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Radio Farda Iran is facing its harshest drought in the last 50 years, and nearly half the countrys population will soon face water shortages, according to the Energy Ministry. 334 cities with 35 million people across Iran are currently struggling with water stress, said Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian April 21 in a speech to top members of President Hassan Rouhanis administration. Classifying cities in three different categories, Ardakanian explained, 165 cities with 10.5 million people are in yellow, 62 cities with 6.8 million are in orange, and 107 cities with 17.2 million residents are in a red alert situation across Iran. Iran has been experiencing long cycles of drought for the last fifty years, with the average amount of precipitation per decade dropping from 250 to 217 millimeters during that time. Despite the historic downward trend in precipitation, Ardakanian emphasized that this year will be the driest on the books. The water shortage is currently Irans most important humanitarian challenge, said UN Development Program Resident Representative in Iran Gary Lewis. The regions worst hit by the drought are the provinces of Isfahan, Baluchestan, and Sistan. One Iranian MP described the situation in the later province as a danger threatening Irans national security. Reports suggest five million people living in Isfahan, in central Iran, will have no access to drinking water from July onwards. In addition to the lack of precipitation, Irans water shortage is compounded by poor management of water resources, critics say. Even Ardakanian says changing water consumption practices is a key step in ending the water shortage. Revising the ways water is consumed in Iran is even more important than discovering new water resources in the country, said Ardakanian, cautioning that failing to adapt consumption practices could lead to water rationing and power outages. Water experts say years of mismanagement have lead to many lakes, rivers, and wetlands drying up across the country, and warn that beyond the current acute crisis, Irans water shortage will have serious long-term economic and social consequences. A 2017 United Nations report warned, Water shortages are acute; agricultural livelihoods no longer sufficient. With few other options, many people have left [their homes], choosing uncertain futures as migrants in search of work. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Azerbaijan's newly-appointed Agriculture Minister Inam Karimov has named key principles for his Ministry's future activity. Karimov, addressing the ministry's staff, said that good and efficient management, being closer to farmers, and application of (transparency, efficiency, accountability) innovations will be the key principles in the Ministry's future activity, the Agriculture Ministry told Trend on April 23. The minister further stressed that problems faced by farmers will be studied and relevant solutions will be defined. Furthermore, there will be measures to expand the application of the Electronic Agriculture project. President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on April 21 appointing Inam Karimov as the Minister of Agriculture. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 104 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said April 23. 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. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Azerbaijan will take the appropriate measures against Armenias provocations, the press service of Azerbaijans Defense Ministry told Trend April 23 commenting on the video footage distributed by the Armenian media about the alleged accumulation of the Azerbaijani armys manpower and military equipment on the contact line between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops. This video is another provocation, the ministry said. The montage video footage was captured from a long distance and from various angles during the redeployment of troops in the course of the Azerbaijani armys exercises. The military-political regime of Armenia, seriously concerned about the massive unrest in their country, continues to keep the Armenian people in fear by spreading such information. Mass rallies broke out in Yerevan and other Armenian cities on April 13 following former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyans nomination as prime minister. The opposition accuses him of ineffective governance and worsening the economic situation in the country. Despite the protests, Armenias parliament elected Sargsyan as prime minister on April 17. On April 19, opposition members tried to disrupt the new Cabinet of Ministers meeting, blocking entrances to government facilities and marching down Yerevan streets. About 3,000 people took part in a rally in the evening. As many as 123 people were arrested over the day. 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. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: In light of recent political developments in the region and the possibility of escalation along the Line of Contact, the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the US) underscore the critical importance of the sides respecting the ceasefire at this delicate time and, in particular, keeping heavy equipment positioned in the rear of the frontlines, said a statement from the OSCE. The co-chairs call on the sides to take immediate measures to reduce tensions, and look forward to meeting with the parties as soon as possible to renew intensified negotiations to find a lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict. 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. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Huseyn Veliyev, Trend: Armenia disregards proposals of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on closure of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), Chairman of Azerbaijan's National Nuclear Research Center CJSC Adil Garibov told Trend. Garibov reminded that following the disaster at the Fukushima Plant in Japan, the IAEA sent proposals to all countries to close down all the reactors, whose operation was completed. "Activity of the NPP should correspond to local conditions. It is necessary to develop scenarios in case of cataclysms. Unfortunately, the document, which is utmost importance in this sector, depends on the decision of each state. As you know, Armenia's Cabinet of Ministers issued an order in 2015 to extend the life of the Metsamor NPP. Theretofore, the IAEA has no legal rights to challenge this decision. The IAEA can only propose, and it did, but Armenia disregards these proposals," Garibov said. Armenia, according to Garibov, will never close the Metsamor NPP, as it is a strategic facility and a source of energy. In addition, having the NPP, Armenia gets the status of a nuclear country, which it can use in conflict situations, he noted. "Furthermore, Armenia possesses technologies for handling nuclear and radioactive materials, their storage and transportation. This is Armenia's strategic goal, and it will never give it up. Today, Armenia together with Russia are planning to build a new nuclear power plant with a capacity of 1,060 megawatts," Garibov said. Azerbaijan should continue to inform the world community about the Metsamor NPP's threats to the region, he said. "It is very important that our executive bodies, together with the country's leadership raise this issue at all international meetings. Whether Armenia will react to it, it is a question, given that this country does not comply with the UN resolutions," Garibov said. Construction of the Metsamor NPP started in 1970. After the devastating earthquake in Spitak city in 1988, the plant was shut down, but in 1995, despite international protests, the nuclear power plants operation was resumed, and moreover, the second reactor was launched. Ecologists and scholars from the whole region think seismic activity in the area turns operation of the Metsamor NPP into an extremely dangerous undertaking. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Samir Ali - Trend: The events that have recently been taking place in Armenia are the result of very serious mistakes made in 1991, when Armenia gained independence, Azerbaijani MP Aydin Mirzazade told Trend. He noted that until these mistakes are eliminated, such crises will continue in Armenia. This is fraught with tragic consequences for Armenia, he added. Armenias claims on the lands of neighboring states, the policy of building a state and society under the guise of civilized but medieval thinking in the result will lead to an even greater outflow of the population, the countrys transformation into a puppet of external forces and serious resistance of the society against authorities. Today, protesters in the streets of Yerevan are young people who want a normal life, Mirzazade said. These young people want to live in normal relations with neighboring states, without war, he noted. Armenian youth doesnt want Sargsyan the criminal (former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan), whose hands are stained with blood of innocent civilians of Azerbaijans Khojaly town, to remain in power. The people who protest in Armenia today dont want to spend their lives in war and live in poverty. Yerevan events show that from now on, it wont be possible to govern Armenia by the old rules. Mass rallies broke out in Yerevan and other Armenian cities on April 13 following former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyans nomination as prime minister. The opposition accuses him of ineffective governance and worsening of the economic situation in the country. Despite the protests, Armenias parliament elected Sargsyan prime minister on April 17. On April 19, opposition members tried to disrupt the new cabinet of ministers meeting, blocking entrances to government facilities and marching down Yerevan streets. About 3,000 people took part in a rally in the evening. As many as 123 people were arrested over the day. Details added (first version posted on 11:25) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev received Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin on April 23. At the meeting, the sides noted successful development of bilateral relations between the countries in various spheres, including in the economic sphere. Having assessed the growth of trade turnover last year, as well as the results of the first quarter this year as a good sign of expanding economic ties, President Ilham Aliyev stressed that this is a good indicator of the development of bilateral relations as a whole. He noted strengthening of economic ties as a result of joint fruitful activity of the two countries, as well as strengthening of cooperation among individual facilities. President Ilham Aliyev expressed confidence in further strengthening of economic ties. Maxim Oreshkin once again conveyed greetings of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in connection with his landslide victory in the presidential election. Oreshkin noted that the election results are manifestation of the firm support rendered by the Azerbaijani people to the political and economic policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev and that stability in Azerbaijan is of great importance. The Russian minister said that only a few months passed since his last visit to Baku, and a number of serious steps were taken in the field of economic cooperation. Maxim Oreshkin noted with satisfaction the joint fruitful work with his Azerbaijani counterparts. Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude for the congratulations. During the conversation, the sides exchanged views on the prospects for cooperation regarding the International North-South Transport Corridor, in the investment, agriculture, tourism and other spheres. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Huseyn Abdullayev, a former member of the Azerbaijani Parliament, who was on the wanted list, was arrested in Turkey, the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry said in a message on April 23. He was brought to Azerbaijan, and handed over to the investigative authorities, the ministry added. In 2012, a criminal case was launched under Article 213.2.2 (tax evasion on a large scale) against Abdullayev. Abdullayev fled the country, and was put on the wanted list. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Elchin Mehdiyev Trend: Corruption allegations against Azerbaijan in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) collapsed, Azerbaijani MP and PACE member Elkhan Suleymanov told Trend on April 23. Suleymanov said that the Independent External Investigation Body (IBAC) looking into allegations of corruption in PACE presented its report to the Bureau of the Assembly in Strasbourg. The Investigation Body has not found any fact concerning the allegations of corruption against Azerbaijan and consequently concluded that the requirements of neutrality in the work of PACE MPs, in particular the rapporteurs concerning the activities of PACE on Azerbaijan, have not been breached, according to Suleymanov. "For the last two years pumped-up headlines in Western European media, created by certain circles, in particular Soros-financed NGOs and media groups, spreading and supporting false allegations against Azerbaijan have paralyzed the normal activities of PACE. Whilst during recent years the already not good international reputation of the PACE was severely damaged by these repeated non-serious explanations, it becomes clear now that allegations eventually were groundless, false, and biased," he said. The Investigation Body, according to him, confirmed that all PACE reports on Azerbaijan since 2008, including all election observation mission reports and the 2013 Strasser report on political prisoners, which became the discussion point for power centers and anti-Azerbaijan forces who were not willing to admit defeat, were adopted without the neutrality of MPs being affected, thus all these reports and their political contents remaining fully valid. "In its report, the Investigation Body initially just repeated previous allegations by some biased NGOs, but it was not able, after thorough investigation, to provide any solid fact and proof. They were, of course, not able to deliver what cannot be delivered, but what was on the other hand highly expected by the enemies of Azerbaijan," the MP said. Suleymanov further voiced regret that the IBAC focused entirely on Azerbaijan, while similar allegations against six other member states were treated by IBAC in total on one page only, out of the 200-page report. This report does not serve objectivity and neutrality, he added. "Finally, this superfluous show aiming at damaging Azerbaijans image in international arena resulted in a waste of 200,000 Euro taxpayer money, being the cost of this investigation, at a moment when PACE is suffering from serious budgetary problems," he noted. Suleymanov said that instead of attempting to intimidate Azerbaijan with slanders, PACE should deal with to address important challenges at a moment when Europe is suffering from huge problems such as migration, common security and budgetary issues. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has congratulated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. "On behalf of the Israeli government, I would like to sincerely congratulate you on re-election as president for the fourth time, Netanyahu said. We intend to continue to maintain our contacts for further strengthening of close relations of friendship and cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan. I would like again to invite you to visit Israel at a suitable time, he added. Once again I express my deep gratitude for your sincere attitude and hospitality during my unforgettable visit to Baku in December 2016. I hope to see you again in the shortest possible time." Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: The US State Department's attitude to the events taking place in the socio-political, socio-economic and cultural life of Azerbaijan, as always, is biased, Azerbaijani Presidents Assistant for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov told Trend on April 23. Hasanov made the remarks commenting on a report on the situation in Azerbaijan, reflected in the 2017 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices by the US Department of State. The methodology of the reports preparation on each issue is based on the principle of ascertaining of one, in some cases, of several facts, their correspondence to interests of certain political circles, biased reflection, processing of the corresponding results and their generalization throughout the sphere, Hasanov noted. Such an attitude, as well as absence of sources, as a rule, reference to some experts, activists, NGO representatives and similar incomprehensible sources cast serious doubts on the objectivity and transparency of the report, he added. Hasanov emphasized that all elections held in Azerbaijan, including the 2013 presidential election, met the international standards and Azerbaijan's legislation, they were democratic, fair and transparent, and reflected the will of the people. This fact was reflected in the conclusions and reports of numerous foreign and international observer groups, according to Hasanov. "Azerbaijan is a democratic state, and independent activity of the legislative, executive and judicial authorities is ensured in the country in accordance with the norms of the Constitution. Therefore, we do not accept biased statements that downplay the image of the authorities and certain state bodies on the basis of some dubious "facts", and assess them as subjective judgment lacking any serious grounds," he said. Hasanov went on to say that the freedom of speech and information, freedom of assembly, all democratic norms, including pluralism of opinions, are ensured in Azerbaijan. "Hundreds of mass media outlets, a huge army of reporters operate absolutely freely in the country. The number of users of social networks is close to three millions, while 80 percent of the country's population uses the internet," Hasanov said. He said that over 3,000 NGOs operate in Azerbaijan, which contribute to development of all spheres of the society through their initiatives and practical steps. "Therefore, the allegations in the report on "limiting" the activities of the civil society institutions cause only regret." "Along with the fact that the April 11 presidential election in Azerbaijan confirmed the satisfactory level of the electoral process culture in Azerbaijan's socio-political life, it also clearly demonstrated the level of parties' participation in the political processes," he said. Hasanov emphasized that society in Azerbaijan, as in Europe and the US, rejects marginal political groups that are increasingly losing the opportunity to realize their ambitions. "This does not mean shortcomings in Azerbaijan's political system; on the contrary, this is an important advantage providing security, stability, tolerance in the life of society. Unfortunately, these issues were reflected in a biased form in the State Department's report and undesirable conclusions were made. As for "political prisoners", "pressure", "arrests" and other similar allegations in the report, we believe there are more such facts in the Western countries. If the State Department comments on these facts by the same methodology, then we can imagine what the results will be," said Hasanov. Details added (first version posted on 15:05) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: The US State Department's attitude to the events taking place in the socio-political, socio-economic and cultural life of Azerbaijan, as always, is biased, Azerbaijani Presidents Assistant for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov told Trend on April 23. Hasanov made the remarks commenting on a report on the situation in Azerbaijan, reflected in the 2017 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices by the US Department of State. The methodology of the reports preparation on each issue is based on the principle of ascertaining of one, in some cases, of several facts, their correspondence to interests of certain political circles, biased reflection, processing of the corresponding results and their generalization throughout the sphere, Hasanov noted. Such an attitude, as well as absence of sources, as a rule, reference to some experts, activists, NGO representatives and similar incomprehensible sources cast serious doubts on the objectivity and transparency of the report, he added. Hasanov emphasized that all elections held in Azerbaijan, including the 2013 presidential election, met the international standards and Azerbaijan's legislation, they were democratic, fair and transparent, and reflected the will of the people. This fact was reflected in the conclusions and reports of numerous foreign and international observer groups, according to Hasanov. "Azerbaijan is a democratic state, and independent activity of the legislative, executive and judicial authorities is ensured in the country in accordance with the norms of the Constitution. Therefore, we do not accept biased statements that downplay the image of the authorities and certain state bodies on the basis of some dubious "facts", and assess them as subjective judgment lacking any serious grounds," he said. Hasanov went on to say that the freedom of speech and information, freedom of assembly, all democratic norms, including pluralism of opinions, are ensured in Azerbaijan. "Hundreds of mass media outlets, a huge army of reporters operate absolutely freely in the country. The number of users of social networks is close to three millions, while 80 percent of the country's population uses the internet," Hasanov said. He said that over 3,000 NGOs operate in Azerbaijan, which contribute to development of all spheres of the society through their initiatives and practical steps. "Therefore, the allegations in the report on "limiting" the activities of the civil society institutions cause only regret." "Along with the fact that the April 11 presidential election in Azerbaijan confirmed the satisfactory level of the electoral process culture in Azerbaijan's socio-political life, it also clearly demonstrated the level of parties' participation in the political processes," he said. Hasanov emphasized that society in Azerbaijan, as in Europe and the US, rejects marginal political groups that are increasingly losing the opportunity to realize their ambitions. "This does not mean shortcomings in Azerbaijan's political system; on the contrary, this is an important advantage providing security, stability, tolerance in the life of society. Unfortunately, these issues were reflected in a biased form in the State Department's report and undesirable conclusions were made. As for "political prisoners", "pressure", "arrests" and other similar allegations in the report, we believe there are more such facts in the Western countries. If the State Department comments on these facts by the same methodology, then we can imagine what the results will be," said Hasanov. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev expressed condolences to President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on April 23. "We are deeply saddened by the news of numerous human casualties and injuries as a result of the powerful explosion in Kabul, President Aliyev said. We are extremely outraged by this brutal terrorist attack. We think it important to conduct a more resolute and consistent struggle against all forms of terrorism." On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend deep condolences to you, families and the loved ones of those who died, and wish the injured swiftest possible recovery, he added. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has today signed an order to appoint Jeyhun Bayramov as the Education Minister of Azerbaijan. He was appointed to this post under President Aliyev's order making additions to the presidential decree dated April 21, 2018 "On the new composition of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan". Prior to this appointment, Bayramov served as the deputy education minister of Azerbaijan. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has today signed an order appointing Mukhtar Babayev as the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan. Babayev was appointed to this post under President Aliyev's order making additions to the presidential decree dated April 21, 2018 "On the new composition of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan". Prior to this appointment, Babayev headed the Azerikimya Production Association. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has today signed an order making additions to the presidential decree dated April 21, 2018 "On the new composition of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan". Under the decree, the Cabinet of Ministers' composition was expanded as follows: Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources - Mukhtar Babayev Minister of Sports and Youth - Azad Rahimov Minister of Culture - Abulfas Garayev Minister of Defense Industry - Yaver Jamalov Minister of Healthcare - Ogtay Shiraliyev Minister of Education - Jeyhun Bayramov Chairman of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs - Hijran Huseynova Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora - Fuad Muradov Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Religious Organizations - Mubariz Gurbanli Chairman of the State Customs Committee - Safar Mehdiyev Chairman of the State Statistics Committee - Tahir Budagov Chairman of the State Committee for Property Issues - Karam Hasanov Chairman of the State Tourism Agency - Fuad Nagiyev Chairman of the Food Safety Agency - Goshgar Tahmazli Chairman of the State Migration Service - Vusal Huseynov Chairman of the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription - Arzu Rahimov The order takes effect from the date of its signing. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree approving a Memorandum of Understanding between the Azerbaijani Energy Ministry and the Iranian Oil Ministry on joint development of blocks in the Caspian Sea. The memorandum was signed on March 28, 2018 in Baku. Azerbaijan's Energy Ministry and state oil company SOCAR were instructed to implement the Memorandum's provisions after it takes effect. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry was instructed to inform the Iranian government about implementation of the necessary internal procedures for the entry into force of the Memorandum. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Azerbaijan is the land of mountains and mud volcanoes, multiculturalism and mugham music, Tom Marsden, writer and photographer, said in his article published by CNN. Straddling East and West, Azerbaijan blends dramatic landscapes with people and culture that reflect its fascinating location at the crossroads of Turkey, Russia and Iran, said Marsden. With a new and easy three-day visa service, reasonable prices and unbeatable hospitality, travelers that make it to the "Land of Fire" are often very pleasantly surprised, he adds. Marsden advises to visit museums, in particular in the Heydar Aliyev Center, the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, and the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan. Moreover, Marsden advises tourists to visit the Gobustan National Park, 40 kilometers from central Baku, saying there are more than 6,000 UNESCO-listed rock carvings in the Gobustan National Park, which offer a unique insight into prehistoric life in the Caspian-Caucasus region. Marsden also wrote about the Formula 1 race to be held in Baku April 27-29. He says the race has been brought forward to April, which is a great time to visit Baku before the summer heat begins to kick in. Marsden also advises tourists to visit the beaches of the Absheron Peninsula, Ivanovka village in Ismayilli region, Guba region, Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, spectacular Goygol Lake, as well as Shahdag and Tufandag mountain resorts. On the eve of the upcoming Formula Gran Prix races, to be held in Baku, Nar has implemented various measures aimed at optimization of its network. The mobile operator has completed works aimed at provision of high quality mobile communication services to speed fans that are planning to visit our capital. Thus, the network testing and quality measurements of the area were performed. Network capacity in the center of Baku has been optimized to the maximum extent and more than 20 new base stations have been installed in order to further expand the capacity and coverage of 4G (LTE-A) network. Moreover, 6 additional mobile stations have been put into operation for the purpose of increasing the network quality at the racing areas. Nar employees will monitor the network at the race area and support the network users 24/7. More detailed information about the network of Nar is available at nar.az website. Azerfon LLC (Nar) started its operations on March 21, 2007, and within a short period of time became one of the leading companies of the telecommunications and mobile communication industry of Azerbaijan. The Nar brand name was selected as the symbol that resembles the cohesion of the rich cultural and historical heritage of Azerbaijan with the modern life. Being the first operator in the country to introduce the 3G technology, Nar provides the customers with a wide 4G network coverage. Moreover, within the frames of its strategy aimed at continuous improvement of the network quality, the operator has introduced the HD-Voice service, which ensures a significant increase of the quality and flawless transmission of voice. With a large network of over 6500 base stations, covering 93% of the countrys territory, Nar provides more than 2 million subscribers with the highest quality services. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Azad Hasanli - Trend: Turkey hopes for the early signing of an agreement on preferential trade with Azerbaijan, Turkish Minister of economy Nihat Zeybekci said in an exclusive interview with Trend. According to the minister, in 2017 [according to the Turkish side] the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Turkey amounted to $2.7 billion, having increased by 10 percent during one year. Turkish exports amounted to $1.35 billion, while imports from Azerbaijan amounted to $1.34 billion. "Our trade turnover is balanced. However, I believe that we will be able to expand trade ties. For this reason, I attach great importance to the agreement on preferential trade, the negotiations on signing of which we are holding today with Azerbaijan," the minister said. In October 2017, during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Baku, the two countries signed a Memorandum of understanding on signing a preferential trade agreement. The agreement provides for the introduction of a zero rate of customs duty on mutual supplies of goods between Turkey and Azerbaijan. In October last year, Turkey also exempted goods supplied from the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic from duties. The list had 43 titles of products (13 agricultural and 30 industrial). Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: A conference of representatives of business communities of Tajikistans Sughd province and Uzbekistans Samarkand region took place in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on April 21, Tajik news agency ASIA-Plus reported on April 23. The delegation of the Sughd province led by Sughd Governor Rajabboy Ahmadzoda reportedly consisted of entrepreneurs, artists, athletes and regional administrators. An exhibition of goods manufactured by Samarkand and Sughd enterprises was held on the sidelines of the business forum, which resulted in signing of a number of cooperation agreements. The Tajik entrepreneurs also visited a number of local enterprises and a nut plantation in Samarkand. It was reported earlier that Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are planning to sign an agreement on strategic partnership. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: In March 2018, 13 companies with Chinese capital were registered in Turkey, which is by eight companies less than in the same period of 2017, the Chamber of Commerce of Turkey (TOBB) told Trend. Trend was told that the total capital of registered Chinese companies in March 2018 amounted to 7,969 million Turkish liras, while in March 2017 the total capital of registered Chinese companies amounted to 4,205 million Turkish liras. "At the end of March 2018, 10,888 thousand companies were registered in Turkey, which is 22.9 percent more compared to March 2017," TOBB said. In 2017, 58 422 foreign companies were registered in Turkey. At the end of 2017, the number of registered German companies equaled to 428, Syrian - 256, Iranian - 231, Russian - 146. The remaining 57,225 companies fall to the share of other countries. The official exchange rate as of 0April 23 is 4.0405 TL/USD. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkey plans to increase the country's gold reserve through the sale of old cars without owners, and confiscated ones as well, Turkish media reported on April 23. It is reported that local municipalities will sell abandoned or confiscated cars, and the proceeds from the sale of these cars will be placed in state banks, which will buy gold using these funds. The Turkish authorities have not commented on this information. Remind that earlier it was reported that the Central Bank of Turkey transferred to Turkey the gold reserve stored in Federal Reserve System of the US. It was reported that the total volume of gold reserve of the Central Bank of Turkey stored in the US was 220 tons. Media sources revealed, that other Turkish banks - Ziraat Bank and Vakfbank also started work on the transfer of gold reserve in the volume of 95 tons from the United States to Turkey. The reasons for the transfer of gold reserves from the United States to Turkey have not been revealed. The Central Bank of Turkey stated, at the end of March 2018, the gold reserve of the Bank amounted to $25.3 billion. Over the past 23 years (1995-2017) Turkey imported 3,649 thousand tons of gold. During the last 17 years (2000-2017) 273 tons of gold were produced in Turkey. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend: An excise customs post will appear on the border between Azerbaijan and Russia in the near future, Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev told reporters in Baku April 23. He said that this will help facilitate the export of tobacco products and alcoholic beverages of Azerbaijani origin to Russia. Previously, Azerbaijani products were sent first to Georgia and then to Russia for this purpose, he noted. Mustafayev also mentioned successful development of trade relations between the two countries. The bilateral trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia increased by 22 percent last year, he said. In January-March this year, the trade turnover grew 32 percent, while Azerbaijani exports to Russia grew 50 percent. Azerbaijans trade turnover with Russia amounted to $2.14 billion in 2017, about $1.5 billion of which accounted for the import of Russian products to Azerbaijan, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Erlan Abdyldaev within the framework of his official visit to China from April 22 to 25 met with head of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Song Tao, Kyrgyz news agency Kabar reported on April 23. The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic stated that the sides paid attention to the significant results achieved in recent years in the sphere of development of inter-party and inter-parliamentary ties, which acquired special dynamism through joint efforts. In addition, the sides discussed issues of bilateral political and economic cooperation, as well as considered promising areas of partnership between the two countries in the cultural and humanitarian sphere. Abdyldaev noted that inter-parliamentary contacts will help strengthen friendly relations between the two countries, recalling the relevant Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the Parliaments of Kyrgyzstan and China in 2014. Song Tao stressed that Kyrgyzstan is a close friend and a good, reliable neighbor of China and indicated that the parties should emphasize the development of the Kyrgyz-Chinese inter-parliamentary and inter-party dialogue. Details added (first version posted at 14:01) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend: GAZ commercial vehicles will be assembled in Azerbaijan, as is stipulated in the Memorandum of Cooperation signed by GAZ Automobile Plant Ltd and AzerMash OJSC in Baku April 23. The document was signed in the presence of Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev and Russian Minister of Economic Development Maksim Oreshkin, who is on a visit to Baku. Cars will be assembled in the Hajigabul Industrial Zone. Also, a Memorandum of cooperation between the ski resort "Shahdag" and the Association of resorts of the North Caucasus was signed during the ceremony. Note that currently, the AzerMash Company is also a co-owner of "Khazar" car factory at Neftchala industrial area operated jointly with the Iranian Iran Khodro Company. Production of cars at this factory started this month. The factory produces cars under the brand name of "Khazar", and assemblage of a number of Peugeot and Renault models will be implemented in the future. All cars produced at the factory comply with Euro-5 standards. The State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan stated, the trade turnover with Russia in 2017 amounted to 2.14 billion US dollars, of which about 1.5 billion dollars fell on the import of Russian products. Trade turnover between the two countries increased by 4.3 per cent compared to the previous year. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend: A car bridge will be built over the Samur river on the Azerbaijani-Russian border in 2019, Azerbaijan's Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev told reporters on April 23. The bridge construction was launched in October 2017. Its length is 325 meters. The Russian side controls the construction work. Previously, Russian media reported that the cost of the bridge construction will be 1.2 billion rubles and the project is financed jointly. According to the press service of Russia's federal state institution Federal Highways Administration 'Kaspiy', the decision on construction of a new bridge was made in accordance with the agreement signed between the two countries on Sept.13, 2013. The new bridge will replace the existing one, which was built in 1957. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Ilkin Shafiyev Trend: A packing line will be commissioned at the pharmaceutical plant Hayat Pharm, which is a joint Azerbaijani-Russian project, by late 2018, Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev told reporters in Baku on April 23. Previously, Azerbaijani Deputy Economy Minister Niyazi Safarov said the construction of Hayat Pharm will be completed by 2019. Safarov noted that $74 million have been invested in the plants construction. Hayat Pharm will produce medicines of various pharmaceutical groups, including cancer, antifungal, antiemetic, antiviral and other drugs. The plants groundbreaking ceremony was held in Pirallahi Industrial Park in November 2016. Russias R-Pharm (45 percent), Azerbaijan Investment Company (AIC, 10 percent) and Azerbaijans Vita-A LLC (45 percent) are the plants shareholders. Touching upon the development of the trade and economic relations between the two countries, Mustafayev noted that Azerbaijan intends to triple export to Russia in the next five years. "We are doing huge work in this direction," the minister said. According to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia in 2017 amounted to $2.14 billion, of which about $1.5 billion accounted for the import of Russian goods. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyev Baku, Azerbaijan, April 22 By Farhad Daneshvar Trend: Iran, a rice growing country, has reportedly permitted merchants to import the strategic product as the ongoing water crisis has triggered concerns in the country. "Following a decision by the senior government officials, from today on, importing rice from all crossings is legal and the importers only need to observe the regulations set by the standards organization as well as Health Ministry," an official with the countrys agriculture ministry told ISNA news agency on April 22. Under the new directive, the merchants are allowed to import rice until July 22 and there will be no changes in the customs tariffs on the imports of the product. Iran normally allows imports of rice in late September when the local farmers have concluded cultivating the cereal grain and again limits the imports in late July. The Islamic Republic imported worth of $1.2 billion of rice over the last fiscal year which ended on March 21. Rice producer turns into importer Over the past several years Iran has turned into a large importer of rice as India and Pakistan have secured a strong position for their rice in the Iranian market. In 2010, Iran imported $916 million worth of rice, out of which $369 million were from India, giving it a 40 percent share in the Iranian market. By 2014, the Indian share in Irans rice market had gone up to 89.51 percent ($1.28 billion in rice imports from India out of the total Iranian imports of $1.43 billion), Financial Tribune reported. The share of Indian rice in Iran rose further to 92 percent in 2015 ($729.71 million). In 2016, the Indian share came down to 72.82 percent ($503.02 million). By contrast, Pakistans export of rice to Iran fell from $124.76 million in 2010 to $15.64 million in 2014 and further to $3.47 million in 2015 before rising to $8.48 million in 2016. Thus between 2010 and 2016, the share of Pakistans rice in Iranian market went down from 13.62 percent to 1.22 percent. Being a water-scarce country, Iran is set to limit rice production, which will create a significant opportunity for rice exporting countries, including Pakistan. Water crisis The Islamic Republic of Iran Meteorological Organization earlier announced that about 97 percent of the country is experiencing drought to some degree. Addressing the nation on the occasion of the beginning of the new Iranian year President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei mentioned drought as a problem that needs to be addressed. Iran's total annual water consumption is approximately 93 billion cubic meters, out of which about 92 percent is used in agriculture (86 billion cubic meters), 6.6 percent in municipality (6.18 billion cubic meters), and 1.2 percent in industry (1.12 billion cubic meters), according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. According to the countrys officials, up to 70 percent of water used in the agriculture sector is being wasted. Over the past months, Iran has seen several protests in different cities due to the drought. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: Uzbekistan and Canada discussed promotion of cooperation in innovative development of real economy of the Central Asian state, the press service of the Ministry of Innovative Development of Uzbekistan stated on April 23. According to the statement, the discussion was held within the framework of the meeting between Deputy Minister Sherzod Shermatov and Minister-Counsellor, Senior Trade Commissioner to the Canadian Embassy in the Russian Federation Annick Goulet. Shermatov noted that the activities of the Uzbek government are currently aimed at maintaining an open and transparent policy and establishing trade and economic relations with foreign partners. The deputy minister also said that the most promising and valuable resource of Uzbekistan is the hard-working population. It was noted that special attention should be paid to cooperation in personnel training in various areas to further stimulate the export of IT services and the development of outsourcing among the population of Uzbekistan. He also noted that in order to achieve the goals set by the president, it is important to establish cooperation in implementing innovative approaches to the development of the fuel and energy complex of Uzbekistan through the phased implementation of renewable energy sources use, based on the successful experience of developed countries. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend: Azerbaijan's joining OPEC is not on the agenda, Azerbaijans Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov told reporters in Baku April 23. The minister noted that Azerbaijans cooperation with OPEC within the agreement on the oil production cut was very successful. Azerbaijan considers cooperation as part of OPEC+ successful, the goals are achieved, and we expect to continue this successful cooperation, Shahbazov said. In December 2016, at a meeting of oil producers in Vienna, 11 non-OPEC member countries (including Azerbaijan) agreed to cut the oil production by a total of 558,000 barrels a day. The agreement was concluded for the first half of 2017 and was extended until the end of the first quarter of 2018 at a meeting on May 25, 2017. At the last OPEC meeting in Vienna, the agreement was again extended until the end of 2018. Azerbaijan supported the decision. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: SOCAR III International Caspian and Central Asia Downstream Forum on Trading, Logistics, Refining, Petrochemicals organized jointly by Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) and Confidence Capital company (UK) has started on April 23, 2018 in Baku. The number of its attendants has significantly increased since last year. Among experts and managers of state organizations and transnational companies, there are 72 participants from Azerbaijan, 49 representatives from Russia, 32 delegates from Kazakhstan, 53 participants from Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and other European countries, 19 delegates from Iran, Singapore, Turkmenistan, UAE, Uzbekistan and other Asian countries, and a representative of Columbia. Opening the gathering with a welcoming speech, BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov emphasized that SOCAR III International Caspian and Central Asia Downstream Forum is dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev. In his words, the forum is taking place in the remarkable time for Azerbaijan, in a short time after the President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev was re-elected as the head of the state of Azerbaijan. On behalf of the forum participants, the rector extended his congratulations to the whole Azerbaijani nation and expressed confidence in the countrys further development and prosperity. The annual SOCAR Forum which has become a traditional event is a unique platform for covering the countrys oil strategy which is being successfully implemented under the leadership of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev, told Elmar Gasimov. It gives all delegates and participants ample networking and information exchange opportunities on the key issues of oil and gas industry development and the major international projects in trading, logistics and refining in the Caspian region and Central Asia. Participation of about 230 managers and experts from the major oil and gas enterprises of nearly 30 countries is a clear indication that Azerbaijan occupies a leading position in the development of the global energy industry today, the rector said. Then a short documentary featuring the life and multifaceted activities of the national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev was demonstrated. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov, Deputy of the Chairman of the Milli Mejlis of the Azerbaijan Republic Valeh Alasgarov, the First Vice President of SOCAR, academician Khoshbakht Yusifzade, BP Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey region Vice president Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, rector of Baku State University, academician Abel Maharramov and rector of Azerbaijan State University of Economics Adalat Muradov welcomed the participants and wished them successful and productive work. During the first three days of the forum, nearly 40 speakers from 30 countries will make presentations and provide an overview of petrochemical industry in Azerbaijan and other Caspian countries, prices and target markets for oil and oil products, and gas production prospects and export routes. The delegates will also focus on commercial positioning and prospects for development of refining facilities, analyze supply and demand for petrochemical products, and discuss current markets and potential export routes for them from the region. On April 26, they will make technical visits to the facilities of Heydar Aliyev refinery and Oil Gas Processing and Petrochemical Complex in Sumgayit. The forum participants include managers and experts from state structures and enterprises, petroleum companies (traders, oil refinery and oil extraction), transport companies (ports, terminals, pipes and expeditors), banks, legislative and consulting companies, manufacturers, universities, and enterprises dealing with development of new technologies. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Azad Hasanli Trend: Rauf Rzayev was appointed assistant to the Azerbaijani Energy Minister, the Ministry told Trend on April 23. Rzayev took up this post in April 2018, the ministry said. Previously, he headed the investment and project management department at the Azerbaijani State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Sources of Energy. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Ali Mustafayev - Trend: Plants for the production of polypropylene and polyethylene as part of the SOCAR Polymer projects implementation will be launched in the second and third quarters of 2018, said Fuad Ahmadov, deputy director of SOCAR Polymer, a polymer plant of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR. He was speaking at the 3rd SOCAR International Caspian and Central Asia Downstream Forum on Trading, Logistics, Refining and Petrochemicals in Baku April 23. He noted that the launch of a polypropylene plant, the construction of which is completed by 96.7 percent, is expected in June 2018. This is while the launch of a polyethylene plant, the construction of which is completed by 80.1 percent, is expected in the third quarter of 2018, he added. The cost of the SOCAR Polymer project is $800 million, and it is aimed at producing the currently demanded products made of polyethylene and polypropylene, which will be exported to the markets of Turkey and CIS member countries in the future, and also will be used in Azerbaijans domestic market, Ahmadov said. He noted that the government of Azerbaijan renders great support in implementing the companys project, exempting the company from such taxes as VAT and others. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Ali Mustafayev - Trend: Demand for oil in the world market will increase by 2023, senior analyst of the International Energy Agency (IEA) on oil markets, Christophe Barrett said April 23 at the 3rd SOCAR International Downstream Caspian and Central Asia - Trade, Logistics, Refining and Petrochemicals Forum. He said the main sources of increasing oil demand will be China and India. "By 2023, we expect a narrowing gap between demand and supply. Also, by this time, the United States will begin an active search for new markets of energy resources," said Barrett. He stressed that IEA expects an increase in shale oil production and exports to Europe and Asia in the long term, which will have a significant impact on the balance of the international energy market as well as reduce the gap between supply and demand. Barrett said the use of electric vehicles, which can reduce the consumption of gasoline and diesel fuel by 1,800 barrels per day as well as the transition of many marine vessels to fuel oil with a low sulfur content beginning from 2020 will play an important role in saving energy in the medium term. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The Banking Supervision Authority of Turkey (BDDK) has announced a tender to attract technical support services for Microsoft premier software solutions. Local and foreign companies can take part in the tender. The tender procedure will be held at 14:00 (GMT+04:00) on May 16, 2018. Applications and proposals from interested parties are accepted at the address: Buyukdere Cad. No: 106 Esentepe Sisli/Istanbul. For more information you can contact by e-mail: [email protected] Phone: (+90 212) 214 50 00, Fax: (+90 212) 216 09 92. The cost of participation in the tender is 100 Turkish liras. The official exchange rate as of April 23 is 4.0405 TL/USD. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend: The Public Concern "Turkmengas" announced pre-qualification in the tender for the provision of consulting services in the conduct of technical, technological, environmental, marketing and economic audits in the gas chemical industry. All interested companies are invited to submit an application (applications from offshore companies are not accepted) with the full name of the participant, his legal status, country of registration and details. Bids will be accepted until May 20, 2018. Email address: [email protected] The application should be sent to the address: Ashgabat 1939, Archabil Avenue 56, 13th floor, the GC "Turkmengaz". Phones for inquiries: (+99312) 40-33-57; 40-32-50; Fax (+99312) 40-32-51. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Azerbaijan Airlines plans to operate flights from Baku to four more cities in Saudi Arabia. Negotiations are currently underway with partners from Saudi Arabia to carry out regular flights to the airport in Medina, Jeddah Airport (from May 18), Gassim Airport (from June 15) and Hail Airport (from July 1). AZAL has already reached an agreement to carry out flights to such cities of Saudi Arabia as Ed Dammam and Riyadh from June 15. Thus, the number of cities in Saudi Arabia, to which Azerbaijans national airline will carry out flights, will increase to six. The opening of new flights will attract additional tourists from the Middle East, will make holy sites more accessible, and will deepen business relations between the two countries. Additional information will be provided as soon as air tickets go on sale. For more information, please contact: + (99412) 598-88-80 (hotline from Azerbaijan: *8880) E-mail: [email protected] Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend: Following the results of the Turkmen-Uzbek high-level talks held in Tashkent on April 23, bilateral documents were signed, the State Agency "Turkmen Dovlet habarlary" reported. At the intergovernmental level, the program of cooperation in the field of transport for 2018-2020 and the program of scientific and technical cooperation for 2019-2020 have been adopted. The governments of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have also concluded a Memorandum on the transit of ammonium nitrate and an agreement on interregional cooperation. A Protocol on amendments and additions to the agreement on crossing the Turkmen-Uzbek border by workers serving economic facilities located in the border regions dated November 19, 2004 was signed. At the level of ministries and agencies, a cooperation program for 2019; an agreement on the establishment of trade Houses of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan; Memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of sports; agreement on cooperation on quarantine of plants; agreement on the establishment of the Business Council were adopted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Protocol on approval of the action plan on cooperation during 2018 in the field of standardization was signed. The Memorandum of understanding on cooperation was concluded between the Institute for strategic and sustainable development of the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan and the Institute for strategic and interregional studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The presidents of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev adopted a joint statement. Today, in the framework of the state visit of the President of Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan an agreement on the technical justification for the setting of radio frequencies was also signed between the Ministry of communication of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of development of information technologies and communications of Uzbekistan, and a Memorandum of cooperation was signed between the State Committee of Turkmenistan on television, radio and cinematography and the National broadcasting company of Uzbekistan. At the same time, the signing of memorandums and agreements on cooperation between the universities of the two countries was timed to coincide with the visit of the Turkmen leader. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Uzbekistan Nasirjan Yusupov, on the occasion of Yusupov's handing over his credentials, BELTA reported, referring to the Belarusian Foreign ministry. Vladimir Makei noted that Belarus sincerely welcomed the decision of the Uzbek party to open the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Minsk. The parties agreed that this step will contribute to the development of the entire complex of Belarusian-Uzbek relations, including in such areas of mutual interest as industry and industrial cooperation, investment cooperation, agriculture and education. BERKELEY, Calif. and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. ("BriaCell") (TSX-V:BCT) (OTCQB:BCTXF), an immuno-oncology focused biotechnology company with a proprietary targeted immunotherapy technology, is pleased to announce that Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami is now actively screening and enrolling patients in the ongoing, multicenter, Phase IIa study of Bria-IMT in advanced breast cancer. Dr. Carmen Julia Calfa, a Board-Certified breast medical oncologist, will act as the clinical sites principal investigator. Dr. Calfa will work closely with Cancer Insight, LLC., BriaCells contract research organization, to manage the clinical and regulatory aspects of the Phase IIa clinical trial in advanced breast cancer on behalf of BriaCell. With its top oncologists and state of the art facilities, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth the University of Miami Health System, has been serving as the hub for cutting edge cancer-related research, diagnosis, and treatment in the State of Florida since 1973. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center has received numerous awards for its excellent patient care and is part of an elite group, the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers, shown to have higher survival rates in a 2015 JAMA Oncology study. The clinical site includes one main location of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and 4 participating locations at Deerfield beach, Coral Gables, Kendall and Plantation. "We are very excited to include this well-established Cancer Center, and are grateful for the opportunity to work with leading oncologists as we continue to progress the clinical development of Bria-IMT in advanced breast cancer," stated Bill Williams, BriaCell's President and CEO. "We expect that the addition of the large clinical site (i.e., one main and 4 participating locations) will significantly improve our patient recruitment schedule, and accelerate the clinical advancement of Bria-IMT and the rollover clinical trials. As a breast medical oncologist since 2008, Dr. Carmen J. Calfa, has dedicated a significant part of her clinical career to breast oncology and providing excellent care for breast cancer patients. She was awarded her Medical Doctorate in 2000, completed her Residency in Internal Medicine in 2004, and a Fellowship Program in Hematology Oncology in 2008 both at University of Miami. She is currently Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Calfa has authored and co-authored numerous publications, and has participated in a number of breast cancer clinical trials. We are impressed with Dr. Calfas credentials and expertise in breast cancer and look forward to working with her team in our Phase IIa clinical trial of Bria-IMT in advanced breast cancer patients, stated Dr. Williams. We look forward to being part of the clinical trial with Bria-IMT in advanced breast cancer. We hope to contribute to the development of safe and effective treatment options for the advanced breast cancer patients, as these patients have limited treatment options and poor survival outlook, commented Dr. Calfa. BriaCell recently presented a formal update on its progress with its ongoing Phase IIa clinical trial at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2018. To view the posters, please visit the following link: http://briacell.com/category/recent-events/. The Phase IIa clinical trial is currently being conducted at four top cancer centers: 1) St. Joseph Health-Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, CA, 2) Everett Clinic and Providence Regional Medical Center, Everett, WA, 3) Jefferson Breast Care Center, Philadelphia, PA, and 4) Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami in Miami, FL. The site at Florida Cancer Care in Plantation, FL was recently closed. BriaCell is enrolling advanced breast cancer patients in a Phase IIa trial (NCT03066947) with Bria-IMT and a rollover trial (NCT03328026) with Bria-IMT in combination with other immunotherapies. For further information on the Phase IIa trials, please visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03066947?term=BriaCell&rank=2. About Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Since 1973, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth the University of Miami Health System, has been committed to providing outstanding patient care in Southern Florida. Sylvester has been supported by generous gifts from philanthropist Harcourt Sylvester Jr. and Harcourt M. and Virginia W. Sylvester Foundation to build a 117,500 square-foot State of Art cancer center which was opened in June 1992. In 2003, another generous gift established Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute at Sylvester, which is dedicated to all aspects of breast cancer. With its state of the art facilities, leading oncologists, research scientists, and reputation for providing excellent patient care, Sylvester has become one of the leading cancer treatment centers in the US. Sylvester was designated a Cancer Center of Excellence by the state of Florida in March 2015, and re-certified in 2017, one of only four in Florida. Additionally, Sylvester has the distinction of being one of eleven academic cancer centers shown to have better patient outcomes in a 2015 study by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. That study, published in JAMA Oncology, suggested 10 percent higher survival chances for patients treated at the elite centers including Sylvester versus those who were treated at community hospitals. At Sylvester, patients are provided with more treatment options than most hospitals in the Southeastern US. Sylvesters main inpatient and outpatient facility is located on the central medical campus in the heart of Miami. Its physicians also care for cancer patients at University of Miami Health System Tower, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Holtz Childrens Hospital, and the Miami VA Medical Center. Sylvester also provides state of the art cancer care at other participating facilities including those at Deerfield Beach, Coral Springs, Kendall, and Plantation. For more information on Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, please visit http://sylvester.org/ About BriaCell BriaCell is an immuno-oncology focused biotechnology company developing targeted and safe approaches for the management of cancer. Immunotherapy has come to the forefront in the fight against cancer because it uses the body's own immune system in recognizing and selectively destroying cancer cells while leaving normal cells intact. In addition, immunotherapy is also considered to be a more potent approach than chemotherapy, and has the potential to prevent cancer recurrence. Bria-IMT (SV-BR-1-GM), the Company's lead product candidate, is derived from a specific breast cancer cell line. It is genetically engineered to release granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a substance that activates the immune system. BriaCell believes that Bria-IMT helps the body to recognize and kill tumor cells by activating both T cells that directly attack tumor cells, and B cells that produce anti-tumor antibodies. The results of two previous proof-of-concept clinical trials (one with the precursor cell line not genetically engineered to produce GM-CSF and one with Bria-IMT) produced encouraging results in patients with advanced breast cancer. Most notably, one patient with breast cancer that had spread to other sites (metastatic cancer) responded to Bria-IMT with a substantial reduction in tumor size and volume in these sites, including sites in the breast, the lung, soft tissues, and even the brain. BriaCell is currently conducting a Phase I/IIa clinical trial of Bria-IMT in patients with advanced breast cancer. In this trial to date, Bria-IMT treatment has been safe with similar instances of tumor reduction have been observed. This trial is listed in ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03066947. The trial is being conducted along with the co-development of BriaDX, the Companys companion diagnostic test, to be able to predict the patients who will likely benefit the most from Bria-IMT treatments. Additionally, the FDA recently approved the rollover combination study of Bria-IMT with pembrolizumab [Keytruda; manufactured by Merck & Co., Inc.] or ipilimumab [Yervoy; manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company]. This study permits continuation of the Bria-IMT treatment for patients in the ongoing Phase I/IIa trials who stop responding to the treatment. The rollover trial is listed in ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03328026. Based on our observation of superior tumor shrinking responses in the patients who shared certain HLA types with Bria-IMT, BriaCell is developing Bria-OTS, an off-the-shelf personalized Immunotherapy, for advanced breast cancer. Bria-OTS includes a set of cell lines, each being similar to Bria-IMT, which are being engineered to express various pre-manufactured HLA types. With only 15 different HLA types, Bria-OTS cell line combinations are expected to cover over 90% of the US population. BriaCell expects to use BriaDX to determine the HLA types of patients, and subsequently select one or two Bria-OTS cell lines with matching alleles to be administered to the patient. This should produce a potent and selective immune response against the cancer of each patient while eliminating the time, expense, and complex manufacturing logistics currently used for other personalized immunotherapies. In essence, Bria-OTS should provide a personalized treatment without the need for personalized manufacturing. BriaCells small molecule program includes the development of a novel, selective protein kinase C delta (PKC) inhibitors which have shown potent activity in a number of pre-clinical models of several different cancer indications as well as fibrotic diseases. For additional information on BriaCell, please visit our website: http://briacell.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information Except for the statements of historical fact, this news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation which involves known and unknown risks relevant to the Company in particular and to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in general, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. These risks are more fully described in the Company's public filings available at 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, future events or otherwise. Contact Information For further information, please contact: BriaCell Therapeutics Corp.: Farrah Dean Manager, Corporate Development Email: farrah@BriaCell.com Phone: 1-888-485-6340 Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Farhad Daneshvar Trend: Norways Offshore Resource Group AS (ORG) has submitted outcome of its study work on Iran's northern oil field of Sardar-e Jangal and three more blocks in the Caspian Sea. The Norwegian company presented its proposals on development of the blocks 24, 26 and 29, as well as reconstruction of Amir Kabir rig, Shana oil news agency reported on April 21. National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and ORG inked an agreement on the study of Sardar-e Jangal oil field, as well as the three blocks, in November 2017. At a meeting in Tehran on April 21, the Norwegian company called for cooperation in the development of oil fields in the Caspian Sea. NIOC Deputy Head Gholamreza Manouchehri, for his part, touched upon an agreement with Azerbaijan on the development of oil blocks in the Caspian Sea. He stressed that cooperation with the Caspian littoral states is of high significance for Iran. Reportedly, Iran and Azerbaijan are planning to establish a joint venture for cooperation in oil production in the Caspian Sea During Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's March visit to Azerbaijan, the two countries inked eight agreements on cooperation in various sectors, including energy and the Caspian Sea. During the visit, Energy Minister of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov and Minister of Oil of the Islamic Republic of Iran Bijan Namdar Zanganeh signed "The Memorandum of Understanding on Joint Development of Relevant Blocks in the Caspian Sea between the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Petroleum of the Islamic Republic of Iran". However, Iran and Azerbaijan have not disclosed the names of the fields, so far. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Gazenfer Hamidov Trend: Irans copper concentrate output registered an increase by 6 percent in the last fiscal year, ended March 20, 218. The country produced 1.141 million tons of copper concentrate in the 12-month period, according to a report released by Irans state-run Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO). Irans monthly copper concentrate amounted to 91,000 tons in the last calendar month of the fiscal year (Feb. 20 March 20). The country also produced 160,128 tons of cathode copper in the 12-month period, 17 percent less year-on-year. Irans anode copper production also stood at 201,234 tons in the last fiscal year, registering a fall by 11 percent compared to the preceding year. Irans overall copper concentrate output reached 1.046 million tons during the fiscal year to March 20, 2017. The countrys copper ore output stood at 140.462 million tons during the same span of time. Iran possesses 22 million of copper reserves, equal to 1.3 percent of the worlds proven copper reserves, according to the report. At present, six copper mines are operating in the country. IMIDRO also said that Irans molybdenum production increased by 12 percent to 7,920 tons during the last fiscal year (ended March 20). The leaders of Germany and France will urge U.S. President Donald Trump not to pull out of an Iran nuclear deal with major powers since doing so could cause major problems, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Monday, Reuters reports. Trump has given the European signatories of the deal a May 12 deadline to fix the terrible flaws of the 2015 nuclear agreement, or he will refuse to extend U.S. sanctions relief on Iran. Maas said that in upcoming meetings in Washington, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron would urge Trump to stay in the deal. The agreement offered Tehran relief from sanctions in exchange for curbing its nuclear program. We believe it is extremely important to uphold this agreement. Were it to fail or the U.S. to drop out, we would not have anything comparable to it and we fear that the situation would significantly deteriorate with everything that goes with it, he told reporters. Maas, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, also said the G7 would formally call on Russia to contribute to solving the crisis in Syria. Asked what the final communique from the two-day meeting would say, Maas told reporters that It establishes again that there will be no political solution in Syria without Russia ... and that Russia has to contribute its share to such a solution. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Gazenfer Hamidov Trend: Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA aka nuclear deal), signed between Tehran and the six world powers, cannot be revised. President Macron is correct in saying there's no "Plan B" on JCPOA. It's either all or nothing, the top Iranian diplomat tweeted April 23. French President Emmanuel Macron, who is trying to convince the US President Donald Trump not to withdraw from the deal, said in an interview on April 22 that theres no Plan B for the accord. Trump has vowed to withdraw from the Iran deal by May 12 unless US and European negotiators agree to fix what he calls its serious flaws. Meanwhile, Zarif tweeted that the European leaders should encourage President Trump not just to stay in the nuclear deal, but more importantly to begin implementing his part of the bargain in good faith. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Iran will file complaint with JCPOA Joint Commission as one of the probable options after Donald Trump declares his decision regarding extension of the countrys sanctions waivers, IRNA reported. JCPOA stands for Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, official name of the nuclear deal reached between Iran and six major powers in 2015 to scale back Irans nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. Zarif also said that this time, flagrant violation of the deal will be seriously pursued under the Article 36 of the landmark deal. After a meeting with Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders in New York on Monday, he added that Iran has lodged complaints with the joint commission in case of any violations, as it has over the past two years filed complaints 11 times officially with the commission and the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. But this time, in case of any serious violation, Iran will lodge complaint citing the Article 36 of the JCPOA, he said. The Article 36 stipulates that if Iran believed that any or all of the 5+1 Group members were not meeting their commitments under the JCPOA, Iran could refer the issue to the Joint Commission for resolution; similarly, if any of the 5+1 Group members believed that Iran was not meeting its commitments under the JCPOA, any of the 5+1 Group members could do the same. The commission will have 15 days to end the dispute unless the period is extended unanimously. If it fails to settle the issue, it will be referred to foreign ministers who will have also 15 days to tackle the issue. If any of the entities tasked with solving disputes fail to do the same, the issue will eventually be referred to UN Security Council as an example of basic noncompliance. Commenting on Europes attempts to keep the US in the deal, Zarif said that they should know that what is important is to keep Iran in the JCOPA. It is Iran that has implemented all its commitments under the deal and they should pressure the Americans to implement their side instead of raising new claims. He said that main message of his talks with various media outlets is that it is clear that Iran has implemented JCPOA seriously but to continue the trend, not only should the Americans remain in the deal, but also they should fulfill their duties seriously and in good faith. US President Donald Trump declared in January that if the deal is not rectified, he will walk away from the deal and will not extend sanctions waivers. He is to announce his decision in the regard on May 12, as the Europeans including French President Emanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are slated to visit Washington to remind the US of the need to stay in the deal. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Participants of the action holding against the election of former President Serzh Sargsyan as Prime Minister of Armenia resumed marches in the streets of Yerevan on April 23 morning, RIA Novosti reported. Marches are held by several groups of protesters, one of the actions has launched at Yerevan State University. The demonstrations went on without the main protesters - Armen Grigoryan and David Sanasaryan were detained as early as on April 21, and MPs Nikol Pashinyan, Sasun Mikayelyan and Ararat Mirzoyan were detained on April 22. The actions against the election of Sargsyan leading the nation since 2008 as Armenia's Prime Minister began on April 13. Within the framework of the new Parliamentary Republic (since April 9), the Prime Minister actually leads the nation. The opposition accuses Sargsyan of poor governance and deteriorating economic situation, and on April 17, it announced the beginning of "velvet revolution". Despite the protests, the Armenian Parliament elected Sargsyan to the post of Prime Minister on April 17. On April 22, another opposition march was stopped in Erebuni district of Yerevan with the help of police. Before that, talks were held between the opposition leader Pashinyan and Sargsyan, which lasted for three minutes and ended without result. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Dozens of people in military uniform, reportedly serving in the Armenian Army, have joined the rally against the election of former President Serzh Sargsyan as Prime Minister of Armenia, RIA Novosti reported. They do not have weapons, and also refuse to make comments, according to RIA Novosti. The Armenian Defense Ministry has not yet commented on the issue. The actions against the election of Sargsyan leading the nation since 2008 as Armenia's Prime Minister began on April 13. Within the framework of the new Parliamentary Republic (since April 9), the Prime Minister actually leads the nation. The opposition accuses Sargsyan of poor governance and deteriorating economic situation, and on April 17, it announced the beginning of "velvet revolution". Despite the protests, the Armenian Parliament elected Sargsyan to the post of Prime Minister on April 17. On April 22, another opposition march was stopped in Erebuni district of Yerevan with the help of police. Before that, talks were held between the opposition leader Pashinyan and Sargsyan, which lasted for three minutes and ended without result. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Armenias law enforcement officials have detained 33 participants of a protest rally in Yerevan against the election of former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan as the countrys prime minister, RIA Novosti news agency reported citing the press service of the Armenian government. Earlier, five police officers were beaten up by demonstrators in Armenias Aragatsotn province. Mass rallies broke out in Yerevan and other Armenian cities on April 13 following former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyans nomination as prime minister. The opposition accuses him of ineffective governance and worsening of the economic situation. Despite the protests, Armenias parliament elected Sargsyan prime minister on April 17. On April 19, opposition members tried to disrupt the new cabinet of ministers meeting, blocking entrances to government facilities and marching down Yerevan streets. About 3,000 people took part in a rally in the evening. As many as 123 people were arrested over the day. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: Russia had better to bet on Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus, including in the issue of resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under conditions of Armenia's possible coming under influence of the US and its transformation into an extremely unreliable ally, Director of the Institute for Political Studies, Russian presidents confidant Sergey Markov told Trend. He made the remarks commenting on Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan's resignation on April 23 amid the continuing rallies in the country. Markov said the departure of Serzh Sargsyan and the Karabakh clan will seriously impact resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but it is not yet clear how. "The matter is that it is not only Sargsyan's removal, it is the victory of the pro-American, Armenian 'maidan'. Nikol Pashinyan [leader of the protest rallies in Armenia] heads the "Elk", which in Armenian means 'Exit'. He repeatedly said that Armenia should withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). However, it is unlikely that Armenia can start withdrawing from the EEU, which it did not completely join," he said. According to Markov, clashes may begin in Armenia, since it is not yet known how peaceful this coup will end. "However, the Karabakh clan's removal from the power gives Azerbaijan a serious chance in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict." "Not all Armenians want to continue suffering in the blockade due to, particularly, keeping under occupation the regions around Nagorno-Karabakh, and not returning them to Azerbaijan. Therefore, possibility of a peaceful resolution on the basis of the Kazan formula, under which areas around Nagorno-Karabakh are returned [to Azerbaijan], and Armenia's blockade is removed in response, increases," Markov said. As for the change in the socio-economic and political course of Armenia amid the changes in the country's leadership, Markov said he does not view the leaders of the protest movement as independent. "They are sufficiently pro-American, and their main task will be to separate Armenia from Russia and redirect organizations such as the Dashnaktsutyun, which is widely known in the history for their terrorist acts, against Russia. And pro-American occupation regimes will always find something to tell to convince the people," he said. Mass rallies broke out in Yerevan and other Armenian cities on April 13 following former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyans nomination as prime minister. The opposition accused him of ineffective governance and worsening the economic situation in the country. On April 23, Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned. Construction of 750-metre station to begin this month to provide initial mine development access to the high-grade orebody First two blasts successfully completed at surface box cut for Shaft 2 Project financing process progressing MOKOPANE, South Africa, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ivanhoe Mines (TSX:IVN) (OTCQX:IVPAF) Executive Chairman Robert Friedland, Chief Executive Officer Lars-Eric Johansson and Ivanplats Managing Director Dr. Patricia Makhesha announced today that Platreefs Shaft 1 has reached a depth of 750 metres below surface and lateral development of the first mine access station now is underway. The 750-metre station on Shaft 1 will provide initial, underground access to the high-grade orebody, enabling mine development to proceed during the construction of Shaft 2, which will become the mines main production shaft. The mining zones in the current Platreef Mine plan occur at depths ranging from approximately 700 metres to 1,200 metres below surface. Shaft 1s 750-metre station also will allow access for the first raise-bore shaft that will provide ventilation to the underground workings during the mines ramp-up phase. The first of the mines planned fleet of mechanized, mobile, underground mining equipment a small, 5.5-tonne load-haul-dump machine (LHD) has arrived on site and will be used for off-shaft station development work on the 750-, 850- and 950-metre levels. People from Platreefs surrounding host communities are being trained as operators of the LHD. The LHD will be the first piece of mechanized, mobile equipment to be used underground on the northern limb of South Africas famous Bushveld Complex. The thick, flat-lying orebody at the Platreef Project is ideal for bulk-scale, mechanized mining. As underground development progresses, the mine plan calls for the addition of significantly larger mechanized mining equipment, such as 14- and 17-tonne LHDs and 50-tonne haul trucks. Sinking of Shaft 1 will resume after the 750-metre station is completed. The shaft is expected to intersect the upper contact of the Flatreef Deposit (T1 mineralized zone) at an approximate shaft depth of 783 metres. As shaft sinking advances, two additional shaft stations will be developed at mine-working depths of 850 metres and 950 metres. Shaft 1 is expected to reach its projected, final depth of 980 metres below surface in 2019. Soon we will be able to show our stakeholders and investors Flatreefs remarkably thick, high-grade mineralized zones that will allow us to be at the forefront of safe, underground bulk mining, said Mr. Friedland. Our focus is to keep advancing the Platreef Project along its critical path. Our continued development of shafts 1 and 2 will provide access to the high-grade orebody and help to ensure that the project is able to meet the expected start-up of the first phase of the underground mine and concentrator. Mr. Friedland noted that the Platreef Project team and its South African sinking contractor, Aveng Mining, achieved a record monthly shaft-sinking rate of 54 metres in March. The project also has attained 160 days without a lost-time injury, a notable achievement given the safety challenges that shaft-sinking operations encounter. Ivanhoe remains committed to its workplace objective of an environment that causes zero harm to employees, contractors, sub-contractors and consultants. We believe that the unique characteristics of our Flatreef Discovery offer us the opportunity for a highly-mechanized and safe working environment for a new generation of skilled and trained South African workers. Approximately 40% of Platreefs shaft-sinking team now is comprised of employees from local communities who had no previous mining experience. New employees receive intensive, on-site training for underground mining and complete a workplace-safety induction program. Platreef: a significant new source of nickel, copper and platinum-group-metals for the worlds electric-vehicle revolution In July 2017, Ivanhoe issued an independent, definitive feasibility study (DFS) for Platreef that covers the first phase of production at an initial mining rate of four million tonnes per annum (Mtpa). The DFS estimated that Platreefs initial, average annual production rate will be 476,000 ounces of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, plus 21 million pounds of nickel and 13 million pounds of copper . Many investors dont realize that, in addition to Platreef being projected to become one of Africa's largest producers of platinum-group metals, the mine also is expected to be a significant producer of nickel and copper two metals that are fundamental components for the electric-vehicle revolution, said Mr. Friedland. Nickel is trading at three-year highs, due in part to the increased demand for metals needed for electric-vehicle batteries. There is a growing market realization that the new era of electric vehicles will be a disruptive, long-term force that will have a material impact on certain key metals such as nickel, copper and cobalt as early as 2020. Ivanhoe is working with potential concentrate-processing partners to study ways to incorporate an upgrading step to produce battery-grade nickel sulphate. Platreefs Shaft 1 sinking headgear and related surface infrastructure. http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/1978753e-bee6-49d7-8fba-84a50e8e4b63 Construction of Shaft 2 surface box cut underway The first two surface blasts for Shaft 2s box cut were successfully completed earlier this month; four additional blasts are planned. The blasting will enable the excavation of the box cut to a depth of approximately 29 metres below surface and the construction of the concrete hitch (foundation) for the 103-metre-tall concrete headgear (headframe) that will house the shafts permanent hoisting facilities and support the shaft collar. Excavation of the box cut is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Shaft 2, to be located approximately 100 metres northeast of Shaft 1, will have an internal diameter of 10 metres, will be lined with concrete and sunk to a planned, final depth of more than 1,104 metres below surface. It will be equipped with two 40-tonne rock-hoisting skips with a capacity to hoist a total of six million tonnes of ore per year the single largest hoisting capacity at any mine in Africa. Headgear for the permanent hoisting facility was designed by South Africa-based Murray & Roberts Cementation. Drilling holes in preparation for the first blast at the Shaft 2 box cut. http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/427a85d6-aab9-40d3-bfcd-66b1f9bb2c55 First blast at the Shaft 2 box cut. http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/1b0987e8-5487-4d64-85af-a5d52023530f Removal of surface material during construction of the Shaft 2 box cut. http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/b3af20e4-f7d8-42ad-b143-bc94ff2d5934 Members of Platreefs shaft-sinking team in Shaft 1. http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/b727a19c-06fa-406e-968c-9c6115b8d323 Platreefs engineering team members surveying at the 450-metre-level station, which will serve as an intermediate water pumping and shaft cable-termination station. http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/6f7d7508-06cc-443b-8c1b-349bd1c04f2d Trainee operators from the local Mokopane community with Platreefs new 5.5-tonne, load-haul-dump machine (LHD). http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/53a88b10-b6bc-4bb8-94a5-edb4f76dd00a Shaft 1 expected to intersect the Flatreef orebody at a depth of 783 metres Geotechnical drill hole GT008, drilled vertically below Shaft 1, indicates that the shaft will intersect the upper contact of the Flatreef Deposit (T1 mineralized zone) at an approximate shaft depth of 783 metres. The grade for the T1 mineralized zone at this location is 4.83 grams per tonne (g/t) 3PE (platinum, palladium and rhodium) plus gold, 0.33% nickel and 0.15% copper over a vertical thickness of 12 metres (see downhole plot of drill hole GT008 below). A well-developed chromitite stringer, marking the stratigraphic contact between the T1 and T2 mineralized zones, is expected to be intersected at a shaft depth of 792.1 metres. This will be followed by the T2 mineralized zone, which grades 4.14 g/t 3PE+gold, 0.35% nickel and 0.18% copper over a vertical thickness of 11.26 metres (at a 2 g/t 3PE+gold grade cut-off). Downhole plot of Shaft 1 geotechnical drill hole GT008 displaying grade shells at a 2 g/t 3PE+gold cut-off grade. Shaft #1 Geotechnical drill hole (GT008) http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/21179177-8dc9-48ea-b3fc-64c61718956a Development focused on construction of a state-of-the-art underground mine The Platreef Project, which contains the Flatreef Deposit, is a tier-one discovery by Ivanhoe Mines geologists. Based on the findings of the July 2017 independent DFS, Ivanhoe plans to develop the Platreef Mine in three phases to achieve: 1) An initial rate of four million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) to establish an operating platform to support future expansions; 2) a doubling of production to eight Mtpa; and 3) expansion to a steady-state 12 Mtpa. As Phase 1 is being developed and commissioned, there would be opportunities to refine the timing and scope of subsequent phases of expanded production. Given the size and potential of the Platreef Mineral Resource, Shaft 2 has been engineered with a crushing and hoisting capacity of six Mtpa. This allows for a relatively quick and capital-efficient first expansion of the Platreef Project to six Mtpa by increasing underground development and commissioning of a third, two-Mtpa processing module and associated surface infrastructure as required. A further expansion to more than eight Mtpa would entail converting Shaft 1 from a ventilation shaft into a hoisting shaft. This would require additional ventilation exhaust raises, as well as a further increase of underground development, commissioning of a fourth, two-Mtpa processing module and associated surface infrastructure, as described in the PEA as Phase 2 of the project. Platreef Mine site, showing first-phase surface infrastructure and surrounding host communities. http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/f5cdb472-023d-492f-8f48-24570f35b178 Project financing and strategic discussions progressing During 2017, Ivanhoe announced the appointment of five leading financial institutions to arrange project financing for the development of the Platreef Project. The five Initial Mandated Lead Arrangers (IMLAs) will make best efforts to arrange a total debt financing of up to US$1 billion for the development of Platreefs first-phase, four Mtpa mine. Preliminary expressions of interest have been received for approximately US$900 million of the targeted US$1 billion financing. Negotiation of a term sheet is ongoing. In addition, preliminary discussions have begun with leading financial institutions around the financing of the black economic empowerment partners contribution to the development capital. The IMLAs appointed Export Development Canada to direct the technical, environmental and social due diligence phase of the project. Chlumsky, Armbrust & Meyer and IBIS ESG South Africa Consulting were appointed as Independent Technical Consultant and Independent Social and Environmental Consultant, respectively. Continuing strategic discussions concerning Ivanhoe Mines and its projects are ongoing with several significant mining companies and investors across the Americas, Europe, Asia and elsewhere. Several investors that have expressed interest have no material limit on their provision of capital. There can be no assurance that the company will pursue any transaction or that a transaction, if pursued, will be completed. Ivanhoe Mines indirectly owns 64% of the Platreef Project through its subsidiary, Ivanplats, and is directing all mine development work. The South African beneficiaries of the approved broad-based, black economic empowerment structure have a 26% stake in the Platreef Project. The remaining 10% is owned by a Japanese consortium of ITOCHU Corporation, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation and Japan Gas Corporation. Ivanhoes geologists publish a scientific paper that sets a benchmark for future exploration on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Complex Ivanhoe Mines geologists Dr. Danie Grobler, Albie Brits and Alexandra Crossingham, together with Professor Wolfgang Maier, of Cardiff University, UK, have published a scientific paper detailing the first stratigraphic system for Ivanhoes Flatreef platinum-group-elements (PGE) deposit. The paper, titled Litho- and chemostratigraphy of the Flatreef PGE deposit, northern Bushveld Complex , was published earlier this month in the prestigious, international, scientific journal Mineralium Deposita. The paper documents the down-dip and along-strike litho- and chemostratigraphy of the Flatreef Discovery, and its footwall and hanging-wall rocks. Based on stratigraphic, lithological and compositional comparisons to the layered rocks in the western Bushveld Complex, the layered sequence of the Flatreef Discovery, with its chromite-bearing footwall rocks, is unequivocally correlated with the interval between the UG2 chromitite, the Merensky and the Bastard Reef. The paper is the first detailed subdivision of the mineralized, layered magmatic sequence based on lithological and geochemical evidence. The mineralized reefs are clearly identified and correlated across the entire Platreef Project area. Ivanhoes geologists are of the opinion that the new stratigraphic subdivision will be applicable along strike over most of the Northern Limbs layered sequence. The new stratigraphic system has significantly improved Ivanhoes understanding of the origin of layered intrusions and their ore deposits. The implications for future exploration at the Platreef Project, and elsewhere in the Bushveld Complex, are significant. Qualified person The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Stephen Torr, P.Geo., Ivanhoe Mines Vice President, Project Geology and Evaluation, a Qualified Person under the terms of National Instrument (NI) 43-101. Mr. Torr is not independent of Ivanhoe Mines. Mr. Torr has verified the technical data disclosed in this news release. Detailed information about assay methods and data verification measures used to support the scientific and technical information, are set out in the Platreef 2017 Feasibility Study NI 43-101 Technical Report dated September 2017, available under Technical Reports at www.ivanhoemines.com and on Ivanhoe Mines' SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com . About Ivanhoe Mines Ivanhoe Mines is advancing its three principal projects in Southern Africa: 1) Mine development at the Platreef platinum-palladium-gold-nickel-copper discovery on the Northern Limb of South Africas Bushveld Complex; 2) mine development and exploration at the tier-one Kamoa-Kakula copper discovery on the Central African Copperbelt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); and 3) upgrading at the historic, high-grade Kipushi zinc-copper-silver-germanium mine, also on the DRCs Copperbelt. For details, visit www.ivanhoemines.com. Information contacts Investors Bill Trenaman +1.604.331.9834 Website www.ivanhoemines.com Media North America: Bob Williamson +1.604.512.4856 South Africa: Jeremy Michaels + 27.82.772.1122 Forward-looking statements Certain statements in this news release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the company, the Platreef Project, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as may, would, could, will, intend, expect, believe, plan, anticipate, estimate, scheduled, forecast, predict and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the companys current expectations regarding future events, performance and results, and speak only as of the date of this news release. The forward-looking statements and forward-looking information in this news release include without limitation, (i) statements regarding the 750-metre station will provide initial, underground access to the high-grade orebody, and enable mine development to take place during the development of the mines main production shaft, Shaft 2; (ii) statements regarding the 750-metre station will allow access for the first raise-bore shaft that will provide ventilation to the underground workings during the mines ramp-up phase; (iii) statements regarding Shaft 1 is expected to intersect the upper contact of the Flatreef Deposit (T1 mineralized zone) at an approximate shaft depth of 783 metres; (iv) statements regarding Shaft 1 is expected to reach its projected, final depth of 980 metres below surface in 2019; (v) statements regarding Flatreefs remarkably thick, high-grade mineralized zones that will allow Ivanhoe to be at the forefront of safe, underground bulk mining; (vi) statements regarding Ivanhoes continued development of shafts 1 and 2 will provide access to the high-grade orebody and help to ensure that the project is able to meet the scheduled, first phase start-up of the underground mine and concentrator; (vii) statements regarding excavation of the Shaft 2 box cut is expected to be complete by the end of the year; (viii) statements regarding Ivanhoe plans to develop the Platreef Mine in three phases: 1) An initial rate of four million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) to establish an operating platform to support future expansions; 2) a doubling of production to eight Mtpa; and 3) expansion to a steady-state 12 Mtpa; and (ix) statements regarding the five Initial Mandated Lead Arrangers (IMLAs) will make best efforts to arrange a total debt financing of up to US$1 billion for the development of Platreefs first-phase, four Mtpa mine. In addition, all of the results of the Platreef DFS constitute forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements include metal price assumptions, cash flow forecasts, projected capital and operating costs, metal recoveries, mine life and production rates, and the financial results of the Platreef DFS. These include statements regarding the Platreef Project IRR of 14.2% after tax, the Platreef Projects NPV of US$916 million at an 8% discount rate after tax (as well as all other before and after taxation NPV calculations), estimated all-in cash costs (including the life-of-mine average estimate of US$351 per ounce of 3PE+Au net by-product credits and including sustaining capital costs), capital cost estimates (including pre-production capital of US$1,544 million), proposed mining plans and methods, a mine life estimate of 32 years, a project payback period of 5.3 years, the expected number of people to be employed at the Project, and the availability and development of water and electricity for the Platreef Project. Readers are cautioned that actual results may vary from those presented. All such forward-looking information and statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by Ivanhoe Mines management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believe are appropriate in the circumstances. These statements, however, are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information or statements including, but not limited to, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure, industrial accidents or machinery failure (including of shaft sinking equipment), or delays in the development of infrastructure; and the failure of exploration programs or other studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued studies, development or operations. Other important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements also include those described under the heading Risk Factors in the companys most recently filed MD&A, as well as in the most recent Annual Information Form filed by Ivanhoe Mines. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. Certain of the factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking information and statements, and certain of the risks that could cause the actual results to differ materially are presented in the Platreef 2017 Feasibility Study, September 2017 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Ivanhoe Mines website at www.ivanhoemines.com. This news release also contains references to estimates of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. The estimation of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation, which may prove to be unreliable and depend, to a certain extent, upon the analysis of drilling results and statistical inferences that may ultimately prove to be inaccurate. Mineral Resource or Mineral Reserve estimates may have to be re-estimated based on, among other things: (i) fluctuations in platinum, palladium, gold, rhodium, copper, nickel or other mineral prices; (ii) results of drilling; (iii) results of metallurgical testing and other studies; (iv) changes to proposed mining operations, including dilution; (v) the evaluation of mine plans subsequent to the date of any estimates; and (vi) the possible failure to receive required permits, approvals and licences. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release. Georgias Finance Minister and Central Banker met with Executive Director of International Monetary Fund Anthony De Lannoy today to discuss the ongoing Extended Fund Facility under which Georgia is receiving US$285.3 million over a period of three years, Agenda reports. The facility was confirmed last year and requires the Georgian government to meet several criteria including fiscal consolidation over the medium term as well as shift spending towards capital investments. Progress made by the country in this direction is revised time by time. The last review completed last week has assessed Georgias progress positively. "Georgia has been making a lot of progress between the first and the second review, things are actually going very well. The fund is very pleased with that and we will be happy to discuss the program in a couple of weeks at the executive board, Anthony De Lannoy said after a meeting with Georgian officials. After the IMF executive board approves the second review Georgia will receive US$43.6 million over the course of this year. Chinas first domestically built aircraft carrier is expected to start sea trials imminently, a source close to the navy said, amid what analysts say is growing external pressure to push forward its development, South China Morning Post, reports. The Type 001A aircraft carriers maiden sea trial could take place this week, possibly coinciding with the PLA Navys 69th anniversary on Monday depending on weather and ocean conditions, according to the source. The Liaoning Maritime Safety Administration announced on Friday that three areas in the northeastern Bohai and Yellow Sea would be cordoned off for military activities from April 20 to 28. The restricted areas are close to the shipyard in Liaoning province where the new carrier is being built. A main engine run was conducted on Tuesday, indicating sea trials were about to start, said another source who witnessed the engine test. The aircraft carrier is expected to enter service later this year, 12 months ahead of schedule, which one naval expert put down to a growing sense of urgency as rivalry between China and the United States intensifies. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called Chinese-Russian relations valuable heritage of the two states at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported on Monday, TASS reports. "Relations between the two countries are at a high level and are valuable heritage of the two countries. Chinese-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership is actively developing," the Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted the president as saying. "Our countries should continue to help high-level cooperation galvanize development of bilateral relations between China and Russia." "I believe that thanks to our joint efforts relations between China and Russia will always have positive effects and will keep reaching new heights," the Chinese Foreign Ministry cited Xi Jinping. The Chinese leader hopes that thus Beijing and Moscow will contribute to consolidation of humanity with common fate. Xi Jinping has invited the Russian side to pool efforts to protect generally recognized principles of international law. "We should pool efforts to protect generally recognized principles of international relations based on the norms of international law," Xi Jinping was quoted as saying at a meeting with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. For these ends, in his words, the two nations should expand cooperation within such formats as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS (an acronym standing for an association of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), and the Group of Twenty. "We should consolidate efforts with all other countries to build international relations of a new type," Xi stressed. A Belgian court sentenced Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam and a co-accused to 20 years in prison on Monday for trying to kill police during a shootout in Brussels in 2016, Reuters reports. Judge Marie-France Keutgen told the courtroom that 28-year-old Abdeslam and Tunisian Sofien Ayari, 24, had been found guilty of attempted terrorist murder during the shootout in March 2016. Abdeslam is in a French prison awaiting trial for his role in the Islamic State attacks in Paris in November 2015 in which 130 people were killed. Prosecutors say he is the lone survivor of a suicide squad. Neither he nor Ayari, who is in custody in Belgium, was present for the judgment. Despite the absence of both accused, security was tight around the Brussels court, with heavily armed police on guard. By the time of the shootout in the Brussels district of Forest on March 15, 2016, Abdeslam had been in hiding for four months after fleeing Paris the night his elder brother blew himself up at a cafe. Prosecutors who accuse Abdeslam of helping organize the attacks and ferry former fighters from Syria around Europe say he, too, would have died if his suicide vest had not failed to detonate. His lawyers do not dispute Abdeslam was in Paris during the attacks. They finally stumbled across him when, with French officers, they went to inspect a suspect apartment in Forest and then came under a hail of gunfire which wounded four of them. After a three-hour siege ended with marksmen killing a 35-year-old Algerian called Mohamed Belkaid, police found an arms cache. Abdeslams DNA found at the scene linked him to the shootout and that led to his arrest three days later in a different apartment in Brussels. Four days after his arrest, suicide bombers attacked Brussels Airport and the citys metro, killing 32 people. Officials believe Abdeslam had links with the bombers and that they brought forward their attack because they feared Abdeslam might reveal their plans under interrogation. Abdeslam was present on the opening day of the trial, but refused to answer the judges questions. His lawyer Sven Mary told reporters on Monday that he discuss the case with his client before determining whether to appeal. Israeli-born American actress Natalie Portmans decision to not come to Israel to accept the $2 million Genesis Prize borders on ish antisemitism, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, who is close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Israel Radio on Sunday morning, The Jerusalem Post reports. Portman wrote on Friday that she chose not to attend because she did not want to appear as endorsing Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony in June. She borders on antisemitism in how she relates to Israel, Steinitz (Likud) said. I blame her for cooperating with haters of Israel and antisemites. Criticism of Israel is not automatically antisemitic, but boycotting Israel has elements of antisemitism because other countries that are criticized are not boycotted so easily. Steinitz, who will be speaking at the Jerusalem Post Conference in New York next Sunday, said Portman owes the State of Israel and the people of Israel an apology. The Aroma cafe chain was today awarded the tender to manage and operate two cafes in the arrivals hall at Ben Gurion airport's Terminal 3. Aroma's bid for the Israel Airports Authority tender included a 30% discount on the prices for coffee called for by the tender. Aroma will charge NIS 5.60 for a bottle of mineral water or espresso coffee and NIS 7 for Viennese coffee or a warm croissant. Israel Airports Authority said that it received seven bids including from Arcaffe, Ilan's and Cup O'Joe, Globes reports. 17 million people pass through the arrivals hall each year at Ben Gurion airport. The Kakao cafe chain's contract with the Israel Airports Authority ends on April 30 and Aroma will begin operating after that. The IDF fired on a Syrian regime position after a mortar shell landed near the security fence in the northern Golan Heights on Monday, the army announced, The Jerusalem Post reported. The mortar shell which hit Israeli territory is believed to be spillover from fighting across the border in Syria. In response, the IDF fired a precision artillery strike on a Syrian military position in the area from which the mortar was fired. "The IDF views the Syrian regime as responsible for everything in its territory and will not tolerate any attempt to harm the sovereignty of the State of Israel and the security of its residents, read the army statement. According to the army, the IDF is acting proportionally to prevent any deterioration and retaliates against fire by targeting Assad regime positions, holding the government responsible for any and all errant projectiles. No one was hurt in the stray mortar fire, which landed east of the border fence near Quneitra. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said on Sunday planned changes to social security that have sparked days of violent protests have been canceled, as he attempted to put an end to one of the biggest crises of his administration. In an address on national television, Ortega said the board of Nicaragua's social security system had voted to revoke the measures that were approved last week. The protests have killed at least seven people and injured hundreds more. The unrest erupted Wednesday over pension reforms, with students a prominent group. A robust response ordered by leftist President Ortega has saw the army deployed to the streets, independent media muzzled, journalists assaulted and pro-government demonstrators mobilised to counter the protests. The European Union, the United States and the Vatican have expressed concern at the situation and called for calm. The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights told AFP that the death toll was 24. Riot police are trying to remove protesters from a bridge leading to the base of the U.S. THAAD anti-missile system in southeastern South Korea on Monday, sparking clashes between the two sides, Yonhap News reports. About 200 residents and activists have been occupying the Jinbat bridge in a sit-in aimed at blocking construction vehicles from entering the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense base in Seongju, some 300 km southeast of Seoul. About 3,000 riot police were mobilized to break up the sit-in. Protesters resisted by inserting their arms into plastic pipes in an attempt to tie themselves together to make it difficult for police to carry them away. They also chanted slogans such as "Out with violent police," blasting the police for using force. "It is the defense ministry that deteriorated the situation like this," Kang Hyun-woo, a leader of the protesters, said. "Responsibility for all forthcoming consequences rests with the defense ministry that pushed unreasonably ahead with the THAAD base construction." Police placed air mattresses under the bridge in case of a fall during the clash. In Seoul, the defense ministry said it's starting to transport construction materials, equipment and personnel into the U.S. missile defense base, 300 kilometers south of Seoul, despite protests by local residents and activists. A suicide bomber struck a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital on Sunday, killing at least 57 people in an attack claimed by ISIS, CBC reports. Public Health Ministry spokesman Wahid Majro said another 119 people were wounded in Sunday's attack, updating an earlier toll. Gen. Daud Amin, the Kabul police chief, said the suicide bomber targeted civilians who had gathered to receive national identification cards. The large explosion echoed across the city, shattering windows miles away from the attack site and damaging several nearby vehicles. Police blocked all roads to the blast site, with only ambulances allowed in. Local TV stations broadcast live footage of hundreds of distraught people gathered at nearby hospitals seeking word about loved ones. Majro said there were five small children and 21 women among the dead. More than a dozen children and nearly 50 women were wounded, he said, adding that the tolls could still rise. The ISIS group has claimed responsibility in a statement carried by its Aamaq news agency, saying it had targeted Shiite "apostates." FORM 8.3 PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code") 1. KEY INFORMATION (a) Full name of discloser: Elliott Capital Advisors, L.P. (for itself and related general partners and investment managers) (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. Elliott International, L.P. Elliott Associates, L.P (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree Hammerson Plc (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 20th April 2018 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A" No 2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security. (a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any) Class of relevant security: Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: (2) Cash-settled derivatives: 13,739,740 1.73% (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell: TOTAL: 13,739,740 1.73% All interests and all short positions should be disclosed. Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions). (b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options) Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages: 3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in. The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated. (a) Purchases and sales Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit (b) Cash-settled derivative transactions Class of relevant security Product description e.g. CFD Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit ORD ORD ORD ORD CFD CFD CFD CFD Increasing a Long position Increasing a Long position Increasing a Long position Increasing a Long position 625,000 500,000 100,000 373,459 GBP 5.2247 GBP 5.22 GBP 5.243 GBP 5.2358 (c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options) (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit (ii) Exercise Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit (d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities) Class of relevant security Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable) 4. OTHER INFORMATION (a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none" (b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none" (c) Attachments Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO Date of disclosure: 23rd April 2018 Contact name: Michael Cross Telephone number: 0203 009 1305 Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service. The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129. The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk. A small plane was forced to make an emergency landing Sunday afternoon on Highway 5 in western Quebec, CBC reports. The pilot landed at around 4 p.m. on a northbound stretch of the highway near Old Chelsea Road, about 15 kilometres northwest of downtown Ottawa, according to the Surete du Quebec. The provincial police force said no one was injured and the plane was not damaged. Traffic, however, was disrupted nearby as emergency crews rushed to the scene. Lieut. Patrick Barbary of the Chelsea Fire Department told Radio-Canada the pilot decided to land because he feared his plane's motor was about to fail. Barbary said that such a malfunction would be extremely rare. By Sunday evening, the pilot was in the process of getting the plane towed away from the highway's shoulder. A summit involving South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will start on the morning of April 27 and will include an official dinner on the South Korean side of Panmunjom, the demilitarized zone that separates the two countries, a spokesperson for the South Korean president told reporters on Monday, TASS reports. The corresponding agreement was made at negotiations between the two Koreas on Monday. "The South and North carried out three rounds of dialogue at the working level that focused on the protocol issues, security and media coverage of the summit on April 27. The ultimate decision has been made today," he noted. The official also reported that North Korea agreed that part of the meeting of the two countries leaders would be televised live. For this purpose a group of South Korean reporters will be admitted to the northern part of Panmunjom. On March 5, South Koreas delegation met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang. The sides agreed to hold a meeting of the two countries leaders. The North also expressed readiness to hold a similar event with the US president. The high-level dialogue that followed set the date of the intra-Korean summit for April 27. Kim Jong-un and Trump are expected to meet this May or June. Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations were united in opposing Russias destabilizing behavior while agreeing to leave the door open for dialogue with Moscow, a senior U.S. official said on Sunday, Reuters reports. The ministers, meeting in Toronto for two days, discussed tensions with Moscow, Iran and North Korea, while also addressing political problems in Venezuela and Myanmar. There was G7 unity on opposing Russias malign behavior, the senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters at the end of the first day of meetings in Toronto. There was also openness among G7 members to dialogue with Russia while we hold them accountable for their malign activities and their efforts to destabilize nations, the official added. The ministers were expected to issue a final statement on Monday that would maintain an uncompromising line with Moscow, two sources familiar with discussions said. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: Russian defense minister, General Sergei Shoigu has arrived in Beijing, where on Tuesday, April 24, he will take part in the meeting of heads of military departments of the countries-members of the Shanghai cooperation organization (SCO), RIA Novosti reported. "The heads of defense agencies of Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will exchange views on topical issues of international and regional security. They will discuss joint measures to consolidate efforts to respond adequately to the new challenges and threats in the area of responsibility of the SCO," press-secretary of the minister, Rossiyana Markovskaya told reporters. "The meeting will sum up the results of military cooperation over the past year and consider promising areas for further cooperation in the defense sector within the framework of the organization," she said. Russias and Chinas consolidated line aimed at strict compliance with international agreements plays a very important role in boosting global stability, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Monday, TASS reports. "Russias and Chinas consolidated policy aimed at strictly complying with international law plays a key role in strengthening stability and security in the world," he said. According to Russias top diplomat, the development of strategic partnership with China is a priority of Russian foreign policy. "We expect a high intensity of contacts to be maintained this year as well," Lavrov stressed. For his part, Wang Yi noted that further strengthening of Russian-Chinese relations meets the two countries interests. "I hope that todays talks, which precede tomorrows SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting, will make it possible for us to talk about all these issues and outline plans for the future," Lavrov concluded. Moscow hails North Koreas decision to suspend nuclear tests as a step towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Russian presidents press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, TASS reports. "Naturally, it is has already been said in the foreign ministrys statement, we take such decisions very positively as they lead to reduction of tension on the peninsula," he said. "Of course, we hail any steps towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced on April 21 that Pyongyang was halting nuclear and missile tests, closing its nuclear test site Punggye-ri and joining the global nuclear disarmament process in line with its new strategy to build socialist economy. North Korea announced its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1993 and completed the withdrawal in January 2003. To date, the Communist state has held six nuclear tests. Last September, Pyongyang announced a successful test of a hydrogen bomb and proclaimed itself a nuclear power. The Russian foreign ministry said in a press statement on Saturday that Russia hailed Kims plans to stop nuclear and missile tests. The ministry said that this decision was a "major step towards further de-escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula and cementing positive tendencies towards normalization of the situation in Northeastern Asia." According to the Russian foreign ministry, the situation on the Korean Peninsula is developing in a positive way as suggested by the Russian-Chinese roadmap of Korean settlement, which calls for mutual freeze of military activities in the region and establishment of direct contacts between North Korea, the United States and South Korea that are to be followed by multilateral talks on comprehensive settlement of all problems on the Korean Peninsula, including the nuclear one. The ministry also called on the United States and South Korea to take reciprocal steps and scale down their military activities in the region. Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolay Patrushev has held Russian - Pakistani consultations on security issues with Pakistani National Security Advisor Nasser Khan Janjua in Moscow, TASS with reference to the Russian Security Council press service reported. The sides stressed their interest in further security cooperation between Moscow and Islamabad. "Issues of bilateral military cooperation in information security and countering international terrorism were studied," the report says. "The general situation in South Asia and the main challenges and threats to global security were discussed." Nasser Khan Janjua arrived in Russia to take part in the ninth international meeting of security chiefs that will be held in Sochi on April 24-26. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 Trend: The Russian Foreign Ministry has once again recommended Russians to avoid crowded places in Armenia's capital city Yerevan, where rallies continue, RIA Novosti reported. "There is a growing confrontation between government forces and the opposition. Protests continue in Yerevan. It is recommended to avoid crowded places," reads a message posted on Twitter page of the Russian Foreign Ministry's situational crisis center. Mass rallies broke out in Yerevan and other Armenian cities on April 13 following former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyans nomination as prime minister. The opposition accuses him of ineffective governance and worsening the economic situation in the country. Despite the protests, Armenias parliament elected Sargsyan as prime minister on April 17. On April 19, opposition members tried to disrupt the new Cabinet of Ministers meeting, blocking entrances to government facilities and marching down Yerevan streets. About 3,000 people took part in a rally in the evening. As many as 123 people were arrested over the day. On April 23, Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country will consider returning the two Greek soldiers who have been detained in Turkey if Greece extradites the eight Turkish servicemen who escaped to Greece after the foiled coup attempt in July 2016, AFP reported. "They (Greece) ask us to give back the Greek soldiers and we told them 'if you make such a demand, you should first give us FETO soldiers involved in a coup against our state'," Erdogan reportedly said in a live interview with NTV television, according to AFP. "If they are handed to us, we will consider" the situation on Greek soldiers, he said. On March 2, two Greek soldiers were detained in Turkey. The incident occurred near the Evros River on the border between Greece and Turkey. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The Netherlands, Austria and Germany have banned holding of rallies in support of the Turkish government ahead of the early parliamentary and presidential elections, Turkish media reported on April 23. Previously it was reported that, the Turkish president will start a European tour, during which he will meet with representatives of the Turkish diaspora. In March 2017, the government of the Netherlands withdrew the permission for a plane carrying Turkey's foreign minister to land in the country ahead of a rally of the Turkish community on the eve of the referendum in Turkey. On April 18, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated about the need for early presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey. "The government welcomed the proposal of Devlet Bahceli [leader of the Nationalist Movement Party] to hold early elections. The elections will be held on June 24, 2018," he said. Bahceli previously proposed to hold early parliamentary and presidential elections in Turkey. Bahceli said the early elections should be held on Aug. 26. Presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections were planned to be held in Turkey in 2019. The parliamentary and presidential elections were expected to be held on the same day in 2019. ABCNews.com(MIAMI) -- An unruly passenger was shot with a stun gun, arrested and forcibly removed from a flight Sunday evening in an incident fellow passengers caught on video. The Chicago-bound American Airlines plane sat at the gate at Miami International Airport Sunday for over an hour due to the disturbance, according to an airline statement. Video posted on Twitter taken by a fellow flyer shows a male passenger getting held down and Tasered several times by three Miami-Dade police officers. The male passenger asks why he is getting removed from the plane, and an officer responds with, You just assaulted a lady. According to an American Airlines statement obtained by ABC News, the incident started with a disagreement between two passengers. The instigating passenger was asked by the crew to deplane but refused. Police officers were called onto the plane. Once law enforcement was on the aircraft, the passenger then became combative with the officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department. The same passenger was subsequently arrested by law enforcement, reads a statement from the airline. All other passengers remained on the plane. The flight departed an hour later than scheduled, and successfully reached its destination at Chicagos OHare airport early Monday morning. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. FORM 8.3 PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code") 1. KEY INFORMATION (a) Full name of discloser: Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree Sky plc (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 20 April 2018 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A" 2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security. (a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any) Class of relevant security: 50p ordinary Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: (2) Cash-settled derivatives: 23,612,233 1.3736 (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell: TOTAL: 23,612,233 1.3736 All interests and all short positions should be disclosed. Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions). (b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options) Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages: 3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in. The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated. (a) Purchases and sales Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit (b) Cash-settled derivative transactions Class of relevant security Product description e.g. CFD Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit 50p ordinary CFD Decreasing a long position 350,000 13.1200 GBP 50p ordinary CFD Decreasing a long position 35,000 13.1411 GBP 50p ordinary CFD Decreasing a long position 25,000 13.1700 GBP (c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options) (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit (ii) Exercise Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit (d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities) Class of relevant security Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable) 4. OTHER INFORMATION (a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none" NONE (b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none" NONE (c) Attachments Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO Date of disclosure: 23 April, 2018 Contact name: James Gange Telephone number: 212-446-4029 Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service. The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129. The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Shootout occurred between Turkish servicemen and militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the country's southeastern Tunceli province, the Turkish media reported April 23. According to the preliminary reports, three PKK militants were killed during the shootout. Another shootout occurred between Turkish servicemen and PKK militants in the country's southeastern Sirnak province on April 19. Four PKK militants were killed during the shootout. The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has continued for more than 30 years and has claimed more than 40,000 lives. The UN and the European Union list the PKK as a terrorist organization. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkey has opened a children's hospital in Jandaris town in Syrias Afrin district, the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces said in a message April 23. Reportedly, along with the children's hospital in Jandaris, mobile children's hospitals will also operate in other areas liberated from terrorists. On Jan. 20, the Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria. 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 Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkey has sent a note of protest to the German Foreign Ministry in connection with the ban on holding rallies in support of the Turkish government ahead of the early parliamentary and presidential elections, Turkish media reported April 23. The Netherlands, Austria and Germany have recently banned holding of rallies in support of the Turkish government ahead of the early parliamentary and presidential elections. Previously it was reported that the Turkish president will start a European tour, during which he will meet with representatives of the Turkish diaspora. On April 18, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated about the need for early presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey. "The government welcomed the proposal of Devlet Bahceli [leader of the Nationalist Movement Party] to hold early elections. The elections will be held on June 24, 2018," he said. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 23 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: There was no "Armenian genocide" in history, Speaker of Turkeys parliament Ismail Kahraman said, the Turkish media reported on April 16. He said that, Turkey is not afraid of its history. "The Turkish authorities have repeatedly appealed to Armenia with a proposal to establish a joint historical commission to investigate the events of 1915. However, so far we have not received any response from Armenia," Kahraman said. Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey's predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, allegedly carried out "genocide" against the Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915. While strengthening the efforts to promote the "genocide" in the world, Armenians have achieved its recognition by the parliaments of some countries. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2018 - 12:49 | All, World Group of Seven foreign ministers affirmed Sunday they will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea and pledged to maintain "maximum pressure" on Pyongyang until it rids itself of nuclear weapons, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said. "We fully agreed that we will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea," Kono said on the first day of a two-day meeting in Toronto, Canada, suggesting Pyongyang's announcement that it will suspend nuclear tests and long-range missile launches was insufficient to meet the demands of the international community. (Pool photo of G-7 foreign ministers' meeting) "We shared the view that (the North's announcement) made no reference to the abandonment of (the North's) nuclear program," Kono told reporters. But he added, "Compared to North Korea's behavior thus far, it marks one step forward. We welcome it as a positive step." The G-7 ministers called for North Korea to abandon all weapons of mass destruction, including biological and chemical weapons, and its ballistic missile programs, including short- and medium-range missiles capable of hitting South Korea and Japan, according to Kono. A senior U.S. official said President Donald Trump's administration will not make the same mistakes as those of his predecessors by pursuing incremental or phased approaches to denuclearizing North Korea. "We are looking for substantial dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear programs first, and until denuclearization is achieved the global maximum pressure campaign will continue," the official said, requesting anonymity. The remarks were in line with Trump's assertion that previous administrations gave Pyongyang too many concessions despite the country not abandoning its nuclear weapon ambitions. The ministers met a day after North Korea said it will suspend nuclear tests and long-range missiles launches, as well as dismantle its only known nuclear test site, a pronouncement seen as leader Kim Jong Un playing a card ahead of his meeting Friday with South Korean President Moon Jae In and with U.S. President Donald Trump, expected in late May or early June. The move by Kim, however, falls short of the G-7's demand that his regime abandon all weapons of mass destruction and missiles in a complete, verifiable and irreversible way. Kono said that none of the G-7 members said North Korea's announcement -- which critics see as an attempt to win relief from U.N. and other sanctions -- would lead to an easing of sanctions on Pyongyang. The other G-7 members meanwhile backed Kono's call for the immediate resolution of North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s. The G-7 ministers, however, were apparently at odds over the Iran nuclear deal, with Washington calling for revising it and Europe vowing to promote it as way of preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. With Trump threatening to withdraw the United States if an agreement to revamp the deal cannot be reached before the May 12 deadline set by the U.S. leader, Kono said "many ministers" sought "continuous and complete implementation" of the deal. The deal was struck in 2015 between Iran and six major powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States under the administration of Trump's predecessor Barack Obama. Trump has called for greater access by international inspectors to Iran's military sites, constraining the country's ballistic missile program and eliminating so-called sunset provisions under which limits on its nuclear program start to expire after 10 years. The G-7 ministers affirmed that a political solution would be the only way to address the Syria crisis, according to Kono, given that the U.S.-led airstrikes on the Middle Eastern country earlier this month had further damaged strained relations between the West and Russia, which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. The military action by the United States, Britain and France came after the alleged use by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime of chemical weapons on Syrian citizens. Referring to a Myanmar military crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority that has driven nearly 700,000 refugees into neighboring Bangladesh, some G-7 members criticized the human rights record of the Southeast Asian country, according to Kono. He said the G-7 nations should support initiatives by Myanmar and Bangladesh to improve the situation in the crisis-hit Rakhine State in western Myanmar. On the situation in Ukraine, the G-7 ministers urged Russia to comply with the Minsk cease-fire agreements, which include respect for Ukraine's sovereignty, and to return to a rules-based international order, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Among other issues, the ministers underscored that advancing gender equality is essential to both economic prosperity and global peace and security, the ministry said. KYODO NEWS - Apr 23, 2018 - 21:13 | World, All South Korea, Japan and the United States on Monday affirmed their close cooperation in dealing with North Korea's nuclear and missile issues, at separate meetings in Seoul ahead of this week's landmark inter-Korean summit. Kenji Kanasugi, the Japanese envoy on North Korean nuclear issues, told his South Korean counterpart Lee Do Hoon that with the rapidly developing situation on the Korean Peninsula, bilateral cooperation and three-way cooperation also involving the United States are becoming "even more important." Lee agreed that the two countries should carry on with their consultations in a bid to "bring about significant progress" in the denuclearization of North Korea. A portion of their meeting was open to the press. Susan Thornton, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, met South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Yoon Soon Gu and told him that she is looking forward to "learning from what happens" in the inter-Korean summit on Friday, expected to be followed by the first-ever talks between the U.S. and North Korean leaders in May or June. Susan Thornton, left, and Yoon Soon Gu Thornton told reporters after their meeting that she and Yoon talked "about our good coordination" on North Korean issues and emphasized that their bilateral "cooperation is seamless." Thornton is set to visit Japan from Tuesday. A flurry of diplomatic activity has been taking place ahead of the summits, which are raising hopes that a breakthrough may be reached over the nuclear standoff, leading toward North Korea's denuclearization. Speaking to reporters later in the day, Kanasugi said he welcomes North Korea's recent announcement to halt nuclear and missile tests and dismantle its main nuclear test site. But he also said Japan and South Korea will work together to "assess and gather information" on the North's moves so that "concrete actions" will be taken toward its denuclearization, an agreement which he said was reached with Lee. Japan has been reacting relatively cautiously to North Korea's sudden diplomatic outreach in recent months that followed repeated test-firing of missiles and underground nuclear tests, given that the North has a history of breaking promises over its nuclear and missile programs. (Lee Do Hoon, left, and Kenji Kanasugi) The conduits', carriers', and their operators are testing the prowess of the official machinery with their gold smuggling methods. English French Ordinary general meeting of shareholders, 15th May 2018 Arrangements for making preparatory documents available and consulting them Paris, Monday, 23rd April 2018 The Ordinary General Meeting of shareholders of Amundi will be held at 10.30 a.m. CET (+1) on Thursday, 15th May 2018 at the company's head office at 91-93, boulevard Pasteur, 75015 PARIS. The notice of meeting, including the agenda and the draft resolutions, was published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales et Obligatoires (BALO, French gazette for compulsory legal announcements) of 9th April 2018 and may be accessed on the company's website (http://about.amundi.com). The convening notice will be published in the BALO of 30th April 2018 and will also be made available on the company's website. The documents and information relating to the general meeting, including those listed in article R. 225-83 of the French Commercial Code, are included in the notice of meeting and in the company's Registration Document for the year 2017, also available on the company's website (http://about.amundi.com) Other documents and information relating to the general meeting will be kept available to shareholders in accordance with the applicable regulatory provisions at the company's head office at 91-93, boulevard Pasteur, 75015 Paris. For more information, please contact the financial communication department at investor.relations@amundi.com About Amundi Amundi is Europe's largest asset manager by assets under management and ranks in the top 10 globally. Thanks to the integration of Pioneer Investments, it now manages more than 1.4 trillion euros of assets across six main investment hubs. Amundi offers its clients in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle-East and the Americas a wealth of market expertise and a full range of capabilities across the active, passive and real assets investment universes. Headquartered in Paris, and listed since November 2015, Amundi is the 1st asset manager in Europe by market capitalization. Leveraging the benefits of its increased scope and size, Amundi has the ability to offer new and enhanced services and tools to its clients. Thanks to its unique research capabilities and the skills of close to 5,000 team members and market experts based in 37 countries, Amundi provides retail, institutional and corporate clients with innovative investment strategies and solutions tailored to their needs, targeted outcomes and risk profiles. Press contacts: Natacha Andermahr Tel. +33 1 76 37 86 05 natacha.andermahr-sharp@amundi.com Investor contacts: Anthony Mellor Tel. +33 1 76 32 17 16 anthony.mellor@amundi.com Thomas Lapeyre Tel. +33 1 76 33 70 54 thomas.lapeyre@amundi.com TORONTO, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX:CIQ.UN) (TSX:EDGF.UN) (TSX:HIG) (TSX:SSF.UN) (TSX:TLF) (TSX:TOF.UN) Brompton Funds announces monthly distributions for record dates from April to June 2018 for each of the following funds: Record Dates and Payment Dates are as follows: Record Date Payment Date April 30, 2018 May 14, 2018 May 31, 2018 June 14, 2018 June 29, 2018 July 16, 2018 Symphony Floating Rate Senior Loan Fund also announces a distribution in the amount of US$0.05 per Class U Unit for the above noted record and payment dates. Symphony Floating Rate Senior Loan Fund also announces distributions in the amount of Cdn$0.05625 per Class C Unit and Class F Unit for the above noted record and payment dates. Unitholders are reminded that the funds offer distribution reinvestment plans (DRIP) which provide unitholders with the ability to automatically reinvest distributions, commission free, and realize the benefits of compound growth. Unitholders can enroll in a DRIP program by contacting their investment advisor. Symphony Floating Rate Senior Loan Fund offers a DRIP for Class A and Class U Units only. About Brompton Funds Brompton Funds, a division of Brompton Group which was founded in 2000, is an experienced investment fund manager with approximately $2 billion in assets under management. Bromptons investment solutions include TSX traded funds, mutual funds and flow-through limited partnerships. For further information, please contact your investment advisor, call Bromptons investor relations line at 416-642-6000 (toll-free at 1-866-642-6001), email info@bromptongroup.com or visit our website at www.bromptongroup.com. You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell units of the investment funds on the Toronto Stock Exchange or other alternative Canadian trading system (an exchange). If the units are purchased or sold on an exchange, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying units of the investment fund and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them. There are ongoing fees and expenses associated with owning units of an investment fund. An investment fund must prepare disclosure documents that contain key information about the fund. You can find more detailed information about a fund in the public filings available at www.sedar.com. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with exchange-traded fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Exchange-traded funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Certain statements contained in this document constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to matters disclosed in this document and to other matters identified in public filings relating to the funds, to the future outlook of the funds and anticipated events or results and may include statements regarding the future financial performance of the funds. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terms such as may, will, should, expect, plan, anticipate, believe, intend, estimate, predict, potential, continue or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Actual results may vary from such forward-looking information. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. GBS 2018: Bioeconomy leaders foster shift to sustainable industry production International collaboration is needed to secure living of the growing world population without collapse of the planet's resources, biodiversity and climate. A communique published at the end of the Global Bioeconomy Summit (GBS) outlines policy measures needed to create a biobased economy for all. For two days, 800+ policy leaders, NGO and industry representatives from over 70 nations met to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the shift from the current unsustainable industry production to a sustainable bio-based economy at the 2nd Global Bioeconomy Summit (GBS, 19 20. April 2018) in Berlin. Since the German Bioeconomy Council launched the world policy meeting for bioeconomy with support of the German Research Ministry in 2015, 49 nations have adopted national bioeconomy strategies, outlined in an study update published on occasion of the GBS. Japan is to join them next year, representatives from Japan's Biotech Organisation told European Biotechnology at the meeting. As there are huge regional differences in the way and focus nations pursue the shift to sustainable food and industry production, international collaboration and best-practice policies are needed to met the overall goal of fighting global threats such as climate change, hunger, loss of biodiversity and depletion of natural resources, or inequality. A communique published at the end of the GBS, recommends to coordinate bioeconomy R&D, governance and capacity building internationally to ensure the set up of a "Sustainable Bioeconomy for All." Damages to our biosphere resulting from unsustainable resource use have become more tangible globally. "African species are disappearing at double rate of the world average", said Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, ex-President of Mauritius. "A climate change of 1.5C will have a direct impact on Africa's GDP", she added. "The exponentional growth of energy consumption during the past seven decades is discharging the battery of biologically stored energies built up by our planet in 4.5 billion years of evolution", warned John Schramski, engineer and ecologist from University Georgia. "We already see the first signs of instability of our biosphere. We must change our lifestyles and have to slow down," he stressed. Book author Ian Goldin, ex-policy advisor of Nelson Mandela and globalisation expert, told European Biotechnology that the current economies of Sccale can't lead to sustainability. "We can have good and bad effects from connectivity and progress in genomics, he said and pointing to globalisation: "The choices we make touch others in the world." While stakeholders such as Navi Radjou called for low tech innovation such as a 20 cent centrifuge or a fridge running without electricity to be developed within a "frugal concious bioeconomy", most of the key note speakers agreed that (high-tech) R&D will form the basis of processing natural resources more effectively and help establish circularity improving agriculture, industrial production and health globally. However, everybody seemed to agree to Radjou's conclusion "we must create more value with less resources." Stakeholders from resource-rich tropical countries, such as Ecuador's Enviroment Minister, Tarsicio Granizo, underlined that for them establishing the bioeconomy in their countries holds the prospect of economic growth. With an eye to benefit sharing, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim said "we must merge the African traditional knowledge with technology to plant a tree together." "Highly innovative (meta)genomics technologies and bioinformatics are reality today" in enzyme optimisation for food, textile or bio-based energy production, Thomas Videbk, Executive Vice President & COO for Research, Innovation & Supply at Novozymes. told European Biotechnology. Rob Carlson, Managing Director of Bioeconomy Capital, which invests in synthetic biology companies, said that microbial high-value products that can be produced in low-investment plants like breweries will lead to rapid industry adoption. The GBS Communique recommends to create a common knowledge base for the bioeconomy in order to internationally coordinate the development of policies. It calls for monitoring the status quo and progress of bioeconomy to be able to recognize unwanted side-effects and to actively drive bioeconomies into the right direction. On occasion of the GBS, German research minister Anja Karliczek announced an update of Germany's strategic research agenda, the start of a broad stakeholder discussion including the civil society to define the goals of an agenda "From Biology to Innovation" and the start of a project aimed to monitor the development of the bioeconomy. Previously, she had underlined her clear committment to R&D on CRISPR-based genome engineering technologies even in crops. It may be not used it in Germany, due to public concerns. However, application of such technologies in other parts of the world may be helpful. German Agriculture Minister, Julia Klockner, said at the GBS "We want to master the shift to a biobased economy." IT Modernization Federal CIO is moving quickly to get TMF funds out the door Federal CIO Suzette Kent speaks at an event celebrating women in federal IT. The first decisions about which agencies will receive funding from the $100 million Technology Modernization Fund could come later this week, revealed federal CIO Suzette Kent. "Breaking news today this time next week, the first four proposals that are moving to the second phase will actually have the letters in their hands inviting them to start that process," Kent said in an interview broadcast on the April 22 edition of the "Government Matters" public affairs program. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told appropriators April 18 nine agencies have submitted plans. Kent declined to share which agencies' projects were chosen. For the submissions that were approved, Kent shed some light on how the seven-member TMF board, which held its first meeting March 12, made its decisions. "Every idea that we received is a great idea, so everything the board's looked at is something that needs to be done," she said. "But the board is focused on elevating the ones that have the broadest impact across government, the most citizen impact, reusability, a lot of those key criteria." Kent also said the board is looking for "quarterly accountability" from agencies. "How a project team thinks about what they're going to do and demonstrate real results quarter by quarter and real impact is an important factor that we look at," she said. Kent added that getting these projects approved and underway quickly and agencies' ability to turn around tangible wins are also "very important" factors. "It's important to move quickly so we can actually deliver impact," she said. Kent also said "sustainability is critical" to TMF success, adding, "that's also why we're working with both the technology teams and the CFO, financial teams." One takeaway in reviewing the proposals, Kent said, was the submitted projects were in "clear alignment to the priorities that were laid out" in the Office of Management and Budget's formal guidance released Feb. 27. "Modernization, cloud email, citizen impact around portals, things we want to do to move off legacy systems" were among the topics included in the proposal, she said. We also saw very thoughtful attention to how they'll deliver results and the surety of the approach to outcomes they want to achieve, she added. And in many of the cases, the teams were very thoughtful about how it not only benefitted their agencies, but there was broad impact across the government, whether that was building a best practice, sharing some of the lessons learned or whether the actual outcome was something that could be used by other agencies. One agency that did not submit a proposal for first round consideration is the Small Business Administration, deputy CIO Guy Cavallo told FCW. SBA's CIO Maria Roat serves on the board. Asked why not, Cavallo said, "We are pursuing setting up on our enterprise fund, don't have one yet, and we need congressional authorization to do so." "We want to pursue using our own fund, once approved and created [versus] using the TMF fund," he added. David Shive, CIO of the General Services Administration, whose commissioner also serves on the board, told FCW after an AFFIRM event April 19 "we have some that are in the works, but I don't know if it made the first deadline." Spectrum Federal spectrum key to U.S. 5G Legislation pending in Congress that would push federally owned spectrum to commercial use is crucial to keeping the U.S. in the global race for 5G high-speed mobile broadband technology, a new study by the wireless industry said. "The federal government needs to move forward on releasing hundreds of MHz of new spectrum, and every level of government needs to act to modernize infrastructure rules," said a report from the trade association CTIA on the global race to 5G. The study called out the Airwaves Act in the House and a companion bill in the Senate as important pieces in the U.S. 5G spectrum effort. The legislation would establish a more reliable pipeline for moving federal spectrum into commercial hands for both licensed and unlicensed services by laying out timelines to auctions a series of low-, mid- and high-bandwidth spectrum over the next five years. The study also applauded federal and local government efforts to modernize the siting of cell towers and equipment on government properties. The report listed China as the world's leader in 5G, followed by the United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea. The U.S. is lagging by comparison. All major Chinese wireless providers have set specific launch dates for ultra-fast services, and China's government has committed to providing those companies with at least 100 MHz of mid-band spectrum and 2,000 MHz of high-band spectrum per provider, according to the study. The U.S., it said, needs similar tangible, federally backed spectrum roadmaps that commercial providers can rely on for a steady supply of airwaves for their services. The study noted that U.S. policymakers have been moving toward a steadier supply of suitable spectrum, especially spectrum vacated or made available by federal agencies. It said it identified 11 GHz of millimeter-wave spectrum in 2016 and another 1700 MHz in 2017. The Federal Communications Commission on April 17 voted to go ahead with a November auction of 24 GHz and 28 GHz spectrum, which it expects will be highly suitable for 5G services. On April 18, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said the commission would vote in May about opening up spectrum in the 2.5 GHz range for 5 G applications. The study also said the federal government should continue its emphasis on finding more federally-owned spectrum, through National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration, to clear spectrum in the 1.3 GHz, 1.7 GHz, and 3.4 GHz bands. Comment The ABCs of PPPs for digital infrastructure On the heels of the White House's recently released legislative outline for rebuilding infrastructure, its a good time to consider the potential of public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a means to effectively tackle this critical modernization. Heres a quick look at the ABCs of PPPs, as well as two scenarios where they might be considered: The ABCs Were one year into a 25-year PPP with the First Responder Network Authority to deliver a dedicated communications platform to public safety, called FirstNet. Working with the federal government, states and public safety community, FirstNet will bring first responders a much-needed communications upgrade. And it will arm them with lifesaving solutions to help them achieve their missions. Public-private partnerships, like the one behind FirstNet, can be effective ways to address large, multi-year infrastructure challenges. A 2016 study by Syracuse University showed that PPP infrastructure projects in the U.S. show a significantly greater likelihood of meeting respective schedule and cost requirements as compared to conventional approaches. With a PPP, public-sector entities can: Use investments and assets from the private sector to achieve its mission. Maintain regulatory responsibility and oversight of whats being delivered. Share financial and other risks with the private-sector partner. Establish a long-term relationship with the trusted private-sector company responsible for performance throughout the lifecycle of the project. Successful PPPs are backed by a public-sector political commitment, a clear legal framework, a transparent, competitive procurement process and realistic risk sharing. Infrastructure typically conjures images of transportation, the power grid, or water distribution. Yet todays most critical infrastructure is based on software that runs on communications networks. Here are just two of the many examples involving digital infrastructure where the public-private partnership model might offer a remedy. Connected health Imagine a fast, highly secure network that connects medical and diagnostic equipment, care provider systems, mobile devices, healthcare databases and medical records. Customized apps are built to automate and simplify tasks and processes. Care providers meet with patients virtually. Artificial intelligence and big data technologies can then take this information and pull out key insights to help improve decision-making as well as process and information flows. Its a big, complex undertaking that could take several years to build out. It requires the participation and oversight of the federal government. And it presents challenges that private-sector companies are often best suited to address. Securing our borders Much has been said in the last several years about how best to protect our nations physical borders. My firm recently completed a one-year pilot program at a U.S. Air Force base to test a "smart base concept using our IoT and Smart Cities experience and capabilities. The centerpiece of the program was a perimeter security and notification system. It included our advanced networking capabilities paired with IoT-connected sensors and surveillance equipment. When the base perimeter is breached, an infrared device paired with video cameras detects it and sends base patrols the location information and images of the breach. Within seconds, a patrol officer can receive a text message with a video capture of the intrusion event. The solution helps pinpoint the time and place of an intrusion. And it helps the base more effectively schedule its security personnel while reducing the need for 24/7/365 patrols around its borders. A similarly designed system, built at scale and delivered through a public-private partnership, could be an effective element of a holistic approach to border security. Certainly, technology can play a leading role in border protection. Modernizing our nations physical and digital infrastructure requires innovation, focus and commitment. PPPs, where the public and private sectors work together to address infrastructure improvement, offer a compelling approach when its time to act. Perhaps that time is now. Some of the biggest tech names are slated to report earnings this week. These results come at a time when the technology sector is grappling with several crises which have sprung up at short intervals. Of the companies, slated to report earnings this week, Facebook, Inc. (FB) has had to battle the fallout of a data leak scandal. Meanwhile, Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) has been the target of several attacks from President Trump. Given this backdrop, investors would be wondering whether upcoming results can help override recent concerns. Fortunately, earnings and revenues from the sector are likely to improve in the first quarter, which makes it a good idea to pick up select tech stocks which are also likely to outperform their earnings estimates. Can Strong Results Outweigh Recent Concerns? The variety of concerns plaguing technology, a sector which largely powered an unprecedented Bull Run, has had the strongest proponents of the sector scurrying for cover. Only recently, poor guidance from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSM) pulled down other tech majors like Apple Inc. (AAPL). But not all the worries the sector faces at the moment could snowball into threats of significant proportions. For instance, most market watchers believe that a divided Congress is unlikely to regulate data gathering of the kind practiced by Facebook or Google. Online advertising spends, therefore, are likely to remain largely unchanged. However, higher user engagement will still be topmost on the list of investor priorities. Ultimately, earnings would not only have to be good overall. They would have to be strong enough to outweigh recent sector concerns. Earnings Prospects Remain Promising Unlike the Finance sector whose earnings performance notably improved this earnings season compared to other recent periods, the Tech sectors earnings performance has been strong over the last many quarters. This strength is expected to continue in the Q1 earnings season as well. Story continues Total Q1 earnings for the Tech sector are expected to be up 20.9% from the same period last year on 11.5% higher revenues. This would follow 24.2% earnings growth for the sector on 11.1% revenue growth in the preceding quarter. (Read: Can Tech Earnings Live Up to Expectations?) Thats head and shoulders above the autos and conglomerate sectors, earnings for which are expected to decline by 9.6% and 1.1%, respectively during the first quarter. Overall, total Q1 earnings are expected to be up 18% from the same period last year on 5.3% higher revenues. Our Choices Tech stocks have been battered on several fronts this year, the latest being poor guidance from Taiwan Semiconductor. However, several of the concerns surrounding the sector are unlikely to build up into something larger. For instance, U.S. lawmakers are unlikely to impose stringent regulation on tech majors in the near term. Meanwhile, in keeping with stellar fourth-quarter results, first-quarter numbers are likely to be impressive. Earnings ESP is our proprietary methodology for identifying stocks that have high chances of surprising with their next earnings announcement. It shows the percentage difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. You could further narrow down the list of choices by looking at stocks that have a favorable Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Our research shows that for stocks with this combination, the chance of a positive earnings surprise is as high as 70%. Twitter Inc. TWTR is a global platform that connects a user to a network of people, news, ideas, opinions and information. Twitter has beaten the Zacks Consensus earnings estimate for the last four consecutive quarters with an average positive earnings surprise of 153.1%. Powered with the right combination of the two key ingredients an Earnings ESP of +12.5% and a Zacks Rank of 1 our proven model shows that an earnings beat is expected for Twitter in the to-be-reported quarter as well. The company is expected to report first-quarter 2018 results on Apr 25. Western Digital Corporation WDC is one of the largest hard disk drive (HDD) producers in the United States. Western Digital has beaten the Zacks Consensus earnings estimate for the last four consecutive quarters with an average positive earnings surprise of 6.4%. Powered with the right combination of the two key ingredients an Earnings ESP of +2.3% and a Zacks Rank of 1 our proven model shows that an earnings beat is expected for Western Digital in the to-be-reported quarter as well. The company is expected to report third-quarter fiscal 2018 results on Apr 26. VeriSign Inc. VRSN provides Internet infrastructure services that include domain name registry services and infrastructure assurance services. VeriSign has beaten the Zacks Consensus earnings estimate for the three of the last four consecutive quarters with an average positive earnings surprise of 2.3%. Powered with the right combination of the two key ingredients an Earnings ESP of +2.83% and a Zacks Rank of 1 our proven model shows that an earnings beat is expected for Huntsman in the to-be-reported quarter as well. The company is expected to report first-quarter 2018 results on Apr 26. Xilinx Inc. XLNX designs and manufactures a broad range of high-performance, high-density programmable logic devices (PLDs), such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and complex-programmable logic devices (CPLDs). Xilinx has beaten the Zacks Consensus earnings estimate for the last four consecutive quarters with an average positive earnings surprise of 9%. Powered with the right combination of the two key ingredients an Earnings ESP of +5.26% and a Zacks Rank of 2 our proven model shows that an earnings beat is expected for Quaker Chemical in the to-be-reported quarter as well. The company is expected to report first-quarter 2017 results on Apr 25. Seagate Technology Plc STX is the second-largest manufacturer of hard disk drives (HDDs) in the United States. Powered with the right combination of the two key ingredients an Earnings ESP of +6.69% and a Zacks Rank of 2 our proven model shows that an earnings beat is expected for Seagate in the to-be-reported quarter as well. The company is expected to report third-quarter fiscal 2018 results on May 1. Today's Stocks from Zacks' Hottest Strategies It's hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +21.9% in 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +115.0%, +109.3%, +104.9%, +98.6%, and +67.1%. And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 - 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 19X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we're willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation. See Them Free>> 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 Western Digital Corporation (WDC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Seagate Technology PLC (STX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Twitter, Inc. (TWTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report VeriSign, Inc. (VRSN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Xilinx, Inc. (XLNX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Passengers arrive at the Air France check-in at Bordeaux-Merignac airport, as Air France pilots, cabin and ground crews unions call for a strike over salaries in Merignac near Bordeaux, France April 7, 2018. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Phoro PARIS (Reuters) - Air France KLM(AIR.PA)'s French unit is predicting that 25 percent of its flights will be cancelled on Monday, on the 10th day of a strike by staff over pay. In a statement on Sunday, the airline company said 65 percent of its long-haul and medium-haul flights will be carried out from the Charles de Gaulle international airport in Paris. Eight-five percent of short-haul flights will be guaranteed from the Parisian airport of Orly and other regional airports in France, it added. About 28 percent of the company's pilots are expected to strike. One flight attendant in five is expected to walk out. The first round of the strike took place in February. Air France on Friday launched a new consultation period with staff members to try to end the dispute that has so far cost it 220 million euros (193 million). Jean-Marc Janaillac, chief executive of the Air France KLM parent group and chairman of Air France, said it would be hard for him to stay in his post if the talks failed. (Reporting by Yann Le Guernigou, Writing by Mathieu Rosemain, Editing by William Maclean) GRIMES, Iowa, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National Carwash Solutions (NCS), the nations premier manufacturer of commercial car wash systems, maintenance services and cleaning solutions, is pleased to announce its newest integrated solution called Ryko 360 Your One and Only Source for Car Wash SuccessTM. Car wash operators can bundle the full lineup of Ryko and CleanTouch products and services to further enhance their car wash operations profitability. The Ryko 360 solution is based upon five core building blocks needed for car wash success: Service, Quality Systems, Training, Cleaning Solutions and Parts. The Ryko 360 Solution gives car wash operators everything they need to successfully build, operate and maintain their car washes. 1. NATIONWIDE SERVICE We offer the only national direct support network with over 350 factory-trained, locally based service technicians for faster responses when you need them most. Plus, we offer a wide range of plans from ultimate maintenance to call-in service plans, so you can pick the coverage thats best for your business. 2. QUALITY SYSTEMS A full line of high-performance soft touch, touchless and mini-express car wash systems that simply clean better and last longer than the competition. We have several new and freshly updated products and features that can help you increase your car wash counts, profit margins and return on investment. 3. TRAINING & EDUCATION We'll teach you the ins and outs of the industry and how to succeed in a one-of-a-kind training experience. Our interactive training takes place at our custom 10,000 sq. ft training facility that centers around all major equipment platforms at a chemical wet teaching lab. 4. CLEANTOUCH CLEANING SOLUTIONS We offer the industrys only comprehensive chemical program with expert wash solution delivery, service and maintenance provided by our national network of knowledgeable, specially trained technicians. Our industry-leading chemistry technology is designed for complete car wash success. Everything is lab-tested for proper cleaning effectiveness, surface protection, drying efficiency and operative ways to enhance the longevity of your car wash equipment. 5. GENUINE QUALITY PARTS We use genuine high-quality Ryko parts for our service customers. We have millions of dollars in parts available for speedy delivery from fully stocked service vans, distribution centers and local warehouses across North America. Our service technicians will have the correct OEM part available right away to get you back up and running! Were excited to launch The Ryko 360 Solution for our car wash operators. This complete program takes the worry and the hassle out of profitably running a car wash business, said Michael Gillen, CEO of National Carwash Solutions. Under The Ryko 360 Solution, our customers can find everything they need to easily build, run and maintain their car wash business. The Ryko 360 Solution is part of our long-term vision to provide outstanding service, innovation and exceptional value to our customers. The Ryko 360 Solution is for everyone from local car wash operators to national customers. Find out what the Ryko 360 Solution can do for you and your car wash business. For more information on the Ryko 360 Solution, please go to Ryko.com or call 800-284-7956. About National Carwash Solutions National Carwash Solutions (NCS) is the market leading service and systems provider to the North American car wash industry. NCS has established the only direct, end-to-end customer service and support network with over 320 service technicians nationwide. NCS offers a complete line of CleanTouch cleaning fluid solutions, RO & Reclaim systems and accessories. NCS also offers the widest selection of car wash systems, accessories and parts under the Ryko and MacNeil brands. Founded in 1973, NCS is headquartered in Grimes, Iowa, and employs over 600 people across North America. To learn more, please visit NationalCarwashSolutions.com, MacNeilwash.com and Ryko.com National Carwash Solutions nationalcarwashsolutions.com 800-284-7956 info@nationalcarwashsolutions.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/acbe88b8-ac21-4b27-87c3-b69e39f6a4f4 (Adds UNRWA comment) BEIRUT/LONDON, April 22 (Reuters) - Air strikes pounded a jihadist-held area near Damascus on Sunday, footage broadcast by Syrian state TV stations showed, as the Syrian government stepped up efforts to wipe out the insurgency's last foothold near the capital. Thick clouds of smoke rose from the al-Hajar al-Aswad area and the sound of jets could be heard in broadcasts from the area just south of Damascus that is controlled by insurgents from the Islamic State and Nusra Front groups. UNRWA, the U.N. agency that cares for Palestinians, said two Palestinian refugee civilians - a father and son - had been killed in their home in the adjacent Palestinian camp of Yarmouk. Thousands of homes had been destroyed in Yarmouk in the last four days of fighting, Chris Gunness, UNRWA spokesman, said. "There must be safe passage for the sick and the wounded and the dying civilians," he said. "Yarmouk has been transformed into a death camp, like one of the lower regions of hell." The jihadist-held enclave is adjoined by a pocket held by other rebel groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner. President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Iran and Russia, is seeking to crush the last few besieged rebel enclaves, building on the defeat of insurgents in the eastern Ghouta region, which was the rebels' last major stronghold near the capital. Rebel fighters on Saturday began to withdraw from an enclave they held northeast of Damascus in the eastern Qalamoun region in a surrender agreement with the government. They are being transported to opposition-held territory at the Turkish border. Although the conquest of eastern Qalamoun and the enclave south of Damascus will leave just one remaining besieged rebel enclave, north of the city of Homs, large parts of Syria at the borders with Jordan, Israel, Turkey and Iraq remain outside Assad's control. Anti-Assad rebels hold a chunk of territory in the southwest and the northwest, and Kurdish-led militias, backed by the United States, control an expanse of northern and eastern Syria. (Reporting by Tom Perry in Beirut and Will Russell in London Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) Alaska Air Group, Inc. ALK reported first-quarter 2018 earnings per share of 14 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 11 cents. Earnings however declined from the year-ago figure. How Was the Estimate Revision Trend? Investors should note that the earnings estimate revisions for Alaska Air Group depicted a gloomy picture prior to the earnings release. The stock had seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter earnings being revised 76.6% downward over the last 90 days. Moreover, the company has an unimpressive earnings history having outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in only two of the last four quarters with an average beat of 0.23%. Revenues Higher Than Expected Alaska Air Group recorded revenues of $1,832 million, which came marginally above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,830.6 million. Also, it compared favorably with the year-ago number of $1,749 million. Alaska Air Group, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Alaska Air Group, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Alaska Air Group, Inc. Quote Key Stats to Note: The airline witnessed a 2.1% decrease in consolidated revenue per available seat mile (RASM: a key measure of unit revenue) in the quarter. Passenger revenues climbed 5% to $1,685 million in the quarter. Cost per available seat mile (CASM), excluding fuel rose 5.1% in the quarter, while economic fuel cost per gallon surged 20.2%. The company repurchased 185,661 shares for $12 million in the first three months of 2018. Zacks Rank: Currently, Alaska Air Group has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) but that could change following the companys earnings report which was just released. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Check back later for our full write up on this Alaska Air Group earnings report later! Today's Stocks from Zacks' Hottest Strategies It's hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +21.9% in 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +115.0%, +109.3%, +104.9%, +98.6%, and +67.1%. And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 - 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 19X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we're willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation. See Them Free>> 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 Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Amazon is restricting reviews of James Comeys new book, A Higher Loyalty, likely in an effort to limit politically-motivated negative reviews of the book from supporters of President Donald Trump, whom Comey criticizes extensively in the book. The restrictions were originally spotted by Deadline, which reports reviews are restricted to only verified buyers of the book. When Fortune attempted to post a review through an Amazon account that hadnt purchased the book, we received the following message: This product currently has limitations on submitting reviews. This may be because we detected unusual review behavior on this product, or to maintain the best possible shopping experience. In a statement, Amazon seemed to confirm Deadlines assessment, saying: We never reject reviews based on star rating or sentiment. When numerous reviews post in a short amount of time that are unrelated to the product, we suppress all non-Amazon Verified Purchase (AVP) reviews. Reviews are meant to help customers by providing real feedback on a product from other customers who have tried it. Comey was fired as FBI Director by Trump just under one year ago, on May 7th of 2017. That firing set in motion events leading to the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller just ten days later. Get CEO Daily, Fortunes newsletter for leaders. Since his firing, Comey has become increasingly vocal in his criticisms of the President. In his new book, which has become a massive bestseller, Comey compares Trump to mob underboss Sammy The Bull Gravano, and says the President is untethered to the truth. Reviews successfully posted to the books Amazon page are almost uniformly glowing, with 89% of them giving Comeys book five stars at this writing. Trump has had his own harsh words for Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, criticizing Amazons business practices, accusing Amazon of underpaying the Post Office for shipping, and, of course, constantly dismissing the Bezos-owned Washington Post as fake news. Story continues Politically contentious books have in the past attracted harshly negative reviews, many likely from reviewers who never purchased or read the book in question. In another recent example, Amazon apparently chose to delete hundreds of negative reviews of Hillary Clintons book What Happened, mostly from reviewers without verified purchases. Fortune has reached out to Amazon to determine the precise nature of the restrictions on Comeys book, and will update with any further information. Update 4/24/18: This story has been updated with a statement from Amazon. President Donald Trump tempered his optimism on North Korea on Sunday, saying that only time will tell how things turn out, as U.S. lawmakers sounded skeptical about promises made by Pyongyang ahead of possible historic talks between the countries leaders. We are a long way from conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they wont only time will tell, Trump said Sunday on Twitter. But the work I am doing now should have been done a long time ago! In an earlier tweet, the president criticized NBC journalist Chuck Todd for suggesting that the U.S. had given ground to North Korea in negotiations. Wow, we havent given up anything & they have agreed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing! Sundays comments followed those from Trump on Friday after Kim pledged to halt nuclear testing in what was seen as a largely symbolic gesture aimed at softening the ground for talks between the two leaders. Trump then hailed big progress and said he looked forward to the summit with North Koreas leader, which could go ahead in May or June. Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd of Fake News NBC just stated that we have given up so much in our negotiations with North Korea, and they have given up nothing. Wow, we havent given up anything & they have agreed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2018 ....We are a long way from conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they wont - only time will tell....But the work I am doing now should have been done a long time ago! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2018 Kim told a ruling party meeting in Pyongyang on Friday his regime would suspend tests of atomic bombs and intercontinental ballistic missiles after achieving its goal of building a nuclear arsenal, the official Korean Central News Agency reported. North Korea will shutter its Punggye-ri test site, a secluded mountain facility believed to be damaged after a hydrogen bomb test in September. Story continues Bombs in Hand However, the reclusive states media has steered clear of using the term denuclearization to describe Pyongyangs offer. Kim has made no commitment to give up the estimated 60 nuclear bombs and the unknown number of intercontinental ballistic missiles he already has. White House legislative director Marc Short said Sunday that the administration has cautious optimism about North Korea. The ongoing negotiations with Pyongyang reinforce the need for a fast vote to confirm Mike Pompeo as the new U.S. Secretary of State, Short said on NBCs Meet the Press. Pompeo, in his role as CIA director, recently traveled to North Korea in secret to lay the groundwork for Trumps potential meeting with Kim. U.S. lawmakers sounded more skeptical than optimistic on Sunday. Funny how all of the Pundits that couldnt come close to making a deal on North Korea are now all over the place telling me how to make a deal! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2018 Easily Reversible On CNNs State of the Union, Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee said Kims efforts should be met with caution. The Republican, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said North Koreas leader has staged a great public relations effort to woo Trump. Corkers committee will vote Monday on Pompeos nomination, which would then move to the full Senate. The former Kansas lawmaker is nearing the votes he needs for confirmation after Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota said shell cross party lines to back him. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California, termed North Koreas pledge to suspend missile testing was a beginning. The question is whether it lasts or not, Feinstein said on CBS Newss Face the Nation. The reputation of the North Koreans has been that they dont necessarily keep their agreements. Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas and a close ally of Trump, said Fridays announcement by North Korea was easily reversible. Its better than continued testing, but its not much better than that, Cotton, a member of Senates intelligence and armed services committees, said on CBS. HPT vs. HCP: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now? HPT vs. HCP: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option? We expect Bristol-Myers Squibb Company BMY to beat expectations when it reports first-quarter 2018 results on Apr 26, before market open. Bristol-Myers shares have decreased 16.5% so far this year compared with the industrys decline of 4.7%. Bristol-Myers track record has been mixed so far. The company delivered positive earnings surprise in three of the last four quarters and missed expectations once. The average positive earnings surprise in the last four quarters is 4.23%. In the last reported quarter, Bristol-Myers delivered a positive surprise of 1.49%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this quarter. What Will Drive Growth in Q1? Bristol-Myers blockbuster immuno-oncology drug, Opdivo is expected to remain the main sales driver in the first quarter, following several line extensions in 2017. In the soon-to-be reported quarter, the company announced encouraging results from a phase III study evaluating Opdivo in first-line non-small cell lung cancer. Opdivo in combination with Yervoy significantly improved progression free survival in patients compared to chemotherapy. A potential approval in this indication will be a significant boost for the drug, given the immense scope in the lung cancer market. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the drugs sales in the first quarter is pegged at $1.38 billion. In January 2018, the European Commission approved the label expansion of Yervoy injection in pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. The FDA approved the drug for this indication in July 2017. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the drugs sales in this quarter is $291 million. In November 2017, the FDA approved line extension of Sprycel in pediatric patients with Ph+ chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase. The drug, which registered growth of 6.7% in the previous quarter, is expected to receive a boost this quarter due to the expanded label. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sprycel sales stands at $507 million. Cardiovascular drug, Eliquis, came up with a strong performance in 2017, with sales growing 44% year over year. Sales are expected to remain robust in the first quarter too. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Eliquis sales is pegged at $1.43 billion. Story continues On the other hand, the decline in Hepatitis C franchise is expected to continue due to intense competition from multiple drugs including Epclusa as its label was expanded to include HIV co-infection in August. Moreover, the HIV business continues to face competitive pressure. Recent launches by other companies in the same space are expected to further impact the Sustiva franchise. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Hepatitis C franchise sales is pegged at $52 million this quarter, down 67.9% from the year-ago quarter actual figure. Conclusion Several label expansions of Bristol-Myers blockbuster cancer drug, Opdivo, drove the companys sales last year and are expected do so this year as well. Moreover, cardiovascular drug, Eliquis, also demonstrated strong performance in 2017. We expect this trend to continue this quarter. Label expansion of leukemia drug, Sprycel, approved in November 2017, should bring in more sales for the drug. Moreover, continued strong performance of Yervoy and Orencia will have a favorable impact. However, genericization of Plavix, Avapro/Avalide and Baraclude in the United States due to loss of exclusivity is significantly hurting the companys top line. The company also faces stiff competition in the immuno-oncology space. The HIV business continues to face competitive pressure. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales and earnings for Q1 is pegged at $5.17 billion and 84 cents, respectively. Why a Likely Positive Surprise? Our proven model indicates that Bristol-Myers is likely to beat earnings estimates this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. Zacks ESP:Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, stands at +0.82%. This is a leading indicator of a likely positive earnings surprise. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank:Bristol-Myers has a Zacks Rank #3. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a favorable Zacks Rank makes us reasonably confident of an earnings beat. Conversely, we caution against the Sell-rated stocks (#4 or 5) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Price and EPS Surprise Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Price and EPS Surprise | Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Quote Other Stocks to Consider Here are some biotech stocks that you may also want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. Pfizer Inc. PFE is scheduled to release its results on May 1. The company has an Earnings ESP of +1.36% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. AbbVie Inc. ABBV is scheduled to release its results on Apr 26. The company has an Earnings ESP of +0.06% and a Zacks Rank #3. Gilead Sciences, Inc. GILD is scheduled to release its results on May 1. The company has an Earnings ESP of +0.32% and a Zacks Rank #2. Today's Stocks from Zacks' Hottest Strategies It's hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +21.9% in 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +115.0%, +109.3%, +104.9%, +98.6%, and +67.1%. And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 - 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 19X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we're willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation. See Them Free>> 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 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Pfizer Inc. (PFE) : Free Stock Analysis Report AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) : Free Stock Analysis Report Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. bitcoin Sindri Thor Stefansson, the alleged mastermind behind the Big Bitcoin Heist who fled a low-security Icelandic prison and hopped on a flight to Sweden last week, has been found. But according to Stefansson, he never should have been detained in the first place and was being held based on police suspicion. He was reportedly arrested in Amsterdam amid an international arrest warrant with plans under way for his extradition to Iceland. Stefansson was imprisoned for his alleged role in Icelands worst ever heist involving $2 million worth of bitcoin mining equipment. He believes that his rights were violated because he didnt have a trial and the arrest warrant had expired when he escaped the Sogni prison. According to his version of the story, which Stefansson told to Icelandic publication Frettabladid.is, he was held without evidence and was free to travel after the judges ruling expired on April 16. He reportedly said I would never try to flee prison if I was legally deprived of my freedom from [the] judges decision, thats a fact. He further stated that he was dumped, punished and threatened with longer isolation, all without proof. I simply refuse to be in prison of my own will, especially when the police threatens to arrest me without explanation. Below is a screenshot of Stefansson fleeing Iceland, as published in Frettabladid.is. His plane ticket wasnt in his own name but no border check was required. Anger and Remorse Stefansson is arguing a lapse between the date of the order to hold him and the judge taking 24 hours to determine whether or not to hold the suspect. Stefansson, while he was awaiting the judges ruling, is said to have gone out to a restaurant and then booked the infamous flight to Sweden. Hours later, the judge reportedly ruled on the continuation of detention, the report says. Story continues Stefansson says he feels shame for having escaped, but he was angry for being held in a prison for more than two months allegedly without any evidence of having orchestrated the heist. Since his escape, Stefansson says his family has been harassed by the media. Prior to his arrest in Amsterdam, Stefanssons manifesto to Frettabladid.is said he wanted to come home to confront the situation. Stefansson is accused of spearheading a group that allegedly stole cryptocurrency mining equipment over a period in December and January, which still hasnt been recovered. The investigation may have shifted to Spain, where Stefansson reportedly purchased an apartment. Featured image from Shutterstock. The post Big Bitcoin Heist Suspect Arrested in Amsterdam, Claims Unlawful Imprisonment appeared first on CCN. DALLAS, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A. H. Belo Corporation (NYSE:AHC) said today that it will release first quarter 2018 financial results on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 before the market opens. A conference call will follow at 9:00 a.m. CDT that morning. The conference call will be simultaneously webcast on A. H. Belo Corporations website at www.ahbelo.com/invest. An archive of the webcast will be available at www.ahbelo.com in the Investor Relations section. To access the listen-only conference call, dial 1-866-233-3843 (USA) or 651-224-7472 (International). A replay line will be available at 1-800-475-6701 (USA) or 320-365-3844 (International) from 11:00 a.m. CDT on May 2, 2018 until 11:59 p.m. CDT on May 9, 2018. The access code for the replay is 447524. About A. H. Belo Corporation A. H. Belo Corporation is a leading local news and information publishing company with commercial printing, distribution and direct mail capabilities, as well as expertise in emerging media and digital marketing. With a continued focus on extending the Companys media platform, A. H. Belo Corporation delivers news and information in innovative ways to a broad spectrum of audiences with diverse interests and lifestyles. For additional information, visit www.ahbelo.com or email invest@ahbelo.com. E.P.A. head Scott Pruitt, currently embroiled in an array of ethics controversies including a cushy housing deal in D.C., received a discount of roughly $100,000 on the 2003 purchase of a Tulsa house from a lobbyist for a telecom company he was responsible for overseeing as an Oklahoma state official. According to the New York Times, the lobbyist, Marsha Lindsey, wanted to sell her home in Oklahomas state capitol as she prepared to retire. She sold the home for $375,000 to an intermediary, who one month later transferred ownership to Pruitt and a group of partners. Lindsey had paid $475,000 for the house in 2002, but her employer covered much of the difference in accordance with her contract, and now says two appraisers valued the home at an average of $390,000. That employer, SBC Oklahoma, was impacted by Pruitts decisions on matters including rate regulation and a prior bribery case. Pruitt, as a state legislator and as state attorney general, sided with SBC in those and other matters. SBC, formerly Southwestern Bell, has since merged with AT&T. Get CEO Daily, Fortunes newsletter for leaders. Pruitt purchased the home through a shell company, Capitol House L.L.C., and did not mention that entity in financial disclosure forms, a possible violation according to state standards. The shell company was shared, according to the E.P.A., between five co-owners. It was registered in the name of Kenneth Wagner, an associate of Pruitts who is now a high-ranking official at the E.P.A. The shell companys mortgage for the home was issued by SpiritBank, then headed by Albert Kelly, who is also now part of Pruitts E.P.A. Kelly has since been barred for life from the banking industry, for undisclosed reasons possibly linked to loan practices, according to the FDIC. Two years later, in 2005, Pruitts group sold the home for $95,000 more than the initial sale price. Despite this, an E.P.A. spokeswoman responding to questions from the Times said that Mr. Pruitts dealings were ethical, but reportedly did not reply to questions about Oklahoma disclosure requirements. Ripple The two most valuable altcoins are most likely noncompliant securities under US law, claims a former markets regulator. Gary Gensler, a former head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said that he believes Ether and XRP have been issued through unregistered securities offerings and are trading illegally on the hundreds of cryptocurrency exchanges that list them. Gensler chaired the CFTC from 2009 to 2014 during the Obama administration and later served as chief financial officer for Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. Now, he works as a blockchain researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he also serves as a special adviser to the blockchain-friendly Media Lab and a senior lecturer at the Sloan School of Management. There is a strong case for both of them but particularly Ripple that they are noncompliant securities, Gensler told the New York Times. Thats because both cryptocurrencies have been sold by their creators and purchased primarily as investments for speculative reasons. Bitcoin, in contrast, was never issued in this manner and is thus unlikely to be deemed a security by regulators. As CCN reported, Ethereum was bootstrapped in an initial coin offering-style presale in 2014, through which investors purchased Ether units that were distributed once the Ethereum network launched in July 2015. Following that initial distribution, new units of Ether have been distributed through mining, and the Ethereum Foundation now controls less than one percent of the Ether supply. However, top officials at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reportedly recently refused to assure an industry working group backed by venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures that Ether is not an unregistered security. Nevertheless, Gensler said that because Ethereum has been functional for nearly three years and has achieved a more decentralized development structure, it has a greater chance of evading the noncompliant securities label than XRP and most ICOs. XRP was created by San Francisco-based blockchain startup Ripple, and the company issues tokens at its own discretion through sales, grants, and other centralized means. Ripple has repeatedly claimed that XRP is not a security, though cryptocurrency exchange operator and brokerage firm Coinbase has suggested that it does not believe there is regulatory certainty that prevents it from listing the token. Story continues XRP does not give its owners an interest or stake in Ripple, and they are not paid dividends, Ripple spokesman Tom Channick told the NYT. XRP exists independent of Ripple, was created before the company and will exist after it. Gensler, meanwhile, said that he believes 2018 will bring a reckoning for the cryptocurrency industry, as regulators continue to take a more active role in policing ICOs and other token sales that allegedly constitute unregistered securities offerings. 2018 is going to be a very interesting time, Gensler said. Over 1,000 previously issued initial coin offerings, and over 100 exchanges that offer ICOs, are going to need to sort out how to come into compliance with U.S. securities law. Featured image from Shutterstock. The post Ethereum(ETH) and Ripple(XRP) are Noncompliant Securities,: Fmr. CFTC Chairman appeared first on CCN. Jose Manuel Barroso during his time as European Commission President (Getty) The former head of the European Commission has found a silver lining in the Brexit cloud hanging over Brussels. Jose Manuel Barroso said today that the UKs departure shows that the EU is a union of free countries rather than a union of diktat like the Soviet Union. Mr Barroso, who led the Commission for a decade until 2014 and is now an adviser to Goldman Sachs, called it the only benefit of Brexit. His comments made during a public interview at the European University Institute in Florence come in response to repeated comparisons between the EU and Soviet Union by Brexit supporters. UKIP MEP Nigel Farage said in September that the European Commissions approach to the populist governments of Hungary and Poland must remind them of living under the Soviet communists. Hitting back today, Mr Barroso said: The European Union is not a foreign power in our countries. Our countries are in the European Union, either because they founded it the six original members or because theyve asked to become members of it and they approved it and they ratified it. We are not the Soviet Union. We are the European Union. If a country is in the European Union it is because the country decided to be. That is the only benefit I can see of Brexit. We are showing the world that that we are free union of countries. If one country wants to leave it can leave. That was not the case with the Soviet Union or other old empires. We are not a union of diktat. We are a free union of free countries. This is very important. The former Prime Minister of Portugal was also critical of UK political leaders who he said had created the conditions for the Brexit vote through decades of British exceptionalism and scapegoating the EU. Jose Manuel Barroso with David Cameron in 2014 (Getty) If you attack the European Union all the time and then afterwards you say: Please vote for the European Union, people dont understand, he said. That could be read as a criticism of former Prime Minister David Cameron, who Mr Barroso clashed with during his time as Commission President over the Conservative partys increasing Eurosceptic position. Story continues Mr Barroso warned the European Union would not survive if politicians in other member states took the same attitude to the EU. But he predicted voters in other EU countries wont follow the UKs path because they can see the risks of instability it brings. Until now the Brexit factor has been more of a vaccine than a contagion because people are understanding the risks of instability, he added. Other external factors, like what is happening in the United States and also with Russia, are also somehow provoking more support for European integration because people understand at least a large part of our population believes that if we want to count we need to be together. If not, we are going to be relegated to a marginal position. Before today, Mr Barroso was most recently in the news after the European Ombudsman called for permission for his employment with Goldman Sachs to be reassessed. The European Commission gave permission for him to take the role on the condition that he did not lobby the organisation he led between 2004 and 2014. But it was revealed in February that he had lobbied a Commission vice president on behalf of Goldman Sachs in October 2017. Tourists were blocked from entering the island during the lockdown (AFP Photo/Damien MEYER) Paris (AFP) - French police have arrested a man accused of threatening to attack police at Mont Saint Michel, causing a scare that led to the evacuation of one of the country's busiest tourist sites, a security source said Monday. The UNESCO world heritage site, off the coast of Normandy in northwest France, was shut down for several hours Sunday after a tourist guide reported a man made threatening comments on a bus carrying visitors to the rocky islet. A senior local official said the man then got into a fight with a cafe owner, during which he made more threats against security forces. The source said a suspect in the case, a 36-year-old man, was arrested late on Sunday on a motorway near the Normandy city of Caen. The man, who was known to authorities for drug trafficking and for driving without a licence, was first spotted at a motorway petrol station "where he boasted of being behind the threats", the source said. Tourists were blocked from entering the island during the lockdown as around 50 police conducted a house-to-house search. Holidaymakers were evacuated from hotels and the abbey was shut. Mont Saint Michel, a place of pilgrimage in medieval times, lies about a kilometre (half a mile) offshore and is attached to the mainland by a bridge. Its stunning monastery, perched atop a rock, draws more than two million visitors a year. The evacuation came with France still on high alert following a string of Islamic extremist attacks since 2015 that have killed more than 240 people. Security forces have repeatedly been the target of attacks, most recently during a shooting spree and supermarket hostage-taking in the southern city of Carcassonne and nearby Trebes. MEET vs. WDAY: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now? MEET vs. WDAY: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option? Earnings Meet: Worlds No. 2 oilfield-services company Halliburton Company HAL reported first quarter income per share from continuing operation (adjusted for Venezuela write-downs) of 41 cents, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Strong North American drilling activity on the back of oil pricing strength were offset by problems in Venezuela and frack sand delivery delays. Estimate Revision Trend & Surprise History: The stock had seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter earnings being revised 6.8% downward over the last 30 days. Nonetheless, Halliburton have an impressive earnings surprise history. Before posting the earnings meet in Q1, the company delivered positive surprises in all prior four quarters, as shown in the chart below: Halliburton Company Price and EPS Surprise Halliburton Company Price and EPS Surprise | Halliburton Company Quote Overall, the company has a positive earnings surprise of 20% in the trailing four quarters. Revenues: Halliburton posted revenues of $5,740 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5,760 million. However, it compared favorably with the year-ago number of $4,279 million. Key Stats: Operating income from the Completion & Production segment was $500 million, significantly higher than the year-ago level of $147 million. Our current consensus estimates called for a higher operating income of $534 million. Halliburtons Drilling & Evaluation unit profit improved from $122 million in the first quarter of 2017 to $188 million this year. But the number was below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $180 million. Zacks Rank: Currently, Halliburton carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) which is subject to change following the earnings announcement. (You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.) Check back later for our full write up on this Halliburton earnings report later! Today's Stocks from Zacks' Hottest Strategies Story continues It's hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +21.9% in 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +115.0%, +109.3%, +104.9%, +98.6%, and +67.1%. And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 - 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 19X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we're willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation. See Them Free>> 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 Halliburton Company (HAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. 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 (Repeats to widen distribution) * Modi to meet Xi on Friday, Saturday in China's Wuhan * Modi seeking to re-set ties * Two sides have had major disagreements over border, Dalai Lama By Ben Blanchard BEIJING, April 22 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China this week for an informal meeting with President Xi Jinping, as efforts at rapprochement gather pace following a testing year in ties between the two giant neighbours. The Chinese government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, said the two would meet on Friday and Saturday in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. "Our common interests far outweigh our differences. The two countries have no choice other than pursuing everlasting friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development," Wang told reporters after meeting Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in Beijing. "The summit will go a long way towards deepening the mutual trust between the two great neighbours," he added. "We will make sure that the informal summit will be a complete success and a new milestone in the history of China-India relations." Modi has sought to re-set ties after disputes over issues including their disputed border with Tibet and other issues. The discussion with Wang was to prepare for the informal summit, Swaraj said. "It will be an important occasion for them (Modi and Xi) to exchange views on bilateral and international matters, from an overarching and long-term perspective with the objective of enhancing mutual communication," Swaraj said. The Asian giants were locked in a 73-day military stand-off in a remote, high-altitude stretch of that boundary last year. At one point, soldiers from the two sides threw stones and punches. The confrontation between the nuclear-armed powers in the Himalayas underscored Indian alarm at China's expanding security and economic links in South Asia. China's ambitious Belt and Road initiative of transport and energy links bypasses India, apart from a corner of the disputed Kashmir region, also claimed by Pakistan, but involves India's neighbours Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives. Story continues Modi's previously unannounced Wuhan trip is even more unusual in that he will visit China again in June for a summit in Qingdao of the China and Russia-led security grouping, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which India joined last year. It is almost unheard of for foreign leaders to visit China twice in such close succession. Xi is also extending Modi the rare honour of a meeting outside of Beijing, which almost never happens unless there is a multilateral summit taking place. Modi's nationalist government has reversed course on its relationship with Beijing apparently after realising its hard line on China was not working. Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who lives in India and who China considers a dangerous separatist, is also facing the cold shoulder. In March, India issued an unprecedented ban on Tibetans holding a rally with the Dalai Lama in New Delhi to mark the 60th anniversary of the start of the failed uprising against Chinese rule. Other areas of disagreement remain however between Beijing and New Delhi. China has blocked India's membership of a nuclear cartel and it has also been blocking U.N. sanctions against a Pakistan-based militant leader blamed for attacks on India. (Additional reporting by Elias Glenn and Gao Liangping; Mayank Bhardwaj in NEW DELHI; Editing by William Maclean and Dale Hudson) By Leika Kihara WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Despite calls to resist protectionism and for the United States to rejoin a multilateral trans-Pacific trade pact, Japan is gradually shifting gear to adjust to a trade environment shaken up by U.S. President Donald Trump. Japan ramped up its warning over the damage protectionism could inflict on the global economy, with Finance Minister Taro Aso saying this week that inward-looking policies would destabilize markets and benefit no country. Tokyo also sought to play down the rift emerging between Washington and its Group of 20 counterparts, with one official saying the proceedings on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings this week were "hardly contentious." Prime Minister Shinzo Abe failed to convince Trump to rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact when the two men met in Florida earlier this week. Trump has made it clear that he prefers a bilateral trade deal with Japan. Although Japan still hopes Trump will change his mind on TPP, it is hedging its bets by being more open to other forms of trade deals with Washington, according to Japanese government officials with knowledge of the negotiations. Bickering over whether to go with a multilateral or a bilateral framework could be counter-productive, one of the officials said. "Whether it's TPP or a free trade agreement (FTA), you need to negotiate similar issues," said a Japanese finance ministry official. "What's important is what you want to achieve, be it TPP or FTA." That approach is a sea change from a few weeks ago, when officials had said Japan would never agree to open talks for a bilateral FTA. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin kept up the pressure on Japan, telling reporters on Saturday that Washington wants a bilateral trade agreement for "free, fair and reciprocal" trade. For Japan, the priority is to meet Trump's demand for Japan to reduce its huge trade surplus with the United States. Story continues There are ways to do this besides opening up markets, such as promising to boost investment or buying more U.S. products, the officials said on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly. "It's better to focus on ways to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with Japan" in trade negotiations with Washington, another official said. "Japan is already buying a lot of goods from the United States. It can promise to buy more." (Additional reporting by Kaori Kaneko in Tokyo; Editing by Paul Simao) The marijuana industry is growing like a weed. Sure, that's a corny way of putting things, but it also very accurately describes the fast pace and consistent path to growth for the cannabis industry at the moment. In North America, according to research firm ArcView, legal marijuana sales soared 33% last year to $9.7 billion. With the expectation that compound annual sales growth will continue at an average of 28% through 2021, ArcView is calling for close to $25 billion in North American sales by 2021. A big reason for this rapid surge in sales is the expected legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada by this coming summer. Canada would become the first developed country in the world, and second overall behind Uruguay, to have allowed the sale of cannabis to adults aged 18 and up. In the process, Canada is expected to add $5 billion or more in annual sales to an industry that's already benefiting from medicinal cannabis sales and exports to medically legal countries. A person holding a cannabis leaf in the middle of a grow farm. Image source: Getty Images. The U.S. pot industry is stuck in neutral What's interesting about the marijuana industry is that, while Canada is leading the charge, it's the U.S. that could be the world's most lucrative market for weed -- if it were legal, that is. Despite an overwhelming number of respondents in U.S. surveys in favor of legalizing cannabis nationally, the federal government has remained steadfast in maintaining a Schedule I classification for pot. This places marijuana on par with drugs like LSD and heroin, implies a high propensity for abuse, and fails to recognize any medical benefits of the drug. This Schedule I classification has additional drawbacks, too. It's made running clinical research into cannabis' risks and benefits nearly impossible, as researchers are drowning in red tape and a relatively small availability of federally grown cannabis. Meanwhile, marijuana-based businesses have virtually no access to basic banking services, including a checking account, and could be forced to pay an effective tax rate of up to 90%, if profitable, thanks to a more than three-decade-old tax code known as 280E. Story continues Attorney General Jeff Sessions is very much at the heart of marijuana's lack of progress at the federal level. As no fan of pot, Sessions has repeatedly attempted to thwart expansion at the state level. In May 2017, he sent letters to a few congressional colleagues requesting that the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment be repealed. This amendment, passed with each and every federal spending proposal, is what disallows the Justice Department from using federal dollars to prosecute medical marijuana businesses. Sessions' request has repeatedly fallen on deaf ears in Washington. Jeff Sessions addressing an audience from behind a podium and surrounded by a group of colleagues. Jeff Sessions addressing an audience. Image source: Jeff Sessions' Senate webpage. He was, however, successful in having the Cole memo rescinded on Jan. 4, 2018. Created by former Deputy Attorney General James Cole during the Obama administration, the Cole memo laid out a series of guidelines that legalized states would follow to keep the federal government satisfied and off their backs. Examples include keeping pot away from adolescents, and ensuring that marijuana grown within a state stayed there. Rescinding this memo, which Sessions intimated overstepped its bounds from the get-go, opened the door for state prosecutors to use their discretion in leveling cannabis charges against businesses and/or individuals. This gray area of what is and isn't legal has been a regular source of investor consternation for months. Thankfully, it might have a solution. President Trump changed his mind on cannabis, yet again Last week, after consulting with Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), President Trump came to an agreement to end any potential federal crackdown on legal cannabis industries in states that have legalized in some capacity. In effect, Trump backed the idea of supporting the rights of states to choose what should happen with cannabis within their own borders. As you might imagine, marijuana stocks received a nice little boost after this morsel of news. However, there's only so much faith that can be placed in Trump's promise to turn cannabis issues over to states considering how often his position on the subject has changed. President Trump speaking to Department of Homeland Security employees. Image source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Flickr. In 2016, during his campaign, Donald Trump suggested that he was "100 percent" behind the idea of legalizing access to medical marijuana, and kept an open mind to the idea of recreational weed, albeit with the need for additional clinical research on its risks and benefits. But in 2017, and even within the past few months, Trump's stance on cannabis had taken a decidedly negative turn. To begin with, knowing full well that Sessions was an ardent opponent of cannabis, Trump recommended him for the position of attorney general. And while Trump has clashed behind the scenes with Sessions, their disagreements have never centered on cannabis. Even more recently, it came to a head when Israel decided to shelve plans to export medical cannabis to the United States to placate President Trump. Israel is one of just a very small number of countries with a vision for cannabis exports, and it had planned on the U.S. being its primary source of revenue in this regard. If Trump had been "100 percent" supportive of medical cannabis, it seems confusing that he'd nix such an idea. Yet, once again, Trump is backing the idea of states' rights when it comes to cannabis laws. Of course, this change in stance comes after Sen. Gardner had repeatedly blocked the Senate confirmations of Justice Department nominees in order to coerce federal cannabis reforms and protect Colorado's burgeoning pot industry, which generated $1.49 billion in sales in 2017. It appears to be more of a barter agreement than a true show of support for the domestic marijuana industry. A businessman holding his hands up as if to say no thanks. Image source: Getty Images. Regardless of Trump's stance on pot, avoid the domestic weed industry The fact of the matter is that regardless of what Trump decides to do with cannabis -- side with states' rights or allow Sessions to wage war on cannabis -- investing in the industry, at least domestically, will prove far too risky. Even if Trump protects already legalized states from federal prosecution, it won't change a thing with regard to the excessively high tax rates these businesses face, or the fact that researchers are bogged down in red tape. The fact remains that Congress is in no rush to act on cannabis reforms with Trump as president and Sessions as the country's attorney general, signaling that any chance of meaningful change for the industry could be, at minimum, three to four years out, and would depend on the 2018 and 2020 election results. For the time being, investors are safest on the sidelines. More From The Motley Fool The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Taiwan Bitcoin Taiwans Minister of Justice, Qiu Taisan, has called for cryptocurrency regulations to be in place by November in the interest of preventing money laundering. Qui Taisan said the countrys Ministry of Interior, the Central Bank, the Bureau of Investigation and other entities will be involved in determining how to regulate bitcoin. Qui Taisan was interviewed during the financial industry money laundering conference held by the Taiwan Financial Services Coalition, according to the Central News Agency. Government Studies Crypto Regulation The governments Legal Department invited two domestic virtual currency operators on April 10 to learn about virtual currency operations, the report noted. The department will be knowledgeable about control mechanisms prior to the Asia Pacific Anti-Money Laundering Organization in Taiwan at the end of November. Gu Lixiong, the chairman of the Financial Supervision and Management Commission, also said the control of bitcoin and other virtual currencies is focused mainly on the prevention of money laundering. In order to prevent bitcoin from becoming a money laundering tool, the commission has asked banks to list the account of the bitcoin sales platform as a high-risk account. A Change In Regulatory Outlook? In October, Wellington Koo, then Taiwans Financial Supervisory Commission chairman, told a joint session of the parliament and the cabinet that Taiwan will not follow the paths of China and South Korea in an outright ban on crypto-related activity. Instead, the head of Taiwans financial regulator pledged to adopt a friendlier stance to support the development and adoption of both cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology in the country. Last month, the new governor of Taiwans central bank, Yang Chin-long, expressed uncertainty over cryptocurrencies function as a payment instrument. He was asked about the matter after a number of central banking counterparts around the world explore a blockchain-based state cryptocurrency. Story continues Yang Chin-long claimed cryptocurrencies arent working as payments, citing their speculative nature. Featured image from Shutterstock. The post Taiwan Aims to Enforce Cryptocurrency Regulations by November appeared first on CCN. FILE PHOTO: GSMA flags fly at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona February 27, 2015. The GSMA Mobile World Congress, representing the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry, will take place from March 2 to 5 in Barcelona. REUTERS/Albert Gea By Diane Bartz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A telecommunications standards organization - GSMA - said on Saturday it is delaying implementation of a new cellphone technology due to a U.S. government probe of alleged coordination between the group, AT&T Inc (T.N) and Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) to hinder consumers from easily switching wireless carriers. GSMA said in a statement that the move to a global standard for eSIM technology is "on hold pending the completion of an investigation by the United States Department of Justice." At issue is a technology that could make carriers' business more volatile. ESIM allows consumers to switch wireless providers without having to insert a new physical SIM card, an identifying microchip. That makes it easier to compare wireless networks and easily select a new service when desired. "This standard contains a wide range of features, including the option for the eSIM to be locked. In the United States, consumers would have this option; however, they would need to explicitly consent to this under specific commercial agreements with their mobile operator, for example when purchasing a subsidized device," GSMA said. It added that it was cooperating fully with the Department of Justice. Verizon on Friday called the probe "much ado about nothing," adding it has been working with the Justice Department for several months "regarding the inquiry," according to spokesman Rich Young. AT&T also indicated it was they are working with the Justice Department. Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and other equipment makers have complained to the Justice Department about wireless carrier practices related to eSIM technology, two sources familiar with the matter said. Apple declined to comment. (Reporting by Diane Bartz in Washington; Writing by Ginger Gibson; Editing by Matthew Lewis) By David Lawder and Leika Kihara WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday he may travel to China, a move that could ease tensions between the world's two largest economies, as international policymakers acknowledged Beijing needs to change its trade practices. The United States has threatened to impose tariffs on up to $150 billion of Chinese imports to try to force changes in Beijing's industrial policies, which Washington says are aimed at acquiring American intellectual property. Mnuchin told reporters he was continuing to have discussions with his Chinese counterparts to try to resolve the differences over trade, but said he may go to Beijing. "A trip is under consideration," Mnuchin said at a news conference during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings in Washington. "I am not going to make any comment on timing, nor do I have anything confirmed, but a trip is under consideration." Mnuchin also declined to say what he wants from a trade deal with China, adding, "If we have a deal, you'll know what it looks like when we have it." China has threatened retaliation against U.S. exports if Washington pushes ahead with the tariffs. The row, which comes as the world economy records its strongest growth in years, cast a pall over the semi-annual gathering of the world's finance officials. IMF Managing Christine Lagarde warned this week that a U.S.-China trade war threatened to damage confidence, investment and growth. On Saturday, she told a news conference there would be no winners from such a conflict. "It is important that as a global community we keep trade open, we ensure that we work within the multilateral system that we have to make sure if there are disputes, these disputes are resolved," she said. Mnuchin said he met China's new central bank governor, Yi Gang, during the IMF and World Bank meetings and discussed the potential for China to open its markets to more foreign competition. "I did meet with the Chinese here. The discussions were really more around the governor's actions at the PBOC (People's Bank of China) and certain actions they've announced in terms of opening some of their markets, which we very much encourage and appreciate." In a statement on Saturday to the International Monetary and Financial Committee, Yi said China would "vigorously" push forward the reform and opening of its financial sector, significantly relax market access restrictions, create a more attractive investment environment, strengthen the protection of intellectual properties and actively expand imports. On Sunday, China's commerce ministry said it would welcome U.S. officials to discuss trade and economic issues. "The Chinese side has received information that the U.S. side hopes to come to Beijing to discuss economic and trade issues. China welcomes this," the ministry said in a statement on its website. Beijing announced on Wednesday that it would gradually eliminate ownership caps on foreign manufacturers of autos, aircraft and ships. Regarding trade with Japan, Mnuchin said the Trump administration wants a bilateral trade agreement and has had discussions with Tokyo about such talks. Japan wants the United States to rejoin the multilateral Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, as it fears opening talks for a bilateral free trade agreement could put it under pressure to open up politically sensitive markets like agriculture. ADJUSTING TO TRUMP A year after U.S. President Donald Trump first rankled multilateral finance meetings with his "America First" trade agenda, some officials are starting to acknowledge he has changed the conversation on trade, even if they disagree with his tariff plans. "No one can be in any doubt that the U.S. has a valid point about intellectual property theft" by China, British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday. "It's been going on, on an industrial scale, over many years and we've been targets of it just as the U.S. has." At the same time, Hammond said using tariffs was the wrong way to settle trade disputes, and he was urging China to do more to open its markets to foreign competitors, particularly in services. A senior Japanese government official drew a clear distinction between Japan's trade issues with the United States and the U.S.-China dispute. "It's a separate issue," the official said on condition of anonymity. "If Trump can help change Chinas behavior, there is room for Japan to benefit." A European official at the meetings said policymakers were trying to reduce trade pressures during the talks, but added that they wanted to "make sure there is a level playing field on trade, that China is in the same framework that others share." Mnuchin said he was not trying to "recruit" allies to put pressure on China, but having discussions with other countries that have similar issues. "A lot of these issues are not unique to the United States." A number of officials expressed a desire for clarity on what the United States ultimately wants from China, and whether Trump will settle for lower Chinese auto tariffs, a short-term reduction in the U.S.-China trade deficit or hold out for fundamental changes in industrial policy. "I hope it is a negotiating strategy. But they need to articulate actions to be taken," said Robert Holleyman, a former deputy U.S. Trade Representative in the Obama administration. (Additional reporting by David Chance, Jan Strupczewski, Koh Gui Qing, Rodrigo Campos and Makini Brice, Gao Lianging in BEIJING; Writing by David Lawder; Editing by Paul Simao) In theory, the U.S. Commerce Departments move earlier this week to slap a seven-year ban on the sale of American products to ZTE Corp., Chinas second-largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer, was all about national security and had nothing to do with trade. In announcing the ban, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said his agency was punishing ZTE for violating terms of an agreement struck last year to settle allegations that the Chinese company had flouted U.S. restrictions on selling technology to Iran and North Korea. From a legal and regulatory standpoint, sanction-busting and lax regulatory compliance are very different sins than intellectual property theft and discriminatory trade polices (which Trump often cites as the main justifications for his threat to impose tariffs on Chinese imports). And yet, in the escalating war of words between the worlds two largest economies on trade issues, its almost impossible to preserve such fine distinctions. The ban immediately provoked nationalist outrage in Chinese media and on online forums, with many commentators urging Beijing increase state subsidies for Chinas domestic chip industry. ZTE chairman Yin Yimin blasted the US penalties as unfair and unreasonable and accused the Commerce department of overly playing up subtle issues and politicizing trade disputes. Beijing echoed those denunciations and warned that China is prepared to take action to protect the interests of its firms. On Thursday, a spokesman for Chinas commerce ministry signaled Beijing has anti-trust concerns about Qualcomm Inc.s $44 billion purchase of NXP Semiconductors, a Dutch firm, a move trade experts on both sides of the Pacific interpreted as a direct response to the ZTE ban. Antitrust regulators in eight other countries have approved the Qualcomm acquisition; but China is a crucial market for the San Diego-based company. Shares of Qualcomm and NXP dropped 5% on investor concerns about the deal. Story continues At a global financial conference in Washington Thursday, Heath Tarbert, assistant U.S. Treasury secretary for international markets, upped the ante by suggesting that the White House might restrict Chinese investment in American firms in sectors such as semiconductors and robotics by declaring a national economic emergency and invoking a law designed to administer sanctions against rogue regimes and terrorist groups. Will Beijing feel compelled to counter those statements too? Where does all this end? The histrionics over trade provided a useful smokescreen for ZTE to obscure what appears to be an egregious failure to comply with U.S. law. The company paid civil and criminal penalties of $1.19 billion last year after pleading guilty to illegally shipping telecommunications equipment to Iran and North Korea, as well as to making false statements to U.S. investigators and obstructing justice. As part of that settlement, ZTE agreed to dismiss four senior executives and discipline 35 others either by reducing their bonuses or reprimanding them. Commerce put ZTE on probation and warned that it would impose the seven-year export ban if the company stepped out of line again. Reuters reports that while ZTE dismissed the four executives, it took no action against the other employees, and Ross says the company continued to lie to government investigators even after the settlement. Those have proved costly errors. ZTE was the only Chinese smartphone maker to crack the U.S. market and was thriving there. Last year, the company sold nearly 19 million handsets in the U.S. becoming Americas fourth-largest seller of handphones and making the U.S. ZTEs largest market. But ZTE is heavily dependent on U.S. suppliers. According the New York Times, ZTEs products for the infrastructure of telecommunications networks, as well as its smartphones, depend on a host of American components including microprocessors from Qualcomm, glass made by Corning and sound technology from San Francisco-based Dolby. Before the ban was announced, ZTE had a market capitalization of about $20 billion. Trading of the companys shares was suspended in markets in Hong Kong and Shenzhen on Tuesday. ZTE says the ban threatens its very survival. Meanwhile, as controversy raged around ZTE, Chinas other telecom equipment giant, Huawei, signaled at its annual meeting for global investment analysts in Shenzhen, that it is finally abandoning its effort to compete in the U.S. * * * * Last weeks Sino-Saturday newsletter prompted a lively response from readers. Many of you skewered me for chiding Alaska senator Dan Sullivan for his cluelessness about China while demonstrating my own cluelessness about the U.S. Senate by mis-identifying Sen Lindsey Graham as hailing from Florida. Doh! Many apologies. Sen. Graham, of course, hails from the great state of South Carolina. * * * * More China news below. Trade and Economy Green light. China will be easing restrictions and allow foreign automakers and aerospace manufacturers to own factories in China over the next five years, it announced this week. Makers of electric cars, jetliners, helicopters and drones, Beijing plans to move even faster will see changes even earlier, as foreign ownership limits will be lifted by end-2018. Bloomberg Taking stock. The Hong Kong stock exchange has introduced new rules allowing companies with dual-class shareholding structures and biotechnology firms yet to generate revenue to apply for listings from April 30, as it races to stay ahead of competing bourses in Shanghai, New York and Singapore to attract big technology firms and become the worlds largest stock exchange. Financial Times Politics and Policy Warning drill. The Chinese military carried out live firing drills in the Taiwan Straits this week, which observers say is intended as a stern warning from Beijing to pro-independence factions in Taiwan. The drills also come at a time of rising tensions over trade with the Trump administration, which has supported Taiwan more overtly than his predecessors. New York Times Poison pen. A Chinese doctor was detained for three months for describing a popular medicinal liquor as poison. He was later freed amid fierce public outcry on Chinese social media over the involvement of police in a civil matter. The issue prompted government authorities such as the Chinas Food and Drug Administration and the Ministry of Public Security to launch investigations. The Communist Partys Central Politics and Law Commission, which oversees the police, also published a commentary on its social media platform to address growing public concern. South China Morning Post Xis Syria concerns. President Xi Jinping has called for an easing of tensions in the ongoing Syrian crisis and opposed the use of forceful interventions. In separate phone calls to British and Turkish leaders this week, Xi called for an investigation into the alleged chemical attack in the town of Douma by the Syrian government, days after the US and its allies struck three targets in Syria in retaliation. South China Morning Post In Case You Missed It The quiet revolution: Chinas millennial backlash Financial Times Chinas Haven Moment Is Here Bloomberg Tencent Launches Online Document Tool To Rival Google Docs China Money Network Technology and Innovation Chipping in. E-commerce giant Alibaba is further strengthening its new chips business by fully acquiring Chinese chip designer C-SKY. Although it has previously invested in several chip companies, this is Alibabas first takeover in the chip business. The acquisition comes as China seeks to build self-reliance in the semiconductor industry amid rising tensions with the US. TechNode Fantastic Four. Chinese tech giants Tencent, JD.com, electronics retailer Suning and property developer Sunac have teamed up to invest $478m in television maker New Leshi Smart Home, an affliate of troubled technology conglomerate LeEco. In January, the four similarly made a joint investment of $5.4bn in another troubled Chinese conglomerate, Dalian Wanda. China Money Network Stop and go. Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo this week reversed its ban on gay content, just a day after announcing the ban, which drew ire from millions of users. The ban was part of a wider campaign to remove pornographic and violent material from its site. New York Times Summaries by Debbie Yong. @debyong debbie.yong@timeinc.com Find past issues, and sign up for other Fortune newsletters. The logo of China's ZTE Corp is seen on a building in Nanjing The logo of China's ZTE Corp is seen on a building in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China April 19, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer By Karen Freifeld NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Commerce Department has granted ZTE Corp's request to submit more evidence after the agency banned American companies from selling to the Chinese technology firm, a senior Commerce official said on Saturday. The U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, or BIS, this week banned American companies from selling to ZTE for seven years, saying the Chinese company had broken a settlement agreement with repeated false statements. The action was sparked by ZTE's violation of an agreement that was reached after it was caught illegally shipping U.S. goods to Iran. According to Commerce regulations, there is no appeals process, but the agency has "exercised discretion" to let ZTE present additional evidence through an "informal procedure," the senior official said. The Wall Street Journal first reported the decision by Commerce to allow more evidence. ZTE, in a statement on Friday, called the initial decision "unacceptable" and said it could cause damage to both the company and its partners. It is unclear whether the decision to accept more evidence would provide a chance for resolution between U.S. regulators and the company. This week's U.S. action, first reported by Reuters, could be devastating to ZTE since American companies are estimated to provide 25 to 30 percent of the components used in ZTEs equipment, which includes networking gear and smartphones. The ban is the result of ZTE's failure to comply with an agreement with the U.S. government after it pleaded guilty last year in federal court in Texas to conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions by illegally shipping U.S. goods and technology to Iran. The company paid $890 million in fines and penalties, with an additional penalty of $300 million that could be imposed. As part of the agreement, Shenzhen-based ZTE promised to dismiss four senior employees and discipline 35 others by either reducing their bonuses or reprimanding them, senior Commerce Department officials told Reuters. But the Chinese company admitted in March that while it had fired the four senior employees, it had not disciplined or reduced bonuses to the 35 others. Story continues Under terms of the ban, U.S. companies cannot export prohibited goods, such as chip sets, directly to ZTE or via another country, beginning immediately. The U.S. action against ZTE is likely to further exacerbate current tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade. After the United States placed export restrictions on ZTE in 2016 for Iran sanctions violations, Chinas Ministry of Commerce and Foreign Ministry criticized the decision. (Reporting by Ginger Gibson in Washington and Karen Freifield in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis) FILE PHOTO: Wells Fargo & Company CEO and President Tim Sloan testifies before the Senate Banking Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 3, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein By Patrick Rucker and Ross Kerber WASHINGTON/BOSTON (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co's (WFC.N) disclosure of how its chief executive's pay compares to the rest of its workforce has drawn criticism from some company employees ahead of the scandal-plagued bank's annual shareholder meeting. More than a dozen employees made posts criticizing pay details the bank released in March, according to comments on an internal communications website seen by Reuters. Separately, a worker advocacy group said it plans to raise pay issues on Tuesday at the shareholder meeting in Des Moines, Iowa. Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan earned $17.6 million for 2017, according to its proxy filing, an estimated 291 times the median of the annual total compensation of all the bank's workers. It is easy for Sloan to be optimistic about the future of the bank considering he is collecting a raise on an already enormous salary, wrote Vernes Rasidkadic, who left a job at Wells Fargo in Omaha, Nebraska, shortly after posting comments in mid-March. Rasidkadic told Reuters he stands by his posted comments. After several days, Wells Fargo closed the notice board to new posts, writing that some comments do not comply with company policies, according to the internal discussion. A company spokeswoman confirmed the discussion had been closed. When asked about the postings on Friday, a Wells Fargo official said the bank values constructive feedback. "We will continue to invite team member participation and encourage dialogue," said spokeswoman Diana Rodriguez. The bank in 2016 admitted employees had opened potentially millions of sham accounts for customers in order to hit sales targets, which led to the departure of its previous CEO. Sloan did not collect a cash bonus in 2016 and in 2017, although his total compensation for 2017 was 35 percent higher than for 2016. Wells Fargo's CEO pay ratio was higher than Bank of America Corp's (BAC.N) but lower than JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), according to data U.S. public companies must report starting this year. Those lenders have different business mixes and Wells Fargo skews more than some toward lower-paid retail workers. Story continues Wells Fargo raised its minimum hourly wage to $15 an hour in March, an 11-percent hike for about 36,000 workers, it announced in December on the heels of the U.S. tax code overhaul. The Committee for Better Banks, a group that includes labor unions and consumer and community advocacy groups, is calling for the bank to raise that wage again to $20. A representative for the group said Alex Ross, a Wells Fargo employee and activist with Better Banks, plans to comment on pay at the shareholder meeting and say that a raise would in turn help the bank's mission of rebuilding community trust following the scandal. On Friday, the bank said it agreed to pay U.S. regulators $1 billion to settle probes into customer abuses in auto lending and mortgages. A review of bank pay by executive compensation data firm Equilar shows Sloan earned roughly 20 percent less than Bank of America and Goldman Sachs Group (GS.N) paid their leaders for 2017. Among top Wells Fargo shareholders, representatives for Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) did not respond to questions on how it planned to vote its roughly 9-percent stake in the bank. A representative for the second-largest investor, Vanguard Group Inc, with a roughly 7-percent stake, declined to comment on its votes at the bank. Proxy advisers Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis recommend investors cast non-binding advisory votes in favor of the compensation of Sloan and other Wells Fargo executives. (Reporting by Ross Kerber in Boston and by Patrick Rucker in Washington; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Nick Zieminski) Oil and gas experts are closely watching the Permian Basin in 2018. That's hardly surprising, considering it's the largest and fastest-growing energy play in the United States. But some are worried that it may be growing too fast. The Permian Basin has grown crude oil production from 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) entering 2014 to over 3.1 mbp today -- and that doesn't include natural gas (it's the second-largest gas play in the country) or other petroleum liquids. Current growth trends and expansion projects predict that crude oil output will rise to over 5 mpd sometime in 2023. That would be more than the entire United States produced in 2008. While production growth is great, it's possible to grow too fast. If takeaway capacity from pipelines, processing centers, and storage tanks doesn't keep pace, the region could drown in a sea of dinosaur sauce. That would tank prices in the Permian and stunt investment in new production. Luckily, pipeline operators such as Plains All American Pipeline LP (NYSE: PAA) are working to avoid such a scenario. That makes the beaten-up dividend stock worth a closer look. An oil rig at sunset. Image source: Getty Images. Analysts warn of a Permian bottleneck Multiple outlets, from The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) to Reuters, have weighed in on the potential for Permian Basin crude oil production growth to exceed pipeline capacity. According to Oilprice.com, the International Energy Agency estimates that spare pipeline capacity in the region was just 160,000 bpd at the end of 2017 and predicted that a deficit was possible in the second half of 2018. While the gap between production and takeaway capacity in the Permian Basin is certainly tight right now, numerous pipeline operators in the region are bringing new pipeline extensions on line in the near future. For instance, Enterprise Products Partners LP (NYSE: EPD) just announced that its Midland-to-Sealy pipeline for crude oil and condensate is now on line. The entire 540,000 bpd capacity is subscribed in long-term contracts, while minor expansions will boost it to 575,000 bpd next month. Another 300,000 bpd project in the Delaware Basin (part of the Permian Basin) is scheduled to come on line in July 2018. Story continues Plains All American has similarly ambitious growth plans in the Permian, but unlike Enterprise, which focuses primarily on natural gas and natural gas liquids, the company is mainly focused on crude oil. The length of its crude oil pipelines in the Permian Basin alone nearly matches that of Enterprise's entire crude oil pipeline portfolio. Pipelines shown up close. Image source: Getty Images. The company's existing footprint in America's most strategically important energy formation provides a notable opportunity to take advantage of the pending bottleneck. Plains All American Pipeline will add roughly 700,000 bpd of crude oil offtake capacity to its robust network in the Permian when its Cactus II and Sunrise extension projects come on line by the third quarter of 2019. Additional incremental expansions will come on line in the following quarter. The pipeline operator is spending $1.95 billion on growth projects across its entire North American portfolio in 2018 and 2019, with $1.61 billion contained within the Permian Basin. Most of that will be funded with a combination of $700 million in expected proceeds from asset sales and $600 million in retained cash flow. It all will be easier thanks to robust growth in operating cash flow in 2017. Plains All American Pipeline delivered $2.5 billion in cash flow from operations, supported by record volumes for its pipeline, facilities, and logistics segments. While much of that has been retained to fund capital projects and deleverage the balance sheet (aided by $1.1 billion in asset sales last year), there's considerable potential to begin returning more cash flow to shareholders in the coming years. That's not to be taken lightly: The current annualized distribution per share is $1.20 -- less than half the $2.76 per share paid out in 2015. Besides, investors that own the stock today aren't exactly getting a raw deal. Plains All American Pipeline stock trades at a favorable valuation compared to other pipeline operators, including Permian peer Enterprise: Metric Plains All American Pipeline Enterprise Products Partners Market cap $19.6 billion $57.9 billion Forward price-to-earnings ratio 14.5 16.0 PEG ratio 1.33 2.99 Enterprise value-to-EBITDA ratio 15 15.5 Data source: Yahoo! Finance. Enterprise certainly earns a premium valuation thanks to its size and track record, but it's clear that Plains All American Pipeline is being weighed down by its turnaround. Nonetheless, the company has made tremendous progress reducing debt, improving profitability, and refocusing operations on core regions, such as the Permian Basin. Once the Cactus II and Sunrise extension come on line, Wall Street will have to take notice. This pipeline stock is worth the wait Analysts have warned that oil producers in the Permian Basin may encounter a production bottleneck due to a lack of takeaway capacity in the next year or two. Although there could be temporary constraints here and there, a survey of pipeline projects underway hints that the region will stave off a full-blown crisis. Plains All American Pipeline figures to be one of the biggest winners. With growth projects coming on line in the next two years, there's considerable potential to grow an already healthy distribution yield in the not-too-distant future. That expected growth, coupled with a depressed share price from the ongoing turnaround, gives long-term investors a great opportunity. More From The Motley Fool Maxx Chatsko has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Discussions between the government of Iraq and oil giant Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) on an infrastructure project worth billions of dollars have hit a deadlock. This was disclosed by sources in the oil sector and Iraqi officials. According to the sources the negotiations geared towards granting Exxon Mobil the contract to put up a facility for water treatment as well as related pipelines in order to increase the oil production capacity of Iraq have stalled due to differences on the costs and terms of the deal between the two sides. If the differences are not resolved another firm is likely to be awarded the contract and deal a severe blow to the broader plans of Exxon Mobil in Iraq. This is because whoever gets the contract will also land the rights of developing a minimum of two southern oil fields Artawi and Nahr Bin Umar. OPECs second-biggest oil producer Delays in kicking off the project would also result in Iraqs oil sector being held back. The country is the second biggest producer among the members of OPEC. In the countrys oilfields water needs to be injected into wells to avoid losing pressure otherwise the result will be severe decline rates particularly with regards to mature oilfields. Since freshwater is scarce in the Middle Eastern country treated seawater is the best option. A water project known as Common Seawater Supply Project was supposed to have been completed five years ago but has faced delays and now the earliest completion date is 2022. The water project is supposed to supply water to over six southern oilfields and this includes BPs Rumaila and Exxons Qurna 1. Common Seawater Supply Project The CSSP would be expensive and challenging but theres opportunity here (for Exxon) to get access to resources on a very large scale and to achieve something and really make a difference to its own business, Wood Mackenzies principal analyst, Ian Thom, said. Many of the biggest energy firms in the world operate in Iraq and this includes Eni, Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR)(NYSE:RDS.A), Total and BP plc (ADR)(NYSE:BP). However in recent years strict contract terms and the prevailing low-return environment have reduced profits. Two Pashtun tribes are helping the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan to stabilize a stretch of their long border, where recent clashes have left several dead. On April 23, a joint committee of leaders from the Zazai and Turi tribes is set to map the respective spheres of the two countries on the poorly marked and disputed border connecting Afghanistans southeastern Khost Province to Pakistans northwestern Kurram tribal district. A joint jirga, or tribal council, of the two tribes also agreed on April 22 to extend a weeklong ceasefire after clashes erupted on April 15. Islamabad and Kabul made conflicting claims about how many people were killed in the fighting, and each blamed the other for initiating the violence that erupted in three places of Khosts Zazi Maidan district and lower Kurram. We discussed how we can live in peace and happiness, Malik Zawar Zazai told Radio Mashaal. He is one of several Zazai clan leaders who represented their tribe and Afghanistan in the negotiations. We were helped by military and civilian officials from the two countries, he said. Afghan officials claimed the clashes erupted after members of Pakistans paramilitary Frontier Corps attempted to install a border fence in Zazi Maidan. The Pakistani Army, however, said its forces were attacked while carrying out "routine surveillance" along the border. Malik Haji Hussain, a Turi tribal leader whose Mali Khel clan have lived peacefully along the Zazai, says they are trying to resolve the border dispute. We used to live in harmony and cooperated with each other, he told Radio Mashaal. While we stand by our country and security forces, our tribes -- the Zazai and [Mali Khel] Turi -- will always seek peace and help end hostilities if forces from our countries clash. Afghan authorities have returned the bodies of five Pakistani soldiers killed in the clashes and released a sixth soldier who was captured, according to accounts by both Pakistan's Foreign Office and Khost Governor Hukum Khan Habibi. Afghan security officials said two members of the Afghan border police were also killed in the clashes. On April 20, Muhammad Faisal, a spokesman for Pakistans foreign ministry, said the two sides resolved the issue through "diplomatic and military channels." The two neighbors share a 2,500-kilometer border known as the Durand Line, which was first demarcated between Afghanistan and the British Empire in 1893. Islamabad considers it an international border while Kabul does not. Kabuls refusal to acknowledge the border led it to condemn Pakistani efforts to fence the Durand Line, which first began last year. In recent years, forces of the two countries have clashed amid accusations of border incursions and disputes over Pakistani border fortifications. Gunmen have killed two Shi'a and wounded a third in southwestern Pakistan in the latest attack on the religious minority, officials say. Police said three Shi'ite men were travelling together on the outskirts of Balochistan Province's capital, Quetta, on April 22 when attackers on a motorcycle opened fire on them. "It is a sectarian target killing," said senior police officer Syed Attaullah Shah. Quetta police chief Abdur Razzaq Cheema said the attackers fled the scene following the shooting and that a search was under way. Cheema said both deceased men, identified as Ali Raza and Syed Zaman, were local officials in Shi'ite community organizations. The extremist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility in a statement carried by its Amaq news agency. Pakistan's Shi'ite Muslim community is frequently targeted by Sunni extremists who consider Shi'a apostates. In a report issued on April 16, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said the country had failed to make progress on several issues over the past year, including on protection of religious minorities. The report said that religious minorities continued to be targeted by extremists, citing attacks on Shi'a, Christians falsely accused of blasphemy against Islam, and members of the Ahmedi sect. Last month, a report released by Pakistan's National Commission for Human Rights said that 509 members of the country's Hazara community, most of whom are Shi'a, were killed and 627 injured in terror-related incidents in Quetta during the last five years. Resource-rich Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, has been plagued by sectarian violence, Islamist militant attacks, and a separatist insurgency that has led to thousands of casualties since 2004. With reporting by AP, Reuters, and Dawn Inside Kentucky's strategy for improving IT operations Chuck Grindle is leaning on his military experience to modernize and improve enterprise services as Kentucky's CIO. The retired Army colonel started the job as the commonwealth's IT chief in October 2017, and he spoke with GCN at the NASCIO midyear meeting April 23 about his priorities moving forward this year and beyond. Grindles answers have been edited for length and clarity. What are your major priorities as state CIO? The first thing that were doing is doing an optimization of our x86 infrastructure, which involves 1,100 physical and 3,300 virtual servers in a Windows-based environment. There was a consolidation in 2012 that brought all of that equipment to us at the Commonwealth Office of Technology (COT), but it hasn't been optimized, so we are running on technologies that are five or six years old. We are optimizing that by building one infrastructure and migrating services over to the new infrastructure. We started with the new environment on April 16, and essentially over the next six months we will be moving the physical and virtual servers into the new environment. This will help us to streamline the way we deliver services to the different cabinet-level offices within the commonwealth. This move also consolidates nine different vendors down to one single contractor. We are moving away from the traditional way of buying a device and putting it into a rack, where you would plumb it and pipe it. We are going in the direction of buying capacity and letting someone manage that. We are training six individuals with 400 hours of classroom time and hands-on training for that environment. How are IT operations structured in Kentucky? Under the consolidation memo in 2012, infrastructure came under our purview. However, application development stayed within the agencies. A new executive order after I came on board gives me authority over the funding. People who want to do certain projects have to map out the project and the costing for it. COT is responsible for approving it, providing the funding, making sure that they are staying on timelines, and making sure that it fits into our enterprise architecture. How much of IT operations are based in the cloud? We use certain services in the cloud depending on our evaluation, such as those that have gone through the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program or are designed for a government facility. Workloads that don't contain personally identifiable information and that comply with IRS Publication 1075, HIPPA and FERPA can go into our cloud. In the commonwealth, we are about 70 percent already in the cloud, and we are looking a large IBM z/OS move to a Boulder, Colo., facility. We are looking at ways to better utilize services instead of paying for the redundant applications across the commonwealth. Many states have problems with siloed information. How are you working to solve big data challenges? I hired a chief data officer and a chief compliance office after I started. The data officer understands the siloes of excellence that we have out there, and the compliance officer deals with the privacy issues that we have with sharing this information across the commonwealth. I intend to create structure for all of that data so we know what each silo represents and can look at the data sharing agreements across all cabinets. I ultimately see the potential of us getting legislation approved that will allow us to openly share data across the cabinets. How do you approach cybersecurity? From my perspective, we have a great chief security officer and are taking a defensive approach: We want to identify, evaluate and mitigate. We know that an event is going to happen, and it is a matter of when. The ability to segment the traffic once an incident occurs and be able to mitigate it is our posture. There is no CIO out there who is going to say that this isnt going to happen. We need to have the procedures and processes in place to mitigate it once it happens. How does your Army background influence your approach as a CIO? In the military, you transition about every 18 months to a new job. In Kentucky, we see a lot of individuals who will be in a position for years, maybe even decades. Im working on a strategy with four lines of effort. They are security, enterprise services, contracting, training and education. Those lines of effort bring training for my folks and provide an action plan. For example, when it comes to a breach, network access control has an action plan that allows me to get the folks who are in the networking branch in telecommunications to install the proper communications so we can evaluate everyone who is connecting to our network. If we know you and can trust you then you have access. I want to get this intelligence down the lowest level staff members so they know as they use a device that they are feeding network access control. That's nirvana to me, since it is just like training a solider to take the hill. If a solider says that he is taking the hill because an officer or sergeant said to do that, it is the wrong answer. If he says he is taking the hill because the objective is to secure this piece of terrain and set up a perimeter, he knows why -- which is what we are trying to do with this strategy: build understanding into the lowest levels of our operations. New wind turbine database pulls disparate data into a common tool A new public-private partnership provides a single source of information on U.S. wind turbines, combining datasets previously distributed across many different organizations and in some cases unavailable to the public. The United States Wind Turbine Database (USWTDB) will allow government agencies to properly develop and plan projects around the turbines. The data will also be useful to environmental researchers and energy analysts as well as the public. According to the Department of Energy, the total amount of electricity generated by wind turbines nearly doubled between 2011 and 2017. And while industry growth may not maintain that trajectory, the database "will help improve the siting of future wind energy projects as well as aid land managers in devising more up-to-date land-use and multiple-use plans, said Tim Petty, assistant secretary for water and science at the Department of the Interior. Data on wind turbines is used for energy forecasting, researching the turbines' effect on wildlife and limiting their impact on air defense radar, weather and general aviation. The Departments of Defense and Homeland Security and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for example, have already been using the database to assess the impact of wind turbines on line-of-sight radar systems. The spinning turbines can create "clutter," or unwanted radar echoes, that can disrupt the ability of the military and air-traffic managers to detect and track targets. Turbines can also interfere with Doppler radar, affecting the algorithms used to estimate rainfall and to detect certain storm characteristics, the National Weather Service said. USWTDB combines information from the U.S. Geological Survey' Energy Resources Program, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Electricity Markets and Policy Group and the American Wind Energy Association, as well as publicly available datasets from the Federal Aviation Administration and online sources. It features location data -- visually verified to within 10 meters using high-resolution imagery -- for 57,636 on-shore and off-shore turbines in 43 states plus Guam and Puerto Rico, as well as technical specifications of the turbines based on their make and model. Other data includes the project name, the number of turbines at a site and the average turbine capacity in megawatts. The full dataset can be downloaded with a few clicks as .csv, GeoJSON or shapefiles. The resulting database and viewer offer a more easily accessible, more accurate and more frequently updated source of information on existing wind turbines, officials said. The USWTDB Viewer offers an interactive map-based interface that allows users to search and sort through the data using multiple color-coded filters. The viewer can show wind projects across counties, states or regions -- and across time so users can quickly scan the map for noteworthy patterns or trends. The USWTDB also includes a dynamic or cached web service for GIS applications that support ArcGIS map services or OGC Web Map Service specifications. The database will updated as frequently as quarterly as new data become available and will lag installations by approximately one quarter, officials said. SEATTLE, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Heptio, in collaboration with Actapio, a subsidiary of Yahoo Japan Corporation, announces Gimbal, an open source initiative to unify and scale the flow of network traffic into hybrid environments consisting of multiple Kubernetes clusters and traditional infrastructure technologies including OpenStack. Gimbal removes obstacles for companies looking to adopt Kubernetes in their environments by routing high volume traffic into both Kubernetes clusters and existing solutions like OpenStack that often live side by side in the enterprise infrastructure. This cloud native solution is tailored for the highly dynamic nature of managing Kubernetes workloads, which expensive, existing solutions are not designed to do. By using Gimbal, companies can leverage the agility of cloud native systems to modernize legacy infrastructure, giving them faster time-to-market at reduced cost. The advantages of Gimbal include: Cost effectiveness. Gimbal is a software solution that runs on commodity hardware and serves the same function as much more expensive purpose built hardware solutions. This creates a significantly more affordable solution for real world environments. Gimbal is a software solution that runs on commodity hardware and serves the same function as much more expensive purpose built hardware solutions. This creates a significantly more affordable solution for real world environments. Simplicity and flexibility. Gimbal scales for multi-team Kubernetes clusters of all sizes with reduced complexity and increased reliability. Being API driven, it integrates easily with legacy and cloud native systems. Gimbal scales for multi-team Kubernetes clusters of all sizes with reduced complexity and increased reliability. Being API driven, it integrates easily with legacy and cloud native systems. Cloud Native first; legacy friendly. Existing solutions were not designed to support dynamic, rapidly scaling cloud native deployments. Gimbal was built from the ground up to seamlessly integrate with Kubernetes and handle dynamic workloads. It also integrates with existing systems to create a unified traffic tier that can span new and old back-end systems. Existing solutions were not designed to support dynamic, rapidly scaling cloud native deployments. Gimbal was built from the ground up to seamlessly integrate with Kubernetes and handle dynamic workloads. It also integrates with existing systems to create a unified traffic tier that can span new and old back-end systems. Multi-cloud ready. Gimbal enables load balancing on any cloud on-premises, on cloud platforms where Kubernetes is deployed, and as a network across multiple clouds. It can serve as an alternative to cloud provided load balancers as a way to ensure that workloads are fully decoupled from the infrastructure they run on. We approached Heptio to help us modernize our infrastructure with Kubernetes without ripping out legacy investments in OpenStack and other back-end systems, said Norifumi Matsuya, CEO and President at Actapio. Application delivery at scale is key to our business. We needed faster service discovery and canary deployment capability that provides instant rollback and performance measurement. Gimbal enables our developers to address these challenges, which at the macro-level helps them increase their productivity and optimize system performance. This collaboration demonstrates the full potential of cloud native technologies and open source as a way to not only manage applications, but address broader infrastructure considerations, said Craig McLuckie, founder and CEO of Heptio. Kubernetes is a natural starting point, but integrating it fully into the real world is still an evolving story. Systems like Gimbal help to pragmatically bridge existing systems and new cloud native infrastructure like Kubernetes. We have been thrilled to work with Actapio to look more broadly at traffic management. The Actapio implementation underscores Heptios business momentum since emerging from stealth in November of 2016. Backed by Accel Partners and Madrona Venture Group, the company saw revenue grow 140 percent from Q4 2017 to Q1 2018 part of its year over year momentum of onboarding scores of new customers. The company also quadrupled its employee headcount from Q1 2017. Gimbal is currently in alpha and under active development. Heptio and Actapio look forward to working with the open source community to build a flexible system. Download here link Technical details of the project are available here Attendees of KubeCon Europe can also connect with Heptio for: 1:1 expert conversations and demos at Heptio booth S-C29 Boothside Q&A with Actapio Boothside book signing for Cloud Native Infrastructure Sessions start on Tuesday with How We Built Contour and run through Friday (all nine talks here) About Heptio Heptio unleashes the technology-driven enterprise with products and services that help customers realize the full potential of Kubernetes and transform IT into a business accelerator. The companys training, support and professional services speed integration of Kubernetes and related technologies into the fabric of enterprise IT, while its products reduce the cost and complexity of running these systems in production environments. To learn more visit heptio.com. GAITHERSBURG, MD, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RealBiz Media Group, Inc. (OTCQB: RBIZ), currently operating as Verus Foods (the Company), is providing this corporate update in order to give more current information to investors following the filing of the Companys 10-K for fiscal 2017 (year ended October 31st, 2017). The Company is happy to report that the SEC has approved the spin-off of the NestBuilder Real Estate Division and set a record date of April 25, 2018 and a distribution date of May 18, 2018. Current RealBiz (RBIZ) shareholders will receive one (1) share of NestBuilder common stock for each three hundred (300) shares of RealBiz. Commenting on our 10-K filing for the recently completed fiscal year, to call 2017 a difficult year would be an understatement, as the Company spent nearly its entire first 12 months in operation under the cloud of lawsuits connected to the former RealBiz business. However, even under this unexpected environment, the Verus Foods Division was able to make significant headway in positioning itself for the future. Some highlights from 2017 include: Establishing a regional headquarters in Dubai along with enough cold-storage and other infrastructure to support significant growth in the region The creation of a Singapore-based Division to address opportunities in the Asian markets The signing of a major branded product category, via the Disney-branded juice deal in the UAE and Oman Resolution of the legacy RealBiz lawsuits Expanding operations to cover the four key sales categories in our business -- wholesale, van, retail and HORECA (hotel, restaurant, & cafeteria) For investors, May of 2018 should be considered the symbolic restart for Verus in conjunction with the expected spin-off, which will be followed closely by a name (and symbol change) from RealBiz Media Group to Verus Foods. Thus far in 2018, the following highlights are worth noting: Our cost structure improved, due to shifting part of our financial structure to our Dubai entity The Company continues to receive interest from additional suppliers and brands that have a desire to begin shipping into Middle Eastern and North African markets Verus Foods enters 2018 with an achievable backlog of $109M, without counting additional traction from existing customers In response to questions from shareholders, the Company can confirm that it is in late-stage discussions with multiple new, traditional financing sources, though the outcome of those talks is not yet certain. The current backlog cannot be fulfilled until financing improves, so all backlog figures should be considered achievable goals, but not projections of revenue under the Companys current capital structure. Verus intends to provide specific forward-looking revenue projections when it finalizes some form of working capital funding. We set a goal at the beginning of 2017 to create an infrastructure capable of supporting a large-scale food business in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and surrounding regions during our first year in business, explained Verus CEO Anshu Bhatnagar. Despite being saddled with costly RealBiz-related legacy litigation that blocked our ability to attain funding, we still managed to build that infrastructure at minimal cost. Our goal was to end 2017 with operations covering the four key sales categories in our business -- wholesale, van, retail and HORECA (hotel, restaurant, & cafeteria) and we achieved that goal. Given the challenges, our financial performance showed none of this organizational progress, but investors should understand that our company is built and ready to support significant and rapid growth once we have the right capital in place. In that regard, funding is obviously our number one priority and our daily focus. In addition to traditional forms of third-party working capital financing, the Company is also discussing letter of credit (LOC) financing with certain key suppliers. Updates on topics such as share count, debt, and other corporate metrics will coincide with the upcoming Fiscal 2018 Q1 report. About RealBiz Media Group, Inc. RealBiz Media Group, Inc. consists of two business segments: an international food subsidiary (Verus Foods) that sells products to customers worldwide; and a real estate digital media and technology company. RealBiz Media Group, Inc. (OTCQB: RBIZ) trades on the OTCQB venture stage marketplace for early stage and developing U.S. and international companies. Investors can find Real-Time quotes and market information for the company on www.otcmarkets.com . Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are identified by the use of the words could, believe, anticipate, intend, estimate, expect, may, continue, predict, potential, project and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these plans, objectives, expectations or intentions will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience and present expectations or projections. Actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and the trading price for our common stock may fluctuate significantly. Forward-looking statements also are affected by the risk factors described in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. 1201 Egerter Road South, Port Robinson, ON L0S 1K0, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Port Robinson, Ontario The Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI) is proud to congratulate E.S. Fox Limited for supporting the nuclear industry for over 30 years. A multi-trade company, E.S. Fox supports the nuclear industry across the province. They bring an integrative approach which is central to their long-standing relationship with the nuclear program in Ontario. With over 700 workers, E.S. Foxs wide-ranging integration enables their staff to interact more readily with nuclear facilities. Established in 1934, E.S. Fox is headquartered in Niagara Falls, Ontario and maintains full-service regional offices across the province, including in Port Robinson where the company is fabricating thermal insulation cabinets for Ontario Power Generations Darlington Refurbishment project. These cabinets will protect the refurbished reactor vaults concrete walls and feeder header frames from excess temperatures and will reduce the load on the reactor vault cooling system. Currently, E.S. Fox is supplying the cabinets in two orders: 654 carbon steel support frames and 3,792 stainless steel panels. Aside from the Darlington Refurbishment project, E.S. Fox is also supporting Ontario Power Generations Pickering station on several critical initiatives helping to ensure the power plant continues operating safely and reliably until 2024. The refurbishment of Darlington Nuclear Generating Station is Canadas largest clean energy project and supports 14,000 jobs across Ontario. Over 200 of the projects suppliers are located in Ontario, including E.S. Fox. The 10-year, $12.8 billion refurbishment is progressing on time and on budget and will ensure a safe, clean and reliable energy supply for the next 30 years. Quotes: For nearly 50 years, E. S. Fox Limited has proudly supported the Canadian Nuclear Program. By employing a steadfast commitment toward quality labour and materials, we work in concert with our partners and fellow stakeholders to sustain the production of safe, clean, reliable power for Ontario homes and businesses. E. Spencer Fox III, President, E.S. Fox Limited Congratulations to E.S. Fox for their outstanding service in Ontarios nuclear energy industry and for their many years of operation in Niagara Falls and the Niagara Region. We are proud to have them in our community and appreciate them for the great corporate citizen they are and for the significant employment they have created over their 84 year business history. We wish E. S. Fox many more years of business success and prosperity. Jim Diodati, Mayor of Niagara Falls "OCNI is proud to honour E.S. Fox and all of its dedicated employees who have over many years consistently manufactured quality products and components that have contributed to the success of Ontario's nuclear program." Ron Oberth, President & CEO, OCNI Nuclear energy provides 60 per cent of Ontarios electricity needs. Ontario Power Generation is committed to ensuring this important energy source continues by refurbishing our Darlington station. Darlington Refurbishment is Canadas largest clean energy project and one of Canadas largest infrastructure projects. We are doing the work required to ensure our Pickering station continues to operate until 2024 and were continually investing in our hydroelectric stations like the ones here in Niagara. E.S. Fox, along with over 200 companies from across Ontario, play a key role in ensuring Ontario has the safe, clean and reliable energy we need today and in the future. Ted Gruetzner, Vice President, Stakeholder Relations, Ontario Power Generation E.S. Fox Limited is recognized as a preeminent Canadian multi-trade Industrial, Commercial, Institutional (ICI), and nuclear constructor and fabricator. Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI) is an association of more than 200 Canadian suppliers to the nuclear industry that employ more than 14,000 highly skilled and specialized engineers, technologists, and trades people. OCNI companies design reactors, manufacture major equipment and components, and provide engineering services and support to CANDU nuclear power plants in Canada as well as to CANDU and Light Water Reactor (LWR) plants in offshore markets. ### Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ashanti Gold Corp. (Ashanti or the Company) - (TSXV:AGZ) announces it has increased in size and closed its non-brokered private placement announced April 5, 2018. The Company raised $2,643,210 through the issuance of 17,621,397 ("Units") priced at $0.15 per Unit (the "Offering"). Each Unit consists of one common share and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $0.26 per share for up to two years expiring April 20, 2020. In the event that the Company`s shares trade at a closing price of greater than $0.85 per share for a period of 10 consecutive days at any time after the closing of the Offering, the Company may accelerate the expiry date of the warrants by providing notice to the warrant holders and in such case the warrants will expire on the 30th day after the date on which such notice is given by the Company. The Company paid finder's fees of $142,357.57 and issued 949,050 finder warrants, each of which entitle the holder to purchase one Ashanti common share at a price of $0.15 for one year expiring April 20, 2019. All securities issued are subject to a four month hold period expiring August 21, 2018. Net proceeds of the private placement will be used to fund the exploration costs related to the Kossanto East property in Mali, work on the Anumso property in Ghana, as well as for general corporate purposes. ABOUT ASHANTI GOLD Ashanti is a gold-focused, exploration and development company that targets projects where it has a competitive advantage due to past work experience of the team and specific project know-how. The Company is driving forward its 100%-owned Kossanto East project in Mali on the prolific Kenieba Belt of Mali, which hosts such deposits as Loulo, Fekola and Sadiola. Ashanti is also working to advance, together with its earn-in partners, the Anumso project and the Ashanti Belt project in Ghana, which are near-adjacent to the Akyem deposit. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of ASHANTI GOLD CORP. "Tim McCutcheon" Tim McCutcheon CEO For further information, please contact: Ashanti Gold Corp. 2300 1177 West Hastings Street Vancouver BC, V6E 2K3 Phone: 604-638-3847 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 press release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release and the information incorporated by reference herein, constitutes "forward looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Ashanti Gold Corp. (the "Company"). All statements, except for statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that management of the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including such things as future exploration plans concerning the Company's mineral properties, acquisitions, capital expenditures (including the amount and nature thereof), business strategies and measures to implement strategies, competitive strengths, goals, expansion and growth of the business and operations, plans and references to the future success of the Company, and such other matters, are forward looking statements. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development and mine development activities at the Project, including the geological mapping, prospecting and sampling program being proposed for the Project (the "Program"), actual results of exploration activities, including the Program, estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of the development of new deposits, the availability of a sufficient supply of water and other materials, requirements for additional capital, future prices of precious metals, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, possible failures of plants, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, hedging practices, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, risks related to joint venture operations, and risks related to the integration of acquisitions, as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Information Circular (December 2017) and as discussed in the annual management's discussion and analysis and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward looking information in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law. HOUSTON, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xtreme Drilling Corp. (TSX:XDC) (Xtreme or Company) is pleased to announce the first quarter 2018 operations update, along with the dates for the quarterly earnings release and conference call. First Quarter Operating Update For the first quarter of 2018 Xtreme had total operating days of 844 as compared to the prior quarter of 707 days. Utilization on the nine marketed XDR 500 and two available 850XE rigs was 85% for the quarter. In January two XDR 500 rigs went back to work after being released from their well to well contracts in November 2017. During the first quarter on average, Xtreme had 9.4 rigs in operation. It is anticipated that the Company will average approximately eight XDR 500 rigs and 2.8 850XE rigs operating in the second quarter of 2018. At quarter end the Company had approximately 3,500 days under term contract with leading operators in the Williston, DJ, Anadarko and Appalachian Basins of the United States. 850XE Newbuild Deployment The first Evolution Series 850XE rig (Rig 801) commenced operations in January 2018 on a two-year term contract in the Anadarko Bain. The second 850XE rig (Rig 802) commenced operations in late March 2018. The final newbuild 850XE (Rig 803) was mobilized at the end of the first quarter to Ohio and began drilling in mid-April 2018. Rigs 802 and 803 are both under separate 18-month contracts for the same customer in the Utica play of the Appalachian Basin. First Quarter Results and Conference Call The Company expects to announce financial and operating results as of March 31, 2018, and for the three months then ended after market close on Thursday, May 3, 2018, with a followup conference call planned for Friday, May 4, 2018, at 10:00 am MT, 11:00 am CT. Matt Porter, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Martin Ramirez, Vice President Finance and Corporate Development, will host the conference call and will answer questions from analysts and investors. To participate in the conference call, please dial in as follows approximately ten minutes before the start time in your time zone. +1 844-889-6858 (North America TollFree) or +1 661-378-9711 (International) Webcast link: https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/byfigto8 Conference ID: 6998699 An audio replay of the call will be available until 4:00 pm Wednesday, May 9, 2018. To access the replay, call +1 855-859-2056 or +1 404-537-3406 and enter Passcode 6998699. Reader Advisory This press release contains forward-looking statements. More particularly, this press release contains statements concerning commencement of operations. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward- looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. About Xtreme Xtreme Drilling Corp. (XDC on the Toronto Stock Exchange) designs, builds, and operates a fleet of high specification drilling rigs under contracts with oil and natural gas exploration and production companies and integrated oilfield service providers in the United States. For more information about the Company, please visit www.xdccorp.com. For further information, please contact: Xtreme Drilling Corp. Matt Porter President and Chief Executive Officer +1 281 994 4600 ir@xdccorp.com www.xdccorp.com bagdbmba wrote: Digging in sediments in northern China, evidence has been gathered by scientists suggesting that complex life-forms emerged much earlier than they had previously thought. (A) evidence has been gathered by scientists suggesting that complex life-forms emerged much earlier than they had (B) evidence gathered by scientists suggests a much earlier emergence of complex life-forms than had been (C) scientists have gathered evidence suggesting that complex life-forms emerged much earlier than (D) scientists have gathered evidence that suggests a much earlier emergence of complex life-forms than that which was (E) scientists have gathered evidence which suggests a much earlier emergence of complex life-forms than that I'm not able to understand why C is preferred over E? IMO, in option E -emergence of complex life-forms actually (per the evidence) is compared to that previously thought. It seems more clear to me where as option C sounds better but misses 'that' I guess. Please explain. krakgmat wrote: Mike, Can you please clarify the question below. Especially, why choice D is not correct? Thank you for your help. Thanks bagdbmba krakgmat (E) (D) (A) (B) evidence that evidence which evidence which which (E) Digging in sediments in northern China, scientists have gathered evidence suggesting that complex life-forms emerged much earlier than when complex life-forms were previously thought to emerge than (C) than previously thought (D) than that which was previously thought that (E) than that previously thought that "that previously thought that previously thought" emerged emerge that that gathered evidence suggesting that complex life-forms had an emergence that was much earlier than that previously thought that than previously thought that (D) (E) that (C) Magoosh Test Prep Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. William Butler Yeats (1865 1939) Mike McGarryEducation is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. William Butler Yeats (1865 1939) Signature Read More DearI'm happy to respond.You are asking aboutrespectively, so I will ignore, which are clearly wrong.First of all, look at the split "" vs. "" ---- which of these two is correct? See these two posts:The fact that there is no comma following the word "" means that the modifier following it is a vital noun modifier, a.k.a. a restrictive modifier. The GMAT always uses "that" for restrictive/vital modifiers, and always uses "" for non-restrictive/non-vital modifiers. Thus, the "" is wrong here: that's one problem withHere's the larger issue. Think about it this way. Let's state the sentence without dropping any of the repeated words in parallel. Let's pretend we can't omit anything and have to state everything explicitly. Then, we would have:Clearly, that's very awkward and much too long. We are allowed to drop everything among those orange words that are a repeat or are obvious form context. The only piece that is truly different from the part before the word "" is "previously thought", so that's all we need....... Clear, concise, unambiguous, and grammatically correct......--- very wordy, and it's unclear to what the word "" refers.....-- it's unclear to what the word "" refers.Think about" --- to what does the "" refer? What exactly is "? What did the scientist think at an earlier time? This really refers to the verb, to the action of the verb "" --- previously, scientists thought that these critters emerged later, and now the evidence suggest that they emerged earlier. The entire comparison revolves around the verb --- when did they. We cannot use the pronoun "" to refer to the action of a verb. If we want to use "" correctly, we would have to change around the whole sentence -----.....Now, that version is an abominable trainwreck. Even in this version, that word "" is entirely optional --- the phrase "" is still 100% correct by itself, but at least in this sentence, the "" isn't absolutely wrong when it's included, because there's a clear noun antecedent. In choices, the word "" is 100% wrong, because it is trying to refer to the action of a verb, which is not allowed.This is whyis not only the best answer but the only possible answer.Does all this make sense?Mike_________________ A typical stroll down the grocery store aisle exposes the shopper to almost 40,000 different products. While most have labels to aid in the shopping process, it can still be hard to separate truth from marketing on food items. Peel Back the Label is a new campaign from Americas dairy farmers that identifies companies that use misleading food labeling or deceptive marketing to instigate fear in consumers in an attempt to increase sales. The recent companies identified are Stonyfield, Danone-owned Left Field Farms, and California-based Clover Sonoma. Their claims center around genetically modified (GM) labeling. They have included non-GMO labels on milk to purposely confuse consumers, even though the science clearly shows that there is no difference in milk produced by cows fed GM or non-GM feed rations. Stonyfield: Earlier this year, the company released an online video with young children talking about their fears of GMOs. Critics rightly lambasted the falsehoods and were disapproving of the use of children to sell product. Left Field Farms: On their website, Left Field Farms asks consumers, If you wont eat GMOs, why should cows? Again, a company is attempting to draw attention to modern-food production practices as a method to sway consumers to their products. Another of Danones brands, Dannon, has already been identified by Peel Back the Label for its questionable sourcing decisions. Clover Sonoma: The companys website states, there is uncertainty around the unknown long-term effects of genetically engineered crops. However, there is broad scientific consensus confirming genetically modified crops food safety. Americas dairy farmers support truth and transparency in food labeling across the food industry, as well as in our own backyard. When companies use meaningless absence-claims labels and deceptive marketing, thats just wrong, said Jim Mulhern, President of the National Milk Producers Federation. Peel Back the Label will continue to call out bad actors even in the dairy community as we see them in an effort to demand responsible marketing for consumers. They deserve better. Peel Back the Label has a website, Facebook page, as well as being active on Twitter. Through their website, consumers learn to differentiate the truth from the alternative and share deceptive labeling experiences theyve had. The goal is to make others aware of these practices and to further encourage food manufacturers to stop. These three new companies join Peel Back the Labels bad actors list which continue to put profits above consumers through their deceptive, fear-mongering marketing: Hunts, Floridas Natural, Dannon, Himalania Rock Salt, TruMoo, Del Monte Canned Sliced Carrots, Cuties Mandarin Oranges, Bibb Lettuce from Living Fresh, Tyson, and Perdue. Peel Back the Label is comprised of Americas dairy farmers and their families. Learn more about the campaign at www.PeelBackTheLabel.org. The author is the online media manager and is responsible for the website, webinars, and social media. A graduate of Modesto Junior College and Fresno State, she was raised on a California dairy and frequently blogs on youth programs and consumer issues. To fight for the rights of SC, ST, and all the other backward classes, a group of 50 alumni from various IITs (Indian Institution of Technology) from all over the country have boldly abandoned their positions to build a political party of their own. This organization has named themselves "Bahujan Azad Party" which is now waiting for the Election Commission's approval of their party. The leader of the new outfit to PTI A Delhi IITian of 2015 batch; Naveen Kumar said that they are an organization of 50 leaders from IITs across India who have voluntarily quit their jobs to grow a party and serve the impoverished. They are perpetrating their groundwork and anticipating for the election commission to reply. They will be forming a new party called, "Bahujan Azad Party.#PoliticalCorrectnesshttps://t.co/Vr7ogmG4uP Indiatimes (@indiatimes) April 23, 2018 He does not desire his party to be one of those tiny parties with high ambitions. Kumar says that they will be starting their campaign with the Bihar assembly elections in 2020. They are right now heading largely for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Poster of the Party says it all The Bahujan Azad Party first poster has photographs of all the prominent freedom fighters along with Abdul Kalam. Kumar is all set with his plan if their name is approved. He will form smaller groups among his group of 50 to begin their activity for the targeted underprivileged groups. Their main agenda is to provide all the backward classes their worthful due in terms of employment and education. Importantly, the organization is not against or for any political party or their beliefs. There are already many parties associated with the SC and ST, but experts are confused why these IITians who could have joined any of the already established parties created their own. And moreover carrying any new political outfit to the length and breadth of India is a herculean task. Only time will tell if these people succeed in their mission. Also, it is still not clear which main political party they would support in case of any requirement. Read: Death penalty for rape of minors below 12 years; Cabinet approves ordinance Also read: Man cancels Ola ride because driver was a Muslim More: Karnataka Elections 2018 Opinion Poll: A Hung Assembly? 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 Brussels, Apr 23 (IBNS): In a significant development, a Belgium court on Monday jailed 2015 Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam for 20 years over a gunfight that led to his arrest. "Abdeslam, 28, and co-defendant Sofien Ayari were both convicted of terror-related charges of attempted murder," reported BBC. Ayari was also handed 20 years jail term by the court. They had fired on officers who had raided a flat in Brussels in 2016. They were reportedly not present in the court when the verdict was read out on Monday. The judge, Marie France Keutgen was quoted as saying by BBC: "Their intention is clear from the nature of the weapons they used, the number of bullets they fired and the nature of the police officers' wounds. Only the officers' professional response prevented it being worse." The November 2015 Paris attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that occurred on Friday, Nov 13, 2015 in Paris, France and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. At least 130 people were killed in the attacks. He added, Religious and revolutionary farmers would not do such a thing. They should separate themselves from seditious elements. The Iran Meteorological Organization reports that at least 97 percent of the country is experiencing drought to some degree. However, Isfahans farmers say that government mismanagement has exacerbated the drought, as water is diverted from the provinces main river to neighboring Yazd Province. On April 14th, a video was posted on YouTube that shows a farmer talking about the provinces crippling water shortage problem. Im standing by the Zayanderud River near Hovieh village. There used to be a lot of water here but now its dry, he says. We have no water and our wells have dried up because of mismanagement. If the officials in charge of water management in the province had acted properly, we would not have had this problem today. He adds, Moreover, our water is being re-directed to Yazd Province, where factory owners should have thought about the lack of water first before building their plants. Videos of the rallies held on April 13th the fifth since mid-March showed demonstrators, including many women, chanting, farmers will give their life before accepting humiliation, and, death to the government that deceives the people, as well as, the enemy is right here; theyre lying when they say hes in America. On April 13th, a video posted on Twitter shows a heavy security presence equipped with water cannons at the protest in Isfahan. One person claims via loudspeaker that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been tough on government corruption. Still, he doesnt quiet down the crowd. Judiciary Spokesman Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei warned farmers not to get mixed up with opportunists on March 18th. A police chief told protesters that anyone who chants slogans about anything other than water is a hypocrite, on April 11th. Hypocrite is a word that is used by Iranian officials to describe members of an organization based outside the country that advocates for regime change in Iran, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK). Earlier this month saw protests over arrests. People chanted, innocent farmers must be freed. Officials have not announced the number of people who have been arrested. Isfahans Governor General Mohsen Alizadeh described the water situation as crippling on April 13th, warning the provinces 5.2 million inhabitants that they may face more water shortages in the upcoming hot summer months. While and allocation of 400 million cubic meters of water per year for farming was promised to the province, for the past several years, the government has failed to do so, according to semi-official Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA). ISNA reported on April 9th, that some 300,000 farmers had suffered substantial profit losses due to water shortages, as only about 40 percent of farmland is being cultivated. ISNA did not specify if it was referring to the provincial or the state government. The provinces governor general claimed that 37.6 billion rials (approximately $8.9 million USD) was paid out to 27,600 farming families, but farmers in Isfahan are angry, saying that the government has not honored its pledge to compensate them for lost income. All sectors of Iranian society students, teachers, and farmers, have been imprisoned for protesting against state policies, according to an April 12th tweet by journalist and former political prisoner Mahsa Amrabadi, who added, The circle is getting constantly wider and will eventually swallow us all. It is likely that the terrorist group is benefiting from the chaos that is engulfing neighbouring Syria and is making the most of the general anger among the Iraqi population towards its liberators. The rise of Daesh was made easier in 2014 when the trust between the leaders of Iraq and the people disintegrated. For the previous year, the group has quietly worked its way around groups that opposed the state. At the same time, Nouri Al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, had gathered the support of Iran to combat Sunnis and political opponents. A similar situation is brewing and it looks like the Iran-backed Shiite militants will be victorious in the elections next month. This means that we may once again see a government that relies on paramilitary supremacy. The situation has come about like this because Iran spotted an opportunity when Daesh was removed. Ironically, these Iran-backed militias played a minimal role in getting rid of the group. Instead of defeating terrorists, the militias are more skilled at creating and fuelling conflict, much like Iran itself. Looking at the situation from afar, it is hard to see how much Iran has influenced the country, but zoning into certain areas, the threat becomes clear. For example, in the central parts of the country, Sunnis were a majority but millions have been displaced and militants are blocking their return. Also, many people had their identification documents destroyed by Daesh, and the Iran-backed militias are ensuring that they face difficulty getting them replaced leaving many unable to vote. The West had, for many years, been involved in Iraqs political process to make sure everything went as it should. However, over time, involvement has decreased and the inevitable has happened. There is a reluctance on the part of the international community to take decisive action. The UN Security Council was once relied upon for resolution to the conflicts, but no longer. The real problems in Iraq are all to do with Iran and its involvement. Much like the situation in Syria where Iran is propping up Syrian President Bashar al Assad. If the West wants to take action to resolve the conflicts in the Middle East and prevent the rise (again) of Daesh, it is imperative that Iran is dealt with. It must be recognised that the defeat of Daesh cannot be seen as a victory in any shape or form. Instead of defeating one form of evil, a space has been created that is letting more sectarianism and terrorism thrive. If paramilitary factions gain power in Iraq, Iran will be able to continue its quest for regional hegemony. It will be a huge boost to a regime that is ready to stop at nothing to keep its clutch on power. In recent days, there has also been much talk about a potential nuclear deal with North Koreas Kim Jong-un. Some believe that North Korea has been keen to negotiate since it saw how Irans negotiations with world powers went. That is to say, negotiations for Iran were immensely successful because it was able to dictate many terms. Iran received many concessions throughout negotiations. For example, Iran argued that its ballistic missile program should not be addressed under the scope of the nuclear deal because it is not a nuclear issue. The program was left unchallenged. Irans nuclear deal is also weak and has countless holes in it. Iran was aggressive and still ended up with the right to enrich uranium under the terms of the nuclear deal. This has a very troubling message it appears that North Korea has picked up on it because it is racking up its nuclear capabilities and has had the confidence to be aggressive, like Iran. Iran came out the winner of the nuclear negotiations. The United States had the perfect opportunity to properly address Irans nuclear threat. However, it was a missed opportunity. Some, including Trump, have argued that the deal had the opposite effect than intended because it basically guaranteed that Iran takes the slow path to a nuclear weapon. Furthermore, the nuclear deal negotiations would have been the perfect time to nail Irans other worrying actives down including its meddling in the Middle East and its mistreatment of people at home. Iran is involved in all of the conflicts in the Middle East and it is responsible for some horrifying crimes against humanity and abuses of human rights. The people of Iran have very little freedom and the people are subjected to horrors that belong in the past. The European signatories of the deal are taking Trumps promises to pull out of it seriously and are taking steps to strengthen the agreement. It is clear that Iran needs to be dealt with firmly. Former President Barack Obamas policies of appeasement were highly ineffective and did nothing to improve Irans behaviour. In fact, Irans behaviour got worse. Since taking office, Trump has put pressure on Iran and it has finally got the message that the so-called golden days of Obama are now over. Trump made it very clear that he would not turn a blind eye to Irans belligerence and he would not ignore its provocations and threats. The strategy is paying off. For example, since Trump warned that any vessels provoking the US Navy would be blown out of the sea, the frequent provocations carried out by Iran ceased. Firmness is a must. Another tiger found dead in Chitwan In yet another setback to tiger conservation efforts, a female tiger was found dead some three kilometers from sector office in Chitwan National Park on Sunday morning. Nepse surges by over 110 points Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index gained a whooping 110.76 points to close at 1,388.31 points last week as investors remained hopeful that the market would take an upward trend due to the improving liquidity position of banks. Rs 25 million goes in vain on Ranipokhari reconstruction As many as Rs 25 million spent for reconstruction of the Ranipokhari temple, demolished in the earthquake, went in vain after the dispute emerged among the locals, Department of Archaeology, and Kathmandu Metropolis. The following is an official Armenian government press release. On April 22, Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian and Minister of Justice Davit Harutyunyan met with the heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Armenia. Minister Nalbandian drew the attention of the attendees to the developments that took place after the meeting with the ambassadors the previous day. Foreign Minister touched upon the announcements made by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia and law enforcement bodies, which pointed to the obvious violations of the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Freedom of Assembly and urged to cease the calls and actions aimed at violating public order. Foreign Minister noted that the Armenian leadership and religious leaders voiced numerous calls for a dialogue. The President of the Republic even went to the place of the rally to meet with the organizer of the demonstration and to start the dialogue. Today, on April 22, the expectation that the meeting between Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan and Nikol Pashinyan would cease the tension was not fulfilled, as the organizer of the demonstrations used the meeting with the Prime Minister to present the ultimatum to the Armenian authorities, in fact rejecting the proposal of dialogue. Touching upon the statement made today by the European Union, Minister Nalbandian said that the Armenian side shares the provisions expressed there and not only respects the right to freedom of assembly but in practice ensures its adequate application in accordance with the legislation and international commitments of Armenia. Minister emphasized that the participants of the demonstration should respect the relevant legislation of Armenia while exercising their rights. Minister of Justice Davit Harutyunyan presented clarifications on the Law on Freedom of Assembly and the international practice of ensuring freedom of assembly. Minister Harutyunyan, while referring to the detention of the deputies of the National Assembly, noted, that ignoring the appeals by the Police, the organizers of the demonstration continued their calls on disproportionate limitation of the constitutional rights of other people and public interests, and a decision was made to halt the illegal demonstrations. Organizers of the demonstraion Nikol Pashinyan, Ararat Mirzoyan, Sasun Mikayelyan were forcibly removed from the place of the gathering and, in order to prevent the commission of the crime, upon immediate suspicion of intention to deliberately organize and hold demonstration in violation of the procedure prescribed by the law, and in full compliance with the Article 96 para 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia were arrested. Heads of several diplomatic missions highlighted the importance of steps aimed at resolving the current situation through political means and within the limits of the law. Scientists in developing nations are considering ways to limit the effects of climate change on Earth. These scientists plan to explore one possibility: controlling or restricting sunshine levels. They want to see if use of a man-made chemical to block sunlight would be less risky than a rise in surface temperatures. This area of study is called solar geo-engineering. Researchers believe that using the right chemical or chemicals might produce the same effect in Earths atmosphere as a big volcanic explosion. They think it could cool surface temperatures by hiding the sun with a cloud of ash. Currently, solar geo-engineering is being studied mainly in industrial nations and by universities such as Harvard and Oxford. Twelve scientists from developing countries say poor people are most likely to be affected by climate change. And they think the poor should be more involved. Developing countries must lead on solar geo-engineering research, they said. Nature magazine published a commentary written by the scientists. They are from countries such as Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Jamaica and Thailand. Atiq Rahman is head of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies. He said the idea of solar geo-engineering is unusual, but slowly growing in popularity in the world of research. He spoke by telephone with the Reuters news agency. A new $400,000 research project may prove helpful to solar geo-engineering studies. It has urged scientists to request financing for their studies. The project is called the Solar Radiation Management Governance Initiative (SRMGI). It receives help from the Open Philanthropy Project, a group supported by Dustin Moskovitz, a co-founder of Facebook, and his wife, Cari Tuna, the scientists wrote. The project could help scientists in developing nations study the effects of solar geo-engineering on floods and dry weather, said Andy Parker, a project director of the SRMGI. Rahman said he and the other scientists were not saying that geo-engineering would work. Among the ideas: airplanes might release shiny sulfur particles high in the Earths atmosphere. It is too early to know what its effects would be: it could be very helpful or very harmful, the 12 specialists wrote, adding that many are against the idea. A group of United Nations climate experts also have questions about solar geo-engineering and its effectiveness in fighting climate change. Their comments appear in a leaked copy of a report about climate change set for release in October. Rahman noted that most developed nations have not kept their promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Studies have linked those gases, such as carbon dioxide, to rising temperatures. For that reason, Rahman said, the other possible ways to limit warming must be explored. The world is set for a warming of three degrees Celsius, he said, far above a goal of keeping a rise in temperatures well below two degrees Celsius. That target was set under the 2015 Paris Agreement. I'm Susan Shand. This story was adapted by Susan Shand from an original Reuters report. It was edited by George Grow. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story solar adj. involving or about the sun geo-engineer v. to change the earth with natural materials philanthropy n. the practice of giving money and time to help make life better for other people emission n. the act of producing or releasing something, such as a gas A southern Chinese provinces plan to offer visa-free tourism could lead some visitors to explore the disputed South China Sea. Hainan, an island province, plans to allow visa-free travel to visitors from 59 countries beginning May 1, state-run media reports. The travelers will be allowed to stay for up to 30 days. Some experts who study the area say the visa decision has opened the door for visitors seeking to visit the South China Sea. Zhao Xijun is with the School of Finance at Renmin University of China. He says some tourists might be interested to set foot on Chinese-claimed islands and reefs southeast of Hainan. The area is home to the Paracels, a group of islands controlled by China, but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. This is something for the future. Its not just for outside visitors, but domestic travelers also will try hard in this direction, Zhao said. Collin Koh is a security researcher at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He says opening the Paracels to foreign travelers could also help China politically. It could be a way for China to support its sovereignty claims and show that it controls administration activities in the area, he said. It actually gives you additional security, Koh said. Because if you have foreigners from different countries all over the world in that place, it decreases the chance of any other people taking rash actions against you. Six governments have competing claims in the South China Sea, which acts as a pathway for one-third of the worlds shipping traffic. China claims most of the sea as its territory and often sends coast guard ships throughout the waterway. In recent years, China has built up man-made islands in parts of the South China Sea, some of which support military structures. The expansion has angered other nations with competing territorial claims. China is building on at least three islands in the Paracels, an American think tank project reported last year. Woody Island, the most developed, has a population of about 1,000 people. It includes an airstrip, missile equipment, a hospital and market. It is not clear whether foreign tourists are currently allowed to visit the Paracels, a spokesperson with Chinas travel booking service Ctrip.com said. An official in the southern city of Sanya said Friday the local government website would eventually post information on who is permitted to visit the South China Sea. Lin Qi is an assistant researcher with the National Institute for South China Sea Studies in Hainan province. He says visitors to the Paracels would expect China to keep the areas sea environment clean so tourists can enjoy the beauty of the area. From the openness to tourism perspective, you definitely need a place with a good natural environment to give it value, Lin said. He added that if tourism opens up in the area, fishing activities would have to be greatly reduced. Chinas first cruise ship set out for the Paracels in 2013. In 2016, a Chinese airline began flights from the Hainans capital Haikou to Woody Island. In March 2017, a cruise ship from China took 300 people to the Paracels. Vietnam protested the move, arguing that it has sovereignty over the area. Vietnam and Malaysia have also opened up small islands in the South China Sea to tourists in an effort to back up their territorial claims. Im Bryan Lynn. Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do 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 tourism n. the activity of traveling to a place for pleasure allow n. permit actually adj. used to stress that a statement is true especially when it differs in some way from what might have been thought or expected reef n. a line of rocks or sand near the surface of the sea domestic adj. inside one country, not international think tank n. an organization that consists of a group of people who think of new ideas on a particular subject or who give advice about what should be done sovereignty n. a country's independent authority and the right to govern itself rash adj. done suddenly and without thinking carefully perspective n. a way of looking at or thinking about things cruise n. a trip on a boat for pleasure Money from casinos has lifted many Native American tribal economies and made some tribes rich. Take the Shakopee Mdewakanton in the state of Minnesota, for example. Its gaming operations earn tribe members $1 million a year. But the road to casino riches can be rocky, as the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe of Massachusetts has discovered. Land in trust The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the United States government. In 2007, the bureau recognized that the Mashpee had operated as a community since colonial times. It found that 97 percent of Mashpee members are related to the historic tribe. In 2015, the agency placed about 130 hectares of land in trust as the Mashpees reservation. (The term in trust means someone or something, in this case the federal government, guarantees and protects the property for the tribe). Sixty hectares of the land were in the Massachusetts town of Mashpee. The other 70 hectares were about 56 kilometers away from Mashpee, in the town of Taunton. This was one tenth of one third of our total tribal base, said Cedric Cromwell, the tribes chairman. Cromwell told VOA his people were among the first to welcome English settlers to what became Plymouth, Massachusetts. He said the tribe controlled 36,000 square kilometers of land in the 17th century. For years, the Mashpee had wanted to build a $1 billion casino in Taunton and agreed to pay the state 17 percent of all its earnings. The tribe made its offer on the condition that no other casinos be built in the area. The town approved their plan and the Mashpee borrowed money to start building the casino. Not real Indians But the tribe had competition. In early 2013, a Chicago developer made an offer to Massachusetts state officials. The developer wanted to build a $1 billion casino resort just 24 kilometers away from the Mashpee casino. Weeks before the Mashpee were ready to start work on the casino, townspeople from Taunton brought legal action against the federal government. They said the Mashpee were not really Indian and they should not be given land. That case was partly financed by the Chicago developer. Even after the state rejected the developers proposal, a U.S. District judge ruled against the Mashpee. The ruling required the Bureau of Indian Affairs to reconsider the issue. Since then, the tribe has been in limbo. It has halted work on the casino project and is now hundreds of millions in debt, and no earnings. Cedric Cromwell believes the case was driven by race. "The claimants said were all for a casino in Taunton, but we dont want an Indian casino," he said. Adam Bond, the lawyer who represented the lead plaintiff, denied that race was a consideration. Does Mr. Cromwell believe that Judge Young is racist because he read the law and gave a correct reading of that law? Bond wrote in an email to VOA. He called the case, a clean and fair fight. Shifting federal policy? The Bureau of Indian Affairs reports to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Interior Department said it would make a decision about the future of the Mashpees reservation by June 2017, yet no decision has been made. It may be a long time in coming, suggests Bryan Newland, a Michigan lawyer who specializes in Indian gaming law. He is an Ojibwe citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community. Newland said the Trump administration approved a rule governing any requests to put land into trust outside existing reservations. It says those requests should be decided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. This creates a bottleneck, he said, adding that there are not enough people working at the bureaus headquarters to study the requests and make decisions. In addition, 15 months into the Trump administration, the Interior Department has yet to appoint an assistant secretary for Indian affairs. Newland said the department is developing policies about Native Americans without appointing Indian affairs policy makers. He wonders who is actually responsible for decisions. Cromwell says the Trump administration is working to detribalize and take Mashpees land out of trust. A Bureau of Indian Affairs spokesperson told VOA she is unable to comment on the case while it is being considered in court. Enter Congress In March, Bill Keating of Massachusetts, a member of the U.S. Congress, proposed the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act. If approved, the measure would prevent any effort by the Interior Department to withdraw the tribes reservation. That would be unprecedented, Keating said. That the government would take away land in trust from the Wampanoag Tribe. In the U.S. Senate, both Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren have proposed another bill. Mashpee chairman Cromwell says he remains hopeful, but says if the Mashpee lose the case there will be big problems. Housing, education, health care, elder services, and all this is at risk if our lands get taken out of trust, he said. I'm Kelly Jean Kelly. Cecily Hilleary reported this story for VOA. Susan Shand adapted the story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story casino - n. a building or room that has games of chance, such as roulette or blackjack in trust n. a relationship in which one person or group holds or protects property for someone else resort n. a place where people go for fun plaintiff n. a person who brings a case against another person or accuses another person of a crime in a court of law bottleneck n. something that slows down a process detribalize v. making someone lose his or her tribal identity unprecedented - adj. not done or experienced before elder n. someone who is older; an older adult Doug Fabbioli is concerned about the future of the rural economy, as cities' areas expand into farm fields. Fabbioli owns a winery in Loudoun County, Virginia. He decided to support the agricultural economy in his own way. He established The New AG School. The free school hopes to raise the next generation of farmers. Farming is hard work, but Fabbioli says young people would love it if they knew its joys. But, he says, to succeed in farming, they will need specialized skills. That is what Fabbioli hopes to teach at his new school. The goal is to fill the immediate need for farm workers, but also to create future leaders who can teach others in years to come. The New AG School has many different students. We have some younger folks that are either right out of high school or even in high school, Fabbioli says. He also has some students who have completed college but cannot find jobs, as well as older people who want to try farming. Olga Goadalupe Alfoseca says the program is helping her find the right career. I learned a lotmy dream is maybe I can plant my own plants and start my... business. Liam Marshall-Brown who left college, finds farm work interesting. Its fun, he says. I mostly did restaurants beforeyou feel trapped after a while, doing the same thing over and over and over again. Its just nice to be outside. Pretty much youre doing something new every day. But not all work is outdoors. Students study five different subjects, everything from cleaning, horticulture, hospitality, to leadership and business. And the training is not complete until they learn about the machines they use every day; how they work and how to fix them. As you might expect from a winery owner, wine production is also part of the educational program. Winemaker Meaghan Tardif is a mentor at the school... she teaches students winemaking and leadership skills. My favorite part about being a mentor is I always give the student a chance to teach someone else, Tardif explains. Leadership is everywhere. Its not just in the work. Its not just your employees, but it helps you throughout your life. The experience has caused Marshall-Brown to find a future in agriculture. I would like to be that, but I still have a lot to learn to be able to do that. Hopefully Ill get there, and Ill run my own farm one day and have people work under me. That pleases Fabbioli, who says it is good for the community to have more farmers. He notes Loudoun Countrys position as one of the richest areas in the nation. He says the goal of those living in the community is to save the land in western Loudoun County as green space. In his words, We can do that by farming, but we need more farmers very much. So, giving people the opportunity to learn, put more people to work. It may also keep the cars off the highways because theyre living locally and theyre working locally. That is what the New AG School hopes to do -- grow the next crop of skilled farmers. Im Susan Shand Faiza Elmasry reported this story for VOA News. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story urban adj. of or relating to cities and the people who live in them winery n. a place where wine is made folks n. people horticulture n. the science of growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers compare hospitality n. generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests: hospitable treatment mentor n. someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person opportunity n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done The Supreme Court of the United States is preparing to hear arguments involving President Donald Trumps immigration policies. The court meets Wednesday to consider whether Trumps 2017 restrictions on travel and immigration from some countries are legal. The measures mostly affect people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. Visitors from North Korea and Venezuela also were affected, but the two countries are not part of the case. Whatever the high court decides, the restrictions have already shaped the lives of many people. From Yemen to New York Radad Alborati came to the United States from Yemen over 20 years ago, when he was a teenager. He became a U.S. citizen in 2010. Today, Alborati lives in New York City and works at night in a small store. But his wife remains in Yemen. She and her husband have known each other since they were children. For years, he has tried to bring her and their three sons to New York. Last autumn, when U.S. courts temporarily blocked the travel restrictions, Alborati was able to get visas for his sons. The boys came to New York. But his wife was not permitted to travel with them. The U.S. embassy in Yemen said in a letter that she was not eligible for a visa. And, it said, the decision could not be appealed. In other words, she should not ask again. Now, the family is waiting to hear what the Supreme Court says. The boys, ages 10 to 16, live with three separate sets of family friends because Alborati worries about them being alone while he works. Alborati also worries about his wife. She is back in Yemen, where more than 10,000 people have died in fighting over the past three years. Alborati says he understands that U.S. government policymakers want to keep the country safer. But he says, Separating families that is sick. U.S. policymakers The presidents goal for the travel ban was not to separate families. Trump said he aimed to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the country. Other people connected to Trumps administration have made similar comments. James Carafano helped the administration in its early days. He is a national security expert at the Heritage Foundation, a public policy group based in Washington, DC. Carafano says the travel restrictions resulted from concerns that Islamic State fighters could target the United States. He said the threat was real, and policymakers were answering the risk. He said: What do we need to do to protect the nation, and what do we need to do to help people who need help, and what is the balance? We do the best we can. State Department officials have said that the restrictions aim to urge foreign governments to share information, and to protect the U.S. until they do. But critics of the ban say the policy is a form of illegal discrimination based on religion and nationality. They point out that most people affected by the restrictions are from countries that are mostly Muslim. And they recall Trumps words while he was a candidate for president. He called for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. From Iran to California U.S. officials will not discuss any individual cases, but the restrictions are felt by individuals. Payam Iafari is another example. He is from Iran, but had a student visa to study at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Iafari says that he wanted to visit his family in Tehran last summer and celebrate earning his masters degree in filmmaking. But he did not make the trip. He said he could not risk going home in case the immigration policy changes again. He is still in California, seeking a career in the film industry, but missing his family. The separation and uncertainty is especially hard on his mother. In an email, she wrote, Waiting for what will happen in the end this is very difficult for a mother. His sister noted Politics treats everyone in the worlds lives like toys. We all get burned in the end. Im Jonathan Evans. Jennifer Peltz reported this story for the Associated Press. AP writers Amy Forliti, Josh Lederman, and Lee Keath provided information for the story. Kelly Jean Kelly adapted the report from VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story teenager n. someone between 13 and 19 years of age eligible adj. worthy of being chosen radical adj. extreme; very different from the traditional shutdown n. the suspension of an activity masters degree n. a recognition that is given to someone who completes a study program of one or two years after attending a college or university uncertainty adj. something that is unknown toy n. a play thing expire v. to come to an end; no longer legal after a period of time The United States is describing four other countries as forces of instability because of their record on human rights. The four China, Iran, North Korea and Russia -- are named in the State Departments yearly human rights report. The State Department accuses them of violating basic human rights, including freedom of expression and the protection of religious and ethnic minorities. Acting Secretary of State John Sullivan wrote an introduction to the report. It said the four countries violate the human rights of those within their borders on a daily basis. Sullivan denounced states that restrict freedoms of expression and permit violence against members of religious, ethnic, and other minority groups. The new U.S. report says Russia does little to punish those who carry out human rights abuses. It also describes Russias government as an authoritarian political system controlled by President Vladimir Putin. The report accuses Chinas government of carrying out detentions, executions and forced disappearances without concern for what is fair or right. It also says the government sets significant restrictions'' on freedoms of speech, religion and movement. The report also condemns the campaign of violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Sullivan told reporters last Friday that the United States is working with its partners to deal with the crisis. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar after a government campaign against Rohingya militants. The United Nations accuses the government of organizing attacks against the population. UN officials have likened the action to ethnic cleaning. Those responsible for the violations, abuses, and attacks must be held accountable, Sullivan said. Sullivan also spoke about conditions in Syria. He said the world is aware of the horrendous human rights abuses in Syria, including barrel bombing of civilians, attacks on hospitals, and widespread reports of rape and abuse by Syrian government personnel. Human rights groups were quick to criticize the State Department report. They noted that it no longer examines reproductive rights around the world. This is the first year the report does not examine such rights since 2012, when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton added the subject. The group Amnesty International said that reproductive rights are human rights. It said that failure to include the issue signals the Trump Administrations latest retreat from global leadership on human rights. The group also criticized the report for not being critical enough of the governments of U.S. allies like Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Im Phil Dierking VOANews.com report on this story. George Grow adapted its report for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story instability n. the quality of being subject to change; a lack of security basic adj. related to the most important part of something introduction n. part of a book that leads up the main part authoritarian adj. of or related to a build-up of power in a single ruler accountable adj. answerable; required to be responsible for something aware adj. having or showing knowledge; watchful barrel adj. of or related to something loaded in a container retreat v. to withdraw from an area; to drop back global adj. related to or involving the world American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. 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Read Article Armenia's Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan today visited Armenian MPs Ararat Mirzoyan, Sasun Mikayelyan, David Sanasaryan, Armen Grigoryan, and several other detainees being held at the Yerevan Police Department, Tatoyan's office reports. Tatoyan had private conversations with them, checked detainment conditions and relevant documents. Dissatisfaction with neither the conditions of detention nor the attitude of the PHAP staff was presented. The MPs also raised the question of having a radio to access the news. One was provided. In the case of two detainees, the issue of the right to have telephone access had been raised and resolved. The Ombudsman's Office has initiated a discussion procedure to implement the full scope of powers envisaged by law. With regard to all matters raised during the conversations, including the grounds for imprisonment, written communication will be directed to the criminal prosecution authorities. The following companies are subsidiares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise: 3Com International Inc., 3PAR Inc., Apogee, Aruba Networks Inc., Aruba Networks International Cayman, Aruba Networks International Limited, BlueData Software, Cloud Cruiser, Cloud Technology Partners, Cloud Technology Partners Inc., Compaq Computer (Mauritius), Compaq Trademark B.V., Cray, Cray Inc., EDS World Corporation (Far East) LLC, EYP Mission Critical Facilities Inc., H3C Holdings Limited, HP Enterprise Services Australia Pty Ltd, HP Financial Services (Australia) Pty Limited, HP Financial Services (Chile) Limitada, HP Financial Services (Japan) K.K., HP Financial Services Arrendamento Mercantil S.A., HP Financial Services Company (Korea), HP Financial Services International Holdings Company, HPE Government LLC, HPFS Global Holdings I LLC, HPFS Global Holdings II LLC, HPFS Rental S.R.L., Hangzhou H3C Technologies Co. 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Ltd., Hewlett-Packard South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Hewlett-Packard Sverige AB, Hewlett-Packard Technology Center Inc., Hewlett-Packard Teknoloji Cozumleri Limited Sirketi, Hewlett-Packard The Hague B.V., Hewlett-Packard Venezuela S.R.L., Hewlett-Packard Vision Limited, Hewlett-Packard d.o.o., Hewlett-Packard s.r.o., Limited Liability Company Hewlett Packard Enterprise, MapR Technologies, New H3C Technologies Co. Ltd., Niara Inc., Nimble Storage, Nimble Storage Inc., Nimble Storage Israel Ltd, Nimble Storage Japan GK, Nimble Storage UK Limited, Plexxi, RedPixie, SGI (Silicon Graphics), Sapphire Holding Co, Scytale, Shanghai Hewlett-Packard Co. Ltd., Silver Peak, SimpliVity, Sinope Holding B.V., Trilead, UAB ES Hague Lietuva, and Unis Huashan Technologies Co. Limited. 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 The latest smartphone from Asus seems to strike a nice balance between price and specs. Its called the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, and along with a really long name, the phone has a big screen, a big battery, a reasonably speedy processor, dual cameras, and at least 3GB of RAM. It goes on sale in India starting May 3rd for about $165 and up. The phone will be available in three difference configurations/prices: 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage for INR 11,000 (~$165) 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for INR 13,000 (~195) 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for INR 15,000 (~226) Each model has a 6 inch, 2160 x 1080 pixel display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, and a 5,000 mAh battery. It has a micro USB connector, a 3.5mm audio jack, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, and LTE support. And theres a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone. The model with 6GB of RAM has 16MP + 5MP rear cameras and a 16MP front-facing camera, while the cheaper models have 13+5MP rear and 8MP front cameras. Other features include support for dual SIM cards and a microSD card slot that lets you use multiple SIMs and removable storage simultaneously, and Android 8.1 software. For the first time Asus is also shipping a phone with a nearly stock Android user interface. Theres no ZenUI launcher or settings app. And the phone only comes with a couple of Asus apps pre-loaded (Android Central reports the company uses its own FM radio, sound recorder, and calculator apps). For now, the Zenfone Max Pro M1 is an India-exclusive. But its possible Asus could decide to sell the phone in other markets in the future. via Engadget Share this article: Share this: Facebook Twitter Reddit Pocket Tumblr Pinterest LinkedIn Email Armenia Police have transferred arrested protest leader and Yelk Alliance MP Nikol Pashinyan from the Sevan Police Station to an undisclosed location. Rustam Badasyan, Pashinyans attorney, told Hetq that he had telephoned the Sevan Police, only to be told that they had been holding Pashinyan but he had been transferred elsewhere. This is a grave violation of my clients right to a fair trial, not to mention a violation of other fundamental rights, Badasyan told Hetq. Police detained Pashinyan early on April 22,and was later arrested. Two vineyard transactions in Bordeaux in the past month signal interest from overseas buyers in the regions wine labels and production potential, amid a run of improved vintages since 2014. Chateau Vieux Paquillon, an AOC Montagne Saint Emilion estate with 12.6 hectares of land, of which 9.9 hectares is planted with vines, was sold to an unidentified Australian investor at close to the asking price of 2.12 million euros (USD2.6 million), said Michael Baynes of Vineyards-Bordeaux, part of Christies International Real Estate, which handled the transaction. The price per hectare of vines, excluding other assets such as buildings and equipment, was about 120,000 euros, he said in an email. The seller was Andre Benoist, who also owns Chateau La Bergere in the same appellation of Montagne Saint Emilion. He bought Vieux Paquillon in 2004 and has restored the property. The new owner intends to sell the wine in Australia as well as through existing distribution channels, Vineyards-Bordeaux said. The transaction followed the purchase of Chateau de Lagorce, an AOC Bordeaux estate in the Entre-Deux-Mers region, by Chinese wine company SCEA Degore earlier this month. That estate was sold by Benjamin Mazeau, who in 1985 inherited the property that has been in his family since 1928. Chateau de Lagorce has 68.7 hectares of land, of which 43.3 hectares has vines in production. A sale price wasnt disclosed. Degore said it planned to sell the wines in China as well as to existing clients. The Vieux Paquillon sale represents the fourth vineyard transaction of 2018 for Vineyards-Bordeaux, Baynes said, adding that French and international investors remain confident in the Bordeaux vineyard market. Bloomberg Greeces creditors are getting closer on a deal to ease the countrys debt burden, according to Eurogroup President Mario Centeno. Greeces 86-billion euro (USD106-billion) bailout program is set to run out in August, and creditors are working on finding a compromise on debt repayments that would help to manage the countrys financing needs after it stops receiving international aid. A debt deal would also allow the International Monetary Fund to participate in the current bailout. The positions today are much closer than they used to be before, Centeno, who is Portugals finance minister and chairs the meetings of his euro-area counterparts, said in an interview in Washington. We still have a final mile to go but there is a positive sentiment around the table so I think that reflects a true willingness to be part of the program. Further easing Greek debt is a key precondition for the Washington-based IMF before it can participate in the countrys program. While the IMF has co-financed Greeces first two bailouts it hasnt yet activated its third one, arguing the euro area must arrange for more debt sustainability. But the participation of the fund, even a few months before the end of the bailout, is important for some countries including Germany, who see the IMF coming on board as a seal of approval that will offer credibility to the bailout. A committed presence by the IMF will also help with market confidence, Centeno said. Talks among Greeces creditors and euro-area countries on likely debt measures have been going on at a technical level for months. That includes a proposal to link debt repayments to economic growth, so the country can pay back more if it is doing well, and less if it isnt. The aim is to have a final agreement in the early summer, but key differences among creditors on the scope and type of debt relief persist. The IMF would like to see wide-scale debt relief on all of Greeces euro-area loans -including those from other countries and the blocs bailout fund. That demand is facing resistance by many European creditors who are only willing to discuss easing the terms of some loans. Other disagreements have to do with whether the debt relief will be granted to Greece unconditionally or whether it should be tied to budget discipline and further economic reforms. The differences were discussed at a meeting of officials from Greeces key creditor countries and institutions on the sidelines of the IMF meetings in Washington this week. In order for the IMF to have sufficient time to activate its bailout for Greece before it runs out in August, an agreement on all these parameters will likely need to be struck by the end of next month. For Centeno, the key is that any conditions attached to debt relief come from Greeces own plans for growth. We all want debt conditionality to be embedded in the growth strategy for Greece, he said, referring to the countrys plans for the economy in its post-bailout life. Ownership is the single word that may and should define the process in the coming months. Viktoria Dendrinou, Bloomberg A Philippine national sustained serious injuries in a knife attack in the early hours of yesterday morning, public broadcaster TDM is reporting. Citing the police, TDM said that the attack occurred after the victim and the suspect, who is believed to be of South Asian, possibly Indian, ethnicity, broke into an argument in a public space in central Macau. The Philippine national was with his friends in a public space on Rua da Barca at about midnight when the argument broke out. TDM said that witnesses to the attack said that the South Asian suspect drew a knife and assaulted the victim before fleeing toward Estrada de Adolfo Loureiro. The police said that the victim was transported to the public hospital for treatment, while the suspect has been arrested. Inner Harbor Health Center reconstruction planned The Health Center of the Inner Harbor will be reconstructed, according to a statement released by the Health Bureau (SSM). However, the reconstruction will only be initiated after the Community Services Municipal Complex of Praia do Manduco is put into operation. The Inner Harbor Health Center has been used for more than 20 years. The SSM noted that all sorts of medical facilities of the center are old and that last years Typhoon Hato caused the facilities to deteriorate. In addition, the SSM deems the centers current medical facilities and space to be unable to meet the medical service demands of the neighboring communities. Taxis suggested to not accept nightclub rebates The president of the Macau Taxi Drivers Mutual Association, Tony Kuok, has suggested that the government should establish a taxi service quality supervision committee in order to allow the taxi industry to participate in appeals regarding taxi services. Kuok also expressed his opposition to nightclubs giving rebates to taxi drivers, noting that it might violate the citys laws. He suggested the government should effectively ban these actions. The Myanmar community gathered to celebrate its New Year Festival, Thingyan, yesterday at Saint Paul School. Held annually in Myanmar from April 13 to 17, the event marks the countrys biggest festive occasion, with residents splashing water on one another. According to the tradition, the water cleanses a person of their sins that was committed during the past year. Yesterday, the community sprinkled water on their guests of honor as a traditional gesture to wash their sins and bad luck away from the body, mind and soul, so the New Year can be ushered in on a clean slate. Held in the region for the third time, the Myanmar Social Club of Macau (MSM) provides a platform for its community to remember their tradition back home. The celebration [in Myanmar] includes sharing of food, going to the monastery, taking care of the elderly and splashing water on each other, said Ricky Myint, chairman of MSM. This is really a meaningful celebration for Myanmar people, he added. The festivity featured artists from Myanmar, traditional dances, live performances and the sharing of food. He estimated there are approximately 60,000 Burmese linked people in the region, many of whom migrated to the region 30 to 40 years ago. According to Myint, the association which has some 1,600 members has seen an increase in the number of Burmese migrant workers in the SAR. Meanwhile, the chairman admitted that the absence of a consulate in the city remains a challenge for the community, but noted the association is working with the Myanmar Consulate in Hong Kong to assist its community in Macau. The consulate in Hong Kong is giving us a lot of support, especially to us as an association. From time to time, we help the Burmese in [processing the needed] documents, said Myint. Also, the chairman added that the association had opened a class for the community to learn English and Cantonese to fight the language barrier between them and their employers. He also expressed that the community easily adapts to the local culture in Macau. The food here is totally different from Myanmar food. They [the Burmese] have difficulties in trying Chinese cuisine but that is just one of the things they have to adjust to, he said. MSM also holds other activities, including blood donation drives as well as participating in World Migrants Day, and hinted on playing a further part in local activities in the region in the future. Meanwhile, Father Lawrence The Reh, a Catholic priest, expressed his hopes to conduct an official mass in the region. Back in Myanmar, the Catholic community only accounts for 1.4 percent of the total population. In Macau there are some 50 Burmese Catholics. [We hold a] mass but it is not official. Maybe later we will ask permission from the bishop to give them a place to conduct the mass because [what we do] is just a private mass for them, he explained. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said Saturday that his government is willing to enter into talks over social security reforms that have sparked four days of protests and clashes in which, rights monitors say, at least 25 people have died. A journalist covering the unrest was also killed. In a nationally televised address, his first public appearance since the demonstrations began Wednesday, Ortega said he is open to negotiations so that there is no more terror for Nicaraguan families. But he said the dialogue would be just with business leaders and not with other sectors of society. He also seemed to try to justify what has been a heavy-handed response by the government and allied groups, accusing demonstrators, most of them university students, of being manipulated by unspecified minority political interests and of being infiltrated by gangsters. What is happening in our country has no name. The kids do not even know the party that is manipulating them. [] Gang members are being brought into the kids protests and are criminalizing the protests. That is why they are put at risk, Ortega said. Those remarks appeared to fan the flames, as soon afterward thousands of people spilled back into the streets in seven cities including the capital, Managua, after tensions had calmed somewhat Friday night. We are in the streets asking for Ortega and his wife to go. This has already gone beyond the social security issue. Here there have been dead, wounded, and he does not even apologize for his killings or the savage repression against the people, said Mauri Hernandez, one of thousands of demonstrators at a central rotunda. On Friday night Vice President, first lady and government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo said nine people had been confirmed dead in the clashes, though the human rights group Cenidh said Saturday it had counted at least 25 deaths nationwide. Minutes later, news emerged that journalist Angel Gahona of the news show Meridiano was killed while covering unrest in the southeastern city of Bluefields. The AP viewed video from when he was broadcasting live on Facebook via cellphone showing damage to an ATM at the entrance to city hall as riot police advance up a darkened street. A gunshot is heard, the phone falls and a several voices scream his name. A separate video of the incident circulating on social media, taken from behind Gahona, shows him approaching the ATM. After the shot, he slumps to the ground with blood streaming from his head. Someone presses a piece of cloth to try to staunch the bleeding. Another Bluefields reporter, Ileana Lacayo, said he died en route to the hospital. A prominent business chamber issued a statement conditioning its talks with Ortega on an end to repression, the freeing of detained protesters and respect for freedom of expression as the authorities have kept off the air one private news channel that is covering the protests. We cannot go into a dialogue if these minimal conditions are not met, it said. There were more clashes at the Polytechnical University of Nicaragua, one of the strongest bastions of the protesters. We stand firm. They will not wear us out. Here we will give our all until the government understands that it will not continue to do whatever it pleases, Lombardo Ruiz Picado, a leader of the student protesters, told The Associated Press by phone from inside the school. In the morning, army troops were deployed to Esteli, a city north of Managua that has been a main flashpoint of the demonstrations, to help police repel protesters. State-affiliated media showed images of armed soldiers patrolling the city center and said they were safeguarding strategic concerns after fires at several public buildings. The Roman Catholic Conference of Bishops in Nicaragua condemned repression against protesters and urged the government to listen to them and drop the social security reforms. A unilateral decision always brings with it social instability. Rectifying decisions is a sign of humanity, listening is the path of reason, seeking peace at all cost is wisdom, the conference said in a statement. The reforms, issued by decree, increase income and payroll taxes and make changes to pensions to try to shore up Nicaraguas troubled social security system. Luis Manuel Galeano, Managua, AP A Zimbabwean parliamentary committee is summoning former leader Robert Mugabe to explain past comments on alleged diamond looting the first time a public institution has called him to account for such claims made during his 37-year rule. Mugabe, who resigned in November following a military intervention and extraordinary public demonstrations, has said USD15 billion worth of diamonds were looted from fields in the countrys east. He later said he had no basis for that figure and spoke off the top of his head. But parliamentary committee chairman Temba Mliswa told The Associated Press the 94-year-old still should appear on May 9 to explain his comments. Parliament very soon will dispatch an official letter for Mugabe to appear, Mliswa said. It was not clear whether Mugabe, who has lived quietly in the capital since his resignation, will agree to show up. The allegations of diamond looting have been a source of anger in the once-prosperous southern African country whose economy collapsed under Mugabes long rule. Non-governmental organizations such as Global Witness have accused government and security agencies of both looting and human rights abuses. Zimbabwe security agencies, including the military and police, were involved in the mining in partnership with Chinese firms until the government cancelled all diamond mining licenses in the region in 2016, making way for a monopoly by a government-owned firm. The parliamentary committee also has asked former Vice President Joice Mujuru to provide evidence. Former and serving top police officers, government officials and mining executives already have appeared before the committee. The US Department of State 2017 Human Rights Report also covered developments more broadly across China, including on the mainland, the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and in the Hong Kong SAR. The Department expressed concern over what it deemed the most significant human rights issues in the Hong Kong SAR, which were the Central Governments encroachment on local autonomy and government actions that had a chilling effect on political protest and the exercise of free speech. In regards to the latter, the report provided the examples of prosecutions against protestors particularly those were who active in the 2014 Umbrella Movement and lawsuits used by the government to disqualify opposition lawmakers who advocated for greater democratic representation or full independence from China. The report also raised concerns about the disappearances of individuals in Hong Kong, citing media reports that suggest they were abducted by agents of the mainland. Meanwhile, in China, the most significant human rights issues included the arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of life and executions without due process; extralegal measures such as forced disappearances, including extraterritorial ones; [and] torture and coerced confessions of prisoners. The US Department of State also acknowledged that journalists, lawyers, dissidents and activists were harassed and detained by the state, all the while censorship and control of public discourse was on the rise. As for the Tibet Autonomous Region, which is included under its own sub-heading in the report, the Department highlighted the fact that ethnic Chinese (Han people) CCP members held the overwhelming majority of top party, government, police, and military positions in the TAR and other Tibetan areas. It said that the most significant human rights issues included disappearances, arbitrary detentions and torture of political prisoners by government authorities, as well as the government curtailment of the freedoms of speech, religion, association, assembly and movement. The annual US Department of States report on human rights criticizes Macau for constraints on press and academic freedom, as well as on issues such as democracy development and human trafficking. The report claims that the government took steps to restrict unfavorable news coverage. However, it adds local media expressed a wide range of views. The media practiced self-censorship, in part because the government heavily subsidized major newspapers that tended to follow closely the PRC governments policy on sensitive political issues, the report reads. The report also quotes claims made by the Macau Journalists Association: At least five editors of local media outlets received messages from their senior executives instructing them to report more on positive news after a typhoon, and less on the governments accountability for problems, especially the accountability of the highest officials. Possible constraints to freedom of speech by citizens have also been reported. The law provides freedom of expression, including for the press, but the government occasionally sought to restrict these rights, the report reads. In August, police arrested two persons for allegedly spreading false information about the governments response to a typhoon. In December, the government said it had begun drafting legislation to implement a national law passed in September that criminalizes any action mocking the Chinese national anthem and requires persons attending public events to stand at attention and sing the anthem in a solemn manner when the anthem is played. The denial of entry into the territory of some Hong Kong journalists was also addressed in the report. In addition, the report mentions criminal proceedings against citizens that participate in peaceful street protests, in a reference to the case involving Sulu Sou and Scott Chiang opposing authorities, who are set to face a court hearing next month. Regarding cases of arbitrary arrest or detention, the US report states that activists expressed concern that the SAR government abused prosecutorial procedures to target political dissidents, while police said they charged those they arrested with violations of the law. Regarding labor rights, the US Department of State mentions the occurrence of discrimination cases with respect to employment. Non resident workers frequently complained of discrimination in the workplace in [terms of] hiring and wages, and some classes of migrants were not provided equal employment benefits. In response, the Macau Government Spokespersons Office slammed the US report, stating that since its establishment, the MSAR government has protected the rights and freedoms of Macau residents. The statement adds that such achievements and objective facts have been recognized by anyone holding an unbiased view. On the whole, the statement expressed strong opposition to foreign countries interference in any form in Macaus internal affairs that are a domestic matter for China. Zhuhai is willing to shoulder more responsibilities and play a bigger role in the Mayors Visiting Program, according to the Mayor of Zhuhai, Yao Yisheng, during the Welcome Reception of the Fourth round Mayors Visiting Program last Friday. Zhuhai has pledged to act on the instruction to leverage the advantage of the Zhuhai-Macau cooperation, so as to better serve the trilateral cooperation among mainland cities, Macau and neighboring countries. Zhuhai will make continued efforts to assist Macau in integrating into the national development, maintaining long-term stability and prosperity, and jointly participating the Belt and Road initiative, said Yao. In Yaos words, the Mayors Visiting Program is becoming more and more meaningful, as the report of the 19th CPC National Congress released last October announced that China will never close its door and it will only open wider and wider. The Mayors Visiting Program is a response to the call of openness in the new era and an important step to implement the spirit of Xis speech so as to accelerate the Belt and Road initiative and open the door wider to the world, said Yao, who believes that the Mayors Visiting Program is becoming more and more influential. Mainland cities attending the event, Hangzhou, Harbin, Xiamen, Sanya and Yangzhou, all feature developed economies, beautiful environments and unique advantages, making good complementarities [partners] and enjoying broad prospects of cooperation with Macau and neighboring countries in various fields, said Yao. The Zhuhai Mayor remarked that China has entered into a new era by upgrading all of its infrastructure on the mainland. With the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area shaping up and the bridge linking Hong Kong, Macau, and Zhuhai opening to traffic, we are facing greater opportunities for cooperation, said Yao. Regarding the Mayors Visiting Program, Yao believes that it has vigorously promoted connectivity in policy, infrastructure construction, trade, capital and people-to-people exchanges, setting an example for regional win- win cooperation. Mayors visiting program concludes THE FOURTH edition of the Mayors Visiting Program involved civic leaders from 14 neighboring countries Laos, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Russia, Brunei and the Philippines and from six cities on the mainland. The Program was co-organized by the local government and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Peoples Republic of China in the MSAR. It took place in Macau from April 19 to 21, and involved meetings with several local departments, including the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Trade and Investment Promotion Institute. Acacia Mining plc, together with its subsidiaries, mines, processes, and sells gold in Africa. The company has three gold mines in north-west Tanzania, including Bulyanhulu, Buzwagi, and North Mara; and a portfolio of exploration projects at various stages of development in Tanzania, Kenya, Burkina Faso, and Mali. It also produces co-products, such as copper and silver. The company was formerly known as African Barrick Gold plc and changed its name to Acacia Mining plc in November 2014. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Acacia Mining plc is a subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation. Read More At around 8pm on April 22, Armenia Police arrested Tigran Avinyan, a member of the board of the Civil Contract political party. Police state that Avinyan has been arrested on suspicion of Article 225, Point 2, of the Criminal Code using violence during mass disorder, damaging or destroying property, resisting representatives of the government, using explosives, and setting fires. Note to Readers: Today is the tenth day of protest in Armenia calling for the resignation of Serzh Sargsyan as prime minister and the transfer of power out of the hands of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia to the people. Earlier today, protest leader MP Nikol Pashinyan briefly met with Sargsyan, who balked at Pashinyans demand that he resign. Sargsyan got up and left after three minutes. In a veiled threat, Sargsyan alluded to the unrest of March 1, during which ten people died. Sargsyan argued that Pashinyan had no right to speak in the name of the people. A hour later, Pashinyan was detained and subsequently arrested. 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Israeli Craft Beer Saga * The Beer Bazaar has been in touch with me, and I hope to have a proper visit in the near future. I must say that they really seem to care ... Bye, Bye Cafe Rimon For as long as I remember Jerusalem, going on forty-nine 49 years, there has always been a restaurant, or two, called "Rimon" just... the easiest cake recipe Plain Cake, Simply Delicious! This is the basis for all sorts of cakes, including chocolate, apple, chocolate chip, etc. It can be multipl... Best Salad Deal in Jerusalem The other day my friend and I needed a quick lunch before going to our "next stop/event." All I wanted to eat was a salad, and she... Jerusalem Light Festival 2018, Rather Dull The other night I went to the Jerusalem Light Festival 2018, even though I couldn't find anyone to go with. There were thousands of othe... Piccolino Friday Brunch, What Took Me So Long? For years I had been hearing about the Friday Brunch served at Piccolino , but it took me until last Friday to finally experience it. The oc... Newly Decorated "Tunnel" Last night, when my husband and I got off of the bus that had taken us from Ashdod to Jerusalem, I wondered how we were going to cross the ... Totally Amazing Challah Shaping Tutorial I found this on facebook. It's making the rounds. I hope this works for all of you. I learned a lot watching it and didn't ev... Contact precautions, used in addition to the standard precautions, the basic level of infection control applied to all patients, did not limit or prevent the spread of drug-resistant bacteria in non-intensive care unit (ICU) hospital wards, according to research presented at the 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID). Hospital wards may play host to bacteria that produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL), an enzyme that renders commonly used older antibiotic drugs like penicillin and cephalosporins ineffective. The outcome for patients infected with ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E), such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Klebsiella pneumonia (K. pneumonia) can be deadly. Presenting author Dr. Friederike Maechler from the Institut fur Hygiene und Umweltmedizin at the Charite in Berlin examined rates of colonisations with ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae to determine whether additional precautions had any effect on the incidence of hospital-acquired colonisations. Maechler and her team screened patients and monitored precaution protocols for both contact precautions and standard precautions as well as hospital wards' hand hygiene protocols. Between January 2014 and August 2016, 38,345 patients were admitted to one of the 20 participating wards and remained in the hospital for at least two days. With 84% of patients screened at least once, ESBL-E prevalence was almost equal between precaution protocols. Prevalence of the drug-resistant bacteria was 9.7% for contact precautions and 9.6% for standard precautions upon admission. "Even with an extensive screening protocol to identify all ESBL-E carriers, our data show no benefit for contact precautions in non-ICUs in preventing the spread of ESBL-E," Maechler said. "Multivariate analysis included screening compliance, admission prevalence and length of stay, and showed no protective effect for contact precautions over standard precautions." Maechler's team monitored patients in 20 medical and surgical wards in four European countries. Patients admitted to non-ICU wards were screened for ESBL-E and monitored weekly after that, as well as when they were discharged. The wards were randomised and assigned precaution protocols, either standard precautions or contact precautions. After a wash-out period of one month, the wards switched strategies. More than 11,000 patients who stayed in the hospital for a week or more were screened at least twice. Compliance for the first and second screenings was 75% and showed the same rates of acquired ESBL-E at 4.6 per 1,000 patient days. Hospital staff hand hygiene compliance was 62% in the contact precautions arm of the study and 61% in the standard precautions arm. Adherence to the precautions protocols was 85% and 84% respectively. Contact precautions are indicated when caring for patients known or suspected to have a serious illness, such as a gastrointestinal (diarrheal) illness, which is easily transmitted by direct patient contact or by indirect contact with items in the patient's environment. Illnesses requiring contact precautions may include stool incontinence caused by norovirus, rotavirus, or Clostridium difficile, draining wounds, uncontrolled secretions, pressure ulcers, presence of generalized rash, or presence of ostomy tubes and/or bags draining body fluids. Contact precautions may for example include wearing gloves or a fluid-resistant protective gown when touching a patients' immediate environment and belongings. Explore further New expert guidance on contact precautions for drug-resistant infections More information: Abstract no: O1130, Contact precautions versus standard precautions for carriers of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) in non-ICUs with an active surveillance screening - a cluster-randomized cross-over trial; session Late breaker: Brand new infection control findings, 11:30 - 12:30, Monday, 23 April 2018, Hall D Presented at ECCMID 2018 in Madrid, Spain Provided by European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Credit: CC0 Public Domain Patients with asthma and hay fever have an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders, finds a new study published in open-access journal Frontiers in Psychiatry. Almost 11% of patients with common allergic diseases developed a psychiatric disorder within a 15-year period, compared to only 6.7% of those without - a 1.66-fold increased risk. While previous studies have linked allergies with certain psychiatric or emotional disorders, this is the first to find a connection between common allergies and the overall risk of developing psychiatric disorders. The findings could have implications for how doctors care for and monitor patients with allergic diseases. Asthma, allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and atopic dermatitis (eczema), are among some of the most common allergic diseases and are nicknamed the three "A"s. Dr. Nian-Sheng Tzeng , from Tri-Service General Hospital in Taiwan and lead author of the study, noticed something unexpected about these patients. "As a clinician, I observed that some patients with the three 'A's appeared to suffer emotionally," says Tzeng. "Therefore, I wanted to clarify whether these allergic diseases are associated with psychiatric disorders." When Tzeng and colleagues searched the literature, they found that previous studies had reported links between allergic diseases and specific psychiatric disorders or emotional problems. For example, a study in Denmark found that children with allergic diseases had more emotional and behavioral problems. However, not all previous research supported this positive link, with one study in Taiwan suggesting that allergic rhinitis is less common among patients with schizophrenia, for example. Clearly, more extensive research was needed for a more complete picture. Despite the previous research, no-one had studied the link between the three "A"s and the overall risk of developing psychiatric disorders. To study this in a large sample of people, the researchers used an extensive database of health insurance claims in Taiwan, covering a 15-year period. The researchers identified 46,647 people in the database with allergic diseases and 139,941 without. Unlike previous studies, the researchers included patients of all ages. They found that over the 15-year period, 10.8% of people with allergic diseases developed a psychiatric disorder, compared with 6.7% of those with no allergic disease. This translated to a 1.66-fold increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders for people with an allergic disease. A closer look at the data revealed that people with atopic dermatitis had a lower risk of developing a psychiatric disorder, while those with asthma and allergic rhinitis had a higher risk. Interestingly, the team discovered that using certain asthma medications was associated with a lower risk of psychiatric disorders in asthma patients. So, why might patients with certain allergic diseases have a higher risk of psychiatric disorders? Recent research suggests that inflammation is linked to psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety disorders. As allergies also involve inflammation, it is possible that it may contribute to psychiatric disorders in the same patients. The psychological stress of a psychiatric disorder might also contribute to physical symptoms. The current study did not examine the potential cause of this phenomenon and researchers need to complete further studies to identify the precise mechanisms involved. However, knowing that there is a link between allergic diseases and psychiatric disorders could help doctors to care for their patients. "We would like to let clinicians who care for patients with allergic diseases know that their risk for psychiatric diseases may be higher," says Tzeng. "Assessing their emotional condition and monitoring their mental health could help to avoid later psychiatric problems." Explore further Perceived stress linked to asthma, atopic disorders Research shows potential for delivering our drugs in ways that would make it harder for antibiotic resistance to evolve and spread. Here we see a close up view of a biofilm of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Credit: Shutterstock We are at risk of entering a post-antibiotic era. Each year since 2013, a major global institution including the World Economic Forum, the World Health Organization and the United Nations General Assembly has issued this grave warning to the world. A post-antibiotic future is daunting. When the drugs don't work, we get sicker more often. We stay sicker longer. This hurts the economy because sick people don't work. In response, we really only have two options. One is to gather more arrows in our quiver by discovering new antibiotics to which microbes like bacteria are not currently resistant. The second is to manage our current arsenal of drugs better so that they remain effective for as long as possible. The key to doing this is to reduce the global burden of antibiotic resistance by decreasing the quantity of drugs we use. Delivering drugs differently The first strategy of response to antibiotic resistance is not as easy as it sounds. While there are many potential new therapies that could be effective, there are few incentives for industry to invest in their development. If an antibiotic works well, it is used for a short time a few days to a couple of weeks at the most. The commercial return on a drug designed to treat longer lasting non-communicable illnesses, like cancer, for instance, can be much higher because the drugs are used for longer. The logic of the second strategy is straightforward. The widespread use of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture means that a drug-resistant variant of a bacterium will enjoy a strong selective advantage and can quickly spread. So by reducing the use of drugs, we reduce the selection pressure on resistance and slow the rate at which resistance evolves and spreads. Simple. Except it's not. How, precisely, should we reduce the volume of drugs we use? We can't just introduce a blanket ban on prescriptions and stop using drugs altogether. If my loved one is sick and there is a drug that can make them better, I want that drug. But maybe we could deliver our drugs in ways that would make it harder for resistance to evolve and spread? And so prolong the amount of time a drug remains effective? Creating drug sanctuaries One suggestion that my research group has been exploring is to make use of drug sanctuaries, or drug-free environments to effectively reduce the strength of selection for resistance. If drug-sensitive variants of microbes have a growth advantage over resistant ones when no drug is around, then sensitive variants would predominate in drug-free refuges and help keep resistant ones from taking over the population. 3D image of the Serratia marcescens bacteria, which cause hospital-aquired antibiotic-resistant infections. Credit: Shutterstock Drug sanctuaries could be used in hospitals. For example, different wards could restrict the use of certain drugs (generating a form of spatial sanctuary) or could alternate the use of a drug on the same ward over time (a form of temporal sanctuary). Evolutionary models can help guide us here. Variation in time is like paying taxes: You can't avoid it. A variant that evolves in a temporally varying environment is the one that does best across all conditions experienced. Variation in space, on the other hand, provides more options because the different locations can act as refuges for the specialized variants of bacteria. Because those locations are always available, then specialists can coexist indefinitely. At least in theory. Buying us time This seems to be what happened when we did an experiment to test the theory. Resistance to the commonly used antibiotic ciprofloxacin took longer to spread in laboratory populations of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa a bacterium that causes acute infections in hospitals, especially intensive- care units, and chronic infections in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients when drug sanctuaries were experienced in space rather than time. Resistant and sensitive genetic variants actually coexisted in spatial sanctuaries because of a trade-off between resistance and growth rate. Resistant variants could withstand the drug, but grew far more slowly than sensitive ones in the sanctuary. The result was that neither could be eliminated by natural selection. What surprised us, though, was that over time, this trade-off broke down. The resistant strains actually gained mutations that improved their ability to grow in the absence of the drug. By the end of the experiment, most populations in the spatial sanctuary were dominated by antibiotic-resistant strains. Evidently drug sanctuaries in space could allow us to keep using drugs for longer, but not indefinitely. Eventually we will need new arrows in our quiver. A challenge for evolutionary biology Our experiments are highly contrived and restricted to one strain of one pathogen evolving in response to one drug in the defined and controlled conditions of a laboratory. Whether our conclusions hold for other bugs and other drugs, or more complicated networks of transmission characteristic of hospitals and the communities they are embedded in, remains to be seen. What our work allows us to do is get directly at the ecological and genetic mechanisms responsible for the emergence, coexistence and eventual demise of diversity. Using these evolutionary principles in more complex, real-world situations to manage our arsenal of drugs for as long as possible will be a major challenge for evolutionary biology in the years to come. Explore further Even bacteria have baggageand understanding that is key to fighting superbugs This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. The axolotl, also known as the Mexican salamander, shows a remarkable ability to regenerate nerves after damage. Credit: Karen Echeverri, University of Minnesota. One of the most vexing problems with spinal cord injuries is that the human body does not rebuild nerves once they have been damaged. Other animals, on the other hand, seem to have no problem repairing broken neurons. A new study takes a comparative approach to pinpoint what happens differently in humans versus other animals to explain why they can successfully regenerate neurons while we instead form scar tissue. By learning from the similarities and differences, researchers hope to find new leads in the treatment of spinal cord injury. "Humans have very limited capacity for regeneration, while other species like salamanders have the remarkable ability to functionally regenerate limbs, heart tissue and even the spinal cord after injury," said lead researcher Karen Echeverri, PhD, assistant professor in the department of genetics, cell biology and development at the University of Minnesota. "We have discovered that despite this difference in response to injury, these animals share many of the same genes with humans. This knowledge could be used to design new therapeutic targets for treating spinal cord injury or other neurodegenerative diseases." Echeverri will present the research at the American Association of Anatomists annual meeting during the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting, held April 21-25 in San Diego. Echeverri and her colleagues study an amphibian known as the axolotl or Mexican salamander. Native to lakes near Mexico City, the axolotl has become endangered in the wild as human activities have encroached on its habitat. Captive-bred axolotls are frequently used in biological research, both to learn from the animal's remarkable ability to regenerate body parts and to help inform conservation efforts. When an axolotl suffers a spinal cord injury, nearby cells called glial cells kick into high gear, proliferating rapidly and repositioning themselves to rebuild the connections between nerves and reconnect the injured spinal cord. By contrast, when a human suffers a spinal cord injury, the glial cells form scar tissue, which blocks nerves from ever reconnecting with each other. Echeverri's team traced the molecular mechanisms at work in each case. They found a particular protein called c-Fos, which affects gene expression, is essential to the processes axolotls use to repair injured nerves. While humans also have c-Fos, in humans the protein functions in concert with other proteins, in the JUN family, that cause cells to undergo reactive gliosis, which leads to scar formation. In axolotls, this molecular circuitry is carefully regulated to direct axolotl glial cells toward a regenerative response instead. "Our approach allows us to identify not just the mechanisms necessary to drive regeneration in salamanders but what is happening differently in humans in reposes to injury," said Echeverri, adding that the work has implications for other types of injury, as well. "In addition to spinal cord regeneration, our work also focuses on other forms of regeneration including scar-free wound healing and limb regeneration." Explore further Promising therapeutic approach for spinal cord injuries More information: Karen Echeverri will present this research on Sunday, April 22, from 3-3:30 p.m. in Room 11B, San Diego Convention Center ( Karen Echeverri will present this research on Sunday, April 22, from 3-3:30 p.m. in Room 11B, San Diego Convention Center ( abstract ). Provided by Experimental Biology 2018 Frequent walkers could help to shape public policies on mobility. Credit: istock For his thesis, Derek Christie studied people who walk outdoors for more than one hour per day. Little research has been done into these frequent walkers, who could nevertheless help to shape public policies on mobility. Some Swiss health insurance companies offer incentives to encourage people to walk 10,000 steps a day. This works out to about seven kilometers and over an hour of walking a day, in addition to any steps taken indoors. For most people, their already busy schedules mean it is not easy to find extra time to go walking, even if the steps do not have to be taken all in one go and can be broken down into 10- to 30-minute bouts. For his thesis, Derek Christie, a researcher in EPFL's Urban Sociology Laboratory, spoke to over 70 of these frequent walkers in the Lake Geneva region. He looked at how these men and women organize their time, what they get out of so much walking, why they do it, and whether their behaviour might herald a change towards more sustainable mobility practices. First of all, Derek Christie's thesis, which he presented on 20 April 2018, shows that regular walking is achievable for most people without a disability. To get started, you just need to be organized and highly motivated. From there, it's possible get into a routine in which walking becomes part of your daily life. Most of the people he spoke to had begun frequent walking because of a particular event or in the context of a change in lifestyle similar to what has been observed in people who give up smoking. The use of a pedometer, either mechanical or on a smartphone, often played a decisive role. Other triggers included Nordic walking, health problems (particularly cardiovascular issues) and the desire to lose weight. A simple way of improving one's well-being Once they had made the change, most of the frequent walkers found it easy to keep up their routine over several months without being put off by inconveniences such as the weather. For the most part, they kept up their routine simply because of the pleasure they got out of it. Another key motivation was personal health, usually described as a general sense of well-being. A total of 74 volunteers took part in the study; 41 semi-directive recorded interviews were held, and 48 people were equipped with an offline GPS tracker that they carried in their pocket. Some people took part in both the interviews and the GPS monitoring, while others were involved in just one of the two phases of the study. A third phase, which comprised medical tests conducted in collaboration with the Geneva University Hospitals Health Bus (Bus Sante), involved 27 volunteers. This partnership with the Unit of Population Epidemiology in Geneva will form the basis of a more ambitious study planned for a later date. The aim will be to determine the relationship between regular walking and glycemia, total cholesterol, blood pressure, resting heart rate, body mass index and the waist-hip ratio. Facilitators and obstacles to walking A cross-analysis showed that time-management strategies like getting up earlier or changing the route on the way out or back were common. Walking was also facilitated but not decisively by parks and other green spaces. Some of the obstacles encountered included road traffic, narrow or missing sidewalks, slow traffic lights, and exposure to traffic noise, air pollution or tobacco smoke. Environmental motivations were rarely mentioned, and the researcher found no evidence of an informal community of frequent walkers, who usually do not know each other and tend to switch off while walking, keeping themselves rather closed off socially. Individual rather than collective motivations clearly emerged from the analysis. Finally, the thesis looked at whether these frequent walkers could be viewed as a pioneer group that might herald a shift towards a healthier model of walking-based mobility. Dr. Christie found that most of these people like to keep to themselves while walking and are therefore unlikely to start a frequent walkers' revolution. But the researcher concluded that: "public authorities, as well as the private sector and civil society organizations, can learn a lot from these pioneering walkers. It would be worthwhile to look in greater depth at what prompts people to take up this activity and what needs to be put in place in public spaces so that they can keep up their routine over the long term. This would be beneficial for both the walkers' health and for mobility and the environment in general." Explore further Faster walking heart patients are hospitalized less Armenias Acting Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchyan has called on anti-government protest organizers to refrain from attempts to demolish the educational process and from incorporating juveniles in political developments. Mkrtchyan is referring to the wave of protests that began in earnest on April 17 with the election of Serzh Sargsyan as prime minister. University students and school pupils have staged school walk-outs in Yerevan and elsewhere in solidarity with the protesters. Mkrtchyan writes: Esteemed parents, the participation of school-aged children in public events can create a number of various dangerous situations, from the perspective of their safety and health. Thus, I ask that you see to it that your children regularly attend class, stay informed of their whereabouts, and attempts to get them involved in outside actions. Dear pupils, you are the future of the country, and your safety and health are most precious and important for it. Your civic self-awareness and responsibility, as well your concern for tomorrow, demand that you not take steps that can endanger your safety and cause anxiety for your parents and teachers. More than half of heart patients continue smoking after hospitalisation, according to results of the EUROASPIRE V survey presented today at EuroPrevent 2018, a European Society of Cardiology congress.1 Nearly half of obese patients have no plans for weight loss. EUROASPIRE is a series of cross sectional surveys on cardiovascular prevention in Europe that are conducted under the ESC's EORP initiative.2 EUROASPIRE V examined cardiovascular risk factors in 8,261 patients with established coronary heart disease from 27 countries during June 2016 to September 2018. Patients were interviewed and clinically examined six months to two years (median 1.12 years) after hospitalisation for an acute coronary event or coronary revascularisation. Nearly one in four patients (26 percent) in the study were women, the average age of all study participants was 64 years, and one-third were under 60 years old. One year after their heart attack, more than half (55 percent) of the patients who were smokers before hospitalisation were still smoking (almost one-fifth of all study participants). Professor Kornelia Kotseva, chair of the EUROASPIRE Steering Committee from Imperial College London, UK, said: "Smoking is still a major problem in patients who have been hospitalised for heart disease, especially in younger patients." Some 38 percent of patients were obese (body mass index 30kg/m2 or higher), with levels ranging from 16 percent in Serbia to 47 percent in Lithuania. Of those who were obese, 45 percent had no plans for weight loss and 25 percent had never been told they had a weight problem. More than half of patients (59 percent) were centrally obese (waist circumference 88 cm or greater in women and 102 cm or greater in men). The prevalence of high blood pressure (140/90 mmHg or above, and 140/80 mmHg or above in patients with diabetes) was 46 percent (range 3157 percent), while 12 percent of patients had blood pressure 160/100 mmHg or above. Antihypertensive drugs were used in 78 percent of patients (range 4983 percent), of whom 49 percent had controlled blood pressure (less than 140/90 mmHg, and less than 140/80 mmHg in patients with diabetes). The prevalence of elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (1.8 mmol/L or higher) was 71 percent. A total of 84 percent of patients were taking lipid-lowering drugs (almost exclusively statins). Of these, only 32 percent of patients reached an LDL cholesterol target of less than 1.8 mmol/L (70 mg/dL). Most patients (93 percent) were on antiplatelet medication, 81 percent were on beta-blockers and 75 percent were on angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers. Some 29 percent of patients reported that they had diabetes, but only 54 percent of these patients had HbA1c less than 7 percent, meaning their diabetes was well controlled. In addition to those with known diabetes, an oral glucose tolerance test revealed that 12 percent of patients had newly detected diabetes, 18 percent had impaired glucose tolerance, and 10 percent had impaired fasting glycaemia. Less than half (46 percent) of patients had been advised to attend cardiac rehabilitation programmes (range 084 percent), and only 32 percent attended at least half of the sessions. Professor Kotseva said: "Some countries do not have any programmes on secondary prevention and rehabilitation while in others they are standard practice. Most patients follow advice to attend such programmes so the challenge is to achieve wider availability and access for all patients across Europe." Professor David A. Wood, Principal Investigator of EUROASPIRE from Imperial College London, said multidisciplinary, comprehensive prevention programmes were needed for all patients with coronary heart disease. He said: "We need multidisciplinary teams to address lifestyle, risk factor management and the effective use of cardioprotective drug therapies." Explore further Researchers call for new approach to the secondary prevention of coronary disease At 23, Erin Keith didn't know if she wanted children, but she knew she wanted a choice. So before embarking upon months of chemotherapy to treat Hodgkin lymphomatreatments that could leave her sterilethe New Lenox, Ill., woman had her eggs frozen. She did it despite being unsure whether her insurance would cover the procedure. "At 30, I don't want to regret a decision I made at 23," said Keith, now 24. She recently had her final treatment and will soon find out if the cancer is gone. "I should be celebrating right now that I did my last treatment for chemotherapy, but right now I'm thinking am I going to owe $7,000 to $8,000?" she said. "I've got this looming bill over my head." State law requires insurers to cover infertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization, for those who've tried and failed for a year to conceive. But insurers are not required to cover fertility preservationfreezing of eggs, sperm and embryosfor patients facing medical treatments that might leave them unable to have children. Some insurers cover the procedures but many don't. A bill under consideration in the Illinois legislature aims to change thatone in a string of such measures across the nation. Connecticut and Rhode Island passed bills last year requiring insurers to cover fertility preservation, and a similar bill is before Maryland's governor. In Illinois, about 5,800 people of reproductive ageages 14 to 45are diagnosed with cancer each year, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, though not all those patients would need or want to freeze sperm, eggs or embryos. Supporters of the Illinois measure say it's necessary to ensure that patients with diseases such as cancer, lupus and sickle cell anemia get the coverage they need to have biological children. The bill would apply to most women, including those with Medicaid coverage. But the bill is opposed by insurance industry groups and others concerned that the cost of coverage would be borne by all consumers. Sperm freezing can cost as little as a couple of hundred dollars while the process of preserving eggs and embryos can cost more than $10,000. "Coverage mandates increase health insurance premiums and decrease choice for Illinois consumers," said Whitney Barnes, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Insurance, which opposes the bill. Other opponents include Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, the state's largest insurer, and America's Health Insurance Plans, an insurance industry group. The bill's advocates say patients shouldn't have to decide between financial ruin and their ability to have children. Keith said she knew right away she'd want to freeze her eggs, but the question of insurance coverage made her hesitate. She's still working with her insurer to see if it will cover any of the procedure. If it doesn't, she probably will have to take out a loan to cover the expense. "I've paid into this insurance for five years, and the one time I need it most they're not willing to help me out," Keith said. "This is a very necessary procedure." Miranda Gerowitz, 23, of Chicago, was also surprised when she learned that her insurance wouldn't cover preserving her eggs after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her fertility clinic gave her a discount on the procedure, charging her $3,000. Still, it was too much money for the hotel sales coordinator. Her parents agreed to pay the $3,000, and she'll pay an additional $500 a year to keep the eggs frozen. "I didn't want to regret not doing it," Gerowitz said. But she knows that not everyone has that option. Local fertility clinics say many of the patients they see choose not to freeze eggs or embryos because of the cost, and sometimes because they can't delay cancer treatment long enough to do it. The bill's supporters argue that costs that can be prohibitive for individuals would be small when spread across large insurance pools. In Maryland, an actuarial consulting firm estimated last year that costs would rise by 18 to 24 cents per member per month for group plans if insurers were required to cover fertility preservation. The University of Connecticut Center for Public Health and Health Policy estimated that premiums in that state would rise by about 6 cents per member per month if a 2013 fertility preservation bill passed. The bill didn't pass that year, but its sponsor, a cancer survivor, brought the idea back and it succeeded in 2017. In Illinois, bill sponsor Rep. Robyn Gabel, a Democrat, first introduced the bill last year at the urging of the Illinois arm of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The legislation went nowhere. She now believes she has more momentum after watching Rhode Island and Connecticut get similar bills to the finish line. Some of physicians, professional organizations and advocacy groups are pushing for the bill's passage, as is Ferring Pharmaceuticals, which makes drugs that are used as part of the egg retrieval process. Michael Mawby, vice president for government affairs at Ferring, said the company is lobbying for the bill because "it's the right thing to do." Fertility preservation "is never going to be a huge business driver for us," Mawby said. If the measure does pass and is signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner, it will be too late for women like Megan Connolly. But she'd like other cancer patients have one less thing to worry about while enduring one of life's most stressful experiences. Connolly, of Chicago, had her eggs frozen eight years ago, after she relapsed with Hodgkin lymphoma. Her parents paid for it, an expense that soon proved worthwhile. She began experiencing night sweats shortly after her treatment endeda sign that her ovaries were failing. "In a time of such sadness I was also still grateful I had the opportunity to harvest my eggs prior to treatment," Connolly said. She wasn't thinking about kids in her early 20s. But now, at 29, with a boyfriend of five years, it's on her mind daily. Connolly was one of six siblings growing up, and she hopes to start her own family soon. "To know I have the option is just such a weight lifted off my shoulders," Connolly said. Explore further Mandated coverage for fertility preservation featured in NEJM 2018 Chicago Tribune Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The cast of Black Panther. Credit: Marvel Studios Images are not static. They grab our attention, incite desire, alter our relations to others, and tweak our beliefs, as they usher us into new worlds. When "Black Panther" was released, Baye McNeil, a former Brooklynite now living in Japan, was thrilled. As he told The Japan Times, he joined "a group of palpably positive brothers and sisters" at a Tokyo theater. Collectively they were transported to the land of Wakanda. As an exile in Japan and a black man in a country with very few people of African descent, he and his friends entered, as he described, "a bountiful realm of invigorating messages and restorative images" that provided him with a sense of connection and belonging. Baye McNeil was not alone. Back in the U.S., the writer Carvell Wallace explained how the movie's fictional nation of Wakanda operated in very real ways to provide a world that African-Americans could aspire to, both as a place rooted in the past, as well as the future. Whether it's a blockbuster movie or 2-year-old Parker Curry looking up at Amy Sherald's portrait of Michelle Obama, the images we all see matter. Seeing is not just believing. Seeing changes what we believe, about ourselves and about other people, including constructions of race. Learning to see In his essay, "To See and Not See," the late writer and neurologist Oliver Sacks describes how seeing is not as easy as lifting our eyelids. Instead, as he said, "When we open our eyes each morning, it is upon a world we have spent a lifetime learning to see. We are not given the world: we make our world through incessant experience, categorization, memory, reconnection." In other words, to have vision is one thing; to see is another. My research investigates how we learn to see. I'm interested in the ways people use images, but equally interested in the ways images use people and change their perception. We begin to imagine other people and how they appear, before we shake their hands, and well before any relationship might occur. We create mental models of others based on our past experiences, and these models influence any new encounters, whether we are conscious of them or not. Cognitive psychologist Jeffrey Zacks, in his book "Flicker: Your Brain on Movies," offers this fascinating idea that can be either disturbing or offer positive feelings: "Whether we experience events in real life, watch them in a movie, or hear about them in a story, we build perceptual and memory representations in the same format." Indeed, studies in cognitive sciences show that our neural system does not easily differentiate between images we see on screen and images we see in "real life." Baye McNeil and Carvell Wallace were under no illusion that Wakanda was not a real place, but the power of images is such that people can feel things in the world of cinema. Those feelings can transfer back into life outside the theater. Change our images, change our seeing It is precisely because our ability to see is largely learned and heavily influenced by media images, that we can also relearn how to see. A number of studies in cognitive sciences in recent years have shown how people can, for example, reduce racial biases through practices of seeing. Psychologists have long documented the "own-race bias," also known as "other-race effect," the inability of humans to recognize and distinguish faces of people from races other than their own. Indeed, studies have shown that already by nine months, infants demonstrate such perceptual narrowing. This occurs because babies in their first year are exposed primarily to close family members who tend to be of the same ethnic and racial background. For evolutionary reasons, this narrowing allows for quicker processing of relevant sensations by eliminating other competing neural processes. Our ancestors needed to distinguish their own kin more than they needed to recognize people from other places. Today, a number of researchers are exploring the reversibility of the own-race bias, pointing out again the plasticity of our neural system. One research group used bodily illusions, such as setting white people in front of a computer screen that generates an image of that person, but makes light-skinned people appear darker-skinned. When tested later for racial biases, the biases diminished. Another group used picture books to forestall the emergence of own race biases by showing images of Chinese people's faces to Caucasian infants. After seeing more images of people from another race, the infants could continue to distinguish the other race faces better than a control group. Still another study used clips from the movie "The Joy Luck Club," asking a group of white Americans to put themselves in the place of the main Chinese-American character, June. Subsequent tests found a reduction in implicit prejudice toward "outgroups" in general. Representation matters Because images matter, the types of images we see matter even more. Flat, two-dimensional images change our perception in the world beyond the movie theater, outside the picture books. Of course, we can't hook up a general population to computers and virtual reality environments that change our racial appearance or set up control environments for our children to have such experiences. But we can choose the images we see on a regular basis. And that is why critiques such as #OscarsSoWhite matter so much. It's not only that it would be more equitable to have more actors of color on the big screen, it's that having more actors of color might actually change the racist presumptions of our culture at large. Readers might recall Jessica Curry, the mother of the red-coated Parker Curry whose image is now firmly in the public eye as she stares at a portrait of Michelle Obama. As she wrote for The New York Times, "Representation matters. Only by being exposed to brilliant, intelligent, kind black women can my girls and other girls of color really understand that their goals and dreams are within reach." The creation of a less racist social system does not have a simple guidebook, and it would be naive to suggest that if we all started looking at better images, the world would be a better place. But then again, in its own small way, it might. Explore further How young children can develop racial biases and what that means This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Sample screens from Lifeline4Moms, an app developed by Bengisu Tulu at Worcester Polytechnic Institute that helps obstetric providers assess perinatal depression in women and guide them to treatment. Credit: Bengisu Tulu, Worcester Polytechnic Institute A researcher at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has launched a mobile app that will give obstetric providers an important new tool for assessing perinatal depression in women and guiding them to treatment. Perinatal depression affects one in seven women and is the most common medical complication of pregnancy. The app, called Lifeline4Moms, was developed by Bengisu Tulu, associate professor of business at WPI's Foisie Business School, and tested by colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS). It was designed as a how-to decision aid, not a diagnostic tool, for obstericians and other maternal healthcare providers, who generally are not trained to diagnose and treat psychiatric illness. The app provides a comprehensive list of symptoms of mild, moderate and severe depression and offers suggestions for treatment paths, as well as guidance on how best to talk with the patient about her mental health needs. Perinatal depression, which includes major and minor depressive episodes that happen during pregnancy or in the first 12 months after delivery, can have "devastating effects on women, infants, and families," according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Although symptoms vary greatly, common indicators include anger, depression, fear, fatigue, insomnia and panic attacks. A combination of screening, treatment and follow-up are critical to help women suffering from depression. "Perinatal depression is a major problem," agreed Tulu. "By using Lifeline4Moms during an office visit with a patient, obstetric caregivers can map out a treatment plan and help the patient make an appointment with a counselor, for example, to increase the likelihood that the patient will actually follow up and get the mental health care she needs." The app builds upon the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, a depression screening that is traditionally given to a patient during the early stage of her pregnancy, during the second half of pregnancy, and post-partum. Coupled with that screening, the Lifeline4Moms app offers suggestions for how to talk with women about these symptoms and the various treatment and support options, including medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes. The app was created through a WPI Major Qualifying Project (MQP), a team-based, professional-level design or research experience that all WPI undergraduates must complete. Over the course of three seven-week terms, Tulu and the student project team worked to design the app's user interface, the proper workflow among the different screens, and the best way to present the information correctly. "I thought it would be interesting to look at how technology can create opportunities to support the perinatal depression journey, both for providers and patients," said Tulu. A prototype of the app was tested by resident obstetricians at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), which was the project sponsor. The doctors reviewed the app for value, usefulness, and design; results were presented at the American Medical Informatics Association conference in November. The MQP team consisted of five management information systems majors: Nicolas Adami-Sampson, Trivani Shahi, Nicholas Shannon, Leif Waugh, and Drew Wethern. The project was sponsored by two current faculty members at UMMS: Dr. Nancy Byatt, associate professor of psychiatry, and Dr. Tiffany A. Moore Simas, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Kathleen Biebel, formerly of UMMS and now deputy commissioner at the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, was also a sponsor. Lifeline4Moms is available for the iOS and Android platforms through the Apple and Google Play app stores. Explore further Team develops iPhone app to screen for postpartum depression The European research project B-SMART has achieved first results in the development of RNA-based nanomedicines to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. The scientists succeeded in developing an effective nanoparticle with customisable characteristics which is now being tested in a preclinical trial. The nanoparticle development marks a crucial step on the way towards the overall research objective: to design innovative nanotechnological RNA delivery systems targeting the direct cause of the disease in the brain instead of only treating the symptoms. In order to ensure scalability and a safe transfer of the scientific results to the clinic, the researchers have been focusing on a reliable and reproducible nanoparticle production method based on microfluidics. "We are very pleased to see that our frontrunner nanoparticle behaves as expected," said Prof. Raymond Schiffelers from the University Medical Center Utrecht who coordinates the project. "With a slight advance in time, we are confident to move on to our next big challenge, which will be to demonstrate therapeutic activity in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease." The researchers are already working on the selection of the special nanobodies needed for the development of the so-called targeting ligands which enable the RNA-based nanoparticles to cross the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier and reach the affected brain cells. If successful, the RNA delivery system developed in B-SMART could be equipped with adapted RNA therapeutics targeting other incurable neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease as well. Funded under the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme, B-SMART was launched in 2017 to find a novel causal treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's which affect over 7 million people in Europe. As the drugs available so far can only suppress the symptoms or delay further deterioration, the nine international project partners aim to find a way to deliver RNA therapeutics directly to the brain cells affected by the disease. In order to raise awareness for the potential of nanomedicine in combating neurodegenerative diseases and the unique B-SMART approach, the project has recently released a short animated clip outlining the scientific goals in an understandable and concise format. The clip is available on YouTube (youtu.be/Bm-xFbSnOeM) and on the B-SMART website. B-SMART coordinator Prof. Schiffelers and several other consortium members will participate in the upcoming 13th ETPN conference in Berlin from May 28-30, 2018. (www.etpn2018.eu/) During their 3rd Progress Meeting in Rome, the B-SMART consortium will host a workshop disseminating the project's objectives to clinicians of the University of Tor Vergata on June 20, 2018. More information on both events will be available on the B-SMART website soon. Explore further Nanoparticles may cause DNA damage to brain cells across a cellular barrier More information: Project page: Project page: b-smart-project.eu Almost 70 years ago, scientists developed the technology to keep cells alive outside the body. But you cannot escape the human factor, and this can lead to new and variable results. Credit: Shutterstock Last year the rather religious sounding film The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was released in the US. It documents the tragic real life story of a young woman who died in the early 1950s due to rapidly growing ovarian cancer. The 'immortal' part refers to her cancer cells, which scientists at the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, succeeded in growing in culture, and in doing so establishing a continuous growth of her cells. This means the cells can continue to grow forever, so long as they are trimmed a couple of times a week and receive a steady supply of growth medium In other words, scientists have immortalised the cancer cells. Henrietta's initials even inspired the name of the cells, HeLa, and it is one of the first examples of what we call an immortal cell line. 'Line' indicates that the cells originate from a single cancer cell, which and this is what makes it unique for some reason is able to grow outside the body in conditions they would not normally be able to survive. Cancer cells live on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is based on a book by Rebecca Skloot, which follows Lacks' life and death, but actually dedicates most of its text to describe how scientists have used the HeLa cell line, which has produced tonnes of HeLa cells over the years. The cell line has been crucial for laboratory studies on the growth of cells and more importantly, how their growth can be inhibited with the use of, for example, chemotherapeutic drugs. In some way, Lacks' death made it possible to save other lives, thanks to the knowledge gleaned from studying her cells.. Since the HeLa cell was established, scientists have developed cell lines for most types of cancer. Of these, leukaemia was the easiest to develop, since these cells grow as single cells and not as a solid mass of cells as the case is for tumours like the one in Lacks' ovaries. This is the good news. There can be big differences between cell lines and it is often necessary to check that you have the correct cells. Credit: Shutterstock Cell lines on the move The negative side of using cell lines is something that I personally experienced 30 years ago, when I worked with leukaemia cells to study how uniform they are. As mentioned above, these cell lines can grow in culture, but they can also be frozen down to minus 180 degrees Celsius and stored for longer periods until you need to work with them again. But when I thawed one such cell line and used it to grow more cells, I couldn't make its growth patterns fit with what I had expected. When I took a closer look at the cells using a number of different methods to characterise them (for example, their chromosome changes), I discovered that the original line had been contaminated by another cell line, which grew much quicker. Whoever had worked with the line before me at Harvard University must have contaminated the slow growing line with a faster growing cell line. Mistakes happen Here comes the bad news: Dutch scientists have suggested that more than 32,000 published studies have failed to establish whether they worked with the correct cells before studying them. It is obvious that results from one cell line cannot automatically be applied to another. Undoubtedly, this has led to some incorrect conclusions, which other scientists have then developed further. The problem has not subsided. It seems to occur throughout the world, and we now have what we call in the healthcare system a "dangerous unintentional incident." For the sake of fairness, I should point out that these mistakes collectively account for less than one per cent of all work with cell lines and that the conclusions from most of the cell line studies hold water. Since my own misfortune, everyone in my research group is taught about contamination. This is demonstrated by deliberately contaminating a container of slow cells with a drop of the fast growing cells. They then have to monitor how the fast growing cells develop. Internationally, scientists are now working on establishing a quality control for cell lines used in manuscripts. Hopefully, this will help reduce the problem in the coming years. One thing remains certain: Henrietta Lacks lives on in her HeLa cells, which have proven to be a precious gift to cancer research. Explore further The ghosts of HeLa: How cell line misidentification contaminates the scientific literature This story is republished courtesy of ScienceNordic, the trusted source for English-language science news from the Nordic countries. Read the original story here. Credit: Queen's University Belfast A research team from Queen's University Belfast, in collaboration with an international team of experts, have made ground-breaking insights into how inflammatory diseases work. This development could in time lead to new treatments for a range of diseases caused by inflammation, including sepsis, Crohn's disease, psoriasis and Multiple Sclerosis. The findings have recently been published in the highly prestigious scientific journal, Nature Communications. The team, led by Professor Paul Moynagh, Professor of Immunology at the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine at Queen's University Belfast alongside Researchers from the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine at Queen's, Dr. Alice Dubois and Dr. Rebecca Ingram found that a protein called Pellino 2 plays an important role in how the body starts the inflammatory response. Professor Moynagh, explains: "Inflammation is the body's response to infection by disease-causing micro-organisms. This involves the movement of white blood cells, such as neutrophils, from blood vessels, into the infected tissue where they destroy the invading micro-organism. "However, the recruitment of neutrophils into tissues needs to be tightly controlled since prolonged tissue infiltration of these cells will lead to damage of normal healthy tissue. In the case of sepsis, we see inflammation spread rapidly throughout the body as a response to a bacterial infection in the blood, which can lead to life-threatening organ dysfunction." The protein discovered by the researchers is involved in the triggering of the movement of white blood cells called neutrophils from blood vessels into the tissue that is infected by invading micro-organisms. Neutrophils kill the infection, but if they linger for too long they can also damage healthy tissue. If a method can be found to effectively and safely block or control the protein, then it could in future be developed into a specific therapy. The research team has already had success with stopping the protein in lab-based models and is now exploring molecules that could potentially be turned into a therapy. Inflammatory diseases are regarded as amongst some of the most difficult to treat, with sepsis in particular posing a critical challenge to frontline health care professionals. Understanding how the body promotes the migration of neutrophils into tissue may provide important clues for designing new drugs to control chronic inflammatory diseases such as sepsis. Studies suggest that vulnerability to sepsis is on the rise around the world, as more people undergo invasive procedures or take immunosuppressive drugs to treat other chronic conditions, due to both aging populations and increased access to healthcare. A global rise in resistance to antibiotics also has increased the risk of blood poisoning, driving a growth in sepsis cases. Dr. Alice Dubois, Researcher at the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine at Queen's, commented on the breakthrough: "Our team at Queen's University demonstrated that the Pellino 2 protein was involved in the production of molecules that promote inflammation during bacterial infection. Blocking this particular protein could therefore be a strategy to treat inflammatory diseases caused by bacteria. This is a key step forward in improving treatment and patient outcomes in a wide range of diseases. "Queen's University is committed to tackling global health issues. Inflammatory disease is prevalent, problematic and difficult to treat; understanding it is one of the most important challenges in medical research today." Professor Moynagh's team includes Dr. Fiachra Humphries, Dr. Ronan Bergin, Dr. Nezira Delagic; Dr. Bingwei Wang and Ruaidhri Jackson of Maynooth University; and Dr. Shuo Yang of the Nanjing Medical University, China. Explore further Scientists discover treatment target for sepsis On the second floor of an infectious-disease research facility in this African capital, Dr. Joseph Kamgno, the country's leading expert on parasitic roundworms, stood at his desk staring down at the black, hard-shelled case that had just arrived from a bioengineering lab at the University of California, Berkeley. The case contained what appeared to be three ordinary iPhones. But the California researchers believed these phones could do something extraordinaryhelp quell river blindness, the second-leading cause of preventable blindness in the world. There is already an effective treatment, a medication that can kill the baby worms that cause the blindness. And when nearly everyone in a community takes the drug every year for a decade or so, it can eliminate the disease from the area. But treating communities widely for river blindness is a risky proposition: The treatment can cause coma or death in a small segment of the population that harbors a different parasiteanother worm known as Loa loa. That's why large swaths of sub-Saharan Africa have been denied treatment for nearly two decadesbecause the cure for river blindness for certain people can prove far worse than the disease. And that's where Silicon Valley technology comes in. The Berkeley researchers figured out that they could quickly determine who has the Loa loa worm using a smartphone, customized to work like a microscope. They could then skip the medication for those people and give it to everyone else. Kamgno, who received the latest version of the phones in 2016, dubbed the mobile microscopes "revolutionary." The gadgets, called LoaScopes, are part of a broader effort to harness technology and innovation in the U.S., including California's Silicon Valley, to fight age-old diseases in the developing world. Over the years, major California universitiesUC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLAhave built cellphone microscopes geared to look at other bloodborne diseases in Africa and Asia, such as malaria and tuberculosis. UC San Francisco researchers are using satellite images on Google Earth Engine to construct real-time maps of breeding conditions for malaria that can help predict infection rates in rural villages. Drones are being used to deliver medical supplies to remote villages in Rwanda, and digital "ledgers" built with blockchain software could be used to track vaccinations in newborns, said Zvika Krieger, technology and policy expert at the World Economic Forum Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. To accomplish their missions, nongovernmental and civil society organizations "are flocking to Silicon Valley," he said. The LoaScope was created in UC Berkeley's Fletcher Lab, named after Daniel Fletcher, a wild-haired scientist who discovered 10 years ago the potential of cellphones as microscopes. Basically, the camera on the phone is positioned over a magnifying lens to capture a sample on a slide. Software can then analyze whatever is on the slide and transmit it to the cloud. Standard light microscopes aren't really mobile, and require electricity and a trained lab tech to operate. The mobile microscope is cheap, compact and can be used by anyone familiar with mobile phones, which are increasingly common around the world, even in remote villages. The discovery spun off into a private business called CellScope, while Fletcher's academic lab continued to research smartphones as microscopes for the university. Several years ago, Fletcher and his team had never heard of river blindness and knew very little about neglected tropical diseases in general. The team eventually became part of a mobile phone revolution in the developing world, in which public health researchers were ratcheting up efforts to use these pocket computers to address health problems. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have bankrolled the LoaScope project since its inception in 2011, spending more than $5 million to date. River blindness, or onchocerciasis, is a nasty disease that has burdened Africa for as long as anyone can remember. The disease is spread by black flies, which drop off and pick up worms as they suck people's blood. The symptomsterrible itching, rotting skin and, after decades of infection, blindnessare caused by early stage worm larvae that flood the body after adult worms mate. The river blindness medication, ivermectin, kills these baby worms effectively. But when a person harboring tens of thousands of Loa loa worms in each drop of blood takes ivermectin, all the baby worms die off in a sort of mass extinction, causing potentially lethal brain swelling. The small lab in Berkeley got involved with this complicated worm conundrum through a parasitic disease expert at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Thomas Nutman was tasked with finding a technology that could help solve the Loa loa problem. At first, he considered a project at UCLA in which a cellphone picture could be taken in the field, uploaded to the cloud and then analyzed by someone sitting at a computer in California. It sounded good in theory, but because thousands of people had to be tested before treatment, Nutman needed answers on the spot. Recalling work by Fletcher and his team, Nutman hopped on a plane to the Bay Area to meet them. Fletcher and scientist Mike D'Ambrosio knew they had the technology to see the wormsbut figuring out how to see and count them in just a couple of minutes "seemed daunting." "That's where we had the idea to use the motion of the worm as a way to see it," D'Ambrosio said. Early stage Loa loa larvae thrash around in the blood more vigorously than other worms. So D'Ambrosio and his colleagues created an algorithm to identify Loa loa based on its motion. The LoaScope is an iPhone that attaches to a plastic box made by a 3-D printer. A blood sample on a plastic tube is inserted into the black box, which contains optics and hardware. Press a button on the screen of the iPhone and it takes a video of the blood sample and runs the algorithm. But relying on bioengineers in the tech-savvy San Francisco Bay Area to create a solution comes with downsides familiar to anyone who works there: shutdowns and updates. Months before the latest device was scheduled to ship out, the company the scientists used to sync all their data gathered from the LoaScope to the cloud shut down, forcing a rewrite of the related software code. Then the hardware company that made an essential microcontroller board quit production. "That is the cost we pay for trying to build something out of consumer-based electronics and using cloud software that is always changing," said D'Ambrosio, who became the lead research scientist for the LoaScope project. On the other hand, he added, "the benefit is enormous. We're able to build these integrated devices that do amazing things" at low cost. Another problem the scientists had was figuring out who would pay for the devices. "The business side of it is very unclear," Fletcher said. "Part of the problem is that there isn't a market for neglected tropical diseases." The Gates Foundation doesn't typically pay to implement projects on a global scale. However, the foundation is negotiating a deal for a company to manufacture 10,000 LoaScopes, Nutman said. Back in Cameroon, Kamgno's research findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in November, showed that the LoaScope allowed wide treatment with ivermectin, and produced no adverse reactions in formerly "off-limits" communities. Kamgno's research team is now training local health workers to use the LoaScope, and other countries soon may follow. "We were surprised and happy to see that after only two days of training, the local people were able to do the treatment in their own community," said Kamgno. "Almost all the young people have cellphones, and they can understand the LoaScope so quickly." Explore further Cellphone-based microscope leads to possible strategy for treating river blindness 2018 Kaiser Health News Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. ARCHIVED - 23 per cent of all new companies in Spain are in the construction and real estate sector Almost 6,000 new building and property companies in the first quarter of 2018 Data published last week by Gedesco reveal that almost a quarter of all new companies created in Spain during the first quarter of 2018 were in the construction and real estate sectors, providing another indication that the long slump which began when the property market bubble burst a decade ago is now well and truly over. The figures show that between 1st January and 31st March a total of 26,258 new companies were formed, of which 5,987 (or 23 per cent) were in the construction and real estate sector. This also represents an increase of only 1.7 per cent in comparison with the same period in 2017, but the data are distorted rather by the fact that Easter fell in March this year: during the third month a decrease of 10.5 per cent was observed, following rises of 7.9 per cent and 11.9 per cent in January and February. On the other side of the coin, the number of companies in the sector which were wound down during the first quarter was just 1,319, giving a net increase over the three months of 4,668. To view a wide range of properties for sale across Spain consult the Spanish property page. Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news, events and information in the Region of Murcia and the rest of Spain: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/. --> ARCHIVED - Registrars report 9,000 Spanish property sales to UK nationals last year The British bought almost twice as many homes in Spain as any other foreign nationality The definitive figures published by Spains property registrars related to 2017 demonstrate once again the importance of non-Spanish buyers to the recent increase in sales activity in this country, and provide interesting insights into the habits of British purchasers both in the country as a whole and in the Region of Murcia in particular. The registrars report an overall total of 464,223 sales in Spain last year, following an increase of 14.98 per cent over the figure for 2016, and this rise was mirrored to a greater or lesser degree in almost all of the 50 provinces. The sharpest rises were those seen in Cuenca (36.3 per cent), Albacete (26 per cent) and Granada (22.9 per cent), while the only falls in activity were observed in Almeria, Lugo and Soria. Among these sales, the registrars report that as many as 13.1 per cent involved non-Spanish buyers, maintaining the level of the previous three years after climbing from only 4 per cent in 2009. What this means is that across the country approximately 60,860 homes were bought by foreigners in 2017, of which UK nationals accounted for the largest share, acquiring 9,111 properties (or almost 15 per cent of all those purchased by non-Spaniards). The next largest shares were taken by buyers from France (5,233), Germany (5,234), Belgium, Switzerland (just under 4,000 each) and Italy (3,530), while the other leading nationalities with figures of over 1,300 were Russia, Morocco, China, the Netherlands and Norway. It is obvious that sales to non-Spaniards are by no means uniform across Spain, and also that the proportion of sales activity concerning them is far higher in Mediterranean coastal regions and the islands than elsewhere. Thus, the highest percentages during last year are reported to have been in Alicante (40.8 per cent), Tenerife (40.7 per cent), the Balearics (31.3 per cent), Girona (30.7 per cent), Malaga (29.6 per cent), Las Palmas (22.3 per cent) and Murcia (18.8 per cent). The registrars comment that the importance of British buyers has decreased in relative terms since the Brexit referendum, as can be seen by the fact that as recently as 2015 they accounted for 21.3 per cent of all sales to non-Spaniards (and 35 per cent in 2008!). However, in absolute terms the drop in interest from UK nationals is far less drastic (from around 10,000 to 9,100 last year), while at the same time the data for all other major nationalities show increases last year. Note: it seems to be difficult for the different authorities to agree on the data regarding the nationality of purchasers, and Spains notaries report that in the first half of 2017 these transactions accounted for as many as 19 per cent of all sales in this country! To view a wide range of properties for sale across Spain consult the Spanish property page. Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news, events and information in the Region of Murcia and the rest of Spain: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/. Nikol Pashinyan was right. I was wrong, Sargsyan writes Minutes ago, the website of the Armenian Prime Minister broke the news that after almost two weeks of growing anti-government protests, Serzh Sargsyan has resigned as prime minister. Sargsyan was elected on April 17, by the National Assembly, a move that triggered a wave of protests. Since there as yet is no official translation of Sargsyans resignation statement, what appears below is an unofficial text. Dear fellow Armenians, I appeal to all citizens of the Republic of Armenia, to young and old, to men and women, I appeal to all those whove been shouting Reject Serzh in the streets, day and night, and to those whove had difficulty getting to work, carrying out their duty solemnly, through closed streets, I appeal to those whove been glued to the live broadcasts for days, and to those, who day and night, like men, were defending the public order. I appeal to our brave soldiers and officers on the borders, I appeal to my comrades-in-arms, I appeal to my political party friends, to all political forces and politicians, I appeal to you as the countrys leader for the last time. Nikol Pashinyan was right. I was wrong. The current situation has several resolutions, but I will not invoke any of them. Thats not me. I am leaving the post of Armenias prime minister, the countrys leader. The street protests are opposed to my tenure. I am fulfilling your demand. Peace, harmony and rationality to our country. In this age of social media leaks and foreign election hacking, the ability to transmit sensitive personal information securely across borders is more valuable than ever. Finland and Estonia, two of Europes most digitally advanced nations, are about to achieve just that. Finns who cross the Baltic Sea to visit the former Soviet nation will soon be able to pick up their doctors prescription at any local pharmacy without worrying about prying eyes. Likewise, the around 100,000 Estonians currently employed in Finland will be able to have their paycheck sent to their home countrys tax authorities for quick and easy filing. What makes applications like these possible is the first secure international data highway in the world dedicated especially to the needs of ordinary citizens. Based on open-source code, the so-called X-road has plenty of other potential applications, from the sharing of driver license data and death certificates to company data on the trade register. Russian Threats Security was a key consideration in its design. The two nations both neighbor Russia and are prepared to the teeth to counter modern hybrid warfare. Estonias capital, Tallinn, hosts NATOs cyber defense center, while Helsinki is home to a research facility that specializes in hybrid threats. After Russias annexation of Crimea, in 2014, Finland quickly amended the law to allow its defense forces to engage little green men a term used to describe masked soldiers in unmarked green army uniforms, allegedly pro-Russia, who were spotted in Ukraine during the crisis. The data-exchange is secure because of its fragmented nature. When a party joins, it is able to share encrypted data with all other trusted users over the Internet, without the need to build new connections. Linking hundreds of databases, instead of relying on a centralized system, helps avoid a single point of failure and makes the cost of breaching the system excessive. Estonia, which has been using the system domestically since 2001, was able to largely maintain data exchanges throughout the massive denial-of-service attacks of 2007. Uuno Vallner, one of the Estonian X-road creators, says the system also protects from a potentially greater threat to citizens privacy: the misuse of data by officials. Blockchain Technology The X-road leaves traces of their actions, Vallner said in a phone interview, meaning abuses can be easily identified. Vallner also argues that the X-road is one of the first instances in which blockchain technology has been implemented on such a big scale. More Resources Read more on Estonias digital government Weighing security against privacy Check out the QuickTake on cybersecurityWatch this X-road introduction by the Estonian government Now that the two countries systems are talking to each other, data between Finland and Estonia can begin to flow as soon as the relevant legislation is finalized. Citizens wont notice any difference, said Maria Nikkila, senior adviser for information management at the Finance Ministry in Helsinki. Its like driving a car: if the engine is running and the car is moving, no one cares about what happens under the hood. The X-road isnt particularly expensive. Finland spent about 70 million euros ($86 million) on the project, while developments and maintenance costs on the Estonian side run at around 20 million euros per year. In theory, X-roads could facilitate European Union plans for electronic prescriptions to be shared across its member states. The main stumbling bloc is that many national authorities would need to de-centralize their network of servers for the system to work. That requires a change of mindset, Vallner said. Now read: Privacy as an afterthought online Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of My Step initiativewhich protests against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister by the parliamentopposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly (NA) of Armenia Way Out (Yelk) Faction head, is at the Sevan town police precinct. Pashinyan himself informed about the aforesaid on his Facebook page. As reported earlier, Serzh Sargsyan and Nikol Pashinyan had a very short talk on Sunday morning. About an hour later, police used force against demonstrators on a street in capital city Yerevan, and took dozens of people into custody, including Civil Contract Party members and MPs Nikol Pashinyan, Ararat Mirzoyan, and Sasun Mikayelyan. Pashinyans whereabouts was unknown until now, whereas Mirzoyan and Mikayelyan were taken to the police department of Shengavit District in Yerevan. Later, three of them were formally detained. Armenia FM heading for Iran Monday on working visit Aging Japanese decide to pay for early retirement pension More than 10,000 children fallen victim to pedophile clergy in France since 1950 Drone video records storm from inside for first time Planet with 3 suns discovered Erdogan shares basketball video after rumors of serious illness Armenia will never be involved in a conspiracy against Iran, PM says Plane crashes on building in Italy Media: Kabil explosion leaves 12 people killed European companies file for bankruptcy over record gas prices Nikol Pashinyan arrives in Lithuania on official visit Azerbaijan and Turkey to hold exercises near Armenian border Ali Sayyid Khamenei: Events in Northwest Iran must be resolved without foreign interference Iranian Foreign Minister expresses concern over Israel's provocations near Iran-Azerbaijan border 19th century bridge partially collapsed due to fire in southern Rome China sends dozens of military aircraft to Taiwan's air defense identification zone Nikol Pashinyan sends congratulatory message to Angela Merkel Armenian President congratulates his German counterpart on the day of German unity Algeria recalls ambassador from France due to Macron's irresponsible statements Artsakh Defense Army blesses khachkar in memory of those killed in 44-day Karabakh war (PHOTOS) 907 COVID-19 new cases reported in Armenia per day Georgian CEC: Ruling party leads local elections with 48.56% of votes Armenia PM to pay official visit to Lithuania Armenia pavilion opens at Expo 2020 Dubai FM warns Azerbaijan ambassador: Iran does not tolerate Israel's presence near its borders Catholicos of All Armenians receives new Ambassador of Sweden 3 persons serving life sentence in Armenia on hunger strike Aliyev promises appropriate response if Armenia provides clear maps of minefields 168.am: Why Turkey private plane lands in Yerevan? Turkey, Russia play important role in stability and security in the region, says Azerbaijan president Azerbaijans Aliyev ready to meet with Armenias Pashinyan at any time when latter is ready Armenia deputy PM, Czech Rep. FM discuss regional developments Petition filed with court to arrest Armenia army general staff deputy chief Armenia ex-ruling party official: Inadmissible to start substantive talks with Turkey, Azerbaijan today Armenia official: Corridors or roads may be opened which Azerbaijanis or Turkey will be able to use Man, 55, found dead hanging from tree in Armenias Vayots Dzor Province village forest 1,152 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Yerevan hosts CIS Tourism Council regular meeting Lukashenko says ready to become 'one military base' with Russia in case of threat Georgia ex-President Saakashvili was preparing coup after local elections, says ruling party leader Armenia Security Council chief: Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting may take place in possible near future US, Turkey top defense officials discuss military cooperation Georgia local elections kick off Newspaper: Azerbaijanis impose another restriction at Vorotan section of Armenias Goris-Kapan motorway China air force sends 38 warplanes off Taiwan coast Newspaper: Armenia arrested ex-defense minister refuses to testify Bloomberg: Eurozone records record inflation of past 13 years in September Biden, Armenia ambassador exchange messages in writing Serzh Sargsyan to Aliyev: If there was no shift of power in Armenia, you would never see Shushi and Hadrut Georgia President says she won't grant pardon to Saakashvili Armenia's Prime Minister and President meet Georgia Prosecutor General's Office: Verdicts against Saakashvili are not subject to appeal GeoProMining Armenia obtained 60% of Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine on Sep. 30, 2021 Saakashvili has new wife, sensational news announced on day of his arrest Armenia PM receives Czech FM Armenian Turkologist: Russia and Turkey are compelled to cooperate, and this is in Moscow's favor Saakashvili's United National Movement political party announces preparation for large-scale demonstration ANCA: Israel sending descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors as its ambassador to Azerbaijan Armenia Armed Forces General Staff's deputy chief Stepan Galstyan is detained Georgian presses report that Saakashvili is in a prison in Tbilisi Armenian and Russian FMs hold phone talks Garibashvili: Saakashvili is apprehended in Georgia Digest: Azerbaijan declares Armenians wanted, Armenia arms supplier to be arrested Biden administration to ramp up existing billions of dollars in tariffs on Chinese imports Serzh Sargsyan: Congress of Republican Party of Armenia will be held at the end of this year Iranian Ambassador to Armenian justice minister: Iran has plans to make investments in Armenia Armenia PM congratulates Cyprus President on Independence Day Armenia defense minister, Iran Ambassador discuss situation in the region Armenia MOD receives Japan Ambassador Armenia ruling party presents program ahead of elections of Council of Elders of Gyumri Karabakh search for fallen Armenian soldiers remains yields no results Friday Armenia Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine co-owner: This is first step in broader investment vision Armenia Deputy PM Suren Papikyan receives UK Ambassador Armenia premier congratulates on 72nd anniversary of People's Republic of China Celebrity content on Instagram is linked to negative user feelings Iran ambassador to Azerbaijan: Dreams of Zionism for this region will never be interpreted Dollar goes up in Armenia Sarkissian: Armenia highly values relations with China Peskov: Putin and Erdogan discussed construction of new nuclear power plants in Turkey Catholicos of All Armenians receives newly appointed Ambassador of Sweden to Armenia Australians to be allowed to travel abroad from November Armenia high-tech industry minister receives Japan Ambassador Armenia v. Azerbaijan case hearing days announced at International Court of Justice Suicide occurs in Artsakhs Vank village Pakistan bans unvaccinated adults from domestic flights Ambassador to minister: India ready to further deepen collaboration with Armenia in defense sector President: Armenia attaches great importance to cooperation with China Azerbaijan declares Armenians wanted on charges of committing crimes during its own military aggression Ex-President Kocharyan discusses future tactics with opposition Armenia Faction MPs, analysts (PHOTOS) Turkey and Greece to hold next round of bilateral talks on October 6 Azerbaijan prosecutor general plans to hold accountable foreign companies working in Karabakh Woman, 74, dies of coronavirus in Artsakh Yerevan to host 5th meeting of Armenian-Czech intergovernmental commission Armenia FM: Karabakh conflicts peaceful political settlement remains on agenda Prague welcomes Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs New York meeting, says Czech Rep. foreign minister Armenia ambassador briefs US Congress member on challenges after Azerbaijan military aggression against Karabakh Czech Rep. FM visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan (PHOTOS) FM: Artsakh ready to negotiate with Azerbaijan on equal footing 934 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Artsakh President has new Chief Adviser YEREVAN. Students on Monday morning kicked off their protest outside Yerevan State University, where they are starting a march. They are chanting, Lecturer, join [us]! Protests are taking place in various parts of the city. A group of demonstrators have blocked a downtown intersection of the capital city of Armenia. Separately, the Yerevan State Medical University students have launched a protest action at another downtown Yerevan intersection. Police, however, used force against and detained some of them. As reported earlier, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan and Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of My Step initiativewhich protests against ex-President Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister by the parliamentopposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly Way Out (Yelk) Faction head, had a very short talk before the media on Sunday morning. About an hour later, police used force against demonstrators on a street in Yerevan, and they took dozens of people into custody, including Civil Contract Party members and MPs Nikol Pashinyan, Ararat Mirzoyan, and Sasun Mikayelyan. Later, three of them were formally detained. As of Monday 12am, police have taken 315 people into custody. YEREVAN. Two big groups of demonstrators on Monday morning met one another at an avenue in downtown Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. They greeted each other with applause, and then continued their march. The protesters are chanting, Join [us], The police officer is [one of] ours, and Boycotting of classes. Protests are taking place in various parts of the city. A group of demonstrators had blocked a downtown intersection of the capital city of Armenia. Separately, the Yerevan State Medical University students launched a protest action at another downtown Yerevan intersection. Police, however, used force against and detained some of them. Monday is the eleventh day of the mass protests against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister by the parliament. As reported earlier, Sargsyan and Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of My Step initiativewhich protests Sargsyan becoming PMopposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly Way Out (Yelk) Faction head, had a very short talk before the media on Sunday morning. About an hour later, police used force against demonstrators on a street in Yerevan, and they took dozens of people into custody, including Civil Contract Party members and MPs Nikol Pashinyan, Ararat Mirzoyan, and Sasun Mikayelyan. Later, three of them were formally detained. Pashinyans whereabouts, however, is currently unknown. As of Monday 12am, police have detained 315 people. YEREVAN. Azerbaijans armed forces are accumulating military manpower and equipment along the line of contact with the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic). The Minister of Defense of Armenia, Vigen Sargsyan, stated about the aforementioned at a press conference on Monday. The situation has been announced; a [respective] statement and video has been released, noted the minister. The adversary follows the processes taking place in our state. () internal instability [in Armenia] opens the way to their actions. () we are obligated to remind the [Armenian] public about this threat. When the state agencies function inadequately, the issue of defense becomes complicated, Sargsyan added, in particular. We are concerned by the [current] internal processes [in Armenia]. But our problem is something else; there is an issue of resource management. In his words, Azerbaijani military accumulations have been recorded at the line of contact and, also, the adversarys military exercises have become more frequent. This causes concern, stated the Armenian defense minister. [But] we are not frightening our society. The [Armenian] society should rest assured that the Armenian armies are combat-ready and ready to carry out any task. Karabakh army releases video showing accumulation of troops at line of contact YEREVAN. The First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia (RA), Karen Karapetyan, on Monday made a statement in connection with the matter of removal of the parliamentary immunities of three opposition MPs of the National Assembly (NA). Today, we have made a decision, and Ive appealed to the RA Prosecutor General to take back the petition regarding the [said] National Assembly deputies, he noted speaking to reporters. And Im going right now to Mr. [Nikol] Pashinyan for a talk, so that we can negotiate and find a solution. Tomorrows day [Tuesday] is extremely important, and I believe that we will have so much logic and sobriety to show the whole world [that] we can sit down and find a logical solution, regardless of how much a complicated problem there is [in Armenia]. A consultation took place just recently at the presidential residence. It brought together Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, President Armen Sarkissian, First Deputy PM Karen Karapetyan, and NA Chairman Ara Babloyan. Monday is the eleventh day of the mass demonstrations against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister by the parliament. As reported earlier, Sargsyan and Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of My Step initiativewhich protests Sargsyan becoming PMopposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly Way Out (Yelk) Faction head, had a very short talk before the media on Sunday morning. About an hour later, riot police used force against demonstrators on a street in Yerevan and took dozens of people into custody, including Civil Contract Party members and MPs Nikol Pashinyan, Ararat Mirzoyan, and Sasun Mikayelyan. Later, three of them were formally detained. Pashinyans whereabouts, however, is currently unknown. In order to arrest MPs of Armenia, the General Prosecutors Office needs to petition to the NA, with a request to strip lawmakers from their parliamentary immunity. VANADZOR. Labor strikes and boycotting of classes are in progress Monday in Vanadzor, the third largest city of Armenia, since early morning. The Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter in Vanadzor informed that the workers of the textile factory were the first to protest and, subsequently, numerous other protesters have joined them. Demonstrators are marching in the city streets and urging people to join them. Protests are staged in capital city Yerevan, as well as in Gyumri, Vanadzor, Sevan, and Hrazdan towns of Armenia. Monday is the eleventh day of the mass demonstrations against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister by the parliament. As reported earlier, Sargsyan and Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of My Step initiativewhich demands Sargsyans resignationopposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly Way Out (Yelk) Faction head, had a very short talk before the media on Sunday morning. About an hour later, riot police used force against demonstrators on a street in Yerevan and took dozens of people into custody, including Civil Contract Party members and MPs Nikol Pashinyan, Ararat Mirzoyan, and Sasun Mikayelyan. Later, three of them were formally detained. Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic has talked to the Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan, to discuss the potential human rights implications of the developments in Armenia and to share certain concerns. I raised several questions in relation to the arrested civil society members and other citizens, and stressed that their access to a lawyer must be ensured. Ive also asked about the situation and treatment of MP Nikol Pashinyan and other parliamentarians and opposition leaders, Mijatovic said in a statement. I emphasised that the right to peaceful assembly is protected under the European Convention on Human Rights and that peaceful protesters should not be deprived of their liberty. In our conversation, I stressed that is of the utmost importance to avoid any further escalation and expressed the hope that all parties will show restraint. I will continue to closely monitor the situation in Armenia. Monday is the eleventh day of the mass demonstrations against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister by the parliament. Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian of Armenia has commented on the current situation at the Line of Contact between the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) and Azerbaijan. These days, amid the internal political developments in Armenia, Azerbaijan accumulates manpower, artillery and military equipment along the Line of Contact with Artsakh, which gives grounds to assume that Baku is preparing for a new adventurism, noted the Armenian FM. The international community, first and foremost the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries [Russia, US, and France], should undertake relevant efforts aimed at deterring Baku, make it to withdraw its military equipment, artillery and manpower from the frontline and strictly adhere to the 1994-1995 ceasefire agreements. We continue to be convinced that there is no alternative to the peaceful negotiated settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Use of force can have unpredictable consequences for the entire region. Azerbaijan should not have any illusions that in the light of internal political developments in Armenia, it could embark on any actions against Artsakh and realize its aggressive intentions. People of Armenia is united when it comes to defense of Nagorno-Karabakh and would never allow any encroachments towards Artsakh. As before, today as well, Armenia stands strong behind Artsakh and is determined to ensure its security. YEREVAN. The rally of My Step initiative started at Republic Square, the central square of Yerevan (PHOTOS). As the correspondent of Armenian News - NEWS.am reports, before the beginning of the rally the residents poured out onto the streets to celebrate the resignation of Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan. Earlier it was reported that Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan announced his resignation after eleven days of nationwide protests throughout Armenia. I address as head of the country for the last time. Nikol Pashinyan was right. I was wrong. The created situation has several solutions, but I will not resort to any of them; it is not mine. I am leaving the post of head of the country, Prime Minister of Armenia, he said. Leader of the opposition My Step initiative, Nikol Pashinyan, as well as MPs Sasun Mikaelyan and Ararat Mirzoyan were released earlier in the day, well, after the meeting with First Deputy Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan. Serzh Sargsyan and MP Nikol Pashinyan had a short talk before the media on Sunday morning. Pashinyan said the only topic to discuss is the terms for Sargsyans resignation, whereas Sargsyan accused the opposition leader of blackmail and left the hall. YEREVAN.- Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received the parliamentary delegation of Finland headed by Armenia-Finland parliamentary friendship group Juho Eerola on Monday, the press service of MFA Armenia reported. Greeting the guests, Nalbandian highlighted parliamentary diplomacy as an important format for developing interstate partnership and highly praised the friendly relations between Armenia and Finland. Thanking for the reception, Juho Eerola noted that the parliamentary friendship group headed by him will continue making efforts for further developing bilateral cooperation in various spheres. The sides exchanged views on Armenia-EU relations in the context of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. At the request of the Finnish parliamentarian, Edward Nalbandian presented the domestic developments in Armenia. Speaking about Nagorno Karabakh Edward Nalbandian drew the attention of the interlocutor on the measures of Azerbaijan promoting escalation, particularly on the mobilizations of manpower and heavy equipment on Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line. YEREVAN.- All those detained during the Velvet Revolution must be immediately released, opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan said during the rally at Republic Square on Monday, noting that he reached an agreement with the acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan. He noted that detainees must be released before the end of the protest action. In the next stage all political prisoners should be released, Pashinyan assured, concurrently saying that the police should immediately stop the detentions. Pashinyan said that an agreement was reached to keep the situation under control. He urged the participants of the rally to refrain from alcohol intake. YEREVAN. The US is ready to work with the Armenian government which will replace the Cabinet of Serzh Sargsyan, RIA Novosti reported citing a representative of the US State Department. The official said they are grateful to Prime Minister Sargsyan for many years of service and his contribution to the strong partnership between the United States and Armenia. Washington expects that Sargsyans successor will be named as a result of a democratic process carried out in a spirit of transparency and in accordance with the laws and international obligations of Armenia. We expect to work closely with the new government, the State Department representative added. The situation in Armenia was in focus of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedevs telephone conversation with acting Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, the press service of the Russian government said on Monday, TASS reported. "The two heads of government discussed issues of the Russian-Armenian relations and the developments in Armenia," the press service said. "Medvedev expressed support to the friendly Armenian people and stressed the importance of efforts to keep the situation within the framework of law and the constitution." The sides also discussed issues of integration cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union. Shabaab Leader Promotes Syrian Jihad as Open to Foreign Fighters, Vilifies Turkish Role in Country Enrollment Management Leader to Join SIU Carbondale CARBONDALE, Ill. Jennifer DeHaemers, former associate vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, will join Southern Illinois University Carbondale as associate chancellor for enrollment management on May 14, 2018. National search led to hiring of data-driven, student-centered enrollment management leader Her appointment, announced by SIU Chancellor Carlo Montemagno, follows a national search. It fills a role that had been vacant since 2014 and had not been filled on a full-time basis since 2011. Montemagno said DeHaemers will lead the development of a comprehensive, multi-year recruitment plan and oversee the offices of admissions, financial aid, bursar and registrar. Jennifer is a data-driven, student-centered enrollment management leader who understands the challenges we face at SIU, Montemagno said. She brings a collaborative approach and experience developing and implementing a strategic enrollment plan. Im confident that she will help us move in the right direction. Background in student recruitment DeHaemers was associate vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management at UMKC from 2011 to 2017 and served as assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management from 2007 to 2011. As associate vice chancellor, she oversaw university-wide enrollment planning and the development of a strategic enrollment plan. She also collaborated with academic units and other departments to carry out the universitys recruitment strategy. The universitys enrollment grew from 15, 492 in fall 2011 to 16,383 in fall 2017. She has also served as UMKCs director of admissions and international student affairs and as associate director, interim director and director of admissions. She joined UMKC in 1997 after serving for eight years recruiting students for Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City. DeHaemers drawn to SIUs mission, vision DeHaemers holds a bachelors degree in psychology from the University of Central Missouri and a masters degree in higher education administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. SIU Carbondale provides a great opportunity to have an impact at an institution that recruits and serves a diverse student body, DeHaemers said. I was attracted to its mission, the chancellors vision for the future, and the openness and commitment of everyone I met. I know theres much work to do, and Im eager to get started. The Anambra Police Command says it has arrested three masqueraders for allegedly disrupting a church programme on Friday night at Uke, Idemili North Local Government Area of the state The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs Nkeiruka Nwode, told newsmen on Saturday in Awka that the suspects attacked worshipers at the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke. Three masqueraders have been arrested in connection with the church attack. We have commenced investigation into the cause of the incident and would notify you when concluded, Nwode said. The masqueraders were celebrating a festival known as Uzo Iyi festival. Nwode, however, denied that the masqueraders attacked the police officers from Special Anti Robbery Squad, who responded to calls on the breach of peace. About 10 masqueraders invaded the church, assaulted the worshipers and attempted to whisk away the spiritual director of the centre, Rev. Fr Emmanuel Obinna, but for the quick response of the police. A witness said the leadership of the church called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the police to help their internal security to protect worshipers. On arrival, the operatives arrested three masqueraders, who were involved in the attack, but their colleagues attempted to stop them from taking the arrested masqueraders away, prompting SARS operatives to shoot sporadically into the air before taking them away, the source said The Personal Assistant to the spiritual director of the centre, Mr Francis Okoye, told journalists that a Catholic Priest, Rev Fr. Henry Nnajiofor, a seminarian and 28 others were injured during the attack on the worshipers. The normal masquerade activities in Uke, to the best of my knowledge, ends by 6 p.m but as at 8 p.m on Friday, the masqueraders were still parading at the entrance route of Uke Adoration ground, extorting money from our members and robbing others in the guise of masquerade festival. As at 8.30 p.m, we started receiving information that some masqueraders were attacking our members, flogging them and inflicting injuries. They flogged some of them, stabbed some with their weapons including machetes, while others were robbed of their mobile phones and other valuables. We quickly contacted the SARS office to assist our Adoration security team, who could not handle the situation at that point in time. When SARS arrived an hour later, they arrested two masqueraders but on their way back, the youths blocked the road and insisted that the masqueraders must be released; that was when SARS officials fired shots in the air to disperse them. When SARS left, they re-grouped and this time came in their numbers to the Adoration premises, beating everybody including the elderly, the sick and pregnant women. Our Adoration youths, in defence, pursued them and arrested one other masquerader, who stayed in the Adoration ground with us until this morning when we handed him over to the officials of the Nigerian Army, who came to our rescue. Home | News | General | Why House is investigating Special Presidential Panel Dogara Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has explained that the House is investigating the Special Presidential Investigation Panel to ascertain where it got the powers to investigate public officers as it is not listed among the agencies listed to discharge that function in the constitution. Hon Dogara said while speaking at a public hearing on the Legality and Modus Operandi of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel in the National Assembly on Thursday, that the probe became imperative because of the confusion of roles which has been identified by the Executive branch itself. Speaker Dogara He noted that the Constitution which is the supreme law governing affairs in Nigeria has vested the respective powers of investigation and eventual trial of public officers who are in breach of the Code of Conduct on the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Code of Conduct Tribunal, in addition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) which were established by two extant laws and copiously vested with powers and jurisdiction to investigate allegations of crime and to charge possible offenders to the Federal High Court. Speaker Dogara added that while it is undeniably the responsibility of the Judiciary to give final interpretation on the legality or otherwise of any question of law, it is also the constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly to make laws, or to plug defects in any existing law, or to amend any laws as it deems fit, especially to protect Nigerian citizens from the possibility of double jeopardy of facing different laws and different judicial and executive agencies on the same subject matter. He stated, This investigation is further strengthened by the confusion of roles which has been identified by the Executive branch itself. It is public knowledge that the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, had waded into these matters in a letter titled, Re: Directive in Respect of Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel on the recovery of public property, which has not been denied. According to Malamis letter to Obono-Obla: I have received a letter Ref. SH/OVP/DCOS/FMJ/0424 dated 20th October, 2017 in respect of the above subject from the Office of the Vice President. In the said letter, the Vice President expressed his concerns on the activities of the Special Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property which runs contrary to the enabling Act establishing it. He also noted that the activities of the Panel run foul or contrary to established administrative procedures and protocols in the Federal Civil Service Structure. Hon Dogara continued, The spirit, if not the letter, of Section 36(9) of the Constitution guaranteeing a right to fair hearing and outlawing double trial by Courts or Tribunal set up by law, should guide our attitude on this matter, especially now that the Supreme Court has decided that the Code of Conduct Tribunal has a quasi criminal jurisdiction. While we recognise the need to tackle the problem of corruption with renewed vigour in our society, as we fully subscribe to the dictates of the Constitution which enjoins the State to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power Section 15(5), we must, however, be conscious of doing things and implementing our laws in such ways and manner that will portray us as a democratic society conscious of the Rule of Law and Fundamental human rights. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Ekiti guber : Monarchs demand southern governor from political parties Traditional monarchs in Ekiti State have demanded that political parties must ensure they field a candidate from Ekiti South for the July 14 governorship election in the state. From Left: Delta State Governor, Senatorn Ifeanyi Okowa; his Ekiti counterpart, Governor Ayodele Fayoshe; immediate past President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan; the Anambra State PDP flag bearer, Henry Obaze (right on white) during the Anambra State Peoples Democratic Party grand finale in Onitsha, Anambra State. They advised political parties to ensure they produced a candidate from the south in their primaries ahead of the main election in order to get their full support. Urging political parties to take their demands seriously, the monarchs said they would mobilise their people to vote against any political party that failed to field a southern candidate for the July 14 election The monarchs made the demand at a meeting with the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Saturday where they canvassed their position. Speaking on behalf of kings from Ekiti South, the Elemure of Emure Ekiti, Oba Emmanuel Adebayo, said they had resolved that all political parties must field a candidate from Ekiti South in the collective interest. We should have a candidate who should emerge from the south irrespective of political party. That will show fairness. Where a particular area is not considered in the scheme of things, that will amount to marginalisation. The Ologotun of Ogotun Ekiti, Oba Samuel Oyebade, said the people of the South had waited for too long. We are part of Ekiti State, anu candidate from Ekiti South should be supported. Speaking on behalf of Ekiti North kings, the Onimojo of Imojo Ekiti, Oba Samuel Olusola said we believe in principle of justice and fairness. We are not standing here to be partisan but we are talking about justice. We are supporting based on principle of fairness, justice and equity. Also expressing support, the Owatapa of Itapa Ekiti, Oba David Makanjuola, urged all the kings to galvanise support for the Ekiti South agenda. For kings from Ekiti North, the Alare of Are Ekiti, Oba Boluwade Adebiyi, said the agitation of the Ekiti south people was genuine and would be granted. People should support Ekiti South so that we dont stay on each others neck. We are not saying a word in favour of a particular candidate or party but for us to remain as one people, lets be fair to ourselves. Responding, Fayose, who said the agitation was legitimate advised the kings to spread the message. I have only one vote, it is their duty to seek the support of the people. You cant stop anybody from contesting, but their demand is legitimate. The Peoples Democratic Party is a party of the people. We realised the agitation was legitimate that was why we zoned our ticket to the south. The first watchword is fairness and equity. I The agitation for the south for governor has always been an issue which has been sustained. I narrowly escaped it in 2014 to emerge governor Id the state. It is a legitimate agitation. I support it and also urge all Ekiti people to support this agitation. As it is coming from the traditional rulers, it becomes a stronger agitation. I also urge the traditional monarchs to go beyond telling the governor and tell Ekiti people and other stakeholders so they could know this and support them. In the PDP all our candidates for the forthcoming elections are from Ekiti south, he said. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | As Ekiti election draws near, Buhari approves Fayemi's leave request - President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a leave request from the minister of mines and steel development - Kayode Fayemi's leave was approved to enable him particpate in the forthcoming Ekiti gubernatorial election - The minister's special assistant said Fayemi's leave will commence on Monday, April 30 A leave application made by the minister of mines and steel development, Kayode Fayemi, has been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari. Daily Independent reports that Fayemi's leave request was granted to enable him participate actively in the governorship election in Ekiti state scheduled to hold in July. The special assistant to Fayemi on media, Yinka Oyebode on Sunday, April 22, said the minister's leave will commence on Monday, April 30. Oyebode said the information became imperative in order to educate certain individuals calling for Fayemis disqualification over non-resignation from his present position as a minister before joining the Ekiti gubernatorial race. READ ALSO: Just in: Gunmen attack Kogi communities kill 16 people He said: They are ignorant of the workings of the party and the laws of the land. You cant sit down in your house and determine who is going to be disqualified. The party has a machinery to look at every case on its merit and that is why you have the screening committee. There is due process in nomination and screening before you even get to the primary. There is no law in the land that says that a serving minister should vacate his seat before the primary. What the law says is 30 days before the election. As a matter of fact, the honourable minister has been granted leave. He applied for leave and it will commence upper Monday. READ ALSO: Suspected herdsmen camping in Nasarawa - Taraba LG boss reveals Talking about the white paper, everybody knows that you cant build something on nothing. The minister had earlier challenged the composition of that panel. The case is in court and that is why he did not appear before the panel. The white paper will not stand. It is only a court of competent jurisdiction that can recommend disqualification of Fayemi. It is only when the court says that that the party and INEC take a cue from it. An individual or a sitting governor cannot disqualify anybody. That is why the law has put it that white paper alone cant disqualify anybody. It is only a court of competent jurisdiction that can do that. The group is poorly educated about the working of the party and the constitution," he concluded. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app NAIJ.com earlier reported that Fayemi has vowed to ensure that the present governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose, ends up in jail. The minister said his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will ensure that the out-going governor is locked up over alleged corrupt practices. Fayemi also said he joined the gubernatorial race in the state because he had some unfinished businesses to take care of in Ekiti state. Governor Fayose warns Nigerian youths ahead of 2019, tells them what to do on NAIJ.com TV [embedded content] Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Enforcement will compel MfBs to embrace collateral registry Head, Internal Control and Audit, Olive Microfinance Bank Limited, Mr. Agbai Egbu, in this interview said that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN must enforce collateral registry on Microfinance Banks, MfBs operating in the country to drive the process, so as to achieve the aim for which it was initiated, while highlighting that the planned recapitalization would enhance a robust financial system and promote financial inclusion. Excerpt By Providence Emmanuel WHAT is your assessment of the response of MfBs subsector to the collateral registry? The advent of collateral registry is a good development in the Nigeria banking sector as it will help to checkmate the incidences of credit default and collateral damage. Collateral registry reduces potential hassles MfBs face from non-repayment of loans if there is any pre-existing securing charge on the collateral being presented by the charger. Collateral Registry will impact positively in reducing default rates if implicitly embraced by the microfinance banks. The most notable risk perplexing the activities of microfinance banks is the Risk of over indebtedness whereby a single customer is exposed to other banks using one property to secure all the loans with different banks at the same time. This leads to collateral damage and nothing to hold unto in the event of default, with the collateral registry, the property pledged as collateral is strictly registered and protected for the existing loan. Registering the collateral will help to abrogate this incidence of over-indebtedness. It is a gradual process, with more enforcement by the apex bank all the MfBs will embrace the use of collateral registry. CBN has more to do to educate the MfBs about the enhanced benefit of the collateral registry. , Mr. Agbai Egbu Do you agree with the CBNs recapitalization plan? The CBNs plan to increase the capital base of MfBs is a good development. This will make them to be strong players in the industry. Increasing the capital base will make them sustainable and profitable. It will provide them with more funds to support small businesses. With increased capital, they will be stronger and reliable, stronger capital base will ensure a robust financial system and promote financial inclusion. What is your projection for sub sector in the second quarter? In the previous years, MfBs in Nigeria have had abysmal performance resulting from inadequate support by the government and low banking culture of Nigerians and lack of faith in the MfBs by the banking public. However, these challenges can be overcome due to the apex bank Risk Based Supervision intervention and also intervention funds being made available by the government through the Bank of Industry, BoI. Also, the advent of Bank Verification Number, BVN and Collateral Registry and other interventions will improve the subsector in the second quarter. What are your expectations? I expect to see increased funding by the government and donor agencies; improved and proactive supervision by the regulators. MfBs should make more positive impact on the people through their outreach programmes by lending to more of the active poor people in the rural area using financial inclusion platform. MfBs should collaborate more with the telecommunication players to reach out to more people in the rural area. 2018 should be a momentous year for financial inclusion by the MfBs in Nigeria using digital financial space by collaborating with the telecommunication companies. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a private consultant, Victor Uwajeh, being accused of fraud, to trace and recover undeclared assets and proceeds of fraud as part of the ongoing fight against corruption in the country. The London based Nigerian private investigator is said to be facing a four-count charge the Federal Government preferred against him for attempting to obtain money through fraudulent means from Senator Andy Uba, who is representing Anambra South Senatorial District. The office of the Attorney-general of Federation (AGF) instituted the suit against Uwajeh on behalf of the government. Uwajeh was said to have been indicted by a crack team of the Nigerian Police Force which conducted investigations into a petition that was written to the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, by Senator Uba. The embattled lawmaker had in his petition, accused Uwajeh of attempting to use bogus and illegally procured documents to extort money from him. Nevertheless, the defendant insisted that Senator Uba engaged his services for an assignment in the United Kingdom Border Agency and in the United States of America. Uwajeh said he previously dragged Uba to court over his alleged refusal to pay him the debt of 1.9million that was remaining from their agreed fee. In the said suit, the defendant accused Uba of parading fake academic credentials. He said he got details of Ubas alleged dubious qualifications from documents he was exposed to while he worked as a private investigator for the lawmaker. However, the appointment of Uwajeh was conveyed in a letter signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution matters, Okoi Obono-Obla. The letter said Uwajehs application has been considered for engagement as special investigator to his panel. Uwajehs letter of engagement reads: Reference is being made to your letter dated 15th March 2018, I am pleased to inform you that you application has been considered for engagement as a special investigator to the panel. Consequent upon this appointment, you are to trace and where necessary recover undeclared assets and proceeds of fraud for the Federal Government of Nigeria in line with the mandate of the panel. This appointment is subject to terms and conditions as may be expressed in a duly executed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja, on April 18th, issued order for substituted service of criminal summons on Uwajeh. This development stands to question the potency of the anti-corruption mantra of the Buhari administration. Home | News | General | Saraki, Tambuwal wont dump APC-Gov Badaru By Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA-GOVERNOR Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State on Monday said that there was no iota of truth in the rumour that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal were negotiating with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to dump the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Governor Badaru who stated this while fielding questions from State House correspondents after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President at the State House also explained that what happened last weekend in the state during the APC rally was not crisis, rather political shunting by different supporters of the aspirants. Gov Badaru of Jigawa State The Jigawa State governor said that the forthcoming APC Congress will be peaceful as the different camps were already united. On what should be expected from the convention, he said, We expect a peaceful and rancour free and good convention. All members are one. They are all united and I am sure the convention will bring everybody together. And in democracy, if you are open and straight forward, things get done well, I dont think there should be any problem. Commenting on the alleged political unrest in the state at the weekend during the APC rally, he said, Political unrest, no it is not true. It is normal political shaunting. Shunting between groups that are contesting the same position and People passing by. Some some groups will shunt for their own and others will shunt for another person and that was what happened. That was a great rally. It is normal in every gathering, you have different supporters supporting different people contesting the same position. He also debunked the rumoured plan by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal as well as some other bigwigs of the APC to defect to the PDP. He said there was no negotiation s going on. No I dont think so and I have not heard that rumours and I dont think there is such negotiation going on, he said. He further said, It is not true that Tambuwal and Saraki are negotiating with the PDP, we have not heard of that. Some few weeks back there was rumour about the governor of Benue (Governor Samuel Ortom) and he made it clear at our last NEC that he is not moving anywhere. Those are rumours flying around but they dont have consequence. We are united, governor Tambuwal is with us and the Distinguished senator Bukola Saraki, the Senate President is also with APC and we have not had any reason to think that they are negotiating elsewhere, no. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | APC National Chair: Edo APC Caucus endorse Oshiomhole, charge ex-gov to join National Chairmanship race SIMON EBEGBULEM BENIN CITY-THE Edo State Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has endorsed the immediate past governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for the position of the National Chairman of the party and urged him to join the race ahead the forthcoming convention of the party. This was disclosed to journalists by the state chairman of the party, Anslem Ojezua Sunday night shortly after a meeting of the leadership of the party in Edo state, presided over by the governor of the state, Mr Godwin Obaseki. Governor Adams Oshiomhole Others in attendance includes the Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, former governor of the state, Prof.Osarhiemien Osunbor, Deputy Governor of the state, Comrade Philip Shaibu, State, Deputy Chief whip of the Senate, Senator Francis Alimekhena, Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Pally Iriase, Secretary to the Edo state Government, Osarodion Ogie and entire members of the House of Representatives in the state under the APC platform. Addressing journalists, Ojezua who noted that Oshiomhole is the sole candidate of the state for the position, noted that he has all it takes to lead the APC to victory in the forthcoming 2019 general elections. His words: Today we had our state caucus meeting and at the meeting, a motion was put to urge our leader, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to put himself forward for the position of the National chairman of the APC considering the fact that NEC had graciously approved that the zoning formula earlier put in place should be sustained. Which makes him eminently qualified and therefore we felt that at this critical time of the development of our party we needed to have a very strong party leadership that will lead us to victory. As you know, at this point in time, we require to have a leadership that the people of Nigeria can relate to. A leadership that people trust, a leadership that can represent Mr President in his presence and on his behalf and a leadership that is strong enough to instil confidence and discipline among the rank and file. And we think that there is no other person at this time that can provide all these qualities rather than Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. We believe he is eminently qualified and to underscore that fact, the motion was carried unanimously, there is no one dissenting voice. I believe in the next few days there will be more of such as we move on emanating from Edo State. Ojezua added: Let me also be a bit more specific. I think we are going to have a more efficient party administration in terms of the services they render and in terms of financial transparency. I think that with the political sagacity by which we ran the last election here, we need to have that kind of experience and leadership at the National level in the forthcoming election which you and i agree, will certainly not be easy. It is very easy to criticize when you are in opposition but when you have been in government for a period then you need a party leadership that can also be a spokesman, that can speak to the issues in a manner that people can understand. Comrade Oshiomhole has oratorical talents that we can put to bear at this time because as you now know, we have people who have the statutory duties to do those jobs but clearly their voices have been submerged across board and you know that Adams Oshiomhole is vociferous and at all times he is logical and he makes sense. He has good understanding of the issues and he will be speaking to them very clearly he stated. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | World s Fattest Sisters Aged 6 And 8 Finally Undergo weight Surgery ( Photos ) The worlds fattest sisters from India have had gastric bands fitted aged six and eight because they weighed a humongous 22 stone between them. Yogita Nandwana, eight, and her sister, Amisha, six, used to devour a heavy breakfast of chapatis and six bananas, while they scoffed eight more chapatis with half a kilo of rice and three bowls of curry for lunch and again for dinner. They also gorged on six packets of crisps, five packets of biscuits, a litre of milk and a litre of Coca-Cola every single day. Yogita weighted a massive 59kg at her heaviest while her sister, who is two years younger, was 82kg. But thanks to the kindness of a surgeon, the girls have had bariatric surgery to help keep their weight and health problems under control. They have already lost a stone in weight and the breathing problems they suffered from beforehand have already improved. Their Father, Rameshbhai Nandwana, 36, from a village in Gujarat, western India, told of how he only earns Rs 3,000 (35) a month as a labourer, but sometimes had to borrow money to indulge his girls constant hunger. Yogita and Amita first hit international headlines in 2015 when the former weighed 33.6kg and the latter weighed 47kg when they were only aged five and three respectively. Thats when Rameshbhai (The Father) quickly realised he was in fact hurting his children. But with no money, he was nearly prepared to sell one of his kidneys to afford medical help for his daughters. For the next three years the family were sent from one hospital and doctor to another across India, seeking help, but no result or long term weight loss managed to help the girls get healthy. However, last month Asias top bariatric surgeon, Dr Mahendra Narwaria, from Asian Bariatrics Clinic, in Ahmedabad, western India, invited the family for a meeting. Dr Narwaria promised to help, free of charge, and offered the sisters surgery to reduce their stomachs and long term consultations and guidance on permanent weight loss and a course of hormones and vitamins. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | No Retreat, No Surrender Senator, Dino Melaye Says As He Shares Detention Photo After Arrest Controversial Nigerian Senator, Dino Malaye has been arrested at the at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport on my way to Morocco for an official engagement. He broke the news of his arrest on social media earlier. It was not immediately clear which agency carried out the arrest, but Mr Melaye was declared wanted for his alleged involvement in a murder case and provision of support for criminal elements in his home state of Kogi. Senator Melaye wrote, Quote I have just been arrested at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport on my way to Morocco for an official engagement sponsored by the Federal Govt after checking in. Melaye was declared wanted by the Kogi state Police Command for allegedly sponsoring a criminal group that terrorizes Kogi state.. Dino Melaye has shared a photo of himself being detained at the airport after alerting the public earlier that he was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport on his way to Morocco. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Immigration Service has just confirmed the arrest of Sen. Dino Melaye at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Monday morning. Spokesman of the Service, Mr Sunday James, told the News Agency of Nigeria that Melaye was arrested by Immigration officials based on instruction. The confirmation came hours after the senator, who represents Kogi West, announced the arrest on his Twitter handle at 7:32am. I have just been arrested at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on my way to Morocco for an official engagement sponsored by the Federal Government after checking in, he tweeted. The police recently declared Melaye wanted after he was accused of supplying arms to some murder suspects, who allegedly implicated him. The senator denies the allegations, which he describes as politically motivated. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described the controversial comment made by President Muhammadu Buhari regarding some Nigerian youth as apt, precise and succinct. Speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on Wednesday, the president said some Nigerian youth have not been to school but are waiting on oil money. The statement generated the hashtag #LazyNigerianYouth on social media, and sparked a lot of controversy. However, in a statement on Monday, Ishaq Akintola, director of the group, said Buhari is not the first Nigerian leader to describe people as lazy. He listed former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa state; and ex-military President Ibrahim Babangida as some of those who have allegedly cast aspersions on Nigerians. The problem with Nigerians is that they always run away from reality. Not known for verbosity, our president has hit the nail on the head, the statement read. The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) contends that the presidents description of the Nigerian situation regarding its youths was apt, precise and succinct. Many of our youths are lazy but we dont want to admit it. Instead of commending this truthful leader, we started calling him names. Nigerians need to contextualise the presidents comment. We have seen many youths functioning as political thugs as the 2019 general elections approach. What of the agberos or touts who have now spilled out of motor parks unto the streets and bus stops? What responsible work are they doing? Are they not youths? We have forgotten that Buhari is not the only leader who described Nigerians and the youth in particular in this manner. Governor Dickson in a media chat on 17th may, 2016 was alleged to have said, Bayelsans are so lazy, they want everything free, they dont want to work. The 25th September 2017 edition of a northern-based newspaper also reportedly quoted Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as saying, Northerners are lazy while General Babangida (rtd) allegedly opined during a BBC Hausa service interview of 16th April, 2010, The Nigerian youth is useless, cannot lead. Senator Shehu Sani added flavour to this in December 2017 when he reportedly said Northerners are lazy and unproductive. Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Monday pledged that his administration would continue to support the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. Ambode made the pledge at the formal swearing-in of 2018 Batch A corps members posted to the state. He was represented by Mr Demilade Longe, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Special Duties. The governor urged the new corps members to take advantage of the orientation course as a platform to face future challenges. The scheme was established as a veritable platform for socio-economic development, national unity and integration. My government will continue to support NYSC in Lagos State. We will continue to provide the enabling environment for you to discharge your duties and serve the nation diligently. My young compatriots, the orientation course is very crucial because it provides the platform to prepare you for challenges of the service year and beyond. You must, therefore, take the orientation exercise seriously, he said. Ambode assured the corps members of adequate and guaranteed security while in Lagos. I want to assure you that security of lives and property of all citizens in our dear state remains a priority. If you face any security threats, dial the toll-free phone numbers 767 and 112, he said. The governor advised the participants to also take advantage of the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme (SAED) to prepare themselves self-reliance. In his address, Mr Muhammed Momoh, the Lagos State Coordinator of the NYSC, said the orientation was designed to equip the corps members to tackle the challenges of life during the service year and beyond. Momoh urged them to participate fully in all camp activities. The orientation programme is the first of four cardinal programmes of the NYSC scheme. It is packaged to equip you physically and mentally for the challenges of your service year and post-service year. I urge you to participate in all camp activities and be prompt at every event, as the camp is regimented, he said. The oath of allegiance was administered to the corps members by the State Chief Judge, who was represented by Justice Adenike Coker. A total of 2,768 corps members, comprising 1,172 male and 1,596 female took the oath of allegiance. Home | News | General | More trouble in APC as Senator Shehu Sani slams N5bn claim against Governor El-Rufai - Senator Shehu Sani slammed a counter-claim against Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna - The Kaduna senator claimed the governor gave a libellous broadcast against him on radio - He said the El-Rufais broadcast has affected his reputation badly Senator Shehu Sani has slammed a five billion counter claim in a Kaduna State High Court against Gov. Nasir El-Rufai for alleged libellous broadcast. Gov. El-Rufai had in February sued Sani demanding N500 million for alleged defamatory statement contained in a publication. READ ALSO: Npower finally releases names of successful 2017 applicants Sani, who represents Kaduna Central senatorial district, filed the Statement of Defence and Counter-Claim on April 20. The statement of defence and counter-claim was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Abuja on Monday. Sani, in his counter claim, is seeking compensation for an alleged libellous broadcast maliciously made against him by the governor during a live broadcast transmitted through a radio station in Kaduna. He also prayed for an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the plaintiff either by himself, agents, aides, privies or through any persons, from repeating the said offensive and libelous broadcast or similar broadcast or publication. The lawmaker further urged the court to make an order directing the governor to tender unreserved apology in writing. Sani said the apology should be broadcast on seven consecutive days on same channel that the governor made the offensive broadcast, and published in conspicuous pages of four national newspapers. He noted that the broadcast against him, which was in Hausa language, had affected his reputation, his political career and pitched his constituents against him. Sometimes in November 2017, the plaintiff, speaking at a live broadcast, transmitted on radio, maliciously, unlawfully and without any justification whatsoever, uttered defamatory statements in Hausa language. The offensive publication has continuously reduced the counter-claimants reputation, his political and social standing and popularity, which had taken years of hard work, excellence, diligence, sincerity, service to the people, forthrightness and courage to build. As a result of the malicious and offensive publication, the counter-claimant has suffered monumental humiliation and embarrassment and his reputation as a respectable Nigerian has been severely bruised and battered. The plaintiff knew and had every reason to know that the said broadcast unfairly and unjustly portrays the counter-claimant as a villain, madman of incurable insanity, among others. By reason of the foregoing, the counter-claimant has suffered humiliation, embarrassment, vilification, denigration, disparagement and agony, all of which are unquantifiable, he stated. Sani averred that the governor made the malicious statement against him at the live broadcast when he was reacting to Senates rejection of 350 million dollar external loan request by the Kaduna State Government. He added that the loan request, which was rejected by the Senate on March 29 through a voice vote, was unanimous. The lawmaker in the statement of defence denied knowing about or authorising the publication being complained of. He prayed the court to dismiss the governors case as being frivolous, reckless, lacking in merit, malafide and baseless altogether. Meanwhile, Senator Sani of urged the presidency to fulfil the third quarter promise for the implementation of the new national minimum Wage for workers in the country. Sani said this in his speech with newsmen on Tuesday, March 13, in Abuja. It would be recalled that Senator Chris Ngige, minister of labour and Employment had assured civil servants of governments resolve to conclude negotiations on the new national minimum wage before the end of the third quarter, Nigerian Tribune reports. Minister of industry says economy is improving; Nigerians disagree - On NAIJ.com TV [embedded content] Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Nigerian lady finally welcomes twin babies, reveals she suffered 4 miscarriages and fertility problems A beautiful Nigerian lady has taken to social media to share her testimony on how she welcomed her twin baby girls three years of battling fertility problems. Identified as @hollasworld on Instagram, the beautiful makeup artist shared pictures of her twin baby girls on Monday, April 23, as she thanked God for their safe arrival. According to her story, she disclosed that she never wished to have twins whole growing up but later found herself praying and craving to have identical baby boys. That was not all, she also revealed how she had 4 miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy before God finally answered her prayers and gave her beautiful twin baby girls. The lady shared her testimony as she turned 32-year-old. READ ALSO: Beautiful Nigerian lady offers herself to BBNaija winner Miracle Her post reads: #MYTESTIMONY. From a girl who never loved twins to a lady who later started praying to have them. After 3 good years of fertility struggle. After 4 miscarriages including 1 ectopic that led to removal of one of my tubes. After so much tears. After sleepless nights. After so much trauma and pain. I prayed, I fasted, I lost hope, i had hope, I told God to give me double blessings for my trouble. I told him to bless me with 2 identical healthy and handsome boys. I promised him that only him will take all the glory. Yes he listened and did it when I least expected. JULY 2017 that happens to be my beautiful princess Diana @kidmodeldiana birth month. HE blessed me with the fruit of the womb. August 2017, Scan showed me we have been blessed with identical twins.... Then i burst into tears, I knelt down and THANKED HIM FOR ANSWERING MY PRAYERS. FOR WIPING MY TEARS AND SHOWING ME HE HAS NOT FORSAKEN ME EVEN WHEN I THOUGHT HE HAD. Fast forward to MARCH 16 2018, I welcomed My RAINBOW babies. Beautiful twin girls. Our God is never late. Olowo gbogboro I SAY THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME. I am proudly Mama Ejima. Iya Ibeji. My daughter is now a big sis. It can only be you LORD. HAPPY 32ND BIRTHDAY TO ME. See post below: PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Congratulations! Market Survey: We now drink garri even though we hustle hard - market women | NAIJ.com TV - on NAIJ.com TV. [embedded content] Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | What is the cheapest university in Canada for international students? A lot of international students looking to study abroad are interested in universities in Canada. This is because you can find a good number of low tuition universities in Canada compared to other countries. We've written on the list of cheap universities in Canada, but people still want to know more about the most affordable university in the country. As you continue reading, you will learn more about the cheapest university in Canada for international students. Canadian Universities are among the best destinations for Nigerians and other international students looking to study abroad. This is because unlike the UK, the USA, and Australia, some of Canadian universities are quite affordable. Surprisingly, there are universities with tuition fees less than 10,000 Dollars and some universities with tuition fee as low as 5,000 Dollars. There are quite a number of these affordable universities in Canada for international students. But among these very affordable universities, there is one which seems to stand out as the cheapest. Over the last few years, this university has been a destination for many international students. Memorial University of Newfoundland READ ALSO: Memorial University of Newfoundland graduate programs If you are looking for a cheap university in Canada, the cheapest higher educational institution in the country for international students is the Memorial University of Newfoundland. The tuition fee for an international student is from 5,000 Dollars to 8,000 Dollars depending on the programme and degree. The Memorial University of Newfoundland is a multi-disciplinary, multi-campus university. It is a public, teaching, and research university that is committed to excellence in everything. Although the institution is a multi-campus university, the main base of the higher school is based in St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The university has over 18,000 students from more than ninety (90) countries. The Memorial University of Newfoundland also has a small campus in England and other facilities outside Canada. Memorial University as it is popularly called is the largest university in Atlantic, Canada. The university is also one of the best comprehensive universities in Canada. The university is composed of six faculties and six schools that offer both undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. The faculties include Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, and Faculty of Science. The schools are School of Graduate Studies, School of Music, School of Nursing, School of harmacy, School of Human Kinetics, School of Recreation, and School of Social Work. The motto of the university is Provehito in Altum meaning Launch forth into the deep. How much does it cost to study at the Memorial University of Newfoundland? To study at Memorial University, you should consider not only the tuition fee but also other expenses such as accommodation, feeding, upkeep, and others. But the good news is that with all these you will still be looking at a cost not that expensive compared to other schools or other countries. Tuition 5,000 8,000 Dollars Cost of living (accommodation, feeding, transportation, etc.) 800 to 1500 Dollars (depending on your lifestyle) And the good thing about this is that international students are allowed to work for up to twenty hours per week during the semesters and can work full time during breaks and holidays. To learn more about the Memorial University of Newfoundland, visit the university website at http://www.mun.ca. You can find a list of the programmes the university offers by clicking on the Programs tab on their website. READ ALSO: Colleges in Canada for international students with low tuition fee [embedded content] Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Are there any NUC approved foreign universities in Nigeria? Are there any NUC approved foreign universities in Nigeria? We all know that NUC or National Universities Commission is the legal organization that controls all higher educational institutions in the country. Let us discuss this interesting topic and check University ranking in Nigeria along with all the universities approved by NUC in 2018. About NUC When we are talking about NUC, it is necessary to understand that National Universities Commission is an important body in Nigeria. It accredits and licenses all colleges and other institutions. It is responsible for approving all full-time and part-time programs all across the Nigerian States. It runs an official website, and it is great when you visit the site before applying to a private, state or federal institution in your area, to be sure that the program you are planning to study is officially approved and your documents after graduation will be formal, official, and legit. NUC approved universities If you go to http://nuc.edu.ng/, you will find out how many NUC approved universities are there in Nigeria: 41 Federal Universities 47 State Universities 74 private universities 9 distant learning centers 55 colleges and institutes (affiliations) This is the most recent information for 2018. As you can see, there are no NUC approved foreign universities in this list. Because NUC is responsible for Nigeria and higher educational institutions on its territory, it cannot approve foreign universities. This, however, doesnt mean that students from Nigeria are not allowed studying abroad. It is up to you where to choose your alma mater. Some people prefer going to Canada and finding a postgraduate program there, others select one of the universities of the UK, somebody goes to the United States of America, etc. Everything depends on your financial opportunities. It is surely more expensive to study in Europe and America, but some families believe that studying outside of Nigeria is better for their kids. Many citizens prefer staying in their home country and choosing the NUC-approved Nigerian university instead of traveling abroad, but there is no list of foreign universities on the official National University Commission website. READ ALSO: Best university to study electrical engineering in Nigeria - Top 10 NUC university ranking Many prosperous students search for university ranking in Nigeria to help themselves cease their choice of alma mater. NUC used to create its own rankings. However, the latest reports claim there was no NUC university ranking done in the last several years. In other words, you cannot rely on NUC ranking because it hasnt been updated for a while. This agency regulates the higher education sphere in Nigeria, and hopefully, it would rank universities in 2018 or 2019 to help thousands of students find their best college or institution based on the official ranking details. For now, you can only find all NUC approved universities, courses, and departments at the official National Universities Commissions website. You can also search for university ranking in Nigeria created by different sites and authors, but not by NUC. Anyone who considers making their alma mater choice by the ranking of universities found online are highly advised to verify whether that institution is officially approved by NUC before patronizing it. This is the only way how to protect yourself or your friends from entering the institution that is not accredited in Nigeria. READ ALSO: Top 100 Best Universities in Nigeria in 2018 [embedded content] Source: Naija.ng CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Killings: Adeniran, PDP chide Presidency for blaming opposition By Dirisu Yakubu ABUJA-Former Minister of Education and a chieftain of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Professor Tunde Adeniran and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Monday, berated the Muhammadu Buhari-led Presidency for shifting the blame of the killings in the Middle Belt region at the doorsteps of opposition politicians. In an exclusive chat with Vanguard on Monday, Adeniran pointed out that governments inability to protect Nigerians across the country is enough reason for the electorate to vote out the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration in 2019. He said: The federal government has been shamelessly shifting blames for its failures to fulfil its number one responsibility to the people. Any government that cannot secure citizens life and property has lost the legitimacy to govern. It should be voted out of office before more damages are done. On its part, the PDP urged government to brace up to its responsibility, rather than passing the buck, noting that accepting responsibility for failing to secure the people could bring about the needed help and assistance. In a statement issued yesterday, the party said: The allegation by the Buhari Presidency that the opposition is responsible for the failure of the APC-led federal government to stem the killings by marauders in the North Central has further confirmed that the Buhari administration is completely confused, incompetent and lacks the capacity to secure our nation. It is totally atrocious that instead of waking up to its responsibility or accepting failure and seeking help, President Muhammadu Buhari and his officials have been resorting to blame game in the face of daily bloodletting and mass killings in our country. In the last three years, the Buhari Presidency has placed blames on past administration, demographic changes, climate change, conflict over cattle routes, decreased farmland space against increased number of cattle and human population. Today, it is the opposition that is responsible for their failure to secure the people, stressing that instead of defining and facing the challenges confronting our nation, the Presidency is busy chasing straws thereby failing to nip in the bud a dangerous dimension in our national history. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Oyegun to recontest as APC holds Convention in Abuja Begins Sale of Forms Wednesday By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA The Planning Committee of the second National Convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has dismissed speculations that the May 14 event would hold in Lagos, saying the convention will instead, take place in Abuja, the nations capital. Buhari and Oyegun This was as it became clear at the weekend that the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun would be standing for reelection. Speaking at the weekend in Ilorin, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi said; I think the position that will be most contested is the national chairmanship of the party, which of course is zoned to the South-south zone of the party. I do not know who else is going to contest, but I know Chief John Odigie-Oyegun will re-contest for the second time, as the chairman of the APC. However, addressing journalists shortly after the inauguration of the 68-member committee Monday in Abuja, Gov. Badaru said, the sale of forms would start on Wednesday while the location of the convention is Abuja. He added that since the constitution of the party allows for a consensus, the delegates would still be asked to cast their votes in order to affirm any candidate that emerges by a consensus. There had been speculations that a section of party chieftains who are opposed to the current leadership of the party had concluded plans to ensure that the convention holds in Lagos while those sympathetic to the party leadership wanted it in Abuja. Inaugurating the committee, Chief Odigie-Oyegun said its membership is a reflection of varied interests in the party. The signs are clear that this is a party whose leadership is committed and dedicated, inspired by current events, to make sure that this party is out in political fighting mood for the 2019 elections. Everybody here has been specially chosen as everybody here represents major interests in the party. I am sure that everybody here is aware that the task you are going to undertake now is a major one. That we are having a very short, sharp elective convention for good reason. For months, we have been talking forward and backward and sometimes, not in very acceptable terms and language about the leadership of the party. No responsible organisation will allow these doubts to continue indefinitely. The earlier it is resolved, the better so that this party can move and forge ahead. So, we decided on a short and sharp period of elections from ward level until the final event on the 14th of May. Yes, we would have wanted probably a little more time, but I am a Catholic and I am sensitive to my religious observances. I am aware that the Muslim fast starts just a couple of days after the days we have set for the convention. That acted as a constraint. Even though some people said we could still go ahead, I said no because I fast too and I know that the first few days are the hardest and towards the end, a lot of our leaders will be heading for the pilgrimage. Meanwhile, we will be sitting with doubt about the APC and its leadership and the rest of them. So, let us get this thing out of the way as speedily as possible. The task that you have undertaken to perform is a heavy and tough one. The APC is known, in spite of induced controversies, for the cleanest primaries and congresses. Our last presidential primary was by all accounts one of the best ever held and I dare say, anywhere. It was a convention that was watched world wide and you are supposed to repeat the feat. I have no doubt that this one, given the controversies that has preceded it will also be a most watched convention. So, you have the task of producing a convention that is free, fair and provide a level playing field for anybody who wants to aspire to any position. I am passing the bulk over to you today. At the end of this exercise, I want to see a reunited APC under whatever leadership your exercise brings up. We have a tough election ahead of us and we must prime ourselves for that election. We must not cuddle ourselves with any false sense of being the party in power. Our population today is more aware of their rights than they have ever been before. So, as you proceed, please ensure that all these views and opinions are brought together into a one United APC, he added. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Police parade suspects that invade Magus farm house last December By Joseph Erunke ABUJA-THE Force Headquarters, Monday, paraded arrested three of the five suspects who invaded the farm house of Ibrahim Magu, Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in December, last year. The suspects had on December 12, allegedly invaded the farm house of Magu at Barkin Uza Karshi area of Abuja, killing a police Sergeant identified As Sergeant Haruna Sarkisian, on guard duty on the fateful day and carted away two AK47 rifles belonging to the police personnel. Two of the suspects said to be personnel of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF personnel, who were not paraded, according to the Force Headquarters, were currently facing disciplinary action with the Nigeria Air Force. Force Headquarters Deputy Public Relations Officer, Aremu Adeniran, who paraded the suspects identified as Inalegwu Omikpa, 36 years old gang leader;Francis Ochife, 38 years old and a dismissed NAF personnel, Vincent Michael, listed items recovered from them to include two AK47 rifles said to belong to the Nigeria Police, mobile phones, two magazines and 60 rounds of AK47 ammunition. According to Mr Adediran, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, consequent upon the development, directed the IGP Intelligence Response Team to carry out a discreet investigation into the invasion, arrest and bring perpetrators to justice. The principal suspects, he said, were arrested by the police team in their various criminal hideouts after an unrelenting trail on the perpetrators of the unfortunate incident by the personnel of the IGP Intelligence Response Team. Two Police AK47 rifles carted away from the slain police sergeant and one other police personnel on duty were recovered from the possession of a member of the gang, Inalegwu Omikpa, in his village home in Otukpo, Benue State, he said. They have confessed to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crime. Investigation is ongoing to arrest other members of the gang still at large. All suspects would be arraigned in court on completion of investigation, he added. Mr Adeniran said the renewed commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to guarantee protection of lives and property across the country remains unequivocal and unwavering. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Presidential panel sues Reps over planned probe The Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property has sued the House of Representatives over the green chambers plan to investigate the legality of the panels operations. House of Representatives A copy of the summons served on the house was made available on Monday in Abuja. The other plaintiff in the matter is Mr Okoi Obono-Obla, the Chairman of the panel while the other defendant is the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Activities of the Panel. The suit, which was instituted by Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), raised five questions for the court to determine. They are Whether the resolution passed by the house on March 22 to set up the ad hoc committee to investigate the modus operandi of the panel is not tantamount to exercise of executive/supervisory power over the plaintiffs. Whether the resolution passed by the house to investigate the legality of the panel is not tantamount to the exercise of judicial powers over the panel and its chairman. If the answer to the first question is in the positive, whether by the provisions of Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, the house and the committee are legally empowered to exercise executive/supervisory powers over the panel. If the answer to question two is in the positive, whether by provisions of Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, the house and the committee are legally empowered to exercise judicial powers over the panel and its chairman. And, if the answer to questions three and four is in the negative, whether the letter written to the chairman of the panel on March 28, compelling him to forward certain documents to the committee is not illegal, null and void. The panel, therefore, urged the court to declare that the Houses March 22 resolution to set up the ad hoc committee to investigate its modus operandi was tantamount to exercise of executive/supervisory power over it. The panel also asked the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the House from further taking any step against the plaintiff in respect of the resolution to investigate it. The panel also wants the court to declare that by provisions of Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, the house and the committee are not legally empowered to exercise judicial powers over it and its chairman. In an affidavit deposed to by Mr Yohanna Shankuk, a litigation clerk in Keyamos chambers, stated that the panel was constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari. He stated that the constitution of the panel was pursuant to the powers vested on the President by Section 1 of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act. Shankuk further deposed that the law, upon which the panel was set up and headed by the chairman, had not been repealed. The deponent maintained that the panel believed that if the court did not intervene in the matter, the house would wrongly proceed to exercise its powers under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution. (NAN) CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Home | News | General | Group express worry over release of Bt Cowpea, Bt Cotton seeds in 2018 ABUJA- A group called Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, has expressed worry over the proposed release of Bt Cowpea and Bt Cotton seeds before the end of 2018 in Nigeria. Reacting to the move, Director, HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, in a statement signed by Biosafety Project Officer, HOMEF, Joyce Ebebeinwe, raised concerns over the move alleged by the National Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA, announcing that these products will soon be to farmers. According to Bassey, there is no guarantee given by the agency about the environmental and health safety of the beans and cotton to be released by the end of 2018. Being an anti-GMO crusader he maintained that there were serious challenges GMOs pose in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune dysfunction and genetic disorders, therefore cautioned that Nigeria adopts precautionary principle based on strict measures to be applied and alleged that there were threats of irreversible damage and lack of full scientific certainty by the technology. While HOMEF commends the action of the federal government in establishing the Food Security Council, the group insists that it is pertinent that action is taken to ensure that foods are indeed safe. He said: While Nigerians face uncertainties over food security due to incessant herders-farmers clashes, another threat is dawning on the nation without much notice. The fact that President Muhammadu Buhari just inaugurated a Food Security Council underscores the centrality of food security to the country. However, without food safety there cannot be food security. On the 22nd of March, 2018, the country coordinator for Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) and National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) chieftain, Dr Rose Gidado, stated in an interview with newsmen in Abuja that Before the end of 2018, Bt Cowpea and Bt Cotton as biotechnology products in Nigeria would be in market. Our concerns with regard to this announcement and these products soon to be unleashed on an unsuspecting Nigerian public we have seen that there is no guarantee about the environmental and health safety of the beans and cotton to be released by the end of 2018. The OFAB/NABDA officer stated that, The pesticide tolerant cowpea will allow for a reduced use of pesticide. It is well known that pests have developed resistance to the Bt toxins and this resistance leads to an increased use of toxic chemicals which increases the damage to the environment. According to the HOMEF boss the way to improve economic situation for farmers is to invest in organic agriculture, provide farmers with extension services, needed infrastructure, good roads and access to land and loans including support for farmers, which is to invest in research and exploration of agroecology approach to the problems of pests and diseases. Similarly, Chairperson, the African Food Sovereignty Alliance, AFSA, Mariann Orovwuje, argued that Bt crops will not add value to the economy, rather there will be forced dependence on seed companies. Bt crops and other GM foods will not help Nigerias economy as the supporters of the technology allege. Rather, there will be forced dependence on corporate bodies for seeds. Farmers will have no right to reuse their seeds and agricultural production will be left in the hands of large scale industrial investors. The National Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, in June 2017 revealed that 24 export products from Nigeria were rejected by the European Union, EU, in the year 2016 for failing to meet standards, she stated. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Editor, James Makamba's latest attempt to recruit former Star FM current affairs presenter Acie Mutumanje aka Lumumba has backfired with the famous blogger rejecting the offer and exposing the shenanigans. In a recording of the attempt to lure Lumumba to discredit and rubbish the government using Mandiwanzira as the first target, Makamba urges extensive propaganda against Mandiwanzira to ensure he is fired before elections. [embedded content] "The first person we must deal with is Supa... He is the snake whose head must be crushed. We need to have Mnangagwa dismissing him. The problem is that he is being protected by (Vice President) Chiwenga but we must just go after him..." Makamba is heard saying in a two-hour recording which also takes a dig at the Vice President and his wife. In the conversation which is also joined by James Makamba's confidante Steve Kuipa -, Makamba breathes fire against Mandiwanzira alleging his purchase of shares for the government in Telecel from Russian firm Vimplecon as his crime. He also makes it clear in the recording that he has hired and is continuing to hire media personnel to do a hatchet job on President Mnangagwa government and his Ministers. In a stunning revelation in the recording, Makamba also reveals he has put some Parliamentarians on his payroll among them outspoken independent MP Temba Mliswa. Lumumba was offered 4000 Rands by Makamba as the first instalment in a series payments to. Incentives media attacks on Mandiwanzira and the Mnangagwa government. In a later text conversation between Lumumba and Makamba's son Zororo - the son confirms that Temba Mliswa is part of the people hired by his father to discredit Mandiwanzira and other key players of the government. Questioned by Lumumba why Temba would be getting a higher amount than he was being offered... ZORORO told Lumumba that Temba has a better relationship with his father and his role was bigger because of the Parliamentary privileges. In what is potentially the biggest media scandal to emerge in Zimbabwe, Makamba has been on a drive to recruit media executives and personnel to publish articles discrediting the government and especially ICT Minister Supa Mandiwanzira. Busines man James Makamba who recently returned from self-imposed exile on South Africa has been exposed as the kingpin behind a series of propaganda articles bent on tarnishing the image of the new govt under President ED Mnangagwa. Temba Mliswa has been on rampage discrediting appointments of Ozias Bvute, Peter Chingoka and Robin Vela to boards under the ministry of ICT and the NSSA board. Audio attached. H. Sithole "Cowards die before death visits them, did he not run away from his shadow or was it a real crime that he absconded from? The guilty are afraid, always afraid. If indeed Mukanya is a human rights defender and combatant, why did he not stand with the masses when the old era was running roughshod over them?" asked Tondorindo Chinehasha, dismissively, in Bulawayo24. Thomas Mapfumo is a human rights defender and combatant and has proven his mettle a thousand times and a thousand times again. He has stood up tall and dared to criticize the regime for riding roughshod over the people's rights and dreams when he was in the country and continued to do the same when he was outside the country. We must dismiss the idiotic definition of the only worthy human rights defenders as those who never left the country "and stood with the masses" with the contempt it deserves. Are we to discard all the contributions made by Mapfumo and hundreds of thousands of others, Zimbabweans and none-Zimbabweans alike, are making every day in the fight for a just Zimbabwe just because they are not in Zimbabwe? Even if Mapfumo had not lifted a finger to highlight the suffering of Zimbabweans from the minute he left the country; are we going to throw away all the good he has done in the past just because he is no long standing with the masses? People like Chinehasha are quick at making a mountain out of a mole hill, they want the fact that, unlike Mapfumo, they have never left the country turned into a virtue. Ask them to name even one thing they have accomplished in all their years standing with the masses and they cannot. "Indeed, cowards die early or is it not dead man walking? Brave men and women went through the 'ovens of trials and tribulations' and came out victorious, now you get the lily hearted coming out of their fox holes to claim the crown and mantel, hypocrites," continued Chinehasha. Operation restore legacy was about restoring the dictatorial powers to loot, rig elections and use wanton violence to Emmerson Mnangagwa and the others in the Join Operation Command (JOC), the junta composed of the top brass in the Police, Army, CIO and Prison Services and a select few from Zanu PF including Mnangagwa and Robert Mugabe. Mugabe wanted to give the dictatorial powers to his wife and the G40 members outside the junta. The November coup was about wrestling power from Mugabe back to Mnangagwa and the JOC junta. The removal of the dictator Mugabe does not mean the death of the dictatorship however much President Mnangagwa and his coup junta would like to (mis)present it as a transformative "new dispensation"! What "ovens of trials and tribulations" have the November 2017 coup plotters and supporters gone through? Indeed, it is Mnangagwa and the junta cabal who have masterminded and executed all the looting, vote rigging and political violence that has kept Mugabe and Zanu PF in power all these years. They are the ones who have ridden roughshod over our freedoms and human rights all these years and now they want us to treat them as heroes, our liberators from the Mugabe dictatorship. What is worse, we are not free; the corruption, vote rigging, denial of our freedoms and basic human rights will continue. The Zanu PF dictatorship is alive and well; they have rebranded it a new dispensation, otherwise nothing else has changed. If Thomas Mapfumo has returned to Zimbabwe thinking that Zimbabwe is now a democracy and not the pariah state ruled by thugs of Mugabe days, then he is wrong. The dictator Mugabe is gone but the dictatorship remained. Proof: the regime has kept all its dictatorial powers and it is gearing up to rig the elections. The number of new print magazines started in the U.S. fell by more than half in 2020 to 60, compared t I'm still too late to post it but whatever, this looks awesome. Reply Thread Link I'm so excited! I didn't expect the trailer to be this good. Reply Parent Thread Link the trailer is a bit weak tbh. it's like one single plot point that's already boring me halfway through a two minute trailer, let alone an entire movie. that said it *looks* really pretty and constance wu seems really charismatic and scene steal-y. i've never seen her in anything actually but she looks like she has a really great onscreen presence. Reply Thread Link she's the only good thing about fresh off the boat. Reply Parent Thread Link lucille soong would like a word... Reply Parent Thread Link hopefully they are saving the best for the movie, but yeah, this trailer really fizzled. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link They pretty much gave away the entire thing (not that the ending to this plot isn't predictable). But I'm going to see it in theaters anyway so people who think Asian actors/actresses can't sell at the box office can fuck off lol. Also, I'm here for shirtless scenes of the male lead. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link ITA, Rachel is kind of a bland character to me, and she could've been just as bland on screen. Reply Parent Thread Link it looks SO much better than i anticipated! cant wait to give em my coins. Reply Thread Link OK, great gowns, beautiful gowns. Reply Thread Link I'm a sucker for a good Rom Com. Reply Thread Link Definitely needs more Astrid, but overall this looks pretty fun. I'm glad Constance is breathing life into the character. Rachel and Nick were boring as fuck in the books Reply Thread Link IA on more Astrid. Yeah, Rachel seems funny in the trailer lol Reply Parent Thread Link Yes! I was looking for her and Charlie throughout the whole trailer. Reply Parent Thread Link Astrid is such a boring shitty character tho. Reply Parent Thread Link Wish Rhydian Vaughan was the male lead, but still very excited for the movie. Reply Thread Link Yeah, he'd be super hot!! Reply Parent Thread Link iirc he's the father of her college friend who she visits on the trip and they are wealthy. but not ~~young wealthy. Reply Parent Thread Link haha I understand your confusion In the book, Ken Jeongs family is new rich, and the main male character is old rich I actually think that comes across fine in the trailer. Plus, even if youre poor you can be friends with rich people ;). Reply Parent Thread Link And I don't remember her ever being presented as poor, it's just his family is so beyond rich even by rich standards lol. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link IA! At parts of the trailer it seemed more seductive/50 shades-ish...but then it would flip back to the actual book. Reply Parent Thread Link rachel isn't poor. she's still upper middle class Reply Parent Thread Link Rachael isn't poor. Reply Parent Thread Link lol this poster is hideous Reply Parent Thread Link I like the random peacock lmao Reply Parent Thread Link You don't like peacocks and disco balls?? Reply Parent Thread Link These are pretty accurate singapore-ish colours, girl sit yo ass down! Reply Parent Thread Link why is he looking over her shoulder Reply Parent Thread Expand Link omg I love it Reply Parent Thread Expand Link It looks like very other generic romantic comedy but I am there opening night simply for Constance Wu and Michelle Yeoh! Also, love seeing Awkwafina being cast more between this and Oceans 8. Reply Thread Link A FULL ASIAN CAST - INCLUDING A SHIT TON OF ASIAN AMERICANS. IM WATCHING THIS 5 TIMES EVEN THO THIS AINT MY TYPE OF MOVIE AND I AINT READ THE BOOK. Reply Thread Link LOL MTE!! Reply Parent Thread Link same Reply Parent Thread Link same Reply Parent Thread Link Same. Constance Wu is amazing too. Reply Parent Thread Link MTE but I read the books give me the damn movie Reply Parent Thread Link is that blonde girl doing a blaccent? g i r l i don't like the way this trailer was cut at all. like at all. the trailer makes it look cheap when the clips themselves don't. if that makes any sense. i wanted a bigger sense of drama. Reply Thread Link I loved her in the books so I'm shocked by her demeanor and that fucking awful put on "black accent". She was nothing like this in the books, now I'm worried about what else they fucked up. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah I don't remember her character being like that Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I think that's on Awkwafina tbh, like her whole shtick and even her name are... hmmm Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Mte, she definitely didn't come across that way. In the books she seemed superficial in a typical American way/like a socialite or well off youtuber or something lol. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link her accent is the only thing that turned me off of this trailer. shes trying SO hard. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, ngl I was a little shocked when I heard Peik Lin in the trailer. I guess Ill reserve judgment until I see the film but I dont know what direction the actress was going. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, that "blaccent" was ngl. Reply Parent Thread Link You know some producer was looking at the all-Asian cast and going like, Yeah, but her best friend and confidante needs to be ~sassy~! Reply Parent Thread Link that took me right out of it, wtf. Reply Parent Thread Link Constance is so pretty. omg Michelle Yeoh is perfect as nick's mom holy crap not feeling Rachel's friend, just based on this, altho i liked her in the book Reply Thread Link this looks amazing and fun and never have i seen so many asians in a hollywood trailer T_T ken jeong as her peik lin's father is amazing. gemma chan/michelle yeoh are too beautiful for words. Reply Thread Link The opulence is exactly what I imagined when I was reading the book. Reply Thread Link wow i didn't think it was normal for new mothers to be released from the hospital the same day they deliver? maybe it's different because it's them? Reply Thread Link She left the hospital the same day she had Charlotte too. The media's disrupting shit so that's probably one of the main reasons they sent her home early but apparently they do things differently in Britain and this is normal? Reply Parent Thread Link lool Reply Parent Thread Link lmao Reply Parent Thread Link ahahhaha Reply Parent Thread Link this is the only explanation i truly accept Reply Parent Thread Link Because all they have to do is have the baby and then pass it off. Reply Parent Thread Link It depends on how the birth went, how the baby's health is the mother's health, etc. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm convinced they sent a Katebot out with the baby. No way in hell would I have been able to clean up like that and walk out of the hospital a few hours after I gave birth. But maybe she had a really easy birth with no need for stitches or anything. Reply Parent Thread Link Its usually same day where I work (Nottingham). I had a section and went home the next day. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Most go home the very next day, so going home the day of isn't a stretch imo, especially if it was in the morning when it started. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Most women I know leave the hospital within the day. If the birth went smoothly, there is no reason for the mother and baby to stay Reply Parent Thread Link My sister did. She went to a birthing center instead of a hospital so I think they only have you there for a few hours after you give birth. Reply Parent Thread Link it's pretty normal, depending on how your labor went. i've known mothers to be released same day if there were no complications and everyone is healthy Reply Parent Thread Link its usual in the UK because they almost never give you actual anesthesia Reply Parent Thread Link It depends on how mother and baby do after delivery. Reply Parent Thread Link it's so insane to me that people care this much still, but then again we've never had royals. it sounds exhausting being a royal though, she's photo-ready like right after giving birth Reply Thread Link I wonder if they'll start using condoms now, they've already contribute to the world's overpopulation with all those mouths to feed. Reply Thread Link Will should just say goodbye to his balls as he's doing to his hair. Reply Parent Thread Link Ha, I thought the same thing--the more kids he has, the more hair he loses. Reply Parent Thread Link Not if they want all those welfare cheques to keep coming in! Reply Parent Thread Link I agree, I always picture him as a teenager with his poofy blonde hair. Reply Parent Thread Link I love how George was not the least bit interested in waving to the press, but Charlotte was more than happy to, including throwing in an over-the-shoulder wave as they walked inside. Reply Thread Link Charlote is so QT and George always looks like he's over it Reply Parent Thread Link Well, that was fast! My cousin's wife had a baby last month and she staid 3 days at the hospital. Reply Thread Link I know right, woman cleaning up and getting up like ..five hours after giving birth? Hopefully it was easy labour. Reply Parent Thread Link I am just thinking of the torn up lower parts and I am like shocked Edited at 2018-04-23 09:18 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Well, they don't HAVE to be torn up. Reply Parent Thread Link It feels like we're one step closer to the wedding now that the other big milestone has finally happened. Just twenty-some days left to go! And this made me laugh so hard - the second couple was just like "fuck it" and showed the baby off to the media Two non-royal couples left the Lindo Wing with their newborns and were greeted by photographers and journalists from all over the world. https://t.co/m3CFsJxz1J E! News (@enews) April 23, 2018 The baby's cute! And calling it now that his name is Arthur Philip Henry.It feels like we're one step closer to the wedding now that the other big milestone has finally happened. Just twenty-some days left to go!And this made me laugh so hard - the second couple was just like "fuck it" and showed the baby off to the media Reply Thread Link what is this from?? i feel like ive been seeing it forever Reply Parent Thread Expand Link lol i remember this i know this girl from college Reply Parent Thread Link Haha why not? Free baby photos taken by professional photographers. Reply Parent Thread Link I hope that is the name, it's cute. Please no Albert. Reply Parent Thread Link so cute and a story they can tell forever Reply Parent Thread Link Part me of me really enjoys that the press still took photos. Lol. Reply Parent Thread Link Awww, so cute that the normal people and their bbs got papped Reply Parent Thread Link Line of Succession The Queen | Prince Charles | Prince William | Prince George | Princess Charlotte | #royalbaby | Prince Harry | Simon Cowell | Hugh Grant | Po of the Teletubbies | Rowan Atkinson | Helen Mirren | A cup of tea | Kanye West McCrow, Adam (@admccrow) April 23, 2018 Reply Thread Link I hope Kanye gets a chance to rule, imagine his kingdom. Reply Parent Thread Link lol at the rate that his tweets have spanned the length of the political spectrum, I wouldn't be surprised if we see pro-Monarkanye soon :P Reply Parent Thread Link there are legit like a couple thousand people in the line of succession because nobody ever thought it would be a good idea to restrict it. all the other monarchies have at most like 10, and meanwhile britain is at 2,000 or so Reply Parent Thread Link no madonna?? hdu she's just as posh and deserving! /s Reply Parent Thread Link Dude, PLUGS Reply Thread Link Unsuspecting couple have new baby - and find the worlds press waiting outside. pic.twitter.com/fWcBBefLDX James Longman (@JamesAALongman) April 23, 2018 Reply Thread Link Are there ever really any babies that don't look a bit rodent-y at birth? Reply Thread Link The best statement look to have Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, lemme go get all dolled up to wave to a bunch of trolls with cameras right after I just pushed a human out of my wrecked vagina... Reply Thread Link ikr. i'm pretty sure that after pushing a human out of my body, i'd freaking tear someone's throat out with my own bare hands if they shoved a camera in my face. Reply Parent Thread Link A van plows into pedestrians in Toronto, killing a least 4 and injured dozen people ... and every Canadian news site this was front news for a least over 1 hr after it happened. Both CNN and BBC reported before the Canadian news ... so who give a fuck about this useless news. Reply Thread Link I thought we didn't know the extent of injuries yet? That was the latest I read on Twitter. I'm glad the driver is in custody Reply Parent Thread Link I was really pissed. I get why the media would cover this on a regular day, but actual breaking news happened and this remained the focus. Reply Parent Thread Link well kate looks great. William just needs to shave his head or something. his hair looks so terrible. I still cant believe he used to be so good looking. like, what happened. honestly. hopefully all the children look like kate. at work we were talking about british royalty and line of succession and I was wondering if anyone had any docs to maybe rec about this to watch that go back into earlier centuries? I was told to watch The Crown which ive been meaning to get to just never actually do. Reply Thread Link I hope all the kids look like Kate too, though I don't find Pippa or James attractive so IDK about those Middleton genes Reply Parent Thread Link Charlotte and George look like the queen both I hope they resemble Kate more as they age Reply Parent Thread Link (Late) Idk how far back you want to go, but Simon Schama's "A History of Britain" is a really good doc series (ten eps, I believe). It spans the Roman occupation all the way to WW2 and focuses largely on the nobility/royalty inconjunction with big things in their respective time periods (for example, Richard II and the Black Death. I've never seen this series on any streaming site, but your local library system probs has it on DVD. Reply Parent Thread Link oh wow thank you! my library has it and i just put a hold on it! thank you! Reply Parent Thread Link omg how sweet is Charlotte. George is already over all of it, I love him. That sassy George instagram is so good. Reply Thread Link Do you happen to have a link to that instagram? It sounds funny. lol Reply Parent Thread Link ASSE Honors 2018 SPY, Safety Educator of the Year Gary Winn, Ph.D., CHST, is the 2018 William E. Tarrants Outstanding Safety Educator and Tim Page-Bottorff, CSP, CET, is the 2018 Edgar Monsanto Queeny Safety Professional of the Year. The American Society of Safety Professionals has announced Gary Winn, Ph.D., CHST, is its 2018 William E. Tarrants Outstanding Safety Educator and Tim Page-Bottorff, a safety trainer, mentor, and motivational speaker who is often called a "public utilities safety guru," is its 2018 Edgar Monsanto Queeny Safety Professional of the Year. Both are to be honored during the Safety 2018 Professional Development Conference & Exposition, June 3-6 in San Antonio. 2018 Outstanding Safety Educator Winn is a professor of safety management in the Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering at West Virginia University. ASSE's announcement said his Managing Construction Safety class is so popular with civil engineering undergraduates that it has had a wait list since 1997, and he is the leader of the school's safety management master's degree program and occupational safety and health doctorate. "Dr. Winn demonstrates the principles he espouses, in advising students, engaging external stakeholders to enhance student career opportunities and in the excellence of his teaching," said Kenneth R. Currie, Ph.D., P.E., department chairperson and professor at West Virginia University. "I've enjoyed his senior leadership in the development of our ABET assessment protocol, ensuring that our safety management program is always improving." ASSE annually honors an occupational safety and health professional who demonstrates outstanding achievement in safety education. The award is named after Dr. William E. Tarrants, a pioneer in safety education who was an ASSE Fellow and president (1977-78). 2018 Safety Professional of the Year Page-Bottorff, CSP, CET, is a senior consultant at SafeStart who transitioned from the U.S. Marine Corps. He has been an ASSE member since 2001 and serves as Region 2 vice president. A far-right group launched a violent attack overnight on migrants staging a sit-in protest on the Greek island of Lesbos, injuring around a dozen people, police said Monday. The violence erupted late Sunday after members of the radical Patriotic Movement gathered on the central square of the island's main city Mytilene, where some 200 Afghan asylum-seekers launched the demonstration last week against their squalid living conditions. Nevertheless, the Greek government on Monday insisted that asylum seekers remain on the islands while their applications were processed. The situation on Lesbos escalated as members of the Patriotic Movement threw bottles and lit flares, shouting slogans like "burn them alive" and "throw them in the sea". Despite a police presence, tensions spiralled further when leftwing activists arrived to defend the migrants and started fighting with the far-right supporters. The clashes raged all night until security forces used tear gas to disperse the crowd and evacuate the square, forcing the Afghans to return to their overcrowded camps. A dozen asylum-seekers were lightly hurt and had to be taken to hospital, police said. The mayor of Lesbos, Spyros Galinos, accused police of intervening too late, in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and opposition leaders. Galinos also criticised the government's "inertia and wrong handling" of the migrant crisis, which has "stranded thousands of people in miserable conditions in a city of 27,000". The prime minister is due to visit Lesbos, currently home to some 6,500 migrants -- far exceeding the 3,000 spots available in the camps. More than one million people, mainly fleeing war in Syria, crossed to Greece from Turkey in 2015 after the onset of the bloc's worst migration crisis since World War II. The influx has been sharply cut since the European Union signed a controversial deal with Turkey in 2016 to send back migrants. However, more than 13,000 migrants are still languishing in camps on five Greek islands until their asylum claims can be processed. This has fuelled despair and sparked protests and outbreaks of violence. Greece, a country of 11 million people, recorded 58,661 asylum applications last year, making it the member state with the highest number of asylum seekers per capita, according to official data. The government ordered asylum seekers to remain on the Aegean islands while their asylum applications are being processed, overturning a court decision that would have allowed them to move around. "Asylum seekers arriving on the islands will be given a note stating that they must remain on site to facilitate the follow-up of their application," a source from the migration ministry told AFP. That overturned a ruling last week by Greece's highest administrative court, the Council of State, that had lifted the restriction on freedom of movement imposed on the asylum seekers. Repatriated Filipino migrant workers from Kuwait being briefed at the airport. MANILA, Philippines The last batch of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who availed of Kuwaits amnesty program has arrived in Manila. Onboard Qatar Airways, 216 OFWs from Kuwait landed at the NAIA Terminal 1, around 6 am, Monday. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that this is the last batch of Filipino repatriates who availed the Kuwaiti governments extended amnesty program that ended on Sunday. Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) ASec. Mocha Uson and Consul General Pendosina Lomondot were among the officials who boarded the flight along with the repatriates. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, together with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) officials, and foreign affairs officials, welcomed the returning OFWs at the airport and handed out financial aid to each. Cayetano said that even though the amnesty program has ended, the Philippine government will continue the repatriation of abused and undocumented Filipino workers in accordance with the order of President Rodrigo Duterte. There are an estimated 10,800 undocumented OFWs in Kuwait while the total number of repatriates who availed the amnesty is over 5,000 only since February 11. Asher Cadapan | UNTV News & Rescue The post Final batch of repatriated OFWs in Kuwait arrives at NAIA appeared first on UNTV News. The Group of Seven industrialized nations presented a stern common front against Russian aggression Sunday at their foreign ministers conference in Toronto. But for all the talk of resisting the "malign activities" of Vladimir Putin's Kremlin, Washington's European partners are still concerned that President Donald Trump will tear up the Iran nuclear deal. And all the G7 partners remain anxious for clues as to how the unpredictable US leader will handle a planned disarmament summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. "There was G7 unity on opposing Russia's malign behavior," a senior US official told reporters, citing Moscow's failure to prevent Syrian forces from using chemical weapons and interference in Western elections. The final joint statement from the talks will not be released until Monday, but officials from other nations confirmed that the ministers had taken a tough line on Russia's alleged crimes. France's President Emmanuel Macron, who begins a series of meetings with Trump on Monday, said in an interview that the West must stand up to Putin's attacks on western democracy, including the spreading of "fake news." "He's strong and smart. But don't be naive. He's obsessed by interference in our democracies," Macron told "Fox News Sunday" before setting off for Washington. "That's why I do believe that we should never be weak with President Putin. When you are weak, he uses it." Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland hosted the meeting and invited her G7 colleagues plus the European Union's representative to a working lunch to discuss the crisis in Ukraine, where Russian-backed rebels have seized an eastern region. Later, she said G7 members had "reaffirmed our unity in support of Ukraine and a rules-based international order where state sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by all." - Deadly nerve agent - G7 capitals are also worried about Russia's support for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's regime in his country's brutal civil war and alleged attempt to kill a defector with a nerve agent on British soil. The senior US official stressed that this month's joint US, French and British air strikes against Assad's chemical sites were "not a one-off but was part of a sustained allied campaign to reestablish the deterrent against chemical weapons, and that includes using military means again if necessary." But, while the Western allies appeared united in their resolve to face down Russia, the European partners remain concerned that Trump may tear up the 2015 Iran nuclear deal next month. Trump has threatened to abandon the accord unless European capitals agree to supplement it with tougher controls on Iran's missile program and future ability to enrich nuclear fuel. His partners maintain that the implementation of the agreement under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) represents the best way to prevent Tehran from seeking the atomic bomb. "We've been negotiating with the Europeans," a senior US official accompanying Acting Secretary of State John Sullivan told reporters. "We've made a great deal of progress but we're not there yet." During a day-long series of talks, Sullivan stepped aside for a brief bilateral meeting with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. As the pair sat down in the office of the chancellor of the University of Toronto, Johnson was heard telling his US counterpart "one of the things we are concerned about now is the JCPOA and where that is headed." A French diplomatic source told AFP that: "Several G7 ministers, led by the French, made a strong appeal to the United States... As it stands, we must not throw the JCPOA out with the bath water." The Europeans are willing to work on a supplement to the deal which would not abrogate it, and would toughen controls on Iran's missile program but "not give Iran a pretext to pull out, which would have disastrous consequences." The ministers also discussed North Korea. Last month, in one of the most surprising twists in world affairs for decades, Trump accepted an invitation from Pyongyang's autocrat to a summit to discuss to discuss his nuclear disarmament. - Tougher nuclear controls - The G7 members, including frontline state Japan, support efforts to convince Kim to end his efforts to develop a strategic nuclear missile arsenal, but are also keen to hear more from the US side. Kim is sure to make wide demands of the West, and allies are keen to ensure that Trump does not give too much away to secure a historic deal. After the foreign affairs meeting, the ministers will be joined on Monday by their domestic security counterparts and discussions will be widened to encompass counterterrorism and cyber security. File Photo: Embassy of the Philippine in Kuwait Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano has confirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuwait recently summoned Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Pedro Villa. The Kuwaiti government, according to Cayetano, wanted to make sure that the efforts of the Philippine diplomatic staff to rescue distressed Filipino workers in the Gulf state are in accordance with the Kuwaiti law and that the Philippines is not abusing its labor system. Cayetano said there is an urgent need to rescue all distressed OFWs in Kuwait due to incidents of serious abuses and threats. He made sure his department is moving in coordination with the Kuwaiti authorities. Kasi these are cases na may grave danger at pwedeng life or death ang pinag-uusapan sa OFW kapag hinintay mo ang normal process, may katagalan, Cayetano explained. (There are cases that involve grave danger and potentially life threatening for the OFWif you wait for the normal process, it will take time.) Nevertheless, the secretary believes the misunderstanding between the two countries will soon be settled. We will do our best to clarify all of these and to assure our friendship with the Kuwait government and that our people there are safe. In the same manner that were assuring them na ang (that their) national state nila dito sa Pilipinas (in the Philippines) will be kept safe and will be protected, he said. Cayetano also stressed the importance of listening to the concerns of the Kuwaiti government before signing the bilateral agreement between the Philippines and Kuwait and also before lifting the total ban on employment of OFWs in the Gulf state. Cayetano will meet with Ambassador Villa to further verify the situation of OFWs in Kuwait in connection with the issue. Asher Cadapan Jr. | UNTV News & Rescue The post Kuwait govt questions PH Embassys rescue efforts for distressed OFWs appeared first on UNTV News. MANILA, Philippines Sorry sa pagkakamali ng tropa (Sorry the troops mistake). This was the statement released by Rino Ka Oto Colaste, spokesperson of Guerilla Front 16 of the New Peoples Army for the attack last week in Barangay Lahi, Gigaquit, Surigao Del Norte that killed one and injured two others. The incident last Wednesday, April 18, killed Jepti Acido, a pastor of Jehovahs Witnesses while two of his companions were wounded. Ka Oto said they are conducting their own investigation on the incident to find out why their men attacked civilians instead of the military in the area. The Guerrilla Front 16 vowed to shoulder the needs of the victims families but the Armed Forces of the Philippines said no amount of money can pay the loss and damages the group has caused. Hindi mababayaran ng pera. Hindi mababayaran ng kahit anong bagay ang buhay ng isang tao. Iyon ang ikinalulungkot namin, said Capt. Al Anthony Pueblas, Spokesperson of 402nd Infantry Brigade, PA. (Money cannot redeem what happened. Nothing can equal the value of a human life. Its what saddens us.) Meanwhile, Gigaquit Mayor Elvira Egay condemned the attack. The attack on non-combatants was uncalled for and a clear violation of human rights, said Mayor Egay in a statement. The AFP is now preparing for the charges to be filed against the rebels. Meron na tayong coordination sa kapulisan. At the same time para serve po natin sa family noong victim ang justice na hinihingi nila, of course, iyon ding pagpasa ng kaso doon sa mga NPA na may gawa nito, Capt. Pueblas said. (We are coordinating with the police. At the same time we are filing charges against the NPA rebels behind the incident so that the victims family can have the justice theyve been clamoring for.) Raymond Octobre | UNTV News & Rescue The post NPA sorry for attack in Surigao del Norte appeared first on UNTV News. The Burney Relief, which is believed to represent either Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war, or her older sister Ereshkigal, Queen of the underworld (c. 19th or 18th century BC). Credit: BabelStone Sexuality was central to life in ancient Mesopotamia, an area of the Ancient Near East often described as the cradle of western civilisation roughly corresponding to modern-day Iraq, Kuwait, and parts of Syria, Iran and Turkey. It was not only so for everyday humans but for kings and even deities. Mesopotamian deities shared many human experiences, with gods marrying, procreating and sharing households and familial duties. However when love went wrong, the consequences could be dire in both heaven and on earth. Scholars have observed the similarities between the divine "marriage machine" found in ancient literary works and the historical courtship of mortals, although it is difficult to disentangle the two, most famously in so-called "sacred marriages", which saw Mesopotamian kings marrying deities. Divine sex Gods, being immortal and generally of superior status to humans, did not strictly need sexual intercourse for population maintenance, yet the practicalities of the matter seem to have done little to curb their enthusiasm. Sexual relationships between Mesopotamian deities provided inspiration for a rich variety of narratives. These include Sumerian myths such as Enlil and Ninlil and Enki and Ninhursag, where the complicated sexual interactions between deities was shown to involve trickery, deception and disguise. In both myths, a male deity adopts a disguise, and then attempts to gain sexual access to the female deityor to avoid his lover's pursuit. In the first, the goddess Ninlil follows her lover Enlil down into the Underworld, and barters sexual favours for information on Enlil's whereabouts. The provision of a false identity in these myths is used to circumnavigate societal expectations of sex and fidelity. Sexual betrayal could spell doom not only for errant lovers but for the whole of society. When the Queen of the Underworld, Ereshkigal, is abandoned by her lover, Nergal, she threatens to raise the dead unless he is returned to her, alluding to her right to sexual satiety. Ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing Dumuzid being tortured in the Underworld by the galla demons. Credit: British Museum The goddess Ishtar makes the same threat in the face of a romantic rejection from the king of Uruk in the Epic of Gilgamesh. It is interesting to note that both Ishtar and Ereshkigal, who are sisters, use one of the most potent threats at their disposal to address matters of the heart. The plots of these myths highlight the potential for deceit to create alienation between lovers during courtship. The less-than-smooth course of love in these myths, and their complex use of literary imagery, have drawn scholarly comparisons with the works of Shakespeare. Love poetry Ancient authors of Sumerian love poetry, depicting the exploits of divine couples, show a wealth of practical knowledge on the stages of female sexual arousal. It's thought by some scholars that this poetry may have historically had an educational purpose: to teach inexperienced young lovers in ancient Mesopotamia about intercourse. It's also been suggested the texts had religious purposes, or possibly magical potency. Several texts write of the courtship of a divine couple, Inanna (the Semitic equivalent of Ishtar) and her lover, the shepherd deity Dumuzi. The closeness of the lovers is shown through a sophisticated combination of poetry and sensuousness imageryperhaps providing an edifying example for this year's Bad Sex in Fiction nominees. In one of the poems, elements of the female lover's arousal are catalogued, from the increased lubrication of her vulva, to the "trembling" of her climax. The male partner is presented delighting in his partner's physical form, and speaking kindly to her. The feminine perspective on lovemaking is emphasised in the texts through the description of the goddess' erotic fantasies. These fantasies are part of the preparations of the goddess for her union, and perhaps contribute to her sexual satisfaction. Female and male genitals could be celebrated in poetry, the presence of dark pubic hair on the goddess' vulva is poetically described through the symbolism of a flock of ducks on a well-watered field or a narrow doorway framed in glossy black lapis-lazuli. The representation of genitals may also have served a religious function: temple inventories have revealed votive models of pubic triangles, some made of clay or bronze. Votive offerings in the shape of vulvae have been found in the city of Assur from before 1000 BC. In ancient Mesopotamia, a goddess vulva could be compared to a flock of ducks. Credit: Shutterstock.com Happy goddess, happy kingdom Divine sex was not the sole preserve of the gods, but could also involve the human king. Few topics from Mesopotamia have captured the imagination as much as the concept of sacred marriage. In this tradition, the historical Mesopotamian king would be married to the goddess of love, Ishtar. There is literary evidence for such marriages from very early Mesopotamia, before 2300 BC, and the concept persevered into much later periods. The relationship between historical kings and Mesopotamian deities was considered crucial to the successful continuation of earthly and cosmic order. For the Mesopotamian monarch, then, the sexual relationship with the goddess of love most likely involved a certain amount of pressure to perform. Some scholars have suggested these marriages involved a physical expression between the king and another person (such as a priestess) embodying the goddess. The general view now is that if there were a physical enactment to a sacred marriage ritual it would have been conducted on a symbolic level rather than a carnal one, with the king perhaps sharing his bed with a statue of the deity. Agricultural imagery was often used to describe the union of goddess and king. Honey, for instance, is described as sweet like the goddess' mouth and vulva. A love song from the city of Ur between 2100-2000 BC is dedicated to Shu-Shin, the king, and Ishtar: "In the bedchamber dripping with honey let us enjoy over and over your allure, the sweet thing. Lad, let me do the sweetest things to you. My precious sweet, let me bring you honey." Sex in this love poetry is depicted as a pleasurable activity that enhanced loving feelings of intimacy. This sense of increased closeness was considered to bring joy to the heart of the goddess, resulting in good fortune and abundance for the entire communityperhaps demonstrating an early Mesopotamian version of the adage "happy wife, happy life". The diverse presentation of divine sex creates something of a mystery around the causes for the cultural emphasis on cosmic copulation. While the presentation of divine sex and marriage in ancient Mesopotamia likely served numerous purposes, some elements of the intimate relationships between gods shows some carry-over to mortal unions. While dishonesty between lovers could lead to alienation, positive sexual interactions held countless benefits, including greater intimacy and lasting happiness. Explore further Clay tablets from the cradle of civilisation provide new insight to the history of medicine This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. The new blanket-hermit crab species P. confusa. Credit: DST/NRF ACEP - Spatial Solutions project team At the turn of the twentieth century, two independent marine scientistsJR Henderson in 1888, and A Alcock in 1899, described two unusual blanket-hermit crabs from the Indo-West Pacific. Unlike other hermit crabs, these extraordinary crustaceans do not search for empty shells to settle in for protection. Instead, they have developed a symbiotic relationship with sea anemones to cover their soft bellies. To do this, the crabs use highly specialized chelipeds to pull back and forth the anemone's tissue to cover their soft bodies and heads whenever necessarymuch like hiding under a blanket. Among the numerous specimens collected during the famous HMS Challenger Expedition in 1874, there were two hermit crab specimens obtained from the Philippines. They amazed Henderson with their unusual physical characters, including an abdomen bent on itself rather than spirally curved, and the lack of any trace of either a shell or other kind of protective structure for their body. As a result, in 1888, JR Henderson established a brand new genus and new species for it as Paguropsis typicus. The ending of the species name was subsequently grammatically corrected to Paguropsis typica. A decade later, unaware of the previous discovery, A Alcock stumbled upon hundreds of hermit crab specimens off southern India, which exhibited quite spectacular behaviour. Having observed their symbiotic relations with sea anemones, the researcher also formally described in 1899 a new species and a new genus for his specimens. A blanket-hermit crab grasping an anemone. Credit: T-Y Chan However, shortly thereafter and upon learning of JR Henderson's earlier work, A Alcock concluded that his hermit crab specimens and those of JR Henderson must be one and the same species, so the two scientific names were officially synonymized in 1901 in a publication with his colleague AF McArdle, with JR Henderson's name taking precedence as required by the principle of priority set forth in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Now, 130 years later, an international team of scientists, led by invertebrate zoologist Dr. Rafael Lemaitre of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, USA, not only found that A Alcock's Indian specimens were indeed a separate species, leading to the resurrection of its name as Paguropsis andersoni, but that blanket-hermit crabs are not as rare as previously thought. In their recent publication in the open access journal ZooKeys, the biologists described a total of five new species and a new genus of closely related blanket-hermit crabs. Furthermore, they expect that other species are to be discovered, since there are many vast marine shelf areas and deep-sea habitats spread across the Indo-West Pacific yet to be sampled. To develop their exceptional symbiosis with sea anemones, the blanket-hermit crabs have obviously needed just as extraordinary evolutionary adaptations. Perhaps the most remarkable of these are their specialized chelate fourth legs that allow for the crustaceans to effectively grab and stretch the thin-walled body of the anemones to cover themselves. For five of the species, the scientists report and unusual grasping shape for this cheliped that is reminiscent of bear claws, while in the other two the shape resembles ice-block tongs. A blanket-hermit crab 'wearing' an anemone. Credit: T-Y Chan Unfortunately, the identity of the sea anemone species involved in the symbiotic relationship with any of the studied blanket-hermit crabs is currently uncertain, and their biology remains unknown. So far, the genus described by JR Henderson as Paguropsis, contains five species distributed in the subtropical and tropical Indo-West Pacific, and living at depths ranging from 30 to 1125 m. These include the two species discovered in the 19th century, and three new species, one of which, Paguropsis gigas, is the largest known blanket-hermit crab that reaches a body size of 15 cm when fully stretched (a large size by hermit crab standards). For two of the newly discovered hermit crabs, the new genus Paguropsina is erected to reflect the numerous similarities between the two species and their Paguropsis relatives. The Latin suffix -ina refers to the comparatively smaller size of the two species. Both blanket-hermit species of Paguropsina are found in the subtropical and tropical western Pacific at depth between 52 and 849 m. "Here there is no shell to play the part of 'Sir Pandarus of Troy,' but the sea-anemone settles upon the hinder part of the young hermit-crab's tail, and the two animals grow up together, in such a way that the spreading zoophytes form a blanket which the hermit can either draw completely forwards over its head or throw half-back, as it pleases," Alcock once eloquently described his marine discovery. Explore further New hermit crab uses live coral as its home More information: Rafael Lemaitre et al, A revision of "blanket-hermit crabs" of the genus Paguropsis Henderson, 1888, with the description of a new genus and five new species (Crustacea, Anomura, Diogenidae), ZooKeys (2018). Journal information: ZooKeys Rafael Lemaitre et al, A revision of "blanket-hermit crabs" of the genus Paguropsis Henderson, 1888, with the description of a new genus and five new species (Crustacea, Anomura, Diogenidae),(2018). DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.752.23712 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Coral reefs on the precipice of collapse may get a conservation boost from the gene-editing tool known as CRISPR, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and their collaborators. The scientists found, for what appears to be the first time, definitive evidence that the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool could be a potent resource for coral biologists. Phillip Cleves, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford, is a geneticist whose efforts to delineate gene function in animals resides squarely within the marine invertebrate realmnamely, corals. "Up until now, there hasn't been a way to ask whether a gene whose expression correlates with coral survival actually plays a causative role," Cleves said. "There's been no method to modify genes in coral and then ask what the consequences are." The study will be published online April 23 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Cleves is the lead author. John Pringle, professor of genetics at Stanford, and Mikhail Matz, PhD, associate professor of integrative biology at the University of Texas-Austin, share senior authorship. The damage of coral bleaching In the late 1990s, the ocean's coral reefs experienced the first big wave of something called coral bleaching, a bleak event in which ocean conditionsmost prominently higher temperatureskill off or "bleach" parts of the reef, turning once-vibrant colors bland and damaging the entire reef ecosystem. Cleves' work, conducted in collaboration with researchers at UT-Austin and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, sprouted from a conversation at an international coral meeting that aimed to concretely understand the genes behind coral survival. Are there some genes that render corals more resilient to spikes in ocean temperatures? Or perhaps a gene that helps establish new coral colonies? Scientists had hypothesized answers to these questions, but to truly know, Cleves wanted to create a technique that could allow coral biologists to answer such questions more rigorously. "We want to use CRISPR-Cas9 with the express interest to start understanding what genes are critical to coral biology," Cleves said. CRISPR is a fast, effective tool that can be used to target and modify DNA sequences. "Breaking" genes to reveal the effects on the organism is a concept that's been the linchpin of decades of molecular biology. Now, CRISPR is helping speed up the process in many diverse animal models, but applying it to corals (don't be fooledcorals are animals, not plants) has proven tricky due in part to their infrequent reproduction. And until Cleves and his collaborators conducted this research, the use of the gene-editing tool had never been reported in corals. "We hope that future experiments using CRISPR-Cas9 will help us develop a better understanding of basic coral biology that we then can apply to predictand perhaps amelioratewhat's going to happen in the future due to a changing climate," Cleves said. Spawning by moonlight Corals pose a bit of a problem when it comes to CRISPR because of their spawning cycles. Most corals, including the Acropora millepora that was the focus of the study, breed only once or twice a year, during October and November in the Great Barrier Reef, cued by the rise of a full moon. During this fleeting window, corals release their sex cells into the ocean. When the eggs and sperm meet, they form zygotes, or fertilized single cells. During the narrow time window before these cells begin to divide, a researcher can introduce CRISPR by injecting a mixture of reagents into these zygotes to induce precise mutations in the coral DNA. Retrieving the zygotes is quite a logistical challenge, Cleves acknowledged. Fortunately, his collaborators in Australia have the timing down pat; they can predict when the moon spawn will occur within a couple of days, allowing them to take coral samples from the reef to gather zygotes for experimentation. Cleves traveled to Australia to begin experimenting with CRISPR, targeting three coral genes: red fluorescent protein, green fluorescent protein, and fibroblast growth factor 1a, a gene that is thought to help regulate new coral colonization. Using CRISPR, the scientists made a type of genetic tweak that knocked out the genes, rendering them incapable of functioning. In the case of the red and green fluorescent proteins, determining if CRISPR worked would be easylike seeing lights switch off. Or so they hoped. However, it turns out that there are multiple copies of red and green fluorescent-protein genes. So knocking out one copy didn't put a stop to the glow altogether. "Although we are not sure we saw convincing loss of fluorescence, DNA sequencing showed us that we were able to molecularly target both the red and the green fluorescent protein genes," Cleves said. This showed the researchers that, in one go, CRISPR could successfully alter multiple genes if the two were similar enougha boon to genetic manipulation, as genes are often duplicated during evolution. As for the third gene, fibroblast growth factor 1a, which only has one gene copy, post-CRISPR sequencing showed success: in some embryos, the gene was largely mutated, suggesting that CRISPR will work well to modify single-copy coral genes. Cleves said the ultimate goal is not to engineer a genetically resilient super-coral that could populate the oceansuch a feat is currently implausible and would raise significant ethical questions. "Right now, what we really want to do is figure out the basic mechanisms of how coral works and use that to inform conservation efforts in the future," he said. "Maybe there are natural gene variants in coral that bolster their ability to survive in warmer waters; we'd want to know that." 'An all-hands-on-deck moment' Although the current work is a proof-of-principle study, now Cleves and others are beginning to tinker with genes that are more ecologically pertinent. And he hopes that others do the same. "I want this paper to provide an early blueprint of the types of genetic manipulations that scientists can start doing with corals," Cleves said. In the next few years, he hopes to see other groups knocking out coral genes potentially involved in bleaching, skeletal growth, or the critical symbiosis with the algae that provide most of the corals' energy. Today, as much as 27 percent of the global reef ecosystem has been lost to a combination of climate change and human activitiesand Cleves is feeling the urgency. "This is an all-hands-on-deck moment," he said. "If we can start classifying what genes are important, then we can get an idea of what we can do to help conservation, or even just to predict what going to happen in the future. And I think that makes this a really exciting time to be a basic biologist looking at the genetics of coral." Explore further Comparison of the genomes of two species of coral demonstrates unexpected genetic diversity A composite of images of the Sentinel-3 satellite of the European Space Agency's Copernicus programme, which will monitor Earth's oceans. Europe is set to launch a satellite on Wednesday to keep a close eye on Earth's oceans, under siege from pollution and damage caused by humans. Dubbed Sentinel-3B, the orbiter will become the seventh to join the multi-billion-euro Copernicus Earth monitoring satellite constellation since April 2014. With its twin Sentinel-3A launched in February 2016, the workhorse will provide data within three hours of it being captured, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). Sentinels-3A and 3B will mirror each other on opposite sides of our planet at an altitude of just over 800 kilometres (497 miles), on the lookout for further harm to the ocean or signs of recovery. "The Sentinel-3 mission is essential for applications for ocean and coastal monitoring"including changes in sea level and surface temperature, pollution, sea ice extent and thickness, and coastal vegetation, said an ESA statement. It will also monitor the height of rivers and lakes, and keep an eye on wildfires. About the size of a small car and weighing 1,250 kilogrammesSentinel-3B will be hoisted into space by a Russian Rockot launcher from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the country's north. Liftoff is scheduled for 1757 GMT on Wednesday. Fitted out with a range of state-of-the-art instruments, "Sentinel-3 is arguably the most comprehensive of all the Sentinel Missions," says the ESA. The Copernicus project, funded by the European Union and ESA, is named for the 16th-century Polish astronomer who determined that the Earth orbited the Sun, and not the other way round as convention had it at the time. It claims to be the largest environmental-monitoring programme in the world, providing data for free to anyone who wants it. Emergency response Other satellites in the constellation are dedicated to monitoring Earth's atmosphere, forest cover, and land and water pollution. By mapping areas stricken by flood or earthquake, Copernicus will improve the response after natural disasters, helping emergency teams identify worst-hit areas and locate passable roads, rail lines and bridges. The total Copernicus budget from 2008 to 2020 is about 7.5 billions euros ($9.2 billion). There is some uncertainty over the impact of Brexit on the project in which Britain is invested. Britain's EU-linked participation in Copernicus should officially end when it leaves the bloc, though its role can be renegotiated. London has said it wants to remain part of ESA, which is autonomous and includes non-EU members. UK-based companies hold contracts worth tens of millions of euros from ESA to supply hardware for Copernicus as well as the Galileo satellite navigation projecta rival to America's GPS. Explore further Europe set to launch atmosphere-probing satellite 2018 AFP Deciding on whether the UK will go ahead with extracting shale gas fracking, will depend as much on the industry securing a social licence as making a strong economic case, a new book by Professor Andreas Goldthau, of Royal Holloway, University of London suggests. Although the government has said that it believes shale gas has a potentially important role to play in the UK energy mix, there is strong opposition in many areas where extraction could take place. In his book, The Politics of Shale Gas in Eastern Europe, Andreas examined how the political and policy approach towards 'fracking' had varied in different countries, including Bulgaria, Poland and Romania and led to different outcomes. It was only Poland which created a 'fracking' friendly environment, while in the other countries various groups came together to prevent the industry gaining a foothold. Without coming down for-or-against shale gas, Andreas concludes that where governments used a top-down approach to try and secure support for shale gas, giving little thought to public engagement, they met public opposition. In contrast the Polish authorities involved existing energy providers, consulted local politicians and people and ensured local communities would share in the profits. In Poland 'fracking' was granted a social licence by stakeholders, though the industry has stalled because of other factors. The implications for the UK are that the issues around a social licence are a key area of the debate. Andreas said: "Even proving shale gas is economical to extract in Lancashire or elsewhere in the country will not be enough to make it happen. Extracting unconventional energy resources at an industrial scale will eventually require a social licence from society as a whole, not just the local communities that are most directly affected. This won't be achieved simply through bureaucratic processes, such as production permits, or even through a mandate from an election the social licence requires a much broader buy-in. "Instead, the UK government would be well advised to think up ways to enhance institutional outreach and community empowerment as well as opportunities to facilitate the buy-in of important stakeholders on national and sub-national levels. This may be a cumbersome process, and the outcome may be hard to determine. But it is the only way to lend legitimacy to its policies and to possibly generate the necessary public acceptance for a highly contested technology," he added. On the broader issue of moving to a low-carbon economy Andreas said: "The broader takeaway, however, is that what holds true for fracking also applies to core aspects of the imminent transition towards low-carbon energy. Are people truly ready for massive numbers of new high-voltage electricity pylons? What about enormous new wind farms? Do they appreciate the technology it will take to eventually achieve negative emissions and meet the Paris climate targets?" He added: "Society as a whole still doesn't really anticipate anything of the required scale, and a serious jump into a low-carbon world may come as a shock to people used to the status quo." Explore further Shale gas is one of the least sustainable ways to produce electricity, research finds More information: The politics of Shale Gas in Eastern Europe. Energy security, cOntested Technologies and the Social License To Frack: The politics of Shale Gas in Eastern Europe. Energy security, cOntested Technologies and the Social License To Frack: www.cambridge.org/us/academic/ #4q3ygLpCMcYF7Rrp.97 Footprints from (A) a modern human walking normally, (B) a modern human walking with a stooped posture known as the "bent knees, bent hip," or BKBH, posture, and (C) 3.6 million-year-old hominin footprints found in Laetoli, Tanzania. The team's analysis suggests ancient hominins probably walked in a way that is very similar to modern humans. Credit: David Raichlen, University of Arizona. Ever since scientists realized that humans evolved from a succession of primate ancestors, the public imagination has been focused on the inflection point when those ancestors switched from ape-like shuffling to walking upright as we do today. Scientists have long been focused on the question, too, because the answer is important to understanding how our ancestors lived, hunted and evolved. A close examination of 3.6 million year old hominin footprints discovered in Laetoli, Tanzania suggests our ancestors evolved the hallmark trait of extended leg, human-like bipedalism substantially earlier than previously thought. "Fossil footprints are truly the only direct evidence of walking in the past," said David Raichlen, PhD, associate professor at the University of Arizona. "By 3.6 million years ago, our data suggest that if you can account for differences in size, hominins were walking in a way that is very similar to living humans. While there may have been some nuanced differences, in general, these hominins probably looked like us when they walked." Raichlen will present the research at the American Association of Anatomists annual meeting during the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting, held April 21-25 in San Diego. The species that comprises modern humans, Homo sapiens sapiens, emerged roughly 200,000-300,000 years ago. The genus Homo is thought to have emerged about 2-2.5 million years ago. The term hominin is used to refer to a broader set of ancestors that existed before that, although there is debate about the nature of the species included in that grouping and the relationships among them. It is thought that hominins began walking on two legs around 7 million years ago, but based on the way other primates evolved, it is considered likely that these early ancestors retained a crouched, bent-legged walking posture for some time. Raichlen and his team use a variety of methods to reconstruct walking mechanics based on fossilized footprints and skeletons of early human ancestors. Their most recent results use a combination of experimental data and morphological studies to show that the footprints at Laetoli are consistent with fully upright, human-like bipedal walking. In one experiment, the team compared the depth and shape of the Laetoli footprints to those left by eight volunteersmodern humanswalking in either an upright or stooped posture (in which the knees and hips are bent). When they analyzed the impression made by the toe versus the heel, which reflects how the center of pressure moves along your foot as you take a step, they found the footprints at Laeoli were much more similar to the footprints made by modern humans walking upright. Walking upright with the legs fully extended uses less energy than bipedal walking in a more ape-like crouched manner, allowing one to endure longer journeys. This suggests that the switch to a more human-like gait likely had something to do with how our ancestors found foodand how far they had to travel to find it. "The data suggest that by this time in our evolutionary history, selection for reduced energy expenditures during walking was strong," said Raichlen. "This work suggests that, by 3.6 million years ago, climate and habitat changes likely led to the need for ancestral hominins to walk longer distances during their daily foraging bouts. Selection may have acted at this time to improve energy economy during locomotion, generating the human-like mechanics we employ today." Although the evidence is strong that hominins were walking upright by 3.6 million years ago, the exact stage when the locomotion of our ancestors diverged from that of modern-day apes remains unknown, Raichlen said. Answering that will likely require following in moreeven olderfootprints. Explore further Study shows changes in anatomy would have made walking easier without reducing muscles for climbing in early hominins More information: David Raichlen will present this research on Sunday, April 22, from 4:30-5 p.m. in Room 11B, San Diego Convention Center ( David Raichlen will present this research on Sunday, April 22, from 4:30-5 p.m. in Room 11B, San Diego Convention Center ( abstract ). Provided by Experimental Biology 2018 Female Pied flycatcher. Credit: Tom Wallis Warmer springs create a "mismatch" where hungry chicks hatch too late to feast on abundant caterpillars, new research shows. With continued spring warming expected due to climate change, scientists say hatching of forest birds will be "increasingly mismatched" with peaks in caterpillar numbers. The researchers, from the RSPB and the universities of Exeter and Edinburgh, used data collected across the UKlargely by citizen scientiststo study spring emergence of oak tree leaves and caterpillars, and timing of nesting by three bird species: blue tits, great tits and pied flycatchers. They also tested a theory that some bird species in southern Britain may suffer most due to a greater mismatch effectbut they found no evidence of this. "Forests have a short peak in caterpillar abundance, and some forest birds time their breeding so this coincides with the time when their chicks are hungriest," said Dr. Malcolm Burgess, of the University of Exeter and the RSPB. "With spring coming earlier due to climate change, leaves and caterpillars emerge earlier and birds need to breed earlier to avoid being mismatched. "We found that the earlier the spring, the less able birds are to do this. Female Pied flycatcher. Credit: Tom Wallis "The biggest mismatch was among pied flycatchersas migratory birds, they are not in the UK in winter and therefore are much less able to respond to earlier spring weather." The study presents the first assessment of whether the mismatch effect is greater in southern Britain than the north. It has been suggested that northern bird populations may be "buffered" from the effects of climate change in this way. Dr. Ally Phillimore, from the University of Edinburgh, said: "We found no evidence of north-south variation in caterpillar-bird mismatch for any of the bird species. Therefore, population declines of insectivorous birds in southern Britain do not appear to be caused by greater mismatch in the south than the north." Dr. Karl Evans, from the University of Sheffield's Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, said "Our work suggests that as springs warm in the future less food is likely to be available for the chicks of insectivorous woodland birds unless evolution changes their timing of breeding." Female Pied flycatcher. Credit: Tom Wallis First leafing dates of oak trees were collected by citizen scientists coordinated by the Woodland Trust via Nature's Calendar, caterpillar abundance was monitored by collecting frass (droppings) beneath oak trees, and the timing of egg laying by blue tits, great tits and pied flycatchers were recorded by the British Trust for Ornithology's long-running Nest Record Scheme. The research team also included the universities of Durham, Glasgow, Oxford, Stirling and Cardiff. The paper, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, is entitled: "Tritrophic phenological match-mismatch in space and time." More information: Tritrophic phenological matchmismatch in space and time, Nature Ecology and Evolution (2018). Journal information: Nature Ecology & Evolution Tritrophic phenological matchmismatch in space and time,(2018). nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/s41559-018-0543-1 Engineering professor Sumi Siddiqua (right) and graduate student Priscila Barreto (left). Credit: UBC Okanagan A building method as old as dirt is being re-examined as a 'new' and viable modern construction material. Compressed soil, also known as rammed earth, is a method of construction that dates back centuries. UBC Okanagan engineering professor Sumi Siddiqua, who has been researching the resurgence in rammed earth, says conventional cement is still the go-to for modern engineers. "Conventional cement construction is the principle building material for buildings, roads, pipelines and bridges around the world," says Siddiqua. "But builders today are seeking cheaper and more environmentally responsible construction materials. One such material may be compressedor rammedearth." Soil can be used in many ways, explains Siddiqui, including rammed earth walls, earth bricks and compressed earth blocks. In 2014, nearly 40 per cent of the world's population still lived or worked in structures using soil as a construction material. The benefits of using these natural and locally-sourced materials include a reduction in costs and in energy consumption. The rammed earth walls are usually placed between molds and binded by clay. But Siddiqua says while the technique is simple, it has significant structural limitations. To improve this, Siddiqua and her graduate student Priscila Barreto tested the addition of calcium carbide residue and fly ash as binding agents in the rammed earth. They found that when cured for 60 days, the walls containing binding agents were 25 times stronger than those without. The increased strength greatly improves their potential for use in modern construction. "The core of our challenge was to pinpoint the strongest composition of binding materials," says Siddiqua. "While research shows that some amount of clay is required to stabilize soils, having a mechanism to better bind the soil grains is the key." Barreto, an international student from Brazil, began this research while at UBC Okanagan as an undergraduate and continued the work into her graduate studies. "In countries like Brazil and regions like the Sertao in the country's northeast, rammed earth is commonly used as a building technique," explains Barreto. "The opportunity to enable people to build stronger and safer structures with natural soil is one of my central motivations for doing this research." Siddiqua says there is clearly a demand for this type of material and the technique has been used in small cities in Canada, including the Okanagan, where small residential homes are being built with readily available materials. "We targeted rammed earth structures, because local construction engineers have approached us looking to improve traditional rammed earth structures with stabilization techniques like ours." The research was published in the journal Construction and Building Materials, and was supported by both a Discovery and ENGAGE Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada. Explore further A revival in rammed-earth construction More information: Sumi Siddiqua et al, Chemical stabilization of rammed earth using calcium carbide residue and fly ash, Construction and Building Materials (2018). Sumi Siddiqua et al, Chemical stabilization of rammed earth using calcium carbide residue and fly ash,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.02.209 Design of the conjugation strategy. Blue identifies the first layer of proteins, orange highlights the second layer. Figure is not to scale. Credit: Nature Communications (2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03931-4 A new method has been developed to make drugs 'smarter' using nanotechnology so they will be more effective at reaching their target. Scientists from the University of Lincoln, UK, have devised a new technique to 'decorate' gold nanoparticles with a protein of choice so they can be used to tailor drug to more accurately target an area on the body, such as a cancer tumour. Gold nanoparticles are spheres made of gold atoms having a diameter of only few billionths of a metre which can be coated with a biological protein and combined with drugs to enable the treatment to travel through the body and reach the affected area. The nanoparticles can 'adsorb' (hold on its surface) drugs which would otherwise become insoluble or quickly degrade in the blood stream, and due to their small size they can overcome biological barriers such as membranes, skin and the small intestine which would usually prevent the drug from reaching its target. The technology is already used in real world applications such as pregnancy tests - where gold nanoparticles decorated with an antibody against the hormone present in the urine of pregnant women is added to the 'positive' strip so it reacts with the nanoparticles to turn the stick red - but is not yet widely used in drug development. Until now the process of coating the nanoparticles meant that the proteins used had to be 'mixed' together with particles which do not have the ability to control the way they bind, possibly making the drug less effective. The new method enables pharmacologists to place the proteins onto the gold nanoparticles layer by layer in a specific order. This maintains the integrity of the protein so that the drug is more effective, opening up possibilities for the development of nanomedicine. The findings have been published in the journal Nature Communications. Dr Enrico Ferrari, a nanobiotechnologist from the University of Lincoln's School of Life Sciences, led the study. He said: "Gold nanoparticles are a vital tool in new drug development and drug delivery systems. We have unlocked the key to binding proteins and molecules so that those drugs will be more effective. "This method might help to design nanomedicines that do not need extensive chemical modification of a protein drug or a nano-carrier and therefore can be developed more easily and faster." Researchers took fragments of proteins from bacteria and flatworms, which when fused together were effective at binding to the gold nanoparticle surface and able to form stable bonds to any other protein. By mixing this fusion protein with gold nanoparticles, it permanently binds to the gold surface while also being able to stably bind a target protein on which a specific 'tag' was included. This is a new universal method to bind proteins to nanoparticles which will work for most proteins, making the process a more attractive prospect for pharmaceutical companies, the researchers said. The method could also potentially be applied to biosensors and diagnostic kits that use gold, such as those used in clinical settings to identify ongoing infections in patients' blood. Explore further Nanoparticles could allow for faster, better medicine More information: Wenwei Ma et al, Modular assembly of proteins on nanoparticles, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications Wenwei Ma et al, Modular assembly of proteins on nanoparticles,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03931-4 An erbium atom (red) in a nanocrystal emits visible, green light via a process known as upconversion that could lead to the development of improved solar cells that capture some previously missed solar energy. Scientists discovered that coating the particles with dyes (blue and purple molecules at right) can greatly enhance this light-converting property. Credit: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory An international team of scientists has demonstrated a breakthrough in the design and function of nanoparticles that could make solar panels more efficient by converting light usually missed by solar cells into usable energy. The team, led by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), demonstrated how coating tiny particles with organic dyes greatly enhances their ability to capture near-infrared light and to reemit the light in the visible light spectrum, which could also be useful for biological imaging. Once they understood the mechanism that enables the dyes on nanoparticles to function as antennas to gather a broad range of light, they successfully reengineered the nanoparticles to further amplify the particles' light-converting properties. Their study was published online April 23 in Nature Photonics. "These organic dyes capture broad swaths of near-infrared light," said Bruce Cohen, a scientist at Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry who helped to lead the study along with Molecular Foundry scientists P. James Schuck (now at Columbia University), and Emory Chan. The Molecular Foundry is a nanoscience research center. "Since the near-infrared wavelengths of light are often unused in solar technologies that focus on visible light," Cohen added, "and these dye-sensitized nanoparticles efficiently convert near-infrared light to visible light, they raise the possibility of capturing a good portion of the solar spectrum that otherwise goes to waste, and integrating it into existing solar technologies." Researchers found that the dye itself amplifies the brightness of the reemitted light about 33,000-fold, and its interaction with the nanoparticles increases its efficiency in converting light by about 100 times. Cohen, Schuck, and Chan had worked for about a decade to design, fabricate, and study the upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) used in this study. UCNPs absorb near-infrared light and efficiently convert it to visible light, an unusual property owing to combinations of lanthanide metal ions in the nanocrystals. A 2012 study suggested that dyes on the UCNPs' surface dramatically enhances the particles' light-converting properties, but the mechanism remained a mystery. "There was a lot of excitement and then a lot of confusion," Cohen said. "It had us scratching our heads." Although many researchers had tried to reproduce the study in the following years, "Few people could get the published procedure to work," added Chan. "The dyes appeared to degrade almost immediately upon exposure to light, and nobody knew exactly how the dyes were interacting with the nanoparticle surface." The unique mix of expertise and capabilities at the Molecular Foundry, which included theoretical work and a mix of experiments, chemistry know-how, and well-honed synthetic techniques, made the latest study possible, he noted. "It's one of those projects that would be difficult to do anywhere else." Experiments led by David Garfield, a UC Berkeley Ph.D. student, and Nicholas Borys, a Molecular Foundry project scientist, showed a symbiotic effect between the dye and the lanthanide metals in the nanoparticles. The proximity of the dyes to the lanthanides in the particles enhances the presence of a dye state known as a "triplet," which then transfers its energy to the lanthanides more efficiently. The triplet state allowed a more efficient conversion of multiple infrared units of light, known as photons, into single photons of visible light. The studies showed that a match in the measurements of the dye's light emission and the particles' light absorption confirmed the presence of this triplet state, and helped inform the scientists about what was at work. "The peaks (in dye emission and UCNP absorption) matched almost exactly," Cohen said. They then found that by increasing the concentration of lanthanide metals in the nanoparticles, from 22 percent to 52 percent, they could increase this triplet effect to improve the nanoparticles' light-converting properties. "The metals are promoting dyes to their triplet states, which helps to explain both the efficiency of energy transfer and the instability of the dyes, since triplets tend to degrade in air," Cohen said. The nanoparticles, which measure about 12 nanometers, or billionths of meters, across, could potentially be applied to the surface of solar cells to help them capture more light to convert into electricity, Schuck said. "The dyes act as molecular-scale solar concentrators, funneling energy from near-infrared photons into the nanoparticles," Schuck said. Meanwhile, the particles themselves are largely transparent to visible light, so they would allow other usable light to pass through, he noted. Another potential use is to introduce the nanoparticles into cells to help label cell components for optical microscopy studies. They could be used for deep-tissue imaging, for example, or in optogenetics - a field that uses light to control cell activity. There are some roadblocks for researchers to overcome to realize these applications, Cohen said, as they are currently unstable and were studied in a nitrogen environment to avoid exposure to air. More R&D is needed to evaluate possible protective coatings for the particles, such as different polymers that serve to encapsulate the particles. "We have even better designs in mind going forward," he said. Explore further Researcher helps classify new means of renewable light energy More information: David J. Garfield et al, Enrichment of molecular antenna triplets amplifies upconverting nanoparticle emission, Nature Photonics (2018). Journal information: Nature Photonics David J. Garfield et al, Enrichment of molecular antenna triplets amplifies upconverting nanoparticle emission,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-018-0156-x Credit: P.Stroppa/CEA An EU-funded project has fostered links between national and European programmes to harmonise and implement scientific and technical research into materials for a safe and sustainable nuclear sector. The MATISSE project provided the foundation for an integrated European research programme, which investigated innovative materials that can be used to ensure a safe and sustainable nuclear sector. The initiative comprised a combination of collaborative projects as well as coordination and support actions by research institutes. By bringing together 27 organisations from 10 European countries (including an international partner from South Korea), MATISSE allowed researchers to participate in the latest European initiatives, developing advanced materials for nuclear energy production. The aim was to foster links between respective national research programmes by networking and integrating activities on material innovation for advanced nuclear systems, sharing partners' best practices and developing efficient communication tools. "Under the auspices of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA), project partners established a Joint Programme on Nuclear Materials (JPNM) to improve coordination of national initiatives, European fundraising programmes and other collaborations," explains project coordinator Dr. Pierre-Francois Giroux. The consortium targeted R&D activities considered priorities by JPNM partners, leading to progress in the fields of conventional materials, advanced materials and predictive capabilities. New materials with improved properties The project furthered three 'Grand Challenges' defined by the EERA-JPNM, including the elaboration of design rules, assessment and test procedures suitable for the expected operating conditions and the materials envisaged. The other challenges involved the development of physical models coupled to advanced microstructural characterisation to achieve high-level understanding of predictive capability, and the development of new materials with superior thermo-mechanical properties and radiation-resistance. "These three Grand Challenges must be addressed and resolved to take full advantage of the nuclear Generation IV technology, with respect to safety, performance and cost," Dr. Giroux points out. Supporting the evolution of the JPNM into an integrated research programme involving Member States, the European Commission and the main European stakeholders was one of the project's main targets. The MATISSE framework was used to implement the JPNM and a medium- to long-term strategy devised, together with a road-map and access scheme for large-scale research infrastructures. ODS alloys and ceramic composites investigated The consortium prepared governance, financial and management structures, while implementing schemes for education and training, networking, dissemination and communication. In addition, project partners identified priority areas for conducting research, leading to significant results in areas such as assessing the effects of irradiation-induced hardening and creep mechanism on the performance of ferritic/martensitic alloys. Scientists also selected functional coatings, modified surface layers, and classified phenomena such as fuel-cladding interaction and environment assisted degradation of steels in liquid lead alloys. Researchers also investigated the potential of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys and ceramic composites for advanced fuel cladding and novel structural materials for fast neutron reactors. "They studied and enhanced the pre-designs and properties of ODS steels and ceramic composites for cladding applications in order to enlarge the database of commercially available materials to be used for fast neutron reactor prototypes," says Dr. Giroux. MATISSE established key priorities in advanced nuclear materials research, identified funding opportunities and harmonised this scientific and technical domain at the European level by maximising complementary research and synergies with the major actors in this field. Dr. Giroux concludes: "The mix of R&D on both conventional and advanced materials is positive for nuclear systems in general. In the short- to medium-term, prototypes will be built with off-the-shelf materials and the first core fuelled with conventional fuel elements, while in the long-term advanced materials will be tested and qualified in order to be implanted in these new nuclear systems." Explore further Custom-designed alloy enhances nuclear safety A 'deep learning' algorithm trained on images from cosmological simulations is surprisingly successful at classifying real galaxies in Hubble images. Top row: High-resolution images from a computer simulation of a young galaxy going through three phases of evolution (before, during, and after the "blue nugget" phase). Middle row: The same images from the computer simulation of a young galaxy in three phases of evolution as it would appear if observed by the Hubble Space Telescope. Bottom row: Hubble Space Telescope images of distant young galaxies classified by a deep learning algorithm trained to recognize the three phases of galaxy evolution. The width of each image is approximately 100,000 light years. Credit: Image credits for top two rows: Greg Snyder, Space Telescope Science Institute, and Marc Huertas-Company, Paris Observatory. For bottom row: The HST images are from the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS). A machine learning method called "deep learning," which has been widely used in face recognition and other image- and speech-recognition applications, has shown promise in helping astronomers analyze images of galaxies and understand how they form and evolve. In a new study, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal and available online, researchers used computer simulations of galaxy formation to train a deep learning algorithm, which then proved surprisingly good at analyzing images of galaxies from the Hubble Space Telescope. The researchers used output from the simulations to generate mock images of simulated galaxies as they would look in observations by the Hubble Space Telescope. The mock images were used to train the deep learning system to recognize three key phases of galaxy evolution previously identified in the simulations. The researchers then gave the system a large set of actual Hubble images to classify. The results showed a remarkable level of consistency in the neural network's classifications of simulated and real galaxies. "We were not expecting it to be all that successful. I'm amazed at how powerful this is," said coauthor Joel Primack, professor emeritus of physics and a member of the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP) at UC Santa Cruz. "We know the simulations have limitations, so we don't want to make too strong a claim. But we don't think this is just a lucky fluke." Galaxies are complex phenomena, changing their appearance as they evolve over billions of years, and images of galaxies can provide only snapshots in time. Astronomers can look deeper into the universe and thereby "back in time" to see earlier galaxies (because of the time it takes light to travel cosmic distances), but following the evolution of an individual galaxy over time is only possible in simulations. Comparing simulated galaxies to observed galaxies can reveal important details of the actual galaxies and their likely histories. In the new study, the researchers were particularly interested in a phenomenon seen in the simulations early in the evolution of gas-rich galaxies, when big flows of gas into the center of a galaxy fuel formation of a small, dense, star-forming region called a "blue nugget." (Young, hot stars emit short "blue" wavelengths of light, so blue indicates a galaxy with active star formation, whereas older, cooler stars emit more "red" light.) In both simulated and observational data, the computer program found that the "blue nugget" phase only occurs in galaxies with masses within a certain range. This is followed by quenching of star formation in the central region, leading to a compact "red nugget" phase. The consistency of the mass range was an exciting finding, because it suggests the deep learning algorithm is identifying on its own a pattern that results from a key physical process happening in real galaxies. "It may be that in a certain size range, galaxies have just the right mass for this physical process to occur," said coauthor David Koo, professor emeritus of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz. The researchers used state-of-the-art galaxy simulations (the VELA simulations) developed by Primack and an international team of collaborators, including Daniel Ceverino (University of Heidelberg), who ran the simulations, and Avishai Dekel (Hebrew University), who led analysis and interpretation of them and developed new physical concepts based on them. All such simulations are limited, however, in their ability to capture the complex physics of galaxy formation. In particular, the simulations used in this study did not include feedback from active galactic nuclei (injection of energy from radiation as gas is accreted by a central supermassive black hole). Many astronomers consider this process to be an important factor regulating star formation in galaxies. Nevertheless, observations of distant, young galaxies appear to show evidence of the phenomenon leading to the blue nugget phase seen in the simulations. For the observational data, the team used images of galaxies obtained through the CANDELS project (Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey), the largest project in the history of the Hubble Space Telescope. First author Marc Huertas-Company, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory and Paris Diderot University, had already done pioneering work applying deep learning methods to galaxy classifications using publicly available CANDELS data. Koo, a CANDELS co-investigator, invited Huertas-Company to visit UC Santa Cruz to continue this work. Google has provided support for their work on deep learning in astronomy through gifts of research funds to Koo and Primack, allowing Huertas-Company to spend the past two summers in Santa Cruz, with plans for another visit in the summer of 2018. "This project was just one of several ideas we had," Koo said. "We wanted to pick a process that theorists can define clearly based on the simulations, and that has something to do with how a galaxy looks, then have the deep learning algorithm look for it in the observations. We're just beginning to explore this new way of doing research. It's a new way of melding theory and observations." For years, Primack has been working closely with Koo and other astronomers at UC Santa Cruz to compare his team's simulations of galaxy formation and evolution with the CANDELS observations. "The VELA simulations have had a lot of success in terms of helping us understand the CANDELS observations," Primack said. "Nobody has perfect simulations, though. As we continue this work, we will keep developing better simulations." According to Koo, deep learning has the potential to reveal aspects of the observational data that humans can't see. The downside is that the algorithm is like a "black box," so it is hard to know what features in the data the machine is using to make its classifications. Network interrogation techniques can identify which pixels in an image contributed most to the classification, however, and the researchers tested one such method on their network. "Deep learning looks for patterns, and the machine can see patterns that are so complex that we humans don't see them," Koo said. "We want to do a lot more testing of this approach, but in this proof-of-concept study, the machine seemed to successfully find in the data the different stages of galaxy evolution identified in the simulations." In the future, he said, astronomers will have much more observational data to analyze as a result of large survey projects and new telescopes such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope. Deep learning and other machine learning methods could be powerful tools for making sense of these massive datasets. "This is the beginning of a very exciting time for using advanced artificial intelligence in astronomy," Koo said. Explore further Supermassive black holes control star formation in large galaxies Our Lady of the Nightingales - the sacred forest of Panagia Aidonolaloussa. Branches, roots and holes of giant old oaks, Judas-trees, mahaleb cherries and hornbeams bring a Tolkienesque air to this ancient woodland. Credit: K. Stara Sacred natural sites (SNS) are found all over the world. They are thought to play an important role in conservation but until recently there was little systematic investigation of this claim. Now, new research published in the journal Biological Conservation by an international and multidisciplinary team, led by the University of Ioannina and including Bangor University, has shown that there is a notable conservation benefit to SNS. The researchers of the project, known as THALIS-SAGE, chose for their study the region of Epirus, in north-western Greece, that is host to numerous sacred groves protected through religion for hundreds of years. By studying a wide range of plant and animal taxonomic groups in eight sacred natural sites and comparing their diversity with nearby control sites, mostly reforested areas, the researchers found that the SNS have a small but persistent biodiversity advantage. This advantage is expressed in a number of ways, the most clear indication being the existence of more distinct communities of species amongst the sacred groves than amongst control sites (a measure called beta diversity). The most notable species group for having higher biodiversity in the sacred natural sites than the control sites was the fungi, often growing in the dead wood of old trees. For the passerine birds (perching birds, which include many song birds) that have been designated as having conservation importance at a European level, twice as many species (eight) were present in the sacred natural sites as in the control sites (four). It is often asserted that the conservation benefits of SNS are marginal owing to their usually-small sizes. However, this study finds the influence of size to be relatively weak and shows that even small SNS can play a considerable role in biodiversity conservation. Despite their role in conserving biodiversity, the SNS of Epirus are now themselves endangered. This is due to changing demographics and land use, primarily through rural depopulation in most mountainous areas of Epirus since WW2. Given recent rural depopulation, it is difficult for local communities to continue to enforce the rules, which used to protect their SNS as locally adapted management systems. For this reason, the THALIS-SAGE project also included initiatives for the promotion of their cultural and educational value. Bangor University project partner, Professor John Healey, of the School of Environment, Natural Resources & Geography and University of Ioannina project leader, Professor John Halley, conclude that "the best conservation strategy for these and other SNS of similar sizes worldwide is to link them in networks within conventional conservation schemes." Project researcher, Dr. Kalliopi Stara, added "this needs to be done in collaboration with local communities." Explore further Forests that are sacred to local people are less likely to suffer deforestation, study suggests More information: D.N. Avtzis et al. Quantifying the conservation value of Sacred Natural Sites, Biological Conservation (2018). Journal information: Biological Conservation D.N. Avtzis et al. Quantifying the conservation value of Sacred Natural Sites,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2018.03.035 Targeted advertising: good for Facebook and Google, not so good for you. Credit: Shutterstock In the wake of Facebook's massive breach of personal data of 87 million users, CEO Mark Zuckerberg answered questions from US politicians over two days of congressional hearings. These questions mostly focussed on the tight link between Facebook's business model of selling targeted personalised advertising and its need to capture, and exploit, large amounts of personal information from its users. If it's free, you're the product This fundamental equation underpins an economic trade-off of free services in exchange for access to personal information and the right to display ads to users. Zuckerberg admitted that ads were not popular, saying "Even though some people don't like ads, people really don't like ads that aren't relevant". Zuckerberg didn't rule out the possibility of paid, ad-free access to Facebook, but it was clear that its highly effective and lucrative business model was not going to be replaced any time soon. Saying that people don't like ads is an understatement. There are very few people who like ads, relevant or not. In a survey conducted by consulting firm Deloitte in 2017, between 75% and 80% of respondents used at least one type of ad-blocking technology. This wasn't just on a computer's web browser or mobile phone, it was also using video recorders or smart TVs to skip ads on TV, or paying for music and movie streaming specifically to avoid ads. Even if ads do get through to social media users, their effectiveness is open to question and it's one that turns out to be difficult to answer. Advertising is used to achieve a number of different aims. For a business advertising to consumers, the aim may be to increase general "brand awareness" of the company and their products. Other ads may be trying to achieve a specific goal such as getting people to click on a website and buy a product or come into a physical store and do the same. Measuring the effectiveness of these ads will be different depending on the objective. The other factor is that social-media advertising is usually only part of an overall campaign that involves other channels such as YouTube, search-result ads, print, radio and TV. Again, picking out what benefits came from what specific activity further complicates the analysis. Lots of bucks, little bang For Facebook and Google, the key metrics are how many people clicked on an ad and what happened after: Did the person end up buying the product or creating an account? The percentage of users who see an ad on Facebook and then click it is between 1% and 2%. Of those people, about 9% will take an action as a result of clicking. This means that if the ad were shown to 1,000 Facebook users, 10 would be expected to click the ad and only 1 would take any action. The average cost of this 1 person would be about US$19. Of the more than 5 million advertisers who use Facebook, it is absolutely certain that large numbers of them derive no benefits from the ads they buy. Given that Facebook's advertising income for 2017 was US$40 billion, this represents a massive amount of money that is essentially wasted. Some businesses have realised that Facebook advertising brings minimal returns at best. In one survey of small businesses, 62% said their paid ads on Facebook were "missing the target" and not getting to the users that mattered. Facebook has run into other problems with its advertisers. One of the largest, Proctor and Gamble cut its budget for advertising by US$750 million over the last three years. In part this has been in response to what the company sees as the problems with digital advertising that is controlled by only two companies, Google and Facebook. Together, they've cornered more than 70% of digital advertising in the United States. Facebook and Google have upset advertisers for other reasons as well. Facebook has been sued for misrepresenting over two years how long millions of users were viewing videos, exaggerating the time by 60% to 80%. Major advertisers such as Verizon and Walmart stopped advertising on YouTube last year after they discovered that their ads were running next to extremist and hate-speech content. Is it time for an outright ban? In an April 2018 article in The New Republic, author David Dayen strongly argued that targeted advertising should be banned outright: "The surveillance economy should die. This manner of advertising doesn't serve the public and it's not even clear it serves advertisers. It facilitates monopoly, as those with the biggest data troves receive all the ad dollars." Given all of the evidence of Google's and Facebook's self-serving behaviour, it's hard not to agree. The majority of their users dislike advertising and will go to some effort to avoid seeing it. At the same time, a large proportion of businesses are spending money on ads that provide no benefit to them. Instead, the billions of dollars of advertising revenue benefits only Google and Facebook, not the economies in which they operate. Based on the available evidence, it appears that Google and Facebook will stop at nothing to exploit the personal information of every human being in their pursuit of profit. It is only a matter of time before governments start tackling the issue. Google and Facebook not only control the majority of digital advertising, they already control 25% of all advertising globally. And when targeted ads using personal data influence economic, social, and political beliefs and actions, there is a massive problem. Explore further Facebook CEO defends advertising-supported business model This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. News Microsoft Adds GDPR Improvements to Office 365, Azure With the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements set to become law on May 25, Microsoft is working to get its cloud services and customers compliant. The company last week announced some tooling enhancements to help organizations using Azure and Office 365 services meet GDPR requirements. The improvements are aimed at ensuring that both Microsoft's services and the organizations using them will be GDPR-compliant by the law's enforcement date. The GDPR is a data privacy law that stipulates how the data of EU residents should be handled by organizations. Individuals can request information about stored data, and ask that it be modified or deleted by the organization. The organization, in GDPR lingo, is known as a "data controller." The law even applies to organizations located outside the EU. There are stiff fines for data privacy violators, up to 20 million or 4 percent of an organization's annual revenue turnover, whichever is greater. Some of the Microsoft tools supporting GDPR compliance include: Last week, Microsoft announced that it released a preview of a new Data Subject Access Request interface in the Security and Compliance Center via a new tab addition, as well as in the Azure Portal. The Data Subject Access Request interface is also available in the Service Trust Portal, according to an announcement by the Microsoft 365 team. The Service Trust Portal also has new "Breach Notification" documentation. The portal will be getting a "Data Protection Impacts Assessments" section in coming weeks, according to this Microsoft Tech Community post. A Data Subject Access Request gets carried out by an organization when a person makes a request, such as to provide the data that's been stored or to delete or modify the data. The individual can also request that the data be provided in an electronic format that can be "moved another data controller," according to Microsoft. The new Data Subject Access Request interface preview lets organizations perform a search for "relevant data across Office 365 locations." It will search across "Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, Groups and now Microsoft Teams." It exports the data for review "prior to being transferred to the requestor," Microsoft explained. The Data Subject Access Request interface preview also works with Microsoft's Advanced Data Governance service, so it can be event based. Here's how the Office 365 team explained the matter: One DSR scenario an organization may encounter is when a departing employee requests that their data is provided to them. To help with this scenario and others like it, the Event-based retention feature of Advanced Data Governance is now generally available for Office 365 E5 customers. Microsoft is promising that the Data Subject Access Request capabilities will be out of preview before the May 25 deadline. Microsoft is also promising that IT pros will be able to "execute DSRs against system-generated logs." New Look Vision Group Inc. provides eye care products and services in Canada and the United States. It offers prescription eyewear and non-prescription eyewear; contact lenses; sunglasses, protective eyewear, and reading glasses; and accessories, such as cleaning products for eyeglasses and contact lenses. As of December 26, 2020, the company operated a network of 402 stores primarily under the New Look Eyewear, Vogue Optical, Greiche & Scaff, Iris, Edward Beiner, and The Vision Clinic banners in Canada and the United States. It also operates lens processing laboratories in Ville St-Laurent, QuAbec. The company was formerly known as New Look Eyewear Inc. and changed its name to New Look Vision Group Inc. in June 2015. New Look Vision Group Inc. was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Read More " " Single-use plastic has become so commonplace in our world that most of us don't blink an eye at tossing a plastic fork or bottle into the trash. But all that plastic garbage has to go somewhere. Eye Ubiquitous/UIG/Getty Images It's easy to walk out of the house and forget your canvas grocery bags when you head to the grocery store, and when you're thirsty, that plastic bottled water sure does look inviting. Furthermore, we all understand what it's like to order food in a rush and scarf it down with a plastic fork that came in a small plastic bag with a plastic knife you'll never use. Also, there's something so satisfying about drinking out of a straw, is there not? All this may be true, but in February 2018, a young male sperm whale washed up dead off the coast of Spain. The necropsy report released in April revealed the cause of death was a belly full of plastic dozens of plastic bags, netting, rope and even a large plastic water container. The animal was young but still woefully underweight. Investigators say the probable cause of death was a clogged digestive system, exacerbated by a severe infection brought on by over 60 pounds (29 kilograms) of plastic in his digestive system. This isn't the first time this has happened, and it certainly won't be the last. Research suggests 8.3 million metric tons (9.15 million tons) of virgin plastic has been manufactured to date, and 79 percent of that is now sitting in landfills or loose in the natural environment much of it in the world's oceans. Much of that has been broken down to around the size of a grain of rice, which is a size that reads "snack" to a lot of marine life. Right now it's looking like plastic might be humankind's most lasting legacy on this planet. So, what do we do about it? For starters, we can all stop using so much plastic especially the stuff you only use once. Here are 10 ways to do that: Advertisement 1. Cut Out Plastic Straws There are only a few reasons one might need to use a plastic straw. Did you recently have jaw surgery but ordered a mimosa at brunch anyway? OK, you get a pass. Otherwise, keep in mind that over 500,000,000 plastic straws are used and discarded every day in the United States alone. You can help your neighborhood or town kick its plastic straw habit by asking your local restaurants to carry paper straws instead. 2. Just Say NO to Plastic Shopping Bags A single plastic bag can take 1,000 years to break down in the environment. In 2016, California issued a statewide ban on stores handing out single-use plastic bags to their customers. A year later, 13 million plastic bags were kept out of landfills and the environment, and everybody survived. In 2002, Ireland passed a 22 euro cents (equivalent to about 37 U.S. cents) tax on plastic bags, to be paid at the register with each purchase. Within a few weeks, the entire country's plastic bag use was reduced by around 94 percent. Nobody in Ireland was injured or even irrevocably inconvenienced because of the ban in fact, everybody just got used to it and eventually started remembering to bring reusable grocery bags with them to the store, which they continue to do today. We can all stop using plastic bags by carrying reusable bags around with us. We can also encourage our governments to pass plastic bag bans. 3. Stop Chewing Gum That's right, your favorite chewing gum is most likely made from synthetic rubber, otherwise known as plastic. 4. Carry a Reusable Cup or Water Bottle Worldwide, about a million plastic bottles are bought every minute, and we manufacture around 20,000 plastic bottles every second. That's a lot of plastic, especially considering 91 percent of it will never be recycled. Are you thirsty and far from home without a reusable water bottle? Find a drinking fountain or a restaurant that will give you a glass of water, for heaven's sake. Advertisement 5. Buy From the Bulk Bins These days many grocery stores have a bulk section a place where you can buy unpackaged rice, beans, pasta, nuts, and even personal care and household items like shampoo, laundry detergent and bar soap. If you can remember to bring your shopping bags to the supermarket, go ahead and throw a few reusable bags and jars in there as well. 6. You're Still Using Microbeads? If you live in the U.S., the U.K., Canada or New Zealand, the manufacture and sale of these tiny plastic pellets has already been banned where you live, but microbeads, which are still used in cosmetic cleansers and toothpastes all over the rest of the world, slip down the drain and through wastewater treatment plants to the oceans, where they present themselves as potentially toxic snacks to marine life. Not sure if your cleanser contains microbeads? Avoid any product with "polyethylene" in the ingredient list. 7. Repair Things When They Break Is your dishwasher leaking? That stinks. But it's a lot cheaper and easier to call in a repair person than it is to hoof it to the nearest big box store for a new one. Did the zipper on your favorite nylon backpack break? There are other zippers out there, and if you can't repair it yourself, there's probably a crafty person at an alterations shop near you who would be willing to fix it for cheaper than the cost of a new backpack. 8. Buy Secondhand We get it, it's tough to find a blender that doesn't have plastic parts, but the secondhand store in your town probably has six perfectly good blenders sitting on its shelves. You want to buy a cat carrier? Instead of purchasing one brand-new, how about buying one off Craigslist? Keep an eye out for garage sales and swap meets there's all kinds of lightly used plastic gold just waiting to be carted back to your home. 9. Buy Clothing Made From Natural Fibers The synthetic fibers in your athleisurewear seem to be "weaving themselves into the gastrointestinal tract" of fish in the U.S. Great Lakes, State University of New York Fredonia professor Sherri Mason told The Guardian in 2016. One study found a high-quality synthetic fleece jacket sheds 1.17 grams of microfibers with each washing. The buildup of microfibers in the environment can result in starvation and reproductive consequences for aquatic organisms. Advertisement 10. Learn to Make Things From Scratch Rather than buying chemical household cleaners, make your own with effective and easily procured stuff like baking soda, vinegar, borax and lemon juice. Rather than buying yogurt in a plastic cup, Google a recipe and get to work it's way cheaper and takes approximately 10 minutes of your time, all told. On your mark, get set, let's get out there and stop using plastic already! This is going to be fun for you and for whales. Now That's Interesting The import, production and sale of plastic bags is illegal in Rwanda. Those caught trafficking plastic can serve up to four years in prison or face stiff fines. Chinas first domestically built aircraft carrier is expected to start sea trials imminently, a source close to the navy said, amid what analysts say is growing external pressure to push forward its development. The Type 001A aircraft carriers maiden sea trial could take place this week, possibly coinciding with the PLA Navys 69th anniversary on Monday depending on weather and ocean conditions, according to the source. The Liaoning Maritime Safety Administration announced on Friday that three areas in the northeastern Bohai and Yellow Sea would be cordoned off for military activities from April 20 to 28. The restricted areas are close to the shipyard in Liaoning province where the new carrier is being built. A main engine run was conducted on Tuesday, indicating sea trials were about to start, said another source who witnessed the engine test. US aircraft carrier sparks regional fears as it challenges Chinas military might in South China Sea The aircraft carrier is expected to enter service later this year, 12 months ahead of schedule, which one naval expert put down to a growing sense of urgency as rivalry between China and the United States intensifies. Another military source told the South China Morning Post earlier that the trial would test the ships basic functions, including power, damage control and radar and communication systems, as well as checking for leakage. Chinas first home-grown aircraft carrier set to carry out maiden sea trial But the carrier is not expected to sail far on its first voyage, the source said, and it may just stay within Bohai Bay. Liu Zheng, chairman of Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, confirmed last month that the new aircraft carrier was ready to start sea trials. The 70,000-tonne Type 001A was launched in April last year and is expected to join the navy as early as the end of this year, well before the original target of 2019. The new warship is an upgrade to the Type 001 Liaoning, Chinas only operational aircraft carrier, a retrofitted Soviet-era Admiral Kuznetsov-class multi-role vessel. Story continues But the source close to the navy said it was far too early to estimate when the new ship would be combat-ready. It took nearly six years for the Liaoning to become a fully combat-ready battleship after it joined the navy in 2012, mainly because it lacked adequately trained crew members and commanders. The Liaoning conducted intensive ocean drills last week, similar to those carried out by the US Navy, after taking part in the PLAs biggest-ever naval parade off the coast of Hainan Island in the South China Sea. It also passed through waters south of Taiwan on its way to carry out the military exercises in the Western Pacific, the latest in a series of drills that self-ruled Taiwan has criticised as intimidation. The Liaoning is mainly used as a training vessel, but the new Type 001A which will be able to carry up to 35 aircraft and will weigh 70,000 tonnes when fully loaded is expected to be combat-ready. Chinas claims in South China Sea proposed by continuous boundary for the first time There is growing external pressure for China to speed up the development of its aircraft carrier so that it is the main force of the navy, especially since the US has increased its deployment in Asia, said Ni Lexiong, a naval expert at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. But China is still 10 to 20 years behind the US in this competition. The latest US carrier the USS Gerald R Ford weighs roughly 100,000 tonnes and can hold more than 75 aircraft. This article Chinas new aircraft carrier may start sea trials this week, source says first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. More from South China Morning Post: China is just as important to South America as the US: why Argentina is keen to start talks on free-trade agreement Talks about a possible free-trade deal between China and South Americas major economies could start as early as next year, the Argentinian ambassador to China has said. Beijing has been seeking closer ties with Latin America amid growing international scepticism about Chinas expanding influence in the backyard of the United States. But Diego Ramiro Guelar, Argentinas ambassador to China, defended the scope of Beijings ambitions, telling the South China Morning Post that its investments were essential for his country as it was struggling to reform its isolated economy and regain access to the international capital market. US seeks to outshine China at Latin American summit in Peru, without Donald Trump Chinas increasing economic challenge to US dominance is particularly apparent in South America, which has traditionally been strongly influenced by Washington. US concerns that it is losing influence on the continent were exacerbated last week after Donald Trump cancelled a planned visit to South America his first as president for the Summits of America meeting in Peru. China is the main commercial partner of countries like Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay and Bolivia Wilbur Ross, US Commerce Secretary US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has told business leaders from the continent that Washington would not cede leadership to authoritarian states. But Guelar said that criticisms over Chinas role in South America are ridiculous adding that neither China nor America controlled the countries there. If you see the [trade] numbers nowadays, China is as important as the US and sometimes it is more important than the US, Guelar added. China is the main commercial partner of countries like Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay and Bolivia, and 90 per cent of countries in South America have China as their first trading partner. The Americans might be worried because they used to think that they would be hegemonic in the region. Latin America caught in middle as US-China trade war looms Story continues The ambassador also signalled that the Southern Common Market, or Mercosur, of which Argentina was a founding member, was open to the idea of a free-trade deal with China. Earlier this year the Uruguayan government told the Chinese it would try to convince its Mercosur partners of the importance of this issue. Be sure that we are going to talk about it, Guelar said. Theres no doubt that free trade is the natural trend to follow in the world, even though now we have a strong protectionist noises in the market. But we dont have any doubts that the strategic trend of the world is globalisation. I dont have any doubts that China and Argentina are on the same side of the table. While concerns over Trumps attitude towards free trade are growing, China has been increasing its efforts to seal free-trade deals across the world. Its potential partners include not only its neighbours such as South Korea and Pakistan, but also countries such as the Maldives, Iceland and Costa Rica, with dozens of deals under negotiation, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. Mercosur, is the worlds fourth-largest trading bloc covering a population of 260 million people in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay and accounting for three-quarters of South Americas GDP. Chinas trade with the four members totalled about US$107.7 billion last year, according to figures from the commerce ministry. Donald Trump will urge Latin America to spurn China in favour of the US in trade, official says China is already Brazils largest trading partner and Argentinas second largest. The two countries are also the worlds two biggest soybean exporters after the United States and China, which accounts for two-thirds of global soybean imports, has threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on American soybean imports as part of their tit-for-tat trade dispute. Relations between China and Argentina have also greatly improved since the election of President Mauricio Macri in late 2015. Macri has tried to reform the countrys isolated economy by scrapping currency and export controls imposed by his predecessors and will host the G20 summit this year, the first such gathering in South America. Trade between the two countries reached almost US$13.8 billion last year, and China is also funding a number of major Argentinian infrastructure projects, including two nuclear plants and a US$2.5 billion upgrade of a cargo rail network. However, Chinas investments in major infrastructure projects overseas have come under increasing scrutiny amid warnings that they could burden countries with excessive debts. Some critics have questioned whether Chinas foreign investment will could provide long-term economic benefits or whether it is just a way for Beijing to take control of natural resources around the world. Last week, Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, warned of the risks surrounding the Belt and Road Initiative, which encompasses more than US$1 trillion worth of infrastructure projects in more than 60 countries. There is a concern that some investments if not properly tended could wither on the vine, Lagarde told a seminar in Beijing. Experience from across the globe shows that there is always a risk of potentially failed projects and the misuse of funds. According to a recent report by the Centre for Global Development, a Washington-based think tank, of the 68 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, 23 were found to be at a quite high risk of debt distress, while eight countries could potentially face a debt crisis. Donald Trump faces farmers wrath as Chinas tariffs put US soybean exports at risk But the Argentine envoy in Beijing sounded upbeat at the prospect of attracting funding from China. For us, it is very clear that financial institutions from China want to give us money because they have confidence that we are able to repay the money. If we have to build hydropower projects, nuclear plants or railways, those cost money, Guelar said. Infrastructure or construction companies in China want to do business in the world, thats not charity China is not doing us a favour. It is doing business and they want to do business with us and we are happy with that. We are not demanding that China gives us money for free. Of course, you have some seriously underdeveloped countries that have to be treated in a special way by superpowers like the US, China, Germany, which have an account to support humanitarian resources. China is a superpower and Argentina is not, but nor are we the kind of country that needs charity or support for free. This article China is just as important to South America as the US: why Argentina is keen to start talks on free-trade agreement first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. China's sole aircraft carrier has led a flotilla of naval vessels in a "live combat drill" in the East China Sea, state media reported Tuesday, the latest show of force by Beijing's burgeoning navy. The official Xinhua news agency said the vessels "took part in anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare training" with a simulated "opposing force". Xinhua said the drill, which took place on Sunday, included multiple take-offs from the deck of the Liaoning aircraft carrier by J-15 fighter jets and that "anti-air missiles were fired from ships surrounding the carrier". The manoeuvre occurred in the East China Sea, though the report did not give an exact location. The sea is home to uninhabited islets at the centre of a festering row between Tokyo and Beijing. The Japanese government has long complained about China's routine dispatch of coast guard ships to waters surrounding the islands. The presence of a naval convoy carrying out live fire drills in the East China Sea could anger Tokyo. The Liaoning is a refurbished Cold War-era aircraft carrier that was bought from Ukraine and commissioned in 2012. It has been on a high-visibility tour in recent weeks, carrying out a series of muscle-flexing drills accompanied by a flotilla of support ships, including destroyers. Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping inspected the convoy as it conducted exercises in the disputed South China Sea. Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost all of the resource-rich waterway, building an archipelago of artificial islands there capable of hosting military equipment, despite rival claims from several of its Southeast Asian neighbours. The flotilla then held two separate drills last week in waters on either side of Taiwan, infuriating the government in Taipei. China sees democratically-governed Taiwan as a renegade part of its territory to be brought back into the fold and has not ruled out reunification by force. The Liaoning is the pride of China's rapidly expanding navy, with Beijing determined to become a major global naval power, particularly in the Pacific. The state-run Global Times newspaper said China's first home-made carrier started moving from its berth on Monday as it prepares for its first sea trial, while a third, more advanced model is under construction in a Shanghai shipyard. China's chief Pacific rival the United States currently boasts 11 operating aircraft carriers and two more currently under construction. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte President Rodrigo Duterte opens anew opportunity for peace with the communist rebels citing his mandate as president to achieve lasting peace in the country. During his speech on Saturday at the Annual Convention of Motorcycle Clubs in the Philippines held in Albay, the President has set a 60-day time frame for peace talks and urged communist leader Jose Maria Sison to return to the Philippines to sit at the negotiating table. Proposal ko kay Sison, hindi ako doon magpunta. Ang pinag-awayan natin, ang Pilipinas man. So pumunta ka dito. Ako magbigay ng pamasahe. I will pay all your billeting and pagkain, the President said. Duterte also urged the rebels to take advantage of the opportunity to go out of their camps to talk peace, though he did not say when the 60-day period would start. He said he is willing to order a stop on military and police operations against the Reds should they accept his offer. You can got out of the camp minus the arms. I will give you the complete freedom to move I will order the military and police to be nice to you. Take advantage of that 60 days, he said. President Duterte previously said he will agree on the resumption of talks only if the Reds agree on a ceasefire first, stop their extortion activities and drop the proposal for a coalition government. Rosalie Coz | UNTV News & Rescue The post Duterte opens 60-day window for peace talks with Reds appeared first on UNTV News. Israel's defence minister on Sunday dismissed claims the country's spy agency was behind the assassination of a Palestinian scientist in Malaysia, suggesting instead that his killing was a "settling of accounts". Speaking to Israeli radio, Avigdor Lieberman described the dead Palestinian, a member of Islamist militant group Hamas, as "no saint" and said he had been involved in rocket production. Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh, 35, was killed in a Kuala Lumpur drive-by shooting on Saturday, according to Malaysian authorities, with his family accusing Israel's Mossad spy agency of the assassination. Hamas said Batsh, a research scientist specialising in energy issues, was one of its members. "There's a tradition among terror organisations of blaming Israel for every instance of settling of accounts," Lieberman told public radio, noting the reports that Batsh's work involved improving the range and accuracy of rockets. "The man was no saint and settling accounts among terror groups and different factions is something we see all the time," he said. "I assume this was the case here too." An autopsy was being carried out Sunday on the body of Batsh, who was walking to dawn prayers at a local mosque in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Gombak when he was shot by two gunmen riding a motorcycle, Malaysian officials said. At the crime scene, police markers indicated 14 bullets had been sprayed at the victim, some of them hitting a wall. Malaysian Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was quoted by the state-run Bernama news agency as saying Batsh was "an electrical engineer and an expert at making rockets". Militants in Hamas-ruled Gaza fire rockets at southern Israel, but usually without casualties. - 'Definitely Mossad' - Malaysia's police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said a task force has been formed to investigate the killing but would not speculate on the motive or whether foreign assassins were involved. Photos of the two suspects provided by witnesses showed they looked like Europeans, he told a news conference Sunday afternoon. When asked if there was evidence of foreign involvement in the killing, he said: "We want to ensure a complete probe. We are still investigating the motive. I urge people not to make any conclusion." No arrests have been made and the murder weapon has not been recovered, he said. Palestinian representative to Malaysia Anwar al-Agha said Fadi's body would be taken back to the Palestinian territories for burial. Mohammad Shedad, 17, a student and a relative of the victim, also blamed Mossad for the killing. "It is definitely the work of Mossad. Fadi is a very clever person, anyone who is clever is a threat to Israel," he told AFP outside the victim's Malaysian apartment. "Fadi is a Hamas member and knows how to make rockets. So (Israel) think he is dangerous." Batsh was married with three young children and had lived in Malaysia for 10 years. It was the second high-profile killing of a foreigner in Malaysia in just over a year. In February 2017 assassins smeared the banned VX nerve agent on the face of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, killing him within minutes. The Mossad is believed to have assassinated Palestinian militants and scientists in the past, but rarely confirms such operations. Hamas has accused Mossad of assassinating one of its drone experts -- Mohamed Zouari -- in Tunisia in 2016, and the spy agency is also believed to have been behind the 2010 murder of top Hamas militant Mahmud al-Mabhuh in a Dubai hotel. In Iran, a total of five scientists -- four of them involved in the country's nuclear programme -- were killed in bomb and gun attacks in Tehran between 2010 and 2012 at the height of tensions over the country's nuclear ambitions. Iran has accused Mossad and the CIA of ordering the killings. Tensions between Israel and Gaza are high, with 38 Palestinians killed in four weeks of clashes along the border. On Sunday, Israel announced the arrest of 19 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, 15 of them allegedly affiliated with Hamas in Gaza "who were instructed to carry out different missions on behalf of the Hamas terror organisation," the army said. Leftist front-runner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of MORENA arrives at Palacio de Mineria,in Mexico City Leftist front-runner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) arrives at Palacio de Mineria for the first presidential debate in Mexico City, Mexico April 22, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Romero By Dave Graham MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The trailing pack of candidates in Mexico's July 1 presidential election on Sunday launched repeated attacks on the leftist front-runner in a first televised debate, putting him on the defensive without luring him out into an open verbal brawl. Race leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador came under sustained fire from his nearest challenger Ricardo Anaya, who sold himself as the only viable alternative for the presidency, calling out his rival for evading questions and accusing him of hypocrisy. Buoyed by massive discontent with the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) over corruption, record levels of violence and sluggish growth, Lopez Obrador has pledged to clean up politics, reduce lawlessness and tackle inequality. Many of the attacks on him focused on a proposal he floated to explore an amnesty for criminals to pacify the country. Last year Mexico suffered its worst murder tally on record under President Enrique Pena Nieto, who cannot run for office again. "Proposing a pardon for criminals is madness, and would lead to an immense amount of violence in the country," Anaya said. Lopez Obrador rarely responded directly to the criticism, but about a quarter of the way into the debate focusing on security, corruption and democracy, his patience wore thin. "Obviously everyone's against me, ganging up on me, look," said the former Mexico City mayor, 64. Independent candidate Jaime Rodriguez shot back: "It's not ganging up, Andres, it's that you say any old nonsense." Twice a runner-up for the presidency, Lopez Obrador has led polls for months, and one in the past week by newspaper Reforma put him 22 points ahead of Anaya. At times he appeared amused by the verbal jousting, at others, distracted. At one point he deflected a round of criticism by simply pulling out a poster board with the Reforma numbers on it showing him with 48 percent support. Story continues "It's not to show off. 48 percent. Something terrible would need to happen..," he added without completing the sentence, and then said his numbers would rise further. "That's my reply." Anaya, 39, who heads a right-left alliance, and Jose Antonio Meade, candidate of the centrist PRI, have spent months battling each other for second place. But they took turns time and again to attack Lopez Obrador during the two-hour debate. Meade, 49, called Lopez Obrador a "puppet of criminals" and described his political party as a "family business". Lopez Obrador defended his security plans, saying anemic growth had brought about a breakdown in law and order and noting "you can't fight fire with fire". He repeated his pledge to sweep corruption out of the government from "top to bottom." Lopez Obrador has cut a more relaxed figure on the campaign trail than in previous years, generally avoiding the kind of outbursts that in the past helped adversaries depict him as a radical menace to stability in Latin America's No. 2 economy. But he showed no great enthusiasm for the debate on Sunday and began leaving the stage while the camera was still trained on the five candidates at the close. Anaya has struggled to shrug off accusations by the PRI that he laundered money in a 2014-2016 property deal, but he remained collected throughout the debate. He quickly rejected the allegations again to turn his fire back on the front-runner. "Our coalition is the only one that can beat Lopez Obrador," Anaya said during his closing remarks. (Reporting by Dave Graham; Additional reporting by Diego Ore; Editing by Peter Cooney) UN peacekeepers from Nepal are facing allegations of child rape in South Sudan, the UN spokesman said Monday, describing the case as "especially heinous." At the request of the United Nations, Nepal agreed to send a team of investigators to work with the UN office of internal oversight on the case. "Any act of sexual abuse is horrendous," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. "One involving a child is especially heinous." The allegations were received on April 13 and involve Nepalese troops serving in the UN mission in South Sudan who allegedly raped two teenage girls, UN officials said. It remains unclear how many Nepalese soldiers are involved. The United Nations has deployed 14,800 troops and police in South Sudan, with a mandate to protect civilians caught up in a brutal war between President Salva Kiir's forces and rebels. In February, 46 UN peacekeepers from Ghana were recalled from their base in northwestern South Sudan after the mission received allegations of sexual exploitation of women. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has vowed to toughen the UN response to allegations of misconduct against the blue helmets, whose mission is to protect vulnerable civilians in conflict zones. The United Nations said Tuesday that many deaths in nearly a week of anti-government protests violently repressed by police in Nicaragua may have been "unlawful" and called for an investigation. The scrutiny from the Swiss-based UN human rights office adds to international alarm at President Daniel Ortega's ordered crackdown against a wave of anti-government demonstrations and clashes. The European Union, United States and the Vatican have all urged talks to restore calm, while the US embassy in Managua ordered family members of staff out of the country after Ortega deployed the army to the streets and looting broke out. A toll compiled from the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights and Ortega's wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, puts the number of deaths since last Wednesday at at least 27. Most were protesters, among whom university students and youths figure prominently. "We are particularly concerned that a number of these deaths may amount to unlawful killings," Liz Throssell of the UN Office for the High Commissioner on Human Rights told reporters in Geneva. "It is essential that all allegations of excessive use of force by police and other security forces are effectively investigated to ensure those responsible are held to account," Throssell said. The UN office said at least 25 people, including a police officer, had been killed. The protests were sparked Wednesday by pension reforms aimed at keeping Nicaragua's burdened Social Security Institute afloat by cutting benefits and increasing contributions. But they rapidly spread and intensified as other grievances over Ortega's rule surged to the fore. - 'Out! Out!' - On Monday, tens of thousands of people -- employees, students, pensioners and ordinary citizens -- marched peacefully in the capital Managua and other cities demanding an end to the crackdown on protests. Some groups called for "dictator" Ortega and his wife to step down, yelling "Out! Out!" Ortega, a 72-year-old former Sandinista guerrilla leader who has ruled Nicaragua for 22 of the past 39 years, has been taken aback by the demonstrations, the biggest in his last 11-year stretch in power. In a bid to calm the situation, he has canceled the pension reforms and called for dialogue, and on Tuesday authorities released dozens of arrested protesters. The government also lifted a broadcast ban on an independent news channel which had been reporting on the unrest. Ortega's wife Murillo, who days ago called the protesters "vampires," changed her tune to voice "faith that we are going to go forward united." And lawmakers issued an unanimous call for "dialogue and peace," according to one ruling-party deputy, Carlos Lopez. But there was no immediate sign that Ortega's security forces had been pulled back, and widespread anti-government sentiment persisted. Nicaragua's business sector, whose support has shored up Ortega, has abandoned him over the days of violence. A pro-government rally was being organized for Thursday to show that the president still enjoyed backing from part of the population. - Coalescing anger - Mass street protests are rare in Nicaragua, where the army maintains a tight grip on public order. But dissatisfaction has been bubbling over in recent months. Frustrations have been voiced over corruption, the distant autocratic style of Ortega and Murillo, limited options to change the country's politics in elections, and the president's control over Congress, the courts, the military and the electoral authority. In rural areas, anger also stemmed from a stalled plan by Ortega to have a Chinese company carve a $50 billion canal across Nicaragua to rival Panama's lucrative Pacific-to-Atlantic shipping canal. If the project went ahead, it would displace thousands of rural dwellers and indigenous communities, while dealing a blow to the environment. - 'People want freedom' - "People are demanding democracy, freedom, free elections, a transparent government, the separation of powers, rule of law. The people want freedom," former Nicaraguan foreign minister Norman Caldera told AFP. "If the government doesn't yield, it's going to be very difficult to stop this (the protests)," he said, asserting that the "big majority" of the population was frustrated with Ortega. "The repressive apparatus is not able to halt protests on this scale," Caldera said. Though Ortega has held out the promise of talks with opponents, the lack of any identifiable leader in the protest movement could make dialogue difficult. Under his watch, Nicaragua has avoided the rampant crime seen in other Central American countries where gangs are rife. It has also put in solid economic growth, yet remains one of the poorest nations in Latin America. The sudden upsurge in the streets puts Ortega at a crossroads: to tough it out, or bow to demands for democracy that have become too loud to ignore. Armenia's veteran leader Serzh Sarkisian resigned on Monday after mass protests against his election as prime minister with sweeping powers, sparking celebrations across the impoverished country. Last week lawmakers voted for Sarkisian as prime minister after he served a decade as Armenia's president, triggering political turmoil in the Moscow-allied nation of 2.9 million people. The opposition said the move was designed to extend his chokehold on power under a new parliamentary system of government, with tens of thousands taking to the streets of the capital Yerevan and other cities in recent days in largely peaceful protests. On Monday evening the health ministry said one demonstrator, a 36-year-old man, died of heart failure after a celebratory rally in Yerevan. "Our velvet revolution has won but this is only the first step," protest leader Nikol Pashinyan told supporters at the rally in Yerevan's Republic Square. "Our revolution cannot stop halfway and I am hoping that you will persevere until the final victory." The 42-year-old leader of the Civil Contract party said he would meet with the acting head of government, Karen Karapetyan, on Wednesday to discuss the transfer of power. Pashinyan -- who was hurt in the protests last week and sported a bandaged hand -- said parliament would have to elect a new prime minister "within a week" and new parliamentary elections were also in the cards. Earlier in the day the 63-year-old Sarkisian -- who previously refused to step down -- stunned the country by saying he was in the wrong and resigning. "I am leaving the post of the country's leader," Sarkisian was quoted as saying by his office. "Nikol Pashinyan was right," he said. "I was wrong." Sarkisian implied that there were several ways to resolve the crisis and that he could have used force to break up protests but chose not to. "This is not in my nature," he added. Sarkisian quit after a number of serving and former soldiers joined the protests. His resignation came as a major surprise, with analysts saying just last week that the opposition did not have enough resources to force the veteran leader to quit. - 'People won' - Armenians cheered Sarkisian's departure, dancing, hugging each other and setting off fireworks. "The people won!" shouted supporters of Pashinyan as some waved national flags and others tooted car horns, on the 11th day of demonstrations. Spontaneous street parties broke out as many flocked to stores to buy wine and raise a toast to the country's future. Sarkisian remained the country's top leader even after he transitioned to the post of prime minister following constitutional amendments approved in 2015, which transferred powers from the presidency to the premiership. Sarkisian, a former military officer, was first elected president of the poor, landlocked nation in 2008. He also held the office of prime minister from 2007 to 2008. After the 2008 presidential vote, 10 people died in clashes between police and supporters of the defeated opposition candidate. The Kremlin said it was closely watching the political crisis in Armenia -- which hosts a Russian military base -- but would not interfere. - 'Never happened before' - Protesters said Sarkisian's peaceful departure after a decade in power was unprecedented. "For the first time ever the people forced the head of state to resign," said 46-year-old Arman Sarkisian (no relation to Serzh Sarkisian). "This has never happened before. From now on those who will replace him will think twice before taking decisions." Gohar Badalyan, a 21-year-old student, added: "A new life is beginning today." Sarkisian had earlier refused to go and on Sunday stormed out of televised talks with Pashinyan, accusing him of "blackmail". Over the past days, thousands of protesters held rallies against Sarkisian, denouncing his failure to fight poverty, corruption and the influence of oligarchs. They blocked roads and marched arm-in-arm holding Armenian flags, with students and a group of serving soldiers joining the protests. A number of uniformed former soldiers and veterans who had fought in Nagorny Karabakh -- a breakaway region seized by Armenian separatists after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 -- also joined the demonstrations. Despite the festive mood, many in Armenia acknowledged that the country still faced huge uncertainty. Andranik Serobyan, a teacher, said the "hardest part is ahead". "Who will be the prime minister? Who will be the country's leader? We will have to live through all of this." - UN urges restraint - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for restraint and respect of democratic rights in Armenia. Guterres "calls for the continued respect of democratic rights and the rule of law, as well as for the maintenance of peace and stability in Armenia and the wider region," said a UN spokesman. In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov -- who spoke to reporters before Sarkisian resigned -- said Russia was carefully watching events in Armenia, which has retained close ties to its former Soviet master. Last week Putin called Sarkisian to congratulate him on his election as prime minister despite the rallies. Police have confirmed 10 people are dead and 14 are injured after a van rammed into a crowd of people walking on Yonge Street in north Toronto on Monday afternoon. Alek Minassian, a 25-year-old man from Richmond Hill, Ont., is the alleged driver in the incident and is in police custody. He was arrested by Toronto police without any gunshots fired. Minassian is believed to be responsible for hitting pedestrians with a white van in a busy part of the city. The suspect allegedly hit pedestrians on a one-kilometre stretch of Yonge Street near Finch Avenue, driving on the sidewalk and against the normal flow of the traffic at times, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders told reporters with high-ranking officials by his side. PHOTOS: Several pedestrians struck by van in Toronto PHOTOS: Van plows down multiple pedestrians in Toronto Its very clear, just from a general perspective, to say the actions definitely looked deliberate, Saunders said, adding the suspect is not believed to be known to Toronto police. We dont rule out anything, Saunders replied when asked if police are ruling out terrorism as a possible motive. It is early were not excluding anything. Saunders insisted the city is safe and police are not believed to be looking for any other suspects at this time. Toronto Police Services first tweeted about the incident being reported just before 1:30 p.m. ET. Editorial cartoonist Naseeba Khader commemorates Torontos strength with an illustration of the CN Tower bathed in light. 10 people died and 14 more were injured after a driver mounted a curb and ploughed unsuspecting pedestrians in one of the citys major intersections on April 23, 2018. Toronto Mayor John Tory is urging people to stay away from the area as a very complicated investigation is in process. These are not the kinds of things that we expect to happen in this city, Tory told reporters. We hope they dont happen anywhere in the world, but we especially dont expect them to happen in Toronto. The mayor stressed it is a time to be as calm as we can be in the city. Senior members of the federal government are aware of the incident. Toronto is hosting a meeting with G7 leaders where Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland spoke to the media about the incident. I cannot provide details at this stage, Goodale said, confirming that Toronto police is the lead investigative agency in this investigation. We cannot come to any firm conclusions at this stage, Goodale continued. When asked whether the incident was an act of terror, the public safety minister said it would be inappropriate to speculate. Grateful for the brave and professional response of @TorontoPolice and other first responders to the horrific attack at Yonge and Finch. Canadians are appalled at what happened. The victims and their families have our deepest condolences. Ralph Goodale (@RalphGoodale) April 23, 2018 However, Goodale said he has no information that would cause him to make any changes to Canadas National Terrorism Threat Level. Freeland called the incident a very sad moment. Both leaders thanked first responders and law enforcement officials while expressing their sympathies to those affected. Our thoughts are with all thosed affected by the terrible incident at Yonge and Finch in Toronto, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter. Thank you to the first responders working at the scene were monitoring the situation closely. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the terrible incident at Yonge and Finch in Toronto. Thank you to the first responders working at the scene we're monitoring the situation closely. Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 23, 2018 Toronto Fire was the first to tell Yahoo Canada about numerous casualties. Stephan Powell, district chief at Toronto Fire, is urging people to stay away from the area near the North York Civic Centre as first responders are working at the scene. I think we are all unsettled and deeply disturbed, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne told reporters at Queens Park in Toronto. I think its impossible not to be. Its frightening. The premier said on Twitter that she is heartbroken and Ontario is united in grief. Heartbroken to hear police confirm so many dead and injured today in Toronto. Ontario is united in grief. Our deepest condolences to the victims and their families. Provincial, municipal and federal officials continue to work closely together to investigate. Kathleen Wynne (@Kathleen_Wynne) April 23, 2018 Photos circulating on social media showed multiple bloodied bodies on the ground. Some of them were covered in orange tarps. A spokeswoman for Toronto Paramedic Services said all resources were being used and the public is being asked to stay away from the area. Photo from Canva. Police said all of their resources have been deployed to the scene. North York Centre Subway Station has been closed, along with roads in the area. The news of the incident was mentioned briefly during Question Period in the House of Commons in Ottawa. A Belgian court on Monday said the sole surviving suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, remained "dangerous" as it sentenced him to 20 years in prison over a gunbattle with police in Brussels that led to his capture. Abdeslam's co-defendant Sofiane Ayari received the same sentence, the maximum demanded by Belgian prosecutors, after the pair were convicted of terrorism-related attempted murder over the bloody shootout. Four police officers were wounded in the gun fight, which came four months after the November 2015 Paris attacks, and days before suicide bombings in Brussels as a wave of Islamic State-inspired terror swept Europe. Judges at the court in Brussels said that "there can be no doubt about their commitment to radicalism" as they handed down the maximum jail term as demanded by Belgian prosecutors at the opening of the trial in February. "The terrorist nature of the facts under question in March 2016 appears to be established," the judgment said. Neither Abdeslam, 28, a Belgian-born French national, nor Ayari, a 24-year-old Tunisian citizen, was in court to hear the verdict. Abdeslam is being held in jail in France pending a separate trial over the Paris attacks, claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group, in which 130 people died. - 'Dangerousness remains intact' - On the first day of the trial, Abdeslam proclaimed that he would put his "trust in Allah" and accused the court of being biased against Muslims, before refusing to answer or attend any more days of the hearing. The judges said on Monday that "Abdeslam's silence outside his statements to the hearing on February 5 allow us to fear that he has not taken the full measure of the seriousness of his behaviour, or worse, that he is staying silent for ideological reasons." "His dangerousness remains intact." The pair were convicted of opening fire on a team of Belgian and French police who raided a flat in the Forest area of Brussels on March 15, 2016, following a tip-off about the Paris attacks. An Algerian jihadist was killed in the raid as he provided covering fire for Abdeslam -- at the time the most wanted man in Europe -- and Ayari to escape. Abdeslam was arrested and shot in the leg in a dramatic police operation three days later in the largely immigrant Molenbeek area of the Belgian capital, near his family home. On March 22, suicide bombers from a cell linked to the Paris attacks killed 32 people and wounded hundreds more at Brussels airport and a metro station in the Belgian capital. Abdeslam's lawyer Sven Mary told reporters outside the Palace of Justice -- where police had mounted tight security -- that he would consult with his client at the French prison where he is being held "and then we will see if he wants to lodge an appeal." He said Abdeslam would likely have to serve the full Belgian 20-year term on top of any sentence that arises from the French trial over the Paris attacks. - 'Allah guided me' - The judgment said Abdeslam had written a document addressed to his mother saying that "Allah guided me and chose me among his servants to open his path. It is for that reason that I had to fight the enemies of Allah with all my strength." He added that his brother Brahim, who blew himself up during the Paris attacks, "did not commit suicide -- he is a hero of Islam." An Islamic State flag was also found at the scene, the judgment said, adding that a total of 34 shots were fired during the shootout. Abdeslam has spent most of the last two years in jail in France. He was transported to the court from France for the start of the trial in February amid tight security including a helicopter escort, while Ayari is in jail in Belgium. Investigators say Abdeslam's arrest spurred the Brussels bombers to bring forward the 2016 attacks, which had originally been planned for a later date, as they feared the police were closing in on them. Lawyers for police wounded in the gun battle accused Abdeslam of "mocking" the trial with his silence. One of the injured police officers was still suffering from after-effects including brain lesions, epileptic fits and vision and balance problems. Clarence Leong from EasyParcel says that lessons gleaned from past business failures will make you a stronger and savvier entrepreneur In this episode, we had the opportunity to have a chat with Clarence Leong, founder of Penang-based EasyParcel the online comparison site for parcel delivery across multiple countries in Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Prior to launching EasyParcel, Clarence had already launched and shut down two platforms, EziVoucher and EasyCorner. So we asked Clarence to share the insights and lessons he gained from these experiences. One of Clarences most notable achievements is that, despite having to go through two relatively short-lived ventures, he managed to retain his core team. EziVoucher (an online Groupon purchase platform) EziVoucher had to be shut down because of Groupons foray into Malaysian market, playing a zero-sum game that forced smaller startups like EziVoucher, which did not have any funding back then, to bleed out easily. Clarence shared his 2 key learnings here: communication with the team, efficient management of a founders role. He told us that its never an easy thing for a founder to share bad news with employees. He believes that every employee should know the good and bad of the company so that there will not be any surprises that will bring them down. He chose to be open to the employees before shutting it down and encouraged all of them to work on the next project (EasyCorner) instead of giving up. When running EziVoucher, he also understood the importance of allocating resources effectively i.e. time. He was the Chief Everything Officer, doing everything from cleaning up the toilet to managing all the salary payment and tax. Upon reflection, he thinks that instead of saving money outsourcing these admin and manual tasks, a founder/entrepreneur should put more focus on high-impact and high-value work that can grow the company. EasyCorner (a magazine publisher) Story continues The team then shifted their focus to EasyCorner while waiting for EasyCorners platform to be ready. We were amazed at how Clarence managed to bring the team together while they work on two companies with different ideas and workflow simultaneously. Also Read: This Malaysian startup wants to connect Founders with journalists, wins Vikingcubator pitching competition He told us the key learning here is team bonding. As they have worked together closely for the past, the team understands each other and shares the same values. They understand that running EasyCorner is a transitional period for them to roll out EasyParcel. With the open communication and strong teamwork, they can save time on too many explanations and move fast, grow fast. EasyParcel After 7 years of experimenting building companies, Clarence had the same team with him, moving from offline to online. Having a good team is the key to success in business, he said. Looking back, EasyParcels business model will be more replicable in other markets compared to his previous ventures as it involves less offline work (which is more difficult to scale). Lastly, Clarence ended the conversation with us by giving sound advice to all the millennial entrepreneurs who would like to build their own startups. Every entrepreneur should ask themselves these questions: How persistent can you be? How strong can your heart be? What is your bottom line? Having ideas is not good enough unless youre persistent enough to go through the process of seeing your ideas realised. Editors note: e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here. The post Why failing your startup does not mean you are a failure appeared first on e27. Yemen's Huthi militias vowed Monday to avenge the killing of their top political leader in what they said was a Saudi-led coalition air strike, the highest-ranking rebel to die in the three-year conflict. Saleh al-Sammad, head of the Huthis' supreme political council, was "martyred" last Thursday in the eastern province of Hodeida, the Iran-allied rebels said via their Saba news agency. Sammad's death is a major blow to the Shiite rebels who have been fighting forces of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia. The most senior rebel to have been killed since the coalition intervened in March 2015, his name was on a Saudi list of 40 Huthi leaders that put bounties on their heads totalling $440 million. The rebels named Sammad's successor as Mehdi Hussein al-Mashat. "This crime won't go unanswered," said the Huthis' overall leader, Abdul Malek al-Huthi, adding that six other people were killed in the same raid. The news came hours after officials in Yemen said dozens of people were killed and wounded in an air raid on a wedding party in the country on Sunday, in another attack the Huthis blamed on the coalition. Medical sources and local officials put the number of dead between 22 and 33, with at least 40 to 50 wounded, while the circumstances of the raid remained unclear. Doctors Without Borders tweeted that a hospital it supports in Hajjah received at least 65 patients, including at least 13 children, wounded in the air strikes, which it said were "among the most devastating in the area in recent months". - Iran denounces 'invaders' - Rescue teams said the wedding was being held in the Huthi-controlled Bani Qais area of Hajjah province, north of Sanaa, when jets carried out the raid. A local official said at least 23 civilians, including women and children, were killed. The official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said a double air strike on the venue had left a number of bodies buried beneath the rubble. Huthi-run television said at least 33 people, including women and children, were killed and as many as 55 people wounded. The coalition's spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said they were following media reports of the bombing, and will investigate the allegations. Iran, which is accused of supplying arms to the Huthis, swiftly condemned the raid. "The escalated bombardment of residential areas proves the desperation and inability of the invaders in achieving their goals," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said. Also on Monday, the coalition said it downed two new ballistic missiles fired by the Huthis, who claimed to target facilities belonging to the kingdom's oil giant Aramco in southern Jizan city. The coalition reported no damage or loss of life from the strikes, the latest in a string of bombardments on Saudi Arabia by the Huthis. Saudi forces said they intercepted a rebel ballistic missile targeting its southern border city of Najran on Sunday, which set a farm ablaze, after another aimed at Jizan was shot down on Friday. - 'Year of ballistics' - At the beginning of April, Huthi political head Sammad dubbed 2018 "the year of ballistics", referring to cross-border missile attacks. Sunday's deadly strike in Hajjah was one of a series to have struck weddings in Yemen's conflict, which has killed nearly 10,000 people and wounded 54,000 others since March 2015. In late 2015, coalition air strikes on two wedding parties in northern Yemen killed at least 159 civilians. Violence has also hit funerals. In October 2016, 140 mourners were killed in an air strike on a house in Sanaa. Elsewhere in Yemen on Monday, five pro-government soldiers were killed and 19 wounded in clashes with jihadists in the southern city of Taez, medics said. Fighting in the city's Jahmaliah district came after the governor of Taez launched an operation against jihadists he suspected were behind the murder of a Red Cross aid worker over the weekend. The Lebanese aid worker, Hanna Lahoud, was shot dead in Taez on Saturday by unidentified assailants who sprayed his Red Cross vehicle with bullets. President Hadi's government was driven out of Sanaa in 2014 by the Huthis, who still control the capital and much of northern Yemen. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed since the coalition's intervention three years ago, triggering what the UN has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis. jj-oh-sh-ac/ceb Fares Akram INTERNACIONAL.- Gazas ruling Hamas militant group said that a man who was gunned down in Malaysia was an important member of the organization, accusing Israel of being behind the brazen killing. Hamas said Palestinian engineer Fadi alBatsh was a loyal member and a scientist of Palestines youth scholars. It gave no further details on his scientific accomplishments but said he had made important contributions and participated in international forums in the field of energy. Hamas initially stopped short of blaming Israel, saying only that he had been assassinated by the hand of treachery. Tambien te puede interesar: Chemical weapons inspectors collect samples from Syria site But later its top leader accused Israels Mossad spy agency intelligence of killing him and threatened retaliation. Ismail Haniyeh told The Associated Press Saturday that based on previous assassinations Mossad is not away from this disgraceful, terrible crime. There will be an unsettled account between us and it, Haniyeh said at the Gaza mourning tent, referring to Mossad. We cannot give up on the blood of our sons, youths and scholars. The Israeli government had no comment. But Israel has a long history of suspected targeting of wanted Palestinian militants in daring overseas operations around the globe and has been linked to other assassinations as well, though it has rarely publicly acknowledged them. Malaysian police say the 34-year-old alBatsh was gunned down early by two assailants who shot at least eight bullets from a motorbike as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers in Kuala Lampur. It said closed-circuit television footage showed him targeted by assassins who had waited for him for almost 20 minutes. Karin Laub JERUSALEM.- German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the Iran nuclear deal in an interview with an Israeli TV channel, saying an imperfect deal is better than no deal and that her country will watch very closely to ensure it is being fulfilled. Her comments were broadcast Sunday, ahead of a meeting in Washington this week with President Donald Trump who vows to withdraw from the agreement by May 12 unless U.S. and European negotiators agree to fix what he calls its serious flaws. Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron, a fellow defender of the Iran deal, begins a state visit in the U.S. on Monday. The 2015 deal, negotiated by the U.S. and other world powers, curbs Irans nuclear program in exchange for easing economic sanctions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vehemently opposed the agreement, saying it falls short of containing the nuclear ambitions of Iran, a declared foe of Israel. Merkel told Israel TVs Channel 10 that she can understand the great worries in Israel, concerning what is emanating from Iran. The issue on which we disagree is how we can best contain this, she said. Prime Minister Netanyahu believes that the nuclear deal with Iran does not provide the security Israel desires. We believe its better to have this agreement, even if it is not perfect, than to have no agreement. We will continue to discuss this, but Germany will watch very closely to ensure that this agreement will be fulfilled. Germany remains one of Israels closest allies, but the relationship has been strained at times over the Netanyahu governments settlement expansion in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, war-won lands the Palestinians seek for a future state. The Associated Press BERLIN, Germany.- Mexicos president has said at a trade fair in Germany that hes optimistic about reaching a deal to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement. President Enrique Pena Nieto and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on opened the annual Hannover Messe fair, where Mexico is this years guest country. Both welcomed a preliminary agreement reached Saturday between the European Union and Mexico to update their nearly 20-year-old trade deal. Mexico faces a challenge with the United States and Canada in overhauling NAFTA. About threequarters of Mexicos exports go to the U.S.; roughly half its imports come from there. We did it as partners who are willing to discuss to defend their interests and at the same time are willing to commit to meet their expectations. Pena Nieto said: We have optimism, as well, that were going to be concluding the renegotiation (and) modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement ... ensuring benefits for all its partners. The president of the European Commission (EC), Jean Claude Juncker, celebrated the mutually beneficial trade agreement reached by the European Union and Mexico, a country he called a partner willing to open and fair trade rules. According to an EC statement, Juncker said that the result of the agreement shows that it is a winwin process, since Mexico and the EU worked together to achieve it. We did it as partners who are willing to discuss to defend their interests and at the same time are willing to commit to meet their expectations, he said. Sarah Rankin INTERNACIONAL.- Ryan Kelly won a Pulitzer Prize this week for his photo of a car plowing into protesters at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia - an image he snapped on the final day of his newspaper job before leaving to work at a brewery. The photographer has joined a growing list of journalists who have won the professions highest honor on their way out the door of a once-thriving newspaper industry now destabilized and seriously weakened by the internet. Kelly, 31, said he was burned out and looking for a better quality of life. Tambien te puede interesar: Chemical weapons inspectors collect samples from Syria site Bad hours, bad pay, high stress, low job security ... it all just sort of built to me being ready to move on, said Kelly, who now works as digital and social media coordinator at Ardent CraPulitzer honoree is latest to win after leaving journalism Ryan Kelly won a Pulitzer Prize this week for his photo of a car plowing into protesters Ryan Kelly Photojournalist Ryan Kelly Fotoperiodista Bad hours, bad pay, high stress, low job security ... it all just sort of built to me being ready to move on Horas malas, mala paga, estres elevado, poca seguridad en el trabajo ... todo fue como si estuviera listo para seguir adelante ft Ales in Richmond. Like Kelly, other Pulitzer winners said deteriorating conditions in the industry drove them out. Digital titans Facebook and Google have captured the majority of advertising that once supported local journalism, Craigslist has wreaked havoc on classifieds and free news outlets have proliferated online. Circulation has declined, and newspapers have slashed jobs and reduced benefits. Rob Kuznia, a reporter for the Daily Breeze of Torrance, California, made headlines in 2015 for having left the paper by the time he won a Pulitzer for an investigation into widespread corruption in a school district. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BERLIN, Germany.- Ireland-based Smyths Toys has reached a deal to take over more than 90 Toys R Us stores in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In March, Toys R Us said it would be liquidating its U.S. business. Its German branch said in a statement Saturday that Smyths Toys has signed an agreement to take over its activities in the three countries with 93 stores and four online shops. Ireland-based Smyths Toys has reached a deal to take over more than 90 Toys R Us stores in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The deal requires approval by a U.S. court and other authorities. It foresees Smyths Toys taking over Toys R Us regional employees and local headquarters in Cologne. No financial details were given. However, the UK business shows that revenues and profits there are growing strongly. It significantly increased pre-tax profits in its UK operations to 10m in 2016, as sales climbed by 19pc from 334m (381m) to 396.49m on the back of new store openings. The revenue increase contributed to pre-tax profits jumping by 69pc going from 5.96m to 10m. The 19pc increase in revenues for Smyths Toys UK in the 12 months to the end of December 2016 followed sales growth of 30pc in 2015. Toys 'R' Us said in January said it would shut about a fifth of its US stores as part of a plan to emerge from one of the largest ever bankruptcies by a specialty retailer but the plan was unsuccessful. On Friday, it was reported that Fairfax Financial Holdings had made a bid to buy the Canadian unit of Toys 'R' Us Inc for about $300m. AP Florida, US | April 21 A gunman who carried a shotgun in a guitar case and opened fire at a Florida high school has been denied bond during his first court appearance. A handcuffed Sky Bouche appeared Saturday before Judge Willard Pope via video conference at the Marion County Jail. The Ocala Star-Banner reports a second court date was set for next month. Bouche told the newspaper he felt an adrenaline rush before Fridays shooting that quickly wore off, and he was unable to continue with his plan. Tambien te puede interesar: Accepting rights award, Kaepernick decries lawful lynching Some students and teachers piled desks and filing cabinets against classroom doors as a makeshift barricade. Bouche faces charges including terrorism, aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of a firearm on school property. The shooting at Forest High School in Ocala happened on a day planned for a national classroom walkout to protest gun violence and left one person injured. A gunman carried a shotgun in a guitar case and opened fire Friday in a Florida high school, wounding one student before he was arrested on a day planned for a national classroom walkout to protest gun violence, authorities said. Nineteen-year-old suspect Sky Bouche said Sorry, followed by It doesnt matter anyway to reporters as he was led from the school in handcuffs by several deputies. It happened at Forest High School, which was put on lockdown. A 17-year-old boy was taken to a local hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening wound to his ankle. Some students and teachers piled desks and filing cabinets against classroom doors as a makeshift barricade. Police initially said Bouche was a student at the school, but later said he was a former student not currently enrolled. No charges were immediately announced. The sheriffs office posted video on Facebook of Bouche being led from the school. I didnt shoot anyone, he said to reporters. He ignored most of the other questions until asked what hed say to the shooting victim. Thats when he said, Sorry. The shooting comes just over two months after a gunman killed 17 people and wounded 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nikolas Cruz, 19, faces the death penalty if convicted in that Valentines Day shooting. It also coincided with a nationwide student walkout to protest gun violence on the anniversary of the 1999 massacre at Colorados Columbine High School. The Ocala school had planned its version of a walkout, students said. Jill Colvin/SIPSE UNITED STATES.- President Donald Trump on claimed North Korea has agreed to denuclearization before his potential meeting with Kim Jong Un. But thats not the case. North Korea said it would suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of summits with the U.S. and South Korea. Kim also said a nuclear test site would be closed and dismantled now that the country has learned how to make nuclear weapons and mount warheads on ballistic rockets. But the North has stopped short of saying it has any intention of abandoning its nuclear arsenal, with Kim making clear that nukes remain a treasured sword. Trump nonetheless tweeted Sunday that the North has agreed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing! Being committed to the concept of denuclearization, however, is not the same as agreeing to it, as Trump claims. South Korea, which is set to meet with North Korea later this week, has said Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons. But the North for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the Korean Peninsula and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. South Koreas president has said Kim isnt asking for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula as a condition for abandoning his nuclear weapons. In 2008, in an advertisement for a three-day, $1,495 Trump University workshop, the future president was quoted as saying, Ive always made a FORTUNE in foreclosures, and you will too. It appears the presidents most ardent televised defender, Sean Hannity, took his advice. On Sunday, the Guardian uncovered public records suggesting that the Fox News host is behind or affiliated with shell companies that, over the past decade, have spent more than $90 million on 870 homes in seven states, including dozens of foreclosed houses. It also offers an explanation why Hannity said last week that he had consulted Michael Cohen, Donald Trumps personal lawyer who is under criminal investigation, to ask some questions about real estate. Advertisement The newspaper notes that several of the properties were obtained with mortgages backed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a fact that Hannity did not disclose while interviewing or praising HUD Secretary Ben Carson. This is not, in fact, suspicious: Under the National Housing Act, which insures mortgage loans for multifamily rental housing, HUD covers about 70,000 units a year for a sum of $4.5 billion. Millions of Americans have mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration, which is within HUD, which gives a whole lot of us a similar rudimentary relationship with Carsons department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course, Hannity is a hypocrite for positioning himself as a downhome populist when he is in fact an anonymous multistate landlord to hundreds of tenants. And hes a hypocrite for slamming the Obama administration for the declining homeownership rate while he snapped up properties in foreclosure auctions. But what else is new? Advertisement The real significance is somewhat less bombastic: Hannity represents the rise of the corporate landlord. The housing crisis flooded the market with millions of foreclosed or low-cost homes, which were scooped up by private equity and real estate firms, aided by banks and big investors like pension funds. Between 2007 and 2009, nearly 3 million single-family homes were converted to rentals. Mom-and-pop landlords were responsible for most of those conversions, as they had historically been. But in many of the worst-hit Sun Belt cities, institutional investorsa designation that here means everyone from nonprofits to real estate corporationstook over the market. By 2014, the private equity firm Blackstone had spent billions to become the largest rental landlord in America, and when Blackstone merged with Starwood Capital Group last year, its stock grew to include 82,000 homes. Theres a whole new multibillion-dollar market for bonds backed by these rent rolls. (Heres a deep dive into the sector.) Advertisement Advertisement In addition to public or well-known companies, you also have hard-to-track LLCs like the ones Hannity set up. Technology has made managing a far-flung portfolio a lot easier than it used to be, in real estate as in other things. An ongoing building shortage has given investors confidence that rental demand isnt going away. According to a 2017 Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies report, individual investors share of all rental buildings fell from nearly 82 percent in 2001 to under 75 percent in 2015. In some ways, that undersells the change, because their share really plummeted in multifamily buildings, and those properties contain more units. For example, in buildings with between five and 24 units, the share of individual owners fell from 65 percent in 2001 to 53 percent in 2012 to 38 percent in 2015. (Then again, some mom-and-pop landlords may have developed LLCs to protect their identities or save money on taxes.) Advertisement Advertisement Proponents of this change argue companies stepped in to rehabilitate properties that would otherwise have grown dilapidated, which is true. They also say Landlord Inc. can be more consistent and dependable than the old man down the street, which is probably true too. But, according to a 2016 paper from the Atlanta Federal Reserve, large rental ownersin this case, those with more than 15 single-family rental homes in Fulton County, home of Atlantaare 8 percent more likely than their mom-and-pop peers to file eviction notices. This was true after controlling for property values and neighborhood characteristics. In any case, the trend is clear: Youre more likely than ever to be cutting rent to a faceless corporation or obscure LLC, behind which may lie the very man who has been yelling about the injustice of foreclosures at you on the television. HBO released the first teaser trailer for their upcoming adaptation of Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynns debut novel from 2006, and it looks like a heartwarming tale about family, homecoming, and who am I kidding: It looks like a trip to the psychological nightmare factory. Amy Adams plays Camille Preaker, a journalist with a habit of self-harm, whos returned home to small town Missouri to report on a series of murders. There, she gets to spend a whole lot of time with her creepy mother (Patricia Clarkson) her equally creepy little sister (Eliza Scanlan), and did we mention the murders? Advertisement All eight episodes of the series were directed by Dallas Buyers Clubs Jean-Marc Valee, the second limited series adaptation hes done for HBO after Big Little Lies. Marti Noxon, the Buffy the Vampire veteran who co-created UnREAL and created Girlfriends Guide to Divorce, is the showrunner and series creator. The teaser goes long on wind chimes and slow motion, making it hard to tell if this will have the sick humor that made Gone Girl work, or just dial up the creepiness instead. Well find out when the series makes its way to HBO in July. In Disobedience, Rachel Weiszs hair has a lot of work to do. When we first see her character, Ronit Krushka, in her adopted home of New York City, her thick black mane frames her slender face while she works as a photographer. She tugs on strands as she concentrates, rearranges her cascading curls when she adjusts her clothing, and after she learns that her father has died back in London, her hands reflexively reach up to her crowning glory. Advertisement The next day, Ronit finds herself in a rabbis house in North London being stared at. She stands out not because shes a strangermost of the mourners gathered in the home of Dovid Kuperman (Alessandro Nivola) knew her when she was a girlbut because she wasnt expected. Her father was the rav, the most senior and respected rabbi in this close-knit Orthodox community, but the two of them were estranged for many years, so estranged that the ravs obituary in the local Jewish newspaper claims, Sadly, he left no children. And then there is the matter of her hair: The married women of this communityand pretty much all the women in attendance are marriedwear sheitels, or wigs, and Ronits luxurious locks are clearly her own. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We never thought wed see you again, a woman tells her, in a tone that suggests she really means, We never wanted to see you again. Only Dovid, the ravs mentee and closest helper, seems happy to be reunited with Ronit, inviting her to stay in the home he shares with his wife, Esti (Rachel McAdams), in the days leading up to the ravs hesped, or eulogy. Ronit is shocked to learn that Dovid and Esti are married. As teenagers, the three of them were a trio of close friends, but for reasons she doesnt articulate at first, Ronit has a hard time reading the two of them as a couple. Still, Ronit accepts the Kupermans hospitality, even though Esti seems uncomfortable in her presence and in spite of her own confusion as to why shes really returned to London. Nor is it entirely clear why Dovid can stand to have her in the house: Shes a terrible guest, always on the verge of lighting a cigarette indoors or embarrassing her hosts. Advertisement Lelio has a knack for observing small moments as well as huge dilemmas. Its only when Esti spots Ronit walking down the street wearing a wigshe dons one when visiting her uncle at his sheitel factory and, somewhat incredibly, leaves with it onthat she is somehow shaken off script. As Esti accompanies Ronit on a visit to her fathers, the womens conversation is suddenly the jokey banter of two old friends. Once theyre inside the house where they spent so much time as teenagers, much of it unsupervised, Esti reaches out to Ronit, just as she did decades earlier, kissing her with a passion that is clearly missing from her life with Dovid. That ravenous make-out session opens the floodgates. Before too much longer, they are kissing in dark but nevertheless public places, Esti is reported to the headmistress of the Orthodox girls school where she teaches, and the certainty of Dovid succeeding the rav is thrown into doubt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At this point, the movie transforms from a (gefilte) fish-returning-to-water story to a love triangle, in which Esti must choose between a relationship stuffed with scream-inducing sex or a cold coupling that confers a place of respect in the community. It doesnt seem like a fair fight. Director Sebastian Lelio wants viewers to see Estis choice as being impossibly difficult because each option offers something wonderful. But because Weisz emphasizes the ways that grief can utterly destabilize a personthe only time Ronit seems even to understand why she is in London is when shes making love with Estishe doesnt appear to offer Esti anything beyond sexual chemistry. Its easy enough to see the attraction of that, but is it enough to cause Esti to walk away from her home, job, and support system? Meanwhile, staying with Dovid in a tight-knit community, where anything resembling an open relationship is utterly impractical, would mean a life without sexual satisfaction. Advertisement Lelio, whose A Fantastic Woman won the Oscar this year for Best Foreign Language Film, has a knack for observing small moments as well as huge dilemmas, as when he shows Ronit momentarily looking the wrong way as she crosses the street on her return to London or has her instinctively reach out to hug Dovid before remembering that hes forbidden to touch a woman who isnt his wife. Disobedience provides a sensitive portrait of immigration by showing the precise ways returnees can feel like foreigners in places that were once their homes. Every immigrant recognizes the hunger Ronit feels when she orders favorite dishes from a cafe in the old neighborhoodnothing tastes better than nostalgia. Advertisement But other beats are delivered with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. When the women turn on a radio in Ronits teenage bedroom, magically tune in to The Cures Love Song, and hear lines like, Whenever Im alone with you/ You make me feel like I am home again and However far away/ I will always love you, they should immediately call the obvious police. Similarly, in a movie that involves a love triangle and questions of betrayal, its a crime against restraint to have Estis English class studying Othello. Advertisement Advertisement Weisz, who is also one of the producers of Disobedience, told Variety that she read a lot of lesbian literature while hunting for a story that would provide juicy roles for women. The Naomi Alderman novel from which the movie is adapted is smart and complicated and unexpectedly funny, but it was published in 2006. The Orthodox community in which Ronit, Esti, and Dovid (along with the author herself) grew up may not have changed since then, but the laws of the United Kingdom have, along with social attitudes toward LGBTQ relationships. For most of its duration, the film wants us to think that Estis only choices are Ronit or Dovid, but contemporary viewers know that while forging a brand-new path wouldnt be easy for Esti, it wouldnt be impossible either. Esti can do better than either her husband or her first love, no matter how gorgeous Ronits hair may be. A novel that more or less opens with an act of uninvited groping at a college frat party is probably fated to be received as a #MeToo book, or a timely book about our moment. Some readers will be tempted to comb through the book to assess the correctness of its politics or the precise wave of its feminism. As one white woman who feels overrepresented in popular culture put it, a novel sifting through the small failures (and huge successes) of a prominent young white feminist hardly feels like a major statement about the movement. In 2018, arent there more vital, surprising and layered stories to tell? Advertisement This critique is anticipated by Wolitzers new book, The Female Persuasion, in a way that feels unfussed rather than defensive. A leitmotif of the novel is a fictional blog called Fem Fatale, which embraces a radical critique of racism, sexism, capitalism, and homophobia. Faith Frank, the Gloria Steinem stand-in who presides serenely over Wolitzers book, made her name editing a feminist magazine called Bloomer, one Fem Fatale dismisses as the province of the pep talk to straight white middle-class women. When Frank arrives at Ryland College, scene of the aforementioned groping and alma mater of Greer Kadetsky, its victim and the novels heroine, she is seen as someone from the past, who was often spoken of with admiration. She was like a pilot light that burned continuously, comfortingly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is something of the pilot light about this novel, or its author. Like Faith Frank, Wolitzer seems to preside serenely over her powers, demonstrating a grasp of pacing and characterization that feels simultaneously God-given and earned over years of hard work, just as Faith Frank arrives at her position over years of hustling and a good amount of congenital charisma. A novel that opens with an act of uninvited groping at a college frat party is probably fated to be received as a #MeToo book. If we try too hard to parse the precise tenor of feminism embodied by the book, we risk missing a note of gentle satire, and indeed its critiques of its own milieu. For one, the novel seems pitch-perfect on the type of careerism that has been foisted upon college graduates after 2008a combination of class privilege that assumes all work should be rewarding and a genuine anxiety about how to navigate professional life after the collapse of the global financial market. Greer is drawn to Faith Franks magazine because during the day she would essentially be paid to be a feminist, and at night she could work on her own writing. Her boyfriend, Cory, beloved eldest son of working-class Portuguese immigrants, attends Princeton and schemes with classmates to launch a microfinance startup after graduation. The economic downtown throws a wrench in their plans (because of the economy our dads are feeling less generous, one of his partners tells him), so instead they prepare to go into the world and earn a shitload of money to use later. Cory meets with the consultant headhunters ubiquitous at Princeton, wondering if they were thinking of him as Vaguely Ethnic Scholarship Male, Exhibit A. Either way, he gets the job and goes to Manila to make PowerPoint decks and party until a family tragedy brings him back to the orbit of his upbringing. There he takes on his mothers work cleaning houses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And we have Greers college friend Zee, a young queer woman and sometime activist who watches with surprise as the retiring, bookish Greer ends up with a job at Loci, Faith Franks hedge fundbacked womens empowerment foundation. Zee, meanwhile, slogs through a paralegal job that is the inheritance of her parents, both judges. On Greers first day of work at Loci, Zee presents her with a letter. I stayed up really late and made one of those lists in my head that youre supposed to make so that you know what you should do with your life, she tells her friend. What does this exercise yield? She tells Greer: I want to be able to come in and do something real, wherever I work. Something that Im really energized about. The upshot of this epiphany is the letter, which Greer is supposed to give to Faith Frank, her boss, on her first day of work. Whats in the letter? I explained to her who I am and why I want to be part of what shes doing. I did the best I could. I warned her of my minimal writing skills. And then I gave her the Zee Eisenstat saga. This move, with its combined chutzpah, naivete, and obliviousness, is a perfect blunder from the entitled but well-meaning millennial playbook. The letter never reaches its intended recipient and serves as a kind of Chekhovs gun in the novel. Advertisement Advertisement Dubious choices and their consequences drive the action of The Female Persuasion. Greer Kadetsky, Ryland alumna, had been accepted into Yale along with her boyfriend, Cory, but her parents, a wholesaler of nutritional bars and a childrens clown who spend most of the novel smoking weed, failed to furnish the financial aid information that would make it possible for her to matriculate. When she begs her father to call the school and try to rectify the mistake, he shrugs. The bureaucracy of it all; its not for me. He looked helplessly at Greer. Its just nothing I could do comfortably. Its one of the most enraging moments in a novel where everyone has a bad moment or two. Worse, even, than the groping that opens the book, its a literal crime of the patriarchy. Advertisement Advertisement If Wolitzer is astute on the white-collar world of millennials, she is just as canny about the gross 20th-century marriage of do-goodery with corporate razzle-dazzle. First there are the Loci summits, which start off featuring the astronaut, the naval commander, the hip-hop artist, the poet whose collection about poverty in America had just won an important prize and slowly diminish in seriousnessthe last one we read about includes an impassioned speech by the Australian heroine from Gravitus 2: The Awakening, whose star-making moment is when two enormous wrecking balls swung through the window of the skyscraper office instantly killing the victims. (These summits are the novelistic corollary to Thomas Franks Listen, Liberal, excerpted here.) When Greer tells Cory about a Loci promotional video featuring girls in burqas and saris and kilts and rags, swinging satchels, riding shaky thin bicycles, heading down sunbaked dirt roads toward distant, low school buildings, its so vivid to himand to anyone who has seen such a montagethat he wonders whether it was a product of his consulting company Armitage & Rist. The White Savior industrial complex is alive at Loci, and culminates in a bungled operation to save, and then mentor, a group of trafficked women in Ecuador. Advertisement Advertisement More dire still is the catastrophe that ensues when corporatist bullshit and millennial enthusiasm invade the educational system; Zees consolation job is with Teach for Reach, a clear analogue of Teach for America, which places her in the disastrous Learning Octagon charter school in the South Side of Chicago after the two-and-a-half-week lightning round of prep in their training center. Zee, clueless millennial, will learn that being an adult means that things couldnt necessarily be gotten out of the way her father the judge once dispatched Zees college roommate with body odor simply by placing a call. Zee will be demoralized by the teaching job but, like many privileged millennials before her, will find her own professional trajectory at the expense of disenfranchised youth. But Wolitzer is kind; Zee becomes a trauma counselor, and though she uses the experience to make meaning for herself, the net external good of her profession is also indisputable. Greer, meanwhile, writes a Lean Instyle book called Outside Voices that races to the top of the best-seller list even while Donald Trump wins the presidency. Advertisement Advertisement The Female Persuasion is a genuine pleasure to read, and it feels confident without being complacent. I believe the novel would accede its representational shortcomingscharacters of color play supporting roles; the most vividly underserved student in the 93 percent black South Side is, curiously, white; the real struggles that drive the message of Fem Fatale are written as a kind of chorus, even a punchline, rather than seriously addressed (not to mention the women in Ecuador, reduced to whatever the opposite of a deus ex machina is). The novel is gentle rather than biting, but its satirizing of summit-based feminism is a politics; its sympathy for young people told to make meaning in their lives with, in many cases, no guidance whatsoever is a politics. It doesnt have a message, necessarily, but Locis glittering summits had messages, and so did the slide decks of Armitage & Rist, and they were so much bullshit. The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer. Riverhead Books. Read the rest of the pieces in the Slate Book Review. Quite an image here in the Tennesseans update on the search for 29-year-old Travis Reinking, who is believed to have killed four people at a Nashville -area Waffle House on Sunday. Local and federal authorities are looking for Travis Reinking, 29, the suspect in a shooting that killed four people early Sunday morning. Officers with Nashville police and the ATF were using Burnette Chapel Church of Christ as a staging area Monday morning, with a SWAT truck and other vehicles stationed in the parking lot. Burnette Chapel was the site of another mass shooting in September. One person was killed and seven injured in the September 2017 incident at Burnette Chapel, which was allegedly carried out by a 25-year-old former congregant and Sudan native named Emanuel Samson. (He was apprehended at the scene but has pleaded not guilty to charges in the case.) Shots were reported more than an hour ago in the area of the church, but there has as of yet been no official word as to why they were fired or who fired them, and Reinking remains officially at large. Bust out your Civil War bugles and start whistling Dixie, because its Confederate Memorial Day in Alabama. The official state holiday is one of three Alabama celebrates related to the Confederacy. Robert E. Lees birthday is observed on the same day as Martin Luther King Jr.s in January, and Confederate president Jefferson Davis birthday is observed on the first Monday in June. Alabama isnt alone in its celebration. It has Mississippi, which more progressive residents of the state often sardonically thank, for company. (Mississippi will celebrate its memorial day next Monday.) Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia also have unofficial celebrations. Advertisement According to AL.com, the largest news source in the state, the celebration dates back to 1866 when the Ladies Memorial Association in Columbus, Georgia, resolved to mark a day to honor Confederate soldiers who died in battle. At the time, well-heeled women of the South were spearheading a campaign to create the myth of the Lost Cause, setting up memorials, sprucing up Confederate cemeteries, and papering over the until-then overt motive of preserving slavery. Their campaign was successful. The language and symbols they used persist in holidays, societies, and memorials established to honor the Confederacy, the defenders of which maintain that they represent the Souths history and culture, borrowing the Southern identity arguments made in the 19th century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, the states second female governor (the first was Lurleen Wallace, a stand-in for her husband, segregationist George Wallace, who had run up against term limits and could no longer run) and the replacement for Robert Bentley, who resigned a year ago over a sex scandal, has appeared to commit to that language as a political tool in her campaign for the governors office. In a recent ad, Ivey blasted folks in Washington and out-of-state liberals for trying to tell the state what to do. Up in Washington, they always know better, she says. Politically correct nonsense, I say. In the ad, she defends a state law, the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017, which she signed last year. The law requires state permission for the alteration or renaming of buildings and monuments 40 years or older. It doesnt explicitly state it is meant to apply to Confederate memorials, but few have any misconceptions about its intended purpose. Advertisement The numerous issues that Ivey could have included in her ad, such as better education system, improved health care, reduction of crime, a fairer criminal justice system and she chose the one thing that divides Alabamians perhaps more than anything else, the NAACP said in a statement. The NAACP argued that the special interests she attacked in the ad dont want to tear down the monuments but instead move them into museums where Confederate generals are contextualized, not lionized. Advertisement But against these obstacles, some parts of Alabama are seeing evidence of resistance to the Confederate imagery in the state. Two months after the monument law was passed, and in the aftermath of the violent Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, the city of Birminghams mayor ordered a confederate monument be covered in plastic and, later, plywood, while the citys lawyers explored legal options. Alabamas attorney generals office sued the city, and the city and state have been locked in a legal battle since. Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and its accompanying museum, both of which are dedicated to documenting racism and racial inequality in Americas history and present, will open in Montgomery. The site includes a memorial to 4,400 black victims of lynching. Its two-day summit marking the opening of the site and featuring national figures such as Congressman John Lewis and former Vice President Al Gore will be followed by a concert featuring Common, Usher, the Dave Matthews Band, and the Roots. Ivey was not invited. Some Alabamians, urged on by the states most powerful figures, will commemorate the holiday by trying to preserve symbols of white supremacy. To others, the official endorsement of the day is a dispiriting reminder of the Lost Cause myths stranglehold on state institutions. If President Trump hates Bob Mueller so much, why doesnt he have him fired? For most Republicans, the concern over firing Mueller is that it would incite a backlash in the 2018 midterm elections, costing them unified control of Congress and imperiling their policy objectives. But for the president, the concerns are much more personal. A Democratic takeover would be catastrophic. Instantly, the House would be converted into a hive of investigatory bodies. In a Democratic House, the grand Washington battle will no longer be Trump versus Mueller. It will be Trump versus 21 subpoena-wielding House committee chairmen, played out in public on a 24-hour televised loop. Advertisement Unlike a legislative agenda, executive oversight can be prosecuted by just one chamber. Taking control of the House would empower Democratic committee chairmen to aggressively pursue every aspect of the presidents personal and political interests. I know a little bit about how this would look. I served as the Democratic staff director of a House oversight subcommittee during the administration of Republican President George H.W. Bush, when Democrats like John Dingell, Henry Waxman, and my old boss, Barbara Boxer, wielded their oversight authority aggressively enough to make agency heads quake. Subpoenas were frequently threatened but seldom required, as Bush administration officials usually came around to the notion that compliance was the better part of valor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are 21 House committees that endow their chairmen with subpoena power. Some require a committee vote and/or consultation with the ranking minority member, but none endow the minority with veto power. The expansive subpoena power of Congress is limited only by countervailing constitutional rights. For example, Congress cannot force a witness to waive her right not to incriminate herself. Otherwise, Congress can compel testimony, and the production of documents, from any government employee or private citizen in America. Advertisement A House committee can initiate inquiries into any area within its jurisdiction. This investigative authority, and the subpoena power through which it is advanced, has mostly lain dormant in the 115th Congress. When Republicans have exercised their subpoena power, it has mostly been in the service of defending the president against Muellers investigation. But that could change in the blink of an eye, as Trump has surely been advised by some old Washington hand. When it comes to opportunities for congressional oversight, the Trump administration provides what military strategists call a target-rich environment. Every committee that oversees a Cabinet department would have scandals to illuminate and policy messes to untangle. From that viewpoint, heres what that might look like. Advertisement Advertisement The Ways and Means Committee could sharpen the national discussion around tax fairness by subpoenaing President Trumps tax returns. As the 2018 elections draw near, that committee could convene hearings to educate the public on how Trumps sabotage of Obamacare will send consumers health insurance premiums soaring. The Financial Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Maxine Waters, a favorite target of Trumps invective, could exercise its authority to investigate the phenomenon of foreign oligarchs laundering ill-gotten gains through purchases of luxury condominiums in hot markets, including through Trump-owned buildings in New York and Miami. Advertisement The Judiciary Committee might parcel out the most compelling topics to its subcommittees. Subcommittee chairs could empanel Parkland students to attest to the impact of gun violence on schools and administrators to advise on the idiocy of arming teachers, explore the cruelty and shortsightedness of withdrawing DACA protections, and of course, explicate the authority of a special counsel to indict a sitting president. Advertisement The Armed Services Committee could convene proceedings on the dangers of sharing state secrets with White House employees who have been denied security clearances. The Oversight and Government Reform Committee could shine a light on the administrations profligate spending of taxpayer dollars at Trump-owned properties. Advertisement A reawakened House Foreign Relations Committee could initiate hearings on Trumps erratic courtship of North Korea and his excessive affection for Russia. The Education and Workforce Committee could call Midwestern factory owners and assembly-line workers to testify on the jobs that will be lost due to Trumps steel tariffs. Committees with jurisdiction over the Interior Department, EPA, and Treasury could hold hearings on their leaders extravagant travel and personal office expenditures. Advertisement Cabinet secretaries like Betsy DeVos and Ben Carson could be compelled to accountin public, under oathfor policy decisions they seem barely to understand. The new secretary of Homeland Security could be forced to justify her departments leisurely response to Russias ongoing efforts to sabotage American elections. Now imagine a pajama-clad President Trump gazing in horror at the trio of TV monitors in the presidential bedroom, one showing Jared Kushner being grilled on his never-ending security-clearance-application corrections and amendments, while the second displays Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin attempting to defend his addiction to first-class flights, and the third presents a tableau of heartland factory workers displaced by the Bush steel tariffs of 2002. Consider the presidents unbridled anger as he watches a cable-news version of This Is Your Life, a procession of Cabinet secretaries, disgraced former White House officials, unpaid construction contractors, disqualified eligible voters, terrified Dreamers, abandoned factory workers, and colorful NDA signatories, all led by Democratic House committee chairs, many of whom Trump has traduced in nasty personal terms. With that image in mind, you can see why Trump stops short of firing Mueller. If a rash decision to dispatch the special counsel costs Republicans their House majority, the president will subject himself to a ceaseless barrage of charges, confessions, and revelations. For Trump, thats the nightmare scenario. The Times has published an overview of the effort to unseat Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, which, like every close Senate race this year, could end up tipping control of the upper chamber. A lot of it is what youd expectwell-financed right-wing groups will attempt to portray Baldwin as a radical leftist whose leftist values are out of step with the blue-collar ways of Wisconsins humble cow people. But theres also this, which will blow the ol hair back: Advertisement By July [2017], a Milwaukee radio station was carrying audacious ads about Ms. Baldwins support for abortion rights. Did you know one out of three babies aborted in American are black? One out of three. And Tammy Baldwin is a big reason why, the ad said. That could be the next Frederick Douglass or Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King theyre aborting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yikes! My colleague Christina Cauterucci has previously seen an abortion-related Frederick Douglass talking point deployed by a pro-life protester in person; the idea appears to be that Douglass was fathered by a slaveowner who impregnated a slave, which would by definition be rape, and that allowing legal abortions in cases of rape is therefore tantamount to wishing Douglass had not been born. (Douglass autobiography says he heard rumors that his father was the slaveowner who owned his mother, but it does not appear to be a conclusively established fact.) Parks and MLK, meanwhile, are sometimes cited by anti-abortion activists who see the civil rights movement as a model for their own work, and its been claimed previously by at least one pro-lifer that Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger would have wished that Parks and King had been aborted. In reality, King was a vocal supporter of Planned Parenthood who praised Sanger in remarks written for an award that the organization gave him while she was still alive. (Various online sources also say Parks served at one point on Planned Parenthoods board, though I wasnt able to find any primary-source confirmation; I put an inquiry in with the organization about it and will update this post if I hear from them.) Also, the organization that funded the anti-Baldwin ad is run by John Philip Sousas great-grandson. What a world! After Sean Hannity was revealed to be the secret third client of Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who also represented disgraced Republican donor Elliott Broidy, Hannity dismissed the questions about his relationship to Cohen and explained he had not retained Cohen in the traditional sense and that their conversations had been limited to real estate matters. On Sunday, the Guardian reported details about those matters, as it obtained public records revealing Hannity has holdings consisting of more than 870 homes, bought through more than 20 shell companies that spent nearly $90 million making real estate purchases over the past decade. Advertisement Hannity, one of the highest-paid television hosts, making a reported $36 million a year from his television and radio shows, has portrayed himself as a critic of the media elites, once even, in an eight-minute monologue, criticizing those working for the mainstream media for being overpaid, making them unable to understand average Americans and issues like unemployment and debt. They have their chauffeur-driven limousines, they like their fine steakhouses and expensive-wine lifestyles, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dozens of Hannitys properties were purchased at a discount in 2013, according to the Guardian, after banks foreclosed on their owners for defaulting on mortgages. Two of his properties, apartments in Georgia bought for $22.7 million in 2014, were bought using mortgages backed by the Housing and Urban Development, which insures loans under the National Housing Act. Hannity, who came under fire for not disclosing his relationship with Cohen while defending the Trump lawyer, was also criticized for not disclosing the HUD-backed loans while interviewing Ben Carson, and for not disclosing his connection to Bill Lako, the principal of the wealth management firm his shell companies are registered to, while bringing Lako on his show as a financial expert. (He disclosed he was a client of the firm when Lako came on the show last month). Advertisement There is nothing illegal about Hannitys dealingsjust questions about his ethical duties as the host of a news program with millions of viewers. Update, April 23, 2018: Sean Hannity released a statement responding to the criticism: With each passing day, the impending Trump-Kim summit takes another dip toward disaster. In just a month or so, President Donald Trump will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, an unprecedented event of great risk and opportunity. Yet Trump, who leapt at the offer of a meeting with unstudied speed and enthusiasm, shows no signs of deciding what he wants from these talksand seems unaware of what Kims quite clear objectives are. As has been clear from the moment the subject came up, one obstacle to a successful summit is that both leaders are going into it with conflicting premises. Kim thinks Trump is caving to the reality of a North Korean nuclear arsenal; Trump thinks Kim is caving to the pressure of U.S. sanctions and threats. Both are probably right to some degree, but its hard to see how the talks can produce a lasting peace if each man thinks that he has the upper hand at the outset and that, therefore, any deal must be struck on his terms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump seems glued to this delusion. On Sunday, after watching MSNBCs Chuck Todd question whether Trump had received anything in return after handing Kim the huge gift of agreeing to meet with him in the first place, Trump tweeted: Wow, we havent given up anything & they have agreed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing! Trump was referring to news reports of a speech that Kim had given the day before. But an official record of the speech, delivered at a plenary meeting of the Workers Party of Korea, reveals that Kim agreed to no such thing. Rather, Kim said that no further tests of nuclear weapons or medium-to-long-range ballistic missiles are necessary (italics added), given that North Korea has successfully concluded the process of building a nuclear arsenal. And because of this completion, Kim went on, the overall situation is rapidly changing in favor of the Korean revolutioni.e., in favor of North Koreas triumph. Advertisement This is very different from a conciliatory gesture to stop testing. As for closing his nuclear test site, it appears that the site was slated for a shutdown already, having been gutted by the spate of recent weapons tests. Finally, contrary to the early news reports about the speech, Kim said nothing in the speech about denuclearization. In fact, he described his nuclear arsenal as a powerful treasured sword for defending peace. The nuclear arsenal is the only asset Kim has. Why would he bargain it away? True, at a secret meeting with CIA Director Mike Pompeo over Easter weekend, Kim did say he was ready for a phased and synchronized process toward denuclearizationan expression often invoked by Kims father and grandfather, North Koreas first two rulers. The idea is that the two sides would make simultaneous concessions over a long period of time. For instance, Pyongyang might freeze its nuclear program or admit international inspectors to various sitesin exchange for which Washington would remove some economic sanctions. And in this playbook, denuclearization, if things ever got that far, would involve all countries in the regionincluding the United Stateswithdrawing all military forces that had the capability to hoist or fire nuclear weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Yet according to a front-page story in Mondays Wall Street Journal, Trump will press North Korea to dismantle its entire nuclear arsenal and wont consider any substantial sanctions relief until it does so. Administration officials dub this demand the big bang approach to disarmament. But there is no middle ground between phased and synchronized on the one hand, and the big bang on the other. Advertisement So what does Trump hope to get out of this summit? No one seems to know. In an article in Axios titled Trumps Great Man Play on North Korea, Jonathan Swan quotes one inside source as saying that Trump views the upcoming summit as a duel of personalities. Another source says Trump thinks, Just get me in the room with the guy, and Ill figure it out. Advertisement This has long been one of Trumps basic misunderstandings of international politics: He thinks that everything depends on personal relations (hence the frequent boasts of his chemistry with various foreign leaders), when in fact the fundamental cause of cooperation and conflicts is interests. On this and many other issues, Trump seems to believe that past effortsat peace talks, trade deals, wars, or whateverhave failed because past presidents were bad negotiators or plain stupid. Perhaps because he never learned history and doesnt read intelligence reports longer than three pages, it hasnt occurred to him that some problems are simply intractablethat, in some conflicts, the best one can hope for is a way to muddle through without provoking too much violence and that sometimes, theres not much to talk about. In those cases, it might still be worth talking (on the Churchillian premise that talking is better than fighting), but thats one reason nations have diplomatic corpsto hold talks, test ideas, float proposals, and all the rest, without involving the leaders prestige. The risk of a summit is that its adjacent to a cliff: Failure to mount it properly can result in catastrophe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is another major obstacle to this summit from the get-go: Trump wants it to result in the complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement of North Koreas nuclear arsenalwhereas Kim thinks that the nuclear arsenal is the one thing thats keeping him and his regime alive. Kims grandfather, Kim Il-Sung, the founder of the North Korean state, referred to his country as a shrimp among whales. The essence of his strategyand that of his successor, the current leaders father, Kim Jong-ilwas to play the whales off one another. Acquiring a nuclear arsenalKim Jung-uns most notable achievement, which he trumpets in every public speechmakes this task much easier. The nuclear arsenal is the only asset Kim has. Why would he bargain it away? He has no doubt noticed what happens to those leaders who have done just that. Saddam Hussein dismantled his nuclear program (which never did produce actual weapons), and now hes dead. Muammar Qaddafi did the same, and hes dead. Irans mullahs agreed to do the same, and, although they are still alive, Trump is threatening to pull out of the deal that traded the dismantlement of their nuclear program for the lifting of Western sanctionseven though, as everyone (even Trump) agrees, they are abiding by the terms of the deal. What kind of trade with Trump could Kim trust enough to make disarmament worth the risk? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Which leads to another set of diplomatic talks on Trumps agenda this weekthe visits by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Iran nuclear deal will certainly be a top issue at both meetings, with Macron and Merkel urging Trump to stay in for the sake of national and global security. If Trump bows out anyway, this would certainly have an impact on the coming summit with Kim. Advertisement Given the realistic options, it could be in Kims interests for the summit to fail. He has been putting on a good show of bonhomie in recent monthsthe diplomatic overture at the Olympics, the meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping (two more firsts), the hosting of a South Korean pop star. Advertisement As Jung Pak, a former CIA analyst, now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, put it in a recent paper, Kim has been squeezing in a couple of years worth of summits into the first six months of 2018, without having had to make any concessions on the nuclear weapons program, his countrys appalling human rights situation, or its cyberattack operations. If the summit fails, Trump will likely be blamed for its failure. And if Trump reacts to the failure by reigniting his fire and fury rhetoric, with threats of actual fusillades to follow, our Asian allieswhose leaders welcome a relaxation of tensions with North Korea but also rely on security guarantees from the United Stateswill likely peel away from Washington, fearing Trumps belligerence and distrusting his assurances. And that is precisely what Kim wants most. Nashville police have captured Travis Reinking, the 29-year-old who is suspected of having killed four people at a Waffle House on Sunday. BREAKING: Murder suspect Travis Reinking is in custody. Arrested moments ago. pic.twitter.com/WwuDCXDCGQ Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) April 23, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reinking was reportedly apprehended in a wooded area. Reinking has a history of erratic behavior and has been involved multiple previous run-ins with law enforcement, including a July 2017 arrest outside the White House. Reinking reportedly referred to himself as a sovereign citizen when questioned at the time, suggesting that he may have some sort of connection to anti-government extremists; a spokesman for Nashville police said on Monday his motive for carrying out the Waffle House attack is still unknown. Authorities removed four firearms from Reinkings apartment after the White House arrest, leaving them in the care of his fatherwho apparently later returned the weapons, one of which was used in the Sunday massacre. Police said on Monday that they still had no credible sightings of the man suspected of killing four at a Waffle House in Tennessee on Sunday. They warned that the suspect, 29-year-old Travis Reinking, might still be armed. Police said Reinking was last seen Sunday morning in a wooded area behind his apartment complex near the Waffle House in Antioch, Tennessee. As police continued their manhunt, they released more information about Reinking, who has run into trouble with police multiple times before. Advertisement According to the Tennessean, in May 2016, while Reinking was living in Illinois, authorities responded to a call involving Reinking, who told them he believed Taylor Swift was stalking him. According to CNN, his family also said he had made comments about killing himself. He was taken to a hospital to be evaluated. Then, in June 2017, he threatened someone with an AR-15, drove to a public pool, and exposed himself to people at the pool. Reinkings father told police at the time he had taken four firearms from his son and locked them away, but when the father decided he wanted to move out of state, he returned them to his son. Police advised the father to lock the guns away again until his son received mental help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A month later, Reinking was again arrested, this time by the U.S. Secret Service outside the White House, when Reinking attempted to cross a security barrier near the complex. According to USA Today, he said he needed to see President Donald Trump and identified himself as a sovereign citizen with a right to inspect the White House grounds. The term sovereign citizen is often used by anti-government extremists who believe they are independent from the United States and therefore not under its authority, according to USA Today. Its not known if Reinking was using the term in this way. He was arrested for being in a restricted area and charged with unlawful entry, according to the Washington Post. His case was dismissed after he performed 32 hours of community service and stayed away from the White House for four months. According to the Post, he had not been considered a danger. Advertisement According to the Post, after an FBI investigation, state and local officials in Illinois confiscated four weapons he owned and revoked his firearm license. Reinking volunteered to give up his guns, police said. But when the authorities arrived to confiscate the weapons, Reinkings father was there and asked to keep the weapons, according to the Post. After he showed them his firearms license and assured them he would keep the weapons from his son, the police agreed to let him keep them. Later, the father acknowledged he returned the guns to his son. One of those guns was the AR-15 Reinking allegedly used in the shooting. In the fall, Reinking moved to the Nashville area and started working in construction. Police said that around three weeks ago he was fired from a job, but he started another on April 16. He had not shown up for work since then. Police said they believe he may have a pistol that is missing from his apartment. US State Department points to corruption and treatment of Roma In its annual report on human rights, the US Department of State points to insufficient punishment for public officials involved in corruption and to the widespread discrimination against Roma where Slovakia is concerned. The most significant human rights issues in Slovakia last year included interference with privacy, corruption, widespread discrimination against the Roma, and security force violence against ethnic and racial minorities, the US State Department claims in its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017. The Department noted, as quoted by the TASR newswire, that the Slovak government investigated reports of abuses by members of security forces and other state bodies, although some observers questioned the thoroughness of these investigations. Top officials rarely punished for corruption Meanwhile, some officials engaged in corrupt practices with impunity, TASR cited the report on April 21. At the same time, two former cabinet ministers Igor Stefanov and Marian Janusek were convicted of corruption in public procurement during the year. Overall, however, high-level officials were rarely prosecuted for corruption, despite a series of high-profile corruption cases, the report claims. The US department also observed concerns, particularly in the business sector, in connection to private-sector influence over judicial decisions, while some experts in non-governmental organisations reported that court proceedings had become a contest between vested interests and people with connections to the judicial powers. The media and NGOs criticised Special Prosecutor Dusan Kovacik, whose office has the lead role in prosecuting public corruption cases, for not filing any charges in the 61 corruption cases he has supervised the past eight years," the report stresses. Roma, migrants segregated and fought against Discrimination in society against Roma and individuals of non-European ethnicity was common in Slovakia in 2017; as much as 53 percent of the Roma population resided in marginalised communities, according to the State Department. While these communities were subjected to controversial police raids, the police generally responded quickly to gatherings targeting the Roma and prevented crowds from entering these settlements or inciting confrontations. The State Dept further cited reports from some NGOs on the alleged persistent segregation of Roma women in maternity wards in several hospitals in eastern Slovakia, while these hospitals claimed that they had been grouping persons according to their levels of hygiene and adaptability, not by race. At the same time, Roma children from socially excluded communities allegedly faced educational segregation and were disproportionately enrolled in special schools or placed in segregated classrooms within mainstream schools. NGOs reported violence and online hate speech towards refugees, the US State Department report reads further. Moreover, government officials at all levels and leaders from across the political spectrum, including the opposition, engaged in rhetoric portraying refugees and Muslims in Europe as a threat to society. In February, [far-right] LSNS MP [Milan] Mazurek stated that Islam allows paedophilia, zoophilia, and even necrophilia and that it is nothing other than the work of the devil, the report reads. In May, [then] Prime Minister Fico stated that Islam has no place in Slovakia and that he did not want a unified Muslim community to appear in Slovakia that could push their matters through. 23. Apr 2018 at 16:47 | Compiled by Spectator staff Bratislava city gates unsealed, summer tourist season kicks off The symbolic unsealing and opening of the Bratislava city gates on April 21 officially kicked off the summer tourist season in the Slovak capital. More information about travelling in Slovakia Please see our Please see our Spectacular Slovakia travel guide The ceremonial unsealing of the Bratislava city gates took place on the weekend before the feast of Saint George, one of the citys most popular saints in the past, albeit not an official patron. A bit of history Bratislava Mayor Ivo Nesrovnal, who led the event, noted as quoted by the TASR newswire that people in Bratislava have been electing their mayors and city councillors since the 13th century on Saint Georges Day [April 24, as opposed to the saints feast in the general calendar on April 23, since this date has traditionally been allocated to Saint Adalbert in the Kingdom of Hungary, which also included Slovakia for a millennium ed. note]. In early December 1291, exactly 727 years ago, [Hungarian] King Andrew III bestowed the prerogatives of a free royal city to Bratislava to help it recover from a series of wars between the Czechs and Austrians, Nesrovnal told TASR. The Pressburgers [Pressburg was one of the old names of Bratislava, alongside Pozsony and Presporok] have been electing their mayors since these times. Open days Top Bratislava authority figures were available to chat with members of the general public downtown in the Primates Palace during the Bratislava City Days (April 20-21), while some other locations ordinarily closed to the public were made accessible. video //www.youtube.com/embed/sRmQLJAwOYA City museums, galleries, ZOO and other city bodies had their doors open, too, according to Nesrovnal. 23. Apr 2018 at 16:38 | Compiled by Spectator staff Slovakia to extradite Vadala to Italy for prosecution Slovak court approves the change of custody from pre-trial to extradition for Italian businessman active in Slovakia, leading to his actual extradition. Antonino Vadala at the Kosice court session on April 20, which decided on his extradition. (Source: TASR) The Kosice Regional Court decided to change the form of custody for Antonino Vadala, the Italian entrepreneur living in eastern Slovakia, from a preliminary to an extradition one, on April 20. Vadala has been accused in Italy of drug-related crimes, and a court in Venice has issued a European arrest warrant for him. The court has decided on extradition custody, and my clients reaction was that hes given up his right of complaint," the Italians lawyer Jaroslav Hamza told the TASR newswire. "The verdict is final, and it will depend on several circumstances when Vadala is extradited to Italy," said Hamza, declining to comment on the accusations. Read also: Read also: Cocaine hidden in fruit Read more The decision was made at a non-public session conducted under strict security measures. The court upheld a proposal of the Kosice Regional Prosecutors Office, which submitted the original of a European warrant as well as other required documents. What is Vadala's case? Vadala has been in custody since March 13, when he was detained by the Slovak police. The Kosice Regional Court at first decided to remand him in preliminary custody, against which he filed a complaint; but the Supreme Court rejected his complaint on April 12. Read also: Read also: Murder investigation: What we know so far and what are the main independence concerns Read more In Italy, Vadala has been charged with illicit trafficking in narcotics and psychotropic substances as well as engagement in criminal gangs involved in drug trafficking. He is said to have teamed up with other people to import huge amounts of cocaine from South America. The European warrant has been extended to include the crime of money laundering, Kosice Regional Prosecutions Office spokesman Milan Filicko told TASR. Will Italy or Slovakia get him? Quite recently, Slovak police also started prosecuting Vadala, suspected of fraud involving EU-fund subsidies, the Sme daily wrote. Read also: Read also: Antonino Vadala charged with subsidy fraud Read more Slovak Justice Minister Gabor Gal (coalition party Most-Hid) is likely to agree with the extradition, TASR wrote. Gal responded to the decision of the Kosice court. The justice minister could also possibly decide that Vadala should remain in Slovakia and not be extradited to his country of origin. Nevertheless, Gal does see this possibility as likely, as based on the information he has, he does not see any reason to decide otherwise. 23. Apr 2018 at 16:42 | Compiled by Spectator staff Tragic road accident took death toll Two passengers killed in a bus crash The tragic accident took place near Badin in central Slovakia. (Source: Sme) Two people were killed in a crash involving a bus and truck on the R1 dual carriageway near the village of Badin between Banska Bystrica and Zvolen (Banska Bystrica Region) Monday afternoon, April 23. The express bus crashed from so-far unknown reasons into the rear part of a Polish trucks semi-trailer, Maria Faltaniova, spokesperson of the Banska Bystrica regional police, told the TASR newswire. The accident is under investigation. Apart from the two passengers who perished during the accident, another 12 were injured. Of these, two suffered serious injuries. Read also: Read also: Slovak writer and film director Peter Kristufek dies in a bus crash Read more Almost 20 firefighters were dispatched to deal with the accident. 23. Apr 2018 at 22:17 | Compiled by Spectator staff Will rum-flavoured spirit change taste? Slovak rum gets temporary exemption from EU cancer-related ban The local rum-flavoured spirit is popular in Slovak pubs as well as kitchens. (Source: Sme) As the EUs regulations enables the calling of rum only sugar-cane derived spirits, Slovakia as well as the Czech Republic have had to rename their local sugar-beet spirits of the same name. Their names are a play on words like tuzemsky um or tuzemak, meaning domestic wisdom in English or a slang contraction used earlier for tuzemsky rum. Now, this popular spirit used in cakes and other sweets as well in Slovakia is in danger of losing its traditional taste. This is because the European Union (EU) is pushing its producers to replace one of its ingredients, arguing that it contains carcinogenic agents. For now, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have been given a five-year transition period to change the recipe. Although this has dominantly been a problem for producers in the Czech Republic, it also concerns Slovakia, Ladislav Miko, head of the European Commissions Representation Office in Slovakia told the TASR newswire. The joint effort was to find a balance between protecting health and preserving the production of traditional products, so this permit only concerns traditionally produced spirits in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, with restricted use for five years, before appropriate alternatives are developed, said Slovakias chief hygienist Jan Mikas. The Association of Producers of Alcohol and Spirits assures consumers that in the case of flavoring added to rum-flavoured sugar-beet spirits, there is no reason for panic. The suspected cancer-causing substance in the rum ether, an additive used to give the spirit its rummy flavour, is furan. The association claims that the ether contains a very small share of furan and that consumers would have to drink 4-5 litres of the spirit daily in order to develop health problems. Works on a new ether have already started while it is important that the taste of the final product does not change significantly, claims the association. 23. Apr 2018 at 22:10 | Compiled by Spectator staff Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A., a multinational bank, primarily engages in the financing of foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates through two segments, Commercial and Treasury. It offers short and medium-term bilateral, structured and syndicated credits, and loan commitments; financial guarantee contracts, such as issued and confirmed letters of credit, and stand-by letters of credit; and guarantees covering commercial risk and other assets, as well as co-financing arrangements, underwriting of syndicated credit facilities, structured trade financing in the form of factoring and vendor financing, and financial leasing. The company also provides treasury solutions, which include term deposits and private placements. It primarily serves financial institutions, corporations, and sovereigns and state-owned entities. The company was formerly known as Banco Latinoamericano de Exportaciones, S.A. and changed its name to Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. in June 2009. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Panama City, the Republic of Panama. Read More KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom. Read More If you are new at coding and don't want to rearrange your life as a resultchanging work hours, spending wads on formal coursesyou may want to know about Grasshopper, a new way you can learn to write code on your phone. The deal is this: A few taps on your smartphone and you are on your way to JavaScript. To get started you can head on over to the Google Play Store or iTunes App Store. Grasshopper gets you on your coding way through puzzles and quizzes. This teacher app was launched through the Google incubator, Area 120, which is described as a workshop for experimental projects. The coding app is for beginners and it is available for free on Android and iOS. Grasshopper's structure is such that it provides progressively challenging levels. In 9to5Google, Justin Duino said it was similar to "how apps like Duolingo teach you how to learn a foreign language." He described what it is like after signing in. You are walked through the basics of programming and given several quizzes. Then comes more subject matter and exercises. The App Store Preview remarks: "The problem is that today's university-first approach is a bit old school, and frankly, out of touch. That's why Grasshopper offers a new kind of curriculum for the everyday coder." If your learning tool can fit in your pocket, that implies it can fit in your lifestyle (do it on a work break or your train and bus commutes). Grasshopper is an easy to remember and friendly name but the team called it as such for a different reason. The grasshopper's name is Grace which pays honor to Grace Hopper, an early pioneer in computer programming. In turn, the team said Grasshopper comes from a passionate team concerned to help remove barriers to access to coding education. Why JavaScript? JavaScript is a significantly popular programming language. "Grasshopper currently teaches using the popular programming language JavaScript, used by more than 70% of professional developers," said the Grasshopper team. "When it comes to web development, JavaScript is always in the list of required skills, as it is one of the basic technologies for web development, just like HTML and CSS. Thus, JavaScript is eating the web development world," said Anastasia Stefanuk in Simple Programmer. In further detail, according to descriptions, each course covers how code works, and it goes over animations, drawing shapes and creating more complex functions. One develops confidence to play around to build interactive animations. Dani Deahl in The Verge called attention to another valuable aspect of Grasshopperdrawing on reward structures that many mobile games rely on. Deahl wrote, "there's also an achievements section within Grasshopper. Here, you can see how many concepts you've unlocked, the number of JavaScript keys you've used, and how many days long your current coding streak is." In the next couple of months, said the team, expect additional content in The Fundamentals. Explore further Google celebrates 50 years of kids coding languages5 ways to get your kid engaged 2018 Tech Xplore The poem was satire -the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices - the author George Miller says. He's the chair of Lewis University's Philosophy Department. With the background of a Confederate flag, the poem title "Hijab means jihad," begins with "Every kid should be like my kid, and snatch a hijab." It went on to mock southerners with more anti-Muslim rhetoric. AURORA, Illinois - Despite the American Library Association's strong anti-censorship stand, a poem on display at the Aurora Public library caused such an uproar over the weekend that the library took it down Sunday morning. That's not how Aurora resident Zee Abdulla saw it, she wrote on the library's Facebook page. She said she drove to the library to see it for herself. There it was, she said. "This piece, a poor attempt at satire, advocates criminal battery and the continued abuse of Muslim women. I spoke to the library staff about this and while polite, they told me there was nothing they could do," Abdulla wrote. The library's comment posted Saturday night began to veer away from the American Library Association's (ALA) anti-censorship official position after hearing so many complaints. "A specific panel in our current art exhibit has been the topic of discussion on social media as well as within the library. The panel features a poem that some have construed as condoning violence against Muslim women," the statement said. "While the intent was satirical according to the poet, we are aware that this is not the message the panel is sending to our community. We want everyone to feel safe and welcome at Aurora Public Library, and we will remove the panel before we open for business tomorrow. Thank you for sharing your concerns with us and for the thoughtful discussion that has taken place." The ALA's website defines censorship as "the suppression of ideas and information that certain personsindividuals, groups or government officialsfind objectionable or dangerous. It is no more complicated than someone saying, 'Dont let anyone read this book, or buy that magazine, or view that film, because I object to it!' "Censors try to use the power of the state to impose their view of what is truthful and appropriate, or offensive and objectionable, on everyone else. Censors pressure public institutions, like libraries, to suppress and remove from public access information they judge inappropriate or dangerous, so that no one else has the chance to read or view the material and make up their own minds about it. The censor wants to prejudge materials for everyone." The library's reaction was a surprise to traditional values activists, who throughout the years, have fought to get what they considered offensive sexual materials off the library shelves. Libraries have defended their patrons' rights to access sexual images on taxpayer-funded computer libraries. It wasn't until public indecency incidents were reported that some libraries chose to filter their computers. All the time, the ALA stood firm against using the "power of the state" to censor library resources. But Aurora Mayor Richard Irwin found the display so offensive, that he called on the library director to remove it. "Without question, I understand the importance of freedom of speech and the liberties we are afforded in the United States of America. I proudly served in the United States Army and fought to protect those liberties," Irwin wrote on his Facebook page. "What I will not fight to protect is someones right to display whatever he or she chooses to describe as 'art' at the expense of the respect and safety of members of our community. "The words in this display, which should never have seen the light of day in our city, were offensive, divisive and downright prejudice. The display prejudged a group of people under the banner of art and satire. Furthermore, the title alone promoted assault against women underscored by verses which blatantly disrespected an entire faith community. This shouldnt be tolerated anywhere, and it certainly isnt tolerated in Aurora." Illinois has more units of local government than any other state and multiple layers of government drive up the state's property taxes, McSweeney said. Our voters should have the opportunity to do something to scale back government and bring down costs." SPRINGFIELD - A bill sponsored by Republican State Rep. David McSweeney and Democrat Senator Terry Link that would provide new ways to eliminate townships in McHenry County passed another legislative hurdle last week. House Bill 4637 voter consolidation provisions apply only to townships in McHenry County and provides a referendum process for voters to dissolve the townships. It allows voters to force a ballot question to abolish a township as long as voters submit a petition with at least 5 percent of the number of voters who voted in a previous comparable election. Additionally, the trustees of any township in McHenry County may submit a proposition to dissolve the township to the voters. In both cases, if a simple majority of voters agree to abolish a township, the township would be dissolved within 90 days after the election. The duties and assets of the township government would then be absorbed by McHenry County or municipal governments. Residents of the dissolved township would see a property tax cut as any taxes levied by the County for that area could not exceed more than 90% of the taxes levied by the former township government. HB 4637 further works to eliminate excessive government by requiring townships in Lake and McHenry Counties to dissolve any road districts that maintain less than 15 miles. "Taxpayers shouldnt be burdened with paying for redundant or unnecessary layers of government and deserve an avenue to address their concerns with township government," McSweeney continued. Ultimately if we want to lower property taxes in Illinois we have to give voters the ability to eliminate some of the layers of local government. HB 4637 passed the full House on a vote of 80-22. It now heads to the Senate where it will be sponsored by Senator Terry Link (D-Gurnee). That McSweeney- Link connection is important, said McHenry County blogger Cal Skinner. "I would point out that a member of the Senate Democratic Party Leadership, Terry Link, is Senate sponsor of McSweeneys bill," McSweeney said. "That means it will pass, leaving only Governor Bruce Rauners signature before it becomes law." Skinner - a former state representative himself - asked why is Senator Link involved. Sknner listed "two reasons why the bill may be moving ahead: Townships are often the farm team for Republican candidates Democrat Jack Franks would play a dominant role in the duties of abolished township governments into McHenry County government "Rauner has made a big deal about consolidation, of the lack of necessity for the tremendous number of local governments. so a bill signing is expected," Skinner wrote on his popular blog. "We believe that these industries have also been targeted as part of a larger supply-chain attack in order for Orangeworm to get access to their intended victims related to healthcare," Symantec said. "Based on the list of known victims, Orangeworm does not select its targets randomly or conduct opportunistic hacking," Symantec said. "Rather, the group appears to choose its targets carefully and deliberately, conducting a good amount of planning before launching an attack." Security researchers have uncovered a new hacking group that is aggressively targeting healthcare organizations and related sectors across the globe to conduct corporate espionage.Dubbed "," the hacking group has been found installing a wormable trojan on machines hosting software used for controlling high-tech imaging devices, such as X-Ray and MRI machines, as well as machines used to assist patients in completing consent forms.According to a new report published by Symantec on Monday, the Orangeworm hacking group has been active since early 2015 and targeting systems of major international corporations based in the United States, Europe, and Asia with a primary focus on the healthcare sector.After getting into the victim's network, attackers install a trojan, dubbed, which opens a backdoor on the compromised computers, allowing attackers to remotely access equipment and steal sensitive data.While decrypting, the Kwampirs malware inserts a randomly generated string into its main DLL payload in an attempt to evade hash-based detection. The malware also starts a service on the compromised systems to persist and restart after the system reboots.Kwampirs then collects some basic information about the compromised computers and send it to the attackers to a remote command-and-control server, using which the group determines whether the hacked system is used by a researcher or a high-value target.If the victim is of interest, the malware then "aggressively" spread itself across open network shares to infect other computers within the same organisation.To gather additional information about the victim's network and compromised systems, the malware uses system's built-in commands, instead of using third-party reconnaissance and enumeration tools.Above shown list of commands help attackers to steal information including, "any information pertaining to recently accessed computers, network adapter information, available network shares, mapped drives, and files present on the compromised computer."Besides health-care providers and pharmaceutical companies that account for nearly 40% of targets, Orangeworm has also launched attacks against other industries including information technology and manufacturing sectors, agriculture, and logistics.However, these industries also somehow work for healthcare, like manufacturers that make medical devices, technology companies that offer services to clinics, and logistics firms that deliver healthcare products.Although the exact motive of Orangeworm is not clear and there's no information that could help determine the group's origins, Symantec believes the group is likely conducting espionage for commercial purposes and there's no evidence that it's backed by a nation-state.The highest percentage of victims has been detected in the United States, followed by Saudi Arabia, India, Philippines, Hungary, United Kingdom, Turkey, Germany, Poland, Hong Kong, Sweden, Canada, France, and several other countries across the globe. Set up by a Vietnamese army veteran, Ho Chi Minh Citys Russian Market is a maze of stalls peddling high quality winter wear sprawling across the two bottom floors of 328 Vo Van Kiet Boulevard, Co Giang Ward, District 1. According to Vu Anh Duong, a member of the markets management team, the vast majority of the markets 200-plus stalls export warm clothing to cold-weather markets such as Russia, Europe, America, South Korea, and Japan. To aid these businesses, three Russia-based forwarding companies also work out of the building. Apart from wholesale transactions, many of the markets retailers target tourists looking for a good deal on clothing they will be able to make good use of after their trip. The sheer volume of international brand names from Russia and the U.S. is the major draw for tourists looking to get a good deal on high-end products. Many of the salespeople at the Russian Market attempt to draw in international clientele by switching seamlessly between greetings in English, Russian, and Vietnamese. Customers come here looking for the warm coats. What we offer is reasonably priced and high quality, said Hoa, a stall owner. She then turned to a Korean customer and explained, We dont overcharge around here, but I can lower the price just a bit for you. On the markets second floor, a large food shop specializes in packaged and fresh goods bearing Made in Russia labels. The store offers a one-stop shop for Russian Vodkas, fish, feat, and spices. Household gadgets and souvenirs highlighting Russian culture, such as stacking dolls and ceramic castles, are also displayed throughout. Nguyen Viet Dung, a customer browsing the store, shared that he was shopping for Russian foods he remembers from his time spent as a student in the Soviet Union 40 years ago. Tourists flock to the Russian Market to seek warm clothing. Photo: Tuoi Tre From veteran to entrepreneur Nguyen Manh Tong, the owner of this Russian Market, first experienced Russian culture during a pilot training program in Russia in 1982. I am just a discharged soldier. My primary goal here was to create a gathering spot for Russia lovers. Most stall owners here are academics, engineers, or skilled laborers who once worked in Russia, he said. Tong returned to Vietnam in 1986 to serve as a captain in the Vietnamese army. In the 1990s, he stumbled across the Tax Mall on the corner of Nguyen Hue and Le Loi Streets in District 1. The mall has since been demolished to make way for the citys new metro system, but in its heyday it served as a hub for Russian and Eastern European goods. Tong felt like he had been transported back to Russia from the moment he walked into the Tax Mall. Throughout its aisles, salespeople spoke mainly in Russian, pushing their goods on customers from former Soviet republics. Russian dolls for sale at the Russian Market. Photo: Tuoi Tre Tong decided to seize the opportunity and open a stall at the Tax Mall, making headways into the clothing market with the support of his personal contacts at leading textile companies in Vietnam. After several years, however, business began to slow and store owners in the clothing section of the Tax Mall began moving to more modern markets, such as Hoang Thanh Market, now Saigon Square, in District 1. Years later it struck Tong that owning an entire market might be better than owning a single stall. That was when the Russian Market came into being. In its first stages, shop owners were reluctant to join him in the new premises, and sales were low because the location was far from downtown. Stall owners left, but Tong stood his ground, trying his best to keep the market running while seeking new clients. After some time the business was back on track. How did it happen? According to Tong, the markets core principle is its driving force: Stall owners here know well that getting customers to pay is very difficult, so they seldom overcharge. A large number of students in Da Nang celebrated Earth Day, April 22, by collecting beachside garbage and exchanging it for handmade recycled plastic and organic products. The event, jointly held by Vietnams Center for Environment and Community Research and the municipal administration, attracted thousands of people, including students, local residents and tourists. Students by the hundreds flocked to the beach and the road leading to Da Nangs Son Tra Peninsula, braving the scorching heat in order to clean the spots. The picked-up trash was then separated into organic and inorganic types before being swapped for plastic items or small plants at bazaar stands run by students along the locations. These products ranged from plant pots, pen cases, and flower vases to dishwashing liquid and bio-detergent. Fetching a mere VND10,000-50,000 (US$0.5-$2), the cleaning products, both made from organic waste, held a fascination for many visitors. All the proceeds from the activity will go to charity. Students classify garbage at a beach in Da Nang, central Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Students weigh a bag of garbage at a beach in Da Nang, central Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Students put garbage in a bag at a beach in Da Nang, central Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Huynh Tran Bao Minh, a student managing a stall at the event, said that the products on display were designed by scores of members in her group. The 16-year-old added that they had asked for rubbish from restaurants and collected empty cans, ice cream sticks and newspapers, out of which useful items were created. The Earth Day effort received praise from visitors. I really love activities as meaningful as this one, Van Anh Dao, a 32-year-old mother, said. I wish to use this as a chance to make my child behave environment-consciously by doing the smallest deeds. She said she was strongly impressed and surprised to see that plastic waste, which usually ends up at dumps, could be transformed into practical everyday items. Visitors browse items sold at the Earth Day event in Da Nang, central Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre A poster is seen at the Earth Day event in Da Nang, central Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre A student handles a bottle configuration of a sperm whale which died with the body filled with trash in Spain in February, at the Earth Day event in Da Nang, central Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Many students also created educational games aimed at raising the awareness of minimizing plastic waste pollution, and exhibited pictures encouraging environmental protection. This is the seventh consecutive Earth Day event to have been held by the Center for Environment and Community Research, and the first time in Da Nang. With the end-plastic-pollution message, Earth Day 2018 reminded people of how detrimental plastic trash can be to marine life, land and human health, using this as the step toward shifting general attitude and behavior about the material. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A swarm of visitors gravitated toward a culturally significant mountaintop temple in northern Vietnam to pay tribute to the countrys founding fathers on Sunday, three days before the start of a public holiday to celebrate the occasion. Every year on the tenth day of the third month in the lunar calendar, people in Vietnam commemorate the death of Hung Kings, 18 successive monarchs sharing the title Hung, who are considered in legend as the first founders of ancient Vietnam. The day, which falls on Wednesday this year, is also a public holiday in the Southeast Asian country. On this occasion, the Hung Kings Festival is being held from April 21 through 25 in Phu Tho Province to pay homage to these 18 rulers, believed to reign over Vietnam from around 2879 to 258 BC. The Hung Temple, where the rulers are worshipped on the provinces Nghia Linh Mountain, is a sacred destination for many Vietnamese people, who may come to the place to ask for good fortune and health, as they do at pagodas during the countrys Lunar New Year festival. The mountainside path leading to the temple was teeming with tens of thousands of pilgrims inching uphill on Sunday morning. A large number of police officers and volunteers were brought in to marshal the visitors, a job which proved difficult due to crowdedness. Several impatient pilgrims climbed over the slope adjacent to the path to ascend quickly, with some having their attempts thwarted by police. The festival organizer said it was determined to preempt undesirable situations which happened in previous festivals, including traffic tie-ups, price gouging, panhandling, uncivil conduct, and contaminated food. Local police have worked with their counterparts in neighboring provinces to monitor traffic, and are expected to perform regular patrols at the festival. Food vendors have been required to hang a price list at their stands and banned from overcharging. Police in green and volunteers in blue (foreground) control the influx of visitors to the Hung Temple in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Visitors walk up to the Hung Temple in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Visitors fill the path leading to the Hung Temple in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre A man holds his child above the crowd in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre A volunteer brings a child out of the crowd in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre A policeman uses a megaphone to ask people to move in order in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre A woman holding her baby walks against the stream of visitors in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre A policeman asks a man to return to the path in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Visitors choke the path leading to the Hung Temple in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Girls take a shortcut to the Hung Temple in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Policemen talk while managing the movement of visitors to the Hung Temple in Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, on April 22, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Temperatures in northern Vietnam are expected to drop to below 15 degrees Celsius in some places, under the influence of a cold front this week, while it will remain blistering hot in the southern region. The cold spell is forecast to hit northern localities on Tuesday before extending its effect to the central region, according to the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting. The mercury will drop by eight to nine degrees Celsius, ending the hot weather pattern in the region. The lowest temperature will be between 21 and 23 degrees Celsius in the Red River Delta localities, including Hanoi, and around 17 to 19 degrees Celsius in mountainous areas. It may also fall to between 14 and 16 degrees Celsius at higher altitudes, such as Mau Son Mount in Lang Son Province and Sa Pa Town in Lao Cai Province. It will rain during the period, and residents in mountainous localities are advised to prepare for potential gusts, hails, and thunderstorms. Temperatures normally hover around 30 degrees Celsius in tropical Vietnam. Sweltering weather conditions are forecast to persist in southern locales, including Ho Chi Minh City, with temperatures reaching up to 35 to 36 degrees Celsius, the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting reported. This weather pattern is forecast to continue in the last ten days of this month. Similarly, the average high in the Central Highlands will be between 32 and 35 degrees Celsius. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! An armed street brawl broke out between two gangs in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday, causing chaos and frightening local residents. Five suspects have been held for investigation into the violent confrontation that happened along the section of Truong Sa Street near Le Van Sy Bridge in District 3 at around 5:00 pm, local police confirmed later the same day. The armed fight involved more than 20 masked men, apparently members of two different gangs, who fought each other using knives and machetes. Some of the men were also seen joining in the brawl with what appeared to be a gun, according to eyewitnesses. Armed gang members are seen in a brawl in Ho Chi Minh City on April 22, 2018 in this photo posted on the Facebook page of Thinh Phuc. Many commuters on the street had to change their direction after seeing the fight, whereas panicked locals in the neighborhood immediately locked their doors for their own safety. Some witnesses managed to take photos of the confrontation and posted them on social media. Eyewitnesses also said some of the gang members were injured after the fight. Police officers later arrived at the scene to resolve the situation, arresting five suspects and gathering statements from local residents. Initial information showed that the fight involved gang members from the northern city of Hai Phong. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A local gold trader who won a lawsuit against the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee after it wrongfully seized a huge amount of gold from him has chalked up another victory, as the administration failed in its attempt to appeal to the ruling to return the precious metal to its owner. In May 2014, Ho Chi Minh City police caught Pham Duy Hieu transporting ten kilograms of gold, and slapped him with a VND15 million (US$660) administrative fine for trading trafficked goods, as the precious metal was verified as not being produced in Vietnam. The fine was imposed on the allegation that Hieu, as the director of a gold company, illegally imported the gold into Vietnam for trading purposes. At that time, Hieu insisted that the precious metal, ten gold bars weighing one kilogram each, was his personal property and not for sale. He eventually took the Ho Chi Minh City administration to court, reiterating that the gold was not meant for sale but was in fact a gift from his mother-in-law to his wife on the occasion of their marriage in 2008. Even though the gold was not produced in Vietnam, Hieu said in the lawsuit that he could not be fined for trading trafficked goods as the gold amount in question had never been traded since it was given to his wife. The mans lawsuit was dismissed by a first-instance trial by the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Court on January 26, 2016. Hieu then lodged an appeal to the higher-level People's High Court of Ho Chi Minh City. The High Court tried the case in late 2016, and ruled in his favor, requesting that the Ho Chi Minh City administration revoke its fine given to Hieu and return the seized gold to him. The citys administration immediately challenged the ruling at the Supreme Peoples Procuracy of Vietnam, but no action has since been taken by the countrys top prosecutor regarding the case. As the allowed time for the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee to voluntarily execute the High Courts ruling has expired, the municipal Peoples Court has requested that the administration follow the ruling revoking its fine and returning the gold to Hieu. Gold in Vietnam is usually traded in the form of bullion, measured in tael. On Monday, one tael, or 37.5 grams, of gold sells for VND36.9 million ($1,626), meaning ten kilograms of gold is worth some VND9.85 billion ($431,000). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A woman and her two children died after their house in the northern Vietnamese province of Nam Dinh caught fire before dawn on Sunday. The flames broke out at around 2:00 am, when the 36-year-old mother was sleeping with her children, aged six and ten, at their house in Yen Tien Commune, local authorities confirmed later the same day. The three managed to scream for help when they realized the house was on fire. Some neighbors rushed to the scene and managed to force open the door, only to see the blaze had already engulfed the entire home, killing the three family members. As the house was used as a store selling electronic devices and fabric, the fire easily grew stronger and could only be extinguished when firefighters arrived at the scene. Authorities have brought the bodies of the three victims out of the house and are investigating the cause of the fire. The husband and father of the deceased victims worked far away from home. Local officials have also provided support for the family. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! This weeks Insight episode will surely be a difficult watch, as it hears from people who are living with the trauma that they accidentally ended someones life. But some are bravely taking steps towards prevention. Theyre experiences that usually live in the darkest parts of our imagination a bump reversing into the family garage; a person on the train tracks; a small child darting out in front of a car; civilians killed, not the enemy. For this weeks Insight guests, however, its a difficult reality. How do you deal with unintentionally ending someones life? Peter and Emma Cockburn lost their 15 month-old daughter, Georgina, in a driveway accident in April 2011. I felt a bump and instantly realised it didnt feel right, Peter says. So I ran behind the car and I saw my little girl laying on the ground and my worst nightmares [had] come true; Id run over my little girl My life just changed in that moment. Putting aside the horror of what had happened, the couple made a pact on the night of the accident to share the blame and responsibility, in the hope of giving their three other daughters as normal a life as possible. Its been a tough road too for Mick White, a train driver from Western Sydney. In his 30 year career, hes experienced three fatalities and over 20 near-misses. The eye contact stays with him, as does the feeling of the body going under the train. For many years after his last fatality, he couldnt drive a car, feeling all the bumps in the road, and he was eventually treated for post-traumatic stress disorder. Ben Morris has also dealt with PTSD. In 1967, in the middle of the Vietnam War, he was the commander of a platoon that lay in ambush one morning outside the Australian Task Force base, at Nui Dat. They mistakenly opened fire on a group of civilians. Within seconds, hearing the cries of women and children, Ben realised their mistake. I was saying cease fire, cease fire, cease fire, he says. And as I ran forward I was hoping that someone would shoot me in the back so that I didnt have to face the mess that I knew I was about to face. Maryann Grays story is one closer to home for every driver: when she was 22, a small boy darted out in front of her car. There was no way to avoid collision. She remembers being horrified by the violence she had inadvertently caused, and felt the need for punishment, despite knowing it wasnt her fault. Once these accidents occur, that trust in the world and often our trust in ourselves is shattered, she says. Many years later, she began to open up about her experience, and quickly discovered she was not alone in having accidentally killed someone. To provide support and reduce stigma around accidental deaths, shes since started a website, http://accidentalimpacts.org/, with relevant resources and information; a process she has found personally rewarding, knowing she is helping others. I could let the accident kind of destroy me or I could choose to grow and get stronger as a result, she says. It took me a long time before I was able to do that, but I did. If the stories on this program raise any issues for you, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. 8:30pm Tuesday on SBS. UK drama The Good Karma Hospital has been renewed for a third season. Set in Southern India, the six-part drama, which is currently achieving consolidated audiences of around 6 million, will return to ITV in 2019. Executive Producer for Tiger Aspect Lucy Bedford said: The commission of a third series is testament to the hard work of our incredible cast and talented writers, led by Dan Sefton. The colourful characters and life-affirming stories continue to strike a chord with the audience and we are so excited to be bringing everyone another series of this wonderful drama. Commented Victoria Fea: Were delighted to be returning to The Good Karma Hospital for a third series. Writer Dan Sefton has created emotionally engaging storylines and a community of intriguing characters that we all instantly care about. Were grateful to the cast for bringing them to life and to the production team who film in the most glorious sun-drenched location! The third series will begin filming in August. ABC is currently airing Seasons 2 in Australia. Alexa may be getting some legs. A domestic robot powered by Amazon's digital assistant looks to be in the cards now that Bloomberg is reporting the e-commerce giant is developing some kind of automated servant for the home. Amazon is well on its way to creating prototypes of the robot, according to the report, with the aim to have it in consumers' homes as early as next year. SEE ALSO: Amazon Alexa spouted conspiracy theory when asked about chemtrails The exact goal of the project, said to be codenamed "Vesta," is unclear, but smart money is on some kind of mobile Alexa speaker that can move from room to room, extending the digital assistant's presence in a home. The idea is it would be equipped with sophisticated computer-vision capabilities so it could navigate a home like a Roomba robot vacuum. It's not a terrible idea, though if it's just an Alexa-powered mobile speaker, it may not give enough reason for customers to care beyond the early-adopter thrill of owning a domestic robot. Amazon's cheap Echo Dots already do a good job of letting users easily put Alexa in more rooms, and even when that isn't convenient (like, say, a bathroom), there are portable speakers with Alexa that will work. A robot Alexa would need to perform some other function (like, say, folding clothes or fetching cans of soda from the fridge) if it really wants to become part of Amazon customers' daily routines the way the Echo speaker has. In other words, it'll have to solve some kind of problem in a way that every other domestic robot from the versatile Pepper to the adorable Jibo hasn't. The Roomba is perhaps the one domestic robot that's broken through, thanks mainly to its singular function. Of course, the Roomba is already enabled with Alexa skills, so it's unlikely Amazon is looking to compete directly with iRobot. Still, the vision of a C-3PO-like robot in every home is an intoxicating sci-fi vision that's hard for big tech companies to ignore. Google tried to summit that mountain a few years back, but ended up scuttling the effort and selling off its robotics division, Boston Dynamics. That company continues to develop impressive animal-like robots, but it hasn't really produced anything other than occasional videos that terrify the internet. Story continues What seems very clear from the report is that this project doesn't intersect with Amazon Robotics, which builds robots that help manage Amazon's warehouses. The Vesta project is in the hands of Amazon's Lab126, which developed the company's Echo and Fire TV products. Gregg Zehr, who heads up Lab126's R&D division, is said to be leading the effort, with the goal of seeding the robots to Amazon employees later this year and a possible consumer launch in 2019. Various job openings on the Lab126 careers site, including "software engineer, robotics" and "senior applied robotics scientist," strongly suggest the Amazon company is looking to dive deeper into robots. If Vesta is indeed just an Amazon Echo speaker that can walk from room to room, let's hope it at least is equipped with cup holders. BAMAKO (Reuters) - Several loud explosions rocked the northern Mali city of Timbuktu on Sunday near military bases where one U.N peacekeeper was killed and several French troops were wounded last weekend by Islamist militants, a resident and a U.N. source said. The April 14 car bomb and rocket attacks on the heavily fortified bases by militants disguised as U.N. peacekeepers marked a particularly daring assault amid an upsurge in jihadist violence in Mali and neighboring countries. (Reporting By Adama Diarra; Writing by Aaron Ross, Editing by William Maclean) See Also: By Alexander Cornwell DUBAI (Reuters) - Oman Air is considering adding more flights to Asia, including to China and South Korea, but is delaying its break even date to beyond this year, its new chief executive said on Sunday. The state-owned airline, which no longer relies on government funding, had earlier delayed its break even date from 2017 to this year. It could now potentially break even in the next two to three years, Chief Executive Abdulaziz al-Raisi told Reuters in an interview in Dubai. He later said it was difficult to set a date because stemming losses would partly depend on external factors. Middle East air traffic has been disrupted in recent years by conflict in Iraq and Syria. A political dispute in the Gulf since last June has also barred flights from Qatar to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. Oman has remained neutral. Raisi said he was concerned about escalating conflict after a warning this month for airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean ahead of air strikes by the United States, Britain, and France on Syria. Parts of the Middle East airspace are already congested and any changes to flight paths usually mean higher fuel costs and longer flying times for airlines. Raisi, a 33-year Oman Air veteran, was appointed as CEO earlier on Sunday having held the position in an acting capacity since October. He said the airline would focus on carrying more passengers to and from Oman. "We are not trying to compete with the three big ones," Raisi said, referring to the region's biggest airlines Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways, which focus on connecting passengers through their Gulf hubs. Oman Air could fly to more destinations in Asia from as soon as 2019 after starting flights to Istanbul, Casablanca, Moscow, and the Maldives this year, Raisi said at the Arabian Travel Market exhibition in Dubai. Around 9.8 million passengers are expected to fly with the airline this year, up from 8.5 million, he added. Story continues Oman Air intends to phase out its four Embraer 175 jets this year and will place a new order for Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft or Airbus A350 jets before 2023 to replace its A330s, Raisi. He did not disclose how many jets they could order. Oman Air already operates 787 Dreamliners. (The story is refiled to add dropped date in paragraph 12.) (Reporting by Alexander Cornwell, editing by David Evans) By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - A British judge has ordered that Ivica Todoric, founder of beleaguered food production and retail conglomerate Agrokor, be extradited to Croatia to face allegations of fraud totalling tens of millions of euros. Agrokor, which accounts for 15 percent of Croatian GDP and is the largest employer in the Balkans, was placed under emergency state administration a year ago after it came close to collapsing under a mountain of debt. Todoric, who founded the company in 1976, has denied accusations of fraud and said the Croatian investigation into his financial affairs was politically motivated. But judge Emma Arbuthnot, the chief magistrate of England and Wales, said in a judgment delivered at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday that she had seen no evidence to support that argument, which she dismissed as a "conspiracy theory". "I accept that the Agrokor affair has a political dimension as it represents 15 percent of the GDP of Croatia, but the prosecution is based on the evidence uncovered and is not being pursued because of political pressure," she said. The fallout from the Agrokor crisis extends beyond Croatia's borders. The single biggest creditor is Russia's Sberbank, which has a claim of more than 1 billion euros (876.09 million pounds) and has lodged a criminal complaint of forgery against Todoric and the company. Arbuthnot said that a Zagreb prosecutor had provided 15 pages of closely typed descriptions of alleged offences, including that Todoric had instructed Agrokor to settle his and his family's personal expenses to the tune of millions of euros. She said the evidence suggested that despite not being profitable since 2006, Agrokor had picked up the tab for items such as Todoric's big-game hunting in Africa and the cost of stuffing the animals he killed. SEVEN DAYS TO APPEAL Todoric, who was present in court for the judgement, has seven days to lodge an appeal against Arbuthnot's extradition order. If he does not appeal, he will be extradited within the following 10 days. Story continues His lawyer told the court that Todoric had run out of money because his assets were subject to international freezing orders and he was reliant on the kindness of friends and family to pay rent, bills and legal fees. Todoric, who was granted bail on stricter conditions than before the judgement, told reporters outside the court that he would use all legal means at his disposal in the UK "to pursue his further plans". The new bail conditions require him to report to a London police station daily and he will be under a nightly curfew from 2000 to 0600 GMT. Arbuthnot said that though Todoric had yet to be formally charged, it was clear from evidence received from a prosecutor in Zagreb that investigations were at an advanced stage and there was an intention to try him and 14 others. She said that, as of April 10, Croatian investigators had interviewed 53 of a potential 65 to 70 witnesses and she quoted the Zagreb prosecutor as saying there was "strong evidence" that Todoric had committed the alleged offences. Earlier in April Agrokor's creditors agreed draft settlement terms aimed at saving the company from bankruptcy. They are due to vote on the deal before July 10. (Writing by Sarah Young and Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Peter Graff and David Goodman) Smoke rises from Yarmouk Palestinian camp in Damascus, Syria April 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho Thomson Reuters BEIRUT (Reuters) - Air strikes pounded an insurgent-held area near Damascus on Sunday, footage broadcast by state TV stations showed, as the Syrian government stepped up efforts to wipe out the insurgency's last foothold near the capital. Thick clouds of smoke rose from the al-Hajar al-Aswad district as the sound of jets could be heard overhead in the live broadcasts from the area. The area is part of an enclave just south of Damascus that includes the Palestinian refugee camp Yarmouk and is controlled by jihadist insurgents from Islamic State and the Nusra Front. It is adjoined by a pocket held by other rebel groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner. President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Iran and Russia, is seeking to crush the last few besieged rebel enclaves, building on the defeat of insurgents in the eastern Ghouta region, which was the rebels' last major stronghold near the capital. Rebel fighters on Saturday began to withdraw from an enclave they held northeast of Damascus in the eastern Qalamoun region in a surrender agreement with the government. They are being transported to opposition-held territory at the Turkish border. Although the conquest of eastern Qalamoun and the enclave south of Damascus will leave just one remaining besieged rebel enclave, north of the city of Homs, large parts of Syria at the borders with Jordan, Israel, Turkey and Iraq remain outside Assad's control. Anti-Assad rebels hold a chunk of territory in the southwest and the northwest, and Kurdish-led militias, backed by the United States, control an expanse of northern and eastern Syria. (Writing by Tom Perry) See Also: British book lovers have revealed their reading habits (Picture: PA) A survey of British readers has revealed the book they are most likely to give up on and the answer might come as a surprise. It may not have been hailed as a tough literary text, but Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James is the book most Britons toss aside long before theyve reached the end. However, the poll of 2,000 people by the Reading Agency suggests that many people are unwilling to give up on a book, no matter how much they are struggling, while others will wait weeks, or even months, before conceding defeat. And it also indicates that the majority of Britons will avoid reading material that they believe will make them sad, with a considerable proportion saying they see reading as a form of escape, and want to be transported to a happy place. The Reading Agency commissioned the survey to mark World Book Night on Monday April 23, and suggested that anyone who finds themselves facing book block should not force themselves to continue with the book in question. Along with Fifty Shades of Grey, the books most people are likely to struggle to finish are The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. MOST POPULAR TODAY ON YAHOO Overall, more than a fifth (22%) of the 2,000 people polled said you should always finish a book you have started. Around one in six (15%) said that they would give up if they were struggling with a book after one to three weeks, with 11% saying they would stop reading after four to six days, 13% after two to three days and 6% would stop up to a day after. Story continues In addition, just under one in 10 (9%) said they would persevere for one to three months, with smaller proportions saying they would wait longer. Fifty Shades of Grey wasnt worth reading, the survey revealed (Picture: PA) Asked what factors make it hard to finish a book, the most common answer (chosen by 51%) was that they find it boring, or are not enjoying it, with around one in four (24%) saying they find it hard to concentrate when reading, and 20% too tired from work and family life. The majority said that reading can have a positive effect on mood and wellbeing, and of those that agreed with this, 28% said that they would turn to a book if they felt lonely, and 24% said they would do so if they felt stressed. One in five (20%) said that they would definitely avoid a book if they thought it would make them sad, with 35% saying they would possibly avoid it. Sue Wilkinson, chief executive of the Reading Agency, said: At a time when one in five of us will experience anxiety or depression, and world events can leave people feeling confused or scared, reading has never been more important. As this research shows, reading can have a hugely positive impact on our health and wellbeing; it can build empathy and help us understand the world and the people around us. At a time when so many brilliant books are being written and published, you should never force yourself to read something youre not enjoying. World Book Night is the chance to find a book that works for you. In 2016, EU households spent over 90 billion on books, newspapers and stationery. This represents 1.1% of their total consumption expenditure, with highest share recorded in Slovakia, Germany and Poland https://t.co/yaWjDSQTq9 #WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/trnd5QakuF European Commission (@EU_Commission) April 23, 2018 Meanwhile, the European Commission has revealed that EU households spent 80 billion on books, newspapers or stationery in 2016. The figure represents 1.1% of the blocs total consumption expenditure or 175 per EU inhabitant. The percentage marks a decline from 1995, when 1.8% of consumption expenditure went on the same items. Britons say they are a tolerant nation, a survey reveals (Picture: PA) Most Britons believe they live in a nation that is tolerant of others, a global survey has revealed. When asked if the UK is a tolerant country, 53% of Britons surveyed said they agreed. This compares favourably with nations such as France, Spain and Italy, were only a third thought their countries were tolerant, while in Hungary the figure was only 16%. But the Ipsos Mori poll for the BBCs Crossing Divides season showed that Britain is some way off countries like Canada (74%), China (65%) and India (63%). Overall, the online survey of 19,428 respondents across 27 countries found that people believe their nations are more polarised than 10 years ago. 54% see ourselves as tolerant (much less than the Canadians but much more than Hungarians!) #crossingdivides #bbc pic.twitter.com/XxbusbaOZX Ben Page, Ipsos MORI (@benatipsosmori) April 23, 2018 Two-thirds of Europeans feel their nations are more divided, the poll revealed, while half of Britons said there is a divide between immigrants and nationals. It was the source of division most commonly identified in Britain, followed by differences in religion (47%), ethnicity (41%) and political viewpoints (40%). MOST POPULAR TODAY ON YAHOO The survey found that Europe is more divided than Latin America, North America and Asia. Story continues In Europe, the poll questioned respondents from 11 nations, including the UK. In Serbia, 93% of those surveyed said their country was divided. All Europe shows a similar trend, with at least three out of four respondents saying that their respective society is very or fairly divided, said Glenn Gottfried from Ipsos Mori. He told the BBC that Europeans believe divisions have bemuse more pronounced in recent years. The Ipsos Mori poll revealed the world sees itself as divided (Picture: PA) This could be a reflection of the political climate and a swing towards the right that we have seen in parts of the continent, or at least the political climate could be a result of people feeling more tensions. The two are correlated, he said. Tensions based on class and income still exist. In Britain, for example, about a third see tension between rich and poor, and in Hungary more people see tension between rich and poor than in relation to immigrants. But there was some positive news from the poll, with two-thirds of respondents agreeing that citizens have more in common than they have differences. Only a small number of people think that mixing with people from different backgrounds, cultures or points of view causes conflict, said Mr Gottfried. This article originally appeared on the Conversation. As the US, Russia and China test each others patience and strategic focus, speculation about the chances of a world war has hit a new high. But many of the people seriously engaged in this weighty discussion often get it wrong. When it comes to estimating military capability, the Western media is principally concerned with the weapons capabilities of weaker statesand it rarely pays much attention to the colossal capability of the US, which still accounts for most of the worlds defence spending. Trending: Sean Hannity Net Worth: Fox News Host Linked to Shell Companies that Bought $90 Million Worth of Properties 11_13_North_Korea_nuclear_war Getty Images Any sensible discussion of what a hypothetical World War III might look like needs to begin with the sheer size and force of Americas military assets. For all that China and Russia are arming up on various measures, US commanders have the power to dominate escalating crises and counter opposing forces before they can be used. Take missile warfare alone. The US Navy already has 4,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and the Navy and Air Force are currently taking delivery of 5,000 JASSM conventional cruise missiles with ranges from 200-600 miles. Barely visible to radar, these are designed to destroy hardened targets such as nuclear missile silos. Russia and China, by contrast, have nothing of equivalent quantity or quality with which to threaten the US mainland. The same holds true when it comes to maritime forces. While much is made of Russias two frigates and smaller vessels stationed off the Syrian coast, France alone has 20 warships and an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean and US standing forces in the area include six destroyers equipped with scores of cruise missiles and anti-missile systems. At the other end of Europe, the Russian military is threatening the small Baltic states, but it is rarely noted that the Russian Baltic fleet is the same size as Denmarks and half the size of Germanys. Story continues Meanwhile, Chinas aggressively expansionist behaviour in the South China Sea is reported alongside stories of its first aircraft carrier and long-range ballistic missiles. But for all that the Chinese navy is large and growing, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, its still only numerically equivalent to the combined fleets of Japan and Taiwan, while the US boasts 19 aircraft carriers worldwide if its marine assault ships are included. But overhanging all this, of course, is the nuclear factor. Out of the sky The US, Russia and China are all nuclear-armed; Vladimir Putin recently unveiled a new fleet of nuclear-capable missiles which he described as invincible in the face of all existing and future systems, and some have suggested that China may be moving away from its no-first-use policy. This is all undeniably disturbing. While it has long been assumed that the threat of nuclear weapons acts as a deterrent to any war between the major powers, its also possible that the world may simply have been riding its luck. But once again, the USs non-nuclear capabilities are all too often overlooked. Don't miss: Shania Twain is Sorry for Saying She Would Have Voted for Trump US leaders may in fact believe they can remove Russias nuclear deterrent with an overwhelming conventional attack backed up by missile defences. This ability was cultivated under the Prompt Global Strike programme, which was initiated before 9/11 and continued during the Obama years. Organised through the US Air Forces Global Strike Command, it is to use conventional weapons to attack anywhere on Earth in under 60 minutes. This is not to say the task would be small. In order to destroy Russias nuclear missiles before they can be launched, the US military would need to first blind Russian radar and command and communications to incoming attack, probably using both physical and cyber attacks. It would then have to destroy some 200 fixed and 200 mobile missiles on land, a dozen Russian missile submarines, and Russian bombers. It would then need to shoot down any missiles that could still be fired. Russia is not well positioned to survive such an attack. Its early warning radars, both satellite and land-based, are decaying and will be hard to replace. At the same time, the US has and is developing a range of technologies to carry out anti-satellite and radar missions, and it has been using them for years. (All the way back in 1985, it shot down a satellite with an F15 jet fighter.) That said, the West is very dependent on satellites too, and Russia and China continue to develop their own anti-satellite systems. The air war Russias bomber aircraft date back to the Soviet era, so despite the alarm they provoke when they nudge at Western countries airspace, they pose no major threat in themselves. Were the Russian and US planes to face each other, the Russians would find themselves under attack from planes they couldnt see and that are any way out of their range. US and British submarine crews claim a perfect record in constantly shadowing Soviet submarines as they left their bases throughout the Cold War. Since then, Russian forces have declined and US anti-submarine warfare has been revived, raising the prospect that Russian submarines could be taken out before they could even launch their missiles. The core of the Russias nuclear forces consists of land-based missiles, some fixed in silos, others mobile on rail and road. The silo-based missiles can now be targeted by several types of missiles, carried by US planes almost invisible to radar; all are designed to destroy targets protected by deep concrete and steel bunkers. But a problem for US war planners is that it might take hours too long for their missile-carrying planes to reach these targetshence the need to act in minutes. One apparently simple solution to attacking targets very quickly is to fit quick nuclear ballistic missiles with non-nuclear warheads. In 2010, Robert Gates, then serving as secretary of defence under Barack Obama, said that the US had this capability. Intercontinental ballistic missiles take just 30 minutes to fly between the continental USs Midwest and Siberia; if launched from well-positioned submarines, the Navys Tridents can be even quicker, with a launch-to-target time of under ten minutes. Most popular: What Happened To Bernard in Westworld Season 2, Episode 1? [SPOILERS] From 2001, the US Navy prepared to fit its Trident missiles with either inert solid warheadsaccurate to within ten metresor vast splinter/shrapnel weapons. Critics have argued that this would leave a potential enemy unable to tell whether they were under nuclear or conventional attack, meaning they would have to assume the worst. According to US Congressional researchers, the development work came close to completion, but apparently ceased in 2013. Nonetheless, the US has continued to develop other technologies across its armed services to attack targets around the world in under an hourforemost among them hypersonic missiles, which could return to Earth at up to ten times the speed of sound, with China and Russia trying to keep up. Missile envy The remainder of Russias nuclear force consists of missiles transported by rail. An article on Kremlin-sponsored news outlet Sputnik described how these missile rail cars would be so hard to find that Prompt Global Strike might not be as effective as the US would likebut taken at face value, the article implies that the rest of the Russian nuclear arsenal is in fact relatively vulnerable. Starting with the Scud hunt of the First Gulf War, the US military has spent years improving its proficiency at targeting mobile ground-based missiles. Those skills now use remote sensors to attack small ground targets at short notice in the myriad counter-insurgency operations its pursued since 2001. If the sword of Prompt Global Strike doesnt stop the launch of all Russian missiles, then the US could use the shield of its own missile defences. These it deployed after it walked out of a treaty with Russia banning such weapons in 2002. While some of these post-2002 missile defence systems have been called ineffective, the US Navy has a more effective system called Aegis, which one former head of the Pentagons missile defence programs claims can shoot down intercontinental ballistic missiles. Some 300 Aegis anti-ballistic missiles now equip 40 US warships; in 2008, one destroyed a satellite as it fell out of orbit. War mentality In advance of the Iraq war, various governments and onlookers cautioned the US and UK about the potential for unforeseen consequences, but the two governments were driven by a mindset impervious to criticism and misgivings. And despite all the lessons that can be learned from the Iraq disaster, theres an ample risk today that a similarly gung-ho attitude could take hold. Foreign casualties generally have little impact on domestic US politics. The hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians who died under first sanctions and then war did not negatively impact presidents Clinton or George W. Bush. Neither might the prospect of similar casualties in Iran or North Korea or other states, especially if humanitarian precision weapons are used. But more than that, an opinion poll run by Stanford Universitys Scott Sagan found that the US public would not oppose the preemptive use of even nuclear weapons provided that the US itself was not affected. And nuclear Trident offers that temptation. The control of major conventional weapons as well as WMD needs urgent attention from international civil society, media and political parties. There is still time to galvanise behind the Nobel-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and the nuclear ban treaty, and to revive and globalise the decaying arms control agenda of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which played a vital part in bringing the Cold War to a largely peaceful end. Like the Kaiser in 1914, perhaps Trump or one of his successors will express dismay when faced with the reality a major US offensive unleashes. But unlike the Kaiser, who saw his empire first defeated and then dismembered, perhaps a 21st-century US president might get away with it. Dan Plesch, Director of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, SOAS, University of London. The Conversation This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek This originally appeared on Quora. Answered by Ross Cohen. It varies by state. Some states elect the replacement, others appoint them. Some do a combination of the two, with an interim Senator appointed until there's a special election. Trending: Kellyanne Conway Clashes With CNN Host Over Her Husband's Critical Tweets Some states change their rules in response to events. Alaska took the appointment power away from their governor after Gov. Frank Murkowski appointed his daughter. Massachusetts changed their rules multiple times over the last decade; first when John Kerry ran for president so they could prevent Mitt Romney from appointing a replacement from a different party, then later they switched to a hybrid system of interim appointment before special election after Deval Patrick (D) became governor. When the governor appoints a replacement, temporary or otherwise, some states require them to be from the same party as the one they replace, as Hawaii does. So does Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, North Carolina, and Maryland. Only six states, so its not very common. Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean said it was a "tradition" to appoint someone from the same party in Vermont, but they use special elections now. Sometimes the governor appoints a trusted advisor or colleague that promises not to seek a full term, as was done in Delaware with Joe Biden's replacement (D-DE), Ted Kaufman (D), who then sat out as Chris Coons (D) ran against and beat Christine O'Donnell (R). The same thing happened in MA when Gov. Deval Patrick (D) appointed Mo Cowan (D) to replace John Kerry (D), on the promise that he doesn't run to keep the seat. Don't miss: Costa Ricas New President Has a Bumpy Road Ahead of Him | Opinion Others make no such promise, such as Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the one that was appointed by her father in '02 and ran in '04, or to name an example from the other party, Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who was appointed by Gov. Patterson (D) to replace Hillary Clinton (D) and then successfully campaigned to complete the term in the 2010 election cycle. To take another example, in South Carolina, Tim Scott (R-SC) was appointed by then-Gov. Nikki Haley (R) to replace Sen. Jim DeMint (R) and ran to keep the seat, though there was little danger of electing a Democrat in SC (though DeMint did follow a Democrat, that person was in office for nearly 40 years). Story continues Sometimes the states law is unclear. From what I understand, New Jersey law is ambiguous and contradictory in this area as there are interpretations allowing different courses of action (or at least it was when it last came up). In 2013, then-Gov. Chris Christie (R) could have appointed someone to complete a term, making his party happy if it was a Republican, but Democrats would potentially take him to court since the statute is debatable. Plus, New Jerseans, who typically vote for Democrats for Senate and President, might have taken out their anger on him at the polls that November. Alternatively, he could keep Democrat Frank Lautenberg's seat for a Democrat, making himself look bipartisan and magnanimous, which would piss off his party, which was good for his brand but bad for his 2016 presidential primary chances. Choosing either of these options was a mixed bag and would both carry the negative perception of making him look scared of his next option, calling for a November election. Doing that would deprive him of kingmaker status and even more consequently, have him running in the same election as Cory Booker, at the time the Mayor of Newark, NJ and popular Democratic rising star running to succeed Lautenberg in the Senate. Instead, Christie chose what he saw as his best option, politically speaking. He decided to appoint an Interim Senator from his own party (to give them a better chance of beating Booker), and call for a special election. However, instead of having the election with all the others in November for essentially no extra cost to taxpayers, he chose to schedule it for a few weeks earlier. His argument was that NJ can't stand to be without representation in the Senate and needs someone there right away, and that the voters should also have their say as soon as possible after that. This way he got to duck some of the downsides above, but only by costing his supposedly cash strapped state ~$25 million dollars to run an extra election weeks before the regular one, just so he didnt have to run at the same time as Cory Booker, who would bring a lot of Democrats to the polls and push down his vote margin, making him look less popular. It was a selfish decision, putting himself ahead of his state, for pretty meager benefit, which ultimately proved unhelpful as he not only went on to lose the presidential primaries, but he finished his term at historic levels of unpopularity within his state. Christie had said the state couldn't afford early voting or infrastructure investments that were mostly covered by the federal government, but in this case, he said "I don't know what the cost is and I quite frankly don't care." Most popular: How To Watch 'Westworld' Season 2 and What to Know for the Premiere The Daily Show unearthed an old recording of Chris Christie saying it would be an irresponsible waste of money to...do exactly what he ended up doing. The only difference is that the estimated cost was more than twice what he said. More recently, for political reasons, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and his Republican allies tried to make the opposite argument, to skip holding a special electionfor nearly a yearsupposedly because it was a waste of money (to have representation?) but in reality because he/they feared they would lose the elections since Republicans are unpopular right now and Dems are on a big winning streak. Fortunately, the courts disagreed, but its been a long, slow process. But this isnt for Senate, just another illustration of politicians making political decisions in these types of situations. As I said, the laws and customs vary in every state. When theres wiggle room, you can usually count on a politician to take advantage of it for political gain. If the politician is particularly slimy, you can count on them brazenly doing whatever it takes for themselves or their party (to the extent it helps themselves), even if the rationales strain all logic and credulity, at the expense of their own constituents. Update: Heres how every state handles Vacancies in the United States Senate Presently, 36 states fill a U.S. Senate vacancy at their next regularly-scheduled general election. The remaining 14 require that a special election be called. And only four states prohibit the governor from making an interim appointment, requiring instead that the seat remain vacant until the next election (whether regular or special) is held. In another three, the governor may make an appointment to fill the vacancy temporarily, but only under very strict conditions. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Iran said Saturday it is prepared for a potential U.S. exit from a landmark nuclear agreement, but warned there would be consequences that President Donald Trump and his administration may not have anticipated. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani railed against Trump's potential decision to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 deal, which could happen as early as next month as the White House demands a renegotiation of its terms. Rouhani championed the unprecedented agreement with Trump's predecessor, former President Barack Obama, agreeing to cut nuclear development in exchange for sanctions relief, but Trump has said the arrangement did not go far enough to address Iran's missile activity and support for militant and political movements abroad. Related: Iran Tells Israel: Our Fingers Are on the Trigger, Missiles Are Ready to Launch, as Syria Tensions Mount Trending: God of War How To Use Enchantments To Make The Best Armor In a speech broadcast via state-run news, Rouhani said that the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran had for months arranged contingency plans in response to the decisions of U.S. officials, including "actions that they might expect and actions they might not expect," as the semi-official Mehr News Agency reported. RTX5SAAK Tasnim News Agency/Reuters Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was deeply involved in negotiating the deal with the Obama administration and other signatories, revealed Iran may restart nuclear production during an interview set to air Sunday. The diplomat told CBS News' Face the Nation that "We have put a number of options for ourselves, and those options are ready, including options that would involve resuming at a much greater speed our nuclear activities." Story continues Don't miss: 'Dance Moms' Abby Lee Miller Speaks Out About Her Cancer Diagnosis "Those options are ready to be implemented and we will make the necessary decision when we see fit," he said, later adding that "Obviously the rest of the world cannot ask us to unilaterally and one-sidedly implement a deal that has already been broken." Iran has always maintained that its nuclear program was only for energy purposes, not for the production of nuclear weapons as leading foes the U.S, Israel and Saudi Arabia have alleged. As Trump came to office early last year, however, Washington and Tehran have increasingly clashed over the nuclear deal as well as a greater contest for influence across the Middle East. RTX1KEE9 International Atomic Energy Agency/Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute/Institute for Energy and Environmental Research/Globalsecurity.org/Reuters Most popular: Woman Reportedly Pours Coffee on Passengers, Assaults Air Marshal During Delta Flight The U.S. and Iran are both involved in the battle against the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), but differ over their post-war visions of Iraq and Syria, where tensions between international actors have worsened with the demise of the jihadis. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's victories against rebels and jihadis have allowed his Iranian allies to establish a military presence in the country, a development that concerns neighboring Israel. After Israeli jets killed several Iranians in an airstrike on an airbase in central Homs province last week, the second-in-command of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards warned Friday that "our fingers are on the trigger and the missile are ready to launch." Brigadier General Hossein Salami said such escalations could lead to an all-out war and also joined fellow Assad ally Russia in condemning a tripartite U.S., U.K and French cruise missile strike against Syrian facilities suspected of being involved in developing chemical weapons. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek A group of refugees who have camped in a square in Mytilini, on the Greek island of Lesbos, for five days to demand better conditions at the Moria refugee camp came under attack on Sunday night, April 22. Police were called to Mytilinis Sappho Square after the violence erupted at about 8 pm local time, CNN Greece reported. This video was captured by Mytilini resident Emmanuel Chatzichalkias. It shows the moment explosions were heard as fires burned near Sappho Square. Greeces stated-owned Athens-Macedonian News Agency reported refugees had marched on Mytilini on April 18 to protest over delays in processing asylum applications and false rumors that an Afghan refugee had died due to the conditions in the Moria camp. The makeshift camp is home to 5,500 refugees, close to double its 2,500 capacity, according a recent report from the New York Times. Credit: Emmanuel Chatzichalkias via Storyful This article originally appeared on the Conversation. On 4/20, many across the U.S. gather to celebrate their love and appreciation for marijuana. Polls show that 64 percent of Americans favor legalizing marijuana. But, despite the majority support, theres no clear consensus on how it should be regulated. As a researcher who has studied the impact of drugs in the U.S. and Mexico, its been captivating to watch states adapt as they attempt to regulate this illicit and stigmatized substance. Trending: What is a Floating Kidney? Woman's Organ Drops into Pelvis Every Time She Stands Up 03_08_marijuana Ethan Miller/Getty Images Many states permit medical marijuana, but theres a wide variety of approaches. Today, 29 states currently permit medical marijuana and have an established system for regulating it. Another 17 states have limited medical programs. These programs provide access to products with low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)and high levels of cannabidiol (CBD), with the goal of eliminating the high and maximizing medical benefits. Beyond that, the conditions doctors and patients can treat with cannabis vary from state to state. Don't miss: Student, 11, Hit By Car And Killed During National School Walkout to Protest Gun Violence Minnesota, New York and West Virginia dont permit marijuana smoking as part of their medical programs. West Virginia, however, allows patients to vaporize marijuana plant matter, while Minnesota only permits consumption of marijuana in liquid extract form. Colorado, where I am based, has a much more expansive medical program. Patients can access an array of products, from extracts to strains of raw plant material. While New York caps the amount of THC that a product dose may contain, Colorado and other states have no such limit on their medical marijuana products. Story continues Meanwhile, recreational marijuana use has been approved for adults 21 and over by nine states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia. Most popular: Bike-Sharing Is the Next Ride-Share | Opinion However, once again, states havent implemented their policies uniformly. Vermont, for example, does not currently have a system for commercial sale and distribution, and only allows individuals to cultivate two plants. Colorado, on the other hand, has developed a robust commercial system, allows individuals to grow up to six plants, and limits the amount of marijuana products an individual can possess. Most states have struggled with how to navigate the public consumption of cannabis, which remains illegal. As states continue to debate and implement marijuana policies, the American public will begin to recognize what works (and what doesnt). While these policy inconsistencies may raise concerns for some constituents, these state experiments are a valuable way to figure out how this substance works and how it affects society. Santiago Guerra, Assistant Professor of Southwest Studies, Colorado College. The Conversation This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek A member of Theresa May's government has accused Labour of "opportunism and hypocrisy" over its attacks on the Tories on Windrush. Mike Freer, a Government whip and MP for Margaret Thatcher's old Commons seat of Finchley and Golders Green, hit out in an email to a constituent. The MP was responding after his constituent wrote to him complaining she was "appalled and ashamed" to hear of the impact of the Prime Minister's "hostile environment policy" on immigration. Mr Freer replied: "I am sorry to hear that you have been misinformed. It is so sad that opposition parties would seek to deliberately misquote and misinterpret what Theresa May said. "The Windrush issue is absolutely nothing to do with immigration reforms introduced under the Cameron government. Then the policy was to make it harder for ILLEGAL immigrants to settle in the UK. The Windrush people were and are legal. Wholly separate and unconnected. "I would also point out that the decision to destroy the landing cards of the Windrush people was taken by the last LABOUR Government, so it really is the height of opportunism and hypocrisy for the Opposition to take some moral high ground." Mr Freer's attack on Labour reflects the view of many Conservative MPs that Jeremy Corbyn's party is attempting to exploit the Windrush controversy to deflect attention from its own race row over anti-Semitism. His Finchley and Golders Green seat, in northwest London, has the largest Jewish population of any parliamentary constituency in the country, at over a fifth of its residents. It is in the outer London borough of Barnet, which is one of the key battlegrounds in the local elections on 3 May, with Labour attempting to snatch the council from the Conservatives. Despite being a Government whip, a role that restricts his speaking in Parliament, Mr Freer has been a vocal campaigner against anti-Semitism. He joined the high-profile Parliament Square protest last month and wrote on the subject in The Times as recently as last week. Story continues :: Sky Views: Britain wakes up to its imperial past In her email to Mr Freer, his constituent wrote: "Apart from the terrible injustice to the many individuals concerned, ranging from losing their jobs, their homes, their right to health care, fearing deportation and being subjected to incredible levels of stress, what image of Britain are we projecting here? "What must EU27 nations make of this conduct? How can Britain present itself as an honourable and trustworthy negotiating partner when it treats its own citizens and people who have made honest mistakes in such a dreadful fashion. It is truly shameful." B2B digital music firm 7Digital Group saw contracts with a lifetime value of 2.3m agreed in the first quarter as licensing revenues for the period grew 125% to 3.6m compared to previous year. The assorted contract wins included agreements with a service for retail businesses, a live music experience company and a two-year deal with a Chinese social media platform focused on video content. 7Digital now works with two Chinese social networks and reports that this market, as well as the retail and hospitality industries' adoption of digital music, is expanding. Simon Cole, chief executive of 7digital, said: "Whilst issues of commercial confidentiality will always prevent us, before services are launched, from revealing the identities of many of our new clients, I am pleased to see the global scale of the business we are winning continuing to grow and that the clients we are winning now are in the business of delivering digital music to the mass market in all sorts of innovative ways." 7Digital also reported the continuation and deepening of its relationship with Universal Music Group, with whom it has been providing free music for a project aiming to foster innovation in the industry. The AIM-traded company has also established an advisory board to assist with its US operations, with former Gracenote chief executive John Batter appointed as the chair of the board. Batter has also held positions at Dreamworks Animations, EA Mobile and M-GO where he was chief executive and director. "We see much of our future growth coming from the Americas and I am pleased today to be able to announce John Batter's appointment to lead our new advisory board there; his contacts and senior guidance to our team will be important as we target significant US clients," said Cole. As of 1133 BST, 7Digital Groups shares were up 13.58% at 4.50p. Resource exploration and development firm Panthera Resources announced on Monday that it has been granted an exploration licence for the Bassala project area in Mali. The licence, granted for an initial three-year period, will allow Panthera to follow-up on its previous exploration undertaken in the area through infill soil sampling in preparation for drill testing of the mineralisation at various targets. Geoff Stanley, managing director of Panthera Resources, said: "Compilation of previous early stage exploration has revealed extensive untested gold in soil anomalies with coincident artisanal activity in alluvial and eluvial material, with clear evidence of bedrock gold mineralisation also." Large scale lateritic, alluvial, eluvial and some hard rock artisanal gold workings are known to be present over an 8km strike length at the project adjacent to the Guinea border. "Panthera plans to follow up on these excellent anomalies with exploration commencing immediately, and we are optimistic of being able to generate multiple high tenor drill targets for subsequent testing. I look forward to updating the market with our progress in due course," said Stanley. Two operating mines lie within 10km of the site: Endeavour Minings 3.4Moz Kalana Gold Mine and Wassoul'Ors 1+Moz Kodieran Gold Mine. As of 1335 BST, Panthera Resources shares were up 1.89% at 13.50p. While waiting for the outcome of an analysis by the Mozambique government, diversified resources group Savannah Resources said it was making "progress" in carrying out "critical work" at its Mutamba project. Three mining lease applications submitted to the Ministry on 18 January, covering a total area of 417.32 square kilometres for the Jangamo, Dongane, Ravene and Chilubane deposits, are currently being actively considered by the Mozambican mines department for Mutamba, which Savannah hold an existing 20% interest in via a consortium agreement with Rio Tinto. Savannah, the project's operator, can increase its equity interest to 35% upon delivery of a pre-feasibility study, which is currently underway, and again to 51% upon delivery of a definitive feasibility study. Since early December, Savannah's pilot plant has run on a steady basis to ensure it was operating properly and has now been placed on care and maintenance, as planned, while a bulk sample is obtained for processing. A pre-feasibility study, being undertaken by mineral sands expert TZMI, into the potential development of the project was "well advanced" and included a gap analysis, options review, project planning and budget finalisation for stage two of the study, targeted for completion in early 2019. Savannah's chief executive, David Archer, said, "Whilst we await the outcome of Government analysis, we continue to make progress in advancing some critical work streams at Mutamba. A sequenced scheduling of PFS activities has been agreed and key initial studies are either underway or about to start. These include hydrology studies, port options and the collection of 10 tonnes of sample material to aid in final product determination." "These are all essential elements that will inform the PFS and the results of which will guide us in the infrastructure, power, mine planning and process plant requirements," he added. As of 1000 BST, shares had ticked up 0.92% to 5.40p. Fund management and financial advice firm Tatton Asset Management demonstrated strong investment returns with the release of an un-audited year end update for the 12 months preceding 31 March. The AIM traded company increased its assets under management by 26% over the course of the year, seeing them rise to 4.9bn while the groups IFA support gained 16 new client firms and its mortgage distribution business saw membership rise 14% to 1,219. Paul Hogarth, founder and chief executive of Tatton Asset Management, said: Increasing assets under management by 1.0 billion in the last twelve months to 4.9 billion, and 5.0 billion as at today, is a continued endorsement of the demand for a DFM (discretionary fund management) service that offers competitive pricing and has delivered strong investment returns during challenging markets. London based investment manager Tatton offers discretionary fund management services as its core investment proposition through 10 UK wrap platforms. The company will report its results for the year in full on 27 June. Meanwhile, Tatton also announced that chief financial officer Noel Stubley, who has held the position since March 2012, will step down from his role on 30 April but remain in an advisory capacity until the end of July while his replacement Paul Edwards steps in from 1 May. Paul Edwards has previous experience working as group finance director for a number of listed companies, most recently at Scapa Group, and has held other senior finance roles at listed and private companies. Roger Cornick, chairman of Tatton Asset Management, said: The board thanks Noel for his contribution to the success of the company during his tenure. He helped lead the company through its early development to the recent successful IPO and the board wishes him well for the future. Paul brings considerable listed public company experience to the role which allied to his broad range of financial and operational expertise will greatly strengthen the management team. As of 0928 BST, Tatton Asset Managements shares were up 3.77% at 211.70p. Downing Street has insisted the UK will not backtrack on its decision to leave the European Union's customs union and the single market post-Brexit, despite reports that parliament is likely to vote against the government's position on the issue. The House of Commons faces a vote next month on May's plans to take Britain out of the EUs customs union as part of the Brexit process. Last week the House of Lords voted in favour of staying in the customs union as part of the debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill. May has faced pressure on the matter from business leaders, who argue the move will damage international trade, and from Brussels, who disagree that it will avoid a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland after the divorce. It was reported on Sunday that the PM could be forced to accept defeat over the customs union in the Commons vote, with The Sunday Times saying Mays team had acknowledged she "may have to accept" permanent membership of "a customs union" after concluding that even Brexiters such as environment secretary Michael Gove and Brexit secretary David Davis would not resign in protest. However, the government insisted on Monday that May was committed to leaving the customs union, though the issue will be discussed on a senior ministers meeting on Wednesday. The meeting could give the prime minister indication of the opposition she might face in the vote next month. A Downing Street source said: The position remains very clear: we dont think staying in a customs union is the right thing to do and it isnt government policy to do so. On Monday, Brexit supporters in the cabinet were preparing to "press" May at the Wednesday meeting to drop her favoured option for a customs deal, The Times is reporting, with Davis, foreign secretary Boris Johnson and trade minister Liam Fox calling for the abandonment of this plan as they believe a customs partnership "is unworkable and is encouraging Brussels to press for Britain to stay in a customs union after Brexit". The trio want the PM to go with the maximum facilitation option that aims to minimise but not eliminate checks and controls at the border, even though this is felt likely to result in a hard border with Ireland. Ahead of speech on the opportunities Brexit offers to the financial sector on Monday, Fox issued statements that the UK intended to "work with old allies and new partners across the world, utilising the UK's economic strength and diplomatic prowess to forge new trading relationships. "Ultimately, our task is to remove the unnecessary regulation, bureaucracy and red tape that inhibit the free trade in services. "Whatever one's view on the referendum result, it must be acknowledged that, outside the EU, this country will enjoy a new degree of economic agility." With high margins, low capital intensity and strong cash conversion, kettle controls manufacturer Strix looked like an attractive prospect to Canaccord Genuity's analysts, pressing the button on a 'buy' rating for the AIM-quoted firm on Monday. Strix, which has an approximate 38% market share of the design, manufacture and supply of safety controls for electric kettles across the globe, produces roughly 70m kettle controls each year, most of which are sold to 180 original equipment manufacturers in China, as well as 400 brands and retailers worldwide where its products are used an estimated 1bn times per day. Canaccord pointed to Strix's long track record of sustainable profitability, having generated over 30m of adjusted EBITDA in each of the last ten years. On top of that, the 5.6% gain in the electric kettle market last year is coupled with the firm's high margins, low capital intensity and strong cash conversion, leading to an estimated 7.1% increase in demand over the next two years and enabling a progressive distribution policy. Canaccord saw further growth potential flowing from Aqua Optima, Strix's UK water filter brand, which has a long-term licence to supply Tommee Tippee with bespoke filters for its successful Perfect Prep baby formula appliance and also from its work on expanding its technologies into different geographies including China and the USA. In addition to the 'buy' rating, Canaccord issued Strix, which was currently trading at 137p, a price target of 210p per share. Iran warned it's ready to retaliate and pursue its nuclear weapons programme should US President Donald Trump decide to withdraw his country from the deal that brought Tehran's nuclear programme to a halt in 2015. Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Trumps threats to restore the sanctions that were lifted in 2015 would send a "dangerous message" that the US wasnt to be trusted. Trump had stated on multiple occasions in the past that the deal struck by former president Barack Obama had "disastrous flaws". Be that as it may, Zariff warned Tehran might restart production of enriched uranium immediately if Washington backed-out of the deal. French president Emmanuel Macron was expected to advise Trump to stick to the 2015 deal during his visit to Washington that starts on Monday. He would be followed at the end of the week by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was due to meet Trump on Friday and was also expected to advise Trump not to take any rash decisions. Trump had set a 12 May deadline for other signatories of the deal to agree to changes, threatening renewed US economic sanctions on Tehran otherwise. Irans announcement came at a critical time, just as North Korean and US officials were due to begin talks on denuclearising the Korean peninsula. Ahead of those contacts, at the weekend North Korea had announced it would suspend missile launches and shut down a nuclear test site. Value retailer The Range has begun work on a London initial public offer that could value 'Devon Del Boy' Chris Dawson's company at around 1bn, according to reports. The discount home furnishings retailer, which ex-market trader Dawson calls a poor mans John Lewis, has begun talks with investors about a flotation, The Times reported on Tuesday. Billionaire Dawson, who claims to not be able to read or write, has expanded the Plymouth-based company to just shy of 150 shops across the UK, with a new Plymouth outlet following recent expansion in Slough, Newcastle, Altrincham and Falkirk. Revenues rose 20% to 565m and pre-profits of 57.3m, up 12m on the previous year, were reported for the year to the end of January 2015. Some boardroom appointments will be needed before any float, as the board currently consists of Dawson and his wife, Sarah, the newspaper said. Dawson claimed in an interview earlier this year that has been mulling taking the fight to Germany, with plans to expand on to rival discounters Aldi and Lidl's home turf in coming years. Analyst Nick Bubb said the IPO news was a "big surprise" as Dawson "swore that he would do no such thing". Babcock International has been awarded a five-year contract to support Qantas ground support equipment (GSE) fleet at 60 locations across Australia. The agreement, which includes an option for a further two years, streamlines the management of the airline's fleet of over 10,000 GSE assets, incorporating Qantas' domestic, regional, freight, catering and engineering operations, as well as Jetstar. Babcock said it will deliver a programme to improve reliability of equipment and provide significant long-term capability and cost benefits. Chief executive Archie Bethel said: We have a proven track record of improving the performance and reliability of our customer's assets, whilst delivering efficiency savings. Qantas are regarded as one of the world's leading long-distance airlines and we are very much looking forward to working with them to implement a suite of modern fleet management systems and tools which will enhance safe and effective fleet capability across all the airline's sites." Qantas already provides a range of support services at international airports, including London (Heathrow, Gatwick), Amsterdam (Schiphol) and Sao Paulo (Guarulhos) and most recently Rome (Fiumincino). At 0936 BST, Babcock shares were up 1.1% to 1,108p. Nicky Morgan, chairperson of the Treasury select committee warned the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) that it would invoke rarely-used powers to compel the regulator into disclosing the details of its report on the Royal Bank of Scotland 's treatment of customers. Morgan penned a letter to Andrew Bailey, the FCA's chief executive, on Thursday calling for "maximum transparency" in regards to the watchdog's report into the collapsed Global Restructuring Group (GRG), which was alleged to have "artificially distressed" otherwise viable businesses, forcing them into administration, receivership and liquidation through its actions. Although the report had yet to be published, despite being started back in 2014, portions had been leaked to the press, with threats of more to come. Morgan, Conservative Party MP for Loughborough, appointed Andrew Green QC to compare the FCA's unreleased report against the underlying report. The letter stated that if Green felt the summary did not reflect the underlying report in a "fair or meaningful" manner, if he thought the summary had "meaningful omissions" or if the FCA point-blank denied him access to the documentation then "the committee may use its formal powers to require the FCA to produce the report." She said, select committees were entitled to "send for persons, papers and records", and had the power to slap sanctions on non-compliant bodies. "In any case, the long-awaited summary should be published as soon as possible," Morgan added. "The committee's review is not a reason for further delays." Commenting on the matter, an FCA spokesperson said, "The FCA has committed to publishing a detailed summary of the GRG report. To provide assurance on the summary we previously asked an independent external counsel to confirm that it is a fair and balanced account of the full report's findings." However, a spokesman for the RBS-GRG Action Group, which represented more than 500 companies, said it would accept "nothing less than publication of the full report." "When this report was commissioned, everyone expected it to be published. The FCA itself said it intended to publish. The only reason the FCA doesnt want to publish now is because it doesn't like the report's contents," he said. "Let's be clear about the public interest. The activities of RBS's Global Restructuring Group and its rogue bankers did immense harm to the British economy. Even RBS itself has admitted that serious mistakes were made," he continued. "A precis of this report, with all the telling detail taken out, is not good enough for the thousands of people who livelihoods, jobs and businesses were destroyed by RBS." As of 1030 BST, RBS shares were down 0.69% to 272.30p. Theresa May could face a cabinet revolt on a customs union as peers prepare to inflict more defeats on the government over the EU withdrawal bill in a key week for the future of the UKs relations with Europe. Amid Brexiter threats of a leadership challenge, the former cabinet minister Nicky Morgan, who chairs the Treasury committee, said party rebels should be careful what they wished for. Guardian The Bank of England is dangerously ill-equipped to avert the next recession and remains mired fighting the last downturn, according to a report calling for the introduction of radical new policy tools. According to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the odds of a recession once every 10 to 15 years mean Threadneedle Street needs additional firepower for when the economy next begins to falter. Guardian The UK has already suffered stealth cyber attacks on more than 80 manufacturing plants, with criminals deploying tactics that could put critical national infrastructure at risk. Britains spy agencies have warned the bosses of utilities, transport and health services that Russian hackers are invading unprotected networks ahead of a potentially serious attack. Telegraph Top luxury brands including Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel are among the least transparent businesses when it comes to labour conditions in their supply chains, according to research released five years after the Rana Plaza disaster, the sectors deadliest industrial accident on record. Dior discloses virtually nothing about where its clothes are made, according to this years Fashion Transparency Index, while D&G, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Versace and Giorgio Armani all scored less than 10pc of the total available points. Telegraph China said that it welcomed plans by Steven Mnuchin, the US Treasury secretary, to visit Beijing to defuse tensions between the worlds two largest economies and stave off a full-blown trade war. Chinas commerce ministry said yesterday that it had received a message about American interest in visiting Beijing for talks on trade and economic affairs. The Chinese side welcomes this, it said. The Times The effectiveness of the governments small business commissioner appointed to tackle chronic problems of late payment to small suppliers has been called into question after officials admitted that he is presently considering only two such cases. The commissioner must produce concrete results sooner rather than later, the Federation of Small Businesses warned. The Times Philip Hammond has signalled that the government is facing a multibillion-pound loss from selling off its 73% stake in Royal Bank of Scotland. The chancellor told MPs that that we have to live in the real world, as he indicated that the remaining shares could be sold below the 502p average price that was paid for them during 2008 and 2009 when 45bn of taxpayers money was pumped into the Edinburgh-based bank. Guardian The City regulator has pledged to ensure that financial firms remain strong in the face of Brexit in its annual list of priorities, which also includes protecting vulnerable customers from overly expensive loans. Andrew Bailey, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, said the regulators lawyers were scrutinising EU financial sector rules as part of the governments great repeal bill, which will transfer thousands of EU regulations into UK legislation after Brexit. - Guardian The boss of German energy giant RWE has fuelled expectations that the company will target the UK energy market for future acquisitions. Rolf Martin Schmitz disclosed that the group is interested in owning power plants in countries where capacity margins are thin and the Government is willing to award contracts to secure power supplies. Telegraph City grandees and currency investors alike backed Theresa Mays decision to call an early election in the hope she will win more authority to negotiate a smooth exit from the European Union. Although the surprise in Westminster at the Prime Ministers previous refusal to go to the polls early was echoed in the Square Mile, news of a general election on June 8 was broadly seen as an opportunity to achieve greater certainty in talks with Brussels. Telegraph Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise has had his total remuneration slashed from 4.2 million to 1.8 million after a tough year in which Nexts full-year profits fell for the first time since the recession. The Next chief executives pay dropped heavily as he did not receive a bonus 530,000 the year before after failing to hit targets. It is the first time in 18 years that he has missed his annual bonus. The Times The International Monetary Fund will walk away from Greece if it decides that Europes bailout deal leaves the countrys debts unsustainably high, Christine Lagarde has warned. Greece will be high on the agenda of the IMFs spring meetings, which start in Washington on Friday. Athens is running out of time to secure a new loan under its 86 billion rescue programme, the third since 2010. The latest tranche of its bailout needs to be released in time to meet debt repayments due in July. Without new money, the country could run out of cash and default, triggering a re-run of the 2015 crisis. Until the IMF decrees that Greeces debts are on a sustainable path, it has refused to put any more money at risk. The Times Spotify is broadening their horizon by spreading their music to 1.3 billion people in India. They are hoping that the global music-streaming service will be a great success in India due to their musical culture. Spotify tries to keep a positive cultural influence and tries to keep tolerance within their brand. Spreading to India will not be any different. Cultural diversity will spread to all of Spotify's platforms, showing musical interests from all over the world in one single place. A report by the Economic Times revealed most of the information used in this article. Spotify launching in India Spotify, the global music-streaming platform that billions of people listen to daily, is planning to launch in India within the next year or so. Spotify is believing the brand will have plenty of success in India because it is already recognizable in the country. CEO Daniel Ek confirmed during the company's investor presentation that they are "working on launching in some of the biggest markets in the world, including India, Russia, and Africa which has a very rich musical culture." While Ek did not talk about any details, earlier this month Spotify had disclosed that is has leased office space in Mumbi. There are already reports suggesting that the global music-streaming giant already hired someone to lead its India business. ET reported that Akshat Harbola is the head of India's Spotify production. Although Spotify is not yet launched in India, the brand is recognizable in the country. Spotify is more recognizable than their competitor, Apple Music, in the country. Amazon Music just launched when Spotify's attention was drawn to India. The company has already moved over 308 employees into India as well as Australia, Brazil, Singapore, and over 20 other countries. The company did not mention how many people will be working at the Indian office. Spotify pointed out that young listeners pushed their company to the front, and the majority of the listeners believe that Spotify is the only music-streaming service they need. In conclusion Spotify is hoping to open their brand in India within the next year or so. Spotify is also trying to open their music-streaming program in Russia and Africa due to their musical cultures. Streaming has always been high-quality under Spotify, and it will remain that way. The company is pushing the brand to the public so that they don't have to use brokers to push it for them. Spotify will soon be the global music-streaming giant they want to be. Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge gave birth to a boy on Monday, April 23, according to an official announcement from Kensington Palace. Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge was there with her when she delivered their third child. A statement on Twitter stated that the mother and baby boy are doing fine, and the entire royal family is delighted about the birth. The newborn is Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's sixth great-grandchild. Welcome to the family. pic.twitter.com/nKSd5kh5bZ Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2018 1. Announcement The announcement of the newest royal baby came the traditional way. A framed notice was on a golden easel placed outside Buckingham Palace just like the one placed there on July 22, 2013, to announce the birth of William and Kate's first child and on May 2, 2015, to announce the birth of their second child. The notice will be on display there for only one day. First Photos Of New Royal Baby After Kate Middleton Gives Birth To Prince https://t.co/nvOvERY1b9 pic.twitter.com/IcApfmUp8N Onome Igugu (@onome_tsb) April 23, 2018 2. Particulars about the baby As of now, only the baby's gender and weight are known. He weighed in at 8 pounds, 7 ounces and was born on Monday at 11:01 a.m. after Kate was taken to the hospital around 6 a.m. The name of the baby boy has not been announced yet. It was a couple of days before Prince George and Prince Charlotte were named. Therefore, bookmakers will have to wait to find out what the name will be. Most bets are on Arthur, Albert, and Frederick. However, the official name might not include any one of those. What is known for sure is that the baby will have at least three names like his siblings. Prince George's full name is George Alexander Louis, and Princess Charlotte's full name is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. 3. Place in line to the throne Whether the new baby had been a boy or girl, it was not going to get in line in front of Princess Charlotte after the ruling was made several years ago in reference to baby girls. The new baby's birth does means that Prince Harry will move from fifth in line to sixth. The order is Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, the new prince, and then Prince Harry. 4. Siblings Prince William took the older siblings to the hospital to meet their baby brother on Monday afternoon. Prince George is 4, and Princess Charlotte is 2. All the children were born at the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, West London as well as their father who was born there 35 years ago. 5. Timing of birth The birth of Prince William and Duchess Kate's third child came at a time surrounded by other royal events. The baby's great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 92nd birthday just two days ago on Saturday, April 21. April 29 is another date to celebrate. It will be William and Kate's seventh wedding anniversary. Then on May 2, Princess Charlotte will celebrate her third birthday. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will get married on Saturday, May 19 at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Duchess Kate is expected to be there with her children. The two older ones are part of the wedding party. With James Comey's new book released last Tuesday, Donald Trump and his administration have been working overtime to discredit the former FBI director. During her latest stop on Fox News, Kellyanne Conway ripped into Comey but made an embarrassing blunder in the process. .@KellyannePolls: "It's all a big, toxic brew with Jim @Comey at the top not acting like a leader." @JesseBWatters pic.twitter.com/k669WPAl0N Fox News (@FoxNews) April 22, 2018 (Kellyanne Conway's "sexting" remarks come around 00:50 seconds in the above video.) Conway on Comey While Democrats were once critical of James Comey for launching an investigation into Hillary Clinton's private server controversy only two weeks before Election Day in 2016, it's now Republicans who can't stand him, most notably Donald Trump. After being fired as head of the FBI back in May, Comey has been on the receiving end of criticism from Trump and his team, which has only increased in recent weeks. The president has lashed out on Twitter, labeling Comey a "leaker," a "liar" and a "slimeball," while pushing for him to possibly be in jail. Last Tuesday, Comey's book, "A Higher Truth," was released where he gives candid information about his private meetings with the president, including his thoughts on the so-called "pee tape" dossier. .@KellyannePolls on James @Comey: "If you're going to have the word 'leadership' in your book, make sure you've displayed a modicum of leadership." @WattersWorld pic.twitter.com/x94SDao40G Fox News (@FoxNews) April 22, 2018 While Donald Trump has been on the offensive in regards to attacking James Comey, Presidential Counsel Kellyanne Conway followed in his foot steps during an April 21 interview on Fox News. When asked why she thought James Comey would not elaborate on if Donald Trump was under investigation, Conway replied, "If I had to guess, it's because the wrong person won the election." "He (Comey) was taking all types of income from his friends in the Democratic Party. The people who had been investigating Hillary Clinton at the highest levels of the FBI who we know through their sexting...I mean texting," Conway said, while embarrassingly correcting herself. "It's all a big, toxic brew with Jim Comey at the top not acting like a leader," Kellyanne Conway said. Not stopping there, Conway then took a shot at the former FBI director for his use of the term "leadership" in his new book. "If you're going to have the word 'leadership' in your book, make sure you've displayed a modicum of leadership," she stated, before referring to Comey as a "known leaker." Next up With James Comey making the rounds on television, including interviews with "20/20" and "The View," it's clear that the former head of the FBI is no fan of Donald Trump, who he believes is "morally unfit to be president." In response, the Trump administration is showing no signs of slowing down their rebuttal, even if it means Kellyanne Conway making a humiliating slip-up in the process. If mass school shootings weren't enough, America's eating establishments are under attack. Early Sunday morning (April 22) a naked gunman entered a Nashville, Tennessee area Waffle House restaurant and opened fired on patrons. CNN reported that shortly after 3:15 AM, the gunman and now suspect Travis Reinking, of Morton, Illinois arrived at the restaurants parking lot in Antioch, Tennessee in his pick-up truck with nothing on but a green jacket and ammunition in his pockets. Reinking exited the truck with an assault-type rifle and began opening fire outside of the restaurant, striking and killing two people. One of the people struck was a restaurant employee who was outside on a cigarette break. The other person struck was a patron entering the waffle house who collapsed at the entrance, according to eyewitness' accounts. After shooting the people in the parking lot, Reinking began firing shots through the window and proceeded to enter the busy restaurant. There he opened fire once again, unleashing his weapon on the unsuspecting customers, and killing two more patrons. But as searing metal whizzed through the air, slicing through the aroma of syrup and smell of gunsmoke, one patron sprinted toward a swivel door and would emerge a hero. The real-life hero In a press conference, according to Metro Nashville Police (MNPD), and confirmed by the would-be hero himself, 29-year-old James Shaw, Jr., had just arrived at the eatery with a friend after a night on the town when the gunman entered. After recognizing that what he and his friend initially thought were breaking dishes were actually gunshots, James went into flight mode and ran to the bathroom in an attempt to escape the massacre. While trying to hide, Shaw noticed there was no way to lock himself in the bathroom and began thinking about how to get out alive. He then was resolved to the fact that he'd have to fight if he wanted to survive. Seconds later, according to Shaw, the gunman stopped shooting and started fidgeting with the gun. Thinking that the weapon jammed, Shaw saw it as an opportunity to get the upper hand. He ran toward the gunman, jumping and sliding over tables keeping him in his sights, like the Marvel Comics' superhero Black Panther. As Reinking continued fumbling with the Assault Rifle, with its barrel pointed toward the floor, Shaw tackled him, grabbed the gun with his bare hands and flung it across the counter. He then proceeded to wrestle with the gunman, pushing him outside the door. The struggled continued on for a few seconds until Reinking wriggled away and took off running. Shaw's accounts were confirmed by those present, law enforcment and first responders. Shaw is being hailed as a hero by eyewitnesses at the scene, his fraternity brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the FBI, ATF, MNPD, and everyone else. However, that isnt how he sees it. I'm not a hero After calmly detailing the horrific events, Shaw, who went to church after the shooting, then to the briefing, stood smartly-dressed at the podium and with full-throated humility told the media he wrestled the weapon from the gunman to save his own life. He did not want to be called a hero and repeatedly said he was no Superman or Terminator and again, definitely no hero. Shaw said the main reason he sprung into action was based on self-preservation. He also added that he thought to himself if the shooter was going to kill him he was going to have to work" to do it. This is what Shaw attributes to his courageous actions. A gunman with a past The shooter did not have a Tennessee record of violence, but Travis Reinking is no stranger to law enforcement. In July of 2017, Reinking was arrested by the Secret Service for breaching the exterior security border of the White House. He told the arresting officers his reason for being there was because he had a meeting with the President. Illinois Sheriffs seized Reinkings weapons after the White House fiasco and the State revoked his licensure. This prohibited Sheriffs from returning the weapons to Travis so they were released to his family. However, Travis' father gave two of them back to him which is how he was in possession of the rifle at the Waffle House shooting. Police also suspected he was still in possession of at least two more firearms and considered to be armed and dangerous. A manhunt When the shooter took off running, after wrestling with Shaw, he discarded his jacket and ran into the nearby woods. Police quickly launched a manhunt for the naked gunman and set out on his trail. Warrants were also served on the gunmans home as officials continued their search. Multiple news outlets reported that Reinking was last seen wearing a pair of dark pants and nothing else. Police believe he returned home to put on clothes and continue his run from authorities. CNN reported, and the MNPD speculated, that the shooter has mental health issues, based on surfacing information that he made past claims that superstar vocalist Taylor Swift was stalking him. This, of course, was not true. The only ones who stalked him were the police and FBI for this quadruple murder. And fortunately, on Monday (April 23), after more than 30 hours of searching, Reinking was caught and arrested in a wooded area near his home. So as the Nashville community tries to recover from the devastating shooting and Shaw unsuccessfully tries to fend off heroship, America will be forever grateful to the man who saved the day. Jeremy Calvert appears to have a troubled new girlfriend. Just days after the "Teen Mom 2" dad, who shares a four-year-old daughter with ex-wife Leah Messer, shared the first photo of Desiree Kibler on his Instagram page, a rumor has hit the web, claiming Calvert was recently forced to bail Kibler out of jail after she was arrested for a Dui and charged with drug possession. On April 23, Radar Online shared details from the incident obtained by Portage County Municipal Court in Ohio that revealed Kibler was arrested in the wee hours of the morning on April 12 of this year after allegedly operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. As the outlet revealed, Kibler had a blood alcohol level of 0.163 at the time of the incident, which is more than twice the legal limit in Ohio. Desiree Kibler had pills on her when pulled over for DUI In addition to reportedly driving drunk, Desiree Kibler was charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance after police found one white pill and one orange pill on her. Radar Online explained that one of the pills was Vyvanse, a central nervous system stimulant, which Kibler did not have a prescription for. Kiblers legal troubles continued hours later when, after being booked and released, she was pulled over for a second time and charged with another DUI. Kibler was also charged with driving under DUI suspension. Jeremy bailed her out after second DUI Following the arrests, Jeremy Calvert came to the rescue and paid a $500 bond to bail her out, as well as an additional $3,500 for the drug charge case. Later in court, the felony drug possession charge against her was reduced to a misdemeanor charge and Kibler pleaded not guilty to both of the DUI charges against her. Should Leah Messer be worried about her ex-husband's new relationship? Months after Messer hinted to Kailyn Lowry on her podcast that she and Calvert were still physical with one another, the longtime reality star and mother of three has been faced with his new relationship and that may not be a good thing. In addition to putting an end to their alleged hookups, Messer will likely also have to take the pending charges against Kibler into account when considering allowing her young child to spend time with her. Jeremy Calvert and the cast of "Teen Mom 2" is returning to MTV on May 7 at 9 pm for a new season. No word yet on whether or not Desiree Kibler will be featured on the new installment. Shawn Booth and Kaitlyn Bristowe recently posted a podcast on "Grape Therapy" and talked all about the rumors about what is going on with them. The rumors have been flying. She decided it was time to talk about all of them including some as small as the fact that she drinks certain drinks. What is going on with these two? The couple just got back from a trip to Jamaica and this is part of what they are talking about on the show. Kaitlyn has been working out with her fiance and eating healthy. She even admits to limiting her wine and that she is starting to notice some abs from it. Shawn Booth has a new app coming out "Welcome to Booth Camp." It will be out in May. He shared that he has been listening to people and doing what they want from a workout. Shawn said they are 30-40 minutes each. He shared that he set up a very romantic date for them that was the type of thing that you would see on 'The Bachelor.' They also wanted to address the rumors that they were in Jamaica and getting married. They are not married and were just teasing the fans with the pictures. They did have Kaitlyn in a wedding dress, but it this was simply for a wedding photoshoot. They didn't actually tie the knot. This is what fans suspected, but now the truth is out. They don't plan to go to Jamaica to get married either because their dog can't travel there. She actually made it look like she was married by putting a ring on her engagement ring that looked like a wedding ring, but it didn't mean anything at all either. They got a lot of calls and messages from family and friends saying they thought they got married without them there, but of course, that wasn't the case. One rumor is that Shawn and Kaitlyn have the same bird tattoos. Fans thought that Shawn got these same tattoos, but that isn't the case at all. How are Shawn and Kaitlyn? Shawn Booth and Kaitlyn Bristowe seem like they are doing great. They are taking vacations together and having a good time. This is important and makes the fans happy. It really does look like they will make it, but they are also just taking things one day at a time. They seem to be doing everything on their own terms and not the way that the fans or the network would expect them to do. They were laughing all the time during the podcast and they had a fun time together. Did you think that Kaitlyn Bristowe and Shawn Booth ended up getting married? Sound off in the comments section below on your thoughts, and don't miss new episodes of "The Bachelorette" with Becca K when they start airing on May 28, 2018, on ABC. The waiting game is officially over! Prince William and Kate Middleton have welcomed a healthy baby boy on Monday, as confirmed by the Kensington Palace. According to reports, the Duchess Of Cambridge had gone into early labor in the early hours of the morning and was rushed to St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. She traveled by car to the Lindo Wing and was accompanied by Prince William. A bouncing baby boy! Just before 6 a.m. (U.K. time), Kate was admitted to the same hospital where she gave birth to her older children -- Prince George, four, and Princess Charlotte, two. In an official statement released by the Kensington Palace, it has been confirmed that the Duchess of Cambridge safely delivered the newest prince at 11:01 a.m. It was also noted that the royal baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. Prince William, who was present for the birth, reportedly did not miss any second of the momentous event and stayed by his wife's side. Kate and her newborn son are both doing well. Meanwhile, Kensington Palace further announced that the arrival of the new baby brought delight to the royal family. Apparently, The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry as well as the Middletons have been informed about it and couldn't wait to meet the newest addition to their growing family. A future King was born The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third child automatically becomes fifth in line to the British throne after Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte. He is also expected to bump his uncle, Prince Harry, to sixth in line. The baby boy's arrival comes just days after members of the royal family gathered to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's 92nd birthday at London's Royal Albert Hall on Saturday. Kate was noticeably absent during the said event as she prepares for her due date. Meanwhile, the baby's birth also comes just a few weeks ahead of Princess Charlotte's third birthday on May 2 and a few months before Prince George's fifth birthday on July 22. It is also a double celebration for the Middletons as it was previously reported that Kate's younger sister, Pippa, is expecting her first child with her husband, James Matthews. Royal fans eager to meet the new prince Just like her previous pregnancies, a group of devoted royal fans have been camping outside the hospital as early as April 9 in anticipation of the newest prince's birth. Local and international media were also stationed in front of the Lindo Wing as they await the first public appearance of the couple's baby boy. Interestingly, the Duchess of Cambridge's hairdresser, Amanda Cook Tucker, was spotted leaving the hospital, sparking speculations that she may have already prepared to introduce her third baby to the world. So far, no word yet as to what name Prince William and Kate Middleton will give their new prince. However, it is expected to be announced soon. Looks like Nikki Bella is already moving on after her controversial split from John Cena. The 34-year-old WWE star appeared to have put her failed engagement in the past as she enjoyed a day out with her twin sister Brie, last weekend. On Saturday, the Total Bella star was all smiles during her first public appearance since the breakup at the Nirvana Food and Wine Festival. Nikki looked stunning in a white polka-dotted dress as she hosted the rose party at the Sanctuary Camelback Resort in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Nikki ditches engagement ring Showing no signs of heartbreak, the WWE Diva enjoyed a glass of wine while chatting with the guests and even posed with Brie in the photo booth. Eagle-eyed fans were also quick to notice that she ditched her massive 4.5-carat diamond engagement ring from Cena, ET online reported. It can be recalled that the 41-year-old former WWE Champion popped the question in the middle of the ring during WrestleMania 33 last year. Fans who have been rooting for the wrestler cheered when Nikki officially said yes and sealed their engagement with a kiss. Cena and Nikki, who dated since 2012, were reportedly reluctant to get married even before their surprise engagement. Apparently, the couple has opposing views about starting their own family, which was later revealed as the main reason of the split. Cena 'should've never proposed,' source says On April 15, the former couple confirmed their split in a joint statement shared on social media. In the post, Nikki and Cena announced that after six years of being together, they decided to call it quits and call off their wedding. However, they did not give any specific reason as to why they came up with the hard decision. Multiple reports, on the other hand, claimed that Cena and Nikki parted ways due to their conflicting views about starting a family. Apparently, the two have completely different thoughts on a perfect future together. Sources revealed that Nikki has always wanted to have a family of her own but Cena insisted on not having any children. There were claims that the Daddy's Home 2 star is too dedicated to his career and has always prioritized his ambitions. It was also noted that Nikki was "heartbroken" after the split, especially since Cena proposed in front of millions of people. In addition, a source pointed out that the hunky wrestler "should've never proposed" in the first place if he wasn't sure about starting a family. So far, Nikki Bella and John Cena have yet to comment after announcing their split. Kensington Palace confirmed that Kate Middleton has been admitted to the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital and is now in "the early stages of labor." The Duchess of Cambridge traveled by car and was accompanied by her husband, Prince William. Kate Middleton was admitted to the hospital on Monday morning, before 6 AM (U.K. time). The royal couple is expecting their third child together. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St. Marys Hospital, Paddington, London earlier this morning in the early stages of labour. The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St. Marys Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge. Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2018 Fifth in line to the throne Kate Middleton announced her third pregnancy last September. As with her two previous pregnancies, the 36-year-old royal suffered extreme morning sickness and took a break from her official duties during her first trimester. She resumed her royal engagements during her second trimester up to the final weeks of pregnancy. However, Kate was visibly absent from Queen Elizabeth's 92nd birthday concert last Saturday. Prince William and Kate Middleton have chosen not to reveal if their third child will be a boy or a girl. Regardless of the gender, the new royal baby will be the fifth in line to the British throne. As People reported, the birth of Prince William and Kate Middletons third baby could be historic due to a measure passed after the royal couples wedding in 2011. If the baby is a boy, he will not displace his older sister in the line of succession. He will come after Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte. Prince Harry will be moved to sixth in line. 10 royal traditions to know about ahead of the birth of Kate Middleton and Prince William's baby https://t.co/uG1zrvDZjk Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) April 19, 2018 Royal watchers flock to St. Marys Hospital Kate Middleton is no stranger to the private Lindo Wing of St. Marys Hospital, as this was where she gave birth to her two older children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, in 2013 and 2015 respectively. Supporters of the royal familymany of whom are wearing patriotic clotheshave already flocked to the hospital in anticipation of the royal babys birth. Coincidentally, Kates labor also falls on St. Georges day. Based on Kate Middletons past deliveries, royal watchers are expecting a swift delivery, the Daily Mail reported. With Prince George, Kates first child, she labored for 10-and-a-half hours. With Princess Charlotte, the Duchess gave birth just two hours and 34 minutes after she arrived at the hospital. Kensington Palace has previously confirmed that the new royal babys birth will be announced on social media. The royal family will also follow the age-old tradition of putting up a framed announcement on an ornate gold stand behind the gates of Buckingham Palace. When Americans hear the word bioterrorism, they may be reminded of the series of anthrax attacks that followed in the wake of 9/11, infecting 22 people and killing five. Exposure to toxins produced by that bacteria can prove fatal in as few as three days after the start of symptoms, and symptoms often appear no more serious than a common cold. Today, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, or DTRA, is leading a proactive effort to ensure a fast, effective response to any future bioterrorist attacks. With $1.7 million in newly awarded funding, a research team at the Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Techs Nutritional Immunology and Molecular Medicine Laboratory (NIMML) will head up a five-year project to develop a system public health officials could use to immediately identify the best treatment strategy for anyone exposed to a toxic biological agent. Recent advances in data analytics and artificial intelligence systems are fundamentally transforming our ability to personalize treatments to the specific needs of a patient under treat-to-target paradigms, said Josep Bassaganya-Riera, co-director of the Biocomplexity Institutes Nutritional Immunology and Molecular Medicine Laboratory. Our goal in this project will be to leverage the power of modeling and advanced machine learning methods, so a group of people exposed to a harmful pathogen or its toxins can receive faster, safer, more effective and personalized treatments. The progression of an infection can vary greatly depending on a host of factors, including the type of pathogen, how individuals were exposed to it, and in what quantity. Rather than relying on a standard response plan which, may not suit the specific conditions of a biological attack, the Virginia Tech team aims to empower DTRA officials with a system capable of quickly generating customized treatment strategies. This project will build on computational modeling systems previously designed by NIMML to create tailored treatment plans for patients infected by the toxin-producing bacterium, Clostridium difficile. In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control reported nearly half a million Americans had suffered from this disease; 29,000 of those cases resulted in death within a month of diagnosis. Our computational models are used as platforms for integrating results obtained in the lab and clinical data from patients. In the event of an attack, they could be used to evaluate in real time the particular characteristics of the outbreak and accelerate the choice of treatment, said Raquel Hontecillas, an associate professor at the Biocomplexity Institute and co-director of NIMML. As a leading laboratory at the Biocomplexity Institute, NIMMLs overarching research program focuses on transitioning advanced computational technologies into new health care applications. Weve spent the past decade building research programs that are collaborative, data-intensive, and backed by the latest in high-performance computing technology, said Chris Barrett, executive director of the Biocomplexity Institute. Our solutions are designed to be flexible so that during a crisis, when conditions on the ground are constantly changing, our partners can apply them with confidence. By using similar advanced computational approaches in a combination of translational methods, the NIMML team recently launched Landos Biopharma, an emerging biotech company that develops oral therapeutics for autoimmune diseases. The team has the expertise and capabilities to move new therapeutics from the discovery stages into clinical testing. The Biocomplexity Institute regularly conducts research through federal, state and industry grants and contracts. This award is part of the institute's portfolio of research programs that has received more than $103 million in new awards in the first half of FY 2018. Written by Dan Rosplock ARMY Army extends ADMC-2 for two years Court battle over ADMC-3 forces extension The Army has awarded an extension on its current contract for hardware, software and related services as the service branch awaits the outcome of a court ruling on the follow-on award. Companies on the Army Desktop and Mobile Compuing-2 contract will continue their work for up to two additional years through April 23, 2020 with the ADMC-3 contract tied up in U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The Army issued an $870 million modification to the ceiling for ADMC-2, the Defense Department said in its Friday contracts digest. ADMC-3 has been the subject of numerous protests since the Army first attempted awards in September 2016 and is currently with Court of Federal Claims for a second time after numerous protests. After the initial awards, the Army took a corrective action to re-evaluate bids and chose the same group of nine companies that won in the first evaluation. Mercom then filed a lawsuit over not being selected for ADMC 3 in Court of Federal Claims in September of last year after the company was not selected in either evaluation. The Government Accountability Office then dismissed 12 other protests as the courts jurisdiction outweighs that of GAO. ADMC-2 incumbent Telos joined Mercoms lawsuit as did J.C. Technology and CounterTradeProducts. Other incumbents in CDW Government and HPI Federal were among the 12 protests dismissed by GAO. Companies currently on ADMC-2 are: CDW-G Dell HPI Federal Integrated Technologies Group NCS Technologies Telos Transcource Services Group PEOPLE Serco's Americas arm hires Watson as federal services lead Serco Groups Americas region subsidiary has hired 25-year government market veteran and former Science Applications International Corp. executive Tom Watson as senior vice president of the federal services business unit. He will lead operations and business development strategies for the citizen services and defense markets at Reston, Virginia-based Serco Inc. Watson will report directly to Chairman and CEO Dave Dacquino, the subsidiary said Monday. The federal services unit of Serco Inc. offers intelligence, logistics, personnel readiness, acquisition and program management, modelling, simulation and training, business processing, and case management services for defense and civilian agencies. While at SAIC, Watson oversaw the almost $1 billion-revenue Navy and Marine Corps customer group with 4,500 employees. Watson spent 22 years at SAIC and joined the company from the former Resource Consultants Inc., which Serco Inc. acquired in 2005. He also served six years in active duty with the Navy as an electronics technician. Banco Comercial Portugues SA provides banking activities and financial services. Its operating segment consists of Retail Banking segment activity includes the Retail activity of Banco Comercial Portuguas in Portugal, operating as a distribution channel for products and services from other companies of the Group and the Foreign business segment. Corporate & Investment Banking segment includes corporate network in Portugal, specialized monitoring division, investment banking unit and activity of the Bank's international division. Private Banking and Asset Management segment comprises the private banking network in Portugal and subsidiary companies which are specialized in the asset management business. Non-core Business Portfolio segment includes the business granted for securities-backed landing, loans collateralized with other assets, subsidized mortgage loans, construction subcontractors. Foreign Business segment comprises the operations outside Portugal, in particular Poland, Mozambique, Angola, Cayman Isl Read More For Subscribers Vols show it's better to be Heupel's iceberg than Pruitt's Titanic I dont drink coffee, so I cant boycott Starbucks. But I wouldnt if I could. Yes, I understand and share the national anger over the viral video of last weeks arrest of two African-American men at one of the companys Philadelphia stores. The men were reportedly doing nothing more threatening than waiting quietly to be joined by a man they were meeting there, having asked to use the restroom and been refused. Their waiting apparently scared the bejeezus out of the manager, who called police. Cellphone video of the incident shows a white guy asking if the men are being arrested because they were black guys, sitting there. An officer, attempting facetiousness, says yes. But his facetiousness is misplaced because, obviously, thats exactly why they were arrested. On the video, the white customers are upset, but the men accept it placidly, as befits veterans of the exhausting job of Being While Black. Now Starbucks faces a public relations nightmare as people swear off its lattes and macchiatos. Protesters have appeared at the Philadelphia store. Starbucks Coffee is Anti-Black, they chanted. Shame on Starbucks, one sign declared. But Starbucks isnt the point. To pretend it is is a comforting fiction. It allows the company to apologize, vow to do better and move on. It allows protesters to feel righteous at having proven they will not tolerate intolerance. Meantime, we know as a statistical matter of fact that, somewhere, a little boy was just suspended from school for a minor infraction because he is black. A desperately ill woman was just denied sufficient medication to ease her pain because she is black. A highly qualified applicant was just passed over for the job of her dreams because she is black. And sometime soon, another unarmed man will be shot by police because he is black. Most of it wont make the news. If it does, we will treat it as we are now treating Starbucks as an individual, albeit outrageous, story requiring good people to rise in protest. But you see, these are not individual stories. No, its all the same story. The circumstances change, yes, but the story never does. Nor does the moral thereof: America is a nation still infected with the same idiocy that has bedeviled us since before Thomas Jefferson wrote those noble words he didnt believe about all men being created equal. Now, as then, some of us think you can judge a persons intentions and worth from the color of his skin. They may heatedly deny that they believe this. They may not even know that they believe this. But they believe it just the same. So its useless to single out Starbucks for opprobrium. Granted, it may come out that it like Dennys and Cracker Barrel before it has a corporate culture of denigrating black customers, in which case, the company deserves all the opprobrium we can muster. But absent that development, what happened in Starbucks isnt really about Starbucks. Nor are police shootings of unarmed black men really about police or the denial of palliative care to sick black people really about doctors. No, its the same story, and the story is all about us, about we the people and the truths we claim to hold self-evident, but dont. On April 12, the story unfolded at Starbucks. It could just as easily have been Red Lobster or McDonalds. It still could. So to make this about Starbucks is to let the real culprit off the hook. This is the coffee makers embarrassment, yes. But its Americas ongoing shame. Copyright, The Miami Herald; email to lpitts@miamiherald.com. WASHINGTON Coming soon to a cinema near you you can make this happen, read on is a bite-your-nails true-story thriller featuring heroes, villains and a history-making struggle over the Constitutions Takings Clause. Next Feb. 24, Little Pink House will win the Oscar for best picture if Hollywoods political preening contains even a scintilla of sincerity about speaking truth to power. In 1997, New London, Conn., was experiencing hard times. Its government decided, as governments always do, that it wanted more revenues. A private entity, the New London Development Corp. (NLDC), wanted to entice the Pfizer pharmaceutical corporation, which was about to introduce a popular blue pill, to locate a research facility on land adjacent to a blue-collar residential neighborhood. The city empowered the NLDC to wield the awesome, potentially life-shattering power of eminent domain if, as happened, it failed to persuade all the homeowners to sell for an upscale private development to complement Pfizers facility. Some, led by Susette Kelo played by Catherine Keener, two-time Oscar nominee refused. Kelos tormentor is an oily NLDC operative played by Emmy-nominee Jeanne Tripplehorn who is fluent in the pitter-patter of crony capitalism: The NLDC will make New London vital and hip using a public-private collaboration wherein uprooted homeowners will be part of our team because social justice and economic development go hand in hand as the NLDC integrates the infrastructure of large corporations to the brass-tacks needs of our citys most Kelos plight got the attention of the Institute for Justice (IJ), aka the fourth branch of government, nonprofit libertarian litigators who prod the third branch, the judiciary, to police the excesses of the other two. IJ lost, but won. Kelo lost 4-3 in Connecticuts Supreme Court and 5-4 in the U.S. Supreme Court, which accepted New Londons sophistical argument that virtually erased the Constitutions circumscription of governments eminent domain power. This used to be limited by the notably explicit Fifth Amendment, which says nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation (emphasis added). The Constitutions framers intended the adjective public to do what the rest of the Bill of Rights does: limit governments power. Government could take private property only for the purpose of creating things roads, bridges, tunnels, public buildings directly owned by government or primarily used by the general public. In 1954, however, to facilitate slum clearance in the District of Columbia, the concept of public use was stretched to encompass eradicating blight, an expansion exploited nationwide by corporations in cahoots with city governments that found blight in cracked sidewalks or loose awning supports. To seize Kelos pink house, New London did not assert blight. Instead, it argued that public use is synonymous with public benefit, and that the public would benefit from Pfizer paying more taxes than would Kelo and her neighbors. During oral arguments, Justice Antonin Scalia distilled New Londons argument: You can take from A to give to B if B pays more taxes. In a dissent joined by William Rehnquist, Clarence Thomas and Scalia, Sandra Day OConnor warned that the decisions consequences will not be random: Factions whose affluence makes them desirable taxpayers and whose political influence makes them politically potent will join governments in seizing the property of low-income citizens who are not as lucrative for local governments. By getting the U.S. Supreme Courts attention, and eliciting strong dissents that highlight the horribleness of the majoritys decision, Kelo and IJ ignited national revulsion that has produced new state limitations on eminent domain, limitations that re-establish the framers intentions. The movie, representing the vanishingly small category of Movies for Grown-ups, has just debuted in New London, where government economic planning ended predictably badly: Pfizer came, exhausted its subsidies, then departed, leaving a vacant lot where the pink house once stood. View the trailer (iam.ij.org/LPHtrailer) and consult watch.LittlePinkHouseMovie.com to learn about showings elsewhere. Organizations or groups of about 70 persons can go to TUGG.com to book a theater and receive help promoting the showing. People who send their email addresses to LittlePinkArmy.com will be contacted and helped through this process. This bypasses Hollywoods normal distribution procedures, but the movie industry might benefit from it. Does Hollywood want to reverse the four-year ratings decline 43.7 million viewers in 2014; 26.5 million this year of the Academy Awards telecast? Imagine the viewership for a contest of David, Little Pink House, against a gaggle of Goliaths, big-budget best-picture nominees boosted by major studios promotional budgets. Wills columns, including those not published in the Journal, can be read at abqjournal.com/opinion look for the syndicated columnist link. E-mail: georgewill@washpost.com; copyright, Washington Post Writers Group. Criminals got their hands on more than 1,000 guns in Albuquerque over the past 20 months, and that is truly alarming. They didnt do it by robbing a gun shop or breaking into a sporting goods store in the middle of the night, hauling away a cache of firearms. Instead, they collected the weapons one vehicle at a time, breaking into cars, trucks and SUVs throughout the city, and walking away with guns and other valuables left inside. Or, in some cases, by stealing vehicles that had weapons inside. The Albuquerque Police Department sounded the alarm last week on the scary trend, pleading with gun owners to take steps so they dont fall victim to these types of thefts and so new victims are not created when these guns fall into the hands of criminals. At the criminal justice level, police and the District Attorneys Office should continue working with federal authorities and the U.S. Attorneys Office to throw the book at felons caught with firearms stolen or not. The penalties that criminals face in federal court are often harsher than what they face in state court. But all of us have to do our part to fight crime, and thats where APDs message to the community comes in. The vast majority of gun owners are responsible and understand safety is always the top priority, APD Commander Joe Burke says. But the responsibilities extend to keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, or even others who are not trained to use them. That means locking up guns in your home and in your vehicle. Dont leave unsecured guns in your vehicle in your own driveway, nor in a parking lot when youre shopping for groceries or going to the gym. Its sound advice anyone with a firearm should heed. APD reports from July 2016 through March 2018, there were 1,035 instances where firearms were taken from vehicles. Authorities also say that the northeast area command, much of the city north of Interstate 40 between Eubank and Interstate 25, had the most stolen gun cases. With the crime wave that has hit the metro area in recent years, its not surprising many Albuquerque residents own guns for self protection. But we cant stress enough APDs message that owning a firearm comes with responsibilities, and keeping that firearm away from the lowlifes in our community who prey on others is one of those responsibilities. So if you have a gun and need to store that weapon in your car from time to time, install a gun safe in your vehicle. Failing to do so risks a criminal getting his/her hands on your gun, and using it to prey on you, your neighbors, friends and even your family. It makes us all less safe. There was a time when keeping a gun in a vehicle wasnt a big deal, but clearly times have changed. Given the number of vehicle break-ins and car thefts in Albuquerque, leaving a firearm in your car is the equivalent of rolling the dice. Only this time, when your luck runs out youve just handed a lethal weapon to a criminal. Dont do it. 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. BULLETIN BOARD The New Mexico chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association luncheon will be held from 11 a.m.-1:15 p.m. today at the Albuquerque Marriott, 2101 Louisiana Blvd. NE. The presentation, Dont Think Small: Albuquerques Innovation Corridor, will feature speakers Eric Tomlinson, Ph.D., chief information officer for the Wake Forest Innovation Corridor; N.M. Lt. Gov. John Sanchez; and Jim Neyer, NAIOP national chairman. Tickets are $35. For additional information, call 505-345-6976. To register, visit www.naiopnm.org; or call 505-345-6976. ABQ Konnect Nows April meeting will be held from 5-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Black Angus, 2290 Wyoming NE. Advance reservations are required. For advance reservations or additional information, contact Jeffrey Candelaria by calling 505-604-9081 or email jeffrey.candy77@gmail.com. The Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce (RRRCC) is hosting its 38th annual Dinner and Dance Celebration at 5:30 p.m. on Friday at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort, 1300 Tuyuana Trail in Bernalillo. The chamber will recognize businesses who have made a positive impact on the community; as well as businesses who have been members of the chamber for 25 years or more. Individual seats are $150. To register or for additional information, visit www.rrrcc.org; or call 505-892-1533. PROMOTIONS Edna Miera has been promoted by the New Mexico VA Health Care System to chief of social work services. Miera, a former U.S. Air Force officer, previously held the position of associate chief, behavioral health care line social work. She joined the New Mexico VA Health Care System in 2007 and will be located at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque. Dekker/Perich/Sabatini (D/P/S) has promoted six staff members to the position of coordinator. They are licensed interior designers Courtney Conlan and Barbara Audet; architects Patrick Murphy, Greg Everitt and Wayne Jenski; and urban planner Jessica Johnson. Dave Ortega, who oversees all creative development at McKee Wallwork & Co. (MWC), has been named a Partner in the firm. Ortega joins partners Steve McKee, Pat Wallwork, and Jonathan David Lewis. He has worked for MWC for six years. WELCOME Presbyterian Medical Group has hired three new providers. They are: Usha Venkatraj, M.D., medical oncologist/hematologist at the Ted and Margaret Jorgensen Cancer Center at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center in Rio Rancho. Venkatraj, board certified in internal medicine, oncology and hematology, has a medical degree from the Kilpauk Medical College in Madras, India; completed an internal medicine residency at Interfaith Medical Center; and completed an oncology/hematology fellowship at the Albert Einstein college of Medicine. Claire Elliott Herrick, M.D., obstetrician/gynecologist. Herrick is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology. She has a medical degree from the University of Wisconsin; and completed a residency in obstetrics/gynecology at the University of California-San Francisco. Gina Waymire, M.D., pediatric hospitalist. Waymire is board certified in pediatrics. She has a medical degree and completed a residency, both at UNM. Kathy Breneman has joined New Mexico Bank & Trust as a mortgage loan originator at the banking center on Southern Boulevard. Breneman has 20 years experience in mortgage lending and previously worked at Charter Mortgage. She will be responsible for assisting customers with their homebuying experiences. Dolores F. Overton has joined First National 1870 as market president for the banks team in Santa Fe. Overton will be responsible for management and growth of the bank in Santa Fe and Los Alamos, with a focus on building and strengthening relationships with customers and the communities. She has 25 years experience in the financial services industry and most recently was a senior private banker at a national bank serving clients in Santa Fe and Los Alamos. Overton has a bachelors degree in finance from St. Marys University; and has completed the Western States School of Banking program. Filemon Aragon has joined The Hartman + Majewski Design Group as an intern architect. Aragon has experience in BIM software and other graphic tools. He also has experience in a variety of project types. Maritza Pittore has joined the New Mexico VA Health Care System as chief of health administration services. Pittore previously worked as the chief of the business office at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport, La. ETC. The New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation has elected three new members to its board of directors. They are Antonio Lopez, senior financial adviser, vice president Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.; Mike Nelson, M.D., retired from Presbyterian Healthcare Services; and Kristina Nguyen, associate broker at Kristina Nguyen Homes/Keller Williams Realty. APPLAUSE Mike Pattengale, CPA/ABV/CGMA, manager of Valuation & Forensic Services in business valuation, forensic and litigation services department at REDW LLC, has earned the Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) designation from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Hy Tran, a senior scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, has been named a 2018 Asian-American Engineer of the Year by the Chinese Institute of Engineers USA. Tran received the award in recognition of his exceptional leadership and technical achievements. He joined Sandia National Laboratories in 2004. Andrew Salazar, owner of the Sandler Training Center in Albuquerque, has been named 2017 Global Rookie of the Year by Sandler Training. Salazar was selected from over 30 new Sandler offices from around the world for the award. He received the award during the companys recent annual conference held in Orlando, Fla. NEW YORK The lunchtime lines at Dos Toros move faster these days customers dont fumble for bills or coins, and employees dont make change. Since around New Years, the Mexican food chain has been cashless. For the vast majority of customers, theres no reaction at all; theyre already paying with their cards. And the significant majority of cash customers dont have any problem with it either, says co-owner Leo Kremer, who has 14 stores in New York and one in Chicago. If people do try to use cash, employees explain the reasons for the change faster service for customers, saving the business time and money. The trend toward cashless small- and midsized businesses is fairly new. Many of the companies adopting the policy are restaurants with menus and prices more upscale than fast-food chains, but service that aims to be almost as quick as a McDonalds or Subway. During a busy lunch hour with customers lined up at ordering stations and cashiers, forgoing cash means faster transactions. Many business owners would rather be cashless. Cash actually costs money banks charge fees for cash deposits and to handle coins. If businesses take in enough cash to justify pickups by armored car services, thats another cost, and given that restaurants can be a target for holdups, not one that can be eliminated. And counting and checking cash and preparing it for deposit takes up time a manager could spend with staff or customers. We feel a managers time is so valuable, and it was being spent on what is only 10 percent of our revenue, says Kremer, who also says revenue at Dos Toros hasnt been hurt by the transition. Millions of consumers use little or no cash. In a survey released last month by the financial services company Capital One, only 21 percent of 2,000 people questioned said cash was their most common way to pay for things. But going cashless isnt a slam-dunk. Some customers who want to use cash point to a statement on paper money: This note is legal tender for all debts public and private. However, the Federal Reserve says on its website that private companies can make their own policies about cash unless there is a state law saying otherwise. Massachusetts does have such a law. Thomas Nguyen switched two of his restaurants to no-cash and then had a change of heart. Nguyen, whose has three Peli Peli South African fine dining restaurants and a Peli Peli Kitchen fast casual location in the Houston area, transitioned one restaurant at the end of 2016 and the other last August. Less than 7 percent of his revenue was coming from cash, and he believed customers would largely be OK with the change. But last month, Nguyen heard from staff at both locations that they were getting daily complaints. That, he says, goes against the idea of running a hospitality business. Its too common of an occurrence when somebody every day is getting surprised or inconvenienced, Nguyen says. Hes well aware that customers can find plenty of other places to go. You cant compete if you think youre going to create a whole set of rules and expect people to follow them, he says. One concern about cashless restaurants is that they exclude would-be customers who dont have bank accounts or credit cards. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. found in a 2015 survey that about 9 million households didnt have bank accounts. Nearly 60 percent of households without bank accounts or cards said they didnt have enough money to keep in an account. Customers will be more understanding if store employees explain the rationale for going cashless, and how it might benefit them, says Utpal Dholakia, a marketing professor at Rice Universitys Jones Graduate School of Business. I think customers are very happy to trade off their ability to use cash to get this service in return, he says, and notes the popularity of apps that let people order and pay for food online or on their phones and bypass the line completely to pick it up. David Friedman got many complaints when he began testing a no-cash policy at one of his eight Epic Burger locations in Chicago last June before deciding to go cashless permanently at all the stores. It has generated the most negative pushback of anything weve ever done, Friedman says. He estimates his revenue fell about 2 percent as people who wanted to pay cash left and never returned. But Friedman isnt turning back. Epic Burger locations had an armed robbery, burglaries and break-ins six incidents in all in eight years. I made the decision to put my customers and my employees safety as my No. 1 priority, says Friedman, whose restaurants also got dozens and dozens of counterfeit bills from customers. Friedmans revenue shortfall has been more than offset because he no longer pays for bank fees and 30 armored car pickups each week. When Tender Greens went cashless earlier this year, it took other steps to improve the experience for customers, says Denyelle Bruno, president of the chain that has 29 stores in California, New York and Boston. Customers no longer need to sign charge receipts under $25, and lines move faster since managers have more time to help out. Tender Greens, whose menu includes salads, sandwiches, fish and chicken, isnt seeing frustrated customers give up and leave the line, Bruno says. Even in this digital age, independent bookstores continue to thrive in New Mexico as word nerds seek out a local, literary experience that cant be found on Amazon.com. For many years, however, the future looked pretty bleak for the indies with large retail chains like Barnes and Noble, Borders, B Dalton and Waldenbooks muscling into their customer bases. With so many chain book stores having gone dark, or scaling back their business footprints dramatically, New Mexicos independent brick-and-mortar operators are striving to serve their communities of book lovers. Clearly a labor of love, no ones getting rich by running a good old-fashioned bookstore, usually consisting of a single store. These businesses may not have the vast inventory or low prices of an internet giant, but they can offer customers tightly curated collections, special events and a like-minded community of bookworms, say local owners. As the volume of books published increases, the importance of a bookseller that can recommend titles has never been greater, said Oren Teicher, chief executive officer of the ABA. In a recent letter to members, Teicher said year-end book sale figures for the indie channel in 2017 were up 2.6 percent over 2016. This increase while a bit more modest than previous years represents continued, sustained growth over the past five years, Teicher said. Its still a life of genteel poverty, said Noemi de Bodisco, the owner of two op.cit. bookstores in Santa Fe and Taos and another called Tome on the Range in Las Vegas, N.M. You have to be frugal, she said of a venture thats not particularly lucrative, but does provide her with a very modest living. She was aghast at a seminar conducted by the ABA when a new bookstore owner talked about spending $100,000 on fixtures. Rather than invest in such frills, de Bodisco is plowing any profits back into inventory to fill the shelves, keep the lights on and pay her employees, one of whom is a former rocket scientist turned poet. She said customers also like the funky ambience of the op.cit. stores in Taos and in Santa Fes DeVargas Center Mall. Both are book towns and art towns, with plenty of well-heeled residents and tourists. Both categories of clientele offer a welcome base of financial support, said de Bodisco, who retired from a career in technology before becoming a bookseller. She said theres an aesthetic with physical books that still resonate with consumers who frequent a bricks-and-mortar location like op.cit. (the name is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase opus citatum, meaning the work cited.) There are some things the digital world cant duplicate, like the crisp sound of a page flipping or the soft crack the binding makes when a new hardcover is opened for the first time, said de Bodisco. There has to be a balance, she said. There are too many screens in our lives. Paper books go to a different part of your brain. Retail therapy On a recent sunny spring day, northeast Albuquerque resident Catherine Kroll was enjoying a little retail therapy at Page 1 Books, which she has patronized for years. The experience you cant get online is browsing through books, said Kroll. Theres a magical feeling about opening a book for the first time. A Harvard Business School study attributed the comeback of independent book stores to the buy local movement and success in carrying interesting titles and hosting book-oriented community events. Between 1995 and 2000, the number of independent bookstores in the United States plummeted 43 percent, according to the American Booksellers Association, a nonprofit trade group dedicated to the promotion of independent bookstores. While pressure from Amazon forced Borders, B Dalton and Waldenbooks out of business between 2010 and 2011, indie bookstores staged an unexpected comeback. Between 2009 and 2015, the ABA reported 35 percent growth in independent booksellers, from 1,651 stores to 2,227. Op.cit. Taos has the same business model as op.cit. in Santa Fe, and Tome On The Range, which de Bodisco bought in 2013. The stock includes new, used and remainder books, special orders and space for self-published authors to display and sell their books. But every store is different, she says. It all depends on the community. Heading south, there are at least a half-dozen independent bookstores in the Albuquerque area, and each has a unique niche. Bookworks corners the market in Los Ranchos. Under Charlies Covers is one of the largest and most popular book sellers in Bernalillo. Blue Eagle Metaphysical Emporium might be considered the Duke Citys go-to place for New Age titles, plus divination tools and daily psychic readings. Downtown Books has aisles jammed with books reflecting a wide range of genres. Page 1 Books is a mainstay for used and new books in the Northeast Heights. And Title Wave is a cozy little shop packed with lots of interesting tomes, tucked on a side street near Menaul and Wyoming. Bookworks expanding The 34 year-old Bookworks for new and used books is clearly thriving. Thanks to a supportive landlord, it is undergoing a remodel to open up the space to accommodate more customers who attend 400-500 events a year like author talks and concerts. The store also hosts book clubs. We have a very loyal following, owner Danielle Foster said of the business at 4022 Rio Grande NW. Our local community is very focused on supporting small business, said Foster, adding that the store relies on repeat business from area residents, students at several schools and nearby college campuses. So much of what goes into a successful indie bookstore is the stock, and knowing what sells with your customers and what doesnt, she said. Something that we shine at is our literary events, said Foster, who used to manage a B Dalton bookstore in the San Francisco Bay Area. The store sells a lot of regional-based titles. It also partners with community groups to produce lectures, talks and signings both at the store and at off-site venues. Foster and many of the local bookstore proprietors also credit their success to their warm, cozy and inviting environments something online retailers and larger chain stores cant offer. But one does not live by book sales alone in order to pay the rent. We dont have a huge margin (on books), so we look to sales of gift items to help the bottom line, said Foster, referring to cards, stationery, calendars, coloring books, jigsaw puzzles and items like literature-themed tote bags and coffee mugs. All the retailers interviewed for this story said soft goods sales are an important part of the revenue stream. Foster believes that digital devices can happily co-exist with the paper version, and the business offers ebooks through its partnership with Kobo (an anagram of book), a Canadian company that sells e-books, audiobooks, e-readers and tablet computers. Back to the basics As a testimony to the power of print, consider the case of Page 1 Books owner Steven Morado Stout. In business since 1981, Stout embraced a multimedia model some years back, but has happily returned to the printed page as his bread and butter. Page 1 has seen several locations since opening in the El Dorado Square shopping center on the southeast corner of Juan Tabo and Montgomery boulevards. Pre-internet, Page 1 did a brisk business as a newsstand operator. We sold a lot of Playboy magazines, said Stout who later shifted the store across Juan Tabo into a 24,500-square-foot site at 11018 Montgomery NE. In 1996, he dropped a line of music products because of fierce competition from the discount chains. The next year, he also closed a web design and computer software division. There were several lean years for the business, which lost its lease to make way for a Walmart Neighborhood Market and sought bankruptcy protection. Stout said customers rallied around the store during bankruptcy, which he resolved, and that business has picked up since he moved to a smaller space five years ago in the Mountain Run Shopping Center, which provides a nice customer stream and lots of parking. He recently signed another five-year lease. We decided just to become an old-fashioned bookstore, said Stout. Page 1 has a strong used-book focus, buying gently used titles from customers for cash or store credit. Getting into used books is what saved us. Theres also a fairly extensive collection of periodicals, including foreign language titles. Parents and grandparents have grown up with Page 1 and many tell me they want to put a physical book in their kids hands, said Stout. I see a lot of teens who look like they are on a bookstore date, Stout said of some Gen-Zers drawn to old-school items like rickety typewriters, record players and now printed books. They shop and then go over to the bakery and talk about what theyre reading. SATURDAY EVENTS FETE BOOKSELLERS Independent Bookstore Day is a national event that will be held at indie bookstores across the country on Saturday. Every store is unique, and every party is different. But in addition to authors, live music, cupcakes, scavenger hunts, kids events, art tables, readings, barbecues, contests and other fun stuff, there are exclusive books and literary items that you can get only on that day. Not before. Not after. Not online.For activities, check with your local book shop.Source: American Booksellers Association A celebration of a beautiful life for Jennifer Riordan all but filled Popejoy Hall Sunday evening, serving as an inspiring call to action to love and care for each other. Prev 1 of 5 Next The event came five days after Riordans shocking death aboard a Southwest Airlines flight. The planes engine exploded midflight, shattering her window. She was partially drawn out and fatally injured. The dramatic accident attracted a frenzy of national and international media attention. But on Sunday, for Albuquerque and the nearly 2,000 friends, family and community members at the memorial, it was the hands on and heart open way she lived that was the focus. Riordan, 43, was remembered as a compassionate, genuine woman with boundless energy who gave epic and heartfelt hugs and was quick to ask, How can I help? By all accounts, she embodied her personal philosophy: kind, loving, caring and sharing. A crowd of prominent politicians, community, nonprofit and business leaders, as well as neighbors, family and friends who knew her and her children nearly filled Popejoy Hall on the University of New Mexico campus. The turnout, Riordans father said, showed the extent of the love that his daughter found in Albuquerque. Riordans husband, the former chief operating officer for the City of Albuquerque, opened Sundays service with a reminder that the event was to be the kind of party Jennifer would want. The couples two children, Josh and Averie, stayed with him on stage as he spoke. The outpouring of support for my family this past week just solidifies everything that Jennifer already knew about Albuquerque, New Mexico, the United States and all the world, that we are kind, loving, caring and sharing. Her friend and mentor, Diane Harrison Ogawa, head of community relations at Central New Mexico Community College, urged those in attendance to remember to up our game and do as Jenn did. She talked of running into Riordans children in the future and looking back on the memorial service as a moment of change. Well reminisce about that time 10 years earlier when thousands of people pledged in their moms honor to step up. To double our commitment to ask how we might help. To love out loud. To think daily about how we might care for each other and our community, she said. That was the moment out of our collective heartbreak that our community looked to our strengths and our beauty and to each other and we began to change. Riordan was the vice president of community relations for Wells Fargo in New Mexico, where she worked on the companys philanthropic endeavors. Previously, she worked as a media relations manager for UNM Hospital and as vice president of community and public relations for New Mexico Citigroup. A graduate of UNM and a member of the UNM Alumni Association Board, she was known for her extensive work with nonprofits and as a volunteer for many organizations. Lt. Gov. John Sanchez presented Riordans family with a flag flown in her memory at the state Capitol. Riordans family has set up a memorial trust in her name to support causes that Jennifer held dearest. https://www.caringcent.com/sparklejennifer/ Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Backpage.com, notorious for hosting X-rated ads for sexual services, plays a role in nearly all the trafficking cases local law enforcement agencies investigated over recent years. And advocates say almost all the victims that come through their doors were sold on the website. But both authorities and service providers alike have expressed mixed feelings about the sites being shut down earlier this month. The site was shut down just days before President Donald Trump signed a bill into law that will make it easier for law enforcement to file criminal charges against similar websites and for victims and state attorneys to file lawsuits against those sites. The Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) passed through Congress with overwhelming support. On April 7, the Department of Justice seized Backpage.com and announced it is charging seven officials in federal court. In addition, a week and a half ago the websites CEO, Carl Ferrer, 57, of Frisco, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate prostitution and to engaging in money laundering. Detective Kyle Hartsock with the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office said that, historically, the website provided little oversight to prevent minors from being trafficked, leading it to become a hub for such activity. It was obvious that they were not doing many things to try to discourage child sex trafficking for many years, he said. It was very easy weve created posts ourselves as part of investigations it was incredibly easy to post on their website if we wanted to pretend to be an underage minor. When federal agents arrested an Albuquerque couple and another man who they say were running a sex trafficking organization that was involved in two brutal murders last year, they gleaned information about their activities from Backpage.com. Authorities say Tobi Lynn Stanfill, 20, had been trafficked by Cornelius and Danielle Galloway and had been killed, along with Daryl Young, 39, because their activities were contrary to the objectives of the criminal sex trafficking organization. According to documents filed in federal court, a Google search of Danielle Galloways phone number turned up on multiple ads on Backpage.com that included several different women wearing lingerie and posing suggestively under such names as Candy. At least one ad was for a 17-year-old girl. And when agents served a subpoena on Backpage.com for specific ads, the phone number and email address led back to Danielle and her husband, Cornelius Galloway. The Galloways are just two of several suspected traffickers in Albuquerque whom local and federal authorities charged with using Backpage to sell sex. Last week, the U.S. Attorneys Office in Albuquerque charged eight defendants with sex trafficking of minors in New Mexico and Arizona. Again, many of their activities were channeled through Backpage. But because the site emerged as a hub for sex trafficking, it became a targeted central location for investigators to gather information, Hartsock said. Backpage has helped us build cases, build stronger cases, in New Mexico, because we have a nice digital trail of what (traffickers) did, he said. It was not the only thing that helped do it, but it was a big part of it. Now, he said, they expect traffickers to move to other sites. There have always been other websites that you can find sex trafficking and sex traffickers on, Hartsock said. They existed before Backpage, and they will continue to exist after Backpage, and we already know about 21 different websites that do this kind of stuff. The New Mexico Attorney Generals Office said its officials are also monitoring the other websites to see where traffickers move. The AGs spokesman, Matt Baca, said they recognize FOSTA as a step forward in fighting human trafficking but know that traffickers will adapt their tactics on and offline. We as investigators must always be changing our investigative strategies to hold offenders accountable, Baca wrote in an email. The Office of the New Mexico Attorney General Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) and Human Trafficking Task Force will continue to look at all websites and social media platforms, in addition to a continued collaboration with advocacy groups on the streets, shelters, and anywhere a trafficking victim may be. However, Lynn Sanchez, the program director for The Life Links Anti-Human Trafficking Initiative, worries that if more victims are forced onto the streets or other avenues, they wont leave a digital trail. She said FOSTA is an important first step but its a long way from curbing sex trafficking. Because nearly every single trafficking victim has been trafficked through Backpage, it needed to happen, Sanchez said. But I also believe that predators and traffickers are going to find other ways that are going to be harder to track. Words sometimes fail kids. Particularly so when attempting to give voice to their aspirations and ambitions for their futures, while being preoccupied with present-day mass shootings and a desire to simply feel safe in a classroom. Linda Solomons Pictures of Hope project offers them another avenue of expression. A native of Michigan, Solomon is a renowned photographer, author and member of the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. She began the project in 2005 as a way to not only validate the personal dreams of young people, but also to introduce them to photography as a way to say in pictures what they sometimes cant vocalize in words. Solomon has brought her program to 52 cities, often multiple times, and frequently works with homeless children and teens. She was in Albuquerque recently working with a group of students at the Health Leadership High School, a state charter school with a curriculum that prepares students for careers in the health industry. The Pictures of Hope program matches students with mentors from the community, who talk to the students and help them assemble a list of their hopes and dreams for their futures. The diverse group of mentors for this session included a physician, lawyer, judge, social worker, artist, banker, investor even this reporter from the Albuquerque Journal. Solomon provided the group with a crash course on how to take a good photograph. She talked about color, contrast, framing and other elements, using examples from her own photographs of celebrities boxer Muhammad Ali, performer Beyonce, actor Morgan Freeman, artist N.C. Wyeth, and cartoonist Al Hirschfeld. The students were presented with the unexpected gift of a Kodak PixPro AZ252 digital camera, a very respectable starter camera donated by Walgreens, one of the project sponsors. Based on the list created, mentors drove the students to sites around Albuquerque, where the youths took photographs that in their mind represented two of the items on their list perhaps a desire to attend college, feed the hungry, end social injustice or help the destitute. I was matched with 19-year-old senior Gerrado Guerrero. He grew up in Albuquerques Westgate area, which has seen its fair share of crime and violence. Guerrero confessed to having run with a rough crowd, being involved in his own fair share of mischief and seeing friends pay a steep price for their actions. But he also saw a future for himself working in public health and social work. We set out to represent two items on his list: to put a human face to the homeless and to find a little piece of beauty in the world. At Coronado Park, where many homeless people spend their days and nights, Guerrero focused his camera on a lone mans shoe lying on its side on the barren ground. A metaphor, he suggested, for someone who is looking for his soul, if not his actual sole. He captured a small group of people living beneath a rain tarp draped like a tent over a chain link fence, all their earthly belongings stuffed into a shopping cart. Another group huddled at a picnic table became irritated, even hostile, when he asked if he could take their picture. They became more agreeable when he explained he is a student and was taking photos for a class project. At St. Martins HopeWorks, which offers meals and social services to homeless people, Guerrero photographed people sharing food with a dog. I want to humanize the homeless, Guerrero said. They are stigmatized. People think theyre in the position that theyre in because they put themselves there, that they choose to live that way. Thats not always the case. A lot of times, its about mental illness and addictions and a lack of resources and poverty. His search for a little piece of beauty took us to Civic Plaza, where Guerrero enveloped himself in the drooping branches of a tree in full bloom with pinkish flowers. We live in a desert so theres not that much color, but when it does appear, its really beautiful to see. It sticks out, and its hard to miss, he observed. The student photographs will be shown in a May 4 public exhibit at the school, 1900 Randolph SE, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. At that time, one of the 15 students who participated in the Pictures of Hope project will be awarded a full-ride, four-year scholarship to Blackburn College, a private liberal arts school in Illinois. Naturally, producing an outstanding photo is not the only measure determining the scholarship winner. The students must also meet Blackburns admission requirements, including its standards for high school grade-point average and ACT score. Ultimately, the scholarship winner will be determined by Health Leadership High School principal Blanca Lopez, in consultation with Solomon. Pictures of Hope is providing our students an opportunity to document in a photojournalistic manner how they see their world as they leave behind their high school years and step into their future, Lopez said. And, hopefully, viewing that future through a new lens. UpFront is a regular Journal news and opinion column. Comment directly to Rick Nathanson at 823-3929 or rnathanson@abqjournal.com. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Bernalillo County might need to get a larger mailbox when it gets gross receipt tax revenue distribution checks from the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department. The county will receive about $15.3 million this month for business activity conducted in February, an increase of about 21.2 percent compared with the near $12.6 million it collected at the same time a year ago. Much of that growth is likely attributed to a GRT increase of three-sixteenths of 1 percentage point imposed by the county last year along with increased economic activity, according to Shirley Ragin, deputy county manager for finance. Budget writers factored in growth of about 1 percent, she said, and took into account a reduction in hold harmless funding. Ragin also said one-third of the tax rate increase is earmarked for public safety agencies. We focus a lot on public safety and their needs, Ragin said. The state has been providing hold harmless funding to cities and counties since 2004 to compensate for revenue lost when the state eliminated the gross receipts tax on groceries and medicine. But state officials started phasing out those subsidies in 2013 with 6 percent or 7 percent cuts annually over 15 years. Cities and counties were allowed without voter approval to increase the gross receipts tax by up to three-eighths of 1 percentage point to make up for it. The GRT increase, which county officials estimated would generate an estimated $30 million a year, went into effect last July. The county has collected about $65.4 million in GRT revenue so far this year, according to Taxation and Revenue Department figures. Thats a 21.4 percent increase when compared with the first four months of 2017. Gross receipts are comprised of the total amount of money or value of other consideration received from selling property, leasing or licensing property, granting a right to use a franchise, performing services and selling research and development services performed outside New Mexico, the product of which is initially used in New Mexico. Although the gross receipts tax is imposed on businesses, according to the Taxation and Revenue Department, it is common for a business to pass the GRT on to the purchaser either by separately stating it on the invoice or by combining the tax with the selling price. The Taxation and Revenue Department distributes tax collections two months after the business activity month. The city of Albuquerque will receive about $29.2 million this month, an increase of about 1.1 percent when compared with the same month last year. Any rise in gross receipts tax revenues reflects increased economic activity in the city, which is a good sign for our families and communities, stated Alicia Manzano, a spokeswoman for the mayors office, in an email. Mayor (Tim) Keller will continue to focus on fostering economic opportunity in the city. The city has collected about $127 million in GRT revenue so far this year, an increase of 1.9 percent over the same period a year ago. A GRT increase of three-eighths of a percentage point passed by Albuquerque city councilors last month does not go into effect until July 1. SEOUL, South Korea When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday, the world will have a single overriding interest: How will they address North Koreas decades-long pursuit of nuclear-armed missiles? Success, even a small one, on the nuclear front could mean a prolonged detente and smooth the path for a planned summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in May or June. Optimists hope the two summits might even result in a grand nuclear bargain. North Koreas announcement on Saturday to suspend further nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and close its nuclear test site raised hopes in Washington and Seoul for a breakthrough in the upcoming nuclear negotiations. However, the Norths statement stopped well short of suggesting it has any intentions to give up its nukes or halt its production of missiles. Failure to reach a nuclear agreement would raise serious questions about the sincerity of Kims recent outreach to Seoul and Washington and rekindle the fears of war that spread across the Korean Peninsula last year. A look at the prospects of a North Korean disarmament deal ahead of the two impending summits: ___ INTER-KOREAN SUMMIT Although North Korea has expressed a willingness to have candid talks with the United States about the denuclearization of the peninsula, theres rampant skepticism about whether Kim will give up his nukes. Those weapons are the core of his authoritarian rule, a powerful treasured sword meant to neutralize U.S. nuclear threats. And the Norths call for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has been linked to a demand for the withdrawal of the 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea. Kim suggested during a trip to Beijing in March that he prefers step-by-step disarmament in return for corresponding concessions. That, critics say, could allow the North to covertly continue its weapons programs while winning badly needed aid, which occurred during now-dormant six-nation nuclear talks from 2003 to 2008. Analysts say its likely that Kim will make similar commitments during the inter-Korean summit as a way of reaching out to the United States. Go Myong-Hyun of the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies said Kim may also offer up a rough timetable for denuclearization. ___ NORTH KOREA-US SUMMIT North Korea argues that it needs its nukes because of the U.S. military presence in South Korea and annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises that the North claims are an invasion rehearsal. During the two summits, Kim may demand a security guarantee for his government, the scrapping of what he calls U.S. hostility and the easing or lifting of international sanctions on the North. The Kim-Trump meeting, not the Korean summit, will be the main venue for dealing with nukes because the United States must largely determine whether to accept the Norths demands. Kim, therefore, has an interest in making his meeting with Moon a success, especially following reconciliation in recent months that saw athletes from both countries parade together during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics opening ceremony and South Korean pop stars perform in Pyongyang. Its much less clear how the Kim-Trump meeting will go. Trumps pick for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said recently that no one is under any illusions that we will reach a comprehensive agreement. Pompeo made a secret trip to meet with Kim and discuss the summit in recent weeks. Trump seemed more optimistic after North Koreas announcement on Saturday, to which he responded with a tweet saying, This is very good news for North Korea and the World and big progress! He added that hes looking forward to his upcoming summit with Kim. U.S. officials have said they want complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament by North Korea. Kim wont likely accept that anytime soon because hes closing in on his goal of developing nuclear missiles capable of striking the continental U.S. after decades of struggle and sacrifice. After his countrys most-powerful-to-date long-range missile test in November, Kim said the North had finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force. Foreign experts, though, say the North still has a couple of technological barriers to overcome to build reliable intercontinental ballistic missiles. ___ WHAT KIND OF DEAL? One disarmament step Kim might have in mind is to freeze or dismantle an ICBM program that poses a direct threat to the United States. Go said Kim could also offer to allow international nuclear inspectors back into his country and promise to dismantle the Norths old plutonium-producing reactor at its main nuclear complex because it has a uranium-enrichment plant that can also manufacture bombs. North Korea could also submit a list of facilities or equipment to be disabled or dismantled and then allow the United States to inspect disarmament procedures. This process, however, could easily be disrupted if the North asks for excessive rewards for partial disarmament steps or the country fails to let outsiders inspect military bases or other sensitive places with possible nuclear weapons. Kim Taewoo, a former president of the Korea Institute for National Unification, also warned that a deal freezing the Norths nuclear capability at current levels or scrapping an ICBM program while leaving intact shorter-range missiles that place South Korea within striking distance wont change security threats South Korea faces. The North already likely has the technology to mount atomic warheads on shorter-range missiles targeting South Korea and Japan. He said the two upcoming summits are a huge gamble for all three leaders if they dont produce a breakthrough. If the summits fail, the world wont tolerate any future Kim Jong Un charm offensive because of a belief that he tried to use the summits to weaken sanctions or buy time to perfect his nuclear program. Trump would be seen as being duped. And Moon would have to choose whether to risk undermining ties with Washington by continuing to improve ties with North Korea. ___ Follow Hyung-jin Kim at www.twitter.com/hyungjin1972 WASHINGTON The Supreme Court has so far had little to say about Donald Trumps time as president, even as the nation has moved from one Trump controversy to another. Thats about to change. The justices first deep dive into a Trump administration policy comes in a dispute over the third and latest version of the administrations ban on travel from some countries with majority Muslim populations. Opponents of the policy and some lower courts have labeled it a Muslim ban, harking back to Trumps campaign call to keep Muslims from entering the country. The high-stakes arguments at the high court on Wednesday could offer some indication about how a court that runs on respect for traditions and precedent will deal with a president who regularly breaks with convention. Apart from the campaign statements, Trumps presidential tweets about the travel ban and last falls retweets of inflammatory videos that stoked anti-Islam sentiment all could feature in the courts discussion of the travel bans legality. The court could get to the right outcome without getting into the question of his tweets. But I think the president set it up so that its virtually impossible to ignore him when hes shouting from the rooftops about what his purpose was in the three versions of the ban, said Cecillia Wang, the American Civil Liberties Unions deputy legal director. Solicitor General Noel Francisco, who will argue the administrations case, said in a court filing that the ban is well within the presidents authority and is not based on prejudice against Islam. In a sign of heightened public interest, the court is taking the rare step of making an audio recording of the proceedings available just hours after the arguments end. One key issue will be how the court evaluates administration actions. Neil Eggleston, President Barack Obamas last White House counsel, suggested in an online forum last week that Trump does not merit the same measure of latitude that courts usually give presidents, especially in the areas of national security and immigration. The court will have to wrestle with how much to defer to a President who has created this record of chaos and animus, Eggleston and co-author Amanda Elbogen wrote on justsecurity.org. Josh Blackman, a professor at the South Texas College of Law in Houston, cautioned that the court would be breaking new ground if it were to treat Trump differently from other presidents. The policy under review at the court applies to travelers from five countries with overwhelmingly Muslim populations Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. It also affects two non-Muslim countries: blocking travelers from North Korea and some Venezuelan government officials and their families. A sixth majority Muslim country, Chad, was removed from the list this month after improving its identity-management and information sharing practices, Trump said in a proclamation. Francisco said the Chad decision shows that the restrictions are premised only on national security concerns. He also said that the State Department has cleared more than 430 visa applicants from the affected countries for waivers that would allow them to enter the U.S. But the challengers argue that the administration cannot ask the court to ignore all that has happened. Trumps first travel ban was issued just a week after he took office in January 2017, and was aimed at seven countries. It triggered chaos and protests across the U.S. as travelers were stopped from boarding international flights and detained at airports for hours. Trump tweaked the order after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco refused to reinstate the ban. The next version, announced in March 2017, dropped Iraq from the list of covered countries and made it clear the 90-day ban covering Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen didnt apply to those travelers who already had visas. It also eliminated language that would give priority to religious minorities. Critics said the changes didnt erase the bans legal problems. The 9th Circuit and the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, agreed with the bans opponents. The 4th Circuit said the ban drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination. The 9th Circuit ruled that Trump violated immigration law. The third version is indefinite, unlike the other two, and the administration said it is the product of a thorough review of how other countries screen their own citizens and share information with the U.S. It fared no better than its predecessors in the lower courts, but the Supreme Court said in an unsigned order in December that it could take full effect while the legal dispute continues. The justices said nothing about the substance of the policy, either in December or in earlier actions involving the ban. Now, though, they are confronted with the administrations view that Trump has broad discretion to impose limits on immigration and that the courts dont even have a role to play. The Justice Department has said throughout the course of the legal fight that the lawsuits challenging the policy should be dismissed without ever reaching the challengers claims. The administration says that foreigners have no right to enter the United States and no right to challenge their exclusion in American courts. Supporting briefs for the bans challengers dwarf filings on the administrations side. Retired high-ranking military officers, former Republican officeholders, Catholic bishops, Amazon, Facebook and 113 other companies, the children of Japanese-Americans who were held in internment camps during World War II and more than a dozen mainly Democratic-led states are among those calling on the court to strike down the Trump policy. The administrations supporters include roughly the same number of Republican-led states, as well as conservative groups and Jay Sekulow, one of Trumps personal lawyers. A decision in Trump v. Hawaii, 17-965, is expected by late June. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. A fire that destroyed 23 homes in southern Colorado was human-caused, according to investigators. El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder said he thinks the blaze could have been started by a discarded cigarette or a spark thrown by a passing vehicle. Lightning has been ruled out as a cause. The fire was reported near Interstate 25 in southern El Paso County on Tuesday and was fueled by gusty winds for two days before firefighters were able to fully contain it Thursday, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported . It has burned more than 65 square miles (168 square kilometers). Rain and snow Friday and Saturday helped douse remaining hot spots near containment lines. Firefighters will continue to patrol and monitor the burn scar and are warning residents that hazards could still exist. White ash on the ground can indicate deep pockets where roots and ground vegetation are still burning. Standing dead trees could also fall, especially in high winds or when loaded with snow. Residents are also being told to avoid breathing smoke directly from smoldering areas, especially from piles that may contain plastics or other toxic materials. Investigators have not determined if the fire was started accidentally or deliberately. ___ Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazette.com From ones morning cuppa to afternoon breaks to shake off the slumber to refreshing ones evening along with some deep fried snacks or enjoying the first rains with spicy pakodas a piping hot cup of tea is what one craves for, especially in a chai-obsessed country like India. Talk of tea always takes one to the lush green tea estates, either in Assam, Darjeeling or Ooty or the Nilgiris; and talk over tea can lead to many a successful deals be it business or of a personal nature. Be it branded and packaged teas or those sold loose in brown paper bags in various specialty tea outlets, the beverage is a staple of Indian households. Society Tea has been able to carve a name for itself as a premium tea brand and is the market leader in the tea category in Maharashtra with around 40 per cent market share of packaged tea in the state. The brand has also built up considerable presence in states such as Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chennai, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi. The brand has also introduced its new range of Dairy Products, One Minute Tea and Instant Tea (Premix). The Origins Society Tea started its journey (before it was even called by that name) in Masjid Bunders Chai Galli the street that was Maharashtras source of tea, with traders coming in from across the state to purchase tea to sell locally. It was here that Society Teas founder, Hiravan Pranjivan Das, started out as a tea wholesaler in 1924. Apart from being a large supplier for local customers, Das also firmly engraved his roots in the international tea trade, trading with Middle Eastern countries on a very large scale. In 1933, with a view of selling to the Mumbai citizens as well, Das started Hasmukhrai & Co, with its first shop in Kalbadevi. By the late 80s, Hasmukhrai & Co had become the market leader in the tea industry in Mumbai. However, sensing that the customer would prefer convenience and would change traditional tea buying patterns, Hasmukhrai & Co launched tea in a packet form in 1991, which was available across retailers in Mumbai and later Maharashtra, in the name of Society Tea. Betting on Blue Karan Shah, 33 years old and a fourth generation Director of the company. In his free time, Shah composes music. He loves travelling and collecting kettles from different markets where he travels. Tracing the brands journey, Shah remarked that his father (Atul Shah) had made a huge bet 25 years ago when he decided to adopt blue as the packaging colour for Society Tea. Market research dictated the colour of packaging to be red, green or yellow, but my father decided to ignore the research and painted Society Tea blue as the market was cluttered with shades of red and green, and he wanted his new brand to stand out naturally. He added, Consumers immediately recall Society Tea because of the distinct recall value of our blue kettle and cups. For a private and regional brand like ours, thats a huge achievement. Over the years, Society Tea has carved a niche for itself in the country as well as internationally as a brand with an impeccable sense of taste. As Shah shared, Society Tea has continually combined quality with innovation to produce teas that retain both their fragrant aroma and exceptional taste. Distinctively packed, Society Tea consists of the finest premium blend of teas produced and has consistently been backed by an innovative advertising campaign and a strong distribution network ensuring that the product reaches you with its values intact. Quality has been at the core of Society Tea and to ensure this consistent quality, three members of Shahs family have dedicated their lives as full time tea tasters. This is also one of the reasons why we cannot match the media spends of other tea brands, Shah said. And this is the reason why the brand has never brought on board a brand ambassador as it believes that the product is the best marketing tool. Shah further said, Our quest for better quality extends to our new range of Dairy Products, One Minute Tea and Instant Tea (Premix). To manufacture high quality tea and dairy products, we have set up a plant in Vadodara (Gujarat). This plant is one of Indias most advanced, with completely automated milk and soluble tea processing units. These products are manufactured under strict hygienic standards to meet the high levels of quality and excellence. We see this new range as the products of the future. Keeping a brand unique is a tough proposition in a highly competitive market. However, Society Tea has forged a special place for itself in the consumer mindspace. Speaking on this, Shah elaborated, Today, Society Tea is a regional heavyweight, much like the very red Wagh Bakri in Gujarat, which, like Society Tea, has managed to keep at bay bigger players like Hindustan Unilever and Tata Global Beverages. Despite stiff competition from their brands such as Taj Mahal, Tata Tea, Brooke Bond Red Label and Taaza, and a host of other sub-brands, Society Tea has maintained its leadership in Maharashtra with a 40 per cent market share. On the brands presence in the Southern markets, Shah said that the perception about South Indian market preferring coffee is not true. He added, During my personal visit, I have seen as many, if not less, tea stalls just like in Mumbai city. We have presence in Bangalore and are continuously expanding. E-commerce players are also helping us foray into the Southern markets. Brewing a well-planned marketing mix Though he refrained from disclosing about the revenue earnings, Shah said, We promise to make an all-out effort to delight our customers with new products and make our presence felt in their day to day lives. Unified by Tea At the start of this year, Society Tea embarked on a brand campaign The Tea Society Called India that celebrated the unifying and proudly home-grown tea drinking culture across the length and breadth of our country. To essay a wonderful human interest brand story campaign idea, the right set of photographers and filmmakers were handpicked for lyrical, documentary style of photography and film. The Tea Society Called India campaign features photography mavens Palani Mohan, a Hong Kong based award-winning photographer, and Rakesh Haridas, whose Instagram feed showcases a truly unique style of photography. These mavens covered the length and breadth of India, right from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and Meghalaya to Mumbai. This human interest campaign was spearheaded by Sachin Pillai, a young director with film production company, Epitome. The brand campaign was conceptualised by Sukumar Menon, who heads the BlackSwanLife team. Elaborating on the ideology behind The Tea Society Called India campaign, Shah explained, The idea of this passionate campaign emerged serendipitously from the brand name itself, Society Tea. The intent with this campaign is to celebrate the tea drinking culture across the length and breadth of India. Society Tea has always strived to maintain a consistent quality with infallible taste. Our travels whilst executing this campaign across several regions in India is testimony to our passion for quality. The campaign is a perfect amalgamation of people who are unique and diverse as it perfectly captures our brand footprint across incredible India. Adding further, he said, If there is one thread that binds us unequivocally as a nation, one ritual that symbolises unity in diversity, and one language that transcends regional distinctiveness, it is our love of tea. Being innately Indian is synonymous with starting the day with a steaming cup of chai. Be it a time held, homemade recipe, or the special chai of the ever-dependent tapir chaiwallah around the bend near the office building, tea is constant in our lives. Society Tea has always been invested in the cause of charity. The Tea Society Called India campaign gave us an opportunity to go back to our roots. Through this campaign, we are hopeful of reaching out to underprivileged children, deprived women and others neglected by the society, who will get to see a better day because of the support, he added. The road ahead Society Tea intends to continue with The Tea Society Called India campaign which will evolve with more memorabilia that shares the story of the tea drinking culture in India, followed by exhibitions and events of various genres. Shah concluded by highlighting the three-pronged focus areas for Society Tea going forward: Electoral politics in Turkey steadily fading with President Recep Tayyip Erdogans determined march toward one-man rule has charged back with a vengeance. In the past few days, the countrys secular, main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) delighted Erodgan critics when it loaned 15 of its lawmakers to the fellow oppositionist Good Party in a gambit aimed at ensuring the latters participation in the June 24 snap election. [CHP leader] Kemal Kilicdaroglu is beyond all praise, marveled Good leader Meral Aksener in a statement. This is a democratic approach of historic proportions. Even the CHPs Islamist detractors joined in the applause. With this move the CHP succeeded in throwing off the political inertia to which it had been condemned for so long and secured the upper hand, wrote Mustafa Karaalioglu, a former Erdogan supporter and columnist, in the conservative daily Karar. The CHPs maneuver has given renewed hope to millions of Turks long resigned to an Erdogan victory as being inevitable. It also appears to have rattled Erdogan and his lieutenants. In a sign of displeasure, Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim walked out of a parliamentary session convened on the occasion of National Childrens Day when Good Party lawmaker Nuri Okutan took the floor. Aksener riposted in a tweet, Just wait, on June 24, the people will walk away from you. Pressed to comment on Erdogans walking out, Kilicdaroglu told reporters, It's an insult to democracy. The inability to digest [our] success is a sign of defeat. One of the reasons behind Erdogans surprise decision to bring presidential and parliamentary elections forward from the originally scheduled date of Nov. 3, 2019, was to exclude the newly formed right-wing Good Party by denying it time to fulfill all the conditions needed to qualify. Thanks to the CHPs gesture, the party now has 20 lawmakers, enough to form a parliamentary group and push Turkeys Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) into formally declaring the partys eligibility to run. Meral Aksener, a former interior minister who broke away from Erdogans informal coalition partner, the far-right Nationalist Action Party (MHP), to form the Good Party last year, is perceived as enough of a threat that the government and the MHP have been erecting hurdles along her path. If anything, the snap polls have galvanized the opposition into a frenzy of deal-making aimed at preventing Erdogan from winning the more than 50% of the vote needed to bag a vastly empowered presidency in the first round of balloting. A CHP operative who spoke to Al-Monitor on the condition of anonymity said that the CHP and the small pro-Islamic Felicity, which is poised to siphon votes away from Erdogans ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), were working to persuade Aksener to pull out of the presidential race and to back a candidate to be jointly endorsed by all three parties. That candidate is rumored to be Abdullah Gul, AKP co-founder and former president. Gul can only be coaxed into the ring if assured of a reasonable stab at victory against Erdogan. A reformist widely respected in international circles, Gul is viewed as the candidate most able to draw conservative, pious voters away from the AKP as well as attract Kurds, who constitute approximately 18% of the electorate. The CHP source said Aksener is being offered the position of vice president as a consolation prize but is resisting. Although the rules under the new executive presidential system narrowly approved in April last year by referendum remain fuzzy, there will likely be more than one vice president. Thus Kilicdaroglu and a Kurd, if the largest pro-Kurdish bloc is co-opted, would be allotted seats as well. What Gul will decide remains unclear. With 82 days to go before the elections, however, he needs to show his hand and fast. The Kemalists and Alevis recoil at the thought of voting for Gul because of his Islamist past, but if Gul were to obtain sufficient CHP backing and around half of the 15-20% of undecided voters, he would have a fair shot at defeating Erdogan. That is, unless the government resorts to massive fraud at the ballot box. Critics believe that given the shenanigans in the April 2017 referendum, this is a distinct possibility. With Erdogan being tainted by allegations of massive corruption, and having accumulated so many enemies over 15-plus years in power, his electoral gamble is a fight for survival. Erdogan has survived coups real and planned, political bans and a stint in prison, proving time and again that he is one of the most adept fighters in Turkey's modern history. Few understand that as well as Gul, his political ally for more than two decades. As the May 12 parliamentary elections draw closer, religious figures and institutions in Iraq are exchanging views over participation in the elections; some call for boycotting the elections, some recommend voting for new candidates and others promote certain political parties in one way or another. During the April 13 Friday sermon, the representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Ahmed al-Safi, reiterated how the Shiite religious establishment in Najaf insists that politicians who have previously failed to live up to executive or legislative responsibility not be elected. Safi warned against voting for those who have not provided any services to the people, saying, "Don't vote for those you voted for before and who failed. He stressed the importance of choosing individuals who have the ability to swiftly respond and solve problems. Sistani's representatives took to explaining his opinion, calling on voters to be careful and spare Iraq the dangers of choosing an ineffective parliament and government. Rashid al-Husseini, a high-ranking cleric close to Sistani, told Al-Furat TV on April 14, The corrupt people we have voted for have robbed the nation. We ought to not vote for them again, even if they are members of our clan or sect. Husseini said, I would rather trust a faithful Christian than a corrupt Shiite. A person who does not pray and fast but can be trusted with the money of the people and the nation is deserving of my vote. Even if a person prays and fasts, I can never vote for them if they steal. A number of other clerics close to Sistani also have made it clear that no one should vote for someone who took an executive or legislative position in the post-2003 Iraqi governments, warning about new candidates used by the parties in power to deceive voters into voting for the parties again. The clerics also called for there to be, first and foremost, competent and honest candidates. Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr addressed Sistani on April 16, saying, Sistani spoke about 'not voting for people we trusted before and who failed,' while you said, 'cut them from the roots,' in reference to removing the current political class altogether. Our question is: Does this refer to those who won previous elections or those who served in an executive position such as a minister or a governor and his deputies? Sadr stressed the need to choose new and trustworthy political figures, saying that Sistanis words "need to be applied and should rise above the voice of corruption. Although Shiite religious leaders in Najaf insisted that they do not support any candidate or political entity, Shiite cities, including Najaf, are still filled with pictures of candidates alongside a religious leader or authority to encourage religious people to vote for them. Iraqi parties are clearly exploiting the religious institution and its representatives to serve their political interests. Meanwhile, the Iraqi street is fairly frustrated by the elections, since many see voting as ineffective. Sadr tried to parry this frustration by saying that boycotting the elections would eventually allow the corrupt to rise to power and calling on Iraqis to prevent corruption "and save the nation with your nationalist votes. On the other hand, a number of religious leaders called on the Iraqi people to boycott the elections. Jawad al-Khalisi, an influential Shiite cleric in the city of Kadhimiya, near Baghdad, spoke about the legislative elections during his Friday sermon March 30, describing them as fraudulent and deceptive. He said that they are fabricated by the occupation. He called on the Iraqi people to refuse to participate in these elections. He said, The occupations political project, false elections and corrupt class are what put Iraq in this situation, reiterating the need to boycott all participation be it by running or voting. Khalisi had previously said that participating in the elections would be a clear-cut sin by those who want to make themselves a laughingstock and a tool in the hands of the immoral enemies of Islam. There are also civil calls for boycotting the elections; some have sought UN intervention in overseeing the elections, passing new electoral laws, appointing an independent commission and guaranteeing full supervision of the vote. What makes the 2018 elections different from the first elections in 2005 is that Sunni religious leaders are not hesitating to urge the Sunni street to participate, although many of them had urged a Sunni voter boycott in the past. The Fiqh Council of Iraq, considered the largest authority for Sunnis in Iraq, has called on Iraqis to actively participate in the elections, even if the intention is to reduce corruption as much as possible, not to succumb to feelings of frustration and not to follow the calls of the devil or the deceitful. It seems that the diverse religious views on the elections and the attempt of the religious institutions to distance themselves is a natural development of the democratic process in Iraqi society that has been taking form, in fits and starts, since 2003. The Iraqi people have come a long way since they were a traditional society following religious and tribal loyalties; they now form a politically diverse society in which the religious institutions seek to avoid interference in the political rivalry among parties. Former Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi, who was behind some of the most notorious prison deaths in Iran the last decade, was apprehended April 22 and transferred to Evin prison, where he will serve a two-year sentence for being an accessory to murder in 2009. On April 12, a spokesman for Irans judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, when asked about Mortazavis longstanding case, said, His verdict has been issued, but unfortunately we havent been able to find him. Mohseni-Ejeis comments instantly went viral, with Iranians mockingly posting Wanted pictures of Mortazavi on social media. Iranian social media users also posted pictures of Wanted posters that had been put up on Iranian streets. That a former high government official, one who was often still seen in attendance at official gatherings or Friday prayers, could not be found was laughable to most Iranians. He was apprehended over the weekend in a village in northern Iran. Mortazavi was once referred to as the Butcher of Tehran for his role in shuttering Reformist newspapers during his time as Tehran's prosecutor. He had come to symbolize the immunity that the judiciary and hard-line officials operate with in Iran. A parliamentary panel held Mortazavi directly responsible for three deaths in Kahrizak prison following the 2009 protests of the presidential election. He has also been linked to the 2003 death of Canadian-Iranian photographer Zahra Kazemi and to financial improprieties at Irans Social Security Organization. Mortazavi has held so many different important positions within the government he began his career as a prosecutor while only in his 20s that Shargh Daily asked, Which Mortazavi was sent to prison? Mortazavis conviction was specifically for the death of Mohsen Rouholamini, the son of an adviser to conservative presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaeis campaign. Under the orders of Mortazavi, Rouholamini was rounded up in the 2009 protests and transferred to Kahrizak detention center, where, along with other detainees, he was abused and eventually died of his wounds. Mortazavi remained defiant to the end, having once claimed during the appellate process via a statement (he refused to personally attend), Under this government I will never go to prison. Despite Mortazavis arrest, Iranian activists and social media users are not necessarily celebrating the application of justice in this case. Mortazavi is believed to have been sent to Ward 241 in Evin prison, where Hamid Baghaei, another official from the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad administration, is serving a prison sentence for corruption. Mehdi Hashemi, the son of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, is also believed to be in this section serving out his corruption sentence. BBC Persian radio quipped whether or not Mortazavi is being sent to Evin hotel. Many others compared Mortazavis light sentence with those of the activists who were arrested during the 2009 protests and sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. Many of those activists were also later barred from working as journalists or activists and had their careers completely derailed. Some of the high-profile dual nationals who have been arrested in Iran in recent years on dubious charges also received much harsher punishments than Mortazavi. British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to five years in prison by Irans judiciary. Father and son Siamak and Baquer Namazi were both sentenced to 10 years in prison. LUCERNE, Switzerland The works of Iraqi cartoonists have inspired both curiosity and awe at Fumetto 2018, one of Europes leading festivals for graphic design, but the Iraqi graphic artists who drew them were conspicuously absent. We were expecting to land in Lucerne, Switzerland, two days before the festival began on April 14, Iraqi graphic novelist Hussein Adil, 23, told Al-Monitor. However, the visa applications of his team of comic animators four men and one woman were rejected by the Swiss Embassy in Lebanon. Everyone attended, except us. We are Iraqis, Adil said, sighing at this lost opportunity to attend their first European comix festival. Jana Jakoubek, the artistic director of the festival, told the Swiss French-language paper Le Temps that she felt both angered and saddened. An appeal filed by festival organizers accepted by Switzerland on April 16 came too late to enable the Iraqi artists' participation. Adil and his colleagues are from Mesaha, Iraqs first-ever comic strip collective. Founded in 2015 by four graphic designers including Adil, the group first came together to publish a comic book for adults. Mesaha, which means "space" in Arabic, publishes a magazine and provides workshops for graphic designers and cartoonists. Mesahas illustrations that narrate the traumas and memories of Iraqs last few decades have been displayed before, both locally and regionally, including at the CairoComix festival in October 2016. Mesahas participation at Fumetto 2018 was a dream come true an opening to European comix circles for the Iraqi artists who get few opportunities to step into the international spotlight. (Fumetto is the Italian word for a speech balloon in comics.) The teams works were displayed in two separate exhibitions held at different venues in Lucerne as part of Fumetto 2018, which took place on April 14-22. The exhibition titled Mesahas Water Project was held at the Sonnenberg bunker, Europes largest bomb shelter. The bunker was chosen for the perceived threat it may elicit for visitors, stirring discomfort comparable to the war experience of participating artists. The bunker as a symbol entwines the history of the country hosting the art with the country from where the art traveled. The group's water-themed exhibit, which focused on man's vital relationship with water, consisted of four different narratives. One of them illustrated the words of a popular Iraqi folklore song by Fouad Salem, which is about the beauty of Iraqs natural landscape and the comforts many take for granted. I drew what rose to mind from its lyrics, as an oasis from a certain time and place took shape on paper, Adil told Al-Monitor from Baghdad by phone. Another work in this exhibit drawn by Mays Yasser, Mesahas only female member spoke of the events in Mosul after the city fell to Islamic State (IS) fighters in June 2014. The narrative is through the eyes of a boy whose father joins IS. As the boy tries to run away, to escape the perpetual cycle of death, destruction and rebirth, he sees his father by the lake. The boy tries to get his father to remember the person he once was, and they are both drawn to the lake, where they turn into fish. The second exhibition called "Shelter" was held in the main exhibition hall in Lucerne. It displayed on large canvases stories from Mesahas comic strip Zawaya, which means "corners" in Arabic. It collected six different stories that touched upon controversial subjects, including real narratives of wars. Our work [here] addresses adult themes, Adil emphasized. [They are not] intended for children. One of the themes was honor killings. In Adil's drawings, the protagonist is not a woman but a male tribal chieftain. The story is a comic adaptation of a real-life honor killing story following a homosexual affair. Yassers second work centered on a deaf girl unable but eager to hear the cacophony of war cries and artillery smothering Iraq. Watching the wincing faces of her family members as they listen, she tried to depict these sounds with her crayon. What resulted in her attempts was a monster. The two exhibitions featured Iraqi artists expressing naked emotions about the war, including intimate feelings and commentary about volatile wars they have lived through. Adil described the comix industry in Iraq as lacking and crushed beneath years of violence, occupation, war and civil unrest. The arts and culture sector remain chronically underfunded as a low-ranking government priority. Adil said that years of violence have led to the collapse of the comix industry in Iraq and at present there are only two types of cartoons: childrens cartoons or grown-up comix that toe the regimes line. Against that cultural backdrop, Mesaha, an independent venture, is a lonely voice that advocates the universality of comic art. The medium of choice, Adil said, opens a pictorial space for Iraqi youth to express situations that are personal to them. The broader aim of their works is to challenge the belief that war is the only hallmark in Iraqs existence. The Middle Easts homegrown cartoons as graphic novels, cartoons strips and animations have received recognition regionally and internationally. However, in cash-stripped Iraq, the industry is still taking baby steps and the links of the Iraqi cartoonists with the rest of the world are few. As a nongovernmental organization, Mesaha receives no government subsidy or international support. The next leap of faith for Mesaha is to secure funding to establish its own contemporary equivalent of "dar al-funoon," a place of higher learning in Middle Eastern history, through artist-in-residence programs, where artists can collaborate and escape the confines of life in modern-day Iraq. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has dismissed accusations that Israel gunned down Palestinian electrical engineer Fadi al-Batsh in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. However, in an April 22 interview on Israels Kan public radio, Liberman left no room for doubt that Israel had all the reasons in the world to want to assassinate him. The man was not a saint, Liberman said. He wasnt involved with improving the electricity grid or infrastructure and water. We have heard the announcements by the heads of Hamas taking responsibility for the man, explaining that he was involved with the production of rockets, with improving the rockets accuracy. Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, who also holds the governments intelligence affairs portfolio, provided an even stronger hint. Based on the cries of despair from the heads of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, it turns out he wasn't such a great saint and the citizens of Israel have no reason to shed a tear over him being gone," he told Ynet news website. Nonetheless, he added, Hamas has other enemies, and many elements in this region, not just Israel, have an interest in hurting its capabilities." Katz also referred to the implied threat by Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, who accused Israel of the Malaysian operation and warned that his organization could settle the score by terror attacks against Israeli targets abroad. "There will be an unsettled account between us and [the Mossad]," Haniyeh said. To which Katz responded with a barely veiled threat of his own: "Gaza is much closer than Malaysia." Batsh was born in Jabaliya refugee camp. He studied electrical engineering at the Islamic University and left the Gaza Strip for Malaysia in 2011 to complete his doctoral studies. Several years later, he became a senior lecturer at the University of Kuala Lumpur. His move to Malaysia probably saved his life in the past. During Operation Protective Edge in 2014, 18 of his family members were killed in an Israeli attack. Then, on April 21, two assassins on motorbikes fired 20 rounds at point-blank range, killing Batsh. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad have issued threats to avenge his assassination. Both have claimed him as their own. Whether he was originally a Hamas or Islamic Jihad recruit, one thing is clear: Batsh was an excellent engineer who helped the Hamas military wing improve the range of its rockets and contributed greatly to the development of the movements ambitious new drone project. At the mourning tent put up for Batsh in Gaza, Haniyeh said, The timing of the assassination of the scholar is intended. He did not elaborate, but appeared to be hinting at what Israel already knows that the Hamas military wing is busy developing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and has even tested it. During these test flights, Hamas UAVs infiltrated Israeli airspace and were shot down. In February 2017, an Israeli F-16 fighter jet shot down a Hamas aircraft flying over the Mediterranean coast. Six months earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published a video clip showing a Hamas drone intercepted along the coastline. According to the IDF, Israel detected the launch of the drone from Gaza and monitored its flight until its interception. Despite the interceptions, Hamas continues its test flights. A Palestinian source in Gaza told Al-Monitor that Gaza residents occasionally see aircraft flying over the coast. These aircraft take off from inside the Gaza Strip in the Khan Yunis area and head for the Mediterranean, the source said on condition of anonymity. Israel claims that both Hamas drones it intercepted were primitive, low-tech aircraft constituting little threat. However, experience in confronting Hamas weapons development capabilities shows that such projects must be stopped from the outset. At the turn of the century, Israel ignored, and even derided, Hamas rocket development attempts. The IDF treated the initial rockets test fired along the Gaza coast as crude projectiles. It only realized afterward that Hamas was investing extensive resources in developing the rockets, and even recruiting Islamic University students to contribute their skills to the military project that would shift the balance of power with Israel. When Israel killed Qassam rocket developers Adnan al-Ghoul and Nidal Farahat in 2004, it was too late. The Qassam project could not be stopped and it has since enabled the Hamas military arm to develop a deterrent capability against Israel. Israel has no intention of making the same mistake in identifying future threats and thwarting them. Batsh is not the first engineer whom Israel is thought to have killed, according to foreign media reports, over his alleged involvement in developing Hamas drones. In December 2016, an engineer named Mohammed al-Zoari was assassinated in Tunisia. He, too, was reportedly engaged in the UAV project, and he, too, was shot at point-blank range by two motorcycle-riding assassins. Just as Zoaris assassination did not stop the progress of the Hamas flagship project, Batshs death is unlikely to signal its demise, either. The organization has significantly accelerated its drone development. The Hamas leadership has intensified these efforts in recent months as it watched Israel destroy, one by one, the Palestinian attack tunnels dug under Gaza, burying an investment estimated at tens of millions of dollars. Now one can only wonder whether Haniyeh and Mohammed al-Deif, the head of the Hamas military wing, really believe the drone project can change the balance of power vis-a-vis the Israeli air force, one of the most advanced in the world. The 2 million Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip are paying every hour of every day for these skewed priorities based mostly on the illusion of military might. President Donald Trump has made it clear that hes ready to be done with the much-maligned Iran nuclear deal. What that means, exactly, remains a topic of intense speculation with profound ramifications for the fate of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Barring an improbable last-minute deal with other JCPOA parties to extend certain nuclear restrictions and punish Iran for its ballistic missile tests, Trump is likely to reinstate a first batch of congressional sanctions lifted under the deal when his waiver authority expires on May 12. The administration would then be required to punish countries that import Iranian oil, while retaining wide latitude on how aggressively it goes after sanctions violators, particularly US allies who remain committed to making the deal work. The presidents plans beyond the May 12 deadline are even more enigmatic. The deal has no formal exit mechanism, so Trump could conceivably reinstate some relatively benign sanctions and call it a day while Iran and the other parties to the deal continue to implement it even as the United States remains on the sidelines. On the other end of the spectrum, Trump could reimpose a whole slew of US sanctions in one fell swoop or even make use of a little-noticed provision of the JCPOA that would trigger a diplomatic standoff at the United Nations and force a resumption of international sanctions, condemning the deal to die. Its sort of a question mark what the president truly intends to do, said Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies who previously worked on sanctions legislation on Capitol Hill. He told Al-Monitor, The terminology withdrawing from the deal would imply that the president is going to reimpose all sanctions that were waived under the JCPOA. That would go beyond just this one waiver on May 12. Secondary sanctions Reinstating sanctions on May 12 would inhibit Tehrans ability to export oil by threatening so-called secondary sanctions on countries that engage in transactions with Irans Central Bank. If a country imports Iranian oil, any banks facilitating the transaction risk being cut off from the US financial system. But the law also allows the US president to exempt a country from financial isolation if he certifies that a bank has significantly reduced Iranian oil purchases. An April report from the Congressional Research Service notes that the lack of precise definition of significant reduction in oil purchases [has given] the administration flexibility in applying the exemption provision. Jarrett Blanc, who coordinated oversight of the JCPOA for Barack Obamas State Department, told Al-Monitor that sanctioning European banks would be an unprecedented hostile act in trans-Atlantic relations. Yet European diplomats appear to be bracing for exactly that. Reuters reported in February that the European Union is considering measures to shield its firms from US secondary sanctions. Almost every country in the world, but certainly our European allies, have a deep objection to our secondary sanctions policy, said Blanc. They say that we are trying to export our sanctions policy to non-American actors. In the past when weve threatened secondary sanctions, Europe has said, if youre actually going to do this, its going to cause problems between us. In 1996, for example, the EU responded to US secondary sanctions on foreign companies doing business with Iran, Libya and Cuba by imposing a blocking regulation that penalized European firms for withdrawing their business with US-sanctioned countries. Tyler Cullis, a sanctions lawyer with the Washington firm Ferrari & Associates, told Al-Monitor, What the EU regulation provided is that if the US had assets in Europe, those assets would be seized in order to compensate a European firms losses as a result of US sanctions. They could just amend that blocking regulation to include all of those sanctions listed as part of the JCPOA, said Cullis. The prospect of being frozen out of the US financial system, however, could well override such guarantees and force European firms to curtail business with Iran. For risk-adverse firms, simply reactivating a US sanctions law even if the Trump administration adopts a light touch could still scare them out of the Iranian market. Its really strange, murky territory here, Cullis said. Legal risks still remain regardless of whether [Trump] makes a public announcement of nonenforcement or not. Additional waivers and sanctions After the looming May 12 deadline, Trump faces three more waiver deadlines in July. If he does not renew them, he would have to reimpose a host of other sanctions, including those targeting Irans hard currency reserves in foreign banks as well as its energy, shipping and shipbuilding sectors. As part of the nuclear negotiations, the Obama administration also removed sanctions on some 300 Iranian individuals and entities that had been targeted under various executive orders. Trump would need to reinstate those as well in order to bring the pre-deal US sanctions regime back into full force. Reissuing the sanctions is actually a much more complicated affair than just [terminating] the waivers, Cullis noted. If [Trump] doesnt waive sanctions but doesnt take any further steps, what you have is really a shell of what existed prior to the nuclear deal. Reinstating those sanctions could consume a considerable amount of the Treasury Departments resources, however, and theres no guarantee it could be done in a timely manner. Considering that the 300-plus Iranian parties were designated under various US sanctions authorities over a 10-year time period, their immediate reinclusion onto the US sanctions lists will be a significant haul for the agency, said Cullis. Forcing UN sanctions The other parties to the nuclear deal France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China have shown interest in staying on board with or without the United States. But a little-noticed mechanism in the JCPOA appears to spell out a clear path for the Trump administration to unilaterally tank the deal, if its willing to face the diplomatic blowback. Under the accords dispute resolution mechanism, any party to the deal may treat an unresolved issue as grounds to cease performing its commitments under the JCPOA while the issue moves to the UN Security Council for review. The council then has a month to resolve the issue. If it cant, all the multilateral sanctions lifted under the JCPOA resume, in effect killing the deal. It would be perceived as such an aggressive step by the Europeans that in a universe where presumably the administration is trying to balance competing priorities, they would at least think twice about doing that, Blanc said. After Iran exceeded its heavy water stockpile limit in February 2016 by less than 1 metric ton, some of the deals detractors argued that was a concrete example of a violation. Others point to Irans ballistic missile program, transfer of missiles to Yemens Houthi rebels and declarations that the JCPOA does not give international inspectors access to certain military sites. They dont need a credible pretext, Blanc noted. They just let the clock run out and then go through the Security Council and go through all the relevant steps. Nobody can stop it. The JCPOA was designed to hold Iran to account, he added. It was not designed to hold a disingenuous US administration to account. A diplomatic ploy? For all the hand-wringing over the fate of the hard-fought deal, its just as possible that Trump is banking on the looming threat of US withdrawal to secure concessions on a range of achievable fixes to the deal. These include prolonging certain nuclear restrictions beyond their sunset date, enhancing international inspections at Iranian military sites and cracking down on Tehrans ballistic missile program. During his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Trumps nominee to head the State Department, Mike Pompeo, left the door open to US participation in a more stringent deal even after Trump reinstates sanctions in May. If theres no chance that we can fix it, I will recommend to the president that we will do our level best to work with our allies to achieve a better outcome and a better deal, even after May 12, Pompeo told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing earlier this month. After meeting with Pompeo, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., insisted to reporters that Trumps nominee appeared to have a strong preference for fixing the deal. He thinks the only way you can fix it is by being in the position to nix it, said Cardin. And if it gets nixed, it gets nixed. As Turkey braces for snap elections on June 24, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) risks losing the support of an important segment of its base conservative Kurds due to its sharp shift to hard-line nationalism. A major question now is how to lure the vote of the resentful Kurds, who are emerging as a key player in the elections. Recent surveys suggest that Kurdish voters could become kingmakers in the crucial legislative and presidential polls, which will mark Turkeys transition to a new governance system headed by an omnipotent president. In an unprecedented flurry of contacts, opposition parties are looking for various forms of cooperation to beat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in what many see as the last chance to save Turkish democracy. Kadir Atalay, the owner of the PIAR polling company, said the predominantly pious Kurdish supporters of the AKP and Erdogan are no longer on board. Atalay told Al-Monitor that the main reason Kurds backed Erdogan was their trust in his commitment to resolve the Kurdish question, and that now, after the U-turn he made, they feel deceived and abandoned. Ahmet Faruk Unsal, a conservative Kurd who served as an AKP lawmaker but has now fallen out with the party, confirms the deep sense of disappointment among the Kurds. In 2002, when it was newly established, the AKPs messages suggested it would open up the locked doors of democracy, and in the 2002-2007 period, its political performance was congruent with those messages. In the 2007-2013 period, it also launched the settlement process. That was the reason for the [Kurdish] support, Unsal told Al-Monitor. As the settlement process collapsed and the Kurdish political movement in neighboring Syria began to gain strength, the AKP took a hard-line stance against the Kurdish political movement both in Turkey and in the region, which has led Kurds to withdraw their support, Unsal said. The AKPs alliance with the far-right Nationalist Action Party (MHP), the ferocious crackdown on Kurdish militants that devastated whole towns and neighborhoods in 2015-2016, Ankaras threats to Iraqi Kurds over their independence bid last year and, most recently, the Turkish offensive on the mainly Kurdish city of Afrin in Syria have all disillusioned the Kurds, according to Unsal. Thats why the political preferences of Kurds have significantly shifted, he said. According to Atalays findings, antagonizing Kurdish supporters has cost the AKP about 4 points of its vote. The party won 49.5% in the last general elections in November 2015. Our surveys on AKP losses indicate that the party has lost 4 points through Kurdish voters who are against the environment of conflict and support the peace process, he said. Opposition parties are now eager to attract the disgruntled Kurds. Chief among them is the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), which represents nationalist Kurds and leads the Kurdish political movement in Turkey. After the prospect of early elections emerged last week, HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan quickly made it clear that the partys election strategy would rest on Kurdish disillusionment with Ankara. While going to Afrin, you spoke of delivering an Ottoman slap, but now you get ready to receive a Kurdish slap. You will choke on the songs you were singing on the way to Afrin, she said April 17. Meral Danis Bestas, the HDPs parliamentary whip, said Kurds across the political spectrum are bracing to punish the government at the ballot boxes. The Kurds even those who are not HDP supporters will respond to the Afrin operation, the removal of Kurdish-language signs [in Turkeys southeast] and the imprisonment of [Kurdish] lawmakers, she told Al-Monitor. An incredible policy of rejection and denial is underway against the Kurds. The Kurds are a politicized people, and they will definitely respond to it. Bestas added, Our message to all our people is this: You are the ones to give the best answer to the hostility displayed against you. We will fully support your response. Atalay defines the profile of the AKPs Kurdish supporters as conservative, Sunni Muslim and pious Kurds. Ayhan Bilgen, one of the HDPs few conservative lawmakers, told Al-Monitor that the election campaign would coincide with the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. While he said he believes Erdogan will draw on the occasion to use a deeply religious rhetoric in a bid to keep pious Kurds on his side, Bilgen is confident that the HDP is capable of producing an efficient counter-rhetoric. We will block the exploitation of religion, he said. Atalay said the disgruntled Kurdish vote is currently divided between the HDP, the Felicity Party, which, like the AKP, has its roots in political Islam, and the Good Party, created several months ago by high-profile defectors from the MHP opposed to their partys alliance with Erdogan. Still, important numbers of the disgruntled Kurds remain undecided, and they could either shun the polls or end up supporting Erdogan again if they fail to find an alternative in a short period of time, Atalay said. The HDP is working on strategies to lure Kurdish voters who have previously shunned the party. In early April, a high-level HDP delegation traveled to Erbil for icebreaking talks with Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, who enjoys widespread respect among Turkeys conservative Kurds. Bilgen, who is also the HDPs spokesman, told Al-Monitor that the party would also seek dialogue with fellow opposition parties. Abdullatif Sener, a former deputy premier who has also fallen out with Erdogan, said opposition parties should cooperate with the HDP, for the party is the only medium to snatch away the Kurds who have supported the AKP and Erdogan. If Kurds are to be the kingmakers in the upcoming polls, the most efficient strategy against the AKP-MHP alliance appears to be the creation of an opposition bloc that will embrace the HDP, with the HDP itself embracing the disgruntled Kurds. Tikal is enchanting. The Mayan ruins in Guatemala are ancient wonders built between the 6th century BC and the 10th century AD. Reclaimed by the jungle hundreds of years ago, theyve been partially excavated and stand as reminders of a great civilization. Ive traveled to Central America from London to see them, and cant wait to spend time visiting Tikal. Visiting Tikal Its been a journey to get here. I flew from London to Miami and spent the night there. The next day I flew to Belize City and traveled onward to San Ignacio, a town near the border with Guatemala. I spent another night there, then left early this morning with a day tour on which I booked a one-way, transport-only ticket. The tour gets me across the border and to the entrance of the national park, where I buy my tickets for the day, the evening, and the following morning. I later learn that while you can now only officially purchase them here, the hotels in the park sell them, too. Tikal Hotel Once in Tikal National Park, I head to my hotel and check into my room. Tikal Inn is nicer than I imagined, and Im happy with both the room and the facilities. The WiFi works well, theres plenty of hot water, and the staff is friendly. Theres a welcoming swimming pool, too. Visiting Tikal: The Mayan Ruins But Im not here to sit around in my hotel. The park is vastthe central part of the ancient city has 3,000 buildings and covers 16 square kilometersand I have limited time for visiting Tikal. I grab my hat, sunscreen, water, and map and hit the paths. This being April, there are no insects and few visitors to contend with, so its worth braving hot temperatures to be here now instead of peak tourist season. Temples I pass a number of smaller Mayan ruins before catching a glimpse of the main event: Temple I. This imposing structure sits on one side of the Grand Plaza, the most iconic place in Tikal. I spend time exploring the area, climbing the ruins, and heading up the stairs to take in the views from Temple II. Its amazing to be here, and more impressive than I ever dreamed. From the Grand Plaza I head over to Temple IV, the tallest pre-Columbian structure in the Americas. Its famous for its view, which featured in Star Wars: Episode IV. Given I spent my childhood playing with Princess Leia action figures, its amazing to see one of the filming locations in person while visiting Tikal. Descending the steps, I head over to the Lost World, where the pyramid has stunning views of many of the surrounding temples. Afterwards I walk to the Plaza of the Seven Temples and Temple V, the latter of which I have all to myself. I feel like Indiana Jones. I spend the rest of the afternoon meandering along narrow paths, watching howler and spider monkeys swing from the trees, and spotting coatimundis running around on the ground. I make it over to the North Zone and out to Temple VI, one of the more remote temples and worth the long walk. By the time I make it back to my hotel in Tikal, Im exhausted. But theres more to come, as Ive booked myself on the sunset tour. I had read about how one day in Tikal isnt enough, which is why I decided to stay overnight so I could go into the park at sunset and sunrise. An hour before sunset, I head off with a guide from Tikal Inn. Visiting Tikal: Sunset Tour There are fewer people around than there were during the day, but thats not saying much. A lot of people visiting Tikal do the sunset tour. The sunset is obscured by the clouds, but at least our vantage point at the top of the pyramid in the Lost World allows us to see toucans and parrots flying about. When we get back to the hotel, I decide not to go on the sunrise tour the next morning. Thats not least because the next morning I dont exactly have a way to travel back to Belize. Tikal to Belize There are several options, but most of them are extremely expensive, logistically complex, or long in duration. Thankfully I manage to catch a ride with a tour group that has booked transport to Belize City, my next port of call. They generously let me go along with them, solving my transport problem and lowering my anxiety levels at the same time. Visiting Tikal: The Verdict Despite the hectic ending, Ive had a great time visiting Tikal and am glad I made the trip. I have two more weeks in Central America after this, and the ruins have set the bar high for the rest of my time in the region. Like many people I met while visiting Tikal, Im off to Caye Caulker next. Stay tuned New here? Join thousands of others and subscribe to the A Lady in London blog via email or Bloglovin. One of the links in this blog post is an affiliate link. At no cost to you, I earn a small commission when you click on it and make a purchase. It doesnt affect the way you shop, and its a great way to support the A Lady in London blog. Pin it! Iran is moving very quickly towards production of a nuclear bomb and could have a weapon within two years, the United Press International reported. The quote was published in a 1984 article headlined Ayatollah bomb in production for Iran but it might as well have been published today. For more than three decades Western politicians and the press have been claiming that Iran is a nuclear threat. Israeli leaders Benjamin Netanyahu and Shimon Peres echoed this claim numerous times in the 1990s, warning that Iran would build an atomic bomb by the next decade. In the fall of 2012, Netanyahu declared at the United Nations General Assembly meeting with his infamous bomb cartoon that Iran would be able to build a nuclear weapon by June 2013. The following October, former US President Barack Obama followed with a new deadline that Iran is a year away from making a nuclear bomb. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu points to a cartoon bomb representing Irans nuclear programme at the UN General Assembly in September 2012 [Lucas Jackson/Reuters] Most recently, the press reported earlier this month that Yossi Cohen, head of Israels Mossad intelligence agency, stated he is 100 percent certain that Iran is seeking to build a nuclear weapon. And yet, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has released eight statements over the years confirming that Tehran has been meeting its nuclear commitments fully. In July 2015, a landmark nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was reached between Iran and the P5+1 countries: China, France, Russia, the UK, the US plus Germany, in which Iran agreed to reduce its enrichment of uranium, curbing its nuclear programme and ending decades of sanctions on the country. While Iran has proved to be following its commitments, US President Donald Trump has found a new threat Irans ballistic missile programme and has threatened to scrap the nuclear agreement, which he has called the worst deal ever. So how much of a nuclear threat is Iran? Al Jazeera spoke with Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist and author of Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare, with more than a decade of research into the topic, to learn more. Al Jazeera: We heard yet another claim earlier this month, this time from the chief of Mossad, that Iran is planning to build a nuclear bomb. Youve uncovered a wealth of evidence that proves Iran is not a threat. What are some of the most important pieces of evidence? Gareth Porter: I think the most important set of documentary evidence is the so-called laptop documents. Those were documents that were supposedly [smuggled out] from a covert Iranian nuclear weapons research programme in the early 2000s, but I was able to show in my book that these documents were in fact passed on to Western intelligence by the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK), who of course were sworn enemies of the regime. They were considered a terrorist organisation for many years, and most importantly the MEK was working hand in glove with Israels Mossad during the period when these documents surfaced. The Israelis had both the motive and the opportunity to manufacture these documents that Mossad had created, a special programme to circulate information about the Iranian nuclear programme to other governments and the news media of the world in 2003. That was just when these documents would have been produced. There are multiple indications that these documents are forgeries the most important of which are the drawings of what is alleged to be in the documents, a series of efforts to make a nuclear weapon with the Iranian Shahab 3 missile. These drawings actually show the wrong missile warhead. Its a missile warhead that the Iranians are known now to have abandoned by the time these drawings were supposedly brought into existence. It is the most important giveaway that these documents were not genuine; they were fake. Al Jazeera: You have previously said that to understand Iranian policy towards nuclear weapons, one should refer to the historical episode of its war with Iraq from 1980-1988. What can you tell us about that? Porter: If you go back to the Iran-Iraq war, what was happening for eight years was that Iraqs armed forces were hitting both military and civilian targets in Iran with chemical weapons, which caused as many as if I remember the figure 110,000 serious injuries and tens of thousands of deaths to Iranians because of the chemicals dropped on them by the Iraqis. The IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) in charge of Irans defences against the Iraqi attack wanted Ayatollah Khomeini to agree to go ahead with not just chemical and biological weapons but nuclear weapons, to have programmes to prepare the capability at least to retaliate, in order to try to deter at the very least the attacks of weapons of mass destruction by Iraq. There were those early in the war and late in the war who hoped that Khomeini would change his mind; and the reason that he gave in both cases is quite simple he said Iran cannot possess or use any weapons of mass destruction because it is illegal, illicit under Islam. He was the person in charge of the interpretation of what Islam meant for policies and laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is an extremely important and supremely convincing argument for the seriousness of the Iranian refusal to have a nuclear weapons programme Theres no real evidence to the contrary that suggests that Iran ever had a real nuclear weapons research programme. Iranian victims of Saddam Husseins gas attacks gather near the German embassy in Tehran in May 2004 as Iran unveiled a plaque denouncing Berlin as a supplier of chemical weapons to Saddams regime [Raheb Homavandi/Reuters] Al Jazeera: Weve seen over the years that Iran has acted cooperatively regarding its nuclear programme. However, in the end, theres always a new accusation that comes up. This time the US and allies are concerned with Irans ballistic missile programme. Why are they focused on Irans programme when other countries have ballistic missile programmes as well? Have we seen any credible evidence that proves that Iran is a threat that should be carefully watched? Porter: Its absolutely clear that Iran has simply used ballistic missiles as a deterrent far more than any other state in the Middle East because they do not have an air force. They do not have fighter jets or fighter-bombers that could deliver any conventional weapons as a retaliation for an attack on Iran. And that has been the case since the Islamic Republic of Iran was established in 1979. The other major players in the Middle East, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, both have ballistic missiles that are capable of hitting Iran. This is very clearly a matter of self-defence in terms of deterrence for Iran. And I think the reason for the United States taking a position that it has, has nothing to do with the reality of the situation; this is pure politics both international and domestic that have governed the position of US government not just under Trump but under George W Bush and Obama as well. Al Jazeera: Some say Iran is a threat because its leaders have allegedly stated their aim is to destroy Israel. How credible are these claims? Porter: The Iranians have never threatened an aggressive attack on Israel. What they have said is that Israel should cease to exist as a state in which only Jews have full rights, just as South Africa had to cease to exist as a state for whites. It is the same position taken by supporters of Palestinian rights around the world. This interview has been edited for length. This World Book Day, we meet the people behind mobile libraries serving communities from Nigeria to the Netherlands. Buses in Lagos, shipping containers in the Netherlands and even a couple of Colombian donkeys are enjoying a new lease of life as bookmobiles, spreading knowledge in their communities. Travelling from place to place, mobile libraries around the world aim to bring the benefits of reading to those without access to books. The idea has been around since as early as the 19th century but despite the availability of ebooks and increasingly widespread internet access mobile libraries, also known as bookmobiles, have not disappeared. Instead, they are adapting to meet the needs of their communities by providing not only books but workshops and training or simply a human connection for people living in remote areas. To mark World Book Day on April 23, Al Jazeera speaks to the people behind the mobile libraries putting books in the hands of communities in Syria, Colombia, Nigeria and the Netherlands. Bringing books to kids: iRead Mobile Library, Nigeria iReads buses make 44 stops each week at schools and community centres in Lagos state [iRead] Funmi Ilori believes its her calling to bring books to children in Nigerias Lagos state. When the educational psychologist and social entrepreneur was asked to write down a big, unachievable dream at a leadership conference in 2004, building Africas biggest library was what came to mind. From visiting houses with two baskets full of books, Ilori has grown iRead Mobile Library, the countrys first mobile library, according to Ilori, whose four buses have visited over 3,000 children so far. Libraries are one of the most important spaces for every community, says Ilori. I saw a huge gap [in Nigeria] because, even though public libraries exist, they are scarce and children are not able to travel far enough to enjoy the public libraries spaces. While the reaction from parents and children has been largely positive, local councils have caused delays in iReads service by insisting they pay fees to operate. Using music and drama workshops, as well as books, iRead aim to introduce children to important topics, such as sustainable development [iRead] The buses make 44 stops each week at schools and community centres, as well as a monthly trip to rural areas outside of Lagos state. Each child who visits iRead can choose from around 13,000 books and receives a library bag and a review book in which they can write down what they thought of the book they borrowed. iReads team also host workshops to educate children on topics, such as sustainable development using songs, drama and art. Ilori and her team of 12 plan to apply for grants to expand their fleet to 14 buses within the next five years, enabling them to extend their work across Nigeria. The donkey library: Biblioburro, Colombia After launching Biblioburro, Soriano renamed his donkeys Alfa and Beto after the Spanish word for alphabet (alphabeto) [Biblioburro] The first time people saw me up on the donkeys, they laughed, says Luis Soriano, the founder of Bibliburro, a donkey-powered mobile library that travels around northern Colombia. They said hes gone crazy. The circus has come to town.. Taking its name from the Spanish words for library (biblioteca) and donkey (burro), Biblioburro began more than two decades ago when Soriano, 48, first hit the road with his two donkeys: Alfa and Beto. A teacher by trade, he wanted to improve his pupils access to books after noticing that many of them were not progressing as expected in school. {articleGUID} I visited each of their homes and I realised there was a real lack of books, Soriano tells Al Jazeera. So one day, I decided to visit them with books. At first, I carried the books in my arms, but it was too far between the houses, so thats when I decided to go by donkey. When he began operating in Colombias mountainous Magdalena Province, in 1997, the area was difficult to access by car, so donkeys were an ideal solution. Using specially designed saddlebags, each donkey can carry up to 150 books. Soriano and his team visit schools and communities in Colombias Caribbean north [Biblioburro] Over the years, Soriano has grown a network of donkey libraries, encompassing around 20 employees, as well as a brick-and-mortar library in La Gloria, Sorianos hometown, and a digital programme. The rural population have difficulty accessing technology, explains Soriano. So we take laptops, which we charge overnight and whenever we can get electricity, to rural areas with our modem so children can learn about the internet. Improved infrastructure and government investment in expanding libraries in the last 20 years has improved access to books and education for those living along Sorianos route, but his work with Biblioburro continues. The project now receives funding from a regional NGO and runs a lifelong learning programme with the National Library of Colombia. When I started, I could never have imagined that 20 years would pass so quickly, but when its work you enjoy, you dont count the hours or think about when it will end. Education and escapism: The Mobile Library, Syria With the war in Syria now in its eighth year, some children have never attended school [Malek Refai/The Mobile Library] In July last year, children in the rural areas of Syrias Idlib and Aleppo provinces met an unusual sight: a brightly coloured van full of books. Visiting schools, mosques and other public places, the Mobile Library is a project that aims to encourage childrens education through reading in areas where many schools have been forced to close because of the countrys ongoing war. In October 2017, more than 1.75 million children in Syria were not attending school and one in three schools were out of use, according to Save the Children. Reading books instills a sense of openness, says Malek Refai, the Mobile Librarys project manager. We are trying to help young people to find their way to the future. Maybe they can find something interesting or something they are passionate about by accessing these books, he tells Al Jazeera. Reading books instills a sense of openness. We are trying to help young people to find their way to the future. Malek Refai, project manager, The Mobile Library So far, the seven-person team, that works as part of Syrian NGO Dari Sustainable Development, have been able to reach around 4,000 children. The team were inspired by mobile libraries launched during conflicts in other countries, as well as by their experience protecting books during the years-long siege of Daraya, a suburb of the capital, Damascus. We constructed a secret library [underground] to save the books from shelling, says Refai. This increased our interest in books and libraries. Modified with shelves and lighting, the Mobile Library houses a collection of around 2,000 childrens books, acquired through a complicated process of brokering between bookshops in Idlib and Damascus. I dont know how exactly [we] managed to get them, Refai confesses. The Mobile Library team liaise with local activists to arrange visits [Malek Refai/The Mobile Library] War creates a raft of challenges for the team, including negotiating with the various groups controlling the area and ensuring that staff and visitors are safe. Occasionally, the project has had to suspend its services, most recently because the regions unpaved roads became impassable during winter, but Refai and his team are committed to providing education and escapism to the regions children. The reading container: BiebBus, the Netherlands Once expanded, the bus can accommodate a whole class of children [De Bieb voor de Zaanstreek] Aimed at children between four and 12 years of age in the Netherlands Zaan region, the BiebBus is a mobile library uniquely suited to its environment. The bus design is based on a standard 12-metre shipping container that expands to reveal a treasure room that houses the books, while the container becomes a glass-floored reading and play area with computers. Once expanded, the bus can accommodate a whole class of children. Because of all the narrow streets, a conventional mobile library was not an option, says Pien Jongenelen, senior communications adviser for The Library for Zaanstreek, who runs the BiebBus. [It] would require too much parking space, so architect Jordden Hollander designed a smart solution, he developed a vertically expanding mobile library, she tells Al Jazeera. The vertically expanding mobile library was designed to travel through the narrow street of the Netherlands [De Bieb voor de Zaanstreek] There are now three BiebBussen that, combined, reach some 10,000 school children in the Netherlands each year, returning to locations on a monthly basis. Unfortunately, its financially impossible to offer every area its own permanent public library, [but] we think its very important that boys and girls who attend primary schools in the Zaan region have access to a vast collection of free books, says Jongenelen. Children learn how to read at school, at the library, they learn that reading is not only imperative, but can also be a lot of fun. Natalie Portman is no anti-Zionist. She has a long history of supporting Israel and has often been described as a liberal Zionist. Lets not forget that she directed and starred in, A Tale of Love and Darkness, expressing her immense admiration for Amos Oz, an iconic Zionist and one of Israels best novelists. Yet, Portmans decision not to travel to Jerusalem to receive the Genesis Prize has, not surprisingly, generated a violent and vitriolic response from the Israeli government and many right-wing politicians. There are calls to revoke her citizenship as well as lots of name-calling: from naive through hypocrite to bordering on being anti-Semitic. On the other side of the political spectrum, supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement maintain that despite her claims otherwise, Portman is unwittingly endorsing BDS, since her refusal to participate in the prize ceremony is related to the politics and institutions of the Israeli state. BDS, after all, is not about boycotting individuals or Israelis per se but, rather, state institutions. In order to prove these assertions wrong, Portman explained her decision to withdraw from the prize ceremony, cannily announcing that she will shortly be naming the Israeli charities to which she plans to donate. These predictable reactions, which have drawn an immense amount of media coverage, should not obscure the real issues involved in Portmans unanticipated announcement. While she has managed to stir public controversy because of her fame, this story is more about the changing conditions that have pushed her to make this decision than the decision itself. Three developments on the ground are particularly important. The real story One of these developments is the unprecedented mass non-violent mobilisation of the people of Gaza, which in recent weeks has seen people risk death and injury in order to raise their voices in protest. They are insisting on their right to return to their ancestral lands and also and more urgently decrying their dire plight in the biggest open-air prison in the world. Despite the effort of the New York Times and other media outlets to present the recent Gaza protests as clashes, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been courageously marching towards the militarised fence, week after week, adopting non-violent strategies while being shot by Israeli snipers. {articleGUID} While using disproportionate and lethal force is nothing new in Israels decades-long occupation of Palestinian land, this may be the first time in which the Israeli military is literally shooting at thousands of people as though they were hunting game. Thirty-nine protesters have been killed while the number of wounded is, to date, over 4,000. Thus, the scale of the protests and the non-violent strategies of the protesters, alongside the use of snipers not only appear to be unparalleled, but have also produced outraged reactions in ways that other similar if smaller protests across the West Bank and Gaza over the years have not. Portman has undoubtedly seen images coming out of Gaza and they surely moved her. The second development is that there has been a noticeable shift in American Jewish attitudes towards Israel, particularly among the millennials, many of whom are Portman fans. The debate on college campuses in the US is much more polarised on the issue of Israel-Palestine than it has been in the past, due, at least in part, to the increasing numbers of young Jewish voices who have joined the ranks of Israels critics. Many of these young people have grown up in the wake of the second Intifada, the BDS movement, as well as with the ever-rightward turn of Israels government and its rampant corruption. Moreover, where once AIPAC was the most influential Jewish lobby in the US, today there are other organisations, such as J-Street and Jewish Voices for Peace, which have managed to counter at least some of AIPACs propaganda. Thus, public opinion, especially among young Jewish Americans, has changed quite significantly over the past years. {articleGUID} Finally, Donald Trumps election and his crisis-driven administration have created a very different political atmosphere within the US itself. Indeed, thousands of citizens, among them many American Jews, have been politicised in ways that we have not seen in the past. Trumps decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and declare Israels sovereignty over the city has contributed to and even exacerbated the overall climate of frustration and urgency among more progressive Jews. Between #MeToo and Gaza Portmans decision must, therefore, be understood within this wider context. The woman who many years ago helped Alan Dershowitz produce virulent pro-Israel propaganda has clearly changed her tune, and not only on Israel and Palestine. Her recent support for the #MeToo movement is another indication of this political transformation. Portman and all the other famous people who weigh in on Israels colonial project, however, are not the real issue here in the same way that the #MeToo movement is not about the high-profile women who have spoken out against sexual assault and harassment. While Portmans decision and the media attention it has garnered has the potential to change public discourse on Israel and Palestine, what is most important is Israels violent and brutal tactics of hunting down Palestinians, even when or precisely because they are using non-violent methods of protest. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Many celebrated a recent resolution issued by Pyongyang as a sign that it will denuclearise. Here is why they are wrong. Since the Korean Peninsula was divided into North and South, immediately after liberation from Japan in 1945, a tragic saying has become common among South Koreans: Everybody is irrational whenever encountering any North Korea problem. The saying reflects the history of love and hate towards North Korea by South Koreans, which has worked like a powerful magic spell. Never has any South Korean expected that the spell would work on foreigners as well, but astonishingly, the unexpected has happened. On April 21, Ri Chun-hee, a news presenter at the North Koreas media KCTV, read out a resolution titled On proclaiming great victory of the line of simultaneous development of economic construction and building of nuclear force, which had been adopted unanimously at the plenary meeting of the ruling partys central committee a day earlier. Quite irrationally, media outlets around the world put up breaking news headlines that North Korea has decided to suspend nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. Some heads of state rushed to release welcoming remarks on North Koreas decision, deeming it evidence that the country has committed to denuclearisation. Some of the media also praised the decision, but interestingly, did not quote, intentionally or not, the title or the text of the resolution. A closer look at the wording of the resolution reveals that North Korea has not really committed to denuclearisation. So lets take a look at the text. The title of the resolution makes it clear that the announcement was made to celebrate the great victory of North Koreas simultaneous development of economic construction and building of nuclear forces (the so-called byungjin policy in Korean), not to pledge commitment to denuclearisation. {articleGUID} The first paragraph of the resolution says that North Korea has conducted clandestine subcritical nuclear tests even under harsh sanctions. The world knows that it has conducted six underground tests so far, but has had no information about the subcritical tests. Since relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions have explicitly prohibited any kind of action leading to the development of nuclear weapons, this basically constitutes a confession from the North Korean regime that it violated these UNSC decisions. In making this public, North Korea must have hoped that the clandestine subcritical nuclear tests would be overlooked. In fact, if there is no official condemnation, today, of these tests, in the future, Pyongyang might see it as a sign that it has been forgiven. The second paragraph declares that North Korea has decided to stop the tests and shut down a nuclear test site. While it may appear a significant step towards denuclearisation, the stopping of the tests is no more than the fulfilment of a precondition for talks set by China and Russia. The text makes mention of a commitment to the treatment of neither fissile materials nor nuclear warheads and the facilities for their production. Moreover, the usefulness of the test site is questionable and the testing site may have suffered negative environmental effects. The third paragraph hints at North Koreas possible stance in the upcoming talks with US President Donald Trump. The paragraph states that stopping further nuclear tests is an important part of worldwide disarmament. It is important to note here that the North Korean regime refers to disarmament and not denuclearisation. In the fourth paragraph, the text says that North Korea will never use nuclear weapons or transfer them, or nuclear technology, under any circumstance, short of a nuclear threat and provocation against the nation. The paragraph is basically its nuclear doctrine and demonstrates that North Korea now perceives itself as a nuclear state. {articleGUID} The fifth paragraph reads that North Korea will concentrate all efforts on building a powerful socialist economy and markedly improving the standard of peoples living through mobilisation of all human and material resources of the country. One may argue that this may be interpreted as North Korea giving up building a nuclear arsenal, a pillar of its byungjin policy. On the other hand, it is much more likely that this statement is just a declaration of priority shift after the successful completion of its nuclear project and an expression of the regimes desire to have economic sanctions lifted. The resolution concludes by saying that North Korea will create an international environment favourable for the socialist economy construction and facilitate close contact and active dialogue with neighbouring countries and the international community in order to defend peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the world. This could, indeed, be perceived as a positive message about the regimes commitment to diplomacy. But keeping in mind that the North Korean regime almost entirely depends on support from China, which has not pushed for the denuclearisation of North Korea, one has to accept these words with a grain of salt. Engaging North Korea in a dialogue is indeed crucial but we must not be naive about the intentions of its regime. Misunderstanding the messages coming out of Pyongyang could be a huge obstacle to the success of talks in the long run. The international community should continue to insist that North Korea return to observing the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and commit to genuine denuclearisation. Editors note: The wording of the tenth paragraph of this piece has been updated to clarify a point. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Or how after a racist incident, Starbucks chose as a partner an organisation with a track record of racist activism. Days ago, the United States was shaken by yet another racism scandal. The manager of a Philadelphia Starbucks branch called the police on two black men because they were waiting for a friend in the store and hadnt ordered anything. Police officers arrived and thought it necessary to take the men out in handcuffs. While it is not uncommon that people of colour endure such harassment and humiliation in predominantly white spaces in Philadelphia, a video of this particular ordeal went viral and spurred protests and calls for a boycott of the coffeeshop franchise. Following the incident, the Starbucks corporation went into damage control, but instead of genuinely trying to address the issue, it managed only to dig itself deeper into controversy. In a move of spectacular ignorance and tone-deafness, Starbucks idea of restoring their image was to partner with the notoriously racist, pro-police, pro-Apartheid, pro-Israel, Islamophobic Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to conduct sensitivity training for its employees across the country. Of course, it didnt take long for activists to call them out, and for a good reason. In 1993, the police raided the offices of the ADL, carting off boxes and boxes of illegally obtained files spanning decades of data and dossiers on individuals and organisations, particularly against those opposed to Israels and apartheid South Africas policies. They had files on nearly 10,000 individuals and at least 950 organisations, including labour unions, LGBT groups, progressive media, Arab-American and anti-Zionist Jewish organisations, the NAACP and other civil rights organisations, the African National Congress (ANC) and other anti-apartheid groups, student unions and scholarly associations, charity foundations, South American solidarity organisations, environmental activists and more. They put special emphasis on so-called Black Demagogues and Extremists, creating profiles on black leaders like Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) and Rev Al Sharpton, and black cultural figures like Amiri Baraka and Ice Cube. There were dossiers on political figures such as Pete McCloskey who expressed pro-Palestinian sentiments. The information included drivers license numbers, addresses, phone numbers, group memberships, activism work, relationships, conversation transcripts, social and other personal data. Following lawsuits brought about by victims, a judge issued a permanent injunction against the ADL not to use illegal means to monitor the activities of others. The data had been shared with foreign governments, including Israeli and apartheid South African intelligence, as well as US intelligence which was actively engaged in such ignominious surveillance programmes as COINTELPRO. In fact, in 1968, then-director of the FBI, J Edgar Hoover, issued an order according to which FBI offices had to establish liaise with ADL regional offices. The order was renewed in 1985. Eventually, however, their activities were too extreme for the FBI, and an analyst suggested that the ADL should be investigated as an Israeli foreign agent. While portraying itself as a nonprofit civil rights organisation, the ADL championed Islamophobic rhetoric. This famously prompted Farid Zakaria to return the Hubert H Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize, which the ADL awards. Zakaria wrote of his decision: I cannot in good conscience keep it. Since 2004, as the country has become increasingly aware of violent over-policing and mass incarceration of black and brown bodies, the ADL has been subsidising the militarisation of police forces across the United States by funding police training junkets in Israel. The ADL has been spending tax-exempt dollars to have US police officers receive training from a persistent human rights abuser, which has repeatedly been accused of war crimes, including unlawful killings, forced displacement, abusive detention and discriminatory protocols that target Palestinians. In other words, American police officers are learning tactics from a country notorious for the use of excessive force, such as shoot to kill in non-life threatening circumstances. And yet, out of literally tens of thousands of social justice and civil rights organisations in the US, Starbucks thinks the ADL is the perfect partner with which to work on giving its employees sensitivity training following a highly publicised example of racism and over-policing. It is an epic fail in public relations following an epic fail in human decency. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan steps down amid protests, says he will not be involved in required solutions to unrest. Armenias opposition leader has demanded a snap parliamentary election in the wake of former Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyans resignation over widespread anti-government demonstrations. Nikol Pashinyan told a rally on Monday in Armenias capital, Yerevan, he is ready to discuss conditions of Sargsyans resignation and transfer of power. The National Assembly shall be entitled to nominate candidates for prime minister within a week. Until then, an interim government will be formed, after that snap extraordinary parliamentary elections are needed, Pashinyan said, according to Armenian website NEWS.am. Sargsyan resigned earlier on Monday following days of protests in Yerevan against his government, which critics accuse of corruption and authoritarian rule. Thousands of anti-government protesters have taken to the streets since demonstrations began on April 13. Sargsyan said he would adhere to the demands of the protesters and step down. [Opposition leader] Nikol Pashinyan was right. I was wrong. This situation requires solutions, but I wont participate in them. I leave the post of this countrys prime minister, a statement on Sargsyans website said. The movement on the streets is against my office. I will fulfil your claim, according to the statement. Pashinyan, who was released from police detention on Monday fewer than 24 hours after being arrested at a protest in Yerevan, had called on his supporters to launch a velvet revolution to remove Sargsyan from power. Sargsyan was appointed prime minister after serving 10 years as president [File/Dmitry Lovetsky/AP] Sargsyan, 63, had promised not to run for the post of prime minister having served two consecutive five-year terms as president, but was formally nominated by Armenias ruling Republican Party earlier this month. Armenia amended its constitution to change the government from a presidential to a parliamentary system in a 2015 referendum, making the presidency largely ceremonial and strengthening the office of the prime minister, a position which is not constrained by term limits. Vartan Oskanian, a former Armenian foreign minister, told Al Jazeera the anti-government demonstrations were sparked by Sargsyan renaging on a promise not to seek any high office if the constituational change passed. The prime minister, under the new constitution, has the combined powers of the president and the prime minister and that was the entire protest against him [Sargsyan], Oskanian said. Karen Karapetian, who served as prime minister before Sargsyan assumed office, has been appointed to the role again in an interim capacity. Members of the military took part in anti-government protests in Yerevan on Monday [Vahram Baghdasaryan/Reuters] Al Jazeeras Robin Forestier-Walker, reporting from Yerevan, said Sargsyans resignation was astonishing. Thousands of people are on the streets, cheering and hugging each other, jumping up and down and honking their horns things happened so quickly, I dont think the crowd was expecting this but it is exactly what they wanted, Forestier-Walker said. We saw soldiers take to the streets, we saw priests, children and their parents, young and old coming out to show Armenia was really united in wanting these changes. This is an indication of how much people in Armenia have realised that they had the power to affect change in a system that was widely regarded as corrupt. Hundreds of troops join Yerevan protest, calling on prime minister Sargsyan to step down over corruption allegations. Hundreds of soldiers have joined anti-government protests in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Monday, accusing the countrys prime minister of corruption and authoritarian rule. In a response to the ongoing protests, the Armenian defence ministry said it would take harsh measures against any member of the military taking part in the demonstrations. Al Jazeeras Robin Forestier-Walker, reporting from Yerevan, said Mondays events are a surprising development. There are pictures and videos of the soldiers walking down main Yerevan streets. We understand that they are on active duty and that they are part of a peacekeeping force for missions abroad, Walker said. We have also seen members of the clergy coming out into the streets to take part in the protests, he added. https://twitter.com/GnewsArmenia/status/988349143608373248?ref_src=twsrc^tfw Monday marked the eleventh consecutive day of anti-government protests in Armenia. On Sunday, Nikol Pashinyan and two other opposition politicians were arrested at a protest in Yerevan. A statement from the prosecutor general said the opposition leaders were detained as they were committing socially dangerous acts and the government justified their arrest during a press conference on Monday. {articleGUID} The protest movement, which has seen thousands of people take to the streets since April 13, largely comprised a network of self-organising opposition supporters, built by Pashinyan. According to Walker, the mood among the protesters has been largely positive, adding that it is hard to know what will happen next. Both sides will be watching each other very closely on how to move forward, he said. Protesters have called on Serzh Sargsyan, Armenias prime minister, to step down citing corruption allegations and fears of oligarchic, authoritarian rule. Sargsyan was appointed prime minister this month after serving 10 years as the countrys president. However, Sargsyan has made clear he has no intention of stepping down. Mob of far-right protesters attack group of refugees and migrants, sparking clashes on the Greek island. Athens, Greece A mob of far-right protesters have attacked refugees and migrants who had been holding a separate demonstration in the main square of Mytileni, the main town of the Greek island of Lesbos. The attacks, which started at around 8pm local time (17:00 GMT) on Sunday, sparked clashes that lasted throughout the night. The altercations began when a group of some 200 far-right protesters, who had gathered to demonstrate on behalf of two Greek soldiers currently detained in Turkey, broke through a police barrier and threw stones, bottles and flares at the asylum seekers. Burn them alive, some of the attackers yelled, the Greek daily Ekathimerini reported on Monday. ANA-MPA, a state-run media agency, reported that far-right militants targeted women and children, while solidarity activists and refugees attempted to create a human chain to protect the victims. According to ANA-MPA, police used tear gas to disperse the assailants, who had turned the town into a battlefield. #BreakingNews : fascists arrived in Sapfous sq to confront the #RefugeesGR who are peacefully protesting since tues. Riot police forms line between. Fascists launched bengal fire&bottles. Refugees form circle to protect women&children and stay calm. Children got injured #lesvos pic.twitter.com/dFhmQZHNNz City Plaza Squat (@sol2refugees) April 22, 2018 At least 100 people were detained, and 10 people were hospitalised due to injuries sustained during the violence, local Greek authorities told The Associated Press. During the early hours of Monday morning, police forcibly transported the refugees and migrants, who had been occupying Sapphous Square since last week, to the overcrowded Moria camp. This was a well-organised action, with murderous intent, by specific extreme right, criminal and hooligan elements that have nothing to do with the island or its traditions, Syriza, the left-wing ruling party, said in a statement. Tonight in Sappho square Mytilene! The men form a circle around the women and children to protect them, and hold up blankets over the kids to stop the projectiles from hitting them!! via fb Philippa Kempson #refugeesgr #antireport #Lesvos pic.twitter.com/E6paZx20Te NoBorders (@Refugees_Gr) April 22, 2018 Lorraine Leete, of the Lesbos Legal Centre, a group that supports asylum seekers, said the incident follows several months of increased far-right attacks on the island. Since November [2017], the attacks have been increasing, she told Al Jazeera by telephone, explaining that the local authorities campaign to pressure the central government to move asylum seekers to the mainland had emboldened far-right elements of the local population. The office of Lesbos Mayor Spiros Galinos could not be reached for comment. Violence on the rise Of the 102 incidents of violence documented by the Racist Recording Network in 2017, at least 34 targeted refugees and migrants. Another seven incidents saw human rights advocates or aid workers who work with asylum seekers targeted. {articleGUID} Speaking to Al Jazeera in March, Greek police said they documented at least 133 hate crimes motivated by race, national origin or skin colour in 2017. That number is nearly three times more than the number of such crimes recorded in 2016. Tina Stavrinaki, a spokesperson for the Racist Violence Recording Network, said that we cannot put all the islands in the same basket because each one has its own conditions and specific situations. Of course, the living conditions for refugees on the island have been very decisive for [the proliferation of] xenophobic rhetoric, Stavrinaki told Al Jazeera. Whenever we had these outbreaks, we see that the xenophobic rhetoric is not adopted by all the locals, and many resisted. Refugees and migrants who arrived on Greek islands after the March 2016 deal between Turkey and the European Union are barred from travelling to mainland Greece unless they obtain permission from authorities. Although a Greek court ruled last week that new arrivals will be allowed to move on to the mainland, those who arrived during that two-year period are still confined to the islands. Home auctions have been the source of anger and protest in Greece, where austerity continues to take its toll on many. Athens, Greece In January, Stella Andrikopoulous family was informed that they had 30 days to reach an agreement with the water company or see the home she was raised in auctioned off. The prospect of losing the home the family has owned for decades was a daunting one, and that fear prompted her family to move quickly to strike a deal, despite the hardships it entailed for them. Andrikopoulous father is an employee at a university, making a meagre 900 euros (about $1,111) a month that often comes in partial payments. Her mother and grandmother are both pensioners who have endured cuts in their payments owing to the austerity programme, and her two siblings, like her, are university students. Since reaching a settlement with the water company and later the electricity company they are obligated to make hefty payments of upwards of 1,000 euros ($1,238) on their overdue balance throughout the next year, in addition to their regular monthly bills. Its very difficult for us to pay this much every month, she told Al Jazeera, sitting in a bustling cafe in central Athens. Thats why weve had to rely on the help of family and friends. If that help runs dry and they cannot pay the bills, the house could eventually end up on the auction market. We are always worried that a worker from the electricity company could show up and cut the power, or that another letter threatening to auction our home could arrive, she said. With working-class Greeks struggling to make ends meet across the board, the auctions have grown to symbolise the governments acquiescence to European-imposed austerity measures. In January 2015, the left-wing Syriza party came to power after campaigning on promises to support struggling Greeks who had endured years of economic crisis. It has since come under fire for what many view as reneging on its pledges. Last year, electronic auctions were launched as a substitute to courthouse auctions and sales overseen by notaries, which had faced mass protests. Auctions of properties valued at less than 300,000 euros (more than $370,000) were initially delayed, however, that grace period recently concluded. On May 1, electronic auctions for homes owned by people who are in debt to the tax authorities are set to begin. Around 18,000 homes are expected to be auctioned throughout 2018. {articleGUID} The auctions are mandatory as part of Greeces international bailout programme, which is slated to come to an end in August. Lendors have conditioned further financial disbursements to Greece on the number of auctions carried out. But the deeply unpopular auctions have sparked protests, rallies and clashes in Athens, Thessaloniki and elsewhere. Crucial to keep banks afloat Giorgos Kyritsis, a legislator and Syriza member who has supported the auctions, defended the governments measures. Its crucial to keep the banks afloat, he told Al Jazeera, claiming that the auctions will not impact poor people or the unemployed. With growing fury in the streets and a spate of direct actions targeting notaries, the auctions have proved to be a rallying call for many Greeks fed up with years of crippling austerity. In February, Rubicon (or Rouvikonas), an Athens-based anarchist collective, raided a notary office and smashed computers and printers in protest of the auctions. In a statement subsequently posted online, the collective said it targeted the offices because its notaries execute auctions of peoples primary homes. Kyritsis downplayed the anger. There are some notaries who have been threatened or their offices had some minor damages but thats all. For their part, notaries have taken the situation more seriously. In November 2017, the Notary Association of Athens announced a two-month strike, accusing the government of failing to adequately protect them against backlash. {articleGUID} The protests have stretched well beyond the actions of the collective, however, with thousands of people flooding the streets every few weeks to rally against the latest symbol of the austerity programme. People are afraid Panagiotis Sotiris, an academic and member of the left-wing Popular Unity (LAE) party, dismissed the Syriza-led governments promises to ensure the protection of impoverished peoples homes. Sotiris said that for practical and political reasons the government has avoided scenes of desperate people being thrown out of their homes, such as the wave of evictions that took place in Spain after the 2008 housing market crash. According to Eurostat data, more than 73 percent of Greeks own their homes. That number is slightly higher than the EUs overall rate, which Eurostat puts at 69.2 percent. Germany, for instance, has a home ownership rate of around 51 percent, according to the monitor. Throughout a decade of economic crisis, Greeks have struggled under the weight of a period of capital controls, increased taxes, high unemployment and other hardships. In December, unemployment hit a six-year low, sinking from just above 20 percent, compared to the EUs 7.1 percent. Yet, youth unemployment in Greece remained at 45 percent. Despite the governments insistence it is working to keep many struggling families in their homes, Sotiris argued that the logic of the foreclosures will inevitably result in harm to poor and working-class Greeks. This can explain why there is this anger regarding auctions, he told Al Jazeera. People are afraid that this is just the beginning of things getting much worse. So far in the crisis, we have not seen people thrown out of their homes. Sotiris warned that an escalation in the auctions could spark a more sustained protest movement. {articleGUID} Right now, its one of those issues that if there is an abrupt deterioration in the situation, such as if mass auctions start, this could indeed ignite a broader protest movement and in a certain way change the political landscape, he said. They [the government] are trying to downplay the potential impact that auctions might have We are in a very delicate balance regarding the political climate. Crackdown Activists and opponents of austerity have accused the Syriza-led government of a crackdown on resistance to the home auctions. In December, a bill was introduced into parliament that sought to criminalise protesters who obstruct the auctions of foreclosed homes. In recent weeks, dozens of demonstrators have gathered outside notary offices in central Athens to rally against the property auctions. Riot police were deployed each time. In early demonstrations, police were criticised for using tear gas and other riot dispersal means to attack protesters. On March 14, an anti-auction rally turned chaotic when clashes between protesters and police erupted. Demonstrators flung eggs and rubbish at the police officers before eventually trying to reach the building. The police responded by attacking them, leaving at least five injured, including a photojournalist covering the incident. Leonidas Papadopoulos, a member of the I Dont Pay movement, was among a handful of people detained on February 14 during a protest outside a central Athens notary office. Those detained were eventually released without charge. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Papadopoulos decried the police for acting as bouncers for the banks and the notaries. They have decided to take stand against citizens, and they will be the ones who will put people out of their houses, he argued. When a government undertakes those actions and becomes the government of foreclosures, then that government has no future in this country. Back in the cafe, Stella Andrikopoulou explained that the threat of losing their home had compounded the difficulties of getting by in the austerity-ravaged country. {articleGUID} The economic difficulties have led her and her siblings to avoid eating out and to opt to stay home rather than go out on weekends, for instance. During the summer, we barely go out because we dont have any money, she said. We just stay in. For her part, she hopes more people join the movement against the auctions. People need to be one with that movement and fight back against the auctions, she concluded. This movement has put pressure on the government, and the government knows this movement can do things. Saleh al-Sammad, head of the Houthis Supreme Political Council, killed in eastern province of Hudaida, rebels say. The political leader of Yemens Houthi rebels has been killed in Saudi-led air strikes on Hudaida province, the group has said. The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV network reported on Monday that Saleh al-Sammad, the president of the Supreme Political Council that runs Yemens capital, Sanaa, and other rebel-held areas, was killed on Thursday. The group said it had elected Mahdi al-Mashat as Sammads successor. In a televised address later on Monday, the Houthis leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said that, overall, seven people were killed in Thursdays air raids. This crime will not break the will of our people and state [and] will not pass without accountability, he added. The forces of this aggression led by Washington and the Saudi regime are legally responsible for such a crime and all its implications. There was no immediate comment by the Saudi-led coalition. Traditionally based in Yemens northwest, the Houthis overran much of the country, including Sanaa, in 2014, citing anger with the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. In March 2015, a coalition of Arab countries assembled by Saudi Arabia launched a massive bombing campaign aimed at rolling back the rebels advances. Since then, the Saudis have carried out more than 16,000 air raids, resulting in mass civilian casualties with weddings, hospitals and funerals targeted. The United States has been helping the coalition with weaponry and logistical support. On Sunday, two Saudi-led coalition air attacks killed at least 20 people and wounded dozens in northwestern Yemen, according to residents and medical personnel. Most of the dead were women and children who were gathering in a tent set up for a wedding party in Hajjahs Bani Qays district, a medical official told Al Jazeera. Biggest blow Hakim Almasmari, editor-in-chief of the Yemen Post, said al-Sammads death was a very significant development. He was the acting president in the Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, so this is considered the biggest blow for the Houthis, politically, since the war started, he told Al Jazeera. Almasmari noted that the location of the incident was also important. Hudaida is considered the most secure place for the Houthis, where they have all their intelligence, he said. This is a big backlash for the Houthis, security-wise as well, he added. Its not a secret that Hudeida is much more secured than even Sanaa itself, so for him to be killed in Hudeidah, under all the extreme security measures that they go through there, [raises questions] whether they are infiltrated in Hudeida province itself or within the intelligence apparatus in general. Almasmari also said it was not surprising that al-Sammads had been replaced by al-Mashat, whom he described as a very influential figure within the movement. When Evgeny first heard that Russias communications censor Roskomnadzor was going to block the popular messenger app Telegram, it brought to mind a Soviet-era slogan. The Communist Party said: It must be done! The Komsomol the partys youth wing responded: Aye! Policies today get applied without much deliberation, just like Soviet times, he explained. It feels as though its a bunch of ignorant people who dont understand anything, who did not consult any experts, that did this, said Evgeny, who requested that his second name not be mentioned for fear of intimidation by the authorities. On April 16, Roskomnadzor started trying to block Telegram after what it said was the companys failure to comply with a Russian law on dissemination of information. But by the time the censor told mobile operators to limit access to the apps services, Evgeny and the team of the start-up he works for had already set up a proxy service to ensure that internal communications chats and their company Telegram channel continued to work smoothly. He said he and his team would not give up using the app. Reacting to the use of proxies, Roskomnadzor had to expand its blocking efforts, inadvertently affecting IP addresses of various other companies. [Roskomnadzor] managed to block [other businesses], cashiers of supermarkets stopped working. Imagine, I go to the store, and I cant buy food because of Roskomnadzor, Evgeny told Al Jazeera in a call over Telegram. The collateral damage caused outrage across Russia, evoking even criticism from government officials. A week into Roskomnadzors campaign, it not only has failed to fully block the app, but it has made it more popular. In fact, the backlash against the censor and acts of defiance by Telegram users have already made some in Russia talk of an internet civil war. Durov vs the system The standoff between Roskomnadzor and Telegram goes back to June 2017, when the communications censor issued an open letter saying the app was violating Russian law on organisers of information dissemination. The law part of a number of anti-terrorism measures passed by the Russian Duma in the early 2010s stipulates that entities designated by the state as such have to store user information in Russia for six months and give access to it to law enforcement. Roskomnadzor demanded the company hand in encryption keys, so that security agencies could access user messages. Russia-born Telegram CEO Pavel Durov responded that the encryption technology used in the app did not allow its creators to have access to those keys. Eventually, a Russian court ruled in Roskomnadzors favour, allowing the censor to proceed with blocking the app. Preempting the move, Telegram had already introduced a proxy option that enabled users to log in with an IP address from another country, circumventing geo-blocking. Most Telegram users Al Jazeera talked to said they had enabled the option; others, such as Evgeny, installed their own VPN services, which not only allow users to log in from other countries but also encrypt the data they send. State institutions, many of which also operate official Telegram channels, had also bought VPN equipment ahead of the blocking campaign. Various news outlets also started circulating instructions on how to use proxies and VPN services. Foreseeing a storm of negative reactions from the Russian public, Pavel Chikov, a lawyer and member of the rights organisation Agora, which represents Durov in the case, posted on his Telegram channel on April 16: An internet civil war has started. Throughout the week, Russian Telegram users and media continued to report that they were using the app without a problem. Durov also posted on his Telegram channel that there hasnt been a significant drop in user engagement and that to support internet freedom, he would start giving out bitcoin grants to individuals and companies who run socks5 proxies and VPN. Collateral damage According to Stanislav Shakirov, technical director of Roskomsvoboda (a wordplay on Roskomnadzor meaning RoskomFreedom), an anti-censorship NGO, Telegram has managed to weather the pressure because of its well-made architecture. [Telegram architects] had set up a rotation of servers which the app links up to. This makes it difficult for Roskomnadzor to block it, Shakirov explained. By the time Roskomnadzor requests mobile operators to block an IP address, the app had already moved onto another. The use of VPN and proxy services has also helped. Traffic to VPNlove.me, a website Roskomsvoboda set up as a guide to using VPN services, increased 15-20 times, he said. Scrambling to block a massive number of IP addresses, which reached 20 million on April 19, Roskomnadzor ran up against another problem: the disruption of other services using the same IP address clusters as Telegram. Mid-week, reports started coming in of various companies experiencing difficulties with their online operations: from international companies such as Viber and taxi service Gett, to Russian ticket booking service Kupiblet and supermarket chains like Diksi. On Thursday, Chikov reported on his Telegram channel that some 120 companies among them small businesses, internet stores and VPN operators had reached out to Agora requesting help to get unblocked. In a statement to Al Jazeera, Roskomnadzors press office said that most disruptions in the functioning of websites which have been announced were due to other reasons and were not at all connected to measures undertaken against Telegram. On Sunday, access to Googles search engine was also limited for Russian users. On its page on social media platform VKontakte, Roskomnadzor announced it was blocking many IP addresses of Googles cloud service because the company refused to stop helping Telegram evade blocking. The growing discontent over the disruptions prompted German Klimenko, adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin on internet development, to say that Roskomnadzor should apologise for the problems it had caused. Subversion and guerrilla tactics The campaign against Telegram has also had some unintended consequences. Russian media outlet RBC reported that Telegram traffic in Russia increased early last week, while the number of downloads from the Android app store doubled compared with a week earlier. On Sunday, many Russians, like Evgeny, heeded a call by Telegrams CEO to join a symbolic gesture of support for the company and throw a paper plane out of a window a reference to the apps logo. Videos of the campaign flooded social media. According to blogger and activist Alexander Brusentsev, the blocking efforts have also boosted the technical literacy of some Russians by encouraging them to learn about proxies and VPN services, which they wouldnt have done otherwise. It has also driven some to resist Roskomnadzors censorship efforts. People find it interesting to watch how Roskomnadzor cant do anything, and they find it even more interesting to help make sure this continues to be so, he told Al Jazeera via Telegram. Subversion and guerrilla tactics are actively being used and will continue to be used in the future. Brusentsev himself ran into problems with Roskomnadzor in 2017 and had to leave Russia temporarily after the censor accused him of tampering with the blocking of websites. Throughout last week, Roskomnadzors website was intermittently unavailable. The censor blamed the disruption on DDoS attacks. Asked about whether there was indeed an internet war in Russia, the censors press office responded that, Roskomnadzor is taking a set of measures in order to fulfil a decision by a Russian Federation court in relation to a company that is ignoring Russian law. China-style Great Firewall It is not the first time that a product developed by Russian entrepreneur Durov was hit by controversy. In 2006 he founded the social network VKontakte (In Contact), which quickly came to dominate the Russian market. Eight years later, he resigned as CEO and left Russia. Durov claimed he was forced out because he refused to shut down Russian opposition activist Alexey Navalnys account in VKontakte, and because oligarchs close to Putin wanted full control over the social network. It is also not the first time that Roskomnadzor, which was established as a separate agency 10 years ago, has blocked messenger apps. In May 2017, the censor included the apps BlackBerry Messenger, imo, Line, Vchat on its list of banned websites after they also refused to comply with provisions of the organisations of information dissemination law. The registry of banned websites was established in 2012. According to Shakirov, Russian authorities could be using the blocking of Telegram as a test before they go on to other much bigger internet companies. Our government wants the Chinese model in which all Western services are replaced by local, sovereign ones. Theyve started with Telegram, which is popular but not so powerful service, he said. If the plan of establishing a China-style Great Firewall in Russia goes forward, IT giants such as Facebook could face a choice between losing the Russian market, or losing their reputation, he said. But Roskomnadzors actions against Telegram and the pursuit of greater control over the internet could have far-reaching negative consequences on Russian businesses as well. According to Evgeny, the blocking of Telegram already has negatively affected the business climate. Over the years, he has observed a notable trend of capital flight from the country, as many companies have registered in Western countries to avoid being subject to Russias ever-changing laws. We are kind of tired of such [decisions] by the state: Lets block this or lets ban that, he said. Lets just live like North Korea without internet. Follow Mariya Petkova on Twitter: @mkpetkova Rear-Admiral Ali Fadawi says Irans navy is capable of delivering crushing response to enemies anywhere in the world. Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy chief has warned the US against underestimating his countrys naval capabilities, according to the official FARS news agency (FNA). Navy Chiefin-Command Rear-Admiral Ali Fadawi said on Sunday the US had little information about Tehrans amphibious programme before suggesting that forces could be deployed in free waters in the future. The Americans have little information about Irans naval power and they understand our real power when either their vessels are sunken or entangled in a terrible situation, Fadawi was quoted as saying by FNA. Fadawi had stated earlier in March that the US had given up the military option due to the countrys efficacious deterrence, adding the IRGC Navy and Army Navy could deliver a crushing response to enemy aggression anywhere in the world. The naval capacities can make our biggest enemies regret bullying Today, the Americans understand well that the Army Navy and IRGC Navy are a united hand in the sea which enjoys much more power than the Americans. The enemies should know that the Navy and the IRGC Navy, which act under a single command, are not afraid of threats and stand against any bullying anywhere in the world waters forcefully, Rear Admiral Khanzadi said at the time. In January 2016, two US Navy patrol vessels were seized off Irans coast after inadvertently entering the latters territorial waters but the incident was quickly resolved. After determining that their entry into Irans territorial waters was not intentional and their apology, the detained American sailors were released in international waters of the Persian Gulf, a statement posted online by the Guard said at the time. Iranian foreign minister also says prisoner swap could be negotiated if the US drops its regime change rhetoric. Iran has softened its tone about whether the release of the US prisoners held in the Islamic Republic is negotiable while taking a tougher stance on the possibility of Washington walking away from a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif suggested in an interview with CBS News aired on Sunday that a prisoner swap could be negotiated if the US dropped its regime change rhetoric. He said Iran wants to see respect before considering entering any talks about prisoners with the administration of US President Donald Trump. You do not engage in negotiations by exercising disrespect for a country, for its people, for its government by making claims, including this illusion about regime change. The US administration has openly said in the past that its policy towards Iran is to support elements inside the country that would lead to a peaceful transition of the Iranian government. Trump has also indicated that he wants to fill key roles within his administration with figures who have been outspoken advocates of such a stance. Learn how to treat other sovereign nations There are at least five prisoners, four Americans of Iranian descent and a US-Chinese dual citizen, imprisoned in Iran, all on national security charges. There have been concerns over the health of octogenarian Baquer Namazi, a former UNICEF representative who was arrested in 2016 and underwent heart surgery later in 2017. Zarif said despite Irans judiciary being an independent body, the government had been trying to use our influence from a humanitarian perspective, first of all, to make sure that the health requirements are taken care of; as well as to see whether a humanitarian agreement can be reached. Trump is under pressure from the families of those in Iranian prisons as they see no sign of effective efforts leading possibly to the release of the detainees despite the US presidents campaign promise. The US government did try in December 2017 to negotiate the issue with Tehran through a direct channel. However, Iran turned down what Zarif refered to in his recent interview as a demand, adding that before making it the US needed to learn how to treat other sovereign nations. Nuclear deal For the centrist government in Iran, which is dealing with a financial crisis shortly after getting past rare nationwide unrest, the survival of the 2015 nuclear deal is seemingly of much greater concern than the security threat intelligence and judiciary at home see in the Americans they have held in prison. Trump has until May 12 to decide whether to put back in place the sanctions that were removed as part of the pact. Analysts believe such a move might kill the deal altogether, especially now that Iran indicates it might accelerate its uranium enrichment if the US pulls out. We have put a number of options for ourselves, and those options are ready, including options that would involve resuming at much greater speed our nuclear activities, Zarif said in part of the CBS interview that was aired on Sunday. Those options are envisaged within the deal and those options are ready to be implemented and we will make the necessary decision when we see fit. Iran had said in the past that it will stay in the deal in case of US withdrawal. French President Emmanuel Macron also said Sunday in a Fox News interview that there is no plan-B for the deal that he will try to persuade the US to preserve during a three-day state visit starting Monday. Saeed Jalili contributed to this report from Tehran, Iran Suspects in killing of Hamas engineer most likely born in the Middle East or in the West, Malaysian police say. Malaysian police have released facial composite sketches of two men suspected of killing a Hamas member in Kuala Lumpur. Two men on a motorcycle fired at least 14 shots at Fadi al-Batsh, an engineering lecturer, in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, killing him on the spot. Alerts have been put out for the suspects at all the countrys exit points, police said on Monday. Hamas, the group that rules the Gaza Strip, accused Israels Mossad spy agency of assassinating al-Batsh. Israel dismissed the charge. The computer-generated photographs of the suspects are based on descriptions by witnesses, police chief Mohamad Fuzi Bin Harun told reporters. European or Middle Eastern They show two light-skinned suspects who may be European or Middle Eastern. Both men are about 180cm with sturdy builds, the police chief said, according to a recording of his comments heard by Reuters news agency. Both suspects are on a high-powered, dark-coloured motorbike which could be a BMW or a Kawasaki. Both are carrying backpacks and have on dark jackets and helmets. The photos showed one suspect wearing a helmet and glasses. A forensic examination found that the victim died of multiple injuries to his head and body. We will send some of the bullets collected to our analysis experts to determine what kind of weapon was used in this heinous killing, Mohamad Fuzi said. He said they were not sure whether the men were still in Malaysia. We cant close off our exits and we dont have any other information apart from the photofit, he said. Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Saturday the suspects were believed to be Europeans with links to a foreign intelligence agency. Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman dismissed claims of Mossads role in the murder and suggested that al-Batsh was killed as part of an internal Palestinian dispute. Al-Batshs family has requested for his body to be buried in Gaza. Mossad has been accused of several high-profile killings involving Palestinians around the world, although Israel has consistently denied the accusations. The spy agency was accused of executing the murder of Hamas military commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in his hotel room in Dubai in 2010. In 2016, Hamas blamed Mossad for the killing of a Tunisian national it described as one of its drone experts. The five candidates faced off in the first of three presidential debates. Mexicos five presidential candidates have faced off in the first of three televised debates ahead of the countrys elections on July 1. The presidential hopefuls focused on issues of governance and security, as well as corruption and democracy. Heres all you need to know about the event, held in Mexico City. Who participated? Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), is the candidate for the coalition Juntos Haremos Historia (Together we will make history). Ricardo Anaya, who heads a right-left alliance in a coalition called For Mexico to the Front. Jose Antonio Meade, who represents the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) Independent candidates Margarita Zavala and Jaime Rodriguez. Who were the moderators? Three journalists moderated the debate: Azucena Uresti, from Milenio, a major Mexican newspaper; Denise Maerker, from TV channel Televisa; and Sergio Sarmiento; from TV Azteca. Key points Ahead of the debate, Lopez Obrador, 64, led his opponents with a double-digit lead, according to opinion polls. In the televised event: The leftist candidate was the target of criticism from his contenders. Many of the attacks focused on a proposal by him that includes exploring the possibility of amnesty for criminals to help bring security and reconcilation to the country. To this attack, he responded: Amnesty does not mean impunity We have to attend to the original problems that led to the issue such as combating poverty. Violence broke out in the country because there has been no economic growth for 30 years if there is no economic growth, there are no jobs, if there are no jobs, there is no well-being, and if there is no well-being there can be no peace and tranquillity. Mexico is a factory of poverty, he added. Fire cannot be fought with fire. I propose a government that represents the poor and the rich; the government will stop serving just a minority I wont fail you, he added. Lets build a house for all, a Mexico where we all are welcome. During the debate, Obrador pointed to a graphic, showing his with a 48 percent favourability rating in the Reforma newspapers poll last week. I dont mean to brag, he said, but something terrible has to happen for us not to win, and were going to win this election. Fire cannot be fought with fire Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Anaya, 39, who is polling second in most surveys presented himself as the only viable option to defeat the leftist candidate. Anaya has struggled to rid himself from accusations of corruption and money laundering. He attacked Lopez Obradors proposals, using posters and photographs and citing specific passages of his government plan. Anaya said he would create an independent attorney generals office to deal with political corruption. He also said the president should be investigated during its mandate, if needed, while jail should be an option for corrupted politicians. Mexico will change, he said The PRI [ruling party] is leaving, the question is what kind of change do we want. Economically we were better, but in terms of safety, today, we are worse than ever. Addressing the issue of tackling crime, Anaya said the current strategy had been wrongly implemented, it has not been understood that the gangs should be dismantled, instead of just removing the leaders. He questioned the amnesty proposed by Lopez Obrador and asked: Andres Manuel, regarding the amnesty, does it mean forgiving the criminals, yes or no? There are already a million victims accumulated only in the last two presidential terms to forgive the delinquents is not the solution . During the debate, he portrayed Lopez Obrador as an old, corrupted politician. I respected you, Anaya told him. You are not the same any more. I dont know if its because of your obsession with power, or youre just getting tired. Mexico will change, the PRI is leaving, the question is what kind of change do we want.. Ricardo Anaya Calderon, 60, also known as El Bronco is the governor of Nuevo Leon. He was elected in 2015 as Mexicos first independent governor. He is in fifth place in most opinion polls. The independent candidate caused a stir when he said thieves should have their hands chopped off. He added: This works lets see if the Congress is brave enough to pass this law. Calderon also said political parties are primarily to blame for the countrys problems. He suggested creating the first cyber police. To combat corruption he said: My first proposal is to have an independent president, that does not depend on the Congress; [also to have] an autonomous prosecutor elected by society we need to set the example. Calderon also spoke about education: A proposal to lower crime rates lies in the generation that today has no opportunities in Nuevo Leon all the new high schools are militarised, that is, the army is teaching this is giving results. Thieves should have their hands chopped off Jaime Rodriguez Calderon Meade, 49, who represents the ruling PRI, faced criticism for the tenure of outgoing President Enrique Pena Nieto. Regarding insecurity, he called for better preventive and investigative policies: Out of two million crimes each year, only three out of 100 are resolved. My wife has been robbed twice as long as we have corruption, there cannot be security. He continued: Prevention is needed, the [state] needs to have a presence, and [we need] to investigate if we want to be successful, we have to strengthen the investigation, so there are consequences when fighting violence. [During my mandate], there will be no master scams I propose to end impunity the public ministry will be autonomous. I propose a unique criminal code I am going to create a specialised investigation agency in crimes plus kidnapping and trafficking I will take care of the safety of your family. To the army, we need to give them legal certainty, we have asked a lot from our military, they deserve more security and the citizen deserves absolute clarity and to know what exactly we expect from them [we want] that space for dialogue. I will take care of the safety of your family Meade Zavala, 50, is an an ex-first lady and independent candidate. She also had to respond to criticism against the decisions of her husband, former President Felipe Calderon. Zavala advocated for strong state presence to combat corruption. I will defend everything that has been done well in the country particularly in terms of safety, one of the proposals that we have seen working is the intervention of the state, she said. We have to fight the evil with the good and thats is with the presence of the state because we wont have a Mexico in peace if we do not have a Mexico that feels safe, she said. We have to fight the evil with the good.. and that's is with the presence of the state Margarita Zavala When is the next presidential debate? The next debate will take place in Tijuana on May 20, and the last one will be held in Merida on June 12. What were Mexicans saying online? #DebateINE was one of the top trending topics in Mexico during the debate, these were some of the reactions. Translation: From 2014, crime increased by 29 of 32 entities in the country. We have to change the strategy and continue to support the army until peace is restored and we have professional and reliable policemen. #DebateINE, Anaya wrote. A partir de 2014, aumento la delincuencia en 29 de 32 entidades del pais. Tenemos que cambiar la estrategia y seguir apoyandonos en el Ejercito hasta que se restablezca la paz y tengamos policias profesionales y confiables. #DebateINE #ConAnayaPorMexico pic.twitter.com/2p5nsFHdWo RicardoAnayaC (@RicardoAnayaC) April 23, 2018 Translation: Lopez Obrador was mentioned 57 times by his rivals during the first #DebateIne President withdraws controversial pension reforms after five days of protests which saw at least 10 killed. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has scrapped the controversial pension reforms that sparked deadly protests across the country. In a televised meeting on Sunday evening, Ortega said he was cancelling the reforms which acted as a trigger that started this whole situation. At least 10 people were killed in five days of protests, with human rights groups accusing police of using live bullets on demonstrators. In the meeting, Ortega denounced protesters for acting like gangs killing each other. We must re-establish order, we will not allow chaos, crime and looting to reign, he said. Protests broke out on Wednesday, two days after the Nicaraguan government approved a resolution that would increase contributions by workers and employers into the Nicaraguan Institute for Social Security (INSS), while reducing payouts by five percent. Police fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets on demonstrators maintaining barricades and throwing rocks. The military was also deployed in the capital, Managua, and other locations on Saturday, local media reported. The government has put the official death toll at 10 people while Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa said more than 30 had died in clashes between police and civilians. Among the dead was journalist Angel Gahona, who was shot dead while reporting on the protests live on Facebook. The protests, which included pensioners, students and workers, are the biggest since Ortega, 72, was re-elected in 2007. Some students vowed to keep the pressure on the government up as their demands had now widened beyond protecting pensions. We are fighting not only for the INSS, we are fighting for all those years of pillaging of the people by the Sandinista regime, an engineering student in Managua who identified himself as Cristofer told AFP news agency. Ortegas government has faced condemnation in recent years over plans to build an inter-oceanic canal, for hobbling political rivals, and consolidating power when his wife, Rosario Murillo, became vice president. Ortega has won three consecutive terms since 2007 after serving a first presidential term in the 1980s. Race to save the rainforests in Asia-Pacific Environmentalists and politicians are joining forces to try to save fragile rainforests in the Asia-Pacific region. Salah Abdeslam convicted for his role in a 2016 gunfight in Brussels, four months after the Paris attacks. The only surviving suspect in the 2015 Paris attacks has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his involvement in a 2016 gunfight with police in Brussels. Salah Abdeslam was convicted of attempted murder along with his co-accused Sofien Ayari, who also received a 20-year prison sentence, at a court in the Belgian capital on Monday morning. Neither of the defendants were present during the verdict hearing. Abdeslam was on trial for his role in a shoot-out between himself and two accomplices and police who had come to search the house in which he was hiding out on March 15, 2016. One suspect, Mohamed Belkaid, was killed in the raid, while Abdeslam and Ayari got away. Three police officers sustained minor injuries. Abdeslam, a 28-year-old Belgium-born French national of Moroccan ancestry, was captured three days later in the Molenbeek neighbourhood of Brussels along with Ayari. His arrest on March 18, 2016, was the culmination of a four-month manhunt after his alleged participation in the 2015 Paris attacks in which 130 were killed. He fled the city after the attacks, which were claimed by ISIL. Hours later, he was stopped and questioned by police at the French-Belgian border before he was allowed through. After his arrest, Abdeslam reportedly told Belgian investigators he had planned to blow himself up at the Stade de France but then changed his mind. Abdeslam was extradited to France in April 2016 and remains in custody on the outskirts of Paris. Somali troops take over UAE-run military base in Mogadishu The order by the Somali Defence Ministry to end military cooperation coincides with the closure of a UAE-funded hospital and the seizure of $10m from UAE diplomats at Mogadishu airport two weeks ago. Trump to host Frances Macron for first state visit to US The two men reportedly enjoy a strong rapport, but their relationship could be tested given differences over several foreign policy issues, including the Iran Nuclear Agreement. Driver in custody and being questioned by police as search for motive in the deadly incident begins. The man who drove a van into a crowd of pedestrians at high speed in Canadas largest city, killing 10 people and wounding 15 others, was acting deliberately, according to police. A white van jumped the curb in a busy street in Toronto on Monday at about 1pm (17:00GMT). It fled the scene, but was found not far away. The alleged driver, 25-year-old Alek Minassian, was arrested after a short, but tense standoff during which he reportedly told police to shoot me in the head. Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders told reporters on Monday evening that the exact motivation for the incident was not yet clear, but that theres nothing that does affect the national security footprint. Based on witness accounts, we have a vehicle that started north on Yonge Street from Finch and drove southbound at some point in times on sidewalks, at some point in times driving southbound in northbound lanes, Saunders said. So, its very clear just from a general perspective to say that the actions definitely look deliberate. Saunders added that no gun was found on Minassian when he was arrested and that the suspect, who resides in Toronto suburb Richmond Hill, was not previously known to local police. Witnesses said the rented van was moving at high speed at the time of the incident. He started going down on the sidewalk and crumbling down people one by one every single thing that got in his way, witness Alex Shaker told CTV News Channel. Passer-by Carol Roberts said there was a lot of people lying lifeless on the ground. It was just so many bodies, CTV quoted her as saying. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters our hearts go out to anyone affected. Were going to, obviously, have more to learn, more to say in the coming hours, he said. The United States and Europe have seen a string of deadly attacks in which vehicles were used to target pedestrians, including an October 31 attack in New York City that killed eight people. Minassian is due to appear in court at 10am (14:00GMT) on Tuesday. Many women and children among those killed in a wedding tent in Hajjahs Bani Qays district, medical official says. At least 20 people have been killed in two Saudi-led coalition air attacks in northwestern Yemen, according to residents and medical personnel. Most of the dead were women and children who were gathering in a tent set up for a wedding party in Hajjahs Bani Qays district on Sunday, a medical official told Al Jazeera. At least 46 people, including 30 children, were wounded in the attack, the official added. Video footage of a boy who survived the attack was widely shared on social media, showing the child clinging to the body of what appeared to be his deceased father. The boy refused to leave the bodys side despite pleas from first responders. The Saudi-led coalition said it would investigate the incident. We take this report very seriously and it will be fully investigated as all reports of this nature are, a spokesperson of the coalition said. The coalition intervened in Yemens civil war in 2015 against Houthi rebels who overthrew the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The rebels control the capital, Sanaa. Saudi coalition air raids have repeatedly struck civilian targets during the three-year war. The coalition says it does not target civilians but Houthi forces. On September 28, 2015, a coalition air strike killed 131 people attending a wedding in the Red Sea village of al-Wahjiah, near the ancient port of al-Makha (Mocha). On October 7, 2015, another air raid killed 43 people at a wedding in Sanaban village in the Dhammar governorate in Yemen. The coalition denied having any role in both instances. Mass walkout over poor working conditions and pay was politicised, union says, after government fires striking staff. Thousands of Zimbabwean nurses have returned to work after ending a major strike, according to their union said, which said that renewed negotiations with the government were expected to begin. More than 15,000 staff demanding better work conditions and improve pay walked out of public hospitals a week ago. During the standoff, the government announced that the nurses had been sacked and accused them of being politically motivated. Nurses have gone back to work today although their grievances still stand, Enoch Dongo, spokesman for the Zimbabwe Nurses Association, told AFP news agency on Monday. Some were asked to first fill in dismissal forms and then sign forms for resumption of duty. We havent heard of any who have been turned back. Zimbabwe National Union (ZINA) had earlier said that the strike by its members had become politicised. To pave way for the re-opening of negotiations and protection of our workers, we have decided to call off the industrial action, it said in a statement. The nurses strike followed a similar recent protest by junior doctors, while teachers also threatened to walk out. It was the biggest mass action taken during the presidency of Emmerson Mnangagwa, after the resignation of long-time President Robert Mugabe in November 2017 in the wake of a military intervention and mass demonstrations. Many of Zimbabwes nurses operate in poorly-equipped state-run institutions and patients are expected to supply basics such as drugs and equipment. Since taking charge of Zimbabwe, Mnangagwa has vowed to improve the beleaguered economy and seek foreign investment to improve public services. Once the sick man of Europe, Germany weathered the financial crisis and the Great Recession better than its neighbours. Fairy tales can come true, it has happened to those who are young at heart. That may help explain why a new generation is arising in European politics, if not the surfacing of a comprehensive cult of youth. The 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz is prime minister in Austria, the 39-year-old Juri Ratas is PM of Estonia, the 39-year-old Leo Varadkar is Taoiseach of Ireland, the 43-year-old Alexis Tsipras is PM of Greece, and the 43-year-old Matteo Renzi was PM of Italy, 2017-March 2018. Above all, there is Emmanuel Macron, the 40-year-old President of France. Now that German Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU party did poorly in the September 2017 parliamentary election, getting only 32.9% of the vote, a loss of 8.6%, and that she was only able to form a government in March 2018, the self-confident and ambitious Macron appears as the new leading figure not only in France but laying claim to be the diplomatic and political leader of Europe. During the presidential election campaign he jokingly declared himself "Jupiterian" and in power has been mocked by critics as the new incarnation of the Sun King, a reference to Louis XIV, the powerful 16-17th century monarch. Macron, who is meeting President Donald Trump in the White House on April 24 to discuss international affairs, especially Iran's nuclear program, is demonstrating leadership in a number of ways: policies in internal French affairs; a prominent role in if not yet leadership of the European Union; and dealing with Islamist extremism and the disease of anti-Semitism. In framing French internal policy, Macron does not have unchecked authority, though about 60% of the National Assembly are favorable to his party, La Republique en Marche. He has introduced proposals on a variety of issues: extending Sunday trading; supporting Uber against the taxi lobby; changing conditions for the baccalaureate examination; trying to limit protected entities' undue privileges; increased tax on pensions, cutting the speed limit on major roads to 80 kmph (50 mph) to reduce accidents. Many of the proposals focus on reform of the French Labor Code which is to be changed in order to give greater employment flexibility to employers, reduce unemployment, and revitalize the French economy. Important in this is the catalyst for reform of SNCF, the railroad system which has protected the job status of train workers who are hired for life, can retire at age 52, and get free family travel and pensions. The SNCF, formerly linked to the Communist party, has a debt of 46 billion euros. Not surprisingly, the proposed reforms have been resisted, to a considerable degree by those wanting to maintain their present benefits. Though unions have weakened in France since 1995, they are now defending existing privileges. Macron's proposals have been greeted with strikes of rail workers, air traffic controllers, teachers. Most TGV trains and the Paris metro stopped running for a while. Students at the elite prestigious Sciences Po college occupied the building. Reality, as former president Francois Holland remarked, does not bend to Macron's will. Macron has wider concerns and ambitions to influence European policy. In a number of speeches, he has warned of the squalls of globalization, nativism, and populism. Consequently, he calls for a strong European role. On April 17, 2018 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Macron declared, "I want to take the firm choice to defend democracy, to defend Europe's unique identity in face of growing authoritarianism and nationalism." Without specifically mentioning the obvious suspects, Viktor Orban, now in his fourth term of office as prime minister of Hungary, or Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the polarizing leader of the Law and Justice party in Poland, and the increase in support, almost 50%, for anti-establishment parties in Italy in the parliamentary election of March 4, 2018, Macron declared that democracy in Europe was not consigned to impotence. He drew on an interesting parallel in urging not to forget the European past: "I don't want to belong to a generation of sleepwalkers that has forgotten its past." This was an allusion to the long and complex trilogy The Sleepwalkers by the Austrian writer Hermann Broch about the deterioration of values and tension between older and emerging ethical systems before World War I. Macron warned of the increasing fascination in Europe with illiberalism and populist authoritarianism. Europe must turn away from selfish nationalism. What was needed was not authoritarian democracy but the authority of democracy. Calling for closer integration of the EU, Macron proposed controversial technical changes: reform of the eurozone financial structure; attention to the banking union; common deposit insurance scheme funded by all European banks; a EU fund able to manage sovereign bail out programs; and a much larger EU budget. Macron has promised to lead in the fight against the "scourge" of anti-Semitism in France wherever it surfaces in the street or online. According to official figures, anti-Semitic violence in France increased by 26% in 2017 and criminal damage to Jewish places of worship and burial increased by 22%. France has been the scene of too many anti-Jewish atrocities. In January-February 2006, the 23-year-old Ilan Halini, a French-born Jew of Moroccan ancestry was abducted and tortured and killed by a Muslim group, the Gang of Barbarians. In March 2012, the Ozar HaTorah school in Toulouse was attacked and three children and a rabbi were killed by a jihadist who has already murdered three French soldiers. On April 4, 2017 Sarah Halimi, a 65-year-old retired physician and Orthodox Jew, living in the Belleville district of Paris, was beaten and thrown out of the window to her death by a native of Mali who shouted Allahu Akbar. Most recently, on March 23, 2018 the 85-year-old Mireille Knell, who narrowly escaped the Vel d'Hiv roundup in Paris on July 16-17 1942 by fleeing to Portugal, was stabbed repeatedly in the throat before being set on fire by Muslim individuals. Islamist atrocities led between 2014-16 to more than 20,000 French Jews leaving France. These events have led to Macron's pledge to provide protection for Jewish schools, synagogues, and other Jewish sites. In view of the atrocities committed by Muslims, they have also led to a "deradicalization" program. There is no magic formula for deradicalization, but Macron and his government have made various proposals to prevent the spread of Islamist extremism in prisons, schools, mosques, and Islamic centers. High among them is the effort to stop Islamist extremism from flourishing in prisons which have influenced jihadists. Currently, 512 people are in prison for terrorist offences. The effort will mean separating prisoners from radicalized inmates. There are also plans for centers that will attempt to reintegrate Islamist radicals referred by French courts, and for a wide effort to get internet platforms to remove content that feeds extremism, tighter regulation of private Islamic schools, and reassigning of public servants who show signs of radicalization. It is encouraging that France is implementing its policy of increased surveillance of Muslim clerics accused of hate speech and inciting violence. Before Macron became president, more than 90 Muslim clerics and radicals had been expelled from France. It is noteworthy that on April 20, 2018 France expelled Imam el Hedi Doudi based in the as-Sounna mosque in Marseille, to Algeria. France is fortunate to have got rid of a bigot who provoked discrimination, hatred, and violence, and who preached that Jews are "unclean, the brothers of monkeys and pigs." In view of these determined efforts to eliminate discrimination and violence it's gratifying to recognize and appreciate the best part, that Emmanuel Macron is among the very young at heart. My son, a Lone Soldier, serves the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) along the dangerous border between southern Israel and the Gaza Strip. His job is to guard neighborhoods where terrorists emerge from tunnels originating inside Gaza and ending in civilians' kitchens or living rooms inside Israel. His unit arrests those attempting to cross the Gaza-Israel border illegally. Tensions are running high as the American Embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem draws near. The annual six weeks of taunting, rioting, and threatening Israelis with armed attacks during the "March of Return," preceding Israeli Independence Day, also called the nakba (catastrophe) by Palestinians, is a time of serious defensive action by the IDF. Meanwhile, on the other side of the fence, Alhurra, an American satellite TV channel in Arabic, ran an interview with an Israeli trying to stop the madness. He reported, "We have contacted the owners of more than 20 bus companies in the Gaza Strip who received money from Hamas to drive the Palestinians to violent demonstrations," warning that there would be repercussions for transporting terrorists to incite violence. Shortly thereafter, The Jerusalem Post reported that at least 17 Palestinian civilians were killed and more than 1,400 were injured during the last three weeks of riots. It must be pointed out that Israel is not provoking these riots, nor is she paying protesters to be injured or killed, so there is no moral equivalency between numbers of injured or dead between one side and the other. Five recommendations on how to curb the war that Iran's proxies provoke: Plug the Smuggling Routes and Tunnels from Terrorist Penetration Recently, a terror tunnel with bunkers built under civilian homes from Jabalia inside Gaza into southern Israel near the Nahal Oz community was discovered and destroyed. "Violent riots that have been taking place in the area of the security fence are an attempt to mask the terror attacks intended to take place above and below ground." ISIS in Egypt was paid to smuggle explosives and rockets through the Sinai to Gaza in order to "keep the smuggling routes open." As International 'Pay for Slay' Continues; Iran, Syria, and Russia Must Be Sanctioned American Taylor Force was brutally stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist while visiting Israel with his Vanderbilt University MBA class. Force's murder qualified the terrorist's family for $3,500 monthly from the P.A. The Taylor Force Act, now U.S. law, seeks to halt American financial aid to the P.A. as long as "martyr payments" are received by terrorist families. Unfortunately, money continues to flow to the P.A., and Hamas via Iran, the largest sponsor of terror in the world. Iran was granted a $150-billion gift from the Obama administration, and much of it is used for terrorism. While that money cannot be retrieved, Iran must not receive a penny more from our international coalitions, and the U.S. must not only stop subsidizing Russia, China, and Syria, but also sanction them. The 2018 P.A. budget included 7.47% for salaries to terrorist prisoners, released terrorists, wounded terrorists, and martyr families resulting in a total of $355 million awarded to promote terrorism (total budget: $4.76 billion). A noteworthy change in the P.A. budget is the removal of the middleman resulting in direct P.A. payment to terrorists, therefore legally defining the P.A. as a terrorist organization by Israeli law. Syrian Bashar Assad was given $15 million by Tehran to pay thousands of civilians to be bused into Gaza and provoke war with Israel. With the promise of $3,000 for those killed and $500 for the critically wounded, "pay for slay" continues to incentivize terror. The blame for the humanitarian atrocities in Gaza is shared by Iran, the P.A., and Hamas. Do Palestinians really believe in their cause if they have to be paid and bused in? It seems they are hungry for money, not a Palestinian state. The Use of Chemical Weapons and Civilians as Human Shields Must Be Prosecuted Gaza, a strip of land 25 miles long and about five miles wide, has almost two million people packed inside an overcrowded space of unkept land. Keeping civilians safe is difficult since Hamas terrorists are embedded within the civilian population. Terrorists play by their own murderous, barbaric rules kidnapping Israeli children and using Palestinian children as props and human shields for the purpose of deterring enemy attack. Assad's repugnant, despicable practices of using chemical weapons on his people is another inhuman weapon of war that must be stopped. The Geneva conventions state: "The presence or movements of the civilian population or individual civilians shall not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations ... in attempts to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield, favour or impede military operations." Hamas forced a seven-year-old girl to the Israeli security fence without regard for her human rights. "Hamas controls its territory and has an obligation to keep its citizens out of harm's way and should have therefore prevented people from approaching the border fence. It does look as though Hamas was attempting to benefit from putting civilians on the front lines," according to Col. (ret.) Liron A. Libman, previously head of the IDF International Law Department. The Beauty of the Wall...It Works After 60 years of war, between Israel and Gaza, the border security wall was constructed, covering the entire Strip and significantly improving security in southern Israel. Israel's wall has cut down illegal immigration from 17,000 in 2011 to 43 in 2013. Israeli security upgraded the "buffer zone along with new high technology observation posts and new terms of engagement for soldiers," according to Major General Doron Almog. Stand Our Ground and Follow Through in Syria The U.S. military must maintain leverage and block Iran and Russia from their desired monopoly in the Levant. History confirms that if we cut and run, as Presidents George H.W. Bush and Barack Hussein Obama did from Iraq, a dangerous vacuum is filled with Islamists (ISIS in Iraq). Peace and a Palestinian state have never been the terrorists' objective. Their goal is and will continue to be to drive the Jews into the sea. But those Palestinians who are not terrorists, who have worked and lived in Israel, don't yearn to live in a corrupt Palestinian state without freedom or human rights. They have learned that accountability and hard work creates a good life and seem to be satisfied living side-by-side with the Jews in the Jewish state. But until terrorists move away from their seventh-century ideology and into modernity, freedom-loving Americans must remain as a force in the Levant to ensure the safety of civilians in Syria and Israel, and to guard against a greater war between Israel and Iran's ruthless dictator and his terrorist proxies. Valerie Greenfeld is the author of Backyard Jihad: How Parents Can Detect the Invisible Threat of Radicalization. She can be reached at www.backyardjihad.com. We value intelligence and knowledge. With good reason. Intelligent, thoughtful illumination has an uplifting effect on individuals and a civilization. We've seen that many times throughout history. The founding of our American Republic is one such stellar example. Back in the 1980s, I recall someone lamenting how the most qualified and best candidate to never become president was Adlai Stephenson. Certainly, the Democratic Party has been trying since Stephenson to claim the mantle of "intelligent." Democrats are always the smart ones smarter, better policies, and as a result morally superior. Now, it's hard not to notice that the pinnacle of the left being smarter than everyone came to us with one Barack Obama, with his incredibly uber-intelligent, superior group of advisers and administration. Nobody was ever smarter. Ever. Except they really weren't. For smart people, they actually did some of the dumbest things ever in public life. The tragedy of so many believing they were the smartest people ever may haunt us for years. There is a huge disconnect between the true concept of wisdom and the smartest people ever. Culturally, valuing knowledge and intellect has three main sources: the Greek philosophers, the Bible, and the Church. There were others, but these three more than any other sources provided the basis for the respect for knowledge and wisdom in our culture. The concept of highly valuing the realm of the mind became imbedded in the West because of them. Jordan Peterson loves to praise how clean our lives are, how things work so well, and how wonderful we have it. He lets us know in so many ways that all this bounty came from our belief system, one where we cherish achievement of thought. Wisdom is the subject of Solomon in the Book of Proverbs. Some central quotes: "Seek wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Find wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." "Does not wisdom call out?" "Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her." These, and so many other lines from Proverbs, form the genesis of why we prize intellect, or wisdom. If the search for and the study of wisdom can bring us so much, then indeed it was right for our culture to value it. What we call the Protestant work ethic came straight from Solomon. Perhaps it should rightfully be called the Jewish work ethic. The important thing to note is that having that value imbedded in our civilization makes things better, makes things nicer, and does great things for us and our culture. Our culture. It's why we are prosperous, live longer, live better, and have so much in depth in so many areas of life. C.S. Lewis called the Bible our "instruction manual." If you follow the manual, the human machine works at its best, tuned finely for maximal effect and output. The wisdom of Solomon was a huge part of the manual. Enter the deconstructive left. Leftists authored this divorce from wisdom. They divorced themselves from the "instruction manual" and its source. They began the effort to take away the moral underpinnings from our culture. The great Greek philosophers were no longer to be held in high esteem. Likewise, the great Church figures, and the Founding Fathers, they were simply dead white males who should be made fun of. The deconstruction has been slow but effective. The eight years of Barack Obama were the West at its low point. My take: I never thought our culture could turn so wrong so fast. Things happened in our government and culture during those eight years we never deemed possible even ten years ago. Destructive trends, destructive ideas, destructive social movements. All at their peak through the Obama years: *The destruction of our health care system through the oh, so smart Obamacare. *The worst economy since WWII, in any measure jobs, GDP, unemployment, spending, etc. *The worst race relations since the 1960s. Race-baiting, straight from the top. *The worst foreign policy ever. Iran. Cuba. ISIS. Help our enemies. Betray our friends. Bolster Islamists; destroy American confidence and its military. *The most corrupt administration ever. By far. We're just now seeing how bad. *A turn in leftist immigration policy its clear intent to replace the current electorate with a malleable, ignorant new electorate willing to believe the leftist siren songs so the left can have unchallenged power. *The worst of pay to play. Leftists at the trough of government sucked deep. The Clinton Foundation sucking the deepest. Follow the money if you dare. *The moral preening of Hollywood and the media. All the while, they lived and played in the cesspool of Weinstein and Matt Lauer. #MeToo was caused by them and still is. The list is longer and should be a book by itself. The list of failures could get to over a hundred easily. And yes, it was that bad. Like frogs in the simmering pot, we were being cooked. "Transformed." Also known as destroyed. So how does all this horrible stuff happen under a group of people who were considered by our elites, our media, and themselves the smartest people ever? How did our media get away with calling so many major failings wonderful? Cow patties strewn around the pasture on stale bread were described as culinary treasures. It was, and is, sickening. How is it possible to morph from JFK to Barack Obama in one generation? From revering wisdom to wearing a dunce cap in fifty years? That is surely what so many did. The Book of Proverbs gives an answer. It gave us the overwhelmingly beautiful description of wisdom, but it also gave us this clear warning: "be not wise in your own eyes." On the surface, that doesn't seem like much. But it's really the key to understanding what has happened to the left. They became arrogant. Filled with hubris. A group of narcissists who believe their own P.R. They really were the smartest people ever. Obama himself, and those surrounding him, really believed it. It's a Greek tragedy written for today a group of narcissists in charge of the levers of power, doing terrible things in the name of good. Most of them thought there was no reason to heed the "instruction manual." They replaced centuries of wisdom with their own image and called it good. They replaced generations of wonderful ideas with degenerate, unworkable, truly horrific notions that had never worked anywhere else they were tried. These ideas had failed miserably so many times. Except they were now so smart and morally superior that they would surely make them work. The pinnacle of smart. And it showed for eight years. And it was covered up for eight years. And it was reported as wonderful for eight years. Stupidity linked with hubris was mistaken for wisdom by so many of our elites. And that's all it was. True wisdom and its rewards are described beautifully by Solomon. It needs be sought, to avoid these horrors. Wisdom should be exalted just not the fake kind as espoused by the left. The irony of Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany, atoning for Hitler's attempt to genocidally murder Jews by importing Arab and other Muslim "refugees" who want to finish the job finally may be sinking in to her Teutonic skull. AFP reports: German Chancellor Angela Merkel denounced the emergence of "another form of anti-Semitism" from refugees of Arab origin in Germany, in an interview with Israeli television broadcast on Sunday. "We have a new phenomenon, as we have many refugees among whom there are, for example, people of Arab origin who bring another form of anti-Semitism into the country," Merkel told the private Channel 10 network. Apparently what got her attention is a vicious attack on a Jew walking on the street in Berlin last week: Her remarks come after an alleged anti-Semitic attack Tuesday in Berlin caused a stir in Germany. According the German tabloid Bild, the main alleged perpetrator, who surrendered to police, is a Syrian refugee who lived in a centre for migrants near Berlin. Merkel is not discussing repatriating the new visitors, who have created all kinds of chaos, up to and including mass gang rape. Instead, she is calling for more police protection for Jewish institutions (the ones still left in Germany). She is still stuck in the worldview that sees Islam as just another religion, not a movement bent on world conquest, and the Arabs and other Muslims seeking to live in Germany by the millions as victims who can be taken in and turned into productive members of society. Well, this is a start... It has all the impact of a politically motivated self-immolation. Berkeley's Elmwood Cafe shut itself down without warning after a black Bay Area "comedian" called the place racist, citing a years-old incident nobody would likely be able to verify. According to KRON: The abrupt closure comes after a famous comedian alleged that a racist incident happened to him at the cafe similar to the recent arrest of two black men in a Philadelphia Starbucks. On Monday, famous East Bay comedian W. Kamau Bell recalled on CNN how he says he experienced racism there. "In 2015, I was kicked out of the Elmwood Cafe because they thought I was harassing my wife and my 13-week old baby," Bell said. Following the interview, online reviews roasted the shop for the alleged racism against Bell. No word on whether he was harassing his wife and baby, and why kicking someone out of a cafe for that would amount to "racism." But lefties were on the job in the wake of it, scrawling negative reviews of the cafe on the internet and whipping themselves up into a frenzy about how the place must have been operated by the Klan. Since I used to live in the area and am fairly sure I've been to this place in years past, the Elmwood Cafe is located in a cutesy, adorable, leafy, gentrified place in southern Berkeley that borders a similar gentrified area in north Oakland before hitting the rougher black working-class and underclass areas of Oakland farther south. The area has pretty much all independent and upscale shops with very few chain stores. There are splendidly colorful, wonderful lefty (really rabidly lefty) establishments such as the Starry Plough pub and La Pena cultural center that on a non-political level are possible to like regardless of your politics. Very grassroots, very colorful and human. A right-winger can only sigh that such talent is wasted on promoting left-wingery. There are actually a lot of restaurants in the area, and they serve fabulous Bay Area California ultra-fresh, avant-garde cuisine. There are spas, gift shops, boutiques... And there was the charming Elmwood Cafe. Its sudden closure came after mighty Starbucks toppled after comparable pressure for a non-racist incident where a couple of patrons walked in; took up space at the tables; and, upon being asked to order something, refused, prompting a call for the cops to come and haul their non-paying keisters out. Since they were black, the matter was deemed racist by the left, and Starbucks caved to the pressure, apparently firing its blameless manager and bowing hard and promising to appease to the totems of racial grievance-mongering by shutting the stores for a day of racial sensitivity training. One set of rules for the black patrons, another set for the white patrons seems to be how it's going to go now. The Berkeley cafe was next. It wasn't able to withstand such a storm, and since it might have been losing money anyway (imagine the taxes and regulations in that city), it just went Galt and shut itself down without warning. Obviously, it shows that the racial grievance-mongers have found a great new soft target in their never-ending quest to find the Klan. First Starbucks, which caved on them, and now the little independent cafes. Just one coffee purveyor who could stand up for himself and call BS might be enough to put a stop to this, but with giant Starbucks caving, and in an atmosphere where the shop-owners are lefties, the patrons are lefties (especially white upscale lefties who are utterly terrified of being called racists), and the narrative is lefty, such a scenario doesn't stand a chance. Now the area doesn't have its cafe, which by the way has an interesting history it was originally Ozzie's Soda Fountain, which had been a popular drugstore and soda counter in the mid-20th century run by a distinguished black veteran of World War II. The cafe preserved the fountain in his honor. But, well, now it's all shutting down in the name of racial virtue, and never mind the fountain. As more shops close from just one claim of racism or another, lefties are going to have to realize that there won't be any more gourmet coffee for them. No cafes. And that will be bad for real estate values, too, as having a Starbucks in the neighborhood is a known sign of real estate values going up. Now that the coffee shops are closing, lefties must choose between having their racial virtue-signaling and having their cafes. Mick Mulvaney has rapidly become one of my favorite federal executives. In addition to Mulvaney heading the Office of Management and Budget, President Trump appointed him to the job of running the former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), when Elizabeth Warren's handpicked head of the agency resigned to run for office. Warren had designed the bureau to be immune from congressional oversight by funding it with Federal Reserve money so as to not be dependent on appropriations. Warren also planned to keep the bureau in the hands of dedicated leftists by having the bureaucrats name a successor instead of the president. But President Trump appointed Mulvaney instead and won the fight, as Mulvaney continues as "interim" director and is implementing vast changes. Suddenly, all the independence designed by Warren has turned into a nightmare. When Mick Mulvaney served in the House, he tried to warn colleagues that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was too independent of Congress. Now that he's running the CFPB, Mulvaney wants to demonstrate just how correct he was. For the second straight day, the acting director has told a congressional panel that he can just sit in front of them all day and ignore their questions, and there's nothing they can do about it[.] It was such a nice touch that Mulvaney directed his refusal to answer questions to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the godmother of this hideous operation, leaving her licking her wounds and yelling of her care about consumers, which was never the point of the CFPB, as it has always been just a leftist slush fund. Now comes news that Mulvaney is proceeding with his demolition of Warren's dream by renaming her baby. Joseph Lawler reports in the Examiner: From the time its doors opened in 2011, the agency was known as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Usually, people just called it "the CFPB." Yet those terms, which adorn the agency's headquarters, make up its website URL, and are used in its Twitter handle, aren't technically in the law that created the bureau, the 2010 Dodd-Frank reform law. And so Mulvaney changed them. Late last month, the agency published a blog post announcing that it had devised a new seal for the agency. The seal is a neoclassical emblem similar to other federal agencies', featuring an eagle and the name of the agency: The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Here is the new seal: I was always against the CFPB name because those already were the initials of The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a mechanism for funneling taxpayer dollars into PBS and NPR programming, which in practice has been yet another example of government funding for left-wingers. As with his flouting of Senator Warren's attempts to question him, Mulvaney is getting in the faces of the lefties by using the law Warren designed against them: That, Mulvaney explained during congressional testimony on Wednesday, "is the formal name of the CFPB the CFPB technically doesn't exist." A representative for the agency added Friday that the name change "furthers the acting director's stated goal of hewing closely to the statute." That logic appeals to one of the bureau's top congressional critics, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling. "Agencies should follow the law," the Texas Republican said through a spokesman when asked about the new name. "I commend Acting Director Mulvaney's efforts to follow the law as written." A name change (or re-branding, as marketing people call it) usually is used as a symbol of change, so it is perfectly appropriate, given Mulvaney's agenda. It also changes the critical first word of the title from "consumer" to "bureau," emphasizing that this is indeed another government bureaucracy with power over us. Well played, sir. The left can no longer presume that it is the master of image management. Nor of unaccountable bureaucracies. At no other moment in American history would the likes of Mike Pompeo as secretary of state nominee be seen as the least bit controversial. A long career in Congress, a Harvard and West Point grad...he is clean and as proven an American patriot as anyone. He's certainly more so than recent past secretaries of state, such as Hillary or Kerry, who were confirmed with virtually no meaningful opposition. Pompeo will be the most pro-Israel secretary of state in history. The traditional Israel-haters in the foreign and defense policy establishment, combined with the more recent cadre of Muslim Brotherhood-aligned hyper-Israel-haters brought into the beltway by Obama and Co. for eight years, are going to oppose this with everything they've got. Through an amazing and unexpected turn of events, this elite faction is now confronted with the most personally philo-Semitic and pro-Israel president in American history. At first, the establishment hemmed him in on this issue, taking advantage of his inexperience and saddling him with people who would have kept him sucking up to the Islamists (McMaster, Tillerson) and railroading out those who really were aligned with his point of view (e.g., Flynn). But President Trump is finding his feet and is now putting together a historically pro-Israel Cabinet to help him pursue his general policy agenda, for which standing by solid front-line allies like Israel is a central tenet. The opposition cannot abide this. The confirmation battle for Pompeo is a metaphorical political Stalingrad. If Pompeo is confirmed, this will be the biggest defeat suffered by the Bad Guys since the victory of President Trump himself. On the issue of American Mideast policy, Rand Paul hasn't fallen far from the tree. His dad was an out-and-out rabid Israel-hater who, while still in Congress, was giving interviews to Iranian TV about how American support for Israel is the root cause of all of the problems in the region. Though he initially opposed it, Rand himself has become a supporter of the Iran deal relatively rare among Republicans and a consistent and strong opponent of any military action against Iran's nuclear weapons program. Rand Paul claims that he doesn't support Pompeo because he's afraid Pompeo is in favor of repeating the "mistakes we made in Iraq." But no serious person certainly not Pompeo is advocating an Iranian version of Operation Iraqi Freedom. When President Trump first won, I declared that the two biggest losers were the "destroy Israel" crowd and the gun control crowd. Over the past fifteen months, these two constituencies have grown desperate and out of control to a surreal degree. The thinly veiled Jew-hatred masquerading as Israel-hatred is now out in the open (e.g., DNC vice chairman Keith Ellison's links to Louis Farrakhan). Make no mistake: no effort will be spared to block this nominee. If Pompeo is confirmed, expect the hysterical opposition to President Trump to reach an even higher volume. South Africa is busy Zimbabwifying itself, ready to expropriate white-owned farms without compensation. At this point, it should be a pariah state. But in goes President Obama, likely to egg them on. The gushy New York Times piece about it pretty well calls Obama's planned trip to play community organizer abroad in South Africa a wonderful thing. He's been photographed kite-surfing with Richard Branson off Necker Island, relaxing on David Geffen's yacht in French Polynesia with Bruce Springsteen and Oprah Winfrey, river-rafting with his family in Bali and posing with a celebrity chef in Tuscany. To those who have paid only casual attention to former President Barack Obama's foreign travels since he left the White House in January 2017, it can seem as if Mr. Obama has been on an extended vacation of the kind only the very rich can afford. But the former president has also met quietly with groups of young people in New Zealand, Brazil, Indonesia and Singapore, as well as paying calls on foreign leaders, including Xi Jinping of China, Emmanuel Macron of France, Justin Trudeau of Canada and Malcolm Turnbull of Australia. Now, Mr. Obama is inaugurating his most significant international project as an ex-president, with an announcement on Monday that the Obama Foundation plans to convene 200 young people this July in Johannesburg for five days of meetings, workshops and technical training. That would be South Africa, the same South Africa that got itself in the news for voting to amend its constitution to expropriate productive white-owned farms without compensation, just as Zimbabwe did, creating what will become an impoverished hellhole. A whiff of the local sentiment can be read in this local lunatic leftist's essay, printed in Newsweek here. I've been to places where expropriations in the name of "the people" (led by comrades acting as community organizers) happened namely, Venezuela. While I was there in late 2005, I specifically asked farmers in the rural Yaracuy and Cojedes states to take me to places where land was expropriated in the name of correcting "injustice" and empowering "the people." The places I was taken were fallow hellholes, gone to seed by their unmotivated leftist comrade masters and their unwilling indigent tenant farmers supposedly benefiting from it in the name of "the collective." I remember a ragged red Chavista flag fluttering in the breeze on a hill to mark the shambling weed-filled disaster as miserable-looking people sat huddled by a tent, doing nothing, which stood in stark contrast to the neatly maintained farm across the road that had yet to be expropriated. I have heard since that they all have been expropriated in the name of "social justice" now, so I can only imagine what a garbage- and weed-strewn fallow wasteland it now must be. South Africa has launched itself into the same fate now, and there will be weeds, and there will be hunger. You'd think the Zimbabwean example would terrify them, but their rulers are so left-wing that it actually excites them. This brings us to the sorry spectacle Obama is supposedly honoring by going to that troubled place that ought to be a pariah state right now. Obama claims he adores Nelson Mandela and the better world and better men his example supposedly created, according to the Times piece. He will likely give similar words to what he gave in this speech here, given the similar players. But what we are seeing now in South Africa is Mandela's legacy: a terrible failure of soft socialism that incubated slowly and is now coming to fruition as locals get tired of 20 years of ANC failure and reparation-minded fanatics, led by something called the Economic Freedom Fighters. Obama is going over there to legitimize this failed trajectory, this historic progression of progressives that is taking the country to the Stone Age? Imagine if some white politician during the Apartheid era went to South Africa, supposedly to buck up the locals. Would the Apartheid boycotters have respected him? Hardly. They would have called South Africa a pariah state and insisted that the politician not go. How much more valid is such a boycott strategy now, given that South Africa has opted to violate private property and faces a certain Zimbabwe fate? There will likely be platitudes from Obama about racial healing and racial justice in this speech, but the country has listened to this tripe for years, and its logical progression has been to reach expropriation and the destruction of title deed and private property. Just take a look at the kinds of thinking that goes on in South Africa among its tony intellectual class. Will Obama say something to counter this, even as his agenda is to create more community organizers? Don't bet on it. It's unlikely he even believes in it himself. Businesses hit by data breaches could now lose between $2 million and $300 million after an attack, according to Wendi Whitmore, the leader of IBMs X-Force Independent Response and Intelligence Services (IRIS) team. In a recent interview with ZDNet, the expert said that this is due to companies having to rebuild their infrastructure and recover lost data after every contemporary breach. The industry veteran noted that some of the more recent attacks have been caused by destructive malware, which is capable of either encrypting or deleting data from enterprise servers. These types of attacks not only result in a loss of data but also in the disruption of infrastructure and environment. Whitmore said it is impossible for organizations to totally prevent malware or ransomware attacks. The security expert believes that companies should instead try to limit the impact of attacks on servers and computers that are not critical to their operations. Among the steps that businesses can take to limit the impact of a data breach is to ensure that employees are knowledgeable about account segregation and authentication controls. Furthermore, businesses could save around $1 million if they successfully control a data breach within a month, according to the same expert. However, despite the increasing costs of data breaches, Whitmore mentions that only 23-percent of companies actually have an incident response plan that deals with cyber attacks. Nonetheless, it seems that most organizations have made significant progress in protecting user data. IBMs data shows that 2.9 billion records were compromised last year, which is a 25-percent reduction compared to the 4 billion records breached in 2016. Whitmore also discussed the impact of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a legislation going into effect in the European Union next month. A number of tech companies including Facebook and Microsoft have already modified their services and products to comply with the regulation. The security expert noted that while the regulation is important for ensuring peoples privacy, it could be difficult for companies to comply with the 72-hour time limit for notifying authorities about a data breach mandated by the incoming law. Whitmore said that during the first 72 hours of an incident being identified, companies usually do not have much information about a data breach in the first place, making it difficult for them to assess the situation and determine why the breach occurred, which is the kind of information that authorities will demand from them under GDPR. Google, as part of routine research into bugs and exploits that are in the Chrome browser or can affect it, has found an exploit that bypasses the UMCI cryptographic code-signing framework on certain Windows 10 systems, and the company has denied Microsofts requests to delay disclosing the bug to the public. To give this some context, when a bug like this is discovered in somebody elses product, Google has a firm policy that the bug stays classified for 90 days. The company will report the bug to the responsible party immediately, then release its full details 90 days later so that the wider security community can benefit from the information. This particular bug has been known to Microsoft for over 90 days, so despite the responsible companys requests to hold off, Google has released the full details of the exploit. To be certain, this is not a matter of dire seriousness. This exploit only applies to systems with UMCI, such as Windows 10 S and older Windows RT systems, and is just one among multiple ways to bypass UMCI and run whatever code you please on those systems. It can also only be run from within an application thats already running, meaning that any application approved for the Windows Store likely wont have this exploit present and it thus poses almost no danger to normal users. Such an exploit could be used for anything from running a keylogger or ransomware on a UMCI-enabled system to allowing users to install any application they want, so long as its compatible. An exploit not unlike this one was used long ago to allow enterprising users to compile their own ARM-based applications for the first and second-generation Microsoft Surface tablets, for example, since they ran Windows 8 RT with UMCI on an ARM processor. The exploit has yet to be fixed as of this writing, but users dont need to take any particular action in the meantime. A bypass for UMCI is not all that serious, and if you dont sideload applications onto your Windows RT or Windows 10 S machine, you likely arent at any kind of a risk anyway. If you are sideloading, youve probably already used this exploit or a similar one to gain that ability. Those with machines running full Windows 10 or Windows 10 LTS with enterprise application management wont have to worry about this bug either. While some of the smartphone industrys heaviest hitters have already announced their flagships for the first part of the year, LG has yet to do so, but the time for the launch of its next big phone is just around the corner. The LG G7 ThinQ is due to launch on May 2, meaning its fewer than ten days away now, and theres really not a whole lot that isnt known about the device prior to its launch, including the design of the phone and how many different colors it will be available in. That said, a majority of the information hasnt been confirmed yet, so there are still technically some official unknowns. Release Date As mentioned above, the phone is scheduled to be announced on May 2, but that isnt likely to be the exact release date. As with most smartphone launches, chances are that LG will actually look to release the phone physically in retail stores and online for purchase a couple of weeks or more after the announcement, so consumers could be looking at being able to buy one in either mid-May or perhaps early June. Those who arent keen on waiting will probably be able to pre-order one sometime soon after the unveiling, however, the actual dates for pre-orders and release will depend on individual carriers, retail partners, and regions, so consumers interested in the G7 ThinQ will definitely want to keep an eye out for their particular carrier or licensed LG retailer of choice. Advertisement Design There have been a number of leaks showing off the LG G7 ThinQ, and while not all of them have been totally accurate, some of them were pretty close. Earlier this month, AndroidHeadlines published an exclusive look at the actual design of the phone, showing it off in all five colors that LG will be launching, thus providing the first real look at the device. Since then, there has only been one other press render shared online, but a number of other leaks containing hardware information, which well dive into a bit later in this post. When it comes to design, the G7 ThinQ will be offered in Aurora Black, Platinum Grey, Moroccan Blue in both Matte and non-Matte variants, and finally a Raspberry Rose option. Beyond the colors, the dual rear-facing cameras are there just like on many of LGs past phones, so this is nothing new and something which should always be expected for a flagship from most bigger brands at this point. This is accompanied by a rear-facing fingerprint sensor, which has acted as the power button in the past, but the LG G7 ThinQ will instead house a power button on the side, like many other devices. Flipping things over to the front, the G7 ThinQ will come with a nearly bezel-free display, which shouldnt be a surprise, and it also has the notch, which shouldnt be surprising either, though mobile screen cutouts remain a polarizing feature. The good thing is that LG will give users an option to hide it by blacking out the top edge of the display so it lines up with the notch to make it appear as if there isnt one, but it will still be there physically as this is where the front-facing camera is housed along with the earpiece and ambient light sensors. While the press render that can be seen in the image up above is the first official press render of the device that appeared, its not the first time the phone has appeared. The LG G7 actually showed up back at Mobile World Congress in February at an LG booth and was captured on camera labeled as the LG G7 Neo. The design of the phone (which can be seen in some of the images in the gallery directly below) looks basically the same as the press render, which suggests that LG has more or less been finished with the design for at least a couple of months. Surprisingly, there havent been any leaks regarding LG G7 ThinQ cases, at least not yet, though there may not be considering the phone is due for an announcement on May 2 which is coming up pretty fast. Advertisement Features Technically the notch isnt a feature, but it also kind of is, especially when you consider the ability to artificially hide it from view, which is, in fact, a feature. Its also a feature that some consumers will probably love if theyre not too fond of the notch, which LG seems to have taken into consideration when developing this new phone as the notch design has been met with mixed feelings by consumers on other devices. LG has taken note of this fact and used it to hopefully better its own device. Another new feature for LGs devices which the company is expected to debut on the G7 ThinQ is a physical button for launching Google Assistant. As it currently stands the existence of a physical Google Assistant button on the G7 ThinQ is just a rumor, but then again thats part of what this post is about rumors. That said there is an extra button on the device, and this is what uses will allegedly press if they want to launch Assistant without having to speak to it. Google Assistant is first and foremost intended to be used by voice, to make things easier and more convenient (not to mention safer if youre driving) for users when they need to look something up or complete a task/initiate a function. If youre in a crowded area though, you may not want to use your voice as it may bother others, or it may be too hard for the mic to pick up your speech if the area around you is too loud. This is where a physical button and the ability to type to Google Assistant would come in handy. Google Assistant already supports typing, so now all thats needed (for the G7 ThinQ at least) is a button to launch it. Though this is just a rumor, its also not the first time the rumor has popped up, as an even earlier rumor suggested that the G7 ThinQ would come with a Bixby-like AI button. Google Assistant is an AI, so there is a good chance that the rumors are true. Advertisement Artificial intelligence is also set to be integrated across many of the G7 ThinQs camera features, so anyone looking to make the most out of their smartphone photography skills through some cool and interesting new picture functions are likely in for a treat. For starters, the AI features of the camera will offer up multiple different filters that can be applied to photos. These recommended filter options will be based on a handful of different criteria, such as contrast, saturation, and more. Users can also expect other camera-related features like 3D camera stickers that can be applied to photos after theyve been taken, a Live Photo option, and the popular portrait mode thats been added to a number of devices following Apples implementation of it on its latest devices, though it is worth noting that the portrait mode is essentially just a bokeh effect which has been on phones for years. Concepts Concepts arent usually indicative of what the phone will actually look like, but sometimes they do end up being a picture into part of the phone design. That seems to be the case to some degree with the concept designs shown in the images here above and in the gallery directly below, as the concept does feature the notch at the top of the display and the vertical dual camera setup on the back of the phone. It also, of course, features the nearly bezel-free screen as has been suspected for some time now. Advertisement Specs If there was anything about this device that is the most unknown, that would probably be the specs. There have been rumors surrounding what sort of hardware will be used and although some specs are a given, like the use of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, others are not so concrete, like the RAM which has been rumored to be 4GB but could just as easily be 6GB, especially if LG wants to stay on par with some of the other flagships.About the only spec that is as close to being confirmed as possible is the main camera setup, which is said to be two 16-megapixel sensors, making for what will likely be LGs best main camera setup yet on any smartphone it has ever released. There isnt much to go on for the front-facing camera sensor but its likely to be at least equal to what has been offered on the LG V30S ThinQ, which has a 5-megapixel camera on the front for selfies and video chat. When it comes to the display of the device the LG G7 ThinQ has been rumored to be coming with a 6.1-inch screen and although this might be slightly different when the phone launches, one thing it will have is LGs M+ tech inside of the panel, which is typically used on LGs recent TVs and will help the screen to consume less energy but still allow for it to shine brighter and put out more color. The screen should also have HDR 10 support but it hasnt been confirmed just yet. As for the battery the G7 has been rumored to carry a battery with a 3,000mAh capacity, but it could also be larger. Regardless of the size though, whether bigger or smaller than a 3,000mAh capacity, the LG G7 ThinQ will certainly charge up fast as LG has already confirmed that it will support Qualcomms Quick Charge 4.0, which is another testament to the phone coming with the Snapdragon 845 processor, though there probably wasnt any doubt about that particular detail. Advertisement Wrap-Up With all that has already been leaked and rumored about LGs next flagship, there are still some things to learn, such as its regional availability, the exact release date when consumers will be able to buy the phone, and of course, how much it will cost. No definitive rumors on its pricing details emerged yet either, but its likely that it will end up being around the cost of at least $700 and perhaps more. There are still nine days left before LG is set to reveal the G7 ThinQ which is more than enough time for additional information to leak out. Meizu has confirmed to Android Headlines that it is working on an Android Go smartphone, that should be announced later this year. The company did not mention any specifications, or even show the device off, but did mention that it was working on one and to expect it later this year. Meizu also would not comment on how it would position this device in its portfolio, but its clear that this will likely be a catalyst for Meizu to enter new markets, especially in Europe. Android Go would be an easy way for Meizu to target new markets without jumping straight into the high-end flagship race, which is already a pretty tough area in the first place. It would also allow the company to pick up new users that would prefer a stock Android smartphone, rather than one powered by Flyme OS Meizus proprietary software that lives on top of Android. Android Go debuted last year at Google I/O, as Googles answer to emerging markets. It is essentially a slimmed down version of Android, with lightweight Google apps to boot. It can run on smartphones with as little as 512MB of RAM, though most of the announced models do sport around 1GB of RAM. So far, Android Go has only been seen on smartphones that cost under $100. But theres no reason why Meizu couldnt go above and beyond and release something with better hardware, for the same price. Google has already tapped many smartphone makers to enter the Android Go world, including Nokia, Alcatel, and ZTE, with a smartphone coming from Huawei later this summer. So its no surprise to see Meizu getting involved as well, in fact it would be more surprising if Meizu wasnt involved. Advertisement Meizu has been expanding its operations quite a bit over the past few years, though it has lagged behind in one key region, which is India. It entered the market about the same time as many other smartphone makers, including Xiaomi. But it is still not as popular in the country as Xiaomi, Samsung and others. With an Android Go smartphone, Xiaomi could change that tide. In India, the smartphones that really do well are priced under Rs. 10,000 (about $150 USD), and thats due to India being an emerging market. So an Android Go smartphone would fit in perfectly there. This could also spell a rather interesting future for Meizu, with the company working closely with Google. With Flyme 7, you can actually see areas where the company is getting closer to stock Android a bit like HTC has done with its Sense UI over the past few years. Now it is definitely still a software skin that is meant for those in the East, but it is slowly but surely getting closer to stock Android. This doesnt mean that Meizu will be building a Pixel smartphone anytime soon. But with Googles help, Meizu could be gearing up to enter the US in the near future. Meizu did also tell Android Headlines that it likely wont be heading to the US while President Trump is in charge. And thats due to the issues that Huawei, ZTE and Broadcom have been facing in the country lately. But the company does still have ambitions to launch in the US at some point. Having a tighter relationship with Google would definitely help the company do that. Three new renders depicting whats said to be Samsungs Galaxy A6 Plus wrapped in a protective case emerged online on Monday, having been shared by Dutch tech blog Galaxy Club. The images that can be seen above reveal yet another device with an 18.5:9 Infinity Display panel, a Super AMOLED module Samsung first introduced with the Galaxy S8 lineup in early 2017 before the unique screen started trickling down to the companys mid-range handsets some seven months later. The supposed Galaxy A6 Plus can also be seen as featuring a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm audio jack, with its lock screen being indicative of Samsung Experience 9.0, the companys proprietary implementation of Android 8.0 Oreo. The rear side of the handset is reminiscent of the Galaxy S9, featuring a single camera and a somewhat oval fingerprint reader below it, as well as a dual-LED (dual-tone) flash unit. Compared to Samsungs latest high-end Android phablet, the only thing that the Galaxy A6 Plus is missing on its back is a heart rate monitor. The slim top bezel of the device houses another single-lens sensor and a flash of its own, as well as an ambient light sensor. While the smartphone is said to be shipping with support for Samsungs digital assistant Bixby, it doesnt have a physical Bixby button below its left-edge volume keys like the firms recently released Android flagships do, as indicated by the same source. The Galaxy A6 series is expected to be launched a direct follow-up on last years Galaxy A5 line and could first debut in India before making its way to other markets around the world, as per recent reports. Besides the Galaxy A6 Plus, the new product family should also consist of a smaller Galaxy A6 which is likely to start at around $400. The upcoming Android smartphones have already been leaked on numerous occasions, with Samsung being rumored to launch them in the coming days, possibly even by the end of the month. Marketing for the upcoming OnePlus 6 is in full swing with the company teasing the device across its social media channels to create a hype before its official announcement next month. OnePlus recently announced its partnership with Marvel Studios and in line with that, the Chinese brand has stated to give away more than six thousand tickets for the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War movie to its Indian customers. The next Avengers movie is scheduled to hit theaters next Friday, April 27, in the country. The tickets will be valid only in ten Indian cities Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Kochi, and Ahmedabad at selected PVR and Cinemax theaters. In order to claim the complimentary tickets, the OnePlus users will have to follow a certain set of steps. The users will have to first register their OnePlus smartphones IMEI number on oneplus.in, if not already done. Once registered, the users can select their city from the available list and click on Get It to generate a unique code required for claiming the ticket. Following the provided link to the Paytm website, the users will be able to book a free ticket by going through the usual checkout process. Shows between April 27 and April 29 can only be booked, while Paytm will charge Re. 1 as a token amount for complimentary snacks and the amount will be refunded to the users Paytm wallet soon after the transaction completes. OnePlus made a similar partnership last December for the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi where a total of 10,000 movie tickets were given away. The company had also announced a special OnePlus 5T Star Wars Edition to mark the movies release. The Star Wars-themed phone was aesthetically different from the standard OnePlus 5T variant and also had a special theme applied, which incorporated color elements taken from the Star Wars movie franchise. The OnePlus 6 is expected to be announced sometime in May, with a recent report claiming it to happen on May 18 in India. It will be companys top-tier smartphone that will boast a Snapdragon 845 processor along with up to 8GB of RAM. A display notch has already been confirmed by the company, so is water resistance, making OnePlus 6 the first OnePlus device to have resistance to water, and probably dust too. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge will likely receive an update to Android 8.0 Oreo by May 18, as suggested by Guncelmiyiz, a Turkish website managed by the South Korean smartphone manufacturer. The two devices were originally scheduled to receive Android Oreo by mid-April but the new firmware is still being tested as of today, according to the same source. The said release date of the software updates could be specific only to the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge models in Turkey, while the unlocked variants of the devices in other markets could receive the upgrade at a later date. The Snapdragon 820 and Exynos 8890 models are also likely to receive start receiving the Android 8.0 Oreo upgrade on different dates. The new OS version brings features such as a Picture-in-Picture mode, notification dots, and enhanced autofill capabilities. The Picture-in-Picture mode allows users to view two applications at the same time by showing one application in a smaller window that is placed on top of another app. On the other hand, the notification dots functionality informs you which apps have notifications waiting for you right from the home screen. Tapping the notification dots will open a set of quick in-app actions related to the notifications as well. The improved autofill feature aims to reduce the time spent on logging into websites and applications by remembering important information like usernames and passwords and offering to input it automatically in a more consistent manner. Meanwhile, users of the Galaxy A7 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017), and the Galaxy A3 (2017) will have to wait until June before they receive Android 8.0 Oreo, as per the same source. These three handsets were originally scheduled to receive the update by late May. In addition, according to Samsung Turkey, the LTE variant of the Galaxy Tab S3 will also receive Android 8.0 Oreo on May 18. CATCHING UP When albums come out of the mailbox in batches of five, six, eight a dayor moreit is possible to overlook, set aside or misplace some that are worthy of mention. Here are recommendations of a few that have languished on the shelf, some briefly, others for a while. Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas Sound Prints, Scandal (Greenleaf Music) Years of playing together have refined the compatibility that saxophonist Lovano and trumpeter Douglas have displayed since their initial collaboration in the San Francisco Jazz Collective in 2004. Their fascination with the music of Wayne Shorter is evident in Sound Prints not only in their arrangements of two of Shorters best-known compositions, Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum and Juju, but also in original pieces by the co-leaders. Bluesy, riff-like repeats in Douglass Ups and Downs constitute one example of Shorters influence. Two others are Lovanos reflective Full Moon with its entwining horn lines, and the skittering energies in his short High Noon, a track whose solos would be welcome at greater length. Douglass Libra opens with the harmonic riches of Lawrence Fields piano chorus. Douglas and Lovano achieve an album high point in their rich unison ensemble in that piece. Bassist Linda Han Oh and drummer Joey Baron round out the quintet. They and Fields constitute a tight rhythm section, abetted in Lovanos Full Sun by Barons stick work and joyous cymbal splashes, Douglass rising swoops of high notes and Linda Ohs crisply intoned bass solo. Allen Toussaint, American Tunes (Nonesuch) The late paragon of New Orleans music (1938-2015) recorded this album shortly before he died. The playlist includes two of his pieces, including the celebrated Southern Nights. It also has his piano performances of compositions by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Fats Waller, Earl Hines andperhaps to the surprise of some listenersBill Evans Waltz For Debby. Toussaints appreciation ran a wide gamut. Sidemen here can be surprising, among them guitarist Bill Frisell, saxophonist Charles Lloyd and lap steel guitarist Greg Leisz. On 19th Century New Orleans composer Louis Moreau Gottschalks Danza, Amy Shulman is at the harp. In his playing, Toussaint gives his chords a flow akin to running water. He sings one song, Paul Simons 1973 American Tune. It remains as moving as when Simon did it. Idrees Sulieman Quartet, The 4 American Jazz Men In Tangier (Sunnyside) Sulieman (1923-2002) was a distinctive early bebop trumpet player. His experience as a young man included McKinneys Cotton Pickers, the Earl Hines big band, Sid Catlett and Cab Calloway. His range and flexibility allowed him later to be featured with Thelonious Monk, the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland band and Gerry Mulligans Concert Band. Sulieman was notable for his fluency, a kind of edgy lyricism, and the cavernous sound he achieved with a cup mute. This double CD album was recorded in Algeria at a Tangiers radio station and in a New York City studio. It features the little-recognized pianist Oscar Dennard, bassist Jamil Nasser and drummer Buster Smith. Dennards harmonic gift triumphs over a piano that it would be kind to call adequate, but his solos are so interesting that the unfortunate instrument barely matters. Sulieman and company are particularly incisive in Charlie Parkers Visa. This is a good way for anyone unfamiliar with Sulieman to learn what he was all about. Hal Galper Quartet Featuring Jerry Bergonzi, Cubist (Origin) In his album notes, pianist Galper writes that he was unaware of what an interesting and unique composer his longtime bass-playing associate Jeff Johnson is. The three pieces that Johnson contributed to Cubist leave no doubt about his writing ability. The title tune plus Kiwi, Artists and Scene West give Galper, Johnson and drummer John Bishop plenty of challenging material. They make the most of it. Galpers post-bop credentials with Cannonball Adderly, Chet Baker and Phil Woods, among others, are part of his solid history. A few years ago he began to explore the challenges and charms of time-play, rubato, bypassing strict tempostealing time, as the Italians sometimes put it. The approach requires that all hands feel the time or non-time at the same intensity, with the same flexibility. Galper, Johnson, Bishop and tenor saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi feel it together. Scene West is thirteen minutes of slowly building intensity capped by a bear-growling Johnson bass solo. Galper rounds out the album with compatible pieces not written by Johnson; Miles Daviss Solar, Johnny Carisis Israel, a relaxed Ellington In A Sentimental Mood with another superb Johnson solo and laid-back, adventurous Bergonzi, and Galpers own Scufflin, which has stretches of Bishop in strict time that is not entirely unwelcome. Cubist is a stimulating experience throughout. COP26 may be a cop-out in the making COP26 is just about a month away. Delayed for a year by the Covid-19 pandemic, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference has built up even more expectations and momentum during the intervening months Four firms have sprung into action on the breakup of the AMA Group and related transactions. AMA has announced the demerger of its automotive component, accessory, and procurement business. The post-demerger AMA and its remaining vehicle panel repairs business are being bought by private equity behemoth The Blackstone Group for an enterprise value of $508m. Both are being effected by way of scheme of arrangement, which are subject to customary conditions, including approval of AMA shareholders and courts and the Foreign Investment Review Board, no material adverse change or prescribed occurrence taking place, and obtaining certain material third-party consents. The acquisition is expected to close in October. Matthew Kay, director of Vario, says that although the markets in Australia and the UK are very different from Singapore, demand is there. Singapore is a buoyant market where clients have a clear appetite for innovation. Vario Singapore will be providing fresh opportunities to both legal professionals and organisations that are looking for flexibility in the workplace, he said. The expansion to Singapore is expected to be followed by growth to other key Asian markets in due course. Global firms announce legal-tech partnership Several global law firms are teaming up with the Law Society in England & Wales to help support legal-tech start-ups. The London-based project is part of Barclays Banks Eagle Labs and will help legal-tech innovators develop and refine their products and services. Firms lending their support include Clifford Chance, Baker McKenzie, Clyde & Co, Norton Rose Fulbright, Allen & Overy, and Simmons & Simmons. kWh WLTP EV People in the Old Continent arent alone, with the U.S. also getting more subcompact crossovers than ever before. From the Ford EcoSport to the Hyundai Kona, the segment keeps on growing to satisfy demand. And for the automakers to reap higher profit margins than they would from a conventional-bodied vehicle.The two-tone color scheme imagined by Koo Ki Sung Studio fits the Soul like a hand in glove. The highlight, however, is the front-end design, especially the slim headlights. Although it looks sharp without the tiger-nose grille, Kia wont bid farewell to its trademark motif, as demonstrated by the all-new Ceed and Stonic.Believed to be based on the B-SUV platform of the Hyundai Kona, the next-generation Soul will be optimized for gasoline, diesel, and all-electric drivetrains. The Hyundai-branded crossover can be had with three- and four-cylinder engines with up to 177 PS and 265 Nm of torque in the case of the 1.6-liter Gamma turbo. The second-gen Soul with the 1.6 T-GDi, meanwhile, packs 204 PS and 265 Nm.Moving on to the Kona Electric , customers are offered two choices: 39.2or 64 kWh, 204 PS or 135 PS. In regard to driving range, the South Korean automaker quotes 300 kilometers and 470 kilometers (in accordance with theregulations). Over in the United States, the Kona Electric with the larger battery is EPA-rated 250 miles, more than double the range of the 2018 model year Soul(111 miles).Regarding the venue where the 2020 Kia Soul is expected to drop, hearsay suggests the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Other voices make a case for the 2019 North American Auto Show in Detroit next January, but the truth of the matter is that nobody - except the automaker - knows when the SK3 will go official. This weekend, we got news of both MINI and Audi presenting various displays at the Salone del Mobile event in Milan, one of Europes biggest furniture and design events. Aston Martin , a car brand notorious for creating other, non-automotive related products for its clientele, had to be there as well. And they were, with a new furniture collection designed together with luxury interiors and accessories manufacturer Formitalia.The collection shown in Milan last week will be on sale starting this September, says Aston Martin. It comprises several items, including a signature sofa, a luxury sofa, coffee tables, two armchairs and a bedroom bed.Explaining the carmakers foray into the wold of furniture design is Aston Martins chief creative officer Marek Reichman, who said the collection is a means for the brand to expand its unique feeling of luxury through an emphasis on quality and detailed execution.When you create a product that flawlessly combines design, technology and style, the result can be most rewarding, the executive added.Both MINI and Aston Martin plan to make something of their presence at Salone de Mobile, whereas Audi used the event only as a means to showcase some of its cars. Of the three projects presented by the automakers, MINIs is perhaps the most interesting.Called Living-Built By All , it previews the first habitable project MINI will open next year in Shanghai. According to initial details, the Chinese city will house starting 2019 a work-living concept created by MINI in converted industrial buildings. The area is said to be stretching on an area of nearly 8,000 square meters (2 acres). The driver of the Macca we're talking about attempted a brutal takeoff on city streets and the maneuver turned against him.Thanks to the piece of footage at the bottom of the page, we can see the 720S losing traction as it pulls away from the stationary camera (probably a smartphone whose owner recorded the whole shenanigan).The British machine starts sliding to the right (so the electronic nannies had been turned off), the driver overcorrects and it doesn't take long until the mid-engined beast goes spinning the other way. The supercar misses a motorcycle coming the other way (by a hefty margin, though) and ends up hitting one of the cars parked on the left side of the road, which happened to be an Audi R8.Now, while the poor quality of the video doesn't make things too clear, the details of the accident, which come from Reddit , give the story a whole new twist."A 19-year-old kid took his sisters 720s out, didnt have a license, then tried launch control. Lost control and hit the R8 that was parked. The kid ran away from the scene but forgot his passport in the car lol... the sister then was on scene arriving in a Lambo trying to take the blame lol," we are being told.It looks like the Redditor who posted the video of the accident grabbed the description above from a social media clip, which could be private.And while we need to take this info with a massive grain of salt, we can let you know that the initial stunt wasn't a Launch Control move, since that would've required the revs to build up. Not that this details would make the damage sustained by the McLaren 720S any less serious... AWD Slotted below the Karoq L and Kodiaq, the Kamiq has been created exclusively for the Chinese market. What that means is A05+ underpinnings, the vehicle architecture used by the Rapid. Going for the A05+ instead of the MQB can be explained by development and production costs. After all, its hard to edge your rivals in the Chinese compact crossover segment unless the pricing is competitive.Details on the Kamiq are still slim for the time being, with Skoda not mentioning the availability of all-wheel-drive in the press release attached at the end of the article. None of the A05+ vehicles offered by the Volkswagen Group were offered with, so dont get your hopes up for something different on this occasion.A mainstream city SUV according to Skoda, the Kamiq will arrive at dealers just months after its world premiere. What the automaker doesnt say is that the Kamiq was made possible by the Memorandum of Understanding signed by president Xi Jinping in May 2016. From it, the Czech automaker along with Volkswagen and SAIC benefit from a helping hand worth over two billion euros.To burn through that cash as effectively as possible, Skoda will expand its lineup of SUVs with a fourth member. The automaker "will be presenting the next large SUV later this year as per chief executive officer Bernhard Maier, referring to the Kodiaq GT . Despite the name, its actually a coupe-ified version of the Kodiaq, not a conventional grand tourer such as the Bentley Continental GT.Estimated to cost 90,000 yuan in bare-bones specification, the Kamiq will ship with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder with 110 horsepower on tap. In addition to the six-speed manual, the Volkswagen Groups DSG will be available as an optional extra. Powering the new Avalon are two new engines, a 3.5 liter V6 developing 301 horsepower and a 2.5-liter one punching out 215 horsepower. The smaller of the two comes paired the 650-volt electric motor, making this version of the Avalon the only full hybrid vehicle in its segment on the U.S. market.The introduction of the Avalon also marks the first time Toyota will use technologies other carmakers have been deploying for some time now. One such example is the introduction of the standard Apple CarPlay, a feature the carmaker has stayed clear until now because it tried to use its in-house technologies.Toyota will also offer for the first time in one of its vehicles the Amazon Alexa-enabled device connectivity, allowing for remote access to car functionality like engine start, fuel level check or locking/unlocking the doors.Perhaps one of the highlights of the new sedan is the use of a 1200-watt, 14-speaker sound system sourced from JBL.Safety wise, the new Avalon comes packing pre-collision system, pedestrian detection, lane departure alert and blind spot monitor.There are four trim levels for the gasoline powertrain and three for the hybrid one offered by Toyota : Touring, Limited, XSE, and XLE (the hybrid version lacks the Touring trim). The entry-level model is the XLE, which will cost $35,500 for the gasoline and $36,500 for the hybrid version.The top of the range model is the Limited, which wears a price tag of $41,800 for the gasoline and $42,800 for the hybrid.The entire scope of Avalons new features can be found in the document attached below. On April 19, the 18th Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) officially opened its doors, playing host to multiple domestic launches as well as the global debut of some models. Held at the Jakarta International Expo in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, there was a mix of automotive brands both foreign and local which displayed their latest offerings to the public. Officially opening the 2018 IIMS was Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Compared to previous IIMS, this has only been the second time the President officially opened the international motor show. During the opening day, President Widodo also toured around to see what the multiple automobile and motorcycle manufacturers had to offer. Making their global debuts, Suzuki introduced the second generation Ertiga MPV during the show's opening day. Based on the current-gen Suzuki Swift, the Ertiga also receives a styling upgrade. With its debut in Indonesia, the brand's new 7-seater vehicle could soon be making it regional debuts elsewhere in other South East Asian countries. Meanwhile, Honda revealed the Small RS concept. Though it appears to be based on a Brio, it does sport the Mobilio RS' front fascia as well as other aggressive looking bits. It is possible that the sporty hatchback could preview the next-generation Brio. Along with the global debuts, automakers also displayed their latest model line up for Indonesia. Furthermore, manufacturers also had special edition variants of vehicles launched during the IIMS. Apart from automobiles, multiple motorcycle manufacturers, both local and interntaional, also held their launches at the event. As with most motor shows, showgoers will also be able to test drive vehicles from various manufacturers. They will also be able to purchase vehicles and motorcycles during the event itself. Along with the display of automobiles and motorcyle manufacturers, IIMS organizers also had a 'Center Piece of Carnival' event. The event will be hold a lot of features, such as car exhibitions, to entertain family-goers. To make it more entertaining, the 'Center Piece of Carni' will have a 60's theme. The 2018 Indonesia International Motor Show runs from April 19 to 29, 2018. It's official, Hyundai Asia Resoruces Inc (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the country, has just opened their world-class training center in the country. Called the Hyundai Dream Center Philippines (HDCP), it will serve as the brand's education hub for underprivileged students. HDCP symbolizes not just our commitment to contribute to human capital development in the automotive industry, but our dream of improving the lives of Filipinos as well. We are especially proud that our partners could meet the first batch of scholars and witness their progress firsthand, said Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, HARI president and CEO. Present during the event were key personnel from Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), Plan International, officials from the national, provincial and local government, as well as from the first batch of HDCP scholars. HDCP is the fruit of the partnership between HARI, HMG, and global humanitarian organization Plan International. The Dream Center will provide a wide range of training curriculum that will equip HARI employees and scholars the necessary skills and tech know-how in the automotive industry. When you dream alone, chances are you will stay dreaming. But when you dream a dream together and pursue it, then that dream becomes a reality. Built on the pillars of commitment, inclusiveness, and human capital, the big idea comes alive before our very own eyes - Hyundai Dream Center Philippines, added Agudo-Perez. Capping off the event was done by the first batch of HDCP scholars who created a colorful mural of handprints which represented their dreams for the future and their contributions. HDCP partners and guests, on the other hand, responded by releasing butterflies, symbolizing the company's objective to provide Filipinos the tools they need to seek out new careers and opportunities. Hyundai Dream Center Philippines is located at the Hyundai Logistics Center (HLC) in Calamba, Laguna. Those that have been dreaming of one day going island hopping without a boat around the Philippines will soon be able to do just that. Recently, the Department of Finance (DOF), announced that the government is planning to build 8 major bridges that will link the islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The project is part of the Duterte administration's 'Build Build Build' program to further stimulate growth and create jobs outside Metro Manila. It is estimated to cost Php 269.1 billion and will serve as pathways for continued progress. These bridges will provide growth corridors and ensure that none of the major islands of the Visayas will be left behind in the countrys race to progress, said Carlos Dominguez III, Finance Secretary. The eight proposed bridges are set to be submitted to the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) for approval and include the following: an 18.2 km bridge to connect Samar provinces to Luzon, a 20 km roadway that will connect Leyte to Mindanao via an underwater tunnel or long-span overhead brdige, a 5.7 km bridge that will link Panay and Guimaras, a 12.3 km road-link between Guimaras and Negros, a 1km bridge for Bohol and Lapinig Island, the 18 km Lapinig-Leyte bridge, a 5.5 km bridge that will connect Cebu and Negros and a 24.5 km bridge that links Cebu with Bohol. Dominguez said that these proposed bridges are top priority and have already been approved for implementation by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). Also given the go-ahead are three airport improvement projects, as well as the new Cebu International Container Port. Our infrastructure investments, estimated at US$ 170 billion between now and 2022, have very high multiplier effects. By undertaking these thoroughly studied strategic projects, we will stimulate economic activity. Jobs and opportunities will be created, and we are confident we can bring down poverty incidence to only 14 percent by 2022, added Dominguez. There is no clear timeline yet as to when construction will begin should the proposed bridges be approved by the ICC. But with the Build, Build, Build program in full swing, as well as investments continuing to pour in, Dominguez claimed that motorists will be able to feel the economimc benefits of these infrastructure projects soon. Two missile strikes on a wedding party in Yemen on Sunday killed at least 33 people including 17 women and children and left 41 injured, CNN reports. Why it matters: Per CBS, the strike allegedly came from the Saudi-led coalition, which has been fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen since 2015 and received arms support from the U.S. The coalition has been blamed for not working hard enough to avoid civilian casualties in what has been called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. A spokesman for the coalition, Colonel Turki al Maliki told CNN: "We take this report very seriously and it will be fully investigated as all reports of this nature are." As French President Emmanuel Macron today begins his State Visit with President Trump, a source who has watched the two men in action says that Macron, a former investment banker, treats Trump like a "prized client" with a combination of flattery, attentiveness and wariness. Macron "has run a master-class on the care and feeding of POTUS," the source says. The big picture: Trump this week is Continental Man, hosting a private dinner with Macron at Mount Vernon tonight; a press conference with the French leader tomorrow, followed by the first State Dinner of the 15-month-old administration; and then on Friday, a White House meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Why this matters: Trump's relationships with these two leaders genuinely warm and close with Macron, somewhat distant and occasionally tense with Merkel illuminate Trump's theory of foreign relations: According to more than half a dozen sources who've been in the room with Trump for his interactions with foreign leaders, the president views international relations as chemistry between individuals. more than half a dozen sources who've been in the room with Trump for his interactions with foreign leaders, the president views international relations as chemistry between individuals. Trump's foreign policy depends almost entirely on his personal rapport with world leaders. depends almost entirely on his personal rapport with world leaders. Trump's interactions with foreign leaders often improvised, often hot and cold disregard diplomatic conventions and briefing materials. Instead, he freelances, kibitzing with foreign leaders like he does with old real estate pals. Soon after President Trump announced last June that the U.S. was withdrawing from the Paris climate accord, he began telling foreign leaders he wanted to re-negotiate America's re-entry into the deal: In one phone call with Macron, shortly after Trump's dramatic Rose Garden announcement ("I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris"), Trump told Macron that maybe well get back in, two sources said. with Macron, shortly after Trump's dramatic Rose Garden announcement ("I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris"), Trump told Macron that maybe well get back in, two sources said. Macron replied, in one source's recollection: No, no, no. It doesnt work like that. in one source's recollection: No, no, no. It doesnt work like that. A source briefed on the conversation said Macron meant the deal wasn't constructed that way for the U.S. to unilaterally leave the global deal, then negotiate its way back in on better terms. on the conversation said Macron meant the deal wasn't constructed that way for the U.S. to unilaterally leave the global deal, then negotiate its way back in on better terms. The withdrawal process was more complicated than that. Trump replied, again in that source's recollection: OK, I guess well never get back in. was more complicated than that. Trump replied, again in that source's recollection: OK, I guess well never get back in. Macron, befuddled by this unusual interaction with such an important ally, ended up leaving the door open and telling Trump they could keep talking. befuddled by this unusual interaction with such an important ally, ended up leaving the door open and telling Trump they could keep talking. The Trump-Macron relationship has since blossomed. relationship has since blossomed. A former White House official pointed out: "Macron ran on everything diametrically opposed to 'Trumpism.' He has replaced Merkel as the voice of the 'globalist' and has the strongest relationship of any world leader as shown by the honor of the first State Dinner." Germany's Angela Merkel is, by disposition and culture, not as warm as Macron: ISIS has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing outside a voter registration center in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday. The bombing targets "a project of key importance to the credibility of President Ashraf Ghani's Western-backed government, which has pledged to hold parliamentary elections this year," reports Israeli news outlet Haaretz. The latest: Per the AP, the attack killed 57 people and injured more than 100 others most of whom were waiting in line to collect voter identification cards. Sri Lanka's economy is struggling under the weight of massive debts owed to China, with the rupee hitting an all-time low on Monday. The big picture: As the small South Asian country's economy spirals downward, it's freeing itself from debts by selling Chinese-funded infrastructure projects back to China, giving Beijing influence over strategic ports close to its rival India's shores. The trap There are two big economic problems in Sri Lanka. Shailesh Kumar, a South Asia expert at the Eurasia Group, broke it down for Axios: Huge debts, largely due to big-ticket infrastructure projects that China funded as part of its trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative. Falling foreign currency reserves, which it uses to buy imports. That's an indicator of poor economic health, and it's leading to a drop in the value of the Sri Lankan rupee. Shrinking foreign currency reserves forced Sri Lanka to lease the Hambantota port largely funded by the Chinese to Beijing for 99 years in December 2017. India fears that China will use its control of the port to establish a military presence in the Indian Ocean. The depleted reserves have also pushed the International Monetary Fund to step in and offer to replenish the funds to keep Sri Lanka out of an economic crisis. But the IMF's cash comes with conditions that Sri Lanka modernize its tax code and raise gas prices to increase government revenue. Sri Lanka's leaders, caught in a tense political climate amid the economic downturn, are reluctant to agree to those terms. What to watch The IMF could stop sending cash to Sri Lanka if its government doesn't play by the rules. sending cash to Sri Lanka if its government doesn't play by the rules. Sri Lanka could sink deeper into debt with the Chinese if it picks up more infrastructure projects. "At the end of the day, the Chinese keep showing up with money, and Sri Lanka needs to accept it because they need to have economic development," Kumar said. Go deeper: South Asian flash points in the IndiaChina rivalry. At least 10 people are dead and 16 others are injured after a van plowed through a crowd of pedestrians in Toronto, police announced Monday. The latest: Police have identified the suspect, who initially fled the scene, as 25-year-old Alek Minassian of Richmond Hill, Ontario. He is currently in police custody. Details: In a press conference Monday night, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders said the investigation is continuing, and offered no details on what the suspect's motive was, but said it "definitely looked deliberate." Saunders added that police are investigating whether Minassian acted alone, and said they haven't determined whether the attack was an act of terrorism. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted his condolences shortly after the attack. A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted. This is a developing report. Correction: This post has been updated to reflect that the suspect has been identified as Alek Minassian. A previous version of this story named him as Alex Minassian. The run-up to the U.S. and allied missile strikes in Syria last week brought the U.S. and Russia closer to a direct military collision than they've been since the early 1980s. The strikes themselves turned out to be limited and carefully executed, but Syria remains a volatile arena for U.S.Russia relations. The big picture: While the proxy war in Syria does hold the potential for a clash between U.S. and Russian forces, it is only one of several theaters in which a larger conflict between the two countries is playing out. Although the April strikes appeared to some an expansion of the U.S. role in Syria, they were still largely symbolic. Moreover, their manner of execution may have laid down a pattern of the United States' talking tough to Moscow but stopping short of provoking a war. As for Trump's recent rhetoric, Russia has gotten used to such aggressive posturing President Obama placed Russia in the company of ISIS and Ebola as the principal threats to peace in 2014, and Congress included it in its sanctions against Iran and North Korea last year and no longer takes it at face value. Moscow has now learned to distinguish between Trumps words, which the Russians see as a tactic designed to throw opponents off balance, and his deeds. They will be watching the U.S. militarys moves much more closely than the presidents tweets. The bottom line: In Syria, deconfliction" between the U.S. and Russia that is, prevention of head-on collisions has continued to work. But de-escalation, which would entail a true easing of tensions, is nowhere in sight. Meanwhile, eastern Ukraine, Iran and should diplomacy fail North Korea will also remain tinderboxes in the U.S.Russia Hybrid War. Dmitri Trenin is director of the Carnegie Moscow Center and chair of the research council and Foreign and Security Policy Program. By Kamila Aliyeva GAZ commercial vehicles will be assembled in Azerbaijan. This is stipulated in the Memorandum of Cooperation signed by GAZ Automobile Plant Ltd and AzerMash OJSC in Baku on April 23, Trend reported. The document was signed in the presence of Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev and Russian Minister of Economic Development Maksim Oreshkin, who is on a visit to Baku. Cars will be assembled in the Hajigabul Industrial Zone. Also, a memorandum on cooperation between the Shahdag ski resort and the association of resorts of the North Caucasus was signed. Speaking to the journalists later, Shahin Mustafayev informed that a car bridge will be built over the Samur river on the Azerbaijani-Russian border in 2019. The bridge construction was launched in October 2017. Its length is 325 meters. The Russian side controls the construction work. Previously, Russian media reported that the cost of the bridge construction will be 1.2 billion rubles and the project is financed jointly. According to the press service of Russia's federal state institution Federal Highways Administration 'Kaspiy', the decision on construction of a new bridge was made in accordance with the agreement signed between the two countries on Sept.13, 2013. The new bridge will replace the existing one, which was built in 1957. Mustafayev further noted that an excise customs post will appear on the border between Azerbaijan and Russia in the near future. He said that this will help facilitate the export of tobacco products and alcoholic beverages of Azerbaijani origin to Russia. Previously, Azerbaijani products were sent first to Georgia and then to Russia for this purpose, he noted. Mustafayev also mentioned successful development of trade relations between the two countries. The bilateral trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia increased by 22 percent last year. In January-March this year, the trade turnover grew 32 percent, while Azerbaijani exports to Russia grew 50 percent, he said. Touching upon further development of the trade and economic relations between the two countries, Mustafayev said that Azerbaijan intends to triple export to Russia in the next five years. We are doing huge work in this direction, the minister said. Azerbaijans trade turnover with Russia amounted to $2.14 billion in 2017, about $1.5 billion of which accounted for the import of Russian products to Azerbaijan, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan. Mustafayev also informed that a packing line will be commissioned at the pharmaceutical plant Hayat Pharm, which is a joint Azerbaijani-Russian project, by late 2018. About $74 million have been invested in the plants construction. Hayat Pharm will produce medicines of various pharmaceutical groups, including cancer, antifungal, antiemetic, antiviral and other drugs. The plants groundbreaking ceremony was held in Pirallahi Industrial Park in November 2016. Russias R-Pharm (45 percent), Azerbaijan Investment Company (AIC, 10 percent) and Azerbaijans Vita-A LLC (45 percent) are the plants shareholders. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Trend: Over the last 20 years, Azerbaijan has invested some $6 billion to help ease the ordeal of refugees in the country, which reflects the commitment of his government to improve their conditions, said Vaqif Sadiqov, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the United Nations in Geneva. He made the remarks during a meeting with Hanif Hassan Al Qassim, Chairman of the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue on the sidelines of an international seminar on the refugee and migrants crisis, which was organized by the Centre, in cooperation with the UAEs Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, the Gulf News reported. Sadiqov also presented Azerbaijans efforts to create a permanent solution and improve the integration of refugees within the Azerbaijan community, as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resulted in the forcible displacement of over 600,000 people from Azerbaijan. He praised the UAEs pioneering role in supporting international stability, which has made it among the first countries to provide humanitarian assistance for refugees, through its participation in the international efforts to face humanitarian crises around the world, including the internal refugee crisis in Azerbaijan. Both sides discussed the latest updates on the migration and displacement situation in Azerbaijan, as well as the lessons learnt that could be used to ease the situation in the Middle East, especially as Azerbaijan hosts the largest refugee community in the world, of up to one million people, which is equivalent to the combined number of refugees in the whole of Europe. Al Qassim said that the unprecedented increase in the rate of armed conflicts and violence in the Middle East resulted in the decline of the human rights of refugees, while adding that there were an estimated 40 million people who were considered refugees in 2016. 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 Trend: Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain has congratulated President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in connection with his victory in the April 11 presidential election. "I am deeply satisfied with the fact that I can convey to you the most sincere congratulations in connection with your re-election as the President of Azerbaijan. Re-election to such a high post as the head of state is not only a proof of Azerbaijani people's confidence in you, but also a mandate given for the development of Azerbaijan," he said. President Hussain stressed that Pakistan and Azerbaijan along with being strategic partners, are also fraternal states that have ancient cultural ties, common customs and traditions. "Your visit to Pakistan last March gave an additional impetus to the friendly and benevolent relations that exist between our countries. We intend to work closely with you to further strengthen the bilateral relations between our countries for the sake of common interests of the Pakistani and Azerbaijani peoples. I take this opportunity to wish you good health and happiness and sustainable development and progress to the Azerbaijani people. Please accept my highest esteem," reads the congratulatory letter. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Investigators are probing possible links between two macabre discoveries 150 miles apart, one on Lake Houston and the other near Calcasieu Lake in Louisiana, where the severed heads of two women were found in plastic bags near lakes and RV parks. The unidentified victims, both white women with reddish hair and good teeth, are thought to be within the same age range and were found in similar surroundings about three weeks apart, investigators said. In the Lake Houston case, two clean-up volunteers found a severed head in a large black plastic bag on March 24. They were working along FM 1960 East in Huffman and found the human head on rocks in a portion of the lake patrolled by the Houston Police Department. The Lake Houston Marina, an open access recreational vehicle park with residents and visitors alike, is adjacent to where the womans head was recovered. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences released an anthropological profile on April 5 that showed the Lake Houston victim was a woman between young adulthood and middle age, who was either white or Hispanic. She had reddish brown or auburn shoulder-length hair with 3 to 4 inches of very dark brown roots, and her eyebrows and eyelashes had either been permanently or semi-permanently tattooed, according to the MEs profile. Cameron Parish Sheriffs Office investigator Jake McCain and HPD homicide investigator Michael Perez have acknowledged the similarities in the cases and victims, and agreed to keep each other updated on their respective findings. The description of the remains found near Calcasieu Lake in Cameron Parish sounds real similar" to the Lake Houston case, Perez said earlier this month in a text message to the Houston Chronicle. But he added he "cant say much without actually meeting with detectives and seeing their crime scene photos. Perez noted that dental records could potentially help identify the Lake Houston woman because she had really good teeth, a condition that likely ruled out drug abuse. Perez and his partner, Andrew Barr, released information about a person of interest on April 6. The officers are looking for a man in his early to mid-20s who was seen about 2:30 to 3 p.m. throwing a black plastic bag off the bridge near where the head was found, two weeks prior to the discovery. The man, described as having short dark brown hair with long bangs, was seen getting out of the front passenger side of a teal or a bluish green Chevrolet Silverado extended cab truck. He is about 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-8 tall and has light skin. The truck was rusted and appeared to have been in several wrecks. The back left passenger window was missing and was covered by what looked like cardboard. While HPD has already released a description of a person and vehicle of interest, a forensic artists sketch and an anthropological profile, Cameron Parish is waiting on forensics from Louisiana State Universitys forensics lab to determine more about the victim whose decomposition was more advanced. The analysis could take up to six months to complete, McCain said. In the Cameron Parish case, a prison inmate doing clean-up labor found the severed head on March 1 in a small grocery bag in a grassy marsh next to Louisiana Highway 27, a couple of miles north of the Sabine National Wildlife Park headquarters. The site is about a mile south of a community of recreational vehicle parks in Hackberry, La., and less than a mile from Calcasieu Lake, whose tributaries appear to reach out to the marshes where the head was found. Based on Louisiana state highway maintenance records, McCain said the last date the lawn was mowed in that spot was Nov. 30. Had the bag been there at the time, mowers would have probably noticed, he said. Different agencies in Texas have contacted the Cameron Parish Sheriffs Office to determine if the head belongs to a missing person they are investigating, but the dates fail to fit the timeline of this person, according to McCain. Preliminary forensic analysis determined the victim in Cameron Parish to be white, between 25 and 40, with auburn or brown hair 10 to 12 inches long. The advanced stage of decomposition bars visually determining any facial features, according to the Cameron Parish Sheriffs Office. She had no apparent trauma to her skull. The condition of the teeth of the woman found in Cameron Parish was good, but were beginning to be affected from deterioration. McCain said X-rays determined the woman had undergone obvious dental work which included a couple of cavity fillings. He said the condition of her teeth made it unlikely she was a transient, but a missing persons dental records would have to first be submitted for cross referencing to be done. Cameron Parish has no persons who have been reported missing. McCain said the medical examiner in neighboring Calcasieu Parish has determined the womans remains were not consistent with the profiles of any of about a half dozen people reported missing there. jose.gonzalez@chron.com twitter.com/jrgzztx A Buna man has died following a Sunday night crash in Hardin County. Colt Kirkendall, 23, was driving a Ford Mustang northbound on US 96 at about 9:45 p.m. Sunday when he was hit head-on by a Toyota SUV traveling the wrong way in the northbound lane, according to the Department of Public Safety. A man was rushed to a Houston hospital by medical helicopter April 22 after being shot in his vehicle, according to information from the Port Arthur Police Department. The shooting occurred at about 2:14 p.m. in the 100 block of W. 14th Street. The victim's current condition is unknown. Nearly 20 miles of shoreline at McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge will be restored with the help of $26.5 million in funds related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, federal officials announced Monday. "This important investment will bolster a fragile stretch of shoreline that is critical to the coastal ecosystem and communities of southeast Texas," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which made the announcement Monday. "The restored shoreline will also serve as a first line of defense against future storms." The money comes from a 2016 settlement with BP, which leased the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded in April 2010, spewing an estimated 3.19 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The company is required to pay the trustees for Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment up to $8.8 billion over 15 years to make up for the natural resource damage along the Gulf Coast. In total, the refuge has received more than $50 million from the BP settlement most recently in October, when it received about $15.9 million for restoration in the Sabine Lake area at the Louisiana border. RELATED STORY: Deepwater Horizon settlement funds to be used to improve Texas coastline. Monday's investment will focus on 17 miles of shoreline from High Island, Texas to Sea Rim State Park southwest of Sabine Lake. Construction will begin later this year, and, once complete, 20 miles of coastline will be restored, according to a foundation news release. Rob Blumenthal, foundation spokesman, said the Coast Guard discovered tarballs from the spill along the Texas Upper Coast beaches, including those on McFaddin refuge. But the money helps bolster an even bigger, ongoing effort by Texas agencies to restore the coastline at McFaddin refuge by elevating the beach to a "sufficient height to reduce the influx of salt water inundation to the fresh water marsh ecosystems," said Brittany Eck, spokeswoman for the Texas General Land Office. "Securing the remaining funding to complete the McFaddin beach dune project is vital to the safety of Texas' citizens and for protecting an irreplaceable coastal ecosystem," said Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush. "This restored beach and dune system provides for a healthy marsh, which is key to storm surge protection for thousands of Jefferson County homes and business as well as nationally significant energy and national security assets in Port Arthur and Beaumont and the Big Hill Strategic Petroleum Reserve." Thomas Kelsch, the foundation's senior vice president of the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, said the exposure to Deepwater Horizon oil as well as the state's ongoing effort, which started in 2013, is why the project stuck out for funding. The restoration plan looked at the entire landscape, much of which was already degrading for a number of reasons -- this beach section has been subject to several hurricanes ... they basically wiped out the existing beach and dune system and as a result the area incurs more overwash when there are high storms," Kelsch said. "The agencies deserve kudos for getting on top of the situation." The money awarded by the foundation Monday was through the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, created as stipulated by the terms of criminal settlement agreements between DOJ and BP and Transocean after the accident. Alex Stuckey covers science and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex. stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey. An ex-employee of the Cameron County juvenile detention center was sentenced Friday to 50 years in prison for pilfering more than $1.2 million worth of fajitas. Gilberto Escamilla, 53, pleaded guilty to theft by a public servant in the 107th state District Courtroom in Brownsville in what is surely one of the countys more bizarre criminal cases in recent memory. Authorities were turned on to Escamilla last year after a driver from Labatt Food Service in Harlingen informed the Darrel B. Hester Juvenile Detention Center kitchen staff of an 800-pound fajita delivery. But fajitas are not on the detention center menu, and the suspicious activity was reported to the Cameron County district attorneys offices special investigations unit. After Escamillas arrest last fall, District Attorney Luis V. Saenz quipped to the Brownsville Herald that if it wasnt so serious, youd think it was a Saturday Night Live skit. But the high-stakes deception, which totaled $1,251,587 worth of fajitas over a period of nine years, was very real. In a tearful admission of guilt, Escamilla testified that what began small had spiraled out of control, the Herald reported. Looking to send a message that theft by public employees will not be tolerated, the county asked visiting state District Judge J. Manuel Banales to give Escamilla a 50-year sentence. Escamilla waived his right to a trial earlier this month. It was selfish, Escamilla testified. It got to the point where I couldnt control it anymore. anelsen@express-news.net | Twitter: @amnelsen While the precise rate of industry-wide billing errors is unknown, claims management software company Mitchell International discovered some type of billing mistake in 35 percent of the workers' compensation bills it audited. Here are the most common types of issues uncovered in the analyzed bills, and how frequently they occurred. Here are seven things ASC leaders should know for April 23, 2018. California hospital fined for failing to develop endoscopy cleaning program Oakland, Calif.-based Highland Health was fined $39,187 by California state for several quality-related incidents, including failure to develop an endoscopy cleaning program. Read more. Private equity firm purchases Illinois medical condos that includes ASC California-based private equity firm IRA Capital purchased a 40,000-square-foot medical office condominium building in Illinois and converted it into a medical office building. IRA Capital showed the condo group the difference in valuation between the individual condos and the building as a whole, leading to the acquisition. UnitedHealth aims to boost Optum's market presence Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group CEO David Wichmann suggested the company is poised to further expand Optum's ambulatory platform during the company's first quarter earnings call. OptumHealth CEO Andrew Hayek said the OptumCare platform is tightly tied to the healthcare industry's consumer-centric evolution. "We're positioned to be the leading high-value medical group and ambulatory care organization in the country with an ambition to serve 75 markets," Mr. Hayek said. Carolina Digestive Health Associates employee shared 100 patients' data with fraud suspects Charlotte, N.C.-based Carolina Digestive Health Associates is notifying patients that a former employee stole their personal data. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department informed CDHA Jan. 10 that a CDHA employee had stolen patients' personal information. CDHA fired the employee involved. Read more. Goshen Health opens outpatient surgery center Goshen (Ind.) Health's outpatient surgery center was deemed fully functional April 19. The surgery center was under development for two years. Over those two years, the center went through renovations, an accreditation and licensure process as well as insurer negotiations. Walmart enlists Emory Healthcare as care plan, joint replacement provider Walmart added Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare to its Centers of Excellence network and selected the system as an Accountable Care Plan provider for its metro-Atlanta associates. Walmart associates at 55 Walmart, Sam's Club and Walmart Distribution Center stores in metropolitan Atlanta can now choose the Emory Accountable Care Plan as their primary healthcare plan. Shriners Hospital for Children in Minneapolis to shift entirely to outpatient services Shriners Hospital for Children in Minneapolis is planning to shift away from hospital care to focus on outpatient services and same-day surgeries. The hospital nearly closed in 2003 as part of a systemwide restructuring. The facility will not close and will continue to provide same-day services, which constitutes the bulk of its care. Meriden, Conn.-based MidState Medical Center locked down for three hours April 20 after a man entered the hospital's emergency room with what police said was a white powdery substance on him later revealed to be baking soda, according to the Record-Journal. The hospital reopened around 9 p.m. April 20. The affected patient and three nurses "will be alright," said Meriden Police Sgt. John Mennone, according to the Record-Journal. The man who entered the hospital's ER on the evening of April 20 with a white powdery substance on also had numerous packages of the substance in his pockets, according to police. Further investigation revealed the substance was baking soda, Mr. Mennone said April 21. "Some of the nurses that were caring for this individual started becoming sick as well," Mr. Mennone said. "They were experiencing nausea and some headaches as well." None of the hospital's other patients were affected in "any way, shape or form," he added. The ER patients were transported to other parts of the hospital and all hospital entrances were closed, according to police. As a bomb squad, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the city's fire department investigated the incident, patients were diverted to hospitals in Southington and New Britain, Conn., according to Hunter's Ambulance Executive Vice President David Lowell. Additionally, ambulances were staged outside the hospital to treat arriving patients. Here are six recent updates on companies offering revenue cycle management services. 1. Capio, a provider of patient financial solutions, added Dan Kutchel, Jay Hicks and Trent Rosebrook to its management team. 2. Cognizant closed its acquisition of revenue cycle management company Bolder Healthcare Solutions. 3. OmiSYS and Comprehensive Pharmacy Services are joining forces to provide technology solutions designed for hospitals' retail pharmacies. 4. Nordis Technologies, a Coral Springs, Fla.-based provider of healthcare customer communications management and payment solutions, named Paul Sykes COO and CFO. 5. Infinitt North America, a healthcare image and data management solutions developer, will provide ImagineSoftware's medical billing solution. 6. Waverly (Iowa) Health Center, a 25-bed critical access hospital, will use the eClinicalWorks Acute Care EHR and Revenue Cycle Management platform. More articles on healthcare finance: CMS terminates Kansas hospital's Medicare billing privileges: 5 things to know Henry Ford's operating gains partially offset by Epic implementation costs, wage rate increases 9 health systems with strong finances A Las Vegas clinic under the Henderson, Nev.-based WestCare umbrella is threatening to close due to disagreements over funding, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Community Triage Center, one of WestCare's clinics that operate across 19 states and three countries, is the only remaining clinic for behavioral health and substance use disorder patients in Las Vegas. If the clinic closes by the end of May, as WestCare indicated, state hospitals and facilities like Las Vegas-based University Medical Center would see an influx of behavioral health patients in their ladened emergency rooms. This situation is exactly what the WestCare clinic aimed to resolve under a 2002 interlocal agreement between southern Nevada governments and hospitals. Under the agreement, the entities help fund services at Community Triage Center's 50-bed facility to avoid overcrowded ERs. However, Community Triage Center now faces a $6 million deficit and points its finger at the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, the city of Las Vegas, other government entities, and Las Vegas-area hospitals for failing to sufficiently pay the clinic under their agreement. The clinic claims the entities owe $2.8 million in payments for the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years, and have instead made partial payments and some in-kind services. WestCare spokesperson Bob Vickrey told the Las Vegas Review-Journal the dispute hinges on a disagreement between the funders and WestCare over how much the clinic should receive in Medicaid reimbursement. A recent audit found the clinic owes $1 million-plus in services that were covered by Medicaid and then paid for by the interlocal agreement. While Mr. Vickrey declined to comment on the $655,000 in credit WestCare offered the funders in response to the audit, he said the number "paled in comparison" to the $6 million deficit the clinic incurred due to inadequate funding. State and county representatives argue they have made sufficient payments under the interlocal agreement, and that the inconsistencies stem from poor record keeping on WestCare's behalf, as well as "double dipping" in Medicaid and interlocal agreement payments for the same service, according to the report. As hospitals and health systems leverage technology to improve patient care, particularly for rural populations with limited provider access, three leading pediatric health systems partnered with American Well, the nation's largest telehealth operator, to transform pediatric care delivery. In an April 18 webinar sponsored by American Well and hosted by Becker's Hospital Review, Ali Hyatt, vice president of marketing at American Well, joined leaders from Children's Health of Dallas, Children's Hospital & Medical Center of Omaha (Neb.) and Florida-based provider group Pediatric Associates to discuss how their organizations are revamping pediatric care practices through American Well's telehealth service. American Well's mobile and web service connects patients with physicians for real-time, on-demand video visits and works with a variety of different markets, from health plans such as Anthem and UnitedHealthcare, to some of the nation's leading health systems, including Cleveland Clinic and Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare. Leaders from Children's Health of Dallas, Children's Hospital & Medical Center of Omaha, and Pediatric Associates discussed how their partnership with American Well is revolutionizing care for their unique patient populations, including using telehealth as a vehicle for viewing patients as consumers, the transition to telehealth and why their organization chose to implement telehealth. Telehealth as a vehicle for patient consumerism For Children's Health of Dallas, telehealth provides care access to both rural and urban patients, particularly for patients who have to take several bus rides or spend entire days traveling to one medical appointment, said Tamara Perry, director of virtual health operations at the health system. Additionally, nearly one in five Dallas County children are uninsured, prompting a number of patients to seek care in the health system's emergency rooms. "Quite a few of our telemedicine programs were started due to the high level of ER visits we receive," Ms. Perry said. "We noticed there was a lack of access to care for both rural and urban patient populations," Ms. Perry explained. "We had to begin shifting focus from patient care to consumer care and look at our model in terms of population health, and technology is one of the easiest ways to reach our patients." Children's Health of Dallas, which began its venture into virtual health in 2013, now provides telehealth across numerous service lines, from blood disorders to school telehealth. The school telehealth system is implemented across more than 100 schools across Texas and is the largest school-based telehealth program in the country, Ms. Perry said. Telemedicine units are housed in the school clinic, where trained nurses help patients connect to virtual care providers. "In using telemedicine, we transitioned our care process to bringing healthcare to the patient and not the patient having to come to brick and mortar for that," Ms. Perry said. For patients who lack a primary care provider or live in areas with few pediatricians, virtual medical appointments and education programs serve as a way for Children's Health of Dallas to reroute ER traffic and let patients stay in their communities. "The goal of using telemedicine is to keep the child in their hometown, in their hospital, with their family and not have to transport them," Ms. Perry said. "We're aiming toward having a hub model of telemedicine." Now, Children's Health of Dallas is furthering their push toward direct-to-consumer care by expanding the reach of virtual visits through health kiosks, which allow patients to video conference with providers from locations such as local pharmacies and community residential sites. The health system partnered with Dallas-based Dougherty's Pharmacy to provide the telehealth kiosks, with the first kiosk launching in 2016. In addition to offering patients real-time access to health providers through a video call, the visit kiosks record patients' vital signals as well as other basic health measurements. A telehealth presenter is on site to help patients who require assistance when using the technology. After patients complete their first visit, they can schedule future appointments on their mobile device. "The addition of these kiosks allows patients with socioeconomic concerns to access healthcare where they live, when they need it," said Victoria Rodino, manager of virtual health and innovation at Children's Health of Dallas. Making the plunge into telehealth Children's Hospital & Medical Center of Omaha, which cares for 250,000-plus children annually, is harnessing telehealth to address the limited access to pediatric psychiatric care in Nebraska. "When we started thinking about telehealth about three years ago, our new CEO, who was an advocate for telehealth, guided us toward recruiting Dr. Jennifer McWilliams to lead as our physician champion for psychiatry," said Michael Vance, PhD, director of behavioral health services at Children's Hospital & Medical Center of Omaha. Recruiting physicians who are on-board with telehealth is critical to the initiative's success, Dr. Vance said. "Find that physician who is willing to put up with all of its hiccups and challenges and is passionate about [telehealth], because it can be a big challenge up front," Dr. Vance added. From a financial perspective, choosing a telehealth company can be a significant commitment for a hospital or health system, Dr. Vance said. "We landed on American Well because they had extensive experience in the use cases we wanted to go to and they were willing to be innovative to go to new use cases we planned to do," Dr. Vance said. For Jennifer McWilliams, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Children's of Omaha's department of behavioral health, telehealth serves as a tool to more easily connect patients to providers rather than entirely altering how providers deliver care. The hospital's virtual visits for psychiatry have significantly increased, with 600-plus telepsychiatry visits conducted since the program's launch. "I provide care via telehealth about half the time but could easily begin providing care via telehealth 100 percent of the time," Dr. McWilliams said. "With telehealth services, I'm providing pediatric psychiatry service just the same as I would be if someone came to my office in person," Dr. McWilliams said. "When I'm talking to other providers, I really emphasize that telemedicine is simply a tool. There are some aspects of evaluation that are more challenging when evaluating certain conditions via telehealth, but on the flipside, when dealing with patients who have experienced trauma or anxiety, they feel more comfortable seeing a provider virtually." Additionally, since its inception, the telehealth program helped reduce Children's of Omaha's follow-up no-show rates by 50 percent, according to a case study conducted by American Well. The hospital recently recruited a nurse practitioner who lives outside of Omaha but can see patients in rural sites from her home, Dr. McWilliams said. "We're also addressing workforce issues that are so prominent for mental health workers in Nebraska. And by seeing families in our primary care offices, we're able to reduce the stigma for patients seeking out mental healthcare," Dr. McWilliams added. "It puts children at ease and makes it far less difficult to provide mental healthcare." Overcoming telehealth implementation challenges Pediatric Associates, which cares for approximately 500,000 active patients, implemented telehealth services to triage patients and help with ER diversion. Pediatric Associates providers staff the group's telehealth system and created triage protocol to determine the best site of care for each patient and curb unnecessary ER visits. Amy Verlsteffen, director of the patient contact center for Pediatric Associates, discussed barriers the provider group addressed before implementing telehealth, including physician buy-in, concerns over whether it would detract patient volume from offices, reimbursement policies and malpractice issues. To address these issues and develop a secure platform for implementing video telehealth, Pediatric Associates partnered with American Well in 2017. "All of our appointments made through telehealth are triage-based, and patients can continue to be scheduled through our existing phone system," Ms. Verlsteffen said. The group has four full-time telehealth physicians available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends. Since the program's implementation in July 2017, monthly telehealth visit volume increased from 100 visits to 1,000-plus visits as of March 2018. "Our focus is on growth and embracing managed care and value-based care," said Scott Farr, COO of Pediatric Associates. "That's been the key for developing this initiative around telehealth it allows us to care for our patients in the most efficient way and providing them the greatest ability to access care." Ms. Verlsteffen shared one patient's story. A three-year-old's parents started a telehealth video visit after the child had a high fever and began vomiting after the office had closed. Per the advice of the physician, the parent called 911 and took the child to the ER, where physicians found the child was experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis. "It was one of those cool stories where despite our offices being closed, we were able to save this child, which would not have been possible without our telehealth services," Ms. Verlsteffen said. To listen to the full webinar recording, click here. American police officers have come under fire for public displays of excessive force and escalated responses to situations that did not seem to call for them. Law enforcement officials may be able to learn some valuable lessons about de-escalation from healthcare workers who have long dealt with these scenarios in nonviolent ways, according to an op-ed by Douglas Starr in The New York Times. Hospital workers often encounter violent and agitated people and endure more workplace violence than workers in most other professions. Because healthcare workers cannot react violently to these situations, they have decades of experience coming up with alternative solutions to these problems. One such solution is de-escalation training that emphasizes tactics such as avoiding behaviors that can further agitate someone and keeping a distance that gives a worker enough time to react but puts them close enough to listen. These tools ensure healthcare workers are "calmly and firmly asserting the rules while acknowledging the other person's humanity," according to Mr. Starr, the director of Boston University's graduate program in science journalism. While some states have embraced de-escalation training for their police forces, there is no national governing body for law enforcement that can encourage large-scale implementation. One reason for police hesitancy to embrace de-escalation could be a cultural chasm, according to Mr. Starr, citing "a warrior-like mindset that an officer should never retreat." "We're not advocating walking away from a situation," Chuck Wexler, the executive director of Police Executive Research Forum, told Mr. Starr. "But if something fails it's OK to step back, have a tactical pause and come up with a Plan B. The sanctity of human life should trump everything." "In other words, first do no harm," Mr. Starr concludes. Six months after finalizing a contract extension, Troy, Mich.-based Wayne State University Physician Group reportedly gave Detroit Medical Center officials an ultimatum to finalize the details of their contract by May 15 or risk terminating their agreement, according to The Detroit News. WSU School of Medicine Dean Jack Sobel, MD, discussed the ultimatum in an April 19 letter to DMC CEO Tony Tedeschi, MD, obtained by The Detroit News. "I am re-confirming our agreement to extend (for the second time) the contract negotiations for administrative and clinical professional services with the Detroit Medical Center/Tenet two weeks beyond the latest deadline of April 30, 2018. If the negotiations and contract are not finalized by midnight May 15, 2018, elective and non-emergent clinical services provided by UPG will cease to be provided," Dr. Sobel wrote. Dr. Tedeschi responded to the negotiations in his own letter, stating the ultimatum constituted an "explicit threat to the Detroit Medical Center's ability to deliver critical healthcare services to patients in Detroit" and said terminating the agreement may "leave DMC without critical services," according to the report. "With this threat, DMC now finds itself in the position to explore alternative plans so that we can continue providing critical care to our patients uninterrupted," Dr. Tedeschi wrote. Negotiations between the two organizations began last July, according to The Detroit News. DMC has previously said it wants the hospital, not Wayne State University, to become the official employer of WSU Physician Group. However, the physician group wants their alliance structured as an academic partnership. In an April 20 memo obtained by The Detroit News, Dr. Tedeschi cited "fundamental challenges in the relationship," especially the "lack of external research funding" for WSU and the physician group's "consistent disparagement of DMC publicly," the report states. Despite tense negotiations, a spokesperson for WSU told The Detroit News the organization is "working very hard on negotiations." "We will do what we need to do to make sure that patients are taken care of," the spokesperson said. "Patients are our top priority, but we also need to reach an agreement." To access the full report, click here. In an effort to offset weak revenue growth in the states, Toledo, Ohio-based ProMedica is looking to expand into China, reports The Wall Street Journal. Eying a deal in the world's second-largest economy, executives from the nonprofit that operates more than a dozen hospitals in Ohio and Michigan have toured hospitals in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu. Randy Oostra, president and CEO of ProMedica, said the exploration of a new market is a result of a tough economic model in the U.S. as competition shifts medical care outside of hospitals and population growth remains stagnant. "We have to look outside our traditional world if we're going to survive," Mr. Oostra said, according to The Wall Street Journal. ProMedica is considering up to 12 deals in some of the fastest growing cities in China. While the deals are still undecided, Mr. Oostra disclosed that ProMedica would either potentially run the hospitals or provide consulting services to the developers of the hospitals. ProMedica's expansion overseas would follow several other hospital systems, including Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, which entered the United Kingdom years ago; Cleveland Clinic, which is leasing a six-story building and renovating it into a 200-bed hospital in London; Pittsburgh-based UPMC which acquired a 50 percent state in a private hospital in Rome; and Boston-based Steward Health Care System, which reached a deal in February to run Malta's two public hospitals and open a third. In addition, Boston-based Brigham Health and Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital are helping Chinese partners open new hospitals in the country. Cleveland Clinic has also suggested it was looking to enter China. The expansion into overseas markets, particularly into China, has gained traction in the past few years as a massive healthcare overhaul takes place in China. The rising rates of chronic disease and an aging population has increased healthcare spending, according to The Wall Street Journal. As a result of the overhaul, China said it would allow foreign ownership of some hospitals. Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health fired John Palmer, MD, a pediatric pulmonologist at Baylor Scott & White McLane Children's Hospital in Temple, Texas after authorities found child pornography in a locked drawer in his office at the hospital, according to The Dallas Morning News. Dr. Palmer, who was arrested April 20, faces one count of possession of child pornography and could spend up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted. The investigation into Dr. Palmer began after child porn was found on an online storage account he used. On April 18, authorities searched Dr. Palmer's office in the children's hospital and found a locked drawer with a laptop and three hard drives. One of the hard drives contained "numerous" files depicting young children engaging in sex acts, according to the report. Dr. Palmer denied knowing about the child pornography. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 24. Six employees filed a lawsuit against Zeeland, Mich.-based Providence Christian Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, accusing the medical center of honoring patients' requests for white-only caregivers, according to The Detroit Free Press. The lawsuit, filed the week of April 16 by current and former employees, accuses the medical center of race discrimination, race harassment and retaliation. The employees claim the medical center allowed numerous patients to choose their caregiver by race over the last several years. "It's embarrassing and humiliating and it shouldn't be tolerated," said attorney Julie Gafkay, who represents the plaintiffs, the African American Certified Nursing Assistants, according to the report. The lawsuit says some patients requested not to have African Americans caring for them and the facility granted these requests, outlining it in the patient's care plan or failing to address it. When the patient's request was not met, employees were called racist names by the patient. "We're not going to change a patient's mind necessarily and it's not the employees or the facilities job to do that," Ms. Gafkay said. "But it is their job to not grant a request of care based on race. If the patient doesn't want to be cared for, even when the facility says you cannot dictate your care based on race, then that patient has the absolute right to go somewhere else." Providence Christian Healthcare told The Detroit Free Press they could not comment on the allegations since it is a pending lawsuit, but denied reassigning staff members due to race. "Providence takes its employees' concerns about their working environment very seriously as it recognizes the importance of providing a positive workplace for its employees and other healthcare providers assisting its residents," Sheila King, a spokesperson for Providence, told The Detroit Free Press. This is not the first lawsuit filed against a Michigan hospital claiming racial discrimination. In October 2017, a black nurse filed a lawsuit against Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Spectrum Health claiming the health system granted a patient's request for no black caregivers. Pittsburgh-based UPMC is notifying approximately 4,700 patients after officials discovered an employee who had been in contact with patients tested positive for tuberculosis, according to Trib Live. A spokesperson for the health system said the employee worked in the emergency department at Pittsburgh-based UPMC Presbyterian. The employee had also been seen as a patient at a UPMC Presbyterian ophthalmology clinic and a Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC physician's office, Action News-4 reports. UPMC officials estimate 4,700 people, mostly emergency patients, may have come into contact with the employee during the "exposure window" between Oct. 28, 2017, and Feb. 28, 2018 the period during which officials estimate the employee was diagnosed and the widest possible range during which the individual could have been contagious, a UPMC spokesperson told Trib Live. Officials said the employee is on leave as they recover from the disease. "While the likelihood of contracting TB from that employee is thought to be low, out of an abundance of caution we are collaborating with the Allegheny County Health Department and taking careful steps to both notify and test patients and staff who may have been exposed to this employee at no charge," UPMC said in an April 20 statement obtained by Action News-4. After the Trump administration announced new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, other countries are deciding how to respond. The Trump administration received a list of Chinese products and ingredients that could be subject to 25 percent tariffs on April 3, according to The New York Times. There were around 1,300 tariff lines listed with an estimated combined value of $50 billion. Stocks of drug manufacturers stayed composed, but medical device companies saw stocks fall after the announcement. Here are thoughts from five individuals in the healthcare medtech and pharmaceutical space on key trends to watch as the tariff controversy brews. Edward John Allera. Shareholder at Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney Co-chair of the firm's FDA group: "For medical devices, the issue is unclear. Rare metals are normally a small portion of medical devices and costs of goods. A special statue protects certain suppliers so that the small amounts of these components do not subject the suppliers to disproportionate risk, of liability e.g. polymer coatings on heart devices and preclude anyone from supplying the industry and killing off research. For these reasons, the impact that these tariffs will have on the cost of metals is unclear. For pharmaceuticals, the impact could be greater because extensive amounts of the active pharmaceutical ingredients used in finished drug products come from abroad for generic drug, i.e. those whose patents have expired. Greater than 85 percent of the units of pharmaceutical products are generic drugs, and 70 percent of the API comes from Asia, e.g. India and China. The industry is deflationary, and the competition is ruthless. Any cost increases could have an impact." Danielle Hannah. Owner and Inventor of Mantra Magnets: "I am the inventor of a biomedical device that naturally relieves anxiety. Unfortunately for us, we import all of our manufacturing products from China. These tariffs will substantially hurt our business and inevitably prevent us from helping those who need it. We will most likely have to raise our prices, which is not good for our clients." Barbara A. Binzak Blumenfeld, PhD, JD. Shareholder at Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney FDA & Biotechnology: "Under the Biomaterials Access Assurance Act of 1998 there are legal protections in place to ensure that implantable lifesaving and life-enhancing medical devices remain available to the public. This act protects biomaterial suppliers of raw materials and components of such devices by limiting their liability should an issue arise with the medical device. This further proves that President Trump's tariffs will not immediately affect biomaterial suppliers because of the exemptions and protections put in place established by the act itself." Steven Shill. Assurance Partner and National Leader of The BDO Center for Healthcare Excellence & Innovation: "Many hospitals use cost-effective supplies manufactured in China. A trade war will likely increase the costs of these supplies, which could result in reduced profit margins for healthcare entities. For healthcare organizations, this warrants a careful re-evaluation of their supply chain and financial contingency plans, especially for non-profit entities that face increased financial risk from other sides. China's healthcare manufacturing sector is still somewhat catching up when it comes to more complex medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Other countries, including Israel and India, are more advanced in this sector. So the impact may not be as big as some people predict." Ron Prybella. Senior Director of Marketing for Medegen Medical Products: "Tariffs are the popular topic of the day. Ive had many e-mails asking similar questions. The international picture changes by the second as different groups posture. The China example is one of those. There are no specifics or date of implementation. [My] current position is this would impact imports into China but I anticipate that it is in preparation for tariffs on Chinese goods coming into the U.S. that Trump would impose. Steel is active now and may have an effect on the stainless steel part of our contract. Although our products are manufactured in the U.S., it may impact raw material cost directly or indirectly. The tariffs on imported medical products add another complexity as there would be requests to adjust Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement to compensate for price increases which would then be paid by the government. In a sense, it's applying a tariff that the government would pay to itself. Ultimately it is about what really gets implemented versus used for negotiation. Steel again is a good example. South Korea is now exempt from the steel tariff in exchange for limiting their shipments to 70 percent of the last three year levels; this limits the impact it could have on price but would impact the supply side." Shoppers could be hit with an almost 45% price hike on a number of food items if a trade deal is not agreed before Brexit, a retail organisation has claimed. Launching its A Fair Deal for Consumers campaign, The Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC) estimated that households were facing a rise of at least 1.54 on four commonly bought products. It warned that the price of beef could increase by as much as 37%, cheese by 43%, and broccoli and cabbage by 13%, adding that the cost of a weekly household shop could climb by 3%. The NIRC's campaign "will ensure that Northern Ireland consumers are front and centre" in the Brexit negotiations, it said. The organisation also pointed to the differences between Northern Ireland and Great Britain households, saying the average household here had less than half the weekly spending power of a similar household across the Irish Sea. The NIRC, which said the warnings were based on the potential impact of international trade tariffs, called on the Government and the EU to "put consumers first". Aodhan Connolly, director of the NIRC, said: "The progress made in the Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU is encouraging, but there is still work to do. "If the UK leaves the EU with no trade agreement, EU imports into the UK will be subject to World Trade Organisation Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariffs. "We have crunched the numbers for what an MFN tariff arrangement could mean for the price of a handful of staple foods for shoppers across Northern Ireland and Great Britain. "There are a number of factors which influence prices, so our figures represent an estimate of the potential price increases we may see. "Any rises in costs such as new tariffs simply can't be absorbed entirely by retailers. "The December agreement reached between the UK and EU makes it clear that there will be no barriers for goods leaving Northern Ireland, but it does not give the same assurances to goods coming in "These figures simply highlight a risk of potential increases that we may see if a satisfactory agreement on tariffs is not reached. "We are simply concerned with the facts and the need to protect the already hard-pressed Northern Ireland consumer." After just two years of trading, Jawbox Gin is gearing up to enter the US market, according to founder Gerry White After just two years of trading, Jawbox Gin is gearing up to enter the US market, according to founder Gerry White. Mr White, a former bar manager from Belfast, said he planned to launch the brand in New York this autumn with a special event at The Dead Rabbit bar, run by ex-pats Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry . Jawbox Gin is produced at Echlinville Distillery in Kircubbin. It is stocked in 5,000 outlets across the UK, including M&S, and it recently went on sale at World Duty Free stores in George Best Belfast City Airport, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and London Stansted. "We are in eight different European countries, and Spain has to be one of the biggest consumers of gin, which is really great for us," said Mr White, who also exports to parts of Canada. "The Asian market has been a revelation. As we speak, we're going into Hong Kong. "But the big one for me is going live in the United States, and that will happen at the end September or the beginning of October. The interest there has been huge. Years ago I worked with Sean (Muldoon) in the Northern Whig (in Belfast), so we're talking to the guys and would hope to do the launch there (The Dead Rabbit). That would be perfect. It would great - two Belfast guys doing their own thing." Father Ray Kelly during the audition stage for ITV1s talent show, Britains Got Talent (Tom Dymond/Syco/Thames/PA) A singing priest from Ireland who impressed judges on Britains Got Talent received a round of applause at Sunday mass. Ray Kelly, 64, sang REMs Everybody Hurts in the programme broadcast on Saturday night. It received the plaudits of judges Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden. He is parish priest in Oldcastle in Co Meath, where mass goers gave him an enthusiastic reception. Powerful and poignant rendition of "Everybody Hurts" by Fr. Ray Kelly. Bravo! https://t.co/v7wg91MQ4Z R.E.M. HQ (@remhq) April 22, 2018 He said: I knew I could put in a fairly good performance but I was amazed at their (judges) comments. I was really blown away by Simons comments and David, Alesha and Amanda. The clergyman said he was thrilled. I am in awe and humbled by it, I really was not expecting it. Fr Kellys parents were musical. He recalled: It was all there growing up as kids. We were held up like trophies. The gifted priest has always watched Britains Got Talent, saying it is a great variety show, but thought carefully before giving it a go. I put myself forward but you never know. I did not know what to expect. Fr Kellys vocal talents previously went viral after a recording of him singing Leonard Cohens Hallelujah at a wedding in 2014 received over 60 million views on YouTube. After he finished his Britains Got Talent performance there was a silence and he wondered whether they wanted him to walk off the stage. Then Cowell stood up and started applauding and that was followed by warm comments from the judges who described his rendition of the REM hit as beautiful and said they loved it. Fr Kellys family had organised Britains Got Talent parties to watch the performance. He was placed into the next stage of the contest. Take a look through the highlights of what's happening across Northern Ireland this week. 1. Titanic The Musical Grand Opera House, Belfast, April 24-18 Based on the stories of real people aboard the most famous ship in the world, Titanic The Musical, at the Grand Opera House, is a stunning and stirring production focusing on the hopes, dreams and aspirations of her passengers. With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone (Woman of the Year and 1776), the pair have collectively won an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, an Olivier Award and three Tony awards. To book tickets visit www.goh.co.uk. 2. Music@ONE presents Jaime Nanci Barron Ulster University, Derry~Londonderry, April 24 Jaime Nanci is a genre straddling vocalist and songwriter who has been recording and performing nationally and internationally for the past 15 years. He brings his unique sense of wonderment and drama to his own works as well as to re-workings of jazz standards and modern hits alike. He will be performing at the Great Hall at Ulster University. For more information, visit www.ulster.ac.uk/artsandculture. 3. Nashville In Concert SSE Arena, Belfast, April 24 Expand Close Nashville in Concert / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nashville in Concert Stars from the hit TV series will perform at the SSE Arena as part of their farewell tour. The hugely popular show will feature songs from the Nashville series as well as artists original material. They last performed to a sold out crowd in Belfast in June last year. For more information, visit www.ssearenabelfast.com. 4. Dinosaur World Live Millennium Forum, Derry~Londonderry, April 26-27 Dare to experience the dangers and delights of Dinosaur World in this interactive new show for all the family at the Millennium Forum. Grab your compass and join an intrepid explorer across unchartered territories to discover a pre-historic world of astonishing (and remarkably life-like) dinosaurs. Meet a host of impressive creatures, including every childs favourite flesheating giant, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, a Triceratops, Giraffatitan, Microraptor and Segnosaurus. For more information, visit www.millenniumforum.co.uk. 5. Crafting Live Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast, April 26-28 Stephanie Weightman's award winning Crafting Live show is back at the Titanic Exhibition Centre and bringing a whole host of celebrity crafters. To book your ticket visit www.titanicexhibitioncentre.com. 6. Country Gospel Concert Castlewellan, 27 April A line-up of the best in the local country gospel scene comes to Drumgooland Parish Church. For tickets contact 028 4065 0455. 7. Bowie Experience - The Golden Years Tour SSE Arena, Belfast, April 28 Bowie Experience is a breathtaking concert at the SSE Arena celebrating the music of the worlds greatest pop icon, David Bowie. A must see for all Bowie fans, the latest production promises an unforgettable journey of sound and vision, featuring all the hits from A to Ziggy. For more information, visit www.ssearenabelfast.com. 8. NABBA NI Bodybuilding Championships 2018 Ulster Hall, Belfast, April 28 With special guest stars, trade stands, competitions and prizes for 2018, giveaways and the Ivan Dunbar Best Gym Award, plus prize for best supporting Gym 2018, this is shaping up to be the greatest NABBA Northern Ireland show yet at the Ulster Hall. To book your tickets, please visit www.ulsterhall.co.uk. As your bump - and you - grow during pregnancy, it's easy to feel increasingly unfashionable. Indeed, research suggests seven out of 10 mums-to-be think they look frumpy while expecting, and nearly a quarter feel "unsexy and shapeless", with most really missing the skinny jeans they can't get into any more. The research, commissioned by London shopping destination Canary Wharf, also found that knowing what to wear for a changing body shape was a challenge for more than three quarters of mums-to-be. For four in 10 expectant mums, the answer to their sartorial woes was to buy clothes several sizes too big, hiding their expanding waistlines under baggy tops and bottoms. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter admitted they even wore clothes resembling a tent. Just a fifth of women opted for specially designed maternity wear to complement their changing figure, while the majority (81%) admitted to reaching for the same clothes while they were expecting, and a third repeatedly recycled just three outfits. The research also revealed anxieties over maternity wear are highest before social events - more than a third of mums remember panicking about dressing for a special occasion. A night out with friends (32%) and weddings (30%) proved to be the most troublesome. But it doesn't need to be this way. The Duchess of Cambridge has looked fantastic throughout her pregnancy. Yes, she'll have plenty of people to give her style advice whenever she needs it - but her beautiful bump looks show what is possible. Maternity fashion expert Laura Tenison, founder of the mother and baby brand JoJo Maman Bebe, has lots of tips to help women stay stylish during pregnancy. She advises: 1. Buy your usual size Some pregnant women may feel like they can get away with buying regular clothes in bigger sizes to accommodate a growing bump and bust. However, this means that the back, arms and shoulders will also be larger and won't fit properly, making you look bigger than you actually are. Maternity clothes are designed to fit your frame but with extra room to accommodate a bump and bigger boobs, meaning all you need to do is buy your normal size. 2. Choose natural fibres No one wants to be clad in top-to-toe polyester at this time of year, especially when there's a baby on board. Light, natural fabrics like linen and cotton are ideal because they allow the skin to breathe. Synthetic fabrics form a barrier against the skin, creating a kind of 'greenhouse effect that can cause you to overheat. For the office, choose cool cotton shirts in light-reflecting white for a smart and simple look. Cotton camisoles are easy to wear and are great for taking you from desk to dinner. 3. Invest in a suit If you need to look very smart, a well-cut maternity suit is a good investment. Choose a neutral colour and jazz it up with accessories and colour-pop tops. You might find a skirt more comfortable than trousers, because they often adapt better with your changing shape. 4. Look for adaptable styles It's all about quality rather than quantity when it comes to a maternity wardrobe. Look for styles that can expand and retract and are able to last for most of your pregnancy and even a few months after the birth. Remember, all you need is a few key pieces - just make sure they're they highest quality you can afford because you might find yourself wearing them solidly for six months. Also keep your eyes peeled for drawstring waists, empire lines and wrap tops, which can be used for nursing after the birth too. 5. Wear supportive underwear Getting measured for a bra is extra-important during pregnancy. Not only does it mean your changing bust is fully supported, but whether pregnant or not, it's amazing what well-fitting underwear can do for your appearance - giving your confidence a boost when you need it most. 6. Work with a colour palette When you're buying maternity clothes, stick to complementary colours - this will save you time and money. For example, if you base your maternity wardrobe around earthy tones, you'll find you can very easily mix and match all your separates, meaning less panic in the morning when you're looking for something to wear. 7. Buy a few handy extenders There are lots of clever little gadgets available to help you get the most out of your existing clothes. If you can still get into your skinny jeans but can't do them up - and you're not ready for maternity clothes just yet - a bump band is essential. Similarly, if your bra still fits in the cups but your rib cage has expanded, a simple bra extender will save you having to splash out on more maternity underwear. Pro-Europe Tories have accused Brexiteers of "sabre-rattling" over a leadership challenge risk for Theresa May. Former Cabinet minister Nicky Morgan, who is behind a pro-customs union Commons motion set to be debated this week, accused Conservative opponents of "hysteria". The remarks follow a big Government defeat in the House of Lords on the issue of retaining a customs union with the EU last week and reports the Prime Minister and her inner team are considering a rethink on the matter. One senior Downing Street aide told the Sunday Times that in a meeting last month it was said that Mrs May and her team "will not be crying into our beer" if Parliament forces the Government's hand on the issue. Such a U-turn would be popular with business leaders and go a long way to resolving Mrs May's difficulties in dealing with the Northern Ireland border issue. However, it would also be hugely controversial with senior members of the Cabinet, with Downing Street now believing International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson could both resign. Chairwoman of the Commons Treasury Committee Ms Morgan said her pro-customs union move was not intended to pose a threat to Mrs May and her grip on power. She told the BBC: "That risk to the Prime Minister's leadership, all this sabre-rattling... is not coming from the section of the party that I represent. "It is coming from the pro-Brexit section of the party and it's deeply unhelpful. "If every time Parliament debates these issues, or passes an amendment, or anything like that, all we end up with is hysteria and leadership speculation, that really is not in Britain's interest. "I think that, actually, the majority of the Conservative Party would not entertain a leadership contest at the moment." Justice Secretary David Gauke said the Government needs to make the case to MPs for leaving the customs union as part of Brexit. He told the BBC: "The job of those of us in Government is to persuade Parliament that the route going forward (is) leaving the customs union, but ensuring that we don't put in place unnecessary barriers to our trade with the European Union." Labour's shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry insisted remaining in a customs union "makes sense". A Downing Street source said Mrs May, who faces the possibility of further Brexit defeats in the Lords this week, would continue to argue for Britain to leave the customs union, adding: "Government policy hasn't changed, we are leaving the customs union." While the motion backed by Ms Morgan could prove embarrassing for the Government, a meaningful vote on customs union membership is not expected until the Trade and Customs Bill returns to the Commons. Bad things are happening across the global food supply system. Some of them by accident, but some deliberately. It's no longer any secret that food production in many places has been penetrated by criminals. Food fraud is costing the global economy billions of pounds every year - but there is another, more insidious cost, and that is to our health, both human and environmental. Read More One of the other, urgent problems facing agriculture is a rapidly growing population. If we keep doing things the way we are doing, we won't have enough food to feed the world by 2050. Throw in complicating factors like climate change, chemical contaminants and Brexit ... and the problems can seem insurmountable. But they're not. As a scientist, I see problems as things requiring solutions. These issues can't be tackled alone, however; they need concerted, international efforts. This is why the Belfast Summit on Global Food Integrity is so important. From May 28 to 31, scientists, regulators, NGOs and folk from the food industry will fly into Belfast from all over the world to grapple with the serious challenges outlined above. Opening the Belfast Summit will be Dr John Bell, a Dublin-born Oxford graduate (who, incidentally, did his PhD on the subject of Northern Ireland) who's now head of bioeconomy at the European Commission. He has some really exciting ideas about how we could be feeding ourselves by 2030. Northern Ireland has one of the safest and most authentic food supply chains in the world. This is something we can all be proud of and showcase to our many hundreds of foreign visitors. But it also means we have a responsibility not only to listen but to lead the debate. I really want our local farmers, food producers/suppliers to be a part of the Belfast Summit. From knowing and working with so many of you, I believe you have a huge contribution to make. We have created a special reduced rate for local farm/food industry. Please join us for the big debate. Professor Chris Elliott is Chair of the Belfast Summit on Global Food Integrity. To register, see http://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/ASSET2018Summit/ The long-running legal battle over a Belfast bakery's refusal to bake a cake bearing a pro-same-sex marriage message reaches the UK's Supreme Court next week. It's the latest - and final -twist in a case which has captured headlines all over the world, as the bakery's Christian owners challenge a lower court ruling that they breached equality laws by refusing to make the cake for an activist, Gareth Lee. It's the first time the UK's highest court has met in Northern Ireland. Five of the twelve Supreme Court judges will hear the appeals - among them Lord Kerr, formerly Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland. In the run up to the Supreme Court hearing, the Christian Institute - which backed Ashers Bakery, who were represented in court by director Daniel McArthur, in their legal battle - are holding a series of meetings around Northern Ireland to brief supporters on the issues at stake in the Supreme Court appeal. The Supreme Court will also hear an appeal on the decision to withhold a widow's payment of 2,000 from unmarried Belfast mum Siobhan McLaughlin. Siobhan McLaughlin (46) had four children with groundsman John Adams but, despite living together for 20 years, she was denied a 2,000 lump sum bereavement payment when he died in 2014. Her application for a widowed parent allowance, which could have meant up to 118 per week, was also refused. In 2015 Ms McLaughlin won a case at the High Court where she argued the refusal to pay her widow's allowance discriminated against her on the grounds of marital status - and breached her human rights. However, the decision was overturned on appeal and the matter will now be finally decided by the Supreme Court. The proceedings in both the cases will be broadcast live over the internet - another first for the legal system here. Supreme Court officials said that they were anticipating considerable public interest in both cases, and court officers are expecting a large number of visitors. The Supreme Court confirmed yesterday that a special ticketing system will be put in place. Anyone who is unable to attend in person can watch the hearings live via the UK Supreme Court's web stream. The hearings will be in the Inn of Court, which is in the Bar Library off the Great Hall of the Royal Courts of Justice, between Monday, April 30, and Wednesday, May 2, 2018. The five Supreme Court Justices who will hear the two cases are Lady Hale, Lord Mance, Lord Kerr, Lord Hodge and Lady Black. Brexit Secretary David Davis made his first visit to the Irish border on Monday. Mr Davis visited a number of locations in Northern Ireland as part of his trip. Read More Among them were Armagh food processing company Linwoods in and a former customs posts in Middletown. The visit comes as Downing Street insists Britain is sticking by its proposals for keeping the Irish border open after Brexit. Little agreement has yet been reached on the detail of measures to avoid a hard frontier with checks on goods and services. Unionists have opposed any solution which would create differences between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and Prime Minister Theresa May is reliant on Democratic Unionist support in key Westminster votes. Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said a backstop, meaning Northern Ireland continued to follow EU rules relating to North-South issues and the all-island economy, was now part of the overall agreement between Britain and the EU. Chief Executive of Co-Operation Ireland Peter Sheridan accompanied Mr Davis during his trip to the border. "I showed him the way the border snakes back and forth. I think he was trying to get a feel for the place and the issues the border throws up," Mr Sheridan told the BBC. "I think he was generally appreciative - he spent time and he wanted to see what I meant when I say the way it meanders. "I took him down to the bridge (at the border) and showed him how it literally moved 10 fields back away from the road and then back down to the road again and how incredibly difficult to say exactly where that border is in places." Speaking on Twitter Mr Davis said he was determined not to see a hard border on the island of Ireland. "Today I started what promises to be a busy week in Northern Ireland. "As we leave the EU it's essential both the UK and EU do what it takes to keep the border, which I saw this morning, free from physical infrastructure. "We are determined to get this agreed by October." Sinn Fein MP Newry and Armagh MP Mickey Brady criticised Mr Davis for not meeting with local politicians. "David Davis visits the border but avoids meeting me as local MP. Obviously afraid to face the truth about Brexit," Mr Brady said. Mr Davis did not meed the media as part of his visit. Former UUP leader Mike Nesbitt queried if the DUP were aware of the planned trip. "How on earth can the Brexit Secretary make his first visit to the border without informing the media, or talking to anyone beyond the head of the Autism Centre in Middletown?," the Strangford MLA said. "Open, Transparent, Confident in his stance? Not! Did the DUP know he was coming?" Today I started what promises to be a busy week in Northern Ireland. As we leave the EU it's essential both the UK and EU do what it takes to keep the border, which I saw this morning, free from physical infrastructure. We are determined to get this agreed by October. pic.twitter.com/W4zSuRSGRG David Davis (@DavidDavisMP) April 23, 2018 Calls have been made for Northern Ireland to follow Scotland and change part of a law which could delay terminally-ill people from receiving a sickness benefits. On Monday SDLP deputy leader Nichola Mallon said she had written to the Department for Communities asking it to follow a change made by the Scottish Government in how terminally-ill people are assessed for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP). As it stands in Northern Ireland, to be eligible for a fast-tracked special rules assessment when applying for the PIP benefit a person must have a diagnosis of less than six months to live. Under special rules a person can expect to have their claims cleared within two weeks, while claims under normal circumstances take more than three months. Campaigners have said this definition most severely affects patients suffering from non-cancer terminal conditions, such as dementia, for which it can be difficult to predict an accurate life-expectancy. On Friday the Scottish Government announced it would be be making changes to the Social Security (Scotland) Bill, removing any time qualification for the terminally-ill to be fast-tracked. In calling for the same change to be made here, North Belfast MLA Nichola Mallon said terminally-ill people who currently fall outside of the six-month criteria "are left to endure intrusive face-to-face assessments and wait several months for their claim". "No one with a terminal illness should be spending the little time they have left going through this stress. Not only is this unfair but it also denies people the best quality of time they have left," she said. "This move towards a definition of terminal illness based on clinical need, rather than any time restricted understanding of life expectancy is the right one and I have urgently written to the head of the Department for Communities calling for the same fairness and dignity to be afforded to terminally ill people here." Terminally-ill people need these changes made now. They do not have the luxury of waiting until a government is eventually formed here." Responding to the Belfast Telegraph last month, the Department for Communities said current social security law in Northern Ireland is kept in parity with rules across Great Britain, unless a minister or the Assembly directs otherwise. "This current definition of terminal illness was first introduced into Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in the 1990s," a spokesperson said. Special time: from left, David Trimble, Bono and John Hume promoting the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 Since the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998 there have been 158 paramilitary-related killings in Northern Ireland, new research has shown. New figures compiled by researcher Paul Nolan and published on investigative website The Detail show republican and loyalist paramilitaries were responsible for the vast majority of the deaths. The research, also supported by Queen's University, takes account of what the PSNI record as 'security-related deaths'. Stand out points from the research are the relatively low number of sectarian-related killings, and the low number of prosecutions brought forward for the killings. The Good Friday Agreement was signed on April 10, 1998, with its 20th anniversary recently marked with a number of events in Belfast. Four months after the deal was signed, on August 15, 1998, the Omagh bomb claimed the largest death toll of any paramilitary attack during the Troubles - killing 29 people. It accounts for almost one-fifth of all security-related deaths in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement, and mean the year 1998/99 had the highest number of deaths since the Agreement was signed. The years 2000/01 and 2001/02 had death tolls of over 15 people, while 2008/09 was the last time at least five people were killed in security-related killings in Northern Ireland. Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme, researcher Paul Nolan said he "wouldn't have believed so many people could have been killed in that period". He said during the time period he researched the violence had "turned inwards" and there had been "too easy and acceptance of paramilitarism" Breakdown of the figures The figures show the largest group of those killed were Catholic civilians, accounting for 62, followed by Loyalist paramilitaries (41), Protestant civilians (27), Republican paramilitaries (17), police (3), prison officers (2), British Army personnel (2), and two others who are uncategoriesed. It continues a trend seen throughout the Troubles, in which Catholic civilians accounted for the largest victim group. Republican paramilitaries were responsible for 74 of the deaths since the Good Friday Agreement was signed, while Loyalist paramilitaries were responsible for 71 of deaths. Since the Good Friday Agreement, the vast majority of killings have gone unpunished. Just 11 people have been imprisoned for all of the killings in Northern Ireland in the period examined, with five of these being jailed for manslaughter. Food-security experts from all over the world are set to converge on Belfast next month for a major summit on how to feed a growing global population. Up to 700 delegates are expected to attend the four-day event running from May 28-31 at the Belfast Waterfront. The Belfast Summit on Global Food Integrity is being held amid massive industry challenges including climate change, Brexit, labyrinthine food supply chains and food fraud. Read More It will be chaired by Professor Chris Elliott OBE, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Medicine, Health and Life Sciences faculty at Queen's University, who led the UK government's inquiry into the horse meat scandal. Keynote speakers already signed up include representatives from the World Health Organisation; the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO); World Wildlife Fund; World Bank; PepsiCo as well as internationally leading agri-food research institutions such as Wageningen URL (the Netherlands). Dubliner Dr John Bell, Head of Bioeconomy at the Research and Innovation Directorate General of the European Commission, will open the summit. The event, which hopes to provide a major boost for Belfast tourism and international business links, will be hosted by the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen's, founded by Professor Elliott, along with principal partners safefood and Laval University, Quebec, Canada. Many social and tourism activities are planned by IGFS to showcase the best of Northern Ireland, including a Game of Thrones tour, a gala dinner at the Titanic Centre and a welcome reception at Belfast City Hall. Delegates will also be treated to an atmospheric, artisan food market, featuring the best of NI food producers, at St George's Market. Although hosted by world-renowned academics from IGFS at Queen's, the summit will be attended by a range of experts from across the international food industry, food science and agri-food/environmental science sectors, including business leaders, policy-makers, and representatives from NGOs. Business links and networking will be promoted through all of the social activities as well, on a number of organised tours of local agri-food industry outlets. Delegates have already registered from all over the world including USA, Canada, many European countries, Vietnam, China, India, Chile, Brazil, as well as African countries including Senegal, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa and Ghana. Catherine Toolan, managing director at Belfast Waterfront, said the Belfast Summit will put the city "on the map in terms of our reputation in global food integrity". The anger among Lisa Gow's family is "palpable" following revelations that the driver who admitted killing her was freed on bail just 24 hours earlier. It has emerged that Martin Alexander Nelson, who admitted driving the stolen Audi A4 which ploughed into the mother-of-two on Ballysillan Road last Thursday, had been released on bail at Belfast Crown Court the day before the crash. Councillor Dale Pankhurst met with Lisa's parents Agnes and Peter and her partner John on Saturday. He said: "They are distraught over losing Lisa, but the anger in that house is palpable. This is a man with a long history of criminal convictions and someone who should not have been free to walk the streets." Nelson was released on bail after he admitted being unlawfully at large from Magilligan Prison between October 30 and November 3, 2017. He also admitted resisting a police officer in the execution of his duty on November 2 while he was on the run. Mr Pankhurst said the 39-year-old had a "shocking track record" and that the revelation raised even more questions and had only added to the "unnecessary hurt" police had caused. "The family are furious that given his criminal history he was ever even considered for bail, never mind actually granted it," he added. The PSNI sparked outrage when it claimed officers ended their pursuit of the Audi A4 on the Antrim Road before handing over to the police helicopter. Their version of events was strongly refuted by dozens of traumatised witnesses which resulted in the Police Ombudsman's Office launching an official investigation to establish the facts. On Friday evening it challenged the police's account. "Video from the police helicopter and from within the lead police pursuit car clearly shows that when the collision occurred, police were a matter of seconds behind the suspect vehicle," the Police Ombudsman's Office said. Mr Pankhurst slammed the police's handling of the incident so far as "completely and utterly wrong" and "disgraceful". He also claimed the PSNI had robbed the family of breathing space to grieve and remember Lisa in peace by denying the pursuit, which he said "beggars belief" and had allowed rumours to "mushroom". "Instead they are now left wondering if the police had acted differently, or if this man had not been granted bail, would Lisa still be alive?" he said. "This was an awful tragedy to begin with, but it has been made so much worse and these legitimate concerns have detracted anger away from the driver. "The police have made it easy for him to start making excuses and have completely destroyed this community's trust in the police. "Thankfully they now have reason to trust the Ombudsman's investigation." Lisa's sister Kellyann described Nelson as a "monster". On the morning Lisa was struck by the stolen Audi she had dropped off her children Olivia (8) and Riley (5) at primary school. Over the weekend the children left a heartbreaking tribute to their mum at the very spot where she died. It read: "To mummy, I miss you so much, I can't believe you are gone. I hope you love heaven. I love you, I love you. Do you like your big wings now you can fly?" In a statement issued on Saturday her family described her as "a loving, caring and devoted mother" who was "full of joy, full of energy and full of love" and said they were "overwhelmed" by the response of the entire community. Last night former Justice Minister David Ford said he shared the family's frustration but was confident the truth will come out. "It is deeply concerning that the PSNI and the Police Ombudsman came out with very different versions of events within such a short time," he added. "There are serious questions around the circumstances which led to this tragic death and it is the Ombudsman's job to investigate that, but ultimately the driver of the stolen car is the only person to blame for this - the perpetrator must bear sole responsibility for this." The Alliance MLA said the ongoing investigation should be carried out as efficiently as possible to ensure that Lisa's family know exactly what happened. "That might mean having to wait," he said. A traumatised resident, whose partner has had to leave the house for a few days after witnessing the horrendous crash, welcomed the Ombudsman's statement confirming what he knew all along. "I can't get the memories out of my head, I haven't slept since it happened and I can only imagine what her family are going through," he said. "I'm glad they were quick to come out and confirm what we all knew and saw with our own eyes, but I don't think they had an option." Lisa's funeral will take place in St Andrew's Church, Forthriver Road, at 1.30pm tomorrow and will be followed by a service at Roselawn Crematorium at 3.30pm. Kellyann has asked those attending to "add a touch of colour" to their attire as a tribute to Lisa's "colourful" personality. The PSNI said it would "not be appropriate to comment" while the Police Ombudsman's investigation is ongoing. Racist graffiti depicting a hooded man with the letters 'KKK' has been painted on a wall in Belfast. Green Party rep Brian Smyth has condemned the racist graffiti that has been painted in the Ravenhill Road area. Read More The Green Party rep has contacted Belfast City Council to report the sinister graffiti just off London Road. The incident comes after racist leaflets from a group calling itself Generation Sparta were put through letterboxes in the Ravenhill area earlier this month. This disturbing graffiti has been daubed on the wall with only one intention to frighten and intimidate people who have every right to live their lives in peace, the Lisnasharragh rep said. There is an ongoing pattern in this area where homes and cars have been singled out for attacks in recent months, not to mention the racist leafleting, and we will be meeting the PSNI later this week to raise these issues. It is clear that a small group of trouble-makers are intent on building an atmosphere of fear and tension in the area." Mr Smyth said that residents would be worried by the incident. Belfast is a city that welcomes people from different backgrounds and I would appeal to residents in the area to keep an eye out and support their neighbours. This city is for everyone," he said. Families are still dealing with the fallout from previous racist incidents in this area and the Green Party is doing everything it can to help. If any residents in the Ravenhill area ever have a query or need support, give me a shout at bcssmyth@gmail.com and I'll do what I can. A Belfast City Council spokeswoman said the graffiti would be removed as soon as possible. We received a report from a member of the public about this graffiti and our cleansing team are working to remove it as soon as possible, she said. Emergency services at the scene of a fire and gas explosion in the Jellicoe Avenue area of north Belfast on April 23rd 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Emergency services at the scene of a fire and gas explosion in the Jellicoe Avenue area of north Belfast on April 23rd 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Emergency services at the scene of a fire and gas explosion in the Jellicoe Avenue area of north Belfast on April 23rd 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Emergency services at the scene of a fire and gas explosion in the Jellicoe Avenue area of north Belfast on April 23rd 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Emergency services at the scene of a fire and gas explosion in the Jellicoe Avenue area of north Belfast on April 23rd 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Emergency services at the scene of a fire and gas explosion in the Jellicoe Avenue area of north Belfast on April 23rd 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Emergency services at the scene of a fire and gas explosion in the Jellicoe Avenue area of north Belfast on April 23rd 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Emergency services at the scene of a fire and gas explosion in the Jellicoe Avenue area of north Belfast on April 23rd 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Emergency services at the scene of a fire and gas explosion in the Jellicoe Avenue area of north Belfast on April 23rd 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Emergency services at the scene of a fire and gas explosion in the Jellicoe Avenue area of north Belfast on April 23rd 2018 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) The scene on Jellicoe Avenue in north Belfast where a car fire spread to a property in th early hours of Monday morning. A women and her two children were rescued from the blaze. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye The scene on Jellicoe Avenue in north Belfast where a car fire spread to a property in th early hours of Monday morning. A women and her two children were rescued from the blaze. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye The scene on Jellicoe Avenue in north Belfast where a car fire spread to a property in th early hours of Monday morning. A women and her two children were rescued from the blaze. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after firefighters rescued a woman and her two children from a house blaze in north Belfast. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service were called to Jellicoe Avenue in Fortwilliam at 1.09am this morning after a car fire spread to a gas box and to the eaves of a semi-detached house. A woman in her 50's and two children aged eight and 13 were rescued from the house. They were uninjured. A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson endangering life with intent following the incident. Police received a report that a car had been set on fire shortly after 1am this morning. Significant damage was caused to the car and a fence as a result of the blaze. Two appliances were sent to the scene. Firefighters remained on scene until 4am and the cause of the blaze is under investigation. More than 60 schools are losing vital funding which allows them to run initiatives such as breakfast clubs and after-school activities. There is set to be a major rejig in terms of which schools benefit from the 9m extended schools budget in the 2018/19 financial year. Some 63 schools will lose out next year after being found to no longer qualify for the funding, including Lumen Christi College, Foyle College and Glastry College on the outskirts of Newtownards. Our Lady Queen of Peace Primary School in Dunmurry has been a long-term recipient of the funding, but is now set to lose the 17,500 it receives under the scheme. Its principal Cathal O'Doherty said it's the latest in a series of cuts which are crippling his ability to run the school. "It is cut after cut after cut," he told the Belfast Telegraph. "Schools have become experts at working to manage each and every cut, but it is getting to the stage where they can no longer be absorbed. "We are now losing 17,500. We have got a buffer of 4,000 to get us through until June. "The school is oversubscribed so our demographic has not changed." Mr O'Doherty said he hopes to retain the school's breakfast club, but emphasised how challenging that is going to be. "We will try to keep that going, but the clubs will have to become self-sustaining, we will have to fundraise to keep it going," he said. He has been principal at the school for three years and says he has seen a number of cuts in that period. He claimed the school is down by 54 per head overall from the same time last year. SDLP councillor Brian Heading said: "In the last few months, three cuts in education funding have been announced. "A cut of 54 per child in every school, a review into Special Education and now changes in the extended schools funding. "This is education by the balance sheet and accountancy, not by building and improving the life chances of the next generation. This loss of funding will place further pressure on school budgets, teachers and families." Mr Heading continued: "Those in charge of the Department of Finance need to ensure that education is treated as an essential public service, and that this is reflected in its budget." A spokesperson for the Department of Education said around 500 schools with a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils across Northern Ireland will benefit from more than 9million via the Extended Schools (ES) programme in the 2018/19 financial year. "Participation in the ES programme, as well as the allocations due, are assessed on a yearly basis and will vary from year to year according to an analysis of pupil enrolment data for individual schools gathered through the annual school census exercise," he said. The spokesperson said that qualifying thresholds for the ES programme had been changed to use the new updated Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure (NIMDM) replacing 2010 rankings. "This has had an impact on some previously qualifying extended schools in that they no longer meet the criteria for funding and will have to exit the programme in 2018/19, whereas some schools not previously in receipt of ES funding are now entitled to receive such support this year. "Altogether, 63 schools which participated in 2017/18 have been assessed as not meeting either the area-based or FSME (Free School Meal Entitlement) qualifying criteria in 2018/19 and will therefore exit the programme this year." The spokesperson said that 43 new schools are now fully eligible and a further 25 schools which had been in the programme but fall just short of the 2018/19 threshold are being given a "buffer zone" which will allow them to continue participating, receiving a reduced (50%) allocation for a period of one year. The funeral has taken place of a Co Down man who was killed in a London road accident earlier this month. Christopher Mackin from Rostrevor, who was in his 20s, died after being knocked down as he crossed a road in the city on April 14. His body was flown home after a post-mortem in London with the help of the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust. Mr Mackin's Funeral Mass was held yesterday afternoon at St Mary's Star Of The Sea Church, Rostrevor. His GAA club, St Bronagh's, formed a guard of honour after the mass as Christopher was laid to rest in Kilbroney Cemetery. Work colleagues from Christopher's past employers, First Derivatives PLC and Rostrevor's Cloughmor Inn, also attended to bid farewell to their friend and colleague who has been described as "a respected young gentleman". Mr Mackin is survived by his parents Martina and Paul, brother Shane, sister Laura, granny Eileen and the entire Mackin, Cole and Gilmore family circle. A pregnant 17-year-old girl was killed in an exchange of fire between the army and IRA in west Belfast in 1972, an inquest has found this morning. Coroner David McFarland said it was more likely that the bullet which killed Marian Brown was discharged by a soldier, and found the soldiers were acting in defence of themselves or others. However, he also found that the use of force by the soldier who fired the fatal bullet was not justified, adding that no shot should have been fired unless the soldier had a clear target and clear line of fire. The soldier who fired the fatal shot was narrowed down to two, who were referred to by ciphers B or C Mr McFarland made his findings on Monday following a second inquest into the death of Ms Brown. Ms Brown died on June 10, 1972 after being shot on Roden Street as she kissed her boyfriend Thomas Corrigan good night. The circumstances of the incident have been disputed. A fresh inquest was ordered into her death in 2013 by the attorney general, which heard a wide range of witnesses including those that had been there at the time as well as soldiers give evidence. The soldiers maintain they were firing at what they believed was an IRA gunman/gunmen, although the other eye witnesses dispute there were any other gun men in the area at the time. Mr McFarland found on Monday morning that on the balance of probability from the evidence heard, an eight man patrol of soldiers from the Royal Anglican Regiment were returning fire. He said it was likely that an IRA gun man had fired at the patrol from a car seen by some witnesses at the Grosvenor Road entrance to Roden Street. The inquest also found that Marian Brown was struck by a number of bullets, but the fatal shot passed through her neck. Mr McFarland found that on the balance of probability it was not possible to determine the type of bullet which killed Ms Brown, or the direction it had come from. The UUP have demanded an end to separating paramilitary prisoners, claiming it only gives status to organised criminals. The Ulster Unionist Party have called for an end to the separation of paramilitary prisoners in Northern Ireland. MLA Doug Beattie called on the Secretary of State, Karen Bradley, to intervene as members of criminal gangs were enjoying undeserved status and credibility. It is absolutely clear the work of the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF) is beginning to have an effect and bite," he said of the dedicated PSNI unit. "The high profile targeting of crime gangs linked to the UDA and the INLA, as well as vigilante groups linked to republican dissidents such as Action Against Drugs has been overt, proactive and relentless. The news that the National Crime Agency (NCA) - as part of the PCTF - has for the first time seized a property under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 is welcome and a clear sign that there is a serious attempt to deal with these crime gangs." He said an "inconsistency" remained about how these gangs were viewed and treated. Mr Beattie welcomed efforts by the Department of Justice (DoJ) to inform elected representatives the tag of paramilitary was often used by gangs as a cover for their crimes used to fund an extravagant lifestyle. Whilst I am supportive of such an approach I have to ask the DoJ what sort of message are they sending out when they continue to facilitate paramilitary structures in our prison system?" He continued: Most loyalist paramilitary groups are quite clear that if anyone is caught involved in criminality using the cover of a paramilitary organisation, they do not represent them. All but a very few republican groups have to all intents and purposes abandoned their campaigns. I believe that the DoJ could start by making clear that there will be no new admissions under the separated prison regime." At present anyone linked to a paramilitary group - if agreed by the Secretary of State - can be placed in a separate prison regime in Maghaberry. This means they are also know as Terrorist and Politically Motivated Prisoners (TPMO) once released to the charge of the Northern Ireland Probation Board (NIPB). This completely flies in the face of the message the DoJ want to get out that these people are simply criminals, and are not part of a special category of offender," said Mr Beattie. Theresa May is under pressure over the customs union (Aaron Chown/PA) Theresa May has insisted that the UK must leave the customs union after Brexit in order to strike trade deals around the world. The Prime Minister is facing a series of parliamentary battles in the coming weeks over the UKs future customs arrangements with the EU. After a massive defeat on the issue in the House of Lords, pro-European Tory MPs are set to voice their concerns over withdrawal from the customs union on Thursday. But speaking on a local election campaign visit, Mrs May insisted that should would not change course. She said arrangements which are as frictionless as possible with the EU and the ability to strike trade deals around the world were both achievable under the proposals set out by the Government. On a visit to a firm in the West Midlands she told the BBC: Coming out of the customs union means that we will be free to have those deals, deals that suit the UK. But I also recognise the importance to businesses like this of being able to have as frictionless a border as possible into the European Union. Expand Close Theresa May defended her custom union plans as she visited Boss Design in Dudley (Darren Staples/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Theresa May defended her custom union plans as she visited Boss Design in Dudley (Darren Staples/PA) Downing Street insisted the Governments position had not changed since Mrs May delivered her Mansion House speech in March. Those plans included two options, either a customs partnership effectively collecting duties for Brussels for goods arriving in the UK but intended for EU markets or a highly streamlined arrangement making use of technology and regulatory co-operation. But Mrs May is set to face calls from leading Brexiteers Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox to abandon her preferred form of customs deal, according to The Times. A showdown is expected to come at a meeting of the Cabinet Brexit committee scheduled for Wednesday when the trio will tell the PM that the customs partnership would be unworkable, the report said. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: We have put forward two options. They were set out in the Mansion House speech. Those are still the two options we are moving forward with. He added: We think both of the two options which we have put forward can provide solutions to the Irish border and to having a smooth customs arrangement with the EU. Mrs May will be given an indication of the scale of the opposition she faces from pro-EU Tories over her customs union plan in a Commons debate on Thursday. Though the looming Commons vote on a pro-customs union motion would be a symbolic, non-binding one, it has the potential to deepen Tory wounds on Brexit. The Prime Ministers spokesman played down its significance, saying Thursdays event was a routine backbench business debate. Expand Close Brexit Secretary David Davis is among those calling on the PM to abandon her preferred form of a customs deal (Ian Forsyth/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brexit Secretary David Davis is among those calling on the PM to abandon her preferred form of a customs deal (Ian Forsyth/PA) But binding Commons votes on a customs union during debates on the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill and European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will prove harder for Downing Street to dismiss. Downing Street rejected BBC reports that the issue could be treated as a motion of confidence in Mrs Mays Government. That report was an absolute mystery to me and I note that it quickly disappeared from the bulletins, the spokesman said. Many Remain-supporting MPs believe that keeping a customs union with the EU would limit the economic difficulties caused by Brexit and would help provide a solution to the Irish border issue. Tory former chancellor Ken Clarke told BBC Radio 4s Today: We wont make much progress until the Irish problem is solved. But Eurosceptic former Cabinet minister John Redwood told Today the customs union was a protection racket and it was extremely good news that the Prime Minister was not softening her position. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted that the referendum gave clear instructions to leave the customs union and accused some of seeing it as a kind of post-Brexit comfort blanket. The Housing and Communities Secretarys comments were rebuked by the CBI president Paul Drechsler, who tweeted in reply: An MP of your talent should rise above ideology and lead based of fact, analysis and evidence all of which favours a customs union. Always happy to discuss. Donald Trumps trade sanctions could have a catastrophic effect on the economy of rural Limerick, a TD has warned. Hundreds of jobs could be put at risk after the billionaire oligarch behind the Aughinish Alumina plant was hit with sanctions earlier this month. Some 450 employees and a further 250 contractors could be affected. Fianna Fail TD Niall Collins said: There is a genuine fear among the community if there are job losses it would have a catastrophic economic impact on the region. Expand Close Seanad referendum PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Seanad referendum The US government has targeted seven Russian oligarchs and 17 Russian government officials with sanctions for what it called malign activity around the world. Among them was Oleg Deripaska, from UC Rusal which owns the sprawling Limerick plant. In a statement the Irish Government said officials were keeping the situation under review and were working closely with the company. It will be some time before we are in a position to fully assess the potential impact on the Irish economy of the sanctions announced by the US Department of the Treasury on April 6, which have not yet become fully effectiveDepartment of Business, Enterprise and Innovation A spokesman for the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation said: The Government is very much aware of the risks and is closely engaging with Aughinish Alumina. The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, IDA Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, working together, continue to keep the situation under careful review, and IDA Ireland remains in regular contact with the company. The Tanaiste and the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation have both been in contact with the CEO, confirming that the Government will do everything possible to assist the company. Likewise, the CEO of IDA Ireland has been liaising with the CEO of the Aughinish plant. The Taoiseach also met with senior management, including the CEO, in Limerick. It will be some time before we are in a position to fully assess the potential impact on the Irish economy of the sanctions announced by the US Department of the Treasury on April 6, which have not yet become fully effective. The Government continues to closely monitor developments, collaborating across departments, as the situation evolves. Senior Trump administration officials said the penalties were part of a concerted and ongoing effort by the US to push back Russian President Vladimir Putins government and put pressure on those in his circle. No one from Aughinish Alumina was available to speak. However, sources close to the company said it was business as usual. One source, who said he had been instructed not to speak publicly on the matter, said: Workers are going about their jobs as normal. There is bauxite coming in and alumina going out. There has been a slight decrease in production but that might have to be cranked up again. It is not a storm in a teacup but the workers have faith in the management and faith in the government that it will be sorted. They are concerned about some of the comments which could create panic. My understanding is that there is a lot of work going on in the background. Aughinish Alumina was built more than 30 years ago. It is a significant contributor to the local economy with average salaries estimated to be in the region of about 80,000 euros-a-year. Meanwhile, the Russian Ambassador to Ireland Yuri Filatov was asked about the sanctions during a press briefing last week. He said the factory owner, Russia and Ireland are all on same wavelength. We are on the same wavelength. Sanctions are not good, that many jobs and the health of a good enterprise is at stake, we certainly repudiate this sanctions policy on the part of the United States which is in this case or in any other cases seem to be extra territorial and imposing on other countries something in Washington they think is in their interest, he said. The Duke of Cambridge with Prince George and Princess Charlotte arriving at the Lindo Wing (Kirsty O'Connor/PA) Prince George and Princess Charlotte have been introduced to their new baby brother for the first time. The youngsters were taken to the Lindo Wing at St Marys Hospital in Paddington, London, to meet the newborn Prince of Cambridge by their father the Duke of Cambridge. Princess Charlotte and Prince George arrive with the Duke of Cambridge to meet their new baby brother #RoyalBaby pic.twitter.com/Lo8lGornqr PA Royal Reporters (@PARoyal) April 23, 2018 The Duchess of Cambridge, who gave birth to the 8lb 7oz baby boy at 11.01am on patriotic St Georges Day, was believed to be waiting in her private suite for her eldest children. William, who was at Kates side for the birth, left shortly after 4pm to collect four-year-old George and Charlotte, who turns three on May 2, from Kensington Palace. George, who has spent the day at school and was dressed in his school uniform, appeared a little shy as he arrived, but Charlotte waved at the cameras twice, turning to do so and smiling as she walked up the steps. Kensington Palace said the babys name would be announced in due course, but Arthur is already the favourite with punters, according to the bookies. The new prince is fifth in line to the throne, and the Queen and the Duke of Edinburghs sixth great-grandchild. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2018 The duchess was driven to the exclusive Lindo Wing before 6am on Monday in the early stages of labour, ready for the birth of their third child. Kensington Palace announced the babys arrival in a statement shortly after 1pm and said the Queen, the royals and Kates family were thrilled at the news. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news, the palace said. A formal notice of the birth was placed in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace on an ornate golden stand , and a celebratory over-sized Union Flag was raised from the roof of the Queens London home. Prime Minister Theresa May led the messages of support for William and Kate, saying: My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. I wish them great happiness for the future. A large Union Flag has been raised over Buckingham Palace and a State Standard over Windsor Castle to mark the birth of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third child. pic.twitter.com/hcYYluf2fF The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 23, 2018 The arrival of a baby boy was a surprise for the duke and duchess, who chose not to find out what they were having. A huge media presence gathered outside the private Lindo Wing in anticipation of the birth, the same unit where George and Charlotte were born, as were William and Prince Harry. The royal baby looks set to arrive on St George's Day (PA) If the Duchess of Cambridge gives birth by the end of the day as expected, the royal baby will be born on patriotic St Georges Day. The patron saint of England, St George is heralded for his honour, bravery and gallantry. Surrounded by myth, one legend tells of St Georges defeat of a dragon. Expand Close Performers act out the legend of St George and the dragon at Wrest Park in Silsoe (PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Performers act out the legend of St George and the dragon at Wrest Park in Silsoe (PA) The actual St George was born in Cappadocia an area now in Turkey and he lived during the 3rd century. He became a Roman soldier and protested against Romes treatment of Christians, was imprisoned and eventually executed for refusing to denounce his faith. Expand Close The Queen wearing her Garter badge decorated with the St George's flag at at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle (Chris Jackson/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Queen wearing her Garter badge decorated with the St George's flag at at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle (Chris Jackson/PA) The flag of Saint George a red cross on a white background is the flag of England and is incorporated into the Union Jack. The royal baby would also share their birthday with Lady Gabriella Windsor the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, who was born at the Lindo Wing, where Kate is in labour, on April 23 in 1981. Expand Close Lady Gabriella Windsor, with her brother Lord Frederick Windsor (Andrew Matthews/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lady Gabriella Windsor, with her brother Lord Frederick Windsor (Andrew Matthews/PA) Expand Close Princess Michael of Kent with Lord Frederick Windsor and new baby Lady Gabriella Windsor leaving St Mary's Hospital in 1981 (PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Princess Michael of Kent with Lord Frederick Windsor and new baby Lady Gabriella Windsor leaving St Mary's Hospital in 1981 (PA) Famous names celebrating their birthdays on Monday include the model Gigi Hadid and actor John Hannah. The baby has just missed arriving on the Queens 92nd birthday which was on Saturday. William and Kate are set to celebrate their seventh wedding anniversary on April 29, while Princess Charlotte turns three on May 2. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have welcomed a baby boy to their family.(Chris Jackson/PA) The birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges baby boy has left the royal family and the Middletons delighted, Kensington Palace has said. Mother and baby are both doing well after the infant prince was born at 11.01am, weighing 8lb 7oz. The babys sex was a surprise to William and Kate, who chose not to find out what they were having. Prime Minister Theresa May led the messages of support for the couple, saying: My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. I wish them great happiness for the future. Expand Close The Duke of Cambridge leaving the Lindo Wing at St Marys Hospital (Aaron Chown/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Duke of Cambridge leaving the Lindo Wing at St Marys Hospital (Aaron Chown/PA) The new prince of Cambridge is fifth in line to the throne and a younger sibling to Prince George and Princess Charlotte. He was born more than five hours after the duchess was driven to the private maternity wing of St Marys Hospital in Paddington, central London. She arrived before 6am, in the early stages of labour, with the duke by her side. Expand Close A town crier outside the Lindo Wing at St Marys Hospital in Paddington, London, after the news that the Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a son. (Kirsty OConnor/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A town crier outside the Lindo Wing at St Marys Hospital in Paddington, London, after the news that the Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a son. (Kirsty OConnor/PA) A huge media presence soon gathered outside the private Lindo Wing in anticipation of the birth, the same unit where George and Charlotte were born and their father the duke. The news of the birth was announced by Kensington Palace a few minutes after 1pm in a statement, and later there was a more formal proclamation when brief details of the delivery were printed on a bulletin placed on an easel erected in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. Kensington Palace said the babys name would be announced in due course, but Arthur is already the favourite with punters, according to the bookies. Expand Close Senior footman Olivia Smith (left) and footman Heather McDonald place a notice on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace in London to formally announce the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess. (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Senior footman Olivia Smith (left) and footman Heather McDonald place a notice on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace in London to formally announce the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess. (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Kensington Palace said in its statement: Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lb 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. Expand Close William and Kate pictured on the steps of the Lindo Wing in 2013 with their first born Prince George . (John Stillwell/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp William and Kate pictured on the steps of the Lindo Wing in 2013 with their first born Prince George . (John Stillwell/PA) The new royal baby has been born on patriotic St Georges Day which celebrates the patron saint of England, and arrived just two days after the Queens 92nd birthday. At the exclusive Lindo Wing, the duchesss labour was overseen by consultant obstetrician Guy Thorpe-Beeston, surgeon-gynaecologist to the household, and consultant gynaecologist Alan Farthing, the Queens surgeon-gynaecologist part of the trusted team who delivered George and Charlotte. They were joined by two other senior figures, Dr Sunit Godambe, a consultant neonatologist at Imperial College NHS Trust, which runs St Marys hospital, he was also involved in Kates previous births. The view of the media from the bottom of the Lindo Wing steps - this is what the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will see when they emerge with their new baby son. pic.twitter.com/pHdDtzCTp8 Catherine Wylie (@wyliecatherine) April 23, 2018 Professor Huw Thomas, physician to the Queen and head of the medical household, was the final member of the team, and he also cared for Kate when the duchesss daughter was born. In addition, a group of top medics was on stand-by in case of an emergency. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2018 The duchess will be expected to head home to the sanctuary of Kensington Palace in a few hours, just as she did with Charlotte in 2015 but not before introducing the new royal baby to the world on the steps of the Lindo Wing. George and Charlotte might even visit the hospital to see their mother and baby sibling, just as George did when his younger sister was born three years ago. New laws to crack down on social media giants that allow flagrant breaches of age limits are being considered by ministers. In a strongly-worded letter to platforms like Facebook and Google, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has accused companies of "turning a blind eye" to a generation of children who are being "exposed to harmful emotional side effects" of social media use. The firms have been given just over a week to set out what steps they have taken to cut underage use, prevent cyber bullying and encourage healthy screen time, and what more they intend to do. The Health Secretary warned that the failure of platforms to prevent young children using social media was "unacceptable and irresponsible". He wrote: "In particular, progress on age verification is not good enough. I am concerned that your companies seem content with a situation where thousands of users breach your own terms and conditions on the minimum user age. "I fear that you are collectively turning a blind eye to a whole generation of children being exposed to the harmful emotional side effects of social media prematurely. "This is both morally wrong and deeply unfair to parents who are faced with the invidious choice of allowing children to use platforms they are too young to access, or excluding them from social interaction that often the majority of their peers are engaging in. "It is unacceptable and irresponsible for you to put parents in this position." The Health Secretary questioned whether social media giants had "sufficient will" to introduce solutions. Mr Hunt stressed that the government does not rule out bringing in new legislation to deal with the situation when it considers options in May. Meanwhile, MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis is launching a High Court legal battle to "give Facebook a bloody nose" and change the way it operates over claims the site is publishing scam adverts causing vulnerable people to hand over thousands of pounds to criminals. Mr Lewis is due to lodge court papers today for a defamation lawsuit against Facebook over claims it has published more than 50 fake posts bearing his name in the last year, many of which are used to scam money out of people. Mr Lewis said the legal action was the result of months of frustration with scammers piggybacking on his reputation and preying on Facebook users with outlandish get-rich-quick scams. European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom signalled pressure from the EU over US trade tariffs (AP) The EUs trade chief has said German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Emmanuel Macron will press US leader Donald Trump this week to exempt the 28-member bloc permanently from US steel and aluminium tariffs. Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said the EU will be ready to hit back with measures of its own as of next month if the punitive tariffs are imposed. The United States and the EU are holding high-level talks to address the issue but Ms Malmstrom insisted Washington should not count on any concessions from the EU. We now open a new chapter in our long and fruitful relationship with Mexico, boosting trade and creating jobs @MalmstromEU and @PhilHoganEU on #EUtrade agreement with Mexico https://t.co/E11pkxVlHv European Commission (@EU_Commission) April 23, 2018 She said: We expect an unconditional and permanent exception. Mr Macron arrives in Washington on Monday while Mrs Merkel travels on Thursday. Meanwhile, Ms Malstrom said a sweeping new trade deal with Mexico is a powerful signal to the rest of the world including the Trump administration. She said the preliminary deal, agreed on Saturday and to be finalised later this year, shows that with increasing protectionism in certain parts of the world, many of us do believe good trade agreements can be made to the benefit of consumers and companies. L'acord comercial UE-Mexic permetra: Acabar amb les altes tarifes aranzelaries de Mexic a les begudes i aliments europeus Permetre que les empreses europees venguin serveis a Mexic Protegir els drets dels treballadors i el medi ambient https://t.co/Dl2nwZDNmh pic.twitter.com/msibTnEZKp Comissio Europea (@ComissioEuropea) April 23, 2018 The deal comes as Mr Trumps America-first policies have thrown US-Mexico trade into uncertainty and stalled efforts for a US-EU trade deal. The EU-Mexico deal removes tariffs on cheese, chocolate, pasta and other foods. It updates and expands a two-decade-old agreement to include financial services and online commerce, among other sectors. A PSNI and Garda operation at the border. But will the frontier still exist in the near future, or will Ireland be reunited? They called it, unkindly, the Chicken Run. As the prospect of independence for Rhodesia drew closer, thousands of people who had grown up there but feared for the future got out. Mostly they were white, had been born there, and had sprung from previous generations of European settlers. Those northern Protestants and others who are now announcing that they would leave a united Ireland because they would be more at home somewhere else than in the streets and towns they grew up in should reflect on that Rhodesian experience. This started with a simple question from Paddy Kielty, put to Arlene Foster, our former First Minister. She was not prepared for it, and perhaps gave an answer she would not have had she been given more time to think. She said she would leave if there was a united Ireland. She would leave Fermanagh, where she grew up on a farm, where she went to school, from Lisnaskea, where her siblings and other relations still live, where she has for years wooed the votes of friends and neighbours and a wider community. She was not estranged from Fermanagh when other Irish people there shot her father and bombed her school bus. But if the majority of people in Northern Ireland voted to unite Ireland, inside the European Union, she would leave, and she doesn't know where she would go. But if the government was sitting in Dublin she believes she would be more at ease in Birmingham or Glasgow or, perhaps, the lakelands of Cumbria, though it is a bit hillier there than around the Erne. I simply don't believe this. I can imagine that it would gall her if the IRA appeared to have won in a cause which her family resisted by staying put in Fermanagh, but if a united Ireland is ahead of us, and I believe it might be, she can surely reason through to the obvious, that it will not have been brought about by Sinn Fein and the IRA. The only people who can deliver a united Ireland are those who will have changed their minds to tilt a vote where it would not otherwise go; and they are not the traditional republicans of the border counties and the housing estates of Derry and Belfast; they are people who opposed the IRA campaign. They were people who did what she apparently cannot comprehend doing; they stayed in a jurisdiction in which they were not fully at home, contributed to it and made it work. They are mostly Catholics or former Catholics who have been small 'u' Unionists. They knew that unionism, as expressed through the two big unionist parties, had no space within to accommodate their silent assent to the Union, but they assented all the same. New research from Dr Paul Nolan has a bearing on this. It feels strange to call him Dr, since I usually call him Paul, as in, "Will you have another pint, Paul?", so much at home are he and I in this British jurisdiction. Paul's research shows that we are approaching a Catholic majority in Northern Ireland, perhaps by the centenary of the founding of the state. That does not mean the end of the border - though it might, because voting for a united Ireland is now a route back into the European Union if Brexit proves uncongenial, as many fear it will. But those of us who would vote that way, to change the way in which we are governed, would not have to move house to Dundalk or Letterkenny. I doubt if many are thinking of anything as drastic as that. What the Catholic majority does mean is the end of a unionist majority, in effect, the end of a unionism that feels it can do without Catholic support. The Catholic support that was there in the form of silent assent from people who were treated as outsiders now has to become tangible. It no longer makes sense to try to secure the Union through a political party that is made up only of Protestants. It makes even less sense to try to secure the Union through a specifically evangelical Protestantism. Were a new Ian Paisley to arise today, talking as he did in the 1970s, asserting the need to shore up Protestant Ulster against the hordes from Rome, there would be a united Ireland in the morning, for Protestant Ulster is dead and gone. As the reality of this sinks in, there may be some who would rather leave Northern Ireland now, who might think there is little point in raising children and committing to a long mortgage in a state that is transforming into something they always dreaded. A Chicken Run from the busted lean-to of Protestant Ulster would only accelerate the change, deliver a united Ireland much earlier. John Taylor, Lord Kilclooney, stayed even after he was shot, continued to work for his political vision and to build his business. He is right when he ripostes on Twitter to Owen Polley: "The unionist community is undermined by people like you who would run away at the first chance!". Polley argues that if there was a united Ireland there would be no place for unionism "because there would be no Union to defend". This misses an important point. If unionism was only about defending the Union it would have room in it for Catholic assenters, and it hasn't. That is because it is about Protestantism, monarchy, social conservatism, and reverence for the British Army and imperial history. But a unionism that has more to it than defence of the Union would surely have a continuing identity in a united Ireland. Or is it really so insubstantial that it would whither in the first breeze? Not my problem, anyway. I am glad that we have the option in years to come of voting ourselves back into the European Union through a border poll, that we have a resort that is not available to Scotland or London, where majorities also voted against Brexit. This allows me the prospect of a retreat from a problem I did not create. And if I put my X on a card for Irish unity it will not be because I feel the shades of O'Neill and Pearse and Adams at my shoulder, but because unionists in their folly thought they could preserve an Ulster that was already an anachronism. Unlike Foster, I may be able to restore the circumstances in which I would feel more at home without even having to leave my street. Songro Mro, the widow of a man killed by a landmine along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, explains why her family tried to enter Myanmar, April 13, 2018. While hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees have poured into Bangladesh from Myanmar over the past year, a few hundred impoverished tribal people have migrated in the opposite direction, lured by promises of land and citizenship, villagers and officials said. Bangladesh officials say they have long been aware of a Myanmar government project to make Buddhists a majority in Rakhine, the rural state now largely abandoned by the Rohingya after a military crackdown caused close to 700,000 people to flee. Those efforts intensified after September 2017, the height of the refugee outflow, a Bangladesh Home Ministry official told BenarNews, citing intelligence reports. After eviction of the Rohingya people, economic activities in Rakhine virtually collapsed. So, Myanmar needs people to cultivate the land and implement the development projects, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. So, they lure the Buddhists from Bangladesh, the official said. At least 35 families left a cluster of villages perched on ridges in remote Alikadam sub-district in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of southeastern Bangladesh, BenarNews learned in a visit to the region. Since October last year, 35 families have left from our nearby villages and settled in Burma. Some of the family members informed us that they would get free food, land, cattle, houses and citizenship, Prenglung Mro, a resident of Raraipara village of Bandarban district, told BenarNews, standing outside his bamboo and wood house. The four tribal groups that live in the hills of southeastern Bangladesh number fewer than 500,000 people and embrace Buddhist, Hindu and animist beliefs. All are ethnically related to groups found across the border in Myanmar and northeastern India. Promises of a better life A hardscrabble existence in the nearly inaccessible villages of the region makes such promises alluring. Raraipara resident Limwai Mro told BenarNews that people in the area lend money to the Mro and other tribal people at exorbitant rates. If I take 1,000 taka [U.S. $12], I have to return 2,000 taka in six months. Besides, we the poor people do not get fair price of our agricultural products such as turmeric, mango, pineapple, ginger, he said. Many people have decided to go to Burma to evade the loans of the local money lenders. Again, the production of rice and other products has come down over the years, Limwai said. He said businesses and the government in Myanmar support new arrivals. Everything is free there (in Rakhine), he said. That lure proved deadly for one family last month. Songro Mro and her three children returned home after her husband died in a landmine blast in the border region on March 14. Her 8-year-old daughter also lost an eye. One Mro man, Aung San, lured my husband to go to Burma as we had been having very bad days here. The paddy we have here was not enough to meet our growing demand for food and other necessities, Songro Mro said. She said Aung San, who had once lived in Alikadam, told Pawai Mro that the Myanmar government would provide for the family in Rakhine. If we could reach Burma, we must live in a tent or temporary camps for two years. Then we will get a free house and land, and citizenship, said Songro Mro, who suffered shrapnel injuries to her face. Poverty is here, but no violence. I was not interested in leaving Raraipara. But my husband was stubborn to go to Burma. We will never go to Burma again, she said. Bangladesh officials aware K.S. Hla, chairman of Bandarban Hill District Council, said people belonging to the Mro, Marma, Modok and Tripura tribes had left for Rakhine state in recent months from Alikadam and the nearby sub-districts of Thanchi and Naikhangchhari. He did not specify how many. We have come to know that there has been some luring from the other side of the border, Hla told BenarNews at his office in Bandarban town. Now, it has stopped. Our BGB and the BGP have been patrolling the border to stop such movement, Hla said, referring to the border forces of Bangladesh and Myanmar. Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told BenarNews that he knew about tribal people departing from Bandarban district to Rakhine. I cannot give you the exact number, but some of them have left for Myanmar. Some of them have come back, too, as they could not move there freely, Khan said. Bangladesh Ambassador to Myanmar Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury told BenarNews he was not sure why Bangladesh nationals would want to go to Myanmar. There is no persecution of the Buddhists and other tribal people in Bangladesh. But we have to find out why they, though very small in number, have been crossing the border, he said. Police and government officials inspect barrels of chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine during a raid of a makeshift laboratory in Marikina city, near Manila, April 21, 2018. The Philippine presidential spokesman on Monday shrugged off the latest report from the U.S. State Department expressing concern about the nations drug war deaths, saying he is confident the government is supported by President Donald Trump. Harry Roque, a former rights lawyer and spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte, said the Philippine leader enjoyed the confidence of his counterpart in Washington. Their politics are not that far apart, Roque said, according to transcripts of an interview with a local radio released by the presidential palace. And it is of our view that President Trump does not prioritize what the State Department report says. So lets leave it at that, the dynamics of the State Department and President Trump are different. He noted that when Trump visited the Philippines last year to join a summit of regional leaders, the U.S. leader declared rebuilding relations with Manila a priority after ties soured between his predecessor and Duterte. Roque said Trump then praised Dutertes leadership especially his war against drugs. So what the State Department reported and what President Trump said appear to be contradicting each other, and President Duterte is more inclined to accept the words of President Trump, Roque said. The U.S. Embassy in Manila could not be reached for comment. In its annual global human rights report for 2017, the U.S. State Department cited unabated killings of drug suspects as a top concern because the majority of the cases have remained unsolved. Extrajudicial killings have been the chief human rights concern in the country and, after a sharp rise with the onset of the anti-drug campaign in 2016, they continued in 2017, the latest Country Reports on Human Rights Practices said. The report cited concerns about police impunity increased significantly following the sharp increase in police killings. It said that while the police claimed to have begun investigating all reports of extrajudicial killings, only 1,889 cases have been resolved and 4,373 cases remained under investigation by August 2017. The report came shortly after the European Parliament released a statement on the drug deaths, something Roque said was unfounded and was akin to interference. Reacting to the U.S. statement, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano emphasized that the Philippines is a sovereign state with a fully functioning democracy led by a legitimately elected government. While we note that the United States and other entities, such as the European Parliament, have their own reporting mechanisms, the Philippines has its own internal processes and mechanisms to ensure that the human rights of all our people are protected and respected, Cayetano said. Cayetano said the Philippines was conducting an anti-criminality campaign that was meant to save lives, to preserve families, to protect communities and stop the country from sliding into a narco-state. We do not need others who think they know better than us Filipinos to tell us what to do. As a sovereign nation, the Philippines deserves the same kind of respect we have been extending to our friends in the international community, he said. The Philippine National Police, said the number of alleged drug dealers and addicts killed reached at least 4,043 since Duterte became president in 2016. But Human Rights Watch and other groups said the figure could actually be higher than 12,000, with many of the deaths blamed on vigilantes who support police efforts. Bowling Green State University makes it easy for first-year students to make friends and find a home on campus through its Learning Communities. Learning Communities offer a place where students can live and learn with other students who share similar passions. Students can experience a smoother transition to life at BGSU, earn higher grades, graduate at higher rates, participate in unique activities and trips, and get a head start with career networking that will help secure a job after graduation. The Arts Village, one of 20 Learning Communities at BGSU, is a place where students can live with classmates at Kreischer Quadrangle who have similar creative interests. Students like to live in the Arts Village because they can easily make friends the first week of school and it helps to ease the difficulty of going from high school to college. Open to students of any major, the Arts Village is a residential learning community that involves exploring all aspects of the arts and sharing views with one another and faculty of various disciplines. The community keeps the creative spirit alive and well on a daily basis with on-site classes specifically geared to art students, as well as collaborative projects, activities and social events. The Arts Village is for anybody who is interested in the arts, and thats the larger arts world, not just the fine arts, Director Joel ODorisio said. We have musicians, dancers, people from theater and film, artists, art historians, digital artists, creative writers basically anyone who is interested in creative activities. A small but real percentage of our community is not even majoring in any of those areas; they just like the arts and need a connection with the arts as theyre moving through their major. Students in Learning Communities develop critical-thinking skills and expand their existing paradigms about the world and their membership in that community. They experience culture and how it reflects and informs that community, and the rights and responsibilities of creating art within that community. I think that having a community of like-minded individuals helps make it easier to connect when students come here to campus for the first time, ODorisio said. Beyond that, once people start specializing in their field, it gets harder and harder to meet people outside of their field who collaborate on ideas and activities. Here in the Arts Village, the opportunity is all around you. Its a living and learning community. The students live in a group, we have a classroom and a community space in the residence hall itself so they can gather here. We have more than a dozen activities a week for the students to participate in if they want. They also have opportunities to take a class with other students who are in the Learning Community, so their network bonds a little deeper and a little tighter. Youre in class with people youre already living with. It makes it easier to study together and keep on track for their assignments. Students have the opportunity to work intimately with knowledgeable staff, student leaders and upperclassmen to create a network of artists. They have the opportunity to visit galleries, attend concerts, theatrical and dance productions and many other extracurricular activities. There are programs almost every night; ranging from student-run programs to guest speakers. Students have gone on trips to places such as the South Bronx, Detroit, Chicago and a Navajo Reservation. The deadline to apply to live in a Learning Community is Monday, May 7. To get started, students need to make their $200 housing payment by logging into MyBGSU>Housing & Residence Life>My Room and Meals. For more information about living in the Arts Village, contact Director Joel ODorisio at 419-372-3537 or email joelo@bgsu.edu. University Hall is the entry point for prospective students with the Office of Admissions, and also houses key, high-impact programs that contribute to student success, such as the Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship and Math and Science Education in Action. Designed by BPHD Architecture, the upgrades focused not only on energy efficiency but also on health, such as using low-emitting materials that are beneficial to the indoor environment for daily occupants and visitors. Plans for the renovation included a commitment to providing at least 35 percent of the buildings electrical energy from renewable sources. New windows throughout let in natural light, reducing electric demands while also restoring University Halls grandeur and views across the center of campus. The new electric lights are LEDs, which, again, reduce energy consumption and the buildings carbon footprint. Water consumption was also taken into consideration; the plumbing fixtures use non-potable water. The physical footprint of University Hall was reduced in the renovation, and materials that were removed were re-incorporated into the new structure, reducing the impact on landfills. More green space around the building was also gained. Even transportation was taken into account, with designated parking spaces provided for low-emitting vehicles and increased bicycle parking areas. The University now has a number of LEED-certified buildings, including the new Greek Village, which received gold designation in April 2017. For Immediate Release, April 23, 2018 Contact: Jenny Loda, (510) 844-7100 x 336, jloda@biologicaldiversity.org Study: Californias Shasta Salamanders More Endangered Than Once Thought Research Splits Animal Into Three Species, Accenting Need for Federal Protection REDDING, Calif. The Center for Biological Diversity notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today of new research revealing that the Shasta salamander in California is actually three species each more endangered than previously thought. The paper, published this month by scientists at U.C. Berkeleys Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, increases pressure on the Fish and Wildlife Service to decide whether to protect the salamanders under the Endangered Species Act. The Shasta salamander already had a fairly narrow range restricted to a single county. But the new paper finds that each species has even fewer populations, and a smaller range that may increase the impact of the threats they face. This study shows Shasta County salamanders are even rarer than we thought and desperately need federal protection, said Jenny Loda, a Center for Biological Diversity biologist and attorney who works to protect vulnerable amphibians and reptiles. Like too many California amphibians, these salamanders are spiraling toward extinction. To preserve these amazing animals, the Fish and Wildlife Service has to protect them quickly under the Endangered Species Act. The salamanders suffer from numerous threats, including plans to raise the level of Shasta Dam, limestone quarrying, timber harvesting and roads, which led the Center to include them in a 2012 Endangered Species Act petition. In response to that petition, in 2015 the Fish and Wildlife Service found that the Shasta salamander may qualify for Endangered Species Act protection. According to a work plan developed by the Service, the Shasta salamander is not scheduled to receive a 12-month finding until 2022. For the new paper, researchers used multiple analytical methods to revise the taxonomy of the Shasta salamander and identified two additional new species, the Samwel Shasta salamander and the Wintu Shasta salamander. The Samwel Shasta salamander was named for its original discovery site, Samwel Cave, and the Wintu Shasta salamander is named for the original habitants of the region, the Winnemem Wintu tribe. All three species are found within a range of about 330 square miles in the vicinity of Shasta Lake. These 4-inch-long, dark reddish-brown salamanders, mottled with grayish green and tan specks, have webbed toes that allow them to climb sheer, slippery rock surfaces. Their restricted range, coupled with ongoing threats of habitat destruction and degradation, leaves them extremely vulnerable to extinction. Known to be extremely uncommon across their limited range, these rare salamanders lay and brood their eggs in moist caves during the summer and crawl out into the open on rainy nights at other times of year. Many key salamander habitats were lost when they were submerged in Shasta Lake, after the construction of Shasta Dam. They continue to be threatened by proposals to raise Lake Shasta, which would further flood hundreds of acres of salamander habitat, as well as by mining, timber management and human recreational activities. I hope that this new information will lead the Fish and Wildlife Service to prioritize protections for these unique salamanders, said Loda. With a near-perfect record at saving species from extinction, the Endangered Species Act is the best hope for saving these rare salamanders from extinction. Founder and CEO of Irish company Diaceutics, Peter Keeling, has been announced as one of the finalists for this years EY Entrepreneur of the Year award. The world-renowned programme recognises Irelands high-growth business leaders. In its 21st year, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards is celebrating the theme of 'Ambition'. Mr Keeling, who founded Diaceutics in 2005, has been named as a finalist in the international category and joins 23 fellow entrepreneurs in the running for the coveted prize, the winner of which will be revealed in October. Diaceutics works with the worlds top pharmaceutical companies and utilises its global network of laboratories to help deliver better testing, more efficient diagnosis and more effective treatment for patients. The company has given more than half a million patients with life-threatening diseases the best possible chance of recovery. It works in the top 10 markets in the world and has enjoyed 60% growth year-on-year for the last three years. Mr Keeling has driven the organisation since its inception, when he recognised the value of precision medicine in terms of drug development and patient care, to its position now as a leader in the industry. We are delighted to announce our 24 Finalists for 2018's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme! Find out who is in the final 24 now #EOYambition https://t.co/bWIJkkJhDH EY Ireland (@EY_Ireland) April 23, 2018 Speaking about the news, Peter Keeling said: It is an absolute honour to be named as a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year programme, which is widely-recognised and well-respected across the globe. To be considered among such a high calibre of entrepreneurs and businesses is incredible This years Ambition theme is something that resonates with everyone who works at Diaceutics and makes the achievement extra special. We are a very ambitious organisation which is constantly striving, and succeeding, at getting the right patients to the right treatment at the right time. - Digital Desk Padraig Hoare talks to two leaders of the Californian cloud management firm Rubrik who say the support it received locally and nationally were key reasons why it set up its major European offices in Cork. Rubrik has been described as one of the fastest growing tech companies in Silicon Valley with clients such as the Mercedes Formula 1 motor racing champions, the US Department of Defence and Energy, and online travel giant Expedia. Founded in 2014 by engineers from Google, Facebook, and Oracle, cities from all around Europe wanted the Palo Alto-based cloud data-management company to be part of their tech business communities as it looked for a new base for its operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Rubrik chose the IDA Business and Technology Park on the Model Farm Road in Cork and will employ at least 50 people in customer support, IT, and sales positions in the coming year. After that, who knows how big it can become, says co-founder and chief technology officer Arvind Nithrakashyap and senior vice president of global customer support, Giri Iyer. The regional talent pool, support from local and national government and pro-business mindset was the key, according to both. In February, Rubrik announced global bookings run rate approaching $300m (244m), cementing its place as one of the fastest growing enterprise infrastructure software companies in history. What makes Rubrik different from competitors in an era where data management is firmly in the spotlight is that its technology delivers automated backup, recovery, archival, search, cloud, and development. It is not a data storage firm, but is involved in backup and management. Its head-turning model among industry leaders meant Rubrik also announced in February that chairman of Microsoft, John Thompson was joining its board of directors, with the industry veteran calling on more than 40 years of enterprise expertise to advise the $1.3bn-valued firm as it enters its next phase of growth. Its Cork base is essential to that ambition, according to Nithrakashyap and Iyer. Nithrakashyap said: Its very hard for enterprise to manage all this data that is changing at such a rapid pace. We saw an opportunity to build a platform that can help enterprise manage that data. We see a huge opportunity for Rubrik, we are a long-lasting company that can be around for the next 30 years. Does Rubrik have ambition to be a household name like Google or Facebook? Absolutely." Four years ago, it was four of us with an idea sitting in an office. We knew we had something that could become big, but to see it come to fruition and to see new offices here in Cork, it is very humbling and reminds us we have a responsibility to build a very large company. Rubrik leadership said talent from UCC and CIT was a key factor in its decision to locate in Cork, as was assistance from the IDA. Iyer said: We feel it is essential to invest in our employees and fresh graduates from college. That is part of our culture. Its not just about having the experienced people, we want to be able to enable college graduates by training them, giving them an opportunity to learn new technologies they may have all the background, but they may never have done hands on stuff. We want to give them that opportunity to enhance their education in a very practical manner. Investment in employee growth is huge for us and well continue to invest heavily in that area. We have a fantastic relationship with the IDA. They are true partners in that they bridged the gap in how we do business in Ireland. We wouldnt know otherwise and the people in the IDA have been tremendous in making us aware of how we should approach every aspect of the business. All the ingredients from the IDA, UCC, CIT, and local and national government meant Cork was the only choice for Rubrik in the final analysis, said Nithrakashyap. He said: The IDA were one call away from helping us and I dont think we could have expanded at this scale otherwise. Between six months ago and now, I dont think we could have been here without the support the IDA has given us. The fact that local government and national government was open to helping businesses like ours get started here, that was critical. To have access to the kind of talent pool in UCC and CIT meant in turn, we want to do what we can to give back to those institutions. Iyer said: It has been frictionless. Having world-class institutions like UCC and CIT wanting to partner with a company like Rubrik means we can have input into curriculums, how we can shape the next generation of engineers, and that is a very refreshing model. For all the focus on nurturing the best up-and-coming talent in the Cork region, it was vital that experienced leadership was put in place to guide the ship, which involved tapping an experienced leader from Dell EMC. Irish Ferries customers have reacted angrily to the cancellation of their holiday sailings this summer. It comes after the company announced a delay in the delivery of their new ferry the W.B.Yeats. Irish Ferries say the German shipyard building the W.B Yeats has informed the company delivery of the new ferry is likely to be delayed. As a result, the company decided on Friday, in a bid to minimise potential disruption to customers, to cancel a number of affected sailings from July 12 to July 29. Customers impacted by the decision were contacted over the weekend and offered spaces on the MV Oscar Wilde, close to the dates of their original bookings. However, in the event an acceptable alternative cannot be found, customers will be entitled to a full refund. In a statement on the company's website, Irish Ferries have apologised for the inconvenience and say it is an extraordinary circumstance beyond its control. As a result, many families have been left out of pocket by the cancellations and took to Twitter to voice their frustration over how it was communicated to them. Disgraceful customer service Irish Ferries, 1 day ago you are promoting your new ship and tonight at 9pm you email your customers advising them their return sailing is cancelled. No alternative dates and no one to discuss new dates with, are using the time to find a new ship? Paula Solan (@JadichOOB) April 20, 2018 @Irish_Ferries What a disgraceful way to treat your customers. Email at 9pm on a Friday night to say ferry is cancelled @BrittanyFerries Pont-Aven will be filling up nicely Ciara McKenna (@ciaramckenna7) April 20, 2018 One customer, Lynsey McKenna, said the move by the company "shows utter disregard for your customers and is shameful." They also reported that the travel firm offered a 150 voucher as recompense. Really bad form from @Irish_Ferries. Issue may be outside your control but how you deal with it isn't. 9pm email on a Fri night. Info in email not accurate. 150 voucher for 2019 is a joke. Customers deserve a 150 refund this year & their extra accommodation costs met. 1/2 Paul OKane (@pmokane) April 21, 2018 Just received an email at 9.00pm on a Friday from @Irish_Ferries to say that oh by the way your ferry probably wont be ready disgraceful way to treat customers No staff on till Mon Cowards way to deal with it Absolutely disgusted by the comp lack of customer svc #irishferries Kippins Beauty Blog (@FoleyRuthanne) April 20, 2018 Another passenger, Terry McCorry, told RTEs Morning Ireland that his booking was made well in advance due to his mobility requirements. He said: I booked it before Christmas. The whole holiday was put into disarray on Friday evening when I received an email to say that my booking had been cancelled but I would try to be facilitated on another sailing. "Its left me very unsettled. Ive paid a big deposit for the holiday home weve booked. Sending an email out late on a Friday evening with very few staff in on Saturday morning was just abysmal. "I was trying to ring the number for hours." He explained that he had been offered an alternative sailing from Rosslare instead of Dublin a day later than his original booking. Mr McCorry said: Because of my disability, we wanted the shortest drive possible. He added that travelling to Rosslare for the alternative sailing would incur an extra cost. The UK's Brexit Secretary David Davis has paid a two-hour visit to the Irish border. He was escorted by former senior police officer and Cooperation Ireland chief executive Peter Sheridan. Mr Davis visited an autism centre in Middletown in Co Armagh as well as a nearby food processing company. He also saw a former customs post between counties Armagh and Monaghan. He tweeted: "Today I started what promises to be a busy week in Northern Ireland. "As we leave the EU it's essential both the UK and EU do what it takes to keep the border, which I saw this morning, free from physical infrastructure. We are determined to get this agreed by October. Today I started what promises to be a busy week in Northern Ireland. As we leave the EU it's essential both the UK and EU do what it takes to keep the border, which I saw this morning, free from physical infrastructure. We are determined to get this agreed by October. pic.twitter.com/W4zSuRSGRG David Davis (@DavidDavisMP) April 23, 2018 PA By David Raleigh Gardai have raided homes and professional offices in Limerick and Galway, in a planned operation targeting the alleged laundering of money generated from the proceeds of crime by a Limerick-based organised criminal gang. Four properties, including three in Limerick city and county, and one at a location in Galway, were searched by officers attached to the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB). Documents were seized in the garda searches, which were conducted as part of investigations into the purchase of land, vehicles, and other assets by the criminal network. The gang are suspected of carrying out burglaries across the Munster region. It's linked to an operation targeting an organised criminal gang based in Limerick called Operation Armand, added a source. As part of the same investigation, gardai raided homes and offices in Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary, on November 15th last. The investigation is being led by CAB with support provided by regional divisional garda members. Chief Superintendent Gerry Roche, Limerick, said: We are working closely with CAB and making sure all avenues of this investigation are being followed up into the alleged laundering of proceeds of crime. A garda spokesman said: The Criminal Assets Bureau have conducted three searches in Co. Limerick and one search in Co. Galway, Monday the 23rd of April 2018. As a result of these searches, the Criminal Assets Bureau have seized a number of documents which will now be examined. The searches were conducted as a follow up to the search operation conducted in Co Limerick in November 2017. Last years garda search operation resulted in the seizure of documentation, mobile phones, devices, and computer equipment. A garda source said: There have been no arrests, yet, but the net is closing around the gang fast. By Tom Tuite A 48-year-old man has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged over a knife attack in Dublins Temple Bar at the weekend. A man in his 20s was rushed to hospital after being stabbed in Temple Bar in Dublin city in the early hours of Sunday. A man was arrested and detained at Pearse Street Garda station where he was charged before being brought to appear before Judge Michael Walsh at Dublin District Court. Simon Cummins with an address at School Drive, Leicestershire, England, was remanded in custody. Garda Shane Behan gave evidence of arrest and caution telling Judge Walsh that after Mr Cummins was charged he replied, Im very sorry for what happened, Im glad he is alive, I was stupid. He was charged with assault causing harm to the man and production of a knife during the alleged attack at Temple Bar Square. The charges are contrary to the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act and the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act. Legal aid was granted. Mr Cummins, represented by solicitor Jonathan Dunphy, did not apply for bail and was held in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday. Judge Michael Walsh acceded to a request from the defence to ask the prison authorities to organise a psychiatric assessment of Mr Cummins who has not yet indicated how he will plead. Three teenagers have been remanded in custody in the North charged with a "vicious and prolonged" assault which was filmed and then posted on social media. Eighteen-year-old Cora Campbell, from English Street, Downpatrick, a 17-year-old male and 16-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before a judge at Downpatrick Magistrates' Court today. All three were charged with grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent. The 17-year-old was further charged with aiding and abetting grievous bodily harm, and assault. The charges relate to an alleged incident at Bangor Marina in Co Down on Friday, April 20. A PSNI officer told the court she believed she could connect all three to the charges. Describing the alleged assault as "sustained and vicious", the officer said the injured party told police she had been punched and held down by four people known to her. A recording, which was posted on Facebook, shows her being punched around 30 times, stamped and kicked to the head and having her head banged on the ground, according to the officer. She added: "Her head was submerged in a fountain of water, each time for a few seconds." The 17-year-old male was "verbally encouraging" the assault and poured a bottle of liquid as the girl lay on the ground, the court heard. The officer added: "She (IP) was shouting, she was struggling, that she could not breathe." The court heard that the alleged victim had attended the Ulster Hospital for treatment but severe swelling meant medics were still unable to establish the extent of her injuries. Bail applications were made by lawyers acting for Campbell and the 16-year-old girl; however, police objections included the risk of re-offending, interfering with witnesses and to protect the defendants' safety. Refusing bail, District Judge Amanda Brady said the high-profile case involved a "prolonged and vicious assault on a defenceless victim on the ground." The judge said there was a risk of re-offending by both defendants. No bail application was made for the 17-year-old male. Throughout the hearing, the three defendants stood in the small dock separated by prison guards. They did not communicate with each other but spoke only to confirm that they understood the charges against them. At one point the 17-year-old, who had short, cropped blond hair, shook his head and leaned forward on to the wooden dock. The 16-year-old, whose dyed purple hair was swept back into a ponytail, sat in the middle. Dark-haired Campbell, who had a piercing to her upper cheek, was escorted into the courtroom first. She appeared to have bruising and scratch marks on her face. Her defence counsel, Conor O'Kane, said she had made a full admission during police interviews. He said: "My client admits that every act seen on video is her." Making his bail application, the barrister said Campbell had been in care since the age of 14. "She has had a troubled background, to put it mildly," he said. She had consumed a "substantial amount of vodka" and the "red mist" descended at the time of the alleged attack, the court heard. Mr O'Kane said: "She happened to come across the injured party. "There has been a substantial amount of history between her and the injured party. This is not a completely unprovoked incident. Meanwhile, solicitor Patrick Higgins, acting for the 16-year-old girl, said she had felt intimidated by the older co-accused. "Mr (17-year-old) tells my client to get involved. "She felt threatened by Ms Campbell and (17-year-old). "She felt she had no choice. "She is not the person who started this action." The lawyer also stated she had "made a full admission" during a police interview and apologises for her involvement. The court had been cleared ahead of the hearing. Judge Brady said: "I am going to clear the public gallery of anyone not connected with this case." All three defendants were remanded in custody to appear at Newtownards Magistrates' Court via video-link on May 11. Last night, Bangor PSNI took to Facebook to warn people against taking the law into their own hands and to warn that social media comments could prejudice a future trial. In their Facebook post, the PSNI said: "Justice must not be handed out by the community, with fists or feet, with base ball bats or down the barrel of a gun. These so called enforcers are no better than those to whom they accuse of using violence against others. "Do not prejudge our investigation based on one social media post and one video clip." - PA By Ann O'Loughlin A 32-year-old man who denies murdering Gareth Hutch has brought a High Court challenge over his transfer from Mountjoy Prison to Portlaoise Prison. The action has been brought by Jonathan Keogh over the transfer to Portlaoise Prison that occurred on March 9 last. Mr Keogh is currently on remand and is due to go on trial before the Special Criminal Court in May. He claims that he has not been given any reason for his transfer, the High Court heard today. He claims the transfer has caused him difficulties including that he has received no visits since his move from Mountjoy and in relation to seeing his legal team in advance of his trial. On March 22nd he was informed by the prison authorities he was being removed from structured activity within Portlaoise Prison and was not allowed to associate with other prisoners. No reason, other than the decision was taken by the Governor to ensure the good order and security in the prison, was given to Mr Keogh. As well as seeking details about the reasons for his transfer Mr Keogh has also sought the basis why he has been removed from structured activities. He says he had not received any response to his questions. He claims the decisions are in breach of fair procedures and in breach of his rights under the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. In his action, Mr Keogh, with an address at Sean McDermott Street in Dublin seeks orders quashing the decisions to transfer him and remove him from structured activities in the prison. He also seeks orders compelling the Governor to give reasons for the decisions. He further seeks declarations the prison regime he is subject to breaches his rights to fair procedures. In a sworn statement in support of his application, Mr Keogh said he was not aware of any concerns for his safety at Mountjoy prison. Following his transfer, he engaged in a dirty protest for 24 hours before abandoning it in favour of a hunger strike which he maintained for six days. Permission to bring the challenge was granted, on an ex parte basis, by Mr Justice Seamus Noonan. The case will come back before the court next week. By Isabel Hayes A mentally-ill man who damaged the headstone of Eamon de Valera has been given a suspended sentence. John Moore (59) of Cherrymount Crescent, Marino, Dublin pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage to the headstone of the former President at Glasnevin cemetery on January 25, 2017. He broke the headstone in two and poured red paint over it, causing 5675 in damage, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. Shortly after the incident, gardai found Moore drinking tea in the cemetery coffee shop with red paint on his hands. He told them he broke the headstone in two because he had issues with de Valera's policies. He was sly and evil, Moore told gardai, adding he had suffered through his policies. Handing down a suspended two-year sentence today, Judge Martin Nolan said it would be inappropriate to impose a custodial sentence on Moore, given his mental health difficulties at the time of the offence. It was the irrational act of a person having great difficulties in his life, Judge Nolan said. The judge said Moore had grievances, real or imaginary against Mr de Valera and he took it out on the monument of the deceased statesman. He noted Moore has no previous convictions and is now receiving medical care. Garda John Beckett told Dean Kelly BL, prosecuting, that he was called to the cemetery on the afternoon of the day in question when Mr de Valera's headstone was discovered broken in two. An employee came across Moore standing beside the broken monument. The four-foot headstone was also splattered with red paint, which the employee initially thought was blood. Moore told the employee he was going for a cup of tea before walking off. When gardai found him in the coffee shop, he had a hammer in his bag, the court heard. Moore had a child who was buried in the cemetery. He told gardai he was visiting the grave when he found himself at de Valera's tombstone, a man he had hated for 58 years. He said he then decided to throw paint on it. Some of his explanations had a fantastical quality, Mr Kelly said. Justin McQuade BL, defending, handed up a psychiatric report on behalf of his client. By Ann O'Loughlin A man who slipped in a Tesco toilet has been awarded 65,000 by the High Court. Damien Jedruch suffered fractures to his right elbow and wrist when he slipped in the warehouse toilet where he worked as he walked across the floor to use the dryer after washing his hands. Mr Justice Anthony Barr held the use of smooth ceramic tiles in a toilet which is used by a large number of employees was unsafe and dangerous given the high risk of slipping on the tiles when wet. The judge said 300 employees worked in the warehouse and had Tesco taken reasonable care for the safety of its employees, it would have used slip resistant or non-slip tiles in the toilet area. There was, the judge said, no good reason not to use non-slip tiles in a bathroom going to be frequented by a large number of people. While the owners of a hotel may not like using such tiles in a bathroom because it is harder to clean them and keep them looking well, such considerations do not apply in a factory or warehouse," he said. Damien Jedruch (aged 35) from near Gdansk, Poland, had sued his employer at the time Tesco Ireland Ltd over the accident in the toilet at the Donabate Distrubution Centre, North Dublin on April 21, 2015. Mr Jedruch had been an employee of Tesco for eight years before the accident but has since returned home to Poland. He had claimed the tiles used in the warehouse toilet area were unsafe and dangerous and there was a failure to maintain the area in a safe and proper condition. Tesco denied the claims and contended the toilet had been cleaned by a contract cleaner only minutes before Mr Jedruchs accident. Mr Justice Barr said there was little dispute between the sides that there was considerable water and dirt in the form of bootmarks on the toilet floor surface. The judge said he was satisfied the cleaner on the morning of the accident did wash or mop down the male toilet area, but removed the cleaning sign from the doorway when the floor was still wet after cleaning. "This would explain the considerable amount of water which was on the floor surface at the time of Mr Jedruchs fall," the judge said. Mr Jedruch who was out of work for 44 weeks after the accident, the judge said, did not exaggerate his injuries in any way. The judge granted a stay in the event of an appeal. Tens of thousands of teachers, nurses and civil servants could be in line for pay rises. Those who entered the public service since January 2011 are on lower rates of pay than colleagues in place before then. By Ann O'Loughlin A rival of pharmaceutical giant Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) is trying to sell a generic version of a cholesterol drug for less than one tenth of the price of its product in breach of patent rights, it has been claimed in court proceedings. MSD Ireland's chief executive Gerard Brennan says if Clonmel Healthcare, Waterford Road, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, is allowed to continue selling the drug, the loss of market share in Ireland and abroad "will be felt" by MSD's 150-strong workforce at its plant in Ballydine, Clonmel. The Ballydine plant manufactures the "Simvastatin" active ingredient for the drug "Inegy" which is used here by around 15,000 people per month to combat high levels of cholesterol in the blood, the main cause of cardiovascular diseases and which are the main cause of death in the Western world. Some 50 per cent of Ballydine's output constitutes Simvastatin and Inergy itself is worth around 8m a year to MCD, Mr Brennan says. Yesterday, Mr Justice Brian McGovern admitted MSD Incorporated's action against Clonmel Healthcare to the fast track Commercial Court. He also adjourned the hearing of an application to continue a temporary injunction, granted last week, preventing Clonmel from marketing and distributing its version of Inergy, called Ezetimibe/Simvastin. Clonmel launched its product early last week. MSD says Clonmel, part of Stada AG publicly quoted group based in Germany, is infringing its patent rights, or supplementary protection certificate (SPC). In an affidavit, Mr Brennan said the entry of Clonmel into the Irish market with its generic version, offered "at a fraction of the existing price of Inegy" will result in a massive distortion to the market which will cause irreparable and unquantifiable damage to MSD. MSD, one of the top 10 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, has expended more than US$7.3 billion on research and development, he said. MSD's exclusive rights in relation to products containing Ezetimibe in a combination with Simvastatin have been extended until April 2019, he said. The "reimbursement price" - the price at which wholesalers sell to pharmacies - of Inergy is between 38.45 and 40.98, depending on strength, he said. Clonmel's "Ezetimibe/Simvastatin" product is sold at a net price of between 3.28 and 3.57. If Clonmel is not restrained from infringing MSD's rights, four other generic companies which have already obtained authorisations to sell generic Inegy, will be "commercially compelled to enter the market", Mr Brennan believes. MSD is also engaged in litigation in several other European countries in relation to questions of law concerning its SPC patent rights. There is a real risk if the Irish court does not restrain Clonmel, certain courts in these other countries "may follow the same decision without due regard to the local circumstances", he said. Apart from its investment in research and development, which may be reduced as a result of the infringement of its rights, MSD also supports significant numbers of health care professionals to attend international medical congresses, enabling them to stay up to date on scientific developments and practice. These include GPs, pharmacists, consultant cardiologists, practice nurses and groups involved in diabetes care, Mr Brennan said. Pro-choice campaigners say a late-stage abortion will not be carried out on a disabled foetus if the law changes. It follows claims by the pro-life side that disability could be grounds for a termination if the Eighth Amendment is repealed in next month's referendum. The Supreme Court is due to begin hearing an appeal this morning against the dismissal of Denis OBriens legal action against the Dail and the State. It has been just over a year since the High Court refused to intervene in a case that arose from statements made by two TDs under privilege. By Gordon Deegan A judge today called on a teenager appearing before him to show more gratitude to a state which is funding a lifestyle which sees him living in the 'lap of luxury' despite his criminality. Judge Patrick Durcan made his comment after hearing that Tusla is funding the 17-year-old living in a two-bedroom apartment. After hearing of the teen's living arrangements at the Childrens Court in Ennis, Judge Durcan addressed him and said: Here you are living in a lap of luxury - a criminal - and being provided with everything by the State. Have you any appreciation for that? In response, the teen said: I do appreciate it a lot. Asked to outline the money he receives while staying at the TUSLA funded two bedroom apartment, the teen said: I get 35 a week pocket money; 40 a week for shopping and 50 a month for clothes. Judge Durcan asked: Do you realise 100 years ago there were young lads your age being sent off to fight in Europe with big heavy boots, rough uniforms. No one doing their laundry for them. He further asked: Do you realise 30 to 40 years ago, there were young fellas two years younger than you leaving this area to go off working in Scotland and to work on building sites and building the roads of Britain and they were living like sardines? In response, the teen said: I do, but times are different now. Judge Durcan said that the teen is in a holiday camp at the moment. A two-bed apartment to yourself, food provided, clothes provided, everything provided. In reply, the teen said: I know it sounds like a holiday camp but it is still a challenge for me. I find it is good and helping me a lot with independent living. In response, Judge Durcan said: You would charm the birds off the trees and charm them back again. If you ran for any political party in the next general election, you would be elected heading the poll. The teen is before the court having pleaded guilty to a spate of offences, including causing criminal damage to a Grotto in Kilkee last July. The teen has pleaded guilty to causing 180 worth of damage to the Grotto in the seaside town on July 12 last. The teen has also pleaded guilty to causing 2,474 worth of damage to a Honda motorcycle in Kilkee last July; 240 worth of damage to a drivers wing mirror on OCurry Street, Kilkee, 200 to a wing mirror on the Strand Line in Kilkee and 190 to a widescreen and drivers door. The teen is being accommodated at Tusla-funded accommodation following Judge Durcan declaring his accommodation needs an emergency. Judge Durcan requested Tusla earlier this year to source accommodation for the teen after the boys parents said that they couldnt take him back after stating that the family was at breaking point over his actions. Solicitor for the boy, Daragh Hassett previously described the teen as uncontrollable when explaining why his parents couldnt take him back. The teen will turn 18 over the summer and Judge Durcan told him: I dont do a creche here. Once you are over 18, you are in the big boys club and big boys rules apply. Judge Durcan said: The next day, you are out in the open court. The big jungle, your name can appear in the press. The judge said that the teen has wonderful parents whose hearts you have broken. Judge Durcan said that if the boy continues to behave himself, he would strike the matter out, but may order that the boy do a guided tour of Limerick prison. In response, the boys mother said this practice is done in the US for teens with behavioural problems. In reply, Judge Durcan said: He doesnt have any behavioural problems, he is just spoilt. Insp Tom Kennedy said that the teen was going in the right direction, while Mr Hassett said: He is getting every chance and as a young person, he deserves every chance. He is a very smart young man and a very good sportsman when he puts his mind to it. He has a lot going for him and is a young man who is capable of going on to third level education. He is back in education - he should be doing his Leaving Cert and doing well in it. Solicitor for TUSLA, Dermot ODonovan said that the teen is bit of a mystery as his crimes are against property and not to feed any habit. He said: The extraordinary thing is that he is a very courteous, pleasant boy when you meet him. A social worker for Tusla told the court that Tusla is seeking funding to extend the teens placement at the accommodation by three to six months which would go beyond the teens 18th birthday. The teenager told the court: If they got the go-ahead, I would definitely co-operate. The social worker said: He is getting on really well. There have been some blips. Asked what kind of blips by Judge Durcan, the social worker said: There is an agreement around his access with friends and once he broke that agreement when he went missing for a few hours and came back under the influence of alcohol." She added that on April 14 the teen was found to have been smoking marijuana. Judge Durcan remanded the teen on continuing bail to June 15. A Canadian man has been killed in a remote part of the Amazon rainforest after being blamed for the death of an elderly shaman. Sebastian Woodroffe was dragged by the neck shortly after the killing of Olivia Arevalo, an octogenarian plant healer from the Shipibo-Konibo tribe of northeastern Peru, the country's attorney general's office said. Arevalo and Woodroffe, 41, who had travelled to Peru to study hallucinogenic medicine, were both killed on Thursday in the indigenous community of Victoria Gracia. But police did not begin to investigate until a mobile phone video appeared in local media showing a man purported to be Woodroffe begging for mercy while being dragged between thatch-roofed homes. He was then left motionless on the muddy ground. On Saturday, officials dug up Woodroffe's body from an unmarked grave where he had been hastily buried. Every year thousands of foreign tourists travel to the Peruvian Amazon to experiment with ayahuasca, a bitter, dark-coloured brew made of a mixture of native plants. The hallucinogenic cocktail, also known as yage, has been venerated for centuries by indigenous tribes in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia as a cure for all sorts of ailments. But it is also increasingly consumed by Western tourists looking for mind-altering experiences, sometimes with deadly consequences. Arevalo was a staunch defender of indigenous people's rights in the region. She also practised a traditional form of singing medicine that the Shipibo believe removes negative energies from individuals and groups. She can be heard singing a traditional plant song on the website of the Temple of the Way of Lights, which describes itself as a plant-shamanic healing centre in the Peruvian Amazon. In 2015, a Canadian fatally stabbed a fellow tourist from England after the two drank ayahuasca together in a spiritual ceremony a few hours' drive from where Woodroffe was killed. Woodroffe, from the town of Courtenay on Victoria island in British Columbia, said before going to Peru that he hoped an apprenticeship with a plant healer from the Shipibo tribe would help his goal of changing careers to become an addiction counsellor using hallucinogenic medicine. "The plant medicine I have the opportunity of learning is far deeper than ingesting a plant and being healed. It is not about getting 'high' either. "It is true some of the plants I will be learning about do have a perception-altering effect, but these are a few plants out of thousands I will be working with," he wrote on the Indiegogo crowd-funding website seeking financial help to advance his studies. "I am in this for the long haul. This is more than a 'job' to me. I want not only for people to recover ... I want to turn them on to the wonders of existence, and have them leave as a renewed friend and lover of this thing we call life," he added. - PA US president Donald Trump is leading international efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, the US ambassador to Canada has said. Ambassador Kelly Craft offered that assessment as foreign ministers from the G7 group of industrialised nations began meetings in Toronto to discuss global peace and security challenges, with the North Korean nuclear crisis and tensions with Russia taking centre stage. "President Trump is really carrying the water on the North Korea issue. It's something we've also been working closely with Canada on," Ms Craft said in a statement. North Korea has pledged to suspend long-range missile tests and close its nuclear test site ahead of a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae In. Mr Trump is also working on his own landmark meeting with the North Korean leader in the coming weeks, after dispatching CIA director Mike Pompeo on a secret mission to meet with Mr Kim two weeks ago to set the table. No date has been set, and there is uncertainty about what Mr Trump might be able to accomplish. Mr Trump has nominated Mr Pompeo to be US secretary of state but Mr Pompeo is not in Toronto as his confirmation faces opposition in the Senate. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan is representing the US instead. The foreign ministers meeting precedes a June summit in Canada of leaders of the G7 countries - the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Japan. In other areas, the foreign ministers meeting is expected to focus on US complaints about Iran's influence in the Mideast and its nuclear programme as well as ways to pressure Russia over conflicts in Syria and Ukraine. It is the first high-level meeting of the allies since the United States, France and Britain staged air attacks targeting chemical weapons facilities in Syria in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack April 7. The group last week condemned what it said was a Russian nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain. Russia denies any involvement in the nerve attack on British soil in March. Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland made no public comment on North Korea as she opened Sunday's talks at the University of Toronto with a meeting of women foreign ministers. Canada has made the advancement of gender equality a domestic theme and will raise the issue at the G7 meeting, and on Sunday she joined with the European Union in announcing a worldwide gathering of female foreign ministers in September. Ms Freeland wants the disruptive influence of Russia to be a top agenda item at the G7 session and asked Ukrainian foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin to join part of Sunday's talks. She has singled out Russian President Vladimir Putin as a major disrupter in current affairs. Ukrainian foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin told the G7 ministers that Russia is using Ukraine as a testing ground for its information war against Western democracy and he urged them to take a strong stand those Kremlin efforts. "Fundamentally, Ukraine is perceived by many, and also by Russia, as a sort of test range for testing Russian non-conventional warfare - hybrid war," Mr Klimkin said. - PA Update 10.47am: Paris terror attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam and an accomplice have been guilty of attempted murder over shots fired at police in a Brussels suburb. The court in Brussels handed both Abdeslam and Sofiane Ayari the maximum 20-year sentence. Salah Abdeslam. It said the "terror character" was clearly established in the March 2016 shooting, four months after the Paris attacks that killed 130 in November 2015. Court president Luc Hennart said the two chose not to attend the reading of the verdict and sentencing. Abdeslam attended the opening day of the trial in February but has refused to co-operate since. He is being held in a prison in northern France. It is unclear when he will face trial over the Paris attacks. Journalists are hoping to intercept attorneys coming out of court after Salah #Abdeslam is found guilty of attempted terrorist murder by a #Brussels court @dwnews pic.twitter.com/KDqeC5806G Teri Schultz (@terischultz) April 23, 2018 The conclusion of the case at Brussels' ornate palace of justice took place amid tight security set up by the armed forces and police. Abdeslam was close to being arrested in a hideout when he and Ayari fled, while another man sprayed gunfire at police and was killed. Three officers were wounded. Three days later, Abdeslam was captured in Brussels. Four days after that, extremists struck in the Belgian capital, killing 32 people in bomb attacks at the airport and on the subway system. Police patrol an entrance outside the Brussels justice palace during the trial of Salah Abdeslam and Soufiane Ayari in Brussels, Monday, April 23, 2018. Earlier: A Belgian court has found the sole remaining suspect in the 2015 Paris terror attack guilty of attempted terrorist murder in a separate incident. Salah Abdeslam was involved in a shootout with police in Brussels in March 2016. His co-accused Sofien Ayari was also convicted. Abdeslam is in a French prison awaiting trial over claims about his role in the Islamic State attack in Paris over two years ago. - PA The body of a Scottish man who went missing on a stag weekend in Hamburg has been found, according to a charity helping his family. Liam Colgan, 29, from Inverness, vanished during his brother Eamonn's stag celebrations in the German city in the early hours of February 10. Liam Colgan. His body was recovered from the River Elbe in the city on Monday, a statement from The Lucie Blackman Trust said. The charity, which helps the families of those missing abroad, said: "The Lucie Blackman Trust is saddened to confirm that a body found in the River Elbe, Hamburg, is that of Liam Colgan, missing after attending his brother's stag weekend in the German city. "Whilst formal identification is yet to be carried out, Mr Colgan's driving licence was in the pocket of the jacket, and the clothes were those he was wearing the night he disappeared. "The trust asks that Mr Colgan's family be given space and privacy to grieve at this difficult time." Chief executive Matthew Searle said: "An astonishing amount of support has been apparent in this case -the search for Liam has been joined by thousands of people, both German and British, and we would like to thank all of them for their support. "Our thoughts are of course with Liam's family and friends today." - PA Theresa May is facing a week of fresh parliamentary battles over Brexit as clashes centred on staying in a customs union with the EU continue to dog the British Government. With flagship Brexit legislation vulnerable to further attacks in the Lords, British pro-European Tory MPs are set to voice their concerns over withdrawal on Thursday. Downing Street sources insisted there would be no backsliding over quitting the customs union with Brussels after reports that the British Prime Minister was ready to take a softer line. Though the looming Commons vote on a pro-customs union motion would be a symbolic, non-binding one, it has the potential to deepen Tory wounds on Brexit. Mrs May is set to face calls from leading Brexiteers Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox to abandon her preferred form of a customs deal with the EU, according to The Times. A showdown is expected to come at a meeting of the Cabinet Brexit committee scheduled for Wednesday when the trio will tell the PM that a so-called customs partnership, where the UK would collect EU import tariffs on behalf of Brussels, would be unworkable, the report said. Former Cabinet minister John Whittingdale told BBC Radio 4's The Westminster Hour that defeats like the one the Government suffered last week in the Lords over the customs union played into the EU's hands. "Part of the problem is that there are some in the European Union and in the Irish Republic who want to make out that we have to stay in the customs union and will not examine other alternatives. "And votes like ones in the House of Lords are going to add to the view over there that somehow the British Government might U-turn or go back. "We need to make it absolutely clear that leaving the customs union is an absolutely fundamental part of Brexit. We then have to find a solution to the Northern Ireland border question." British Labour MP Chuka Umunna and backbench pro-Remain Tory Anna Soubry have tabled amendments to the Trade and Customs Bill, due to be debated on Thursday, that will make staying in the customs union a legal objective of the Government. Mr Umunna said on Twitter: "The Brextremists threaten May with a leadership election if she concedes on the customs union but a new Tory leader would face the same Parliamentary arithmetic." HMG has not timetabled the remaining stages of the Customs and Trade Bills because they fear they will be defeated. The Brextremists threaten May with a leadership election if she concedes on the customs union but a new Tory leader would face the same Parliamentary arithmetic. ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) April 22, 2018 Cabinet minister Sajid Javid tweeted that the referendum gave "clear instructions" to leave the customs union and accused some of seeing it as a "kind of post-Brexit comfort blanket". The Housing and Communities Secretary's comments were rebuked by the head of the CBI, Paul Drechsler, who tweeted in reply: "An MP of your talent should rise above ideology and lead based of fact, analysis and evidence - all of which favours a customs union. Always happy to discuss." The Lords could deliver new defeats on the Government regarding incorporating the EU charter of fundamental rights into UK law, and pressing to ensure MPs get to decide what happens next if the Commons rejects a final Brexit deal with Brussels. - PA AMP's board has been warned it must take stronger action over the shock misconduct in its financial planning arm, or it faces a showdown with some of the country's largest superannuation funds at next month's annual general meeting. The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors on Monday gave AMP an ultimatum that it would advise funds to vote against the re-election of directors and potentially reject its top executives' pay packets unless AMP this week took steps to ensure "accountability at board level." The royal commission led by Kenneth Hayne is probing financial advice again this week. Credit:Eddie Jim The warning came as AMP shares tumbled, but it also received some rare good news, with influential proxy advice firm CGI Glass Lewis recommending investors vote in line with the company's advice at AMP's annual general meeting, on May 10. London: Retail analysts say Myer's newly-named chief executive, John King, is well poised to resurrect the struggling department store and is likely to aggressively pursue cheaper store rents, based on his history in the United Kingdom. On Monday, Myer announced the Brit would be joining the company with a "full mandate" to turn around the retailer's financial performance. He is waiting for a work visa to be approved before taking up the position in Melbourne. Myer's new CEO John King. was well regarded in the UK. Mr King turned around the ailing British department store House of Fraser and sold it to Chinese interests in 2014 for 480 million ($880 million). He has most recently been living in the United States consulting for retailers and becoming involved in several start ups. Mr King began his management career at grocer Sainsburys. He quickly moved into fashion retailing as menswear merchandiser at Marks and Spencer, then worked for several clothing companies before being promoted from trading director to CEO in 2003 of the smaller British fashion retailer Matalan. Sweden's public broadcaster says police in Oman have conducted two autopsies on the body of Grammy-nominated electronic dance DJ Avicii, who died aged 28. Public broadcaster SVT, citing information from an anonymous police official in Oman, reported on Sunday that the autopsies revealed nothing suspicious and foul play has been ruled out in the performer's death on Friday. The broadcaster says the body has been cleared to be taken back to Avicii's native Sweden, where he was born as Tim Bergling. Five men will face court on Monday, charged with drug trafficking after police seized an estimated $1.5 million worth of drugs and other alleged proceeds of crime in a series of weekend raids across Canberra. Detective Superintendent Scott Moller said police executed 15 raids spanning the territory, netting more than $100,000 in cash, six vehicles, a gun and ammunition, drugs, a house, bank accounts and jewellery. Detective Superintendent Scott Moller, who described the men charged with drug trafficking as significant players in an organised crime syndicate. Credit:Blake Foden The drugs seized included cocaine, MDMA, cannabis and anabolic steroids. One of the men also faces drug importation charges, while a sixth man was arrested in Sydney and will be extradited to the ACT in the coming days to face trafficking charges. The pair were feuding over soured property deals, a loan company and mortgages linked to a house Medich once owned in Point Piper. Gattellari, 68, a former professional lightweight boxer and one-time Qantas steward, told the jury that he had initially hoped Medichs desire for the ultimate revenge would blow over. But Medich continued to badger him about whether he had found a prospective hitman. Michael McGurk. Gattellari had his own reasons for wanting to keep Medich happy. His decadent lifestyle, which kicked off each morning with a cognac and cigar and often concluded with an afternoon visit to a massage parlour, was funded by Medichs astonishing largesse. Not only did Medich fund their daily boozy lunches, brothel visits and overseas jaunts, Medich also poured $16 million into Gattellaris failing electrical companies. Gattellari subcontracted the hit to a pair of bumbling amateurs. On the evening of September 3, 2009, Haissam Safetli, then 45, and Christopher The Kid Estephan, 19, waited for McGurk to arrive at his Cremorne home. Estephan was dispatched to McGurks local bottle shop to buy some Jim Beam bourbon to settle their nerves. When he couldnt produce ID, Safetli had to go to the shop. Loading At 6.25pm, McGurk and his nine-year-old son arrived home with a takeway chicken and chips for dinner. As McGurk alighted from his Mercedes he was shot in the head. His terrified son ran up the side path of the familys home screaming, Mummy, mummy, dads been hurt. There was a pop and theres blood. Kimberley McGurk rushed out to find her husband had been fatally shot behind his right ear. At 8.03pm, Gattellaris driver Senad Kaminic received a text from Safetlis brother Bassam saying: Jobs done. Police have never proved who fired the fatal shot. Safetli, who offered up The Kid as the shooter, received a reduced sentence of a minimum of seven years for his role in the murder. He was released in November 2017. Estephan, who spent five years in jail, is the nephew of Bill Jalalaty, who was jailed for six years for his role in a major drug conspiracy with Mark Standen, the former assistant director of investigations for the NSW Crime Commission. After shooting McGurk, Safetli and Estephan almost pranged their getaway car at the first roundabout and were photographed going across the Harbour Bridge without paying the toll. Safetli later burnt the clothes hed been wearing, forgetting that some of the murder money was still in his pocket. Bassam Safetli last week pleaded guilty to being an accessory to McGurk's murder. He was arraigned in the NSW District Court on two charges: concealing the conspiracy to murder and concealing the murder itself, in that he didn't warn police of the plot or its aftermath. Bassam Safetli's sentencing hearing is set for June 1. Ron Medich outside the Supreme Court during his murder trial. Born in Innisfail, Queensland, in April 1948, Medich and his younger brother Roy, were the sons of a Croatian immigrant. After working as a canecutter, their father Peter became wealthy developing land in Sydneys south-west. Ron and Roy Medich expanded the family business, making their fortunes developing industrial and residential sites in the Liverpool area. In 2007 the brothers fell out and, after selling their interest in Leichhardts Norton Street Plaza for $112 million, Roy and Ron went their own ways. The portrait painted of Ron Medich after the split is not a pretty one. Without his brother, Ron fell prey to a series of opportunists. He invested in an Aboriginal funeral business (which was shut down by the corporate regulator), a failed property development with an Aboriginal land council (later the subject of an ICAC inquiry in which Medich was found to be corrupt) and a pay-day lending company. On top of that, there were the millions of dollars he had invested in McGurks suspect property deals, the $16 million hed put into Gattellaris companies as well as a host of unsecured and undocumented personal loans to associates and hangers-on. The cycle of Medichs business failures meant that whoever became his new best friend was asked to recoup Medichs investments from the previous soured deal, usually by way of menace. Gattellaris predecessor was McGurk who was dispatched to Hawaii by Medich to threaten Paul Mathieson, the founder of Amazing Loans, with whom Medich had had a falling out over his investment in the pay-day lending company. He was also given the job of recovering Medichs loan to Adam and Sally-Anne Tilley, who had borrowed money from Medich to buy Medichs redundant Point Piper home. With his much younger glamorous wife, Odetta, Medich had upgraded to a better house in the same street. However, when the Tilleys fell behind with the payments, Medich handed the problem to McGurk to fix. When legal action against the Tilleys failed, McGurk went to plan B. In November 2008, their home was firebombed. When McGurk was charged over this in January 2009, Medich posted his $100,000 bail. But within weeks Medich had withdrawn the bail surety as the two were at war. This left the position of consigliere to Medich free for Gattellari to fill. Gattellari was arrested and charged with McGurks murder in October 2010. When he asked Medich to assist with his legal fees, he was rebuffed. Furious at being thrown to the wolves, Gattellari became the Crowns star witness and, as a result of his co-operation, Medich was charged with McGurks murder a fortnight after Gattellaris arrest. As the years passed and Medichs trial was delayed again and again, Gattellari became increasingly angry with authorities and with Medich. He was charged with trying to extort $15 million from Medich to change his evidence, using the now convicted murderers Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara as go-betweens. Despite this, Gattellaris evidence that he organised the murder on behalf of Medich was accepted by the jury. Ms Harris, the Crown prosecutor, told the jury that Medich expected that, after her husbands murder, Kimberley McGurk would repay Medich the millions of dollars he claimed he was owed. When this did not happen, Medich wanted her threatened. Mrs McGurk said that she was terrified when, on August 8, 2010, a heavy-set man of Middle Eastern appearance, wearing a wig and a hoodie, came to her back door to warn her to "do the right thing and to pay her husband's debts". NSW Ambulance has warned road users to be aware of wildlife, after two crashes involving animals in the state on Tuesday morning. One motorcyclist died after hitting a kangaroo near Penrith in the early hours about 1.20am on Tuesday. Police were called to the M4 at Claremont Meadows and found the man critically injured. Despite the efforts of emergency services, the man died at the scene. Police believe the man was thrown into the central railing after striking the kangaroo. The body of a kangaroo was found nearby. Doctors decided more than 100,000 people in NSW were unfit to drive due to medical conditions such as diabetes and dementia last year. The rapidly ageing population group has lost the right to drive for medical reasons more than any other group but there are concerns about some doctors' assessments of a drivers' ability because it is not mandatory for a GP to tell authorities that a patient is unfit to drive. AMA NSW Vice President Dr Kean-Seng Lim said mandatory reporting is not supported by the AMA because it may cause people to minimise or not disclose a health condition fearing their doctor could take away their licence, and there are also problems with "separation of responsibility". "In NSW there is no legal requirement for reporting of someone who may be impaired or unfit to drive, however there is an ethical responsibility to report it," Dr Lim said. [Doctors] make an assessment and provide a recommendation regarding a persons fitness to drive as well as the relevant medical conditions [to drive]," Dr Lim said. "The question is should the person who makes that assessment also be the decision maker in that process? A small parcel of land at South Brisbane could undo the $944 million Brisbane Metro project, but Brisbane City Councils transport boss says he is confident the transport project will go ahead as planned. The council released detailed design for the Brisbane Metro station at the at-capacity Cultural Centre station, which included a 1600-square-metre parcel of land the council does not own. Concept images for the new Metro Cultural Centre station at South Brisbane, as part of the council's Brisbane Metro plans. The parcel of land is currently owned by the state government. The council requested, in writing, the land be transferred to its ownership in September 2017 but almost seven months later the land is yet to be given to or purchased by the council. As the thundering of drums echo through a silent square, thousands of Queenslanders will stand in unity celebrating courage and mateship, others will weep solemn tears for our fallen. Wednesdays Anzac Day commemoration marks the 103rd anniversary of the first major military operations fought by Australia and New Zealand along the beaches of Gallipoli. Veterans will march with pride down Adelaide Street with their families in recognition of their contribution to country. Credit:AAP The official Anzac Day Dawn Service in Brisbane commences from 4:28am at Brisbanes Shrine of Remembrance in Anzac Square, located between Ann Street and Adelaide Street. Veterans will march with pride down Adelaide Street with their families in recognition of their contribution to country. A light plane crashed off a runway north of Brisbane early on Monday. Emergency services were called out to the Redcliffe Aerodrome just before 7am following reports a light plane had "come down", a police spokesman said. The light aircraft "came down" at Redcliffe aerodrome on Monday morning, police said. Credit:Moreton Bay Regional Council. The woman pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, was assessed by paramedics with no obvious injuries and transported to Redcliffe Hospital in a stable condition, an ambulance spokeswoman said. A spokesperson for Moreton Bay Regional Council, which owns, operates and manages the aerodrome, said the pilot had experienced "some issues" attempting to land the aircraft. A man has been rushed to hospital after he was crushed by an excavator while working on the Gold Coast. Emergency services were called out to bushland at Currumbin Waters after reports a man in his 40s was operating a digger when it rolled and crushed the man about 12pm. A fire crew helped transport the man to an ambulance where he was treated for abdominal and pelvic injuries at the Tierney Drive property. He was taken in a stable but serious condition to Gold Coast University Hospital. A woman has been charged with murder as family and friends are mourning a man who was stabbed to death on an island off Brisbane. John Windle, 41, was found dead at a Macleay Island home on Monday afternoon after police were called to the High Central Road address about noon. John Windle, 41, and his mother Jeannette Mines. A 41-year-old Macleay Island woman known to the father-of-three spent the night in custody at Cleveland police station and on Tuesday afternoon was charged with murder. She was due to appear in Cleveland Magistrates Court later today. The federal government is turning up the heat on Premier Daniel Andrews, saying his government is hoarding billions in Commonwealth money meant to ease Melbournes chronic congestion. The Turnbull government says more than $3 billion in federal money assigned for 48 projects in Victoria in the past two years is being kept as an election war chest, with only three of those projects completed. Federal Urban Infrastructure minister Paul Fletcher says the Andrews government is sitting on $2.8 billion from Canberra so it can be spent when it offers maximum political advantage to state Labor. The state government has returned fire, saying Mr Fletcher is wrong wrong wrong, defending its record of delivering infrastructure and saying there is $30 billion of work in the pipeline around Victoria. Mr Fletcher says the federal government committed $500 million to the absolutely urgent second stage of the Monash Freeway upgrade two years ago but building work has not yet begun, despite the Victorian government pledging last month to fast track the job. The scene of the crash in Wantirna South. Credit:Paul Jeffers A 15-year-old girl charged over a road crash that killed a married couple has appeared in court, accused of trying to help the teenager who allegedly caused the crash evade police. The girl, who cannot be named, and Eric Victorsen, 19, are both in custody following a crash on Saturday morning that killed Matt Goland, 38, and Bita Zaeim, 32, at the intersection of Boronia and Stud roads in Wantirna South. Matt Goland, 38, and Bita Zaeim, 32, after their wedding in Bali. Police allege Mr Victorsen drove a stolen Lexus SUV at high speed and ran a red light and crashed into the Holden Commodore about 1am. Mr Goland died at the scene while his wife of one year died in hospital. That's it from us today. We'll be back tomorrow for coverage of the Anzac Day dawn services. Just over 21 degrees in the city now ahead of a top of 25. Still minor delays on the South Morang, Werribee and Williamstown train lines. Mostly clear on the roads. Have a fabulous day. Police have arrested two teenage boys in relation to a brazen weekend crime spree through Perth that ended in dramatic circumstances in Hamilton Hill on Sunday morning. The two boys were arrested on Sunday night after an allegedly stolen Honda Jazz was stopped on the Mitchell Freeway around 9.20pm. A Maddington boy, 16, was charged with Steal Motor Vehicle, while a 17-year-old boy from Yangebup was charged with Aggravated Robbery, Steal Motor Vehicle, No Authority to Drive and Stealing in relation to two separate incidents. Both boys are due to appear in the Perth Childrens Court today. Former prime minister Tony Abbott says Australia's corporate regulators should be sacked and replaced with "more vigilant" people after a string of damning revelations from the banking royal commission. Mr Abbott's hardline reaction comes amid growing calls for compensation for victims of bank misconduct and after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull conceded the government could have avoided "political grief" it had established the royal commission sooner. The former Liberal leader has become the latest critic to turn up the heat on the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, which has faced questions over an apparent failure to detect and punish the conduct now being exposed by Kenneth Hayne's inquiry. "What were the regulators doing to allow all this to be happening? And that's the thing that keeps occurring to me every time I read fresh revelations." Mr Abbott told 2GB radio on Monday. Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has not been sitting idly since stepping down from his post amid the personal scandal that engulfed him after leaving his wife Natalie for former staffer Vikki Campion, who last week delivered his fifth child, a baby boy named Sebastian. Barnaby Joyce and his former media advisor Vikki Campion, mother of his new baby boy, Sebastian. Credit:Fairfax Media Joyce has been writing an autobiography, which is now sitting with Sydney publishing house New Holland, the same outfit that last week launched a cookbook by Mark Latham and Alan Jones. New Holland says Joyce has been writing a book for a number of years, and is planning to publish it in August. Rival publishers, including political specialist, Melbourne University Press boss Louise Adler, had been in discussions with him about a possible book last year, well before the full extent of his personal crisis had become public. It is estimated Joyce would have pocketed an advance of $25,000 to write his biography, on which the publisher would need to generate about 7500 sales to see it in the black if copies sell for about $40 each. According to a statement released on Monday about the book, New Holland said it would be "a warts and all" account of Joyce's "personal story" and his "commitment to people in the bush". The publisher did not disclose if the book would delve into the breakdown of his marriage to Tamworth school teacher Natalie Joyce nor the impact on their three daughters, whom Joyce had previously enlisted in his election campaigns but who were largely absent from the most recent New England byelection. Barnaby Joyce with his former wife Natalie in June 2017 at Mid Winter Ball in Canberra. The pair have now separated. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen There are about 8000 "potentially malicious exploitation attempts" on the ATO's website each week, and the agency has been praised for its transparency around the data. The Australian Tax Office website has about one billion connections in a working week, the agency has told a Senate inquiry, with only about 60 per cent of those legitimate attempts by users to engage with the tax office. The other 40 per cent are mostly "attempts to test the protective layers of ATO systems", while the 8000 potentially malicious attempts are just 0.001 per cent of the website's connections. The Australian Tax Office has revealed how many hacking attempts it faces each week. Credit:Michel O'Sullivan Managing director of the Centre for Internet Safety Nigel Phair said that number was about what should be expected of a "big juicy target" like the ATO. "In realistic terms it's the percentage that counts, it is quite low," he said. The Electoral Commission of Queensland answered questions about a proposed ban on property developer donations in private. Labor has introduced a bill that would ban property developers from donating to Queensland politicians or parties, following a crime watchdog investigation into local government. The Electoral Commission of Queensland appeared before a private hearing on the property developer donation bill. Credit:Robert Rough But Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk took it one step further, announcing it would be extended from councils, to also include the state government level as well. The fact the ECQ appeared before a private hearing was revealed in a report by the Economics and Governance Committee, which was considering the bill. Washington: A man who police say opened fire at a Waffle House restaurant near Nashville early on Sunday morning, local time, killing four and injuring several, once trespassed at the White House wanting to meet US President Donald Trump. The man arrived at the restaurant just before 3.30am and shot two people outside with a rifle, killing them, Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said. The man then went inside and fired several more shots, killing a third person. A total of six people were shot, Aaron said. A fourth person later died in hospital. Two others remain in critical condition. Police later identified the suspect as 29-year-old Travis Reinking. Latest News Average mortgage records $80,000 increase over the year The highest average mortgages can be found in NSW and Victoria NAB announces major change to broker strategy Big Four bank to streamline broker distribution model, creates new head of broker experience role The number of home buyers going to a mortgage broker first has risen, compared to a fall in the number of people going to their financial institutions. Three in ten home buyers are going to a mortgage broker for help in securing a loan, according to the Mortgage Choice and CoreDatas new Evolving Great Australian Dream 2018 whitepaper. The survey results showed that 28% of home buyers saw a mortgage broker first when they purchased a home or investment property, up from 16% last year. The proportion of consumers seeing their current financial institution first dropped from 60.7% to 44.2%. Mortgage Choice spokesperson Jacqueline Dearle said while more people may still be going to financial institutions, this is changing. She added, We have seen a 12% jump in the proportion of property buyers seeking the services of a mortgage broker for their home loan needs, which is an encouraging indication that consumers are seeing great value in what brokers have to offer. In todays increasingly competitive mortgage market, there are so many changes which make searching and applying for a home loan a daunting and complex process, even for experienced borrowers. Mortgage brokers can save borrowers time, hassle and possibly money by finding a suitable solution for their individual financial situation and goals and taking the legwork out of the application process. In addition, a broker provides reassurance and guidance through the home loan application process, from application to approval through to settlement and they will take the time to educate customers about the market. According to the whitepaper, the use of a mortgage broker increased among home buyers across all age ranges, with the highest usage coming from those aged 45 and under. The data showed 43% of Australians aged between 25 and 45 saw a mortgage broker first when buying a property, up from 30% last year. On a state by state comparison, broker usage was the highest in Western Australia, with 36% of buyers in that state seeing a mortgage broker when buying a property. This was followed by New South Wales at 30%. Ms Dearle said she expected the popularity of mortgage brokers to continue to be robust among Australian home buyers. Whether someone is just starting out on their property journey, or they have purchased property before, the lending environment is increasingly complex, and on top of that, Australians are increasingly becoming time-poor, she added. As our data has shown, consumers know and see value in what brokers have to offer in providing choice, better customer service and expert credit advice. Consumers also know that at the end of the day, they are getting a competitive home loan product that is tailored to their unique set of circumstances and goals. With many benefits to be had, I would expect consumer demand for mortgage brokers to remain strong in the coming years. Related stories: Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC Theyll leave their glasses on! Sexy supervillains and sultry science-fiction creatures will shimmy onto a Coney Island stage as part of a nerdy, three-day burlesque festival starting on April 27. This is the fourth year of the Nerdlesque Festival, but its first year in the borough of Kings. Staging the event at Coney Island USA celebrates the resurgence of the nerdy neighborhood after years of post-Hurricane Sandy cleanup, said the events executive producer. I was visiting Coney Island with a friend last summer, and I cried on top of the Wonder Wheel because Coney Island is back it was so exciting to see, said Lefty Lucy, who won the title of Miss Coney Island in 2010 and 2011 and called the community home before she moved to New Orleans. It occurred to me that this would be the perfect place for the festival, because Coney Island has been the backbone of neo- and nerdy burlesque for the past 30 years and it has a special place in my heart. During the shows on Friday and Saturday night, some of the striptease queens will take on characters that might not seem obviously sexy, said Lucy, who plans to perform while cross-undressed as Batman villain the Riddler. For instance, she is looking forward to watching Seattles Trixie Paprika portray the know-it-all Hermione from the Harry Potter books, and seeing Oaklands Boysinberry Cupcake play an Ewok from Return of the Jedi, she said. Both of those acts are really perfect nerdlesque acts theyre really strong characterizations, and the music choices are fun, she said. My favorite thing is to take something that you wouldnt think is sexy and have fun with it. What it demonstrates is that what were told is sexy and what is sexy are different what is sexy is having confidence and fun and enjoying your life. In addition to the performances, the weekend will feature networking sessions, critiques, and classes for aspiring stage queens, including a wiggle workshop and workout and a class on fully embodying your character the latter taught by Park Slope burlesque legend Nasty Canasta, who wants performers to make their portrayals unique. My biggest criteria for nerdlesque is that people are actually adding something to the character a lot of what I try to do with my own performance and encourage in performers I work with is to go beyond the obvious, I dressed like the character and took off the costume, said Canasta, who will also host the Saturday night show. How do you make this your own thing? Lucy said the event is a great gathering for performers who want to join others and let their freak flag fly. As burlesque grows, its harder to be a community, and the best thing we can do is create the community that we want, she said. Nerdlesque Festival at Coney Island USA (1208 Surf Ave. at W. 12th Street in Coney Island, www.thene rdles quefe st.com ). April 2729. $40 ($30 in advance, $55 both nights). Reach reporter Julianne McShane at (718) 2602523 or by e-mail at jmcsh ane@c ngloc al.com . Follow her on Twitter @juliannemcshane. Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC Wells would you look at that! A Downtown street may soon bear the name of a pioneering African-American journalist who settled in Kings County amid her career using the pen to fight racism and champion civil rights. The tribute recognizes how formative Ida B. Wells years in Brooklyn were in shaping the activists work advocating for equality for all citizens, according to a historian who proposed the street co-naming. Her period in Brooklyn was very seminal in her life, but little known said Jacob Morris, a Manhattan-based historian who has successfully orchestrated the co-naming of dozens of city streets in honor of prominent black individuals. It was here that she really grew as an advocate, thanks to all these fabulous women in Brooklyn. Members of Community Board 2s Transportation Committee on Thursday unanimously voted 100 in favor of christening Gold Street between Myrtle Avenue and Willoughby Street as Ida B. Wells Place in recognition of the Mississippi-born advocates brief residency on the block in the 1890s. Morris first introduced the idea to Downtown Councilman Stephen Levin back in 2016, and it quickly garnered a groundswell of support from other pols and officials including Borough President Adams, Crown Heights state Sen. Jesse Hamilton, and faculty at Medgar Evers college. But the proposal sat on Levins desk for roughly two years until he kicked it over to the community board the day of the Transportation Committees vote. Bigwigs at the Brooklyn Historical Society and Ida B. Wells Society an organization founded by black Brooklynite and journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, with headquarters at Harvard University also endorsed the co-naming pitch and confirmed Wells stint as a King Countian, according to a rep from Levins office. The influential investigative journalist who along with Brooklyn Bridge mastermind Emily Roebling and other notable females recently received obituaries in the New York Times that honored their legacies long after their deaths was born into slavery, and later moved to Tennessee, which she fled when a lynch mob that killed three of her friends turned its hatred toward her, destroying her newspapers office after she reported on its deadly attacks. Wells then lived on Gold Street, near where the current Chase bank at the edge of MetroTech Center currently stands, and gave speeches to inspire fellow females in the area until she married the editor of a Chicago newspaper in 1895, according to information from Morris, which highlights the many accomplishments she went on to achieve until her death in 1931. A beloved, brilliant, and committed lady whose writings, compositions, advocacy, and analysis heightened our understanding, as well as our history she was a fine neighbor and member of our community, as well as a great Brooklynite, the historian wrote in his report. And if the co-naming effort succeeds, a commemorative plaque telling the civil-rights advocates story should accompany any new signs installed on the street, the civic gurus recommended. People look at a name, but theres never any memorial plaque, said Transportation Committee member Ernest Augustus. Community Board 2s Executive Committee will now vote on the proposal, which Council will make the final call on later this year. The locals tribute to Wells comes amid an ongoing controversy over other monuments and markers throughout the city, including a polarizing statue of a doctor known for experimenting on black slaves that will soon stand in the bucolic Green-Wood Cemetery despite some residents demands that it never see the light of day. Campus News CAI artist-in residence to present first U.S. museum exhibition of her work By BERT GAMBINI Bracha L. Ettinger, an Israeli-born painter, philosopher, psychoanalyst and writer, whose celebrated pieces have made her among the most prominent visual artists in France and Israel, will present the first-ever museum exhibition of her work in the United States as part of her residency in UBs Creative Arts Initiative. In addition to the exhibition, Ettingers residency from April 23 through May 17 includes one-on-one meetings with UBs MFA students through individual studio visits, a custom-designed three-week graduate-level seminar, gallery talks and a public lecture. The exhibition BRACHA: Pieta-Eurydice-Medusa, curated by Rachel Adams Miller, UBs senior curator of exhibitions, opens May 5 with a 6 p.m. reception at the UB Anderson Gallery. It features a range of works from more than three decades, including oil paintings often created over several years drawings, notebooks and three video works that address the themes of loss, love and trauma within the context of the atrocities of war and traces of memory of the tragedy of the Holocaust. An associated catalogue featuring photographic reproductions of Ettingers work, along with essays by prominent scholars in psychoanalysis and art history, will accompany the exhibition. BRACHA will continue through July 29. Ettingers custom-designed graduate seminar, titled Memorys Wound is a Space With-in: Depth-space and Carriance beyond Abstraction versus Empathy, will present new reflections on the relationship between psychoanalysis and visual art. The seminar, to be held from 12:30-3:10 p.m. April 26, May 3 and May 10 in the UB Anderson Gallery, will facilitate students access to the works on view. The hands-on approach brings learning out of the traditional classroom setting in order to engage students in the gallery as they stand before the works under discussion. The work Ettinger presents in this seminar will likely be included in a forthcoming collection of her essays edited by Julian Gutierrez-Albilla, professor of Spanish and Portuguese, comparative literature and gender studies at the University of Southern California. Gutierrez-Albilla will be in Buffalo May 3-4 to discuss his own work, participate in the seminar with Ettinger and to explore how students might incorporate Ettingers work into their own critical discourse. The seminar is offered in conjunction with UBs Center for the Study of Psychoanalysis and Culture and the universitys Department of English. Ettingers complete residency schedule is as follows: April 23-25: One-on-one studio visits with UB MFA students. April 24: Gary Nickard, clinical associate professor in the Department of Art, will host Ettinger in his seminar on Art and Psychoanalysis to discuss her artistic and theoretical work with students in the Department of Art. The seminar begins at 2 p.m., 113 Baldy Hall. April 26, May 3 and May 10: Ettingers graduate seminar, Memorys Wound is a Space With-in: Depth-space and Carriance beyond Abstraction versus Empathy, 12:30-3:10 p.m., UB Anderson Gallery. May 5: Opening reception at 6 p.m. for BRACHA: Pieta-Eurydice-Medusa, UB Anderson Gallery. May 9: Ettingers gallery talk from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the UB Anderson Gallery in which she walks with visitors through the exhibition and discusses the works on view. This event is intended especially for undergraduates, but is free to any interested UB faculty, staff and students. May 12: A second free gallery talk from 1-2 p.m. at the Anderson Gallery with the same format as the previous event and, again, free to UB faculty, staff and students, as well as members of the public. May 17: Ettinger will give a public lecture at 7 p.m. at the Burchfield Penney Art Center to educate guests about her work and its relationship to urgent contemporary social and political developments. The lecture titled, Memorys Wound: On Art and Ethics, is free and open to the public. The CAI is a university-wide initiative dedicated to the creation and production of new work upholding the highest artistic standards of excellence and fostering a complementary atmosphere of creative investigation and engagement among students, faculty, visiting artists and the community. Through its Artist-in-Residence program and its innovative, interdisciplinary offerings for students, CAI is raising the profile of UB and Buffalo in the world of artistic expression and revitalizing the initiatives proud tradition as a leader in contemporary art. Tata Sons on Monday announced the appointment of S Jaishankar as the Tata Group's President of Global Corporate Affairs after he was apparently given a waiver from the 'cooling off period' for which he had sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's permission. In his new role, he will report to N Chandrasekaran, Executive Chairman of Tata Sons. S Jaishankar had retired on January 28 after which he reportedly wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had sought a waiver of the 'cooling-off period' for bureaucrats citing the offer from the Tata Group. The 'cooling off period' was reduced to a year from two years after 2015. As per the rule, all central civil servants have to seek permission from the centre before taking up commercial jobs in a year before leaving office. In his new role, he will be responsible for the Tata Group's global corporate affairs and international strategy development, and Tata Sons' international offices will report to him. Dr Jaishankar will work with Tata Companies to help strengthen the group's business presence and positioning in their respective geographies globally. "I am delighted to welcome Dr Jaishankar to the Tata Group. His extensive experience and knowledge on international affairs will be very valuable to the group as we work to reinforce our brand and leadership globally," said N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons. "The Tata Group is an iconic institution known for its value-based leadership as well as India's most respected brand globally. I look forward to being part of the Tata Group and working with key stakeholders to make an impact," said Jaishankar, who had a great repertoire with the PM as well as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, suggest media reports. His major achievements in the office include negotiating a peaceful talk process during the Doklam stand-off and successful negotiation during the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement. The Indian foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018, Jaishankar joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977, holding key roles during his career including stints as high commissioner to Singapore, Ambassador to China and the United States. Jaishankar is a graduate of St Stephen's College at the University of Delhi. He has an MA in Political Science and an MPhil and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Sundar Pichai, the Indian-born CEO of tech giant Google, is set to cash in around Rs 2,524 crore ($380 million) in one of the largest single payouts to a public company executive in recent years. According to a report in Bloomberg, an award of 353,939 restricted shares that Pichai received before a promotion in 2014 will vest on Wednesday. The shares awarded to Google CEO rose in value as Alphabet's stock surged 90 per cent since the grant date. He has received two more nine-figure stock grants since then. However, Google has not disclosed Pichai's compensation for 2017 as yet, the report said. Pichai, who grew up in Chennai, has led Alphabet Inc.'s Google since 2015. He received the shares before his promotion to senior vice president of products. Pichai took over many of co-founder Larry Page's responsibilities around the same time. In 2012, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had cashed in $2.28 billion when he exercised 60 million options as part of the company's initial public offering. In 2016, Tesla Inc.'s Elon Musk collected $1.34 billion after exercising 6.71 million options that were close to expiring, the Bloomberg report added. Earlier, Google's parent company Alphabet had detailed how it makes decisions regarding its dozen different businesses, with India-born Sundar Pichai wielding a lot of power over the search giant. According to documents to the US Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), since Google blew up its corporate structure to form Alphabet in late 2015, it now separates its financials between Google and its "Other Bets". Other Bets currently include 11 different companies, like self-driving car unit Waymo and healthcare arm Verily, CNBC had reported. Late last year, the SEC asked Alphabet for specific details around how much decision-making power Alphabet CEO Larry Page has on individual Google businesses, and the different kinds of information given to Page versus president Sergey Brin and Google CEO Pichai, among other things. Alphabet CEO Page receives regular financial information about every Alphabet company but doesn't allocate resources to individual product areas within Google or within individual Other Bets. That hands-off relations played out dramatically in the case of Nest, the company Google acquired for USD 3.2 billion in 2014. When Nest spun-out as an Alphabet unit, the two companies had no incentive to work together and ended up building similar products. Ultimately, Alphabet decided to roll Nest back into Google earlier this month. Pichai, 45, also does not have authority over Alphabet's overall resource allocation to Google. He has no authority over parent company's "Other Bets" nor has any decision-making power over them despite the search giant counted for all of Alphabet's profit and more than 98 per cent of its revenue in its last quarter. But Pichai has a lot of power over Google, the report said. He receives weekly and quarterly reports which include individual financial information for Google product areas, including YouTube, advertising, and hardware, and include operating results, capital expenditures, and headcount for Google as a whole. Neither Page nor his co-founder, Alphabet President Sergey Brin, receive the weekly and quarterly reports received by Pichai, the report said. Without Page's approval, Pichai can commit Google to non-standard licensing or similar arrangements, investments, mergers and acquisitions, and other commitments up to a set dollar threshold. Also, capital expenditures, real estate, commercial arrangements, including licensing, partnership and revenue generating agreements and other similar transactions and expenditures up to a set dollar threshold. Although Susan Wojcicki and Diane Greene both have "CEO" titles within Google, for YouTube and Cloud respectively, Pichai is the only Google executive who reports directly to and maintains regular contact with Page. with PTI inputs New research from Cushman & Wakefield has found that a busy start to 2018 was observed in the Dublin office market, with 71,200 sq m of space occupied in the first three months of the year. A very strong quarter was also recorded for signed, reserved and pre-let deals, resulting in pre-committed space now standing at its highest level in the current cycle. Focusing specifically on the Central Business District (CBD), a 38% uplift in activity was recorded on the previous quarter, with a total of 42,750 sq m taken up. The CBD accounted for 60% of overall Dublin activity. The largest occupation of the first quarter of 2018 was that of the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) taking the entire 13,850 sq m at the first phase of Dublin Landings in the north docklands. The ten-story office block, which was pre-let to the NTMA, completed construction late last year. Quarter one also saw online retailer Amazon finalise its move into the Vertium Building on Burlington Road, Dublin 4. Completing construction in the final quarter of 2017, the entire building which was pre-let to Amazon measures approximately 16,000 sq m. Cushman & Wakefield say the current strength of occupier demand in Dublin reflects the positive view of Irelands economic performance. This is feeding into the labour market growth story, which is forecast to reach full employment by the end of this year. Pre-let and pre-reserved space is now at its highest level in the current cycle. In the CBD, approximately 290,100 sq m of space was under construction at the end of March, 46% of which is already pre-committed. Furthermore, an impressive two-thirds of the space due for delivery this year is already accounted for. Cushman & Wakefield believe this is a real indication of the strength of demand and occupiers willingness to pre-commit. They also believe pre-lets and lettings mid-construction will continue to be a prominent feature of the market this year, making development funding easier. Supply levels tightened by 11.5% in the first quarter, to stand at 441,550 sq m at quarter end, representing a vacancy rate of 12.4%. However, when one excludes the significant portion of availability that is either signed or reserved, the net vacancy rate falls to 7.5%. Furthermore, in the CBD, the net vacancy rate declined to 5%, from 5.9% in the previous quarter. Prime headline office rents in the CBD increased by 4.4% during the first three months of the year, to 646 per sq m, ahead of previous peak levels. CBD rents are expected to remain stable for 2018 alongside the controlled delivery of new stock. In suburban Dublin, rents are achieving up to 323 per sq m, particularly in the south suburbs. The IT/Telecommunications sector continues to rank highest, absorbing 30% of take up in Dublin in the opening quarter and 40% in the CBD. This trend is showing no signs of easing with tech giants such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and Salesforce all active in the market at present. These players are not only moving within the market, but significantly expanding and swallowing up new and second hand available space. Some very large lettings propelled the Dublin office market in 2017 and Cushman & Wakefield expect this trend to be sustained for the year ahead. The first quarter saw two occupiers take up over 10,000 sq m of space, while a further four deals over 10,000 sq m in size are currently signed or pre-let, and due for occupation by the end of the year. Commenting on the quarter, Head of Offices at Cushman & Wakefield, Ronan Corbett said, "As the Irish economy continues to grow, the demand for office space has grown with it. The continued dominance of the technology sector and the re-emergence of both State and domestic private sector occupiers has been a feature of quarter one. While headline rents have remained relatively steady, if the current rate of take up continues, there will inevitably be pressure on rents in the near to medium term." Source: www.businessworld.ie A new report on the social enterprise sector published by today by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CPA Ireland) has found that Ireland could be losing out on tens of thousands of jobs along with untold economic and societal benefits from the sector. Irelands social enterprise sector employs around 25,000 people but that is significantly behind the EU average. CPA Ireland claim that if Ireland were to simply match the levels of its European neighbours it could grow to 65,000 if it was to achieve even average EU levels of performance. They believe there is scope for employment to reach 100,000 if the sector is supported properly aswell as the potential for the sector to contribute an additional 2 billion to GDP. In a global study carried out in 2016 by the Thompson Reuters Foundation, Ireland ranked 43rd out of 44 countries for its social entrepreneurship environment coming in behind such countries as Colombia, Mexico and Pakistan, but CPA say that study referred to social entrepreneurship which has a narrower focus than social enterprise and therefore it is not a fair reflection of what social enterprise is in Ireland. Source: www.businessworld.ie British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday her government was sticking to its proposals to ease trade with the European Union after Brexit, rejecting suggestions that plans to quit its customs union were again dividing her party. A government defeat in Britain's upper house of parliament last week has again raised questions over May's commitment to leaving the customs union, a plan that has split not only her own party but also across the parliamentary divide. The government has proposed two ways of ensuring that trade is "as frictionless as possible" with the EU once Britain ends a status quo transition phase after it leaves in March next year. The EU again rejected one of those last week. "We've put forward proposals that will deliver a frictionless border and enable us to do trade deals around the rest of the world," May told reporters. "I think that will be the best position for the United Kingdom and that's what we're working for." Earlier, her spokesman said the government had set out the options -- a customs partnership or a streamlined customs arrangement -- almost a year ago, and that it has "been moving forwards as one with the process of leaving the European Union." (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie The World Bank's shareholders on Saturday endorsed a $13 billion paid-in capital increase that will boost China's shareholding but bring lending reforms that will raise borrowing costs for higher-middle-income countries, including China. The multilateral lender said the plan would allow it to lift the group's overall lending to nearly $80 billion in fiscal 2019 from about $59 billion last year and to an average of about $100 billion annually through 2030. "We have more than doubled the capacity of the World Bank Group," the institution's president, Jim Yong Kim, told reporters during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings in Washington. "It's a huge vote of confidence, but the expectations are enormous." The hard-fought capital hike, initially resisted by the Trump administration, will add $7.5 billion paid-in capital for the World Bank's main concessional lending arm, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Its commercial-terms lender, the International Finance Corp, will get $5.5 billion paid-in capital, and IBRD also will get a $52.6 billion increase in callable capital. The bank agreed to change IBRD's lending rules to charge higher rates for developing countries with higher incomes, to discourage them from excessive borrowing. IBRD previously had charged similar rates for all borrowers, and U.S. Treasury officials had complained that it was lending too much to China and other bigger emerging markets. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said earlier on Saturday that he supported the capital hike due to the reforms that it included. The last World Bank capital increase came in 2010. The current hike comes with cost controls and salary restrictions that will hold World Bank compensation to "a little below average" for the financial sector, Kim said. He added that there was nothing specific in the agreement that targeted a China lending reduction, but he said lending to China was expected to gradually decline. In 2015, China founded the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and lends heavily to developing countries through its government export banks. The agreement will lift China's shareholding in IBRD to 6.01% from 4.68%, while the U.S. share would dip slightly to 16.77% from 16.89%. Washington will still keep its veto power over IBRD and IFC decisions. Kim said the increase was expected to become fully effective by the time the World Bank's new fiscal year starts on July 1. Countries will have up to eight years to pay for the capital increase. The U.S. contribution is subject to approval by Congress. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie This time last year, Intelecom combined its contact centre, interactive mobile messaging and payments divisions to create a new organisation called Puzzel. The number of agents on the Puzzel platform is at an all-time high and the company now employs 150 people across six different countries. Puzzel has also benefited from a transformation in the contact centre industry as a whole. Mobility, digitalisation and the need for speed have increased customer demand for fully integrated solutions that improve customer interactions. The number of communication channels and personal devices customers use is changing, but the requirement for fast and efficient response remains the same. As Puzzel celebrates its first birthday, here the companys CEO, Brge Astrup, looks back over Puzzels achievements in the past year along with a number of developments in the contact centre industry. Serving More Customers Across Europe One of Puzzels goals was to expand geographically to meet the needs of international contact centres looking to manage their operations using one unified solution across multiple countries. At the same time, the company sought to enhance local support by adding new local offices and expanding its channel network. In September 2017, Puzzel appointed Petr Bocek as General Manager of Bulgarian operations and Director, Business Development Central and Eastern Europe. Petr joined Puzzel from Telenor Bulgaria and his knowledge of the telecoms industry and the region makes him the ideal candidate to build a successful presence in Central and Eastern Europe and take the business forward. At the end of 2017, a new office was opened in Helsinki, Finland, led by Gunnar Aasen, Vice President Sales, to complete support for Nordic customers across Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Europes Largest Cloud-Based Contact Centre With If In June 2017, Puzzel announced one of its biggest business wins when If, the leading insurance company in the Nordic and Baltic countries serving 3.6 million customers, created Europes largest cloud-based contact centre with 3,400 agents. Puzzel was chosen for the flexibility, quality and functionality of its technology and the new contact centre enables If customers to interact by telephony, chat, Facebook, e-task as well as SMS in a totally seamless way. Responding to Change Through Innovation In the last 12 months Artificial Intelligence (AI) has arrived in contact centres with a bang. Virtual assistants, digital assistants and bots are regular guests at the self-service party and could potentially change the landscape forever. Puzzel is actively helping organisations to deploy bots in their contact centres and is focused on introducing continually inventive technology, in response to market needs. Technology that is easy to use, delivers high levels of stability and security and promises to deliver exceptional, multichannel customer experiences for both assisted and automated interactions. This year, Puzzel went one step further by creating a dedicated Innovation Team devoted to delivering more of these shifts in technology to the market. Automated customer service will be a focus for this team in the coming months. In addition, in response to demand for automated card payments and mobility, Puzzel met its year-one objective and introduced Puzzel Pay. Using this new mobile-enabled debt collection and instant payment solution, organisations can expect to deliver a seamless, improved customer experience, reduce the number of customer enquiries and lower financial costs with less invoicing and fewer unpaid claims. Strong Heritage, Strong Future None of this would have been possible without Puzzels rich heritage. As one of the first pioneers to develop a cloud-based contact centre, Puzzel has kept one step ahead. Puzzel believes that tapping into 20 years of knowledge and experience gives it the ability to bring new innovation to the marketplace quickly and cost-effectively. But what about the future? Puzzel aims to keep developing product roadmaps, exploring new countries and welcoming new customers. Even more reasons to celebrate! To find out more about Puzzel, visit: www.puzzel.com Canada Immigration Language Converter A standardized language test result, showing English or French language proficiency, is required for immigration to Canada under Express Entry. Three tests are currently recognized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Each test evaluates and gives scores for four abilities: reading, speaking, writing and listening. How to use the chart Tabs at the top: These allow you to switch between the language test of your choice: International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test dEvaluation de Francais (TEF), or Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP). First Column: This represents the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB), which is Canadas equivalence of a given standardized test score. Second Column: This offers a description of each language benchmark. A more detailed explanation will display if you click on the description. Columns 36: These contain the test scores for the four abilities being evaluated. Columns 79: These display the amount of points that can be assigned for each of the four abilities scores under the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Class and the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). How to use the Canada Immigration Language Converter The converter below can convert test scores in one or multiple abilities into their corresponding CLB(s), or vice versa. It can also convert either test scores or CLBs into FSW or Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. Please enter at least one NUMBER in the first box, what you would like to convert FROM in the second box and what you would like to convert TO in the third box. Disclaimer CanadaVisa.com makes every effort to ensure the quality of the information available in this Canada Immigration Language Converter tool (the Tool). However, before relying on information contained in the Tool, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, completeness, and relevance to their particular purpose. The information contained within the Tool is provided for information purposes only. Nothing contained in the Tool is to be used as professional advice and the Tool is not a substitute for the advice of a lawyer. Users should contact a qualified Canadian immigration lawyer and get appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances before any action or decision is taken on the basis of any of the material provided on the Tool. CanadaVisa.com does not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the Tool or the information contained therein and cannot guarantee and assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information. 2020 CanadaVisa All Rights Reserved Additional Information Many of Canadas immigration programs, including all three federal programs managed under Express Entry, require that Express Entry candidates write a standardized language test and demonstrate a minimum language ability in at least one of Canadas official languages, English or French. These federal economic programs include the FSW Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Canada has its own system for describing language proficiency according to Canadian standards. Canada ranks English language proficiency according to Canadian Language Benchmarks or CLBs. There are 12 CLBs that cover the range from the most basic ability (CLB 1) to complete fluency (CLB 12). In French, Canadas classifies language ability in a similar fashion, with levels known as a Niveaux de competence Linguistique canadiens (NCLC). Candidates for Canadian immigration through a federal economic immigration program are required to demonstrate their proficiency in either English or French by way of a standardized test recognized by IRCC. Results of tests have a corresponding CLB for each of the four language components that are assessed: Speaking, Reading, Writing, Listening. The three standardized tests that a candidate may take in order to prove language ability for a federal economic immigration program are: IELTS The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test, which candidates outside and inside Canada alike may sit, is the most popular standardized language test recognized by IRCC for immigration purposes. Candidates for Canadian immigration should ensure that they take the General IELTS test, rather than the Academic test. Results are given by what is known as bands across the four abilities, with an aggregate overall band score determined as an average of these. The scores in each of the four abilities have a corresponding CLB. CELPIP The CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program) test is a Canadian test for English ability that may be taken by candidates for Canadian immigration who are taking the test from within Canada. CELPIP results correspond directly with CLBs, with results per language ability given as a score from 1 to 12. TEF The TEF (Test d'Evaluation de francais) is a test of general French ability, recognized as official proof of language proficiency by IRCC for immigration applications, as well as by the Ministere de l'Immigration, de la diversite et de l'Inclusion (MIDI) du Quebec for Quebec Selection Certificate applications. Note that though candidates for a federal economic immigration program are required to prove ability in one official language, they may be able to gain more points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) for Express Entry by proving ability in both official languages. Modified On Apr 23, 2018 12:27 PM By Dhruv.A The offer can be availed at all Renault dealerships from April 23 to April 30, 2018 Renault India is conducting National Road Safety Week at all its dealerships in the country. Existing customers of the carmaker can get free safety check ups for their cars, 15 per cent discount on safety parts, and special offers on purchase of new tyres. But keeping your car in its prime is just a job half done. Following traffic rules is another important aspect that needs to be addressed and for that Renault is also going to promote road safety among its owner base. This is what the Renault press release stated: In a bid to spread awareness on road safety, Renault, the number one European automotive brand in India, has initiated a National Road Safety Week in association with Indias apex automobile industry body SIAM-SAFE (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers-Society of Automotive Fitness and Environment) across the country from April 23 April 30. In line with this years theme of SADAK SURAKSH-JEEVAN RAKSHA, Renault India will conduct road safety awareness campaigns in all Renault dealerships across the country. Renault has also organized car safety checkups and will offer discounts on safety parts, accessories and tyres to all its customers. National Road Safety Week will focus on the importance and need to follow traffic rules, including traffic lights, speed limits, pedestrian crossing rules, and wearing seat-belts while driving a car, amongst others. Activities such as education programs for drivers, training workshops and modules aiming to increase road safety awareness among school children would also be a part of this road safety week. As a responsible corporate entity, Renault India is driving this initiative to emphasize and to highlight how by adopting simple rules, people can curb the carnage and make the roads safer. Related: Renault Kwid, Duster & Captur Available At Big Discounts This April During this week-long initiative, Renault Indias network of dealerships across India will interact with customers to increase awareness on road safety, highlight the major causes for road accidents and the best ways to prevent them. . The activities include displaying safety banners, road signs, distribution of pamphlets related to road safety. The dealerships will also screen road safety films in their customer lounges and will also organize rallies to encourage more people to obey traffic rules. During the National Road Safety Week, Renault India customers can avail up to 15% discount on safety parts & accessories, get special offers on tyres, and get comprehensive safety car check-ups. Also Read: Renault Kwid Now Comes With 4 years/1 lakh Km Standard Warranty Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. Many employees feel dread going to their office after working there for a reasonable period. In order to keep this emotion at bay, some work on their positives and weaknesses to increase their confidence level at the workplace. Unfortunately, not many follow this practise. A significant number of employees always wake up with stress at the thought of going to work. They find it difficult to meet the targets at their workplace and are not energetic even at the company's cafeteria. These employees even get frustrated with their current job and think of switching to a new job. Switching to a new job is not a bad idea. Of course, we do agree that it is much needed for career advancement. However, you need to assess your decision by putting forth some questions and identifying the actual reasons for a change. These reasons even help you at the time of an interview. Here are some of the areas you need to focus on before thinking of a switch. Learning Skills No matter what you are, at every part of your career you should learn new things. Almost all the companies motivate their employees to hone their learning skills in order to get habituated to the new technology. However, some companies follow a traditional pattern and never want to take up a direct challenge. If you are working in such a company, you can straight away think of a job plunge. Recognition Every working professional wants to grow individually and earn recognition. This is required in order to meet future targets at their cubicles. By considering work experience or skills, companies usually encourage their employees in one way or another. Due to a company's hierarchy or some other reason, a few companies never encourage their employees though they have reached a commendable target. If this is same with your current company, start looking for a new job. Work Culture There will be a lot of difference in work culture though the work is same in every company. Starting from the company's mail to the cubicle atmosphere, every company has its own standards. And there is no need to put a remark on the companies because they follow their own principals. If you feel you are not able to adjust, you have a reason to change your job. Performance An employee's performance depends on various factors and the company's principals are amongst them. You might miss the company's targets despite putting your best foot forward. Try to identify the reasons for failure, if it is from the company's end, take a wise call. There is no need to change the company if it is from your end. Health None of the organisations squeeze the blood of its employees because they know that their success depends on their employees. Due to its policies or client's requirement, companies opt to work during odd hours. If your health is deteriorating because of any reason in a particular company, you can start preparing your resume. Pay Scale You might wonder why we have raised this point though we addressed recognition above. There is a lot of difference between recognition and pay scale. Recognition can be of anything including perks. While coming to the pay scale, it is all about value. Though your current company is providing opportunities to learn and encourages you to grow individually, you should have a decent package to meet your personal ends meet. Equation Many employees complain about not having a good equation with their bosses. We can't talk much about this because it is purely based on an individual. In order to be a successful employee, having a good equation with your boss as well as colleagues is most important. If you are not able to do this, better switch to a new job because none of your colleagues including your boss will help you advance in your career. Also Read: How To Optimally Benefit From The Advantages Of Work From Home Reserve Bank of India has released an employment notification calling out for aspirants to apply for the post of Legal Consultant. Those interested can check out the eligibility, salary scale, how to apply and the complete details of the government job here. Selected candidates can earn up to INR 26.84 lakhs to INR 54.63 lakhs per annum. The last date to apply for the government job is May 14, 2018. State Bank Of India Recruitment 2018 For 2000 Probationary Officers RBI Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Post Legal Consultant (Grade F and Grade C/D) Organisation Reserve Bank of India Educational Qualification Master's or PhD from a recognised university Age Limit 45 to 55 years Skills Required Legal advising skills Salary Scale INR 54.63 lakhs per annum Job Responsibilities Providing legal opinion on matters referred by the bank Job Location Mumbai Industry Banking Experience 7 to 15 years depending on the grade Application Start Date Apr 23, 2018 Application End Date May 14, 2018 Also Read: Bank Of Baroda Recruitment 2018 For 424 Vacancies How To Apply For RBI Recruitment 2018 In order to apply for Reserve Bank of India Recruitment 2018, follow these steps: Step 1: Log on to the RBI official website. Step 2: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link that reads, Opportunities@RBI. Step 3: Hover over Current Vacancies tab. Step 4: Click on the Vacancies link. Step 5: Click on the link that reads, Legal Consultants in Grade F and Grade C/D (on contract basis) - 2018. Step 6: The instructions for applying will be displayed on the screen. Read the pages carefully. Step 7: Click on the link that reads, Online Application Form. Step 8: You will be directed to the IBPS website. Step 9: Click on the button that reads, Click here for New Registration. Step 10: Important points to be noted will open in a pop-up box. Read them carefully and click Continue. Step 11: The registration form will appear on the screen. Fill your particulars in the fields provided. Step 12: Enter the security code. Step 13: Click Save & Continue. Step 14: Upload your photo and signature Step 15: Make the fees payment and complete the application process. Photo: Contributed Police in northern Ontario say they found the remains of four people in a charred vehicle following what they believe was a suspicious fire. Investigators in Timmins, Ont., say the car was found late Friday afternoon, but they're still working to determine when the fire took place. They have not yet identified the victims. Deputy Chief Des Walsh told a news conference Saturday that four bodies being found at once is unprecedented in Timmins. The Timmins Police Service says provincial police, the fire marshal and the coroner's office are also investigating the incident. Police are asking anyone with information about what may have happened to come forward. Passengers who have been fully vaccinated leaving Brazil will be allowed to enter the UK without the need for isolation... Cement prices in Egypt fall after March high ICR Newsroom By 23 April 2018 Following their rise to EGP1250/t in March, cement prices in Egypt are dropping back to EGP950 this month, according to AhramOnline. The resumption of production at the Arish Cement Factory, the partial resumption of production at Sinai Cement, and the start of trial production at the Beni Sweif Cement Plant have all helped increase the supply of cement on the market, leading to the drop in prices, said Ahmed Al-Zeini, head of the Construction Materials Division at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce. Cement traders believe the March price hike was the result of increased demand for cement due to large real-estate projects by the Ministry of Housing and private companies. The Construction Materials Division released a statement in March condemning the price rise. A number of cement factories have exploited the situation in Sinai resulting in the halting of production at the Arish factory to raise the price of cement, the statement said, calling on President Al-Sisi to speed up the inauguration of the cement plant in Beni Suef to push down prices. In addition to increased domestic consumption, exports also advanced. Egyptian cement exports saw a 49 per cent increase in 2017, reaching US$94m compared to US$63m in 2016, according to the Chair of the Construction Materials Export Council, Walid Gamaleddin. Mr Al-Zeini expects cement prices to drop further to EGP850/t after the Beni Suef plant reaches full production. Published under Dreaming of a vacation at sea? If so, youll want to read this, first, because not all cruising is smooth sailing. From dangerous destinations to crime-ridden countries, there are plenty of cruise ship ports worth avoiding. Here are seven of the absolute worst ports in the world. 1. Roatan, Honduras Check here for up-to-date travel restrictions and information. Known for its world-renowned beaches and top-rated scuba diving, Roatan is a major port of call for Caribbean cruises. But its not as safe as as you might hope. Since 2010, Honduras has had one of the highest murder rates in the world. And while the countrys islands have lower crime rates than the mainland, Roatan is still dangerous especially Coxen Hole, where cruise ships dock. According to the U.S. Department of State, Roatan and the Bay Islands are geographically separated from and experience lower crime rates than on the mainland and other Caribbean islands; however, thefts, break-ins, assaults, rapes, and murders do occur. Next: This country is riddled with violence. 2. Margarita Island, Venezuela Check here for up-to-date travel restrictions and information. Violence runs rampant in Venezuela. But murder, drug trafficking, and kidnapping often go unpunished thanks to the countrys corrupt police. And while Margarita Island is just a half hour flight from Caracas, the countrys capital, cruisers should still exercise caution. Violent crime is the greatest threat in Caracas, affecting local Venezuelans and foreigners, the State Department says. Furthermore, Caracas was listed as the most violent city in the world in 2016. And in July of the same year, Smarter Travel reported the State Department warned, Anchoring offshore is not considered safe. Marinas, including those in Puerto la Cruz and Margarita Island (Porlamar), provide only minimal security, and U.S. citizens should exercise a heightened level of caution in Venezuelan waters. Next: This islands ports are home to violence and terrorism. 3. Mindanao, Philippines Check here for up-to-date travel restrictions and information. Located in the southwestern area of the Philippines, the Sulu Sea is home to the island of Mindanao along with lots of violence. Theres so much violence, in fact, that theres a warning advising people not to travel to the Sulu Archipelago because of crime, terrorism, and civil unrest. According to the State Department, Terrorist and armed groups kidnap U.S. citizens on land and at sea for ransom, and they continue to conduct kidnappings, bombings, and other attacks targeting U.S. citizens, foreigners, civilians, local government institutions, and security forces. And the U.S. government isnt able to provide emergency services in the area. Next: The murder capital of the world 4. Acajulta, El Salvador Check here for up-to-date travel restrictions and information. El Salvador may be known for Mayan ruins and lush rainforests. But unfortunately, the country has another well-known claim: the murder capital of the world. Even though cruise ships dock at a specific port, such as Acajulta, travelers still need to exercise caution and maybe even reconsider their trip altogether, the State Department recommends. Violent crime, such as murder, assault, rape, and armed robbery, is common, the website reads. Gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, and narcotics and arms trafficking, is widespread. However, it should be noted that criminals dont specifically target U.S. citizens. Next: This country has a lot of recent travel warnings. 5. Quintana Roo, Mexico Check here for up-to-date travel restrictions and information. While some have been forced to rethink their travel plans to Mexico, others are still determined to make their trip happen. Case in point: the droves of thirsty cruisers anxious to get their fill of those gorgeous beaches. Unfortunately, though, the reality of soaking up the sun in Mexico is more dangerous than ever. According to Cruise Critic, 12 operational cruise ports in Mexico including tourist hot spots Cozumel and Playa del Carmen are under a U.S. travel advisory. Additionally, the publication reports: The advisories come after an increase of violence in the region, which has reached its peak in 2017. While the shootings and assassinations are largely fueled by drug and criminal organizations and not targeted at U.S. citizens, the U.S. government warns that bystanders could be in danger of being injured or killed. Next: The drug trade is a major threat in this country. 6. Cartagena, Colombia Check here for up-to-date travel restrictions and information. Major cruise lines have ports of call along Colombias coast, including places like Cartagena, Santa Marta, and Barranquilla. But regardless of the exact location, travelers should watch their step. Considering the country is ground zero for cocaine production and trade, cruisers may want to skip out on Colombias shore excursions. Colombia is the worlds leading grower of coca, the source crop for cocaine, Fox News reports. Narcotic trafficking is at the root of the state departments travel warning for Colombia. Furthermore, theres a terrorist organization named the National Liberation Army. According to the State Department, it could attack with no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, and cultural events. Next: Thankfully, major cruise lines have canceled their ports of call in this dangerous region. 7. Izmit, Turkey Check here for up-to-date travel restrictions and information. Some cruise lines have canceled their ports of call in Turkey, and theyve done so for good reason. Turns out, terrorists would hop on cruise ships to enter the country. Terrifying, we know. ISIS extremists would buy tickets in hopes of entering Syria or Iraq by way of the Turkey border. According to Smarter Travel, Izmit has earned itself a spot as a prime destination for terrorists on cruises. Despite these horrific stats, the reality is there are plenty of places around the world that welcome tourists with open arms. Just find one of those places, and avoid these seven cruise ship ports if you can. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Christian Woman Set on Fire for Refusing Muslim Man's Marriage Proposal Dies in Pakistan 23 April, 2018 by Samuel Smith/CP , | A Pakistani Christian woman has died after she was set on fire for refusing a Muslim man's marriage proposal, reports indicate. Twenty-five-year-old Asma Yaqoob from the Punjab city of Sialkot passed away Sunday as burns covered as much as 90 percent of her body following a mid-April attack that was believed to be carried out by a 30-year-old Muslim friend of the family named Rizwan Gujjar. Pakistan Today reports that Asma was taken to a specialty burn unit over three hours away in Lahore's Mayo Hospital for treatment. Her father, Yaqoob Masih, filed a report with local police. According to the newspaper, her father explained that his daughter was working at the house of Saeeduz Zaman in Mohalla Pakpura area of Sialkot when the attack occured. "On April 17, my son Maqsood and I went to Zaman's house ... to meet Asma and to inquire after the health of Zaman's mother," Masih was quoted as writing in the police report. "We were sitting in a room when there was a knock on the front gate. Asma went out to see who had come when after some time we heard her screaming in pain. Zaman, Maqsood and I rushed outside to see what had happened and saw the accused Rizwan Gujjar fleeing from the scene while Asma was engulfed in flames." Police sub-inspector Muhammad Riaz confirmed Gujjar's arrest and told Pakistan Today that Gujjar confessed to the crime. "We have prepared the charge sheet and sent him to jail," Riaz told the outlet. According to the London-based charity British Pakistani Christian Association, Gujjar had worked with Asma's brother, Nabeel, and became a regular visitor of the Yaqoob household. During that time, he began to take a liking to Asma. The charity reports that about three months ago, Gujjar asked Asma to marry him. However, she reportedly declined and began distancing herself from Gujjar. BPCA reports that Gujjar carried out the attack by knocking on the door of the house, pretending to be one of Asma's brothers and then asking for Asma to come to the door. According to BPCA, Gujjar covered Asma in a flammable liquid and lit her on fire when she went outside. "Asma's family were persistent in getting her the best treatment they could find, and traveled hundreds of miles to a hospital equipped with a burn unit," BPCA officer Mehwish Bhatti said in a statement. "They did everything they could possibly do. This family will have a lot of trauma to work through and they are in shock. It is hard for anyone to see the life of a loved one so young and full of talent snuffed out." Read more about Pakistani Christians on The Christian Post. A Christian woman in Pakistan died on Sunday night (April 22) after a Muslim in the Sialkot area set her on fire for refusing to convert to Islam and marry him, relatives said. Muhammad Rizwan Gujjar poured kerosene on 25-year-old Asma Yaqoob and set her on fire on Wednesday (April 17), resulting in burns on 80 percent of her body, sources said. She and her father, Yaqoob Masih, and her brother Maqsood were at the house where she worked as a domestic worker for Saeeduz Zaman in the Mohalla Pakpura area when the attack took place, according to a police report. Masih, a resident of Mohalla Bogara near Hajipura, stated in the police First Information Report (FIR 171/18) that he and his son had gone to Zamans house at 11 p.m. to meet Asma and inquire after the health of Zamans ailing mother. We were sitting in a room when there was a knock on the front gate, he said. Asma went out to see who had come, when after some time we heard her screaming in pain. Zaman, Maqsood and I rushed outside to see what had happened and saw the accused Rizwan Gujjar fleeing from the scene while Asma was engulfed in flames. At Sialkot Civil Hospital, Asma Yaqoob told them that Gujjar had been pressuring her to marry him for some time, but that she had turned him down because she did not want to recant her Christian faith, Masih stated in the FIR. Asma Yaqoobs mother, Parveen Akhtar, told Morning Star News her daughter had previously complained of Gujjar insisting that she convert to Islam and marry him, and that he issued the demand again at Zamans house. Asma told us that on the night of the attack, Gujjar had come to Zamans house and told her that she has no other choice but to renounce her faith and marry him in court the next morning, Akhtar said. My daughter refused, upon which he emptied a bottle of petrol on her body and set her alight. The family rushed her to Lahore, 154 kilometers away (95 miles), as there is no burn unit in Sialkot Civil Hospital. Impoverished Christian women in Pakistan are commonly pressured to marry Muslims with promises of a better life. Asma Yaqoob was the sixth of 10 children born to low-income municipal workers who retired years ago, her mother said. My daughter is a staunch Protestant Christian and had been resisting Gujjars pressure for a long time, she said. She was not interested in him and had repeatedly complained about his misbehavior. When all efforts failed to convince Asma to cave in to his demand, Gujjar attempted to kill her. Police have arrested Gujjar, and he has confessed to killing the Christian woman, attorney Riaz Anjum of the Pakistan Center for Law and Justice (PCLJ) told Morning Star News, though published reports in Pakistan cited police saying Gujjar claimed she caught fire on accident. Christian rights activist Napolean Qayyum, also of the PCLJ, said the local Christian community was proud that Asma Yaqoob had stood her ground and refused to succumb to pressure to renounce her faith. The brave girl belongs to a very poor family, yet she refused attempts to forcibly convert her to Islam, he said. Its a good thing that the police not only arrested the accused but also managed to elicit a confession from him in most cases we have seen, the police facilitate the accused when it comes to matters involving girls belonging to minority faiths. As an example, Qayyum said that a 13-year-old Christian girl (name withheld) was raped on April 11 by a local Muslim in the Sharaqpur area, some 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Lahore. Three young Muslim men stood guard while another identified only as Shehryar raped her, but the three alleged accomplices were not even named in the FIR, Qayyum said. The suspects belong to the powerful Arian community, and we believe that they are influencing the police to prevent their arrests, as none of them have been arrested till date, he said. The investigating officer in the case, Sub-Inspector Ijaz Khan, denied that police were showing any bias, telling Morning Star News that only Shehryar was named because he allegedly raped the girl. The other three men, according to the victim, did not rape her, so why name them? he said, declining to comment on why the suspects could not be charged as facilitators, especially as the rape took place in a house belonging to one of them. The girls mother, Razia (surname withheld) told Morning Star News that the accused were pressuring the family for an out-of-court reconciliation agreement. They are now pressing us to reconcile by offering us money, but we have resolved not to compromise over our daughter, she said. The Muslim boys have ruined the life of my daughter, and we will not rest till we get justice. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews. org/resources/aid-agencies/ fo r a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/ donate/ ? When a pastor responds to late-night prayer request or invites congregants to his home for Bible study, is he just doing his job or going beyond the call of duty? Thats not a question for the federal government to decide, according to the Chicago-area pastors and churches appealing a 2017 ruling that declared tax breaks for clergy housing costs to be unconstitutional. The lawsuit over the longstanding benefit, launched by the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) seven years ago, has entered another round of appeals. The Christian defendants, represented by Becket, filed their written appeal in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals late last week. Last October, the lower court judge sided (for the second time) with the atheist groups claim that the tax-exemption for housing allowances violates the First Amendment. The pastors appeal makes the opposite case: that the special provisions for ministers actually keep the government from unnecessarily meddling in religious ... 1 Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment It happened again, another university professor was exposed as an unhinged liberal, filled with uncontrollable rage. In the aftermath of the death of former First Lady Barbara Bush, tributes flowed in from around the world, except not from Randa Jarrar, a Fresno State University English professor. Jarrar tweeted that Mrs. Bush was a "racist" and that she was glad the "the witch is dead." In response to the outpouring of support for the Bush family, Jarrar tweeted, "F... outta here with your nice words." She also expressed extreme hatred for the relatives of Barbara Bush, tweeting "Can't wait for the rest of her family to fall to their demise." While it is sad that a so-called English professor had to resort to profanity to express her point of view, it is even worse that someone entrusted to educate young people harbors such hatred. In response to the controversy, Fresno State University President Joseph Castro said, "Professor Jarrar's expressed personal views and commentary are obviously contrary to the core values of our University, which include respect and empathy for individuals with divergent points of view, and a sincere commitment to mutual understanding and progress." It was announced that an "investigation" into Jarrar's behavior was underway. This semester, Jarrar is on sabbatical and is traveling overseas. She crowed that because she was tenured she could not be fired. Her arrogance only enraged people even more and after her real phone number was posted, calls started flooding in to her office. To distract her critics, Jarrar falsely claimed that her work phone number had not been officially activated and posted another one for those who "really wanna reach me." Unfortunately, the phone number she posted was for a University of Arizona mental health crisis line. The volunteers operating the phones were inundated with calls from people wanting to complain about Jarrar, not those in need of mental health counseling. Jarrar's stunt may have prevented those who were suffering from an actual mental health crisis from receiving critical assistance. The sad episode not only exposes the sickness of Jarrar, but also the clear problems on many college campuses today. Throughout the country, in far too many colleges and universities, administrators have hired nutcases like Jarrar to teach impressionable youngsters. As a result, many parents are paying exorbitant tuition for their children to be indoctrinated, not educated. Presenting alternative perspectives to liberalism is not allowed on many campuses. Just this week, Professor Josh Blackman tried to present a lecture, ironically on the importance of free speech, but was shouted down by protestors at the City University of New York School of Law. On a regular basis, conservative commentators like Ben Shapiro, Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos face threats of violence on college campus and outright hostility from administrators who look for every opportunity to cancel their speeches. Often, university officials delight in canceling conservative speeches by claiming that security costs are too high or adequate facilities for the speakers are not available. In contrast, leftist viewpoints are seemingly always welcome and liberal professors are celebrated and protected no matter how extreme their views. Last year, Lars Maischak, another hateful Fresno State University professor, made news when he tweeted that President Donald Trump "must hang." The history instructor was not allowed to teach during last Fall's semester but, incredibly, was not fired. In the case of Jarrar, Fresno State University should immediately terminate the employment of this detestable individual. She does not possess basic decency or respect for other points of view. Jarrar represents the antithesis to the type of atmosphere that should be cultivated on college campuses where differing opinions are encouraged and welcomed. Another reason that may cause Fresno State to act involves the negative response from some of their major contributors. A few large donors are raising objections to Jarrar and threatening to withhold their usual financial support. One such contributor, Ed Dunkel, Jr., said, "I have huge concerns. This represents such an embarrassment to the university and the community. It's hard to believe this is an isolated thing that just happened. I have to imagine people previously knew of this person's character and what she's about." In fact, donors may be the key in forcing universities to end the stifling environment of liberal indoctrination. If major donors started boycotting, university administrators would get the message quickly and may start to adjust their policies. Otherwise, the abuse of conservatives, the indoctrination of students and the vile hatred spewing from professors will continue unabated. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Sometime between now and June, the U.S. Supreme Court will render its decision in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case. This is the case in which owner and cake artist Jack Phillips was taken to court because he could not in good conscience design custom items that celebrate events or express messages in conflict with his religious beliefs. Jack Phillips is motivated by his Christian beliefs and is attempting to faithfully fulfill his deeply rooted religious beliefs. He is seeking justice in the arena of law. Another casethis one in Arizonais Brush & Nib Studio v. City of Phoenix, in which Christian owners Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski are seeking to stop an overreaching city ordinance from forcing them to design and create custom artwork expressing messages that violate their core religious beliefs. Without the invalidation of this city ordinance, Duka and Koski are potentially liable for fines and jail time if they decline to create artwork for same-sex weddings. They too are seeking justice in the legal realm. But why should Christians care about cases such as this? Do cases like this take us away from the centrality of gospel proclamation? Shouldn't Jack Phillips, Joanna Duka, and Breanna Koski just lay down their rights in the face of opposition for the sake of being like Jesus, who "while being reviled, he did not revile in return; while suffering, he uttered no threats, but kept entrusting him to him who judges righteously" (1 Peter 2.23)? I want to argue that the pursuit of justice is not only a good in and of itself but, also, that these legal cases can serve the cause of the gospel. Christians in the Public Sphere Christians who make use of the legal system to ensure that government respects their freedoms protected by the First Amendment do this out of a sense of obligation to honor God. Their deeply held religious beliefs about God and the Bible move them to stand for truth in the public realm. Their devotion to God and the Bible is not merely a private affair of the heart. Christians believe the truth of Jesus and his kingdom morality are matters that touch all of life. The most basic Christian confession, namely that "Jesus is Lord," has implications for the public and political domain. Theologian John Frame aptly notes: "As God's Spirit penetrates people's hearts through the gospel, those people become new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17). They take their faith into every sphere of life, including the workplace, politics, economics, education, and the arts. And in all these realms, they seek to glorify God." In his essay "Why Christians Should Influence Government for Good," Wayne Grudem lists a number of reasons why Christians can and should be involved in the political and judicial realm. His list includes the following: God calls Christians to do "good works." Influencing government for good is a way to love our neighbors. Obeying what God tells us is doing spiritual good because it glorifies God. Good and bad governments make a huge difference in people's lives, and in the church. Christians have influenced governments positively throughout history. I will leave it to readers to read Grudem's full discussion of these points, but he details the many biblical examples in both the Old and New Testaments where believers have exercised significant governmental influence. Examples include Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Nehemiah, Esther, the prophets, John the Baptist, and Paul. These insights from Frame and Grudem are enough to justify the Christian's concern and involvement in the political and judicial arenas. In addition to this, however, there is the example of the apostle Paul in the book of Acts that shows how a proper use of legal redress actually serves the gospel and the mission of the Church. Paul's Use of the Courts in the Book of Acts The book of Acts is filled with legal settings, and nearly a quarter of the book is occupied with Paul's trials and defenses. In particular, a section from Acts 16 will illustrate something of Paul's interface with the Roman legal system and allow us to draw some applications for our time. That chapter contains the narrative of Paul's ministry in Philippi. As is often the case in the book of Acts, Paul's ministry causes controversy. The specific cause in Philippi is the exorcism of a slave-girl being pimped for prophetic profit. Paul casts out a "spirit of divination" from the girl, and when the men using this girl for financial gain see their potential for making money diminished, they bring Paul and Silas before the Roman governmental authorities. The judgment is swift. They are beaten with rods and thrown into prison. There are then some exciting details about an earthquake that opens the prison doors and how the jailer and his family come to faith in Jesus Christ. For our purposes, however, the focus is on verses 35-40: 35Now when the day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, "Release those men." 36And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in peace." 37But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out." 38The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. 40They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed. We could ask a number of potential questions about this event. When given the information of release, why did Paul not simply leave? Paul knew from Jesus that he was called to suffer (Acts 9.16). Why not just receive the suffering and go forward? When other apostles were unjustly persecuted, they left their accusers "rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for his name" (Acts 5.41). Why didn't Paul do this? Why protest and demand legal redress in light of his Roman pedigree? A couple of answers are worth noting. Paul is concerned for justice and the people of God. First, consider the issue of justice. Paul knows the Roman law code and appeals to its provisions, which forbid a magistrate from beating a Roman citizen without due process of a trial conviction. No one is claiming the Roman law code is a perfect manifestation of justice, but Paul can appeal to a common grace provision in that law code which is consistent with justice. Although Paul is called to a path of suffering as announced by Jesus, there is no divine mandate to maximize suffering. As theologian Steven Tracy notes, "Scripture does not sanctify avoidable suffering. Christ repeatedly avoided physical assault, most often from the Jewish leaders (his authorities) by hiding (John 8:59), by maintaining physical separation from his abusers (Matt. 12:14-15; John 11:53-54), and by eluding them (John 10:31, 39). Other godly individuals in Scripture, such as Paul and David, also repeatedly fled physically abusive authorities (1 Sam. 19:12; 27:1; Acts 9:22-25; 14:5-6; 17:8-10, 14). Jesus did not teach his disciples simply to accept abuse (evil); instead he taught them to pray that God would deliver them from it (Matt. 6:13)." At this point, someone may ask why Paul did not assert his Roman citizenship rights earlierbefore being beaten with rods? One can only speculate given the silence of the text, but it is possible that he and Silas did assert their citizenship but were drown out in the confusion of the event. Whatever the explanation on that issue, it is clear that Paul does eventually assert his Roman citizenship by appealing to Roman law for justice. But there is more. This is not a mere quest for personal justice. There is also a strategic concern for the gospel ministry which has birthed the fledging church in Philippi. To allow this injustice to stand might mean the civil magistrate would be emboldened to perpetuate further injustices upon the newly formed group associated with Paul and Silas. By seeking proper legal redress, Paul and Silas provide protective covering for the church. New Testament scholar F. F. Bruce comments: "Paul's insistence on an official apology may have served to some degree as a protection to the members of the church which had been planted in Philippe during the period of his stay there." Fellow New Testament specialist I. Howard Marshall also recognizes that for Paul and Silas to simply have left without seeking justice "could have set a dangerous precedent for the future treatment of missionaries and also could have left the Christians in Philippi exposed to arbitrary treatment from the magistrates." So, in this instance, seeking justice is good for the missional advance of the gospel. Understanding the Text and the Times Paul's example in Acts 16 is only one case from the New Testament, but it is a perspective to take note of since it demonstrates concern for public justice and the gospel. The interplay between moral mandate and contemporary application is always tricky. Even within the New Testament itself, there is a spectrum of responses to the civil government. Torleiv Austad, in his essay, "Attitudes Towards the State in Western Theological Thinking," argues that the New Testament's perspective regarding the state was neither principled renunciation nor uncritical acceptance. He writes, "The apparently contradictory attitude can be illustrated by comparing Romans 13 and Revelation 13. In both cases Christians are confronted with the Roman state. While the governing authorities according to Romans 13 respect elementary civil rights, the same state in Revelation 13about forty years lateris seen as the beast from the abyss. Therefore the attitude of Christians has changed from obedience to disobedience. Within the eschatological horizon of the NT the relationship between Christians and the governing authorities is never fixed; it is complex, sensitive and changing." In this quotation, Austad stresses the believer's response of either obedience or disobedience to the governing authorities. His general line of thinking can be expanded to include the kinds of responses the governing authorities have to the believer's concerns. It may be the case that an ever-increasing secularized civil sphere is becoming less concerned with Christians' concerns for justice, but this ought not to stop Christians from appealing to those common grace notions embedded in our legal traditions. This is what Paul did in his Roman context. Similarly, when Christians today in the United States seek legal remedy for the diminishment of their constitutionally protected freedoms, it can serve the cause of justice and the gospel. The constitutionally governed law codes that Americans navigate at the local and federal levels are seasoned with common grace elements of justice. As long as possible, we ought to utilize these elements in the cause of justice and the gospel. Christians should eagerly support and pray for the efforts of Jack Phillips, Joanna Duka, Breanna Koski, and others like them as they seek justice before the courts of our land. Much like the apostle Paul, their victories will continue to hold open the door of religious freedom for all of us. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment News has been spreading about the meeting of 50 ethnically and denominationally diverse evangelical leaders at Wheaton College earlier this week to discuss the current condition of the movement. Unfortunately, some sources and reporters who were not at the gathering have been framing it as a "crazy Trump bashing" spectacle (CBN News) that led some to "walk out of the meeting" in protest (Fox News). Read those articles carefully and you'll see references to unnamed sources with "intimate knowledge of the meeting," but they're not described as participants who were in the room. I WAS a participant in the room and can assure you these reports are inaccurate and exaggerated. We gathered to have an honest, and at times uncomfortable, conversation about the current state of American evangelicalism. All of the issues discussed predated the 2016 election and the focus of the dialogue was not the President or any current policy matters. The focus was how to have a consistent Christian public witness that affirms the dignity of all people as created in the image of God. We explored our history and affirmed when evangelicals did this well, and when necessary we lamented when we have not. There were extended times of prayer, confession, repentance, and open discussion. And, yes, we prayed for President Trump. Near the end of the first day, a non-participating observer of the meeting felt compelled to take the microphone. He explained that he was Jewish and not an evangelical nor a Christian, but described what he had seen throughout the day as "beautiful." He hoped that more of the country could see evangelical leaders model the honesty, humility, compassion, and thoughtfulness he had observed in our meeting. That affirmation does not mean the gathering was without discomfort. As I said, some of the conversations were difficult. It was a very diverse group culturally, ethnically, racially, theologically, and politically. And they represented communities, churches, and organizations with incredibly diverse members. Some took risks by attending a meeting that some media outlets had branded as "anti-Trump" even before we met. I learned after the meeting that two attenders did not return for the second day, but they did fully participate in 8 hours of meetings on day one. I would hardly call that walking out in protest. If you're interested in more accurate accounts of the meeting from people who were actually there, I recommend these reports: By Peggy Wehmeyer: https://www.dallasnews.com/.../church-leaders-wonder-evangeli... Darrell Bock is quoted extensively in this article: https://www.christianpost.com/.../evangelical-leaders-wheato.../ Finally, Michael Gerson was not in attendance, but his op-ed captures the spirit of the meeting: https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../30c814fc-43f0-11e8-bba2-09... #FaithOverFear Originally posted on Skye Jethani's Facebook page. Skye Jethani is an author, speaker, consultant and ordained pastor. He also serves as the co-host of the popular Phil Vischer Podcast, a weekly show that blends astute cultural and theological insights with comical conversation. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Into the fetid air of the great dismal that is today's selfie-celebrity cultural swamp comes the fresh breeze of a Tammie Jo Shults. On April 18 this veteran pilot landed a Southwest Airlines passenger jet that had lost one of its two engines, been gashed by shrapnel that killed a passenger and might have compromised the strength of the aircraft. Captain Shults sweeps into our consciousness midst the world where an actress laments that she never had an abortion, a stripper chases the president of the United States in the courts, and a college professor celebrates Barbara Bush's death in an obscenity-laden rant. Os Guinness, in his book, The Dust of Death, mentioned a letter written to someone named Diognetes in AD 150, discovered in modern times by archaeologists. Apparently the anonymous correspondent was living through an outbreak of the Black Death. Though not a Christian, he notes how the followers of Jesus Christ are not fleeing the infected cities and neighborhoods, but remaining to tend the sick, believers or not. "As the soul is in the body, so are Christians in the world," says the letter-writer to Diognetes. Twenty centuries later, Christopher Dawson, a Catholic cultural philosopher-historian, calls Christianity "the soul of the West." Tammie Jo Shults is an example. Almost immediately after the events of April 18, a family member surfaces the fact that Shults is a deeply committed Christian, a neighbor describes her as a "strong Christian lady," and someone remembers that Shults once said that sitting in the pilot's seat in the cockpit provided "the opportunity to witness for Christ on every flight." The airplane Tammie Jo Shults helmed on April 18 had taken off from New York's LaGuardia Airport. And just over there, off the wings of Southwest Flight 1380 as it turns toward Dallas is the Hudson River, where, a few years before, another pilot, "Sully" Sullenberger, flying a big jet whose engines had been crippled by a flock of birds, brought it gently down upon the icy surface of the waters, saving all aboard. There was much ballyhoo not long after about Captain Sully's reply to a reporter's question that he was not praying during the emergency, but calling on all his skills to land the airplane on the river. It was an "A-Ha!" moment for skeptics everywhere. See there, honest commenters as well as trolls said all over the internet: the God who probably does not exist was irrelevant to all of this. The two events and the two pilotsone a witnessing Christian, the other a good man who seemed to have no religiosityraises an important question: Can non-believers be just as heroic, poised, and helpful as people not only believing in God, but claiming a relationship with the Lord? Of course they can. There were valiant people who saved Jews during Hitler's Holocaust that were not of Israel, but whom ethnic Jews called "Righteous Gentiles." So today there are noble atheists and agnostics and other non-Christians whose deeds are heroic and praiseworthy. Whenever anyone serves othersespecially when they themselves are endangeredit is the image of God within the human compelling the deeds. Sacrificial acts run counter to the "survival of the fittest," and arise from an extraordinary motivation that comes from beyond the human being. Every person has a measure of what the Reformers called "common grace." (See also Romans 1) The noble works of a non-believer are therefore as God-given as those of a person of great faith. After her amazing landing Tammie Jo walked up and down the aisle checking on the well-being of each of her passengers. Following his phenomenal landing, Sully refused to leave his swamped aircraft until he had helped all his passengers into lifeboats. Tammie Jo Shults is a living example of the "remnant" described in both the Old and New Testaments. These are people of open, unwavering faith in God and His word expressed in the Bible, deeply committed to Christ, driven by a Holy Spirit-empowered passion that all people would know His love, and eager to serve in His name and by His power. Like Captain Shults, wherever they "sit" is a place of witness and ministry. She reminds us who seek to be part of that remnant within contemporary society that we are to bless the swamp we inhabit with fresh air, not hot blasts that only add to the fetid atmosphere around us. The heroic non-believer inspires us on the immanent level with hope in what humans can do when they give their best to a situation. The heroic believer lifts us to the transcendent scale, where hope is not situational, but eternal in the heavens, a hope that holds whether the airplane stays aloft or afloat, or not. Wallace Henley is senior associate pastor at Houston's Second Baptist Church, and Chair of Belhaven University's Master of Ministry Leadership degree. He is a former White House and Congressional aide, and co-author of "God and Churchill", with Winston Churchill's great-grandson, Jonathan Sandys. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Sometimes we misinterpret Jesus' familiar call for us to abide in Him found in the 15th chapter of the Gospel according to John. Abiding seems like a tranquil, passive, resting sort of call. And it is, in some respects. Jesus repeatedly calls us to this rest, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). We expect this rest though, in all the wrong places at work, at home, with friends, in the world, basically. That's where we get it plainly wrong, and it is the source of much of our frustrations. The rest is in Christ. It is in abiding in Him. Abiding in Him, however, will have precisely the opposite effect in the world, because the world will hate it. The world will use every means necessary to yank your branch from the vine as quickly and painfully as possible. "How dare you abide!" it says. Part of the reason is that Jesus called Himself "the true vine" (John 15:1). If the grapevine produces grapes, what shall the "true vine" produce? Exactly. Jesus explained this to His brothers as they pressed Him to go to Judea and "show [him]self to the world" (John 7:4). Jesus replies, in part, that the world, "hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil" (John 7:7). Truth has that type of explosive effect on the world. The darkness hates (absolutely despises) the light. This was, of course, demonstrated by Jesus' life. He said, "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God," (John 3:19-21). So there is definitely a cost, in human terms, to abiding in Christ. In many parts of the world, it can cost you your freedom or your very life. But the hostility is ready to burst even here in the United States where liberal forces continue to press Christians because of their faith and belief in Scripture's teachings. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) recently attacked Russell Vought, President Trump's nominees to be the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, because he shared the Gospel at his Christian college, calling all Muslims to believe in Christ in order to be saved. The Gospel is Islamophobic according to Sen. Sanders. In Sen. Sanders' judgement, Mr. Vought's hateful beliefs (the Gospel of Jesus Christ!) disqualify him from public service. Seventh Circuit nominee Judge Amy Barrett was also attacked by several senators, including Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-California) and former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota), among others, because of her faith. Barrett, a Catholic, believes all people (including those in the womb) are created in the image of God and deserve our love and respect. This is heresy for the radical left. You must support the killing of the unborn, or you will pay a price. The unborn's intrinsic value is a truth that the darkness will not tolerate. You should not be allowed to earn a living. Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), considered by many a potential presidential candidate for the Democrat Party, most recently went after President Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. He was enraged by Pompeo's comments about marriage and sexuality. Again, if you abide in Christ and believe His words about sexual relations, you will be hated. You will be attacked. You will not be welcomed by the darkness. We could keep going. District court nominee Wendy Vitter also endured this discrimination because of her religious views recently. These are not isolated incidents, but a troubling pattern of discrimination that should be opposed by all. Of course, none of this should surprise us. Jesus explained it later on in that passage in John 15, "If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you," (John 15:19). But we must not be deterred. This light, this truth that is so uncomfortable to the world is the fruit of abiding. And this is what we must do. Two glorious truths are exposed as a result of our endurance. Jesus tells us in verse 8: "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." So first, God is glorified; and second, this is how we know we are His. Nothing is more precious than those two things. Let us be encouraged through it all, then. Let us love and endure in obedience, spreading this truth and light, bearing the fruits of love, in all humility and grace, to the glory of God, until His return. Amen. Mario Diaz, Esq., serves as Concerned Women for America's Legal Counsel and leads CWA's Legal Studies Department. Mr. Diaz is a Constitutional Law expert who focuses on cases and legislation dealing with CWA's core issues: religious liberty, sanctity of human life, defense of the family, sexual exploitation, education, national sovereignty, and support for Israel. He directs CWA's amicus briefs and our work on judicial nominations and against judicial activism. Mr. Diaz is the author of Be Spent: Winning the Fight for Freedom's Survival. His columns are regularly featured in several media outlets, including The Washington Times, The Christian Post, Human Events, First Things, The Blaze, American Thinker, CNS NewsBarbwire, WorldNetDaily, Townhall and other outlets, as requested. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Time's annual list of the world's one hundred most influential people has been published. Forty-five women are on the list, more than ever before. As the magazine notes, one of them is New Zealand's new prime minister, the youngest female head of government on the planet. A wide variety of ethnicities and nationalities are represented as well. It is encouraging to see this cultural icon honor our national commitment to "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" for all people. The news reminds us each day that while we have come a long way, we have a long way to go. Starbucks, the Olympics, and two universities Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson appeared on ABC's Good Morning America yesterday. After they were arrested for trespassing last week at a Philadelphia Starbucks, their story made national news. On Monday, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson apologized to the men. The store employee who called 911 is no longer with the company. Starbucks plans to close its 8,000 company-owned stores in the US for an afternoon in May to teach workers about racial bias. The training will be provided to about 175,000 employees. In another story making headlines, Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney has told Dateline that the USA Gymnastics team doctor used food to manipulate her. She said she was molested by him hundreds of times. Earlier this week, Syracuse University suspended an engineering fraternity. According to the university's chancellor, footage surfaced of members speaking and acting in ways "that are extremely racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist and hostile to people with disabilities." Last week, a fraternity at California Polytechnic State University was sanctioned by its national organization after students dressed as gang members, including one in blackface. The university's dean of students stated that "racism and hate are unwelcome here, in any form." Where we agree with our culture As I noted this past Tuesday, our cultural forefathers in the Greco-Roman world separated the "spiritual" from the "secular" and did their "religious" duty so the gods would give them what they wanted. We've added to their syncretism the postmodern claim that all truth is personal and subjective. The Bible has become a diary of religious experience, considered by many to be no more authoritative than any other book. Consequently, most of the moral commitments embraced by our culture are clearly contrary to biblical truth. From abortion to same-sex marriage to gender confusion to euthanasia, it's obvious that our society is on a descending road into spiritual and ethical darkness. One value embraced in America today does align with biblical truth: our shared commitment to equality for women and ethnic minorities. Christians should be just as outraged as secular Americans by stories of sexual assault and discrimination. We should be just as angered as secular citizens by stories of racial prejudice. But even here, our motives are quite different. Why we disagree with our culture As noted, American culture has embraced an ethos of tolerance, claiming that all truth claims are equally valued and relevant. Thus, all races and genders are equally valued. Tragically, this truth claim has been extended to validate marriage regardless of gender and the "rights" of women to the exclusion of the rights of the preborn. By contrast, Christians embrace an ethos built on the sanctity of all life. We know that all people, regardless of race or gender, are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Now "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). Our commitment to the sanctity of life leads us to embrace racial and gender equality. But it also leads us to defend life from conception to natural death and to defend marriage and gender identity as intended by our Creator. Reflecting heaven on earth Here's one practical consequence of this commitment: churches and Christian organizations should set the standard for including women and racial minorities in our communities and ministries. Acts 13 names five leaders of the church at Antioch. The first, Barnabas, was a wealthy Jew from Cyprus. The second was "Simeon who was called Niger"; "niger" is Latin for "black," indicating that he likely came from Africa. So did the third person named "Lucius of Cyrene." The fourth, "Manean a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch," was closely identified with the son of Herod the Great. The fifth, Saul, was a former Pharisee from Tarsus. Can you imagine a more diverse group? In addition, the first witnesses to the resurrection were women (Luke 24:1-10). The first European convert to Christianity was a woman (Acts 16:14-15). Among the leaders of early Christianity were Phoebe (Romans 16:1-2), Priscilla (v. 3), and Junia (v. 7). In heaven, we will gather with people "from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages" (Revelation 7:9). What will you do to help your congregation on earth reflect your congregation in heaven? 66 U.S. senators sign letter asking Turkey to release Pastor Andrew Brunson, who is on trial under terror & espionage charges A total of 66 U.S. senators have asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to release Pastor Andrew Brunson, who is undergoing trial in Turkey on charges of espionage and links to terror groups. In the letter to Erdogan, the lawmakers, led by Sens. Thom Tillis and Jeanne Shaheen, stressed that they support efforts to maintain cooperation between the U.S. and Turkish law enforcement. "However, we are deeply disturbed that the Turkish government has gone beyond legitimate action against the coup plotters to undermine Turkey's own rule of law and democratic traditions," the letter stated. The letter, signed by 43 Republicans and 23 Democrats, warned that the U.S. may decide to take unspecified measures" to ensure that Turkish government "respects the rights" of U.S. citizens to remain in Turkey without fear of being persecuted. Brunson, who has led a small church in Izmir for more than 20 years, is facing up to 15 years in prison for links with the Gulen movement and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, and an additional 20 years for obtaining state secrets. The pastor has denied all allegations during a hearing last week. The indictment against Brunson was reportedly based on a mysterious testimony from a secret witness. In a separate statement, Shaheen and Sen. James Lankford said that they would back efforts to sanction Turkish officials who were involved in the detainment of Brunson. On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed support for Brunson by denouncing the espionage charges against him. "Pastor Andrew Brunson, a fine gentleman and Christian leader in the United States, is on trial and being persecuted in Turkey for no reason. They call him a spy, but I am more a spy than he is. Hopefully he will be allowed to come home to his beautiful family where he belongs!" Trump said in a tweet. Rights advocates have contended that Turkey is just using the charges against Brunson to force the U.S. to extradite Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who was accused of instigating the failed July 2016 coup against Erdogan's government. On Saturday, Erdogan said that the U.S. must extradite Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, before Brunson can be released. "The US is behind [Gulen]," Erdogan said, according to Sputnik News. "[I]f you want Brunson, look at the steps you have taken in the past. Why don't you deport this man in accordance with the extradition treaty?" Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has stated recently that it is convinced that there is no "credible evidence" to convict Brunson. Alfie Evans: European court rejects case as protesters storm hospital The parents of 23-month-old Alfie Evans have lost their latest legal battle after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected their appeal as 'inadmissible'. Tom Evans, 21, and mother Kate James, 20, from Liverpool, took their case to the ECHR after the UK Supreme Court rejected their bid on Friday. Meanwhile supporters tried to storm Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool where Alfie is being treated on Monday. After a stand-off with police, who formed a line to block the entrance, the protesters retreated to chant 'Save Alfie Evans'. Doctors unanimously agree that 'there is no hope of his [Alfie's] ever getting better' and 'almost all of his brain has been destroyed', the Supreme Court said on Friday. The judges have approved the hospital's plan to remove the ventilation which is keeping him alive, allowing him to die naturally. However his parents insist there is a chance of recovery and want to take him to the Vatican-run Bambino Gesu hospital in Rome. Mr Evans met Pope Francis on Wednesday morning this week with the pontiff offering prayers and support. A ECHR spokesman said on Monday: 'The European court of human rights has rejected the application submitted by the family of Alfie Evans as inadmissible.' The couple have now lost cases in the High Court, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights with judges have concluding that further treatment would be futile and not in Alfie's 'best interest'. In what appears to be the end of the road for his parents' battle, the Supreme Court's Lady Hale, Lord Kerr and Lord Wilson, reiterated on Friday that 'parental rights are not absolute'. 'As we explained in our earlier decision in this case, the best interests of the child are the "gold standard" which is not only adopted by our law but also reflects the international standards to which this country is committed. 'It is therefore clear law that the parents do not have the right to use the writ of habeas corpus to acquire the custody of their child if this will not be in his best interests.' Barbara Bush's granddaughters cite Bible passages during her funeral Former first lady Barbara Bush lived her life dedicated to Jesus Christ, so as she was laid to rest at her husband's presidential library in Texas on Saturday, it was only fitting that attendees cited scripture to say goodbye to her. Her granddaughters offered moving passages from Ecclesiastes, Proverbs and Corinthians. "For everthing there is a season," began Elizabeth Dwen Andrews from Ecclesiastes 3:1-14. Her other granddaughters, Noelle Lucila Bush, Jenna Bush Hager, Marshall Lloyd Bush Rossi, Nancy LeBlond Sosa, Ashley Walker Bush and Georgia Grace Koch, all read from Proverbs 31:10-31. Jenna, who is the daughter of former president George W. Bush, had to fight tears from flowing as she cited her part of the scripture. The tribute ended when Barbara Pierce Bush read from II Corinthians: 4:16-5:9. Even as she faced death, her son Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida, said that his mother showcased her deep love for God. "We learned to strive to be genuine and authentic by the best role model in the world," Bush said of his mother. During his last visit with her, Jeb even asked her about her feelings on death. "Jeb, I believe in Jesus and He [is] my Savior," she told him. "I don't want to leave your dad but I know I'll be in a beautiful place." Barbara Bush is the second woman in U.S. history to have a husband and son both elected as President. She died last Tuesday at the age of 92 at her home in Houston. Her death came after she battled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure. After a series of hospitalizations, Barbara said no to seeking additional medical help. 'Black Panther' actress Letitia Wright says 'Star Wars' actor John Boyega has the force of the Holy Spirit "Black Panther" actress Letitia Wright, who is a Christian, recently gave a shout out to her friend "Star Wars" actor John Boyega on social media. The two met several years ago in a London acting school and got to know each other well because they shared the same beliefs in God. In a post on Twitter, Wright shared a gif of Boyega holding the light saber from his famous blockbuster movie. She captioned the image, "The Holy Spirit is strong with this one," alluding to Boyega's faith. Boyega recently talked about his friendship with Wright in an interview with The Grio. He shared that when they were still both taking classes at London's Identity School of Acting, he and Wright would sit together to talk about God in between breaks or after classes. "We would speak about our spirituality, our relationship with God, prayer, and various other things," Boyega shared. Boyega is a minister's son who was exposed to religion early in his life. His father wanted him to become a preacher but then relented to his son's wishes of becoming an actor with the condition that he didn't get into trouble. The actor credits his faith for his successful career although he admitted he first thought that all he would get was acting jobs on faith-based movies because of his background. Aside from "Star Wars," Boyega will also appear in the follow-up movie to the blockbuster franchise "Pacific Rim: Uprising." He also starred in the top rating television series "24: Live Another Day." you can't try to be sneaky with me. The Holy Spirit is strong with this one pic.twitter.com/67cwcZT4EA Letitia Wright (@letitiawright) April 20, 2018 Wright, on the other hand, admitted in an interview with Vanity Fair that she found her faith after struggling with depression. She took some time off from acting and gave up a chance to star with Nicole Kidman in a movie as she immersed herself in learning about Jesus Christ. Now, Wright is using her star power as a platform to talk about her love for God and she's not afraid to do this even in secular Hollywood. She said: "Everybody has their thing that they're truthful about. My thing is just a love of God." Wright will be seen next on the big screen with another Christian actor, Chris Pratt, in the highly anticipated film "Avengers 3: Infinity War," which opens in theaters this April. Former Columbine High School principal says he only survived massacre through God's grace to DeAngelis, who was 43 when the massacre occurred on April 20, 1999, recounted his near-brush with one of the shooters while he was leading some students away from the shooting site. The principal had just run out into the hallway after hearing a report of gunfire when he saw some female students walking toward him, seemingly oblivious to what was happening ahead of them. He recalled that he tried to lead them toward the gymnasium where they could lock the doors, but they were not able to get in because the doors were already locked. "Girls were screaming, the gunman was firing shots and he was getting closer. I go to open the door and it's locked. I had 35 keys on a key ring and I reached in my pocket and I pulled out a key and it was a key that opened the door on the first try," DeAngelis narrated, as reported by The Christian Post. "It was not a specially marked key, it wasn't larger or anything. I just reached into my pocket, first try, and I really believe it was divine intervention. If I would have had to fumble around to find the key there's a good chance the girls and I probably would have died that day," he continued. DeAngelis said that he had a hard time walking back into the schol after the massacre, but a counselor who was a member of his parish provided him with the spiritual and mental support he needed to deal with the tragedy. The principal said that it was traumatizing and depressing in the first few weeks, but remembering what the students were like when they were still alive gave him the motivation to return to the school. He said that family and friends had advised him to transfer to another school, but the pastor at his parish, Fr. Ken Leone, encouraged him to stay and help rebuild the community. DeAngelis, who stayed as principal at Columbine until 2014, is now talking with other principals of schools where mass shootings have taken place. According to The Christian Post, he has been speaking with Patricia Greer, the principal at Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky, where two students were killed and 18 were wounded in a shooting incident on Jan. 23. On Thursday, DeAngelis read the names of the 13 Columbine victims during a rally at Clement Park near the school. The rally was attended by 58 students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, where a mass shooting resulted in the deaths of 17 students. How to fight doubt when you question your faith Have you ever come to a point where you started questioning your faith? Are you questioning it now? Or do you know someone who is struggling with doubts at the moment? Christians can also suffer from doubts, but if left unanswered, this may lead a Christian to completely abandon his or her faith. But of course, you can't let yourself or your friend just give up without a fight. Check out these ways on how to fight a faith crisis. Ask yourself where this doubt is coming from The thing with doubt is that it comes from a place of uncertainty. You don't have your answer, which is why you doubt. So to be able to get to the root cause of your faith crisis, you need to look into yourself and ask what are the questions that have been bothering you. To be able to remove this doubt, you have to find spiritual comfort, but you can only get that through getting your answers. Everything about God isn't an easy thing to believe, which is why we rely on our faith. But if you can't bring yourself to just simply believe in the Lord without getting your solid answers, then surely, your faith will always dwindle. And just because Christianity is hard to understand doesn't mean that it will be easier to just reject God altogether. If you want to fight for your faith, seek your answers. Talk to your church pastors for clarity and assurance. What will you believe then? It is more understandable for someone to doubt his or her belief because something else makes more sense. However, you'd be surprised to know that there are people who just doubt because they have unresolved questions. Whichever of these two you are, have you asked yourself what else you would believe if you didn't believe in Christianity anymore? And if you have another religion you're interested in, don't you also have questions about it? The truth is, there won't be any other religious belief that you will not doubt, because all religions are based on faith, and relying on faith alone is a hard thing to do. This is why doubt and questions start to get the best of you, especially if you don't have solid faith. Address your expectations While the Bible is filled with stories that teach us a thing or two, you must admit that there are instances where you ask why God allowed this or why it had to happen this way. In your mind, you have these expectations of what things should be. When those expectations are not met, you feel disappointed and disheartened. Doubt stems from these feelings. So if you want to address your doubts, address those ailed expectations first. After that, do some investigating. Most of the time, you can't find the answers alone. Instead, talk to a pastor, your parents, or a spiritual group leader for those answers. If your faith is dwindling and you feel like your unresolved questions are getting the best of you, take a step back and just pray. Pray to God to help through this difficult time. Pray that He removes the burden in your heart. Pray that He gives you people who can help strengthen your faith again. When there's doubt in your heart, the more you should cry out to the Lord and not wander away. Don't be defeated by the devil, breaking your relationship with the Lord is the devil's goal. Islam on Lewis: Why the church should support Muslims' right to build mosques Recently it was announced that the first mosque is about to be built on the Western Isles a bastion of conservative evangelical Calvinism, dominated by the Free Church of Scotland (colloquially and somewhat pejoratively known as 'the Wee Frees'). The press sniffed blood surely this would outrage the Free Church and create civil war? The old headlines 'Wee Free Outrage' were dusted down and in some cases used by the tabloids, broadsheets and broadcast media. And with some justification, because a small breakaway group from the Free Church known as the Free Church Continuing had issued a press statement condemning the proposal. Perhaps it is expecting too much to expect the secular press to keep up with the various smaller Christian denominations. But The Guardian, demonstrating a degree of journalistic integrity, actually did some investigation and produced a more balanced report that included the news that the Free Church supported the right of the Muslims on the island to build their own mosque. Rev James MacIver, minister of the largest church in Stornoway, the main town of the island, is quoted as saying: 'Muslims have always been regarded by the local community as people who've contributed to the local economy and integrated well. I don't remember any animosity towards them. Outsiders may have got the impression that the Christian community here have resisted the mosque, but that's not the case...I have no right to come between someone's conscience and their god...I come at this from the point of view of liberty of conscience, freedom of religion. I don't personally see Islam as the way to salvation, but they have a civil right to a place of worship. I have no right to come between someone's conscience and their god.' Let me declare a personal interest here. I am a minister of the Free Church. I married a woman from Stornoway and know the people involved well. I, like my colleagues, am committed to the Bible as the infallible word of God and I agree with the theology summed up in our subordinate standard of the Westminster Confession of Faith. So what is going on when the Free Church does not oppose the building of a mosque in what was our heartland? Have we gone soft? Given into political correctness? Are we really opposed and just engaged in a game of political spin? Allow me to explain. The Free Church would prefer that there was no need for a mosque to be built in Stornoway, because we would love everyone, including Muslims, to come to a saving knowledge of Christ. But we also believe that there is no coercion in real Christianity and that people have the right to reject, or to worship as they see fit. It is for God to judge, not the State. We defend the freedom to preach the gospel as we also defend the freedom of others. The Christian message is pleading and persuasion, not force and coercion. In a world where religious and secular groups alike are seeking to use the power of the state to impose their beliefs, we must not go the way of the world. The FC has a catholic, Christian, traditional Scottish Reformed view of religious liberty. This is what is at stake for us here. We don't agree with Islam and maintain that Jesus Christ is the only way. But equally we don't believe that our beliefs can be imposed upon other people by denying them the religious liberty that we demand for ourselves. This is not a new position. When one of the early Free Church leaders, Dr Thomas Guthrie, appeared to give evidence before a select committee of the House of Commons in 1847, about the Free Church being granted sites to build churches, he was asked if he would grant a site to any group other than Christians. He said, 'I would grant a site to any man who desired to worship God according to his conscience'. The committee then asked, 'To a Jew, or a Muslim, or even an idolater?' He said, 'Yes, I have no right to stand between a man and his conscience.' This was the position of the Free Church in the 19th century and it still is in the 21st. We live in a world where we are told if we disagree with someone, we are disrespecting them, hurting them or taking them out of their safe space. Apparently people need to be protected from having their views, cultures or lifestyles challenged (unless they are biblical Christians). In many of our secular institutions, having a different view about the fundamental beliefs of the secular elites is considered to be grounds sufficient for banning or excluding from public space. Our society also seems to struggle with the concept that it is possible to have civil disagreement and to support the religious liberties of others. Maybe our society could learn from the church something about what real tolerance, equality and diversity is? Maybe the wider church also has something to learn from this small biblical Presbyterian denomination as well? In the church there are some who seem to think that campaigning against Islam, and giving implicit, if not explicit, support to far right groups, who wish to ban Islam, is somehow the Christian thing to do. It is not. Indeed, it is the very opposite and shows a blasphemous lack of faith in the power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit. If we really wish to see the spread of Islam limited, if we are really concerned about the glory of God and the spread of the gospel, then we need to move away from the fear of Islam (the real Islamophobia) which seeks to prevent Muslims coming to our shores or having freedom of worship when they do. When Thomas Guthrie was asked if supporting the building of mosques would be a deterrence to conversion amongst Muslims, Guthrie answered that he thought refusing permission to build a mosque would be a means of preventing conversion, rather than hindering it. One Muslim was interviewed on the BBC and stated that since coming to the Island of Lewis in the 1950s he had never experienced one incident of racism or Islamophobia. Rather than be surprised that this should happen in the most evangelical church-going area of the UK, we should surely expect that to be the case. In the UK I suspect that the less Christian an area, the more likely you are to get fear of Muslims. It's the secularists who seem to be afraid of everything that does not fit their paradigm. This is illustrated by another story from the Western Isles. Recently there has been a fuss on Lewis about the island's tradition of keeping Sunday special. The failed attempt to change this has been driven by a small group called the Western Isles Secular Society (who were nominated by the National Secular Society for their award of Secularist of the Year). While the militant secularists couldn't contemplate a culture where their views were not the law, the Muslims have been supportive and accepting of local custom. The whole story is another reminder that the world is not as black and white as our soundbite culture portrays it. Thank the Lord that we live in a diverse and multi-coloured culture in which we still have freedom to preach the gospel to all. David Robertson is associate director of Solas CPC in Dundee and minister at St Peter's Free Church. Follow him on Twitter @TheWeeFlea Islamic extremism still a leading source of Christian persecution despite defeat of ISIS, Open Doors warns Christian charity Open Doors has warned that Islamic extremism is still one of the main sources of persecution of Christians across the world despite the defeat of the Islamic State terror group. In an article published last week, Open Doors highlighted the top 10 persecutors of Christians around the world in an effort to "to move us all toward prayer and action." The list, which was not in any particular order, included terror groups such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab and militant Fulani herdsmen among the top persecutors of Christians. Open Doors noted that there had been nearly one million Christians in Iraq a decade ago, but many were driven out by the targeted attacks from ISIS. The Christian organization warned that although ISIS had now been driven out of Iraq and Syria, it is still active in Southeast Asia. Al-Qaeda, under the leadership of Ayman al-Zawahiri, has also been known to target Christian communities throughout the Middle East. The terror group takes advantage of "distracted governments" to carry out its attacks, according to Open Doors. Boko Haram, which is mainly active in Nigeria, has gained notoriety after the group abducted more than 200 girls from a local school. The group has carried out kidnappings, raids, bombings and assassinations as part of its goal to eliminate any Western influence. Another group that persecutes Christian communities in Nigeria is the Hausa-Fulani Muslim Herdsman, according to Open Doors. The predominantly Muslim group has reportedly killed thousands of Christians in Nigeria's Middle Belt area, but their crimes have remained largely unreported by the national media. In Eastern Africa, Christians are under threat from the extremist group al-Shabaab, which is considered by some as the Eastern African version of Al-Qaeda. In Kenya, at least 148 Christian students were killed after al-Shabaab militants carried out an attack on the campus of Garissa University College in 2015. Open Doors listed radical Islam separately as one of the main causes of persecution. "Islamic Oppression is one of the most widely recognized sources of persecution for Christians in the world today and it continues to spread aiming to bring many parts of the world under Sharia law," Open Doors noted. "The movement, which often results in Islamic militancy and persecution of Christians, is expanding in Asia (Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia) and Africa (Egypt, Nigeria, Somalia)," it continued. According to the persecution watchdog, more than 215 million Christians around the world are facing "intimidation, prisoneven deathfor their faith in Jesus Christ." Apart from radical Islam and extremist groups, Open Doors also listed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Hindu nationalists and drug cartels in Colombia and Mexico as major persecutors of Christians. The organization contended that the ultimate enemy behind all the persecution of Christians across the globe "is Satan, who prowls this world as a roaring lion." Open Doors went on to note that "God's kingdom is forcefully advancing, and that in the end, Satan is overthrown and all things are made new." LG V40 ThinQ release date, specs news: V30 successor expected later this year Following the launch of LG V30S ThinQ at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 last February, there have been some speculations regarding the next batch of smartphones coming from LG in 2018. The South Korean tech manufacturer has yet to confirm its plans for the V series, although the latest rumors hint that the V30 successor will be released later this year as the LG V40 ThinQ. Prior to the MWC 2018 event, it was already rumored that LG would announce the V30 follow-up, but the public saw a slightly upgraded version of the original V30 smartphone released in 2017. Some people thought that the LG V40 would be delayed to a 2019 launch, but the latest scoop reveals that the next iteration is finally arriving this year. Per the renowned tech tipster on Twitter, evleaks, the LG V40 will also receive the ThinQ tag, implying that the device will get the same additional features in the V30S ThinQ. As reported by Tech Radar, the V40 ThinQ was codenamed Storm, and the details in connection with its development are mostly kept under wraps in LG's laboratories. However, it is likely that the LG V40 ThinQ will be unveiled in late summer or early autumn, depending on the company's hectic schedule in the coming months. For one, LG is also expected to release the LG G7 ThinQ, which would serve as the company's flagship for 2018. There is also a certain handset called the V35 ThinQ, which is another minor update from the current V30. Last month, it was reported by the South Korean tech publication ET News that LG is indeed working on the V30 successor, and the device is targetted for a late 2018 release, possibly around in September or October. Considering the previous release dates of hardware from the LG V lineup, the V40 smartphone should arrive in late summer. Some people thought that the LG V30S ThinQ could be the last entry to the V series for a while, which puts the fate of the LG V40 ThinQ in question. It is also worth considering that LG is currently experiencing financial shake-ups, which would affect the release of its upcoming devices. With the V30S ThinQ only released a few months ago, it might not be too convenient for LG to release another V series phone this year. Royal baby: Duchess of Cambridge admitted to hospital in 'early stages of labour' The Duchess of Cambridge is in hospital in the early stages of labour, Kensington Palace announced this morning. Kate Middleton travelled with her husband, the Duke of Cambridge, to St Mary's Hospital in central London early on Monday. It is not known whether the baby, who will be fifth in line to the throne, is a boy or a girl. Kate is hoping for a natural birth as she had with her first two children, George and Charlotte. Bookies' favourites for boys' names are Arthur, Philip and Albert, while Victoria, Alice and Mary are the top choices for a princess. All are highly traditional royal names and it is thought the couple will not opt for a more modern option reflecting the Middleton side of the family. The pregnancy was first announced in October and if born today the royal baby would celebrate a birthday on St George's Day. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St. Marys Hospital, Paddington, London earlier this morning in the early stages of labour. The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St. Marys Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge. Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) 23 April 2018 It is highly unlikely the baby, as the third child, would ever accede to the throne. It is yet to happen in the current House of Windsor and the last time it happened was when the third child of George III and Queen Charlotte, William IV, became king and ruled from 1830 to 1837. Under previous rules however, if the baby were a boy he would have leapfrogged over his older sister Charlotte to become fourth in line to the throne. But the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 removed the automatic preference for male offspring, meaning royal children now inherit the throne in strict order of birth. Samsung Galaxy S10 release date, specs rumors: To feature in-display fingerprint scanner Samsung's latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, were only unveiled a few months ago at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018, but the reports are already in regarding the next-generation device. If the rumors are anything to go by, the Samsung Galaxy S10 will boast an in-display fingerprint sensor, a feature that was initially expected to be introduced by the upcoming Galaxy Note 9 this year. According to the South Korean tech news outlet, The Bell, the Samsung Galaxy S10 will be launched in early 2019 with a bunch of flagship-killer features. One of these is the long-rumored in-display fingerprint scanner, although it can be recalled that such feature was promised to be included in the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. The phablet, which will be announced later this year, was believed to sport an optical biometric technology that makes the entire screen panel capable of reading fingerprint signatures. However, there could have been a hiccup in the ongoing development of the in-display fingerprint reader component for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Per Forbes, the South Korean tech giant may need more time to complete the technology, and it is more likely that the feature will be ready by the time of the arrival of 2019 Samsung flagships. The first few devices to receive this feature are the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus, which are reported to sport 5.8-inch and 6.3-inch display, respetively. The Bell has tipped that at least three tech manufacturers are working together to develop Samsung Galaxy S10's in-display fingerprint reader technology, the US-based companies, Qualcomm and Synaptics, and Aegis Tech from Taiwan. Interestingly, these companies are not only focused on an under-screen fingerprint scanner, as the Galaxy S10 could also feature a 3D camera sensing technology that resembles the Face ID system of Apple's iPhone X. It should be noted that the Galaxy S10 moniker for Samsung's 2019 flagship device is not yet final, as the company may begin to adapt a new naming scheme for its smartphone lineup after the Galaxy S9. Some reports suggest that the Galaxy S9 successor will be called the Galaxy X instead, although the name was already reserved for Samsung's very first foldable handset. There is nothing to celebrate this St George's Day: Englishness has become toxic It is, perhaps, ironical that the major church memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields marking the 25th anniversary of the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence today, falls on St George's Day. But the twist of fate provides a chance to explore some related issues. And certainly issues around what the subsequent Macpherson report called 'institutional racism' in the police are very much still alive today, as the archbishop of York, John Sentamu, pointed out yesterday. I vividly remember news of the unprovoked killing in Eltham and, like so many others, I became gripped by the anti-racist cause as a result (not to mention that of police racism specifically and lack of police accountability, on which I would much later write a New Statesman cover story). And watching the superb, three-part BBC documentary Stephen Lawrence: The Murder That Changed A Nation in recent days, you cannot help but shed a tear again over the ordeal of Stephen and his parents Doreen and Neville whose courageous fight for justice against allegedly corrupt Met force officers finally resulted in the imprisonment of two of the five murderers. But has the nation really changed, and what do we mean by nation anyway? As the campaigning MP David Lammy told Christian Today last week in the wake of the Windrush scandal which itself tells us so much about a regressive culture in government: 'Of course [black] people are British they are British subjects but, are they allowed also to be English? Or is Englishness confined to ethnicity and a racial definition?' He went on: 'In a post-Brexit environment there are elements in the country who want to define being British or English as a white Anglo-Saxon background.' I've written here before how, for these reasons, I'm among the many who consider myself British but not English, in the context of the threat of Scottish independence which would render me without an identity. That's partly why I'm a passionate Anglo-Scottish UK Unionist, but I'm also, as I said in that article, the son of a Canadian mother who has recently described to me how upset she was when she herself fell victim to a mild form of Windrush-style harassment at the hands of the Home Office. Having come here in 1964 aged 18 under Commonwealth entitlements and without the need for a British passport, and after decades of tax-paying as a publisher, she was suddenly accosted by an immigration official at Heathrow almost 40 years later, in 2005, when returning from a book fair in Frankfurt, and told she was not entitled to return. Eventually her passport was stamped with a two-month visa and 'no recourse to public funds', and it was only after proving that she had married a British citizen, along with multiple payments, that she was allowed to stay. Like many immigrants, my mother may now be British but she is not English. And now, the liberal notion of Britishness is itself under unprecedented threat from the break-up of the UK and an English nation apparently turning in on itself in the face of Brexit. There are merciful glimmers of hope. That Prince Harry, who in 2005 caused outrage when he wore a Nazi uniform to a fancy-dress party, will be attending the Stephen Lawrence memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Field church in London later today, is a welcome and rather moving sign of progress. But twenty-five years after the brutal murder and the subsequent, catastrophic police investigation, this nation, whatever that may mean, has not really changed so much, on race, on policing or on integration. Sorry, but Englishness has become a toxic concept and I for one won't be celebrating today. What can we learn from a young king named Joash? The Bible presents various accounts to us that we may learn from them. One such account tells us of the story of a king named Joash. Who is he and what can we learn from him? Before proceeding, however, it will be good for us to know that we will specifically talk about King Joash of Judah, not King Joash of Israel. These two are different from each other. We'll focus on the former, not the latter. Who is King Joash? Joash, king of Judah, was the youngest king in Biblical human history. He was the surviving son of Ahaziah and became king when he was seven years old (see 2 Kings 11:2). He merely "survived" because at the time a wicked queen mother, Athaliah (who is actually the mother of Ahaziah), was killing all the possible heirs to the throne. He was rescued along with his nurse, was taken to the temple, and was hidden there for six years. Upon reaching his seventh year, the priest who was in-charge of the temple at the time, Jehoiada, made a covenant with the people to have Joash anointed and installed as king over Judah. Athaliah became furious at how the people had rejoiced at Joash's anointing as king over Judah, but her shouting of "treason! Treason!" had an end -- Jehoiada instructed some guards to capture her and slay her. Joash was indeed very young when he became king, but thankfully he had Jehoiada to guide him. The Bible records that during his reign, while Jehoiada was alive and beside him to counsel him, he did what was right in God's sight: "In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him." (2 Kings 12:1-2) 2 Kings 12 tells us of Joash's most remarkable achievement during his reign: he rebuilt the temple. He gathered money from the people so that the temple could rebuilt, but the Levites did not rebuild the temple as soon as the funds arrive. Joash had to command them to work on it. While Joash rebuilt the temple, however, he did not tear down all the "high places" where the people worshipped and sacrificed to other gods (see 2 Kings 12:3). These remained as Joash focused on the temple. Soon Jehoiada grew old and died. Joash used to receive counsel and instruction from Jehoiada, but soon after his death Joash started listening to the wrong people. Their words drew Joash away from God. "Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king. And the king listened to them. Therefore they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served wooden images and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass." (2 Chronicles 24:17-18). Later on we read that Joash would forsake the Lord. This is a very tragic point in his life. Now what can we learn from Joash? Here are a few. 1) God can call anyone from any age to fulfill His purpose There's no such thing as an age limit or requirement with God. If He can install a seven-year-old kid to the throne of Israel, then He can use any of us to fulfill His purposes. 2) Godly teachers can only teach us what we want to receive. At the start of Joash's reign, Jehoiada the priest "made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, that they should be the Lord's people, and also between the king and the people" (see 2 Kings 11:17). Joash was off to a great start: he had a God-fearing priest teaching and guiding him. Joash, however, did not grow mature as he should have. While he did what was right in God's sight while Jehoiada was still alive, he did what displeased God soon after Jehoiada's death. It was as if he had learned nothing from the God-fearing man who was beside him for a long time. God even sent a prophet to warn him of his error, but he wouldn't relent; he even killed Jehoiada's own son (see 2 Chronicles 24:17-22). Our growth in God is not totally dependent on the mentors that we have. Even if we have the most God-fearing and anointed of pastors or ministers teaching us, we can still make the wrong choices and become a people that we shouldn't be. 3) We must be careful with our company and desires Joash had good company in Jehoiada, but after the latter's death he had bad company. Sadly, he listened to them and forgot all that Jehoiada had taught him. We must be careful in choosing who to listen to, who to be friends with. They will always influence us no matter how much we try to say they won't. The connection between synthetic biology research and pixel artwork has finally been found here in Houston. This combination, which both require the meticulous study of small objects, was made thanks to Ronan O'Connell, a Rice University doctorate student working in the Bioengineering Department's Bashor Lab. Since opening in January, the lab designs and uses DNA to change the way cells behave with the long-term goals of reprograming cells to act as living therapeutics that, when deployed in a patient, can be used to treat diseases like cancer, diabetes, or Alzheimer's, O'Connell told Chron.com over email. DRINK UP: Houston's Saint Arnold Brewing Company just named a new beer after a 3-year-old Reddit comment Along with the new lab came a new website that O'Connell wanted a piece of animated pixel of art to adorn. That's where German artist Lennart Butz came in. "My adviser Caleb Bashor and I have always been a fans of 16-bit video games, so when we spoke about designing the website we were eager to make pixel artwork a central element. We went through Tumblr looking for talented pixel artists one day and came across Lennsan's page,"O'Connell said. "He was continually able to take busy, energetic scenes and make them clean and bright. We had the Houston skyline in mind from the start as a component of our page, and when we saw some of Lennsan's landscape pieces we knew he was our guy." Butz has been a fixture on Tumblr for more than three years. Having never been to Houston before, Butz used a photo from the Wikipedia page "List of tallest buildings in Houston" as inspiration for his piece. "Pixelart has it's own unique quirks as well, the simplicity (and challenge that comes from that) is definitely something that pulls in a lot of people," Butz told Chron.com over Skype. "Due to that simplicity, it's also relatively simple to animate whatever piece you made, if you know what you're doing, of course - animation principles/rules still apply. It's incredible what can be conveyed by just a few pixels moving. I personally think the animated nature of pixelart is its most intriguing feature, it really brings the scenes to life and helps to keep attention." In the end, it took Butz nearly 45 hours to create the Houston skyline. About half that time was spent bringing his illustration to life as a GIF. All of that effort was well worth it. Butz posted a GIF of the skyline on Reddit's r/Houston community where it has become the most popular piece of content this month. "This is probably my favorite pieces of art for my favorite city in the world. Please take my upvote, and my vote for Mayor of Houston," Reddit user dmdarusman commented. Fernando Alfonso III is a digital reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @fernalfonso. PASADENA, Calif. Spanish actor Antonio Banderas loves a mystery. And he couldnt find a puzzle more suited to him than his latest project. Banderas is playing artist Pablo Picasso in National Geographics 10-part continuation of its Genius series, airing at 8 p.m. Tuesday. We are talking about an extraordinary, capable, skillful guy, says Banderas. His personal life is perfect to dramatize because its very complex. For me, its a mystery. And I am not trying to unplug the mystery. Actually, I love to be part of it, and probably at the end of the show, we are not going to have an explanation of why he did this or that, or he didnt do this, or he didnt say that. We are going to continue being in that mystery. But that is the point. That is the point of his extraordinary art. That is actually what makes the whole entire project, for me, unbelievably exciting he says. Banderas, who goes gray and bald for the role, says conjuring such a vivid portrayal isnt a one-man job. You do the character with all the forces human forces that you have around, and those are fellow actors, and those are the makeup artists, and they are the cinematographer and directors, and everybody who is involved. We are in the same boat trying to get to the same objective and do the same thing . It has been one of the most extraordinary, exciting projects that I have ever done in my life. Not only does he share a Spanish heritage with Picasso, he was also born in Malaga, the same town as the celebrated artist. Picasso has been a very important figure in my life, says the 57-year-old. You have to think when I was going to school, when I was a little kid with the hand of my mother, we always cross in front of Picassos house where Picasso was born. And I am talking about a time in Spain in which we didnt have too many international heroes. So Picasso trespassed that barrier at a time in which we were pretty much isolated by the dictatorship that we were living in with Francisco Franco in power, he recalls. He was bigger than Franco, and his shadow was coming to Spain. So I grew up with this projection of this huge artist who was capable to actually make the people all around the world fall in love with his art, and he was (from) my hometown, and I was able to just see the house where he was born. That was very important for me. Actually, Banderas, who was so memorable in films like The Mask of Zorro, Desperado and four Spy Kids movies, has been offered the role of Picasso several times before. He always turned them down. Now, he says, the timing was ideal. I said no before because it was a big sense of responsibility that it came to me that are, for whatever reason, I didnt want to accept in other times of my life. But this is the right time. It came with great scripts, with seriousness, with National Geographic, which was giving the whole entire project all the facts that we needed to create the complexity of a character like this, so thats what we are doing. More Information 'Genius' When: 8 p.m. Tuesday Network: National Georgraphic channel See More Collapse When Banderas first arrived in the United States, he was already a big star in the Latin community and had made five movies with well-known director Pedro Almodovar. When I came to America, I didnt have in the mind the idea of developing a career in America, he says. In fact, I went back to Spain and worked awhile there. Then I started going back and forth. Then Melanie (Griffith, who became his second wife) came along. She had two kids. They had fathers. Somebody had to make a decision. I didnt like the idea of having the kids travel 50,000 miles, all around the world in 10 weeks, so thats why I moved to America. It was more a personal reason than a professional. Banderas self-deprecating charisma soon attracted such avid attention in the States that he became the darling of the fanzines and paparazzi. But hes not interested in being a one-note celebrity. Joking, he describes his days as limos, very expensive suits and champagne every morning. I dont believe in the parallel lives of being an actor, he sighs. What I believe in is just what I was searching for many years, and it starts when someone is telling you action and when someone is telling you cut. Thats the point. Thats what Ive been working my whole life to be in. All these parallel lives, this is a dangerous lie, he says. If you play that game, and you want to appear a star 24 hours a day, first you have to be brilliant. And to be brilliant 24 hours a day is work. And I am not brilliant 24 hours a day. Fiennes returns to Handmaids Tale The Handmaids Tale returns to Hulu Wednesday, a further look at the fascinating dystopian society. Joseph Fiennes, who co-stars as Fred Waterford, the head of the household where Offred is a housemaid, recalls when he was a kid in his native England, he had no thought about acting. I was very outdoors, very outgoing, into the physical life. And I guess the earliest point that I can recollect acting taking hold of me although I did plays at school was probably at primary school when I was 7 or 8, maybe 9. And the teacher cast the play Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and she very sweetly cast me as Joseph. I thought, Im called Joseph, and hes called Joseph, this is meant to be! April 24, 1913 The Crighton Drug Company that recently bought the Corner Drug Store stock, moved to the north room in the West Building. H.M Crighton was in charge of the business. He went on to become a very successful mayor in the 1930s in Conroe. April 26, 1917 The S.S. Mongolia reportedly fired the first gun of World War I and sunk a German submarine. April 25, 1919 Rev. J.B. Nutter of Conroe conducted Easter services at the Methodist Church. April 25, 1919 Following fires at two homes in Conroe, The Courier questioned when would improvements be made to Conroe's water system? April 23, 1920 W. B. Browder, chairman of the Democratic Executive committee in Conroe, called voters to the Conroe courthouse lawn to elect three delegates to the state convention that would decide if Texas Democrats would endorse President Woodrow Wilson. April 22, 1932 A tea room opened in Conroe - the Ye Colonial Tea Room was located on the Conroe-Dallas Highway around the corner from First National Bank. They planned to cater to bridge parties and dinner parties. April 25, 1946 Reagan Smith, pulpwood contractor, was appointed to a three-year term for the East Texas Chamber of Commerce. He followed F.W. Woodson who retired as a director for District 6. April 22, 1970 A giant crane was pictured on the front of The Courier as it constructed the Lake Conroe dam. April 22, 1976 Conroe Police Chief Arlie Ellisor discussed security preparations in advance of President Gerald Ford's visit to Conroe in late April 1976. Deputy Constable Christopher Gaines gave a firsthand account Monday of the day he was injured in a shootout with an Atascocita resident, in his first public comments since the April 17 incident. Gaines said he was hit with eight pellets that pierced his legs and genitals during the shootout. Accompanied by his wife, mother, brother and 4-year-old daughter, the two-year Harris County deputy constable said Monday that he is estimated to recover over a period of six to eight weeks. Gaines held a press conference at the Harris County Sheriff's Office's Humble location. According to Gaines, suspect Wesley Adam Smith, 31, was about 12 feet away when Smith shot Gaines. After the bullets began to fly, Gaines said his main focus was to stay alive. God had a hand in every single piece of the machine that contributed to me making it. I mean honestly the way the pellets are close to my femoral artery, you just twisting that shotgun shell could be the difference of me being alive or dead, Gaines said. Gaines was one of four deputies who exchanged gunfire with Smith. Deputy Monisoye Faniyi received multiple stitches after he was grazed by shotgun pellets, officials said. Smith is facing four charges of aggravated assault against a public servant, according to court records from the Harris CountyDistrict Clerk's Office. Smith remains in jail on a $50,000 bond. He could face five to 99 years or life for each charge, the Harris County District Attorney's Office said in a statement. Gaines said deputies were called at about 2:30 a.m. to Saratoga Woods Lane about a possible suicidal person. Gaines said Smith had called a suicide hotline and described feelings of depression, because he had to have his dog euthanized earlier that day after it bit him. Smith was allegedly using Valium, a drug that treats muscle spasms, anxiety and seizures, and had been been drinking whiskey, according to the deputy constables. The night of the shootout, Gaines said he and another deputy approached the duplex Smith was in, trying to determine if there was anyone in the residence at all. The only indication of someone in the residence was a light turning on and off in the backyard. Because of the design of the duplex it was hard for deputies to position themselves to avoid gunshots. The layout of the house was giving me and the other deputy that was with me at the time when everything went down; I mean it was just a horrible setup, one of the worst kinds of buildings that a cop can approach and have the need to knock on the door, Gaines said. Gaines and other deputies were able to hear Smith pacing down the stairs and yelling at someone on the phone. I didnt hear his words exactly but he was upset that someone was knocking on the door, Gaines said. He came out really aggressive at that point. When Gaines saw the weapon in Smiths hands, he was worried for the safety of his fellow deputies and any possible civilians around. I was worried for (Smith). I was worried for us. I was worried for everybody because thats a dangerous situation for the cops and for (Smith) as well, Gaines said. After he was shot, while deputies and emergency service personnel were trying to comfort him, Gaines said he kept telling them to tell his wife that he loves her. Once on the ambulance he was able to call his wife and tell her what happened. Gaines said she was able to hear the gunshots from the couple's Atascocita-area home. She heard the shots, she texted me Hey are you OK? I want to say I had about 5 or 6 text messages. Obviously I didnt respond, Gaines said. I think it was really really good for her to hear my voice. He was able to call his mother on the phone when he got to the hospital. Gaines has yet to undergo outpatient surgeries to remove remove one of the pellets in the skin of his leg. Im just relieved and excited to make this recovery and get back at it, Gaines said. kaila.contreras@chron.com The Liberty County Sheriffs Office has joined the growing trend across the United States among both small and large law enforcement agencies in establishing an aviation unit and utilizing the new and growing technology of small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ( UAV) for a multitude of assignments. The Unmanned Aerial System ( UAS ) that was put into full operation last week has been placed under the command of the Special Operation Division of the sheriffs office after the agency purchased a Phantom 4 Pro Plus small unmanned aircraft with funds secured through court-awarded confiscated drug money. Sheriff Bobby Rader explained that it has taken several months to get this program up and going. We had to gather the information that was needed to write rules and put together a policy that would address many issues. Once the policy was written, we had Liberty County District Attorney Logan Pickett review it to assure it met all local and state legal requirements. The policy was then given to the Policy and Review Committee of the sheriffs office to be certain the policy would meet all agency requirements, goals and objectives and to assure transparency of the UAV operations, Rader said. The Sheriff went on to say he wanted to make sure the policy would prohibit the violations of anyones privacy rights and, in his opinion, that has been done. Now additional flight training of both pilots and observers will begin. Rader said that the main objectives of this program will be to save lives in the event of a disaster, find lost children and adults and help in the gathering of data needed to investigate a crime scene. The Sheriff believes this system has the ability to take away advantages that a tactical shooter may have in a school or commercial area. The Department of Public Safety already uses a system like this to survey fatal accidents as well as several fire departments across the nation to survey areas where there may be hazardous materials and fires so they may plan their strategy. In November, Deputy Sean Mitchell attended a week-long school presented by the Remote Pilot In Command School in Wichita Falls, Texas, studying for his FAA examination that covered such subjects as aeronautical knowledge, flight characteristics, weather patterns, how to read aeronautical charts, introduction to law enforcement use of small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and a multitude of other FAA related requirements. Upon completion of the school and testing by the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ), Mitchell earned his Remote Pilot Certificate in Part 107 dealing with small unmanned vehicles and is now the pilot in command of the sheriffs new Aviation Unit. Mitchell has already assisted in two high profile cases where photos of the event scene could be critical in a court setting. One was in assisting the DPS in a four-car fatal wreck on SH 321 and another where the path traveled by a child later found drowned was flown to determine characteristics of the scene. The UAV, by FAA regulations, has a height restricted to 400 feet, so in addition to the pilot, there will always be an observer with Dep. Mitchell to help watch for any low-flying aircraft, power lines or other nearby obstructions that could create a flight hazard for the small aircraft. As technology of all kinds continues to move along rapidly in our technical society and more demands are placed upon public service agencies, the growing use of UAVs in modern police work is a natural progression in investigative techniques just as DNA, polygraph examinations, fingerprinting, computers and so many other devices have been, the statement concludes. Hundreds of walkers took to the Tarkington High School track Friday to help in the fight against cancer at the North Liberty County Relay for Life. The theme for 2018 was board games with the different teams displaying classic board game-themed items at their booths such as Monopoly, Connect Four, Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders. According to Relay for Life spokesperson J. Rice, the North Liberty County Relay for Life has raised over $1 million across all of its annual events. Were working on our second million, he said. Rice also discussed how much progress has been made in cancer research, particularly leukemia, which was once akin to a death sentence. Now leukemia is becoming a winnable battle. Your money makes a lot of difference, Rice said. The first lap in Relay for Life events is for cancer survivors, who make their way around the track to commemorate their victories in their battles against cancer. Marilyn Paige, a third grade reading teacher at Tarkington ISD, was diagnosed with colon cancer when she was 38 years old. At Relay for Life, she was counting her blessings. I was lucky enough, fortunate enough to be able to go to MD Anderson, she said. I had surgery and it was on Mothers Day. Paiges battle with cancer left her feeling ill and took her away from work. She finished her battle with cancer in 1998. Ive been cancer-free ever since, she said. Paiges family members also have been impacted by the disease. My sister actually had colon cancer about six years ago, she said. My mother had breast cancer and my grandmother died from stomach cancer. Paige and her mother walk the survivors lap every year at Relay for Life. Another local cancer survivor is Ben Swaney, who says he is dealing with cancerous growths on his body in what he describes as a fight against a pre-cancer. His father died from cancer as it spread throughout his body. After a couple of years he didnt mess with it and it went through his whole body, said Swaney. Swaneys father did not want to take chemotherapy to treat his cancer due to a fear of its effects on the body. He is fighting to keep cancer from popping up and claiming his life as well. Barbara Dickens is a 30-year survivor and has fought breast cancer twice. The first time I had it in 1988, she said. Six years later it came back in the same breast. Dickens has been cancer free since 1994 and has since become involved with the American Cancer Society to help others who are going through their own battles. You cant even imagine what it feels like to hear the words you have cancer, she said. Im a normally a pretty optimistic person but that knocked me off my feet. Dickens says her three inspirations in getting through cancer were her family, God and her martial arts students. They [my students] would say such encouraging things, she said. These encouragements helped Dickens realize she could overcome the challenge. It was a struggle, she said. Its not something you can forget about easily. Despite the impact cancer has had on her life, Dickens has not let it stop her from participating in activities. At the age of 76, she is still teaching Tae Kwon Do to her students. Dickens tells said that people fighting cancer need to find hope, which she represents through the color purple as she wears purple clothing to Relay for Life and even dyes her hair purple. Never give up hope, she said. Hope is my motto. This years Relay for Life raised more than $61,000. This is not a final amount but it is greater than last years total of $55,000. jmcadams@hcnonline.com As your State Representative, I am approached with a wide range of issues on a daily basis. I feel as if it is important to let you know what is happening in and around our district. Through committee testimony and conference presentations this past week, a great focus has been put on our veterans and work on mental health issues. I have also included a brief update on National Guard deployment to our border. I want to give you an update on mental health throughout our state, a recent Land and Resource Management Committee hearing, a committee on which I serve, and the Texas National Guard deploying to our borders. Programs to serve our veterans This past week, as my fellow House Committee members on Land Resource Management and I heard public testimony from the General Land Office (GLO) and the Veterans Land Board (VLB) regarding programs to assist veterans, our thoughts were on those who served with honor. Currently, there are eight Texas State Veterans Homes that provide affordable, long-term nursing care for approximately 900 senior veterans. By spring 2019, the ninth Texas State Veterans Home will be operating out of South Houston. This facility will serve East Texas veterans with a family-style design, offering 120 private rooms and 30 certified Alzheimer units. Like all VLB programs, the Texas State Veterans Homes are self-supporting and cost Texas taxpayers virtually nothing. The VLB also initiated the Voice of Veterans program that seeks to record the stories of Texas veterans for future researchers, historians, genealogists and the general public. Other notable programs that the VLB offers are: reduced interest land and homes loans, and funeral services even for veterans family members. If you'd like to know the eligibility requirements for any of these programs you can contact my office or visit the Texas Veterans Land Board website. Addressing mental health needs Statistics show 3 in 4 Texans have a friend or family member with mental health needs. Issues range from behavioral health and emotional disturbances to substance abuse issues. We cant turn our backs to the issue and pretend it isnt a problem. It is! We see it in our families, homes, schools, places of employment and medical facilities. It is a challenge for law enforcement, our courts and our prisons. Legislative efforts to address mental health needs are ongoing, and progress is being made. An update: This past session, legislation was passed to prevent health insurance companies from offering mental health benefits differently from medical benefits. We are continuing to work to improve early identification and treatment of children with mental illness. And, we also passed legislation which would expedite the process of licensing out-of-state psychiatrists in counties designated as Mental Health Professional Shortage Area (Shortage Area = 30,000 people to 1 psychiatrist). These are important steps, but we have much more work to be done. Last week, I attended the Indigent Healthcare Solutions (IHS) Conference to learn from experts across the state, work with professionals to discuss solutions, and present legislative updates on progress being made on mental health needs. It was good to see constituents from HD 18 at the conference. We have many in our area who are committed to improving services for those in need. National Guard deployed The Texas National Guard has deployed at least 762 personnel along the southwest border of Texas to support surveillance and ground reconnaissance. This number is planned to increase by 300 troops per week until a total of 1,400 troops are deployed. This initial phase of deployment will include command and control, coordination cells, and operational planning as requested. The troops will be armed only for self-defense, and are not tasked with making arrests in regard to border crossings. They will provide support for Customs and Border Patrol entities already on the border and assist in surveillance and reporting. These deployments are being coordinated along with other SW Border States, with a larger contingency to follow in the coming weeks. This deployment supports the priorities of the Governor and the President in securing our borders. I encourage you to contact my office if there are issues you feel need to be addressed. As always, I welcome your input and suggestions. You may reach our office at 936-628-6687 or district18.bailes@house.texas.gov. Three men are on the run Sunday after robbing a Sweet Tomatoes restaurant at gunpoint in northwest Houston. The aggravated robbery was reported about 2:20 p.m., according to Houston police. Three men wearing masks entered the restaurant and put guns to employees' heads, demanding money from the cash register. Coldspring residents near the courthouse square Monday afternoon were surprised to see San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers leading County Judge John Lovett out of the courthouse in handcuffs. Lovett was arrested at 12:23 p.m. after charges stemming from a July 2017 incident went before the grand jury and Lovett was indicted. The grand jury returned a true bill for an indictment against John Lovett on the counts of burglary, tampering with an official government instrument and forgery, Capers said. Forgery is a Class A misdemeanor while the other two charges are state jail felonies, he said. The July 2017 incident that led to charges against Lovett involved the county judge using his master key after hours to enter County Clerk Dawn Wrights office on July 7, according to the indictment. Lovett used Wrights timestamp to approve the July 11 commissioners court agenda, court records show. Lovetts actions tripped a silent alarm that alerted local authorities to Wrights office. Wright called for an investigation into the matter. I believe, if I remember correctly, the time was 5:29 p.m., said Capers regarding the break-in. I think she walked out of the office at 5:15 p.m. In response to the breach of the county clerks office, Lovett, in a July 19 edition of the Eastex Advocate, explained his actions saying, I used my key. I have the authority to go in there. The warrant for Lovetts arrest came from the attorney generals office. With the county judge facing criminal charges, his duties are expected to be handled by San Jacinto Precinct 4 Commissioner Mark Nettuno. As of late Monday, Lovett was released on a personal recognizance bond. jacob.mcadams@chron.com Oscar Hung of the British International School is the winner of the 2018 Katy Bar Association Law Day writing contest. Each year, the Katy Bar Association reviews numerous essays from Katy area students and selects three winners. In addition, the KBA submits the top essay to the State Bar of Texas for its statewide Law Day essay writing contest. There werent many points of dispute between the candidates for Katy City Council during a forum at Cane Islands Amenity Village multi-purpose room. The candidates - the current incumbents and those hoping to fill a fresh seat at City Hall - said growth in Katy is inevitable but must be guided so it doesnt have an adverse impact on the citys livability and backed a proposed $19.5 flood mitigation bond package for the May 5 election. Current at-large city councilman Steve Pierson has been term-limited out of office and seeking to replace him is Larry Gore, owner of Eagle Lake and Katy Prairie Outfitters and a former city councilmember, and Chris Harris, an analyst for the Department of Justice who has served on several boards and committees with the city and the school district. Ward A incumbent Ray Boothe, an insurance executive, is running against retired IT consultant Janet Corte. Retired Harris County Sheriffs Sgt. Sam Pearson is seeking to replace current Ward B councilman Durran Dowdle. State Rep. Mike Schofield, R-Katy, moderated the candidates forum. He told about 25 people in the audience that while national elections may draw more attention, it is local government that often makes more of an impact on someones day-to-day lives. Gore touted several decades worth of experience in the city, including his past service on the council, as a selling point. Ive been there. I know what to do, he said. I will be your voice. I will hold the city accountable. Harris said while he has practical experience on local boards in Katy, a fresh face on the council could bring fresh ideas to local government. I am new to the city council. Its refreshing to have someone new coming to council - thats why we have term limits, Harris said. Calling himself a fiscal conservative, Gore said he supports the flood control bond package but said the funds should be spent responsibly. He cited Katy ISDs new Legacy Stadium complex that cost millions of dollars more than was initially anticipated. There are problems that need to be fixed, Gore said. Like his opponent in the May 5 election, Harris said he supports the flood control bond package. The propositions include storm sewer construction projects and drainage improvements along with improving Katys municipal waterworks and sanitary sewer system. Many of these things were identified before and should have been done before, Harris said. I will propose a citizen bond review after this is done. Ward A incumbent Ray Boothe told the crowd he loves Katy, enjoys serving the community and called himself both a fiscal and social conservative. He acknowledged that congestion is a problem, and said the city could widen some streets to improve traffic. But, he noted that some of the roads in Katy are actually under the jurisdiction of other agencies such as the Texas Department of Transportation. We have very minimal things we can do with them, he said. Recently retired IT consultant Janet Corte, who is hoping to replace Booth as the Ward A council member, said she has been knocking on doors and talking to local residents since throwing her hat in the ring. Corte said most of the complaints about taxes from her potential constituents are from those imposed by the Katy Independent School District rather than the city. She would support keeping the tax rate as it was if that meant solving problems like replacing street lights or fixing a sewer line. We need to look at what the needs of the city are Corte said. What is it they (the city departments) need to get their jobs done? Mayor Pro Tem Durran Dowdle is running for another term in his Ward B seat against retired law enforcement officer Sam Pearson. Each cited their varied experiences in various forms of city government as well as their day-to-day careers to highlight their qualification for office. Dowdle has been on the Katy city council for four years and has several years in construction and management under his belt. In addition to his work as a veteran police investigator, Pearson has experience on the citys planning and zoning commission. Both candidates said financial incentives are necessary tools to draw employers, such as Bocces and Amazon, to Katy to help shift some of the tax burden away from homeowners. While Pearson said city negotiators should ensure they arent giving away too much to attract business, Dowdle said Katy City manager Byron Heberts skills as a negotiator would make sure the city always got a fair deal in any arrangement. Pearson said residents in Stafford are paying little to no municipal taxes because of the citys success in attracting businesses. We want commercial property, he said. I see a future with more growth along I-10 (and) more growth in our industrial area. With its steady growth and location, Katy is in the perfect position for the future, Dowdle said. Whats between us and San Antonio - not much, he said. Whats between us and Austin - not much. mike.glenn@chron.com Members of Houston Mennonite Church will host a grand opening celebration for their new church facility on Saturday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The public is invited to the celebration at the church, located at 1231 Wirt Road. The new facility will provide needed space for church activities and will help accommodate the congregations growing engagement with local community groups. The building was designed to include an abundance of natural light and polished concrete floors. Building design was by Urban Architects of Houston and construction was completed by Sterling Structures of Houston A focal point of the new building is a commissioned art piece created by Betony Coons of Greeley, Colorado. The piece centers on Jesus delivering the Sermon on the Mount and incorporates images representing creation, growth, diversity, new life, and sharing knowledge as well as images specific to Houston along with traditional Mennonite themes of peace, justice and community. Houston Mennonite Church, the Church of the Sermon on the Mount, is affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. The church was established as a church plant of the Western District Conference in 1967. The current pastor is Marty Troyer who has served the congregation since 2008. A collection of more than 30 quilts is expected for this auction. These quilts include both traditional and contemporary designs and a wide variety of sizes from small wall hangings and crib quilts up to and including queen size. Many of the quilts have been quilted by hand the traditional but increasingly rare method of quilting. In addition to quilts made in Texas, quilts have been contributed from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Kansas. Quilts will be on display beginning at 9 a.m. with the auction beginning at noon. Other items on the auction block will include woodworking, needlework, and a variety of other handcrafted and commemorative items. Photos of many of the quilts and other items can be viewed at www.texasreliefsale.org. This event will also feature the sale of a selection of crafts from more than 20 countries through Ten Thousand Villages. These unique handicrafts are made by artisans who typically use traditional materials and techniques. Sale of these useful and decorative items creates jobs and income for tens of thousands of people in developing countries. Other items offered at the sale will include an assortment of baked goods, crafts and needlework by Texas Mennonites, art work, and a variety of cook books and other books from Mennonite publishers. A silent auction will include a variety of donated items and services from local businesses and others. Sale of crafts and baked goods will begin at 9. Lunch will be served, featuring delicious homemade Mexican and Latin American food, beginning at 11 a.m. My Coins Count, a special collection of coins, will be continuing throughout the day. Proceeds of the My Coins Count collection will directly support Mennonite Central Committees support for refugees throughout the world. The majority of the funds raised will be undesignated to be used wherever needed most in MCCs work throughout the world. However, during the auction attendees will have the opportunity to donate toward several specific projects that will be described and highlighted. The Texas Mennonite Sale and Auction for World Relief is one of 45 such events held each year across North America. This event has raised over $900,000 since its inception. Everyone is invited to attend; admission and parking are free. For more information, call (713) 416-4904, visit the web site at www.texasreliefsale.org or Texas Mennonite Sale and Auction on Facebook. Stacey Moe Moore is not your average culinary student, in more ways than one. The non-traditional student, who recently got second place at a culinary competition, has excelled in his schooling, and along the way has unexpectedly stepped into a mentor role. Moore, originally from Chicago, has a background in the Air Force as a policeman. He held that job for 20 years, until he had to retire due to needing therapy for his deployments to Iraq. During that time, he focused on getting better, regrouping himself, and he got married, too. When he was able to return to work, his therapist asked Moore what he wanted to do, and at first he did not know. My therapist realized that I had a passion for cooking. It was there but I didnt really think about it that way. I was 47 years old and I thought I was too old to go to school, Moore said. With a little gentle push from his therapist, Moore enrolled at the Art Institute of Houston as a culinary student. He is scheduled to graduate in October. In the 15 months I have been at school, I realized that this is what I want to do the rest of my life, Moore said. Moore recently entered into the Meal Through the Arts competition in Atlanta. The competition supports No Kid Hungry, a national campaign run by nonprofit Share Our Strength, to solve problems of hunger and poverty. I thought, 50 schools across the country, what are my odds, Moore said. But then one of my chef mentors said I needed to go for it. Moore said that he was both surprised and flattered when he was picked as one as 12 in the canape category. His Qui-licious Quiche Cups recipe was selected. Other categories included salads, entrees and desserts. Moore noted that one of the first things that culinary students work with is eggs, and they learn to make quiche. He admitted that he had never even heard of quiche, and he didnt even like it at first but he liked the concept. He thought he would play around with the recipe a bit because his wife is a big fan of breakfast foods. The Qui-licious Quiche Cups has a bottom layer of shredded potatoes, bacon wrapped around the sides, and the egg base is included with ingredients such as prosciutto, sausage, serrano peppers, spinach and garlic. Moore noted that the competition was not at all what he expected, but in a good way. For it to be a competition, it was so comfortable. Everyone was joking around. Everyone was from different places so no one knew each other but within a few hours, we were all friends, Moore said. According to Moore, everyone was helping each other out and taste testing everyones recipes. Everyone was trying to beat each other, but we were all supportive too, Moore said. Moore ended up coming in second place. The first place winner of each category was awarded a $5,000 tuition scholarship. Moore said that it was bittersweet, but he had already accomplished so much, and he was grateful for that. He plans on entering more competitions in the future. Had I won the scholarship, I had made up my mind that I wanted to give it to one of my competitors. The VA paid for my schooling. Ive heard the stories about how students paychecks go toward paying all the tuition bills. I knew I wanted to help someone else, Moore said. The winning dishes from the Meal Through the Arts competition will be served at Courses Restaurant, the student-run restaurant at the Art Institute of Houston from May-14-18. For every meal purchased during that time, the Art Institutes will make a donation to No Kid Hungry. For me, this whole culinary adventure is not about me. I like doing things for people and that makes me feel good. Knowing that the dishes are going to be sold to give money to No Kid Hungry, that was huge for me, Moore said. Making his way through his courses, Moore has noticed that he has taken on a mentor role. The students have started to call him Grandpa Moe, and he has embraced it. One of the things I am taking from this is that it is never too late. I havent been in school since 1988, but I challenged myself. That whole initial leeriness has turned into a bright future, Moore said. I guess because I am older, and maybe out of respect, people tend to come to me. I do anything I can to help out the next person. Moore is not sure what will happen after he graduates job wise, but he said that feeding people is what makes me happy. rebecca.hazen@chron.com A new Heights wine cafe sits in a historical Houston building and is a great place to enjoy a glass of wine, a beer or a variety of unique menu items. Postino WineCafe opened its first location in Texas on April 11 at Heights Mercantile, located at 642 Yale St., Houston. Heights Mercantile is an urban market that was repurposed from a 1940s-era warehouse at the corner of Yale and 7th streets. Restaurant group Upward Projects founded the first Postino WineCafe in Phoenix in 2001. The name came about because the site of the original location had formerly been a post office. Owners Kris and Craig DeMarco and Lauren and Wyatt Bailey started the brand with the idea of restoring older structures that were important to the communities they had once served. With the opening of the Heights restaurant, there are now eight locations in Arizona, Colorado and Texas. Lauren said what sealed the deal of expanding to Houston was seeing the Heights community and the vision of Heights Mercantile. When we discovered the Heights neighborhood and then the vintage building that used to be a former distribution center for the Pappas family restaurants, it immediately felt like home, Lauren said. We have a love for restoring and revitalizing architecturally relevant buildings as well as having like-minded neighbors, and we certainly found that with Local Foods, Saint Lo Boutique, Warby Parker and more. She said the new cafe is special because of its beverage and food items and its setting that can be enjoyed for a variety of reasons and accessed from a several ways, including by foot or bicycle. What differentiates us is our flexibility in the different ways people can visit us as well as the unique wine and food offerings we have. Our whole goal is to provide a space for people to reconnect with their friends, family or colleagues or even get some work done while enjoying an amazing glass of rose on our tree-lined patio in the heart of the Heights neighborhood, she said. Advanced Sommelier Brent Karlicek joined the Postino team 10 years and has worked on the opening of every new location since. He said he likes how his job allows him to share his love for wine with others. [I enjoy] the opportunity to explore the world through wine and to share that experience with our team and guests, [which] brings great purpose to every day, he said. Everyday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Postino pours $5 glasses of wine from one of its menus more than 30 wines as well as $5 32-ounce pitchers of local beers. It also serves an additional 40 varieties of local and national wines plus proprietary label wines that are all at a range of price points. We love producers that make wines that are fresh, food-friendly and not over extracted, Karlicek said. We want our guests to make connections with the sensory enjoyment and intellectual stimulation that food and beverage can provide. For those who are hungry, Postino serves starters, soups, salads and paninis plus kids items and desserts. Lauren said while she appreciates all the menu items, she particularly loves the several types of bruschetta. The bruschetta is my all-time favorite. I never get tired of it because you can change the toppings depending on your cravings. Some of my standbys are the prosciutto with figs and mascarpone, the spicy pepper jam with goat cheese and the burrata, bacon, tomato and arugula, she said. I also really love our Pub Board, especially with an icy pint of Live Oak Hefeweisen. Karlicek said the staff of Postino WineCafe wants to provide a great space for those in the Heights community and beyond to unwind and have a good time. Were committed to creating a high-energy, low-pretense environmentwhether grabbing a post-work glass of rose on the patio, or catching up with friends over a great bottle of Burgundy, were ready to make your day better, he said. Postino is open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.-midnight, Saturday 9 a.m.-midnight and Sunday 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Brunch is served Saturdays and Sundays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information about Postino WineCafe, visit https://www.postinowinecafe.com/. tracy.maness@hcnonline.com Hundreds of Fort Bend ISD high students left their classrooms Thursday as part of student-led walkout demonstrations held in memory of students who lost their lives to mass shootings in schools. Groups of students stood together for 20 minutes to symbolize their unity with students from around the country who hope to draw attention to the issue of gun violence. Austin High School students posted a message on social media about the walkout: We, students of Fort Bend ISD stand in solidarity with the students of Parkland, Florida. Travis high School students posted a similar social media message: Travis High School students commemorate the lives impacted from school shootings nationwide, while dedicating a moment of silence to the individuals who had fallen and could not get back up. Students from Clements, Dulles, Ridge Point, High Tower, Austin, Travis and Elkins High School were allowed to participate in the 20-minute demonstration by administrators as long as the walkout didnt last more than 20 minutes and occurred on campus. In a a letter to parents, administrators wrote: Fort Bend ISD believes the student voice, and as part of the FBISD profile of a graduate encourages the development of leadership and citizenship which includes advocacy for themselves and others. With that said, it is also important that any campus demonstration remain organized, peaceful and non-disruptive, as safety is always the upmost concern. The walkouts were organized as part of a nationwide student-led walkout planned Friday to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings to honor victims of gun violence and to encourage students to vote, organizers said. According to Fort Bend ISD spokesperson Amanda Bubela, school officials saw the demonstrations as learning opportunities. In last couple of months, our campus principals have continued to work with students to ensure that students have been able to play an active role in voicing their opinions while also maintaining a safe learning environment, Bubela said via email. Campus administrators had the autonomy to work with their own students if students indicated they wanted to organize events, but there were also parameters that were outlined so that parents and students were aware of the potential consequences and response should a demonstration occur. Since Fort Bend ISD had a previously planned student holiday on Friday, walkout demonstrations were held Thursday. knix@hcnonline.com A new inspector general will take over the investigative role for the Texas prison system later this year. The current inspector general, Bruce Toney, announced his retirement in December, prompting a candidate search and interviews. Hip-hop artist Kanye West was criticized by the left for his support of Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential race. But anyone who thought that would lead him to walk away from conservative ideas found out recently that he instead may be doubling down. Less than a week after returning to Twitter, following a nearly year-long break, the rapper who once claimed that then-President George W. Bush did not care for black people because of his much-criticized response to Hurricane Katrina in 2015 appeared to endorse a pro-Trump conservative who regularly criticizes Black Lives Matter. Candace Owens is a conservative activist turned communications director for Turning Point USA, a nonprofit that has gained prominence for spreading right-leaning values on college campuses and for its proximity to the Trump White House. Owens earlier oversaw the group's "urban engagement." But for Owens, engaging urban communities has at times meant attempting to dismantle arguments about white privilege put forward by black activists and the Democratic Party. When Black Lives Matter activists protested a speech she gave Friday at the University of California at Los Angeles, she accused them of embracing victimhood by focusing on slavery and the systemic racism of the past: "It's embarrassing. You're not living through anything right now. You're overly privileged Americans." She later tweeted about the protesters: "They're a bunch of whiny toddlers, pretending to be oppressed for attention." After the National Rifle Association was criticized over how it treats black gun owners compared with white ones, Owens defended the group, which helps sponsor Turning Point events. She said: "The NRA is the oldest civil rights organization in the country. In the 1960s, they helped to train black Americans to use guns to defend themselves against the Ku Klux Klan, a Democrat terrorist group." Despite most black people viewing the police shootings of black men as racially motivated, Owens disagrees and wrote a column titled "Black men getting shot by police isn't about racism." And while few other groups disapprove of Trump's job performance more than black Americans, Owens views the president - whom most blacks consider racist, according to polls - quite differently. "I truly believe that @realDonaldTrump isn't just the leader of the free world, but the savior of it as well," she recently tweeted. It is not clear what West's intent was in voicing support for her. But Owens responded well to his words, calling them the "affirmation I needed to go forward so just thank you," which was surprising considering that she has previously said that no one cares what celebrities think. But if the hope was that West's endorsement would grant her worldview some validation among black voters, particularly millennials and those who supported the Southside Chicago native long before he moved to Southern California to join forces with Kim Kardashian, perhaps it was misplaced. The rapper once embraced for lyrics that attacked the racist underpinnings of the United States' drug policy, its criminal justice system and capitalism had a strongly left-leaning foundation growing up. His father was a former Black Panther, and his late mother was a professor at a historically black college. But West's politics have become increasingly right-leaning, attracting criticism from the left. And his embrace of Owens, who has aligned herself with Alex Jones and conservatism's other fringe thinkers, does not appear to have been well received by politically engaged blacks, judging from Twitter. In fact, the people who responded most favorably to West's endorsement of Owens appeared to be other conservative activists, many of them young, white males - a demographic that is a huge patron of hip-hop. If conservatives want to win black votes, telling that bloc that racism does not exist and calling those voters childish when they object is probably not the best approach - even when endorsed by a hip-hop artist once celebrated by black thinkers. Srinagar, April 23: A student was injured during clashes with the government forces in Anantnag town in south Kashmir on Monday. Reports said that the students took to streets in the town today morning and staged a protest. They said that soon clashes erupted in which one student was injured. The students protests over the horrific gangrape-and-murder of a minor girl in Kathua are refusing to die down despite the government appealing the students to return to their classes. 1 killed, 1 injured as bike hits parked truck in Kanchanpur A person died and another sustained critical injuries when a bike they were riding on hit a parked truck in Kanchanpur on Monday. Attempted murder case filed against policeman throwing acid on woman A case under attempted murder has been filed against a Sub-Inspector of Police who allegedly threw acid on a woman in Chitwan. Boosting trade in Saarc The recent change of government in Nepal as well as the flurry of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (Saarc) seminars and summits have led to the re-emergence of discussion concerning the South Asia Free Trade Area (Safta). Houston police are searching for a man who exchanged gunfire with off-duty Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office deputies outside of a nightclub Monday morning. The shooting happened after midnight Sunday in the 3300 block of Raleigh, near South Freeway and Old Spanish Trail. Former first lady Barbara Bush's grave is accepting visitors at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the west campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. She was laid to rest on Saturday afternoon next to the grave of her daughter Robin, who died in 1953. Robin's resting place was moved to College Station after the library was established. Jim Bridenstine, an Oklahoma congressman who graduated from Rice University, took the helm of NASA on Monday, ending a more-than-year-long stretch during which the space agency was without permanent leadership. Bridenstine was sworn in Monday by Vice President Mike Pence to become the first elected official to lead the space agency. His swearing-in came days after his Senate confirmation. He was accompanied by his wife and three young children. "I will do my best to serve our storied agency to the utmost of my abilities as we reach for new heights and reveal the unknown for the benefit of humankind," Bridenstine tweeted following the ceremony, which was held at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. and live-streamed on the space agency's website. "NASA represents the best of our country. We lead, we discover, we pioneer, and we inspire. I look forward to our journey together." PARTY-LINE VOTE: Trump's nominee confirmed on 50-47 vote The Republican congressman had waited quite a while to be confirmed -- he first was nominated or the post by President Donald Trump last September. But his confirmation was delayed, in part because of concerns about Bridenstine's skepticism about climate change as well as his elected official status. This left long-time NASA employee Robert Lightfoot to serve as acting administrator for 14 months longer than anyone had served in that role in the history of the space agency. Lightfoot's tenure came to a close about a week ahead of schedule. He announced in March that he would resign from the post effective April 30 and in a statement last week, Lightfoot said he looks forward to Bridenstine "building on our great momentum and sharing our many strengths to help us make the next giants leaps on behalf of humanity." Bridenstine thanked Lightfoot for his service, adding that he was honored to join the NASA family. Bridenstine, who graduated from Rice in 1998, was a Navy pilot and combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. After leaving active duty, he served as executive director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium. He then was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. Pence on Monday said Bridenstine brings "unrivaled passion" to the post. "I'm confident that with your background in the military service, with your understanding of public policy, with your experience in management and with your love for American leadership in space, you will bring all these qualities to bear, along with your character, on this new chapter of renewed leadership in space," Pence said. Bridenstine takes the helm of the space agency at a time of great transition, with the Trump administration putting a heightened focus on returning to the moon as a stepping stone for Mars. GIANT LEAP AHEAD: Lunar 'Gateway' work to get off the ground next year NASA's $19.9 billion budget proposal for the next fiscal year includes $10.5 billion for human exploration, while also transitioning the activities on the International Space Station to commercial entities, ending federal government support in 2025. As NASA's new leader, Bridenstine will need to find a replacement for Ellen Ochoa, director of Houston's Johnson Space Center. Ochoa the first Hispanic woman to go into space, who logged more than 1,000 hours in orbit previously announced that she would step down in May after 30 years with the space agency. Ochoa previously told the Chronicle that Lightfoot planned to choose her successor prior to his departure but that has not happened. NASA did not respond to a request for information about when a replacement would be announced. Ochoa said in a statement on Twitter that she was looking "forward to introducing him to our amazing people and capabilities in Houston." Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey. Fourth tiger found dead in a month in Chitwan A female tiger was found dead inside Chitwan National Park on Sunday. It was the fourth time a tiger was found dead inside the park and its adjoining community forests in a month. Several key Trump administration proposals, taken together, would help cure an absurdity so ingrained and ideology-caked in American society that almost no one discusses it anymore: while millions of unskilled immigrants sneak illegally into America to do jobs that Americans wont do, Americans wont do them because the government pays them as much for idleness as an honest days labor pays. The administration would gain a strong rhetorical advantage if it packaged these ideas together in one inspirational proposition: let President Trump say that, no, the federal government didnt create the urban underclass, but it inadvertently nurtured and institutionalized it through a half-centurys worth of well-meaning measures that had the unforeseen result of constricting lives, shrinking opportunity, and worsening social pathologies from the family up to the community, from generation to generation. Now, thoughand not only because of our improving economy and low unemployment rateis a perfect time for Washington to stop making the mess worse and start reversing it. Give the package a stirring name, too: Project Freedom, say, or Civil Rights II. Its point, the administration should stress, is to help all citizens take full advantage of the equality of opportunity that is the fundamental American premiseto encourage every citizen to make the most of his life. The vagaries of human nature guarantee that well always have neer-do-wells. But in the 1960s, American elite culture multiplied them, by stripping the stigma from a wide swath of misbehavior, partly because elites hankered for their own fling with sex, drugs, and dropping out, and partly because they came to think that centuries of racial victimization made society, not the individual, responsible for dysfunctional black behavior. Society, the new orthodoxy claimed, was to blame for the supposed lack of opportunity that discouraged black Americans from working and learning, for the rage and resentment that fueled disproportionate black criminality, and for the despair that heroin and crack served to dull. Moreover, once out-of-wedlock sex lost its shame in the elite worldview, so did out-of-wedlock childbearing, widespread enough among black Americans a century ago to trouble W. E. B. Du Bois deeply, but astronomically higher after the cultural changes of the 1960s. As public opinion normalized single-parent families, the elites belief that America owed some cash reparation for 300 years of slavery and Jim Crow found an outlet in the hefty enrichment of a Depression-era program meant to aid widows and orphans, for which unwed mothers were also eligible. No longer stigmatized, and financially enabled by fattened welfare benefits, illegitimate births in inner-city neighborhoods soon soared above 80 percent. Almost no one stopped to consider how successful at raising children such families would be. The problem wasnt just that the mothers, generally very young and lacking much education, sent their kids to school with vastly smaller vocabularies, stocks of knowledge, and social and cognitive abilities than kids from intact working- and middle-class families. It wasnt just that, with rudimentary parenting skills, some of these mothers relied too often on yelling and slapping, as anyone who has spent much time in inner-city neighborhoods has seen regularlyresulting, Dr. Freud might theorize, in the misogyny so widespread in underclass men that it is a rap-music keynote. It wasnt even that these women lacked husbands, in the sense of having a man in the house. They lacked the soul of a familythe long-term commitment to each other and to the flourishing of your children that makes families the building blocks of society, raising children able to be citizens. It is a particular outlook, a worldview, a sense of duty, striving, and shared life, even more than a marriage certificate or ceremony, that makes a family. Not only that. Also for half a century, few thought to ask what would be the almost inevitable consequence of labeling such single-parent children as members of a victimized group with little opportunity and therefore diminished personal responsibility, a group for which anything goes. The resultunsurprising, in retrospectproved to be a subculture of dysfunction, with a worldview and ethic that spawned generations of out-of-wedlock childbearing, nonwork, indifference to learning, social resentment, disorder, and criminality, so that the black murder rate is now eight times that of U.S. whites and Hispanics combined, and New York blacks, 23 percent of the citys population, commit two-thirds of its violent crimes. Not infrequently, some mother or child, gifted morally or intellectually, has seen larger possibilities and escaped such a fate; but these are the exceptions, not the rule. President Trump promised to reform welfare, and in August, he did so, reversing President Obamas unlawful 2012 waiver of Congresss 1996 work requirements for welfare recipients. These mandates, combined with the laws five-year limit on welfare enrollment, had spectacularly succeeded in increasing independence, halving the welfare caseload within five years, by encouraging women to leave the program for jobs and prompting others to look for work instead of applying for welfare benefits in the first place. While the rolls shrank, the number of employed single mothers soared, and their wages shot up, too. Meanwhile, contrary to the gloomy warnings of even such wise observers as Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (who, by then, evidently had drunk the lack-of-opportunity Kool-Aid), child poverty notably declined, and black child poverty hit a historical low. But President Trump, who loves to say the unsayable, might take welfare reform a step beyond workfare. Times have changed since 1996, and not just from an economic point of view. With the stigma on illegitimacy gone, probably foreverso much so that political correctness forbids even the wordif a woman wants to have a baby out of wedlock, and has the money or the talent to raise the child decently, Western culture no longer minds, hard as it is to raise a kid on ones own. Conservatives have lost that battle of the culture wars, along with many others, and Trump is hardly the man to refight this one. But what does remain morally distasteful to most Americans, even if they vaguely support the idea of reparations for blacks, is to demand money from your neighbors to support a baby you knew you couldnt afford to raiseholding him or her as a kind of hostage. Pay me, or the baby starves! The answer should be no. Such a demand is flat-out wrong. Your neighbors have their own problems paying their own bills, and in the twenty-first century this is not the only option. With birth control cheap and universally available, getting pregnant is a choice, for which you are responsible. In an age when legal abortion (and Vladimir Putins ban on U.S. adoptions of Russian kids) has made adoptable babies scarce, and when the legalization of gay marriage and gay adoption has increased demand, babies face a large universe of potential adoptive parents able to raise and love them. A pregnant single woman who does not want an abortion but cant afford to house, feed, and nurture a child, should give her baby up for adoption. In any event, she should not have the unjust alternative of dragooning her taxpaying neighbors into paying her a salary for having an out-of-wedlock child. While the welfare rolls shrank, the number of employed single mothers soared, and their wages shot up, too. Two objections will immediately meet this proposal. The first, practical, one: there wont be enough adoptive parents willing to take these babies. We know that policy changes can mold cultural changefor instance, proactive New York policing deterred young toughs from carrying gunsand this dramatic change in welfare law is likely to produce a dramatic change in behavior, too, especially with the restoration of workfare as a first step. But no one can predict how quickly the policy shift, and the all-important rhetoric about personal and parental responsibility surrounding it, will dissuade young women from bearing children whom they cant support. It may be that the orphanage population will temporarily swell, a gloomy prospect, since not all orphanages are good. But in that case, it also may be that some enlightened and well-funded charitable orphanages will morph into group homes for both the babies and their mothers, where the babies can get the moral and cognitive nurture they need, while the young women learn the life skills to be good parents and productive citizens, so they can ultimately take their children to their own self-supporting homes. Molding viable, if imperfect, families seems the best possible intermediate step. The difficulty with breaking the cycle of poverty, as the cliche has it, has always been that a future good will come at the expense of present painthat to funnel future generations into the mainstream, current welfare beneficiaries will have to suffer. But never has the potential cost of such a massive uplift been lower. Workfare has already taken the first step, and the ease of preventing pregnancy and finding adoptive parents and employment has never been greater. Why not seize the chance to make the future better for generations to come? The second objection will be a charge of racisma cry always raised against proposed welfare tightenings. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and the Congressional Black Caucus will label it an all-but-genocidal attack on the black family. Its true that 27.5 percent of black families were receiving cash welfare in 2012, census numbers showa subset of the two-thirds of American black families that are single-parent households, and of the 81.5 percent of black families receiving some kind of government assistance, if only food stamps and/or Medicaid. But is this what the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton want for their fellow black Americans? Surely they know as well as anyone the numbers correlating single-parent families with poverty and social pathology. Surely they should want an end to government programs that reinforce a culture hindering black Americans from joining the mainstream, from rising out of poverty and seizing every opportunity that American society and the U.S. economy now offer gladly and open-handedly to all. Surely they want, as moral leaders, to encourage the formation of families that prepare children for the success that American society holds out to them, the chance to realize all the human potential that lies within them. Or rather, I wish that they did. In fact, they are part of a giant, soul-crushing poverty-industry juggernaut: the politicized pastors who at least since Walter Rauschenbuschs Social Gospel have preached social justice (as if we still dont have it) rather than virtue and the perfecting of your individual soul; the child-welfare workers; the kinship foster parents; the government health and welfare bureaucrats; the Medicaid mills; the disability quacks; the Democratic political blowhards who brand every inequality an injustice and the pundits who cheer them on; the Open Society Foundations; the diversity deans and oppression-studies professors who dont know that Jim Crow ended long ago and that women sit in the Senate and on the Supreme Court bench and, with the availability of late-term abortion, are now free to kill their babies on the very threshold of entrance into the worldthe list is endless. For these poverty-panderers to conjure up mind-forgd manacles where no real ones exist is evil. The purity of their intentionswhen they are puredoesnt matter. Its the results that count. New Yorks high schools boast a 72 percent graduation rate, but only 37 percent of those grads are college-ready. Curbing illegal immigration, especially by enforcing an E-Verify check for employment, would stoke demand for the labor of unskilled workfare mothers, since, despite the stereotype, most illegal aliens dont work in agriculture but in food service, cleaning, and constructionwhere, incidentally, taxpayers in blue states and sanctuary cities might like the able-bodied men they support with their General Assistance welfare dollars to find jobs, too. Before the absurd mandatory minimum wages that some blue cities have imposed on these jobs cause fast-food chains to automate more positions out of existence, heres a chance to get workfare mothers into the labor force. Most wouldnt need these jobs for long, and hotel maid jobs and the like wont disappear soon. The experience of pre-2012 workfare has been that, once workfare women gain the self-confidence and work-habit experience of entry-level jobs, they move up. The expanding economy that Trump has helped set free will find work for them. Here is where iconoclastic education secretary Betsy DeVos can help, by beefing up the public community colleges to teach needed job skills. An eight-week night course could teach you how to be, say, a home health-care aide. More ambitiously, just as Boston University or the University of Texas and others have combined a B.A. and an M.D. degree into one seven-year course, the Education Department might encourage public community colleges, heavily funded by Washington, to devise courses that combine a GED high school equivalency program with some technical training that qualifies students for higher-level semiskilled or skilled jobs. The schools, preferably offering a night-and-weekend track as well as a weekday one, should regularly ask local employers what skills they need, so that grads will be in demand. And these heavily subsidized schools should not admit foreign students, preparing them at taxpayer expense to take American jobs, as many now do. Still, the power of policy to change culture is as nothing compared with the power of culture to mold society and government, and a cultural change as dramatic as the one that made the underclass seemingly permanent is key to uplifting it. The great question of our age is not Juvenals Who shall guard the guardians?notwithstanding the Black Lives Matter humbugs. The real question is, Who shall teach the teachersand what? Despite, say, New York Citys spending of $25,000 yearly per student in its public schools, according to 201617 Independent Budget Office numbers, the average kid doesnt come away with the basic 3R skills essential to success in the modern economy. Only 40 percent of the kids in grades three through eight tested proficient in reading and writing, and 38 percent in math last year, a low standard lowered even further in the watered-down 2017 exams, a Manhattan Institute report shows. Though the citys high schools boast a 72 percent graduation rate, only 37 percent of those grads are college-ready, as measured by Regents exam scores. What little underclass kids have learned is often wrong and pernicious, to boot. Its a tale of America as oppressor that feeds bleak resentment. But what else can you expect when the ed schools teach their often not-very-qualified teachers-in-training that they should teach kids how to learn rather than imparting any actual knowledgeother than that they are victims of an unjust system? Looking back at Reconstructions failure, W. E. B. Du Bois ruefully remarked that for a brief, shining interval, it looked as if it could have succeeded, acculturating newly freed slaves into full American citizenship. In the crusade of the sixties, that finest thing in American historyhe writes of the 1860s (not the 1960s)the crusade of the New England school-maam, thousands of calico-clad Northern teachers, many bereaved of fathers or brothers in the Civil War, flocked south when the cannon smoke had barely cleared to establish schools and teach in their first year more than 100,000 Southerners, black and white. This was the gift of New England to the freed Negro; not alms, but a friend; not cash, but character. The women headed south, not to keep the Negroes in their place, but to raise them out of the defilement of the places where slavery had wallowed them. Their schools were social settlements; homes where the best of the sons of the freedmen came in close and sympathetic touch with the best traditions of New England. The curriculum was doubtless old-fashioned, but in educational power it was supreme, for it was the contact of living souls. I cant help thinking that todays analogues to Du Boiss missionaries of 68 are the Teach for America kids working in charter schools like New Yorks Success Academies. True, these kids imbibed cockeyed ideas about social justice at Brown or Wesleyan, but their eagerness to help and ability to teach the three Rs are real, and the contact of living souls they provide is a silent, powerful demonstration of the genuine openness of American society. Kudos to DeVos for unflinchingly championing the charter schools that employ so many of these young crusaders, despite militant teachers union opposition. If DeVos would offer the charters model civics programs for each grade level, teaching that the Founding Fathers, despite their inability to change an already-existing slave system that they knew was evil, really believed in the Declaration of Independences luminous assertion of mankinds natural equality of rights and that the country ultimately fought a Civil War to vindicate that principle and had a civil rights movement to reemphasize it, she could make an already-good constellation of schools even better. Adding biographies like the old Landmark Books lives of such notables as George Washington, Daniel Boone, Marie Curie, or of contemporary Americans like Clarence Thomas would strengthen the curriculum, too, by showing what individual effort can produce. But if the taxpayers continue to shell out $20,000-plus a year to tell each kid that he lives in an unjust society where he cant succeed and that only the government can provide for him, if prodded by enough political activism, that is a waste not just of money but of lives. Ideally, the whole culture should vibrate with the opposite message. After so much heroic effort by so many over such a span of generations, the United States really has brought to fruition the Founders revolutionary dream of equality before the law and equal opportunity for all. What kind of misanthrope would claim that the heroism of the men who fought a Revolutionary War to vindicate the God-given rights to life and liberty of all men, or that the sacrifice of the Civil War troops who gave the last full measure of devotion for that ideal, or that the patient, determined dignity of the civil rights demonstrators, or the philanthropic projects of so many compassionate citizens, anxious to make this country realize its idealsthat all this came to naught and meant nothing? That in this fallen world of imperfect men, America is not a beacon of liberty and the chance for self-betterment to the rest of the world? Any Scrooge who teaches, writes, or sings the opposite should not go unchallenged. Our Founders gave us government of, by, and for the people, something unexampled in world history. The goal of our culture should be to mold self-reliant citizens capable of that self-government. Finally, Trumps infrastructure vision offers a whole new field of job opportunity to those able to seize it. The president, as an experienced builder, wants to remove regulatory hurdles to such projects, cutting the time and expense of accomplishing them. He should also consider opening as widely as possible the chance for a job building those public works, by making federal grants conditional on suspending state and local prevailing-wage regulations and union-membership requirements. And then he could condition Washington dollars on the states and municipalities establishing construction-trade apprenticeships, perhaps through the community colleges but certainly not through professional race-hustlers, to equip the unskilled unemployed, including those on General Assistance, with remunerative expertise. Apologists for male underclass nonwork have long argued that available unskilled jobs for men are demeaning or sissified. There is nothing unmanly about building a bridge. Of course, Trump devised his infrastructure program for a different population: the working-class white men forced out of jobs by Barack Obamas regulatory war on business and, in particular, his war on coal. But their communities offer a further urgent reason for abolishing cash welfare. The new cultural norms have infected them, too; and with the discipline of self-respecting work ripped away by high-handed disregard for such deplorables and their way of life, they, too, are falling into a pattern of single-parent families, nonwork, welfare dependency, and drug usein their case, the synthetic opioids that are just as fatal as heroin and crack cocaine. In America, for its own particular historical reasons, race turned out to be a key ingredient in the formation of the underclass. But it is not a necessary ingredient, as the white British underclass showsa pure production of cultural forces reinforced by bad government policy, as Theodore Dalrymple, who, as a doctor, tended that classs often violence-inflicted ills for decades, has so brilliantly chronicled in these pages for a quarter-century. The United States is blessed in having created, over many generations and with much travail, an equal-opportunity society. It doesnt need an equal-opportunity underclass, and should act promptly to stop its spread and to shrink it. The time is not only ripe but positively cries out to end welfare now, before it fuels further damage to our most vulnerable fellow citizens. Top photo: With the Civil War just over, thousands of New England schoolteachers voluntarily streamed south to teach newly freed slaves, with a soul-awakening fervor that todays Teach for America kids echo. (GRANGER/GRANGER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.) Oxfams first global safeguarding officer has said the part-time role he was given in 2011 was inadequate to deal with the issues at hand and that he faced tokenism and marginalisation, in written evidence to the MPs inquiry into sexual exploitation. Bill Anderson, who held the role of global safeguarding officer at Oxfam for seven months in 2011 before being sacked, has submitted four pages of written evidence to the International Developments Committee on sexual exploitation in the aid sector. The role was part-time 18 hours a week and Anderson said: It rapidly became apparent that a half-time post was totally inadequate to even begin to tackle the safeguarding issues facing Oxfam. He added that he felt his appointment was made to tick a box and that his attempt to meet the leadership were rebuffed. The tokenism and marginalisation of my post was further reinforced by it being loosely attached to the audit team, which clearly had no idea what I was doing there and was unable to provide any significant administrative support, he added. Recommendations met with defensiveness Anderson carried out two safeguarding investigations during his time at the charity and said that when he submitted reports he was met with defensiveness and asked to tone down some aspects. He said that one manager reacted in a combative manner. I had included in my report both findings and recommendations and her, firm, view was that it was not for me to be even implicitly critical of Oxfam as an organisation, and for that reason I had no right to make any recommendations and they must be deleted, he said. Concerned about its own reputation Anderson accused the charity of being more concerned about its own reputation than about people. He said safeguarding was only valued in the abstract and was about ticking boxes rather than seriously looking at the dynamics that foster abuse. Most risk conversations in Oxfam were about reputational risk and how to protect the Oxfam brand, he added. Institutional blindness He suggested that Oxfam had a paradoxical approach to risk with long and complex processes which create an illusion of safety but too often merely promote tick-box mentalities. Staff actually had minimal awareness of the safeguarding dangers that faced Oxfam, and the belief was that that sort of thing was unlikely to happen in such a moral, professional organisation. This led to institutional blindness. In my time with Oxfam I never discerned any understanding of how vulnerable the organisation was to having its programs infiltrated by those who seek to do harm rather than good, he said. Kafkaesque experience My seven months as global safeguarding coordinator for Oxfam could best be described as Kafkaesque, he said. He was not involved in investigating the conduct of Oxfam staff in Haiti, though he tried to be. On one of his last visits to the office he discovered his line manager had gone to Haiti and that his own involvement in the trip was no longer required. People who had previously been affable seemed to avoid me. I was not so much in Coventry, more in Limbo, he said and that people avoided his questions. He said he sacked by the new head of audit after seven months: He gave me no reason except to say that people felt it wasnt working out with me. Anderson said he discovered after he left that during his time at Oxfam, his line manager Eddie Mckenzie-Green was being investigated by the charity and left with a 29,000 golden goodbye handshake. In 2014 Mckenzie-Green was later jailed for defrauding Oxfam of over 60,000 while investigating the misconduct of aid workers in Haiti. Anderson questioned why the role of global safeguarding co-ordinator was placed under McKenzie-Green, saying: Such a line management arrangement hardly suggests an organisation committed to the success of the new role. Oxfam has tripled its safeguarding budget Since 2011, Oxfam has increased the number of safeguarding staff employed and has publicly committed to doing more in the wake of recent revelations. In its written evidence to the committee, it said it had tripled its safeguarding budget to 720,000 and that the Oxfam GB safeguarding team consists of nine full-time equivalent posts. Our weekly summary of the latest movers in the charity sector. Chief executive RNIB have appointed Eliot Lyne as interim chief executive of the charity, following the resignation of Sally Harvey last month. Lyne is the charitys former finance director and has been with the organisation since 2016. He took up the interim chief executive role on 10 April. Prior to joining RNIB, Lyne worked with a number of charities including Amnesty International UK, Scope, Livability and Samaritans. Prior to working in the charity sector he worked for Deloitte and TK Maxx. Read the full story here. Claire Bloor has been appointed as the new chief executive of Somerset and Avon Rape Crisis (SARSAS), replacing outgoing chief executive Rowan Miller. Bloor has worked in the voluntary sector for more than two decades, having begun her career as a caseworker with Focus Ireland, before working with the Fifteen Foundation in London. Most recently she was the executive manager of settlement and asylum seeker services with Australian charity Marist180 based in Sydney, Australia. She returned to the UK in December 2017. Fundraising and communications Tim Hunter has announced he will leaving Oxfam to take up a role at the World Food Programme based in Rome, Italy. Hunter has been director of fundraising at Oxfam since April 2014. He took up his new deputy director, with responsibility for private sector partnerships, with the World Food Programme in late March of this year. Prior to joining Oxfam, Hunter was international fundraising director for Unicef based in Geneva and also previously worked for NSPCC, Shelter and now defunct fundraising agency Pell & Bales. Non executive Jo-ann Robertson has been appointed chair of the Young Womens Trust. Robertson is the chief executive of global communications firm Ketchum. She has been working in communications and journalism for nearly 20 years, and will bring a range of experience to the charity as it continues to grow and support more women from disadvantaged backgrounds according to the charity. Robertson takes over the role from Deborah Mattinson who has been chair of the trust since 2012. Age International has appointed Ann Keeling as the new chair of its trustee board, replacing Dianne Jeffrey who has reached the end of her term. Keeling has over three decades worth of experience working in international development and has worked for charities, UN agencies and the UKs Department for International Development. Chris Roles, managing director of the charity, said Keeling will be a valuable asset to the charity. The Institute of Fundraising has announced the appointment of two new trustees to its board. Claire Rowney, executive director of fundraising at Save the Children and Rohan Hewavisenti, interim chief operating officer at WWF-UK have both joined the board for an initial three-year term. Rowney will take up her new role immediately, replacing Tim Hunter, former director of fundraising at Oxfam, who has moved to Italy. Hewavisenti will take up his place on the board in July, replacing Helen Elliot. The Tate has announced the appointment of Jane Wilson as its new trustee. Wilson is currently joint professor of fine art at Newcastle University. Prior to that she was senior tutor of moving image at the Royal College of Art, and has held many exhibitions both nationally and internationally. Along with her career as an artist and academic, Wilson is also currently a board member of visual artists rights management organisation DACS. To tell us about your charity's latest appointments please email: [email protected] Gold smuggling probe puts ex-DIG in net Former Nepal Police DIG Govinda Prasad Niraula has been arrested for his alleged role in the 33 kg gold smuggling case, which is being probed for months. Last week, we saw two senior figures in the charity sector tackling a question we've come to hear a lot in recent weeks. Are there too many charities? Unusually it was the chair and chief executive of the same organisation - NCVO. Sir Stuart Etherington, the chief executive, says its nonsense to suggest there are too many charities. His chair, Peter Kellner, has suggested just that. So how to square these views? This is a subject weve addressed in the past, but it keeps coming up, and there seems to be plenty of appetite to address it again. So here goes. My simple answer is that, no, there arent too many charities. In a country full of divided communities and lonely people facing systemic disadvantage, we could clearly do with more. So a suggestion that there is some ideal number of charities which we are not conforming to is indeed, as Etherington said, nonsense. Fewer new charities? It seems obvious to say that there are lots of charities because people keep starting the damn things. People with tidy minds tend to like the idea that there should be one "official" charity for each cause, but that's not how it works. We need new charities to keep emerging. Charities spring up when need is unmet. They arise from a collective will in communities. And like every field, existing institutions need competition in order to keep them lively. Look at how much the emergence of Help for Heroes has pushed other military charities to up their game. It's also worth saying that while people dislike it when too many charities are doing the same thing, they also dislike charities which get too big. Which leads me to wonder if theyre worried about unmet need, or just want charities to conform to some idealised image in their heads. More mergers? The idea that we should agglomerate existing charities into a small number of vast bodies is also nonsense. If you want monoliths, look to the state. Sometimes it is probably the case that one big charity will serve people better than a lot of little ones. There are economies of scale, for example. It can offer clarity of brand and voice, and make it easier for beneficiaries to understand who to approach. It avoids time wasted in competition for resource. But weighed against that there is plurality of voice and the benefits of multiple approaches. There are also many practical barriers - time, merging back offices, pensions issues. There are cultural barriers, too. And it is actually surprisingly rare that two charities do exactly the same thing. So the case for merger is massively overstated, but in some parts of the sector there is a case for rationalisation. It was this that Peter Kellner was getting at, and he is correct. There should not be just one cancer charity or armed forces charity, but nor does 1,000 or 2,000 seem like the perfect number either. How many mergers is the right amount? Most of the 400,000 charities in the UK are hyperlocal. They serve a single community. They are PTAs, village halls, choirs, guide troops and playgroups. Suggesting they merge makes as much sense as combining all existing corner shops into one big one, presumably located somewhere around Birmingham. There are actually relatively few charities in the UK with an employee - perhaps 25,000, perhaps a few more. Probably there should be more mergers among this group. Not loads more, but definitely more. We could do more to address one chief barrier to merger. Vicky Browning of Acevo tweeted recently that 80 per cent of mergers founder on who will lead the combined organisation. Chief executives, unsurprisingly, rarely vote for their own dismissal, and so most mergers only happen when a charity's leader is ready to move on. That is something we need to solve. Why not close some down? The solution to "too many charities" is often presented as merger but the best way to change the numbers would be to encourage some of the less effective charities to close down. The sector is instinctively uncomfortable with the idea that some charities just have better interventions, and are better run, than others. But simple common sense dictates it must be true. If we were really serious about having fewer charities, we'd need a system to ensure more cash goes to the best ones. There is the fairly major problem here. Theres little research into effectiveness, so we dont actually know what the most effective interventions are or who's doing them. So proactively funding the best charities would be hard. At present, the sector is a place where those who survive are not always the most effective at delivering the best results to the most beneficiaries, but often the best connected and the most skilled at marketing to donors. It can in fact be easier to raise money if you teeter on the verge of going out of business, as Kids Company demonstrated for a decade. Improving the funding process to focus on the best seems to be more fruitful approach than keeping all the charities, and glomming some together. In short, then, the overall idea that there are too many charities is, as Sir Stuart Etherington says, nonsense. But there are good reasons to try to thin out the field a bit to reduce the number of organisations working at cross purposes and try and encourage the best performers. In the mean time, the number of charities in the UK seems to be rising each year, and long may that continue. Coverage of the Trump presidency has continuously focused on palace intrigue and controversies surrounding aides and cabinet members, turning people in positions that dont traditionally draw much attention into household names. But the past week has seen the lens turn to a Trump advisor outside the White House who needs no introduction. Sean Hannity, already facing scrutiny for his public cheerleading and private consultations with President Trump, was revealed in court last week as a client of Michael Cohen, Trumps personal lawyer and fixer. Criticized for a lack of transparency, the Fox News host defended his public support for Cohen by arguing that he had merely asked Cohens advice on real estate matters. The Guardians Jon Swaine investigated Hannitys real estate holdings, finding records that link Hannity to a group of shell companies that spent at least $90m on more than 870 homes in seven states over the past decade. Swaine also found that Hannity amassed part of his property collection with support from the US Department for Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a fact he did not disclose when praising Ben Carson, the Hud secretary, on his television show last year. Update: After publication of this newsletter, Fox News PR emailed a statement from Sean Hannity: It is ironic that I am being attacked for investing my personal money in communities that badly need such investment and in which, I am sure, those attacking me have not invested their money. The fact is, these are investments that I do not individually select, control, or know the details about; except that obviously I believe in putting my money to work in communities that otherwise struggle to receive such support. I have never discussed with anybody at HUD the original loans that were obtained in the Obama years, nor the subsequent refinance of such loans, as they are a private matter. I had no role in, or responsibility for, any HUD involvement in any of these investments. I can say that every rigorous process and strict standard of improvement requirements were followed; all were met, fulfilled and inspected. RELATED: Lawyer behind Hannity revelation at Cohen hearing speaks The intensifying spotlight on Hannity places Fox News in the difficult position of backing a host with ties to a man at the center of a probe stretching from law offices in New York all the way to the West Wing. Cohen, of course, saw his office and hotel room raided by federal agents earlier this month after receiving a referral from the special counsel in the Russia investigation, Robert Mueller. Hannitys bellicose criticism of that action takes on a new dimension with the revelation of his ties to Cohen. Sign up for CJR 's daily email At one point on Sunday morning, CNN and Fox were running simultaneous chyrons on Hannitys problems. Should Hannity be worried about seized Cohen docs? read the script under Brian Stelters interview with Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels. On Fox, Howard Kurtz spoke with The Wall Street Journals Shelby Holiday above a banner proclaiming Hannity vs Mainstream Media. Avenatti told Stelter that the relationship [with Cohen] is going to be far more extensive than Mr. Hannity has led people to believe. RELATED: Hannity, Cohen, and the battle for Foxs soul Hannitys value to Fox News is hard to overstate. In the wake of Bill OReillys exit last year, he has become the face of the networks evening opinion programming, and has emerged as Donald Trumps chief television defender. Long criticized by journalists for his conspiracy-mongering and open cheerleading, he has built a huge following that includes his daily radio show. Last week, Fox said that Hannity had the networks full support, but as the case against Cohen unfolds, Hannitys relationship with Trump and his embattled fixer are sure to remain a focus on media interest. Below, more on Hannitys deepening problems. Remembering Joan Konner Friends and family gathered on Friday to celebrate the life of Joan Konner, an essential friend and supporter of CJR. Konner was a former dean of the Columbia Journalism School, as well as a former publisher of CJR, where she remained on the Board of Overseers. She arrived at Columbia after a storied career in broadcasting. She is the winner of 13 Emmy awards and was executive producer of Bill Moyers Journal. Speaking at the memorial service, Moyers remembered Konner as both a pioneershe was the first woman documentary producer at NBC Newsand as a defender of core journalistic values. Good journalists look for the right questions, Moyers said, in describing her view of the craft. People respond overwhelmingly when what we cover illuminates their lives. Konner is the author of three books, including The Book of I: An Illustrious Collection of Self Reflections, and is survived by her husband, Al Perlmutter and her daughter, Rosemary Steinbaum. Other notable stories ICYMI: An election in Hungary sounds a death knell for the free press 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. On September 19, 2017the day before Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Ricothe evening news team at WORA-TV in the coastal city of Mayaguez broadcast its final program before shutting down the station ahead of the storm. If Maria was going to be the monster everyone was predicting, says Carolina Rodriguez Plaza, the news teams production manager, we knew the power could be cut off for a long time. We decided to shut down the station and send everyone home. Plaza told her team of 12 reporters not to worry, their salaries would be paid during the downtime and their jobs would be waiting for them when broadcasting resumed. Plaza retreated to her parents home, where she spent the night of the hurricane watching updates about the storm on cable TV. Then, as happened in homes across Puerto Rico, the lights flickered and the power went out. Hurricane Marias 150-mile-per-hour winds toppled power lines and torrential rains grounded out the islands power grid. Desperate for news about the disaster befalling her island, Plaza turned on a battery-powered radio and found that a local radio station, WKJB 710 AM, was maintaining its broadcast. The stations managers had learned a lesson about disaster preparedness in 1998, when Hurricane Georges blew down their radio antenna and cut off the power. Since then, staff had equipped the station with a backup power generator and a reinforced antenna that could withstand hurricane-force winds. Maria erased the world of journalism in Puerto Rico, Plaza says. It reemerged in a new form, with radio playing an important role. ICYMI: Charlottesville got trolled. Reporters didnt cover it. Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project To Plazas surprise, WKJB was being run by a motley crew of volunteer DJs. They called themselves The Night Crew and their improvised program was equal parts news program, variety show, and music channel. The DJs even took call-ins from listeners whose landline telephones still worked despite the power outage. Since the night of Hurricane Maria, The Night Crew has aired every night, raising the volunteer DJs to the status of folk heroes in Mayaguez. WKJB was a light on Puerto Ricos darkest night, Plaza says. I told myself: Carolina, you have a moral duty to produce news for the people. I asked my father to take me to the station because I wanted to go on the air and rally my team. One lesson from the 2017 hurricane season, the most expensive in history, was to show the valuable role AM radio plays as a nexus for coordinated news reporting during a disaster event. WKJB wasnt the only station to continue broadcasting through Hurricane Maria. In San Juan, WKAQ-AM stayed on the air, pausing momentarily when the wind ripped away part of the roof. And on the US mainland, AM radio stations provided real-time news coverage of the hurricanes that struck Texas, in August 2017, and Florida, in September. I told myself: Carolina, you have a moral duty to produce news for the people. I asked my father to take me to the station While Hurricanes Irma and Harvey wreaked their greatest damage, Rich Appel wrote in a September 2017 story for Billboard, most stations in their path not only quickly shifted from regular programming to that solely focused on storm coverage, but also used other available channels such as social media to help those in trouble, and sent recovery teams to parking lots and damaged homes to bring relief where it was needed most. With a machete in their car for chopping through downed branches, Plaza and her father drove through storm-battered Mayaguez on their way to the WKJB studio. They arrived to find that the station was being used for more than just broadcasting the news. It was serving as a distribution center for donated supplies and as a clinic for people with small injuries. Even the Mayaguez police had set up shop because their dispatch office had lost power. Plaza asked the stations manager, Ada Ramos, if she could volunteer as host of a news program. Ramos knew of Plazas reporting at WORA-TV and liked the idea of bringing her expertise as a street reporter to the airwaves of WKJB. Plaza then took a turn at the microphone and broadcast an all-points-bulletin for her TV broadcast team to report to the radio studio. I hope you and your families are okay, and that youve suffered no major damages to your homes, Plaza said. We are a news team and we can make a difference. There are stories that need to be told during this historic moment. Puerto Rico needs you. After the hurricane, Puerto Ricos journalism industry was left in disarray. To cope with the lack of power and poor communication channels on the island, journalists pooled resources and formed reporting collaboratives. In San Juan, the offices of GFR Media, publisher of three major newspapers created a reporting hub for journalists traveling to the island to cover the disaster. In addition to producing its own in-depth coverage, GFR Media made it possible for journalists from The New York Times, Washington Post, and Huffington Post to report on Hurricane Maria. Meanwhile, at the San Juan Convention Center, command center for the governments emergency response effort, journalists pushed tables together to create impromptu newsrooms. And in the interior of the country, reporters pooled resourcessatellite phones, solar charges, and WiFi hubs donated by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists as part of its #ConnectPuertoRico campaign. Bottom line is, if you take away a community members access to information, to communication, you eliminate the ability to connect, mobilize, and provide proper response in the wake of a disaster, NAHJs president Brandon Benavides said in an interview with Mediashift in January. Puerto Rico was already suffering from an economic recession, and the journalism industry there was already struggling to be profitable. The storm dealt a significant blow. GFR Media laid off 59 employees at its two largest newspapers, El Nuevo Dia and Primera Hora, on October 26, 2017. And Plaza knew of at least 40 more print and television journalists who lost their jobs on the west coast of Puerto Rico. Maria served as a moment of contraction in the news industry, says Plaza. Meanwhile, AM radio emerged even stronger. Young people in the under-35 demographic are listening to radio news for the first time in their lives. Radios are at the center of a culture shift. Neighbors sit together drinking coffee and listening to the news. Maria served as a moment of contraction in the news industry, says Plaza. Meanwhile, AM radio emerged even stronger. Young people in the under-35 demographic are listening to radio news for the first time in their lives. According to The Miami Herald, increased radio listenership resulted in an advertising boom. At WAPA Radio, an AM station based in San Juan, advertising went up by 300 percent the month following Maria. At Radio Isla, an AM station also broadcasting in San Juan, commercial breaks doubled in length from four to eight minutes between pre- and post-Maria. And in January, Inside Radio reported the record-setting sale of an FM translator tower in Mayaguez for $500,000. Not only was it the highest price ever paid for a translator in Puerto Rico, it ranked as the second largest sale of its kind in the US over the past year. Contrary to predictions and global trends in the industry, radio proved itself in this circumstance to be vital, Rafael Lopez of Radio Isla told The Miami Herald. It became something of a first responder and the first line of help. On the day after the storm, when Plazas announcement went out on the airwaves of WKJB 710 AM, several reporters either came to the station or sent word of their willingness to volunteer. Among them was veteran news reporter Julio Victor Ramirez-Ferrer, editor-in-chief of La Calle Digital, a Spanish-language news website knocked offline by the power outage. Plaza and Ramirez-Ferrer agreed to co-host a show they would eventually name Con Base y Fundamento, which translates roughly to The Basics and Fundamentals. A government official used the phrase in an interview with them about an education policy. Ill explain it to you in the most basic and fundamental of terms, hed said, using a tone that struck Plaza and Ramirez-Ferrer as condescending and pedantic. Its an inside joke, Plaza says. We want our show to hold people in power responsible for their actions. They organized teams of volunteer reporters into regional beats. The reporters found troves of stories on the streets of Mayaguez in need of coverage. The backup power supply at the county morgue was faltering, threatening to thaw 16 bodies in the refrigerated cooler. The local hospital had a shortage of oxygen tanks and purified water. A large number of homes destroyed by the storm werent built according to code. The countys engineering department was abusing its authority to declare some public schools unsafe to inhabit, to justify shutting them down to save money. A lot of these stories were issues that were already going on in Puerto Rico, says Plaza. Hurricane Maria brought them to the surface. Thirty-three days after the storm, the power was turned back on at WORA-TV. Plaza and her team returned to their jobs producing the evening news program. And the return of power to Mayaguez had also allowed Ramirez-Ferrer to bring La Calle Digital back online. Today, as hurricane season approaches again, Plaza and Ramirez-Ferrer continue co-hosting their hour-long program, Monday through Friday, on WKJB 710 AM. They use the channel to expand the reach of the reporting they do for their respective news organizations. Hurricane Maria taught them that, for journalists living in disaster-prone regions, its important for news organizations to collaborate and to embrace communication mediums once thought obsolete. When the power goes out, Plaza says, a $5 transistor radio is more valuable than a smartphone. ICYMI: Meet the journalism student who found out she won a Pulitzer in class Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Ryan Bell is a writer and photographer based in Mazama, Washington. In 2015-2016, he was a Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling Fellow in Russia and Kazakhstan. His work has appeared in National Geographic, Bloomberg, Outside, and many other publications. Follow him on Instagram @ryantbell. Four not-so-simple wordsdeemed to have receivedmight determine the future of defamation suits against journalists in the United States. On April 9, journalist (and former Gawker freelancer) Ryan Goldberg appeared at a one-day bench trial at the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York while lawyers tossed around the phrase until it lost all meaning. After two hours of back-and-forth, Judge Stuart Bernstein didnt have a clear answer for the case, and chose not to issue a decision; he is expected to make one in the coming weeks. Goldbergs case is a continuation of Gawker-related suits since disgruntled billionaire Peter Thiel sued the legendary gossip site into oblivion. Memory refresh: Thiel secretly funded the lawsuit brought by former pro-wrestler Hulk Hogan against Gawker for publishing a sex tape of him and his friends wife. In 2016, a Florida jury awarded Terry Bollea (Hogans real name) $140 million in damages, eventually forcing Gawker into bankruptcy. Gawker.com was shuttered, but its assetsincluding Deadspin and Jezebelwere purchased by Univision to form Gizmodo Media Group LLC. ICYMI: The story of a journalist who became a killer In 2016, Goldberg penned an investigation of Las Vegas oddsmaker RJ Bell as a freelancer for Deadspin, months before Univision bought Deadspin and other Gawker properties. Bell, under the representation of infamous media lawyer Charles Harderwho also represented Bollea in his case against Gawkerfiled a defamation lawsuit against Gizmodo Media Group and parent company Univision for the story a year later. This December, Judge Bernstein dismissed Bells defamation lawsuit against Gizmodo, but litigation proceeded against the storys author, Goldberg. The question, after years of the companies changing hands and several months of litigation, is who is legally responsible for the articlethat is, who Bell has the legal grounds to sue. Univision purchased the former Gawker properties under a section of the bankruptcy code, chapter 11, that protects the buyer. The money from Gawkers sale funded a $31 million settlement to Bollea (Hogan), as well as other creditors and shareholders. The chapter 11 plan, which was approved in December 2016, also included a liability release to protect writers and editors from being sued for stories written before the sale. Dubbed the third-party release, it holds that any claimholder thats received, or deemed to have received, money under the bankruptcy plan is barred from bringing a claim against writers. Bell never received a distribution from Gawker, but can he be deemed to have received one? Sign up for CJR 's daily email At the public hearing two weeks ago, Sharon Levine and Dipesh Patel, the Saul Ewing LLP bankruptcy lawyers representing Goldberg, argued that because Bell never filed a proof of claim during the bankruptcy, but was aware of the bankruptcy, he can be deemed to have received his share. In other words, because Bell waited until after Gawkers sale, his current suit has no legal merit. The third-party release language, in their opinion, shields writers like Goldberg from liability for stories written on Gawker. (The pair also represented all of the Gawker writers, Goldberg included, during the original Gawker bankruptcy proceedings.) Its difficult for me to reach any conclusion other than that this lawsuit was intended to harass and intimidate me, Goldberg tells CJR in a statement. The plaintiffs in this case sent a libel demand letter within days of the articles publication in June 2016 and had every chance to assert their claims in the bankruptcy court during Gawkers liquidation, but chose to lie in wait until a year later, after Gawker was gone and there was no pool of money to defend its writers. The releases were our only protection, but theyre meaningless if they cant be enforced. Harder continues his attacks on the Gawker empire and has expanded his collection of targets to include The Daily Mail, New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and a smattering of small blogs. Hes become one of biggest threats to press freedom in the US through his weaponization of litigation. I think there needs to be a chilling effect on the irresponsible writers, Harder admitted to writer Jason Zengerle in a 2016 GQ profile. (Harder did not respond to CJRs request for comment.) Should Judge Bernstein rule in favor of Bell, the effects could be devastatingit could expose journalists like Goldberg to assuming future liability and leaving them vulnerable to defamation suits in cases where the publisher no longer exists. According to Katie Townsend, litigation director at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, it would be deeply troubling. It could open up the possibility of additional lawsuits like this against individual reporters who had previously written for Gawker-affiliated publications, she says. Individual journalists always face that risk, even when stories are airtight. Theres greater concern when you have reporters who arent tied to specific organizations, or between them. If Harder gets his way, any content provider, freelance or otherwise, could be subject to defamation claims arising from Gawker content. The suit against Goldberg could proceed, and who knows how many others would emerge. Already, theres been a ripple effect. Harder filed (another) defamation suit against Jezebel for a story about a self-help cult publishing in May 2016. ICYMI: An election in Hungary sounds a death knell for the free press Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Meg Dalton is a freelance journalist and audio producer based in Connecticut. She's reported and edited for CJR, PBS NewsHour, Energy News Network, Architectural Digest, MediaShift, Hearst Connecticut newspapers, and more. Follow her on Twitter: @megdalts. Find her on Twitter @megdalts. When even a small hole suddenly opens in a jetliner flying miles above the Earth, it unleashes hurricane-like forces. Everything thats not strapped down flies toward the opening. The wind can easily lift a person up and out of the plane. These terrifying episodes are rare but when the occur such as on Tuesday when a Southwest Airlines Co. plane lost a window at 32,500 feet, killing a woman who was partly sucked out of the cabin they have led to grisly results. Thats why they call it an explosive decompression, said Nora Marshall, a former National Transportation Safety Board investigator who specialized in cabin safety and accident survival. It is extremely forceful. The differential in pressure, its very, very significant. There have been at least a half dozen cases since the 1970s in which people were heaved out of airliners after planes suddenly lost pressure, prompting a rush of air as from a burst balloon. In a handful of extreme cases, the aircraft crashed, killing hundreds of people, after decompressions severed flight controls or disintegrated the planes. Examples go back at least to the dawn of the jet age, when planes flying at ever higher altitudes relied on pressurized air in the cabin so people could breathe. Three British de Havilland Comets, the first pressurized civilian jet, came apart in midair within two years of the aircrafts debut before engineers identified a design flaw. Theres a fog that comes into the cabin, Marshall said. Papers, bags, coats, jackets, everything will head to the breach in the fuselage. If a sudden opening in the plane is large enough, it creates a violent windstorm at the point where the pressurized air inside the passenger cabin rushes out of the plane. Its instantaneous and its sustained over a period of time until the pressure inside the aircraft is equal to the pressure outside of the aircraft, said Richard Healing, a former NTSB board member who is president of the consulting firm Air Safety Engineering LLC. The torrent of air would be most fierce next to the opening, just like when a person puts a hand next to a vacuum cleaner nozzle, said Massachusetts Institute of Technology aerospace professor John Hansman. Hansman estimated that the air flowing outside Southwest Flight 1380 on Tuesday would have generated from 800 to 1000 pounds (363 to 454 kilograms) of force. That would have been more than enough to pull Jennifer Riordan, 43, part way out of the plane before fellow passengers could pull her back in. A medical examiner in Philadelphia, where the Boeing Co. 737-700 made an emergency landing, concluded that Riordan, a vice president at Wells Fargo & Co in Albuquerque, New Mexico, died of blunt impact trauma to the head, neck and torso. Pressurized Cabins Her seatbelt was keeping her held down at the hips, Peggy Phillips, a retired nurse who was on the flight told the New York Post. The rest of her was outside the plane. The planes window cracked open when a fan blade on the left engine, which had been weakened by metal fatigue, broke loose and sent engine debris flying, according to investigators. One clue about the power of the air blasting out the opening was released by the NTSB Wednesday: no traces of the window were found in the plane. Aircraft manufacturers spent decades mastering the enormous forces created when a pressurized cabin flies at higher altitudes. Those forces crippled the de Havilland Comet. Over the space of 12 months ending in 1954, three planes and their passengers and crews were lost. Investigators eventually concluded that stresses from pressurization at the corner of the square windows caused their fuselages to rupture catastrophically. In the case that is most similar to Tuesdays accident, a window-seat passenger was sucked out of a National Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10 near Albuquerque in 1973. The airliners right engine exploded and shot debris through the passenger compartment, causing the victims window to fly off. Cargo Doors According to an NTSB report, the man was pulled entirely through the roughly 16- by 10.5-inch opening. He was buckled in, but the belt was fastened loosely, the agency said. A passenger sitting next to the man could not pull him back. The body wasnt recovered for two years. An improperly latched cargo door came off an American Airlines plane in 1972 while it was flying 11,750 feet above Ontario, Canada, with 67 people aboard, according to an NTSB report of the incident. The loss of pressure in the cargo hold collapsed part of the cabin floor above it, injuring 11 people and damaging cables that controlled the rudder, stabilizer flaps and a rear engine, making an emergency landing in Detroit even more difficult. Turkish Airlines Less than two years after the Ontario accident, a Turkish Airlines DC-10 had a similar loss of a cargo hatch with far deadlier results. The door popped off about 10 minutes after the plane had taken off from Paris bound for London and had reached about 11,000 feet, according to a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration report. Part of the cabin floor collapsed and several sections of seats were drawn out of the plane with six passengers still in them. Damage to flight-control cables caused the plane to crash in a forest outside Paris. All 346 people on board died, including the ejected passengers whose remains were found eight miles away from the site of the crash. Nine people died in 1989 when a United Airlines jet decompressed shortly after taking off from Honolulu. A cargo door broke loose at about 23,000 feet, causing the cabin floor to cave in and flinging away several rows of seats. A flight attendant who was clinging to a seat leg was pulled to safety by passengers, according to the NTSB. Somalia Bomber Some terrorist bombings have led to similar scenarios. One man was sucked out of a Daallo Airlines jetliner about 15 minutes after takeoff from Mogadishu Airport on Somalia in 2016, according a database maintained by the Flight Safety Foundation. The plane had reached 12,000 feet and a small explosion believed to have been from a bomb carried aboard by the man blew a hole in the fuselage, causing decompression. The plane was able to return to the airport. Another well known example of decompression occurred in 1988 when an Aloha Airlines flight attendant plunged to her death after her planes roof, which had been weakened by corrosion, tore open at 24,000 feet. The case illustrates how quickly such events transpire. She was gone before anybody could recognize it, Marshall said. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Leslie Garon pressed her right hand to her chest and choked back tears as she addressed more than a dozen green-shirted volunteers in her living room earlier this month. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate every one of yall, she said. You gave me a beautiful house that I didnt think I would ever have. The source of Garons salvation was the Tangilena Long-Term Recovery Group, which is helping people in Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes left behind from the government programs for victims of the 2016 floods. Coalitions of nonprofit groups, faith organizations and state-funded case managers have sprung up in parishes stretching from St. Tammany to Lafayette to help people with particularly challenging situations get back into their homes. In East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Helena alone, long-term recovery groups have assisted about 300 families with projects ranging from full repairs to their flooded homes to installation of a new septic tank. Katie Pritchett, vice president of community impact for the Capital Area United Way and chairwoman of the East Baton Rouge Parish long-term recovery group, said the group takes on last resort cases where there are no other resources available to help people struggling to get back into their homes. They focus on families that for various reasons are ineligible for the state-run Restore Louisiana program or have remaining unmet needs after getting assistance from that program or others. Just a few months ago, Garon was living in a Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer with her husband, daughter and grandchild. Her husband works nights and tried during the day to fix up the home. They had managed to do some 70 percent of the repairs, but they were having to manage it on his limited time and paychecks, said Donna Bliss, a case manager from the Louisiana United Methodist Conference. Bliss said she received a referral from FEMA about the Garon family and showed up on their doorstep to see what she could do. People can be referred to disaster case managers through FEMA, long-term recovery groups and state agencies. After some persistence, Bliss convinced the family to take help from the Methodist Conference. The conference agreed to pay for the supplies needed to finish the modular home. The long-term recovery group has an ongoing relationship with a Christian volunteer group called World Renew, and it was able to provide steady stream of volunteers for 12 weeks. Long-term recovery is a concept used around the country and has been used in Louisiana since at least Hurricane Katrina. Disaster case managers, most of whom are funded through the state, identify needy cases and present them at roundtable unmet needs meetings of the groups. One such meeting takes place at 8:30 a.m. every Friday in Hammond, where more than a dozen people sit down at folding tables in a quasi-storage room off the main chapel at the First United Methodist Church. Beth Lafargue, who leads the group, and her two construction managers review the status of cases they already have. What has funding, what is left to do. Then, disaster case managers from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge hand out packets and describe the clients detailed inside, including what repairs remain and why other sources of help, such as FEMA or Restore Louisiana, were not coming through. Funders seated at the table ask case managers for any missing details needed to move forward. They typically fund projects that cost less than $10,000, using volunteer labor and donated materials as much as possible. The Louisiana United Methodist Conference and its international arm, United Methodist Conference on Relief, have been major funders of long-term recovery across south Louisiana. The Louisiana conference has raised about $3 million from donors. United Way organizations of the Capital Area and Southeast Louisiana also have been big funders, re-granting about $2 million from the Red Cross and raising their own funds for the effort. The Livingston group also has benefited from funding from the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. In addition, national and local volunteer groups have provided money and thousands of hours of labor to work on the homes. FEMA has been involved also in setting up the group and assisting with information in some cases. Disaster case managers from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge have the state contract for services in the capital area. According to David Aguillard, executive director, case managers develop a detailed file with income information and repair estimates, as well as the mitigating circumstances that may have made their damage worse than expected or if they might have an extreme shortage of resources. The agency has presented approximately 400 cases to long-term recovery groups with about 60 percent of those being funded, he said. Bliss, the case manager with the Louisiana United Methodist Conference, describes it this way: It is up to me as a case manager to build the entire case and then advocate for them as a family. . And once I bring it to the table and I tell their story and I show where their income is and what they did and what happened to their money, the decision is made at a higher level. We like to say that the Lord leads us to the people that he wants to bless. In the case of the Garon family, Bliss said, the mortgage company told the family their house was a total loss and insisted on taking the familys flood insurance check to pay off the loan. Restore Louisiana can help people with forced payoffs, but Bliss said state officials likely would have viewed the Garons case as duplication of benefits. Lafargue said there are a number of reasons people find themselves before long-term recovery groups. Some people are ineligible for government assistance because they took help after an earlier disaster and did not maintain their flood insurance. Sometimes, with the level of poverty, there is just no way the person can afford it, Lafargue said. Others suffered in the flood but not to the level that is funded by Restore Louisiana, she said. That federally funded program provides assistance only for people who had more than $8,000 worth of FEMA-verified damage or a foot of water. At the meeting of the Tangilena group in Hammond earlier this month, a disaster case manager presented the story of a single-income family living in a home that suffered a roof leak during the August 2016 flood. It also had damaged siding and floors but did not meet the damage threshold for Restore. In other cases, people were the victims of contractor fraud but paid in cash or without receipts, which makes it difficult to justify to the Restore program, Pritchett said. Or having received the mobile home replacement from the Restore program, people still need help adding a septic system or moving an electric pole. Much of the work of long-term recovery groups is coming to an end _ despite considerable remaining need, leaders of the groups said. By one measure: There are 1,007 households around the state still living in their manufactured housing units, according to FEMA. There are 532 units remaining in East Baton Rouge and 298 in Livingston. The deadline to move out is May 15. The reason for the wind-down in Livingston and East Baton Rouge parishes has to do with funding and case managers, group leaders said. Funds from two of the three major funders of Rebuild Livingston have been nearly spent, leaving the Methodists as the last funder at the table, said Kayla Atkinson, executive director of Rebuild Livingston. Meanwhile, Catholic Charities will be wrapping up its contract with the state in August, a source of concern for the long-term recovery groups that rely on the organization to identify and manage the cases. As Catholic Charities closes out, well see the needs none of us know how to address, Atkinson said. The state contract with FEMA for disaster case management funding ends in August, but the state plans to request a time extension, said Pat Forbes, director of the Office of Community Development, which oversees the grant. Although Catholic Charities Diocese of Baton Rouge plans to leave the program in August and has already been drawing down case managers, the state is working with other nonprofits to provide similar services, Forbes said. Laraine Waughtal, director of the Office of Mission Engagement and Outreach for the Louisiana United Methodist Conference, said she is planning to rely more on her own 10 case managers to handle people, including those who learn they are ineligible for help from the Restore Louisiana program. The Tangilena group expects it can continue longer. The Methodist conference has committed to funding through August 2019 and the United Way of Southeast Louisiana has committed to funding through the end of the year. The group also has a commitment from World Renew to keep supplying volunteer labor and relationships with other home building nonprofits. We will never have enough to do (something) for everybody, said Jamene Dahmer, senior vice president for long-term recovery at the United Way of Southeast Louisiana. However, we will continue to do everything we can until we have extended every resource we have. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Have spoken with Indian, Pak leaders to restart Saarc: PM Oli Prime Minister KP Oli has said that he had spoken with Indian and Pakistani leaders to restart the stalled Saarc process.Among others, the 19th Saarc Summit to be held in Pakistan has been put on hold for the past two years due to rivalry between India and Pakistan. There has been no progress since the summit was postponed in 2016. Home Minister Thapa visits acid attack victim Home Minster Ram Bahadur Thapa visited an acid attack victim who was attacked with the dangerous chemical by a policeman at Bharatpur. Oil prices turned positive in volatile trade on Monday, shaking off early losses to set new highs going back more than three years. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures finished Monday's session up 24 cents at $68.64 a barrel, eking out a new closing high going back to Dec. 1, 2014. Brent crude futures were up 66 cents, or nearly 1 percent, at $74.72 a barrel by 2:29 p.m. ET. Crude futures jockeyed between downward pressure after Iran dampened hopes that OPEC would extend its production cap pact and support on fears that U.S. sanctions could dampen Iran's output. Iran's oil minister Bijan Zanganeh said that if crude oil prices continued to rise, there would be no need to extend a pact between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-OPEC producers aimed at bolstering prices, the ministry's official website SHANA reported. "It's tweet by tweet," said Phil Flynn, analyst at Price Futures Group, saying the market is swinging in response to posturing from the U.S. and OPEC members. The CEO of Philips, Frans van Houten, has offered a glimpse into how innovation and technology are driving change in the health care sector. "I foresee a future where people and their doctors have new relationships, enabled by the cloud, by algorithms, by artificial intelligence," Van Houten told CNBC's "Squawk Box" Monday. "For that it's very important that connectivity is easy," he added. In March, Philips and Samsung announced plans for a strategic partnership which would connect Samsung's ARTIK Smart IoT Platform to Philips' HealthSuite Digital Platform. In a statement at the time, Samsung said that the collaboration would allow Samsung's ecosystem of connected devices to "safely access and share information with Philips' cloud platform." "Phillips health products in the cloud need to connect to Samsung phones, to Apple phones, to Android phones," Van Houten said Monday. "And this partnership with Samsung is basically enabling that connectivity to enable people to enjoy a good life where the data can support doctors." There are a number of ways that technology is helping to change the health care sector. They range from connected toothbrushes that can tell you how well you are cleaning your teeth via an app, to smart inhalers that monitor a patient's inhaler use. Van Houten was speaking as Philips released its earnings for the first quarter of 2018. Sales hit 3.9 billion euros ($4.77 billion), with comparable sales growth of 5 percent, while the company's comparable order intake grew 10 percent compared to the first quarter of 2017. Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. Alcoa posted its worst day since 2009 after the U.S. Treasury Department issued a six-month reprieve on sanctions levied against a top Russian aluminum competitor. Its stock fell more than 13.5 percent after the department said it would give Americans until October to wind down transactions with Rusal, the stock's worst performance in a single day since March 30, 2009. The extension was granted, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said, to give the department time to review its penalties on the company. Aluminum prices also fell. "Rusal has felt the impact of U.S. sanctions because of its entanglement with Oleg Deripaska, but the U.S. government is not targeting the hardworking people who depend on Rusal and its subsidiaries," Mnuchin said in a statement Monday. PITTSBURGH Appalachia is gunning for the Gulf Coast. A team of rivals from Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia recently announced that it would be redoubling its efforts to draw new oil and gas investment to a region once defined and later left behind by coal and steel. The states' respective leaders, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican Govs. John Kasich and Jim Justice, signed an agreement last month to renew the Tri-State Shale Coalition for another three years. The group, an ad hoc collective of government representatives and regional economic champions, is hoping to generate a level of investment that would transform the Appalachian Basin into a global energy hub on par with Texas and Louisiana. More from U.S. News & World Report: These 10 states have the best natural environment New York state farmers, brewers unite to boost craft beer business Commentary: Texas has ambitious plans to transform urban schools "We don't want to be competing with each other over state lines when the resource doesn't stay within state lines," says Denise Brinley, senior energy adviser for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. "That's what it will take to develop a true petrochemical hub." The three states sit atop the Marcellus and Utica shales, formations of porous rock stretching from West Virginia to Canada that hold huge deposits of oil and natural gas, which in the past decade have been shaken loose through hydraulic fracturing or fracking and horizontal drilling. The three states in 2016 accounted for roughly 29 percent of U.S. natural gas output up from just 2 percent in 2008, and right behind Texas and Louisiana, which together made up 31 percent of the country's natural gas production in 2016, according to the Energy Information Administration. (The region lagged further behind the Gulf Coast in oil production, in which Texas is still king.) Unlike the Gulf region, however, the vast majority of the gas that's extracted in Appalachia is exported: Only about a quarter of the gas produced in Pennsylvania, for example, was consumed within the state in 2016, according to EIA data. In Texas, by contrast, two-thirds of the gas extracted there remained in-state, and in Louisiana 92 percent stayed within state lines. The Tri-State Shale Coalition hopes to change that. Though the states continue to compete for investment, since 2015 the group has also helped arrange partnerships among the states' universities and energy companies, promoted technical training for jobs in the oil, gas and petrochemical sectors, lobbied for investments in roads, rail and other infrastructure, and hired an advertising firm to coordinate a joint marketing effort. The goal is to make the region as a whole more attractive for what's known as midstream and downstream investments. These include gas storage hubs, but also industrial plants that convert natural gas into the ethylene, polyurethane and other substances that make plastics, as well as manufacturing facilities that rely on natural gas for energy. "For economies of scale, to not be wasteful, to speed things up a regional approach made a lot of sense," says Elizabeth McIntyre, director of the Tristate Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Consortium, which was launched in 2017 to boost the region's energy, petrochemical and manufacturing workforce. "There's competition among the teams in the NFL, but there's benefit to being part of that league." In this case, she says, "we are the league." She referred to the model as "coop-etition." Royal Dutch Shell's decision in June 2016 to build a $6 billion ethane "cracker" in Beaver, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, represents the ultimate ideal: The plant, which converts ethane from natural gas into ethylene, a key ingredient for making plastics, adhesives and other synthetic products, is a multiyear project promising project promising some 6,000 construction jobs and about 600 permanent positions, according to Shell. Since the announcement, speculation has mounted that the region could see similar investments in two more cracker plants, including from PTT Global Chemical, which has been considering a $10 billion project in Ohio. "Pennsylvania takes the first investment, then Ohio, then West Virginia," Brinley says. "Any state that gets this investment is a big win for the region." Brinley says the Tri-State Shale Coalition lacks a formal budget, instead relying on donations from independent foundations and support from workers who hold roles in other agencies and organizations. She and David Ruppersberger, who leads the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance and is also involved with the Shale Coalition, declined to disclose how much the coalition has spent on marketing and other efforts. "When we've needed funding, we have managed to find it as needs are identified for the types of work that are needed to do," she says. Some level of conflict, outside of normal economic competition, might be inevitable. Pennsylvania, for example, attracted the Shell plant only after offering a tax break estimated to be worth about $1.6 billion over 25 years and a 15-year tax exemption. The states have also diverged on environmental policy, with Pennsylvania's Wolf seeking to increase the amount of money drillers must pay to extract oil and gas in the state. The coalition's leaders, though, are sanguine about such conflicts, which they say will not interfere with the group's work to market the region as a whole. "The downstream investments that we're looking at will occur because the resources are here and we have ethane in abundance," Brinley says. "So whether any individual state has taxes or fees to change the pace of the drilling, the pace of the drilling has really only been impacted by market conditions." Jack Ma reacts during a session at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018 on April 9, 2018 in Boao, China. It was looking like a banner year for business in China. The U.S. clothing company was expecting a 20 percent jump in online sales on Alibaba's Tmall, thanks to the e-commerce giant's massive reach. But executives soon learned that what Alibaba gives, it can also take away. The company refused to sign an exclusive contract with Alibaba, and instead participated in a big sale promotion with its archrival, JD.com. Tmall punished them by taking steps to cut traffic to their storefront, two executives told The Associated Press. They said advertising banners vanished from prominent spots in Tmall sales showrooms, the company was blocked from special sales and products stopped appearing in top search results. The well-known American brand saw its Tmall sales plummet 10 to 20 percent for the year. "Based on our sales record, we should have been in a prominent position, but we were at the bottom of the page," said the brand's e-commerce director, who spoke only on condition of anonymity for fear of further retaliation. "That's a clear manipulation of traffic. That's a clear punishment." As the Trump administration pushes China to play by fair trade rules, companies are caught in a quieter but no less crucial struggle for rules-based access to a $610 billion online marketplace, an AP investigation has found. Executives from five major consumer brands told the AP that after they refused to enter exclusive partnerships with Alibaba, traffic to their Tmall storefronts fell, hurting sales. Three are American companies with billions in annual sales that rely on China for growth. Alibaba Group Holding denied punishing the companies. In a statement, Alibaba said pursuing exclusive deals is a common industry practice and called the charges of coercion "completely false." "Alibaba and Tmall conduct business in full compliance with Chinese laws," Alibaba said. "Like many e-commerce platforms, we have exclusive partnerships with some of the merchants on Tmall. The merchant decides to choose such an arrangement because of the attractive services and value Tmall brings to them." The executives spoke to the AP only on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, but their concerns were echoed by a U.S. industry group, brand consultants and policy makers in China and JD.com itself. In a speech about cyberspace last week, Chinese president Xi Jinping said ensuring free and fair competition online was a regulatory priority, citing the need "to cultivate a fair market environment, strengthen intellectual property protection, and oppose monopoly and unfair competition," state media reported. In its months-long investigation, the AP interviewed more than 30 people and reviewed two contracts from Alibaba that contained the previously unreported exclusivity clauses. The AP found that the platforms that control access to Chinese consumers online wield such enormous power that even multi-billion dollar foreign companies can have trouble fighting back. "We urge the authorities to quickly investigate and take steps to ensure such practices are eliminated from the growing Chinese marketplace," said Stephen Lamar, executive vice-president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, adding that members of his industry group had complained about unfair competitive practices by Alibaba. JD.com is a member and sponsor of the trade group. Imagine a company twice as profitable as Amazon that each year serves more people than live in all of North America. That's Alibaba. It claims to be the marketplace for nearly $550 billion a year in sales more than is sold online in the entire U.S. economy. The trials of the affected companies offer a rare window onto a bruising business culture forged in China that could spread as Alibaba takes its aggressive, innovative and hugely profitable model of e-commerce global. To the extent that their products are manufactured in the United States and some are constricting sales in China's critical growth market can also deepen the imbalance of trade between China and the U.S., a gap that is a top concern for the Trump administration. The competition between Alibaba and JD.com is so infamous in China and so dirty it's been dubbed the "great cat-and-dog war," after Tmall's black-cat mascot and JD.com's white dog. Wang Hongbo, a consultant who helps Chinese brands sell online abroad, echoed the problems cited by the companies who spoke to AP. "Many brands complained about this to us. Because they didn't fall in line, they faced restrictions on Tmall," he said. JD.com said that over 100 Chinese brands defected last year due to pressure from its main rival, an assertion Alibaba and some brands have contested. The exodus appears to have had a lasting impact. "Based on the feedbacks we received from these merchants, the move was mainly due to the coercive tactics from our competition, which if proven true would be illegal and clearly against the merchants' will," said Sidney Huang, JD.com's chief financial officer, said in a November earnings call. Peacebird, a Chinese fashion company, is among those that left JD.com last year. But Weng Jianghong, the company's general manager of e-commerce, said Alibaba had not coerced them and the decision to focus on Tmall was strategic. "We will centralize and develop the limited resources of our company on Tmall," he said. Many companies, including JD.com, do exclusive deals. However, JD.com maintains that it doesn't strategically push merchants for exclusivity. "We support fair and open competition because greater choice is always better for brands and users," JD.com said in a statement. "We are winning over customers by providing a superior shopping experience, rather than by limiting the options of brands or consumers." JD.com is still trying to get brands to return. "We do believe there will be more merchants coming back," Huang said in a call last month with analysts. "But I do not expect a very quick fix." Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and his team had spent months preparing for the takedown of Herbalife preparing hundreds of slides for the presentation which was now only days away. Herbalife had no idea what was coming. Then CEO Michael Johnson had helped build the business into a fast-growing juggernaut. Its stock price kept going higher and it sure looked like nothing could stand in its way. (Fair warning, the following excerpt contains some graphic language): With Hirsch on board, Ackman booked the AXA Center on Seventh Avenue. It was Ackman's goto venue and large enough to hold the hundreds of people he hoped would show up. Timing was the only question. When October came and went, Ackman pushed the presentation to the week of Thanksgiving. But when Dinneen still wasn't ready come November, Ackman set a dropdead date of December 20, just before many on Wall Street would take off for the holidays. With the date fast approaching and the presentation looming, Dinneen worked around the clock to prepare the hundreds of slides they'd need for the deck. If they were going to bring Herbalife down, everything had to be perfect, including making sure enough people actually showed up to see it. Ackman had a plan for that too. On December 19, the day before the Sohn special event, Ackman called CNBC's hedgefund reporter, Kate Kelly, to break the news about the big short. Kelly had a slew of big contacts in the industry and from Ackman's point of view was the perfect person to drop the bomb. Just before 2 p.m., Kelly busted into CNBC's regularly scheduled programming with the "breaking news." "I've just learned that Pershing Square hedgefund manager Bill Ackman has a major new short position in Herbalife," Kelly said, while producers in the control room threw up a stock chart to watch the reaction on Wall Street. "Ackman considers Herbalife to be one of the single best investment short thesis he's ever seen from what we're hearing," said Kelly. "He has been short Herbalife for about seven or eight months and will unveil more details why at the Sohn Conference tomorrow morning." Boom. The Kelly scoop immediately sent Herbalife plunging, falling 15 percent within seconds. Three thousand miles away, inside Herbalife's Los Angeles headquarters, CEO Michael Johnson saw the slide and went apoplectic. "Who the fuck does this guy think he is," Johnson screamed to no one in particular, while a spokesperson with the company quickly drafted a statement blasting Ackman. Johnson continued his tirade. He was out for blood and didn't care who knew it. He also felt powerless to stop the stock's slide considering he was in Los Angeles and Ackman was in New York, where the story was just starting to spiral. Johnson wiped his schedule and called the Los Angeles offices of Moelis & Company, an investment bank that Johnson had done business with in the past. The firm's co-president, Navid Mahmoodzadegan, took the call. He knew Johnson well and urged the now frantic CEO to remain calm while the two figured out exactly what they were up against. Johnson would have none of it, arguing that he wasn't about to let some asshole back in New York ruin his company in a matter of minutes. So Johnson did the unthinkable. He picked up the phone and called into CNBC's Street Signs program and unloaded on Ackman in a tirade reflecting his outrage. "First of all, this is not about Herbalife's business model; this is about Bill Ackman's business model," Johnson railed into the phone, as Kelly and the program's host, Brian Sullivan, listened and watched the stock react in realtime. "This is wrong," Johnson said. "This is totally wrong what is taking place. This is blatant market manipulation. We're not a pyramid schemethat's a bogus accusation. We have millions of customers around the world. We don't pay for recruiting. We've been in business thirtytwo years. We just announced a hundredmilliondollar facility in North Carolina employing over five hundred people with the governor of North Carolina this morning. This is a legitimate company. Mr. Ackman's proposition that the United States would be better off when Herbalife is gone . . . The United States would be better off when Bill Ackman is gone." Just like that, one of the biggest battles Wall Street had ever seen was on. Ackman watched Johnson's explosion live and was taken aback at how angry he appeared, even feeling threatened by the outburst. Johnson was pissed, so much so, as the rage was spilling from his body, that he'd jumbled Herbalife's sales figures in an exchange with the CNBC onair talent. Kelly had asked Johnson questions similar to those that Einhorn had asked about Herbalife's longcontroversial sales figures. Here's the transcript: Kelly: "Mr. Johnson, questions have been raised by other major investors, including David Einhorn. Are the sales that go on about your products confined to your own distribution network? Is that the case, or is it broader than that?" Johnson: "We have millions of customers. Our customers are sometimes called distributors; that's the only confusion that we have, and they are distributors because they get a discount on our products." Kelly: "Can you give us a percentage figure though Mr. Johnson as to what percentage of your sales are outside that distribution network?" Johnson: "90%." Kelly: "So the vast majority?" Johnson: "Absolutely." The number was not accurate. Johnson had fucked up, and he knew itnot that there was anything he could about it now. Ackman pounced, claiming Johnson had lied. "He really sounded like a thug," Ackman remembers. "It was clear to me that it was not the reaction of a normal CEO. He flatout lied." The eastern European nation of Bulgaria has provided the EU with some much-needed confidence, forging ahead with more integration despite rising anti-euro sentiment across the continent. Bulgaria, who's been a member of the EU since 2007, wants to move forward with its European integration and join the euro area as soon as possible. The Bulgarian Finance Ministry told CNBC via email: "We work actively to join the ERM II, which is the first step to proceed to a simultaneous membership of the banking union and the euro area." The ERM-II exchange rate mechanism ensures that exchange rates with the euro do not fluctuate significantly. Bulgaria wants to join this before the end of the year, to therefore be one step closer to turning the euro zone into a 20-member club. "The desire to join the euro area is both a political and economic aspiration," Alfonso Velasco Tamames, Bulgaria analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), told CNBC via email. Bulgaria ranks second among the EU's 28 nations for trust in Brussels. According to the latest survey on how Europeans feel about the European Union, 57 percent of Bulgarians said they trust in the EU, compared to 64 percent in Lithuania and 56 percent in Luxembourg. Greece and the United Kingdom saw the highest number of people with the opposite view, with 74 and 59 percent respectively. Sixty-one percent of Bulgarians also said they are optimistic about the future of the EU. "For the current pro-EU government, further integration with the core of the EU has also responded to concerns of being relegated to a second tier of countries in a multi-speed EU given (France's President) Emmanuel Macron's strong push last year for euro area reform," Tamames from the EIU also said. According to Macron, the euro zone needs to integrate further to become better prepared for future crises. He has defended those countries willing and ready to integrate now and believes they should move ahead even if other European countries aren't convinced potentially creating varying levels of integration within the socio-economic bloc. Nana Akufo-Addo, president of Ghana, speaks at a press conference during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, England, on April 20, 2018. Ghanian President Nana Akufo-Addo pinpointed China's development story Saturday in a speech that promoted intra-African economic co-operation. "China does not ask anyone for respect now," he said, referring to foreign students' enthusiasm for learning Mandarin as evidence of Beijing's influence. "We've run out of excuses for the state of our continent," Akufo-Addo added, speaking at the London School of Economics. "If we work at it, if we stop being beggars, and spend Africa's monies inside the continent, Africa will not need to ask for respect from anyone." China's influence in Africa is more nuanced than simply providing loans and building infrastructure. Ethiopia among the world's fastest growing economies with gross domestic product (GDP) expansion at 10.9 percent in 2017 espouses a China-style state-led development model, for example. Akufo-Addo also extolled African unity as a means of generating economic prosperity. "Africa is losing annually more than $50 billion United States dollars through illicit financial outflows," he said, referring to a United Nations report led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki. "The dispiriting part of the story, of course, is the fact that some Africans are complicit. "It is clear that we are not well-equipped to cope with those who come to conduct business in our countries with the aim of making extraordinary returns through unorthodox and illegal means." Akufo-Addo also highlighted the importance of a nascent pan-African free trade agreement proposed by the African Union. Indian PM Modi to visit Nepal on May 11 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive for a two-day state visit to Nepal on May 11. Last week, CNBC's Jim Cramer watched the long-standing tobacco sector get obliterated as Wall Street sentiment on the space turned starkly negative. Shares of key tobacco stocks dropped drastically on a combination of an Altria downgrade from Citigroup analyst Adam Spielman and a weak earnings report from Philip Morris International. "We saw the market's sudden recognition that the cigarette industry seems to be in serious trouble, disrupted by the rise of vaping," the "Mad Money" host said on Monday. "Over the course of three short days, the tobacco stocks were bent, they were spindled and they were mutilated by the realization that electronic cigarettes have become a serious threat to the old-school cigarette makers," he continued. The cigarette industry used to be fairly predictable, Spielman wrote in his Altria takedown to "neutral" from "buy." Until recently, cigarette volumes would consistently fall 3 to 4 percent from year to year. In response, tobacco companies would raise cigarette prices. But the explosion of vaping has raised grave concerns about the fate of tobacco makers like Marlboro parent Altria and Philip Morris International, which owns the international rights to Altria's brands, despite lingering questions about the health risks of vaping. Practically a tobacco industry obituary, Spielman's analysis cited the serious threats increasingly popular electronic smoking devices like Juul pose to cigarette makers, Cramer said. Juul Labs now controls almost half of the e-cigarette market, boasting year-over-year sales growth of nearly 800 percent in 2017. Its flagship product, a small, discreet vape pen with higher nicotine levels than its competitors, has even caught on with teenagers. "Morality aside not easily done, but work with me here this thing is selling like crazy and it's really eating into the tobacco industry in a way that other e-cigs never could," Cramer said. "According to Nielsen, U.S. cigarette volumes shrank by 6 percent in the first quarter, substantially worse than expected, and Spielman ascribes the difference to Juul." Spielman didn't see much runway for tobacco giants in the long term, either. Some cigarette makers, including Altria, have introduced Juul-like products, but the Citi analyst worried they could sacrifice earnings growth by moving into the low-margin vape pen business. "While the tobacco companies can get into the vaping business, their own vape pens tend to be money losers," Cramer explained. "Who would want to swap out of an incredibly profitable business and into one that's losing money?" The Citi downgrade was underscored a day later by a disappointing earnings report from Philip Morris International. While the headline numbers beat analysts' estimates, Cramer said "the underlying trends were just plain terrifying," with total volumes down 2.3 percent and its flagship Marlboro brand down 7 percent overall. Philip Morris' numbers looked even worse region to region: the European Union was down 6.7 percent; Eastern Europe was down 10.4 percent; the Middle East and Africa were down 8.5 percent; East Asia and Australia were down 18.3 percent; and Latin America and Canada were down 1.5 percent. The only positive growth region was South and Southeast Asia, up 6.1 percent, but it barely offset the otherwise "devastating" landscape, Cramer said. Considering the pain, the "Mad Money" host did not recommend investing in the tobacco space, adding that he would watch Altria's Thursday earnings report "like a hawk." "Bottom line: last week investors realized, practically overnight, that the tobacco industry is facing an existential threat from its vaporizer competitors, led by Juul Labs," Cramer said. "And while the group got obliterated last week, I think it could even have more downside." What a difference a week makes. Last Monday, CNBC's Jim Cramer told homegamers to stay away from the stock of Newell Brands, a household products maker embroiled in a proxy fight. With Wall Street legend Carl Icahn on one side pushing for board seats and Jeff Smith's Starboard Value on the other demanding an entirely new board of directors, Newell's situation made its stock "the ultimate battleground," Cramer said. "Even though both Carl Icahn and the guys at Starboard [are] very smart, I told you that this seemed like a no-win situation to me," the "Mad Money" host reflected on Monday. "[But] the facts have changed, and like the late, great John Maynard Keynes, when the facts change, I change my mind." On Monday, Newell Brands and Starboard Value came to an agreement with Icahn's approval, ending the proxy fight. Per the deal, Newell said it would appoint two new independent directors to its board in place of Icahn's more controversial nominees and appoint a third Starboard-backed candidate. "The stock market didn't seem to care about this development," Cramer said. "I thought it was a game-changer." With Starboard back in the fold with some "superb" new directors, Cramer felt "more confident in Newell's ability to turn itself around," adding that "the stock might actually be worth buying." Cramer argued that a peaceful end to the proxy fight made all the difference for Starboard. Had the contest ended badly, Starboard's three nominees would have had a more difficult time encouraging Newell's 11-person board to change its ways, he said. Now, the Starboard-aligned directors will feel more empowered to suggest the kinds of changes Starboard has successfully made at Darden Restaurants and Marvell Technology, Cramer said. The "Mad Money" host also liked the new board members, saying Victoria's Secret vet Bridget Ryan Berman would help bolster Newell's direct-to-consumer business and former Starbucks executive Geraldo Lopez could help the company maneuver selling some of its segments. "Perhaps most important, now that Newell Brands is no longer embroiled in a bitter, high-profile proxy fight, they can actually focus on turning things around," Cramer said. "Newell still has a ragged mix of under-managed brands [and] they still need to unload many of them to raise $10 billion as part of their asset sale plan," he continued. "They still need to do everything they can to improve efficiency." Starboard's appointees also add a new layer of accountability to Newell CEO Mike Polk's role, Cramer said. If Polk can't deliver now, Starboard can bring in someone new. "Bottom line? I had no interest in Newell when it was stuck in a vicious proxy fight, and I told you anyone who won this fight was likely to experience only a Pyrrhic victory. I guess they were paying attention because now Newell's made peace with the activist investors at Starboard and that makes this a very different story," the "Mad Money" host said. "That's why you now have my blessing to buy the stock," Cramer continued. "Yes, Starboard is that good, and I truly believe Polk will take heed of their advice with the understanding that if he doesn't, he's most likely gone. That could be a win-win situation developing here: Polk succeeds [and] the stock goes higher. If he fails, Starboard will likely have a hand in picking a very good successor." Not only does venture capitalist Tim Draper think bitcoin is here to stay, he says it could be bigger than the internet. When asked during a debate how the digital currency compared to his early investments in Tesla, Hotmail and Skype, Draper said bitcoin will be "bigger than all of those combined." "This is bigger than the internet. It's bigger than the Iron Age, the Renaissance. It's bigger than the Industrial Revolution," Draper said at Intelligence Squared U.S. debate presented in partnership with Manhattan Institute's Adam Smith Society on Saturday. "This affects the entire world and it's going to be affected in a faster and more prevalent way than you ever imagined." Draper, founder of leading venture capital firms Draper Associates and DFJ, reiterated his bullish call for bitcoin to hit $250,000 within four years and elaborated on use cases. "In five years you are going to try to go buy coffee with fiat currency and they are going to laugh at you because you're not using crypto," the early internet investor said. "I believe that there will be a point at which you will no longer really want any of the fiat currency." With gas production in full swing across a number of sites in Egypt, the country is ready to become a key exporter of energy in the region and beyond, the chairman and founder of investment firm Qalaa Holdings told CNBC. "In the oil and gas sectors Egypt remains a very important player," Ahmed Heikal, told CNBC's "Capital Connection" on Monday. Heikal said there was impetus for Egyptian gas to flow to European markets via terminals in Idku and Damietta. "Gas discoveries and infrastructure, as far as the LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminals in Idku and Damietta, those two have meant that Egypt is ready to perform a very important role as a hub for energy, especially gas exports," he said. Egypt is looking to raise $10 billion in foreign investments for the oil and gas sector for 2018-2019, according to Reuters, a 25 percent increase on the year before. It also wants to raise its gas production from new fields, including the giant Zohr gas field that was discovered in 2015 by Italian energy group Eni. The discovery has been a boon to the Egyptian economy as it means the country will be able to meet domestic demand and shouldn't have to buy in foreign supplies. In fact, Egypt hopes to stop importing foreign oil and gas entirely by 2019, according to Reuters. Apple's agreement to buy Shazam is the subject of an "in-depth investigation" by the European Commission. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager announced the probe on Monday, writing: "The way people listen to music has changed significantly in recent years, with more and more Europeans using music streaming services. Our investigation aims to ensure that music fans will continue to enjoy attractive music streaming offers and won't face less choice as a result of this proposed merger." Apple agreed to buy UK-based music recognition app Shazam in December, a rare acquisition for the secretive iPhone maker. Shazam's data is the primary area of concern for European consumers, European regulators said on Monday. "Access to such data could allow Apple to directly target its competitors' customers and encourage them to switch to Apple Music. As a result, competing music streaming services could be put at a competitive disadvantage," regulators said. The European Commission has a September deadline for the investigation. The investigation isn't the first tussle between the European Commission and Apple. The two are in an ongoing dispute over Apple low tax rate in Ireland. But data security has been an issue that Apple typically prides itself on, compared to advertising-based businesses like Google and Facebook: Cook even called for more "well-crafted" regulations around data privacy in a talk last month. Earlier this year, Vestager told CNBC that the EU is trying to act quickly to close investigations of technology companies as "society develops faster and faster." "We have learned a lot in the last couple of years, not only from the antitrust cases, but also from fake news and AI," Vestager said in February. "And we are seeing sort of more and more the fuller picture. And in the commission we're drafting new proposals both on the platform to business relationship, or business to platform relationship, on how to deal with illegal content, and how to deal with copyright issues in order to use this now more fuller picture to sort of make the regulatory framework so we do not get into a situation where we have sort of a Wild West, since it is about the entire society what's going on right now." The full release is here: Vicente Fox, formerly president of Mexico and currently a frequent critic of Donald Trump, told CNBC on Monday that the southern border wall proposed by the U.S. president serves "no positive purpose." "The building of a wall is the stupidity out of the mind of Trump," said Fox, who was Mexico's leader from 2000 to 2006. "It's just isolating the United States from the rest of the world." Trump has been calling for a wall on the United States-Mexico border since he launched his candidacy for president. Trump has argued repeatedly that a wall would secure the border and prevent illegal immigration. That's a theme the president echoed in a Monday morning tweet, while calling for Mexico to tighten its immigration controls as a condition for finalizing an updated NAFTA. Mexico, whose laws on immigration are very tough, must stop people from going through Mexico and into the U.S. We may make this a condition of the new NAFTA Agreement. Our Country cannot accept what is happening! Also, we must get Wall funding fast. The U.S., Mexico and Canada are in the throes of negotiating an overhaul of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement. Fox said Trump's tweet is just a maneuver to try to "impress his base" of supporters. The former Mexican president predicted success in crafting a "better NAFTA" for all three countries. He spoke with CNBC's John Harwood from the eMerge Americas technology conference in Miami Beach, Florida. Despite Trump's rhetoric on trade, the exchange of goods and services does not have to be a zero-sum game, Fox said. Meanwhile, Fox said he has never met with Trump and won't meet the U.S. president unless he apologized to Mexico for all the disparaging remarks over the years, including part of the speech that launched his presidential candidacy in 2015. At the time, Trump called Mexican immigrants "rapists" and accused them of bringing "drugs" and "crime" to the U.S. He also said, "Some, I assume, are good people." "Every time he opens his mouth, his big mouth, same thing, back to the past, back to a national state, back to the grandeur of America," Fox said of Trump. "America has been great always. It will be great forever. It doesn't need Trump." The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Fox's interview. A British businessman is to sue Facebook for defamation, claiming that it published more than 50 fake adverts using his name or picture. Martin Lewis, who founded consumer website MoneySavingExpert.com, said the ads were by scammers running "get rich quick" schemes, with titles such as "Bitcoin code" or "Cloud trader." Some of the ads linked to websites that mimicked the look of the BBC or U.K. newspaper the Daily Mirror, with headlines such as "Martin Lewis lends a hand to British families with revolutionary Bitcoin home-based opportunity." The social network banned adverts for cryptocurrencies including bitcoin in January. Lewis wants Facebook to take responsibility for the adverts it runs online. "It claims to be a platform not a publisher yet this isn't just a post on a web forum, it is being paid to publish, promulgate and promote what are often fraudulent enterprises. My hope is this lawsuit will force it to change its system. Nothing else has worked. People need protection," Lewis said in a blog post Monday. Another asset is Shkreli's shares in Vyera Pharmaceuticals, formerly known as Turing Pharmaceuticals. While CEO of Turing, which he founded, Shkreli gained widespread infamy for hiking the price of its anti-parasite drug Daraprim more than 5,000 percent. AG Eric Schneiderman said that because of a pending lien for back taxes, state officials have "priority" over the federal government's claim to "substitute assets" belonging to Shkreli that a judge ruled could be seized to satisfy the forfeiture award. Those assets include the one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang album "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin," the Lil Wayne album "Tha Carter V," the Picasso, as well as $5 million held in an E-Trade brokerage account. In a new court filing, New York's attorney general said state tax authorities are entitled to first dibs on more than $480,000 out of the nearly $7.4 million convicted fraudster Shkreli was ordered to forfeit to the federal government. New York state tax officials could be headed to a fight with federal prosecutors over who will get "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli 's Wu-Tang Clan album, Picasso painting and cash even as regulators reveal that Shrkreli had agreed to be barred from the securities industry. In a filing Monday, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that Shkreli had agreed to an order that will bar him from the securities industry in order to settle a pending SEC administrative action against him. Shkreli could apply for readmission to the industry but it would be subject to applicable laws and regulations governing that process. Such a return is unlikely to happen anytime soon as Shrkeli is serving a seven-year prison sentence. Even before his conviction last summer New York had been aggressive in collecting the tax debt. The state had already seized and auctioned off several items from Shkreli to satisfy another $134,500 in back taxes. One of those items was a rare Nazi Enigma code machine that federal prosecutors apparently had mistakenly believed was still in Shkreli's possession, and subject to forfeiture, more than seven months after it was seized and sold off by New York officials. Schneiderman's filing said the substituted assets that remain "are unrelated to the criminal acts for which forfeiture is sought," which means that the federal government's claim to them did not vest until the forfeiture was ordered last month. The filings said the New York state tax lien on Shkreli's assets vested on Jan. 5, 2017, "well before the conviction of Defendant Shkreli or entry of the [forfeiture] Order." If U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto rules that New York's claim is "superior" to the federal government's, the state would get its claimed $480,011.43, plus continued interest and penalties, out of the ordered forfeiture amount. That would reduce the federal government's share by a relatively slight amount. A spokesman for the state Department of Taxation and Finance, as well as a spokesman for the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, which prosecuted Shkreli, both declined to comment. Benjamin Brafman, Shkreli's lawyer, did not immediately return a request for comment. Shkreli, 35, was convicted in August of defrauding a group of hedge fund investors and of manipulating the stock in another drug company he founded, Retrophin. Investors testified he had repeatedly lied to them about key aspects of the hedge funds, and misled them about the funds' financial performance. Shkreli then used stock and cash from Retrophin to pay back the investors for their lost investments, and then some. Matsumoto last month sentenced Shkreli to seven years in prison. She also ordered Shkreli, who is now locked up in the federal prison in Fort Dix, New Jersey, to forfeit $7,360,450 to the United States government. And the judge also ordered him to give up his ownership stake in the substitute assets so they could be sold off to satisfy the forfeiture award. Shkreli is appealing his conviction. Even before the forfeiture was announced, New York state tax officials had gone after Shkreli for the money he owes them. In late December 2016, the state Department of Taxation and Finance issued a tax warrant for $1.26 million in unpaid taxes by Shkreli. Since then, Shkreli has made some partial payments, and the state recouped another $134,500 from him by seizing and auctioning off the seized Enigma machine for $65,000, as well a manuscript signed by Isaac Newton, a letter from Charles Darwin, and another letter written by English mathematician and writer Augusta Ada King-Noel, Countess of Lovelace. The items were seized almost a year ago in May, a month before Shkreli went on trial in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York. In its new filing, the state tax department said that last September, more than a month after Shkreli's conviction, it served a tax compliance levy on E-Trade Securities, seeking to satisfy his remaining tax obligation with money from Shkreli's brokerage account there. In October, E-Trade told state officials there was a federal restraining order on that account, "as well as an additional request to restrict the Brokerage Account pursuant to an IRA levy," the filing said. Officials added that they believe E-Trade still has possession of Shkreli's brokerage account. That account's $5 million had, until last September, secured Shkreli's release bail, which remained in effect even after his conviction in August. Matsumoto revoked Shkreli's bail in September after ruling he represented a danger to the public. That ruling stemmed from a stunt Shkreli pulled on Facebook, where he offered followers $5,000 for each strand of hair they were able to pull from the head of Hillary Clinton. WATCH: Co-worker says Shkreli 'mentally unstable' New details about President Donald Trump's controversial visit to Moscow in 2013 appear to contradict the timeline he allegedly provided to former FBI Director James Comey, according to flight records obtained by Bloomberg. The records show Trump arrived on a Bombardier jet to Moscow on Friday, Nov. 8, at 6:15 a.m. local time, and didn't depart the country until 3:58 a.m. Sunday, Bloomberg reported. According to the arrival and departure times listed in the flight records, Trump's total time spent in Moscow for the trip was nearly 46 hours. But Trump allegedly told Comey that he had not even stayed overnight in Russia during the visit. According to the former FBI director, the president on multiple occasions brought up a lurid accusation from a controversial dossier about him that Trump had witnessed prostitutes urinating on a bed in a Moscow hotel in 2013. Comey wrote about the discussions with Trump in contemporaneous memos. Trump fired Comey in May 2017. Trump, who was not running for president when he visited Russia in 2013, had flown to Moscow to attend the Miss Universe pageant, which was being hosted in the Russian capital that year. Comey wrote that Trump "said he had spoken to people who had been on the Miss Universe trip with him and they had reminded him that he didn't stay over night in Russia for that." "He said he arrived in the morning, did events, then showered and dressed for the pageant at the hotel ... and left for the pageant. Afterwards he returned only to get his things because they departed for New York by plane that same night," Comey wrote. On another occasion, Trump explained again to Comey why the allegation could not be true: The president brought up the "golden showers thing" and said it really bothered him if his wife had any doubt about it. He then explained, as he did at our dinner, that he hadn't stayed overnight in Russia [at the time alleged in the dossier]. ... The president said 'the hookers thing' is nonsense but that Putin had told him 'we have some of the most beautiful hookers in the world.' Trump's November 2013 trip to Moscow has drawn intense scrutiny since it became associated with the claim from the dossier, which was compiled by British ex-spy Christopher Steele for intelligence gathering firm Fusion GPS and partially paid for by Democratic entities. Neither the White House nor the Trump Organization immediately responded to CNBC's requests for comment. Read the full report from Bloomberg. Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) made history by electing its first ever female leader, but now the hard work must begin to reunite a party punished in the last election. The move hailed as "great progress" by party grandees on Sunday, with 66 percent of SPD delegates voting in favor of Andrea Nahles. The former labor minister and head of the SPD's parliamentary group will take the helm of the party that is joining Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian alliance in a coalition government. Martin Schulz, the departing leader of the SPD, told CNBC that Nahles was "tough enough" to gain the trust of SPD members who were more reluctant about her appointment. Meanwhile, the SPD's Deputy Chairman Ralf Stegner cheered the appointment. "You can see in her speech (Sunday) that she has the experience, competence and the emotional power of a social democratic leader to stand for an SPD that you'll see as the leading party in European affairs, in terms of peace and progress in Europe, which will be a very important thing to do," he told CNBC's Annette Weisbach on Sunday. Coalition risk The SPD's joining of Merkel's conservatives in another coalition (they have governed together before) is a risky move, however, given the party's election defeat in September. The party's popularity rating remains low (the latest opinion poll giving it 18 percent) and there is still dissent within the party over the decision to enter into another grand coalition with Merkel. In a speech Sunday, Nahles said that being in government with Merkel did not spell disaster for the SPD, saying, "You can renew a party while it's in government. I want to prove that from tomorrow," according to Reuters. Stegner was among the group of SPD members that had wanted the party to remain in opposition but a vote on the matter in March saw 66 percent of the party's 450,000-or-so membership approve the tie-up. Particularly after Merkel's talks with other parties failed to reach a deal and Germany's political future looked uncertain. Stegner told CNBC the party needed to reunite and build trust among German voters. "We will have to prove that being part of the government means progress for ordinary people in Germany and, on the other side, that as a party we think about the future, besides what we're doing in government, and that has to be done at the same time and Andrea Nahles is the right person to do that," he said. The future of Europe Nahles' appointment comes after the SPD's long-time leader Schulz resigned after the party suffered a bad defeat in Germany's federal election, a vote that saw Germany's political scene shift dramatically with the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) becoming the third largest party in the country and entering the Bundestag for the first time. The rise of the AfD was seen as part of a backlash against Merkel's policy at the height of the region's migrant crisis in 2015, in which over a million migrants, mainly from war-torn areas of the Middle East, entered Germany. It was also seen as part of a wider anti-establishment sentiment that has swept through Europe, with parties campaigning on a euroskeptic message doing well at a national level such as the Lega party and Five Star Movement in Italy where they are now the biggest parties. Andrea Nahles, new leader of the German Social Democrats (SPD), speaks at an SPD federal party congress on April 22, 2018 in Wiesbaden, Germany. Simon Hofmann/Getty Images Manange not to face money laundering trial and OAG is to blame Notorious gangster Rajeev Gurung aka Deepak Manage will not face further trial on a money laundering charge in which he was acquitted by the Special Court, because the Office of Attorney General (OAG) failed to register an appeal petition at the Supreme Court (SC) within deadline. Health-care products distributor Henry Schein is spinning off its animal health business and merging it with Vets First Choice to form a new company called Vets First Corp. The deal, announced Monday, will combine Henry Schein's veterinary supplies, software for practices and distribution network with Vets First Choice's prescription management platform. Henry Schein anticipates receiving from the transaction about $1 billion to $1.25 billion in cash on a tax-free basis. Its shareholders will own about 63 percent of the new company, and Vets First Choice shareholders will own about 37 percent of it. Americans are investing more in their pets, spurring interest from companies searching for growth. In February, General Mills said it would buy pet food maker Blue Buffalo for $8 billion. M&M-owner Mars has bulked up its pet business, which includes Iams, Pedigree and Whiskas brands. Last year, it acquired animal hospital company VCA for $9.1 billion. Meanwhile, the threat of Amazon's entry into health care looms. The company already sells some supplies to doctors and dentists through its Amazon Business division. Henry Schein says spinning off and merging the animal health business will allow it to focus more on the dental and medical supply businesses. "Some people felt this (deal) is perhaps to fend off online retailers, but it has absolutely nothing to do with that. This is about bringing two great companies together where (veterinary) practitioners will be more successful," Henry Schein CEO Stanley Bergman said in an interview with CNBC. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, speaks at the George W. Bush Presidential Center's Forum on Leadership in Dallas, Texas, April 20, 2018. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, and one of the nation's most eligible relocation seekers, visited Dallas Friday evening to shed light on his business success, but not where he plans to build his coveted second headquarters. The George W. Bush Presidential Center and Southern Methodist University co-hosted Bezos' interview, which lasted 51 minutes inside of SMU's Moody Coliseum. "Jeff, welcome to Dallas. I'm excited that you can see what a city that really wants you here looks like. Right, guys?" said Kenneth Hersh, Bush Center CEO, eliciting roaring applause from a packed coliseum. "I left 30 seconds here, just in case there was a little real estate announcement you wanted to make." Bezos laughed it off, and never circled back to the topic. What he did emphasize, however, was a need for entrepreneurs to be daring, fight through discomfort, relish in naysayers' lack of vision and move away from present paradigms. Read more from the Dallas Business Journal: Chef and author to share business know-how in Dallas See DFW's largest small business sales during Q1 Connecting: Exit stage left Weathering early struggles Bezos started Amazon in 1995. Back then, he'd often drive packages to the post office himself. "I knew the UPS guy so well that he would even let me in five minutes after closing," Bezos said. "I hoped one day we'd be able to afford a forklift. We were so inefficient with our operations and logistics that we were packing on the floor, on our hands and knees. "I said to one of the software engineers, who was packing alongside me, 'You know what we should do? We should get knee pads.' He looked at me like I was the dumbest guy he'd ever seen in his life and said, 'Jeff, we should get packing tables.' The next day I bought packing tables, and it doubled productivity." Bezos peppered the conversation with similar vignettes of early struggles to underline a point of challenging conventional thinking. He took Amazon public in 1997, issuing stock at $1.50 per share. In 1998, revenue was $600 million, and he lost $125 million, but stock had jumped to $55 a share. He doubled down. Sales went up three-fold. He lost hundreds of millions more, but stock went up to $76 by December 1999. The market indicated Amazon and every other dot.com enterprise was doing great, even though it was in the red, taking on roughly $2 billion in debt from 1999 to 2001. Despite the debt, Amazon kept doubling sales. During the interview, Bezos indicated that his even-keeled perspective on his company's success positioned Amazon to survive where other dot.com startups failed. "I liked our business, and I liked the fundamentals of our business, but I also knew that the stock price was disconnected from what we were doing on a day-to-day basis," he said. "I told the staff, when the stock is up 30 percent in a month, don't feel 30 percent smarter. Because when it's down 30 percent in a month, you're going to have to feel 30 percent dumber, and it's not going to feel as good." Laying that mental ground work was helpful, because by 2000 Amazon's stock went down to $6 per share. On a split-adjusted basis, it was below $1 per share. He wasn't disheartened. Bezos said he kept close tabs on Amazon's internal metrics, such as the number of customers, the company's fixed costs and positive contribution margin. "I just knew it was a fixed-cost business, and as soon as we reached a sufficient scale, we would have a good business," Bezos said. Tenants of success It's well documented that he was right. Amazon's stock on Friday closed at $1,527.49 per share, and this year Bezos' net worth is around $119 billion. During his sit-down interview on stage, he dovetailed Amazon's triumph-over-adversity talking points with his own tenants for business success. Once a monopoly, the market to launch Air Force equipment to space is getting crowded. United Launch Alliance a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin and SpaceX are currently the Air Force's go-to rocket suppliers. But the next round of contracts could see Orbital ATK get a foothold, according to Jefferies analysts who attended the 34th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In July the U.S. Air Force is expected to award three suppliers with contracts for next-generation rocket designs under the Pentagon's launch services agreements program, with ULA, SpaceX, Orbital and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin as the likely competitors, Jefferies said. The military is then anticipated to make a final decision in 2020, picking two suppliers to compete for 28 missions over five years. "An eventual down-select for the program would require unseating two well positioned competitors in ULA and SpaceX," Jefferies said. "Despite this, Orbital ATK has many aspects of the offering that position it for what we would view as an upset." Part of this comes through "synergies" from its pending acquisition by defense giant Northrop Grumman this year for $7.8 billion, the analysts wrote. The deal with Northrop gives both companies greater reach into the growing space economy. Northrop and Orbital's portfolios combine "to offer full scale solutions across the small and large government satellite market, leverage to the commercial market and expansion into the launch services market," the firm said. Jefferies estimated Northrop's space business makes up about a quarter of its revenues. With Orbital joining the fold, the firm sees this business growing 9 percent over the next four years. Orbital also has a "diverse business base, across space and defense," Jefferies said, which provides "an operational advantage." "The manufacturing and supply base would also be leveraged across the company's strategic rocket and launch vehicle business," Jefferies said. Orbital also supplies solid rocket motors and other rocket parts for ULA. With a robust rocket-building supply chain, Orbital's newly announced OmegA rocket bulks up its existing quiver of launch vehicles, which includes the light-to-medium lift class Pegasus, Minotaur and Antares rockets. "The company's OmegA rocket is starting at a high level of technology readiness given its leverage of current components," Jefferies said. The number of Orbital employees working on OmegA is expected to double to 1,000 if the Air Force awards the company a design contract this year, the company said. The military has also contributed $165 million to the development of OmegA, Jefferies said, with Orbital investing around $85 million itself. Competition with ULA and SpaceX is stiff. Both companies continue to win the Air Force's trust with massive contracts. ULA is the legacy supplier, launching Air Force missions for more than two decades. SpaceX is Elon Musk's relentless innovator already completing eight successful missions in 2018 known for its ability to land rockets. The company also recently completed the first flight of its Falcon Heavy rocket, which the Air Force is utilizing for future launches. Blue Origin could also pull off a surprising win with its New Glenn rocket, which is currently in development. Bezos' company expects New Glenn to launch in 2020. CEO Bob Smith said last week New Glenn progress is "going very well" and noted that the rocket is built to serve any customer civil, commercial or military. Three Democrats say they will vote to confirm CIA Director Mike Pompeo as secretary of State, all but assuring that the former congressman will have the Senate support to become the top U.S. diplomat. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., both announced their support for Pompeo on Monday. They are the second and third members of their party to back Pompeo, joining Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. All three lawmakers face re-election in November in states President Donald Trump won easily in 2016, and could have faced GOP attacks for opposing Trump's nominee. Manchin announced his support for the former congressman from Kansas on Monday morning. He said he met with Pompeo and decided to support him after "discussing his foreign policy perspectives" and "considering his distinguished time as CIA Director and his exemplary career in public service." Manchin tweet In a statement Monday afternoon, Donnelly said the U.S. needs a secretary of State "who will give the president an honest assessment on critical issues, including Russia, Syria and the defeat of ISIS." He added that he believes Pompeo "is capable of advancing U.S. interests and leading leading the State Department." The senators' support for Pompeo comes ahead of a Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote set for later Monday, during which the panel could report the nominee unfavorably to the full Senate. While it should not affect his ability to get confirmed, it is a symbolic blow. A Cabinet member has not gotten confirmed without the endorsement of a committee in decades, according to The Washington Post. It is unclear when the whole Senate would vote on Pompeo's confirmation. Republicans hold 51 seats in the Senate, and Pompeo needs a majority vote to get confirmed. Only 50 GOP senators are present with Sen. John McCain out of Washington fighting brain cancer. While opposition from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Democrats threatening to complicate Pompeo's confirmation, support from Manchin and Heitkamp would mean he has enough votes. In a tweet Monday morning, Trump hit Democrats for their stance on Pompeo's nomination. He called it "hard to believe" that "obstructionists" may vote against Pompeo's confirmation. Trump tweet "A majority of Democrats continue their pointless obstruction to score cheap political points with their base," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said later Monday. Democrats who have not backed Pompeo have expressed concerns about the diplomat potentially emboldening reckless behavior on Trump's part. Pompeo's opposition to the Iran nuclear deal and his role in helping to broker a potential summit between Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un have also sparked concerns among Democrats. Sanders also said the White House does not think Paul is being "helpful" in opposing Pompeo. She highlighted bipartisan Senate support for recent secretary of State nominees, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell, and questioned why Pompeo could not get similar backing. China's President Xi Jinping has to back up his words with actions if he wants to avoid a trade war, Canada's ambassador to China told CNBC. "Xi Jinping has used very strong language in favor of globalization, in favor of freer trade. But it would be good if he could match those statements with actions," ambassador John McCallum said, referring to Xi's speeches at Davos last year and at the Boao forum this year. "Their actions have not always matched their words. So the more they could act, the more it would help the world to preserve the international system and avoid a descent into a trade war," he added. The escalating trade tensions between the two largest economies in the world have resulted in China slapping a 25 percent levy on U.S. imports including products such as soybeans, cars and whiskey a tit-for-tat after President Donald Trump targeted a list of Chinese imports. China is the biggest export market for Canadian soybeans and while it might be true that Canada might stand to benefit from tariffs on U.S. soybeans , the ambassador told CNBC's Martin Soong that a trade war in general will still have a negative impact on Canada, and the global economy at large. Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, said Sunday he would donate $4.5 million to help cover some of the United States' financial commitments to the Paris Climate Accord. "America made a commitment and as an American, if the government's not going to do it we all have responsibility," Bloomberg told CBS on Sunday. "I'm able to do it. So, yes, I'm going to send them a check for the monies that America had promised to the organization as though they got it from the federal government." Last year, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S would withdraw from the Paris Agreement and commence negotiations to re-enter or negotiate a new accord. The historic deal had been reached in Paris at the end of 2015, with the participation of former President Barack Obama. Under the agreement, world leaders committed to making sure global warming stayed "well below" two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. They also agreed to pursue efforts to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In a statement Sunday, Bloomberg's charity Bloomberg Philanthropies said the $4.5 million would go towards the operations of the UN Climate Change Secretariat. The organization added that Bloomberg would make extra funds available to the UN Climate Change Secretariat if the U.S. continued to "fail to pay its share of the UN climate budget in 2019." Bloomberg's announcement was welcomed by Patricia Espinosa, the UN Climate Change Secretariat's executive secretary. "When countries adopted the historic Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise, they also recognized that achieving that goal would take broad-based global climate action in all sectors, public and private," she said. "I welcome this generous contribution from Bloomberg Philanthropies as an important, practical recognition of our need to work together, and to step up our response to climate change." Michigan is to work with Britain on the development of rules for self-driving cars and technology for smart motorways, the Financial Times reported Monday. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.K. Business Minister, Richard Harrington, the report said. "We need to embrace a broader network," Snyder told the Financial Times in an interview. "The technology itself is being developed in many different places. Britain is a place of core competency in this field." In March, the U.K. government launched a three year regulatory review of driving laws. Authorities said the review would take place so that the U.K. remained "one of the best places in the world to develop, test and drive self-driving vehicles." Read the full report on the FT's website here. Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. Ministers from the U.S., Canada and Mexico are trying to press ahead with the negotiations in order to try to avoid clashing with a presidential election in Mexico on July 1. Alongside the U.S. and Canada, Mexico is in the midst of eight-month-old talks to try to update the NAFTA deal which is thought to underpin about $1.2 trillion in yearly trilateral trade. Mexico believes it is on the brink of agreeing to the modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Alongside the U.S. and Canada, Mexico is in the midst of eight-month-old talks to try to update the NAFTA deal which is thought to underpin about $1.2 trillion in yearly trilateral trade. "In the baseline scenario of the central bank, we have that there will be a version of NAFTA," Mexican Central Bank Governor Alejandro Diaz de Leon told CNBC's Joumanna Bercetche on Saturday. "We know that there have been ups and downs in the negotiation (But) we do hope that the advantages for the three countries will prevail in some version of the agreement," he added. Rules of origin In an apparent bid to try to quickly wrap up the reworking of the 24-year-old accord, leading Mexican officials have sought to convey an upbeat tone in recent days. Late last week, Mexico's Economy Minister, Ildefonso Guajardo, said lawmakers had made "a lot of progress" after the second day of meetings with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canada's Chrystia Freeland. And on Sunday, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said his country was feeling optimistic about the prospect of being able to successfully conclude the talks in the coming weeks. Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland (C) speaks before the start of a trilateral meeting with Mexico's Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo (L) and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer during the third round of NAFTA talks involving the United States, Mexico and Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, September 27, 2017. Chris Wattie | Reuters Ministers from the U.S., Canada and Mexico are trying to press ahead with the negotiations in order to try to avoid clashing with a presidential election in Mexico on July 1. Nonetheless, reaching this milestone would mean overcoming major differences on several U.S. demands. Canada and Mexico have battled with the U.S. over their apparent reluctance to adhere to tougher NAFTA regulations on the content of vehicles made in North American nations. Often referred to as the rules of origin, it is widely considered to be a key sticking point to the talks. President Donald Trump's negotiators had initially called for tariffs on the content of vehicles made in NAFTA nations to increase to 85 percent from 62.5 percent. However, Washington's stance over this issue has reportedly softened in an effort to reach a consensus with their North American neighbors sooner rather than later. Market has 'priced in' NAFTA outcome The U.S. was thought to be looking to secure a deal in principle with the NAFTA agreement sometime over the next three weeks. Meanwhile, Mexico's Guajardo said he saw an 80 percent chance of reaching a deal by the first week of May. Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to walk away from the negotiating table in the absence of major changes, has criticized the pact for creating jobs in Mexico at the expense of U.S. workers. President Donald Trump Kevin Lamarque | Reuters A South Korean soldier stands next to the loudspeakers near the border area between South Korea and North Korea on January 8, 2016 in Yeoncheon, South Korea. South Korea has stopped blaring music and other propaganda via loudspeakers along the border with North Korea, in an apparent gesture of goodwill ahead of top-level talks later this week. The South Korean defense ministry announced the high-decibel broadcasts it routinely played across the heavily fortified demilitarized zone had fallen silent at midnight on Sunday. "We hope this decision will lead both Koreas to stop mutual criticism and propaganda against each other and also contribute in creating peace and a new beginning," Seoul's defense ministry said in a statement Monday. South Korea said its dozens of speakers, which can be heard by North Korean troops and civilians in the surrounding area, would all be turned off to try to help create a better atmosphere for Friday's talks. It is the first time in more than two years that Seoul's propaganda offensive has stopped. North Korea also has its own system of speakers along the border between the two countries, which tends to play reports critical of its neighbor and their allies. It is not yet known whether Pyongyang will also silence its loudspeakers. Pyongyang, this weekend, said it suspended nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of summits with Seoul and Washington. But that in no way means the reclusive regime will curtail or halt its existing programs, strategists told CNBC. Nuclear prowess is a crucial component of North Korea's identity. Not only does ruler Kim Jong Un govern the nation on a policy known as byungjin the parallel pursuit of nuclear weapons development and economic growth but the pariah state has even built monuments at nuclear test sites to memorialize past ICBM tests. The country's weekend statement, as reported by the state-run Korean Central News Agency following a plenary session of the ruling Worker's Party's top officials, also indicated the looming closure of a main nuclear test site. But halting tests and missile launches as well as dismantling sites do not reflect a commitment to roll back current nuclear capacities and hardware, warned Tong Zhao, a fellow at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center, a Beijing-based policy think tank. When North Korea said it will refrain from acts prohibited under multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, that doesn't mean it will give up the nuclear capability it's already attained, echoed Sung-Yoon Lee, a Korean studies professor at Tufts University's Fletcher School. If the pariah state stalls nuclear development at present levels, "that, in itself, is a bit of progress," said Robert Kelly, associate professor at Pusan National University. But like others, he said he doesn't think Kim will budge on existing programs: "It would be remarkable if they spent 40 years developing these weapons and then give them away." The news prompted President Donald Trump, who is expected to meet Kim in May or June, to declare on Twitter that North Korea had agreed to "denuclearization" even though KCNA's statement did not use that term or express that sentiment. MC and UML couldnt come together on Lenins birth anniversary but May 5, Marxs 200th birth anniversary, is coming up April 22, the birth anniversary of Vladimir Lenin and the founding day of the Nepal Communist Party, has passed. This was the proposed date of unification of CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre). But leaders from both parties suggest that even though unification did not occur on the said date, the parties will eventually come together. Prime suspect in the November 2015 Paris attacks Salah Abdeslam (L) sits beside his alleged accomplice Sofiane Ayari (R) as they are surrounded by Belgian special police officers in the courtroom at the 'Palais de Justice' courthouse in Brussels for the opening of his trial, on February 5, 2018. A Belgian judge on Monday sentenced Salah Abdeslam, the prime surviving suspect in the 2015 Islamic State attacks on Paris, to 20 years in prison over a shootout with police in Brussels in 2016. Abdeslam's co-defendant Sofien Ayari also received a 20-year term for attempted terrorist murder. While his lawyer argued Abdeslam, 28, should be acquitted because of a procedural error, prosecutors had charged him with attempted murder over the Brussels shootout in March 2016, days before his arrest, and called for a jail term of 20 years. "The sheer number of improprieties involving Trump officials has been stunning. What's also stunning is the lack of consequences when these problems have come to light." Pruitt certainly isn't alone. Several of his Cabinet colleagues have been accused of excessive travel and furniture spending, as well as conflicts of interest. HUD Secretary Ben Carson, for instance, was ridiculed for purchasing a $31,000 dining room set that will probably go nicely with the $139,000 office door bought by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. There have been other ethics controversies: official resources used for partisan purposes in violation of the Hatch Act; White House staffers without proper security clearances; and political appointees handling issues on which they previously lobbied. The Presidential Personnel Office, which screens potential appointees for ethics issues, has been plagued by its own problems, including staffers with inflated resumes and arrest records. To be sure, every administration gets tripped up by the government ethics rules. However, the sheer number of improprieties involving Trump officials has been stunning. What's also stunning is the lack of consequences when these problems have come to light. Despite HHS Secretary Tom Price stepping down last year due to his use of charter flights, Pruitt has managed to hold onto his job and still retains the President's "full confidence" after the latest round of disclosures. As for the Hatch Act violations, they have barely resulted in slaps on the wrist. And political appointees are still working on issues where they might have a conflict of interest. Over the past 15 months, what were once thought to be hard and fast ethics rules have turned out to be far more porous, especially when the enforcement depends on a president with his own ethical challenges. New ethics laws may very well be needed to tighten up financial conflicts of interest and reduce wasteful spending. But make no mistake: legislation alone won't ensure compliance by thousands of political appointees unless the occupant of the White House makes ethics a priority and reinforces that commitment every day through his words and actions. As an example, President Obama mandated on his first full day in office in January 2009 that his appointees would abide by the toughest ethics standards in history, which required extensive training and constant vigilance. When the Obama White House staff received its first ethics briefing in early 2009, the "ethics czar" Norm Eisen issued a stern warning: "Historically, at least one person in every administration goes to prison. My job is to make sure you stay out of trouble." Political appointees throughout the government were expected to scrutinize their meetings, gifts and trips to ensure compliance with both the letter and spirit of the ethics rules. When requests for ethics exceptions were elevated to Norm Eisen, he rejected them so often that he earned the nickname "Dr. No." To guard against conflicts of interest, the White House personnel office and an army of vetting attorneys carefully examined the employment histories and financial records of every appointee. As a backstop, vetting interviews usually ended with this question: "Is there anything else you haven't disclosed that would embarrass you or President Obama?" This policing of ethics was cumbersome and time-consuming and often frustrating. We couldn't take every trip we wanted, we couldn't upgrade outdated furniture, and we couldn't hire certain people. And despite the safeguards, there were still ethics lapses. Nevertheless, we understood that constant attention to ethics is critical to a well-functioning government. The American people pay taxes and hope that public officials will be good stewards of their hard-earned dollars. Businesses comply with regulations and expect regulators to enforce the laws fairly. Civil servants work to advance the public good and not enrich themselves, and want to believe that their leadership is guided by the same principle. When senior officials like Scott Pruitt thumb their noses at ethics rules that millions of civil servants dutifully follow, they reinforce an unfortunate perception that the system is rigged in favor of the wealthy and well-connected, rather than average Americans. When the President turns a blind eye to the transgressions of his Cabinet and even encourages them through his own behavior he accelerates this erosion of the government's integrity and legitimacy. Once this public confidence is lost, it will take more than a few new ethics laws to restore it. Commentary by Chris Lu, who served in the Obama Administration as White House Cabinet Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Labor. He is now a senior fellow at the University of Virginia Miller Center. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisLu44. For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter. Southwest Airlines said it canceled about 40 flights on Sunday, or 1 percent of those scheduled, as it inspects engines after last weeks deadly accident in Pennsylvania. The airline said the cancellations were the result of the company's announcement on Tuesday that it would over the next 30 days begin inspecting other CFM56-7B engines, manufactured by CFM International, the engine involved in last week's accident. At the time, Southwest said those inspections would cause some impact on operations, but it has not said how many engines it planned to inspect. On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration and European airline regulators ordered emergency inspections within 20 days of nearly 700 aircraft engines similar to the one involved in a fatal Southwest engine blowout earlier this week. The engine explosion on Southwest Flight 1380 on Tuesday was caused by a fan blade that broke off, the FAA said. The blast shattered a window, killing a passenger, in the first U.S. passenger airline fatality since 2009. Southwest has declined to answer questions about its CFM56-7B inspection program, including how many engines were inspected prior to the accident and if the engine that failed had been inspected. A Southwest flight in August 2016 with a CFM56-7B engine made a safe emergency landing in Pensacola, Florida, after a fan blade separated and debris ripped a hole above the left wing. After that incident, the European agency gave airlines nine months to check engines. U.S. regulators were still were considering what to do after proposing some checks. Chamath Palihapitiya says Box is his favorite idea to play the artificial intelligence trend. Box "sits on top of an enormous amount of R&D," he said at The Sohn Investment Conference in New York Monday. It "give companies the ability to add intelligence to audio and video ... [Box] is a business that is incredibly cheap and undervalued with incredibly low churn and unbelievable margin of safety." The investor said over the next 10 to 20 years most enterprise software will need to get remade to incorporate artificial intelligence. He said Box is in a great position to win in this "third wave" of computing. Box is a "really interesting disruptive company," he said. AI "creates positive feedback so we as humans can make better and better decisions. .. let's you do things cheaper faster and better." The company's stock rose 10.9 percent Monday after the manager's presentation. Palihapitiya is the founder and CEO of Social Capital. He was a former member of the senior executive team at Facebook. Switzerland, China and South Korea are among the U.K.'s fastest growing export partners, according to researchers. The U.K.'s fastest growing markets are, in descending order, Switzerland, China, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and South Korea, with U.K. exports to these five countries worth $71 billion last year, a study by Wyelands Bank and Global Trade Review, published Monday, stated. The report predicted that the export growth rate to Switzerland and China was 3.6 percent a year through to 2021 and could reach 2.9 percent to Saudi Arabia in the same period. Export growth to Hong Kong and South Korea, meanwhile, could reach around 1.2 percent per year to 2021, the research showed. "The projected growth means that these markets could generate an extra $2.1 billion a year for U.K. exports," the report commissioned by Wyelands Bank, which was set up to help the U.K.'s small and medium-sized businesses grow, said. At a time when the U.K. is negotiating its future trade relationship with the European Union (EU) as it prepares to leave the 28-country economic and political bloc, focus is being placed on whether the U.K. could stay in some sort of customs union. Downing Street has ruled out such membership, preferring to be able to negotiate free trade deals with the rest of the world, but the majority of members in the upper house of the U.K.'s parliament, the House of Lords, have voted against that, forcing a debate on the issue. While the countries listed above might be the fastest-growing export markets, they are still far behind the country's traditional destinations for exports, with Europe remaining the U.K.'s biggest trading partner for exports with a 46.3 percent share. North America is next with 17.2 percent, followed by Asia Pacific (7 percent), Sub-Saharan Africa (5.4 percent), Middle East and North Africa (1.8 percent) and South America (1.2 percent), the report said. Wyelands predicted that exports to the Asia Pacific region are expected to grow at 3 percent a year to 2021 and 0.5 percent annually to South America, until 2021. The report stated that the U.K. economy is highly dependent on trade as it accounts for 58 percent of U.K. gross domestic product (GDP). "This makes the U.K. economy one of the most open in the Group of 20 (major economies), and more open than China, America and Japan," the report noted. In 2016, the U.K. exported goods worth $433.5 billion and imported goods worth $678.1 billion. NC leader Gurung withdraws support to party President Deuba Two years after partys 13th General Convention, a senior Nepali Congress leader Kul Bahadur Gurung has withdrawn his support extended at the time to Sher Bahadur Deuba for the party presidency. Amazon is one of a wave of tech stocks set to report earnings this week, and most analysts are bullish. Not Craig Johnson, chief market technician at Piper Jaffray. "I get nervous when you start getting stocks that are more than 20 percent above their 200-day moving averages and that's exactly what you have with Amazon right now," Johnson said Friday on CNBC's "Trading Nation." Amazon is trading at 27 percent above its 200-day moving average and has not crossed below that support level in two years. That's not the only technical detail giving Johnson pause. "You've got a divergence between the overall relative strength index and price. That suggests to me a little bit of an easing in momentum," he said. During recent sessions, Amazon's relative strength index, a measure of overbought and oversold conditions, has risen back up to March levels. It trades at around 57, below the 70 threshold that usually indicates overbought conditions. The metric topped out at more than 90 in late January. "A lot of things are going to have to really come through well for Amazon to kind of keep this stock moving higher in here," said Johnson. Amazon is scheduled to report earnings after the bell Thursday. It's expected to post a 2 percent decline in profit, but a 40 percent increase in sales, according to data compiled by FactSet. Chad Morganlander, portfolio manager at Washington Crossing Advisors, practices caution when it comes to the technology sector as a whole. He echoes Johnson's concerns over valuation. "You have top line and revenue growth expectations already built into the valuation of these companies," Morganlander told "Trading Nation" on Friday. "Fundamentals are really quite positive but overvaluation keeps us a bit away from the growthy-type names." Among the FANG names, Facebook trades at 21 times forward earnings, Amazon 144 times, Netflix 96 times, and Alphabet nearly 25 times. The broader XLK Technology ETF has a 17 times multiple, while the trades at 16.6 times earnings. "With that said, there are companies within the tech sector that you want to look at if you have a three- to five-year time horizon," said Morganlander. "We believe Microsoft, you're going to see strong top line growth, not only for the next two years but over the next five years." Microsoft is also scheduled to report earnings on Thursday afternoon. Analysts forecast profit growth of 16 percent and sales growth of 9 percent. Other major tech stocks set to report earnings this week include Alphabet on Monday afternoon, Twitter and Facebook on Wednesday, and Intel on Thursday. It's the biggest week of the earnings season with just over one-third of S&P 500 companies releasing quarterly reports. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Getty Images Billionaire Tom Steyer, one of the leading Democratic donors in the 2018 election cycle, has plenty of praise for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., but he stopped short of publicly supporting her to lead the party in Congress after this year's midterm elections. Steyer, the founder of the nonprofit NextGen America, a group that supports progressive policies on climate change and health care, told CNBC in an exclusive interview that Pelosi has been the "perfect" leader for the party. However, he would not say outright that she should remain in charge, regardless of what happens this fall. "Nancy is my congressperson. I have enormous regard for her professionally and personally. I think she is astonishingly good in terms of running the Congress and as a Democratic leader," Steyer, who is also from California, said after being asked whether Pelosi should remain the House Democrats' leader. Pelosi, a former House speaker, is a favorite target of Republicans, particularly as the GOP fights against a possible blue wave this fall. Some Democratic candidates including Conor Lamb, who just won a special election to flip a deep-red Pennsylvania seat have declined to support Pelosi to be the party's leader in the House. When asked again whether he would back her based on the outcome of the congressional midterms, Steyer didn't budge. "I think that is a whole bunch of hypotheticals that I have no idea the outcome of," Steyer said. "Nancy is doing an incredibly good job in terms of rallying people in November. She's stood up in a lot of issues and gotten pilloried sometimes for that." A spokesman for Pelosi declined to comment for this story. Steyer has donated to Pelosi in past races, including when she ran for re-election in California's 12th District in 2016. During that cycle, he gave $48,800 to her joint fundraising committee, the Nancy Pelosi Victory Fund. Steyer gave $32,500 to the same group in 2011, according to Federal Election Commission filings. In June 2017, Steyer and his wife hosted the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Speaker's Cabinet Dinner and Discussion in San Francisco with Pelosi. The event raised a total of $593,500 for the DCCC. Tom Steyer holds one of his Need to Impeach town hall meetings on March 20, 2018, in Largo, Md. Jahi Chikwendiu | The Washington Post | Getty Images To impeach or not to impeach? Yet Pelosi and Steyer haven't seen eye to eye recently on one particular issue looming over the Democratic Party: The prospect of impeaching President Donald Trump. Steyer has become the leader in an effort to push for Trump's impeachment. He backs an ad campaign and initiative called "Need to Impeach." Pelosi has been skeptical of the effort. At a recent press conference on Capitol Hill, the Democratic leader specifically addressed the calls from Steyer's supporters to move ahead with campaigning on a goal of impeaching Trump, arguing that it's premature while special counsel Robert Mueller's probe is ongoing. "I don't know that they're talking about impeachment, but whether they have the facts and the law to make a determination of how they go forward we don't have that information," Pelosi said then. Still, Steyer's impeachment efforts are ongoing, and he's not afraid to support candidates outside the Democratic establishment in order to push his $40 million campaign against the president. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., one of the longest-serving senators, is one of Steyer's most recent targets. He recently backed her primary opponent, California state Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de Leon. Steyer's endorsement came less than two months before the June 5 primary and could give de Leon the financial boost he needed to upset Feinstein. Steyer told CNBC that he has no regrets about the decision and that he supports de Leon because of his work on climate-change initiatives. He also said the Democratic establishment has shortchanged de Leon. "He had been a huge climate leader, huge labor champion, a real nationwide leader in terms of immigrants' rights and we just felt like, in addition to everything else, we felt he wasn't getting a fair shot by the establishment," Steyer said. Steyer and his wife, Kathryn, have contributed more than $16 million so far in 2018 to campaigns through a variety of committees and nonprofits, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That's second behind Republican megadonor Richard Uihlein and his wife, Elizabeth, who have given $25 million. Graphic by CNBC's John Schoen WATCH: Steyer says if Dems don't win in November, we're screwed As the developments in China's Greater Bay Area are underway, one Hong Kong legislator is optimistic about the opportunities presented by the initiative despite concerns that the city could be on the losing end. Speaking with CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday, Jeffrey Lam said in terms of GDP, the Greater Bay Area is ranked just behind Tokyo at No. 2 in the world. With that size and its fast development, the region offers "tremendous opportunities," he said. "The way we see it, we have to find it, it's there," Lam said of the opportunities. The Greater Bay Area Initiative is a plan to create a "world-class city cluster across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau region," according to KPMG, which said the proposed combination of 11 cities could represent about 12 percent of China's economy. Adding that there was a need to focus on the "staggered development" in the region, Lam said the territories can leverage the competitive advantages each has to offer. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent Tekae Michael stands at a lookout point on April 17, 2018 in San Diego, California. Central American migrants in a "caravan" have started showing up at the U.S. border and President Donald Trump is not happy to hear the news. "It is a disgrace. We are the only Country in the World so naive! WALL," Trump said on Twitter. TWEET Seven minutes later, Trump followed up on his tweet and called on Mexico to stop the caravans from reaching the United States. He also hinted that immigration control could be looped into the ongoing NAFTA trade negotiations. About 50 people from Central America seeking asylum arrived last week in Tijuana, Mexico, Juventud 2000, an organization dedicated to assisting migrants, told Reuters. Trump used the latest development to make another case for building a wall along the nation's southern border. "Mexico, whose laws on immigration are very tough, must stop people from going through Mexico and into the U.S. We may make this a condition of the new NAFTA Agreement. Our Country cannot accept what is happening! Also, we must get Wall funding fast. TWEET Earlier this month, Trump learned of an annual caravan of migrants that makes its way from Central American countries across Mexico to the U.S. border. Taking to Twitter, Trump bashed U.S. immigration laws and the lack of a border wall for what he said was an increased number of migrants seeking a better life in the United States. TWEET "Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release," Trump said at the time. "Getting more dangerous." A day later, Trump harped on U.S. border laws again and noted that Mexico had the power to stop the caravans of migrants "because their border laws work." "Mexico has the absolute power not to let these large "Caravans" of people enter their country. They must stop them at their Northern Border, which they can do because their border laws work, not allow them to pass through into our country, which has no effective border laws....." TWEET Meanwhile, Trump continues to push for his 2016 campaign pledge of building a wall. The wall project, which Trump said would be financed by Mexico, is estimated to cost approximately $25 billion. As of yet, Trump has authorized $1.6 billion for fencing, surveillance technology and other measures for the wall. In addition, Trump has also asked for the deployment of National Guard troops at the border. Mexico has rejected his demand to pay for the wall. President Donald Trump speaks about tax cuts during an event with American workers in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, April 12, 2018. Oil traders must become especially attentive to Donald Trump's Twitter feed over the coming weeks, an analyst said Monday, following the president's abrupt decision to lash out at the world's largest oil-producing nations. In a tweet sent during a key meeting between Saudi-led oil producers and Russia on Friday, Trump criticized OPEC for "artificially" propping up prices. He also warned the oil cartel that its actions were "no good" and "would not be accepted" by the White House. "He clearly puts the blame on OPEC and rushed to assure the American people that the situation will not be tolerated," Tamas Varga, analyst at PVM Oil Associates, said in a research note on Monday. "Whether his view will have a long-lasting impact on prices remains to be seen, but it is now a daily routine for oil and financial traders to start their day by rigorously checking Donald Trump's tweets." The first big showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court over President Donald Trump's immigration policies is set for Wednesday when the justices hear a challenge to the lawfulness of his travel ban targeting people from several Muslim-majority countries. The case represents a test of the limits of presidential power. Trump's policy, announced in September, blocks entry into the United States of most people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. Chad previously was on the list but Trump lifted those restrictions on April 10. The high court has never decided the legal merits of the travel ban or any other major Trump immigration policy, including his move to rescind protections for young immigrants sometimes called Dreamers brought into the United States illegally as children. It has previously acted on Trump requests to undo lower court orders blocking those two policies, siding with him on the travel ban and opposing him on the Dreamers. Trump's immigration policies also including actions taken against states and cities that protect illegal immigrants, intensified deportation efforts and limits on legal immigration have been among his most contentious. The conservative-majority Supreme Court is due to hear arguments on Wednesday on the third version of a travel ban policy Trump first sought to implement a week after taking office in January 2017, and issue a ruling by the end of June. The lead challenger is the state of Hawaii, which argues the ban violates federal immigration law and the U.S. Constitution's prohibition on the government favoring one religion over another. "Right now, the travel ban is keeping families apart. It is degrading our values by subjecting a specific set of people to be denigrated and marginalized," Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Doug Chin said in an interview. The Supreme Court on Dec. 4 signaled it may lean toward backing Trump when it granted the administration's request to let the ban go into full effect while legal challenges played out. In another immigration-related case, the justices on April 17 invalidated a provision in a U.S. law requiring deportation of immigrants convicted of certain crimes of violence. Trump's administration and the prior Obama administration had defended the provision. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is not artificially inflating oil prices but has instead come together with the "noble goal" to rescuing the market, OPEC's current chairman said Monday. "I don't think we ever said that we're targeting a price. We all remember what's happened two years ago the market was over-flooded, and it wasn't OPEC who over-flooded the market. And no one intervened to do anything about it," Suhail Al Mazrouei, the United Arab Emirates' minister of energy and industry and OPEC president, told CNBC's Hadley Gamble. The oil market experienced a sharp downturn after an increase in shale production in the U.S. caused prices to plunge below $30 per barrel in 2016. "OPEC and non-OPEC (countries) came together, they sacrificed some of their production to try and fix the imbalance in the market. So the objective of OPEC was, I would say, a noble goal to rescue the market (from) a long over-supply," he said. U.S. President Donald Trump on Twitter last week accused OPEC of being responsible for "artificially very high" oil prices. [The stream is scheduled to start at 1:15 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is slated to brief reporters Monday. It's the first such briefing since the Democratic National Committee announced a far-reaching lawsuit against the Trump campaign, Russia and Wikileaks on Friday, alleging a conspiracy to hurt Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's chances during the 2016 presidential election. President Donald Trump responded to the lawsuit in a pair of tweets, calling the action "good news" for his Republicans insofar as it provides an opening to counter-sue for more information about the opposing party. Trump tweet 1 Trump tweet 2 The new lawsuit sits atop a heap of other legal actions trailing Trump and the handful of investigations into both his campaign and his associates. Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, attended a hearing on April 9 regarding the slew of materials seized by federal agents in raids on his properties from the week before. Lawyers for both Cohen and Trump initially argued that they, not the prosecuting attorneys or a separate group of federal lawyers, should be the first to review which of the seized materials are protected by attorney-client privilege. In the wake of the hearings, numerous allies of Trump reacted to Cohen's situation by speculating on whether Cohen would flip in the case and become a cooperating witness. Trump himself weighed in on Cohen's resilience, saying in a series of tweets that he doesn't see Cohen "doing that." Trump tweet 3 Trump tweet 4 Meanwhile, CIA Director Mike Pompeo is facing significant opposition from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which will vote today on whether to recommend him to become Trump's secretary of state. The future direction of WPP remains unclear after the departure of its founder and chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell following 33 years at the helm. Prior to his departure earlier this month, the world's largest advertising firm said it was investigating Sorrell over "an allegation of personal misconduct." WPP employs more than 200,000 staff in 400 separate ad businesses across 112 countries. Analysts are divided over the firm's future, with some speculating that it could be broken up to realize value. Lorna Tilbian is a former media banker and analyst who famously called both the top on advertising giant Saatchi & Saatchi's shares at the end of the 1980s and the bottom price for WPP's share price in 1992. At a retirement dinner in her honor, she was toasted by Maurice Saatchi as "the undoubted queen of the media." Speaking to CNBC on the phone Friday, Tilbian said that Sorrell's departure looked like a disagreement over the company's future direction. "I think it's a strategic fallout if you ask me," she said. "Because if it was succession there would have been an orderly handover and it would not have been starting the search now." Martin Sorrell, the former chief executive officer of WPP Plc. Simon Dawson | Bloomberg | Getty Images Tilbian said WPP looked ripe to be broken up. "It's a circus and he was the ringmaster. The very fact that they are going to need at least three people to replace him, kind of tells you that." She said breaking up WPP and selling off the data management firm Kantar would provide the board with "an elegant way" to cut an expensive dividend. "The payout ratio is too high, especially given the debts. I mean 5 billion is a lot of debt at the top of the cycle," she added. WPP was founded as Wire and Plastic Products in 1971 to manufacture wire shopping baskets. It was bought by Sorrell as a shell company in 1985 and retooled as a worldwide marketing services company. The firm is split into different areas of income, including advertising and media investment, PR, market research, as well as digital and healthcare. After years of acquisitions and stellar growth, the firm has struggled and in the last year has witnessed its share price slump by around a third in value. Tilbian, who is now a non-executive director at Saatchi & Saatchi, said WPP currently faced a perfect storm of cyclical and structural headwinds, competition from internet giants and the threat of audit consultancies muscling into the marketing world. She said the idea of a big consultancy such as Accenture, PWC or KPMG coming in with a mammoth bid for WPP was entirely plausible. "It is all about getting closer to the end user. And because the agencies are all involved in getting the new product development and strategic placing of the brand, it kind of gets the consultancy in at the very ground floor." Related: WPP's Sorrell says media consolidation is "inevitable" (March 2018) NEA, Tanahu Hydro sign power purchase accord The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) signed a draft power purchase agreement (PPA) with Tanahu Hydropower Limited on Friday to buy the electricity generated by the Tanahu Hydropower Project. The deal needs to be endorsed by the board of directors of the state-owned power utility. Jane Butler, a Wells Fargo customer who said she first heard of Zelle when it was used to steal $2,500 from her bank account, in Downingtown, Pa., April 18, 2018. Big banks are making it easy to zap money to your friends. Maybe too easy. Zelle, a service that allows bank customers to instantly send money to their acquaintances, is booming. Thousands of new users sign up every day. Some $75 billion zoomed through Zelle's network last year. That's more than twice the amount of money that customers transferred with Venmo, a rival money-transfer app. But the same features that make Zelle so useful for customers, its speed and ubiquity, have made it irresistible to thieves. Hackers and con artists have used the system to steal from victims some of whom had never used Zelle or even heard of it until someone used it to clean out their bank accounts. More from the New York Times: Banks look to cellphones to replace A.T.M. cards Going cashless: my journey into the future Thanks to Venmo, we now all know how cheap our friends are Interviews with more than two dozen customers who had their money stolen through Zelle illustrate the weaknesses that criminals are using in targeting the network. While all financial systems are susceptible to fraud, aspects of Zelle's design, like not always notifying customers when money is transferred some banks do; others don't have contributed to the system's vulnerability. And some customers who lost money were made whole by their banks; others were not. For the banks, Zelle is a big and must-win bet on where money is headed. As consumers become increasingly accustomed to splitting dinner checks, paying for their coffee and hailing an Uber without touching paper money, banks are rushing to stake their claim on the wallet of the future. In recent years, apps such as Venmo (which is owned by PayPal), Popmoney, Square Cash and Apple Pay made digital cash transfers quick and simple. Banks were falling behind. So they joined up to create a rival product, run by Early Warning Services, a Scottsdale, Ariz., consortium that is jointly owned by seven large banks. Last June, Early Warning introduced Zelle. It is built directly into each bank's mobile app, making the system easy to use for customers or thieves who gain access to their accounts. The scale of the problem is hard to pinpoint, because Zelle is fairly new and banks do not report much data about it. But banking analysts say they have seen some alarming incidents. "I know of one bank that was experiencing a 90 percent fraud rate on Zelle transactions, which is insane," said Genevieve Gimbert, a partner in PwC's financial crimes unit. Most banks have strong authentication and fraud-detection controls for Zelle, she said, but some "just implemented it without any protections" like two-factor authentication and user-behavior monitoring. Zelle said the problem was under control. "There are very few incidents," said Lou Anne Alexander, Early Warning's head of payments. "When there is a problem, we and the banks are proactive. It's not something we're putting our heads in the sand about." Eighteen banks in the United States, including most of the biggest players, are using Zelle, and 70 more are in the process of setting it up. Collectively, they connect about half of the traditional checking accounts in the United States. Cash transfers within the network often take place within seconds much faster than on most of its rival payment services. That has made it more difficult for banks to halt or reverse illicit transactions. Security is a cornerstone of Zelle's marketing campaign. In one TV commercial, Daveed Diggs, an actor and rapper known for "Hamilton" and "black-ish," is encouraged to pay for playoff tickets through Zelle by another actor who raps: "You can send money safely, 'cause that's what it's for, and it's backed by the banks, so you know it's secure." But the system has had problems. Brian Kemm, a Bank of America customer in Pasadena, Calif., lost $300 because of a misdirected payment. To transfer money through Zelle, the sender enters the recipient's phone number or email address. Zelle is built on the assumption that each of those identifiers is unique to one person. Last November, Mr. Kemm tried to send cash to his mother, Carol Kemm, who is also a Bank of America customer. He typed in the mobile phone number Ms. Kemm had been using for at least three years and hit "send." "She told me she didn't get it, and my first thought was, 'Mom, you're not being very tech-savvy,'" Mr. Kemm said. "Eventually, after a few days, I realized it really didn't get there." When he called Bank of America's customer service line, he learned that the $300 had been transferred to a JPMorgan Chase bank account, whose owner had registered the same phone number Ms. Kemm used. He said he was told that there was nothing Bank of America could do to get his money back. Mr. Kemm filed a police report and a fraud claim with Bank of America. On Nov. 30, the bank sent him a reply: "Our records indicate that we initiated the transfer in accordance with your instructions. As a result, your account will not be credited for this claim." After being contacted for this article, Bank of America said it would refund Mr. Kemm. "In general, in cases in which the mobile number was previously registered to another person and directed to that account, we'll work with the receiving bank to reverse the transaction," said Betty Riess, a bank spokeswoman. Another Bank of America customer, Heather Pocorobba, went hunting on March 18 for tickets to a Justin Timberlake concert. On Craigslist, she found two good seats for $260. The seller suggested she pay with Zelle. "I naively believed that since my bank uses it, the accounts must be connected to real people, with some sort of protection built in," Ms. Pocorobba said. As soon as she sent the cash, the seller stopped answering her text messages. She never got the tickets or her money back. She reported the fraud to the police and her bank. Bank of America's fine print about Zelle tells customers: "You are protected by the same security you're used to where you will not be liable for fraudulent transactions." The catch is that the bank, like all the others that use Zelle, only considers transactions fraudulent if the customer did not authorize them. When a customer knowingly sends money to someone, the bank offers no protection against rip-offs. (Credit cards, by contrast, protect users against such scammers.) "We're committed to ensuring consumers are aware of potential scams, including reminding them that Zelle is intended for sending funds to friends, family or people they know," said Ms. Riess, the Bank of America spokeswoman. Bob Sullivan, an author who specializes in cybercrime and consumer protection, said he was stunned by how poorly the banks had communicated Zelle's risks and by their failure to learn from the painful lessons of the past. Craigslist, PayPal and Venmo faced early criticism for leaving users vulnerable to fraud. In response, each made changes. Craigslist, for example, added a warning about scams on every sale listing. PayPal increased the protections it offers on some digital sales and provided a detailed disclosure about what transactions it will and won't protect. And Venmo which, like Zelle, does not protect users if a seller does not deliver what they promised upgraded its security policies in 2015 to better detect fraud, including by notifying customers when someone adds an email address or new device to their account. This year, the Federal Trade Commission criticized the company for not having those protections in place from the start. Customers have to hunt on Zelle's website to get to this red flag: "Neither Zelle nor the participating financial institutions offer a protection program for any purchase or sale conducted using Zelle." Some banks, such as JPMorgan, don't notify customers when new recipients are linked to their Zelle accounts. David Nowicki, a BB&T customer, discovered in March that someone had gained access to his online accounts and used Zelle to steal $4,000. Mr. Nowicki said he had never received any email or phone notifications about the transactions, or about a new computer accessing his account. After he filed a fraud claim with BB&T, and a police report, the bank refunded his loss. "We have multiple layers of security measures," said David R. White, a BB&T spokesman. "Clients are protected and reimbursed for any unauthorized transactions." BB&T sends email notices about Zelle transactions, Mr. White said. Mr. Nowicki, however, said he was certain he had not received any. Jane Butler, a Wells Fargo customer in Downingtown, Pa., first heard of Zelle when it was used to steal $2,500 from her bank account. The con was elaborate. First, a phishing email that appeared to be from Wells Fargo tricked her into entering her bank ID and password into a fraudulent website. The next day, Ms. Butler got a call that appeared to be from Wells Fargo's fraud department. The number she saw displayed on her phone screen matched the phone number on the back of her bank card but it wasn't her bank on the other end of the line. The call had been spoofed. The caller tricked her into handing over one-time passcodes that provided access to Zelle, which was then used to make six transfers from her account, ranging from one penny to $999.98. Wells Fargo refunded Ms. Butler for her loss. Others have fallen victim to similar calls. Cory McWilliams, a Wells Fargo customer in Houston, said that thieves had called him from a spoofed Wells Fargo number, fooled him into giving them authentication codes texted by the bank and then stole $1,000. Jim Seitz, a Wells Fargo spokesman, said the company takes customer security "very seriously" and that it will "continue to evolve our multilayers of controls to further help our customers avoid becoming victims of fraud." Mr. McWilliams reported the theft to a banker at his local branch, and Wells Fargo refunded his loss. "The banker I spoke with was not surprised at all," Mr. McWilliams said. "He stated he was aware this sort of scam was going around." 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 Nepal seeks one-day pass to visit Kerung Nepal has once again requested the Chinese authorities to provide one-day general pass and business pass to Nepali citizens who intend to visit Kerung for trade and other purposes. John Bald is a former Ofsted inspector and has written two books on the history of writing and spelling. He is a Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Education Society. My wifes stepfather, Jack Graham, began work as a miner, and served in the Eighth Army during World War Two. He held every rank from private to sergeant-major, though not in the usual order. Reluctance to peel potatoes, when he felt it was not his turn, led to a spell in Colchester glasshouse. 50 years later, in Colchester, I taught the daughter of a senior army officer, and our families became friends. He had once commanded the Colchester glasshouse. My wifes father had served in the 51st Highland Division as a driver. When we moved to Cambridgeshire, she became friends with the tree warden of our village, whose father had served in the same division as a brigadier. The key factors in this social mobility were opportunity, ability and determination. My wife and I attended grammar schools in the sixties, followed by grant-supported university courses and, in different ways, worked our socks off. Sir Michael Wilshaw offered similar opportunities to his comprehensive intake in Hackney, smashing the glass ceiling of low expectations and opening the doors to top universities. The best free schools and academies are doing the same thing. All of them group children in core subjects and languages according to their learning needs and abilities. They realise that if children are to move out of the disadvantaged circumstances into which they are born, they need to be equipped with the knowledge, skills and understanding personal as well as academic that more advantaged children already have. This is what is meant by closing the gap, and it is a difficult task when children start schools two years behind the children of highly-educated parents in their social and mental development. The most fervent protagonist of mixed ability teaching has not claimed that it enables these pupils to close the gap, because they know that it is not possible. The conditions that lead to lower attainment pre-school are no less active and influential during childrens school career, and the gap gets worse on transfer to secondary school. Jean Challs The Reading Crisis: Why Poor Children Fall Behind showed that the key issue was the growing use of technical vocabulary, which enabled children from highly educated homes to make accelerated progress, while those from stable, but less educated families, fell farther behind. This gets to the heart of the matter without high levels of literacy, pupils cant compete with those who already have them. Numeracy is not far behind, as it is the basis of the mathematics of personal and public life. Professor Diane Reay, of Cambridge University and author of Miseducation, does not address the issue of literacy. Her own social mobility, from coal miners daughter to Cambridge Professor, also began with her attendance at grammar school, and she repeats the point made by Conservatives before the last election that these virtually eliminate the attainment gap between rich and poor for those who attend them. Sir Al Aynsley Green, Labours first childrens commissioner, and Sir Thomas Allen, international opera star and Chancellor of Durham University, enjoyed similar benefits. However, Professor Reays book is, like that of most of our political opponents, an angry piece of work, and endorses the view expressed by the late Dick Copland, who in his words cut out Robert Richardson Grammar School, that grouping children according to their abilities simply brings selection into the building. Robert Richardson Grammar School remains the clearest example of the clash between the idea of social mobility and that of equality. Founded by miners, and named after the local union leader and Labour MP, its motto Ad Meliora To Better Things summed up its aim of giving children more chances than their parents had had. Sir Thomas Allen, whose glorious career was the basis of the film Billy Elliot the producers substituted dance for opera paid tribute to Robert Richardson in his inaugural address as Chancellor, and invited his former music teacher to lunch. The others Ive cited, with Professor Francis, who attended a comprehensive school and, by her account just scraped O levels, fundamentally disagree, and always will, for reasons that go back to the beginning of civilisation. Professor Dylan Wiliam, a former Deputy Director of the London Institute of Education, described it in a talk I attended as corrosive, and went further, by backing schemes designed to allocate pupils to secondary schools by ballot rather than parental choice. There is no disguising the fundamental clash of values between these angry academics and the mainstream of British political opinion. Our survival in the last century owed much to the work of three individuals R J Mitchell, Frank Whittle, and Alan Turing, all educated at grammar or private schools. Professor Stephen Hawking, lionised by the Left as much because of his disability as his science which very few on either side understand had his education in private and Direct Grant grammar schools, a kind of super-grammar with its own entry requirements in addition to the 11-plus. The achievements of individuals such as these are, in the view of most of us, essential to both national survival and human development. Holding them back in the interest of levelling attainment, as one of the wreckers of higher education recently put it, is both against the national interest, and a denial of human potential. Equity, or fairness, is essential, and we do not yet have it. Equality, in the tradition of the Japanese proverb, the nail that stands out will be hammered down, is anti-social, anti-human, and ignorant. Destructive. We should be grateful to our opponents for providing us with a clear choice. Neil OBrien is MP for Market Harborough and is a board member of Onward. Just days before last years general election, Jeremy Corbyn appeared on the front page of the NME. I offer hope ran the front page headline. With just seven days to go before polling day, he made a dramatic promise to write off student debts of those who had already left university: I dont see why those that had the historical misfortune to be at university during the 9,000 period should be burdened excessively compared to those that went before or those that come after, he said. I will deal with it, he promised. It was a very expensive promise. The value of the outstanding student loan book is around 100 billion, and writing off olderdebts would come on top of the cost of Labours promise to abolish fees a stonking 100 billion between now and 2025. Yet, just weeks after the election, the promise was dropped. In an extraordinary interview, Corbyn admitted that hed had no idea how much his promise would cost: We never said we would completely abolish it because we were unaware of the size at that time. The episode tells you everything you need to know about his junk politics. It doesnt matter if theres no way to pay for a policy. It doesnt matter if an eye-catching giveaway will be dropped straight after the election. As long as it will go viral on social media, it gets announced. As well as being dishonest, Corbyns politics are profoundly backward-looking. There are no new ideas at all in todays Labour party. Their solution to any problem is just to return Britain to how it was in the late 1970s. Swathes of the economy will be renationalised. Taxes rates for small businesses and income taxes will go shooting up. Disruptive new technologies will be regulated out of existence. Theres no sense that there might have been good reasons why weve moved away from these tried-and-failed ideas over the last 40 years. Labour promise to takes us forward to a brighter version of yesterday. The biggest losers from all this would be younger people. First, a highly regulated Corbynite economy would lock younger workers out of opportunity, in exactly the way it does in southern European countries like Italy and Spain, where youth unemployment is double or triple the rate in Britain. Second, a Corbyn government would borrow on vast scale, running up unprecedented debts which would fall overwhelmingly on younger generations to repay. If we dont want this bleak future, the Conservative Party always needs to keep changing and refreshing itself. Thats one reason we are setting up the new think tank, Onward. Part of our programme will be about how to help younger people prosper. That means coming up with answers on big questions like education and housing and how we can restore the dream of home ownership. But we also need to widen out the narrow media conversation about younger people. Polling shows younger people are indeed more socially liberal, but also more sceptical in many ways about the welfare handout culture which Labour remain wedded to. It is also good news for Britain, that being a maker, an entrepreneur or working in a start-up is much cooler than it was a couple of decades ago. How do we back the stronger enterprise culture among younger people? Another big challenge we will be working on is how to build a confident, uniting culture and avoid fragmentation as Britain becomes more diverse. Whatever you think about immigration (and I support controlling it), we also need to ensure real integration for people who call Britain home for example, by making sure that everyone has the opportunity to learn English and feel truly part of our society. Uniting Britain also means making sure people feel at home in the Conservative Party, no matter what their background is. And well be working on the big bread-and-butter economic issues: how to make a success of the next spending review; how to get productivity and wages up; how to make sure Britain makes the most of its strengths in industries of the future like AI, and how to ensure we get real private sector-led growth in the parts of the country that have lagged behind. Ideas matter. In the 1980s and 1990s, people worried that high unemployment might be inevitable in the modern world. Today welfare reform and better conservative economic management have driven unemployment down to its lowest level for 40 years. Without think tanks, the government would not have developed major policies such as universal credit, welfare reform, police accountability or the free schools revolution. Corbyns Labour wont serve up anything but a re-heat of the 1970s. Meanwhile, even in lefty France, failed socialist policies are now being dumped by Emmanuel Macron in favour of free markets. For Conservatives, now is surely the time to develop our next round of big ideas. Nicky Morgan is Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, a former Education Secretary, and MP for Loughborough. The absence, for several weeks now, of Brexit from proceedings in Parliament and the national media is coming to an end. The report stage of the EU Withdrawal Bill in the Lords, and the UKs demanding negotiations with the EU Commission, herald the start of some tricky weeks, during which the hard facts and compromises the Prime Minister mentioned in her Mansion House speech will become a reality. Brexit is demanding and divisive because it really matters. If the UKs relationship with the EU did not matter, then anti-EU campaigners would not have spent so many decades campaigning for our exit. Whatever your view, it is surely obvious that how our negotiations with the EU end and the final relationship that is agreed will dictate the UKs future place in the eyes of the world. So people shouldnt be surprised that passions run high on all sides. The next six months until a likely vote on the withdrawal agreement, transition period and framework of a future relationship are not long, and a lot has to happen, so we all need to keep cool heads. First, the Lords is perfectly entitled to pass amendments to Bills and ask the Commons to think again on issues. The cool-headed response to this is to disagree with any amendments and debate them. The hot-headed response is to threaten the Lords with abolition. Peers know they are not elected and that, ultimately, it will be MPs who have the final say on the Brexit legislation. If the Commons takes out their amendments, they might send them back to us again, but I expect that would be it: I hear nothing which suggests that peers plan a prolonged ping-pong. So Ministers should let our experienced and knowledgeable peers make their points and have their say, and turn away from those who screech that the Lords just want to derail Brexit. Second, the Commons has a lot of Brexit legislation, including secondary legislation, to deal with and needs to make progress. MPs have their constituents to listen to, their judgment to use and their experience to rely on. Many of us are members of Select Committees. It wont come as a shock to Ministers or Whips that the committees have been gathering evidence on Brexit from a whole spectrum of perspectives for many months now. That evidence should be relayed to other MPs in order to inform their consideration of the legislation and the final deal. We will see this process played out this week in the Backbench Business debate on Thursday on a customs union. MPs may well want a chance to show the Government the balance of opinion in the Commons away from the heat of amendments to bills. Ministers can then take note of what is said and reflect on it before bringing the bills back to the floor of the House. Those who wanted to take back control and assert Parliamentary sovereignty must also surely want the laws which the Commons approves to be thoroughly scrutinised. Ministers say that they welcome amendments which improve the legislation. Of course, improvement is in the eye of the beholder but, again, the lesson from Decembers Commons vote on a meaningful vote over Brexit is that regular and patient dialogue, and discussing with MPs how the trickiest issues can be addressed, is more likely to bear fruit. This will be particularly important over the Irish border where options seem very limited. Finally, the position of the Prime Minister should not now be in any way under threat. Over the past few weeks ,Theresa May has shown the kind of leadership which Labour MPs can only dream about. She has reacted swiftly and, I believe, entirely appropriately to events in Salisbury and Syria. And yet weve seen over the weekend that one reaction to news that a customs union should be debated is to threaten a leadership contest, and wax lyrical about the Brexit that Leave voters apparently voted for. Destabilising the Government at this point by trying to remove the Prime Minister would be deeply short-sighted. And I want to be very clear that the threats are coming only from one section of my Party, and they arent shared by the vast majority of Conservative MPs. Brexit is, as the Prime Ministers Mansion House speech captured, a process. All negotiations have their ups and downs. During these coming months, Parliament should debate and unpick some of the most complex issues (and I believe we can help the Government by doing that). We can capture and relay to other MPs the thoughts of those outside politics who are most affected and most interested in Brexit; we can quiz Ministers on their thinking, and we should have an input into the overall process. Cool-headed Ministers will understand this and are not threatened by it. Those who dont understand and whose immediate reaction is that their Brexit is threatened pose the real obstacle to ensuring that the Prime Minister is proved right when she said that what will be remembered is not the negotiation but the enduring deal. 04/23/2018 Photo (c) Petmal - Getty Images A growing number of major tech companies are pushing their suppliers to switch to renewable energy, USA Today reports. The trend is causing big problems for the struggling coal industry. Last month, Apple said that 100 percent of the electricity it uses for its facilities and data centers comes from renewable sources. The company said that 23 of its suppliers have also made a commitment to 100 percent renewable energy. To win over big tech buyers (and the 20-year contracts they often promise), many energy companies are changing their policies to help tech companies hit their renewable energy targets. Sourcing from solar and wind Focusing on renewable energy is often being used as a way for companies to get an edge in the marketplace. "The smart ones are seeing it as a competitive advantage," Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives and former head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Obama Administration, told USA Today. When Amazon wanted to build a wind or solar powered data center in northern Virginia, Dominion Energy created a special power purchase agreement that allowed Amazon to contract for 100 percent renewable electricity. We thought about it, we understood their reasoning, we convinced ourselves that it was in our best interests to do it and we ended up signing, Greg Morgan, director of customer rates and regulations for Dominion. Morgan said that tech companies have knowingly and willingly paid a premium for green power over the last few years because it has helped advance their self-stated goals. Corporate buyers want clean energy Corporate buyers of electricity -- such as Budweiser, General Motors, and Walmart -- are also setting green goals. Walmart committed to going 100 percent renewable back in 2005. The company recently said it gets 28 percent of its global electric needs from renewable energy, and its striving to hit 50 percent by 2025. Budweiser announced last year that it would be completely powered by renewable energy by 2025, and GM plans to hit the same target by 2050. In todays eco-minded energy marketplace, the coal industry continues to struggle. Shares of U.S. power produced by coal have decreased steadily since 2008 as the marketplace has grown increasingly unwelcoming of the non-renewable energy source. The government hasnt discouraged coal production, but many companies have indirectly done so through their efforts to create a healthier environment. There are boards of directors that say 'we want to set a carbon footprint goal for our companies,'" said Appalachian Power President and COO Chris Beam. PM Oli calls to end Mt Everest pollution Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the highest peak of the world, Mt Everest, should not be polluted under any reason. CORNWALL, Ontario This weekend brought all the comfort of home to the Cornwall Civic Centre where exhibitors showcased products for the Spring Home and Leisure Show. The event filled the entire arena with kiosks and vendors with the sole purpose of improving the quality of living and maximizing the comfort of our homes. The Executive Manager of the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce Lezlie Strasser played a significant role in organizing the event. We are doing a Spring show, in the dead of winter! said Lezlie. The show brought 85 exhibitors and at least 4 to 6 thousand people to the Civic Centre. Many of the exhibitors represented multiple products which range from boats and cars to pools and home insurance. It has been a good show and the exhibitors have done a great job putting it all together! They are the ones who deserve all the credit for making the show what it is, explained Lezlie. This is the 27th year that the Spring Show has been running in Cornwall. One main attraction was a virtual roller coaster that can be brought to all kinds of parties. The weather has impacted us today but weve had a great weekend of visitors coming in a seeing whats new for spring, said Lezlie. The tickets for the show include a chance to win a Traeger grill and a thousand dollar gift card to Farm Boy, which is just something to get the summer going. For many, the show was a great way to see what new spring and summer projects could be added to their wish lists. CORNWALL, Ontario Alaya Riley helped Mayor Leslie OShaughnessy raise the Canadian Cancer Society flag at City Hall on Thursday, April 19. April is Daffodil Month and the City raised the flag in recognition and support of those who are fighting or have fought cancer. From the citys perspective, we know fairly few people in our community who have been impacted, maybe themselves a family member or friend, said Mayor OShaughnessy. So certainly, the contributions through the Daffodil campaign go a long way hopefully to provide some sort of relief. Alaya Riley is a survivor of childhood cancer and said that it is important for those who have had cancer to feel the communitys support. Just the whole idea that people who do have cancer they for the most part live normal lives, she said. Just to know theyre supported in the community is the biggest thing. During the month of April, volunteers from the Canadian Cancer Society have been knocking on doors selling daffodil pins and raising cancer awareness. On April 25, the Canadian Cancer Society will be holding an evening at Boston Pizza. Reservations can be made between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and 10 percent of the proceeds raised will go to support cancer programs and support services in the community. We greatly appreciate the support from the City of Cornwall to recognize our efforts in the fight against cancer in our community, said Allison St. Jean, Community Fundraising Coordinator with the Canadian Cancer Society of SD&G and Prescott-Russell. Daffodil month is an opportunity for residents of our city to play a part in advancing the cancer cause because together we are stronger. I have been asked to share with you that our Boards Chair, Jeff McMillian, has announced he will not be seeking re-election for another term as a Public School Board Trustee. Mr. McMillan will complete his current commitments as a local trustee for Ward 5 (Brockville & Augusta Township) and Chair of the Upper Canada District School Board on November 30, 2018. Chair McMillians decision to transition from public office comes after more than 40 years of service to children and schools in the Upper Canada District School Board, beginning as a classroom teacher and educational consultant with the former Leeds & Grenville Board of Education in 1977, then with the Upper Canada District School Board in 1998. His contributions to the K to 12 education sector has been numerous and noteworthy. Apart from a long-term commitment to student learning and supporting children to see their potential, Mr. McMillan has served as the Canadian College Supervisor affiliated with the School of Education at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Potsdam, with responsibilities for supervising and evaluating teacher-candidates associated with that program. He has also published articles and two books on effective classroom practice. Mr. McMillan brought these experiences forward over the past eight years in his work as a school board trustee for Ward 5, and later, as the 1st Vice-Chair of the Board in 2011. Trustee McMillan was elected Chair of the Upper Canada District School Board in 2014, leading the Board through some of its most critical moments, including: re-balancing its annual budget; hiring a new Director of Education / Chief Executive Officer, enhancing the reputation of the Board through open and on-going communication with neighbouring school districts and with the Ministry of Education, and; re-establishing a focus on strategic planning that would ensure that the Board channelled its energies on priorities which they determined to be essential to fulfilling our organizations mission to prepare our students for a successful life. It has been my distinct pleasure to work with Chair McMillan during my tenure thus far as the Director of Education for our Board. I would like to thank him for his dedicated commitment to our school district as both a leader and as a community volunteer. I know that we can continue to count on Mr. McMillan to support ratepayers in Ward 5 until the end of his term of office and to lead the Board of Trustees as they remain focused on commitments for supporting students and our schools for the remainder of its mandate, ending on November 30, 2018. There remains a great deal of work to do in this regard, and all staff will continue to support the Board of Trustees in their efforts to set direction and allocate resources for us to implement their vision of carefully attending to the betterment of students and supporting the important work underway in our schools. Sincerely, [Original signed by] Stephen Sliwa, Director of Education and Secretary to the Board of Trustees. Cc: Local Media Outlets NORTH & SOUTH DUNDAS, Ontario In recent editions of The Winchester Press and The Morrisburg Leader, a classified advertisement from a woman purporting to seek a caregiver for her elderly mother-in-law, who is suffering from dementia, had been featured. Weve now learned it is a scam. Do not respond. The ad was booked and paid for by credit card via email. The payment cleared, and nothing about the submission appeared out of the ordinary. The culprits goal appears to be to obtain personal information, particularly banking records, which may lead to financial loss. The SD&G OPP received two complaints regarding this and thankfully no money was lost. A quick Google search finds cases related to this advertisement throughout Canada and the U.S. Protect yourself from this and other frauds and scams. Dont give out personal financial details or information over the phone. Dont believe callers who say they are from your bank or credit card company, if you have a concern go to your bank personally. Educate yourself about banking practices. Banks would never advise you to transfer funds to another outside account to protect your funds. More information on frauds and scams and how to protect yourself can be found online: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre Consumer Protection Ontario Canadian Bankers Association Ontario Provincial Police 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. Rob Cato, a Lenovo veteran who has served as interim channel chief for the company's North America PC and smart devices business since late January, has been appointed permanently to the position, the company said. Cato had succeeded previous Lenovo channel chief Sammy Kinlaw on an interim basis after Kinlaw departed to become vice president of worldwide channel and OEM sales at printer vendor Lexmark . [Related: Lenovo Channel Chief Sammy Kinlaw Is Stepping Down ] Cato joined Lenovo in 2005 through its acquisition of IBM's PC business, and before that had worked at IBM since 1994, according to his LinkedIn profile. He had most recently been serving as executive director for public sector, workstation and OEM at Lenovo. "Over the many years spent with Lenovo and IBM in this industry, I have enjoyed creating meaningful connections and relationships with our partners to drive mutual growth and profit," Cato said in a statement. "I look forward to building upon that foundation." Matthew Zielinski, president of Lenovo's North America business, said that Cato has 25 years of sales experience across both commercial business and the channel. "Robs established relationships, passion and knowledge are ideal for the North America channel business," Zielinski said in a statement. Michael Goldstein, president and CEO of LAN Infotech, a Lenovo partner in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said in an email to CRN that Cato is a "great choice" for the channel chief position. "I love the idea of bringing someone that has been with Lenovo through the good and bad times," Goldstein said. "It looks like he has a lot of channel experience, which really sets them up for the future." The appointments of Cato and Zielinski -- who began as Lenovo's North America president in mid-February -- come as the company faces stiff competition in the PC market and on the heels of a recent overhaul to its channel program structure. The company is locked in a fierce battle with some formidable foes for share in the North American PC market, which is continuing to shrink. In the first quarter, Lenovo's U.S. PC shipments fell 4.8 percent on a year-over-year basis, but the company was still able to climb to the No. 3 spot, surpassing Apple, according to research firm Gartner . Its 1.6 million units shipped in the U.S. put it well behind the top two finishers, Dell and HP Inc., with 3.4 million and 3.3 million units shipped respectively, according to Gartner. To further its cause, Lenovo is continuing to release new PCs at an aggressive pace, including refreshing its premium ThinkPad X1 lineup in January. In October of last year, Lenovo made what Kinlaw went on to term a "drastic change" in its channel program structure in a bid to make conditions more equitable for reseller partners. Some solution providers have told CRN that the program changes have negatively impacted partner profitability on enterprise contracts, though Lenovo executives have told CRN that major issues have since been resolved . Lenovo will be holding its Accelerate 2018 partner conference in Las Vegas from May 7-9. Six months ago, AT&T revealed it was bringing its three separate channel models -- AT&T Partner Exchange, ACC Business and AT&T Alliance Channel -- under one roof. Now, the carrier is bringing its partners together for one massive event in 2018. AT&T's ongoing channel evolution isn't just centered around a new event, however. The carrier has been hard at work bringing together the best parts of each program into one unified, channel program for solution providers, Zee Hussain, AT&T's channel chief, told CRN. "We are going big with our indirect strategy, so pooling resources is just another step in doubling down on the channel," Hussain said in an interview. [Related: Partner Exchange Milestone: AT&T Tells Partners To Keep An Eye On IoT, Fiber Opportunities ] AT&T announced Fusion by AT&T Partner Solutions last week. Fusion, an event that will take place Nov. 5-7 in the carrier's home city of Dallas, will include keynote sessions by channel and technology leaders, as well as breakout sessions. The show will take the place of AT&T's Partner Exchange (APEX) event for its solution provider partners, as well as its Alliance Channel event for agent partners. Fusion, however, will offer breakout sessions with content that specifically targets APEX and Alliance partners, Hussain said. ACC Business, AT&T's "boutique" channel program, which offers only core networking and voice solutions to agent sales partners, has its own annual event called ACC Business Club Unlimited, which will remain a standalone event. "We questioned whether we'd be better off combining the two events, or if there were still enough differences where we'd want to continue doing them separately. The overwhelming answer was a vehement yes, we absolutely should combine the events. We want this to be additive, and not take anything away," Hussain said. Hussain and his team have spent the last six months evaluating the marketing plans for each of the programs to see which elements stand out. The channel team also evaluated resources and tools that its direct sellers were using, and is now giving partners access to those tools for the first time, he said. For the Alliance Channel, AT&T is giving those partners custom contracts and specialized pricing so agents won't have to spend time creating contracts and getting deals done quicker, Hussain said. Partners can also choose to partner with AT&T's direct sales team dedicated to Alliance partners for processing and project management, he added. APEX partners, AT&T's reseller program, should expect continued "nonstop" investment in tooling, ranging from opening up the latest APIs to these solution providers, to resources such as AT&T's new IoT Playbook. The IoT Playbook, introduced last week, is packed with use cases and a practical path for partners to selling IoT solutions. Many solution providers today are intrigued with the idea of starting their own IoT practices, but have little or no experience with the technology, Hussain said. "The Playbook is really for [a partner] that has a high amount of interest in the IoT business, but doesn't quite know how to do it yet," he said. For AT&T right now, it's all about enablement of the indirect channel, he said. "It's really about making things faster, efficient, and frictionless as possible." Police rescue two Nepalis from Delhi brothel Two Nepal women have been rescued from a brothel in Delhi, India. They were rescued at the initiative of Maiti Nepal and the support of Indian police and human rights organisations. Keshav Koirala, the regional coordinator of Maiti Nepal in Nepalgunj, on Sunday said that the two women from Parsa and Nuwakot districts are living in a shelter home. One of the women has a one-year-old daughter. Princess Cruises is deploying three ships in Taiwan for the first time in 2018. The Majestic Princess, Sun Princess and Diamond Princess will offer over 50 sailings, providing 140,000 domestic guests and 14,000 fly-in guests with unique itineraries to Japan and authentic onboard experience, the company said. The Majestic Princess, the newest ship in the Princess Cruises fleet, accounts for half of this seasons voyages. That ship recently started her iaugural homeporting in Keelung, Taipei and will sail round-trip from Taiwan to Japan from April to July, visiting ports in Japan such as Okinawa, Ishigaki, Hiroshima, Osaka, Nagasaki, Kagoshima and Kochi on three- to seven-night cruises. The Fly-Cruise packages appeal to our guests from Southeast Asia as they do not have to fly too far to experience a Royal-class ship such as Majestic Princess, which has been proven popular with our Asian guests who enjoy the many new facilities tailored specially for Asians, said Farriek Tawfik, Director Southeast Asia, Princess Cruises. The Sun Princess itineraries are also popular due to the short duration of three to four days, Princess said. The Sun Princess will complete her dry dock in July in Singapore and will sail to Keelung for her homeporting season for the summer from July to September. The Diamond Princess will offer departures from Taiwan for cruises around Japan in a series of fall foliage itineraries to Japans major cities - Tokyo (Yokohama), Osaka, Nagoya and Okinawa. Carnival Cruise Line has named its senior leadership team for the Carnival Panorama, scheduled to enter service in 2019, in a press release. Carnival Panoramas senior officers include: Captain Carlo Queirolo (pictured above): A 33-year Carnival veteran, the Rapallo, Italy, native joined the company as a deck cadet aboard the TSS Festivale in 1985 and, after moving up the ranks, was named captain in 1996. During his three-plus decades at sea, he has commanded just about every ship in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet and been part of the inaugural teams for Carnival Elation, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Glory and Carnival Dream. Chief Engineer Nunzio Priolo: A native of Catania, Sicily, Priolo joined Carnival Cruise Line in 1980 as a third officer after serving in the Italian Navy and working aboard a number of cargo vessels. After moving up the ranks, he was named chief engineer in 2004 and was part of the start-up team for Carnival Miracle in 2004. Over his 28-year Carnival career, he has served on nearly every ship in the fleet. Hotel Director Damir Mrsic: Mrsic joined Carnival in 1993 as a member of the beverage operations team and was named hotel director in 2009. During his Carnival career, he has worked as bar manager and food and beverage manager, while serving on the start-up teams for Carnival Legend, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Splendor. A native of Zadar, Croatia, Mrsic graduated from the Maritime Academy in Salzburg, Austria. He worked in several hotels along the Adriatic Sea before joining Carnival. Following its inaugural voyage, Carnival Panorama will launch year-round seven-day cruises Dec. 14, 2019, departing Long Beach every Saturday to destinations along the Mexican Riviera, including Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. Who can you trust? Thats the question being asked of and by Charter Communications as it deals with insiders, unions, customers and a states attorney general. An unhappy attorney general Lets start with the unhappiness of the New York attorney general (AG). The AG contends in a complaint that Charter Communications has been overpromising and under-delivering on advertised speeds. As can be expected, the company says, no way, and has asked the court to dismiss the suit, but that didnt happen. This piece of judicial jousting has been going on since 2015, and there does not appear to be any signs of abatement. Perhaps more embarrassing for the company is the accusation that over 900,000 subscribers were leased older-generation modems, incapable of achieving the advertised speeds that they were purchasing. Things don't look good. Clearly the AG doesnt trust Charter Communications. A union on strike According to SEC filings, the company has approximately 94,500 employees (or full-time equivalents). The International Brotherhood of Electronic Workers (IBEW) Local Union No. 3, has been in strike status against Charter Communications for over a year. The IBEW Local Union No. 3, notes that its strike is due to lack of a collective bargaining agreement a situation that has existed for over two years. The union claims that Charter Communications and a predecessor company declined to bargain with the local. In the union's recent update, the union notes that technicians are being disciplined for repeated service calls to customers over unobtainable Wi-Fi speeds. Hmm, seems aligned with the consumer complaint from the New York AG, selling speed that can't be achieved. Clearly the IBEW Local Union No. 3 doesnt trust Charter Communications. Who trusts the union? Every story has two, sometimes three, sides, and we see that Charter Communications has its own perspective on things. It is "working on" the speed and modem issue. Though not making the litigation hit parade of the annual report, the company did enter the courts in October 2017 to sort out an insider-threat issue. The union's membership were identified as the insider threat. The company accuses the on-strike union employees of sabotaging the network. The technicians would certainly have the necessary insider knowledge. The complaint pointedly states: On over 125 occasions, Charter cables, including both coaxial and fiber optic cables in both secured and unsecured locations at sites throughout New York City have been deliberately cut or damaged, thereby denying thousands of subscribers access to cable, internet, and voice service and interfering with their ability to contact emergency services, and forcing Charter to devote hundreds of thousands of dollars and hundreds of man-hours to investigating and repairing its property. And continues with descriptions of individual events falling within the 125 instances. One of the more interesting claims, pointedly calling out insider know-how, surrounded the sabotage of fiber-optic infrastructure. As with the prior incidents, these acts of sabotage bore telltale signs of careful coordination and inside knowledge. In particular, in each of the three instances above, the saboteurs were also careful to steal the fiber can into which numerous individual fibers are routed and spliced, and which contained a detailed blueprint of how the various fibers were connected. This greatly complicated Charters ability to reconnect the sabotaged fiber, and given that the can can have no value to anyone other than Charter, further demonstrates the malicious nature of the sabotage. Clearly, Chart Communications does not trust members of the union on strike. Court says, come again? But just because they have knowledge of how to cripple a network does not necessarily mean that the accused are guilty. Plenty of people have knowledge of how fiber networks operate. And in early April that is what the courts told Charter Communications when the suit against the union was dismissed. The Court of Appeals has held that suits against unions, which are unincorporated associations,"for breaches of agreements or for tortious wrongs" are limited to "cases where the individual liability of every single member can be alleged and proven." Here, dismissal of the tort claims against Local 3 is warranted because Charter failed to plead that each individual union member authorized or ratified the allegedly unlawful conduct by defendants." In sum, the companys filing against the union was too broad, the perpetrators of these acts of sabotage were Local 3 members and/or agents. If Charter Communications could not name names, it had no case. When it rains it pours, customer data at risk Then we have the small issue of customer data hung out for any and all to peruse. Seems that in September 2017, 4 million customers of TWC (a company acquired by Charter Communications) had found out that their information was stored in a misconfigured AWS storage bucket, by one of their providers vendors, BroadSoft. The leakage was found by Kromtech researchers, whose communications officer, Bob Diachenko, noted Cyber criminals and state-sponsored espionage is a real threat to major corporations, businesses of all sizes, and individuals. We see more and more examples of how bad actors use leaked or hacked data for a range of crimes or other unethical purposes. Charter Communications customers have another area of trust to address, in addition to the speed issues, in that they had their information hanging out on the proverbial clothes line. Can the customers trust Charter Communications? Insider threats Does Charter Communications understand the concept of insider threat? By all appearances it does. In a LinkedIn posting, its head of corporate security, Jane Rhodes-Wolfe, makes the case for the need for persistent checks and vigilance of employee activities. In her short piece, she lays out indicators that may signal that an insider presents a higher risk and may be about to become a threat. Her piece advocates monitoring key employee indicators, including substance abuse, personal/family crisis, financial problems, mental health concerns, volatile behavior, revenge, pending termination, corporate restructuring, and criminal history. Thats quite the shopping list. A list that, given the recent corporate restructuring of Charter Communications and the fact that it has approximately 94,500 employees (more than the population of many cities), one may venture that a healthy percentage of the employee base fits into one of these criteria. If these are the signals being monitored, then the security/infosec and HR teams clearly have their hands full sorting out who they can trust. Three questions about trust to cogitate on Managing security for todays enterprises is an increasingly complex task. Just look at the environment you work in: threats both inside and out, legacy technologies that may be exposing your systems through unknown or unpatched vulnerabilities, new technologies being rapidly adopted by the business (often without any input of the security team), and users, acknowledged as the greatest risk of all. Its a Sisyphean task you keep pushing that boulder up the hill, only to have it roll back down to the bottom where you must start all over again. But how best should you approach this complex risk environment? The threats you address today are a moving target, but so are the ways you mitigate those risks. In 2002, there were 730 some odd vendors offering security solutions to companies like yours. Today there are more than 1,600. So many options that most security teams struggle to even know where to begin. Its made deciding which options are best for your business (pardon the continuing Greek mythological references) a Herculean task. The same holds true for best practices. At CSOonline weve been writing about best practices in security for more than 16 years, but the reality is that few best practices can be applied universally. Whats right for one company, is not always right for another. The greatest challenge, of course, is that no one can afford to hit the pause button, even if there were such a thing. Business is not going to come to a grinding halt while you figure out the right course of action, nor should it do so. This may sound odd, but security needs to act a little more like devops - it must be developing, deploying and managing solutions all at the same time. Youve heard the analogy before, but you need to be building the car while its still driving down the road. And, you need to fail fast. In my many conversations with leading organizations Ive heard the most successful of them say that one of the keys to their success has been a willingness, almost an eagerness, to fail fast. They embrace it, in fact, as a testament that they are building an effective security environment for their organizations. Failing fast allows them to learn from their mistakes, avoid future similar mistakes, and address risks far more quickly than the traditional model of solution deployment. Failing fast is also important because it can help an organization move from a tactical posture to a strategic one. Constantly putting out fires is a giant suck that eats time, budget and resources. We also know from our own research that businesses that can be more strategic about security reap significant benefits, including fewer security incidents, less downtime and fewer losses. Driving to reduced risks is, in and of itself, risky. But if youre afraid to fail youll never learn what works best. You did what?!? I was thinking as an elderly family member admitted to doing something Id warned against long ago. Then I asked, Do you really think Microsoft cares enough about you to personally call you out of the blue because it detected malware on your PC? She had admitted to allowing Microsofts tech support specialist remote access into her computer to fix the malware problem even though none of her anti-malware or anti-virus programs had popped up with a malware detected warning. Once Mr. Tech Support had access to her PC, he was able to show her all sorts of scary issues, including how an IP from China was allegedly accessing her computer at that very moment. Thankfully, though, she called me the 24/7 free tech support person in the family before handing over her credit card details to the fake Microsoft support tech who insisted on needing her payment before fixing her computer. That type of tech support scam, a social engineering attack, is older than the hills, but apparently it still works. In fact, Microsoft recently warned that tech support scams are still a growing global problem. Microsoft said it received 153,000 reports from customers who encountered or fell victim to tech support scams from 183 counties in 2017. That is up 24 percent from the number of tech support scams reported to Microsoft in 2016. Not all of those scams were cold calls from fake tech support; some started at random websites that had a popup warning about detecting fake threats or fake error message popups. Other social engineering attacks started in email campaigns where the user would click on a URL or open a malicious attachment; once malware is on a computer, it can make system changes or flash fake error messages with a number to call to fix the problem. 15% of victims admit to losing money in the scam Scammers continue to resort to these tactics because they work so well to scare the pants off non-tech-savvy users. Of the 153,000 tech support scams reported to Microsoft, 15 percent of victims admitted to losing money in the scam. While most paid between $200 and $400 for the fake problems to be fixed, one scammer managed to drain the bank account of a user in the Netherlands. That poor person lost 89,000, which is about $108,838.54. For anyone wondering how a scammer managed to empty the victims bank account, Oregons FBI explained that some victims of tech support scammers first received a notification about a refund after overpaying for a previous tech support incident. The criminal tells the victim that he can get the money refunded if she gives him remote access to her computer while she logs into her bank account. Now he has access to her bank account, and he can make it appear as if a refund has occurred just by moving her own money between savings and checking, the organization said. Another new tech support scam involves thugs re-contacting their victims but pretending to be law enforcement or another government agency that wants to help them recover the money the victim lost to the scammer. They are happy to help after the victim gives them money to defray the cost of the investigation. Lastly, the FBI warned about the fake tech support trend of thugs posing as collection agencies and threatening legal action because the victim supposedly didnt pay for previous tech support services. Last month, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported having received 11,000 complaints about tech support fraud in 2017. Altogether, the victims claimed losses of near $15 million, which was up 86 percent from 2016. Microsoft suggested customer education is key to reducing the number of successful tech support scams. It also hyped Windows 10 S as being able to prevent most attacks, as it only runs apps from the Microsoft Store, although tech support scams also target other operating systems such as macOS, iOS and Android. While you likely know all about how to stay safe, you might remind the less tech-savvy folks in your life that vendors are not going to make unsolicited calls to fix a device. That might save you from getting a call during which the person admits to being scammed, as the old saying is still true: There is no patch for human stupidity. While state officials look to dial back foreign outsourcing and bring contracts to Connecticut manufacturers, industry stakeholders are wondering how they will meet the demands. In an address with local manufacturers and city officials, Sen. Chris Murphy fielded concerns over bringing more work opportunities to the state at a forum discussion in the advanced manufacturing center at Housatonic Community College. Murphy discussed proposed legislation that would create an online platform that would hold federal agencies accountable for Buy American laws, opening the door for domestic companies to potentially secure work contracts. After years of big-time hits with respect to the number of manufacturing jobs in this state, we have seen a small, but meaningful, uptick with 1,000 additional manufacturing jobs (coming) back to state In 2017, and it mirrors whats happening nationally, Murphy said. The question is: Can we put ourselves in the position to take advantage of the reindustrialization of the country? Murphy, along with several U.S. senators, proposed a bill at the start of the year in response to federal agencies overuse of loopholes and waivers to bypass Buy American laws, which prioritizes the purchase of goods made in the U.S., to buy foreign-manufactured goods. The new legislation, if passed, would create a website to allow U.S. manufacturers and other interested parties to keep tabs on job opportunities and potentially decrease agencies bypassing Buy American laws. Murphy said the legislation would provide a chance for Connecticut business to earn more contracts. While she felt the effort to draw more work back to state companies was a good start, Marcey Minnick of Excello Tool Engineering & Manufacturing Co. in Milford, said there should be a hub for smaller local companies to earn business on the federal level. She said smaller manufacturers still have a hard time finding work that their leaner workforces can take on. We find it difficult to actually find that work, she said. We know its there. We know that there are a lot of Connecticut businesses that are looking to support it. A recurring topic revolved around aligning school system curriculum to meet the skill set needs for advanced manufacturing fields. While local universities and community colleges are working to prepare undergraduates for the field, there is a consistent shortage in interest and enrollment among younger students heading to college. They are having trouble keeping up, right now, with the opportunities that exist, said Rich DuPont, program director of the advanced manufacturing department at HCC. Great, there are more opportunities, and thats a good problem to have, but how are we going to handle those? Members in the crowd voiced concerns over prioritizing development of students in middle and high school while bolstering interest in the fields of need, and increasing the talent pool. Manufacturers told us they literally hold off on taking work for concerns on how they are going to be able to build the workforce, DuPont said. According to DuPont, there is a planning committee being developed in Hartford focused on increasing output of students from the local college and university programs to meet the growing demand for skilled manufacturers. Jordan.grice@hearstmediact.com: Twitter: @JordanEGrice The government of Mexico is requesting permission to purchase eight MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from the Stratford-based Sikorsky Aircraft subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, in a contract valued at $1.2 billion if approved by Congress. Mexico plans to use the helicopters to combat crime and drug trafficking, as well as for naval missions. WASHINGTON Although she bowed out of her 2018 re-election bid in the wake of missteps over the firing of an abusive chief of staff, Rep. Elizabeth Esty is said to be talking about a possible return to Capitol Hill in 2020. Estys office is denying the information. However, in separate interviews, three former Esty staffers said that Esty, D-Conn., has told current staffers and perhaps fellow lawmakers that she is seriously contemplating a run in 2020 for the same seat she will soon vacate. If so, a race to reclaim representation of Connecticuts 5th Congressional District could be viewed as redemption for a liberal Democratic lawmaker who decided not to seek a fourth term earlier this month after admitting mistakes in easing out former chief of staff Tony Baker in 2016. But to former and, likely, current staffers jarred by the revelations of Estys conduct, a rehabilitative run in 2020 would fly in the face of her promises to devote her remaining time in part to addressing abuse and harassment on Capitol Hill. Its too soon to be turning the page, said one former staff member. It may always be too soon to be turning the page. Estys office denied the 58-year-old Cheshire resident is entertaining thoughts of a comeback. Rep. Esty has announced that she is not running for re-election and nothing has changed since she made that announcement, said her current chief of staff, Timothy Daly, in an email. Her focus right now is serving out the remainder of her term to the best of her ability. Asked whether Esty specifically disavows talking about any plan to run again, Daly replied: There is no truth to a claim for a run in 2020. On April 2, the day she quit the 2018 race, Esty said in a statement that Congress needs stronger workplace protections to eliminate instances of abuse and harassment. In my final months in Congress, I will use my power to fight for action and meaningful change, she said. At the heart of Estys decision to quit her 2018 re-election bid was her acceptance of blame for keeping Baker on the office payroll for three months after learning of his abusive behavior in 2016. After a night of heavy drinking, Baker let loose an expletive-laden round of about 50 phone calls, messages and texts threatening to find Estys former scheduler, Anna Kain, and kill her. Kain went to court and obtained a year-long protective order against Baker. Her court petition said that Baker had threatened Kain over disclosing his behavior to the House ethics panel, saying she would never find another job. Baker and Kain had a consensual relationship in 2013, which was Estys first year in office after winning the seat formerly occupied by now Sen. Chris Murphy. They broke it off by mutual consent the same year. In January 2014, Baker went from being Estys legislative director to chief of staff a promotion that made him Kains boss. It was then that Kain started enduring abusive treatment from Baker, she said, including a punch in the back the only element of Kains accusations that Baker has specifically denied. Esty said she knew nothing of the abusive behavior until receiving a report of Bakers phoned and texted threats to Kain on May 5, 2016. The abuse took place after Baker became intoxicated at a party he threw to mark his 10th anniversary on Capitol Hill. Esty took responsibility for keeping Baker in the office while an investigation of his conduct proceeded, and then taking him as part of her political entourage to the Democratic convention in Philadelphia after firing him. She also said she should not have offered a positive job recommendation that enabled him to find a position in his native Ohio with Sandy Hook Promise a job from which he has since been dismissed. Esty initially said she hoped she could survive the ensuing firestorm that followed disclose of her efforts to ease Baker out quietly. But leading Democrats in Connecticut were among those calling for her resignation. If it did indeed occur, an Esty comeback in 2020 would be fraught with obstacles. At least three possible Democratic replacements have expressed interest in occupying the seat, including Mark Barden and Nicole Hockley. They are founders of Newtown-based Sandy Hook Promise and the parents of children slain in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. If a Democrat wins in November the seat is rated lean Democrat by the authoritative Cook Political Report there is no guarantee the new lawmaker would want to relinquish his or her seat in 2020. The Connecticut Democratic Partys spokeswoman, Christina Polizzi, said she was unaware of any expression of interest by Esty in running in 2020. "The Democratic Party is focused on 2018 and making sure we elect a Democrat in this seat who will stand up to Donald Trump and Republicans on issues from combatting gun violence to protecting our health care to creating jobs that pay a fair wage, she said. Estys political staff has been figuring how to reimburse contributors for campaign donations designated for the general election, which they are obligated to do under federal election law. Estys campaign had $1.6 million in cash on hand as of the end of March. But the majority of the money is designated for the Aug. 14 primary. Under law, those who contributed for the primary must request a refund. In an interview last week, Daly told Hearst Connecticut Media that the number of refunds so far was fewer than 100, and that Esty had not decided what to do with the primary money that had not been requested for refund. Daly and Estys press secretary did not respond to requests Monday to interview Esty. In an interview April 10 upon her return to Washington, Esty said she didnt know what she would do when her term in office ends on Jan. 20, 2019. My focus now is to be as effective as I can be, to continue to serve in my present job, she said. Im hoping to have some good come out of all this pain. BRIDGEPORT - A Waterbury man is facing eight years in prison after he pleaded guilty Monday to transporting large quantities of marijuana into Stratford. Ivo Silva-Silveira, 30, of Springbrook Road, Waterbury, pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin to the transportation with intent to sell over a kilogram of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to sell. Metro Nashville Police Department(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- The suspected gunman in the Waffle House shooting near Nashville, Tennessee, that left four people dead was captured Monday afternoon in a wooded area less than two miles from where he allegedly committed the massacre, authorities said. Travis Reinking was taken into custody at 1:07 p.m., about an hour after police officials said they had received no credible sightings of the suspect since Sunday morning. Reinking was caught in a wooded area behind an apartment complex where he lives after a civilian spotted him and called 911, police said. Reinking has been booked into the Metro Jail on four counts of criminal homicide. He is being held on $2 million bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. More than 160 law enforcement officers -- including SWAT teams, K-9 units and helicopter crews -- had fanned out across the Nashville suburb of Antioch in search of Reinking, who police suspected was armed and dangerous. Don Aaron, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, said Reinking was taken into custody without incident and transported to the South Precinct station in Nashville. "He immediately requested a lawyer and refused to make a statement," Aaron said. He said Reinking was taken to Nashville General Hospital to be examined and was expected to be jailed later today on four counts of criminal homicide. Lt. Carlos Lara of police department's Specialized Investigation Narcotics Unit said his team was investigating tips from the public when a caller contacted dispatchers to report a man matching Reinking's description walking through a construction site behind an apartment complex where the suspect lives. Lara said officers responded to the Discovery at Mountain View apartment complex, where construction workers directed them to a path they saw the suspect take into a wooded area. Taken at gunpoint While walking through the woods, Det. Kyle Williams spotted a man in front of him, Lara said. "As he was walking forward, the suspect turned around and Det. Williams saw his face and realized that that is the suspect we were looking for," Lara said. "At that point, Det. Williams drew down on the suspect. He told him to get on the ground. He got on the ground immediately.... Other detectives came and assisted, put him into custody and put him in cuffs." At the time of his arrest, Reinking had a backpack on that detectives cut off while he was in handcuffs, Lara said. "When they looked into the backpack they saw a silver Kimber semiautomatic weapon with .45-caliber ammunition, a flashlight, and a holster," Lara said. He said Reinking was also carrying a wallet in his back pocket that contained his Colorado identification. Prior to Reinking's capture, there had been no credible sightings of him since a resident saw him about 8:30 a.m. Sunday entering the woods shirtless behind the Discovery at Mountain View apartments, Aaron said. When he was arrested, Reinking was dressed in a torn maroon shirt and jeans. Nashville Mayor David Briley praised the huge law enforcement contingent that included FBI and state police for apprehending Reinking in less than 34 hours. "I'd like to say thanks to the citizens of Nashville. A tip from the community is what led to the arrest today and their being vigilant was really an important part of what happened today," Briley said. Police helicopter crews had focused their search on the wooded area in which Reinking was last seen. Officers on the ground had searched the woods on foot with K-9 units, Aaron said. Police suspect that Reinking, 29, went to the Waffle House in Antioch about 3:19 a.m. Sunday and waited in his gold-colored Chevrolet Silverado pickup for up to four minutes before allegedly commencing with his deadly rampage. Police believe the suspect showed up at the restaurant wearing only a green jacket and nothing on underneath. He fled the business after patron James Shaw Jr., 29, confronted him and took his gun during a tussle, threw it over a counter and forced the gunman outside. Reinking fled the restaurant on foot and, police said. He ran to his apartment at Discovery at Mountain View complex, where he put on a pair of dark pants and apparently grabbed some extra clothes and his backpack containing the handgun. Police said they seized two hunting rifles from Reinking's apartment when they searched it on Sunday. Victims killed Killed in the Waffle House shooting were: Taurean Sanderlin, 29, a cook at the restaurant who was on a cigarette break and was one of the first slain in the shooting; DeEbony Groves, 21, an honor student at Belmont University in Nashville; and Akilah DaSilva, 23, a Middle Tennessee State University student. The youngest victim was 20-year-old Joe Perez, whose mother wrote in a Facebook post, "Me, my husband and sons are broken right now with this loss. Our lives are shattered." Two victims remain hospitalized in critical but stable condition, officials said. "I hope everybody will share a commitment that I have to help the families who lost their loved ones and who are still suffering in the hospital right now," Mayor Briley said. "We're going to have to gather around them and lift them up over the coming weeks. "Obviously, this is a tragedy. We put an end to part of it today," he said. "We need to move on as a community and do what we can to curb this violence in the future." Suspect's troubled history Police said Reinking was raised in Illinois and has a history of mental problems and run-ins with the law. In July 2017, he was arrested by U.S. Secret Service at the White House after he breached a restricted area and refused to leave, officials said. He demanded to meet with President Donald Trump. Weeks later on Aug. 24, 2017, Tazewell County, Illinois, sheriff's deputies retrieved Reinking's guns, including one Kimber pistol, a Bushmaster AR-15, a .22 caliber rifle and a Remington 710 with miscellaneous ammunition, according to a report filed. Reinking's firearms license was also revoked, according to a report from the Tazewell County Sheriff's Department. The weapons landed back in Reinking's father's possession. The father admitted to authorities Sunday that he gave the guns back to his son, according to the sheriff's department. The AR-15 assault rifle that had been seized was used in the Waffle House attack, police said. Reinking had also threatened to commit suicide in May 2016 in a parking lot in his hometown of Morton, Illinois, and at the time his family told authorities he was having "delusions" involving Taylor Swift. He believed the singer was stalking him and harassing him, according to police records obtained by ABC News. Police said he moved to Nashville in the fall of 2017 and landed a construction job, but was fired three weeks ago. He went to work for another construction company on April 16 but failed to show up after one day, police said. Suspect suspected in car theft He is suspected to have stolen a BMW on Tuesday from a local dealership, Arron said. The suspect went to the dealership in Brentwood in neighboring Williamson County and stole the BMW after he refused a request from a salesman to show his identification, he added. Reinking had somehow obtained a fob for the BMW, got in it and drove away, Aaron said, adding that Brentwood Police spotted the stolen car and gave chase but called off the pursuit when it became too dangerous. The stolen car, which was equipped with GPS, was located at the apartment complex where Reinking lives. Aaron said the fob used in the auto theft was found in Reinking's apartment when police searched it Sunday. "We don't know what his plan was. What his intention for taking the BMW car remains to be seen," Aaron said. He also said that several hours after the Waffle House massacre Sunday, a laptop case containing a card with Reinking's name written on it was found at a truck stop at Interstate 24 and Old Hickory Boulevard, about 20 miles from area Reinking was last spotted. Its unclear whether Reinking managed to get that far after the shooting or whether the laptop case was left there before the shooting, Aaron said. "We have a myriad of questions for him," Aaron said. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Preparations on for Modis visit to Janakpur Preparati- ons are under way for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis upcoming Nepal visit slated for the second week of May. In this regard, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri held a meeting with Province 2 Chief Minister Mohammed Lalbabu Raut in Janakpur on Sunday. NEW CANAAN I am ready for Tim Herbst to morph into an impression of Peter Lumaj. I know he has some latent method-acting skills. In fact everyone running for governor this year in Connecticut, all eleventy of them, should be able to recite the 90-second bites that their intra-party competitors have been spouting in this budding political spring. Were in the heart of affluent, overwhelmingly white Connecticut, on the stage at Saxe Middle School. Its the final forum of GOP gubernatorial contenders before the convention next month it cant come too soon that will winnow out at least half of these.hopefuls. At this point, after four full, two-hour performances in the other congressional districts, its time for them to loosen up. I was born in slavery, I want Herbst, the tightly-wound former Trumbull first selectman, to speak into his microphone in a pseudo-Albanian accent, shooting his sleeves like Lumaj, an immigration lawyer from Fairfield who is the most-conservative in what is a huge field of nine, 10, 11 Republican contenders for the fall election. At this point, these guys New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart hasnt yet been allowed into the public festivities because of her late entry into the field and correspondingly low fundraising have lost their spontaneity. Its too much to hope for the fireworks of the previous forum in New Britain, when Lumaj took a swipe at Herbsts former town fiscal program. Herbst then countered by calling Lumaj ambassador, in reference to Lumajs unproven claim that he was offered the diplomacy posting to his home country after the Trump victory. Im on the stage trying to keep the audience of 500 from snoozing. To say the nine men did I mention theyre all men know each others speeches is an understatement. Im sure that Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton or Steve Obsitnik, the Navy vet/tech exec from Westport, could step slowly to the center of the stage and speak quietly about how he cleaned up Dan Malloys mess in Stamford, which is the default line of Mike Handler, that citys CFO, a town resident here who is the volunteer EMS director. Boughton and Obsitnik could maybe even explain how Malloys mess included a AAA bond rating, and whether Handler fixed the long-broken elevator at Smith House, the citys old municipal nursing home, before he sold it off. Im sure David Stemerman the Greenwich hedgefunder who in the finest traditions of people like Tom Foley is campaigning for his first elected position by starting at the top could, at this point, do a passable version of Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, mansplaining how hes kept taxes low by supporting businesses that bring in 25,000 out-of-town workers every day. I would even bet that state Rep. Prasad Srinivasan, a Glastonbury physician whom you might remember helped Boughton during his dehydration-induced seizure last month, could perform a passable rendition of David Walkers fiscal ranger routine, in which the former comptroller general saved the nation $380 billion as comptroller general of the US under Republican and Democratic presidents alike. I have no doubt that Walker could do a note-perfect John Ratzenberger, the Bridgeport guy Walker claims as a friend. Ratzenberger played an endearing Boston mailman named Cliff in the old sitcom Cheers. It seems that everyone in the school auditorium knew his name but Walker, who called Ratzs character Norm. Such are the nuances for which we reporters have to stay alert during this volatile election season, on that vector for November 6. Its so much more fun to concentrate on 25-year-old prime-time shows, than it is to, say, consider how every Republican wants to blow up the public-employee union contracts set to run until 2027, if they can win majorities in the House and Senate this fall. Its more amusing to consider this group as a bunch of close-knit barnstormers, touring the state together, than it is to think about how they would all work to end the public financing program that has taken a lot of the special-interest money from the political sumo wrestling ring. But as the stage cleared at about 8:40 the other night and the candidates were safe to go back to phone-banking for delegate support, I was left with one important lesson, in this first phase of the most important election, ever. Say what you want about these people and I do but its hard to put yourself out there, offer 90-second solutions to decades-old state problems, and seek support from a public thats only mildly interested. They all get credit for wanting to do something. Ken Dixon, political editor and columnist, can be reached at 860-549-4670 or at kdixon@ctpost.com. Visit him at twitter.com/KenDixonCT and on Facebook at kendixonct.hearst. Bridgeports eight-member state legislative delegation has sent a letter to Mayor Ganim and the City Council to give the public schools more money. This may be a first of its kind; certainly a rare action. The Connecticut Post reported that Bridgeports six state representatives and two state senators say that The citys school budget has essentially been flat-funded for four years as (school) costs continue to increase. As a result 198 staffing positions have been cut and many more are anticipated in the 2018-2019 school year. In fiscal year 2018 the citys BOE budget is $245.7 million and that the BOE requests $261.57 million for fiscal year 2019. Mayor Ganims proposed 2019 budget adds only the $1.15 million Education Cost Sharing (ECS) increase approved with the states biennium budget. And so again there is no sign of compromise between Mayor Ganim and a beleaguered City Council to do the right thing for our over 20,000 public school children. Once again, instead of partnership between the BOE, City Council and mayor, there is the usual adversarial winner/loser fight in which everyone loses. How about Mayor Ganim, BOE Superintendent Johnson and City Council President Aidee Nieves along with their needed colleagues gathering together with open minds and hearts to work out a compromise. None of these powers will get all they want, but all just might come up with an agreement that will signal the birth of a new way of ending the annual war between them. You may say that Im a dreamer, but Im not the only one. John Lennon John W. Olson Bridgeport The writer is a former City Council and Board of Education member. The digital banking customer experience improved dramatically in the 23 years since the launch of the first internet-only bank, Security First Network Bank. While its lobby metaphor was creative, it was a clunky experience back in the dial-up Internet days. These days, banks and credit unions have beautiful responsive websites with a clear path to the login button, prominent search, and a row of intuitive navigation labels across the top. But unfortunately, when customers log in to secure digital banking the user experience often drops dramatically. Here are seven common digital banking UX failures and what you can do about them. 1. Fostering Financial Insecurity Problem: For more than two decades, the biggest reason for not adopting digital banking? Security. Or rather the perception of security since few customers have the wherewithal to evaluate actual security. We should also include privacy in this discussion because it is often used interchangeably. A CEO is suing her credit union and its board chair, a North Carolina state representative, who allegedly engineered her termination, cursed, yelled and belittled her at board meetings and claimed that he was responsible for the credit unions financial turnaround during the annual membership meeting in March. Betty Eileen Donovan, 64, who worked at the $55.4 million Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union for more than 30 years and was appointed its president/CEO in November 2015, filed a federal lawsuit last week in a U.S. District Court claiming the Fayetteville, N.C.-based cooperative discriminated and retaliated against her which led to the former executives wrongful discharge in February. Whats more, the lawsuit singled out John Szoka, the Bragg Mutual FCUs board chair and a Republican state representative of North Carolinas 45th district, which includes Cumberland County. Sluggish rebuilding hits thousands of students Three years after the devastating earthquake, the government has hardly completed reconstruction of one third school buildings while it is still struggling to generate half of the total required funds. This clearly hints that rebuilding works will not be over on time. For Subscribers Local leaders largely silent about district attorney situation With the exception of one Somerset attorney, locals have been silent about whether DA Jeff Thomas should step down as his court hearings approach. Seventy-five per cent of Malayali men with whom I had interacted in my life do not regard women as their equal. Malayali men live their lives with an inherent certitude that women are very inferior beings. I have heard that even Sree Narayana Guru thought that women are, vessels filled with shit and urine, doomed to send men into hell. I dont know if he has really written so. Even when they themselves are the ones in need, Malayali men treat most women with such contempt as if they are the ones bestowing a favour a mentality which can tolerate nothing more than Coming? How much? A mentality which can tolerate nothing more than Coming? How much? (Photo: Reuters) We do not come across this attitude in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Though in both these states, there is no recognition from the government, women engaged in sex work do enjoy partial recognition resulting from the existence of company houses with their supporting paraphernalia of petty thugs and gangsters. Such women are not so easily dismissed as in Kerala. They are addressed more respectfully. In Tamil Nadu, they show a certain respect to Malayali women out of desire. Such differences in attitude can be seen in their approaches to sexual activity as well. People in Karnataka are not greedy about sex. At a pinch, this can be done even in the corner of a farm. When I was twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, as a single woman, I did not find it so difficult to find a house in Mangalapuram. It was not such a big deal to be seen chatting with your neighbour on the street for hours on end. Even if his wife comes by and sees you chatting, she wont regard it as a serious issue. No hankering after sex. Nobody comes knocking on your door at night. No pinching and grabbing. They dont consider sex as something so inaccessible. They are not afraid that their husbands would be stolen during the night. In Mysore, too, the situation was somewhat similar. In Kerala, even a sixty-four-year-old woman like me wont be able to find a house. Like money paid at toll booths, we have to keep giving. You are a sex worker. Just supply our needs and get lost. That is the attitude we face. As far as women are considered, I think old times might have been better. Sambandham relationships, which existed among Nairs, allowed Nair women the freedom to discontinue an existing marital relationship, and to also choose another person if she were so inclined. But this did not mean that any man could presume that he had the liberty to enter into relationships with any Nair women. When I used to work in the mud quarry, there were two men Thekkumpulli Balan and Pallivalappan Kuttappan who were considered terrors in the area. Certain spaces in the village were considered their area. We either avoided those spaces or else went as a group if we had to go there. Their most villainous activities were card games. If any woman passed by, they would run after her to grab her breasts. This grabbing of the breasts was the most that they did. They never kidnapped or raped any woman. They were worried about making her pregnant. They knew that if they did so, news will go around the village and that would bring them shame and humiliation. The image of cruel and ruthless villains sprung into existence in the Malayali psyche because of Balan K Nair, an actor of yesteryear, who was invariably cast as the villain who raped women in almost all the movies in which he had acted. Today, both in reel and real life, the nature of violence has changed. Even television serials consider that the best way to depict a female character failing in her life is by showing that she has either lost her virginity or has been impregnated. Keralas geographical location is best suited to the hypocrisy of Malayali men. It is very easy to run off to neighbouring states for needs that they cant fulfil in Kerala. The wealthiest among my clients hail from the business class. A friend of a well-known person once decided to help me economically. But he wanted to have a tryst with me by way of acknowledgment. He was a communist from Vadakara. He wanted to meet me, but not in Kerala. Lets go to Mangalore, he said. Those from northern Kerala usually prefer going to Mangalore. We dont have to be afraid of anything there. Rents too are low. And there are more sex workers there. There is a phrase in Tulu for this kadappanakkil, which means a runaway. Malayalis go to Mangalore in search of a job and sex workers. Just as you get cheap liquor in Mahe, the border town in Pondicherry, you get sex workers in Mangalore for much lower rates. Lodges are also cheaper and there is no threat of police raids. Men from Kozhikode prefer Mysore. Sex workers from Mysore have told me that Malayali men give them more money and more love perhaps their behaviour changes once they change the state! Those from Thrissur leave for Pazhani. Due to the inflow of pilgrims, it is easier to find rooms in Pazhani, and there wont be any scrutiny about the age differences between the client and the sex worker. Tirunelveli is the preferred location of those from Kottayam, and Kanyakumari for the Thiruvanathapuram dwellers. Since these are touristy locations, nobody bothers about a man and woman seen together. This is how our geography plays an accomplice to the sexual deceit of Malayali men. Very minor differences exist between men of different castes, religions or occupations in this matter. When I was staying with Rosie in Vavannur, I had seen Muslims in that area treating sex workers with a slightly better sense of equality. They would treat us to good food. They also wanted us to dress well. Once, I was wearing a skirt that was torn on one side. Rosies friend who was with us at that time became very agitated about this. He told me that I should never wear torn clothes. Nairs, on the other hand, have a disposable mentality, use and throw, thats enough for her sort of attitude. Romantic Encounters of A Sex Worker, by Nalini Jameela (translated by Reshma Bharadwaj); Om Books International. I dont have clients beyond these three states. While travelling in Delhi, Kolkata and Thailand, I was able to acquire a nuanced understanding of the stinginess and cruelty peculiar to Malayali men. I recall one such experience while travelling in Thailand. My friend Lalitha was my travelling companion. She could manage a little bit of Hindi. But she was dismissive about Muslims. We were in a restaurant, having a drink. The table next to us was occupied by two Pakistanis. They werent drinking. I raised my glass and said cheers to them. They invited us to their table. Lalitha hesitated; she saw them as enemies. How can we chat with our enemies? But eventually we went across to their table. When they enquired about us, we told them the truth we were in Thailand to attend the sex workers meet. Yet they were ready to continue the conversation. We were together for half an hour or so. If this had happened in Kerala, the conversation would have discontinued the second we had uttered the words sex worker. Another time, a friend of ours from Kolkata came down with a fever and we had to rush her to the doctor. As soon as the doctors came to know of our profession, they refused even to touch her. In most public places in Kerala, we had to suffer scorn and humiliation. We were kept apart as though we were infected with some sort of contagious disease. Yet, for their needs, which could be satisfied only by women, these Malyali men couldnt keep their hands off us. Once, I was travelling in a bus from Mysore to Kozhikode. Evening had started creeping up when the bus began to descend along the Wyanad Ghat road. The mist-covered mountains and valley offered a glorious sight. The person seated behind me leaned forward for a better view, and as he did so, he grazed my hand. I turned around and glared at him in anger. There might have been six to eight passengers in the bus, including myself. Seeing me glaring at him, the rest of the passengers thought that the guy must have groped me. But what was interesting is that all other passengers started reproaching me. Even before understanding the whole situation, they started supporting the guy, saying that such things are bound to happen in a bus. A young man who was seated next to me attempted to explain what had happened. Immediately, all the other passengers turned upon him. Their line of attack against him was, You are not married. So, you can keep your mouth shut. The argument continued till the bus reached Kozhikode. Our wives would never react like this. It is doubtful whether she is a good woman! That day I learned the valuable lesson that a good wife is one who suffers such groping and pinches in silence. I had also come to realise that a woman who travels at odd hours is definitely considered a bad woman. At that time, I had been living in Mysore for almost six months. While there, I had to board buses even at three in the morning, and I was never met with raised eyebrows. If Malayali men are to respect women, they should have some kind of added worth like fair skin or be beautiful, or something like that. The government should consider sex work as a form of employment. Sex work is a self-employment option available to women, and should be seen as such. (Photo: Reuters) I have a friend who lives in Guruvayur. She did sex work in Guruvayur for almost thirty years and gained financial independence, something I could never achieve. But she was never able to have a man interact with her during daytime. I have never received any additional payment for my good looks. At night, beauty or no beauty is all the same for Malayali men. I could get clients at daytime because they could introduce me as their wife while renting a room in the lodge. Be it a temple, a church or a mosque, only fair-skinned women would be readily given rooms in the vicinity. Others wouldnt find it easy to get rooms. If nobody else is noticing, any woman would suffice for a Malayali man. I had another friend who used to live near Amala Hospital. If we asked her to take a bath, she would reply, Last night I was given a thorough bath by saar. There are clients who have sex only after the woman is given a bath. Many hold on to the false notion that a woman who is not pretty gets a lesser number of clients. The Malayali mans identity is anchored in the flawed concept of virginity. Many wives have shared with me their experience of being viewed suspiciously by their husband just because they did not moan in pain on their first night. There are many clients who would be happy if the sex worker cries out in pain while having sex. She might be crying due to pain from the vaginal infection she has contracted from having sex with multiple partners. But the men imagine that the woman is a virgin, and it satisfies them. Though these are general facts about Malayali men, there indeed are exceptions. Twenty-five per cent of men might have a different outlook, having lived outside Kerala, or perhaps for no particular reason. In this book, I am presenting a few close-up shots from those twenty-five per cent of Malayali men. The only criterion enabling such a selection is the closeness of life and memory, some of my most cherished memories. Romantic Encounters of a Sex Worker is the culmination of equally close and intimate conversations I had with Baiju Natarajan, Dileep Raj and Reshma Bharadwaj. I believe that fundamentally there is no major difference between sex work and other kinds of manual labour that requires physical exertion. A labourer who carries sand or chanakam would often experience physical irritation and fatigue. Sex workers also live through situations where they might experience such bodily irritation and fatigue. On the other hand, the satisfaction that a person gets while viewing the fruits of the physical exertion is also accessible to sex workers when they get a really good client. Then the client and the lover merge and blur, making it difficult to distinguish one from the other. All labour should be discussed in the context of exploitation. Once, after a conference, I was driven from the venue by another participant. He told me that he too had gone to a sex worker once. I paid her after sex, when she was leaving. She took the money from me and then bowed down and touched my feet. I was surprised. Do you know why she did so? I replied, It might be because you are the first person to pay her in full after sex. Labourers being cheated of their wages or being underpaid is common in India. Sex workers might also live many lives as professionals, besides being labourers. They could be seen as counsellors who listen to other peoples woes and who give them expert advice. In many countries, there are instances where sex work also occupies the place of an art form, though in India, for a street sex worker, such leisure and creativity are often denied. Nothing is inherently impossible for a sex worker. In fact, I consider being a sex worker has also given many women confidence, a more nuanced knowledge of the human body and psyche, an awareness of the care that each person requires, making them adaptable to other job spheres as well. I have three friends who, after a period of sex work, have entered other jobs like taking care of women after delivery, working early mornings in rice godowns or as street cleaners. Just take the example of how magnificently sex workers have intervened in AIDS prevention work all over the world. There are also several sex workers who are writers, who are active in theatre, who have acted in movies, and so on. The problem then is that society reduces a sex worker to sex, as a person from whom sex is appropriated by force. It views sex workers as sexual props. A sex worker is not seen as a mobile and thinking human being for whom many possibilities may exist. Even if sex workers enter other work areas, the tag of sex worker with its attendant stigma follows them a sex worker who is also a writer, a sex worker who is also an actor. The choice and circumstances require complicated and complex understanding. Of course, circumstances play a major role in women becoming sex workers. Women who enter sex work may have limited options in work. I was a construction labourer before becoming a sex worker. When my neighbour, Rosie, told me of sex work, I decided to try this job as it seemed more attractive to me. It paid more, offered more flexible job timings, with no bosses to control me. There is no other job that I can quickly go to at any time of the day or night, and come back with money in my hand. So yes, I was exercising a choice from within my circumstances. There is the logic of rehabilitation in dealing with women in sex work, or women who explore any other option. Why I didnt take up other options is that the same logic applies to women engaged in other work as well, especially if they have a prior known history of being sex workers. This logic does not permit the possibility that under the circumstances, sex work might be a better paid job or a job which might offer better negotiating powers to the worker compared to other job choices. This logic demands thatfor the sake of rehabilitation, for the sake of moral appeasement of the government or social workers or international funderswomen should give up sex work and be rehabilitated into lesser paid, more exploitative jobs and choose a life of semi-starvation and deprivation. Many young women who get trapped in sex trafficking face this situation. Many of them would not be accepted back in their community or family. They should be given a chance to continue in sex work if they so wish, but not under confinement. They should be provided with education and skills and other resources that would enable them to decide what they want to do with their life. People who associate with a sex worker do not want to widen her options, her right to bargain with her clients. I align myself with the larger female community in our country. That is why I didnt explore other options. I want to be a woman, a sex worker, who might have had other options, but wants to be seen as one who explores multiple options at the same time, and refuses to succumb to this logic of rehabilitation. The government should consider sex work as a form of employment. Sex work is a self-employment option available to women, and should be seen as such. I consider that sex work should be decriminalised. Though the Indian legal system does not consider sex work per se as a criminal activity, sex workers are persecuted by the police and the legal system. In Kerala, cops uphold moral policing, and hence frequently crack down on sex workers. The police have even committed murders which were never brought to light. Sex work is like a lipiyillathabasha, a language without a script, whose rules are undefined. If sex work is decriminalised, then legal and public persecution of sex workers would be reduced (hopefully). It would also reduce incidents of sexual harassment within Kerala society. This would mean that public morality condemning consensual sexual activity between adults outside marriage cannot be used by the police and public to hound women. I demand that the government conduct a comprehensive survey of the conditions of sex workers in India, and have a dialogue with sex workers and their organisations to consider their rights and their demands. (Excerpted with the permission of Om Books International) Also read: Why washout of Parliament's Budget session is dangerous and murky In a major foreign policy breakthrough Prime Minister Narendra Modi is travelling to China for a summit with President Xi Jinping on April 27 and 28. Coming after nearly a year of strained relations, the Modi-Xi summit will give the much needed political thrust to ties between the two rising Asian powers. EAM @SushmaSwaraj : Prime Minister of India @narendramodi will visit China on 27 & 28 April for an Informal Summit with President of China Xi Jinping in the city of Wuhan. pic.twitter.com/SUs2VSAVDO Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) April 22, 2018 For Prime Minister Modi, it is a big gamble considering the mood in the nation following the 73-day tense standoff in Doklam. If the informal summit goes well, it would be a game changer and perhaps expedite the final settlement of the boundary question. Talks have dragged on for decades now and after 16/17 rounds, the two sides are no closer to a permanent solution. Even if that does not happen, the detente will certainly lead to long-term stability in Asia. The signs were there for all to see. One of the most significant developments was the leak of a letter that urged senior government ministers and officials not to attend the "Thank You India" programme announced by the Tibetan government in exile. The venue was quietly shifted from Delhi to Dharamsala. Though BJP senior functionary Ram Madhav and culture minister Mahesh Sharma did finally attend the function, the meeting did not get the kind of traction it would have got if it was held in Delhi with senior NDA ministers in attendance. China's foreign minister Wang Yi made the announcement about Modi's China visit during a joint press conference with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday. Swaraj is in China for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers. Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman is also in China for a SCO defence ministers' gathering ahead of the summit in June, in the city of Qingdao. Last week, national security adviser Ajit Doval visited China for a preparatory visit. "We will make sure that the informal summit (between PM Modi and President Xi) will be a complete success and a milestone in China-India relations," Wang Yi said while addressing the joint press briefing in Beijing. The informal summit is aimed at exchanging views on bilateral and international matters and to enhance mutual communication between the two leaders, Wang Yi said. "The two leaders will have communications of a strategic nature concerning the once in a century shifts going on in the world. They will also exchange views on overarching long-term and strategic matters concerning the future of China-India relations," he said. The meeting will take place in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The invitation to the PM was sent out by China's president. "The informal summit will be an important occasion for them to exchange views on bilateral and international matters from an over-arching and long-term perspective with the objective of enhancing mutual communication at the level of leaders,'' Swaraj said at the press meet. China's ambassador to India, Luo Zhaohui, making his debut on Twitter announced: Glad to have attended the meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Indian counterpart Swaraj in Beijing. They announced the informal summit between President Xi Jinping and PM Modi to be held in Wuhan city, on April 27 to 28. @narendramodi @SushmaSwaraj pic.twitter.com/W0CBAkKD8c Luo Zhaohui (@China_Amb_India) April 22, 2018 Doklam was a reality check for both India and China. It is a fact that China is militarily way ahead of India. It is also an economic power house. Yet in Doklam, India was in a strategically advantageous position and the Indian Army was in a position to counter the People's Liberation Army (PLA) units. For over 70-days neither side blinked. It would not have been easy for China to overrun the Indian positions as they did in the 1962 border skirmish. Nor could New Delhi step back. Doing so would have sent a wrong signal to all South Asian neighbours. By standing its ground, the message to Bhutan was clear: "We are committed to fight for you." If India had meekly given in, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh as well as Bhutan would have seen Delhi as a weak power unable to withstand the might of China. Both sides stuck to their guns till the situation diffused.Beijing too is in no mood to have a military conflict with India at a time when its focus is the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as the maritime Silk Route. Though the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is going ahead, the Chinese are troubled by the Baloch resistance in Pakistan's Gwadar region. Though India was the only major power which refused to attend the May 2017 mega meet of the Silk Route Initiative, Beijing had approached India several times to be part of Xi's major initiative. India had resisted on grounds of sovereignty, as the CPEC runs through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, which Delhi claims as its own. Now, however, India and China may work together in Nepal in certain BRI projects which benefit India. Indications are that this may be worked out. However, this is not to say that India and China will have no differences. On issues that touch their core national interests, neither side will give in. China will continue to support Pakistan and bat for Islamabad also to be part of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Yet both Modi and Xi realise that war is not the answer, though many in the Indian establishment, including the military wish to forget the humiliating defeat of 1962 and would love to challenge China. Yet good sense has prevailed and pragmatic political leaders such as Modi and Xi want to ensure that relations between the two Asian giants remain stable. Also read: Why the Sunderbans and Royal Bengal Tiger are in danger 1 hour ago Here's What You Need to Do to Get More Financial Aid for College. It Could Hurt Your Finances if You Don't Today, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens. If you have a high school senior at home and plan to help him or her pay for college, you need to file the FAFSA. Even if you can fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool with all of your $100 bills, you should file the FAFSA. 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Wall Street analysts have given CGI Group a "Buy" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but CGI Group wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Rogers Communications Inc. operates as a communications and media company in Canada. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. 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Bhd., Lear Automotive (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive EEDS Honduras S.A., Lear Automotive Electronics and Electrical Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Fabrics (RuiAn) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive India Private Limited, Lear Automotive Interior Materials (Yangzhou) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Manufacturing L.L.C., Lear Automotive Metals (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Morocco SAS, Lear Automotive Operations Netherlands B.V., Lear Automotive Services (Netherlands) B.V., Lear Automotive Systems (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Systems (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Systems (Shenyang) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Systems (Yangzhou) Co. Ltd., Lear Canada, Lear Canada Holding S.a.r.l., Lear Canada Investments ULC, Lear Changan (Chongqing) Automotive System Co. Ltd., Lear Changan (Hangzhou) Automotive Seating Co. Ltd., Lear China Engineering LLC, Lear Corporation (Mauritius) Limited, Lear Corporation (Nottingham) Limited, Lear Corporation (UK) Limited, Lear Corporation (Vietnam) Limited, Lear Corporation Ara S.L., Lear Corporation Ardasa S.L., Lear Corporation Asientos S.L., Lear Corporation Belgium CVA, Lear Corporation Beteiligungs GmbH, Lear Corporation Canada ULC, Lear Corporation Changchun Automotive Interior Systems Co. Ltd., Lear Corporation China Ltd., Lear Corporation Czech Republic s.r.o., Lear Corporation Engineering (UK) Limited, Lear Corporation Engineering Belgium B.V.B.A., Lear Corporation Engineering Czech Republic s.r.o., Lear Corporation Engineering GmbH, Lear Corporation Engineering Hungary Kft., Lear Corporation Engineering II GmbH, Lear Corporation Engineering Italy S.r.l., Lear Corporation Engineering Morocco S.a.r.l., Lear Corporation Engineering Poland Sp. z.o.o., Lear Corporation Engineering Slovakia s.r.o., Lear Corporation d.o.o. Novi Sad, and United Technologies Automotive. 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 Two held for detonating IED at Indian Embassy camp office Police have arrested two persons on the charge of their alleged involvement in detonating a bomb near the Indian Embassy's Camp Office in Biratnagar. The following companies are subsidiares of Sonic Automotive: AM GA LLC, AM Realty GA LLC, AnTrev LLC, Arngar Inc., Autobahn Inc., Avalon Ford Inc., Car Cash of North Carolina Inc., Cornerstone Acceptance Corporation, ECHOPARK: AM GA LLC, ECHOPARK: AM Realty GA LLC, ECHOPARK: EP Realty NC LLC, ECHOPARK: EP Realty SC LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark AZ LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark CA LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark Driver Education LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark FL LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark NC LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark Realty TX LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark SC LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark TX LLC, ECHOPARK: Echopark Automotive Inc., ECHOPARK: SAI DS LLC, ECHOPARK: SAI DS Realty TX LLC, ECHOPARK: SAI Vehicle Subscription Inc., ECHOPARK: TT Denver LLC, ECHOPARK: TTRE CO 1 LLC, FAA Beverly Hills Inc., FAA Capitol N Inc., FAA Concord H Inc., FAA Concord T Inc., FAA Dublin N Inc., FAA Dublin VWD Inc., FAA Holding Corp., FAA Las Vegas H Inc., FAA Poway H Inc., FAA Poway T Inc., FAA San Bruno Inc., FAA Santa Monica V Inc., FAA Serramonte H Inc., FAA Serramonte Inc., FAA Serramonte L Inc., FAA Stevens Creek Inc., FAA Torrance CPJ Inc., FirstAmerica Automotive Inc., Fort Mill Ford Inc., Franciscan Motors Inc., Frontier Oldsmobile-Cadillac Inc., Kramer Motors Incorporated, L Dealership Group Inc., Marcus David Corporation, Massey Cadillac Inc. (TN-MI), Mountain States Motors Co. Inc., North Point Imports LLC, Ontario L LLC, Philpott Motors Ltd., SAI AL HC1 Inc., SAI AL HC2 Inc., SAI Ann Arbor Imports LLC, SAI Atlanta B LLC, SAI Broken Arrow C LLC, SAI Calabasas A LLC, SAI Chamblee V LLC, SAI Charlotte M LLC, SAI Chattanooga N LLC, SAI Clearwater T LLC, SAI Cleveland N LLC, SAI Columbus Motors LLC, SAI Columbus T LLC, SAI Columbus VWK LLC, SAI Conroe N LLC, SAI Denver B Inc., SAI Denver C Inc., SAI Denver M Inc., SAI FL HC1 Inc., SAI FL HC2 Inc., SAI FL HC3 Inc., SAI FL HC4 Inc., SAI FL HC7 Inc., SAI Fairfax B LLC, SAI Fort Myers B LLC, SAI Fort Myers H LLC, SAI Fort Myers M LLC, SAI Fort Myers VW LLC, SAI GA HC1 LLC, SAI Irondale Imports LLC, SAI Irondale L LLC, SAI Long Beach B Inc., SAI MD HC1 Inc., SAI McKinney M LLC, SAI Monrovia B Inc., SAI Montgomery B LLC, SAI Montgomery BCH LLC, SAI Montgomery CH LLC, SAI Nashville CSH LLC, SAI Nashville H LLC, SAI Nashville M LLC, SAI Nashville Motors LLC, SAI OK HC1 Inc., SAI Oklahoma City C LLC, SAI Oklahoma City H LLC, SAI Oklahoma City T LLC, SAI Orlando CS LLC, SAI Peachtree LLC, SAI Pensacola A LLC, SAI Philpott T LLC, SAI Riverside C LLC, SAI Roaring Fork LR Inc., SAI Rockville Imports LLC, SAI Rockville L LLC, SAI S. Atlanta JLR LLC, SAI SIC Inc., SAI Santa Clara K Inc., SAI Stone Mountain T LLC, SAI TN HC1 LLC, SAI TN HC2 LLC, SAI TN HC3 LLC, SAI Tulsa N LLC, SAI Tulsa T LLC, SAI Tysons Corner H LLC, SAI Tysons Corner I LLC, SAI VA HC1 Inc., SAI VS GA LLC, SAI VS TX LLC, SAI Vehicle Subscription Inc., SAI West Houston B LLC, SRE Alabama 2 LLC, SRE Alabama 5 LLC, SRE Alabama 6 LLC, SRE California 10 LBB LLC, SRE California 11 PH LLC, SRE California 1 LLC, SRE California 2 LLC, SRE California 3 LLC, SRE California 4 LLC, SRE California 5 LLC, SRE California 6 LLC, SRE California 7 SCB LLC, SRE California 8 SCH LLC, SRE California 9 BHB LLC, SRE Colorado 1 LLC, SRE Colorado 2 LLC, SRE Colorado 3 LLC, SRE Colorado 4 RF LLC, SRE Colorado 5 CC LLC, SRE Florida 1 LLC, SRE Florida 2 LLC, SRE Georgia 4 LLC, SRE Georgia 5 LLC, SRE Georgia 6 LLC, SRE Holding LLC, SRE Maryland 1 LLC, SRE Nevada 2 LLC, SRE North Carolina 2 LLC, SRE North Carolina 3 LLC, SRE Ohio 1 LLC, SRE Ohio 2 LLC, SRE Oklahoma 1 LLC, SRE Oklahoma 2 LLC, SRE Oklahoma 5 LLC, SRE South Carolina 2 LLC, SRE South Carolina 3 LLC, SRE South Carolina 4 LLC, SRE Tennessee 6 LLC, SRE Tennessee 7 LLC, SRE Tennessee 1 LLC, SRE Tennessee 2 LLC, SRE Tennessee 3 LLC, SRE Tennessee 4 LLC, SRE Tennessee 5 LLC, SRE Texas 10 LLC, SRE Texas 11 LLC, SRE Texas 12 LLC, SRE Texas 13 LLC, SRE Texas 14 LLC, SRE Texas 15 LLC, SRE Texas 16 LLC, SRE Texas 9 LLC, SRE Texas 1 LP, SRE Texas 2 LP, SRE Texas 3 LP, SRE Texas 4 LP, SRE Texas 5 LP, SRE Texas 6 LP, SRE Texas 7 LP, SRE Texas 8 LP, SRE Virginia - 1 LLC, SRE Virginia 2 LLC, SRM Assurance Ltd., Santa Clara Imported Cars Inc., Sonic 2185 Chapman Rd. Chattanooga LLC, Sonic Advantage PA LP, Sonic Automotive - 1720 Mason Ave. DB LLC, Sonic Automotive 2424 Laurens Rd. Greenville Inc., Sonic Automotive 2752 Laurens Rd. Greenville Inc., Sonic Automotive Aviation LLC, Sonic Automotive F&I LLC, Sonic Automotive Support LLC, Sonic Automotive West LLC, Sonic Automotive of Chattanooga LLC, Sonic Automotive of Nashville LLC, Sonic Automotive of Nevada Inc., Sonic Automotive of Texas LP, Sonic Automotive 1495 Automall Drive Columbus Inc., Sonic Automotive 1720 Mason Ave. DB Inc., Sonic Automotive 2490 South Lee Highway LLC, Sonic Automotive 3401 N. Main TX LP, Sonic Automotive 4701 I-10 East TX LP, Sonic Automotive 6008 N. Dale Mabry FL Inc., Sonic Automotive 9103 E. Independence NC LLC, Sonic Calabasas M Inc., Sonic Development LLC, Sonic Divisional Operations LLC, Sonic FFC 1 Inc., Sonic FFC 2 Inc., Sonic FFC 3 Inc., Sonic Fremont Inc., Sonic Houston JLR LP, Sonic Houston LR LP, Sonic Momentum B LP, Sonic Momentum JVP LP, Sonic Momentum VWA LP, Sonic Resources Inc., Sonic Santa Monica M Inc., Sonic Santa Monica S Inc., Sonic Walnut Creek M Inc., Sonic Wilshire Cadillac Inc., Sonic eStore Inc., Sonic of Texas Inc., Sonic Buena Park H Inc., Sonic Cadillac D LP, Sonic Calabasas A Inc., Sonic Calabasas V Inc., Sonic Camp Ford LP, Sonic Capitol Cadillac Inc., Sonic Capitol Imports Inc., Sonic Carrollton V LP, Sonic Carson F Inc., Sonic Carson LM Inc., Sonic Clear Lake N LP, Sonic Clear Lake Volkswagen LP, Sonic Denver T Inc., Sonic Downey Cadillac Inc., Sonic Fort Mill Chrysler Jeep Inc., Sonic Fort Mill Dodge Inc., Sonic Fort Worth T LP, Sonic Frank Parra Autoplex LP, Sonic Harbor City H Inc., Sonic Houston V LP, Sonic Integrity Dodge LV LLC, Sonic Jersey Village Volkswagen LP, Sonic LS Chevrolet LP, Sonic LS LLC, Sonic Lake Norman Chrysler Jeep LLC, Sonic Las Vegas C West LLC, Sonic Lloyd Nissan Inc., Sonic Lloyd Pontiac Cadillac Inc., Sonic Lone Tree Cadillac Inc., Sonic Lute Riley LP, Sonic Massey Cadillac LP, Sonic Massey Chevrolet Inc., Sonic Mesquite Hyundai LP, Sonic Newsome Chevrolet World Inc., Sonic Newsome of Florence Inc., Sonic North Charleston Dodge Inc., Sonic North Charleston Inc., Sonic Plymouth Cadillac Inc., Sonic Richardson F LP, Sonic Sanford Cadillac Inc., Sonic Shottenkirk Inc., Sonic Stevens Creek B Inc., Sonic Volvo LV LLC, Sonic West Covina T Inc., Sonic Williams Cadillac Inc., Stevens Creek Cadillac Inc., The Sonic Automotive Family Emergency Fund (SAFE), Town and Country Ford Incorporated, and Windward Inc.. Genworth Financial, Inc. is a financial services company, which engages in the provision of insurance, wealth management, investment and financial solutions. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Mortgage Insurance, Australia Mortgage Insurance, U.S. Life Insurance, and Runoff. The U.S. Mortgage Insurance segment offers mortgage insurance products predominantly insuring prime-based, individually underwritten residential mortgage loans. The Australia Mortgage Insurance segment offers flow mortgage insurance and selectively provides bulk mortgage insurance that aids in the sale of mortgages to the capital markets and helps lenders manage capital and risk. The U.S. Life Insurance segment offers long-term care insurance products as well as service traditional life insurance and fixed annuity products in the United States. The Runoff segment includes the results of non-strategic products which are no longer actively sold but continue to service its existing blocks of business. Its non-strategic products primarily include variable annuity, variable life insurance, institutional, corporate-owned life insurance and other accident and health insurance products. The company was fo Read More Bitauto Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides internet content and marketing services, and transaction services for the automobile industry in the People's Republic of China. It operates in three segments: Advertising and Subscription Business, Transaction Services Business, and Digital Marketing Solutions Business. The Advertising and Subscription Business segment offers advertising services, including automobile pricing and promotional information, specifications, reviews, and consumer feedback to automakers through its bitauto.com Website. It also provides transaction-focused online advertisement and promotional services for automakers, automobile dealers, auto finance partners, and insurance companies; and Web-based and mobile-based integrated digital marketing solutions to automobile dealers. The Transaction Services Business segment offers transaction platform and self-operated financing services. The Digital Marketing Solutions Business segment offers one-stop digital marketing solutions, including website creation and maintenance, online public relation, online marketing campaign, advertising agency, big data application, and digital image creation services. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. Read More Stantec Inc. provides professional consulting services in the area of infrastructure and facilities in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company provides consulting services in engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics. It also offers water, transportation, and public works; transportation planning and traffic engineering; and resource assessment, mine development, reclamation, hydrology, and geotechnical and infrastructure engineering services, as well as urban planning, traffic assessments and optimization, environmental impact assessments, and public consultation services. In addition, the company provides structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and hydraulics engineering services. It serves urban regeneration, infrastructure, education, public and private sector, tourism and leisure, and waste and water sectors, as well as office and commercial, residential, and retail and town centers. The company was formerly known as Stanley Technology Group Inc. and changed its name to Stantec Inc. in October 1998. Stantec Inc. was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada. Read More Varian Medical Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures, sells, and services medical devices and software products for treating cancer and other medical conditions worldwide. It operates through Oncology Systems and Proton Solutions segments. The Oncology Systems segment offers hardware and software products for treating cancer with radiotherapy, fixed field intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiotherapy, artificial intelligence based adaptive radiotherapy, and brachytherapy, as well as quality assurance equipment. Its products include linear accelerators, brachytherapy afterloaders, treatment accessories, and quality assurance software; and information management, treatment planning, image processing, clinical knowledge exchange, patient care management, decision-making support, and practice management software. This segment serves university research and community hospitals, private and governmental institutions, healthcare agencies, physicians' offices, medical oncology practices, radiotherapy centers, and cancer care clinics. The Proton Solutions segment designs, develops, manufactures, sells, and services products and systems for delivering proton therapy for the treatment of cancer. The company has a strategic agreement with McKesson Corp. to supply treatment delivery systems and planning, services, and radiotherapy information system solutions to its U.S. Oncology Network and Vantage Oncology affiliated sites of care; and a strategic partnership with Siemens AG to represent Siemens diagnostic imaging products to radiation oncology clinics in the United States and other select markets. Varian Medical Systems, Inc. was formerly known as Varian Associates, Inc. and changed its name to Varian Medical Systems, Inc. in April 1999. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Read More Fortis Inc. operates as an electric and gas utility company in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean countries. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 433,000 retail customers in southeastern Arizona; and 98,000 retail customers in Arizona's Mohave and Santa Cruz counties with an aggregate capacity of 3,233 megawatts (MW), including 59 MW of solar capacity. The company also sells wholesale electricity to other entities in the western United States; owns gas-fired and hydroelectric generating capacity totaling 65 MW; and distributes natural gas to approximately 1,048,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in British Columbia, Canada. In addition, it owns and operates the electricity distribution system that serves approximately 572,000 customers in southern and central Alberta; owns 4 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 225 MW; and provides operation, maintenance, and management services to five hydroelectric generating facilities. Further, the company distributes electricity in the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador with an installed generating capacity of 143 MW; and on Prince Edward Island with a generating capacity of 130 MW. Additionally, it provides integrated electric utility service to approximately 67,000 customers in Ontario; approximately 270,000 customers in Newfoundland and Labrador; approximately 31,000 customers on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and approximately 15,000 customers on certain islands in Turks and Caicos. The company also holds long-term contracted generation assets in Belize consisting of 3 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 51 MW; and the Aitken Creek natural gas storage facility. It also owns and operates approximately 91,000 circuit Kilometers (km) of distribution lines; and approximately 49,500 km of natural gas pipelines. Fortis Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in St. John's, Canada. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Sealed Air: AFP (Shanghai) Limited, AFP Inc. (Branch), AFPTOH LTD, Aconcagua Distribuciones SRL, Air Ride Pallets Hong Kong Limited, Austin Foam Plastics Inc., Auto-C LLC, Automated Packaging Systems, B+ Equipment, B+ Equipment SAS, Beacon Holdings LLC, Biosphere Industries, BluPack (New Zealand), Blue Dot Packaging Pty Ltd., CPI Packaging Inc., CPI Packaging Systems Inc., Cactus (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Cactus Shanghai Trading Co. Ltd., Ciras C.V., Ciras C.V. - Luxembourg Branch, Ciras C.V. Luxembourg Branch, Cleanwise Inc., Cryovac (Malaysia) SDN. BHD, Cryovac (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Cryovac Brasil Ltda., Cryovac Chile Holdings LLC, Cryovac Holdings II LLC, Cryovac Inc., Cryovac International Holdings Inc., Cryovac LLC, Cryovac Leasing Corporation, Cryovac Londrina Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal - Embalagens Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal Embalagens Ltda, Cryovac Sweden AB, Cryovac-Sealed Air de Costa Rica S.R.L., DELTAPLAM Embalagens Industria e Comercio, Deltaplam Embalagens Industria e Comercio Ltda, Diversey, Diversey Australia Pty. Ltd., Diversey Austria Trading GmbH, Diversey B.V., Diversey Belgium BVBA, Diversey Brasil Industria Quimica Ltda., Diversey Canada Inc., Diversey Centroamerica S.A., Diversey Danmark ApS, Diversey Hungary Acting Off-shore Capital Management Limited Liability Company, Diversey J Trustee Limited, Diversey Trustee Limited, Diversey Ceska republika s.r.o. clen koncernu Diversey, Entapack Pty. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packing Co. Ltd. (Chongqing Branch), Fagerdala (Chongqing) Packaging Co. Ltd. (Branch), Fagerdala (Huiyang) Packaging Co. Ltd, Fagerdala (Huiyang) Packaging Co. Ltd. (Branch), Fagerdala (Shanghai) Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shanghai) Polymer Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shenzhen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packing Co. Ltd. (Hefei Branch), Fagerdala (Thailand) Limited, Fagerdala (Xiamen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Leamchabung Limited, Fagerdala Leamchabung Ltd., Fagerdala Malaysia Sdn Bhd., Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V. (Chihuahua Branch), Fagerdala Mexico Supply Chain S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Packaging Inc. (Indiana), Fagerdala Shanghai Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd, Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd (Branch), Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Limited, Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Limited (Taiwan Branch), Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Ltd., Fagerdala Suzhou Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Suzhou Packaging Co. Ltd. (Hefei Branch), Fagerdala Thailand Ltd., GEIE VES, Getpacking.com GmbH, Indonesian Rep Office of Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Invertol S. de R.L. de C.V., JCS Sealed Air Kaustik, JSC Sealed Air Kaustik, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal Limited, Nelipak Holdings, Pack-Tiger GmbH, Packaging C.V., ProAseptic Technologies S.L., Producembal - Producao de Embalagens Ltda., Proxy Biomedical Ltd., Reflectix Inc., SLD Air Packaging Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Saddle Brook Insurance Company, Sealed Air (Asia) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (Barbados) S.R.L., Sealed Air (Canada) Co./CIE, Sealed Air (Canada) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Limited, Sealed Air (China) Ltd., Sealed Air (India) Limited, Sealed Air (Israel) Ltd., Sealed Air (Korea) Limited, Sealed Air (Latin America) Holdings II LLC, Sealed Air (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sealed Air (New Zealand), Sealed Air (Philippines) Inc., Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Sealed Air (Thailand) Limited, Sealed Air (Ukraine) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Pty.) Limited, Sealed Air Americas Manufacturing S. de R. L. de C. V., Sealed Air Argentina S.A., Sealed Air Australia (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sealed Air Australia Pty Ltd., Sealed Air Australia Pty. Limited, Sealed Air B.V., Sealed Air Belgium N.V., Sealed Air Central America S.A., Sealed Air Chile S.P.A., Sealed Air Colombia Ltda., Sealed Air Corporation (US), Sealed Air Denmark A/S, Sealed Air Embalagens Ltda., Sealed Air Europe Holdings C.V., Sealed Air Europe Holdings LP, Sealed Air Finance B.V., Sealed Air Finance II LLC, Sealed Air Finance II LLC (Sucursal Mexico), Sealed Air Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l. Luxembourg (L) Root Finance Branch, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l. US Finance Branch, Sealed Air Funding Corporation, Sealed Air Funding LLC, Sealed Air General Trading LLC, Sealed Air Global Holdings C.V., Sealed Air Global Holdings I C.V., Sealed Air Global Holdings I LLC, Sealed Air GmbH, Sealed Air Hellas S.A., Sealed Air Holding France S.A.S., Sealed Air Holding France SAS, Sealed Air HoldingS I LLC, Sealed Air Holdings (New Zealand) Pty. Ltd., Sealed Air Holdings I C.V., Sealed Air Holdings LLC, Sealed Air Holdings South Africa Proprietary Limited, Sealed Air Hong Kong (Jakarta Indonesia Branch), Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Sealed Air Hungary Ltd., Sealed Air International Holdings LLC, Sealed Air International Holdings LLC , Sealed Air Investment and Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Investment and Management Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Japan G.K., Sealed Air Korea Limited, Sealed Air LLC, Sealed Air Limited, Sealed Air Luxembourg (I) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg (II) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Management Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Sealed Air Multiflex GmbH, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) I B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V. - Deutsche Zweigniederlassung, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V. - Deutsche Zweigniederlassung, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) III B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) III B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands Holdings V B.V., Sealed Air Nevada Holdings Limited, Sealed Air Norge AS, Sealed Air OY, Sealed Air Packaging (India) Private Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Shanghai) Co. Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Packaging LLC, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging S.L.U., Sealed Air Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Sealed Air Peru S.A.C., Sealed Air Polska Sp. Zoo, Sealed Air Pty Limited, Sealed Air S.A S., Sealed Air S.A.S., Sealed Air S.r.l., Sealed Air South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Sealed Air Svenska AB, Sealed Air Taiwan Limited, Sealed Air US Holdings (Thailand) LLC, Sealed Air Uruguay S.A., Sealed Air Venezuela Corporation, Sealed Air Verpackungen GmbH, Sealed Air de Mexico Operations S. de R.L. de C.V., Sealed Air de Venezuela S.A., Sealed Air s.r.o., Shanklin Corp, Shanklin Corporation, Soinpar Industrial Ltda., TART s.r.o., TART s.r.o. Joint Venture, TTS-Ciptec, TXAFP Asia Pacific Ltd., TXAFP GP LLC, TempTrip LLC, Trigon Industries, and Vietnamese Rep Office of Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited. Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. engages in the operation of senior living communities. The firm manages independent living, assisted living and dementia-care communities and continuing care retirement centers. It operates through the following segments: Independent Living Assisted Living & Memory Care, CCRCs, Health Care Services and Management Services. The Independent Living segment is primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors who desire an upscale residential environment providing the highest quality of service. The Assisted Living & Memory Care segment offer housing and 24-hour assistance with ADLs to mid-acuity frail and elderly residents. The CCRCs segment offers a variety of living arrangements and services to accommodate all levels of physical ability and health. The Healthcare Services segment provides home health, hospice and outpatient therapy services, as well as education and wellness programs, to residents of many communities and to seniors living outside communities. The Management Services segment composes of communities operated by the company pursuant to management agreements. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Brentwood, TN. Read More Cision Ltd. provides public relations (PR) software, media distribution, media intelligence, and related professional services to businesses worldwide. The company enables public relations and communications professionals to manage, execute, and measure their strategic PR and communications programs. It offers Cision Communications Cloud, a cloud-based platform that enables companies and brands to build relationships with influencers and buyers in order to amplify their marketplace influence; and provides media database that offers access to influencers when planning a campaign, as well as to schedule and record various interactions with contacts. The company also provides PR Newswire that offers wire distribution services, as well as a suite of products and services for investor relations professionals, including distribution of earnings and other material news, Webcasts and conference calls, IR Website hosting, and virtual investor conferences. In addition, it offers media monitoring software that tracks and monitors content on digital, print, social, and broadcast sources. Further, the company enables its customers to assess media coverage by collecting and analyzing data and metrics on audience engagement, campaign reach and effectiveness, sentiment, and competitive benchmarking to quantify campaign results of earned media strategies, as well as provides data-driven insights that inform the creation of future campaigns and marketing investment. Cision Ltd. was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at contact@marketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 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. GlaxoSmithKline Plc is a healthcare company, which engages in the research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceuticals; Pharmaceuticals R&D; Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. The Pharmaceuticals segment focuses on developing medicines in respiratory and infectious diseases, oncology, and immuno-inflammation. The Pharmaceuticals R&D segment focuses on science related to the immune system, the use of human genetics and advanced technologies, and is driven by the multiplier effect of Science x Technology x Culture. The Vaccines segment produces pediatric and adult vaccines to prevent a range of infectious diseases including, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, typhoid, influenza, and bacterial meningitis. The Consumer Healthcare segment develops and markets brands in the oral health, pain relief, respiratory, nutrition and gastro intestinal, and skin health categories. The company was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom. Read More Augusta Gold Corp., a junior exploration company, engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in the United States. It primarily explores for gold, silver, and other metals. The company holds interests in the Bullfrog gold project located in the north-west of Las Vegas, Nevada. It also owns, controls, or has acquired mineral rights on Federal patented and unpatented mining claims in the state of Nevada for the purpose of exploration and potential development of metals on a total of approximately 7,800 acres of land. The company was formerly known as Bullfrog Gold Corp. and changed its name to Augusta Gold Corp. in January 2021. Augusta Gold Corp. was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Read More Eagle Materials, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of heavy construction materials, light building materials, and materials used for oil and natural gas extraction. It operates through the following segments: Cement, Concrete and Aggregates, Gypsum Wallboard, Recycled Paperboard, and Oil and Gas Proppants. The Cement segment deals with the manufacture, production, distribution, and sale of portland cement. The Concrete and Aggregates segment involves mixing cement, sand, gravel, or crushed stone and water to form concrete, which is then sold and distributed to construction contractors. The Gypsum Wallboard segment mines and extracts natural gypsum rock, which is used in the manufacture of gypsum wallboard. The Recycled Paperboard segment processes paper fiber, water, and paper chemicals to form recycled paperboards, then sell them to gypsum wallboard manufacturers. The Oil and Gas Proppants segment produces frac sand used in oil and natural gas exploration, and provides transloading and storage for well servicing companies. The company was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Dallas, TX. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at contact[email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 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. NCI Building Systems, Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets metal products for the nonresidential construction industry in North America. It operates in four segments: Engineered Building Systems, Metal Components, Insulated Metal Panels, and Metal Coil Coating. The Engineered Building Systems segment offers engineered structural members and panels; and self-storage building systems under the Metallic, Mid-West Steel, A & S, All American, Mesco, Star, Ceco, Robertson, Garco, Heritage, and SteelBuilding.com brands to builders, general contractors, developers, and end users directly, as well as through private label companies. The Metal Components segment provides metal roof and wall systems, metal partitions, metal trims, doors, and other related accessories for use in new construction, and repair and retrofit applications; roll-up doors; and interior and exterior walk doors under the MBCI, American Building Components, Eco-ficient, Metal Depots, and Doors and Buildings Components brands to manufacturers, contractors, subcontractors, distributors, lumberyards, cooperative buying groups, and other customers. The Insulated Metal Panels segment offers insulated metal panels for architectural, commercial, industrial, and cold storage end-market applications under the Metl-Span and CENTRIA brands. The Metal Coil Coating segment engages in cleaning, treating, and painting flat-rolled metals in coil form, as well as in slitting and/or embossing the metal, before the metal is fabricated for use by industrial users. It also cleans, treats, and coats heavy and light gauge metal coils for use in construction products, heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters, lighting fixtures, ceiling grids, office furniture, appliances, and other products; and provides toll coating and painted metal package services under the Metal Coaters and Metal Prep brands. NCI Building Systems, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Read More Valvoline, Inc. is engaged in producing, marketing and supplying of engine & automotive maintenance products and services. The company operates through three segments: Quick Lubes, Core North America and International. The Quick Lubes segment provides services to passenger car and light truck quick lube market through company-owned and independent franchised retail quick lube service center stores and independent express care stores that service vehicles with valvoline products. The Core North America segment sells engine and automotive maintenance products in the United States and Canada to retailers, installers, and heavy-duty customers to service vehicles and equipment. The International segment sells engine and automotive products in more than 140 countries outside of the United States and Canada for the maintenance of consumer and commercial vehicles and equipment. Its products include motor oil, gear oil, pro-v racing and antifreeze and radiator. Valvoline was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Lexington, KY. Read More TCF Financial Corporation operates as the financial holding company for TCF National Bank that provides various financial products and services in the United States and Canada. It operates through Consumer Banking, Commercial Banking, and Enterprise Services segments. The company offers checking, savings, and money market accounts; certificates of deposit; individual retirement accounts; debit and credit cards; and check cashing and remittance services. It also provides investment management and custodial services, trust services, financial and estate planning, and retirement planning and employee benefit programs; residential, consumer, and small business lending products; and consumer real estate secured lending, consumer loans, loans secured by personal property, and unsecured personal loans. In addition, the company offers loans and lines of credit, deposits, cash management, capital market products, international trade finance, letters of credit, foreign exchange management services, and loan syndication services. Further, it provides commercial and industrial, commercial real estate banking, and lease financing; and treasury services comprising investment and borrowing portfolios, as well as manages capital, debt, and market risks. As of December 31, 2020, the company operated 478 branches, including 373 traditional branches, 102 supermarket branches, and three campus branches located in Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arizona, and South Dakota; and 1,062 ATMs. TCF Financial Corporation was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. Read More Fitbit, Inc., a technology company, provides health solutions in the United States and internationally. The company offers a line of devices, including Fitbit Charge 3, Fitbit Inspire, Fitbit Inspire HR, and Fitbit Ace 2 activity trackers; Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Versa family of smartwatches, as well as Fitbit Flyer wireless headphones and the Fitbit Aria family of connected scales; and accessories, such as bands and frames for its devices. It also offers Fitbit online dashboard and mobile apps that sync automatically with and display real-time data from its wearable devices; and Fitbit Care, a connected health platform for health plans, employers, and health systems. In addition, the company provides Fitbit Premium, a paid subscription service that uses the data of users to deliver actionable guidance and coaching to help users achieve their health and fitness goals, as well as includes Fitbit Coach that offers exercise programs through personal trainer and yoga apps. It sells its products through consumer electronics and specialty, e-commerce, mass merchant, department store, club, and sporting goods and outdoors retailers; wireless carriers; distributors; and Fitbit.com, an online store, as well as directly to consumers. Fitbit, Inc. has a collaboration with The Scripps Research Institute and Stanford Medicine to study the role of wearables to detect, track, and contain infectious diseases, such as COVID-19.; and partnership with Solera Health to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes. The company was formerly known as Healthy Metrics Research, Inc. and changed its name to Fitbit, Inc. in October 2007. Fitbit, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Read More ICICI Bank had informed the exchanges that its board would meet on May 7 to disclose the Q4 results and dividends. New Delhi: The finance ministry is unlikely to be a silent spectator of the ongoing affairs in ICICI Bank. It is likely to raise the allegations of conflict of interest and corporate governance issues in the next board meeting of ICICI Bank on May 7 or even before that once its new nominee director formally joins the board this week. ICICI Bank is mired in a controversy over alleged conflict of interest involving its chief executive officer Chanda Kochhar (in pic) and her husband Deepak Kochhar. Official sources said the government as a principle would keep an arms length distance, leaving the investigation and supervision to law enforcement agencies and the regulator. It would, however, seek a response on some related issues on the governance standard through its nominee on the bank board. The government is of the view that the ICICI Bank episode involves the broader investor and depositor issues even if it is a private sector bank. On April 5, the government replaced Amit Agarwal from the board of ICICI Bank as its nominee and appointed Lok Ranjan, joint secretary in the DFS, in his place. Agarwal did not attend the key March 28 board meeting of ICICI Bank that gave Kochhar a clean chit on the Videocon loan case. ICICI Bank had informed the exchanges that its board would meet on May 7 to disclose the Q4 results and dividends. Sources said the ministry is likely to partner with LIC, which has 9.4 per cent stake in ICICI Bank, to press for a response to as to why the CEO did not recuse herself while a consortium, led by ICICI Bank, granted Rs 3,520 crore loan to Videocon in 2012 and later there were business partnership between Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot and Kochhars husband. The bank board has already backed Kochhar on all her decisions relating to the controversy on March 28, a few days before CBI registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the case. The loan given to Videocon Group later turned into a non-performing asset (NPA). Sources said even if the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) would be the authority on decisions over ICICI Bank, government and LIC could take positions as stakeholders on the board to protect their investments which is coming under threat as the ICICI bank stock is on a slide after allegations of nepotism emerged. This also adds to their demand for a change of head of the bank. There could also be a demand for an external audit into the allegations which banks has already rejected in its earlier meeting. A source in a PSU bank said the government should exercise its statutory powers through the nominee director by questioning the bank management while leaving the decisions, if any, to RBI and the bank board so that it does not have to take the blame of inaction of not even raising issues when so many bank frauds and poor governance are taking place. The source further added most of these frauds are governance issues and are due to lack of detections, decisions and actions on time. Considering that the finance ministry has replaced the earlier nominee with a new one, its message is clear on a aggressive stand on governance issues on the context of public money be it private sector banks or PSU. There is pressure on Kochhar to step down and there are reports that a certain section of the bank board is keen that an interim CEO be brought in to replace her while investigations are on. However this is one decision which will be entirely taken by the board and the RBI. Sources said both LIC and the finance ministry could try to gauge the mood of the board in the coming days over this. It is alleged that Kochhar's husband Deepak Kochhar had formed a joint venture with Venugopal Dhoot for a business dealing in renewable energy and there were a string of transactions later, which gave him full control of the venture after the exit of Dhoot. Late last month, the bank admitted that Kochhar did not recuse herself from a credit panel meeting which decided to give a Rs 3,250 crore loan to diversified Videocon Group in 2012. Mumbai: Diesel generators manufacturer Mahindra Powerol on Monday launched its higher voltage DG sets range of 400/500/625 kVA powered by Perkins 2000 series engines. Designed at its R&D hub at Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai and manufactured at its Chakan plant near Pune, this new range of generator sets will have 12.5 litre to 18 litre Perkins engines. "Given the scale at which the infrastructure in India is growing, the demand for higher voltage generators is going to increase. So far, we have been present in the lower voltage segment. But now, as a part of our strategy to cater to the higher voltage market, we launched these 400/500/625 kVA DG sets," Mahindra & Mahindra President CPO, Powerol and Spares Business Hemant Sikka told PTI here. He said the company recently launched its new range of 250/320 kVA DGs powered by Mahindra mPower series engines. "With the launch of 400/500/625 kVA gensets, we now have gensets from 5kVA to 625kVA. This gives us a great opportunity to grow in new segments and offer a wide and world-class range of gensets to our customers," Sikka added. When asked why the company chose to use Perkins engines for this higher range, Sikka said, "we also manufacture engines which we use for our other generators. But since the demand for these products is higher, we thought it would be better to partner with Perkins, which is among leaders in this space." The finance ministry is hopeful of Punjab National Bank making a quick recovery in the first quarter of the current fiscal. New Delhi: The finance ministry is hopeful of Punjab National Bank, which has been defrauded to the tune of Rs 13,000 crore by two diamond merchants, making a quick recovery in the first quarter of the current fiscal. The government is also confident that the downgrade rating on the bank would be revised soon. The ministry is keeping a tight watch on the banks performance so as not to let the bank slip into further mess. The government is said to have been communicated this by the bank management. The ministry believes though the bank has to improve on the core operating performance, the strong 17 per cent growth in loan book is a positive sign. Punjab National Bank (PNB) chairman Sunil Mehta is said to have set a six-month timeline to overcome the Nirav Modi mess. He also wants the bank to be on track with no shade of the scam on its performance and businesses within this timeframe. PNB had reported a whopping Rs 13,000 crore fraud and later had to honour the commitment of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) which were issued to foreign branches of Indian banks that extended loans to alleged fraudsters Nirav Modis and his uncle Mehul Choksis firms. Official sources said the impact of the fraud is not yet visible on the PNB balance sheet. Honouring of the liabilities (LoUs) is likely to dent the PNBs Q4 profitability which could also be hit by NPAs and rising yields. But there would be a strong comeback in the first quarter onwards the as the bank will look to raise more money from sale of non-core assets including stake sale in subsidiaries and monetisation of the large real estate holdings. PNB will also look to further tighten its processes and rationalise the branch network for cost efficiencies. The bank, according to the ministry, has been recording double-digit credit growth. In January the bank sold its entire stake in a mutual fund joint venture to partner Principal Financial Group. The state-owned bank has offloaded 21.38 per cent to the US-based financial services group, which will now hold 100 per cent in the asset management company. The bank also received Rs 1,231 crore by diluting its holding in PNB Housing Finance Co. The ministry is also banking on the developments at NCLT to get recoveries from NPAs. Global rating agency Fitch had said that losses related to the fraud would act as a drag on PNB's overall credit profile over the next year or two and will immediately increase the bank's non-performing asset (NPA) ratio and credit costs. Fitch has downgraded the viability rating of Punjab National Bank to 'bb-' from 'bb' and has maintained its negative watch. Several Thailand-based companies which are operating in India plan to invest around USD 3 billion in the next three years period in the areas of green and brown field projects including energy, infrastructure and metals. Mumbai: Several Thailand-based companies which are operating in India plan to invest around USD 3 billion in the next three years period in the areas of green and brown field projects including energy, infrastructure and metals. "The Thailand based companies see good opportunity here and are looking to invest around USD 3 billion by 2020. The fast growing Indian market remains attractive for Thai investors given the opportunities in green and brown field projects including energy, infrastructure and metals," Thai Trade Center executive director and consul Suwimol Tilokruangchai told PTI here. "We are looking towards India with a great interest from last seven decades and plans to enhance the bi-lateral trade thanks to the positive approach of both the Thai and Indian governments," she added. Over the decades, nearly 30 Thai companies are active in the field of infrastructure, real estate, food processing, chemicals, hotel and hospitality sectors in India. Currently, Thai goods have benefited from the second FTA agreement with 10 members of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region with India. Thailand holds the second largest economy in the region. Since the Thailand too falls under ASEAN group, Indian traders and importers can benefit from these FTA, Suwimol added. The Thai government has also invited Indian companies to investment in the growth of Thailand. At present around 40 Indian companies have made an investment of around USD 2 billion in the areas of software, agri chemicals, electric car development in Thailand. Leading Indian companies include, Tata Motors (Thailand), Tata Steel Thailand, TCS, The Aditya Birla group, Mahindra Satyam, Lupin, NIIT, Kirloskar Bothers, Punj Lloyd group, Ashok Leylands, Jindal group and Usha Siam Steel Industries are active in Thailand. The Department of International Trade Promotion Ministry of Commerce, Thailand and Thai Trade Centre Mumbai, has organized a three day Thailand Week 2018 in June this year, Suwimol said. Bilateral trade between the two countries has multiplied eight times since 2000 to reach USD 10 billion in 2017. Suggesting measures to be taken up by the government, Suwimol said "It is essential for both countries to encourage the private sectors to make investments in infrastructure and manufacturing in each others' country." "The two governments should provide a supportive environment and a predictable, encouraging and comprehensive legal and taxation framework. Similarly, more Special Economic Zone (SEZ) should be set up by governments of both the countries to encourage more investment and built better trade relationships," she added. Varun Dhawan has been in the news ever since he began work on his upcoming movie Kalank. From visitors on the sets to his workout videos, Varun has always been in the limelight since the shoot began. The actor, who seems to love challenges, which can be seen by his role as Dan in October, has now shot with 500 dancers. Interestingly, the dance number is choreographed by Remo DSouza, who promises that the dance film with Varun and Katrina Kaif will be the biggest, and has already started work on making the movie into 4D experience. In case one can recollect, Varun recently danced on Mahesh Babu and Kiara Advanis movie Bharat Ane Nenus song O Vasumathi. That video had a connection to this film, since it was most probably shot when Kiara was rehearsing for the song with Varun himself. Varun began his rehearsals with Remos team four days before shoot and Kiara joined him on the last two days. In between shots, the actor would catch up on his workouts in a gym specially built on set, informed a source to Pune Mirror. Directed by Abhishek Varman and produced by Fox Star Studios, Sajid Nadiadwala and Dharma Productions, Kalank, also starring Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Roy Kapur in pivotal roles, will release on April 19, 2019. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed criminal proceedings against Bollywood actor Salman Khan initiated based on private complaints in Rajasthans Chiru district and in the States of Gujarat, Delhi and Maharashtra for his alleged controversial statement made against Valmiki community. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud stayed the proceedings on six FIRs o filed by Salman Khan. The petition also wanted a direction that all state police be instructed that no FIRs or complaints shall be registered against him pertaining to this case. The actor was accused of poking fun at the Valmiki community while shooting a reality show in December 2017. An FIR was filed against him by the fringe group Valmiki Yuva Sangathan as they were highly offended by the actors statements against their religion and similar complaints were filed later in other states. Although its been a while since Naga Shaurya criticised his Kanam co-actor Sai Pallavi for her unprofessional behaviour on the sets, the actress, who was in town to promote the film, finally spoke to the media about the issue. Naga Shaurya is a silent person and doesnt talk to anyone on the sets. But when he faces the camera, he is a different person altogether. As an actor, he is very mature, she said in praise of her co-star. Describing herself as an actor, she said, I always go crazy over every scene and have to discuss it with the director many times over. Even Sekhar Kammula who directed me in Fidaa knows this. She added, Since Naga Shaurya would keep silent, I thought that he wanted his space and some time alone. I am completely the opposite. When I work, I enjoy myself a lot and feel happy. After watching his videos, I wondered if I had hurt him, although I dont like to hurt anyone. Narrating a specific incident, Sai Pallavi said, One day, during the dubbing of the film, the director, a few members and I wanted to go for dinner. I wanted Shaurya to join, but realised that he didnt have a phone. His manager said that he was busy with his film Chalo, and I couldnt talk to him. Explaining her actions, the actress added, I called my director Vijay sir and asked him if I had hurt Shaurya, but he asked me not to think about it. Perhaps unintentionally, I have hurt him. I respect him as an actor. I still feel that I didnt spend much time with him, so I dont know where the problem lies. The Telugu film industry has taken serious note of director Ram Gopal Varmas admission that he provoked Sri Reddys comments against Pawan Kalyan. There are rumours that Officer, his upcoming film with Nagarjuna, may be in trouble and that Pawan Kalyan fans may target him (RGV) when he comes to Hyderabad for promoting his film. RGV addresses all these issues and more. Q Do you think that Officer will get into trouble because of the recent happenings regarding Sri Reddy and your involvement in it? I have given a detailed explanation through multiple media and theres nothing left for me to say. Whats Officer got to do with it? Both Nag and I are extremely happy with the way it has shaped up and we are looking forward to its release. Q We hear the Telugu film industry might be forced to take action against you. Any comments? This is all social media gossip by worthless people. Which person and which organisation in the industry can, will and for what reason, take action against me? Q When you come here to promote your film, are you expecting Pawan Kalyans fans to disrupt your promotional events? His fans are what I call YouTube Alexanders . Beyond giving abuses and physical threats on camera, they are nothing more than jokersI am not talking about all of themonly those who behave like goons. Q Do you plan to take a step back and let Nagarjuna promote the movie alone as a safe option? Its my film as much as Nagarjunas and I will very much be there. Also, Nagarjuna has complete trust in me as a person. Q Do you think Pawans fans will attempt to affect Officers collections? If they cant increase Agnyaathavaasi collections, how will they affect other films collections? Q Will this controversy affect your film with Akhil? Controversy is only in ignorant peoples minds. Akhils film will start immediately after Officer releases, which was and is the plan. Q But there is an official announcement stating that Akhil is working for his next with director Venky Atluri? That has already started, but he is doing some back-to-back schedules with me too. In an era of no pain, no gain, yoga has been the only constantly evolving fitness form. With its mix of acrobatic stretching and serene meditation, yoga for many has been the perfect, low-impact workout for both body and mind. But then, the age-old traditional form of yoga that requires sitting cross-legged and some amorphous stretching and chanting Om now seems to be reserved only for the sadhus. Calorie-scorcher Founded by celebrity trainer Bizzie Gold in 2012, Buti Yoga is a calorie-scorching workout. A 75-minute class can apparently burn 800 to 1,000 calories. Its practitioners say it not only fuses power yoga with cardio-intensive tribal dance and body sculpting primal movement, but also deeply engages your core for a toned tummy. Buti Yoga is based on the SST (Spiral Structure Technique) which helps build muscles in a multi-dimensional way. It is a positive approach to fitness because it balances strength with flexibility and puts you in touch with your body at both a physiological and spiritual level, feel experts. Jennifer Love Hewitt credits Buti Yoga for transforming her body Designed for women Buti Yoga is a high intensity, yoga-based workout designed specifically for women. It is a hybrid of dance and yoga and mixes traditional yoga poses with pulsing and gyrating moves to tone the entire body while raising the heart rate. Its fast-paced, fun, fierce, and feminine. Buti Yoga infuses tribal dance and primal movements to the mix, so theres no telling exactly how effective the class is from a scientific point of view, says yoga trainer Rina Hindocha. Buti Yoga uses The Spiral Structure Technique to help sculpt and tone the deep abdominal muscles that stabilise and strengthen the body, say practitioners. For yoga trainer Rina Hindocha, Buti Yoga is just the latest health fad Not yoga, say some Despite its burgeoning popularity, there, predictably, are those who feel differently. Buti Yoga definitely looks challenging and is another attempt at burning calories and looking good from the outside. But, why attach the term yoga to it? Yoga is a discipline, a holistic approach to feeling and looking good from the inside, too, which includes asana, pranayama and meditation. This one is a booty workout with music and dance and theres nothing wrong with that, but please stop selling things in the name of yoga, says Sakina Kapadia, a yoga expert. Humans are meant to move, so any activity that promotes movement is great for physical health. But, the journey of yoga is way beyond that and has nothing to do with what Buti Yoga has to offer, feels Kamal Maliramani, yoga expert and founder of Energizer Yoga. He further adds, In yoga it is through knowledge, discipline, absorption, non-attachment and surrender to the universal force that we transcend the illusion of the mind and discover our true selves. That is the journey. Buti Yoga is just physical fitness. In fact, it gets you attached to your body and the way it looks or performs, which is simply not what yoga is about. Risk of injury Nevertheless, with its mix of tribal dance and hip-hop songs the new trend is here to stay. This is definitely not some ordinary yoga practice. From the music to the attire, Buti wont be like a typical yoga class. Buti is all about moving to the beat, so the songs are all about the beat, too. You will find a nice mix of tribal dance with hip-hop flair, woven through upbeat songs that keep the practice going strong from start to finish. Of course, with any movement there is the risk of injury. All the pounding of the feet without shoes might actually hurt the foot. So, for me its just the latest health fad, stresses Rina. Scientists say nearly 60 per cent of your body is not human. (Photo: Pixabay) Scientists have revealed close to 60% of your body is not human, the BBC reported. There are only close to 43% human cells, while the rest are microbiomes, which is essential for our health. These include bacteria, viruses, fungi and archaea. The find could help researchers discover new ways to treat a host of diseases. "You're more microbe than you are human," Prof Rob Knight, from University of California San Diego, told the BBC. "We're finding ways that these tiny creatures totally transform our health in ways we never imagined until recently," Professor Knight explained. These microbial materials play a crucial role in digestion, regulating the immune system, fighting disease and producing essential vitamins. While we have used antibiotics and vaccines to attack these microbes, researchers are looking into the benefits vital for our existence. "We have over the past 50 years done a terrific job of eliminating infectious disease," Prof Ruth Ley, the director of the department of microbiome science at the Max Planck Institute, told the BBC. "But we have seen an enormous and terrifying increase in autoimmune disease and in allergy. "Where work on the microbiome comes in is seeing how changes in the microbiome, that happened as a result of the success we've had fighting pathogens, have now contributed to a whole new set of diseases that we have to deal with." Keeping a close eye on the microbiome will help researchers gain more insight about our health. The origin of Earth Day dates back to 1970 when Gaylord Nelson, then a United States Senator from Wisconsin witnessed the damage to the environment caused by the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo: Pixabay) The year 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day. The world celebrated Earth Day on April 22. The origin of Earth Day dates back to 1970 when Gaylord Nelson, then a United States Senator from Wisconsin, witnessed the damage to the environment caused by the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Nelson realised that something concrete can be done for the planet if he could merge that energy with rising public awareness about the environment. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets nationwide to push for change and create a healthy, sustainable environment. Here are 10 things you can do to protect Earth: The girl, who was travelling with her family on Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai express, was fast asleep on her berth when the advocate allegedly molested her. (Representational image) Erode: A Chennai-based lawyer was arrested on Sunday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl on a train on Saturday. The girl, who was travelling with her family on Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai express, was fast asleep on her berth when the advocate allegedly molested her. The girl woke up and raised an alarm, following which her family nabbed the lawyer and informed the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE). The lawyer identified as KP Prem Ananth, was a former BJP candidate from RK Nagar for 2006 Tamil Nadu assembly polls. Ananth had boarded the train from Coimbatore, police said. He was handed over to railway police in Erode, where a case was registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The lawyer was later lodged in a prison in Coimbatore. (With inputs from agencies) The woman said her husband demanded gold jewellery as dowry, but when his demand was not met, he along with his friends raped her on April 17. (Representational Image) Karimganj (Assam): A woman in south Assams Karimganj district alleged that she was raped by her husband and his two friends within three days of her marriage as his demands for dowry were not met, the police said on Sunday. On the basis of her complaint, the husband was arrested on Sunday, they said. In her complaint to police, the woman claimed that her husband had demanded gold jewellery as dowry, and when his demand was not met, he along with his friends raped her on April 17, they said. According to police sources, the incident came to light when she had gone for medical treatment to a government hospital in Karimganj in a critical condition, the police said. On the womans complaint, an FIR was filed in April 20 and a hunt is on to nab the other two accused, they said. Police said the victim was threatened with dire consequences if she revealed the matter to anyone. (Representational image) Agartala: In yet another incident of crime against women, a 58-year-old-man has been arrested for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl for about three months in Tripuras Khowai district. The minor was repeatedly raped at the man's house at Champlai, about 60 kilometres from Tripura, since February this year, police said on Sunday. "The person was arrested from his house yesterday (Saturday), who, according to the victim's allegation, had raped her eleven times since February this year," Superintendent of Police Khowai, Krishnendu Chakravertty said. Chakravertty further said that the victim was threatened with dire consequences if she revealed the matter to anyone. The victim then went to her relative's house at Bishalgarh in Sipahijala district, about 76 kilometres away from her house in Khowai district, and lodged a complaint at a women's police station there. Chakravertty said the FIR was forwarded to Khowai police station on Saturday and on the basis of the FIR, the person was arrested and presented before a local court which remanded him in three days police custody. He said that the accused has been charged with rape, criminal intimidation and booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act. According to a report in NDTV, "The accused has seven businesses in Teliamura and is quite an influential person. Further investigations are on," Chakravertty said. Meanwhile, the CPI(M) alleged that the accused was state leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). However, VHP state organisational secretary Amal Chakraborty denied that the accused had any relationship with the organisation. Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee vice president Tapas De condemned the incident and demanded exemplary punishment. (With PTI inputs) Hyderabad: The Cyberabad police nabbed the notorious Jabasaleem gang comprising of five members, including the leader SK Saleem, which was involved in as many as 32 chain-snatching and four house-breaking offences in different parts of Cyberabad, Rachakonda and Hyderabad Police Commissionerates. Police recovered 800 grams of gold, three bikes, four mobiles and a knife from their possession. The police said that 60 non- bailable warrants were pending against Saleem. The other members of the gang were identified as Syed Nazim Afroz, Mohd Salahuddin Khaleel, Syed Jahangir and Amul Kolekar. Revealing the criminal past of Saleem, Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said that Saleem, a resident of Malakpet, was earlier arrested by the Humayun Nagar police in a robbery case. He was involved in 180 snatching cases in the Cyberabad, Rachakonda and Hyderabad Commissionerates and was even detained under the PD Act by the Chikkadpally Police. Afroz was involved in 15 snatching cases and was arrested by the Santosh Nagar Police in 2015 and was also detained under the PD Act. They are both close friends and after being released from prison, they hatched a plan to commit chain-snatching and house-break offences in the city. Within a short span of eight months, they committed 32 snatchings and four house-break offences. After keeping a surveillance on the old snatching offenders, Shamshabad CCS teams nabbed this gang, said Mr Sajjanar.Khaleel, Jahangir and Kolekar assisted the duo in the arrests. Based on credible information, the Shamshabad CCS sleuths nabbed them on Monday. They were sent to remand. The conviction rate for sexual offences against children is also relatively low at just about 30 per cent, compared to other crimes. Visakhapatnam: Even as the Centre issued an ordinance announcing the death penalty for those convicted of raping children below 12, thousands of cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso) remain pending nationwide. The conviction rate for sexual offences against children is also relatively low at just about 30 per cent, compared to other crimes. The low conviction rate, coupled with the large backlog, has ensured that it will take several years before the pending cases are cleared. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) says every year more than 30,000 cases are registered under various Sections of Pocso, with a majority of them being sexual offences against minors. In 2016, of the 830 cases registered in AP, 459 were cases of child rape. NCRB records show that across India, more than 90,000 cases registered under Pocso were pending in the end of 2016, and trial has been completed in only 10,884 cases, with a conviction rate of 29.6 per cent. Even in those cases in which the trial had been completed, the conviction rate under Pocso was much lower than the overall conviction rate for other crimes, which stood at 46.8 per cent. In 2014, the rate was 30.4 per cent, against 45.1 per cent for all crimes under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In 2015, the conviction rate for Pocso cases improved to 36.3 per cent against 46.9 per cent for other IPC crimes. Admitting that most of the cases registered under Pocso were pending with various police stations and courts, senior advocate K. Muralidhar said fast-track court must be set up for sexual offences against children, and trial and punishment must be completed within three months of filing of the charge sheet. Efforts must be made to secure the protection of victims so they have no fears about deposing before a court of law. Defective investigation, changing stances of victims, and the unfriendly atmosphere of police stations and courts are major reasons for the low conviction rate, Muralidhar added. Sources said if police and lower judiciary work together, the new ordinance will prove an effective deterrent against rape. Gaya MP Hari Manjhis son Rahul Manjhi along with his friend was arrested by the police in a drunken state on Sunday and was sent to Gaya central jail for violating prohibition law. (Photo: Facebook) Patna: Police action against BJP MPs son for consuming liquor has triggered a political storm in the state. Opposition parties on Monday while terming the prohibition law as drama blamed the government for targeting only people belonging to a backward community. Gaya MP Hari Manjhis son Rahul Manjhi along with his friend was arrested by the police in a drunken state on Sunday and was sent to Gaya central jail for violating prohibition law. On Monday reacting sharply, Hari Manjhi accused the police of falsely implicating his son in the liquor case. He said, I was the one who had informed the police about illegal liquor trade in the area but instead of acting against the mafia they arrest my son in a false case. Bihar was declared a dry state by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on April 5, 2016. According to reports over 23 lakh litre of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and country liquor has so far been seized. The state government had created a separate wing in the police department to ensure proper implementation of prohibition in the state. Liquor prohibition was the first major announcement by Nitish Kumar after he was sworn in as Chief Minister in 2015 following an emphatic election victory. It was a promise he had made to a group of women who had complained about liquor addiction in rural areas. The complete ban on liquor was imposed on April 5, 2016, but the stringent excise law was brought into force in October 2016 after Patna High Court had quashed the previous prohibition act. Prohibition, consumption and dealing or conniving to sell liquor was made a criminal offense under Bihar prohibition law which provides for imprisonment up to 10 years and a fine of more than Rs one lakh. This was the first high profile action by the police in last one year in connection with illegal prohibition trade. Hari Manjhi happens to be a senior BJP leader and a second term MP from Gaya. It seems that stringent prohibition law is only for people who belong to the backward community. The fact is that liquor is being sold and consumed freely in Bihar. Senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwary said on Monday. Abhishek Mishra's Facebook profile says he is from Ayodhya and works as an IT professional in Lucknow. (Photo: Facebook Screengrab/ AbhishekMishraVHP) New Delhi: Taxi aggregator Ola Cabs on Sunday urged a person not to discriminate on religious lines after the latter cancelled his ride as the driver was a Muslim. Replying to one Abhishek Verma, who is followed by some Union cabinet ministers on Twitter, the company said, "Ola, like our country, is a secular platform, and we don't discriminate our driver partners or customers basis their caste, religion, gender or creed. We urge all our customers and driver partners to treat each other with respect at all times." Ola, like our country, is a secular platform, and we don't discriminate our driver partners or customers basis their caste, religion, gender or creed. We urge all our customers and driver partners to treat each other with respect at all times. Ola (@Olacabs) April 22, 2018 In a tweet on Friday, Mishra, whose verified Twitter account says Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Ideology First, Hindutva Thinker, Digital & Social Media Advisor (Views Personal), said, "Cancelled @Olacabs Booking because Driver was Muslim. I don't want to give my money to Jihadi People." He attached a screenshot of his Ola booking which named the cab driver. This started a Twitter firestorm with many demanding the Ola to block his account. However, there were many who supported Mishra's 'right to choose'. A few other Twitter users too posted tweets in his defence, describing his move as "freedom of expression" and shared screenshots of similar discrimination by other social media users. On Sunday, Mishra posted a screenshot of a mail sent to him allegedly by the micro-blogging site, and said, "Thanks to @Twitter and it's a tight slap on the faces those trying to suspend my account." Thanks to @Twitter and it's a tight slap on the faces those trying to suspend my account. pic.twitter.com/WSn2QK0Gp6 Abhishek Mishra (@Abhishek_Mshra) April 22, 2018 However, Mishra criticised Facebook for deleting his post and said, "Facebook tried to suppress my voice. alas such an effort should have also be done with Reshmi R Nair and Abid Hasan. Facing opposition for speaking about Hindus but those who stand with me is my real strength." ... pic.twitter.com/ssMpSD1W2v Abhishek Mishra (@Abhishek_Mshra) April 22, 2018 Mishra's Facebook profile says he is from Ayodhya and works as an IT professional in Lucknow. He claims he is an active member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal -- both affiliates of the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh -- and "holds responsibility" of the IT cell of the VHP. The search on ambulances is because of allegations that political parties use them to transport cash/material to be distributed among voters. Hassan: All vehicles including those of government offices are subjected to thorough searches at check-posts to find if they are illegally transporting cash/material, if any, meant to be distributed among voters by political parties, and even ambulances have come under the scanner in Hassan. Hassan Deputy Commissioner Randeep told Deccan Chronicle on Sunday that other than ambulances, staff posted at various check-points usually take about four minutes to search for any cash/material meant for voters. But the search on ambulances will be of lesser duration of about two minutes and in emergency situations, staffers have been asked to verify details with the driver and have a quick glance inside the vehicles to let it go. The search on ambulances is because of allegations that political parties use ambulances to transport cash/material meant to be distributed among voters during elections. Since, people believe that ambulances are mainly used to shift patients, they are unaware of such malpractices employed by parties to woo voters. Searching ambulances is like a double edged sword because in genuine cases where a patient is being shifted for emergency medical attention to a hospital, a search on an ambulance which takes a couple of minutes, might prove costly in saving a life. Hence, he has asked officials concerned to have a quick glance at ambulances and find out if the case is a genuine one before letting it go. The direction to the officials concerned is that the registration number of ambulance is noted down by them. Meanwhile, personnel at check-posts are undertaking searches on vehicles passing through the district and Mr Randeep has been personally inspecting the check-posts. Amit Shah's statement came hours after Rahul Gandhi attacked the Prime Minister saying the latter was only bothered about becoming PM again, not about rapes or atrocities on Dalits. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah on Monday said the 'Save the Constitution' campaign launched by the Congress chief is an exercise to save the dynasty and that the opposition party's "Modi hatred" has turned into "India hatred". His statement came hours after Rahul Gandhi attacked the Prime Minister saying the latter was only bothered about becoming PM again, not about rapes or atrocities on Dalits. In a statement soon after Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah said if there is one political party that has trampled over the Constitution in letter and spirit, time and again, it is the opposition party. He made a mention of the Congress' move to impeach the Chief Justice of India and said it is part of a trend to demonise and weaken every institution that seeks to maintain its individual identity and does not "kowtow to the dynasty", a reference to the Gandhi family. The BJP chief also cited the Congress' alleged attack on the CAG, Election Commission, the Army and the Supreme Court at different points of time and its imposition of the Emergency in 1975 to hit back. "Those who do not trust the Army, the judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, EVMs, the RBI are now saying democracy is in danger. India has a vibrant democracy and a vibrant Constitution. "The Congress' Save the Constitution' campaign is nothing but a farce that seeks to perpetuate the rule of dynasty over the rule of democracy. Like in the past, we need to protect the Constitution from the Congress," the BJP chief said. When Gandhi says the Congress made the Constitution, he is continuing his family legacy of humiliating Bhimrao Ambedkar, Amit Shah said. "By repeatedly saying the Congress made the Constitution, Rahul Gandhi is carrying forward his family tradition of insulting Dr Ambedkar. The Nehru-Gandhi family insulted him when he was alive and is humiliating him even more now. Shameful and petty," the BJP chief said. On April 20, the women priests allowed five men to go inside the temple for a day after heavy flooding of the nearby Satabhaya village necessitated the relocation of the deities. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) Odisha: For the first time in four centuries, men were allowed to touch the five idols in Ma Panchuburahi temple in Odishas Kendrapara district for a day on April 20. The temple is a no entry zone for men and only Dalit women have rights to perform the rituals and touch the deities. However, global warming and rising levels of the Bay of Bengal compelled the temple to break its tradition. On April 20, the women priests allowed five men to go inside the temple for a day after heavy flooding of the nearby Satabhaya village necessitated the relocation of the deities. The women priests were not able to move the five heavy idols carved in black stone, each reportedly weighing around 1.5 tonnes. A group of five men went into the inner rooms to remove the idols, said one of the women priests. The temple has been relocated to a new structurein Bagapatia, which is around 12 kilometres inland, and the priests have performed the 'purification' ritual. Unlike any other temple in the country, Ma Panchubarahi temple, which locals believe protects them from natural calamities, is looked after by five Dalit women priests. Only married Dalit women clean the temple and perform the daily puja, and there has been no exception in the last 400 years. The village of Satabhaya is one of the worst hit in Odisha in terms of water erosion. Over the past few decades, rising water levels have cause large parts of the village, including villagers houses and properties, to get submerged. District records show the area has been reduced from 350 sq km in 1930 to around 140 sq km now. (With ANI inputs) Hyderabad: A total of 14 steroid-based creams and ointments have been adjudged not to be sold without a prescription by the Director General of India, according to a notification by the Ministry of Health. Fairness creams that have steroids can no longer be sold over-the-counter by chemists. The fairness creams which contain chemicals like beclomethasone, betamethasone, desonide and desoximethasone, can now be bought only with a prescription. Other steroids too that are used to treat skin infections, fungal infections and other skin problems will no longer be available over-the-counter. These fourteen steroid-based creams are now under schedule H category, and amendments have been made to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. Over-the-counter sale of these creams is banned, according to the notification issued by the government. The notification states that normal face cleaners and moisturisers which do not have topical preparations can be sold over-the-counter. The Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists raised concerns over the misuse and abuse of steroid-based creams, which were leading to resistance in the treatment of fungal infections. These issues were raised on World Skin Day and the government was asked why they havent taken any action against the over-the-counter sale of these creams. According to a 2016 study, 82 per cent of the dermatological product sales in this country are of topical creams. The IADVL alleged that chemists recommend these products without proper guidance and hence it was important to make these products available through prescriptions only. A public interest litigation in the Delhi High Court by the IADVL has led to the government Act and put these drugs under schedule H category. Karnataka BJP chief BS Yedyurappa said, 'Our party's national president will decide whether I should contest or someone else. If I'm asked to contest, I'm ready. If he asks someone else to contest, they will contest'. (Photo: File) Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa on Sunday said he was ready to contest against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from Badami, if the party's national president Amit Shah asked him to do so. "Our party's national president will decide whether I should contest or someone else. If I'm asked to contest, I'm ready. If he asks someone else to contest, they will contest," Yeddyurappa told reporters in Chikkamagaluru. The former chief minister further said, "But it is certain that we will field a good candidate in Badami and defeat Siddaramaiah. BJP has already taken a decision in this regard." Badami in Bagalkote will be the second constituency from where Siddaramaiah will be contesting the May 12 Karnataka assembly polls, the other being Chamundeshwari in Mysuru. Ending suspense over contesting from a second constituency, the Chief Minister would file his nomination papers from Badami on April 24. Also Read: K'taka Assembly polls: Siddaramaiah to contest from 2 constituencies Meanwhile, amidst speculation that he would be fielded against Siddaramaiah from Badami, BJP MP B Sriramulu said he would abide by the party's decision. "... the party will decide about my contesting from Badami. We are disciplined soldiers of BJP... if the party asks me to contest from anywhere I will contest," he told reporters. Sriramulu has been fielded by the BJP from Molakalmuru constituency in Chitradurga district, and he has already filed his nomination from there. Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah, who has already filed his nominations from Chamundeshwari constituency, has maintained that he was under pressure from local party leaders in Bagalkote and Vijayapura districts to contest from Badami as it would benefit Congress' prospects in the region. To a question that Sriramulu was likely to be fielded by the BJP against him from Badami, he said "let them field anyone. I'm not worried about who the opponent is." "Elections are fought on ideologies not between persons. We are fighting against communalism, we are fighting communal forces and we want to defeat communal forces," he added. The Chief Minister also said that the people of Chamundeshwari have already decided to vote in his favour. The Congress in its list of candidates for 218 seats announced on April 15, had named Dr Devraj Patil as its nominee from Badami, but issuing of B-form (required to be filed by a political party mentioning name of its approved candidate) to Patil has been put on hold. On Sunday, in the second list released by the party, Siddaramaiah's name was announced replacing Patil. Badami with strong Kuruba presence, the community to which Siddaramaiah belongs, is seen as a safer option for the Chief Minister as reports have suggested that the battle in Chamundeshwari will not be an easy one for him. Siddaramaiah has won five times and tasted defeat twice at Chamundeshwari. He has been representing Varuna constituency in Mysuru since 2008, which has now been allotted to his son Dr Yatindra. 'I fear for my life, I have not given my statement to IG Prisons. I confirm that I have not spoken to anyone,' Mukerjea told the court. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: One of the prime accused in Sheena Bora murder case, Indrani Mukerjea on Monday told the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court that she fears for her life. "I fear for my life, I have not given my statement to IG Prisons. I confirm that I have not spoken to anyone," Mukerjea told the court. This statement from Indrani comes two weeks after she was hospitalised in JJ Hospital for an alleged drug overdose. Mukerjea has been lodged in Mumbai's Byculla jail for killing her daughter, Sheena Bora. 24-year-old Sheena was abducted and killed on April 24, 2012, allegedly over a financial dispute, and her body was disposed of in a forest in adjoining Raigad district. Indrani and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna were arrested in August 2015 along with her former driver Shyamvar Rai, while Indrani's present husband Peter Mukerjea was nabbed in November the same year. In a recent development on the case, Mukerjea's personal assistant Kajal Sharma on Wednesday deposed before the CBI court that she forged Sheena Bora's signature on her resignation letter after Indrani had told her that her daughter was in the United States and had no Internet there to submit the resignation. Sachin Sawant, a former deputy shakha pramukh of the Shiv Sena was shot dead in Kurars Gokul Nagar area, Malad, on Sunday evening by unknown persons. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) Mumbai: Sachin Sawant, a former deputy shakha pramukh of the Shiv Sena was shot dead in Kurars Gokul Nagar area, Malad, on Sunday evening by unknown persons. The unidentified shooters shot three rounds at Sawant and then fled from the spot on a two-wheeler. Sawant was rushed to the nearest civic-run hospital in Malad, where he was declared dead on arrival. The police has held one person for questioning. This is the third incident of a Sainik being shot dead. Earlier, on April 7, two Sena leaders Sanjay Kotkar (35) and Vasant Thube (40) were shot and stabbed to death in the Kedgaon area of Ahmednagar, followed by the brutal murder of Sena worker, Shailesh Nimse from Bhiwandi taluka on Thursday. Meanwhile, the initial probe into the murder of Nimse, who was set ablaze in Bhiwandi in a bid to prevent his identification, has revealed that there were two masked men seen escorting him to the location where his body was found on Friday morning. The police have not identified the masked accused yet and will be questioning the family to check if he received any death threats or had animosity with somebody. Shiv Sena's Shahapur sub-divisional head Shailesh Nimse had gone missing late on Thursday night from his residence after he stepped out of his house to attend a phone call. Hours later on Friday morning, his dead body was found in a partially burnt state at Devchola near Digha in Bhiwandi taluka. According to the sources in Ganeshpuri police station, they have laid hands on the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage of an area near Devchola, where two masked men were seen escorting Nimse from the seat adjacent to the driver. However the police did not obtain the footage of the exactly where he was found dead. The police have initiated a lookout for the two unidentified accused. The Ganeshpuri police have already registered a case against the unidentified persons under section 302 of the IPC. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj appreciated the way Indian films are becoming increasingly popular in neighbouring country China. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi/Beijing: Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on Monday urged the people of India and China to learn each other's language to strengthen ties between both the nations. Addressing a media briefing at 'Contribution of Hindi in the Friendship of India and China' event in Beijing, Swaraj asserted on the importance of understanding the language of both nations to overcome communication barriers. "The way our relations are strengthening today, it has become all the more important for Chinese students to learn Hindi and Indian students to learn Mandarin, so that you do not face language barriers when you go to India or they come down to China," she added. She also said, "Even two foreign ministers cannot make the friendship of our countries stronger, than the students of China, who love the Hindi language." The Union Minister appreciated the way Indian films are becoming increasingly popular in neighbouring country China. "Indian films are becoming increasingly popular in China. I was talking to Foreign Minister Wang Yi yesterday; he mentioned that Dangal, Secret Superstar and Hindi Medium are very popular here," she said. Swaraj has also assured 25 Hindi learning students in China that soon they will be visiting India. She further said, "A girl just said that it is her dream to visit India and she does not know when this dream will come true. Your dream will soon be true. I just asked the Indian ambassador to send 25 students out of all the Hindi learning students sitting here to India." On Sunday, she also said both New Delhi and Beijing have agreed to work together on the issues like terrorism, climate change, sustainable development and global healthcare. 'The front that will be formed specifically to come into power will not work. We will take a decision based on the policies on which the front would be formed,' Yechury further said. (Photo: File) Hyderabad: Re-elected CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Sunday that any non-BJP and non-Congress third front would not be successful if it was formed "with the sole aim of coming to power." Speaking at a public meeting in Hyderabad at the conclusion of the party's 22nd Congress, he said the third front should have a strong basis and policy under which it should be formed and would emerge only through public movements. He said the Telangana chief minister spoke with him some days ago, wanting to bring a Non-Congress and non-BJP front. "He asked my opinion. I said the third front exercise was done about 20 years ago in 1996. We formed a government under the leadership of Deve Gowda without the BJP and Congress." Yechury said the question now is what is the main expectation of the third front and on what policies would it be formed. "The front that will be formed specifically to come into power will not work. We will take a decision based on the policies on which the front would be formed," he said. Yechury said, "defeating religion-based politics and 'religious fanatics' was the prime objective." "We will decide what sort of strategy is to be followed during elections. They will not be defeated through mere poll alliances. We will have to strengthen public movements to defeat them," he said. Yechury alleged that the Modi government waived Rs 3 lakh crore worth of loans to 'big capitalists' like Nirav Modi. Yechury also alleged that "Many of the persons involved in atrocities against children and women belong to RSS and BJP and that the government had failed to act against such people." "There are no cases against them. On the contrary cases are filed against the victims. We have never faced such a state of affairs before this regime," he alleged. Accusing the BJP of vote-bank politics, Yechury said, "BJP is endangering the secular fabric of this country in the name of 'Gau Raksha'." "They dictate what we should eat and who should be our friends," he said. Describing Modi as "Duryodhana" and Amit Shah as "Dushyasana" of the epic Mahabharat, he claimed that the CPI(M) would defeat 'communal forces' through public movements. Yechury went on to allege that the Modi-led NDA government had failed on all fronts, including providing Minimum Support Price to farmers. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said development of the country was hampered due to the 'neo-liberal' policies of the present government. He claimed that permanent jobs in all sectors had vanished due to the 'hire and fire' policies followed by employers. Vijayan then highlighted some of the developmental measures being undertaken by his government in Kerala. Speaking at the event, former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said, "only the Left party can provide an alternative to the Congress and the BJP. "BJP cannot be the alternative of Congress, and Congress cannot be the alternative to the BJP. They are two sides of the same coin. Only the Left and democratic forces can provide that alternative. That situation will emerge through movements only," he said. New Delhi: Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the Congress-led opposition parties' notice to impeach Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra citing lack of substantial merit in it. Seven opposition parties led by the Congress had last week moved a notice before him for impeachment of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on five grounds of "misbehaviour". Naidu said in an order on Sunday that he had detailed personal conversation on all the aspects arising from the notice and had considered each of the allegations made in it individually as well as collectively. "Based on all this, I have come to the conclusion that this motion does not deserve to be admitted...On careful analysis and reflection, I find there is virtually no concrete verifiable imputation. "We cannot allow any of our pillars of governance to be weakened by any thought, word or action," he said. The Rajya Sabha chairman said that after having perused annexures to the motion, detailed consultations and studied opinions of constitutional experts, he was "satisfied that admission of this Notice of Motion is neither desirable nor proper". "In passing, I am constrained to observe that in this matter, the well established parliamentary customs and conventions as have been delineated in para 2.2 of the Handbook for Members of Rajya Sabha have been disregarded," Naidu said. "I have considered the material contained in the Notice of Motion and reflected upon the inputs received in my interaction with legal luminaries and constitutional experts, I am of the firm opinion that the Notice of Motion does not deserve to be admitted. I refuse to admit the Notice of Motion," he said. The sources said that Vice President Naidu met the experts after re-scheduling his travel plans considering the seriousness of the matter. The Congress is likely to move the Supreme Court against the order of the Rajya Sabha chairman in the matter, party sources said. Reacting to the development, Congress leader PL Punia said, "This is a really important matter. We don't know what was the reason for the rejection. Congress and other opposition parties will talk to some legal experts & take the next step." This is the first time ever that an impeachment notice has been filed against a sitting CJI. Naidu spoke to former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash Kashyap, ex-law secretary PK Malhotra and former legislative secretary Sanjay Singh on the issue, officials had said on Sunday. He also held deliberations with senior officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, they said, adding that Naidu also spoke to former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy. The officials said the vice president also spoke to the attorney general on the issue. Naidu continued with the deliberations till late last evening and spoke to K Parasaran, who was the attorney general during the Congress governments led by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and was also a member to the Upper House nominated by the party. Leaders of the opposition parties last week met Naidu and handed over the notice of impeachment against the chief justice of India (CJI) bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired. They include MPs from the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Muslim League. Read: Opposition moves to impeach Chief Justice, Congress confident of numbers The opposition parties, led by the Congress, initiated the unprecedented step to impeach the CJI by moving the notice levelling charges against him. The parties had briefed the media after handing over the notice to the Upper House chairman. While reviewing the notice, the Rajya Sabha officials had mentioned that making public the contents of a notice before it is admitted by the chair is in violation of parliamentary rules. Also Read: Opposition jumps gun on impeachment (With PTI inputs) Chennai: In an incident that lays bare the lax security arrangements in bank branches in the city, especially public sector banks, a man wearing a helmet robbed the Indian Bank branch in Adyar in broad daylight on Monday. He would have got away too if not a road mishap as, in an obvious hurry when he fled, he bumped into traffic at the nearby signal. According to police sources, a man, who concealed his face by wearing a helmet had entered the bank in Indira Nagar during the lunch hour at 1 pm and went straight into manager Mohammed Ashrafs room. The man took two country-made pistols out of his trousers and threatened the manager and customers. He went to the cashier and took Rs 6.36 lakh and fled unchallenged, the police said. Only around six customers were inside the bank as the man had entered during the start of the lunch hour. After the successful heist, the robber had come out and hopped on his two-wheeler that he had parked just outside the branch and rode away. In his frantic hurry to flee the area, he crashed into a two-wheeler and a car at the traffic signal located only a few metres away from the bank. Due to the impact of the mishap, one of the guns in his possession fired accidentally and created panic among motorists. Traffic Inspector Joseph, who was conducting a traffic awareness camp at the signal, subdued the robber with the help of public and other traffic policemen and informed the Adyar police, the sources said. During interrogation, the robber had reportedly identified himself as Manish Kumar Yadav (22) of Bihar, staying in Kelambakkam near the city. Police seized two country-made pistols and the stolen cash from him. The police have registered a case and are investigating a possible conspiracy. The police, however, discredited onlookers version of Manish Kumar talking to somebody over the phone using a bluetooth device during the entire heist. No such device was found during interrogation. We are investigating the case to find any possible plot, a police officer said. Meanwhile, bank customers who witnessed the robbery said security personnel were not present at the time. Usually there will be a security guard in the bank, but during the robbery, the guard had not been present, one of the customers said. The robber pointed the gun at us and asked us to move to a corner. After he was handed over the money, he fled, Poongavanam, a customer who was inside the bank when the heist took place, said. Second bank robbery in one month The gunpoint robbery in Indian Bank, Adyar, is second such incident in a month, in which public sector banks were robbed in the city. Although the March 26 heist at Virugambakkam IOB was not as cinematic as Monday robbery, the amount of robbed property during the IOB heist was nearly Rs 1 crore. On March 26 night, the Nepal-based security guard Sabilal and his accomplices had successfully weld opened the lockers of the bank and fled with gold and cash. The police have arrested two persons in Bengaluru and yet to extradite masterminds of the crime, Sabilal and others from Nepal. The railways in a letter to the state government had said it was prepared to invite tenders for the constructing of the workshop once the land was handed over. Hyderabad: The construction of Periodical Overhauling (POH) workshop for the railways at Kazipet has not happened even two years after the proposal was approved. The Centre had allotted Rs 200 crore in the current financial year. The railways in a letter to the state government had said it was prepared to invite tenders for the constructing of the workshop once the land was handed over. The Centre had sanctioned the POH workshop at Kazipet in 2016-17 at a cost of Rs 269.78 crore. Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) was to be the executing agency and it was waiting for the land to be handed over. According to the schedule, construction was to be completed by March 2019. The state government had allotted 160 acres to be given free of cost to the railways. But some farmers filed court cases against this land allotment. Unless these cases were cleared, the railways could not take up construction. It sought settlement of the cases by district authorities. Funds were not an issue since the railway ministry had allotted Rs 200 crore in the budget for the project. Recently, TRS MPs discussed this project with South Central railway officials and requested them to take up the project at the earliest. The NIA special court found only the evidences and records pertaining to the blast the mosque put forth by the investigation agencies as convincing. Hyderabad: The investigation agencies which probed the Mecca Masjid blast were only successful in convincing the court about a blast occurring at the historic mosque and death of nine persons and injuries to 58 others due to it. In its 140 page judgement put in public domain after some corrections, the NIA special court found only the evidences and records pertaining to the blast at the mosque put forth by the investigation agencies as convincing. The investigation agencies including the State police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and later on, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), had probed the blast case since May 2008. About 24 exhibits were submitted to the court, which included cloth pieces, remnants of improvised explosive devices like battery, metallic cylinders, polythene cover and a rexine bag on which the RDX and TNT particles were found. The court observed that the evidence goes to prove a fact that on May 18, 2007 at 1.20 p.m, the incident of bomb blast occurred at Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad, resulting in death of nine persons and injuring 58 persons. This point is answered accordingly in favour of the prosecution. The court divided the entire case into 13 points and took up each point for discussion during the course of the trial. In all, the only points the court was satisfied on the argument that a bomb blast occurred. New Delhi / Hyderabad: Indias preeminent jurist Soli Sorabjee hailed Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidus decision rejecting the impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra submitted by seven political parties on Monday, saying that Mr Naidu has rightly applied his mind and took this decision after consulting experts. Eminent jurist Fali S. Nariman too sided with him, saying the issues raised in the impeachment notice were not of sufficient gravity and rightly rejected by Venkaiah Naidu. Mr Nariman said the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha was the only statutory authority to take the decision on the notice. He pointed out faults in the impeachment notice, saying, it has to have something that is far more important than just saying he did not do this or that. This order, however, can be challenged in court, he said. Legal experts says the question of examination charges on merit would arise only after Constitution of the three men committee in accordance with the Constitution and as per the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 and the Judges (Inquiry) Rules, 1969. K.T. Tulsi, senior advocate of the Supreme Court and member of the Rajya Sabha opined that the Vice President, as ex-officio Chairman of the Upper House, has to only consider whether the motion is valid or not at this stage. Prashanth Bhushan, senior lawyer, Supreme Court, said, The Vice-President has no power to say that charges are not made out. That is for an inquiry committee of three judges. He only has to see if it is signed by 50 MPs and, possibly, if charges are of misbehaviour. Senior advocate Ashok Bhan argued that the Vice President ought not to have rejected the motion at the initial stage. The only thing the VP can look into at the admission stage is whether those signed are MPs and there are adequate numbers for the motion and process it. He cannot go into the merits of the allegations, as it is not his domain, as it should be established only after a proper enquiry. Experts differ with Venkaiah decision Legal experts say the question of examination of charges on merit would arise only after constitution of the committee in accordance with the law. K.T. Tulsi, senior advocate of the Supreme Court and member of the Rajya Sabha opined that the vice- president, as ex-officio Chairman of the Upper House, has to only consider whether the motion is valid or not at this stage. Prashant Bhushan, senior lawyer, said the vice-president has no power to say that charges are not made out. That is for an inquiry committee of three judges. He only has to see if it is signed by 50 MPs and, possibly, if charges are of misbehaviour. Hyderabad: Sewerage water from apartments and colleges that have drained into Meedhikunta Lake is posing a health hazard to the residents of Matrusri Nagar at Miyapur. The demand for preventing pollution of water bodies by sewage inflow has increased. But the civic body has been acting slowly despite numerous representations given to the officials concerned. MeedhiKunta Lake is the main lake for the societies, especially because there are bore wells in the area. Surrounding apartments dispose sewerage into the lake polluting it and also the ground water. An activist and resident Vinay Vangala said: It is the key lake for our area and there is an immediate need to protect it. The bore wells are being polluted by sewerage from surrounding colonies such as SMR Vinay Fountainhead, Sri Chaitanya College among others. We gave a representation in March, for beautification, to construct fencing and install CCTV camera but no progress was seen as yet. Due to this, we are facing mosquito menace and ground water is also getting polluted. At times, we are getting the polluted water. Chandanagar deputy commissioner T. Venkanna said: A separate line has been sanctioned for the diversion of sewerage of Hafeezpet division and the activity is in progress. The process is on to ensure that the sewerage water doesnt flow from Chandanagar division. The Meedhikunta Lake is about 15.5 acres wide. However, residents allege that the Full Tank Level (FTL) is being disturbed by surrounding builders and a fencing needs to be constructed immediately. We have an area where all this drainage can be dumped as an alternative. If it is encroached, then we wont have that place and the lake cannot be saved, they said. When the FTL issue was raised, the GHMC officials admitted there is certainly inter-departmental communication gap, especially with the irrigation team. In the limits that we have inspected, there are no enc-roachments and we are not giving permissions. There might be land disputes within FTL, but no constructions are happening. If we are made aware of any encroachments, action will be taken, he said. 1. Yes. There should be absolute certainty that the election was free and fair. 2. Yes. The audit could and should lead to stronger laws governing elections in the state. 3. No. Former President Trump wants the audit to further cast doubt on the 2020 vote. 4. No. Its a waste of money, an attempt by Abbott to gain favor among Trump backers. 5. Unsure. It seems unnecessary but it may provide some worthwhile findings. Vote View Results New Delhi: In a detailed order, the Vice-President said he had a detailed conversation on all the aspects arising from the notice. Based on all this, I have come to the conclusion that this motion does not deserve to be admitted...On careful analysis and reflection, I find there is virtually no concrete verifiable imputation. We cannot allow any of our pillars of governance to be weakened by any thought, word or action, he said, adding, In the absence of credible and verifiable information placed before me which gives an indication of misbehavior or incapacity, it would be inappropriate and irresponsible act to accept statement which have (sic) little imperial basis, he said. Mr Naidu further said that he was satisfied that admission of this notice of motion was neither desirable nor proper. Turning to the Rajya Sabha handbook to reject the impeachment motion, he said: In passing, I am constrained to observe that in this matter, the well-established parliamentary customs and conventions as have been delineated in para 2.2 of the Handbook for Members of Rajya Sabha, have been disregarded. However, the decision to go to court seemed to be the Congress alone. Other parties who had signed the motion, including Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party remained largely non-committal. Mysuru: The Congress battle for for Mandya may prove a bit tough this time as actor politician Mr Ambarish who was said to be in Mysuru in a hotel on Sunday, has left for Bengaluru without meeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his residence. CM Siddaramaiah too, who reportedly waited for him at his residence for long, left for HD Kote for a campaign rally later on Sunday. Meanwhile Mr Ambarishs friend and the owner of a private hotel where he reportedly stayed, told media persons, Ambarish who arrived at my hotel in the wee hours of Sunday morning, had lunch here and left. He told me that he would not contest elections this time due to health reasons. And he would make it clear with an official statement on this by Monday evening. He has also said that he would not seek tickets for any one as the responsibility of ensuring their victory will then be on him. And he also said that he would not campaign for anybody, he said. On the other hand, supporters of Ambarish from Mandya who had gathered near the hotel to urge him to contest from Mandya, left disappointed on knowing that he had left the hotel. Meanwhile Mr Ambarishs close aide, Mr Amaravathi Chandrashekar told mediapersons, Ambarish anna will contest, else I will contest. It is most likely that Ambarish anna will contest and he will win and Siddaramaiah will become CM again. We will meet CM Siddaramaiah wherever he is, he said. Chennai: arnatakas belligerent stand may impede the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board. Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping, Pon Radhakrishnan goes abeyond the CMB issue in claiming that Tamil Nadu will not get a drop of water so long as Congress rules in neighbouring Karnataka. The continuation of the government led by Siddaramaiah is harmful to both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. This is against the interest of both the States, the Minister said before leaving for Karnataka for campaigning in the elections there, on Sunday. Condemning the Karnataka CM for declining to provide Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, he said this was against the interests of both the States. On the setting up of CMB, he exuded confidence that the Narendra Modi led BJP government would not work against the interest of Tamil Nadu. When persisted if the Centre would render justice to TN, as it has gone to the Supreme Court seeking clarification on the word scheme, Mr. Radhakrishnan replied, I have already reacted to this. I would only say that the decision taken on the issue would be favourable to Tamil Nadu. Later, Mr. Radhakrishnan who attended an election review meeting with BJP Karnataka Karyakarthas at Pavagada constituency, introduced Pavagada BJP candidate Balram to the karyakarthas. The Minister welcomed president of India Ram Nath Kovind signing ordinance to provide harsh punishment including death penalty for child rapists and said, It is a good move and it will go a long way in bringing down crimes against the young ones. On the Union government putting in place a number of measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases, he tweeted thanking our beloved PM Shri Narendra Modiji for this historic step taken to curb child abuse. Bengaluru: Gandhi scion Priyanka Vadra is likely to campaign for Congress in Chikkamagaluru district next week. Sources in the chief minister's office told Deccan Chronicle that as of now, Priyanka has agreed to campaign in Chikkamagaluru district, from where her grandmother Mrs Indira Gandhi won the Lok Sabha seat in 1978 and came back to power. More than the election campaigning, it will be a nostalgic trip for Priyanka, they said. She is likely to visit Chikkamagaluru after her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhis third round of electioneering next week, they said. Hyderabad: The election for the position of the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, which is likely to be a close contest between the NDA led by the BJP and the UPA led by the Congress, will force the hand of three major Telugu regional parties, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), the Telugu Desam (TD) and the YSR Congress (YSRC) into revealing which of the two national coalitions they would eventually side with. However, since neither the BJP nor the Congress have a majority, they have started the exercise of consulting other parties to get their support. The BJP leaders had discussions with the AIADMK leadership seeking their support. In the two Telugu states, the issue becomes interesting as all the parties the TRS, TD and YSRC are opposing both BJP and the Congress in public. Between them, the three Telugu parties have 14 of the 18 members in the Rajya Sabha (TRS: 6, TD: 6, YSRC: 2), where the Congress has 3 and BJP a lone member. The BJP, after losing the TD and Shiv Sena as allies of the NDA in recent months, is trying to get some new friends. The BJP national leadership may ask TRS and YSRC for their support in these elections and set a precursor to the 2019 elections. The TRS chief and Chief Minister of Telangana, K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) has expressed his interest in floating a new front, which would be both anti-BJP and anti-Congress. He recently met and discussed the federal front with Trinamul Congress chief and Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, who, however, is likely to support the UPA candidate in the elections for the Deputy Chairman of the RS. Mr Rao is unlikely to support the UPA candidate hea-ded by the Congress because it is his principal rival in his state. But whether he would support the NDA candidate headed by the BJP is yet to be known. Senior TRS leaders say the party leader would take a decision at the time of election. For the TD in Andhra Pradesh, Congress is main political enemy and owes its genesis to anti-Congressism. However, after the bifurcation of AP, the Congress has lost its relevance and ceases to be a force in any sense, and therefore poses no threat to the Telugu Desam. There are speculations in political circles that the meeting of Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan with AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday at Vijayawada was reconcile the two parties and bring back the TD to the BJP camp. Sources revealed that Naidu told the Governor that the Central government should grant special category status to AP and implement all assurances given to the state at the time of bifurcation before any reconciliation is possible. The Gover-nor reportedly advised Naidu that it is not in the best interests of the people to go against the Centre. There are speculations that the YSRC has a secret pact with the BJP, though they deny it in public. The three Telugu parties will not likely reveal their decision till the time of the election, but it has created great interest in political circles because the decision would likely indicate the direction for 2019 elections. AmazonFresh, which launched more than a decade ago in the US market, is the companys flagship fresh grocery delivery service. Amazon expects groceries and household products to account for over half of its business in India in the next five years, as it moves to broaden offerings in the segment and foray into areas such as fresh produce. Amit Agarwal, the India head of Amazon, said in an interview that groceries and goods such as creams, soaps and cleaning products, were already the largest product category on Amazon in terms of number of units sold in India. I would not speculate on when we would launch AmazonFresh but, absolutely, if you ask me the next five years of vision - from your avocados to your potatoes, and your meat to your ice cream - well deliver everything to you in two hours, he said. AmazonFresh, which launched more than a decade ago in the US market, is the companys flagship fresh grocery delivery service. In India, Amazon currently offers some groceries via a service named Pantry. It has also tied up with local vendors in four cities for Amazon Now, which promises two-hour deliveries. Probably in the next five years groceries and consumables would be more than half of our business, he told Reuters. Agarwal said Amazon had already started experimenting with a few fresh groceries in India, already home to its largest active customer base outside of the United States. Indias e-commerce market is tipped to grow to $200 billion in a decade, according to Morgan Stanley, as cheap mobile data makes online shopping increasingly accessible. And Amazon, which already has over 100 million registered users in India, is looking to cash-in on the opportunity. We want to get the next hundred million customers shopping with us, said Agarwal, adding that Amazon plans to woo new clients with product exchange and staggered payment offerings. Huge Opportunity: With almost 500 million Indians using the Internet in 2018, India, Asias No. 3 economy, is a huge e-commerce battleground. Retail giant Walmart is inching closer to here buying a controlling stake into home-grown e-commerce player Flipkart, which is already backed by big-name investors like SoftBank, Tencent and Microsoft. I feel extremely excited that e-commerce is attracting so much funding, Agarwal said. Otherwise, wed have been wrong in going about it in such as big way. Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos told shareholders in a letter last week that Amazon India is the fastest growing marketplace in the country. He said Amazon added more members to its Prime loyalty programme in India in its first year than any previous geography in Amazon's history. Still, profitability in India is years away for Amazon, admits Agarwal, as logistics, payments and other infrastructure needed to address the long-term opportunity are still being built. He said the $5 billion Bezos had committed here to investing in India was just a signal of intent, and the company was ready to invest significantly more to achieve its goals. Our ambition is so big it would be futile for us to think about anything other than to ensure we keep investing to bring the next 100 million customers online, Agarwal said. 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. Googles UK operation and Facebook said they were committed to protecting children and working on new features to help. Britains health minister Jeremy Hunt threatened to impose new regulations on social media firms unless they do more to protect young people using their services. Hunt said the groups were turning a blind eye to the effect social media had on childrens well-being - an accusation that comes as Facebook and others face heightened scrutiny worldwide over their impact and influence. Googles UK operation and Facebook said they were committed to protecting children and working on new features to help. There was no immediate comment from Twitter, Snapchat and other firms. Hunt did not say what kind of regulations the government could impose but gave the companies an end-of-April deadline to come up with measures to tackle cyberbullying and control the number of time youngsters spent online. I am concerned that your companies seem content with a situation where thousands of users breach your own terms and conditions on the minimum user age, Hunt said in a letter sent to tech firms. I fear that you are collectively turning a blind eye to a whole generation of children being exposed to the harmful emotional side effects of social media prematurely. In an article in the Sunday Times newspaper, Hunt said there had been a few welcome moves to improve childrens online protection, but that the overall response had been extremely limited and that a voluntary approach might not be enough. An industry that boasts some of the brightest minds and biggest budgets should have been able to rise to the challenge, he added. Hunts comments came alongside the announcement of a government review of the impact that sites like Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat have on childrens mental health. Britain has clashed with internet companies on several fronts in recent years over payment of taxes, action against the spread of fake news and extremist material, and their use of personal data. We welcome the Health Secretarys continued engagement on this important issue and we share his ambition to create a safe and supportive environment for young people online, said Karim Palant, Facebook UK Public Policy Manager. Google UKs Public Policy Manager, Katie ODonovan, said the company had introduced features to help parents set screen time limits and launched an online safety course for children. Along with all parents, we understand the challenge of helping children make the most of the internet in a safe and responsible way, she added. 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. In order to pass spam filters, the spammers used forged email headers to make them look as they came from users via a Canadian telecommunications company called Telus. Google's Gmail client is already equipped with a quite decent filtering service of spam emails. But, recent complains from Google Help community forum suggests that users have been receiving several numbers of spam messages from themselves. Reports by Mashable and other users in the forum implied that they have been receiving spam messages even after enabling the secured two-factor authentication and updating their current passwords. "My email account has sent out 3 spam emails in the past hour to a list of about 10 addresses that I dont recognise," a user complained in the Google Help Forum. "I changed my password immediately after the first one, but then it happened again 2 more times." "The subject of the emails is weight loss and growth supplements for men advertisements," read the same Google Help Forum post. "I have reported them as spam. Please help, what else can I do to ensure my account isnt compromised??" In order to pass spam filters, the spammers used forged email headers to make them look as they came from users via a Canadian telecommunications company called Telus. As the messages seemed to be receiving from the same user, Gmail had pushed them to affected users' sent folders. A Google's spokesperson has issued a statement to Mashable stating, "We are aware of a spam campaign impacting a small subset of Gmail users and have actively taken measures to protect against it. This attempt involved forged email headers that made it appear as if users were receiving emails from themselves, which also led to those messages erroneously appearing in the Sent folder. We have identified and are reclassifying all offending emails as spam, and have no reason to believe any accounts were compromised as part of this incident. If you happen to notice a suspicious email, we encourage you to report it as spam. More information on how to report spam can be found by visiting our Help Center." Telus had also identified these spam emails and said they were aware of the issue. The company said they were working with third-party vendors to solve the issue. 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. The US Commerce Department has granted a request from ZTE to submit more evidence after the agency imposed the ban, a senior Commerce official said. Chinas ZTE is seeking a resolution to a US ban on selling it parts and software that it has said threatens its survival. ZTE has learnt from its past experiences on export control compliance and attaches significant importance to the work on export control compliance, the mobile phone and telecoms company said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. ZTE is making active communications with relevant parties and seeking a solution to the US export denial order, it added in the statement. US authorities last week banned American companies from sales to ZTE for seven years, saying the Chinese company had broken a settlement agreement with repeated false statements - a move that threatens to cut off ZTEs supply chain. The action was sparked by ZTEs violation of an agreement that was reached after it was caught illegally shipping US goods to Iran. ZTE said it had set up a compliance management committee led by its chief executive officer. It also said it had invested in export control compliance, provided compliance training to staff and cooperated with the work of independent compliance monitors, the company added. The US Commerce Department has granted a request from ZTE to submit more evidence after the agency imposed the ban, a senior Commerce official said. 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. Toronto police investigates an incident where an van struck multiple people at a major intersection. (Reuters) Toronto: A driver plowed his white Ryder rental van into a crowd, killing 10 people and injuring 16 on a busy Toronto sidewalk. Toronto Deputy Chief Peter Yuen announced the casualties at a news conference. He said the driver was in custody. The incident occurred just before 1:30 p.m. (1730 GMT) as large crowds of office workers were on lunch breaks. At least one witness described the driver as appearing to deliberately target victims on his roughly mile-long (1.6 km-long) rampage. A Reuters witness saw at least two tarp-covered bodies at the site of the incident. Five people remained in critical condition at Sunnybrook Health Services Centre on Monday afternoon, the hospital said. It was not immediately clear if the incident was a deliberate act by the driver or a traffic mishap in a mixed commercial and residential area. Canadas public safety minister, Ralph Goodale, declined to comment on what may have motivated the attack. The investigation is at a stage where no further information can be confirmed at this point, Goodale told a news conference said. The police are conducting obviously their thorough investigation to determine what happened and why it happened, the motivations involved. Ryder System Inc (R.N) spokeswoman Claudia Panfil confirmed that one of the companys rental vehicles had been involved in the incident and said the company was cooperating with authorities. There have been a string of deadly vehicle attacks in the United States and Europe, including an Oct. 31 attack in New York that killed eight. Islamic State militant group encourages its supporters to use vehicles for attacks. Toronto is hosting a Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting about 30 kms (18 miles) away from the scene of Mondays deaths. The crash occurred at the corner of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue in the north end of the city, said Toronto Police spokeswoman Meaghan Gray. A man who gave his name as Ali told CNN he saw the van and that the driver appeared to have been targeting people. This person was intentionally doing this, he was killing everybody, the man said. He kept going, he kept going. People were getting hit, one after another. He said a number of the victims were older people and at one point he saw a stroller fly into the air. At least one person was struck outside on the sidewalk outside an Anglican church, north of where the van came to rest in front of a currency exchange in a condominium tower. Yonge Street is large, divided boulevard at the point where the incident occurred, its center meridian dotted with planter boxes and sculptures. Some of the victims were struck in a public square popular with office workers on lunch breaks. Aerial photos of the scene posted on social media showed a food truck parked just a few feet away from where emergency workers busily transferred people onto stretchers. There was no noticeable change in security around the Intercontinental Hotel where the ministers of Canada, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan were meeting on Monday. A general view of the south fence of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Tens of thousands of Chinese tourists are believed to visit North Korea every year, with many crossing via train through the Chinese border city of Dandong. (Photo: AFP | representational) Beijing: A road accident in North Korea has caused heavy casualties among Chinese tourists, the foreign ministry in Beijing said on Monday. The ministry provided few details but Chinas state broadcaster CGTN earlier tweeted that more than 30 people died when a tour bus fell from a bridge in North Korea. The tweet was later deleted. China was informed that the accident occurred Sunday night, and its embassy personnel in Pyongyang rushed to the scene and are working to manage the situation, the foreign ministry statement said. The vast majority of foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese, with the Cold War-era allies sharing a long land border and operating flights between the two countries. Western visitors to the North once averaged around 5,000 a year, but numbers have been hit recently by a US travel ban -- Americans accounted for around 20 per cent of the market -- and official warnings from other countries. Tens of thousands of Chinese tourists are believed to visit the North every year, with many crossing via train through the Chinese border city of Dandong. Chinese tourism to the North has continued even though Beijing has enforced a slew of United Nations sanctions over Pyongyangs nuclear weapons programme. The Sunday accident occurred in the North Hwanghae Province, the foreign ministry said. The province lies south of the capital and stretches to the border with the South, including the city of Kaesong, where a manufacturing complex was once operated with South Korea. The tour group was travelling by bus from Kaesong to Pyongyang when the accident happened, according to the independent Seoul-based website NK News, which cited an unnamed source. Bad roads North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac. Bridges are sometimes out of commission, requiring rivers to be forded or vehicles to take detours. But the route from Pyongyang to Kaesong, where the accident reportedly happened, is one of the best in the country. It runs north-south from Sinuiju on the Chinese border to the Demilitarized Zone on the border with the South, but nonetheless has little traffic, like all North Korean highways. Tank traps have been installed along it in many locations towards the frontier -- sets of high concrete columns on either side of the road that can easily be blown up to create an obstruction for invading armour. Chinas foreign ministry said it was still verifying details of the situation. The ministry said it activated an emergency mechanism Sunday night and is sparing no efforts to handle the situation, the statement said. Neither 28-year-old Abdeslam -- who is being held in jail in France pending a separate trial over the 2015 Paris attacks in which 130 people died -- nor Ayari, 24, were in court for the verdict. (Photo: AFP) Brussels: A Belgian court on Monday found Salah Abdeslam, the last surviving suspect in the Paris attacks, guilty of terrorism-related attempted murder over a shootout with police in Brussels days before his capture in 2016, and sentenced him to 20 years in jail. In its judgment, the court in the Belgian capital said there can be no doubt about jihadist Salah Abdeslam and his co-defendant Sofiane Ayaris involvement in extremism. Prosecutors had asked for 20-year jail terms for both. Neither 28-year-old Abdeslam -- who is being held in jail in France pending a separate trial over the 2015 Paris attacks in which 130 people died -- nor Ayari, 24, were in court for the verdict. Four police officers were wounded in the gun battle after police acting on a tip-off over the Paris attacks raided a flat in the Forest area of Brussels on March 15, 2016. Abdeslam, a Belgian-born French national, was arrested three days later in the largely immigrant Molenbeek area of the Belgian capital, near his family home. On March 22 suicide bombers from a cell linked to the Paris attacks killed 32 people and wounded hundreds more at Brussels airport and a metro station in the Belgian capital. The judgment said Abdeslam had written a document addressed to his mother saying that Allah guided me and chose me among his servants to open his path. It is for that reason that I had to fight the enemies of Allah with all my strength. He added that his brother Brahim, who blew himself up during the Paris attacks, did not commit suicide -- he is a hero of Islam. The judgment on Monday said that 34 shots in total were fired during the shootout. Belgian police mounted tight security around the imposing Palace of Justice building in Brussels for the verdict. Trust in Allah Abdeslam has spent most of the last two years in jail in France. He was transported to the court from France for the first day of the trial amid tight security including a helicopter escort, while Tunisian national Ayari, 24, is in jail in Belgium. On the first day of the trial, Abdeslam proclaimed that he would only put his trust in Allah and accused the court of being biased against Muslims. He then refused to attend the rest of the proceedings. Investigators say Abdeslams arrest spurred the Brussels bombers to bring forward the 2016 attacks, which had originally been planned for a later date, as they feared they could be captured. Prosecutors have said that DNA links Abdeslam to the apartment in the Forest district of Brussels where the shooting took place, but not to the weapons that were used. After Abdeslam refused to return to court for the trial in February, his lawyer Sven Mary sought the cases dismissal on a technicality over how the judges were named to investigate the gun battle, and said media leaks had denied him a fair trial. But lawyers for police wounded in the gun battle accused Abdeslam of mocking the trial. One of the injured police officers was still suffering from after-effects including brain lesions, epileptic fits and vision and balance problems. An organisation representing victims of the Brussels attacks and their families has asked for symbolic damages of one euro from the trial. The Belgian trial is a prelude to a bigger one that Abdeslam will face in France at a later date over the Paris attacks of November 13, 2015, which were claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. Hong Kong: Leading Chinese firms including e-commerce giant Alibaba were heavily criticised on Monday for gender discrimination in job adverts in a new report which said the landscape for the female workforce in China was deteriorating. The report by campaign group Human Rights Watch, entitled Only Men Need Apply: Gender Discrimination in Job Advertisements in China, details a host of offences by private companies and public bodies, from issuing men only job ads to requests for women applicants to be trim and aesthetically pleasing. The adverts reflect traditional and deeply discriminatory views that women are less capable than men and that they will not be committed to their jobs because of their role as family caregivers, it said. According to the report, discrimination in hiring practices is contributing to a drop in the female workforce and a widening gender pay gap. Although such discrimination is illegal in China, rules are unclear and rarely enforced, it added. Tech behemoths Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu had all published job ads that openly stated a preference for male applicants, the report said. Alibaba was also accused of repeatedly using the lure of attractive female co-workers in its recruitment campaigns, describing them as Ali beauties and goddesses on social media. Speaking at the launch of the report in Hong Kong, Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth said company chief executive offocers must take the lead to recerse the trend. Apartment residents on Sunday raised several issues with representatives of the three major parties in view of the upcoming elections. Bengaluru Development Minister K J George, Malleswaram MLA C N Ashwath Narayan and JD(S) spokesperson Tanveer Ahmed had to fend off questions raised by 500-strong audience at a political debate organised by the Bangalore Apartments Federation. Srikanth Narasimhan, General Secretary of Bangalore Apartment Federation, said the event had two aims one, making the political class aware of the issues faced by the apartment residents, and the other, making the votes of every resident count during the election. He said apartment residents were angry over the discriminatory tariffs on water, electricity as well as the shoddy services provided by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Boards (BWSSB). The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) collects solid waste management and other taxes even though garbage is not collected from these places. Despite several requests, apartment residents are treated as bulk users and forced to pay commercial tariffs. We want this discrimination to end, he said. Responding to a question during the event, George said that waste management was a challenge and the solution might be in the plants that convert waste to energy or manure. In the coming years, the demand for power will also rise. We expect that there will be a demand for both dry and wet waste, reducing the dumping of garbage, he said. Both Ashwath Narayan and Tanveer Ahmed said they would take up the issue if their parties come to power. Apartment residents, who have complained about being ignored by political leaders, also said that they were being harassed for mistakes committed by the builders. The BAF also presented a memorandum that listed a range of demands from the removal of discriminatory tariffs to the provision of basic amenities and the implementation of undiluted RERA Act to protect the apartment buyers. The Rs 3-trillion mega refinery project at Nanar in coastal Konkan belt has snowballed into a major political issue with Industries Minister Subhash Desai of the Shiv Sena announcing that the notification for land acquisition stands cancelled. Even as the Shiv Sena dared the BJP with such an announcement, Opposition parties the Congress and the NCP lashed out at the saffron alliance government headed by Devendra Fadnavis. Hours after Desai's comments in presence of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray in Ratnagiri district's Nanar, a rattled Fadnavis said it was beyond the jurisdiction of the minister. "Whatever the minister (Desai) has said is in his personal capacity. The governement would take decision based on whatever is best in the interests of Konkan region and Maharashtra," he said, adding that there is a high-powered committee which would take a final decision. "No such proposal (to cancel the notification) has come before the committee," the chief minister said. "Today, I wish to make an announcement with Uddhavjis permission. The notification to acquire land for Nanar project has been cancelled," Desai had said. Thackeray also lashed out at the Narendra Modi-led NDA government and Union Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Thackeray pointed out that BJP legislator Ashish Deshmukh from Katol (Nagpur) has demanded that the project be set up in Vidarbha claiming that it would bring in development there. "Please take it to Nagpur....Vidarbha. We would like Vidarbha to be developed. Instead of taking it to Gujarat, it should be taken to Vidarbha," Thackeray said in a veiled attack on Fadnavis, who hails from Nagpur. "Local population has objections to the project. Pradhan has made a deal with Saudi Arabia (Saudi Aramco) and the chief minister's assurance (of being with the locals) went into dustbin," he said. Even before the project was announced, how did Gujaratis or Marwaris and others buy land here? From where did farmers like Shahs, Modis came....Gujrathis and Marwaris have purchased land here," he said. "They (Sena) want to be in the government and eat the fruits and they protest also," Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil of the Congress said. "Both Shiv Sena and BJP are fooling the people of the Konkan region. When there is no decision in the Cabinet, how can a minister announce," Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde of the NCP said. Anthropogenic climate change is impacting all aspects of human life. The current capability of human-designed systems and processes to deal with the impacts of climate change is no match for the scale and spontaneity at which such impacts are experienced. The 2013 event of unseasonal rain leading to devastating flash floods in the Kedar valley in Uttarakhand is a grim reminder of the limits to human capability, and helplessness. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), such climatic events in the future are projected to be more severe. There is an urgent need to initiate the measures that can quickly build and match natures proportions in dealing with the impacts of climate change. Currently, no man-made systems of such proportion or capability exist. However, if we care, we can revert to the nature for solutions. In our bodies, and outside of us in all living systems, water is found in two states - liquid and gas and this enables the life processes at the cellular level. The average global temperature, which is about 15 degrees Celsius, enables this co-existence of two states of water. Loss of life-enabling temperature on the Earth, say due to global warming, can potentially bring an abrupt end to life through intensifying feedback mechanisms. Thermoregulation (temperature control) of our planet is thus essential. Russian scientists have argued that forests promote thermoregulation on the Earth through biotic regulation of the environment. They have conjectured that loss of all the forests of the world would trigger changes and result in one of the two conditions: either the temperature on the Earth would be +400 degrees Celsius with evaporated oceans, or it would turn into a snowball at -100 degrees Celsius. Flourishing forests can potentially avoid such conditions. Human, as well as natural systems, would be impacted under climate change inter alia due to rising temperature and redistribution of fresh water on the continents. Forests play a pivotal role in hydrology and exert a strong influence on climate. Technology-based options to mitigate climate change such as carbon dioxide capture and storage and reflecting solar radiations back into space are costly, unreliable and riddled with the unintended risks. Under the growing climatic adversity, Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF) interventions offer a robust practical option to deal with the risks from climate change. The CSF aims at the following: i) minimising emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) from forests; ii) enhancing carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems and trees; iii) building forest resilience; iv) naturalising tree plantations with native species; and, v) human selection of drought-resistant and heat-tolerant genetic provenances of plant species. The CSF addresses climate change by minimising the GHG emissions from forest disturbances such as forest fires and death of trees from pest attack. Further, growth of forests helps in mitigating climate change, as sequestration of carbon dioxide in trees reduces the greenhouse effect of the Earths atmosphere. An important objective of CSF is to build the resilience ability of the forests, as having resilient forest ecosystem is a robust strategy to reduce the risks to forest ecosystem services and livelihoods under an uncertain future. Risk assessment Risk assessment for Indian forests shows the higher vulnerability of forest plantations largely owing to their low biodiversity status and high stress from non-climatic sources such as forest fire and cattle grazing. The CSF management aims to reduce the risk by naturalisation of forest plantations through regeneration of native tree species and managing the non-climatic stresses. A reliable option under CSF is to mimic the nature. Following the ways of nature in forest management quickly restores beneficial ecological processes and builds resilience. Further, the natural forests of the country can practically be categorised into two categories: one, that are largely intact, and two, that are disturbed and degraded. Hence, CSFs `prompt preservation approach for the intact natural forests and restoration approach for degraded natural forests. India is committed to create an additional carbon dioxide sink of 2.5-3 billion metric tonnes through forest and tree cover enhancement by 2030 under the Paris Agreement on climate change. Also, tree planting activity is vital to meet the targets to the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development that pertain to climate action and life on land, respectively. For the success of tree planting under future climate, humans must select native tree species having drought-resistant and heat-tolerant genetic material. Such human selection is critical because depending on natural selection process is not a viable option to populate forest and other areas with trees under climate change. It is so because of the faster pace of anthropogenic climate change and the concurrently acting stress from the non-climatic factors. The CSF is a cost effective tool for mitigation of climate change and strengthening the adaptability of the society as well as the forests to its impacts. The draft National Forest Policy 2018, which is under discussion, is conscious of the CSFs potential. State forest departments would do well to quickly adopt the CSF approach for enhancing the status of forests and tree cover. (The writer is a Karnataka cadre Indian Forest Service Officer) There were many people who were opposed to the Syria strike, including me. I was worried that President Trump was being goaded into this attack by the globalists. It doesn't matter now it's done. There are no dead servicemen, poison gas production will stop, and no World War III is eminent. I can live with that. What it did is prove to the Russians and Middle East that if they get too radical, we will step on them. The Obama era of appeasement and cowardice is over; there is a new sheriff in town. Russia can squeal all they want. There is a big difference between a punitive strike for the war crime of using a weapon of mass destruction against your own people and what Putin did in Soviet Georgia and Ukraine. If the United Nations Security Council condemns Trump for protecting the Syrian people, then it is time to get out of the United Nations. I support President Trump and am grateful every day that Hillary isn't our president. Michael Pacer Paso Robles, California SALT LAKE CITY When he was 12 years old, Lincoln Fillmore hopped in the drivers seat of a four-wheeler a bunch of friends were messing around with in a vacant lot in his Taylorsville neighborhood and drove the stupid thing into a concrete wall, breaking his arm. Hes not glad that happened. But he wouldnt go back and change it, even if he could. You have to have skinned knees to know how not to have skinned knees, he says or, in his case, a broken arm. Meet the man who wrote the law that woke up the nation. Bigger, fatter, more consequential bills were passed in the most recent session of the Utah Legislature, but few attracted more attention than SB65, the so-called free-range parenting legislation that states that it is NOT illegal to let your kids walk to school on their own, leave them in the car while you run into the dry cleaners, send them to the mall or the park without adult supervision and/or engage in other similar activities. We wanted to say that those things do not by themselves constitute neglect. What our bill does is it just changes the definition of neglect, so it amends out certain activities. Lincoln insists his intent is not to tell people how to raise their kids. The 43-year-old Republican state senator from South Jordan is in the process of trying to figure that out himself. He and his wife, Cheryl, have a 3-year-old son, Niko, with another child due in May. His kids havent even hit the free-range stage yet. I dont want the law to make it seem like Im saying this style of parenting is the approved one, he says. I just want to make sure that parents who subscribe to that sort of parenting philosophy are not criminals; that they dont have to deal with the heavy hand of government coming in and arresting them or taking their kids away, which sounds draconian but has actually happened dozens of times in this country. A year ago, in the waning days of the 2017 legislative session, it was while reading news accounts of parents being subjected to just such prosecution that led to Fillmore thinking: Lets not let that happen in Utah. Well before the 2018 Legislature opened, he lobbied fellow politicians for support, as well as the Utah Division of Child and Family Service. Whatever he said worked. The bill passed the House 66-0 and the Senate 25-0. Vladimir Putin gets more opposition than SB65. Fillmore was pleasantly surprised by the unanimous vote. Even more, he was surprised by the national response the story was covered by everything from Yahoo to the New York Times; Lincoln was on Good Morning America and especially by the overwhelming positive reaction. I thought there might be more opposition, he says, adding, Im surprised at how newsworthy this is and that Utah is the first one (to pass such a bill). The deeper motivation for Fillmores bill lies in his own childhood. Like so many parents in the 1970s and 1980s, Wade and Joanne Fillmore were diligent and dutiful about raising their kids, but they used a very long leash. You knew your parents were around but not around, he says. We got to explore. We learned how the world worked by being in the world. It was a blast. If we got hurt wed go home and get stitched up, but we didnt have hovering parents or adults that were out there making sure we didnt skin a knee. We had to be back by dinner. If wed go out later we just had to be back by dark. When it was dark, Mom would come out and shout, Hey Lincoln, its time to come back in. Lincoln finds it ironic that as crime has declined to historic lows (the facts bear that out), parenting has become more protective, not less. Society has changed in some good ways, but also it has become overprotective to the point where we dont allow kids to explore and wonder and discover and learn the skills they need to be successful. Thats just my opinion. Apparently, hes not alone. The most common response Ive got is, I cant believe this is necessary, he says. Hes since been contacted by legislators in other states who are thinking of replicating what hes done in Utah. The coup de grace came from a lawmaker in San Francisco, undoubtedly a liberal Democrat, who wrote on Twitter: Senator Fillmore and I probably agree on nothing, but Im so glad he did this. SALT LAKE CITY Utah health care advocates looking to think up ways to reduce the cost of medical care in the state got a visit this week from one of the leading health officials of former President Barack Obama's administration. Andy Slavitt, who served as acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from March 2015 to January 2017 and was tasked with overhauling the federal health insurance marketplace website in the aftermath of its largely criticized rollout, visited Utah last week to share his ideas at an "affordability boot camp" organized by the Utah Health Policy Project. Slavitt was joined at the two-day Salt Lake camp by other top executives of United States of Care, a health care policy nonprofit based in Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., where he is the chairman of the board of directors, in speaking with Utah medical providers, policymakers, think tanks, and patient advocates about reducing health care costs. In an interview, Slavitt called Utah a place that has "always been one of the most thoughtful and enlightened and pragmatic states on working on, I think, the twin issues of how do we make sure that we take care of people in the state but also, how do we make sure that we focus on affordability and costs." The affordability summit came the day after ballot initiative campaign Utah Decides Healthcare announced it had collected enough signatures to put full Medicaid expansion before the state's voters in November. Slavitt sat down with the Deseret News to discuss the initiative, state lawmakers' own more limited version of expansion, Medicaid work requirements, and more. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Deseret News: There is a perception among many people that the rising cost of medical care is a runaway train, and many have accepted high costs as inevitable. Where do we start with reducing or controlling the cost of care? Andy Slavitt: Everyone feels every health care problem is too big and they're powerless. So groups like this getting together today (are saying), "No that's not the case." No one individual, it's true, can affect the outcome, so that's why dialogue is so important. Rather than having all the nurses walking around the halls, how do we send nurses out to the home to keep people healthy? Because that's what's going to keep costs down (to) stop getting people from getting admitted to hospitals. How do we keep people healthy? How do we recognize the issues, whether they're mental health issues, whether it's drug addiction, whether it's poor nutrition, whether it's lack of housing, whether it's other factors. We know how to treat most things people have (upstream). The problem is, the reason we don't is because people don't have regular access to the system and because we don't think holistically about what causes them to get sick. DN: In your former role as the head of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, you had an up close view of the effects of Medicaid expansion in some states. Can you tell me what expansion might do in Utah? Slavitt: The overall cost of insurance comes down for everybody when Medicaid expands, because when people aren't falling into this coverage gap, the costs aren't getting passed along (by the uninsured). So we've seen an average of a 7 percent reduction in premiums across the country when more people are covered. I think legislators and governors are rightly concerned about, "What's this going to do to my state, can we afford it?" We've now seen in many states that it's been very good for their economy. (There's) a huge (coverage) gap, and I think this is a state that I think has the compassion and the intellect together to solve these problems and to see to those issues. And so I don't see a state like Utah wanting to let that rest. And I recognize the Legislature and the general population and the governor, they may be taking different approaches, but (it's good) if they can get in a room and start to drive to consensus and actually look at what happened with the ballot initiative as the sign from people in the state that this is something people want to have addressed. People don't want to see people left out in the cold. DN: The Utah Health Policy Project is worried the Medicaid expansion proposal that the Legislature recently voted to submit to the federal government is likely to be rejected, since it requests a 90-10 federal funding match without extending coverage eligibility in the same way a full expansion would. From your experience, do you agree that such a request from the state has a strong possibility of failing? Slavitt: I don't know whether or not the federal government will approve it. I just don't. I mean, I can't speak for them. But look, the state's trying to do something, and at some level this is an administration that should be deferential to states as they take their different approaches. But I don't want that to be read as my (dictating) what the administration should do. Ultimately, if this ballot initiative passes that will supersede what the Legislature does. And I think people ought to pay attention to that. It's not every day that you get 160,000 signatures in a state like Utah for something like expanding Medicaid. The country's paying attention to that. It's a national story. DN: The Legislature's version does include a work requirement, which was a non-starter under the presidential administration you served in. Slavitt: We at the Obama administration had the view that putting a barrier in front of somebody to get medical care is ultimately not good for their health, nor is it ultimately good for their employment, and that if people lose their jobs they shouldn't be losing their health care at the same time. (For example), if someone has depression, they miss work, they get let go, then they lose their health care coverage. It's not a good situation. Having said that, there is a feeling that for most people, health care costs them something. So (for) most people who get their insurance through their employer, through an exchange or other places there's perhaps a hunger to feel like if we're going to provide Medicaid expansion that they want to make sure people are engaged in some way, that they're not taking advantage of the system. That's a real sentiment and I think we'd be wise to pay attention to it. The question is how. DN: Citing a desire for more flexibility with their finances, Utah policymakers have previously flirted with the idea of changing the way the state Medicaid program is funded by asking President Donald Trump's administration to dispense a preset block grant as opposed to maintaining an open-ended federal match. What is your view of giving a state a set amount of money and saying, "Here, you make the decisions?" Slavitt: What's attractive to the states about a block grant is they feel like that means fewer strings are attached. They like that, governors like that. Governors don't want strings attached (from) Washington, but the reality is a block grant doesn't do a favor to the state. It does a favor to the federal government by essentially capping the allotment. Now, I got to oversee one block grant, which was because we have only one block grant in the country in Medicaid and that's to Puerto Rico. And it was a disaster, and I don't know a governor in the country that would want to be in Puerto Rico's shoes as they started running out of money. You get a natural disaster of any kind, you get an opioid epidemic, you get something you don't expect, and then a block grant means that the federal government gives you no more money. So where does the money have to come from? Well it either comes from the state, or individuals just don't get care, or you just pay physicians and hospitals less. None of those are great options. CISCO, Grand County A Cedaredge, Colorado man died from injuries he sustained shortly before noon Sunday when his motorcycle veered off state Route 128 and traveled across the gravel shoulder, where he lost control and the bike crashed, according to the Utah Highway Patrol. The man, identified by UHP troopers as Kevin Swoffer, 38, was traveling with the group Bikers Against Child Abuse when the crash occurred. Swoffer was wearing a helmet but suffered significant head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, troopers said. Swoffer was the sole rider on the motorcycle. Neither speed nor impairment appear to have played a role in the crash, according to the UHP. KAMAS, Summit County An Evanston, Wyoming, man accused of stabbing a man who bumped into him in a Summit County convenience store was charged Monday with attempted murder, a first-degree felony. On Saturday, a 62-year-old Magna man was purchasing items inside the Bear River Lodge on the Mirror Lake Highway, about 48 miles east of Kamas, when he physically bumped into Charles Ryan Hendricks, 45, on accident, police said on Saturday. "Hendricks was muttering obscenities under his breath and he focused his attention on (the man)," according to charging documents filed in 3rd District Court. As the man was leaving the store, Hendricks shoved him, yelled at him and then stabbed him in the neck, the charges state. "Hendricks was yelling that (the victim) was Satan," according to charging documents. Several bystanders tackled Hendricks and held him until police arrived. Others put towels on the victim's neck and applied pressure. He was taken by medical helicopter to University Hospital in critical condition. According to court records, Hendricks has a history of DUI and intoxication in Utah. Matt Smith Breaks Silence On Claire Foy Pay-Disparity Controversy: I Support Her Matt Smith, who played Prince Philip in first two seasons of Netflix's The Crown, has broken his silence on pay-disparity controversy. The actor came out to support his co-star Claire Foy. Last month, producers revealed that Smith has earned more than Foy for the first two seasons of The Crown during a conference in Israel. Matt said, Claire is one of my best friends, and I believe that we should be paid equally and fairly and there should be equality for all. He added, I support her completely, and I'm pleased that it was resolved and they made amends for it because that what's needed to happen. Going forward, I think we should all bear in mind that we need to strive to make this better and a more even playing field for everyone involved but not just in our industry, in all industries. Notably, Foy played the role of Queen Elizabeth in the first two seasons of the drama. Smith joined the show after three seasons of starring as The Doctor on Doctor Who. Moreover, it is still not clear what Smith was referring to when he said Netflix and producers Sony Pictures Television Production had "made amends. For latest movie reviews, ratings and trailers, download the Desimartini App Source: media1.popsugar-assets.com Vishal And Nadigar Sangam Condemn S. Ve. Shekher Actor turned politician S. Ve. Shekher has kicked up a storm after his recent derogatory statements against women journalists. Shekhar is facing massive criticism from people across Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, actor Vishal has condemned him and expressed his anger on his social media handle. The actor wrote, The past few years have seen women rising fast in the media industry in India, and especially in Tamil Nadu. While we are approaching Periyar's dream of women empowerment, the defamatory statements maligning the name of women journalists made by S. Ve. Shekher are condemnable. I have a lot of friends in the news industry and I know how much this would have hurt them. Not as an actor, but as a friend of them, I am very angry. Moreover, in a press release, Nadigar Sangam also condemned S. Ve. Shekher for his comments on Facebook degrading women journalists and that such comment against women are highly intolerable. Further, Shekher has deleted his Facebook post after witnessing harsh criticism and opposition from the media. For latest movie reviews, ratings and trailers, download the Desimartini App Source: images.indianexpress.com Flooz users in Togo can now send and receive money to and from mobile wallets and bank accounts across the region thanks to a new partnership announced between Moov Togo and MFS Africa. MFS Africa is a fintech company that enables interconnections between mobile wallet systems and banks, money transfer operators, and merchants. Already connected to over 170 million mobile wallet users across the continent, MFS Africa operates the largest digital payments network in Africa. The company recently announced its funding raise from LUN Partners Capital (Shanghai) and Goodwell Investments (Amsterdam). Togo receives over 80 million USD from other WAEMU countries each year, and sends over 35 million USD to the same countries. Abdellah Tabhiret, Director General of Moov Togo, said, Thanks to our partnership with MFS Africa, Flooz now gives access to a larger network of partners, including banks, online merchants, and others to come; all of this through one single integration, and one single contract. Coming from Benin and knowing this region very well, I see digital payments interoperability as the natural evolution of the strong regional integration that already exists in trade, travel, and regulation in the zone, said Dare Okoudjou, founder and CEO of MFS Africa. International remittances to and from mobile wallets are a huge win for transparency, compliance, cost and therefore financial inclusion, said Leon Isaacs, expert in money transfer and CEO of DMA Global. Digital channels such as Flooz offer remittance customers a more accessible, more secure, and more affordable option. From this perspective, they represent the future of money transfer. Government proposes holding company for Air India post sale The government has come up with a holding company structure that would allow prospective bidders for the loss-hit national carrier to operate the airline as a separate company while carrying on with existing business. The government expects this to allay concerns of potential suitors about the bidding condition, which mandates operating Air India at arms length for three years. According to reports, the selected bidder will be allowed all forms of commercial partnership between Air India and the bidders existing airlines. All forms of commercial partnership, including code share and interline agreements, will be allowed. We will clarify these in the pre-bid queries, he said. While airlines will be allowed to bring synergy between Air India and the existing brand, it potentially excludes a merger of operations with a group's existing brands. We had discussions over this clause; the transaction advisor studied airline merger cases and suggested that a holding company structure should be allowed, reports quoted a person involved with the process as saying. Suppose a potential suitor has two existing airlines, A and B. It can then incorporate the two brands and Air India under a single holding company. But a merger of Air India with other brands will not be allowed for the first three years, he pointed out. Since the government has decided to hold a 24-per cent stake in Air India post divestment, it wants successful bidder to operate the airline as a going concern and at arms length from its other business so long as the governments stake remains. The government has proposed to sell the 24-per cent stake in Air India in phases, preferably through a public listing. However, till such time the government holds a stake in the company, the selected bidder will have to operate Air India as a going concern, separate from other businesses. Although the Tata Group has not so far expressed interest in acquiring Air India, report say Tata Sons, which has two operating airlines Vistara and AirAsia India is among the possible suitors. Gmail users getting spammed via their own account! Several Gmail users have reported that their inboxes were flooded with ads and spam mails apparently sent from their own account! Several users took to Gmail's help forum to report the issue. The problem doesn't appear to be widespread, but is confined to a relatively small number of users, including those that have two-factor authentication. Apparently there is a glitch that some spammers have exploited to circumvent Gmail spam detection filters. At least one user complained that spam mails continued to go out from his account even after changing the password after the first such instance. The emails were filed in the users' Sent folder. The emails arriving in the inbox appear as if they are being sent by the user with a 'Me' marked in the inbox along with the profile icon of the Gmail user on mobile. While the spam shows the users name in the main view, on opening the mail, there is a different name in the 'From' line with the subject and content of the email changing with each email. Google seems to be aware of the issue and said in a statement, "We are aware of a spam campaign impacting a small subset of Gmail users and have actively taken measures to protect against it. This attempt involved forged email headers that made it appear as if users were receiving emails from themselves, which also led to those messages erroneously appearing in the Sent folder. We have identified and are reclassifying all offending emails as spam, and have no reason to believe any accounts were compromised as part of this incident. If you happen to notice a suspicious email, we encourage you to report it as spam. More information on how to report spam can be found by visiting our Help Center." A company spokesperson told Mashable that Google has "actively taken measures to protect against it". The spokesperson assured that users' accounts were not compromised. The Mashable report points out that the spam emails have been made to look like they were sent via Telus, which is a Canadian telecommunications company. Telus, however, said the spam emails are not being generated from its server. A company spokesperson said in a statement to Mashable that Telus is working with third-party vendors to resolve the issue. Affected users are advised not to respond to these emails. Fighting against ISIS continues to rock parts of Damascus Fighting continued to rock the neighbourhood of Damascus, the Syrian capital, over the weekend as pro-government warplanes struck Islamic State-controlled areas. While an estimated 70 airstrikes and 30 barrel bombs struck IS-controlled areas in south Damascus, the figure has gone up to 400 airstrikes and 100 barrel bombs since Thursday, according to opposition sources. According to SANA, the Syrian state news agency, warplanes launched precision strikes on IS-held neighbourhoods in southern Damascus on Sunday morning. Syrian Arab Army soldiers also took on IS fighters in the area. Some of the residents who quit the locality told the media that hundreds of families were trying to leave the bomb shelters in IS-held territory, as Syrian aircraft bombed the neighbourhood. A UN spokesperson also expressed concerns for the safety and protection of tens of thousands of civilians in southern Damascus. The UN estimates that about 6,000 civilians lived in a camp before the recent air strikes began. Fights between pro-government forces and the IS militia began last week after talks between the two failed. The Syrian government is determined to take full control of the capital. Syrian rebels and army defectors had taken control of Yarmouk in south Damascus about six years ago. The area has since witnessed constant violence and attacks by both sides. Venkaiah Naidu rejects 'impeachment' notice against CJI Vice president and Rajya Sabha Speaker Venkaiah Naidu today rejected opposition-sponsored notice to impeach Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra on the grounds of impropriety in his functioning as head of the judiciary. Venkaiah Naidu Naidu rejected the Congress-led opposition notice after extensive consultations with top legal and constitutional experts on the maintainability of the motion, sources said. Leaders of opposition parties met Naidu on Friday and handed over the notice of impeachment against the CJI bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired, opening a new front against the Narendra Modi government (See: Seven parties, 64 RS MPs launch move to impeach Chief Justice Misra). Rajya Sabha members from the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Muslim League had ganged together to seek Chief Justice through an impeachment motion. Naidu had on Sunday held discussions with a number of constitutional and legal experts, including Attorney General K K Venugopal, and former top law officer K Parasaran on the maintainability of the opposition notice. The Congress, meanwhile, asked CJI Dipak Misra to consider recusing himself from performing judicial and administrative work till he was cleared of allegations of misconduct. The Congress also attacked the BJP for coming out in "defence" of the CJI and said the ruling party was compromising the position and office of the chief justice as the neutral arbitrator and head of the judiciary. The party was doing great a disservice to the independence of the judicial system, it said. "The CJI must come out and tell the BJP not to politicise his office," Congress leader Randeep Surjewala told reporters here. He further said the CJI did not belong to any political party and questioned why he had to be defended by members and ministers of the ruling BJP. Sushma Swaraj, China's Wang Yi discuss road-ahead for India-China relations External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and discussed ways to improve bilateral relations through high-level interactions. Chinese state councillor Wangi Yi welcomes Sushma Swaraj Swaraj is in Beijing on a four-day visit to take part in the foreign ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). She was received by Wang Yi, who has been appointed as a special representative for India-China boundary talks. Wang was elevated as state councillor last month which makes him the top diplomat of the country in the Chinese hierarchy. During their meeting Swaraj congratulated Wang on being elevated as state councillor and appointed as the special representative for the India-China boundary talks. This shows how much trust your leadership has in your abilities... and I think your new responsibilities will improve India-China relations, she said. We will work closely with the Chinese leadership to take India-China cooperation to new heights, she said. Wang said the bilateral ties have witnessed good development and shown a positive momentum this year under the guidance of the leaders of the two nations. On the eve of the closing of Chinas National Peoples Congress this year, President Xi Jinping received a very important phone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the call spurred a positive momentum in the dialogue process between the two countries. Our two leaders had in-depth exchange of views and reached important consensus on furthering the China-India relationship. We must work very hard to implement the consensus between our two leaders. Indias membership to the SCO has expanded the organisations potential and its influence, as well as providing a new platform for the India-China cooperation and I believe that India will make a positive and energetic contribution to the organisation, Wang said. Following the Dokalam standoff last year, both countries have increased their dialogue to scale down tensions and improve their relations with talks at various levels. Swaraj and Wang are meeting in the immediate backdrop of the recent meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and top official of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) Yang Jiechi in Shanghai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting China this week for an informal meeting with President Xi Jinping, as efforts at rapprochement in ties between the two giant neighbours gather pace. Our common interests far outweigh our differences. The two countries have no choice other than pursuing everlasting friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development, Wang told reporters after meeting Swaraj in Beijing. The summit will go a long way towards deepening the mutual trust between the two great neighbours, he added. We will make sure that the informal summit will be a complete success and a new milestone in the history of China-India relations. Modi has sought to re-set ties after disputes over issues including their disputed border with Tibet and other issues. The discussion with Wang was to prepare for the informal summit, Swaraj said. It will be an important occasion for them (Modi and Xi) to exchange views on bilateral and international matters, from an overarching and long-term perspective with the objective of enhancing mutual communication, Swaraj said. China also needs Indias support for its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative involving major transport and energy projects in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives and Nepal. President gives assent to Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave his assent to two important ordinances that prescribes deterents against fugitive economic offenders and those involving crimes against children. With the Presidents assent these two ordinances have now come into effect. President Ram Nath Kovind The cabinet, at its meeting on 21 April 2018, had decided to approve the proposal of the finance ministry to promulgate the ordinance. Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018 lays down the measures to empower authorities to attach and confiscate proceeds of crime associated with economic offenders and the properties of the economic offenders and thereby deter economic offenders from evading the process of Indian law by remaining outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts. The ordinance has been necessitated by 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. While it hampers investigation in criminal cases, it also wastes precious time of courts of law and undermines the rule of law in India. The existing civil and criminal provisions in law are not entirely adequate to deal with the severity of the problem. The finance minister had while presenting the budget for 2018-19, announced plans to introduce 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 Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 12 March 2018. The bill was listed for consideration and passing in Lok Sabha on many occasions after its introduction. But, the House has since been adjourned sine die and both the Houses of Parliament were prorogued on 6 April 2018. The ordinance provides for setting up a special court under the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 to declare a person as a Fugitive Economic Offender. 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. A scheduled offence refers to a list of economic offences contained in the Schedule to this Ordinance. Further, in order to ensure that courts are not over-burdened with such cases, only those cases where the total value involved in such offences is Rs100 crore or more, is within the purview of this Ordinance. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018, provides for: Making an application before the special court for a declaration that an individual is a fugitive economic offender; Attachment of the property of a fugitive economic offender and proceeds of crime; Issue of a notice by the special court to the individual alleged to be a fugitive economic offender; Confiscation of the property of an individual declared as a fugitive economic offender or even the proceeds of crime; Disentitlement of the fugitive economic offender from defending any civil claim; and Appointment of an administrator to manage and dispose of the confiscated property under the Act. If at any point of time in the course of the proceeding prior to the declaration, however, the alleged fugitive economic offender returns to India and submits to the appropriate jurisdictional court, proceedings under the proposed Act would cease by law. All necessary constitutional safeguards in terms of providing hearing to the person through counsel, allowing him time to file a reply, serving notice of summons to him, whether in India or abroad and appeal to the high court have been provided for. It is expected that a special forum to be created for expeditious confiscation of the proceeds of crime, in India or abroad, would coerce the fugitive to return to India to submit to the jurisdiction of courts in India to face the law in respect of scheduled offences. Since the proposed law would utilise the existing infrastructure of the special courts constituted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and the threshold of scheduled offence is high at Rs100 crore or more, no additional expenditure is expected on the enactment of the bill. The bill is expected to re-establish the rule of law with respect to the fugitive economic offenders as they would be forced to return to India to face trial for scheduled offences. This would also help banks and other financial institutions to achieve higher recovery from financial defaults committed by such offenders, improving the financial health of such institutions. The new law would cover all the states and districts. The President also promulgated the ordinance which paves way for providing stringent punishment to those convicted of raping children by making changes in criminal laws pertaining to sexual assault on children below 12 and 16 years. With the notification, the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 stand amended. The notification states that since Parliament is not in session and President is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action. Whereas Parliament is not in session and the President is satisfied that the circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action. Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of article 123 of the Constitution, the President is pleased to promulgate the following ordinance, the Gazette notification read. As per the amended law, there is now a provision of death sentence for rapists of girl under 12 years, while the minimum punishment in case of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of 7 years to 10 years, extended to life imprisonment. The measure also provides for speedy investigation and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months, the new law says. Oil dips a little after Trump outburst, but still rules high Oil prices fell on Friday after US President Donald Trump criticised the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and said oil prices were artificially high, but they were still set for a weekly gain. Brent crude oil futures were at $73.26 per barrel at 1139 GMT, down 52 cents from their last close, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 48 cents at $67.81 a barrel. Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khaled al-Faleh said earlier on Friday the global market has the capacity to absorb higher oil prices, drawing a swift reaction from President Trump, who accused OPEC of inflating prices. Faleh's statement at a meeting of oil producers in Saudi Arabia came as crude hit the highest level in more than three years. "Looks like OPEC is at it again," Trump tweeted. "With record amounts of Oil all over the place, including the fully loaded ships at sea, Oil prices are artificially Very High! No good and will not be accepted!" Both contracts had been trading in positive territory before Trump's tweet. Oil has rebounded to over $70 a barrel, after prices crashed to as low as $26 in January 2016. "I have not seen any impact on demand with current prices," Faleh told reporters, ahead of a ministerial committee for OPEC and non-OPEC producers. "Reduced energy intensity and higher productivity globally of energy input leads me to think that there is the capacity to absorb higher prices," he said. The United States cannot legally influence oil other than through releasing oil from its strategic reserves which it has done occasionally, most recently last year in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey. Brent and WTI hit their highest levels since November 2014 on Thursday earlier this week, at $74.75 and $69.56 per barrel respectively, buoyed by a tightening market and higher demand. Saudi oil minister Khalid al-Falih said OPEC and its allies were still far away from reaching their target and that a drawdown in oil inventories needed to continue. OPEC and its allies have been curbing production since 2017, helping push up prices. The deal to cut is currently scheduled to expire at the end of 2018. A technical OPEC and non-OPEC committee meeting in Jeddah on Thursday, ahead of Friday's ministerial meeting, found that a global overhang in oil inventories, which the deal has targeted for eliminating, has virtually disappeared. "Global oil demand data so far in 2018 has come in line with our optimistic expectations, with Q1 2018 likely to post the strongest year-on-year growth since Q4 2010 at 2.55 million barrels per day," US bank Goldman Sachs said in a note published late on Thursday. Apart from OPEC's supply management, crude prices have also been supported by an expectation that the United States will re-introduce sanctions on OPEC member Iran. We are all ETs: scientists revive theory that life didn't originate on earth A bunch of scientists has given a fresh lease of life to the Panspermia hypothesis, which claims that life did not originate on earth but was propagated by bacteria distributed in space dust, asteroids or meteors that arrived on earth. Scientists were recently stunned to find two ancient meteorites which crash landed 20 years ago containing the basic building blocks for life. According to experts, life spreads like an "interstellar infection" and clusters of planets in the galaxy have alien life forms. US-based ecologist Dr Ellis Silver points to a number of physiological features to make his case for why humans did not evolve alongside other life on Earth, in his new book. They range from humans suffering from bad backs, which he suggests is because we evolved in a world with lower gravity, to getting too easily sunburned and having difficulty giving birth. Dr Ellis says that while the planet meets humans' needs for the most part, it does not perhaps serve the species' interests as well as the aliens who dropped us off imagined. In his book, Humans are not from earth: A scientific evaluation of the evidence, the ecologist writes the human race has defects that mark it of being "not of this world". "Mankind is supposedly the most highly developed species on the planet, yet is surprisingly unsuited and ill-equipped for Earth's environment: harmed by sunlight, a strong dislike for naturally occurring foods, ridiculously high rates of chronic disease, and more," he told Yahoo. Dr Ellis also says that it is strange that babies' heads are so large and make it difficult for women to give birth, which can result in fatalities of the mother and infant. Silver wrote in the Daily Star he would be surprised if one could find a single person who is 100-per cent healthy and not suffering from some perhaps hidden or unstated condition or disorder. He suggests that Neanderthals such as homo erectus were crossbred with another species, perhaps from Alpha Centauri, which is the closest star system to our solar system, some 4.37 light years away from the sun. Bizarrely, he also believes earth could actually be some kind of galactic jail. "The earth might be a prison planet, since we seem to be a naturally violent species and we're here until we learn to behave ourselves," he said. The theory that life started elsewhere has gained credence recently, albeit without the aliens. Two space rocks, which are approximately 4.5 billion years old, smashed into Texas and Morocco in 1998. Studies have found that both the meteorites, which are thought to have originated from an asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars, contained water and organic compounds. While other scientists have said some bacteria arrived on Earth from space, Chris McKay, an astrobiologist at NASA, said that to jump to the conclusion that it is alien life is "a big jump". Professor Wainwright from the University of Sheffield in the UK plans to investigate further, and believes that life is constantly arriving from space that did not originate on earth. Researchers illuminate the path to a new era of microelectronics A new microchip technology capable of optically transferring data could solve a severe bottleneck in current devices by speeding data transfer and reducing energy consumption by orders of magnitude, according to an article published in the 19 April 2018 issue of Nature. Photograph of the bulk silicon electronic-photonic chip designed by the MIT, UC Berkeley and Boston University team / Amir Atabaki Researchers from Boston University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California Berkeley and University of Colorado Boulder have developed a method to fabricate silicon chips that can communicate with light and are no more expensive than current chip technology. The result is the culmination of a several-year-long project funded by the Defence Advanced Research Project Agency that was a close collaboration between teams led by Associate Professor Vladimir Stojanovic of UC Berkeley, Professor Rajeev Ram of MIT, and Assistant Professor Milos Popovic from Boston University and previously University of Colorado at Boulder, (CU Boulder). They collaborated with a semiconductor manufacturing research team at the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the State University of New York at Albany. The electrical signalling bottleneck between current microelectronic chips has left light communication as one of the only options left for further technological progress. The traditional method of data transfer-electrical wires-has a limit on how fast and how far it can transfer data. It also uses a lot of power and generates heat. With the relentless demand for higher performance and lower power in electronics, these limits have been reached. But with this new development, that bottleneck can be solved. "Instead of a single wire carrying 10 to 100 gigabits per second, you can have a single optical fibre carrying 10 to 20 terabits per second so about a thousand times more in the same footprint," says Popovic. "If you replace a wire with an optical fibre, there are two ways you win," he says. "First, with light, you can send data at much higher frequencies without significant loss of energy as there is with copper wiring. Second, with optics, you can use many different colours of light in one fibre and each one can carry a data channel. The fibres can also be packed more closely together than copper wires can without crosstalk." In the past, progress to integrate a photonic capability onto state-of-the-art chips that are used in computers and smartphones was hindered by a manufacturing roadblock. Modern processors are enabled by highly developed industrial semiconductor manufacturing processes capable of stamping out a billion transistors that work together on one chip. But these manufacturing processes are finely tuned and designing an approach to include optical devices on chips while keeping the current electrical capabilities intact proved difficult. The first major success in overcoming this roadblock was in 2015 when the same group of researchers published another paper in Nature that solved this problem, but did so in a limited commercially relevant setting. The paper demonstrated the world's first microprocessor with a photonic data transfer capability and the approach to manufacturing it without changing the original manufacturing process-a concept the researchers have termed a zero-change technology. Ayar Labs, Inc., a startup that Ram, Popovic and Stojanovic co-founded, has recently partnered with major semiconductor industry manufacturer GlobalFoundries to commercialise this technology. However, this previous approach was applicable to a small fraction of state-of-the-art microelectronic chips that did not include the most prevalent kind, which use a starting material referred to as bulk silicon. In the new paper, the researchers present a manufacturing solution applicable to even the most commercially widespread chips based on bulk silicon, by introducing a set of new material layers in the photonic processing portion of the silicon chip. They demonstrate that this change allows optical communication with no negative impact on electronics. By working with state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing researchers at CNSE Albany to develop this solution, the scientists ensured that any process that was developed could be seamlessly inserted into current industry-level manufacturing. "By carefully investigating and optimising the properties of the additional material layers for photonic devices, we managed to demonstrate state-of-the-art system-level performance in terms of bandwidth density and energy consumption while starting from a much less expensive process compared to competing technologies," says Fabio Pavanello, a former postdoctoral associate from Popovic's research group who is a co-first author of the paper with both Amir Atabaki, a research scientist at MIT, and Sajjad Moazeni, a graduate student at University of California at Berkeley. "It took a major collaboration over several years by our three groups across different disciplines to achieve this result," adds Atabaki. The new platform, which brings photonics to state-of-the-art bulk silicon microelectronic chips, promises faster and more energy efficient communication that could vastly improve computing and mobile devices. Applications beyond traditional data communication include accelerating the training of deep-learning artificial neural networks used in image and speech recognition tasks, and low-cost infrared LIDAR sensors for self-driving cars, smartphone face identification and augmented reality technology. In addition, optically enabled microchips could enable new types of data security and hardware authentication, more powerful chips for mobile devices operating on 5th generation (5G) wireless networks, and components for quantum information processing and computing. "For the most advanced current state-of-the-art and future semiconductor manufacturing technologies with electronic transistor dimensions below 20nm, there is no other way to integrate photonics than this approach.", concluded Vladimir Stojanovic, whose team led some of the work, "All of the material layers used to form transistors become too thin to support photonics, so the additional layers are needed." Russian scientists propose diagnosis through saliva analysis Nature has endowed the human body with an unique protectiion through the immune sytem. Our immune sytem is capable of protecting the body from different external and internal effects. However, disorders of the immune system lead to various diseases from allergy and type I diabetes to more dangerous autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. Unfortunately, such diseases are diagnosed only when the symptoms are clearly demonstrated. Researchers at the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) have developed a unique method of diagnosing immune-system diseases before the symptoms appear. Scientists around the world are engaged in research on the immune response, how the body reacts to the invasion of foreign bacteria, microorganisms and viruses. Scientists of Polytechnics University proposed a laser-correlation spectroscopic technique (also called dynamic light scattering) for studying the immune response in body fluids, for example, in saliva. It is known that saliva contains the same immune proteins as blood. Moreover, it is much easier and cheaper in comparison to blood sample analysis. The proposed method is to analyse scattered light obtained by laser illumination of human body's biological fluid (saliva or blood), byfocussing the laser beam on the sample. The proteins in the liquid scatter the light, which is registered by the detector. By analysing the change in the intensity of scattered light in time, it is possible to determine the size of the particles floating in the liquid. The particle size changes during the activation of the immune system, and the binding proteins become larger. In addition, the size composition of biological fluids in different people can vary depending on certain diseases in the organism. Thus, it is possible to determine whether the human body reacts to infections properly and diagnose the diseases. Through this method, it is also possible to test medical drugs not on a human, but on his biological fluids. This approach becomes purely individual. However, it is impossible to perform the analysis of each person's immunity individually, without unambiguous doctor's testimony, because most of the biochemical methods are complex and expensive. "We offer a cheap and effective method of diagnosing the diseases without any indication. We need a laser, a receiver and a program for data analysis. In the course of routine clinical examination, saliva can be tested so that the patient can learn more about the disease before the symptoms appear. This will increase the chances of recovery," says Elina Nepomnyashchaya, an engineer of the scientific group at the Institute of Physics, Nanotechnology and Telecommunications SPbPU. Such studies of the dynamics of the activation of immune proteins using optical methods have not yet been carried out, thus research remains to be done. The current task is to create a detailed study of the reactions of donors with various pathologies. Scientists of Polytechnic University carry out this research in close cooperation with medical institutions, interested in the implementation of the cheap diagnostic method of immune diseases, primarily autoimmune diseases and diabetes mellitus. Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University is participating in Project 5-100 aimed at improving the competitiveness of the leading universities of the Russian Federation among the world's leading research and education centers. As part of this Academic Excellence Initiative, multidisciplinary scientific research, world class technology and knowledge are created. Volvos performance brand Polestar has announced that their hybrid GT coupe, the Polestar 1, has completed its first dynamic test drive. The initial running consisted of an extensive, two-week test north of the Arctic Circle, where engineers had a chance to fine tune the 1s suspension, anti-roll bars and hybrid system in extremely cold and harsh temperatures as low as -28oC. Test drivers focused on testing the 1s torque vectoring system, which is made possible through two rear electric motors with individual gearing. They also gave enthusiastic feedback about the cars handling and particularly enjoyed its chassis balance and driving dynamics. In response to the Polestar 1s successful winter test, CEO Thomas Ingenlath said: Besides being very happy with the balance of the chassis, they are particularly excited about the torque vectoring. We are now very confident about how this enhances the Polestar 1s cornering responsiveness and accuracy. This is a drivers car. We have now passed a major milestone in the development of the Polestar 1, and prototype testing continues throughout 2018. The Criminal Assets Bureau should become more involved in Gardai operations across Louth, according to local Sinn Fein councillor Ruairi O Murchu. The Louth County councillors comments come ahead of the Joint Policing Committee meeting being held in Dundalk on Monday. Officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau will make a presentation at the meeting which will be attended by senior Gardai, elected representatives, the local authority and community representatives. I will be calling for CAB to become more involved across Louth and in Dundalk and Drogheda, O Murchu said. He wants to see greater joint work between CAB and local Gardai on the ground in Louth, a move he believes will help disrupt drug dealers and organised criminals operating in the area. I would hope that we could see the Criminal Assets Bureau operating local operations in tandem with the Gardai. We have a serious problem with organised drug gangs across the county and in particular, Dundalk and Drogheda. The community suffers terribly from drug dealing, intimidation, arson and the violence of these gangs. The Criminal Assets Bureau have operated over the years as a serious tool against organised crime. In the last period, we have seen them in operation against criminals involved in the Kinahan Hutch fued and recently witnessed a major operation across Louth, Meath and Dublin. The community suffers terribly from the drug dealing, intimidation, arson and the violence of these gangs, the General Election candidate said. The public want to see action. We welcome measures taken by the Gardai and the local authority in the last period against these gangs. We call on greater resources to allow for the deployment of the promised Drugs and Organised Crime Unit. This unit for the county was talked about at the last Dundalk JPC meeting. Next Mondays meeting is a combined Ardee, Drogheda and Dundalk Local Policing Fora meeting, which will include Superintendents from all three Garda divisions, Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan, councillors, TDs, council management and community representatives. It is very encouraging to see CAN make this presentation in Dundalk, O Murchu continued. Successful arrest operations can be difficult in a subcontracted criminal enterprise where main players use vulnerable people as their cut-outs; and keep themselves clean. Many drug dealers are living cash rich and many without intricate money laundering systems and so we would hope this weak point could be used by CAB to disrupt, impact and possibly shut down some of their operations. For those who are looking for something a little bit different to do on a Saturday night, who want to let their hair down and not worry about having to look on point, then REWIND @ The Marquee, Toales, Dundalk on Saturday May 5th could be the night for you. If a great night out for you is ending up with blisters on your feet from dancing, a creak on your neck from head banging, a pain in your face from laughing and about a stone lighter from tearing up the floor with your raving then this definitely is the night for you. If a great night for you is spending all your time in the toilets topping up your 20 layers of Kim Kardashianesque like makeup or just posing on the side of the dance floor with some hipster cocktail because you don't want to break a sweat - then this probbaly is not the night for you. Get ready for a night of 80s and 90s club classics, classic rock, old skool RnB and Hip Hop, Britpop, guaranteed Irish and of course lots and lots of cheese - plus, with Hen and Stag night season upon us, then REWIND @ The Marquee is the perfect way to start your night with free admission for the Hen and Stag! So book that babysitter, cancel Netflix for the night and tweet your favourite floor filler now to @REWINDREQUESTS and join like minded souls for a night of great music, lots of dancing and a whole load of fun from 9pm at REWIND @ The Marquee, Toales, Dundalk. Theres even going to be a disco ball. Shared Ownership in desirable South London hotspot L&Q is launching the next phase of Shared Ownership homes at Quebec Quarter - the housing associations flagship development in Canada Water. Helping first time buyers get on the property ladder in an area where property prices have risen by 46% in the past five years*, the new release of 15 one bedroom Shared Ownership homes will provide achievable city living for young couples and professional singles. Lucy Chitty, Sales and Customer Services Director at L&Q, comments, Canada Water is currently undergoing substantial redevelopment, and is fast becoming one of South Londons most notable property hotspots, boasting superb transport links, a strong community and better value for money than some of its neighbours. The sales success of the previous phases of Shared Ownership at Quebec Quarter demonstrated that there is high demand for Shared Ownership homes in this area, and we expect high levels in interest from first time buyers again in this new phase. Designed by Alan Camp Architects, Quebec Quarter comprises of seven distinct stepped blocks, finished with composition of brick, GRC and timber cladding, a nod to the adjacent, Russia Dock Woodland and award winning Stave Hill Ecological Park. The carefully considered layout has been created to promote a strong sense of community, with over 65% of the total site area dedicated to green and outdoor space including landscaped grounds, play areas and a cross site path leading directly to the next door woodland. Inside, the spacious Shared Ownership properties come with a high level of specification. All homes feature modern kitchen units in a contemporary colour palette with co-ordinating cinammon worktop, stainless steel splash back and upstand along with a plethora of fully integrated appliances. Bathrooms have a range of pristine white sanitaryware. Hallways and living spaces have quality laminate flooring and bedrooms are carpeted, with fitted wardrobes in master bedrooms. Floor to ceiling windows allow an abundance of light to flow into the apartments, maximizing the views of the surrounding woodlands. Top of every Londoners wishlist, all homes come with a balcony or terrace some of which are exceptionally large. Ideal for young buyers, the increasingly vibrant area surrounding Canada Water Underground Station offers a number of popular independent shops, restaurant, cafes and bars, as well as the iconic bronze aluminum clad Canada Water Library. A short walk from Quebec Quarter is the Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, which is set to become a shopping mecca when a 34 million redevelopment programme is completed within the next 5 years. Perfectly positioned, Quebec Quarter is equidistant from Canada Water and Surrey Quays stations. Jubilee line services from Canada Water offer fast commuting times to stations in The City and the West End, including Canary Wharf (2 minutes), Waterloo (6 minutes) and Bond Street (12 minutes)**. The area is set to become even better connected following the completion of the proposed Rotherhithe Bridge in 2020 a foot and cycle bridge connecting Canada Water with Canary Wharf, which will transform commutes to the business district for buyers at Quebec Quarter. Prices start from 121,250 for a 25% share of a one bedroom apartment FMV 485,000. The marketing suite and fully furnished show apartments are open Monday Saturday 10am -5pm, Sunday 10am 4pm. Viewings are by appointment only. To register interest, visit lqpricedin.co.uk/quebec-quarter. Instantly delete email threats for Office 365 With the free app, 365 Threat Monitor, scan all emails as they reach your users' mailboxes to detect ransomware, phishing and spam. Get real-time phone alerts + security breach updates and delete threats instantly with just one click. Download now! Facebook has introduced a set of changes designed to empower members to protect their account information. The company has been at the center of an unrelenting firestorm following revelations that it allowed Cambridge Analytica to mine private data belonging to 50 million of its users without permission, which Cambridge Analytica then leveraged for political purposes. Facebook on Wednesday outlined new ways for users to adjust privacy settings on their accounts in an online post written by Chief Privacy Officer Erin Egan and General Counsel Ashlie Beringer. Privacy Controls Facebook's redesigned privacy settings for mobile devices allow users to make changes on a single screen. The company's new privacy shortcuts menu lets users add two-factor authentication, quickly review and delete shared information, manage ad preferences, and manage who can see profile information and posts. Facebook also introduced Access Your Information, a feature that allows users to go through their timeline or profile information and delete anything they don't want on the site. Further, Facebook has made it easy for users to download their information securely and even move it to another service. The downloadable info includes photos posted by users, posts made by users, and contacts added to user accounts. Facebook will propose updates to its terms of service during the next few weeks and make changes to its data policy to clarify what it shares, Egan and Beringer wrote. Both U.S. and European authorities have announced investigations into Facebook's data sharing. Tom Pahl, acting director of the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection earlier this week took the rare step of publicly announcing that it was investigating Facebook over the data disclosures. Companies that reach settlements with the FTC must comply with FTC order provisions that impose privacy and data security requirements, he noted. Facebook in 2011 entered into a data privacy agreement with the FTC as part of a consent order, and the commission should enforce the terms of that deal, according to the Electronic Privacy Information Center and other privacy advocates. European Data Probes The UK Information Commissioner's office raided Cambridge Analytica offices over the weekend and removed documents, computers and other information from the site as part of an investigation into the use of data for political campaigns. Cambridge Analytica has been linked not only to the 2016 Trump campaign, but also to activities related to Brexit. Whistleblower Chris Wylie, a former Cambridge Analytica employee, testified on Tuesday that the Brexit vote outcome may have been altered through "cheating." Cambridge Analytica denied Wylie's allegations in a statement released Tuesday, claiming that they were based on unfounded conspiracy theories. Cambridge Analytica further denied using GSR data on behalf of the Trump campaign. Suspended Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix has been scheduled for a return visit to the House of Commons next month. He will face questions from the Digital, Sport, Media and Commerce committee in connection with its investigation of the use of fake news in various campaigns. Facebook Chief Product Officer Chris Cox has been tentatively scheduled to appear before the committee next month. The EU has stepped up its investigation into whether Facebook violated European privacy laws. "Justice Commissioner [Vera] Jourova sent a letter to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg Monday evening asking for clarifications within the next two weeks, including on whether data on EU citizens have been affected by the recent scandal," said spokesperson Melanie Voin. Jourova also reminded the company of the upcoming EU data protection rules and called on Facebook to fully cooperate with the European Data Protection Authorities in the context of the investigation, Voin added. No similar letter has been sent to Cambridge Analytica, she said. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to testify before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, which last week sent a written request to Facebook, asking that it address the data privacy scandal directly. Facebook staffers have met with committee staff, said a source familiar with the talks, but arrangements had not yet been fixed for a live appearance. "Facebook, who reinvented social networking for the masses, now has to backtrack and reinvent the data security that people believed they had," said Wayne Kurtzman, research director for social and experiential solutions at IDC. "That's a hard standard to meet, especially when trust is the currency," he told the E-Commerce Times. "Facebook has a unique opportunity to reinvent a business model that improves relevant engagements, minimizes misleading news, and connects relevant content from advertisers," Kurtzman said. "Ideally, this new model will have user privacy as the core, and perhaps result in even more relevant ad targeting for a premium price," he suggested. "They then have to sell that model to start building back the trust that was lost." David Jones has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2015. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, e-commerce, open source, gaming, artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles. He has written for numerous media outlets, including Reuters, Bloomberg, Crain's New York Business and The New York Times. Email David. Instantly delete email threats for Office 365 With the free app, 365 Threat Monitor, scan all emails as they reach your users' mailboxes to detect ransomware, phishing and spam. Get real-time phone alerts + security breach updates and delete threats instantly with just one click. Download now! British lawmakers have demanded that Alexander Nix, the suspended chief executive of Cambridge Analytica, return to Parliament for additional questioning in its fake news inquiry. The Parliament's probe led to disclosures that Facebook had allowed Cambridge Analytica unauthorized access to up to 50 million user records, igniting a firestorm over user data privacy and possible U.S. voter manipulation. MP Damian Collins, chair of the UK Parliament Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, on Thursday sent a letter asking Nix to provide additional testimony, after media reports in The Guardian, The New York Times, and Channel 4 in the UK raised questions about Cambridge Analystica's use of private data in its research. Nix on Feb. 27 had denied to the committee that Cambridge Analytica had received data from Global Science Research, Collins wrote in his letter. GSR is the company that employed former Cambridge University researcher Aleksandr Kogan when he developed "thisisyourdigitallife," an app that garnered direct responses from more than 270,000 Facebook users -- and lifted data from tens of millions of others without authorization. Muddy Waters Collins told Nix in the letter that members of Parliament wanted to ask him about his earlier claims that "we do not work with Facebook data" or "have Facebook data." Collins warned Nix that "giving false statements to a Select Committee" was a very serious matter. He asked for a response by March 27. Collins also has written to Facebook, urging CEO Mark Zuckerberg to appear before the committee in connection with the Cambridge Analytica disclosures. Christopher Wylie, the whistleblower who went public with revelations that Cambridge Analytica had gained unauthorized access to data belonging to 50 million Facebook users, tweeted that he had accepted requests to testify before the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, the House Judiciary Committee, and the UK Parliament Digital Committee. Wylie will appear on March 27, Lucy Dargahi, a spokesperson for the committee, confirmed to the E-Commerce Times. Cambridge Analytica on Thursday tweeted that it would cooperate with the various inquiries. We're committed to being responsible, fair and secure with data. We'll be working with everyone -- Facebook, independent auditors and the ICO -- as their investigations continue. Cambridge Analytica (@CamAnalytica) March 22, 2018 Playing Fast and Loose In the meantime, Sandy Parakilas, who was employed as operations manager at Facebook in 2011-12, on Wednesday testified before the Digital Committee in a hearing on fake news. During his 16 months at Facebook, Parakilas did not know of a single audit of a developer's storage, he said, noting that Facebook typically found out about violations from press reports, or when competitors contacted the company regarding allegations that a rival might have accessed data. "I would argue that the real challenge here is that Facebook was allowing developers access the data to people that had not explicitly authorized that," he testified. Whether developers could gain access to unauthorized user data was a known issue that he and others questioned, Parakilas said. Although the creator of the "thisisyourdigitallife" app was allowed direct access only to the 270,000 Facebook users who downloaded his quiz, he was able to access 30-50 million additional records by using friend permissions, according to Parakilas, who noted that the average Facebook user has about 200 friends. Woke Nation "This is a moment of awakening for many people," said Wayne Kurtzman, research director for social and experiential solutions at IDC. They have come to "the realization that every social post, comment or 'like' is a viable data point that can be used to market ideas and products to them," he told the E-Commerce Times. When you get something for free (like a social networking service), you are not the customer -- you are what is being sold, Kurtzman emphasized. That concept is familiar to those who understand the business side of social media, but to some it has come as a shock. Zuckerberg: 'Really Sorry' CEO Mark Zuckerberg has apologized for Facebook's shortcomings in the Cambridge Analytica data scandal and promised that the company would do better. "Mark and [COO Sheryl Sandberg] know how serious this situation is and are working with the rest of Facebook leadership to build stronger user protections," said Sue Desmond-Hellman, lead director of the company's board. "They have built the company and our business and are instrumental to its future." In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Zuckerberg appeared hesitant about personally appearing before Congress, but said if he were the right guy for the job, he would do it. Zuckerberg generally prefers to work behind the scenes, but he and other top Facebook executives apparently have begun to appreciate the gravity of the moment. I am sure that Mark Z would prefer not to appear at a hearing -- given how witnesses get lectured for hours at a time," remarked Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at Poynter. " However, "the scope of these problems is bad enough that he will probably grit his teeth and do it," he told the E-Commerce Times. Zuckerberg's remarks were a "step in the right direction," IDC's Kurtzman said. The reality of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal is encapsulated in a recent book, Technically Wrong, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. Facebook treats its social media members like low-quality products -- almost like slaves, he told the E-Commerce Times. They have no rights, and Facebook's only concern is satisfying the advertiser that pays the bills. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," Enderle said. "Facebook is the canary in the coal mine, and an early indicator of what may happen to other companies next." The view that users don't really count eventually may lead to the government getting directly involved, he warned, to police how data is managed. David Jones has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2015. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, e-commerce, open source, gaming, artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles. He has written for numerous media outlets, including Reuters, Bloomberg, Crain's New York Business and The New York Times. Email David. NEW YORK With the firm having still to commit to the newest incarnation of the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, Abercrombie & Fitch stores across the United States have been the subject of protests from workers rights campaigners. Twenty demonstrations were organised by the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF), United Students Against Sweatshops, and Workers United as part of a National Day of Action calling on all apparel brands sourcing from Bangladesh to sign a legally-binding workplace safety programme. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will write a $4.5 million check to help cover the United States' commitment to the Paris climate agreement. His offer fills the significant funding gap created by President Donald Trump's plan to withdraw from the global climate accord, which made the U.S. the only country opposed to the deal. Trump has also proposed deep budget cuts for international programs, including ones on climate. "America made a commitment, and as an American, if the government's not going to do it we all have responsibility," Bloomberg told CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday, which was also Earth Day. "I'm going to send them a check for the monies that America had promised to the organization as though they got it from the federal government." Bloomberg, who has an estimated net worth of $50.9 billion, is the UN Secretary-General's special envoy for climate action. The $4.5 million contribution provides the UN Climate Change Secretariat with 60 percent of the anticipated U.S. government support this year. Congress slashed funding for the UN agency from $7.5 million in previous years to only $3 million this year. The contribution will go towards general operations, including assisting countries with their emissions targets agreed upon by 193 nations during the landmark 2015 climate talks. Bloomberg said he would consider another contribution next year but expressed hope that Trump will re-join the Paris agreement. "He should change his mind and say look there really is a problem here. America is part of the problem. America is a big part of the solution and we should go in and help the world stop a potential disaster," he told CBS. After Trump's Paris exit, Bloomberg along with California Governor Jerry Brown launched the "We Are Still In" coalition of more than 2,700 U.S. governors, mayors, businesses, investors and colleges and universities pursuing ambitious emissions reductions regardless of federal inaction. Patricia Espinosa, the executive secretary of the UN Climate Change Secretariat, welcomed the contribution. "When countries adopted the historic Paris agreement to limit global temperature rise, they also recognized that achieving that goal would take broad-based global climate action in all sectors, public and private. I welcome this generous contribution from Bloomberg Philanthropies as an important, practical recognition of our need to work together, and to step up our response to climate change," Espinosa said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted that he was "very grateful to Michael Bloomberg, not only for his generous support to the United Nations, but also for his global leadership on climate action." During the CBS interview, Bloomberg blasted U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt, whose tenure has been marked by controversy and regulatory rollbacks in favor of the fossil fuel industry. "His job is to protect the environment, and he has walked away 100 percent from that," Bloomberg said. "His policies are not good for the world. To debunk science and walk away from it is just ridiculous," he continued. "Ninety nine percent of all scientists after peer review say that something is happening in the world. It's changing. Everybody that looks outside their window can see that we have less snow here and more snow there and bigger storms and a whole bunch of things, that the oceans are rising and things are changing and you can't deny that." Bloomberg's Earth Day message was not all doom and gloom. He teamed up with Funny Or Die to release a comedic sketch on what he and his team are doing to protect the planet. Watch below: By Michael Sainato In Virginia and West Virginia, residents and activists are battling natural gas companies over a natural gas pipeline currently being constructed. The Mountain Valley Pipeline will extend 303 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia, with a recently proposed 70 mile extension into North Carolina. The project is being funded and operated by Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC, owned by EQT Midstream Partners, LP; NextEra US Gas Assets, LLC; Con Edison Transmission, Inc.; WGL Midstream; and RGC Midstream, LLC. The pipeline will transport up to 2 billion cubic feet of fracked natural gas daily from the Marcellus and Utica shale basins, "to supply the growing need for natural gas in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern regions of the United States," according to a EQT Midstream Partners spokesperson. The Federal Energy Reserve Commission approved the pipeline in October 2017 with a 2-1 vote, with two seats on the commission vacant. The only dissenting vote was cast by Cheryl LaFleur, who cited environmental concerns and skepticism over the pipeline's necessity as influential factors on her vote against its approval. In February, a federal court denied a request to delay the pipeline's construction filed by Appalachian Voices and five other conservation organizations. Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC is currently clearing forest along the Appalachian Trail and in Jefferson National Forest for the pipeline construction. According to FERC, Mountain Valley Pipeline has until May 31 to complete tree cutting. Pipeline opponents claim the pipeline's construction will negatively impact the scenery and pose various environmental risks in the Appalachian region. "We are concerned about the Appalachian Trail and the devastation that's going to occur to the views from Peters Mountain and all along this region," said Maury Johnson, a resident and property owner in West Virginia opposing the pipeline, in an interview. "Back when I was a teenager I used to help maintain the trail, and I heard stories from those folks who helped build it in the 1930s and 40s. The trail took a 22 mile detour just to get on top of Peters Mountain and get the iconic view across West Virginia. Now with this project, you'll see the pipeline coming at you probably for thirty miles." Johnson noted that pipeline surveyors visited the property on his family farm, and he has dealt with them since surveying began in early 2015. He claimed the surveyors rushed the job, often missing details that he had to frequently point out for them to record. "Some of the work that has been done has been very flawed," he said. On his Facebook account, Johnson has posted several photos of sediment barriers set up by Mountain Valley Pipeline being breached to prevent erosion, just one of the several risks to water quality in the area posed by the pipeline. Johnson also expressed concern for Bentley's coral root, a plant listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, only found in a few areas of Virginia and West Virginia, as one of the species at risk from the pipeline's construction. The Mountain Valley Pipeline has sued several hundred landowners in West Virginia and Virginia to invoke eminent domain to allow it to cut trees and run the pipeline through their properties. Some landowners and pipeline opponents have resorted to conducting tree sit-ins, building treehouses in trees on their own property to prevent the Mountain Valley Pipeline from clearing their land. "They came through a few days ago and cut all around me," said Red Terry, a 61 year woman who has lived in a tree on her property off Poor Mountain Road in Roanoke County, West Virginia for at least three weeks, in an interview. "My daughter is also in a tree and had them on all four sides of her. She cried all day. Nobody should have the right to eminent domain for something that is not going to help people. It's to help themselves, profit before the people." Neighbors, friends, family and activists have helped assist Red in her tree sit-in. Despite her continued protest, she said that Mountain Valley Pipeline cut down several trees on her property and have pressured her to come down, including allegedly blackmailing her sister with artifacts found on her property in exchange for Red leaving the tree. "When they were cutting my trees and I had tears running down my face, the cops were watching the devastation also, I looked at one of them and I thought he was going to start crying. At the same time, four Mountain Valley Pipeline security guards were laughing, carrying on, and thought it was the greatest thing in the world." Last Thursday, police formally pressed charges against Red Terry and her daughter; trespassing, obstruction of justice and interfering with property rights. The charges have now created a stand-off, as Red and her daughter will be arrested as soon as they descend from their trees. But their fight has become a rallying call among other pipeline opponents in the area. On Peters Mountain, along the West Virginia and Virginia border, activists and local residents have organized other tree sit-ins, including setting up a monopod tower to try to block an access road to the pipeline construction. "The frontline communities impacted by the pipeline have been very supportive. The people in Appalachia have consistently throughout history fought back against exploitative industries like the Mountain Valley Pipeline," said Ashley, a tree sitter on Peters Mountain, in an interview. "There have been consistent police and security forces harassing us. Some are more hostile to us than others, but even when they try to play the good cop role, there's no doubt in my mind they are working on behalf of the interests of those building the pipeline." The identity of this tree sitter is being kept anonymous to prevent legal action against them. The U.S. Department of Agricultural Forest Service shut down the road and the area around the monopod from the public, only permitting Mountain Valley Pipeline services access. The monopod organizers have accused the U.S. Forest Service of preventing supplies, water and food from being brought to the protesters. The U.S. Forest Service did not respond to a request for comment. On March 20, Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Robert Irons denied an injunction filed by the Mountain Valley Pipeline against protesters to have them removed, permitting the tree sit-ins to continue. Pipeline opponents have pointed out the powerful political influence the Mountain Valley Pipeline companies have on elected officials in West Virginia and Virginia. The companies invested in Mountain Valley Pipeline have significantly backed both Republicans and Democrats. In the 2017-2018 election cycle, EQT Midstream Partners gave Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's campaign $25,000 and his inaugural committee another $25,000 after donating $20,000 to Republican Governor candidate Ed Gillespie's campaign. In total, they've donated $60,000 to Republican state legislators in Virginia and $56,000 to Democrats. At the federal level, EQT has donated $5,000 to Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and $1000 to Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) this election cycle. Opposition to the pipeline has started to draw some support from elected officials. On April 16, 11 Virginia House delegates, including Lee Carter, a Democratic Socialist who unseated one of the state's top Republicans in a November 2017 election, signed onto a letter of support for peaceful protesters against the Mountain Valley Pipeline. "We oppose both the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast Pipelines," said Tom McIntire,a spokesperson for Delegate Lee Carter, in an email. "These projects do not provide any benefit for Virginia or her residents and ask those same residents to bear costs that are too great to reasonably expect of them. With every avenue we are given, we will work (with our colleagues of both parties alongside advocates) to ensure that these disastrous projects are halted." As elected officials begin to support efforts to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline, conservation organizations are still pursuing litigation to halt construction. There are currently four separate cases in litigation being represented by attorneys for Appalachian Mountain Advocates and other conservation organizations. One challenging the state of Virginia's clean water act 401 certification of the pipeline and one challenging the the actions of the U.S. Forest Service to grant a right of way through Jefferson National Forest are scheduled to be heard on May 8. The third case challenging the Army Corps of Engineers' Water Quality Review is scheduled to be heard in September, with the fourth case challenging the "certificate of public convenience and necessity" granted to the pipeline by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission still pending a briefing schedule in Washington, DC court. Reposted with permission from our media associate Common Dreams. The first Earth Day helped create the system of regulations, from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts, that the U.S. depends upon to protect its air, water and wildlife. But President Donald Trump celebrated the 48th Earth Day by defending his administration's efforts to rollback regulations, arguing that the rollbacks are actually better for the environment. "We know that it is impossible for humans to flourish without clean air, land, and water. We also know that a strong, market-driven economy is essential to protecting these resources," he said in a statement released Sunday. "For this reason, my Administration is dedicated to removing unnecessary and harmful regulations that restrain economic growth and make it more difficult for local communities to prosper and to choose the best solutions for their environment," the statement further asserted. The message tried to cast the administration's rollbacks as beneficial to the environment, because they would boost the economy and the economy would help the environment. However, the statement did not explain how or why a strong economy would protect the environment. In fact, many critics have noted that the Trump administration's environmental policies favor industry at the expense of natural systems and public health. A March study by the Environmental Integrity Project found that the EPA's decision to reverse the "once in always in" rule, which held that polluters once designated as "major" would always face stricter regulations, could allow just 12 major polluters in the Midwest to generate four times the amount of toxic air pollution. Also in March, EPA head Scott Pruitt told employees to give him the final sign-off on whether development or industrial projects threatened wetlands, rivers and streams, a move that environmentalists said would allow Pruitt to bypass protections to benefit corporate interests. A recent rule change proposed by the Department of Interior would also favor industry at the expense of threatened species by getting rid of the "blanket rule" that gives all species listed as threatened the same protections as endangered species. Tellingly, Trump's Earth Day statement, like his 2017 remarks, did not mention climate change. Democrats used Earth Day to state their opposition to Trump's environmental agenda. "The anti-climate agenda coming out of this admin is wrongheaded. The majority of Americans want to protect the environment and keep our air and water clean," Senator Kamala Harris tweeted, as The Washington Post reported. Others singled out Pruitt in particular. "The best way to celebrate #EarthDay: Call on Scott Pruitt to resign," Senator Chris Van Hollen tweeted, according to The Washington Post. By John Hall The wind industry is growing quickly around the world, especially in China and the U.S., where the total amount of electricity generated by wind turbines nearly doubled between 2011 and 2017. All told, about 25 percent of global electricity now comes from renewable sources like hydropower, wind and solar energy. As a wind energy researcher, I realize it will be hard for the industry to keep up this pace. Yet ample evidence supports widespread predictions that the volume of wind energy will continue to grow quicklyhere and abroad, on land and offshorefor reasons that most electricity consumers can support. Rapid Growth Wind turbines, which convert moving air into electrical power, currently produce 6.3 percent of the electricity the U.S. consumes. Texas leads the nation overall in terms of the amount of power it gets from wind. Iowa gets a higher share of its electricity from wind turbines than any other state37 percent. The U.S. still lags other nations, particularly those in Europe, with offshore wind production. But even on that front, the U.S. has seen growth. The nation's first commercial offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Rhode Island, began operating in 2016. New York state plans to build a much larger offshore farm. And California may soon establish floating offshore wind farms. Some Challenges Wind is abundant, ubiquitous and free, but sometimes it dies down. Consequently, the energy from wind turbines can't provide power around the clock. Recent improvements in energy storage technology and turbine efficiency, however, are lowering costs and may potentially reduce the downside of wind's intermittent nature. Today, wind power faces another challenge: politics. The Trump administration is sending mixed signals regarding the industry. It exited the Paris agreement yet supports wind power growth as part of its "American energy dominance" policy. Its Advantages Meanwhile, market forces coupled with widespread concerns over climate change continue to propel the wind industry. Such is the enthusiasm from tech giants, such as Apple and Google, which are proactively seeking to rely on wind energy, rather than fossil fuels. And this wind rush is creating jobs in manufacturing, services and science. With total generating capacity projected to increase from about 89 gigawatts to more than 400 gigawatts over the next 30 years, the Energy Department says the industry may eventually employ 600,000 American workers. John Hall is assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the The University at Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Disclosure statement: John Hall receives funding from the National Science Foundation. Reposted with permission from our media associate The Conversation. (Photo: WCC / Chris Black)Former South African President Nelson Mandela joins a South African choir at the 8th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Harare, Zimbabwe that was held between December 3-14, 1998. Representatives from the World Council of Churches and the All Africa Conference of Churches preparing for a key conference in Africa next year have acknowledged that the Church is growing on the continent, and that growth fastest in newer churches. They focused on prevailing issues, such as: the future of the Church in Africa, governance, poverty, gender issues, youth bulge, environment and climate change. "We recognized that there is numerical increase in the Church in Africa, which is a strength; the increase is mainly in the newer churches," they said in a statement released by the WCC. "This is not to indicate that there is conflict between the newer churches and the older churches. "However, we recognized that there are contradictions in telling the African Church story, with its ever-changing landscape in ideas, practices, and institutions. The ever-changing landscape of African Christianity impacts on ecumenism. The statement was issued ahead of the March 8-13, 2018 Conference on World Mission and Evangelism in Arusha, Tanzania. They acknowledged the global event in ecumenical history and the need to make a concrete contribution to the content of the conference, includes both commitments from churches in Africa and calls to the ecumenical world. Participants expressed serious concern on the issue of human dignity. It was highlighted as crucial for the Church in Africa to pay attention on safeguarding, knowing that human dignity is a gift from God. The African Church needs to generate the message of hope and pass on to the next generations through the process of mentoring and discipleship, which then becomes a key global mission focus of the African Church. (Photo: Peter Kenny / Ecumenical News)The Church of the Lord, Aladura Primate Rev. Rufus Okikiolaolu Ositelu leads a delegation from his church to the Orthodox Center Of The Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambesy, Geneva on Jan. 30, 2018 The primate of The Church of the Lord, Aladura, Worldwide, an African initiated church founded in 1925 talks with pride about how the founder had a calling from God to have women serving with men in pastoral work. Primate Rev. Rufus Okikiolaolu Ositelu, metropolitan archbishop of the church visited Geneva and the World Council of Churches on Jan. 29-30. He spelled out some of the ecumenical, inter-faith and developmental work of the Church of the Lord, which joined the WCC in 1975 in an interview with the WCC. "According to the founder, he said God told him to have both males and females in the pastoral work and the church. Since, then it has been growing in multiples," said Ositelupointing to how the church was a pathfinder in both the global and African context. He is the son of the church founder, Josiah Olunowo Ositelu. He noted that now the church is thriving all over West Africa: in Liberia, Sierra Leone and of course Nigeria with women serving at all levels in the church. "The church is the first African church to be established on European soil and that was back in April 1964. The church is also thriving in the United States of America, so that is where the name worldwide came from. We are in Australia too." He lists the six tenets of The Church of the Lord, Aladura, which in Nigeria's southwestern Nigeria Yoruba language means "owners of prayer", "Prayer Fellowship" or "The Praying People". ECUMENICAL IN OUTLOOK "We are: ecumenical in outlook; Pentecostal in power; biblical in pattern; social in responsibility; evangelical in vision and prophetic in ministry." The church has 3.6 million members and joined the WCC in 1975 with the visit of the delegation taking place as part of the celebration of the WCC's 70 years as a living fellowship. The Church of the Lord is also a member of the Organization of African Instituted Churches; All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC); Christian Association of Nigeria, a broadly ecumenical group that includes traditional Protestant churches, the Roman Catholic Church and Pentecostal churches; and the Christian Council of Nigeria that includes traditional Protestant churches and is part of the WCC. "I am the vice-president of the Christian Council of Nigeria, so the church is also playing its role," said Ositelu. Then there is in the multi-faith dimension, as the primate said, "We are very passionate about peaceful coexistence. If we get to know one another there will be no problems." The primate comes from Africa's most populous nation of 190 million people where Christianity and Muslim are the two dominant religions, but he said he also comes from where African traditional religions are also strong. "We have just inaugurated an NGO (non-governmental organization) ...to work with Muslims and African traditional religions, a mission on peace," said Ositelu. He observed that people say there is a problem between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria who some say balance each other out numerically. CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS LIVING PEACEFULLY "The answer to that problem is right here in Nigeria because in the southwest of Nigeria, Christians and Muslims are living together peacefully." Ositelu notes that some people in the north where Islam dominates believe that Muslims in the south "are pagans". Educating Nigerians is a key to solving many of Nigeria's problems but there needs to be teaching so that people can move forward with their lives and not merely religious instruction at schools. "Every one of us cannot be a pastor. Every one of us cannot be an imam. We need people who are going be doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers and so on," said the primate. And when it comes to working towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, "the church generally believes that they can play a role in this area...Many churches in Nigeria have vocational institutes where they train people in trades." He cited a medical centre run by The Church of the Lord in which the first woman who gave birth there was a Muslim; "because our role is to take care of humanity." INTER-FAITH CENTER Ositelu also mentioned the inter-faith centre in Kaduna in northern Nigeria where Christians and Muslims have committed to work together for peace. He said it needs Islamic partners to fill the places set aside for them in the equal venture. "I am optimistic about ecumenical and interfaith work in Nigeria," said the primate, who attended his first WCC Assembly in Harare in 1998. He said, however, it seems strange that sometimes Christian groups who don't talk to each other at home will meet when they attend regional and global ecumenical meetings. "Through the AACC and WCC we started talking," said Ositelu. "I was wondering if we talk in Geneva, why can't we talk at home? Regional and global ecumenical bodies are helping national churches to talk together." Oklahoma teachers returned to their classrooms last week, ending a nine-day statewide walkout. The Oklahoma Education Association decided to stop the strike, saying that teachers had achieved all that we will be able to accomplish this legislative session. In a Facebook poll, however, almost 7,000 people said they would not consider the walkout to be over without securing additional school funding. The union estimates that the effort has secured $479 million in education funding for the next school year. That includes a $6,100 pay raise for teachers. Still, thats less than what the union had initially asked for, which included a $10,000 pay raise over three years. Meanwhile, teachers in Arizona voted in favor of a walkout and teachers in Colorado were considering whether to strike. It has been 35 years since a federally funded commission charted a bold new course for public education in an explosive report aptly titled A Nation at Risk. If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, its authors warned, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. Established by then-Secretary of Education Terrel Bell during Ronald Reagans first term as president, the National Commission on Excellence in Education laid bare the troubled state of a public school system racked by property-tax revolts, the upheavals of desegregation, and myriad other challenges. The commissions defining insight was that the United States needed to recalibrate the mission of its public schools, with a centerpiece recommendation for a core high school curriculum for every student. The commission called it the New Basics. The emerging post-industrial economy elevated brains over brawn. The civil rights movement demanded an increased national commitment to equal educational opportunity. Public educations practice of preparing most students for work in factories or on assembly lines was no longer good enough. Thinking skills were the new raw materials of international commerce that all students need, the commission declared. Governors and state legislators, eager to ready their workforces for the emerging knowledge economy, embraced the proposal. Dozens of states demanded that students take moreand more demandingcourses in English, math, science, and history as part of a wide-ranging reform agenda that put education on the front pages of the nations newspapers for the first time since the Russians put Sputnik in space in the late 1950s. Given the magnitude of the challenge, it's hardly a surprise that we haven't fully achieved the Reagan era's audacious aspirations for public education." It was a shock to the public education system. The nations high schools were staffed to teach a lot more woodworking and pre-algebra than chemistry and calculus. Many local educators simply didnt believe that a majority of students could study rigorous subjects. Instead of more math and English, what we really need for many kids are more courses in how to plant trees and such, a Florida high school principal told me, a perspective I heard often in the 1980s while researching a book on the era. Many educators disparaged public educations new academic focus as elitist and subverted the New Basics by enrolling students in watered-down courses like general science and informal geometry. In many school districts, students could complete a four-year sequence in the fundamentals of math without studying anything but arithmetic. In others, commercial food preparation and auto-body repair counted toward science requirements. Its fashionable in education circles today, on both the right and the left, to disparage the national education initiatives since A Nation at Risk as federal overreach. Before the Trump administration took over, Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Republican chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the principal author of the Every Student Succeeds Act, complained about the federal government being a national school board. But it was the jaded response to the New Basics decades ago that led national and state leaders of both political parties to take increasingly direct steps to get local educators to aim higher. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush and the nations governors set national education goals. As Bushs second education secretary, Alexander advocated voluntary national standards and tests. Both became a reality in the form of the Common Core State Standards and the PARCC and Smarter Balanced tests. Unfortunately, many of our nations current political leaders, including Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, seem to have lost sight of A Nation at Risk and its central tenet. They insist that local educators who know students best should set the standards, and they argue that teaching students to use their hands rather than their heads isnt a bad thing. But they dont acknowledge that in the past, vocational education was often a dumping ground for the students public education didnt want to educate, rather than an alternative path to postsecondary success. Despite a recent tweet hailing A Nation at Risk as a landmark document and an admonishment that 35 years later, we are a nation still at risk, Secretary DeVos has ignored local school districts troubled history of low expectations. She has disparaged the work of her predecessors to address the problem, attacked the common core, and demanded that local educators be left in charge of educational expectations. Not surprisingly, her predecessors pushed back at a symposium earlier this month on the landmark education report. The pressure to relent [on high standards for all students] at the local level is fierce, said Margaret Spellings, former secretary of education under the George W. Bush administration. DeVos agenda closely mirrors that of the Reagan administration before A Nation at Risk, with sharp cuts in federal education funding, private school vouchers, and diminished federal protections for vulnerable students. In fact, Reagan had first used the release of the report to promote vouchers and the administrations conservative agenda. Only when Reagans aide Michael Deaver and pollster Richard Wirthlin seized on the reports workforce themes as a way to win favor in the 1984 presidential race did Reagan turn the commissions call to arms into a national crusade. Given the magnitude of the challenge, its hardly a surprise that we havent fully achieved the Reagan eras audacious aspirations for public education. But the anniversary of A Nation at Risk should remind us of the reports important charge to the nations educatorsand the reluctance of many educators to embrace it. The wage gap between the educated and the undereducated continues to expand, and students of color are increasingly the nations future. If Secretary DeVos truly wants educational equity, she should follow her predecessors in pushing local educators to pursue the reports groundbreaking goal. Lifeboat crew called out twice in 24 hours One of the Island's lifeboat crews is urging those taking to the sea to ensure their vessels are in full working order after receiving two callouts in 24 hours. Peel RNLI crew was called out on Saturday night after a boat returning from a day trip to County Down in Northern Ireland ran out of fuel on the return journey to the Island. The lifeboat was launched at 9.40pm to locate the stranded family and tow them back to Peel Harbour, arriving shortly before midnight. The team was needed again yesterday evening after a vessel experienced engine failure one mile west of Knocksherry, needing to be towed back to the port. The lifeboat crew says it's important to be fully prepared and check all equipment is in working order before heading out in a boat. Mike Convertino joined F5 Networks as the companys first Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) in 2016 and has overseen a transformation of the way technology and human resources are used to help secure the companys infrastructure. In a video interview with eSecurity Planet at last weeks RSA Conference, Convertino explained what his role is and how the tools and resources he uses have changed over the last two years. Generally speaking, the role of CISO is about protecting the enterprise, Convertino also plays a role in guiding F5s product architecture as well as features that are embedded into customer-facing products. Convertino noted that hes customer number 1, as it were, for F5s gear, testing out new and in-development services to protect F5s own IT estate. Not surprisingly, Convertino uses the full suite of F5 gear, including different BIG-IP firewall and network security technologies, including Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM), Application Security Manager (ASM) and Access Policy Manager (APM). The F5 Silverline DDoS filtering and mitigation technology is also used by Convertino. He noted that while F5 has not been hit by mega DDoS attacks recently, it has seen many attacks at the application level, which Silverline has been able to effectively mitigate. For non-F5 technologies, Convertino said that he tends to use Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings to help keep costs down. Overall, he noted that when he first started at F5, approximately 60 percent of his technology was physical hardware, which has now declined to approximately 20 percent in 2018. Convertino said his team uses product development libraries in its security infrastructure, as well as developing configuration and rules for mitigation. We take the coding that we use for ourselves and our own infrastructure, hand it over to the product group and it winds up in products, Convertino said. Its a nice symbiotic relationship that is only really possible at a security company. Watch the full video interview below: Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eSecurityPlanet and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist. A new international study involving The Australian National University (ANU) and The University of Sydney has found that galaxies grow bigger and puffier as they age. Co-researcher Professor Matthew Colless from ANU said that stars in a young galaxy moved in an orderly way around the galaxy's disk, much like cars around a racetrack. "All galaxies look like squashed spheres, but as they grow older they become puffier with stars going around in all directions," said Professor Colless, who is the Director of the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics and a Chief Investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence in All-Sky Astrophysics in 3D (ASTRO 3D). "Our Milky Way is more than 13 billion years old, so it is not young anymore, but the galaxy still has both a central bulge of old stars and spiral arms of young stars." To work out a galaxy's shape, the research team measured the movement of stars with an instrument called SAMI on the Anglo-Australian Telescope at the ANU Siding Spring Observatory. They studied 843 galaxies of all kinds and with a hundred-fold range in mass. The study, which is published in Nature Astronomy, was funded by ASTRO 3D at ANU and the ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO) at The University of Sydney. Lead author Dr Jesse van de Sande, from The University of Sydney and ASTRO 3D, said that it was not obvious that galaxy shape and age had to be linked, so the connection was surprising and could point to a deep underlying relationship. "As a galaxy ages, internal changes take place and the galaxy may collide with others," Dr van de Sande said. "These events disorder the stars' movements." Co-author Dr Nicholas Scott, from the University of Sydney and ASTRO 3D, said scientists measured a galaxy's age through colour. "Young, blue stars grow old and turn red," he said. "When we plotted how ordered the galaxies were against how squashed they were, the relationship with age leapt out. Galaxies that have the same squashed spherical shape, have stars of the same age as well." Dr van de Sande said scientists had known for a long time that shape and age were linked in very extreme galaxies, that is very flat ones and very round ones. "This is the first time we've shown shape and age are related for all kinds of galaxies, not just the extremes - all shapes, all ages, all masses," he said. University of Sydney co-author Dr Julia Bryant, lead scientist for the SAMI instrument, said the team was still searching for the simple, powerful relationships like shape and age that underlie a lot of the complexity scientists see in galaxies. "To see those relationships, you need detailed information on large numbers of galaxies," she said. The Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) is building SAMI's successor instrument, Hector, which is designed to observe 100 galaxies at a time. ### ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: CAASTRO is a $28 million Research Centre of Excellence funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC). CAASTRO is led by The University of Sydney, in conjunction with ANU, The University of Melbourne, The University of Western Australia, Curtin University and Swinburne University. ASTRO 3D is a $40 million Research Centre of Excellence funded by the ARC and six collaborating Australian universities led by ANU: The University of Sydney, The University of Melbourne, Swinburne University of Technology, The University of Western Australia and Curtin University. FOR INTERVIEWS: Professor Matthew Colless Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics ANU College of Science T: +61 2 6125 0266 M: +61 431 898 345 E: matthew.colless@anu.edu.au Dr Jesse van de Sande The University of Sydney T: +61 2 8627 4223 E: jesse.vandesande@sydney.edu.au Dr Nicholas Scott The University of Sydney T: +61 2 9114 2158 E: nicholas.scott@sydney.edu.au Dr Julia Bryant The University of Sydney T: +61 2 9351 2152 E: julia.bryant@sydney.edu.au For media assistance, contact: Will Wright, Senior Media Communications Officer at ANU, on +61 2 6100 3486, the ANU media hotline on +612 6125 7979 or at . Vivienne Reiner, media adviser at The University of Sydney, on +61 438 021 390 or at . For the first-time there is the prospect of medical doctors and researchers being able to alleviate the serious symptoms that follow with Parkinson's disease. The disease is otherwise best known for causing shaking, muscle stiffness and slow movements in those affected; however, before things get that far and during the course of the disease, many patients experience sleep disorders, gastrointestinal problems, anxiety and depression. Unlike the symptoms in the motor system, there is no effective treatment for these more neglected symptoms. A team of researchers from Aarhus University has now moved a step closer to understanding how the early symptoms occur - and possibly also how they can be checked. In the study, which has just been published in the scientific journal EMBO Reports, the researchers show that in nerve cells with the same type of stress as Parkinson's disease, there is a marked loss of calcium. Calcium is a basic element in the body and if the level of calcium decreases, cells cannot function. That is why it is very important to stop the loss of calcium. This is especially true for people who have an early stage of Parkinson's disease, because malfunctioning nerve cells can give rise to symptoms such as sleep disorders and anxiety. According to the lead author of the study, MSc in Engineering and PhD, Cristine Betzer from the brain research centre DANDRITE at Aarhus University, being able to save the cells indicates that the symptoms can be inhibited. "The study indicates that the treatment of calcium disturbances is meaningful because the nerve cells are protected. This may help to prevent the disease from developing into such a disabling disease as would otherwise be the case, "says Cristine Betzer. One characteristic of Parkinson's disease is that the patient loses control of his or her fine motor skills. This happens when protein structures in the brain begin to clump together and kill off nerve cells. By examining brain tissue from mice, pigs and humans, Cristine Betzer discovered that the clumped together proteins activate a calcium pump. When the pump begins working, the cells do not work normally and eventually die. It is therefore a case of inhibiting the activation of the pump in the first place. In Aarhus, the researchers succeeded in doing this in a worm model that was modified to express human genes. "Experiments in the United States with similar models have shown that once the worms with the Parkinson's protein have lived for eight days, their nerve cells begin to die. In our study, we treated the worms with an inhibitor against the calcium pump and then counted the nerve cells in the worms. And there were many cells left. Which is a sensational and encouraging result, "says Cristine Betzer. She emphasises that the result cannot be directly transposed to humans, but it is a positive indication for the upcoming studies that will be carried out on mice and rats. "It's a question of regulating calcium in the nerve cells. This is complicated, but also a promising area, as there are already a large number of medications for regulating calcium. It's possible that the knowledge which already exists about the medications can help us make progress quicker in the new area", explains Cristine Betzer. She hopes that the study will offer new opportunities for treating Parkinson's disease. Particularly for people who suffer from severe sleep disorders and cognitive disorders. "Our study points towards the usefulness of treating patients throughout the whole course of the disease, as the calcium pump will otherwise continue to pump and thus contribute to the patient's symptoms. Perhaps the protection of nerve cells can also mean that the damage caused by Parkinson's disease in the brain does not develop as severely as it otherwise would," says Cristine Betzer. ### BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Bringing black parents into school settings can work toward shifting and closing the cultural disconnects between black families and predominantly white school personnel, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. Black students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 experience persistent educational disparities involving disproportionate disciplinary practices. To address this, Denise Yull and Marguerite Wilson, assistant professors of human development at Binghamton University, analyzed the impact of the Parent Mentor Program, which brings together black parents, community members, school district personnel and University researchers to implement a race-conscious parent engagement project to transform the experiences of black parents and black children in school. "We worked with black parents, teachers, administrators, social workers and community members to create a vision for a parent engagement program that would allow black parents a presence in the schools to advocate for their children and improve the quality of their schooling experiences," wrote the researchers. "The purpose of the program is to introduce a more race-conscious parent engagement model to the school district, which differs from the conventional parent engagement models that privilege white, middle-class behavior norms." The researchers found that black parents in the school district were continually marginalized and dismissed as they attempted to engage school personnel in conversations about the discipline of their children. Despite this, parent mentors' use of race-conscious and culturally relevant practices have kept some black children "pushed in" instead of "pushed out" of classrooms, which often results in disciplinary proceedings and suspension. "They were not just passive observers, but actively involved in encouraging student engagement and positive communication between the teacher and students, as well as their parents," wrote the researchers. "The parents were able to observe which students needed help, to anticipate disciplinary or behavioral challenges, and to interact one-on-one with students who may have needed extra help." The paper, "Keeping Black Children Pushed Into, Not Pushed Out of, Classrooms: Developing a Race-Conscious Parent Engagement Project," was published in the Journal of Black Psychology. ### (Boston)--Melissa Chua, a fourth-year medical student at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), has received the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship. The purpose of the award is to foster the development of the next generation of medical researchers. Chua was born in Australia and raised in Singapore. She traveled to Boston in 2010 to attend Boston University (BU) where she double majored in biochemistry and molecular biology and neuroscience, and obtained a master's degree in biotechnology as part of the combined BA/MA program. During her first year of medical school in 2014, Chua was accepted to the Medical Student Summer Research Program under the mentorship of BUSM's Isabel Dominguez, PhD, assistant professor of medicine. Along with Dominguez, Chua published three studies, "CK2 in Cancer: Cellular and Biochemical Mechanisms and Potential Therapeutic Target," in the journal Pharmaceuticals; "Cancer-Type Dependent Expression of CK2 Transcripts," in the journal PLOS One and "Comparative Analysis of Non-viral Transfection Methods in Mouse Embryonic Fibroblast (MEF) Cells," in the Journal of Biomolecular Techniques. Chua is currently taking a year off from BUSM to conduct research on brain tumors at the Center for Stem Cell Therapeutics and Imaging at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She is investigating the potential of combining oncolytic virotherapy and immunotherapy for the treatment of glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain tumor In addition to her studies and research, Chua is a member of BU's miXx K-pop cover dance crew. ### PITTSBURGH -- Walls are what they are -- big, dull dividers. With a few applications of conductive paint and some electronics, however, walls can become smart infrastructure that sense human touch, and detect things like gestures and when appliances are used. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Disney Research found that they could transform dumb walls into smart walls at relatively low cost -- about $20 per square meter --using simple tools and techniques, such as a paint roller. These new capabilities might enable users to place or move light switches or other controls anywhere on a wall that's most convenient, or to control videogames by using gestures. By monitoring activity in the room, this system could adjust light levels when a TV is turned on or alert a user in another location when a laundry machine or electric kettle turns off. "Walls are usually the largest surface area in a room, yet we don't make much use of them other than to separate spaces, and perhaps hold up pictures and shelves," said Chris Harrison, assistant professor in CMU's Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII). "As the internet of things and ubiquitous computing become reality, it is tempting to think that walls can become active parts of our living and work environments." Yang Zhang, a Ph.D. student in the HCII, will present a research paper on this sensing approach, called Wall++, at CHI 2018, the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, April 21-26 in Montreal. The researchers found that they could use conductive paint to create electrodes across the surface of a wall, enabling it to act both as a touchpad to track users' touch and an electromagnetic sensor to detect and track electrical devices and appliances. "Walls are large, so we knew that whatever technique we invented for smart walls would have to be low cost," Zhang said. He and his colleagues thus dispensed with expensive paints, such as those containing silver, and picked a water-based paint containing nickel. They also wanted to make it easy to apply the special coating with simple tools and without special skills. Using painter's tape, they found they could create a cross-hatched pattern on a wall to create a grid of diamonds, which testing showed was the most effective electrode pattern. After applying two coats of conductive paint with a roller, they removed the tape and connected the electrodes. They then finished the wall with a top coat of standard latex paint to improve durability and hide the electrodes. The electrode wall can operate in two modes -- capacitive sensing and electromagnetic (EM) sensing. In capacitive sensing, the wall functions like any other capacitive touchpad: when a person touches the wall, the touch distorts the wall's electrostatic field at that point. In EM sensing mode, the electrode can detect the distinctive electromagnetic signatures of electrical or electronic devices, enabling the system to identify the devices and their locations. Similarly, if a person is wearing a device that emits an EM signature, the system can track the location of that person, Zhang said. Wall++ hasn't been optimized for energy consumption, Zhang said, but he estimated the wall-sized electrodes consume about as much power as a standard touch screen. ### In addition to Zhang and Harrison, the research team included HCII Professor Scott Hudson, and Alanson Sample and Chouchang (Jack) Yang of Disney Research. A video demonstrating the technology is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=175LB2OiMHs&feature=youtu.be An international team of scientists has demonstrated a breakthrough in the design and function of nanoparticles that could make solar panels more efficient by converting light usually missed by solar cells into usable energy. The team, led by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), demonstrated how coating tiny particles with organic dyes greatly enhances their ability to capture near-infrared light and to reemit the light in the visible light spectrum, which could also be useful for biological imaging. Once they understood the mechanism that enables the dyes on nanoparticles to function as antennas to gather a broad range of light, they successfully reengineered the nanoparticles to further amplify the particles' light-converting properties. Their study was published online April 23 in Nature Photonics. "These organic dyes capture broad swaths of near-infrared light," said Bruce Cohen, a scientist at Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry who helped to lead the study along with Molecular Foundry scientists P. James Schuck (now at Columbia University), and Emory Chan. The Molecular Foundry is a nanoscience research center. "Since the near-infrared wavelengths of light are often unused in solar technologies that focus on visible light," Cohen added, "and these dye-sensitized nanoparticles efficiently convert near-infrared light to visible light, they raise the possibility of capturing a good portion of the solar spectrum that otherwise goes to waste, and integrating it into existing solar technologies." Researchers found that the dye itself amplifies the brightness of the reemitted light about 33,000-fold, and its interaction with the nanoparticles increases its efficiency in converting light by about 100 times. Cohen, Schuck, and Chan had worked for about a decade to design, fabricate, and study the upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) used in this study. UCNPs absorb near-infrared light and efficiently convert it to visible light, an unusual property owing to combinations of lanthanide metal ions in the nanocrystals. A 2012 study suggested that dyes on the UCNPs' surface dramatically enhances the particles' light-converting properties, but the mechanism remained a mystery. "There was a lot of excitement and then a lot of confusion," Cohen said. "It had us scratching our heads." Although many researchers had tried to reproduce the study in the following years, "Few people could get the published procedure to work," added Chan. "The dyes appeared to degrade almost immediately upon exposure to light, and nobody knew exactly how the dyes were interacting with the nanoparticle surface." The unique mix of expertise and capabilities at the Molecular Foundry, which included theoretical work and a mix of experiments, chemistry know-how, and well-honed synthetic techniques, made the latest study possible, he noted. "It's one of those projects that would be difficult to do anywhere else." Experiments led by David Garfield, a UC Berkeley Ph.D. student, and Nicholas Borys, a Molecular Foundry project scientist, showed a symbiotic effect between the dye and the lanthanide metals in the nanoparticles. The proximity of the dyes to the lanthanides in the particles enhances the presence of a dye state known as a "triplet," which then transfers its energy to the lanthanides more efficiently. The triplet state allowed a more efficient conversion of multiple infrared units of light, known as photons, into single photons of visible light. The studies showed that a match in the measurements of the dye's light emission and the particles' light absorption confirmed the presence of this triplet state, and helped inform the scientists about what was at work. "The peaks (in dye emission and UCNP absorption) matched almost exactly," Cohen said. They then found that by increasing the concentration of lanthanide metals in the nanoparticles, from 22 percent to 52 percent, they could increase this triplet effect to improve the nanoparticles' light-converting properties. "The metals are promoting dyes to their triplet states, which helps to explain both the efficiency of energy transfer and the instability of the dyes, since triplets tend to degrade in air," Cohen said. The nanoparticles, which measure about 12 nanometers, or billionths of meters, across, could potentially be applied to the surface of solar cells to help them capture more light to convert into electricity, Schuck said. "The dyes act as molecular-scale solar concentrators, funneling energy from near-infrared photons into the nanoparticles," Schuck said. Meanwhile, the particles themselves are largely transparent to visible light, so they would allow other usable light to pass through, he noted. Another potential use is to introduce the nanoparticles into cells to help label cell components for optical microscopy studies. They could be used for deep-tissue imaging, for example, or in optogenetics - a field that uses light to control cell activity. There are some roadblocks for researchers to overcome to realize these applications, Cohen said, as they are currently unstable and were studied in a nitrogen environment to avoid exposure to air. More R&D is needed to evaluate possible protective coatings for the particles, such as different polymers that serve to encapsulate the particles. "We have even better designs in mind going forward," he said. ### The Molecular Foundry is a DOE Office of Science User Facility. Researchers from UC Berkeley, the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea, and the Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute at UC Berkeley also participated in this study. This work was supported by the DOE Office of Science; the National Science Foundation; the China Scholarship Council; and the Ministry of Science, Information and Communication Technology, and Future Planning of South Korea. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov. DOE's 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 science.energy.gov. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The Arctic is undergoing rapid change, with sea ice melting and temperatures rising at a faster pace than anywhere else in the world. Its changing environment affects global security, politics, the economy and the climate. Understanding these changes is crucial for shaping and safeguarding U.S. security in the future, Sandia scientists say. Sandia and the University of Alaska Fairbanks recently signed an umbrella Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to study these changes and partner on basic science, energy and security research in the Arctic. "For the last 40 to 50 years, the Arctic environment has been changing at twice the pace of what's happening globally, and during the last 20 years, it's accelerated to three times the pace," Joe Hardesty, a Sandia earth sciences engineer, said. "Those changes don't stop in the Arctic. Historically, when we've had more opening of ocean systems in the Atlantic and the Pacific, major change and shifts in socio-economic and political power have happened around the globe, and we wouldn't necessarily expect the Arctic to be different." The agreement runs the gamut of projects, from working toward a comprehensive multi-agency research facility that tackles overarching Arctic issues, supporting Alaskan resilience against natural disasters and the harsh environment, studying the suitability of renewable energy and microgrids for the Arctic environment, flying tethered balloons and drones to measure atmospheric temperatures and collaborating on satellite sensing, detection and nonproliferation work. "There are a lot of concerns in science, security and energy stability where Sandia's capabilities are complementary or distinct from the university's, and this partnership is an opportunity for us to help the U.S. manage the risks and responsibilities that come with the changes in the Arctic," said Lori Parrott, a Sandia atmospheric sciences manager. "The opening up of sea ice is going to lead to concerns for border security. As a country, we must consider how to ensure that our fourth coast is as secure as our other coasts." Sandia manages two facilities at sites on the North Slope of Alaska as part of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program, a national scientific user facility funded through the Department of Energy's Office of Science. Sandia also manages two areas of controlled airspace from the Alaska north coast toward the North Pole on behalf of the Department of Energy, which provides opportunities for scientific testing and technology evaluation over the Arctic Ocean. The University of Alaska Fairbanks, a public university, does extensive research on such Arctic issues as permafrost, coastal erosion, sea ice, search and rescue operations, glaciers, remote energy systems and more. The university's Geophysical Institute contains the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration, a research center that develops, tests and ultimately exploits emerging unmanned aircraft technology and its uses, with a special emphasis on the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. "We have a shared interest in the Arctic and Arctic science," said Nettie LaBelle-Hamer, a University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher. "It's part of our DNA here at UAF. Arctic-related science and infrastructure collaboration on the researcher level have been pretty successful between Sandia and UAF over the years, and this CRADA is helping us grow that. We have a lot in common, and as projects move forward, we'll be better together." The partnership is in early stages, but work has already begun on a variety of projects: Comprehensive Arctic research facility: Many agencies have Arctic research facilities that focus on their specific needs and operations, but there is no collaborative research facility that addresses complex, overarching Arctic issues and brings together private and public agencies. Sandia and the University of Alaska Fairbanks are working with other organizations to plan and build support for a joint facility, similar in concept to existing stations in the Antarctic. Arctic resilience: Climate change, permafrost thaw, melting sea ice, ice jams, earthquakes, tsunamis and harsh conditions all pose a threat to remote Arctic communities, industry and infrastructure. The university is leading a project to develop an Arctic computer modeling, simulation and analysis program similar to the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center that includes Sandia. The center studies infrastructure and models how it responds to natural disasters and other threats to help make remote systems and communities more resilient. Energy research: Sandia and the university are researching how emerging renewable energy and grid-integration technologies perform in remote parts of Alaska that experience harsh arctic conditions, including wide temperature cycles, grid power-quality issues and geomagnetic disturbances. Sandia photovoltaic systems manager Abraham Ellis said, "Access to affordable and resilient electricity is a challenge for many Alaska communities, and that harsh environment provides a really useful proving ground for new energy technologies, such as advanced power electronics and resilient systems, that will eventually have to be applied to the rest of the grid." The university has also been active in this area with the Alaska Center for Energy and Power. The new partnership between Sandia and the University of Alaska Fairbanks will be discussed at Alaska National Lab Day May 30-31 in Fairbanks. The event will feature a variety of speakers from the Department of Energy's national laboratories, plus Alaska academia and industry. The event will highlight partnerships and opportunity for collaboration on national security, science and energy research. ### Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California. Sandia news media contact: Kristen Meub, klmeub@sandia.gov, 505-845-7215 DURHAM, N.C. -- The rise of social media and fake news challenge long-held assumptions about the First Amendment and are undermining the functioning of the "the marketplace of ideas," a Duke professor argues in a new article. "There are a number of very specific ways in which the structure and operation of today's digital media ecosystem favors falsity over truth; and this shifting balance raises some troubling implications for how we think about the First Amendment," says author Philip Napoli, professor at Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy. Much of our thinking about the First Amendment assumes that the answer to false speech is more speech, or counter-speech, and that the truth will triumph in the marketplace of ideas, he says. Yet changes in the news media - such as consumption via social media, the speed and targeting capabilities of fake news purveyors and "filter bubbles," where people only see news that reinforces their views -- mean we can no longer assume legitimate news will win, Napoli says. The article, "What If More Speech Is No Longer the Solution? First Amendment Theory Meets Fake News and the Filter Bubble," was published Monday in the Federal Communications Law Journal. In the last two decades, technological and economic changes have undermined legitimate news production and enhanced fake news. Despite the flood of news available online, the actual proportion of original reporting is declining. "Original reporting is costly. Fake news is cheap," says Napoli. Meanwhile, audiences have increasing difficulty distinguishing between true and false news. Recent surveys suggest people now evaluate news not based on its source, but based on the trustworthiness of the person who shared it. The 2016 election is a case study of the failure of the marketplace of ideas, Napoli said. Filter bubbles and fake news, including Russia's online propaganda efforts, made it difficult for citizens to access accurate information, Napoli said. Meanwhile, big social media platforms have considered themselves tech companies, not publishing or media companies. The public service ethos and journalistic standards of traditional media are not part of their business models. Google and Facebook have not acted as gatekeepers keeping out fake news in same way that traditional news outlets such as The New York Times or ABC News do. Social media companies also bear no legal liability for falsehoods, Napoli notes. He recommends that social media companies develop a robust public service ethos appropriate to their responsibilities as providers of the news and information essential to a functioning democracy. The recent Congressional testimony of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg shows that Congress has taken an interest in the issue. "The key question is if or how government intervention might be an appropriate response. Germany recently adopted a law that requires social media platforms to remove stories identified as fake news or face government-imposed fines," Napoli says. In the U.S., broadcast media adhere to federal regulations about false news reporting, and the Federal Communications Commission can choose to investigate reports of intentional falsification of the news. "It is important to recognize that concerns about fake news have an established foothold in the U.S. media regulatory framework," Napoli says. ### Napoli addresses these issues in his forthcoming book, "Social Media and the Public Interest: The Rise of Algorithmic News and the Future of the Marketplace of Ideas." His research is supported by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. CITATION: "What If More Speech Is No Longer the Solution? First Amendment Theory Meets Fake News and the Filter Bubble," by Philip M. Napoli. April 23, 2018 Federal Communications Law Journal, Issue: 70.1.1. http://www.fclj.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/70.1-Napoli.pdf Technological advances have ushered in a new era of discovery in neuroscience. The Experimental Biology 2018 meeting (EB 2018) will feature an array of research findings on the brain and nervous system. The studies shed new light on the intricate circuitry behind our thought processes, feelings and behaviors and offer leads for both high-tech and low-tech treatment approaches. Innovative nanocapsules could improve delivery of drug for Autism Spectrum Disorder The hormone oxytocin has been shown to be helpful for improving social interactions in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other neurological conditions. However, its effects are very short term because the hormone breaks down quickly in the bloodstream and cannot cross the blood-brain barrier to enter the brain. A team of scientists at Mercer University have developed tiny capsules to shuttle oxytocin across the blood-brain barrier and slow its degradation. In experiments conducted in cells and mice, the nanocapsules appear to last longer and engender stronger prosocial effects than oxytocin alone. If successful in humans, the technology could improve autism treatment and potentially be applied to other drugs aimed at treating seizures, inflammation and other neurological problems. Kevin Murnane will present this research at the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics annual meeting at EB on Tuesday, April 24, from 12:30-2:30 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall (poster C121) (abstract). Rabies and herpes viruses harnessed for new brain circuit mapping Researchers from the University of California, Irvine are using a surprising technique to make new discoveries about the layout of the brain's center for learning, memory and spatial navigation. Although the hippocampus has been well studied, traditional mapping techniques do not provide information about specific cell types or the relative strengths of the connections between neurons. To take a closer look at how different areas of the hippocampus interact, the researchers injected the brains of live mice with viruses including rabies and herpes simplex virus. The scientists then traced the viruses as they replicated within neurons and spread from cell to cell, typically by jumping across the synapses that link neurons to each other. The researchers also induced specific neurons to fire and analyzed behavioral changes in the mice. Taken together, the experiments provide new insights about the hippocampus and, in particular, how two segments of it interact to regulate learning and memory. Xiangmin Xu will present this research at the American Association of Anatomists annual meeting at EB on Sunday, April 22, from 4-4:30 p.m. in Room 11A (abstract). Images available. Fighting pain by tracking it back to its place of origin There is still much scientists do not understand about how the body transmits and regulates pain signals. Researchers at Texas A&M are taking a detailed look at the thalamus, a part of the brain where most pain signals are processed, in hopes of finding new treatments for chronic pain that do not have the side effects or addiction potential of existing therapies like opioids and other drugs. The team has engineered mice that produce glowing proteins when pain-activated neurons fire and used genetically modified rabies virus as a tracer to mark how pain signals travel from neuron to neuron. By combining these techniques, the team has been able to create a brain-wide map of the neurons that feed pain signals into the thalamus, illuminating specific areas that might be targeted with new therapeutics. Mikhail Umorin will present this research at the American Association of Anatomists annual meeting at EB on Sunday, April 22, from 5-5:30 p.m. in Room 11A (abstract). Exercise after concussion appears to aid recovery Doctors generally recommend refraining from exercise after a concussion (a type of brain injury typically caused by a blow to the head) in order to let the brain heal. However, a new study from the University of Western Ontario suggests that moderate aerobic exercise can be helpful for patient recovery and "return-to-sport" decisions. Among other symptoms, concussions can have effects on the heart rate, including increased heart rate and reduced heart rate variability, meaning that the heart rate stays high and doesn't rise and fall as it normally would in response to exertion. In the study, researchers randomly assigned seven teenage participants to three sessions of moderate exercise over the course of a week following a concussion, stopping short of a level of exertion that would exacerbate their headache or other symptoms. Eight other concussed teens were assigned to refrain from exercise for the week. Before-and-after tests revealed those who had exercised showed significant improvements in measures of heart rate and variability, indicating a quicker recovery, compared to those who had simply rested. Alexandra Harriss will present this research at the American Physiological Society annual meeting at EB on Tuesday, April 24, from 10 a.m.-noon in the Exhibit Hall (poster A505) (abstract). EB 2018 is the premier annual meeting of five scientific societies to be held April 21-25 at the San Diego Convention Center. Contact the media team for abstracts, images and interviews, or to obtain a free press pass to attend the meeting. ### About Experimental Biology 2018 Experimental Biology is an annual meeting that attracts more than 14,000 scientists and exhibitors from five host societies and more than two dozen guest societies. With a mission to share the newest scientific concepts and research findings shaping clinical advances, the meeting offers an unparalleled opportunity for exchange among scientists from across the U.S. and the world who represent dozens of scientific areas, from laboratory to translational to clinical research. http://www.experimentalbiology.org #expbio Find more news briefs and tipsheets at: https://www.eurekalert.org/meetings/eb/2018/newsroom. Ever since scientists realized that humans evolved from a succession of primate ancestors, the public imagination has been focused on the inflection point when those ancestors switched from ape-like shuffling to walking upright as we do today. Scientists have long been focused on the question, too, because the answer is important to understanding how our ancestors lived, hunted and evolved. A close examination of 3.6 million year old hominin footprints discovered in Laetoli, Tanzania suggests our ancestors evolved the hallmark trait of extended leg, human-like bipedalism substantially earlier than previously thought. "Fossil footprints are truly the only direct evidence of walking in the past," said David Raichlen, PhD, associate professor at the University of Arizona. "By 3.6 million years ago, our data suggest that if you can account for differences in size, hominins were walking in a way that is very similar to living humans. While there may have been some nuanced differences, in general, these hominins probably looked like us when they walked." Raichlen will present the research at the American Association of Anatomists annual meeting during the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting, held April 21-25 in San Diego. The species that comprises modern humans, Homo sapiens sapiens, emerged roughly 200,000-300,000 years ago. The genus Homo is thought to have emerged about 2-2.5 million years ago. The term hominin is used to refer to a broader set of ancestors that existed before that, although there is debate about the nature of the species included in that grouping and the relationships among them. It is thought that hominins began walking on two legs around 7 million years ago, but based on the way other primates evolved, it is considered likely that these early ancestors retained a crouched, bent-legged walking posture for some time. Raichlen and his team use a variety of methods to reconstruct walking mechanics based on fossilized footprints and skeletons of early human ancestors. Their most recent results use a combination of experimental data and morphological studies to show that the footprints at Laetoli are consistent with fully upright, human-like bipedal walking. In one experiment, the team compared the depth and shape of the Laetoli footprints to those left by eight volunteers--modern humans--walking in either an upright or stooped posture (in which the knees and hips are bent). When they analyzed the impression made by the toe versus the heel, which reflects how the center of pressure moves along your foot as you take a step, they found the footprints at Laeoli were much more similar to the footprints made by modern humans walking upright. Walking upright with the legs fully extended uses less energy than bipedal walking in a more ape-like crouched manner, allowing one to endure longer journeys. This suggests that the switch to a more human-like gait likely had something to do with how our ancestors found food--and how far they had to travel to find it. "The data suggest that by this time in our evolutionary history, selection for reduced energy expenditures during walking was strong," said Raichlen. "This work suggests that, by 3.6 million years ago, climate and habitat changes likely led to the need for ancestral hominins to walk longer distances during their daily foraging bouts. Selection may have acted at this time to improve energy economy during locomotion, generating the human-like mechanics we employ today." Although the evidence is strong that hominins were walking upright by 3.6 million years ago, the exact stage when the locomotion of our ancestors diverged from that of modern-day apes remains unknown, Raichlen said. Answering that will likely require following in more--even older--footprints. David Raichlen will present this research on Sunday, April 22, from 4:30-5 p.m. in Room 11B, San Diego Convention Center (abstract). Contact the media team for more information or to obtain a free press pass to attend the meeting. ### Image available. About Experimental Biology 2018 Experimental Biology is an annual meeting that attracts more than 14,000 scientists and exhibitors from five host societies and more than two dozen guest societies. With a mission to share the newest scientific concepts and research findings shaping clinical advances, the meeting offers an unparalleled opportunity for exchange among scientists from across the U.S. and the world who represent dozens of scientific areas, from laboratory to translational to clinical research. http://www.experimentalbiology.org #expbio About the American Association of Anatomists (AAA) AAA is the professional home for an international community of biomedical researchers and educators focusing on anatomical form and function. Founded in 1888, and celebrating its 130th anniversary this year, the society Association advances anatomical science through research, education, and professional development. http://www.anatomy.org Find more news briefs and tipsheets at: https://www.eurekalert.org/meetings/eb/2018/newsroom. Microbiologists have identified a component of a genetic switch, which they call a potential "Achilles' heel", for a type of bacteria often associated with wounded warriors. The switch makes it possible for Acinetobacter baumannii to change between a virulent, hardy form and an avirulent form that is better at surviving at lower temperatures outside a host. Defining the switch could map out targets for new antibiotics. The results are scheduled for publication in Nature Microbiology on April 23. Acinetobacter baumannii is sometimes called "Iraqibacter," because of its presence in soft tissue infections experienced by soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. However, it is an important pathogen is hospitals worldwide. In 2017, the World Health Organization named multidrug-resistant A. baumannii as one of its top three threats. Notoriously difficult to fight with disinfectants or detergents as well as antibiotics, A. baumannii is most commonly seen in ventilator-associated pneumonia or central-line-associated blood stream infections. Phil Rather, PhD, and colleagues from Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center found that A. baumannii bacteria rapidly changed between virulent forms and non-virulent forms. However, a "trick" of keeping the bacteria at a low density can prevent them from switching back and forth, Rather says. Colonies of the virulent form are opaque, compared with the translucent colonies of the non-virulent form; seen by electron microscopy, the virulent bacteria produce a thicker outer capsule. The opaque form is more resistant to hydrogen peroxide, disinfectants commonly used in hospitals and host defense molecules produced by the immune system. The researchers discovered that the translucent form of A. baumanii had a regulatory gene called ABUW_1645 turned on, while the opaque form had it turned off. Forcing bacteria to turn this gene on all the time disabled the switch: the bacteria were now stuck in the translucent, avirulent form. They were then more vulnerable to host defense molecules and disinfectants. "This switch could be an Achilles' heel for Acinetobacter," Rather says. "It could be the key for small molecules that could lock it in the avirulent state." ABUW_1645 looks like it encodes a DNA-binding protein, similar to another known to respond to the antibiotic tetracycline. It's not known whether ABUW_1645 has a "trigger" (ligand), but more investigation could show whether it is a potential drug target, Rather says. In hospitalized human patients with A. baumannii infections, the opaque form of the bacteria dominated, but a translucent form could be selected out in culture, which had ABUW_1645 turned on. The less virulent form of bacteria seems to be better at coalescing into biofilms at room temperature and at importing nutrients from the environment. Warmer temperatures found in a host turn off ABUW_1645 and activated switching to the virulent form. "We plan to investigate this switch in more samples from human infections," Rather says. In the paper, the authors note that human infections seem to select for cells that are best-suited for hospital persistence. This may account for the growing difficulty eradicating the bacteria as well as high virulence. Acinetobacter baumannii has been considered "nosocomial," meaning acquired in a healthcare setting. But community-acquired infections have been rising, they write. Collaborating with the lab of David Weiss, PhD, the researchers showed that the virulence-disabled bacteria could be used as a live attenuated vaccine in mice, protecting them against later infection by the virulent form. There are other components to the virulence switch, Rather says. Disabling ABUW_1645, as opposed to putting it in overdrive, does not impair the ability of the bacteria to switch forms. "That's our next step - to go upstream," he says. "We are now studying other mutants that affect the switch." ### Postdoctoral fellows Chui Yoke Chin, PhD and Kyle Tipton, PhD are co-first authors of the paper. Eileen Burd, PhD, director of the clinical microbiology lab at Emory University Hospital, is a co-author. The research was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R21AI115183, R01AI072219, R21AI098800), a Veterans Administration Merit Award (I01BX001725), the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (UL1TR000454). Madrid, Spain: Contact precautions, used in addition to the standard precautions, the basic level of infection control applied to all patients, did not limit or prevent the spread of drug-resistant bacteria in non-intensive care unit (ICU) hospital wards, according to research presented at the 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) [1]. Hospital wards may play host to bacteria that produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL), an enzyme that renders commonly used older antibiotic drugs like penicillin and cephalosporins ineffective. The outcome for patients infected with ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E), such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Klebsiella pneumonia (K. pneumonia) can be deadly. Presenting author Dr Friederike Maechler from the Institut fur Hygiene und Umweltmedizin at the Charite in Berlin examined rates of colonisations with ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae to determine whether additional precautions had any effect on the incidence of hospital-acquired colonisations. Maechler and her team screened patients and monitored precaution protocols for both contact precautions and standard precautions as well as hospital wards' hand hygiene protocols. Between January 2014 and August 2016, 38,345 patients were admitted to one of the 20 participating wards and remained in the hospital for at least two days. With 84% of patients screened at least once, ESBL-E prevalence was almost equal between precaution protocols. Prevalence of the drug-resistant bacteria was 9.7% for contact precautions and 9.6% for standard precautions upon admission. "Even with an extensive screening protocol to identify all ESBL-E carriers, our data show no benefit for contact precautions in non-ICUs in preventing the spread of ESBL-E," Maechler said. "Multivariate analysis included screening compliance, admission prevalence and length of stay, and showed no protective effect for contact precautions over standard precautions." Maechler's team monitored patients in 20 medical and surgical wards in four European countries. Patients admitted to non-ICU wards were screened for ESBL-E and monitored weekly after that, as well as when they were discharged. The wards were randomised and assigned precaution protocols, either standard precautions or contact precautions. After a wash-out period of one month, the wards switched strategies. More than 11,000 patients who stayed in the hospital for a week or more were screened at least twice. Compliance for the first and second screenings was 75% and showed the same rates of acquired ESBL-E at 4.6 per 1,000 patient days. Hospital staff hand hygiene compliance was 62% in the contact precautions arm of the study and 61% in the standard precautions arm. Adherence to the precautions protocols was 85% and 84% respectively. Contact precautions are indicated when caring for patients known or suspected to have a serious illness, such as a gastrointestinal (diarrheal) illness, which is easily transmitted by direct patient contact or by indirect contact with items in the patient's environment. Illnesses requiring contact precautions may include stool incontinence caused by norovirus, rotavirus, or Clostridium difficile, draining wounds, uncontrolled secretions, pressure ulcers, presence of generalized rash, or presence of ostomy tubes and/or bags draining body fluids. Contact precautions may for example include wearing gloves or a fluid-resistant protective gown when touching a patients' immediate environment and belongings. ### Abstract no: O1130, Contact precautions versus standard precautions for carriers of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) in non-ICUs with an active surveillance screening - a cluster-randomized cross-over trial; session Late breaker: Brand new infection control findings, 11:30 - 12:30, Monday, 23 April 2018, Hall D [1] The European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) is the annual meeting of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID). This year it will take place from 21 - 24 April 2018 in Madrid, Spain. At the world's largest congress combining the fields of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology, researchers will present more than 3,000 regular and late-breaking abstracts with the latest findings and recommendations, which are set to help improve diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infection-related diseases. The congress offers almost 200 sessions, including keynote lectures, symposia, oral sessions, educational workshops and meet-the-expert session. ECCMID expects approximately 13,000 participants from more than 100 countries. About ESCMID The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases in Europe and beyond. The society promotes and supports research, education, training and good medical practice in infection-related disciplines with a special focus on antimicrobial resistance to build capacity throughout the world. http://www.escmid.org Contact Chantal Britt ESCMID Communications Manager ESCMID Executive Office P.O. Box 214, CH-4010 Basel Phone +41-61-508-01-57 Mobile +41-76-588-08-24 Email chantal.britt@escmid.org http://www.escmid.org Tara Giroud ECCMID Communications Assistant Mobile +41-78-705-79-85 Email taragiroud@gmail.com A team of scientists from the Faculty of Chemistry and the Faculty of Materials Science, MSU together with foreign colleagues discovered that two-dimensional sheets of cadmium telluride can spontaneously fold into nanoscrolls. This effect may be used in electronics and photonics. The results of the study were published in the highly-rated Chemistry of Materials journal. In the course of the study the team focused on 2D semiconductor materials. Among others, they include graphene, phosphorene, 2D layers of molybdenum disulfide, and 2D perovskites that have recently attracted lots of attention from scientists. These materials are one atom thick crystals with 2D electronic properties. Researchers believe that they may be used for the development of new devices. "We studied 2D cadmium telluride CdTe and discovered an unexpected effect of spontaneous folding of its ultrathin (only 1 nm) sheets that are also called colloidal quantum wells," said Roman Vasiliev, a co-author of the work, PhD of Chemical Sciences, and Associate Professor of the Faculty of Chemistry and the Faculty of Materials Science, MSU. Colloidal quantum wells are a new generation of colloidal quantum dots. Quantum dots are distinguished by their luminescent properties and are used in commercial devices, such as TV sets. Quantum wells, a 2D type of quantum dots, are being studied today, but we already know that they possess very narrow luminescence bands, which is important for bright color rendering in light-emitting devices. The team studied the properties of 2D sheets of cadmium telluride by exchanging organic molecules attached to their surface and securing the stability of nanoparticles. In order to synthesize 2D cadmium telluride the scientists used the colloidal method and obtained them in a flask. To do so, the scientists initiated a reaction of obtaining cadmium telluride nanoparticles in an organic solvent in the presence of surfactants. By changing the conditions of the reaction they managed to cause the particles to grow into one nanometer thick sheets. At first the authors of the work grew flat 2D sheets covered with oleic acid as a stabilizer. They managed to obtain sheets with length reaching hundreds of nanometers and thickness of strictly one nanometer. After that the team started replacing the molecules of oleic acid with other organic molecules and analyzing sizes and shapes of the obtained nanoparticles, as well as their composition and crystal structure. At this stage they used a transmission electron microscope of MSU Shared Knowledge Center. In the course of the study the team discovered that when a specific type of stabilizers (thiols) is used, flat sheets of cadmium telluride suddenly fold into perfect scrolls. When attached to the surface of a sheet, thiol molecules increase its thickness by one monolayer (0.15 nm) and cause mechanical stresses making the sheet to fold in a certain crystallographic direction. The folding takes place for all nanoparticles at once, and the radius of the fold is the same for all nanostructures. "The study opens new prospects for manipulations with 2D materials and nanoparticles. The folding effect came as a surprise for us. It resembles the process of making origami, but in this case the sheets are one nanometer thick. Knowing how to change spatial shape of nanoparticles, we could use them in the manufacturing of optic materials with anisotropic behavior and polarized luminescence. We could create active light-emitting matrices for displays that would reduce energy consumption and increase brightness and intensity of various devices. Perhaps, we could also develop new nano-devices, for example, tube-shaped transistors. These interesting properties may be of use in new generations of light-emitting and sensor devices, as well as in optic and optoelectronic technologies and nanotechnologies," concluded the scientist. ### The work was supported by two grants of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and conducted in cooperation with the National Institute for Material Science of Japan. CAMBRIDGE, MASS.--A new MIT study reports that, if China follows through with its international pledge to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, every one of its provinces will experience benefits to air quality and human health, with associated monetary savings that could offset the total cost of implementing the climate policy. The study, published today in Nature Climate Change, estimates that by meeting its greenhouse gas-reduction goals, China would simultaneously improve its air quality, which would avoid a significant number of deaths due to air pollution, across every province. Fewer deaths from air pollution means a benefit for society that can be quantified - a $339 billion savings in 2030 that the researchers estimate could be about four times what it would cost China to meet its climate goals. In other words, the country's climate policy would more than pay for itself. "The country could actually come out net positive, just based on the health co-benefits associated with air quality improvements, relative to the cost of a climate policy," says study co-author Noelle Eckley Selin, an associate professor in MIT's Institute for Data, Systems, and Society and the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS). "This is a motivating factor for countries to engage in global climate policy." The study was led by Selin and Valerie Karplus, the Class of 1943 Career Development Assistant Professor of Global Economics and Management in MIT's Sloan School of Management. Both co-authors are faculty affiliates of the Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change. Their co-authors include EAPS graduate student and lead author Mingwei Li, research scientist and co-first author Da Zhang, former postdoc Chiao-Ting Li, and former research assistant Kathleen Mulvaney, a graduate of MIT's Technology and Policy Program. China's co-benefits As part of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, China has pledged, along with virtually every other nation in the world, to reduce domestic carbon dioxide emissions, in an international effort to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, mainly due to the fact that much of the country's energy comes from coal-fired power plants, which are a major source of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. In addition to the climate impact, burning coal has led to significant air pollution and respiratory problems throughout China. The MIT team, which includes a mix of economists and atmospheric scientists, looked at whether China's local air quality and public health might benefit from a national policy meant to improve the global climate. "Air pollution is an immediate problem that is directly linked to many of the economic, energy-related activities that are also responsible for greenhouse gases," Karplus says. "We wanted to understand to what extent you could address air quality by targeting carbon dioxide through a representative climate policy, carbon pricing." Many researchers have explored air quality as a potential climate policy "co-benefit," or beneficial outcome that is not directly targeted by climate policy. Karplus and Selin decided to take this a step further, to see how such a co-benefit would change with a policy's stringency. For instance, would air quality and human health improve under a policy that aims for higher reductions in carbon dioxide? Climate's reach To answer this question, the team developed the Regional Emissions Air Quality Climate and Health (REACH) framework, a new modeling approach which combines an energy-economic model called the China Regional Energy Model (C-REM) with GEOS-Chem, an atmospheric chemistry model. C-REM models China's economy and energy system at a provincial level, and the researchers used the model to simulate how a given climate policy changes a province's economic activity, energy use, and emissions of carbon dioxide and air pollutants. They ran simulations under four stringency scenarios: a no-policy, business-as-usual scenario; and three different policy scenarios that aimed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3, 4, and 5 percent per year, respectively, through 2030. The 4 percent scenario is in line with China's pledge to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 under the Paris Agreement. The team then plugged the results of each scenario into the GEOS-Chem model, which simulates how the various emissions and pollutants produced by C-REM combine in the atmosphere to form particulate matter, the concentrations of which the researchers could estimate, province by province. They overlayed this map of particulate concentrations onto population maps to calculate the amount of pollution that communities are breathing in. The team then consulted epidemiological literature to determine the number of avoided deaths that would occur, based on a province's exposure to a certain amount of pollution. Finally, the researchers calculated the economic value of these deaths using standard methods, and compared this with the total cost of implementing a given policy scenario. "When you price carbon dioxide emissions, that incentivizes reducing or switching from using fossil fuels to cleaner, more expensive sources of energy, which has economic costs," Karplus says. "The total economic impact of these shifts can be quantified in our model." A sustainable path In sum, the team found that, under a no-policy scenario, China would suffer more than 2.3 million premature, pollution-related deaths by 2030. If the country adopts a climate policy to reduce emissions by 3, 4, or 5 percent per year, it would avoid 36,000, 94,000, and 160,000 premature deaths, respectively. In other words, the country's health co-benefits would increase as climate policies became more stringent. After converting each scenario's health co-benefits into a monetary value, the team found that, compared to the total cost of implementing a 3, 4, or 5 percent per year policy, the savings gained as a result of health co-benefits equals $138.4 billion, $339.6 billion, and $534.8 billion, respectively. In the 4 percent scenario, which is most in line with China's actual climate pledge, a net co-benefit of $339.6 billion would be about four times the cost of implementing the policy itself. Selin and Karplus say that, in China's case, improvements to air quality and human health would increase with more stringent climate policies, mainly because the country's energy is so heavily reliant on coal. "In China, as you go to tighter and tighter climate policies, you continue to reduce pollutant emissions from coal, whereas the U.S. has already reduced a lot of its air pollution from coal through end-of-pipe technologies," Karplus says. "The incremental reductions you're taking are coming from a fuel with a very high carbon content, which is also the major source of air pollution." The team stresses that a climate policy alone will not solve any country's air pollution problems. However, the study shows that significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will result in better air quality, compared to continuing along on a business-as-usual path. "This is really a sustainability story," Selin says. "We have all these policy goals for a transition toward a more sustainable society. Mitigating air pollution, a leading cause of death, is one of them, and avoiding dangerous climate change is another. Thinking about how we might inform policy to address these objectives simultaneously, when they actually interact economically and atmospherically, is important to sort out from a science perspective." ### This research was supported in part by the founding sponsors of the China Energy and Climate Project (2011-2016): Eni, S.p.A., the French Development Agency (AFD), ICF International, and Shell International Ltd. The CECP was a special initiative of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change. This work was also supported by a grant from the Energy Information Administration and the Department of Energy. NEWPORT, Ore. - When endangered killer whales swim through the sheltered waters of Puget Sound, they leave behind traces of "environmental DNA" that researchers can detect as much as two hours later, a new study has found. The findings, published today in the journal Frontiers, are surprising and significant. They not only provide a new non-invasive way to study whales, they may help scientists locate cetacean species that are known but have rarely been detected - including certain beaked whales. "If we can replicate this in the open ocean, it will be a game-changing advance," said Scott Baker, associate director of the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University and lead author on the study. "It's been well-established that you can follow a whale and capture some of its fecal plume before it dissipates. But this is completely different". "We were able to capture DNA in the water two hours after the whales had passed through, thanks to advances in genomic technology." Baker said that in addition to the obvious bodily functions of whales, the environmental DNA is probably shed from the spout or 'blow' and from skin. "Whales slough a lot of skin," he said. To test their methodology, the researchers traveled to the San Juan Islands - a site known as a regular seasonal habitat of the endangered 'southern resident' community of killer whales. They collected water samples from 200 meters behind whales on 25 separate encounters then remained in place - drifting with the tides - after the killer whales moved on. They were able to capture environmental DNA in 68 percent of those encounters and it persisted up to two hours in some encounters. "On a couple of occasions, we drifted up to five kilometers, so there was a lot of water movement - and we still got eDNA," Baker said. The ability to extract DNA from the water has several implications, the researchers note. It provides a new tool to complement acoustic and visual surveys to identify whale species and habitat. It may provide information about the origin of the whales - the southern resident community of orcas in Puget Sound, for example, has a distinct DNA barcode from other populations. And it could help researchers locate rare or "cryptic" species of whales. "If this method works in the open ocean, which we still have to test, it will be a powerful tool," Baker said. "There are 23 species of beaked whale and some of them have never been seen alive. They have only been identified through skeletal remains. And four of those species were identified in the last decade, so there may be more out there." The researchers say that environmental DNA is probably too fragmented to provide information about the health, sex identification or individual identification of the whales - at least, for now. "Technology is improving rapidly, so it may be a matter of time," Baker said. "And, of course, expense - especially for research in the open ocean." ### The project was funded by the Office of Naval Research. Baker and his team are based at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon. Recalling traumatic memories enhances the rewarding effects of morphine in male rats, finds new research published in JNeurosci. These findings may help to explain the co-occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and addiction. More than half of PTSD patients also struggle with substance abuse, yet the underlying neural mechanisms of their addiction are not clear. Dopamine receptors in the prefrontal cortex may play a role, as they are involved in the processing of both fear- and reward-related memories. Steven Laviolette and colleagues examined the involvement of two dopamine receptors in the recall of a traumatic experience -- a footshock -- and subsequent preference for morphine. Rats that were reminded of the troubling experience by an associated scent showed a greater freezing fear response and spent more time in an environment where they previously received a dose of morphine that ordinarily does not produce a preference for a morphine-paired environment. This effect was blocked by activation of the dopamine receptor D1R. A different dopamine receptor, D4R, increased freezing behavior and reward sensitivity after the recall of a minor footshock that does not produce a traumatic memory under normal conditions. The results suggest that abnormal dopamine signals in the prefrontal cortex may underlie the ability of traumatic memories to predispose individuals to addiction by increasing their sensitivity to the rewarding effects of drugs such as opioids. ### Article: Fear Memory Recall Potentiates Opiate Reward Sensitivity through Dissociable Dopamine D1 vs. D4 Receptor-Dependent Memory Mechanisms in the Prefrontal Cortex DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3113-17.2018 Corresponding author: Steven Laviolette (University of Western Ontario, Canada), steven.laviolette@schulich.uwo.ca About JNeurosci JNeurosci, the Society for Neuroscience's first journal, was launched in 1981 as a means to communicate the findings of the highest quality neuroscience research to the growing field. Today, the journal remains committed to publishing cutting-edge neuroscience that will have an immediate and lasting scientific impact, while responding to authors' changing publishing needs, representing breadth of the field and diversity in authorship. About The Society for Neuroscience The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 37,000 members in more than 90 countries and over 130 chapters worldwide. Intervention long before the first signs of memory issues may be required to slow disease progression The rate at which the protein beta-amyloid accumulates into the sticky plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is already slowing by the time a patient would be considered to have preclinical AD, according to a longitudinal study of healthy adults published in JNeurosci. The research suggests that anti-amyloid therapies would be most effective before individuals reach the threshold for preclinical AD, long before the first signs of memory issues. Determining how early to intervene is a central challenge in slowing the progression of AD. Clinical trials of drugs for lowering amyloid levels typically involve individuals who do not yet have symptoms but are considered "amyloid positive" and at risk for developing AD. These trials have been largely unsuccessful, perhaps because they begin too late. To untangle the relationship between beta-amyloid, the AD-associated protein tau, and memory impairment over time, Stephanie Leal, William Jagust and colleagues studied healthy men and women between the ages of 61 and 88 over a five-year period. Brain scans revealed that even trace amounts of beta-amyloid predicted future levels of tau, and both preceded memory decline. The researchers found that greater baseline levels of beta-amyloid were associated with a faster rate of accumulation, but only to a point, after which higher beta-amyloid levels were associated with slower accumulation. ### Article: Subthreshold amyloid predicts tau deposition in aging DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0485-18.2018 Corresponding authors: Stephanie Leal, stephanieleal@berkeley.edu and William Jagust (University of California, Berkeley, USA), jagust@berkeley.edu About JNeurosci JNeurosci, the Society for Neuroscience's first journal, was launched in 1981 as a means to communicate the findings of the highest quality neuroscience research to the growing field. Today, the journal remains committed to publishing cutting-edge neuroscience that will have an immediate and lasting scientific impact, while responding to authors' changing publishing needs, representing breadth of the field and diversity in authorship. About The Society for Neuroscience The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 37,000 members in more than 90 countries and over 130 chapters worldwide. A recent study from researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai provides new insights into a link between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Parkinson's disease, and may have significant implications for the treatment and prevention of Parkinson's disease. The recent study, published in JAMA Neurology, shows that individuals with IBD are at a 28% higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease than those without IBD. However, if they are treated with anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (anti-TNF) therapy, a monoclonal antibody that is commonly used to control inflammation in IBD patients, then their risk of developing Parkinson's disease goes down significantly, and becomes even lower than that in the general population. These new insights will allow for better screening of IBD patients for Parkinson's disease, given that IBD onset usually precedes that of Parkinson's disease by decades, and they also offer evidence to support exploring anti-TNF therapy to prevent Parkinson's disease in at-risk individuals. While previous research had shown genetic and functional connections between IBD and Parkinson's disease, clinical evidence linking the two has been scarce. The authors of the study previously identified a number of genetic variants that contributed to either an increased risk of both Parkinson's disease and of Crohn's disease, a type of IBD, or a decreased risk of both diseases, which prompted them to further study the co-occurrence of the two diseases. "Systemic inflammation is a major component of IBD, and it's also thought to contribute to the neuronal inflammation found in Parkinson's disease," explained Inga Peter, Professor in the Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at Mount Sinai and lead investigator in the study. "We wanted to determine if anti-TNF therapy, could mitigate a patient's risk in developing Parkinson's disease." The Mount Sinai team found a 78% reduction in the incidence of Parkinson's disease among IBD patients who were treated with anti-TNF therapy when compared to those who were not. It was previously thought that anti-TNF therapies had limited effects on the central nervous system, the site where molecular mechanisms of Parkinson's disease are found, because the large molecules in the anti-TNF compounds cannot independently pass through the blood brain barrier. The outcomes of this study suggest that it may not be necessary for the drug to pass through the blood brain barrier to treat or prevent inflammation within the central nervous system, or that the blood-brain barrier in patients with IBD may be compromised, allowing the large molecules of the compound to pass through. Parkinson's disease ranks among the most common late-life neurodegenerative diseases, affecting approximately 1-2% of people 60 years or older. "Current therapies for Parkinson's disease focus on ameliorating symptoms," said Peter, "Our findings provide promising insights that support further investigations into how reducing systemic inflammation could help treat or prevent Parkinson's disease." ### About the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is an international leader in medical and scientific training, biomedical research, and patient care. It is the medical school for the Mount Sinai Health System, which includes seven hospital campuses, and has more than 5,000 faculty and nearly 2,000 students, residents and fellows. The School is made up of 36 multidisciplinary research, educational, and clinical institutes and 33 academic departments. It ranks 13th among U.S. medical schools for NIH funding and 2nd in research dollars per principal investigator among U.S. medical schools by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) The School was named 4th among "World's Most Innovative Companies in Data Science" by Fast Company magazine in 2016. For more information, visit http://icahn.mssm.edu About the Mount Sinai Health System The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest integrated delivery system encompassing seven hospital campuses, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai's vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The System includes approximately 7,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 10 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. The Icahn School of Medicine is one of 3 medical schools that have earned distinction by multiple indicators: ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report's "Best Medical Schools", aligned with a U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" Hospital, No. 13 in the nation for National Institutes of Health funding, and among the top 10 most innovative research institutions as ranked by the journal Nature in its Nature Innovation Index. This reflects a special level of excellence in education, clinical practice, and research. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 18 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Nephrology, and Neurology/Neurosurgery, and in the top 50 in four other specialties in the 2017-2018 "Best Hospitals" issue. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked in six out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology and 50th for Ear, Nose, and Throat, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai West are ranked regionally. For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. A machine learning method called "deep learning," which has been widely used in face recognition and other image- and speech-recognition applications, has shown promise in helping astronomers analyze images of galaxies and understand how they form and evolve. In a new study, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal and available online, researchers used computer simulations of galaxy formation to train a deep learning algorithm, which then proved surprisingly good at analyzing images of galaxies from the Hubble Space Telescope. The researchers used output from the simulations to generate mock images of simulated galaxies as they would look in observations by the Hubble Space Telescope. The mock images were used to train the deep learning system to recognize three key phases of galaxy evolution previously identified in the simulations. The researchers then gave the system a large set of actual Hubble images to classify. The results showed a remarkable level of consistency in the neural network's classifications of simulated and real galaxies. "We were not expecting it to be all that successful. I'm amazed at how powerful this is," said coauthor Joel Primack, professor emeritus of physics and a member of the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP) at UC Santa Cruz. "We know the simulations have limitations, so we don't want to make too strong a claim. But we don't think this is just a lucky fluke." Galaxies are complex phenomena, changing their appearance as they evolve over billions of years, and images of galaxies can provide only snapshots in time. Astronomers can look deeper into the universe and thereby "back in time" to see earlier galaxies (because of the time it takes light to travel cosmic distances), but following the evolution of an individual galaxy over time is only possible in simulations. Comparing simulated galaxies to observed galaxies can reveal important details of the actual galaxies and their likely histories. In the new study, the researchers were particularly interested in a phenomenon seen in the simulations early in the evolution of gas-rich galaxies, when big flows of gas into the center of a galaxy fuel formation of a small, dense, star-forming region called a "blue nugget." (Young, hot stars emit short "blue" wavelengths of light, so blue indicates a galaxy with active star formation, whereas older, cooler stars emit more "red" light.) In both simulated and observational data, the computer program found that the "blue nugget" phase only occurs in galaxies with masses within a certain range. This is followed by quenching of star formation in the central region, leading to a compact "red nugget" phase. The consistency of the mass range was an exciting finding, because it suggests the deep learning algorithm is identifying on its own a pattern that results from a key physical process happening in real galaxies. "It may be that in a certain size range, galaxies have just the right mass for this physical process to occur," said coauthor David Koo, professor emeritus of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz. The researchers used state-of-the-art galaxy simulations (the VELA simulations) developed by Primack and an international team of collaborators, including Daniel Ceverino (University of Heidelberg), who ran the simulations, and Avishai Dekel (Hebrew University), who led analysis and interpretation of them and developed new physical concepts based on them. All such simulations are limited, however, in their ability to capture the complex physics of galaxy formation. In particular, the simulations used in this study did not include feedback from active galactic nuclei (injection of energy from radiation as gas is accreted by a central supermassive black hole). Many astronomers consider this process to be an important factor regulating star formation in galaxies. Nevertheless, observations of distant, young galaxies appear to show evidence of the phenomenon leading to the blue nugget phase seen in the simulations. For the observational data, the team used images of galaxies obtained through the CANDELS project (Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey), the largest project in the history of the Hubble Space Telescope. First author Marc Huertas-Company, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory and Paris Diderot University, had already done pioneering work applying deep learning methods to galaxy classifications using publicly available CANDELS data. Koo, a CANDELS co-investigator, invited Huertas-Company to visit UC Santa Cruz to continue this work. Google has provided support for their work on deep learning in astronomy through gifts of research funds to Koo and Primack, allowing Huertas-Company to spend the past two summers in Santa Cruz, with plans for another visit in the summer of 2018. "This project was just one of several ideas we had," Koo said. "We wanted to pick a process that theorists can define clearly based on the simulations, and that has something to do with how a galaxy looks, then have the deep learning algorithm look for it in the observations. We're just beginning to explore this new way of doing research. It's a new way of melding theory and observations." For years, Primack has been working closely with Koo and other astronomers at UC Santa Cruz to compare his team's simulations of galaxy formation and evolution with the CANDELS observations. "The VELA simulations have had a lot of success in terms of helping us understand the CANDELS observations," Primack said. "Nobody has perfect simulations, though. As we continue this work, we will keep developing better simulations." According to Koo, deep learning has the potential to reveal aspects of the observational data that humans can't see. The downside is that the algorithm is like a "black box," so it is hard to know what features in the data the machine is using to make its classifications. Network interrogation techniques can identify which pixels in an image contributed most to the classification, however, and the researchers tested one such method on their network. "Deep learning looks for patterns, and the machine can see patterns that are so complex that we humans don't see them," Koo said. "We want to do a lot more testing of this approach, but in this proof-of-concept study, the machine seemed to successfully find in the data the different stages of galaxy evolution identified in the simulations." In the future, he said, astronomers will have much more observational data to analyze as a result of large survey projects and new telescopes such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope. Deep learning and other machine learning methods could be powerful tools for making sense of these massive datasets. "This is the beginning of a very exciting time for using advanced artificial intelligence in astronomy," Koo said. ### In addition to Primack, Koo, and Huertas-Company, the coauthors of the paper include Avishai Dekel at Hebrew University in Jerusalem (and a visiting researcher at UC Santa Cruz); Sharon Lapiner at Hebrew University; Daniel Ceverino at University of Heidelberg; Raymond Simons at Johns Hopkins University; Gregory Snyder at Space Telescope Science Institute; Mariangela Bernardi and H. Dominquez Sanchez at University of Pennsylvania; Zhu Chen at Shanghai Normal University; Christoph Lee at UC Santa Cruz; and Berta Margalef-Bentabol and Diego Tuccillo at the Paris Observatory. In addition to support from Google, this work was partly supported by grants from France-Israel PICS, US-Israel Binational Science Foundation, U.S. National Science Foundation, and Hubble Space Telescope. The VELA computer simulations were run on NASA's Pleiades supercomputer and at DOE's National Energy Research Scientific Computer Center (NERSC). The study, led by Colorado School of Public Health, shows a 50 percent increase in low birth weights among women who use cannabis during pregnancy AURORA, Colo. (April 23, 2018) - With marijuana use during pregnancy on the rise, a new study led by the Colorado School of Public Health shows that prenatal cannabis use was associated with a 50 percent increased likelihood of low birth weight, setting the stage for serious future health problems including infection and time spent in Neonatal Intensive Care Units. "Our findings underscore the importance of screening for cannabis use during prenatal care and the need for provider counselling about the adverse health consequences of continued use during pregnancy," said the study's lead author Tessa Crume, PhD, MSPH, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The study was published last month in The Journal of Pediatrics. Crume and her colleagues utilized survey data from 3,207 women who participated in the Colorado Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System in 2014 and 15. They found the prevalence of marijuana use in the state of Colorado was 5.7 percent during pregnancy and 5 percent among women who were breastfeeding. They also discovered that prenatal marijuana use was associated with a 50 percent increased chance of low birth weight regardless of tobacco use during pregnancy. Prenatal marijuana use was three to four times higher among women who were younger, less educated, received Medicaid or WIC, were white, unmarried and lived in poverty. Crume said the numbers are surprising but also reflect changing attitudes toward marijuana, especially in a state like Colorado where it is legal. "There is increased availability, increased potency and a vocal pro-cannabis advocacy movement that may be creating a perception that marijuana is safe to use during pregnancy," Crume said. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health suggests that cannabis use among pregnant women has increased as much as 62 percent between 2002 and 2014. At the same time, the potency of the drug has increased six or seven fold since the 1970s along with the ways it is consumed - eating, vaping, lotions etc. "Growing evidence suggests prenatal cannabis exposure has a detrimental impact on offspring brain function starting in the toddler years, specifically issues related to attention deficit disorder," Crume said. "But much of the research on the effects of prenatal cannabis on neonatal outcomes was based on marijuana exposures in the 1980s and 1990s which may not reflect the potency of today's cannabis or the many ways it is used." The study found that 88.6 percent of women who used cannabis during pregnancy also breastfed. The risk of cannabis to the infant through breastmilk remains unknown. Various studies have found that cannabinoids are passed to the baby in this way. One of the study's co-authors, Dr. Erica Wymore, MD, MPH, from Children's Hospital Colorado and the CU School of Medicine, is currently conducting a study to evaluate this issue. The researchers recommend that health care providers ask pregnant women about their cannabis use and advise them to stop during pregnancy and lactation. "Obstetric providers should refrain from prescribing or recommending cannabis for medical purposes during preconception, pregnancy and lactation," Crume said. "Guidance and messaging about this should be incorporated into prenatal care. And screening of pregnant women at risk for cannabis dependency should be linked to treatment options." ### The study co-authors include Ashley L. Juhl MSPH, of the Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment; Ashley Brooks-Russell, PhD, MPH, of the Colorado School of Public Health; Katelyn E. Hall, MPH, of the Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment; Erica Wymore, MD, MPH of the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado and Laura M. Borgelt, PharmD, of the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Warmer springs create a "mismatch" where hungry chicks hatch too late to feast on abundant caterpillars, new research shows. With continued spring warming expected due to climate change, scientists say hatching of forest birds will be "increasingly mismatched" with peaks in caterpillar numbers. The researchers, from the RSPB and the universities of Exeter and Edinburgh, used data collected across the UK - largely by citizen scientists - to study spring emergence of oak tree leaves and caterpillars, and timing of nesting by three bird species: blue tits, great tits and pied flycatchers. They also tested a theory that some bird species in southern Britain may suffer most due to a greater mismatch effect - but they found no evidence of this. "Forests have a short peak in caterpillar abundance, and some forest birds time their breeding so this coincides with the time when their chicks are hungriest," said Dr Malcolm Burgess, of the University of Exeter and the RSPB. "With spring coming earlier due to climate change, leaves and caterpillars emerge earlier and birds need to breed earlier to avoid being mismatched. "We found that the earlier the spring, the less able birds are to do this. "The biggest mismatch was among pied flycatchers - as migratory birds, they are not in the UK in winter and therefore are much less able to respond to earlier spring weather." The study presents the first assessment of whether the mismatch effect is greater in southern Britain than the north. It has been suggested that northern bird populations may be "buffered" from the effects of climate change in this way. Dr Ally Phillimore, from the University of Edinburgh, said: "We found no evidence of north-south variation in caterpillar-bird mismatch for any of the bird species. Therefore, population declines of insectivorous birds in southern Britain do not appear to be caused by greater mismatch in the south than the north." Dr Karl Evans, from the University of Sheffield's Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, said "Our work suggests that as springs warm in the future less food is likely to be available for the chicks of insectivorous woodland birds unless evolution changes their timing of breeding." First leafing dates of oak trees were collected by citizen scientists coordinated by the Woodland Trust via Nature's Calendar, caterpillar abundance was monitored by collecting frass (droppings) beneath oak trees, and the timing of egg laying by blue tits, great tits and pied flycatchers were recorded by the British Trust for Ornithology's long-running Nest Record Scheme. The research team also included the universities of Durham, Glasgow, Oxford, Stirling and Cardiff. The paper, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, is entitled: "Tritrophic phenological match-mismatch in space and time." ### Researchers at Oxford University have shown that it is possible to identify genetic catalysts that accelerate the evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria - and that this knowledge could be used to design treatments to stifle the development of resistance. The study was funded by the Wellcome Trust and the European Research Council and is published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. Senior author Professor Craig MacLean, from Oxford's Department of Zoology, said: 'It is well established that different species of bacteria evolve resistance to antibiotics during infections at very different rates. One potential explanation for this observation is that some species of bacteria may be intrinsically better at evolving resistance to antibiotics than others.' To test this hypothesis, the team challenged species of the genus Pseudomonas - bacteria that are opportunistic pathogens of humans, animals and plants - with the common antibiotic ceftazidime. They found that individual species of Pseudomonas evolved antibiotic resistance at radically different rates. Professor MacLean said: 'We identified that the presence of a gene known as ampR is a major cause of this variation. ampR is a master regulatory gene that switches the expression of hundreds of other genes on and off, including genes involved in antibiotic resistance. This gene acts as an evolutionary catalyst for antibiotic resistance. Put simply, species that carry the ampR gene evolve resistance at a higher rate than species that lack this gene. ampR has this effect because it makes it easier for random mutations to increase the expression of antibiotic resistance genes.' The study marks the first time a range of bacteria species have been subject to controlled experiments in this way. Species studied by the researchers included Pseudomonas aeruginosa - an important human pathogen that can cause serious infections, particularly among people with cystic fibrosis or those already in hospital. Professor MacLean said: 'Pseudomonas aeruginosa carries the ampR gene, and it evolved ceftazidime resistance at quite a high rate in our experiments. We therefore wondered if it would be possible in effect to remove the evolutionary advantage that this gene provides.' The team treated cultures of the species with a combination of ceftazidime and avibactam, an enzyme inhibitor that blocks the activity of an important resistance gene that is controlled by ampR. In the lab, this strategy worked 'spectacularly well' according to the researchers, eliminating populations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa before they could evolve resistance. Inhibitors like avibactam are often used to treat infections caused by resistant strains of bacteria in clinical settings, but the team's findings suggest they could be used to prevent resistance developing in the first place. However, the researchers caution that follow-up in vivo experiments are required to help test the idea. Professor MacLean added: 'This work has two important implications. First, our study shows how understanding the evolutionary biology of resistance can be used to come up with new ways to stop resistance from spreading. In this case, we show that using an enzyme inhibitor that blocks the evolutionary path to antibiotic resistance can be used to eliminate populations of an important pathogen without driving the spread of resistance. Second, this study shows that comparing how closely related species of bacteria become resistant to antibiotics can help us better understand resistance in pathogens. 'Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem that threatens to fundamentally undermine our health and welfare. For example, the UK government's O'Neill report warns that antibiotic-resistant infections will surpass cancer as a source of human mortality in about 2050. Given this crisis, there is an urgent need to develop new ways of treating bacterial infections. The key idea that motivates our research is that we can use an understanding of how evolution works to come up with new ways of predicting and preventing the spread of resistance.' ### Penn Medicine and CHOP study of teen attitudes suggests most are willing stop texting while driving with an app-based strategy and financial incentives, but are not willing to give up music and navigation apps PHILADELPHIA - Teens who admit to texting while driving may be convinced to reduce risky cellphone use behind the wheel when presented with financial incentives such as auto-insurance apps that monitor driving behavior, according to a new survey conducted by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). However, while more than 90 percent of teens surveyed said they were willing to give up sending or reading text messages, almost half indicated that they would want to retain some control over phone functions such as music and navigation. Results of the survey are published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention. "More than half of teens in the United States admit to texting while driving, and this has become a significant public health issue leading to preventable deaths and disabling injuries," said study lead author Kit Delgado, MD, an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at Penn. "Our study suggests a promising strategy to curb this epidemic would include enabling a phone setting or third party app with automatic responses to incoming texts, but with navigation and music functions accessible, combined with financial incentives to sustain use." For example, Delgado suggests this could be accomplished by enabling the 'Do Not Disturb While Driving' setting on an iPhone to automatically turn on while the car is in motion and enrolling in an auto insurance program that offers financial incentives for using apps to track driving behavior, which have begun to emerge in the past year. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for American teens, and as cellphone use has become ubiquitous over the past two decades, texting while driving has become a significant factor in these accidents. Today, drivers 15- to 19-years-old are more likely than any other age group to die in crashes caused by cellphone-related distractions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recommended a "Driver Mode" on smartphones--similar to the existing "Airplane Mode"--to limit use while driving. Since last year, the operating system for iPhones, iOS, has had a "Do Not Disturb While Driving" mode that locks the phone screen, blocks incoming texts and sends automatic text responses, and limits incoming phone calls. But, the settings are optional. To better understand the barriers to widespread teen adoption of cellphone-limiting strategies, he and his colleagues decided to ask some teens. "Apps and settings aimed at reducing cellphone distraction while driving can only be effective from a population health standpoint if they are widely adopted," Delgado said. The researchers contacted the parents of adolescents who had previously been seen across the CHOP Care Network, and invited them to sign up their 16- and 17-year olds for a survey. The investigators ultimately received survey responses from 153 teens who met the study criteria, which included texting while driving in the past month and driving their own car. The vast majority of the teens indicated that they were "willing" or "somewhat willing" to give up reading emails (99 percent), social media apps (99 percent), sending texts (96 percent), reading texts (91 percent), and making or receiving non-hands-free calls (94 and 91 percent, respectively) while driving. Far fewer of them were willing or somewhat willing to give up music apps (55 percent) or navigation apps (40 percent). About half of the teens in the sample reported "high frequency" texting while driving - defined as more than six days per month. These teens showed markedly less willingness to give up cellphone uses while driving. For example, 73 percent indicated they were unwilling to give up navigation apps compared with just 44 percent of the overall sample. The researchers asked the survey participants to consider several possible factors or strategies that could discourage them from texting while driving, such as an annual insurance premium discount, or a cash reward for every week in which they don't text and drive. Most of the teens indicated that financial incentives would be "very effective," but many (54 percent) also indicated that automatic phone locking while driving would work. All in all, the findings suggest that teens might widely and voluntarily adopt a "Driver Mode" app or phone setting that automatically blocks or limits text and call functions while allowing navigation and music functions, especially if combined with a financial incentive. "One scalable way to provide a financial incentive would be to offer teens auto insurance discounts, based on actual driving performance and phone use as measured by in-vehicle devices or smartphone apps, which are becoming more common and hold tremendous promise with the shift to usage-based insurance (UBI)," Delgado said. "These programs adjust insurance premiums and provide financial incentives based on directly observed driving behaviors. Our research team is currently conducting studies aimed at figuring out how to design UBI programs to sustainably reduce handheld cellphone use while driving." It's estimated that there are 16 million UBI subscribers currently in the U.S., which will increase to 60 million by 2023. Furthermore, Delgado says the industry is shifting from in-vehicle devices to smartphone apps that can now directly measure cellphone use while driving. When asked why they wouldn't want to use cellphone apps that monitor driving behavior, the survey participants cited an aversion to letting parents monitor their behavior - which they believed such apps would facilitate - as their top reason. A modest financial incentive may be enough to outweigh such concerns, Delgado said, though he noted that "we need a better understanding of how to design interventions that optimally balance parental engagement and acceptance by teens." ### The study was conducted in partnership with the Center for Injury Prevention Research at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The other co-authors of the study were Scott D. Halpern, Alison M. Buttenheim, Claudia Setubal, Yanlan Huang, and Kathryn A. Saulsgiver, all of Penn; Catherine C. McDonald, Flaura K. Winston, of Penn and CHOP; and Yi-Ching Lee of George Mason University. Support for the research was provided by the National Institutes of Health (UL1TR000003), the National Institute on Aging (P30AG034546), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K23HD090272001), and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (K12HL109009). Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $7.8 billion enterprise. The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top medical schools in the United States for more than 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $405 million awarded in the 2017 fiscal year. The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Medicine Princeton Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital - the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, a leading provider of highly skilled and compassionate behavioral healthcare. Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2017, Penn Medicine provided $500 million to benefit our community. Two members of a drug smuggling gang who used a helicopter to fly millions of pounds of cocaine into Britain were handed lengthy prison sentences on Monday. The helicopter had hidden trap doors under the seats to stash the drugs, said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Englands state prosecutors. The gang smuggled 7 million ($9.8 million, eight million euros) of cocaine into the UK from continental Europe. It was estimated that Belgian ringleader Frederic Fagnoul, 50, was importing 50 kilogrammes of cocaine on each flight. He rented a helicopter and pilot to bring the drugs into Britain. The cocaine would then be unpacked and distributed by car in hidden compartments to be sold nationwide. On September 12 last year, he flew from Calais on the northeast French coast over the Channel to a hotel in Kent, southeast England. He used the cover story that he had been night fishing. Police surveillance showed him carrying heavy bags from the helicopter to a hotel room. He was arrested after being spotted passing on the drugs to others. At Southwark Crown Court in London, Fagnoul admitted conspiring to importing and supplying drugs. He was sentenced to 17 years and six months in jail. John Bolter, 36, from south London, was arrested on September 6 driving a car with 20 kg of cocaine hidden inside. He admitted one count of conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced Monday to seven years and six months imprisonment. Dean Francis, 37, from southeast London, admitted the same offence. He was observed meeting Fagnoul at a hotel in Kent and collecting drugs on September 5. He will be sentenced on Thursday. This was a sophisticated large-scale operation to supply large amounts of cocaine from the continent into the UK, said William Russell of the CPS. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has decided to establish the secretariat of its new network of Financial Centres for Sustainability (FC4S) in Geneva. The network of 17 leading financial centres, created last September, aims to accelerate green and sustainable finance. The FC4S network follows work undertaken by Italys Ministry of Environment during Italys 2017 G7 presidency, which endorsed and encouraged cooperation between financial centres. The network was launched in Casablanca, Morocco, in September 2017 with a mission to exchange experience and take common action on shared priorities to accelerate the expansion of green and sustainable finance. The 17 financial centres belonging to the network are: Astana, Casablanca, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, Liechtenstein, London, Luxembourg, Milan, Paris, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Stockholm, Toronto and Zurich. UNEP is establishing the networks secretariat in Geneva with support from Swiss federal and cantonal authorities, as well as from private sources in Geneva. This will enable the canton to reaffirm its role as international cross-roads for sustainable finance,state councillor Pierre Maudet declaredon Monday. Green finance is defined as finance that delivers environmental benefits in the context of sustainable development. Sustainable finance looks more broadly at environmental, social and governance factors in both market practice and policy frameworks for banking, capital markets, investment and insurance to deliver the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. UNEP said the past year had witnessed important developments in sustainable finance. The issuance of green bonds rose to $155 billion in 2017, up from $82 billion the previous year. Leading countries and regions are also introducing sustainable finance strategies, notably China, the European Union, Italy, Morocco and Britain. Canada has just established an expert group on sustainable finance. ATS-SDA/sb When the US announced tough new sanctions against Russia this month, Swiss industrial group Sulzer received no official warning of what could have been a disaster for the company. The first clue you have that things are going to be complicated is your bank calls you up and says: Look, were going to have to stop working with you, said Greg Poux-Guillaume, chief executive of the company. It was pretty clear that we were going to be frozen out of all the banks US dollar business, across the board. Sulzer is not alone since the US measures were imposed a fortnight ago, global lawyers have been scrambling to work out how many other companies could be affected through shareholdings, loans, investments or trading relationships. Commodity traders such as Glencore and Rio Tinto have cancelled contracts with affected companies, and banks have cut ties, while the Russian state is considering nationalisations to help those most affected. But for international companies concerned about being dragged into the sanctions net, Sulzers experience also offers a way out. The Swiss company, which makes pumps and compressors, fell under the sanctions net because it was more than 50 per cent owned by the Renova Group of Viktor Vekselberg, one of seven Russian oligarchs banned from the US financial system. But Sulzer was saved, Mr Poux-Guillaume said, thanks to the quick response of officials at the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the US Treasury department that enforces sanctions. The tougher regime was announced on a Friday and Sulzer spent the weekend negotiating with Renova to bring its investors shareholding below the 50 per cent threshold. A deal was finally agreed late on the Sunday evening, in time for an announcement before markets opened on the Monday. After the official silence, Sulzer was soon interacting with Ofac. Two days later, the transaction had won US official approval. It was very clear from the interactions that we had with them [Ofac officials] that we were not the intended target. They did their job in the way that they had to, but what they were sensitive to was that speed was of the essence for us, says Mr Poux-Guillaume. I dont know of any [other] country where you can get Treasury approval for something like this in two and a half days. Issue-driven remedies Tolo Alamutu, a director at risk analysis firm Exotix Capital, said Sulzers example showed that issuer-driven remedies are sometimes possible to avoid the knock-on effects of the sanctions. Similar remedies clearly are not available to all companies impacted by sanctions, Ms Alamutu said in a note to clients, adding that it also offered opportunities for sanctioned companies to buy up more of their own shares. Under the deal, Sulzer bought 5m of its own shares for SFr546m from Renova. It also secured agreement that Renova would bear the cost if those shares were later sold at a lower price. What is more, Renova provided undertakings that it would reduce its voting rights if its continuing influence remained an issue, said Mr Poux-Guillaume. To satisfy Ofac, Sulzer has also suspended payments to Renova including for the shares it bought and a SFr76m dividend payment due last Tuesday. Until sanctions are lifted, the dividend monies retained would serve as cheap funding for Sulzer Mr Poux-Guillaume said. In the meantime, Renova is unlikely to be able to reduce its shareholding in Sulzer further, as banks would almost certainly refuse to handle the transaction while US sanctions were in place. The agreement was painful for Renova, said Mr Poux-Guillaume, but they were pragmatic enough to understand they didnt really have too many other options, unless we wanted to inflict long-term harm on Sulzer. Minimal effects The Swiss company last week said the financial impact on its business, representing the costs of legal work and lost activity, would be CHF10 million ($10.25 million)at most. Moreover, the arrangements agreed with Ofac mean the company is, in effect, protected against further sanctions effects, Mr Poux-Guillaume believes. Were the company you should be least worried about in terms of sanctions, he said, because we have a system for buying shares from Renova that has been approved already by Ofac, and which has been used already and we could use again. However, he is not sure whether Sulzers actions offer a blueprint for other companies threatened by US sanctions. What matters is meeting the Ofac requirements and obtaining its blessing. Sulzer became exposed because its shares were publicly traded and it could not choose its shareholders. Renova was a good shareholder that had been invested for 10 years. Nevertheless, Mr Poux-Guillaume said, you have to know who your large shareholders are and you have to be cognisant of any risk that could be linked to geopolitical situations. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2018 Five years after the factory complex collapse that killed 1,138 textile workers in Bangladesh, 145 international brands have signed an accord to improve factory safety. Only one of them is Swiss. To mark the fifth anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster, Swiss social justice NGO Public Eye has written an open letter addressed to Swiss clothing retailers Chicoree, Coop, Mammut, Manor, Migros and Zebra. It urges them tosign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. According to Public Eye, Bangladesh is the fourth leading source of clothing imported into Switzerland. The accord is the worlds first legally binding measure to improve workplace safety for the over two million garmentworkers there. On top of the 1,138 deaths, over 2,000 people were injured in the Rana Plaza accidenton April 23, 2013. Under the accord, inspection teams have since screened over 1,600 factories and identified more than 118,500 dangers related to fire safety, electrical installations and structural issues. Some 83% of these problems have been resolved, reports Public Eye, formerly known as the Berne Declaration. Swiss measures Swiss-based teen clothier TALLY WEiJL signed the accord in 2014. On its website, the label writes that before signing, With the help of independent experts, TALLY WEiJL examined all textile factories that they had business relationships with. When following the required safety standards, TALLY WEiJL guarantees the factories in Bangladesh long-term contracts in return. Asked why it had not signed the accord, Swiss retailer Coop which sells various brands of clothing and soft furnishings told swissinfo.ch that its few own-label textiles come from a handful of carefully selected suppliers in Bangladesh and that it hasalways taken responsibility for implementing sustainability standards directly. Suppliers in Bangladesh are regularly monitored by means of Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) audits. In addition, prior to the accord, we rigorously conducted building audits with our suppliers and closely followed any corrective action in the event of defects, Coop spokesman Ramon Gander said. Similarly, Swiss outdoor label Mammut explained why it hadnt signed the accord. Mammut is systematically committed to the comprehensive improvement of working conditions and occupational safety. For this purpose, Mammut together with the Fair Wear Foundation, production partners and local groups has built up a substantial control and management system over the past ten years, replied Mammut in a statement. Public Eye argues that such individual and voluntary measures are at best a supplement, but certainly not a substitute for the industry-wide and legally binding building safety agreement. The European Unions move last year to grant Swiss stock exchanges only limited access to the 28-nation bloc is discriminatory, Swiss Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann has declared. Switzerland wants full access by the middle of this year. Schneider-Ammann was in Brussels on Monday for talks with European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom on issues ranging from Swiss stock exchange access to the single market to US tariffs on steel and aluminium. Switzerland is not a member of the EU; economic and other relationships are governed by more than 120 bilateral deals agreed over decades. Brussels wants Switzerland to reorganise its EU relationships around an institutional framework agreement. To increase pressure, last year it put Switzerland on a watch list of tax havens and granted Swiss stock exchanges access to the single market for only one year, with any extension linked to agreeing a treaty. + Everything you need to know about Switzerland and the EU In a statement released on Monday, the Swiss economics ministry said recognition of stock exchange equivalence was crucial so that European banks and investors retain access to Swiss stock exchanges and can continue to buy and sell Swiss and foreign securities listed in Switzerland. It addedthat Schneider-Ammann had stressed to Malmstrom that the time-limited recognition of equivalence constituted discrimination against Switzerland compared to other EU partners. Switzerland wants unlimited recognition by the middle of this year, the minister declared. The institutional framework issue has been dragging on for years and politicians and the seven-member Federal Council appear divided over European policy. As a conciliatory move towards normalising relations, in March the Council announced that it plans to renew its pledge of contributing CHF1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) to the EUs cohesion fund. Trumps tariffs During their meeting in Brussels, the two ministers also discussed the impact of US tariffs of 25% on imported steel and 10% on aluminium imports for Swiss and European exporters. Schneider-Ammann underlined Switzerlands concern at the rise in protectionism in world trade, the Department of Economic Affairs said in its statement. Schneider-Ammann also updated Malmstrom on his meeting in Washington on April 20 with US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to discuss this issue. Following an outcry over the US tariffs announced in March to protect US producers, President Donald Trump agreed to suspend their imposition until May 1 for Argentina, Australia, Brazil, South Korea, Canada, Mexico and the EU to allow discussions to continue. The EU announced in March that it was ready to retaliate against Trumps tariffs with counter-measures against US products. Schneider-Ammann stressed that any such measures should not hinder trade with Switzerland. He said commitments arising from the free trade agreement between Switzerland and the EU must be respected. ATS-SDA/sb Worldwide, about one in eight bird species is endangered. In Switzerland, its three times as many. The statistics come from a report published by BirdLife International on Monday. Of the 11,122 known bird species, 156 have already died out and five have survived only in captivity. Another 1,469 species or 13% are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Exactly 222 species are threatened with extinction worldwide, 461 are considered threatened and another 786 are vulnerable. In addition, 1,017 species are on the alert list. Most red list species are affected by the expansion and industrialisation of agriculture. Other threats include forestry, invasive foreign species, hunting and poaching, and climate change, according to the report. In Switzerland, the situation is comparatively worse, with 39% of birds on the red list three times the worldwide figure. These numbers indicate that the condition of the Swiss bird community is even worse than in many other countries, said Raffael Aye, head of species promotion at BirdLife Switzerland, in a statement, which goes on to note that urgent action is required in connection with agriculture, in particular. Some of the affected species include ones that used to be common in Switzerland, such as partridges, lapwings and turtle doves. A leading politician from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party warned Monday that Facebook's dominance makes competition "impossible", joining a broadside against the social network from Berlin. Facebook has reached a critical mass that makes competition impossible, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lawmaker and digital policy spokesman Thomas Jarzombek told Bild, the countrys biggest-selling newspaper. The MP believes people only use social networks if their friends are already members a tall order for any new competitor to the Silicon Valley giant with its more than two billion users worldwide, around 30 million of them in Germany. Jarzombek argued that members of different social networks should be able to communicate with one another by sending messages, friend requests or photos and videos without signing up to every service just like customers of different mobile operators can call, text or send data to one another. Recent revelations about millions of Facebook users data being harvested by British political communications firm Cambridge Analytica have stoked Germans habitual distrust of social networks to fever pitch. Justice and Consumer Protection Minister Katarina Barley earlier this month labelled the firm a network of intransparency where ethical convictions have fallen victim to commercial interests. Germanys competition watchdog said in March it was investigating Facebook for abusive collection and use of data from sources outside its network, pointing to information gathered via like buttons embedded on other publishers webpages. The Federal Cartel Authority could order the California company to change its terms of service in Germany or ban it from certain activities, but would not inflict a fine. A Berlin court ordered Facebook to change some of its privacy settings and terms of use, including a rule requiring people to use their real names. Judges found it was not giving people enough choice about how their data is used. And a new law that came into force on January 1 requires social media giants to remove hate speech and other illegal content within 24 hours, or risk fines of up to 50 million euros ($57 million). dar/tgb/hmn/nla Privacy Settings This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. Four British pilgrims were killed and 12 others injured in Saudi Arabia when their bus collided with a fuel tanker, officials said on Sunday. The crash occurred on Saturday near the western Saudi town of Al Khalas while the pilgrims were on their way to the holy city of Mecca. The royal embassy of Saudi Arabia in London is working with (Britains) Foreign Office to issue emergency visas immediately to both the relatives of the four pilgrims who died as well as to families of the 12 British pilgrims who were injured, the embassy said in a statement. The injured have been taken to a hospital in Mecca where everything possible is being done to care for them. The Saudi ambassador to Britain Mohammed bin Nawaf also tweeted his sincere sympathies. The embassys statement said 17 British pilgrims were aboard the bus. The fatalities included a 70-year-old grandmother from Blackburn, in northern England, and an elderly man, a mother and her grown-up son, all from the neighbouring city of Preston, according to media reports in Britain. Ben Wallace, a lawmaker for the area in the UK parliament, wrote on Twitter: My thoughts are with the family and friends of those that are reported to have been invlolved in an accident in Saudi Arabia. A local company, Hashim Travel, reportedly organised the tour. Gulfaraz Zaman, its director, told the BBC the accident was horrendous. If you see the remains of the bus, theres just the metal frame of it thats left, he said. In a brief statement, a spokesman for the British Foreign Office said: We are supporting the British families of those who have died and those injured following a serious road traffic accident. A spokesperson for CBHUK (The Council of British Hajjis), a national pilgrim welfare charity, said the British Consulate in Jeddah was providing on-the-ground consular support. Every year, millions of Muslims flock to Mecca and Medina further south, Islams second holiest site, to carry out the annual hajj pilgrimage or the umra. In January 2017, a two-month old baby was among six British nationals killed in a road accident in Saudi Arabia while they were travelling to Medina, according to British officials. In 2015, around 2,300 worshippers performing hajj were crushed to death in a stampede, in the worst disaster ever to strike the annual pilgrimage. burs-ac/dv/jj/har The woman named by South African media as the future wife of ex-president Jacob Zuma has been forced to resign from her position at a women's rights charity, the group said Monday. The She Conquers foundation, which campaigns to improve the lives of adolescent girls, said Nonkanyiso Cono failed to disclose her relations with Mr Zuma and had acted contrary to the principles that the charity stood for. As young girls we are lured and used by people with power who use their position to take advantage of us, the group said in a statement. According to media reports in South Africa, Cono, 24, is due to become the new spouse of 76-year-old Zuma who currently has four other wives. The Sunday Times weekly reported that Cono had been a frequent visitor at Zumas residence east of Johannesburg since she was 19. The former president, who was forced to resign in February after nearly a decade in power, is facing a string of corruption charges stemming from an arms contract dating to before his time in office. His political career was dogged by controversy and he was in 2006 acquitted on charges of raping a HIV-positive woman. He also caused outrage among health campaigners by telling the court that he had showered after having unprotected sex with his accuser to avoid contracting the virus. Welcome to the News Release Wire Selection Control Panel. Instant News Wire Two-dozen economically depressed regions around San Antonio could get billions of dollars worth of new investment through a designation handed down this week by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The Treasury Department named 24 census tracts in the San Antonio area to become opportunity zones under the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul President Donald Trump signed into law in December, according to the Treasurys website. Under the tax bill, investors can park their capital in long-term investments in economically disadvantaged areas deemed opportunity zones in exchange for a reduced or, if they keep that investment long enough, eliminated capital gains tax burden. RELATED: Texas job growth continues, unemployment rate stays at 4 percent The idea is to incentivize businesses to make what could be otherwise considered risky investments in blighted areas with slow business growth, low household incomes and high unemployment. The areas selected by the Treasury include large chunks of the East Side near Fort Sam Houston, much of downtown San Antonio, areas of the West Side close to downtown along Commerce St., Port San Antonio, Kelly Air Force Base, portions of the South Side, Stinson Municipal Airport, the Brooks master planned community and the Northeast Corridor which includes a stretch of Perrin Beitel and Nacogdoches roads that extend to OConnor Road. The Treasury also picked wide swaths of southern Bexar County that cover Von Ormy, Toyotas manufacturing plant, Texas A&M University San Antonio, Braunig Lake and Elmendorf. Governors were allowed in March to nominate a quarter of all eligible census tracts in their state areas where the poverty rate is at least 20 percent and where median family income is no more than 80 percent of the regions median income. Gov. Greg Abbott nominated 628 census tracts in 145 Texas counties as potential opportunity zones last month, including 24 in Bexar County. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg had submitted 27 tracts for consideration by Abbotts office in February. Joshua Fechter is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreports As a young boy raised by his single mother and grandmother in 1970s France, Nordine Mohamedi always felt a deep connection to the United States. Thats because his father, who hed been told was killed in the Vietnam War, was an American soldier named John Wayne Nelson. When I told my friends that, they laughed at me, he said ruefully. They said my mom told me a movie story. For the longest time, about all his Algerian-born mother would tell him about his father was his name and that they met in 1965 while he was stationed at the now-closed Chateauroux-Deols Air Base in central France. I always felt her sadness when she talked about my father, he said. A 28-year search that involved letters to the Army, posts on military blogs and chat rooms and what eventually struck gold two DNA tests and help from people hed never met, led him finally to the father hell never meet and deep into the heart of Texas. Finding the father Ill never know, and finding and meeting all his relatives who are now my relatives, has helped me understand myself better, said the 52-year-old journalist with French public television who, to honor his father, now goes by the name John Wayne Nelson Jr. He was in San Antonio recently with his wife Celine Pauilhac and their two young daughters to meet and host a number of relatives from the area. For the first time, I really know who I am now, Nelson said. A happy childhood It wasnt until he started school as a child that Nelson (still known as Nordine), realized he was different from most of his classmates. They had a mother and a father. He had only a mother. And he lived with his grandmother in a Paris suburb while his mother worked as a waitress 150 miles away. He says his childhood was happy, that his grandmother and mother (when she could visit), showered him with affection. But with his fair skin and blue-green eyes, he often felt he straddled two worlds, especially when visiting relatives in Algeria. Each time, they would speak French to me, as no one could imagine that I could speak Arabic, he wrote in his self-published book about his search, How I Found My Dad in Texas. In France my birth country, numerous people were puzzled by my name, he continued. As he was able to understand more, his mother revealed more details. More features: President Ford's visit to San Antonio included culinary oops She told me that, when she was three months pregnant, he was transferred to Germany, Nelson said. He knew hed eventually be sent to Vietnam so before he left he told her, If I survive, Ill return and marry you. Although he took solace in the fact that his mother told him his fathers name, Nelson concedes he sometimes wondered if his mother was being completely truthful. Who knows? he said with a shrug. A lot of American soldiers lied to French girls about their real name, whether they were married. Then you think, Could it have been rape? Perhaps thats why he never seriously considered trying to track down his missing fathers U.S. origins. Then, in 1988, his first daughter from his first marriage was born. Finding father When you become a father you realize what it is to be a father, he said. When Rachel looked into my eyes, I could see how she loves me, even as a baby, an infant. I thought, I never had that. So I decided to start looking for my father. Where to begin? His mother refused to answer any more of his questions and did not help with the search. She died in 2000, and Nelson has no idea what else she might have known. He didnt have a Social Security number for his father. A letter sent to the Army (a message in a bottle, he calls it) went unanswered. And in those pre-internet days, how would he even find a list of all the John Nelsons there were in the United States? Later he posted on various military blogs and in chat rooms, looking to connect with anyone who was based at Chateauroux-Deols at the same time as his father. Some promising leads went nowhere. He met a woman online whod been born in Chateauroux but lived in the U.S. where, hed hoped, it would be easier for her to search. But she was unable to uncover anything useful. By 2011 hed had enough and decided to stop searching. Then his second wife Celine and Rachel bought him a genetic test kit as a birthday present. More features: In 1905, King Selamat (tamales spelled backward) made official entrance on the river We never imagined it would lead to him finding his father, said his wife, who is also a French public television journalist. We only wanted to give him a global view of his origins. To confirm what his mother had always told him. Not only did the results show he had relatives on this side of the Atlantic, they also connected him with two people in the U.S., Dan Dotson and Tina Zimmer, who were distantly related but, more important, conversant in the ways of genetic sleuthing. Tina suggested he do another, more specific test with Ancestry.com and, within a few weeks, he got more than 10,000 matches, including 428 close matches, meaning fourth cousin or closer. A week later, Tina sent him an Ancestry.com link, not to his father, but to his grandfather, Perry Nelson, complete with a photo. For the first time I was able to see a direct relative of mine, he said, pulling up the photo on his mobile phone, his eyes rimmed red with tears at the memory. From there it was only a matter of time before Tina could track down Perry Nelsons four children, including John Wayne Nelson, born in 1946 Nelsons father. I have five children, and every birth was emotional for me, said Nelson. But finding my father was a different kind of emotion. I was overwhelmed. Once on the Ancestry.com website, Nelsons connection to the family was available for all to see. And the first more direct cousin to contact him was Amanda Canion, who lives in San Antonio and is his second cousin once removed. Making more connections Canion is an experienced genealogy detective and had recently helped her husbands cousin find his biological family. So she connected Nelson with members from both the Nelson and the Brady sides of his family. To stay in touch with his more than 150 cousins from around the U.S. and Canada, he changed the name on his Facebook profile from Nordine Mohamedi to John Wayne Nelson Jr. in 2016, marking the first time he publicly identified himself that way. He is currently in the middle of legally changing his name in France. Last year, during Nelsons first trip to Texas to visit relatives, he visited the small town of London, north of Junction, where his father was raised. He also went to his fathers gravesite, where he sprinkled dirt from his mothers gravesite in Colombes, France, that hed brought with him. He also took some dirt from his fathers grave to bring to Colombes. More features: Aerial Horizon dance company aims high with new studio I had a mix of sadness and happiness when I was there, he said. I thought to myself, talking to my father, Im just here, right now, close to you. I just want to tell you how long it took me to get here. As the saying goes, however, be careful what you wish for. As he communicated with his long-sought relatives, Nelson learned more about his father, including that he did not, in fact, die in Vietnam as hed always been told. Yes, my father was wounded in battle and he was taken to Japan and then to North Carolina for treatment, said Nelson. He wasnt expected to survive. Nelson Sr., did survive, only to be killed shortly after leaving the hospital while driving his Mustang on the streets of Fayetteville on Labor Day weekend, 1967. He was making a left turn and was T-boned, said his cousin Shane Nelson, an Idaho resident who grew up in Texas and who has many fond memories of his uncle, Nelson Sr. News reports at the time said that Nelsons three passengers, Timothy Beckman, Inge McMillan and Eve Adams, survived. Nelson has tried to find them all, but without success. More enjoyable were the tales he heard about his dad from those who remembered him even if they were kids at the time. He was really nice, especially to my sister. She was his favorite, recalled Shane Nelson of his sister Stacie. Hed come by and take us for ice cream. Shane tells an uglier story about a run-in Nelson Sr. had with his own father, Clovis Nelson. Uncle John was tough, but my dad was mean, he said. I remember once my father beat Mom up. Beat her bad. Uncle John put us in his Mustang and told us to stay there. Then he went into the house and beat the (expletive) out of Dad. The family is already planning another reunion for 2020. Shortly before he and his family returned home to France, Nelson was asked if he would come back for it. Absolutely, he replied without hesitation. rmarini@express-news.net | Twitter: @RichardMarini Sam Houston had strong feelings about temporizing Look up the word temporize in the dictionary, and heres what youll find: 1. Avoid making a decision or commit oneself in order to gain time; 2. temporarily adopt a particular course in order to conform to the circumstances. Larry Spasic, president of the San Jacinto Museum of History, told me that the museum has in its collection a bulky, leather-bound dictionary, well-used, that Sam Houston had in his possession for much of his life. If you turn to the T's, Spasic said, youll find that Houston scratched out the word temporize. Not only did he mark it out, the museum president said, but in the margins he wrote, Out with it. Spasic added: You can gain little insights into people through documents like that. Read more: Gunshot victims in Brazoria knew to call Dr. Sofie Agreed, but I wanted to argue with the expert. It seemed to me that in the crucial weeks leading up to the climactic events that Texas commemorates on this day, Houston was nothing if not a temporizer. Retreating eastward toward the Sabine with his quarrelsome, ragtag army, while panicked settlers fled Santa Annas minions in the so-called runaway scrape, Houston would seem to be equivocating, procrastinating, playing for time (all synonyms for temporizing). More Information San Jacinto Day Festival and Battle Reenactment Saturday, April 21 Festival is from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Battle Reenactment begins at 3 p.m. San Jacinto Monument One Monument Circle, La Porte, Texas Admission is free. Off-site parking and shuttle service available at several lots along Independence Parkway. (Disabled parking available at the Battleship Texas parking lot at 3523 Independence Pkwy, La Porte) See More Collapse Lately, Ive been reading "Lone Star Nation," Bill Brands immensely readable history of Texas. The UT-Austin historian describes a general who, in late March and early April of 1836, has almost lost control of his army. As Houston and his men trudge toward the Louisiana border, he receives a letter from David Burnet. Sir: The enemy are laughing you to scorn, the Texas president chides. You must fight them. You must retreat no farther. The country expects you to fight. The salvation of the country depends on you doing so. Houston bridled at the criticism. I have, under the most disadvantageous circumstances, kept an army together. . . but I can not perform impossibilities, he wrote in his journal. Houston could almost ignore the carping from afar, from people who werent even in the field, but his near-mutinous troops were harder to ignore. At San Felipe, when it became clear that Houston did not intend to defend Stephen F. Austins capital, two of his most influential men, Wiley Martin and Mosely Baker, simply refused to continue retreating. They had expected Houston to make a stand at the Brazos. Houston faced a dilemma, either horn of which might gore him and eviscerate the revolution, Brands writes. To treat the Baker-Martin challenge as the mutiny it was risked rending the entire army; for all he knew, half his men would side with Baker and Martin against him. On the other hand, to acquiesce in their insubordination would certainly make discipline an even greater problem in the future. Read more: Child in 1836 endured, prevailed after Runaway Scrape Houston cleared a path for himself past both horns. He ordered Baker and Martin to guard the Brazos. Leaving a company with each of them, he took the balance of the army, about 500 men, to Groces Plantation upriver, where he rested and trained his soldiers and allowed the sick to recuperate. He borrowed time. Constantly on the verge of falling apart, the army held together, even as Houston continued to retreat, until, suddenly, he changed his mind. Santa Anna had decided - without confiding in anyone, the Mexican general wrote - that the best way to end the rebellion was to decapitate it; he would seize the rebel government, itself beating a hasty retreat toward Harrisburg. He pulled some 750 dragoons, grenadiers and riflemen out of their regiments and dispatched them in pursuit of Burnet, Lorenzo de Zavala and other leaders of the newly formed Republic. Houston, after being outnumbered all spring, discovered to his surprise that he now commanded a larger force than his rival. The army also had received two cannons, sent from Cincinnati via New Orleans and Galveston and dubbed the Twin Sisters, after the twin daughters of a Texas immigrant on the same ship. As Brands recounts, many of the rebels took the cannons arrival as reason to attack, and when they suspected their leader was still inclined to retreat across the Trinity River, they were even more adamant about taking the fight to the Mexican army. A soldier years later recalled how Baker, standing within four or five steps of Houston, vowed that if Gen. Houston will not take us to meet the enemy, we will elect a commander who will. Read more: Characters abound in Texas writer's family history So was Houston temporizing? Spasic, a great admirer of this man of strong convictions, insists that he was not. He contends that Houston was buying time, so that his men would learn to temper themselves and act like the professional soldiers they were not. In Spasics view, he knew what he was doing all along. Historian Brands, also a Houston admirer, basically agrees. Over coffee in Austin a couple of days ago - actually Brands was starting his teaching day with iced tea - he described Houston as the only person involved on the Texas side who had any strategic sense. He was, indeed, moving his near-mutinous army toward that lawless and contested ground between the Sabine and Neches rivers, the vague border with the United States. He was hoping to draw his old friend and mentor, President Andrew Jackson, into a fight with Mexico. The Battle of San Jacinto was not [Houstons] idea at all, Brands said. His troops decided to fight it, and he was clever enough to ride around to the front and lead the battle. He was counting on the ferocious anger of his men. On this day 182 years ago, Houston called a noontime war council. Houston knew he couldnt delay long, Brands writes, given the belligerence of his troops and the inevitable approach of the rest of the Mexican army. . . . The Texan commander might wait a day, maybe two, but he couldnt wait longer than that without losing all hope of victory. He didnt wait. At 3 in the afternoon, in the full glare of sunlight on a warm and humid day, Houston ordered his men into a column nearly a thousand yards across. They waited for a signal from the man now astride a white stallion. They saw him draw his sword. They began moving forward across the green savannah. They did not temporize. djholley10@gmail.com Twitter: holleynews A vacant building near Seguin City Hall will become a Development Services Center under a $2.9 million municipal plan aimed at providing staff with better quarters and residents and businesses with a convenient place to obtain permits and guidance on their projects. The Seguin City Council on April 3 hired TSG Architects for $257,000 to remake 108 E. Mountain St. into whats described as a one-stop shop for development services, said city spokeswoman Morgan Ash. The city paid $360,000 in early 2017 for the 10,100-square-foot building, located diagonally from City Hall, that once housed Seguin Motor Co. and Cutcher Motors. It has been unoccupied for at least a decade, Ash said. Ash said the city has sufficient funds for the project, so no new debt will be issued to finance it. Construction bids will be sought this summer and the plan is for the center to open in August 2019. We are seeing an explosion of new growth and development in Seguin, and this, the center, will make it much more convenient for developers and residents to get their permits and questions taken care of, Ash said Thursday, noting 3,000 homes are expected to be built locally by 2023. The site will house 19 existing staff from the citys planning, engineering, permitting, code compliance and environmental health departments, who currently are split between offices on the second floor at City Hall and in the buildings basement. Read more: Town of Seguin grows into manufacturing powerhouse Their office space is inadequate and there is no public lobby to serve those departments at City Hall, Ash said, adding, This frequently results in a lack of privacy for both customers and staff. Customers must stand around a hallway-sized area near the permits counter, which often becomes crowded and noisy, she said. As the city grows, the number of customers needing planning and development services will continue to increase, facilitating the need for the additional space. City Planning Director Pam Centeno said the center will provide much-needed additional work space for current development-related employees, plus room for staff expansions down the road. The renovations are being designed to provide a more convenient and productive space for both the staff and the customers, Centeno said in announcing the project. Its also important for us to have a space we can grow into as development in Seguin increases and additional staff is needed to serve the communitys needs. The new centers lobby will be more than just a waiting area, featuring meet-me rooms where constituents can speak in private with staff and have access to computers to review records, she said. There will also be a conference room for larger groups to meet with city staff, Centeno added. In addition to improving city services, the project will revitalize an abandoned building in the citys historic downtown. Preserving a historic building and occupying a vacant space is always a plus for downtown Seguin, said Kyle Kramm, director of the Main Street and Convention & Visitors Bureau. Guests at the new center will be able to see firsthand the revitalization taking place downtown, he said. Zeke MacCormack is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | zeke@express-news.net | @zekemac AUSTIN The U.S. Supreme Court will take up the years-long battle over Texas political maps Tuesday, with the potential to scramble several congressional and state House districts ahead of the November elections. Court watchers expect a decision by June in the case that centers on political boundaries that civil rights groups and minority lawmakers say were drawn to intentionally dilute minorities voting power. Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was in the Legislature when the maps were conceived in 2011, has argued that later tweaks cleared the maps of any problems. A three-judge federal court panel in San Antonio disagreed. Last year it struck down two of the states 36 congressional districts and nine state House districts, ruling that they were drawn with discriminatory intent. Paxton appealed, and the Supreme Court has suspended the lower court ruling as it hears the case. The legal battle could have long-term ramifications for voters across Texas, including giving Democrats and minorities a better chance to pick up more seats, depending on how the Supreme Court rules. In addition to the Texas case, the court also has taken up closely watched cases from Wisconsin and Maryland both allege partisan gerrymandering, by Republicans in Wisconsin and by Democrats in Maryland. Read more: Calculating gerrymandering in Texas Nobody knows where the top court is headed with this cluster of redistricting cases, though some analysts suggest that alleged racial discrimination might be easier to remedy than discrimination based on party affiliation alone. The court threw out a GOP-drawn congressional map in North Carolina last year on racial grounds. But in past court rulings, the justices have expressed deep reservations about wading into the battles between Democrats and Republicans. Time is growing short If the Texas plaintiffs prevail, the state could be forced to redraw its political boundaries before the 2018 or 2020 elections. Though only a handful of districts are named in the case, any changes to their boundaries could have a ripple effect on neighboring districts. None of the contested state House districts are in Bexar County. But Congressional District 35, held by Democrat Lloyd Doggett of Austin, extends into San Antonio, wrapping around the East Side and reaching into downtown. Beyond upcoming elections, a state loss could mean Texas would need federal sign-off before making changes to voting law. How the state reached this point is a complicated and winding path. Texas gained four congressional seats after the 2010 census showed that the states population had ballooned by more than 4 million people, growth driven largely by minorities. The Republican-controlled Legislature passed new maps in 2011 that reshaped the boundaries for congressional, state Senate and state House districts. But the maps were never implemented, after a federal court in Washington ruled that they discriminated against minorities. As 2012 elections approached, the maps were replaced by court-drawn boundaries, which the Legislature adopted as permanent the next year after making some minor changes. Those maps have been used in the past two election cycles as the legal battle continues. Paxton has argued that the maps should be legally sufficient because the court had a hand in shaping them. In a brief, the state questions how the Legislature could have engaged in intentional racial discrimination by adopting maps imposed by the district court itself. Related: Can Obama's influence help change Texas redistricting in Democrats favor? But civil rights organizations argue that the congressional and state House maps drawn up by a court panel in 2012 were meant to be temporary and that rather than addressing the legal deficiencies, the state simply adopted them as permanent. Though the maps fixed some of the contested districts, they made little or no changes to others drawn in 2011, and the plaintiffs argue that the discrimination carried over. Those districts in question are Congressional District 35 and Congressional District 27, formerly represented by Republican Blake Farenthold of Corpus Christi. There are also the nine state House districts: two (Districts 54 and 55) in Bell County in Central Texas; three in Dallas (103, 104 and 105); two in Nueces County (32 and 34); and two in Tarrant County (90 and 93). Minority voting power The plaintiffs argue that the districts are drawn to dilute the voting power of blacks and Latinos by cramming them into a single district or splitting them up among several. Take Doggetts district. Once leaving Austin, the district straddles Interstate 35 until it reaches Bexar County, first funneling through a narrow neck in the northeast because the area contains low concentrations of Latinos, the plaintiffs said in a brief. Then, it widens into the San Antonios South Side, to include a large concentration of Latinos. A federal judicial panel ruled last summer that the two Congressional districts and nine state House districts violate the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Voting Rights Act, finding that the Republican-controlled Legislature drew the maps with discriminatory intent. In the case of Congressional District 35, the judicial panel said the map drawers created an impermissible racial gerrymander because it illegally used race as the predominant factor in drawing the district without a compelling state interest. After the rulings, the court gave Paxton three days to advise whether the Legislature would take up redistricting. If not, the parties were scheduled to meet back in court to begin redrawing the maps. But then Paxton appealed. The Supreme Court suspended the lower court ruling and agreed in January to take up the case. Its hard to tell what the Supreme Court will decide, but there are a number of potential outcomes. First, the justices will have to decide whether the court even has jurisdiction to hear the case. The plaintiffs are arguing that Paxton appealed prematurely, before the lower court had a chance to come up with a final decision on new maps. His office, however, contends that the timing was appropriate because the panel in San Antonio was ordering immediate redistricting on the eve of election deadlines, which would have effectively blocked the state from using its existing maps for the 2018 elections, the state wrote in a recent brief. If the court sends the case back to San Antonio, proceedings would resume where they left off: with hearings to address violations in the maps. The justices could come down on the states side, leaving the existing maps in place for upcoming election cycles. If the plaintiffs prevail, the state could be forced to redraw the districts, though timing remains unclear. Any shuffling likely wouldnt take effect until the 2020 elections because courts have been skittish to make changes so close to voting day and risk sowing confusion, legal experts said. Texas could also be forced back into pre-clearance, where the state would need sign-off from federal officials or a court before making changes to voting law. No matter what the top court rules, another round of redistricting starts in just two years, after the 2020 census. So the contested maps are only going to be in play for two more election cycles before redistricting starts all over again. But elections in 2020 will determine the state lawmakers who draw up the next maps. Given continued population growth in Texas, the state is projected to pick up at least two more congressional seats and possibly three. Exactly how many will depend on the census, which has been the source of recent debate after President Donald Trump announced plans to add a citizenship question that advocacy groups warn will depress Latino participation. amorris@express-news.net | Staff Writer Kevin Diaz contributed to this report. Former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez and Andrew White, son of the late Gov. Mark White, were the two left standing in a crowded field after last months Democratic primary in the governors race. For the May 22 runoff election, we again recommend White as more qualified and likely to pose more spirited competition for Gov. Greg Abbott in the November general election. We believe the state is best served by competitive races up and down the ballot. They make for a more robust debate of all the issues facing the state. On these there is little difference substantively between Valdez and White, but after interviews, we discerned that White has a better grasp of these issues. The successful Houston businessman simply speaks with more specifics on these topics. ENDORSEMENT: Andrew White for governor He wants to close loopholes in the states equal and uniform tax law that allow commercial interests not to pay their fair share of property taxes. He clearly understands that the states refusal to properly fund public education drives up the property tax bills for residents because school districts are then forced to up their tax rates to compensate. White would like to put a gaming measure on the ballot to raise more funds for education. And he questions the value of the Legislatures commitment of state trooper resources to the border. It is indeed of dubious value. His abortion views have caused concern in the Democratic Party. He says he is personally pro-life but, if elected governor, he will not advocate further abortion restrictions in Texas and said he respects Roe v. Wade as the law. This is nuanced, but we understand why it might not be as definitive as some would like. Abbott avoided a runoff in his race with 90.42 percent of the vote. Valdez, a former San Antonio resident, grabbed the larger slice of Democratic primary votes March 6. She got nearly 43 percent of the vote. White got about 27 percent. This doesnt necessarily mean she has the upper hand in the runoff because her 43 percent means 57 percent didnt vote for her. We recommend that voters who didnt vote for either White or Valdez choose White because of his more studied understanding of the issues. A previous version of this editorial misstated the first name of one of the Democratic candidates, Andrew White. HARTFORD Both men are Supreme Court justices. Both would be firsts if they took the states top courts job. But when the General Assemblys Judiciary Committee weighed the nominations of Andrew McDonald and Richard Robinson for chief justice, lawmakers spent 10 more hours interrogating McDonald than Robinson. With legislators of both parties peppering their remarks with praise, Robinson sailed through questioning in under three hours Monday. Robinsons jokes drew laughs. Applause echoed in the hearing room when he promised committee chair Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, that he would take care of the Judicial Branch. The 40-member committee voted unanimously to advance Robinson toward becoming the states first African American chief justice, a decision that will ultimately be made by the House and Senate. But despite all the positivity, the shadow of the acrimonious McDonald hearing in February - the harbinger of his ultimate failure to become chief justice - hung in the air. This has been a hard few months for us and a hard few months for a nomination for this job in the Judicial Branch, said committee co-chair Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford. Robinson, 60, was nominated for the chief justice job by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy after Republican claims of judicial activism and a 19-16 Senate vote stopped McDonald from becoming the states first openly gay chief justice. Robinsons name was floated as a more-desirable nominee by Republicans even before the Senate vote and repeatedly after. Sen. Ed Gomes, D-Bridgeport, assured Robinson Monday that lawmakers viewed Robinson, who has sat on the Supreme Court for five years, as equally qualified as McDonald for the job. I want you to know you are not an alternative, he said. Like McDonald, Robinson was questioned about his view on the relationship between the legislature and the courts, how he decided cases when he personally disagreed with the law and when he chose to recuse himself from decisions. But Robinsons questioning also focused on how his experience as a black man will influence his leadership of the courts. The president of the Stamford branch of the NAACP from 1988 until 1990, Robinson shared his views on affirmative action, his chairmanship of a judiciary cultural competency committee and how he would handle discrimination within the Branch. He told legislators a story about how when he was in an Appellate Court judge, a hardware store clerk grabbed him and accused him of stealing a tiki torch. I dont think you can imagine how that makes me feel when people perceive you a certain way for the color of your skin, he said. Several lawmakers asked Robinson to work to restore confidence that the courts provide justice for all people, not just us. A Stratford resident, Robinson was appointed to the Superior Court in 2000. He was born in Stamford and was counsel for the city from 1985 to 2000, where he worked with Malloy. At the time, Malloy was a member of the local finance board before becoming mayor for 14 years. Malloy also named Superior Court Judge Steven D. Ecker, 56, of New Haven, to the high court. If the two are approved, Malloy will have named six of the seven members of the Supreme Court. The Judiciary Committee also questioned 30 people nominated to Superior Court judgeships, including Tracy Lee Dayton of Weston, Lisa Grasso Egan of New Haven, Francis Lee OReilly of Fairfield and Ronald E. Kowalski II and Stephanie A. McLaughlin of Stamford. Political editor Ken Dixon contributed to this report. emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson British Wool has introduced a new scheme designed to support producers who have recently entered the industry. Launching for the 2018 season, the scheme will see eligible producers receive 100% of their clip value as an upfront payment for their first two years, along with a priority wool in-take and grading service through British Wools nationwide depot network. Producers will then transition on to the standard payment scheme over the next three years by way of adjusted balancing payments so that, over the life of the 5 year scheme, new entrants receive the same cash as they would have done had they been on the standard payment scheme throughout that period. British Wool CEO Joe Farren said investing in the future of the industry is an "essential part" of encouraging young farmers into it. Any start up business requires support to be successful, so increased up-front payments during the first two years will help ease the pressure on cash flow, Mr Farren said. Through this initiative we hope to appeal to young farmers to market their wool through us, and thus safeguard the long term future of British Wool for the benefit of all our members. Eligible producers will be paid exactly the same prices as all our producers. This is purely an early years cash flow support scheme. Eligible new entrants will receive their wool payments as follows: Year 1 the advance payment will be set to 100% of the prior years clip value. Year 2 the advance payment will be set to 100% of the prior years clip value plus / minus any balance from the previous year. Year 3 the advance payment will be set to 75% of the prior years clip value plus / minus any balance from the previous year. Year 4 the advance payment will be set to 50% of the prior years clip value plus / minus any balance from the previous year. Year 5 onwards the advance payment will be set to 25% of the prior years clip value plus / minus any balance from the previous year. Year 6 onwards payments will be in line with all other British Wool registered producers. There is a "real disconnect" between the farming industry and the media and both sides are to blame, according to a Countryfile director. BBC Countryfile director Anna Jones, who grew up on a farm in Wales and has done a Nuffield scholarship exploring how farmers are portrayed in the media, addressed the National Pig Association's (NPA) South Central Regional last week. Ms Jones said the media is predominantly urban and generally lacking in specialist knowledge and understanding of the countryside. Combine that with a severe lack of time and resource and you are seeing a very shallow covering of agricultural issues, she said. But the industry is not really meeting them half way. On the farmers side, I believe there has been a real lack of transparency, she said. I think the industry is over-defensive. Every industry is being challenged and scrutinised and rightly so, especially at this time as we prepare for Brexit, but farmers often feel very personal about it when they are challenged as they are so proud in what they do. Ms Jones added: I believe the industry voice is a little too dominant and those individual on-farm voices sometimes dont come through to the mainstream media. Most stories need a case study where you have a non-political unbiased farmer speaking from the heart with passion. 'Impartiality' Ms Jones, who comes from an upland farm on the Welsh-Shropshire border, launched a defence of features that have appeared on Countryfile over the past two weeks. The first covered the increasing impact of veganism on the meat industry, including an interview with a vegan activist. The feature explored different systems on pig farms and the "paradox between what consumers say and what they actually buy in the supermarket" when it comes to pork products. The programmes have received criticism from both sides of the divide over farm animal welfare, but Ms Jones said the producers had gone to great lengths to ensure the features were balanced and fair. I will stand by those features and their impartiality, she said, in response to questions from farmers in the audience who questioned the decision to give publicity to the vegan activist and suggested the line of questioning was not robust enough. In the latest feature, for example, Ms Jones said the Countryfile team gone to great lengths to find a farmer, speaking anonymously, willing to defend the use of slatted rearing systems. Ms Jones described the farmer as "a star" and "the bravest woman in Britain". Northern Irelands leading dairy co-operative Dale Farm is in talks with Ireland-based dairy co-op LacPatrick for a potential merger. Formed in 2015, LacPatrick, and supports 700 local farmers and possesses processing facilities on both sides of the Irish border. On Wednesday (18 April), LacPatrick's board said it had received "a number of approaches" from other businesses in the sector and was considering a merger, partnership or joint venture. Belfast-based Dale Farm, a co-op of 1,300 dairy farmers from across the UK, has now confirmed its interest. Lakeland Dairies, based in County Cavan, Ireland, has also confirmed its interest. Dale Farm chief executive Nick Whelan said: "Dale Farm has been made aware of the situation at LacPatrick and we have an interest in these developments." If the merger go-ahead is confirmed, it will be Dale Farm's first significant business interest in the Republic of Ireland in more than a decade. Fuel crisis: Farmers urged to be vigilant for diesel thieves Farmers have been urged to be vigilant for thieves seeking to steal diesel as the current fuel crisis continues to impact the country. Th... Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahujas wedding rumours have been surfacing on the internet for quite sometime now. Filmfare officially confirmed that the lovely couple will be tying the knot on May 7 and 8 in Mumbai post which they will host a grand reception in New Delhi, the capital being Anands hometown. Sonam and Anands wedding is touted to be one of the biggest Bollywood weddings of the year.The two have been dating for quite sometime now, even though they have never spoken about their relationship officially, the world has enough proof of their long-distance romance. Right from their mini-vacations to their social media PDA to being there for each other at important family events the two have always looked madly in love. Hence, now that the couple is finally getting married, their well-wishers are super excited. Speaking of their wedding, we have a big update on couples Mehendi ceremony.A source close to the family informed a daily that Sonams Mehendi ceremony will be hosted by Sonams aunt Kavita Singh at her luxurious Bandra bungalow. The venue is known to be Kapoors favourite place for all the grand family celebrations. Being true blue Punjabis, its said that the family is super excited for all the pre-wedding functions.Meanwhile, practices for Sonams sangeet are going on in full swing. Choreographed by Farah Khan, stars like Karan Johar, Arjun Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan amongst others will be seen setting the stage on fire. Talking about Karan, a source earlier informed, Karan is also very excited as he is performing on the title track of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. And the fact that he is dancing to the steps of his best friend, Farah is like a cherry on the cake. All of them are having too much fun while preparing for their acts.As the dates are approaching, we cant wait for this grand wedding to take place already. Pooja Had A Question For Mr. Bachchan Pooja took to Twitter to take a dig at Big B and reminded people of Pink, a film where Bachchan played a lawyer who vociferously defended a woman's right to consent. She tweeted, "I can't help being reminded of a film called Pink. Can our images on screen please be reflected in reality?" Her Troll Didn't Go Down Well With Some People They started mercilessly trolling her for calling out Big B and started bringing up her battle with alcoholism. Disgusting! A Twitter user wrote, "A known alcoholic trying to gain publicity by using the name of a legend." Pooja, who quit drinking in December 2016, replied: "A recovering' alcoholic and proud of it. In a country where people don't even acknowledge they have a drinking problem, let alone discuss it, I am grateful to stand away from the crowd that considers holding your frailties to light shameful. #485dayssober." The Attack Of The Trolls Another user wrote, "A seasonal insect and a known #alcoholic trying to gain publicity by using the name of a legend @SrBachchan Another #Bollytards." Pooja's Epic Reply The actress gave it back to all the unsavory comments by tweeting, " A recovering' alcoholic & proud of it!In a country where people don't even acknowledge they have a drinking problem,let alone discuss it I am grateful to stand away from the crowd that considers holding your frailties to light shameful. #485daysofsober We Are Proud Of You, Girl! "Only brainless thakelis like Pooja Bhatt would even think of comparing movie roles or fictional stories to real life issues," read one tweet. To while Pooja wrote 'yawn' as a sassy response. Model turned actress Amyra Dastur, whose Telugu film career has taken off tremendously, with a film, Raju Gadu, opposite Raj Tarun, slated for release, is all set to carve her niche in Bollywood with Leena Yadav's Rajma Chawal, where she is playing the female lead with Rishi Kapoor. Recently the makers revealed Amyra's first look where she is seen sporting an undercut with patterns on the side of the head with a lot of tattoos on her body. She even had the side of her head shaved for an edgier look. Doesn't her badass look remind you of Rooney Mara from David Fincher's mystery drama 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'? Check it out right away here- According to a Mid-Day report, it was after 50 iterations before the unit of 'Rajma Chawal' that the look was finalized. Another source from the production reportedly told the tabloid that the unit brainstormed for days to decide how the lead actor should appear. There were all certain that the look should be something that Amyra hasn't sported before and distinct from the rest of the cast. They started with a sharp pixie haircut and rough curls, and after improvising on it, zeroed in on this one. The tabloid further quoted a production insider as saying, "The unit brainstormed for days to decide how the lead actor should appear. There were all certain that the look should be something that Amyra hasn't sported before, and distinct from the rest of the cast. They started with a sharp pixie haircut and rough curls, and after improvising on it, zeroed in on this one." Instead of fretting over the damage done to her locks, Dastur was apparently excited to "go completely wild". "She even suggested that she should go bald, but we knew that wouldn't fit the part as well as this one did." Rajma Chawal is a light hearted drama about a boy who falls in love with a girl who is more rebel than religious. The film marks the acting debut of Anirudh Tanwar who plays Rishi Kapoor's son in the film. Director Leena Yadav had earlier shared with Mumbai Mirror, "The idea behind the film is to illustrate how everything happens over the mobile today. People would rather catch up over a chat than have a proper conversation and this affects parent-children relationships. Parents are struggling to cope with technological advancements and Rishi Kapoor portrays the many shades of a father, from funny to intense. Anirudh has trained at Lee Strasberg theatre and film institute and is a perfect fit. I've wanted to work with him since a long time." Reportedly, Amyra Dastur's character in the film helps the father-son overcome their differences and rajma-chawal plays an important part in the narrative as Indians are emotionally connected with food. "Whenever I talk about rajma-chawal, it evokes a smile as people are reminded of home. There couldn't have been a more perfect title for a father-son relationship," Leena had further revealed. Mishal Raheja To Enter Kumkum Bhagya When asked as to whether there is any pressure on him to enter the show as Kumkum Bhagya is already a hit show, the actor told TOI, "I see at it with a different perspective. I feel when you enter a show which is already such a huge hit the pressure on you is less." Mishal Says Its A Gift To Be Part Of A Hit Show! He adds, "It is like a gift and I won't have any tension to maintain the ratings. I can be relaxed and just focus on my part. So it is only a win-win situation." The Actor Says He Never Planned His Breaks It has to be recalled that the actor was seen in a hit show, Laagi Tujhse Lagan. Post the show, he took a long break. He was recently seen on Ishq Ka Rang Safed and again took a break. When asked if he plans his long breaks between each shows purposely, the actor said, "I have never planned my breaks it has just happened." Post Laagi Tujhse Lagan, The Actor Was Busy With Other Things Mishal told the leading daily, "After Laagi Tujhse Lagan people thought that I purposely kept myself away from television, but it's not like that. I was busy doing few others things which unfortunately did not materialise." Mishal Makes A Comeback To TV After A 14-Month Break! "I did a short film for a youth channel in the meanwhile. Then I returned with Ishq Ka Rang Safed in 2016 and now after a 14-month break I am back with Kumkum Bhagya." The Actor Talks About Datta Bhau Role When asked as to whether he still wants to do the role like Datta bhau as it was strong and a much loved character, he says, "Datta bhau's character was a God's gift to me, but I can't keep thinking all my life. I have already done the character and achieved success now I have to move on I can't keep thinking about it." Mishal Regrets Quitting Laagi Tujhse Lagan The actor regrets quitting the show when he was at his peak. He adds that if he had same knowledge and maturity about the industry then, he wouldn't have taken the decision. The Pawan Kalyan-Sri Reddy controversy has reached a whole new level with the latter's name almost getting out the scene leaving it a tough battle between Pawan Kalyan, media and political entities. It now clearly appeals to be a political vendetta with both Kalyan and the media are at the loggerheads. The Powerstar slammed the media and the ruling government, alleging them of tarnishing his image. He went berserk with a barrage of tweets condemning the top media houses of the state. Kalyan's responses were welcomed by a section of people but were criticized by some. Abn Andhra Jyothi Files A Police Complaint The ABN Andhra Jyothi media house, which is said to be TDP's mouthpiece has filed cases against Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan Fans for vandalizing the vehicle property associated with their media house. The ABN chief is reported to have slapped a fine of Rs 10 Cr. Sri Reddy's New Claim The source of the controversy, actress Sri Reddy, has now given an open declaration that she is at the receiving end of threatening calls from Mega brother, Naga Babu. She has also stated that Mega family is be held responsible in case of any dire consequences towards her and this would be the testimony for the same. Siva Balaji's Supportive Hand Powerstar's co-star in Katamarayudu and Bigg Boss Season 1 winner, actor Siva Balaji is a self-confessed Pawan Kalyan fan. He has lodged a police complaint on Sri Reddy for her derogatory comments. Not just stopping to that level, the young actor took to his official Facebook and vouched support to Kalyan with his post. The post, which roughly translates to "We happen to encounter and step on mud/mess while we are walking on road. Most of us ignore it and convince ourselves to continue walking up to our respective homes and then clean up the mess. What we would never think is the pile of mud/mess would create the same gawky experience for others." "Most of us tend to think and behave in the same attitude whilst one in a million step forward to clear up the mud/mess by putting his life at stake. We, as normal people, should lend a helping hand to that leader who takes initiative to the person who steps forward for the cleansing activity." "The support should be in hundred, thousands and millions in numbers. Shouldn't we take this as our due duty and rally for the person who is fighting for a good society? Should we still be concerned about caste, creed, religion, family?"- (sic) Jabardasth Fame Aadhi Backs PK Hyper Aadhi, Actor, Writer & Director of reality television show, Jabardasth, is a fanatic of the chief of Janasena. He has earlier been seen attacking Kathi Mahesh, a movie critic, who had waged war against Pawan Kalyan. Aadhi has come to the rescue of his Powerstar and has urged fellow fans and supporters of Janasena to come together during this distressed moment. "To JanaSainiks, We have to promote our chief #PawanKalyan tweets on all possible platforms (fb timeline, pages, groups, whatsapp status&groups) wherever possible & make sure everything reaches the ground level. Remember one thing, Social media is the heart of #JanaSenaParty "- (sic) Mega Support To Pawan Kalyan Allu Arjun's Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India's audio launch event happened yesterday in West Godavari. Addressing the gathering during the event, Kalyan's brother, Naga Babu, came down heavily on Kalyan's attackers. Babu asserted that his brother, being the prime star in the industry has left the King's throne and millions of remuneration just with the good intention of serving people. Babu iterated strongly that Kalyan is not a single person to be attacked with issues but is a person with a huge base of support. He asserted that the political leader is backed with support and the team knows the tricks and trade of handling attacks (unlike the days of Prajarajyam). Bunny too, vouched his support to Kalyan. He added to Babu's comments that they stand with Kalyan during the thick and thin and would be there anytime as backup for unconditional support. With just one year for elections and so much drama being unfolded in a very short span, one could watch out for more happenings in the coming days. The survey found that Indian travellers are the most willing to pay the premium closely followed by Brazilians and Chinese. Mumbai: About 97 percent Indian tourists are looking forward to travel 'sustainably' during their holidays to have an enriching experience and for this they will not mind doling out extra money, says a report. A sustainable tourism implies that neither the natural environment nor the socio-cultural fabric of tourist destinations is impacted by the arrival of tourists. According to a survey by Netherland-based travel e-commerce company Booking.com, around 97 percent of Indian travellers want to travel sustainably in 2018 with 88 percent of them willing to pay an extra premium to ensure the same. It revealed that while 73 percent of current Indian travellers always or often opt for sustainable travel, around 32 percent are willing to pay at least 15 percent more to ensure as low an impact on the environment as possible. The survey found that Indian travellers are the most willing to pay the premium closely followed by Brazilians and Chinese. The sustainability measures are not an inconvenience, as many Indian travellers indicated they engage in sustainable travel behaviour because it adds a positive experience to their trip, it added. The survey was commissioned by Booking.com and was independently conducted among a sample of adults who have taken a trip in the last 12 months or plan to take a trip in the next 12 months. About 12,134 respondents were surveyed from 12 markets, including Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Spain, France, India, Italy, Japan, Brazil, the UK and the US. From India, 1,018 respondents were surveyed. The sustainable activities most enjoyed by Indians during vacations are buying locally made products instead of mass-produced tourist souvenirs (69 percent), using public transport instead of a taxi (62 percent) and to find a local restaurant that only uses local ingredients (61 percent). Indians also like skipping tourist highlights in favour of less busy and often more rewarding sights (48 percent) and opt for a place to stay that is a certified eco-accommodation over a traditional hotel (58 percent), it added. "Sustainable travel is a subjective term that has different connotations for different people. Indian travellers are increasingly looking to explore and experience the world in a sustainable way. This research reaffirms that sustainable travel is within reach for all of us, which is encouraging," Vikas Bhola, head - Indian sub-continent, Booking.com, said. Most Indians look for sustainable options as 75 percent said they were motivated by the impressive natural sights, including rain forests, coral reefs, among others. About 72 percent also felt motivated by the positive effect sustainable tourism had on local people, it added. Fortis Healthcare said Hero Enterprise Investment Office and Burman Family Office have extended validity of their 'improved binding offer' till 4 May, 2018 Mumbai: Fortis Healthcare on Monday said Hero Enterprise Investment Office and the Burman Family Office have extended the validity of their 'improved binding offer' till 4 May, 2018. According to a BSE filing, "all other terms and conditions of the improved offer remain unchanged". On 19 April, Sunil Kant Munjal of Hero Enterprise as well as Anand Burman and Mohit Burman of the Burman family approached the Board of Fortis Healthcare with a binding offer to invest Rs 1,500 crore directly in the company. The 'improved binding offer' replaced their original offer made to the Board on 12 April, 2018 to invest Rs 1,250 crore directly in Fortis Healthcare. The development comes days after Fortis Healthcare disclosed that it has received "an unsolicited non-binding expression of interest (EoI)" from KKR-backed Radiant Life Care with "a proposal for making investment and or re-structuring the company subject to certain conditions as mentioned in the offer letter". As per an earlier BSE filing, Radiant Life Care has made an offer to buy a 26 percent stake in the company at a price of Rs 126 per share, excluding the SRL Diagnostics' business. Fortis Healthcare had earlier revealed that it has received a "supplemental proposal" from IHH Healthcare Berhad. Besides IHH, Fortis Healthcare has received "an unsolicited non-binding expression of interest (EoI)" from Fosun Health Holdings for a possible due diligence. Fosun Health Holdings has made an offer of a "primary infusion at a price up to Rs 156 per share, subject to due diligence to be completed within three weeks, up to a total investment of $350 million" including a preliminary investment of up to Rs 100 crore. However, Fortis Healthcare on 27 March had announced plans to demerge its hospitals business (Fortis Hospitals) into Manipal Hospital Enterprises Private Ltd (Manipal Hospitals). The plan envisages the sale of the company's 20 percent stake in SRL Ltd to Manipal Hospitals. On last Thursday, Fortis Healthcare decided to constitute an "expert advisory committee" to evaluate all binding proposals for fund infusion. The panel is led by Deepak Kapoor, Former Chairman and CEO of Price Waterhouse Coopers, India and has been "requested to provide a report of its recommendation to the Board, by April 26, 2018". The company has named Renuka Ramnath and Lalit Bhasin as members of an "expert advisory committee". Ramnath is a former MD and CEO of ICICI Venture and Bhasin, President, Society of Indian Law Firms and Managing Partner, Bhasin & Co. The panel is likely to meet by 25 April to decide on the merger or buy offers. Since the roll out of e-way bill for inter-state movement of goods from 1 April and intra-state from 15 April, more than 1.84 crore such bills have been generated till Sunday New Delhi: Four more states, including Madhya Pradesh, and Union Territory of Puducherry will roll out the e-way bill for intra-state movement of goods from 25 April. From 1 April, the government had launched the electronic way or e-way bill system for moving goods worth over Rs 50,000 from one state to another. The same for intra or within the state movement has been rolled out from 15 April. So far 12 states have made e-way bill mandatory for intra-state movement of goods. "Four more states -- Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Meghalaya -- and union territory of Puducherry will roll out intra-state eway bill from 25 April," GSTN CEO Prakash Kumar told PTI in an interview. The electronic way or e-way bill for inter-state movement of goods valued over Rs 50,000 was rolled out on 1 April. Karnataka was the sole state to start intra-state e-way bill on the same day. The GST council had decided on a staggered rollout of intra-state e-way bill starting from 15 April with 5 states -- Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala. Thereafter 6 more states -- Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Tripura -- joined in from 20 April. Since the roll out of e-way bill for inter-state movement of goods from 1 April and intra-state from 15 April, more than 1.84 crore such bills have been generated till Sunday. Kumar said the maximum number of e-way bills are generated on the portal in the second half of the day, particularly between 1600-1900 hours -- accounting for one-third of the total generation of such bills during the day. The maximum number of e-way bills (both inter and intra state) generated has touched 12 lakh on 21 April. "So far the e-way bill portal is going on smoothly. The system has been designed to take load of generation of 75 lakh e-way bills during a day. The system has lot more capacity to take load that what is being generated as of date," Kumar said. Touted as an anti-evasion measure and would help boost tax collections by clamping down on trade that currently happens on cash basis, the e-way bill provision of the goods and services tax (GST) was first introduced on 1 February. However, its implementation was put on hold after the system developed glitches in generating permits. With several states also starting to generate intra-state e-way bills on the portal, the system developed a snag. Since then, the platform has been made more robust so that it can handle load of as many as 75 lakh inter-state e-way bills daily without any glitch. In the amended Customer Due Diligence (CDD) procedure, RBI said, 'The Aadhaar number, the PAN or Form No. 60' need to be obtained from an individual who is eligible for applying for the biometric ID. New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made linking of national biometric ID Aadhaar to bank accounts mandatory as part of its updated 'Know Your Customer (KYC)' guidelines. This, however, will be subject to the final decision of the Supreme Court on making of Aadhaar mandatory, RBI said in a circular. Till now, an Officially Valid Document (OVD) for address proof together with Permanent Account Number (PAN) issued by the Income Tax Department and a recent passport size photograph were the key KYC documents. But in the amended Customer Due Diligence (CDD) procedure, RBI said, "The Aadhaar number, the PAN or Form No. 60" need to be obtained from an individual who is eligible for applying for the biometric ID. Sources said that the move will facilitate trusted environment for banking services. The RBI has done away with sections relating to the use of other OVD by banks for address and identity proof. For residents of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam or Meghalaya, who do not submit Aadhaar or proof of application of enrolment for Aadhaar, the bank may obtain a "certified copy of an OVD containing details of identity and address and one recent photograph," RBI said. OVD means the passport, the driving licence, Voter's Identity Card issued by the Election Commission of India, job card issued by NREGA duly signed by an officer of the State Government, letter issued by the National Population Register containing details of name and address. RBI said Aadhaar number shall not be sought from individuals who are not residents. "From an individual who is not eligible to be enrolled for an Aadhaar number, or who is not a resident, the following shall be obtained: PAN or Form No. 60, one recent photograph and a certified copy of an OVD containing details of identity and address." In case the OVD furnished by the customer does not contain updated address, utility bill of not more than two months old of any service provider (electricity, telephone, post-paid mobile phone, piped gas, water bill), property or municipal tax receipt, pension or family pension payment orders (PPOs) issued to retired employees by Government Departments or Public Sector Undertakings, and letter of allotment of accommodation from employer issued by State Government or Central Government Departments may be considered, RBI said. RBI said the KYC norms have been updated following the government's decision to update the 'Prevention of Money Laundering' (PML) rules in June 2017. The government had last month extended the date for submission of Aadhaar details for existing bank account holders indefinitely. A date would be notified after the final judgement in the petition challenging Aadhaar being heard before the Supreme Court, the government had said. "The revised Master Direction is in accordance with the changes carried out in the PML Rules vide Gazette Notification GSR 538 (E) dated June 1, 2017 and thereafter and is subject to the final judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court," RBI said while updating its master direction on know your customer norms. According to the Aadhaar Act, a person who is residing in India for more than 180 days is eligible for applying for a Aadhaar number. Senior bureaucrat Suresh Kumar on Monday assumed the additional charge as chairman and managing director of state-owned Coal India Ltd. New Delhi: Senior bureaucrat Suresh Kumar on Monday assumed the additional charge as chairman and managing director of state-owned Coal India Ltd. Kumar, additional secretary with the coal ministry, has taken over from Central Coalfields Ltd CMD Gopal Singh, who was appointed as interim chairman of the world's largest coal miner in September last year. "Ministry of Coal has entrusted the additional charge of CMD, CIL to Suresh Kumar, Additional Secretary, MoC (Ministry of Coal). He has assumed the additional charge as CMD, CIL with effect from April 23, 2018," Coal India said in a filing to the BSE. Singh had succeeded Sutirtha Bhattacharya who retired from the post of Coal India CMD on 31 August, 2017. Responding to a question on appointment of full-time CIL chairman, coal secretary Susheel Kumar had recently told PTI, "The process of approval (of full-time chairman) is on...I am not aware of the timelines." The government had last year began the hunt for a full-time Coal India CMD and invited applications from professionals from PSUs as well as the private sector. While inviting applications through an advertisement, the government had said "the applicants may submit their applications to the Ministry of Coal". The government head-hunter PESB has earlier suggested that the Centre may choose an appropriate course of action for selection of CMD for Coal India as it did not find any of the six candidates interviewed as fit for the top post. Coal India accounts for over 80 percent of domestic coal production. TCS CEO and Managing Director Rajesh Gopinathan said Business 4.0 is thought leadership framework to help customers leverage digital technologies to address their growth and transformation agendas. New Delhi: India's largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is betting big on its 'Business 4.0' strategy to propel its revenues from new age-technologies like automation, cloud and Internet of Things (IoT) to over US $5 billion this year. Speaking to PTI, TCS CEO and Managing Director Rajesh Gopinathan said Business 4.0 is thought leadership framework to help customers leverage digital technologies to address their growth and transformation agendas. "There are many components to digital technologies, there is cloud, automation, analytics, IoT. People have been looking at various technologies, each of which is powerful and valuable in its own right but the point has been how do you stitch it together to help businesses," he said. He added that Business 4.0 provides an integrated and holistic framework to help customers address issues and focus on growth in an agile manner. Gopinathan said the "digital opportunity" globally runs in the billions as these new technologies are becoming increasingly entrenched across the table at an enterprise. "Last year, we had crossed US $3 billion (in digital revenue)...It has grown 35 percent, it has grown faster than it had grown last year. We have crossed US $4 billion in digital revenues... Run rate-wise, it is close to US $4.7 billion," Gopinathan said. He added that digital revenues would be well over US $5 billion this year for the Tata Group company. For the quarter ended March 2018, TCS' revenue from digital engagements accounted for 23.8 percent of its overall revenues, growing at 42.8 percent year-on-year. TCS posted a 4.4 percent growth in net profit at Rs 6,904 crore, while its revenue was up 8.2 percent to Rs 32,075 crore in the March 2018 quarter. For the full fiscal, its revenue rose 4.3 percent to Rs 1.23 lakh crore. Asked if the company would look at acquisitions to strengthen its play in the digital space, Gopinathan said while TCS is "always open" to such deals, it would not rely only on inorganic routes. "Our story is not dependent on acquisitions to kick start or accelerate this, we are executing beautifully. If we find the right acquisition at the right time and right price, we will go ahead, we are always in the market," he said. Asserting that TCS is not a "desperate shopper", he said the company is very selective in acquisitions. "...that is why, all our acquisitions have delivered value. We have never had to roll back any acquisition," he said. TCS Chief Operating Officer N Ganapathy Subramaniam said Business 4.0 has worked for the company and that the strategy has the potential to drive large-scale transformation across sectors like retail, travel and hospitality, utilities etc.He added that there has been a steady increase in the number and size of digital assignments clients are providing. In FY2018, over 2.45 lakh TCS employees were trained on digital, and more than 2 lakh employees have now been trained at various stages of 'Agile' methodologies. Biz Stone said Investing in Visit is his small way of contributing to a future where AI is seen as a positive enhancement of humanity that really does improve lives New Delhi: Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has invested in a Delhi-based Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot "Visit" which is the brainchild of students from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani in Rajasthan. Started in 2016 by Anurag Prasad, Vaibhav Singh, Shashvat Tripathi and Chetan Anand, "Visit" is an AI-powered chatbot for health advice learning from, and assisting, existing doctors. "People interact with the 'Visit' chatbot by sharing some symptoms. The bot follows up with relevant questions to collect more symptoms and risk factors (is the person hypertensive, diabetic, a smoker). This triaging is conversational and low stress," Stone wrote in a blog post on Medium on Sunday. "Visit" plans to democratise healthcare by shrinking the shortage of doctors using AI. "In India, for every doctor there are 2,000 patients lined up in-clinics -- waiting for hours. Accessibility to quality health advice is an overwhelming problem in a country with over 200 million people affected by lifestyle problems like stress, chronic conditions, obesity, skin conditions, and more. This is where the technology approach by aVisit' comes in," Stone informed. "Visit" chats conclude with patients being more educated about possible conditions, symptoms, and treatments. The chatbot is trained using over 20,000 probabilistic relationships between variables such as conditions, symptoms, risk factors, past history and more. Once a probable medical condition is determined, "Visit" connects the patient to one of over 2,000 health specialists all across India via video, phone or chat so the right treatment can be put into place. "But it doesn't end there. People can stay in touch with their practitioner over chat for follow-up. The objective is not to replace the doctor but to help practitioners in an assistive way by regular patient check-ins and reminders related to their care plan," Stone noted. "Investing in Visit is my small way of contributing to a future where AI is seen as a positive enhancement of humanity that really does improve lives," he added WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin may visit China, in a move that could help defuse rising trade tensions between the world's two largest economies that threaten to derail a global economic recovery WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin may visit China, in a move that could help defuse rising trade tensions between the world's two largest economies that threaten to derail a global economic recovery. The United States has threatened to impose tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese imports in a bid to try and force Beijing to stop its companies from stealing American companies' intellectual property. "A trip is under consideration," Mnuchin said at a press conference during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings in Washington on Saturday. "I am not going to make any comment on timing, nor do I have anything confirmed, but a trip is under consideration." Beijing has threatened retaliation against U.S. exports if Washington pushes ahead with the tariffs. The risks of a spiraling trade war were highlighted when U.S. President Donald Trump told his trade team to identify another $100 billion in Chinese imports that could be hit with tariffs. Mnuchin said he met with China's new central bank governor, Yi Gang, during the IMF and World Bank meetings and discussed the potential for China to open its markets to more foreign competition. "I did meet with the Chinese here. The discussions were really more around the governor's actions at the PBOC (People's Bank of China) and certain actions they've announced in terms of opening some of their markets, which we very much encourage and appreciate." (Reporting by David Lawder; Writing by David Chance; Editing by Paul Simao) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Sixteen Naxals were killed in an encounter with police commandos and CRPF personnel in Gadchiroli district in east Maharashtra on Sunday Nagpur/Mumbai: Sixteen Naxals were killed in an encounter with police commandos and CRPF personnel in Gadchiroli district in east Maharashtra on Sunday, a senior official said. While senior police officers said death of top cadres in the gun battle is a possibility, Gadchiroli Police, in a press release, said the deceased included some high-ranking ultras. The encounter broke out at Kasansur forest in Bhamragad between the ultras and a joint team of security forces comprising C60 commandos, a specialised combat unit of the Gadchiroli police, and personnel of the 9th Battalion of the CRPF, around 10 am. It lasted for 90 minutes, DIG (Gadchiroli) Ankush Shinde said. "The ultras hiding in the forest started firing at the security personnel. The exchange of fire continued for about one-and-half hours. As per preliminary information, bodies of 16 Naxals were recovered from the forest," he said, adding that arms and Naxal literature were recovered from the spot. "However, I could give the exact number (of deceased) only on Monday," he told PTI. Shinde said there are reports of injuries sustained by the security personnel. On the identity of the ultras, he said, "There is a possibility of two 'DVC' rank naxals Shrinu alias Shrikant and Sainath being killed in the operation." The DIG said the bodies of the Maoists killed in the operation are expected to arrive in Gadchiroli late in the night for identification. Addressing a joint press conference in Gadchiroli on Sunday evening, Inspector-General of Police, Anti-Naxal Operation, Sharad Shelar and local SP Abhinav Deshmukh said security forces came under fire from Naxals hiding in the forest. "The police fired in retaliation. A total of 16 bodies were recovered. There is a possibility of three to four women ultras among the deceased. However, it will be ascertained once the bodies arrive at Gadchiroli," Shelar said. Gadchiroli Police, in a press release, mentioned the names of some slain naxals, including Shrinu alias Shrikanth (51), a native of Challgari in Telangana, who was deputy commander. Another deceased ultra has been identified as Deepa alias Aamsubai, a native of Adilabad, who was involved in 82 cases of serious nature. Sainath alias Dolesh Madhi Atram, a resident of Gattepalli in Gadchiroli, who was a division committee member and Permili in charge was also among those killed, it said. Earlier on Sunday, Maharashtra director-general of police Satish Mathur congratulated the C-60 team which was involved in the encounter. He said there was a possibility that Naxal leaders of "DVC ranks," Sainath and Sinu alias Srikant, were among those killed. "This is the biggest success ever in the Dandakaranya area by any anti-Naxal force. There are no major injuries on our side," he said. The Home Ministry, on the recommendation of the Bombay HC, announced the appointment of Judge VS Padalkar to preside over the 2008 Malegaon blast case The Ministry of Home Affairs, on the recommendation of the Bombay High Court, announced the appointment of Judge VS Padalkar to preside over the special court that is conducting the trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, reports said. Judge SD Tekale, who was earlier presiding over the trial in the case since 2015, was transferred six months before his three-year-term was to end in July, The Hindu reported. He had ruled in December 2017 that Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and others accused in the case would continue to face trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Officials at the National Investigation Agency (NIA) insisted that it was a routine transfer. "The Central government, on the recommendation of the Honble Chief Justice, High Court of Bombay, hereby appoints Shri VS Padalkar, Judge, City Civil Court & Additional Sessions Judge, Mumbai, as the Judge to preside over the said Special Court," the notification passed on 18 April 18 reads. Next in line, new judge appointed for Malegaon bomb blast case trial, Judge VS Padalkar to replace Judge SD Tekale who declined to discharge Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit pic.twitter.com/Hlb4GtsgDq Arvind Gunasekar (@arvindgunasekar) April 21, 2018 Padalkar is currently presiding over the 2003 custodial death case of Khwaja Yunus, a 27-year-old software engineer from Parbhani who is said to have disappeared a few days after being arrested for the 2002 Ghatkopar bomb blasts, according Mumbai Mirror. A CID inquiry ordered by the Bombay High Court had held 14 policemen responsible for his death, but the Maharashtra government sanctioned the prosecution of only four of them. Only a day after the ministry's notification, Padalkar set 21 May as the date for conducting the trial in the Khwaja Yunus case which is already 15 years old on a day-to-day basis, the report said. It adds that with the new assignment, it is not known whether Padalkar will continue hearing the Khwaja Yunus case. Two months before Tekale was transferred in February, he ruled that Sadhvi Pragya, Lieutenant-Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, and six other accused in the Malegaon blast case, will face trial on stringent terror charges in the in the politically-sensitive case that had raised speculation of saffron militancy. In a chargesheet filed by NIA in 2016, the agency had given a clean chit to Thakur and recommended that all charges be dropped against her. Six people were killed and 101 injured when an improvised explosive device strapped to a motorcycle exploded in Malegaon, Maharashtra in 2008. The court dismissed NIA's contention that there was no evidence against Thakur, saying it was difficult to accept the claim given that her motorcycle was used in the blast. "There is evidence to suggest that the accused number one (Thakur) had knowledge about involvement of her motorcycle," the court said in its ruling on the nine-year-old case that had raised worries of Hindu militancy gaining a foothold as a reaction to Islamic extremism. Thakur "had also expressed dissatisfaction about causing less casualties in the blast. Hence it is difficult to accept submissions on behalf of the NIA and the accused number one that she had no concern with the present crime," it said. The court however, dropped the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) charges against the accused, which is punishable by up to life in prison. Apart from Thakur and Purohit, the other accused who received partial relief in the case are Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, and Sudhakar Dwivedi. The court also discharged Pravin Takalki, Shyamlal Sahu and Shivnarayan Kalsangra from the blast case, whereas Rakesh Dhawde and Jagdish Mhatre will face trial only under the Arms Act. The court said the accused persons will face trial under sections 16 (committing a terror act) and 18 (criminal conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and sections 120(b) (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (intentionally causing harm to others) of the IPC. With inputs from agencies Child rights groups reiterated that the real deterrent in such cases is the implementation of the laws and the certainty of punishment, rather than the death penalty. New Delhi: Not just child right activists, even parents of minor victims on Monday came out against the Union government's ordinance providing the death penalty to child rapists, saying it could lead to victims being killed by perpetrators. At a programme in New Delhi, three parents, whose children were raped, urged the central government to instead strengthen the judicial mechanism to support the children, who have to deal with the crimes and struggle in their aftermath. "My child was 3.5 years old when she was raped in her playschool days after the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case. She was still breast-feeding," a father, whose testimonial moved those present at the programme to tears, said. "We sat in the police station with her from 9am to 9:30pm to register an FIR and she was asked where she was touched and how much pain she experienced. She was made to repeat her statement again and again for months. I want to ask everyone if I was wrong to ask for justice for my daughter," he said. The Union Cabinet, two days ago, cleared the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2018, which proposes stringent punishments, ranging from a minimum of 20 years to life term or death, for raping girls below the age of 12. President Ram Nath Kovind has approved the ordinance. The ordinance was brought after a nationwide outrage over cases of sexual assault and killing of minors in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, in Gujarat's Surat, and the rape of a girl in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Child rights groups reiterated that the real deterrent in such cases is the implementation of the laws and the certainty of punishment, rather than the death penalty. They said the ordinance was "reactionary, impractical in terms of procedural changes brought in and disproportionate with regards to sentencing." "The move to bring in the ordinance was based on brutality and not on any understanding of the dynamics of incest and child abuse, which is of epidemic proportions in India and is taking place in our homes as a matter of daily routine," said Anuja Gupta of RAHI foundation, a centre for women survivors of incest and child sexual abuse. She said in her 20 years of working with rape survivors, she realised they do not want to take the burden of punishment to the abuser, especially if the abuser is a family member. In 94 percent of cases the perpetrator is known to the victim and introducing the death penalty will further decrease reportage of these cases to the authorities, she feared. A mother, whose child was raped by her husband - the child's father, said she does "not want him to be hanged". "I want him to be alive, I want him to compensate us monetarily for the rest of his life so that I can bring up my children. Why should he hang and be free of his responsibilities? "I fear if the death penalty is introduced, children like mine would be raped and then killed, so that there remains no evidence. As a mother, I appeal to the cops to be more sensitive, judges to be more patient and - above everything else - don't make us feel bad about seeking justice for our children," she said. In 2017, activists said, a Women and Child Development Ministry report on child abuse said that 53.2 per cent of children admitted to having faced some form of sexual abuse. Yet this has not translated into FIRs and remains heavily unreported, they said. Justice AP Shah, former Delhi High Court chief justice and former chairman of the Law Commission of India, said the remedy offered appears to be based on a wrong diagnosis. "Not only is the enhancement of the punishment to include the death penalty futile, but will have disastrous consequences for children. I urge everyone to reject the ordinance and focus on reforming the criminal justice system," he said. Advocate Vrinda Grover termed the ordinance "legal populism" and said the government should instead address why the conviction rates are low in cases of sexual violence against children. The activists said while the ordinance spoke about special courts, special prosecutors, India has one judge for every million of its population. The pendancy in Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases is 89 per cent and the conviction rate is around 28 per cent, they said. Bharti Ali of HAQ centre for Child Rights said children are often exposed to the accused and aggressive questioning of the victims persist in courts and these are the aspects - along with plugging the gaps in the judiciary - that should be the focus of the government. "For months we had to sleep without a fan in the blistering heat of Delhi because our daughter feared it. She feared she would be hanged from it. She cried everytime she saw a fan. While being raped, she had been threatened of being hung from a fan if she said anything. Will hanging her accused bring her justice," the father asked. Amreli SP Jagdish Patel has been detained by the Gujarat CID-Crime for questioning for his alleged role in extorting bitcoins and cash from a builder. Ahmedabad: Amreli Superintendent of Police (SP) Jagdish Patel has been detained by the Gujarat CID-Crime for questioning for his alleged role in extorting bitcoins and cash from a builder, an official said on Monday. Jagdish Patel was taken into custody from his residence in Amreli district last night and brought to Gandhinagar by CID-Crime, which is probing the case, he said. "Amreli SP Jagdish Patel has been detained by us for questioning. He has not been arrested yet," Gujarat CID-Crime DGP Ashish Bhatia said. A few days back, a police inspector from Amreli district, Anant Patel, was arrested in the case. He is accused of extorting bitcoins worth crores of rupees and cash from Surat-based builder Shailesh Bhatt. Besides Anant Patel, nine other policemen and a middleman from Amreli had been made accused in the case. Before Anant Patel, two constables and the middleman were also arrested by the probe agency. Notably, Jagdish Patel's name does not figure in the FIR. On 8 April, the CID-Crime registered a case against Anant Patel and others for allegedly kidnapping Bhatt and extorting bitcoins, a popular crypto-currency, and some cash from him. They were booked under IPC sections related to kidnapping, extortion, illegal detention as well as under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Bhatt, in his complaint, had alleged he was kidnapped from near a hotel in Gandhinagar by the accused policemen on 9 February. The realtor had claimed he was taken to a farmhouse near the state capital where Anant Patel beat him and forced him to digitally transfer 200 bitcoins worth crores of rupees. Police had earlier said they were verifying Bhatt's claim of digitally transferring 200 bitcoins to Anant Patel. The exchange rate of one bitcoin is over Rs 5 lakh at present, as per the websites which track the prices of cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin is a type of digital money that is issued and normally controlled by its developers and used and accepted among the members of the virtual community. The Centre has said it does not recognise bitcoin or any other crypto-currency as legal tender in India. It is time we looked at a smarter science that is human-relevant and can provide safer and more effective solutions to human health needs. So many companies test on animals. Even those that dont need to do so. For instance, perfume companies by now have isolated all the ingredients needed to make a perfume. It is simply a matter of mixing them. But they continue to spray the perfume in rabbits eyes, slice their skins open and rub it in, and other terrible tests. This is done by perfumers like Aramis, Balenciaga, Bvlgari, Cacharel, Donna Karan, Dunhill Fragrances, Elizabeth Arden, Gucci Fragrances, Hugo Boss, Jo Malone, Lacoste Fragrances, Marc Jacobs Fragrances, Michael Kors, Missoni, Ralph Lauren Fragrances, Tommy Hilfiger, and Kenzo. Toothpaste companies make animals eat their products to see after the consumption of how many toothpastes the animal dies. Does it prove anything? Has any human ever eaten five toothpaste tubes of goo? Or even one? But Aquafresh, Close-up, Colgate, Crest, Listerine, Mentadent, Pearl Drops, Sensodyne, Signal, Old Spice, Right Guard, continue to test. The animal testing and experimentation industry are everywhere. It is secretive, pervasive and profitable. Most of you dont even know that the products that you buy have so much suffering in them. But why this needless exploitation of animals in research, product testing and education? India used to buy over 1 crore frogs a year for school dissection. When the government banned this, it made no difference to the quality of education. Kerala teachers insisted that they should kill something, so, for years the frog suppliers turned into cockroach suppliers until one chief minister stopped this as well. Zoology teachers insisted on the killing of 1,000 + animals during the course of 3 years. When it was stopped, the teaching improved but every now and then some zoology teacher will insist on trying to restart this. Ask the suppliers of animals where the nexus is, and they will point their fingers at the teacher. Rabbits used to be tested in the making of injections even though these are machine made. When the then government banned it, the same injections continued to be made. The government pesticide council has ordered that the testing of animals till they die is to be stopped. This will have no impact on the pesticides at all. Thousands of soaps and perfumes do not test on animals, and they are just as good. It has been found that 90 percent of the medicines tested on animals have failed. So why does this carry on? It is a well-entrenched business mafia that continues to insist on animals being experimented on. It hides in the garb of science. It is an international, government-sanctioned and -funded, multi-billion rupee business. To give you one example: Raids done by my organisation ten years ago found a dealer in Agra who had over 20,000 dead animals in his house as specimens. He was a retired forest officer. Most of them were wild protected species; crocodiles, snakes, bats, every kind of mammal. The police found, through his computer, that he was selling to certain labs in Delhi University. When the wildlife department passed laws saying that no school/college will keep specimens, it was the illegal buyers in this list (who are teachers) that took delegations to ministers to protest. One researcher in JNU killed a rat a day for over 10 years to prove that when rats were asleep, they were not awake. His salary was huge and he lived rent-free at the university as a scientist. There are thousands like him. India has a CPCSEA committee that regulates the experiments on animals. I created this body and it was supposed to stop duplicative and unnecessary experiments. It has gone into the hands of people who pass every kind of experiment for a fee. If they stopped an experiment, the researcher would lose his grant, so it is easier to split the money in advance. It is simple to get grants for experimenting on animals. Governments and private research centres give them. For instance, in America, 47 percent of the grants given by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have animal research-based components. In 2015, this came to well over $10 billion in funding for projects that included animal experimentation. So, scientists band together and professional lobbying organisations craft, and market, sophisticated campaigns to defend and promote even more animal research. Who benefits? The salaries of researchers and technicians, who carry out animal experiments, provide financial incentives. Universities and other academic institutions profit from the percentage of overhead that they receive from the grants for animal experiments from the government. Unthinking politicians and clever bureaucrats allow laws mandating the testing of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, drugs, to assess safety and efficacy. The defence ministry allows testing of guns and gases on animals, the carmakers allow diesel testing on animals, the ministry of agriculture allows it for pesticides, the Consumer Product Safety Councils allow it for products, and FSSAI allows it for foods. Everyone benefits except the millions of animals that suffer and die needlessly. Who else benefits? NGOs posing as charities that raise billions of dollars from well-meaning people, hoping to find cures for virtually every human disease even when animal models for human diseases fail to predict what is safe or effective for people after decades of funding. Animal breeders profit handsomely from breeding and genetically engineering animals, from mice to primates. Recent prices quoted from one animal supply companys catalogue identified White Rabbits as high as $352 each, Beagles from China for $1,049 and some primates costing more than $8,000 each. Suppliers, of food, cages and equipment related to animal-model research, have a lucrative business. Veterinarians, employed to supposedly care for research animals, are paid highly to ignore the suffering and give their stamps of approval. Pharmaceutical companies fuel the animal research machine by conducting animal studies before moving to the real research on human beings. If the humans suffer or die as they often do, the company protects itself legally by saying that trials did OK on animals. These corporate giants use animal studies as a legal safety net by telling courts that they did what the law requiresprove the safety of a drug in animaland therefore are not liable when a drug harms a human. Even the media profits from the publish or perish mentality within the scientific community to justify animal research by using the results of animal tests to announce medical miracles, which help them sell more journals, newspapers and increase TV ratings. On an average, there are three stories a week on how testing on rats has shown every kind of cure from miracle hair growth by using an oil used for cooking fast food, to a cancer cure. Two days later this is forgotten and the cure is never heard of again. Government is made largely of politicians and bureaucrats who go with the flow. This government endorsed a proposal made by the last: to put Rs 200 crores into 100 acres of land in Telangana to grow animals for research. If I asked them for the same money for better sanitary towels, the answer would be that it is a waste of money. Anyone opposing experimentation wilts under opposition from these businesses. I have faced it many times. At the moment I am trying to get capsules made vegetarian. The entire gelatine industry is opposing this. So, media articles come out regularly, from so-called independent journalists, saying that vegetarian capsules are bad and expensive. The committee to regulate this is full of industry people. It will happen but it will take me and you some time to wade through the vested interests. The government mandated a red/green dot (veg/non-veg) on household products. Immediately the beauty council, which is a conglomerate of companies who produce everything from soap to house cleaners, went to court and got a stay. It has been four years now and not once has it come up in court !!! So you can imagine how many people have been influenced. Some animal tests take months or years to conduct and analyse (eg, 4-5 years in the case of rodent cancer studies), at a cost of hundreds of thousandsand sometimes millionsof dollars per chemical examined. The inefficiency, and exorbitant costs associated with animal testing, makes it impossible for regulators to take up the potential effects of 1,00,000+ chemicals currently in commerce worldwide, or the more than 1 million combinations of these chemicals to which humans are exposed to every day. In contrast, computer modelling techniques are lightning-fast, and many cell-based in vitro methods are much more accurate, all at a much lower cost than animal tests. It is time we looked at a smarter science that is human-relevant and can provide safer and more effective solutions to human health needs. This investment, in better more humane science promises, rather than in animal testing, will pay huge dividends in smarter, better solutions for people and animals. To join the animal welfare movement contact gandhim@nic.in, www.peopleforanimalsindia.org There is uneasiness in the top echelons of the Narendra Modi government over paralysis in the implementation of big-ticket infrastructure projects, which has much to do with the gridlock in the bureaucratic chain New Delhi: As the NDA government approaches its fourth anniversary next month, the ministries are busy printing booklets to highlight the achievements that will also measure whether or not they were able to deliver on the 2014 campaign promises and overhaul governance in the country. The past 48 months were marked by some historical decisions including demonetisation, the launch of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's medicare scheme, and the implementation of Goods and Service Tax India's biggest tax reform since Independence. But there is uneasiness in the top echelons of the government over paralysis in the implementation of big-ticket infrastructure projects, which has much to do with the gridlock in the bureaucratic chain. Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated a system of regular stocktaking of the schemes, lengthy inter-ministerial consultations as well as resolving clearance issues with the stakeholders seem to have contributed in slowing down the pace on the ground. During his address at Civil Services Day on 21 April, Modi indicated that the system needs to evolve as files even after traveling 32 times failed to get 'moksha'. According to the latest government report, projects costing over Rs 150 crore in atomic energy, railways, and heavy industry are facing delays. In the atomic sector, all four projects were plagued by UPA's policy paralysis. In fact, a project for fast breeder reactor at Bhavini was approved by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in September 2003 with an expenditure of Rs 3,492 crore and it was expected to become operational by September 2010. The project not only missed the deadline, the cost overrun is colossal and after spending Rs 5,566 crore, the government is expecting to complete the project by June this year and its cost to the national exchequer is supposed to go up to Rs 6,100 crore. Two other atomic power projects Kakrapar and Rajasthan approved in October 2009 missed the original deadline of December 2015 and December 2016, respectively, and could become operational only in late 2019 and 2020. Also, the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project that was approved by the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government in March 2013 will not be able to meet the November 2020 deadline; the Modi government expects to make it operational towards the end of 2023. The government report said that the delay in these four nuclear projects alone would have a cost overrun of Rs 2,608 crores. According to government figures, about 264 projects were delayed while only 14 could manage to move ahead of schedule. Though 308 projects are on the right track of completion as mentioned at the time of clearance, the report in February 2018 stated that there are as many as 603 projects that do not have a time frame for completion. So far a power project in Chhattisgarh, an Urban Development Ministry project in Madhya Pradesh and three railway projects Suratpura-Hanumangarh-SriGanganagar Gauge conversion, Ratnagarh-Bikaner Gauge conversion and Rohtak-Bhiwani doubling has been completed, the report said. A 50 MW wind power project first cleared in November 2011 with a cost of Rs 310 crore has been running behind the schedule. Though the Urban Development Ministry is implementing 38 mega projects, some of which were sanctioned during the UPA-I regime, the government report said that in certain projects, it could be delayed by 72 months. In November 2017, the government had reviewed 1,283 projects that were being monitored. Of these, 302 projects were running behind their schedule and the cost overrun of these delayed projects was Rs 1.45 lakh crores. The telecommunication sector could bring a bit of fresh air for the government, as seven out of nine major projects would be completed in the year 2018. Though, according to the government, a standing committee in each ministry has been set up for fixation of responsibility for time and cost overruns, it has been observed that due to environmental clearances, statutory clearances, land acquisition and security clearances, it is difficult to fix the responsibility on babus for delay in implementation on the ground. The government in December 2017 had said that they were monitoring 380 mega projects each costing Rs 1,000 crores and above. The original cost of implementation of these 380 projects was Rs 11.96 Lakh crore and their anticipated completion cost was likely to be Rs 13.62 lakh crore, reflecting overall cost overruns of Rs 1.66 lakh crores. Time, cost overruns vary with projects, claims minister In January 2018, programme implementation minister Vijay Goel had told the Lok Sabha narrating various other reasons for the delay. Goel had told the Lower House of the Parliament that the time and cost overruns are project-specific and depend on a variety of technical, financial and administrative factors, and differ from project to project. The main reasons, he argued, for the increase in the cost of the project are under-estimation of the original cost, changes in rates of foreign exchange, the high cost of environmental safeguards and rehabilitation measures, spiraling land acquisition, shortage of skilled manpower, and changes in project scope. The government in 2016 had constituted eight group of secretaries on eight sectors transport and communications, energy and environment, health and sanitation, education and social development, commerce and industry, science and technology, governance and crisis management with a mandate to prepare a time-bound action plan and to monitor the implementation of ministries and departments. As far as the main action plan for timely completion of mega projects is concerned, the government feels that it needs to apply rigorous project appraisal, setting up of revised cost committees in the ministries for fixation of responsibility for time and cost overruns; regular review of infrastructure projects by the concerned administrative ministries; and setting up of central sector projects coordination committees (CSPCCs) in the states under the concerned chief secretaries for removal of bottlenecks and for facilitating the speedy implementation of major projects. The government also has a project monitoring group (PMG), which primarily focuses on resolving a variety of issues for large public projects through inter-ministerial meetings to remove implementation bottlenecks. The group ensured that at least 197 of the 273 mega power projects were cleared after its intervention and meetings with various departments to address a variety of issues. A report in January 2018 said that 210 projects having 515 clearance issues with anticipated investment of Rs 9.34 lakh crores were under consideration. The government has also made technological intervention to fast-track projects. Since 75 key approvals from the Centre are required to set up new projects, it has made at least 67 services integrated through an online platform to track the delay in sanctions and ensure that they are taken up by an appropriate authority. The government, it appears, should focus on what a group of secretaries had observed: "Scheme approval should be limited to objectives, total outlay, broad guidelines, measurable outcomes with timelines, expenditure phasing, and evaluation. Within these parameters, states to have the freedom to formulate projects in consultation with the Ministries. In order to streamline the budgetary process, challenges and priorities for reforms, the International Monetary Fund's South Asia Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) had recently held meetings with key ministries in the social sector to identify and implement good international practices. The documents accessed by Firstpost shows SARTTAC officials had held three meetings with the Department of Economic Affairs on 21 and 22 February, and 1 March 2018 to discuss the reform challenges. The SARTTAC team documents also reveal that it had held meetings with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Rural Development and Ministry of Health. Citizen-centric governance gets thumbs up The Central ministries in the last four years were able to overcome problems in handling public grievances and as per latest report finalised after a meeting on 9 February 2018, a majority of grievances followed the service delivery time frame. The rate of disposal of grievances for the Ministry of Water Resources is 98.55 percent. There are 200 pending grievances out of which four grievances are pending for more than one year and seven grievances are pending for 6-12 months. The rate of disposal of grievances in the Ministry of Minority Affairs is 93.47 percent. There are 341 pending grievances out of which 21 grievances are pending for more than one year and 49 grievances are pending for 6-12 months. During the meeting, the ministry reported that most of the grievances were related to scholarship issues, however, it was observed that the pendency of more than one-year-old grievances was quite high. For the Ministry of Housing, the rate of disposal of grievances is 98.18 percent. There are 764 pending grievances out of which 13 grievances are pending for more than one year and 39 grievances are pending for 6-12 months. The meeting held at Sardar Patel Bhawan made it clear that all the ministries should conduct a review of grievances regularly at higher levels and a grievance must be addressed within a period of maximum two months. There was also a directive issued to the ministries that a grievance should not be closed by merely transferring it to the attached subordinate or field office and the concerned government officers should give a reasoned reply for the closure of a grievance to the citizen. Modi had repeatedly flagged Minimum Government, Maximum Governance and that has been the most attention-grabbing government reform process eliminating several obsolete laws and using technology in public service delivery to bring transparency. The government was able to address all the 18 issues taken up for reforms. The latest was the plan for the government's exit from the air service sector by proposing to sell up to 76 percent stake in Air India. In the social sector, reports reviewed by Firstpost shows that implementation has been encouraging for the government. For Pradhanmantri Awas Yojna-Gramin, states and Union territories had sanctioned over 74.48 lakh houses and completed more than 33 lakh by 31 March 2018. The government plans to construct 2.95 Crore houses by 2022. As far as the second phase of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is concerned, of the total target of 50,000 kilometres, the government has cleared over 32,000 kilometres road length and out of 1.63 lakh unconnected habitations taken up for the work, more than 1.30 lakh habitations were connected till February this year. Under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana with an aim to empower the rural poor, a total 6.81 lakh self-help groups were financed in 2017-18, a considerable improvement from 2016-17 when 5.7 lakh such groups were promoted across the country. The body of 19-year-old woman, who was a witness in the 1 January Bhima-Koregaon clashes, was found in a well near a rehabilitation site for the riot victims The body of 19-year-old woman, who was a witness in the 1 January Bhima-Koregaon caste clashes, was found in a well near a rehabilitation site for the riot victims on Sunday, media reports said. The family of Pooja Sakat, a class XI student, had earlier lodged an FIR with the police that some local villagers were issuing threats and harassing them as she was witness to the violence, according to The Times of India. Sakat had approached different government offices over the last few months to get her family a new home, the report said. "We informed the Shikrapur Police after Pooja went missing on Saturday afternoon. The well where her body was found is about two kilometres from Koregaon Bhima. We suspect that she may have been compelled by local villagers to end her life or she may have been pushed into the well," the report quoted her brother as saying. "We will investigate the matter from all possible angles. We will verify the allegations levelled by Poojas family members. But we will first try to establish what actually caused her death," the police said. On 1 January, an event to mark 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in Pune district was marred by incidents of violence, with at least one person getting killed and vehicles torched. The violence had spread to several areas including Mumbai, Aurangabad and Pune. The violence was followed by call several statewide bandhs, that had also elicited support from political parties such as Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Bahujan Samaj Party, who expressed anger over the government "failure" to control the Pune incident. As the Opposition blamed the government for inaction, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a judicial inquiry into the violence that erupted. "A sitting high court judge will head the inquiry," Fadnavis had said, adding that Rs 10 lakh compensation would be given to kin of the youth killed. With inputs from agencies The Congress, along with seven other Opposition parties, were handed a huge embarrassment after Rajya Sabha chairman and Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu rejected the impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. The motion was rejected on grounds that the charges were not sufficient for impeachment, sources were quoted as saying by media reports. The Congress, along with seven other Opposition parties, were handed a huge embarrassment after Rajya Sabha chairman and Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu rejected the impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. The motion was rejected on grounds that the charges were not sufficient for impeachment, sources were quoted as saying by media reports. Naidu rejected the motion citing lack of substantial merit in it, sources said. Naidu held extensive consultations with top legal and constitutional experts before taking the decision, they said. According to sources, Naidu held deliberations with a number of constitutional and legal experts, including Attorney General K K Venugopal. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held the consultations with such experts to determine the maintainability of the motion. The sources said Naidu met several experts after he re-scheduled his travel plans considering the seriousness of the matter. According to News18, Naidu also spoke to Subhash Kashyap, former secretary general of the Lok Sabha, PK Malhotra, former law secretary, Sanjay Singh, former legislative secretary and senior officials of the Rajya Sabha secretariat. He is also likely to meet former Supreme Court judge Sudarshan Reddy, sources said. The Vice-President had cut short his visit to Hyderabad and returned to New Delhi to set in motion the process of consultations after an impeachment notice was filed against the CJI. Speaking to News18, sources said that Naidu continued with the discussions till late in the evening on Sunday and also spoke to K Parasaran, who was the attorney general during the Congress governments led by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and was also a member to the Upper House nominated by the party. Subhash Kashyap, who was consulted by the Vice President, said that he feels the notice should be rejected out rightly. "It's a completely politically motivated motion. I think the Rajya Sabha Chairman (Naidu) should outright reject it. This is a completely politically motivated motion aimed at lowering the prestige of judiciary. Secondly, there is nothing like impeachment for judges. That is only for the president. The judge can only be removed on the ground of proven misbehavior or incapacity. But even then the Chairman should not entertain it," he told News18. Meanwhile, the Congress on Sunday hit out at the BJP for "defending" CJI Misra and said the latter should consider recusing himself from judicial and administrative work till he was cleared of the charge of "misbehaviour". "If his (CJI) own conduct is under a cloud, should he not consider recusing himself from performing judicial and administrative duties and submit himself to an inquiry so that the high office and his individual integrity are cleared or the process of law is followed in an appropriate manner," Congress Spokesperson Rajdeep Surjewala told a press conference here. "... the highest (law) officer of the country, an officer who is head of India's judiciary, an officer who heads the final temple of justice, an officer to whom people go to seek justice... Caesar's wife must be above suspicion. And that's why we have left it to his (CJI) conscience," he added. "This will ensure that the process of law is followed in an appropriate manner." In an unprecedented move, 64 members of the Rajya Sabha belonging to seven parties led by the Congress on Friday submitted an impeachment motion for the removal of the Chief Justice on five grounds of "misbehaviour". Surjewala's remarks came in the wake of media reports that the CJI had decided not to recuse himself from administrative and judicial work in the Supreme Court. Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Surjewala said the ruling party was compromising the position and office of the Chief Justice as a neutral arbitrator and head of the judiciary and the ruling party was doing a great disservice to the independence of the Indian judicial system. "Does the CJI belong to a political party, ruling or otherwise? Does the CJI have to be defended by political parties or Ministers in the government? Is it not a disservice to the CJI office? They are compromising the position and office of the CJI," Surjewala said. He said that Chief Justice Misra must tell the BJP not to politicise his high office and not to politicise the impeachment motion. Vivek Tankha, Chairman of the Congress' Legal Department, said: "He is the Chief Justice of India. He should voluntarily submit to any probe. He should regain public faith. Till then, he should think whether he should work as a Judge or not." He maintained that the impeachment motion was not meant to insult or lower his dignity but to take the allegation against him to its logical conclusion. Another Congress leader and Senior Advocate K.T.S. Tulsi said that the nature of charges against the CJI was so serious that an enquiry should be ordered at the earliest. "The enquiry will be able to protect the dignity of the office of the Chief Justice of India. If no enquiry is held, it will cause much greater damage to the Supreme Court prestige," Tulsi said. With inputs from agencies CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES ON CJI IMPEACHMENT MOTION All eyes are trained on CJI Dipak Misra as he returns to the Supreme Court on Monday, days after the Opposition moved a notice of impeachment against him Auto refresh feeds PTI reports that over 60 MPs belonging to seven political parties have signed the notice for impeachment proceedings against CJI. Congress, NCP, CPM, CPI, SP, BSP and Muslim League are among parties that signed the notice. "We have moved a motion for impeachment of the Chief Justice of India under five listed grounds of misbehaviour. We have sought his removal," Azad said. "We, on behalf of seven parties which have signed the motion, and also on behalf of the ones who have not signed the motion, met the Rajya Sabha Chairman at his residence at noon," said Ghulam Nabi Azad. "We were hoping that the anguish of the judges would be addressed by the Chief Justice and that he would set his house in order. More than 3 months have passed, nothing has changed. The Chief Justice has not asserted the independence of the judiciary in the face of pressure by the executive," Sibal added. "In their letter, the judges stated that administration of the court has not been proper. They said that time and again, they tried to collectively persuade the Chief Justice that certain things are not in order. They lamented that their efforts had failed and all four of them were convinced that unless the institution is preserved, democracy will not survive," said Sibal. "There are questions about the ways in which he has dealt with certain cases. There have been internal rumblings about these issues," said Kapil Sibal. "Four senior judges publicly expressed their disquiet about the CJI's manner of exercising his powers," he added. "We only wish to state that anyone occupying the office of Chief Justice of India must be judged on the basis of highest standards of integrity. The first charge relates to the conspiracy to pay illegal gratifications," Sibal said. "The choice was not easy. The Constitution allows only one recourse. Because there was no other option apart from an impeachment motion, we moved this motion with a heavy heart," said Kapil Sibal. "There are various taped conversations with the CBI in which a retired Orissa High Court judge is talking about some deals with other people. This conversation also mentions the CJI...this ia a very serious issue," said Kapil Sibal. "These rumours are absolutely false. Remember, this is a very serious issue. We intentionally did not involve Dr Manmohan Singh because he has been the prime minister," said Kapil Sibal. Here is the statement issued by the seven Opposition parties on the impeachment motion against CJI: Seven Opposition parties have come together to set in motion the House proceedings to impeach the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Seventy one MPs from seven political parties had signed the impeachment motion but as seven have retired, the number is now 64. The impeachment motion needs to be supported by at least 50 Members of Parliaments. "I am not party to or privy with discussions that have taken place between different parties and for me to reflect specifically on whether the grounds are justified would be unfair," Khurshid told reporters. His statement was being seen as a tacit way of underlining the seriousness of the matter to his own party colleagues, as he chose to stay away from the impeachment notice initiated by Congress and supported by 6 other political parties. "To use the power as intimidatory tactics when neither you have a case of proven misconduct or the numbers on your side, is a serious threat to judicial independence. My preliminary reaction to the impeachment motion filed today is clear. It is a revenge petition after the falsehood of the Congress Party has been established in the Justice Loya death case," Jaitley wrote. Finance Minister and senior lawyer, Arun Jaitley expressed his views on the judge Loya death case verdict by the Supreme Court and the Opposition's move to impeach the sitting CJI in the form of an article on Facebook. The finance minister opined that the Congress party is using the "impeachment as a political tool" and he called it a 'revenge petition.' Reacting to the impeachment motion proceedings initiated by seven Opposition parties, the Supreme court has expressed its concern on the issue. The apex court has reportedly sought assistance from Attorney General KK Venugopal asking his opinion on whether media should be stopped from discussing the impeachment motion. "It all comes down to a majoritarian government, Nariman said, adding, when you have a majoritarian government, these things happen. When you dont have a majoritarian government, then people are more careful," he said. Justice Fali Nariman, speaking to The Indian Express , conceded that the fact that other senior judges felt that CJI was not being fair in allocation of cases was a very grave problem. However, he said that the spritit of collegiality should be preserved. He also said that the government will "not be that foolish" to not appoint Justice Ranjan Gogoi as CJI, who is next in line, in terms of seniority. Judiciary in disorder: It all comes down to a majoritarian govt, says Justice Fali Nariman They said if the Upper House chairman did not find merit in the notice for the impeachment, the decision could call for a judicial review. "The chairman's decision is open to being challenged. It is bound to go for a judicial review," said a Congress leader. As the Congress awaits the decision of Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on an impeachment notice moved by it and other parties against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, it is considering moving the Supreme Court if the petition is rejected, party leaders said. "It is only a convention, though there is no legal or constitutional bar (on this)," the leader said. The Congress was also trying to build up "moral pressure" on the Chief Justice of India in the hope that he would step aside from judicial duty if an impeachment motion was moved against him. Judges who faced impeachment had earlier stepped aside from judicial work and the Chief Justice should do the same, a party leader said. Congress attempts on building up moral pressure on CJI to step aside from judicial duties According to the provisions in the handbook for Rajya Sabha members, no advance publicity should be given to any notice to be taken up in the House till it is admitted by the chairman. "A notice for raising a matter in the House should not be given publicity by any member or other person until it has been admitted by the Chairman and circulated by members. A member should not raise the issue of a notice given by him and pending consideration of the Chairman," according to Rule 2.2 of Parliamentary Customs and Conventions in the handbook. An official in Parliament stressed that making public the contents of a notice before it was admitted violated Parliamentary rules. This assumes significance in the wake of the seven opposition parties, led by the Congress, initiating an unprecedented step last week for the impeachment of CJI Misra by moving a notice levelling several charges against him. According to sources, Naidu wanted to clear the mess before the Supreme Court reconvened on Monday so that Chief Justice Dipak Misra faced no embarassment, reported News18. This is the first time ever that an impeachment notice has been filed against a sitting CJI 2) No proof to back five allegations were true: Reports said that another reason the motion was rejected is that there was no proof available to back the five allegations levelled against CJI Dipak Misra. 1) Violation of Rajya Sabha guidelines by Opposition parties: While reviewing the notice, the Rajya Sabha officials had mentioned that making public the contents of a notice before it is admitted by the chair is in violation of parliamentary rules. According to the provisions in the handbook for Rajya Sabha members, no advance publicity should be given to any notice to be taken up in the House till it is admitted by the chairman. "The chairman's decision is open to being challenged. It is bound to go for a judicial review," the report quoted a Congress leader as saying. The Congress party earlier had said that it would consider moving the Supreme Court if the notice of CJI impeachment was rejected, PTI had reported. Party leaders had said that if the Rajya Sabha chairman did not find merit in the notice, the decision would call for a judicial review. Tweeting shortly after Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu rejected the Congress-led Opposition, party leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: "Expectedly, Sh Naidu rejected impment motion. Unexpectedly, he did so within one day of returning from outstn. Hopefully, the alacrity was not intended to render infructuous calls for CJI to stop Admn work." As per a copy of the order rejecting Opposition's CJI impeachment notice, Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu said that the allegations "seriously" undermine the judiciary's independence. "Charges made on suspicion and assumption. Allegations seriously undermine the independence of the judiciary. None of the five allegations in the notice were tenable or admissable," he reportedly said. "RS Chairman cant decide on merits in absence of quasi judicial or administrative power (M.Krishna Swamis case). If all charges were to be proved before inquiry as RS Chairman suggests, Constitution & Judges (Inquiry) Act will have no relevance. Dont muzzle Constitution," Surjewala said. He also said Naidu's decision exposed Leader of Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley's "naked prejudice" by calling it a revenge petition. "Within hours of 64 MPs submitting the impeachment motion, Leader of Rajya Sabha(FM) had expressed naked prejudice by calling it a revenge petition virtually dictating the verdict to Rajya Sabha Chairman on that day. Has Revenge Petition now become Rescue Order?" he tweeted. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said Venkaiah Naidu can't adjudge the motion as he as no merits to decide on the merits of the motion. "RS Chairman cant adjudge the motion, for he has no mandate to decide the merits of the motion," he tweeted, adding, "This is truly a fight between forces Rejecting Democracy & voices Rescuing Democracy." "It is within the powers of Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu to reject the order. This was politically motivated and they (Congress) wanted to malign the judiciary," Additional Solicitor General of India Satya Pal Singh told CNN-News18. Speaking at the 'Save the Constituition' campaign in Delhi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said: "The Supreme Court is being muzzled and crushed. People have lost faith in the judiciary." Follow the LIVE updates on Rahul Gandhi's speech here. "When you have a man like the chief justice of the Supreme Court, it (impeachment notice) has to have something that is far more important than just saying he did not do this or that. The vice president has the statutory authority and he has rightly rejected the notice," Nariman told a TV channel. He said this move by the Opposition led by the Congress was only to demean the institution of the Supreme Court and it was not about Justice Misra. - PTI Eminent jurist Fali S Nariman Monday said the issues raised in the impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra were not of "sufficient gravity and rightly rejected" by Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu. Nariman said Naidu, the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, was the only statutory authority to take the decision on the notice. CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury expressed his disappointment and said Venkaiah Naidu's move to reject the CJI impeachment notice was a wrong one. "This was a wrong move by chairman of Rajya Sabha. This motion was not given proper attention. Something else is behind this. Independence of judiciary is in danger," he said. "Within hours of 64 MPs submitting the impeachment motion, Leader of Rajya Sabha (FM) had expressed naked prejudice by calling it a revenge petition virtually dictating the verdict to Rajya Sabha Chairman on that day. Has Revenge Petition now become Rescue Order?, Randeep Surjewala said. The Congress party will move Supreme Court for a judicial review of the Rajya Sabha Chairmans order rejecting the impeachment motion against CJI Dipak Misra. Meanwhile, the party questioned how could the vice president decide such a matter within hours. Lashing out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi after his 'save Constitution protests', BJP's Sambit Patra said that the Congress party does not trust army, Supreme Court, Election Committee, EVMs, or even RBI. Reacting to Naidu's order rejecting the impeachment notice against the CJI moved by 64 MPs, the former Attorney General of India said that the RS chairman has "applied his mind" after consulting legal experts on the issue. Eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee today said the Congress-led opposition had no chance to succeed in the Supreme Court against Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu's decision rejecting impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Congress leader and eminent lawyer Kapil Sibal addressed a press conference to respond to theobjections raised by Venkaiah Naidu in his order rejecting the impeachment motion against the Chief Justice of India. Sibal, in a press conference, said that it is their "privilege to move the motion" and the vice president in his capacity as chairman of Rajya Sabha cannot boot this privilege. Kapil Sibal, in his press conference, said that the law lays down the procedure in case the motion to impeach a Supreme Court judge. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha must consult an emminent jurist, a judge of the high court and the Chief Justice of India. In this case, the judges of the collegium must have been consulted as the CJI himslef was under scrutiny. Hence, the decision to rehect the motion is illegal, Sibal said. Kapil Sibal said that Venkaiah Naidu decided the matter within hours of returning to India after a foreign visit. He said that such momentous issues must be given their due diligence and attention. It is a hasty decision as by this, the government appears to be in a tearing hurry to block the attempts at an enquiry. Sibal said that the onus of proving the charges was not on the MPs, it was on the judicial committee formed after the motion was admitted. Congress further argued that the Rajya Sabha Chairman's order rejecting the motion of impeachment was unprecedented. He said that presenting a motion was the MP's privilege. He said that Naidu wrote in his order that the Opposition's charges are not proven, however, by rejecting the notice they ensured that an enquiry does not happen. Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that the Congress party will ensure that there is no involvement of Chief Justice of India in the hearing, or listing, of their review petition. Will ensure CJI Dipak Misra has nothing to do with review petition against Venkaiah Naidu's order BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi held a counter press conference to rebut Kapil Sibal's charges. She said that the language of the notice signed by Opposition MPs in itself suggests that the MPs were themselves not sure of their charges. However, the Opposition seems to be relying on words like prima facie, apparently etc. There are not enough documentary or even circumstantial evidence to support their claims. Lekhi said that in Hindi the impeachment is called Mahabhiyog prastav, which literally means that the abhiyog (charges or allegations) in this case must have a much more stronger grounding than in other cases. Congress leader, senior advocate Kapil Sibal has said that he will not appear in the court of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra till the latter retires. I will not appear in the Chief Justice's court from tomorrow onwards... till he retires, because that is consistent with the highest standards of my profession, said Sibal. "This instance has set a bad precedence, which is not good for democracy," he told PTI here, adding that Naidu should have followed proper procedures before rejecting the notice. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said today Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu acted in a "hurried manner" while rejecting the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Senior advocate and Congress Rajya Sabha lawmaker Kapil Sibal, who is at the forefront and spearheading the campaign to impeach the present CJI, however, had put up a spirited defence in favour of Justice Ramaswami in Lok Sabha. It is interesting to note that all the previous three impeachment motions have been moved when Congress was in power at the Centre. The higher judiciary was in for the shock in 1993 for the first time in independent India when impeachment proceedings were initiated in Parliament against Supreme Court judge V Ramaswami on charges of corruption following the report of the inquiry commission. The Congress, which spearheaded an unprecedented move to impeach the Chief Justice of India on Friday, had in fact opposed such proceedings initiated 25 years ago when it was in power. Senior Congress leader and former law minister Salman Khurshid said today he was not kept in the loop on the impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra, and refrained from commenting on Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu's decision to reject it. "Concerned parties will have to examine the grounds on which the motion has been rejected by the Vice President. We will have to consult among us, especially who moved the motion," Raja said. CPI leader D Raja, part of the opposition led by Congress which moved the impeachment motion against the Chief Justice of India, today said the concerned parties would have to examine the grounds on which the notice has been rejected by Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu. On why DMK MPs did not sign the notice, she said that her party does not believe in bringing the judiciary under question. We hope that there will be discussion and further dialogues between the judges so that they can come to a compromise. This is the last resort for every citizen. That's why party decided not to sign it, she added. DMK MP Kanimozhi has said that the government rejecting the impeachment notice was expected. What do you expect the government to do? They do not encourage anybody who tries to question them, she said. Monday's proceedings started 13 to 14 minutes late instead of the normal 10.30 a.m. The electronic display board showed that none of the court had assembled, giving rise to speculation in the Chief Justice's court which was packed to capacity. Well before Monday's proceedings commenced, news had already reached the Supreme Court that Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had rejected the move by 64 Rajya Sabha members seeking the impeachment of the Chief Justice. Unruffled by the move seeking his removal by 64 MPs, Chief Justice Dipak Misra on Monday presided over Supreme Court number 1 - although there were some anxious moments initially. Chief Justice Misra dealt with the cases in his usual ease. Congress leader, senior advocate Kapil Sibal has said that he will not appear in the court of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra till the latter retires. I will not appear in the Chief Justice's court from tomorrow onwards... till he retires, because that is consistent with the highest standards of my profession, said Sibal. "This instance has set a bad precedence, which is not good for democracy," he told PTI here, adding that Naidu should have followed proper procedures before rejecting the notice. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said today Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu acted in a "hurried manner" while rejecting the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Mr Kapil Sibal would like us to believe that Venkaiah Naidu is obligated by law to admit the motion & necessarily constitute an inquiry committee of 3 members- This stage is not direct- It is subject to Chairman RS admitting the motion after due consultation 3/n pic.twitter.com/56J5cz3chL So in the clip you saw Kapil Sibal says no judge can be guilty merely because 50 MPs sign a motion! How does that standard change today I beg to ask?? The charges against CJI Misra date back to days before he was a SC judge! Did UPA make him a judge despite those?? JaiHind 6/6 pic.twitter.com/zXtaTFETFc Senior advocate and Congress Rajya Sabha lawmaker Kapil Sibal, who is at the forefront and spearheading the campaign to impeach the present CJI, however, had put up a spirited defence in favour of Justice Ramaswami in Lok Sabha. It is interesting to note that all the previous three impeachment motions have been moved when Congress was in power at the Centre. The higher judiciary was in for the shock in 1993 for the first time in independent India when impeachment proceedings were initiated in Parliament against Supreme Court judge V Ramaswami on charges of corruption following the report of the inquiry commission. The Congress, which spearheaded an unprecedented move to impeach the Chief Justice of India on Friday, had in fact opposed such proceedings initiated 25 years ago when it was in power. Senior Congress leader and former law minister Salman Khurshid said today he was not kept in the loop on the impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra, and refrained from commenting on Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu's decision to reject it. "Concerned parties will have to examine the grounds on which the motion has been rejected by the Vice President. We will have to consult among us, especially who moved the motion," Raja said. CPI leader D Raja, part of the opposition led by Congress which moved the impeachment motion against the Chief Justice of India, today said the concerned parties would have to examine the grounds on which the notice has been rejected by Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu. On why DMK MPs did not sign the notice, she said that her party does not believe in bringing the judiciary under question. We hope that there will be discussion and further dialogues between the judges so that they can come to a compromise. This is the last resort for every citizen. That's why party decided not to sign it, she added. DMK MP Kanimozhi has said that the government rejecting the impeachment notice was expected. What do you expect the government to do? They do not encourage anybody who tries to question them, she said. Monday's proceedings started 13 to 14 minutes late instead of the normal 10.30 a.m. The electronic display board showed that none of the court had assembled, giving rise to speculation in the Chief Justice's court which was packed to capacity. Well before Monday's proceedings commenced, news had already reached the Supreme Court that Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had rejected the move by 64 Rajya Sabha members seeking the impeachment of the Chief Justice. Unruffled by the move seeking his removal by 64 MPs, Chief Justice Dipak Misra on Monday presided over Supreme Court number 1 - although there were some anxious moments initially. Chief Justice Misra dealt with the cases in his usual ease. CJI Impeachment Latest Updates: Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that the Congress party will move Supreme Court to file a review petition of Venkaiah Naidu's order. He termed the decision to reject motion of impeachment as unprecedented, hasty and illegal. Eminent jurist Fali S Nariman Monday said the issues raised in the impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra were not of "sufficient gravity and rightly rejected" by Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu. Nariman said Naidu, the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, was the only statutory authority to take the decision on the notice. Speaking at the 'Save the Constituition' campaign in Delhi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said: "The Supreme Court is being muzzled and crushed. People have lost faith in the judiciary." Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu rejected the notice given by opposition parties led by the Congress for impeachment of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra citing lack of substantial merit in it. Naidu held extensive consultations with top legal and constitutional experts, including former chief justices and judges, before taking the decision, sources said. Speaking to CNN-News18, Additional Solicitor General of India Satya Pal Singh said, "It is within the powers of Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu to reject the order. This was politically motivated and they (Congress) wanted to malign the judiciary." Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said Venkaiah Naidu can't adjudge the motion as he as no merits to decide on the merits of the motion. "RS Chairman cant adjudge the motion, for he has no mandate to decide the merits of the motion," he tweeted, adding, "This is truly a fight between forces Rejecting Democracy & voices Rescuing Democracy." Calling the impeachment motion an internal matter of the Supreme Court, Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu said. In the 10-page order, Rajya Sabha chairman refers to para 2.2 of the Handbook for Members of Rajya Sabha and mentions that the press conference after the impeachment motion is "against propriety and parliamentary decorum as it denigrates the institution of CJI". "Conversations between third parties with dubious credentials, which have been extensively relied upon, cannot themselves constitute any material evidence against the holder of the office CJI," said Venkaiah Naidu on the impeachment motion. "Motion undermines independence of judiciary. No credible or verifiable facts. MPs are unsure of their own charges against the CJI. Most of the charges are internal matters to be resolved by Supreme Court itself," said Venkaiah Naidu in the 10-page order. As per a copy of the order rejecting Opposition's CJI impeachment notice, Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu said that the allegations "seriously" undermined the judiciary's independence. "Charges made on suspicion and assumption. Allegations seriously undermine the independence of the judiciary. None of the five allegations in the notice were tenable or admissable," he reportedly said. Tweeting shortly after Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu rejected the Congress-led Opposition, party leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: "Expectedly, Sh Naidu rejected impment motion. Unexpectedly, he did so within one day of returning from outstn. Hopefully, the alacrity was not intended to render infructuous calls for CJI to stop Admn work." Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra by seven opposition parties. Sources said the motion was rejected on grounds that the charges were not sufficient for impeachment. On Friday, the Congress-led Opposition moved a notice to impeach him and accusing him of "misbehaviour" and "misuse" of authority on Friday. On Sunday, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu set in motion the process of consultation on the impeachment notice against the CJI and held discussions with a number of constitutional and legal experts, including Attorney General KK Venugopal, and former top law officer K Parasaran. The vice-president cut short his visit to Hyderabad and reached New Delhi to hold deliberations over the notice given by the seven Opposition parties. According to officials, Naidu spoke to former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash Kashyap, ex-law secretary PK Malhotra and former legislative secretary Sanjay Singh on the issue. He also held deliberations with senior officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, they said, adding that Naidu also spoke to former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy. The officials said the vice-president also spoke to the attorney general on the issue. They also said Naidu continued with the deliberations till late in the evening and also spoke to K Parasaran, who was the attorney general during the Congress governments led by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and was also a member to the Upper House nominated by the party. Leaders of the Opposition parties had on Friday met Naidu and handed over the notice of impeachment against the CJI bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired. The Opposition parties, led by the Congress, initiated the unprecedented step to impeach the CJI by moving the notice levelling charges against him. The parties had briefed the media after handing over the notice to the Upper House chairman. While reviewing the notice, the Rajya Sabha officials had mentioned that making public the contents of a notice before it is admitted by the chair is in violation of parliamentary rules. According to the provisions in the handbook for Rajya Sabha members, no advance publicity should be given to any notice to be taken up in the House till it is admitted by the chairman. The move to propose impeachment notice against the CJI has led to a slugfest between the Congress and the BJP. Meanwhile, the Congress said that the CJI should considering recusing himself from judicial and administrative duties until his name is cleared. The BJP has said the Congress was trying to demean, degrade and denigrate the judiciary by moving the notice. With inputs from IANS Congress leader and senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who has vowed not to appear before Chief Justice Dipak Misra, said his party will soon move a petition in the Supreme Court to challenge the rejection of notice for impeachment of CJI by Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu. New Delhi: Congress leader and senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who has vowed not to appear before Chief Justice Dipak Misra, said his party will soon move a petition in the Supreme Court to challenge the rejection of notice for impeachment of CJI by Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu. The senior lawyer said the party was in the process of drafting a petition and it would be filed within a day or two. Sibal said that being a signatory of the impeachment notice, he would not appear in the court of the CJI. "No way...I will not appear before the Chief Justice. This is part of my professional ethics. If I am signatory to a motion against the CJI, how can I appear before that judge? Isn't it inconsistent with propriety and against the standards of the profession," Sibal told PTI. He said he had also categorically stated this at a press conference earlier in the day. When asked whether his other party colleagues like senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Vivek Tankha and others would also follow the same, Sibal said, "I have said what I will do. That depends on everybody's conscience. It's not for me to decide for other people". The death penalty is not the solution and will not make our society safer. Reports of gruesome child sexual abuse have become a regular feature. Buckling under the public outrage following the Kathua, Unnao and Surat rapes, an ordinance has been promulgated allowing the imposition of the death sentence for the rape of a girl below the age of 12 years. The death penalty is not the solution and will not make our society safer. The imposition of the death penalty for child rape is regressive and counter-intuitive. Instead of reducing cases of rape, it is more likely to further endanger children. This is yet another knee-jerk reaction from the government to tardily appease and sway impending elections. Child rights' activists have conducted extensive research and their expertise highlights how expecting the death penalty to reduce rapes is based on a number of misconceptions. Misconception 1: Fear of the death penalty will reduce such incidents: The evidence to prove that the death penalty acts as a deterrent for any crime is unsatisfactory. No such link has been sufficiently evidenced. The Justice Verma Committee declared that awarding the death penalty for rape would be regressive and might not have a deterrent effect. We need to expand our understanding of rape beyond sexual violence, and acknowledge that, against the backdrop of centuries of patriarchy, the impetus includes the need to dominate women and girls or the urge to use them as pawns. Instead of reducing the number of rapes, the death penalty will further endanger children, as the perpetrators would prefer to murder the victim, as in the Kathua case, rather than risk the child testifying in court. Moreover, reportage of child sexual abuse is already dismal, and the peril of death penalty will further discourage families from reporting crimes, particularly when the perpetrator is a known person, as is often the case. Misconception 2: Punishment for child rape is not enough: On being found guilty of rape under the Indian Penal Code, (IPC), and penetrative sexual assault of a child below 12 years under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), a person can be punished for a minimum term of 10 years rigorous imprisonment. The maximum punishment under the IPC is imprisonment for the remainder of the persons natural life. Under the proposed ordinance, the minimum punishment for rape of a girl less than 12 years of age would be 20 years imprisonment extendable to imprisonment for life or death sentence. However, research reveals that the maximum punishment, even as it stands, is hardly ever ordered. In fact, the report highlights that Special Courts award the minimum sentence in majority of the convictions, and even prescribe lower than the mandatory minimum sentence in some cases. Certainty of punishment is what is required to ensure justice; not further enhancement of punishment. Misconception 3: Our criminal justice system is currently equipped to effectively deal with cases of child sexual abuse Under the POCSO Act, 2012, Special Courts were designated to ensure speedy and effective justice, catering to the particular needs of children. However these Special Courts are hardly special in reality. Research demonstrates those involved in delivering justice regularly and flagrantly flout mandated legal procedures. For instance, children are often exposed to the accused, and aggressive questioning of the victims persists, resulting in victims frequently turning hostile, more so in the absence of any witness protection systems. Investigative lapses and problems with age determination are rampant and cases are often delayed beyond the 1-year period prescribed for cases to be completed. According to NCRBs Crime in India, 2016, a staggering 89 percent of trials under the POCSO Act were pending. Moreover, according to the same report, the conviction rate in cases of rape is a mere 29 percent. Considering that the justice delivery system is already drastically falling short of implementing laws, it is unlikely that they will be able to deal with the heightened burden of proof required to secure a death sentence. Misconception 4: Child sexual abuse is always brutal and mostly perpetrated by strangers: In a large number of cases of sexual offences, the accused is known to the victim: A neighbour, cousin, stepfather or father. In fact, the NCRBs Crime in India, 2016 figures indicate that in 94.6 percent of case of child sexual abuse, the victim knew the accused. In cases of grooming, there is an emotional connection built over time with the survivor and maybe even with the survivors family. In such cases, there is an even stronger unwillingness to report the crime. Reluctance to report the crime is heightened when the family is financially or otherwise dependent on the accused, or the accused is an influential person. The overwhelming pressure, even from police officers and local politicians, to conceal these horrific crimes was evident in both the Kathua and Unnao case. The possibility of a death sentence will invariably have the effect of further silencing and traumatising child survivors who will be burdened with the guilt of sending someone they know well or are even related to, to the gallows. Misconception 5: Survivors want perpetrators to be executed Survivors of child sexual abuse want to be believed. For their story to be taken seriously. With the overpowering social stigma associated with sexual abuse, close family members either distrust the child, or force the child to keep silent. Survivors often feel an overwhelming sense of shame and guilt. Often, more than harsh punishment, the survivor wants for the abuse to stop and for their testimony to be believed. Further, survivors urgently require compensation to assist them in moving house, continuing their education or to seek medical or psycho-social aid, more so when the survivor was financially dependent on the accused. Compensation, however, is rarely awarded by the Special Courts, and is often made conditional on testimony and conviction, thereby defeating the purpose of interim compensation. What should our response be? Instead of focusing on retributive justice and introducing the death penalty as the solution, the underlying psychological and cultural reasons why rapes take place should be borne in mind. Awareness and prevention drives, challenging stereotypes, identifying at risk children, is required within the community and schools. Every person involved in the justice delivery system should be sensitised and trained on how to implement the existing laws. Legal procedures must be stringently abided by and effective, stern accountability measures should be put into place. Officers, lawyers, judges and politicians interfering with and hindering the criminal process should face strict action. A central-level model victim and witness protection scheme or legislation will provide the much-needed framework for ensuring support and protection to child witnesses. The compensation scheme addressing sexual offences being drafted by National Legal Services Authority pursuant to the Supreme Courts direction in Nipun Saxena v. Union of India must be rolled out and implemented. Rehabilitation measures like counseling and education are vital. Functional one stop crisis centers should be set up in every district. It is imperative that we focus on preventing such crimes from being committed in the first place, rather than assume that the very far-fetched possibility of the gallows will prevent such crimes, which have been persisting for centuries. The author is a human rights lawyer and has worked with Amnesty International and National Law School's Center for Child and the Law. She is the coordinator of Jan Ugahi, an NGO that works for children's rights in south Goa. Her Twitter handle is soniapereira_hr A senior doctor at a Delhi government-run hospital, a dedicated facility for providing critical trauma services, wrongly performed a procedure on the leg of a patient who was admitted there with a head injury New Delhi: A senior doctor at a Delhi government-run hospital, a dedicated facility for providing critical trauma services, wrongly performed a procedure on the leg of a patient who was admitted there with a head injury. The negligence happened as the doctor, a senior resident at Sushruta Trauma Centre in Civil Lines area, mistook the patient with a head injury for another patient admitted there with a fractured leg. On Thursday, the doctor made a hole in the patient's right leg to put a pin inside. The patient was admitted to the hospital with injuries on his head and face following an accident. #Delhi: Doctors perform leg surgery on a man who was admitted with a head injury at Sushruta Trauma centre. The man whose name is Vijendra, was confused with another man named Virendra, by hospital authorities, as the latter was admitted with a fractured leg. pic.twitter.com/UB6x0vg3Oo ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2018 "As the senior resident performed the procedure on the patient after putting him on anaesthesia, the patient could not realise or object to it," said Ajay Bahl, medical superintendent at the hospital. After the negligence was brought to the attention of the authorities, a corrective procedure was done on the patient. The doctor has been barred from conducting surgeries without supervision after a hospital panel found him at fault. "A committee constituted to look into the matter found the senior resident was at fault. He has been barred from conducting surgeries without supervision with immediate effect," Bahl added. In another case of medical negligence recently, a senior doctor at All India Institutes of Medical Sciences allegedly performed a procedure required for dialysis treatment on a 30-year-old woman, who had complained of abdominal pain. The doctor also tampered with case documents to cover up his fault. It said that the ordinance is also silent on granting welfare to the rape victims and does not deal with issues related to educating and sensitising youth and juveniles on sexual offences against women, New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday questioned why the ordinance on amending the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, to provide for death penalty to those convicted of raping a child up to 12 years old, was cleared without conducting any research on the issue. The observation by a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar came while dealing with a plea seeking to strike down the amendments made in the rape law post the 16 December, 2012 Delhi gangrape incident in New Delhi as they are "being abused". Asking if any study or research was conducted while clearing the ordinance on POCSO, the court observed that it seemed to come after people started demanding strict punishment against the rapists of minors. It said that the ordinance is also silent on granting welfare to the rape victims and does not deal with issues related to educating and sensitising youth and juveniles on sexual offences against women, especially minors. On Sunday President Ram Nath Kovind approved an ordinance to provide death penalty for those convicted of raping girls younger than 12 years besides clearing another ordinance to confiscate property of fugitive economic offenders. The President promulgated The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, approved by the Cabinet on Saturday, that seeks to provide effective deterrence against rape and instil a sense of security among women, particularly young girls. The ordinance amends the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The ordinance comes against the backdrop of the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, the rape of a teenager in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh and similar crimes in other parts of the country. The court, hearing a plea filed by academician Madhu Purnima Kishwar, listed the matter for September. Kishwar's plea has sought striking down of some of the provisions of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, which provides for amendments to the Indian Penal Code, Indian Evidence Act and Code of Criminal Procedure on laws related to sexual offences. The plea had also sought a direction to reconsider the case in which a sentence of imprisonment has been passed post the amendments. After the gangrape of a 23-year-old woman on 16 December, 2012, a committee under the chairmanship of a retired Supreme Court judge was constituted to suggest amendments to the criminal law to sternly deal with sexual assault cases. The Delhi Police on Monday told the Delhi High Court that it has held a trial run of its newly acquired face recognition software (FRS) for tracing missing children and they required more details from the Centre regarding the place from where some of the missing children were found. New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday told the Delhi High Court that it has held a trial run of its newly acquired face recognition software (FRS) for tracing missing children and they required more details from the Centre regarding the place from where some of the missing children were found. The police said that in pursuance to the court's earlier direction, it has procured photographic data of the missing children from the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) but it needed further details of places from where the children, who were identified in the face recognition software test, were reported to be found. Delhi Police, in an affidavit, said: "on processing the photographic data of so-far missing children for matching with the records of so-far found children on the newly acquired FRS, the software application gave 2,930 matches between the missing database photographic records and the found database photographs." "These results have been sent back to the Secretary MWCD/NIC on 10 April as Delhi Police required further details of places from where the children under the matched results were reported to be found. "The Secretary, MWCD was given back the results of 2,930 with the request to intimate the concerned state police/authorities to take further necessary action and also requested that the field enquiry results thereof may be collected..." it said. A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and IS Mehta was told that on examination of the data of 2,930 matched photographs by Delhi Police, 156 photographs of children seem to be missing from Delhi. According to the data received from the ministry on 6 April, the number of missing children are 65,906 and found ones are 40,137. The police said they have requested the MWCD to provide details on urgent basis about the places from where these children were reportedly found in order to facilitate the field enquiries and take further actions for restoration of missing children, identified during matching of the missing and found children database with help of face recognition software. The Delhi Police still awaits the MWCD/NIC response for making field enquiries for the cases relating to Delhi, the police said in the affidavit. They said the ministry be asked to "provide arrangement/ design module for enabling Delhi Police ZIPNET Application to electronically search 'FOUND CHILDREN' data on the link from the www.trackthemissingchild.gov.in for taking further action without waiting for the response from the MWCD/NIC." To this, the court asked the secretary of the ministry, represented through Central government standing counsel Anil Soni, to file an affidavit in this regard. The high court had earlier pulled up the Centre for not sharing the details of missing children with the police despite its orders and warned of initiating contempt action if due seriousness was not shown in the 20-year-old matter. It had said the police officials were ultimately responsible for tracking down the missing children and the more the MWCD delayed sharing its database with the police, the greater would be the problem. The court had earlier asked the police to run on a trial basis a FRS, developed by a private entity, which can help trace and rescue missing children. Earlier, NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) had given a proposal to give the software to the Delhi Police free of cost. Senior counsel HS Phoolka and advocate Prabhsahay Kaur, appearing for the NGO, had submitted in the court that Vision Box, the software developer, has offered the FRS free of cost for one year, provided it was used only for tracing missing children. The bench was hearing a PIL regarding missing children and has been examining ways and means to address the issue of tracing and restoring them to their families. A man sleeping on footpath in Hyderabad has been crushed to death by a car driven by an engineering student, police said. Hyderabad: A man sleeping on footpath in Hyderabad has been crushed to death by a car driven by an engineering student, police said. The incident occurred in Kushaiguda area when the 19-year-old returning from a late night party along with three friends, lost control of the car. She was allegedly in an inebriated state, according to the police. The car crossed the road divider and hit the footpath on the other side of the road. K Ashok (30), who used to work as a cobbler was sleeping on the footpath. He sustained critical injuries. He was rushed to the government-run Gandhi Hospital, where he succumbed. The incident occurred after midnight in the DAE Colony in Hyderabad. The four students belong to a private engineering college. People, who gathered at the spot, alleged that the police were trying to shield the students, as the girl who was driving the Skoda car is daughter of a police officer. Police said they have registered a case and are conducting further investigations. The CCTV footage in the area was being scanned. Police have registered an FIR in connection with the incident against three named and 20 to 25 unnamed persons on a complaint lodged by the district secretary of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, Avinash Soni, he said, adding that four people have been arrested. Ballia: Hindu religious idols were desecrated and pictures set ablaze at a village in Ballia, following which four persons were arrested, police said on Monday. The incident took place a few days ago and a case was registered on Saturday evening after a video was shared on a messaging application, they said. Superintendent of Police (SP) Vijay Pal Singh said the idols and pictures of the gods were taken out from some houses in the Harijan Basti, Dalit Tola, and set ablaze amid sloganeering. Police have registered an FIR in connection with the incident against three named and 20 to 25 unnamed persons on a complaint lodged by the district secretary of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, Avinash Soni, he said, adding that four people have been arrested. The video of the incident at Nagpur village was shared on a Whatsapp group, police said. The miscreants also defaced the pictures and idols, according to the FIR. Damini's parents are migrant agricultural labourers, who spend October to March each year traveling between villages cutting sugarcane. Kolhapur: It's the last week in the six-month cycle of seasonal migration and Damini Jadhav, 13, is anxious to return to her village Dahiphal in Maharashtra's Beed district. Her parents are migrant agricultural labourers, who spend October to March each year traveling between villages in western Maharashtra and Karnataka cutting sugarcane. "Now, I've decided not to leave the village till I give my class X board exams," she says. Her school teacher had called her parents twice to get her to sit for the year-end exams, but she couldn't make it. "The teacher will make someone else write my paper and will promote me to the next class," she says. She says she can't comprehend written Marathi because of missing regular classes. "I couldn't leave my daughter alone in the village where you can't even see a dog for six months," says her mother, Sapna Jadhav, who is in her early 30s. Sapna's son Rohan, 9, and daughter Mohini, 4, also travel with them. "There's a lot of anguish, but what can be done about it?" she asks. Her parent also work as agricultural labourers in Beed taluk and are away from the village the entire day. "It was not possible for me to leave behind my children," says Jadhav. Every morning she leaves for the fields at 9 and returns only by 9 at night. Damini, who's in grade VIII, prepares food for the family and takes it to the fields. "When I came here I brought my school bag, but my dad took it back to the village two months ago when he had to return to the village for medical treatment," she says. Dahiphal, with a population of 758, has a primary school [till grade IV]. The nearest secondary school is in Nalwandi village 3 km away and Damini walks the distance to and fro every day. "In the evening, it's not safe to walk so my dad promised to buy me a cycle once he has enough money," says Damini. Her father took an advance payment of Rs 50,000 from the contractor and is afraid that they won't be able to cut enough sugarcane to repay it. For every ton of sugarcane, they are paid Rs 248. Ten families from Dahiphal stay in rickety sheds in an open field on the outskirts of Shirdhon village in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district. In the harsh summer, Damini stays back with her siblings and a few other children. "I look after younger children. At times, I also go to the sugarcane fields. There is no one here to help me with my studies," she says. Access to the sakhar shala (or sugar-factory school for migrants' children) is a problem as the nearest factory is 14 km away. Moreover, every few weeks the families have to move with the sugarcane harvest. In the six-months season, the Dahiphal families have migrated to Karadaga and Galatga in Karnataka, and Hupri, Shirol, Pattan Kodoli and Shirdhon villages in Maharashtra. According to the 2011 census, 51 million people in India migrated for economic reasons. The National Sample Survey says 55.4 percent of rural migrants are illiterate. Over 48,000 students in Maharashtra were out of school, reports the 2017-18 state economic survey. Manisha Sonawane, 35, from Kesapuri village in Manjlegaon taluk of Beed district has been migrating for more than a decade. Two years ago, Manishas husband Anil worked as a watchman at a construction site in Pune. They were unable to support themselves on the Rs. 7,000 pay and they decided to cut sugarcane. "In Pune, the school ma'am used to take my eight year old son, Shubham to the school daily. I can't keep him back in the village," says Manisha. Shubham who is in class II wants to go back to the school. His 13-year-old brother and 11-year-old sister stay with their maternal grandmother in Devgaon village of Wadwani taluka in Beed. "They had to stay with my mother because we keep migrating for six months a year. We can't afford to bring them with us at the cost of their education," says Manisha. Every day the couple manages to cut three tonnes of cane. "Today, I am suffering from acidity, but I can't stop working because we took an advance payment of Rs. 80,000," she says. Manisha, who was married at 14, has never seen the inside of a school. She believes that education can break the cycle of poverty and migration. "I will educate all my children so that they never have to cut sugarcane," she vows. Sania Tadvi, 13, is in grade VIII and belongs to the Tadvi Bhil tribe. Her day is no different from other migrant children. She collects fuel for the fire, cleans utensils, stores water and takes care of her siblings and cousins. "By the time we return to the village, the summer break will start." Her uncle teaches her when he gets time in the summer holidays. Sania says that it becomes difficult for them to catch up with their classmates, and that breeds a feeling of inferiority and insecurity. She's one of 18 children from nine families who have migrated 570 kilometre with their parents from Godri village in Jamner block of Maharashtra's Jalgaon district to Kolhapur's Nandani village. Sania's mother, Roomshad, who is in her early 30s, couldn't study beyond grade IX once married. Her 15-year-old daughter Naina, who is in grade IX stays with her aunt in Godri. Sania's father, Pintu Tadvi, never went to the school. "My parents couldn't afford to enroll me in a school. I've been working as an agricultural labourer from my childhood days," he says. "I want to fulfill my father's dream of becoming a collector," smiles Sania. Sanket Jain is a Ichalkaranji-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters External Affairs Minister Sushma Swarajs visit to Mongolia from 25-26 April takes forward the outreach that began with Prime Minister Narendra Modis tour to Mongolia in 2015. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swarajs visit to Mongolia from 25-26 April takes forward the outreach that began with Prime Minister Narendra Modis tour to Mongolia in 2015, the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the Northeast Asian country. Swaraj will co-chair the sixth round of the India-Mongolia Joint Consultative Committee with Mongolias Foreign Minister Damdin Tsogtbaatar. India and Mongolia had signed a joint statement on Strategic Partnership in 2015 when Prime Minister Modi had announced a credit line of $1 billion for infrastructure development for Mongolia. Mongolia is using the credit line to build its first oil refinery. The two ministers will review the projects under implementation during their meeting. At Ulaanbaatar, Swaraj will participate in an unusual event to commemorate a former Indian ambassador; she will deliver the keynote address at the birth centenary celebrations of the late Kushok Bakula. Venerable Kushok Bakula Rinpoche was deeply revered in Mongolia. He was credited with cementing India-Mongolia ties and helping to revive Buddhist traditions in the former communist country during an unprecedented ten-year tenure in Ulaanbataar as Indian ambassador. The 19th Rinpoche was an unusual but brilliant choice as Indias envoy. He was a high lama of Ladakh, parliamentarian, a great scholar of Buddhist studies and activist for the interests of Ladakh. When Bakula reached Ulaanbataar in 1990, Mongolia had just become a multiparty democracy after seven decades of communist rule and Mongolian society was adjusting to the new freedoms, including religious freedom. There was a revival of interest in religion in Mongolia, but there were few religious teachers. During the communist rule, almost all traces of religion had been wiped out, Buddhist monasteries had been destroyed, ancient scriptures burnt and the monks driven away. The Mongolians follow the same Mahayana school of Buddhism as the people of Ladakh. Bakula brought Buddhist scriptures from India and helped establish the Pethub monastery. He arranged for young monks to be sent to Sarnath in India for religious training and Buddhist scholars from India were invited to visit Mongolia. He travelled extensively through the country, visiting small communities and giving lectures and discourses. The Ladhaki high lama was venerated by ordinary Mongolians and long queues were formed for his blessings wherever he went. As Indias envoy, he worked to build up government to government relations. Even after Bakula returned to India, he retained strong ties with Mongolia till his death at the age of 87 on 6 November, 2003. The Kushok Bakula birth centenary is being celebrated in Ulaanbataar, Ladakh and other parts of India. The Buddhist connection between India and Mongolia has been in existence for centuries. In 1978, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then External Affairs Minister, had said that India holds the people of Mongolia in high esteem for preserving, in translation and in manuscript, the vast collection of precious Sanskrit text on Indian philosophy, poetry, logic and astronomy lost by India over centuries. Modis landmark visit in 2015 coincided with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, adding a new dimension to India-Mongolia ties. Six decades ago, India had been the first country outside the Soviet bloc to establish diplomatic ties with Mongolia. A few years later, India backed Mongolias membership in the United Nations even while Beijing and Taiwan were opposed to it. Despite the distance between them, Mongolia considers India a third neighbour as well as a spiritual neighbour. Landlocked between two large neighbours, China on three sides and Russia on the remaining side, Mongolia seeks a balance between the two neighbours and has made close friends among some countries which are referred to as the third neighbours. Mongolia, under its new President Khaltmaa Battulga, is keen to consolidate its relations with other friendly countries as a counterbalance to its overbearing neighbour, China. In 2016, China had imposed a blockade on the supply of essential goods to Mongolia for inviting the Dalai Lama for a religious visit to the country. The Mongolian government was forced to give assurances to Beijing that it would not allow any more visits by the Tibetan leader. China accounts for almost 70 percent of Mongolias foreign trade. Mongolia has large untapped resources and mineral reserves and its government is keen to attract investment in different sectors, including mining. India-Mongolia ties have been on an upswing in the past three years. Mongolia constitutes a part of Indias Act East policy and the relationship has moved forward from a comprehensive partnership to a strategic partnership. Indrani Mukerjea on Monday claimed that she fears for her life and thinks that someone in prison is trying to poison her, according to reports. Indrani Mukerjea on Monday claimed that she fears for her life and thinks that someone in prison is trying to poison her, according to reports. She told a CBI court that the day she was hospitalised, she had not interacted with anyone except three lawyers and did not consume anything from outside. The day I got hospitalised, I had not communicated with anybody except 3 lawyers. I did not consume anything from outside. I fear for my life. Somebody in the prison is trying to kill me: Indrani Mukerjea in court pic.twitter.com/d5ZBq7mkZ5 News18 (@CNNnews18) April 23, 2018 Indrani had made a similar claim after being discharged from JJ Hospital on 11 April. She told reporters that there was a threat to her life. When asked outside the hospital if she feared for her life, she said, "Yes, there is a threat to my life." The former INX Media chief was rushed to the JJ Hospital in Mumbai on 6 April due to an alleged drug overdose. Indrani in custody since August 2015 as one of the prime accused in the April 2012 disappearance and subsequent murder of her 24-year old daughter Sheena Bora was reported to be in a semi-conscious and delirious state. While the JJ Hospital dean SD Nanandkar confirmed that Indrani overdosed on an antidepressant, the chemical analysis report by the forensic science laboratory (FSL) ruled out drug overdose and said her ill health could be due to some "other medical ailment", CNN-News18 had reported. A special CBI judge had told her to not have food from any stranger or outside the jail. "Henceforth, dont accept any food from any outsider. You can have food in jail and come to court. Further, if you require anything in court, you have to take the permission of the court and make arrangements," the judge was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. Nearly two decades after the death of model Jessica Lal, her sister Sabrina Lal said that she has forgiven Siddhartha Vashishta, also known as Manu Sharma, who was convicted for Jessica's murder and has no objection to his release from Tihar Jail Nearly two decades after the death of model Jessica Lall, her sister Sabrina Lall said that she has forgiven Siddhartha Vashishta, also known as Manu Sharma, who was convicted for Jessica's murder and has no objection to his release from Tihar Jail, according to media reports. In a letter to the welfare office of Central Jail, Tihar, Sabrina confirmed that she has no objection to Sharma's release as he has spent 15 years in prison, according to a report in The Hindu. The report quoted Sabrina as saying in the letter, I am also told that in this period he has been doing good work for charity and helping inmates in jail, which I feel is a reflection of reform. According to The Times of India, Sabrina's letter was "in response" to the jail officers letter to her regarding "compensation and release of Sidhartha Vahishta s/o Venod Sharma convicted in FIR no 287/1999 under section 302 IPC". Sabrina also expressed her desire to move on from the incident. The Times of India quoted her as saying, He has served his sentences and I am done with it In my own mind, I have forgiven him." It will be like a catharsis to forgive and move on. I also need to get on with my life," she asserted, adding, I dont want to hold on to any more anger or hurt. I feel that he has served his sentence. I dont feel there is any need to hanker about the situation. Sharma, son of former Congress leader and former minister Venod Sharma, was found guilty of the April 1999 murder of the model. Angered by Jessica's refusal to serve him a drink at a private party well past midnight, Sharma had shot the model. He was convicted of the murder in December 2006 and has spent at least 15 years in prison since the day he was arrested for the crime by the Delhi Police. Sabrina also mentioned in her letter that she did not require financial assistance from the victim welfare fund and requested that the money to be given to those who were "more in need". Sabrina asserted that she did not wish to hold a grudge or anger against Sharma. The Hindu quoted Sabrina as saying, I have never met him or any of his family members. I was very upset and hurt, and for many years we [she and her parents] were quite angry. But I think he has served enough for the crime he had committed. My parents passed away years ago. I do not want to hold a grudge and anger against him anymore. I have no objection if he comes out. Sharma may seek an early release from prison citing remission" worth five years, for excellent work, discipline, and conduct". Legal experts, however, suggest that forgiveness or no objection by the victims family is not a factor to be taken into account in commutation of a sentence and the matter could be decided only by the state government. A perception has set in among residents of Jammu that a Kashmir-centric government has been trying to change the demography of this Hindu-majority area. Editor's note: This is the first in a two-part series that looks at the perceived demographic divide (and the resultant communal tension) between Hindus and Muslims in Jammu; it is a schism that became perceptible in the late 1980s and was brought into sharp focus following the alleged rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua. It has been a rallying cry for many over the decades that Jammu's Hindu majority character is being altered. The alteration in majoritarian character in this part of the state can be a great mobiliser. It can change fortunes of political leaders and make them win elections. The fear is often evoked and used by many, like a genie coming out of a bottle to solve difficult problems. That could be the reason why a growing perception has set in among residents of Jammu city for a long time now, that a Kashmir-centric government, led by a Muslim chief minister, has been trying to change the demography of this Hindu majority area, and the other three districts surrounding it. Traders and residents say there is a huge influx of Kashmiri Muslims in households surrounding Jammu, and this has been witnessed after the inception of insurgency in Kashmir Valley in 1989. "These are beautiful houses, better than the ones you or I live in... and their numbers are increasing after every passing year. A feeling persists that there is a strong push to change the demography of this place," Gautam Awasthi, a 29-year-old trader in Jammus Raghunath Bazar, a commercial hub of the city, told Firstpost. Jammu, a city boasting of the Raghunath temple, a complex of seven Hindus shrines one of the largest in northern India, built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh between 1822-1860 a Kali Mata Mandir, overlooking the city built within the premises of Bahu Fort which overlooks the mighty Tawi River. This place also has Peer Khoo, a cave that people say connects it to the Amarnath cave. But, Jammu was a Muslim majority area before the Partition. Dr Rajender Bazar back then was called the Urdu Bazar. It was here that violence against Muslims had erupted in the areas Ustad Mohallah and Khati-ka-Talab. It had lasted three days and the approach roads were shut down. After negotiations by a Muslim officer, those in the region were promised safe passage. They were gathered at the Rajput ground, bundled into busses, and sent to Sialkot road. When they reached Mira Sahib, now Suchatgard, at checkpoints erected by rioters, they were massacred and raped. Conservative estimates put the number of killed at 2.35 lakhs. "The foundations of Jammu were laid on communal riots," Muslim Action Committee president Muhammad Sharief Sartaj said. Today, there are no Muslim leaders in Jammu and no political party can afford to have one. Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Congress leader, is an exception. But he too never made Jammu his political base. Even the Valley-based political parties, like National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party, rally behind Hindu leaders in this part of the state. Gujjar Nagar is just behind the chief minister's residence in Jammu. The area was first developed by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah for people who would carry milk on their heads across the river from Sidhra. Sheikh argued that due to frequent floods and because crossing the river was dangerous, he gave them pieces of land in what was then a jungle behind his residence. Today, the area has a substantial population of Muslims residents. They soon changed their profession and the people who lived in Ustad Mohallah, one of the traditional Muslims areas, spoke Dogri better than the Dogras themselves. Their culture is still heavily influenced by the Dogras, something clearly visible in their wedding celebrations. They are also part of every Hindu festival, be it Holi or Diwali. In the early 1970s, Gujjars of this area would never marry outside their clan. They were the milk suppliers for the city. After the 1990s, when the influx of Muslims from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar started, the Gujjars started marrying outside their clan. Today, not one original inhabitant lives here. They are scattered all over. "After the 1990s there was massive economic development among Gujjars of Gujjar Nagar, and they started building khoties on the outskirts on the land given to them at throwaway prices," Bunty Mahajan, a resident of Peer Mitha told Firstpost. Today, the Muslims are present in Khati Talab, Gujjar Nagar, Ustad Mohalla, Peer Mitha, Talab Khathi, Bathindi, Sunjwan, Sidhrawh among others areas. Although it might look like there has been a demographic change, the census reports suggest otherwise. As per the Census of India in 2011, the population of Jammu district is 1,529,958 while 502,197 are living in the city, of which Hindus account for 81.19 percent, the Muslims just 7.95 percent and the Sikhs 8.83 percent. It sits on an area of 2,342 square kilometres, while the population of Muslims in the district stands at seven percent. "Seventy percent of the students from Valley study in Jammu," Surinder Mahajan, president of the Raghunath Bazar businessmen association, said. "Wherever you go, you will see students from Kargil or Ladakh or Kashmir Valley. But this good as ours is the only place in the three regions which has such a composite culture, making it difficult for people to divide us." In winters, when the capital shifts from Srinagar to Jammu, the foot flow of Kashmiris into the city is more than five lakh. It is remarkable how the infrastructural capabilities of the regions have tremendously improved since the onset of militancy in the 1990s. Besides Kashmiri Pandits, thousands of Muslims too left the Valley and made this district, particularly Jammu city, their home. It is a city of traders; its worldview is moulded by trade and business. As the social media storm over the alleged rape and murder of a nomad girl suggests, entire Jammu is now communally charged or polarised. "That is not the case," said Mahajan. "Jammu has given a place to Kashmiri Pandits, Kashmiri Muslims, Sikhs and others, and they all call it home." But youngsters like Awasthi say that in recent years, he has seen the effects of the Valley trickling down to Jammu. "I am sure in a few years, when Geelani calls for a shutdown, markets in Sidhara and Sunjwan will also close." Ankur Sharma, a Jammu-based advocate appearing for five of the eight accused in the Kathua rape case, said that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has an Islamofascist agenda, and is trying to change the demography of the place. "Under her, we have got proof that she is using these investigations to further her Islamic and hegemonic idea," Kumar told Firstpost. Read Part 2: Kathua rape puts Sidhra, one of few remaining Muslim settlements in Jammu, at focal point of communal rift A man who contested the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in 2006 on a BJP ticket was reportedly arrested for molesting a minor girl in a train running between Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai. A man who contested the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in 2006 on a BJP ticket was reportedly arrested for molesting a minor girl in a train running between Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai. The incident reportedly took place somewhere between Salem and Erode stations on Saturday night. The incident has come to light in less than 24 hours after President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated an ordinance pronouncing death penalty in rape cases where the victims are minors under 12 years of age. The ordinance amends sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Rule of Criminal Procedure Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. According to The Indian Express, the nine-year-old girl was fast asleep in her birth on the Trivandrum Express when she was allegedly sexually assaulted by the accused identified as KP Prem Ananth. An FIR has been filed in the case under POCSO Act. Quoting FIR, the news report said that the man, who was carrying an identity card from the Madras High Court Advocates Association, boarded the train from Coimbatore and was traveling without reservation. According to reports, the perpetrator had kissed her cheeks and pressed her chest. The NewsMinute quoted details from the complaint filed by the mother: "This man got in with an open ticket, without reservation. A berth opposite mine was not occupied. I guess the TTE took the money and let him in though he denied it. He kissed her cheeks and pressed her chest, closed her mouth and molested her further. She pushed him. He got up to touch her the second time and she screamed, 'Mama, this man is touching my chest'." The India Today said that the accused tried to intimidate the family using his big clout in BJP. "He threatened the family of dire consequences, claiming he had big clout in the BJP and was connected to several RSS leaders", it said. However, the railway police reportedly remained firm and promptly arrested the accused. Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan told The Indian Express that Ananth does not currently hold any key position in the party at the state level. However, she added that she was not aware if he was active locally. The lawyer, as per Election Commission data, had contested from Chennai's RK Nagar seat in 2006. A high-profile seat represented by Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, RK Nagar was recently in the news for the alleged cash-for-votes scam, and was won by rebel AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran in a second bypoll in December 2017. Two men, were arrested on Saturday by the Meerut Police for the gang rape of a 16-year-old Dalit girl from Meeruts Khakhoda area, according to a report. Two men were arrested on Saturday for the gang rape of a 16-year-old Dalit girl, who is from Meeruts Khakhoda area, according to a report. News18.com reported that the incident occurred in December 2017, but the girl remained silent for five months fearing societal backlash. The 16-year-old girl's family was also reportedly under pressure to remain silent about the incident. The report quoted Amit Kumar Anand, acting station officer at Kharkhoda Police Station (under Meerut Police) to detail the sequence of events leading up to the incident. Pawan (21) and Vipin (20), according to the report, found the 16-year-old alone in her house and took turns to rape her. The duo allegedly videographed the incident so that they could blackmail the girl into remaining silent. According to the report, the accused forced the girl to undergo an abortion after they discovered that the gang rape had left her pregnant. The abortion took a toll on the girl's health and eventually, she narrated the incident to her parents. On 20 April, the girls father filed an FIR at Meeruts Kharkhoda police station. After a major search operation throughout Kharkhoda, police managed to arrest both Pawan and Vipin on the intervening night of 20 and 21 April. The duo has been booked under sections 376 (rape) and 313 (forced abortion) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Last month, a 14-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly raped by a Class X student in Bhavanpur area in Meerut. The Class VIII student was taken to a nearby forest area by her neighbour and raped, a police official had said. The accused had threatened her of dire consequences if she revealed the incident to anyone, he said. The girl, however, narrated the incident to her parents, following which they filed a case at the Bhavanpur police station. With inputs from PTI No agenda has been announced for the Modi-Xi meet, but discussions could include Doka La, peace along the LAC, China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Indias NSG membership, trade and commerce, Chinese investments in India and more The forthcoming informal meet between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping on 27 and 28 April is hot news, with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi terming it a "new starting point in the relationship". Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj has held talks with Wang in Beijing and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is visiting Beijing both laying the groundwork for Modi's April visit. The prime minister will be in China again in June for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit. China has turned on its charm offensive. Luo Zhaohui, Chinese Ambassador to New Delhi who threatened India during the Doka La standoff, says the Modi-Xi meeting will enhance "good chemistry" and strengthen bilateral ties. China says it will share Sutlej and Brahmaputra river data with India and resume the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage through Nathu La. But given China's conduct in the past, the sharing of river data will likely make no mention of Brahmaputra water being diverted to Xinjiang. Significantly, ITBP reports a spike in PLA transgressions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC); 21 over just 17 days. No agenda has been announced for the Modi-Xi meet, but discussions could include Doka La, peace along the LAC, China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Indias NSG membership, trade and commerce, Chinese investments in India and more. Border settlement is out of the question, but China may propose another framework over the 2013 Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA). The BDCA required an exchange of information about demolition operations (including for road-construction) but when India does so, China objects that it is Chinese territory. Conversely, China continues with aerial transgressions without informing India, as required by BDCA. China has been angling for a 'Code of Conduct' with India, similar to one it has pushed with ASEAN, but going by the BDCA experience, India would do well to read between the lines if the eventuality arises. China has been wanting India to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), but doesnt support India's NSG bid and would not oppose Pakistan's proxy war on India. Even in the unlikely event Beijing does offer support for Indias NSG bid in exchange to India joining CPEC, it is unlikely to be accepted because CPEC blatantly violates Indias sovereignty in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Views are being expressed in India that given Xi's longterm-infinite presidency and his development agenda, India should join China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project, including CPEC, because countries in Indias immediate neighbourhood are all joining it, and India partnering BRI will force China not to ignore the country. Such a blanket commitment would be strategically naive, where China refuses to address Indias territorial and geostrategic concerns. Besides, China gives no consideration for trade-commerce vis-a-vis its strategic designs; Taiwan and Japan being examples. One issue that Xi is most likely to bring up during his discussion with Modi is the China-Nepal-India trilateral Economic Corridor (CNIEC) that China proposed recently, after Beijing and Kathmandu signed an MoU on China's BRI, which includes connectivity cooperation. Chinas state-owned media urges India to join the trilateral in order to bring prosperity to South Asia, quoting Wang saying, "China, India and Nepal are natural friends and partners", adding he hopes Nepal can serve as a channel between China and India, and also benefit from the two countries' development. Nepals KP Oli government is naturally thrilled at the prospect of becoming a hub of the proposed multi-modal trilateral, much like Afghanistan wanted to be between Eurasia and South Asia something the China-backed Pakistan didnt permit, however, CNIEC requires deeper examination. The proposed rail lines between Kathmandu and Kolkata, extended to Dhaka in Bangladesh, discussed during Oli's recent visit to India already cater to China-South Asia rail connectivity, together with the Beijing-Lhasa-Kathmandu rail line. In addition are the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Initiative and the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Initiative that China may join after it connects Doka La with Thimpu by road and rail. Hence, connectivity already exists or is coming through in the near future. Apparently, China envisages developing CNIEC on lines of the CPEC; bringing in Chinese companies, workers, investments, SEZs and the like, with all the negatives Pakistan faces, and that too in India's North East while objecting to Japanese investments in this region. This should certainly not be permitted, even though Nepal will likely be subsumed by China progressively, and China-Pakistan will focus on the Terai region, consequences of which on India have been highlighted earlier. Additionally, it is amusing to see China express alarm over the threat of espionage to itself compared to what is doing against India. It is not only the massive trade imbalance in Chinas favour that would multiply with India joining its BRI, but in the ultimate analysis, the excitement over a reset in relations must be viewed in the backdrop of Chinese capabilities given that intentions can change overnight, Chinas aggressive posturing, its history of deceit and Xi fast-tracking his China Dream while threatening bloody war, not ceding single inch of land, which obviously includes all illegal claims against India. The author is a retired lieutenant-general of the Indian Army Omar has sought divorce on the ground that their marriage has broken down irretrievably. New Delhi: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday urged the Delhi High Court to conduct in-camera proceedings on his plea seeking divorce from his estranged wife Payal Abdullah. Omar's counsel made the oral submission before a bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Deepa Sharma, which, however, did not pass any order on the plea. Advocate Malavika Rajkotia, appearing for Omar, said that in-camera proceedings be conducted in the matter as it was a family matter and whatever happens in court, it is published by the media. She said her client, who is a politician, has a right to privacy and his privacy was required. She said she wanted to bring this submission to the court's notice and it is now up to the court to decide. The court also allowed Omar's plea seeking an early hearing in the matter. The plea was opposed by Payal's counsel who said such a prayer was earlier declined by the court. The bench, however, said the hearing in the matter should be expedited and listed it for hearing on 1 July. Omar has sought divorce on the ground that their marriage has broken down irretrievably. Payal has filed her response to the plea, but the court said it was not on record and directed that the plea be placed in the court records. The application by Omar has been moved in his petition challenging a trial court decision of August 30, 2016 dismissing his plea for divorce. He has contended that their marriage has "irretrievably broken down". The trial court had held that he had failed to prove the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. It had also said that Omar could not prove his claims of "cruelty" or "desertion" which were the grounds alleged by him for grant of decree of divorce. In his appeal against the trial court order, Omar had claimed that his marriage had broken down irretrievably and he has not enjoyed conjugal relationship since 2007. The couple, married on September 1, 1994, were living separately since 2009. The couple have two sons who are staying with their mother. M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday set in motion the process of consultation on the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu set in motion the process of consultation on the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and held discussions with constitutional and legal experts, including Attorney General KK Venugopal, on Sunday. Naidu cut short his visit to Hyderabad and reached Delhi to hold deliberations over the notice given by the seven Opposition parties. According to officials, Naidu on Sunday spoke to former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash Kashyap, ex-law secretary PK Malhotra and former legislative secretary Sanjay Singh on the issue. He also held deliberations with senior officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, the officials said, adding that Naidu also spoke to former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy. The officials said the vice-president also spoke to the Attorney General on the issue. Leaders of the Opposition parties had on Friday met Naidu and handed over the notice of impeachment against the chief justice of India (CJI) bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired. The Opposition parties, led by the Congress, initiated the unprecedented step to impeach the CJI by moving the notice levelling charges against him. The parties had briefed the media after handing over the notice to the Upper House chairman. While reviewing the notice, the Rajya Sabha officials had mentioned that making public the contents of a notice before it is admitted by the chair is in violation of parliamentary rules. According to the provisions in the handbook for Rajya Sabha members, no advance publicity should be given to any notice to be taken up in the House till it is admitted by the chairman. The move to propose impeachment notice against the CJI has led to a slugfest between the Congress and the BJP. Meanwhile, the Congress said that the CJI should considering recusing himself from judicial and administrative duties until his name is cleared. The BJP has said the Congress was trying to demean, degrade and denigrate the judiciary by moving the notice. After the recent Budget Session washout, it is important to examine some of the avenues through which the Parliament can exercise its oversight function. Editor's note: The recently concluded Budget Session of Parliament was, by all accounts, the least productive in at least a decade, marked by protest, adjournment, and very little constructive debate, let alone passage of bills. Firstpost will examine, by way of a multi-part series spread across a six-week span, the reasons why the parliamentary process in particular, and the democratic apparatus in general, has failed India's citizens. The clutch of essays, written by experts in the Constitution and constitutional law, will investigate the defects, introduced by design, that have enabled the degeneration of legislative functioning. Series curated by Bangalore-based lawyer and tutor of democracy and active citizenship, Malavika Prasad. The primary function of Parliament is to hold the government accountable. The Constitution states that the Council of Ministers (Executive) will be collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. There have been instances in the past where the Parliament has been unable to carry out this responsibility effectively. Most recently, the Budget Session was washed out due to disruptions and no business could be transacted. It was the least productive Budget Session in almost two decades. There were severe disruptions in Parliament owing to several demands by the Opposition parties, such as Andhra Pradesh's demand for special status, etc. The Finance Bill was passed without discussion and the entire budget of over 24 lakh crores was guillotined (that is, passed without discussion). This session also witnessed a notice for a no-confidence motion being moved against the government. In this article, we examine some of the avenues through which the Parliament exercises its oversight function. Debates and motions MPs may raise issues in Parliament through debates or motions. Debates elicit a reply and motions entail voting. A motion may be moved in Parliament to discuss important policies of the government and topical concerns (such as irregularities in the banking sector). In this Session, irregularities in the banking sector were listed for discussion; however, it was not taken up due to repeated disruptions. This alludes to the larger underlying problem of lack of avenues for the Opposition to voice its concerns. One of the ways to resolve this gap is to give the Opposition a forum to discuss its concerns. In the United Kingdom, for instance, 20 days in a session are reserved for discussion on subjects chosen by the Opposition. This type of agenda-setting by the Opposition on fixed days may yield to greater productivity in Parliament. Apart from these, if it appears that the Council does not have the confidence of the House, a motion of no-confidence may also be moved, forcing the government to prove its majority in the House. As per the Constitution, the Council of Ministers holds office only as long as it has the confidence of Lok Sabha. If the motion is admitted, the government is bound to vacate office. This seeks to ensure that in a parliamentary democracy, a government remains in power only as long as it has the support of members directly elected by the people. Till date, 26 no-confidence motions have been moved. Parliament recognises the primacy of the no-confidence motion and it is always taken up on priority over other government business. In the Budget Session, a notice was given to move a no-confidence motion against the government. However, the Speaker failed to take up the motion citing disruptions in the House. Various issues may also be debated in Parliament to discuss the functioning of the government. In the past, such discussions have included topics such as the agrarian crisis, rise in prices, corruption, etc. In this session, no issues of public importance were taken for discussion. In order to improve government accountability in Parliament, in the UK and Australia, the Opposition forms a shadow cabinet. Under such a system, Opposition MPs track a certain portfolio, scrutinise its performance and suggest alternative programs. This allows for detailed tracking and scrutiny of ministries and assists MPs in making constructive suggestions. Question Hour Every day when Parliament is in session, one hour is reserved for the Question Hour. During the Question Hour, MPs raise questions to ministers on any aspect of functioning or policy-making. This hour allows MPs to question the government on its policies and is vital in ensuring accountability of the Executive. In the 16th Lok Sabha, Question Hour functioned for 56 percent of its scheduled time and, 18.5 percent of the questions were answered orally. In several years, time was lost due to disruptions in the House. In such a situation, the Speaker has been given the powers to suspend the disrupting MPs. In the Budget Session, this power was not exercised by the Speaker. While Parliament can sit for additional hours to transact other business, any time lost during Question Hour is not made up. Parliamentary Committees Parliamentary Committees are constituted to scrutinise the actions and policies of the government in greater detail. Since Parliament has limited time for discussing a legislation or issues, these committees provide a platform for detailed deliberation and discussion. They examine finances, legislation, and working of ministries. The recommendations of these committees are not binding on the House. However, in the past, several bills, such as the constitutional amendment to levy GST was referred to a committee and its recommendations served to strengthen the provisions of the Bill. In the 16th Lok Sabha, 27 percent of Bills introduced in Parliament have been referred to a committee, which is low when compared to earlier Lok Sabhas. In countries such as the UK, Bills are mandatorily referred to committees of both Houses of Parliament. These committees have the power to amend Bills. However, their amendments may be overturned by MPs during a discussion on the Bill. In contrast, in India, the Speaker or Chairman decides whether to refer a Bill to a parliamentary committee. The National Commission to review the working of the Constitution (NCRWC) has recommended that all Bills should be referred to committees. Ordinances The President of India has been given certain legislative powers, such as promulgating ordinances. This may be on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. The Supreme Court held in 1986 that the power to promulgate ordinance is a tool meant to be used in extraordinary circumstances, and not as a substitute for the law-making powers of the Legislature. In the 16th Lok Sabha, 33 ordinances have been promulgated. In some cases, the government has re-promulgated lapsed Ordinance. For example, the Enemy Property (Amendment) Ordinance has been re-promulgated five times. Other countries such as the US, Canada and the UK do not confer such legislative powers upon the Executive. In case of an urgent requirement, an emergency session of the Parliament may be convened. Number of Sittings In India, even though the Parliament is entrusted with examining the functioning of the policies and actions of the government and holding it accountable, it does not have the power to convene itself. The president, on the advice of the Council of Ministers, is responsible for summoning Parliament, and therefore, indirectly deciding when Parliament should exercise its oversight functions over the government. In the 16th Lok Sabha, Parliament has met for 287 days over a span of four years. In certain countries such as the UK and Australia, the number of sittings is calendared in advance at the beginning of the year. In Pakistan, the Speaker is required to summon Parliament if one-fourth of the members requisition in writing. This allows for greater business to be transacted within the Parliament itself. The NCRWC has recommended fixing the minimum number of working days for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at 120 and 100 days respectively. There are safeguards built into the parliamentary system to protect against disruptions. In places where there are institutional lacunae to fill, our Parliament may borrow from the established norms of other parliamentary systems. Only then can Parliament hold the government accountable and effectively scrutinise its functioning. The author is a senior analyst at PRS Legislative Research. Read about the series: Budget Session 2018 washout, worst in over a decade, shows why legislature desperately needs reform agenda Read Part 1: Obsolete system of voice votes needs to be replaced with electronic voting Read Part 3: Core problem cannot be fixed till we introduce checks on Speaker's discretionary powers Read Part 4: Strengthening committee system can improve quality of drafted laws, fast-track implementation Read Part 5: 'Bye-Partisanship'; What Indian legislature needs to break deadlocks, improve discourse Read Part 6: Waning legislative influence, lack of clear mission flags need to redefine Rajya Sabha's functioning Read Part 7: Political parties must be tamed, their incomes regulated to revive Indian democracy Read Part 8: Anti-Defection Law must be curbed to empower legislature, promote deliberative democracy Read Part 9: Corporate funding of elections continues to bankrupt legislative morality, weaken electoral integrity Read Part 10: Enabling stakeholder consultations in policy-making can deepen democracy, improve transparency Read Part 11: Time, the unseen yet powerful factor of politics, holds key to controlling legislative discourse Read Part 12: Understanding 'political value' of time and how it is weaponised in democracy Congress president Rahul Gandhi will launch his party's nationwide 'Save the Constitution' campaign, aiming to highlight alleged attacks on the Constitution and Dalits under the BJP-led regime New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi will on Monday launch his party's nationwide 'Save the Constitution' campaign, aiming to highlight alleged attacks on the Constitution and Dalits under the BJP-led regime. Seen as the party's effort to reach out to the community ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the campaign launch is expected to be attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, party general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, its senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sushil Kumar Shinde among others. Congress's present and former Dalit lawmakers, those holding offices in zilla parishad, civic bodies and panchayat samitis, the party's office-bearers attached to its regional units will also attend the event, aimed at sensitising the attendees on the current state of affairs with regard to the community. The attendees are expected to take the message forward, holding similar campaigns in states to reach out to the community members, sources said. "The Constitution is under threat in the BJP regime. The community is being denied opportunities in spheres of education and jobs. The programme aims to highlight these issues nationwide," a party leader said. Dalits form roughly 17 percent of the country's electorate. There are 84 parliamentary seats reserved for candidates belonging to the scheduled castes. The BJP had bagged nearly half of the seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, reflecting on its success in politically key states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The leader noted that only three-four of those seats were won by the Congress then. Accusing the BJP-RSS leadership of 'systematically destroying' the Constitution, the Congress announced that party president Rahul Gandhi will launch a nationwide 'Save the Constitution' campaign on 23 April Auto refresh feeds Congress president Rahul Gandhi will on Monday launch his party's nationwide 'Save the Constitution' campaign, aiming to highlight alleged attacks on the Constitution and Dalits under the BJP-led regime. "In the upcoming election, the country will tell Modi its 'mann ki baat'. You took away scholarships from Dalit students. Farmers have no option but to commit suicide. The citizens will tell Modi a lesson in the upcoming election," says Rahul Gandhi 'BJP will never be able to touch the Constitution' "First time, it's the SC judges who are asking Justice from the public. SC is being pressured and destroyed. Our institutions were gifted to us by our Constitution. The Modi Govt is now destroying these institutions by appointing RSS ideologues to occupy important positions: Congress President Rahul Gandhi said during the launch of Save the Constitution campaign at Delhi's Talkatora stadium. "PM Modi's earlier slogan was Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao. Now, the new slogan is only Beti Bachao and Bacho from BJP MLAs: Congress President Rahul Gandhi during the launches of save the Constitution campaign at Delhi's Talkatora stadium," Rahul Gandhi said. "You ask us questions, you attack us, and we protect you. We protected the press. We will support the press. This country will protect every one of us. It belongs to the women, the Dalits, the Adivasi, and the shopkeepers. We will protect the institution which protects the constitution. Our job is to protect the people when they voice their opinion. We will not allow them to destroy these institutions. We will not let them destroy the Constitution," he said. In his half-an-hour speech, Rahul Gandhi said the BJP government is determined to destroy the Constitution of India with its policies. The constitution is under threat from BJP; Congress will protect it: Rahul Gandhi "A press person has asked me a question in MNREGA. I will answer it, ask this to PM Modi and you will be thrown out of the room. Even if you are against us, we will defend and support you," said Congress President Rahul Gandhi during the launch of save the Constitution campaign at Delhi's Talkatora stadium 'Even if you are against us, we will defend and support you,' says Rahul Gandhi Congress will stand together to protect the interests of Dalits and other weaker sections: Rahul Gandhi "The question that every citizen of India is asking what is this government up to? Modi is only interested in empowering himself. Is there any institution that the government can say they have strengthened? The government is only interested in strengthening the vigilante elements of BJP," said Samajwadi Party's national spokesperson Ghanshyam Tiwari. Speaking to CNN-News18, Congress leader Sanjay Jha said that Modi will have to answer questions on the Rafale deal to the people of India. "No political party is forever. No government is forever. All the issues including the Rafale deal will be investigated after 2019. Right now, we want to raise public awareness because ultimately it's the public of India who has been looted." Attacking Rahul after the Congress chief attacked the Modi government for being intolerant towards "Dalits, SC and women", BJP chief Amit Shah slammed him and said that it was the Congress which has repeatedly insulted Dr BR Ambedkar. "Our institutions, which are an outcome of our Constitution today need to be saved from the onslaught of the Congress Party. The Congress Party has spared no institution and is attacking the Election Commission, Supreme Court, Army for petty political gains," Amit Shah tweeted out. If there is one party that has destroyed the spirit of our Constitution, it is the Congress: Amit Shah "A press person has asked me a question in MNREGA. I will answer it, ask this to PM Modi and you will be thrown out of the room. Even if you are against us, we will defend and support you," said Congress President Rahul Gandhi during the launch of save the Constitution campaign at Delhi's Talkatora stadium 'Even if you are against us, we will defend and support you,' says Rahul Gandhi Speaking to CNN-News18, BJP leader Babul Supriyo said, "The more Rahul Gandhi talks, the more good it's for BJP. His language is deplorable. We don't need to destroy Congress. It's already on a downward spiral under his leadership." The Congress Party will stand together to protect the interests of Dalits and other weaker sections of the society wherever the BJP & RSS attacks them: Congress President @RahulGandhi #SaveTheConstitution pic.twitter.com/8ldjRl7Gzx Congress will stand together to protect the interests of Dalits and other weaker sections: Rahul Gandhi Narendra Modi is only interested in Narendra Modi. Electoral victory is his only focus: Congress President @RahulGandhi #SaveTheConstitution "The question that every citizen of India is asking what is this government up to? Modi is only interested in empowering himself. Is there any institution that the government can say they have strengthened? The government is only interested in strengthening the vigilante elements of BJP," said Samajwadi Party's national spokesperson Ghanshyam Tiwari. Speaking to CNN-News18, Congress leader Sanjay Jha said that Modi will have to answer questions on the Rafale deal to the people of India. "No political party is forever. No government is forever. All the issues including the Rafale deal will be investigated after 2019. Right now, we want to raise public awareness because ultimately it's the public of India who has been looted." Always remember, those who try to intimidate you or inspire fear using their power and authority are in reality, cowards. Take them on. They are chicken. They will run. #SaveTheConstitution #SpeakUpIndia Those who try to intimidate you or inspire fear using their power are cowards: Sanjay Jha Modi sarkar & its appointees continue to undermine every institution & due process Notice for removal of CJI had sign of 64 MPs & thus met criteria(>50) VP only had to check criteria & send notice to a panel of three. Instead wrongly rejects it outright! #SaveTheConstitution If there is one party that has destroyed the spirit of our Constitution, it is the Congress. They do not want rule of democracy but they want rule of dynasty. Hence this is a farce of a movement by their President. https://t.co/n6mWPBHIRC By repeatedly saying the Congress made the Constitution, @RahulGandhi is carrying forward his family tradition of insulting Dr. Ambedkar. The Nehru-Gandhi family insulted him when he was alive and his humiliating him even more now. Shameful and petty. Our institutions which are an outcome of our Constitution today need to be saved from the onslaught of the Congress Party. The Congress Party has spared no institution and is attacking the EC, Supreme Court, Army for petty political gains. Attacking Rahul after the Congress chief attacked the Modi government for being intolerant towards "Dalits, SC and women", BJP chief Amit Shah slammed him and said that it was the Congress which has repeatedly insulted Dr BR Ambedkar. "Our institutions, which are an outcome of our Constitution today need to be saved from the onslaught of the Congress Party. The Congress Party has spared no institution and is attacking the Election Commission, Supreme Court, Army for petty political gains," Amit Shah tweeted out. If there is one party that has destroyed the spirit of our Constitution, it is the Congress: Amit Shah Save the Constitution Latest Updates: Congress president Rahul Gandhi targetted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over rising cases of crime against Dalits and women in the country. Rahul said Dalits are angry with Modi because of his ideology. "You can worship Ambedkar with flowers but can never respect him. Each and every Dalit knows when he looks at Modi that Modi does not has place for Dalits, Supreme Court, or women in his heart," he said. The Congress president launched his party's nationwide 'Save the Constitution' campaign on Monday at Delhi's Talkatora stadium. Seen as the party's effort to reach out to the community ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the campaign launch is expected to be attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, party general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, its senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sushil Kumar Shinde among others. The attendees are expected to take the message forward, holding similar campaigns in states to reach out to the community members, sources said. Rahul said that the every institution is corrupted under the Modi government. "Narendra Modi is afraid to speak on the floor of the Parliament. I dare him to face me for 15 minutes," Rahul said. Accusing the BJP-RSS leadership of "systematically destroying" the Constitution, the Congress on Sunday party president Rahul Gandhi launched a nationwide "Save the Constitution" campaign on 23 April from Delhi's Talkatora stadium. "Rahul Gandhi ji will launch the campaign on April 23 at the Talkatora Stadium. Senior Congress leaders will join him," AICC Scheduled Caste Department Chairman Nitin Raut said in a statement. He said that the party's scheduled caste leaders from block to national levels will participate in the programme and the campaign would go on for nearly a year till 14 April, 2019. "The campaign would be taken up at the state-level by the party's respective SC departments to reach out to the common man at the village level," he said. The Congress campaign comes at a time when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is holding "Gram Swaraj Abhiyan" across the country under which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked party MPs and MLAs to spend a night in Dalit-dominated villages. The prime minister's direction to party leaders came after violent protests erupted in parts of the country after a Supreme Court order allegedly diluted the Scheduled Castes and Schedules Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Raut said that the BJP and RSS leadership was systematically destroying the Indian Constitution to wreck the country's social fabric to enforce their pernicious Manuwadi social order that was contrary to what the Constitution had nurtured and protected. "Ever since the RSS-supported BJP has come to power at the Centre, the Constitution has been under severe attack, in one form or the other, thereby denying the marginalised sections of society their constitutional rights," he said. Raut said that the institutions such as the RBI, Supreme Court, Election Commission and erstwhile Planning Commission were all under threat. "The RBI was sidelined while deciding on demonetisation. The Planning Commission was dismantled to establish NITI Aayog that has no accountability. The voice of four Supreme Court senior most judges has been silenced and the Election Commission made to wait for government's approval to announce election schedules," he said. The Congress leader said that the BJP-RSS combine is set to dismantle the social security available for SCs, STs and other weaker sections. "The RSS ideology attacks the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. This would be countered by the Congress," he said. With inputs from IANS The two unidentified assailants stopped his vehicle and fired four rounds at Sawant Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Sachin Sawant was shot dead on Sunday night allegedly by two motorbike-borne assailants in suburban Kandivali in Mumbai, police said. Udaykumar Rajeshirke, senior police inspector at the Kurar police station, said the incident happened around 8 pm when the 40-year-old leader was travelling in his car. The two unidentified assailants stopped his vehicle and fired four rounds at Sawant, an up-shakha pramukh (deputy branch head of Shiv Sena), in Gokul Nagar area, a police official said. Sawant was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead, he said Rajeshirke said the police were in the process of filing a case and investigations are underway. Senior police officers refused to divulge details. The Kurar Police are investigating the matter. The DNA test conducted on a minor girl, the victim of alleged rape and killing, and another woman, whose bodies were found in different parts of Surat city Surat: The DNA test conducted on a minor girl, the victim of alleged rape and killing, and another woman, whose bodies were found in different parts of Surat city earlier this month, has established their relationship as mother and daughter, a senior police officer said on Monday. The body of the girl, found from near a playground in Pandesara area of the city, had 86 injury marks. A doctor had said that the girl, who was around 9 to 11 years of age, was possibly raped before she was killed. However, police are yet to ascertain the identity of the girl and the woman. Police had arrested a man, identified as Harsh Sahay Gurjar, on 20 April from Ganganagar in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan for allegedly raping the girl and killing her and her mother. "The DNA test has confirmed that the minor girl was the daughter of that woman. As of now, we only know that both the mother-daughter duo were brought to Surat by Gurjar from Rajasthan. But, it is yet not clear where exactly they hail from. We are yet to identify them," said Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma. Investigations have also revealed that Gurjar had first killed the woman and then her daughter as the latter was an eye witness to the killing of her mother. "Gurjar first killed the woman and threw her body into the bushes near a road in Sachin area of Surat. Then, he killed the minor girl and dumped her body in Pandesara area of the city. The girl was killed because she was an eye witness to the killing of her mother," said Sharma. Police are also probing whether the mother-daughter duo were the victims of human trafficking. During questioning, Gurjar confessed to having killed the girl and her mother, said Sharma. The police commissioner on Sunday said the man who handed over both the woman and her daughter to Gurjar had demanded Rs 35,000 for them. Police had zeroed in on Gurjar while tracing a black car, allegedly used to dump the bodies of the two victims. The car was captured by police while analysing the CCTV footage of Pandesara area. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, on Monday, asked Indians and the Chinese to learn each other's language as it will help them overcome communication barriers and further strengthen the relationship between the two nations. Beijing: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, on Monday, asked Indians and Chinese to learn each other's language as it will help them overcome communication barriers and further strengthen the relationship between the two nations. Swaraj, who is on a visit to Beijing, made the remarks during a programme, titled 'Contribution of Hindi in India-China Friendship', organised by the India Embassy. "When two friends sit together, what do they want? They want to talk their hearts out to each other, share what they feel. And for that we need a language. I should be able to understand Chinese when you speak, and you should be able to understand Hindi when I talk," Swaraj said. "If there is an interpreter sitting between two friends, he may be able to translate the words but not the feelings with which I say something. So, it is essential that we learn a language, and understand it," she said, a day after it was announced that prime minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping would hold an informal summit from 27 to 28 April. "I want to say that the way India and China's relation are strengthening, trade is increasing, we are working together on international forums, it has become increasingly important that you learn Hindi and we learn Chinese. So that when Indians visit China they don't face difficulty, and when Chinese visit India, you don't require an interpreter," Swaraj said. Swaraj said that during her meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday, she had told him that people are the biggest strength for any foreign minister and when people of two countries love each other, it only strengthens the governments. "And this, your love for Hindi... You may not be aware that two foreign ministers can't strengthen the relations between Indian and China as much as these students learning Hindi can. You (students) all are doing great service (to the two countries)," she said. The minister invoked "Dangal", "Secret Superstar" and "Hindi Medium" to stress that Hindi films are gaining popularity in China, but said an understanding of the language instead of subtitles could improve their experiences of watching such films. Noting that during the programme, a Chinese student learning Hindi had expressed that it was her dream to visit India, Swaraj instructed the ambassador to make arrangements for a visit of such students to India "I want to tell her that your dream will come true right here, right now. I am telling our ambassador here to send a delegation of 25 Hindi students from here on a India visit," she said. "We will entertain you there and gift you Indian traditional clothes saree for girls and kurta pyjama for boys. I entrust our ambassador here with the responsibility of sending a delegation of students learning Hindi," she said. Unruffled by the move seeking his impeachment by 64 MPs, Chief Justice Dipak Misra on Monday presided over Supreme Court number 1 - although there were some anxious moments initially. New Delhi: Unruffled by the move seeking his removal by 64 MPs, Chief Justice Dipak Misra on Monday presided over Supreme Court number 1 - although there were some anxious moments initially. Chief Justice Misra dealt with the cases in his usual ease. While hearing a plea by the activist Swami Agnivesh seeking axing of scenes from film "Padmavat" which he said eulogised Sati, he referred to writer Sarat Chandra Chatterjee who authored "Devdas" in 1934. He told the petitioner's lawyer that no lover had become alcoholic after seeing the film in which the main character was played by veteran actor Dilip Kumar. Asking the lawyer if he thought that anybody would commit Sati after seeing the film, Chief Justice Misra said that women empowerment had increased in all these years. Well before Monday's proceedings commenced, news had already reached the Supreme Court that Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had rejected the move by 64 Rajya Sabha members seeking the impeachment of the Chief Justice. Monday's proceedings started 13 to 14 minutes late instead of the normal 10.30 a.m. The electronic display board showed that none of the court had assembled, giving rise to speculation in the Chief Justice's court which was packed to capacity. There was a collective sigh when the board showed that court number 3 presided over by Justice Ranjan Gogoi had commenced the day's proceedings. A little later, attendants of the Chief Justice and Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud appeared. It was a clear sign that all was normal. A wanted criminal was killed and three, including a police personnel, were injured during an encounter in the Baraula area in Noida, an official said Noida: A wanted criminal was killed and three, including a police personnel, were injured on Monday during an encounter in the Baraula area in Noida, an official said. Special task forces of the Uttar Pradesh and the Haryana police intercepted a car and were fired upon by the vehicle's occupant, Superintendent of Police (SP), UP-STF (West), Rajiv Narain Mishra, said. In retaliatory fire, the criminal, Balraj Bhati, was injured and he was declared brought dead at a hospital, he said. Haryana STF personnel Raj Kumar and two locals were injured during the exchange of fire, the SP said. Balraj, a resident of Bulandshahr, was involved in several cases of robbery, murder and kidnapping in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the officer said. The Delhi Police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his arrest and the Uttar Pradesh Police Rs 50,000. His family members are also involved in criminal activities, police said. Balraj was also involved in the killing of Vijay Bhati, a former chairman of the Dadri Municipal Corporation, they said. The officer said as per information, Balraj and his gang's members had made plans to kill the jailor of the Bulandshahr prison, police said. He had an altercation with the jailor when he was an inmate there, they said. Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu has rejected the 'impeachment motion' against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra citing 'no proof of misconduct' by him. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu has rejected the 'impeachment motion' against the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra citing 'no proof of misconduct' by him as alleged by the opposition parties. The Congress and six other opposition parties on Friday moved a notice for the impeachment of CJI, accusing him of five counts of "misbehaviour" and "misusing" authority. The charges against the CJI included taking a bribe, illegally acquiring land and 'choosing to send sensitive matters to particular benches by misusing his authority '. The opposition parties met Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and handed over a notice for the impeachment of the CJI with signatures of 64 sitting MPs of the Upper House. Naidu then held discussions with a number of constitutional and legal experts, including Attorney General KK Venugopal, and former top law officer K Parasaran. Officials told PTI, that Naidu spoke to former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash Kashyap, ex-law secretary P K Malhotra and former legislative secretary Sanjay Singh as well about the issue. He also held deliberations with senior officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, they said, adding that Naidu also spoke to former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy. While reviewing the notice, a few sources in the Rajya Sabha said that making public the contents of a notice before it is admitted by the chair is in violation of parliamentary rules. According to the provisions in the handbook for Rajya Sabha members, no advance publicity should be given to any notice to be taken up in the House till it is admitted by the chairman. In passing, Naidu has referred to para 2.2 of the Handbook for Members of Rajya Sabha and mentioned that the press conference after the impeachment motion is 'against propriety and parliamentary decorum as it denigrates the institution of CJI'. Based on latest reports, here are the reasons why Naidu rejected the "impeachment motion" against CJI Misra: Motion undermines independence of judiciary No credible/verifiable facts. Going to press by MPs denigrated institution of CJI MPs are unsure of their own charges Some charges are internal matters to be resolved by Supreme Court itself Since the Opposition did not have proof to back their allegations against Misra, Naidu said there is no 'proven misconduct by the CJI'. News18 also reported that the vice-president said that the motion also had "little substance in their arguments". The Opposition's charges mention vague words like 'maybe', 'could be', News18 further quoted Naidu's order. 'I find virtually no concrete verifiable imputation', Naidu has stated in his order. While impeachment proceedings have never been taken up against a Chief Justice of India, the procedure says after such a notice is given, the chairman forwards it to the Rajya Sabha secretariat to verify mainly two things the signatures of the members who signed the petition and whether the rules and procedures have been followed. It is important to note here, that as per terms of the law, no judge or CJI can be 'impeached' as such. The term is used only for the removal of the President of India. Article 124 of Constitution makes the CJI head of the Supreme Court and also provides for the manner of his removal. A person appointed as the CJI or any other judge of the Supreme Court can only be removed on the ground of "proved misbehaviour or incapacity" before retirement due to age (65 years) or resignation or death. "A Judge of the Supreme Court shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity," reads Article 124(4) of the Constitution of India. This provision of Constitution paved the way for the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 and the Judges (Inquiry) Rules, 1969 which have laid down the entire process of removal of a Supreme Court judge. The process is formally called Impeachment. Impeachment of CJI or any other Supreme Court judge can be initiated in either House of Parliament. It requires a notice of motion issued by 100 MPs from the Lok Sabha or 50 MPs from the Rajya Sabha. The notice can be presented to the Speaker or the Chairman of the House (Vice President) as the case may be. The Speaker or the Chairman can accept or reject the notice of the motion for Impeachment of the CJI or any other Supreme Court judge. The admissibility of the petition is the prerogative of the chairman who must satisfy both the genuineness and legality of the petition. When the notice of the motion for Impeachment is accepted the Speaker or the Chairman form a three-member committee to investigate the charges. The inquiry committee comprises a senior judge of the Supreme Court, a judge of a high court and a distinguished jurist. The inquiry committee would look into the charges levelled by the legislators against the CJI and submits its report to the Speaker or the Chairman. If the three-member committee finds merit in the allegations and recommends that the motion of Impeachment be taken up by the relevant House, the process for removal of the CJI would begin. The judge against whom a motion of Impeachment has been moved can defend himself personally or through a representative before the House. Now the motion of Impeachment is taken up by the concerned House of Parliament. The motion is then put to vote and the House must pass it by a special majority. This means that at least two-thirds of the members present, which cannot be less than half of the strength of the House, must vote in support of the motion of Impeachment. Once the originating House passes the motion of Impeachment against the CJI, it will be taken up by the other House, which needs to pass it by a two-thirds special majority. After both the Houses have passed the motion of Impeachment, it is placed before the President for his/her approval. Once President gives his/her assent, the CJI stands impeached. Congress is now considering moving the Supreme Court if the notice to impeach is rejected. Party leaders have said if the Upper House chairman does not find merit in the notice of the impeachment, the decision could call for a judicial review. Chief Justice Dipak Misra retires on 2 October, which leaves the process with only a few months to act on. The Opposition has the option of forcing a vote on their petition but that would only be possible in the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Impeachment proceedings against judges made progress in Parliament for the first time in 1993 when Supreme Court judge V Ramaswami faced charges of corruption New Delhi: The rejection of notice for impeachment of Chief Justice Dipak Misra by Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu at the preliminary stage itself today had a precedent nearly five decades ago when a Supreme Court judge faced such a bid for the first time. An impeachment motion against Justice JC Shah was submitted to Lok Sabha speaker GS Dhillon in May 1970 following a campaign by a former government servant, O P Gupta, charging Shah with dishonesty after the judge made certain remarks about him during a hearing. The notice was, however, turned down by the Speaker after stating it as "frivolous". Besides rejection of such notice against CJI Misra and Justice Shah at the preliminary stage, there was another such case when 58 Rajya Sabha MPs had moved a petition before the Chairman and former Vice-President Hamid Ansari against Gujarat High Court judge Justice JB Pardiwala in 2015 for his alleged "unconstitutional" remarks against reservation. Facing the possibility of an impeachment motion against him, Justice Pardiwala expunged the remarks he had made against reservation in the Hardik Patel case order on an application by the state government seeking removal of the controversial portion. Later, no effort was made to take forward the notice of impeachment against Pardiwala. Impeachment proceedings against judges made progress in Parliament for the first time in 1993 when Supreme Court judge V Ramaswami faced charges of corruption following the report of an inquiry commission. Senior advocate and Congress Rajya Sabha lawmaker Kapil Sibal, who is at the forefront and spearheading the campaign to impeach the present CJI, however, had put up a spirited defence in favour of Ramaswami in the Lok Sabha. The impeachment motion, moved during the PV Narasimha Rao government, failed in the Lok Sabha as it could not muster support of two-third members of the house as required under Article 124 (4) of the Constitution. Besides Justice Ramaswami, impeachment motion was moved against Calcutta High Court judge Soumitra Sen in 2011 on the charge of financial misappropriation as a judge and misrepresenting facts. The motion was passed in the upper house and Sen, who had put up his defence in Rajya Sabha, sensed the outcome and resigned before the motion was put to vote in Lok Sabha. Justice PD Dinakaran, the then Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court, tendered his resignation in 2011 before impeachment proceedings could begin after an inquiry panel had found enough prima facie material relating to charges of land-grab, corruption and abuse of judicial office against him. He was transferred from the Karnataka High Court to the Sikkim High Court after he refused to follow orders to go on leave. In 2016, Justice Nagarjuna Reddy of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana was under the scanner when 61 Rajya Sabha members moved a petition for his impeachment on charges of misusing his position to "victimise" a "Dalit" judge. Later, nine of the 54 members of the Rajya Sabha, who had proposed the initiation of proceedings against him, withdrew their signatures. Seven opposition parties led by the Congress met Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday last and handed over a notice with signatures of 64 MPs of the Upper House, accusing the CJI of five counts of "misbehaviour" and "misusing" authority. The impeachment notice came a day after the Supreme Court rejected a bunch of petitions seeking an independent probe into the death of judge B H Loya, who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case. For initiating the impeachment process, a motion has to be moved by either 100 Lok Sabha members of Parliament or 50 Rajya Sabha MPs. If the motion is admitted, the Speaker of Lok Sabha or Chairman of Rajya Sabha constitutes an inquiry committee. This inquiry committee has three members a Supreme Court judge, a high court Chief Justice and an eminent jurist. The committee frames charges and asks the judge to give a written response. The judge also has the right to examine witnesses. After the inquiry, the committee determines whether the charges are valid or not and then it finally submits its report. If the inquiry committee finds that the judge is not guilty, then there is no further action. If they find him guilty, then the House of Parliament which initiated the motion may consider continuing with the motion. The motion is then debated and the judge (or his representative) has the right to represent his case. After that, the motion is voted upon. If there is two-thirds support of those voting, and majority support of the total strength of the House, it is considered to have passed. The process is then repeated in the other House. After that, the Houses sends an address to the President asking that the judge be removed from office. Last year, a Rajya Sabha appointed panel gave a clean chit to a sitting judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court after probing charges of sexual harassment of a judicial officer against him. The panel, comprising Supreme Court judge R Bhanumathi, Justice Manjula Chellur and jurist KK Venugopal, was set up in April 2015 by then Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari after admitting a motion supported by 58 members to impeach Justice SK Gangele. Naidu rejected the notice given by the Opposition parties led by the Congress for impeachment of CJI Dipak Misra, citing lack of substantial merit Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the notice given by Opposition parties led by the Congress for the impeachment of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, citing lack of substantial merit in it. Naidu held extensive consultations with top legal and constitutional experts before taking the decision, sources told PTI. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held the consultations with such experts to determine the maintainability of the motion. Seven Opposition parties led by the Congress had last week moved a notice before him for the impeachment on five grounds of "misbehaviour". This is the first time in independent history that an impeachment notice has been filed against a sitting chief justice. Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that the party will challenge Naidu's rejection of the impeachment notice in the Supreme Court. He claimed that that the Rajya Sabha chairman's order was "illegal" and passed without a full-fledged enquiry. Here is how politicians from across political parties have reacted to the development: Kapil Sibal, Congress leader "We will certainly file a petition (in the Supreme Court) against this and would want the CJI to not take any decision with respect to it, be it the listing or anything else, we'll accept whatever the Supreme Court decides," Sibal said. "Never before in India's history has a motion moved by MPs been dismissed at the preliminary stage," he added, criticising Naidu's rejection of the impeachment motion. Sambit Patra, BJP spokesperson "As far as the Congress is concerned, the party knew all along that this is going to happen eventually. Some of the stalwarts and lawyers of the Congress party who understand the proceedings very well also knew that the motion stood on weak ground. At the end of the day, we have to see the politics behind it. After the judge BH Loya case, the frontal attack of the Congress party against the judiciary was evident. They knew they never had the numbers and that this (impeachment motion) would fall, but they wanted to give a veiled threat. It was a threat to the judiciary as Arun Jaitley had said in his blog." Sitaram Yechury, CPM general-secretary "This was a wrong move by the chairman of the Rajya Sabha. This motion was not given proper attention. Something else is behind this. Independence of the judiciary is in danger," Yechury was quoted by News18 as saying. Abhishek Singhvi, Congress leader Top lawyer and senior Congress member Abhishek Manu Singhvi the rejection was expected. Expectedly, Sh Naidu rejected impment motion. Unexpectedly, he did so within one day of returning from outstn. Hopefully, the alacrity was not intended to render infructuous calls for CJI to stop Admn work Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) April 23, 2018 Sushil Kumar Modi, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi recalled that former prime minister Indira Gandhi had "superseded three judges" for "not giving favourable orders." Indira Gandhi superseded 3 judges for not giving favourable orders & appointed AN Rai CJI.After 45 yrs Rahul Congress brought impeachment becose CJI refused to oblige in Loya case.If no favour,destroy institution. Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) April 23, 2018 PL Punia, Congress leader "This is a really important matter. We don't know what the reason for the rejection was. Congress and other Opposition parties will talk to some legal experts and take the next step." Prashant Bhushan, Supreme Court lawyer Reacting to the rejection of charges, lawyer Prashant Bhushan tweeted: What!! VP Naidu rejects impeachment motion against CJI signed by 64 RS MPs! On what grounds? He has no power to say that charges are not made out. That's for the inquiry committee of 3 judges. He only has to see if it's signed by >50 MPs & possibly if charges are of misbehaviour Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) April 23, 2018 Subramanian Swamy, Rajya Sabha member, BJP "There was never any evidence, it was all bogus. It (the impeachment motion) should have been rejected yesterday itself. I was saying from the beginning that this is a motivated move attempting to blackmail the judiciary. They (the Congress) want to be judge, prosecutor and jury at the same time. Sorry, it cannot be." Soli Sorabjee, former attorney-general Speaking to CNN-News18, former attorney-general Soli Sorabjee said, "The vice-president has applied his mind, found no grounds, consulted legal experts and then took a decision." RS Sodhi, former judge Former judge RS Sodhi says the motion to impeach Misra was not a "wise act": Newly elected Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje on Monday visited the make-shift temple of 'Ram lalla' in Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya: Newly elected Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje on Monday visited the make-shift temple of 'Ram lalla' in Uttar Pradesh and said that the dream of billions for a grand Ram temple will soon be a reality. The former judge, who also served as governor of Himachal Pradesh, also offered prayers at the fabled Hanumangarhi temple. Later in the day, he is scheduled to hold wide-ranging meetings with the temple priests and office bearers of the Ramjanma Bhoomi Nyas, a VHP official said. Kokje would also visit the 'Karyasewakpuram' the place where stone carvings were underway for the last many years in anticipation of construction of the Ram temple. On Sunday, before leaving for Faizabad, the VHP chief told reporters in Lucknow that many Muslims were also in favour of the construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site. He also said that before starting work in his new capacity as the head of the Hindu outfit, he wanted to pay obeisance to 'Ram lalla' and that is why he was visiting Ayodhya. The 79-year-old leader also said that he would soon be holding deliberations with saints from all across the country and would like to take the Ram temple movement forward. He also expressed hope that the verdict for Ram temple would soon be pronounced in favour of the Hindu claimants. Calling for mutual dialogue and understanding to thrash out the problem he, however, rued that the litigants were "outsiders" who had no stakes in the decades-old matter. Narendra Modis stopover in Berlin presented a glimpse into many of the undercurrents in Indias transformed presence in the international community. A three-nation tour of Europe is the latest diplomatic endeavour among the plethora of international engagements led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modis first post-Brexit visit to the United Kingdom came after his visit to Sweden, which made him the first prime minister in 30 years to visit a Nordic country. Apart from the bilateral engagements, the first India-Nordic Summit in Stockholm gave India an opportunity to deepen relations with Nordic nations and open new arenas of co-operation. After a hectic visit to the two nations, Modis stopover in Berlin presented a glimpse into many of the undercurrents in Indias transformed presence in the international community. First of all, that an Indian prime minister would make a quick stopover in one of the leading nations of the world and be welcomed with open arms showed the rising profile of India. Apart from showing the strong friendship between the two nations, this quick stopover was also a testimony to Modis innovative outreach style in foreign policy. Germany is a leading economic power not only in Europe, but also in the world. Its position as the foremost nation in the European Union is a known fact. The critical role Germany and its Chancellor Angela Merkel have played in keeping the EU together as a potent global force cannot be emphasised enough. The Modi-Merkel phase of India-Germany relations is perhaps the best in the shared history of these two nations. The Modi-Merkel chapter took off when India was invited to be the partner nation at the Hannover Messe 2015, the worlds largest industrial fair. The economic engagement between the two nations grew on the plank of Modi making an appeal for Germans to Make in India. Germany is also Indias largest trade partner in the European Union. Since then, the heads of both India and Germany have made it a point to enhance strategic and economic ties by meeting on a regular basis. In 2015, Chancellor Merkel held bilateral talks during her visit to India. She had said,: "India needs jobs, Germany needs people and collaboration is crucial to meet the demographic needs of both countries. Her visit was followed by a number of inter-ministerial meetings in 2016. In the year 2017, Prime Minister Modi visited Germany twice, first on a state visit and later to attend the G20 Summit. In the meanwhile, the two leaders have been meeting at various international forums. Prime Minister Modis latest stopover in the German capital indicates strengthening of trust between the leaders of the two states. Both Modi and Merkel are known to steer their countries well in direction of assuming leadership in the continents they represent. India, especially, has been instrumental in taking the lead in bringing nations together to counter pressing issues. In his public dialogue in London, called Bharat ki Baat, Sabke Saath, Modi had said, I will go to Israel and I will even go to Palestine. I will further cooperation with Saudi Arabia and for the energy needs of India, I will also engage with Iran. Prime Ministers visit to the United Kingdom and his stopover in Germany, affirms the Modi doctrines principled stand to keep Indian interests first and foremost. While the EU is disintegrating with Britains exit, the Indian prime minister is determined to engage with both EU and UK. A well thought-out approach to put India first has saved India from indulging in global politicking and instead allowed it to focus on broader issues at hand that require nations to work closely together. As a result, India under Narendra Modi is emerging as a force to be reckoned with, that works with multiple nations with global interests at heart, but aligned with Indias own interests. The Modi government has been masterful in aligning the worlds interests with Indias, to reach a consensus for better co-operation and co-ordination on matters that impact one and all. Be it in the sphere of climate change, terrorism or black money, the Modi doctrine has been resolute in bettering ties with the world, unhindered by historical rivalries or internal exigencies and the world is now increasingly looking to India for leadership. The writer is Director of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, columnist & author. The Dalai Lama welcomed the proposed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China and said the two countries together can make huge contributions in different fields. New Delhi: The Dalai Lama welcomed the proposed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China and said the two countries together can make huge contributions in different fields. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping will hold an informal summit in China's Wuhan city from 27 to 28 April to exchange views on bilateral and international issues and to enhance mutual understanding between them, China's foreign minister Wang Yi announced in Beijing on Sunday after meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. "I think very good....neither India nor China...(has) the ability to destroy (each) other," the Dalai Lama told reporters on the sidelines of an event when asked about the visit. He said that the two countries should live as friendly neighbours. "We have to live side by side, then much better live friendly. If combined, India and China, can make contribution in many fields besides economy," the Tibetan spiritual leader said. The Dalai Lama had on Sunday said that Tibet might remain part of China if its geographical, cultural and linguistic autonomy was guaranteed. "Tibet will benefit from economy of China." This will be the fourth visit of Modi to China after he came to power in 2014. He is again due to visit China to take part in the SCO Summit to be held at Qingdao city on 9 to 10 June. The Modi-Xi summit meeting is taking place in the backdrop of a series of high-level interactions between both the two countries starting with Chinese foreign minister Wang's visit to India in December, the first after the Doka La border standoff. It was followed by two meetings between Indian national security advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi and the visit early this year by India's Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale to Beijing. Two senior leaders of the ruling AIADMK on Monday sought to make light of an article published in the party's mouthpiece suggesting that working with BJP would be like a 'double-barrelled gun' in the political arena, with one of them saying a 'columnist' cannot determine electoral pacts. Chennai: Two senior leaders of the ruling AIADMK on Monday sought to make light of an article published in the party's mouthpiece suggesting that working with BJP would be like a "double-barrelled gun" in the political arena, with one of them saying a "columnist" cannot determine electoral pacts. State Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar and AIADMK lawmaker and Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, M Thambidurai, maintained the decision on forging an alliance is taken by the party high command at the time of elections. "This is not the right time. Only during election, alliances are decided. Only the party decides that, not an individual columnist," Jayakumar told reporters. Asked if AIADMK will oppose BJP "if it went against Tamil Nadu's interests," Jayakumar replied in the affirmative. He said AIADMK was "as disciplined" as it was when late chief minister J Jayalalithaa was steering the party. In politically significant comments, AIADMK's mouthpiece 'Namadhu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma' said on Sunday signs of the party working with BJP like a "double-barrelled gun" in the political arena were visible and "no one can sever ties" between them. Coming out strongly against the persistent protests led by the principal Opposition DMK over the Cauvery dispute, the publication said: "whatever be the number of protests and demonstrations, no one can sever ties between AIADMK and BJP." No one can weaken the bond between "the central and the state government", it said. "The signs are becoming visible for AIADMK and BJP to work like a double-barrelled gun in Indian politics. The pathway is clear," it said, emphasising the need for the leadership of the two parties to chart out a roadmap for working together. Responding to the article, Thambidurai said there was no political pact between AIADMK and BJP "so far." "We are functioning as a separate party in Parliament and there is no alliance so far. Only the party high command will decide about alliance during polls," he said. The references to the cordiality between the two parties in the article could have been to those between central and state governments, led by BJP and AIADMK respectively, he said. Ties were cordial between the two governments even when Jayalalithaa was helming Tamil Nadu, Thambidurai added. He said there is "no connection" between the cordial ties between the parties and their respective governments. But DMK working president MK Stalin said the two parties were indeed a "double-barrelled gun" on issues such as Cauvery and NEET controversy. "Despite the Supreme Court order, the Centre has not constituted the Cauvery Management Board and the state government seems to endorse that," he told reporters in Pudukottai. Following the 16 February verdict of the Supreme Court on the Cauvery issue, when it directed the Centre to evolve a 'scheme' on the dispute involving Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the ruling AIADMK and the DMK and other political parties in the state have been insisting on setting up of the Board. Uttar Pradesh's ruling BJP on Monday attacked former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav over his 'loose comments' in recent interviews. Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh's ruling BJP on Monday attacked former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav over his "loose comments" in recent interviews, warning him that criminals, patronised by him, will no longer have a free run under the Yogi Adityanath government. Bharatiya Janata Party state spokesman, Manish Shukla, said that the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief was now making statements like "I belong to the area of Chambal ravines" but he should remember that a rule of law prevails in the state now and anyone who takes law in their own hands will be brought to justice. He also said that Akhilesh Yadav, who claims to be the custodian of the poor and marginalised, should rather answer why despite many years of Samajwadi Party rule, that of their alliance partner Congress and the new-found ally Bahujan Samaj Party (BJP), Uttar Pradesh remains backward and the people are still looking for prosperity and development. "Chief Minister Adityanath, the ministers and legislators are touring various parts of the state while you are just dishing out statements from air-conditioned offices," said Shukla, charging the SP chief with patronizing criminals during his regime and of neglecting the state. BJP president Amit Shah termed Congress' Save the Constitution campaign a farce in a Facebook post, saying the party does not want a rule of democracy but a rule of dynasty Soon after Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched the Save the Constitution campaign in New Delhi, criticising the BJP government at the Centre for endangering the Constitution of India, BJP chief Amit Shah posted a letter on Facebook criticisng the Grand Old Party while accusing it of promoting dynastic rule in the country. The BJP chief also termed the campaign is a farce. He tweeted: "If there is one party that has destroyed the spirit of our Constitution, it is the Congress. They do not want rule of democracy but they want rule of dynasty. Hence this is a farce of a movement by their President." Here's the full-text of Shah's post on Facebook: Saving the Constitution or Saving Dynasty? The Congress Party has yet again taken the only path it knows very well of spreading hate and divisions in our society. Mr Rahul Gandhi and his party should stop their theatrics and aggression at the earliest. It is becoming increasingly clear that their Modi hatred is fast turning into India hatred. Blinded by disdain for the Prime Minister, they are using the choicest of words and phrases to show India in bad light. The Congress Partys Save the Constitution campaign is both ironical and comical. In the history of post-1947 India, if there is one political party that has trampled over the Constitution in letter and spirit, time and again, it is the Congress Party. Right now, the buzzword for the Congress and their friends is impeachment'. The judiciary, which is an institution that is trusted by 125 crore Indians has invited the wrath of Congress and the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty in particular. I will not get into the reasons (which everybody knows) but I will say that this is a part of a larger trend to demonise and weaken every institution that seeks to maintain its individual identity and not kowtow to the Dynasty. The Army has repeatedly been the Congress target. During the UPA years, a Chief of Army Staff was targeted and the entire Army was dragged into political slugfests. During the same time, when the country was witnessing a grand awakening against the corruption of the UPA, the Congress began a tirade against the CAG. An institution that must stand as a torchbearer of accountability was not spared just because it brought out uncomfortable truths about the Congress and the dynasty. In the last four years, when the Congress has been facing defeat after defeat, the party is now training its guns (not the Bofors kind) on the Election Commission. The sanctity of the polling process has been questioned. Never for a minute has the Congress introspected- why is it that the people are rejecting us. Time changes, the context changes but the means, as well as the ends, remain the same discredit any institution that comes in the way of furthering the rule of the Dynasty. The night of 25 June 1975 is unforgettable in the annals of history. That time, the entire Constitution was hijacked and held hostage to the whims and fancies of one leader. Even that assault on our Constitutional democracy came in the wake of our challenging the malpractices of no less than Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Congress commitment, or lack of it, towards our democracy is also seen in the ways the party has used Article 356 since Independence. In 1957, when Pandit Nehru was the prime minister and Mrs Indira Gandhi the Congress president, the communist government in Kerala was dismissed. From the Telugu Desam Party to the socialists to the Akali Dal, no party has escaped this insult. Just because the Congress did not like a non-Congress government, it was dismissed and their leaders hounded. When Mr Rahul Gandhi says Congress made the Constitution, he is continuing his family legacy of humiliating Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. The indisputable fact is apart from the Constitution, the Congress also has a disdain for the maker of the Constitution, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. No wonder they have made every effort to deviate from the Constitution given by respected Babasaheb. It is well-known how Pandit Nehru personally ensured the defeat of Dr Ambedkar in not one but two elections. It is also no coincidence that in 1997, the year Mrs Sonia Gandhi took primary membership of the Congress the Congress-Third Front Government took away promotional benefits of SC/ST employees! It was the Vajpayee government that amended Article 16(4A) of the Constitution and ensured justice to SC/ST employees. Congress party represents all forms of corruption that are prevalent in our society. Those who do not trust the Army, the Judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, EVMs, the RBI are now saying 'democracy is in danger!' India has a vibrant democracy and a vibrant Constitution. The Congress Save the Constitution campaign is nothing but a farce that seeks to perpetuate the rule of dynasty over the rule of democracy! Like in the past, we need to protect the Constitution from the Congress. After an unprecedented divide on whether or not to ally with the Congress, the CPM all-India meet chose to embrace a middle path After an unprecedented divide on whether or not to ally with the Congress, the CPM all-India meet chose to embrace a middle path. Such a consensus between the official and minority positions within the party is appreciative of divergent state-specific political realities. The party all-India conference chose a middle path by deciding to amend the official draft on the issue by omitting the crucial phrase "no understanding" with the Congress. Earlier, the official draft presented at the party congress had said the party should unite secular democratic forces "without having an understanding or electoral alliance with the Congress party". But the amended document, that was finally adopted at the party all-India meet, stated that the party can unite secular democratic forces "without having a political alliance with the Congress party", thus keeping the doors open. There cannot be any meaningful unity between anti-BJP forces without the presence of the Congress. This is because the Grand Old Party remains the principal pan-Indian force to resist the Hindutva onslaught of the BJP parivar. Thus, the official draft foreclosing the option of any understanding with the Congress, if adopted, would have been an obstacle for the party's efforts to mobilise all likeminded forces against the BJP's alleged policies of communalism that the CPM considers the major challenge facing the nation along with policies of neo-liberalism. The party sees no difference between the BJP, Congress or regional parties for that matter when it comes to pursuing neo-liberal economic policies. Thus, the consensus achieved at the end of the party congress has three dimensions: First, it still endorses the official draft position that there should not be any political alliance with Congress. However, instead of totally foreclosing any option of joining forces with Congress and other secular parties in fighting the BJP, the party final document specifies the areas of possible cooperation with all secular parties, which can include even Congress. Thus, the second dimension is that, as Sitaram Yechury, said, "The CPM will not have a political alliance with Congress but an 'understanding' inside and outside Parliament to stop the forces of communalism". Here, there is scope for interpretation on the nature and extent of 'understanding' the CPM will have with the Congress to resist the BJP juggernaut. This is the third dimension of the political-tactical line of the party adopted at the Hyderabad meet. The CPM central committee has to take a call as and when the situation arises. Any political alliance with Congress can prove to be costly for the CPM in its only remaining bastion, Kerala. This is precisely why the party has to reiterate its position to not to have any political alliance with the Congress. The CPM wishes to take on both the BJP and Congress on its own wherever it can. But, such a situation is shrinking with the party losing West Bengal and Tripura. Thus, the political situation remains complex for the CPM. Therefore, as Yechury said, the party will chalk out its "electoral-tactical line" on the basis of state-based ground realities. For instance, the party appealed to Karnataka voters to vote for any party that can defeat the BJP in the constituencies where the party is not contesting. This can obviously mean voting for the Congress too. The difference is if the party has a political alliance with the Congress, it would have voted for the party even where the JD(S) has chances of defeating the BJP, a senior leader of the party tells Firstpost. The CPM, in an editorial written in the party organ People's Democracy, much before the all India conference in Hyderabad clarified its electoral tactics in the run upto 2019. The editorial states, "The Uttar Pradesh by-election provides important lessons for the future in terms of election tactics to defeat the BJP... the effective way to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha election is not by forging an all-India alliance or front of all Opposition parties... So, the most effective electoral tactics to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha election will be to ensure the pooling of anti-BJP votes statewise... electoral tactics can be worked out which will help to maximise the pooling of the anti-BJP votes... If the major non-BJP parties unite, then the smaller parties and forces can extend support to them." Prime Minister Narendra Modi likened the BJP 's victory in Tripura to its historic win in Uttar Pradesh. Tripura does not matter in the BJP's scheme of things for 2019. Yet, the saffron party accorded such an importance to election in a tiny North East state as the party considers the CPM its ideological foe. The CPM too considers BJP its principal political and ideological adversary. The party's political tactical line adopted at the Hyderabad Congress will empower the party to spare no effort to defeat the BJP without compromising on its own political and electoral interests. Meanwhile, the CPM expresses no aversion to ally with regional parties. But, the party feels it must be state-specific and programme-specific. This is the reason the CPM was not so enthused at the non-BJP, non-Congress front mooted by Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Speaking to Firstpost, CPM politburo member BV Raghavulu said that the party in its 22nd congress successfully evolved a united political-tactical line laying to rest alarmist expectations and hostile speculations. Although the CPM was compelled to take a middle path, the challenge lies in implementation of its political-tactical line on the ground. The possibilities for the party's growth depend largely on translating this theoretical understanding arrived at its Hyderabad congress into practice. Fresh election-related violence was reported in West Bengal on Monday as workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Trinamool Congress clashed in Birbhum. Fresh election-related violence was reported in West Bengal on Monday as workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Trinamool Congress clashed in Birbhum, media reports said. The violence took place during filing of nominations for panchayat elections, India Today reported. According to CNN-News18, the BJP has claimed that one of its supporters has died while several have been injured in the clashes. The party has filed a complaint in this regard. However, a TMC office-bearer was reported to have said that there had been no intimidatory tactics from the party and its motorcycle rallies, which were alleged to be provocative, were in fact only expressions of celebration. #BREAKING - Bengal Poll Violence: BJP-TMC clash in Birbhum. One BJP worker dead in Siuri. BJP party office attacked. pic.twitter.com/35rAVjoeC2 News18 (@CNNnews18) April 23, 2018 The Opposition Congress and the BJP have accused the Trinamool Congress of "letting loose a reign of terror" since Sunday morning to prevent their candidates from filing their papers. The Opposition parties alleged that incidents of violence had occurred in Murshidabad, Malda and South 24 Parganas districts. A senior TMC leader brushed off the allegations as "baseless" and blamed the Opposition for "vitiating peace" in some parts of the state. The dates for the polls, which were earlier scheduled to be held on 1,3 and 5 May are yet to be announced by the State Election Commission. The nominations received on Monday would be scrutinised on 25 April. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is 28 April 28, an official notification had said. With inputs from PTI BJP workers created a ruckus in Mysuru after party state president and chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa announced that his son Vijayendra will not be contesting from the Varuna constituency BJP workers created a ruckus in Mysuru after party state president and chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa announced that his son Vijayendra will not be contesting from the Varuna constituency, News18 reported. Vijayendra supporters reportedly threw chairs at the convention on Monday, reminding people of what was witnessed across Congress district offices soon after the latter released its first list of candidates. Yeddyurappa's son was expected to go against Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra for the Varuna constituency in a contest between the offspring of Karnataka's two most popular leaders. While it's far too early to tell if the BJP chickened out of the contest or if it is yet another poll strategy, Yeddyurappa's decision will surely disappoint not only Vijayendra's supporters, but also several political analysts as well as Karnataka voters who will miss what was being touted as one of the biggest fights in the upcoming Assembly election. According to News18, BJP is fielding a local worker from the constituency. Does the BJP's decision mean that Varuna is expected to be a cakewalk for Yathendra, who is making his poll debut? It may be too early to comment on that, but one should expect BJP to play the nepotism card against Congress while campaigning for their local worker. Varuna elected Siddaramiah in the 2013 Assembly polls, but during this election, the Karnataka chief minister decided to contest from Chamundeshwari and Badami, leaving Varuna for his son Yathindra. Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Monday described M Venkaiah Naidu's rejection of the impeachment motion against CJI Dipak Misra as hasty and illegal. Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Monday hit out at Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu for rejecting its impeachment motion against Chief Justice Dipak Misra. In a press conference, Sibal said the rejection was 'ill-advised, hasty and illegal'. The Congress leader questioned the hurry in rejecting the motion and said, "I am an experienced lawyer, but I also take time to analyse an issue." Sibal questioned how Naidu came to a conclusion on the matter in such a short time. Sibal said that the decision to reject the motion "shatters the confidence of the people, and destroys the legitimacy of law." The Congress has said it will move a petition in the Supreme Court in the matter. Earlier on Monday, Naidu rejected the notice given by Opposition parties led by the Congress for the impeachment of Misra citing lack of substantial merit in it. Naidu held extensive consultations with top legal and constitutional experts, including former chief justices and judges, before taking the decision, sources said. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held the consultations to determine the maintainability of the motion. Seven Opposition parties led by Congress had last week moved a notice before him for the impeachment of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on five grounds of "misbehaviour". Naidu said in an order on Monday that he had a detailed personal conversation on all the aspects arising from the notice and had considered each of the allegations made in it individually as well as collectively. "Based on all this, I have come to the conclusion that this motion does not deserve to be admitted... On careful analysis and reflection, I find there is virtually no concrete verifiable imputation. "We cannot allow any of our pillars of governance to be weakened by any thought, word or action," he said. Follow live updates here BJP alleged the state administration was not allowing it to campaign freely and was applying rules selectively to create 'favourable conditions' for the ruling Congress in the 12 May Karnataka assembly elections Bengaluru: The BJP on Monday alleged the state administration was not allowing it to campaign freely and was applying rules selectively to create "favourable conditions" for the ruling Congress in the 12 May Karnataka assembly elections. Party president Amit Shah was disallowed from garlanding a statue of BR Ambedkar during poll campaign and its workers were not even allowed to hoist party flags atop their houses, BJP General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Muralidhar Rao told reporters in Bengaluru. He alleged state officials involved in the election work had threatened the party workers and asked them to remove the flags. "Taking note of this, the BJP has decided to launch a" statewide "namma mane BJP mane (our house is BJP house)" campaign on 25 April where the party workers will hoist party flags atop their houses. "As many as 11 lakh party workers would participate in the campaign," he added. Rao also claimed the BJP workers were not allowed to have food in its party meetings, though the election manuals had not prescribed any such rules. Airing several other grievances, Rao alleged that the administration gave permission for Shah to garland a statue of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna in Bengaluru recently after a long delay. "The administration harassed us, and only gave permission for our national president to garland Sant Basavanna's statue a few hours before (the scheduled event)," he said. Rao also charged election officials with illegally defacing the party's promotional writings on the walls of house owners asking people to vote for BJP. "The Election Commission was expected to conduct a free and fair election, and maintain neutrality, but officials close to Siddaramaiah occupying top posts in the state (and involved in election work) were misusing their positions and creating a favourable condition for Congress," he alleged. Rao also alleged that the administration was not allowing BJP to erect its hoardings in commercial places. Human rights activist Narasimha Murthy spoke about the upliftment of Dalits, the Supreme Court's dilution of the SC/ST Act and the crucial Karnataka polls. Editor's note: Elections to the Karnataka Assembly are scheduled for 12 May and they come at a time when caste is a major topic of debate across the country. The following is the first of a five-part series on prominent Dalit activists who have a deep influence on the politics of the state. Click to read Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5 of the series. Narasimha Murthy, a prominent human rights activist from Karnataka, has always championed the rights of Dalits and other religious minorities. With the Karnataka Assembly elections around the corner, he pins his expectation on the Siddaramaiah-led government as a better choice for the people of the state. However, he does not step back from vehemently opposing the void of effective laws to protect the community. He spoke to Firstpost about the upliftment of Dalits, the Supreme Court's dilution of the SC/ST Act and the crucial Karnataka polls. Edited excerpts follow: What is your role when it comes to the upliftment of Dalits and what do you think about their current condition in the state (Karnataka) and in India? Politicians are only using Dalits for political gains. Even after 70 years of Independence, there has been no change in their condition. There is not one party that is an exception. I am not part of any Dalit group but, I voluntarily extend support to resolving their issues and doing whatever little I can for them. With the recent Supreme Court verdict diluting the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act protecting public servants and individuals from immediate arrest under it what effect do you think this will have on the community as a whole? The condition of Dalits has not improved much since Independence. Even today, if you go to the police station to lodge a complaint about a crime committed against the community, officials are reluctant to register it. It is very rare and only about two percent honest officers actually register cases of atrocities being committed against the community. The Centre did not take any steps initially to intervene in the Supreme Court proceedings and rather filed a review petition in the case only after being approached by several Dalit leaders of the party, who urged them to take action. What does this speak about the government's intent? Let me make a small correction here. Even leaders like Ram Vilas Paswan, Ramdas Athwale and Udit Raj initially kept mum when the Supreme Court verdict was announced. It was only after protests escalated that these leaders approached the Centre. I lost 12 comrades in the protest which followed the verdict. Only after that did these Dalit leaders speak up. Not just the Centre but, even in Karnataka, all parties have made Dalits their election agenda, who are otherwise ignored. Has the state government done anything for the upliftment of Dalits? I do not think that. Only expecting that a state's chief minister can do anything big for the community is not possible. The Siddaramaiah-government alone cannot do anything as he is under the influence and watch of other people. But, if I have to mention two things his government has done, which has benefitted Dalits, it would be the distribution of rice grains to the community and opening of Indira canteens. This election, no political party has left a stone unturned to woo the community, but, according to you, what are the actual expectations of the Dalits? Dr BR Ambedkar said that every ballot cast becomes a bullet. That's how powerful the choice we make is. How many Dalit leaders have made the community aware of the importance of voting? In fact, according to the census, they (Dalits) are one of the largest communities. Naturally, every political party wants to be in their favour. In terms of expectations, the Dalits favour the Congress and right from the beginning a majority of them have joined the party. This has been the trend since Indira Gandhi was elected from Chikmagalur in 1977. What impact will the apex court verdict have on the violation of Dalit rights? The last resort to get justice for the Dalits in the country is the court. But, see what is happening today. The Justice J Chelameswar case has come to the streets, faith in the judiciary has been lost. On the other hand, leaders like Anant Kumar Hegde want to change the Constitution and they will. They want to bring back the 'Manu' system, where Dalits are considered to have originated from the feet (of Brahma). The government wants to turn a blind eye to the ideals of figures like Periyar, Jyotirao Phule and Ambedkar, who championed the cause and fought for Dalits. In his recent visit to Karnataka BJP President Amit Shah alleged that crime rate against Dalits in the state is the highest under Congress rule. Has any party been any different and addressed the community problems? Compared to BJP-ruled states, what is happening in Karnataka is nothing. Yogi Adityanath has given direct orders to the Uttar Pradesh Police to shoot criminals. I have read a little about the law which states that assault on a person amounts to an assault on the State. This means that if a person assaults me, it is my duty to go to the police station and lodge a complaint against that person. If this is this case then how does Aditynath dare to give such orders? Do you think there is a strong Dalit movement in Karnataka? Will we witness an uprising similar to that in Maharashtra and Haryana? It is very unfortunate. Karnataka was the state that brought out the issue in the country. This was during B Krishnappa's (social activist) time, who is the pioneer of the Dalit literary movement in Karnataka. There were three (major) movements: 'Dalit Chaluvali', Raitha Chaluvali' and 'Kannada Chaluvali'. But sadly, people from these groups have joined different political parties and cannot speak on every issue. If this was not the case, Karnataka would have been the actual champion of the Dalit movement in the country. Which political ideology do you associate with? Who do you think the Dalits and minorities can benefit from? In the last three elections, I have cast my vote for NOTA. This time, I will vote for a non-BJP candidate. I feel Dalits should vote for Siddaramiah's party because if he wins this election, he can use the power of his party MPs. Also, Siddaramaiah is very accessible to people. I remember I had run behind his car once to speak to him; he stopped his car and we discussed issues regarding human rights. The author is a member of The NewsCart, a Bengaluru-based media startup. Condemning the Kathua rape and murder case, the Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, on Monday said the perpetrators of the gory crime must be dealt with according to the law while also emphasising that innocents should also not be harassed. Jammu: Condemning the Kathua rape and murder case, the Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, on Monday said the perpetrators of the gory crime must be dealt with according to the law while also emphasising that innocents should also not be harassed. The BJYM also asserted that "systematic" illegal settlement of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in Jammu was against India's interest. A resolution passed after a two-day BJYM executive meeting, chaired by Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh, condemned the rape of minors, referring to Kathua and another case, while also lashing at attempts to communalise such crimes. "Such crimes are anti-human and any effort to communalise them needs to be condemned unequivocally," the BJYM resolution said. Speaking at the inaugural session Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh referred to recent incidents in that state which, he claimed, were done to "defame government with false propaganda by some Congress-planted people". He claimed the Congress was not able to digest the overall development done by BJP across the country and in the state and didn't have any issue to raise. "Some Congress planted puppets are becoming patriots of Jammu, I want to ask them where were they when Congress was in power from the last 60 years," he added. The BJYM working committee expressed serious concern over systematic illegal settlement of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis in Jammu. "The BJYM will not allow Congress to divide the nation on communal grounds for their greed of power, all the recent communal incidents across the nation has shown direct or indirect involvement of Congress to instigate the people so that an environment of terror and tension can be spread across the nation as they have failed to find any loopholes in Modi-led government," it alleged according to the resolution. The working committee decided that BJYM activist from Jammu will adopt a village of Kashmir and vice versa, so that an exchange programme can be adopted between the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. BJP in Kerala on Monday alleged there was a connection between terror outfit Islamic State and the recent 'hoax' hartal call in the state over the Kathua rape and sought an NIA probe. Thiruvananthapuram: BJP in Kerala on Monday alleged there was a connection between terror outfit Islamic State and the recent 'hoax' hartal call in the state over the Kathua rape and sought an NIA probe. The party would lodge a complaint with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking a probe in this regard, BJP state general secretary MT Ramesh told reporters. He claimed posters demanding justice for the Kathua rape victim, allegedly prepared by a pro-ISIS social media group based in Sri Lanka, had been widely circulated on social media in the state along with the hartal call. The 16 April hoax call by some unidentified groups on the social media had triggered widespread tension across the state with agitators blocking public transport, forcibly downing shutters and hurling stones at vehicles in the name of the 'hartal'. A large number of people were arrested across the state in connection with the hartal while police later said they found some whatsapp groups had purposefully spread the call. Ramesh accused the state government of trying to end the investigation with "some whatsapp groups". "The recent hartal, called via social media, by some groups and the following violence had a connection with Islamic State. The Kerala government is trying to end the investigation with some whatsapp groups," Ramesh alleged. The NIA should probe the case as the incident had "international links", he added. The perpetrators of violence had tried to trigger riot in Malabar (north Kerala) under the garb of hartal, the BJP leader charged. A day after the hartal, BJP state president Kummanom Rajasekharan has alleged anti-national forces were behind the violence in connection with the 'hartal' and demanded that they be booked for terror and the matter be handed over to NIA for further probe. The hoax hartal call was given to protest the recent alleged gang rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua region. Congress and NCP will hopefully announce a seat-sharing arrangement well ahead of next year's Maharashtra Assembly polls, Congress leader Milind Deora said and pitched for roping in more 'like-minded' parties into the coalition to defeat the ruling BJP Mumbai: The Congress and the NCP will hopefully announce a seat-sharing arrangement well ahead of next year's Maharashtra Assembly polls, Congress leader Milind Deora said and pitched for roping in more "like-minded" parties into the coalition to defeat the ruling BJP. He said there is a "small section" in the Congress which feels even the Shiv Sena, a sulking ally of the BJP, could be considered for a poll tie-up, but "a vast majority of the party is convinced that that is not even an option". In an interview to PTI, Deora described the NCP as an important partner for the Congress, both at the state level and the central level. "I don't think there is any doubt within the Congress whether we should have an alliance with the NCP. In fact, I am hopeful that we would be able to announce seat-sharing details well in advance," the 41-year-old leader said. The Assembly polls in Maharashtra are due towards the end of next year. Praising Sharad Pawar, Deora said the NCP chief has "a wealth of knowledge" of Maharashtra politics and "a great deal of personal relations" with different parties that can work with the Congress at the central level. "In Maharashtra in particular, we should look at other parties," the former Union minister said. Refusing to name any party, Deora said, "There may be other parties...There are certainly other parties, like-minded parties, who we should look at roping in and be involving them in the alliance who have credibility among the voters in Maharashtra and are concerned over the state of affairs in the country." He was asked whether the Congress could think of roping in the Shiv Sena, which is unhappy with its ally BJP. "There are very small sections in the party who believe that that might be possible. To be frank, a vast majority of the party is convinced that that is not even an option. There are vast ideological differences (between Sena and Congress)," Deora replied. He said the Congress could not subscribe to the politics the Shiv Sena represents. "Shiv Sena and MNS are parties which believe that if you are north Indian, south Indian, Marwadi, Jain, who have lived in Maharashtra for years, they believe they are not Maharashtrians... The general view in the Congress is that it is not something which can be accepted," Deora said. "But, if they start to change that (approach) and the party (Shiv Sena) transforms itself, who knows, anything is possible. For that parties like them will have to walk a massive distance and will have to very much shed the basis on which they were formed," he said. Asked whether a tie-up could be considered if the Shiv Sena or the Raj Thackeray-led MNS change themselves, Deora responded, "Even if they change colours, we will have to see are they genuine about it, are they doing it for political opportunism... As of now, I don't see any intention of these parties to transform." His attention was drawn to the recent comments by DP Tripathi, a leader of ally NCP, that Shiv Sena "does not pose a danger to secularism". In response, Deora said, "The Shiv Sena certainly has not had a good record on secularism and pluralism. So that is his (Tripathi's) view, his party's view. My view and my party's view is different. "My view and my party's view is that simply saying you are against the BJP doesn't mean that a coalition can be formed, at least a formal coalition can be formed which is inclusive of parties which have had a history of having a divisive agenda." Asked whether the Congress-NCP alliance should declare its chief ministerial candidate before the polls, Deora said it would need to be discussed among the leaders in his party in Maharashtra and in Delhi besides the coalition partners. "It is very early to say that. First, we will have to sit and discuss seat-sharing and discuss contours of the alliance. There are many other things that go into an alliance," the former Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai South added. Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked the Modi government at the party's 'Save the Constitution' rally at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi on Monday. Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked the Narendra Modi government at the party's 'Save the Constitution' rally at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi on Monday. Rahul said that "Our institutions were gifted to us by our Constitution. The Modi Govt is now destroying these institutions by appointing RSS ideologues to occupy important positions. We will never allow the BJP and RSS to destroy our Constitution. The people of India will speak their 'Mann ki Baat' in 2019. The BJP-RSS combine is set to dismantle the social security available for SCs, STs and other weaker sections. The RSS ideology attacks the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. This will be countered by the Congress." He criticised Modi by alleging that the prime minister is interested only in himself, adding that Modi's only focus is on electoral victory. "In his book Karmayog, Modi justifies manual scavenging by calling it a 'spiritual experience' for the Valmiki community. This speaks volumes about his anti-Dalit mindset," Rahul said, "The Congress will stand together to protect the interests of Dalits and other weaker sections of the society wherever the BJP and RSS attacks them." He also said that Modi is afraid of facing him in the Parliament. "Look at Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya and Rafale scams; Modiji is scared to address the Parliament. Let me have a face-to-face debate with Modi in Parliament on Rafale. He cannot face me even for 15 minutes. Modi is afraid of speaking in Parliament," he went on to add. Speaking in the light of Congress' impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Rahul said that "People have lost their faith in the judiciary... For the first time, it's the Supreme Court judges who are asking for justice from the public. The Supreme Court is being pressured and destroyed. Our institutions were gifted to us by our Constitution. The Modi government is now destroying these institutions by appointing RSS ideologues to occupy important positions," he said. Rahul targeted the NDA government for snatching scholarships from Dalits and Adivasis. "You destroyed small businesses and farmers. Now farmers only stare at suicide," he alleged. He also accused the BJP of perpetrating crime against women. "Modi's earlier slogan was 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'. Now, the new slogan is only 'Beti Bachao and Bacho from BJP MLAs'." "The entire world thought India's richness lies in its diversity. They thought India's Constitution, institutions, the Supreme Court had a lot of value and looked up to us. When I was in South Africa, they said India guides them. But this reputation has been destroyed by BJP. Now rapes of minors, attacks on minorities, Dalit atrocities and so on. They have wasted our efforts of 70 years," Rahul said, while mentioning how Modi has "tarnished India's image" in the four years of his governance. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah came out with a scathing reply to Rahul's speech. Shah wrote in a Facebook post, "Mr Rahul Gandhi and his party should stop their theatrics and aggression at the earliest. It is becoming increasingly clear that their Modi hatred is fast turning into India hatred. Blinded by disdain for the prime minister, they are using the choicest of words and phrases to show India in bad light." Blaming the Congress for raising questions on the sanctity of constitutional bodies, Shah wrote that "those who do not trust the army, the judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, EVMs, the RBI are now saying 'democracy is in danger'!" Following extensive consultations with legal and constitutional experts, Naidu on Monday rejected the notice given by the Opposition parties for impeachment of CJI Dipak Misra citing lack of substantial merit in it. New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu's rejection of the opposition's impeachment motion against Chief Justice Dipak Misra triggered a political slugfest today, with the Congress saying it would challenge the "illegal" order in the Supreme Court while the BJP "thanked" him for warding off an "act of blasphemy" towards the Constitution. The Left also criticised Naidu with CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury saying his order showed "a certain degree of non-application of mind" as he did not follow laid-down rules. Following extensive consultations with legal and constitutional experts, Naidu on Monday rejected the notice given by the Opposition parties for impeachment of CJI Dipak Misra citing lack of substantial merit in it. Congress leader Kapil Sibal, seen a prime mover for the impeachment motion against the CJI, told reporters that Naidu's decision had "shattered" the confidence of people. To say the least, the order is unprecedented, illegal, ill-advised and hasty," Sibal said, adding that it had been passed without a full-fledged enquiry. "We will certainly move a petition in the Supreme Court to challenge this order... It is illegal because the chairman has passed an order which is required to be passed after a full-fledged inquiry," Sibal said, adding that the Rajya Sabha chairman had to only ascertain whether the motion was in order. As the Congress hit out at Naidu, the BJP jumped to his defence and said the Rajya Sabha Chairman's office is not a post office meant to forward the applications it received but it has to apply its mind judiciously which he did. "We thank him. He did not allow his office to be misused, " BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said. She cited Naidu's order in which he referred to use of words like "prime facie" and "may have been" by opposition parties in their charges referring to the CJI to highlight that their allegations indicate a mere suspicion, a conjecture or an assumption against him. "It was the grossest abuse of power of impeachment by the Congress," Lekhi said, terming it an act of blasphemy towards the Constitution. She accused the Congress of adopting "intimidatory" tactics towards the Supreme Court and said its move was not an attack on the individual but an institution as it wanted to create anarchy by making people "lose" faith in the judiciary. She claimed the Congress was trying to create an impression in the world that India was a banana republic, something it had turned the country into when it was in power, by "disrupting institutions", and added that its institutions were "very strong" and command reverence of people. The Congress is confusing rule of law with "rules of dynasty", she said. Earlier, Sibal said never before in India's history had a motion moved by MPs been dismissed at the preliminary stage as he attacked Naidu. "It is our privilege to move the motion. You cannot boot the privilege in this manner," Sibal said, adding that the government is very keen that charges made in the petition must not be allowed to be inquired into. The order destroys the legitimate processes of the law. It seeks to ensure that no enquiry takes place, he added. The CJI would have nothing to do with their petition challenging the order, Sibal hoped. Congress media-in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala described the opposition's move as a fight between forces "rejecting democracy" and voices "rescuing democracy". Surjewala said within hours of 64 MPs submitting the impeachment notice, Leader of Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley had shown "naked prejudice" by calling it a revenge petition, "virtually dictating the verdict" to the Rajya Sabha chairman. Besides the Congress, MPs of the CPI, CPI(M), NCP, SP, BSP and the IUML were signatories to the notice. In Hyedrabad, where he was yesterday re-elected the general secretary of the CPI(M) for a fresh term, Yechury also slammed Naidu's decision. "I am sorry to say that about the honourable Vice-President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Naidu), but I think that the methods, that had been very clearly laid down both in the constitutional procedures and the rules have not been followed," Yechury told PTI. He said the presiding officer of either House, in which the impeachment motion has been moved, does not have the discretion to independently decide about the validity of the motion. The motion needs to be referred to a three-member committee, which normally should include a Supreme Court judge, a high court chief justice and a jurist. Yechury said if that committee gives the findings, saying the impeachment motion is untenable, then the Chairman could have taken the decision. "I can say this with a certain degree of experience, because... (of the impeachment notice) I moved against Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court," the 65-year-old Left leader said. The Rajya Sabha had in 2011 passed an impeachment motion against Justice Sen. But, before the motion could be placed in the Lok Sabha, Sen resigned. Rajnath Singh accused the Congress government in poll-bound Karnataka of adopting 'the model of political violence' from Kerala, but assured people that BJP will end the violent targeting of political workers if it comes to power in the state Udupi/Karkala/Belthangady: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday accused the Congress government in poll-bound Karnataka of adopting "the model of political violence" from Kerala, but assured people that BJP will end the violent targeting of political workers if it comes to power in the state. Addressing a series of campaign meetings for BJP, Singh also claimed that there have been 3,781 cases of suicide by farmers during the five-year Congress rule led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. "It seems the Congress government in Karnataka has adopted the model of political violence from neighbouring Kerala. Many political workers were killed under Siddaramaiah's rule. The BJP will bring an end to the political violence after coming to power in Karnataka," he said. The campaign for the 224-member Karnataka Assembly is heating up with prominent leaders visiting the state and the political parties announcing their candidate lists for the polls. BJP, which is making an all-out effort to oust the Congress government from the state, on Monday released its fourth list of candidates. With that, it has declared nominees for 220 seats. On 30 March, BJP president Amit Shah, on his fourth visit to the state after the announcement of the polling date, had accused the state government of unleashing violence against BJP and RSS workers. On Monday, Singh also expressed concern over the state of law and order in Karnataka, claiming not even senior government officials were safe. "Who is responsible for the death of Mangaluru Deputy SP MK Ganapathy? Who humiliated Mysore Collector Shikha Rai? Even Lokayukta was stabbed in his office," Singh said. Ganapathy, 51, was found hanging from the ceiling fan at a lodge in Madikeri on 7 July, prior to which he gave an interview to a TV channel in which he held a state government minister and senior administration officials responsible "if anything happens" to him. Karnataka's Lokayukta Vishwanath Shetty was injured at his office in Bengaluru in early March, allegedly by a man angry over Shetty's refusal to entertain his complaint. Singh said Siddaramaiah had promised to give Rs 1 lakh as assistance to the family of farmers who committed suicide but has not done that yet. "It shows the insensitivity of the Siddaramaiah government." Singh said the Siddaramaiah government claims it is "Sidde Sarkar" but in reality "Sidde Sarkar is Nidde Sarkar" (Siddharamaih government is a sleeping government). He said politics should not be guided by caste, religion or sect but by principles of justice and humanity. "Congress is playing 'minority-majority' card just before elections," he said. The home minister alleged Congress has devised new ways to divert people's attention from its failure it celebrated the 'Tipu Jayanti' but does not allow the celebration of 'Hanuman Jayanti'. Singh alleged corruption and Congress are the two sides of a coin but there has not been a single charge against any minister under the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre. In Karnataka however, Singh said, not much has changed in the past five years of Congress rule. The Centre gave more than Rs 2 lakh crore to Karnataka under the 14th Finance Commission, while the state had received only Rs 88,000 crore under the UPA dispensation, he said. Singh said BS Yeddyurappa, BJP's chief ministerial candidate, ran a farmer-friendly government in Karnataka and only he can provide a farmer-friendly government to the state. Referring to his close connection with Karnataka, Singh said when he became the BJP national president, Karnataka was the first southern state where the party formed a government. "I have a close emotional connect with Karnataka," he said. In an obvious reference to the opposition parties move to impeach Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, the home minister said nobody should diminish the importance of constitutional bodies and authorities of the country. "May God give these people good sense," he said. Singh said the NDA government has introduced a scheme named 'Ayushman Bharat' to provide medical cover of Rs 5 lakh to 10 crore poor families of the country. "We in the BJP work as socio-political workers. Our Party is working towards giving good and better governance to people," he said. The Foundation for Independent Journalism, which owns the news portal, has moved the top court against Jay Shah who has filed a civil suit to seek damages of Rs 100 crore. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday again asked BJP President Amit Shah's son Jay Shah to settle his defamation suit with The Wire even as the news portal said a firm no to an apology but agreed to carry a clarification. "This is a matter which can be solved" instead of coming to the court, said a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud as the court took up for hearing the plea against a civil suit filed by Jay Shah against the news portal. Making it clear that the court will not suffocate the freedom of press, Chief Justice Misra said: "I believe in freedom of press. I don't restrain the media. The court cannot be seen as gagging the press." As senior counsel Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for Jay Shah, complained about an alleged slant given by the news portal to a story regarding Jay Shah's company's revenue, Chief Justice Misra questioned him: "Are you responding to my learned brother's (Justice Chandrachud) statement on settling the matter?" "You are in public life. There are pros and cons... they will put a little bit of slant and masala...," Justice Chandrachud said. Drawing court attention towards photographs and alleged innuendos that the "moment a particular person comes to power, becomes the Prime Minister, his fortunes soar", Kaul said that Amit Shah's son was not in public life. The news portal's counsel Nitya Ramakrishnan ruled out an apology but said the clarifications they want are already there. However, she left the courtroom for considering further clarifications. At this, Justice Chandrachud observed: "They are willing to carry any clarification you want. That is as fair as it can be." The Foundation for Independent Journalism, which owns the news portal, has moved the top court against Jay Shah who has filed a civil suit to seek damages of Rs 100 crore. Earlier, the Gujarat High Court declined to quash the case. On 18 April, while hearing the news portal's plea against criminal defamation, the apex court had asked both parties to settle the matter amicably. On Monday, the court said that both the cases involving criminal defamation and civil defamation would be taken up on 9 July. During a hearing on 15 March, the top court put on hold the proceedings before a magisterial court. The stay was extended on 12 April with a further extension on 18 April till 9 July. The defamation case is rooted in an article by journalist Rohini Singh on Jay Shah's company, which claimed that the firm's turnover grew exponentially after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government came to power at the Centre in 2014. Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison. Taiwanese smartphone maker ASUS is going to launch the ZenFone Max Pro smartphone in India soon. Leaks and rumours have pointed to the fact that the phone will be known as the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) and it will be the first in a new series of smartphone from ASUS. As reported earlier, the device should come with the Snapdragon 636 SoC, which was last seen on the Redmi Note 5 Pro. Along with this, it is believed that the phone will have 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal storage and also a big battery. The images leaked have shown a full-screen 18:9 display along with dual-cameras, which are vertically aligned on the back. There a fingerprint sensor on the back just above the ASUS logo. We can expect the phone to launch in two colours, Blue and Silver. Nothing is known about the price, but judging from the fact that there is a Snapdragon 636 SoC, the phone could have a mid-range price tag between Rs 13,000 to Rs 18,000. By Ssebuliba Samuel. The President of Burkina Faso, Marc Christian Kabore has called for closer bilateral cooperation between his country and the Republic of Uganda. The President stated this while receiving letters of credence accrediting Amb. Nelson Ocheger as of the Republic of Uganda to the Republic of Burkina Faso. President Kabore highlighted, among others, human capacity building, trade, and agriculture as areas where the two countries can cooperate for their mutual benefit. He emphasized the importance of a legal framework to facilitate the cooperation. In his response, Amb. Nelson Ocheger appreciated the Presidents commitment to closer cooperation with Uganda. IANS Cryptocurrency marketplace Coinbase has shut the account of whistleblowing website WikiLeaks' Shop for allegedly violating its terms of service which means it cannot convert payments like bitcoin into conventional money. According to a report on tech website Engadget, Coinbase did not give a specific reason but it pointed to its legal requirement to honour "regulatory compliance mechanisms" under the US' Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Interestingly, WikiLeaks is calling for a "global blockade" of Coinbase, claiming that the exchange is reacting to a "concealed influence." Earlier this month, several tech giants, including Google, Facebook and Twitter, cracked down on malicious cryptocurrency mining practices on their platform. Google Chrome's web policy permitted cryptocurrency mining in extensions as long as it is the extension's single purpose and the user is adequately informed about the mining behaviour. "Unfortunately, approximately 90 percent of all extensions with mining scripts that developers have attempted to upload to Chrome Web Store have failed to comply with these policies, and have been either rejected or removed from the store," James Wagner, Extensions Platform Product Manager at Google, had said. Extensions with Blockchain-related purposes other than mining will continue to be permitted in the Web Store, Google said. Twitter confirmed to block cryptocurrency-related ads on the platform. In January, social media giant Facebook banned all ads promoting cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and ICOs. tech2 News Staff Gmail users were in for a shock on 22 April after finding out that they have sent spam messages to random addresses from their own account. The sent folder for these users was filled with as many as 10 spam messages that had been sent to various people in their address books. According to a report by Mashable, some of the users even had two-factor authentication enabled on their accounts. Not only that, the report states that a user posted on Google's Help Forum that after finding out about the spam messages he immediately changed his account password and even after that, two more spam emails were sent out without his knowledge. The spam messages consisted of 'ads for weight loss and growth supplements for men' and 'ads for personal loans up to $35,000'. Something that was common in all these spam messages, as per the report, was the fact that it was being sent "via telus.com". Telus happens to be a Canadian telecom company, and as of now, no information is available on what the company's role is in this. When Google was asked about this by Mashable, the company admitted that the issue was being caused by a "spam campaign impacting a small subset of Gmail users". Google also said in the statement that it is actively taking measures to protect users against it. tech2 News Staff After almost a month of waiting, Huawei is all geared up to launch its flagship P20 Pro in India on 24 April. The launch will take place in Delhi, and is expected to be live-streamed tomorrow around noon. While Huawei has been teasing its fans with plenty of teaser videos and posts via its official social media channels, the brand has yet confirm the time of the launch; something that has yet to be revealed by the smartphone brand. Still then, a new page put up by Amazon India has now confirmed that both the P20 Pro and the P20 Lite will be launched in India on 24 April. While earlier teasers only hinted at the Huawei P20 Pro, we now know that P20 Lite will also be launched in the country thanks to Amazon India. Both smartphones will be exclusively sold at Amazon India. Huawei P20 Pro The Huawei P20 Pro along with the P20 were announced a special event held in Paris on 27 March. The device features a fresh new design featuring metal and glass but seems to ape the Apple iPhone X when it comes to the display notch. The smartphone also features a chin at the bottom end of the screen that has been used to house the fingerprint reader. The P20 Pro features a 6.1-inch IPS AMOLED display sporting a resolution of 1080 x 2240 pixels. Inside, lies an octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 970 SoC that is also found in Honors V10 and inside the Honor 10 mid-range smartphone, which was recently announced in China. Paired with the SoC is 6 GB of RAM and a generous serving of 128 GB internal storage. The smartphones highlights is its triple rear camera setup that features a 40 MP camera (f/1.8 aperture, OIS), a 20 MP black and white camera (f/1.6 aperture) and an 8 MP camera (f/2.4 aperture) that offers up to 3X optical zoom. The front facing camera is a 24 MP, f/2.0 aperture unit. The handset features a 4,000 mAh battery and runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box that comes with a layer of EMUI 8.1. Huawei P20 Lite As the name suggests, the P20 Lite is expected to be the more affordably priced offering in the P20 series. With that said, the P20 Lite is said to feature a 5.84-inch display with resolution of 1080 x 2280 pixels. The handset is said to be powered by a HiSilicon Kiron 659 SoC, also seen on a number of Honor smartphones in the budget to mid-range. The SoC will arrive with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. The smartphone supports microSD cards of up to 256 GB. As for the cameras, the P20 Lite packs in lesser specifications with a 16 MP + 2 MP rear camera setup. The front facing selfie camera remains the same as on the P20 Pro, which is a 24 MP unit as per Amazon India. It is wise to note that the optics on the P20 Lite will not be Leica-branded as on the P20 Pro. The handset will arrive with a 3,000 mAh battery. Pricing The pricing of the Huawei P20 Pro and the P20 Lite for India, are currently not available. As for the P20 Pro, it was announced in Europe at a hefty 899 euros that roughly converts to Rs 72,000. The P20 Lite has been released in select markets as is currently priced at 329 pounds, that roughly converts to Rs 30,500, which sounds pretty expensive, given its budget to mid-range specifications. Going by the numbers, Huaweis newest flagship looks like a solid technological offering, but the fact that it arrives in India after a year-long sabbatical (the P9 arrived in 2016), will see it compete with smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, the Apple iPhone X and the Google Pixel 2. With the reigning king being Samsungs Galaxy S9 Plus (Rs 64,900), Huawei will have to price its smartphone competitively in India. As for the more affordable P20 lite, it will need to be aggressively priced to not the just compete with other Chinese smartphone brands, but Huawei's own Honor smartphones that come with similar specifications. tech2 News Staff A lot has changed in the days since a Russian court ruled to block Telegram messenger from the country after the company refused to provide access to the private conversations of its users to the government. The request for encryption keys came almost a year after the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor), the telecom watchdog in Russia asked the app to join its official register. As part of the official register, Telegram was asked to provide Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), information on the private interactions of the users. Telegram registered with the official register after being threatened with a ban, but it stopped short of complying with the Roskomnadzor for its data storage demands. According to the rules by Roskomnadzor, all the companies on the official register must store all the data of Russian users using the service inside the country. Telegram has a long-standing reputation for enabling secure communication with diplomats and government officials working at the Moscow Kremlin, opting for Telegram when talking to journalists. Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram added At Telegram, we have the luxury of not caring about revenue streams or ad sales. Privacy is not for sale, and human rights should not be compromised out of fear or greed, after the court ruled to block the service in Russia. Right after the ruling, Russia went on an unprecedented offensive against Telegram by blocking millions of IP address even on the suspicion that they were being used by Telegram. Durov went on to add, For the last 24 hours Telegram has been under a ban by internet providers in Russia. The reason is our refusal to provide encryption keys to Russian security agencies. For us, this was an easy decision. We promised our users 100 percent privacy and would rather cease to exist than violate this promise. He clarified that Telegram has not seen a significant drop in user engagement as the users have been using VPNs and proxies to bypass the ban. Telegram has also been relying on third-party cloud services to remain available for its users. He added that the Russian market accounts to about 7 percent of the total Telegram user base and its organic growth in other regions will compensate for the loss in a couple of months if the service was to lose the entire market. But, he felt that it was important for him to do everything that he could for Russian users using Telegram. Durov started giving out Bitcoin grants to companies and individuals running VPNs and socks5 proxies. For the uninitiated, socks5 proxy is a secure proxy server which uses socks5, an internet protocol for routing data packets between a user using the proxy server and the actual server. The proxy server generates a random IP address before sending the data packets, making it more secure than the usual proxy servers. He added that he was happy to donate millions of dollars to this cause, going so far as to call the movement a Digital Resistance, a decentralised movement fighting for digital freedom and progress across the globe. The crackdown has since intensified, with the regulator blocking almost 18 million IP addresses without any success. To show support for the movement, Durov asked Russians supporting a free internet to fly a paper plane from their window at 7 pm local time yesterday. He also asked everyone to collect the aeroplanes an hour later because of Earth Day. He thanked the people supporting freedom for the internet and the ones who were setting up sock5-proxies and VPNs and sharing them with their friends and relatives. Later, Durov shared a video clip with a number of people flying paper planes in support of an open internet, thanking Russia for its support. Reuters Chinas ZTE is seeking a resolution to a US ban on selling it parts and software that it has said threatens its survival. ZTE has learnt from its past experiences on export control compliance and attaches significant importance to the work on export control compliance, the mobile phone and telecoms company said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. ZTE is making active communications with relevant parties and seeking a solution to the US export denial order, it added in the statement. US authorities last week banned American companies from sales to ZTE for seven years, saying the Chinese company had broken a settlement agreement with repeated false statements a move that threatens to cut off ZTEs supply chain. The action was sparked by ZTEs violation of an agreement that was reached after it was caught illegally shipping US goods to Iran. ZTE said on Sunday it had set up a compliance management committee led by its chief executive officer. It also said it had invested in export control compliance, provided compliance training to staff and cooperated with the work of independent compliance monitors, the company added.The US Commerce Department has granted a request from ZTE to submit more evidence after the agency imposed the ban, a senior Commerce official said on Saturday. Taliban attacks in western Afghanistan killed 14 soldiers and policemen on Monday as Kabul residents prepared to bury their loved ones slain in a horrific bombing by the Islamic State. Kabul: Taliban attacks in western Afghanistan killed 14 soldiers and policemen on Monday as Kabul residents prepared to bury their loved ones slain in a horrific bombing by the Islamic State group that targeted a voter registration centre the day before, killing 57. Prayer services were held for the Kabul victims as families of those killed in Sunday's bombing carried the bodies of their kin and dug the graves at a cemetery in the hills above the Afghan capital. The first of Monday's near-simultaneous attacks in western Badghis province hit army units in the district of Ab Kamari, killing nine soldiers, said Ghulam Sarwar Haidari, the deputy provincial police chief. Moments later, another large group of insurgents struck police in Qadis district, killing five policemen. Sharafuddin Majidi, spokesman for the provincial governor, confirmed the casualty tolls. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed the Badghis attacks in a statement to the media. The attacks came on the heels of Sunday's suicide blast in Kabul. The staggering casualty toll 57 dead and 119 wounded underscored the struggles the government faces to rein in militant assaults even in large and well-protected urban centres. The explosion shook the city around 10 am, shattering windows miles from the site of the attack, leaving the pavement covered with bodies and blood stains and destroying nearby vehicles. The bomber targeted civilians who were registering for national identification cards, Kabul police said. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement carried by its Aamaq news agency, saying it had targeted Shiite "apostates." Afghan security forces have struggled to prevent a recent surge in attacks both by the local Islamic State affiliate as well as the more firmly established Taliban. The attacks increased after the United States and NATO concluded their combat mission in Afghanistan at the end of 2014. Both groups regularly carry out attacks, with the Taliban usually targeting the government and security forces and IS targeting the country's Shiite minority. In violence elsewhere in Afghanistan, four policemen were killed and three were wounded on Monday in a Taliban attack in western Farah province, in Bala Buluk district, according to Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the provincial governor. Three Taliban fighters were killed and two others were wounded in the gunbattle there that lasted two hours, Mehri said. In eastern Nangarhar province's Chaparhar district, militants killed three university students on Sunday, said Attaullah Khogyani, the governor's spokesman. The three were brothers, he added. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the killing, but Khogyani blamed the Islamic State group, which has been active in Chaparhar and repeatedly claimed attacks in the district. The latest violence comes as US and the Afghan troops have been conducting counter-terrorism operations and airstrikes across Afghanistan, including in Nangarhar, to root out Islamic State and prevent the group from expanding its footprint in the country. China reassured Pakistan that relations between the two countries were as firm as ever and would never rust, ahead of a meeting this week between President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Beijing: China on Monday reassured Pakistan that relations between the two countries were as firm as ever and would never rust, ahead of a meeting this week between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that could unnerve Islamabad. China and Pakistan like to call each other all-weather friends and their traditionally close ties have long been viewed with suspicion by Pakistans neighbour and traditional enemy, India. But Modi has tried to reset relations with Beijing after a year of disagreements over everything from their border to exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, and will hold an informal summit with Xi on Friday and Saturday in China. China will continue to firmly support Pakistan, its top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, told Pakistans Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif at a meeting in Beijing. We are ready to work together with our Pakistani brothers to undertake the historical mission of national rejuvenation and achieve the great dream of national prosperity and development, Wang said. In this way, our iron friendship with Pakistan will never rust and be tempered into steel. There was no mention of the Xi-Modi meeting in comments made in front of reporters. Armenia's Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian resigned on Monday after mass protests against his election, seen as a blatant power grab by the opposition Yerevan: Armenia's Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian resigned on Monday after mass protests against his election, seen as a blatant power grab by the Opposition. "I am leaving the post of the country's leader," Sarkisian was quoted as saying in a statement by his press service, just days after he took office. "Nikol Pashinyan was right," he said referring to the leader of the protests. "I was wrong." After serving for a decade as president, Sarkisian was last week elected prime minister by lawmakers in a move the Opposition said was designed to extend his rule under a new parliamentary system of government. Constitutional amendments approved in 2015 transferred power from the presidency to the premiership. Sarkisian, a shrewd former military officer, was first elected president of the impoverished, Moscow-allied country in 2008. After the 2008 vote, 10 people died in clashes between police and supporters of the defeated opposition candidate. He was re-elected in 2013, with his second and final term ending 9 April. Opposition toast victory Earlier Monday, protest leader Pashinyan was freed after police detained him Sunday following failed talks with Sarkisian. "So has everyone now understood that we have won?" Pashinyan told supporters shortly after his release in the capital Yerevan and before Sarkisian resigned. Flag-waving supporters cheered the 42-year-old opposition MP and some kissed and hugged him. An AFP reporter saw people opening a champagne bottle and handing Pashinyan a glass on the 11th day of demonstrations in the country of 2.9 million people. Prosecutors had said that Pashinyan and two other Opposition politicians "were detained as they were committing socially dangerous acts". Protesters had denounced Sarkisian and called on the 63-year-old to stand down. Sarkisian had earlier refused to go and on Sunday stormed out of televised talks with Pashinyan, accusing him of "blackmail". Earlier Monday, groups of young men briefly blocked roads in Yerevan and hundreds of students marched arm-in-arm holding Armenian flags. A group of serving soldiers joined the protests while the country's defence ministry threatened to take "serious measures" against them. "We condemn the participation of a group of servicemen from the peacekeeping brigade of the Armenian armed forces who, violating the law, took part in an organised rally," the defence ministry said. A number of uniformed former soldiers and veterans who fought in Nagorny Karabakh a breakaway region seized by Armenian separatists at the end of the Soviet era also marched with the protesters. Tens of thousands had rallied in Yerevan over the weekend against pro-Kremlin Sarkisian. Kremlin 'observing' In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said Russia was carefully watching events in Armenia, which has retained close ties to its former Soviet master. "We are very attentively observing what is happening in Armenia," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, calling the South Caucasus country "extremely important" for Russia. Peskov dismissed a question on whether Russia would interfere in the crisis, which he called "exclusively an internal affair", as "absolutely inappropriate." Armenian Defence Minister Vigen Sarkisian (no relation to Serzh Sarkisian) warned that his country's foe Azerbaijan was gaining from the unrest. "The enemy is looking at events in our country. Instability inside our country opens a road for them to take action. We need to tell society about this," the minister told reporters. He added the army could only become involved in the crisis if a state of emergency was declared, which he hopes will not happen "for years to come". "I think we have not crossed any red lines yet and dialogue can continue," he said. "Dialogue is better than any tension. I am opposed to Armenians coming out against Armenians." Pashinyan, the leader of the Civil Contract Party, last week called for the "start of a peaceful velvet revolution." Hundreds of people were detained at protest rallies across Yerevan on Sunday. Earlier Monday, Armenia's Investigative Committee said 26 had been detained on suspicion of "hooliganism" and use of violence against police. A bus crash in North Korea has killed 32 Chinese tourists and four North Koreans, the foreign ministry in Beijing said on Monday. Beijing: A bus crash in North Korea has killed 32 Chinese tourists and four North Koreans, the foreign ministry in Beijing said on Monday. Two other Chinese nationals were injured in Sunday's accident south of the capital Pyongyang, ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing. "We are investigating the cause" of the accident, Lu said. The ministry provided few details but China's state broadcaster CGTN earlier tweeted that more than 30 people died when a tour bus fell from a bridge in North Korea. The tweet was later deleted. State broadcaster CCTV broadcast images of a large overturned vehicle with light rain falling on rescue vehicles and doctors attending to a patient. China was informed about the accident on Sunday night, and its embassy personnel in Pyongyang rushed to the scene and are working to manage the situation, the foreign ministry said in a statement earlier. The vast majority of foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese, with the Cold War-era allies sharing a long land border and operating flights between the two countries. Western visitors to the North once averaged around 5,000 a year, but numbers have been hit recently by a US travel banAmericans accounted for around 20 percent of the marketand official warnings from other countries. Tens of thousands of Chinese tourists are believed to visit the North every year, with many crossing via train through the Chinese border city of Dandong. For some, North Korea provides a window into what Communist China may have looked like decades ago. Chinese tourism to the North has continued even though Beijing has enforced a slew of United Nations sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme. The accident occurred in North Hwanghae province, the foreign ministry said. The province lies south of the capital and stretches to the border with the South, including the city of Kaesong, an ancient Korean capital with historical sites. More recently, the area hosted a manufacturing complex operated with South Korea. The tour group was travelling by bus from Kaesong to Pyongyang when the accident happened, according to the independent Seoul-based website NK News, which cited an unnamed source. North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac. Bridges are sometimes out of action, requiring rivers to be forded or vehicles to take detours. But the route from Pyongyang to Kaesong, where the accident reportedly happened, is one of the best in the country. It runs north-south from Sinuiju on the Chinese border to the Demilitarized Zone on the border with the South, but nonetheless has little traffic, like all North Korean highways. Tank traps have been installed along it in many locations towards the frontier sets of high concrete columns on either side of the road that can easily be blown up to create an obstruction for invading armour. China's foreign ministry said it activated an emergency mechanism Sunday night and is "sparing no efforts" to handle the situation. A Belgian court on Monday sentenced the sole surviving suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, to 20 years in prison on terror charges over a bloody gun battle with police in Brussels days before his capture in 2016. Belgium: A Belgian court on Monday sentenced the sole surviving suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, to 20 years in prison on terror charges over a bloody gun battle with police in Brussels days before his capture in 2016. Abdeslam's co-defendant Sofiane Ayari received the same sentence after the pair were convicted of terrorism-related attempted murder over the shootout in which four police officers were wounded. Judges at the court in Brussels said that "there can be no doubt about their commitment to radicalism" as they handed down the maximum jail term demanded by Belgian prosecutors at the trial in February. Neither Abdeslam (28), a Belgian-born French national, nor Ayari, a 24-year-old Tunisian citizen, was in court to hear the verdict. Abdeslam is being held in jail in France pending a separate trial over the November 2015 Paris attacks, claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group, in which 130 people died. The pair were convicted of opening fire on a team of Belgian and French police who raided a flat in the Forest area of Brussels on 15 March, 2016, following a tip-off about the Paris attacks. A third jihadist was killed in the raid. At the time Abdeslam was regarded as the most wanted man in Europe. 'Allah guided me' Abdeslam, a Belgian-born French national, fled the scene but was arrested three days later in the largely immigrant Molenbeek area of the Belgian capital, near his family home. On 22 March, suicide bombers from a cell linked to the Paris attacks killed 32 people and wounded hundreds more at Brussels airport and a metro station in the Belgian capital. Abdeslam's lawyer Sven Mary told reporters outside the court that he would consult with his client at the prison where he is being held in France "and then we will see if he wants to lodge an appeal." He said Abdeslam would likely have to serve the full Belgian 20-year term on top of any sentence that arises from the French trial over the Paris attacks. The judgment said Abdeslam had written a document addressed to his mother saying that "Allah guided me and chose me among his servants to open his path. It is for that reason that I had to fight the enemies of Allah with all my strength." He added that his brother Brahim, who blew himself up during the Paris attacks, "did not commit suicide he is a hero of Islam." Monday's judgment said a total of 34 shots were fired during the shootout. Tight security Belgian police mounted tight security around the imposing Palace of Justice building in Brussels for the verdict. Abdeslam has spent most of the last two years in jail in France. He was transported to the court from France for the start of the trial in February amid tight security including a helicopter escort, while Ayari is in jail in Belgium. On the first day of the trial, sporting long hair and a beard instead of the clean-cut look familiar from his mugshots, Abdeslam proclaimed that he would put his "trust in Allah" and accused the court of being biased against Muslims. He then refused to attend the rest of the proceedings. Investigators say Abdeslam's arrest spurred the Brussels bombers to bring forward the 2016 attacks, which had originally been planned for a later date, as they feared their capture. Prosecutors have said that DNA links Abdeslam to the apartment in the Forest district of Brussels where the shooting took place, but not to the weapons that were used. After Abdeslam refused to return to court for the trial in February, Mary sought the case's dismissal on a technicality over how the judges were named to investigate the gun battle, and said media leaks had denied him a fair trial. But lawyers for police wounded in the gun battle accused Abdeslam of "mocking" the trial. One of the injured police officers was still suffering from after-effects including brain lesions, epileptic fits and vision and balance problems. An organisation representing victims of the Brussels attacks and their families is seeking symbolic damages of one euro. The Deputy Inspector Gen of Police, brig Sabiiti Muzeeyi has challenged the police to build and maintain public trust, if they are to defeat crime. According to Brig Sabiiti, who was over the weekend addressing officers in Kampala Metropolitan, trust is the cornerstone of successful policing. The deputy police chief says whereas this takes a great deal of continuous effort to achieve; the officers themselves need to be awake to its fact. Brig Sabiiti until his recent transfer and promotion to deputy police chief post was the commandant of the Military Police barracks in Makindye. China on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping will discuss globalisation and the threat of rising protectionism. Beijing: China on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping will discuss globalisation and the threat of rising protectionism at their informal summit at Wuhan this week and the world will hear "very positive voices". External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday announced that Modi and Xi will meet in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on 27-28 April to improve bilateral relations. At Wuhan, the two leaders will "exchange views on overarching long-term strategic issues as well as the latest trends of the world so that the world will develop in a more stable way," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. "As to the background against which this meeting is held, I believe you are clear that the world is faced with rampant unilateralism as well as the rising protectionism in the process of globalisation," Lu said. All these new trends in the world have been closely followed and debated, Lu said in apparent reference to a host of measures initiated by US president Donald Trump in his 'America First' policy leading to a lot of protectionist measures including the current trade spate between the China and US. He was responding to question whether there will be a joint message related to trade and protectionism specially against US unilateral protectionism after the meeting between Modi and Xi. "So against such a backdrop China and India have a lot to discuss. We are all newly-emerging markets as well as developing countries with big populations," Lu said. "So we believe that the two countries will continue to uphold the globalisation so that it will be more inclusive. So we have a lot of shared interests, concerns and propositions," he said. To a specific question whether there would be a joint message related to trade and protectionism especially against US unilateral protectionism, he said while he cannot make any prejudgement ahead of the meeting, "it is sure that the two leaders will exchange views on these issues but I believe you will see and hear very positive voices". At the recently-held Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) India and China displayed wider convergence on threats to globalisation and rising protectionism. NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar had said in his address to the fifth India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) on 14 April that the world economy is staging a synchronised recovery after a long time. But the "recovery is marred and disrupted by unseemingly protectionist noises that are coming out from the Atlantic basin from north and America and Europe," he said in a thinly veiled attack on US and Western countries' protectionist policies. He also made a strong case for China to open its import market for India for soybean and sugar after Beijing imposed 25 per cent tariff on a host of products, including the two, following the trade spat with US. "I was noticing that there are some tariffs you imposed on farmers' from Iowa and Ohio (in US). May be India can be a substitute for soybean and sugar, if we could access those exports with all the due quality considerations to our farmers. That is very useful," he told chairman of China's National Development Reforms Commission (NDRC) He Lifeng at the meeting. Kumar's pitch for soybean and sugar exports to China came amid the ongoing trade spat between the US and China following which Beijing had slapped 25 percent tariffs on American soybean imports in a tit-for-tat retaliation to US president Donald Trump imposing tariffs on a range of Chinese products. Trump is pressuring China to reduce America's whopping $375 billion trade deficit with China to $100 billion. China had hit back with tariffs on a wide variety of agricultural products such as soybean, corn, beef, orange juice and tobacco which are expected to hit American farmers. Soybean is regarded as most important for US farmers as China is their largest importer. Leading Chinese firms including e-commerce giant Alibaba were heavily criticised on Monday for gender discrimination in job adverts in a new report which said the landscape for the female workforce in China was deteriorating. Hong Kong: Leading Chinese firms including e-commerce giant Alibaba were heavily criticised on Monday for gender discrimination in job adverts in a new report which said the landscape for the female workforce in China was deteriorating. The report by campaign group Human Rights Watch, entitled "Only Men Need Apply: Gender Discrimination in Job Advertisements in China", details a host of offences by private companies and public bodies, from issuing "men only" job ads to requests for women applicants to be "trim" and "aesthetically pleasing". The adverts reflect "traditional and deeply discriminatory views" that women are less capable than men and that they will not be committed to their jobs because of their role as family caregivers, it said. According to the report, discrimination in hiring practices is contributing to a drop in the female workforce and a widening gender pay gap. Although such discrimination is illegal in China, rules are unclear and rarely enforced, it added. Tech behemoths Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu had all published job ads that openly stated a preference for male applicants, the report said. Alibaba was also accused of repeatedly using the lure of attractive female co-workers in its recruitment campaigns, describing them as "Ali beauties" and "goddesses" on social media. Tencent, Baidu and leading telecom firm Huawei were also among the major companies that advertised the beauty of their female employees. Speaking at the launch of the report in Hong Kong, Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth said CEOs must take the lead. "If you have an anti-discrimination provision in your annual report and feel like you've done your job, you're failing miserably. What's needed is serious implementation," he said. Alibaba hit back at the report in a statement to AFP, saying its recruitment policies provided equal opportunity regardless of gender, noting that 47 percent of employees are women and one-third of its founders and people in management positions are also women. However, it added that it would "conduct stricter reviews" of recruitment ads to ensure they complied with its policy of equality. An Alibaba staffer told AFP the HRW report referred to "outdated" adverts from 2012 to 2015 and that the company immediately takes down adverts that violate internal regulations against discrimination. Baidu said the job ads in question had been removed before the release of the report and that it regretted any adverts that did not reflect its values. "These job postings... were isolated instances that in no way reflect our company's dedication to workplace equality," a Baidu spokesperson told AFP. Tencent and Huawei did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. Government departments were also at fault. Nearly one in five job ads for China's 2018 national civil service called for "men only" or "men preferred". Adverts for female train conductors required them to be "trim", "fashionable" and "beautiful". The 99-page report analysed more than 36,000 job advertisements posted between 2013 and 2018 on Chinese recruitment and company websites and on social media platforms. Its research was restricted by the increasing pressure on women's rights activists, who have been targeted by authorities. Some women have succeeded in taking employers to court over discriminatory job adverts, but the fines handed to firms are negligible and not a deterrent, the report said. Although a #MeToo movement exposing sexual harassment has recently emerged in China, authorities have deleted some social media posts and closed related topic forums in an attempt to control it. Trump on Sunday claimed North Korea has agreed to 'denuclearisation' before his potential meeting with Kim Jong-un. But that's not the case. West Palm Beach: President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed North Korea has agreed to "denuclearisation" before his potential meeting with Kim Jong-un. But that's not the case. North Korea said on Friday it would suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of summits with the US and South Korea. Kim also said a nuclear test site would be closed and "dismantled" now that the country has learned how to make nuclear weapons and mount warheads on ballistic rockets. But the North has stopped short of saying it has any intention of abandoning its nuclear arsenal, with Kim making clear that nukes remain a "treasured sword." Trump nonetheless tweeted on Sunday that the North has "agreed to denuclearisation (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing!" Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd of Fake News NBC just stated that we have given up so much in our negotiations with North Korea, and they have given up nothing. Wow, we havent given up anything & they have agreed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2018 Being committed to the concept of denuclearisation, however, is not the same as agreeing to it, as Trump claims. South Korea, which is set to meet with North Korea later this week, has said Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons. But the North for decades has been pushing a concept of "denuclearisation" that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the Korean Peninsula and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan. South Korea's president has said Kim isn't asking for the withdrawal of US troops from the Korean Peninsula as a condition for abandoning his nuclear weapons. If true, that would seem to remove a major sticking point to a potential disarmament deal. But that still doesn't address a North Korean arsenal that now includes purported thermonuclear warheads and developmental ICBMs developed during a decadeslong cycle of crises, stalemates and broken promises. Trump agreed to meet with Kim after an invitation was delivered by a South Korean delegation that had just returned from Pyongyang. "I told President Trump that in our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he's committed to denuclearisation," South Korea's national security adviser later told reporters on the White House driveway. "Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests." A place and date have yet to be set, but Trump's pick to be the next secretary of state, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, traveled to North Korea on Easter weekend to lay the groundwork for the meeting. Trump has called the talks a success, but it's unclear exactly what was agreed to, if anything, as a condition for the leader-to-leader talks. "Look, this is a great public relations effort by Kim Jong-un. And I think people recognise that," Senator Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." But asked whether be believed the North would denuclearize, Corker offered caution. "Well, I don't think he said anything about denuclearizing on the front end necessarily," he said. He added on ABC's "This Week" that it's unrealistic to think that "somebody's going to go in and charm" Kim out of keeping his nuclear weapons. "Is it realistic that he's just willy-nilly going to do that? Absolutely not," Corker said. "But, you know, progress can be made, freezing the program, who knows what he's what his ambitions are as it relates to South Korea." Senator Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, was equally as skeptical on CBS' "Face the Nation," arguing that North Korea's recent statements are easily reversible and that no announcement has been made about short- or medium-range ballistic missiles that threaten South Korea and Japan. "Well, I think this announcement on Friday is better than continued testing, but it's not much better than that," he said. "But I do think they show that the president has put Kim Jong-un on the wrong foot for the first time." Asked what denuclearisation means to both sides, White House Legislative Director Marc Short said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that there needs to be a sit-down meeting to make sure everyone's on the same page. "But I think from our perspective, it means full denuclearisation," he said. "No longer having nuclear weapons that can be used in warfare against any of our allies." Still, Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein, D-California, told CBS that if the president goes through with the meeting, it's "very important" that it "goes well and that there is an ability to put together some terms of an agreement that might exist." "The question," she said, "is whether it lasts or not. And of course the reputation of the North Koreans has been that they don't necessarily keep their agreements." French president Emmanuel Macron arrives in Washington on Monday for a state visit likely to be dominated by differences over trade and the nuclear accord with Iran. Washington: French president Emmanuel Macron arrives in Washington on Monday for a state visit likely to be dominated by differences over trade and the nuclear accord with Iran. As Macron headed west, the Iranian government urged European leaders to convince US president Donald Trump not to tear up the 2015 deal between Tehran and six world powers. Allies also spoke out in support of it. Macron said on Sunday there was no "Plan B" for keeping a lid on Tehran's nuclear ambitions. He is on something of a rescue mission for what is formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Trump has said he will scrap unless European allies fix what he called "terrible flaws" by mid-May. Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on European leaders to support it. "It is either all or nothing. European leaders should encourage Trump not just to stay in the nuclear deal, but more important to begin implementing his part of the bargain in good faith," Zarif wrote on his Twitter account. The deal reached between six powers all of whom but Germany are nuclear-armed and Tehran put curbs on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Macron said on Fox News Sunday that it would be better to protect the deal instead of to get rid of it as there was no other plan. "Is this agreement perfect and this JCPOA a perfect thing for our relationship with Iran? No. But for nuclear what do you have? As a better option? I dont see it," he said. Charm offensive Macrons visit is the first time Trump has hosted a state visit since he took power in January 2017. While the French leader has tried to develop a close relationship with Trump since he took office in May, he has so far seen little tangible results on issues from Iran to climate politics. The two men will get a sense of their two countries shared history during an evening meal on Monday night at Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, the first US president and Revolutionary War commander whose alliance with France was critical to victory over the British. Working meetings will be held at the White House on Tuesday before Macron addresses Congress the following day, the anniversary of the day that French General Charles de Gaulle addressed a Joint Session of Congress in 1960. Trump and the 40-year-old French leader began their friendship a year ago in Belgium with a jaw-clenching handshake. While some other European leaders have kept a certain distance from Trump, Macron has worked hard to remain close to the US president and the two leaders speak frequently by phone. Trade talks Highlighting the difficulties Macron will face reversing Trump's mind on Iran, US non-proliferation envoy Christopher Ford said Tehran presented a very real long-term challenge. "Iran (is) a country that for years illegally and secretly sought to develop nuclear weapons, suspended its weaponisation work only when confronted by the potentially direst of consequences without ever coming clean about its illicit endeavours," he told a non-proliferation conference in Geneva. Iran has long maintained that its nuclear programme was for peaceful purposes. Macron also wants to persuade Trump to exempt European nations from metal tariffs that are part of the US presidents plan to reduce chronic trade deficits with countries around the world, chiefly China. His visit comes at a time of mounting alarm in Europe over the knock-on effect that US sanctions on Russia will have on their own manufacturing industries. French officials said Paris and other European governments were coordinating efforts to persuade Trump to ease sanctions on Russia, including measures against Russian aluminium producers. "There are concerns raised by the extraterritoriality effects of the new sets of sanctions," a French finance ministry source said. "Europeans... have jointly warned the US Administration about the economic impact and consequences and the need to find solutions." The official said France, Germany, Italy and Ireland were working together on the matter. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will hold talks with Trump in Washington later in the week. Macron and Trump are also due to discuss Syria, less than two weeks after the United States, France and Britain launched airstrikes in Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack that killed dozens in Douma, Syria. Macron said last week that he believed he had persuaded Trump to keep US troops in Syria, though Trump has been insistent on bringing them home. France's National Assembly has passed a controversial immigration law that has exposed unprecedented divisions in President Emmanuel Macron's young centrist party Paris: France's National Assembly has passed a controversial immigration law that has exposed unprecedented divisions in President Emmanuel Macron's young centrist party. After 61 hours of debate, the measure was approved on Sunday in a vote of 228 in favour, 139 against and 24 abstentions. It passed largely with the support of Macron's Republic On The Move (LREM) party. But one LREM deputy, Jean-Michel Clement, rebelled and announced that he was quitting the president's party after casting a no vote on the proposed law. Opposition to the measure was found across the political spectrum with lawmakers of both the right-wing and leftist parties voting against it, as well as the far-right National Front. The Lower House of the French Parliament was supposed to vote on the bill Friday, but the fractious debate stretched into the weekend due to more than 1,000 amendments proposed by deputies. More than 200 of the changes were suggested by LREM members as Macron's own lawmakers openly challenged his plans to double the maximum time migrants can be held in detention for 90 days. The government had defended the bill as balanced, but it has been criticised by rightwingers for being too soft and by leftwingers who see it as repressive. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said it aims for "better controlled" immigration, halving the waiting time for asylum applications to six months while also making it easier to deport those turned down as "economic" migrants. Accepted refugees will be given more help to integrate, such as better access to work and French lessons. Many leftwing opponents lashed out in the Parliament at measures to keep asylum seekers awaiting deportation, including children, in detention for up to 90 days. "Nothing justifies locking up a kid," said Socialist deputy Herve Saulignac. The bill also reduces the time that asylum-claimers have to lodge their application from 120 to 90 days and gives them two weeks to appeal if unsuccessful, which NGOs say is not enough to gather more evidence in support of their claim. Despite the rumblings of revolt and long debate, the bill had been expected to pass, with LREM holding more than half the seats after battering traditional parties in June's parliamentary elections. France received a record 100,000 asylum applications last year, bucking the general trend in Europe where the number of asylum seekers halved between 2016 and 2017. Many Africans and South Asians end up sleeping on the streets of Paris due to a shortage of accommodation or camping out in Calais hoping to stow away on trucks to Britain. Controversy over the immigration bill comes as Macron is under pressure for insisting he will push on with sweeping reforms, including an overhaul of state rail operator SNCF, despite strikes and street protests. Monday sees the start of another two days of strikes by rail workers over the shake-up which has been causing havoc for French commuters two days out of five since the start of April. Rail unions object to plans to strip new SNCF recruits of jobs-for-life and early retirement, part of Macron's bid to reduce the SNCF's nearly 50 billion euros ($61.5 billion) of debt. The unions are gambling on public opinion turning in their favour but polls suggest an opposite trend, with just 43 percent backing the strike in an Ifop poll released on Sunday. The scale of the disruption has also eased over the course of the month as fewer workers continue with the strike. Today, 35 percent of high-speed trains are set to operate up from just an eighth at the beginning of the month. And air travellers will also face disruptions on Monday and Tuesday as Air France employees strike for the tenth day in two months. Nevertheless the French carrier says it expects to maintain 75 percent of its flights on today. Spouses of H1B workers monitoring the perilous situation of work permits - called H4 EAD - say they are shaken and disappointed by the latest signals from the Donald Trump administration but are also girding for a robust pushback if any change in policy does not factor feedback from spouses of H1B workers. Spouses of H1B workers monitoring the perilous situation of work permits - called H4 EAD - say they are shaken and disappointed by the latest signals from the Donald Trump administration but are also girding for a robust pushback if any change in policy does not factor feedback from their community. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has indicated that the Donald Trump government is firmly on the path to proposing an end to work authorization for spouses of H1B workers in America. The case file is now lying with Department of Homeland Security boss Kristjen Nielsen - widely understood to have 100% alignment with Trump's Buy American Hire American policy. If they (USCIS) change the H4 EAD rule without taking into consideration each and every comment that comes in and fail to respond to our defence of the H4 EAD, you can be sure of lawsuits, says Anirban Das of Skilled Immigration in America, an advocacy group. The H4 EAD trapeze act speaks to many imponderables of public policy making in the United States. The H1B visa was born of bipartisan consensus back in the late 90s with the signature of a Republican President. Political dealmaking is no longer the way it was back then which is why American Presidents are falling back on executive orders which invariably lead to lawsuits from opponents. The other way is to change rules - a process that does not need Congress intervention. The downside is that rules can be killed off with another rule in a different political climate - which is the story of the ongoing H4 EAD cliffhanger. New York based immigration attorney Cyrus Mehta has often said that it makes no sense to eliminate work authorization for H-4 spouses under Buy American Hire American in a full employment economy. Das and many other we spoke to use the same yardstick of jobs to defend the beleagured H4 EAD. Unemployment has been at its lowest in years so its impossible that an insignificant percentage of the population is taking jobs away from Americans. If that were true, then there would be a crisis for every college graduate in America, says Das, arguing that the ducks dont line up if the governemnt is trying to justify that H4 EADs are creating problems for Americans. Some background here: The Trump White House has been headlining its record on job creation every couple of weeks. The latest despatch says we have already created 3 million jobs since the election. Cyrus Mehta situates the H4 EAD recipient in the heirarchy of the American citizenship process to make his point: H4 spouses are also Americans in waiting since they would have had green cards and become US citizens if not for backlogs in the India employment based second and third preference categories. Since H4 EAD holders are in line for Green Cards, allowing H4s to work will contribute to the American economy through their taxes and talents. Eliminating work cards for H-4 spouses is not consistent with Buy American Hire American although it may be consistent with xenophobia and white nationalism. Poonam Gangawane Ghelani who came to the US in 2005 for her Masters has seen the roller coaster of the H1B-H4 from extreme close up. She is on an H4 EAD and planning to move back to an H1B. Its definitely not going to be smooth ride. My husband has also started our Canada immigration process as he is totally frustrated with all this!, she says in a email response. Ghelani says she has 3 job offers in my hand because employers are not finding the right candidates in her area - data privacy. Now tell me how am I stealing American Jobs? she asks. Theres another thing that irritates H4 visa holders. Were sick and tired of the numbers being used against us, says a New York based H1B workers husband who spoke to Firstpost on background. They say they have issued 104,000 or more H4 EADs in the last three years but are unwilling to reveal how many of those are simply renewals and how many are new entrants. The minute that data is known, the economic case against the H4 EAD is dead. Also, H4 EAD numbers in isolation do not mean every single person who has this card has a job. In most cases, family responsibility or just job loss itself is keeping many H4 EAD holders out of the job market. Because of the politics, we are anyway last in line for interview calls, says an H4 spouse looking for work since December 2017 when she got laid off. Equally, the backlash against H1B visa workers is now hurting H4 spouses too. Sample this in response to an H4 spouse's outpouring on Twitter: Why should "your" anything matter to US citizens who form and pay for US govt.? Who are you? #H4 is a dependent of #H1B which is a non immigrant temporary labor visa. You have NO right to demand anything on foreign soil." H4 spouses we spoke to have maintained that their biggest hurdles have not come from changes in US policy but the original asymmetry itself - that the H1B visa reduces the two income household into a single income family even in cases where the H4 visa holder has more education, skills and so on. The USCIS confirmed to Firstpost that it does not reveal the breakup of H4 EADs by the criteria of fresh applications and renewals in its regular information stream. That question has to be put to another agency. By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Iran and Israel traded blame on Sunday for an unprecedented, weeks-long surge in hostilities between their forces over Syria but played down prospects of a spillover into war. A showdown between the arch-foes has loomed since Feb. By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Iran and Israel traded blame on Sunday for an unprecedented, weeks-long surge in hostilities between their forces over Syria but played down prospects of a spillover into war. A showdown between the arch-foes has loomed since Feb. 10, when Israel said an armed Iranian drone launched from a Syrian base penetrated its territory. Israel downed the drone and, during a reprisal raid, lost an F-16 jet to Syrian ground fire. On April 9, an air strike killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps members at the Syrian base. Tehran blamed Israel and vowed unspecified retaliation, drawing Israeli counter-threats to broaden attacks on Iranian military assets in Syria. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a U.S. television interview that further Israeli sorties in Syria would have "consequences". But he deemed major escalation as unlikely. "I do not believe that we are headed towards regional war but I do believe that unfortunately, Israel has continued its violations with international law, hoping to be able to do it with impunity because of the U.S. support and trying to find smokescreens to hide behind," Zarif told CBS News. "The easiest answer would be to stop - to stop these acts of aggression, to stop these incursions." Iran, Lebanon's Hezbollah militia and Russia have been reinforcing Damascus against a 7-year-old Syrian rebellion. The Israelis worry that Iran's garrison will remain, linking with Hezbollah to form a broad Syrian-Lebanese front against them. Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman reiterated his government's policy of preventing Iranian entrenchment in Syria. "No matter the price, we will not allow a noose to form around us," he told Israel Radio in an interview. DETERRENCE But asked if that meant war was imminent, he said: "I hope not. I think that our primary role is prevent war, and that requires concrete, real deterrence as well as readiness to act." Israel Katz, the Israeli intelligence minister, suggested world powers might intervene to curb Iranian activity in Syria. Israel is "not interested" in escalation, Katz told the Ynet news site. But Israeli power-projection, he said, "can challenge the Iranians, can clarify to the Russians, who seek stability, that it is worth it for them to apply their influence, and the same goes for the United States, for France and all the others". The Syria face-off comes as the Trump administration mulls reimposing U.S. economic sanctions against Tehran by May 12, a move that could deal a blow to an international 2015 deal under which the Iranians capped their nuclear projects. Zarif said Iran might respond to any unravelling of the deal by "resuming at a much greater speed our nuclear activities". Israel has savaged the deal and encouraged a U.S. review, but Katz appeared to acknowledge the outcome could be costly. "The United States is changing policy. Israel is determined to prevent this (Iranian nuclear) red-line, a crossing of this red-line," he said. "These are testing times for us. I hope that we won't pay prices." (Writing by Dan Williams, Editing by William Maclean) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Three brothers have been beheaded in restive eastern Afghanistan, officials said on Monday, blaming the gruesome executions on Islamic State group fighters. Jalalabad: Three brothers have been beheaded in restive eastern Afghanistan, officials said on Monday, blaming the gruesome executions on Islamic State group fighters. The men aged 19, 24 and 27 were taken from their home and killed by Islamic State on Sunday night in Chaparhar district in Nangarhar province, provincial governor spokesman Ataullah Khogyani. Nangarhar borders Pakistan and is a stronghold for Islamic State militants. Two of the brothers recently graduated from medical school and the third was still at university, Khogyani said, adding the boys' father was also killed last year. "Their bodies were found in Chaparhar district where they lived," said the spokesman. Provincial police spokesman Hazrat Hussain Mashreqiwal confirmed the brutal murders and said an investigation had been launched. "They were taken out of their house by armed men and their beheaded bodies were found by villagers near their house," Mashreqiwal said. Islamic State first emerged in Afghanistan in 2014 as NATO combat troops withdrew from the country and handed over responsibility to Afghan security forces. Despite being far smaller than the Taliban, Islamic State has claimed responsibility for devastating attacks in Kabul and elsewhere in the country. On Sunday, Islamic State claimed a suicide attack in a large crowd outside a voter registration centre in Kabul that killed 57 people and wounded more than 100. Some Western and Afghan officials believe the outfit has received help from the Haqqani network, a brutal wing of the Taliban. Following an intense air and ground campaign by Afghan and US forces in Nangarhar, Islamic State spread beyond its stronghold to the northern province of Jowzjan where it has also come under pressure. Earlier this month top IS commander in northern Afghanistan Qari Hikmatullah was killed in an airstrike. From their first bone-squeezing handshake to Emmanuel Macron's recent claim that he persuaded Donald Trump to bomb Syria, it's been an improbable relationship. Paris: Of everything Emmanuel Macron has accomplished in nearly a year as France's president, the most important may be his tough-love friendship with Donald Trump. From their first bone-squeezing handshake to Macron's recent claim that he persuaded Trump to bomb Syria, it's been an improbable relationship. And it will be on pomp-filled display starting Monday as Macron goes on a state visit to Washington, the first by any leader since Trump took office. Macron calls Trump all the time. With other world leaders too wary or weak to woo the impulsive US president, Macron calculates that it's smarter and safer to talk to Trump than isolate him. The 40-year-old moderate progressive, who had never held elected office before he won France's presidential election, defended his overtures to the 71-year-old conservative Trump in an interview on the broadcast Fox News Sunday. "I am not going to judge... what should be your president, or to consider that because of these controversies or because of these investigations, your president is less credible," he said. The French president has the most to gain from the three-day state visit. He wants to fortify his image as the face of today's Europe and the No. 1 defender of a liberal world order, as well as prove that France is essential to solving world problems such as Iran's nuclear ambitions and international trade wars. His aims may sound like French hubris or wishful thinking, but they are consistent with the "France is back" global strategy Macron has set for his tenure. He talks regularly to Russian President Vladimir Putin and other controversial leaders, too. He also has tried his own diplomatic manoeuvering in West Asia with the goals of defending French interests and making sure Europe has a say in the region's future. For all their camaraderie, Macron and Trump disagree on some fundamental issues. Take global warming. Macron mocked Trump's campaign slogan by promising in a Twitter video he recorded in English to "Make our planet great again!" The video was posted moments after Trump announced he wanted to pull out of the UN-sponsored Paris climate accord last year. Policy toward Iran is another point of discord. France is the most vigorous defender of the 2015 deal curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions. Trump is threatening to abandon the agreement next month. Macron hopes to make progress this week on convincing Trump to stay onboard. And then there's trade. Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel who planned to visit Washington on Friday have pushed back hard on Trump's steel tariffs and his America First vision, which threaten Europe's powerful single market. By design, Macron's state visit will be more about symbolism than substance, and no big breakthroughs are expected. But over the long term, Macron hopes his rapport with Trump will help mitigate some of their policy differences. His office holds up the U.S.-French cooperation on missile strikes on Syria this month as a model for future joint actions. So how has Macron managed to avoid annoying Trump, famously sensitive to slights? "He has played Trump very well," said Nicolas Dungan, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank. While other world leaders and veterans of Beltway politics have made Trump feel like an outsider, Macron "accepts him and respects him rather than disdaining him," Dungan said. "It's a very effective strategy of influence ... through respect and treating him legitimately." At least so far. Macron still runs the risk of getting "tagged with Trump's vulgarity, which so far he's been immune to," Dungan said. Macron's ease in speaking English probably helped in establishing a rapport as did his ability to play the tough-guy game that Trump relishes. Despite being smaller and younger than Trump, Macron has been able to spar in a way that begets admiration instead of resentment, starting with their first meeting at a NATO summit in May, where Macron took Trump's hand and wouldn't let go. In Trump's confrontational world, "Macron comes across as straight arrow, ready for a fight," said Francois Heisbourg, a former French government adviser and current chair of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. At their NATO meeting, "Macron twists his arm. And this is the beginning of a great friendship," Heisbourg said. The French president's US visit will highlight "Macron's rather uncanny ability" to get along with hard-line leaders, Heisbourg said. "He is apparently the only one who can actually talk with all of them substantively, while at the same time not appearing to be jettisoning his own values." Macron also hopes the Washington trip will also raise his profile everywhere else from the EU to Syria and Israel-Palestinian peacemaking. The trip will be a welcome distraction from Macron's troubles at home: He takes off the same day labour strikes are expected to halt a majority of French trains and a quarter of Air France flights. As Macron prepares to be feted at two fancy dinners and give a special speech to Congress, the White House and Elysee Palace are stressing their likenesses instead of points of discord. Both Macron and Trump are newcomers to politics with a background in business. And France is considered the first American ally, for helping the colonists win the Revolutionary War. Macron will celebrate the long-running alliance by giving Trump an oak tree sapling from the site of one of the first World War I battles involving American troops, the Battle of Belleau Wood. It's a sign of appreciation for the sacrifices America made for France and an apparent nod to Macron's concern for the environment. He wants it planted in the White House gardens. US President Donald Trump's choice for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has cleared the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a favorable recommendation, narrowly avoiding a rare rebuke as his confirmation heads to the full Senate. US President Donald Trump's choice for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has cleared the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a favorable recommendation, narrowly avoiding a rare rebuke as his confirmation heads to the full Senate. Democrats put up stiff resistance and voted against Pompeo, who is now the CIA director. Only a last-minute switch from Kentucky Republican Rand Paul whom Trump called before the vote enabled Pompeo to win committee approval. It would have been the first time since the committee starting keeping records in 1925 that a secretary of state nominee faced an unfavorable report. Pompeo's nomination now goes to the full Senate, where votes are tallying in his favor. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he looks forward to voting to confirm Pompeo this week. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, blamed partisan politics for opposition to Pompeo, now the CIA director, saying Pompeo is just as qualified as past secretaries of state nominees Hillary Clinton or John Kerry, both of whom received overwhelming support. "We are in an era where somebody like this, who is qualified, unfortunately, is likely to be voted out without recommendation or with a negative recommendation," Corker said Sunday on "State of the Union" on CNN. "It's just sad that our nation has devolved politically to this point." White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders called on Democrats to support Pompeo Monday, saying on Fox News: "at some point Democrats have to decide whether they love this country, more than they hate this president." Pompeo's confirmation before the full Senate now hangs in balance, with the votes of just a handful of senators determining whether he becomes the nation's top diplomat after Trump fired Rex Tillerson last month. The Duchess of Cambridge has today given birth to her third child a boy on St Georges Day. Kensington Palace announced that the baby was born at about 11am, after Kate was taken by car before 6am to the private Lindo wing of St Marys Hospital in Paddington, London. The birth appears to have taken place without complications. The baby is fifth in line to the throne, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburghs sixth great-grandchild and a younger brother for Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Prince William was present for the birth, and both Kate and the child were doing well, according to a palace spokesman. Senior members of the royal family were said to be delighted with the news. Royal watchers had been expecting a swift delivery at the Lindo Wing, with the child sharing a birthday with William Shakespeare and Lady Gabriella Windsor, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Story by Daily Mail. South Korean president Moon Jae-in, on Monday, praised the declaration of a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests by the North's leader Kim Jong-un, days before a summit between the two leaders Seoul: South Korean president Moon Jae-in, on Monday, praised the declaration of a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests by the North's leader Kim Jong-un, days before a summit between the two leaders. Pyongyang's move was "a significant decision towards total denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula", Moon said in a meeting with aides. Kim declared that Pyongyang had no further need for nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile launches, and no further use for its atomic test site, the North announced on the weekend. The statement was immediately welcomed by US President Donald Trump, who is expected to hold a summit of his own with Kim soon. But, analysts warned that Pyongyang had made no commitment to give up its nuclear arsenal. Moon said on Monday that the North's move was "a green light that improves the prospect of success of the inter-Korea and North-US summits". "If the North takes a step towards denuclearisation, starting from nuclear moratorium, it could guarantee a bright future," he added. The latest step, he said, "raises hopes that the pace will accelerate". Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a summit in China's Wuhan city from 27 to 28 April for a 'heart-to-heart' chat to explore a new paradigm for India-China ties Beijing: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a summit in China's Wuhan city from 27 to 28 April for a "heart-to-heart" chat to explore a new paradigm for India-China ties and find ways to address the contentious issues like the border dispute. Conceived on the lines of the ice-breaking visit undertaken by late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1988 and his far-reaching talks with China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, setting a new tone for the relations after the 1962 war, the Xi-Modi dialogue in the central Chinese city of Wuhan was aimed at a working a new paradigm for the bilateral relations for the next 15 years, informed sources told PTI in Beijing. At the "informal summit" with a few officials and aides at a picturesque location, the two leaders plan to spend several hours exchanging their vision and perspectives about global and domestic scenarios and explore ideas to address the contentious bilateral issues like the border dispute, they said. The talks will focus on adhering to the principle that both countries should be sensitive to each other's concerns and aspirations, the sources said. At the summit, Modi and Xi will try to work out a general framework for relations to move ahead without much of great expectations about the outcome, they said. It is a leadership-driven summit, providing a leadership driven-direction and a way forward to more stable bilateral ties, the sources said. While no major agreements were expected to be reached at the summit, the two leaders will have candid talks on the contentious issues like Xi's pet project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) whose flagship project, the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has become a major stumbling block for the bilateral ties. India protested about CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) disregarding India's sovereignty concerns. Last year turned out to be an extremely complex and difficult year for Sino-Indian ties with a host of festering differences like China blocking India's entry into the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as well as attempts to list Jaish-e-Muhammad leader Masood Azhar as a terrorist by the UN. The 73-day standoff at Doka La also hit bilateral ties. The Wuhan summit is aimed at giving an "honest try" by the two leaders to work out an understanding at the top on the future course of relations to navigate through the maze of differences and build strategic trust and communication between themselves, they said. It will be the fourth visit by Modi to China since he took over power in 2014 and a second bilateral visit. He made the first bilateral visit in 2015 followed by a visit to Hangzhou to take part in the G-20 summit in 2016 and BRICS summit in Xiamen last year. He is again due to visit Chinese city of Qingdao in June this year to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. The two leaders decided to meet ahead of SCO meet as the summit of the eight-member group will offer little time and space for a lengthy interaction, the sources said. The Modi-Xi meeting has been worked out by both sides following an understanding between the two governments that positive relations without much of tensions are most important for the development of both the countries. While China sees India as a country of faster economic growth and safe destination for Chinese investments, and regard good ties with it is important for its peaceful rise, the thinking in India too is that peaceful relations with China is important for the progress of initiatives like the 'Make in India', they said. At their summit, the two leaders were expected to have a "heart-to-heart" chat and look at the big picture of the bilateral ties, they said. The summit is taking place as Xi, now regarded as the most powerful leader of China is poised for a longer tenure in the office after the last month's removal of the two-term limit for president. The summit provides an opportunity for the 64-year-old Chinese leader to elaborate on the contours of his oft-stated Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, while Modi was expected to highlight the importance of campaigns like the 'Make in India' and his vision of "Vasudeva Kutumbakam", (the world as a single family) they said. The Modi-Xi summit meeting is taking place in the backdrop of a series of high-level interactions between both the two countries starting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to India in December, the first after the Doka La standoff. It was followed by two meetings between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi and the visit early this year by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale to Beijing. Days after the launch of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's annual report in Lahore, its editor Maryam Hasan had her home 'burgled' by miscreants who took away her laptop, hard drives, mobile phones Barely three days after the launch of the State of Human Rights in 2017 report in Lahore, its editor Maryam Hasan a consultant engaged to edit the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) annual report received some unwelcome visitors at night. The annual reports are a detailed document assessing the state of injustice in Pakistan and in the past too, human rights defenders have been attacked, harassed, even killed and there have been attempts to intimidate HRCP. The HRCP, founded in 1987 by the late Asma Jahangir (who was also targeted and attacked) and other leading public figures, has been unwavering in its mission of documenting abuses through fact-finding and upholding its mission in very difficult circumstances in a country which much like India, gives human rights short shrift. The raid on Maryam Hasans house was roundly condemned by HRCP and the details in its statement indicate that this was no common burglary. Read on Firstpost: Remembering the life and legacy of Asma Jahangir, Pakistan's indomitable 'lioness' Two armed men broke into her house at night and took away her laptop, hard drives, her mobile phones and even some cash and jewellery. They told Ms Hasan, who lives alone, that they had also come the day before, but not committed burglary since she had not been at home. They questioned her about her professional engagements and intimidated her in a roundabout manner, finally leaving at 10 pm, the statement issued on 20 April said. HRCP also suspected that the two suave raiders were no ordinary thieves and demanded the arrest of the culprits. Something that is unlikely to happen. As Reema Omer, international legal advisor (Pakistan), International Commission of Jurists commented via email to Firstpost, What makes this all the more troubling is that not a single perpetrator has been successfully brought to justice in such cases, and the States response has only been silence, denial, or hollow condemnation. The raid was preceded by not only by the launch of the HRCPs blistering annual report but a constant flow of media statements on the abysmal condition of human rights in Pakistan. The HRCP has been nothing short of heroic in its consistency and commitment to defend human rights. Omer said that the raid is deeply alarming. If HRCP and its staff are no longer secure, it shows the vulnerability of each and every human rights worker and organisation and the rapid pace at which the space for such work in shrinking in the country. Ironically, HRCPs annual report itself has documented in detail the increased clampdown on human rights defenders in recent months. Last year, the UN Human Rights Committee too expressed concern at the harassment, disappearance, and killing of human rights defenders, she added. In her introduction to the 300-plus page report, Maryam Hasan didnt mince words: Painting a grim picture of the situation in 2017, she doubted if Pakistans commitment to human rights can be fulfilled, an observation which cannot have delighted the establishment. In 2017, there were 333,103 cases pending in various courts and HRCP reported 868 cases of enforced disappearances received in 2017 by the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, of which 555 were disposed of but the real numbers are likely to be far higher. There was no abatement in violence against religious minorities, with Christians, Ahmedis, Hazaras, Hindus and Sikhs all coming under attack. The report said journalists and bloggers continue to sustain threats, attacks and abductions, and the blasphemy law served to coerce people into silence. While the number of deaths linked to terrorism continued to decline, violence against soft targets such as religious minorities and law enforcement agencies increased. In total, more than 5,660 crimes were reported against women in Pakistans four provinces during the first 10 months of the year. A study shows more Pakistanis died in incidents described as encounters than in gun violence or in suicide attacks in 2017. The year also witnessed an increase in blasphemy-related violence and mob attacks. Ironically, 2017 was also the year when Pakistan was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council which was hailed as a diplomatic success, and also the year when Pakistans human rights situation was assessed during the third Universal Periodic Review (UPR), on 13 November 2017 in Geneva. In March, when the government had to adopt the outcome of the UPR, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and HRCP slammed Pakistan saying it had missed another opportunity to show its commitment to address key human rights issues during the United Nations backed review. According to HRCP, the Pakistani government accepted 168 of the 289 recommendations it received from UN member states during the UPR while 117 recommendations were noted and four were rejected. It did not accept any of the 14 recommendations that called for the repeal or amendment of blasphemy laws as well as a recommendation to take steps to protect freedom of expression online. HRCP deemed Pakistans response to review its human rights situation was inadequate. During the UPR, among several aspects, the country did not commit to ending the death penalty, or accept recommendations that called for an end to the use of military courts for the trial of civilians. Neither did it commit to protecting the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community. None of the 10 recommendations that called for the adoption of measures aimed at protecting religious minorities and the right to freedom of religion or belief enjoyed the governments support. As in Pakistan, Indian human rights campaigners have also claimed that India commits to implementing UPR recommendations but does little on the ground. There is little to cheer in the human rights record of both countries. A recent Amnesty report said that India and Pakistan still recorded significantly higher numbers of death sentences imposed as compared to other countries. Little wonder that those who dare to show a mirror to the government are burgled. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday dismissed reports that the CPEC could be a debt trap for Pakistan and described the $ 50 billion project as a new form of cooperation between China and Pakistan. Karachi: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday dismissed reports that the CPEC could be a debt trap for Pakistan and described the $ 50 billion project as a new form of cooperation between China and Pakistan. Addressing a seminar on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Abbasi said the project is a reality despite reservations from different quarters. He said Pakistan looked at the CPEC as a partnership between the two governments. The CPEC, a flagship project of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has become a major stumbling block for the China-India ties. India protested about the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) disregarding India's sovereignty concerns. Rebutting reports that the CPEC could be a debt trap for Pakistan, he said people need to read history. "Three years ago CPEC was unheard off but today it is a reality acknowledged by many countries. The BRI initiative of Chinese President Xi is a project for generations," he said. "Recently, we discussed security and connectivity with Afghanistan, who also recognises the CPEC as an opportunity." The prime minister said that two power projects under the CPEC initiative have been completed and the third one is about to be finished. The IMF last year cautioned that the corridor projects will generate outflows of as much as $4.5 billion by 2024, while the export benefits of the projects will likely accrue gradually over time. It said filling the gap in between could pose a policy challenge. Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing in his address made it clear that the CPEC is not just about economic growth but about connectivity between the two countries. He noted that for the past 40 years, China has made every effort to develop and grow its economy and combined socialism and market economy to benefit people. "China wants to see its relationship with Pakistan serve as an example for its relations with other states," Jing said. "We look at the CPEC as a significant project. I'm proud that after five years of implementation, it (CPEC) has contributed to Pakistan's development. CPEC is not just about economic growth; we want to develop a community," he said. Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif also addressed the summit insisting that the CPEC has helped strengthen the federation of Pakistan. "Those who doubt intentions of the Chinese are enemies of Pakistan. China is one of Pakistan's most reliable friends. Once the Chinese were convinced that people of Pakistan rightly deserved their support, then came President Xi's vision of belt and road initiative (BRI) which came to be known as CPEC," he said. Grieving Afghans buried their loved ones in Kabul on Monday amid growing anger over a suicide attack on a voter registration centre in the city that killed at least 57 people. Kabul: Grieving Afghans buried their loved ones in Kabul on Monday amid growing anger over a suicide attack on a voter registration centre in the city that killed at least 57 people including children and wounded more than 100. The bomber blew himself up on Sunday morning in a large crowd queueing to collect their national ID certificates so they could register to vote in long-delayed legislative elections scheduled for October. The force of the blast, which was claimed by the Islamic State group, caused carnage in the street in the heavily Shiite-populated neighbourhood in the west of the Afghan capital. Anguish turned to anger on social media as ordinary Afghans blamed the Kabul government for failing to protect its people a constant refrain after such attacks. "They (the government) arrest them and then release them to kill innocent people," Ahmad Ahmadi wrote on Facebook. A Facebook user called Aminullah posted: "This government is intentionally creating chaos to continue their term illegally. The only way forward is to vote and get rid of this corrupt government." Funerals for some of the victims began hours after the attack on Sunday and more bodies were buried on Monday. At one of the largest Shiite cemeteries in Kabul, half a dozen freshly dug graves could be seen. Around 16 bodies were buried on Sunday afternoon and more funerals were planned. The attack was the latest in a series of assaults on voter registration centres across the country, fuelling concerns over the impact on participation in the upcoming parliamentary and district council elections. Centres in the central province of Ghor and the northwestern province of Badghis have been attacked since voter registration began on 14 April. Over the next two months, authorities hope to register up to 14 million adults at more than 7,000 polling centres for the parliamentary and district council elections. Officials have been pushing people to register amid fears a low turnout will undermine the credibility of the polls, which are seen as a test run for next year's presidential vote. Independent Election Commission spokesman Shafi Jalali said Sunday's attack would not interrupt election preparations. "We hold meetings with security force almost every day and they have assured us that they will provide security for all voter registration centres," Jalali told AFP. "The process has not been interrupted and it will continue." The full Senate is still expected to consider Pompeo's nomination later this week. But the rare rebuke expected from the panel Monday, even after Pompeo's recent visit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, would be the first time in years that a nominee for the high-level Cabinet position did not receive a favorable committee vote. President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, is facing serious opposition before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which may not have enough votes to recommend him for confirmation because all Democrats, and at least one Republican, have said they will oppose him. The full Senate is still expected to consider Pompeo's nomination later this week. But the rare rebuke expected from the panel Monday, even after Pompeo's recent visit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, would be the first time in years that a nominee for the high-level Cabinet position did not receive a favorable committee vote. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the chairman of the committee, blamed partisan politics for opposition to Pompeo, now the CIA director, saying Pompeo is just as qualified as past secretaries of state nominees Hillary Clinton or John Kerry, both of whom received overwhelming support. "We are in an era where somebody like this, who is qualified, unfortunately, is likely to be voted out without recommendation or with a negative recommendation," Corker said Sunday on "State of the Union" on CNN. "It's just sad that our nation has devolved politically to this point." White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders called on Democrats to support Pompeo Monday, saying on Fox News: "at some point Democrats have to decide whether they love this country, more than they hate this president." Pompeo's confirmation before the full Senate now hangs in balance, with the votes of just a handful of senators determining whether he becomes the nation's top diplomat after Trump fired Rex Tillerson last month. Key Democrats, including some who had voted for Pompeo as CIA director last year, are peeling away, and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky remains opposed, despite personal overtures from the president. Pressure is mounting on senators from both sides. White House allies are unloading ad campaigns against Democrats from Trump-won states, including North Dakota, Indiana and Missouri, to vote for the president's nominee. But progressive groups are pounding senators' offices in opposition to Pompeo's hawkish foreign policy views and negative comments about gay marriage and Muslims. As soon as Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., announced her support last week, one group called on her to switch. "I don't agree with every position he's taken or every word he has spoken," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Sunday on "Meet the Press" on NBC. "But I believe he has an extensive knowledge of world affairs that has been enhanced by his time at the CIA." Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., who met with the nominee last week, "has concerns about Mr. Pompeo's nomination to serve as secretary of state," said spokesperson Ricki Eshman. The senator "is reviewing his record before making a final decision." In the committee, the opposition has been building ahead of Monday's session. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who was among the last Democrats on the panel to announce his no vote, said he's is concerned that Pompeo "will embolden, rather than moderate or restrain" Trump's "most belligerent and dangerous instincts." "I do not make this decision lightly or without reservations," Coons said in a statement Friday. "However, I remain concerned that Director Pompeo will not challenge the President in critical moments. On vital decisions facing our country, Director Pompeo seems less concerned with rule of law and partnership with our allies and more inclined to emphasize unilateral action and the use of force." Rather than allow an unfavorable vote on the panel, where Republicans have a one-seat majority, senators could choose not to issue a recommendation if Pompeo cannot find enough backing. The committee action won't necessarily stall Pompeo's confirmation before the full Senate, but it would be an unusual setback not seen since the panel took a pass on John Bolton, President George W. Bush's pick for ambassador to the United Nations. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who has been among Pompeo's most vocal champions in the Senate, lambasted his colleagues ahead of voting. "Democrats, especially on the Foreign Relations Committee, are really engaged in shameful political behavior," Cotton said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation." But several Democratic senators who supported Pompeo for CIA director say Pompeo's views are not reflective of those they want in the top diplomat. US police hunted a semi-nude gunman who shot four people dead at a waffle restaurant Sunday after he fled from a 'hero' who disarmed him. US police hunted a semi-nude gunman who shot four people dead at a waffle restaurant Sunday after he fled from a "hero" who disarmed him. Police in the Tennessee city of Nashville said the suspect in the country's latest mass shooting may have had "mental issues," and the incident led the city's mayor to issue an unusually blunt call for "comprehensive gun reform." The Metro Nashville Police Department said three people were shot dead at the all-night Waffle House restaurant in the suburb of Antioch at 3.25 am (0825 GMT). The fourth victim died in hospital and two others were wounded. Police identified the suspect as Travis Reinking and said he could be armed with a rifle and a handgun, after firing an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle at the restaurant, where he was nude except for a green jacket. A military-style weapon, the AR-15 has been regularly used in US mass shootings. James Shaw, 29, told a press conference that he and his friend had sat down in the diner after visiting a nightclub, when they thought a pile of plates had crashed. "I saw the Waffle House employees scatter. Then I looked back and I saw a person laying on the ground right at the entrance of the door," said Shaw, wearing a brown suit jacket and with his right forearm bandaged. Shaw said he slid from his table and moved toward the door, which the gunman was trying to enter after apparently firing through the glass. "I'm pretty sure he grazed my arm," said Shaw, 29. "I kind of made up my mind, because there's no way to lock that door, that if it was gonna come down to it, he was gonna have to work to kill me." As the shooter was either reloading, or the weapon jammed, Shaw ran and hit him with the swivel door, leading to a scuffle. "I managed to get him with one hand on the gun, and then I grabbed it from him and threw it over the countertop," before getting the suspect outside, Shaw said. A sheriff in Illinois says Reinking's state firearms card was revoked in 2017 by state police, but his guns were given to his father with the promise that they wouldn't be shared with his son. The Metro Nashville Police Department says arrest warrants charging Reinking with murder have been issued. Police say Reinking was from Morton, Illinois, but moved to Nashville in 2017. Sheriff Robert Huston in Tazewell County, Illinois, says his department has "no information" on how Reinking got the weapons again. Huston says Reinking's father has a valid firearm ownership card, and his officers didn't believe they had any authority to seize the weapons. He says the father agreed to "keep the weapons secure and out of the possession of Travis." Police said they believe the gunman discarded the jacket while fleeing to his home, where he put on a pair of pants and then disappeared into nearby woods. Guns were confiscated It was the second shooting in months to traumatize Nashville, but only the latest of many in the US with large casualties. A grassroots campaign featuring mass rallies for gun control has emerged since February, when a former student opened fire with an AR-15 at a Florida high school, killing 17 students and staff. After that attack, businesses including Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods took measures to restrict access to firearms but there has been no major legislation to control guns. In September, a 25-year-old killed one person and wounded six others during Sunday services at a church in Nashville, which prefers to be known for its country music heritage. That was just one of the more than 30,000 gun-related deaths annually in the United States. "We need comprehensive gun reform to address mass shootings, domestic shootings, accidental shootings and homicides," Nashville Mayor David Briley told the press conference. He said these "weapons of war" should be removed from the nation's streets. "It's happening too much. Enough is enough," Briley said. The mayor hailed Shaw's courage, as did Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson and Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer. "You don't get to meet many heroes in life, Mr Shaw, but you are a hero. You are my hero. You saved people's lives," Ehmer told him. "We're forever in your debt." Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters that Reinking, originally from Illinois, had been arrested by the US Secret Service for being in a restricted area near the White House in July 2017. At that time, his Illinois firearms authorization was revoked and his weapons -- including the AR-15 -- were seized. But local authorities in Illinois later returned them to Reinking's father, "who has now acknowledged giving them back to his son," Aaron said. With inputs from agencies In 2012, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld Obamacare in a 5-4 ruling, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing the majority opinion. Many Obamacare opponents believe Roberts used contorted reasoning to save the law by labeling Obamacare's individual mandate penalty a tax. Now, six years later, 20 states have seized on the Roberts ruling to ask the courts again to undo Obamacare. These states filed a lawsuit indicating that because the December 2017 tax reform bill repealed the individual mandate penalty, there's no longer any legal rationale for the mandate. They also argue that because there's no "severability clause" in Obamacare, the entire law must be struck down. If this sounds confusing, read on to unpack what's going on with this latest attempt to undo Obamacare through the courts. The Obamacare mandate was ruled a tax Almost as soon as Obamacare passed, dozens of lawsuits were filed challenging its constitutionality. One of the lawsuits with the potential to do the greatest damage attacked the individual mandate at the heart of the law. The individual mandate required Americans to buy qualifying health insurance coverage unless they fit within an exemption or had coverage through a group policy or government program. Those who didn't buy coverage would face a penalty. The mandate was key to bringing healthy people into Obamacare's insurance markets and stabilizing them, since insurers were forbidden from denying coverage or charging more to people with pre-existing conditions. Opponents of the law argued Congress didn't have the power to require individuals to purchase a product from private insurers, while the Obama administration argued authority for the mandate came from the Commerce Clause, which gives the federal government power to regulate commerce "among the several states." A majority of the Supreme Court didn't buy Obama's commerce clause argument for reasons not relevant to this discussion -- but the court didn't strike down the individual mandate. Instead, a 5-4 majority joined in a ruling stating Congress had the authority to pass the mandate under its power to levy taxes. "The federal government does not have the power to order people to buy health insurance," Chief Justice Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. "The federal government does have the power to impose a tax on those without health insurance." It was this ruling -- that the mandate was a tax -- that brings us to the new court challenge. The tax has been repealed -- so the law has to go? In December of 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated the tax penalty for not purchasing insurance. Beginning in 2019, those who don't obtain minimum essential coverage will no longer owe a tax. However, Obamacare and its mandate remain the law of the land -- there's just no longer a tax penalty to enforce the mandate. This led 20 states to file a lawsuit arguing the mandate unlawfully remains on the books "without any accompanying exercise of Congress's taxing power." In other words, there's no longer legal justification for the mandate since the Supreme Court already held Congress didn't have the authority to enact the mandate unless it was a tax. At first glance, it would appear this just would result in the mandate being struck down -- which would have little impact because the penalty has already been repealed. However, the lawsuit claims the entirety of Obamacare should be struck down due to the unjustifiable mandate because there's no "severability clause." A severability clause is frequently included in legislation and says if part of the law is struck down, the remainder of the law stands. Since Obamacare has no severability clause, the states argue that if the mandate is beyond the power of Congress, the entire law -- including coverage requirements and subsidy structure -- should be struck down, as well. Is this argument likely to be successful? Whether the argument has merits or not, striking down Obamacare years after implementation would cause significant disruption. Since Chief Justice Roberts went out of his way to save the law even before it was in effect, there's little reason to think the court won't find a way to preserve Obamacare now. While the makeup of the court has changed since the 2012 ruling -- Neil Gorsuch replaced Antonin Scalia -- this change won't tip the balance because Scalia was among the four justices who voted against Obamacare initially. Unless one of the five justices who preserved Obamacare is replaced before the new lawsuit reaches the court, the lawsuit is likely to become another failed attack. However, with several justices advancing in age, President Trump may have the chance to nominate more justices to the Supreme Court with ideological objections to Obamacare. If so, the tax framework that saved Obamacare in 2012 may prove to be its undoing. What happens if the court strikes down Obamacare? If the Supreme Court determined Obamacare was unconstitutional and overturned the law, this would undo fundamental changes made to the U.S. insurance system, including protection for people with pre-existing conditions and a Medicaid expansion that opened up eligibility to families with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level. The result would likely be millions losing coverage. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office determined repeal of Obamacare would likely lead to 32 million more uninsured Americans over a decade. It would also double insurance premiums and insurers would likely begin excluding sick people from coverage and selling policies that don't include minimum essential benefits such as maternity care or mental health coverage. While there would likely be tremendous pressure on the federal government to provide some type of fix, divided government might make this impossible, leaving Americans to cope with an insurance market in chaos. Those concerned about the fate of Obamacare -- whether you prefer repeal or for the law to be upheld -- should remember that questions over the law's fate remain very much undecided. In early November 2017, management at Cameco Corp (NYSE:CCJ) announced the widely expected decision to slash the annual dividend paid to shareholders from about $0.31 per share to about $0.06 per share. It was yet another move by the uranium miner to preserve cash and weather out the storm, and was announced simultaneously with the decision to temporarily suspend operations at two of its largest mines. About 84% of the workers at those locations were laid off, although the mines are expected to come back on line after 10 months. While slashing the dividend wasn't fun for shareholders, it will save Cameco about $99 million in annual payments. In comparison, the current distribution amounts to just $25 million in annual payments. That should be manageable for the uranium miner in the year ahead, which ended 2017 with $469 million in cash and short-term investments. However, as uranium prices continue to slide, investors may be wondering how long Cameco's dividend can even survive. Uranium prices continue to fall Cameco is partially insulated from falling uranium prices because a large amount of its supply is sold under long-term contracts, which provide significant premiums compared to current spot prices. Last year that handed the company a 66% pricing advantage over average spot prices. Nonetheless, the price of the company's long-term contracts are still affected by the continued slide in uranium selling prices. Management summarized the current predicament when announcing the dividend cut back in November: "Uranium prices have fallen by more than 70% since the Fukushima accident in March 2011 and remain at unsustainably low levels. Cameco has been partially sheltered from the full impact of weak prices by its portfolio of long-term contracts, but those contracts are running out and it is necessary to position the company today to generate cash flow if prices do not improve." Management thinks that global reactor growth will help to lift markets out of their rut in the long term. That may be true, but it's worth considering that China's nuclear investments could have little impact on global uranium prices for several non-obvious reasons. Meanwhile, reactor growth elsewhere could be canceled out by retirements in the United States and Germany. An investment in Cameco today is essentially making a bet between two outcomes: Either the uranium market improves soon and disaster is avoided, or the company's long-term contracts expire in a weak pricing environment and things really get interesting. Investors are hoping that uranium buyers are simply playing a game of chicken with suppliers in an attempt to extract more favorable prices in their next batch of long-term contracts. Unfortunately, prices have yet to improve, according to data published by Cameco. Consider how uranium spot prices per pound through the first three months of 2018 compare to recent years: Month 2018 2017 2016 2015 January $21.88 $24.50 $34.70 $37.00 February $21.38 $23.00 $32.15 $38.63 March $21.05 $23.88 $28.70 $39.45 Uranium spot prices were actually lower in mid-2017 (at around $20 per pound) and in late 2016 (bottoming out at $18 per pound), but aren't starting off the year on the right foot. In fact, this is the first time in the last four years that prices haven't improved from December to January. What's unusual about that is the fact that Cameco has taken production offline -- as has the entire country of Kazakhstan (the world's largest uranium producer) -- and is instead meeting supply obligations from inventory. If prices are at "unsustainably low levels" as management believes, then that should begin to show up in market prices soon. The good news for shareholders is that recent cost-cutting measures have resulted in increasing levels of operating cash flow. In 2017 Cameco reported operating cash flow of $472 million, an increase of 91% from the previous year. The company expects to generate significant levels of operating cash flow in 2018, too. Coupled with a strong cash position, the uranium miner will be able to comfortably fund its capital requirements in the year ahead. That includes the dividend. Looking ahead, there's no reason to believe the company couldn't fund overhead and its dividend for at least a few years. But to do so in a worst-case scenario, it would need to keep its largest production assets offline even longer. Given the stagnant outlook for the global nuclear industry, investors need to consider a future in which the current market storm never really blows over, and Cameco is left in a constant state of crisis management. It may never return to its former glory as a top dividend stock. The dividend is safe for now, but... Cameco shares have had a miserable existence in the last several years, but it could have been much worse for shareholders if not for the company's excellent management team. Time and time again, it has made the right (and often difficult) decisions to deftly manage sour market conditions. Additionally, smart management of operations in the good times of years past have positioned the company to better manage market headwinds today. Given the cash balance and expectations for strong operating cash flow in 2018, the dividend should easily survive another year. That said, investors should consider that the global nuclear industry is in decline for good, and that uranium prices may never reach historical levels again. I tend to think that will be the case, which is why I'm not going anywhere near Cameco stock. Andrew Howell, 29, has been in franchising for just four years but he is making big waves in Florida with his growing chain of Tropical Smoothie Cafes. Within six months of opening his first store it jumped to the number-one sales performer in the Orlando market, a position it has maintained ever since. He's now grown to four units in the area with a fifth on the way, and he has aspirations for many more. Howell believes his diehard dedication to the stores was a large factor in his quick success. "I was there every single day for months, often open to close," he says. "I got to know our customers and really pushed to make things right every time." He was drawn to Tropical Smoothie, he says, because he wanted a brand where customers wanted to come in and be happy. "I like hearing the stories of customers' weight loss and journeys to being healthier. I didn't want to feel like I was fattening America," he says. Before franchising, Howell spent time at The Walt Disney Company. "All through college I worked for Disney in one form or another. It was tons of fun, and I think what I really learned was truly how to delivery world-class service, knowing how to deal with upset customers or how to do little things that make the experience better. I bring that to my cafes and push for my staff to understand and deliver the same." One of Howell's locations is a non-traditional unit on the campus of the University of Central Florida, inside UCF's College of Nursing. He says he purchased the existing unit because he saw the potential and believed he could ramp up operations. "It's slower in the mornings since it's on a college campus, so we pushed a lot of catering through that store in the mornings," he says. He also made some staffing changes and rethought the marketing plans. The store is currently up 40 percent in sales over the previous year, he says. His newest location is only a mile-and-a-half from campus, a site he hopes will provide additional brand awareness to UCF students. Howell doesn't shy away from big goals. He says he wants to see his Kirkman Road location, in southwest Orlando, hit the million-dollar mark soon, but recognizes that he and his crew will have to push hard to get there. "If we stay on the same comp sales path and can add an additional 75 cents per check, we'll hit it. I'm pushing harder on the catering sales to give us an extra bump to make sure we reach that goal," he says. Name: Andrew Howell Title: Multi-unit franchisee Company: Tropical Smoothie Cafe No. of units: 4, with another license to build Age: 29 Family: Kara Howell, wife Years in franchising: 4 Years in current position: 4 Personal First job: My first job was at a funeral home. I did grounds work during the day and was a valet in the evening. Formative influences/events: My wife is always there for me. When it's really tough she always keeps me calm, and when things are going well she pushes me to keep going and move the needle a little more. Key accomplishments: Within only six months of opening my first store it was number-one in sales in the Orlando market and has continued to hold that position ever since. I turned a profit on two stores I purchased from another franchisee, one of which is currently up 40 percent in comp sales for the year. I was also nominated for Franchisee of the Year in 2015. Biggest current challenge: Trying to find a great drive-thru location. I've been hunting for that perfect property at the right price but it's not easy to find. Next big goal: Pushing my first store to break the $1 million sales mark. First turning point in your career: Going from a single-unit operator to a multi-unit operator. Best business decision: Sometimes you have to know when to hold and when to fold. When I was operating five locations it required more TLC than I was able to give at the time. I've since been able to sell it to a single-store operator who is doing a great job there. It allowed me to free up and refocus my efforts into growth in a different direction. Hardest lesson learned: The first winter was tough. I learned how to adjust my workforce and cut labor quickly. I know my labor goals now and I rarely miss them. Work week: I leave Mondays open on my schedule to solve any problems that may have come up over the weekend to get that out of the way early. I typically pick a store the rest of the week to work from. I can do computer work from anywhere, but sitting in a cafe allows me to see more of what's happening. I then jump in at lunch, our busiest time, and run a station, typically the register so I can talk to customers and monitor the lobby. Exercise/workout: I do yoga. While it's physical, it makes me mentally check out and just focus on the simple task at hand. Best advice you ever got: Surround yourself with people who are good at your weaknesses. What's your passion in business? People. I enjoy the customers and the employees alike. How do you balance life and work? If my phone is on I'm probably doing some type of work, email, checking sales and labor, something work-related. My wife and I make sure we take one really good vacation a year where I turn my phone off for 10 days. It's something I would recommend to everyone--getting away from social media and just being present with the world around you. Guilty pleasure: Pizza. Despite owning healthy restaurants, I love a good pizza. Favorite book: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. Favorite movie: "Top Gun." What do most people not know about you? I really enjoy classical music. I listen to Wagner and Mozart at home a lot. Pet peeve: Poor English. What did you want to be when you grew up? For the longest time I wanted to be a pilot. However that changed for me when I was 14 years old, having overheard a conversation between my dad and the CEO of his previous franchise company. The interaction between the two of them and the business discussions they had just captivated me. Last vacation: My wife and I spent 10 days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Person I'd most like to have lunch with: Ernest Hemingway. His adventures just fascinate me. Management Business philosophy: People first, always. Management method or style: My role as the owner is to take care of my managers. If they're happy my staff will be happy, and if my staff is happy my customers are happy. Greatest challenge: As I said, trying to find a drive-thru location at the right price in Orlando. How do others describe you? I actually cheated on this question and asked a few of my closest managers. They all said personable and enjoyed how much I cared about everyone. One thing I'm looking to do better: I need to be more organized. I tend to be doing several things at a time, and that leads to missing a few things here and there. How I give my team room to innovate and experiment: Any team member who has an idea is always encouraged to bring it to the managers or to me. I've had great ideas come to me simply because someone is working on something and says, "This might be faster." They're the ones on the food line every day so I trust their ideas. How close are you to operations? Five days a week I'm in a store. I make sure I'm always in a store for lunch during the weekdays no matter what. We live and die by our lunch rush, so I make sure I'm there. What are the two most important things you rely on from your franchisor? Quality of menu is crucial. I'm not a chef, but I need to know the items we get are quality. Supply chain is huge. I need to know that when we have a new item our distributor has it and I can order it whenever I need. What I need from vendors: Punctuality. If a vendor says they're sending a part or a piece of material on Tuesday, I need it there that day since I will have scheduled myself to handle that task on that day. Have you changed your marketing strategy in response to the economy? How? I try to avoid coupons. The economy is no longer in a situation where everyone is saving all their pennies. I like giving samples at events. The products sell themselves. How is social media affecting your business? It keeps you focused on quality. You can make 500 items perfectly, but if number 501 is not right that could be the one someone Instagrams and shows to a million followers. Since every customer has a voice to the world, it leaves no room for carelessness. How do you hire and fire? Our CEO, Mike Rotondo, once said: "Hire smart or manage tough." I have to remember that. No matter how short-staffed you are, never just hire to fill a hole. Find the right person. How do you train and retain? Inspect what you expect. The trick is making sure people don't fall into bad habits and shortcuts. When you see bad habits arise make sure to reiterate proper procedure. How do you deal with problem employees? I try to talk them through it first. I never like to see someone fail. However, sometimes the inevitable happens. Fastest way into my doghouse: Don't do your job. We all succeed or fail together. I have to rely on everyone doing what they're supposed to so I can focus on what I'm supposed to. Life Under 30 How did you get into franchising at such a young age? My father had been in franchising since before I was born, so the lifestyle and style of work was ingrained into me from day one. In fact, after he was able to see the success I had with the brand, he became a Tropical Smoothie franchisee in the Fort Myers market. Was becoming a franchisee something you'd planned on? As I grew up I obviously explored lots of possibilities, but I think given my family's business background, it was almost inevitable. Did you have a mentor or inspiration for getting into franchising? My father for sure. He has been very successful in multiple brands. And, as I mentioned, from day one I saw the long hours and hard work it takes to succeed, so the hard work of self-employment was always visible to me. What jobs, skills, and experience have helped you operate a franchise business? I'm a people person. I can talk to anyone. It helps a lot with my staff. I know what their needs are, and their frustrations, so I can better lead. I also worked for Disney throughout college, so customer service was always seen as the key to success. What kinds of obstacles did you face in franchising at such a young age? Financing was the first hurdle. A bank doesn't lend hundreds of thousands to a 24-year-old typically. My dad was huge in securing the capital. How would you describe your generation? Unorthodox. We like to work from our phones at random times. We don't want to be bossed around--we want to be taught what to do and why we need to. We use technology all the time for good and bad. We're always accessible. Do you see franchising as a stepping-stone or a career for you? I see franchising as my career. I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be able to continue to grow within Tropical Smoothie, 5, 10, 25 stores, just keep pushing. Bottom Line Annual revenue: I anticipate $1.4 million in 2017 for my two traditional cafes currently open. 2018 goals: I just opened a new store about a mile from UCF's main campus. This is my fourth cafe and we are confident, given the location and our expertise, that it will take off quickly. Another major goal for 2018 is I will be pushing my first store to break the $1 million mark. Growth meter: How do you measure your growth? Comp sales are huge. I know I'm growing if I can maintain 10 to 15 percent over the previous year. Vision meter: Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years? In 5 years I would like to be debt-free. In 10 years I have some political aspirations, but that's a conversation for another time. How is the economy in your region affecting you, your employees, your customers? Orlando is a young city and there is a ton of growth. Lots of people come here for school, which makes hiring easier. The boom of the city, though, also brings in loads of competition. Are you experiencing economic growth in your market? Absolutely. The entire city is growing and is one of the largest tourist destinations in the world. How do changes in the economy affect the way you do business? Rent factors change. As the economy has turned in the last few years, you can see the price of rent climbing. How do you forecast for your business? I keep an eye on weather and school schedules. Spring break or exam week will affect us differently. Knowing when the colleges and high schools have breaks can help prepare for sales changes. What are the best sources for capital expansion? BB&T has been my bank of choice. I continue to build my relationship with my banker. I share sales and now we're on a texting basis. Experience with private equity, local banks, national banks, other institutions? Why/why not? As noted, BB&T has been my bank of choice. What are you doing to take care of your employees? I listen to their needs. It's a young staff and if they're stressed about a relationship or a test, sometimes they just want to talk and ask my opinion. It helps build a level of trust, too. How are you handling rising employee costs (payroll, minimum wage, healthcare, etc.)? We slightly raise prices once a year so that helps. We just have to really be mindful of labor control. How do you reward/recognize top-performing employees? I try to reward and recognize those who stand out. We provide gift cards to people who go above and beyond. We have the SMG surveys and we post the compliments about employees on the board. What kind of exit strategy do you have in place? Retirement is at least 35 years away for me, so who knows how many stores I'll own by then? But after I'm completely done with the business world, my hope is to become a professor. By Ivan Ssenabulya. Accompanied by her lawyers, her majesty has defended herself against allegations of land grabbing made by a section of kingdom officials before the land probe commission sitting in Wandegeya. In their petition to the land commission, royal family members accused the Queen Mother of grabbing the kingdom land and selling cultural sites such as burial grounds of their forefathers at Kagoma and Burongo in Kibitto and Kisomoro sub-counties respectively. However Kemigisa has told the land commission chaired by Justice Catherine Bamugemereirwe that like any other woman she was given this property rightfully from her husband. Evidence before land commission shows that upon the death of her husband, King Patrick Mathew Olimi Kaboyo on 3rd August 1995, the Queen Mother acquired letters of administration as a sole administrator of the estate in 1999 which formed basis for transfer of the land into her names and subsequent sale of the royal family land. Dental Fix Awards Two New Franchise Territories in the State of Arizona Fast-Growing Mobile Dental Equipment Repair Franchise Continues Rapid Expansion in Arizona Market April 23, 2018 // Franchising.com // DAVIE, Fla. - Dental Fix Rx, a fast-growing national mobile dental equipment repair franchise, has officially signed agreements with Jon Hughes, a Phoenix, Arizona-based entrepreneur for two franchise territories in the State of Arizona. These agreements are the 2nd and 3rd franchises Dental Fix RX has awarded in the month of April, and 3rd and 4th overall in the State of Arizona. Over the past few years, Dental Fix Rx has grown tremendously, said David Lopez, CEO of Dental Fix RX. Our concept continues to do well and attract attention from the dental industry and franchise prospects alike, because of our strong reputation as the faster, more cost-effective solution when it comes to equipment repairs. Dental Fix continues to be North Americas only on-site dental equipment repair franchise. With more than 25,000 dental customers served throughout United States, Canada and Mexico, the company offers clients timely, on-site and customized services that produce quick, yet high-quality repairs. Franchise owners receive all the tools necessary to perform a variety of repairs on dental equipment, such as handpieces, chairs, vacuum pumps and more, all from a fully-equipped mobile repair van. Extensive pre- and post-launch training with continual sales and marketing support is also offered along with an industry exclusive, money-back guarantee. Our focus in recent years has been on developing more national partnerships with dental service organizations and strengthening existing programs that drive value for our customers and growth for our franchise system, Lopez added. The dental equipment repair sector is a $38 billion industry. Theres tremendous opportunity here for our brand and we have the right systems and programs in place to capture it. The companys partnership with Darby Dental Supply is evidence that Dental Fix Rx has the ability to dominate the dental equipment repair sector. The Darby Group, the nations largest all-telesales distributor of dental products, became an equity partner in the national mobile dental equipment repair service franchise in 2016. Through this long-term relationship, Dental Fix Rx franchisees are able to generate revenue by offering Darby Dental Supply products to dental practices; Darby also refers work to Dental Fix Rx franchise owners from its 37,000 supply customers. To find out more about Dental Fix franchise opportunities, visit the DentalFixRx.com/franchise. About Dental Fix Rx Founded in 2009, Dental Fix Rx is a fast-growing mobile dental equipment repair service franchise that is revolutionizing the dental service industry by delivering immediate, on-demand equipment service, hand-piece repairs and cost-effective consumable products through its network of highly-trained franchise professionals. With local franchise owners serving businesses within their market, Dental Fix Rx completes repairs on-site from mobile repair centers that are equipped to fix a wide range of equipment found in any practice from compressors to chair upholstery. The company has awarded more than 200 franchise territories that service over 25,000 customers throughout North America. For more information, visit www.dentalfixRx.com. For franchise information, call (855) 242-5230 or visit www.dentalfixRx.com/franchise/. Contact: Dan Chiljean Sr. Director of Business Development Dental Fix RX Franchising, LLC 917.751.1950 Cell 954.697.0877 Fax dan.chiljean@dentalfixrx.com SOURCE Dental Fix Rx ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus FirstLight Home Care is Coming to Hawaii National non-medical home care provider announces plan to expand to the Honolulu area. April 23, 2018 // Franchising.com // HONOLULU - FirstLight Home Care, an award-winning provider of non-medical home care, today announced it will open an office in Honolulu, the first one for the Hawaiian Islands. The new FirstLight location is scheduled to open in July and will be owned and operated by Oahu residents, Lauri and Scott Topping. Weve seen a vital need here, said Lauri Topping. Because of the high cost of living in Hawaii, most families need dual incomes, so a lot of people have to take off work to care for seniors or loved ones. Were looking forward to giving families peace of mind by providing consistent, high-quality care. The new FirstLight Home Care office will serve area seniors, adults with disabilities, new mothers, those recovering from surgery and other adults in need of assistance. FirstLight caregivers help with many needs from personal hygiene and household duties such as cooking, cleaning and running errands, to mobility assistance and dementia care. Lauri and Scott recognized the growing need in the Honolulu area for the brand of service FirstLight offers and stepped up to the challenge, said Jeff Bevis, FirstLight Home Care co-founder and CEO. Were confident the service provided by the Toppings and the FirstLight caregivers will fill the needs of the communities they serve. This will be a great addition for the Honolulu area. The couple learned firsthand the value of customer service in the airline industry, where they met. Thats also what brought them to Oahu, when Scott Topping accepted a job at Hawaiian Airlines. He has also worked for Kamehameha Schools. We are most excited about FirstLight because of their culture of care, said Scott Topping. Thats what drew us to the company. The people of Hawaii arent eager to complain, but we know we can raise the bar here when it comes to compassionate caregiving. Its also a way to contribute to the community. Since opening its first franchise location in 2010, FirstLight Home Care has experienced steady growth and is now operating more than 250 locations in 34 states throughout the U.S. About FirstLight Home Care FirstLight Home Care is a top rated non-medical home care provider with a network of offices that provides 93,000 hours per week in care for more than 4,300 clients in over 34 states. The company has created a new standard in home care by combining best practices with innovative approaches to make them an emerging market leader in a rapidly-growing industry. Companion and personal care services can be provided at private residences, assisted living and retirement communities, nursing homes, adult-family homes or group homes. Clients include seniors, new mothers, individuals recovering from surgery, adults with disabilities and anyone who might just need a little extra care or assistance. Visit www.firstlighthomecare.com to learn more. Media Contact: Heather Ripley Ripley PR 865-977-1973 hripley@ripleypr.com SOURCE FirstLight Home Care ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Youth from Missouri and Indiana place second and third in National Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest April 23, 2018 Two 17-year-olds from the Midwest Region claimed the second and third place honors at the National Junior Duck Stamp contest. Daniel Billings of Gallatin, Missouri, took second place with an oil painting depicting a redhead duck and third place went to Larissa Weber of Anderson, Indiana with her acrylic rendition of trumpeter swans. A talented young artist from Johns Creek, Georgia took top honors at the contest. An emperor goose painted by 18-year-old Rayen Kang will grace the 2018-2019 Junior Duck Stamp, which raises funds to educate and engage our nations youth in wildlife and wetlands conservation, and outdoor recreation. A panel of five judges chose her entry, painted in acrylic, from among best-of-show entries from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Connecting kids to the outdoors and getting them involved early in hunting, fishing and conservation is incredibly important, said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. Programs like the Junior Duck Stamp help create future conservationists, hunters, outdoor enthusiastsand maybe even the next Teddy Roosevelt. Through the Junior Duck Stamp Program, tens of thousands of students each year learn principles of wildlife conservation, connect with the outdoors, and spark a love of hunting, fishing, birdwatching and other wildlife-related recreation activities, said Service Principal Deputy Director Greg Sheehan. Using science, art and language, the Junior Duck Stamp Program kindles that spark, creating the hunters, anglers and conservationists of tomorrow. Students annually participate in the Junior Duck Stamp Program at school, at home, in after-school groups and at refuges, parks and nature centers. After learning about wetlands, waterfowl and wildlife conservation, they express their learning through a drawing or painting of a duck, goose or swan. The top piece of art in the nation which is chosen at this annual competition is featured on the Junior Duck Stamp, sales of which support educational programs and activities that nurture our next generation of sportsmen and women, and conservationists. The Junior Duck Stamp program began in 1989 as an extension of the Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp, commonly known as the Duck Stamp. The first national Junior Duck Stamp art contest was held in 1993. The stamp encourages students to explore their natural world, participate in outdoor recreation activities, and learn wildlife management principles. Some 3,000 Junior Duck Stamps are sold annually for $5 each. In addition to the art contest, a Junior Duck Stamp Conservation Message Contest encourages students to expresses in words the spirit of what they have learned through classroom discussions, research and planning for their Junior Duck Stamp Contest entries. This years winner is Abigail McIntyre, 16, of Manhattan, Kan., who wrote: Conserving our wetlands is as important as conserving our art. It is our history, our inspiration, our life and our future. I am constantly amazed at the talent of all of our Junior Duck Stamp Program participants, and this year is no exception, said Assistant Director for Migratory Birds Jerome Ford. These young people express their appreciation for nature eloquently through their art and their conservation messages. Tom Cooper, Midwest Region Migratory Birds Chief, added, "The Junior Duck Stamp Program is an incredible program for introducing wetland and waterfowl conservation into the classroom. It blends conservation, science, and art together in a unique way that hopefully helps recruit the next generation of conservationists" "My daughter Aspen participated in the Jr. Duck Program when she was younger and nothing made me prouder than seeing her win her age group back in 2nd grade; she is 23 now and still has fond memories of participating in the program, he said. This year, 52 entries were received by the Junior Duck Stamp contests around the nation. You can see complete contest results along with a gallery of all state Best of Show entries. The Junior Duck Stamp Contest winner receives $1,000. The second-place winner receives $500, the third-place winner receives $200 and the Conservation Message winner receives $200. You can buy Junior Duck Stamps online through the U.S. Postal Service and Amplex, and at some national wildlife refuges. Proceeds from the sale of Junior Duck Stamps are used for awards and scholarships to individuals who submit winning designs in state or national competitions and for awards to schools and other participants to further education activities related to the conservation education goals of the program. The First Day of Sale ceremony for the 2018-2019 Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamp will be held June 29 at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Hanover, Md., just outside of Baltimore. The event begins at 10 a.m. and is free and open to the public. Both winning artists will be available to sign stamps, and the U.S. Postal Service will have a special cancellation for collectors. Rayen Kangs acrylic rendition of an emperor goose took home the honors in this years National Junior Duck Stamp Contest. Photo by USFWS. Daniel Billings of Gallatin, Missouri, took second place with this oil painting depicting a redhead duck. Photo by USFWS. Larissa Weber of Anderson, Indiana, landed third place with her acrylic rendition of trumpeter swans. Photo by USFWS. Cryptocurrency in the state of Wyoming continues to remain in an utter state of confusion according to a recent report on ArmyOfBitcoin.com. State residents have not been able to access their cryptocurrency accounts for over two years since Coinbase decided to suspend operations in the Cowboy State. This all stemmed from a decision by state regulators concerning Coinbase and its Money Transmitter Act. In deciding that cryptocurrency should be regulated under the guidelines of this specific act, it also declared that Coinbase needs to hold fiat currency reserves for any digital assets held by in-state customers. This decision came down in June of 2015. Given just how costly it would be to comply with this requirement, Coinbase.com decided to suspend business operations in Wyoming. This left more than a few customers with cryptocurrency holdings high and dry. Anyone who failed to move their cryptocurrency off this platform in time were faced with an account they could no longer access. The ray of hope for these customers were some recent decisions that changed this status. Earlier in March, a package of bills that were blockchain business friendly included one piece of state legislation that effectively removed the fiat reserve requirement. The affected customers saw this as an avenue to reclaim their crypto assets, but a month later the situation persists.The report states that Coinbase has yet t o take the initiative to resume operations in Wyoming. Quoted in the piece, the co-founder of the Wyoming Blockchain Coalition Caitlin Long stated that, People couldnt get a hold of (Coinbase) customer service. As clarified by ArmyOfBitcoin.com, this situation is not all that surprising. Its summation of the matter points a breakdown in effective customer service by Coinbase. As quoted in this report, The exchanges image has suffered greatly over the past couple of years as its customer support buckled under the pressure of mass adoption. From lackluster uptimes to disabling the accounts of customers on vacations, Coinbase has struggled to keep its reputation clean from its users standpoint-even after its $100 million raise in August.Despite the efforts of the Wyoming Blockchain Coalitions efforts to resolve the matter for state residents caught up in this whole mess, progress has been minimal at best. Frustrated customers continue to relay the details of their own individual dealings with Coinbase in some very unflattering dialogs. Albert Forkner is the states banking commissioner and he recently told ArmyOfBitcoin.com that he has spoken with Coinbase representatives. He relayed that the company is excited about the opportunity to resume operations in Wyoming. His exact words where, Theyll (Coinbase) be looking into the business plan to get accounts reopened in Wyoming. It shouldnt take too long.Longs response to the lack of progress was, If a company is going to be a custodian of customers assets, then it has an obligation to communicate with those customers. Now there is no excuse, and i t comes down to whether Coinbase wants to do right by its customers or not.https://armyofbitcoin. com/category/crypto-news/Bitcoin news and recent cryptocurrency news in general has relayed other stories unfavorable to Coinbase concerning similar issues in Minnesota and Hawaii due to their state regulations. The most large-scale projects implemented in Georgia - GeorgianJournal Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL The first Google smartphones' seems to have already reached the end of its life with Google removing both smartphones from its online store, Google Store. The fact that both the smartphones have been removed from the store is a clear indicator that the smartphones have been discontinued by the company. Google has only sold 3.9 million Pixel phones in 2017 according to IDC. Google URL Shortener With Google shifting its focus towards the possibilities of Firebase Dynamic Links, which are short links which work with both smartphones and desktops easily, Google has announced its decision to shut down its link shortening service - Google Shortener. Google tango, the augmented technology AR - GIZBOT Google AR platform Tango Google's newest AR project ARCore will be replacing Google's first augmented reality project Tango. The support services for Tango was turned down since March 1, 2018. Google Spaces Google Spaces was launched in 2016, it was conceptualised as a platform where small groups could interact and share ideas and content. Google announced that they will be using what they learned about interactions between small groups and apply it to their existing products, and that they will close down the app on April 17, 2018. Google Chrome apps Google informed Chrome app developers through emails that though apps which have already been installed will continue to function, the functionality will be removed in the first quarter of 2018. The app' section of Chrome Web Store was shut down for Windows, Mac and Linux versions of Chrome (but not ChromeOS). GTalk The messaging platform GTalk has been around since 2005 and has been replaced by Google Hangouts. Google Hangouts was launched in 2013. Google Captcha Captcha (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans apart) was shut down in March of 2017. The aim of Google Captcha was to ensure that robots will not spam websites. The Google Captcha was replaced by Google reCaptcha. Titan drone project Google appropriated drone maker Titan with the aim of bringing internet connections to remote places in 2014. But the Google parent Alphabet shut down the program from X division, the reason for this was because the economics didn't work out. Google Site Search Google Site Search allows web publishers to allow the company's search technology to be applied to their websites. The service was started in 2008.But it was announced in February 2018 that the sales will be discontinued by April 1, 2018. Now on Tap feature on Google Assistant Now on Tap' was a feature which allowed the user to search for whatever was on the screen. Google has now removed the Now on Tap' feature found in Android devices. Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro price slashed now at Rs 21,990 in India News oi-Karan Samsung seems to be cutting down the price of last year's midrange smartphone C7 Pro. The company has decided to cut the price and now it is retailing at Rs 21,990 on the e-commerce websites. South Korean tech giant company Samsung seems to be cutting down the price of last year's midrange smartphone C7 Pro. The company has launched the smartphone last year in India at Rs 27,990, which went on sale exclusively on Amazon India. Now, Samsung has decided to cut the price by Rs 6000 and now it is retailing at Rs 21,990 on the e-commerce websites. The Galaxy C7 Pro is the sibling of the Galaxy C9 Pro, which is another midrange smartphone. Galaxy C-series devices are always aimed to be at the value-for-money proposition, but prices under Rs 30,000. There are rival companies which offer phones like OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 5, but best configuration which is considered as premium flagship. Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro specifications In terms of design, the smartphone features a metallic body, along with a 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass that covers almost the entire front. The side bezels on the front are almost negligible, but the top and bottom bezels are too big. The Galaxy C7 Pro comes with a 5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 pixels. The Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 SoC, which is an octa-core processor with a maximum frequency of 2.2 GHz. The processor doesn't seem to be so powerful, but not that bad too. This processor is good for day-to-day use and holds some power to process some heavy-duty jobs too. The processor is clubbed with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal memory storage. However, for some users, 64 GB is not that enough but there is an option of extending the memory up to 256GB via microSD card. The Galaxy C7 Pro comes with a 16-megapixel single camera module on the rear along with a LED flash, and aperture of f/1.9, it also records videos in full HD video format. On the front, the smartphone houses a 16-megapixel front-facing selfie camera with aperture f/1.9. On connectivity part, the smartphone offers 4G LTE with VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS and NFC. It also comes with a USB Type-C reversible port for charging and data transfer. WhatsApp live location sharing feature to Android and iOS The Galaxy C7 Pro is armed with a 3,300mAh battery. It runs the dated Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box, with support for Samsung Pay. 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 Redmi S2 spotted on TENAA listing with specs and design News oi-Karan Xiaomi Redmi S2 is spotted in the TENAA listing with a model number M1803E6E. This new development is dubbed as Redmi S2 and it is expected to debut in China and India first. Chinese Smartphone maker Xiaomi has been reportedly working on its upcoming smartphone Redmi S2 for quite some time now. Recently the phone was spotted in some firmware file and now, the smartphone is spotted in the TENAA listing with a model number M1803E6E. This new development is dubbed as Redmi S2 and it is expected to debut in China and India first. According to the TENAA listing, the Redmi 2S will sport a 5.99-inch HD+ TFT display with a resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels and 18:9 aspect ratio. The phone is said to be powered by a 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC, paired with Adreno 506 GPU. The Redmi S2 will be available in three RAM variants 2GB, 3GB and 4GB. Along with an onboard storage option of 6GB, 32GB, and 64GB respectively. If that is not enough then you also have the option of expanding the memory up to 128GB via microSD card. The listing indicates that Redmi S2 will come with a dual camera setup, with the combination of 12-megapixel Sony IMX486/ OmniVision OV12A10 primary sensor and a 5-megapixel Samsung S5K5E8 secondary sensor. The rear camera on the back also comes with a LED flash and PDAF lens which will be responsible for EIS (electronic image stabilisation). On the front, the new Redmi phone will house a powerful 16-megapixel camera sensor. On connectivity part, the smartphone will support 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS/ A-GPS. Further, there is an Infrared sensor and a rear-facing biometric sensor. The TENAA listing indicates that the dimensions of the phone are 160.73 x 77.26 x 8.1 mm, and it weighs 170 grams. The device is listed in Black, rose gold, gold, white, blue, red, pink, gray, silver colours variants. The phone also comes with a Gravity sensor, distance sensor and a light sensor as per the listing. Xiaomi Mi LED TV 4 First Impressions The Redmi S2 is backed by a powerful 3080mAh battery and runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. However, there are many rumors on the web suggesting specs about the Redmi S2, but we should not that Xiaomi has yet to confirm the phone. So it's better to take this with the pinch of salt and wait for the official announcement. Source 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 Twitter bans Kaspersky Lab ads quoting it might have ties to Russian Intelligence Agencies News oi-Sandeep Sarkar witter has confirmed the ban in an email to Reuters after the development was disclosed in a recent blog post by Kaspersky Lab co-founder Eugene Kaspersky. It was back in December last year that the Trump administration had signed a new law that was implemented to ban the Kaspersky Lab software within the US government agencies. The Trump administration claimed that the Kaspersky Labs was vulnerable and that it might have ties with the Russian Intelligence agencies. Kaspersky Labs had then denied all the claims made by the Trump administration, even when the ruling was passed and the Kaspersky's security software was removed from all of the government machines. Now as per some sources from the web, Twitter has also banned the ads from Kaspersky labs quoting that it has ties to Russian intelligence agencies. Twitter has confirmed the ban in an email to Reuters after the development was disclosed in a recent blog post by Kaspersky Lab co-founder Eugene Kaspersky. The company came to know about the ban in January and has denied the allegations made on it on a repeated basis, claiming that the company is ready to open up its code for further inspection. In a blog post, Kaspersky said that it was surprised by the ban and even asked the company to reconsider its decision. According to them: "We haven't violated any written - or unwritten - rules, and our business model is quite simply the same template business model that's used throughout the whole cybersecurity industry: We provide users with products and services, and they pay us for them". The Kaspersky Lab is further claiming that Twitter is the only social media platform which has banned its advertisements. Back in January Facebook had also removed Kaspersky Lab from a list of anti-virus offerings for the users, The company commented on the ban that: "This decision is based on our determination that Kaspersky Lab operates using a business model that inherently conflicts with acceptable Twitter Ads business practices." Xiaomi Redmi 5, a budget category smartphone Twitter had also claimed that the company was responding to a Department of Homeland Security warning which claimed that the Kaspersky products were a threat to that national security posed by the Russian Government access. However, it would be worth noting the fact that Twitter had previously also banned the Russian media outlets Sputnik and Russia Today from its platform claiming that the publications had interfered in the 2016 US Presidential elections. It would be hard to comment whether Kaspersky is actually a threat to the user base or not, however, if that is the case then we need to look out and use the programs that don't hamper any kind of user experience and are not a threat to a user's privacy. 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 DIPP is considering Idea's proposal for 100% FDI limit News oi-Priyanka Department of Telecom (DoT) is waiting for Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion to give go-ahead for increasing the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in Idea Cellular to 100 percent. The nodal agency for FDI policy, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) is reportedly considering Idea Cellular Ltd's proposal to allow up to 100 percent foreign direct investment in the company, PTI reported. The merger has been already approved by NCLT, Sebi, and CCI and merged entity will have 410 million customers and nearly 42 percent customer market share (CMS) and nearly 37 percent revenue market share (RMS). In fact, Department of Telecom (DoT) is waiting for Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion to give go-ahead for increasing the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in Idea Cellular to 100 percent. "We have received the proposal from the Department of Telecommunications. As the department has added a condition in the proposal, the matter has been referred to the DIPP. It is under consideration of the department," PTI quoted Government official. Another source said that "Only FDI clearance for Idea is pending before the proposed merger with Vodafone (India) can go through." Meanwhile, there is also one report which says that the merger may lead to massive job losses. To recall, Idea Cellular and Vodafone Group Plc announced the proposed leadership team of the combined business, that will have Kumar Mangalam Birla as the non-executive Chairman, while Balesh Sharma (currently Chief Operating Officer of Vodafone India) will be the CEO and he will be responsible for the combined business strategy and its execution as well as driving integration. The existing leadership teams of Idea Cellular and Vodafone India will continue to manage their separate businesses and be accountable for each company's operational performance until the merger becomes effective. It is only upon completion of the merger that the two businesses will cease to operate as distinct and competing entities. Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Idea, Akshaya Moondra will take charge as CFO of the new company. Current Deputy managing director of Idea, Ambrish Jain will take charge as Chief Operating Officer of the new company. Truvison TX408ZA TV review: A mediocre offering with smart functionality However, Sunil Sood will join the Vodafone Group AMAP Leadership Team and also help governance through Board memberships. The Aditya Birla Group intends to nominate Himanshu Kapania as the non-executive Board member of the merged entity. Best Mobiles in India Poonam Kaur Performs Homam For SCS! Remember Poonam Kaur? The model-turned-actress from Punjab, who acted in a few Telugu films which people dont even remember, is desperately trying to gain their attention by cashing in on the demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Though Poonam Kaur was appointed as the brand ambassador of Andhra Pradesh handlooms industry, she has hardly done any promotion of handloom clothes till date. There have been no reports of her participating in any of the exhibitions and fashion shows. Of course, the Chandrababu Naidu government, too, has not done much for the sector. Now, with the agitation for special category status reaching its peak, Poonam thought of grabbing the attention of the ruling party. On Sunday, Poonam performed special homam at Rishikesh on the banks of Ganga river seeking special category status to Andhra Pradesh. She also conduced special prayers at the ashram of Karoli Baba and wished that AP would get special category status at the earliest. Though Poonam has stopped acting in Telugu films long ago, she is posing as if she represents Tollywood. She said the Telugu film industry should take the initiative and come forward to agitate for special category status. She appealed to the film bigwigs to support TDP and chief minister Chandrababu Naidu in his efforts to secure justice to the state. May be, Poonam wants to get into limelight in Tollywood once again. Any takers? Click Here for Latest Direct-to-OTT Releases (List Updates Daily) Reporter Emilie Munson has won a national award for journalistic excellence for her Greenwich Time series, Behind the Front Door: Inside Domestic Violence in Greenwich. The Society of Professional Journalists has awarded Munson the Sigma Delta Chi Award in Feature Reporting for the in-depth look at domestic violence in town from multiple perspectives, including that of a survivor, police, legal and social service advocates, a perpetrator and children who grow up in violent homes. The series ran in Greenwich Time on Sundays from September through December of 2017. Emilie was determined to present this issue to readers in a way they hadnt seen before, to drive the reality of the problem home, to reveal areas in need of reform and to give a voice to many who suffer in silence, said Greenwich Time Managing Editor Tom Mellana. We were very proud to publish this series, and it is gratifying to see Emilie acknowledged for her talent and for the tremendous amount of time and work she devoted to this project. Munson spent 16 months researching the complexities of domestic violence, which is the second-most reported crime in Greenwich behind only larceny. In addition to dozens of interviews, she scoured thousands of pages of court documents and testimony, police reports, medical records, financial statements, protective orders, letters, emails and text messages. This is community journalism at its best taking on a tough topic, digging deep and driving positive change, said Barbara T. Roessner, executive editor of Hearst Connecticut Media Group, which includes five daily newspapers and six weeklies in Fairfield County. To read Behind the Front Door visit: www.greenwichtime.com/domesticviolence. The series provoked strong reaction among readers. I think if I had read these stories five years ago, I may have been able to leave my husband sooner, wrote one. Service providers and advocates lauded Munsons work upon its publication. Karen Jarmoc, chief executive officer of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, called it incredibly authentic and brave. Emilie Munsons impressive series on domestic violence ... is by far the most comprehensive and quality journalistic piece I have read during my nearly seven years as the head of CCADV, she wrote. Ms. Munson and the series not only touched upon the serious complexities of the problem but dug deeper into barriers that victims often face when trying to get help, significant systemic gaps and the impact exposure to family violence has on children. ... Taking on the court systems approach to responding to victims was incredibly overdue and we appreciate the series tremendously. The Sigma Delta Chi Awards are among the oldest honors in American journalism. The society first celebrated journalists for noted contributions to the craft in 1932, and it started the program that became Sigma Delta Chi seven years later to mark distinguished service by reporters. GREENWICH As the clock rapidly ticks before the next overdose victim becomes another opioid fatality, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a rare advisory recently: More Americans should carry naloxone. Each day we lose 115 Americans to opioid overdoses thats one person every 12.5 minutes, Dr. Jerome M. Adams said. It is time to make sure more Americans have access to this life-saving medication because 77 percent of opioid overdoses occur outside a medical setting and more than half occur at home. Greenwich police are in the midst of training to use naloxone as part of their regular gear this spring. The training is ongoing, said Greenwich police Lt. John Slusarz. Officers will soon begin carrying the medication, commonly sold under the brand name Narcan, that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. The Greenwich police are following in the path of first-responders in other communities around the region in carrying the medication. Emergency-medical administrators in Greenwich are also echoing the call from the surgeon general, advising anyone who has a family member or loved one struggling with opioid addiction to have Narcan at the ready. As far as family members and friends, if you have a known, opioid drug abuser, where there could be a concern of an overdose, it would be wise to have that drug on hand, to save someones life, in the interim of calling 911, said Tracy Schietinger, executive director of the Greenwich Emergency Medical Service. No reason why they shouldnt. Greenwich emergency medical technicians used Narcan to save the lives of two people overdosing on hard drugs in 2017. EMTs also use it regularly for diagnostic purposes, unrelated to drug overdose Minutes matter when it comes to overdoses involving heroin or other opioid-based drugs. GEMS responds to an emergency 75 percent of the time within five minutes. In 94 percent of their cases, they respond in eight minutes or less. As Stamford EMS Assistant Chief Edward Browne said, time is crucial. Browne said the general accepted threshold of time a brain can survive without oxygen is about eight minutes. After that, the patient can suffer permanent damage. When a person is found overdosing, Browne said every minute is crucial because you dont know how long that person has been down. If that person was down for 10 minutes before he was found, and it takes another five minutes for the ambulance to get there, that persons brain has gone without oxygen for 15 minutes, he said. So, having Narcan on hand, in the home, and being able to administer it, can make a huge difference for that patients chances. While Narcan administered by a civilian can fend off death or brain damage, it ias imperative that people call 911 and get professional help, said Christopher Tremblay, director of professional standards for the Greenwich Emergency Medical Service. 911 is a key component. Even if you do use Narcan, those drugs still remain in your system after Narcan is given, and you can still overdose again. Medical follow-up is required, he said. Dr. John Douglas, service chief of the Outpatient Addiction Programs at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, considers Narcan to be an essential tool in battling the opioid crisis. We commonly recommend patients keep (Narcan) in their home and commonly recommend that their families and friends have it available as well, he said. Opioid addiction is difficult to overcome, he said, and relapse is likely even with treatment. The relapse rates for opioid addiction are extremely high, and having Narcan available is something that is a good idea and can definitely help save lives, he said. For those trying to kick the habit without help, Douglas said, the relapse rate is about 100 percent. He said the rate is reduced to about 80 percent for those who complete a residential program but do not take a maintenance medication. For those who complete treatment and take a maintenance medication, the rates are much lower, he said. Additionally, Douglas said opioid relapses are unforgiving and often result in death. Though making Narcan more available may not be a long-term solution in battling the opioid crisis, Douglas said said its a step in the right direction. I encourage anyone who is addicted to opioids or anyone who has a loved one who is addicted to opioids to have Narcan available, he said. It is an important tool that can be used to decreased the rate of people dying from opioid overdoses. Some opponents, however, believe making Narcan widely available enables addicts to continue abusing opioids without seeking help. Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin said some addicts view Narcan as a safety net. He said drug addicts are given a false sense of security having a supply of Narcan available. You just realize thats a kind of delusional thinking, he said. It would really be much more prudent to get help and try to overcome the addiction, but they are so entrenched, they cant see that. But Conklin said he is not opposed to any tool that can help first responders save more lives. Narcan is a miracle drug, and its saving a lot of lives, he said. Should civilians carry Narcan? Yeah. If they have loved ones who are struggling with an opioid addiction, it would probably be prudent for them to have Narcan on hand. Though Narcan plays an important role in addressing the opioid problem, public-safety officials said it will take a community effort to make a significant impact. If someone abuses any type of drug or alcohol, it comes back to mental health. People need access to social workers, a psychologist or a treatment center, said Schietinger, of the Greenwich EMS. Capt. Conklin, of the Stamford police, said, Its not like were going to arrest our way out of this and its not like every user is suddenly going to go to rehab. Its a multipronged problem and we have to attack it on many fronts. Narcan can help reduce overdose deaths, but Ingrid Gillespie, executive director of local nonprofit Communities 4 Action, agreed combatting the epidemic will take a multifront effort. To combat this crisis is going to require efforts from law enforcement and first responders, as well as the education, mental health and medical communities, she said. In the meantime, Gillespie said Narcan can save lives and give addicts the chance to get help. Every time we reverse an opioid overdose, its an opportunity for us to connect with that person and get them the help they need, she said. Every time we reverse an opioid overdose, its an opportunity to save a life and to change a life. rmarchant@greenwichtime.com How much below asking price should you offer on a house? Or is it something you shouldn't try at all? The not-so-simple answer: It all depends on the market you're in and other factors you should weigh before you lowball with abandon. Every home buyer wants to score a deal, after all. But set your offer too low, and you could risk offending the sellers and having them write you off completely. As such, it's all about striking the right balance. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you figure out that happy medium. Are you in a buyer's or seller's market? Your ability to present a lower offer will depend greatly on current market conditionsmeaning if it's a buyer's or seller's market, suggests Cynthia Jacinta Keskinkaya, co-founder of the Keskinkaya Dartley Team at Douglas Elliman in New York City. So before you make any offer, determine what type of market you're in. Traditionally, buyer's markets come with a lot of flexibility on price, because available inventory is high and houses tend to sit on the market for longer. Here, sellers tend to be more willing to negotiate because offers are few and far between. "In a buyer's market, I would not hesitate to submit an offer that's around 10% below asking," advises Chris Cloud of EXIT Heritage Realty in Haymarket, VA. "Most sellers will at least see that as worthy of a counteroffer." In a seller's market, on the other hand, it's much harder to go below asking price at all, because inventory is low, and multiple buyers tend to be interested in the same properties. So, in this case, it's best not to lowball at all, and offer list price. Your agent can help you determine which market you're currently in, or here's more advice on how to tell if you're in a buyer's or seller's market. How long has the listing been active? "By paying attention to the property history, you can get a better idea of the demand for that house," notes Jennifer Carlson of Coldwell Banker in East Greenwich, RI. "Two days on the market? Probably not a good idea to go in with a lowball offer $50,000 below asking price. A whole year on the market, with price reductions? Go ahead and roll the dice. The longer a house has been on the market, the less of an upper hand the seller has in negotiation." However, Michael Russell of Ratchet Straps USA also emphasizes the importance of making sure a lowball offer doesn't insult the seller, if you want it to be taken seriously. "The rule I've always followed is to never go more than 25% below the listed price," he says. "Chances are, after fees, commission, and sentimental value, the sellers are already hurting. If you dip below that point, they may disregard your offer entirely." Fortunately, info on how long a house has been on the market can be easily found on most listingsor if not, any good real estate agent will have access to this information through the multiple listing service. Ask them to pull it up for you, and use it as a reference as you draw up your offer. How does the price compare to similar homes in the area? Once you have a general sense of how much wiggle room you have to work with, it's time to look more specifically at recent sales in your desired neighborhood. Ask your agent to work up a comparative market analysis (also called a comp or CMA), which will show you the list and sale prices for similar homes that have sold in the last few months. Use that as your guide. "The comparables should be your go-to on a first offer," says Shane Lee on behalf of Realtyhop. "If, for instance, a similar property in the same neighborhood is quoted $10K less, then it makes sense for you to go $10K below the asking price." How badly do you want the home? Last but not least, ask yourself: How would you feel if your offer got rejected? If you think that you'll regret missing out on the home, it may be worth it to consider offering exactly what they're asking foror a bit moreto seal the deal that the home will be yours. "If you want the home badly enough, you need to make the seller an offer they cant refuse," advises Jenny Ditty Kang, JD, a real estate agent with WR Realtors in Louisville, KY. However, if you think you'll be able to move onto the next property without issue, there's no harm in trying to score a deal. This last piece of advice may be the most subjective of all, but it's true. Remember, submitting a low offer is always a risk. Ultimately, it's up to you to determine how much of a gamble you're willing to take on the house. The post How Much Below the Asking Price Should You Offer on a House? Answers Here! appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Honor is trying to differentiate from the mother company Huawei and portray itself as a young trend-setting hip company. The latest action in doing so is launching Honor Elite club in the UK where members will receive special treats and promos. Honor Elite members will receive access to a range of exclusive features, the company stated in a press release. All the latest news, updates and info on upcoming releases will be available to the people which will also get the ability to talk with Honor UK team and provide feedback, ideas, and thoughts. Wilkin Lee, Honor UK Sales and Marketing Director said the new club is introduced to emphasize on authenticity and personal connections with customers. That way they will be even more involved with Honor and should have the ability to influence a better future of Honor as a tech company in general. Fans and customers of Honor in the UK can join at the website, listed in our Source link. All you have to do is tell why youd like to become a member and why you are so passionate about the Honor brand. Source SwiftKey for Android gets support for new languages, some bug fixes SwifKey's Android app has received a new update. Primary among the changes that have been introduced is support for five new languages, including Alsatian, Fongbe, Norman, Urdu (English), and Warlpiri . Other changes the update brings along are bug fixes - punctuation slider now doesn't trigger period when sliding, keyboard doesn't lock up when trying to tag someone in Instagram comments, and fixed layout when using Dvorak + split + undock. To download the new app, head to the Source link below. Source Published on 2018/04/22 Hear from a second-generation Korean-American about the complexities of identity, South Korea's elderly are hitting daytime discos en masse, the 600th anniversary of King Sejong the Great's enthronement celebrated in downtown Seoul, and South Korea's cosmetic surgery industry loses face with social critics. Advertisement "The Quad: Living in the space between cultures, and how that can be empowering" Karen Im is a second-generation Korean-American living in the Big Apple. In this feature on Daily Bruin, Karen shares her experiences growing up, in particular how she had to reckon with "the tension between the culture I experience every day in school and the environment I returned home". Although her intersectional identity presented a myriad of challenges, Karen has come to view growing up in this "gray area" as a "source of empowerment, not confusion". She concludes: "Culture is not fate nor is it a prewritten destiny; it simply offers templates. Every individual is, ultimately, the artist behind their own cultural narrative". ...READ ON DAILY BRUIN "In daytime discos, South Korea's elderly find escape from anxiety" What do Korea's many senior citizens do during the day? Its seems disco is not dead in the Land of the Morning Calm. South Korea's elderly (who are generally quite active) are finding fun and friendship at the 'colatex', a portmanteau of cola and discotheque. "South Korea is ageing faster than any other developed country, yet there are few post-retirement jobs, or even cheap leisure, available for the elderly". Click on through to the Business Times to read how daytime discos are helping to energize and heal Korea's older generation... ...READ ON BUSINESS TIMES "Recreating royal cultures of King Sejong's reign" For the first time in 230 years, a "Joseon-period mix of a royal ceremony and a folk play" will be performing in downtown Seoul to mark the 600th anniversary of King Sejong the Great's enthronement. The event, hosted by the Cultural Heritage Administration, will take place between April 28 to May 6 at a number of locations to highlight "the life and the mind of one of the most revered and respected Joseon monarchs". ...READ ON THE KOREA HERALD "South Korea's cosmetic surgery industry faces backlash as 'cultural violence against women'" It is well known that South Korea's cosmetics industry is one of best in the world. If you're in the region and looking to get plastic surgery, then South Korea is indeed your best bet. But the criticism against this booming industry is getting louder and clearer. According to Emanuel Pastreich, head of the Asia Institute, "Korean society has become completely distorted by this rush to undergo surgery... it has shifted to the point that women are seen merely as sex objects that have to undergo the scalpel to be perfect". The UK's The Telegraph has more... ...READ ON TELEGRAPH Published on 2018/04/22 | Source Han Jeong-oh (Jung Yu-mi) and Choi Myeong-ho (Shin Dong-wook) broke up on the latest episode of the tvN drama "Live". Advertisement Han Jeong-oh apologized to Choi Myeong-ho for ending the relationship as quickly as it started. She said, "I thought it was alright for me to meet someone else and love someone else. I didn't think I wouldn't hurt". Choi Myeong-ho comforted her by saying, "I guess I just wasn't right for you. There's no other reason than that". "It's not you that's not ready to love. It's me. You asked me if I was over Hyeon-soo the day we kissed. But I still can't throw away her pendant. I couldn't answer you, so I guess I haven't gotten over her". Han Jeong-oh said, "How can you forget someone you've been with for 3 years and became a policeman with in just 2 years? That's too greedy". Choi Myeong-ho told her to meet someone better than him and they clarified things with their co-workers too. By Lily Lee | Published on 2018/04/23 | Source Actress Han Ji-min took a selfie with her beautiful older sister, Han Sang-min. Advertisement On April 22nd, Han Ji-min posted a picture on her official Instagram with a caption saying, "My best friend. #Sister". In the photo, Han Ji-min and her sister, Han Sang-min is smiling brightly towards the camera and for a second, it's hard to distinguish who is who. The two sisters are so much alike, equally beautiful. For those of you who's still having difficulty, Han Ji-min is on the right in the photo, wearing blue earrings and shirt. These gorgeous sisters are famous in their neighborhood since they were little, and surprisingly, it was Han Ji-min's older sister who always had everyone's attention. Though Han Ji-min was as beautiful as her sister, according to Han Ji-min, she described herself as someone who has an uptight and shy personality compare to her care-free, outgoing sister, who was always the center of attention. She confessed in an interview once that she was jealous of Han Sang-min in their childhood for her popularity. However, despite the childhood jealousy, the two always have had a close relationship and still seems to be each other's best friend. Such beautiful sisterhood! By. Lily Lee Havre Police Department Officers investigated after a caller reported someone had kicked in a door Friday at 11:21 a.m. at a Third Street business. Officers investigated after a caller reported a disturbance with her boyfriend Friday at 1:13 p.m. on 16th Street West. Officers investigated after a caller reported her wallet and medications were stolen out of a bathroom Friday at 9:22 p.m. at an 11th Street West business. Shane Miles Ironmaker of Havre, 35, was arrested on two Justice or City court warrants Friday at 9:54 p.m. on Eighth Street. Tanner Joseph Walker of Havre, 34, was issued a summons on a charge of criminal contempt after a complaint of a 24/7 sobriety program violation Saturday at 7:57 a.m. at the police department. Jacob James Bauer of Havre, 35, was issued a summons on a charge of dog at large Saturday at 12:13 p.m. on Second Street. Jacquline Colleen Chiefstick of Box Elder, 38, was issued a summons on charges of failure to give notice of accident and suspended or revoked drivers license Saturday at 1:42 p.m. on First Street after a reported hit and run. Tyler James Hanley of Hays, 31, was arrested on three Justice or City court warrants and a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia Saturday at 6:43 p.m. on First Street. Samantha Renee Mack of Havre, 27, was arrested on a charge of obstructing a peace officer or other public servant and Joshua Michaelmelvin Haas of Havre, 28, and Ryan Devris Haas of Havre, 36, were issued a summons on a charge of disorderly conduct Sunday at 1:17 a.m. at a First Street establishment after a caller reported a big fight. Kennedy Patricia Sanchez of Hays, 22, was arrested on a charge of trespassing Sunday at 9:29 a.m. on Washington Avenue after a caller reported a woman sleeping in their vehicle. Kendra Ann Todd of Havre, 27, was issued a summons on charges of vicious dog and dog registration and vaccination required on Sunday at 11:03 a.m. on 12th Avenue after a caller reported that they had been bitten by a dog the day before. Officers investigated after a caller reported a stab wound Sunday at 8:40 p.m. at the 13th Street hospital. The injury happened a couple days before the call. Officers are still investigating. Officers investigated after a caller reported a lost phone Monday at 12:29 a.m. at a Ninth Street business. Officers investigated after a caller reported vandalism Monday at 5:54 a.m. on Ninth Street. Hill County Sheriff's Office Deputies investigated after a caller reported a fence had been run through Friday at 11:37 a.m. on 49th Street West. Deputies investigated after a caller reported that a World War II Japanese flag had been stolen from his residence Friday at 2:21 p.m. on 10th Street West. Melynda Dionne werk of Box Elder, 38, was arrested on a Justice or City court warrant Saturday at 12:31 p.m. on First Street East. A 17-year-old girl was issued a summons on charges of obstructing a peace officer or public servant and underage tobacco possession or consumption Sunday at 7:21 p.m. on Highway 87. A man was taken to the hospital Sunday at 7:23 p.m. after a caller reported a man had a 4-wheeler accident and had a possible broken arm on Eagle Rock Road. Havre Fire Department Emergency medical personnel responded to two medical calls on Friday and eight medical calls on Sunday. Fire crews responded to a fire call Friday at 7:55 p.m. on the 600 Block of 16th Street after a caller reported a grass fire. The fire was put out and the police department was on scene by the time the fire department arrived. The fire was caused by a resident burning some of his lawn. Havre Animal Shelter This morning the shelter held four medium-hair cats whose sex is listed as unknown, three medium-hair male cats, one medium-hair female cat, and one female short-hair cat. The shelter held this morning an 11-month-old male Australian shepherd, a 1-year-old female dachshund-Labrador retriever cross, a 16-week old male border collie, a 4-year-old female German shepherd-Labrador retriever cross, a 6-week-old female husky-shepherd mix, a 1-year-2-month-old male Labrador retriever-Boston terrier cross, a 1-year-old male pit bull terrier, and a 5-year-old male Husky. Press release BOZEMAN Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte announced that members of his staff will conduct mobile office hours in northern and eastern Montana, Libert Countys. Staff will be in Chester Tuesday, May 1 at 10:30 a.m. at Liberty County Library, 110 East First Street Area residents are invited to visit with a member of Gianfortes staff on an individual basis and share their views, questions, or concerns regarding the federal government. These comments will be shared with Gianforte. Residents may also inquire about federal programs or seek help with a federal agency, such as the Social Security Administration or the Veterans Administration. Residents may drop by the location or make an appointment by calling Gianfortes Helena office at 406-502-1435. If residents are unable to attend and would like information or assistance, they should contact Gianfortes Helena office at 406-502-1435. Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Vehicles with signs saying "I support nurses" and writing on their windows in support of nurses sit parked on 13th Street this morning. People parked the cars to say they support nurses, with contract negotiations between the local of the nurses' union and Northern Montana Health Care going on today and Tuesday. Local residents have had "I support nurses" signs posted throughout the community for several months. Candace A. Velk, a loving mother and wife, educator, and reading enthusiast, current resident of Boise, ID passed away Nov. 25, 2017, at the age of 65. Candace was born in Chandler, Arizona, April 27, 1952 to R.J. Puckett and Mary Flynn. She lived in Riverside, CA, during her younger years through high school, where she formed lifelong friendships she treasured deeply. She met her husband, Vic, in Chicago, IL, in 1972 and they later married October 6, 1973. She had a passion for reading and learning that drove her 20-year career in education. She graduated with her bachelor's degree and master's in elementary education from Northern Montana College. She spent ten years at St. Jude's Catholic School, where her girls attended, and another 10 years with the Havre Public School District. Candace was a wonderful mother to her three daughters and adored her seven grandchildren. She was a constant supporter and cheerleader for all of their endeavors. She was often found court/field side supporting her grandchildren and loved all family time spent together. She loved the arts and had a passion for all concerts and theater productions. She was a friend to many with her big heart and sharp wit. The family is very grateful for the family, friends, and care providers who have supported and surrounded Candace in recent years. Candace is survived by her husband, Victor Velk; her children, Lindsey Wichs O'Brien (Steve) of Great Falls, MT, Meghan Swan (Jason) of Boise, ID, and Samantha Richards (Dan'l) of Meridian, ID; her grandchildren, Kaiden, Tenley, and Brady Wicks, Abigail and Kendall Swan, Peyton and Haddie Richards; her father, R.J. Puckett; and sister, Mary Henderson. She is preceded in death by her mother, Mary Flynn, and other family members. A Celebration of Life service is planned for noon, April 27, 2018 at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church in Havre, MT. In lieu of flowers or cards, please consider donating to a local school or library. Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services. Please visit Candace's online memorial page at http://www.hollandbonine.com to leave a message of condolence for her family. Montana is at a crossroads. Will we continue to preserve and protect our access to public lands and waterways? Or, will we allow wealthy corporations and ultra-rich individuals pick apart our access to hiking, biking, fishing, hunting and enjoying the rights we have today? The strength and resilience of Montanas economy is largely dependent upon the wild attractions of our beautiful state. Yellowstone Park and Glacier Park get a lot of attention, drawing millions of visitors. Of course, Montana has much more to offer. Statewide there are many more wonderful varieties of wildlands and wilderness study areas that we Montanans adore and draw in people who vacation throughout the Big Sky state. I understand that mining and development of natural resources is necessary and should occur as long as it follows the law. Nonetheless, asking Montanans and all Americans to tolerate development of a massive gold mine in some of the most sensitive areas near Yellowstone Park or Glacier National Park is simply wrong. With this in mind, early in my candidacy, I declared my support for the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act and the East Rosebud Wild and Scenic River designation. When Greg Gianforte introduced his bill H.R. 1519 Unlocking Public Lands Act, I knew there was good reason to be alarmed. Every Montanan who has children and grandchildren, or who loves our way of life, or who understands the importance of the tourism and outdoor industry to Montanas economy should be alarmed too. Unlocking is simply code for taking away our cherished wilderness and handing it over to oil, gas, gold mining and timber corporations. Montanans use these wilderness study areas now and will continue to use them in the future. They are just locked from corporate exploitation and corporate welfare. The 700,000 acres of wilderness study areas that Gianforte and his wealthy corporate donors want to unlock is a massive take-away from those of us who enjoy hunting, hiking, biking and recreating on public lands. It is your water that will be polluted and exploited for the benefit and profit of a multinational corporations and ultra-rich donors. Even worse, the negative impact on the outdoor industry and manufactured goods businesses that employ tens of thousands of Montanans will be significant. Why must the people who rely on these special wilderness areas for their businesses, their recreation, hunting and for their Montana way of life, get cashed in on by Greg Gianforte? According to the Federal Election Commission, since I entered the race to replace Greg Gianforte, he has accepted tens of thousands of dollars of political contributions from oil, gas, timber and development Political Actions Committees and wealthy donors. More recently, Gianforte reported that the wealthy Texas family locking up access to lands in Montana, are donating massive amounts of money to his campaign. Im running to serve Montana in the U.S. Congress because I stand for the people of Montana, not for the powerful. John Heenan of Billings is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives ShareBar Comments must be on-topic and civil in tone (with no name calling or personal attacks). Any promotional language or urls will be removed immediately. Your comment may be edited for clarity and length. Privacy and anti-discrimination legislation may also prevent employers asking about possible medical conditions. Despite these restrictions, an employees mental health condition will be relevant to an employer if it affects safety in the workplace, or the employees ability to perform the inherent requirements of their role. When managers notice employees exhibiting behaviour that would fit the description of misconduct --- whether that be uncharacteristic lateness, a general lack of focus resulting in poor work quality or disrespect, the knee-jerk reaction can often be to performance manage or discipline the employee. However, the Australian Human Rights Commission, in their helpful guide Workers With Mental Illness: a Practical Guide for Managers, urges employers when noticing changes in behaviour, to show support for employees early on. While an employer is certainly entitled to apply their standard performance management system to all employees where they have a legitimate concern about their performance, it is important to take into account personal circumstances and whether a mental illness may be contributing to poor performance. Therefore, if an employee does disclose a mental health issue, it is advisable to only move to performance management as a last resort as it is possible performance management may only exacerbate the employees stress and anxiety levels. The key question employers must ask before performance management is whether the underperformance or misconduct is caused by a mental health condition, or is it simply underperformance or misconduct? It is important to identify the reason for performance issues before taking any performance management or disciplinary action. Various decisions in unfair dismissal matters and adverse action cases highlight the need for an employer to open a dialogue with an employee when mental illness is impacting an employees performance. Jackie Fox says it would be poignant to name the law after Coco, the family name for Nicole who died in Tallaght Hospital in January after years of online bullying. Photo: Gerry Mooney A heartbroken mum whose child took her own life has lost hope of ever bringing her daughter's bullies to justice. Nicole Fox Fenlon (21), from Clondalkin, died in Tallaght Hospital in January after being subjected to years of torment, both online and in person. After her death, her family were determined to hold her bullies accountable. However, despite finding evidence of sickening abuse on her phone, the family have learned that no law was broken. Nicole's mum, Jackie Fox, told the Herald she is deeply hurt that her child's bullies will not face justice. "They ripped her apart on Facebook," she said. "Nicole was physically and mentally harassed by people who knew her. They were relentless. "When she took her own life, I was adamant to find justice. Then I was told that cyberbullying in Ireland isn't a crime. I was sick to my stomach. "Knowing that no one will be charged with Nicole's death has made everything so much worse. "Losing her is one thing, but knowing there's nothing we can do about it crushes us just as much." Jealous The trouble started when Nicole was 18 and started going to local clubs. Bullies became jealous of her friendships and set up horrific social media pages to "slag" her. Ireland's harassment laws have not been updated since the advent of the text message, meaning threatening messages sent on social media are not considered crimes. However, Ms Fox is determined to put an end to "this outdated" legislation and is campaigning to make online abuse against the law. "This is the only way to save our children's lives," she said. "There is a lot of evidence on Nicole's phone, which shows the extent of the bullying, but there's nothing the authorities can do because there was no offence committed according to Irish law. "Cyberbullying is a serious problem in our country and if nothing is done then we're going to see more suicides. "It may be too late to hold Nicole's bullies accountable, but hopefully with enough support we can introduce a new law that will save other children's lives." The courageous mother is holding a demonstration outside Leinster House tomorrow at 3pm to call for the introduction of Coco's Law. 'Coco was the name we affectionately called Nicole, so I think naming the law after her will be a very poignant and affecting gesture," she said. "These bullies are getting younger and so are the victims. "There are people self-harming and killing themselves over online abuse, so the Government needs to do something about it right away. "If someone is charged with cyberbullying, I think it will act as a major deterrent to other bullies." Three months after Nicole's death, Ms Fox said things have not got any easier. "We're just devastated," she said. "We cry every day and talk about Nicole all the time. "I even go to bed early just to get rid of the day and dread waking up for another horrible day ahead. "My 14-year-old son Lee has also been traumatised by Nicole's death. "Lee and I were the ones who discovered her body. He's going to counselling and sees a psychiatrist in Tallaght Hospital, but he cries all the time and is left shattered." Recently, a report from the Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs urged the Government to introduce its proposed Digital Safety Commissioner without delay. The committee said the current law should be changed to include "digital harassment" as part of the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act. Last year, a Labour Bill was published to modernise Ireland's existing harassment legislation to safeguard people against all forms of harassment, including stalking, cyber- bullying and so-called "revenge porn". Deputy Brendan Howlin said at the time: "The measures we are proposing seek to bring Ireland's regulations into the 21st century, by broadening the definition of communication to cover all electronic, written and spoken words. Concern "For example, this would mean a threatening 'iMessage' sent on an Apple device, or a WhatsApp or Facebook message, would be covered by law, which is currently not the case. "Cyberbullying has become a phenomenon of the modern age, with parents expressing deep concern about the vulnerability of their children to online harassment. Our Bill moves to address this by covering against the persistent communication about someone, as well as directly to that person. "Minority groupings are more likely to be targeted, not because of anything they do, but because of who they are, and this Bill would also protect against online racial abuse. "Free speech should remain just that. But harassment, stalking and aggravated online bullying are not expressions of freedom - they are attacks on it." If you or someone you know is affected by any of the topics in this story, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or the Pieta House Suicide and Self-Harm Crisis Centre on 1800 247 247. A childcare worker who stole nearly 2,000 worth of cosmetics from a pharmacy was in a volatile relationship and in the throes of a drug addiction at the time. Kerry Ann Kiely (23) claimed she was "a nervous wreck" about the possibility of going to jail. Judge David McHugh sentenced her to 230 hours of community service in lieu of five months in prison. The defendant, of Bunratty Road, Coolock and Elmfield Vale, Clare Hall, admitted before Blanchardstown District Court to stealing cosmetics and beauty products worth 1,962 from Boots, Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, last August 4. Kiely further admitted stealing clothes valued at 236 from H&M in Liffey Valley on April 6 last year. Abusing In both cases, gardai said Kiely was apprehended as she left the stores and the goods were recovered in a re-saleable condition. The court heard that Kiely had 10 previous convictions, including five for theft-related matters. Defence solicitor John Shanley said the defendant was abusing drugs at the time of these offences. He said Kiely was also in a volatile relationship, which had since ended, and she was now with a new partner. Mr Shanley said the defendant was throwing herself "at the mercy of the court" and was "a nervous wreck" about going to jail. The court heard that Kiely had previously worked in childcare before her drug addiction got out of hand. Mr Shanley said Kiely was now free of all drugs and was focused on remaining clean. The court also heard that the thefts were opportunistic and Kiely was stealing to feed her habit. The Air Corps had carried out some medical transfers. Stock Image The mother of a young boy flown to the UK for a heart transplant, but who later died, has warned that new temporary night-time air ambulance cover "doesn't go far enough to look after Ireland's children". Maria Coyne's son, Gavin (10), died in a UK hospital, hundreds of miles away from his home in Clarehall, Dublin, on February 20 last year. Though still grieving for her child, Ms Coyne has been campaigning for a better healthcare system for child transplant patients. It has now emerged a new multimillion euro two-year contract to provide night cover for the HSE to transport patients to the UK has been installed. Solution Air Alliance, a UK-based service with links to Austria and Germany, has been awarded the contract until a long-term solution is found. Expand Close Maria Coyne with son Gavin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Maria Coyne with son Gavin The company was given the contract, believed to be worth several million euro, following an extensive tendering process carried out by the HSE. However, Ms Coyne said a temporary service "falls far short" of what Irish children "deserve." "I want to see a longer term solution. We're talking about a lot of money being invested in this plan," she told the Herald. "What's the point in temporary moves like this? It could be a waste of money if we could get someone in who can do the job full stop, from now on and not a temporary solution. "If we can't provide that service in this country, we need someone to come in on a permanent basis from another country." It took 10 days for Gavin's body to be returned home by ferry and the family was left to pay for his removal from Belfast Port to his Dublin home. The family also had to pay for flights back and forth to see the bright schoolboy while he was being treated in the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle a month before he died. After her son's death, Ms Coyne called for the Air Corps, which had only been picking children up during the day and evening, to have extended hours and to be there for any child who did not survive. The mother said that what her family had been through had been "very traumatic" and she wanted a longer term solution for children in need of transplants, and their families. "Gavin had to travel alone and we didn't know if he was going to get to Newcastle alive," she said. "One of his family should have been allowed to travel with him. We don't know if this temporary plan will allow for that. "I don't want to see another family go through what we did. It's awful. Expense "And the treatment support scheme only pays for one adult flight, so while a child transplant patient is flown to the UK, their family have to pay for flights. "It's too stressful organising flights and an expense families shouldn't have to bear." Ms Coyne felt the new plan was "a step in the right direction" but a temporary contract just "doesn't go far enough". She was speaking after the lucrative two-year contract to provide night cover for the HSE to transport patients to the UK was put in place. Last September, limitations were placed on Irish Coast Guard crews which doubled up to cover hospital transfers while on 24-hour search and rescue shifts. The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) also placed restrictions on staff in the Air Corps. Medical transfers had primarily been carried out by the Air Corps and the Irish Coast Guard. Conor McGregor messes with his pals before getting into a silver Porsche Conor McGregor is back on home ground - and in fighting form - after his violent rampage in New York. The MMA star flew into Dublin Airport in a private jet early on Friday morning. With him were his partner, Dee Devlin, and son, Conor Jnr. Video footage obtained by the Herald also showed the 29-year-old back in his native Crumlin on Friday night. Buoyant In the video, Conor is seen messing with pals before getting into his silver Porsche. McGregor was in a less buoyant mood when he made an obscene gesture to a photographer as he carried his son Conor Jnr from the private jet earlier in the day. Expand Close Conor McGregor messes with his pals before getting into a silver Porsche / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Conor McGregor messes with his pals before getting into a silver Porsche The exclusive photos, obtained by the Sunday World, show the fighter returning to Ireland for the first time since he was bailed earlier this month in a New York City court for more than 40,000. McGregor is facing three charges of assault and one of criminal mischief after he was caught on CCTV attacking a bus carrying MMA rival Khabib Nurmagomedov. He is scheduled to return to New York City on June 14 for his next court hearing. He will return with team-mate Cian Cowley (25), of Hyde Park, Dalkey, who is also charged with assault and criminal mischief. McGregor was allowed to fly home after the court decided not to seize his passport. He is believed to have enjoyed a sun holiday in Barbados before returning to Dublin. It's understood McGregor was collected by a driver and taken to his luxury home in the grounds of The K Club in Co Kildare. Meanwhile, his mother Margaret took to Instagram to post an intimate family photo with her son, who smiled affectionately with his arm around her, as they soaked up the sunshine on a boat. She wrote, "My son and I" before finding herself having to defend the fighter after one social media user wrote, "Can't wait 4 Khabib to destroy Conor". She responded in a dignified manner that he would be "Waiting forever so." McGregor's father, Tony, also took to Instagram to share a video of himself in the front passenger seat of what appeared to be a silver soft top Mercedes, thought to be his son's. Tony, who wore his signature aviator sunglasses, smiled in the short video and wrote a caption saying: "Take me to my yacht." Leanna Carr (right) said she hit the man on the cheekbone, hard An American tourist has gone viral on Twitter after she punched a man for sexually harassing her on the streets of Dublin. Leanna Carr (26) was walking from her hostel to the bus stop near Aston Quay last Tuesday when she felt someone grope her from behind. "I was walking in a hurry to catch my bus, when I felt someone grab my bum, hard," she said. "I turned around a little shocked initially, and said, 'What the f**k' to him. "He started laughing, and said, 'Oh, you're an American, you probably liked it'. "I am never a violent person, and I have never punched anyone before, but I became so angry and had so much adrenaline that my reaction was to punch him. "I got him on the cheekbone, hard. "I started yelling a couple more things to him, like, 'Don't ever touch a girl like that again, I could get you arrested'. "He became very mad and I thought he was going to hit back, but there was an older couple next to us who saw the whole thing and the gentleman told the scumbag to keep walking. "The man started laughing again and then crossed the street to disappear in the crowd of people." The powerlifter was visiting Ireland as part of a three-week trip to Europe. Nervous Leanna was on the second day of her travels when the incident happened, and it initially left her feeling discouraged. "I've never travelled solo and for this to have happened made me a little nervous," she said. "My first reaction was a little guilt, wondering if I had done the right thing in the situation. I probably would have reacted differently, say, if I had been in a dark alley alone with him. "I don't think violence is always the answer, and I did get lucky that the altercation didn't end up badly for me." A Life Remembered: Larry Williams' bounty came from his farm and heart Larry Williams was a passionate career firefighter, farmer and outdoorsman who had lots of friends and pets, a zeal for knowledge and a giving heart. The rape of our children is a failure of the idea of India. It is the erosion of the nations moral conscience and raises serious questions about its integral principles. According to the National Crime Report Bureau 2016, two children are raped every hour. Communal and political forces shield the perpetrators, and many of the victims dont even see justice in their lifetimes. Is this not the breakdown of India as a nation? We have knowledge, power, wealth but our children are perishing. We are in a state of national emergency. The Supreme Court in 2013, responding to a Bachpan Bachao Andolans petition filed in 2012, had ruled that any case of missing children must be registered and investigated as a case of trafficking or abduction. But look at what happened to the 11-year-old girl who was raped, murdered and her body was dumped in Surat. She was reported missing six months ago from Andhra Pradesh. But did any one follow the Standard Operating Procedure for investigating the case? This shows a failure of Indias policies and institutions. Government data has revealed that the trial of pending cases of child sexual abuse will take over 50 years in some states to be completed, even if no further cases are registered. Will a child who was raped when she is 15 keep attending court hearings even when she is 70? This is a mockery of justice and political apathy. In this state of emergency, we require urgent political response. I urge the government of India and political parties that instead of trying to gain political advantage from such cases of abuse, they should spend a moment of silence for our sons and daughters. The country is in a moral turmoil and its people are looking to its leaders for compassionate healing. Today is a wake-up call for all parties, which are gearing up for the next election, to understand the importance of children. They may not be your vote today, but they are your children. I ask all politicians to unite for our children and do politics for the next generation, not merely for the next election. To all political parties I ask: dedicate at least one full day of Parliament to the cause of children, which has never happened in our history, to discuss a budgeted and time-bound National Action Plan to End Child Rape. Assign specific tasks to those responsible ---- police to law enforcement agencies to the justice delivery system and the government machinery ---- ensuring accountability and rehabilitation. What has happened in Kathua, Unnao and many other places is a breakdown of individual and institutional accountability. The action plan must be driven by a political will, enforced by legal institutions, and sustained by a culture that believes in the freedom of children and the protection of their childhood. Parliament should also set up a national childrens tribunal as the immediate political response to this state of emergency. Justice is not a transactional principle in the courts, but an absolute principle to maintain equilibrium in society. Almost one lakh children have been fighting cases of sexual abuse for decades, begging for a form of justice that is centered on their perpetrator. Through this tribunal, I envision a child victim/survivor-centric delivery of justice. Not just punishment, it is reparation for the loss of childhood, that will achieve justice. When a child loses valuable years of education battling trauma from sexual abuse, her loss must be compensated for. Our current justice system for children does not take this into account. The tribunal shall provide for damages, attach property, reward compensation on the basis of natural justice; thus making injustice economically unviable for the perpetrator. It will ensure prompt action and hold institutions accountable to their ultimate beneficiary, the child. We face a dangerous situation today. When a generation of a nation is under siege by an enemy that resides within us, citizens must recognise the emergency and act on a war footing. With two-thirds of the population of a country living in a constant state of fear; it is a breakdown of the rule of law. It is now that the idea of a New India that is a Safe India is timely, and necessary. It is now that we must come together to build a New India, a Safe India. Kailash Satyarthi is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and a child right activist. This article was written before the Cabinet approved an ordinance approving the death penalty for rapes of children under the age of 12 years The views expressed are personal The Madhya Pradesh government has asked the Union home ministry to enact a strong law to block pornographic sites, state home minister Bupendra Singh said, blaming such websites for rise in rapes. Singh said the porn sites impacts tender mind of children in society and such sites needs to be blocked immediately. We have blocked 25 pornographic sites and asked the Union home ministry to take effective steps in this regard including enactment of a strong law, he said during an interaction with media persons in Bhopal. He said the existing laws were not effective in checking the growth of pornographic sites on the internet and therefore, the state government had written to the Centre to come with a strong law in this regard. Madhya Pradesh tops the chart in crime against women in the country as per National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) report of 2016 which recorded 4,882 rapes in the state. Madhya Pradesh is the first state which passed the bill on capital punishment to rapists of minors below 12 years of age. The opposition Congress ticked off Bhupendra Singh saying the minister was passing the buck to the porn sites for his failure to check rape incidents in the state. If the chief minister is unable to protect daughters of Madhya Pradesh he had no right to continue in his chair, State Congress president Arun Yadav said. The lack of womens safety has the potential to become a major issue ahead of the assembly elections in the state later this year. For the past two months, midday meals in a government school in a village in Madhya Pradeshs Damoh district are being cooked in the schools washroom, raising questions about the health and hygiene of students. People familiar with the development said there are two government schools in Muda village, primary and middle, running on the same premises. A new school building was inaugurated in February but some of the construction work is still incomplete. The primary schools midday meal is being prepared in the old kitchen, whereas the middle schools meal is being cooked in the washroom. The middle school has around 85 students. The midday meal is being prepared here by a village self-help group. Cook Shakila said she had flagged the issue but school authorities directed her to prepare the meals in the washroom. I had cautioned them that its wrong but they did not listen to me, she said. School authorities, for their part, blame the contractor for not completing the building, including the kitchen shed. Brajesh Patel, who is officiating as principal, conceded that while the new school building was inaugurated, the kitchen shed is still incomplete. I have complained about the matter to the contractor and my seniors but there has been no solution. For the time being, the midday meal is being prepared in the washroom. Sub divisional magistrate (SDM) Hata Narayan Singh said he will send an inquiry team to the school and take action if the allegations were found to be true. Bollywood filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Aanand L Rai, who are the driving forces behind Abhishek Bachchan-Taapsee Pannu-starrer Manmarziyaan, may be facing legal troubles over the film. According to reports, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Board has sent a notice to the films makers for shooting in an area where they were not supposed to. Directed by Anurag and produced by Aanand, the film marks the comeback of Abhishek after a gap of two years. A Mid Day report claimed the producers have been asked to explain how they shot in the prohibited area of Thajiwas glacier. The Sonmarg Development Authority has banned vehicle movement in the area following an order by the J&K high court. Its nostalgic to shoot Manmarziyan in Kashmir, says Abhishek Bachchan The tabloid also reported that local environmentalist Faiz Bakshi has alleged in a PIL filed in the high court, that the films crew flouted rules during the April 18 where Abhishek Bachchan was also present. [The area] is a gated property. So obviously, someone higher up allowed that entry. This is a lapse on the part of the local administration. There are five departments required [in granting permission] the District Magistrate, Department of Tourism, Sonmarg Development Authority, Department of Wildlife Protection in Kashmir, and the cops. I wont say the filmmaker is not to be blamed, but the unit couldnt have done it by themselves, it quoted Bakshi as saying. Attempts to approach director Anurag and producer Aanand went unanswered. Taapsees representatives, however, told Hindustan Times, We arent aware of this. As for our knowledge, the film has finished shooting.The production house would be able to answer better as we arent aware of this and Taapsee is out of the country at the moment. The crew of Manmarziyaan wrapped the first schedule in Kashmir last week and also posted pictures on social media. On Monday evening, Taapsee took to Twitter and wrote, Dear Kashmir, You truly proved to be Paradise for me. Lost and found wali feeling became beautiful courtesy you. Phir milenge...... agli baar jab mausam thoda behtar hoga! Love Rumi #Manmarziyaan #Kashmir #FilmWrap. Manmarziyaan brings together Abhishek, Taapsee and Vicky for the first time. Dear Kashmir, You truly proved to be "Paradise" for me. Lost and found wali feeling became beautiful courtesy you. Phir milenge...... agli baar jab mausam thoda behtar hoga! Love Rumi #Manmarziyaan #Kashmir #FilmWrap pic.twitter.com/fwpexHE9Wp taapsee pannu (@taapsee) April 16, 2018 Last 3 days of being Rumi..... and I doubt if she will ever leave my system ! #Actorslife #Possessed #Manmarziyaan pic.twitter.com/TrW3IzRMFg taapsee pannu (@taapsee) April 13, 2018 Taapsee had told IANS Manmarziyaan is a beautiful mix of the different worlds of filmmakers Aanand L Rai and Anurag Kashyap. Follow @htshowbiz for more Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor Khan, who is gearing up for the release of her next Veere Di Weddding, was in Dubai over the weekend and pictures from her fun-filled outings have been flooding the internet.Kareena was in Dubai for a shoot and decided to turn it into a work-cum-leisure trip, spending some quality time with friends. From a casual tshirt, jeans with a denim jacket look to a stylish blingy outfit, Kareena filled her Dubai outing with a lot of sparkle. In another, she sits happily between two friends at a dinner table. In one of the pictures, Kareena is seen posing with her makeup artist as the duo enjoy a dinner. #KareenaKapoorKhan with #team A post shared by KareenaKapoorFCIndonesia_KKFCI (@kareenakfc_id) on Apr 22, 2018 at 6:50pm PDT Kareena was recently in news when she was trolled after she demanded justice for Kathua and Unnao rape victims. The actor along with Swara Bhasker, Sonam Kapoor, Shruti Seth and Mini Mathur held placards asking for justice for the eight-year-old girl, who was kidnapped, gang-raped and murdered in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. She should be ashamed of the fact that despite being a Hindu (she) is married to a Muslim. Has a child with him and named him Taimur, after a brutal Islamic barbarian (sic) a Twitter user wrote in reply to Swaras tweet where she shared picture of Kareena holding a placard for justice in the Kathua rape case. Kareenas Veere Di Wedding co-star Swara Bhasker then took it upon herself to defend the and slammed the trolls: You should be ashamed you exist. That God gave you a brain which you chose to fill with hate and a mouth you chose to spew filth from. You are a shame on India and Hindus. That s**ts like you feel emboldened to talk this crap publicly is this governments legacy, Swara tweeted. Follow @htshowbiz for more A day after actor-model Milind Soman married girlfriend Ankita Konwar, the couple took to social media to share their vows and some beautiful moments from their wedding. The two-day wedding took place in Alibaug with family and friends in attendance and their pictures going viral within minutes. Milind went first, sharing a photo from their wedding which was an amalgam of Assamese and Maharashtrian rituals. He wrote with the photo, To love forever and a new beginning everyday I love you @earthy_5. This was his first post after their wedding. Ankita also shared a photo from the same ceremony but with one major difference the groom cannot look away from the bride. Love always finds its way #foreveryouandi, she wrote with the photo. Ankita often posts their pics together. Sample this message from her for Milind: I dont want to know what its like to live without you, Dont want to know the other side of a world without you. On Saturday, the mehndi, haldi and sangeet ceremonies took place and was followed by the wedding. The couple has been dating for two years, with Milind facing a social media backlash for dating somebody almost two decades younger to him. However, they never let this come in the way. The actor who has appeared in 16 December, Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula and Bajirao Mastani was earlier married to French actor Mylene Jampanoi. Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav was today awarded six-month imprisonment by a Delhi court in seven cheque bounce cases for not repaying loan worth over Rs 8 crore to a businessman. The court, however, did not award imprisonment to his wife, who was also held guilty along with Rajpal for the offence under section 138 (cheque bounce) of the Negotiable Instruments Act (NI Act), considering that she had signed those cheques on being asked by her actor husband. However, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Amit Arora granted Rajpal bail on a personal bond of Rs 50,000. The court also imposed separate fines on the convicted couple, asking Rajpal to pay Rs 11.2 crore and his wife Radha to pay Rs 70 lakh collectively in all the seven cases in which they have been held guilty. There are seven separate complaint cases filed by the complainant where in the convicts have been held guilty under section 138 of NI Act. Cheque in question in each case is of Rs 1.5 crore, the court noted. Read: Shouldnt be punished twice for one crime, says Rajpal Yadav on fraud charges The court said the convicted couple had originally availed a loan of Rs 5 crore from the complainant - Murli Projects - in the year 2010 and agreed to repay a sum of Rs 8 crore, including the principle and the interest by June 30, 2011. The court, while rejecting the actors contention that he was liable to pay Rs 8 crore, said he and his wife could not repay the amount and a fresh schedule of payment was worked out by them where they agreed to pay the subsequent interest which accrued over and above the principle amount and the initially agreed interest amount of Rs 8 crore. It is in these circumstances, the convicts handed the impugned cheques to the complainant which all got dishonoured in 2013. Thus I do not find any merit in the contention of the defence counsel that the liability of the convict is only to the extent of Rs 3 crore, the ACMM said. The ACMM also noted that several undertakings were given by the actor and his wife before the Delhi High Court to repay the amount, but to no avail. Complainant has been litigating this matter for last five years. As per a high court order of 2016, settlement was agreed upon by both the parties by which Yadav had to pay Rs 10.40 crore to the complainant but the amount has still not been paid. Record reflects that convicts have made several undertakings before the high court claiming that the amount will be repaid, however, of no avail, it said. Read: Rajpal Yadav, wife convicted in Rs 5 crore loan case It also noted that another undertaking was given by the convicts before the high court regarding cheques worth Rs 7 crore given by them to the complainant that they shall be honoured, but it never happened. Thus it shows that the approach of the convict number 2 (Rajpal Yadav) is highly contemptuous and he had acted in complete disregard to undertakings given by him. Thus in these circumstances, no leniency is called for and accordingly convict 2, Rajpal Yadav is hereby sentenced to simple imprisonment for a period of six months in each case, the ACMM said. Regarding his wife Radha Yadav, the court said she was only a signatory on the cheques and signed those cheques on being asked by her husband Rajpal Yadav. It also took into consideration that she was a woman. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Google CEO Sundar Pichai is about to have a very big week. On Wednesday, an award of 353,939 restricted shares he received before a promotion in 2014 will vest. At the end of last week, the grant was worth about $380 million, making it one of the largest single payouts to a public company executive in recent years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Pichai, 45, who has led Alphabet Inc.s Google since 2015, received the shares before his promotion to senior vice president of products a year earlier, when he took over many of co-founder Larry Pages responsibilities. The award swelled in value as Alphabets stock surged 90% since the grant date, compared with a 39% advance of the S&P 500. He has received two more nine-figure stock grants since then. The company has yet to disclose Pichais compensation for 2017. Winnie King, a spokeswoman for the Mountain View, California-based company, declined to comment. In 2016, CEOs of S&P 500 companies realized an average of $16.2 million from shares that vested or exercising stock options, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Other tech executives have received hefty payouts in the past. Facebook Inc.s Mark Zuckerberg reaped $2.28 billion when he exercised 60 million options as part of the companys initial public offering in August 2012. Months later, restricted shares worth $822 million held by his deputy Sheryl Sandberg fully vested. In 2016, Tesla Inc.s Elon Musk collected $1.34 billion after exercising 6.71 million options that were close to expiring, in part to cover a $593 million tax bill. That same year, Monster Beverage Corp.s two top executives took in a combined $598 million thanks to the stock rising an average of 30% a year for a decade. Remittances from overseas Indians rose nearly 10 percent in 2017 as India retained the top spot as the largest recipient of such payments, World Bank data showed on Monday. After declining 8.9 percent in 2016 to $62.7 billion remittances grew 9.9 percent to around $69 billion in 2017, the World Banks migration and remittances report said. India was followed by China ($64 billion), the Philippines ($33 billion), Mexico ($31 billion), Nigeria ($22 billion), and Egypt ($20 billion) as the top countries receiving remittances. Stronger growth in the European Union, Russian and the US propelled overall remittances to developing countries to a new record of $466 billion in 2017, up 8.5 percent over 2016, the World Bank said. The rebound in remittances valued in US dollars was also helped by higher oil prices and a strengthening of the euro and the ruble, World Bank economist Dilip Ratha said in a blog post. Remittances are likely to continue growing in 2018, aided by stronger economic conditions in advanced economies (particularly the US) and an increase in oil prices, which is beneficial to Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the report said. Flows to developing countries are expected to grow 4.1 percent to reach $485 billion in 2018. While the flows increased, the cost of sending money remained high. The global average cost of sending $200 was 7.1% in the first quarter of 2018, higher than the Sustainable Development Goal target of 3%, Ratha noted. Sending money from India to Nepal and from Singapore to India cost the least while transferring funds from South Africa to India, from Japan to India and from Thailand to India was among the most expensive. The kind of things being said on social media after the introduction of an impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra in Parliament are frightening. It seems the nations social discourse has lost its way. Such questions are bound to come up in a vibrant democracy. Allegations may be levelled at times. A few misconceptions can arise, but if your intention isnt bad, these differences can be overcome. This is the first time an attempt is being made to impeach the CJI. It would have been better had we waited for Parliament to debate this. If every other person began to pass judgment on our highest institutions, they will be robbed of their prestige. Without prestige, you cannot run an institution, or government or national sovereignty. It appears that were getting into the habit of sensationalising. And the worlds largest democracy has no meaningful dialogue on tackling fear, hunger or poverty. If one were to find out what this nation did in the past 10 years, the answer will be just one: the nation with a population of 1.25 billion kept itself busy mud-slinging. Let me begin by talking about the barbaric Kathua rape case. It is clear that an innocent girl was being violated for many days. No decent person will disagree with the fact that those involved in this heartless crime deserve the strictest punishment. But when the police made arrests, some people came out on the streets in support of the accused. Why did they do this? Can peoples sentiments decide the course of justice? It is better to have faith in the courts and let the judges do their work. If peoples fury was enough to rein in social ills, newspaper headlines about dark deeds would not disturb the tranquillity of our mornings every day. As I write these lines, the headline of the newspaper lying in front of me has a bloody tinge to it. A seven-year-old has been raped and murdered after a wedding ceremony in Etah. If the oppressor and the victim hadnt been from the same community, we would have turned it into a senseless battle on the lines of Kathua. While doing this, why do we forget that 90 people are raped in the country every day and five children become victims of physical abuse every hour? Instead of finding a solution to these societal evils why are we engaged in ideological debates? Not just rape, we appear to be losing our ability for rational thinking on every sensitive subject. The matter of the sudden shortage in currency notes in 11 states, too, has been relegated to hollow debate rather than logical reasoning. This has ensured that the governments problems went from being bad to worse. If you recall, a few months ago, a rumour began doing the rounds that nationalised banks were facing bankruptcy and the peoples money wasnt safe with them. Along with this, a story was floated that the Rs 2,000 currency note would be discontinued. The government denied these rumours immediately but speculation was rife on social media. As a result, the speed of depositing cash in banks slackened. Along with this, a lot of people began to invest and dispose of money. At such a time, the keenness to distribute cash that should have been displayed, led by the Reserve Bank, was perhaps not exhibited. Let me share the details of a Press Trust of India investigation with you. Lalit Jha, a journalist from this well-regarded news agency, while speaking to New Jersey resident Deelip Mhaske discovered that more than a hundred Dalit activists from the United States, England, Australia and West Asia had used artificial intelligence and geographic information system to organise a successful Bharat Bandh (strike) on April 2. Mhaske claims that this Dalit group spent between $ 300,000-500,000 on purchasing data from social media over the last three years. Some of it was procured from a London-based company. Was this company Cambridge Analytica? To this Mhaske replied: Certainly not. According to Mhaske, their objective is to influence 100 Lok Sabha constituencies using social media. Along with this, from the political perspective, they have six very important states Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra in their crosshairs. To examine the extent to which they have been successful over the last three years, they organised the Bharat Bandh on April 2, which was successful. I have no evidence to show whether Mhaskes views are right, wrong or exaggerated. But the big picture is clear. Social media has become such a fire-breathing dragon that before getting influenced by the opinions and messages published on it we need to exercise our own wisdom. Blind faith in social media can prove to be dangerous. Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan The views expressed are personal Uttarakhand and Indonesias Bali province on Monday signed a five-point agreement to extend mutual cooperation to give a boost to sectors such as health, tourism and culture, and e-governance besides ensuring environmental conservation. The agreement was signed between chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and Bali governor I Made Mangku Pastika. By signing the memorandum of understanding (MoU), both the sides have committed themselves to extending mutual cooperation in five key areas including tourism & culture, cabinet minister Madan Kaushik said at a press conference which was also addressed by Pastika. Kaushik said the mutual cooperation from both sides would help boost tourists influx to the mountain state from Bali, Indonesias only predominantly Hindu province. On an average, some 4,000 tourists visit the state from Bali annually, he said. Both sides will now work together to ensure that their arrivals get a further boost. The agreement would also go a long way in giving a boost to e-governance services in the hill state. The mutual cooperation will help ensure capacity building of human resource, Kaushik said. Besides, the agreement will also pave the way for giving a fillip to the health sector as well as the environmental conservation. Kaushik said Bali, where some 17000 foreign tourists visit every day and is also known for the hospitality of its citizens, could show us the way in giving a boost to tourism. He said the people in Uttarakhand, too, have a similar fascination for that island province (Bali). The minister said the pilgrimage centres of Haridwar and Rishikesh are very popular with Balis Hindu population. It may be the Bali governors first official visit to this state but he had been to Haridwar twice in 2007 and 2014, he said. Tourism secretary Dileep Jawalkar said during his current visit, Pastika would stay in Haridwar where he would take round of the holy city before leaving for Indonesia on Tuesday. The Bali governor said with its rich experience in tourism his province was equipped to boost the tourism sector in Uttarakhand. It (Bali) may be a tiny island but it is the only province in Indonesia, which has the highest (90%) population of Hindus, he said. Bali is very popular (among foreign tourists) as it has preserved the Hindu culture, Pastika said, adding people from all over the world visit Bali just to see the original culture of the Hindus in that province. We want to share our knowledge and experience to boost tourism in the holy places like Haridwar and the agreement that has been signed will help achieve that objective, he said. To us the holy places of Haridwar and Rishikesh are what Mecca is to Muslims and Jerusalam is to Christians. The Bali governor said both culturally and institution-wise Bali had a lot to offer to the hill state. We have institutions and universities where students are specially trained to treat the tourists with utmost courtesy, he said, adding his state would share that experience with Uttarakhand. Pastika said tourism is the only industry in the world that not only has a huge potential but it also doesnt damage the environment unlike the industry. He said Bali would share with Uttarakhand its expertise in the area of tourism and hospitality sectors, road connectivity and waste management etc. A hoarding put up by a BJP leader, which described chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawats recent Thailand tour as historic, created a buzz on the social media, embarrassing the ruling party. BJPs former Dehradun president Umesh Agarwal displayed the hoarding four days ago close to the chief ministers residence here. Agarwal also posted a screenshot of the hoarding on his Facebook timeline. The photo of the hoarding has been trolled on social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. When it will be India so developed that other countries people visit here to look for something good (sic) tweeted a user with handle @mik7_. Other twitter handles posted hilarious one-liners on the historic Thailand tour. Congrats Uttarakhand has got its own Kejriwal, said a Facebook post by a man called Dharmanand Kandpal. Agarwal is seeking a party ticket for mayoral elections. The hoarding seems an attempt to get some brownie points. After the controversy over the hoarding, Agarwal has gone incommunicado. Calls to his both cell phones are diverted to his assistants number. Sahab is in Bengaluru, he will be available after 26th April, said Rajesh Badoni. When contacted, BJP state president Ajay Bhatt said, The hoarding I believe was displayed with a good intention. He advised party leaders to avoid unnecessary publicity. Interacting with party lawmakers on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, We make mistakes and give masala (fodder) to the media... as if we are great social scientists and experts to analyse issues. The chief minister had told party leaders a few days ago not to display any hoarding with his photos, but the advice has been ignored by BJP leaders. The CM was in Thailand with a posse of officials from April 16 to 19. The tour was organised by the Indian embassy in Thailand. An official note said the CM held talks with industry leaders about possibility of investment opportunities in the Himalayan state, particularly in the field of food processing and hospitality. The Delhi Police has Rs 3.6 crore on offer for those who help catch the citys most-wanted criminals or aid in tracing the thousands of missing and abducted people, officials have said, giving a rare insight into how civilians are rewarded for helping fight crime. The figure is a cumulative of bounties and rewards offered till last year, with the lions share of Rs 2.58 crore earmarked for those who help find the 1,291 missing or kidnapped individuals. Bounties for wanted criminals amount to a total of Rs 56 lakh and credible clues that can identify dead bodies carry rewards of Rs 45 lakh in all. To be sure, these are cases where the police have done their part of the investigation and have no option but to seek help from the people. Solving a crime or catching a criminal is primarily the role of the police, but there are a lot of people who have had a bad experience with criminals or those who want to help the system. Offering big amounts as rewards serves as an incentive for them to cooperate with us, said Ved Marwah, former commissioner of Delhi Police who described the practice as very helpful. Secret rewards Through last year, Delhis policemen arrested 110 criminals carrying a total of nearly Rs 50 lakh on their heads. Twenty-two of them had a bounty of Rs 1 lakh and above. Many of these involve police informers, at times former criminals who do it under strict conditions of anonymity, and are a large fraction of the recipients. Though most of these rewarded criminals are caught by the police, the role of the public particularly secret informers is crucial. Nearly three-fourths of the total reward money goes to them, said Dependra Pathak, special commissioner of police. These informers are often paid secretly. Secrecy is an important aspect in cracking crime. So, we make sure the informer is useful to us again and his or her life is not in danger, Pathak said. In addition to rewards, each police unit also has a secret fund from which they pay sources to keep information flowing, added Pathak. Another senior police officer, who asked not to be named, said such retainer also helps ensure that informers with a criminal background stay clean. Public prizes The police also often reward people for acts of bravery and courage during a crime. The amount varies from Rs 1,000 to Rs 25,000. The money and the recognition serve as encouragement for their show of bravery, said Vikramjit Singh, deputy commissioner of police, Delhi Police headquarters. That the vice-president would reject the notice of motion of impeachment of the Chief Justice of India was a given. Not that there was any threat of an impeachment even if he had sanctioned it; the Opposition does not have the numbers. Still, the notice was an end in itself, not the means to one. The vice-president has the powers to reject the notice. The admission of such notices happen at his discretion, and there can be no talk of him exceeding his powers. The rejection is on the grounds that the charges laid out in the notice do not constitute the proven misconduct, which can be one of the two grounds for the removal of a judge. The other is incapacity. The vice-president, who says he consulted constitutional and legal experts, including former secretary generals of the Lok Sabha and former chief justices of India, saw no grounds for the notice to be admitted. The CJI is free to allocate cases as master of the roster, he indicated, citing the Supreme Courts own judgment to this effect. And with there being no proven misconduct or incapacity, his logic went, there is no constitutional basis for the notice to be admitted. Could he have done things differently? For instance, should the vice-president have said that despite there being no basis, he was admitting the motion, which would entail the creation of a three-member panel to probe the charges laid out in the notice? Thats a tough question to answer, especially because even the admission of the notice could be seen as there being some merit to the charges (and also as a victory for the Opposition). Should the CJI have restricted his judicial duties in the meantime? Thats an equally tough question to answer. As several legal luminaries have pointed out, while the current process of allocation of cases in the top court may be less than perfect (much like the current process of selecting judges is), an impeachment motion against the CJI isnt the way to address the issue. They have also pointed out that the vice-president had to decide on the notice quickly because it involved the credibility of the Chief Justice of India and, by extension, the Supreme Court. The rejection doesnt mean the end of the story, though. With the Congress deciding to contest the vice-presidents rejection of the notice in the Supreme Court, the issue is only likely to become messier. There are no winners in this. The biggest loser is the highest judicial office in the land, which has now been well and truly politicised. A rare commodity should logically be considered more valuable, something to be treasured, but as the sex ratio steadily falls and the number of men in India exceeds that of women by around 40 million (it was 37 million according to the last census), the value of a womans dignity and life seems to be decreasing. The recent spate of rapes, especially those of girl children, reveals a viciousness which is shocking even though such incidents are not uncommon. The increase in numbers could be because of increased reporting but the ferocity and frequency suggests deeper reasons. Well meaning and needed as the death penalty for the rape of children under the age of 12 years is the government approved an executive order to the effect Sunday it is unlikely to entirely address the issue. In large parts of India, there are severe restrictions on normal interactions between the sexes; an ingrained belief in the worthlessness of women; and the easy availability of cheap pornography on mobile phones, conveying a distorted notion of male-female relationships. The fact that are fewer women than men, puts all women at greater risk of sexual violence and trafficking. Studies show that across India, especially in states with a skewed sex ration, women are at greater risk of sexual and other forms of violence from an increasingly frustrated cohort of men that finds it difficult to interact with women normally, even find wives. The increase in womens education and their ability to access the job market has also left them open to violence in a patriarchal society, which views this independence as threatening. This explains why many men, including those in the infamous Delhi gang rape, justify their brutality as owing to the woman being provocatively dressed or out at a time when she should not have been. Assertions of independence by women are invariably suppressed through violence, sexual or otherwise. The increase in the number of child rapes is also because children are much easier targets than adults. It is also easier to frighten a child into silence than an adult woman. It could also be on account of the fact that such predators find it easier to make contact with children at a wedding, the house of a friend or a relative, even their own home than with adult women. In recent months, more such cases have been reported from rural areas and lower economic groups, where there may not be as much awareness of child sexual abuse as there is in urban areas and middle- and higher-income groups. Finally, the criminal justice system is also riddled with loopholes, from evidence gathering to investigation that many rape cases just fall through the cracks. As optimistic as one would want to be about the new law, it would be unrealistic to expect it to be free of similar deficiencies. It is a start, but needs to be backed by greater awareness, and a social change. April 13, 2018, will go down in history as significant because of a judgment passed in the Royal Court of Justice in London. Justice Mark Warby ruled in favour of a businessman who wanted Google to remove search results about his past criminal conviction. Mr Warby said that the businessman had shown remorse and that information about his crime and punishment had become out of date, irrelevant and of no sufficient legitimate interest to users of Google search to justify its continued availability. Those in favour of the Right to be Forgotten argue that it can be used when the information about an individual in the public domain is no longer relevant and when it does not really serve any purpose. But, who is to decide this? In the case cited, the court has taken a decision. What about similar cases in the future? Google, reports claim, has received more than two million similar requests, since the European Union court of justice ruled in 2014 that irrelevant data could be erased. The judgment is unlikely to have an immediate effect on similar pleas around the world, but it definitely charts the future course for this debate. At one level, the right to be forgotten throws up complicated questions and many of them disturbing. Is it right, and more important safe, to block or erase past records from public access? By upholding the right to be forgotten and expunging search links is the freedom of expression and the freedom of press being infringed upon? Lawyers representing Google said that the right to be forgotten ruling was not a right to rewrite history or ... tailor your past.... At another level, it reinforces faith in the concept of reformative justice and that once a convict has served her time she should no longer be associated with that past crime. It hinges on the belief that prisons are correction and reformation centres, rather than institutions where the rejects of society are locked up. The London verdict is within the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, which states that the burden of past crimes must not haunt ex-offenders for the rest of their lives. The verdict of April 13 is yet another example of the complications of the digital era. JEE Mains answer key 2018: The answer key for Joint Entrance Examination Mains (JEE Mains 2018) exam was released by the JEE Mains unit of CBSE on Tuesday. The examination was held on April 8 (offline mode) and April 15 and 16 (online mode) in a number of centres across India and abroad. The answer keys has been released for both online and offline examinations. The answer keys and images of response sheets (OMR sheets) of Pen and Paper based examination and answer keys of computer based examination will be there at jeemain,nic.in during April 24-27, 2018. Candidates can check and raise their objections. Objections can raised in the online mode only by paying a fee. Direct Link to View/challenge answer key of Paper 1. Direct Link to View/challenge recorded responses of Paper 1 The unofficial answer key of the exam had been released by some institutes just after the examinations. The JEE Mains 2018 Paper 1 results will be declared on April 30. Close to 12 lakh students had applied for the exam. Of them only 2.2 lakh will be eligible for the JEE Advanced, which paves the gateway to IITs and other prestigious colleges. The examination had evoked mixed reaction from students across the country. Mahendra Patel, a resident of Madhya Padesh, who appeared in the exam at YMCA Centenary School and College, Allahabad said: The JEE Main paper cannot be described as easy or tough. I attempted all questions but the Mathematics part was exhausting due to complex nature of questions. The Physics portion of the paper, though was in accordance to class 11 and class 12 syllabus, was tough compared to questions of Mathematics and Chemistry, said Adarsh Kumar, a resident of Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh. Physics questions were tough. I attempted all questions pertaining to Mathematics and Chemistry, said Saurabh Shukla, a resident of Allahabad who appeared in the exam. Candidates who took the JEE Mains in Lucknow were of the view that question paper in the first shift was quite lengthy and many of them could not answer all questions. They also found the question paper to be tricky. Both Riya and Aditi from Lucknow were of the view that they had to race against time as the question paper of the first shift was lengthy. We had to struggle to complete the paper. Some of the questions were tricky too, one of them said, while the other agreed. A teacher of a reputed institute in Bhopal, who is not authorised to comment, said, Overall the paper was of moderate difficulty level. The Chemistrys questions were lengthy. A few students found difficulty in answering questions of organic chemistry. The cut-off will be similar to that of last year. Note: Visit the official website of JEE (main)2018 for latest details and updates. PSEB 12th result 2018: The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) on Monday declared the Class 12 exam results. The exams were held from February 28 to March 24. Girls have outperformed boys in the examination. The overall pass percentage is 65.97. In the academics category, humanities stream student Pooja Joshi of Ludhiana stood first with 98% marks, followed by science stream student Vivek Rajput (also from Ludhiana) in the second position with 97.55% marks and Jasnoor Kaur of Muktsar from commerce stream is in the third position with 97.33% marks. The board deployed several measures to stop cheating during the exams. Students were not allowed to choose their own schools as the exam centres. And, instead of three different sets of question papers, the sequence of the questions was changed. Last year, the pass percentage for Class 12 was 65.33%. You can check your results by clicking here. Candidates can also check their results at PSEBs official website pseb.ac.in Here is the direct link for the result: http://punjab-12th-result.indiaresults.com/pb/pseb/result-of-12-class-march-2018/query.htm PSEB Class 12th Result 2018: Steps to check 1) Visit the official website of the board - pseb.ac.in. 2) Click on the link for results on the top 3) Enter your name or roll number and click on find results 4) Your result will be displayed on screen 5) Download it or take a print out for further reference Note: Checking the results may take time because of heavy traffic. Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) commissioner Yashpal Yadav had to call an impromptu meeting with sanitation workers on Monday, after a large group of workers gathered outside the MCG office in Sector 34 to protest against poor working conditions. Sanitation workers alleged that they are working without any basic safety gear and in deteriorating conditions. The MCG commissioner assured them that by May 22, all their grievances will be addressed. Other demands raised by workers included stricter action against contractors found exploiting workers, uniforms and footwear for all staff and salary payments on time. The sanitation workers are mostly sewer men, pump operators and garbage collectors. Seeing the magnitude of Mondays protest, the MCG commissioner held a meeting with the office bearers of the union and assured us that all the local level demands will be resolved within two months. He further directed MCG officials to address the demands of the workers immediately, Ram Singh, leader of Safai Karamchari Union, said. According to MCG officials, these workers will be provided toilets, drinking water and shades to protect them from the heat and rain. A centre will be provided for sanitation workers in each ward where they registering their attendance. These centres will also have public toilets. Apart from this, at various locations, a tin shed with drinking water facility will be set up. For providing uniform and footwear, officials concerned have been told to complete the formalities by May 22, Yadav said. YS Gupta, additional municipal commissioner, MCG, said the directorate of supplies and disposal should sanction the setting up of these facilities in the near future. Yadav also said that workers can soon mark their attendence through the biometric attendance to ensure the process is foolproof. He also issued directions to MCG officials to check allegations that contractors are paying low wages to some sanitation workers. The ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Monday said it has removed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act completely in Meghalaya and restricted its area of operation in Arunachal Pradesh to eight police stations bordering Assam and three districts neighbouring Myanmar, attributing this to the improved security situation in the north-east. Officials said the Act, which gives special rights and immunity to security forces in carrying out various operations in disturbed areas, is now in vogue in only 40% of the total area of Arunachal. The Act gives security personnel the power to search premises and arrest people without warrant, and to use force, if required, even causing death. Ministry officials said the decision to remove the controversial law was taken due to a significant improvement of security situation in Meghalaya. AFSPA has been removed from all areas of Meghalaya from March 31, 2018, while in Arunachal Pradesh, areas under AFSPA reduced to eight Police Stations, besides Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts, said a senior home ministry official on condition of anonymity. There has been a substantial improvement in security situation in the north-eastern states over the last four years. The year 2017 recorded the lowest number of incidents of insurgency and casualties among civilians and security forces since 1997, the official added. AFSPA has been in force in Nagaland for several decades and in Assam from early 1990s. A second home ministry official, who asked not to be identified, said there was a 37% fall in 2017 in the number of incidents of insurgency in the region as a whole. There was 30% reduction in casualties among security forces and 23% reduction in the number of civilian deaths. Since 2014, there has been a 63% fall in the number of incidents, 83% fall in the number of vicilian deaths, and 40% fall in the number of casualties among security forces, this person added. Home ministry officials point to specific gains: in Assam, sustained counter-insurgency operations against NDFB(S) have resulted in neutralising 63 cadres and arrest of 1,052 cadres/linkmen besides recovery of arms and ammunition between December 2014 and March 2018. While there is almost no insurgency left in Tripura and Mizoram, there has been a marked improvement in the security situation in other N-E states. Launching a sharp attack on the Prime Minister, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechuri on Sunday claimed that Narendra Modi, fugutive diamantaire Nirav Modi and former IPL Chairman Lalit Modi were looting the country. The Left leader said people never knew that the country had so many Modis, but what is common among them is that all were looting. Yechury -- re-elected as the Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary -- said the loot increased after the Modi government came to power in May 2014. He said though Modi had promised to waive loans of farmers, he waived loans of about Rs 3 lakh crore of big investors and industrialists. Peoples money kept in banks was looted. Those who did it escaped from the country and the government is not able to bring them back, he said. Yechury was addressing a public meeting organised by the CPI-M on Sunday evening to mark the end of five-day party national conclave. Yechury compared Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah to epic Mahabharatas Duryodhana and Dushasana. The Marxist leader said there were 100 Kaurava brothers in Mahabharat but most people know of only two -- Duryodhana and Dushasana. Similarly, people know only two in BJP -- Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, he remarked. Yechury vowed to defeat the BJP-RSS combine and said the CPI-M was determined to defeat the communal forces and restore harmony in the country. Voicing concern over increasing sexual assaults on children, he alleged that all those involved belonged to the BJP and RSS and no action was taken against them. Instead of registering cases against them, victims are being booked. The women and children never faced this grave threat before this government came to power, he said. On the third alternative proposed by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao against both the BJP and the Congress, Yechury said the CPI-M would take a decision after seeing its policies. Revealing that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief spoke to him a few days ago about the proposed front, Yechury said a front for the sake of power would be of no help. He recalled that an effort was made for the third alternative 20 years ago, leading to the formation of United Front government in 1996. Yechury said that while their priority was to defeat the communal forces and appropriate strategy would be adopted at the time of 2019 general elections, the electoral alliances alone will not help. He underlined the need to build a mass movement to achieve the goal. He pointed out that during Telanganas armed struggle, the Communists protected 5,000 villages for three years from Nizams razakars, the Congress government and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patels Army. Referring to the march of hundreds of red-shirt volunteers at the public meeting, he said such peoples army alone could give a befitting reply to the communalists. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Rajya Sabha MP and former Union minister Jairam Ramesh remains a significant voice in the Congress as the party tries to navigate the road to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He spoke to Saubhadra Chatterji and Prashant Jha about the new Congress, the leadership style of Rahul Gandhi, and the contours of a possible alliance with other Opposition parties, among other issues. Edited excerpts: What is the difference between Sonias and Rahul Gandhis Congress? It is the same Congress. Obviously, Rahul is different from Mrs Gandhi. He is 25 years younger and comes with the exuberance and enthusiasm of youth. He is bringing in the young and giving them positions of authority, which was long overdue. At the same time, he is conscious that his appointment marks change with continuity. Rahul came into politics in 2004, took on a direct managerial responsibility in January 2013 as vice president, but has occupied the hot seat only last month. He has had a 14-year transition while Mrs Gandhi came in directly, under extraordinary circumstances, in 1998. It is not fair to compare but the objective is identical. What are the key elements of his style? He is an extraordinary listener. In a meeting with 10 people, if you are quiet, he will reach out and ask for your views. There has been a remarkable, amazing transformation in him in the last two years in terms of outreach and aggression. His speech at the plenary had the audience enthralled. He is becoming more direct, speaking mostly extempore, very confidently. What explains the change? Men make moments, but moments make men too. (Jawaharlal) Nehru made moments, but (Lal Bahadur) Shastri was made by the moment. Maybe the fact that he is numero uno and that the buck stops with him is forcing him to adopt a different approach. Would you trace it to particular moment? I dont think there is a eureka moment. But the Gujarat campaign steeled him. It was a major watershed and he came into his own the manner in which he conducted the campaign and led from the front. He has been mocked. You think that is over now? Our biggest challenge has been to project the real Rahul, the private Rahul, as the public figure. There was such a dissonance in perception and reality. What he stands for, what he reads, what he eats, it has to come out. Politics is a public profession. I think it took time for him to adjust to the pressures of Indian politics. But this remains work in progress. There is much more public engagement that will be required, and articulation of the positive narrative the Congress brings. Do you think because he has not held public office, in comparison with Narendra Modi, he loses out? Modi had not held any office when he became the chief minister of Gujarat. But he had been the CM for 12 years. And he was soon to become the prime minister for five years. So, in 2019, Rahul has a disadvantage. It is (about) how he strikes a chord with people And look, it is not a Modi versus Rahul fight; it is Congress versus BJP. Our elections are a contest between parties, not between personalities, and they are not beauty contests. You dont think elections have turned presidential now? No. Modi may have added 6-7% to the BJP vote, but the underlying 22-23% of the vote was BJPs vote. It is the BJP which got 31%. We are a party democracy. We are not a presidential system. For 2019, too, the question of PM is completely irrelevant at this stage. It depends on the numbers. The BJP will fight in coalition; we have pre-poll allies. So the issue is not who will be PM, the issue is which party will come to power, and realistically, which coalition will come to power. Will it be a BJP-anchored coalition, or a Congress-anchored one? There are some leaders who talk about a coalition where Congress also swims, does not provide the anchor. So will the Congress be a supplement? Mamata Banerjee leads a West Bengal party. K Chandrashekar Rao will not get a seat outside Telangana. These are very powerful, effective, regional leaders. But today, the two national parties are Congress and BJP. I would have said some months ago that the Left is a national formation but they have undergone major setbacks. I am not saying regional leaders dont have a national outlook. Mamata does, but she is anchored in Bengal. Can Trinamool win the South, in the North? You saw with AAP (Aam Aadmi Party), it is finding it difficult to go out of Delhi. There will be a lot of permutations and combinations. There are the 1977, 1996, 2004 models. Arun Shourie has spoken of the 69:31 formula in 2014, only 31% voted for Modi, the rest voted against him; so that is the 1977 Janata model where everyone came together and the issue was Indira Gandhi. The 1996 model is United Front, which Congress supported from outside though in my view support should always be from inside. In 2004, along with pre-poll allies and post-poll friends, we formed the United Progressive Alliance. Maybe 2019 will come out with a fourth experience. Times will dictate strategy. Will you have more alliances? The Congress is a national party. It cannot take VRS (voluntary retirement scheme) when it is in alliance. This is the dilemma. As a national party, we have an organisation everywhere, but the moment you enter into an alliance, you cede space. There is a trade-off. It may pay us short-term dividends, but is a demotivating factor in the long-term. Has Congress been able to get out of the existential crisis you once referred to? Our challenge is to convert the growing disenchantment with Modi into growing enchantment with Congress. It happened in a small way in Rajasthan, in a bigger way in Gujarat. We will hold on to Karnataka. Chhattisgarh has been a 1-2 percent margin state. In Rajasthan, we have to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. In Madhya Pradesh, too, there is huge anti-incumbency. You do well with strong leaders. In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, you face a dilemma over the leadership. It is more important to maintain party unity, rather than get involved in who will be the chief minister. The party has to win. In Karnataka, yes we have a strong local leader, but we also have a strong party organisation. The party structure, ideology, outreach, communication, is more important. You led the rural development ministry. How do you judge the governments track record? Demonetisation had a horrendous impact on the economy. It led to substantial unemployment, huge dislocation. It was a bad idea, implemented even more badly. GST (goods and services tax) was a good idea, implemented arbitrarily. Modi came to power on the grounds he was an effective economic manager thats where many people are disappointed. We knew he would be a divisive political figure, and he has not disappointed us on that. He has squeezed MSPs (minimum support prices), rural spending, rural wages. There are issues of land, forest rights. It is not just agriculture. And it is not just rural economy. There is tax terrorism. People are not speaking because of an atmosphere of fear. UPA focused on a rights framework. But this government has also focused on welfare toilets, housing, health, banking. We launched it; they gave it new names and took it forward. We gave bureaucratic names like Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account. Modi converted it into Jan Dhan. Who remembers BSBDA? He rediscovered rural India last year. Will that help electorally? It didnt help him much in Gujarat, Rajasthan and UP. Modi is now facing 3 Ds - disappointment, disenchantment and disillusionment. So what do you think the BJP will bank on in the elections? They have only one card the P card: polarisation. But you are playing Hindu politics too with temple hopping. Thats an intellectually lazy argument. Mrs Gandhi always said we have to fight communalism of all kinds; that secularism is not just majority-minority but that the majority of people across religions want to live in peace while a minority section in each religion wants to spread prejudice. On 12 January, 1999, on Swami Vivekanan- das birth anniversary, Mrs Ga- ndhi spoke at the Ramakrishna Mission and said India is secular largely because of the traditions and legacy of Hinduism. What Rahul is doing is not new. Congress appears defensive on secularism. You know how the term UPA was coined. It was initially to be called United Secular Alliance, which we ruled out because the acronym would be USA; then we thought of Progressive Secular Alliance. Karunanidhi, the arch-atheist, then said something at a meeting dont use the word secular since, in Tamil, it translates into irreligious. We then thought of UPA. So what we have to convince the people about is that India is multi-religious; there is a place for all religions; but as far as the Indian state is concerned, it should have nothing to do with religion. That is secularism. I am more of a practising Hindu than 90% of the BJP guys. Because we are secular does not mean we are anti-Hindu. Many argue that the notice for a motion to remove the Chief Justice was too drastic. This was not sudden but preceded by months of deliberation. Weighing the pros and cons carefully, a considered decision to go ahead was taken in order to strengthen the judiciary to which we are irrevocably committed -- vastly more so than Modi and his colleagues. It was an unprecedented step, but the situation was truly extraordinary... it was a very sad moment and I can tell you the step was taken with a very heavy heart. I don think anybody wanted to but the five issues left us with no choice. But will this undermine institutions? Can a disagreement with a judicial verdict lead to a set of MPs taking such a step? The move has nothing to do with judicial verdicts. All five grounds for impeachment have to do with personal integrity. We believe what SC decides is final, even if at times we may not agree with it. Final, but not infallible, as a legal scholar wrote. Some believe you have done this to prevent him from delivering the verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi case. Absolutely bogus. Chhattisgarh forest department officials have confirmed the presence of a black panther at the Udanti-Sitanadi tiger reserve in Gariyaband district. Forest officials believe this is the first time footage of the rare beast has been captured in central India. Visuals of the black panther were obtained following the installation of over 200 cameras across the tiger reserve for over 80 days from December 2016 to April 2017. Forest officials took the step after a few guards reportedly caught sight of the animal while on duty. The Udanti-Sitanadi tiger reserve is spread across 1,842.54 square kilometres. Now we have photographic evidence of the black panther, said chief conservator of forests (wildlife) OP Yadav. Although a forest officer reportedly spotted a black panther in the area 24 years ago, no scientific records were found to buttress his claim. Another officer glimpsed a female black panther and two cubs in the Achanakmaar jungles three years ago, but the authorities were unable to gather any scientific evidence in this regard either. Black panthers were earlier said to inhabit the Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary, Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary. President Ram Nath Kovind has approved an ordinance for the death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years. Other provisions included in the ordinance are speedy investigation and trial of rape cases - not more than four months - an increase in the minimum quantum of punishment for rape convicts and the scrapping of anticipatory bail if the victim is a minor. HT takes a look at the child rape cases in India, trial pendency in courts and the conviction rate: A 57-year-old lawyer was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl on the Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai Express, police said. The advocate allegedly assaulted her when she was asleep. The girl woke up and raised an alarm, following which her family nabbed him and informed the Travelling Ticket Examiner. The Chennai-based lawyer had boarded the train from Coimbatore on April 21 night, police said. He was handed over to railway police in Erode, which registered a case against him under The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), 2012. The lawyer was later lodged in a prison in Coimbatore. Supreme Court judges, including Chief Justice Dipak Misra, on Monday initiated court proceedings at 10.45am instead of the scheduled 10.30am amid speculation that they held a brief meeting on the issue of the impeachment notice against the CJI. CJI Misra, who usually holds his court at 10.30am, entered the courtroom almost 15 minutes late and started hearing lawyers who wanted their petitions to be listed for urgent mentioning. (Live updates) BJP leader Subramanian Swamy was among the first few litigants to mention his petition for urgent hearing. The CJIs courtroom was packed with lawyers, including those who had no matters to argue for. Besides the Chief Justice, all other courts sat late at 10.45am to undertake Mondays court proceedings. Read | Why Venkaiah Naidu rejected notice seeking impeachment of CJI: 5 points Speculation was rife among lawyers that judges held a brief, informal meeting before they started Mondays business. Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the notice given by opposition parties led by the Congress for impeachment of the CJI, citing lack of substantial merit in it. Naidu held extensive consultations with top legal and constitutional experts, including former chief justices and judges, before taking the decision, sources said. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held the consultations to determine the maintainability of the motion. Rajya Sabha chairperson and vice president M Venkaiah Naidus decision to reject the notice seeking the removal of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra has triggered a battle between forces rejecting and rescuing democracy, the Congress party said on Monday. RS chairman cant adjudge the motion, for he has no mandate to decide the merits of the motion, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said. The Congress leader also said Naidu cannot decide on the merits in absence of a quasi-judicial or administrative power. If all charges were to be proved before inquiry as RS Chairman suggests, Constitution & Judges (Inquiry) Act will have no relevance, Surjewala said. He also linked the decision to Union finance minister Arun Jaitleys critique of the notice. Within hours of 64 MPs submitting the impeachment motion, Leader of Rajya Sabha(FM) had expressed naked prejudice by calling it a revenge petition virtually dictating the verdict to Rajya Sabha Chairman on that day. Has Revenge Petition now become Rescue Order? Constitutional process of impeachment is set in motion with 50 MPs giving the motion. RS Chairman cant adjudge the motion, for he has no mandate to decide the merits of the motion. This is truly a fight between forces Rejecting Democracy & voices Rescuing Democracy. 1/3 Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 23, 2018 2/3 Within hours of 64 MPs submitting the impeachment motion, Leader of Rajya Sabha(FM) had expressed naked prejudice by calling it a revenge petition virtually dictating the verdict to Rajya Sabha Chairman on that day. Has Revenge Petition now become Rescue Order? Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 23, 2018 The opposition party indicated on Sunday that if the notice was rejected, the party would go to court. It is scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday afternoon to outline its next steps. The Congress and six other opposition parties on Friday submitted the notice for the removal of CJI Misra on five grounds of misbehaviour, the first time in the history of India that such a motion has been initiated against the countrys top judge. The move against stirred a massive controversy as the Congress accused the CJI of misbehaviour and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party said the main opposition party was politicising the issue. Jaitley accused it of trivialising the power of impeachment and using it as a political tool. The senior BJP leader said last Friday that the move was an attempt to intimidate a judge and send a message to other judges, that if you dont agree with us, fifty MPs are enough for a revenge action in a scathing Facebook post. The political fight over an attempt to remove the Chief Justice of India escalated on Monday with Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu, the Vice President of India, rejecting a notice by the Opposition to the effect, and the Congress deciding to appeal his decision in the Supreme Court. Naidu issued a 10-page order saying the notice which had the signatures of 64 parliamentarians across seven parties lacked substantial merit and that initiating a removal proceedings on such basis would undermine the faith of the common person in the judicial system. It is imperative that one should have extraordinary, important and substantial grounds for the removal of a judge, Naidu said. MPs who presented the motion are themselves unsure of the charges, as they use words like, may have been, likely, appears to be... the order read. Within hours, the Congress called the order illegal and said Naidus decision had shattered the confidence of people. To say the least, the order is unprecedented, illegal, ill-advised and hasty, said Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who is among the MPs who signed the removal petition. With the Congress approaching the apex court, it has to be seen whether the CJI will, as master of the roster, decide who should hear this case, or recuse himself. A senior government functionary cited the Judges (Inquiry) Act to say that Naidu had the statutory right to accept or reject such a notice. Mere numbers do not set the process in motion, he said, asking not to be named. Thats the opinion of eminent jurists as well, including Soli Sorabjee and Fali Nariman. Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the Congress of undermining the dignity of the judiciary and said the party was trying to run the country through the courts using false, half-baked and sponsored litigations. The Congress and six other opposition parties had on April 20 handed over to Naidu the notice for the CJIs removal on five grounds of misbehaviour. Naidu announced his rejection of the notice before the Supreme Court convened for the day on Monday. Interestingly, court proceedings were delayed by around 15 minutes, although there was no explanation for this. The CJI and other judges gather at a customary tea meeting before proceedings begin and the speculation was that this meeting had carried on for longer than usual. There was also speculation that the other judges had told the CJI that they too would recuse themselves from the case. The Supreme Court had no comments and Hindustan Times could not independently verify either. This is the first time that a notice seeking proceedings to remove a judge was rejected without being admitted. Besides the Congress, members of the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Communist Party of India, Nationalist Congress Party and Indian Union Muslim League signed the notice. A CJI can only be removed for proven misbehaviour and incapacity, says Article 124 (4) of the Constitution. At least 50 Rajya Sabha or 100 Lok Sabha members have to sign a plea to begin the lengthy procedure for the removal of the countrys top judge. This could be a first of sorts an informal meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan on April 27-28 six weeks before the two leaders will meet yet again, formally, in a multilateral setting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit Meeting in Qingdao. We are informed that it was external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj who had suggested such a meeting to the visiting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi last December and senior functionaries on both sides prioritised its fruition. With the benefit of hindsight, it is obvious that the much discussed reset in the ties was prompted by the nerve-racking two-and-a-half-month-long stand-off between the Chinese and Indian armies last summer. The Doklam episode was clearly the wake-up call on both sides to retrieve the relationship before it spiralled into yet another Himalayan blunder. If nothing else, it indicates that a sufficient number of alarm bells had begun to ring maybe louder on the Indian side and that both countries were seized of the greater perils that the collapse of this partnership would bring. The promise of a strong and dynamic relationship, built on reinvigorated trade and investment that came with Modis government in 2014 soon dissipated in debilitating and competitive power dynamics. Over the past few years, the gap between the official discourse on the one hand, (viz, civilisational ties, convergences on key global issues and India and China jointly undergirding the rise of Asia) and the actual policies being adopted by both, (viz not supporting Indias Nuclear Suppliers Group membership, Chinas blocking of the UN designation of Azhar Masood, playing of the Tibet card and opposing the Belt and Road Initiative in toto by India) had gradually widened into a chasm. One watched with near disbelief, as differences that could have been discussed and accommodated within a broader framework gradually morphed into disputes; inflammatory statements especially during the Doklam episode served to inflame public opinion; regional dynamics appeared to focus more on hedging and containment (India and the Quad and China in South Asia) at any rate they appeared to be interpreted as such. The India-China world had shrunk to a handful of concerns; the diplomatic space had become constricted and win-win was just another couple of words. We witnessed a steady decline in bilateral ties as the two sides came to stand on opposite sides on a host of issues and the India-China relationship increasingly looked like a contradiction in terms. It was obvious that the India-China relationship was only plummeting and sooner or later somebody had to ask who precisely this was benefitting. This unraveling of ties also sat uneasily with the framework that Modi had outlined and had been so welcomed in his very first year in office: neighbourhood first and strong economic partnerships, which would further his domestic development and modernisation agenda. This initiative does appear to have Modis characteristic hands-on approach to the problem; it points to a realisation that a positive and consultative approach to the challenges would serve both better than to keep hurling accusations at each other. It also appears to be the outcome of a sober and more realistic appraisal of the new challenges on the global economy front; and above all, it is also about the importance of the bigger picture. The China-Pakistan relationship will not simply vanish overnight or miraculously transform to Indias liking and in the meantime our neighbours seem to have made their choice in favour of getting on with their own developmental agendas with Chinas help. Where does India want to be in this transformative process? We can join this march or sit on the sidelines and watch the transformation nevertheless. Modi and Xis decision to take the time out for this bilateral tete-a-tete may well prove a game-changer. Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the Congress-led oppositions notice for the removal of Chief Justice Dipak Misra. Among the reasons cited for the rejection, Venkaiah Naidus order says, says the allegations have a serious tendency to undermine the independence of the judiciary. Here the five reasons for rejection: 1. MPs who presented the motion are themselves unsure of the charges, as they use words like, may have been, likely, appears to be and it does not constitute proof against the CJI. 2. The allegation have serious tendency of undermining the independence of the judiciary. 3. There is no concrete verifiable imputation against the Chief Justice of India. 4. No credible or verifiable information giving indication of misbehaviour or incapacity is made in the charges against the CJI 5. By going to the press, established parliamentary customs and conventions were disregarded by the MPs who brought the motion. (Read the Vice Presidents order) A man was shot dead and several were injured in clashes across West Bengal on Monday during the last day of submission of nomination papers for the panchayat elections. Amid the violence, there was no indication from the state election commission about the poll dates. The BJP, CPI(M), and the Congress accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of continuing to unleash violence to deter the opposition from fielding candidates. The opposition described Mondays violence as the most widespread since nominations started on April 2. Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee rubbished the allegations. Five of our workers have been killed. No one is speaking about that. We are being one-sidedly blamed for the violence, Chatterjee, the state education minister, added. Police identified the latest victim of violence as Dildar Khan and said he was in his thirties. Police are yet to ascertain who fired the bullets that killed him at Suri in Birbhum district. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool jostled to claim Khan was their party worker. Around 2.30 pm, Dildar Khans father, Tahid Khan, told the media that his son was a BJP worker and Trinamool supporters killed him. It happened before my eyes. The pradhan (panchayat pradhan) said shoot Dildar, he said. Barely 90 minutes later, Tahid Khan addressed a press conference with Trinamools Birbhum unit president Anubrata Mondal by his side. He was a Trinamool supporter. BJP supporters killed him, said Tahid Khan. Through the day, local television channels beamed footage of people, with their faces covered, roaming around with firearms in several districts. The situation in Bengal is fast approaching a state where we will be forced to demand imposition of Presidents rule. We have already lost five workers to Trinamools bullets in the run-up to the nomination process, said BJP state unit president Dilip Ghosh. Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP national general secretary and the partys in-charge of Bengal, said, We have never seen a situation where people who are being beaten up are arrested. Union minister of state, heavy industries, Babul Supriyo alleged that Trinamool supporters blocked his way when he was accompanying candidates to file nomination in West Burdwan district. CPI(M) state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra said, The police, the administration and the ruling party, in coordination, have unleashed terror that has left no district unaffected. CPI(M) central committee member Rabin Deb said the party would watch what the state election commission does. Whether we file a petition in court will depend on the poll panels decision, Deb added. CPI(M) leader Bikash Bhattacharya said they could even seek removal of the state election commissioner. The rural election process was stalled earlier this month after opposition parties went to court, alleging large-scale violence during the nomination process. The state election commission on Saturday extended the nomination process by a day following Calcutta high courts directions to ensure peace around the polling exercise. At the time of the copy being published, the poll body was collecting reports from the district magistrates and superintendents of police of the 20 districts where the rural polls will be held. No poll body official was willing to go on record over the poll dates. The polls were initially scheduled for May 1, 3 and 5. The opposition parties have alleged that the Trinamool is pressuring the election commissioner to hold the polls on a single day. The Trinamools stance before the commissioner is it does not want polls at the height of summer, during rains or during Ramzan. The Supreme Court in the coming week will hear a bunch of important cases including the Centres petition on the Shopian firing incident and a hoteliers plea seeking to quash Section 377 of the IPC, which criminalises homosexuality. Water dispute between Delhi and Haryana, a plea for a permanent commission for women army officers and Bollywood actor Salman Khans petition in a criminal case registered against him in Rajasthan over his alleged derogatory remarks against the member of the Scheduled Caste community are other important matters listed for hearings during the week. The Centre has questioned the registration of a criminal case against an army officer, accused of opening fire on protesters in Kashmirs Shopian on January 27. Three civilians were killed in the firing, prompting the state police to file an FIR against him. In its plea, the Centre stated that the state government cannot launch a criminal prosecution against an army officer without its approval under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. The Centre is also expected to place its policy decision before a bench headed by Justice NV Ramana on Monday after being pulled up by the top court for not setting up a permanent commission for Armys women officers. Disputes between Delhi and Haryana over sharing of Yamuna water will be heard by a bench led by Justice MB Lokur on Monday. Irked by Haryanas reluctance to release water to Delhi, the bench had last week ordered personal appearance of Haryana chief secretary and also directed release of water. A bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra will hear Khans petition seeking to quash the case over allegedly using a caste slur on a public platform. Hotelier Keshav Suris petition challenging the vires of Section 377 of the IPC is likely to be tagged with the other set of petitions on the issue, already referred to a constitution bench. Gujarat police detained Amreli superintendent of police Jagdish Patel on Sunday night in connection with the alleged abduction of a businessman as part of a bitcoin-extortion conspiracy earlier this year. He is the first high-ranking officer to be linked with the case, in which 10 police personnel have already been implicated. Three police personnel and a lawyer have been arrested in this regard since March. Jagdish Patel was detained from his official residence in Amreli last night. He will be interrogated along with accused police inspector Anant Patel, said a police officer. A complaint lodged by Surat-based builder Shailesh Bhatt with the CID on February 23 stated that he was abducted by the Amreli crime branch team from Gandhinagar on February 11, and kept in illegal confinement at a farmhouse. It further alleged that the police personnel transferred bitcoins worth Rs 20 crore from Bhatts digital wallet during his confinement. The businessman said he was released only after he assured his captors an additional ransom of Rs 32 crore. Jagdish Patel was not named in the FIR lodged by the Gujarat CID against 10 policemen and a lawyer on March 8. He is expected to be questioned by the CID in Bhatts presence. Nalin Kotadia, a former MLA from Dhari, is also likely to be interrogated in connection with the case. While Anant Patel was arrested last week, three others two constables and a lawyer were taken into custody in March. A Latvian woman said on Monday her sister, whose highly decomposed body was found two days ago near Kovalam beach in Kerala, was murdered and urged the state government for a high-level probe into her death. Ilzie Skormane said while addressing reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that it was clear from the autopsy report of her sister Liga that she died of unnatural circumstances. My sister cant reach such a remote area. It seems someone took her there. We urge people staying near the spot to come forward and share any information on this, she said. Ilzie said she tried to meet chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan but was not allowed an audience and accused the police of not helping them find her sister initially. They took it seriously at least a week after we filed the missing persons report. We were literally pleading with the authorities but to no avail, she said. Ligas husband Andrew, however, thanked the people of Kerala for their support. Look, such cases can happen anywhere in the world. We are not here to blame anyone. We really admire the people who started a vigorous campaign to help locate her, he said. He added that both of them will be in the state for some time to follow the progress in the case. Police have said the initial autopsy reports suggest there were no weapon-inflicted injuries on Ligas body and that a clear picture will emerge only after a forensic examination. Liga came to an Ayurveda hospital on the outskirts of the state capital for treatment along with Andrew and Ilzie on February 3. The 33-year-old disappeared from the hospital on March 14 while undergoing treatment for depression and other related ailments. An auto-rickshaw driver told the police during investigation that he dropped her on the Kovalam beach, 16 km south of Thiruvananthapuram, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, on the day she disappeared. Ligas relatives announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information that would help find her and put up posters with her pictures across Kovalam and adjoining areas, appealing for help. People on social media platforms also started a campaign to help trace Liga. Ligas decomposed body was found last Saturday and was identified by Ilzie by the dress she was wearing. The states director general of police Loknath Behra said the probe into Ligas death has posed a big challenge to the force. Behra added he has directed the inspector general of police (Thiruvananthapuram range), Manoj Abraham, to supervise the investigation into her death and record statements of her relatives. The state government has also announced it will bear all the expenses of taking her body to her country. Ligas case is the latest to highlight the safety of tourists in India. According to the latest data by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), crimes against foreigners spiked in 2016 as 12 of them were murdered, 38 molested and 19 allegedly raped. Last year, a stone-throwing attack left a young Swiss couple with a skull fracture and a broken arm in Agra, home to the famed monument to love, the Taj Mahal. A Dutch tourist was allegedly attacked in March last year on Kovalam beach by a man from Kattakkada. Nine tourists were attacked in Kerala in 2015, and there were seven such incidents in 2014. Vice-president and Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the Opposition parties notice for removal of Chief Justice Dipak Misra. The parties, led by the Congress, had on April 20 submitted a motion signed by 64 sitting parliamentarians for the removal of Misra on five grounds of alleged misbehaviour. Naidu had reportedly consulted legal and parliamentary experts, including the attorney general and a former Supreme Court judge, before rejecting the Opposition notice. Here are the live updates: 12:15pm: Eminent jurist and former attorney general Soli Sorabjee welcomes Naidus decision to reject the impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra, saying he has rightly applied his mind. 11:40am: Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Sujrewala says the Rajya Sabha chairman cannot adjudge the motion, for he has no mandate to decide the merits of the motion... This is truly a fight between forces Rejecting Democracy & voices Rescuing Democracy. 2/3 Within hours of 64 MPs submitting the impeachment motion, Leader of Rajya Sabha(FM) had expressed naked prejudice by calling it a revenge petition virtually dictating the verdict to Rajya Sabha Chairman on that day. Has Revenge Petition now become Rescue Order? Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 23, 2018 3/3 RS Chairman cant decide on merits in absence of quasi judicial or administrative power (M.Krishna Swamis case). If all charges were to be proved before inquiry as RS Chairman suggests, Constitution & Judges (Inquiry) Act will have no relevance. Dont muzzle Constitution Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 23, 2018 11:20am: The Congress is likely to move the Supreme Court against the order of the Rajya Sabha chairman in the matter, PTI reports quoting party sources. 11am: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy says the vice-president has taken the right decision in rejecting the Opposition motion. He (Naidu) need not have taken two days to make the decision. It should have been considered null and void and thrown out from the beginning. Congress has committed suicide by doing this. A woman in south Assams Karimganj district alleged that she was raped by her husband and his two friends within three days of her marriage as his demands for dowry were not met, the police said on Sunday. On the basis of her complaint, the husband was arrested on Sunday, they said. In her complaint to police, the woman claimed that her husband had demanded gold jewellery as dowry, and when his demand was not met, he along with his friends raped her on April 17, they said. According to police sources, the incident came to light when she had gone for medical treatment to a government hospital here in a critical condition, the police said. On the womans complaint, an FIR was filed in April 20 and a hunt is on to nab the other two accused, they said. The Centre is considering granting permanent commission (PC) to short service commission (SSC) women army officers, it told the Supreme Court on Monday, in a move that could bring an end to an eight-year old battle in the apex court, and which will make the army the last of Indias armed forces to do so. The court also asked the Centre why it was not granting PCs to women army officers in combat roles and asked it to file an affidavit, with a comprehensive policy on the PCs within two weeks. Additional solicitor general Maninder Singh told a bench led by Justice NV Ramana that Union Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, held meetings with the three chiefs (of Army, Air Force and Navy) last week and the government was not averse to granting PCs to women officers on SSC in the army. Deliberations happened with all earnest. They are considering expanding PC, wherever it is possible. Modalities, however, need to be worked out and a decision needs to be taken as to in which areas it (PC) can be given, the ASG said. He also added that there was no question of taking those women officers back who left the services before 2008. He also said no PC would be given to women officers in the combat division because no SSC is offered in this stream. The governments latest position is a climbdown from its earlier one. It appealed in the apex court after the Delhi High Court in March 2010 ordered it to give women army officers on SSC a permanent commission. In contrast, the air force and navy did this. Before the HC judgement, women officers retired after 14 years and had no scope of extension while their male counterparts were eligible to receive it after five years. Justice Ramanas bench on April 13 pulled up the government for harassing SSC women officers, opposing their plea for PC. Even on Monday the court described the Centres stand as wishy-washy. Question is that you have done it for officers in air force and navy. Why this discrimination against the army officers?, Justics Ramana said. he also questioned why the ASG was qualifying his remark with wherever its possible. The judge also questioned the hesitation on Centres part to give PC to women in combat roles. Reacting to the governments response in the top court, former army chief Lieutenant General AS Lamba (retd) said it was a step in the right direction. Its logical to extend PC to women as they have the same intellect, determination and exposure as men, Lamba said. And the army will certainly align itself to accept women in different roles and help them discharge their responsibilities. Too little too late, said Wing Commander Anupama Joshi (retd), who is from the first batch of women officers commissioned into the IAF in the early 1990s. The IAF is already granting PCs to women in cases where vacancies exist. This matter dates back to March 2010 and the army should have done it much earlier, Joshi said. She added that the fact it has taken eight years for the army to agree clearly indicates that there is still some internal resistance to the move. In 2015, then defence minister Manohar Parrikar told Parliament that the armed forces had given PC to 340 women officers. More recent data wasnt immediately available. Having halted awhile in its bowers, which are enjoyed by the foresters wives, and having become of lighter gait, through the voiding of thy water, and having traversed the path, continuing from this (mountain) you will see the Reva (Narmada) parted into many streamlets at the rock rugged foot of the Vindhya, like streaks cut to adorn the bodies of elephants. -- Meghduta, Kalidasa (transl. Henry Aime Ouvry, 1868) Hariharanand Maharaj is not at his usual seat at the Mrityunjaya ashram at Amarkantak. One of the five religious figures from Madhya Pradesh offered minister of state status for his work on the Narmada, Hariharanand is a former professor from Jodhpur who took sanyas in 2007, when he was made the third head of the ashram. He has already released a statement declining the Madhya Pradesh chief ministers claim that he will be inducted into the state Cabinet. Narmadanand Maharaj, another seer enlisted by the chief minister, quietly left from the Mrityunjay ashram for a parikrama of the Narmada at 5am on April 8. The circumambulation of the river is undertaken by the devout along its 1,312km course and takes up to six months, walking 30km a day. He will not be accessible socially or politically for the duration of his parikrama. Narmadanand didnt even bother to decline the position before he left. Hariharanand and Narmadanand have been working silently for the conservation of the Narmada river, pushing to have ghats built, kept clean, increasing public awareness such as not using soap in the river or washing clothes, and asking for treatment plants. The perennial river runs through 47 districts, 1,003 villages, hosts 290 temples, 263 ashrams and 161 dharamshalas on its banks, provides drinking water and fills agricultural canals. It is also eroded in 821 spots. The Narmadas most ardent conservationists are often its worshippers. The Narmada here is a deity in her own right and is locally considered more sacred than the Ganga. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) With rainfall at a 15-year low in 2017, and several of the rivers supplementary sources and tributaries drying up, despite dams, the environmental neglect has only exacerbated the problem. An associate of Hariharanand says his name has been clubbed with the other three -- Computer Baba, Bhaiyyu Maharaj and Pandit Yogendra Mahant, who were going to take out a protest march called the Narmada Ghotala Rath Yatra to protest the chief ministers tree-plantation drive to lend credibility to those names. He (Hariharanand) declined the role because the upkeep of Narmada is everyones role. Narmada doesnt belong to the government. She is the earth mother, she belongs to everyone. She doesnt belong to Shivraj Chouhan, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) or the Congress party. And it is not necessary that only when you sit in government she can be cleaned. You dont need a status of a minister or political power, says Hariharanands closest disciple and the ashram-in-charge in his absence, Yogesh Dubey. The anger at the state government in making the MoS-status offer is palpable in this town of sadhus and saints, many of them with followers extending beyond its boundaries. So influential is this quiet town of sadhus and so viscerally attached to its ecosystem that all prime ministers since Indira Gandhi, it is said, avoided attempting the flight here by helicopter, believing that anyone who does would promptly lose any impending elections, and made the drive down from a helipad at Dindori instead. Prime Minister Narendra Modi did the same when he visited Amarkantak in 2017 to endorse the CMs Namami Devi Narmada Seva Yatra. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) shot off a letter to the state government before the visit, asking for details of the environmental impact it would have. If they had spent on the river what they spent on setting up the PMs visit here, it would have helped, says a municipality official who asks not to be named. The NGTs move was prompted by an application lodged by local petitioners, including businessman Sanjay Tiwari, who in 2015 asked for the protection of the river. Formerly a resident of Amarkantak, he has left the town since, allegedly under pressure and fearing for his life. If the mood in the town is any indication, Chouhans recruitment, seen as a desperate bid to appease the rising anger of religious-minded voters, seems to have backfired. Combined with the agrarian distress caused by low water levels in the river, it is just the kind of thing Chouhan and his BJP did not want in an election year in the state. Narottam Mishra, the states minister for water resources, called the river an entire culture and civilisation, not merely a river, and justified the offer to the religious figures as participative governance and admitted to targeting their wider reach. Their energies can be channelised in the conservation of Narmada. They have been independently working to restore the glory of the river. These religious figures have a significant following among the public which will help in conveying CMs vision and mission for the conservation of Narmada and create further awareness about the importance of ecological protection. They will also act as independent auditors for the Narmada Seva Mission, he said. The Narmadas most ardent conservationists are often its worshippers. The Narmada here is a deity in her own right and is locally considered more sacred than the Ganga. As a kunwari, or unmarried river, she is said to offer liberation on sight (darshan) rather than ritual dipping. In fact, the orthodox frown upon the dipping into the river, or making offerings upon her, which is why the issue of her pollution is a controversial one. While she is one of three rivers that flows east to west, no other river in India is circumambulated from end to end, clockwise and counter-clockwise. According to SK Tiwari, former head of tribal studies at the University of Jabalpur, and author of several books on the Narmada, and a jal yatri one who has performed the parikrama by water instead of land -- with the submergence of 566 villages as per official records in the construction of the Omkareshwar dam, 48 tirthas or sacred spots have also been submerged. Parikramas, in which the devout walk barefoot, carry no money or food, and survive on whatever the river provides, began as a means of conservation, to put people in touch with nature and to be in touch with and understand the river, Tiwari says. There was also an ecosystem of hosting pilgrims that developed through the villages. Even today, along the river banks, homes that line the roads keep clay pots filled with water for those on parikramas. With the establishment of the dams altering the space occupied by the waters, submerging the original path and in places the path that once followed the waters has now extended up to 10km away from the waters edge. Nine out of 10 people in Madhya Pradesh are Hindus, dominant in the Narmada valley and its embankments. Where the population is largely Adivasi close to her source, as with the Raj Gonds the Narmada remains a leitmotif in traditional song, myth and legend. The religiosity of the river is not something that political parties can afford to neglect. Unfortunately for them, loyalty to the river outranks loyalty to parties. Amarkantak is middle Indias only non-glacier-fed water hub. The Narmada sits at the meeting point of the Vindhyas and the Satpura range, in the Maikal hills of Madhya Pradesh, with part of its ecosystem falling in the now biforcated Chattisgarh. The entrapment between two states is also cause for much inaction. It is said seven perennial rivers also originate and feed into the Narmada here. Many have dried up now due to various environmental factors. Legend has it that Sage Markandeya was searching for a river to meditate alongside and picked the Narmada. Kabir meditated here as did Bhrigu and it is said to have housed the Pandavas. Adi Shankaracharya is said to have met his guru Govind Bhagavatpada and established the Pataleshwar temple here. While the government has offered to build a 108-foot statue of the Shankaracharya on the banks of the Narmada, his followers here would really rather not stress the river with more construction. The ancient temples of Kalachuri maintained by the Archaeological Society of India are said to date back to 1042AD. Brahmacharini Chinmayee, a woman mendicant from West Bengal, came to meditate at the site of its origin leaving behind a young daughter and her husband. I was told that those who meditate on the river banks are able to obtain siddhic powers, she says. Shes been here 20 years and lives in a hut without electricity or running water. The three peaks on which Amarkantak rests are still referred to by old timers as the trikoot the Rudra (Shiva) peak, Brahma peak and Vishnu peak. Two key rivers rise out of this site the Narmada that runs to Bharuch, and the Sone that runs east through Chattisgarh. Areas that residents describe as once swampy are now at risk of forest fires. The water columns at source have dropped by 30%, the mean temperature is rising, the forests are being denuded, and this has caused much anger against those who would espouse Hinduism but let a sacred river die. Religious figures such as Mohan Maharaj, the Gurubhai of BJP leader Uma Bharti, have been among the most vocal voices for action against the governments neglect of environmental norms. We have been asking for water treatment plants, for control over deforestation, curbs on rampant construction, the sewage being dumped by cities and towns into the river, and the NGT has been passing order after order that is lying neglected. Instead we are fed gimmicks. It is just incredibly sad to see the state of the river. We fear that at this stage, after Amarkantak, she will become gupt, i.e. go underground till Mandla (184 km away). In Jabalpurs Gwarighat, the whole town comes out for the evening aarati to the river every day. Anushree and Tanushree, two young women who now live in Pune and Bangalore, still come whenever theyre in town. Uday Krishna Shastri, a 22-year-old priest who is one of five to perform the evening aarati, says: You cannot play politics with the Narmada, she has an adhyatmik (spiritual) purpose, and a social one. Thats more or less what the water resources minister Mishra says that the Narmada should be kept away from politics as much as possible. Given its state, though, it is unlikely that will happen. The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the plea of social activist Swami Agnivesh seeking deletion of scenes from the film Padmaavat on the ground that it glorified the practice of Jauhar. The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra rejected the plea of Angivesh which also sought lodging of FIR against the producer and director of the film for glorifying the social evil of jauhar (self immolation by widows on their husbands funeral pyre). Once CBFC clears the movie, deletion of scenes cannot be directed, the bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, said. The apex court had trashed several petitions against Padmaavats release on various grounds. Then the producers had moved the court after some states banned the movie. The court, on January 18, had set aside the ban and restrained other states from banning the film, paving way for its all-India release on January 25. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had moved the apex court seeking recall of the SC order, which was dismissed on January 23. The Deepika Padukone-starrer Padmaavat, based on the saga of a historic 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh and his army of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi, has Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications.) It was billed as one of the highlights of Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent visit to the United Kingdom, but both London and New Delhi had reasons to postpone the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the return of illegal Indians in the country. British PM Theresa May has often linked the return of illegal immigrants to improving the visa offer for Indians, but there was less appetite to sign the MoU during Modis visit as her government was caught in a major immigration row over its treatment of Commonwealth citizens. The MoU would have added to the governments problems, which was still grappling with the Commonwealth-Windrush immigration issue. It will happen later after the process, wording and conditions are conducive for both sides, a senior official said. During her November 2016 visit to India, May had said, The UK will consider further improvements to our visa offer if at the same time we can step up the speed and volume of returns of Indians with no right to remain in the UK. The text of the MoU was finalised during minister of state for home Kiren Rijijus visit to London in January and initialled by the minister for immigration Caroline Nokes. It mentions a 70-day deadline for the process to verify and confirm the identity of suspected illegal Indians. Officials said some states believe 70 days is too short to complete the complex verification process. British officials believe the verification process has been plagued by delays and the 70-day deadline was supposed to expedite the process. An official of the external affairs ministry explained why the MoU had not been signed: When you discuss an MoU or an agreement, there is a process which is involved. And sometimes the process takes a bit of time before it can be concluded. But unfortunately, on this occasion, the process could not be completed in time for it to be ready... this is not the end. I think there will be occasions where it can be done. The MoU text divides Indian citizens without a legal basis to be in the UK into two categories those whose passport and other details are available from their applications for British visas, and those whose documents are not available but acknowledge being Indians. The verification process for the first group after Britain submits the documents to India is to be completed within 15 days, while the identity of individuals in the second group a more complicated process will need to be confirmed within 70 days. The text adds: Where a person declines to cooperate with the nationality verification process by refusing to provide a signature and where the requesting party confirms the persons non-compliance and provides additional information to enable the requested party to verify nationality, the requested party shall on a case to case basis take steps to verify the persons nationality. No figures of suspected illegal Indians are released, but the Home Office assesses that Indian citizens are among the top nationalities Illegally remaining in the UK. A Home Office official said: A major barrier for removal is the current process for obtaining travel documentation for those without a current passport. In the past, the verification process in India after documents were sent from London took months, but Indian officials were hoping the speedier timeline mentioned in the MoU would have enabled Britain to consider better visa conditions for Indians. Since address verification for Indian passport purposes is usually completed in 21 days, officials believed the 70-day deadline would be sufficient for police to complete the process, but some states are reportedly unhappy with the deadline. 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(5) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (10) Apr 10 (6) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (10) Apr 07 (6) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (5) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (6) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (7) Mar 26 (9) Mar 25 (11) Mar 24 (10) Mar 23 (6) Mar 22 (8) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (2) Mar 18 (9) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (6) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (6) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (7) Mar 10 (8) Mar 09 (6) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (6) Mar 06 (7) Mar 05 (6) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (2) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (9) Feb 29 (11) Feb 28 (8) Feb 27 (6) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (8) Feb 24 (9) Feb 23 (12) Feb 22 (10) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (5) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (9) Feb 16 (10) Feb 15 (8) Feb 14 (9) Feb 13 (8) Feb 12 (9) Feb 11 (7) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (7) Feb 08 (9) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (10) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (6) Feb 03 (8) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (6) Jan 31 (10) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (9) Jan 27 (7) Jan 26 (8) Jan 25 (8) Jan 24 (7) Jan 23 (6) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (10) Jan 19 (8) Jan 18 (6) Jan 17 (7) Jan 16 (4) 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(2) Apr 17 (2) Apr 16 (2) Apr 15 (2) Apr 14 (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 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(3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (6) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (4) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (3) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (4) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (5) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (6) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (2) Aug 07 (2) Aug 06 (2) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (2) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (2) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (6) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (4) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (2) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (2) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (1) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (2) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (5) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (2) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (6) May 14 (4) May 13 (9) May 12 (4) May 11 (5) May 10 (5) May 09 (4) May 08 (3) May 07 (5) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (5) May 03 (1) May 02 (5) May 01 (7) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (1) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 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Jul 14 (1) Jul 13 (3) Jul 10 (1) Jul 08 (2) 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) External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday called on Chinese President Xi Jinping, who said China regards boosting the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as one of its diplomatic priorities. Swaraj called on Xi along with the rest of the seven foreign ministers of SCO. China regards boosting the development of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as one of its diplomatic priorities, Xi said during his meeting with SCO foreign ministers as well as SCO secretary-general, and the director of SCO regional anti-terrorist structure executive committee. Xi said he believes the upcoming SCO summit in the coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, in June will be a success, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the Qingdao Summit. Swarajs meeting with the Chinese President comes a day after the two countries announced a summit meeting between Xi and Modi at Wuhan this week. The SCO foreign ministers will meet in Beijing on Tuesday to finalise the agenda for the summit of the eight-member political, economic and security bloc. Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday announced that Modi and Xi will meet in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on April 27-28 to improve bilateral relations. The SCO, headquartered in Beijing, was founded in 2001. Comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India and Pakistan, the SCO aims at military cooperation between the member states and involves intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism operations in Central Asia and joint work against cyber terrorism. India and Pakistan were admitted last year into the organisation in which China plays an influential role. Swaraj, who is in Beijing on a four-day visit, earlier met Chinese vice-president Wang Qishan, a close associate of Xi. Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman will also attend the SCO defence ministers meeting in Beijing on Tuesday. She is also due to have a bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart Lt. Gen Wei Fenghe. Swaraj also met her Kyrgyz and Uzbek counterparts and discussed cooperation in a number of key areas including trade and investments. India has ruled out any bilateral meeting with Pakistans foreign and defence ministers attending the SCO summit. Jabbar Shah, the villager from Uttar Pradesh who sold his flock of seven goats to build a toilet for his family, is a happy man many times over. Thanks to the attention that his action triggered, Jabbar was given administrative sanction for the toilet, added to the list of potential beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna and shortlisted for a ration card. And, hes got a new flock of seven goats. I was ashamed and distressed that amidst the rising awareness against open defecation, the womenfolk in my household were still going behind the wheat fields to answer natures call, Jabbar explained. I had sought help from the village pradhan and some district officers responsible for my area. But, I did not get any help. Eventually, I sold off all the seven goats for Rs 15,000 and constructed the toilet a fortnight ago, said the 55-year-old resident of Navada village in Laharpur tehsil of Uttar Pradeshs Sitapur district. Jabbar, who on average used to earn about Rs 100 to Rs 150 per day, sold his goats though they were an integral part of his livelihood. They provided milk to the children, who treated them like pets. His family comprises of a married daughter, her husband, a minor grand-daughter, and two minor grandsons. His wife is no more. Jabbars story went up on social media while the plaster on the toilet shed was still fresh. And politician took notice. The story reached Samajwadi Party (SP) national president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, who asked Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) Anand Bhadauria to go to the village investigate. If the story was true, Bhadauria was told, then buy seven goats and give it to Jabbar. We found the story true. We (the SP leaders and workers in the areas) bought seven goats--that are bigger and better than what he had--for Rs 22,000 and gave them to Jabbar on Saturday, said Bhadauria. The next day, the local media published the story, which galvanized the administration. The Block Development Officer (BDO), Laharpur, Rabia Begum reached the village with all the necessary paperwork executed. Jabbar is extremely poor. He doesnt have a pucca house. The entire family lives in a thatched-roof hut. He is landless. The sanction for his toilet has come in. Rs 12,000, the sanctioned amount, has been transferred to his account. He will get a house under PM Yojna and a ration card too, Rabia Begum said. But Bhadauria attacked the administration for the delay. Pointing to the backdated paperwork for the toilet, Bhadauria said that that too was taken, perhaps, to save the government embarrassment. Uzbekistan plans to join an $8 billion project to build a natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to India, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on Monday, although it was unclear whether Tashkent might eventually ship gas through it. Turkmenistan, which sits on the worlds fourth biggest gas reserves and borders Afghanistan, started laying the Afghan section of the pipeline this year which will also cross Pakistan, seeing it as key to diversifying exports away from China. Uzbekistan also exports gas, mainly to China and Russia, although its export volumes are much lower than the Turkmen ones due to higher domestic consumption. We have agreed that Uzbekistan will also take part in this project, Mirziyoyev told reporters after meeting his Turkmen counterpart Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who visited Uzbekistan. He provided no details, but said Uzbek experts would travel to Turkmenistan to discuss Tashkents role in the pipeline. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, both ex-Soviet Central Asian republics, each produce more than 60 billion cubic metres of gas a year. China dominates Turkmen exports while Uzbek gas sales are split roughly equally between China and Russia. Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected a notice by the Congress and six other opposition parties seeking the removal of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, saying it lacked substantial merit and that the allegations were neither tenable nor admissible . Naidu held that the allegations emerging from the case had a serious tendency of undermining the independence of the judiciary. Naidu, in his 10-page order, said, ... it would be inappropriate and irresponsible act to accept statements which have little empirical basis. As heir to an illustrious democratic tradition and custodian of present and future of democratic polity, we should, in my view, collectively strengthen and not erode the foundation of the grand edifice bequeathed to us by the Constitution makers. READ: Five reasons why the Opposition motion was rejected The Congress said the move had triggered a battle between forces rejecting and rescuing democracy. Randeep Surjewala, the chief of the partys communication department, said, RS Chairman cant adjudge the motion, for he has no mandate to decide the merits of the motion. The Rajya Sabha chairmans order maintains that it is imperative that one should have extraordinary, important and substantial grounds for the removal of a judge. The initiation of such proceedings tends to undermine the faith of the common person in the judicial system, the order said. We cannot allow any of our pillars of governance to be weakened by any thought, word, or action, the order added. Naidu based his decision on the opinion of top legal and constitutional experts, including former secretary generals of Lok Sabha and other legal luminaries with whom he held extensive consultations. He also held the views of top legal and constitutional experts, including former chief justices and judges, before taking the decision, sources said. Congress sources said the party is likely to move the Supreme Court against the order of the Rajya Sabha chairman in the matter. The notice On April 20, seven opposition parties led by the Congress had submitted a notice for the removal of the CJI on five grounds of misbehaviour and misuse of authority. The motion had been signed by 61 serving RS MPs and seven retired MPs. A motion to remove the CJI has to have signatures of 50 Rajya Sabha members or 100 Lok Sabha members. Besides the Congress, current and former RS MPs from Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Communist Party of India, Nationalist Congress Party and Indian Union Muslim League had signed the motion. The Trinamool Congress, DMK and RJD have stayed away from the motion. The ground for rejecting the motion was set in motion late last week when RS Secretariat officials had said that the opposition members had violated the provisions of the Handbook for Members of Rajya Sabha which bars the members moving the motion from giving advance publicity. Opposition leaders had addressed a press conference on April 20, soon after submitting the notice to the RS chairman for a motion to remove the CJI. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday started the consultation process with legal and parliamentary experts on the notice submitted by Congress and six other opposition parties, two Parliament officials familiar with the development said. This was the first time in the history of India that such a motion had been initiated against the countrys top judge. No CJI has ever been impeached in India. Controversy erupts The five charges levelled against the CJI in the notice included conspiracy to pay illegal gratification in the Prasad Education Trust case and denial of permission to proceed against a retired high court judge in the same matter. The Prasad Education Trust case surfaced last year when the CBI arrested a retired judge of the Orissa high court and five others in a bribery case. A petition for an independent inquiry into the case was admitted by a bench headed by justice J Chelameswar and it passed an order to set up a constitution bench of five senior most judges of the Supreme Court to hear the petition. CJI Misra set up a five -judge bench to hear the order; the bench annulled the order. Another charge listed by the opposition parties pertains to a piece of land which the CJI had acquired as an advocate by giving a false affidavit. The opposition also alleged that sensitive cases were assigned to handpicked judges. Some of these allegations were also raised by four top Supreme Court judges at a news conference on January 12 this year. We were hoping that the anguish of the judges as reflected in their statements would be addressed by the Chief Justice and that he will set his house in order. More than three months have passed. Nothing has changed, Congress leader Sibal claimed on the day the notice was submitted. Governments response Finance minister Arun Jaitley later accused the Congress party of trivialising the power of impeachment and using it as a political tool. In a scathing Facebook post, the senior BJP leader said last Friday the move was an attempt to intimidate a judge and send a message to other judges, that if you dont agree with us, fifty MPs are enough for a revenge action. Union minister Piyush Goyal too hit out at opposition parties on the same day, alleging depths of politicking had been reached and that judicial independence in the country was being attacked for political interests. The highest judicial forum of the country is being attacked. I dont know if you are looking at going back to the Emergency days when there was a talk of a committed judiciary. Experts speak The unprecedented move by the Opposition smacked of political overtones rather than any misbehaviour and misuse of authority, constitutional experts told PTI. Eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee, who was the attorney general during the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, made a scathing attack on the oppositions decision to go for impeachment of the CJI, saying, This is the worst that could happen to the independence of the judiciary. Sorabjees view was shared by Justice SN Dhingra, who said it is an attempt to gain political mileage. The impeachment notice is motivated and the MPs want political mileage knowing that they do not have the numbers to impeach the chief justice. Discontentment among judges does not mean you initiate the process of impeachment. Discontentment is a part of life, the former judge said. (with agency inputs) BJP Karnataka president BS Yeddyurappa announced on Monday that his son BY Vijayendra would not be contesting from Varuna assembly constituency in Mysuru against Chief Minister Siddaramaiahs son Yatindra. Yeddyurappas announcement at a meeting organised by the party at Nanjanagudu, near Mysuru, led to largescale protests by BJP workers, following which police resorted to lathicharge to bring the situation under control. Vijayendra is not filing nomination today, a common man (party worker) will be fielded and he will be filing the nomination, Yeddyurappa said. With folded hands I request all of you to support and bless that candidate and make him win, he said. Battle for Varuna assembly constituency in Mysuru was projected as a fight between the sons of former and current chief ministers. The BJP has not so far officially announced any candidate for Varuna. Vijayendra, Yeddyurappas second son, was projected as the candidate, despite the party not announcing any candidate. He has been campaigning in the constituency for over a fortnight now, and even had rented a house there. According to party sources, Vijayendra was to file his nomination from Varuna on Monday. As Yeddyurappa left the stage after making the announcement, angry workers got on to the dais and damage furniture. They even tried to stop Vijayendra and other party leaders cars to know the reason why he was denied the ticket. Police said they resorted to lathicharge to bring the situation under control. Siddaramaiah, who has chosen neighbouring Chamundeshwari and Badami in north Karnataka to contest the May 12 assembly election, has been representing Varuna after it became a constituency in 2008 following delimitation. Yeddyurappas elder son B Y Raghavendra is the sitting member of the assembly from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district. Yeddyurappa is contesting the upcoming electionfrom Shikaripura. The Karnataka Assembly polls will be held on May 12 and the votes will be counted on May 15. A woman has alleged two men tried to pull down her skirt on a road in Indore as she drove her scooter on Sunday, saying on Twitter it was her right to wear what she wished. These scars will fade but not the ones on my soul, the woman said about a picture she posted of the injuries she suffered when she tried to fend off the men early Monday. The woman, who cannot be named because of laws protecting the identity of sexual harassment victims, describes herself as an Indore-based model and actor. She said she was driving a two-wheeler when two men on a motorcycle molested her and shouted dikhao skirt ke niche kya hai (show us whats underneath). She lost control of her scooter when she tried to stop the men and fell down. Those guys dont have any right to harass me because WEARING A SKIRT DOESNT GIVE YOU A RIGHT TO BEHAVE LIKE THAT [SIC]. A man who offered help allegedly faulted her for wearing a skirt. I have never been so offended, she said. Her tweets were retweeted and commented upon hundreds of times. Most people supported her decision to speak out and urged her to approach the police. We have taken cognizance and we are willing to help. Indore police will come to her aid as soon as she contacts us, said Hari Narayan Chari Mishra, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Indore Police. The Twitter handle of DIG Indore asked the woman to contact them. I want to thank everyone who has come forward to support me. Im just an ordinary girl, and I needed my story to be heard. Not just for me, but also for all those girls who didnt dare to do the same, said the woman in a tweet. No BJP leader wants to become the Rajasthan unit president as the ruling party faces defeat in assembly polls, state Congress chief Sachin Pilot said here on Monday. The state assembly elections are slated to be held by the year-end. Although it is the internal matter of the BJP as to whom they will make their state president, no one in Rajasthan wants to become a scapegoat since defeat is inevitable, Pilot said while launching the Congresss Mera Booth, Mera Gaurav campaign from the Kota division. Even if the state president, chief minister or the entire cabinet are changed, nothing will work for the BJP, he said, sounding the poll bugle. Chief minister Vasundhara Raje cannot run away from her responsibility by merely changing the face of the state leadership, Pilot said, addressing party workers at Maharao Ummed Singh Stadium complex. Farmers are committing suicides on the home turf of Raje in the Hadauti region as the Rajasthan government is insensitive to their problems, he said. Farmers are not getting due prices for their crops; farm loan waiver is also a mere formality. He said the Mera Booth Mera Gaurav campaign has be launched to energise workers and strengthen the Congresss base at the booth level through mass contact drives. People are against the government and support the Congress, so Congressmen should give priority to their poll booths. Pilot asked party workers to pressure the local administration for removing fake voters and adding new ones. Former union minister CP Joshi called upon booth-level workers to seek information about voters and win them over. He asked Congress workers to remain active on social media to counter the BJPs propaganda. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Rajasthan in-charge Avinash Pandey, AICC secretary Tarun Kumar, AICC general secretary Mohan Prakash, former union minister Namonarayan Meena, former Congress ministers Shanti Dhariwal and Bharat Singh, and Rajasthan leader of opposition Rameshwar Dudi were present at the meeting. Pickpocketing Incidents of pickpocketing were reported at the meeting venue. Many people complained that their mobile phones were stolen. Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma has said Congress party needs to clarity its stand on whether it wanted a Ram Mandir or a Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. He was talking to reporters during his visit to Jaipur on Monday. The BJPs stand is very clear on Ram temple issue. Either, there should be a consensus or we will abide by the verdict of Supreme Court, he said. Taking a dig at the Congress party, Sharma said, This is not the Congress of Mahatma Gandhi, but has become Italian. The grand building that Gandhi has built had turned into a dilapidated ruin, he said. In reply to a query, Sharma claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had never talked about Congress Mukt Bharat but had talked about getting rid of the Congress mindset. On loss in UP bypolls, Sharma said that it happened because the opposition was united against the BJP and the party did commit some strategic mistakes, but it had won local elections that were held before the bypolls. On attack by Rahul Gandhi over Dalit issue, Sharma said he was not bothered about Gandhis allegations. He said BJP has done a lot for Dalits and had won every reserved seat in Uttar Pradesh. Sharma said the impeachment move against chief justice Deepak Mishra by Congress-led Rajya Sabha MPs was an attempt to intimidate the judiciary. He said BJP will return to power in Rajasthan and denied that factionalism is leading to delay in appointment of Rajasthan BJP president. The district police on Monday arrested Aavid Mev, the main accused, along with his accomplice Azad Mev, in the case in which spiritual leader Jagatguru Vallabhacharya was robbed of cash and belongings in Bharatpur district a week ago, from Tijara in Alwar district. With their arrest, all five accused involved in the robbery have been arrested, the police said. Vallabhacharya was robbed by five miscreants at gunpoint near Gurir village in Bharatpur district on April 16 when he, along with his two colleagues, was returning to Gokul Chandramaji temple at Kaman from Delhi. When police teams raided the house in Tijara to arrest Aavid on a tip-off, he opened fire at the police party, said Bharatpur superintendent of police Anil Kumar Tak. However, the police eventually managed to arrest the duo from an agriculture field when they were trying to flee, he added. The police recovered two country-made .315 bore weapons with five live cartridges from their possession, the SP said. Giving details about the robbery, Tak said that on the day of incident, five miscreants stopped the car in which Vallabhacharya was travelling with his two colleagues near Gurir village in Bharatpur district. They robbed Vallabhacharya at gunpoint of 2.5 lakh cash, gold ornaments, mobiles, and an idol and ran away in his car. After a case was registered in the matter, two police teams were formed, led by additional Superintendent of police Surendra Kaviya and Kaman circle officer Rai Singh Beniwal, to arrest the accused. Three of the accused, Aavids wife Zarina, Alim Mev and Imran Khan, were arrested from Nuh in Haryana. The Rajasthan High Court on Monday directed the Rajasthan government to submit in a sealed envelope the Justice Jasraj Chopra Commission report on the 2008 Mehrangarh Temple tragedy. Two hundred and sixteen people had died in a stampede on the first day of Navratra on September 30, 2008 at Mehrangarh Fort. They had, along with thousands of others, queued up to pay obeisance to the goddess Chamunda. The then BJP government had in October 2008 constituted a commission headed by Justice Jasraj Chopra to investigate into the cause of the stampede and fix responsibility. The commission submitted its report in May 2011 during the Congress rule and since then, the report has been gathering dust. The government is yet to make the report public. The division bench of Justice Gopal Krishan Vyas and Justice Ramchandra Singh Jhala also directed the state government to submit on May 23 the next date of hearing what action it has taken on the report of the cabinet sub-committee that is studying the Chopra Commission report. The bench was hearing a petition filed by Manaram, secretary of the Mehrangarh Dukhantika Sangharsh Samiti. The Samiti had been demanding from the state government to make the report public. Following a court order, the state government had on April 14 constituted a cabinet sub-committee headed by home minister Gulab Chand Kataria to study the Chopra commission report. The sub-panel has been given a months time to submit its report advising the government on the recommendations in the Chopra commission report that need to be adopted and implemented. During the hearing, additional advocate general (AAG) PR Singh told the court that the state government had already constituted a state-level fair authority on the basis of the Chopra Commission report. The 21-member authority, headed by the state tourism minister, would work to ensure safety and security during various fairs. Petitioners counsel, Vijay Mehta, however contended that the state government had formed the cabinet sub-committee only after the high court issued a notice. The public wants to know the reasons behind the Mehrangarh temple tragedy and who was responsible for it, Mehta said and requested the court to summon the report to study the findings and recommendations of the Chopra Commission. Justice Vyas directed the AAG to submit the Chopra Commission report in a sealed envelope so that its secrecy remains intact. The court also sought the details of the action taken by the government on the recommendation of the sub-panel. The AAG had during the last hearing told the court that as per section 3 of the Inquiry Commission Act, the Rajasthan government was not bound to make the report of any commission public. As the chairman of the commission, Justice Chopra had visited all major religious festivals of the country to see the arrangements there and incorporate suggestions in his report. The commission that was asked to submit its report in three months (December 2008), was granted six extensions. The implementation of the regional air connectivity scheme, UDAN, is facing delays in Rajasthan with operations yet to take off from at least three airports. UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) seeks to connect unserved and underserved airports in the country. Rajasthan has 18 state-owned airfields apart from airports owned by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), defence airfields and private airstrips. More than six months after Kishangarh airport was inaugurated, passengers are still awaiting launch of flights to New Delhi and Jaipur. The Kota-Delhi flights launched by a private airline have also been suspended, apparently because of lack of approvals. There is no clarity on when the proposed launch of flights from Uttarlai in Barmer to New Delhi will start. Proposed flights from Bhilwara and Sri Ganganagar to New Delhi are also yet to take off. As of now, private airlines are operating flights from Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer to New Delhi. Airlines are, however, hopeful of starting flights from Kishangarh and Kota soon. The Jaipur-Kota-Delhi-Kishangarh is the same route. While we have all the approvals, the operations are stuck because two officials of Airports Authority of India raised some issues that have no logical basis. We expect the issues to be resolved within in a week and to start the flights by month-end, Supreme Aviation vice-president Aakash Agrawal said. In the second round of bidding under UDAN, Spice Jet has been awarded Delhi-Kishangarh-Delhi route with a frequency of seven flights per week, but the flights have not yet started. The airline is in talks with the airport authority over the issue. The Rajasthan government has ambitious plans to start aviation services connecting all major heritage properties, forts and palaces, which means air connectivity from all the districts, said Captain Keshri Singh, Rajasthan civil aviation director. The desert state is working on plans to upgrade the existing airstrips to boost air connectivity. These include strengthening, extension and licensing of state-owned airstrips to make them compatible for regular commercial flight operations. Under UDAN, the Centre provides subsidy to airlines for first three years of operations when they will have exclusive flying rights on the selected routes. The Centre subsidises the losses incurred by airlines flying out of dormant airports to help airlines charge Rs 2,500 for an hours flight to passengers. The Centre had asked airlines to submit their proposed routes along with subsidy amount required to operate regional flights. This was followed by counter-bids from other airlines and those asking for the least financial support won the bid. Security was heightened in Jodhpur on Monday ahead of a verdict scheduled for Wednesday against self-proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu in a rape case. On April 17, the Rajasthan high court ordered a Jodhpur trial court to deliver its verdict inside the jail premises. Speaking to IANS, Jodhpur police commissioner Ashok Rathore said section 144 had been enforced in the city. We are glad the court accepted our request to deliver the judgement from inside the jail premises, he added. Police are also seeking support from neighbouring states following reports that Asarams followers plan to arrive in Jodhpur on or before the verdict. Paramilitary forces will be deployed if required, he said. Asaram was arrested in 2013 after a minor girl from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh had reported sexual assault by him in his ashram on the outskirts of Jodhpur. Thereafter, he was then brought from Indore and jailed in Jodhpur central jail. Several clashes have been reported between police and his followers since then. Asaram can face a maximum of 10 years in jail if found guilty. A senior Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday said views of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar were bring distorted to divide the Hindu community in the name of caste. Ramashish, the RSS organisational secretary and coordinator of Uttar and Bihar, was addressing thousands of swayamsevaks at a Sangh event at Jai Jagat Park, LDA Colony, Kanpur Road. A dangerous game plan of dividing the Hindu community is under way nowadays. Views of Babasaheb Ambedkar are being distorted and presented in such a manner so as to spread hatred among various sections of the Hindu community, he warned. The RSS leader exhorted thousands of swayamsevaks at the event to fight the prevalent caste system. Babasaheb was not against Hinduism. But he was against the caste system. He converted to Buddhism, and not Islam or Christianity, because Buddhism is also a part of the Hindu religion, said Ramashish. India is the land of Lord Buddha. All Buddhists, be they from Japan, China or Sri Lanka, come to India to visit various places associated with Lord Buddha, said Ramashish. We all must read Babasahebs auto-biography to learn his views about Hinduism, advised Ramashish. There was no caste system in India (earlier). It was the British rulers who drafted the word scheduled caste and divided the Hindu community, said Ramashish. He asserted the progress of the country was directly connected with Hindus of the nation. Attacking the Communist parties for questioning on the role of the RSS in the countrys freedom struggle, Ramashish apprised the gathering about the role of RSS founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in the countrys independence struggle. JS Lali of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat represented the Sikh community at the meet. Prof Nirmal Gupta, head of the department of Cadiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, SGPGI, Lucknow, was the chief guest at the event. He exhorted youths to follow healthy regimen to stay fit. TWO-YEAR-OLD SWAYAMSEVAK! Lucknow: Shivansh, a two-year-old swayamsevak, also attended the event with his father Devashish. Dressed in RSS attire, brown trousers and white shirt, Shivansh caught the attention of all those present at the event. After years of research and trials, a scientist of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS), Allahabad Shailesh Marker has developed a new composite variety of white seeded maizeSHIATS Makka-2that is more sturdy and gives more yield than other regular and already available varieties. Having proven its effectiveness, SHIATS Makka-2 has now also received a go ahead from the Uttar Pradesh agriculture department for plantation by farmers. Professor, department of genetics and plant breeding at SHUATS, Shailesh Marker had procured the germplasm of white seeded inbred lines from CIMMYT or the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico in 2005 and developed this variety under the guidance of SHUATS vice-chancellor Prof Rajendra B Lal and the then director (research) Prof SB Lal, who inspired him to carry on his work in the right direction. This variety has a yield potential of 35-40 quintals per hectare and matures in 85-90 days. It is also resistant to Maydis leaf blight, Cervularia leaf blight which are common threats to maize in India. It also has good quality traits like 8.4 per cent protein, 4.6 per cent oil and 81 per cent starch content, which is a highly prized input for many industrial products, shared Prof Shailesh Marker, who is also director (research) of SHUATS, Allahabad and has a PhD from Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur under his belt. He said that SHIATS Makka-2 was a composite variety due to which farmers need not buy seeds every year like hybrids and can use the same seed consecutively for 3 to 4 years without any yield loss. Due to its white coloured flour it can be mixed with wheat flour to make different food products thus helping in fortification of food, he added. Prof Marker further added that SHIATS Makka-2 had a unique stay green habit, which would enable a farmer to harvest mature cobs for its grains, even while the plant stays green, so that it can be used as a green fodder to feed cattle. Department of agriculture, government of Uttar Pradesh tested SHIATS Makka-2 in many locations throughout Uttar Pradesh for three consecutive years and which proved that it was superior to the check variety and outdid it in terms of yield by 20 per cent. As a result, this variety which is suitable for growing in Kharif season has been released on April 10, 2018 by State Varietal Release Sub-committee of Uttar Pradesh in its annual meeting and pronounced it suitable to be grown in the State of Uttar Pradesh, he shared with pride. Marker said that overall farmers have highly appreciated it in front line demonstration held for them and have also shown interest in cultivating this variety if seed is provided to them. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath will dine at a Dalits residence, visit an other backward class (OBC) party cadres residence before spending the night a local school at a village in Kadhai Madhupur under Patti assembly segment of Pratapgarh on Monday. This will be the first of the two night halts the chief minister will be taking in UPs villages, the second being in Mehndipur village of Amroha in western UP on April 26. The twin night halts are part of BJPs gram swaraj abhiyaan that was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14, BR Ambedkars birth anniversary, and will continue till May 5. Both his night halts are expected in local schools, the higher secondary school in Pratapgarh and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS)- run Saraswati Shishu Mandir school in Amroha. BJP minister takes bath at a village tubewell! (HT Photo) The Dalit-OBC outreach is also aimed at strengthening the BJPs connect with these communities amid the likelihood of the Yadav (OBC) dominated Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Dalit- dominated Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) joining hands against the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, party leaders confirmed. Thats why along with dinner at a Dalit, Dayaram Sarojs residence, he is also scheduled to visit an OBC villager, possibly a Yadav, party leaders indicated. The chief ministers office has issued instructions to local officials not to make any special arrangements for Adityanath, who is expected to hold gram chaupals (local village meetings) at both Kadhai Madhupur village in Pratapgarh and Mehndipur village in Amroha. All Yogi ministers have been directed to take night halts in UP villages and dine at Dalit and OBC homes, a process that saw deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya dining at a Dalit party workers residence in Etawah and UP minister Ashutosh Tandon Gopal taking bath at Barah village in Ambedkarnagar on Sunday. Maurya, the OBC face of the BJP in UP, had lunch at booth level party cadre Bankey Lal Diwakars place in Etawah, one of the bastions of the Samajwadi Party, where the BJP is looking to make inroads through such Dalit outreach initiatives in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. No special arrangements were made for Mauryaji. He had asked it to keep it simple and ate whatever was prepared, said Diwakar. Adityanath too has given similar instructions. It has been already communicated that the chief minister, who prefers simple food, would have whatever the family has prepared on the day. Only 10 people will have dinner with him and it has been emphasised that the Dalit family isnt unduly burdened due to the VIP visit, a local BJP leader from Amroha said. Police have made a breakthrough in the murder case of a minor girl whose body was found with the hands missing. According to the primary medical report, the victims hands were not cut off by her attacker but were devoured by animals. Deputy commissioner of police from Thane commisionerate, S Bhardwaj said, We have received the primary report of the doctors who examined the body and also visited the site where it was dumped. As per the report, the wounds in the flesh indicate that the hands were slit from both sides. The visible bones also indicate that the hands were not severed off, but were eaten up. The police are waiting for the forensic lab results to confirm the same. The victim, Payal Prasad,4, went missing on April 1 following which, a kidnapping case was lodged with the Bhoiwada police station in Bhiwandi. On April 4, police found her decomposing body in the shrubs approximately 300 metres away from her house. The accused, Abid Mohammed Ajmir Shaikh,20, a power loom worker, was arrested from Bihars Naxal area of Supol and is currently in judicial custody. According to the investigation, Shaikh had borrowed Rs1500 from Payals father Mahadev, but was unable to return the money. The two men had a heated argument during which Mahadev slapped Shaikh. Payal was witness to the heated exchange and laughed when she saw the suspect being hit. This made him angry and he decided to kill her. Police said that Shaikh had attempted to rape the minor, but ended up strangling her when she tried to scream for help. By August 31 this year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to set up 1,241 digital classrooms, at least one for each of its civic schools in the city, at the cost of Rs37 crore. So far, 90 digital classrooms equipped with smart boards, projectors, e-content, remote-controlled systems and digital attendance have already been set up. Next year, the civic body plans to set up 1,300 more such digital classrooms, for which tendering process is underway. However, can digitisation address basic issues that civic schools suffer from, such as lack of teachers, basic infrastructure and decrease in the demand from students? As the civic body sets the ball rolling for digitisation in municipal school classrooms, HT takes a look at the digital initiatives of the civic body to gauge if civic classrooms can really get smart and its future. VTCs helpful despite glitches After Adnan Faiz Mohammad Shaikh, 14, saw a science experiment video in his virtual training centre (VTC), he was the first of his classmates to go home and recreate the experiment by himself. He said that he could remember the experiment better because of the visual aid at his VTC in Sewri-Wadala school. Since 2011, BMC has set up VTCs in 480 primary and secondary schools. Audio and visual lectures are transmitted via satellite communication (VSAT) from a VTC studio in Dadar (East). Here, 18 specialised educators deliver 64 lectures in English, Hindi, Marathi and Urdu. Virtual learning helps when students require guidance from specialised teachers, which BMC teachers sometimes lack. A VTC-installed classroom enables multiple-way communication between the student and teacher. Classrooms of different schools are also connected allowing students to communicate with each other across the city. BMC-employed teacher Bhopi Sakara said, There has been a great improvement in students grades. When we use interactive media and videos, they are able to pay undivided attention and understand better. Vishwas Thombare, a VTC educator, said, We see more students in classrooms now. When you cannot explain everything through words, videos are helpful. However, the number of such classrooms is inadequate. Two or more schools have been sharing one VTC at different times. Since the number of students is high, not all questions are addressed by the VTC educator. VTCs, however, still grapple with technical glitches such as a dysfunctional mouse, no audio, video flickering, among others. Teachers said complaints about technical glitches take at least a month or two to get resolved. BMC plans move from VSAT to an internet-based system Deputy municipal commissioner (education) Milind Sawant admitted, There is a relay gap of two to seven seconds in VTCs now. There will be a relay gap of only 300 milliseconds in internet-based transmissions. Two-way interaction is also difficult in VSAT systems. BMC has set aside Rs16.8 crore for the project this year. So far, three of its bids have failed to get a response. A bid has been issued for the fourth time with altered conditions but lack of experienced contractors in this field is likely to be a challenge. Tablets, not a replacement for books yet In 2015, BMC had provided 30,000 tablets to students of class 8, 9 and 10. Civic officials said about 12,000 more tablets are to be procured this year. This will cost the BMC Rs18 crore. The tabs are being used as reference guides in classrooms by students in classrooms where they can cross-check their answers and can keep track of their syllabus. Samadhan Shinde and his classmates said they could easily find answers on his tablets and mark them for future reference. However, while all the textbook content is on the tab, they are not a replacement for books, said Sawant. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the state government will develop an intelligent traffic management system (ITMS) for Mumbai, which will later be implemented across Maharashtra to reduce congestion and increase traffic speed. This comes as the city , with a vehicular population of 36 lakh and construction work on roads, struggles with traffic snarls and increasing accidents. Fadnavis said by analysing peoples habits, traffic offences and traffic pattern, the state will develop a system which could be complementary to peoples habits. Using sensors, if the signal intelligently decides that it is okay to give a green signal to vehicles in case of less traffic, it would help improve the traffic speed, Fadnavis said. The CM was speaking at launch of the 29th Road Safety Fortnight at Sahyadri guest house. The state is celebrating a road safety fortnight between April 23 and May 7. Joint commissioner of Mumbai police (traffic), Amitesh Kumar, said they have already appointed a full-time consultant for developing ITMS for Mumbai. He also said Mumbai is the first city to successfully implement e-challan system in India. It will be implemented across Maharashtra for which the state sanctioned Rs60 crore. Transport minister Diwakar Raote said more accidents could occur on the proposed Mumbai-Nagpur highway that is designed with a speed limit of 150kmph. The CM responded saying intelligent systems will be developed for making the proposed roads accident-free. Such intelligent highways exist in other parts of the world where accidents rarely take place, he said. The CM also advocated the three E strategy. This [accidents] can be reduced down by using three Es enforcement, engineering and education, he said. Fadnavis said the number of road accidents in Maharashtra dropped by 4.5% and 10% in the financial year 2016-17 and 2017-18 respectively because of road safety measures taken. In 2017, there were 35,853 accidents in the state, where 12,264 people died while 32,128 were seriously injured. Maharashtra ranks third in terms of accidental deaths in India. Raote expressed concern over growing vehicular population. The number of vehicles in the state has now touched 3.28 crore. As expected, the issue of land acquisition for the proposed refinery project at Nanar in Ratnagiri has led to a fresh tussle between Shiv Sena and the BJP and may cause some more bitterness between the two ruling parties. On Monday, state industries minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai announced in a public meeting that the notification issued by the government in May 2017 for acquiring land for the refinery project was being cancelled. He made the announcement in the presence of Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who declared in no uncertain terms that the refinery project would not be allowed at Nanar. Barely an hour after that, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, in a snub to the Sena, said that no such decision had been taken by the government. What Desai announced could be his personal view, he remarked. Going by Fadnavis reaction, it is clear that Desai had not consulted the chief minister before making such an announcement an established norm in the government. The developments have now put both the sides in a difficult situation. If Fadnavis and the BJP dont back even a bit on the issue, it could mean the Sena has no say in the government. The Sena will also have to face the taunt of the Opposition that the party wants to stick to power even as the BJP keeps ignoring it. The Sena did try to control the damage by lobbing the ball in the CMs court by saying that the latter has to pick between the people of Konkan and the land mafia who have invested in Nanar area before the project was announced. Still, if the government decides to push the project, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will have to take a stand on it. The latest episode has probably put CM Fadnavis in a tight spot. Within the party, he is advocating an alliance with the Sena for the coming elections. However, with its announcement on Monday, the Sena has created a headache for him. It will be embarrassing for his government if it loses a mega project with an estimated Rs3 lakh crore investment. If majority of villagers refuse to part with their land, it would be difficult for the government to force them to do so in the run-up to the elections. What happens in Ratnagiri will have an impact on entire Konkan and may be in other areas. The district has already seen fights over Dabhol and Jaitapur projects. In this area, there is also discontent that a number of investors from neighbouring states bought land at cheaper prices before the project was declared and are now selling it to the government at higher rates. Significantly, it is not just the Nanar refinery project where the government is facing resistance in acquiring land. Fadnavis dream project, Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, is also in trouble. The government is facing difficulty in acquiring land from farmers in Nashik and Thane districts. In Nashik, farmers have been refusing to part with their fertile land for the road project. They are also questioning why the alignment of the road is changed at several places which they suspect is being done to save land owned by certain people. Villagers in Thane and Palghar districts are unwilling to give their land for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, Mumbai-Vadodara expressway and other projects. Farmers in Pune district are unhappy over the proposed plan for an airport at Chakan. With barely a year in its hand, the Fadnavis government will face a difficult task. On one hand, it will be under pressure to get the projects on track for which early acquisition of land would be the key while on the other hand, it cannot afford to push its way if the farmers are opposing land acquisition. As it is, the government has not fully succeeded in handling the discontent in rural areas. The distress in farm sector has affected the mood in rural areas as the economy there depends on agriculture. In addition, the land acquisition spree could hurt the BJPs interests further. The actual area to be acquired could be less but the controversies could be troublesome for the party. While India is the second-largest fish producing country in the world, a new study revealed that consuming this protein-rich food could be making you resistant to antibiotics. A first-of-its-kind study by the Department of Biotechnology at the University of Mumbai and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, found high levels of drug-resistant pathogens in five popular varieties of fish from local markets in the city. Antibiotics are being widely used as growth promoters, and to prevent and treat infection in fish farmed in aquaculture ponds, poultry farms, piggery farms, cattle-rearing farms and small ruminates [sheep and goats], said Onkar Naik, PhD fellow, Department of Biotechnology. Most of the antibiotics get flushed out and this accumulated waste flows into various water bodies before reaching the sea, while also contaminating the soil around, Naik added. Besides, antibiotic residues from pharmaceutical and industrial effluents are discharged into the sea via sewage and waste water treatment facilities. Researchers said traces of these antibiotics may accumulate in fish owing to extensive usage and subsequent contamination of water bodies with these antimicrobial drugs. When humans consume fish, antibiotic resistant microorganisms enter the human gut and probably transfer their resistant genes to the gut microflora. This spread of antibiotic resistant (AR) genes might lead to development of antibiotic resistance in human intestinal microorganisms. This may lead to complication in treating many serious pathogenic diseases such as tuberculosis and urinary tract infections In addition to the direct use of antibiotics, there is a need to focus on their effects via indirect exposure due to anthropogenic (manmade) activities mainly through food consumption, said professor Archana Rath, Principal Investigator, and Head of the Department of Biotechnology. A method of surveillance and detection of antibiotics/ antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistant microorganisms in every food is needed, which should be monitored by designated laboratories. With steady globalisation of Mumbai, these AR pathogens are very likely to spread to other countries through the fledgling fish export industry, stated the study that was funded by the Department of Atomic Energy-Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (DAE-BRNS), BARC. With the Indian government embarking on the Blue Revolution scheme in 2016 that aims at increasing fish production and productivity to up to eight percent annual growth rate and to produce 15 million tonnes of fish by 2020 through methods of both capture and culture. The issue with aquaculture in India is that we do not have a thorough understanding about the current practices involved in raising fish for human consumption, said Dr Sumanth Gandra, resident scholar at Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policys (CDDEP) New Delhi office. Gandra whose primary research interest is surveillance of antimicrobial resistance added, Antibiotics are probably used, but we do not have details of what kinds of antibiotics are used, when they are used, in what quantity, how they are used and what do they do with the water after each batch of fish etc. To come up with interventions we first need to know what is happening. I would urge the government to undertake research into existing aquaculture practices. It is often asserted that the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 proved that HWA was right and he really did see the future. This of course is nonsense. Herbert W. Armstrong said that Christ would return within twenty years in his book Mystery of the Ages. (PCG has since deleted those words so someone in there knows HWA spoke nonsense.) How convenient for them to forget this. Also Herbert W. Armstrong never said the Soviet Union would collapse. He thought it would survive intact until a few years after Christ's return. It shows how biased some many in the COGs are that they never seem to notice this. This inconvenient truth is just tossed into the memory hole. It is true that HWA said that some Eastern European states would break away from Moscow's orbit and join the European Empire he said would arise at any moment. But he never talked of the Soviet Union collapsing. He did not teach that. Also he portrayed the rise of the European Empire to be far quicker then what has actually happened. In Mystery of the Ages Christ was supposed to return by 2005 at the most. So assertions that the fall of the Berlin Wall somehow prove that HWA was right is just complete nonsense spread by people who, for whatever reason, are still in denial that HWA was a false prophet who merely talked out of his own "human reasoning". City unit of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested three members of a syndicate which fraudulently released drawback duties of nearly Rs10 crore of 20 companies which were frozen by customs pending investigations owing to various irregularities. The gang transferred the sums to desirable bank accounts. Mohammed Shaikh alias Arif, 42, a Mumbra resident, Saddrudin Lasanwala, 36, a Masjid resident and Ramesh Singh, 50, a Kandivli resident, were arrested; however, the syndicate kingpin Arjun Goregaonkar is still at large. Duty drawback is the rebate of duty chargeable on any imported material used in the manufacture of goods exported from India. Drawback duties are held if authorities find any irregularities with the export company and an alert is issued. A DRI source said Goregaonkar, being a drawback agent, was well-versed with the system. He would access the details of these dormant export companies and pass on the details, such as names, import export code (IEC), shipping bill numbers and amount of drawbacks kept on hold, to the other three. Using these details, Arif would prepare forged documents in the companys name which would be used to open bank accounts, DRI sources said. Goregaonkar would then have the bank details amended in the customs electronic data interchange (EDI) system and remove the alert invoked against the company. The drawback duties kept on hold would get credited to the fake bank account and the accused would withdraw the funds. Goregaonkar reportedly took 35% of the money while the rest was divided equally by the other three accused. Arif, Singh and Lasanwala reportedly admitted to DRI officials that they earned Rs 25-30 lakh each from this scam. A DRI source said Goregaonkar may have made crores. Authorities are probing how Goregaonkar got access to EDI and are investigating if he was working hand-in-glove with some internal government personnel. Almost three years after the state put a freeze on recruitment of principals in government and private aided colleges, it has decided to fill the vacant posts. Currently, 25 of 105 colleges in Mumbai and 27 of 95 colleges in Konkan region do not have full-time principals. A circular issued on Monday said the state finance department has approved to lift the freeze on hiring principals, as their presence is essential for day-to-day academic and administrative work in college and for assessment and accreditation of the institutes by regulatory bodies. There are quite a few [colleges with vacant principals position]. A separate proposal for lifting freeze on other positions nod from awaits finance department, said Sitaram Kunte, additional chief secretary, higher and technical education department. To bring financial stability to the state by curbing expenditure on government employees, the state put a freeze on creating new posts and filling existing posts in 2015 . Another government resolution, issued in May 2016, announced that the freeze will continue for respective departments until they take stock of their existing posts and finalise a new administrative framework. In January, HT had reported that s Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) has withdrawn no-objection certificates (NOCs) issued to colleges for appointing new faculty members. As a result, the colleges where principals had either completed their five-year term or were about to do so do so in the next few months are faced with the prospect of not having a full-time principal. Two principals groups from Mumbai University of Mumbai College Principals Association (UMCPA) and Association of Non-government Colleges (ANGC) had requested the state to allow the colleges to hire new principals. The principals have now welcomed the states decision. The temporary principals are uncertain about their service and dont take effort to benefit from government schemes. They have to shoulder additional responsibilities, in exchange of a small remuneration. The state says the recruitment freeze was a cost-cutting measure, but appointing a full time principal doesnt entail much of a cost, said TA Shiware, chairperson, ANGC. Shiware added the state should now issue NOCs and the universities should give their approval to initiate the recruitment process at the earliest. It will take at least two months to appoint new principals, he said. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday accused chief minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis of threatening people that the controversial mega oil refinery project at Nanar would be shifted to Gujarat if it was opposed by NCP. Even if it shifted to Gujarat or any other state, the project will remain in the country, Pawar said taking potshots at the chief minister. Pawar is set to visit Nanar and meet the villagers on May 10. He will be meeting villagers to understand their concerns over the project. The Nanar issue is likely to soon get politically charged, given that major political parties such as the Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP have opposed it. The locals have opposed it, citing that it would affect their mango orchards and other agriculture-based activities. The politics over Nanar project is not good. CM Fadnavis shouldnt have threatened people by saying that it will be shifted to Gujarat if it doesnt get land in Maharashtra. Even if the project goes to Gujarat it will remain in the country, as Gujarat is not in Pakistan, Pawar said. In order to stop the project from going out of the state, Pawar further suggested that the government should think of an alternative site for the same. If locals are opposing the project, shifting it to some other place in the state needs to be considered so that the project will come up in Maharashtra itself, said the NCP chief. Pawar also added that he would be able to speak on the issue further only after visiting the site. Meanwhile, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik termed the announcement made by Subhash Desai, state industries minister and Shiv Sena leader, regarding the cancellation of the land acquisition notification a publicity stunt. Desai today announced that they have cancelled the notification, issued by the state industries department, that allows land acquisition for the refinery project. But such a decision needs prior approval of the state cabinet and cannot be made on a public platform, Malik said in a statement. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was in Nanar on Monday to express his opposition to the project. Following the plastic ban imposed in Maharashtra, railway authorities are considering replacing plastic glasses with paper glasses at water vending machines, catering stalls and on-board of trains stalls. Presently, most stalls use plastic glasses to serve water, tea and cold drinks to passengers. Once the deadline given by the state to dispose of the remaining stock of plastic ends, their use on railway premises will be illegal. Hence, railway authorities are thinking of this alternative. The Indian Railway Tourism and Catering Corporation (IRCTC) has already informed all water vending machine vendersand food plaza operators about the plastic ban, suggesting that they adopt alternatives to plastic glasses and other things. We will follow the law of land, and shall implement it accordingly, said Arvind Malkhede, group general manager (Western region) of IRCTC. Plastic trash thrown littered at railway premises, especially along the tracks and nallahs flowing under railway lines, has became big headache for the railway authorities. In Mumbai, it led to clogging of nallahs, especially during monsoon , disrupting trains because of water logging. Railway officials are hopeful that the plastic ban will end these troubles in the future. A senior official from Central Railways Mumbai division said that they will be holding meetings with the catering staff, food stall owners and other bodies, to make them aware about the changes. We are in the process of streamlining the process of replacing the plastic glasses, wafer covers and everything that is being banned, said the official. He added that they are also concered about how to control the plastic waste that will come to Mumbai from outstation trains. The official also said that they are planning to start announcements on railway stations for creating awareness among the passengers about the ban. Santacruz police, on Sunday, arrested a man who allegedly raped a beautician working in Saudi Arabia. The accused, Tahir Ali Khan, 34, got acquainted with the 40-year-old complainant in 2011 and accompanied her to India when her mother died in 2016. Police sources said that Khan and the complainant were alone at her Santacruz (West) apartment, while her relatives had gone out to finish the rituals. Taking advantage of the situation, Khan allegedly forced himself on the woman and raped her. He also secretly took pictures of her, which he later used to threaten her into a physical relationship with him. The accused continued to rape her when they returned to Saudi Arabia. The accused threatened to circulate the womans photos. He also attempted to extort her of Rs6.09 lakh using the same pictures as leverage, argued assistant public prosecutor MM Nerlikar in a metropolitan court in Bandra, on Monday. In a move that could widen the rift between the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), state industries minister and Sena leader Subhash Desai announced on Monday that the notification for land acquisition for the proposed oil refinery at Nanar, Ratnagiri, has been cancelled. The announcement, made in the presence of Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at a rally at Nanar, raised questions over the future of the project. However, responding to queries, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis denied that the state government had taken any decision to cancel the notification. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Fadnavis dismissed Desais announcement. Desai has expressed his personal opinion; it is not the governments decision. The government will decide what is in the best interests of the people of Konkan region, Fadnavis said. The decision to cancel the notification rests with the high-power committee under the states chief secretary and not with the minister, the CM pointed out. No such proposal [to cancel the notification] has come before the committee, Fadnavis said, making it clear that Desai had not consulted him before making such a significant announcement. The Sena and the BJP are at loggerheads over the project, with the Sena maintaining that as locals are strongly opposed to the refinery, it should not be thrust upon them in the name of development. The Nanar project is a joint venture between a consortium of three Indian oil companies IOC, BPCL and HPCL and oil giant Saudi Aramco. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Aramco and the Indian consortium on April 13. The mega project is expected to generate one lakh jobs and bring in investment of up to Rs 1 lakh crore. Thackeray, who is on a one-day visit to Nanar, addressed a rally there, where he promised that the project would not take off. During his speech, Thackeray took on the BJP and said the central government should shift the project to Gujarat or Vidarbha. What happened to Gujarat, we will not let that happen to Nanar and Konkan. Let the project go to Gujarat. A BJP MLA from Nagpur has written to the government saying that the project should be set up in Nagpur, so take it there, he said. Thackeray alleged that the land mafia had been buying land in Nanar following the notification. Modi, Jain, Shah, and people with other such [sur]names have purchased land here, he alleged. Addressing the rally after Thackeray, Desai said: Today, I wish to make an announcement with Uddhavjis permission the notification to acquire land for Nanar refinery project has been cancelled. At the event, locals demanded that the Sena leaders clarify the partys stand on the project, pointing out that on the one hand, the ministry, under Senas minister Desai, had issued a notification to acquire land in May 2017, while on the other hand, the party said it was opposed to the project. Responding to the queries, Desai said there was no need to doubt the Senas intentions. Various political parties are trying to malign the Sena, but we are with the people of the state, the minister claimed, adding that the Senas founder late Bal Thackeray had given him the definition of development he said that if something is against the people, it is not development. The pilot of an IndiGo flight alleged that a light beam was flashed at the aircraft while it was landing at the Nagpur airport on Sunday. The local police are investigating the incident that took place at 8pm. Airport officials from said the light beam could be a from an event in the vicinity of the airport. Aviation experts call such incidents safety hazard, as flashing of light at aircraft causes monetary blindness in pilots. IndiGo flight 6E 436 (Indore- Nagpur- Bengaluru) was on the approach path of the runway when a beam of light was flashed at it for a few seconds. The pilot reported the matter to the airport officials after landing. An airport official said while reporting the incident, the pilot informed of somebody focusing a strong dazzling light at the cockpit from a location towards the right side of the runway. Official said such an incident at the airport is rare and has been reported to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). An AAI official said, The complaint has been taken seriously, as it is a safety issue. The light seems to be flashed from the outskirts and so should be easy to trace down the place where the event was held. Experts say high intensity lights cause momentary blindness in pilots. They added even the smallest obstruction in a flights path can prove fatal. An aviation expert said, Laser or light beams are dangerous, especially during night. Pilots lose concentration owing to which general monitoring of the instrument get affected. Laser lights also blinds the pilots momentarily, which is a safety concern for passengers. Recently, Ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) proposed to impose ban on sky lanterns within ten kilometre from the aerodrome reference point (ARP, parameter for giving approvals for all buildings and other construction activities in and around the airports ) as flying objects are a threat to the flight operations. According to the governments notification issued on April 10, it will be adding the clause to the existing Aircraft rules, 1937, for which they have sought suggestions and objections from people within 30 days. The Bhiwandi court on Monday deferred framing of charges against Congress party president Rahul Gandhi, in the defamation case filed against him for blaming the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The courts decision came after Rahul Gandhis counsel, Narayan Iyer, moved an application seeking the Member of Parliaments absence due to political engagements. Iyer told the court that his client wants a detailed recording of evidences in the case. They are seeking comprehensive recording of evidence, including witness testimonies, which does not happen during summary proceedings. We have moved an application seeking to convert summary trial into a summon trial. This case is of historical importance. With summons trial, both the defence and the prosecution, will be in a position to produce detailed evidences, said Iyer. The application is to be heard on May 2. Gandhi wants to be present during the framing of charges against him as it is a crucial stage during the trial Iyer said. On March 6, 2014, a local RSS worker, Rajesh Kunte, had filed the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi over the latters speech in Bhiwandi, Thane. In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, Rahul Gandhi had allegedly in a rally said, The RSS people killed (Mahatma) Gandhi. Read more: As it happened: Rahul Gandhi gets bail in defamation case Kunte had alleged that the Congress leader had defamed the Hindu right-wing organisation in his speech by blaming it for the killing of the Father of the Nation. Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead by a Hindu nationalist, Nathuram Godse, on January 30, 1948. The Bombay high court (HC) had turned down the Congress leaders plea to quash the criminal defamation case, but had exempted him from personal appearance. Rahul Gandhi then moved the Supreme Court with a special leave petition for permission to challenge the HC dismissal of his plea. However, he later withdrew the plea, expressing readiness to face trial and had also said that he wont apologise for his statement, as demanded by the complainant. The tussle between the saffron allies intensified on Monday with the Shiv Sena unilaterally announcing that the land acquisition notification for the controversial oil refinery project in Nanar in Ratnagiri district, 408km from Mumbai, would be cancelled. State industries minister and senior Sena leader Subhash Desai made this announcement at a political rally in Nanar, in the presence of party chief Uddhav Thackeray to underline the partys commitment to the locals, who are opposed to the project. The Sena, however, was immediately snubbed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who clarified that Desai did not have the powers to annul the notification. Desai has expressed his personal opinion; it is not the governments decision. The government will decide what is in the best interests of the people of Konkan region, Fadnavis said. The decision to cancel the notification rests with the high-power committee under the states chief secretary and not with the minister, the CM said. No such proposal [to cancel the notification] has come before the committee, Fadnavis said. Officials said after the decision of the HPC, a final sanction for such a denotification has to come from the cabinet. This is the first time that a political war of words between the allies has interfered with government processes, forcing Fadnavis to issue a clarification. Hours after Fadnavis ticked off the Sena, Anil Parab, Sena spokesperson, in a face-saving press conference said that the process of cancelling the notification has been started. We have made the announcement taking all the legalities in consideration. If a minister can issue a notification, he can cancel it too. A minister is above any committee, he told reporters at Sena Bhavan. Parab also took the opportunity to taunt Fadnavis. The CM had assured Uddhav ji that the project will not go ahead if the locals oppose it. Everybody there has said no to the project, they have signed petitions against it. Now the CM has to show if he is with the people of Nanar and the state or he is supporting the Modis, Jains, Shahs etc, who have purchased land in Konkan to benefit from it, he added. The oil refinery project, touted to be one of the largest in the country, could pose trouble for the saffron alliance given that the Senas political stakes in Konkan, its stronghold, are high. Thackerays address at the rally where he upped his ante against the project and the BJP indicates that backtracking on the Nanar project now will not be politically feasible for the Sena chief. On the other hand, given that this is a central project worth an estimated Rs3 lakh crore, the stakes are high for the BJP government to get the project off the ground. During his speech, Thackeray took on the BJP and said the central government should shift the project to Gujarat or Vidarbha. What happened to Gujarat, we will not let that happen to Nanar and Konkan. Let the project go to Gujarat. A BJP MLA from Nagpur has written to the government saying that the project should be set up in Nagpur, so take it there, he said. Thackeray alleged that the land mafia had been buying land in Nanar following the notification and governments insistence on the project was to protest interests of investors. Modi, Jain, Shah, and people with other such [sur]names have purchased land here, he alleged. Addressing the rally, Desai said: Today, I wish to make an announcement with Uddhavjis permission the notification to acquire land for Nanar refinery project has been cancelled. At the event, locals demanded that the Sena leaders clarify the partys stand on the project, pointing out that on the one hand, the ministry, under Senas minister Desai, had issued a notification to acquire land in May 2017, while on the other hand, the party said it was opposed to the project. Responding to the queries, Desai said there was no need to doubt the Senas intentions. Various political parties are trying to malign the Sena, but we are with the people of the state, the minister claimed, adding that the Senas founder late Bal Thackeray had given him the definition of development he said that if something is against the people, it is not development. The Nanar project is a joint venture between a consortium of three Indian oil companies IOC, BPCL and HPCL and oil giant Saudi Aramco. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Aramco and the Indian consortium on April 13. The mega project is expected to generate one lakh jobs and bring in investment of up to Rs 3 lakh crore. Thackeray, who is on a one-day visit to Nanar, addressed a rally there, where he promised that the project would not take off. Shiv Sena leader Sachin Sawant was shot dead on Sunday allegedly by two motorbike-borne assailants in suburban Kandivali in Mumbai, police said. Udaykumar Rajeshirke, senior police inspector at the Kurar police station, said the incident happened around 8pm when the 40-year-old leader was travelling in his car. The two unidentified assailants stopped his vehicle and fired four rounds at Sawant, an up-shakha pramukh (deputy branch head of Shiv Sena), in Gokul Nagar area, a police official said. Sawant was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead, he said Rajeshirke said the police were in the process of filing a case and investigations are underway. Senior police officers refused to divulge details. The Kurar Police are investigating the matter. Former INX Media chief Indrani Mukerjea, arrested in the Sheena Bora murder case, told the special court on Monday she feared for her life in jail. Mukerjea was referring to the drug overdose after which she had to be admitted at JJ Hospital in the first week of April. Years ago also I suffered from a similar incident and had to be hospitalised. That time tooI was given an overdose of the same medicine Benzodiazepine. This is the second attempt, and I cannot take this for the third time, she told the court, blaming jail authorities. The court was to record the deposition of her secretary Kajal Sharma in the murder case. After completing the proceedings, Indranis lawyer Sudeep Passbola mentioned to the court that she wanted to say something. With the permission of the court, Indrani entered the witness box and told the story about what happened on April 6, the day when she was hospitalised. On April 6, when I was brought for the hearing, I did not meet anyone else or did not eat any food from an outsider. After the hearing, I only spoke to my three lawyers to give them instructions, Indrani said, as against the allegation that she had food outside the jail premises. Indrani said it was a Friday, a day on which she fasts every week. After the hearing, we were taken to jail. We reached jail at 4:30pm where they checked me and my belongings. There was nothing suspicious. Since it was my fast I was to eat in the evening and my food was kept ready, Indrani said. I remember it was 5:20pm when I broke my fast. I had daal, which was given to me in jail. I felt uncomfortable after that. Later, at 7pm I was given medicines in a slip of paper. It was after consuming them that I felt giddy and later fell unconscious. She claimed it was a second attempt with allegedly same medicine. Indrani is scheduled to give her statement before jail authorities on Tuesday. Hence, she said, that before giving statement she wanted to narrate the incident to the court and also file a written statement. The special judge has allowed her lawyer Gunjan Mangla to submit her handwritten statement in court on Tuesday. As against the allegation of Indrani, Rajvardhan Sinha, inspector general of police (prisons), said, We have not yet recorded Indrani Mukerjeas statement as she has been claiming that she is not fit enough to give a statement. She could have approached me if she was not feeling safe or if she had reservations against the superintendent. If she was feeling safe she should have helped in the enquiry instead of stalling it. The Byculla police have arrested a 60-year-old woman caretaker for sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl. The victim was a kindergarten student at a high-profile school in Mazagaon where the suspect worked. The childs parents noticed that since the past two months, the girl was not ready to go to school, and appeared frightened when the subject was brought up. On Sunday night, when the parents inquired as to why she was scared, she revealed she had been sexually assaulted in the school toilet by a maushi (woman caretaker). The parents then visited Masina hospital in Byculla for a medical check-up which revealed that the girl had some injuries on her private parts. The principal of the school received a call from the parents following which the suspect was detained on Monday morning, said an official from the Byculla police station. The accused was identified by the victim as being responsible for the assault. The incident took place in the toilet of the school. The classroom has complete CCTV footage, but the toilet did not have cameras. The girl claims the assault took place more than once, however, the accused has denied having committed any such act, added the official. She has been working at the school since 1999 and was expected to retire after a year. We have registered a case on Monday evening and have arrested the accused woman. Further investigation is underway, said Virendra Mishra, Deputy commissioner of police, Zone 3. The Byculla police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act, 2012. Advocate Waris Pathan, the local MLA, visited the school on Monday evening and said, I met the principal and other staff of the school and asked them to take the issue seriously. They claim they have suspended the woman. I have asked for counselling sessions for the students, as there may be a few others who could be victims of similar attacks but are afraid to come forward. Wanted criminal Balraj Bhati, with a bounty of 2.5 lakh on his head, was gunned down during a police encounter on Monday in Sector 41. It was a joint operation by the Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (UP) special task force (STF), and the Noida police. According to police officials, Bhati was wanted in multiple cases of extortion and murders. He had a bounty of 1,00,000 on his head, each from the Delhi and the Haryana police, and 50,000 from the UP police, said Rajiv Narayan Mishra, additional superintendent of police, UP STF. The police have been able to identify at least 19 cases against Bhati until now and are investigating further to identify his role in other cases. Last year, Bhati had managed to escape from the custody of the Haryana police despite getting injured in a shootout.SSP Jhajjar Satish Balan, in charge of the Gurugram STF, said that a case of attempt to murder had been registered against Bhati in Gurugram then. UP police officials said that Bhati worked as a sharpshooter for Sundar Bhatis gang and, after latters arrest, began leading the gang. They further said that Bhati had a long history of crime and had come in contact with Sundar Bhati during a jail term. A resident of Bulandshahr, Bhati had murdered a couple over a feud related to village politics. Locals from his village Gulab Singh and Pappu Katar had objected to Balrajs friend, Jitendra, winning a village-level election by unfair means. On November 19, 2012, Bhati killed Katar and his wife by firing 140 shots at them. After that, Singh was provided police protection, said a spokesperson for the UP STF. However, that did not stop Bhati from killing him. On February 17, 2014, Singh was gunned down by Bhati and Jitendra, despite the police protection. Two months later, Katars nephew Vipin, who was leading both the cases against Bhati in court, was also killed by Bhati and Jitendra, said the spokesperson. Police officials have also said that Bhati is believed to have worked as a hitman as well. In the case of BJP leader Vijay Pandits murder in 2014, Bhati was also named in the FIR under Section 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy). A gangster wanted for a series of crimes in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, was killed and five others, including two police officers, were injured in an encounter in Noida Sector 41 on Monday. The encounter was conducted by a joint team of Haryana police and the UP polices special task force (STF). The accused, Balraj Bhati, a resident of Bulandshahr, carried a bounty of Rs 1 lakh each from Haryana and Delhi police as well as a Rs 50,000 reward from UP police, said Rajiv Narayan Mishra, additional superintendent, UP STF. Bhati was a repeat offender and had started committing crimes during his mid-teens. He had come in contact with dreaded gangster Sunder Bhati during his time in jail and joined his gang recently, said Ajay Pal Sharma, senior superintendent of police, Gautam Budh Nagar. STF officials said the police had a tip-off about Bhatis presence in the area. Today morning, our team had a specific input that Bhati would come near Sector 37 overbridge in Noida, along with his two aides, to collect extortion money. STF teams under DSP Rahul Dev reached Noida around 9.30am and took the help of local STF UP and Noida Police and waited for Bhatis car at Sector 37 overbridge. When his vehicle was intercepted around 11.30am, Bhati tried to escape from the spot and fired at the police teams, said IGP Saurabh Singh, in-charge STF, Haryana. Police chased his car and when he reached Sector 49 crossing, his car tyre burst in cross firing with the police. He got down from the car and raced to the nearby locality, Singh said. Police said while two of his aides managed to flee, Bhati was trapped in an alley with a dead end. Bhati then climbed atop a building and continued firing at the police in which five people, including three civilians and two constables of Haryana STF, were injured, Swetabh Pandey, circle officer 3, Noida police, said. Bhati was killed in the retaliatory firing by our men, Pandey said. Police recovered a pistol used by Bhati from the spot and an unused carbine machine gun was found lying in the rear seat of Bhatis Swift car. The two injured Haryana STF officials were identified as head constables Rajkumar and Bhupinder. They are out of danger, said police. A 13-year-old boy, who was on his way to his tuition class, a disposable bags supplier and a staff of a local sweet shop were among others who were injured in the exchange of firing between Bhati and the police, said Arun Kumar Singh, superintendent of police (city). He said that the operation was initiated by Haryana and UP STF and the local authorities were roped in eventually. When the STF teams informed the local police, we cordoned off the area, said the SP. He said the criminals also had an AK-47. The gangsters didnt use it. It was taken away by one of the aides who ran away, said Singh. A case was registered at Noida Sector 39 police station, and the matter is being investigated, police said. We are checking Bhatis criminal history. So far, we know about 19 cases registered against him across UP, Delhi and Haryana. We are looking for his accomplices. At present, we dont know who they were. We would be able to take further action only after a detailed investigation, said Circle Officer Pandey. Can nationalism ever be a good thing? It depends. The lack of response by Arab states to the Israeli militarys recent attack on Palestinian protestors illustrates the regional changes that have come with a Saudi First nationalist philosophy. Even though it was the worst violence in Gaza since the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel, Saudi Arabia stayed silent. This is hardly the first time in recent months that Saudi nationalism has trumped pan-Islamist concerns. After United States President Donald Trumps unilateral declaration on Jerusalems status on December 6, Riyadh largely ignored the stateless Palestinians pleas for solidarity. It was part of the Firstism agenda, a militant unilateralism that Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud shares with Trump. The year began with nationalism being presented in three wildly contrasting ways. At Davos 2018, Indias Narendra Modi, Frances Emmanuel Macron and Germanys Angela Merkel warned against the false satiety induced by anti-globalisation. There was Trumps well-larded defence of America First and national sovereignty. Saudi Arabias foreign minister told Davos there are two visions in the region, one of light the other of darkness and sectarianism. Iran, he said, was the darkness. That bold declaration of muscular Saudi nationalism against Iran was significant, because the new nationalist narrative is markedly more aggressive than before. It is unafraid to pick fights and openly identifies enemies against which Saudi citizens can rally. The new mood may be especially significant in its elevation of an aspirational feel-good nationalism over Wahhabi Islamism. Consider Vision 2030, the crown princes agenda for reform. It has downgraded the authority of the Wahhabi establishment, loosened social controls based on Saudi interpretations of Sunni Islam, embraced a more secular nationalism for the 21st century, and launched a vicious war of words against Shia Iran. In the context of Saudi Wahhabism, the government is seeking to support indigenous visual imagination. The new government focus on the arts and culture includes the promotion of contemporary Saudi artists. This is the softer side of Firstism, but the hard core is the battle for regional dominance. It led Saudi Arabia late last year to make extraordinary attempts to build an alliance with its traditional adversary Israel against Iran. There is another impetus too for enhanced Saudi nationalism. Islamism has proved to be a dangerously unmanageable force. At times, the more extremist iterations of the ideology threatened the autocratic status quo. Nationalism is hardly a new idea for Saudi Arabia. For decades, Saudi citizens have been reminded of nationhood by the usual symbols of a shared identity. The Janadriya Festival, started by King Abdullah in 1985, is a good example. Under the current king, the education ministry is working overtime to instil, nurture and promote Saudi identity. But Saudi nationalism circa 2018 is different. It is unabashedly Saudi First. It is an extension of the so-called Salman Doctrine that became evident in early 2015, within weeks of the elderly Salmans accession and the rise to prominence of the son. That was when the ruinous Saudi military campaign in Yemen began. It was followed in 2017 by other bold interventionist moves, not least the blockade against Qatar and the attempted ouster of Lebanons prime minister. None of these have gone well. But the campaign against Iran is different. America First has aligned itself with Saudi First. The clarion call to nationalism appears to be drowning out everything else, including Islamism. This would be good news for India and the rest of the world if it werent accompanied by the drumbeat of war. Rashmee Roshan Lall is a commentator on world affairs The views expressed are personal Pune The Shikrapur police have booked nine persons and arrested two amongst them on charges of abetting suicide of Bhima Koregaon riot victim Pooja Sakat (19) whose house was burnt during the violence on January 1, 2018. The arrested suspects have been identified as Vilas Shreedhar Vedpathak and Ganesh Vilas Pathak, while the others booked have been identified as Navnath Dnyanoba Darekar, Somnath Phakkad Darekar, Vilas Kaluram Darekar, advocate Sudhir Dhamdere, Subhash Ghawate, Goraksha Patilbuwa Thorat and Ganesh Goraksha Thorat. The body of Pooja, a Class 11 student, was found in the well near the rehabilitation project on Sunday afternoon leading to tension in the area. Her family had reported a missing complaint after Pooja could not be found after she stepped out the house for some work on April 21. Following the recovery of Poojas body, an FIR in connection with the case was lodged by her family member Dilip Nanasaheb Sakat, a resident of Kedgaon in Ahmednagar District. According to the police, the victim was staying in the rehabilitation project and was missing since April 21 and could not be traced till late night after which an FIR was lodged. Her body was found on April 22 which led to tension in the area. The victims body was brought to Sassoon General Hospital where autopsy was performed amidst heavy police bandobast. Her family members and relatives told the police that her body will not be accepted and taken for the last rites till the suspects were arrested by the police. Pune rural SP Mohammad Suvez Haque contacted the district collector and assured the family about action and that they would be rehabilitated in a month. The Sakat family alleged that they had received death threats from the accused in the past and their house was burnt in front of the deceased and her brother Jaideep. A complaint regarding this was lodged at Shikrapur police station and the victims family was threatened again on February 11. The Sakat brothers Jaideep and Suresh had gone to Ahmednagar for a yatra on April 20 and found their sister missing on April 21. The accused have been booked under IPC Section 306 (abetment to suicide), and Section 34 of the Scheduled Castes And Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Further investigation is being carried by Economic Offences Wing, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Pune rural police Manik Bhakre. Many leaders of Dalit organisations visited the family and offered their condolences. Pooja belonged to Dalit community and was a witness to her house burning incident. Her brother Jaideep had earlier lodged an FIR with Shikrapur police station stating that some persons had been issuing threats to him and the family in connection with the violence. Jaideep had addressed the media in the city on April 6 and expressed anguish that the state government had not taken action against the accused who were threatening his family. Jaideep had alleged that despite naming the accused in the FIR, the police were not arresting them in the case. Police inspector Ramesh Galande, in-charge of Shikrapur police station said, We have registered a case of abetment to suicide against nine persons and two of them have been arrested, he said, adding that they are on the lookout for the other suspects. The Sakat family hails from Karjat tehsil of Ahmednagar district and their house was burnt during the Bhima Koregaon violence. The riots led to the death of Rahul Fatangale from Sanaswadi. Fatangale, the son of a farmer, was killed by a mob at Sanaswadi on January 1 after riots broke out in Bhima Koregaon during the commemoration of the 200 years of Bhima Koregaon war of January 1, 1818, in which the British forces defeated the Peshwa army. Chandigarhs Sukhna Lake is dead because of excessive silting but can be rejuvenated, said Dr Rajendra Singh, a water conservationist who is popularly known as Waterman of India. A Stockholm Water Prize awardee, Singh was at the Panjab University to attend the first regional conference on environment. Talking to HT about ways to save Sukhna, Singh, who has rejuvenated 11 dead rivers in the last 35 years, said the man-made lake is easy to rejuvenate, but the problem needs scientific solutions. Why is the lake dying? The soil in the catchment area of the lake is fragile. As there is no greenery at the catchment area, whenever it rains, soil erodes, which is why the lake area is ecologically sensitive. The administration has not been able to understand this issue, thereby failing to prevent soil erosion, which is why the lake is almost filled with silt, said Singh. Against the needed depth of 10 feet, the Sukhna had shrunk to a mere 1.75 feet in May last year. (HT File) The soil erosion from the fragile catchment area leads to accumulation of silt in the lake, which in turn dries the lake up. The lake will become dead when its water holding and water recharging (underground) capacity will be lost due to this silting, he said. Pointing out that the lake had been beautifully made an important location, Singh said it was very important to keep it alive. How to save the lake Rajendra Singh suggested rejuvenation of subsurface and underground aquifers as the permanent solution to the lakes problem Singh said instead of de-silting the entire lake, which will consume a lot of money, the administration should dig up at least 20 de-silting pits in a way that the underground fractures get connected. He said the process will recharge the underground aquifers (bodies of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater), and water storage in the lake will also increase Singh also advocated spreading water literacy by starting a movement to spread awareness among the bureaucracy and the public on water conservation What is the solution? If we want to restore the lakes vitality, we will have to understand the mapping of aquifers (bodies of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater), and de-silting in order to connect it with nature, said Singh, adding that the authorities should first understand the character of underground aquifers and the lakes geo-hydro morphology. The administration should de-silt the lake in a scientific manner. Instead of de-silting the entire lake, which will consume a lot of money, the administration should dig up at least 20 de-silting pits in a way that the underground fractures get connected, said Singh. He said, With this, underground aquifers will be recharged and water storage in the lake will also increase. Hence, Chandigarh will have a subsurface and underground water level reserve bank. Singh emphasised that rejuvenation of subsurface and underground aquifers is the permanent solution. When asked if water from the Bhakra dam can be added to the lake, he said, They can add Bhakras water to the lake but to ensure that the biodiversity of the lake does not get impacted, the administration should first analyse how much water can be added. This is a very sensitive issue. City needs to conserve water Singh believes that the way Chandigarh has been planned, it is possible to make the city self-reliant when it comes to water. But this will happen only when every drop of water is conserved and efficiently used, and also rain water is harvested at micro and macro level, he said. Singh also advocated spreading water literacy by starting a movement for which three types of groups are needed. The first group is for teaching water management to elected representatives and bureaucracy, the second is to ensure that academic institutes teach water conservation, linkage of crop and rain pattern to students, and the third is for inculcating a sense of responsibility among the public, he elaborated. Apart from these three, two more groups are needed one to diagnose the problem of water sources and another for the treatment of those problems, said Singh. We have been running such water literacy movement in Maharashtra successfully for the last three years. The movement can be successful in Chandigarh as well, said Singh. Making yet another arrest in temple theft cases, the Chandigarh police have nabbed a jeweller from Uttarakhand who used to receive the stolen silver and gold articles from burglars, melt them and convert them into bricks for resale. Hanuman, 39, was held from Kashipur, around 225km northeast of New Delhi, following the quizzing of arrested gang members. Two silver bricks weighing 8.4kg and 5.5kg and two gold nose pins were also recovered from him. Police on April 18 solved five cases with the arrest of three members of the gang involved in the recent temple theft spree in Chandigarh and its periphery this year. The trio confessed to burglaries at four temples in the city including the double strike at Sanatan Dharam temple and Jain Temple in Sector 27 on April 11 besides the one at the historical Shiv Temple in Saketri, Panchkula, on February 18. Their other targets were Sanatan Dharam temple in Sector 16 on March 22 and Shiv temple in Sector 24 on January 8. The accused Resham Singh, alias Rinku, 24, of Uttarakhand, Harjeet Singh, alias Jeet, 30, and Manbeer Singh, alias Dimple, 28, of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh were arrested from Delhi. They were nabbed in a joint operation with Delhi Police with the help of sketches prepared from closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage that showed them conducted recce of the temples. Briefing the media, UT deputy superintendent of police (east) Satish Kumar said: Quizzing of the arrested gang members led us to Hanuman. He had melted silver items stolen from the temples and made two bricks that cost around Rs 8 lakh. Police are now looking for three local members of the gang who helped identify the targets and conduct recce. The gang used to conduct recce a day before striking at a temple. They used to visit the temple individually to identify the entry and exit points. Thereafter, they committed burglaries in wee hours. With Hanumans arrest, total recoveries have reached 26-kg silver, two gold pins and Rs 1 lakh, said Sector-26 SHO Jaspal Singh Bhullar. Police said temple management committees of all four temples in Chandigarh were called and they confirmed their stolen items had been recovered. At least 20 people were killed and 40 others wounded in an air raid on a wedding party in Yemen, rescue teams told AFP on Monday. Houthi rebels who control most of northern Yemen blamed the Sunday attack on a Saudi-led Arab coalition that backs the countrys government. Rescue teams said the wedding was being held in the Houthi-controlled Bani Qais area of Hajjah province, north of Sanaa, when jets carried out the raid. A Canadian man was lynched in the Peruvian Amazon after residents of a remote village accused him of killing an 81-year-old medicine woman a day earlier, a spokesperson for the attorney generals office said on Sunday. Olivia Arevalo, a traditional healer of the Shipibo-Conibo tribe, was shot twice and died on Thursday near her home in the Amazonian region of Ucayali, said Ricardo Palma Jimenez, the head of a group of prosecutors in Ucayali. Some villagers had blamed Arevalos murder on Sebastian Paul Woodroffe, a 41-year-old Canadian citizen who lived in the region and who was believed to have been one of her clients, said Jimenez. Police found Woodroffes body buried about 1km from Arevalos home on Saturday, after a cellphone video recording of the Friday lynching was shared on social media, said Jimenez. The video shows a man groaning in a puddle near a thatched-roof structure as another man puts a rope around his neck and drags him with others looking on. Jimenez said prosecutors were exploring several hypotheses related to Arevalos murder and that it was too early to name suspects in the case. No arrests had been made yet related to Woodroffes death, he added. We will not rest until both murders, of the indigenous woman as well as the Canadian man, are solved, said Jimenez in a phone interview. Jimenez said the man in the video was Woodroffe and that an autopsy of his body showed he died by strangulation after receiving several blows across his body. Arevalos murder had prompted outrage in Peru following other unsolved murders of indigenous activists who had repeatedly faced death threats related to efforts to keep illegal loggers and oil palm growers off native lands. Policing is scant over much of the Peruvian Andes and Amazon and villagers in far-flung provinces often punish suspected criminals according to local customs and without the involvement of state police and prosecutors. Canada extends its deepest condolences following the reported assassination of Olivia Arevalo Lomas, an Indigenous elder and human rights defender, Global Affairs Canada, which manages Canadian foreign relations, said in a statement. We are also aware that a Canadian was killed in a related incident. Consular services are being provided to the family of the Canadian, it added. Kate, the wife of Prince William, gave birth to a baby son on Monday, the couples third child who is fifth in line to the British throne. The boy, weighing eight pounds and seven ounces (3.8 kg), was born at 11:01am (1001 GMT), Kensington Palace announced. Mother and baby are both doing well, the palace said, and William, the Duke of Cambridge, was present for the birth. The baby is the couples third child, after Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Queen Elizabeth II, Williams father Prince Charles, and his brother Prince Harry were said to be delighted with the news. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 11:01 hours, the palace announced in its brief statement. Kate, 36, was admitted early Monday to the private Lindo Wing of St. Marys Hospital in central London, where four-year-old George, and Charlotte, aged two, were born. Royal fanatics, who had been camped outside the hospital wing for several days in anticipation, jumped for joy and popped open champagne. Were going to celebrate with fish and chips! said John Loughrey, who was wearing a Union Jack hat and clutching a plastic doll with a crown. Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, his wife Princess Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte walk in Hamburg Finkenwerder, Germany, July 21, 2017. (File photo) (REUTERS) Maria Scott, 46, a housewife from Newcastle in northeast England, has been in place for 15 days. Its really important to show support because they need to know how much they are loved by the people, she said. Were very proud of our monarchy. Tony Appleton, a town-crier dressed in a flamboyant red uniform, announced the news from the steps of the hospitals Lindo Wing to a crowd of supporters and media. The baby was born on St. Georges Day, Englands national day. Name speculation The baby boy is a sixth great-grandchild for Queen Elizabeth, who turned 92 on Saturday, and her husband Prince Philip. The boy will hold the title of prince after Queen Elizabeth changed the rules in 2012 to ensure that all of Williams children would be entitled to the style, not just his eldest son. As with their two previous children, the royal couple did not know whether the baby was going to be a boy or a girl. Bookmakers have Arthur, Albert, Frederick, James and Philip as their favourites for the young princes name. The boy does not overtake Charlotte in the line of succession due to new laws agreed across the 16 Commonwealth realms where Queen Elizabeth is the head of state, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Under the law, designed to end male primogeniture for Williams children, boys born after October 28, 2011 cannot overtake their elder sisters. A night at the Lindo Wing costs 7,500 ($10,500, 8,550 euros), including a delivery package and two-room suite, excluding consultants fees. The birth was overseen by consultant obstetrician Guy Thorpe-Beeston, who is the surgeon gynaecologist to the royal household, and consultant gynaecologist Alan Farthing, the Queens surgeon-gynaecologist. They were part of the trusted team who also delivered George and Charlotte. The duchess suffered severe morning sickness during all three pregnancies. Line of succession to the British throne. Prince William's wife Kate gave birth to a boy on Monday. (AFP) William, who is destined to become king after Charles, and Kate met at St. Andrews University in Scotland. They tied the knot at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29, 2011, in a ceremony watched by up to two billion people worldwide. The marriage helped breathe new life into Britains monarchy after years of crisis. The Sun newspaper reported Sunday that Kates sister Pippa Middleton, 34, is pregnant with her first child. Kates maid of honour famously stole the show at her and Williams wedding with a figure-hugging dress. The birth will be celebrated with a 41-gun salute in Londons Green Park Hyde Park -- the standard 21 rounds with an extra 20 because they are royal parks. The Tower of London will fire 62 rounds: 21, plus 20 because it is a royal palace, and a further 21 to show the City of Londons loyalty to the sovereign. French President Emmanuel Macron has said he has persuaded his American counterpart Donald Trump to keep his forces in Syria and limit strikes on chemical weapons facilities. Macron and other European allies will now try to persuade Trump to not abandon the Iran nuclear deal. The Iran deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed in 2015 by the US, France, Germany, Russia, China and the European Union with Iran to halt Tehrans nuclear weapons programme. The plan must be certified every 90 days by the US president for America to stay in it. Trump and many Republicans have long opposed the deal, saying the accord will allow Iran to resume its nuclear weapons programme after the sunset deadline, has left its ballistic missiles programme untouched, and has not held Tehran accountable for malign activities in the region. The last time Trump certified the deal, he said he would not grant it the next certification, due mid-May, if the pact is not strengthened. Macron is expected to bring up the deal when he meets Trump at the White House on Wednesday. Called the Trump whisperer, the French leader has said there is no Plan B for the deal and it must be preserved. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will deliver Trump the same message when she visits Washington later this week. We believe its better to have this agreement, even if it is not perfect, than to have no agreement, Merkel told an Israeli TV channel on Sunday. Europeans have acknowledged the deal is not perfect but argue it must be preserved, as efforts are made to consider additional safeguards, which Iran has said it will refuse to accept. Speaking to reporters at the G-7 meeting in Toronto, German foreign minister Heiko Maas said: We believe it is extremely important to uphold this agreement. Were it to fail or the US to drop out, we would not have anything comparable to it and we fear that the situation would significantly deteriorate with everything that goes with it. Even the Chinese and the Russians want the deal to continue and have said they will prevent any attempt by the US to wreck it. Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is in New York for UN meetings, warned against tearing up the deal. Thats a very dangerous message to send to people of Iran, but also to the people of the world that you should never come to an agreement with the United States because at the end of the day, the operating principle of the United States is whats mine is mine, whats yours is negotiable. Whenever suicide attackers struck his fellow Shiites in Kabul, Wakil Hussain Allahdad would drop what he was doing and rush to the scene to help rescue survivors and carry away the dead. But on Sunday Allahdad himself became a victim, fatally wounded in the devastating blast outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital. The suicide attack, claimed by the Islamic State group, killed at least 57 people and wounded more than 100, making it the deadliest assault in the war-weary city since a bomb-laden ambulance exploded in January. Allahdad had been serving customers in his photography shop across the street when the bomber blew himself up in a crowd waiting to pick up their national identification certificates, Allahdads older brother, Ghulam Sakhi Allahdad, told AFP on Monday. The father of four had opened the shop recently in the hope of cashing in on a surge in demand for passport-sized photos, as people rushed to get the national IDs needed to register to vote in legislative elections scheduled for October. Unconscious and bleeding profusely from his head and mouth, 32-year-old Allahdad was taken to Isteqlal hospital before being transferred to a trauma facility run by Italian NGO Emergency where he died. His two colleagues and several customers were also killed by the blast that caused carnage in the street, where pools of blood and body parts mixed with shattered glass and blood-stained photos. A female customer was wounded. Allahdad, who was also a competitive wrestler, was well known in Kabuls Shiite community. After witnessing the deaths of friends in an Islamic State-claimed suicide bomb targeting Shiite ethnic Hazaras in July 2016, he made a pledge to assist victims of future attacks, his younger brother, Ahmad Hussain Allahdad, told AFP. Since then Islamic State militants, who belong to the Sunni branch of Islam, have repeatedly targeted Kabuls Shiites as they seek to stir up sectarian violence. Each time they struck, Allahdad would race to help. He was always there for his people. Whenever there was a terrorist incident he would drop everything and rush to the scene, Ghulam Sakhi Allahdad said. He would save anyone regardless of who they were. Afghan relatives of Wakil Hussain Allahdad prepare to hang a banner with his picture a day after the attack on a voter registration center, at Wakil's house in Kabul. (Wakil Koshar/ AFP) An invincible hero Huge posters paying tribute to Allahdad and other victims of Sundays attack hung in the streets of the neighbourhood where the blast happened. Ordinary Afghans touched by Allahdads bravery flooded Facebook with messages of admiration for a man they described as a hero. Allahdad was a real hero and a courageous man, Mustafa Hasas wrote on Facebook where several photos of the burly, bearded man were being shared. He was a warrior. He was so brave. In almost every deadly incident he was there to help people. Azim Hajizada wrote: I cant believe he is not among us anymore. It is a disaster for our society. He was always there to stand behind his people like a mountain. Among the photos circulating online was an AFP picture taken on October 11, 2016, of a grim-faced man carrying a bleeding girl wearing a blue shalwar kameez. The brothers identified the man in the photo as Allahdad, who had gone to help victims after gunmen opened fire on Shiite pilgrims in Kabul. His death is unbelievable for me and for many people here, a man called Reza, who lives in the same neighbourhood, told AFP. He was a hero, an invincible hero, After... saving so many lives, so many victims, we never thought he would one day himself become a victim. Former New York mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg said on Sunday he will write a $4.5 million cheque to cover this years US financial commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. President Donald Trump last year pulled the United States out of the pact, making the country the only one opposed to it. Bloomberg, in a CBS interview, said he hopes by next year Trump will have changed his mind. Bloomberg will continue to provide money for the pact if the United States does not rejoin the agreement, according to a news release from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the charity he founded. Our foundation will uphold our promise to cover any cuts to UN climate funding by the federal government, Bloomberg said in the statement. Trump staunchly opposes the agreement and his administration has rolled back a number of environmental regulations. (Reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb; Editing by James Dalgleish) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss ways to ensure stable global development and inclusive globalisation in the face of rising protectionism and rampant unilateralism when they meet in Wuhan city this week, Beijing said a day after an informal summit between the two leaders was announced. The two leaders will also discuss strategic and overarching issues related to bilateral ties, foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told a regular news briefing. The two sides believe that the strategic and global significance of our relations have become more prominent and our common interests far outweigh our differences, he said. Modi and Xi will meet at Wuhan in Chinas central Hubei province during April 27-28. The meeting is expected to strengthen bilateral ties severely impacted by last years military standoff at Doklam near the Sikkim border. The meeting is being held at a time when the international situation, Lu said, is undergoing profound changes and with prominent instabilities and uncertainties. Referring to trade protectionism, Lu said India and China have a common interest in upholding a more inclusive international system. The world is now faced with rampant unilateralism as well as rising protectionism in the process of globalisation, he said. All these trends have been closely followed and debated. So against such a backdrop, Chin and India have a lot to discuss. We are newly emerging markets as well as developing countries with big populations, so we believe the two countries will continue to uphold globalisation so that it is more inclusive, Lu said. They will discuss the latest trends of the world so there is stable global development, he said. So we have lot of shared interests, concerns and positions. I believe you will hear positive voices. Lu further said the two leaders will discuss changes that have taken place and which are unprecedented in the past 100 years, and exchange views on the strategic, overarching and long-term issues concerning our bilateral relations. Announcing the one-on-one meeting of the leaders, foreign minister Wang Yi had said on Sunday that China-India relations had realised good development and shown a positive momentum this year. The Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement successfully held a rally in Lahore despite efforts by the government of Pakistans Punjab province and the intelligence agencies to sabotage the event aimed at highlighting the violation of the rights of Pashtuns and the targeting of the community in extra-judicial killings. Witnesses said more than 4,000 people gathered at Mochi Gate on Sunday evening to listen to PTM leader Manzur Pashteen and others who aired their grievances against the state. The mood was sombre, said the witnesses, and those attending included a number of non-Pashtuns, who were keen to know more about the movement that has dramatically gained support over the past few weeks despite pressure on the media not to give it coverage. Among those who took the rostrum were Tahera Jalib, daughter of the revolutionary poet Habib Jalib, who read out Dastoor, a famous poem by her father, and Amina Masood Janjua of the Defence of Human Rights Pakistan, whose husband has been missing since 2005. Advocate Fazal Khan, the father of a student martyred in the 2014 Taliban attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, also addressed the gathering and repeated his demand for forming a judicial commission to investigate the incident that left nearly 150 dead. Awami Workers Party president Fanoos Gujjar, while addressing the crowd, said: "Yesterday, when PTM leaders were arrested, we were told: 'There is peace in Lahore and you are anti-state traitors. What will the traitors do here? Pakhtuns here are studying and conducting trade, why are you taking their peace away?'" PTM central leader Ali Wazir said, "The movement has come to Lahore so that if something (untoward) happens in the future, nobody can say 'You never reached out to us'." Manzoor Pashteen then took to the stage, saying it was the PTM's "heartfelt wish" to present the situation hidden from the media and the eyes of the public to the people of Lahore. He explained why the PTM had included the arrest of police official Rao Anwar, blamed for a string of extra-judicial killings, and recovery of missing persons or victims of enforced disappearances in its demands. Pashteen called for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission on extra-judicial killings. He also demanded justice in the case of Naqeebullah, a Pashtun youngster who was allegedly killed by Rao Anwar, and thousands of other Pashtuns who were victim of extra-judicial killings. He said he and his family were described as terrorists, whereas in reality, he belonged to a family that is very peace-loving. He also spoke of army generals "whose coffers are full, who buy properties in foreign lands and retain dual nationalities, while calling those who have only this one country as anti-national". Journalist Sabahat Zakarya, who attended the rally, commented: "One point that particularly struck me in Pashteens speech was how known terrorists like Ehsanullah Ehsan have been given reprieve but theres no sign of the missing persons PTM is fighting for." Pashteen announced the PTM would hold another public rally in Karachi on May 12 and said they would also lodge protest against the media for not properly highlighting the issues of Pashtuns. He said the media was covering the complete viewpoint of his opponents but not properly presenting issues that need to be highlighted. A number of PTM leaders were briefly detained on Saturday while workers found the venue of the rally flooded with sewage water. Both the instances, the PTM said, were attempts to coerce the party into not holding the rally. The Punjab governments refusal to grant permission to the PTM for its rally, combined with the detention of its workers, was criticised by PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who backed the movement's right to protest. Maryam Nawaz said the rally should have been allowed while Bilawal condemned the "high-handedness and disregard for the constitutional rights of the people" shown by the Punjab government. A Belgian court on Monday found Salah Abdeslam, the last surviving suspect in the Paris attacks, guilty of terrorism-related attempted murder over a shootout with police in Brussels days before his capture in 2016, and sentenced him to 20 years in jail. In its judgment, the court in the Belgian capital said there can be no doubt about jihadist Salah Abdeslam and his co-defendant Sofiane Ayaris involvement in extremism. Prosecutors had asked for 20-year jail terms for both. Neither 28-year-old Abdeslam -- who is being held in jail in France pending a separate trial over the 2015 Paris attacks in which 130 people died -- nor Ayari, 24, were in court for the verdict. Four police officers were wounded in the gun battle after police acting on a tip-off over the Paris attacks raided a flat in the Forest area of Brussels on March 15, 2016. Abdeslam, a Belgian-born French national, was arrested three days later in the largely immigrant Molenbeek area of the Belgian capital, near his family home. On March 22 suicide bombers from a cell linked to the Paris attacks killed 32 people and wounded hundreds more at Brussels airport and a metro station in the Belgian capital. The judgment said Abdeslam had written a document addressed to his mother saying that Allah guided me and chose me among his servants to open his path. It is for that reason that I had to fight the enemies of Allah with all my strength. He added that his brother Brahim, who blew himself up during the Paris attacks, did not commit suicide -- he is a hero of Islam. The judgment on Monday said that 34 shots in total were fired during the shootout. Belgian police mounted tight security around the imposing Palace of Justice building in Brussels for the verdict. Trust in Allah Abdeslam has spent most of the last two years in jail in France. He was transported to the court from France for the first day of the trial amid tight security including a helicopter escort, while Tunisian national Ayari, 24, is in jail in Belgium. On the first day of the trial, Abdeslam proclaimed that he would only put his trust in Allah and accused the court of being biased against Muslims. He then refused to attend the rest of the proceedings. Investigators say Abdeslams arrest spurred the Brussels bombers to bring forward the 2016 attacks, which had originally been planned for a later date, as they feared they could be captured. Prosecutors have said that DNA links Abdeslam to the apartment in the Forest district of Brussels where the shooting took place, but not to the weapons that were used. After Abdeslam refused to return to court for the trial in February, his lawyer Sven Mary sought the cases dismissal on a technicality over how the judges were named to investigate the gun battle, and said media leaks had denied him a fair trial. But lawyers for police wounded in the gun battle accused Abdeslam of mocking the trial. One of the injured police officers was still suffering from after-effects including brain lesions, epileptic fits and vision and balance problems. An organisation representing victims of the Brussels attacks and their families has asked for symbolic damages of one euro from the trial. The Belgian trial is a prelude to a bigger one that Abdeslam will face in France at a later date over the Paris attacks of November 13, 2015, which were claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) US secretary of state-designate Mike Pompeo is set for an unusually rocky confirmation process, with Democrats joined by at least one Republican senator determined in their opposition to him. The Senate foreign relations committee was scheduled to vote on his confirmation on Monday and was likely to move it on to the Senate floor without a favourable recommendation. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell can still bring it up for a vote on the floor of the Republican-dominated chamber, where Pompeo is sure to be approved. But the process is likely to be tight. Hard to believe Obstructionists May vote against Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State... They are maxing out the time on approval process for all, never happened before. Need more Republicans! Trump complained on Twitter on Monday. In a more aggressive appeal, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, Democrats have to decide whether they love this country more than they hate this president. However, Democrats say they oppose Pompeos appointment because they are not convinced he would be able to give Trump his honest opinion or that of his department, and will tend to agree with him and do his bidding. They also oppose him for his remarks against Muslims and the LGBTQ community. After meeting with Mr. Pompeo and reviewing his testimony, I do not believe he would be an independent voice in advising @POTUS, nor an advocate for leading our allies in support of the values that protect America. I will not be supporting his nomination to be Secretary of State, Ben Cardin, the topmost Democrat on the Senate foreign committee, tweeted. Rand Paul, the Republican senator opposing Pompeo, has cited the latters support of the 2003 Iraq war and stance on torture. New Delhi is watching the process closely as the confirmation will determine the timing for the first 2+2 dialogue between India and USs foreign and defence ministers. The meet was supposed to take place in April but was postponed because Pompeo would not have been confirmed by then. Previous secretaries of state-designates have had an easier confirmation for instance Colin Powell, nominated by former president George W Bush, was confirmed unanimously. Yemens armed Houthi movement fired two ballistic missiles at a Saudi Aramco facility in the southern city of Jizan on Monday, but Saudi state media said both projectiles were destroyed. The Houthis al-Masirah TV said they had targeted a port belonging to the Saudi state oil giant. The Saudi state news agency quoted the spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition that intervened against the Houthis in Yemens war in 2015 as saying the two missiles were intercepted over Jizan and their debris fell on residential neighbourhoods. There were no casualties or damages recorded as of the time of (our) statement, Colonel Turki al-Maliki said. Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company is building a 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Jizan, part of a new economic city on the Red Sea, and it is expected to become fully operational in 2019. The Houthis say their missile attacks on the kingdom are in retaliation for air raids on Yemen by the Western-backed coalition. Saudi Arabia and an alliance of Muslim states intervened in Yemens civil war to try and push back the Houthis after they drove the internationally-recognised government into exile in Riyadh. Air strikes by the coalition killed at least 20 people attending a wedding in a village in northwestern Yemen late on Sunday, residents and medical sources said. The coalition has carried out thousands of air strikes in Yemen that have hit schools, markets and hospitals, killing hundreds of people - though it says it does not target civilians. The United Nations says 10,000 people have died in the three-year-old war, and three out of four Yemenis 22 million civilians need relief aid. The coalition says the Houthis are armed and supported by Saudi arch-adversary Iran - charges the group and Tehran deny. For the first time since assuming office in 2004, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong led some 40,000 devotees and four ministers at a 164-year-old Hindu temples reconsecration ceremony in Singapore, following the completion of its SGD 4.5 million restoration work. This 164-year-old temple has been undergoing renovations for the last 1.5 years to prepare for its re-consecration, which takes place every 12 years, the prime minister tweeted on Sunday night of the iconic Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in the Little India precinct. After attending Sundays mornings ceremony, minister of trade and industry S Iswaran said the occasion reflected the diversity in Singapore community. The temple - one of the oldest in Singapore - was re-sanctified in a consecration ceremony called the Maha Samprokshanam, which would be followed by a period of 45 days of cultural programmes known as the mandalabishegam. The prime ministers presence here today, having travelled overnight from overseas (Commonwealth meetings in London), is a remarkable validation of the commitment the government has, that PM Lee also has, to this, Iswaran said. It is an opportunity to bring together different communities so that we develop this mutual understanding and respect and continue to build on Singapores multi-racial fabric, The Straits Times quoted the minister as saying. Such events indeed, reflect the diversity as well as the harmony we have in our multi-religious, multiracial society, Minister in the Prime Ministers Office Chan Chun Sing, who was also present on the occasion, said in a Twitter post. The ceremony was touted as the most significant event on the Hindu calendar this year, according to a report by The Straits Times. Grace Fu, minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Education, Communications and Information, were present on the occasion. A team of 20 artisans, known as sthapathis were flown in from India for restoration work. Built in 1854, the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple was declared a national monument by Singapores Preservation of Monuments Board in 1978. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications.) A Florida man has been sentenced to 330 years in prison on child pornography charges after authorities say he took sex tourism trips to the Philippines and made and posted videos of sexual encounters he had with young children. Authorities say David Lynchs victims were as young as 6 years old and that he posted videos online dating back to 2005. The Venice man was arrested in 2016 attempting to board a flight to the Philippines. Prosecutors say at least one of the trips was arranged by the mother of one of the young victims. They say Lynch also has two young children living in the Philippines. Lynch was convicted late last year and sentenced this week. The Fort Myers News-Press reports that besides the lengthy sentence, the judge ordered Lynch to forfeit his bayfront home. Dragons of Walton Street Beatrix Potter chest of drawers 2,067.90 Kate is said to be a huge Beatrix Potter fan and the nursery at Anmer Hall in Norfolk is decorated with characters from the Victorian author and illustrator's books. Dragons of Walton Street in Knightsbridge was commissioned to create Prince Williams nursery when he was a baby, and Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck and the gang adorn the brand's chest of drawers. It comes with a choice of blissful blue or briar pink trim. If Beatrix Potter isnt your thing, it also comes painted with elephants, flower fairies or blossom. Buy it here P eople selling their home in the Wiltshire town of Swindon can expect their property to be snapped up the fastest rate in the country, according to figures released today. The West Country town ranked as the UK's most in-demand place in which to live, according to Emoov, while Bexley remains the most popular spot for completed sales in London. The online estate agent measured the level of demand in towns and cities by comparing the number of homes for sale with the number of homes sold in each area, getting a percentage ratio for each area. Mid-way between Bristol and Reading and 71 miles from London, Swindon, which scored the highest demand percentage of 66 per cent, is on the M4 and has direct trains to London taking an hour and 20 minutes. George Harding, a property valuer at Swindon estate agent Charles Harding, says the towns greatest appeal lies in its relative good value for property. Price is the most attractive thing about Swindon, he said. A standard two-bedroom first-time buyer home costs between 170,000 and 180,000. We see mostly local buyers whove grown up here and want to stay in Swindon, but in the middle price bracket of 300,000-350,000, people can be moving out from Reading because prices are really pushing up there. Investment buyers are interested because of the prices you can purchase at and theres a lot of new build over the north side of Swindon, which is popular with buyers because the resale prices seem to be really holding up. DEMAND FOR LONDON HOMES FALLING In contrast to good-value Swindon, London is seeing its fortune head in the opposite direction, with buyer demand falling by 15 per cent to 23 per cent since the end of 2017. House prices in every London borough, April 2018 1 /32 House prices in every London borough, April 2018 Barking and Dagenham Average price April 2018: 315,858 Annual change: 2.0% Source: Rightmove, April 2018 Bob Comics/Flickr Barnet Average price April 2018: 661,456 Annual change: 1.8% Bexley Average price April 2018: 409,236 Annual change: 2.0% Daniel Lynch Brent Average price April 2018: 589,239 Annual change: -2.0% Daniel Lynch Bromley Average price April 2018: 540,364 Annual change: 0.3% Daniel Lynch Camden Average price April 2018: 1,004,381 Annual change: -0.2% Daniel Lynch Croydon Average price April 2018: 444,477 Annual change: 0.1% Alamy Stock Photo Ealing Average price April 2018: 563,288 Annual change: -2.5% Graham Hussey Enfield Average price April 2018: 463,208 Annual change: 0.0% Graham Hussey Greenwich Average price April 2018: 455,404 Annual change: 1.4% Daniel Lynch Hackney Average price April 2018: 663,456 Annual change: 0.0% Daniel Lynch Hammersmith and Fulham Average price April 2018: 943,120 Annual change: -2.0% Daniel Lynch Haringey Average price April 2018: 619,637 Annual change: -3.4% Harrow Average price April 2018: 561,349 Annual change: -4.4% Daniel Lynch Havering Average price April 2018: 408,643 Annual change: 0.6% John Winfield Hillingdon Average price April 2018: 497,865 Annual change: 0.2% Drayton Wharf / Howarth Homes Hounslow Average price April 2018: 559,981 Annual change: 1.7% Islington Average price April 2018: 780,608 Annual change: -0.8% Kensington and Chelsea Average price April 2018: 1,609,245 Annual change: -2.1% Shutterstock Kingston upon Thames Average price April 2018: 630,714 Annual change: -2.1% Lambeth Average price April 2018: 649,452 Annual change: -4.3% Daniel Lynch Lewisham Average price April 2018: 476,782 Annual change: -1.2% Alamy Stock Photo Merton Average price April 2018: 656,808 Annual change: -1.0% Newham Average price April 2018: 411,668 Annual change: -1.8% Redbridge Average price April 2018: 455,279 Annual change: 0.7% Richmond upon Thames Average price April 2018: 851,058 Annual change: -2.9% Graham Hussey Southwark Average price April 2018: 635,994 Annual change: -4.4% Jeremy Selwyn Sutton Average price April 2018: 470,055 Annual change: -0.6% Alamy Stock Photo Tower Hamlets Average price April 2018: 591,309 Annual change: -2.0% Waltham Forest Average price April 2018: 491,468 Annual change: 0.8% Daniel Lynch Wandsworth Average price April 2018: 817,928 Annual change: -1.3% Westminster Average price April 2018: 1,461,058 Annual change: -1.2% Shutterstock The most popular areas in the capital for homebuyers were Bexley, Bromley, Barking and Dagenham, Lewisham and Croydon, which are among the cheapest places to buy a home in the capital. High London house prices were also pushing buyers out to the commuter belt. Ashford and Folkestone in Kent and Rochford and Colchester in Essex and Stevenage in Hertfordshire were the top three commuter spots for home buyers in the first three months of 2018. There are plenty of pockets across the nation that continue to see strong levels of buyer interest, however, market uncertainty has seen many sellers refrain from selling and in turn, the lack of varied stock has seen buyer demand, in general, remain restricted, said Russell Quirk, founder of Emoov.co.uk. Now Open 23 April 2018 - Embassy Suites by Hilton, a global brand of upscale, all-suite hotels from Hilton (NYSE: HLT), announced today the opening of a new hotel located in Noblesville, Indiana. Embassy Suites by Hilton prides itself on offering guests an approachable and stress-free experience at each of its hotel properties. The stylish Embassy Suites by Hilton Noblesville Indianapolis Conference Center is close to several attractions in the Indianapolis area. Located off Interstate-69, only 25 minutes from downtown Indianapolis, the hotel is situated in one of Indiana's fastest-growing counties*. Nearby attractions include Hamilton Town Center, Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center, Edge Adventure Parks, the Conner Prairie Living History Museum, and the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts. Owned and managed by Sun Development and Management, the state-of-the-art hotel is a 198 all-suite property consisting of three varying layouts. Guests are greeted by stylish granite countertops and wall architectural designs crowned by an elegant mahogany ceiling and a custom atrium water feature on the first floor. With over 29,000 square feet of meeting space, the hotel offers the perfect space for small or large events. Every suite features complimentary WiFi, a large HDTV, sofa bed, microwave, mini-fridge, coffeemaker and ergonomic workspace. Supplier News 23 April 2018 In an era of digital transformation, companies that master data and analytics can outgrow their rivals and boost loyalty among customers. This is a wide-ranging task, however. They must trace travelers through virtual space, build leading-edge data science teams, create rich customer profiles, optimize revenue and personalize pricing. It's a time for innovation, but not all the rules are clear. Disruptors abound in the industry taking advantage of technological developments, such as blockchain technology, which was a growing area of interest at the Summit. New privacy rules are taking effect, and data breaches can significantly damage even the foremost travel brands. EyeforTravel's Smart Travel Data Summit NorthAmerica, held in Miami on February 27th and 28th 2018, delved into data-driven insight through insights from top executives from Amazon, Expedia, Airbnb, Southwest Airlines, Hyatt, Wyndham Worldwide and Delta Airlines among others. To find out what they were talking about, click here to download the full Round-up report now. "Every individual in this room is in a fantastic position," said Leo Langford, EyeforTravel global conference director. "Whether you are part of a nimble startup or you are a more established, traditional travel brand, it is a boom time to be in data." Companies with advanced analytics are five times more likely to make decisions before their industry peers, said Priti Dhanda, director of revenue management analytics for Hyatt Hotels Corp. Over the next five years, about USD800 billion in revenue is expected to shift to the 15% of companies that get personalization right, said Stuart Greif, a former Microsoft executive who now leads the travel and hospitality practice for Amperity, a Seattle software firm that is disrupting the industry with its "intelligent" customer data platform. "You have everything that would make amazing customer 360-degree profiles. It's pulling all that data together," Greif said. The stakes are high as, according to Greif, 41% of customers dropped a brand last year due to poor personalization. "It is no longer just a nuisance. It is standing in the way of you and your customer and potentially losing them." The audience also agreed, with data-driven personalization thought to be the most important game-changer for the industry, chosen by 63% of the audience polled at the event, although this slightly lower than at the 2017 Smart Travel Data Summit North America. Will Coleman, partner of travel, transport and logistics for consulting firm McKinsey & Co. noted that travel brands have key leverage when it comes to personalization: "You as travel suppliers are better positioned to do this than any other industry. You operate hotels and airports where people spend hours of their lives. You interact and engage with customers via social media, and they interact with you more than in any other industry." Coleman said 57% of travelers feel brands should tailor their experience based on their past behaviors. "Increasingly we are seeing customers are expecting, and even demanding, this type of customization," he said. Meanwhile, technology is increasingly complex. Consider Apple's new iPhone X, which features facial recognition. "It does 600 billion calculations per second and it's the first mass-produced artificial intelligence chip," said Abhijit Pal, head of research for Expedia Inc.'s Global Partner Group. "Facial recognition is absolutely a game changer." This growing power is becoming married to more powerful data connections. Verizon just announced its 5G Network that can power 10 gigabits per second. That translates to downloading an entire high-definition movie in less than one second, Pal said. Expedia allocates USD1.3 billion a year for technology and content spend as it focuses on becoming a mobile-first company, since one-third of its bookings come from mobile. It's forays into technology currently encompass machine learning and artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and using voice technology with Amazon Echo: "Voice is becoming an important aspect of what we do. That will enable us to personalize. You want technology to know about your tastes. Alexa is going to offer that," said Pal. Machine learning and artificial intelligence are quickly becoming the backbone of many innovative travel platforms, including Airbnb. "Airbnb is totally built in-house," said Theresa Johnson, product manager at Airbnb. Machine learning is critical to the success of the short-term rental platform. It's used at every step of the user experience, she said. "Data scientists are people who take a lot of disparate information that you have scattered all over and organize it in a fashion that both humans and machines can understand," Johnson said. "Machine learning is people, not algorithms. Data is really the voice of our customers speaking to us at scale." Click here to download the full Round-up, which features insights from: Expedia Airbnb Hyatt Amazon Wyndham Hertz Allegiant Air Greyhound Lines Inc. Winding Tree And more ! A member of Tekashi 6ix9ine's crew is currently under investigation for a shooting during a Casanova video shoot last weekend. The feud between the two New York rappers reached critical levels last weekend, after a gun shot was reported during an altercation between 6ix9ine's and Casanova's crews at an Adrian Broner fight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Now, TMZ is reporting that the Barclay's incident may have stemmed from an earlier incident in which two men were reportedly injured in a shooting during a Casanova music video shoot on Thursday. This video intensified the beef between 6ix9ine and Casanova, with 6ix9ine posting the video on his Instagram, taunting Casanova for being unable to shoot a music video in his own neighborhood. According to XXL, however, Casanova claims he wasn't even present during the shooting, saying, "You know damn well nobody ain't shot at me, man. Everybody at the motherfucking video shoot was my motherfucking sons, nigga." He also directed a statement at 6ix9ine, writing, "You know my body god bless your soul I'm on parole and if I see you I'm gonna give you a hug cause you need that instead of a slug....Niggas like you discredit real niggas that really put in work.But guess what one day your gonna have to face the people you troll let your gun gooo Ba ba boom You won't trick me been there done that ." The police have since confirmed with TMZ that they will be investigating 6ix9ine's crew for any involvement with the music video shooting. No suspects have yet been named. Allan Kingdom has been blessing us with a number of tracks for a minute. Since December he's dropped off a total of 11 songs, and now he's announced an actual project for us to get our hands on. The Saint Paul, Minnesota based homie will be releasing Peanut Butter Prince on June 11th that will be laced with six tracks produced by Anthony Kilhoffer and all written by Allan. The last tape we got from Allan was his 14-track album LINES that was released just over a year ago. Before that was his debut tape Northern Lights that really cemented Allan's sound and talent after his feature on Kanye West's "All Day." "I just dont like to be sad," Allan stated a few years back when asked how he maintains his positive outlook on life. "I feel that to a certain degree theres a law of attraction and if I pay attention to things that make me angry, thats only going to introduce them into my life more. So I literally just ignore things I dont like. If its not good for me emotionally, spiritually, or physically, I will do everything to make sure that I can go around it." Let the countdown begin. After last week's controversy surrounding a Philidelphia Starbucks that called the police on two Black men who were sitting in the establishment, the coffee house now has another issue on their hands. A 25-year-old woman in Atlanta found a hidden camera in a Starbucks washroom that was taped under a baby changing station. According to the police report, the camera has 25 videos on it. "We've learned that the device had about an hours worth of recorded video on it and detectives found 8 to 10 men and women videotaped while in that restroom," an officer told Fox 5. "A lot of it was men using the urinal so they were from the back but there were a few images of women using the toilet, but nothing was clear enough to identify a private area. We do know none of the victims were children." "We were quite concerned to learn this and are grateful to our customers and partners who took action to involve local authorities. We will continue to support them in any way we can," a Starbucks representative said. After the Philidelphia Starbucks issue, CEO Kevin Johnson announced that all of their U.S. locations will be closed on May 29th in order to provide racial bias education to nearly 175,000 employees across the country. While Tekashi 6ix9ine could be the most polarizing figure in rap right now, that title has belonged to Kanye West on more than one occasion. Kanye talks and we listen, giving him a platform as one of the most influential people in the world. Perhaps the man who a public audience is most divided about globally is Donald Trump. When Ye showed up at Trump Tower after Trump was nominated to become the next President of the United States, fans on both sides of the political spectrum went insane as right-wing conservatives praised the appearance and left-wing liberals shut it down. Trump stated during their meeting that they had been "friends" for a long time and now, Kanye is taking things one step further by proclaiming his adoration of the man. With two albums coming out soon, talk about Kanye is incredibly high with many waiting for June impatiently. This morning, Hot 97 radio host Ebro noted that he had a conversation with Ye about his tweets on Candace Owens where the rapper stated his love for her way of thinking. Surprising some of his fans, many were confused at how he can support a woman who openly bashes the Black Lives Matter movement. Ebro and Peter Rosenberg said that with Kanye's "random loose tweets," he is not supporting an open dialogue as much as he thinks he is. While Ebro and his colleagues seem convinced that Kanye is using his social media antics as promo to stir things up before his album drop, it's very likely that Kanye is simply writing what he believes. Rosenberg tweeted that, somewhere along the conversation, Ye told Ebro, "I love Donald Trump. Check out the video from Hot 97 below. Kanye West has redefined Cruel Summer. The legendary artist recently set the hip-hop community ablaze with a series of album announcements, including a solo album, a Kid Cudi collabo album, Pusha T's King Push, a Teyana Taylor album, and a new Nas album. While that in itself is reason to mark June down as one for the ages, the news was made all the greater by one essential reveal. Each project will be personally produced by Kanye himself, who has been busy "chopping up samples from the sunken place." All we can really do is be thankful that the arguable GOAT is back with what feels like a statement. While it seems as if his creativity is in full bloom, it would appear that his mental health is equally sound. The often-reclusive Kanye has recently made an appearance on one of social media's most active and followed accounts - his wife, Kim Kardashian. Even those who are generally put off by all things Kardashian might enjoy seeing Kanye enjoying some family time with the entire clan, including North, Saint, and Chicago. For those who have been following Mr. West from the jump, it's great to see that he's managed to emerge from the darkness unscathed. Now, he sits on the verge of a major comeback. Check out the latest West-Kardashian family photo below. One has to wonder, which Kardashian sister has earned the coveted title of "favorite auntie?" And even more importantly, how solid is her electric sliding? Two Florida detectives showed up at a man's funeral, but their intent was not to pay him any respect for his untimely passing. Reports indicate that the officers were there for strictly investigative concerns, and tried to use the man's fingerprint to unlock his mobile device, but were unsuccessful in doing so. Linus Phillips was killed by a Largo law enforcement officer after authorities reveal that he tried to flee a crime scene before he could be properly searched. Phillips' fiance Victoria Armstrong reveals she felt violated and belittled by the random search, which effectively thwarted the sorrowful mood of the visitation. Legal experts have noted how the detectives ill-advised actions were legal, but questioned the appropriateness of their intrusive measures. Charles Rose, a professor at the Stetson University College of Law, has revealed that deceased persons cannot assert their Fourth Amendment protections because they technically do not own any property once they have passed away. However, those rights could apply to any beneficiary who inherits the individual's assets. Travis Scott's Houston Oilers inspired Air Jordan 4 collab has gained some steam in the last week or so, especially after Houston Rockets forward PJ Tucker debuted the kicks on the court during the Rockets' Game 2 victory. While Jordan Brand has still not provided any official images or release details, rumors suggest that the "Cactus Jack" Air Jordan 4s will be available in limited quantities on June 23. The special edition 4s feature a university blue upper, accompanied by hits of varsity red and black, as a nod to the classic Oilers uniforms, in addition to the Catcus Jack branding on the heel. It's unclear how much the kicks will retail for or how many pairs will be available but you can expect the demand to be high and the supply to be limited. Take a closer look at the shoes in the IG posts below and stay tuned for more release details. Lubys plans to offer more discounts at its restaurants in an effort to boost customer loyalty amid declining sales. The Houston-based chain on Monday reported $82.2 million in sales during the second quarter, down 4.8 percent from the same period last year. Same-store sales fell by 3.7 percent. Chris Pappas, Lubys president and CEO, attributed the sales drop to fewer guests frequenting the cafeteria-style restaurants after the company pulled back on specials and coupons amid the improving economy. The company operates 86 Lubys, 67 Fuddruckers and seven Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurants nationally. Although customers spent more per trip, restaurant visits in the second quarter declined by 8.6 percent at Lubys and 11.8 percent at Fuddruckers, over the same period. As a result, same-store sales fell between 1.8 percent and 13.9 percent Lubys restaurant brands, Pappas said. The second quarter was challenging and were not satisfied with our results, Pappas said during an earnings call with analysts Monday. We believe this (tactic of eliminating discounts) did not generate the results we were seeking. Lubys, founded in San Antonio in 1947 and led by the Pappas brothers since 2001, is fighting to remain relevant as customers increasingly eschew cafeteria-style restaurants in favor of fast-casual restaurants. While Lubys once stood out for its range of food offerings from comfort foods to salads, new restaurant competitors like Chipotle and Salata offer a wide selection of fresh-food options. The days of the cafeteria has sort of come and gone for a lot of people, David Littwitz, a restaurant broker with Houston-based Littwitz Investments, said. People today dont want steam tables and food already cooked. Its a tough sell today. Lubys reported a net operating loss of $11.1 million in the second quarter, an improvement from last year when it posted a loss of $12.8 million. The company ended the quarter with an outstanding debt balance of $38.2 million. The chain plans to shutter and sell 14 restaurants over the next 18 months to generate $25 million to pay off loans. Anthony Campagna of EVA Dimensions, a New York-based equity research firm, said Lubys has begun to improve their business, losing less money than it did last year. Lubys is starting to right the ship, Campagna said. Anything they can do to manage their profit and loss is key to getting back to profitability. To boost sales in the second half of the year, Lubys plans to update its menus and recipes with pricing in mind, invest in training programs for managers and employees and launch a new app aimed at boosting customer traffic and loyalty. The app, which will replace the existing one at Fuddruckers and debut at Lubys, will allow customers to order online for dining in or picking up. We know better execution in our restaurants leads to better financial results, Pappas said. Lubys stock closed Monday at $2.66, down 2.5 percent for the day. That price is 31 cents above the stocks 52-week low. paul.takahashi@chron.com twitter.com/paultakahashi When Amazon executives recently toured the Dallas-Fort Worth area, one of 20 finalists for a second company headquarters, local officials touted its growing workforce and low taxes as perfectly suited to accommodate 50,000 planned Amazon jobs. But the local team also brought an unexpected guest: the Rev. Neil G. Cazares-Thomas, pastor of a predominantly gay megachurch in Dallas. He impressed upon the Amazon representatives how inclusive and welcoming the community has been to him, his husband and the 4,000 congregants at his church, according to people familiar with the meeting. In the high-stakes contest to become Amazon's new location, it may have been a shrewd move. Although the company's search materials don't make it explicit, Amazon has quietly made rights for and acceptance of gay and transgender people part of its criteria in choosing a second headquarters, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk freely. As Amazon executives recently toured finalist locations to help select what they've dubbed HQ2, they asked public officials about what sort of "compatible cultural and community environment" - the wording from the company's search parameters - each city offers, adding to speculation about whether Amazon will choose a liberal stronghold. In North Carolina, company representatives asked pointed questions of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper about several state policies such as the "bathroom bill," which restricted the use of public facilities by transgender people, according to a person in the room. In another city, an Amazon executive groaned at the mention of proposed legislation in Georgia that would restrict funding for same-sex adoption, according to another person who attended the meeting between the company and state and local officials. Given the publicity and economic impact of the project, including as much as $5 billion in capital expenditures, Amazon's push on gay and transgender rights may increase pressure on state and local policymakers who have either declined to institute equal-rights rules or passed laws some view as discriminatory. But by raising a social issue during its search, Amazon also risks alienating conservative political leaders, including President Donald Trump, who has recently criticized the company's taxes and its contract with the U.S. Postal Service, which delivers many of its packages. The sponsor of the Georgia bill, Republican State Sen. William T. Ligon Jr., said the issue of same-sex adoption wasn't intended to be discriminatory. In his view, the legislation would benefit children because church-based adoption agencies would shut down if they were forced to serve same-sex couples. Ligon said he hoped any company would support the bill. "If you're against, then I think we need to think hard about whether you ought to come here," he said. "We need to seriously consider whether we want you to come here." That sentiment has not played well at Amazon, according to a person who has been on tour with Amazon as it met with local officials. "I just think Atlanta's out," the person, who is not an Amazon employee, said. The Georgia legislature did not approve the adoption bill before it adjourned last month. The Georgia Department of Economic Development, which is handling Atlanta's bid for HQ2, declined to comment on the matter. Amazon also declined to answer questions about the meetings, and it is not known how much a region's stance on gay rights ultimately will factor into its decision. The company's search for a region of "compatible cultural" values is one of many issues it has said it's considering as it chooses the new headquarters. But the cause of gay rights has emerged as a focus for the company's founder and chief executive, Jeff Bezos. (Bezos owns The Washington Post). One of Bezos's first public actions on same-sex marriage in 2012 took advocates by surprise. The Supreme Court's decision allowing same-sex marriage nationwide was three years away when advocates in a bare-bones office in south Seattle plotted how best to ask Bezos and his wife about a donation. Prospects for same-sex marriage in Washington state had dimmed. Opponents had forced a voter referendum and were raising money. In 32 similar measures in other states, same-sex marriage lost every time. There was little reason to think Bezos would chip in. Other corporate stalwarts in Seattle, Microsoft and Starbucks, were known for mixing social missions into their business. Not Amazon. The Seattle Times that year called the company "a virtual no-show in hometown philanthropy" and questioned its lack of donations to local nonprofit groups. Other companies were taking heat over the issue. General Mills faced demonstrations after its then-chief executive donated just $10,000 to defeat a Minnesota ban on same-sex marriage. Hundreds of gay-marriage opponents lined up at Chick-fil-As to support a businessthat shared their view. The task of asking Bezos fell to Jennifer Cast, one of Amazon's first employees who had left the company and was volunteering for the same-sex marriage campaign. She was 50 and living with her partner and their 7-year-old twin boys. "I want to have the right to marry the love of my life and to let my children and grandchildren know their family is honored like a 'real' family,'' she wrote in an email to Bezos. "We need help from straight people. To be very frank, we need help from wealthy straight people who care about us and who want to help us win.'' Cast asked for $100,000. Bezos responded: "This is right for so many reasons. We're in for $2.5 million. Jeff & MacKenzie.'' The donation brought new prominence to the movement. Bill and Melinda Gates followed with $500,000. Brad Pitt gave $25,000. It became costliest election in the state's history. "It's easy to look back and think this was a fait accompli, but these were coin-flip endeavors, and the willingness of someone with his national profile and that level of investment - it was a turning point," said Zach Silk, who managed the same-sex marriage campaign. Itprevailed 54 percent to 46 percent. Amazon's second headquarters project is the biggest economic development prize - by a long shot - that many industry veterans say they have ever seen. The company says that over the years in Seattle, it has invested $3.7 billion and paid more than $25 billion in salaries. For HQ2, the company estimates it will hire as many as 50,000 people, make $5 billion in capital investments and fill 8 million square feet of office space, which would be larger than the Pentagon. Although Amazon is not sharing details of its meetings and requires nondisclosure agreements from bidders, its conversations with local officials are driving them to make or propose changes in an effort to woo the company. Some jurisdictions are pressing ahead with airport expansions or improvements that might impress Amazon. Others have proposed new partnerships with colleges and universities that could provide it a pipeline of workers. Shortly after Amazon met with officials in Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. (all finalists for HQ2), the three jurisdictions came to agreement on $500 million in annual support for the ailing Metro system after years of discord over who ought to pay. "The excitement and the possibility [of Amazon coming] is making good things happen for this region in regard to Metro, in regard to public-private cooperation, how to attract and retain workforce, how to improve quality of life and educational potential," said Bob Buchanan, chairman of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Economic Development Corporation. Bringing LGBT issues into the process carries risks for the $750 billion company, which began its search last year winning plaudits for the attention it garnered but now increasingly finds itself walking a political tightrope in the spotlight it has created. As Delta Air Lines recently learned when it ended a discount for National Rifle Association members (prompting Georgia officials to deny the firm a tax break), a disagreement over social issues can complicate negotiations for public subsidies, something Amazon is seeking. While Amazon's inquiries on gay rights may anger conservatives, LGBT advocates say the company is not going far enough. One group wrote to Bezos asking that he not choose any of 11 locations in nine states that have not passed comprehensive legal protections for people based on their sexuality or gender. But many of the states being criticized - among them Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina and Texas - are among the least expensive of the options, providing a low tax environment the company covets. That could force Bezos to choose between getting the best deal for his new headquarters and supporting gay rights. "We're talking about a decision that will affect the quality of life of thousands of people," said David Mixner, a writer and activist who signed the letter. "If all they are concerned about is money, then they roundly deserve to be criticized." Harnessing the publicity surrounding his company's headquarters to advance such a cause would be a significant departure from how Bezos has led the company. And some business and relocation experts are still skeptical that LGBT rights will be a major factor. If Bezos opts for a liberal stronghold such as Boston or New York City, he will do so knowing it will cost his company more in taxes and salaries. "It's fairly shortsighted to think a business decision like this is likely to be based on one policy, particularly a social one," said Matt McDonald, a partner at Hamilton Place Strategies who has studied HQ2. Bezos declined an interview through Amazon representatives, who instead provided comments from Anthony Little, president of the company's LGBTQ affinity group, GLAmazon. Little said he was "very proud" of the company's policies, such as expansion of health benefits to fully cover transition surgeries for transgender employees and opposition to Washington state's version of a bathroom bill. "Ultimately, I think Amazon wants us to do what is right for LGBTQ employees," he said. The company has said it will make a decision this year. Officials in other regions have argued that if Amazon wants to maximize its support for the issue, it could relocate to - and bring change to - a politically red state. With someone like Bezos around, city and business leaders in Dallas and Austin, both HQ2 finalists, say they could do more to change attitudes in the state. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for instance, has argued that homosexuality is a choice and called on Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy to resign after the high court made its landmark gay-marriage ruling. Fort Worth-based American Airlines was one of the city's earliest and most ardent backers of better LGBT rights. "I think we're more impactful here than we would be anywhere else," chief executive Doug Parker said. Parker said he expects Amazon to choose wherever is best for its business. But he said if Bezos wants to push the issue, he should bring Amazon someplace where equal rights have not advanced as far as Seattle: "My personal view is if they care about making a difference, they should go where they can make a difference." A recent survey of Texas business leaders found that nearly two-thirds thought the debate over transgender bathrooms has hurt the state's ability to attract and retain employees. The state legislature defeated a version of the bill last year. When Amazon made its visit to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Cazares-Thomas talked about how at home he'd felt there after moving from Los Angeles, even though he'd previously had misgivings about raising a family as a gay man in Texas, according to a person who attended the meeting and spoke on the condition of anonymity because Amazon has asked finalists to not discuss the process. Cazares-Thomas and the Dallas Regional Chamber, which is handling the bid for HQ2, declined to comment on the search. Amazon's "reaction was really positive. It introduced them to a side of the community that they weren't aware of," the person said. "They came in with some preconceived notions of what Dallas is, some of them accurate but some of them in need of a little updating." Denver-based Office Evolution has joined the coworking fray in Houston with a new location in Westchase, the first of six planned in the local market. Franchisees Leigh and Fritz Fowler have opened an 8,700-square-foot business center at 1300 W. Sam Houston Parkway South at Briar Forest Drive. The center is heavy on the private office side relative to collaborative areas, with 29 private furnished offices, ranging from 39 square feet to 207 square feet each. It also has a coworking lounge, two conference rooms and a kitchen area. Flexible plans offer options to pay by the hour, the day, the year or longer, in addition to a virtual address. The location is open around the clock and offers personalized answering services. The location on Beltway 8 between the Katy Freeway and U.S. 59 is designed to attract entrepreneurs and companies from Sugar Land, Katy, the Memorial area and Cypress, Leigh Fowler said. Cushman & Wakefields Emily Howard-Wilson assisted in selecting the building, which is owned by Capridge Partners. The first-floor location, with free parking, factored into the choice. The minute you park and walk into the door, you see Office Evolution. It makes a statement, Leigh Fowler said. Office Evolution locations are relatively small in size, typically ranging from 5,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet, the Fowlers said. They like the culture that comes with a smaller space that allows them to get to know their members to help their businesses grow. Costs range from $79 for a basic business address to $2,300 for the largest private office space, and guest passes are available for non-members. Potential tenants include a range of businesses, including accountants, financial advisers, oil and gas companies, medical equipment dealers and private investigators. Members can use any of the 44 locations across the U.S., and that number is anticipated to grow to 60 to 70 locations by year end. Once youre a member of Office Evolution in Houston, youre a member all over the United States, Fritz Fowler said. The Fowlers initially plan to develop two more sites in central areas such as the Heights and possibly West University Place starting this summer. Another franchisee is preparing to open in The Woodlands plus two more places. Coworking spaces have grown in popularity as businesses seek ready-to-use spaces with internet and phones in place and no requirement to make a 5- or 10-year lease commitment. Other newcomers include WorkFlourish at the Ascension on the Bayou apartments in Westchase and The Work Well by Caldwell Cos. in northwest Houston. TechSpace has a location in nearby CityWest Place. The next Office Evolution will be designed to reflect the neighborhood around it. Were pretty excited about the Heights area, said Leigh Fowler. In an ideal world, wed love to be in some warehouse. Office Evolution has a location in the Fort Worth area and plans to open in Austin. THE CONCEPT A Phoenix-based restaurant groups first Texas location offering interesting, affordable wines paired with fresh bites of bruschetta, panini and cheese and meat boards. THE SPACE In the new Heights Mercantile development, the 150-seat cafe occupies a chunk of a building that formerly was a distribution center for Pappas restaurants. Postinos dining area and patio are designed in a mix of colors, textures and fabric thats heavily influenced by midcentury iconography. THE FOOD The fairly simple menu has a selection of snacky starters, bruschetta, sandwiches, soups and salads. The signature dish is bruschetta, the shareable antipasti of grilled bread topped with assorted cheeses, meats, fruit and spreads think fig spread with brie and apples; mozzarella, tomato and basil; warm artichoke spread; smoked salmon and pesto; burrata, bacon and arugula; and almond hummus with chopped tomato. The bread comes from Kraftsmen Baking nearby; produce is sourced here, too. THE DRINK The wine list trots the globe, with bottles priced between $27 and $150. Nearly 30 wines made from a wide range of varietals are available by the glass, and Postino is set up for retail sales. There also are eight beers on tap and 22 can and bottle selections. THE WORD It was very clear to me this neighborhood had its own unique identity, company co-founder Laura Bailey said of deciding to open in the Heights. It really feels like this is our place. We got goosebumps. Were home. ONE MORE THING Postino has some pretty sweet deals: $5 glasses of wine till 5 p.m. daily, and board and bottle after 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, when a house bottle of wine and a bruschetta is $20. THE DETAILS 642 Yale at Heights Mercantile, 346-223-1111; postinowinecafe.com. Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-midnight Fridays, 9 a.m.-midnight Saturdays and 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays. greg.morago@chron.com In his previous existence, Tom Parmeson was a precociously successful but too frequently over-stressed software engineer for Halliburton and a resolute beer drinker. Then his wife, Katie, convinced him that a few days spent decompressing in Napa and Sonoma, Calif., would do them both good. For those of us who love wine and wine culture, things played out in a predictable fashion. Parmeson didnt quit his day job straight away, but the die was cast immediately. What began as an innocent wine trip in 2005 turned into a career-altering, complete-180 life-changing adventure for the Bellaire High School (class of 89) and Texas A&M University graduate. The harder he worked behind his desk after he and Katie returned to Houston, the more restless he became, and the more his mind would wander back to how much at peace he had felt surrounded by those vineyards. What I was doing wasnt making me very happy, Parmeson said. When youre developing software, nobodys calling you up and saying, Hey, great job! Theyre only calling you up if theres a problem. My work was (crucial) to these big oil companies and, when something went bad, it was bad. You werent usually dealing with customers in their best state. Thoughts of what might be possible for him with wine kept nagging at me, he said, and they finally made their second trip in 2007. While tasting zinfandel at Acorn Winery in the Russian River Valley, they hit it off with the owners, Bill and Betsy Nauchbaur. He asked the Nauchbaurs if they ever accepted volunteer help. Free labor? Sure, come on out for the next harvest, they told me, Parmeson said. So I did. I took a weeks vacation, put on my work boots and just loved it. I was doing everything I could, getting up before the sun came up and going to bed at midnight exhausted. It was great. I didnt want to leave. He worked gratis at Acorn for three autumns and was eventually spending as much time in California as my wife would tolerate. But she has been my biggest supporter through this whole thing. This whole thing is now the family business, and the Parmeson wine brand is well regarded the Chronicles tasting panel recently scored Parmesons pinot noir ($41.96 at Village Liquor) highly enough for it to be chosen as our Pick of the Week. An impressive effort for someone this new to the business. Parmeson also makes a zinfandel with fruit from the same Acorn property where he spent so much time getting dirty back in the day that received a unanimous thumbs-up from the Chronicle team. A cabernet, a sauvignon blanc, a chardonnay and a rose, which has evolved into a unique blend of zinfandel, pinot noir and malbec, will be put through their official paces by our panel soon, although I personally tasted each with him last week and found them to be no less compelling wines than the pinot and the zin. All can be purchased through the Houston Wine Merchant. The grapes are deftly sourced from across Sonoma County. Parmeson makes the wines at Clay Mauritsons cellars in Dry Creek Valley, calling Mauritson, a sixth-generation grape grower there, a great mentor and resource. And Parmeson joined with eight other boutique vintners in a collective public tasting room in Geyserville called Locals. Economies of scale matter when youre pretty much a one-man show, as he describes himself. However, theyve got three young sons who may join the team one day. Parmeson went all in by making 700 total cases of his first-vintage wines, 2013, and that has now increased to about 1,000. The next phase will be establishing a footprint in Texas. Why? Sonoma housing costs and North Coast grape prices. Its a rich mans game in that neighborhood, no two ways about it, so the Parmesons are relocating to Dripping Springs, south of Austin, where they intend to open a tasting room featuring the California portfolio he insists it will remain the heart and soul of the business but also, eventually, Texas juice. Traveling to Northern California even once a month year-round and spending the harvest season on the ground there will still be cheaper than trying to carry a mortgage in the environs of Healdsburg, where they have been renting a home. Katies job in software development, fortunately, allows her to work from anywhere she has good internet access. I think the opportunity for getting our wines in the Texas market will be amazing, Parmeson said, adding: And Ive always wanted to make a vermentino. An astute call, that. The grape thrives in the High Plains, where theres almost infinite room to expand. Ive met some of the growers going to conferences, he said. A couple of them told me theyd pulled out whatever row crop was there and planted 800 acres of grapes. Eight-hundred acres? Thats a lot of grapes. Opportunity beckons. And, for him anyway, its not in software development. That train has left the station. dale.robertson@chron.com twitter.com/sportywineguy A new study conducted by researchers at Stanford, Harvard and the U.S. Census Bureau reports that African-American boys grow up to earn less than their white counterparts, even when they are raised in similar environments. The researchers reported that African-American children born to parents in the top income bracket are more likely to fall to the bottom income bracket than remain in the top. In comparison, white children born in the top bracket are five times as likely to remain in the top. This is probably not shocking to most of us. Headlines for the past few weeks have glossed over the study's main points that examine "wealth, poverty and economic opportunity." Multiple factors might contribute to the wealth and income gap. Interestingly, the gap appears to be much less between whites and some racial groups. But the study deepens our understanding by looking at data across generations to show what is now unmistakably clear: Systems often disadvantage African-American men. LIMITED MOBILITY: Why it's harder than ever to move out of poverty One possible explanation found in the study is the focus on "whiteness" in American society, which might explain why the gap is smaller in the case of Asian Americans and Latinos. Research often concludes that whiteness is strongly associated with privilege and social mobility. The researchers state that these differences keep African and Native Americans "stuck in place across generations." The study also refers to previous research raising the concern of "exposure to implicit racial bias during childhood adversely affects black youth, especially black boys." According to critical race theory (CRT), racism is pervasive and permanent and must be challenged. Though you could argue that the outright, explicit and direct forms of racism and bias have declined, implicit bias judgments that occur outside of our awareness remains and contributes to the maintenance of racial and income inequality. A GREAT DIVIDE: Is income equality possible in Houston? Researchers who study implicit racial bias often measure how people attribute positive and negative words or traits to categorical concepts that can be applied to groups. It is possible that part of what drives racial inequality stems from deeper underlying mental processes that are beyond our awareness. Consistent with CRT, groups ascribed a "lower status" often experience limited access to opportunities. Another possible explanation one not provided by the researchers is how system-level factors (such as institutional and structural racism) contribute. Institutional racism exists in many societal environments (e.g., schools) and could have an outsized impact on black men. In Texas, for instance, white men earn significantly more than black men, while black and white women work about the same amount of hours per week and earn a similar pay rate. Some scholars argue that implicit bias influences job recruitment, work-performance evaluations and bank loan rates. These factors typically display the greatest influence in black-white interactions leading implicit bias to perpetuate gaps in economic opportunity. The researchers conclude that the black-white gap is significantly smaller for boys who grow up in certain neighborhoods those with low poverty rates, low levels of racial bias among whites and high rates of father presence among low-income blacks. At the same time, the researchers concluded that "whites benefit more from living in those neighborhoods." UNJUST LEGACIES: Why Houston remains segregated So, what the study shows is how implicit bias and institutional racism often disadvantage black males at far greater rates. Many African-American parents are faced with the reality that their sons will grow up to earn less simply because of their race. As a society, we must develop solutions to ensure income equality. Dr. Erlanger Turner, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) and director of the Race and Cultural Experiences (RACE) Research Lab. Yadira Gamez and Abdul Haseeb are psychology majors at UHD and undergraduate research assistants at the UHD RACE lab. Sign up for the Gray Matters newsletter. It's probably not shocking to most of us. Many things that are beyond the scope of school can influence how children learn to read their family situations, access to reading materials, nutrition. And in school, things can vary widely from district to district choice of materials, type of teaching style and assessment, classroom atmosphere, even the level of recognition of the child and her individual differences. All this can influence the success a child has with reading. Because we know that reading is a multidimensional process, different for everyone. That is, it is a magnificent interaction between a child and her environment, the experiences and beliefs she brings, the depth and breadth of the reading material itself and the opportunities that children are afforded that make reading what it truly is. So, it would seem obvious that teaching reading without this process in mind relying instead on strict workbook "drill and kill" and endless passage reading with five multiple-choice questions at the end is totally inadequate. How can we expect children then to go beyond basic decoding and comprehension and apply, analyze and synthesize that which the material is offering? Unfortunately, this is the experience of many lower-income children. IN DECLINE: Texas, HISD get lower marks in reading, math on 'Nation's Report Card' In Houston, there are hundreds of thousands of children across multiple school districts. Many of them live at or below the poverty line and come from very diverse backgrounds that hinder the experiences they have had and knowledge acquired and that then impact how the students learn to read. As a result, many of these students fare poorly on benchmark and standardized tests. They are then forced into a "test prep" experience defined by busy work, the lack of authentic literature and the absence of thought-provoking discussions and projects. It gives the appearance of teaching and learning, but the students are rotely memorizing details to reiterate on tests. They aren't practicing the depth that will help them form connections and organize material in a meaningful way and are failing to build the underlying, higher-order processing skills that they will need to become readers. In contrast, more affluent and educated parents tend to afford their children not only cultural experiences beyond the classroom, but also literary experiences that come from bedtime stories, a rich vocabulary that comes from family discussions and restrictions with regard to the use of technology for noneducational purposes. These children also tend to experience a richer curriculum in school that includes authentic literature and hands-on experiences that serve as a solid foundation for heightened literacy skills. None of this is to say that less affluent parents are laissez-faire or uncaring, but that many might be unaware of the realities of preschool literary experiences and what is truly happening in classrooms on a daily basis. IN FACT: Texas 4th-graders ranked 45th nationally in reading last year. It's not as bad as it sounds What to do? Generally, I teach my future educators to navigate the system they will be part of when they graduate, so equitable education is one underlying theme. We want our future educators to provide each individual child with what she needs to be successful, regardless of their native language, socioeconomic status, family situation, ethnicity, disability and ability and literary experiences. But we stress that the cookie-cutter approach that has plagued so many of our neediest students can no longer be allowed to thrive. Specifically, teachers can practice informal and formal assessments to determine the strengths and needs of all children. They can get to know a child's interests and attitudes. They can then provide these students with the level of assistance they need when and where they need it. In this way, students can get the literary experiences that they are lacking, but in an authentic and experiential way. If we allow teachers the academic freedom to actually teach their students and not plague them with scripted workbooks and basal readers, if we provide professional development for those teachers who might struggle while designing and implementing a truly effective literacy program in their classroom and if we afford them the opportunity to educate and support the family unit so as to form a partnership for the betterment of the child's education, we will be making real progress. Learning to read can be a great challenge to many students, especially for those who may be lacking in resources, both monetary and intrapersonal. Our public school system does not often provide so many of our teachers with the opportunity to teach beyond the scope of a test, creating and exacerbating a huge achievement gap for our lower-income students, especially minorities. So many private schools do this every day. Teachers are allowed to develop, implement and differentiate based upon the needs of the students without the threat of high-stakes testing. If reading can be taught successfully in that setting, it can be done anywhere; the system just needs to allow for it. What remains true for all is that reading is foundational, and we must consider it as such. Dr. Ana-Lisa Gonzalez is the Director of Reading and Field Experiences in the School of Education and Human Services at the University of St. Thomas, with a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. She is a former bilingual special education teacher, reading specialist and assistant principal. Sign up for the Gray Matters newsletter. It includes authentic literature and hands-on experiences that serve as a solid foundation for heightened literacy skills. Metro officials are considering buying an additional 14 rail cars despite declining or flat ridership on Houstons light-rail lines. They say the region will need more vehicles by the time the trains are ready. This is not a final decision to do it, Metropolitan Transit Authority board vice chairman Jim Robinson said. The board is scheduled to approve the first step of buying the trains on Thursday, via an agreement with the Minneapolis Metropolitan Council. Though in the preliminary stages, the purchase would be in the range of $70 million for the new trains, and be paid for from federal funds still available from Houstons light-rail expansion, approved by the Federal Transit Administration in 2011. Minneapolis, which oversees the major transit agency in the Twin Cities, purchased 27 rail cars from Siemens via an agreement in 2016. The deal included the ability to buy 23 more, or transfer the rights to the remaining cars to a partner agency. ON THE ROAD: First U.S. 290 openings a sign of things to come If approved by both sides, Metro would buy 14 of the rail cars. The Siemens vehicles would be upgraded versions of Metros 37 Siemens rail cars, 19 of which Houston officials bought in a similar deal from Utah Transit Authority in 2011 as they readied for light-rail expansion. Metro has until Dec. 31 to finalize the purchase. Typically, it takes about two or three years after agreeing to the purchase for the trains to arrive and enter service, Metro chief operations officer Andy Skabowski said. Specifics would be worked out as the purchase proceeds, as Houston and Minneapolis have different needs for rail cars. In the north where winters are more severe, agencies typically install features such as ice scrapers, which would be unnecessary in Houston. Officials here might demand more powerful air conditioners. Metro has 76 rail cars. Previous purchases were to ensure Metro was ready to open the extension of the Red Line north of downtown that opened in 2013 and the Green and Purple lines that opened in 2015. As use of the lines increased, officials planned to purchase more rail cars, Metro CEO Tom Lambert said. Originally, the agency had estimated it would need 22 rail cars to handle growth, though the board later scaled back the needs to 14 rail cars at the staffs suggestion in June 2017. The fundamental foundations of our plans are the same, Lambert said, noting officials remain confident increased ridership will come along the lines as Houstons population increases and development continues along Harrisburg and near the University of Houston and Texas Southern University. Talk of the purchase, however, comes as Metro reports declining rail ridership. In March, total trips on the light-rail system fell to 1.94 million, down 7 percent from March 2017. Ridership was affected by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which had 23 days of operation last year and only 18 last month. Ridership along the new lines over the past few months has remained flat, Metro director of service planning Jim Archer said. About 4,400 people hopped aboard the Green Line on workdays in March, agency estimates show. The Purple Line averaged nearly 5,900 riders daily. dug.begley@chron.com twitter.com/DugBegley Like many of the students in Aldine ISD, where she's poised to become the district's new superintendent, LaTonya Goffney knows about living in poverty. Born to a 15-year-old mother and an absentee father, raised by a grandmother who worked as a housekeeper, Goffney had little growing up in rural Coldspring, on the edge of Sam Houston National Forest. What Goffney did have: educators at school who tapped into her potential, guiding her to college and a career. "I remember in kindergarten, there were teachers telling me I was smart, and I didn't even know what 'smart' was," Goffney, 41, said Thursday. "I had teachers who motivated me and helped me and taught me. Basically, I want to give that gift to others." Goffney will get that chance in Aldine, the region's fifth-largest school district, after trustees there voted 5-2 on Tuesday to name her the lone finalist for superintendent. Goffney, the reigning Texas Association of School Boards superintendent of the year, has spent the past five years leading Lufkin ISD, an 8,000-student district about 100 miles northeast of Houston. Under state law, school boards must name a lone finalist and wait 21 days before signing an employment contract. If approved, Goffney would become the first African-American superintendent of Aldine ISD. She would oversee more than 70,000 students, the most among female superintendents in Texas. Outgoing Aldine ISD Superintendent Wanda Bamberg, who is retiring after 11 years at the district's helm, previously held that distinction. "Aldine has always been in the back of my mind as one of the great districts in the state," Goffney said. "I want to build on the legacy of Dr. Bamberg." From humble roots, Goffney quickly became a sought-after leader in education. After graduating from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville working as a prison guard for 2 1/2 years to help pay her way through college Goffney returned to her hometown of Coldspring to become a middle-school teacher. Eight years later, after stints as an assistant principal and principal, Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD trustees named Goffney the district's superintendent at age 31. Five years later, Goffney jumped to Lufkin, where she developed a reputation for engaging parents, focusing on literacy among lower-income students and establishing community partnerships. The district's performance on state standardized tests dipped slightly relative to the statewide average, but its graduation rate rose 4 percent. Goffney also created new Hispanic outreach efforts in Lufkin, engaging mothers who eventually formed Nuestras Madres, a committee centered on improving district-parent communication. Nearly three-quarters of Aldine ISD students are Hispanic. Aldine ISD Board President Steve Mead said trustees considered six candidates, then conducted follow-up interviews with two finalists. They selected Goffney after two trustees visited Lufkin on Monday and discussed her tenure with several education and community leaders. "She's done many great things in both areas that she's been in, and we were just lucky to find a candidate like her," Mead said. "When she came to Lufkin, they were doing the same things for a long period of time, and she went in and challenged people to do better." Trustees Rose Avalos and Viola Garcia voted against Goffney's selection Tuesday on procedural grounds, arguing board members did not have enough time to fully vet Goffney. Garcia also said trustees did not adequately consider surveys of community members, who voiced opinions about qualities they want in a new superintendent. "It's not necessarily anything about her," Garcia said. "It's an incomplete process." Candis Houston, president of the Aldine American Federation of Teachers, said she believes her union's members wanted to see an outside candidate hired. "We are excited about Dr. Goffney," Houston said. "All of the superintendents we've had were hired from within. So, people felt like we were not getting fresh ideas." Bamberg is expected to remain through the end of the school year and aid in the transition, with an emphasis on preparing to open eight new campuses next year. jacob.carpenter@chron.com twitter.com/chronjacob A long-awaited proposal from Houston ISD to temporarily surrender control over 10 of its lowest-performing schools is facing mixed reviews ahead of a crucial vote Tuesday. Case in point: the president of Houstons largest teachers union, Zeph Capo, blasted the proposal to allow Energized For STEM Academy to run all 10 schools as ill-conceived and hastily arranged, saying he has no confidence that this is in the best interest of children. Meanwhile, Board of Trustees President Rhonda Skillern-Jones defended the arrangement as the best choice of all the bad choices available to HISD, which faces forced campus closures or a state takeover of its locally elected school board without a partnership. Trustees are scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to negotiate and execute the controversial contract with Energized For STEM Academy, which already operates four in-district charter schools, ahead of an April 30 deadline to submit any contracts to the state. Under the agreement, Energized For STEM Academy which is governed by NAACP Houston Branch president James Douglas, former HISD trustee Paula Harris and Missouri City dentist Opal Brandy would become responsible for hiring, governance and other operations at all 10 schools. Those campuses are: Blackshear, Dogan, Highland Heights, Mading and Wesley elementary schools; Henry Middle School; Woodson PK-8; and Kashmere, Wheatley and Worthing high schools. By entering into the partnership, HISD would stave off major state sanctions - either the state takeover or forced campus closures - for at least two years. HISD faces those penalties inder a 2015 law due to its failure to improve academic performance at those long-struggling campuses. Energized For STEM Academy currently operates middle and high schools with roughly 1,000 students combined. The campuses are overseen by Lois Bullock, who has operated in-district HISD charters since 1998. Its two high schools had graduation rates, state standardized test scores and SAT scores that were well above HISD averages in 2016-17. However, one of its middle schools was rated improvement required by the state in 2014 and 2016. WALKOUT: Thousands of Houston-area students protest gun violence Douglas and Bullock oversee three additional in-district HISD charter schools with a similar name, Energized For Excellence Academy, but those campuses have a different governing board. Capo, who heads the Houston Federation of Teachers, said he has deep concerns about Energized For STEM Academys ability to improve academic performance after conducting initial research. He questioned how an organization educating about 1,000 students can oversee an additional 6,000-plus students. What evidence do we have that says they can actually do the job? Capo said. Capo added that residents and local education advocates, including his union, havent had enough time to vet Energized For STEM Academy for possible improper ties to for-profit entities or other conflicts of interest. The organization has filed annual 990 tax forms, which detail many spending patterns, but they dont post annual financial audits or governing board meeting minutes on their website. (Trustees) need to grow a backbone and pay deep, close attention to whats happening before they vote, Capo said. There are far too many questions left unanswered before they vote on Tuesday. Skillern-Jones said she supports forming partnerships if it means keeping local control and avoiding campus closures, which she called devastating to neighborhoods that are predominately black and Hispanic. She said her constituents, who make up six of the 10 schools, wanted a partner with local ties. The only other organization under consideration for a partnership, Generation Schools Network, is based in New York. Im still looking through all the information, but I know they have a good track record in the district for 20 years, which says to me that weve kept them around for a reason, Skillern-Jones said. Its unclear whether trustees will ultimately support the proposed partnership. At least one trustee, Elizabeth Santos, has signaled shes unlikely to vote for partnering with a charter organization. Trustee Sue Deigaard said shes still seeking answers to several questions about Energized For STEM Academys background and plans. She said her decision will rest on whether the partnership gives students at all 10 schools the best chance to prosper. Im still thinking, Im still asking questions and Im still researching, Deigaard said. This is a big decision. This is not something anyone should take lightly. If trustees turn back Energized For STEM Academy, they have three options for avoiding state sanctions: approve another partner before April 30; preemptively close and immediately reopen schools with limited grade levels; or hope all 10 schools meet state academic standards this year, which HISD administrators have conceded is highly unlikely. I dont think there is a perfect solution, Deigaard said. If there was a perfect solution, we would have already done it. HISD administrators havent spoken publicly or released information about their negotiations with Energized For STEM Academy. A district spokesman said HISD officials were not available for interviews over the weekend. Houston police are investigating a drive-by shooting that narrowly missed a family of four in the Greater Third Ward. The family was in the parking lot of the Scott Food Store at 3341 Winbern around 4:30 p.m. Friday, when a dark-colored SUV on Tierwester fired shots at the familys car and the store, police said. Days after allegedly leading Houston police on a chase, a second teenager was pegged in a deadly shooting in the Third Ward months earlier. The shooting happened in a shopping center parking lot at the intersection of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Old Spanish Trail, just south of the University of Houston, late Feb. 25. JUDGE INDICTED: Judge charged for July burglary, forgery That's when, police allege, Kevon Latreal Mills and Ketrell Raynard Beasley, both 17, shot and killed Cornelius Jackson, 20. Now Playing: Texas News & Crime Video: Houston Chronicle Beasley was arrested March 27 in an unrelated robbery, but was soon developed as a suspect in Jackson's death. Mills, much like Beasley, was arrested Friday after allegedly fleeing from police in a vehicle and illegally carrying a gun, court records show then later developed as a suspect in Jackson's shooting death. Both are facing a first-degree felony murder charge, which carries a possible life sentence. Mills is also facing felony evading arrest detention with a vehicle and misdemeanor unlawful carrying of a weapon in connection with his Friday arrest. Beasley is also facing a first-degree felony aggravated robbery charge. Court documents show Mills was out on bond connected to a misdemeanor weapons charge during the shooting and robbery. A judge set bail for Beasley's Friday arrests at a total of $3,500, but bail for the murder charge has yet to be set, jail records show. Mills is being held in the Harris County Jail with no bail. Jay R. Jordan is a breaking news reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan. Chanting for gun-law reform and reduced firearm violence, an estimated 2,000-plus students marched to City Hall Friday morning as part of nationwide school walkouts. The Houston Youth Walkout, believed to be the largest local out-of-class gathering to mark the April 20 protests, attracted students from across the region for a 1.2-mile march. They joined thousands of students from Greater Houston who demonstrated at their schools Friday morning, advocating for changes to gun laws and honoring victims of gun violence. "To see so many students from different high schools come together brought tears to my eyes," said Elena Margolin, a march organizer and senior at Houston ISD's High School For The Performing And Visual Arts. "We realize we're all in it together and all fighting for the same cause." READ ALSO: Aldine ISD picks Lufkin leader for superintendent position Now Playing: Houston Youth Walkout holds a demonstration commemorating the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting. Video: Elizabeth Conley School districts across the area prepared for demonstrations Friday, with many campus principals coordinating plans with students. They sought to balance free-speech rights with student safety and orderly continuation of classes. Several demonstrations remained indoors, with students leading assemblies or rallies in gymnasiums, while others stayed confined to school grounds. In recent days, students and campus principals across the region have been coordinating walkout events, as school districts try to minmize disruptions and safety concerns associated with walkouts. Several districts said they had empowered principals to allow events on campus grounds, encouraging them to speak with student organizers in advance. READ ALSO: HISD trustees clear path for quicker approval of charter partnerships "We're looking forward to some of the unique programs and ways our students have come up with to let their voices be heard," said Nicole Ray, a spokeswoman for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. "Our biggest concern is safety. We have 117,000 students, so we wouldn't have the ability to protect that many students walking out at the same time." Fort Bend ISD schools were out Friday, but held demonstrations Thursday, which district leaders called learning opportunities. "In last couple of months, our campus principals have continued to work with students to ensure that students have been able to play an active role in voicing their opinions while also maintaining a safe learning environment," district spokeswoman Amanda Bubela said via email. "Campus administrators had the autonomy to work with their own students if students indicated they wanted to organize events, but there were also parameters that were outlined so that parents and students were aware of the potential consequences and response should a demonstration occur." On social media, students throughout the region from Aldine to Pearland to Cypress posted photos and videos of on-campus protests. AN HSPVA STUDENT WRITES: Why Houston students like us are walking out Austin High School students posted a message on social media about the walkout: "We, students of Fort Bend ISD stand in solidarity with the students of Parkland Florida." Travis high School students posted a similar social media message: "Travis High School students commemorate the lives impacted from school shootings nationwide, while dedicating a moment of silence to the individuals who had fallen and could not get back up." Students chose April 20 as a day of demonstrations to mark the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. AUSTIN The University of Texas System is ready to sell 300 acres once envisioned as a new data research campus in Houston that sparked opposition from the University of Houston, Gov. Greg Abbott and local lawmakers. But at least one state senator is concerned with how the system is going about getting its money back. The UT System released a request for qualifications last week, asking buyers to submit bids for all, or large portions of, the land near the Texas Medical Center. Developers must provide a project concept for the site, which the system describes as potentially the largest contiguous developable property in the central part of Houston. But state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, said hes concerned that the system didnt just put up a for sale sign like most people do. My initial reaction, even after talking to some real-estate professionals, is its a strange way to do something, Whitmire said. I am very cynical and have earned a right to be about that investment. The initiation of the sale is the latest step in a yearslong controversy that has plagued the UT System since it purchased the land in 2015 for $215 million. A task force tapped by the system pitched developing the land into a data analytics institute that would transform the energy industry, health care delivery and education systems. Some regents argued that the development was part of a broader vision to expand the UT system, rather than sticking to its mission of supporting its academic and health institutions. The vision for expansion caught many by surprise, including University of Houston officials who feared UT would steal top faculty and siphon research funding. UH boosters went as far as to call the land purchase an invasion. Whitmire has also been critical of the land purchase. By 2017, Chancellor William McRaven called off the development after opposition mounted from UT regents and lawmakers, who objected to the process by which UT obtained the land. Gov. Greg Abbott also opposed the land purchase. In its request for qualifications for the sale, UT says the board of regents authorized the purchase and then commissioned a blue-ribbon task force that recommended the data research campus. UT envisioned the campus would house major companies, universities and national laboratories. However, external forces led to the cancellation of the project, the document said. UT systems now plans to sell the Land pursuant to the RFQ. The property is less than 3 miles from the Texas Medical Center and surrounds the intersection of Buffalo Speedway and Willowbend Boulevard, south of Loop 610. Whitmire doesnt think the UT System will ever recoup the money it paid for the land. They paid a premium for some very poor land, said Whitmire, noting that some of the land is environmentally unsafe and contaminated. Theres a reason why in Houston, Texas, you have 300 acres, undeveloped and untouched by the private sector. McRaven, who acknowledged the land was an abandoned oil field, said before calling off the project that no environmental conditions would prevent full development of the property. After McRaven scrapped the development, regents put together a task force to decide how the system would unload the land it purchased. The RFQ was prepared at the direction of the task force, which is chaired by Houstonian Jeffery Hildebrand. The Board of Regents has not authorized any building or programs on the property and ultimately expects to sell all of the land, the system said in a statement. Its goal is to maximize the financial value of the land to benefit the UT System and its institutions. Responses are due May 21, after which the UT System will issue a second request to a select group of respondents who meet qualifications to be potential buyers. alejandra.matos@chron.com twitter.com/amatos12 While Texas history is replete with famous lawmen, none have inspired as many legends as the Texas Rangers. Established by Stephen F. Austin himself, the Rangers had a reputation for bringing law and order, even on the frontier. Its a quintessential part of the Texas story; standing up to defend the rule of law, regardless of the danger. Their commitment to law and country was the same commitment that drives modern police, FBI agents and investigators to the higher calling of law enforcement. The rule of law is in jeopardy today and, as members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz have the power to protect it. Our country is facing a constitutional crisis. Federal law enforcement agents are investigating foreign attacks on Americas election and the involvement of at least some members of the presidents campaign. The further this investigation reaches into Trump world, the more stridently the president attacks Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The president has repeatedly attempted to undermine the credibility of Mueller and his investigation. Yet, no matter how often he insults or slanders him, the president cannot identify a single valid reason to distrust him. On the contrary, Mueller himself has a long and storied career serving his country. From a highly decorated Marine Corps officer, to a respected prosecutor of terrorists, mob bosses and dictators, Mueller has distinguished himself by putting his country above his own interests. EDITORIAL: Trump unbound puts a nation at risk His reputation as a fair, independent and trustworthy investigator is precisely why he was appointed. Special counsels are reserved for extraordinary cases, when the risks of obstruction and interference are so great, it requires a trusted, independent investigator with special legal protections. Mueller is just such an investigator. Senate Republicans agreed, lavishing praise on his appointment. Cornyn highlighted his credibility and credentials, while Cruz called him an excellent choice. Their respective silence on efforts to protect Mueller are thus surprising in retrospect. While some are quick to dismiss the administrations blitz against Mueller as talk, the risk to our democratic institutions is very real. Real enough, in fact, that a few Republican Senators crafted bipartisan legislation to protect the Mueller investigation from White House interference. The Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act is now moving through the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Cornyn and Cruz have an opportunity to stand up for law and justice. Theres a lot more at stake than one mans job or one presidents reputation. If any president is able to fire law enforcement officials for investigating possible crimes, we will lose our only legal outlet to check corruption and abuse of executive power. Cornyn and Cruz should act now to safeguard our liberty against such assaults by securing the Special Counsel from presidential obstruction. OPINION: Firing Mueller would only make things worse for Trump What possible reason could Texas senators have for not protecting special counsels from being fired without cause? Some argue the Constitution gives the president complete power over hiring and firing executive branch employees; this argument is nothing but a fig leaf for the partys own fear of angering the president. Our Constitution gives Congress responsibility for shaping the executive branch, including the Senates role of advise and consent. And, far from usurping the presidents power, this bill would simply preserve evidence from the investigation while judges ensure the firing is legally justified. Theres no reason, then, that Cornyn or Cruz should oppose this bill to secure an integral institution from corruption. Theyll have a chance to prove their commitment to the rule of law this week when the Senate Judiciary Committee considers the bill. They should work with their Republican and Democratic colleagues to show that defending our justice system is an American value, not a partisan issue. The breaking news hasnt been great for our underserved communities in the Houston Independent School District. Last week, Houston Chronicle reporter Shelby Webb looked at the politically charged issue of school choice and the challenges faced by students of color in our racially and geographically isolated community. On Monday, Dr. Brian Holzman of Rices Kinder Institute published a study that found especially low rates of post-secondary education attainment among Latino graduates. Then on Tuesday, Houston Chronicle reporter Jacob Carpenter broke the news about Texas and HISD slipping in their U.S. Department of Educations National Assessment of Educational Progress standings. The conclusions were, in their totality, disappointing and show that the achievement gap has remained resistant to new programing, tools, teaching techniques and leadership. Against this backdrop, HISD needs to make the right call as it budgets for next year. This means providing broad-based support for all our schools and targeting those who need the most help. But thats not what theyre proposing. While the administration has temporarily shelved a plan to centralize and standardize programming and funding, it is still required to make changes that incorporate a $115 million budget deficit. So far, the district has proposed achieving this, in part, by cutting $90 from the amount of money allocated to each student. It has also proposed bolstering support to small schools by more than doubling the small school subsidies that give extra dollars to schools with small populations (fewer than 500 students for elementary and magnet schools, 750 students for middle schools, 1,000 for high schools). Cutting $90 from every students allocation in the district and diverting these dollars to small schools, regardless of their function or purpose, is the wrong choice and only increases inequity in a district that is already struggling to balance the needs of all of its students. The $90 cut from the approximately $3,500 allocated to each student every year means different things for different campuses. Literature on the subject shows that the more concentrated the pocket of poverty, the more expensive it is to educate students. So for the more than 110 campuses that have populations that are at or over 90 percent economically disadvantaged, the cuts will pose a serious challenge for an already struggling population. However, for the magnet schools that are permitted to congregate higher-income students and are awarded up to $1,500-per-student to provide extra educational opportunities, the financial hit of $90-per-student will matter much less. Additionally, the shift of resources to the small school subsidies will further exacerbate the inequitable dollar allocation in our district. This subsidy was originally proposed by Superintendent Abe Saavedra in 2006, when nearly half of the small schools eligible for the stipend failed to meet state standards. It exists so that small struggling schools arent disadvantaged by their inability to afford the basics because of their size. For example, a librarian at a school with a large population might cost $20 from each students allocation, but at a smaller school might cost $100 or more, leaving less for other educational needs. While some of the schools currently eligible for the subsidy are struggling, others our Early Colleges and Early Childhood Centers, for example have needs different from those of our comprehensive schools. Many are simply operating at or near capacity and have no real option to grow to a size that would make the small school subsidy unnecessary. While its true that the money for the budget deficit has to come from somewhere, all news points to the fact that we are failing our most vulnerable populations. Our focus and priority needs to be protecting allocations to these students. We should look to the administration first to absorb the necessary cuts, then we need to have difficult discussions in our community about extra educational opportunities and resource allocation. We need to make important decisions based on what is best for all students in our community no matter how politically fraught. We must make decreasing the achievement gap a priority in our district, so that the headlines weve read this week can be replaced with news celebrating the positive achievements of all students in HISD. Flores Richart is a Houston attorney and HISD parent. WASHINGTON The Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into potential coordination by AT&T, Verizon and a telecommunications standards organization to hinder consumers from easily switching wireless carriers, according to six people with knowledge of the inquiry. In February, the Justice Department issued demands to AT&T, Verizon and the GSMA, a mobile industry standards-setting group, for information on potential collusion to thwart a technology known as eSIM, said two of the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details are confidential. The eSIM technology lets people remotely switch wireless providers without having to insert a new SIM card into a device. AT&T and Verizon face accusations that they colluded with the GSMA to try to establish standards that would allow them to lock a device to their network even if it had eSIM technology. The investigation was opened about five months ago after at least one device maker and one wireless carrier filed formal complaints with the Justice Department, two of the people said. 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 Representatives for the Justice Department, AT&T, Verizon and the GSMA declined to comment. At the heart of the investigation is whether the nations biggest wireless carriers, working with the GSMA, secretly tried to influence mobile technology to unfairly maintain their dominance, in a way that hurt competition and consumers and hindered innovation in the wider mobile industry. AT&T and Verizon together control about 70 percent of all wireless subscriptions in the United States. A technology that made it easy to switch carriers could lead to more churn and fewer subscribers for them. The investigation highlights a push by the Justice Departments antitrust chief, Makan Delrahim, to crack down on the opaque world of intellectual property, or IP, standards. He has said the Justice Department will scrutinize potential coordination in standards-setting organizations that can hurt competition. In the context of antitrust and IP, we will be inclined to investigate and enforce when we see evidence of collusive conduct undertaken for the purpose of fixing prices, or excluding particular competitors or products, Delrahim said in a speech this month at a conference in Washington. He previously warned of the potential for cartel-like behavior by competitors that got together with standards-setting organizations. At the same time, the Justice Department is suing AT&T to block its $85.4 billion merger with Time Warner. Delrahim has said the deal will hurt competition and lead to higher prices for cable customers. AT&T and Time Warner have strongly disputed the claims in a federal trial that is expected to end this month. Most mobile phones use SIM cards, which contain unique identifying information about a user and are inserted into the devices so the phones can function. People typically have to buy a new SIM card when changing carriers. The eSIM technology, which was introduced in early 2016, is embedded in mobile phones and other devices so people do not need SIM cards anymore. The eSIM technology is supported by gadget makers including Apple, Google and Microsoft, as well as several wireless carriers globally and in the United States. The Apple Watch 3, Google Pixel 2 smartphone and Microsoft Surface all have eSIM abilities, for example. The technology would make it easier for people to use local carriers when traveling internationally and would free up storage space in devices to use for other technologies like bigger processors and batteries. The push by the major carriers to restrict the flexibility of eSIM run counter to a movement in which consumers were gaining more flexibility to move from carrier to carrier. In late 2013, under pressure by the Federal Communications Commission, the wireless industry agreed to let people take devices off any particular network without penalty once the devices were fully paid for. After the formal complaints against AT&T and Verizon were filed, several device makers and other wireless companies voiced similar concerns to the agency about the carriers actions around eSIM, four people familiar with the investigation said. The investigation may also include other major American carriers, another person said. The actions would limit choice for consumers and harm competition, said Ferras Vinh, a policy expert at the Center for Democracy and Technology. In a private meeting this year of a task force called GSMA North America, AT&T and Verizon pushed for the ability to lock phones to their networks, bypassing the purpose of eSIM technology, said Harold Feld, a senior vice president of Public Knowledge, a nonprofit consumer group, who was briefed on the meeting. Verizon has said it needed to be able to lock down phones to prevent theft and fraud. There is a constant problem with industry standards-setting organizations that on the one hand allow the industry to come together for the purpose of efficiency but can be very anti-competitive and operate in secrecy, Feld said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. 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. The tick was awarded by Shine, New Zealands specialist domestic violence prevention charity. Indeed, the Ministry worked with Shines specialist advisers and trainers, and has already trained nearly all of its 470 managers. It has also provided training for a group of first responders who are able to talk to employees experiencing domestic violence and connect them to specialist help. The Ministry has also begun an in-person family violence awareness programme for all of its 3,800 employees. The Ministrys chief operating officer Carl Crafar, who was senior executive sponsor for the family violence programme, said employee wellbeing is a high priority for him and his senior colleagues. We want to make it clear that the rates of family violence in New Zealand are not acceptable, he said. Atira Twelve metal boxes in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside have been transformed into Canadas first recycled shipping container social housing development. Built on a city-owned lot, the units at 502 Alexander St. all studios range from 280-290 sq.-ft of living space and come fully equipped with kitchens, bathrooms and en suite laundry. Advertisement Insulated and brightened by floor-to-ceiling length windows, each suite has been retrofitted with dark hardwood floors and clean, white cabinetry. The building and individual suites look better than we ever could have imagined, said Atira Womens Resource Society CEO Janice Abbott in a statement Thursday. Atira Womens Resource Society, a non-profit womens organization focused on supporting female victims of violence and their families, partnered with the City of Vancouver, BC Hydro and other organizations to fund construction costs. It took eight months and $82,500 in building costs per unit to get the development in move-in ready shape. With that competitive price point, city hall could potentially save a stack of cash amid calls for more low-income social housing. Advertisement "If we were to build housing for disadvantaged people now it's about $225,000 per unit for custom units from scratch but these units, which are virtually indistinguishable from any of those units, are about $85,000," Vancouver Coun. Kerry Jang told CTV News. Story continues under gallery Vancouver Shipping Container Homes See Gallery The early praise for the project is increasing the possibility of similar developments outside the country's most expensive city. I also see huge possibility in rural areas and the possibility of women who want to be able to return to their home communities, Abbott told Axiom News. Advertisement Six units at 502 Alexander St. will be rented out to senior women and the other six to those who meet low-income housing qualifications. Some potential residents have already reacted strongly after seeing their new designer homes, Abbott told CBC News. Many women are teary when they see this because most of them spend most of the last decades in single room accommodation hotels the idea of having their own kitchen, their own bathroom and as you can see these units are particularly beautiful. Film Still The Internet, in India is generally considered to be the only medium where the sword of censorship doesnt hang over the heads of filmmakers or, for that matter, anyone whod like to exhibit their work solely online. However, Star Networks online streaming platform, Hotstar, is playing a heavily watered-down version of Neeraj Ghaywans multiple-award winning 2015 film, Masaan, in a move that can potentially set a dangerous precedent as far as freedom on the Internet is concerned. Advertisement Right from the opening scenes where you see Richa Chadhas character having sex with a male friend in a lodge to the kissing scene between the films parallel leads Vicky Kaushal and Shweta Tripathi, the Hotstar version has been aggressively sanitised. HuffPost India found out that the Hotstar edit is roughly 10 minutes shorter than the one that was released in theatres and released on DVD. Currently, there arent any regulations for censoring content online while almost all TV networks exercise self-censorship before airing a film on their satellite channels. The makers of the film director Neeraj Ghaywan, writer-lyricist Varun Grover and producer Anurag Kashyap took to Twitter to complain about the edit and urged viewers to boycott that version. HuffPost spoke to Grover, the films National Award-winning writer and lyricist, who said, The CBFC had already inflicted much damage. Just when you thought it couldnt get any worse, I saw the brutally edited version on Hotstar. At first, I couldnt believe what I saw why would an online platform censor films? Advertisement ... Hotstar did not delete scenes from the film themselves. Instead, utilising a more indirect form of censorship, they asked for a U/A version (the theatrical cut in India was rated 'A', as is the film's DVD version) It is possible that Masaan was toned down to make it TV-friendly, but that shouldnt have prevented Star from putting the uncut version on the Internet unless there are moral guidelines dictating their decisions. Yes, there is a clause that says all content, if certified by the Central Board of Film Certification, needs to be exhibited in the approved form (even online, as per this Economic Times report published early March). But in this case, Hotstar is playing a cut of Masaan that goes beyond the version that was screened in Indian theatres and released on DVD. That version, approved by the CBFC, had already deleted a number of expletives from the Varanasi-set film. (Watch team Masaan talk about it here) Advertisement Grover further added that even a scene like Sanjay Mishras character hitting Richa Chadhas character has been snipped. Its so badly done that I can say whoever has done this is extremely stupid and has no respect or understanding of filmmaking. The worst part is that it is not even a government directive that Star acted on, but some moral guidelines that they have in their heads. These companies are starting a dangerous precedent that could possibly be used as an example for other streaming services to follow suit, he said. We werent even kept in the loop. If they had sought our help, wed have at least done it neatly. However, Shiladitya Bora, CEO of Drishyam Films, which co-produced the film and clinched this deal with Star, said, Once we sell the satellite rights, its Stars call to decide which way they want to present the film to their viewers. Bora refused to elaborate on the details of the deal, but a source pointed out that a producer wouldnt jeopardise a long-term relationship with a major network over a film thats already run its course. When HuffPost reached out to Ajit Mohan, President and Head, Hotstar, he said, "Hotstar is a free and open service that is available to all users in the country without the need for any registration. We strongly believe that all such services, that are easy for children to access, should voluntarily exercise restraint in ensuring that adult content is not freely available to under aged children. We urge our peers to follow our lead." When asked about the dangerous precedent that this decision is effectively setting on the Internet by a streaming platform voluntarily applying a moral code that hasnt been mandated by existing laws, he did not respond. UPDATE: It has now emerged that Hotstar did not delete scenes from the film themselves. Instead, utilising a more indirect form of censorship, they asked for a U/A version (the theatrical cut in India was rated 'A', as is the film's DVD version). In a statement posted on Facebook, Bora has now claimed that neither Drishyam Films nor Hotstar "executed any cuts voluntarily" they were made by the CBFC in order to garner the U/A rating. Currently, the makers are locked in a dispute with Bora, demanding to know why they weren't informed about these cuts. Meanwhile, Bora has stated that Drishyam Films denies all "false statements and allegations" and "will take necessary legal proceedings if need be". Contact HuffPost India Advertisement Also see on HuffPost India: Fisheries Commission trains fish processors on hygienic handling in Ghana April 23,2018 | Source: Ghana Web The Fisheries Commission has organised a training programme for fish processors and traders on the use of the "Ahotor Oven" to ensure hygienic handling of fish till it gets to the final consumer. The training was organised at Dixcove in the Ahanta-West District of the Western Region for 30 fish processors and traders selected from Jomoro, Ellembelle, Nzema-East, Ahanta-West and Shama districts, and the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly in the Western Region. It is to ensure food security and boost the fishing industry as part of sustainable fisheries project by the Government to streamline activities in the industry. It also formed part of an action plan to reduce the pressure on the fish stock by educating fishers to avoid practices that depleted the stock and introducing them to alternative livelihoods to boost their income. The training was held in collaboration with the National Fish Processing and Traders Association and sponsored by the World Bank, o0n the theme:"Business-Oriented Fish Processing and Marketing for Sustainable Fisheries and Livelihoods". Mr Alex Sabah, the Western Regional Director of the Fisheries Commission, who opened the training, said the national average consumption of fish was 23kg per annum, which put a drain on the countrys fish stock. The fishing industry contributes to Gross Domestic Product and improves the health of Ghanaians but the decline in the countrys fish stock has been a source of concern. Mr Sabah attributed the decline partly to fishers who fished fingerlings, which had low nutritional value, and urged the enforcement unit of the Commission to re-double its efforts to stem the tide. Mr Theodore Kwadjosse, a Senior Fisheries Officer, speaking on the topic; Fisheries Regulations - The Role of Fish Processors and Traders in Enforcement, said fish processing was very important within the fish food production chain. He expressed worry that fisher folks were depleting the stock through light fishing and using undersized nets, adding that the Fisheries Act 625 prohibits such acts. He appealed to fish processors to embrace the Ahotor Oven as it offered more market opportunities and less health risks with less firewood, less smoke, greener mangroves and forests, as well as high quality smoked fish, which improved the health of consumers. Madam Yaa Tiwaah Amoah, A Fisheries Officer at the Post-Harvest Unit of the Fisheries Commission, said the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development had developed an action plan to train more masons to build the Ahotor Oven. The Deputy Group Officer at the Ghana National Fire Service in the Ahanta-West District, DGO Grace Cudjoe, in a simulation exercise, educated the participants on safety measures to avoid fire outbreaks in the course of smoking fish. Theme(s): Freshwater ecosystems and threats, Others, Post Harvest Technology and Trade, Coastal Ecosystems and Threats, Communities and Organisations, Fisheries Resources, Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods, Landing Centres, Fisheries Development and Aquaculture. Saudi Arabias shrimp prove to be a hit across the globe by MUHAMMAD AL-SULAMI April 23,2018 | Source: Arab News Saudi shrimp roam European and East Asian countries, traveling between the worlds finest restaurants and hotels, and are given a warm welcome in 32 countries. The story behind the rise of Saudi shrimp started 36 years ago. In the 1970s, a Saudi engineer with a vision and an enthusiasm for marine products traveled to the Philippines to recruit workers for civil engineering projects in Saudi Arabia. During his stay, he went to a restaurant where the Red Sea shrimp was on the menu, which gave him the idea of establishing farms on the Red Sea coast to produce shrimp in his country. His enthusiasm encouraged Filipino technicians to start working on the shrimp-farming project on the Red Sea. Then came the launch of the National Aquaculture Group. It is considered one of the largest integrated aquaculture projects on the Saharan coasts in the world and the largest in the Middle East and Africa. The group is also the leader in aquaculture in the Kingdom. The group consists of a staff of nearly 3,000 employees from 32 countries who speak 19 languages; 500 of them are Saudi nationals (21 percent) and 149 of them are women. The group is a founding member of the Global Aquaculture Alliance and had a key role in the establishment of the Saudi Aquaculture Society. Ahmed Al-Ballaa, the CEO of National Aquaculture Group, said: The Kingdom launched Vision 2030 as a roadmap for economic and development work. The vision set the Kingdoms general directions and policies in addition to their objectives and obligations. Among these objectives is the development and expansion of the aquaculture field, he said. Thats where the vision is in harmony with the program of the National Agricultural Research and Development Fund under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. The ministry focused on the aquaculture sector for it to become one of the Kingdoms development branches. This comes at a time where the Kingdom is witnessing a complete renaissance in various parts of the aquaculture sector, he said. This became possible due to the support of King Salman and his crown prince and their government. Al-Ballaa said: The Kingdoms fish stock is considered one of the strategic pillars of economic and social development, self-sufficiency of marine products and food security, in addition to providing job opportunities, especially in remote rural areas. This can be accomplished through the development of aquaculture rules and the diversification of outputs. These objectives can also be reached by enhancing economic and marketing efficiency, benefiting from the important comparative advantages and resources found in the Kingdom. These resources are particularly found on the maritime coastlines, the solid base of expansion of the aquaculture industry. The state has encouraged investment in the aquaculture sector through different strategies and policies. The latest was the governments decision issued in September 2015. It approved the establishment of a national program to develop the fish stock sector in the Kingdom. The program is managed by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in collaboration with any party it sees relevant, Al-Ballaa said. As a response to the growing demand for marine products due to population growth, the ministry focused on aquaculture. It pointed out its economic usefulness, profitability and necessity to provide citizens with high-quality healthy food, especially after the shift in consumption patterns. Al-Ballaa said that the project is located 180 kilometers south of Jeddah in Al-Lith province. This project is one of the largest integrated marine farms in the world. The group was established 35 years ago as a project that studied the possibility of shrimp farming from 1982 till 1987. It then established some private facilities to start experimenting with different kinds of shrimp. The first successful breeding was of the Indian white shrimp in 1984 followed by the breeding of Penaeus semisulcatus shrimp in 1985. The last successful breeding trial was of the Penaeus monodon shrimp in 1987. To conduct more experiments, they needed private land. At the time, they had 10 hectares of land and started building 4,000-square-meter tanks. Female P. monodon shrimp were produced and completed 300 shrimp-farming cycles. The greater accomplishment came with the first shipment of farmed shrimp from Saudi Arabia to European countries in 1992, Al-Ballaa said. In the light of the unprecedented success in the Saudi aquaculture sector from 1995 till 2001, the group transitioned to a new phase. It was the commercial operations phase which started with the building of a complete shrimp project. The project included a nursing unit, a shrimp hatchery unit and 100 shrimp-farming tanks. It was made to have a daily shrimp production capacity of five tons. It included laboratories specialized in testing shrimp. The group then moved to the industrial phase that transformed the farm from a small operation that worked in a traditional manner to a complete industrial farm. It was built on scientific and sustainable grounds, contributed to the realization of food security and support of the national economy. The group then changed again from a shrimp-producing company to a number of companies that work to produce a complete marine-products basket. They produced shrimp, different kinds of fish such as Asian sea bass, European sea bass, Dennis fish, in addition to sea cucumber and sea algae. Al-Ballaa said: In March of 2003, the late King Abdullah visited the project to inaugurate the first stage and lay the foundation stone of its second stage. It is considered the main pillar of the group and its main income source. The projects production capacity reached about 41,500 tons of shrimp in 2017, with a goal of 60,000 tons set for 2018. The shrimp project has 17 farms with 547 tanks. The project also includes a specialized unit for mother shrimp and larvae production units (960 larvae produced monthly equal to 32 million larvae daily). It is the largest plant in the world to process and supply shrimp with a capacity of 560 tons daily. The group is working to raise the production capacity of the plant to 700 tons daily. Theme(s): Post Harvest Technology and Trade, Freshwater ecosystems and threats, Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods, Landing Centres, Others, Coastal Ecosystems and Threats, Communities and Organisations, Fisheries Development and Aquaculture, Fisheries Resources. Malaysia: Local Fishermen Urged To Register With K3M 2.0 Application April 23,2018 | Source: Malaysia Digest Fishermen in the country are encouraged to register with the Awareness, Safety, Maritime Community 2.0 (K3M 2.0) application developed by the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) to help curb the encroachment of foreign fishermen into Malaysian waters. Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority chairman Datuk Irmohizam Ibrahim said registering with the mobile phone application would enable local fishermen to channel information on encroachment of Malaysian waters by foreign fishermen to RMN for immediate action. The application was launched last week at the Defence Services Asia exhibition 2018. The K3M 2.0 is an upgrade version of the K3M application launched in March last year which aimed at providing a platform for the maritime community in the country to work closely with the RMN. Irmohizam said the K3M 2.0 application introduced new features such as web-based Sea Alert equipped with satellite facilities which enabled fishermen and large vessels to channel information to the RMN. Protecting the nation's marine treasures is very important as last year alone, the country lost about RM5 billion due to encroachment by foreign fishermen, he told reporters at an event with fishermen in the Kuala Selangor parliamentary constituency here today. Theme(s): Others, Post Harvest Technology and Trade, Coastal Ecosystems and Threats, Communities and Organisations, Fisheries Development and Aquaculture, Freshwater ecosystems and threats, Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods, Landing Centres, Fisheries Resources. Four Factors Which Make it Acceptable to Get Back With Your Ex Many leaders say they want to "democratize" and "flatten their org charts" in order to "unlock the potential" of all their employees and their businesses. But it's often hard for leaders, especially founders and CEOs, to really let go of power and not feel the obligation to always be the smartest guy (or gal) in the room. The key for leaders is to make sure your team knows it's about them -- not about you, says Ogilvy Worldwide CEO John Seifert. "If you don't do generous acts of making yourself important to them, chances are you'll never connect with them," Seifert says. "Any leader has huge responsibility to live and walk in the shoes of the people you serve." Seifert learned that lesson the hard way -- and his experience is worth examining for any entrepreneur who wants to become a better leader. The 'Aha Moment' and the Path to Success Seifert came to this realization when he was running Ogilvy's Thai affiliate in the mid-1980s, during a time when Thailand's economy sounded like many startups -- "chaotic and a rocket ship of growth." At the beginning, he thought he was "supposed to show the Thais how smart I was and knew things they didn't." But after a disastrous presentation -- Seifert recalls the Thais telling in a very respectfully way that "'nobody cares about your 100 slides'" -- he had an "aha moment" and realized "the path to success and leadership in particular is not...showing others how smart you are by doing things yourself, but what you can do to help others do their best work." That experience "completely changed my perspective on how I could contribute," Seifert says, crediting it for his subsequent rise up Ogilvy's corporate ladder. It's also something every entrepreneur should learn. When creating your own business, you often need to do everything yourself -- from managing corporate culture to overseeing cybersecurity. It can be hard to take a step back and let others assume the reins. It's exactly what you need to do. placeholder The Power of Real-Time Feedback As the ninth chairman and CEO of the company and "the last one to be mentored by the previous eight -- including David Ogilvy himself," Seifert feels both a deep connection to the company's storied history and an obligation to ensure its future. At the same time he's trying to "get everyone refounded in the beliefs, and point of view that made David [Ogilvy] so successful," Seifert is very much looking forward: Ogilvy is currently piloting an enterprise-level 'listening solution' created by California-based startup HundredX that gives employees the opportunity to give continuous feedback in real time about what is (and isn't) working at the firm. "The whole idea is by using the wisdom of the crowd...you're able to amplify what's important to people," he says. "It gives you insight into [whether] something is broken, you can isolate the problem and fix it. You can [also] create a systematic way to recognize and reward those who are performing brilliantly." The phrase 'the wisdom of crowds' is often associated with financial markets. But the idea that the brains of the many outweigh the brains of the few could fundamentally impact a business -- but only if those at the top can let go and listen. Seifert believes this 'listening strategy' has "massive implications" to both transform Ogilvy internally and help it better serve its clients. If getting real-time input from employees at all levels can work for a company as large and complex as Ogilvy's, imagine what it can do for a smaller business like yours. He was having a wonderful time. And then Twitter happened. Getty Images Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek. If you were a billionaire, what sort of billionaire would you be? I fancy I'd lurch toward the reclusive side. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, on the other hand, occasionally drifts toward the swashbuckling part of the spectrum. On Sunday, for example, he had to show Twitter what an exciting vacation he was having in the far north of Norway. There he was, dog sledding above the Arctic Circle, with the dogs doing all the work and Bezos doing a tiny bit of posing. Dog sledding above the Arctic Circle in Norway. Jim Lovell says it's not that you go to heaven when you die, but "you go to heaven when you're born." Earth is the best planet in our solar system. We go to space to save the Earth. @BlueOrigin #NoPlanB #GradatimFerociter #EarthDay pic.twitter.com/q0Y9A4KSLm -- Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) April 22, 2018 Yes, he wanted to explain that the Earth is worth preserving. It was Earth Day, after all. Yet the vehicle of his expression wasn't globally warming. Comedian Sarah Silverman, for example, took the opportunity to remind him of some Amazon employees who were likely not dog sledding. Why do your employees need to be on food stamps & govt assistance? Be an example of fair payment & take the pressure off the taxpayers who are subsidizing ur lack of fair pay. I KNOW you can do it, Jeff! Don't be like the Waltons of Walmart. https://t.co/CkV6H3KVTM -- Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) April 22, 2018 She was referring to a recent study by Policy Matters Ohio that suggested that more than 10 percent of the company's Ohio employees were getting assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Amazon itself admitted last week that the median wage at the company was $28,445 last year. So Silverman wasn't alone in picking up the theme. Amazon creates lots of jobs but also destroys many! What's the net creation of wealth? See all these closed malls? Taxpayers are subsidizing Amazon when his employees must receive benefits to eat. -- It's worse (@Its_worse) April 22, 2018 Indeed, one Twitterer offered an accurate portrayal, some might say, of the hypocrisy that makes us all human. All these people calling out how evil Bezos is but don't mind shopping at Amazon -- llliiii (@HowardHM) April 23, 2018 Should, though, billionaires be tweeting their exciting vacations? I suppose so many look up to them that this sort of thing enhances their image in the eyes of their adorers. It's but a small step, though, to looking like someone who cares little for his fellow man. Especially, as Leona Helmsley once delightfully put it, the little people. Inequality is a pulsating theme currently. There's a greater awareness than ever that those who have have far, far more than those who don't. Unreasonably more, some would say. That's perhaps why more than one Twitterer offered this kind of observation. Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek. Crystal Tadlock thinks she was treated like a criminal. No, not by Delta Air Lines. Perish the very idea. Although, it all started as she was traveling back from Paris on Delta. You see, shortly before landing in the U.S. on the first leg of her trip back, Flight Attendants handed out apples. Tadlock told KDVR-TV in Denver that she didn't want to eat it right then, but wanted to leave it for her connecting flight back to Denver. She put it in her carry-on and seemed to think nothing more of it. Until, that is, she was stopped by a U.S. Customs agent. You can't just bring foodstuffs into the country without declaring what you have. Tadlock says she asked the agent whether she could just throw it away or eat it. And then her version turned toward the sour. "He had asked me if my trip to France was expensive and I said, 'yeah.' I didn't really get why he was asking that question, and then he said 'It's about to get a lot more expensive after I charge you $500," she told KDVR. Tadlock believes that Delta shouldn't have given out apples or at least should have done more to warn passengers not to take the apples off the plane. Of course, it's hard to know what Delta did or didn't say in this instance. Most airlines remind landing passengers that undeclared agricultural products aren't allowed into the U.S. This rule embraces "meats, fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, soil, animals, as well as plant and animal products (including soup or soup products)." It's there to (attempt to) prevent pests and diseases from entering the U.S. I contacted Delta to ask whether such an announcement is normally made on its transatlantic flights. An airline spokesman told me: "We encourage our customers to adhere to Customs and Border Protection policies and requirements." It's possible that Tadlock forgot she had the apple -- which was inside a Delta plastic bag. Blaming Delta, however, doesn't seem entirely fair. As for the Customs agent, they tend -- at least in my experience -- to be fairly strict about anything they find. I've seen people not only being fined, but also put on a blacklist, which has severe consequences should they re-offend. The fines can range up to $1,000. Moreover, Tadlock fears she might lose her Global Entry status, something secured by those the authorities believe are low-risk travelers. Indeed, KDVR said it had been revoked. Tadlock believes she should have received a lenient attitude because the agent could clearly see that the apple came from Delta. Those of a drier persuasion might conclude that all the agent could really see was an apple in a plastic bag with a Delta logo on it. They might also mutter that if Tadlock has Global Entry status, she must have traveled a little, so would be more likely to know the rules. Moreover, everyone has to fill in a Customs form to present on landing. She told KDVR that she knows the rules, but thought that the fact that the Apple came from Delta would exempt it from stringent enforcement. Sometimes, you get unlucky. "Most of the design tolerances of the Model 3 are already better than any other car in the world. Soon, they will all be better. This is not enough. We will keep going until the Model 3 build precision is a factor of ten better than any other car in the world. I am not kidding. "Our car needs to be designed and built with such accuracy and precision that, if an owner measures dimensions, panel gaps, and flushness, and their measurements don't match the Model 3 specs, it just means that their measuring tape is wrong. "Some parts suppliers will be unwilling or unable to achieve this level of precision. I understand that this will be considered an unreasonable request by some. That's ok, there are lots of other car companies with much lower standards. They just can't work with Tesla." In the 16 months that Donald Trump has been president, the U.S.'s previously flawed immigration system has gone from bad to worse--particularly for small companies that rely on skilled immigrant labor. That's the view of entrepreneurs such as Ximena Hartsock. The co-founder and CEO of the civic technology service Phone2Action relies on a visa program for specialized foreign workers, known as the H-1B. She employs several immigrants from Vietnam and parts of Africa at her Washington, D.C.-based company. However, doing so, she says, has become far more challenging since the Trump administration first targeted the program in April 2017. While the rules governing the program--which was initially established in 1990 and is run by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)--haven't budged, the program itself has become more strict. Employers are often required to hand over extra documentation, for instance. And the option to expedite processing was eliminated this year. In the past, employers could pay to fast-track the application decision, a valued option for businesses eager to thoughtfully plan for growth. Hartsock, who herself is an immigrant and moved to the U.S. from Chile in 1997, says her business is now starting to suffer as a result. "Applying for H-1B visas takes so much time that I, as CEO, should be spending doing other things," she tells Inc. "It has absolutely hurt my business," she adds, noting that her costs associated with hiring through the program have shot up some 24 percent, causing her to lower some salaries at her 65-person business. What's more, Hartsock fears the program will change further, prompting even more serious business shifts in the future. The Trump administration, for instance, is currently weighing whether to disallow spouses of H-1B visa holders from remaining in the U.S., and it may move to limit the length of the visas, which currently last for three years and are subject to renewal. Each year, USCIS receives more applications than it can legally support--it sets a cap of 85,000--and it then selects the recipients of the visas in a randomized lottery. Hartsock's Phone2Action is among the dozens of tech companies, ranging in size from startups to behemoths such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft, that have urged Congress to maintain certain aspects of the H-1B visa program. Such companies say they depend on it to recruit and retain critical engineering talent from around the world. Cause for concern Critics of the program say that large companies abuse H-1B visas, hiring foreign workers who command lower salaries than Americans would doing the same job. Meanwhile, data suggests that outsourcing firms, such as the Indian giants Tata and Infosys, have historically flooded the application pool, resulting in fewer visas going to the American businesses that really need them. In an effort to rectify these concerns, President Trump last April signed the "Buy American, Hire American" executive order, which seeks to crack down on visa fraud and authorizes USCIS to tighten oversight of the annual application process, which opened this year on April 2. There is some evidence to suggest that Trump administration reforms have had a tangible impact on the H-1B program. For instance, the total number of applications for visas dropped in 2018 for the second year in a row. Earlier in April, USCIS announced that it received 190,098 applications for the 2019 fiscal year, down from 199,000 in 2017. Meanwhile, between January and August of last year, USCIS issued 45 percent more challenges to employers--officially referred to as "requests for evidence"--which has delayed the issuance of hundreds of visas and, as some immigration lawyers report, an increase in denials. Collateral damage Jason Gerlis, the North American regional director at global financial consulting firm TMF Group, says he has noticed the increase in requests for evidence. Although the company rarely applies for H-1B visas specifically, Gerlis often applies for L-1A and L-1B visas for intra-company transfers, which have similarly come under scrutiny as part of Trump's executive order. "We do a few dozen L visas for our clients every year, and we've found that they are very much delayed," says Gerlis. "We used to receive a request for more information maybe one in every four applications, and now we are receiving [them] for every single application." He adds that his clients who do apply for H-1B visas are growing concerned that the U.S. is no longer an attractive place to operate. "We are hearing from our clients that problems with the visas are making the U.S. comparatively harder to do business in, especially for tech companies," says Gerlis. Although a company the size and scope of TMF Group can easily absorb the cost associated with requests for evidence--and the uncertainty of the visa application process more generally--the same cannot be said for startups. Indeed, Phone2Action's Hartsock says that the fees associated with the H-1B visa have skyrocketed to around $15,000 per employee, including the cost of the initial application as well as those associated with requests for evidence. Because her company is too small to offer in-house legal support, Phone2Action must pay third-party legal counsel. Hartsock harks back to her own status as a Chilean immigrant in describing the less obvious, more emotional impact of lobbying Congress to maintain the H-1B visa system. "The psychological effect is a big one," she says. "Foreign workers applying to jobs are much more nervous about the process, and even our existing H-1B workers are worried that they will be kicked out of the country," she adds, noting that one employee is considering working from Europe as opposed to the U.S.--a move Phone2Action would support. Manny Medina, an Ecuadorian immigration and the founder and CEO of Seattle-based software company Outreach, is experiencing similar growing pains related to the H-1B visa reforms. In particular, Medina says that he's finding it more difficult to poach employees from larger tech companies such as Amazon and Microsoft because the potential hires are concerned that such a move could put their visa status in jeopardy. "The current environment is making things uncertain, so H-1B holders are afraid to leave their jobs, making it difficult for smaller companies [like mine] to attract talent," Medina says. His 260-person company does more than $10 million in annual revenue. The "tip of the iceberg" To be sure, there are others who say that any move to crack down on abuse of the H-1B visa system is a step in the right direction. Ronil Hira, an associate professor of public policy at Howard University, has worked with several former employees at companies including Disney and Southern California Edison, who have claimed in a series of lawsuits that they were not only replaced by cheaper H-1B workers, but also forced to train those replacements. "This is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg," Hira told senators in 2016 testimony about the program. The way he sees it, the language of the law allows many foreign and domestic corporations to game the H-1B system, both robbing Americans of high-paying jobs and exploiting the foreign workers who end up doing them. "Most of the abuse [that occurs in the H-1B visa system] is legal," Hira tells Inc. "If USCIS is scrutinizing the applications more this year, then that's good, and they should have done it before." Still, he insists that not very much has changed since Trump took office; the wage minimums remain the same, which means that U.S. companies can theoretically onboard foreign employees, who generally are willing to work for lower salaries than U.S. workers. "Despite all the hoopla about how Trump was cracking down, it was more bark than bite," he says. It's also worth noting that while USCIS says it saw a drop in the total number of H-1B applications this year, it has also warned against filing multiple petitions for a single worker, which could explain the lower number. By the time Antonio Banderas shaved off his eyebrows and hair to play Pablo Picasso his lifelong hero, his towering standard of greatness he had already been asked to portray Picasso twice. Oh, yes, he said. Twice before. He sits in a directors chair, his face contorted into a thoughtful expression, complete with chin strokes. On his nose, cheeks and chin, he wears silicone prosthetics for the features he does not share with Picasso: to thin out his featherbed lips, to make his nose fleshier and his jowls jowlier, to mask his beautiful face. It doesnt work. The minute you look at him, his chocolate pudding swimming pool eyeballs give him away. It is his last day here before heading to Malta for the final leg of shooting for NatGeos Genius, an anthology series that focuses on Picasso in its second season and will have its premiere Tuesday. The Picasso he is playing today is 67. When he is shooting, he assumes the posture of a 67-year-old, but when he isnt, he is Antonio Banderas, a human exclamation point, his face an orchestra of intense expressions. (A better way to put it: his friend Salma Hayek told me that out of all the characters hes ever played, he most resembles Puss in Boots in real life.) Oh yes, by the time he shaved off all vestiges of hair above his neck, he already had a long, full career. He was already a star of great renown in Spain, where he had served as a muse to Pedro Almodovar for seven movies. He had already received accolades for his performance in 1992s The Mambo Kings, a performance so openhearted and passionate that few noticed that his only English at the time was in the form of phonetic imitation. He had already wooed US audiences with his intimate portrayal of Tom Hanks lover in Philadelphia. (Natgeo (Natgeo) He had helped Robert Rodriguez, another director who loved him, achieve US acclaim via Desperado and the Spy Kids movies. He had swashbuckled his way into childrens hearts as a sultry, shod cat in the Shrek spinoff, Puss in Boots. He had directed two movies. He had serenaded in Evita and simulated French-kissing with Catherine Zeta-Jones through two of the most alive iterations of Zorro wed ever seen. He had seduced his way to a Tony nomination for an energetic Nine. He had Angelina Jolieed with Angelina Jolie in Original Sin. He was a beloved fixture in US cinema a masked avenger, a Latin lover, a mariachi, a matador, an assassin posing as, oh yes, a mariachi. He bided his time in masks, with guns, with swords; as he grew older, he was rewarded with the chance to play (or almost play, in projects that got killed) historical figures: Dali, Mussolini, Pancho Villa, and Picasso and Picasso. And now it is finally happening. He is going to play his boyhood hero and bring pride to Malaga, Spain both his and Picassos hometown. When Banderas was growing up, his mother would stop in front of the house the artist was born in every time they passed it and say, Look, Antonio. Now, in the home he owns in Malaga, he can see that house from his terrace. All this, and still, when Banderas sits down in a directors chair next to me, after I congratulate him on what must be a significant lifetime achievement, he shakes his head and says I have it wrong. Sure, its great, this work is great. But its not the ultimate. Not yet. Oh, no, he says, leaning in close. I still dont think I have done the thing I will be remembered for. In between dropping existential depth bombs, Banderas tells stories. He stands with his legs spread apart, his head thrown back and his arms raised to the side and says that Salvador Dali liked to put honey on his lips after a meal so that flies would gather and crawl all over his face. He found it to be an erotic experience, Banderas syas, as he closes his eyes and plays piano fingers over his lips to imitate the flies. Did you know that Dali (allegedly) hated blind people? He thought they were faking. He would cross the street to yell at a man walking around like... He feels around with an imaginary cane and laughs. Ay, was he crazy. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up (Natgeo (Natgeo) He is dressed for the days scenes in a tank top under a silk button-down shirt and trousers hiked up to around his fourth rib, a particular kind of European old-man fashion. He wears over his bald head a sparse netted gray wig, since Picasso had Dr Phil pattern baldness and Banderas still has a full head of hair. He could have worn one of those rubber caps, but if you think he would, you dont know Banderas. He would never do that. He would never not take the opportunity to come even closer to the character. He considered Picasso, really considered him. They started out so similar, but its easy to confuse details of birth with the way a man turns out. Take their treatment of women, for example. Hayek says that Banderas is such a good friend that when he read her essay in The New York Times about being harassed by Harvey Weinstein, he was among the first to call her. He wanted to know why she didnt tell him what Weinstein was doing back when Banderas was making a cameo in her movie Frida. He was the first person to call the minute she was nominated for an Oscar for the role. Picasso, on the other hand, said that women are machines for suffering and that, to him, they were either goddesses or doormats. Genius: Picasso addresses the artists misogyny as much as his art. In the first episode a woman is home with his offspring while he makes out with another lover on the beach, and both women get in a fistfight in front of him while he is painting Guernica. Honestly, I tell him, the lionisation of a man who treats women this way is gross to me. Banderas beseeches me to be more generous. The problem with Picasso from my point of view, I dont think he abused women, as we understand that now, he says. The problem is that he wanted everything, everything, all the time. He enters a project with maximum dedication, maximum research. The more you know about a character, the more you can fill the white spaces with something rich. He asks: do you know that Picassos grandson Pablito apparently stood on a street near his home in France with a sandwich board when his grandfather wouldnt allow him to visit him in the final days? Go ahead, ask him anything. If you know your subject down to his soul, then the subject is there when you need him. Ive been with him now for months every day, and I can just actually say, OK, come over here. The ghost comes and just gets in your body and youre... boom. On the days it doesnt come so easily, you can fill the white space with you. Who is to say where Picasso ends and Banderas begins? Who can give that information now that hes prepared for this role three separate times? Kenneth Biller, a creator of the show, and Ron Howard, an executive producer, immediately thought of Banderas for the role. They worried that theyd have to persuade him to play the part, but he jumped up (pop!) and agreed to do it. He had recently happened upon the first season of Genius, with Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein, while cruising on his Apple TV. He watched the whole thing in two days. Genius: Picasso, which takes place over 10 episodes, is shot during two eras: Picassos youth, and his old age. In his younger days, he is played by Alex Rich, who does a Picasso impression that is actually an Antonio Banderas impression. The camera follows Rich to show the freneticism of youth. But during the old age scenes, the camera stays still, like a portrait with Banderas entering and leaving it. In those scenes, its Banderas who supplies the energy. Picasso in the studio (Getty) How wonderful. How wonderful to find in your late fifties a character thats been so meaningful. You can maybe understand that after all the years of masks and tangos and needing to drip with Andalusian lust, its nice to play someone who is considered a genius. Oh yes, it is nice to finally play someone who has touched greatness. Had Banderas stayed in Spain, this would have been an entirely different story. He would have continued on the path Almodovar had set for him, playing men with depth and inner lives. But he didnt he couldnt. In 1981, while sitting at Cafe Gijon in Madrid, a man with a red briefcase held court telling funny stories. Banderas had long hair and a moustache for a role in a play. The man looked at him and said: You should do film cinema. You are very romantic and you have a romantic face. Banderas said: OK. Cool. Afterwards, he asked other patrons if anyone knew who the man was. They said to me: Hes called Pedro Almodovar. He made one movie he had, in fact, already made two feature films and several shorts but hes not going to make any more. Two days later, Almodovar came to see Banderas in the play. In the dressing room afterwards, he asked Banderas if he wanted to do a movie with him. Sure, Banderas said. Their first movie was the 1982 comedy Labyrinth of Passion, in which he plays a terrorist. They made six more movies together. He played complex, brooding men people with souls. In Spain, for Almodovar, the soul was inherent in the character. Later, in the United States, working for US directors, Banderas had to create his characters souls. He had a choice. He could go back to Spain and work with great directors the star system there revolves around auteurs, not actors and there was no shortage of deep, complex roles for him. His fellow Hispanic actors asked him: So, are you going to stay in America? He told them: Well, I dont know. Maybe. Yeah. They told him: Well, if you stay here youre going to be the bad guy, number one. They told him he would only ever get cast as a member of a cartel or a gang. But it was too late. By 1996, he was married to Melanie Griffith. They had a daughter, Stella. He had grown attached to his stepchildren. The question became one not of artistic fulfilment but of practicality. How can I keep my career here? Im married here. I live here. I have to play here. Antonio Banderas with his former wife Melanie Griffith (Getty) (Getty Images for Children's Hosp) And he loves America. The culture here... He shimmers with delight. There is something very beautiful about America, very innocent. Oh, yes. Its still new. Its innocent. I express some surprise. Over the course of my time in Hungary with him, weve had the mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida. America has become horrifying to me. Yes, he says. But you guys believe. You believe everything even in this moment, you believe. In Europe, he says, people are sceptical. Theres the weight of history. But America, man. I love Nasa. I love those institutions. And I remember visiting Houston and going there and me doing my eyes like this. He makes his eyes big and full of disbelief. And the innovation! These people that invent Googles and Apples and all these companies, they put heart in the skies. Elon Musk doing this thing is unbelievable to me. So he plays what he called the exotic guy. His agent tells him he becomes more powerful the more he says no. But, he says, I have a problem here, because I have to build a career almost handicapped. He knows he was offered jobs that werent quite the best, jobs that had been offered to five or 10 actors before him. I cannot play in the same league as certain American actors, because my accent didnt allow me just to play a banker from New York or an astronaut, he says. So I have to be balancing. And its almost like the guy in the circus that tried to keep all the plates going. And if he stops, they fall. And so I did have to do in my career things that I wouldnt have done, yes. What can he do? It was a desert for Spanish actors. But lately, a strange thing has started happening. Hes not being asked to wear matador outfits anymore. At the ripe (but still extremely handsome) age of 57, the roles got better. They have more weight, they are more complex, they are more profound, and I enjoy more to play them, because you can just actually find many different ways to play, he says. Its almost like a pot and you cant stop putting things in. Before, it was a uniform almost. They wanted the heroic, the epic, the guy. Banderas lives in England now, in Surrey, about an hour south-west of London. He lives there with his girlfriend, Nicole Kimpel, an investment adviser he met at Cannes a few years ago. The truth is, he doesnt need to be in America anymore. So many movie shoots are done in Europe now for tax reasons. And Kimpel has an identical twin sister who lives in Switzerland and whom she cant bear to be too far away from. What did he need to stay in the United States for anyway? His days of co-parenting are over. Stella is off at the University of Southern California, studying cinema. Of his divorce from Griffith in 2015 he says: Melanie is a very generous woman and an excellent mother and a great lover for many years. But there is a moment that things were not working, and before we started damaging each other we just decided to take that option. Heres the truth about why Antonio Banderas stayed in the States for so long. Yes, he got married. Yes, he loved Nasa and the Googles. Yes, he loved our innocence. But you know what else? He wont say it, almost out of fealty to the country he was born in, but Hayek and Rodriguez will. In Spain, Hayek says, he could not do some of the action movies. Hed never been on Broadway. In Spain he could do a lot of interesting work. But in the States, he can be an action star, a comedy hero, a Nasonex bee, a spy dad. In Spain he could be in the theatre, yes, but in America, he can be on Broadway. Banderas says the year he was in Nine? was his happiest time in America. Thats who Antonio Banderas is. Hes someone who wants to eat the world, Rodriguez tells me. Genius: Picasso is on National Geographic from 24 April The New York Times Rachel Weisz has spoken about filming her highly praised sex scene in Disobedience with Rachel McAdams. The Sebastian Lelio-directed movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, gaining praise for making the explicit scene tasteful and without a male gaze. Speaking to the New York Times, Weisz detailed that she, as producer, agreed with Lelio that there were initially too many orgasms and one needed to be cut. The actor said that initially both her character and McAdams Esti were seen on screen orgasming, but hers was eventually cut. Estis was more important, and it robbed her of that, she told the publication. 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. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Forest Whitaker, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 The Greatest Showman Released: 1 January 1 January Director: Michael Gracey Cast: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Darkest Hour Released: 12 January 12 January Director: Joe Wright Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri Released: 12 January Director: Martin McDonagh 12 JanuaryMartin McDonagh Cast: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Caleb Landry Jones > Twentieth Century Fox 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Coco Released: 19 January 19 January Director: Lee Unkrich ,p>Cast: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Renee Victor 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Downsizing Released: 19 January 19 January Director: Alexander Payne Cast: Matt Damon, Christopher Waltz, Jong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Early Man Released: 26 January 26 January Director: Nick Park Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Timothy Spall 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Fifty Shades Freed Released: 9 February 9 February Director: James Foley Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Kim Basinger 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Maze Runner: The Death Cure Released: 9 February 9 February Director: Wes Ball Cast: Dylan O'Brien, Thomas Brodie Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 The Shape of Water Released: 16 February 16 February Director: Guillermo del Toro Cast: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Doug Jones 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Annihilation Released: 23 February 23 February Director: Alex Garland Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Lee, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Oscar Isaac 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Dark River Released: 23 February 23 February Director: Clio Barnard Cast: Ruth Wilson, Mark Stanley, Sean Bean 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Red Sparrow Released: 2 March 2 March Director: Francis Lawrence Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Jeremy Irons 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Tomb Raider Released: 16 March 16 March Director: Roar Uthaug Cast: Alicia Vikander, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, Dominic West, 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 A Wrinkle in Time Released: 23 March 23 March Director: Ava DuVernay Cast: Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Zach Galifianakis 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Pacific Rim: Uprising Released: 23 March 23 March Director: Steven S. DeKnight Cast: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Roman J Israel, Esq Released: 23 March 23 March Director: Dan Gilroy Cast: Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo Columbia Pictures 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Isle of Dogs Released: 30 March 30 March Director: Wes Anderson Cast: Bill Murray, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Ready Player One Released: 30 March 30 March Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance, Simon Pegg 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Avengers: Infinity War Released: 27 April 27 April Director: The Russo Brothers Cast: Robert Downey, Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Untitled Han Solo Film Released: 25 May 25 May Director: Ron Howard Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Released: 8 June 8 June Director: J.A. Bayona Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pine, B.D. Wong, Toby Jones 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Deadpool 2 Released: 1 June Director: David Leitch 1 JuneDavid Leitch Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Zazie Beetz, Josh Brolin 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Ocean's 8 Released: 22 June 22 June Director: Gary Ross Cast: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Anne Hathaway, Olivia Munn, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, Matt Damon 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Ant-Man and the Wasp Released: 29 June 29 June Director: Peyton Reed Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Soldado Released: 29 June 29 June Director: Stefano Sollima Cast: Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Jeffrey Donovan, Catherine Keener, Matthew Modine 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 The Incredibles 2 Released: 13 July 13 July Director: Brad Bird Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Samuel L. Jackson Weisz added that the scene was empowering thanks to being so important and necessary to the movies narrative. I think we both felt very vulnerable and there was a real sweetness, she continued. Recommended 11 of the best sex scenes in film I dont know if male actors ask this question but I know women normally think, Is this sex scene really necessary? And in this case, its essential. The whole story of repression leads up to this moment. I think, particularly for Esti, the release of this big orgasm that she had was also a spiritual moment. Its about freedom. Meanwhile, the actor recently announced herself and husband Daniel Craig are expecting a little human together. Verne Troyer had been battling alcohol addiction throughout his lifetime and was admitted to hospital earlier this month. The actor best known for playing Mini-Me in Austin Powers died Saturday (21 April) aged 49. No official has been given as of writing. Troyers battle with alcohol addiction was first documented in 2002, when the actor nearly died from alcohol poisoning following a breakup. In 2005, Troyer appeared on the reality show The Surreal Life drunk, the clip going viral. Of those years, Troyer told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016: That was a bad period in my life. I've learned from it, and I move on. Last April, Troyer spoke about his ongoing struggles with alcohol once more, issuing a statement which said: I've battled alcohol addiction in the past and while it's not always been an easy fight, I'm willing to continue my fight day by day. Earlier this month, Troyer was reported to have been taken to hospital, an official statement saying he was resting comfortably. Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Show all 65 1 /65 Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Stan Lee Spider-Man creator whose web of Marvel characters brought joy to millions died on 12 November, aged 95. The prolific writer-editor worked through the Second World War, transformed the struggling publisher and paved the way for the empire it is today Rex Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Billionaire businessman who helped bring the Premiership to Leicester City died on 27 October, aged 60. The media-shy but hugely popular Thai Bhuddist made his fortune in duty-free and was known for his love of football and polo Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Paul Allen Billionaire investor and philanthropist who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma aged 65 on 15 October. Despite leaving the company in the early 1990s, he remained a powerful force in technology and charity work for decades Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Jamal Khashoggi Jamal Khashoggi was a well-connected, bilingual Saudi journalist who became a globally recognised symbol of press freedom and Middle East democratic aspirations during the 17 days he was officially missing. But he never lived to see the campaign by journalists, rights advocates and political leaders worldwide to draw attention to his disappearance and conditions for democracy advocates in Saudi Arabia. The Washington Post columnist had already died on 2 October under murky circumstances in his own nations diplomatic outpost in Istanbul, Saudi officials confirmed late on Friday. He was 59 AFP Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures James Lawton Passionate, devoted and fearlessly honest, James Lawton was a true giant of sports writing, he died on 27 September, aged 75. The Independents former chief sports writer was part of a golden era of writers who became integral in the sporting landscape through the power of their prose Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Chas Hodges The musician Chas Hodges was best known as one half of the cockney rock duo Chas and Dave, he died on 22 September, aged 74. Hodges and Dave Peacock rose to fame in the English pop-rock band, known for their witty lyrics about living in London, in the 1970s. They had a string of hits, including "Rabbit", "Snooker Loopy" and "Ain't No Pleasing You" Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Judith Kazantzis Poet whose sense of injustice spanned Greenham Common and Guatemala died on 18 September, aged 78. Her aristocratic background notwithstanding, she was a Labour Party supporter through and through and her verse was packed with politics Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Arthur Mitchell Trailblazer of ballet who ran circles around racism in America died on 19 September, aged 84. He braved racist taunts for doing what he loved best dancing but once his talent was embraced by the great George Balanchine he was unstoppable Rex Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Big Jay McNeely Saxophonist who revolutionised rhythm and blues as the King of the Honkers died on 16 September 16, aged 91. Whether bringing traffic to a standstill or playing his trademark ultraviolet horn, McNeely was a pioneer who brought showmanship to jazz Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Isabel Quigly Translator of Italian, Spanish and French literature died on 14 September, aged 91. An outstanding Cambridge scholar, she got a job at Penguin and went on to become a Booker judge and film critic for the Spectator Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Fenella Fielding Carry On star who turned down a role in a Fellini film died on 11 September, aged 90. The actress, who started her career in 1952 and shot to fame with 'Pieces of Eight' and 'Hancock's Half Hour', was known for her husky voice, wicked humour and seductive eyelashes PA Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Mac Miller Rapper who Trump called 'next Eminem' before he made his feelings known about the president died on 7 September, aged 26. Trump was denounced by the Black Lives Matter supporter as an egomaniacal, attention-thirsty, psychopathic, power-hungry delusional waste of skin and bones Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Burt Reynolds Charismatic star known for having fun both on and off the screen died on 6 September, aged 82. Reynolds was listed as Hollywoods top-earning box-office star five years running from 1978 to 1982 Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Alan Oakman England first-class cricketer who helped beat Australia at Old Trafford in the Fifties died on 6 September, aged 88. He was at his best on hard wickets against medium or fast-medium bowling when, using his immense reach, he would unleash a stream of majestic drives PA Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Inge Borkh The opera singer who became a star of the stage in postwar Germany as Elektra and Salome died on 26 August, aged 97. With a powerful voice and commanding stage presence, she triumphed in portraying any number of tempestuous operatic heroines Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures John McCain The war hero Republican whose last stand was against his party's own president died on 25 August, aged 81 Mr McCain was a principled conservative in the Senate, and once survived five years as a war prisoner. AFP/Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Uri Avnery Israeli journalist whose voice of dissent was radical until the end died on 20 August, aged 94. One of the first advocates of a two-state solution in Israel, he was shunned by the establishment whose unreason he was never afraid to call out Reuters Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Hilary Lister Record-breaking sailor who made a splash in newspapers as she defied disability died on 18 August, aged 46. She risked her life and inspired awe as she refused to allow being quadriplegic to deny her the chance to chart the oceans PA Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Kofi Annan Former UN secretary general and Nobel Peace Prize laureate died on 18 August, aged 80. The Ghanaian national was the first and only black African to be appointed as the worlds top diplomat, a tenure that saw him mediate in some of the biggest crises of the 21st century EPA Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Aretha Franklin Queen of Soul who won 18 Grammys and sold 75 million records died on 16 August, aged 76. Regarded by many as the greatest singer of all time, Aretha Franklin bestrode 1960s and 70s R&B and sang at three presidents inaugurations AP Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Atal Bihari Vajpayee Former prime minister of India who fuelled the nuclear arms race in south Asia died on 16 August, aged 93. Elected to the office three times, Atal Bihari Vajpayee transformed Indias economy and held together a fragile coalition of disparate political parties during his tenure Reuters Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Arsene Tchakarian Last of WWIIs Armenian-led Manouchian network who fought the Nazis in France died 4 August, aged 101. He joined a band of immigrants from countries affected by Hitlers expansionism fighting for the French resistance AFP/Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Mary Carlisle Hollywood actress of the Thirties who was typecast as the blonde ingenue died on 1 August, aged 104. If her looks were a strength in helping her land roles at the outset of her career, they proved a weakness in the end as male producers failed to see beyond them Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Ellie Soutter Team GB snowboarder, Ellie Soutter, died on 25 July, aged 18. She secured Team GBs only medal at the European Youth Olympic Winter Festival in Turkey in 2017. She was was one of the countrys best up-and-coming snowboarders, competing in both snowboard cross and freeride Instagram/EllieSoutter Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Mary Ellis WWII pilot, Mary Ellis, who survived crash landings and Nazi bombs died on 24 July, aged 101. At a time when women in the cockpit were frowned upon, Ellis made a name for herself flying Spitfires to RAF bases to help the war effort AFP/Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures John Murray The stylish cricketer, John Murray, who rewrote the record books died on 24 July, aged 83. A wicket-keeper who enjoyed outstanding first-class career with Middlesex, spread over a quarter of a century Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Oksana Shachko The cofounder of feminist protest group Femen who put her body on the line for womens rights died on 23 July, aged 31. Regularly arrested and twice kidnapped, Oksana Shachko quickly drew worldwide attention for challenging all forms of patriarchy under the slogan I came, I stripped, I won AFP/Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Alene B Duerk Trailblazer who became the US Navys first female rear admiral died on 21 July, aged 98. She said checking released WWII PoWs for lice and diseases and taking requests for ice cream, scrambled eggs and ham was probably the most exciting experience of my whole career US Navy Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga Civil rights champion who sought redress for Japanese Americans interned during World War Two died on 18 July, aged 92. Among 120,000 people were displaced and sent to camps by the US during the war simply because of their Japanese heritage. Herzig-Yoshinagas diligence put a dark chapter of American history on record and led to reparations for those affected YouTube/Densho Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Lord Carrington Last of Churchills cabinet, Lord Carrington, who resigned as Thatchers foreign secretary over the Falklands died on 9 July, aged 99. His warnings against the withdrawal of Britains sole patrol vessel in the South Atlantic went unheeded yet when the Argentine's invaded in 1982, it was he who fell on his sword Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Dame Gillian Lynne Ballerina and dancer, Dame Gillian Lynne, who revolutionised choreography died on 1 July, aged 92. Dame Gillian Lynne threw herself into dance during the war, and went on to inspire some of the West Ends biggest shows, including Cats and Phantom of the Opera Rex Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Alan Longmuir The founding member of the Bay City Rollers died on 1 July aged 70. Huge in the 70s, the Bay City Rollers had a number of hit songs, including "Remember", "All Of Me Loves All Of You", "Shang-a-Lang" and "I Only Want To Be With You" Rex Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Joe Jackson Tarnished starmaker, Joe Jackson, who drove his children to international success died on 27 June, aged 89. Collectively the Jacksons may have been the most prominent family in pop music history, but their fame came at the cost of family feuds Reuters Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Leslie Grantham The former Eastenders star died on 15 June aged 71. Grantham starred as "Dirty Den", known so for his many affairs, who was the landlord of the Queen Vic for the first four years of the show, returning briefly in 2003 before being killed off on the show's 20th anniversary episode Rex Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Dorothy Cotton Civil rights leader, Dorothy Cotton, and confidante to Martin Luther King died on 10 June, aged 88. A key figure in the fight for racial equality, Cotton led marches and headed an education programme that taught African Americans about their basic rights of citizenship Alamy Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Eunice Gayson First Bond girl, Eunice Gayson, and originator of his most famous line died on 8 June, aged 90. Appearing alongside Sean Connery in Dr No, she would speak the immortal words: Trench. Sylvia Trench before Bond ever did Rex Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Anthony Bourdain The celebrity chef from New York died on 8 June, aged 61. Anthony Bourdain made a career recommending food and restaurants for people - and he didnt shy away from letting people know when his hometowns food offerings werent up to par Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Maria Bueno Four-time Wimbledon winner, Maria Bueno, who became a Brazilian tennis legend died on 8 June, aged 78. The female tennis pioneer won seven Grand Slam singles and captured the worlds attention with her grace and style Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Peter Stringfellow Nightclub entrepreneur, Peter Stringfellow, who booked The Beatles and brought table-dancing to Britain died on 7 June, aged 77. His brand was synonymous with sex but in spite of the sleazy nature of his venues, he managed to maintain an upbeat, nice-guy reputation Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Kate Spade New York fashion designer Kate Spade died on 5 June, aged 55. Best-known for her popular line of handbags, the American designers products were among the most popular accessories in the designer market, competing with the likes of handbag giants Coach and Michael Kors AP Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Philip Roth US novelist, Philip Roth, hailed as the greatest of his generation died on 22 May, aged 85. He became a literary star in the 1960s and continued to win awards and praise well into his later years with new, evocative works Rex Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Ray Wilson England World Cup winner, Ray Wilson, died on 15 May, aged 83. A study in nimble poise and calm concentration, Wilson exuded style and efficiency, and although he shunned the limelight off the field, on it his voice could be heard constantly Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Tom Wolfe Audacious and inventive journalist and author, Tom Wolfe, who satirised the American pursuit of prestige died on 14 May, aged 88. His writing detailed the finer points of behaviour, trends, fashion and the pursuit of prestige that shaped the American social orderTom Wolfe signs copies of his novel 'Bonfire of the Vanities' in 1988 Rex Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Margot Kidder Actor, Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve in Superman films died on 13 May, aged 69. She spoke out against the First Gulf War and campaigned for abortion rights but both her political activism and her acting career took a backseat to her struggles with mental health Rex Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Tessa Jowell Former Labour cabinet minister, Tessa Jowell, who helped to secure 2012 London Olympics died on 12 May, aged 70. In a political career spanning more than four decades and as a minister in three Blair administrations, Jowell was a trailblazer for women in politics. Diagnosed with a glioblastoma in May 2017, a rare, high-grade tumour and malignant cancer that can spread quickly to other parts of the brain and spine, it came without warning and with none of the symptoms. Stoic, Jowell displayed passion, determination and a sense of mission, which had been the hallmark of her political career, in a bid to change the way cancer was dealt with PA Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Verne Troyer The actor died on 21 April, aged 49. Widely known for his role as Mini-Me in Austin Powers, Troyer also appeared in the Harry Potter series Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Avicii The musician, whose real name is Tim Bergling, died on 20 April, aged 28. A pioneer of EDM, and one of the most successful DJs in the industry, the musician found crossover pop success with his 2011 track Le7els, which sampled Etta James, going platinum in the US and becoming a number one single internationally Getty Images for Clear Channel Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Barbara Bush Barbara Bush, the matriarch of most powerful US first family in recent times died on 17 April, aged 92 AFP/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Winnie Mandela The ANC activist died on 14 April, aged 81. Winnie fought tirelessly against apartheid in South Africa, becoming a figurehead for the movement while her husband Nelson was in prison AFP Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Ray Wilkins International footballer, Ray Wilkins, who was handed the Chelsea captaincy at 18 died on 4 April, aged 61. Blessed with an adhesive touch and a calm temperament, Ray Wilkins went on to win the double with the Blues as assistant coach and was hailed as a gentlemen of the game Reuters Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Stephen Hawking The theoretical physicist died at the age of 76, on 14 March. The iconic physicist is known as one of the greatest scientific minds in the history of the world, and worked to peer into the most mysterious parts of the universe. Hawking was known also for the accessible way in which he communicated those discoveries, with his work including A Brief History Of Time making its way into pop culture Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Marielle Franco The politician was brutally murdered in downtown Rio de Janeiro on 14 March, in what officials have concluded was a targeted political assassination. A black LGBT+ woman in a country notoriously dominated by racism, sexism and traditional religious dogma, she was raised in one of Rios largest, poorest and most violent slums, the Mare complex AP Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Ken Dodd The comedy legend died aged 90, on 11 March. Sir Ken, famous for his epic stand-up shows which could go on for hours at a time, as well as his Diddy Men and tickling stick, died just days after leaving hospital Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Hubert de Givenchy The founder of the eponymous French fashion house died aged 91, on 10 March. In an impressive career that spanned more than five decades, Givenchy was renowned for dressing the likes of Jackie Kennedy, the Duchess of Windsor and Audrey Hepburn, his long-time muse Rex Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Davide Astori The footballer died after a cardiac arrest aged 31 on 4 March. He was captain of Fiorentina, and an Italian international with 14 appearances for the national side Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Roger Bannister Athlete who broke four-minute mile, Roger Bannister, died on 3 March, aged 88. Sir Roger gave up running to pursue long and distinguished medical career AP Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Sridevi Bollywood superstar, Sridevi, who starred in 300 films and was hailed as Indias Meryl Streep died on 24 February, aged 54. She started off as a child star of Tamil-language cinema and then got her big break in Bollywood where she established herself as a low-key legend AFP/Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Emma Chambers The British actress, best known for her roles in The Vicar of Dibley and Notting Hill, died aged 53, on 21 February. A statement from her agency said: Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work. She brought laughter and joy to many, and will be greatly missed. Rex Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures John Mahoney The actor, famous for his role in long-running TV show Frasier, died at the age of 77, on 4 February. The British-born star was on the show for 11 seasons spanning from 1993 through to 2004 and his character, Martin Crane, is a fan favourite Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Mark E Smith The lead singer and the main artist behind The Fall, died aged 60, on 24 January. Famous for his acerbic wit, Smith was the ever present member in the band, going through over sixty members in the group's fourty year duration Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Hugh Masekela The legendary South African jazz trumpeter and anti-apartheid activist died on 23 January at the age of 78 after suffering from cancer. Masekela, branded the father of South African jazz, died in Johannesburg after what his family described as a protracted and courageous battle with prostate cancer AFP/Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Jimmy Armfield The Blackpool legend and former England captain passed away, aged 82, on 22 January. The right-back played 627 matches for the Lancashire club between 1954 and 1971, and captained England 15 times in 43 appearances. He would later go on to manage Bolton Wanderers and Leeds United, before working as a pundit for the BBC for thirty years Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Ursula Le Guin The celebrated science fiction and fantasy author died at the age of 88, on 22 January. Among the authors best-known works are the 1969 science fiction novel Left Hand of Darkness, which explores themes of gender by featuring characters with no fixed sex, and the 1968 coming-of-age story A Wizard of Earthsea Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Dolores ORiordan The singer died on 15 January, aged 46. Born into a staunchly Catholic family, ORiordan was 17 when she responded to a press advert for a female vocalist to join The Cranberry Saw Us, comprising brothers Noel and Mike Hogan and Fergal Lawler, in 1989. Soon after she became lead singer, they became The Cranberries and cut a three-track EP on an independent label AFP/Getty Notable deaths in 2018 in pictures Cyrille Regis The former England footballer died from a heart attack aged 59, on 14 January. The ex-footballer, who scored 112 goals in 297 appearances for West Bromwich Albion, also turned out for Coventry City and Aston Villa in the top flight, as well as playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wycombe Wanderers and Chester City in the later years of his career before retiring in 1996. Regis was a pioneer for black footballers in Britain Getty One friend told paramedics that Troyer was extremely upset, drunk and he was kept at the hospital for observation. Troyers death was announced on the actors official Facebook page: It is with great sadness and heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today. Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up It continued: Verne was also a fighter when it came to his own battles. Over the years hes struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much. Depression and Suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, its never too late to reach out to someone for help. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, its never too late to reach out to someone for help. No official reason for the death has been announced. He was recently baptised while surrounded by family, the message added. Troyer was known for his portrayal of Mini-Me in the Austin Powers films, with his big break in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me in 1999. He also made appearances in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and The Love Guru. If you have been affected by this story, you can get confidential support from Samaritans on 116 123, or contact the following organisations for support: https://www.mind.org.uk/ https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk A self-portrait by John Lennon which depicts himself as Adolf Hitler has sold at auction for $54,000. The rough sketch, reportedly created during the Beatles members time attending the Liverpool College of Art in the late 1950s, shows Lennon on a podium with his hand raised in a Nazi salute and the words Heil John repeated several times, with the implication they are being chanted by a crowd. There are several known self-portraits taken from Lennons personal sketchbook which appear to depict the musician with an appearance imitating Hitlers and accompanied by Nazi iconography. Another drawing shows the Third Reich Nuremberg eagle perched above Lennons initials. He drew these when he was a college student, and the fact that he even thought of depicting himself as Hitler is weird, Gary Zimet of Moments in Time told Page Six, which is arranging the sale. Original Lennon drawings are very desirable and they are ultra rare. A famous controversy surrounding the cover of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band suggests that Lennon had optioned Hitler as one of the numerous celebrities and cultural figures rendered as wax models and cardboard cut-outs for the shot. In 2007, Sir Peter Blake who co-created the cover - revealed to The Independent that Hitler did actually make the final line-up, but is simply obscured by the Beatles themselves. Yes he is on there you just cant see him, he said. He added: If you look at photographs of the out-takes, you can see the Hitler image in the studio. With the crowd behind there was an element of chance about who you can and cannot see, and we werent quite sure who would be covered in the final shot. Hitler was in fact covered up behind the band. Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more. The Rolling Stones have announced what is essentially a festival's worth of special guests to support them on their UK tour this year. Liam Gallagher, Florence + The Machine, The Vaccines, The Specials, Richard Ashcroft, Elbow and James Bay will join the legendary rock band on their Stones - No Filter tour which will take in eight huge UK stadium shows. Gallagher commented: "It's a dream come true to be asked to open for the mighty Rolling Stones - the best Rock n Roll band EVER." Florence + The Machine said: "We're so excited to be supporting the Rolling Stones, it is a huge honour to be playing with one of our biggest influences." The Vaccines added: "The Rolling Stones are one of our favourite bands. We love them so much we named a song after them. At their best they are unparalleled, and few artists will go down in history for being as good for as long. Supporting them in Hyde Park in 2013 was a career defining moment for our band and we have no doubt that playing with them in Southampton, at the stadium I visited every week as a boy, will be just as special." The Rolling Stones through the years Show all 30 1 /30 The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones pictured in Crossfire Hurricane The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones in the early days Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones in 1964 Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones performing in concert in 1964 Rex Features The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years Guitarist Mick Taylor, 62, joined the Rolling Stones (second left) when he was 20 Rex Features The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The legendary 'glimmer twins' Keith and Mick in 1961. Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones, Baker Street, London, 1963 TERRY O'NEILL The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones signing an autograph for a young fan, at Dublin Airport, during the band's second Irish tour of 1965. Irish Photo Archive/ PA/ irishphotoarchive.ie The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones exiting the airport bus at Dublin Airport before their concert at the Adelphi Theatre during the band's second Irish tour of 1965. Irish Photo Archive/ PA/ irishphotoarchive.ie The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones receiving awards at the NME Poll Winners Concert at Wembley, London, in 1965. Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger in 1967 Rowan Bulmer The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years Rock of ages: The Rolling Stones in Hyde Park in 1969 REX FEATURES The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones at the Roundhouse in London in 1971: from the left, Keys, Charlie Watts, Mick Taylor and Mick Jagger Getty The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years Jagger on stage with the Rolling Stones in 1978 The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones sits in the stands of JFK Stadium in Philadelphia in afternoon on Wednesday, August 26, 1981, where he is scheduled to hold a concert on September 25 to kickoff his 1981 American tour. The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger performs in front of a crowd of 70,000 at Wembley Stadium in 1982 Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years Jagger performing on stage during the opening night of the bands new tour, 'Voodoo Lounge' in 1995 PA The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones perform on stage at Twickenham Stadium in 2006 in London MJ Kim/Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years Charlie Watts, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones perform live at 02 Arena on in 2012 The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones performing at the O2 arena, at their 50-year anniversary show in 2012 Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones perform live on stage during day two of British Summer Time Hyde Park on July 6, 2013 Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones perform at Glastonbury in 2013 Getty The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones at Glastonbury in 2013. Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years 'Rolling Stones 50 & Counting Tour' at The Honda Center on May 15, 2013 in Anaheim, California. Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones performing in California in 2013. Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years Keith Richards on stage in 2013. Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years Suits you: Mick Jagger (far right) with his bandmates in 2014. Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones at Glastonbury in 2014. The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones on stage in 2014. Getty Images The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones through the years The Rolling Stones at Glasotnbury in 2013. Getty Images Elbow frontman Guy Garvey said: "I saw The Stones at Glastonbury and it blew me away. To play with them is not just to share a stage with THE rock and roll band of all time, it's to connect with everything that came before them. They are a conduit to the very roots of youth culture and rebellion. And they are a f**king amazing band." Keith Richards said previously of the Rolling Stones tour: Its such a joy to play with this band theres no stopping us, were only just getting started really. Mick Jagger added: This part of the No Filter tour is really special for the Stones. We are looking forward to getting back onstage in the summer and playing to fans in the UK and Ireland. Its always exhilarating going to cities we havent played for quite a while and also some new venues for us like Old Trafford & The London Stadium. When I look out at the sea of people when we play all I can see is smiles, Ronnie Wood said. Its heart-warming and Im glad we make people happy. Music makes me happy, and it makes them happy. its infectious 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. 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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/ Shania Twain has apologised after making an "awkward" remark where she appeared to suggest she would have voted for Donald Trump if she could have. The Canadian country pop star was speaking with the Guardian where she discussed several subjects including her divorce from long-time producer and collaborator Mutt Lange, her troubled childhood including being sexually and physically abused by her stepfather, and her recent album. Towards the end of the interview she was quoted as saying she "would have voted for [Trump] because, even though he was offensive, he seemed honest". "Do you want straight or polite? Not that you shouldn't be able to be both. If I were voting, I just don't want bulls**t. I would have voted for a feeling that it was transparent. And politics has a reputation of not being that, right?" The comment was picked up on social media and her name began trending on Twitter, with many of her fans - particularly her LGBT+ fanbase - issuing fierce criticisms. "I would like to apologise to anybody I have offended," Twain tweeted after the backlash. "The question caught me off-guard. As a Canadian, I regret answering this unexpected question without giving my response more context. "I was trying to explain, in a response to a question about the election, that my limited understanding was that the president talked to a portion of America like an accessible person they could relate to, as he was not a politician." She added: "My answer was awkward, but certainly should not be taken as a representative of my values nor does it mean I endorse him." Genetically engineered coral has been created by a team at Americas prestigious Stanford University, in a project they hope will serve as a blueprint for future coral conservation. For the first time, researchers were able to apply a unique tool called CRISPR-Cas9 to edit coral genes. In the future they hope to identify genes involved in coral survival, especially those that help them tolerate the rising temperatures that have led to catastrophic reef die-offs. While scientists have emphasised that genetically enhanced super-corals are still a long way from becoming reality, this work is still thought to hold great promise for coral protection. We hope that future experiments using CRISPR-Cas9 will help us develop a better understanding of basic coral biology that we then can apply to predict and perhaps ameliorate whats going to happen in the future due to a changing climate, explained Dr Phillip Cleve, a geneticist and the lead author of the new study. CRISPR-Cas9 has become the biologists go-to gene-editing tool in recent years, but it has proved difficult to apply it to corals due to the way they reproduce. Corals breed only once or twice a year in a process initiated by the appearance of a full moon. They eject huge quantities of eggs and sperm into the ocean, which mix freely and fertilise each other. During this period, scientists have a narrow window of opportunity to perform gene editing when the egg and sperm have just met, but before the newly formed embryos start dividing. Retrieving newly fertilised coral eggs from the sea is difficult, but Dr Cleve worked with a team of reef experts from Australia who understood the rhythms of coral reproduction. Zenith Reef shows extensive death of corals due to a major bleaching event Together they obtained enough samples to experiment with, and proceeded to modify three genes in a proof-of-principle study that they hope will help scientists understand and conserve corals more effectively. Their results were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The new research comes at a time of great concern for the worlds coral. Heatwaves wiped out nearly a third of the Great Barrier Reefs corals in 2016, as the rising temperatures caused them to bleach. Coral bleaching is a phenomenon that is inextricably tied with climate change, as it involves high sea temperatures causing stressed corals to expel the algae they rely on for survival. In light of these events, coral researchers have emphasised the need for radical interventions if the worlds reefs are to be saved. Proposed measures have included geoengineering the atmosphere to cool the reefs down, and genetic modification of corals to make them more resilient to climate change. Australian researchers have already examined the feasibility of assisted evolution creating hybrid species or selectively breeding to produce strains that can tolerate warmer temperatures. Other research has explored the idea of genetically engineering the algae that live in close association with corals to make them more heat-resistant. Dr Cleves said he wanted to see other groups developing on this early work and potentially knocking out genes involved in the bleaching response. The beauty of coral reefs Show all 6 1 /6 The beauty of coral reefs The beauty of coral reefs 37759.bin STERLING ZUMBRUNN/CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL The beauty of coral reefs 38007.bin Hassin Ammar/AFP/Getty The beauty of coral reefs 38009.bin Hassan Ammar/AFP/Getty The beauty of coral reefs 38011.bin Hassan Ammar/AFP/Getty The beauty of coral reefs 38013.bin Donald Miralle/Getty The beauty of coral reefs 38012.bin Hassan Ammar/AFP/Getty I want this paper to provide an early blueprint of the types of genetic manipulations that scientists can start doing with corals, he said. However, coral expert Professor Jorg Wiedenmann from the University of Southampton who was not involved in the study warned that this was not all about creating super-corals. The current paper is to an extent a breakthrough because that really allows us now to manipulate these systems and see if one particular gene or gene product is really responsible for heat tolerance, he told The Independent. But we are a very long step away from generating super-coral that can turn the fate of the coral reefs around. Dr Cleve agreed that for the time being the goal of applying genetic techniques to corals is to understand how these creatures work, and why they respond in certain ways to the changing climate. Maybe there are natural gene variants in coral that bolster their ability to survive in warmer waters; wed want to know that, he explained, describing the current situation in coral research as an all-hands-on-deck moment. Professor Wiedenmann said that while gene editing is likely to prove a highly useful tool, scientists must not lose light of the bigger picture when considering coral conservation. We really need to focus on keeping the reef environments habitable for corals, he said. That has to be done by reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases to slow down the warming process and looking after reefs at the local scales. Billionaire former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg has said he will write a $4.5m cheque to cover the USs financial commitment to the Paris Climate agreement for 2018. Donald Trump pulled the US out of the climate pact last year, saying it was a terrible deal which would undermine the economy and put the US at a permanent disadvantage. The move made the US the only country in the world opposed to the climate change agreement which aims to cut carbon emissions in an effort to restrict global temperature rises to less than 2C by the end of this century. In an interview with CBS, Mr Bloomberg said he hopes that by next year Mr Trump will have changed his mind. Mr Bloomberg will continue to provide money for the pact if the United States does not rejoin the agreement, according to a news release from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the charity he founded. Our foundation will uphold our promise to cover any cuts to UN climate funding by the federal government, Mr Bloomberg said in the statement. 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke filled with the carbon that is driving climate change drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan Mr Trump said in an ITV interview last year that if the terms of the Paris agreement changed, theres always a chance wed get back. But it was a terrible deal for the US. It was unfair to the US, he said. Mr Trump has previously said he is a believer in clean air and clean water, but has also voiced support for beautiful clean coal, and said the polar icecaps were not melting and were at a record level. Reuters contributed to this article Born into a military family and spending her childhood living across nine US states, Adrienne Abiodun had always considered herself an African American woman with slightly scattered origins. Reared by an Army officer step father and an Air Force marshal mother, Abiodun had very little understanding of her familys history, let alone her DNA, and didnt even meet her biological father until the age of 24. It wasnt until she delved into the depths of her genealogy with the help of AncestryDNA, that she discovered the truth about her familys fascinating history, which ultimately led to a trip to North Carolina that she describes as life-changing. "Prior to taking an AncestryDNA test I had a general idea that my family could be from a particular state, but was never so much able to pinpoint precise communities" (Adrienne Abiodun) Complexion wise, I am a fair-skinned African American woman, she told The Independent, adding that people had always assumed she was mixed race. I understood that my family did have European ancestry, but knew next to nothing about it. Abiodun explained that she initially looked into DNA testing with the hope of uncovering more about her African origins. I wanted to find that exact place in Africa where my family was from having always been tormented at not knowing. In order to get a full picture of her family's origins, Abiodun had to conduct DNA profiles on 22 of her relatives, adding that this was essential, considering you only inherit 50 per cent of your DNA from each of your parents. (Ancestry DNA) When the results of her DNA Story came in from AncestryDNA, the world's largest consumer DNA database, she was surprised to discover that her roots were fairly evenly split between African and European regions, with traces in Nigeria, Senegal and Scandinavia. However, it was North Carolina that she was ultimately drawn to, where her fourth great-grandfather, Phillip Branch (1795-1891) was born before being removed by his enslaver, John Whitaker, to Wilkinson County in Mississippi. The family narrative always stated that Phillip was born in Halifax County, North Carolina, where his owner, John Whitaker, was also from and that he was allegedly his half-brother. So I already had this knowledge that there was a connection to Halifax County, North Carolina, she said. However, further testing and research through AncestryDNA revealed that this link was inaccurate and that Branch actually had no familial ties to the Whitakers, but to a family named Fletcher who came from Perquimans County, North Carolina. While visiting there, Abiodun came across a bed and breakfast called 1812 which was once owned by William Fletcher, who she learned was a prominent planter in North Carolina and was one of the first masters in the state to free his slaves prior to the 1865 abolition. The bed & breakfast that Abiodun stayed in (Adrienne Abiodun) She later found out through oral history that Fletcher was lost at sea around 1827 while travelling to Haiti to personally transport his slaves to freedom. I do hope that they made it to Haiti and that it was on his return that he was lost, she added. Although I do not know for sure how or if we are 100 per cent connected to William Fletcher, it sure felt like I was staying in the home of family while there and it was so uplifting to discover that whilst America as a whole was still trying to figure out what to do with the issue of slavery, he found a solution, or attempted to much earlier on than the rest. Abiodun added that there are numerous Branch cousins that have tested on AncestryDNA and that this will enable her to make further discoveries about her familys rich history. The power of discovering our origins is through connection and collaboration. I believe my family and many others have the ability to do it now that we have all these valuable leads from AncestryDNA and elsewhere on our side. And one day my family may just be able to determine which Fletcher was most likely the father of our ancestor Phillip Branch. Where in the world will your DNA take you? Click here to buy AncestryDNA When Israels leaders gathered on Wednesday at the countrys new National Memorial Hall for Israels Fallen, there was little trace of the long battle it took to build it. The sombre, annual Memorial Day ceremony took place a day before the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of Israels foundation, according to the Hebrew calendar and it took nearly that long to create the countrys first national pantheon. Adjacent to the national military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, the Memorial Hall opened to the public without fanfare a few months ago. The product of decades of political wrangling, emotional strife and procrastination, the monument reveals little about Israels wars with its external enemies. A funnel-shaped formation of bricks, each commemorating a fallen solider, opens the hall to the sky (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images) Instead, its minimalist design sidesteps internal conflicts over what should be memorialised, why and how, in a country still fighting its battles and split by deep ideological divisions. Lacking a consensus around a single national narrative, commemoration has been pared down to bare essentials. Partly dug into the mountain, the monument consists of a wall of more than 23,600 white bricks, engraved with only the sparest of details: the names of the dead and the dates they died, arranged in chronological order. It spirals around an undulating funnel of light that seems to defy gravity, reaching skywars. There are no ranks, no mention of the places or circumstances in which the soldiers perished. Using a broad definition of the fallen, it includes not only those killed in action, but also anybody who died in uniform; not only soldiers who fought for Israel, but also those who fought to create Israel. Avoiding any hierarchy of prestige or loss, privates take their place alongside generals and national heroes. No battles are deemed more or less important than others. Once we introduced the concept of unity and equality, it solved all the problems and prevented the arguments, says Aryeh Muallem, deputy director general of the Israeli Ministry of Defence and head of its Bereaved Families, Commemoration and Heritage department. Preserving morale is considered critical in a small country where most 18-year-olds are drafted for years of compulsory military service. Last Memorial Day, about 1.5 million Israelis, or roughly one-sixth of the population, visited military cemeteries around the country. But Israelis cannot even agree on what to call some hostilities, like Israels 1982 invasion of Lebanon, which is criticised by many as an unjustified war of choice. Officially called Operation Peace for Galilee, it is usually referred to as the First Lebanon War. Muallem says the memorial was the outcome of a long dialogue with representatives of bereaved families. They presented the state with a challenge, wanting their dead to be remembered individually, on the day they had fallen. So each inscribed brick has a light beside it, which is illuminated on the personal anniversary. At 11am every day, a brief remembrance ceremony is held for those killed on that date, as their names and images appear on digital screens mounted on 12 pillars. The screens, and a smartphone app, provide more information about the dead. Rows of bricks inscribed with names and dates line the rooms, with many more blank and waiting (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images) The wall begins with rows upon rows of blank white bricks, waiting ominously for more names; the design imposes no limit. The first names a visitor sees are the most recent fatalities, and then the wall spirals back to the 1870s, commemorating the earliest casualties of the Zionist struggle and the soldiers of Zionist militias who fought and died before independence. We decided to begin from the end, with what most speaks to us today, says Michal Kimmel-Eshkolot of Kimmel Eshkolot Architects, which designed the monument. The inscribed bricks are no higher than about 6ft from the floor, she says during a tour of the site, so a mother can reach up and touch the name. Etan Kimmel, the chief architect of the project, writes in the brochure that the challenge was to create a space in a way that touches everyone, but without imposing a uniform interpretation. That is at least partly because the issue of war dead stirs painful debate in Israel. When it was announced last month that Miriam Peretz, who lost two sons in combat and who then dedicated herself to Zionist education, was to be awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement, another bereaved mother, Nomi Miller, criticised the choice as a cynical glorification of suffering. We, the mothers, are not worthy of any prize, she writes in an impassioned Facebook post that elicits thousands of sympathetic reactions. Our sons lives ended forever because our country continues to choose to live by the sword. Fight for peace. Before the Memorial Hall, most of Israels fallen had been commemorated in museums or monuments established by veterans of particular battles or military corps, or in private memorials scattered around the country. But about 3,000 soldiers were not memorialised anywhere. The idea for a national monument goes back to 1949, when Israels leadership proposed erecting a tomb of the unknown soldier. But the location kept changing, and bereaved relatives had no interest in the idea, arguing that their loved ones were not anonymous, according to Professor Maoz Azaryahu, director of the Herzl Institute for the Study of Zionism at the University of Haifa, Israel. When I go back, the whole story of commemoration here in Israel is about names, Azaryahu says. In the new hall, metaphorically, the bricks the names are the building material of the whole structure. Mount Herzl became the focal point of Israeli memory, with its military cemetery and tombs of the founding fathers. The plaques are ordered by date rather than rank; privates take their place alongside generals and heroes (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images) But the idea for a collective monument was quietly dropped until the 1970s, when a plan was developed to build a museum of war and military heritage and a memorial complex on Mount Eitan, outside Jerusalem. Committees sat. Architects planned. Large amounts of money were invested. Historians, experts and intellectuals filled files with recommendations. The new left wanted it to begin in 1948, says Udi Lebel, a sociology professor at Ariel University in the West Bank and at the Begin-Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University. Others wanted it to begin with the Bible and Jericho. Recommended We need to examine why we equate criticism of Israel with antisemitism There were arguments about how to present the consequences of the 1967 war, with some viewing the newly occupied territories as a card for peace negotiations and others as the liberation of Greater Israel. Some wanted the Mount Eitan project to lift morale and encourage service. Others worried about presenting Israel as a militaristic, Sparta-like state. The debates went on until the 1990s. By then, Israel was signing peace accords with the Palestinians and a treaty with Jordan, and many felt it was not the time to build a war museum. The push for a memorial resumed in the following decade, finally leading to construction. What went up in the end is a place with one function only to give the names of the fallen, says Lebel, who specialises in collective memory and the politics of bereavement, adding that even one sentence about how they died could be cause for argument. That reflects Israel, he says. The only consensus there can be here is empathy for the families and remembering the victims. There is no consensus over the past and we are still living the conflict. New York Times Fashion is the master of reinvention its the creation and recreation of irresistible trends; beautiful clothes are the making of iconic Hollywood characters; a good choice of outfit never fails to transform your mood. However, the 2 trillion industry is also the master of trompe loeil, disguising a degrading and exploitative industry on a carefully curated catwalk of beautiful clothes and beautiful people. But not this week: Fashion Revolution Week is a movement demanding more transparency and better conditions for garment workers across the globe. Recommended Adidas launch yoga collection made from recycled ocean plastic Its an obvious nod to international fashion weeks but inverts the traditional catwalk by hosting Open Studio in cities across the world, inviting people into the workshops of fashion brands such as Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and Christopher Raeburn, who are throwing their doors open to the scrutiny of the public. #whomademyclothes Fashion Revolution Weeks #whomademyclothes hashtag is already trending on Twitter and Instagram. Last year, 100,000 posts asking brands the question, and around 2,400 brands responded, some with an opaque link to their CSR policy, others with detailed information and even photos of the garment workers. marks the fifth anniversary of the collapse of the Tomorrowmarks the fifth anniversary of the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh, which killed 1,134 garment factory workers and seriously injured a further 2,500 people. The building housed five clothing factories, working for high street brands including but not only Benetton and Primark. It had cracks in the walls and there had been warnings it was unsafe, yet the workers were forced to go to work that morning, regardless. Fashion Revolution in pictures Show all 12 1 /12 Fashion Revolution in pictures Fashion Revolution in pictures Fashion Revolution in pictures Fashion Revolution in pictures Fashion Revolution in pictures Fashion Revolution in pictures Fashion Revolution in pictures Fashion Revolution in pictures Fashion Revolution in pictures Fashion Revolution in pictures Fashion Revolution in pictures Fashion Revolution in pictures Fashion Revolution in pictures The tragedy shone a spotlight on the appalling conditions so many of our clothes are made in. Around 75 million people, predominantly women, work in fashion and textiles across the globe. IndustriALL Global Union report that 90 per cent of these workers have no possibility of negotiating their wages or conditions. Many workers at the bottom of the chain are subject to exploitation, verbal and physical abuse, working in unsafe conditions, with very little pay. Meanwhile, at least six of the worlds top 20 richest people on Forbes list of billionaires last year were in retail including Amancio Ortega from Zara and Bernard Arnault, CEO of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton. The disaster at the Rana Plaza compound highlighted appalling safety standards in Bangladeshs $28bn garment export industry (Getty) The collapse of Rana Plaza highlighted that a more expensive top doesnt necessarily equate to more pay or better working conditions, as all fashion brands, from Primark to luxury Bond Street stores, use the same factories. The only reason Benetton and Primark could be linked to Rana Plaza was because their labels were found among the rubble along with the bodies of the victims. As a direct result of Rana Plaza, Fashion Revolution was created by ethical fashion designers Carry Somers and Orsola de Castro, a movement demanding more transparency in the fashion supply chain. If theres more transparency then brands can start to be held responsible, not only for huge tragedies like this, but also for 18-hour working days, workers only receiving two days off a month and no lunch breaks in the name of fast fashion and huge profits. Nilufer Begums right leg was crippled after it was trapped under the weight of three dead bodies inside sandwiched floors (AFP) If unions and workers in Bangladesh have a list of where brands are manufacturing, its so much easier for us to resolve problems quickly. We can address issues directly with brands, says Nazma Akter, trade unionist and founder of the AWAJ foundation, which campaigns for legal empowerment of workers in Bangladesh. Akter was just 11 years old when she started working up to 70 hours a week with her mum in a clothing factory. There have been some successes, and ethical fashion brands are rising in popularity. Somers says :The industry is starting to change. More brands are being open about where their clothes are made. More manufacturers are making their factories safe. More producers are being seen and heard. Fashion Revolutions #whomademyclothes is already trending on Twitter and Instagram (Fashion Revolution) But systemic change is yet to happen. The Bangladesh government delivered a 77 per cent increase in the minimum wage to 49 per month for garment workers. Yet Garment Workers Diaries found that in Bangladesh, Cambodia and India many clothing makers were not even being paid a legal minimum wage let alone a living wage which makes the increase to minimum wage meaningless to millions of workers. Unfortunately, human rights dont evolve at the same speed as trends. Especially in trillion-pound industries. Which is why, five years on, its important we all keep the pressure up and take to social media to ask brands #whomademyclothes? The Fashion Revolution manifesto This year, Fashion Revolution has launched its manifesto in parliament a 10-point plan for a cleaner, safer fashion industry. Calling for democracy in fashion and for success to be measured by more than just profits, its a manifesto that could be extended across all industries. Sign it here: www.fashionrevolution.org/manifesto The Fashion Transparency Index The Fashion Transparency Index tracks how much brands reveal about their social and environmental policies, practices and impacts. Adidas and Reebok have come out on top; closely followed by Puma, H&M, Esprit, Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy, C&A and Marks and Spencer, completing the top 10 of 150 brands included in the study. This doesnt mean these brands necessarily have better working practices. Or that the information they are sharing is necessarily good. In fact, no brand or retailer in the survey scores more than 60 per cent. But it does mean these companies are disclosing some information to the public about how and where their apparel is produced and therefore they are starting to take responsibility for their supply chains, which is a significant and positive step in the right direction. Find out more about transparency here: www.fashionrevolution.org/about/transparency Find out more about Fashion Revolution here: www.fashionrevloution.org Lizzie is the founder of ethical fashion and food website, bicbim.co.uk. Follow her on Twitter @LizzieRivs and @bicbim A Californian restaurant on Venice Beach is now offering deconstructed avocado toast bowls, alternatively known as an avocado salad sprinkled with a couple of croutons. As far as food trends go, the hipster penchant for deconstructed fare is among the most controversial. The concept is nothing new, restaurants are always serving food in unconventional ways - wooden boards, pots and jars, with a smear of sauce here and a scattering of berries there. The aim is to appear avant-garde, imaginative, "hipster". But while an artfully plated deconstructed dessert might impress on Masterchef, a DIY coffee, or spread-it-yourself slice of toast, only seems to irritate the everyday customer. When Kara Swisher tweeted a photo of a sign displaying a cafes new deconstructed avocado toast bowl Twitter was ready to revolt. Its called a salad commented one user. You cant deconstruct a dish with two ingredients remarked another. People were quick to call out the clever marketing ploy, noting that the rebranding of what is essentially a salad bowl would probably also mean an increase in price. While Swisher didnt reveal the name of the cafe in question, the concept alone was enough to get people riled up. But while a salad bowl may be a poor substitute for avocado toast, at least it is served fully prepared, tossed with honey lime vinaigrette, unlike this deconstructed breakfast board served by the Kitty Burns cafe in Melbourne: A Reddit user posted a photo of his friends DIY $17 (9) avocado toast meal commenting that Melbourne had reached peak hipster. The internet was outraged, and the cafe mocked for its pretentious take on the dish. Deconstructed food might look fancy but chances are if you're paying someone to make food for you, you probably expect them to actually make your food for you. And while there's nothing inherently wrong with an avocado salad, let's just agree to call it what it is and assume that when someone says they want avocado toast, they probably just want avocado on toast. Parents are outraged after a preschool in Massachusetts banned children from using the term best friend. Mum Christine Hartwell told Boston 25 News that her four-year-old daughter Julia came home upset after her teacher at Pentucket Workshop Preschool in Georgetown, Massachusetts told her she couldnt refer to any of her classmates as her best friends. When I asked her what was wrong she said she was really sad about what her teacher did that day, her mum recalled. According to Hartwell, Julia said her teacher had told her she couldnt call someone her best friend - and now Julia was afraid to call anyone her best friend. Upset over the outrageous and silly announcement, Hartwell searched for any rules or guidelines that backed up the policy in the Pentucket Workshop Preschool handbook and found none. Then she went to the director of her daughters school. But rather than appease her concerns, the director of the school sent a letter to the Hartwells, according to Boston 25 News, stating that theyd done their research about kids using the term best friend and found it might be hurtful. Mum Christine Hartwell was outraged by the announcement (Boston25News) Backing the teacher and standing by the decision, the director said they were going to be discouraging children from using the term at school and in group settings - as banning best friends can promote inclusion. A portion of the letter reads: "It has been our experience (which spans decades) that the use of the term 'best friend,' even when used in a loving way, can lead other children to feel excluded [...] which can ultimately lead to the formation of 'cliques' and 'outsiders.' This isn't the first time a school has attempted to ban the use of the word - or supported the idea that it should be. In 2013, the headmaster of a prep school, Ben Thomas, said: I would certainly endorse a policy which says we should have lots of good friends, not a best friend" and "These obsessive friendships can be very hurtful for those who are left out of them, and ostracising is as painful as physical bullying." Since the announcement, the mum has decided to find a new preschool for her daughter, where four-year-old Julia will be able to use the term best friend freely - and people agree with her decision. The school's handbook says nothing about the rule (Boston25News) Insane. Im so sick of hearing that people might be offended. Grow a spine and suck it up. Not everyone is going to like you or be your best friend. Learn the lesson when you are little so you can grow up and be a normal adult, wrote one person on Facebook. Another agreed. They wrote: Ridiculous! As director of a childcare centre in Newburyport, Ma, I hear my preschoolers saying: Youre my best friend many times a day. In my experience children use this as a way of saying I like you and will say it to many different friends. Telling a child they may not use a friendly term, in my opinion, hinders their thoughts and feelings that are exclusively their own. We encourage it as it should be. The most expensive schools in the world Show all 10 1 /10 The most expensive schools in the world The most expensive schools in the world La Rosey, Switzerland This prestigious Swiss boarding school is believed to be the most expensive in the world. Le Rosey hosts pupils from seven to 18 and has been co-educational since 1967. The school takes in pupils from more than 60 countries, but allows no more than 10 per cent of its students to come from any one country in order to prevent a single nationality dominating. The school has two campuses winter is spent in Gstaad, where pupils can make use of the ski slopes after their morning lessons. Come spring, the whole school will uproot to the Chataeau du Rosey in the village of Rolle by Lake Geneva. Le Rosey also boats a 1,000 seat concert hall, equestrian centre and 38-foot yacht. Notable alumni: Shah of Iran, Prince Rainier of Monaco and King Farouk of Egypt. Sir Roger Moore and Elizabeth Taylor also send their children here, along with John Lennons son Sean and Winston Churchills grandson. Fees: approx. 86,657 pa The most expensive schools in the world Aiglon College, Switzerland With a view of Mont Blanc, this high altitude school lends itself to outdoor pursuits. The school caters for boys and girls aged nine to 18 and is modelled on the traditional British Boarding school. Unlike most schools, however, the whole school body comes together for 20 minutes of meditation on three mornings each week. Notable alumni: Actor Michel Gill, Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark, Sheherazade Goldsmith Fees: up to 80,810 per year (upper school boarding) The most expensive schools in the world College Alpin International Beau Soleil Founded in 1910, Beau Soleil is one of the oldest private boarding schools in Switzerland. It is positioned 1,350 metres above sea level on the Swiss Alps and hosts pupils from more than 40 different nationalities aged 11-18. The curriculum is taught in both French and English and focuses on outdoor sports, with a ski slope and ice skating rink on site. Notable alumni: Racing driver Jacques Villeneuve, Princess Marie of Denmark, Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg Fees: 79,528 College Alpin International Beau Soleil The most expensive schools in the world College du Leman International School, Switzerland Taking in children from as young as one year old, College du Leman teaches a bilingual programme of French and English up to age 18. The school campus stretches out across eight hectares and offers access to both Geneva city and the mountains. Pupils from more than 100 nationalities attend. Noteable alumni: Anna Ovcharova, Swiss, Russian figure skater Fees: 68,960 pa The most expensive schools in the world Leysin American School, Switzerland Another high-profile Swiss school, popular for its exclusive ski and snowboard facilities. LAS Students are allowed to spend Tuesday and Thursday afternoons on the mountain for sports. Despite its name, around 12 per cent of students are from the US. Notable alumni: According to Bloomberg, alumni include members of Saudi Arabias royal family, the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. Fees: Approx 66,700 per year Leysin American School The most expensive schools in the world Institut auf dem Rosenberg With just 260 boarding pupils from over 40 countries, emphasis is placed on one-on-one time at the Institut auf dem Rosenberg. The school has a staff to student ratio of 1:4 and average class sizes of 8 students. Pupils can choose fromn one of five curricula, including British A level,s German Abitur and the Swiss Matura program. Notable alumni: Countless politicians and business leaders as well as international royalty the school operates a strict privacy policy but most studenrts come from entrepreneurial families or are heirs to large businesses. Fees: 66,160 pa The most expensive schools in the world Think Global School The worlds first travelling high school takes pupils to four different countries each year allowing pupils to experience subjects out in the field. The school has one teacher for every three students and has a 100 per cent pass rate for the International Baccalaureate qualification. Notable alumni: The school is only seven years old, but will no doubt become a popular choice with the next generation of rock stars children. Fees: 63,980. Sliding-scale scholarships offered. The most expensive schools in the world The American school in Switzerland (TASIS) The first US boarding school to be set up in Europe, TASIS lies on the Dollina dOro in the Swiss mountains. Fine art is central to the school curriculum and TASIS hosts its own Spring Arts Festival which attracts a number of famous artists and musicians each year. Notable alumni: American mountain climber Francys Arsentiev, Performer Jeanie Cunningham and Italian-American film director Francesca Gregorini Fees: 63,561 pa The most expensive schools in the world Brillantmont, Switzerland A family-run, traditional Swiss school for 130 years, Brillantmont overlooks Lake Geneva and sits just a five-minute walk away from Lausanne. Brillantmont boasts that 100 per cent of its students continue their studies to higher education. Notable alumni: kept suspiciously on the down-low Fees: 52,010 - 59,680 pa Brillantmont, Switzerland The most expensive schools in the world Hurtwood house, Surrey Hurtwood house, surrey Several of the best UK boarding schools top their fees around this mark. Set in an Edwardian mansion with 200 acres of grounds, Hurtwood House is one of the most unique. The school hosts just 340 pupils and is known for its focus on creativity and the arts a recent school production of Chicago cost 75,000 to stage, according to Tatler. Notable alumni: Emily Blunt, Jack Huston, Hans Zimmer Fees: 39,555 pa As for Hartwells feelings, she just wants her daughter to have a normal preschool experience. I want her to be able to express her thoughts and feelings in a healthy way, as children should, she said. The Independent has contacted Pentucket Workshop Preschool for comment. There would appear to be modest signs of progress when it comes to the exploitative zero hours contracts that hundreds of thousands of Britons find themselves stuck on in the latest data. Official figures show the number of firms using them did rise to 1.8m in the year to November, up from 1.7m the previous year. Not exactly good news, but the Office for National Statistics noted that the survey methodology had changed so cautioned against drawing firm conclusions. Meanwhile the proportion of the workforce on them stayed flat at 6 per cent, and the available evidence at least seems to suggests that their runaway growth has slowed. The Resolution Foundation pointed to a positive from another dataset which looks at the actual number of contracts in force. It came in at 901,000 between October and December 2017, a slight fall compared to six moths ago. However, the problem is this: There are still around 900,000 workers in this country who dont know how many hours theyre going to get from one week to the next. In some sectors, hospitality for example, they represent as much as 20 per cent of the labour force, with young and female workers particularly badly affected. It is true that the zero hours arrangement works for some of them. But only some. Others suffer, with shifts cancelled at the drop of a hat on the one hand, while the screw is turned if they are unable to take up hours on the other. The flexibility in the zero hours contract often works only for the employer. A sizeable proportion of employees on them are being ruthlessly exploited. It isnt hard to see the reason for the modest fall in their number: Unemployment is at a 43-year low. As things stand, there are alternatives out there for people with bad employers, alternatives that include guaranteed hours for those that want them. However, that shouldnt get the Government off the hook for sitting back while the problem has ballooned in front of its eyes. It is also true that Theresa May & Co are embarked on a suicidally stupid economic course with their beloved hard Brexit. The current zero hours slowdown could easily go into reverse as that takes away the alternatives. In the wake of the Taylor Review into employment, ministers proposed to address the issue by providing workers with the right to request a more stable employment contract. The word pathetic isnt nearly strong enough to describe that as a response. You can request such a contract now, but if you have a bad employer theres no point. The Governments proposals wont change that. On the other hand, Labour has mooted banning them. The problem with that is that it might hit those that the arrangement does work for. Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. Resolutions senior economic analyst Stephen Clarke suggests a middle course: a new right to guaranteed hours for anyone who has in practice been doing regular hours on a zero hours contract for at least three months. A law to enforce that would require very careful wording. It would need to be sufficiently robust to counter attempts by bad employers to get around it. But its not a bad place to start. One of the worlds top financial economists has warned that, a decade after the fall of Lehman Brothers, the seeds are being planted for the next destructive financial crisis. Professor Douglas Diamond of the University of Chicago is the author of a canonical theoretical model of bank runs and last week was awarded the triennial Onassis prize in finance. Speaking to The Independent, Professor Diamond said his current research on the financial system made him concerned that credit, or liquidity, was once again being granted too liberally, just as it was before the 2008 meltdown. Weve certainly had a lots of liquidity injected recently. One thing you see is this huge increase in whats called leveraged loans high-yield, syndicated loans. And very few covenants in those loans, he said. Thats an indicator to us that we could be planting the seeds of the next crisis. Professor Diamond refused to be drawn on when, or where in the financial system, the next crisis could break out, saying if you think crises are about fear and panic theyre almost by definition unpredictable. [And] they may come up in a place thats different from where they came in the past. On a more positive note, Professor Diamond said large global banks, which were the primary vector of financial contagion a decade ago, had been forced by regulators to maintain much larger capital and liquidity buffers to absorb losses and ride out market stress than they did a decade ago. But he warned against this instilling a sense of complacency among regulators. The whole world of regulators [and] central bankers has been trying to design macro-prudential regulation. Essentially people thought about it and ran regressions about what would have worked in the past. But we have absolutely no evidence on how its working. So at this stage its a matter of hoping that we got the diagnosis correct because we dont really have any data yet. Professor Diamond added that this was the reason why it was worrying that the Trump White House has been talking about deregulating Wall Street for the sake of boosting US growth. Give the current regulations a little bit of time to work and see which ones work well and which dont, he said. The International Monetary Fund sounded its own alarm about debt last week, pointing out that global borrowing or leverage has hit $164 trillion, higher as a share of global GDP than it was in 2009. Outstanding leveraged loans in the US which provide high interest finance for companies with weak credit ratings and in which many retail investors have indirectly invested more than doubled to $930bn between 2007 and mid-2017, according to Bloomberg. One of the Trump administrations proposals has been to scrap new rules to protect leveraged loan buyers. In 1983 Professor Diamond, along with Philip Dybvig, published a model showing how banks traditional financing of illiquid assets such as mortgage loans with liquid liabililties such as customers deposits could result in a self-fulfilling panic and a customer run. The fact that banks were prone to destructive runs was, of course, well known from history. But the Diamond-Dybvig model showed precisely why they happened at the level of the individual institution and gave a clear steer to regulators on what policies, such a government deposit insurance and capital requirements, were necessary to make banks less unstable. We were right out of graduate school. We realised that this was a simple idea and we should write it in a way that bank regulators and other economists could read it, Professor Diamond said. The 1983 Diamond-Dybvig paper, Bank Runs, Deposit Insurance, and Liquidity, is now one of the most frequently cited by other scholars in economics. Professor Diamond described winning the 2018 Onassis prize, which comes with a $200,000 award, as an amazing honour, noting it has previously been awarded to two of his mentors, Eugene Fama and Stephen Ross. This was a pleasant surprise and a big deal to me, he said. Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 8 Vote(s) - 3.5 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 3 opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? LopDude Warning level 1200% User ID: kaput 04-23-2018 05:58 PM Posts: 19,764 Post: #1 opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? Advertisement They will not tell you that the most important of those other commodities was human beings. It is the sort of lacuna, says Bryan Stevenson, that allows people to achieve political victories by celebrating the greatness of America. The question is, which decade are black Americans supposed to want to relive? It also is a gap that is about to be filled in the most dramatic fashion just a few blocks from the riverfront, beginning Thursday. That is when the Equal Justice Initiative, which Stevenson founded and heads, will open the Legacy Museum and, nearby, an equally powerful, even more unusual outdoor memorial to the thousands of African American victims of the state terror tactic known as lynching. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/...024f1c3fc7 Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them In the Riverfront Park of this state capital, you will find a series of panels depicting the citys history. They will tell you when the first white settler arrived, how riverboats transformed Montgomery into a trading hub for cotton and many other important commodities, and how the city became the cradle of the Confederacy.They will not tell you that the most important of those other commodities was human beings.It is the sort of lacuna, says Bryan Stevenson, that allows people to achieve political victories by celebrating the greatness of America.The question is, which decade are black Americans supposed to want to relive?It also is a gap that is about to be filled in the most dramatic fashion just a few blocks from the riverfront, beginning Thursday. That is when the Equal Justice Initiative, which Stevenson founded and heads, will open the Legacy Museum and, nearby, an equally powerful, even more unusual outdoor memorial to the thousands of African American victims of the state terror tactic known as lynching. Looky lop guest User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 06:03 PM Post: #2 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? I like your threads when they are not bait. LopDude Warning level 1200% User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 06:09 PM Posts: 19,764 Post: #3 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? Looky Wrote: (04-23-2018 06:03 PM) I like your threads when they are not bait. well i try post threads with interesting articles -up for good discussion any ol time well i try post threads with interesting articles -up for good discussion any ol time Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 06:12 PM Post: #4 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? Since they've had such an awful time here throughout all of history it's a wonder that they want to stay here. They could move to Zimbabwe or South Africa and get free farmland if they wanted. Then never live under white oppression ever again. Hamburgerwagon lop guest User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 06:19 PM Post: #5 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? Would you rather be born a slave in 1850 or as a black man in Chicagos Southwest side in 2018? Im being serious. Which life do you think is harder to live? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 06:31 PM Post: #6 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? LoP Guest Wrote: (04-23-2018 06:12 PM) Since they've had such an awful time here throughout all of history it's a wonder that they want to stay here. They could move to Zimbabwe or South Africa and get free farmland if they wanted. Then never live under white oppression ever again. The violators should be sanctioned not the victims of violation. The violators should be sanctioned not the victims of violation. TicklePickle Registered User User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 06:48 PM Posts: 1,352 Post: #7 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? LopDude Wrote: (04-23-2018 05:58 PM) In the Riverfront Park of this state capital, you will find a series of panels depicting the citys history. They will tell you when the first white settler arrived, how riverboats transformed Montgomery into a trading hub for cotton and many other important commodities, and how the city became the cradle of the Confederacy. They will not tell you that the most important of those other commodities was human beings. It is the sort of lacuna, says Bryan Stevenson, that allows people to achieve political victories by celebrating the greatness of America. The question is, which decade are black Americans supposed to want to relive? It also is a gap that is about to be filled in the most dramatic fashion just a few blocks from the riverfront, beginning Thursday. That is when the Equal Justice Initiative, which Stevenson founded and heads, will open the Legacy Museum and, nearby, an equally powerful, even more unusual outdoor memorial to the thousands of African American victims of the state terror tactic known as lynching. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/...024f1c3fc7 The leftist media is constantly trying to beat Americans over the head with "Slavery, slavery, slavery, jim crow, slavery, jim crow, don'tcha feel guilty white folks!?" What's going on here is that the political left is trying to get white Americans to agree to new discriminatory practices that will discriminate against them (white people), as a punishment for the sins of a small percentage of white folks hundreds of years ago. They also want white Americans to feel so guilty that they will agree to keep the borders open and allow millions of third world people to flood in, as a punishment because some white slave owner guy whipped his slave 200 years ago or something. The leftist media is constantly trying to beat Americans over the head with "Slavery, slavery, slavery, jim crow, slavery, jim crow, don'tcha feel guilty white folks!?"What's going on here is that the political left is trying to get white Americans to agree to new discriminatory practices that will discriminate against them (white people), as a punishment for the sins of a small percentage of white folks hundreds of years ago.They also want white Americans to feel so guilty that they will agree to keep the borders open and allow millions of third world people to flood in, as a punishment because some white slave owner guy whipped his slave 200 years ago or something. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 06:59 PM Post: #8 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? Why doesn't the self-flagellating Liberal Left ever talk about the Chinese slaves used to work on the transcontinental railroad? Or the slaves taken by native Americans? Including white slaves like Olive Oatman? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 07:07 PM Post: #9 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? TicklePickle Wrote: (04-23-2018 06:48 PM) LopDude Wrote: (04-23-2018 05:58 PM) In the Riverfront Park of this state capital, you will find a series of panels depicting the citys history. They will tell you when the first white settler arrived, how riverboats transformed Montgomery into a trading hub for cotton and many other important commodities, and how the city became the cradle of the Confederacy. They will not tell you that the most important of those other commodities was human beings. It is the sort of lacuna, says Bryan Stevenson, that allows people to achieve political victories by celebrating the greatness of America. The question is, which decade are black Americans supposed to want to relive? It also is a gap that is about to be filled in the most dramatic fashion just a few blocks from the riverfront, beginning Thursday. That is when the Equal Justice Initiative, which Stevenson founded and heads, will open the Legacy Museum and, nearby, an equally powerful, even more unusual outdoor memorial to the thousands of African American victims of the state terror tactic known as lynching. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/...024f1c3fc7 The leftist media is constantly trying to beat Americans over the head with "Slavery, slavery, slavery, jim crow, slavery, jim crow, don'tcha feel guilty white folks!?" What's going on here is that the political left is trying to get white Americans to agree to new discriminatory practices that will discriminate against them (white people), as a punishment for the sins of a small percentage of white folks hundreds of years ago. They also want white Americans to feel so guilty that they will agree to keep the borders open and allow millions of third world people to flood in, as a punishment because some white slave owner guy whipped his slave 200 years ago or something. To add white America has forgotten to vote for politicians who will do for them NOT other people. Specially not for people who a few small slave owners brought over to steal white peoples jobs from 200 years ago. To add white America has forgotten to vote for politicians who will do for them NOT other people. Specially not for people who a few small slave owners brought over to steal white peoples jobs from 200 years ago. chuck Registered User User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 07:41 PM Posts: 1,537 Post: #10 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? LoP Guest Wrote: (04-23-2018 06:12 PM) Since they've had such an awful time here throughout all of history it's a wonder that they want to stay here. They could move to Zimbabwe or South Africa and get free farmland if they wanted. Then never live under white oppression ever again. You forgot Liberia. Which was founded to give the American slaves a home in Africa. You forgot Liberia. Which was founded to give the American slaves a home in Africa. czygyny Kletos, Eklektos & Pistos User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 09:43 PM Posts: 911 Post: #11 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? LoP Guest Wrote: (04-23-2018 06:59 PM) Why doesn't the self-flagellating Liberal Left ever talk about the Chinese slaves used to work on the transcontinental railroad? Or the slaves taken by native Americans? Including white slaves like Olive Oatman? Shush! You'll confuse them with facts! They don't want to know that just about every ethnic group in the world has been enslaved, absorbed, exiled and genocided at one time or another, over the millennia. This is just the social movement d'jour, the handiest and freshest-in-our-history 'cause' at the moment. Shush! You'll confuse them with facts!They don't want to know that just about every ethnic group in the world has been enslaved, absorbed, exiled and genocided at one time or another, over the millennia.This is just the social movement d'jour, the handiest and freshest-in-our-history 'cause' at the moment. DanfromtheHills lop guest User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 10:14 PM Post: #12 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? czygyny Wrote: (04-23-2018 09:43 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-23-2018 06:59 PM) Why doesn't the self-flagellating Liberal Left ever talk about the Chinese slaves used to work on the transcontinental railroad? Or the slaves taken by native Americans? Including white slaves like Olive Oatman? Shush! You'll confuse them with facts! They don't want to know that just about every ethnic group in the world has been enslaved, absorbed, exiled and genocided at one time or another, over the millennia. This is just the social movement d'jour, the handiest and freshest-in-our-history 'cause' at the moment. Well put, Czy. Well put, Czy. spo snouou Vocem sine nomine audivit! User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 10:40 PM Posts: 67,593 Post: #13 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? Looky Wrote: (04-23-2018 06:03 PM) I like your threads when they are not bait. this one can't help themselves.. constantly triggered and pushing white victim-hood virtue signalling for the narc/nationalist group boring condescending twat at the best of times now this one can't help themselves.. constantly triggered and pushing white victim-hood virtue signalling for the narc/nationalist groupboring condescending twat at the best of times now {^} lop guest User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 11:22 PM Post: #14 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? spo snouou Wrote: (04-23-2018 10:40 PM) Looky Wrote: (04-23-2018 06:03 PM) I like your threads when they are not bait. this one can't help themselves.. constantly triggered and pushing white victim-hood virtue signalling for the narc/nationalist group boring condescending twat at the best of times now Lopdude isnt a twat Lopdude isnt a twat LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 04-23-2018 11:28 PM Post: #15 RE: opinion from the washington post: Is this when America was great? They are not slaves any more and the white people sure as heck don't treat them like slaves But they still act like they are in the 1800s Advertisement All students should receive a minimum living income from government to ensure financial pressures do not dissuade them from university or college, according to a new report. Working-class students face higher financial barriers when trying to access post-16 education in England, the study from the National Union of Students (NUS) suggests. Students from poorer backgrounds struggle to pay for food, heating, transport and accommodation, it says, adding that they can feel isolated as financial worries prevent them from taking part in social activities. Compiled by the unions Poverty Commission, it calls on the government to introduce a minimum living income to provide security for students who experience financial precarity. The government should also restore maintenance grants for university students and nursing bursaries, it says. It also calls for a rise in the minimum wage given to apprenticeship students, which currently sits at 3.70 an hour. This should match 7.83, the national living wage for those aged 25 and over, the report states. Students face rising costs in a range of critical expenditure, notably transport, accommodation, childcare and course-related costs, it says. Increasing student income by increasing student loans is burdening generations with a time bomb of debt and putting too many off further study altogether. Student loans are recycled into extraordinary profits for landlords and bus companies while students experience poverty. Shakira Martin, president of the NUS, said: Being born working class is one of the biggest barriers to education. The government claims to be improving social mobility and tackling poverty but so often forgets to recognise how inter-related poverty and class are. She added: There is now absolutely no excuse for government and institutions not to act as the evidence shows that this problem is systemic and of the most serious nature. It is particularly concerning that large numbers of those who submitted evidence said they couldnt afford heating and food. The report also calls on universities to offer practical solutions such as deposit scheme or weekly payments to help lessen the burden or course costs, and to provide affordable accommodation. Professor Dame Janet Beer, president of Universities UK (UUK) and vice-chancellor of the University of Liverpool, said: While progress has been made in recent years in supporting and admitting more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to university, there is still a long way to go. The decline in part-time and mature student entrants is also a clear concern. She added: Universities UK supports the call to reinstate government maintenance grants, targeted to those students who need them the most. The governments switch in England from maintenance grants to loans had a more significant impact on those from more disadvantaged backgrounds, who need to take out higher loans for living costs and so have higher lifetime loan repayments. Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, accused the government of ignoring students concerns about the cost of living and rising debt. 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 Speaking ahead of a debate on the new higher education regulator, the Office for Students, Ms Rayner said: Instead of addressing students real concerns about the cost of living and soaring debt, ministers have sought to turn the so-called independent regulator into their puppet, pursuing their obsession with free markets and political pet projects instead of the sectors best interests. A Department for Education spokesperson said: No young person should experience barriers to their education and our reforms to higher, further and technical education are going further than any before to make sure that every young person can fulfil their potential, whatever their background. We are seeing record rates of 18-year-olds, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, entering full-time university education and our reforms to apprenticeships are opening up more high quality training routes to young people from all backgrounds. We are determined to continue this progress and our recently launched review of post-18 funding will consider how we can make sure students get more choice and value for money whatever form of education they choose. The government has announced a recruitment drive to attract new NHS nurses from Jamaica despite the unfolding scandal over the deportation of Windrush generation Britons after decades in the UK. In the second phase of earn, learn, return partnerships, Jamaican nurses will come to work in the NHS for a fixed term of around three years and then return with new skills and experience, the Government said. The scheme is intended to increase the NHS workforce by 5,500 full time nurses and help address a record 34,000 unfilled nursing and midwifery posts across the health service in England. In November last year ministers announced the schemes first partnership with India and the aim of recruiting 500 nurses by March, though the Department of Health could not immediately confirm if that had been achieved. But nursing chiefs said it was a short-term solution to staffing shortages caused by years of pay restraint and the removal of bursaries for new nurse trainees, and said urgent investment was needed in the UK training. They added that Jamaican nurses were already very highly trained, and usually have at least four years training compared to three in the NHS, and said perhaps English staff would have more to learn from them. However the Department of Health said the programme will support the Jamaican government in improving the knowledge and capability of their staff, particularly in areas like emergency medicine and intensive care. Recommended As a nurse I know why my colleagues are leaving the profession The new deal comes in a week where Theresa May and home secretary Amber Rudd have come under significant pressure for threatening to deport British residents, and their descendents, where they arrived from the Commonwealth before 1973. Problems reached crisis point thanks to a hostile environment policy instigated by Ms May when she was home secretary, and the Home Offices destruction of landing cards of Windrush immigrants, which could prove their residency status. The new scheme will also offer NHS staff the chance to visit the Jamaican and Indian health services, but not on the same scale, and an exchange partnership is also being worked on with the Philippines. NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Show all 25 1 /25 NHS in Crisis march: in pictures NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Protesters call on the government to reverse cuts to the NHS. Rex NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Demonstrators dressed as an undertaker and carrying a fake coffin. Getty Images NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Demonstrators gather on Gover Street in central London ahead of a march towards Downing Street to protest against underfunding and privatisation of the NHS and demand an end to the winter crisis in the health service. Rex NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Health workers and NHS campaigners march through London to a rally outside Downing Street. Rex NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Thousands of protesters marched during the demonstration organised by 'The People's Assembly Against Austerity' campaign group that called for better funding for the National Health Service (NHS) to end the 'winter crisis' in the national health care system. EPA NHS in Crisis march: in pictures A Boris Johnson impersonator lies in a makeshift hospital bed next to an effigy of Theresa May during a People's Assembly demonstration against the Conservative government's health policy. Getty NHS in Crisis march: in pictures A demonstrator in a mobility scooter carries a placard. Getty NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Demonstrators take part in a emergency NHS 'Fix It Now' protest demanding an end to the funding crisis in the Health Service. Rex NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Demonstrators take part in pro-NHS march and protest towards Downing Street in Central London. EPA NHS in Crisis march: in pictures A protestor carries a placard featuring Britain's Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt. AFP/Getty NHS in Crisis march: in pictures The demonstration is focused on the current crisis in the National Health Service. Getty NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Demonstrators hold placards and set off flares . Getty NHS in Crisis march: in pictures A demonstrator carries a cardboard skeleton wearing an ambulance uniform . Getty NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Demonstrators hold placards during a People's Assembly demonstration against the Conservative government's health policy Getty NHS in Crisis march: in pictures The Government will be urged to provide more beds, staff and funds to ease the problems facing the service. PA NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Protestors gather calling for an end to the "crisis" in the NHS. AFP/Getty NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth M joins people taking part in the march. PA NHS in Crisis march: in pictures A placard reading 'Nurses with fight for the NHS'. AFP/Getty NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Protestors carry placards and shout slogans. AFP/Getty NHS in Crisis march: in pictures People march through central London. PA NHS in Crisis march: in pictures People take part in a march in London in support of the National Health Service. PA NHS in Crisis march: in pictures People hold up a sign in support of the National Health Service to demand an end to the "crisis" in the NHS. PA NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Protestors carry placards featuring Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and Britain's Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt. AFP/Getty NHS in Crisis march: in pictures People take part in a march in London in support of the National Health Service. PA NHS in Crisis march: in pictures Demonstrators carry placards . Getty Donna Kinnair, director of nursing at the Royal College of Nursing, said that while the college supports sharing skills and learning with colleagues across the world this must not deprive poorer countries of vital health workers. Ministers cant just look to compensate for past and current policy mistakes through time-limited immigration schemes, she added. The government needs to make urgent investment decisions to grow and retain our domestic workforce, while fostering opportunities for nursing staff across the world to share skills and expertise. The government must be also be careful not to patronise nurses who trained in Jamaica, where training standards are very high. Health minister Stephen Barclay said: The NHS is blazing a trail in healthcare across the world and it is testament to the skills and expertise of our dedicated nurses that other countries are vying for their knowledge to help improve their own services. Im delighted that were partnering with Jamaica in this scheme, which will build on our existing collaboration with India, and further demonstrates the governments commitment to forging new international relationships in preparation for the UK to leave the European Union. A woman who groomed a 14-year-old boy for sex by text has been jailed. Kelly Wolf, 28, was found guilty at Wood Green Crown Court in March and was sentenced on Monday to two years and nine months in prison. She groomed the teen between 13 and 24 September 2016, the Metropolitan Police said. Officers became aware of the relationship on 25 September when he was reported missing. The force said in a statement: The victims parents informed officers that they believed their son was having a sexual relationship with Wolf. This was later confirmed by a friend of their son, who approached the parents when he found out he was missing. The friend also told officers he saw the two having sex in a park. The victim was questioned when he eventually returned home but declined to say anything about his relationship with Wolf. The next day, however, he and his mother went to Edmonton police station where he said he had been having a sexual relationship with the then 26-year-old. Wolf was arrested on 26 September 2016 and released on bail. She was then charged with two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, on 14 July 2017. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA 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 Following her sentencing Wolf, of Raynton Road in Enfield, north London, will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for at least 10 years. Detective Constable Rob Bushell, of the Mets child abuse and sexual offences command, said: These sorts of crimes are rarely reported to the police, as male victims often feel scared to speak to us about being victims of grooming. I hope that todays sentencing will urge other boys to come forward if they have been a victim of this type of crime. Doctors said councils should have more powers to keep junk food away from children following a rise in childhood obesity, according to a report. One measure would let authorities stop fast food shops opening within 400 metres of every school in the UK. The proposal should form part of the Governments updated childhood obesity strategy, due to be published this summer, according to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. President professor Russell Viner told The Daily Telegraph: Kids are coming out of school hungry and finding themselves surrounded by cheap chicken shops, chip shops and other types of junk food. This just wasnt the case 20 or 30 years ago. People tend to eat whats in front of them and we need to make it easier for children to make the right choices. Childhood obesity is on the rise, with almost one in 10 four and five-year-olds hitting dangerously fat levels, figures show. Obesity among children in the first year of primary school rose for a second year in a row in 2016-17, according to NHS Digital data. Another proposal would reportedly see children regularly weighed and measured from birth through adolescence. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 October 2021 Margaret Thatcher-themed mugs for sale at the annual Conservative Party conference in Manchester EPA UK news in pictures 2 October 2021 A couple make their way through a flooded underpass in Bristol as a yellow weather warning for rain and wind is issued for parts of the UK Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA 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 The House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee will hold hearings on the issue next month, with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health reportedly calling for the measures as part of a submission. Another study from University College London last year found more than one in three teenagers is overweight or obese. Deprived areas of the country are particularly affected, with more than double the number of obese children compared to more affluent areas. PA This is what 2,000 years of civilisation gets you. When Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable, she had to make do with a few shepherds and a trio of wise men for an audience. When Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to a boy in the private wing of a London hospital, she got a crowd of hundreds and the wisdom of every pundit the worlds 24-hour rolling news channels could muster. For this, not the first, but the third child born to Kate and William and therefore the fifth in line to the throne - the duchess got the massed ranks of the press filling the pavement, five rows deep. She got police with sniffer dogs keeping order, and Hello! publicity reps handing out Union Flags emblazoned with the name of the celebrity magazine. And somewhere in the crowd, she got a bloke holding up a picture of her, with a halo, on a donkey, carrying her baby, being led by Wills-as-Joseph, with little George and Charlotte following behind. Mary got the three wise men bearing gold, frankincense and myrrh. Kate got John, Terry, Maria and Amy camping out for 15 days, with four dolls, donated to them by the Luvabella doll company. The dolls werent being given directly to the Royal baby, but they were going to good causes in his honour. John Loughrey and Terry Hutt, with dolls (Getty) John was giving his doll to children at the hospital, St Marys, Paddington, (albeit not the private Lindo Wing where the duchess had just brought the spare, spare heir into the world). John, as he has told many an interviewer, is John Loughrey, Princess Diana Superfan. He was there at the inquest into her death, mentioned by the judge, Lord Justice Scott Baker, who told the jury: Only you and I, and the gentleman with Diana and Dodi written on his forehead have been here for every word of evidence. Now the 63-year-old had accessorised his dolls pretty pink dress with a beautiful gold-coloured crown. The doll emitted squeaky giggling sounds as John told interviewer after interviewer how he was going to celebrate this extra-special St Georges Day with fish and chips and an England flag. And song. Congratulations, John would begin, And celebrations And as the Princess Diana Superfan sang, the doll seemed to join in, like a ventriloquists dummy, in a heartwarming and only slightly creepy kind of way. John spoke from the very front of the crowd. Base camp was far behind him: a small tent, covered by a Union Jack; shopping caddies with Union Jacks tied to them; Tesco carrier bags with Union Jack bunting peeping out; cardboard bedding; and a bench with a Union Jack quilt draped over it. For more than a fortnight this had been home to John, Terry Hutt, 82, Maria Scott, 46, and her daughter Amy Thompson, 17, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Fifteen days, said John proudly. Its a record. George was eight days, Charlotte was two weeks. The hospital staff have been fantastic. Weve been able to have showers every day, porridge, curry You really couldnt buy this kind of excitement. Im drunk on my own adrenaline, admitted town crier Tony Appleton. Tony, 82, had been practising for this for two hours a day, for the last two weeks. On Saturday he came from his home in Great Baddow, Essex, for a rehearsal trial run on the steps of the Lindo Wing. Its only a few words, he explained, But when you are facing the world One mistake and theyll come down on you like a ton of bricks. Fortunately, so far, Tonys town crying was proving up to the big occasion. Spurred on by the demands of the camera crews, he was on 12 flawless cries for the day, and counting. You cry from the stomach, not the throat, he advised. I could cry for six hours without losing my voice. And for The Independent, he made it 13th time lucky. Oyez, oyez oyez, he began. It will take me two weeks to come down from this, admitted Tony. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA 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 Even Margaret Tyler was drinking champagne. I normally only drink tea, said the grandmother-of-four. Im thrilled to bits. Ive got 10,000 items of Royal memorabilia, added Margaret, Fifteen hundred books, videos My house is a B and B its got the Diana Room, the Jubilee Room The guests and I will talk about the Royals for half the night. We love it. There was one slight problem, but it wasnt unduly bothering the 74-year-old from Wembley, north London. Ive got two dining room tables, said Margaret, One for George and one for Charlotte. Ill have to get another one now. Ill need a bigger house! Maybe Ill get my builder to make one that exactly fits the dimensions of the space Ive got. Terry Hutt, 82, camped out for 15 days to be ready to welcome the Royal baby (REUTERS) And so, Margaret and the others waited for the Royal baby to be carried from the hospital, and for the Royal parents to wave to the cameras. And as they waited, they proclaimed Kate lovely. Very much like the Queen Mother, they said. She does so much for the country. And yet in their midst were unbelievers. Sitting on a bench festooned with bunting, was a woman with her right foot in a cast The Independent assumed that even the lame had come to pay their respects. The Independent was swiftly disabused. Connie, 50, a restaurant manager from Islington, north London, explained that she was on the bunting-clad bench because there was nowhere else for her to go. Connie had recently had two toes on her right foot amputated. She had been in hospital for two months. The bench outside the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother wing had been where she went, on crutches, when she wanted a bit of peace and quiet, Until this lot took over. Theyre a pain in the arse, said Connie, with some feeling. Theyve stolen all the benches. And no, it wasnt in a good cause. The Royal Family, the Queen and the rest of them, said Connie, Are just parasites. Nor did she have a particularly high opinion of the Royal watchers. I think they are stupid, she said, Like they have got nothing else to do, like there is something lacking in their lives. Its ridiculous, Connie added, gazing towards the front of the crowd. I cant see what theyre getting out of it, really But they do love the media attention. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are getting married on May 19. Expect everyone to be there, except maybe Connie. The government has suffered another embarrassing defeat on its flagship Brexit bill in the House of Lords after peers voted to keep a key EU human rights charter as part of British law. Peers backed a cross-party amendment in favour of retaining the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights by a majority of 71, with 316 supporting the motion and 245 opposing it. It is the third major defeat the government has suffered on its EU Withdrawal Bill in less than a week. The bill will transfer almost all European statutes into UK law when Britain leaves the EU, but the Charter of Fundamental Rights is one of a handful of pieces of legislation that will not be retained. Last week, peers voted for amendments to try to keep the UK in a customs union with the EU, and enshrine workers rights after Brexit. The latest defeat could force the government to soften its stance when the bill returns to the House of Commons. Ministers have insisted retaining the Charter of Fundamental Rights is unnecessary and that the protections it offers will be included elsewhere. But a number of peers, including several Tory rebels, criticised these claims. House of Lords defeat Government on EU customs union withdrawal bill Lord Pannick, a crossbencher who co-sponsored the amendment, said excluding the charter from UK law after Brexit would be a recipe for confusion. I fear the government is seeking to make an exception for rights under the charter because the government is suspicious of the very concept of fundamental rights, he said. This bill should not be used as an excuse to reduce the legal rights which we all enjoy against the state. Saying there had been no coherent defence of the governments position, he added: The exclusion of the Charter of Fundamental Rights from this bill is unprincipled and unjustified. Brexit so far: in pictures Show all 53 1 /53 Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit campaign Boris Johnson led the VoteLeave campaign PA Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit campaign Boris Johnson MP, Labour MP Gisela Stuart and UKIP MP Douglas Carswell address the people of Stafford in Market Square during the Vote Leave Brexit Battle Bus tour on 17 May 2016. Their lead line on the tour was: We send the EU 350 million a week, let's fund our NHS instead. Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Voting day A man shelters from the rain as he arrives at a polling station in London on 23 June 2016. Millions of Britons voted in the referendum on whether to stay in or leave the European Union AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Referendum results Leader of Ukip, Nigel Farage, reacts at the Leave EU referendum party at Millbank Tower in central London as results indicated that it was likely the UK would leave the European Union AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Protesting the result A young couple painted as EU flags and a man with a sign reading Im not leaving protest outside Downing Street against the voters decision to leave the EU on 24 June 2016 Getty Brexit so far: in pictures David Cameron resigns British Prime Minister David Cameron resigns on the steps of 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2016 after the results of the EU referendum were declared and the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Theresa May Becomes the new Conservative Party leader Theresa May receives a kiss from her husband Philip, after becoming the new Conservative Party leader on 11 July 2016. May became Prime Minister two days later and although she voted to remain in the referendum was keen to lead Britains Brexit talks after her only rival in the race to succeed David Cameron pulled out unexpectedly. May was left as the only contender standing after the withdrawal from the leadership race of Andrea Leadsom, who faced criticism for suggesting she was more qualified to be prime minister because she had children AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Lancaster House keynote speech on Brexit British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers her keynote speech on Brexit at Lancaster House in London on 17 January 2017. Where she spoke about her offer to introduce a transition period after the UK formally leaves the European Union in March 2019. Despite repeating the pro-Brexit mantra of no deal is better than a bad deal, the Prime Minister claimed she wanted a tone of trust between the negotiators and said Britain was leaving the EU but not Europe. She said there should be a clear double lock needed for the transitional period to make sure businesses had time to prepare for changes to their trading relationships with the EU Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Triggering of Article 50 British Prime Minister Theresa May in the cabinet, sitting below a painting of Britain's first Prime Minister Robert Walpole, signs the official letter to European Council President Donald Tusk invoking Article 50 and the United Kingdom's intention to leave the EU on 29 March 2017 Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Gibraltar nonsense Tensions have risen over Brexit negotiations for the Rock of Gibraltar. The European Council has said Gibraltar would be included in a trade deal between London and Brussels only with the agreement of Spain. While former Conservative leader Michael Howard claimed that Theresa May would be prepared to go to war to protect the territory. Spain's foreign minister stepped in only to assert that there was no need for the dispute Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Shock snap election Soon after triggering Article 50, Theresa May called on 18 April 2017 for a snap general election. The election would be on 8 June and it came as a shock move to many, with her reasoning to try to bolster her position before tough talks on leaving the EU AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Dissolution of Parliament for General Election Campaign Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street after returning from Buckingham Palace on 3 May 2017. The Prime Minister visited the Queen to ask for the dissolution of Parliament signalling the official start to the general election campaign Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Conservatives lose parliamentary majority An arrangement of British daily newspapers showing front page stories about the exit poll results of the snap general election. British Prime Minister Theresa May faced pressure to resign on 9 June 2017 after losing her parliamentary majority, plunging the country into uncertainty as Brexit talks loomed. The pound fell sharply amid fears the Conservative leader would be unable to form a government AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Labour gains Britains opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gives a tumbs up as he arrives at Labour headquarters in central London on 9 June 2017 after the snap general election results showed a hung parliament with Labour gains and the Conservatives losing their majority AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit negotiations begin Brexit Minister David Davis and European Commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations Michel Barnier address a press conference at the end of the first day of Brexit negotiations in Brussels on 19 June 2017 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures May speaks in Florence British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks on 22 September 2017, in Florence. May sought to unlock Brexit talks after Brussels demanded more clarity on the crunch issues of budget payments and EU citizens' rights AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU council summit insufficient progress German Chancellor Angela Merkel joins other EU leaders for a breakfast meeting during an EU summit in Brussels on 20 October 2017. The EU spoke about Brexit and announced that insufficient progress had been made AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures DUP derails settlement on the withdrawal part of Brexit DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds walks off after speaking to members of the media as a protester holding flags shouts after him outside the Houses of Parliament on 5 December 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to pull out of a deal with Brussels after the DUP said it would not accept terms which see Northern Ireland treated differently from the rest of the UK Getty Brexit so far: in pictures May suffers defeat over EU (Withdrawal) Bill Theresa May suffers defeat in parliament over EU (Withdrawal) Bill on 13 December 2017. The Government was defeated by Conservative rebels and Labour MPs in a vote on its key piece of Brexit legislation. MPs amended the EU (Withdrawal) Bill against Theresa May's will, guaranteeing Parliament a meaningful vote on any Brexit deal she agrees with Brussels. Ms May's whips applied pressure on Conservative rebels who remained defiant in the Commons throughout the day and in the end the Government was defeated by 309 votes to 305 Brexit so far: in pictures EU council summit sufficient progress Britain's Prime minister Theresa May arrives to attend the first day of a European union summit in Brussels on 14 December 2017. European leaders discussed Brexit and announced there was finally sufficient progress at the end of the two days AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures The game moves to transition Brexit Secretary David Davis gives evidence on developments in European Union divorce talks to the Commons Exiting the EU Committee in Portcullis House, London, on 24 January 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures Trade deal is what May wants French President Emmanuel Macron gestures to Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May after they hold a press conference at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, on 18 January 2018. May and Macron agreed a new border security deal, through which the UK will pay more to France to stop migrants trying to reach British shores on 18 January 2018 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Transition period agreed The UK and EU agree terms for Brexit transition period on 19 March, 2018 Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures No agreement on Irish border The EU and UK however failed to reach an agreement on the Irish border during the successful talks on other Brexit issues AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU attacks Mays fantasy strategy For months after the March deal is struck there is little significant progress in talks. One senior EU official tears into Britains fantasy negotiating strategy and accuses Theresa May of not even having a position on a variety of important issue Getty Brexit so far: in pictures UK releases Ireland plan Britain releases a new customs plan to solve the Northern Ireland border but Michel Barnier says it leaves unanswered questions and would not prevent a hard border EbS Brexit so far: in pictures Chequers plan agreed The cabinet agrees on a plan known as the "Chequers deal" on July 6 2018. The plan seeks regulatory alignment on goods and food, divergence on services, freedom from the European Courts of Justice and an end to free movement. Many were surprised that the hard Brexiteers of the cabinet would agree to this plan PA Brexit so far: in pictures Chequers plan sparks resignations Brexit Secretary David Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and numerous ministers resign in the days following the Chequers agreement Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Davis out, Raab in On 9 July, Dominic Raab replaces David Davis as Brexit Secretary. Raab is a keen Brexiteer and was a housing minister before taking over from Davis Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Barnier's "deal like no other" EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier claims on August 29 2018 that they are prepared to offer Britain a trade deal like no other, though he stressed that they will not divide or change the single market to accommodate Britain AP Brexit so far: in pictures "My deal or no deal" In an interview on Panorama on September 17, the Prime Minister insists that any Brexit deal will be offered to the EU on her terms. She asserts this amongst continued attacks on her approach to Brexit by Boris Johnson and the European Research Group, headed by Jacob Rees Mogg BBC/Jeff Overs Brexit so far: in pictures EU leaders reject Chequers Quite the blow was dealt to the Prime Minister at a EU leaders summit in Salzburg on September 20. European Council President Donald Tusk stated that the Chequers deal "will not work" Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures May demands respect Following the rejection of her Chequers plan the day before, the Prime Minister voiced her anger that the EU had dismissed it without offering an alternative. She stated that throughout this process, I have treated the EU with nothing but respect. The UK expects the same. A good relationship at the end of this process depends on it." Getty Brexit so far: in pictures People's Vote march As the People's Vote campaign and The Independent's Final Say campaign gain traction, 700,000 people turn out in London to demand a final say on the UK's Brexit deal on October 20 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures More resignations As the Prime Minister settles on a Brexit deal, Brexit secretary Dominic Raab resigns along with Work and Pensions secretary Esther McVey and many other ministers Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Final Say petitions delivered to Downing Street People's Vote supporting MPs Chukka Umunna, Justine Greening and Caroline Lucas and The Independent editor Christian Broughton deliver over a million signatures in favour of a People's Vote to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street on December 3 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures May delays vote On December 10, the Prime Minister delayed the vote on her Brexit deal as it was near certain not to pass through the Commons due to Tory rebels and lack of DUP support AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures No confidence motion Tory MPs triggered a confidence vote in the Prime Minister on December 12. She won by 200 votes to 117 Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Commons rejects the deal Following the delay, the Prime Minister's deal was rejected in the Commons by a historic 230 votes AFP Brexit so far: in pictures Corbyn tables a no confidence motion Following the rejection of the Prime Minister's deal, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn tabled a motion of no confidence in the government, which the government won by a margin of 19 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Plan B The Prime Minister won the support of the commons to return to Brussels to renegotiate the backstop on January 29. In the same sitting, MPs also voted against a no-deal Brexit in a non-legally binding motion PA Brexit so far: in pictures EU council president savages Brexit campaigners who failed to plan for departure: Special place in hell There is a special place in hell for pro-Brexit campaigners who demanded Britain leave the EU without explaining how it should happen, Donald Tusk has said. The European Council president launched the scathing attack as he accused anti-EU campaigners of pushing for Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely. Mr Tusk also dismissed suggestions that the EU could reopen negotiations over the controversial Northern Ireland backstop, dealing a blow to Theresa Mays hopes of securing fresh concessions as she tries to get her exit deal through parliament. Speaking in Brussels alongside Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Mr Tusk said: Ive been wondering what a special place in hell looks like for people who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely. He also tweeted the accusation moments later Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU and UK announce talks to restart after Theresa May visits Brussels Both have agreed to restart Brexit talks to find a way through the deadlock in Westminster, following a visit by Theresa May to Brussels. In a joint statement the British government and European Commission said Ms May had had a robust but constructive meeting with president Jean-Claude Juncker, and that the pair would meet again before the end of the month. But the EU again refused to reopen the withdrawal agreement and its controversial backstop with any negotiations expected to focus on the future relationship between the UK and EU instead Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit strategy lost MPs voted down May's Brext plans, with a majority of 45. The prime minister did not appear in parliament to see another defeat PA Brexit so far: in pictures Labour and Conservative MPs resign and create the Independent Group Back row of Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Chuka Umunna and Mike Gapes, middle row of Angela Smith, Luciana Berger and Ann Coffey and front row of Sarah Wollaston, Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Joan Ryan PA Brexit so far: in pictures Non-biding votes on amendments to Brexit motion On February 27 he house held a series of votes, unanimously calling for the UK and EU to guarantee citizens rights in a no-deal scenario AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Attorney General publishes legal advice A hammer blow for May as Geoffrey Cox said her renegotiated deal can still leave UK in backstop against its will. Mr Cox did say the prime ministers efforts had reduced the risk of the UK being trapped in the backstop indefinitely. MPs went on to vote against her deal by 391 to 242 UK Parliament/PA Brexit so far: in pictures No-deal off the table MPs rejected a no-deal Brexit by 43 votes on March 13, with cabinet ministers rebelling in another humiliating defeat for Theresa May. A day later they voted in favour of the prime minister seeking an extension to Article 50 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures House speaker bans May from third Commons vote on same Brexit deal John Bercow sensationally told Theresa May he would stop her making another attempt to pass her Brexit deal unless she has secured changes. The Speaker said a further meaningful vote would be ruled out of order if the motion was the same or substantially the same under an ancient convention to stop the government bullying parliament on issues MPs have rejected Parliament Live Brexit so far: in pictures May writes to Tusk The prime minister wrote to Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, to ask for a three-month extension to give her more time to try to get her deal through parliament. However the European Commission advises the EU27 should offer a short extension to May 23 or a longer one meaning the UK would participate in European elections 10 Downing Street/AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures European Council summit Theresa Mays request to extend triggering Article 50 until the end of June was rejected by the EU, and instead offered a shorter time frame. She accepted the offer of a delay until May 22 if her withdrawal deal is approved by Parliament. If MPs rejected it for a third time, the EU said Britain must propose a new plan by April 12. Ms May said she will not support a long delay because it would mean Britain participating in elections for the European Parliament Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brussels confirms preparations for a no-deal Brexit are completed They warned that it is increasingly likely the UK will crash out. In a statement the European Commission (EC) said preparedness and contingency work, which the EC has been conducting since December 2017, was now finished. The announcement came days after EU leaders agreed to a request by Theresa May to extend the UKs Brexit date AFP Brexit so far: in pictures May resigns Reuters The motion was also signed by Tory peer Lord Deben, Labours Lord Goldsmith and the Liberal Democrats Baroness Ludford. Ten Conservative peers voted for the amendment, including former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine and former ministers Lord Willetts and Lord Patten. Opposing the motion, justice minister Lord Keen was heckled as he claimed retaining a body of foreign law after Brexit would be one of the greatest constitutional outrages since 1689. He said: What happened to the mother of parliaments? What happened to the concept of the sovereignty of this parliament? Were prepared, apparently, to abandon it in favour of a body of foreign law because we no longer trust ourselves to protect our own fundamental human rights. Is that what weve really come to? It is a shocking denouement. The idea that were going to have to cling on to a body of foreign law in order to maintain fundamental human rights in this country is simply astonishing. It would reflect not only a constitutional outrage but a total abdication of our responsibilities. The Charter of Fundamental Rights contains a wide range of protections, including the right to a private life, freedom of speech, equality provisions and employment rights governing how workers are treated. It is broader than the European Convention on Human Rights, which is already part of UK law through the Human Rights Act. MPs vote against retaining EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in UK law after Brexit Paul Blomfield, Labours shadow Brexit minister, said: This is a welcome decision by the House of Lords. The future of human rights protections is not a party political issue. It is about the type of country we want to be and the values that we want to champion. Labour reject the governments decision to rule out transposing the Charter of Fundamental Rights into UK law after Brexit. It risks leaving a gaping hole in human rights protections and reducing the protections for UK citizens. This vote is yet another signal to ministers that their approach to Brexit is flawed and that they need to think again. Human rights campaigners also welcomed the defeat. Martha Spurrier, director of the charity Liberty, said: This is a huge victory for human rights and common sense. The Lords have sent a clear message to the government: you cant use Brexit to take away peoples rights. Singling out the charter as the only law ministers refused to bring home from the EU was a cynically politicised move built on hostility to laws that protect us all from abuses of power. Its time the government provided the certainty our country needs and brought home all our hard-won rights. David Lammy has revealed examples of the racist abuse he has suffered after speaking out in defence of Windrush immigrants. The British-born Labour MP, who helped shed light on the growing problems faced by people from the Caribbean who have lived in the UK for decades, was sent a letter telling him to go back to wherever you originally came from and claiming he should be grateful that we have taken you in as a black man. Mr Lammy, whose parents came to the UK from Guyana, has previously used social media to highlight racist abuse he has received. In the latest example, he tweeted a photo of a letter sent to his office accusing him of not realising how lucky you have been and how well treated. For Gods sake man stop your vile and obscene speeches knocking this country down, it said. Be grateful that we have taken you in as a black man and given you a life here, as we have done for all those black people who came to live here. Be grateful man for the country that gave you a life, and stop knocking it. Otherwise, go back to your country of your forbears and lets be rid of you. The letter continued: If you cannot say good about us, then go back, it is as simple as that. Your recent speeches have been vile and so unforgiving to a country that has given all that you are, but believe me, we can very well do without you. Saying Mr Lammy should be grateful or go back to wherever you originally came from, the sender added: You are like a little child and do not realise how lucky you have been and how well treated, by the country you so easily knock. Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Show all 15 1 /15 Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' arriving at Tilbury Docks from Jamaica, with 482 Jamaicans on board, emigrating to Britain. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaican immigrants being welcomed by RAF officials from the Colonial Office after the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' landed them at Tilbury. PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner who arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex, speaking at his home in Leeds PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner in Leeds shortly after he arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Gardner was 22 years old when he boarded the ship in Kingston, Jamaica, with his brother Gladstone before they and hundreds of Caribbean migrants called on to rebuild post-war Britain disembarked the ship in Tilbury Docks PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner (right), during his RAF service in 1947 PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The son of Ruth Williams, a Windrush-generation immigrant, wants to the leave the country after threats of deportation. According to his mother, Mr Haynes applied for British citizenship in 2016 but was rejected, despite Ms Williams having lived in the UK almost permanently since arriving from St Vincent and the Grenadines in 1959. Ruth Williams, 75, said she felt "betrayed" by Britain after the Home Office twice turned down applications for her 35-year-old son, Mozi Haynes, to remain in the country. Ms Williams is understood to have cancer and said she relies heavily on her son for support. PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The British liner 'Empire Windrush' at port in 1954. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Ruth Williams, 75, with her British passport. "I feel betrayed and a second class citizen in my own country," she said. "This makes me so sad and the Home Office must show some compassion. "I am unwell and almost 75, I live on my own and I need my son to stay here. I need my family around me and I cant face being alone. He has applied to the Home Office and been refused twice." PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK From the top, hopeful Jamaican boxers Charles Smith, Ten Ansel, Essi Reid, John Hazel, Boy Solas and manager Mortimer Martin arrive at Tilbury on the Empire Windrush in the hope of finding work in Britain. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaicans reading a newspaper whilst on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' bound for Tilbury docks in Essex. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK After half a century in Britain, Anthony Bryan decided it was time to go abroad. But the decision set off a nightmare that saw him lose his job, detained twice and almost deported to Jamaica. AFP/Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaica-born Anthony Bryan poses outside his home in Edmonton, north London. Now 60 and a grandfather, Bryan thought the issue could be resolved swiftly, as he legally moved to Britain with his family as part of the Windrush generation of Caribbean migrants after World War II. In 1948, the ship Windrush brought the first group of migrants from the West Indies to help rebuild post-war Britain, and many others followed from around the Commonwealth. A 1971 law gave them indefinite leave to remain, but many never formalised their status, often because they were children who came over on their parents' passports and then never applied for their own. AFP/Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Three Jamaican immigrants (left to right) John Hazel, a 21-year-old boxer, Harold Wilmot, 32, and John Richards, a 22-year-old carpenter, arriving at Tilbury on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush', smartly dressed in zoot suits and trilby hats. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Newly arrived Jamaican immigrants on board the 'Empire Windrush' at Tilbury in 1948. Getty The letter was signed with what is believed to be a fake name and listed a fake address in Newcastle. In response, the Tottenham MP wrote on Twitter: I was born in the Whittington Hospital [in north London] the son of Windrush migrants. And I will speak for them. Let me be clear: following the 1948 Nationality Act my parents and the Windrush generation were invited here as British citizens. Learn your history. Citizens have been retrospectively renamed as immigrants as a result of legislation and policy pandering to far-right rhetoric. The former minister is understood to have received dozens of racist letters in recent months but this appears to be the first linked specifically to the Windrush scandal. It was dated 16 April the day he asked an Urgent Question on the issue in the House of Commons and claimed the government had been inhumane and cruel in its treatment of migrants. Dawn Butler says Theresa May could be accused of racism in wake of Windrush scandal Mr Lammy has called for Amber Rudd, the home secretary, to resign over the issue and accused Theresa May of crocodile tears after she apologised for the difficulties Windrush immigrants have faced. He said: The apologies made by the Prime Minister are merely crocodile tears given that her department was fully aware of the human cost that these policies would have. It is extraordinary that the Home Office ignored yet more warnings about the impact that their pernicious policies would have. The Windrush row erupted after a government clampdown on illegal immigrants forced people who have lived in the UK for decades to produce documents to prove their right to stay. The difficulty in accessing documents, some of which were previously destroyed by the government, led to some of the Windrush generation being unable to prove their residency rights and therefore lose healthcare, jobs, pensions and, in some cases, be threatened with deportation. It comes as The Independent revealed the Home Office agencies at the heart of the Windrush fiasco are rife with discrimination and harassment, according to their own employees. The government immigration agencies at the centre of the Windrush scandal are rife with discrimination and harassment, a survey of their own employees reveals. Official documents show staff at Border Force reporting high levels of discrimination, with almost one in four (23 per cent) saying they had experienced it. The rate is almost double the civil service average and the second highest of more than 100 government departments and agencies. Other Home Office agencies fared similarly badly. One in five Immigration Enforcement personnel said they had experienced discrimination, as did 15 per cent of employees at UK Visas and Immigration, which handles claims for residency and asylum. The Home Office group of agencies was found to be worse than any other government department for reports of discrimination and harassment. The responses do not specify what kind of discrimination or harassment was encountered. The findings are revealed by The Independents analysis of the Civil Service People Survey, which asks government staff about their experiences at work. MPs called the revelation deeply alarming and demanded an urgent review of the UKs immigration system. The findings come as the Home Office is embroiled in an ongoing controversy over the Windrush generation, which has led to calls for a urgent review of the UKs immigration system and criticism of the governments attempts to create a hostile environment for illegal immigrants. As well as discrimination, harassment was also a common complaint within Home Office agencies, with one in five Border Force staff, one in six Immigration Enforcement workers and one in eight UK Visas and Immigration employees saying they had been the victim of it at work in all three cases higher than the civil service average. Theresa May apologises to those affected by Windrush deportation errors Labour MP Clive Lewis, who helped uncover the figures, said: It is deeply alarming that more than one in five immigration staff have personally experienced discriminatory behaviour at work in the last year. That these organisations, which are Britains face to so many of our guests, workers and new citizens, are the worst workplaces in Whitehall for the very last kinds of behaviour that we would want to display, tells us something is seriously wrong with the system. It was already becoming painfully obvious that Theresa May had succeeded all too well in creating a hostile environment not just for those seeking to visit, work or live in Britain but to longstanding British citizens, who have suffered the consequences. Now we know that the same hostile environment is also what their own immigration officers face at work. The Windrush fiasco, which led to calls for Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, to resign, has seen people who have lived in the UK for decades lose jobs, pensions and the right to free healthcare and, in some cases, threatened with deportation. The issue arose following a government clampdown on illegal immigration, which forced people living in the UK legally to prove they had the right to do so. Some Windrush migrants have been unable to provide the necessary documents, creating severe problems and ongoing anxiety. Under mounting pressure, Ms Rudd admitted in Parliament that the Home Office has become too concerned with policy and strategy and sometimes loses sight of the individual. Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Show all 15 1 /15 Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' arriving at Tilbury Docks from Jamaica, with 482 Jamaicans on board, emigrating to Britain. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaican immigrants being welcomed by RAF officials from the Colonial Office after the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' landed them at Tilbury. PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner who arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex, speaking at his home in Leeds PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner in Leeds shortly after he arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Gardner was 22 years old when he boarded the ship in Kingston, Jamaica, with his brother Gladstone before they and hundreds of Caribbean migrants called on to rebuild post-war Britain disembarked the ship in Tilbury Docks PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner (right), during his RAF service in 1947 PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The son of Ruth Williams, a Windrush-generation immigrant, wants to the leave the country after threats of deportation. According to his mother, Mr Haynes applied for British citizenship in 2016 but was rejected, despite Ms Williams having lived in the UK almost permanently since arriving from St Vincent and the Grenadines in 1959. Ruth Williams, 75, said she felt "betrayed" by Britain after the Home Office twice turned down applications for her 35-year-old son, Mozi Haynes, to remain in the country. Ms Williams is understood to have cancer and said she relies heavily on her son for support. PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The British liner 'Empire Windrush' at port in 1954. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Ruth Williams, 75, with her British passport. "I feel betrayed and a second class citizen in my own country," she said. "This makes me so sad and the Home Office must show some compassion. "I am unwell and almost 75, I live on my own and I need my son to stay here. I need my family around me and I cant face being alone. He has applied to the Home Office and been refused twice." PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK From the top, hopeful Jamaican boxers Charles Smith, Ten Ansel, Essi Reid, John Hazel, Boy Solas and manager Mortimer Martin arrive at Tilbury on the Empire Windrush in the hope of finding work in Britain. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaicans reading a newspaper whilst on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' bound for Tilbury docks in Essex. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK After half a century in Britain, Anthony Bryan decided it was time to go abroad. But the decision set off a nightmare that saw him lose his job, detained twice and almost deported to Jamaica. AFP/Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaica-born Anthony Bryan poses outside his home in Edmonton, north London. Now 60 and a grandfather, Bryan thought the issue could be resolved swiftly, as he legally moved to Britain with his family as part of the Windrush generation of Caribbean migrants after World War II. In 1948, the ship Windrush brought the first group of migrants from the West Indies to help rebuild post-war Britain, and many others followed from around the Commonwealth. A 1971 law gave them indefinite leave to remain, but many never formalised their status, often because they were children who came over on their parents' passports and then never applied for their own. AFP/Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Three Jamaican immigrants (left to right) John Hazel, a 21-year-old boxer, Harold Wilmot, 32, and John Richards, a 22-year-old carpenter, arriving at Tilbury on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush', smartly dressed in zoot suits and trilby hats. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Newly arrived Jamaican immigrants on board the 'Empire Windrush' at Tilbury in 1948. Getty David Lammy, who has brought to light a number of the Windrush cases and been highly critical of ministers handling of the issue, told The Independent: The findings of this survey are deeply concerning. The Windrush crisis has revealed our immigration system to be what many of us knew it was all along pernicious, cruel and inhumane. If harassment and discrimination is so rife within the government agencies running this system very serious questions have to be asked about the impact this working culture has, especially given the fact that the decisions made by these agencies can have a significant human cost. The Civil Service survey also reveals a worrying culture of silence about inappropriate behaviour within the Home Office group of agencies. Almost half of Border Force employees said they did not feel able to report inappropriate behaviour, as did more than a third of employees at Immigration Enforcement and UK Visas and Immigration. Of those who did experience incidents of bullying and harassment, 41 per cent of Border Force and 46 per cent of Immigration Enforcement employees reported it, but just 12 per cent and 15 per cent respectively said the matter had been resolved satisfactorily. UK Visas and Immigration has a similar level of staff dissatisfaction at how complaints were handled. Mark Serwotka, general secretary of PCS, the trade union which represents civil servants, said: Our members have for a number of years raised concerns over bullying, harassment and discrimination across the Home Office, not just from staff survey results but from everyday experiences of the workforce. From the latest survey results a number of problem area hot spots have been identified. This now needs to be taken seriously by those at the top of the Home Office. A Home Office spokesperson said: We value all of our highly-skilled members of staff who work tirelessly to keep the public safe, protect the UK border and ensure we have an effective immigration system. Any discrimination, bullying or harassment is absolutely unacceptable and tackling the issue is a priority. Jeremy Corbyn will today reiterate his pledge to introduce a new national holiday to mark the patron saints of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. He will tell a union conference on Monday St Georges Day that after eight years of damaging Tory austerity, Britains workers deserve a day off. In his speech, the Labour leader will also point to the Windrush scandal, claiming that the sickening Go Home vans used in 2013 showed that the governments patriotic posturing was a sham. Under Labours proposals, UK-wide public holidays will be held on St Davids Day (March 1), St Patricks Day (March 17), St Georges Day (April 23) and St Andrews Day (November 30). With eight public holidays, the UK has the fewest of any G20 or EU country, Mr Corbyn will tell the annual conference of the Communication Workers Union in Bournemouth. He will say: If we win the next election, St Georges Day will become a national holiday for Britains workers. It will be a day where we can all show our pride and celebrate our countrys tradition of fairness, inclusivity and social justice. Eight years of Tory austerity, which Labour will bring to an end, have had a disastrous effect on our vital public services and workers have paid a heavy price in the cost of living and their working lives. We will give our workers four extra days paid holiday. The four nations that make up our country are more divided as a result of the damaging and divisive policies of this Conservative government. He will add: We need to end the Conservatives constant pandering to a rich elite at the top and their attempts to divide the rest of us, creating a hostile environment for people who come to contribute to our country. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA 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 So let me say to the Windrush generation and to everyone who has come to this country to make a contribution: You are welcome. You have equal rights and under Labour you will never be treated like second-class citizens. We will never allow people to be divided on the basis of race or religion. Labours mission of social justice brings people and our nations together. Our values of a fair and inclusive society are our countrys best values, and those shared values will be celebrated by making St Georges Day a national holiday. Ken Clarke has urged Tory MPs to ignore an extraordinary warning that defeat on the customs union would topple Theresa May and vote for the national interest regardless. No 10 has piled pressure on potential Conservative rebels by suggesting next months showdown will be a confidence vote, the BBC reported meaning defeat would bring down the government. Such a threat would hugely magnify the importance of the vote on whether the UK remains in a customs union with the EU after Brexit and make it harder for Tory MPs to defy the prime minister. But Mr Clarke accused No 10 of plunging into a panic of the day, after Brexiteer MPs demanded that Ms May hold the line, urging fellow pro-EU Tories not to be deflected by the hardline tactics. In the end, parliament has to decide what is in the national interest, the former chancellor said. The veteran Europhile pointed to the threat of huge customs barriers and delays and mounting evidence that leaving the customs union would force border checks in Northern Ireland. An absolute red line is we should not break the Good Friday Agreement, which should not be dismissed as an inconvenience, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. Its the next big problem and it will need all this to be resolved over the next month or two because its got to be we wont make much progress until the Irish problem is solved, Mr Clarke said. Meanwhile, CBI president Paul Dreschler issued a strongly worded rebuke to Sajid Javid, the communities secretary, after he insisted Britain must leave the customs union. Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures An abandoned shop is seen in Mullan, Co Monaghan. The building was home to four families who left during the Troubles. The town was largely abandoned after the hard border was put in place during the conflict. Mullan has seen some regeneration in recent years, but faces an uncertain future with Brexit on the horizon Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures A defaced Welcome to Northern Ireland sign stands on the border in Middletown, Co Armagh Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Mervyn Johnson owns a garage in the border town of Pettigo, which straddles the counties of Donegal and Fermanagh. Ive been here since 1956, it was a bit of a problem for a few years. My premises has been blown up about six or seven times, we just kept building and starting again, Johnson said laughing. We just got used to it [the hard border] really but now that its gone, we wouldn't like it back again Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Farmer Gordon Crocketts Coshquin farm straddles both Derry/Londonderry in the North and Donegal in the Republic. At the minute there is no real problem, you can cross the border as free as you want. We could cross it six or eight times a day, said Crockett. If there was any sort of obstruction it would slow down our work every day Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures John Murphy flies the European flag outside his home near the border village of Forkhill, Co Armagh Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Potter Brenda McGinn stands outside her Mullan, Co Monaghan, studio the former Jas Boylan shoe factory which was the main employer in the area until it shut down due to the Troubles. When I came back, this would have been somewhere you would have driven through and have been quite sad. It was a decrepit looking village, said McGinn, whose Busy Bee Ceramics is one of a handful of enterprises restoring life to the community. Now this is a revitalised, old hidden village Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Union Flag colours painted on kerbstones and bus-stops along the border village of Newbuildings, Co Derry/Londonderry Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Grass reflected in Lattone Lough, which is split by the border between Cavan and Fermanagh, seen from near Ballinacor, Northern Ireland Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Donegalman David McClintock sits in the Border Cafe in the village of Muff, which straddles Donegal and Derry/Londonderry Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures An old Irish phone box stands alongside a bus stop in the border town of Glaslough, Co Monaghan Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Billboards are viewed from inside a disused customs hut in Carrickcarnon, Co Down, on the border with Co Louth in the Republic Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Seamus McQuaid takes packages that locals on the Irish side of the border have delivered to his business, McQuaid Auto-Parts, to save money on postal fees, near the Co Fermanagh village of Newtownbutler. I live in the south but the business is in the North, said McQaid. "I wholesale into the Republic of Ireland so if theres duty, Ill have to set up a company 200 yards up the road to sell to my customers. Ill have to bring the same product in through Dublin instead of Belfast Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures A disused Great Northern Railway line and station that was for customs and excise on the border town of Glenfarne, Co Leitrim Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Alice Mullen, from Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland, does her shopping at a former customs post on the border in Middletown, Co Armagh. Id be very worried if it was a hard border, I remember when people were divided. I would be very afraid of the threat to the peace process, it was a dreadful time to live through. Even to go to mass on a Sunday, youd have to go through checkpoints. It is terribly stressful, said Mullen. All those barricades and boundaries were pulled down. I see it as a huge big exercise of trust and I do believe everyone breathed a sigh of relief Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures A bus stop and red post box stand in the border town of Jonesborough, Co Armagh Reuters An MP of your talent should rise above ideology and lead based of fact, analysis and evidence all of which favours a customs union. Always happy to discuss, Mr Dreschler tweeted. Labour seized on the hints that votes on the customs union could be a matter of confidence, pointing that No 10 appeared to rule that out as recently as February. But Jeremy Hunt made clear the government would not give way, saying: The prime minister has been totally clear right from the outset. Were not going to be part of the customs union or a customs union. Tensions rose over the weekend, after a Downing Street aide told The Sunday Times that Ms May and her allies would not be crying into our beer if parliament forced the government to back down. The scenario was said to have been war gamed at a recent meeting, with the conclusion that only Boris Johnson and Liam Fox would resign. The controversy will come to a head after a heavy defeat for the government in the Lords last week. There will be a non-binding vote in the Commons on Thursday with a full showdown next month. At least 10 Tory rebels are ready to join with opposition parties to force a climbdown, potentially enough to defeat the government. The government has announced it will effectively fast track citizenship for people affected by the Windrush scandal, even if they lack a full set of documents to prove their status. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said anyone who has suffered from the scandal will be able to apply without facing the usual fees and tests, and will be treated more leniently if they lack needed documentation. She also confirmed that a new scheme will be established to pay compensation to those who have suffered financial loss from the debacle. Recommended British Army veteran faces fight for UK passport amid Windrush scandal Ms Rudd emphasised her commitment to tackling illegal immigration, but admitted the governments approach has had an unintended and sometimes devastating impact on people from the Windrush generation who are here legally but have struggled to get documentation to prove their status. As she spoke in the Commons, Ms Rudd was heckled by Labour MPs who shouted that Conservative immigration policy since 2010 was to blame for the fiasco. Ms Rudd told MPs: It was never the intention that the Windrush generation should be disadvantaged by measures put in place to tackle illegal immigration. These people worked here for decades. In many cases they helped establish the NHS. They paid the taxes, enriched our culture, they are British in all but legal status and this should never have been allowed to happen. Theresa May promises compensation to Windrush children and Caribbean leaders over deportation scandal Promising to put this right, Ms Rudd said fees and language tests will be waived for anyone from the Windrush generation and their children who have been targeted by immigration officials. She also said that citizenship applications would be allowed, even where people affected in the Windrush generation lacked the adequate pieces of documentary evidence to prove their status. Ms Rudd confirmed that compensation would be available for those who had suffered loss, as announced by Theresa May last week, saying that a new scheme to deal with claims will be overseen by an independent individual. But shadow home secretary Diane Abbott branded the incident one of the biggest scandals in the administration of home affairs. Speaking in the Commons, Ms Abbott personally blamed the home secretary for the Windrush scandal, telling her that she allowed it to happen. She said: These cases cant come as a surprise to her because for some time many of my colleagues on this side of the House have been pursuing individual cases. Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Show all 15 1 /15 Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' arriving at Tilbury Docks from Jamaica, with 482 Jamaicans on board, emigrating to Britain. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaican immigrants being welcomed by RAF officials from the Colonial Office after the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' landed them at Tilbury. PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner who arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex, speaking at his home in Leeds PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner in Leeds shortly after he arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Gardner was 22 years old when he boarded the ship in Kingston, Jamaica, with his brother Gladstone before they and hundreds of Caribbean migrants called on to rebuild post-war Britain disembarked the ship in Tilbury Docks PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner (right), during his RAF service in 1947 PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The son of Ruth Williams, a Windrush-generation immigrant, wants to the leave the country after threats of deportation. According to his mother, Mr Haynes applied for British citizenship in 2016 but was rejected, despite Ms Williams having lived in the UK almost permanently since arriving from St Vincent and the Grenadines in 1959. Ruth Williams, 75, said she felt "betrayed" by Britain after the Home Office twice turned down applications for her 35-year-old son, Mozi Haynes, to remain in the country. Ms Williams is understood to have cancer and said she relies heavily on her son for support. PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The British liner 'Empire Windrush' at port in 1954. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Ruth Williams, 75, with her British passport. "I feel betrayed and a second class citizen in my own country," she said. "This makes me so sad and the Home Office must show some compassion. "I am unwell and almost 75, I live on my own and I need my son to stay here. I need my family around me and I cant face being alone. He has applied to the Home Office and been refused twice." PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK From the top, hopeful Jamaican boxers Charles Smith, Ten Ansel, Essi Reid, John Hazel, Boy Solas and manager Mortimer Martin arrive at Tilbury on the Empire Windrush in the hope of finding work in Britain. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaicans reading a newspaper whilst on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' bound for Tilbury docks in Essex. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK After half a century in Britain, Anthony Bryan decided it was time to go abroad. But the decision set off a nightmare that saw him lose his job, detained twice and almost deported to Jamaica. AFP/Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaica-born Anthony Bryan poses outside his home in Edmonton, north London. Now 60 and a grandfather, Bryan thought the issue could be resolved swiftly, as he legally moved to Britain with his family as part of the Windrush generation of Caribbean migrants after World War II. In 1948, the ship Windrush brought the first group of migrants from the West Indies to help rebuild post-war Britain, and many others followed from around the Commonwealth. A 1971 law gave them indefinite leave to remain, but many never formalised their status, often because they were children who came over on their parents' passports and then never applied for their own. AFP/Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Three Jamaican immigrants (left to right) John Hazel, a 21-year-old boxer, Harold Wilmot, 32, and John Richards, a 22-year-old carpenter, arriving at Tilbury on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush', smartly dressed in zoot suits and trilby hats. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Newly arrived Jamaican immigrants on board the 'Empire Windrush' at Tilbury in 1948. Getty She is behaving as if it is a shock to her that officials are implementing regulations in the way she intended them to be implemented. Ms Abbott drew cheers from the Labour benches after telling Ms Rudd ultimately the buck stops with her. SNP justice and home affairs spokeswoman Joanna Cherry accused Ms Rudd of desperate firefighting before suggesting she should stop acting as Theresa Mays human shield and resign if she would not pursue a more ethical immigration policy. Critics say the implementation of the hostile environment policy, set out in immigration laws passed while Ms May was at the Home Office, has meant children who came to the UK from the Caribbean as part of the Windrush generation of immigrants from the late 1940s to the 1970s have faced being targeted by immigration officers for deportation. The policy has seen people needing to prove their citizenship with documentary evidence before being able to work, rent homes or receive medical treatment, even if they have been in the country for many years. Often children who travelled to the UK on parents passports during the Windrush period did not apply for travel documents, and so lack a trail of official paperwork. Alexander Kogan, the academic who was hired by Cambridge Analytica to harvest information from tens of millions of Facebook profiles, defended his role in the data collection, saying he was upfront about how the information would be used and that he never heard a word of objection from the social media site. The psychology professor who has found himself cast as the villain by both Cambridge Analytica and Facebook, expressed regret for his role in the data mining, which took place in 2014. Back then, we thought it was fine. Right now my opinion has really been changed, professor Kogan said. I think that the core idea we had that everybody knows and nobody cares was wrong, he said. For that, I am sincerely sorry. Since the full scope of Cambridge Analyticas data collection was revealed last month by The New York Times, both Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy firm, have been under intense scrutiny and eager to shift the blame to professor Kogan. They have said that he misled them about how the information was being collected and what it was being used for. Facebook has even banned professor Kogan from the social network and deleted his profile. But in his first extensive interview since the report in The New York Times, professor Kogan insisted that he was upfront about the Facebook app used to harvest the data and that no one seemed to care. The belief in Silicon Valley and certainly our belief at that point was that the general public must be aware that their data is being sold and shared and used to advertise to them, professor Kogan said in an interview with 60 Minutes. Founded by Stephen Bannon and Robert Mercer, a wealthy Republican donor, Cambridge Analytica rose to prominence for its work with president Donald Trumps campaign in the 2016 election. The company claimed it had developed analytical tools that could identify the personalities of US voters and influence their behaviour and that Facebook data had been used to help create so-called psychographic modelling techniques. The techniques have been widely questioned by academics and other political data firms, while Cambridge Analytica has since insisted that the Facebook data was not used in its work in the 2016 campaign. Professor Kogan was hired on a contract by Cambridge Analytica in June 2014 the same month the company was founded and harvested the data throughout the summer by asking Facebook users to take a lengthy personality questionnaire. The questionnaire was not actually on Facebook. It was hosted by a company called Qualtrics, which provided a platform for online surveys. Respondents were asked to authorise access to their Facebook profiles and when they did, an app built by professor Kogan performed its sole function: harvesting the data of users and all of their Facebook friends. Their names, birth dates and location data, as well as lists of every Facebook page they had ever liked, were downloaded without their knowledge or express consent. Facebook has said that those who took the quiz were told that their data would be used only for academic purposes, claiming that it and its users were misled by Cambridge Analytica and professor Kogan. Cambridge Analytica has said it was told that professor Kogans app complied with Facebooks own rules. But The New York Times reported last month that the fine print accompanying professor Kogans questionnaire told Facebook users that their data could be used for commercial purposes. That was an outright violation of Facebooks rules at the time, but the company did nothing to stop professor Kogans app from collecting the data. This is the frustrating bit, where Facebook clearly has never cared. I mean, its never enforced this agreement, professor Kogan told 60 Minutes. I had a terms of service that was up there for a year and a half that said I could transfer and sell the data." He added: Never heard a word. Mark Zuckerberg meets world leaders in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Mark Zuckerberg meets world leaders in pictures Mark Zuckerberg meets world leaders in pictures President Barack Obama talks with Zuckerberg during a town hall style meeting at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California, 20 April 2011 Getty Mark Zuckerberg meets world leaders in pictures David Cameron talks to the Facebook founder during the internet session of the G8 summit in Deauville, France, 26 May 2011 Getty Mark Zuckerberg meets world leaders in pictures German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French president Nicolas Sarkozy meet Zuckerberg at the G8 summit in Deauville, France, 26 May 2011 Getty Mark Zuckerberg meets world leaders in pictures Zuckerberg talks to Sarkozy at a G8 summit in Deauville, France, 25 May 2011 AFP/Getty Mark Zuckerberg meets world leaders in pictures Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets the Facebook CEO at the companys headquarters in Menlo Park, California, 30 April 2015 Getty Mark Zuckerberg meets world leaders in pictures Zuckerberg with former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in Tokyo, 29 March 2012 AFP/Getty Mark Zuckerberg meets world leaders in pictures Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Zuckerberg at a townhall meeting at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, California, 27 September 2015 AFP/Getty Mark Zuckerberg meets world leaders in pictures Zuckerberg with other business leaders and the Chinese President Xi Jinping Getty Until April 2015, Facebook allowed app developers to collect some private information from the profiles of users who downloaded apps and from those of their friends. Facebook has said it allowed this kind of data collection to help developers improve the in-app experience for users. Facebook even worked with professor Kogan. In November 2015, it brought him in as a consultant to explain the technique he had used for Cambridge Analytica, which focused on how the Facebook pages that users had liked could reveal aspects of their personalities. At the time, I thought we were doing everything that was correct, professor Kogan told 60 Minutes. If I had any inkling that what I was going to do was going to destroy my relationship with Facebook, I would never have done it, he said. The New York Times A Canadian man has been lynched in the Peruvian Amazon after being accused of killing a local spiritual leader. Sebastian Woodroffe, 41, a father of one, was dragged by the neck through a remote village following the death of Olivia Arevalo, a plant healer from the Shipibo-Konibo tribe of northeastern Peru, the countrys attorney general said. Ms Arevalo was shot and killed near her home in the Ucayali region on Thursday. Mr Woodroffe, who had travelled to Peru to study hallucinogenic medicines, is thought to have been one of her clients. Villagers believed him responsible for her murder, but Peruvian officials later backed away from reports that he was the prime suspect. Police did not begin to investigate until a phone video appeared in local media showing a man, apparently Mr Woodroffe, begging for mercy while being dragged between thatch-roofed homes. He was then left motionless on the muddy ground. On Saturday, officials exhumed his body from an unmarked grave where he had been hastily buried. El Comercio reported that his body had been found in San Pablo de Tushmo, in Yarinacocha district. Mr Jimenez said prosecutors were exploring several hypotheses related to Ms Arevalos murder and that it was too early to name suspects in the case. No arrests had been made yet in relation with Mr Woodroffes death, he added. We will not rest until both murders, of the indigenous woman as well as the Canadian man, are solved, said Mr Jimenez in a phone interview. He said the man in the video was Mr Woodroffe and that an autopsy showed he had died by strangulation after receiving several blows to his body. Reports differed as to whether Mr Woodroffe was killed on Thursday or Friday. Healer Olivia Arevalo, who was shot dead last week (Temple of the Way of Light) El Comercio reported that there were two leading hypotheses regarding the murder of Ms Arevalo, who was in her 80s. First, that a Canadian citizen killed her when she refused to undertake an ayahuasca session with him; and second, that she was killed by a foreigner over a debt. But two of Ms Arevalos children had rejected the second version of events in statements to police, the site reported, saying their mother had no debts and that she no longer performed ayahuasca sessions because of ill health. Every year, thousands of foreign tourists travel to the Peruvian Amazon to experiment with ayahuasca, a bitter, dark-coloured brew made of a mixture of native plants. The hallucinogenic cocktail, also known as yage, has been venerated for centuries by indigenous tribes in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia as a cure for all sorts of ailments. But it is also increasingly consumed by Western tourists looking for mind-altering experiences, sometimes with deadly consequences. In 2015, a Canadian fatally stabbed a fellow tourist from England after the two drank ayahuasca together in a spiritual ceremony a few hours drive from where Mr Woodroffe was killed. Explorer Bruce Parry has visited the retreat where Olivia Arevalo worked (Temple of the Way of Light) Ms Arevalo was a staunch defender of indigenous peoples rights in the region. She also practised a traditional form of singing medicine that the Shipibo believe removes negative energies. She can be heard singing a traditional plant song on the website of the Temple of the Way of Light, which describes itself as a plant-shamanic healing centre in the Peruvian Amazon. The temple, which runs retreats for tourists specifically advertising ayahuasca, bills itself online as a pioneering healing centre and the safest and one of the most respected and long-established plant-spirit shamanism centres in the Amazon rainforest. Explorer Bruce Parry features in one of numerous testimonial videos on its YouTube channel. The temple published a statement on its website saying that Ms Arevalo had not worked there since 2011, due to her age. She had a heart so full of love and compassion and was a walking encyclopaedia of traditional Shipibo plant medicine, the organisation said. The area where Mr Woodroffe and Ms Arevalo were killed is several hundred miles from the temple. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Mr Woodroffe, from the town of Courtenay on Victoria island in British Columbia, said before going to Peru that he hoped an apprenticeship with a plant healer from the Shipibo tribe would help his goal of changing careers to become an addiction counsellor using hallucinogenic medicine. The plant medicine I have the opportunity of learning is far deeper than ingesting a plant and being healed. It is not about getting high either. It is true some of the plants I will be learning about do have a perception-altering effect, but these are a few plants out of thousands I will be working with, he wrote on the Indiegogo crowd-funding website seeking financial help to advance his studies. I am in this for the long haul. This is more than a job to me. I want not only for people to recover... I want to turn them on to the wonders of existence, and have them leave as a renewed friend and lover of this thing we call life, he added. CBC reported he was the father of a nine-year-old boy. Additional reporting by agencies French president Emmanuel Macron will urge his US counterpart Donald Trump not to pull American troops out of Syria during this week's state visit to Washington. The French leader will warn that withdrawing forces from the war-torn country could create a wave of global terror. Speaking ahead of his three-day trip, Mr Macron told Fox News: If we leave, we leave the floor to the Iranian regime, Bashar al-Assad and these guys, and they will prepare the new war. They will fuel the new terrorists. His stark message came little more than a week after US-led airstrikes in which France participated, destroyed chemical weapons facilities in the country in response to an alleged gas attack by the Syrian government on civilians in Douma. Mr Trump caused alarm in Paris by regularly repeating his intention to pull Americas estimated 2,000 ground troops out of the country. Last month he stated that military personal would be coming out of Syria like very soon. Days later, he was reported as saying: I want to get out, I want to bring the troops back home, I want to start rebuilding our nation. The leaders will also discuss the Iranian nuclear deal, which seeks to limit the Middle East countrys nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. Mr Macron will urge Mr Trump who has repeatedly threatened to walk away from the agreement to stick with it. He said he agreed that more needed to be done to rein in Tehrans development of ballistic missiles and its perceived meddling across the Middle East. Emmanuel Macron (Etienne Laurent/Pool Photo via AP) But he asked: What is the plan B? I dont have any plan B for nuclear against Iran. My point is to say dont leave nowas long as you dont have a better option for nuclear. He added: Let's present this framework because it's better than the sort of North Korean-type situation. The state visit which, unusually, will see the two leaders dine together twice will build on an unlikely and intriguing relationship between the two men. At their first meeting in Brussels in May last year, the two engaged in an apparent battle of wills in the form of a white-knuckle handshake in front of cameras. That handshake: Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump (Getty) When the pair met in Paris last July, a similar battle of wills lasted more than than 30 seconds. But they appear to have become close during these meetings, apparently enjoying each others company and tending to find common political ground. Asked about their similarities, Mr Macron said: Both of us are probably the maverick of the systems on both sides. I think President Trumps election was unexpected in your country and probably my election was unexpected in my country. And we are not part of the classical political system." A journalist was gunned down during a Facebook Live broadcast as he covered an anti-government protest in Nicaragua. Angel Gahona was describing damage to a cash machine at a bank in the town of Bluefields on the country's southern Caribbean coast, when a shot rang out and he fell to the ground, bleeding from the head. After tumbling down the steps in front of the bank, he lay on the curb as people screamed his name and rushed to help. Someone pressed a piece of cloth to his head to try to stem the flow of blood. Another reporter in the area, Ileana Lacayo, said Mr Gahona, who worked for the Meridiano news show, died before reaching the hospital. It was unclear who fired the shot. He is one of at least 25 people to be killed in unrest over social security reforms planned by the country's government, according to Nicaraguan human rights group, Cenidh. Dozens more have been injured or arrested. The country's president, Daniel Ortega, said his government is willing to enter into talks over the dispute. Addressing the nation, he said he is open to negotiations so there is "no more terror for Nicaraguan families." A demonstrator holds up a Nicaragua flag next to a burning barricade as demonstrators take part in a protest over a controversial reform to the pension plans of the Nicaraguan Social Security Institute (INSS) in Managua, Nicaragua (REUTERS/Jorge Cabrera) However, he said the dialogue would only be with business leaders and not other sectors of society. He appeared to justify what has been a heavy-handed response by the government and allied groups, as he went on to accuse demonstrators, mostly university students, of being manipulated by unspecified "minority" political interests. He also claimed they had been infiltrated by gangsters. "What is happening in our country has no name," Mr Ortega said. "The kids do not even know the party that is manipulating them... Gang members are being brought into the kids' protests and are criminalising the protests. That is why they are put at risk." 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 His remarks appeared to fan the flames after tensions had calmed somewhat, as shortly afterwards thousands of people spilled back onto the streets in seven cities including the capital, Managua. The country's vice president, first lady and spokeswoman for the government, Rosario Murillo, said nine people had been confirmed dead in the clashes. However, Cenidh said it had counted at least 25 deaths nationwide. Additional reporting by agencies The United States State Department is pulling some of its embassy staff and their families out of Nicaragua following days of deadly riots in the country. The US State Department also raised the threat level for Nicaragua following the deadly protests, and is urging Americans to reconsider any travel plans to the country. The embassy in Managua will no longer provide services to the public, except for emergencies or by phone. "Violent crime, such as sexual assault and armed robbery, is common," a notice from State read. "Police presence and emergency response are extremely limited outside of major urban areas." Recommended Nicaraguan journalist shot dead on Facebook Live The student-led protests began last week in response to President Daniel Ortega's plan to reform the country's pension plan, which would have increased employer and employee contributions while reducing benefits. Mr Ortega announced that he was revoking that plan Sunday, hoping to placate the uproar in the country. At least 24 people have been killed during the country's violent protests, and students leading the charge have vowed to continue their demonstrations until Mr Ortega leaves office, alongside his wife and vice-president, Rosario Murillo. There is some variance in the number of reported deaths, however. The Red Cross has reported nine deaths since the protests began Wednesday, and that they have helped 433 injured people. The Nicaraguan Centre of Human Rights said that at least 25 people have died. That group says that 120 people had been arrested, 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 protests are no longer just for the [Nicaraguan Social Security Institute], it is against a government that denies us freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and to demonstrate peacefully," Clifford Ramirez, a 26-year-old political science student, told Agence France-Presse, referring to the country's pension system that Mr Ortega planned on reforming. "We believe there is no longer space for dialogue," he continued. After their start last week, the protests intensified over the weekend as the student-led demonstrators appeared to gain the support of neighbourhoods where angry residents came out of their homes to bang kitchen pots and voice their concerns with deteriorating living conditions and government corruption. Demonstrators also erected barricades of burning tyres in the streets, while mobs broke into and looted shops in certain areas. Mr Ortega has deployed the army in response to the demonstrations, and has sought to silence independent media. Pro-government demonstrators have also been mobilised. The violence apparently caught the international community by surprise, and many denounced the violence. The United States joined in those voices, and urged Mr Ortega's government to allow journalists to do their jobs. At least one journalist has been killed in the violence. Mr Ortega had previously agreed to holding talks with the country's private sector, but has been rebuffed by leaders in that community who say they cannot discuss the issue unless Mr Ortega's government "immediately ceases police repression". A former employee of Cambridge Analytica who claims the firm used the personal data of tens of millions of Facebook profiles to allegedly help Donald Trumps election campaign, is to testify before US Congress. Christopher Wylie said he had accepted an invitation to give evidence to the US House Intelligence Committee and House Judiciary Committee this week. He disclosed last month that the political consultancy firm had harvested data from users of the social media site by using personality quizzes to build up psychological profiles. As the US election approached, he said it then used this data to target them with bespoke political advertising. Recommended Suspended Cambridge Analytica boss refuses to appear before MPs His revelations triggered investigations in the UK and US. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was grilled over the scandal by senators earlier this month. Mr Wylie was invited to give evidence by Democrat Adam Schiff, a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. In a letter to Mr Wylie and his lawyer, the California politician said that if his "account and documentation is accurate, this misappropriation of private data is a serious invasion of the privacy interests of the American people by Cambridge Analytica and potentially other individuals and entities." He added that his revelations raised important questions about Cambridge Analyticas activities on behalf of then-candidate Donald Trumps campaign during the 2016 US elections, the specific roles of persons of interest, including Steve Bannon and Robert and Rebekah Mercer, as well as the firms ties to Russia. Mr Bannon was a vice-president of Cambridge Analyticas board before becoming chief executive of Mr Trumps campaign. Billionaire Mr Mercer and his daughter Rebekah were major donors to the campaign and investors in the firm. Mr Schiff said Mr Wylies revelations also raised serious questions about the veracity of the testimony given to the House Intelligence Committee by now-suspended Cambridge Analytica chief executive Alexander Nix last year. Mr Nix was questioned by the committee was part of its investigation into alleged Russian interference in the presidential election campaign. He later told an uncover Channel 4 News reporter that Republican members asked him just three questions. After five minutes done, he said. Theyre politicians, theyre not technical. They dont understand how it works. Mr Zuckberg was also widely deemed to have faced easy questions when he testified before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Following Mr Wylies revelations, Democrats have been pushing for Mr Nix to be summoned to give further testimony. 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 Since the scandal erupted, Cambridge Analytic has insisted Mr Trumps team did not use its data and said it only provided limited staffing. But in the Channel 4 News footage, Mr Nix chief boasted that his firm worked on all the elements of the Republicans campaign. We did all the research, all the data, all the analytics, all the targeting, we ran all the digital campaign, the television campaign and our data informed all the strategy, he said. Mr Wylie will give evidence to the Judiciary Committee in private on Tuesday and to the Intelligence Committee in public on Wednesday. Democracies around the world are under threat from malicious actors who seek to use social media as an information battleground, he said. We must take this seriously. He gave evidence to British MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee last month, when he alleged online advertising cheating may have swung the EU referendum in Vote Leaves favour. President Donald Trump says he has instructed the Department of Homeland Security to turn migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border in a caravan away. Mr Trump, in a series of two tweets, announced that he had told DHS to do so, and added that he believes the United States is being taken advantage of by individuals attempting to enter the country as refugees, and that he is considering using the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) as a bargaining chip to force Mexico to take care of the migrants before they even get to the US. Despite the Democrat inspired laws on Sanctuary Cities and he Border being so bad and one sided, I have instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security not to let these large Caravans of people into our country, one of Mr Trumps tweets reads. It is a disgrace. We are the only Country in the World so naive! WALL. The president followed that with his musing about using Nafta to pressure Mexico. Mexico, whose laws on immigration are very tough, must stop people from going through Mexico and into the US. We may make this a condition of the new Nafta Agreement. Our Country cannot accept what is happening! Mr Trump wrote. Also, we must get Wall funding fast. Mexicos top diplomat, Luis Videgaray, rebuffed the president Monday for his suggestion that trade and immigration should be linked issues. People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Show all 16 1 /16 People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Demonstrators march during the "Day Without Immigrants" protest in Chicago, Illinois, February 16, 2017. Theopolis Waters/Reuters People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Demonstrators march during the "Day Without Immigrants" protest in Washington, DC, U.S., February 16, 2017. Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. The crowd, which grew to well over a thousand participants, marched from the Austin City Hall to the Texas State Capital. Across the country hundreds of restaurants and eateries are closing for the day to protest President Trump's immigration policies and to highlight the contributions of immigrants to U.S. business and life. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants AUSTIN, TX - FEBRUARY 16: Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Demonstrators march during the "Day Without Immigrants" protest in Chicago, Illinois, February 16, 2017. Theopolis Waters/Reuters People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Demonstrators march during the "Day Without Immigrants" protest in Chicago, Illinois, February 16, 2017. Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. The crowd, which grew to well over a thousand participants, marched from the Austin City Hall to the Texas State Capital. Across the country hundreds of restaurants and eateries are closing for the day to protest President Trump's immigration policies and to highlight the contributions of immigrants to U.S. business and life. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. The crowd, which grew to well over a thousand participants marched from the Austin City Hall to the Texas State Capital. Across the country hundreds of restaurants and eateries are closing for the day to protest President Trump's immigration policies and to highlight the contributions of immigrants to U.S. business and life. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants High school student Kathia Suarez holds up a sign as she protests with others outside the Grayson County courthouse in downtown Sherman, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. LM Otero/AP People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants High school senior Vicky Sosa holds a sign outside the Grayson County courthouse in downtown Sherman, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. In an action called "A Day Without Immigrants," immigrants across the country are expected to stay home from school, work and close businesses to show how critical they are to the U.S. economy and way of life. LM Otero/AP Mexico decides its migratory policy in a sovereign way, and migratory cooperation with the United States happens because its in Mexicos interest, Mr Videgaray said in a tweet. It would be unacceptable to condition the renegotiation of Nafta to migratory actions outside this frame of cooperation, he said. Mr Trump first began talking about the migrant caravan weeks ago, when a group of about 1,200 people first convened at Mexicos southern border. At the time, Mr Trump attempted to force Mexico to deal with the group of people itself, and later said that the caravan had dissolved. The group has thinned out quite a bit since then, but a considerable group is still headed to the US, where many say they plan on submitting themselves to authorities and ask for asylum. Organizers for the group say that there are roughly 600 people left, and some have begun arriving at the border. It is unclear how the DHS might turn away the asylum seekers, and doing so is likely to spark a fast outcry against the Trump administration by immigrant rights group, who have already sued American officials for allegedly turning away asylum seekers illegally. Donald Trump reportedly sent a jokey, handwritten note to French leader Emmanuel Macron, which read: Yes, Emmanuel, its true. I love you! As the French leader arrived in Washington, the first foreign leader to be honoured by a state visit since Mr Trump became president, attention has focussed on the warm relationship between the men, apparently initially started when the two engaged in long handshake during a summit in Europe last year. After Mr Trump returned to Washington, he apparently followed up by sending the French leader press clippings about their budding relationship, sometimes annotated by Mr Trumps handwritten messages. A New York Times article published in at the end of August 2017, arrived covered in florescent highlighter pen and a message scrawled in the margin: Yes, Emmanuel, its true. I love you! The details of the note, which have not previously been reported, are contained in a biography of the French leader, an updated version of which is to be published in the US and Europe later this year. In the book, The French Exception: Emmanuel Macron, the Extraordinary Rise and Risk, journalist Adam Plowright reveals the clippings with their messages arrived at Mr Macrons office at the Elysee Palace, via diplomatic mail sent to the US Embassy in Paris from the White House. Emmanual Macron says France has prood the Assad used chemical weapons in Syria Mr Plowright quotes one French diplomat who is not named, as saying: Macron is very intelligent and he speaks perfect English and he worked Trump out. He knows how to talk to him. Our British friends rubbed him up the wrong way at the beginning. He says the move to send press clippings came at a time when Mr Trump was speaking warmly of his relationship with the French leader in media interviews. Hes a great guy - smart, strong, loves holding my hand, Mr Trump told the New York Times. People dont realise he loves holding my hand. And thats good, as far as that goes. I mean, really. Hes a very good person. And a tough guy, but look, he has to be. I think he is going to be a terrific president of France. But he does love holding my hand. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Mr Plowright says US officials have on occasion asked Mr Macron to telephone the White House and leave a message for Mr Trump. Among other occasions, this occurred in October 2017 when Trump was considering walking away from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, against the advice of his foreign and defence secretaries, he says. He quotes Mr Macrons diplomatic advisor Aurelien Lechevallier, as saying: We are not going to change Donald Trumps convictions or the programme on which he was democratically elected. But there is a possibility to try to work with him to modify his decisions so that he tones them down. Or to work collectively with others to help overcome the consequences, on the climate change issue for example. During the three-day visit, Mr Macron and Mr Trump are expected to discuss the Iran nuclear deal, Syria and US tariffs. There was no immediate response from the White House to enquiries. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to caution President Donald Trump there is no Plan B European leaders with regards to the Iran nuclear deal and the US pulling out of it could significantly deteriorate the situation. Mr Macron, who is seen as somewhat of a 'Trump whisperer' in deftly dealing with the sometimes bombastic American leader, has been trying to save the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed under President Barack Obama, which Mr Trump has vowed to ditch unless it is strengthened. The warning was echoed by other European leaders who have said there is no other option besides the six-country deal for limiting Tehrans drive to develop nuclear weapons. The US, China, Russia, UK, France, and Germany are all parties to the deal which was discussed at a nuclear non-proliferation conference at the United Nations in Geneva this past week. The UN representative for disarmament Izumi Nakamitsu said: "The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action continues to be the best way to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Irans nuclear programme and to realise the promised tangible economic benefits for the Iranian people. Recommended Emmanuel Macron to urge US to keep troops in Syria during state visit Though the Trump administration agreed Irans nuclear programme is a major threat, the president announced in October 2017 he would not re-certify a nuclear deal signed by Iran and six world powers. Despite the evidence provided by the United Nations on Tehran's compliance with the deal, Mr Trump said it was too lenient on Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has backed Mr Macrons stance on the deal. The administration continues to say the country has violated portions of it. US nonproliferation envoy Christopher Ford said: "For several more years [Iran] continued its efforts to enrich uranium in violation of legally-binding UN Security Council requirements, and retains the ability to position itself, several years hence, dangerously close to rapid weaponisation. "Iran [is] a country that for years illegally and secretly sought to develop nuclear weapons, suspended its weaponization work only when confronted by the potentially direst of consequences without ever coming clean about its illicit endeavours," Mr Ford said. Not re-certifying the deal or abandoning it will open the door for harsher economic sanctions to be placed on the country, the mitigation of which was a key inducement for Iran to comply with the historic deal. What concerns many Washington insiders is that Mr Trump's newest hire as National Security Adviser John Bolton is quite hawkish on pulling out of the deal as is his nominee for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has called the agreement "disastrous". Russia and China have vowed to block any US attempt to sabotage the deal, according to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He said that Moscow is against revising these agreements, we consider it very counter-productive to try to reduce to zero years of international work carried out via talks between the six major powers and Iran. Mr Lavrov has previously said that Mr Trump has further destabilised the world in his handling of the other nuclear weapons crisis - North Korea. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is also scheduled to meet with Mr Trump this week and expected to say the same about the Iran deal. Agencies have contributed to this report. President Donald Trumps top spokeswoman says that Democrats will need to decide whether they love the United States more than they hate Mr Trump as they consider whether to approve CIA Director Mike Pompeos nomination to become secretary of State. Look, at some point, Democrats have to decide whether they love this country more than they hate this president, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, said on Fox & Friends. And they have to decide that they want to put the safety and the security and the diplomacy of our country ahead of their own political games, she continued. And were very hopeful that they will. Ms Sanders comments came just as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee plans to begin considering Mr Pompeos nomination, and after some Democrats voiced concern over nominating him. The opposition to Mr Pompeos nomination is rare for an appointee picked to lead Americas State Department, and Mr Trump himself has weighed in to denounce Democrats who might vote against his pick. "Hard to believe Obstructionists May vote against Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State," Mr Trump tweeted Monday. "The Dems will not approve hundreds of good people, including the Ambassador to Germany. They are maxing out the time on approval process for all, never happened before. Need more Republicans!" The confirmation is still expected to be sent from the committee to the entire Senate later this week, but a handful of senators including at least one Republican have raised at least some potential that the process could face setbacks. Rex Tillerson fired: Trump has 'total confidence' in new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 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 Pressure to vote against Mr Pompeo has come in large part from progressive groups who have been contacting senators offices to voice opposition to the nominees hawkish foreign policy views, and his past remarks gay marriage and Muslims. Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, announced his opposition to Mr Pompeos nomination, arguing that he does not think that the nominee would work to moderate Mr Trump. I do not make this decision lightly or without reservations, Mr Coons said in a statement Friday. However, I remain concerned that Director Pompeo will not challenge the President in critical moments, the statement continued. On vital decisions facing our country, Director Pompeo seems less concerned with rule of law and partnership with our allies and more inclined to emphasize unilateral action and the use of force. The last time that the Senate panel took a pass on recommending a nominee was during the administration of George W Bush, when John Bolton was picked to be the ambassador to the United Nations. Mr Bolton now serves in the White House as Mr Trumps national security adviser. Three opposition leaders and nearly 200 protesters have been arrested in Armenia following more than a week of demonstrations venting fury at their former president taking the job of prime minister. Protesters accuse Serzh Sargsyan of clinging to power after parliament anointed him as premier earlier this month, following a 10-year stint as president. It comes as part of Armenias transition to a governmental system which reduces the powers of presidents and bolsters those of the prime minister. Critics argue the change effectively allows Mr Sargsyan to lead the country for life. Protesters accuse Serzh Sargsyan of clinging to power after parliament made him prime minister earlier this month, following a 10-year stint as president (VANO SHLAMOV/AFP/Getty Images) Tens of thousands of demonstrators have marched through the capital, Yerevan, blocking streets and staging sit-ins. They say he has ruled the South Caucasus nation for too long, is too close to Russia, which has military bases in Armenia, and of doing too little to root out corruption. In a statement, the police said the leader of the protests, Nikol Pashinyan, and two other politicians, had been forcibly removed from a protest. The public prosecution service said three opposition leaders had been detained on suspicion of organising an illegal demonstration. Almost 200 people have been taken to police stations by law enforcement officers, the Interfax news agency reported, citing police spokespeople. Seven people had been taken to hospital, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. According to the law, the detainees must either be released within 72 hours, or a criminal case opened against them. Armenias prime minister, Serzh Sargsyan, stands before leaving a televised meeting with anti-government protest leader Nikol Pashinyan (VANO SHLAMOV/AFP/Getty Images) Earlier in the day, Mr Pashinyan held talks with Mr Sargsyan, who walked out of the meeting within minutes after accusing his opponents of attempting to blackmail the authorities. This is not talks, not a dialogue, its just an ultimatum, blackmail of the state, of the legitimate authorities, the prime minister said. Demonstrators continued to march in large numbers in the capital, blowing vuvuzelas and sounding car horns, despite earlier attempts by police to break up the march with batons and shields. The police called on protesters to stop the situation from escalating, the Interfax news agency said. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered on the capitals central Republic square in the evening, calling for the continuation of peaceful protests. Im asking everyone not to deviate from the declared path and peacefully bring the case of the resignation of Serzh Sargsyan, Anna Hakobyan, Mr Pashinyans wife, told the crowd. 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 statement, the EUs foreign policy arm called for more dialogue and a peaceful resolution. All those who have been detained while exercising their fundamental right of assembly in accordance with the law must be released immediately, it said. It is of utmost importance that all parties involved show restraint and act responsibly. Additional reporting by agencies Armenias prime minister has resigned unexpectedly after his acceptance of the post brought thousands of people on to the streets for days of protests. Serzh Sargysyan was accused of clinging to power after parliament installed him as premier earlier this month in the wake of a 10-year stint as president. Pressure on the 63-year-old to quit had increased sharply on Monday, when unarmed soldiers in the capital, Yerevan, joined the anti-government protests. Recommended Protests and mass arrests as Armenian president becomes prime minister I got it wrong, he said in a statement issued by his office. In the current situation there are several solutions, but I wont choose any of them. Its not my style. I am quitting the countrys leadership and the post of prime minister of Armenia. In Yerevan, residents poured out onto the streets to celebrate. They hugged and kissed each other, while motorists honked their horns. Armenias former prime minister, Karen Karapetyan, an ally of Mr Sargsyan, was named as acting prime minister, Russias RIA news agency said, citing the Armenian governments press office. Armenias political parties in parliament now have seven days to put forward the name of a new prime minister. Mr Sargsyan's appointment as prime minister came during a transition to a new governmental system which reduces the powers of the presidency and enhances those of the premier. Thousands of anti-government protesters have been rallying in the streets of the capital since 13 April. A protest on Sunday attracted some 50,000 demonstrators. Armenia's prime minister, Serzh Sargsyan, stands before leaving a televised meeting with anti-government protest leader Nikol Pashinyan (VANO SHLAMOV/AFP/Getty Images) The leader of the protest, Nikol Pashinyan, was arrested on Sunday after he met the former prime minister for talks. Before Mr Sargsyan stormed out of the meeting, Mr Pashinyan had said: I am telling you: you have no understanding of the situation in the country. The situation is different to the one you knew 15-20 days ago. The situation in Armenia has changed, you dont have the power of which you are told. In Armenia, the power has passed to the people. In his statement announcing his resignation, Mr Sargsyan said: Nikol Pashinian was right. I was wrong. Mr Pashinian was released on Monday afternoon. Indias vice-president has rejected an unprecedented petition by seven opposition parties to impeach the countrys most senior judge for alleged misuse of public office. Venkaiah Naidu, who chairs the upper house of parliament, said it was neither tenable nor admissible to charge chief justice Dipak Misra. His comments came after 65 serving members of the upper house had signed a motion accusing the judge of acts of misbehaviour and failing to protect the independence of the judiciary from executive interference. Recommended Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused of spying on citizens They criticised Mr Misras distribution of sensitive cases, alleged that some of his rulings had been unfairly supportive of the government and questioned his conduct during the acquisition of land. Prime minister Narendra Modis government described call for impeachment as a revenge petition filed in response to a reprieve the ruling partys chief won from the Supreme Court in another case. Outlining his decision in a signed 10-page order, Mr Naidu said the allegations were in danger of undermining the independence of judiciary which is the basic tenet of the Constitution of India. He added: Considering the totality of facts, I am of the firm opinion that it is neither legal nor desirable or proper to admit the notice of motion on any of these grounds. Mr Misra, 65, was appointed last August and is due to retire in October. In November last year he was accused of intervening to ensure only judges of his choice could hear a high-profile corruption case involving a former high court judge accused of taking part in a bribery ring. In January, the four next highest-ranking judges in the Supreme Court launched a highly unusual public revolt, criticising Mr Misras distribution of cases and raising concerns about judicial appointments. They said that they met with Mr Misra and demanded changes, but he refused. The main opposition party, Congress, said it was not surprised by the ruling by Mr Naidu, a former minister in Mr Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had accused the opposition of trying to use the impeachment move as a political tool. A Supreme Court judge can be removed for misbehaviour or incapacity only by an order of the president after winning a majority in both houses of parliament and after obtaining at least two-thirds of votes from the house members in the same session. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Mr Naidu, who remains a senior member of the ruling right-wing BJP, said he studied the matter deeply and sought advice from legal and constitutional experts before reaching his decision. Leaders of Congress and six other parties had presented a notice in the upper house on Friday seeking an inquiry into Mr Misras conduct, to be followed by an impeachment vote. The opposition parties allege some of Mr Misras rulings have supported the governments stance. They cited his ruling that there should not be an independent investigation into the death of a judge presiding over a case involving the head of the BJP, Amit Shah. They also accused Mr Misra of providing false information when he bought land before becoming chief justice. A six-year-old girl was reportedly raped, strangled and left for dead in an Indian village. The girl was attacked in Cuttack district of Odisha state, and is in very critical condition in hospital with multiple serious injuries, local media reports quoted doctors as saying. She had gone to buy biscuits on Saturday and, when she did not return, her family and fellow villagers in Jagannathpur launched a search. After a frantic search for over an hour the girl was traced lying unconscious and without clothes on the school campus with blood oozing from her head and mouth, police said on Sunday. Recommended India introduces death penalty for child rapists The Times of India cited PK Jena, a Salepur subdivisional police officer, as saying the girl was being treated in SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Her grandfather filed a criminal complaint, according to the Deccan Chronicle, and a 25-year-old man from the same village was reportedly arrested on Monday. A team of 13 doctors is said to be caring for the girl after she suffered serious injuries to the head, face, neck and chest in addition to the rape. The case comes days after Indian prime minister Narendra Modi issued an ordinance introducing the death penalty for child rapists. It has been passed to the president, Ram Nath Kovind, for approval after a series of high-profile attacks. To become law, it will need to go before parliament within six months but the punishment will be enforceable in the meantime. Violent crime against women has been rising in India despite tough legislation enacted in 2013. 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 2012, the fatal gang rape of a young woman in New Delhi triggered international horror and mass protests to demand stricter rape laws. The government brought in laws doubling prison terms for rapists to 20 years and criminalising voyeurism, stalking and the trafficking of women. Politicians also voted to lower to 16 from 18 the age at which a person can be tried as an adult for very serious crimes. Additional reporting by agencies South Korea has stopped broadcasting propaganda across its border with North Korea, in a gesture of goodwill ahead of historic talks between the two countries leaders this week. Dozens of huge loudspeakers, which blast out K-pop music, discussions of democracy, and criticism of Pyongyangs regime, fell silent at midnight on Sunday for the first time in more than two years. The move comes with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean president Moon Jae-in due to meet at truce village Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone straddling the two countries. Recommended North Korea announces it will stop nuclear tests and missile launches It is not yet clear if Pyongyang, which itself broadcasts praise for its leader and patriotic songs across the border, will reciprocate by silencing its speakers. We hope this decision will lead both Koreas to stop mutual criticism and propaganda against each other and also contribute in creating peace and a new beginning, Seouls defence ministry said. The move followed North Koreas surprise announcement that it would halt nuclear tests and missile launch trials. Pyongyang also said it was closing down a nuclear test site and would instead pursue economic growth and peace. The decision has been welcomed by world leaders, including US president Donald Trump, who is set to meeting Mr Kim next month. Mr Moon said: North Koreas decision to freeze its nuclear programme is a significant decision for the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. It is a green light that raises the chances of positive outcomes at the Norths summits with South Korea and the United States. He added that if North Korea goes the path of complete denuclearisation, a bright future for the secretive communist state can be guaranteed. North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Show all 21 1 /21 North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Pukguksong-2 missile - 2 May 2017 A solid-fuel "Pukguksong-2" missile lifts off during its launch test in North Korea on May 22, 2017. They said that it was examining operational plans for attacking Guam, an angry reaction to UN punishment for previous North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile tests and a US suggestion about preparations for possible preventive attacks to stop the North's nuclear weapons program. Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Hwasong-12 -16 September 2017 North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting a launching drill of the medium-and-long range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 at an undisclosed location. Kim vowed to complete North Korea's nuclear force despite sanctions, saying the final goal of his country's weapons development is "equilibrium of real force" with the United States, state media reported on September 16, 2017. AFP/Getty Images North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Donald Trump address South Korean assembly - 7 November 2017 President Donald Trump talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-In during their joint press conference at the presidential Blue House on November 7, 2017 in Seoul.Trump was the first US President to address the South Korean National Assembly since President Clinton in 1993. He addressed Kim Jong Un warning him to not underestimate the US and that for talks to materialize then Pyongyang would need to take steps into denuclearization. Getty North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Demilitarized Zone Haean-Myeon, is a small military town near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and border between North and South Korea, in Gangwon province. The zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula and was created after the 'Korean Armistice Agreement'. Any negotiations between the two countries tend to take place in this zone. AFP/Getty Images North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Declared state sponsor of terrorism by Trump - 20 November 2017 President Donald Trump speaks to the media during a cabinet meeting at the White House on November 20, 2017, where he officially designated North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. North Korea had previously been on the list, however was removed in 2008. Getty North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile - 29 November 2017 The North Korean government launches it's Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea on November 29, 2017. It is supposedly capable of reaching all parts of the US. Korean Central News Agency via AP North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile - 29 November 2017 North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un celebrating the launch of the Hwasong-15 missile on November 29, 2017. AFP/Getty North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Kim Jong-Un New Year's speech - 1 January 2018 North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un delivering his New Year's speech. He vowed North Korea would mass-produce nuclear warheads and missiles in a defiant New Year message on January 1 suggesting he would continue to accelerate a rogue weapons programme that has stoked international tensions. Korean Central News Agency via AFP/Getty North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Intercontinental ballistic missile ice sculpture - 1 January 2018 Fireworks are seen above the Taedong River during New Year celebrations as visitors pose for a photo in front of an ice sculpture of an intercontinental ballistic missile at the Pyongyang Ice Sculpture Festival in Kim Il Sung Square in North Korea on 1 January, 2018. REUTERS North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures US-South Korean military drills postponed - 4 January 2018 South Korean President Moon Jae-in talks with US President Donald Trump on January 4, 2018 in Seoul. South Korea and US agreed to delay the annual "Foal Eagle" military drills until after the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in an effort to "de-conflict" the Games and "focus on ensuring the security" of the event. South Korean Presidential Blue House via Getty North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures North and South Korea have first official talks in over two years - 9 January 2018 Vehicles transporting the South Korean delegation, led by South Korean Unification Ministrer Cho Myoung-Gyon, drive past a checkpoint on the road connecting South and North Korea at the Unification Bridge, near the Demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating them both on January 9, 2018 in Paju. They began their first official face-to-face talks in two years. Getty North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures North and South Korea have first official talks in over two years - 9 January 2018 Members of the South Korea delegation (R) shake hands with members of the North Korean delegation (L) during their meeting at the border truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas on January 9, 2018. They focused on the forthcoming Winter Olympics after months of tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme. AFP/Getty North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Foreign Ministers Meeting on Security and Stability on the Korean Peninsula - 16 January 2018 Foreign Ministers from twenty countries from North and South America, Asia, and Europe pose for a photo at the Vancouver Foreign Ministers Meeting on Security and Stability on the Korean Peninsula, in Vancouver on January 16, 2018. The US urged an escalation in pressure on North Korea over its nuclear missile program, despite a more cautious tone from key US ally South Korea. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, co-hosted the event with Canada's foreign minister Chrystia Freeland, and called for North Korean ships to be intercepted and for new punitive measures to be implemented every time Pyongyang tests new weapons. AFP/Getty North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures North Korea and South Korea to march together at Winter Olympics - 20 January 2018 PyeongChang 2018 Olympics President Lee Hee-beom, North Korea's Sports Minister and Olympic Committee president Kim Il Guk, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, South Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-hwan and South Korea's National Olympic Committee President Lee Kee-heung join their hands as they pose during a signing ceremony at the Olympic Museum on January 20, 2018 in Lausanne. North Korea will send 22 athletes to the Winter Games in the South. The two nations will also march together at the opening ceremony. AFP/Getty North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Anti-North Korea activists protest delegation arrival - 22 January 2018 Anti-North Korea activists burn a portrait of leader Kim Jong-Un during a rally Seoul Station as a North Korean delegation arrived to check out performance venues for the Winter Olympics on January 22, 2018. Protesters led by the Korean Patriots Party gathered and complained that the talks to encourage North Korea's participation is stealing the spotlight from their country to the benefit of the regime. Donga Daily via Getty North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Panmunjom - 7 February 2018 South Korean soldiers stand guard at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between South and North Korea on February 7, 2018. In a sign of thawing bilateral ties, North Korea today announced that Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, will attend the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. Getty Images North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures North Korean ferry arrives in South Korea - 6 February 2018 North Korean ferry Mangyongbong-92 carrying a 140-strong orchestra approaches a port in Donghae, South Korea, February 6, 2018. REUTERS North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Anti-North Korea protest - 6 February 2018 A member of a conservative civic group tears a portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during an anti-North Korea protest as the North Korean ferry Mangyongbong-92 carrying a 140-strong orchestra approached. REUTERS North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures North Korea at the athletes village - 8 February 2018 A North Korean flag is seen hanging on a building at the Winter Olympics athletes village in Gangneung, South Korea. REUTERS North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Olympic Welcome ceremony - 8 February 2018 Democratic People's Republic of Korea Vice Sports Minister Won Gil-woo receives a gift from mayor of the Olympic Village Kim Ki-hoon during the welcome ceremony ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Games at the Olympic Village on 8 February, 2018 in South Korea. Getty Images North Korea South Korea relations: in pictures Mike Pence meets Moon Jae-in - 8 February 2018 US Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in before their meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea on 8 February, 2018. REUTERS South Koreas defence ministry did not say if the propaganda broadcasts would resume following this weeks summit. The transmissions, designed to sow doubt about Pyongyangs official message among North Korean troops and citizens near the border, have long been a source of tension between the two nations. Both countries have employed the tactic intermittently since the end of the Korean War in 1953. The speakers have been in regular usage since the Norths nuclear test in January 2016, which began a prolonged period of escalating global tensions over Pyongyangs weapons programme. This weeks talks and the planned meeting between Mr Kim and Mr Trump have raised hopes of an easing in those tensions, which reached a crescendo last year amid a flurry of North Korean missile launches and its largest nuclear test. The American leader hailed Pyongyangs announcement that it was freezing its nuclear programme as very good news for North Korea and the World. He added: Big progress! Look forward to our Summit. However, he sounded a more cautious note, writing on Twitter: We are a long way from conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they wont only time will tell. The US president had earlier claimed in a tweet that North Korea agreed to denuclearisation. In fact, Pyongyang stopped short of suggesting it would give up its existing nuclear weapons or scale back production of missiles and their related component parts. As the weaponisation of nuclear weapons has been verified, it is not necessary for us to conduct any more nuclear tests or test launches of mid- and long-range missiles or ICBMs, Mr Kim said, according to North Korean news agency KCNA. The northern nuclear test site has completed its mission. He added: The whole party and the whole nation should now focus on the development of the socialist economy. This is the partys new strategic policy line. Donald Tusk has told a Polish court that he had no role in preparing an ill-fated flight that crashed in 2010 killing the countrys president and 95 others people an incident which has loomed large over the countrys politics for eight years. Testifying at a court in Warsaw the European Council president, who was prime minister of Poland at the time of the disaster, said it was obvious that he should not have been involved in such day-to-day planning. The families of some of the victims of the crash blamed Mr Tusks government and sued officials, who they say did not make the necessary preparations to make the journey safe. The trial, in which Mr Tusk is appearing as a witness and not a defendant, has become a major political issue in Poland. Observers say the countrys government, led by the right-wing populist Law and Justice party, is using it to undermine Mr Tusk. It is not and should not be the task of the prime minister or the president to influence any decisions as to place of the landing, the time of the landing, the destination, the type and the choice of the plane, Mr Tusk told the panel of three judges. So from my point of view it was obvious that I should not be interested and should not be influencing. In testimony the senior European Union official, who represents member states' interests in Brussels, also praised the head of his office and officials, who have come under attack over the incident, for their work. Lech Kaczynski, his wife the first lady, and many senior Polish officials and military leaders were killed in the crash on April 10, 2010. Wreckage at the site of the Smolensk plane crash in 2010 (AP) The incident happened near a makeshift airport in Smolensk, Russia while they were on the way to pay homage to the thousands of Polish officers killed by Soviet state security in 1940 during World War II. Official investigations have said the crash was an accident but the leader of Law and Justice, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is the late presidents twin brother, has blamed Mr Tusk and Russia for what happened and suggested it could have resulted from foul play. 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 Last year a court of appeal confirmed an 18-month suspended prison term for Polands deputy head of the Government Protection Office for irregularities in the downed flight and another plane journey taken by Mr Tusk himself three days earlier. Polands government is currently engaged in a long-running dispute with Brussels over controversial changes to the countrys judiciary that the European Commission and others say will undermine the independence of the judiciary including in constitutional courts that judge the validity of election results. Mexico and the European Union have agreed a new trade deal that virtually eliminates tariffs between the two blocs, as Europe forges ahead with setting up new trade links around the world ahead of Brexit. The deal, inked at the weekend, took two years to negotiate and eliminates tariffs practically across the board, including the agriculture. The British government has staked its economic fortunes on negotiating new free trade deals around the world, but also hopes to piggy-back on the dozens of deals already signed by the EU which the UK currently benefits from. Liam Fox, the UK trade secretary, visited Mexico in July last year, stating that he hoped to replicate the then pending EU deal for Britain after it leaves the bloc. Recommended UK wants the EU to protect its products from imitation after Brexit The latest agreement also gives some clues to the requirements the EU could impose on Britain when Theresa May seeks to negotiate a free trade agreement with the bloc after Brexit. The Mexican government has agreed to recognise 240 geographical indications regional products protected by EU rules like Champagne and ban Mexican imitations from using the same names. The UK government has been resisting signing up to such rules, with a view to signing a deal with the US, which regards them as protectionism. The deal also includes a passage on financial services, but provisions are based on the idea of equivalence which City of London bosses have said would be insufficient for UK firms because it can be revoked by the EU at any time if rules are not deemed to meet European standards. In less than two years the EU and Mexico have delivered a deal fit for the economic and political challenges of the 21st century Cecilia Malmstrom, EU trade commissioner Trade can and should be a win-win process and today's agreement shows just that, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said. Mexico and the EU worked together and reached a mutually beneficial outcome. We did it as partners who are willing to discuss, to defend their interests while at the same time being willing to compromise to meet each other's expectations. With this agreement, Mexico joins Canada, Japan and Singapore in the growing list of partners willing to work with the EU in defending open, fair and rules-based trade. Cecilia Malmstrom, the EUs trade commissioner added: In less than two years the EU and Mexico have delivered a deal fit for the economic and political challenges of the 21st century. Liam Fox visited Mexico to drum up trade for Brexit Britain in July 2017 (Reuters) We now open a new chapter in our long and fruitful relationship, boosting trade and creating jobs. Today's agreement also sends a strong message to other partners that it is possible to modernise existing trade relations when both partners share a clear belief in the merits of openness, and of free and fair trade. The deal also opens up Mexican government procurement to EU companies, and slashes tariffs on European goods such as pasta, pork, cheese, chocolate, and milk powder. A previous trade deal signed 21 years ago mostly covers industrial goods. Crawford Falconer says other countries could try to renegotiate trade deals with UK Mexico is expected to get better access for products including orange juice, tuna, asparagus, honey, egg white albumin, and meats. It needed to be more ambitious in the agricultural sector, it needed to be more ambitious in services, it needed to be more ambitious in many of the elements that in the end we managed to agree on after two years of work, Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said. Brexit so far: in pictures Show all 53 1 /53 Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit campaign Boris Johnson led the VoteLeave campaign PA Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit campaign Boris Johnson MP, Labour MP Gisela Stuart and UKIP MP Douglas Carswell address the people of Stafford in Market Square during the Vote Leave Brexit Battle Bus tour on 17 May 2016. Their lead line on the tour was: We send the EU 350 million a week, let's fund our NHS instead. Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Voting day A man shelters from the rain as he arrives at a polling station in London on 23 June 2016. Millions of Britons voted in the referendum on whether to stay in or leave the European Union AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Referendum results Leader of Ukip, Nigel Farage, reacts at the Leave EU referendum party at Millbank Tower in central London as results indicated that it was likely the UK would leave the European Union AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Protesting the result A young couple painted as EU flags and a man with a sign reading Im not leaving protest outside Downing Street against the voters decision to leave the EU on 24 June 2016 Getty Brexit so far: in pictures David Cameron resigns British Prime Minister David Cameron resigns on the steps of 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2016 after the results of the EU referendum were declared and the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Theresa May Becomes the new Conservative Party leader Theresa May receives a kiss from her husband Philip, after becoming the new Conservative Party leader on 11 July 2016. May became Prime Minister two days later and although she voted to remain in the referendum was keen to lead Britains Brexit talks after her only rival in the race to succeed David Cameron pulled out unexpectedly. May was left as the only contender standing after the withdrawal from the leadership race of Andrea Leadsom, who faced criticism for suggesting she was more qualified to be prime minister because she had children AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Lancaster House keynote speech on Brexit British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers her keynote speech on Brexit at Lancaster House in London on 17 January 2017. Where she spoke about her offer to introduce a transition period after the UK formally leaves the European Union in March 2019. Despite repeating the pro-Brexit mantra of no deal is better than a bad deal, the Prime Minister claimed she wanted a tone of trust between the negotiators and said Britain was leaving the EU but not Europe. She said there should be a clear double lock needed for the transitional period to make sure businesses had time to prepare for changes to their trading relationships with the EU Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Triggering of Article 50 British Prime Minister Theresa May in the cabinet, sitting below a painting of Britain's first Prime Minister Robert Walpole, signs the official letter to European Council President Donald Tusk invoking Article 50 and the United Kingdom's intention to leave the EU on 29 March 2017 Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Gibraltar nonsense Tensions have risen over Brexit negotiations for the Rock of Gibraltar. The European Council has said Gibraltar would be included in a trade deal between London and Brussels only with the agreement of Spain. While former Conservative leader Michael Howard claimed that Theresa May would be prepared to go to war to protect the territory. Spain's foreign minister stepped in only to assert that there was no need for the dispute Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Shock snap election Soon after triggering Article 50, Theresa May called on 18 April 2017 for a snap general election. The election would be on 8 June and it came as a shock move to many, with her reasoning to try to bolster her position before tough talks on leaving the EU AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Dissolution of Parliament for General Election Campaign Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street after returning from Buckingham Palace on 3 May 2017. The Prime Minister visited the Queen to ask for the dissolution of Parliament signalling the official start to the general election campaign Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Conservatives lose parliamentary majority An arrangement of British daily newspapers showing front page stories about the exit poll results of the snap general election. British Prime Minister Theresa May faced pressure to resign on 9 June 2017 after losing her parliamentary majority, plunging the country into uncertainty as Brexit talks loomed. The pound fell sharply amid fears the Conservative leader would be unable to form a government AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Labour gains Britains opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gives a tumbs up as he arrives at Labour headquarters in central London on 9 June 2017 after the snap general election results showed a hung parliament with Labour gains and the Conservatives losing their majority AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit negotiations begin Brexit Minister David Davis and European Commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations Michel Barnier address a press conference at the end of the first day of Brexit negotiations in Brussels on 19 June 2017 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures May speaks in Florence British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks on 22 September 2017, in Florence. May sought to unlock Brexit talks after Brussels demanded more clarity on the crunch issues of budget payments and EU citizens' rights AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU council summit insufficient progress German Chancellor Angela Merkel joins other EU leaders for a breakfast meeting during an EU summit in Brussels on 20 October 2017. The EU spoke about Brexit and announced that insufficient progress had been made AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures DUP derails settlement on the withdrawal part of Brexit DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds walks off after speaking to members of the media as a protester holding flags shouts after him outside the Houses of Parliament on 5 December 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to pull out of a deal with Brussels after the DUP said it would not accept terms which see Northern Ireland treated differently from the rest of the UK Getty Brexit so far: in pictures May suffers defeat over EU (Withdrawal) Bill Theresa May suffers defeat in parliament over EU (Withdrawal) Bill on 13 December 2017. The Government was defeated by Conservative rebels and Labour MPs in a vote on its key piece of Brexit legislation. MPs amended the EU (Withdrawal) Bill against Theresa May's will, guaranteeing Parliament a meaningful vote on any Brexit deal she agrees with Brussels. Ms May's whips applied pressure on Conservative rebels who remained defiant in the Commons throughout the day and in the end the Government was defeated by 309 votes to 305 Brexit so far: in pictures EU council summit sufficient progress Britain's Prime minister Theresa May arrives to attend the first day of a European union summit in Brussels on 14 December 2017. European leaders discussed Brexit and announced there was finally sufficient progress at the end of the two days AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures The game moves to transition Brexit Secretary David Davis gives evidence on developments in European Union divorce talks to the Commons Exiting the EU Committee in Portcullis House, London, on 24 January 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures Trade deal is what May wants French President Emmanuel Macron gestures to Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May after they hold a press conference at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, on 18 January 2018. May and Macron agreed a new border security deal, through which the UK will pay more to France to stop migrants trying to reach British shores on 18 January 2018 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Transition period agreed The UK and EU agree terms for Brexit transition period on 19 March, 2018 Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures No agreement on Irish border The EU and UK however failed to reach an agreement on the Irish border during the successful talks on other Brexit issues AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU attacks Mays fantasy strategy For months after the March deal is struck there is little significant progress in talks. One senior EU official tears into Britains fantasy negotiating strategy and accuses Theresa May of not even having a position on a variety of important issue Getty Brexit so far: in pictures UK releases Ireland plan Britain releases a new customs plan to solve the Northern Ireland border but Michel Barnier says it leaves unanswered questions and would not prevent a hard border EbS Brexit so far: in pictures Chequers plan agreed The cabinet agrees on a plan known as the "Chequers deal" on July 6 2018. The plan seeks regulatory alignment on goods and food, divergence on services, freedom from the European Courts of Justice and an end to free movement. Many were surprised that the hard Brexiteers of the cabinet would agree to this plan PA Brexit so far: in pictures Chequers plan sparks resignations Brexit Secretary David Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and numerous ministers resign in the days following the Chequers agreement Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Davis out, Raab in On 9 July, Dominic Raab replaces David Davis as Brexit Secretary. Raab is a keen Brexiteer and was a housing minister before taking over from Davis Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Barnier's "deal like no other" EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier claims on August 29 2018 that they are prepared to offer Britain a trade deal like no other, though he stressed that they will not divide or change the single market to accommodate Britain AP Brexit so far: in pictures "My deal or no deal" In an interview on Panorama on September 17, the Prime Minister insists that any Brexit deal will be offered to the EU on her terms. She asserts this amongst continued attacks on her approach to Brexit by Boris Johnson and the European Research Group, headed by Jacob Rees Mogg BBC/Jeff Overs Brexit so far: in pictures EU leaders reject Chequers Quite the blow was dealt to the Prime Minister at a EU leaders summit in Salzburg on September 20. European Council President Donald Tusk stated that the Chequers deal "will not work" Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures May demands respect Following the rejection of her Chequers plan the day before, the Prime Minister voiced her anger that the EU had dismissed it without offering an alternative. She stated that throughout this process, I have treated the EU with nothing but respect. The UK expects the same. A good relationship at the end of this process depends on it." Getty Brexit so far: in pictures People's Vote march As the People's Vote campaign and The Independent's Final Say campaign gain traction, 700,000 people turn out in London to demand a final say on the UK's Brexit deal on October 20 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures More resignations As the Prime Minister settles on a Brexit deal, Brexit secretary Dominic Raab resigns along with Work and Pensions secretary Esther McVey and many other ministers Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Final Say petitions delivered to Downing Street People's Vote supporting MPs Chukka Umunna, Justine Greening and Caroline Lucas and The Independent editor Christian Broughton deliver over a million signatures in favour of a People's Vote to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street on December 3 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures May delays vote On December 10, the Prime Minister delayed the vote on her Brexit deal as it was near certain not to pass through the Commons due to Tory rebels and lack of DUP support AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures No confidence motion Tory MPs triggered a confidence vote in the Prime Minister on December 12. She won by 200 votes to 117 Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Commons rejects the deal Following the delay, the Prime Minister's deal was rejected in the Commons by a historic 230 votes AFP Brexit so far: in pictures Corbyn tables a no confidence motion Following the rejection of the Prime Minister's deal, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn tabled a motion of no confidence in the government, which the government won by a margin of 19 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Plan B The Prime Minister won the support of the commons to return to Brussels to renegotiate the backstop on January 29. In the same sitting, MPs also voted against a no-deal Brexit in a non-legally binding motion PA Brexit so far: in pictures EU council president savages Brexit campaigners who failed to plan for departure: Special place in hell There is a special place in hell for pro-Brexit campaigners who demanded Britain leave the EU without explaining how it should happen, Donald Tusk has said. The European Council president launched the scathing attack as he accused anti-EU campaigners of pushing for Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely. Mr Tusk also dismissed suggestions that the EU could reopen negotiations over the controversial Northern Ireland backstop, dealing a blow to Theresa Mays hopes of securing fresh concessions as she tries to get her exit deal through parliament. Speaking in Brussels alongside Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Mr Tusk said: Ive been wondering what a special place in hell looks like for people who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely. He also tweeted the accusation moments later Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU and UK announce talks to restart after Theresa May visits Brussels Both have agreed to restart Brexit talks to find a way through the deadlock in Westminster, following a visit by Theresa May to Brussels. In a joint statement the British government and European Commission said Ms May had had a robust but constructive meeting with president Jean-Claude Juncker, and that the pair would meet again before the end of the month. But the EU again refused to reopen the withdrawal agreement and its controversial backstop with any negotiations expected to focus on the future relationship between the UK and EU instead Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit strategy lost MPs voted down May's Brext plans, with a majority of 45. The prime minister did not appear in parliament to see another defeat PA Brexit so far: in pictures Labour and Conservative MPs resign and create the Independent Group Back row of Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Chuka Umunna and Mike Gapes, middle row of Angela Smith, Luciana Berger and Ann Coffey and front row of Sarah Wollaston, Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Joan Ryan PA Brexit so far: in pictures Non-biding votes on amendments to Brexit motion On February 27 he house held a series of votes, unanimously calling for the UK and EU to guarantee citizens rights in a no-deal scenario AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Attorney General publishes legal advice A hammer blow for May as Geoffrey Cox said her renegotiated deal can still leave UK in backstop against its will. Mr Cox did say the prime ministers efforts had reduced the risk of the UK being trapped in the backstop indefinitely. MPs went on to vote against her deal by 391 to 242 UK Parliament/PA Brexit so far: in pictures No-deal off the table MPs rejected a no-deal Brexit by 43 votes on March 13, with cabinet ministers rebelling in another humiliating defeat for Theresa May. A day later they voted in favour of the prime minister seeking an extension to Article 50 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures House speaker bans May from third Commons vote on same Brexit deal John Bercow sensationally told Theresa May he would stop her making another attempt to pass her Brexit deal unless she has secured changes. The Speaker said a further meaningful vote would be ruled out of order if the motion was the same or substantially the same under an ancient convention to stop the government bullying parliament on issues MPs have rejected Parliament Live Brexit so far: in pictures May writes to Tusk The prime minister wrote to Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, to ask for a three-month extension to give her more time to try to get her deal through parliament. However the European Commission advises the EU27 should offer a short extension to May 23 or a longer one meaning the UK would participate in European elections 10 Downing Street/AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures European Council summit Theresa Mays request to extend triggering Article 50 until the end of June was rejected by the EU, and instead offered a shorter time frame. She accepted the offer of a delay until May 22 if her withdrawal deal is approved by Parliament. If MPs rejected it for a third time, the EU said Britain must propose a new plan by April 12. Ms May said she will not support a long delay because it would mean Britain participating in elections for the European Parliament Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brussels confirms preparations for a no-deal Brexit are completed They warned that it is increasingly likely the UK will crash out. In a statement the European Commission (EC) said preparedness and contingency work, which the EC has been conducting since December 2017, was now finished. The announcement came days after EU leaders agreed to a request by Theresa May to extend the UKs Brexit date AFP Brexit so far: in pictures May resigns Reuters EU officials said earlier this year that the bloc should accelerate talks with Mexico, among other countries, in response to threats by Donald Trump to impose tariffs on EU goods. Mexicos government is also pursuing the deal under the pretext of diversifying the countrys trade away from the US, which is taking an increasingly hard protectionist line under the right-wing president. The trade deal must now be translated into legal text and signed off by the European Council and European Parliament. Germany has agreed to take in 10,000 migrants who were selected by the United Nations refugee (UNHCR) agency. Angela Merkel said the refugees would be part of a resettlement programme in Germany but did not indicate from which countries they would come. The decision was announced during a meeting between Ms Merkel and the UNs High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. Germany's Chancellor said she was supporting the move in an effort, "to prevent illegal migration and substitute it through legal opportunities." Mr Grandi thanked Germany for tripling its financial support to the UNHCR in the last three years, making Germany the second biggest donor after the United States. Germany is now contributing about 387 million euros (473 million dollars) annually to the agency, according to the German news agency DPA. Ms Merkel previously agreed to cap the number of refugees arriving in Germany at 200,000, as a concession during coalition negotiations to form a new government. 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 German chancellor, who has opened up Germanys borders to people fleeing the wars in the Middle East and Africa, made the concession to secure the support of the regional Bavarian party the CSU (Christian Social Union). The change of policy came after the far-right AfD party did well in the German federal elections, securing third place and becoming the first far-right party to enter the Bundestag in half a century. Agencies contributed to this report Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Washington as the guest of Donald Trumps first state visit, hoping to persuade the US president not to disengage from the Iran nuclear deal or punish Europe with trade tariffs. The so-called Trump whisperer Mr Macron appears to have earned the US leaders respect after engaging in a knuckle-whitening handshake and inviting him and the first lady for Bastille Day celebrations in Paris is being treated to a private dinner at Mount Vernon, the home of Americas first president George Washington. On Tuesday, he will be the guest of honour at a state dinner at the White House, featuring lobster bisque, lamb with tomato fondue, green beans and sweet potato casserole. While Mr Macron is known as someone with a taste for fine food, the 40-year-old French leader is coming with a lengthy diplomatic shopping list on Iran, Syria and trade. His main aim will be to cement the idea in Mr Trumps mind that France is the go-to nation in Europe. He wants France to be primus inter pares among the US allies, Nicholas Dungan, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told The Independent. That will give him much greater room for manoeuvre, both within Europe and globally. While some European leaders have created distance between themselves and Mr Trump, especially after his disparaging comments about the relevance of Nato, Mr Macron has sought to build a close relationship. Reports suggest the two leaders speak by phone frequently. Yet, the worst thing Mr Macron could do, said Mr Dungan, would be to play up the idea he knows how to handle Mr Trump, somebody who notoriously hates to be handled. Rather, he should work on developing the personal chemistry between the two, something Mr Trump believes is the key to good international relations. Better to let the policy be made at the policy level, but statesmanship should be done at the statesmanship level, he said. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Mr Macron is keen to seek support from Mr Trump on several areas Syria, trade and backing for the Iran nuclear deal, the seven-party brokered agreement that halts Tehrans nuclear programme in exchange for relief on sanctions. During the election campaign, Mr Trump repeatedly denounced the deal, which was signed by Barack Obamas administration. He has said he will decide by the middle of next month whether European nations have fixed what he called terrible flaws in the deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or whether Washington should pull out. Ahead of his three-day trip, Mr Macron, who previously urged the US president to keep Washington a member of the Paris Accord on climate change, told Fox News that despite Mr Trumps reservations, the Iran deal was the best way of dealing with the problem. Is this agreement perfect and this JCPOA a perfect thing for our relationship with Iran? No, he said. But for nuclear what do you have? As a better option? I dont see it. Mr Macron, who on Wednesday will deliver a speech to Congress on the anniversary of the day president General Charles de Gaulle addressed a joint session of Congress in 1960, also wants to persuade Mr Trump not to immediately withdraw the 2,000 or so US troops currently operating in Syria. As the head of a country that has had to repeatedly deal with terror attacks from Islamist extremists, he will argue that a sudden withdrawal could allow those Isis fighters still present in Syria to regroup, despite recent success in destroying their bases. France recently joined the US and UK in attacking three targets in Syria linked to chemical weapons, following an alleged gas attack the West has accused the Syrian government of carrying out in the Damascus suburb of Douma. Syria and its ally Russia have denied there was such an attack. If we leave, we leave the floor to the Iranian regime, Bashar al-Assad and these guys, and they will prepare the new war. They will fuel the new terrorists, said Mr Macron. Mr Macron, whose visit will be followed later this week by one from German chancellor Angela Merkel, will also seek to persuade Mr Trump to make permanent the exemptions for the EU to recent tariffs Washington announced on steel and aluminium imports. Emmanuel Macron takes a swipe at Donald Trump over climate change Adam Plowright, a Paris-based journalist and author of a recent biography of the French leader, The French Exception: Emmanuel Macron, the Extraordinary Rise and Risk, said Mr Macron will be seeking to fill the vacuum created by the withdrawal of the US from international leadership and Britains distraction as a result of Brexit. Macron is the only European leader in good standing in the White House not Germany or Britain, he said. Reuters said the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, had called on European leaders to support the nuclear deal. It is either all or nothing. European leaders should encourage Trump not just to stay in the nuclear deal, but more important to begin implementing his part of the bargain in good faith, Mr Zarif wrote on Twitter. The news agency said Mr Macrons visit comes at a time of mounting alarm in Europe over the knock-on effect US sanctions on Russia could have on their own manufacturing industries. French officials said Paris and other European governments were coordinating efforts to persuade Mr Trump to ease sanctions on Russia, including measures against Russian aluminium producers. There are concerns raised by the extraterritoriality effects of the new sets of sanctions, it quoted one French finance ministry source as saying. Europeans... have jointly warned the US administration about the economic impact and consequences and the need to find solutions. Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam has been jailed for 20 years over a shoot-out with police in Belgium. The 27-year-old was convicted of attempted murder with a terrorist connection alongside an accomplice over the gun battle. He is allegedly among the only surviving members of an Isis cell that murdered 130 victims in Paris in 2015, fleeing to his hometown of Brussels. Four months later, police investigating a terrorist safe house in the city were met with a hail of gunfire and killed one militant, before finding Abdeslams fingerprints and other clues that led them to a hideout nearby. Officers had originally been hunting two brothers who launched the Brussels attacks days later, and weapons and an Isis flag were found at the scene. Abdeslam was charged with opening fire on police in the gun battle and with involvement in the Paris attacks, and has been imprisoned in northern France. He attended the opening day of his trial in February but later refused to answer questions. Court president Luc Hennart said he and accomplice Sofiane Ayari, who admitted fighting for Isis in Syria, chose not to attend the reading of the verdict and sentencing. In pictures: Paris attacks Show all 25 1 /25 In pictures: Paris attacks In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French police with protective shields walk in line near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers evacuate an injured person on Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French Vigipirate troops mobilize next to Place de la Bastille AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French soldiers mobilize near to the Place de la Bastille AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated outside the scene of a hostage situation at the Bataclan theatre EPA In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks People react as they gather to watch the scene near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French police secure the area outside a cafe near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers workers evacuate victims near the Bataclan concert hall AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and French President Francois Hollande attending an emergency meeting at the Interior Ministry AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Spectators invade the pitch of the Stade de France after explosions were heard outside AP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks A man lies on the ground as French police check his identity near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Police officers man a position close to the Bataclan theatre AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated from the Stade de France in Paris EPA In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Two men evacuate the Place de la Republique square in Paris as a police officer looks on AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Football fans are evacuated from the Stade de France stadium In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks An armed police officer Dan Gabriel In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Stade de France is evacuated after reports of an explosion In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks A member of the French fire brigade aids an injured individual near the Bataclan concert hall In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated from the Stade de France in Paris In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Police are seen outside a cafe in 10th arrondissement of the French capital Paris, In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers assist an injured man on Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, close to the Bataclan concert hall AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The scene at a restaurant in 10th arrondissement In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Bataclan theatre - where around 100 people are thought be held hostage In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Stade de France as it was evacuated In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Forensic experts inspect the site of an attack outside the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis AFP Their presence was not mandatory, he added. If they had wished to be present they could have been there, but they decided not to be present. It is unclear when Abdeslam will face trial over the Paris attacks, while several other suspected terrorists have been imprisoned for links with the massacres and bombings in Brussels. Abdeslam became the worlds most wanted terrorist when he allegedly fled Isis massacres on 13 November 2015, calling friends to drive him back to Belgium after his own brother blew himself up at a restaurant. The precise role of Abdeslam, a former small-time criminal who helped run his brothers bar in Molenbeek, is unclear but he is suspected of helping manufacture explosives, hiring cars, renting hideouts and transporting jihadists. Investigators believe he drove three suicide bombers to the Stade de France before travelling to the 18th arrondissement and abandoning the hire car in Place Albert Kahn. Isis initial claim of responsibility listed an attack in the district that never materialised, and a suicide vest later found in a bin in Montrouge fuelled speculation that Abdeslam had violated orders and fled. He passed through police checkpoints unhindered and disappeared with the suspected help of accomplices linked to the criminal underworld, where he was formerly known as a drug dealer and thief. The trail went cold until March 2016, when Belgian and French police stormed what they believed was an empty terrorist safe house in the Brussels district of Forest. But they were met by a hail of bullets and Algerian Isis militant Mohamed Belkaid was shot dead as two suspects fled across surrounding rooftops. A search of the flat resulted in the recovery of Abdeslams fingerprints on a glass, convincing authorities that he was still in Brussels, and the renewed search led police to his hideout just metres from his former home in Molenbeek. The raid in which Abdeslam was arrested in Brussels (Reuters) Four days after his capture, Isis militants linked to the Paris cell launched the Brussels attacks, killing 32 victims in bombings at the citys airport and a metro station. Abdeslam denied prior knowledge of the atrocities but investigators have suggested the perpetrators may have been rattled by his arrest and struck early. Mohamed Abrini, a childhood friend who was filmed with him at a petrol station two days before the Paris attacks, was among the bombers but failed to detonate his device and went on the run. He became known as the man in the hat after footage showed him fleeing Brussels airport, and was arrested in the Belgian capital weeks later. The complex web of connections between the terrorists behind the Paris and Brussels attacks has led to analysts dubbing the group a supercell, who had been dispatched by Isis commanders in Syria with specific roles drawing on their criminal past. Paris attacks ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud, Abdeslam and his brother Ibrahim were all involved in crime in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek with Abdelhamid and Abdeslam jailed together in 2010. Abdeslam was also known to be friends with Najim Laachraoui, the bomb-maker for the Paris and Brussels attacks, who blew himself up at Brussels Airport after travelling to Hungary with Abdeslam and Belkaid in September 2015. The raided flat where Abdeslam and Ayari hid in Rue du Dries, Forest, had been rented by Brussels metro bomber Khalid El Bakraoui, who also procured another flat in Charleroi that was used as a rendezvous ahead of the Paris attacks. The property contained DNA traces of both Abdeslam brothers, Stade de France bomber Bilal Hadfi, Abaaoud and Chakib Akrouh, who both died during a raid by Paris police five days after the attacks. Russia could supply Syria with advanced S-300 missile systems in the near future, Russian military sources have told the Kommersant newspaper, warning Israel would suffer catastrophic consequences if it attacked the system. The daily newspaper said experts believed Israel would react negatively to any decision to supply the missiles to Syria, and might bomb the area where they would be deployed. If Israel decides to carry out rocket strikes on the deployment locations of the S-300, the consequences will be catastrophic for all sides, an unnamed military source said. A Russian diplomat who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said Israel has asked Moscow not to supply the Syrian military with the S-300s. An Israeli government spokesman declined comment. S-300 long range surface-to-air missile systems seen during a rehearsal for Russias Victory Day military parade (Donat Sorokin\TASS via Getty Images) On Monday, Russias foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said the Kremlin had not yet decided whether it would deliver the missiles, but would not make a secret of the matter if it took such a decision. Earlier this week, Mr Lavrov said Western military strikes in Syria had removed any moral obligation Russia had to withhold the missile systems from its ally, Bashar al-Assad, according to the Tass news agency. Well have to wait to see what specific decisions the Russian leadership and representatives of Syria will take, Tass cited Mr Lavrov as saying during a visit to Beijing on Monday. There is probably no secret about this and it can all be announced [if a decision is taken], he added. Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Show all 13 1 /13 Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage The wreckage of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre in the Barzeh district, north of Damascus, which was targeted by the US, UK and France air strikes. AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage A Syrian soldier films the damage of the Syrian Scientific Research Center surrounded by papers and rubble. AP Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Firefighrers extinguish smoke that rises from the damage. The Pentagon says none of the missiles filed by the U.S. and its allies was deflected by Syrian air defenses, rebutting claims by the Russian and Syrian governments. AP Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage The wreckage of part of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre compound . AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Part of a building collapsing, surrounded by the wreckage. AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Further damaged to the Scientific Studies and Research Centre compound. AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, also says there also is no indication that Russian air defense systems were employed early Saturday in Syria. AP Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage A Syrian soldier sprays water on the wreckage. AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Syrian state news agency SANA reported several missiles hit a research centre in Barzeh, north of Damascus, "destroying a building that included scientific labs and a training centre". AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage A Syrian soldier films the damage. AP Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Damage to the Scientific Research Center building that was hit by the strikes. EPA Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage The Scientific Studies and Research Centre was one of the targeted buildings by the US, UK and France. AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Further damage to the centre. EPA He said, prior to the US strikes on Syrian targets earlier this month, Russia had told US officials which areas of Syria represented red lines for Moscow. US military action did not cross those lines, he said. Now, we have no moral obligations. We had the moral obligations, we had promised not to do it some 10 years ago, I think, upon the request of our known partners, he added. He also said he was convinced Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump would not allow an armed confrontation between their two countries. At least 20 people including the bride were killed when an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition hit a wedding party in northern Yemen, health officials have said. The dead were mostly women and children gathered in a tent set up for the wedding in the Bani Qayis district, according to Khaled al-Nadhri, the leading health official in the north-western Hajjah province. Hospital chief Mohammed al-Sawmali said the groom and 45 other wounded people were brought to the local al-Jomhouri hospital. Thirty of those injured were reported to be children, with some in critical condition having suffered severed limbs and shrapnel wounds. Recommended Fire destroys Yemen warehouses filled with aid supplies Footage that emerged from the scene of the airstrike showed scattered body parts and a young boy in a green shirt hugging a mans lifeless body, screaming and crying. Health ministry spokesman Abdel-Hakim al-Kahlan said ambulances were initially unable to reach the site of the bombing for fear of subsequent airstrikes as the jets continued to fly overhead after the initial strike on Sunday. We take this report very seriously and it will be fully investigated as all reports of this nature are, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said. Al-Masirah, the TV station of the armed Houthi movement which controls the area and much of northern Yemen, claimed on its Twitter account that 33 people had been killed and 55 wounded. More than 10,000 civilians have been killed and tens of thousands wounded in three years of war in Yemen. The civil war broke out after the government of Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi was pushed out of the capital, Sanaa, by the Houthis in March 2015. It led to a military intervention by the Saudis and others. Some 22 milllion people, or 80 per cent of the population, are in need of humanitarian aid, the UN has said. UN officials have accused the Saudi Arabia-led coalition of war crimes and of being responsible for most of the killings. Air strikes have hit weddings, busy markets, hospitals, and schools. The situation in Yemen Show all 14 1 /14 The situation in Yemen The situation in Yemen Houthi supporters trample on a US flag during a gathering mobilizing more fighters into several Yemeni battlefronts, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen People carry the coffins of men, who were killed in the recent Saudi-led airstrikes during their funeral, in the Old City of Sanaa, Yemen AP The situation in Yemen Pro-government fighters give food to Yemeni children on the road leading to the southwestern port city of Mokha. Yemeni rebels are putting up fierce resistance in a key Red Sea port city where they are encircled by pro-government force Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni stands in front of a graffiti protesting US military operations in war-affected Yemen, in Sana'a, Yemen. According to reports, US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen A Yemeni female fighter supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, takes part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen Yemeni female fighters supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, take part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A boy shouts slogans next to pro-Houthi fighters, who have been injured during recent fighting, during a rally held to honour those injured or maimed while fighting in Houthi ranks in Sanaa, Yemen Reuters The situation in Yemen Balls of fire and smoke rise from a Houthi-held military camp following alleged Saudi-led airstrikes, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy looks on as Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy sits amidst the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa AFP/Getty The situation in Yemen Marine One with US President Donald Trump flies with a decoy and support helicopters to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, for the dignified transfer of Navy Seal Chief Petty Officer William 'Ryan' Owens who was killed in Yemen Getty Images The situation in Yemen US President Donald Trump aboard the Marine One to greet the remains of a US military commando killed during a raid on the al Qaeda militant group in southern Yemen on Sunday, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, US Reuters For its part, the coalition has blamed Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and said they have used civilians as human shields. Earlier this month the UK approved a 170m aid package for several million Yemenis at risk of starvation. In November last year Theresa Mays government was criticised for allowing arms deals with Saudi Arabia worth billions of pounds. Additional reporting by agencies When it comes to finding a partner, monkeys are not necessarily so picky they insist a mate comes from the same species. New genetic research suggests that primates in Tanzania are so promiscuous they will happily cross the species divide. The study shows red-tailed and blue monkeys living in Gombe National Park regularly get together despite being entirely separate creatures with entirely different looks and social structures. It is the first time that such cross-divide mating has been proven among guenon monkeys. And it has resulted in a unique hybrid population, according to research published in the International Journal of Primatology. There's a lot of promiscuity taking place, said study author Kate Detwiler, anthropology professor at Florida Atlantic University. Red-tails are mating with blues, blues are mating with red-tails, and hybrids are mating with everyone. But we're just not seeing any negative consequences from these two very different species repeatedly mating and producing offspring on an on-going basis. A blue monkey (Alamy) She estimated the bizarre relationships had been going on for of years and she added that they may well have developed because the red-tailed females found the blues more exotic than their own species. A mixed-sex society of red-tailed monkeys arrived in the region first and thrived, she said.. Male blue monkeys, she added, probably arrived later after being kicked out of their own groups on reaching sexual maturity. I kept coming back to the idea that if they are only supposed to mate with their own kind, then why did these red-tailed monkeys mate with the blue monkeys, especially if they had males of their own species around, Prof Detwiler said. The female red-tailed monkeys present as willing partners and they are not coerced or forced into copulation with blue monkeys. Apparently, some female red-tailed monkeys were attracted to novel males with different faces and welcomed the sexual advances. The research involved analysing DNA from the faeces of the primates. First monkey clones Show all 7 1 /7 First monkey clones First monkey clones Zhongzhong and Huahua Chinese Academy of Sciences First monkey clones Hua Hua Qiang Sun and Mu-ming Poo, Chinese Academy of Sciences First monkey clones Hua Hua Qiang Sun and Mu-ming Poo, Chinese Academy of Sciences First monkey clones Hua Hua Chinese Academy of Sciences First monkey clones Zhong Zhong Qiang Sun and Mu-ming Poo, Chinese Academy of Sciences First monkey clones Zhong Zhong Qiang Sun and Mu-ming Poo, Chinese Academy of Sciences First monkey clones Zhong Zhong Qiang Sun and Mu-ming Poo, Chinese Academy of Sciences Now Prof Detwiler believes studying how the two species have co-existed and merged could help in understanding hybridisation in general. She said the society provides an amazing laboratory in nature to help us answer many questions about how species boundaries are maintained." She added: "This research is very timely because hybridization often occurs in response to environmental changes, as we are seeing with climate change and modified landscapesit is nature's way to respond." An Australian family were left terrified when their son was reported missing, only for it to transpire that he had stolen the family credit card and travelled alone to Bali. As reported in 9 News, 12-year-old Drew* had a heated argument with his parents. He doesnt like the word no, his mother said. He subsequently told them he was going to school. However, Drew had actually stolen the family credit cards and, after tricking his grandmother into giving him his passport, travelled alone to Bali. He was able to do so having researched Australian airlines which allow minors to travel with only a student ID and passport, rather than requiring a letter from a parent or guardian. Recommended Young girl boards easyJet flight without parents The boy took a train to Sydney airport and was able to check in at the self-service stations and get through security before waiting to board a flight to Perth, from where he caught a connecting flight to Denpasar in Bali. I sort of stuffed up because I got the deal cheap, he told 9 News, adding that he was never asked why he was alone. They just asked for my student ID and passport to prove Im over 12 and that Im in secondary school. Meanwhile, Drews mother Emma had reported her son missing after discovering he never made it to school. Prior to reaching Bali, Drew had booked himself into an All Seasons hotel. Upon arrival, he told staff his sister would be joining him later, convincing them to let him check in early. Speaking to Australias A Current Affair, Emma described how it felt when she realised that her son had managed to leave the country. Shocked, disgusted. Theres no emotion to feel what we felt when we discovered that he had left overseas, she said. After discovering that he had travelled abroad, Emma went to Bali to retrieve Drew. He ultimately spent four days alone in the country. It was great, he told A Current Affair. Because I wanted to go on an adventure. Drew is far from the first child to fool airline authorities in order to travel alone. In November 2017, a seven-year-old girl managed to travel by herself to Geneva Airport, where she slipped through security and boarded an easyJet flight to Corsica. Crew correctly identified that she was not supposed to be on the plane and she was handed over to police to be returned to her parents. *names have been changed Getting close to dolphins and whales has been popular with tourists for decades, but in recent years the pursuit has been mired in controversy, thanks to concerns over the animals welfare and living conditions. Virgin Holidays has announced plans to invest $300,000 (210,150) in conjunction with the non-profit National Aquarium in Baltimore to create the first dolphin sanctuary in America. Recommended Vancouver bans dolphins and whales from aquarium The development will see seven captive dolphins moved from an indoor dolphinarium to a larger, outdoor setting with hopes that the move will inspire more natural environments for dolphins in tourism. The National Aquarium plans to relocate its seven dolphins (Jade, Spirit, Maya, Bayley, Chesapeake, Foster and Beau) from their indoor pool in Baltimore to a much larger sanctuary habitat. Virgin Holidays has spent the previous year assessing various sanctuary projects in development, ultimately settling on the National Aquariums initiative as the best option. While the exact location of the project has yet to be confirmed, it will be in Florida, providing the animals with more space, a seaside location including ocean tides, temperature variations, and other natural ocean life such as fish, crabs and seaweed. The company hopes to welcome visitors to the completed site in 2020, while also leading a shift in how tourists interact with dolphins. An artistic rendering of the National Aquariums Dolphin Sanctuary in Florida (Studio Gang) Joe Thompson, managing director of Virgin Holidays, says of the move: We strongly believe the way tourists interact with captive whales and dolphins needs to change and have been engaging with existing suppliers to improve their product offering and encourage a move away from theatrical shows. Today were pleased to announce our second focus which is working with the wider industry to develop alternative forms of tourism that place a greater prominence on the welfare of these animals. Thompson adds that the project aims to prove the advantage of more natural settings for dolphins compared to captive environments. For its part, the National Aquarium is embarking on a three-year acclimatisation plan alongside Virgin Holidays to teach dolphins new behaviours and prepare them for the move. This includes encouraging them to drink water so their system can be flushed if they eat the wrong thing, says Thompson. In addition, theyll raise the temperature in the tank to 26 degrees Celsius and allow algae to grow, plus teaching the dolphins to swim onto stretchers so the eventual transportation to their new home is successful. We have created individualised acclimation plans for each of our dolphins, as each of whom has a distinct personality and learning style, just like people, John Racanelli, CEO and president of National Aquarium, told The Independent. Some are quick learners, while others take more time to learn these new skills. We are working to allow each to advance at his or her own pace. After consultation, Baltimores National Aquarium decided to partner with Virgin Holidays on its dolphin-first facility in Florida (Getty Images/iStock/bouillabaisse) He added: Were creating a new option for dolphins in human care. In nearly 30 years of caring for dolphins, weve learned so much more. Although they receive superb care, we now know we can provide even higher quality care for the dolphins in a natural seawater habitat. A pioneering effort of this magnitude requires a deliberate and science-based approach. For us, that means following a principle called dolphin-first, where the needs of each dolphin are taken into consideration. The Aquarium hopes that research undertaken during the project will enhance human understanding of dolphins and how we interact with them. Our goal is that the sanctuary will advance scientific knowledge of dolphins, both in human care and in the wild, says Racanelli. By this we mean non-invasive, meaningful research that cannot otherwise be conducted in a typical aquarium setting, nor in the wild. Our hope, ultimately, is that this work will benefit dolphins by instilling a greater ethic of care for all cetaceans, globally. Spirit is one of seven dolphins set to move to the Florida facility (Heather Moran, National Aquarium) After analysing over 30 sites around the world, the National Aquarium decided that the new facility should be located in Florida. The ideal sanctuary location will be a flexible, seawater habitat that offers the dolphins opportunity to interact with natural stimuli and more room to express innate behaviours. The Florida Keys are of particular interest as they offer a number of man-made, saltwater lagoons with the ocean just a stones throw away, and theyre very accessible. Racanelli elaborated on what the Aquarium envisages with its dolphin-first principle. Its the driving force behind the why, how and whats next for this project. Put simply, we place the welfare of the dolphins above all else science, the public, donors, whatever. This in turn drives a set of practices intended to allow the dolphins the greatest levels of choice and control, and to enable them to express natural behaviours like social groupings and foraging. A dolphin undergoing stretcher training to prepare it for transportation (National Aquarium) When asked about concerns regarding the Aquarium working alongside a commercially driven partner such as Virgin Holidays, Racanelli was unequivocal in his approval for the British companys involvement. Weve been very selective in determining whom we want to partner with, whether NGOs, foundations or corporations. In some cases, weve had to forego working with those whose purposes were not in alignment with our mission. He added: We could not be more pleased to be working closely with Virgin Holidays. They understand the importance of what were working to accomplish. The National Aquarium CEO says he feels it important to emphasise the importance of protecting what he describes as the treasures of the sea. Dolphins have survived on this planet for around 50 million years, and impacted on it far less than we humans have. I think its important for us to keep that in mind. In todays Independent you refer to David Lammys reference to the immigration system as pernicious, cruel and inhumane. The same could well be said of the benefits denial system, lack of access to housing policy, and indeed of most of our present governments treatment of its citizens. Sadly the days when incompetent politicians would do the honourable thing and resign when caught out are long gone but the public will not forget when they next have a chance to vote. Mike Margetts Kilsby The governments obsession with documentation hits not just the Windrush generation and not just residency rights. It also hits other minority groups and the poor and elderly, with regard to their voting rights as pointed out by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (Voter identity checks may discriminate against ethnic minority communities, watchdog says). That is yet another way whereby this government is keen to place a bias in its favour at elections. No doubt if this voting injustice hits the headlines, Theresa May, Amber Rudd et al will be announcing how sorry they are, how very ashamed and so forth as they stay in power mouthing their commitment to free and fair elections. Why do we put up with it? Peter Cave London W1 Your article about the human impact of the Home Offices hostile environment policy is very sad and thought provoking. The diversity of the individual cases you detail raises questions about just how far reaching the impact of this policy is. As the prime minister and the home secretary apologise unreservedly, I wish I could ask them what they thought the hostile environment they sought to create would look like. In each case described, it seems to me like the treatment of the individuals involved is exactly what you might expect if you treat immigrants and their children as undesirables who have to be purged unless they can jump through administrative hoops to demonstrate their worthiness. If they now agree that the current situation is unacceptable, then their earlier policy aim demonstrates either an incompetence in their lack of foresight or a callous disregard for the people that make up our society, particularly those less able to defend themselves. On top of this, for over a decade, our MPs fiercely resisted the call for ID cards to be introduced, consistently arguing it would change the very character of British society. It seems that the main arguments for IDs (ie immigration control of all services) have sneakily been introduced into the system, side-stepping the democratic resistance to them. Andrew Isaac Meso Bushey Intended consequences Much has been written about Theresa Mays hostile environment rightly described by David Lammy as pernicious, cruel and inhumane and the unintended consequences. However it is hard to understand, given the advice of ministers at the time, that the consequences were unintended. Indeed we can see the same government create a hostile environment in the methods set up for disability assessment, not to mention our shameful treatment of asylum seekers at places like Yarls Wood. No doubt when we are finally faced with the results of our disastrous decision to leave the EU, that too will be put down to unintended consequences. G Forward Stirling We need better leadership In my opinion, we as a nation are suffering because of one thing. That one thing is Mays inability to admit that she might have got something wrong. Weve seen it in Brexit and now we see it in Windrush. So every day we are suffering because we dont have a leader in No 10 (and weve seen for months that we dont have a manager). Real leadership requires that you admit your errors, and move quickly and openly to remedy them. I worry when such ineptitude is determining our collective future. Steve Mumby Bournemouth Independent candidates are the most reliable For the last three months, we have been inundated with all sorts of correspondence from councillors of every party as they try to convince us of their undying devotion to the job, the public, the environment, etc, while quietly implying that they are practically a collection of saints. This however is in sharp contrast with the opinion of the people, who are fed up with their incompetence, laziness, corruption (yes!, even if some dare not call it that), profligacy, cronyism and school-tie deals defying logic, common sense and propriety none of which solve the problems piling up. I am fed up with each partys cosy back-room deals and politicians beholden to several shadowy figures, some of whom they dont even know. So, to get out of this quagmire, I would suggest that we all vote for the independent candidates. It may not resolve all the problems, but it certainly is at least a step in the right direction! But most importantly, we should NOT forget to vote on Thursday 3 May. Fred Nicholson Essex The Lib Dems have got everyones back So, millions of voters would consider backing a centre-ground party, (Millions of voters feel politically homeless and would back new centre-ground party, finds poll)? I have good news for them. This party already exists and they can vote for it whenever the occasion arises. It is called the Liberal Democrats. It isnt in hock to the unions, it isnt funded by the bankers and financial institutions, it already has 12 members of parliament and hundreds of local councillors. It isnt to the right, it isnt to the left, it supports the right of every citizen to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community and to build a society in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. Unfortunately, it is ignored by the press and the broadcast media, who find it easier to pretend that there are only two political parties in Britain. Its 100,000 paying members and the thousands who support it at the ballot box are being wilfully and deliberately ignored. The speaker fails to call its members in parliament. This must change. Richard Fagence Windsor Syrias beautiful heritage sites are a testimony to the different cultures and civilisations that went before us. They include some of the worlds oldest and most prestigious sites, which were built and preserved by people and empires over centuries. They are also a testimony to who we, as Syrians, are today. They are part of our identity. They represent our life, which was once a good and happy life. World heritage day on 18 April was a celebration of diverse histories and cultures. It made me think back to my life in Syria before the war. I worked in Syrias tourism industry for two decades. I had the great privilege of walking in the footsteps of history countless times, showing tourists, who would flock from around the world, our historical treasures. Isis and the war destroyed Palmyra and so much more. They have destroyed the past and the present (Shutterstock) My office was in the centre of the city of Homs. Tourism was thriving in our area, with thousands of people visiting every year. We would show them the old and the new Syria and introduce them to what it once was and what it had become, which is also very significant. In Damascus, tourists loved to walk down the citys old streets and visit its bustling market area. They would watch the Hakawati or traditional storytellers, who would relate ancient tales. In Daraa, they would visit the Bosra theatre, a large ancient Roman theatre, which was on the list of all tourists coming to Syria. In my city, people would visit the Citadel of Homs and many other important sites, including religious ones. But the ancient city of Palmyra, outside of Homs, was my favourite. It was also my special area of expertise. The columns of the colonnade, the temples and the Roman theatre were just some of the stunning sites. They were always close to my heart. I loved showing tourists the heritage sites. I always tried to give them an authentic image of Syria the one which illustrates how deep-rooted history is in our country. I felt such great pride when people, who would come from great countries such as Britain, found my country fascinating. Tourists would say to me that they now understand how Syrias history has contributed to world religions and civilisations. They would gaze wide-eyed at the monuments. Syria bombing: EU 'understands' recent airstrikes but calls for 'urgent' resumption of peace talks These were such precious memories for me. But unfortunately, that is all they are now memories. When the fighting broke out, I was caught in crossfire as I walked home from work. One of my knees was shattered by a snipers bullet. I wasnt sure if I was going to survive. I now have an artificial knee and find it difficult to walk properly without the support of a crutch. My family and I had no choice but to flee Syria after life became too dangerous. Months after escaping to Egypt, I saw video footage showing the destruction on our street. I saw that my office had been destroyed by heavy shelling. Half of my life was spent in that office. My memories and all my hard work were literally turned into rubble. It brought tears to my eyes. But I could hardly mourn my own losses when there is so much destruction taking place. The loss of human life is a tragedy beyond any words, but the loss of our heritage sites is also heart breaking for us. So much of it now lies in ruins. Isis and the war destroyed Palmyra and so much more. They have destroyed the past and the present. We never imagined that Syria would become a victim of so much hate and destruction. Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Show all 10 1 /10 Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution The reconstructed Khaled Bin al-Waleed Mosque is framed by a damaged building, in the old city of Homs AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Sumaya Bairuty, 38, an English-language teacher who works in the capital Damascus, speaks with The Associated Press while as she walks to her parents house in the war-damaged Bab Dreib neighborhood of Homs AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Bairuty walks to her parents house AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A family that returned to live in their apartment inside a heavily damaged building hang their carpets in the sun AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A car drives through a devastated part of the old city AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A pigeon keeper watches his pigeons fly from the roof of his home AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Two people carry goods on a bicycle in the war-damaged neighborhood AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution Children play football in the street AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution It has been almost four years since the last rebels and civilians withdrew from the remaining strongholds in the ancient heart of Homs in Syria AP Inside Syria's obliterated capital of the revolution A man rides his bicycle past a banner showing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad AP Last year, my family was lucky enough to be given a new chance at life thanks to the British people and their government who have accepted us in their country. We now live in Hereford as part of the Syrian vulnerable persons resettlement scheme, and with the support of Refugee Action and Herefordshire Council, we are slowly finding our feet in our new home. Weve been exploring our new surroundings, including some of the countrys great historic sites. When I visit Britains treasures, I remember how much I love this field of work. As the conflict in my home country enters its eighth year, I try to think of ways to preserve my memories by documenting and sharing them with the world. I want to find ways to continue to highlight the significance of Syrias history and people. We have lost a lot, but we still have a lot to show and be proud of in Syria. Syria is not Isis. It is not war it is much greater than this. We must continue to show the world that we are good people with a great culture and values we love life and all that it represents. Do you find Brexit a kind of slow-burn, psychological thriller box set in which all of humanitys worst characteristics compete for supremacy? Then stay tuned because were approaching a truly climactic episode. The comparatively benign themes of ignorance and idleness have been having the run of things for a while now, but the conflict between mendacity and outright racism (which is nothing if not honest), has been building almost since day one and its showdown is about to come. On Sunday, Theresa May made clear she has given up hope of leaving the customs union. We know this for certain, not because it was on the front of The Sunday Times, but because Downing Street later issued a statement denying it. In March of last year, Downing Street did exactly the same when asked if there was going to be a general election. If youre interested in the exact quote from Downing Street, two weeks before Theresa May stood in Downing Street announcing the election, its here: There isnt going to be one. It isnt going to happen. There is not going to be a general election. Recommended Clarke urges Tory MPs to ignore No 10 customs union threats Already, the approximately seven people in the UK for whom the referendum was all about free trade and Britain signing its own trade deals are furious. Leaving the EU while staying in the customs union is the worst of all worlds, writes Daniel Hannan, their spirit leader, in The Daily Telegraph. Worse than full EU membership. That is precisely why some MPs and peers are pushing it. But the concentration of this outrage and its ring-fenced nature should finally tell Hannan and his friends the one thing about Brexit they have always been too cowardly to admit, ever since they stoked racist sentiment and won. That Mr and Mrs Brexit dont care about free trade, they dont care about the customs union. They care about immigration. They care about leaving the single market, which means taking back control of our borders. It is always worth returning to the elderly gentleman whom Channel 4 News stopped on the streets of Barnsley not long before the 2016 vote took place. Its not about trade, or Europe, or anything like that. Its all about immigration, he told them. Its about stopping Muslims coming into this country. The movement of people in Europe, fair enough. But not from Africa, Syria, Iraq, everywhere else, its all wrong. Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures An abandoned shop is seen in Mullan, Co Monaghan. The building was home to four families who left during the Troubles. The town was largely abandoned after the hard border was put in place during the conflict. Mullan has seen some regeneration in recent years, but faces an uncertain future with Brexit on the horizon Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures A defaced Welcome to Northern Ireland sign stands on the border in Middletown, Co Armagh Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Mervyn Johnson owns a garage in the border town of Pettigo, which straddles the counties of Donegal and Fermanagh. Ive been here since 1956, it was a bit of a problem for a few years. My premises has been blown up about six or seven times, we just kept building and starting again, Johnson said laughing. We just got used to it [the hard border] really but now that its gone, we wouldn't like it back again Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Farmer Gordon Crocketts Coshquin farm straddles both Derry/Londonderry in the North and Donegal in the Republic. At the minute there is no real problem, you can cross the border as free as you want. We could cross it six or eight times a day, said Crockett. If there was any sort of obstruction it would slow down our work every day Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures John Murphy flies the European flag outside his home near the border village of Forkhill, Co Armagh Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Potter Brenda McGinn stands outside her Mullan, Co Monaghan, studio the former Jas Boylan shoe factory which was the main employer in the area until it shut down due to the Troubles. When I came back, this would have been somewhere you would have driven through and have been quite sad. It was a decrepit looking village, said McGinn, whose Busy Bee Ceramics is one of a handful of enterprises restoring life to the community. Now this is a revitalised, old hidden village Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Union Flag colours painted on kerbstones and bus-stops along the border village of Newbuildings, Co Derry/Londonderry Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Grass reflected in Lattone Lough, which is split by the border between Cavan and Fermanagh, seen from near Ballinacor, Northern Ireland Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Donegalman David McClintock sits in the Border Cafe in the village of Muff, which straddles Donegal and Derry/Londonderry Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures An old Irish phone box stands alongside a bus stop in the border town of Glaslough, Co Monaghan Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Billboards are viewed from inside a disused customs hut in Carrickcarnon, Co Down, on the border with Co Louth in the Republic Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Seamus McQuaid takes packages that locals on the Irish side of the border have delivered to his business, McQuaid Auto-Parts, to save money on postal fees, near the Co Fermanagh village of Newtownbutler. I live in the south but the business is in the North, said McQaid. "I wholesale into the Republic of Ireland so if theres duty, Ill have to set up a company 200 yards up the road to sell to my customers. Ill have to bring the same product in through Dublin instead of Belfast Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures A disused Great Northern Railway line and station that was for customs and excise on the border town of Glenfarne, Co Leitrim Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Alice Mullen, from Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland, does her shopping at a former customs post on the border in Middletown, Co Armagh. Id be very worried if it was a hard border, I remember when people were divided. I would be very afraid of the threat to the peace process, it was a dreadful time to live through. Even to go to mass on a Sunday, youd have to go through checkpoints. It is terribly stressful, said Mullen. All those barricades and boundaries were pulled down. I see it as a huge big exercise of trust and I do believe everyone breathed a sigh of relief Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures A bus stop and red post box stand in the border town of Jonesborough, Co Armagh Reuters This nice salt-of-the-earth chap has every right to these opinions. At the time, Vote Leave, for whom Daniel Hannan was a hugely influential strategist, was stoking up anti-Muslim sentiment, scaremongering about Turkey joining the EU. That since the referendum, he has liked to tweet things like, If someone tells you the referendum was all about immigration, you are almost certainly talking to a Remainer, is a noble attempt to find some way to sleep at night, even if it does involve not reading the replies. But the reality is much worse than Hannan and co think. Its long been known that there is no configuration of free trade deals to be had outside the EU that comes close to adequately replacing what will be lost in trade by leaving the single market. Even if there were, it would involve trade deals with, for example, India, who have made abundantly clear that any free trade deal would require improved UK visa rights for Indian nationals. And who would have to grant those? Thats right, Theresa May, the very same person who fought to effectively veto an EU/India trade deal necessitating improved visa rights. She was in the middle of driving xenophobic vans round London, showing there were absolutely no limits to which she would not go to bring down immigration. And who can blame her? Even now, people who are not demonstrably mad try to make the case that the Brexit vote was about a pivot from the EU back to the Commonwealth. And this is happening in the midst of arguably Theresa Mays biggest humiliation as Prime Minister the systematic humiliation of elderly ethnic minority British pensioners who were invited here as children. Of course, the temptation is to blame Theresa May personally for Windrush, and such a course of action would not be wholly unjustified. But it cannot be ignored that democratic politics is subject to market forces. If there were no anti-immigrant sentiment alive and well in Britain today, it is hard to see why, while Theresa May was busy setting up her hostile environment , the merchandise section of Ed Milibands Labour Party website had controls on immigration mugs for sale on it. 'People's vote' Brexit campaign group fronted by MPs Caroline Lucas, Anna Soubry, Chuka Umunna and Layla Moran calls for referendum on final EU deal There is to be a Commons vote on Thursday over continued membership of the customs union, but given the Conservatives are expected to lose, they have already said they will not take part in it. Indeed, one of the more surrealist emblems of the return of parliamentary sovereignty has been the consistent Tory abstention from it. In advance of the debate, the likes of Sajid Javid have said that the EU referendum gave clear instructions to politicians on leaving the customs union. Again, no one doubts the sincerity of Javids conviction but that palpably did not happen. Arguably the most reckless aspect of David Camerons referendum was that it was designed only for a Remain vote, for everything to remain the same. It offered no contingency for how to proceed through the many pathways of Brexit, no method for any mandate to express itself. But if Javid thinks a Brexit vote was a clear instruction to say no to immigration from Poland, Romania, France, Germany and the rest, and yes to free trade with India and the rest of the commonwealth, and all the extra immigration that will inevitably have to come with it, then its worth taking a walk down Barnsley high street. The process of extracting meaning from mass democratic events, of interpreting what the public are really saying is among the most depressing aspects of political analysis. The electorate are saying millions of things, using millions of blunt instruments to arrive at a crude vote. But it nevertheless cannot be ignored that a year ago, Theresa May made clear her negotiating position leaving the single market, leaving the customs union and she asked the country to strengthen my hand in the negotiations with Brussels. That request ended with her unable to govern without the backing of a fringe Northern Irish party, who wont accept any difference in status between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and wont countenance any return to a hard border either. That is reality. Really, it was in that moment, at 10pm on 8 June, that the immigration tiger Dan Hannan and the rest rode, the one that truly doesnt care about free trade and the customs union, jolted them free and bit their head off. They just havent realised it yet. If someone really wants to be amazed by the dramatic developments that have changed the world in the last century, it is only necessary to look upwards. At any one moment in the day the skies are filled with some 10,000 planes moving millions of people across nations and continents at speeds that even recently would have been considered recklessly insane. In the 115 years since the Wright Brothers made something mechanical travel 120 feet in the air to kick-start the aeronautical revolution, the progress is breathtaking. The probable plans for the company under the microscope today, Airbus, suggest a future that will have even more surprises. Passenger numbers are doubling every 15 years and airlines, as well as airports and air traffic control, have to find a way to cope. Airbus is one of the great examples of Europeanisation and has ended up being the effective consolidation of the European aerospace industry, a dream since the 1970s. It wasn't easy because of the intense rivalries in the sector and the pride in aerospace technologies from the start. But the great claim that Airbus can make these days, is that its fleets have flown 12 billion passengers more than 215 billion kilometres and today it's valued by the market at 73bn. It is well established as one side of a duopoly with the American Boeing Corporation. That, however, may be one of the things that's going to change before long. A sure and certain feature among the giant aviation companies that no one takes for granted is that their rivals cannot be challenged. Recent events saw Airbus clinch a deal to take control of Bombardier's new regional jet for a nominal sum. This scuppered Boeing's attempt through US courts to kill off the Bombardier jet and handed a great industrial opportunity to Airbus in the US. Boeing later decided to open partnership discussions with Brazil's regional jet producer Embraer. However, the big new competition to the duopoly is coming from China. The Chinese are in the final stages of launching a single-bodied commercial aircraft for two years' time. They also have a joint venture agreement with the Russians to produce wide-bodied aircraft. Boeing's success over the years has been based on a group of highly skilled and internationally diverse employees which has delivered over time the state of the art aircraft. Unfortunately, many of them are retiring. The group has announced the departure of the CEO, German-born Tom Enders, and the COO, Fabrice Bregier. These management changes are of concern to investors who worry if the next generation will be as competent. It will also see the retirement of the legendary head of sales John Leahy who over a 32-year-career is said to have sold more than $1.7tn worth of aircraft. Last year Airbus delivered 700 planes for the year (Boeing 800) but is still plagued by delays from its engine suppliers. In 2018 it expects to deliver 800. However, the European aircraft maker has been struggling to keep its wide-bodied aircraft afloat. Recently Emirates threw it a lifeline when it ordered 36 of the super Jumbo aircraft. Results for 2017 surprised investors with better than expected profits and cash flow. Revenues for the year were stable at 67bn (Boeing 74bn). Earnings rose 52pc to 3.4bn, cash flow increased to 3.7bn and dividends increased by 11pc. Shareholders shrugged off the 1.3bn charge for its troubled military transport plane. The company stated this would draw a line under the troublesome programme. These results saw shares hit an all-time high in January of 100, but they have since slipped to 94, trading at a price earnings multiple of 25. Brexit, however, will present problems for Airbus as the future shape of the relationship between the EU and the UK remains unclear. Commercial aircraft, security and defence, and the space industry all could see the UK being frozen out. This would present serious implications for Airbus. Hard borders and regulations risk blocking the supply chain, not a good position for Airbus but one that will have to be sorted out in thorny negotiations. Nothing in this section should be taken as a recommendation, either explicit or implicit to buy any of the shares mentioned. A Brexit awakening by the UK could see Theresa May's attitude towards leaving the customs union soften, the Government believes. Reports that Downing Street could be persuaded to maintain a free trade arrangement with the EU have been met with a hopeful welcome by officials in Dublin. But it comes as the key political leaders here engaged in the most divisive debate on Brexit yet. Since the referendum result in June 2016, Fianna Fail has been largely supportive of the Government's approach to the negotiations. However, in a speech yesterday Micheal Martin said his party has "a rising concern" that Ireland is now being "pushed later and later in the negotiations". He said this leaves "a real risk that we will face enormous pressure to accept whatever is proposed so that the financial settlement with the UK will not be lost". In a blistering attack on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Simon Coveney, who are leading the Brexit talks from an Irish perspective, he said they have "over-spun and under-delivered in nearly every policy area". "The issue of Brexit is simply too important for our future and we need more debate not less," he said. "Most of all we need to start seeing concrete and credible proposals about future arrangements." A spokesperson for the Tanaiste last night accused Fianna Fail of trying to create "a few headlines". He said the Government's position "has been clear and consistent since the UK voted to leave the EU". "Negotiations are sensitive and ongoing, so it is curious to say the least that - at a time when European backing of Ireland from Donald Tusk, Michel Barnier and governments across the EU has been rock solid - Fianna Fail is trying to create division and fear on Brexit at home for party political gain and a few headlines," the spokesman said. Mr Martin said it would be of "positive significance" if it was to emerge that the UK was moving back towards the customs union. "Clearly it's far removed from their public stated position and the stated position of the UK government. "We're of the view that the closest possible trading relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom is the optimal result for the island," he said. Such a U-turn would be hugely controversial with senior members of Mrs May's (inset) Cabinet, with Downing Street sources now believing International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson could both resign. UK Justice Secretary David Gauke insisted the UK Government will make a case to MPs for leaving the customs union. Reported comments made by Commissioner Oettinger that the European Commission will propose a cut of 6pc in CAP funding will be extremely worrying for all farmers but especially for those in the low income sectors where EU supports are vital, according to ICSA president Patrick Kent. Mr Kent said ICSA understands that the Commissioner has outlined this to the presidents committee of the European Parliament this week, in advance of the publication of the Multi-Annual Financial Framework (7 year budget proposals) in early May. "While this figure is considerably lower than some of the figures that were doing the rounds, it is still unacceptable. It has been suggested that this cut will be applied solely to Pillar 1 payments which are direct income supports for farmers. ICSA is calling on the government to outline how it proposes to make up the difference. Options could include national co-funding of Pillar 1 or a higher co-funding of Pillar 2. Last month, Commissioner Oettinger said the European Unions next long-term budget should be bigger than the current one despite the departure of major net contributor Britain. Oettinger told a news conference that the next budget, spanning 2021 to 2027 should be between 1.1 and 1.2 percent of EU gross national income, compared to the 1.0 percent now. Because the size of the budget will be ultimately decided by EU governments, Oettinger left the exact size needed open, saying only it should be 1.1x of EU GDP. Earlier this year, the Commission outlined several options for funding of joint new projects like an EU border management system, which in its full form would cost about 150 billion over seven years, or a stepped-up student exchange program which could set the budget back 90 billion if one in three young people were given the opportunity to learn abroad. The most ambitious approach to research and development spending would be to double the amount earmarked for it to 160 billion euros, which would create 650,000 new jobs by 2040 and boost EU GDP as well, the Commission said. At the same time money spent on equalizing living standards across the 27 countries, now accounting for more than one third of the total budget, could be cut by up to a third, or 124 billion, ending support for regions in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, mainland France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and many regions in Italy and Spain. Also, spending on the common agriculture policy could be cut by almost a third, or 120 billion, the Commission said. The EU should also consider tapping new sources of revenue. The Commission suggested taking over a share of money from the trade of greenhouse emissions permits, modifying what it gets from the value-added tax across the EU, getting a contribution from corporate taxes and the revenue generated by the European Central Bank from issuing money, known as seigniorage. To better use the money available, the next EU budget could make use of financial engineering like leveraging, drawing on the success of the EUs investment scheme which used 21 billion of public money to generate investment of 315 billion. Additional reporting by Reuters Sr Lily Scullion checking out the miscanthus crop which is being used to heat the Abbey. Photo: Valerie O'Sullivan A farming nun whose monastery is in danger of being without fuel for the winter, said she is heartbroken from the worst spring ever. Sr Lily Scullion, who is the farm manager at Glencairn Abbey Monastery in Lismore, Co Waterford said that the Abbey has been unable to harvest 25 acres of their miscanthus crop, which they use to heat the monastery in the winter due to the terrible weather conditions. The crop is harvested in spring, before the new growth starts. Unfortunately with the very wet weather this miscanthus is very wet and can't be baled. We need several consecutive days of dry, hot weather, as soon as possible otherwise it will rot in to the ground and we will not have enough fuel for the winter. We usually harvest it in March but the field is sodden. Farmers are heartbroken. Its definitely the worst spring Ive experienced on the farm, says Sr Lily. Sr Lily says that the entire order of Cistercian nuns is praying hard that the weather will improve for the farming community. Its been such an extended winter. We are in the middle of April and havent gotten any spring at all. I dont know how dairy farmers are coping. Were praying for farmers who have no fodder and that we get a dry spell of weather soon, she said. In 2007 Sr Lily was appointed farm manager. "I used to go out to farms and buy the cattle. I bought in beef but margins were still poor." Although the Sisters started farm sharing with the Mount Melleray monks for a three year period, it just wasn't sustainable. With an ageing population of Sisters (29 in total today) and a labour intensive enterprise, it was decided to switch again into sheep, expand the tillage side and lease out some lands. Today the holding consists of a flock of 23 ewes, 39 lambs, a ram and 13 hoggets for breeding for next year. The flock is a mixture of Texel, Charollais and Suffolks. The 'produced in Ireland' logo on the Iceland rashers, which are from Spain. Pic: Shane McAuliffe Kerry pig farmer Shane McAuliffe was less than impressed when he spotted rashers for sale on the shelves of supermarket Iceland and wants to know why they say produced in Ireland? "I went to a pig discussion group meeting and when I was there I noticed that there were new signs for an Iceland store and I said I must go in an see what they are selling. "The last time I was in there all their pork products were imported and this time when I looked at the shelves I saw a brand called Glendarra and it said on top - Master Butchers of Ireland and 'produced in Ireland' and the Irish tricolour. "It looked Irish and then I looked at the rest of the labelling and saw ES - which meant it was Spanish and I looked at a few other packets and saw D (German) and DK (Danish) on them." The pig farmer said he was "shocked" at the packaging and says it's "blatantly trying to mislead the consumer". "Why are these rashers labelled 'produced in Ireland'?" Shane then filled up his trolley with the products and asked to talk to the manager. "I told her I was a pig farmer and I was shocked that they were stocking these products and blatantly trying to mislead the consumer with the packaging." According to McAuliffe, the manager said she would relay back the message to the head office. However, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, which governs the labelling of food in Ireland, the term 'produced in Ireland' is allowed if the meat has been sliced and packaged in Ireland. Expand Close Shane McAuliffe's trolley in Iceland. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Shane McAuliffe's trolley in Iceland. A spokesperson for the FSAI said the European Commission is changing the legislation to ensure that the origin of the primary ingredient will be in made more obvious to consumers, but that legislation won't come into force until 2020. They also said that brand names do not come under labelling law and are marketing. However, Shane who farms 2,000 sows across four farms, says with the current prices that farmers are getting for their produce, they are losing around 10 with every pig that leaves their farm. Ireland, he says, is the only country offering full DNA traceability on its pork. "If you pick up any bacon in Ireland you can test it and determine whether it's Irish origin or not. Since that was introduced by IFA, a lot more of the brands are using Irish pig meat. "But this pork had no Bord Bia logo and it's ok for Iceland to put an Irish flag and an Irish name on the product, even though it's not Irish. The only indication that it is Danish or Spanish pork is by two little letters elsewhere on the packaging." Expand Close These Iceland rashers are from Denmark. Pic: Shane McAuliffe / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp These Iceland rashers are from Denmark. Pic: Shane McAuliffe Undeterred, Shane took to social media and shared his pictures and Iceland messaged him to say that his feedback would be passed onto the relevant department. In a statement, Iceland said it complies with all packaging and labelling laws in Ireland and the EU. "In accordance with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, by the regulation (EC) No 1580/2007, information particulars required must be shown legibly and obviously on one side of the packaging, which is shown on Glendarra rasher packaging. "Glendarra packaging also shows the Processed and packaged in Ireland logo which clarifies that the product was packaged in Ireland which complies with regulations. Iceland Ireland is committed to continuing to support local suppliers and Irish products as we expand our store portfolio," it said. The Department of Agriculture has said it is 'confident' of gaining a derogation for Irish farmers on the three-crop rule, in light of the difficult weather in recent months. The Department says it has put forward a strong case to the EU Commission seeking a derogation in relation to the Crop Diversification obligations for the 2018 Scheme Year. "We are confident that the case being made meets the relevant standards, as set out in the Regulations, for such an exemption. A number of Member States have recently been granted such an exemption due to difficult weather in the autumn/winter of 2017." It also said that while formal approval from the EU Commission for the Irish derogation is now awaited, the advice from the Department is that where alternative crop options are not available to allow farmers to be compliant with Crop Diversification rules, growers can make crop choices that best suit their current situation, even if this leaves them non-compliant with the Crop Diversification rules. Teagasc said recently that there are opportunities for both tillage farmers and livestock farmers to co-operate successfully this year. Livestock farmers are conscious that forage feed stocks need to be replenished above previous levels. Little or no spring planting has been done to date. Spring wheat, spring oats and beans are past their optimum planting date. Crops planted from now on will be lower yielding and will result in a late harvest, according to Shay Phelan, Teagasc Tillage Specialist. Volpi Capital, the private equity firm co-led by Irishman Crevan O'Grady, is hunting more Irish deals after raising a 185m fund. Volpi backed a 90m management buyout of Irish software business Version 1 last year. Mr O'Grady told the Irish Independent that his company was talking to a number of Irish businesses at the moment. "Whether we'll end up doing another one in Ireland I don't know, but we're definitely trying ... there's nothing that we're in the middle of pushing over the line. But we could easily do another deal in Ireland in the next 12 months." Mr O'Grady says Volpi typically targets B2B businesses (companies that sell products to other companies rather than to the public at large) that are exploiting or benefiting from technological change. "We would prefer not to be taking too much technology risk itself ... we're trying to buy businesses that can use technology, and services or data around it, to make their customers more efficient." Volpi's main target markets also include Germany, Austria, the UK, the Benelux countries and the Nordic countries. Other companies in its portfolio include Digital Barriers, which provides video analytics services to the security industry. This year Paul Dromgoole, his wife Angie and his brother Richard will celebrate 25 years in the hairdressing business. With three salons in Dublin - South William Street, Sandymount Road, and Arnotts Department Store - as well as one in the Manor Mill Shopping Centre in Maynooth, Co Kildare, their company Zeba Hairdressing employs 70 staff and has an annual turnover of more than 3m. It's just after 9am on Monday when I visit the salon on South William Street and already the place is buzzing. Staff are warm, upbeat and engaging and there's a friendly yet professional feel to the whole place. "We offer a full range of hairdressing services in all our branches, but our speciality is really cutting and colouring with hair extensions and the Brazilian blow out also having become firm favourites among our clients," says Paul. "Some 80pc of clients are women and 20pc men, a figure that is constantly on the up. And while most of our clients range between 20- to 60-years-old, we do have clients from as young at nine right up to 90," he adds. Client profiles vary too depending on the location of their salons. "Outside of the city centre, clients tends to be more locally based while here in this, our South William Street salon, we have built up a very well established and loyal client base, some whom work in the city while others travel into town and make a day of it," says Angie. "Our newest salon which we added just recently in Arnotts is getting a very eclectic mix of clients ranging from regular shoppers to those who to travel to Dublin and like to include a visit to this landmark store as part of their trip." Key to the success of any such client-facing business is their staff. And all three are quick to emphasise the role their team play in the long term sustainability of the business. "Our staff are such a vital part of our success and we continue to work hard and invest heavily in staff training and in developing a culture that supports the development of their careers as well as creating a working environment that is happy and fun. That's true for everyone from those who look after clients to the team of cleaners who keep the salons looking their best," says Paul. Such has been their strategy that it has led to unusually high staff retention levels. "We started with five employees 25 years ago - and all except one are still with us," says Paul. Paul and Richard have been around the hairdressing industry all their lives. Originally from Beaumont on Dublin's northside, their mother was a hairdresser. Paul initially had set his sights on becoming an architect but while waiting to go to college, he got an offer of a part-time job in a salon. The part time role turned into a full-time job and he loved the business so much that he decided to make it his career. "I found in hairdressing many of the things that had attracted me to architecture such as the focus on design and creativity," says Paul. "People like Vidal Sassoon also inspired me and particularly his very structured and almost architectural way of cutting hair." It was while working for Peter Marks in Dun Laoghaire that Paul first met Angie. From Kincasslagh, Co Donegal, she too was a hairdresser. Paul worked for Peter Marks for over 11 years including time in their Grafton Street salon as well as later becoming manager of their Stephen's Green branch. "While being a stylist was rewarding and challenging, I always knew I wanted to open my own salon one day," says Paul. A visit to New York would give him the final motivation he needed. "That trip stands out for me personally as the defining moment on my journey because I came across a salon there that reflected everything I thought a salon should be. From then on, I knew I had to pursue my dream of having my own salon. I chose the name Zeba because, in Persian, it means 'to beautify' and our mission isn't just to do hairdressing but to make our clients feel beautiful," he adds. Having Angie and Richard involved has also been a huge part of the journey. Richard who also worked for Peter Marks in the early days had set up his own salon in Ashbourne in Co Meath and after six successful years, sold that business and joined the company. Finding the right location for a salon is key and Paul's decision to locate on South William Street, though a risk at the time, proved an important decision for the business's future success. "Back then, it was still just a side street and not the vibrant hub it is today" says Paul. "Building the team has also been key and I have been very lucky to find hard-working talented people who share my vision and my strong work ethic," he adds. Paul insists that training and nurturing staff is vital. A lot of both his and Angie's time continues to be invested in the development and upskilling of staff. Central to this is ensuring that his front of house team try to match a customer with the right stylist to ensure that there is a perfect fit not just in terms of style and skill set but also personality. Continuing to attract good staff remains high on his list of priorities. In this regard, the company set up Zeba Creative Team, which works on exclusive fashion shoots and hairdressing events across Ireland, the UK, Europe and the US - all of which helps staff wanting to work in the business. "The hair and beauty market is constantly changing," says Paul. "Launching in Arnotts was different to our traditional salon model but it is proving very successful. I am definitely open to expanding this model further. For now though, our focus is on maintaining and developing our current portfolio and ensuring that each site operates to the best of its ability." "It's a very positive and rewarding industry to be involved," adds Angie. "This is because hairdressing staff are by their nature happy and outgoing and because it's about making people feel good as well as look good," she adds. Zeba.ie Money might not buy love, but it can buy better health. And to live as long as possible, the world's wealthy are willing to pay up. Money might not buy love, but it can buy better health. And to live as long as possible, the world's wealthy are willing to pay up. Over the past few decades, the average person's lifespan has risen almost everywhere in the world. In China, the US and most of Eastern Europe, the average life expectancy at birth has reached the late 70s according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). People in western Europe and Japan, meanwhile, can expect to live into their early 80s. Most rich people, however, are counting on living even longer - a lot longer, as in two decades more than average. In a new UBS Financial Services survey, 53pc of wealthy investors said they expected to live to 100. Hitting triple digits won't be easy, but it's not as outlandish as it used to be. The average Japanese woman now has a life expectancy of 87, OECD data shows, compared with 81 for men. And many studies have shown that the wealthy have a built-in longevity advantage. In the US, for example, the richest 1pc of American women by income live more than 10 years longer than the poorest 1pc, a 2016 study in the 'Journal of the American Medical Association' found. For men, the gap between the richest and poorest Americans is almost 15 years. The rich also seem to know that living to 100 is a pricey prospect, one that requires more spending on health care, better food, exercise and other services that can lengthen life. Also, you have to keep paying for everything that comes from hanging around additional decades. In the UBS survey, which focused on people with more than $1m (810,000) in investable assets, 91pc said they're "making financial changes due to increased life expectancy". Even the wealthy worry about rising health-care costs, the survey suggests. The rich are more than willing to sacrifice their money for extra longevity. Nine out of 10 wealthy people agreed that "health is more important than wealth". Asked by UBS how much of their fortune they'd be willing to give up "to guarantee an extra 10 years of healthy life," the average responses varied by wealth level. Investors who are barely millionaires, with $1m to $2m (810,000 to 1.6m) in net worth, said they were willing to give up a third of their nest egg if it gave them an additional decade of life. Investors with more than $50m (40.7m) were willing to part with almost half of their fortune. The world's trend toward longer life has featured an exception in recent years - the US. Life expectancy of Americans has declined for two years in a row, an anomaly that can be blamed in part on the country's opioid abuse crisis. But even before US lifespans started slipping because of drug use, health and longevity statistics were lagging significantly behind those of other wealthy countries in Western Europe and Asia. Perhaps it's not surprising, then, that rich Americans surveyed by UBS had different attitudes from the wealthy elsewhere in the world - they were more pessimistic about making it to age 100. Just 30pc of the American rich expect to hit the century mark. While they were the most worried about rising health-care costs, they were the least likely to be adjusting their finances for the prospect of living longer. If rich Americans aren't planning for the extra costs of longevity, they could be making a mistake. Studies show that the wealthy in the US are increasingly insulated from the depressing health trends afflicting most Americans. A 2016 study by University of California at Berkeley professors Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman compared the death rates for American men aged 65 to 79 across several decades by wealth. If these men's wealth placed them in the top 1pc, their mortality rates in the early 1980s proved to be 12pc lower than average. Twenty-five years later, the wealthiest American men's death rates had plunged to 40pc below average. Rising inequality is about more than just a widening gap in wealth and income. The richest Americans are also living much longer, healthier lives than everyone else. (Bloomberg) World Bank President Jim Yong Kim speaks at a news conference ahead of the spring meeting of the IMF and World Bank in Washington, U.S. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein The World Bank won support from its member countries for a $13bn (10.6bn) capital increase, with the US dropping its objection as the lender imposes measures that would potentially reduce loans to China. The boost will be accompanied by internal steps "including operational changes and effectiveness reforms, loan pricing measures, and other policy steps," the World Bank said in a statement after policy-makers met on Saturday in Washington. China will probably "gradually" end up borrowing less from the World Bank under the new system, which will charge higher rates of interest to wealthier countries, World Bank president Jim Yong Kim told reporters. He said the bank will increase annual lending to about $80bn (65bn), from $59bn (48bn) in the year ended June 2017. The US dropped objections to the capital boost after previously advocating for a limit on the World Bank's resources and questioning why it lends so much to China, given the nation's growing economic clout and ability to raise money in financial markets. The World Bank's mission is to reduce poverty around the world. But countries such as the UK had been pushing for a capital increase, arguing the lender needs more firepower to finance projects in developing countries. Under the new agreement, the World Bank will focus more on lending to "low middle-income countries," Mr Kim said at the bank's annual spring meetings in Washington. The development lender classifies China as an "upper middle-income" nation. The new plan will give China more voting power at the institution, however. Its voting share in the bank's main fund will rise to 5.7pc from 4.5pc. (Bloomberg) Actors often complain about the difficulties of recording love scenes. Far from every girl's fantasy, Dakota Johnson memorably said "this is the worst thing ever" when filming her S&M scenes with Jamie Dornan, while Olivia Wilde deflated expectations telling fans that off-shot: "There is always a particularly large and hairy man holding a boom and wearing a crop top... somewhere in the vicinity of your face." Michael Douglas spoke too about the added pressure of an audience where "everyone is a judge". "I don't know the last time you murdered somebody or blew anyone's brains out, but everyone has had sex and probably this morning, which means everyone has an opinion on how it should be done." But the biggest problem stars face is their real-life partners watching them get intimate with a stranger. Now Irish actress Caroline Morahan has the perfect solution - let your partner film and direct it. Expand Close Caroline Morahan on the set of The Old Mans Hands / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Caroline Morahan on the set of The Old Mans Hands Morahan, who is married to Daithi O'Caoimh, discovered that letting her husband behind the camera helped him come to terms with her steamy scenes. "When we moved over here it was a big change for him too, because I hadn't been a professional actor when we first met, I was a TV presenter," she says. "So he was a bit [reluctant about it] at the start. He would say: 'oh I wouldn't be into that now. I wouldn't be into you doing sex scenes." But that all changed when a last-minute audition came along, and Caroline asked him to film and direct it. She says: "I got an opportunity to record a tape for a show and I didn't have time to 'dilly dally' so I grabbed him and asked him to help out. The scene involved a lot of kissing and heavy petting and my husband was the person who ran camera and directed it. "When he was part of the process and realised how technical it is and what it takes to turn around the product for the tape, it completely demystified it for him and ever since then he has never had an issue with it." Video of the Day Now the Dubliner has landed a dream role as wife of Hollywood actor David Arquette in a new short movie The Old Man's Hands. Describing David as "very sweet" with "a lovely gentle energy to him" Morahan jumped at the opportunity when director Marc Bowen sought her out to play Arquette's on-screen wife. The script came about when Bowen was chatting to his barber, who shared a story about his life estranged from his father. The man described how he was raised by a single mother and only came into contact with his father again when the man died. The barber, Greg Krupa, who moonlights as mortician, was asked to prepare the body. The man said the experience finally brought him the closure he needed to move on. Morahan, who was attending the Irish contemporary feminist exhibition The Mart Gallery in Los Angeles, says the symbolism of her on-screen relationship with Arquette and their children is to portray the idea that "past hurts are not going on to the next generation." Not limiting herself to acting, the former RTE star has also set up a successful theatre company, InHouse Theatre. She has also appeared in the hit US show Once Upon a Time, as well as movie Lionhead and What About Love. Macaulay Culkin doesn't leave his house at Christmas time because 'Home Alone' is always on TV. The 37-year-old actor shot to fame following the success of the first movie in the comedy series in 1990, but because the film and its sequel, 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York', which dropped two years later, are repeated so much over the festive period and at Thanksgiving, he can't bear to go outside. He said: "It's background radiation at Christmas time. I've had people who want to watch it with me, which is both flattering and creepy. "When I'm watching it I'm remembering that day on the set, like how I was hiding my Pepsi behind the couch. "I can't watch it the same way other people do. "I definitely don't [go out of the house at Christmas and Thanksgiving.] It's my season. It's Macaulay season. I try to go out less and less around that time of year." The movie poster features Macaulay pulling a shocked face as his burglar-battling character Kevin McCallister with his hands on his cheeks, and while the actor is still asked to perform the pose in the street on a regular basis, he politely refuses such requests. When asked what he says when he's asked to do the face, he replied: "I'm like, 'No, been there done that already. I'm 37 now, OK.' " Expand Close MaCauley Culkin in Home Alone / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp MaCauley Culkin in Home Alone Macaulay starred in 14 movies from 1988 to 1994, culminating with 'Richie Rich', but he opted to take a nine-year break from the film industry before reappearing in 2003's 'Party Monster' because he wanted to go to school and hang around with kids his own age. Video of the Day Speaking on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show', he added: "I was tired of it. I did like 14 movies in six years. It's a lot. I was away from home a lot, I was away from school. I needed to grow and develop as a person. I was actually looking forward to going to school. I lived the dream. "It was great to be around people my own age for once. "I'm always treated differently. At the same time that's the kind of stuff you have to figure out. "It was the smartest thing I possibly could've done, taking eight years off." There's big news for The Academic today as they're revealed as the support act for The Rolling Stones's Croke Park gig. The group, made up of Craig Fitzgerald, Dean Gavin and brothers Matt and Stephen Murtagh, will open for the iconic rockers on first night of their No Filter tour on May 17. Originally from Mullingar, the group told how they discovered they were personally chosen by The Rolling Stones themselves to be their opening act. "We found out last week when we were on tour in Paris. Our manager called us and was like, 'anyone who is not in the band, leave the room'. He told us over speaker phone. Minds blown. We couldn't believe it. It was insanity," they said. "[Music promoter] Peter Aiken told us that the Stones, of all the acts that were put forward, picked us. They said they wanted an Irish band and that's just insane, to be picked personally by them." The gig will be the biggest performance of The Academic's career so far, although they are not too nervous just yet. "We have been lucky to support some of the most influential bands before like The Strokes but this is on another level. We're more excited than nervous, but nerves will probably kick in on the day," they told independent.ie. The group, who are currently in the middle of a sold out UK tour, will play for about half an hour on stage from 7pm before The Rolling Stones perform. They are keeping their fingers crossed they will get a chance to meet the group and thank them "endlessly" for the opportunity. "We heard they have an entourage of about 200 people and ten trucks so it will be mayhem backstage. But we hope we get to meet them. Video of the Day "It's a big opportunity, to get in front of so many people. We have been playing in Ireland for so long now and to play such a big place, it can only do good. So long as we're not terrible on stage," they said. The Academic join a long list of heavyweight support acts joining the Stones on their No Filter tour. Liam Gallagher has said it is a dream come true to open for them with Florence + The Machine, Elbow and The Specials also opening at various venues. Gallagher wrote on Twitter: Its a dream come true to be asked to open for The Mighty @RollingStones the best Rock n Roll band EVER. He will play ahead of the band on the opening night of the UK leg of their tour at the London Stadium on May 22. Read More Florence + The Machine will open for them on May 25 at the same venue while fans at Southampton St Marys on May 29 will be treated to a special performance from The Vaccines, whose new single is titled Rolling Stones. Florence Welch tweeted: We are so excited to be supporting The @RollingStones, it is a huge honour to be playing with one of our biggest influences. Xx. The Specials will take to the stage at the Ricoh Stadium in their home town of Coventry on June 2 while Richard Ashcroft will open at Manchesters Old Trafford on June 5 and Edinburgh Murrayfield Stadium on June 9. Elbow will open at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on June 15, while James Bay will perform at Londons Twickenham Stadium on June 19, as the UK leg of the No Filter tour comes to a close. Bay wrote on Twitter: IS THIS FOR REAL? Its an absolute honour to announce Im supporting @RollingStones at Londons Twickenham Stadium on 19th June." RTE are unable to continue to fund two orchestras and need the government to cover the cost of the RTE National Symphony Orchestra, if it is to survive. The national broadcaster is legally required to maintain orchestras and currently operates both the Symphony Orchestra and the RTE Concert Orchestra. The orchestras costs 13 million a year to run. Last year, RTE commissioned a financial review into the provision of the orchestras, as they continue to reduce the 20 million deficit. The review found neither orchestra should be closed but added that the status quo is equally untenable. As a result RTE are advised to outsource the Symphony Orchestra. It is recommended the government provide 4 million in funding towards the NSO. By outsourcing the Symphony Orchestra, RTE will make an annual saving of 2.5million. The reason the saving is not more substantial is because the review also recommends increased financial investment in the Concert Orchestra. If the government do not provide support, then RTE will be forced to make a very bad second choice and close one of the two orchestras. However it looks unlikely that this will happen as last night Culture Minister Josepha Madigan welcomed the recommendation both orchestras be retained. Video of the Day The publication coincides with the recent launch of the Governments Creative Ireland programme which includes a major re-development of the National Concert Hall - the home of the NSO. This report allows us to chart a way forward for both orchestras - securing a strong future and ensuring that they can contribute fully to Irelands rich cultural heritage, Madigan said. However, trade unions Siptu and Musicians Union of Ireland (MUI) cautioned RTE against any proposal to outsource the Symphony Orchestra. They said they are fundamentally opposed to this proposition and will defend their position vigorously. The report was carried out by Helen Boaden, former director of BBC Radio and BBC News. Aodan O Dubhghaill, Head of RTE Orchestras, said he report confirms the orchestras singular place in musical heritage while recognising RTEs overall funding position as it plans for the future. These recommendations offer a solution which protects and supports both orchestras, he said. While also recognising the balance between RTEs financial constraints and our public service role in promoting music, arts and culture. RTE will now give the recommendations full consideration. RTE Board of Directors will meet on Thursday to discuss the reviews findings. The Bishop of Ferns has warned that repealing the Eighth Amendment will lead to abortion on demand with the vast majority of terminations not involving "hard cases" such as rape and a diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality. In a pastoral letter issued yesterday, Bishop Denis Brennan warned: "This is not a referendum about abortion in limited circumstances." If the referendum passed, he said, the proposed law would permit abortion on demand in the first three months of pregnancy, which is when about 90pc of terminations take place. "The vast majority of these will not involve hard cases. Both the mothers and their babies will almost always be perfectly healthy," Dr Brennan said. Referring to the Supreme Court ruling last month, he said it had made clear that should the Eighth Amendment be removed, an unborn child up to 12 weeks of age will have no rights at all in Ireland and "this breath-taking possibility should stop all of us in our tracks". His comments come as the Together For Yes campaign said it is "taking nothing for granted" after the latest polls show a clear majority of the public favouring repeal, despite a drop in support for a Yes vote. The latest Behaviour & Attitudes/'Sunday Times' poll found support for repeal has dropped two points to 47pc, while opposition to it has risen two points to 29pc. On Saturday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned against complacency as he launched Fine Gael's referendum campaign. "A Yes vote does not mean there will be no restrictions; there will be a waiting period of 72 hours to allow for reflection, and counselling to allow alternatives to be offered and considered," Mr Varadkar said. "Terminations beyond 12 weeks will remain illegal except in very specific circumstances. Viable pregnancies will not be aborted. Instead the baby will be delivered early," he added. Yesterday, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said he senses a "mood out in the country for change in relation to the Eighth Amendment". However, he is unlikely to take to the campaign trail on the issue. Meanwhile, more than 100 doctors, nurses and midwives, who are part of Medical Alliance for the Eighth, have expressed alarm over the Government's proposal to impose abortion provision on local GP surgeries. Dr Andrew O'Regan, a spokesperson for the group, said it was pushing abortion provision on GPs even though it had nothing to do with healthcare. Director of the Project Arts Centre Cian O'Brien paints over a Pro-Choice 'Repeal the 8th Amendment' mural outside the Project Arts centre REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne Artists and campaigners protested over the removal of an eye catching Repeal the Eighth mural on the side of Dublins Project Arts Centre today. The heart shaped red and white mural was designed by street artist Maser and decorated the wall of the arts centre since April 9. Last week, the Charities Regulator informed artistic director Cian OBrien that as a registered charity Project were obliged to remove the mural as it constitute political activity and was in breach of the Charities Act 2009. It is the second time a mural by Maser has had to be painted over on this site in 2016 a similar mural was removed as it didnt adhere to Temple bar planning codes. Expand Close Pic: Mark McConville / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pic: Mark McConville OBrien painted over the mural as crowds chanted You can paint over a mural but you cant paint over an issue. We are feeling disappointed, OBrien said. Because the Project has a 52 year history of presenting works like this. We present work that encourages debate, that engages in political and social issues through art. OBrien and the brains behind the mural Andrea Horan of the HunReal Issues - pointed out that in true Streisand effect the covering up of the art had resulted in more conversation about it. I feel ragin but also delighted that a light is being shone on issues like this, Horan explained. OBrien added that through its absence this artwork lives on as they take this heart into their heart. Among the crowd was Sinead Wright (31) from Dublin who said she found it upsetting to watch the mural being painted over. It is sad, she said. The arts should represent the political climate we live in. Kitty Maguire expressed surprise that graphic posters regarding the referendum were allowed to be posted in prominent places but the artwork had to be removed. This is just a love heart, she said. In a statement, The Charities Regulator they found that by publicly displaying a political advertisement related to the Eighth Amendment referendum on the charitys premises using a planning exemption reserved for political advertising, are engaging in political activity that is not directly related to the advancement of the charitys charitable purpose, which is the advancement of education. Meanwhile, Cora Sherlock of the LoveBoth pro-life campaign said the artwork would have been balanced if their had been a pro-life mural of the same scale on the adjoining wall. Despite our repeated requests for equal access to space in the Project Arts Centre we have received no access, she said. Project confirmed they received a request for access and they had invited LoveBoth to submit a proposal but had not received one. A man who pushed a 62-year-old woman in front of busy traffic during a random Dublin city centre attack has been given a suspended sentence. Marcus Klug (37), screamed at the woman as she walked past him on George's Street before pushing her onto the road in front of oncoming traffic, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today. The woman, who was on her way home from her work as a care assistant, avoided being run over but suffered a fractured arm as a result of the incident. Klug, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm to the woman on October 29, 2013. He was suffering from psychiatric issues at the time and was not fit to plead to the charge for some years, the court heard. Since 2013, he has spent 23 months in Cloverhill Prison and in a locked ward unit in St Vincent's Hospital. He also spent some time living in community care. Handing down a suspended two-and-a-half year sentence today, Judge Martin Nolan said Klug's moral culpability was low as he was suffering from mental health issues. He noted he had received appropriate treatment for those issues. He ordered Klug to remain under the care of Probation Services for two years and to do what his psychiatrist tells him. Garda Aidan Monahan told John Byrne BL, prosecuting, that the woman had left work and was walking along George's Street on the afternoon of the day in question when a man she didn't know suddenly screamed like an animal at her. He then pushed her, causing her to fall onto the busy road. Passers-by came to the woman's aid and gardai were called. The woman was taken to hospital where she was treated for a fractured arm. A witness to the assault said he heard Klug shout, Im going to f***ing hit someone, before he pushed the woman. Klug was arrested after gardai spotted him on nearby Clarendon Street. When questioned about the attack, he replied: Yeah, I tripped her up. She fell. It's only movement. He was deemed unfit for interview due to his agitated mental state, the court heard. Klug has eight previous convictions, including for assault, burglary and public order offences. In a victim impact statement handed into court, the woman said she suffered great distress in the wake of the incident. Her arm required several months of physiotherapy treatment but was now fully recovered. Niall Nolan BL, defending, said his client's mental health was now improved following treatment. Church of Our Lady of Victories in Ballymun The sentencing of a Dublin man who left a bicycle with his name on a sticker attached to it on church grounds after making off with 500 of mass donations has been adjourned for one year. Justin Murray (38) cycled to the Church of Our Lady of Victories in Ballymun to creep in and steal money but fled on foot when he was seen taking collection envelopes by a parishioner. Gardai later found the bike which had a sticker with Justin Murray on it discarded on the church grounds. Murray, of Moatview Court, Coolock, affirmed signed pleas of guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing cash at the church on November 6, 2016. He has 77 previous convictions including ten thefts and 20 burglaries. Judge Elma Sheahan had adjourned sentencing after hearing evidence last July to allow a probation report to be prepared. Today she noted his current drug free status and desire to rehabilitate. She said the court was very impressed with his efforts. She noted any sentence would have to be consecutive to his current sentence and that he was not due for release until July 2019. She said she would give him a further opportunity to impress the court and adjourned finalisation until April 2019. She ordered updated urine analysis and reports. Garda Ross Brierley told Fiona Murphy BL, prosecuting, at the original sentence hearing that he and colleagues identified Murray as the thief from CCTV in the area. The garda said a parishioner who had been helping out after morning mass saw a male enter and take money from the church collection. At first she thought he was there to help but then realised he was stealing money. She said the male fled on foot when he spotted her. Gda Brierley said he arrested Murray the next day at a shopping centre after he and colleagues were satisfied he was the culprit. He said Murray was on bail for a robbery at the time. He agreed with Dean Kelly BL, defending, that Murray had gone into the church to creep into a private area and steal money but that he had instead come face-to-face with the parishioner. The garda further agreed that Murray's very early guilty plea to the offence was of great assistance. At a hearing last July, Mr Kelly told Judge Sheahan that his client was on an enhanced regime in custody and wished to be transferred to Cork Prison as he found it easier to stay off heroin in that institution. He asked the court to take into account that Murray's convictions had been due to his addiction and that he had been stealing to get drugs. A Tesco worker who slipped on a wet floor in a warehouse toilet fracturing his right elbow and wrist has been awarded 65,000 by the High Court Damien Jedruch slipped in the toilet of the Tesco Distribution Centre in Donabate, Co Dublin, where he worked as he walked across the floor to use the dryer after washing his hands. Mr Justice Anthony Barr held the use of smooth ceramic tiles in a toilet used by a large number of employees was unsafe and dangerous given the high risk of slipping on the tiles when wet. He said 300 employees worked in the warehouse and had Tesco taken reasonable care for the safety of its employees, it would have used slip resistant or non slip tiles. There was, the judge said, no good reason not to use non slip tiles in a bathroom going to be frequented by a large number of people. While the owners of a hotel may not like using such tiles in a bathroom because it is harder to clean them and keep them looking well, such considerations do not apply in a factory or warehouse," he said. Mr Jedruch (35) from near Gdansk, Poland had sued his employer at the time, Tesco Ireland Ltd, over the accident on April 21, 2015. Mr Jedruch had been an employee of Tesco for eight years before the accident but has since returned home to Poland. He had claimed the tiles used in the warehouse toilet area were unsafe and dangerous and there was a failure to maintain the area in a safe and proper condition. Tesco denied the claims and contended the toilet had been cleaned by a contract cleaner only minutes before Mr Jedruchs accident. Mr Justice Barr said there was little dispute between the sides that there was considerable water and dirt in the form of bootmarks on the toilet floor surface. He was satisfied the cleaner on the morning of the accident did wash or mop down the male toilet area, but removed the cleaning sign from the doorway when the floor was still wet after cleaning. "This would explain the considerable amount of water which was on the floor surface at the time of Mr Jedruchs fall," the judge said. Mr Jedruch who was out of work for 44 weeks after the accident, the judge said, did not exaggerate his injuries in any way. . The judge granted a stay in the event of an appeal. Gardai upgraded the death of a Romanian man to homicide after police in the victim's home country launched a murder investigation into the man's killing. The case is one of the 12 deaths reclassified as homicides on the Garda's Pulse computer system, following an internal review. Virgil Busa died in Blanchardstown Hospital, in Dublin, after he had jumped from a window following a serious assault in Navan in 2014. A post-mortem failed to conclusively link the attack to his death, according to sources, and the case was filed as an assault on the Pulse system. However, Romanian police asked to take over the case from gardai, as the suspects involved, also Romanian, were of interest to them. Romanian police subsequently launched a murder investigation. It is understood that the classification of Mr Busa's case on the Pulse system was flagged by analysts during an internal review of over 500 domestic deaths between 2013 and 2015. The case is believed to be one of 12 that was eventually upgraded on the system to homicide. Garda management insisted that, even though they were misclassified, the homicides were investigated properly. The 12 cases reclassified as homicide are now the subject of a second internal review to ensure they were appropriately investigated. This review is also examining the recording of homicide data from 2003 to 2016. Garda crime figures are due to come under scrutiny again this week with the force's management expected to appear before the Policing Authority and an Oireachtas committee on the issue. The Policing Authority is expected to question Garda management about progress on its latest review of homicide data which, as previously reported by the Sunday Independent, has unearthed some worrying findings. The review is believed to have identified more than 200 people who died as a result of homicide over the 13-year period, but who were not officially recorded as 'deceased' on Pulse. In a small number of these cases, the review found that detectives had input intelligence on victims who were actually dead. The review is also believed to have identified more than 100 people who were listed on the system under road traffic fatalities but who were not officially recorded as deceased on Pulse. The intelligence is thought to have included purported sightings or movements of homicide victims who were not actually recorded as deceased on the system. The CSO suspended its publication of crime statistics last year because of concerns about errors in the raw crime data supplied to it by An Garda Siochana. It resumed publishing the statistics last month, but "with reservations" about the quality of data that extended beyond homicides. The review of crime figures began in 2016, in the midst of the controversy over inflated Garda breath test figures. The review focused on more than 500 domestic deaths between 2013 and 2015 because of concerns that they were not being captured properly on the system. It flagged 41 cases for further investigation, with 12 eventually upgraded to homicide. They had originally been recorded as more minor crimes, including non-fatal assaults. The families of the 12 people whose deaths were reclassified as homicide have all been contacted by An Garda Siochana. Gardai have arrested two men in connection with the murder of Derek Coakley-Hutch. A 19-year-old male and a man in his 30s were arrested this morning in Dublin. Derek Coakley-Hutch (27) was shot dead at Bridgeview halting site near Wheatfield Prison in January this year. He was blasted a number of times in the head and body. FIVE people were arrested and two hospitalised after disorderly scenes following a social media prank which resulted in hundreds of teens flocking to attend a Cork house party. At its height, more than 100 teens were congregated outside a Cork house party in Mayfield - with multiple public order incidents resulting when teens clashed after being refused access to the party. A small number of teens were invited to the party last Saturday night. However, it is believed that details of the party were circulated on social media as a prank. That resulted in more than 100 teenagers arriving uninvited for the party from across Cork city. Most were unknown to the party organisers. They were refused entry - but many, who had arrived with bottles and cans of alcohol, then clashed with other rival groups on the street. Several brawls erupted and three Mayfield Garda units had to attend the scene. Local residents said they were left "very frightened" by the scenes in the quiet residential area. Many elderly people were said to be afraid to leave their homes. Five teens were arrested and taken to Mayfield Garda Station for questioning about public order offences. All were subsequently released without charge. One young man had to be taken to Cork University Hospital (CUH) after he was apparently stabbed in the back with a suspected broken bottle. He suffered minor injuries and was later discharged. A teenage girl also complained to gardai that she had been punched in the face. She suffered a broken tooth. Gardai are now investigating the circumstances of the public order incidents and have appealed for information from local residents. Officers will also be checking social media postings in relation to the matter. The mother of a young boy flown to the UK for a heart transplant - but who later died - has warned that new temporary night-time air ambulance cover "doesn't go far enough to look after Ireland's children". Maria Coyne's son, Gavin, died waiting for a transplant in a UK hospital, hundreds of kilometres away from his home in Clarehall, Dublin, in February last year. Ms Coyne has been campaigning for better healthcare for child transplant patients. It has now emerged a new multi-million euro two-year contract to provide night cover for the HSE to transport patients to the UK has been installed. Following a tendering process, Air Alliance, a UK-based service, has been awarded the contract until a long-term solution is found. However, Ms Coyne said a temporary service "falls far short" of what Irish children "deserve". "I want to see a longer term solution. We're talking about a lot of money being invested in this plan," she said. "What's the point in temporary moves like this? It could be a waste of money. If we could get someone in who can do the job full stop, from now on and not a temporary solution. If we can't provide that service in this country, we need someone to come in on a permanent basis from another country." It took 10 days for Gavin's body to be returned home by ferry and the family were left to pay for his removal from Belfast Port to Dublin. The family also had to pay for flights back and forth to see him while he was being treated in Newcastle. After her son's death, Ms Coyne called for the Air Corps - which had only been picking children up during the day and evening - to have extended hours and to be there for any child who did not survive. The mother said that what her family had been through had been "very traumatic" and she wanted a longer term solution for children in need of transplants, and their families. "Gavin had to travel alone and we didn't know if he was going to get to Newcastle alive," she said. A new ship being built in a German shipyard is not likely to be ready for delivery to Irish Ferries in time to honour bookings for sailings in July. Photo: PA Some 10,000 holidaymakers face having their summer ferry sailing plans cancelled as the delivery of a new vessel has been delayed. The new ship being built in a German shipyard is not likely to be ready for delivery to Irish Ferries in time to honour bookings for sailings in July. The vessel, the WB Yeats, will not be available to take passengers and vehicles on sailings booked between July 12 and July 29. All booked sailings between those dates have now been cancelled by Irish Ferries. Holidaymaker Terry McCorry, from Co Down told RTE's Morning Ireland that his holiday to France has been disrupted due to the delay. "I booked well in advance because I have some mobility issues and I always like to book a certain cabin. I booked my sailing before Christmas and the whole holiday was put into disarray on Friday evening when I received an email to say my sailing had been cancelled but I would try to be facilitated on another sailing on another boat. Read More "It left me very unsettled not knowing, having paid a deposit for the holiday home, not knowing if we're going to get on holidays or not. To email late on a Friday evening with very few staff available on the Saturday morning to deal with phonecalls was abysmal... I was on the phone for hours. "Irish Ferries were able to give me a sailing from Rosslare instead of Dublin 24 hours later so we're missing one night of our holiday. They gave us a cabin that suits my mobility needs and they assured me that the new ship will be ready for when I return later in August." In a statement, the company said it had been in contact with people whose bookings have been affected. A spokesman for Irish Ferries said the delayed delivery of the ship was a setback for the company but it was hoped a large number of the affected passengers would be accommodated on sailings from Rosslare aboard the Oscar Wilde. The company has 'blocked off' space on the Oscar Wilde for affected passengers. If spaces are not available then Irish Ferries will offer a full refund. Passengers affected by the cancellations were contacted by email on Friday and offered a 150 voucher as a goodwill gesture from Irish Ferries for use on future sailings. The company said the eventual delivery date of the completed ship had not yet been fully confirmed. Irish Ferries decided to cancel all those July dates in recent days "in the interests of minimising the level of potential disruption to our customers," said a spokesman. In the official statement, the company's managing director, Andrew Sheen, said: "We have just been informed by the German shipyard building the WB Yeats that her delivery to Irish Ferries is likely to be delayed. "We are currently in contact with affected customers and offering spaces that we have held on the MV Oscar Wilde that are close to their booked sailing date. "In the absence of an acceptable alternative, customers will, of course, be entitled to a full refund." Sailing times that affected passengers choose to be rerouted on might be a day earlier or a day later than intended as there was no exact overlap between the scheduled departures of the WB Yeats and the Oscar Wilde. The new 147m ferry was due to start servicing routes from Ireland to France and the UK in July. It will be the biggest vessel to shuttle passengers to and from Irish ports. FORMER Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has been making headlines for walking out of a German television interview. Mr Ahern took exception to being asked questions about the Mahon Tribunal report and Irelands economic crash. He had agreed to sit down with journalist Tim Sebastian on a programme called 'Conflict Zone' to discuss the Good Friday Agreement. But when Mr Sebastian quizzed the ex-Fianna Fail leader on his "own mixed fortunes" in the years since the peace deal, Mr Ahern removed his microphone and ended the interview. Mr Ahern is not the first politician to stage a walk-out though. Here are five other recent examples: Enda Kenny In 2012, then Taoiseach Enda Kenny famously tripped over a flower pot as he attempted to dodge questions on whether he supported same-sex marriage. Mr Kenny, who would later back the marriage equality referendum, was far less sure footed on the issue at the time. The incident resulted in Mr Kennys handlers making a complaint to TV3 about journalist Ursula Halligans pursuit of his opinion. Witnesses were clear that Ms Halligan never laid a finger on the Taoiseach, although she got bumped out of the way by one of his aides. The complaint came to nothing. Jack OConnor Former SIPTU chief Jack OConnor made a quick exit from the Tonight With Vincent Browne on TV3 in 2013 after a heated exchange with the presenter. OConnor, who is now an election candidate for the Labour Party in Wicklow, was on the programme to discuss strike action at Dunnes Stores. The conversation shifted to the employment situation at TV3 itself and the claim that management refused to recognise their employees right to collective bargaining. Mr OConnor also appeared to take exception when Browne questioned him about his support for the Labour Party. He began to move his microphone and moments later left the set. Okay good luck Jack. Quite a stunt isnt it. Well done Jack, Its impressive isnt it? Mr Browne said. OConnor later denied it was stunt. I didnt go on with the intention of doing a walk-off, he said. Donald Trump Shortly after becoming US President Donald Trump abruptly ended an Oval Office interview with CBSs John Dickerson. Thats enough, stated the president before walking away. The tense moment evolved when Dickerson asked Trump if his predecessor had given him any advice before taking office. Trump said Barack Obama had been "very nice" at the start, but since there had been "difficulties." Asked whether he stood by calling Obama sick and bad, Mr Trump told the reporter he could take it the way you want. Dickerson continued, saying he wanted Trumps opinions because he's the president and didn't want it to be "fake news", Trump waved his hand and said: OK, that's enough. Thank you. Thank you very much. Ruth Davison The leader of the Scottish Conservative Party walked out of a Channel 4 interview last year after being questioned about the DUPs view of gay rights. Ms Davidson was asked what she thought of Prime Minister Theresa May relying on a party with the DUPs record on LGBT rights to sustain her government. Initially she insisted LGBT right would not be an issue, saying Mrs May gave assurances that the deal with the Northern Ireland party would not result in any roll-back of LGBT rights in the rest of the UK. But when reporter Ciaran Jenkins tried to ask a follow up question, Ms Davidson turned and walked away. Arnold Schwarzenegger The former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger terminated an interview on an Australian television show after being asked his view on Donald Trump. At one stage in the interview on Sunrise, host Angela Cox asked the movie star about his failed marriage to Maria Shriver. In 2011, it was revealed that he had fathered a child with the couples housekeeper. He refused to answer the question. Later Ms Cox moved onto politics, leading Schwarzenegger to say: This is an interview that I only do about fitness and health, not about politics or my relationships. The Republican politicians team claimed afterwards that he didnt storm out of the interview, but rather that the interviewer had surpassed her allotted time. Broadcaster Vincent Browne has chaired a public Sinn Fein event dealing with the issue of Brexit. The former TV3 presenter sat at the top table for the gathering alongside Mary Lou McDonald, Patricia King of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and Damian McGenity from Border Communities Against Brexit. He agreed to host the panel discussion despite recent criticism of his work by Ms McDonald. In a book about the late Martin McGuinness, Ms McDonald hit out at his treatment by elements of the Irish media, singling out Mr Browne for engaging in "nonsense" although adding she liked him personally. "You would swear listening to these people that Martin McGuinness was the trigger that caused the northern Troubles. The utter hypocrisy of it. And the cheek of them to say to him, 'Who are you from Derry to presume that you're Irish enough or that your citizenship is of sufficient standing that you should contest for the position of first citizen?' It was absolutely obnoxious," she wrote. The event last week was billed as 'Brexit and You'. It took place in Drumcondra, part of Ms McDonald's Dublin Central constituency. A video posted on the local branch's Facebook shows Mr Browne and Ms McDonald sparring over Sinn Fein's policy on Brexit. He questions why she doesn't advocate Ireland leaving the EU since Sinn Fein has been a long-time critic of the union. Mr Browne puts it to her that it used to be Sinn Fein policy to cut and run, adding this would help ensure there was no hard Border after Brexit. "It used to be in 1972, it's not in 2018," Ms McDonald replied. At an Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) conference 'Beyond Brexit: Ireland & the Future of Europe' which took place at the Mansion House Dublin. Pictured are former Taoisigh, John Bruton, Taoiseach na hEireann 1994-1997, Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach na hEireann 1997-2008 Brian Cowen, Taoiseach na hEireann 2008-2011 and Presenter Olivia O'Leary. Picture Colm Mahady / Fennells - Fennell Photography Dublin. At an Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) conference 'Beyond Brexit: Ireland & the Future of Europe' which took place at the Mansion House Dublin. Pictured are former Taoisigh, John Bruton, Taoiseach na hEireann 1994-1997, Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach na hEireann 1997-2008 Brian Cowen, Taoiseach na hEireann 2008-2011 and Presenter Olivia O'Leary. Picture Colm Mahady / Fennells - Fennell Photography Dublin. At an Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) conference 'Beyond Brexit: Ireland & the Future of Europe' which took place at the Mansion House Dublin. Pictured are former Taoisigh, John Bruton, Taoiseach na hEireann 1994-1997, Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach na hEireann 1997-2008 Brian Cowen, Taoiseach na hEireann 2008-2011 and Presenter Olivia O'Leary. Picture Colm Mahady / Fennells - Fennell Photography Dublin. Two former Taoisigh, John Bruton and Bertie Ahern, have each warned of the risk of violence if Brexit causes a return of the border in Ireland. Bertie Ahern, who was Taoiseach from 1997 until 2008, said the Irish Government must secure a border deal well in advance of an EU leaders summit next October which will sign off on a UK 'Withdrawal Agreement'. Mr Ahern said he had engaged in EU negotiations at all levels over 20 years. He warned that if the border remains outstanding until the last minute the Taoiseach would come under enormous pressure to compromise to save the bigger EU-UK 50bn settlement. Expand Close At an Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) conference 'Beyond Brexit: Ireland & the Future of Europe' which took place at the Mansion House Dublin. Pictured are former Taoisigh, John Bruton, Taoiseach na hEireann 1994-1997, Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach na hEireann 1997-2008 Brian Cowen, Taoiseach na hEireann 2008-2011 and Presenter Olivia O'Leary. Picture Colm Mahady / Fennells - Fennell Photography Dublin. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp At an Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) conference 'Beyond Brexit: Ireland & the Future of Europe' which took place at the Mansion House Dublin. Pictured are former Taoisigh, John Bruton, Taoiseach na hEireann 1994-1997, Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach na hEireann 1997-2008 Brian Cowen, Taoiseach na hEireann 2008-2011 and Presenter Olivia O'Leary. Picture Colm Mahady / Fennells - Fennell Photography Dublin. "Thats how it works, thats the way it always worked," Mr Ahern said. The two former leaders were part of a discussion on 'Brexit, Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement' at the Mansion House in Dublin. They were joined by another former Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, who stressed the importance of EU support for the Northern Ireland peace process and the need for this to continue. On the potential threat of violence, John Bruton, who was Taoiseach from 1994 until 1997, said some form of border control must be put in place if Britain leaves both the EU customs union and single market. "We know from history that the existence of border posts symbolises the partition of the country something many people find hard to accept," he said. Expand Close At an Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) conference 'Beyond Brexit: Ireland & the Future of Europe' which took place at the Mansion House Dublin. Pictured are former Taoisigh, John Bruton, Taoiseach na hEireann 1994-1997, Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach na hEireann 1997-2008 Brian Cowen, Taoiseach na hEireann 2008-2011 and Presenter Olivia O'Leary. Picture Colm Mahady / Fennells - Fennell Photography Dublin. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp At an Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) conference 'Beyond Brexit: Ireland & the Future of Europe' which took place at the Mansion House Dublin. Pictured are former Taoisigh, John Bruton, Taoiseach na hEireann 1994-1997, Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach na hEireann 1997-2008 Brian Cowen, Taoiseach na hEireann 2008-2011 and Presenter Olivia O'Leary. Picture Colm Mahady / Fennells - Fennell Photography Dublin. The former Fine Gael leader said the return of border controls would increase the potential for smuggling which was closely related to paramilitary activity and criminality. Mr Ahern, leader of Fianna Fail from 1994 until 2008, said there would be no delay on the return to violence if border controls emerged from Brexit. "You wouldnt have to wait too long for violence. The communities on both sides of the border would tear it down with their bare hands," Mr Ahern said. The seminar will also hear from former EU Commission president, Jose Manuel Barroso, and Catherine Day a former EU Commission secretary general. It's about time that Ireland's iconic women took to the streets, according to a Dublin city councillor. Labour's Rebecca Moynihan is among a number of local councillors who will next month vote in favour of a proposal to erect a statue of Countess Constance Markievicz on O'Connell Street. If passed, the countess would be the first woman to be commemorated on Dublin's most famous street. Vincent Jackson, an Independent councillor who proposed the motion, said Markievicz was not only a leading 1916 rebel, she was an important suffragette and politician. "She is sufficiently significant within Irish history to warrant a place on O'Connell Street too," he said of the statues of labour leader Jim Larkin, nationalist Charles Stewart Parnell and the street's namesake Daniel O'Connell, who all grace the iconic thoroughfare. "The fundamental issue is the lack of women commemorated in the city," Ms Moynihan said. Markievicz was the London-born daughter of a wealthy aristocrat and chose helping the poor and fighting for social justice over a life of privilege. Second-in-command of the battalion that fought at St Stephen's Green during the 1916 Easter Rising, she was sentenced to death. The sentence was commuted to life - ironically because of her sex. After her release from prison in 1918, she became the first woman to be elected to the House of Commons and the second female cabinet minister in the world when elected to the Dail. Thousands of staff who recently entered the public service could be in line for a pay increase as new talks are to be held between the Government and unions. Why are talks being held? The Government and public service unions are to meet on Friday April 27 to discuss ending the highly controversial two-tier pay system which has seen nearly 60,000 teachers, nurses, civil servants and others recruited since January 2011 receive less pay than those in place before that date. New entrants pay was cut by 10pc across the board for those who joined after January 2011. The cuts were reversed to a large extent under a later pay deal but the first two points on pay scales are at a lower rate than new entrants' longer-serving colleagues. This means it takes them two years longer to get to the top of their pay scale. What hours are public servants required to work? Public servants are required to work an extra two hours 15 minutes a week, or 27 minutes a day, under a previous pay deal. They can opt out of the arrangement but must take a pay cut to reflect their reduction in hours. Expand Close Tom Geraghty. Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tom Geraghty. Photo: Frank McGrath The extra hours meant most civil servants' working weeks increased from 34 hours and 45 minutes to 37 hours. This means they work seven-and-a-half hours most days, and seven hours on Fridays. They work from 9am to 5.45pm Monday to Thursday and from 9am to 5.15pm on Friday, with a lunch break of one hour and 15 minutes. Read More Now unions want to see public servants return to a six-hour and 57-minute working week. How much would it cost the Government to reverse the pay cuts? Reversing the cuts would cost more than 200m. This would equal an extra 3,301 on average per public servant, on top of existing pay rises due under the current pay deal between 6pc and 10pc. Senior Forsa leader, Tom Geraghty, said the Government should find funds to reverse pay cuts for new entrants next year. Under the current 'stability' pay deal, a review of issue is due to take place by the end of the year but should not push up costs before the deal runs out in 2020. The agreement says the outcome should "not give rise to implications for the fiscal envelope of this agreement". Mr Geraghty is on a team of union leaders who are due to meet senior Department of Public Expenditure and Reform officials to discuss the issue next Friday. He accepted there is no money budgeted to reverse the cuts next year but still believes it is possible to get the funding together. "While it is correct to say that no monies have been allocated to do this in 2018, I believe that Irelands strengthening economic and exchequer recovery means it should be possible to start funding it next year, rather than delaying until 2020 or beyond," he said. "That would require funds to be allocated in Octobers budget." How many people are affected by the two-tier system? About 60,000 staff recruited since 2011 or about 19 per cent of the total public service workforce are impacted by the two-tier pay system. How would the two-tier system end? Mr Geraghty said it could be ended by shortening newer entrants' pay scales, which are longer than their colleagues. They must work for two years on rates that are 10pc lower before they join their longer-serving colleagues' pay scale. "We returned to the issue in the talks on the current public service pay deal and, because of this, we will again be negotiating with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform officials next week, with the aim of equalising the length of pay scales. "As well as dealing with the technical challenges of doing this fairly, in a way that works for public servants with different lengths of service and pay scales of vastly different lengths we will press for the scales to be shortened as quickly as possible," he said. It was a day for students to swap their school bags for their running shoes at Blackrock College for their annual Rock 5K event. More than 100 students and families participated in the run yesterday, with funds raised for a school-building project in Africa. The fund-raising event was set up by transition year students and Jack Kane (16) told the Irish Independent how all money raised will go directly to the charity Goal and its Machakos programme in Kenya. "These really good causes help people in Africa build schools and provide them with opportunities that we often take for granted," he said. "Machakos Secondary School in Kenya was constructed with the assistance of Blackrock College and each year TY students travel there to see first hand what the money we raised has done for them. "Then, in sixth year, students go to Kenya again and help with school construction and anything else they need," he added. Principal of Dublin's Blackrock College Alan McGinty said giving students opportunities like these is "hugely empowering" for them. "It's really a great experience and the boys can see for themselves the difference they're making in Kenya. "The Machakos project has been running for the last seven years and since then we've raised more than 500,000 for the school," he said. Ronnie Delany, who won gold in the 1,500m at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, made a special guest appearance at the event. "It's really great to be able to support events like this and support such a worthy cause," he said. AN American tourist suffered serious injuries in a head-on collision at a Cork junction where two other US tourists died in a horror crash last year. Gardai have closed the N20 Cork-Limerick road near the Waterloo junction, on the outskirts of Cork city, after the collision between two cars which occurred shortly after 11am today. One of the vehicles was a hire car carrying a US couple who were on holidays in Ireland. It is believed they were en route to Blarney Castle when the accident occurred. The male driver of one car suffered multiple injuries and was rushed to Cork University Hospital (CUH) in a serious condition. A female was treated at the scene for injuries. However, her injuries are not life threatening. Another person involved in the collision was treated at the scene for shock but was uninjured. Gardai, Cork Fire Brigade units and multiple Health Service Executive (HSE) ambulances attended the scene. Gurranabraher Gardai have closed the section of road involved to facilitate the work of the emergency services. Motorists were urged to avoid the area as diversions will be in place for the remainder of the day. The collision occurred just metres from the spot where two US tourists died in a head-on collision last September. The two American tourists died after a collision between their hire car, an articulated lorry and another vehicle on September 11 near a turn-off to Blarney Castle off the N20. Both tourists who died last September were aged in their 60s. Their partners were also injured in the accident but both survived. Gardai have now appealed for witnesses to the collision to contact them. Anyone with information on the tragedy or the movements of the vehicles involved is asked to contact Gurranabraher Garda Station on (021) 4946200. Multi-starred Michelin chef Jean-Christophe Novelli shares some of his favourite recipes to celebrate the opening of his new Irish restaurant at Belfast's City Quays, where the menu includes classic French dishes given an Irish twist by delicious local produce. Tarte Tatin Expand Close Tarte tatin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tarte tatin Serves 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes Ingredients 100g butter 1 star anise vanilla pod (split lengthways) 6 cardamom pods 200g sugar 5 apples (peeled and sliced in half just before using them) Ready-made puff pastry Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan)/ 200C (non-fan)/ gas mark 6. 2. Using a large oven-proof frying pan (approx 28cm), gently melt the butter on a medium heat with the star anise, vanilla pod and cardamom pods and then add the sugar. Gently colour everything until it is pale yellow in colour. 3. Peel and slice the apples in half, pat dry all over with kitchen paper (don't keep them in water or lemon juice before use), then place them neatly face down into the pan and set aside. 4. Using your ready-made pastry, roll it out into a circle approx 28cm in diameter and cm thick. Then carefully place the pastry over the entire pan, pressing the pastry all around the apples to form a tight seal. The apples at the edge of the pan can be lifted slightly and the pastry tucked underneath. This will avoid steaming the pastry as opposed to baking it. 5. Put the pan on a low heat and after a couple of minutes, lift the pan, place your hand over the pastry and holding it tight, pour off the excess liquid - this is saturated fat that has formed and isn't required. Repeat this process twice before placing the pan into the oven for approx 25-30 minutes. 6. After this time, remove from the oven and leave to rest for about 5 minutes, allowing for all the caramel to settle and become firm. 7. Using a plate larger than the pan, lightly oiled with rapeseed oil rubbed on the plate with fingers, position over the pan and then turn out, being careful not to spill the caramel that may still be hot. 8. Serve with good quality real vanilla ice-cream. Duck in Orange Sauce Expand Close Duck in orange sauce / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Duck in orange sauce Serves: 4 Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour 40 minutes Ingredients 3 large sweet potatoes (washed, unpeeled, cut into 2cm slices) garlic bulb (unpeeled, halved widthways) 1 whole duck 2 cardamom pods 4 shallots (sliced) vanilla pod (halved lengthways) 2 tbsp honey 2 oranges (juice of) 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 grapefruit (juice of) Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200C (fan)/ 220C (non-fan)/ gas mark 7. 2. In a roasting pan, layer the sliced sweet potatoes and garlic. Place the duck on top of the potatoes - this acts similar to a trivet on the bottom of the pan. Roast for 45 minutes on the high heat. 3. Remove the duck from the oven and reduce the temperature to 160C (fan)/ 180C (non-fan)/ gas mark 4. Carefully pour the juices from the bottom of the pan into a bowl and dispose of this when cold. 4. Place the duck back into the oven at the reduced temperature for 30-45 minutes, depending on size. When ready, remove the duck from the oven. 5. Place the duck and potatoes onto a dish and cover with clingfilm to keep warm. Put the roasting pan on the hob and heat the juices. Add the cardamom pods and shallots and sweat until the shallots are soft. Then add the vanilla, honey, orange juice, fennel seeds and grapefruit juice and reduce, on a high heat, for approx 10 minutes to produce a thick sauce. 6. Place the duck on a large serving plate and decorate with the sweet potatoes and garlic. Using a large serving spoon, drizzle the now thick sauce over the duck and serve immediately. Potatoes Sauteed with Black Pudding Expand Close Potatoes with black pudding / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Potatoes with black pudding Serves 4 Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 70 minutes Ingredients 400g potatoes (unpeeled) 300g celeriac (unpeeled) 3 Granny Smith apples (quartered, peeled and cored) 1 lemon 2 tbsps extra virgin rapeseed oil 1 onion (sliced) 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 sprig thyme 1 tbsp fresh sage leaves tsp mild curry powder 1 tsp honey 600g soft black pudding (skin removed and cut into cubes) 8 slices of bread 250ml full fat milk 150ml double cream 10g unsalted butter Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200C (fan)/ 220C (non-fan)/ gas mark 7. 2. Bring a deep pan of water to the boil, add the unpeeled whole potatoes and celeriac and simmer for 35 minutes. Drain everything and place all on a baking tray and put it into the oven for approx 10 minutes to remove most of the moisture. 3. Whilst the potatoes are baking (drying out), in another pan put the quartered apples, a squeeze of lemon juice and cover with hot water, bring to the boil and set aside away form the heat. Remove the excess liquid and mash, keep to one side. 4. In a hot saute pan, heat the rapeseed oil, add the onions, cumin seeds, thyme, sage, curry powder, honey and cubed black pudding stir thoroughly and cover, saute for 10 minutes. 5. Remove the potatoes and celeriac from the oven, let them steam out and replace this with the bread on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes take the bread out and blend into course breadcrumbs. Keep to one side. 6. Once the potatoes are cool enough, squeeze the potatoes into a mixing bowl. Squeeze the celeriac into the bowl as well, making sure that the skin is kept separate and thrown away. Pass the potato and celeriac mixture through a mouli or fine sieve. Then add the milk, double cream and butter. 7. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 180C(fan)/ 200C (non-fan)/ gas mark 6. 8. In a deep sided oven dish put a layer of mashed apple, then a layer of black pudding mixture, a layer of potato mixture and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs. 9. Place in the oven for 25 minutes before serving immediately. 'Is this genetic?" Ten years ago this month that sentence jumped off the page at actor and producer Ronan Smith. It was from his own diary, but he had no recollection of writing it and no recollection of the thought. And, in a cruel irony, it came from an entry in which he had wondered about the cause of his own memory loss. "I had no idea when I read that that Alzheimer's could be genetic," he says. "It was like reading someone else's words. It seemed to underline to me what I already sort of knew." Smith's suspicions had come after noticing that his short-term memory at work, following through on conversations, was worsening. He would read things he had written and not have any memory of writing them. Four years ago his GP referred him to the Mercer's Memory Clinic at St James's Hospital and within a matter of weeks he was diagnosed with younger onset Alzheimer's. He told his wife, Miriam and three adult children. Medics told him what to expect, but his real understanding of what was to come was informed by personal tragedy. His own father - theatre legend Brendan Smith - had died from the illness and the family had struggled for years with the stigma and pain that the illness wrought on their father. The presumption might be that the illness must somehow have been passed on, but most Alzheimer's cases are sporadic - meaning they don't know what causes them. The intergenerational curse of the illness in the Smith family is likely just a cruel coincidence. It meant however, that Ronan had seen the potential horror of the illness close up, the way it can take away huge parts of someone's life. His father was the larger-than-life impresario who started the Dublin Theatre Festival in 1957, presided over the Olympia Theatre, and ran the Brendan Smith Academy of Acting. Many senior figures in the Irish theatre world, including Michael Colgan and Julian Erskine - now a friend of Ronan - and Julian's wife, the late actress Anita Reeves, came up under Brendan. He cut a distinctive flourish in his Russian hat and made sure he was seen at every opening. He was renowned for his wit and nicknamed Captain Mainwaring after the Dad's Army character he resembled. Nobody could suspect that this brilliant, crafty and very assertive man could be faltering. "My father was very devious," Ronan recalls. "He hid his illness from us for a long time. His office floor was covered with papers left on the floor to remind him of things. He really wanted to keep everything in his head. The desperate sadness of that, is that he couldn't share what he was going through with anyone." Ronan was himself, by then, a noted actor and was touring Australia with the Abbey when he began receiving a series of increasingly distressed telephone bulletins from his mother. "She was getting more and more upset and disturbed because he was very stressed. He was very difficult to have a conversation with. Everything turned into a row. Everyone initially thought he was having a bad temper thing, some kind of mood issues or something. I heard so much of this down the phone from Australia, I thought when I come home I'll go into the office and try to help." When he came back to Ireland, Ronan realised that his father was in danger of throwing away everything he had worked all his life for, if things continued as they had been doing. "Michael Colgan met me privately and said 'you've got to get your father out of this job'. He told me, 'it's a disaster'. My father wasn't functioning by then, or capable of the job. We were constantly trying to manoeuvre him and say you're stressed or you need to take a day off, but that was really not going to work. We tried to bring in board members to help him, too." Eventually Ronan and his family had to take the difficult decision to have Brendan committed. "There was an enormous amount of stigma and I didn't even hear the word Alzheimer's until a month-and-a-half before his committal. I didn't know if he was having a nervous breakdown or what was going on. He was destroying his achievements and the festival and theatre would have collapsed." The committal, itself, was a distressing process. "In those days you rang ahead to St John Of Gods where we had brought him for an assessment. He had been very bad tempered and uncooperative. We said this is still progressing and getting worse. We had to arrange committal. We brought him in for what he thought were tests and then we said 'you have to stay overnight now' when really he wasn't actually ever going to come out again." Brendan lasted another year-and- a-half, and in that time Ronan saw his father change physically, as well as mentally. "The disease attacks the brain, the cognitive functioning is compromised, and finally the physical body is no longer serviced by the brain. Appetite diminishes, movement is affected. My father used to have the Alzheimer's shuffle - sharing a space with these other patients, all of them taking tiny little steps." Ronan says that he missed the opportunity to ever really talk to his Dad about his illness. "That would have been impossible, because he was so determined to hide it. He had moved to a nursing home in Donnybrook. There, he underwent a serious deterioration. His language disappeared. I visited a silent but thankfully smiling, very ill person, at the end. When I got the phone call that he had passed, it wasn't a shock, in many ways it was a release." In the years following his Dad's death, Ronan continued his career in the theatre world. In 1997 he received a call from his old friend Julian Erskine, who, a couple of years previously, had helped take Riverdance to the stage and was by then struggling to manage the enormous workload that came with meeting the unprecedented worldwide demand for the show. "It was like getting a seat on a rocket ship," Ronan recalls. "I had one conversation with Julian and then I was on a plane to America. Riverdance felt like a three-trailer juggernaut thundering down the road, but the people driving it were almost being dragged along by the tarpaulin behind. "There had never been anything like it. People all over the world were clamouring to see it. It was such a privilege to be part of it for those years." Ronan continued to work on the show right up until 2010, by which time his illness was becoming apparent to him. Erskine remained close friends with Ronan and after his diagnosis, the Riverdance producer was a great help to his friend. The pair go kayaking together and any awkwardness around the condition is effortlessly dispelled by easy teasing between them. On May 3, which is Alzheimer's Tea Day, Riverdance will put on an invite-only performance at the Alzheimer Society headquarters in Blackrock. The Alzheimer's choir, the Forget-Me-Nots, will also perform Cloudsong, the theme from Riverdance. "On June 21, we will also do a 12-hour danceathon at the Gaiety in aid of Alzheimer's," Julian explains. "We start dancing at 10 in the morning and dance until 10 at night. The Riverdance performers will be there doing numbers from the show as well." Ronan has now retired from work - he was a line producer at the Gaiety panto until last year. "That was a decision that I would say brought grief and relief. When I looked closely at my stress levels, I realised the effort I was making was taking a great toll on my general health. I know that I would have to take two or three times' longer to do a task by now, if I had stayed." He has thrown himself into advocacy. He is also the first board member of the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland to actually have the illness. "That is an important move, but of course, there have to be safeguards," Ronan explains. "If three members of the board have doubts about my capacity, they can refer to the chair." Ronan's appearance of total normality (although he protests "I put on a good act, you are talking to an actor") underlines the fact that dementia and Alzheimer's are, in many ways, a fairly under-discussed issue which affects a vast swathe of the population. The Dublin man is now one of 48,000 people living with dementia in this country - 4,000 of whom are under the age of 65. The numbers with dementia are expected to double in 20 years and treble in the next 35. "One of the most difficult parts of the illness has always been the stigma around it," Ronan explains. The society is running an 'Understanding Together' campaign, which is helping. It has always been such a difficult subject. The Big C was Cancer, everyone knew that, until we got mature about it. Alzheimer's also has that unsayable quality about it." A key aspect of transforming attitudes is going to be working together with people who have these conditions, he says. "Our mantra is: nothing for us without us," he says. "I take medication but it's really of little impact." The life expectancy of someone with Alzheimer's is between eight and 20 years and Ronan is now on year nine, he explains. "Only now in the last four or five months am I finding myself significantly compromised. The advocacy work is more challenging and onerous. Reading a book would be very hard at this point, unless I religiously did a chapter a night. "The feeling of a ticking clock is inevitable. The drug companies are chasing a huge prize of a breakthrough, but until then we wait. Some people say why me, but I say why not me. "I genuinely make no distinction. I have to have some hope and some optimism. I want to be able to manage, accept and accommodate the illness as best I can and try to make myself feel useful. I can only say I feel privileged to have had a very lucky life." The Tea Day 2018 event featuring Riverdance and The Forget Me Nots choir in The Orchard Day Care Centre in Blackrock, Co Dublin is an invite only event. To attend a Tea Day event in your locality or to host a Tea Day of your own, log on to www.teaday.ie Dave Rudden and Sarah Davis-Goff met at the Hennessy Awards in 2015, because he was up against an author she publishes. Sarah's author, Sarah Baume, scooped the prize, but happily there are no hard feelings there. "I was nervous because everyone was extremely fancy and it was all about high literature," says Dave. "People asked what I did and most of them shut off and weren't interested when I said I was writing a children's trilogy. Sarah was very nice to me and asked me questions." Dave stood out for Sarah when he read a story at a subsequent event and she was "really electrified". "That was when I thought he was cute," she says. "I always find talent and ambition really attractive and Dave is incredibly kind and funny. On a physical level, I liked his broad shoulders and I'm a sucker for redheads." Dave (30) grew up in Bawnboy, Cavan, the middle of Marie and Aidan's three children. His dad was vice-principal of his school. He was a shy child who was bullied, and he self-harmed, but came into his own when he went to St Patrick's in Drumcondra and discovered theatre and acting. He taught English and history until he lost his job in the recession, and then went to teach in Egypt for a year, and wrote during his free time. He then did the creative writing master's at UCD, where the first assignment was to write the first chapter of a novel. "Nobody in the class liked mine," he laughs. "They thought it was too dark, weird and complicated, but I kept writing it on the side. My thesis supervisor looked at the first three chapters and thought I should do something with it." Dave sent the finished book, Knights of the Borrowed Dark, to 26 different agents, and while 25 said no, Clare Wallace at Darley Anderson liked it and agreed to work with him. On his 26th birthday in 2014, she phoned to say Puffin had bought it. "I was flat broke at the time and sporadically working in bars and theatre, so it was really life-changing and life-saving," he recalls. It came out in 2016 and won Children's Book of the Year at the Irish Book Award. The Endless King is out now, and is the final book in the trilogy about a secret war between a race of shape-shifting, misery-eating, occasionally waistcoat-wearing monsters and the warriors sworn to stop them. The trilogy has been published in six languages and the film and TV rights have been sold to Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer. Dave is also working on an anime series for the streaming service Crunchyroll. He and Sarah got together in March 2016 at a bookseller's conference. "I don't think I talked to anyone else at dinner because Sarah was the most brilliant and interesting person there," says Dave. "There was a lot of dancing and it was very clear after that evening that I wanted to ask her out. Sarah is so herself and very driven, and while she makes out that she's super-tough and unforgiving, she has such a huge heart and is always there to help people. And she's incredibly, strikingly gorgeous as well, to the point where sometimes, well, I'm not able to speak." Sarah (35) and her three brothers grew up in Donabate, and her parents, Sir Robert and Lady Sheelagh Davis-Goff, travel a lot for their property business. Sarah boarded at Headford School in Kells and St Columba's College in Rathfarnham, and after taking advice from her writer aunt, Annabel Davis-Goff, she did a liberal arts degree at St John's College in Santa Fe, followed by a master's in publishing in the UK. She set up Tramp Press with Lisa Coen almost five years ago and they currently put out three books a year. They've had great success with their writers, including Mike McCormack who won the Goldsmiths Prize for Solar Bones. Problems by Jade Sharma is their next book, and Sarah is really excited about it. In a classic case of poacher turned gamekeeper, she has her own book, Last Ones Left Alive, coming out next year on Tinder Press, which is aimed at readers of dystopian literary fiction. Being an author and a publisher means that the couple have an insight into each other's world, but Sarah says she and Dave don't step on each other's toes. They don't currently live together, but feel sure that the relationship will go the distance. Dave spends a lot of time at Sarah's house, even though he isn't sure that her cat Mils entirely approves. "I'm not sure we're super-traditional marriage types, but one of us would have to f**k up really badly for us to split up." Sarah laughs. "I'm kind of ambivalent about having kids, to be honest. I can kind of see the point, but there are so many things I want to do with my life that don't involve rearing little ones." Dave feels the same at present, and adds that he spends a lot of time in schools for work, which he enjoys. The bottom line is that they have neither ruled having a family in or out, they say. They see plenty of each other but it has to be carefully planned because they are both so busy with work. The pair say the relationship has been very "easy" and feels like "the most natural thing in the world". "If I've had a rough day, one of the first things Sarah always says is, 'What can I do to help?" says Dave, who has spoken openly about dealing with depression. "The fact that I have someone in my corner feels incredibly lovely. Sarah is so clever, and I've learned so much from her." Video of the Day The Endless King is out now (Puffin, 8.99). www.daverudden.com You might hate Monday, but you'll love our weekly pick of Ireland's top travel offers... 185pp: Slip away to Santorini Deals website Holidayguru has found a combo of Skyscanner flights and Hotels.com accommodation to give four nights on Santorini from 185pp. The package departs Dublin on November 5 - one of the island's cooler months. To find the deal, type 'Santorini' into its search box on holidayguru.ie. 189pp: Blue Book dinner, massage and sleepover The Blue Book's Marlfield House has one night's B&B, a three-course dinner in the Duck restaurant and a one-hour massage from 189pp midweek. 053 942-1124; marlfieldhouse.com; irelands-blue-book.ie. 457pp: A to Zakynthos Cassidy Travel has reduced the cost of a week in Zakynthos in Greece next month from 640 to 457pps. The package includes flights and self-catering in the 3-star Angela Hotel in Laganas, departing May 22. 01 839-5000; cassidytravel.ie. 999pp: Direct deals to Hong Kong Cathay Pacific starts direct flights to Hong Kong in June, and ITAA member Classic Resorts has flights plus transfers, four nights at the 4-star Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees Hotel and a half-day tour from 999pp. 01 874-5000; classicresorts.ie; itaa.ie/offers. 50 off Majorca summer holidays Have you seen Independent Discounts? The new site has a host of special offers and discount codes, with travel brands ranging from Aer Lingus to ClickAndGo.com, TUI and Expedia.ie. See discountcode.independent.ie/travel-accommodation. NB: All travel deals subject to availability/change. One can't but be enthralled by the stunning views of Lough Ree, one of three major lakes on the river Shannon which is teeming with wildlife After three days of snow and closed schools it was time to head for the hills. Well, to the lakes actually, in the midlands close to Athlone in County Westmeath. I knew this more from the tone of her voice than anything else, really, what you might call that increasing irritability brought on by all things related to the Beast from the East. And so it was on a Saturday evening, a few hours after the thaw had set in, that we found ourselves heading westwards to the Wineport Lodge on the shores of Lough Ree, a little in trepidation it must be said, what with all of those dire warnings not to make unnecessary journeys. But this was a necessary journey, you see, to preserve mind and soul from the long since passed novelty of Storm Emma. In that context, the little more than an hour-long journey to the pretty village of Glasson was no more than a casual sojourn to what we knew awaited, which was the comforting embrace of what has long since been a favourite relaxation destination. Now, it must be said that I am not necessarily one for luxury destinations, having once spent an entire weekend elsewhere, trussed up in a bathrobe becoming more frustrated with the improbability of it all than anything else, which really runs contrary to the entire purpose. Expand Close The new Champagne Suite at Wineport Lodge / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The new Champagne Suite at Wineport Lodge The Wineport is not like that. Yes, there are spa facilities, which I imagine is a favourite for "girlie getaways", as the Wineport describes it. But the Lodge is not so much a place to do 'things' or even to do 'nothing, which of course it also is. Rather, it is a feeling, maybe more a mood you get when you are there, which is why it appeals to me so much and, also, to us together. This mood can be put down to several things, but if I were to put it down to one I would say that would have to be the lake. As I have said, we have been here several times before, but mostly during the summer, and not always to stay overnight. Even if we happen to be passing, we call for lunch or dinner at a table outside, facing westward, overlooking Lough Ree, the sun streaming down. There are few more perfect locations at such moments. Expand Close Wineport Lodge boasts panoramic views over the lake / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Wineport Lodge boasts panoramic views over the lake This time, the weather was altogether different, although it eased significantly the more into the midlands we travelled. That said, I was interested to see what the lake would offer in the dead of late winter. We checked in to the Champagne Suite, which like almost every room offers a view of the lake. Ah, but what a view. Set over two floors, with a flickering fire stove, a cradle bath, and a wall of double-height windows with silk, motorised drapes, the view was uninterrupted. In all, there are 29 spacious rooms, including 12 lake view suites, with not a number between them: all are named after famous wine regions on account of history. The Wineport gets its name from its townland, Port an Fhiona, which dates back to 542 AD, when St Ciaran's monks chose the area as the perfect landing place for their cargo of wine barrels from France. You may be familiar with the Wineport from the first seven series of The Restaurant, which was filmed here. After we settled in, and when I had finished playing with the motorised drapes, we headed for a late dinner, followed by a nightcap or two. The chef, as always, surpassed himself, as did staff members who have mastered that art of not being there, but being there a moment before the thought you may need them fully forms in your mind. This I put down to the owners, husband and wife team, Ray Byrne and Jane English, with manager Norma Wilson, who have been at the Wineport since it opened in 1993 and who have, obviously, perfected the vocation of hospitality, so much so that - one of the staff told me - 80pc of Wineport guests are return visitors. It was dark, however, and cold outside, though the stove fires blazed with a comfortable intensity. So, I did not get to see the lake until morning - really see it that is, other than to sense its brooding presence. At first light I opened the drapes and there it all was, a grey mass stretching into the distance across to Connaught. It takes the breath away. You stand there and take it all in, or as much as you can, in great gulps, your eyes peering into the distance to the fog; the mid-distance where the ripples are not so gentle, more foreboding; and to the shore where bird life, migratory waterfowl, bobble about on what I am not surprised to learn has been designated a special protection area. This description does not do justice to Lough Ree: it is a vast expanse, one of three major lakes on the River Shannon, which not so much dominates but is the landscape. This lake is all life. Around it, people live, work and play, and the village of Glasson sits. Without the lake none of this would be here. It is from this lake that the Wineport draws its inspiration, its mood. So, it must be a gentle lake, loving even, and tender. At breakfast, this mood, of romance, is evident among our fellow guests. There are whispered conversations, intimate gestures, plans made for the day ahead. The Wineport was among the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Awards 2017 for Ireland's Top 25 Romantic Hotels. No surprise there either; and also a member of Ireland's Blue Book and a winner of the Georgina Campbell Hideaway of the Year. It is also available for exclusive hire and weddings and corporate events. So you may need to book well in advance. When you do, embrace it. Do not go looking for the mood, let it come to you instead, for it surely will, like a wisp of fog or darting bird in plumage, curling in along the lake towards the foreshore and into your heart. You will always go back. Getting there The Champagne Suite is luxury bolthole Wineport Lodge's premier suite, set over two floors and filled with opulence throughout, including a cradle bath, Roche Bobois furniture, cut crystal glassware, original artwork and a Nespresso machine. The balcony offers unrivalled views of Lough Ree. Included in all bookings are a half bottle of Champagne, Wineport truffles, a fruit platter and bubble bath set. Optional extras include a bouquet of Champagne roses and scented Lovoto candles to suit every mood. To book your stay contact 090 643 9010 or wineport.ie. Read more: In politics, giving voice to half-formed thoughts is generally inadvisable. But sometimes, our first impressions can provide insight, so let's give it a go. Three weeks ago, I became Fianna Fail's health spokesperson. I've been reading reports, meeting clinicians, debating with Government and listening to patients. I'd like to share three initial reactions to what I've found. The first is just how desperate the situation has become. There are more people on trolleys than ever before. There are more people waiting on hospital procedures than ever before. Seven in every 10 GP practices aren't taking new patients. For children with a disability, early assessment is vital. In 2016, there were 3,200 waiting for an assessment. Today, it's 4,300. In 2015, there were 20,000 people waiting to see an occupational therapist. Today, it's 30,000. These figures go on and on - surgeries, mental health, home care, doctors on-call, respite, rehab, hospice, palliative care - in spite of more spending on health than ever. Behind the figures are real people and daily struggle. Last Friday, I was canvassing in Wicklow. Over two hours, I met many people at their doors. More than half spoke of their experiences with the healthcare system. One lady, caring for her disabled son, couldn't get a respite day. When I asked when she last had one, she told me 'last June'. Another lady told me her daughter's been waiting for a wheelchair assessment for over a year. Parents told me of their children assessed as needing educational supports but unable to get them. I'm working with a man left quadriplegic after an accident, discharged from the National Rehabilitation Hospital last September. He's still there because the HSE hasn't found anywhere for him to go. Since taking on the role of health spokesperson, my office has been inundated with stories like these and worse. The second thing which has really jumped out at me gets far less attention. Many of our clinicians - doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, midwives, and other specialists - are exhausted, frustrated and demoralised. Some are at or past breaking point. Surgeons can't get access to operating theatres. Nurses are so burnt out they're leaving the profession. GPs are so frustrated they're emigrating. We have a serious shortage of consultants in Ireland. But our future consultants, the non-consultant hospital doctors, are in some cases being treated with contempt. Some are forced to work 36-hour shifts. Others can't get days off or parental leave. Would you blame them for heading off to Canada or Australia? The most powerful healthcare asset we have, by a country mile, is our clinicians - and yet they are being treated like this. The third thing I'd like to share is firmly in the territory of half-formed ideas, but here it is. We may be having the wrong conversation, or at least only half of the conversation we need to be having. The political debate, media coverage, numerous reports - focuses largely on what's not working, what needs to change. Numbers of beds and doctors, integrated primary care, unequal access to care, digital records, mental health, early-years intervention, health promotion, neurorehabilitation, step-down facilities, palliative care, home care, clinical pathway design and so on. It is true that changes are needed in all of these areas, but we know this, and have known for many years. An interesting question, a more difficult question, but possibly a more useful one, is this: Given that we already know what needs to change, why has so little change actually occurred? The answers to this question are undoubtedly complex, and I'm not convinced are well understood. They are certainly not well laid out or discussed, nor is there consensus around them. But we can lay out a few guiding principles guide the way. One: Sustainable change in healthcare is only possible with the buy-in and leadership of clinicians. That means including them in figuring out what changes are required and how to make those changes happen. It means trust existing between clinicians, the HSE and government. It means ensuring clinicians are valued and energised by their jobs. These conditions are not currently met. Two: High performing healthcare centres -including GP practices, primary care centres and hospitals - require local autonomy, funding certainty and aligned incentives. This includes multi-annual budgets, control over individual spending lines, revenue streams to match costs incurred, and much more. These conditions are not currently met. Three: It is important to know what's happening at a pretty detailed level. Which hospitals are best at different types of clinical work? How many GPs are there? What procedures are being referred to hospital that could easily be done in GP surgeries for a fraction of the cost? This condition is not currently met. We have some of the best trained clinicians on earth. Parts of our healthcare system are world class. We have a highly professional civil service and skilled HSE officials who want the same as everyone else - a great healthcare system. We spend a fortune on healthcare, and in spite of all of this, desperation is being felt by patients, parents, carers, clinicians, and everyone in between. Why? It is not beyond our ability to make things better? If we're going to succeed in that, we must ask, and answer, the right questions. Understanding what needs to change is not enough. We must get our heads around the related questions - why have things been allowed to get so bad? Why has so little change been achieved? Stephen Donnelly is Fianna Fail TD for Wicklow & Carlow East and FF spokesman on health The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has set out the Government's intention to bring the State's commemorative programme to a close in what he calls "an upbeat and optimistic note" by celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Republic of Ireland coming into effect in 2024. In that regard he has charged the Expert Advisory Group on Commemorations to handle what has the potential to be a sensitive event. However, this group has, to date, managed with great sensitivity, not to mention a certain elan, recent commemorations, not least the 1916 commemoration, and there is every reason to believe that this will continue up to and during the anniversary of the Republic, what Mr Varadkar with his penchant for the marketing of an event has described as "Republic Day". There is a popular myth that the then Taoiseach, John A Costello, while in Canada in 1948, got drunk at a dinner and announced that Ireland was to leave the British Commonwealth. A variation on that story is that he took offence at the placement of a large siege canon replica on the dinner table while dining in the Governor General's residence and declared a Republic in a fit of pique. Undoubtedly, he was upset at his host's reneging on an arrangement to toast the President of Ireland. In reality, however, the events leading up to the announcement are more complicated, not to mention a little haphazard, involving newspaper headlines - notably in the Sunday Independent - behind the scenes threats and megaphone diplomacy. In the end, the Republic was born, in retaliation to which, the British government, without consultation, introduced the 'Ireland Bill' which contained a guarantee to unionists on partition of the island. In some ways, it is tempting to suggest that a parallel to these events is being played out at the moment following the UK's decision to leave the European Union, similar in a fashion to Ireland's, or as it was then called, Eire's decision to leave the Commonwealth. It is for historians to parse and analyse such comparisons, if they exist at all. However, there is little doubt that there may be sensitivities at play at a time of heightened tensions between Ireland and the UK. Mr Varadkar has also said that it will be important to talk to the leaders of the other political parties, Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein, Labour, as well as the Independent Alliance and the other groupings and independents, to try and secure cross-party support for 'Republic Day'. That is also the correct course of action. However, it is important that these parties, and in particular Sinn Fein under the new leadership of Mary Lou McDonald, engage in this process in honourable fashion, and not to stage events designed to undermine those which the Expert Advisory Group will outline in due course. That said, neither would it do for the State itself, nor either of the main parties, to seek to take advantage of the event, or indeed to present a commemoration at odds with a nation unrecognisable by the community of people who live here now. If recent successful commemorations are anything to go by, however, we can expect that not to be the case. As obvious as it may seem, Ireland is clearly a very different place now than that of April 18, 1949. In large part, a successful and modern Republic has been built, and that is a credit to all of those leaders who have gone before. The commemoration of the Republic is still six years away. To what further extent, for what good and for the good of whom, will the country have changed by then? Katie Price aka Jordan arrives at The VIP Style Awards with boyfriend Leandro Penna in 2011 Katie Price aka Jordan arrives at The VIP Style Awards with boyfriend Leandro Penna in 2011 Cast your mind back to 2001, when helicopter was the preferred mode of transport in Ireland, toddlers owned their own homes, and bank managers ate caviar with soup spoons. It was during this almost mythical time the VIP Style Awards sprang to life. While the majority of Celtic Tiger beanos faded when the gold rush stopped, the Style Awards managed to survive it all. Like Terminator T-800, or a giant red carpet cockroach - it seems nothing can bring it down. This year's shindig takes place next Friday night, and, as per usual, is being run by ringmaster Michael O'Doherty - barrister, magazine publisher, and the man who was brave enough to advise rugby star Shane Byrne to lose the mullet on Celebrity Come Dine with Me. He thinks the longevity of the VIPs coincides with the demise of that much-loved Celtic Tiger wealth and virtue signifier: the ostentatious charity luncheon (complete with eye -watering novelty auction). "After the recession, people were less willing to spend 2,000 on a bodhran Jim Corr once played, or a vial of Padraig Harrington's blood," O'Doherty says. "Guests never pay to be at the VIPs - it's invite only." As a result, it is one of the longest-running red carpet events in Ireland's popular culture. The IFTAs started two years later in 2003: probably, after realising they were missing a trick. Others have followed suit, and now there are a dime a dozen low-rent red carpet dos. Earlier this year, TV3 launched the Xpose Awards - a production so shaky it looked like it had been filmed by your Da (not mine) on a Sony Handycam. "I think the VIPs is the oldest red carpet in Ireland," O'Doherty says. "Aside maybe from the People of the Year Awards which I believe began in 1762... But we always have the best guest list." Expand Close Katie Price aka Jordan arrives at The VIP Style Awards with boyfriend Leandro Penna in 2011 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Katie Price aka Jordan arrives at The VIP Style Awards with boyfriend Leandro Penna in 2011 Video of the Day It certainly is a curious bunch. Conor McGregor and GAA pundit Marty Morrissey nominated alongside our Beloved Leader, Leo Varadkar? Anne Doyle going head to head with Twink? And there is always some poor eejit who takes it all too seriously: this year that accolade goes to Caitriona Perry. The Six One news anchor has been canvassing for votes on social media signing off with #ReporterLife, #AnchorLife, and #NewDresses. Of course, we all know the real reason the awards show gets good traction - because the VIPs inevitably results in very un-VIP behaviour. In 2011, Lisa Murphy upstaged Katie Price by arriving in a completely see-through dress. That was the same year a well-known model was seen relieving herself in a potted plant in the corner of Krystle nightclub. In 2016, Amanda Brunker was pelted with seagull droppings as she made her grand entrance at the launch, and had to ask reporters to help wipe her dress clean. In 2015, the MOD's trousers burst open, leaving him terribly exposed. There was the time the VIP party bus broke down en route to Copper Face Jacks, leaving guests stuck on the quays for an hour. At the time, there was fierce speculation Twink was to blame. (Untrue, of course). In 2008, one society lady was caught campaigning for votes by pushing pamphlets under the doors of hotel rooms, and in 2013 a TV presenter was stopped leaving the Marker Hotel after snaffling 12 goodie bags. My personal favourite VIP story was the year I met two lads from the adjoining flats who had thrown on suits, and successfully crashed the awards ceremony in the Marker Hotel. "We were watching telly," one of them said. "And now we're here with Rosanna Davison and Brent Pope." Ah, yes, Dublin's high life. Last year was awfully tame, and to spice things up MOD has decided to come 'out of retirement', and once again deliver a hugely offensive speech during which he plans on tearing all the attendees apart. "No one is safe," he says. Undoubtedly, ensuring it sticks around a while longer. Time to leave the 90s behind in search of Eurovision glory Expand Close Ryan O'Shaughnessy: solid but familiar song / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ryan O'Shaughnessy: solid but familiar song What do you pack when you are going to the Eurovision? Bunting with flags of all the countries taking part? Points cards? Glitter and glo sticks? A portable shrine to Bjorn and Benny? It's not a question I've previously had to answer before, but this year I am going to Lisbon for the glorious kitsch-fest that is the Eurovision Song Contest. Do I think we'll win it? Win?! Of course not! Ryan O'Shaughnessy's song is solid in an inoffensive way. Sadly, his act is just too similar to our previous two entries. You may recall Nicky Byrne, twirling about in a two-tone leather jacket to 'Sunlight' in 2016, and Brendan Murray belting out ballad 'Dying to Try' in a stationary hot air balloon. Both men failed to qualify. At this stage, we clearly need something a little different from white, male solo artists who may have been considered cutting edge in the 90s/00s. Last year, after we failed to make it through, RTE's Head of Eurovision Delegation Micheal Kealy, said: "I'm not sure people appreciate how difficult it is to qualify these days It's a completely different competition to how it was when we used to win back in the 90s." Which raises the obvious question of why they are sending 1990s-inspired acts. I think RTE needs to get a bit of its Eurovision mojo back. It may also want to seem a bit more set on winning. Sometimes, the delegation looks defeated before they have even boarded the plane over. Of course, I hope we qualify, but even if we don't I will be there watching Marty Whelan work a room, visiting the Eurovision village, searching for Loreen, and loading up on those delicious Portuguese custard tarts. TOPS Windbreakers Big news thanks to the 'Dadcore' fashion trend. whatsapp voice memos Handy and potentially hilarious (if leaked/ sent to the wrong person). FLOPS Ed Sheeran movie cameos Expand Close Ed Sheeran / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ed Sheeran Apparently he's popping up in Richard Curtis's new film about The Beatles. A collaboration no one asked for. Spooning robots Aid a good night's sleep. Providing you can stop worrying about them rising up and destroying you. SAY WHAT? Shell bolt, shes bolted before Feminist author Germaine Greer on why the marriage of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry won't last. Robert Sheehan and Maria Jose Bavio attend the National Geographic premiere screening of "Genius: Picasso" on April 20, 2018 at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City Tom Vaughan- Lawlor, who plays Nidge ( left) , and Robert Sheehan, who plays Darren, in the Love/ Hate season finale Actors Robert Sheehan and Sofia Boutella attend the premiere of "The Road Within" during the 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival Robert Sheehan attends the National Geographic "Genius: Picasso" Tribeca Film Festival after party at The Genius Studio, 100 Avenue of the Americas, in New York City on April 20, 2018 Robert Sheehan arriving to the National Geographic premiere screening of 'Genius: Picasso' during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival at BMCC Tribeca PAC on April 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images) Robert Sheehan arriving to the National Geographic premiere screening of 'Genius: Picasso' during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival at BMCC Tribeca PAC on April 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images) Actor Robert Sheehan arriving to the National Geographic premiere screening of 'Genius: Picasso' during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival at BMCC Tribeca PAC on April 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images) Robert Sheehan displayed his quirkly off-air wardrobe as he hit the red carpet in New York City during the Tribeca Film Festival. The former Love/Hate star (30) has landed a new small screen role, this time on the National Geographic Channel's 10-part Genius: Picasso series, a dramatisation exploring the legendary artist's personal and professional life. Sheehan plays the role of Picasso's enigmatic artist friend Carlos Casagemas and certainly looked the part in a striped ruffled shirt, ankle grazing skinny jeans and wine coloured Converse shoes. The Irish actor, from Co Laois, is famous for his daring personal style and he prefers experimenting with his look instead of sticking to a menswear uniform often adopted by other actors. He was joined by co-star Maria Jose Bavio at last night's premiere at the star-studded film festival. His rise to fame in Ireland was through his starring role on the RTE gangland series which he featured in until 2013, but he has always had other projects in the UK and US on the backburner. Most notably, he'll be shown once again in Irish homes as he is currently filming Netflix's new superhero series The Umbrella Academy, set for release next year. Sheehan plays Klaus, a charming drug addict, who is described as a "classic 'middle child' - a disarming pleaser who is seemingly everyones friend, but will rob you blind without thinking twice." Expand Close Actor Robert Sheehan attends the National Geographic premiere screening of "Genius: Picasso" on April 20, 2018 at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actor Robert Sheehan attends the National Geographic premiere screening of "Genius: Picasso" on April 20, 2018 at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City Netflx, which promised to produce even more original content over the next 12 months, seems to be playing off its success of small screen comic book adaptations from its Marvel roster like Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visit SportsAid to undertake engagements celebrating the Commonwealth at the Copperbox Arena on March 22, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Britain February 18, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Jackson/Pool The Duke of Cambridge with Prince George and Princess Charlotte arriving at the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London where the Duke's third child was born on Monday. Britain's Prince William arrives at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital with his children Prince George and Princess Charlotte after his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to a son, in London Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge take part in a Commonwealth Quiz in which athletes, coaches and supporters are questioned on their knowledge of the Commonwealth, during their visit to the Copperbox Arena on March 22, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Britain's Prince William arrives at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital with his children Prince George and Princess Charlotte after his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to a son, in London, April 23, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls Kate Middleton has given birth to a baby boy, Kensington Palace announced. Earlier today, the Duchess of Cambridge was transferred to St Mary's Hospital in London this morning, the same hospital where she delivered her older children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, with her husband Prince William by her side. A statement read: "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. "Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well." "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news." It's expected that Prince George and Princess Charlotte will visit their new baby brother this afternoon, as was the case with George meeting his baby sister in 2015 and William meeting new brother Harry back in 1984. Less than two hours after giving birth, Kate's personal stylists and glam squad were pictured entering St Mary's Hospital, where she will prepare for the 'big reveal' on the steps of the Lindo Wing, which became a royal tradition established by Princess Diana after William's birth in 1982. Kensington Palace has chosen to announce any updates through its social media channels in order to make the birth more accessible to royal watchers around the world. Expand Close Britain's Prince William arrives at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital with his children Prince George and Princess Charlotte after his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to a son, in London / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Britain's Prince William arrives at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital with his children Prince George and Princess Charlotte after his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to a son, in London Unlike with Prince George, who was the first grandchild with for both Prince Charles and Carole and Michael Middleton, the grandparents are believed to be staying away from the hospital and will be meeting their new grandson behind the gates of the palace after the public fanfare has ended. Earlier today, a statement confirmed that Kate was in labour, saying: "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St. Marys Hospital, Paddington, London earlier this morning in the early stages of labour. Video of the Day "The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St. Marys Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge." Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (L) and Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge show their newly-born son, their third child, to the media outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in central London, on April 23, 2018. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their newborn son outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday April 23, 2018. See PA story ROYAL Baby. Britain's Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William leave the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital with their new baby boy in London, April 23, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls Kate Middleton and Prince William have introduced their newborn son to the world. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed the new arrival on Monday morning and both mother and baby are doing well, according to Kensington Palace. Prince George and Princess Charlotte visited their new baby brother this afternoon, as was the case with George meeting his baby sister in 2015 and William meeting new brother Harry back in 1984. Less than two hours after giving birth, Kate's personal stylists and glam squad were pictured entering St Mary's Hospital, where she will prepare for the 'big reveal' on the steps of the Lindo Wing, which became a royal tradition established by Princess Diana after William's birth in 1982. Kensington Palace has chosen to announce any updates through its social media channels in order to make the birth more accessible to royal watchers around the world. A statement read: "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. "Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well." "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news." Expand Close The Duke of Cambridge waves to the crowd after leaving with his newborn son outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Duke of Cambridge waves to the crowd after leaving with his newborn son outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. Unlike with Prince George, who was the first grandchild with for both Prince Charles and Carole and Michael Middleton, the grandparents are believed to be staying away from the hospital and will be meeting their new grandson behind the gates of the palace after the public fanfare has ended. Earlier today, a statement confirmed that Kate was in labour, saying: "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St. Marys Hospital, Paddington, London earlier this morning in the early stages of labour. Video of the Day "The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St. Marys Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge." A stalker broke into Taylor Swift's New York City townhouse and took a nap, police said. A stalker broke into Taylor Swift's New York City townhouse and took a nap, police said. Officers investigating a reported break-in on Friday found 22-year-old Roger Alvarado asleep in the pop star's home in the Tribeca neighbourhood. Alvarado, of Homestead, Florida, was arrested on charges of stalking, burglary, criminal mischief and trespassing. He was arrested at the same address on February 13 on charges of breaking the front door with a shovel. Swift was not home during Friday's break-in. The multi platinum-selling recording artist has dealt with stalkers on both coasts. Police said a Colorado man arrested on April 14 outside a Beverly Hills home owned by Swift had a knife, a rope and ammunition. Kate Middleton has gone into labour, Kensington Palace confirmed today. The Duchess of Cambridge (36) is expecting her third child with husband Prince William and was transferred to St Mary's Hospital in London this morning, the same hospital where she delivered her older children Prince George and Princess Charlotte. "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St. Marys Hospital, Paddington, London earlier this morning in the early stages of labour," a palace statement said on social media. "The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St. Marys Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge." It was reported yesterday that Kate's younger sister Pippa Middleton is also expecting her first child with husband James Matthews. An insider said recently: "Kate is now officially on maternity leave until the autumn and looking forward to welcoming the new baby. "The whole family is excited, including the children, who are very much aware that they are about to welcome a new brother or sister." Kate's first stop on maternity leave was to spent Easter with her parents Michael and Carole Middleton in Bucklebury, Berkshire, England, with her family before settling back home in London as her due date approached. A source said at the time: "Kate is in Bucklebury with the children for the Easter weekend, putting her feet up and enjoying some well-earned rest. "The children are on Easter holiday now so they'll all stay at Carole and Michael's into the middle of next week and then return to Kensington Palace, where Kate will remain until she goes into labour. William may be back and forth due to work." Video of the Day The royal couple were forced to announce their third pregnancy earlier than they would've liked last year because Catherine was battling with hyperemesis gravidarum - a severe form of morning sickness - and was forced to pull out of engagements. Two models have come forward accusing TOWIE star Gemma Collins of photoshopping her head on their bodies to promote her clothing range. Ms Collins (37) is one of Britain's brightest reality tv stars and her success has ventured off the small screen with endorsement deals and appearances, but most notably it's her clothing line called the Gemma Collins Collection. Models Katie Green and Kate Louise Smith were interviewed by The Sun on Sunday and Monday, separately alleging their bodies were used as a substitute for Gemma's. Ms Smith said, "Rather than being mortified, Im just insulted. Its very intrusive and its an odd thing to do. Why Gemma and her team took it upon themselves to alter the images is a bit strange. I am really passionate about body image and women feeling confident in themselves and their natural body shape. Ive been an ambassador for the subject for many years." A spokesperson for Ms Collins told Metro that the pictures were "used in good faith by Gemma". "The images were used in good faith by Gemma. An external firm assured her that they owned the copyright and had commissioned the shoots, they said. The pictures of Katie Green were reportedly taken by a photographer for apparel manufacturer Lily Limited and they were shot in the last number of the weeks. They were used as part of a catalogue for womenswear wholesalers, which includes the Gemma Collins Collection. Armenian prime minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly, in an apparent move to end massive anti-government protests. Residents of the capital, Yerevan, poured out on the streets to celebrate. The surprise move, announced on Mr Sargysans website, followed 10 days of protests in the capital, Yerevan, against his appointment as prime minister as part of a transition to a new governmental system that reduces the powers of the presidency and bolsters those of the premier. Critics saw the move as an attempt to stay in power by Mr Sargsyan, who served as president from 2008 until term limits forced him out in March. Armen Sarkisian, a former prime minister and ambassador to Britain, was elected in his place. Expand Close People celebrate the shokc announcement (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People celebrate the shokc announcement (AP) Thousands of anti-government protesters have been rallying on the streets of Yerevan since April 13, and Sundays rally attracted some 50,000 demonstrators. Nikol Pashinian, the protest leader, was arrested on Sunday after he met the prime minister for talks. He was released on Monday afternoon. In an extraordinary statement, Mr Sargsyan admitted that he should not have resisted the demands of the opposition. Nikol Pashinian was right. I was wrong, he said. Opposition leaders have not yet commented on Mr Sargsyans resignation, but have called a rally in central Yerevan for Monday evening. At least 20 people were killed after an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition hit a wedding party in northern Yemen, health officials said, as harrowing images of the bombing emerged on social media. The dead were mostly women and children - including the bride - who were gathered in one of the tents set up for the wedding party in the district of Bani Qayis, according to Khaled al-Nadhri, the top health official in the northern province of Hajja. Hospital chief Mohammed al-Sawmali said the groom and 45 of the wounded were brought to the local al-Jomhouri hospital. Footage from the scene of the air strike shows scattered body parts and a young boy in a green shirt hugging a man's lifeless body, screaming and crying. Health ministry spokesman Abdel-Hakim al-Kahlan said ambulances were initially unable to reach the site of the bombing for fear of subsequent air strikes as the jets continued to fly overhead. The Saudi-led coalition has been waging a war on Yemen's Shia rebels, known as Houthis, who control much of the north, and the capital, Sanaa, to restore the internationally recognised government to power. Over the past three years, more than 10,000 civilians have been killed and tens of thousands wounded while more than million people have been displaced because of the fighting. UN officials and rights groups accused the coalition of committing war crimes and of being responsible for most of the killings. Air strikes have hit weddings, busy markets, hospitals, and schools. The Saudi-led coalition blames the Houthi rebels, saying they are using civilians as human shields and hiding among the civilian population. The United States and European countries have also been criticised and accused of complicity in the coalition's attacks in Yemen because of their support for the alliance and for supplying it with weapons worth billions of dollars. Every year thousands of foreign tourists travel to the Peruvian Amazon to experiment with ayahuasca (Nigel Pitman/The Field Museum) A Canadian man has been killed in a remote part of the Amazon rainforest after being blamed for the death of an elderly shaman. Sebastian Woodroffe was dragged by the neck shortly after the killing of Olivia Arevalo, an octogenarian plant healer from the Shipibo-Konibo tribe of northeastern Peru, the countrys attorney generals office said. Arevalo and Woodroffe, 41, who had travelled to Peru to study hallucinogenic medicine, were both killed on Thursday in the indigenous community of Victoria Gracia. But police did not begin to investigate until a mobile phone video appeared in local media showing a man purported to be Woodroffe begging for mercy while being dragged between thatch-roofed homes. He was then left motionless on the muddy ground. On Saturday, officials dug up Woodroffes body from an unmarked grave where he had been hastily buried. Every year thousands of foreign tourists travel to the Peruvian Amazon to experiment with ayahuasca, a bitter, dark-coloured brew made of a mixture of native plants. Also known as yage Consumed by Western tourists looking for mind-altering experiences Venerated by indigenous tribes in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia The hallucinogenic cocktail, also known as yage, has been venerated for centuries by indigenous tribes in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia as a cure for all sorts of ailments. But it is also increasingly consumed by Western tourists looking for mind-altering experiences, sometimes with deadly consequences. Arevalo was a staunch defender of indigenous peoples rights in the region. She also practised a traditional form of singing medicine that the Shipibo believe removes negative energies from individuals and groups. She can be heard singing a traditional plant song on the website of the Temple of the Way of Lights, which describes itself as a plant-shamanic healing centre in the Peruvian Amazon. In 2015, a Canadian fatally stabbed a fellow tourist from England after the two drank ayahuasca together in a spiritual ceremony a few hours drive from where Woodroffe was killed. The plant medicine I have the opportunity of learning is far deeper than ingesting a plant and being healedSebastian Woodroffe Woodroffe, from the town of Courtenay on Victoria island in British Columbia, said before going to Peru that he hoped an apprenticeship with a plant healer from the Shipibo tribe would help his goal of changing careers to become an addiction counsellor using hallucinogenic medicine. The plant medicine I have the opportunity of learning is far deeper than ingesting a plant and being healed. It is not about getting high either. It is true some of the plants I will be learning about do have a perception-altering effect, but these are a few plants out of thousands I will be working with, he wrote on the Indiegogo crowd-funding website seeking financial help to advance his studies. I am in this for the long haul. This is more than a job to me. I want not only for people to recover I want to turn them on to the wonders of existence, and have them leave as a renewed friend and lover of this thing we call life, he added. Actor Gerard Depardieu is one of the mainfestos signatories. Photo: Getty Images More than 300 French dignitaries and stars, including former president Nicolas Sarkozy, have signed a manifesto denouncing a "new anti-Semitism" marked by "Islamist radicalisation" after a series of murders of Jews. The country's half-million-plus Jewish community is the largest in Europe but has been hit by a wave of emigration to Israel in the past two decades, partly due to the emergence of virulent anti-Semitism in predominantly immigrant neighbourhoods. "We demand that the fight against this democratic failure that is anti-Semitism becomes a national cause before it's too late. Before France is no longer France," reads the manifesto co-signed by politicians from the left and right and including celebrities like actor Gerard Depardieu. The signatories of the manifesto, published in the 'Le Figaro' newspaper, condemned a "quiet ethnic purging" driven by rising Islamist radicalism. They also accused the media of remaining silent. "In our recent history, 11 Jews have been assassinated - and some tortured - by radical Islamists because they were Jewish," the declaration said. The murders reach as far back as 2006 and include the 2012 shooting of three schoolchildren and a teacher at a Jewish school by Islamist gunman Mohammed Merah in Toulouse. Three years later, an associate of the two brothers who massacred a group of cartoonists at satirical magazine 'Charlie Hebdo' killed four people in a hostage-taking at a Jewish supermarket in Paris. In April 2017, an Orthodox Jewish woman in her 60s was thrown out of the window of her Paris flat by a neighbour shouting "Allahu Akhbar" (God is greatest). The latest attack took place last month when two perpetrators stabbed an 85-year-old Jewish woman 11 times before setting her body on fire, in a crime treated as anti-Semitic. Her brutal death sent shockwaves through France and prompted 30,000 people to join a march in her memory. Condemning the "dreadful" killing, President Emmanuel Macron had reiterated his determination to fighting anti-Semitism. Yesterday's manifesto said: "French Jews are 25 times more at risk of being attacked than their fellow Muslim citizens." Serzh Sargsyan has resigned as prime minister of Armenia after thousands of people poured into the streets to protest over his political manoeuvring to cling to power. The stunning development touched off jubilation in the capital Yerevan, with car horns blaring and people dancing, hugging and waving the tricolour national flag. The opposition in the former Soviet republic called for a meeting with the acting prime minister to discuss a peaceful transfer of power. Expand Close Opposition protests in Yerevan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Opposition protests in Yerevan Mr Sargsyan, 63, was president of the Caucasus mountains nation from 2008 until term limits forced him out in March, but parliament, which is controlled by his party, voted to reduce the powers of the presidency and give them to the prime minister, installing him in that post. The move echoed a manoeuvre a decade ago by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenias closest ally. Leaders of other former Soviet republics, from Belarus to Central Asia, have similarly extended their terms. The parliaments action triggered massive anti-government protests in the streets of Yerevan from April 13, with demonstrators blocking government buildings and facing off with police. A rally on Sunday attracted about 50,000 people, and about 200 soldiers joined the protesters on Monday. On Sunday, protest leader Nikol Pashinian met Mr Sargsyan, who walked out of the session after Mr Pashinian refused to talk about anything but the prime ministers resignation. Mr Pashinian was later arrested but abruptly released on Monday. Expand Close Serzh Sargsyan leaves a meeting with protest leader Nikol Pashinia / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Serzh Sargsyan leaves a meeting with protest leader Nikol Pashinia In a surprise announcement posted on his website, Mr Sargsyan said he should not have resisted the oppositions demands. Nikol Pashinian was right. I was wrong, he said. The movement on the streets is against my rule. Im complying with their demands. The government quickly named former prime minister Karen Karapetian as acting prime minister. A Sargsyan ally, he also was mayor of Yerevan and worked in Russia for five years as a senior executive of the state-controlled gas giant Gazprom. Mr Pashinian told an evening rally of tens of thousands of people in Republic Square, Yerevan, that opposition activists want to meet Mr Karapetian on Wednesday to discuss a peaceful transfer of power. The opposition will push for an early parliamentary election to prevent Mr Sargsyan from running Armenia from behind the scenes, Mr Pashinian said. A kangaroo has died in a zoo after visitors threw rocks at in an attempt to make the animal hop. Onlookers repeatedly pelted the creature at Fuzhou Zoo in Chinas Fujian province. Another kangaroo was injured during a second incident days later, according to the country's state-run China Central Television (CCTV). A vet said the 12-year-old female died from a ruptured kidney after being hit. Staff had initially only treated her for an injured foot after failing to realise she was bleeding internally. In the second incident, a five-year-old male suffered minor injuries after being struck by a concrete chunk. Both kangaroos had been asleep when the attacks started. Now, authorities say they will stuff the dead animal and display it with a warning to deter similar incidents in the future. Security cameras will be redirected to point not just at the animals but at visitors too. It has not been reported whether anyone has been charged over either incident, which occurred in February. Every year thousands of foreign tourists travel to the Peruvian Amazon to experiment with ayahuasca (Nigel Pitman/The Field Museum) A Canadian man has been killed in a remote part of the Amazon rainforest after being blamed for the death of an elderly shaman. Sebastian Woodroffe was dragged by the neck shortly after the killing of Olivia Arevalo, an octogenarian plant healer from the Shipibo-Konibo tribe of northeastern Peru, the country's attorney general's office said. Arevalo and Woodroffe (41), who had travelled to Peru to study hallucinogenic medicine, were both killed on Thursday in the indigenous community of Victoria Gracia. But police did not begin to investigate until a mobile phone video appeared in local media showing a man purported to be Woodroffe begging for mercy while being dragged between thatch-roofed homes. He was then left motionless on the muddy ground. On Saturday, officials dug up Woodroffe's body from an unmarked grave where he had been hastily buried. Every year thousands of foreign tourists travel to the Peruvian Amazon to experiment with ayahuasca, a bitter, dark-coloured brew made of a mixture of native plants. The hallucinogenic cocktail, also known as yage, has been venerated for centuries by indigenous tribes in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia as a cure for all sorts of ailments. But it is also increasingly consumed by Western tourists looking for mind-altering experiences, sometimes with deadly consequences. Arevalo was a staunch defender of indigenous people's rights in the region. She also practised a traditional form of singing medicine that the Shipibo believe removes negative energies from individuals and groups. She can be heard singing a traditional plant song on the website of the Temple of the Way of Lights, which describes itself as a plant-shamanic healing centre in the Peruvian Amazon. In 2015, a Canadian fatally stabbed a fellow tourist from England after the two drank ayahuasca together in a spiritual ceremony a few hours' drive from where Woodroffe was killed. Woodroffe, from the town of Courtenay on Victoria island in British Columbia, said before going to Peru that he hoped an apprenticeship with a plant healer from the Shipibo tribe would help his goal of changing careers to become an addiction counsellor using hallucinogenic medicine. "The plant medicine I have the opportunity of learning is far deeper than ingesting a plant and being healed. It is not about getting 'high' either. It is true some of the plants I will be learning about do have a perception-altering effect, but these are a few plants out of thousands I will be working with," he wrote on the Indiegogo crowd-funding website seeking financial help to advance his studies. "I am in this for the long haul. This is more than a 'job' to me. I want not only for people to recover ... I want to turn them on to the wonders of existence, and have them leave as a renewed friend and lover of this thing we call life," he added. A Kabul resident walks on the blood-stained pavement out side the voter registration centre in the Afghan capital that was attacked by an Islamic State suicide bomber, killing at least 57 people and injuring 119. Photo: AP/Rahmat Gul Isil claimed responsibility for the attack on a project of key importance to the credibility of President Ashraf Ghani's government in Afghanistan. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said a bomber on foot approached the centre in Kabul where officials were issuing identity cards as part of the registration process for around 10 million voters across the country. Registration began this month. President Ghani - under international pressure to hold long-delayed parliamentary elections this year - condemned the attack and said it "cannot divert us from our aims or weaken this national democratic process". The ministry of public health reported that at least 57 people were dead and 119 wounded, but the total could still rise. The explosion destroyed cars and shattered windows in nearby buildings, leaving rubble strewn across the blood-stained street. It was the deadliest blast in the capital since about 100 people were killed in January by a bomb concealed in an ambulance and it came after repeated warnings militants could try to disrupt the election process. Tadamichi Yamamoto, the senior United Nations official in Afghanistan, condemned the attack: "Compounding the callous disregard for the lives of civilians, the killing appears to be part of a wholly unacceptable effort by extremists to deter Afghan citizens from carrying out their constitutional right to take part in elections." After weeks of relative calm the blast took place in Dasht-e Barchi, an area of western Kabul inhabited by many members of the mainly Shi'ite Hazara minority, which has been repeatedly hit by attacks claimed by Islamic State. "There were women, children. Everyone had come to get their identity cards," said Bashir Ahmad who had been near the blast, which occurred despite heightened security after the January attack. According to UN figures, more than 750 people have been killed or maimed in suicide attacks and bombings by militant groups during the three months to March ahead of an expected start of the Taliban's usual spring offensive. Afghanistan's international partners have insisted the elections should be held this year before a presidential vote due in 2019. More than 7,000 voter registration centres have been set up for a process that has been disrupted by technical and organisational problems. Officials had pledged tight security but those caught by yesterday's attack voiced frustration at what many Kabul residents see as government failures in securing the capital. "They should be keeping the country safe, if they can't, someone else should be in their place," said Sajeda, who was wounded in the blast along with three other members of her family as they lined up for their cards. Meanwhile, a roadside bomb near a registration centre in the northern city of Pul-i Khumri killed six members of a family and wounded three yesterday. There was no direct link to the Kabul attack. Last week, two police officers in the eastern city of Jalalabad were killed outside a voter registration centre, while a centre in the central province of Ghor was burned down and electoral officials briefly abducted. Parliament is still sitting three years after its term officially expired. Emmanuel Macron will meet Donald Trump today carrying a message that the United States must remain committed to a flawed nuclear deal with Iran because there is no "Plan B". Emmanuel Macron will meet Donald Trump today carrying a message that the United States must remain committed to a flawed nuclear deal with Iran because there is no "Plan B". In an interview on the eve of his trip to Washington as the first foreign leader to be afforded a full state visit by the American president, his French counterpart discussed his reputation as the "Trump whisperer" and his hopes for averting a trade war. He also insisted that the US was committed to rebuilding Syria, warning that Mr Trump's threat to withdraw could leave the door open to Iran. Iran and the issue of alliance-building are expected to dominate his meetings with Mr Trump who is known for his unilateralist instincts. Officials say they will discuss Iran tomorrow ahead of a May 12 deadline for Mr Trump to decide whether to reimpose sanctions and scuttle the Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Mr Macron said the deal was not perfect but he would implore Mr Trump not to abandon it for fear of turning Iran into another North Korea. "What is Plan B? I don't have any Plan B for nuclear against Iran," he said, but added he agreed with Mr Trump that more must be done to rein in Tehran's development of ballistic missiles and its meddling across the Middle East. "My point is to say don't leave now, the JCPOA, as long as you don't have a better option for nuclear, and let's complete it with ballistic missile and regional containment," he said. The 2015 deal between Iran, the US, the UK and four other world powers unpicked Tehran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. Mr Trump has repeatedly called it one of the worst deals ever and it has grated with him to have had to periodically endorse it. At the weekend, the Iranian foreign minister threatened "drastic action" if the US withdrew. "America never should have feared Iran producing a nuclear bomb, but we will pursue vigorously our nuclear enrichment," he said in New York where he is attending the United Nations general assembly. Mr Macron has emerged as a leading ally of Mr Trump at a time when many world leaders have kept their distance. "It's too complicated if you make war against everyone," he said. "You make trade war against China, trade war against Europe, war in Syria, war against Iran. Come on. It doesn't work. You need allies. We are the ally." He also issued a stark warning of more war and instability if Mr Trump made good on recent promises to pull out of Syria as soon as possible. "If we leave... we will leave the floor to the Iranian regime, Bashar al-Assad and these guys, and they will prepare the new war," he said. "They will fuel the new terrorists." According to 'Le Monde', Elysee sources said Mr Macron maintains that "the signs are not encouraging" about the chances of convincing Mr Trump to change tack on Iran. Sources acknowledged that they "don't expect a diplomatic break-through" during the visit. Police yesterday praised the bravery of a quick-thinking diner after he risked his own life to snatch an assault rifle from a nearly naked gunman who shot dead four people at a restaurant in Nashville. Officers issued warrants for the arrest of a suspect but said the death toll from the early morning shooting could have been much worse were it not for the actions of James Shaw. Mr Shaw (29) said he did not feel like a hero but had just been trying to protect himself. "I don't really know, when everyone said that, it feels selfish," he told 'The Tennesseean' newspaper. "I was just trying to get myself out. I saw the opportunity and pretty much took it." Witnesses said the gunman, who wore only a green jacket, opened fire with an AR-15 style rifle in the car park of the Waffle House restaurant killing two people. He then moved inside and shot two more. Mr Shaw had arrived at the restaurant with friends at about 2.30am after a fraternity house party. He said he had tried to find refuge near the lavatories after being grazed by a bullet but spotted his opportunity when the gunman entered and needed to reload. Expand Close Law enforcement officials work the scene of a fatal shooting at a Waffle House in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville. (George Walker IV/The Tennessean via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Law enforcement officials work the scene of a fatal shooting at a Waffle House in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville. (George Walker IV/The Tennessean via AP) "When he came in, I distinctively remember thinking that he is going to have to work for this kill," he said. "I had a chance to stop him and thankfully I stopped him." A witness told CNN: "Had that guy reloaded, there were plenty more people who probably could have not made it home this morning." Police identified the suspect as Travis Reinking (29) who was believed to live near the restaurant. They said he fled on foot and warned he should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. Last night it emerged that Mr Reinking was arrested in July for being in a restricted area of the White House. It was reported that the AR-15 he is suspected of using at the shooting was confiscated after the arrest, and then later returned to him. Chuck Cordero, a witness to yesterday's shooting told 'The Tennessean' he was in the restaurant's car park when he saw the shooter pull up and start firing into the Waffle House. The 50-year-old said the gunman did not say anything before opening fire and was "all business" from the moment he got out of his vehicle. He said: "[The shooter was] naked except for a jacket and had an assault rifle. "[He] shot a gentleman who was standing at the door, turned and shot my buddy T who was trying to get away down the sidewalk. "That's when I hit the ground and from underneath my car I could see that he was stood out in front of the restaurant and shot a few shots through the windows and then he went inside. Mr Cordero said he then fled to the other side of the car park and when he looked back he saw a man grappling with the shooter. AR-15 assault rifles have been used in a number of recent deadly US attacks, including the Parkland school and Las Vegas shootings. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] US President Donald Trump said the North Korean nuclear crisis is far from a conclusion yesterday, striking a cautious note a day after the North's pledge to end its nuclear tests raised hopes before planned summits with South Korea and the United States. "We are a long way from conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they won't - only time will tell," Mr Trump said on Twitter. North Korea said on Saturday that it was suspending nuclear and missile tests and scrapping its nuclear test site, and instead pursuing economic growth and peace. World leaders welcomed the announcement, which came before the first North Korea-South Korea summit in more than a decade on Friday. In a tweet minutes before sounding a more cautious tone, Mr Trump interpreted the North's statement as a pledge to denuclearise: "Wow, we haven't given up anything & they have agreed to denuclearisation (so great for world), site closure, & no more testing!" However, North Korea leader Kim Jong-un's announcement did not include a commitment to scrap existing nuclear weapons and missiles, and there are doubts he would ever give up the nuclear arsenal his country has been developing for decades. Expand Close Summit: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Photo: REUTERS / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Summit: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Photo: REUTERS Mr Kim said North Korea no longer needed to test nuclear bombs or intercontinental ballistic missiles now that his country had the weapons, and he would gear all efforts toward economic development. Some have expressed doubts about the North's intentions and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will be under intense international scrutiny when he meets Mr Kim on Friday. "North Korea has a long history of raising the issue of denuclearisation and has committed to freeze its nuclear weapons programmes in the past. "We all remember how those pledges and commitments went down over past decades," said Nam Sung-wook, a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University in Seoul. Expand Close School students stand in lines to watch the North Korea side from the unification observatory in Paju, South Korea. Photo: AP/Ahn Young-joon / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp School students stand in lines to watch the North Korea side from the unification observatory in Paju, South Korea. Photo: AP/Ahn Young-joon "Although the North's announcement is quite dramatic, it's natural for the world to be extra sensitive to every word spoken by Kim." In Washington, Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the US government viewed Mr Kim's pledge with scepticism. "This is a great public relations effort by Kim Jong-un. I think everyone within the administration and Congress approaches this with scepticism and caution," he said. Mr Kim is expected to meet Mr Trump in late May or early June, the first meeting between sitting leaders of the two countries. CIA director Mike Pompeo, Mr Trump's nominee to become the next secretary of state, secretly visited North Korea and met with Mr Kim to discuss the summit three weeks ago. Mr Moon, who welcomed Mr Kim's announcement as a "major" step toward denuclearisation, is making Friday's summit his sole focus this week, staying in the presidential Blue House to prepare with no outside engagements, a Blue House official said yesterday. South Korea's presidential security service met officials from the military as well as the UN command on Saturday to discuss security at the border truce village of Panmunjom, where the inter-Korean summit will take place, the official said. For the past few weeks, South Korea has been renovating Peace House, on its side of Panmunjom, to prepare for the summit with Mr Kim, who will be the first North Korean leader to set foot in the South since the 1950-1953 Korean War. Today, the two Koreas will hold another round of working-level talks at the Tongil Pavilion on the North Korean side of Panmunjom to discuss protocol, security and media coverage of the summit. Mr Moon now has a direct phone link with Mr Kim on his office desk, instead of having to communicate through a hotline at the joint security area in Panmunjom, which had been the main channel between the two sides over the Winter Olympics in February. The two leaders are expected to talk over the newly installed phone for the first time this week. Peter Madsen is charged with murdering and dismembering Swedish journalist Kim Wall aboard his homemade submarine (AP) The prosecutor in the trial of a Danish inventor accused of torturing and murdering a Swedish journalist during a private submarine trip has said there is a risk that he can commit the same kind of crime again. Kim Wall may have been tied with her own stockings before Peter Madsen killed her, according to prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen, who added that the accused had acted with a sexual motive. In his final comments to Copenhagen City Court, Mr Buch-Jepsen demanded that Madsen be given life in prison 16 years in Denmark, which could be extended if necessary or locked up in a secure mental facility for as long as he is considered a danger to others. He said Madsen, who is accused of either cutting the throat of Ms Wall or strangling her, is not insane but emotionally impaired with severe lack of empathy, anger and guilt. Expand Close Defence attorney Betina Hald Engmark said there was no evidence Madsen killed Ms Wall (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Defence attorney Betina Hald Engmark said there was no evidence Madsen killed Ms Wall (AP) Mr Buch-Jepsen also quoted a court-ordered psychiatric report which described Madsen as an intelligent man with psychopathic tendencies. Defence lawyer Betina Hald Engmark called the case a horror story but the story is not based on facts, it is based on undocumented claims. It is not my clients duty to prove that he is innocent. It is the task of the prosecutor to prove that he is guilty, she told a packed courtroom. Ms Walls parents were among those in attendance. Ms Hald Engmark said there was no doubt Madsen dismembered the body, but there was a lack of evidence proving he killed Ms Wall, reiterating his claim that her death was accidental. Expand Close Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen told the court that Madsen had a sexual motive and has psychopathic tendencies (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen told the court that Madsen had a sexual motive and has psychopathic tendencies (AP) The 47-year-old Dane said Ms Wall died because of a pressure problem in his home-made submarine. Mr Buch-Jepsen retorted that forensic experts have found nothing backing that claim. Madsen, who himself told court that he was a promiscuous person, has admitted to dismembering Ms Walls body before he buried her at sea, saying he could not lift her up the submarine tower in one piece to throw her overboard, meaning he had to cut her up. Ms Wall, a 30-year-old freelance journalist who wrote for The New York Times, The Guardian and other publications, set out on the submarine on August 10 to interview Madsen, the co-founder of a company that develops and builds manned spacecraft. Her remains were found in plastic bags on the Baltic Sea bed weeks later. Her torso had been stabbed multiple times. The cause of Ms Walls death has not been established. The 12-day trial started on March 8, and a verdict is expected on Wednesday. A nearly naked gunman wearing only a green jacket and brandishing an assault rifle stormed a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville early on Sunday, shooting four people to death before a customer rushed him and wrestled the weapon away. Authorities were searching for the 29-year-old suspect, Travis Reinking, who they said drove to the busy restaurant and killed two people in the parking lot before entering and continuing to fire. When his AR-15 rifle either jammed or the clip was empty, the customer disarmed him in a scuffle. Four people were also wounded before the gunman fled, throwing off his jacket. Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson there was no clear motive, but the suspect may still be armed, because he was known to have owned a handgun that authorities have not recovered. US Secret Service agents arrested Reinking last July for being in a restricted area near the White House, officials said. Special Agent Todd Hudson said Reinking was detained after refusing to leave the restricted area, saying he wanted to meet President Donald Trump. Expand Close At least four people died after a gunman opened fire at the restaurant in Nashville (Mark Humphrey/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp At least four people died after a gunman opened fire at the restaurant in Nashville (Mark Humphrey/AP) State police in Illinois, where Reinking lived until last fall, subsequently revoked his state firearms card at the request of the FBI and four guns were then taken from him, including the AR-15 used in Sundays shooting as well as a handgun, authorities said. Sheriff Robert Huston in Tazewell County, Illinois, said deputies allowed Reinkings father to take possession of the guns on the promise that he would keep the weapons secure and out of the possession of Travis. Mr Huston added that, based on past deputies encounters with Reinking, theres certainly evidence that theres some sort of mental health issues involved. While Mr Huston said it was unclear how Reinking reclaimed the guns, Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said that his father has now acknowledged giving them back to his son. Phone calls to a number listed for the father, Jeffrey Reinking, went unanswered. Meanwhile, authorities hailed the customer who intervened to stop a further bloodbath, 29-year-old James Shaw, Jr, as a hero though the father of a four-year-old girl demurred and said he was just trying to survive. This is what a hero looks like. All of Nashville is grateful to James Shaw Jr. for intervening to prevent even more deaths and injuries at the Waffle House this morning. pic.twitter.com/wxBZhtVrNK David Briley for Judge (@DavidBriley) April 22, 2018 With one hand bandaged, Mr Shaw told reporters he first thought the gunshots fired around 3.25am were plates falling from a dishwashing station. When he realised what was happening, he took cover behind a door as shots shattered windows. The gun either jammed or needed a new clip, and thats when Mr Shaw said he pounced after making up his mind that he was going to have to work to kill me. Mr Shaw said he was not a religious man, but for a tenth of a second, something was with me to run through that door and get the gun from him. They cursed at each other as they scuffled, Mr Shaw said, and he was able to grab the gun and toss it over a counter. The gunman then ran away into the dark of Antioch neighbourhood of south-east Nashville. Authorities said he shed his jacket nearby and police found two AR-15 magazines loaded with bullets in the pockets. He was seen walking, naked, on a road, officials said, but later was spotted wearing pants but no shirt after apparently returning to his apartment. Another witness, Chuck Cordero, told The Tennessean newspaper he had stopped to get a cup of coffee and was outside the Waffle House when the chaos unfolded. He did not say anything, Mr Cordero said of the gunman, who he described as all business. Mr Cordero said Mr Shaw saved lives. There was plenty more people in that restaurant, he said. The dead were identified as 29-year-old restaurant worker Taurean C Sanderlin and restaurant patron Joe R Perez, 20, who were killed outside the restaurant; Akilah Dasilva, 23, who was critically wounded inside and later died at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre; and Deebony Groves, 21, who was fatally shot inside. Mr Aaron, the police spokesman, said two of the wounded were being treated for gunshot wounds at the medical centre, where spokeswoman Jennifer Wetzel said one was in critical condition and the other was in critical but stable condition. This is a very sad day for the Waffle House family. We ask for everyone to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts and prayers. Waffle House News (@WaffleHouseNews) April 22, 2018 Mr Aaron said Reinking had been employed in construction and lived near the restaurant, and police used yellow crime scene tape to block public access to an apartment complex about a half-mile from the Waffle House. Reinking is originally from Morton, Illinois. This is a very sad day for the Waffle House family, the company said in a statement on Twitter. We ask for everyone to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts and prayers. Its a tragic day for our city anytime people lose their lives at the hands of a gunman. My heart goes out to the families & friends of every person who was killed or wounded in this mornings shooting. I know all of their lives will be forever changed by this devastating crime. David Briley for Judge (@DavidBriley) April 22, 2018 Nashville mayor David Briley described the shooting as a tragic day for the city. My heart goes out to the families & friends of every person who was killed or wounded, Mr Briley said in an emailed statement. I know all of their lives will be forever changed by this devastating crime. Syrian government air strikes and shelling hit in Hajar al-Aswad in northern Damascus (SANA/AP) Syrian government forces and their allies have launched a new offensive against Islamic State (IS) in southern Damascus. State-run al-Ikhbariya TV said the aim of Mondays move is to isolate IS in the southern Damascus area of Hajar Aswad from nearby areas held by the extremists. Hundreds of IS militants hold parts of the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk and nearby Hajar al-Aswad in southern Damascus. Expand Close A convoy of buses carrying rebels and their family leaves the eastern Qalamoun region in the Damascus countryside (SANA/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A convoy of buses carrying rebels and their family leaves the eastern Qalamoun region in the Damascus countryside (SANA/AP) The extremists agreed to give up their last pocket there on Friday but have yet to begin surrendering to government forces and relocating to IS-held areas elsewhere in the country. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 11 people have been killed in the offensive since the fighting began last Thursday. US president Donald Trump is leading international efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, the US ambassador to Canada has said. Ambassador Kelly Craft offered that assessment as foreign ministers from the G7 group of industrialised nations began meetings in Toronto to discuss global peace and security challenges, with the North Korean nuclear crisis and tensions with Russia taking centre stage. "President Trump is really carrying the water on the North Korea issue. It's something we've also been working closely with Canada on," Ms Craft said in a statement. North Korea has pledged to suspend long-range missile tests and close its nuclear test site ahead of a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae In. Mr Trump is also working on his own landmark meeting with the North Korean leader in the coming weeks, after dispatching CIA director Mike Pompeo on a secret mission to meet with Mr Kim two weeks ago to set the table. No date has been set, and there is uncertainty about what Mr Trump might be able to accomplish. Mr Trump has nominated Mr Pompeo to be US secretary of state but Mr Pompeo is not in Toronto as his confirmation faces opposition in the Senate. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan is representing the US instead. The foreign ministers meeting precedes a June summit in Canada of leaders of the G7 countries - the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Japan. In other areas, the foreign ministers meeting is expected to focus on US complaints about Iran's influence in the Mideast and its nuclear programme as well as ways to pressure Russia over conflicts in Syria and Ukraine. It is the first high-level meeting of the allies since the United States, France and Britain staged air attacks targeting chemical weapons facilities in Syria in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack April 7. The group last week condemned what it said was a Russian nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain. Russia denies any involvement in the nerve attack on British soil in March. Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland made no public comment on North Korea as she opened Sunday's talks at the University of Toronto with a meeting of women foreign ministers. Canada has made the advancement of gender equality a domestic theme and will raise the issue at the G7 meeting, and on Sunday she joined with the European Union in announcing a worldwide gathering of female foreign ministers in September. Ms Freeland wants the disruptive influence of Russia to be a top agenda item at the G7 session and asked Ukrainian foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin to join part of Sunday's talks. She has singled out Russian President Vladimir Putin as a major disrupter in current affairs. Ukrainian foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin told the G7 ministers that Russia is using Ukraine as a testing ground for its information war against Western democracy and he urged them to take a strong stand those Kremlin efforts. "Fundamentally, Ukraine is perceived by many, and also by Russia, as a sort of test range for testing Russian non-conventional warfare - hybrid war," Mr Klimkin said. The third edition of Tax, Accounting and Audit in India is updated for 2017, and provides an overview of the f... New York, Apr 23 (IBNS): Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Canadian Security Services. The reports cites TCS scale in Canada and capabilities in consulting services that go beyond cyber risk management, helping customers with simplified vendor relations, project management, and bundling opportunities. Cyber threats and attacks continue to get ever more sophisticated and malicious. Canadian companies are responding by strengthening their cyber vigilance protocols and processes, said Satish Thiagarajan, Global Head, Cyber Security Practice, TCS. TCS leadership positioning in this report is a reflection of our capabilities and futuristic approach in helping them to significantly strengthen their cyber security. TCS is a leading partner to forward-thinking Canadian enterprises seeking to gain an edge in the Business 4.0 world by becoming more agile, intelligent, automated, and cloud-leveraged, said Soumen Roy, Country Head, TCS Canada. TCS has made significant investments in building local capabilities to help our clients secure themselves from new kinds of risk in this new interconnected world, while balancing it with data privacy needs of the future. TCS offers a full suite of security services and solutions covering advisory, implementation and managed services around areas such as vigilance and incident response, threat intelligence and advisory, identity and access management, enterprise vulnerability management, governance, risk, and compliance. Its offerings also include fraud management and digital forensics, network and system vulnerabilities, cloud and mobile security, security technology operations, Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and IoT/OT security, and privacy and data protection. TCS has a Managed Security Services Portal that offers service delivery management functions to clients and offers 24x7x365 security information and event monitoring capabilities, leveraging multi-tenant and dedicated SOC models, with a number of technology partners. TCS has developed multiple frameworks, which include the Cyber Resilience Framework, based on the NIST/ SANS. To address its clients security needs, TCS has developed various tools and platforms including: Cyber Threat Intelligence Platform to provide security feeds/information to clients. Live Response Tool platform to conduct Endpoint Incident Investigations. Cyber Drill Platform to conduct drill management and maturity assessments. Interactive Vulnerability Demonstrator (iVD) and Interactive Vulnerability Management Tool (iVMT) tools to interactively demonstrate the vulnerabilities and track software vulnerabilities as central location respectively. TCS is set to launch Identity as a Service Platform next year to help its clients with common vulnerabilities and exposures details through its Pocket CVE application. TCS has more than 45 dedicated security operation centers (SOCs) and two multi-tenant SOCs. It has a functional Fraud and Forensic labs in Hyderabad, scan labs in Bhubaneshwar and Pune, and Cyber Command Centers in Hyderabad and Pune. TCS is planning to open a Fraud and Forensic lab in the US and Cyber Command Center labs in the Europe. TCS offers an extensive portfolio of managed and professional security services offerings at scale, and is currently providing these services to some of Canadas largest organizations, said Kevin Lonergan, Analyst, Infrastructure Solutions Group at IDC Canada. Our end to end security services and solutions portfolio, assessment tools and frameworks leverage of digital technologies to tackle threats and our continual investments in new platform-based solutions and skill development make us a trusted partner of choice for enterprises in Canada and the rest of the world, added Satish Thiagarajan. New York, Apr 23 (IBNS): The UN Special Envoy for Climate Action, Michael Bloomberg, announced on Sunday a contribution of $4.5 million to the Organizations Climate Change Secretariat, the UNFCCC. The billionaire philanthropist and former Mayor of New York City, pledged last June to make up the Secretariats funding shortfall, caused by US President Donald Trumps announced withdrawal from the historic 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. The contribution will go towards general operations, including assisting countries to meet targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in line with the accord, agreed by 193 States in the French capital. In late March, the United States Congress announced that it was cutting funding for this year to the UNFCCC by $4.5 million; from $7.5 million, down to $3 million, according to a media release from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Bloomberg made the announcement of his contribution on the CBS television programme, Face the Nation, saying that America made a commitment and as an American, if the governments not going to do it, we all have a responsibility. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said via Twitter that he was very grateful to Michael Bloomberg, not only for his generous support to the United Nations, but also for his global leadership on climate action. The UNFCCC said that with many contributions from signatories to the agreement still outstanding and a decline in voluntary contributions the funding was arriving at a critical time. It strengthens UN Climate Changes capacity to support developing countries and allowed more strategic outreach to promote climate action among stakeholders including cities, regions, business and civil society, said the Secretariat statement. The UNFCCCs Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa, said that when countries adopted the historic Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise, they also recognized that achieving that goal would take broad-based global climate action in all sectors, public and private. I welcome this generous contribution from Bloomberg Philanthropies as an important, practical recognition of our need to work together and to step up our response to climate change, she added. Bloomberg added that despite the US withdrawl from the Paris Agreement and funding cuts, he was confident that the US would meet its commitment by 2025 to reduce greenhouse gases by an agreed amount, and if we do it, hopefully other countries will do it as well. Image: UN website New Delhi, Apr 23 (IBNS): The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, ranked 26th in the world in employer reputation, has announced that it is focused not just on academic excellence but student employability. UNSW Sydney, Australia, at rank 45 according to QS, has a well-researched and highly successful Professional Development Program (PDP) tailored for international students to enhance their career success, according to Blair Slater, Senior Careers Consultant (International) at UNSW Careers and Employment who visited India last week. Employability means not just employment and getting a job, but equipping you with the skills, the knowledge and tools to be able to succeed in your career, adds Blair. It is normal and expected of students not to know what they want to do. The UNSW Professional Development Program for international students is a three-day free program during which we teach international students about Australian workplace culture, about the recruitment process and prepare the student for a global career all through many interactive sessions, says Blair, who has featured in some Hollywood films including The Truman Show (1998), prior to starting a career in student career development in higher education. We take employability very seriously, says Blair, adding that there are students from several nations at UNSW and the PDP program helps them gain the Australian workplace culture. A focus of the PDP is to help each international student stand out. The PDP stresses on networking and sharpens the communication skills of students to boost their employability, besides teaching them about writing resumes. We offer career advice appointments to students to help them maximize employment outcomes. We also hold an International Students Career Week in September, where we invite employers on campus, and provide current students an opportunity to meet the international alumni who have been successful and to learn from them, says Blair. Aayushi Pandey, an alumnus of School of Business of UNSW who has joined the UNSW representative office in New Delhi, is full of praise for the PDP. When I thought of a job experience UNSW gave me the opportunity with a start-up company. This introduced me to work place culture in Australia in addition to giving me valuable job experience that I put on my resume. In the first session we were told how important networking is, and they helped me build a network with the alumni, and also network with employers. This helped me expand my network for employability. says Aayushi. For her current position, she messaged UNSW hiring managers via LinkedIn and was offered a job quickly after a series of interviews. According to Blair, international students should seriously consider studying in Australia and of the employment opportunities there. Australia has been recession free for the past 26 years. Australias economic success often goes unnoticed because it is not promoted as much as the UK, USA. New Delhi, Apr 23 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday cautioned BJP lawmakers and leaders that they should not make needless remarks which might provide 'masala' to the media. In an interaction through the Narendra Modi mobile app, Modi warned his party leaders over making 'masala' remarks in front of the media. "It might sound bitter but it is important for me to say this to you that sometimes our workers criticise the media. However, we have to think if we committed mistakes and gave masala to the media," Modi was quoted as saying to the BJP leaders. Modi cautioned that making needless remarks will damage the image of the party. "If everyone keeps commenting on it then the issue will change and it will damage the nation. It will also affect our image," he said. In recent times, several BJP leaders triggered controversies with their remarks. Triggering a controversy, Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb has said internet used to exist during the time of Mahabharata. Biplab Deb was quoted as saying during a public event by The Economic Times: "India has been using internet since ages. In Mahabharata, Sanjay was blind but he narrated what was happening in the battlefield to Dhritarashtra anyway." "This was due to internet and technology. Satellite also existed during that period," he said. Minister of State for Human Resource Development (HRD) Dr Satyapal Singh had earlier triggered a controversy with his remark on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. He said Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution was 'scientifically wrong'. "Darwin's theory (of evolution) is scientifically wrong. It needs to change in school and college curriculum. Since the man is seen on Earth he has always been a man," he was quoted as saying to media during an event in January. Indian scientists did not welcome Singh's remarks. They had drafted a letter against Satyapal Singh's statement. "We, the Scientists, science communicators and scientifically oriented members of public, are deeply pained by your claim. It is factually incorrect to state that the evolutionary principle has been rejected by the scientific community. On the contrary, every new discovery adds support to Darwins insights. One should also note that it is no longer merely a mechanism for organic evolution, but several other evolutionary phenomena in nature," read the letter. Image: Narendra Modi Twitter page New Delhi, Apr 23 (IBNS): Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the opposition's impeachment motion, which was brought against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra, prompting Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi to call it 'expected'. In a tweet, Singhvi said: "Expectedly, Sh Naidu rejected impment motion. Unexpectedly, he did so within one day of returning from outstn. Hopefully, the alacrity was not intended to render infructuous calls for CJI to stop Admn work." Naidu earlier consulted legal experts on whether the opposition's notice for impeachment of Misra will be accepted or rejected. As the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, he is the only person to decide on the issue. Sources earlier told NDTV that he has already spoken to Attorney General KK Venugopal, former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy, Subhash Kashyap, former Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, former Law Secretary PK Malhotra, former legislative secretary Sanjay Singh, and senior officials of the Rajya Sabha secretariat. Leaders of seven opposition parties on Friday submitted a notice for the impeachment of Misra to Naidu, reports said. The move by the opposition came in the wake of the Supreme Court (SC) judgment on Thursday, which dismissed the demand for an investigation into the death of CBI judge BH Loya. As many as 64 members of the Rajya Sabha, belonging to seven political parties signed the notice for impeachment proceedings against the CJI. The MPs are from Congress, NCP, CPI-M, CPI, SP, BSP and Muslim League. The notice mentioned five grounds of misbehaviour for the CJI's impeachment. The impeachment move has its genesis in the public complaint made by four senior judges of the top court- Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph- that cases with far reaching consequences were assigned to selective judges. Justice Chelameswar, who represented the four judges in an unprecedented press conference, said they had approached the CJI with a letter but failed to convince him. Bengaluru, Apr 23 (IBNS): In a dramatic twist to the Karnataka poll, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Chief Ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa has said his son B. Y. Vijayendra will not contest from the Varuna constituency, media reports said. Yeddyurappa has confirmed the news after a party meeting in Mysuru on Monday. Earlier it was decided that Vijayendra will take on current Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's son Yatindra, who will fight his election from the Varuna seat. The battle between Vijayendra and Yatindra was turning out to be a sub-plot in the Karnataka poll. However, several workers expressed unhappiness over the party's decision of not projecting Vijayendra from the particular seat. After Yeddyurappa left the meeting, the party workers had reportedly ransacked the podium and destroyed furniture. Vijayendra was supposed to file his nomination on Monday. The BJP has so far didn't announce a fresh name for the contest in the Varuna seat. Yeddyurappa has urged all party workers to support the new candidate who will fight politically against Siddaramaiah's son. The Karnataka poll has virtually turned out to be a battle between present and former Chief Ministers, Siddaramaiah and Yeddyurappa. The BJP is eyeing on to return to power in the state. Karnataka is one of the last few strong holds of the Congress. The poll is scheduled to be held in a single phase on May 12 and the results will come out on May 15. According to reports, people in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh fear that the three artificial lakes formed on the Yarlung-Tsangpo river in the Tibet region after intense earthquake activity in November 2017, are likely to create major disasters, such as landslides. The Central Water Commission reported on the water quality of Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh saying that due to earthquake in Tibet (China) in November, 2017, landslides had occurred on the course of the river and in process there were blockage along the course of the river, which have in turn created artificial lake in the upstream. The Central Water Commission also reported that, the surface area of the lake is about 10.22 hecta The Water Resources Department of Assam government also reported that with the rainy season approaching, the risk of bursting of dams is growing, which may lead to a great disaster in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. A high level meeting was held in Guwahati on Monday in presence of top officials of Assam government, Central Water Commission, Brahmaputra Board, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA). Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, who met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on April 22, ahead of the scheduled meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, said in a joint press conference that China has confirmed to share data on the Sutlej and Brahmaputra rivers. Earthquake has happened in Chinese territory with magnitude of nearly 6.4 and it has been reported by the concerned authority. Sudden landslides triggered by the earthquake might have been a reason. But the Government of India cant say surely, Abhay Kumar, Superintending Engineer of Central Water Commission, said. On the other hand, Hemanta Narzary, Principal Secretary of Water Resources Department of Assam government said that, Mondays meeting was held in direction of the higher authority to share the information on the formation of lake on the Yarlung-Tsangpo river in the Chinese territory. We were told that huge water is there and we thought that it is better to alert all linked departments. We have collected information from the Central Water Commission and NASA. We are alerting other departments also, Hemanta Narzary said. Arunachal Pradesh MP Ninong Ering had raised the issue of possible diversion of Siang river (Brahmaputra) by China in Tibet (Tsangpo river) and said he has also drawn Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attention to the same. The Siang tributary of Brahmaputra turned muddy and slushy last year. In a letter sent to the PM on February 7 last, Ering who represented the Arunachal East constituency said that, every year till April, the slow-melting glaciers and the Eastern Himalayan forests are the primary source of river water. During the monsoon months, rainfall carries sediments from the mountain slopes to the rivers and also causes dangerous landslides. In November, the monsoons turn weak and the rivers of Arunachal Pradesh turn blue. As the monsoon weakens, the river water clears up of their sediments and people can make use of water again, Ering said in the letter. However, owing to a powerful underwater earthquake in November, the likely formation of dams from debris may have taken place in the Yarlung Sangpo belt. However, 2017 was an exception. Intense earthquake activity in November 2017 triggered widespread landslides on the Yarlung-Tsangpo river (200 km upstream from Tuting). Three natural rockslide dams have formed on the river due to blockage by landslides and debris. It is only a matter of time before the natural dams burst and unleash a severe disaster along the Siang river valley. Satellite imagery by NASA and planet.com show that landslides of this size and danger level have not occurred on the Siang river for almost half a century. Complicating this issue further, between October 21 and October 27, 2017, an avalanche occurred on the Sendapu glacier which feeds into the Yarlung-Tsangpo, Ering added. The Arunachal Pradesh MP further said in his letter that, pools of water can be seen on the glacier surface, indicating that melting ice may have caused mud and rocks to slip. This avalanche was not triggered by earthquakes. This was the first indication of the Siang river being contaminated by natural reasons and matches with the first reports given in early November by the vigilant people of Arunachal Pradesh. The big M6.4 earthquake on Gyala Peri, and a series of earthquakes happened exactly 20 days later on the morning of November 17. The M6.4 that struck on November 17 was the largest and the shallowest earthquake since the year 1900 in that region. The high earthquake activity of the region is due to the Indian plate thrusting and squeezing against the Tibetan Plateau uplifting the Himalayas. Earthquake swarms have been reported from the area of the Yigong dam before and were behind the disaster on the Siang in year 2000. Earthquakes on the mountains Gyala Peri and Namcha Barwa have been rare events until now. The scale of the November landslides was so massive that just within 30 km of the rivers length, the mountain slopes have been stripped bare of forests and now are just mud and rock. Alarmingly, along 12 km of the rivers length, the landslides have partially blocked the river flow and have created three natural dams one behind the other, Ering said in his letter. Ninong Ering also urged the centre to take proactive and necessary steps to keep people of Arunachal Pradesh safe from this danger. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) Indore, Apr 23 (IBNS): In yet another case of harassment, a model girl from Indore, Madhya Pradesh has alleged to have her skirt pulled by two men on a busy road on Sunday, media reports said. The girl, who took to Twitter to reveal the incident, made the allegations that the men had also asked her to reveal what she had (wearing) under the skirt. Her tweet has been quoted by NDTV, "I was coming back from a bloggers meet. I was wearing a skirt. Two guys came near me and tried to pull my skirt. 'Dikhao iske niche kya hai?' they said. It all happened within a few seconds. I fell down, but nobody tried to stop them. "It happened on one of the busiest roads of Indore, and nobody tried to stop them. They ran away, and I couldn't even see their number. I've never felt so helpless. I'm not the kind of girl who will just sit and watch." The model said she received no support but one elder man who accused her of wearing a skirt. "Just because I was wearing a skirt, doesn't give you a right to behave like that. What I want to wear is my f**king choice. An uncle who came to help me after my fall said, "it's because you're wearing a skirt!" I've never been so offended" the girl added to her tweet. There were no CCTV cameras on the particular road. Hari Narayan Chari Mishra, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Indore police told NDTV, "We have not received any complaint yet. We are committed towards taking serious action in incidents of crime against women." New Delhi, Apr 23 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday visit Mandla in Madhya Pradesh on the National Panchayati Raj Day. He will launch the Rashtriya Gramin Swaraj Abhiyan, at a public meeting, and address Panchayati Raj representatives across the country, from Mandla. The Prime Minister will unveil a Road Map for overall development of tribals during the next five years, on this occasion. He will unveil a plaque to mark the laying of foundation stone of an LPG bottling plant of Indian Oil Corporation at Maneri, Mandla District. He will also launch a Local Government Directory. In keeping up with the Governments commitment towards clean, healthy, and electrified India, the Prime Minister would felicitate the Sarpanches of the villages which have achieved 100 percent smokeless kitchens, 100 percent vaccination under Mission Indradhanush, and 100 percent electrification under Saubhagya Scheme. The winners of Rashtriya e-Panchayat Puraskar, and Gram Panchayat Vikas Puraskar Yojana under Sarvasreshtha Panchayat Puraskar Yojana will be felicitated on this occasion. Later, the Prime Minister will interact with the District Collectors of the Aspirational Districts from Madhya Pradesh. New Delhi, Apr 23 (IBNS): The Delhi High Court on Monday rapped the Centre for coming out with an ordinance awarding death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age. The court asked the Centre if it had done any research before bringing out such an ordinance. Did you carry out any study, any scientific assessment that death penalty is a deterrent to rape? Have you thought of the consequences to the victim?," a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar reportedly questioned the Centre. The bench asked that how many victims will be left alive by the offenders when they will find that murder and rape amount to same punishment. A day after the Union Cabinet cleared the ordinance to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age, President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday signed the executive order allowing the same. The significant move came amid the nationwide outrage over the series of incidents of sexual assault of minor girls, including the one in Kathua. Through this ordinance, the government amends the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012, allowing courts to award death penalty to those convicted for raping children below 12 years. The ordinance would be now sent to the President for his approval Presently under the POCSO Act, the maximum punishment for aggravated assault on minors is life in jail. The minimum sentence is seven years in jail. Even while the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met to discuss the issue, the rape and murder of an four-month-old infant in Indore sent fresh shockwaves across the country. Mumbai, Apr 23 (IBNS): Jet Airways, Indias premier international airline and AeroMexico, Mexicos global airline, will enable codeshare sales effective on Monday for travel commencing May 1, 2018 between Delhi and Mumbai in India and Mexico City via the Heathrow Airport in London. This agreement will provide guests connectivity options and access to the networks of both airlines, thus strengthening connectivity between the carriers home countries of India and Mexico. The two countries have seen a 15% compounded annual growth rate over the last three years and this codeshare arrangement will further help strengthen ties in the areas of trade and tourism between both regions Jet Airways will put its 9W code on flights operated by AeroMexico from London to Mexicos capital city. In turn, AeroMexico will put its AM code on the direct flights offered by Jet Airways from London to cities in India. Commenting on this development, Gaurang Shetty, Whole Time Director, Jet Airways, said, This is an important agreement for the Jet Airways, as it enables us to offer our guests more connectivity options to Mexico which is gaining more and more traction with the discerning Indian traveler looking for new experiences. We are confident that this relationship will help facilitate demand for not only leisure but also in the fast growing trade and business cooperation areas between both nations. Anko van der Werff, Chief Revenue Officer, AeroMexico said, The celebration of this codeshare agreement is further proof that AeroMexico continues to work to connect its customers to the most important regions of the world, which is why it was fundamental to sign this agreement for travel to India, a country featuring continued growth of its economic activities and diverse tourism industry. As part of this agreement, guests of both airlines will also enjoy the benefit of earning miles with the Jet Privilege and Club Premier Loyalty programs when they travel on the codeshare flights. New York, Apr 23 (IBNS): The United Nations Secretary-General has condemned Sundays killing of a senior staff member working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Yemen, who was attacked while travelling in a vehicle on the outskirts of Taiz. In a statement, the ICRC identified the victim as Lebanese national, Hanna Lahoud, who was in charge of the organizations detention programme in Yemen. Mr. Lahoud was rushed to hospital where he died as a result of his injuries. The colleagues he was travelling with were unharmed in the incident, said ICRC. The UN chief, Antonio Guterres, said in a statement released through his Spokesperson, that those responsible for the attack must be apprehended and prosecuted. The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the aid worker killed and expresses his solidarity with the President and staff of the ICRC, added the statement. Guterres also emphasized the need for all parties to Yemens bloody conflict which has left 22 million in need of aid to protect humanitarians providing lifesaving assistance. ICRCs Middle East Director, Robert Mardini, said: We are all in shock. Hanna was a young man, full of life and was widely known and liked. Noting can justify Hannas murder and we are in deep mourning for our friend and colleague. Lahoud had worked for the ICRC - an independent global humanitarian organization that offers protection and support to all victims of violence since 2010, in different field positions and at its headquarters in Geneva. ICRC/Khalid al-Saeed London, Apr 23 (IBNS): A new member joined the Royal family in Britain on Monday when the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a baby boy in a London hospital. The new baby is the third child of Kate. The newborn is fifth in line to the throne. Kate and her husband Prince William are parents to two children-Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Prince George was born in 2013 while Princess Charlotte took birth in 2015. The child will be Queen's sixth great-grandchild. Kensington Palace said in a tweet, "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news." The baby, which weighs 8lbs 7oz, was delivered at 1101 hrs. The pregnancy was announced in October. British Leaders congratulate Royal couple: Prime Minister Theresa May wished the family over the good news and tweeted: "My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. I wish them great happiness for the future." My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. I wish them great happiness for the future. Theresa May (@theresa_may) April 23, 2018 The Archbishop of Canterbury also wished as he tweeted: " Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the safe delivery of their baby, a brother for Prince George and Princess Charlotte. May God bless them and all of their children with love, happiness and health." Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the safe delivery of their baby, a brother for Prince George and Princess Charlotte. May God bless them and all of their children with love, happiness and health. Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) April 23, 2018 On behalf of Londoners, I want to send our warmest congratulations to the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy. Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) April 23, 2018 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted: "On behalf of Londoners, I want to send our warmest congratulations to the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy." Image: twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal Image: Wallpaper Kabul, Apr 23 (IBNS): At least Taliban militants were killed during operations conducted by security forces in Afghanistan. The incident took place on Sunday in Aqtash district of Kunduz province. Along with the six slain, two militants were wounded. Local Tolo News reported that three Taliban strongholds were destroyed during airstrikes. Image: Wallpaper Kabul, Apr 23 (IBNS): At least 16 security personnel, including policemen and soldiers, were killed in two separate attacks conducted by the Taliban militant group in Afghanistan, local Tolo News reported. The incident took place on Sunday night. The news outlet quoted as source as saying that an ambush at a police check post in Qala-e-Naw city of Badghis province accounted for nine soldiers, while a second attack in Qads district killed seven policemen. The local officials haven't commented on the report so far. Lima/Ottawa, Apr 23 (IBNS): A Canadian man has been killed in Peru over the suspicion of killing an indigenous traditional healer, media reports said. The man has been identified as Canadian Sebastian Paul Woodroffe. The deceased person Olivia Arevalo Lomas was 81. Lomas' relatives said that a foreigner had asked her for heeling and then killed her. Meanwhile a video has emerged in which the man could be seen strangled by several villagers over the suspicion of the murder. Peru's Ombudsman's Office has called an investigation over the lynching. The prosecutors, who said it is too early to name the accused, are thinking several possibilities behind the murder of Lomas. Arevalo's grandson has been quoted by CTV News, "..there is justice for those who have money" "Us, we don't see justice if we don't have money even though we are innocent." Spokesperson of Global Affairs Canada told CTV News, "Canada extends its deepest condolences following the reported assassination of Olivia Arevalo Lomas, an Indigenous elder and human rights defender of the Shipibo-Conibo people in Peru's Ucayali region." A 22-year-old man was arrested on Saturday for allegedly raping his 46-year-old biological mother in Jal Chowk area of Patan town. According to the police, accused Rohan (name changed) came in his mothers room under the pretext of drinking water and then forced himself upon her. He also gagged his mother before raping her at about 1 am on Thursday, the police said quoting the complaint filed by the woman. Representational Image Police added that the womans cries for help went unheard as her frequent quarrels with her son were known to their neighbours. According to the police, Rohan was addicted to watching pornographic material on his mobile phone till late in the night. Many a times he even watched obscene videos in presence of his mother and 20-year-old sister. The woman has stated in her complaint that on earlier occasions, too, Rohan had asked for sexual favours from her. kompasiana/Representational Image The woman further stated that she went into deep shock after the incident and was mentally disturbed. However, after mustering courage, she told her husband about what had happened. Her husband, who works as a mason, called his elder son in Ahmedabad and upon his advise lodged a complaint with the police. Police subinspector S M Rabari of Patan B division police station said, Rohan has been arrested. We have also sent the accused and the woman for medical examination. Rohan was booked for rape under Section 376 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code. All set with a poster of pictures of BR Ambedkar Subhas Chandra Bose and APJ Abdul Kalam, among others, the political party formed by the IIT alumni is ready to fight for the rights of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. A group of 50 alumni from Indias prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) across the country have quit their lucrative jobs to form Bahujan Azad Party. The group is waiting for an approval from the Election Commission. We are a bunch of 50 people, all from different IITs, who have quit our full-time jobs to work for the party. We have applied to the Election Commission for an approval and are meanwhile doing the groundwork, Naven Kumar, a 2015 IIT Delhi graduate, who is leading the group, told PTI. The party members, however, dont wish to act too soon and aim for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. We do not wish to do a hurried job and end up being reduced to just one of those small political outfits with big ambitions. We will begin with contesting the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections and then aim for the next Lok Sabha polls, Kumar said. The group includes members mostly from the SC, ST and OBC communities, feels that the backward classes have not received their due in terms of education and employment. Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal, who had been on indefinite hunger strike for past ten days, today ended her fast at 2 pm at Rajghat. I was fighting alone but then I was supported by people across the country. I think this is a historical victory in independent India. I congratulate everyone on this victory, she said. She made the decision to end the hunger strike on Saturday hours after the Union Cabinet approved an ordinance to give stringent punishment, including the death penalty, to those convicted of raping girls below 12 years. BCCL I congratulate people of this country for this victory. Very few protests have achieved so much in such less time. But until something concrete happens, I will not give up. Until a system is there which ensures safety for the last girl, I wont give up, Maliwal had said on Twitter. I will continue the fast until the ordinance is passed. Also police resources and accountability needs to be increased. Really sad that some channels are playing false news that I have broken the fast. Praying to all news channels conscience to kindly not report fake news. https://t.co/AsqDyOApNr Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) April 21, 2018 I will continue the fast until the ordinance is passed. Also police resources and accountability needs to be increased. Really sad that some channels are playing false news that I have broken the fast. Praying to all news channels conscience to kindly not report fake news. https://t.co/AsqDyOApNr Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) April 21, 2018 I will continue the fast until the ordinance is passed. Also, police resources and accountability needs to be increased. Really sad that some channels are playing false news that I have broken the fast. Praying to all news channels conscience to kindly not report fake news, she added. PTI Earlier, she said that she wont end her fast until government ensures that it would do something concrete to ensure womens safety in the country. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had urged her to end her hunger strike, but she refused to end fast until her demands are met. The rising number of assaults, rape and murder of young children in India is cringe-worthy and gut-wrenching. People have been marching all over the country so a law is brought in where anyone found guilty of raping a child should be given a death sentence. On Sunday, perhaps the pleas of people were heard as President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated the criminal law amendment ordinance, paving the way for providing stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years. This tightening of law comes in the wake of the public outcry all over the country after the case of an 8-year-old girl from Kathua, Kashmir being raped for many days and then strangled to death. Such cases of disgust are coming into public eye from all over the country. He had also promulgated the Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance that will allow the government to confiscate properties and assets of loan defaulters who flee the country. The President promulgated the economic offenders ordinance within hours of it being cleared by the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday evening. Whereas Parliament is not in session and the President is satisfied that the circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action. Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of article 123 of the Constitution, the President is pleased to promulgate the following ordinance, the gazette notification said. Kamal Haasan speaks: Actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Sunday wondered why the ordinance promulgated today provided for the death penalty for rape of girls under 12 years alone and not for those aged between 14 and 16 and said families should bring up boys to act responsibly. pti "Why is the death penalty only for rape of girls aged under 12...What about 14, 15, and 16-year-olds, are they not children too? It will take time for them too (14-16 year-olds) to blossom as women. I do not know how to view it," he said. The Makkal Needhi Maiam chief was addressing his party workers and supporters through YouTube. The MNM chief said the important thing was for families to change their mindset in the way they brought up boys. "Just like we teach the values of chastity and honesty to girls, boys too must be brought up responsibly by families. Sadly, this was not being done and boys were pampered and allowed to do what they wanted, 'just because he is a male', the actor said. With inputs from PTI Has India failed in ensuring justice to its rape victim daughters? This question is lingering in the minds of all thinking citizens of the country. You must be watching and reading news about what is happening in India after two gang rape cases have rocked the nation. In Unnao a woman was allegedly raped by BJP MLA, while her father who went to file the complaint was brutally beaten by his supporters, leading to his death. The second is the cardinal sin that tainted Jammu where an 8-year-old Muslim girl was kidnapped, gang-raped for days and later killed and thrown on the streets by goons. Read More Here are the top news of the day: 1) ISRO Releases PSLV Liftoff And On-Board Camera View After Successfully Launching IRNSS-1I At 4:04 AM today, as the rest of the country was in deep slumber, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) blasted its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle or PSLV into space from Sriharikota. Read More 2) Heavy Rains, Storm Damages Minaret, Domes At Taj Mahal Complex Last night, Taj Mahal witnessed a rather unfortunate incident. A minaret at the entry gate crashed as heavy rain and high winds lashed Agra. The minaret, about 12-feet long was a metal pillar at the entry gate, referred to as Darwaza-e-Rauza, collapsed as wind speed during the thunderstorm crossed 100 km per hour. Read More 3) Disgusting Picture Of Lahore Man Masturbating In Public Sparks An Unsettling Debate On Internet Another day, another shameless man caught masturbating in broad daylight. There seems to be no dearth of these perverted creatures lurking around. This a man from Lahore was filmed flashing and touching himself sitting on his bike after parking it in front of a van full of women in Lahore. Read More 4) Slashed Rates, Quality Checks & Better Services, IRCTC All Set To Get A Long-Overdue Makeover The food offered by IRCTC has always been in the limelight for many reasons - poor food quality, price, service providers etc. But this time, it seems as if the government has tightened the noose and things are about to get better. Read More 5) China Is Increasing Debt On Poor Countries Through 'Silk Road' Projects, IMF Chief Warns International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde has warned China about saddling other countries with a "problematic increase in debt" through its ambitious global trade infrastructure project. Lagarde made the comments at a Beijing forum on Chinese President Xi Jinping's signature Belt and Road initiative, a $1 trillion road, rail and construction project spanning dozens of countries -- from Asia to Africa and Europe. Read More Amid preparations for its high-profile Rs 800 crore Chandrayaan-2 mission scheduled for an October launch, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is also gearing up to launch a slew of important satellites in the coming months. Some of these satellites are significant for strategic reasons as they will help the military keep an eye on our hostile neighbours and safeguard our land and sea borders. Isro will launch a dedicated satellite, Gsat-7A, for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in September and an advanced remote sensing satellite, Risat-2A, for surveillance purpose by the end of the year. isro/representational image Gsat-7A, which will be lifted by a GSLV Mk II rocket, will enable the IAF to interlink different ground radar stations, airbases and AWACS aircraft. It will also boost the IAFs network-centric warfare capabilities and enhance its global operations. The satellite will be similar to Gsat-7 or Rukmini, which was launched on September 29, 2013, exclusively for the Navy. Rukmini has helped the Navy monitor the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as the satellite has a nearly 2,000 nautical mile footprint and provides real-time inputs to Indian warships, submarines and maritime aircraft and also boosts the forces networking capabilities on the high seas. Rukmini, considered the Navys eye in the sky, is also being used to keep tabs on Chinese warships in the Indian Ocean. Risat-2A, which will be launched by the end of this year by a PSLV rocket, is an advanced remote sensing satellite that will boost the countrys surveillance capabilities. bccl/representational image The satellite, which will carry a sophisticated synthetic aperture radar that operates at 5.35 GHz in C band, will help in earth observation irrespective of the light and weather conditions of the area. Risat-2A, which can be used for civilian purpose, will primarily be used for land mapping but will also be significant for analysis of the ocean surface. Risat-2A will be the third in the series of Risat satellites. After the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008, Risat-2 satellite took priority over Risat-1 and was launched in April 2009 as the former carried an Israelbuilt X-band radar, which boosted surveillance capabilities of the security forces. Cartosat-2 series satellite, launched on January 12, is also a remote sensing satellite and significant for the military too as its panchromatic camera can produce images less than 1 metre in resolution. In fact, it is said that the Army used images from the earlier Cartosat satellite to plan the surgical strikes on Pakistan terror launchpads in September 2016. Besides the military satellites, Isro will also launch its heaviest satellite ever Gsat-11 weighing 5.7 tonnes from French Guiana by June. reuters/representational image The heavy-duty communication satellite is so massive that each solar panel is over four metres long, equivalent to the size of a room. The high-throughput satellite, which will carry 40 transponders in the Ku-band and Kaband frequencies, is capable of providing high bandwidth connectivity with up to 14 gigabit per second (gbps) data transfer speed. Gsat-29, which too is a communication satellite, will be the launched by the second developmental flight of Isros heaviest rocket GSLV Mk III in June. It will carry multi-beam and optical communication payloads. Isro chairman Dr K Sivan told TOI, Together, all these heavy-duty Gsats will provide high-bandwidth connectivity of up to 100 gigabit per second. They will provide high-speed internet connectivity in rural areas as well and help bridge the digital divide. With almost one launch every month, 2018 will be a busy year for Isro. We all know that Gmail is pretty rock solid when it comes to filtering out spam emails from our inbox. But once in a blue moon, even the best among us falter. That's exactly the case for a number of Gmail users, who've reported being flooded by ads being sent from their Gmail inbox to other users -- without their knowledge, of course. CNN / Shutterstock Mashable pointed out a number of messages posted on Gmail's Help Forum, asking people if they're also seeing spam emails being sent from their Gmail inboxes. These Gmail spam emails are being sent despite the fact that the accounts in question were secured with Google's two-factor authentication and updated passwords. Mashable How exactly the spammers manage to infect Gmail's system is currently unknown, but reports suggest that they apparently forged email headers to make them appear that they came from legitimate source -- in this case, a Canadian telecom company called Telus, according to The Verge. Don't panic, Google is aware of the issue. In a response to the original Mashable report, Google confirmed that the Gmail issue was related to a spam campaign impacting a small subset of Gmail users and that Gmail had actively taken measures to protect against it. If you're seeing this issue in your Gmail inbox, please report it to Google. Best way to deal with a message you don't trust? Just delete it without opening it. One of the trends weve witnessed in recent times is a reduction in interest from corporate insurers along with a corresponding reduction in their underwriting teams, Holbrook told Insurance Business. We think well continue to see business shift to the agency space where specialist skills and a focus on service is driving growth. Holbrook said that an abundance of capacity is still available in the construction market, which means it is still very price driven and that forces underwriters to be better than price alone. This, in turn, leads to differentiation in the market, with Holbrook highlighting SURAs practice of ensuring all managers and senior underwriters have a bachelor degree in a form of engineering to boost technical understanding. In addition, he noted that in the machinery and electronic engineering product area in particular, there has been a move away from old school underwriting based on specified machines listed on schedule which helps brokers and their clients. In days gone past this proved to be an issue for brokers, when items may have been missed off specified lists provided, Holbrook continued. The SURA Equipment breakdown policy, for example, is a blanket cover for all fixed plant and equipment at the locations listed, with a sum insured up to the full property and/or fixed contents value. Related stories: In particular, it pointed to its UK business slipping away from best in class margins. While its efforts in Ireland were met with profits, the UK saw a reversal at 104.3% due to one-offs like last years natural catastrophes and the Ogden rate leading to a deterioration in household losses and a surge in commercial large losses. It noted that management acted quickly to reprice, but that hasnt stopped the blue sky scenario from looking a touch bleaker. Over in Canada, RSA attained its best in class target during 2017 at sub 94% and beat out market leader Intact but the industry backdrop in general remains unfavourable, particularly with Ontario motor rates edging higher. Therefore, according to Jeffries, though RSA is performing well in Canada, industry pressures may ultimately take their toll. Similarly, over in Scandinavia, where the companys performance has been outstanding at 82.9% there is fear that it could be over earning. All of this has led Jeffries to determine that while all of the companys targets are achievable, earning them all simultaneously is likely to prove elusive particularly due to performance in the UK and Ireland. As such it determines that at >12x 2018F P/E, we believe RSA's valuation already reflects best in class margins but may not reflect underlying pressures. Related stories: The idea would be that this would defer to the states. The federal illegality would go away, said Charlie Alovisetti, senior associate and corporate department co-chair at Vicente Sederberg LLC, who will be speaking at the upcoming Cannabis Cover event a multi-city masterclass in May with stops in Denver, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. It would become like any other business. With legislation still up in the air, there continue to be a lot of unknowns to consider with commercial insurance for marijuana businesses. Litigation around products liability coverage has been minimal so far, said Alovisetti, but, as the industry grows, the claims process will become clearer for this unique product. You cant really transfer it between states and while there are national brands growing right now, you have different manufacturers in each state so the products arent necessarily uniform at a national level, he explained. Its not like a product where Ive got one facility in the US thats making all my products that are then shipped internationally. A brand could have multiple facilities producing products. The federal illegality piece of the puzzle is the biggest factor differentiating cannabis businesses from others seeking D&O or workplace coverage. It could be that theres some chance that your property could be seized by a federal prosecutor, for example, so youre dealing with this additional unknown thats not the case in other industries, said Alovisetti. If youre concerned about federal enforcement risk, you do need to analyze it from a location perspective. There is also an important exclusion that underwriters and brokers need to be aware of when writing commercial insurance for marijuana companies. The big one is, in the past and this has changed a little bit, there used to be an exclusion for claims related to violations of the Controlled Substances Act or violations related to psychoactive substances, said Alovisetti. A cannabis business is in the business of violating the Controlled Substances Act and its in the business of selling a psychoactive substance, so you need to be aware the exclusion cant exclude your primary business. Insurers planning to enter the space need to understand the business and its risks. Alovisetti recommends brokers get comfortable with it and learn about the challenges of insuring cannabis companies because the opportunities are there for the taking. I think its an industry that is underinsured, he said. Theres an opportunity for people involved in the industry to get in at the ground floor of a fast growing industry thats spreading through the US. Charlie Alovisetti will be moderating a session on cannabis and commercial insurance at the Cannabis Cover event being held on May 03, 15 and 31 in Denver, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Click here for more details and to register. Related stories: The case of Mark R. Krzykalski v. David T. Tindall involves an auto accident where both the plaintiff and the defendant were in the left lane turning left through an intersection. An unidentified driver turned unexpectedly from the right lane, cutting off the vehicles in the left turn lane. Kryzkalski avoided hitting the vehicle in front of him, but Tindall was unable to stop in time and rear-ended Kryzkalskis vehicle. Kryzkalski alleged he sustained serious injuries and filed an uninsured motorist (UM) claim against his auto insurer. He also sued Tindall and the unidentified driver (John Doe), citing negligence. Tindalls answer asserted third-party negligence as a defense and cross claims for indemnity and contribution from co-defendants. In addition, he demanded fault allocation against any defendants that settled before trial. The court was requested to decide whether a jury can be asked to apportion fault among named defendants and unidentified defendants, also referred to as John Doe. The UM carrier didnt intervene in the lawsuit. The trial court included John Doe on the verdict sheet, despite plaintiffs objections. The jury was instructed to allocate fault among the two defendants, and each was found to be negligent. The jury assessed Tindall as three percent negligent for the accident, while John Doe was found to be 97 percent negligent. Plaintiff appealed the trial courts decision, and the appellate court subsequently affirmed the decision. After oral argument and review, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that the underlying court jury properly apportioned fault between defendant and the John Doe defendant because plaintiff and defendant acknowledged the role of John Doe in the accident, plaintiffs UM carrier was aware of the litigation, and plaintiff had fair and timely notice that defendant would assert John Doe was the cause of the accident. The Supreme Court pointed to New Jerseys Comparative Negligence Act and the Joint Tortfeasors Contribution Law as the basis for their conclusion. According to the law, joint tortfeasors are two or more persons jointly or severally liable in tort for the same injury to person or property, whether or not judgment has been recovered against all or some of them. The law further states that when multiple defendants have been found liable, the trier of fact shall determine [t]he extent, in the form of a percentage, of each partys negligence or fault. The law is clear that it doesnt matter whether damages can be recovered, but rather on the evidence presented that supports liability of the negligent parties. The high court noted that in New Jersey, a person can sue John Doe anytime an action exists against an individual, but no information exists on the identity of that individual. Topics Legislation New Jersey The owner of a Connecticut pizza parlor has pleaded guilty to a fraud charge for setting fire to his own business and then collecting insurance money. Federal prosecutors say 32-year-old Mustafa Zabana, an Iraqi national living in Westfield, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty this week to mail fraud. Authorities say in June 2016 Zabana set a fire at Brunos Pizza in Enfield that caused damage to the restaurant as well as other businesses in the mall where it was located. Prosecutors say after the fire, Zabana filed an insurance claim and received a $5,000 check. He then continued to pursue additional insurance payments. He faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing on June 29. Zabana was lauded for his good deeds in a December 2015 story in the Journal Inquirer. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Fraud Connecticut If a new European law restricting what companies can do with peoples online data went into effect tomorrow, almost 1.9 billion Facebook Inc. users around the world would be protected by it. The online social network is making changes that ensure the number will be much smaller. Facebook members outside the United States and Canada, whether they know it or not, are currently governed by terms of service agreed with the companys international headquarters in Ireland. Next month, Facebook is planning to make that the case for only European users, meaning 1.5 billion members in Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America will not fall under the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which takes effect on May 25. The previously unreported move, which Facebook confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday, shows the worlds largest online social network is keen to reduce its exposure to GDPR, which allows European regulators to fine companies for collecting or using personal data without users consent. That removes a huge potential liability for Facebook, as the new EU law allows for fines of up to 4 percent of global annual revenue for infractions, which in Facebooks case could mean billions of dollars. The change comes as Facebook is under scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers around the world since disclosing last month that the personal information of millions of users wrongly ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, setting off wider concerns about how it handles user data. The change affects more than 70 percent of Facebooks 2 billion-plus members. As of December, Facebook had 239 million users in the United States and Canada, 370 million in Europe and 1.52 billion users elsewhere. Facebook, like many other U.S. technology companies, established an Irish subsidiary in 2008 and took advantage of the countrys low corporate tax rates, routing through it revenue from some advertisers outside North America. The unit is subject to regulations applied by the 28-nation European Union. Facebook said the latest change does not have tax implications. IN SPIRIT In a statement given to Reuters, Facebook played down the importance of the terms of service change, saying it plans to make the privacy controls and settings that Europe will get under GDPR available to the rest of the world. We apply the same privacy protections everywhere, regardless of whether your agreement is with Facebook Inc. or Facebook Ireland, the company said. Earlier this month, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told Reuters in an interview that his company would apply the EU law globally in spirit, but stopped short of committing to it as the standard for the social network across the world. In practice, the change means the 1.5 billion affected users will not be able to file complaints with Irelands Data Protection Commissioner or in Irish courts. Instead they will be governed by more lenient U.S. privacy laws, said Michael Veale, a technology policy researcher at University College London. Facebook will have more leeway in how it handles data about those users, Veale said. Certain types of data such as browsing history, for instance, are considered personal data under EU law but are not as protected in the United States, he said. The company said its rationale for the change was related to the European Unions mandated privacy notices, because EU law requires specific language. For example, the company said, the new EU law requires specific legal terminology about the legal basis for processing data which does not exist in U.S. law. NO WARNING Ireland was unaware of the change. One Irish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he did not know of any plans by Facebook to transfer responsibilities wholesale to the United States or to decrease Facebooks presence in Ireland, where the social network is seeking to recruit more than 100 new staff. Facebook released a revised terms of service in draft form two weeks ago, and they are scheduled to take effect next month. Other multinational companies are also planning changes. LinkedIn, a unit of Microsoft Corp, tells users in its existing terms of service that if they are outside the United States, they have a contract with LinkedIn Ireland. New terms that take effect May 8 move non-Europeans to contracts with U.S.-based LinkedIn Corp. LinkedIn said in a statement on Wednesday that all users are entitled to the same privacy protections. Weve simply streamlined the contract location to ensure all members understand the LinkedIn entity responsible for their personal data, the company said. (Reporting by David Ingram in San Francisco Additional reporting by Joseph Menn in San Francisco, Padraic Halpin and Conor Humphries in Dublin and Douglas Busvine in Frankfurt Editing by Greg Mitchell and Bill Rigby) Related: Topics USA Legislation Europe The UK-based Managing General Agents Association (MGAA) hopes its launch of Chrysalis, a dedicated community for MGAs to share innovation and expertise, will represent the interests of the next generation of industry professionals. The group sees Chrysalis encouraging change through greater collaboration and entrepreneurship through mentoring. Membership for the Chrysalis group will be limited to members of the MGAA. Formed in 2011, the MGAA aims to provide a better understanding of what MGAs are and the contribution they make to the insurance industry. The MGAA currently has 131 full members representing over 3.9bn of underwriting capacity. They are joined by 37 market practitioner members and 51 supplier members. MGAA has created a steering group for Chrysalis that includes members from 10 leading MGAs in London and the regions. The group is chaired by Katherine Snedden, head of Compliance at DUAL Corporate Risks Ltd. Chrysalis will be much more than a networking group for MGAs. We want to represent not only the views and insights of the next generation, but also promote ongoing discussion on the future of the sector, Sneddd said. We want to ensure that there is a platform for these individuals to speak on the sectors most impactful developments and potential disruptions. There is so much knowledge that can be gleaned from past, present and future members of the MGA sector, and Chrysalis aims to be a community that not only fosters engaging discussion but also creates action to support all in the sector. Peter Staddon, managing director of the MGAA, said the group exists not only to support career development, but also to enable those in the sector to benefit and learn from combined experience. Topics Insurance Wholesale A state appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit against operators of a website that facilitated the purchases of a gun used in a mass shooting in suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin, five years ago. Radcliffe Haughton killed his wife, Zina Daniel Haughton, and two of her co-workers at Azana Salon & Spa in Brookfield in October 2012. He also wounded four people before he killed himself. Zina Daniel Haughton had taken out a restraining order against her husband that prohibited him from possessing a firearm. According to court documents, he bought a gun and ammunition anyway from a person he met through gun trading website Armslist.com. Gun buyers and sellers can use the site to find and contact each other. Zina Daniel Haughtons daughter, Yasmeen Daniel, filed a lawsuit in 2015 alleging the websites operator, Armslist LLC, is liable for the incident. She argued in the lawsuit that the site allowed prospective buyers to limit searches for sellers to private sellers who dont have to conduct background checks and the site prevented users from flagging content as illegal. She also maintained that users werent required to register their account with the website and the site was designed to enable buyers to evade waiting periods by enabling deals with private sellers. Milwaukee County Judge Glenn Yamahiro dismissed the complaint, finding that federal law states website operators arent liable for publishing information provided by someone else and Daniel failed to allege that Armslist created or develop illegal content on its page. The 1st District Court of Appeals reversed Yamahiro. The appellate court found that Daniels lawsuit doesnt treat Armslist as the publisher of information provided by someone else but instead seeks to hold the company liable for its own conduct in designing and running the website in ways that caused injury. (The law) does not protect a website operator from liability that arises from its own conduct in facilitating user activity, as is the case here, the court said. Armslist attorney Joshua Maggard didnt immediately reply to an email seeking comment. Related: Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Wisconsin U.S. and European airline regulators on Friday ordered emergency inspections within 20 days of nearly 700 aircraft engines similar to the one involved in a fatal Southwest Airlines engine blowout last week, citing risks of a similar mishap. The directives by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency for inspections of CFM56-7B engines, made by CFM International, indicated rising concerns since a similar failure in 2016 of the same type of engine. The engine explosion on Southwest Airlines flight 1380 on Tuesday was caused by a fan blade that broke off, the FAA said. The blast shattered a window, killing a passenger, in the first U.S. passenger airline fatality since 2009. The unsafe condition, the FAA said in the order, is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same design. The inspections ordered are a sharp step-up from actions by both the European and U.S. regulators after a Southwest flight in August 2016 made a safe emergency landing in Pensacola, Florida, after a fan blade separated from the same type of engine and debris ripped a hole above the left wing. The European agency had given airlines nine months to check engines, while U.S. regulators still were considering what to do. Ultrasonic inspections on fan blades that have been used in more than 30,000 cycles, or in service for about 20 years, will be required in the next 20 days, the agencies said on Friday. A cycle includes one take-off and landing. That order will affect about 680 engines globally, including about 350 in the United States, the FAA said. The engine that blew apart on Tuesdays Southwest flight would have been affected, since the company said it had 40,000 cycles. The coordinated 20-day measure partially resolves a gap in previous responses to the 2016 accident by the worlds two largest and most influential aviation regulators, a person familiar with the discussions said and published documents show. The FAA in August 2017 drafted an order giving airline up to 18 months to carry out checks, but it had not finalized the measure by the time of Tuesdays fatal second accident. The EASA had rejected a request by one airline to double the time allowed for checks to 18 months, matching the FAAs roll-out, saying data did not justify that. The divergence marked a rare difference of approach between the two agencies, especially on one of the worlds most-used aviation products. CFM, which is jointly owned by General Electric Co and Frances Safran, produces the CFM56 engine in factories based both in the United States and in Europe. It happens that there are disagreements about the right way to go in some cases, and this was one of them, the person familiar with the discussions said. On Tuesday, however, when news broke that a second failure had taken place involving the same model engine, aircraft and airline this time killing a passenger who was partially pulled through a gaping hole next to her seat the two agencies agreed to act quickly, the person said. An FAA spokesman said the agency disputed that it had not agreed with European regulators on the response to the engine issue. An EASA spokesman declined to comment. On Wednesday, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Robert Sumwalt, the chief investigator of U.S. aviation accidents, said he could not yet say if the incident pointed to a fleet-wide issue. The NTSB declined to comment on Friday. The FAA and NTSB have different roles. Investigators study the probable cause of single accidents and recommend possible changes to safety rules, while regulators have to assess whether safety risks could appear. Several major airline officials said the order will primarily impact airlines with higher utilization of aircraft covering shorter routes like Southwest. Southwest, which had opposed efforts by the engine maker last year to shorten the FAAs earlier proposed deadline, on Friday said its maintenance program meets or exceeds the new requirements. United Continental Holdings said that it had begun inspections earlier after a recommendation from CFM. American Airlines said it does not have any CFM56-7B engines with 30,000 cycles and would not be impacted by the 20-day order. Delta Air Lines said it had begun complying and did not expect any operational impact to customers Approximately 14,000 CFM56-7B engines are in operation. CFM had initially recommended the inspections. The European order requires that after the first inspection, airlines should keep repeating the process every 3,000 cycles, which typically represents about two years in service. More than 150 have already been inspected. Inspections recommended by the end of August will affect an additional 2,500 engines. (Reporting by Tim Hepher and David Shepardson; additional reporting by Sanjana Sitara Shivdas; writing by Peter Henderson; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler) Related: Regulators Had Concerns About Engine Type That Blew in Southwest Plane Traumatic Stress Claims Expected from Southwest Airlines Engine Failure Southwest Sends $5K to Each Passenger on Engine Failure Flight Topics USA Europe Aviation Authorities are investigating the possibility of arson in connection with one of two large wildfires burning in Oklahoma, a blaze thats resulted in the death of one person. Dewey County Sheriff Clay Sander said that one person has been questioned, but not arrested, about a fire that began April 12 near Vici, about 110 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. That fire merged with a fire that began near Leedey and has burned about 452 square miles. Sander said hes asked the state Department of Food, Forestry and Agriculture for arson investigators to determine the cause of the fire. Sander has said the fire is blamed for the death of a woman found inside her burned vehicle. A second person died in a separate wildfire in the state. Rainfall is aiding firefighters efforts to contain the two major wildfires in Oklahoma that together have charred 550 square miles. Forestry officials reported progress Saturday on the two largest wildfires burning in western Oklahoma as weather forecasts estimated up to 1 inch of rain could fall in the area. Officials said the Rhea Fire in Dewey County was nearly 30 percent contained Saturday. The blaze has charred about 452 square miles. The 34 Complex fire in Woodward County is nearly 70 percent contained and has burned 97 square miles. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Oklahoma Arson AssuredPartners, Inc. has acquired The Elan Group of Tampa, Fla., an employee benefits firm specializing in the design, enrollment and service of employee benefits plans. The companys staff of 21 will remain under the leadership of CEO Ross Hays and President Duffy Thaxton. The agency currently reports $6 million in annualized revenue. Thaxton said aligning with AssuredPartners will help the company continue to grow. Headquartered in Lake Mary, Fla., AssuredPartners, Inc. acquires and invests in insurance brokerage businesses (property and casualty, employee benefits, surety and MGUs) across the United States and in London. Since 2011, AssuredPartners has acquired more than 195 insurance agencies. Topics Mergers Florida A pharmacy accused of dispensing millions of prescription pain pills in West Virginia has agreed to a $550,000 settlement with the state. In a news release, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey says the settlement of a lawsuit involving Larrys Drive-In Pharmacy in Madison resolves allegations that it helped fuel the states opioid crisis. Morrisey sued the pharmacy in 2016, accusing it of providing nearly 10 million doses of painkillers in 11 years in a county with fewer than 25,000 residents. The lawsuit accused the pharmacy of failing to identify suspicious prescriptions that it filled, dispensing far more doses than Boone Countys 11 other retail pharmacies. The pharmacy has permanently ceased operations. Similar lawsuits have been filed by Morrisey against Crab Orchard Pharmacy Inc. of Crab Orchard and Judys Drug Store Inc. of Petersburg. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Virginia An acrid stink of petroleum three years ago sent Santa Barbara County firefighters scrambling in a search for a possible spill. When they arrived at Refugio State Beach they witnessed oil staining the pristine sands and seeping into the surf. Uphill they discovered oil gushing like a fire hose without a nozzle. It was the worst California coastal spill in 25 years, spreading a shimmering sheen out to sea that eventually deposited tar balls on beaches more than 100 miles away. But were they looking at a crime scene? Jurors being in Santa Barbara County Superior Court will determine if the company that operated the pipeline that ruptured, spilling 142,000 gallons of crude May 19, 2015, broke any laws. Plains All American Pipeline, based in Houston, is charged with three felonies for spilling oil on land and in state and federal waters, along with a dozen misdemeanors, including violations of fish and game laws for killing sea lions, pelicans, a loon and a dolphin. Plains apologized for the spill and paid cleanup costs. But it has insisted the spill was an accident and not a crime. In addition to pleading not guilty, the company put out a statement when charges were filed two years ago blaming the state attorney general and Santa Barbara district attorney for inappropriately attempting to criminalize an unfortunate accident. A Plains spokeswoman this week said the company doesnt discuss pending legal matters. Prosecutors also refused to comment on the trial that could take months. Charges were dropped against a Plains employee for failing to report the spill quickly enough. Two-thirds of the original 46 counts, mostly misdemeanors charging animal deaths, have been dismissed. Because the company, and not a person, is charged, Plains would only face fines if convicted. It wasnt clear how steep those penalties could be. The spill occurred when a severely corroded pipe ruptured several miles inland from the beach, federal inspectors found. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration cited a number of preventable errors by the company, finding it failed to prevent corrosion, didnt initially detect the rupture and responded too slowly as oil flowed toward the ocean. Plains operators working from a Texas control room more than 1,000 miles away had turned off an alarm that would have signaled a leak and, unaware a spill had occurred, restarted the hemorrhaging line after it had shut down, which only made matters worse, inspectors found. The spill, two weeks shy of Memorial Day, closed beaches with popular campgrounds for two months and put a crimp in the local tourist economy and fishing industry. It also crippled the local oil business because the pipeline was used to transport crude to refineries from seven offshore rigs, including three owned by Exxon Mobil, that have been idle since the spill. Last year, Denver-based Venoco, declared bankruptcy, in part because it wasnt able to operate its platform. The state is now responsible for plugging and decommissioning Venecos wells at an estimated cost of $58 million. That doesnt include the eventual cost to remove the enormous structure. Plains faces a federal class-action lawsuit by fishing boat operators, the petroleum industry and oil workers who lost jobs because of the spill; and owners of beachfront properties. In its 2017 annual report, Plains estimated costs from the spill at $335 million. That doesnt include lost revenues. It is seeking approval to repair or rebuild its corroded pipelines. The company still faces possible fines from U.S. government for regulatory lapses and the spill remains under investigation by federal prosecutors. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics California Fraud Abuse Molestation Energy Oil Gas A former state supervisor of maintenance workers on McNeil Island is suing Washington state, contending he was wrongfully terminated for trying to correct problems with work performance. Jon Hardy filed a lawsuit against the state earlier this month in Pierce County Superior Court, the News Tribune reported . McNeil Island is home to the states Special Commitment Center, a confinement facility that has 309 beds for men, and four for women in a separate area. The facility provides mental health treatment for civilly committed sex offenders who have finished their prison sentences. Sex offenders who meet the legal definition of being a sexually violent predator can be civilly committed there. State officials say the division Hardy supervised had 21 employees with an annual budget of $1.9 million. Hardy said in the lawsuit he was told about problems with the maintenance unit before he accepted the job, and that he found problems with attendance, substance abuse, long meal breaks and other issues when he started in January 2016. The lawsuit said initially Hardy was praised by supervisors for his work but was fired after his employees complained. The lawsuit said that higher-level employees, because of Hardys work, began to realize the extent of the fraudulent activities. The lawsuit said that as a result, the higher-level employees realized Hardy was jeopardizing the McNeil Island workers and supervisors ability to receive taxpayer funds for doing little to no work. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. The state Department of Social and Health Services, which oversaw Hardys division, doesnt comment on pending litigation, a representative said. The lawsuit said Hardy left a job he had in Arizona for 30 years to be a supervisor at Washingtons Consolidated Maintenance Operations division on McNeil Island, starting in January 2016. Before taking the job, the lawsuit said, Hardy was told about problems with the division and once there found that employees were taking advantage of the system and receiving taxpayer funds for little or no work. Hardy said he also found that employees falsified attendance records, and some received pay for times when they werent at work. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Washington Dallas, TX, April 23, 2018U.S. Risk Underwriters, Inc., a member of U.S. Risk Insurance Group, LLC, the nations sixth largest Property and Casualty wholesaler, has launched a new risk purchasing group to underwrite Lawyers Professional Liability. U.S. Risk Lawyers Advantage RPG was created to provide an underwriting platform for firms up to 25 lawyers. Randall Goss, CEO of U.S. Risk, said, We are very pleased to expand our reach within the lawyers professional liability market segment. The creation of the U.S. Risk Lawyers Advantage RPG is designed to enhance our product offering and will enable us to serve this important profession in a broader area. Wayne Carter, President of U.S. Risk Underwriters, added, We are pleased to coordinate the efforts of our Specialty Programs with an A.M. Best A-rated stable admitted carrier partner to provide superior products to the legal profession. This relationship will provide product differentiation, competitive pricing and financial stability, allowing us to better serve existing and future clients. Debbie Ramos, Vice President of U.S. Risk Lawyers Advantage RPG, commented, We are delighted to launch U.S. Risk Lawyers Advantage RPG and are confident that the enhanced program will broaden our ability to exceed the expectations of the professionals we serve. About U.S. Risk Insurance Group, LLC U.S. Risk Insurance Group, LLC (www.usrisk.com) is a leading international specialty lines underwriting manager and wholesale broker headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Operating 16 domestic and international branches, it offers a broad range of products and services through its affiliate companies, which include U.S. Risk Underwriters, U.S. Risk Brokers, U.S. Risk Solutions, U.S. Risk Financial Services, Oxford Insurance Brokers, Ltd. (UK), James Hampden International Insurance Brokers Ltd. (UK), Antarah FZE (UAE), and UNIS United Insurance Services (Zurich). ### Media Contact: Wayne Carter President, U.S. Risk Underwriters, Inc. wayne.carter@usrisk.com 214.265.2486 Topics USA Underwriting Merrill Lynch and Edward Jones are two major financial firms in the full-service arena that have been around for decades. While all full-service brokers strive to provide a very high level of service to clients, Merrill Lynch and Edward Jones take very different approaches to their business in many ways. Merrill is taking its training and sales force in a new direction while Edward Jones is sticking to a more traditional approach that has led to substantial growth in the past few years. Key Takeaways Edward Jones and Merrill offer a number of financial services to their clients such as investment management, life and disability insurance, IRAs and CDs, qualified and non-qualified plans, banking services, and comprehensive financial plans. Edward Jones attempts to take a more personal approach to their clients, with its business model by staffing each office with just two peoplea licensed broker and a branch office administrator who handles the administrative tasks. Merrill Lynch was bought by Bank of America after the 2009 financial crisis. Its extremely successful program "Merrill Edge" sought to compete with discount brokers. Bank of America split Merrill Lynch into two entities in 2019: Merrill, the wealth-management division of the bank, and Bank of America Securities (BofA Securities), which operates the investment banking division. Origins and History Merrill On Jan. 6, 1914, Charles E. Merrill opened his brokerage firm at 7 Wall Street in New York. His friend, Edmund Lynch, soon joined him, and the company was renamed Merrill Lynch the following year. Early on, the company made several prudent investments that paid off well, including RKO pictures and Safeway grocery stores. In 1941, the company merged with Fenner and Beane, a commodities and investment banking firm which became the first firm on Wall Street to publish an annual fiscal report. In the 1950s, the company became a Big Board member of the NYSE. It went public in 1971 and continued its reign as the most significant investment firm of its kind until it was bought by Bank of America (BAC) in January 2009 during the financial crisis. In 2019, Bank of America split Merrill Lynch into two entities: Merrill, the wealth-management division of the bank, and Bank of America Securities (BofA Securities), which operates as the investment banking division. Edward Jones Edward D. Jones founded Edward Jones in 1922 in St. Louis, MO. The first office was established in Mexico, MO ., and a second office was soon opened in Pueblo, Colorado. Edward Jones grew its business across the rural and suburban areas of the U.S. and Canada and also had offices in the U.K., before selling the operations there in 2009. J.D. Power, the data analytics company, ranked Edward Jones the highest in investor satisfaction with full-service brokerage firms in 2021. Edward Jones also ranked the highest in 2002, 2005-2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, and tied in 2015. Edward Jones has outlasted competitors such as A.G. Edwards to become the market-leading investment company among those brokers using a similar business model. Edward Jones caters to individual investors and small businesses, primarily in Middle America. Differing Business Models Both firms are full-service companies that seek to provide a comprehensive array of services to their clients, including investment management, life and disability insurance, IRAs and CDs, qualified and non-qualified plans, banking services, and comprehensive financial plans. But the similarities end there. Edward Jones Edward Jones has taken a much more personalized approach in building business for its brokers, requiring them to pound the pavement in the subdivisions surrounding their offices and knock on doors to solicit clients. Edward Jones emphasizes personal service with its business model by staffing each office with just two peoplea licensed broker and a branch office administrator who handles the administrative tasks. The broker is solely responsible for bringing in business to the branch. In this way, a broker runs their own office. This model has worked for the company because it enables Edward Jones to establish a presence in locations where larger offices with multiple brokers would not be sustainable. For this reason, it's common to find branches located in small towns and other remote areas where larger firms are not willing to go. Edward Jones seeks to create a personal feel of doing business, like dealing with family. This model has allowed the company to thrive. Edward Jones has more than 15,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada and a client base of 7 million people. The company is privately owned, which it believes gives it an edge because it makes decisions based on what is best for its clients rather than having to meet Wall Street earnings targets or be liable to shareholders. Merrill Merrill, on the other hand, has been one of the largest and most important players on Wall Street since its inception. Many of its clients have been some of the biggest corporations and high-net-worth individuals in the world. Currently, Merrill seeks to increase its wealth management business by integrating itself further with its parent, Bank of America. It hopes to create a "one-stop-shop," by offering banking and financial planning all under one roof. In 2010, Merrill also started a discount brokerage service known as Merrill Edge. This platform was designed to compete with Charles Schwab (SCHW), E*trade, and other discount brokers that offer many additional services to their clients. Merrill did this to capture smaller investors who do not meet the investment minimums to be full-service clients. The target client base is individuals with liquid assets of $0 to $250,000. This service combines "the investment insights of Merrill Lynch plus the convenience of Bank of America banking." Recent Growth After the financial crisis, from 2009 to 2012, Edward Jones' net revenue grew by a whopping 42% to top out at just under $5 billion in 2012. By 2020, Edward Jones' revenue was $10.1 billion. By contrast, Merrill only grew by 10% between 2009 and 2012, topping out at $13.8 billion. In 2020, Merrill generated $16.1 billion in revenue. The Bottom Line Edward Jones and Merrill represent two of the oldest and most established investment firms in the marketplace today. Prospective brokers and planners looking to get started in the business will find comprehensive training programs at both firms. Edward Jones offers complete back-office support plus a branch office administrator to new hires while Merrill provides an extended training program that offers mentorship from an experienced advisor as well as the backing of a large corporate bank. Between innovations in tech and jobs initiatives, its become easier than ever for entrepreneurs to develop new companies. Serial entrepreneurs are capitalizing on the opportunity afforded by the current economic environment to start companies, grow them to profitability and then sell them off and start the cycle over again. In the process theyre also putting a new spin on the way they create wealth and offering some valuable lessons for high-net-worth individuals who want to mimic their success. (See also: Serial Entrepreneurs Venture and Venture Again.) What Theyre Doing Differently Common sense dictates that if you want to build a solid wealth base, you need to put money into the market. Investing in stocks, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs) are all proven ways to generate returns beyond what a savings account or certificate of deposit (CD) could offer. Even bonds, which are among the safest investments, earn a spot in the portfolios of savvy investors who want to balance out risk. (See also: The Importance of Diversification.) Rather than relying on market returns, however, serial entrepreneurs bank on the companies theyre building to create the wealth they desire. That doesnt mean that theyre not investing in the stock market at all. Theyre just not relying on it as the sole means of increasing the size of their asset base. So how do they do that? Typical entrepreneurs develop a great idea that they use to launch a company, then dedicate their time to growing their venture to the desired level of success. Serial entrepreneurs, on the other hand, build up a company and then either hand over the reins to someone else while retaining ownership or sell it for a tidy profit. By doing this over and over, theyre putting themselves in control of their financial destiny rather than subjecting themselves to the whims of the market. (See also: Why, How, Where and When Entrepreneurs Make Money.) What They Can Teach Investors Starting a company isnt something just anyone can do, but investors can apply some of the basic principles that serial entrepreneurs follow to their own wealth-creation strategy. If a higher net worth is one of your goals, here are some tips for adopting a serial-entrepreneur mindset: Get Expert Advice Running a business is difficult to do alone, as is growing wealth, particularly for high-net-worth entrepreneurs. According to the 2016 U.S. Trust Insights on Wealth and Worth Survey, 69% of business owners rely on multiple financial advisors to guide their business and personal decision-making when it comes to how they manage their money. If youre committed to strengthening your wealth foundation, consulting a financial professional is an important part of the puzzle. Running a business is difficult to do alone, as is growing wealth, particularly for high-net-worth entrepreneurs. According to the 2016 U.S. Trust Insights on Wealth and Worth Survey, 69% of business owners rely on multiple financial advisors to guide their business and personal decision-making when it comes to how they manage their money. If youre committed to strengthening your wealth foundation, consulting a financial professional is an important part of the puzzle. Understand the Liquidity of Your Investments Liquidity is a key element of any sound investing plan, so its crucial that you recognize how liquid or illiquid your investments are. In the U.S. Trust survey, more than half of entrepreneurs polled said they expected a major liquidity event in the next three years. Thirty-seven percent said they were working with their financial advisor to prepare for the tax implications of these events or had plans to do so. As an investor you should also be concerned with how things such as selling off stocks can affect your financial outlook. Liquidity is a key element of any sound investing plan, so its crucial that you recognize how liquid or illiquid your investments are. In the U.S. Trust survey, more than half of entrepreneurs polled said they expected a major liquidity event in the next three years. Thirty-seven percent said they were working with their financial advisor to prepare for the tax implications of these events or had plans to do so. As an investor you should also be concerned with how things such as selling off stocks can affect your financial outlook. Have an Exit Strategy A well-thought-out exit strategy is a must for any serious serial entrepreneur, and that rule also applies to your investments. Whether youre a value investor or you prefer a buy-and-hold approach, you need to be clear on when its time to unload a particular stock or mutual fund. Without an exit plan in place, you could be setting yourself up for a loss if some of the securities in your portfolio begin to lose steam. The Bottom Line Serial entrepreneurship isnt without its drawbacks. After all, the majority of new businesses fail. The same holds true for investing. It can often be hit or miss, but if youre willing to look at your portfolio from a different angle, it may lead to a bigger payoff than expected. Admiral Shares represent a separate class of shares in Vanguard-administered mutual funds, offering lower fees compared to the standard Investor Share class. Vanguard offers Admiral Shares across a select group of mutual funds and requires investors to have a minimum investment in a particular mutual fund. Key Takeaways Admiral shares offer lower fees compared to the standard Investor Share-class Vanguard funds. To qualify for Admiral Shares, investors in most index funds and tax-managed funds must maintain a minimum investment of $3,000. For most actively managed funds, an investor must have at least $50,000 invested. For sector-specific index funds, an investor qualifies for Admiral Shares with an investment of $100,000 or more. The average expense ratio for Vanguard's Admiral Shares is 0.14%. Admiral Shares Requirements To qualify for Admiral Shares, investors in most index funds and tax-managed funds must maintain a minimum investment of $3,000. For actively managed funds, one must have at least $50,000 invested. For sector-specific index funds, you are qualified for Admiral Shares with an investment of $100,000 or more. Vanguard evaluates its fund accounts to identify which are eligible for Admiral Shares. If an investor's account holdings become eligible, Vanguard can convert their mutual fund shares into the Admiral Shares classtypically tax-free and at no cost. Investors can determine their account eligibility by logging into their Vanguard accounts. Mutual funds offering Admiral Shares may be found through the online fund's screener on the Vanguard website. Vanguard offers Admiral Shares mutual funds with a broad palette of investment objectives and holdings, such as Treasury bonds (T-bonds), tax-exempt municipal bonds, balanced holdings, domestic stocks, and international stocks. Index funds are central to the story of Vanguard because index funds are passively managed, which is to say that they passively track an index, rather than actively researching, analyzing, buying, and selling securities. Since actively managed funds are more expensive to operate they tend to lose in performance in the long run to the cheaper index funds. However, there are a minority of actively-managed funds that have historically outperformed index funds. Admiral Shares Reasoning Most actively managed funds lose to their benchmark index. For this reason, many investors think, why not just hold the same stocks of the index, keep management costs low, and win by simply matching the performance of the index? Many agree this is a solid investing strategy. To allow an investor to build on this type of strategy, Vanguard launched the Admiral Shares. Vanguard offers their lower-cost Admiral Shares for 43 of their index mutual funds for a minimum investment of $3,000 each. Admiral Shares Cost Savings Vanguard mutual funds already have expense ratios that undercut the mutual fund industry's average by a whopping 82%, yet Admiral Shares achieve further savings on the expense ratio for qualified Vanguard mutual funds. In addition to Admiral Shares, Vanguard offers two other share classes: their Investor Shares and their Institutional Shares. In general, Admiral Shares have a lower expense ratio compared to Investor Shares. While typical Vanguard Investor shares have an average expense ratio of 0.27%, Vanguard Admiral Shares' average expense ratio comes in at a feather-weight 0.14%. The 0.13% difference may not seem like much, but on a large initial investment it can add up to a substantial amount saved over a long-term investment timeline. In addition, Vanguard mutual fund shareholders, who want to covert Investor Share funds to Admiral Shares can do this by making a simple request to Vanguard. In some cases, Vanguard will make the conversion automatically because they periodically evaluate client balances to determine if they qualify for conversion. Most Vanguard index funds have discontinued offering Investor Shares to new investors. Creating a Portfolio of Admiral Shares If you're looking to create a diversified portfolio of low-cost mutual funds, Admiral Shares offers plenty of choices. Vanguard offers over 100 funds available as Admiral Shares. If you're specifically interested in index funds, you'll also have a wide array of optionsyou'll be able to select from 43 index funds available for a $3,000 minimum. Vanguard offers Admiral Shares in the following categories: What Is the Alaska Permanent Fund? The Alaska Permanent Fund is an investment fund whose investment capital originates from the surplus revenues gained from the development of Alaska's oil and gas reserves. Managed by the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, a state-owned corporation, the funds value was $65.04 billion as of Oct. 31, 2020. The Alaska Permanent Fund pays an annual dividend to all of Alaska's residents that meet certain eligibility requirements. Key Takeaways The Alaska Permanent Fund is an investment fund that invests capital that originates from surplus revenue obtained from Alaska's oil and gas reserves. The fund, which is a sovereign wealth fund, pays out annual dividends to every eligible citizen of Alaska. All Alaskan citizens with a residence of one year or more are eligible, except for those who have been convicted of state felonies, are incarcerated, or are convicted of specific misdemeanors. The fund invests in a variety of areas, including equities, fixed income, real estate, and private equity. Understanding the Alaska Permanent Fund The Alaska Permanent Fund is a sovereign wealth fund (SWF), which invests in a wide array of asset classes, including domestic stocks, U.S. bonds, global stocks, real estate, and private equity. Management of the fund is by the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation. After completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, which introduced Alaskan oil to the market in 1976, Alaskas government added a state constitutional amendment setting aside a share of oil revenues for future generations of Alaskans. The revenues from these natural reserves form the basis of the Alaska Permanent Fund. The Alaskan constitution specifies that at least 25% of all "mineral lease rentals, royalties, royalty sale proceeds, federal mineral revenue-sharing payments, and bonuses received by the State shall be placed in a permanent fund." Dividends of the Alaska Permanent Fund The Alaska Permanent Fund pays out annual dividends, called the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD). To qualify for a dividend, the Alaska residents must have lived a full calendar year in the state and must intend to remain in Alaska. However, several factors may exclude an individual from eligibility. If during the qualifying calendar year, an individual is sentenced as a result of a conviction of a state felony, incarcerated as a result of a state felony, or convicted of specific misdemeanors, they may no longer be eligible to collect the PFD. The dividend payout per person for 2020 is $992. This is a decrease from the 2019 payout of $1,606. The highest payout was in 2008 at $2,069. The amount is based on the profits of the fund and can be adjusted by legal intervention. The adjustment is usually a decrease from the intended amount as was seen in 2018. This dividend payout by the government based on investment returns from investing oil revenue can be seen as a form of universal basic income, though of course, the annual payment amount is too small to actually be an appropriate level of income. Investments of the Alaska Permanent Fund For the 2021 investment target, the fund estimates that 39% of its capital will be invested in public equities and 21% in fixed income. After that, investments will be made in private equity and special opportunities (15% of capital) and private income, infrastructure, and credit (9%). The fund seeks diversification and an average annual return of 5% or more. As of June 30, 2020, the performance over five years is 6.44%. Other Sovereign Wealth Funds There are nine states besides Alaska which operate sovereign wealth funds. The funds help to finance specific services or to provide general revenue to the state government itself. Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming all operate sovereign wealth funds. A sovereign wealth fund consists of pools of money derived from a country or states reserves, set aside for investment purposes to benefit the country or states economy and citizens. The funding for a sovereign wealth fund comes from central bank reserves that accumulate as a result of budget and trade surpluses. Funds are also generated from the exports of natural resources. The most massive sovereign wealth funds are Norways Government Pension Fund, the United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and Chinas China Investment Corporation. What Is a Sectoral Currency? A sectoral currency is a medium of exchange that only has value in a limited marketplace in terms of geography or purpose. Local currencies, also known as a community currency, and local exchange trading systems (LETS) are examples of sectoral currency in use. The Fureai Kippu is a well-known example of a sectoral currency in Japan with the basic unit of account being an hour of service to an elderly person. Key Takeaways Sectoral currency is a form of complementary currency that is intended only for local or community use, or in exchange for a particular product or purpose. As complementary currencies, these informal monetary systems are not considered legal tender by governments, who may even go so far as to outlaw or ban their use in some cases. Successful examples of sectoral currencies include local money systems like Ithaca HOURS or service-based value tokens such as Fureai Kippu in Japan. Understanding Sectoral Currency Sectoral currencies are a type of complementary currency, and include regional or local currency, which only has value in specified locations within a limited geographic region. Regional currency examples include BerkShares, Ithaca HOURS, and Lewes pounds. Most complementary and sectoral currencies do not have actual monetary value in the eyes of the government since they are not legal tender. They are instead specific to a certain area or product and meant to stimulate economic activity in a specific community or industry sector. These are essentially worthless in any other situation. Because sectoral currencies can be seen as a threat to standard currencies when the economy is struggling, governments often downplay them as experimental. Although purchased with standard currency either indirectly or directly, loyalty program rewards and gift cards are often considered sectoral currency because they can only be redeemed in specific stores or used to purchase certain products or services, and are most often considered to be a form of scrip. Still, these serve as sectoral currencies with a limited product or scope of purpose. Attitudes About Complementary Currency May Change Complementary currencies can be found as early as ancient Egypt, when farmers were given pieces of pottery based on the amount of goods they harvested and put in storage. They could then trade these pieces for other goods or services they needed. In modern times, these types of currencies are still not able to be purchased, they must be earned. In the past, it has been hard for people to accept anything but standard currency as a way to purchase or get paid for things. However, the introduction of cryptocurrency, which is not based on any standard currency, may increase the acceptance of complementary and sectoral currencies in the future. Examples of Sectoral Currency The Fureai Kippu is a well-known type of sectoral currency scheme. These "caring relationship tickets" support a time-dollar system used in Japan to provide healthcare to the elderly and the disabled. Individuals earn the currency by spending their time providing care to someone in need. The hours of service they accumulate can be used to pay for their own care in the future or for the care of a family member with a present need. Another example is saber currency, proposed in Brazil by Bernard Lietaer as a way to make higher education more attainable. Elementary school children would earn sabers for attending extra lessons taught by older students, who would earn sabers by teaching the lessons. Upon graduation, these sabers could be redeemed to help pay for a college education. The program was never accepted by the government or put into practice. Irish homes emit 60% more carbon than the European average, the worst in the EU, with the countrys over-reliance on coal, peat, and oil partly blamed for the figures, writes Ruth Dorris. Energy use here is mostly for room-heating and water-heating, according to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) report. As countries marked Earth Day yesterday, we look at two Irish companies that offer households simple, low-cost solutions for reducing their carbon emissions and making savings on their energy bills. Heat Hero is an innovative solution to sluggish solid-fuel heating systems. It boosts their performance by 30%. Art McArdle, who developed the system, estimates that 300,000 houses in Ireland use fossil fuels, such as coal and turf, as the main source of heating and cooking. He says that while solid fuel is very efficient, weak heating systems can reduce the efficiency by almost a third. A plumber by trade, Mr McArdle began investigating solutions to make solid-fuel systems more efficient when he built his own house, six years ago. Heat Hero is a patented product. It creates pressure and strong circulation in an open-vented heating system, allowing any solid-fuel boiler to improve its performance, he says. And they dont have to burn as much coal or turf, and they can get away with burning sticks, which is far cleaner. Heat Hero costs 280, plus the plumbers charge for installation, which Mr McArdle says will be paid back in one year. What weve done is we have recognised the flaw in heating systems, and Heat Hero fixes it for good. Launched in late 2015, by Mr McArdle and his wife, Adrienne, Heat Hero won the SEAIs Best Innovative Product award in 2016. The product is available in 250 hardware stores around Ireland and is recommended by Waterford Stanley and Blacksmith Stoves. In the UK, Heat Hero is listed on the website of its solid-fuel regulatory body. The next step for the McArdles is to expand into the European market and into the US. While improving the efficiency of heating systems will improve carbon emissions figures, another solution is for homes to better-manage and monitor their energy consumption. This is where Smartzone comes in. It seamlessly connects all the devices in the home, and works with an app to monitor and control heating, security, and lighting. Using the Smartzone app, householders can control their home-heating and hot water via their phone, thereby saving up to 300 on energy bills, says Justin McInerney, founder and CEO of Accuflow, which makes Smartzone. The Smartzone system divides the home into three zones, so each zone - downstairs, upstairs, and hot water - can be controlled separately from the app. Most homes have no heating controls, with heating operated by pushing a button to turn it on and off. Smartzone, which has partnered with Alarm.com, allows heating to be timed and temperature-controlled. The SEAI offers a grant of 700 to householders to upgrade their heating systems. Smartzone will submit the paperwork for the customer, leaving 249 to be paid for installing the system. For the energy-only system, a yearly service charge of 59 applies, while householders who want the complete system, including 24-7 monitored security, pay a monthly charge of 29.99. It tells you how much energy youre consuming; it helps you control it. You can turn on and off the heating remotely, and you can set the programming, he says. Commenting on the recent report on carbon emissions, Mr McInerney says that 1.4m homes in Ireland need an energy-efficiency upgrade. He says while the ideal solution is for many homes to undergo costly insulation upgrades, an immediate, low-cost solution is to install a system like Smartzone to help householders reduce energy consumption. Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said that "regulatory alignment by another name" may be the best solution to resolve the Brexit impasse. Speaking at a Brexit conference in Dublin this morning, Mr Ahern and other former Taoisigh also had warnings about what would happen in the event that Britain leaves the EU and there is a return to borders in the North. Mr Ahern said the unionists in the North supported regulatory alignment in there after Brexit, which would allow the free trade of goods both North and South as well as East and West. Britain has been warned that a solution on the North must be on the table by June or a smooth exit from the EU will be threatened. Speaking at the Institute of International and European Affairs conference this morning, Mr Ahern said the preference to resolve the deadlock would be regulatory alignment, essentially keeping Britain in the EU customs union and single market. However, London wants to strike new independent trade deals, which would likely necessitate Britain leaving the EU completely. Mr Ahern said such alignment could work, if proposed in the talks, by another name, as there was Tory and British opposition to such an option at present. Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen also said it was now "time to put some meat on the bone" in the Brexit talks. The "rights of those who have strong nationalists aspirations" must also be recognised going forward, said Mr Cowen, including through the Good Friday Agreement. Earlier, Bertie Ahern warned that ordinary people would rip down any new border infrastructure in the North. "There never will be a border. There is not going to be a physical border across Ireland because if you tried to put it there you wouldn't have to wait for terrorism to take it down, people would just physically pull it down - the ordinary people." Double killer Colin Howell has been questioned by police about a new claim of sexual assault. The former dentist from Northern Ireland is serving at least 21 years in prison for murdering his wife and his former lover Hazel Stewart's husband. By Patrick Flynn A passenger jet made an emergency landing at Dublin Airport this morning after the crew reported damage to one of their aircrafts windshields. Lufthansa flight LH-978 was en route to Dublin from Frankfurt when the crew declared an emergency over the Irish Sea west of Blackpool, England, at around 10.45am. The crew of the Airbus A320 jet reported that a crack had appeared in one of the cockpits windshields but that the damage was confined to just the outer layer of the window. The flight crew requested clearance to descend earlier than usual but confirmed there were no other issues with their aircraft. The crew also said they did not require emergency services on arrival. The flight landed safely at 11.23am but was immediately taken out of service so that repairs could be carried out. The airline has confirmed that the return leg of the flight, LH-979, has been cancelled as a result. Restrictions on 100 buses travelling through College Green in Dublin are set to continue into next year. Taxis are also banned from travelling southbound during rush hour, in a bid to cope with the gridlock since the Luas extension opened. As the English National Ballet prepares to bring its stunning take on Giselle to Ireland, Ellie OByrne hears how the production has been informed by the Bangladeshi origins of the choreographer. Pastoral scenes of German peasants at harvest time in the Rhineland are replaced by migrant workers in a desolate world of ghost factories in choreographer Akram Khans electrifying 21st century reimagining of Giselle, as performed by the English National Ballet. Its the classic doomed love story of Giselle and Albrecht, the nobleman who falls in love with her, set in a bleakm landscape laden with geo-political commentary and a series of breath-taking visual tableaux: the moment at which the ruling class, dubbed The Landlords by Khan, make their entry is accompanied by an audible intake of breath from hushed audiences. Soloist James Streeter, who plays the part of Albrecht, says audience responses create a magical atmosphere for the performers on stage. You can hear a pin drop, he says. That tension and energy from the audience makes it onto the stage with us; we feed off that. Theres nothing like it, and we feel it throughout the whole show. There are so many visual moments of surprise for the audience in this production that describing some would constitute a spoiler. Chinese costume designer and art director Tim Yip, best known for his Academy Award-winning work on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, is the man with the vision: his costume designs for the authoritarian figures of the nobles are fairy-tale, but the stuff of nightmares too. Set to an ominously industrial score by composer Vincenzo Lamagna, and orchestrated by ENBs musical director Gavin Sutherland, its a stunningly original and contemporary work. But ballet fans will be familiar with the tragic plot of the ballet, which remains unchanged: after Giselle dies of a broken heart, she is resurrected to save her high-born lover, before returning to the grave. Albrecht is left alone. Each performance is both emotionally and physically taxing for Streeter: It takes me two hours to get over what weve just done. Im left there at the end with nothing, and its quite hard. Physically, Streeter has been pushed to his limits by the choreography of London-born Khan, whose family is of Bangladeshi origin. Khan is a classically trained Kathak dancer, and the fusion of movements born of Kathak tradition with ballet and contemporary is one of the most exciting things about this 21st century Giselle. But they require the dancers of the English National Ballet to push themselves to extremes and work on an entirely new visual language. For Streeter, who worked with Khan on the critically acclaimed Dust, this challenge is a treat as well as a trial, a life-changing encounter that has changed his perceptions of dance. We worked a lot on gestures and did hand exercises and stretching, Streeter says. Its amazing to see the precision and detail, and what can be achieved with the hands. I think anything like this makes you a more complete dancer. Taking what Ive learned from this, and putting it into such a classical role, changes what I think of that role. Theres a satisfyingly dynamic machismo in what this fusion of styles brings to the male dancers roles: in particular, the character of Albrechts love-rival Hilarion, danced with animalistic fervour and extreme physicality, and with whom Albrecht shares an explosive and physically taxing fight scene. Overcoming the pain can be a challenge, Streeter says. But speak to any dancer: theres never a day where you wake up and feel great, everythings fine today with my body, because youre putting your body through extremis, the limits of what you are capable of. We push ourselves to achieve and achieve and achieve, striving for the impossible, which is perfection. Khans social commentary in the ballet is clear: the new peasant class are the dispossessed, the migrants, and the world they inhabit is one of ghost factories closed by globalising forces. Almost a character in its own right, and dominating the stage, is a vast wall. What lies behind? We dont know, but its home to The Landlords, the noble class to which Albrecht belongs: engaged to Bathilde, a member of the upper orders, Albrechts dalliance with Giselle is a transgression. It seems no coincidence that Khan, with his Bangladeshi heritage, has hit upon the modern setting of factories. His terrifying reimaging of the ghostly Wilis in the ballet blanc of act two sees them portrayed as dead garment makers: sweatshop labour. Its a powerful and pointed message. In Bangladesh, 3.5 million workers work in sweatshops, stitching the type of clothes that Giselles audiences, safe in the land beyond the wall, wear to the theatre each night. Streeter, though, steers clear of political commentary, the better to focus on his task of interpreting Albrecht. My concentration is on Albrecht, and using the original as an influence as well as what Akram Khan wanted to put across, he says. It is a huge message, especially at this time, and its so relatable. Its having an impact on peoples emotions: everyone can relate to some part of the story, no matter what age they are or where theyre from. Its Albrechts willingness to dabble in infidelity in the first place that causes him to fall in love with, and ultimately cause the death of, Giselle. In the mid-19th century, it was regarded as a nobles right to take their pick of pretty peasant girls, but against a 21st century backdrop, this hardly makes him a likeable character, does it? Streeter is keen to point out that Albrecht is as much the victim of social stratification as Giselle herself is. I dont think he means bad: hes been put in a situation, he says. He didnt choose who he was going to marry. I think he believes that were all equal, and hes found his true love. He also does try to tell Giselle who he is, but she doesnt listen. The role of Giselle in the production, which premiered in 2016 and has toured the UK and internationally since, was originally danced by Spanish lead principal dancer Tamara Rojo, also the English National Ballets artistic director and a formative force in the decision to enlist Khan for Giselle. Now, its shared by lead principal Erina Takahashi, who is also Streeters wife, and two other lead soloists, Alina Cojocaru and Crystal Costa. Although his first choice of partner in all roles is Takahashi, he says, hes also full of praise for Rojo. Because weve worked a lot together, I can read her really well so even with one look, I know what shes saying, he says of Rojo. It shows what an incredible artist she is, that she can convey so much feeling, even through that first touch between Giselle and Albrecht that leads us through the ballet. Its a role that will live forever for 31-year-old Streeter, and a formative experience in his dance career. The great thing about what Ive learned from working with Akram is to never go into a show with any expectations as to whats going to happen, he says. Just allow yourself to be truly in the moment, and let that carry you through the performance. You cant help but go deeper then, when youre on stage. Akram Khans Giselle is presented in association with Dublin Dance Festival. It runs from the 2nd 6th of May at Dublins Bord Gais Energy Theatre. Tickets: www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie As he launches his latest collection of poetry at Cork World Book Fest, Matthew Sweeney tells Colette Sheridan about his attitude to life and creativity while also grappling with motor neurone disease. Matthew Sweeneys latest collection of poetry, My Life As A Painter, will be published by Bloodaxe Books this week. The Cork-based Donegal-born poet, who has motor neurone disease, is not allowing the diagnosis to stunt his creativity. Tell us about the burden of having motor neurone disease: My sister died of motor neurone disease in 2009. When the grim detective work was taking place trying to pin down what was wrong with me last year, I happened to take a trip to Donegal. I stood at my sisters grave and asked her to please not let me end up with the hell shed had to endure, and which Id seen too much of. What is your attitude to the Grim Reaper? Mortality has always been part of the subject of poetry but is best not dealt with too directly. Derek Mahon in his celebrated poem for Albert Camus, Death and the Sun warns about looking at those two fellows head on. Metaphor is ones ally here, that and imagery. Like most people I prefer not to dwell on my inevitable demise. Where the poems take me is another matter. Is poetry helping you cope? The poems can help. Franz Kafka in his last diary entry, on June 12, 1923, said in connection with his fast progressing illness: It happens whether you like it or not More than consolation is: you do have weapons. The weapons he alludes to were his writing and I have found the same thing. While I was waiting for the diagnosis, and since that horrible news, I have been writing a big sequence of strange, dark poems, sometimes blackly humorous, that has become my response to what is happening to me. I try to never allude to the illness directly. Its possible I will have to drop those few pieces, and just stay in the weird, metaphorical film world that the bulk of the poems conjure up. Their darkness will leave no reader in any doubt of what Im really writing about. These poems are not in this new collection although some will soon be starting to appear in periodicals. I do think that having the positive attitude I needed to write these can only be beneficial to my dealing with the illness. Where does your vivid imagination come from? The imaginative nature of these new poems is not so different to that of the poems Ive always written one could say that everything Ive written previously has prepared me for this later work. They all come from the same unconscious. Even when I was a child I tended to live in the imaginative world of the books I devoured. This helped me to write for children. I have found that children are more prepared to accept poetry than adults. What has given you most joy in life? Poetry has been central to my life, and despite the lack of money it brings, I would do it all over again. How many people really value my poems? I wouldnt say theyd fill a very small theatre, but there are some. I remember once doing a reading with Carol Ann Duffy in Birmingham. Afterwards a long queue formed of people wanting her to sign books and I had no one until Carol Ann told me off for neglecting my fan, and I turned to see this young man holding a pile of my books he wanted me to sign. What will be your legacy? Mostly what awaits the poet is posthumous oblivion. Maybe there will be a young man in Hamburg, or Munich, or possibly Vienna, for whom my German translations will be for a while important and might just contribute to him becoming a German language poet with Irish leanings. Certainly one thing thats pleased me in recent years was a suggestion in a review of my last book that I may be responsible for some younger poets venturing into the weird, more surreal zone. That would be something. The Cork launch of My Life As A Painter takes place at the Central Library on Wednesday as part of the Cork World Book Fest. A third Irish Constitution would be secular, but that does not mean that it would be anti-religious. It would be pluralist and would create space for religion, says TP OMahony. At the closing session of its annual conference in Corks City Hall, in May 1988, the Progressive Democrats voted for a godless preamble to any new Constitution. The irony that the decision to exclude God was taken on May 29th - Trinity Sunday - was lost on the delegates, until, in his review of the papers on RTE the following morning, veteran journalist PP OReilly drew attention to it. The result was that, just four days later in what Sean ORourke, the then political correspondent of the Irish Press, called the quickest U-turn in recent Irish political history PD leader Des OMalley announced that God would after all get a mention in the preamble to the new Constitution it was proposing. In truth, there was nothing startlingly novel about a proposal for a godless Constitution, a secular document. In May, 1972, the report of a working party established by the Irish Theological Association (to examine provisions in the Constitution which might be considered discriminatory or divisive on religious grounds) recommended a secular preamble. It is customary for a Constitution to have a preamble, it reported. Whatever its interpretative value or legal significance, it creates a certain social and psychological climate. The working party recognised that the present preamble reflects the predominant religious strand in the Irish tradition, but it is not satisfied that this is necessary or appropriate in such a legal document. And the preamble may well create a climate unacceptable to some Irish citizens. If this latter observation applied in 1972, then it has much greater relevance today, when census figures show that there has been a significant increase in the number of Irish people ticking the no religion box on census forms. The 1972 ITA working party consisted of the six following members: Rev Enda McDonagh, professor of moral theology in St Patricks College, Maynooth; T.C. Kingsmill Moore, former judge of the Supreme Court; Sean MacBride, SC, former minister for external affairs; G.B.G. McConnell, Presbyterian minister, former convener of the General Assemblys Committee on National and International Problems; Louis McRedmond, former editor of the Irish Independent and lecturer in journalism, College of Commerce, Rathmines; and Mary Robinson, senator and professor of constitutional and criminal Law in Trinity College, Dublin. The Ireland they were writing in and about was very different to the Ireland of 1937, when Eamon de Valera put a constitution (Bunreacht na hEireann) before the Irish people, in a referendum, to replace the 1922 Free State Constitution. One might not wish to fully endorse the claim, made earlier this year by Pat Rabbitte (in an article on the Kerry Babies case in the Sunday Business Post), that the Ireland which produced Bunreacht na hEireann was really a theocratic State, in order to appreciate the extent to which legislators deferred to the Catholic Church. The de Valera papers have revealed how importantly the then taoiseach viewed the preliminary approval of Pope Pius XI for the new Constitution, before it was even submitted to the Dail and the people. On April 16th, 1937, he sent the secretary of the Department of External Affairs (now Foreign Affairs), Joe Walshe, on a secret mission to the Vatican to see the Pope, with a view to obtaining, confidentially, his approval and blessing, before the draft Constitution is published. Walshe had a series of meetings with the secretary of state, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli (the future Pope Pius XII). Despite the special recognition given to the Catholic Church in Article 44 (bearing out Pat Rabbittes contention that John Charles McQuaid, the future Archbishop of Dublin, was the principal influence on Eamon de Valera, when the 1937 Constitution was being prepared), Pacelli said the recognition given to other Christian Churches in the same article nullified any advantage which might have derived from exclusive recognition. After several days of meetings, Walshe was greatly disappointed when he received the formal response of Pius XI: I do not approve; neither do I disapprove. I shall maintain silence. But even if formal Vatican approval was not forthcoming in advance the referendum was held on July 1, 1937 there was no doubt that, in the words of John A Murphy, emeritus professor of Irish history in UCC, the 1937 Constitution had a distinctly Catholic flavour. When the 1937 text was published, many womens groups were aggrieved and angry, and afterwards boycotted the referendum. They complained that Article 41 reflected the prejudices of a patriarchal society and was intended to convey that a womans place was in the home (which is more or less what a sub-section of this article says). As the draft was being finalised, Dr McQuaid wrote: The feminists are getting angry and moving into action. They seem stung by the suggestion that the normal place for a woman is in the home. Producing a new Constitution today would involve a very different process and would yield very different results. The political mix is very different today, and new uncertainties abound. And given the possible political permutations that may emerge from Brexit, the need to plan for, and to accommodate, a united Ireland has taken on a new urgency. In the Irish Press in July 1987 on the 50th anniversary of the referendum to adopt the 1937 Constitution former taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald wrote that the enactment of a third Constitution (following on from the 1922 and 1937 documents) to provide a basic law more appropriate to modern Ireland is one that will have to be faced in time. That time is closer to hand now than ever before. We dont know what the political and socio-economic mix post-Brexit will be like. Will there even be a Brexit? In Britain, political heavyweights such as Tony Blair and Michael Heseltine believe there will be another referendum on Britains future, vis-a-vis the EU. And some commentators notably Brendan OLeary, professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania (he was political adviser during the making of the Belfast Agreement) are now talking about not just Brexit, but also UKExit, which is to say the departure of the whole of the United Kingdom, rather than of just Great Britain, from the European Union. Prof OLeary predicts that there will be another referendum on Scotlands independence, and likely before a referendum on Irish reunification. Differently put, the union of England, Scotland, and Wales may break up first, he says. And if we have a referendum on Irish reunification? Again, the scenario is very different to what it was 50 or 60 years ago. The old unionist case against reunification had three major components: an independent Ireland meant Rome rule; the Republic was monocultural, and unattractive, compared to the multinational UK; and the Republic was poorer, pursuing an isolationist and irrational economic policy, Prof OLeary wrote in Ireland 1916-2016: The Promise and Challenge of National Sovereignty. Whatever their past truth, these arguments no longer pass muster. Ireland is de-Catholicising, and it is multicutural and prosperous multicultural because it is prosperous, and vice versa. It is richer than Northern Ireland, absolutely and per capita, before and after the subvention by the UK treasury is added to the Norths ledger. And sovereign Ireland is staying in the worlds largest market, which all gravity-weighted models of international trade suggest is the wiser bet. But, of course, as he admits, unfolding events confirm that no one knows the political future. But if we do move, as Dr Garret Fitzgerald said, in 1987, to a third Constitution, we can predict that it will be a secular document. But a secular Constitution in a secular State does not necessarily mean a secular society. Ireland is undoubtedly de-Catholicising, as Prof OLeary says. But while that will have real implications for the institutional Church, it doesnt necessarily mean religion is going to disappear to the margins. And there is no desire (except among militant atheists) to exclude religion or religious voices from the public square. A modern State may seek to ground its legitimacy in democratic authorisation, rather than by reference to religious sources or divinely appointed authorities. That doesnt mean the same State will actively engage in promoting secularisation, pushing for the decline of religion, both in society and in the minds of individuals. On the contrary, the modern State will work to provide space for religion, support religious liberty, and advocate respect for religious voices. That is a true mark of pluralism. Bearing that in mind is going to become more and more important as we head into a future characterised by socio-political and constitutional uncertainties. Update 7.40pm: Terminally ill toddler Alfie Evans has been granted Italian citizenship as his family continues to fight against the withdrawal of his life support. The 23-month-old was granted citizenship by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday. Parents Tom Evans and Kate James, both in their early 20s and from Liverpool, hope to take their son to a hospital in Rome for treatment. The couple have already lost fights in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and ECHR. Speaking outside Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, Mr Evans said: "I'm stood here now and Alfie is still here. "Why? Because I'm still fighting for him, I'm still fighting and so is Alfie. "I have been in touch with the Ambassador of Italy. "My son belongs to Italy. I love Alfie and I love Kate, I will not give up." Pavel Stroilov from the Christian Legal Centre, which is representing the family, said: "Italy has just granted citizenship to Alfie and the Italian ambassador has urgently contacted the court with a request for the Italian government to be allowed to intervene in the case and seek the return of their citizen Alfie Evans to Italy." A source close to the Evans family claimed Mr Justice Hayden, who originally ordered life-support be withdrawn, would hold an urgent telephone conference with Italian legal representatives on Monday evening to discuss Alfie's plight. Earlier on Monday, supporters of the family attempted to storm Alder Hey Children's Hospital after European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judges refused to intervene in the case. They had broken away from a larger group of about 200 protesters, some who earlier blocked the road outside the children's hospital. As they ran towards the main doors a squad of police officers scrambled to block their way, forming a line to repel the intruders. After a tense stand-off the crowd re-joined other protesters further from the hospital. Police remained outside the entrances to the children's hospital throughout the day. In February, Mr Justice Hayden ruled that doctors at Alder Hey could stop treating Alfie against the wishes of his parents following hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London and Liverpool. Specialists at Alder Hey said life support treatment should stop and Mr Justice Hayden said he accepted medical evidence which showed that further treatment was futile. He said flying Alfie to a foreign hospital would be wrong and pointless. Court of Appeal judges upheld his decisions. Supreme Court justices and ECHR judges refused to intervene. The couple argued Alfie was being wrongly "detained" at Alder Hey and made a habeas corpus application, which was dismissed by Mr Justice Hayden. Appeal judges upheld Mr Justice Hayden's decision and on Friday Supreme Court justices said they would not intervene. Judges have approved plans for withdrawing treatment and bringing Alfie's life to an end. Alfie's parents Kate James and Tom Evans. Earlier: Alfie Evans' parents pin all hope on European Court of Human Rights European human rights judges are considering a plea from the parents of 23-month-old Alfie Evans who has been at the centre of two rounds of a life-support treatment fight. Tom Evans and Kate James, who are both in their early 20s and from Liverpool, failed on Friday to persuade Supreme Court justices to consider their case. They have now asked judges at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France, to intervene. A spokesman for the ECHR said on Monday that the couple were arguing that their son was being "deprived" of his liberty. He said judges were considering the couple's application as a matter of "urgency". Alfie's parents have already lost one round of fights, in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and ECHR. In February, Mr Justice Hayden ruled that doctors at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool could stop treating Alfie against the wishes of his parents following hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London and Liverpool. Specialists at Alder Hey said life-support treatment should stop and Mr Justice Hayden said he accepted medical evidence which showed that further treatment was futile. Alfie's parents want to move their son from Alder Hey to a hospital in Rome. The couple said Italian doctors are willing to treat the little boy and an air ambulance is available. But Mr Justice Hayden said flying Alfie to a foreign hospital would be wrong and pointless. Court of Appeal judges upheld his decisions. Supreme Court justices and ECHR judges refused to intervene. The couple are now arguing that Alfie is being wrongly "detained" at Alder Hey and have made a habeas corpus application. A writ of habeas corpus - Latin for "you may have the body" - is a legal manoeuvre which requires a court to examine the legality of a detention. It is a piece of common law which probably dates back to Anglo-Saxon times. Mr Justice Hayden has dismissed that habeas corpus claim. Appeal judges have upheld Mr Justice Hayden's decision and on Friday Supreme Court justices said they would not intervene. Judges have approved plans for withdrawing treatment and bringing Alfie's life to an end. On Friday Supreme Court justices said there should be no further delay in treatment being stopped. But Alfie's parents made another application to the ECHR. - PA Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act found 32,281 was spent by the Irish State for the transatlantic flights as well as internal flights in the US, as part of Leo Varadkars visit. The Taoiseach and his staff flew from Dublin to Austin, then from Austin to Dallas, from Dallas to Washington, and finally from New York to Dublin. Along with his chief of staff, Brian Murphy, he flew business class on the two transatlantic flights and economy class on the two internal flights. Another business class flight, on the outbound journey from Dublin, was taken by John Callinan, assistant secretary to the Taoiseach. However, he availed of economy class on the other three flights. The rest of the Taoiseachs party were in economy seats for all flights. They included secretary general Martin Fraser, Government press secretary Nick Miller, special adviser John Carroll, and private secretary Nick Reddy, as well as a personal assistant and security to the Taoiseach. Leo Varadkar during an interview at the South by South West festival in Austin, Texas on March 11 The flights for Mr Varadkar and Mr Murphy cost 5,808.91 each to the Irish State and 4,238.54 for Mr Callinan. The six economy-class flyers for all four flights cost 2,708.24 per person. Flights for Mr Varadkar, Mr Murphy, and Mr Callinan totalled close to 16,000, almost as expensive as the six flyers in economy class. An additional 175.96 was spent on one cancelled flight from Dallas to Washington to make up the total cost of 32,281.76. Figures given to the Irish Examiner through an FOI were only in relation to air travel. Costs relating to accommodation and food were not included in the response. While in Washington, Mr Varadkar stayed as a guest of US President Donald Trump in Blair House, across from the White House, and so no expense was incurred. The Taoiseach hosted a dinner for the media in New York and his delegation stayed in Fitzpatricks Hotel in Manhattan. The department said other invoices relating to the trip had not yet been either received or processed. Since 1956, it has been an annual event to present a bowl of shamrock to the US president. It has been formalised over the years and now the Taoiseach is usually in the US for over a week. An annual Women in Media conference in Ballybunion, Co Kerry, heard how children regarded online activity as part of life, but some were concerned for their own safety. A single body needed to be set up along the lines of the Road Safety Authority to issue guidelines on digital use and a dialogue needed be opened with children and young people on what they wanted, a panel discussion was told. When the Tuam Babies scandal broke in 2012, it caused shockwaves around the world. The woman who brought the story to the fore, Catherine Corless, has rightly been lauded as a national hero. However, two years earlier the HSE had reported extreme concerns about the level of infant deaths in multiple mother and baby homes. Not only that, it was also uncovering direct evidence of illegal adoptions and that at least one child was sent to a couple in the US in return for a cash payment. Routine references are made to the records potentially containing legal and criminal issues. As this newspaper revealed in 2015, the level of concern among the staff examining the records was revealed in an internal note of a teleconference in October 2012 with then assistant director of children and family service Phil Garland and then head of the medical intelligence unit Davida De La Harpe. That note recommended that an early warning letter be written for the attention of the national director of the HSEs quality and patient safety division, Philip Crowley, suggesting that this goes all the way up to the minister. It is more important to send this up to the minister as soon as possible: with a view to an inter-departmental committee and a fully fledged, fully resourced forensic investigation and State inquiry, concludes the note. However, that never happened. In fact, nothing happened until Catherine Corless forced a State inquiry into the matter. So what did exactly did the HSE know in 2012 and why were they looking at the Tuam and Bessborough Mother and Baby Homes? This story is inextricably linked to yet another inquiry into another scandal. This time its the Magdalene Laundries. In 2012, the HSE was undertaking an enormous trawl of its records as part of the examination of the States role in the Magdalene Laundries under the McAleese inquiry. How Conall reported on the mother and baby homes scandal in 2015 The McAleese Committee had requested that the HSE records relating to the 10 Magdalene Laundries be examined by the HSE. However, according to records obtained by the Irish Examiner, permission was granted to include two Mother and Baby Homes in this trawl Bessborough in Cork and Tuam in Galway. This decision was based on potential pathways references by the advocacy group Justice For Magdalenes (JFM). Prof Jim Smith of Boston College and JFM group had written to the chairperson of the inquiry, then Senator Martin McAleese on February 21, 2012, outlining a circular he had discovered relating to a 1948 Government survey which revealed disturbing infant death rates in excess of 50% at the Tuam Mother and Baby Home. Within eight months, HSE staff in Cork and Galway had turned up all manner of concerns in relation to both Bessborough and Tuam issues which were so serious that they rivaled if not surpassed those being found in relation to the Magdalene Laundries. In August, clear evidence of transfers of women from the Tuam home to the Galway Magdalene Laundry was being reported by a social worker examining the Tuam archive. However, included in this information was information on infant deaths. By October, a fuller examination of the Tuam archive was beginning to case consternation and led to the internal note mentioned above. The note, revealed by the Irish Examiner in 2015, was prepared by Dr Declan McKeown consultant public health physician and medical epidemiologist of the medical intelligence unit in the HSE and relayed the details of a teleconference with then assistant director of children and family service Phil Garland, who was co-ordinating the HSE project for the McAleese Committee and then head of the medical intelligence unit Davida De La Harpe. The note relays the concerns raised by the principal social worker for adoption in HSE West who had found a large archive of photographs, documentation and correspondence relating to children sent for adoption to the USA and documentation in relation to discharges and admissions to psychiatric institutions in the Western area. It notes there were letters from the Tuam mother and baby home to parents asking for money for the upkeep of their children and notes that the duration of stay for children may have been prolonged by the order for financial reasons. It also uncovered letters to parents asking for money for the upkeep of some children that had already been discharged or had died. Catherine Corless The social worker, working in her own time and on her own dollar, had compiled a list of up to 1,000 names, but said it was not clear yet whether all of these relate to the ongoing examination of the Magdalene system, or whether they relate to the adoption of children by parents, possibly in the USA. At that point, the social worker was assembling a filing system to enable her to link names to letters and to payments. This may prove to be a scandal that dwarfs other, more recent issues with the Church and State, because of the very emotive sensitivities around adoption of babies, with or without the will of the mother. A concern is that, if there is evidence of trafficking babies, that it must have been facilitated by doctors, social workers etc, and a number of these health professionals may still be working in the system. The report ends with a recommendation that, due to the gravity of what was being found in relation to the Tuam home, an early warning letter be written for the attention of the national director of the HSEs quality and patient safety division, Philip Crowley, suggesting that this goes all the way up to the minister. It is more important to send this up to the minister as soon as possible: with a view to an inter-departmental committee and a fully fledged, fully resourced forensic investigation and State inquiry, concludes the note. In tandem with this, in September 2012, a 20-page report had been prepared on Bessborough. It revealed that the HSE was in possession of a death register maintained by the Order that ran the institution between 1934 and 1953. The report outlined that the almost 500 deaths recorded in this period were shocking and a cause for serious consternation. The report goes on to express concerns that death certificates may have been falsified so children could be brokered into clandestine adoption arrangements, both foreign and domestic a possibility the HSE report said had dire implications for the Church and State. It is worth noting that the HSE was making such allegations after examining the mother and baby homes own records. The report notes that the records reveal a culture where women and babies were considered little more than a commodity for trade amongst religious orders and that they were provided with little more than the basic care and provision afforded to that of any individual convicted of crimes against the State. Conall O Fathartas investigation in the Irish Examiner in 2015 It also highlights the intricacies of Bessboroughs accounting practices, and that detailed financial records and accounts were not handed over to the HSE by the Sacred Heart Order. We also learn of the nuns preoccupation with material assets and preoccupation with materialism, wealth, and social status, and that the women provided a steady stream of free labour and servitude. The nuns also received financial remuneration for the children of these women. With regard to the money made by the order both via adoption and by making natural mothers pay for their care, the report specifically states that further investigation is warranted into these practices. This report was seen by both the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Given the level of concerns surrounding what was being found in relation to both institutions, Dr McKeown began work on a briefing paper on the situation for Mr Crowley. This was also forwarded to the then national director of children and family services at the HSE, Gordon Jeyes on October 19, 2012. In one of the drafts of this paper, marked strictly confidential, Dr McKeown states that the records show that one child was sent to a US couple in 1957 in return for a cash payment. Some of the records are well kept, however, and show that in one case of an infant being sent to a family in Louisiana in 1957, a sum of approximately 50 was paid to the order by both the adoptive parents and by the natural (birth) parents, he wrote. Under the Adoption Act 1952, it was illegal for an adopter, parent or guardian of a child to receive any payment shall not receive or agree to receive any payment in return for the adoption of a child. The exceptions to this under the Act were payments made for the maintenance of a child and payments to solicitors for professional services. Dr McKeown also said that the adoption records contained in the archive showed clear examples of multiple illegal adoptions which were not processed by the Adoption Board then the regulatory body for adoption at the time. The adoption records are scanty, but a number of records do exist which appear not to have gone through the Adoption Board. Processing an adoption through the Adoption Board would have been the accepted practice at the time. Dr McKeown also revealed that letters from senior Church figures requesting the nuns to identify babies for adoption to the USA indicating that the Catholic Church hierarchy was also directing this practice. In one case, the child of a named woman is suggested for transfer to American adoptive parents, states the briefing paper. Dr McKeown concludes this draft by stressing the need for the issues raised in Bessborough and Tuam to be investigated further. The archives need to be examined for clinical, accounting and ethical irregularities, of which there are numerous clues in the material already uncovered. Additionally, there may be legal or criminal issues underlying the documentation, and it is critical that these potentials are outruled as soon as possible, given the increased public interest in the issue of adoption practice in Ireland, particularly in the 1950s, he wrote. None of these concerns appear in the final HSE submission to the McAleese Committee which was only concerned with the institutions in so far as referrals from to and from Magdalene Laundries. In a cover letter attached to a draft of the HSE report sent to principal officer at the DCYA and member of the McAleese Committee Denis OSullivan on November 1, 2012, Dr McKeown states that that adoption, birth and registration and the recording of infant mortality in relation to the mother and baby homes were issues that may require deeper investigation and had been referred to Mr Crowley. As a result, they would no longer form part of the core investigation into the Magdalene system. Six days later, Mr OSullivan emailed Gordon Jeyes on November 7, 2012, to advise that any issues around mother and baby homes were outside the remit of the McAleese Committee. Material included beyond that is beyond the scope of our work eg, the scope does not extend to an examination of other places of refuge eg mother and baby homes, other than in the context of referrals from Magdalene laundries. "If there are separate and validated findings of concern emerging from such additional research, obviously they should be communicated by HSE and through a separate process." The previous month, Nuala Ni Mhuircheartaigh of the McAleese Committee had emailed then HSE assistant national director of child and family services Phil Garland acknowledging the Bessborough report, but stating it was heavily focused on broad narrative and context rather than fact. Given the very real facts that were contained in both reports on Tuam and Bessborough, its unclear where the HSE investigation went from here, if anywhere. Were any of the concerns reported to the gardai? Why wasnt the minister informed? The HSE declined to answer any of these questions stating it was providing all relevant information and documentation to the Mother and Baby Homes Commission. The Report of the Inter-Departmental Group on Mother and Baby Homes, published by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in July 2014, also failed to mention any of these concerns. At that point, Tuam Mother and Baby Home was when it was making headlines around the world. Given that an additional 5,000 people will be working in the city centre within 36 months, a planning expert said we must accept that cars are not an ingredient of city centre success. Writing in todays Irish Examiner, Will Brady, of UCCs Centre for Planning and Education Research, said he has yet to see a city that has regenerated its urban core by encouraging car-use and incentivising city centre car-parking. Evidence overwhelmingly supports the concept of improving city centres through improved traffic-management and prioritising other transport modes, he says. This ultimately improves footfall, and, after all, pedestrians bring life, and pedestrians spend money. His comments follow the suspension, on Friday, of the controversial St Patricks St afternoon car ban, a key element of the City Centre Movement Strategy (CCMS). The latter is designed to prioritise public transport and take through-traffic out of the city centre. Introduced on March 27, the 3pm-6.30pm daily car ban created a time-regulated bus lane on the citys main street. Will Brady, of UCCs Centre for Planning and Education Research However, traders claimed it decimated footfall and led to a reduction in their takings. Despite indications that the move had reduced journey times on two key suburban bus routes, traders insisted the ban be scrapped. It resulted in city councillors voting unanimously on Friday to lift the restrictions and pause the roll-out of that phase of the CCMS until August 9, so as to facilitate consultation. They agreed to maintain parking incentives, which include free park-and-ride in the afternoon and two hours of free parking in council-owned car parks at Paul St and North Main St. However, they also reaffirmed their support for the CCMS, after a warning from the head of the councils transportation directorate, Gerry OBeirne, that the city will face crippling congestion, until there is an effective response to its increasing transport demands. Fianna Fail councillor Sean Martin said it is now vital that City Hall adopts a boots on the ground approach to engagement over the coming months, to explain the CCMS vision. He said independent consultants should be hired, if required, to drive that process forward. Diagnosed with terminal cancer in her 40s, she believes her final wishes, however quirky, should be honoured. But the chances of that deathbed are slim. I know the kind of death I am going to have and I have two options. The first is I bear the pain, so I can be lucid to the end. Or, I can take the pain relief and become the opposite of lucid, whatever that is. Confused? Not knowing who I am? I dont know and that frightens me more than the prospect of pain. To die the way she wants would require a change in the law, maybe even a referendum, to allow for voluntary assisted dying (VAD) the choice to take a prescribed, life-ending medication in the final months of an incurable illness. Gaynor is under no illusions. We are nowhere near ready for a referendum, she says. But what she hopes society is ready for is a conversation that might, eventually, lead to the legalisation of VAD. And gobby Gaynor, as she describes herself, feels she is the person to start the talk. Family But Gaynor is not planning her own suicide, nor is she seeking anyone to assist her. Despite the availability of the knowhow and drugs from online sources, it is the last thing on her mind. We had to have the dog put down last year and it nearly destroyed us. Its a huge responsibility and I would not put it on my family. I would not even suggest it, she says. I will never commit suicide, because that is not what this is about. All I want to do is start the conversation about VAD. I want people to be able to talk about this without abuse, without nastiness. I want a mature conversation. Her experience suggests that even a debate is a step too far for some people. Since starting a blog and a Facebook page, under the Dying With Dignity Ireland title, her inbox has rarely been empty and the contributions have not always been constructive. She has been compared to an abortionist and a Nazi death camp commander. I stay the grown-up and I reply with a dignified response, but its hard sometimes. I did block one person, but only because he was upsetting other people following me. I dont want to block people, because I respect other peoples views. Im just asking for the same respect, in return. Cancer Six years ago, at the age of 41 and with the youngest of her three children aged just 10, Gaynor found a lump in her breast. Youre told, dont worry, it could be just a cyst, but I studied biology and life sciences and I knew, she says. She knew, but she didnt panic. The lump was small and manageable, surgery was successful, and the chemotherapy and radiology were precautionary. They did everything right, she says of her medical team. We had every reason to be optimistic. And then, six months away from the five-year mark, where I was to get the all-clear, I felt tired and I knew something was up. This cancer hadnt followed the rules and it had sneaked its way into her liver and her bones. She was given six months to live. A new cancer drug, Ibrance, hailed as a breakthrough when it was released in the United States in 2015 but not yet funded by the HSE, is being prescribed to her and to a small number of other women in Ireland, on compassionate grounds, and it has pushed those six months to more than a year. How much longer it can give her, nbody can say for sure. Gaynor has scans every 12 weeks and the last one showed only slight tumour growth, so progression of her cancer has certainly slowed, but it hasnt halted. Home But it hasnt stalled her appetite for living, either. Even on a damp, cold day at her rural Co Roscommon home, she delights in the ever-changing countryside around her and is endlessly amused by the madness created by the familys four dogs and curmudgeonly goose. The family moved here from England 10 years ago, full of dreams for a fresh start in life with clean air, green grass, and polytunnels. Gaynor is from Manchester but both her and and her husband Steves roots are in Ireland. Gaynors upbringing was difficult and she became a mum at 18, in the midst of a troubled relationship. Undaunted, she enrolled in college as a mature student, and began working in education in A-level colleges, on early school-leaver schemes, and in prisons. She broke free from the relationship and was happily single when Steve appeared. She got stuck with him in a bar because her friend fancied his friend, but when he told her he had two Jaguars, she couldnt resist agreeing to visit him. Steve and Gaynor married and thrived. Funeral Steve restores cars for a living, although he hasnt taken on many projects in the past year, not since Gaynors increasingly full calendar of medical appointments took over. One of the projects awaiting his attention in the garage is a classic hearse. Gaynor cant help but laugh at the irony of the rather prescient purchase, but, no, shes not expecting to be its next passenger. Ive already made my funeral arrangements, she says. I dont want my family having to do all that. When I was told it was terminal, the next day, I booked my funeral and then I wrote my will. It wasnt morbid, although it was a bit strange, looking at the coffin and thinking, Ill be in there. She also created memory boxes for her children, filling them with photographs, favourite books, and toys from their childhood, pieces of her jewellery, and letters to be read after shes gone. She created a childrens character, Holmsey Hare, and has had a book of his adventures published as a legacy for her adored three-year-old granddaughter. Bucket List She compiled a bucket list of things she wants to accomplish. She started learning piano, she took a spin on a motorbike, she rode a carnival big wheel and she got arrested (with the co-operation of her local guards and some rather fanciful charges). She even got to throw her underwear at a Depeche Mode concert in Dublin. They were clean still in the wrapper she hastens to add. The biologist in her doesnt carelessly spread germs. And she didnt actually throw them, but handed them to a nice roadie, who obligingly placed them on stage, where no-one would slip on them. The sensible mum in her fully approved. Now, shed just like to be able to arrange her death. Gaynor says she didnt have to think about VAD it was her natural instinct to gravitate towards the idea. I grew up in 1980s Manchester, she explains with an expression that implies, were realists, we dont sugarcoat things. She doesnt doubt that her palliative care team will do all they can to keep her comfortable. She cant speak highly enough of the Mayo Roscommon Hospice services and has fundraised for them. But they dont actually have a hospice yet, so end-of-life care must take place in hospital or at home. Gaynor doesnt want to die in hospital. Ive witnessed death in hospital and it was not death with dignity. The nurses did their best, but hospitals are not set up to cater for death, she says. But she isnt satisfied that it would be fair or feasible to expect her family to handle it at home, even with support. I know my palliative care team and trust them. Although I cried when I was referred to them, because, to me, they were the people who came in the last week and watched the clock counting down. Conversation I know now thats not the case. Theyve been fantastic to me and I know theyll treat me the best they can. But they also know my views on VAD and they dont try to change my mind. I think a lot of medical professionals agree with me, or at least agree we should be having the conversation, Gaynor says. The conversation begins with Gaynors challenge to the arguments most often used to oppose VAD. People will say its suicide and were all trying to stop suicide, but its not suicide, if were already dying. Its not us killing ourselves its the disease, she says. People say we should go only when God says its our time to go, but if that is so, should we be taking chemo at all? Should we take heart pills, and all the other medication people are on every day to keep them alive? If their body is no longer working without medication, isnt that Gods way of saying your times up, and yet we fight against that every day. Its hypocrisy. The biggest fear is that there will be a slippery slope, she says, referring to the contention that if assisted dying is legalised, people who are borderline cases or who are chronically rather than terminally ill, will avail of it and then people will be coerced into it, because they cost too much to keep alive or they dont want to be a burden on their family or theyre made to feel theyre a burden. But where VAD is already legal, that has not happened, she says, arguing the exact opposite that there are greater safeguards against coercion, where VAD is legal than there are where it isnt. Secret It would be naive to believe assisted dying is not already taking place in Ireland. People save up their pain medication, their opiates, and take them all in one go. People are afraid to talk about it, but they have told me this is what they will do. When people are already far gone and under the care of a medical team, there is unlikely to be a post-mortem, so no-one will know. Except we do know its a dirty secret, Gaynor says. Because its a dirty secret, whos to say that person who takes an overdose hasnt had their medication saved up for them and been encouraged to take it by someone else? Death is more likely to be coerced, because there is no legal watch-body or proper procedures or protections. Where its legal, there is transparency. A legalised system, such as the one Gaynor favours which has operated in the US state of Oregon for the past 20 years provides for VAD in very restricted circumstances, with the stipulation that patients must be able to self-medicate. The Oregon Health Authority, the states version of the HSE, polices it and reports annually on its activities and outcomes. Patients do not have to be referred for psychiatric or psychological evaluation beforehand, but may be if a doctor deems it necessary. Either way, the very fact that a patient has to talk through their situation with a doctor automatically acts as a filter to ensure people who opt for VAD are doing so willingly and with full knowledge of what it entails. A significant proportion of people one in three in Oregon who receive their prescription do not actually take it. Enough But they have a better standard of living because of it. They know they have security at the end. They dont have to worry about a horrible death, so they can concentrate on enjoying the time they have left. My doctor cant tell me when exactly Im going to die, but Ill know when Ive had enough. I want to be in charge when that happens, Gaynor says. A formal system of VAD would also safeguard doctors, many of whom have to prescribe and administer pain relief that ultimately hastens death, while trying not to actually cause the death. Its a tightrope, with only a flimsy legal safety net. The Oregon system, in common with others, also provides an opt-out for doctors, on grounds of conscience. Gaynor says she understands the instinct of the medical profession is to preserve life, so some doctors may never be comfortable with VAD, but she also believes most would support it, if it was introduced here. Suffer We have such advances in medicine that they blur the line between keeping someone alive and enabling them to live. But because we have advances in medicine, no-one should suffer anymore in death, Gaynor says. I hate hearing it said, after someone dies, at least theyre not suffering anymore. Why should they suffer? I dont want my children to be saying at least she is not suffering. I dont want to see my pain in their eyes, she says. For now, its the emotional pain that affects Gaynor most. Thinking of her children, and all the time she wont share with them, hurts beyond description and the tears she has battled to keep at bay fight their way out. I have days when I am terrified and I am heartbroken. Im wasting time being frightened and I dont have time to waste. I love my kids so much and I want to see them grow up, I want to see them leave university, I want to see my grandchildren, I want the three-year-old to remember me. I want to be here when shes a horrible teenager, like her mum was. Gaynor manages a laugh, glancing up lovingly at the photograph on the wall of the smiling young woman who was her firstborn and remembering how they sparred during the terrible teens. But none of this is going to happen and by not talking about it, I am still going to die. I just want to die my way, Gaynor says. Pain There will come a point when the pain becomes unbearable and they have to give us the pain relief to match the pain and, at some stage, the pain relief becomes terminal. I just want to step in before then, so I can die me and not die as a disease, Gaynor says. To keep being Gaynor and have a calendar of medical appointments hanging over her, and a daily cocktail of drugs to be coordinated, is a challenge, but she keeps doing the things she loves, as much as possible. An avid needlecrafter, she designs charts for other stitchers to embroider and has sold her work worldwide. Holmsey Hare hangs on many a childs bedroom wall. Shes writing a book about her life for her children, because she doesnt want anything to be left unsaid. She posts regularly on her blog and Facebook site, kick-starting a discussion she hopes will someday earn its place in the statute books. She hopes to post right to the end to give people an insight into what its like to be close to death and she has asked that her family record her final moments and also post the footage, because she wants to demystify a process everyone will go through, but for which few will have any preparation. Sharing it with the world will ultimately be a decision for her family, though, and she knows they may have differing views. But one instruction she is adamant they will follow is to click play on the list of songs she wants to hear belting out by her bedside when she is dying. She reviews the playlist every so often, adding a new one or rearranging the sequence, but shes happy that each one, at some stage, formed the soundtrack to her life. Theyre a bit tongue-in-cheek, she says with a grin. They currently include Every Breath You Take, by The Police, There Must Be An Angel by Annie Lennox, Dont You Forget About Me by Simple Minds, and This Is The Last Time by Keane. Naturally, theres a Depeche Mode recording in there, too. The gobby woman who wants to start a national conversation smiles as she reads the title. She has picked Enjoy the Silence. Gaynor is chronicling her daily life, and her thoughts about VAD, on her Facebook page, Dying With Dignity Ireland, and she also discusses the issue on her blog, which can be found at dyingwithdignityblog.wordpress.com. The revelations are in one of a series of draft briefing papers prepared on the Tuam and Bessborough mother and baby homes by Declan McKeown, a consultant public health physician and medical epidemiologist of HSE Medical Intelligence. The drafts date to October 2012, two years before the Tuam babies scandal. They were completed as part of the HSEs examination of the States role in the Magdalene Laundries, under the McAleese inquiry. In one draft, from October 18 of that year, Dr McKeown noted the Tuam archive contained evidence that one child was sent to a US couple in 1957 for a price. Some of the records are well-kept, however, and show that, in one case of an infant being sent to a family in Louisiana, in 1957, a sum of approximately 50 was paid to the order by both the adoptive parents and by the natural [birth] parents, wrote Dr McKeown. Under the Adoption Act, 1952, it was illegal for an adopter, parent, or guardian of a child to receive any payment in return for the adoption of a child, unless the payments were towards the maintenance of the child or to a solicitor. Dr McKeown said the adoption records contained in the Tuam archive showed multiple illegal adoptions, which were not processed by the Adoption Board. The adoption records are scanty, but a number of records do exist, which appear not to have gone through the Adoption Board. Processing an adoption through the Adoption Board would have been the accepted practice at the time. Dr McKeowns drafts also revealed that there were letters from senior Church figures, requesting the nuns to identify babies for adoption to the USA indicating that the Catholic Church hierarchy was also directing this practice. In one case, the child of a named woman is suggested for transfer to American adoptive parents, a briefing paper states. Dr McKeown concluded by suggesting the archive needed to be fully examined for possible criminal issues, but noted an enormous amount of work remained to be done. The archives need to be examined for clinical, accounting, and ethical irregularities, of which there are numerous clues in the material already uncovered. Additionally, there may be legal or criminal issues underlying the documentation, and it is critical that these potentials are out ruled as soon as possible, given the increased public interest in the issue of adoption practice in Ireland, particularly in the 1950s. A final draft of the briefing paper, containing concerns about adoption and infant mortality at Tuam and Bessborough, and citing the 1957 case, was sent to the national director of the HSEs quality and patient safety division, Philip Crowley, and to the then national director of HSE children and family services, Gordon Jeyes, the following day. The briefing paper had been sent one week after a note of a teleconference with the then assistant director of children and family service, Phil Garland, and then head of the medical intelligence unit, David De La Harpe, expressed concern that what was being discovered in Tuam may prove to be a scandal that dwarfs other, more recent issues with the Church and State. This note was revealed by the Irish Examiner in 2015. A series of questions were put to the HSE, including whether any of the evidence discovered in 2012 was ever reported to a government minister or to the gardai. It declined to answer the questions, stating it did not wish to inappropriately encroach upon the work of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission. The HSE is currently liaising with the commission, in relation to the disclosure of all documentation relevant to their work, a statement said. The ministers, speaking to the Irish Examiner, were responding to harsh criticism by Mr Martin yesterday during a 1916 commemoration speech in Arbour Hill, where he said Ireland is being pushed back in Brexit talks. A rising concern is that Ireland is now being pushed later and later in the negotiations, leaving a real risk that we will face enormous pressure to accept whatever is proposed, so that the financial settlement with the UK will not be lost, he said. Amid reports that British prime minister Theresa May could accept some form of a customs union, Mr Martin said. We are concerned. I think we do need to see credible proposals around the border issue and also in terms of moving forward concrete proposals around the seamless trade relationship, North and South. However, his comments were rounded on by Tanaiste Simon Coveneys office, as well as other ministers, who said they smack of desperation. A spokesman for the Tanaiste said: The Irish Governments negotiating position on Brexit has been clear and consistent since the UK voted to leave the EU. Negotiations are sensitive and ongoing, so it is curious to say the least that, at a time when European backing of Ireland from Donald Tusk, Michel Barnier, and governments across the EU has been rock solid, Fianna Fail is trying to create division and fear on Brexit at home for party political gain and a few headlines. I want to assure people that the Taoiseach and Tanaiste are in constant contact with their EU counterparts, the Barnier taskforce and the British government, and the strength of the position they consistently hold has placed Irish issues at the centre of the Brexit debate in Europe and the UK. It was reported that Ms Mays team accept permanent membership of a European customs union may occur. Ms May has insisted that the UK will leave the common tariff area, so it can pursue free-trade deals outside the EU, but one of her political team told a meeting on March 20 that she and senior aides will not be crying into our beer if parliament forces the governments hand, a position that will enrage some Brexiteers. At Arbour Hill, Mr Martin paid a warm tribute to former taoiseach Bertie Ahern for his work on the Good Friday Agreement, saying it would have been impossible without his leadership. It emerged at the weekend that Mr Ahern walked out of an interview with German broadcaster DW when asked about the Mahon Tribunal. Mr Martin is demanding an apology from Mr Naughten, but will not call for his resignation. Following the confirmation of a call between Mr Naughten and lobbyist Eoghan O Neachtain, Fianna Fail had shied away from a motion of no confidence in him. Speaking to the Irish Examiner yesterday, Mr Naughten said: I have said that I sincerely regret giving an opinion but I reiterate I also stated very clearly that I would adhere to the advice of my officials. And I have also stated it would have been preferable had the conversation not taken place. At a 1916 commemoration event yesterday at Arbour Hill in Dublin, Mr Martin said it was very important that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Mr Naughten state unequivocally that what was done was wrong. I think many people find the ministers defence in the Dail as incredible, he said. The Taoiseach started this by suggesting what happened initially was a personal view. You cant distinguish a personal view from his responsibility as a minister in relation to media mergers. That was a ridiculous statement to make. Secondly, he compounded the original wrong by the manner of his defence in the Dail. I think the Taoiseach has to be categoric in the Dail, and so must the minister, that what he did was wrong. I think the minister should apologise for what he did. If its the Government view that this is something which is OK, then I do think we have a problem in terms of future behaviour. Mr Martin said the matter needs to be pursued further, and denied he was simply posturing on the issue by ruling out a motion of no confidence. Party Leader @MichealMartinTD delivers the oration at our Arbour Hill commemoration pic.twitter.com/fpDcwsqg39 Fianna Fail (@fiannafailparty) April 22, 2018 No, its not, he said. There are some very clear principles at stake and the behaviour, how ministers behave in terms of discharging their statutory responsibilities. We in the Dail must hold ministers to account and the Taoiseach to account. "Its not just enough to put up the shutters and try defend the indefensible. Im surprised by the ministers performance in the Dail last week. I presumed he was going to come in and take a different approach and articulate in a different way on it. Ultimately, all laws need to be enforced. There need to be penalties if those laws are not adhered to. All regulations can only go so far. Its the actual enforcement of regulation where we as a country tend to fall down. "Enforcement of regulation in relation to lobbying is clearly something that should be looked at now, in relation to what has happened. Mr Martin also said he would shy away from door-to-door campaigning on the Eighth Amendment referendum, which is less than five weeks away. As a legislator, we must take on board the views of all of the people and not force our views on anyone, he said. There is a mood out in the country for change in relation to the Eighth Amendment itself and I will continue to advocate for that. And while he will use the media to speak out, he said he was unsure if the people want to be told what to do by politicians. In terms of doorstep campaigning, my own sense is a lot of people want to be left to their own thinking, he said. They are not overly enthusiastic about the prospect of politicians coming and telling them what to do. The lively rom-com Inlaws and Outlawsin which the late Cork City actor Michael Twomey appears in a starring role, is a locally produced 90-minute movie filmed for the most part in the region. Up to 300 people are expected to attend the premiere in Dunmanway, for which only a handful of tickets remains, and which will also feature live music. Pascal Scott, who plays the eccentric farmer in The Young Offenders, has a cameo role in the movie, which follows the twin stories of a young woman from West Cork who wishes to marry a poor man despite her wealthy fathers disapproval, and a ruthless criminal gang on the trail of a substantial amount of missing money. Both stories collide, and the tale is both funny and exciting, says Bantry-based film-maker Brendan Hayes, who wrote, directed, and produced the film. Inlaws and Outlaws features an exciting car chase through Dunmanway which took three days to shoot. Interest in the film is high more than half of the 30-strong cast is from the town, Hayes birthplace. Actor Michael Twomey during the filming of Inlaws and Outlaws. This is my third film project, along with several documentaries, but this is the one I have most enjoyed making to date its been great fun from start to finish and the cast and crew were more like a family than anything else, he said. The movie, which he refers to both as a no-budget film, and a film that was made on a budget of faith, was partially funded by Hayes. However, he said the project could never have been completed without the huge support of residents, churches, and businesses in West Cork, primarily in the town of Dunmanway, who donated everything from wedding ensembles and the use of a Rolls Royce to flower arrangements and venues of all kinds. I am hugely grateful for all the support I got throughout the making of this film, said Hayes. The people of Dunmanway and West Cork have my undying gratitude. Although work started on Inlaws and Outlaws in 2016, it is only being released now, primarily due to a lack of funding. Hayes is currently working on a political comedy-drama. Inlaws and Outlaws will be screened on screen at the Parkway Hotel in Dunmanway at 8pm on this coming Friday. The Public Appointments Service (PAS) has declined to reveal any details of likely candidates. The Policing Authority, for whom the PAS is operating the competition, was also not able to provide any details. The PAS is in sole possession of the applications tendered. In a statement, the PAS said: In line with established practice, PAS makes no comment on any aspect of a recruitment-and-selection process, whilst it is underway. A full and transparent report will be published on our website, at the end of the process. Meanwhile, when the Policing Authority was pressed on how many people had applied and on the breakdown between internal and external candidates, a spokesperson said: The Public Appointments Service is running this competition and it would be best-placed to respond to any queries. Assistant Commissioner John ODriscoll is among internal candidates being mentioned. The Irish Examiner tried previously to establish who was sitting on the selection panel that will assess the applications. While the PAS was not in a position to give such information, both the Department of Justice and the Policing Authority have confirmed that the PAS had asked each of them for representatives. It is not clear who else, other than a senior PAS officer, will sit on the panel and whether or not any external independent experts will be included. It is also not clear who will chair the panel. The commissioner job has a salary of up to 250,000. Some sources have speculated that at least four internal garda candidates might have applied, with reports also suggesting that a number of applications might have been made by police officers from Scotland. Internal candidates who are being mentioned are Deputy Commissioner (Operations and Security), John Twomey; Assistant Commissioner John ODriscoll, head of Special Crime Operations; Assistant Commissioner for Dublin Metropolitan Region Pat Leahy; and Assistant Commissioner (Northern Region), Barry OBrien. And the proposed council maintenance of a further 11 estates is also delayed. They have not been finished to a required standard. Resident associations in 174 estates in Cork county have asked the local authority to take over their maintenance, but only one is currently going through the legal process. Problems with Irish Water and developers are among the difficulties local authorities face in taking charge of housing estates, a meeting heard. Corks County Hall only took over three estates in 2017 and 10 the previous year, compared to 174 in 2014 and 92 in 2013. Catriona Ni Mhainnin, a senior executive officer in the planning department, said that prior to Irish Water being established, taking charge was straightforward and under the control of the council. Irish water, however, is also responsible for wastewater treatment systems. Ms Ni Mhainnin, in a report, said there were 26 applications from estates that have wastewater treatment plants. There is currently no national strategy for dealing with such estates and, as such, Irish Water will not take the treatment plants in charge. However, she said the councils estates section hopes to be in a position, subject to Irish Waters cooperation, to commence the formal taking-in-charge process of a number of estates by the late summer. The largest number of estates on a waiting list for taking-in-charge includes 30 in the Kanturk/Mallow municipal district and 11 in the Bandon/Kinsale municipal district. Seamus McGrath Ms Ni Mhainnin provided the report at the request of Cllr Seamus McGrath, who has championed the cause of residents who want the local authority to take care of housing-estate maintenance. Cllr McGrath said, unfortunately, that a number of developers were not fulfilling obligations to build estates to proper standards. Residents associations have to first petition the council. Cllr McGrath said increasing numbers showed the level of frustration out there. I know there are issues with developers, receivers, and so on. Then, theres the Irish Water issue. Residents are being held to ransom, with its refusal to take in charge wastewater treatment plants, he said. Cllr Mary Rose Desmond claimed the Irish Water issue was actually blocking the sale of houses. We need to insist. There is a national strategy to deal with this. Its an ostrich, head-in-the sand approach, she said. Cllr Des OGrady said that prior to the foundation of Irish Water, the process was straightforward. Thats where the problems began. Irish Water can block the taking-in-charge at their whim. The Government is surely responsible for this, he said. Cllr Danny Collins said he knew of estates in Dunmanway and Glengarriff, in particular, that were getting the runaround, because of Irish Waters refusal to approve their water and sewerage systems. Debate around assisted dying has been a slow burner in Ireland, where up to 25 years ago, suicide and attempted suicide were still criminal offences. The last prosecution for a suicide attempt was in 1967, the Seanad was told in 1991, when then-justice minister Ray Burke spoke on a new bill proposed by Fine Gaels Dan Neville, seeking to decriminalise suicide. The view of the prosecuting authorities which is one shared by me is the people who attempt suicide are in need of sympathy and treatment, not punishment, said Mr Burke. There was no such sympathy for the idea of someone assisting a suicide. In the course of the debate on the bill, several parliamentary questions were put to then-health minister, Dr John OConnell, about the role of doctors in what was then called voluntary euthanasia. He said he had no information in relation to the topic; he had no plans for legislation on it, and such practices would be completely unacceptable within the Irish health service. The Criminal Law (Suicide) Act of 1993 was passed and it decriminalised suicide but it also, as a widely welcomed safeguard, created a new offence of assisted suicide, which to this day still carries a 14-year jail sentence. The issue did not trouble the houses of the Oireachtas again until December 1998, when a spat erupted over tributes paid to Dublin GP Dr Paddy Leahy, who had recently died. Dr Leahy had been an outspoken campaigner for contraception at a time when it too was illegal and, in his later years, he turned his attention to the issue of euthanasia. Dan Neville He spoke publicly of having helped numerous patients to die, beginning when he was working in England during the war and met people suffering terribly from bomb injuries. He said he continued to be contacted by dozens of people every year, begging for help and, after being diagnosed with cancer, he announced he would arrange his own death. The spat, between those who sought to pay tribute to him and those who were outraged by his views, was short-lived and once again, the debate fizzled out. Then in 2002, the death of a woman in a house in Dalkey drew attention, after evidence emerged that she had arranged to die with the help of a controversial American right-to-die advocate, Reverend George Exoo. Rosemary Toole was suffering from depression and claimed also to be physically ill, although her medical condition was somewhat vague. The Garda investigation dragged on but in 2004, extradition proceedings were commenced. Exoo was detained by police in the US in 2007 on foot of the extradition application but after several months in jail, he was released when a judge refused to approve his handover to the Irish authorities. Gardai finally threw in the towel and Ms Tooles inquest went ahead in 2009. The coroner could establish no proof that she had been actively assisted in taking her own life, and a verdict of suicide was delivered. The issue faded from public view again but then in 2011, Bernadette Forde, 51, a former human resources manager in the late stages of multiple sclerosis, was found dead at her Dublin home. Gail O'Rorke Her friend, Gail ORorke, had been reported to gardai by a travel agent after making inquiries about flights to Switzerland for a person who was ill and with limited mobility. She immediately fell under suspicion and in 2013 she was charged with assisting Ms Fordes suicide and remanded on bail to await trial. In the meantime, the story of Marie Fleming had been attracting headlines. Marie, a former university lecturer in the late stages of multiple sclerosis, launched a High Court case to challenge the law on assisted suicide. She argued it discriminated against people with disabilities because, if she was able-bodied, she could legally take her own life, but because her movement was so restricted, she needed help, and helping was a criminal offence. Her partner of 18 years, Tom Curran, had agreed to help her but Marie did not want him exposed to the risk of a criminal prosecution. If she couldnt overturn the law, then the least Marie wanted was a statement from the Director of Public Prosecutions clarifying what factors would be taken into consideration when deciding when to prosecute. Maries case was heard and lost in late 2012, with the only comfort she could draw from the outcome being the judges view that they expected the DPP would exercise her discretion in a humane and sensitive way. Marie Fleming Determined to fight on, Marie lodged an appeal to the Supreme Court which was heard in early 2013. She lost that too but she gained praise from taoiseach of the day, Enda Kenny, among many other public figures. Some comfort was drawn from the fact that the judges ruled there was nothing in the Constitution to stop the Oireachtas legislating for assisted dying. In November of that year, Gail ORorke was charged with aiding or abetting a suicide by attempting to make travel arrangements for Ms Forde and helping to procure lethal medication from Mexico. The next month, a few days before Christmas, Marie died, at home with Tom. In April 2015, the jury in the Gail ORorke case acquitted her of all charges after an eight-day trial. In December 2015, Independent TD John Halligan introduced a Dying with Dignity Bill in the Dail, saying it was inspired by Marie Fleming and declaring: It is an ethical issue this country will have to address sooner or later. Mr Halligan was made a junior minister following the general election in early 2016 and his bill vanished without ever being debated. In June that year, Tom Curran gave an interview to this newspaper about Maries death and the many approaches he had received to help other people plan their deaths. He has been under Garda investigation since. Last November, the Oireachtas Committee on Justice held hearings on the right to die with dignity, inviting presentations from both sides of the debate, including Mr Curran, as well as broadly neutral legal and ethical experts. The committee has not yet published its report and recommendations. Oregon in the spotlight during 20 years of assisted dying in the state With 20 years of legalised assisted dying behind it, Oregon in the United States is regularly under a spotlight from advocates on both sides of the debate. And with a population of just over 4m close to Ireland it may give an insight into how a similar law might operate here. The state was the first in the US to legalise assisted dying, passing the Death with Dignity Act in 1994 by a narrow popular vote of 51% to 49%. However, implementation of the act was held up by legal challenges until October 1997. By that time, the margin in favour had grown and when a question asking voters if they wanted to repeal it was added to the election ballot of 1997, the electorate chose to retain it by 60% to 40%. Since then, the Oregon Health Authority has published annual reports on the operation of the act, collecting statistics on patients such as their medical condition, gender, age, race, marital status, level of education, their reasons for wanting an assisted death and the means by which it is carried out. The health authority itself takes no practical part in assisted dying, leaving it to doctors and patients to make arrangements although there are mandatory procedures that must be completed and the Oregon Medical Board will investigate any suspected breaches. By law, a patient must be 18 or older, resident in Oregon, capable of making and communicating their decisions and diagnosed with a terminal illness with death expected within six months. Patients must make two requests to their doctor, at least 15 days apart, and that doctor must refer them to a second doctor to verify that all the conditions are met. If a doctor has any doubt about their patients state of mind or their ability to make decisions, they must also refer them for pscyhological or psychiatric evaluation. When cleared to proceed, a prescription can be written and the prescribing doctor must report all the details to the health authority. There is no obligation on any doctor to write a prescription or facilitate an assisted death. From 1997 up to the end of last year, a total of 1,967 people had prescriptions written for lethal medications and 1,275 were confirmed to have died from taking the drugs so around one in three did not go ahead with their plan for an assisted death and subsequently died of other causes. That ratio has been relatively stable from the start. In 1998, the first full year that the Death with Dignity Act was in operation, 21 people received prescriptions but just 15 used them. What has changed over time is the numbers availing of an assisted death. The 21 who got prescriptions in 1998 grew to 218 last year. In 1998, of every 10,000 deaths in the state, five were assisted deaths. The rate in 2017 was 40 for every 10,000 deaths. The age at which patients are likely to opt for an assisted death was 69 in 1998 and 74 in 2017. More men opted for assisted death than women 53% were men in 1998 and 58% in 2017. Cancer is by far the main underlying illness, accounting for 86% of those who requested prescriptions in 1998 and 78% in 2017 although, interestingly, those suffering from lung, ovarian or breast cancer collectively made up 60% of the group in 1998 and just 23% in 2017. In 1998, just 13% of the group were married while the biggest group were widowed, and just over half were either divorced or never married. By 2017, married people, or those in civil partnerships, accounted for 52% of the group. On average every year since 1997, just over half had private health insurance although this dipped to 31% last year. Every year, the vast majority are enrolled in hospice services an average of 90% but few actually die in care facilities, with an average of 93% choosing to die at home. The reasons for opting for an assisted death have been fairly constant over the 20 years and, somewhat surprisingly, pain is not the number one issue. Loss of autonomy and inability to engage in activities that make life enjoyable are the main concerns. Pain was a fear of 7% in 1998 and 21% in 2017. In 2017 just over half listed fear of being a burden on others as a significant concern compared to just 13% in 1998. Just 5.6% last year listed the financial cost of prolonging their treatment as a significant concern but nobody mentioned this as a concern in 1997. Since 1997 there have been seven patients who regained consciousness after taking lethal medications and subsequently died from their underlying illnesses. No breaches of the law were resported last year. David Motte, 59, from North Carolina, said he has forged a special bond with the Irish people, and said he and his wife, Joy, will never be able to thank everyone enough. I probably shouldnt be here right now, but the fact that I am is testimony to the great work those people did on Friday, he said. The fact that everyone was so prepared... I am ever so grateful. I owe my life to them. Speaking from his hospital bed in Cork University Hospital (CUH) last night, he said: I, we, have been trying to thank everyone. But I dont think we will ever be able to thank them enough. I cannot tell you how caring and gracious the people have been. The people we have met are just so wonderful. We were in dire circumstances, and we have just been so touched by the outpouring of support, and by the love and concern people have shown. We have fallen in love with Ireland. I have formed a special bond with the people of Ireland. The couple arrived in Ireland last Tuesday, on their first visit here, to explore Joys Irish heritage, and were a few steps from the top of Blarney Castle last Friday morning when David collapsed. Castle staff, who are trained in first aid, gave immediate assistance before Jeremy Downey, a volunteer with Blarney Community First Responders who was working nearby, arrived on scene, followed soon afterwards by National Ambulance Service paramedics. They administered CPR and used a defibrillator and revived him. However, given the location and Davids critical condition, an airlift was called. The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 115, winched David from the top of the castle and transferred him to a waiting ambulance, which rushed him to CUH. Mr Motte, who works in management in a large bank, is awaiting the outcome of tests today, which will determine whether he needs treatment here, or can return home. I have little recollection of the incident itself, he said. Its a big blur, but what I do have is wonderful memories of what these people have done for me, and for the love and concern people have shown to us. We are just overwhelmed by the caring, gracious people of Ireland. Joy said she had feared the worst on Friday. I wasnt sure that day whether I would be going home alone, she said. You would think the top of a castle would be the worst place to have a heart attack it turned out to be the best. Everybody has been so awesome. Ive been blown away by the outpouring of love and support. It was just incredible that everyone was where they needed to be on Friday and helped save his life. Joy has been staying with Blarney First Responders volunteer Kate Durrant since the incident and praised the support she had received from people such as Grainne McSweeney, who liaised with the hotel in the hours after Davids collapse, and Martin OShea, who offered to return the couples hire car. Ms Durrant said: Its a wonderful day when a man becomes seriously ill, yet leaves the village alive, thanks to the staff at Blarney Castle and our own first-responders. He received first-class and life-saving care in those critical first few minutes, thanks to the commitment locally to learn effective CPR and AED use. Features Employment Project Supports Rehabilitated Drug Users A group of rehabilitated youth from Harvest Rehabilitation Center. / Harvest Rehabilitation Center It was 2003 when Reverend Zau Tawng realized that most of his students from bible studies in Hpakant were using drugs. It saddened him to realize that the drug problems in his Kachin State homeland were as serious as the jade mining disasters, ongoing conflicts with ethnic armed groups, and internally displaced persons forced to flee their homes. Clueless but eager to save young addicts, he tried operating a rehabilitation center in his hometown Mohnyin but drugs were easily accessible inside the rehab compound and the center was not a success. Realizing that Kachin State was not the right place for his venture, he moved to Yangon and bought four acres of land in Hlegu where he then founded the Harvest Rehabilitation Center in 2012. I empathize with the pressure and anxiety that the parents of addicts have to endure. Thats why I decided to help them, said Zau Tawng. Since its opening in 2012, the center has housed 242 addicts mostly from Kachin and Shan states, reporting that some 75 percent of them do not relapse after leaving the facility. Only accepting those who voluntarily enter the rehab process, Harvest Center operates as an abstinence-based residential program that offers sports, music, spiritual studies and therapy, not only to recover from addiction but to promote overall physical and mental well-being. The Harvest Center welcomes drug addicts of any ethnicity and from any part of the country, as long as they are ready to close that chapter of their lives. The center generally does not accept newcomers from June to October during its intensive withdrawal period. If addicts are ready to leave the facility, they travel around the country and share their recovery stories in November and December. But life after rehab is uncertain for many, who without jobs and stability face the possibility of relapse. Zau Tawng was joined by his son Zaw Tu Hkawng, who had experience working in the health sector prior to the center opening. Zaw Tu Hkawng now manages programs for rehabilitated participants. After visiting rehab centers in New Zealand with the Myanmar Young Leaders program in 2017, he learned that employers were often hesitant to hire former drug users not because they had bad experiences with them but because of a social stigma that painted them as an unreliable workforce. Zaw Tu Hkawng faced the same reaction when reaching out to small hotels and other businesses in the hospitality industry. I want to prove to employers that these rehabilitated men deserve a new start and that they can be responsible workers, he said. With a strong desire to create job opportunities for his mentees from Harvest, he designed a program to help former drug users get job training called Nurturing Rehabilitated Users for Employment, funded by international non-governmental group UnionAID of New Zealand. The program connects business owners who want to help their communities and rehabilitated young men who are seeking vocational training to move forward in their lives. Of the 24 mentees who are currently living at Harvest, nine of them spent nearly two months at four different businesses receiving onsite training. Three of them worked at a bakery, two worked at a car repair shop, two at a video production business and two at pig farms from January 25 to March 12, 2018, six days a week. With daily reflections and reports from respective employers, the nine Harvest mentees successfully finished their training with support, encouragement and appreciation from employers and coworkers. Naw San Min Thu, the owner of Orison Frozen Food and one of the employers, wanted her small bakery to be a responsible business. Having reminded her employees to be friendly and kind to the mentees before their arrival, she reminisced about the first day of job training. It was more of an excitement to meet these drug-free young men than worrying about them not getting along with my employees, she said. Although there were some awkward moments at first, her three mentees and coworkers got along well and became friends throughout the program. Although the employment program ended, Naw San Min Thu offered permanent employment for her mentees to continue their work at Orison after noting their strong will to improve their lives. The three mentees were determined to make their lives better and I am very honored to be part of their journeys, she proudly said. La Ja Aung, 36, went to Harvest nearly a year ago when he realized that continuing to use drugs would bring embarrassment and burden to his family as well as a possible end to his life. Withdrawal was difficult for him but he was committed. After being trained and supported by Orisons familial work environment, La Ja Aung now dreams of owning a small bakery. A bakery is doable for a small family. I could also distribute baked goods from Orison as an alternative, he said. He hopes to earn a stable income and create a stable life for his family. After managing a successful employment program, the father-son duo has bigger dreams and better plans to serve unprivileged youth in the country. So far running on donations and grants, Reverend Zau Tawng wants to make Harvest Rehab Center a sustainable institution that offers diplomas and degrees to its students in the future, and Zaw Tu Hkawng is ready to strategically implement his fathers dream. Despite big plans for the future, accommodations at the Harvest center are in need of an upgrade before the monsoon rains come. Reverend Zau Tawng is hopeful despite having a limited budget. We dont have enough to upgrade the entire building now but I believe well figure something out before the rainy season, said the reverend. Asia Indias Modi to Visit China This Week as Rapprochement Gathers Pace A staff member gestures to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he waits to enter a reception hall in Xiamen, China, Sept. 4, 2017. / Reuters BEIJING Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China this week for an informal meeting with President Xi Jinping, as efforts at rapprochement gather pace following a testing year in ties between the two giant neighbors. The Chinese governments top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, said the two would meet on Friday and Saturday in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Our common interests far outweigh our differences. The two countries have no choice other than pursuing everlasting friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development, Wang told reporters after meeting Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in Beijing. The summit will go a long way towards deepening the mutual trust between the two great neighbors, he added. We will make sure that the informal summit will be a complete success and a new milestone in the history of China-India relations. Modi has sought to reset ties after disputes over issues including their disputed border with Tibet and other issues. The discussion with Wang was to prepare for the informal summit, Swaraj said. It will be an important occasion for them (Modi and Xi) to exchange views on bilateral and international matters, from an overarching and long-term perspective with the objective of enhancing mutual communication, Swaraj said. The Asian giants were locked in a 73-day military stand-off in a remote, high-altitude stretch of that boundary last year. At one point, soldiers from the two sides threw stones and punches. The confrontation between the nuclear-armed powers in the Himalayas underscored Indian alarm at Chinas expanding security and economic links in South Asia. Chinas ambitious Belt and Road initiative of transport and energy links bypasses India, apart from a corner of the disputed Kashmir region, also claimed by Pakistan, but involves Indias neighbors Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives. Modis previously unannounced Wuhan trip is even more unusual in that he will visit China again in June for a summit in Qingdao of the China and Russia-led security grouping, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which India joined last year. It is almost unheard of for foreign leaders to visit China twice in such close succession. Xi is also extending Modi the rare honor of a meeting outside of Beijing, which almost never happens unless there is a multilateral summit taking place. Modis nationalist government has reversed course on its relationship with Beijing apparently after realizing its hard line on China was not working. Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who lives in India and who China considers a dangerous separatist, is also facing the cold shoulder. In March, India issued an unprecedented ban on Tibetans holding a rally with the Dalai Lama in New Delhi to mark the 60th anniversary of the start of the failed uprising against Chinese rule. Other areas of disagreement remain however between Beijing and New Delhi. China has blocked Indias membership of a nuclear cartel and it has also been blocking UN sanctions against a Pakistan-based militant leader blamed for attacks on India. Burma 5 Charged With Murder Following Fatal Beating of Obo Prison Inmate Obo Central prison, which has a capacity of 4,000 but is currently holding 7,000 inmates Mandalay Authorities at Obo Central Prison in Mandalay have filed criminal charges against five inmates over the death of a fellow prisoner in Cellblock No. 3 on Saturday. Ko Kyaw Myo Thu, who was being held on a non-bailable charge of trespassing, was found dead on Saturday after the five inmates allegedly beat him to death. According to prison authorities, the incident was triggered by a dispute between Ko Kyaw Myo Thu and another inmate, Ko Sithu Aung, over a right of passage within the crowded cellblock. Four of Ko Sithu Aungs friends also joined in the attack on Ko Kyaw Myo Thu, according to the charges. Prison authorities arrived quickly, however Ko Kyaw Myo Thu died on the way to the hospital, said a prison officer who asked not to be identified. We are taking action based on prison rules, as well as filing murder charges at the police station against the five inmates. The prison authorities said that Ko Sithu Aung and the four other suspects also attacked prison officials. All five are currently being held in an isolation unit. The murder charges were filed at Mandalays No.2 police station. Ko Sithu Aung and the four others were originally jailed on charges under Myanmars anti-narcotics law. The responsible prison officers for Block No. 3 will also be punished according to prison rules for not being able to stop the fight, the senior prison official added. According to the family of Ko Kyaw Myo Thu, who had been detained for about three months as he waited for his trial to be concluded, he was about to be released by the court. We are very sad because he was going to be free soon as the trial was nearly finished. Now we just want justice, said Ma Lei Lei Moe, the murdered mans wife. Since Obo prison and many other jails across the country are overcrowded, disputes between inmates over places to live are common, although cases of inmates being beaten to death are quite uncommon. The capacity of Obo prison is around 4,000. However, there are currently 7,000 inmates being held in the jail. Burma Tatmadaw Pushes Back KIA Battalions in Kachin State, Alliance Says A KIA soldier prepares to go to the front line in Tanai Township, Kachin State, in June. / Lawi Weng / The Irrawaddy YANGON The Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, pushed back two battalions of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) based in southern Kachin State on Friday and Saturday, according to the Northern Alliance. In a message posted to its Facebook page on Saturday, the alliance of four ethnic armed groups said the withdrawn KIA forces included Battalion 11, under Brigade 2, and Battalion 26, under Brigade 8. They were shooting their big artillery at Battalion 11 nonstop. They even shot at Ka Sung village, where there are 1,000 people, and which is near our base. We did not want the local people to be harmed, so we withdrew from our base, the report said. The Tatmadaws latest offensive started on April 11 and shows little sign of letting up, employing a combination of ground forces, shelling and air strikes. Residents of Lashio Township, across the border from Kachin in Shan State, said some 60 truckloads of Tatmadaw troops arrived on Sunday. The alliance claimed that the Tatmadaw on Friday also fired 30 artillery shells at Brigade 5, located near the town of Laiza in KIA-controlled territory, and another 17 at Brigade 3, near a camp for families displaced by the fighting in northern Shan. None of the members of the Northern Alliance have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the government and military. And except for the KIA, all have been excluded from participating in the national peace process. About 1,000 ethnic Kachin displaced by the latest fighting have arrived in Kachin States Namti Township in several waves since Saturday, according to the Kachin Baptist Convention, which is sheltering them in a local church. We were all worried that we were trapped in the middle of the fighting, so we fled our village, said La Jawng, who fled his home in Mogaung Township. The Irrawaddys Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint contributed reporting to this story. Burma Tatmadaw Troops Protecting Shan State Mine Pose Human Rights Threat Myanmar Army troops patrol in Laukkai Township in northern Shan State following a clash with Kokang rebels in February 2015. / The Irrawaddy CHIANG MAI, Thailand The presence of Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) troops in eastern Shan State to protect a mining project has led to human rights abuses against civilians, according to the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF), citing the recent alleged rape of an elderly woman by a soldier in Monghpyak town. On the morning of April 2, the 73-year-old woman from Wan Huay village in Monghpyak was found lying on the ground with her sarong torn from her, with injuries to her head, including her ears, from which earrings worth about 150,000 kyats (US$115) had been ripped. The old woman was hospitalized at Keng Tung Hospital and later transferred to Monghpyak Military Hospital, but three weeks after the attack she remains unable to talk or walk, according to Sai Tip Yee, Wan Huay village administrator. The family filed a case at Monghpyak police station, but police have only filed a case of slashing and robbery, not rape, partly because the old woman is still weak and unable to talk about what happened on that morning, Sai Tip Yee told The Irrawaddy on Monday. Police detained the alleged perpetrator, Private Nay Myo Thu, on the same day, but he was later transferred to military custody, so the case is no longer under civilian jurisdiction, said SHRF spokesman Sai Hor Hseng. We heard from the military that he [Private Nay Myo Thu] will be brought to the military court and they will take responsibility for this case, but we want him to stand trial in the civilian court in order to ensure justice for the victim, he said. Shan rights advocate Sai Hor Hseng added that they want justice for the victim and to end this sexual violence, because it is very dangerous for the public, especially women. Such cases are not uncommon. In a case documented by the SHRF in 2015, a soldier accused of rape in Tachilek was transferred back to his base in Monghpyak and there was no further news of whether he would face legal action. In a separate case in April 2015, an elderly Kachin woman, also 73, from Kachin States Momauk Township was the victim of an attempted rape by a Myanmar Army soldier, who was later sentenced to seven years imprisonment for trespassing, illegal drug use and violating the militarys code of conduct. She died a year later in June 2016, without ever receiving justice for the sexual assault, despite a civilian court having accepted her case, according to a report by the Kachin Womens Association Thailand. The SHRF said military impunity for sexual violence must end, describing it as a threat to women nationwide. SHRF therefore welcomes the new report by the UN Secretary General on conflict-related sexual violence, which blacklists the [Tatmadaw] for being credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape, the organization said in a statement Monday. The militarization of Shan State has increased despite the ethnic Shan armed groups, such as the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South and the Shan State Progressive Party /Shan State Army-North, signing bilateral ceasefires with the government in 2012, and the former being a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. In Monghpyak town alone, there are about 1,000 Tatmadaw troops stationed. The town has a population of about 6,000. Such a large military-civilian ratio is a constant source of fear for local residents, particularly women, given the ongoing military impunity for sexual violence, the SHRF statement reads. According to Sai Hor Hseng, the huge military presence in the ethnic areas, especially in areas with ongoing conflicts, is partly to protect natural resources extraction companies, including Australian-run Access Asia Mining. The companies seek protection from the military for security, but it has a large impact on local residents. Access Asia Mining plans a 150,000-acre gold-mining venture in Monghpyak. It is awaiting final approval from the Shan State government, SHRF said. We would like the company and army troops to withdraw from the areas, Sai Hor Hseng said, adding that when giant companies enter the areas to conduct business, the military takes responsibility for their security, and the arrangement has high social and environmental costs. Burma Two Elephant Poachers Detained in Chaungtha Forest Reserve Two poachers arrested for poaching wild elephants in the Chaungtha Forest Reserve. / Emergency Elephant Rescue Unit Two suspected poachers were detained by a combined team of authorities after an elephant carcass and weapons used for poaching were discovered in Chaungtha Forest Reserve near Ngwesaung Beach, Pathein Township in Irrawaddy Region on Sunday afternoon. After receiving a tip-off about an elephant carcass, authorities questioned two suspects from Thitphyu Village, leading to the discovery of the carcass and weapons used in hunting the elephant. We have detained two suspected poachers and seized the elephant carcass, its removed skin, firearms and poisoned arrows. Four people were involved in the poaching but two of them managed to escape. The police are trying to arrest the escapees. The Forest Department will formally charge them for poaching, Police Lieutenant Colonel Khin Maung Latt told the Irrawaddy. The combined team of the local police, forest rangers and officials from the Forestry Department detained the two suspected poachers, Ko Htwe, known as Thaung Aye, and Nga Du, known as Chit Min Naing, together with two firearms, arrows, bottles of poison, gunpowder, knives, axes, elephant skin and flesh. Local people reported to the authorities that they had discovered an elephant carcass. When the team arrived at the village, the carcass had already been hidden. So, the team questioned the two suspected poachers who lived nearest to the scene. The two admitted poaching the elephant and showed the police the carcass, its skin and weapons, said Dr. Lin Lin Tun, leader of a local elephant conservation group. The two suspected poachers have been detained at Ngwesaung Police Station and will be charged under Section 37 (a) of the Protection of Wildlife Act. Poachers killed about 40 wild elephants, which were searching for food in Pathein, Ngapudaw and Thabaung during the period from 2011 to 2017, according to the Pathein Township Police Force. Translated from Burmese by Myint Win Thein. Burma UN Security Council to Make a Two-Day Visit to Myanmar A UN Security Council meeting. / Reuters A team of 15 permanent representatives from the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council will visit Myanmar for two days early next month after being invited to examine the situation in Rakhine State by the Myanmar government. During the two-day visit, the team will meet with the chairperson of the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine (UEHRD) State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and officials in Naypyitaw before visiting Rakhine State, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs U Myint Thu told the Irrawaddy. The team will spend one day in Naypyitaw and will stay in Rakhine State another day. It has been a long time since they requested to visit Myanmar. The government invited them as a form of cooperation with the United Nations. We have sent our invitation through the permanent representative of Myanmar at the UN, said U Myint Thu. The security council delegation will leave New York for Bangladesh on April 26 before concluding their visit to Myanmar on May 2. Ambassadors from five neighboring countries of Myanmar, permanent member states of the UN Security Council and the ambassador of Singapore to Myanmar, as the current ASEAN chair, will also be invited to join the trip. We will explain what we have been doing to repatriate refugees. Dr. Win Myat Aye will clarify the details of UEHRDs arrangements for repatriation, he added. Some news sources suggested to the Irrawaddy that the security council delegation was invited to Myanmar as China and Russia advised Myanmar to do so. Although inviting members of the security council to Rakhine State could alleviate international criticism against the government for lack of transparency and media freedom, it is important to be prepared for consequences if Myanmar fails to meet their expectations, said Daw Pyone Kay Thi Naing, a member of the Lower House international relations committee. Inviting an important international body is an effective method. It might produce good outcomes as well as bad ones. Those who are responsible for tackling the problem should be prepared, she said. Chief Minister of Rakhine State U Nyi Pu said that his government has arranged transportation and security for the delegates. The Myanmar government has faced international criticisms for the exodus of Muslim refugees and human right abuses by security forces. Translated from Burmese by Myint Win Thein. Burma Wife Of Scapegoat Police Officer in Reuters Trial Appeals for Help Police Captain Moe Yan Naing after testifying on Friday. / The Irrawaddy NAYPYITAW & MANDALAY The wife of a police officer who told a court that police had entrapped two Reuters reporters said her husband was a scapegoat and appealed for help from President Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. During a press conference in Mandalay on Sunday, Daw Tu called for justice for her husband, Police Captain Moe Yan Naing, saying her husband was innocent. As a prosecution witness, the police officer testified on Friday that the police had set up Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, while providing details about the Dec. 12 arrest. Moe Yan Naing also revealed that the trap was masterminded by Police Brig-Gen Tin Ko Ko. The police captain has been detained since December last year for his interaction with the reporters, who were working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in a village in Rakhine state. The reporters were arrested under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. My husband didnt give any documents to them (Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo). Brig-Gen Tin Ko Ko scapegoated my husband, Daw Tu Tu told the reporters in Mandalay on Sunday. He is innocent. Following the police captains testimony, authorities on Saturday ordered the family to move out of a police housing complex where Daw Tu and one of their young daughters were living. I dont know where to go now, Daw Tu told an Irrawaddy reporter on Saturday after she received the eviction notice. The eviction order went viral online, generating an angry reaction and public condemnation of the police action. Police spokesman Myo Thu Soe told the media on the same day that the family had to leave as they had overstayed their tenancy since March. But he didnt explain why the eviction was enforced right after Moe Yang Naings testimony on Friday. On Sunday, the unemployed woman told the media that her family has had to rely on relatives to survive as her husband hasnt received his salary since being detained. We havent got his salary for four months. His salary is the only income we have to live on, she said. The couple has three children; the eldest is a university student. After Moe Yan Naings revelation of a police set-up and the alleged involvement of Brig-Gen Tin Ko Ko during the court hearing on Friday, the plaintiffs lawyer submitted a motion seeking to have the police captain declared a hostile witness. The court will decide whether to accept the motion on Wednesday. For now, Daw Tu said all could she do was appeal to the countrys top political leadership for help. Mr. President, State Counselor, please dont let us down. We are helpless, she said on Sunday. The Irrawaddy reporters Htet Naing Zaw contributed to this report from Naypyitaw and photojournalist Zaw Zaw from Mandalay. Monday, April 23rd, 2018 (3:45 pm) - Score 1,811 The UK Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) has today revealed the finalists for their 20th annual industry awards, which sees some broadband providers being nominated several times across various different categories (e.g. Hyperoptic, Zen Internet, Community Fibre, Gigaclear). As a quick recap, last years event saw Hyperoptic crowned for offering the Best Superfast Broadband and Gigaclear won the Best Rural Broadband award. Meanwhile Marcus Hutchins of the @Malwaretechblog picked up the Internet Hero award for finding the WannaCry killswitch and President Erdogan took home the title of Internet Villain for cracking down on online freedoms in Turkey. This year the ISPA has added three new categories to their awards. Firstly, theyve included a 20th Anniversary Award to celebrate individuals, companies or initiatives that have provided consistently exceptional service for the past twenty years. On top of that theyve also added the Best Project or Partnership Award to hail collaborative schemes and the Best ISP PR Campaign gong to praise promotional efforts. Nicholas Lansman, ISPA UK Secretary General, said: This years shortlisted ISPA Awards finalists demonstrate the high calibre and diversity of ISPs across the UK, who continue to drive growth and innovation across the internet industry. 2018 marks the 20th year of the UKs most prestigious awards for the UK industry and we look forward to announcing the winners on July 12th. As usual all of the new entrants for 2018 will be scrutinised by an independent panel of industry experts, while broadband ISPs, website hosts and VoIP providers must undergo technical testing. The shortlist for the Internet Hero and Internet Villain gongs tend to follow a little closer to the event and the public will shortly be asked to nominate who they want to win for these two categories. Otherwise the winners will all be announced during an event held at the Midland Hotel in Manchester on the 12th July 2018. 2018 Award Categories and Finalists Best Superfast Broadband Ask4 CableCom Networking Community Fibre Hyperoptic Sky Virgin Media Best Business Broadband Exa Networks Hyperoptic Luminet M24Seven Virgin Media Business WarwickNet Best Rural Broadband Airband Beeline Broadband Gigaclear Oakford Internet Services TrueSpeed Communications Voneus Best Customer Service CableCom Networking Daisy Hyperoptic Memset Wifinity Zen Internet Best Wholesale ISP Entanet International Gamma Zen Internet Best Host catalyst2 Heart Internet Krystal Hosting Limited MacAce Memset Storm Internet Best ISP PR Campaign Airband Rural PR campaign Ask4 Connected Living Report catalyst2 AMEX campaign EE 4G Antenna Hyperoptic UK first demonstration Post Office Optimise & Improve PR & Comms campaign Executive of the year Jeremy Chelot Community Fibre Matthew Hare Gigaclear Gary Hall MacAce Tracey Wright Magrathea Oliver Bryssau Origin Broadband Best Security catalyst2 F-Secure Memset NETSCOUT Arbor Storm Internet Talk Straight Best VoIP aql Gamma Gradwell Communications iNet Telecoms Ltd (Voipfone) Soho66 Telappliant Project or Partnership Community Fibre Exa Networks Nominet UK Safer Internet Centre Voneus Wifinity 20th Anniversary Award Entanet International Gradwell Communications Internet Watch Foundation RM Education Zen Internet Monday, April 23rd, 2018 (7:35 am) - Score 2,401 The UK government supported National Digital Infrastructure Fund has made its first big investment by putting 18m into Community Fibre, which aspires to bring 1Gbps full fibre broadband to more than 500,000 premises across London by 2022. Existing investor Railpen has also put in 7m. At the time of writing Community Fibre expects to have extended their Gigabit capable FTTH/P broadband network to around 60,000 homes in London by the end of 2018 (mostly council / social housing) and in total theyve already contracted to build 150,000 of their 500,000 aspiration. The ISP has already secured 11.3m of private equity investment from Railpen (UK pension investors) to help support this (here) and now theyve won another lot. In keeping with that the new round of investment (25m total) is expected to help facilitate their roll-out of full-fibre ultrafast broadband connectivity to 100,000 homes in the city by 2019. Jeremy Chelot, CEO of Community Fibre, said: This investment shows full-fibre is the only way forward for ultra-fast connectivity. Community Fibre is the partner of choice to deliver high-quality, fast pure fibre connection, to deliver sustainable investment and to support Government policy across the UK. This funding takes us a step closer to have our full-fibre network available to social housing or private landlords in every borough in London. Last month, we were ranked as the fastest Internet Service Provider in the UK and we have a track record of delivering quality service to all customers at truly affordable rates. In addition to the homes we are connecting, thousands of people will benefit from this investment through the community engagement and upskilling programmes we run on all our instalment projects. Paul Bishop, Head of Private Markets at RPMI Railpen, said: We are pleased to welcome NDIFs significant new investment in Community Fibre. As Community Fibres largest shareholder, we believe that It will continue to be a success and help us generate the returns that we need to meet our mission to pay members pensions, securely, affordably and sustainably. Crucially today also appears to represent the first major investment by the government supported Digital Infrastructure Investment Fund (DIIF), which was setup in 2016 with 400m of public money (here) in order to help support the roll-out of full fibre and 5G mobile based ultrafast broadband networks. The fund, which is focused upon assisting alternative network (AltNet) providers, is managed by two infrastructure investment firms Amber Fund Management Ltd and M&G Investments (Prudential PLC). Its previously been estimated that, when supported by private investment, the DIIF could be worth as much as around 1.5bn and might help to facilitate an extra 2 million premises passed via FTTH/P. At present only around 3-4% of premises in the United Kingdom can access a full fibre network (roughly 1 million+ premises passed), which usually reflects a Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTH / FTTP) style service. However many more are on the way (see our summary of progress). NOTE: DIIF is the umbrella term for two funds NDIF (National Digital Infrastructure Fund), managed by Amber and DIF, managed by Infracapital/M&G. NDIFs size is about 200m (will increase with future fund-raising), with 150m coming from government (via DIIF) and 45m from International Public Partnerships, a FTSE250 infrastructure investment company and 5m from Amber Infrastructure, respectively. NDIF is the source of todays 18m investment. Robert Jenrick, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: Todays investment shows how we are delivering better broadband for Londoners who will benefit from fast connections. As we increasingly live our lives online, it is vital our digital connections can support this. We want to see full fibre broadband rolled out across the UK as quickly as possible and to support a competitive private sector in delivering that objective. Thats why we created the Digital Infrastructure Investment Fund, which is boosting the rollout of full fibre to enable people to live and work flexibly and productively, without connections failing. Meanwhile Community Fibres packages tend to start at just 20 per month for a 40Mbps service and this rises to 50 for a fully symmetric 1000Mbps connection, which includes free installation and unlimited usage (the speeds are symmetric same speed both ways). UPDATE 9:55am Added a bit of extra detail above to clarify the separation between DIIF funds. Storage vendor Western Digital has released what it claims to be the biggest conventional magnetic recording hard drive in the industry at 14TB. The Ultrastar DC HC530 is built on the company's fifth-generation HelioSeal technology and designed for public and private cloud environments, a statement said. The new drive is a follow-up to the industrys first 14TB shingled magnetic recording drive and is claimed to deliver drop-in simplicity for random write workloads in enterprise and cloud data centres. Since 2014, WD has been using its patented HelioSeal process to seal helium in the drive to provide what it claims is unbeatable capacity, exceptional power efficiency and long-term data centre reliability. The low-power design is claimed not to compromise performance, while contributing to its overall TCO advantages. Both SAS and SATA interfaces will be available. Brendan Collins, vice-president of marketing, Devices, Western Digital, said: "Our enterprise and hyperscale cloud customers demand reliability with the highest capacities and densities to deliver the lowest TCO for business-critical applications. "Having invented, brought to market and delivered five generations of industry-leading innovations in helium technology, and with more than 27 million drives shipped, our ability to maintain high quality and reliability have made us the trusted partner of top-tier cloud providers, Internet giants and OEMs around the world. Chinese ISP Tencent is adopting Western Digitals HelioSeal-based hard drives for its Tencent Cloud data centres. Huang Bing Qi, director of Tencent Cloud, said, As the volume of data continues to expand, our customers look to us to provide speed, agility and longevity for a variety of applications, workloads and outcomes. "Western Digitals helium-filled HDDs provide the low power and high capacity we need to meet these demands in a cost-efficient and reliable manner. Tencent Cloud has already deployed 12TB HelioSeal HDDs and we are excited to work with Western Digital to qualify the new 14TB Ultrastar DC HC530 drives. It's not just Samsung's products that get upgraded on a regular basis, but its highly performing executives, too, with Garry McGregor promoted to vice-president, IT and Mobile, for Samsung Electronics Australia. Although Samsung Electronics Australia has seen some executive turnover the past few years, reportedly due to the legendarily demanding standards of its South Korean management, getting a promotion is generally a great move for anyone's career. This is especially so at a company like Samsung that clearly has a very impressive global footprint, being one of the most technologically advanced companies in the world, and even supplying a range of high-end components to incredibly fierce competitors like Apple. So, in the case of McGregor, he was previously the sales director for IT and Mobile at Samsung Electronics Australia, a post he held for four years, during which he has been held in very high regard. In his new role, Samsung says "McGregor will be responsible for leading Samsung Australias IT and Mobile division, which includes the Samsung consumer product portfolio of smartphones, wearables and services like Samsung Pay." McGregor said: Its an honour to take on this position at such an incredibly exciting time for our brand as our mobile hardware and services continue to open new opportunities for our customers and partners alike. "Our latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ and our mobile payments platform Samsung Pay, are just two examples of how we continue to deliver amazing mobile experiences to Australians. Its also a dynamic time for our industry as we move into a more connected world that is supported by our Australian networks and other partners. I will be working with our team at Samsung and our partners to ensure that we continue to remain at forefront of delivering the best possible mobile experience in this country. Article concludes below image, please read on! Garry McGregor, Samsung Electronics Australia's new VP of IT and Mobile. Harry Lee, president of Samsung Electronics Australia, said: We welcome Garry to his new role and are excited to have him to lead Samsungs IT and Mobile division in Australia. Garry has proven himself beyond measure during his four years with our company. "He has been an integral part of the management team that has achieved year-on-year growth for our smartphone business and has led exceptional work with our operator partners. Im also pleased that the vice-president IT and Mobile role has been filled through an internal promotion, which is testament to the talented team we have here at Samsung Electronics Australia. The news follows Samsung Electronics Australia's appointment of Josh Grace as chief marketing officer in late March, 2018. The federal government has launched phase two of the Murchison Widefield Array "world-leading low frequency radio telescope located in the Murchison Radio Quiet Zone, in Western Australia, designed to examine the origins of the universe. Jobs and Innovation Minister Senator Michaelia Cash said the launch marked a major upgrade to the telescope that brings Commonwealth investment in the project to $14.5 million. She said the telescope has already collected huge volumes of astronomical data to inform scientific research since it began operations in 2013. And according to Cash, the MWAs upgrade capitalises on Western Australias pre-eminent competitive advantage in radioastronomy. The upgraded MWA gives Australian scientists a telescope ten times more powerful in its capacity to explore the universe. It confirms Australias place at the global centre of astronomy reflected in the Turnbull Governments commitment of nearly $300 million as part of the National Innovation and Science Agenda,." she said. Cash said the MWA was a crucial precursor to the Square Kilometre Array, a next-generation radio telescope that would be hosted jointly by Australia and South Africa. The SKA will be the largest and most advanced radio telescope ever constructed and will be used by scientists from around the world to make major discoveries about the universe. Lessons learned in building and operating the MWA are vital to delivering the SKA, she said. These projects are also driving the development of new technologies, particularly in the field of big data management. This work is helping to expand Australian businesses and create jobs, in Western Australia and across the country. Mondays launch of the MWA was held at Curtin University, which operates the facility on behalf of an international collaboration of 21 universities and research institutes from seven countries. I am delighted that the Phase Two upgrade has brought with it an expansion of the international partnership for the telescope from 14 to 21 institutions, said Cash. With vast radio quiet areas and a thriving astronomy community, Australia is the ideal host for international projects such as the MWA and SKA. The MWA is located at the Murchison Radioastronomy Observatory, about 350 kilometres north-east of Geraldton in Western Australia and will also be the site of the SKA. As part of the National Innovation and Science Agenda, the Australian Government has committed $294 million over 10 years to host the SKA, which Cash says will deliver significant economic, scientific and technological benefits. British teenager Kane Gamble, 18, has been given a two-year term in youth detention for hacking offences he committed at the age of 15, marking the first time that someone under 18 has been given a custodial sentence for hacking. Gamble, who went by the name Cracka at the time, broke into online accounts belonging to former CIA director John Brennan, former US intelligence director James Clapper and other high-profile US Government employees in late 2015 and early 2016. According to online reports, Justice Haddon-Cave said Gamble was the leader of "a cyber gang" that ran a "an extremely nasty campaign of politically-motivated cyber terrorism" during the sentencing. The judge also ordered that his computers be seized. Gamble was taken into custody in February 2016 and pleaded guilty to 10 charges of hacking in October 2017. He first hacked into Brennan's AOL account, before moving on to former US secretary of homeland security, Jeh Johnson, then Haines. If Kane Gamble had never been caught for hacking the CIA director, they'd probably have called it a state-sponsored attack, not by a 15 year old. Reminds me of the time when the FBI accused North Korea of hacking Sony, even though their Pastebin posts were full of Internet memes. Mustafa Al-Bassam (@musalbas) April 20, 2018 In October 2015, Gamble went after accounts belonging to FBI special agent Amy Hess and her boss at the bureau, Mark Giuliano. A month later, he tried to gain access to an FBI portal. Early in 2016, he focused on Clapper's Comcast account and another Obama official, Vonna Weir Heaton. Also in January 2016, he targeted a Comcast account operated by Holdren and tried to break into network of the US Department of Justice. The Vocus Group says it has dropped plans to sell its assets in New Zealand and has ended talks with all parties that had expressed an interest in buying its New Zealand business. The company said in a statement on Tuesday that its board had concluded that cancelling sale plans was in the best interests of its shareholders. Vocus, Australia's fourth largest telecommunications outfit, was rumoured to be mulling a sale of the NZ assets to New Zealand power and Internet provider Trustpower for about $250 million. The Australian made the claim about Trustpower in March. Vocus had made an announcement in October 2017 that it was readying the NZ business for sale anda completion of the same by the end of the 2018 financial year. But this morning, the company said though it had received multiple offers for Vocus NZ, none "appropriately reflected the fundamental and strategic value of Vocus NZ nor provided sufficient certainty of funding and execution". Chairman Bob Mansfield said: Vocus NZ is an excellent business with strong leadership, an attractive growth profile, a clear competitive position and a track record of delivering solid returns on capital. The board intends to continue to invest in and grow Vocus NZ to enable that business to realise its strategic potential for shareholders." The company also provided an update on its debt refinancing, saying that its lending syndicate would extend the period for it net leverage ratio cap of 3.5x to 31 December. A ratio of 3.0x would apply from 30 June 2019 onwards. It also said its refinancing plans were progressing and that it expected to complete its facility refinance plans by the end of the current financial year. Mansfield said: The board would like to thank our bank group for their strong support shown to date. We are comfortable that the increased financial capacity and covenants that will be sought through the refinancing will provide sufficient financial flexibility for the company to complete its strategic and transformation initiatives over the next few years." Vocus said based on its existing cash flows, it expected the debt ratio to peak in the first half of FY19 and then reduce progressively. First-Year Humanities Fellows Explore Chicago View Student Blog April 23, 2018 First-Year Humanities Fellows visited visited the Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House in Hyde Park during their five-day cultural immersion experience in Chicago over Spring Break. BLOOMINGTON, Ill. Illinois Wesleyan Universitys inaugural group of First-Year Humanities Fellows (FYHF) explored the real-world interdisciplinary connections among fields in the humanities during a five-day cultural immersion experience in Chicago over Spring Break. The Fellows travelled to cultural icons such as the Harold Washington Library and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, met with successful IWU alumni with careers in the liberal arts, and engaged as a class in challenging questions about art, history, the social sciences and other relevant issues in the humanities. By experiencing a wide range of fields through memorable, hands-on learning moments, the Fellows gained a richer understanding of the city of Chicago and the cultural identity that surrounds it. As First-Year Humanities Fellows, students enjoyed the wonderful cultural opportunities that the City of Chicago has to offer, but they were not passive observers, said Associate Professor and Chair of English Joanne Diaz, who developed the FYHF program. They prepared for these events by reading about them beforehand; they approached each excursion with a series of critical questions; and they reflected upon their experiences by writing in their journals and conversing during meals. This engagement is crucial to a complete education. Kathryn Jefferson '21 visited the Art Institute of Chicago as part of the First-Year Humanities Fellows five-day cultural immersion experience in Chicago over Spring Break. Developing this level of engagement with the humanities across disciplines and beyond the classroom encompasses the overall mission of the First-Year Humanities Fellows, to allow students to explore their interests in literature, philosophy, art and language through an immersive learning experience. The program challenges students to examine the purpose of attending a liberal arts institution like IWU, and to appreciate the value of a liberal arts education in professional and personal spheres. Throughout their first year, students engage with these topics in the classroom during a unique Gateway course, through interdisciplinary events on campus and at off-campus events such as the Chicago Humanities Festival and the FYHF Spring Break Immersion Trip. In reflecting on the trip, FYHF Taylor Plantan 21 looked forward to how future Humanities Fellows will develop intellectually from these experiences. I think that students will notice a significant growth and change as they progress throughout this program, and I think that this immersive opportunity not only strengthens this transformation in a student on a personal level, but it also transforms how they view and interpret the world around them. For further insight and details on this years Spring Break Immersion Trip, see the first-person student blog. By Rachel McCarthy 21 Reddit Email 189 Shares Middle East Monitor | Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday Irans atomic agency was ready with expected and unexpected reactions if the United States pulls out of a multinational nuclear deal, as US President Donald Trump has threatened to do. Our atomic energy organisation is fully prepared for actions that they expect and actions they do not expect, Rouhani said, without elaborating in a speech carried by state television, referring to a possible decision by Trump to leave the accord next month. The deal reached between Iran, the United States and five other world powers put curbs on Irans nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump has called the agreement one of the worst deals ever negotiated. In January he sent an ultimatum to Britain, France and Germany, saying they must agree to fix what the United States sees as the deals flaws or he would refuse to extend the critical US sanctions relief that it entails. US disarmament ambassador Robert Wood said on Thursday Washington had been having intense discussions with European allies ahead of the May 12 deadline, when US sanctions against Iran will resume unless Trump issues new waivers to suspend them. Read: Britain, France, Germany propose new sanctions on Iran Iran has said it will stick to the accord as long as the other parties respect it, but will shred the deal if Washington pulls out. Iran has several options if the United States leaves the nuclear deal. Tehrans reaction to Americas withdrawal of the deal will be unpleasant, Iranian state TV quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying in New York. Foreign Exchange Rouhani said his government intended to prevent instability in the foreign exchange market after a possible Washington exit from the nuclear accord when the central bank this month slapped controls on markets. This was a preventative blow against any American decision on May 12. They fully hoped to cause chaos in the (foreign exchange) market. I promise to the people that the plot of the enemy has been thwarted, and whether or not the nuclear deal remains in effect, we will have no problem, Rouhani said. On April 9, Iran moved to formally unify the countrys official and open market exchange rates and banned money changing outside of banks, after its currency, the rial, plunged to an all-time low on concerns over a return of crippling sanctions. Via Middle East Monitor This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Bonus video added by Informed Comment: Wochit: Iran Warns Trump Not To Leave Nuclear Deal Or Drastic Measures To Follow Reddit Email 160 Shares PHOTO AFP / PATRICK HERTZOG. Washington (AFP) French President Emmanuel Macron, who is heading to Washington to urge his US counterpart to stay in the Iran nuclear deal, said in an interview broadcast Sunday that there is no Plan B if the accord is scrapped. French President Emmanuel Macron says he supports efforts to curb Irans ballistic missile program, but that this does not require scrapping the nuclear accord with Tehran I dont have any Plan B for nuclear against Iran, Macron told Fox News Sunday, in an English-language interview broadcast on the eve of his three-day state visit. So thats a question we will discuss, but thats why I just want to say, on nuclear lets present this framework because its better than the sort of North Korean type of situation, North Korea has developed and tested nuclear weapons as well as intercontinental ballistic missiles, posing a significant threat to global security. US President Donald Trump is threatening to tear up the 2015 agreement aimed at curbing Tehrans nuclear efforts unless European capitals agree to supplement it with tougher controls on Irans missile program and future ability to return to nuclear fuel enrichment. Iran is upping the rhetoric in return with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warning Saturday Tehran is ready to vigorously resume enrichment if the United States ditches the nuclear accord. Macron said he too supports efforts to curb Irans ballistic missile program, but that this does not require scrapping the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear accord. Im not satisfied with the situation with Iran. I want to fight against ballistic missiles, I want to contain their influence in the region, he said. My point is to say dont leave now the JCPOA as long as you have not a better option for nuclear, and lets complete it with ballistic missile and regional containment. Macron also cited the shared goal of reining in Irans influence as he argued for a long-term US commitment in Syria where Paris and Washington have cooperated in the fight against the Islamic State group and coordinated strikes on Syrian regime chemical weapons installations. We will have to build a new Syria after war, Macron said. And thats why I think the US role is very important to play. Why? I will be very blunt. The day we will have finished this war against ISIS, if we leave, definitely and totally, even from a political point of view, we will leave the floor to the Iranian regime, Bashar al-Assad and these guys. And they will prepare the new war. They will fuel the new terrorists. Licensed from AFP. Reddit Email 61 Shares North Korea suspends nuclear testing ahead of talks with Trump North Korea has surprised the international community by announcing it is suspending its testing of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles ahead of talks between US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The isolated communist regime said that the moratorium on testing would go into immediate effect according to state run media, and also comes less than a week before Kim is due to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a summit in the Korean peninsulas demilitarised zone. The good will gesture might be intended to signal the North Korean regime is negotiating in good faith as it goes some way to meeting US demands for a denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. North Korea last tested a nuclear weapon in September 2017, in an explosion experts claimed as highlighting the most powerful device it had yet revealed. But the North Korean regime is also under heavy US sanctions which have put significant economic pressure on the countrys fragile economy. Critics of the negotiations have argued that the regime will attempt to string the prospect of verifiable dismantlement for years past Trumps presidency, confident that the technical sophistication of its nuclear and missile programmes is now advanced enough that it can afford a decent period of talks aimed at economic and sanctions relief. Given the furious war of public insults that have been exchanged between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, many observers had believed that the talks would never take place between the two thin-skinned leaders. Moreover the recent appointment of arch-hawk and neoconservative stalwart John Bolton as the new National Security Advisor of the United States by President Trump had seemed to signal the administration was taking a more hardline turn in its foreign policies. A former Bush-era administration veteran, Bolton has openly called for preemptive strikes on both North Korea and Iran in the recent past and defends the Bush administrations decision to attack Iraq in 2003 to this day. His rise to prominence within the Trump administration almost certainly means that the US will exit its nuclear deal with Iran in May for example, when the president has said he will refuse to extend critical US sanctions relief that is part of the US bargain with the Iranian regime unless he is satisfied by amendments he has demanded allies like Britain make to the agreement. Surprisingly however, Pyongyang does not seem to have been put off from talks with the Trump administration after watching it demolish another painstakingly crafted nuclear agreement with a longstanding US rival; a meeting between Trump and Kim is still scheduled to go ahead at some point this summer, although an exact date has not yet been set. The Norths commitment to peaceful talks and its surprise decision to suspend its provocative programme of nuclear and missile tests could be a ruse ahead of scheduled talks between North and South Koreas leaders of course. Or it could be an attempt to buy some breathing space while the communist leadership assesses US intentions; according to the South Korean leadership, Pyongyang has suddenly expressed a desire for the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, surprisingly without any preconditions such as demanding the withdrawal of US troops, something which has long blocked serious attempts at negotiations under previous American administrations. While it is hardly likely that the regime in Pyongyang is truly serious about giving up its nuclear programme at such an advanced stage, after decades of stalemate it could be that a window to achieve some form of verifiable containment of the North Korean nuclear weapons arsenal has briefly opened. China, North Koreas only major friend and ally, would certainly be in favour of diffusing the issue as long as the current regime was allowed to stay in power (especially if it eventually meant negotiating an official end to the Korean war and the subsequent departure of US troops from South Korea). If so it is ironic that nuclear talks would be progressing over North Koreas far more advanced arsenal around the same summer as Americas permanent crisis with a non-nuclear Iran, whose agreement with world powers President Trump has called the worst deal ever, is heating back up again. Some 70 percent of Iranians back their country acquiring nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them, according to a recent poll. A smaller majority of Iranians still back Irans deal with America even though they say that it hasnt delivered the promised economic benefits (largely because so many foreign businesses remain wary of entering the Iranian market whilst President Trump remains in the White House). Sticking the agreement with Tehran seems unacceptable to the war hawks currently in the ascendency within the Trump administration however; unlike isolated North Korea, whose nuclear programme is the only major security issue America has with it, the list of American grudges against Iran is considerably longer. Among others they include Iranian sponsored killings of US servicemen during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Tehrans support for terrorist groups and its threats to Israel, and Irans support for Syrias bloodsoaked dictatorship. A look at the contrasting approaches the Trump administration has taken to the two countries is instructive; put simply North Korea is more of a threat but less of a problem than Iran right now. While its communist regime has no wish to commit suicide by attacking America first, it can probably hit multiple US cities, overseas possessions or military bases with its present intercontinental ballistic missile technology and might already have the ability to fit a nuclear warhead to some of those missiles. Meanwhile any conventional fighting that would take place in a theoretical second Korean war would be devastating to South Koreas capital Seoul, and the Pentagon estimates that casualties during any conflict would run into the millions; put simply, it isnt worth the risk to America if a solution short of war can be negotiated, and the president who succeeded in doing would be laudeda not insignificant attraction to a man of President Trumps character. Non-nuclear Iran meanwhile is much less of a military threat to America, particularly since the US is no longer so dependent upon Middle Eastern oil from countries whose infrastructure and transport systems could be vulnerable to Iranian retaliation in any conflict, and much more of an irritant. Washington also now has more room to maneuver against Iran. Although it still has small numbers of troops present in both states, the US is no longer tied down as it was ten years ago in the joint occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. With the talks with North Korea to point to if anyone complains about its belligerence abroad, figures in the Trump administration might consider now the time to launch the air war on Iran that has long been discussed on the US Right and among partisans of Israels Likud party. How a US strike against Iran following the dissolution of the nuclear agreement between the pair would go down in Pyongyang is unknowable. Unlike Tehran North Korea knows it can count on Chinas fear of American influence reaching its borders to cushion it against any blowback if it ever does decide to relinquish its arms. But sabre-rattling towards Tehran by Washington now will certainly not inspire much trust in future American intentions among North Koreas paranoid and secretive elites. Bonus video added by Informed Comment: ?? North Korea suspends nuclear and missile tests | Al Jazeera English VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Mining Gold Corp. (TSX:FF) (OTCQX:FFMGF) (FRANKFURT:FMG) (First Mining or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Voluntary Agreement (VA) with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change in Ontario (the MOECC) to complete certain requirements under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act (the EAA). This marks the commencement of a Provincial Individual Environmental Assessment (Provincial EA) for the Companys Springpole Gold Project (Springpole or the Project), located in northwestern Ontario. Jeff Swinoga, President & Chief Executive Officer of First Mining, stated We believe Springpole has the potential to become one of Canadas largest producing gold mines. With permitting for an access road to the Project site now well underway and having already commenced the Federal Environmental Assessment process, we are very pleased to initiate the Provincial Environmental Assessment process in Ontario. Both EAs can now progress simultaneously. These two EA processes mark the first major steps toward permitting Springpole. Our very experienced team, with our values-based culture, looks forward to working diligently and respectfully with all Indigenous and other stakeholders throughout the Federal and Provincial EA processes. First Mining will now prepare the Provincial EA to satisfy the EAA requirements for all components of the Project that are subject to the EAA under the VA. The first step of the process is to prepare the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Provincial EA for Springpole. The ToR will describe the scope of the EA and how First Mining intends to undertake all aspects of the Provincial EA, including consultation efforts with Indigenous communities and all other stakeholders. If approved by the MOECC, the ToR will set out First Minings framework and work plan for addressing the EAA requirements including the alternatives that will be considered, the environmental aspects that could be impacted by the Project, and the Indigenous and other stakeholder consultation activities that will be carried out during the process. As previously announced by the Company on March 7, 2018, First Mining commenced the Federal EA process last month when its Project Description for Springpole was submitted to, and subsequently accepted by, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency). The Agency has posted a summary of the Project Description on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry Internet Site (CEARIS) at Click Here. The Agency has determined that a Federal EA is required for Springpole, and has issued a Notice of Determination on the Registry site. The Agency will now prepare draft Environmental Impact Statement Guidelines (EIS Guidelines) for the Project and post these for public comment. Final EIS Guidelines will be issued following the expiry of the public comment period. First Mining will continue to work with both the Agency and the MOECC to refine, as appropriate, a path forward to address both Federal and Provincial EA requirements, which will align with the Federal EIS Guidelines (once these have been approved by the Agency) and the Provincial ToR (once these have been approved by the MOECC). In addition, the Company plans to make every reasonable attempt to coordinate key milestone consultation activities and maximize opportunities for Indigenous groups and all other stakeholders to be effectively engaged. The Company expects to coordinate the submission of Federal and Provincial EIS/EA reports to the extent possible and practical in order to minimize duplication and increase efficiency during the two EA processes. ABOUT FIRST MINING GOLD CORP. First Mining Gold Corp. is an emerging development company with a diversified portfolio of gold projects in North America. Having assembled a large resource base of 7 million ounces of gold in the Measured and Indicated categories and 5 million ounces of gold in the Inferred category in mining friendly jurisdictions of eastern Canada, First Mining is now focused on advancing its assets towards production. The Company currently holds a portfolio of 25 mineral assets in Canada, Mexico and the United States with a focus on gold. For further information, please contact: Derek Iwanaka Vice President Investor Relations Toll-Free: 1-844-306-8827 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.firstmininggold.com ON BEHALF OF FIRST MINING GOLD CORP. Keith Neumeyer Keith Neumeyer Chairman Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking information and "forward-looking statements (collectively "forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects, "anticipates, "believes, plans, projects, "intends, "estimates, envisages, "potential, "possible, strategy, goals, objectives, or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the issuance by the Agency of the EIS Guidelines after the completion of the Review Period; (ii) the commencement of the federal EA process; (iii) the Springpole Project being posted on CEARIS and the availability of EA-related documents on such site; (iv) continued consultation efforts with Indigenous communities, and with local municipalities, government agencies and non-governmental organizations, and the outcome of such consultation efforts; and (v) the preparation of ToR for a provincial EA and their submission to MOECC. All forward-looking statements are based on First Mining's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. The most significant assumptions are set forth above, but generally these assumptions include: (i) the successful completion of the federal and provincial EA processes; (ii) the success of consultations with Indigenous communities, and with local municipalities, government agencies and non-governmental organizations; and (iii) no material issues being raised during the permitting phase of the Springpole Project. Although the Companys management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions and estimates expressed above do not occur as forecast, but specifically include, without limitation: (i) risks relating to any material issues that may be identified during the federal or provincial EA process; (ii) risks relating to consultation efforts with various stakeholders; (iii) general risks related to permitting activities; (iv) developments in world metals markets; (v) risks relating to fluctuations in the Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar; (vi) managements discretion to refocus the Companys exploration efforts and/or alter the Companys short and long term business plans; and (vii) the additional risks described in First Mining's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2016 filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Companys SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, and in First Minings Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on EDGAR. First Mining cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to First Mining, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. First Mining does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law. Cautionary Note to United States Investors This news release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve estimates included in this news release have been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101) and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum 2014 Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC), and mineral resource and reserve information contained herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term "resource does not equate to the term "reserves. Under U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. The SEC's disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured mineral resources, "indicated mineral resources or "inferred mineral resources or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves by U.S. standards in documents filed with the SEC. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. U.S. investors should also understand that "inferred mineral resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimated "inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves by SEC standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. The requirements of NI 43-101 for identification of "reserves are also not the same as those of the SEC, and reserves reported by the Company in compliance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as "reserves under SEC standards. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards. MONTREAL, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Maple Gold Mines Ltd. (Maple Gold or the Company) (TSX-V:MGM) (OTCQB:MGMLF) (Frankfurt:M3G) is pleased to provide an update on the ongoing winter drilling campaign. The program has ramped up with eight (8) diamond core drill rigs now actively testing all target areas (Resource Area, NE Syenite and NW Syenite targets). One of the Companys high-priority targets is the area between the Porphyry, Douay West and NW zones, now referred to as the Nika Zone, which has a lower drill-hole density and strong potential for new discoveries and extensions of existing resource zones. The Company has received results from 4 drill-holes in this area, with highlights below: DO-18-217: 104m of 0.44 g/t Au from 284m, including 17m of 1.08 g/t Au from 309m (additional assays pending); from 284m, from 309m (additional assays pending); DO-18-218: 13.2m of 0.86 g/t Au from 409.8m, collared 133m SE of DO-18-217 (additional assays pending) Furthermore, historic hole DO-12-105 (2012) was collared 265m WSW of DO-18-218 and bottomed in mineralization at 467.6m (estimated vertical depth of 320m), returning 21.1 g/t Au and remaining open. The DO-18-217, DO-18-218 and DO-12-105 intercepts may form part of the same two mineralized zones (see Figure 1 below). Maple Golds VP, Exploration, Fred Speidel, stated: One of our objectives with the current drilling campaign is to take steps toward connecting the existing resource zones and extending known mineralization beyond the current limits of the block model that was used in the 2018 Micon estimate. The initial results in this Gap area are indicative of the discovery of a new gold zone there, and one we believe has strong potential to make a positive impact on future resource estimations at Douay. We look forward to results from the additional 5 drill-holes with assays still pending from this priority target area, and we are confident that similar new zones will be defined elsewhere within the resource area. Figure 1 In addition to the assays still pending from drill-holes DO-18-217 and DO-18-218, Maple Gold has completed a further 5 drill-holes in this area for which assays are pending, and that have the potential to continue expanding the Nika Zone. Table 1: Drill highlights from Nika zones at Douay Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Azimuth Dip Coordinate East Coordinate North DO-18-212 28.7 42 13.3 0.43 0 -60 704892 5491799 DO-18-217 165 178 13.0 0.50 360 -50 705112 5491600 DO-18-217 284 388 104.0 0.44 including 309 326 17.0 1.08 DO-18-217 391 498 Assays pending DO-18-218 38.8 409 Assays pending 360 -45 705200 5491498 DO-18-218 409.8 423 13.2 0.86 *All lengths above are core lengths and not true widths. True widths are estimated to be approximately 90% of core lengths. Uncut assay values used for intervals given. Coordinates are NAD83 Zone 17N. A total of 47 drill-holes have now been completed or are ongoing property-wide, of an originally planned total of approximately 65 holes. The Company has only received assay results for ten (10) complete drill-holes to-date and will continue to provide updates as sufficient assay results are received for each target area. More than 8,600 samples have now been submitted to ALS Laboratories, and with drilling expected to continue into early May, the Company anticipates drill results throughout April, May and June 2018. Qualified Person The scientific and technical data contained in this press release was reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Fred Speidel, M. Sc, P. Geo., Vice-President Exploration, of Maple Gold. Mr. Speidel is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Speidel has verified the data related to the exploration information disclosed in this news release through his direct participation in the work. Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) Maple Gold implements strict Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) protocols at Douay covering the planning and placing of drill holes in the field; drilling and retrieving the NQ-sized drill core; drill-hole surveying; core transport to the Douay Camp; core logging by qualified personnel; sampling and bagging of core for analysis; transport of core from site to the analytical laboratory; sample preparation for assaying; and analysis, recording and final statistical vetting of results. For a complete description of protocols, please visit the Companys QA/QC page on the website at: Click Here About Maple Gold Maple Gold is a well-funded gold exploration company focused on advancing a district-scale gold project in one of the worlds premier mining jurisdictions. The Companys 370 km Douay Gold Project is located along the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone within the prolific Abitibi Greenstone Belt in northern Quebec, Canada. The Project has an established gold resource that remains open in multiple directions, with excellent infrastructure and several large scale operating mines within this prolific mining district. Maple Gold has a significant drill campaign under way to expand on the known Resource Areas and test new discovery targets within the Companys 55 km of strike along the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone. For more information please visit www.maplegoldmines.com. ON BEHALF OF MAPLE GOLD MINES LTD. Matthew Hornor B. Matthew Hornor, President & CEO For Further Information Please Contact: Mr. Joness Lang VP, Corporate Development Office: +1 416.306.8124 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 PRESS RELEASE. Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking information" and forward-looking statements (collectively referred to as forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation in Canada, including statements about the prospective mineral potential of the Nika zone, the potential for significant mineralization from other drilling in the referenced drill program and the completion of the drill program. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, uncertainties and managements best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Companys expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding timing and completion of the private placement. When used herein, words such as anticipate, will, intend and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on certain estimates, expectations, analysis and opinions that management believed reasonable at the time they were made or in certain cases, on third party expert opinions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, and uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual events, results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future events, results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Maple Gold Mines Ltd.s filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Companys website at www.maplegoldmines.com. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. VANCOUVER, April 20, 2018 /CNW/ - A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX-V - AIS)(OTCQB: AISSF) (the "Company" or "AIS") is pleased to announce it has engaged Hidrotec SRL of Salta, Argentina to complete up to eight diamond drill holes for a total of 2,300 meters across all four tenements at its Chiron project in the Pocitos Salar. Hidrotec has mobilized a drill rig onto the site, as well as some of the necessary equipment to begin the construction of the drill pads and drilling to start on April 24, 2018. AIS plans to drill eight holes, to various depths between 300 and 400 meters. Chiron appears to be the preferred area in the salar for brine saturated sequences, based on geophysics data interpretation. This upcoming drill campaign will enable the Company to outline an initial maiden resource at Chiron after a pump test has been completed. Phil Thomas, Chief Operating Officer and exploration director of A.I.S., stated: "We are very excited at the prospect of drilling these sequences as the geophysics showed very low resistivities from 20 metres to more than 200 metres below the surface. Adjacent concession holders are also preparing to drill and this will provide the basis for a sound geological model. We are also looking forward to using a new geophysics technique using magnetic resonance of hydrogen to determine porosity and permeability to calculate the reservoir and specific brine yield values. This technique is tried and tested in oil but this is the first time it will be used commercially in brines with high salt content. This will save us nearly 4 months of brine yield testing using traditional methods." Historical Work The Pocitos salar basin was previously drill tested, with 12 shallow holes in 1979, by the Direccion General de Fabricaciones Militares (DGFM). The most significant result from this historical work program includes a shallow drill hole, which averaged 417 parts per million (ppm) lithium and 15,300 ppm potassium. The above historical results cannot be verified by the company, and are not NI-43-101 compliant. Qualified Person Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol, MBusM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV), a Qualified Person as defined under NI-43-101 regulations, has reviewed the technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Thomas is not independent of the Company as he is an officer and shareholder. About A.I.S. Resources A.I.S. Resources Ltd. is a TSX-V listed investment issuer, was established in 1967 and is managed by experienced, highly qualified professionals, who have a long track record of success in lithium exploration, production and capital markets. Through their extensive business and scientific networks, they identify and develop early-stage projects worldwide, that have strong potential for growth with the objective of providing significant returns for shareholders. The Company's current activities are focused exclusively on the exploration and development of lithium brine projects in northern Argentina. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, A.I.S. Resources Limited Marc Enright-Morin ADVISORY: This press release contains forward-looking statements. More particularly, this press release contains statements concerning the anticipated use of the proceeds of the Private Placement. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The intended use of the proceeds of the Private Placement by the Corporation might change if the board of directors of the Corporation determines that it would be in the best interests of the Corporation to deploy the proceeds for some other purpose. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Corporation undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Red Eagle Mining Corporation (TSX:R) (BVL:R) (OTCQX:RDEMF) is pleased to announce results from ongoing underground delineation drilling at the San Ramon Gold Mine, Santa Rosa Gold Project, Antioquia, Colombia. Results from 19 additional underground delineation holes have been received (SRDU-0232 to SRDU-0250). Results continue to return intercepts with grades significantly higher than the reserve grade of 5.2 g/t Au with highlights including intersections: Drill hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) SRDU-0235 37.10 39.50 2.40 23.92 including 37.10 37.70 0.60 37.13 and 38.20 38.60 0.40 82.61 SRDU-238 49.05 56.60 7.55 6.99 including 49.05 49.60 0.55 39.42 and 50.95 51.40 0.45 26.73 and 56.10 56.60 0.50 30.77 SRDU-0242 36.05 40.95 4.90 6.30 including 36.05 36.35 0.30 81.13 SRDU-0245 54.00 59.75 5.75 5.29 including 56.70 57.10 0.40 55.37 SRDU-0247 29.20 31.60 2.40 14.98 SRDU-248 38.00 45.30 7.30 4.93 including 43.10 43.50 0.40 14.34 SRDU-0250 69.50 70.30 0.80 108.55 21,688 metres of underground diamond drilling in 250 stope delineation holes have been completed. The results from 231 underground stope delineation holes (SRDU-0001 to SRDU-0231) were previously announced. For complete drilling results, please see Table 1 - Drill Hole Intersections, Table 2 - Drill Hole Specifications, Figure 1 - Long Section, Figure 2 and Figure 3 - Cross sections. Drill assays were composited by length-weighted averaging into intersections using a 2 g/t Au cut-off grade. For photographs of the drill core see Red Eagle Minings photostream on flickr. Quality Assurance and Quality Control All technical information for Red Eagle Minings Santa Rosa Gold Project is obtained and reported under formal quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) procedures and guidelines. Red Eagle Minings procedures are designed to meet or exceed C.I.M. Best Practices Guidelines and National Instrument 43-101 standards of disclosure. QA/QC protocols for drill core sampling and assaying include the insertion and monitoring of appropriate reference materials (certified standards, blanks and duplicates) to validate the accuracy and precision of the assay results. All drilling samples were collected with a diamond core drilling rig using approximately 0.5 metre sample intervals following industry standard practice. Activation Laboratories Ltd. prepared and assayed the samples at their laboratory in Medellin, Colombia. Fire Assay for Au (using a 50 gram sample) with an AAS finish was carried out routinely on all samples submitted. For all samples which returned initial Au fire assays of greater than 5 g/t, a second Fire Assay for Au was performed (also using a 50 gram sample) with a gravimetric finish. The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Red Eagle Minings Vice President Exploration, David G. Thomas P. Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. About Red Eagle Mining Red Eagle Mining is a gold producer focused on building shareholder value through acquiring, developing and operating gold and silver projects in Colombia, a jurisdiction with prolific historic production but until recently limited modern exploration. Red Eagle Mining owns 100% of the Santa Rosa Gold, Vetas Gold, California Gold and Santa Ana Silver Projects. The Santa Rosa Gold Project commenced production in January 2018. Additional Information Patrick Balit Vice President Corporate Development +1 778 372 2558 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.redeaglemining.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although Red Eagle Mining believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. UN judges Monday begin hearing the two-day appeal of once-feared Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, fighting his conviction and 40-year jail term for war crimes and genocide in Bosnias bloody 1990s conflict. Karadzic, 72, was sentenced to four decades behind bars in March 2016 for the bloodshed committed during the Balkan countrys three-year war which killed 100,000 people and left 2.2 million others homeless. Once the most powerful Bosnian Serb leader, he became the highest ranked person to be convicted and sentenced at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), after former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic died while on trial. But Karadzics lawyer Peter Robinson has challenged the conviction, saying he did not receive a fair trial as UN judges presumed him guilty and then constructed a judgement to justify its presumption. Karadzic, a former psychiatrist, has denounced his conviction as unjust and appealed on 50 grounds, accusing judges of conducting a political trial. At his verdict, the judges ruled the former strongman was at the apex of political and military structures of the Bosnian Serb leadership and at the forefront of developing and promoting its ideologies. Campaign of terror Bosnian Serb and Serb leaders developed an organised and systematic pattern of crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats, the judges ruled, which included deportations, attacks on no-Serb populations, detentions and rapes. The aim was to spread terror among the civilian population, the judges said, finding Karadzic guilty on 10 counts, including genocide for masterminding the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, deemed the worst bloodshed on European soil since World War II. Almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered and their bodies dumped in mass graves after Bosnian Serb soldiers overran a protected safe area guarded by lightly-armed Dutch UN peacekeepers. Judges also found him guilty of being behind the bitter 44-month siege of the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, in which 10,000 civilians died in a relentless campaign of sniping and shelling. But Karadzic was acquitted on one count of genocide, with judges saying there was not enough evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt that genocide was also committed in seven Bosnian towns and villages. Prosecutors have also challenged the sentencing, saying the trial judges erred in law and fact. Chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz listed four grounds of appeal including that the judges applying an overly narrow definition of genocidal intent and improperly assessing aggravating and mitigating factors when passing sentence. He has asked appeals judges to correct the trial chambers errors and increase Karadzics sentence to life imprisonment. Marathon trial The hearing at the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT), which has taken over the ICTYs functions after it closed last year, will start at 0920 GMT on Monday. After a short introduction by presiding judge Theodor Meron, both Karadzic and prosecutors will have three hours for submissions and responses. On Tuesday, Karadzic will also have the chance to personally address the judges. After years on the run, Karadzic was finally caught in 2008 on a Belgrade bus masquerading as a spiritual healer and disguised with a beard and glasses. He was handed over to a tribunal in The Hague and his trial opened in October 2009. It ended in October 2014 after an exhausting 497 days in the courtroom, during which some 115,000 pages of documentary evidence were presented along with 586 witnesses. Karadzics military alter-ego and former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic was jailed for life in prison in November on similar charges. Before his 2016 sentencing, Karadzic revealed he was so convinced he would walk free that he had already packed his bags. And in Banja Luka, many see the court as unjust and selective, basing itself on scenarios prepared in advance, Bosnian Serb political leader Milorad Dodik told AFP. It has not succeeded in imposing itself as a place of justice where reconciliation can be achieved, he added. Once-feared Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic Monday urged UN judges to overturn his conviction for war crimes during the Balkans conflict, and either acquit him or order a new trial. Appearing at the start of his two-day appeal dressed in a dark suit and red tie, Karadzic, 72, smiled and greeted his defence team in the tribunal in The Hague. He was sentenced to 40 years behind bars in March 2016 for the bloodshed committed during the Balkan countrys three-year war from 1992-1995 which killed 100,000 people and left 2.2 million others homeless. Once the most powerful Bosnian Serb leader, he became the highest ranked person to be convicted and sentenced at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), after former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic died while on trial. But Karadzic has lodged 50 grounds of appeal, maintaining to the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) which has taken over from the ICTY that he was not given a fair trial. Were here today to ask you to overturn Radovan Karadzics conviction and to order a new trial, defence lawyer Peter Robinson said, revealing that his client would address the court later Monday. The right to a fair trial was a universal value of international justice, Robinson said, denouncing what he termed Karadzics original unwieldly, mega trial. At the heart of the defences appeal is the fact that Karadzic had to choose between either representing himself or testifying in his own defence. The former psychiatrists right to self-representation was violated and he was backed into a corner, added another defence lawyer Kate Gibson. Karadzic requests that the appeals chamber vacate each of his convictions and enter a judgement of acquittal, or alternatively order a new trial or a reduction of sentence, said presiding judge Theodor Meron. Campaign of terror At his verdict, the trial judges ruled that the former strongman was at the apex of political and military structures of the Bosnian Serb leadership. Bosnian Serb and Serb leaders developed an organised and systematic pattern of crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats, the judges ruled, which included deportations, attacks on non-Serb populations, detentions and rapes. The aim was to spread terror among the civilian population, the judges said, finding Karadzic guilty on 10 counts, including genocide for masterminding the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, deemed the worst bloodshed on European soil since World War II. Almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered and their bodies dumped in mass graves after Bosnian Serb soldiers overran a protected safe area guarded by lightly-armed Dutch UN peacekeepers. Judges also found him guilty of being behind the bitter 44-month siege of the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, in which 10,000 civilians died in a relentless campaign of sniping and shelling. But Karadzic was acquitted on one count of genocide, with judges saying there was not enough evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt that genocide was also committed in seven Bosnian towns and villages. Prosecutors have also challenged Karadzics sentencing, saying the trial judges erred in law and fact. Chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz listed four grounds of appeal including that the judges applying an overly narrow definition of genocidal intent and improperly assessing aggravating and mitigating factors when passing sentence. He has asked appeals judges to correct the trial chambers errors and increase Karadzics sentence to life imprisonment. Marathon trial Meron warned both teams at the opening that an appeals hearing could not simply rehash the original trial. After years on the run, Karadzic was caught in 2008 on a Belgrade bus masquerading as a spiritual healer and disguised with a beard and glasses. He was handed over to a tribunal in The Hague and his trial opened in October 2009. It ended in October 2014 after an exhausting 497 days in the courtroom during which 586 witnesses testified. Karadzics military alter-ego and former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic was jailed for life in prison in November on similar charges. Once-feared Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic Monday urged UN judges to throw out his war crimes convictions, angrily denying he was behind a campaign of ethnic cleansing and murders in the Balkans conflict two decades ago. Addressing the start of a two-day appeal hearing, Karadzic, 72, fiercely denounced what he called myths about the permanent removals or expulsions of Bosnian Muslims and Croats during the 1992-95 war. In March 2016, he was sentenced to 40 years behind bars for the bloodshed committed during the conflict which killed 100,000 people and left 2.2 million others homeless during the death throes of the former Yugoslavia. Once the most powerful Bosnian Serb leader, Karadzic became the highest-ranked person to be convicted and sentenced at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, after Serbian ex-president Slobodan Milosevic died while on trial. The trial judges ruled Karadzic was at the apex of political and military structures of the Bosnian Serb leadership. But the former strongman hit back, lodging 50 grounds of appeal, claiming before the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) which has taken over from the ICTY that he was not given a fair trial. He told the five appeals judges on Monday that he was a political leader seeking to protect Yugoslavia and its constitution, and that his statements made in the 1990s had been distorted and his words travestied during the trial. If I had wanted war, I would have cheered the Muslims in their efforts, he asserted. Highway to hell Karadzic said he was found guilty on the basis of jokes and rumours. There is so much evidence that our strategy was not offensive. Our strategy was defensive in all of Bosnia. The territories were not taken by force, he maintained, saying they had been settled by the Serbs ages ago. Trial judges ruled in March 2016 that Bosnian Serb and Serb leaders developed an organised and systematic pattern of crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats, which included deportations, attacks on non-Serb populations, detentions and rapes. The aim was to spread terror among the civilian population, the judges said, finding Karadzic guilty on 10 counts, including genocide for masterminding the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, the worst bloodshed on European soil since World War II. But defence lawyer Peter Robinson denounced Karadzics unwieldly mega-trial and told the court: Were here today to ask you to overturn Radovan Karadzics conviction and to order a new trial. Prosecutor Katrina Gustafson charged however that every one of his grounds of appeal suffer from basic flaws, adding Karadzic had failed to show any unfairness. He had been adamantly opposed to independence for Bosnia-Hercegovina, she told the court, repeating testimony that he had threatened the Bosnian Muslims that they would face a highway to hell of suffering. In Srebrenica, almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered and their bodies dumped in mass graves after Bosnian Serb soldiers overran a protected safe area guarded by lightly armed Dutch UN peacekeepers. Monster and liar Munira Subasic, from the Mothers of Srebrenica, told AFP on Monday in the tribunals public gallery: I was sitting in front of a monster. Karadzic is not a person, but neither an animal, because he has no feelings, said Subasic, whose husband and son were killed at Srebrenica. He is a liar, lying is his line of defence. The trial judges also found Karadzic guilty of being behind the bitter 44-month siege of the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, in which 10,000 civilians died in a relentless campaign of sniping and shelling. But Karadzic said it was the Muslims who were causing crisis in Sarajevo, alleging they were killing their own soldiers. Karadzic was however acquitted on one count of genocide, with judges saying there was not enough evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt that genocide was also committed in seven Bosnian towns and villages. Prosecutors have also challenged Karadzics sentencing, saying the trial judges erred in law and fact, asking the appeals judges to impose a life sentence. An appeals verdict is not expected for several months at the earliest. After years on the run, Karadzic was caught in 2008 on a Belgrade bus, disguised as a faith healer. He was handed over to the tribunal in The Hague and his trial opened in October 2009, lasting until October 2014. > > > Do not travel to Afghanistan due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and (...) Do not travel to Afghanistan due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and armed conflict Monday 23 April 2018 Reading time: (Number of words: ) U.S. official Travel Advisories Eight rural roads in Kilkenny will be upgraded from a 315,000 investment in small, country roads across the county. Minister of State, John Paul Phelan, said: This scheme is a lifeline for people living in rural areas because it directly improves their access to and from their homes and farms. "Many people living and working in rural areas use these roads every time they enter or leave their home or farm, so the condition of their access road really impacts on them. Investing in the improvement of these roads really makes a positive impact on peoples quality of life in rural areas. Many lanes and boreens which link private homes and farms are not on the public road network and so are not maintained by the Local Authorities." The Kilkenny People previously revealed how much funding the county would receive. The LIS allows for the repair and improvement of small roads and lanes leading to local peoples homes and businesses that are not under the normal maintenance of the local authority. The roads for Kilkenny are: 270 metres from Croughtenclough, Castlecomer; from the junction with the LP 1836 to Coulter's property (26,496) 250 metres from Revanagh, Castlewarren, from the junction with the LP 2617 to Phelan's farm yard (21,690) 325 metres Skehana, Castlecomer, from the junction with the LS 5936 to Brien's farm yard (34,691) 300 metres Coon East, from the junction with the LP 1838 to Keane's farm yard (27,324) 880 metres Ullard, Borris (70,200) 545 metres Ballyteskin, Hugginstown (50,113) 1,700 metres Belline, Piltown (Phase 1) (43,487) 520 Longwell, Danesfort (40,999) The Irish Independent is today reporting that tourist hotspots of Kerry, Donegal and Mayo top the list of counties sharing 10m under the scheme. According to the newspaper, Rural Affairs Minister Michael Ring will today publish a list of more than 400 roads that will get funding from the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS). Overall, Cork will get the largest amount, with 1m assigned for 41 projects. Galway is second with 942,000, followed by Donegal (942,000), Mayo (885,000), Kerry (727,000) and Tipperary (653,582). The lowest payments are being made to the local authorities in Carlow and Louth, which will get 250,000 each. The scheme was reintroduced only last September after a gap of eight years that led to many rural roads and laneways being left in dangerous condition. Mr Ring now has a list of 435 roads that will be given money in the coming months. Local councillors last week agreed to write a statement of concern regarding the expansion of the nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset, England. Cllr Malcolm Noonan and Tomas Breathnach raised the matter at the monthly meeting of Kilkenny County Council. Cllr Noonan noted that Tuesday was the cut-off for submissions, in what he described as a very limited consultation process. He requested members write a statement of concern. Cllr Tomas Breathnach said that the power station is located 250km from the south-east of Ireland, and that the consultation process now in place was not there during the initial planning process in 2013. He added that, as the democratic forum for the people of Kilkenny, the members should give expression to their concerns. The item was agreed by members with the exception of Cllr Patrick McKee, who said he did not have any particular objections to nuclear power. Ireland's largest environmental coalition, the Environmental Pillar has also raised concerns over 'serious deficiencies' in the UK's approach to assessing the impacts of its plans to expand its nuclear power program on Ireland. Islamic terror attacks in the West are far less common since 2017 South Korea's customs service said Monday it has carried out a search of Korean Air Lines Co.'s headquarters over suspicions that the family members of Chairman Cho Yang-ho sneaked luxury goods into South Korea without paying duties, officials said. Officials of the Korea Customs Service (KCS) also checked the airline's office at Gimpo International Airport as well as a Seoul office of Hanjin Travel widely known to be used by Cho Hyun-min, the former senior vice president at Korean Air and the chairman's youngest daughter. The latest raid came amid allegations by some disgruntled former and current Korean Air employees that the chairman's wife and their children brought in luxury goods from overseas via their airline without properly declaring them with customs. On Saturday, customs officials searched the headquarters of the national flag carrier and the homes of the chairman and his three children. Smuggling is an offense that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and fines up to 10 times the duties evaded. By Kang Seung-woo Air Daegu's pursuit of joining the ranks of the nation's rising budget carriers is expected to face more turbulence than its predecessors. The company, founded in 2015, is seeking to secure an air operator's certification from the government by early next year, promoting economic implications of creating jobs and reviving the sluggish regional economy. However, an aviation analyst believes the low-cost carrier (LCC) still has a long way to go before it can get licensed, and even after that it is likely to face many challenges. "I expect they probably will (get a license), but it may take longer than they expect," Ellis Taylor, Asia finance editor of aviation and aerospace industry website FlightGlobal, told The Korea Times. He said there is every indication the government will put Air Daegu under a lot of scrutiny, citing the government's stricter regulations for such certification. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recently raised the capital requirements for new airlines from 15 billion won ($14 million) to 30 billion won. Also, they must have at least five aircraft to start a business. Air Daegu plans to seek initial seed capital of 45 billion won with five planes. "Air Daegu will have to prove it has sufficient financial resources to go through the losses of its startup phase, and there is no doubt its shareholders will also be scrutinized to make sure they can support the airline if it gets into trouble," he said. For the LCCs, 2017 is likely to go down as an "unforgettable year," thanks to their record earnings. The six budget carriers reported a combined operating income of 269.4 billion won ($251 million) in 2017, nearly double the previous year's 144 billion won. Their combined revenue also increased from 2.67 trillion won to 3.63 trillion won during the same period. The combined operating margin -- a measure of profitability -- stood at 7.41 percent, up from 5.38 percent in 2016. Jeju Air, one of the nation's seven LCCs, ushered in the era, chalking a full-year operating profit, of 101.3 billion won. However, the entry of a new player will likely upset that strong performance as Air Daegu is anticipated to focus on Korea's only notable domestic route to and from Jeju Island. "If they target core routes and price competitively other carriers will likely drop their prices to match before it settles to a new level," Taylor said. "That is where they will need to have strong financing in place to support the early stages, as it is unlikely that the likes of Jeju Air, T'way and Eastar will let them join the market easily." Along with the Daegu-based airline, two more budget carriers are also seeking licenses. They are Fly Gangwon based in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, and Aero K in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. Ahead of the June 13 local elections, a number of candidates are pledging to flex their muscles to give out air operators' certificates in their bids to curry favor with regional voters. Taylor is concerned about possible fallout from a crowded LCC market, which may lead to mergers and acquisitions. "Korea may be able to support another one or two airlines, but any more than that and there will have to be some consolidation," he said. "That might see some of the established airlines merge with new ones, or weaker ones join together." Kathmandu, Apr 23 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Nepal for a two-day state visit on May 11, his third visit to the Himalayan nation in the last four years, according to the Nepalese Foreign Ministry sources. Nepal's cabinet today endorsed the date of Modi's visit, which was proposed by the Indian side, they said. Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli had extended an invitation to his Indian counterpart to visit Nepal during his recently concluded trip to India. This will be Modi's third official visit to Nepal during his tenure. Modi was here last time in 2015, when he had addressed Nepal's Parliament. Preparations have already started by the foreign ministry for the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Modi. A Foreign Ministry source has said that an advanced Indian team has already arrived in Kathmandu to prepare for Modi's visit. He is scheduled to visit the famous Hindu pilgrimage site Janakpur, a city located 135 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu and famous as the birthplace of Sita, the wife of Lord Rama. Modi will also address the people there. However, detail itinerary of the visit is yet to be finalised. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) It is already the end of semester one for Students of the class of 2018! And by that, we mean that Tiger Shroff, Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria have completed the first schedule of Student of the Year 2. It was only earlier this month that we told you about Tiger, Ananya and Tara heading to Dehradun to begin shooting for SOTY 2 and boom! The trio has completed the first shoot schedule already! They shared some lovely pictures from Mussoorie where they are likely to continue shooting for the much awaited movie. Tiger is seen flaunting his chiseled abs while Tara and Ananya look completely soaked in the Mussoorie sun in their respective pictures. Just like SOTY, this one too is such a gorgeous looking cast! A couple of days back, a picture of Tiger, Ananya and Tara wearing St. Teresa's uniform was LEAKED on social media. Mussoorie mornings #SOTY2 A post shared by TARA (@tarasutaria__) on Apr 22, 2018 at 9:39am PDT Interestingly, there are more action sequences designed only for Tiger Shroff in this flick. As per the media reports, this film was touted to be a complete romantic drama until the makers saw Baaghi 2 success. The fanbase for Tigers action avatar is massive and this made them make some alterations in the script. Talking about their current shoot schedule, after Mussoorie, they are likely to go to Rishikesh, like we had told you earlier. The crew will then head to Delhi for another week-long schedule. A prominent portion of the movie will be shot in the North with some college portions being shot later in Pune. Reports online also suggest that once they complete the Dehradun schedule, they will come back to Mumbai and then head to Pune for another month-long schedule. The team will also shoot for a dance song in June. The first installment - Student of the Year starring Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra was directed by Karan Johar himself. However, the baton now is passed on to Punit Malhotra for the second installment. Malhotra earlier directed rom- coms like Gori Tere Pyaar Mein and I Hate Luv Storys which received a positive nod from the cine- goers. Meanwhile, Alia Bhatt too hinted about her cameo in this fresh flick. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 23, 2018 11:02 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, April 22: A new political party has emerged in the national politics. A group of 50 alumni from the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country have quit their jobs to form a political outfit, Bahujan Samaj Party to fight for the rights of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC). The outfit is waiting for the approval from the Election commission (EC). The party includes former IITians from the Delhi and Kharagpur IITs who plan to work for the downtrodden community. The Bahujan Azad Party claims to work for the upliftment of the marginalized. Naveen Kumar, a 2015 IIT Delhi graduate, who is leading the group, told PTI, We are a bunch of 50 people, all from different IITs, who have quit our full-time jobs to work for the party. We have applied to the Election Commission for an approval and are meanwhile doing ground work. Other members of the party are Vikrant Vatsal, a B.Tech in Biochemical Engineering from IIT Delhi and Sampath Kumar Banoth, M.Tech from IIT Kharagpur and PhD from IIT Roorkee. They want people of the backward class to receive their rights and quota for OBCs. The members of the party do not want to contest Lok Sabha elections of 2019. Kumar said, We do not wish to do a hurried job and end up being reduced to just one of those small political outfits with big ambitions. We will begin with contesting the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections and then aim for the next Lok sabha polls. The most of the members of the party belongs to SC, ST and other backward category (OBC). The party believes that the backward classes have not received their due in terms of education and employment. The outfit does not have any political backing but some prominent groups are supporting them. They are currently looking to build confidence in the minds of people. Once we have the registration, we will form small units of the party which will start working on the ground for our target groups. We also do not wish to pitch ourselves as a rival of any political party or ideology, Kumar added. The Bahujan Azad Party does not aim to showcase itself as a particular party's rival, but work purely for people of backward classes. Among working towards other social causes, education is of top importance to them. N. Paul Divakar, president of the National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights, has welcomed the IITians' initiative. Poster of the Bahujan Azad Party has been released. The poster has pictures of B R Ambedkar, Subhas Chandra Bose and A P J Abdul Kalam. The IITians have already started a social media campaign. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 22, 2018 10:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Apr 23, 2018, 4:09am ET Hyundai Santa Cruz taking the slow lane to production The pickup might not arrive until 2020. Hyundai still plans to make the Santa Cruz concept (pictured) it unveiled in 2015 a reality. The model is still approximately two years away from production, however. "We love it, we talk about it a lot," said Brian Smith, the chief operating officer for Hyundai's American arm, in an interview with Motor Trend. He added the company's research and development department is busy with other projects and it needs to prioritize, which explains why the five-year gap between concept and production. There's no word on how the pickup will change in its transition from a concept car to a production model. Its design has presumably evolved to keep up with Hyundai's design language, which changed with the arrival of cars like the Kona. The Hyundai Santa Cruz -- a name that will likely carry over to production -- will go on sale in 2020, meaning we might not see it until the 2021 model year. When it lands, it will compete in the same segment as the Honda Ridgeline and, to a lesser extent, body-on-frame compact trucks like the Chevrolet Colorado. One of its competitors might come from Germany, too. The Atlas Tanoak concept Volkswagen introduced recently at the New York auto show could make production, though the German firm stressed it hasn't put together a favorable business case for it yet. A host of Laois restaurants, pubs and cafes are in the All Ireland final of the Irish Restaurants Awards, proving that the county has what it takes to be listed among the best in Ireland, and indeed the world, with the five star Ballyfin House featuring strongly on the list. (see full list below) The 10th annual All-Ireland Restaurant Awards will take place on May 14 at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, the largest and most coveted in the Irish hospitality industry. County winners from each of the 16 categories have already been announced at four regional awards which took place recently in Leinster, Munster, Connaught and Ulster. These establishments are now in line to compete for Regional and All-Ireland titles in their respective categories. In addition to the 16 categories already present in the Regional Awards, there will be the addition of four national awards presented during the event on May 14th. These national awards are for Best Seafood Experience, Best Digital Marketing, Best Private Dining and Club and Best Cocktail Experience. Adrian Cummins is Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association. The Irish Restaurant Awards are an opportunity for local businesses to receive much-needed recognition of their hard work and commitment to excellence. These establishments drive tourism both locally and on a national scale, making Ireland a desirable destination for global travellers. The Irish Restaurant Awards prides itself on celebrating the very best in local produce, flawless customer care and unrivalled dining experiences to anywhere in the world. We wish all our county winners and those nominated in our national categories the best of luck on May 14th. Laois businesses progressing to the All-Ireland Finals are as follows: Best Casual Dining sponsored by San Pellegrino - Kelly's Steakhouse Best Emerging Irish Cuisine sponsored by Odaios Foods - Ballyfin Demesne Best Kids Size Me sponsored by Dubliner Cheese - Treacy's Bar and Restaurant Best 'Free From' sponsored by Peroni Nastro Azzurro Gluten Free - The Pantry Best World Cuisine sponsored by Aryzta - Mayur Indian Restaurant Best Restaurant Manager - James Moloughney of Castle Durrow Best Wine Experience sponsored by Classic Drinks - Batonis Pub of the Year sponsored by Bushmills - Morrissey's Pub Best Cafe sponsored by Illy - Kelly Lou Cafe and Cakery Best Customer Service - Roundwood House Best Gastro Pub sponsored by Coca Cola & Schweppes - The Bog Road Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant sponsored by BWG Foodservice - Ballyfin Demesne Best Newcomer sponsored by Elavon - Mueller & O' Connell Bakery Best Chef sponsored by Nisbets - Sam Moody at Ballyfin Demesne Best Restaurant sponsored by Tindal Wine Merchants - Batonis A 32-year-old man who denies murdering Gareth Hutch as part of the ongoing Kinahan-Hutch feud has brought a High Court challenge against his transfer from Mountjoy Prison to Portlaoise Prison. The action has been brought by Jonathan Keogh against the Governor of Portlaoise Prison over the transfer that occurred on March 9th last. Mr Keogh is currently on remand and is due to be tried for Mr Hutch's murder before the Special Criminal Court in May. He claims that he has not been given any reason for his transfer, fears for his safety in Portlaoise, the High Court heard on Monday. He claims the transfer has caused him difficulties including that he has received no visits since his move from Mountjoy and in relation to seeing his counsel and solicitor in advance of his trial. On March 22nd he was informed by the prison authorities that he was being removed from structured activity within the prison and was not allowed to associate with other prisoners. No reason, other than the decision was taken by the Governor to ensure the good order and security in the prison, was given to Mr Keogh. As well as seeking details about the reasons for his transfer Mr Keogh has also sought the basis why he has been removed from structured activities. He says he had not received any response to his questions. He claims the decisions are in breach of fair procedures and in breach of his rights under the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. In his action, Mr Keogh, with an address at Sean McDermott Street in Dublin seeks orders quashing the decisions to transfer him and remove him from structured activities in the prison. He also seeks orders compelling the Governor to give reasons for the decisions. He further seeks declarations that the prison regime he is subject to breaches his rights to fair procedures. In a sworn statement in support of his application, Mr Keogh said that h was an enhanced or trusted prisoner in Mountjoy, and was not aware of any concerns for his safety at the Dublin prison. Following his transfer, he engaged in a dirty protest for 24 hours before abandoning it in favour of a hunger strike which he maintained for six days. Permission to bring the challenge was granted, on an ex parte basis, by Mr Justice Seamus Noonan. The Judge made the action returnable to a date later this week. Portlaoise parish has reluctantly hired a security company to protect a vandalised building waiting to be demolished. The old St Pauls school site on the Borris Road is owned by the Parish, who have given use of it to the Department of Education for a new building for St Francis Special School. The new school was to be ready to open in September, but demolition and construction has not yet started, to much local disappointment. Since it was vacated in June 2017, St Pauls has been wrecked by vandals, with a fourth fire extinguished by Laois fire crews last weekend. Parish Priest Monsignor John Byrne up to now had said he would not waste parish money to board up a building set to be knocked, but has reluctantly hired a security firm. We have engaged the security firm Netwatch to try and protect the building. Its unfortunate that thats where we are at, protecting a building thats going to be demolished. Its in such a state, hopefully it will not be longer than three months, he told the Leinster Express. The security measures do not include hoarding or boarding up the school, which has most of its windows broken and front doors smashed open. The building will instead be remotely monitored by the Carlow firm, with audio speakers to warn intruders, and CCTV cameras to identify and report them to Portlaoise Garda Station. It is expensive, Msgr Byrne said. He is disappointed that parish donations must be spent to protect a building that will be knocked. This time last year the department were asking me when would the building be vacated. And when we did vacate it in June, there didnt appear to be much urgency anyway. I dont know how their timeline got so badly skewed, he said. Were all dealing with scarce resources, we have an obligation to spend money wisely, this is peoples money. It just appears to be a waste. I would like the department to at least organise the demolition, Msgr Byrne said. Watch: Sweet video of Portlaoise footballer and AFL star Zach Tuohy with his little son Flynn He is hopeful the security will be enough to stop further attacks on the old school. Im asking the Gardai to respond to Netwatch, and now that the building is under this monitoring, please God it will keep it safe for this period of time, the Parish Priest said. A tender process is underway by the Dept of Education, who say work is expected to begin on site in the June - September period this year. Top Laois restaurants, pubs and cafes in Irish Restaurant Final Seamus Brennan, a retired ESB worker and part-time farmer from Kildare has won a tidy 48,000 after he spun the iconic wheel on the National Lottery Winning Streak game show on RTE One last Saturday, April 21. Seamus, 72, has been retired from the ESB for a number of years after 40 years service but keeps busy running a small farm on a part time basis at Ballyteague, where he looks after cattle and horses. He spent most of his working life in the ESB based in Allenwood in Kildare but he spent his last eight years at the ESB based in Co Offaly. Seamus has been married to Mary for the past 46 years and she was really excited to be up to RTE to cheer her husband on. The couple have four adult children: Paul, Angela, James and Ciaran and they all supported Seamus in the audience on Saturday. Seamus also has four grandchildren who he adores. They are Aine, Ben, Rory (all three Angelas children) and Isabel (Pauls daughter). In his spare time Seamus is a big GAA fan and supports his local Ballyteague GAA club for whom his son Ciaran lines out. He also supports the Kildare county team who he says would be the best team in Leinster if it wasnt for Dublin! With his winnings from the show Seamus says he is going to spend it all on his family. LifeStyle The best Lifestyle shows are right here, from Australia and around the world. Catch up with the experts on home design and interiors, food and cooking, the property market, and get fresh ideas with the savviest of renovators. Whether you need inspiration for cooking up a storm, to refresh a tired room, or tips to sell your property, Foxtel Lifestyle will always something new for you to watch. Enjoy your favourite experts like Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker, or Shaynna Blaze and Jamie Oliver live or On Demand. A COUNCILLOR has called for the camouflaging of the long-derelict Horizon Mall site at the Dublin Road, disguising it from incoming traffic. Speaking at this months metropolitan district meeting, deputy mayor Cllr Marian Hurley described the half-finished development formerly the Parkway Valley site as the constant elephant in the room. Until something is done with it. We cannot keep putting up with this unbelievable derelict site on the edge of the city. Lets put forward a plan for it. Can we cover it, can we put up camouflage, she suggested. Cllr Hurley also warned children are breaking into the site, with the lift shaft now full of water. Can we ask the owners to put security on the site, she asked. Former detective garda, metropolitan mayor Sean Lynch said: The onus is on us as councillors to do something. If someone was to get injured, this could be on us. The debate on the site which was once destined to be a multiplex cinema and ice rink before the crash came came up following a question by Solidarity councillor Paul Keller, who lives in the adjacent Castletroy View estate. He asked if the council is in discussions with the present owners of the Horizon Mall, with regards its future plans and use, and whether the site remains on the derelict site list. In a written reply, Gordon Daly, director of service, said discussions are ongoing with the developer. A section 11 notice was issued under the Derelict Sites Act in September 2017 requesting the owners to carry out necessary works. If the necessary works are not carried out, the next available option under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 is for Limerick City and County Council to issue a section 8 (2) which states it is our intention to enter the property onto the derelict sites register, he wrote. This move is notable, as it would then mean the owners of the site would be liable to much higher rates. A spokesperson for Capital Assets, which took over the site from Belfast-based developer Suneil Sharma in 2016, told the Limerick Leader last month a new plan is on the way. But Labour councillor Elena Secas said she is fed up of receiving the same answer from council officials, and demanded a special meeting on the development. People living in the area do not deserve to have to be looking at this site, she said. This particular site has always proven controversial, with plans to bring Marks & Spencer here vigorously opposed by city centre traders, fearful of a negative impact on urban trade. It was agreed a special meeting dealing with the Horizon Mall issue would take place ahead of next months full council meeting. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. CONCERNS have been expressed about the long-term viability of the Coca-cola bike share scheme in Limerick, with new figures suggesting usage is declining. While the National Transport Authority (NTA) says it is happy with the scheme, there have been calls for more to be done to promote greater usage of the scheme. According to figures collated by Dr Brendan Halpin, a senior lecturer at the University of Limerick, the number of journeys being made in Limerick and Galway is significantly less than in Cork. The availability of bikes is also being questioned. On March 30, 165 of 215 bikes in Limerick were in operation compared to 135 of the 205 bikes in Galway and 243 of 320 in Cork. On February 6, 170 bikes were operational in Limerick while three docking stations were out of order. According to the NTA, each bike in Limerick is used just over three times week (17 in Cork, 2.2 in Galway) while registered users in Limerick make an average of ten journeys a year compared to 25 in Cork and seven in Galway. A total of 105,491 trips were made in Limerick over the past three years. While supportive of the bike-share scheme, Deputy Willie ODea said there was some concern about usage. It is a good scheme and it is a scheme I support as it is beneficial in lowering pollution and keeping roads free of cars, said the Limerick city TD. The low number of users is a concern. The system has been proven to work successfully elsewhere and there needs to be a review into why there is such poor uptake in Limerick, he added. A GROUP of red deer have returned to roam the grounds of Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. Shannon Heritage has announced that the deer can once again be seen roaming the grounds of 26 acre park and follow the recent addition of two Irish wolfhounds at Bunratty. The group includes two females currently in calf and due to give birth in May, as well as a young stag. Red deer have been synonymous with Bunratty Folk Park for over thirty years, said Niall OCallaghan, managing director of Shannon Heritage. They have been a hugely popular attraction as people enjoy seeing such majestic animals at close quarters. They are also seen as a real symbolic animal of Ireland by overseas visitors in particular. Bunratty Castle and Folk Park is a living, working visitor attraction. We are really excited to have red deer back here at our site. With over 26 acres, our deer will have plenty of room to make themselves at home. The close ties between Shannon Heritage and our animals is evident in the fact that a stag is featured on our company brand log, he added. The deer join a thriving group of animals in the park that also includes poultry, hens, ducks, turkeys, geese, sheep, ewes and lambs, Shetland ponies, shorthorn cattle, donkeys, and goats. A CONTROVERSIAL Indian free-love guru and cult leader who spent 11 days locked in a room in a Limerick hotel in 1986 after he was banned from the United States for allegedly fixing sham marriages, is subject to a new Netflix documentary. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, features in a Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country, spent 11 days locked in his room in Jurys Hotel, the Limerick Leader archives show. The details of the gurus spectacular exit from Limerick were detailed in an exclusive written by the current editor of the Limerick Leader Eugene Phelan and published in 1986. At precisely 2.19 pm, the guru emerged from the door of the hotel with his hands clasped in prayer and said: I love your people. 'There were two women at his side along with Gardai and security men, the article reads. He stopped for just about 30 seconds before getting into his Mercedes which whisked him off to Shannon Airport. His Grumann executive jet lay waiting for him and his party of nurses, attorney and bodyguards at Shannon Airport. When asked what he did for his 11 days in the hotel, the Bhagwan told reporters: I just rested, which brought laughter from the assembled press. Wild, Wild Country focuses on the guru, his personal assistant Ma Anand Sheela and the followers of the Rajneeshpuram movement, also known as the Rajneeshees. The documentary looks at the groups attempts to build a utopian commune near the remote town of Antelope, in Wasco County, Oregon, in the 1980s, much to the horror of the local community. The guru, who was also known as Osho, once claimed 500,000 disciples worldwide. He also famously had a penchant for Rolls Royces, at one point owning 93 of the luxury cars. While the guru preached free love, the Rajneeshpuram movement later came to be plagued by allegations of mass poisonings and claims that it attempted to influence local elections. Immigration officials at Shannon had granted the Guru a three-month visa after he was refused entry to England. He had been banned from the United States for five years and fined $400,000 for allegedly fixing sham marriages to get overseas recruits into the US. Leaving the hotel, the guru said he intended to return to Limerick but would again stay in seclusion. He was not in the best of health during his visit, it was reported. A NEW state-of-the-art 2-million underwater robot has been unveiled by the University of Limerick at the Limerick docks this Monday. The new Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) system, to be used in the marine renewable energy sector, has been enhanced by researchers at the UL Centre for Robotics and Intelligence Systems (CRIS) with advanced control software developed at the university. The ROV Etain has also been enhanced with precision navigation and flight control, state-of-the-art robotic imaging and sonar systems and fully automated manipulator systems. These advanced features allow the robot to operate in challenging environments associated with ocean renewable energy to support inspection, repair and maintenance operations. Launch of the Marine Renewable Energy Remotely Operated Vehicle by @UL Centre of Robotics and Intelligence Systems at Limerick Docklands today. The Centres operating system guides the Forum Energy Technologies ROV to deploy and repair ocean based renewable energy technologies. pic.twitter.com/sMRs35xd62 April 23, 2018 Advanced robotics technology developed at UL will be crucial in supporting the burgeoning marine renewable energy sector, according to UL president Dr Des Fitzgerald. It will also play a significant role in reducing the cost of installing and maintaining large-scale offshore energy generation infrastructure. I am particularly happy to see this advanced UL technology being developed, trialled and launched in Limerick City docks. The UL robotics base at the docks is just one of our commitments to grow and maintain strong links between the campus and the heart of Limerick city, with strategic partners like Shannon Foynes Port Company, he added. Operation support in the marine renewable energy sector usually occurs on floating infrastructures, according to Professor Daniel Toal, director of CRIS at UL. This means new smart ROV systems capability is necessary and that is what our team at UL has developed and launched today. The offshore renewable energy sector internationally is set to rapidly grow, which will help to reduce carbon emissions and arrest climate change, according to Minister of State Pat Breen. Ireland has the best wind and wave resources in Europe and it is vital that as an island nation we invest and engage in research in the area of marine energy technology. iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- In a nod to history and the special relationship between the United States and one of the nation's oldest allies, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will host French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife for a rare private dinner at George Washingtons Mount Vernon estate. The setting will serve as a beautiful reminder of Frances unique status as Americas very first ally going all the way back to the American Revolution, said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. The 18th-century home of Americas first president and founding father was specifically chosen as a backdrop for the first dinner of the first state visit of Trumps administration. Last July, the Macrons hosted the Trumps for a dinner above Paris inside its most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower. President Trump is eager to host the Macrons for this special event, as he remembers fondly the dinner the couples shared together in the Eiffel Tower on the eve of Bastille Day last July, said a senior administration official. In addition to dinner, the Macrons and Trumps will receive a tour of the grounds from Mount Vernon Regent Sarah Coulson and Mount Vernon President Doug Bradburn, and visit the gravesite of George Washington. Our crews have been working around the clock to freshen up the estate in preparation for the visit, said Melissa Wood, spokeswoman for the Mount Vernon estate. The grounds will close at 1 p.m. on Monday afternoon in anticipation of the event. Over the years, Mount Vernon has been the host site for visits from foreign dignitaries such as Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle and former French President Nicholas Sarkozy. In 1961, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy planned the first White House state dinner outside of Washington, D.C., in honor of President Mohammad Ayub Khan of Pakistan and his daughter, Naseem Akhtar Aurangzeb. Four boats transported guests up the Potomac River to a tent, decorated by Tiffanys, on the sprawling grounds of Mount Vernon. The White House has remained tight-lipped about specific details of the visit, but like Kennedy, Melania Trump was involved in every aspect of the planning of the state visit, her press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, told ABC News. The estate holds particular symbolism for the United States and France, as Washington welcomed his close friend and Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette to his estate three years after fighting alongside each other in the Revolutionary War. After fighting for the United States, Lafayette went on to serve an important role in the French Revolution. In 1790, as a symbol of his appreciation for the United States and shared democratic ideals, Lafayette sent Washington the key to Bastille prison, which remains on display at Mount Vernon more than 200 years later. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. THE WORLD is watching as Russian company Rusal, the owner of Aughinish Alumina in Limerick, attempts to weather the economic storm caused by US sanctions. The controlling owner of UC Rusal, Oleg Deripaska, was targeted in the sanctions list in early April, announced by the US Treasury Department, along with six other oligarchs. The news caused shares in the company to dive immediately. In one day, Rusal shed half of its value on the stock market, as investors jumped ship following the blacklisting by America. And shares have continued to tank since. The biggest issue facing the company now is a lack of cash, as US dollar transactions and assets have been frozen thanks to primary sanctions. Processing transactions in any other currency is also proving difficult, as banks and suppliers around the world distance themselves from Rusal, in fear of becoming a target for secondary sanctions. Aluminium analyst at CRU in London, Eoin Dinsmore, said that there are major question marks about how the company will proceed. They are not selling anything to anyone. Nobodys buying alumina from Aughinish, because you cannot pay UC Rusal for that alumina, because if you pay them it just gets frozen in an account, he said. The issue of liquidity comes down to the secondary sanctions. You have the primary sanctions against UC Rusal, which bars US banks from dealing with them. The secondary sanctions effectively bar non-US banks from dealing with them in any currency. For any significant transaction which benefits Rusal, you run the risk of secondary sanctions, and they could be in the billions of dollars. So companies are very wary of doing anything that runs that risk, he added. For Aughinish, the raw materials, caustic and bauxite, are a very real issue. The caustic soda comes from the US. And Rio Tinto, a miner of bauxite, is pulling out of its deal to supply Rusal, after triggering a force majeure clause on its contract. Aughinish reportedly has just two months of the raw material left. Major Japanese traders have reportedly asked Rusal to stop shipping aluminium, as they dont want to risk becoming a secondary sanction target. Moodys and Fitch have withdrawn Rusals credit ratings. The London Metal Exchange has also distanced itself from Rusal. Putin has a track record of saving Rusal in times of crisis, reports Bloomberg, and few expect that the Kremlin will allow the company to go out of business, he added. The sanctions on UC Rusal have sent aluminium prices up this week, as the supply chain is sent into chaos. The metals market is watching quite closely to see what happens in Ireland, because it will have big knock-on consequences for aluminium sales in Europe, said Mr Dinsmore. If youre unable to sell your products, and if youre unable to get paid for them, then its a very difficult situation to be able to navigate through without an injection of liquidity, he added. Aughinish crisis Who is Oleg Deripaska? This oligarch owns the controlling share in UC Rusal, the company which owns Aughinish Alumina. He is known for his close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin. He is also a person of interest in the investigation into Russian interference in the US election, through his links to former Trump campaign manager, Paul Manafort. UC Rusal: The Russian company is the worlds second largest aluminium producer, and owns the plant in Limerick. Why the US sanctions? The US said that the Russian government engages in a range of malign activity around the globe, including in Crimea, Syria and malicious cyber activities. Russian oligarchs and elites who profit from this corrupt system will no longer be insulated from the consequences of their governments destabilizing activities. Timeline January 2018: Rusal owner Oleg Deripaska was among 96 wealthy Russians published on a US watch list, called Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which identified allies of Putin which it threatened to target with sanctions. February 2018: Oleg Deripaska steps down as president of Rusal and his holding company EN+. He remained the controlling owner in both companies. March 2018: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar raises concerns about tariffs on Aughinish Alumina with Theresa May, British Prime Minister. US president Donald Trump was planning tariffs on steel and aluminium at the time. April 2018: The US Treasury Department announces sanctions on seven oligarchs. IRISH Cement has been removed from a watchlist drawn up by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to target improvements in environmental compliance. The firms plant in Mungret was placed on the National Priority List earlier this year for failing to meet the necessary environmental standards. But just a fortnight after An Bord Pleanala gave the firm the go-ahead to complete the infrastructural work associated with switching away from fossil fuels in favour of solid recovered waste and tyres, the EPA has also taken the firms list. The EPA said this followed improvements in compliance. But the move has been criticised by Limerick Against Pollution (LAP) and local Labour councillor Joe Leddin who described it as a very strange decision to take. Irish Cements 10m programme has proven to be controversial in the local community, with residents fearful of a negative impact on the local environment. There have been a number of blow-outs allegedly emanating from the plant, covering local houses and cars in a thick dust. The plans were the subject of a four-day hearing last August. Claire Keating, LAP, the main opposition group to these plans, said she is not surprised at the removal. The fact they are self-regulating, it appears the EPA are by-standers with regard to this. It leaves very little confidence in the EPA, she said. Cllr Leddin added: Being on the watchlist gave some semblance of peace of mind and security to residents that there was ongoing monitoring as to the emissions. He feels following the grant of permission from An Bord Pleanala, greater monitoring from the EPA would have happened. It certainly doesnt give you any level of confidence in the EPA, the Labour man added. Irish Cement declined to comment. LAP is to hold a public meeting this Friday night, 7.30pm in the South Court Hotel. GARDAI were called to a stand-off between residents and Limerick City and County Council staff this Monday morning. Residents living next to the former quarry side, adjacent to the Upper Careys Road are furious that the local authority is considering the building of 11 new units on the one-acre site. Its understood the council sent letters to residents saying they are examining the feasibility of this, and would be bringing engineers in this week to carry out percolation tests. When these staff arrived this Monday driving heavy machinery, residents formed a blockade to stop the diggers from entering. Labour councillor Joe Leddin said: These residents are just concerned and annoyed that the council would even consider building houses there with absolutely no consultation with councillors, let alone residents. It's not that the residents are anti-housing. It's that the council owns a site literally 100m from this green area, called the Guinness site where you could built 80 to 100 houses in the morning. The City West member described the idea of building on the former quarry site as daft. If the minister got wind that we had a site, but we're actually considering selling it, rather than building on it. It's ridiculous - no wonder he's not meeting his housing targets, Cllr Leddin added. A garda spokesperson confirmed officers attended the scene for a short period. No arrests were made, and no further action taken, with the incident described as a civil matter. Limerick City and County Council has been contacted for comment. Apr 23, 2018, 5 AM Knoxville Philatelic Society member Jim Pettway teaches a workshop on how to check for watermarks. Photo courtesy of Tom Broadhead. Members of the Knoxville Philatelic Society in Tennessee browse through albums, stamps, and more, that the stamp club purchased to sell to members. Photo courtesy of Tom Broadhead, Knoxville Philatelic Society. Philatelic Foreword By Jay Bigalke Creativity with stamp club activities is a key component to engaging collectors that attend meetings regularly. I received a number of suggestions in response to my Philatelic Foreword column in the April 9 Linns seeking input on activities for stamp club meeting. The Knoxville Philatelic Society in Tennessee shared photos and details of its meetings. Monthly meetings are preceded by a 30 minute workshop on a practical aspect of philately, said Tom Broadhead of the club. Previous workshops have dealt with mounts and measuring perforations. Shown nearby is club member Jim Pettway teaching a workshop on how to check for watermarks. A real standout for me is that the Knoxville Philatelic Society has a committee to purchase collections, break them down, and then sell the items to club members. The proceeds are pumped back into the club to buy more items. Shopping takes place before and after the meetings. Similarly, Ron Breznay of the Wyoming Valley Stamp Club in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., reported that the club has a nickel box night. Before the night, the club purchases mixtures or receives them as donations, and then at the meeting, members peruse the stamps for additions to their collections, paying 5 to the club for each stamp kept. Acquisition of philatelic material continued as a theme. Mike Kleintank, president of the Greater Cincinnati Philatelic Society, shared that it has a mini auction as a part of every meeting. If we did not have that, there would not be a good attendance, he said. Sessions with buying, selling and trading were mentioned by several collectors. These sessions serve as a way for members to move some of their own material to fellow collectors in the club. Some clubs even invite stamp dealers to set up and sell wares at the meetings. Use of the American Philatelic Societys circuit sales program and its slide show program were mentioned, too. Holiday parties and summer picnics, while less likely to have a strong philatelic slant, are popular events. While finding a presenter or speaker for a meeting can prove challenging, a show- and-tell session by members offers a good alternative. Dale Niebuhr of the Lincoln Stamp Club reported that sometimes the show-and-tell has a theme. One month the theme was the color blue and members brought stamps that were blue, covers that were mostly blue, or albums/catalogues with blue covers, he said. Each person talks about the item they brought for a minute or two and then passes it around the room. Related to a theme night, Dennis Callison of the Dayton Stamp Club shared the following: One time we had the topic My Favorite Green Stamp as the meeting was on St. Patricks Day. Another topic was My Favorite Patriotic when the meeting was the day after the 4th of July. A club newsletter or email to members serves as a great way of keeping members informed about upcoming events. Some clubs also host a stamp show once a year, and others also organize bus trips to attend larger shows. The latter helps members save on travel expenses. Exhibiting also was mentioned more than once as a club meeting activity. Some clubs put together different displays that are shown in their respective communities. Paul L. Morton, secretary of the Rio Rancho Stamp Club in New Mexico, shared that his club does four-page exhibits that are shown during the meetings. Morton said: We are a small show and are unable to hold competitive stamp exhibits every other year due to conflicts with our show venue. So on those off years, rather than spend an entire year without stamp exhibits, I thought we could present Club Exhibits at our monthly stamp club meetings. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter In addition to those collectors already mentioned, I would like to thank the following readers for writing in with suggestions: Nick Nikolaidis of the Upper Valley Stamp Club in Vermont; Larry Huff of the Union River Stamp Club in Ellsworth, Maine; and Ken Aldridge of the Mid-Cities Stamp Club in Arlington, Texas. Apr 23, 2018, 8 AM Ireland honors Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela as international statesmen on a se-tenant pair of commemorative stamps issued April 5. New Stamps of the World By Denise McCarty New stamps from Ireland honor Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. An Post issued the two stamps April 5 in a set called International Statesmen. Joanne Ferris of Irish Stamps (An Posts philatelic bureau) said, Both stamps feature iconic photographs of the great men as they address mass public gatherings of their followers. King, the leader of the civil rights movements in the United States in the 1960s, is shown at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The highlight of this protest march was Kings I Have a Dream Speech, delivered from the Lincoln Memorial to a crowd of approximately 250,000 people on Aug. 28, 1963. Less than a year later, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law. As part of the online version of the exhibit The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom, the Library of Congress summarized the Civil Rights Act: Considered the most significant piece of civil rights legislation since Reconstruction, the act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in voting, public accommodations, public facilities, public education, federally funded programs, and employment. The exhibition can be found here. Also in 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was assassinated April 4, 1968. The stamp includes an inscription with his name and the years of his birth and death 1929-1968 on the right side. An inscription at the bottom of the stamp includes the country name Eire and a W. The letter indicates that the stamp pays the basic domestic rate, currently 1. South Africas anti-apartheid leader and president from 1994-99, Mandela also was a Nobel Peace Prize winner. In accepting the award in December 1993, Mandela mentioned King, He, too, grappled with and died in the effort to make a contribution to the just solution of the same great issues of the day which we have had to face as South Africans. An Post summarized Mandelas life up to his imprisonment in 1962: Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) was South Africas first black president and was the son of an African Chief and studied law to become one of South Africas first black lawyers. In the 1950s he was elected leader of the youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC). He was arrested in 1962 and sentenced to life imprisonment for high treason and conspiracy against the state. Mandela was released more than 27 years later, on Feb. 11, 1990. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter The stamp pictures him speaking to a crowd at Soweto, South Africa, in September of that year. Like the stamp for King, the Mandela stamp is nondenominated with a W in place of the value. The Dublin-based design studio Aad designed the two International Statesmen stamps. Cartor Security Printing produced them by offset in sheets of 16 with the two designs se-tenant (side by side). Quezon Governor David Suarez A 41-year-old politician, who promoted the welfare of pregnant women and their children under Quezons First 1,000 Days or Q1K program, received the Outstanding GovernorHall of Fame Award for social services and development from the countrys largest group of social workers. Quezon Governor David Suarez, the youngest son of Quezon 3rd District Rep. Danilo Suarez and former Rep. Aleta Suarez, received the award for outstanding comprehensive social services, exemplary provincial governance and leadership from the Association of Local Social Welfare and Development Officers of the Philippines Inc. at Crown Legacy Hotel in Baguio City on April 18, 2018. Suarez, who is married to Alona Party-list Rep. Anna Villaraza-Suarez, was recognized for implementing comprehensive social provinces in the province, particularly the Q1K program which promotes the welfare of pregnant women and their children. Suarez described the formative years or the first 1,000 days of a childs life as the golden window of opportunity to address health and nutrition and the general welfare of the people. Under the Q1K program, pregnant women are provided free prenatal checkups, lab tests, ultrasound services and health supplements to make sure that the mothers and their children are healthy. The United Nations Childrens Fund identifies the first 1,000 days of a childs lifefrom the womb of the pregnant mother through the childs second birthdayas a critical period of development that will affect a persons intellectual development and lifelong health. Suarez became the first local champion of the First 1,000 Days program and implemented it across Quezon province by providing pregnant women with adequate information and health interventions, so that their children will become healthy individuals contributing to national development. The Department of Health and the National Nutrition Council also both recognized the provincial government of Quezon for leading the implementation of the program in the country.Suarez was elevated to the ALSWDOPI Hall of Fame after being awarded the outstanding social protection development service awards for three years.This award (Gawad Parangal) is one of the most important awards that we received because it was given by the people who know and understand what service really means, Suarez said. Suarez said the social workers in Quezon province should be credited for making the Q1K program successful, which earned for the province its first award in 2014. Quezon province was also awarded in 2017 for the full implementation of Magna Carta for Social Workers and hazard pay for non-social workers, a health coupon program called Lingap Kalusugan Para sa Barangay, a wider scholarship program and financial subsidy for senior citizens, daycare workers and non-government organizations. The province was also recognized for 2 in 1 environment program, which involved the planting of 2 million mangrove seedlings. Quezon province was again recognized this year for the sustainable implementation of these projects as well as new award-winning programs in agriculture, nutrition, healthcare and nutrition. Among the new projects is the establishment of the first science high school in the province and the expansion of scholarship programs for College and Masters Degree students. Suarez said these programs are complemented by peace and order initiatives undertaken with the help of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines as well as Yakap Bayan, a community-based rehabilitation program for drug dependents who have surrendered to authorities. Suarez said the awards and recognition given to the province would not be possible without the gallant efforts of local social workers who are the true force behind the successful implementation of programs that are designed to help those who are in need. Conglomerate Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. said it plans to spend P77 billion this year to fund the expansion of its power generation unit and other businesses. AEV chief finance officer Manuel Lozano said about P61 billion of the P77-billion capital expenditures for 2018 would go to unit Aboitiz Power Corp. in support of the latters thermal and renewable projects and exploratory and operating activities. The groups food, infrastructure and real estate units will also spend P4 billion to P5 billion each this year, while banking arm Union Bank of the Philippines plans to invest P2.4 billion in 2018. Lozano said the groups food business under Philmico was aggressive in expanding its core businesses in the Philippines while building new ones in the Southeast Asian region. Pilmico plans to increase flour exports to Asean, while its farms business would epxand its animal stock to 20,000 sows and integrate the business through the value chain with a new meat processing plant. Pilmico aims to expand its current monthly egg production from 4 million pieces in 2017 to 15 million pieces by quadrupling layers capacity. Aboitiz Land, the groups property unit, plans to launch three residential projects on top of its largest commercial project to dateThe Outlets at Lipa.Aboitiz InfraCapital, the groups infrastructure unit, will start constructing the P14-billion Agua-Apo water project in Davao this year. Lozano said the construction of the project was expected to start soon, after securing nearly all the required permits needed to implement the project. The company is also set to finalize funding for the project. Under the plan, APO Agua will supply up to 300 million liters per day of potable bulk water from Tamugan River, which will benefit more than 1 million people in Davao City. The group hopes to complete the project by 2020. Lozano said the groups cement unit, Republic Cement and Building Materials Inc., would continue with the debottlnecking of existing plants to improve the efficiency of these facilities. RCBM targets to increase its cement production capacity to 10 million metric tons over the next couple of years from the current 7 million MT. Lechon has been described by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain as the best pig ever. A spread of some well-loved traditional Filipino dishes: sisig, pochero, and kare-kare Halo-halo, which literally means to mix together, is one of the top Filipino dishes that everyone should try according to Lonely Planet. Filipino journalist and historian Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil, in her essay Where is the patis?, argued that the first bastion of the Filipino spirit is the palate. A Filipino may denationalize himself but not his stomach. He may travel over the seven seas, the five continents, the two hemispheres and lose the savor of home, forget his identity and believes himself a citizen of the world. But he remainsgastronomically, at least, always a Filipino. For, if in no other way, the Filipino loves his country with his stomach, she said. But with the influx of American diners and burger joints, of Korean BBQ joints (one even bearing the very Filipino name Romantic Baboy), of Japanese ramen houses, and of the several other restaurants and stalls selling international dishes like the proverbial hotcake, it has become more imperative to promote and celebrate our gastronomic heritage. Two years ago, the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement lobbied for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts to request the President to declare April of every year as Buwan ng Kulinaryang Pilipino.Philippine food has been receiving a lot of recognition in the global food scene lately. Many have predicted that it will be the next big thing in food. But I personally think that there is still work to be done to encourage our countrymen and women to learn about, appreciate, and honor our rich culinary traditions as a strong pillar of our national cultural identity, wrote PCHM president Chef Jam Melchor in the petition filed through Change.org. The petition received the backing of NCCA chairman Virgilio Almario, and the commission created the draft proclamation in as early as August 2016.Almario, in a follow-up letter sent to Malacanang in September last year, wrote: The commission believes that food plays a vital role in maintaining connection in ones cultural heritage and that it also serves as an important ingredient in maintaining the cultural identity of our country. The waiting game for a presidential action took 20 months since NCCA created its draft. And on April 13, President Rodrigo Duterte finally signed Proclamation No. 469 declaring the month of April of every year as Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino or Filipino Food Month.Our vast culinary tradition and treasures should be appreciated, preserved, and promoted to ensure their transmission to future generations and to support the various industries, farmers, and agri-communities which benefit therefrom, said Duterte. The President likewise directed the NCCA and the Department of Agriculture to lead the annual celebration. Dutertes proclamation could not have come at a better time. On one hand, Filipino cuisine has held its ground in the international scene, and was even included in Bloombergs 11 Fancy Food Trends in 2017. But on the other hand, there are at least 50 Filipino food products that have landed in the Ark of Taste, an international catalogue of endangered heritage foods.Our longstanding culinary traditions need to be celebrated and preserved as well, especially since many of our culinary products and practices are slowly disappearing in the face of the globalization of food culture, said Melchor. The Philippines has all the right ingredients to become an international culinary destination. So long as we can cultivate a homegrown appetite for and interest in our local cuisine, global recognition will soon follow, he added. And this should be the case not just in April of every year but every day of the year. Im at [email protected] Budding social entrepreneurs Gladys Parohinog (left) and John Paul Jose (third from left) together with two other Monsanto scholars graduating from Gawad Kalingas SEED Program John Paul Jose, a 22-year-old who belong to a tribal community in Nueva Vizcaya shared how he was led to believe that people from tribal communities are not meant for great things in life. I was conditioned at a young age that when you belong to a poor tribal community, you are not capable of doing something great. It was like a line was drawn for the poor, he lamented. But with the help of Monsanto Philippines and Gawad Kalingas GKs School for Experiential and Entrepreneurial Development or GK-SEED program, Jose was able to put his knowledge and skills into something valuable. In June, Jose will be graduating as one of the top social entrepreneurs of his batch. He is currently expanding his enterprise called Oasis Chips, promoting the production of world-class indigenous root crop products. When I found SEED, they did not just allow me to cross that line, but they allowed me to define my own line, he enthused.Established in 2014, GK-SEED program offers an education-based solution to rural development. SEED prepares students to create social enterprises that will develop rural areas through rural job and wealth creation. It serves as a pilot that will be replicated to provide a quality education to thousands in communities across the Philippines. It is the first school to be training people from the bottom of the pyramid, specifically the young to actually learn business, said Mark Lawrence Cruz, director of GK-SEED Philippines. We dont teach the poor employment, we teach them to become employers.Cruz said, The students undergo an intensive two-year program wherein they take a variety of courses that focus on character development, enterprise management, communications, business math, and agriculture. Together with Jose, 29 more scholars sponsored by Monsanto are expected to graduate under the SEED programone of them is Gladys Parohinog. Hailing from a farming family in Butuan, Parohinog grew up supporting her own studies while working for her family. She said they do not have a permanent house in Cotabato City. Gawad Kalinga did not only give us a house but they also helped us build our capabilities, she expressed. She is now developing her own enterprise named Fabu-roots, showcasing products made from root crops. Cruz likewise thanked Monsanto, which has been in partnership with Gawad Kalinga for more than four years now, for the support given to the 30 scholars. Cruz said I tell the scholars that they dont need to be born with a good name to be able to get good opportunities. They may have been born poor, but they will not die poor. That if you give them the right opportunities, they will grab it and make it worth our while. When the Duchess of Sussex, better known as Meghan Markle, gave birth to a baby boy on May 6, 2019, royal baby watchers all over the world rejoiced. "I haven't been at many births. This is definitely my first birth. It was amazing, absolutely incredible, and, as I said, I'm so incredibly proud of my wife," father Prince Harry said afterward. But the new baby, named Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, did not just bring joy to the besotted new parents; he joined the crowded field of royals who have a (slim) chance of one day succeeding to the British throne. In the much-anticipated interview of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry by Oprah Winfrey on March 7, 2021, the couple announced they are expecting a second child, a baby girl, "some time in the summer." However, during the interview, Markle also explained that her son Archie had been denied a royal title. In addition, Markle said that Archie had not benefited from the security detail ordinarily provided alongside the position of a prince. The rules on inheriting the title of either Prince or Princess go back to the 1917 Letters Patent , released by King George V. They read: "The eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales shall have and at all times hold and enjoy the style title or attribute of Royal Highness with their titular dignity of Prince or Princess." As Prince Harry is the younger of Charles' two sons, his own children therefore do not automatically qualify for such titles. Despite this, Archie remains the first British-American royal in line for the crown. But just where does he fall in the line of succession? For centuries, the royal line of succession to the British throne was like in most monarchies based on primogeniture, which traditionally gives preference to the firstborn male heir of a king and queen, meaning he inherits the title, lands and all other property belonging to his family. One benefit of primogeniture is that it keeps all the lands belonging to a family intact and profitable: In many agricultural societies, divvying up land into smaller parcels that are too small to support an extended family would quickly reduce a family to penury. Related: The 10 most powerful modern women leaders In the British royal family today, the throne will pass from Queen Elizabeth II upon her death to her son Prince Charles. Next in line is Charles' eldest son, William, the current Duke of Cambridge, who is married to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, also known as Kate Middleton. Because of a dramatic break with tradition, William and Kate's eldest child, who was born in 2013, will be next in line to inherit the throne, regardless of the child's sex. Kate did end up having a boy, Prince George. That change was adopted in 2011, when the leaders of 16 British Commonwealth countries (including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and other countries) met in Perth, Australia, and voted unanimously to alter the centuries-old rule of succession. Previously, daughters could only inherit the British throne if there were no living sons. Prince George's siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are next in line to the throne. Prince Harry is sixth in line, followed by baby Archie, who is seventh in line to the throne. As well as the first British-American royal baby, Archie is automatically a British citizen, but will have to apply at the U.S. consulate for American citizenship. The little one is also the first biracial baby to be in line for the throne. As a result of the new rules of 2011, Archie's sister, when she is born, will be eighth in line to the throne, but will likewise probably not be given a royal title at first. After the birth of the Sussex's second child, the Queen's son the Duke of York, Andrew, will be bumped to ninth in the line of succession . Another long-held rule that was tossed out in 2011 stipulated that no heir could assume the throne if he or she were married to a Roman Catholic. That rule was based upon centuries of religious persecution and warfare going back to the reign of Henry VIII, who broke with the Roman Catholic Church to divorce his wife, Queen Catherine, and marry Anne Boleyn. But because one of the duties of the British monarch is to head the Church of England, even today, no Roman Catholic can hold the crown. In a 1994 interview, Prince Charles caused a royal kerfuffle when he stated that he would rather be seen as a "defender of faiths," including Catholicism and other religions, according to CNN. Another form of inheritance is known as ultimogeniture, in which the last-born child (again, usually a male) inherits the lands and titles of his parents. Ultimogeniture is sometimes used to compensate the youngest son for remaining in the home longer and caring for his elderly parents. It was practiced in a handful of medieval European realms and in certain Japanese dynasties. Strict primogeniture and ultimogeniture are relatively rare; in most cases, all male and female heirs are provided with some share or lands, titles or other rewards, even if they don't inherit a royal crown. Editor's Note: This article was first published in 2013 and updated by Timothy Williamson on March 9, 2021. Originally published on Live Science. Today is the day. It's the beginning of the end, according to practiced doomsday diviner David Meade. On April 23, 2018, Meade says, the sun, the moon and Jupiter will line up in the constellation Virgo (in actuality, they will not be in that constellation) an alignment that has biblical disaster written all over it. In the Bible, Revelation 12:1-2 speaks of a "woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head," who labors to give birth to a dictator who will ultimately bring about the world's end. Meade did a lot of numerical and cosmic gymnastics to come up with today's apocalypse one that, of course, will not come to be. The same passage used for today's prediction was also the basis for Meade's end-of-the-world prediction last year, when he said the sky would essentially fall on Sept. 23. It did not. [End of the World? Top 10 Doomsday Threats] And, in fact, his current forecast seems to have long roots: Baptist preacher William Miller made multiple failed doomsday predictions, and one of them was for April 23, 1843. Sadly, perhaps for Meade, the planet Jupiter will appear not in Virgo but in the constellation Libra from Earth's perspective; the sun will appear to align with Aries, while the moon will lurk in the constellation Gemini today, according to The Sky Live. This celestial alignment is, according to Meade, just the beginning of the cosmic catastrophe. From there, a rogue planet called Planet X will supposedly pass by Earth in October and cause a planetwide mess (worldwide volcanic eruptions) that will culminate in the return of Jesus Christ also based on the Book of Revelation. There are a few problems with this part of the prediction. For one, Planet X, also called Nibiru, is fictional. And whereas scientists are looking for an Earth-size planet that they sometimes refer to as "Planet X" or "Planet Nine," this is a different world altogether from the one described by Meade and others. Nibiru, in fact, is the baby of conspiracy theorist Nancy Lieder, who floated the idea in the 1990s. This rogue planet a body that astronomers who stare at the skies, looking for actual alien worlds, would not miss was the basis for the failed 2012 Maya apocalypse, among others. Besides Nibiru being a made-up world that has been debunked repeatedly, the Revelation passage also has some issues. "The author of Revelation was wrong in his predictions, so neither this book nor any other ancient book is of much relevance for predicting the future," Allen Kerkeslager, a professor of ancient and comparative religion at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, told Live Science earlier this month. All this is to say, the doomsday prediction is bogus. Happy Monday. Original article on Live Science. These wild details and more are packed into the new book "The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World" (William Morrow, 2018), which hits real and virtual bookstore shelves tomorrow (April 24). At 11:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday, Live Science will talk with the book's author, Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh, who will be joining us on Facebook Live all the way from Scotland. [Photos: Velociraptor Cousin Had Short Arms and Feathery Plumage] There's something in it for viewers, too, besides (of course) learning oodles about dinosaurs and the adventurous people who discover and study them. We'll ask and answer a dinosaur trivia question during the interview and ask people to write a response in the Facebook comments. Then, we'll randomly pick five people who correctly answered the question and send them a free copy of Brusatte's book. The book is great for both casually interested readers and the most passionate dino lovers. It follows the paleo-beasts from their rise during the Triassic period about 240 million years ago to their sudden, catastrophic demise at the end of the Cretaceous, about 65.5 million years ago. Step into the world of the scientists who dig up fossils, and learn about the discoveries they've made, including how researchers first found fossilized dinosaur feathers, dug up dwarf dinosaurs and discovered the tyrant lizard king, T. rex. Check out the contest rules below. Don't forget to look at Facebook and Twitter for updates on this contest and other live-video events. You could win this awesome book if you answer a trivia question about dinosaurs correctly (see the rules below)! (Image credit: Live Science) 'The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs' Giveaway Official Rules NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of 50 U.S & DC, 18 or older. 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You understand that you are providing your information to Sponsor & not to Facebook. Original article on Live Science. Copyrights are for humans, not for monkeys, even the creature that used a wildlife photographers camera to take selfie photos that soon circulated worldwide, a federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled Monday. The case stems from an incident in 2011, when British photographer David Slater, on a visit to the Tangkoko Reserve in Sulawesi, Indonesia, put down his camera and walked away. When he looked back, a crested black macaque monkey was examining the camera, looking at a reflection in the lens, and, as Slater described it, making funny faces before snapping the shutter. The photos became a hit on social media, while Slater went on to publish them in a 2014 book, Wildlife Personalities. That prompted the nonprofit People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to file suit on behalf of the monkey, whom they named Naruto, claiming the right of a thinking nonhuman to legal ownership of the creatures own creative work. The suit relied on a 2004 ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that allowed animal-rights supporters to sue on behalf of whales and dolphins in opposing unsuccessfully, as it turned out Navy sonar testing. A federal judge in San Francisco, where Slaters book was published, ruled in 2016 that Narutos surrogates could bring a case in his name, but that the U.S. Copyright Act, as written, applied only to humans. The appeals court agreed Monday, rejecting a challenge from the animal-rights group which, in a separate development, has reached a settlement aimed at protecting Narutos habitat. The Copyright Act does not expressly authorize animals to file copyright infringement suits, Judge Carlos Bea said. PETA noted that courts have allowed corporations, which also are not expressly mentioned in the law, to claim copyrights and sue for violations. But Bea noted that the Supreme Court has upheld corporate claims of free speech and religion, and observed that corporations are formed and owned by humans; they are not formed or owned by animals. The court issued its ruling despite being urged by both sides in the case to dismiss it after they settled their dispute in September. The settlement recognized Slater as the copyright-holder but required him to donate 25 percent of any future revenue from the selfies to charities that would promote the habitat and well-being of crested macaques in Indonesia. The macaques are classified as critically endangered after years of habitat loss and being hunted for bush meat. While leaving the settlement undisturbed, Bea took a swipe at PETA, saying the animal-rights group seems to employ Naruto as an unwitting pawn in its ideological goals. He also said the full appeals court should reconsider and overturn the 2004 ruling allowing suits on behalf of animals. The case is the first time an animal will benefit financially from a work of his own creation, said PETAs general counsel, Jeff Kerr, referring to the habitat protection. Kerr said the group still maintains that Naruto shouldnt be treated any differently than any other photographer just because he doesnt happen to be human. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko The Hellfire Club By Jake Tapper Little, Brown. 352 pp. $27 - - - Jake Tapper, the tenacious anchor of CNN, the merciless slayer of alternative facts, the dogged deflator of political egos, has written a novel about corruption in Washington. In the scandal-a-day era of President Donald Trump, the news doesn't leave much room for fiction about our government's debauchery, but Tapper still heaps plenty of scorn on the king of chaos: "He's impossible to ignore. He's become this . . . planet . . . blocking the sun. And whatever points he makes that have validity are blotted out by his indecency and his lies and his predilection to smear." I'm not sure whom you're thinking of, but that's Tapper's description of Joseph McCarthy, the U.S. senator from Wisconsin whose pyrotechnics fueled the flames of communist paranoia in the 1950s. McCarthy is the dark lord of "The Hellfire Club," Tapper's debut political thriller, which reminds us that our republic has survived leadership crises just as dire as today's. The novel opens in 1954 with an echo of the Chappaquiddick incident reset in Washington's Rock Creek Park. A handsome new congressman named Charlie Marder wakes up from a drunken stupor after a car accident. The body of a young woman lies nearby in a ditch. Before he can figure out what happened, a quick-thinking lobbyist pulls up, burns the evidence and whisks Charlie away. His family, his career, his life have been saved - but at what cost? As openings go, this is terrific - a handful of taut pages steamed with confusion, sex and dread. But no sooner does Charlie climb out of that ditch than this novel careens into another one and stays there, spinning its wheels for 150 pages of leaden back story before we finally arrive again at that fateful morning crash. The only Red threat here is the danger of running out of Red Bull. Perhaps all this exposition stems from the good journalist's determination to provide context, but the whole enterprise labors under a heavy burden of explainism, accentuated by the novel's flat, irony-free prose. Every senator, representative, lobbyist and aide - including many historical figures - arrives with a resume that gets dutifully unfurled over the ever-dwindling action, mostly meetings, hearings and poker games. All historical references are carefully elucidated in the same teacherly tone, from the House Un-American Activities Committee to the Senate hearings on juvenile delinquency to the development of photocopies and pesticides. But there is actually a thriller gestating in this husk of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." Tapper's 33-year-old protagonist, Charlie, is a World War II hero as attractive and flavor-free as a genetically engineered tomato. "Tall and broad-shouldered with piercing blue eyes" - the best kind - Charlie is a former Columbia University professor who published a best-selling work of history before being appointed by the governor of New York to fill an empty congressional seat. His Brooks Brothers suit fits so well you can hardly see the Boy Scout uniform underneath. "You're good," his father tells him. "And even more than that, you believe in goodness." Nothing like a few months in Washington to test that mettle. Charlie barely finds his seat on the House floor before he crosses a powerful committee chairman and gets humiliated. He quickly learns that McCarthy and his henchman Roy Cohn (Donald Trump's future lawyer) aren't the only power-hungry creeps slithering around Washington. And what's more ominous, there's a shadowy network of secret societies where toxic information is swapped and important deals are cut. One of those nefarious groups may be a descendant of the lecherous Hellfire Club that Ben Franklin visited in London before the American Revolution. Its members "don't play by the normal rules," and they'll stop at nothing - not even murder - to secure their aims. Once all this cloak-and-dagger is methodically laid out, "The Hellfire Club" finally lurches into the crazy Dan Brownish adventure it was meant to be. Naturally, there are deathbed statements to ponder, enigmatic codes to decipher and shocking secrets to unearth in the bowels of the Library of Congress, where all the most shocking secrets are kept (Shhhhh). Soon, Charlie realizes - "Oh my God!" - that he's not just trying to save his own skin, he's fighting to save hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of Americans. As the country's future hangs in the balance, Tapper dutifully attends to the clashing racial attitudes of the era. Charlie, precocious as ever, possesses all the enlightened attitudes of a Brooklyn barista in 2018. Ethnic slurs nauseate him. He knows those Confederate statues should come down. And if someone would knit him a pussyhat, he would wear it proudly. His pregnant wife is, of course, a gorgeous zoologist who studies ponies. I'm not complaining. "The Hellfire Club" is most enjoyable when it's most groan-worthy. There's a particularly ludicrous scene in which political opponents confront each other with competing dossiers of compromising photos. The gun-toting thugs chuckle like Batman villains. In Charlie's most valiant scene, he picks up his wife and the horse she rode in on! And did I mention that Charlie has an unusually acute sense of smell? Possibly the least sexy superpower ever. Throughout the novel, he identifies people's perfumes and colognes as if it's some kind of nasal parlor trick. By the end of "The Hellfire Club," you can be sure he'll sniff out a rat. And everybody will catch the pungent scent of a sequel in the wind. Faith, the Bible and family values dominate the soon-to-be-released autobiography of former San Antonio newscaster Ainsley Earhardt, now the co-host of famously conservative national morning show Fox & Friends. Also prominent in The Light Within Me, which goes on sale Tuesday, are loving words about Fox News Channel, the network that eventually provided her with what she describes as her dream job, a seat on that curvy couch next to co-hosts Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade. She also writes admiringly of her shows best known fan, President Donald Trump. RELATED: Where are they now? More San Antonio anchor updates Her unwavering support of Trump on TV and in her book might register as odd to many considering Earhardts descriptions of her fervent efforts to stay on the straight-and-narrow. By contrast, the morality of Trumps actions has come into question repeatedly before and during his presidency. In The Light Within Me, the South Carolina native attributes every major step taken in her 41 years from her choice of a college major (journalism) to each rung of her broadcasting career, including two years as morning co-anchor on KENS and her subsequent 11 years on Fox News Channel to the belief that her closest confidante, God, has shown her the right path. Her memoir is even dedicated to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. A pivotal point in her life, Earhardt writes, was a weekend in the mountains with college pals. She relates how one night in 1997 changed her life. Music blared, a fire was going, I could smell marijuana. Everyone was drinking and laughing at things that suddenly struck me as inappropriate. Instead of being in the middle of the fun, I found myself thinking What would Jesus think if He walked in right now? What would my Dad think? I thought about all the Christians in my life whom I adored and wondered what they would do in this situation. She walked out, sat down outside and prayed. Earhardt described her life up until then as being trapped at the bottom of a slimy pit, and no matter how hard I tried to grip the sides and climb out, I kept falling in deeper. But on that night with snow falling around me, I felt God throw down a rope ladder and help me out of that pit once and for all. This is what I had been searching for all of my life. RELATED: KENS' 5 p.m. rating's gold breaks KSAT's streak Such spiritual devotion helps define Earhardt; it also seems to fly in the face of her effusive praise of Trump. In her pre-election chapter Front Row-Seat to History, about interviewing him in her first year on Fox & Friends, Earhardt describes Trump as a man who genuinely cared about others. Yet he has been plagued by allegations of affairs and sexual misconduct throughout his three marriages and was recorded making lewd comments about women before his presidential run. Most recently, adult film star Stormy Daniels has been speaking out in the media about attempts by Trumps lawyer to silence her allegation that she had sex with the future president not long after his wife, Melania, gave birth to their son. Were all flawed, and no one is perfect, Earhardt said when the topic was raised in a phone interview. If you look at Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, those were Americas choices. She lied about not having an email server. When reminded that its Trump, not Clinton, whos leading the country, Earhardt conceded that she does not condone adulterous behavior by any stretch of the imagination. But I think based on what Ive heard from conservatives, they chose him because they believe in his policies. If you look at the Kennedys, if you look at Bill Clinton, I think our country has decided or learned that we are all flawed, that we all have imperfections, and if all of that were revealed about each one of us, we would all be tainted. No one is perfect. But does it bother her when we keep hearing about his indiscretions? Of course, if a man cheats on his wife, that bothers me, she said. If this did occur with Stormy Daniels, no one supports that. (I) dont know any woman whod support that. We can look at Melania and feel bad for her. People support Trump because of his policies, his conservative justices, she added. Thats what evangelicals have told me. She mentioned a poll stating that 78 percent of evangelicals still support the president. What Im hearing from conservative friends is his policies matter more than what he does behind the scenes in his personal life. As for another major influencer in her book, the man who hired her, Roger Ailes, Earhardt is quite candid about her conflicted feelings about the longtime Fox News leader. His career, of course, ended in disgrace in 2016 amid shocking sexual harassment allegations by women who worked for him. He died the following year. Although she writes fondly of Ailes, whom she says shell always be grateful to for the opportunity at Fox News, she states she was shocked and saddened to learn of the accusations that led to his fall. From the first day I met him, he was always a father figure and a mentor. But clearly that was not the experience other women had with him, and upon hearing their stories, my heart broke for them. She even quotes a passage from the Bible: Numbers 32:23 says You may be sure that your sin will find you out. On a lighter note, Earhardt brushed off the various TV spoofs of Fox & Friends, which poke fun at her and her co-hosts unfailing support of Trump and his policies, as well as indications that the president is a faithful viewer, such as his tweets about what they discuss. Animated versions of the Fox trio are featured on Stephen Colberts comedy Our Cartoon President on Showtime, and as recently as February, Saturday Night Live lampooned the mutual admiration of Trump and Earhardt, Doocy and Kilmeade. Honestly, I just laugh, she said. That stuff doesnt bother me. Im not here to make everyone love me. I wish they would. You have the choice, you dont have to watch us. I think there is a need for what we do every morning, and Im proud of the product we produce. Jeanne Jakle's column appears Thursdays and Sundays in mySA. Read more of her columns here. | jjakle@express-news.net | @JakleJ SUMMONED OVER COMMENTS. Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Pedro Villa speaks during a press conference at the Philippines embassy in Kuwait City on April 21, 2018. AFP A LAWMAKER on Sunday warned Kuwait against expelling Manilas ambassador over a video that showed Philippine Embassy personnel whisking away an abused Filipino domestic away from her employers home in a diplomatic vehicle. If they throw out our ambassador, it will not be left unanswered, said ACT-OFW Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III. We understand several members of parliament in Kuwait have demanded that the Philippine ambassador be kicked out over the incident portrayed in the video. This is totally uncalled for, he added.A Kuwait Interior Ministry statement expressed grave concern over the incident shown in the video and warned that the full force of the law will be brought to bear on those complicit in the wrongdoing. But Beritz said embassy personnel were only doing their jobs. We must stress that the Philippine government is duty-bound to safeguard its nationals wherever they may be, Bertiz said. In extreme cases wherein Filipino domestic workers are being physically battered or sexually abused, and cry out for help, our embassy is expected to take appropriate action, he added. After the video became popular on the internet, the Kuwait Foreign Ministry summoned Philippine Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa to hand him two diplomatic protests. The notes were related to recent remarks by several Filipino officials which [amounted to] seriousoffenses against the State of Kuwait and [led] to the actions of some embassy employees in violation of the diplomatic norms governing relations between the two countries. The Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported that Villa was summoned in protest over inflammatory comments that he supposedly made against the Arab state through a local newspaper. Villa was also summoned over the inappropriate behavior of the embassy staff that rescued the Filipino domestic. A GMA-7 video showed a Philippine rapid response team going around Kuwait to locate Filipino domestics who asked to be rescued. The Arab Times reported Sunday that several Kuwaiti members of Parliament government have criticized Villa after he confirmed there was a team of Philippine officers rescuing distressed Filipinos. The Kuwaiti legislators said the deployment of a Philippine rescue team in Kuwait violated diplomatic norms and infringed on the countrys sovereignty. Villa on Saturday acknowledged the support and cooperation of the Kuwaiti government in addressing the concerns on the welfare of overseas Filipino workers in the Gulf state. We thank the Kuwaiti government for the extension of the amnesty program for undocumented foreign nationals, including Filipinos, as a result, we were able to bring home and reunite around 5,000 of our workers in the Philippines, said Villa in a press conference with Kuwaiti reporters. Half a century ago, more than 185 guys from the Capital Region shipped out to Vietnam together on Halloween, 1968. "Almost nobody in the 1018th Service and Support Company of the Army Reserve at the Horace Bradt Army Reserve Center in Niskayuna thought they'd end up in that war," said Don Wilcock of Scotia, a former specialist five and a freelance music writer, who was activated with the unit. "After all, we were supposed to be held in reserve to serve and support the regular Army. All of us had jobs; many had wives and young children." The mobilization disrupted everything and held the potential for being a death sentence, he added. For whatever reason, from patriotism to fulfilling a commitment, they all went. And now, 50 years later, they are getting back together to remember and catch up. The 1018th veterans are holding a "Welcome Home Again" party at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 19 at the Colonie Elks Lodge in Latham. A memorial for Spc. 5 James McNeilly of Scotia, a 1018th soldier who was killed by enemy small-arms fire in Quang Ngai Province on June 22, 1969, is planned. Friends and family members welcome. A hot and cold buffet dinner with "no C rations" is planned at a cost of $30 per person payable by May 1. Checks should be made out to the 1018th S&S Reunion and mailed to John Kawola, 2412 Fourth Ave., Watervliet, NY 12189. For information, contact Don Wilcock at 518-258-4373, Frank Merges at 518-461-9503 or Kenny Henk at 518-356-0387. The 1018th Supply and Service soldiers were among 10,000 Army reservists activated for the Vietnam War. Upon arrival in Central Highlands in South Vietnam, the reservists were dispersed to Doc Phu, Phu Bai, Hill 63 and other outposts. They spent their war year operating heavy trucks transporting jet fuel, gasoline, food, clothing, beverages and other supplies throughout their area of operation. They often came under North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong mortar, rocket and small-arms attacks during convoy duty, at base camps and while on patrol. Soldiers promoted Carl Rosenkranz of Troy was promoted to captain while serving with the New York Army National Guard's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Combat Aviation Brigade, 42nd Infantry Division. Cassandra Fernandez of Albany was promoted to second lieutenant while serving with Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry. Sarah Degnan of Slingerlands advanced to warrant officer one while serving with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation. David Arroyo of Troy was promoted to master sergeant while on duty with Joint Force Headquarters. Jennifer Raubscott of Castleton advanced to master sergeant while assigned to Joint Force Headquarters. Joseph Weidlich of Cobleskill advanced to master sergeant while on duty with Intelligence and Sustainment Company, 42nd Infantry Division. Michael Walker of East Greenbush was promoted to sergeant first class while serving with the 2nd Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction). Roberto Wells of Colonie advanced to staff sergeant while on duty with Headquarters, 106th Regiment (Regional Training Institute). Other promoted soldiers include: Sergeant: Tyler Center, Slingerlands, Joint Force Headquarters; Christopher Hansen, Troy, 206th Military Police Company; and Jacob Pratt, Brunswick, Company A, 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation. Specialist: Alex Fish, Queensbury, Company E (Forward Support Company Brigade Engineer Battalion), 427th Brigade Support Battalion; Daniel Goodell, Nassau, 827th Engineer Company; and Samuel Pelham, Jewett, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry. Navy recognition Rebecca Beatty, a certified nursing assistant graduate of Glenmont Job Corps Center, has earned a $5,000 bonus upon being sworn in to serve in the Navy. She earned the bonus for her high academic scores at the Job Corps Center. She qualified to train and work in the Navy's Medical Department. News of your soldiers and units can be sent to Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Times Union, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or brownt@timesunion.com. Border Patrol agents along with the Laredo Police Department responded Thursday to a request for assistance from Homeland Security Investigations regarding suspicious activity at a residence on San Luis Street. A total of 56 undocumented immigrants, including men, women and children, were found inside the residence. They were determined to be from Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras. All were processed accordingly. Homeland Security Investigations has the lead in the investigation. PARISDetained Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, widely known as Shawkan, will be awarded Unescos World Press Freedom Prize, the United Nations cultural body said Monday. Shawkan was arrested in August 2013 as he covered deadly clashes in Cairo between security forces and supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. He is one of 700 defendants facing charges of killing police and vandalizing property during the clashes. The choice of Mahmoud Abu Zeid pays tribute to his courage, resistance and commitment to freedom of expression, said Maria Ressa of the Philippines, head of the Unesco jury which is awarding the prize. Egypts foreign affairs ministry on Sunday voiced its profound regret that an organization with the status of Unesco would honor a person accused of terrorist and criminal acts. Several hundred people, including three journalists, were killed during the security forces bloody dispersal of a pro-Morsi sit-in after the military ousted the Islamist in 2013.Egypts first democratically elected president had taken office in 2012 but faced mass protests a year into his controversial rule. Press freedom group Reporters without Borders ranks Egypt 161st out of 180 countries on its press freedom index, saying at least 31 journalists are currently detained in the North African country. It slammed a decision by the Egyptian prosecution in March to seek the death penalty against Shawkan. Unesco said it will officially award its prize to Shawkan on May 2, to mark World Press Freedom Day. AFP Entrepreneurship is not a destination; its a journey. On this journey, successful entrepreneurs don't have an expectation of arriving to some finish line. If you do have that expectation, you wont continue to push yourself to step outside of your comfort and grow. You wont seek out the things that truly help your business experience explosive results because all those things require you stretching yourself. On any journey, you have times of joy and more than a few setbacks. During the times of joy, you feel like you can accomplish anything. It gives you the strength and motivation to continue to put in the work that helps your business. During the hard times, negative feelings and emotions can easily take over. Before you know it, you're feeling sorry for yourself and you turn to your familiar coping mechanism. That coping mechanism could be food, alcohol, binge-watching TV or any other thing that takes your focus away from what you want to accomplish in your business. Since you don't have a boss or company dictating your day and what you accomplish, that time "coping" could turn into weeks of your doing no work at all. Becoming a successful entrepreneur means understanding hard times are when you need to push. When there are obstacles, here's what you need to do. Related: 9 Obstacles You Must Overcome to Make Your First Million Acknowledge, then process your thoughts. The only way to get through obstacles is to start with acknowledging that they're there. The gateway to your feelings and emotions is your thoughts. What you think about and focus on is what you'll attract more of into your life. When you're dealing with obstacles, your thoughts focus on what you can't control and why that situation is happening to you. That can be a dark place. When you feel your thoughts spiraling, give yourself two minutes to fully feel what is going on in your head. Don't try to suppress those thoughts -- let them out. When you try to suppress them, they grow stronger and threaten to get control. Once you have given yourself two minutes, take control of your thoughts. Focus on what brings you joy and what you're grateful for in your life. It's hard to be down when you're expressing gratitude. Related: 20 Wise Insights on Gratitude to Spark a Positive Mindset Focus on what you can control. Life is messy. Change is hard. Growing a business is not easy and it feels like everything can go wrong at once. There are always going to be things you can't and shouldn't try to control. There are, however, things you can do something about. If your marketing plan is off, you can readjust. If your sales are lacking, you can go back what you know works. If a team member is causing more trouble than is worth helping them, you can let them go. The point being, there are tangible things you can fix in your business no matter what is happening. Identify what the things are that you can do something about. Create a plan that will help you get on the path to recovery. Make it practical and actionable. Fill up your to-do list and calendar with the tasks that lead to results. Related: Don't Waste Your Focus on Things You Can't Control Ask for help, then take action. Some obstacles feel like more than you can handle. Seeking counsel and support can be the difference between you getting through it or failing. Don't try to be Wonder Woman or Superman. Seek help. One of the best things you can do is make decisions that help you recover. Talking and planning with someone who understands and is trained in dealing with a crisis is valuable. Then, make decisions that are action-based. If a decision pushes you toward the action that helps your business, make it. One of the best ways to recover from difficult situations is to take massive action. Taking action on the things you can control will give you progress. As you consistently take action, you'll be closer to your goal before you even realize. Obstacles don't have to be business breakers in your life. You can learn from them and use them to make you a stronger and wiser entrepreneur. The most successful entrepreneurs understand that it's not the crisis -- it's your response that determines how successful you'll be. Stay strong, process your thoughts, create a plan and then take action. Related: Which Is More Important, Work Ethic or Talent? Entrepreneurship Is All About Overcoming Obstacles This Data Science Professional cum Entrepreneur leads an "IPL" of his Own Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved MOSCOW -- Russians wanting a glimpse of the American dream now have to wait. Or not go at all. Escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington are putting a damper on Russians' vacation plans, catching ordinary people in diplomatic crosswires that have a distinct Cold War flavor. A year ago, obtaining a U.S. tourist visa could take under a week. Now, it comes with an eight-month delay. "I am waiting for a miracle to happen. Maybe tomorrow Russia and the United States will decide they are friends, all staff will come back to the embassy, and I'll get my visa," said Mohamed Torky, who is the executive chef of a Holiday Inn in northern Moscow. Torky had planned a July vacation to the United States, to see the fabled Las Vegas and eat steaks in Texas. He even thought of fulfilling his childhood dream of driving a Ford Mustang through America's highways. But instead he'll be vacationing in nearby Georgia, or Egypt. The 32-year-old is furious. "Putin doesn't suffer, Trump doesn't suffer, but people like me suffer," he said, referring to the Russian and American presidents. Since last month's expulsion of 60 U.S. diplomats, and the closure of the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg, part of the latest tit-for-tat in the standoff between Moscow and the West, the next available visa appointment at the U.S. embassy in Moscow is in 250 days' time. The diplomats were kicked out after Britain and its allies expelled over 150 Russians from embassies for the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal, which Moscow denies. Last week, Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, described relations with the West as worse than during the days of the Cold War. The visa debacle has spilled into the public, leading Moscow and Washington to trade fresh barbs last week. The Kremlin accused the United States of denying visa appointments for crew members of Aeroflot, Russia's flagship carrier and the only airline with direct flights to the United States. A State Department official dismissed the claims as "unhelpful and simply false." Two dancers from Moscow's famed Bolshoi Theater, including a prima ballerina, had their visas rejected at the last minute, before a scheduled performance in New York. The Russian foreign ministry pointed the blame squarely at the United States on Saturday, for "trying to put up a visa wall," making "our citizens' visits to the U.S. virtually impossible. . . Such things did not happen even during the Cold War." The U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, which oversees performer visas, said it does not comment on specific cases, citing privacy concerns. Avoiding the daunting 250-day wait, hundreds of Russians have been flooding neighboring, former Soviet countries such as Latvia in recent weeks, hoping to take advantage of U.S. embassies whose host country is not sparring with Washington. A cottage industry of "wine and visa" tours has even sprung up in the Caucasus, where visa-seekers can wait out the processing time by sipping their way through Georgian vineyards. But not all Russians have the time, or can afford, an additional holiday in a nearby country in their quest to get an American visa, and the actual numbers of Russians visiting the United States has plummeted. "Now the outflow of tourists is much lower, it's practically none," said Maya Lomidze, spokeswoman for Russia's Association of Tour Operators. For Torky and others who have applied for a visa but given up on the wait, the $160 processing fee will not be returned. Foreign travel, which was off limits during the Soviet era, is relished by ordinary Russians, after decades of pent-up desire. Millions visit the beaches of Thailand and Mediterranean Europe each year. But the number of Russian tourists to the United States has never been high. According to official figures, the vast majority of the 240,000 Russians who visited last year were on business or study trips. For many, the United States feels elusive, and visiting the country conjures up Hollywood-inspired fantasies. One particularly crestfallen Russian is 27-year-old Vladislav Kovalev, who is desperately trying to make true on his dream for a fairytale wedding on a West Coast beach. The Muscovite and his girlfriend of the same age, Nastya Klyueva, want an intimate ceremony with "the beautiful rocks and sunshine" of Los Angeles. "We thought, 'Where can we have a wedding? What kind of special place?' " said Kovalev, who works in tech, as a user experience designer and product manager at Russia's Alfa Bank. Sporting wide-rimmed glasses and an Apple watch, he could easily be mistaken for a hipster on the other side of the Atlantic. "For us L.A. is romantic. There's the film industry, and you're not far from Silicon Valley. You can do trips to the film studios, and see Google and Apple." By California law, foreigners without residency can get married in the state, and the union is recognized once it is registered in Russia. Kovalev is now wondering how easily the couple, who have never been to the United States, could fly to Kiev for their American visas. "A wedding in Russia," he said, "would be easy and boring." The Kremlin may delight as fewer of its citizens are exposed to the wiles of Western soft power. Riding on a wave of patriotism, Putin has encouraged Russians to vacation at home. Since annexing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Moscow has spent considerable energy and money on revamping the peninsula, attempting to restore its Soviet-era status as the ultimate vacation spot. In a quixotic bid last week, Russia urged its citizens studying in "unfriendly countries" to return to the motherland, and trade their coveted foreign education for one from a top Russian school. The name of the program, called "Highly Likely Welcome Back, or It's Time to Come Home," sarcastically takes aim at British Prime Minister Theresa May's assertion that Russia was "highly likely" behind the Skripal poisoning. "In the eyes of the world, Russia has become evil. . . and this situation looks like a sort of cartoon or James Bond film," said Kovalev. Even still, the young Russian is fed up with the anti-Russian attitudes rippling through the West. "If you get beaten up enough, you will begin to defend yourself, and it doesn't matter who started it." --- Natasha Abbakumova in Moscow and Carol Morello in Washington contributed. The neo-Nazis were running late, so the counterprotesters began without them, lining the streets of Newnan, Georgia, on Saturday afternoon. The target of their counterprotest was the National Socialist Movement, the neo-Nazis who had planned a public rally. But things quickly went awry for the counterprotesters who were wearing masks or bandannas that concealed their faces - a problem in the eyes of some police officers. Around 2:30 p.m., police began to point their guns at a crowd of the anti-racism protesters gathered on a sidewalk. "State law requires you to remove your masks right now," one SWAT officer told the crowd, according to video footage from the scene. "You will do it right now or you will be arrested." Within minutes, several counterprotesters were in handcuffs. Video footage from the scene showed SWAT officers pulling some counterprotesters off the curb and throwing them to the ground. One man wearing a bandanna over his face was arrested as counterprotesters chanted, "Hands up, don't shoot!" The officers continued to yell, "Remove your masks!" More than 700 officers had swarmed the town due to the rally, many of them in full riot gear carrying military-style weapons. As it turns out, the state law police cited before arresting those protesting racism in masks has a rather ironic origin: It was passed in Georgia in 1951 to combat those promoting racism in hoods. As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, throughout the latter half of the 20th century, police enforced the Anti-Mask Act against members of the white-hooded Ku Klux Klan in effort to quell their public gatherings. In more recent years, however, it has been used against masked counterprotesters at white supremacist rallies. Jeremy Ortega, a 19-year-old charged with a misdemeanor for wearing a mask, told the Journal-Constitution that people were trying to hide their identities to avoid being targeted by the white power groups. He is among at least 10 counterprotesters arrested Saturday, though not all were arrested for wearing masks. Some were arrested for obstructing a roadway, the Journal-Constitution reported. The neo-Nazis marched into town wearing all black, bearing flags and yelling "white power," the Newnan Times-Herald reported. There were no arrests. Ortega said he is considering a lawsuit against the police. "They were trying to stop us, and we were trying to dial down the racist stuff," he told the news outlet. "We were peacefully protesting, yet they put guns in our faces and told us to take our masks off. It made no sense." As of Sunday night, all the arrested counterprotesters had been released from jail on bail, according to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, which provides financial support to those who get arrested while protesting. The Coweta County Sheriff's Office reported no injuries to officers or protesters, saying that the rally was "very peaceful for the most part," despite a "handful of arrests." According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups in the United States, anti-mask laws were passed in at least 18 states by the end of the 20th century, most between the 1920s and 1950s. In Georgia, the Anti-Mask Act was enacted two years after a Klan parade in Wrightsville, Georgia, on the eve of an election reportedly kept 400 black people from going to vote, among the incidents that lawmakers cited in pushing for its passage. The law has been challenged multiple times on the grounds that it violates the First Amendment's protection of free speech - but the Georgia Supreme Court rejected that argument in 1990. At that time, Shane J. Miller waltzed into a Georgia town dressed in full Ku Klux Klan regalia and was quickly arrested. He argued that wearing the white hood was protected symbolic speech. But the justices, in a 6 to 1 opinion, focused on the intimidating nature of a "masked vigilantes." "We know that 'public disguise is a particularly effective means of committing crimes of violence and intimidation. From the beginning of time the mask or hood has been the criminal's dress. It conceals evidence, hinders apprehension and calms the criminal's inward cowardly fear,'" the court said. "A nameless, faceless figure strikes terror in the human heart. But, remove the mask, and the nightmarish form is reduced to its true dimensions. The face betrays not only identity, but human frailty." But the Act, the justices wrote, "is content neutral," and therefore isn't intended to only apply to Klansmen. Across the country, over the past decade, anti-mask laws have been applied to Occupy Wall Street protesters wearing Guy Fawkes-style masks in New York and Antifa protesters in Alabama at an event hosted by Richard Spencer, a leader of the white nationalist movement. In Georgia in 2016, eight counterprotesters in masks were arrested while protesting white supremacists. Like the protesters Saturday, they found little reason for the police to consider the masks threatening. "It was just a tool for them to suppress the crowd, one counterprotester told the Journal-Constitution then. Mark Meechan stared at the camera and described the training he had given to his girlfriend's pug, Buddha. "My girlfriend is always ranting and raving about how cute and adorable her wee dog is," he said in his Scottish brogue. "And so I thought I would turn him into the least cute thing I could think of, which is a Nazi." Then Meechan asked the dog the same question, again and again: "Buddha, do you want to gas the Jews?" For two years, the video, which includes a scene of a pug staring obediently at a speech by Adolf Hitler, has raised questions about the murky line between offensive satire and hate speech that normalizes Nazism. The Nazi pug video has been blasted by outraged Jewish leaders and defended by satirists who likened Meechan's prosecution to censorship in the George Orwell novel "1984." Now it will cost Meechan 800 pounds (about $1,100). On Monday, according to the BBC, a sheriff gave him the fine and a stiff lecture, saying the video was anti-Semitic and racist. Meechan was found guilty of a hate crime under the Communications Act last month. "The centerpiece of your video consists of you repeating the phrase 'Gas the Jews' over and over again as a command to a dog which then reacts," Sheriff Derek O'Carroll told Meechan while announcing the fine. "You use the command Sieg Heil, having trained the dog to raise its paw in response and the video shows a clip of a Nuremberg rally and a flashing image of Hitler with strident music. You say the video was only intended as a joke to upset your girlfriend, whose dog you used, and nothing more." O'Carroll told the court he did not believe that claim. Previously, the sheriff said, he believed the video was intended to draw attention to other material Meechan had on YouTube. In the "M8 Yer Dugs A Nazi" video posted in April 2016 (which obviously contains offensive language), the dog becomes animated every time Meechan says the phrase or the word "Jews." At one point, Meechan says "Sieg Heil," the Nazi salutation (in German, it means "hail victory"), and the dog extends its right paw, mimicking the Nazi salute. The dog is also seen watching a Hitler rally during the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The dog appears to raise its paw when Hitler proclaims "Sieg Heil." "Who's a good wee Nazi?" Meechan praised the dog. The video ricocheted around the Internet after it was posted in April 2016 and has now been viewed millions of times. Some found it amusing; others felt it was crude and anti-Semitic, including a woman who Meechan says confronted him, then spread dog feces on his front door. Soon after the video was posted, police knocked on Meechan's door in Coatbridge, a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, he told Alex Jones. The officers told him that he was being charged with a hate crime and that the video could be seen as promoting violence against Jews. They told him to change his clothes, took pictures of his apartment and hauled him off to jail. He spent a night there and was charged with violating the Communications Act of 2003, which prohibits using public telecommunications to send discriminatory religious messages. Prosecutors in Meechan's September trial alleged that he communicated material that would cause fear and alarm and stir up hatred on religious grounds by posting a clip on YouTube that was "anti-Semitic in nature," according to the Telegraph. "I feel in the long run I didn't do anything wrong," he said on Jones's show. "It was clearly satire. It was clearly a joke. I wasn't setting out to cause any offense to any people. If anything I was wanting people to laugh, and just obviously, it was taken the wrong way." Meechan didn't respond to messages from The Washington Post seeking comment. He said that he could see how people could be offended by his video but that he doesn't "think hurting someone's feelings is a crime." Prominent comedians - including Ricky Gervais and Jewish comedian David Baddiel - rallied to Meechan's defense, saying free speech includes jokes that some may find offensive. Ricky Gervais tweeted "A man has been convicted in a UK court of making a joke that was deemed 'grossly offensive'. If you don't believe in a person's right to say things that you might find 'grossly offensive', then you don't believe in Freedom of Speech." Ephraim Borowski, director of the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, argued that the video is indeed a hate crime, according to the Telegraph. "It is grossly offensive. It stuns me that anyone should think it is a joke," Borowski told the court, saying he had family that died in the Holocaust. "My immediate reaction is that there is a clear distinction to be made between an offhand remark and the amount of effort that is required to train a dog like that. I actually feel sorry for the dog." And Borowski told the court that there were real-world consequences: The council was "bombarded with" 160 pages of anti-Semitic messages supporting Meechan and the video. In a Q&A with the Connecticut Jewish Ledger, Gavriel Rosenfeld warned that Hitler- and Nazi-based satire normalizes the Nazi legacy: "The Internet above all is the medium that really focuses on Hitler as a completely decontextualized, dehistoricized figure. We can draw a Hitler mustache on anything or a swastika on anything and start laughing at it. "When Hitler himself is photoshopped into the form of various other characters, we get into some really bizarre phenomena: catsthatlooklikehitler.com or thingsthatlooklikehitler.com or 'Hipster Hitler' or 'Six Degrees of Hitler' - it's a cottage industry of people exploiting his image to get attention but we're far away from any historical lesson." The Scotsman reported in July that there was a record number of anti-Semitic attacks in Scotland in 2016. The paper wrote that of the 26 anti-Semitic crimes last year, 15 resulted in criminal charges, while a further 19 "non-criminal" anti-Semitic incidents also took place. Meechan has posted a video apologizing for any offense the video caused. He stressed that he hates "racism in any way shape or form. . . . I don't have any ill will towards the Jewish community or anything like that at all." But he'd already defended his actions in a succinct statement on his pug-centered video: "I'm not racist, by the way. I just really, really wanted to [tick my girlfriend] off." Shortly after his conviction, Meechan said he would appeal the decision, which he said should make comedians in Britain "very, very worried about making jokes in the future," according to the BBC. "I think it is a very dark day in regards to freedom of speech and freedom of expression." --- http://wapo.st/2IGd2hN One of the country's largest federal contractors has been accused of underpaying about 10,000 workers who run help hotlines for public health insurance programs, including the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, by up to $100 million over the last five years, according to four complaints filed Monday to the Department of Labor. The complaint brought by the Communications Workers of America alleges General Dynamics Information Technology misclassified employees at call centers in Kentucky, Florida, Arizona and Texas to suppress their wages. The union, which does not represent the workers, said the contractor hired or promoted workers into roles that require special training but paid them below government-set rates for the jobs they performed. The complaint covers the period since 2013, when GDIT started a $4-billion, 10-year contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. GDIT said in a statement: "The company takes seriously our obligations under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act. Our call center employees are not represented by the Communications Workers of America. Similar to other federal contractors, the company is subject to routine compliance reviews and as with any notice received it will engage with the relevant parties including our employees and the Department of Labor." The CWA has previously filed four similar complaints about the contractor's call centers, and those cases remain under investigation. (The New York Times first reported claims from a Mississippi center in January.) The union said it filed the new complaints Monday after hundreds more workers stepped forward alleging they had been improperly classified and shortchanged. "These folks are paid such low wages that this means an awful lot to them," CWA president Chris Shelton said. "If they were paid what they were supposed to be paid, and they got these back wages, it would change their lives completely." The union said the call center employees' duties and skills fit the description of more advanced staffers - "General Clerk II" or "General Clerk III," as the government classifies the roles under the Service Contract Act. The federal hourly rates for such jobs are set at $12.08 and $13.56. But GDIT paid most of the call center workers $10.52 an hour, the CWA alleged. In 2017, GDIT had $15.3 billion in federal contracts, or three percent of all the public dollars paid to firms to handle work for the government. (The only larger recipients were Lockheed Martin and Boeing.) The firm offers a broad range of services to government agencies, including health-care IT, cyber security and other computing tasks. On its website, GDIT says it built the first private cloud for the U.S. Marines. Federal outsourcing has fluctuated over the last decade and dipped in 2013 under former President Barack Obama, largely due to budget cuts and decreases in military operations, according to the National Contract Management Association which tracks the spending. Outsourcing began to rebound in 2014, and analysts expect spending on contractors to increase under President Trump, who has pledged to pour more money into the nation's armed forces. The CWA's complaint comes a month after President Trump revoked regulations put in place by Obama that required federal contractors to report labor law violations from the last three years before starting a new project for a government agency. The Trump administration considered the rule unnecessarily burdensome, while supporters of the 2014 action said it prevented firms with a history of abusing workers from winning taxpayer-funded contracts. During Trump's first year in office, the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division, which investigates wage-theft claims, recovered $270 million in back wages for more than 241,000 employes - the "second-highest amount ever recovered," the agency tweeted last week. Tanya Goldman, former senior policy adviser to the administer of Wage and Hour Division under Obama, said allegations of improperly labeling workers are increasingly common. "More employers are misclassifying workers to reduce their labor costs," said Goldman, now a senior policy analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy, a national group that advocates for low-wage workers. In 2016, hundreds of Senate cafeteria workers were awarded more than $1 million in back wages after the Labor Department determined two federal contractors, Restaurant Associates and Personnel Plus, had illegally underpaid them for six years. Alexander Passantino, who ran the Wage and Hour Division under former president George W. Bush, said the Service Contract Act, which sets the minimum pay requirements for federal contractors, can confuse companies. "There's a lot of opportunity for contractors to make minor mistakes that have big impact," he said. Passantino advised firms to carefully study the federal wage requirements, since a relatively low-level worker who performed even one upper-rank duty would have to be classified in the more advanced job bracket. "Even if you are 98 percent right," he said, "that two percent can kill you." Kelly Grove, who has worked at GDIT's call center in London, Kentucky since 2016, was promoted after one year - going from reading basic scripts to counseling callers through complicated medical device questions - but stayed at her hourly wage of $10.52. "It feels as if we don't matter," she said. "They want to put more work on us. But they don't want to offer any more if an incentive for it." Her paychecks barely cover the bills, she said, and her two teenagers are on Medicaid. "I work 40 hours a week," she said. "Full time. I shouldn't have to have my children on state insurance." John Oliver plans to air a series of President Donald Trump-mocking public service announcements - in which a cowboy explains basic concepts to the president - on Fox News host Sean Hannity's show this week, in hopes Trump will see them and avoid a nuclear crisis. If you're not familiar with the Catheter Cowboy ads, Oliver introduced them on "Last Week Tonight" in February last year. They're parodies of actual ads in which a cowboy hawks pain-free catheters to Medicare patients. Oliver periodically runs them during the TV-obsessed president's favorite Fox News shows, so that Catheter Cowboy can inform the president of facts such as "Frederick Douglass is dead," and "other people exist." In the latest ad, Oliver told his viewers Sunday, the cowboy will address the international Iranian nuclear agreement, which Trump has threatened to pull out of by May 12. The deal, struck in 2015 between Iran and several rival nations including the United States, suspended economic sanctions against the theocracy in exchange for restrictions on Iran's nuclear program - including regular inspections to make sure its government has stopped trying to develop nuclear weapons. Before previewing the new Catheter Cowboy ad, Oliver devoted nearly his entire program Sunday night to discussing Trump's often fallacious criticisms of the deal - in particular his claim that Iran can simply start developing nuclear weapons again when parts of the deal expire in 10 years. As The Washington Post's Fact Checker has written, Trump has ignored a clause in the deal that permanently bars Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. In Oliver's PSA, set to air in Washington during Hannity's program this week, the cowboy delivers a somewhat simpler message to the president. The spot begins as a shot-for-shot re-creation of a 2015 ad opposing the Iran deal, in which an American family sits down at a dinner table and abruptly disappears in a nuclear explosion. Instead of a nuclear fireball, this time the Catheter Cowboy intrudes on the family, wearing the same plaid shirt and leather vest from his Medicare days. "Hey there, Donald, sorry to interrupt your supper," he says, addressing the camera while the family stares at his back. "I'm here to tell you the Iran deal may not be perfect, but it helps restrict Iran's ability to start making a bomb for at least 10 years. "If you blow up the deal, that turns into zero years. And if I've learned one thing from all these years of cowboying and cathing, it's that 0 is way less than 10." He holds up two posters, a '0' and a '10,' to reinforce the message. He then holds up a third card displaying the face of Trump's new national security adviser, John Bolton, who founded the nonprofit that made the original dinner-table ad in 2015. "Also, do you really want to listen to a guy with a mustache like this?" the cowboy says. "Don't do it, Donald. Don't do it. Hey, does anyone smell gas?" "Oh my god, the stove!" says the wife at the table, at which point the house explodes in a fireball, as in the original. Oliver despaired that the ad may not do much good. He noted that Trump has surrounded himself with opponents of the Iranian nuclear deal - including Hannity, who once said it would lead to a "modern-day Holocaust," and who The Post reported is a close confidant of the president, besides hosting one of his favorite shows. But, Oliver told his viewers, sending a cowboy to speak to Trump between segments of Hannity was as close to influencing the president as he could come. "It will presumably confuse a lot of people," the host said. "I'm not saying it's going to change anything, but at least we will know that we tried." --- https://youtu.be/5xnZ_CeTqyM TOKYOA 117-year-old Japanese woman, thought to be the worlds oldest person, has died, a local official told AFP Sunday. Nabi Tajima, who was born August 4, 1900, died around 8:00 p.m. (1100 GMT) Saturday at a hospital on her native Kikai Island in Kagoshima region, according to Susumu Yoshiyuki, a health and welfare official. Tajima, who became the oldest woman in Japan in September 2015, could have been the oldest person in the world since Violet Brown of Jamaica died in September 2017 at age 117, Japanese media said. Since Browns death, Guinness World Records has been investigating who is the oldest person in the world and was yet to recognize Tajima as such. The oldest man in the world is 112-year-old Masazo Nonaka of Japan, the organization announced on April 10.Ms Tajima was living at a nursing centre for the elderly. In January, she became weaker, so she was taken to a local hospital, Yoshiyuki told AFP. She died there (Saturday) due to her advanced age, he said. Japan is known for the longevity of its people and has been home to several oldest title holders. There are around 68,000 people aged 100 or older in the country, the government said last year. AFP Saginaw Valley State University will welcome a leading expert on ocean conditions and coral reefs for a public talk on the ecosystems. Joanie Kleypas, a research scientist for the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, will give a lecture titled "Coral Reefs and Climate Change: An Ecosystem Meets its Match" at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall. Fifteen months after Donald Trump's first travel ban set the in-your-face tone for his presidency, the controversy finally comes before the Supreme Court in a showdown over the limits of the president's power to control who enters the country. In arguments Wednesday, the justices for the first time will directly confront the policy, which in its latest version restricts entry by people from seven countries, five of them predominantly Muslim. The court will consider whether the travel ban's roots lie in anti-Muslim comments Trump made during his campaign, whether he overstepped his authority under immigration laws and whether judges can second-guess the president's national-security assessments. The case will mark the biggest test yet of Trump's relationship with the court, which so far has treaded lightly around his unconventional presidency. The argument will be the last of the court's nine-month term. The justices hinted they will uphold the travel ban when they issued an order in December letting it take full effect during the legal fight. The move, over the dissents of Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor, superseded an order that let an earlier version of the ban take only partial effect. Still, neither action addressed the merits of the legal controversy, a subject covered by dozens of briefs filed in the case by interested outsiders. The justices will examine a ruling against Trump by a federal appeals court in San Francisco that said he exceeded his powers with a sweeping prohibition from entry to the U.S. that would cover more than 150 million people. Although federal immigration law says the president can block a "class of aliens," the appeals court said he still must show they would be a danger to the country. Trump's top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General Noel Francisco, said the appeals court ruling "would severely constrain the ability of this and future presidents to discharge their duties." Francisco said in a court brief that Trump's order laid out the reasons for his policy, even though the law "does not require the president to articulate detailed findings before he may suspend or restrict entry of aliens abroad." That's a stance that opponents of the travel ban say would give the president far more power over the nation's borders than either Congress or the constitution's framers intended. "It is stunning what the Department of Justice is saying in terms of how much power they are asking the courts to give to the president," said Hawaii Lt. Gov. Doug Chin, who led the case against the ban when he served as his state's attorney general. The travel ban has come a long way since Trump issued the first version in an executive order a week after taking office. That policy took effect immediately, despite minimal vetting by lawyers and immigration experts, sparking chaos and widespread protests at U.S. airports. Judges blocked the first version, and the administration didn't bother appealing to the Supreme Court. Two versions later, the travel ban has at least the appearance of a more carefully considered policy. Announced in September, the current ban was put in place only after national security officials reviewed vetting procedures on a country-by-country basis. The policy bars or limits entry by people from Iran, Syria, Somalia, Libya and Yemen. The ban also blocks people from North Korea and a handful of Venezuelan government officials, though those aspects of the policy aren't at issue at the high court. The Department of Homeland Security can add or remove travel restrictions as conditions change. That happened earlier this month, when Trump removed Chad from the list of restricted countries. Supporters say courts are ill-equipped to second-guess the president on those sorts of issues. The president "receives daily classified briefings," said John Malcolm, vice president for the Institute for Constitutional Government at the conservative Heritage Foundation. "Congressional leaders receive classified briefings on a periodic basis. Judges do not get classified briefings." Critics contend the policy is an exceptionally poor fit for fighting terrorism given that the vast majority of recent attacks on U.S. soil were perpetrated either by longtime residents or by people from countries, such as Pakistan, that aren't on the list. Opponents say the travel ban unnecessarily separates families, at times by preventing relatives of U.S. citizens from leaving dangerous countries. "This means that an Iranian parent cannot visit the United States to see her daughter graduate," said Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, an immigration-law expert at Penn State. "This means a Syrian post-doc courted by a university for several years cannot obtain a visa for her studies." The appeals court also said the policy violated a separate immigration provision that bars discrimination on the basis of nationality. The Trump administration says that provision applies only to visas, not to the entry limits imposed by the travel ban. The Supreme Court additionally will consider whether Trump is violating the Constitution by discriminating against Muslims. The appeals court didn't reach that issue, but Hawaii and its allies say it provides a separate basis for overturning the policy. They point to Trump's campaign call for a ban on Muslims at the border. In December 2015 he called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on." Francisco, the solicitor general, told the court that discerning a president's motives based on campaign statements is "inappropriate and fraught with intractable difficulties." Hawaii and its allies also point to tweets issued by Trump after he became president, including some that endorsed the original travel ban and called a later version "politically correct." The problem is that the post-inauguration comments are "far more docile," Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at South Texas College of Law. "He doesn't have the sort of vitriol and animus that he expressed on the campaign trail." A key question will be how much deference the court affords a White House whose hallmarks include inflammatory statements and procedural short-cuts. "The court will have to wrestle with how much to defer to a president who has created this record of chaos and animus," former Obama administration White House Counsel Neil Eggleston and Washington lawyer Amanda Elbogen wrote in a recent blog post. Given the travel ban's history, "the courts simply should not reflexively defer to the president's judgment." WASHINGTON - Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo narrowly eked out an endorsement from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Monday after President Donald Trump and a Democratic senator intervened at the last minute, all but guaranteeing that he will be confirmed by the full Senate later this week. Pompeo had seemed unlikely to secure a majority of the panel's support. But Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who had pledged to oppose him, tweeted moments before the vote that Trump had talked with him and changed his mind. Paul's key concern had been that Pompeo, currently director of the CIA, would not support Trump's campaign pledge to pull troops out of Afghanistan. The senator also thought Pompeo disagreed with the president's stated belief that "the Iraq War was a mistake." "Having received assurances from President Trump and Director Pompeo that he agrees with the President on these important issues, I have decided to support his nomination to be our next secretary of state," Paul said. The panel's vote was largely symbolic, since Pompeo had secured enough votes to be confirmed by the full Senate earlier in the day when two Democrats facing difficult reelection challenges in 2018 - Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Joe Donnelly, D-Ind. - announced they would back his nomination on the floor. But Trump's supporters were determined to have Pompeo enter office without the mark of being the first secretary of state in almost a century to fail a committee vote. The committee ultimately voted 11 to 10 along party lines to endorse Pompeo. But because of a quirk in the Senate rules, the panel could not send its recommendation to the full Senate, as one of those 11 Republicans - Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. - was not present for the vote. He was out of town delivering a eulogy at his best friend's funeral, senators said. A negative vote on Pompeo's nomination would not necessarily have precluded the full Senate from taking it up. But for GOP leaders, time was of the essence: They want Pompeo to be confirmed in time to attend a meeting of NATO foreign ministers on Friday. At the urging of panel chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., Democratic Sen. Christopher Coons of Delaware volunteered to change his vote to "present" - making the vote 11 in favor, 9 opposed and 1 present, and enabling the committee to quickly push Pompeo's nomination to the floor. "Senator Isakson is one of my closest friends here . . . and he's been through an incredibly hard day," Coons told reporters. He said it would have been "heartless" to shuttle Isakson off his return flight straight to a delayed committee vote when the outcome was a foregone conclusion. The gesture is an increasingly rare one in the politically divided Congress, where it is difficult for lawmakers to extend personal gestures without facing political scrutiny. As Coons explained his decision to reporters outside the committee room, a protester yelled at him: "You care more about your friend than you do this country!" Coons said that he still intended to vote against Pompeo's nomination on the Senate floor. At this point, only three Democrats - Manchin, Donnelly and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, who announced her support last week - have committed to back Pompeo's confirmation. Last year, 14 Democrats voted to confirm Pompeo as CIA director, but several have already stated they will not back him to serve as secretary of state. On Monday, White House officials again urged Senate Democrats to support Pompeo's nomination, with White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying on Fox News Channel that the administration hopes "that some members will change their minds." Democrats have raised several objections to Pompeo's nomination, arguing that his previous statements favoring the use of force over diplomatic options, his record of controversial quips about American Muslims and same-sex marriage, and concerns that he would not challenge Trump on matters of foreign policy made him unfit to serve as secretary of state. Pompeo's supporters appeared to be bracing for a negative outcome in the Foreign Relations Committee, arguing that the panel is not representative of the full Senate. Last week, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told reporters that "the Senate will set [the panel] straight" if it refuses to endorse Pompeo's nomination. Cotton also issued a threat to Democratic senators such as Manchin and Heitkamp who are facing difficult elections, noting that if they oppose Pompeo "and they're up for reelection, they may suffer the consequences." Senate leaders are expected to put the nomination to a floor vote later this week. Trump's supporters pointed to the integral role that Pompeo, in his role as CIA director, has had in advising the president on national security and foreign policy matters, including how to approach the Iran nuclear deal, which is nearing a critical extension deadline of May 12, and promised denuclearization talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with whom Pompeo met to discuss the terms of the summit expected next month. But politically, the tone for Pompeo's tenure will be set in part by how his floor vote stacks up against that of his predecessor, Rex Tillerson, who was ousted earlier this year. Tillerson was confirmed as secretary of state by a vote of 56 to 43, "a remarkably low level of support," said Jeff Rathke, a former career Foreign Service officer and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. If Pompeo secures more votes for his confirmation, "it could suggest marginally greater confidence from the Senate," Rathke continued. But he noted that the strength of Pompeo's bipartisan mandate will be "historically low" and "will mean a reinforcement of the partisan divide on foreign policy." Others say Pompeo will make his reputation once in office - and that if he helps to rebuild the relevance of the department, which flagged in morale and staffing under Tillerson's stewardship, the politics surrounding his confirmation vote will not matter. "Opponents say they want the State Department rebuilt and the secretary to have positions different from the president. Pompeo has promised the first. The second is not reasonable," said Ronald Neumann, president of the American Academy of Diplomacy and a former career diplomat. "If confirmed, he will be judged on his performance going forward." - - - The Washington Post's John Wagner and John Hudson contributed to this report. COPENHAGEN-The trial of a Danish inventor accused of murdering a journalist aboard his self-built submarine is due to wrap up this week with a verdict due by Wednesday at the earliest. Peter Madsen, 47who is accused of premeditated murder, aggravated sexual assault and desecrating a corpsehas repeatedly changed his version of events since his arrest last August, a day after Swedish freelance journalist Kim Wall boarded his submarine to interview the eccentric self-taught engineer and semi-celebrity. Madsen has since admitted dismembering Wall, 30, and throwing her body parts into the sea but denies killing her. Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen and defense lawyer Betina Hald Engmark are due to present their final arguments on Monday, with the judge issuing a verdict no earlier than Wednesday. The trial at Copenhagens district earlier heard evidence that Madsen had more than 40 video clips, including animated and so-called snuff films of women being impaled, hanged and beheaded on his laptop. The prosecution says Madsen tortured and murdered Wall as part of a sexual fantasy. It has said it will seek a life sentence, which in Denmark averages around 16 years, or safe custody, a legal alternative which would keep him behind bars indefinitely as long as he is deemed dangerous. Madsen initially claimed he had dropped Wall off on dry land in Copenhagen on the night of August 10, 2017, but he later changed his story, claiming that a heavy hatch door had fallen on her head and killed her. When an autopsy report later revealed there was no blunt trauma to Walls skull, he said she died after a sudden drop in pressure caused toxic fumes to fill the vessel while he was up on deck. He has admitted cutting off the journalists head, arms and legs, and stuffing the body parts into plastic bags weighed down with metal pipes before tossing them into the sea as he contemplated suicide. A cyclist found Walls torso floating in Koge Bay, off Copenhagen, 10 days after her disappearance. The rest of her remains were recovered over the course of the next few weeks from waters off the Danish capital. An autopsy report said Wall most likely died after being strangled or having her throat slit, after having been sexually abused. Fourteen stab wounds and piercings were found in her genital area.The court heard Madsen had brought a number of objects on board the submarine including a saw, plastic luggage strips and a very long, sharpened screwdriver. Several hours before Wall boarded the submarine on August 10, he googled beheaded girl agony -- something Madsen says was pure coincidence. The prosecution also cited a psychiatric evaluation of the accused, which described him as a perverse polymorph with psychopathic traits. The court was shown some of the video clips and animated films found on Madsens hard drive, in which women were impaled and beheaded. It is not of a sexual nature. This is about strong emotions. I watch these videos to cry and to feel emotions, he told the court. Madsen has insisted he stabbed Walls genital area to prevent gases from building up inside the body after death, which would have made it float to the waters surface. The inventor said he didnt want her body found, to spare her loved ones the details of a gruesome death by toxic fume inhalation. He was arrested on August 11 after he was rescued at sea as his submarine sankintentionally downed, according to prosecutors. The defense has criticized what it has called a lack of physical evidence against Madsen. Under cross-examination, coroner Christina Jacobsen admitted she could not totally exclude the possibility of death by toxic fumes, because of the torsos decomposed state after being submerged in water for 10 days. A submarine expert who inspected the Nautilus testified there was no soot in the vessels air filters, saying that would be the case if Madsens fumes scenario were true, although another expert called by the defense disagreed. During Madsens psychiatric evaluation, doctors found him to be cold when discussing the victim, and merely curious about his upcoming trial. When they asked him why he dismembered Wall, he replied coolly: When youre faced with a big problem, you break it up into parts. Courtesy photo BROWNSVILLE Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba, the former governor of Tamaulipas charged with drug trafficking and laundering millions of dollars in dirty money, said Monday he cant afford an attorney. U.S. District Magistrate Judge Ronald Morgan appointed Yarrington an attorney and ordered him held without bond. Yarrington, who was extradited from Italy to Texas on Friday, made his initial appearance Monday in Brownsville. A judge in San Antonio on Monday denied a request to dismiss five new murder indictments against convicted child killer Genene Jones. Jones, 67, a former nurse who worked at hospitals in San Antonio and for a Kerrville pediatrician in the 1980s, was convicted in 1984 of killing 15-month-old Chelsea McClellan in 1982 by injecting her with an overdose of muscle relaxers at a doctors office in Kerrville. Jones was sentenced to 99 years in that case and to 60 years after a Bexar County jury convicted her of injury to a child-serious bodily injury for giving an overdose to Rolando Santos, a 4-month-old infant who survived. The sentences were to be served at the same time. RELATED: Genene Jones blamed 'voices in her head' for baby deaths, lawyer says Jones was set to be released in March because of a change in the law aimed at reducing prison crowding. But that was prevented by the new indictments. Since May, Jones has been indicted on charges of killing five Bexar County children who died in 1981 and 1982, all from overdoses. She currently is being held in the Bexar County jail. Last week, her attorney Cornelius Cox, asked state District Judge Frank Castro to dismiss the new cases, citing a violation of her due process because he said prosecutors waited three decades to bring more charges against her and also violated her right to speedy trial. Prosecutors have said they combed through 28 boxes of evidence from the 1980s, which they say revealed Jones confessed at least three times to killing babies, and they intend to try her on each of the new cases. Jones is awaiting trial in July before Castro in the 399th state District Court. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | ezavala@express-news.net | @elizabeth2863 Deputies are investigating the death of a 2-year-old in Medina County on Friday and have arrested three people who were found with the child on unrelated charges. Deputies responded to a 911 call about the child, Israel Salazar, who was not breathing, around 7:30 a.m. in the 400 block of County Road 4210 in D'Hanis, Texas. RELATED: SAPD: Woman says she shot knife-wielding man trying to rape her at NE side Motel 6 The person who made the 911 call said family members attempted CPR on Israel but were unsuccessful. Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Judge Glenn Klaus pronounced Israel dead at the home, and the boy was taken to the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office. Deputies arrested the child's mother, 29-year-old Rebecca Pargas, on unrelated warrants, one of which was a motion to revoke her probation for a charge of abandoning or endangering a child through criminal negligence. That charge was issued in Bexar County. RELATED: Major crashes on I-10, Loop 1604 snarl traffic on NW side Two other men at the home were arrested: Quintin Shane Bales, 30, and Tomas Rodriguez, 27. Rodriguez fled the scene but was later apprehended, officials said. It is unclear what charges the two men face. Jamie Moore, an administrative assistant for the Medina County Sheriff's Office, said deputies are still investigating Israel's death and are awaiting the results of an autopsy to proceed in the case. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns BEIJINGA bus crash in North Korea has killed 32 Chinese tourists and four North Koreans, the foreign ministry in Beijing said on Monday. Two other Chinese nationals were injured in Sundays accident south of the capital Pyongyang, ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing. We are investigating the cause of the accident, Lu said. The ministry provided few details but Chinas state broadcaster CGTN earlier tweeted that more than 30 people died when a tour bus fell from a bridge in North Korea. The tweet was later deleted. State broadcaster CCTV broadcast images of a large overturned vehicle with light rain falling on rescue vehicles and doctors attending to a patient. China was informed about the accident on Sunday night, and its embassy personnel in Pyongyang rushed to the scene and are working to manage the situation, the foreign ministry said in a statement earlier. The vast majority of foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese, with the Cold War-era allies sharing a long land border and operating flights between the two countries. Western visitors to the North once averaged around 5,000 a year, but numbers have been hit recently by a US travel banAmericans accounted for around 20 percent of the marketand official warnings from other countries. Tens of thousands of Chinese tourists are believed to visit the North every year, with many crossing via train through the Chinese border city of Dandong. For some, North Korea provides a window into what Communist China may have looked like decades ago. Chinese tourism to the North has continued even though Beijing has enforced a slew of United Nations sanctions over Pyongyangs nuclear weapons program. The accident occurred in North Hwanghae province, the foreign ministry said.The province lies south of the capital and stretches to the border with the South, including the city of Kaesong, an ancient Korean capital with historical sites. More recently, the area hosted a manufacturing complex operated with South Korea. The tour group was traveling by bus from Kaesong to Pyongyang when the accident happened, according to the independent Seoul-based website NK News, which cited an unnamed source. North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac. Bridges are sometimes out of action, requiring rivers to be forded or vehicles to take detours. But the route from Pyongyang to Kaesong, where the accident reportedly happened, is one of the best in the country. It runs north-south from Sinuiju on the Chinese border to the Demilitarized Zone on the border with the South, but nonetheless has little traffic, like all North Korean highways. Tank traps have been installed along it in many locations towards the frontiersets of high concrete columns on either side of the road that can easily be blown up to create an obstruction for invading armor. Chinas foreign ministry said it activated an emergency mechanism Sunday night and is sparing no efforts to handle the situation. Longford eateries have been shortlisted in fourteen categories in the All-Ireland Restaurant Awards 2018 will be announced and presented on Monday, May 14 at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road. This will be the 10th anniversary since the beginning of the prestigious annual awards ceremony which is the largest and most coveted in the Irish hospitality industry. Longford businesses progressing to the All-Ireland Finals are as follows: * Best Casual Dining sponsored by San Pellegrino - The Aubergine Gallery Cafe * Best Emerging Irish Cuisine sponsored by Odaios Foods - Tus Nua Steakhouse & Restaurant * Best Kids Size Me sponsored by Dubliner Cheese - Jac-O-Bites Cafe * Best World Cuisine sponsored by Aryzta - Spice India Restaurant * Best Restaurant Manager - Lorna Halligan of Nine Arches Restaurant * Best Wine Experience sponsored by Classic Drinks - Skelly's Bar * Pub of the Year sponsored by Bushmills - Edward J Valentines Bar * Best Cafe sponsored by Illy - Macs Shack * Best Customer Service - Dillon's Bar & Bistro * Best Gastro Pub sponsored by Coca Cola & Schweppes - The Rustic Inn * Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant sponsored by BWG Foodservice - The Courtyard Restaurant at Cooney's Hotel * Best Newcomer sponsored by Elavon - Nine Arches Restaurant * Best Chef sponsored by Nisbets - Robert Groot Koerkamp of VM Restaurant at Viewmount House * Best Restaurant sponsored by Tindal Wine Merchants - VM Restaurant at Viewmount House Since its beginning in 2009 the event has grown significantly in both attendee numbers and award categories with its reach now spanning to each region on the isle of Ireland. Also read: Longford Lives - Gary O'Hanlon on his career so far County winners from each of the 16 categories have already been announced at the four regional awards ceremonies which took place recently in Leinster, Munster, Connaught and Ulster. These establishments are now in line to compete for Regional and All-Ireland titles in their respective categories. In addition to the 16 categories already present in the Regional Awards, there will be the addition of four national awards presented during the event on May 14. These national awards are for Best Seafood Experience, Best Digital Marketing, Best Private Dining and Club and Best Cocktail Experience. Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association commented: The Irish Restaurant Awards are an opportunity for local businesses to receive much-needed recognition of their hard work and commitment to excellence. These establishments drive tourism both locally and on a national scale, making Ireland a desirable destination for global travellers. The Irish Restaurant Awards prides itself on celebrating the very best in local produce, flawless customer care and unrivalled dining experiences to anywhere in the world. We wish all our county winners and those nominated in our national categories the best of luck on May 14. Also read: Longford restaurants and chefs honoured A number of private, rural roads in County Longford are set to be upgraded, a Fine Gael TD has said. This marks the second year in a row the LIS has been funded by the Government, after a break of eight years during the economic crash when the scheme was halted. The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is about improving small roads and laneways in rural Ireland which are not under the normal maintenance of the Local Authorities. Burke has stated that he campaigned hard to get the LIS back on the Government agenda, as countless farmers and property owners in this constituency rely on this funding to maintain access to their farmyards and property. The improvements to the 13 roads across Longford selected under this years LIS will make a huge difference to the people who use those roads multiple times each day. Full details are as follows: Corglass, Moyne (300m): 9,315 Shanmullagh, Ballinamuck (250m): 30,294 Berrinagh, Moyne (380m): 18,992 Kilbride, Abbeylara (280m): 19,475 Meadow View, Lisryan (400m): 19,872 Clonfin, Mostrim (570m): 23,008 Ballyduffy, Moyne (530m): 25,104 Aghakine, Aughnacliffe (450m): 27,324 Moneyhoolaghan, Curry (800m): 39,744 Toome, Granard (140m): 7,636 Willsbrook, Ballinalee (215m): 8,011 Graffogue, Ballinalee (370m): 13,786 Darogue, Ballymahon (130m): 6,458 TOTAL: 249,020 Peter Burke said: This scheme is another measure the Government has introduced in order to support those living in Rural Ireland. It directly improves their access to and from their homes and farms. Many people living and working in rural areas use these roads every time they enter or leave their home or farm, so the condition of their access road really impacts on them, on their safety, and on their vehicles. They are privately owned roads and lanes thus the local councils do not maintain them and the cost of maintenance work can often be too high for a farmer or property owner to bear. Investing in the improvement of these roads really makes a positive impact on peoples quality of life in rural areas. Many lanes and boreens which link private homes and farms are not on the public road network and so are not maintained by the Local Authorities. The Local Improvement Scheme is therefore a very valuable support for rural families and businesses that use these roads on a daily basis. Some 250,000 funding has been allocated to Longford County Council by my colleague Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring. I cannot overstate how important local connectivity is in order to enable rural Ireland and life in Longford to function well. The Action Plan for Rural Development prioritises improving rural infrastructure and connectivity, and continuing to support an LIS scheme is just one of the measures we are taking in that regard. Minister Ring said: I reintroduced dedicated funding for the LIS in September 2017, after a gap of eight years. I know that the reintroduction of the scheme has already made a huge difference for rural communities around the country. The 27 million I have allocated for the scheme last year and this year will pay for the improvement of over 1,100 rural access roads. Local News, Crime By Long Island News & PR Published: April 23 2018 Haimid Thompson Allegedly Stole Over $7,500 from Medicaid by Illegally Billing for Phony Rides and Paying Off Bogus Rider. New York, NY - April 23, 2018 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the arrest of Haimid Thompson, a/k/a Mookie, of Jamestown, NY for allegedly stealing over $7,500 from Medicaid by submitting false claims for rides he claimed he provided to a Medicaid recipient through the taxi service 716 Transportation, Inc. (716). Thompson allegedly paid an individual, who was working with the Attorney Generals office, to request transportation services from 716 and then falsely reported to the company that he provided daily rides to that individual. The Attorney Generals ongoing investigation into Medicaid transit scamsan investigation dubbed Operation Ghost Riderevealed that 716 submitted claims to, and received payment from, Medicaid for rides that in fact did not take place. Thompson was arrested on a 30-count felony complaint and was released on $5000 bail. He is charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony; Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony; Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony; and Prohibited Practice by a Medical Assistance Provider, a class E felony. Thompson will return to court on April 27, 2018. The false reporting of medical transports by taxi drivers costs taxpayers millions of dollars a year in phony bills, said Attorney General Schneiderman. My office will continue to prosecute such fraudulent practices in order to protect Medicaid resources for the vulnerable New Yorkers who rely on them. Financial Services Superintendent Maria T. Vullo said, Those who steal from public healthcare programs intended to help the poor unlawfully enrich themselves at the expense of hard-working taxpayers. DFS commends the Office of the Attorney General for aggressively pursuing this investigation and looks forward to continuing our partnership to stamp out this kind of criminal activity. The felony complaint filed in Buffalo City Court alleges that Thompson met with an individual working with the Attorney Generals investigators in Jamestown on February 16, 2017. The individual, referred to in court documents as Recipient A, allegedly was eligible to receive, but had no actual need for, Medicaid-funded transportation to and from a methadone clinic in Buffalo, NY. However, Thompson, allegedly after learning this, offered to pay Recipient A $100 to notify the States Medical Answering Services (MAS) that 716 was Recipient As preferred provider for medical transportation. MAS is an agent of the New York State Medicaid program that matches recipients with transportation services and authorizes Medicaid billing for such services based on provider documentation of successfully completed transportation trips. In addition to the $100 pay-off he initially promised, Thompson allegedly offered to pay Recipient A $300 for each week and $200 for each month that 716 remained Recipient As transportation provider. The felony complaint further alleges that: On February 23, 2017, after Recipient A was signed up through MAS to receive services from 716, Thompson and Recipient A met for a second time in Jamestown, where Thompson paid Recipient A $100 and again promised $300 for each week that Recipient A stayed with 716. During this meeting, Thompson directed Recipient A to falsely sign several blank daily trip logs. On February 27, 2017, Thompson and Recipient A met for a third time in Buffalo, where Thompson gave Recipient A $300 in cash for staying with 716 for one week. They also agreed to meet weekly so that Recipient A would continue to receive $300 for each week the recipient remained with 716. In addition, Thompson promised to pay Recipient A $100 for recruiting additional Medicaid recipients for 716. On March 6, 2017, Thompson and Recipient A met for the final time in Buffalo. Thompson instructed Recipient A to sign more 716 daily trip logs and paid Recipient A $300 in cash for staying with 716 for another week. Following this final meeting, the defendant and Recipient A had no further face-to-face contact. Yet, Thompson allegedly submitted daily trip logs to 716 supporting 160-mile round-trip transports between Jamestown and Buffalo, purportedly for Recipient A, on 20 occasions between February 19 and March 11, 2017. As the defendant allegedly intended, 716 submitted these claims to, and received payment from, Medicaid for fees and mileage totaling $7,866.18 for the fictitious trips. The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The Attorney General thanked the New York State Police, the New York State Department of Financial Services, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General for their assistance in this investigation. The investigation by the New York State Attorney Generals Medicaid Fraud Control Unit was conducted by Investigator Milagro Bosque, under the supervision of Supervising Investigator James Zablonski, and Auditor-Investigator Sean McShea, under the supervision of Regional Chief Auditor Frank Zeffiro. William Falk is MFCUs Deputy Chief Investigator-Upstate. Local News, Crime By Long Island News & PR Published: April 23 2018 Multi Law Enforcement Agency Detail Leads To Numerous Arrests. New York, NY - April 23, 2018 - On the evening of April 20, 2018, the New York State Police, Troop L, hosted a multi-agency enforcement detail throughout Suffolk County. The following agencies participated: New York State Police, On the evening of April 20, 2018, the New York State Police, Troop L, hosted a multi-agency enforcement detail throughout Suffolk County. The following agencies participated: New York State Police, Suffolk County Police, Suffolk County Sheriffs, Riverhead Police, Southampton Town Police, and Westhampton Beach Police. During the detail, held on what has come to be an unofficial marijuana use holiday, police worked to crackdown on impaired driving and illegal drug use. New York State Police Major David Candelaria stated, The purpose of this detail was to raise public awareness that while marihuana use may be more socially acceptable today than it has been in the past, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana can have the same deadly consequences as alcohol or other drugs. Traffic safety is always a top priority and we will continue to team up with our Suffolk County law enforcement partners to make our roadways safe. The case of Australian nun Patricia Fox who was detained by Bureau of Immigration authorities continues to draw flak from human rights groups. The nun who calls the Philippines her second home after living here for 20 years was questioned and detained at the BI offices upon her return from Australia. Although she was later released, her case has fanned controversy among groups who are getting concerned over the Duterte administrations apparent crackdown on critics. The European Parliament has passed a resolution condemning the Philippine government crackdown on critics. The EU resolution was hailed by the international Human Rights Watch after Philippine immigration authorities also deported Socialist Party Deputy Secretary General Giacomo Fillibeck for criticizing Dutertes war on drugs and the alleged extra judicial killing of suspects. It has now become criminal to criticize the President and his policies, said one lawyer succinctly. Sister Fox denied being involved in partisan politics in the Philippines. The nun said she had only attended events that called for poverty alleviation and health care for the poor. Malacanang, however, claimed it has photos of Sister Fox speaking at a protest rally in Davao. So okay, she has been photographed speaking at a rally. The Palace should have also presented an audio recording of what the nun actually said. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, a lawyer, should know that is the rules of evidence in a case like this. Strangely, the Australian government has been silent on Manilas mistreatment of one of its nationals. Roque defended the governments action on the Australian nun. He said the country has the right to protect its sovereignty against foreigners engaging in partisan politics. How about also defending Philippine sovereignty against blatant violations of the countrys territorial waters against Chinese aggression? The Chinese navy and planes have been spotted constantly hovering in the West Philippine Sea and airspace. So, Harry, why not also give the bully Chinese hell? On another front, workers are demanding that President Duterte sign an executive order ending contractualizationknown as endo or end of contract. This has been going on for decades with workers deprived of security of tenure as business establishments source their employees from recruitment agencies. The onerous practice of hiring employees from the manning agencies spares the business establishments from dealing with labor unions, paying employee-prescribed benefits such as bonuses, retirement and separation pay, and remitting their share of employees Social Security System contributions. After waiting for what they thought would be a Labor Day gift on May 1, the working class was disappointed when Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the President sent the endo issue to the House to handle since there are features in a Senate bill ensuring the security tenure of workers.In our column last Friday, we wrote about former Senator Jinggoy Estradas fake story that he was being invited to speak before a Filipino group in New York. In his bid to travel from April 30 to May 30, Estrada claimed in his petition to the Sandiganbayan that he was invited as guest speaker of the Pinoy Good Governance organization headed by Fil-Am businesswoman Loida Nicolas Lewis. Lewis was surprised and aghast. Why would her group invite someone facing plunder charges in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund, or pork barrel? Because of Lewis disclaimer, government prosecutors have asked the Ombudsman to cite Jinggoy for contempt of court. Disbarring Gadon Lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, chief complainant in the impeachment case against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, now finds himself in a disbarment proceeding. Larry Gadon is the subject of disbarment because he flashed his middle finger at a crowd of Sereno supporters. Lawyers are under oath to display the best public decorum and should not allow themselves to be provoked, even in the most trying circumstances. In another incident, Gadon also exchanged invectives with a hostile crowd that had gathered in front of the Supreme Court on Padre Faura. Gadon justified his use of expletives by claiming some of the protesters were the first to call him names. A number of prominent youth and trade union activists have been disappeared in Karachi by the Army and Sindh Rangers, a paramilitary state department notorious for extra-judicial killings. No case has been registered against them. Those remaining in custody are being held at the Rangers' headquarters in Karachi. These activists, all of them members of Lal Salaam (International Marxist Tendency) were arrested because they joined the solidarity protest of Pashtun Tahafuz (Protection) Movement (PTM) in front of the Karachi Press club. The Pashtun movement has developed to massive proportions, and has seriously rattled the ruling class, which is why they are now cracking down on radical elements, whom they fear will gain an echo within the movement. The protest was organized and called by the leadership of the PTM as they were being denied the right to hold a peaceful public meeting in Lahore. We therefore demand the immediate release of these activists of the IMT abducted by the Rangers. Their only crime is to have expressed their views about the Pakistani State and supported the PTM in front of the Karachi Press Club . We also demand that the demands of the PTM should be accepted immediately and state should end its atrocities in the tribal areas and stop supporting Islamic fundamentalism. Click to jump to the following: For more information about the Pashtun movement, read Adam Pals analysis of the PTM, which has mobilized hundreds-of-thousands of people across the country. It has given voice to some of the most oppressed layers of Pakistan, and has brought tens-of-thousands to public meetings. The state apparatus and the entire ruling class are trembling at the sight of this huge movement, which explains their severe measures against it. The international mass media is also taking notice of the Pashtun movement: the PTM has also received international coverage from the BBC, Reuters and Al Jazeera. We published this report on 22 April after six of our leading youth and trade union organisers were apparently abducted by the army, and a further update on 23 April after another of our youth comrades disappeared. We believe these comrades were targeted and disappeared as a result of their participation in the Pashtun movement. Our comrades arrest was also covered by the Daily Times, The Nation and Dawn: all national, Pakistani newspapers. Please sign this petition calling for the comrades immediate release. Securing freedom for our abducted comrades might require expensive legal proceedings. Please donate to the Pakistan Trade Union Solidarity campaign to assist the comrades in Pakistan with court fees and legal representation. We are calling on our comrades and supporters to hold an international day of action on Wednesday 25 April, and protest Pakistani embassies all over the world. See reports of these events here and here. Lets send an international message the Pakistani state cannot ignore: free our comrades! We call on all our readers and sympathisers to send the following letter to the Pakistani Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior (contact details below). This should also be sent to the Pakistani embassy in your home country. For further information and to send solidarity messages to the families of the abducted persons, please email contact@pakistansolidarity.org Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahis Khakan Abbasi Email: info@pmo.gov.pk Address: P.M Secretariat, Constitution Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad. Phone: (+92-51) 9222666, 9225404, 9202759, 9206111, 9222666, 9222667, 9222668, 9222669, 9222670 Minister of Interior Professor Ahsan Iqbal Email: ahsan.iqbal@pmln.org; betterpakistan@gmail.com Address: 4th Floor R-Block, Pak Secretariat, Islamabad. Phone: + (92-51) 9212026 ------------------ To whom it may concern, We are deeply concerned about the disappearance of youth and labour activists, in Karachi on Saturday, after they attended a peaceful protest in support of the Pashtun movement. They are presumed to have been arrested by the Army and Sindh Rangers, a paramilitary state department notorious for extra-judicial killings and we fear for their safety. Furthermore, we view the disappearances as a very serious attack on the labor and democratic rights of Pakistani working people. We ask you to investigate this incident and assure us that these activists are safe and well. We also ask you to inform us as to where they are being held and ensure their immediate release, as they have not participated in any form of illegal actions. Those remaining in custody are: 1) Umer Riaz, Organizer of PYA Islamabad 2) Muhammad Gulbaz, Organizer of RWF Kashmir 3) Bilawal Baloch, Deputy General Secretary of PYA Sincerely, The following model motion should be raised at all trade union branches and congresses; as well as student unions and groups. Condemn the abduction of unionists and student leaders by Pakistani state Seven student leaders and trade unionists were abducted on Sunday 22 April 2018 by the army and security forces of Pakistan. These student leaders were travelling from Karachi to Lahore by train, along with other students and workers. They had recently attended a solidarity event in Karachi to show their support for oppressed Pashtuns, and to condemn state brutality in the northern Pakistani regions. The disappeared individuals include: Attaullah Afridi (student and youth organiser); Umer Riaz (student and youth organiser); Zain ul Abideen (student and youth organiser); Karim Parhar (trade unionist); Aftab Ashraf (trade unionist); Muhammad Gulbaz (trade unionist); and Bilawal Baloch (student and youth organiser). For many years, the workers and youth of the Pashtun region have been brutalised in the name of security. The people living in the Pashtun regions face threats to their lives from army, military drones and Islamist fundamentalists. Earlier this year, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) started when a Pashtun youth, Naqeeb Ullah Mehsud, was killed in Karachi by a notorious police officer, Rao Anwar on 13 January 2018. Naqeeb Ullah Mehsud belonged to the Mehsud tribe of North Waziristan and was a shopkeeper in Karachi when he was abducted and killed under mysterious circumstances. Rao Anwar is famous for land grabbing and the use of extortion and murder to settle personal disputes. According to reports he has killed at least 400 people between 2011 and 2018 but not a single enquiry has been made against him. A student, Mashaal Khan, was also killed by mob lynching by state sponsored Islamic fundamentalists in Pashtun area when he initiated a campaign against high fees, high rents and the vice chancellors corruption. All of the PTM rallies so far have been completely peaceful, with speakers showing their grievances and asking for justice through legal channels. However, state institutions and the secret services are targeting people, including students and workers, who have shown solidarity with the PTM. Against this backdrop, a rally was held in Karachi on 22 April 2018. Different trade unionists and youth leaders made speeches during the rally. When these workers were returning to their homes, state security agencies and Army intercepted their trains and buses, and without showing any warrants or arrest orders, took them to unknown locations. Nobody has been informed about the abductees whereabouts so far and no case has been registered against them. This is the usual practice of the police and army in Pakistan. The PTM expresses a huge movement of the masses, which has erupted in Pakistan against these injustices. This union believes that the people of Pakistan, and especially the Pashtun people, have the full right to express their concerns through free speech, to hold rallies and express their grievances throughout the country in a peaceful manner. Illegal abduction of students by the state authorities should be stopped immediately. The students and workers of [your country] would like to see Pakistan free from Islamist fundamentalism, worker exploitation and oppression for minorities. This trade union/student union/society: This report studies the Global Hospital Information Systems (HIS) market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. The report presents a detail qualitative analysis of the market and its important classification. The report contains current scenario of the Global Hospital Information Systems (HIS) market industry and encompasses discussion various prime factors related to markets such as growth, drive, various patterns, and control. The report analysis and study is a vital process to understand how the production takes place, total revenue investment and profit generated through it and skills used by the leading players that helped market to develop. The report provides in-depth analysis of cost and profit margins making some statistical analysis and comparison of previous years data. These examinations are used later to estimate the parameters described earlier. Moreover, the report provides detailed survey of import/export and supply-demand trend for the global market at various level. The report provides in depth study of Global Hospital Information Systems (HIS) market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The report identifies the strength factors of the organization that will help organizations to acquire a prominent market share, to rectify where the organization is lacking or some hole which is creating glitches for development product. Look out for more opportunities in the market, get up to date to avoid any threats, competitors and substitutes. This research report categorizes the global Hospital Information Systems (HIS) market by companies, region, type and end-use industry. This report focuses on the global top players, covered Cerner Corp. Epic Systems Corp. McKesson Corp. Siemens Healthcare Ltd Agfa Healthcare Corp. Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc. Computer Program and Systems Inc. CompuGroup Medical AG GE Healthcare Keane Care Inc Medical Information Technology Inc Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers United States Europe China Japan Southeast Asia India Market segment by Type, the product can be split into HMIS HCIS GMIS Market segment by Application, Hospital Information Systems (HIS) can be split into Information Service Payment Others Request Sample Report at https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3133245-global-hospital-information-systems-his-market-size-status-and-forecast-2025 The study objectives of this report are: To study and forecast the market size of Hospital Information Systems (HIS) in global market. To analyze the global key players, SWOT analysis, value and global market share for top players. To define, describe and forecast the market by type, end use and region. To analyze and compare the market status and forecast between China and major regions, namely, United States, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and Rest of World. To analyze the global key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks. To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth. To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments. To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies. In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Hospital Information Systems (HIS) are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2017 Estimated Year: 2018 Forecast Year 2018 to 2025 For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered. Key Stakeholders Hospital Information Systems (HIS) Manufacturers Hospital Information Systems (HIS) Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers Hospital Information Systems (HIS) Subcomponent Manufacturers Industry Association Downstream Vendors Table of Contents Global Hospital Information Systems (HIS) Market Size, Status and Forecast 2025 2 Global Hospital Information Systems (HIS) Competition Analysis by Players 3 Company (Top Players) Profiles 4 Global Hospital Information Systems (HIS) Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018) 5 United States Hospital Information Systems (HIS) Development Status and Outlook 6 Europe Hospital Information Systems (HIS) Development Status and Outlook 7 China Hospital Information Systems (HIS) Development Status and Outlook 8 Japan Hospital Information Systems (HIS) Development Status and Outlook 9 Southeast Asia Hospital Information Systems (HIS) Development Status and Outlook 10 India Hospital Information Systems (HIS) Development Status and Outlook 11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2018-2025) 12 Hospital Information Systems (HIS) Market Dynamics 13 Market Effect Factors Analysis 14 Research Finding/Conclusion About Us: Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Contact Us: NORAH TRENT sales@wiseguyreports.com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (US) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK) by Tom Siebert , Op-Ed Contributor, April 23, 2018 Truth is treason in an empire of lies. George Orwell Were nearing apocalypse if Im out here carrying water for Fox News Tucker Carlson, who is hopefully not being water-boarded as I type this. Last week, after a series of controversial prime-time episodes of Tucker Carlson Tonight, which questioned whether it is in Americas best national security interest to overthrow Bashar al-Assad in Syria; what the ultimate end-game looks like, considering the post-coup mess Americas made of Libya and Iraq; and if the recent alleged chemical warfare assault on children was actually the work of Assad or even if it happened Tucker Carlson was M.I.A. from his own show Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights. advertisement advertisement Without anything in the way of notice, either. I wasnt sure which was weirder: That he just vanished, or that nobody talked about it. Usually, the disappearance or disgrace of a Fox News stalwart gets a few laps around the track from its many critics. I should know, since Im one of them. When Bill O'Reilly went on his (permanent) vacation, given his predatory sexscapades, we got thousands of inches of speculation that his end was near. More recently, when Foxs Laura Ingraham blew the perfect opportunity to constructively debate the intellectual validity of elevating a bunch of traumatized high-school students to Americas irreproachable conscience, by insultingly sticking both feet in her mouth, there was much tsk-tsk-ing and endless speculation about whether her subsequent sudden vacation was scheduled. Most recently, after the revelation that Sean Hannity was the secret client of shady Trump attorney Michael Cohen, we immediately heard calls for his resignation, and speculation that he, too, would soon be on vacation. But Tucker Carlson gets ghosted after a week pounding holes in the Syria story and theres ... nothing. Nada. Zip. I mean.thats weird, right? The only pundit on television who is not lock-step with the Assad did it and we need to invade, STAT! and even invited the Permanent Establishments least favorite journalist, Glenn Greenwald, on air to discuss why the media was hell-bent for war was taken off-air in the middle of the week. And it's never mentioned. If youve got a few minutes, head over to alleged media watchdog/gossip sites left or right, it doesn't matter Media Matters, Breitbart, the ironically named Reliable Sources, Red State, Huffington Post, Variety and Hollywood Reporter. Any mention of Tucker Carlsons sudden disappearance is conspicuous by its absence. Is that really where we are as a country? That the only corporate media guy who questions the Establishment narrative about yet another heedless rush to war and further f#cking up of one of the most volatile spots on Earth, can go totally dark (Carlsons usually busy Twitter feed has likewise gone silent), vanish without explanation, and nobody says anything? If youve got any doubts there just might be marching orders from points unknown to trusty talking heads in the field, well turn to the BBC, still one of the most trusted media sources in the English-speaking world. Last week, during a BBC interview with Admiral Lord West former head of the freakin British Royal Navy the Admiral cast doubt about the veracity of the chemical attack. He didnt call it a false flag. He didnt say Assad didnt do it. All he said was that sometimes intelligence can be wrong, there are lot of agendas in play, and perhaps cooler heads should prevail and do a bit more study instead of rushing to kill more people. BBC reporter Annita McVeighs response was pretty stunning: Were in an information war with Russia. Do you think perhaps its inadvisable to be stating this? Isnt there a danger that youre muddying the waters? A former commander of British Armed Forces tried saying something similar, and he got interrupted and shut down by Sky News. A recent study by FAIR of the top 100 circulation newspapers in the U.S. found a grand total of zero thought the bombing was a bad idea. Some 26 thought it was good; 74 had no opinion. Thats a far greater percentage than Americans in general, according to a formal CBS poll. by Sara Guaglione , April 23, 2018 Darling Media has produced an unscripted travel video series for Alaska Airlines, part of the companys growing efforts in video branded content. Called Go, Be You, the series launches at 8 p.m. (ET) on Darlings social platforms and online. It aims to connect West Coast destinations to personality types; Darling magazine is organized into eight personas with editorial content specific to each one. The personas include: Hostess, Creative, Beautician, Achiever, Confidant, Stylist, Explorer and Intellectual. Darling says this series acts like a travel matchmaker. Each of the eight episodes features a different influencer from bloggers to actresses that fits each persona. In every video, an influencer take viewers to destinations in a specific city that matches their persona. advertisement advertisement For example, in the Hostess episode, travel blogger Sharrah Stevens goes to Dallas and explores local cuisine, farmers markets and boutiques. The other cities featured in the series include Albuquerque, San Diego, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. CEO and founder of Darling Media, Sarah Dubbeldam, stated: From designing creative ads with poignant taglines featured in each quarterly print issue to creating this video series, luxury retreats and more, the message of Alaska is truly resonating with women across our platforms. Online, Darling will publish additional and more extensive city guides as part of the campaign. Each week, Darling will host an Alaska Airlines flight giveaway to readers. Darling is a female-led womens magazine created by Dubbeldam in 2011 and based in Los Angeles. It was one of the first media companies to campaign against retouching or digitally editing models or celebrities in its pages. The print magazine has more than 30,000 subscribers, and its website attracts more than 200,000 unique visitors per month. The company also has a number of events, which mainly aim to empower and build a community for women. Dubbeldam told Publishers Daily the company is building out live experiences, as well as its content studio. The Darling print magazine, which publishes quarterly, features less than eight ad pages per issue to ensure it remains "authentic" to its audience and work closely with its brand partners, Dubbeldam said. About 80% of the companys business comes from digital, video and print brand partnerships. Darling underwent a rebranding in its latest issue, released in February. It debuted a new logo stylized with a comma at the end and changed its brand statement to Darling, You, to communicate that the magazine wants to speak to the reader, not at the reader, Dubbeldam said. by Ray Schultz , April 23, 2018 Missouri Governor Eric Greitens has been charged with illegally obtaining an email fund-raising list, a felony charge that is fueling demands for his impeachment or resignation. The Republican, who is also facing a criminal invasion of privacy charge for allegedly transmitting a photo of a woman without her permission, has been accused of using the list of The Missions Continues, a veterans charity he co-founded, in his election campaign, according to media reports. The charge of tampering with computer data was filed last week by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner According to Associated Press, Greitens raised almost $2 million from donors to The Mission Continues for his campaign. The list contains the email addresses, names and telephone numbers of donors who had given $1,000 or more. advertisement advertisement The list allegedly was sent to the campaign by Greitens former assistant. Greitens attorney Ed Dowd counters that the former Navy Seal founded the charity and raised millions of dollars for it while working for no pay. It was an extraordinary act of public service, Dowd says. Now hes being accused of stealing an email list from an organization he built? Give me a break. Not only did he create this list donor by donor, friend by friend, but the Mission Continues still has the list." However, both Republicans and Democrats called on Greitens to resign in the wake of the allegations. by Ray Schultz , April 23, 2018 Gmail users found their sent folders crowded with spam emails over the weekend, raising fears that their accounts have been compromised. In addition, the messages were sent to other addresses. The messages concern weight loss and growth supplements for men My email account sent out 3 spam emails I the past hour to a list of about 10 addresses that I dont recognize, writes one Gmail user, according to reports. I changed my password immediately after the first one, but then it happened again 2 more times. Google says it is working on the problem, and denies that accounts have been compromised. We are aware of a spam campaign impacting a small subset of Gmail users and have actively taken measures to protect against it, Google states, according to Mashable. This attempt involved forged email headers that made it appear as if users were receiving emails from themselves, which also led to those messages erroneously appearing in the Sent folder. Google adds that it has identified and is reclassifying all those emails as spam. by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, April 23, 2018 Los Angeles-based independent agency Phelps has been acquired by The Company a Houston-based collective of specialty marketing firms and a full-service ad agency. Financial terms werent disclosed. The agreement opens an exciting new chapter for us, stated Ed Chambliss, who has been CEO of 37-year-old Phelps and shifts to a managing director post at The Company with the acquistion. The Company will give us greater research capabilities and increased buying power in paid media, added Chambliss. We will have access to enhanced analytics that can elevate our brand strategy and creative messaging, and our combined public relations and social media acumen will benefit all our clients. In addition to its Houston headquarters operation, The Company has offices in Dallas, Denver, New York, Buenos Aires and Vietnam. advertisement advertisement Phelps, which had been employee-owed will retain its current branding. Agency founder Joe Phelps remains chairman and takes a seat on The Company board of directors. Phelps is very much like us in terms of longevity, dedication to the leading edge of technology, and focus on doing meaningful work for great clients, stated Jose Lozano, CEO of The Company. We were attracted by Phelps incredibly smart people and the top quality work they do, particularly in brand strategy and creative. The Company has been a Southwest, TX fixture in the marketing arena for more than 30 years and has work with clients such as Direct Energy, Phillips 66, Mattress Firm, Riviana Foods Inc. and Stage Stores. Phelps has worked with well-known brands such as Whole Foods, Panasonic and Public Storage. It could have been an auspicious opportunity for the Philippines. A year after it got a favorable ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague regarding its claims in the South China Sea, it assumed chairmanship of the Association of South East Asian Nations. The roleand all the power and influence that came with itcould have been instrumental in sending a strong message to Beijing about the centrality of Asean as a political force in the region. Instead, the Duterte administration had all but surrendered the countrys extant claims in the disputed waters. Soon enough, surveillance photos showing two Xian Y-7 Chinese military transport planes on Panganiban Reef (Mischief Reef) recently surfaced, a development that alarmed experts as it was the first time a military aircraft landed within the countrys exclusive economic zone. It was only the beginning, many feared, and could set a dangerous precedent vis-a-vis Chinese armed presence in the area. Not too long ago, a civilian aircraft landed on Panganiban Reef a day after the Hague ruling, a brazen, almost hostile act that emphasized Beijings adamant refusal to acknowledge both the case and the ruling. And with the Philippines unable to consolidate its legal victory, the implied surrender also compromised Aseans capacity to deal with China from a position of strength and unity. This is the complex situation that welcomes Singapores chairmanship of the regional bloc this year. Already, many are predicting a stark contrast between President Dutertes non-interference stance and what the prosperous city-state might set out to do. Worse, for the smaller states of Southeast Asia, the specter of competing interests between Washington and Beijing has created an air of uncertainty the region hasnt seen since the Cold War. Foremost in this regard are reclaiming and reasserting Aseans centrality in shaping regional affairs, cultivating coherence and unity among member states, and fostering an open and stable regional security environment. An unfinished task in this regard is the long overdue Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. Because the Asean chairman has at his or her disposal mechanisms that can shape Aseans annual policy agenda for the region and beyondthe Chairmans Statement, for oneSingapore has the opportunity to put this at front and center. As the country is also the Asean-China country coordinator, it can leverage this additional role to manage the volatile relationship. For his part, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has made it clear that his country will fundamentally advocate a rules-based regional order, which has clear implications on Chinas militarization of the South China Sea, including its revanchist challenge to freedom of navigation and flight in the disputed waters.This push for a rules-based order and a legally binding Code of Conduct should invoke the landmark 2016 arbitration award, as all hinge on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The case, because of its broad implications beyond the claimant states, can thus serve as a reference point for the management and resolution of future disputes, including existing proposals on resource-sharing. The ruling and the regional stability that it could enforce can also pave the way for economic prosperity. The disputed region, after all, is an important sea lane for global trade. In particular, it will likely steer the Asean toward greater support for even freer regional trading regimes, whether through the proposed Transpacific Partnership Agreement 11, of which Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and Vietnam are prospective members, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which counts 16 regional economies in the Asia-Pacific as members. The alternativeif Singapore or Asean fails to act, or to act quickly enoughcould be dire. If [China] could land transports now, in the future they might want to land more provocative and destabilizing types of assets such as fighter jets and bombers, warns Collin Koh, a research fellow at Singapores Rajaratnam School of International Studies Maritime Security Program. Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea said the presence of the planes merely confirms that Beijing had been operating in the area. This means theyre going there both by air and sea, he says, adding that the presence of fighter jets or bombers could signal an expansion up until their operation becomes permanent. Are warplanes next, then? From all indications, it is only a matter of time. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the country might file a diplomatic protest over the reported sighting, but there is little muscle in the pronouncement, and it is noncommittal at best. Clearly, then, in the context of this undeniable threat, the need for Singapore and Asean to act decisively, and sooner rather than later, is now beyond question. BRYAN, Texas April 23, 2018 Texas A&M University Health Science Center Texas A&M Bryan-College Station Texas A&M Health Science Center Donovan French Texas A&M Texas A&M Health Science Center Texas A&M University Texas A&M Bryan-College Station Kia Parsi Texas A&M University Health Science Center Texas A&M University Michael K. Young Texas A&M Texas A&M University Texas A&M University John Sharp Texas A&M Health Science Center Texas A&M Douglas Lawson Texas Texas Texas Bryan-College Station Baylor College of Medicine Houston Creighton University Omaha Texas A&M Health Science Center Texas State of Texas Texas Heather Bush Holly Shive /PRNewswire/ -- CHI St. Joseph Health andtoday announced plans to strengthen their partnership to establish a co-branded primary care network aimed at improving access to health care for the Brazos Valley community while also training future clinicians. This makes CHI St. Joseph Health the primary clinical partner forin themarket.The CHI St. Joseph and Texas A&M Health Network will be a network of experienced board-certified primary care physicians and advanced providers dedicated to providing exceptional care at locations across the Brazos Valley. The network will include 16 primary care locations, including pediatrics, housing 47 providers within a nine-county service area, offering access to expert specialists and ancillary services. The partnership will elevate the quality and delivery of health care for the community by partnering clinicians and faculty atwith physicians and clinicians at CHI St. Joseph Health."Co-branding our primary care clinics to also reflect the Texas A&M brand is a win for both organizations and more importantly, the Brazos Valley. We both have a long history of supporting this community. Having both of these brands on our primary care clinics signifies a joint promise we're now making to the community to work together to impact the future of health care," said, vice president of strategy & business development at CHI St. Joseph Health.Primary care clinics are wholly owned and operated by CHI St. Joseph Health and will be identified as clinics for teaching.medical students will be trained in locations throughout CHI St. Joseph Health's system, offering the opportunity to learn medicine in both rural and urban community settings."Without our own teaching hospital, Texas A&M College of Medicine relies on collaborations with partners across the state who give medical students the best possible experiences," said Carrie L. Byington, MD, dean of the Texas A&M College of Medicine, senior vice president of theand vice chancellor for health services at TheSystem. "Together,and CHI St. Joseph will prepare physicians who can embrace the complexities of the changing health care environment, can navigate large systems and provide collaborative care."The two organizations hope to work together to become more clinically integrated, which will also further enhance the quality of care and ease of access for patients across the region, ultimately lowering costs."The joint collaboration of physicians and expanded clinical integration that will occur as a result of our partnership will further enhance the quality of care and ease of access for patients throughout thecommunity," said, MD, interim chief executive officer and chief medical officer at CHI St. Joseph Health. "We are extending students and providers beyond the hospitals and clinics, moving them out into other care settings. We want to create an environment that mirrors the uniqueness of Aggieland in the clinics operated by CHI St. Joseph Health. Together, we will help lower costs and improve the overall quality of care provided to our patients."Through a shared focus on education in rural medicine, the partnership will ultimately increase the number of rural physicians practicing across the state."The partnership betweenand CHI St. Joseph Health is outstanding as the two entities share many of the same values," saidPresident. "Both are committed to excellence, integrity and compassion in health care and health education. Having our medical students training at CHI St. Joseph clinics will be invaluable to their education. And the focus on rural medicine wholly aligns with the university's land-grant mission of helping underserved populations. I have high hopes this strengthened partnership will benefit both CHI St. Joseph and, and further improve patient care."An added benefit of the collaboration,System employees and their families will have a significant reduction in health insurance costs through new, lower-cost voluntary options in their network benefit plan. The plan features a 75 percent reduction in primary care co-pays, a 50 percent reduction in specialty care co-pays and a 50 percent reduction in co-insurance costs at all locations in the CHI St. Joseph Health market."I am happy to offer employees and retirees of the Texas A&M System access to a new and affordable option for health care," saidSystem Chancellor. "With this partnership, our people can save more of their hard-earned dollars while gaining access to quality medical providers."CHI St. Joseph Health and Texas A&M College of Medicine have worked together for over 20 years, forming an initial relationship in 1997. The two organizations share similar missions, visions and values around improving patients' health and quality of life through research, education and innovation in health care. With this enhanced relationship with, CHI St. Joseph Health will continue to operate as a Catholic healthcare system, focused on the healing ministry of the church."We are proud to partner withto serve the health care needs of those in the Brazos Valley," said T., PhD, CHI Senior Vice President, Divisional Operationsand CEO of the CHI Texas Division. "This partnership supports Catholic Health Initiative's mission to create healthier communities. The reach of CHI inhas expanded through this strengthened affiliation, offering access to patients throughout south, central and east."For more information about the partnership, please visit: www.CHI.TAMUHealth.org.CHI St. Joseph Health, part of the Texas Division of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), includes a comprehensive network of over 100 employed providers including primary care physicians, specialists and advanced practice clinicians. CHI St. Joseph Health is comprised of five hospitals across the Brazos Valley, including Regional Hospital in, home to a Level II Major Trauma Center, the highest in the region. Its network includes more than 30 ambulatory clinics featuring primary care, a freestanding Emergency Room, Express Clinics, and imaging and diagnostic services. As an active member of the Brazos Valley, CHI St. Joseph Health is a leader in providing compassionate care as well as addressing the overall health of the community.Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) is one of the nation's largest nonprofit, faith-based health systems. CHI has locations in 18 states across 99 hospitals, including two academic health centers,, and, and major teaching hospitals; accredited nursing colleges; home health agencies and other facilities and services that span the inpatient and outpatient continuum of care.As the most comprehensive health science center in, the Texas A&M Health Science Center is dedicated to addressing today's health care needs through forward-thinking medical research, service and health professions education. Impacting nearly every county in thewith education, research and outreach programs, the health science center operates eight campuses located around. This geographically dispersed, multi-disciplinary model allows for innovative team training that supports the common goal of transforming health.Contact:(713) 823-9493;(361) 782-8284 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chi-st-joseph-health-and-texas-am-health-science-center-announce-strengthened-partnership-300634460.html SOURCE CHI St. Joseph Health TORONTO April 23, 2018 $3.4 million Canada British Columbia British Columbia British Columbia Quebec Canada Canada Theresa Tam Canada Shannon Turner British Columbia Canada Canada Canada David Morley The Government of Canada invests $18 million annually on immunization initiatives. Budget 2016 provided an additional $25 million over five years to improve vaccination coverage rates in Canada . invests annually on immunization initiatives. Budget 2016 provided an additional over five years to improve vaccination coverage rates in . The Government of Canada and the governments of the provinces and territories have endorsed vaccination coverage goals to be achieved by 2025 for publicly funded infant, childhood, adolescent and adult vaccines. These goals include: and the governments of the provinces and territories have endorsed vaccination coverage goals to be achieved by 2025 for publicly funded infant, childhood, adolescent and adult vaccines. These goals include: 95% vaccination coverage for infants by age two and children by age seven; 90% vaccination coverage for adolescents by age 17; and 80% vaccination coverage for adults 65 years of age and older for the pneumococcal vaccine. Immunization and Vaccines Vaccination Coverage Goals Childhood Vaccination Campaign Canada /CNW/ - Vaccines are one of the safest and most effective tools we have to protect ourselves, our families and our communities from infectious diseases. However, not enough Canadians are being vaccinated. As a result, Canadians still experience illnesses from vaccine-preventable diseases that can cause serious complications and can even lead to death.Today, during National Immunization Awareness Week, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health, announced close toin funding to increase vaccination rates in. The Minister made the announcement at a visit to UNICEF Canada where the Kids Boost Immunity school vaccination program was demonstrated by the Public Health Association ofThis investment will support the development of five multi-year projects being led by the Public Health Association of, the Canadian Public Health Association, the Canadian Paediatric Society, the Ministry of Health of, and the CIUSSS de l'Estrie ().Minister Petitpas Taylor also launched a national awareness campaign on childhood vaccination, which will provide parents with evidence-based information to make informed decisions about vaccination to help keep their children healthy."Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. When more people are vaccinated, the risk of infection is lower for all Canadians. Our government is committed to working closely with provinces, territories and public health partners to improve vaccination access and uptake in.""Whilehas generally high overall vaccination rates, we are still not achieving our national vaccination coverage goals. I want to remind Canadians that vaccination is a safe and effective way to protect ourselves and our families. And by getting vaccinated, we are also protecting others in the community, particularly vulnerable infants, immunocompromised and elderly Canadians. I urge all Canadians to talk to their healthcare providers to ensure that their vaccines are up to date.""Kids Boost Immunity (KBI) provides a wonderful example to children that for immunization to work anywhere, it has to be present everywhere. Diseases don't respect boundaries, so KBI is tackling this unique public health challenge head on by rewarding individual knowledge with a practical outcome that can lead to healthier lives for children around the world: vaccines for UNICEF. The simple idea of 'kids helping kids' has universal appeal because it empowers students to act local and global at the same time.""Across, iBoosters have been an invaluable support to UNICEF. With every quiz they complete, they are literally saving a life by donating a vaccine to a child in need. This new partnership with the Government ofwill not only help save more lives, but encourage even more Canadians to get involved and make a difference. Kids helping other kids is what and Kids Boost Immunity is all about."BackgrounderSOURCE Public Health Agency of Remember how we're told that we should think twice before putting something out on the internet? Well, this one guy learned the hard way when a single tweet landed him in the middle of a controversy. And honestly, he totally deserved it, and I think everyone will agree. It all started with a tweet from Abhishek Mishra, who refers to himself as a 'Hindutva Thinker' according to his Twitter bio, where he's proudly bragging that he's cancelling his Ola because the driver was Muslim. Well, that was the first strike. Moreover, who in their right mind would show-off to their 16.1k followers that they're so bigoted? I'm confused because I can't even comprehend this person's stupidity. Cancelled @Olacabs Booking because Driver was Muslim. I don't want to give my money to Jihadi People. pic.twitter.com/1IIf4LlTZL Abhishek Mishra (@Abhishek_Mshra) April 20, 2018 As expected, this one tweet was the starting point of a whole controversy since most of the people are right in the head and don't support for this kind of behaviour. After the tweet went viral and he got a lot of hate for it, he was still not backing down and further tried to defend himself. Dumb people will never admit they're dumb, will they? People starts attack on me. Can I have no right to choose ? If they can run a campaign against Hanuman ji poster on cab, defamed Hindus and Hindus god in Kathua incident then they must be prepared for reply. https://t.co/GEWUVRvtwL Abhishek Mishra (@Abhishek_Mshra) April 22, 2018 In his defence, he said Can I have no right to choose?. First of all, wrong English. And secondly, everyone is entitled to their opinion and right to choose as long as it doesn't disrespect anyone else's existence, it's such a simple concept, I can't believe people cannot wrap their heads around it. Soon enough a lot of people jumped in to tell this guy the obvious that he's wrong. The tweet even caught Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and Delhi Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee's attention. Shashi Tharoor tweeted what looks like a really subtle dig at BJP saying that people like Abhishek here should be ostracized. I remember an India where people who thought this way would have been ostracized rather than admired &"followed". We need to #BringIndiannessBack. https://t.co/410oU4JVuR Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 22, 2018 Sharmistha, daughter of former president Pranab Mukherjee, wasn't so subtle. She took the opportunity to warn everyone about what would happen if BJP comes back in power in 2019. BJP leader @Chandrabosebjp openly eulogising Hitler. This fellow, all smiles in pic with @narendramodi cancelling Ola cab just because the driver was a Muslim- it's clear what will happen if BJP returns to power! Hail (Hell) BJP https://t.co/sQz7bKvGR4 Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) April 22, 2018 The tweet got so big that Ola had to step in and put Abhishek in his place. Ola, like our country, is a secular platform, and we don't discriminate our driver partners or customers basis their caste, religion, gender or creed. We urge all our customers and driver partners to treat each other with respect at all times. Ola (@Olacabs) April 22, 2018 Well, I hope from now on whenever this guy tries to book a cab, each and every driver cancels on him. Until now, the Indian Airport fortress was under the protection of an all-male team of firefighters. But, in a historic move, the reign is soon going to change as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) appointed India's first ever woman firefighter. Pexels Meet Kolkata's Taniya Sanyal, the woman who has been instrumental in this epic shift. Reportedly, the state-run authority has 3,310 firefighters at its airports. FYI fire service is a mandatory condition for any flight to land anywhere. Taniya will join this fleet of firefighters in a month after she completes her training in Kolkata. AAI did not have recruitment norms for women firefighters until now, as it was primarily considered to be a profession for men. Twitter An elated Taniya told The Times Of India, It is a matter of pride and great honour for me. I always wanted to do something challenging. Firefighting is very noble calling. We are proud of you too Taniya. AAI chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra, the man behind this monumental change, said We were facing a shortage of firefighters due to expansion and new airports coming up. We brought in contemporary rules and decided to recruit women in this field which required criteria for physical standards. Twitter He further added, I had made similar rule changes in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for firefighters. We got hold of them and then set the standards for recruiting women firefighters. This is the first time a woman has joined our ranks in this field and it will continue now. Taniya has been appointed for AAI's eastern region airports that include Kolkata, Patna, Bhubaneshwar, Raipur, Gaya, and Ranchi; and will be working at one of these locations after her training is complete. Rahul Gandhi has never been known to be an eloquent speaker. Public speaking, it seems, is one of the least formidable traits of the Congress President and that is something he's worked on for quite some time now. It is, therefore, no surprise that his recent attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit the nail on the head and launched Congress' 2019 poll campaign in style. Speaking to a gathering at New Delhi's Talkatora Stadium, Rahul Gandhi's vicious jibes at the PM came while launching the 'Save The Constitution' campaign. "Women are being raped, young girls are being raped... but Modi ji did not say anything. International Monetary Fund Chief said Modi ji you are not working for the welfare of women. No matter what is going on in the country, our PM is only interested in one thing 'Modi ji ko sirf Modi ji mein interest hai' (But Modi ji is interested only in Modi)," Rahul said. While it is true that the IMF managing director Christine Lagarde had criticised PM Modi for not doing enough for the women of India, the amendment to the POCSO Act approving death for convicts in the rape cases of children below 12 years of age is definitely a positive step for the security of girls in India. This, however, should just be considered as the starting point for further discussions related to women security in India. During his speech, Rahul Gandhi also said that BJP's slogan of 'Save the girl child, educate the girl child' (Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao) has now turned into 'BJP se beti bachao' (save the girl child from BJP) referring to the protests that were carried out in Kathua, Jammu, where an eight-year-old girl child was brutally raped and murdered, in support of the accused by Hindu groups. Twitter In targeting the PM over this issue, Rahul Gandhi reflected the feelings of the majority of the Indian middle class that has been silently observing the growing influence of Hindu extremist groups. These hate spewing right-wing groups have now become a nuisance especially because the majority of the Hindu population does not conform to their ideas of community or nationalism. While the growing arrogance of the ruling party was specifically targeted by the Congress chief, he also said that PM Modi has been incapable of providing opportunities and a safe environment for the backward classes in the country. "Modi ji has said people who clean toilets and excreta could have stopped doing these jobs, but they don't because these jobs satisfy their spiritual side. A man who thinks like this isn't really interested in the welfare of Dalits," said Gandhi. Twitter With the general elections due in the next 12-18 months, PM Modi must pay heed to the growing impatience amongst the Indian middle class in order to make a bid to earn the same emphatic victory as witnessed in 2014. Starting with Rahul Gandhi's advice on women security and right-wing extremism might not be such a bad idea. When Anna Hazare started his anti-corruption drive in 2011, a movement that quickly gained momentum and became a crucial milestone in the history of modern-day Indian politics, an entire population was charged with hope. The Aam Aadmi Party was born out of the revolution, and many civilians extended their support to the party, sooner or later. Atishi Marlena is one such civilian who gradually came to assist AAP in its efforts to govern the capital. Marlena, emphasised senior AAP members including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, has been crucial in AAP's efforts to improve the state of education in Delhi. Twitter_GeorgeKurien On 17th April, the AAP government had to cancel the posts of 9 advisors because these weren't official posts sanctioned by the Centre. The Union Home Ministry had brought out a list of the posts not approved by the Centre. Atishi, along with 8 other advisors, was freed from their duties towards the AAP government. Young, well-educated, eager to make a difference these advisors were hired at a salary of Re 1 per month. Angered by the State's decision that would essentially paralyse the AAP government's functioning, Manish Sisodia tweeted: "Real intention of the order is to paralyse our govt work, since no BJP govt has been able to deliver anything on education & health. No wonder why Modi govt decided to remove advisers like Atishi Marlena. A Stephenian who later studied at Oxford, then worked as Rhodes scholar, and then joined Delhi education government as an adviser. She was working with me on Re 1/pm salary for last 3 years. Twitter_Vaibhav Srivastava Atishi is not your run-of-the-mill member of a political party. With a Bachelor's degree in History Honours from St. Stephen's College, followed by a Master's degree in History from Oxford University on a Chevening scholarship, Atishi forms the cream of academia in the country. She worked as a Rhodes Scholar before coming back to India to join the education sector. Once back in India, she associated with a number of non-profit organisations and shifted base to a small village in Madhya Pradesh, deciding to work at the grassroots. Born to parents who were professors at Delhi University, Vijay Kumar Singh and Tripta Wahi, Atishi's surname was a product of their Marxist beliefs. Marlena comes from Marx and Lenin Mar + Len. The Indian political circle is conspicuous in its absence of what we call the creme da la creme of academia. Often the highly educated prefer to serve in places other than politics, and understandably so they can get sacked even if they work at a meagre salary of Re 1. Of course, there are well-educated individuals in each party there are economists, educationists, IAS officers. But what percentage do these people form in the entire circle? The aim of any government should be to add more value to its pool, to invest in a workforce with good education and experience. Facebook_Atishi Marlena With such high qualifications, Atishi could have been working at the top of any private educational institution, earning an enviable sum of money and a cushy life. Instead she chose to assist the Delhi government in forming policies and running an efficient education system. She began working as Advisor to the deputy chief minister of Delhi in the year 2015. Working closely with Manish Sisodia, she has been a key figure in 8 significant programmes introduced by the AAP government. These include holding Mega Parent Teacher Meetings (PTMs), bringing back School Management Committees (SMCs) which were formed for better governance of schools across the city, and the recently launched Buniyad Mission that will focus on improving learning among primary and secondary students. Atishi is frequently seen at meetings and since the beginning of 2018, has held 120 of them. Manish Sisodia has been vocal in crediting her with a significant contribution in the improvement of the education scene in Delhi. Atishi belongs to a niche group of educationists who are eager to make a difference and work at the grassroots level. The only way a positive change can be brought in the country is through education, and we need experts in our governing bodies, not politicians who are only adept at giving speeches. A bridge designed by bad engineers will most definitely fall; how can we expect to run a country without expertise? It's time we separate politics from governance and bring talent where it matters most. Last week, e-commerce major Flipkart signed a Memorandum of Understanding for an exclusive partnership with Taiwanese smartphone maker ASUS. Today, ASUS has announced its first smartphone under the agreement, the Zenfone Max Pro M1. ASUS announced a series of new devices at MWC 2018 this year, the Zenfone 5 series tried hard to mimic the iPhone, the company even took a dig at the 'fruit phone' because the new devices sport a notch. Thankfully, ASUS is doing away with the photocopying shenanigans and has come up with a solid contender. ASUS Unlike its previous range of smartphones, ASUS says the Max Pro M1 runs on Pure Android. Meaning, there is no bloatware and it runs stock Android Oreo out of the box. The Max Pro M1 has a smooth metallic finish and not glass on the rear. Though the dual cameras are arranged in the same iPhone X style and there is a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. It's clear, ASUS aims to take on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro which has been the most sought device in the segment since launch. Sadly, Xiaomi hasn't been able to keep up with the demand and even after two months of launch follows the same flash sale format. This is where ASUS and Flipkart plan to grab the vacuumed market. Up in front, the display is covered in glass. It has an 18:9 aspect ratio and the corners are curved. The bezels are moderately sized and ASUS could have put the fingerprint scanner in front if it wanted. The top bezel is home to the camera, sensor, earpiece, and a soft LED flash. The screen is 6-inches in size and uses an IPS LCD screen. The Max Pro M1 is powered by a Snapdragon 636 SoC along with 4 GB of RAM. The processor is a high-end, power-efficient chip, so we expect a decent amount of battery life from the M1. Not to forget the device packs a massive 5000 mAh battery that is more than sufficient to give you at least two days of use on a single charge. ASUS has especially made the device keeping the Indian market in mind, hence it obviously is dual-SIM compatible and has a separate microSD card slot for storage expansion. The device will be available for Rs. 10,999 (32GB+3GB RAM) and Rs 12'999 (64GB + 4GB RAM) from xxth May exclusively from Flipkart in Deepsea Black and Silver color options. SM Cinema insider Richard Juan brought the latest updates on ' Avengers: Infinity War' during a press conference at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Donned in their mightiest Avengers-inspired outfits, lucky fans got to greet Nebula (Karen Gillan), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and director Joe Russo via live video conference straight from Singapore. All of you are fantastic, that reception, the noise, the energy in that room, we may be looking at a TV Screen which is a bit cold but it properly warms up when you guys are on it so thank you, Cumberbatch said in response to the crowds warm reception. Expressing excitement and passion about the most ambitious superhero crossover film the dedicated comic book geeks and MCU buffs assemble at SM Cinema in SM Megamall for Marvel Studios Fan Event, the first and biggest gathering of Marvel Fans in the Philippines and enjoyed exclusive movie merchandise, games and prizes from SM Cinema, Walt Disney Co. Philippines and other partners. Everyone in the packed theatre were able to show how excited the Filipino fans are for the Avengers: Infinity War by sending a highly energized greeting, questions and even character impersonations in front of Cumberbatch, Gillan and Russo. Marvel fans are the best fans in the world, thank you guys so much for such a warm welcome, get ready, get excited, if youve been invested in the Marvel Universe for the last 10 years, this is it, this is the big finish, and a big big excitement to watch because youll get to see all your favorite characters together, so have fun with it, Russo chimed.Continuing the ultimate Avengers: Infinity War experience, SM Cinema insider Richard Juan also brought the latest updates during the press conference at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and exclusive one-on-one interviews with the Avengers: Infinity War stars. They share the blow-by-blow updates from the red carpet-style fan event with appearances from the cast on Facebook and Instagram. Filmed entirely with IMAX cameras, Avengers: Infinity War is a guaranteed film indulgence with IMAX screens. Audiences will experience the movie in its most immersive form with its expanded 1.9:1 aspect ratio and IMAXs customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio. Fans may also take the Avengers: Infinity War experience on their mobile phones with the new augmented reality feature of the SM Cinema App, where they may search and collect the coveted Infinity Stones around SM Cinema branches in exchange for a special Avengers: Infinity War prize. Catch Marvel Studios Avengers: Infinity War in IMAX, Directors Club and SM Cinema branches nationwide starting tomorrow. Book your tickets now through the new website, www.smcinema.com or for an even more convenient experience, download the SM Cinema app. This year is the 103rd anniversary of the first genocide of the 20th century, in which 1.5 million souls were lost. Not because of something they had done, but because of who they were. The international communitys reaction to the 1915 genocide allowed it to happen again a few years later, with Pontians and Assyrians as the victims. According to the distinguished professor Gregory Stanton, the last stage of a genocide is its denial. The administration of justice begins with recognition of the genocide. And Recognition is a moral and historical duty of the international community to the millions of dead and to the later generations. Recognition is the highest honour and respect paid to the memory, culture and centuries-long history of a people who suffer genocide. Today, a great number of states have recognized the Armenian genocide. The Greek state, through the Hellenic Parliament, recognized the Armenian genocide in April 1996, and a little over ten years earlier, in 1987, the European Parliament recognized it in a similar resolution. The recognition of historical truth and maintaining of historical memory are a struggle not just for the past, but mainly for the present and future. Because coming generations will be safe not just when genocides have ceased to be perpetrated, but also when the reasons behind them cease to exist. Respect for international law, the safeguarding of human rights for all citizens of every state, without racial, ethnic, cultural or religious discrimination, are what can deter clashes and conflicts that lead to ethnic cleansing and genocide. Greece and Armenia are two countries that fight for peace, development and cooperation, elements that contribute towards strengthening bilateral relations, with the Armenian community in Greece and the historical Greek community in Armenia as bridges of friendship. The Middlesex County Bar Association is again offering two scholarships to graduating high school seniors attending any Middlesex County school. The association is accepting applicants for our two scholarships in the amount of $1,500 each. Applicants will be judged by four association attorneys, who are volunteering their time. The two successful applicants will be announced at the Bar Associations Law Day Ceremony and Lunch to be held on May 4, 12- 2 p.m. at the Inn at Middletown. The two successful applicants will be introduced as the Associations guests, and they will be asked to make some comments on their career plans and the Law Day Theme. The Law Day Theme and essay topic this year is Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom. The U.S. Constitution sets out a system of government with distinct and independent branches - the Congress, the Presidency and a Supreme Court. It delineates each branchs powers and outlines how they interact. James Madison explained that this Constitutional principle provides for checks and balances in our government and preserves political liberty. The Law Day Theme enables reflection on this separation of powers, constitutional purpose and how the governmental system works and checks power. On behalf of the associations president, the Honorable Joseph D. Marino, the Association asks that any Middlesex County High School senior wishing to apply for a scholarship and participate in the Law Day Ceremony contact scholarship committee chairman Richard F. Paladino at 860-395-3344 or rfpgwpsherwood@aol.com on or before April 26. Tri-Town Youth Service taking part in take back day Tri-Town Youth Service and Troop F, will be participating in the National Drug Take Back Day. Residents are welcome to bring any unused, unwanted, or expired prescription drugs to one of the local drop off locations. The event is free and anonymous. No questions will be asked. Locations include Tri-Town Youth Services - 56 High St, Deep River, and Chester Village West - 315 W. Main St, Chester, on Saturday, April 28, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. According to the CT Department of Public Health, during January and February of 2018, there were 1,317 visits for suspected drug overdoses made to emergency departments in Connecticut. The majority of people who abuse prescription drugs obtain them from family and friends, this includes theft from home medicine cabinets. Removing unused prescription drugs from the home eliminates the risk of them being stolen or abused. Prescription medication that is flushed down the toilet or tossed in the trash can potentially become a safety and health hazards for the environment and residents. Besides the annual Drug Take Back events, residents can safely dispose their unused medication 24 hours a day to the drop box located in the lobby of Troop F, 315 Spencer Plain Rd, Westbrook. East Hampton announces Drug Take-Back Day site EAST HAMPTON East Hampton Police Department and Local Prevention Council are participating with the Drug Enforcement Agency, (DEA) in a nationwide Take-Back Initiative of pharmaceutical substances and other medications on Saturday, April 29, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.. This national initiative will provide the public an opportunity to surrender pharmaceutical substances and other medications to law enforcement for destruction. The drop off location will be in the upper parking lot of the East Hampton Town Hall, 20 East High Street, East Hampton. Dropoffs can be made anonymously with no questions asked. The last Take-Back Initiative was very successful, with more than 100 pounds of medication turned in for destruction. If there are any questions about this event, please contact the East Hampton Police department at 860- 267-9544. Durham, Middlefield collecting unused prescriptions The towns of Durham and Middlefield are holding a drug take-back day Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the resident troopers offices. In Durham, the drop-off will take place at 24 Townhouse Road and in Middlefield, 405 Main St. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches, according to the release. The service is free and anonymous and no questions will be asked. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash both pose potential safety and health hazards, the release says. For information, visit dea.gov. Hear The American Diner talk April 24 Middlesex County Historical Society to Sponsor Talk on the Architecture of the American Diner on April 24 With its stainless-steel siding, streamlined exterior, and colorful neon signage, the classic roadside diner is as quintessentially American as the apple pie on its menu. Whether you sit on a stool at the counter or lounge in one of the vinyl-upholstered booths, you cant help but feel nostalgic for a simpler time, a sense of optimism, or the joy of the open road. But how did these iconic restaurants come to look like they do? In a talk sponsored by the Middlesex County Historical Society, the Connecticut River Museums executive director Christopher Dobbs will tell the story of the American diners form and function. His presentation, The Architecture of the American Diner: From Wagon-Wheels to Stainless Steel will take place at 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, April 24 in the Hubbard Room at Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown, Conn. The talk is free and everyone is welcome to drop in and take a seat. Dobbs says scholars and greasy-spoon aficionados point out four essential characteristics that differentiate an authentic diner from other inexpensive eateries. First, the diners structure is usually prefabricated and hauled to the site. Second, the diner must have a counter and stools. Third, it must offer home cooking at reasonable prices. And lastly, the cooking should take place behind the counter. A fifth defining element that has been neglected has been identified by Dobbs. The diner in its historic sense, he says, is aesthetically bound to transportation. Its form and design have drawn upon popular transportation styles and period decor to become a recognizable fixture in the urban landscape. Wagons, Pullman cars, streamliner trains, even rockets have served as the models for diner design. As modes of transportation have evolved, the look and feel of the American diner has progressed on a parallel track. Dobbs has more than 20 years experience in historical museum work, having served as the director of the Noah Webster House and West Hartford Historical Society and as associate director of education at Mystic Seaport. He holds an M.A. in Museum Studies from the State University of New Yorks Cooperstown Graduate Program and a B.A. in American History from Indiana University in Bloomington. The Russell Library is handicap accessible. For further information, contact the Historical Society at 860-346-0746. Editors note: This is the first in a series of 50 stories this year that will highlight Greater New Haven. Telephone communications wouldnt be what they are today if it werent for a man named George Willard Coy. Coy, who lived in Milford and worked in New Haven, is known as the inventor of the first commercial telephone exchange. RELATED: SEE MORE FROM OUR TOP 50 PROJECT It might be hard to imagine, but before Coys invention, phone calls were made person-to-person between two units usually one at home and one at the office. But a switchboard allowed anyone with a telephone to connect with anyone else with a telephone within the same exchange. Coys switchboard was the first such invention in the world. How it all began The year was 1877. Alexander Graham Bell came to New Haven that April to demonstrate the telephone, which he had invented the prior year. He was speaking to a small crowd at Skiffs Opera House, and a disabled Civil War veteran who worked as a manager of the local Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Co. was in the audience. That man was George Coy. Inspired by Bells talk and demonstration of a phone call between Middletown and New Haven that ended up in an unintentional three-way call with a man in Hartford, Coy started researching the commercial application of telephones. He suffered a small setback when he learned a local Western Union manager had secured the rights to a New Haven Bell franchise and was already building lines. This was a disappointment, but while forced to relinquish his plans, the project still absorbed his thoughts, and he never lost his enthusiasm for it, according to an interview with Coy run in the Telephone Bulletin in 1911. When Coy found out the Western Union manager backed out of the franchise deal, Coy quickly jumped in and applied for his own Bell franchise. Thanks to the backing of partners Walter Lewis and Herrick Frost, the franchise was granted on Nov. 3, 1877. As part of the franchise, Coy would make 15 percent on all leased telephones and 10 percent on all call bells leased or sold, according to a letter from a Bell Co. attorney saved in the telephone companys files housed in the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center at the University of Connecticut Library. Competition way before Apple and Samsung Coy had difficulty in securing outside help and even those interested in the invention rather discouraged his exchange as being too complicated, according to the Telephone Bulletin article. He at once found that he could not depend upon other than his own efforts and initiative to make progress, the article said. There was also a dispute between Coy and Thomas Doolittle, of Bridgeport, over who should be allowed to do business in the Naugatuck River Valley, which Coy described as the cream of this county. Once Doolittle agreed to give the Valley to Coy, Coy sent a letter back, saying, I shall take especial pains to help Doolittle if he wants any advice from me about running wires, etc. While working out the details for his new venture, Coy was getting pressured by the telegraph bureau that employed him, saying he should stay away from the telephone business or he would lose his job there. I am ready to push this telephone business and must decide very quickly what I will do, Coy wrote on Dec. 25, 1877, in a letter to a Bell Co. attorney. A week later, Coy resigned from Atlantic and Pacific. The District Telephone Co. was founded on Jan. 15, 1878, and on Jan. 28, it was ready to open for business in a small, rented office in the Boardman Building at the corner of Chapel and State streets in New Haven. Coy served as secretary and superintendent of the company. Before circuit boards: The first switchboard The first switchboard was built according to Coys design 3 feet wide and 2 feet high with 24 wires connected to three clock dials. It was assembled with a mix of teapot lid handles, millinery wire from hats, ladies bustle wire and carriage bolts. Galvanized iron wires were run on trees and house tops on a grounded circuit. In the beginning, they used the cheapest materials because they just couldnt afford anything else, said Laura Smith, archivist at the Dodd Center, where a majority of the telephone companys historical documents reside. They just didnt have enough money to build the company. Frost had advanced $600, and the three men started the company with a capital of only $5,000. All the furnishings of the office, including the switchboard, were worth less than $40, an article on the Milford Hall of Fame website says. When the exchange went live, there were 21 subscribers at $1.50 per month. By Feb. 1, 1878, when the first telephone directory in the world was published, in New Haven, there were 50 subscribers. Among them were 11 homes, three physicians, two dentists, four meat and fish markets, the police, the Post Office and the Register Publishing Co. The New Haven Flour Co., New Haven Folding Chair Co. and the American Tea Co. were among the first stores to sign up for the exchange, according to the one-sheet directory now housed at the Dodd Center. Coy, Frost and Lewis were among the 11 whose private homes connected to the exchange, in addition to the Rev. John E. Todd, the first person listed on the one-page directory. A long way to global calling Still it was limited as only two conversations could be handled simultaneously and six connections had to be made for every call, according to the Milford Hall of Fame website. The bottom of the directory noted that calls could only be made between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m., but after March 1 that year, the office was expected to be open all night. The first telephones used were of the wooden case type, and used alternately as a receiver and transmitter, according to the Telephone Bulletin article where Coy was interviewed. The necessity for the subscriber to shift the receiver from ear to lips, and vice versa, made the conducting of the conversation an absorbing occupation. At first, boy operators handled all calls at the switchboard. However, people complained about their rudeness, so eventually women were hired to handle all calls, according to a 1998 article in the New York Times. It was unusual for a business to employ women at that time, but by 1908, the company now known as Southern New England Telephone had opened the first operators school in the country for women. Telephones increase in popularity Customers continued to sign up for telephones. In 1886, there were 1,165 telephones in New Haven, and about 5,600 in total in Connecticut, according to an unsigned 1947 company letter in the SNET collection at the Dodd Center. By 1947, there were 600,000 telephones in the state 80,884 of them in New Haven, the letter said. The principle was that the value of the service to subscribers increased as the number of subscribers increased, the letter said, adding that when the butcher, the baker and personal friends all had telephones, the average resident felt the need to have one, too. The 1947 company letter also speculated that due to the demand in service, mobile telephone service, enabling people to telephone from automobiles, will be in operation soon. Another 30 years went by before that happened. Several decades after Coys invention, there were records questioning who had actually created the first commercial switchboard. He was not given credit at the very beginning, Smith at the Dodd Center said. He himself had to prove that he did it. Coy wrote letters providing drawings and descriptions of his idea, asserting that he did, in fact, invent it before anyone else. Prior to 1877 there had been, according to Mr. Coy, no successful attempt to bring subscribers lines into touch with each other through a central agency, for commercial purposes, making it possible for any business house, officer or residence to call and be called from every other station connected to the system, according to the Telephone Bulletin article. Many others who claimed to be first had simply operated private telephone lines, which were later connected to central offices and turned into exchange systems, Coy told the reporter for the article. Coy eventually was credited with the honor of being first. But other companies across the country were quickly catching on and catching up, building their own telephone systems. In 1880, the National Telephone Exchange Association was formed and held its first meeting in Niagara Falls, New York, to ensure that all technologies developed across the country would be compatible with each other. Coy moves on Coy sold his shares and left the telephone company after just a few years and instead started working in telephone affairs in New York City, his Milford Hall of Fame biography says. Phone company records also say he worked in Baltimore in the 1880s. Coy used the money from his shares to buy a large house on Broad Street in Milford, where he lived until the last years of his life. He died Jan. 23, 1915, at the Soldiers Home in Chelsea, Mass. His death certificate lists his occupation as a retired electrician. Coy is buried in Milford Cemetery, in a family grave where his wife and three children were later buried, as well. The business of talking booms The District Telephone Co. of New Haven became the Connecticut Telephone Co. in May 1880, when it received rights to serve all of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. It later became the District Telephone and Automatic Signal Co. In 1882, it merged with the Interstate Telephone Co. of New York to form Southern New England Telephone, which became a subsidiary of SBC Communications of San Antonio in 1998. SBC acquired AT&T and took that companys name. It later sold its Connecticut lines to Frontier Communications. In 1998, when SBC Communications took over and moved communications headquarters to San Antonio, a large collection of the SNET history, including all the details about the first switchboard and telephone directory, were donated to the Dodd Research Center, which has the largest business collection in the state. Along with the donation was a substantial grant to help organize and preserve the records. SNET was very proud of its history, said Smith, at the Dodd Center. When the records were first donated in 1998, another librarian at the Dodd Center told the New York Times the same thing, adding that they kept things other companies wouldnt keep. There was a concern that all this information not be lost, because of the personal pride they have in what they accomplished, William J. Uricchio told the Times. It is important for people to realize that Connecticut has long been a leader in communications. The first telephone booth was invented in Bridgeport by Thomas Doolittle in 1878 the same man Coy had promised to help after a turf war about the Valley. The first coin-operated public telephone was installed in Hartford in 1889, according to a 2016 article in Time Magazine. Doolittle also developed telephone lines using hard, drawn copper wire for better transmissions, similar to copper wire used in modern telephone lines, according to the New York Times. The Boardman Building While the early telephone company records are preserved from 140 years ago, the same cant be said for the building where those first phone calls were exchanged. The Boardman Building was made a National History Landmark on Jan. 29, 1964, then known as the Metropolitan Building, according to the National Park Service . The designation was withdrawn in 1973, when the New Haven Redevelopment Agency got approval and funding to tear it down and turn the space into a parking garage. George Willard Coy and the building where the first commercial switchboard was used may be long gone, but they are not completely forgotten. Last fall, A Broken Umbrella Theatre company in New Haven performed its 11th original work called The Exchange, inspired by Coy and his invention. That project, performed during the City-Wide Open Studios in October, started with a mobile storytelling station, where people in retirement communities throughout the region shared personal stories about the telephone. The stories became the inspiration for the final production, according to the theater companys website. The Milford Historical Society also included Coy in an exhibit featuring Milford notables in summer 2015, where he was said to be an inventor who changed the world. Today, there are telephones not just in every home, business and public building, but in almost everyones pocket across the country. In fact, the number of cellphones used in the United States exceeded the countrys population back in 2011, with 327.6 million phones in use compared to a population of 315 million, including Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the Washington Post . By 2016, more than half of U.S. homes only had cellphone service and had given up their landlines, according to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Today, there are an estimated 7.2 billion mobile devices used in the world and about 328 billion of them are used in the United States. Posted Monday, April 23, 2018 6:00 am The regular monthly meeting of the Webster County Historical Society will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, in the Paulene Dyche Annex next to the museum. This building is handicap accessible. The program will be presented by Katie Ingalsbe and Bill Roberts and will focus on the history of the Webster County Fair and plans for the future. The program for the March meeting was given by Brian Rost and Darren Cleir of Rost Ready Mix. They presented some interesting highlights of the history of the company and the way concrete is mixed today using modern technology. The society is still collecting memories of President Harry S. Truman's whistlestop visit to Marshfield in 1948. If you were there or know someone who was, please take time to put your memories on paper and send them to P.O. Box 13, Marshfield, MO 65706. If you need help recording your memories, call the museum at 417-468-7407. The Webster County Historical Society's September meeting will pay tribute to that notable event in Webster County's history. The museum and research center is now open 1-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, with extended hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. planned for Saturday, April 27, during the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival. The society is very grateful to Pyramid Foods (Price Cutter in Marshfield) for their Helping Hands program and all those in the community who contribute to the museum jars at the Price Cutter check-out, as well as saving Best Choice labels and used printer cartridges. All these fundraisers go a long way in helping the society meet its goals in preserving the history of the county. Meetings are held monthly on the fourth Tuesday in the Paulene Dyche Annex, unless announced otherwise. New members and guests are welcome. US Troops Go to Court Seeking Vaccine Exemption for Those Who've Had COVID-19 The service members want the Defense Department to exempt those with natural immunity from the coronavirus vaccine order. Joseph V. Micallef is a best-selling military history and world affairs author, and keynote speaker. Follow him on Twitter @JosephVMicallef. Over the last several years, the concern over nuclear proliferation has centered on North Korea and Iran's ongoing efforts to develop nuclear weapons and the missile capability to deliver them at intermediate and intercontinental ranges. Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, however, which proceeded both those of Tehran and Pyongyang, and which supplied invaluable assistance to jumpstart both those programs, may prove to be just as dangerous and just as destabilizing as those of North Korea and Iran. Pakistan is well on its way, within the next decade, to amassing the third largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. Moreover, its current focus on deploying theater nuclear weapons, so-called low-yield (5 to 10 kiloton) battlefield weapons, represents a dangerous new strategy that has wide-ranging impact on both the stability of south Asia and the threat that a militant jihadist organization will obtain a nuclear device. For the last seventy-five years, the international politics of the Indian subcontinent, and, to a lesser extent, the broader south and central Asian region that surrounds it, have revolved around the continuing Indian-Pakistani conflict. That conflict, in turn, has often functioned as a proxy for the larger rivalry between China and India in Asia and the Indian Ocean basin. The military intervention by the United States and its allies to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the role of both India and Pakistan in that conflict, have added a further layer of complexity between the two countries. India and Pakistan have fought four wars since their birth, following the partition of British India in 1947. These wars, fought in 1947, 1965, 1971 (which resulted in the loss of East Pakistan and the birth of the new state of Bangladesh) and 1999, all resulted in significant Indian victories. The 1999 war, called the Kargil War, was fought in the Kargil district of Kashmir. This was the first Indo-Pakistani conflict following the deployment of nuclear weapons by both countries. At one point during the fighting, Pakistan's government ordered the arming of its nuclear missiles, potentially bringing the two countries to the brink of a nuclear conflict. Although a truce was later negotiated, the fate of the original princely kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir, a legacy of the 1947 war, has to this day still not been resolved and continues to be a major source of conflict between the two countries. Pakistan's past ties to militant jihadist groups like the Afghan Taliban, Tehreek-e-Jihad Islami, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba or Hizbul Mujahideen, to name a few, and the emergence of al-Qaida affiliated Ansar Ghawzat-Ul-Hind, have added an additional element of conflict into Indian-Pakistani relations. They have also led to a significant deterioration in US-Pakistan relations. Hizbul Mujahideen, for example, has been responsible for numerous attacks in Indian-administered Kashmir over the previous two decades, including the Pathankot raid in 2016. The attack brought India and Pakistan to the point of issuing nuclear threats against each other. The Origin and Extent of Pakistan's Nuclear Program The genesis of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program had several sources. In part, it was a response to the defeat in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war. It was also driven by Pakistan's realization that India was going ahead with the development of its own nuclear arsenal. Neither country is a signatory to the U.N. sponsored Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Pakistan opted to try to develop both plutonium and enriched uranium-based weapons. In 1985 the CIA warned of a Pakistani plan to build a "plutonium production reactor." Pakistan subsequently built, with Chinese help, the 40-50 megawatt heavy-water Khushab plutonium production reactor. The reactor went online in 1998. Three additional heavy-water reactors were also built and are currently operational at the same site. Pakistan also built a plutonium reprocessing plant at the New Laboratories facility at the Pakistani Institute of Science and Technology. An additional reprocessing facility was built at the same location and a third in Chasma is believed to have gone operational in 2015 or 2016. Pakistan also began a program to produce highly enriched uranium (HEU) using gas centrifuge enriched uranium. The specially designed centrifuges spin uranium hexafluoride gas at high speeds to increase the concentration of the uranium 235 isotope. This is the same technology that Iran had been using in its nuclear weapons program. The program got a significant boost A.Q. Kahn, a metallurgist working in the Dutch subsidiary of the British-based Uranium Enrichment Company (URENCO Group) returned to Pakistan in 1975. Khan brought with him blueprints for various centrifuge designs and a broad array of business contacts. By buying individual components rather than complete gas centrifuges, he was able to evade existing export controls and acquire the necessary equipment to build advanced gas centrifuges. Khan would go on to establish an illicit nuclear weapons technology procurement and consulting operation, the "Khan Network," that would play a major role in the transmission of nuclear weapons technology to Iran, Libya and to a lesser extent, North Korea. In addition, in 1998, and then in 2001, according to former CIA Director George Tenet, the agency obtained fragmentary intelligence that Osama bin Laden had dispatched emissaries to contact the Khan network, in order to discuss obtaining the equipment necessary for developing a nuclear weapons infrastructure, details of nuclear bomb design and information on how to construct radiological dispersal devices. The Pakistani government has denied that it had any knowledge of Khan's illicit side business, but under American pressure arrested A.Q. Khan in 2004, sentenced him to house arrest, and dismantled his network. Khan was subsequently cleared of all charges that he clandestinely aided foreign nuclear development programs and was released in 2009. There continue to be reports, however, that rogue elements of that network continue to operate clandestinely. According to unconfirmed media reports, as recently as 2014, the Islamic State (IS) reached out to former members of the Khan network for assistance in securing atomic weaponry. While the design and construction of a nuclear device is very likely beyond the capabilities of al-Qaida, IS or any other militant jihadist group, the use of radiological dispersal devices, so called dirty bombs, is well within their capability. The Pakistani nuclear effort also received considerable assistance from China. It is believed that, starting in the late 1970s, Beijing supplied Pakistan with a broad array of missile and nuclear weapons related assistance. This assistance included warhead designs, highly enriched uranium (HEU), components of various short and intermediate range missile systems, gas centrifuge equipment and technical expertise. The A.Q. Khan network later transferred some of this technology to other countries, in particular Iran and North Korea. According to various intelligence sources, Pakistan currently has between 140 and 150 nuclear weapons under its control. It is believed, however, that Pakistan has produced and stockpiled around 3,000 to 4,000 kilograms (6,600 to 8,800 lbs) of weapons grade HEU and about 200 to 300 kilograms (440 to 660 lbs) of plutonium. Pakistan's HEU based warheads utilize an implosion design that requires between 15 and 20 kilograms of HEU. The current stockpile is enough for an additional 200 to 250 weapons, depending on the warhead's desired yield. The plutonium-based warheads need between six and eight kilograms of plutonium. The current stockpile would yield between 30 and 40 additional warheads. As of the end of 2017, Pakistan has enough HEU and plutonium to produce an additional 230 to 290 warheads. This number could be higher if Pakistan opts for smaller warheads intended for battlefield weapons. This would raise the Pakistani nuclear arsenal to between 350 and 450 nuclear warheads. Pakistan is adding enough HEU and plutonium to its stockpile to produce around 10 to 20 additional bombs a year. As of the end of 2017, Pakistan has enough weapons grade material on hand to build the third largest arsenal of nuclear weapons. India-Pakistan's Military Strategy and the Role of Jihadist Proxies Since the late 1980s, Pakistan has used a variety of militant organizations as proxies in its ongoing struggle with India over Kashmir and elsewhere. This strategy may have been a direct result of its success with "Operation Cyclone," the CIA and Saudi funded program to arm the Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. "Operation Cyclone" was also the code name for the terrorist attack in Mumbai. From November 26-29, 2008, ten members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani-based militant organization with long-standing ties to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, conducted a series of 12 coordinated bombings and shooting attacks across Mumbai. The attacks resulted in the death of 164 people and the wounding of at least 308. The fact that the Mumbai operation used the same code word designation is a disturbing parallel. It is hard to believe that its use was a coincidence. Sponsored, organized, trained and funded by Pakistan's ISI, Lashkar-e-Taiba is only one of several jihadist organizations that the ISI has used as proxies in its covert military operations. Other militant groups with documented links to the ISI include: al-Qaida, Lashkar-e-Omar, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Sipah-e-Sahaba, the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Jamaat-ud-Da'wah, Harkat-ud-Jihad al-Islami, the Haqqani Network, Jamaat-ud-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and of course its most famous creation--the Afghan Taliban. Since 1990, given its record of defeat in conventional military conflicts with India, Pakistan's military strategy has relied on a threefold approach: use militant proxy organizations to strike at Indian military positions in Kashmir, specifically, and to attack Indian targets in general, rely on the threat to deploy nuclear weapons should India try to retaliate with a military invasion of Pakistan and rely on the U.S. and China, in particular, and world opinion in general, to restrain India from attacking Pakistan before the ponderously slow Indian Army can mobilize and be in a position to attack. As U.S.-Pakistani relations have soured over Pakistan's covert support for Taliban militants, while correspondingly, U.S.-Indian relations have grown stronger, Pakistan has increasingly relied on China to deter the threat it perceives from India. One of the lessons that India drew from the 1998 Kargil war was precisely that its slow mobilization and advance would give the Pakistani military plenty of advance warning of its intended strategy and military objectives. It would also give Pakistan, with likely Chinese help, plenty of time to mobilize world opinion to restrain India. Moreover, India found that it could not muster a strong enough offensive capability to do anything more than limited border incursions and low intensity attacks against border fortifications. In response, the Indian Army undertook a comprehensive review of its military operations with the goal of developing a quick strike capability into Pakistan. The resulting doctrine, called "Cold Start," was designed to reorient India's military forces from their traditional defensive posture toward a more aggressive, offensive capability. The doctrine called for the formation of several eight division-sized, integrated battle groups that would combine infantry, artillery and armor. They would be on a standby alert, ready at all times to thrust deep into Pakistani territory along several possible lines of advance. These battle groups would receive air support from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and, where appropriate, support from India's naval forces as well. The rapid deployment of these battle groups would allow India to seize Pakistani territory before the international community could mobilize a consensus to restrain India. For many years the Indian military insisted that there was no "Cold Start" doctrine and that the debate over military doctrine that had been swirling around India's Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses had been purely an academic exercise. In January 2017, however, India's newly appointed Army Chief, Bipin Rawat, acknowledged that the Indian military had adopted the Cold Start Doctrine. It's unclear, however, whether the proposed quick strike forces are actually operational. The Pakistani response to the Cold Start Doctrine has been to emphasize the development of battlefield, so called "theater nuclear weapons." The strategy is to meet India's rapid deployment forces with a series of limited nuclear strikes against concentrations of troops and armor and then rely on international pressure to constrain India from escalating the confrontation to a full blown nuclear conflict. Battlefield nuclear weapons pose a whole different level of security risks than conventional nuclear weapons. Islamabad's current Strategic Command Organization for Pakistani atomic weapons relies on a threefold structure consisting of the National Command Authority (NCA), the Strategic Plans Division (SPD) and the Strategic Forces Command (SFC). The NCA and the SPD have joint operational control over Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. The military's SFC has only day-to-day "administrative control" and provides technical support of these weapons system. More importantly, Pakistan's nuclear weapons are kept disassembled, typically in three or four component parts with each of those parts kept in separate facilities. Thus, the nuclear warheads are kept separate from the delivery vehicles. Moreover, the fissile cores of the warheads are separated from the conventional, i.e., non-nuclear explosives. Even if a militant terrorist organization was to penetrate a facility where the nuclear components are stored it could not obtain a functioning nuclear weapon. The one drawback of this approach is that unless very close inventory control is maintained it is possible for component parts to go missing without being noticed. The combination of a multi-branch command authority and the fact that the weapons are kept in a disassembled state makes it extremely difficult for rogue elements within Pakistan or for militant organizations to secure, divert or launch a nuclear weapon. Battlefield weapons, on the other hand, by their very nature, are more at risk for theft, diversion or unauthorized use. As battlefield weapons, they need to be under the control of local commanders. While the decision to deploy them may still be under the national command authority, their actual use has to be left to the commander in the field. Although most of them can be kept disassembled, it is likely that some portion must be maintained in a ready state if they are to prove useful in stopping an Indian incursion. Some number of the assembled nuclear devices would need to be deployed forward in anticipation of a possible Indian attack in response to a Pakistani operation. Typically, these battlefield weapons have short ranges. Since the facilities where the components of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal are stored are well back from the Indian frontier, this means that the weapons would likely need to be stationed relatively close to the frontline in a ready state. It is unclear how the Strategic Command Authority would exercise its control over such battlefield weapons once they were deployed or who would be responsible for guarding them. Ultimately, in the long term, the future direction of Pakistan's nuclear weapons policy is going to be a function of the state of Indian-Pakistan relations on the subcontinent. In turn, this will be shaped both by the state of U.S.-Pakistan relations over the ongoing conflict with the Taliban in Afghanistan, as well as the broader challenge to India of China's ambitions in central Asia and the Indian Ocean basin. In the short term, however, Pakistan's rapid growth of its nuclear arsenal and its deployment of battlefield nuclear weapons adds one more factor of instability to the regions international politics and further raises the risk that nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of either rogue elements in Pakistan or international jihadist groups. -- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. The U.S. Air Force is investigating what caused two F-22 Raptors from the same Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, unit to experience mishaps within days of each other. An F-22 from the 90th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Wing, experienced engine failure April 6 during a routine training flight at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, days before another F-22's belly skid at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, Air Force officials told Military.com on Friday. "We can confirm that a 3 WG F-22, assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron, recently experienced an in-flight engine failure while operating out of Tyndall. The aircraft was able to land safely," said 2nd Lt. Brigitte Brantley, a public affairs officer for the 673rd Air Base Wing. The Drive website first reported the engine failure last week. Brantley said the pilot in the Tyndall accident was unhurt and able to land the twin-engine stealth fighter "without further incident." No other aircraft were damaged during the landing. Related content: "The aircraft was participating in regularly scheduled training at Tyndall, executing typical training maneuvers when the failure occurred," she said. The F-22 remains at Tyndall while officials conduct a safety investigation board report, Brantley said. Days after that engine failure, another fifth-generation fighter went sliding down the runway April 13 following a takeoff at NAS Fallon. The F-22 skidded to a stop, damaging the front end of the aircraft. Whether the two incidents are related has not been determined, Brantley said. "Each aircraft mishap is under investigation, and no determinations have been made at this time," she said. "A full incident report will be published for each when the investigation is complete." Incidents continue to mount as the Air Force has said it remains committed to scrutinizing aviation hazards. The service recently launched an investigation into an increase of "Class C" mishaps to understand whether the lower-grade incidents are leading to fatal accidents. "We've got our safety professionals digging into it, and seeing if there is a noticeable trend that we have in our Class C mishaps," Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen "Seve" Wilson said April 9 during the Future of War conference. The latest incident underscores a recent uptick in aviation mishaps across the U.S. military. A recent in-depth Military Times report found that military aviation accidents have increased significantly over the last five years across all services. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. How to use the mindat.org media viewer Click/touch this help panel to close it. Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. 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Summary of all keyboard shortcuts Posted Monday, April 23, 2018 7:00 am When Webster County was faced last year with the need to find a new administrator for its drug court, Lori Lettermans name was one that flew to the top of the list. As a longtime victim advocate for the county prosecuting attorneys office, Letterman has years of experience dealing with those in the criminal justice system. However, the alternative sentencing program started in 2005 by the county doesnt deal with people who have been victimized by crime. Rather, it focuses on those who have gotten in trouble with the law, and provides a chance for a possible life-changing escape from a cycle of drug addiction. For Letterman, who was ultimately OKd by the county commission to take over the drug court administrator role a part-time, county-funded position from Gail Barnekow, who retired at the end of 2017, there was an undeniable appeal in getting involved with the program. I was excited. ... Ive been working with victims for so long. It was a chance to work on a different side, she said, adding the position involves approximately 10 hours of work per week in addition to her full-time victim advocate job. Currently, eight people are in the program, said Webster County Prosecutor Ben Berkstresser, down a few from its average over the past couple of years of 12-13 approved participants. The slight decrease is attributed to several recently being graduated from the program, along with another who was expelled due to violations, he added. Berkstresser is one of several county officials who are part of the drug court team, which also involves court administration, law enforcement, social services and a treatment provider, among others. Its more difficult to get defendants who are charged to be interested in drug court, because the perception is its very difficult. Its way harder than regular probation, Berkstresser said. But for people who are wanting to avoid the (Missouri) Department of Corrections or people who are ready to make changes in their life, theres opportunities and resources that are unique and available in this treatment court. As the county prosecutor acts as the gatekeeper for possible candidates to be admitted to the program, Berkstresser said he is aware of several people under consideration who, if approved, will bring the program total back to its average number by the end of May or start of June. Letterman said one of the appeals of the program and for her getting involved as administrator was the chance to see people, some with spouses and/or children, possibly turn their lives around. I thought it would be good to see them in a different light, she said regarding the decision to become administrator. Having worked with Letterman since 2015, Berkstresser said he knew she would take to the role, as drug court gives a unique view of families and relationships that isnt typically seen in the normal criminal proceedings. She likes the human portion of dealing with the criminal justice system, Berkstresser said of Letterman. She has a heart that cares for people and wants to help them. But I think shes learning through this process that they dont always want your feedback. A minimum of 18 months is required to complete the drug court program for participants, with Berkstresser stating most are able to reach graduation within two years. That program time span, while a lengthy one, provides a notable transformation for some people that the drug court team is able to witness firsthand, he said. In drug court, the most common theme is these people feel almost certainly they have no value, he said. Give up on me, Im worthless, Im nothing but an addict. But then theres an evolution for participants becoming a more involved parent or a responsive spouse during the course of overcoming their addiction, he added. It is a triumph of the human spirit, to be cliche, Berkstresser said. It is courage and fight, and hard work and struggle. It is a unique opportunity in the criminal justice system to see good things. Those who successfully complete the program have a graduation held in their honor, which Letterman said was a strong motivator for her after attending one a few months ago. After that, I was just hooked. I said, Ive got to be a part of this. It was neat seeing all these families coming back together, she said. Although Letterman said she doesnt really know the people in the program, she finds herself rooting for them to all succeed a common sentiment from the drug court team, in general, she added. A setback for someone in the program, be it a failed drug test, missed appointment or court appearance, can be heartbreaking, she said, as the team wants to see people succeed and have a better life. I really like being a part of that, she said, adding she is determined to learn more about her position and treatment courts in general, as she believes they can make a difference for participants. I just like learning. ... Im really eager to learn more. Posted Monday, April 23, 2018 10:45 am During its meeting Saturday, April 14, in the Webster County Library, the Concerned Women for America (CWA) of Webster County chapter addressed sex trafficking and child pornography two issues that are prevalent in todays society. Legislative liaison Alissa Johnson gave a slideshow presentation with statistics and information about the affects of pornography on the brain and how it damages marriages and families. Johnson also provided links to help parents monitor what their children are watching and understanding the social media apps that they use. Pornography and sex trafficking is affecting our society in so many negative ways, said Johnson. I am not sure that people really realize how bad the epidemic is. My hope is that legislators, educators and parents will realize that all of our kids are being affected by porn through the culture and through accessing technology. More than ever before in the history of the world, kids are growing up in a time where violence and verbal abuse against women are being normalized through this exposure. And really good kids from really good families are getting hooked on this new drug right under their parents noses, all while the adults in their lives are thinking it will not happen to their kids. Well, it does. And sooner or later, our kids are going to pay the cost. I think many of them already are. Each month, the CWA of Webster County host prayer/action chapter meetings, where women and men are educated about the issues that challenge biblical values and encouraged to pray for the nation and government leaders. The organization focuses on seven core issues: family, sanctity of human life, education, sexual exploitation (pornography, prostitution and sex slavery), religious liberty, national sovereignty and support for Israel. CWA is a non-partisan, non-sectarian organization that seeks to protect and promote biblical values among all citizens first through prayer, then education and finally by influencing society. It reaches out to leaders from all political parties and denominations on biblical standards and ideals, and does not endorse political candidates. CWA of Webster County was started by Johnson, who joined the organization in October 2016. Anyone can join the CWA, including men who support the values and beliefs of the organization. CWA meets the second Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m. in the Webster County Library, located at 219 W. Jackson St., Marshfield. Posted Monday, April 23, 2018 3:45 am Marshfield Christian School is hosting an open house event Tuesday, April 24, at its school building (located at 114 Commercial St., Marshfield). The event will have live music by the students and refreshments. Attendees can meet the staff, tour the building, learn about jobs/volunteer opportunities and pick up enrollment forms. Enrollment is for pre-kindergarten through 12th grades. The enrollment fee is $100 annually and tuition is $2,500 per year, including curriculum. Discounts are given to more than one student per family. Scholarship applications are also available. MCS provides quality Christian education and training based upon a firm foundation of Gods word. The school implements the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum, where students can work at their own pace. For more information, contact Susan Ivie at 859-2429. President Klaus Iohannis Friday laid into his government over plans to transfer the countys diplomatic mission in Tel Aviv to disputed Jerusalem as he indicated that the move will equate to violation of the international law given the special status of the city. Earlier this week, Bucharest announced plans to re-establish the countrys embassy in Jerusalem; a move, which follows Washingtons decision to relocate the US embassy in the holy city next month. President Donald Trump in December sparked the anger of the Muslim world and several other countries after he declared Jerusalem capital of Israel. Iohanniss office said the President was not consulted for the decision. The Romanian leader notes that the constitution allows him to decide on the countrys foreign policy. At this stage, a transfer of the embassy would represent a violation of international law, he said. The governments initiative could eventually represent, at the most, the beginning of a process of evaluation which could only be finalized after the conclusion of peace talks. If the plan goes ahead, Romania will become the first European country to heed Israels call for international recognition of the holy city as its capital. Romania abstained during the UN General Assembly vote over Trumps decision. Bucharest at the time called for caution and urged the international community to re-launch talks between Palestinians and Israelis over the fate of the city. Israel is expecting six countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem, with Guatemala to be next after the US. Family members of Fadi al-Batsh, the Hamas member killed Saturday near Kuala Lampur, have accused Israels intelligence agency for orchestrating the death of their loved one, touted by Hamas as an important member. Fadi Albatsh, according to Malaysian security authorities, was gunned down early Saturday when leaving a local mosque at Jalan Gombak near capital Kuala Lampur. Two men on a bike waited for him for nearly 20 minutes. One of the men reportedly fired at least 8 bullets, with 4 fatally hitting him in the head. The 36-year old Palestinian engineer died on spot, the security sources said. His family, which is based in the Gaza enclave, pins the blame on Israels Mossad. We accuse the Mossad of being behind the assassination, his father said. Al-Batshs cousin, Khaled al-Batsh, a senior official in the Islamic Jihad militant group also blamed Mossad for the assassination. Hamas, ruler of the Palestinian enclave called Al-Batsh martyr and a loyal member. Israel has not commented on the killing. Al-Batsh has been living in Malaysia for ten years and has been working as lecturer at a local private university. He earned a PhD in electrical and electronic engineering. Prior to moving to Malaysia, the engineer worked for Energy Authority in the Gaza Strip. He was due in Turkey for a conference over the weekend. Israel believes Al-Batsh is involved in the drone-manufacturing team. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More With the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) favouring a call for fresh bids for Essar Steel, new suitors in the form of JSW Steel and Vedanta Resources are expected to join the fray. Both the companies had participated in the second round of bidding for Essar Steel. But in its order last week, the Ahmedabad bench of the NCLT had called the second round invalid. The Tribunal had instead called for review of first round bids. JSW Steel had shown interest in Essar Steel after bids from Numetal and ArcelorMittal were found to be ineligible by the resolution professional in the first round. But Essar Steel's lenders had decided against inviting JSW Steel, as the latter hadn't submitted an expression of interest. Later, JSW Steel joined the Numetal consortium in the second round of bidding. JSW Steel had invested in Numetal's India unit. Vedanta Resources, which had submitted an expression of interest, had put in a bid in the second round. "Yes, we are interested... 200 percent," said an executive from JSW Steel, on the company plans on Essar Steel. Sources separately added that the Sajjan Jindal-company is likely to write to Essar Steel's lenders, making formal its interest. Executives close to Vedanta Resources also reiterated that the London-based mining major will be interested in putting in a bid. The Anil Agarwal company has already bagged Electrosteel Steel, which was also referred to the NCLT under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. A meeting of Committee of Creditors, consisting of Essar Steel's lenders, was slated for Monday, but now has been postponed to Tuesday. The meeting is expected to take a call on the issue. Two options In its order last week, the Ahmedabad bench of the NCLT had noted the two options before Essar Steel's resolution professional. One was to open up the auction for new bids, and the second, to continue with the present process that included ArcelorMittal and Numetal as bidders. The bench said: "In the option no 1 it has been suggested to initiate a new process to invite bids from all interested parties (starting with new expression of interest) and follow the entire process as per new RFP (request for proposal)... in our humble view such option seems more sound, reasonable and legally transparent..." Essar Steel's lenders though were more keen on the second option to save time. The resolution process for the steel company has to be completed by April 29. But that has got a relaxation after the NCLT said that the time taken in legal proceedings could be excluded from the resolution period. Things are beginning to look up for Jana Small Finance Bank, with the launch of its banking operations last month. After letting go of over 2,300 employees last year, the Bengaluru-based micro lender is now planning to recruit more than 500 employees. Its headcount has fallen to about 14,000 employees, from 16,357, at the end of March 2017. Our employee count did go down... We did not recruit in those positions given the stress we faced post demonetisation, said Ajay Kanwal, CEO and Managing Director of Jana Small Finance Bank, in a recent interaction with Moneycontrol. He added that the company is adding 500 employees in April. "It's in process," he added. Janalakhsmi Financial Services had got the Reserve Bank of India's in-principle nod to set up a bank in September 2015. It got the final licence in April last year. But the Ramesh Ramanathan-promoted company waited for nearly a year for the launch due to high percentage of stressed loans on its balance sheet, sources said. Banking on better collections The Ramesh Ramanathan-founded microfinance institution (MFI), along with nine other micro lending entities had received a licence to set up a small finance bank under its differentiated banking concept to push credit to smaller borrowers and induce financial inclusion. Though Janalakshmi Financial Services was the last MFI to launch operations, when it opened shop on March 28, Kanwal is confident to grow his business given the collections are back to 98 percent rate, from below 50 per cent during the demonetisation days. Kanwal is also leveraging on the company's reach across over 20 states, and a customer base of 50 lakh. "And digitisation will help us help keep costs low," he added. So far, the bank has opened about 20 branches and will extend the tally to 200 by June. It aims to have up to 600 branches by next year. Of these, 25 percent will be in un-banked rural areas, as per RBIs mandate for small finance banks. To build its liability book, the bank has launched savings account, current account and, fixed deposits products. Next is the affordable mortgage product, followed by consumer durable and two-wheeler loans... We were waiting for the banking license focus on business from SMEs. This will help our customers meet all his needs under one umbrella, Kanwal said. He added that the company is also working on products to service its customers looking for home and gold loans. Only 2 percent of my customers have houses, so 98 percent of my customers will need home loans, Kanwal added. Kanwal, who was previously the head of Asean and South Asia operations at Standard Chartered Bank, joined Jana Bank in August last year. In a foreign bank, when I worked on the SME (small and medium enterprise) business, the cost was the key. We had to make it affordable for the customer. It's somewhat similar here. My 8 months you tell me the behaviour and thought process of customers is the same. We need to treat them as consumers and not target for sale, he said. Demonetisation woes Since September, Janalakshmi Financial Services has raised about Rs 1,700 crore capital to grow its business, and also to cover the losses. Given its large book size, the company - it's one of the largest MFIs in the country - was severely hit post the withdrawal of 1000 and 500 rupee denomination notes. Due to the cash-driven nature of business, the MFI industry in general suffered huge repayment losses. Its loan outstanding was about Rs 8,000 crore at the end of February this year, which had shrunk from Rs 12,808 crore as on March 2017. The new bank is also focusing on familiarising the hithertho MFI staff with banking rules. Bahrains foreign minister has called for lawsuit to be placed against Doha-based al Jazeera as he accused the news network of spreading lies. Bahrain and its regional allies, namely Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates plus Egypt, have severed ties with Qatar since June last year. The four, known as anti-terrorism quartet cut off sea, ground and air links with the tiny gas-rich country over claims that it sponsors terrorism. Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, took to Twitter to lambast the channel headquartered in Doha. The Bahraini official notes that the channel should be prosecuted for spreading lies and rumors that cause confusion in our countries. The top diplomat also noted that the prosecution of the channel is among demands from the boycotting countries before thawing ties with the tiny Gulf country. The list of thirteen demands also includes reduction of ties with Iran and suspension of Turkish military ramp-up in the Qatar. Qatar rejected the demands as it had rejected the charges blaming it with supporting terrorism. State-owned oil firms might have to continue paying debit transaction fee of 0.75 percent on behalf of their dealers, according to a Mint report. Banks have refused to accept a request by the oil markets companies (OMCs) to reduce the merchant discount rate (MDR) to 0.65 percent, sources told the paper. "We have decided not to push the matter any further. We will pay MDR at 0.75 percent," a senior official at an OMC told Mint. Moneycontrol could not confirm the news independently. The paper said Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum did not responded to its request for a comment. MDR is paid by fuel companies and shared by the bank that issues the PoS machines and the debit card, and payment networks such as VISA and Mastercard. Banks have said a lower MDR would hurt them. The financial burden on OMCs could have reduced by Rs 500 crore had the banks approved the request to lower MDR to 0.65 percent, a source told Mint. "RBI had said up to 0.9 percent of the transaction value. So, we had suggested a 0.65 percent rate to the banks. They have not agreed and we do not wish to pressurise them any further. We have written to the petroleum ministry regarding the current situation," the source added. Standard Chartered Foreign lender Standard Chartered Bank aims to boost its Indian retail loan portfolio to 40 percent of total loans from 29 percent, to tide over the stress in the corporate segment. Whenever you look at the economic cycle, the corporate book is what starts giving loan impairments. And typically in India, thanks to the (credit) bureaus and technology, the asset quality in retail has been pretty good. We have seen that in a couple of cycles that the retail quality has stood the test of the times, said Zarin Daruwala, CEO, India, Standard Chartered Bank. We will offer the same products mortgage loans, personal loans, credit cards and SME or the business banking. So, not deviating from that, because our experience has been good on the credit quality front in retail, said Daruwala, who formerly served as the Executive Director at the retail-heavy domestic private lender ICICI Bank. Stress on corporate book Although the corporate loan book has been a pain point for StanC like other lenders, Daruwala claimed the bank has provided aggressively for doubtful assets and does not see any further pain. Most domestic banks too, have been aggressively growing their retail loan book considering a chunk of the Rs 8.5 lakh crore bad loans in the banking industry comprises of large company defaults. Without specifying details, Daruwala said the bank has very few accounts in the Reserve Bank of Indias two lists of 40 large stressed borrowers, referred to be resolved under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Daruwala hopes resolutions from the first list of 12 accounts will set precedence for the future. I am hopeful of resolutions, especially the big ones. We will have to see the takers on the second list, she said. Priority sector lending Daruwala finds the new priority sector lending (PSL) guidelines to be a challenge. As a foreign lender, the new regulatory rules mandate banks with over 20 branches to comply with priority sector lending (PSL) norms. This entails 18 percent loans to be directed toward agriculture, including 8 percent to small and marginal farmers. Clearly that is a challenge given that we dont have the branch network. So as of now we are looking at the PSL certificate route to fulfill our obligations, some portfolio buyouts and some partnerships, she said. The PSL rules apply to three foreign banks in India -- Standard Chartered, Citi and HSBC. Wholly-owned subsidiary As a foreign lender with 100 branches, it does not wish to opt for a wholly-owned subsidiary (WOS) route for its operations due to its capital intensive nature. "It (converting to WOS) is very capital expensive. If you subsidiarise, the capital which is put into the country is dedicated from the tier-I capital of the parent," Daruwala told reporters when asked about the impediments to conversion into WOS. She said the government has made necessary changes to the taxation structure to facilitate it but have not formed any strategy. The RBI had announced this scheme to encourage foreign banks to move to this model following the global financial crisis of 2008. In its guidelines, the RBI had pointed out the WOS model for foreign banks in India would involve local incorporation, a local board of directors, and a ring-fenced capital and assets profile that would not be affected by the impact of global events on its parent. At least 14 foreign banks are likely to open branches across India even as the RBI is holding back approvals to push WOS. Converting into a WOS, insulates the country operations of a foreign bank from any reverses that it may face overseas. At present, 40 foreign banks operate as a branch, while it is mandatory for all new entrants to operate as a WOS. After the WOS route norms, there was a sharp reduction in India operations by foreign banks with number of branches falling to 288 in 2016-17 from 317 in 2015-16. As of the end of March 2017, there were a total of 49 foreign banks operating these 288 branches in the country, led by Standard Chartered Bank with 100 branches, Citibank with 40 branches, HSBC (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) with 26 branches and Deutsche Bank AG with 17 branches, RBI data showed. Anushka Sharma as brand ambassador The bank launched a digital initiative to enable customers to instantly open online savings accounts. Hindi movie actor and producer Anushka Sharma is the new brand ambassador. Daruwala said the digital initiative will help the bank onboard new customers. She added the retail segment has grown 20 percent in the last two years and the bank expects a similar trend in future as well. Within retail, the bank's credit cards in use have grown three times in the last two years, she said, adding, it does not want to increase the unsecured book from the present 6 percent levels. IRB Infrastructure Developers | In 2020 so far, the share price has moved up 76 percent to Rs 131.20. It's trailing twelve months (TTM) P/E was 6.40 multiple while 5-year average P/E was 8.30 multiple. Opening fragile inter-tidal areas for real estate and infrastructure development would have a huge bearing on coastal ecology and livelihood from fishing, researchers said after the Environment Ministry came out with a new draft for coastal regulations. The draft Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018, proposes expanding land area for development activities and tourism infrastructure, while simplifying the procedure for CRZ clearances. Taking a critical view of the proposed rules, experts said there are two sets of problems with the new draft -- the process used for framing it and how it opens up coastal spaces for infrastructure development. The draft notification is on the ministry's website and comments have been sought from the public within 60 days. The recently uploaded draft has evidently been drafted by "Delhi-based babus" who are "uneducated" about the sea and have never experienced its violent energy, Chennai-based writer and social activist Nityanand Jayaraman, said. Legal research director, Centre for Policy Research-Namati Environment Justice Program, Kanchi Kohli, said the new draft rules reduces the no-development zone, opening fragile inter-tidal areas and rural areas for real estate and infrastructure development. It also exempts areas within port limits from being no-development areas, Kohli said. Experts claimed the proposed rules is in tune with the government's plans for seeing coastal areas as commercial and investment hubs, and not where established livelihood from fishing and ecosystems need to thrive. Fishing unions, coastal communities and researchers have been asking the ministry not to dilute the coastal regulation and have a transparent process of amending the law, if any, Kohli told PTI. "However, this has systematically been ignored. The Shailesh Nayak committee on which the changes have been premised is still not a public document and was selectively shared only after a CIC judgment. "A law, which has a huge bearing on coastal ecology and livelihoods, should be a public matter, especially when the changes are this massive," she said. The ministry had recently said in a statement that it had constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Nayak to examine concerns of coastal states, UTs and stakeholders, and to recommend appropriate changes in the CRZ Notification, 2011. The report submitted by Nayak was examined in the ministry and consultations were held with stakeholders in this regard, it had said. Under the new draft, CRZ limits on land along tidal influenced water bodies has been proposed to be reduced from 100 metres to 50 meters or the width of the creek, whichever is less. In another change in the draft, two separate categories have been proposed for CRZ-III areas. Kohli said the second and equally critical aspect is what it does to the coastal regulation. "This new law, reduces the no-development zone, opening fragile inter-tidal areas and rural areas for real estate and infrastructure development, removes the requirement for the clearance for certain buildings in municipal areas and exempts areas within port limits from being no-development areas. "It is in tune with the government's plans for seeing coastal areas as commercial and investment hubs, and not where well established fishing livelihoods and ecosystems need to thrive," she said. Jayaraman said, "The drafters of this notification either do not believe climate change is real or expect the sheer grandness of India's Sagarmala plans to overawe nature into exempting us from climate change's disastrous effects." "Climate change will result in increased frequency and intensity of extreme seaborne weather events. Sea level rise will eat up coastal real estate and inject salt into our coastal aquifers," he said. Beaches, mangroves and coastal wetlands, and maintaining a respectful distance from the sea are the real defences against nature's fury, Jayaraman said. "This is the time to be retreating from the sea and protecting what remains of our coastal wetlands. The 2011 notification, while not perfect, intended to do all this. It introduced the concept of a Hazard Line - a line drawn accounting for future sea level rise, and the action of waves, wind and tides. "Areas between the High Tide Line and the Hazard Line are vulnerable; the 2011 notification severely restricts development within this area. The 2018 draft does away with those restrictions" he said. "This government has exposed its hand by granting carte blanche to strategic and defence projects; these have gladdened the hearts of many Indian mega-corporates, and saddened and angered coastal communities across India," he pointed out. Jayaraman maintained that strategic projects can come up at any location, inside the sea, in the inter-tidal areas and in coastal wetlands like lagoons and backwaters. "Roads and other infrastructure for such projects can even obliterate coral reefs, mangroves, sand dunes and turtle nesting habitats. Sagarmala is a strategic project, with more than 400 proposals, including more than half a dozen mega ports, modernisation and expansion of several dozen more, and setting up of over 40 Coastal Economic Zones and Coastal Economic Units. "Just as nobody really knows what a Smart City is, there is no clarity on what makes a project strategic. Today, it is Sagarmala; tomorrow other slogans - Bharatmala, Make In India, Digital India, even BetiBachao -- can be classified strategic and legitimately destroy our coast," he said. Latha Venkatesh The Reserve Banks new rules on the resolution of non performing loans (NPLs) is finally getting the attention they deserve from the power ministry. The caustic opposition to it from Power Minister R K Singh was entirely on expected lines. RBI circular is not workable. If you follow that circular large number of additional assets will go into the red, they will also become sick. This is like somebody who has just started sneezing, you are driving him sick. This circular needs to be changed, Singh told CNBC TV18 last week. He continued: If somebodys asset goes into this resolution process then it is expected to be completed in 180 days, it is just impossible. A resolution process will take at least a year for it to be a real resolution process. So, that limit is also unworkable. Now first up, someone needs to tell the minister that the RBI would have been delighted if it had to wait only one year for stressed loans to be resolved. The 50,000 megawatts of power assets that look very likely to be taken to the NCLT (the National company law tribunal ) have been stressed for at least three years! [caption id="attachment_2554425" align="alignnone" width="760"] (Courtesy: CNBC TV18)[/caption] The former power minister tried hard for three years to make the gas-based plants work. They didnt. Now the ministry itself has given up hope. Why should these projects not be taken to the NCLT. Its possible the banks will recover something from some stressed asset funds who are prepared to wait it out for say the RelianceBG alliance to generate gas by 2020. Why should these zombie assets be sitting in the books of banks. Even if these plants get into liquidation and the banks get only 10% of loan value, there will be some write back of provisions and some lightening of deadwood in their balance sheets. Secondly, the 19,723 megawatts of thermal capacity languishing for want of PPAs wont get resolved until discoms sign power purchase agreements or coal India signs FSAs. But, discoms havent been doing that for want of money. From 2012-2017 (the period that would have been the 12th five year plan), discoms signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) for only 7,168 megawatts, where as the private power companies added 53,664 megawatts of capacity. In fact the RBIs rule that will require stressed companies to be taken to the NCLT, may actually be a great catalyst for the industry to reset its demand-supply imbalance. The clock for already stressed projects started ticking on March 1 and six months later, i.e on September 1, they will have to be taken to the NCLT. Already power rates in the overnight market and in the short term(merchant) market have risen sharply ever since the weatherman announced an unusually hot summer. The day-ahead market on the IEX saw rates average between Rs 4 and Rs 5 in April 20% higher than the previous month, while merchant rates for 3- 6 months are even higher. Recently Gujarat tied up about 2,000-mw supply during April-June at tariffs ranging from Rs 4.79 per unit to Rs 8 per unit. The average price discovered was over Rs 5.5 per unit. Punjab tied up short-term electricity supply during June-September at an average of Rs 4.5 per unit, while Haryana discovered tariff in the range of Rs 4.94 per unit to Rs 8 per unit. The point is, even as the power companies come to the NCLT, power rates in India may become high enough for stressed asset funds and other deep pocketed investors to consider buying these companies. Banks may get at least 20% of their loans back. If banks dont find the offers attractive at all and a few plants go into liquidation, even that will be welcome, because as capacity exits, the demand-supply balance will shift in favour of demand and the remaining, less unviable plants may become viable and fetch better rates. Short point, the RBIs circular must not be tweaked. It is not only good for banks, it is probably good even for the power sector as it may help the sector get healthier from a price perspective and from the point of view of weaker players giving way to stronger ones. But perhaps the power minister is working to a different calendar an election calendar. His refrain has been that not six months, but one year needs to be given to resolve stressed power companies. As per his demand, the current NPA companies will be brought to the NCLT only in March 2019. By then the nation will be in election mode and the mess will eventually be his successors, not his. Strangely all of Mr Singhs deadlines start only by March 2019. He had earlier announced that he would tweak the electricity act to penalise discoms for any disruption in electricity supplies post March 2019. Likewise discoms, he said wont be allowed to recoup more than 15% of their losses through any tariff increase post March 2019. Looks like he is drawing up more plans for the next government in New Delhi than for the current one. The minister may be moved solely by election calendar, but the RBI should be concerned only about the health of the banks. It has waited long enough for these power companies to become viable. It needs to stand firm by its February circular. Incidentally, the government may also benefit. By the time the polls are fought, Indian banks may be much healthier than they are today thanks to the RBI circular. The NDA can justly claim the cleaning up of banks are one of their best successes. They need to back the RBI. Essar Steel Essar Steel's Committee of Creditors (CoC) is expected to meet on Monday to discuss last week's order by the Ahmedabad bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The bench had asked the resolution professional (RP) overseeing Essar Steel's auction, and the lenders, to re-examine bids submitted by ArcelorMittal and Numetal in the first round of bidding. The Tribunal had also dismissed pleas for a second round of bidding. Numetal and ArcelorMittal had approached the NCLT last month after both their bids were termed ineligible by the RP. In its observations, the bench had reprimanded the RP for not submitting the two bids to the creditors. The Tribunal said the two bidders should have been given 30 days to review their proposals and make changes to adhere to the observations. Both bids were turned down under Clause 29 (A) of the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC). The clause prevents promoters of a defaulting company from bidding for stressed assets. It also prevents connected persons from making a bid. While ArcelorMittal's investment in Uttam Galva was questioned in the case of Numetal, its minority shareholder Rewant Ruia was deemed to be a connected person to Ravi Ruia - his father and co-founder of Essar Steel. While the Tribunal didn't make formal comments on the eligibility of Numetal and ArcelorMittal, it did make interesting observations. It said that a bidder, termed ineligible, can be granted 30 days to pay the overdue amounts to lenders of a defaulting company. In other words, ArcelorMittal could make its bid eligible if Uttam Galva settles its debts with the lenders. On April 16, Uttam Galva's promoters had offered to make a full settlement of their dues of Rs 5,654 crore to State Bank of India, the lead lender. "The court's observations around ineligibility would apply to Numetal too," sources close to ArcelorMittal said. "If Rewant Ruia is part of Numetal's bid, then wouldn't they need to pay up to participate," an executive said on condition of anonymity. But it may not be smooth sailing as Uttam Galva's minority shareholders have questioned the share sale by ArcelorMittal. The Securities Appellate Tribunal will on Monday hear a petition from the minority shareholders of Uttam Galva Steels. The shareholders had in a letter to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), questioned the declassification of ArcelorMittal as Uttam Galva's promoter. They had also separately mailed Uttam Galva's lenders asking if their permission was sought before ArcelorMittal sold back its stake in the company. According to them, a Non-Disposal Undertaking (NDU) was signed by ArcelorMittal for Rs 1,400 crore, which was sanctioned by the lenders. The NDU, the shareholders alleged, prevented either of the two shareholders from divesting their stake without prior permission from lenders. But sources close to ArcelorMittal stated: "The action seems disproportionate to the number and total value of shares held. The value of the total number of shares held by the minority shareholders, who hold only 0.03% of Uttam Galva shares, is likely to be considerably less than the legal charges incurred by the petition. Both minority shareholders senior counsel and solicitors are top rung lawyers." The Tribunal has observed that the best option for the RP and CoC for Essar Steel could be to call for fresh bids. During the hearings, the counsels for the RP and lenders had argued that fresh bids could extend the resolution period beyond the April 29 deadline. But the bench observed that this option is "... more reasonable and legally transparent..." Keeping in mind the time constraints, the bench observed that the time consumed in legal proceedings could be excluded while considering the timeline. The pleas were filed on March 20, and the order announced on April 30. Support has come from industry players on the bench's view. "From the beginning, JSW Steel has been of the view that fresh bids should be called for, as this is in the interests of all stakeholders," Joint Managing Director and Group CFO Seshagiri Rao said. The company had shown interest in submitting a bid in the second round, but was turned down by the lenders as it hadn't submitted an Expression of Interest for Essar Steel. JSW Steel had later partnered with the Indian unit of Numetal in the latter's second round bid. Tree Forest cover has increased by 6,778 sq km in the country during the last two years, with Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala making a significant contribution, according to the Forest Survey of India (FSI). "The growth in forest cover can be attributed to plantation and conservation activities, both within and outside the recorded forest areas," FSI Director General Saibal Dasgupta told PTI here. Improvement in interpretation due to better radiometric resolution of the recent satellite data from Resourcesat-2 also helped in making the observation during 2015-17, he said in an interview. Dasgupta said Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala have contributed to an increase of 2,141 sq km, 1,101 sq km and 1,043 sq km forest area respectively. He said the total forest and tree cover in India, according to the current assessment is 8,02,088 sq km, which is 24.39 per cent of the country's geographic area. "The present assessment shows that 15 states/UTs have above 33 per cent of the geographical area under forest cover," said Dasgupta, who also holds the post of Additional DG of Forest in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change. Besides, the forest cover in the hill districts of the country was recorded at 2,83,462 sq km, which is 40.22 per cent of the total geographic area of these districts. "The latest assessment shows an increase of 754 sq km in all hill districts of the country," he said. Likewise, the total forest cover in the tribal districts is 4,21,170 sq km, which is 37.43 per cent of the geographical area of these districts, showing an increase of 86.89 sq km in all the tribal districts of the country, the FSI DG said. There are 215 tribal districts spread over 27 states/UTs. Area wise, Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover (77,414 sq km) in the country, followed by Arunachal Pradesh (66,964 sq km), Chhattisgarh (55,547 sq km), Odisha (51,345 sq km) and Maharashtra (50,682 sq km), he said. Referring to the northeastern region, deputy director FSI, E Vikram, informed that the total forest cover in the NE states was 1,171,306 sq km, which is 65.34 per cent of its geographical area. "The current assessment shows a decrease of forest cover to the extent of 630 sq km in the north eastern region," Vikram said. He said all altitude zones above 1,000 metres have registered a small decrease in forest cover, while those below 1,000 metres show an increase. Vikram also said that according to a latest official report there has been a net increase of 2,647 sq km in the extent of water bodies over the decade (2005-15) in general. "All the states/UTs show an increase, except Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa," he said, adding that Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka show an increase of over 100 sq km over the decade under review. Similarly, mangrove cover has increased by 181 sq km and the bamboo bearing area grew by 1.73 million hectare, he said. 8 | Infosys | Market Cap for the week ended October 30: Rs 4,51,753.23 crore crore | Loss during the week: 26,152.79 crore. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Infosys, Indias second-largest information technology services company, said it will focus this fiscal year on stabilising the business, and continue to look at inorganic acquisitions. Outlining a three-pronged strategy, CEO Salil Parekh said the focus for FY19 will be to stabilise, FY20 to build momentum, and FY21 to accelerate. Pointing out the company has a disciplined capital allocation policy, Parekh intends to continue investing in digital, which is worth over USD 160 billion of market opportunities. The way we see business today is we want to position ourselves as being relevant to clients. Fiscal 19 is to stabilise, investments in fiscal 20 is to build momentum. In fiscal 21, we see acceleration, he said. He added that the IT firm will also stress on making consulting more relevant for clients. Parekh did not directly answer questions about whether this means Infosys will grow slower than larger peers in FY19. Tata Consultancy Services, the top IT services exporter on Monday crossed the USD 100-billion in market cap level, becoming Indias most valuable company. On the question of a revival in banking, financial services and insurance, Infosys largest business vertical which has been slow in the past year, COO Pravin Rao said, We are fairly optimistic about BFSI, but the actual outcome will depend on spend coming back in North America. A Jet Airways passenger plane takes off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Private carrier Jet Airways today said it will commence flight services between India and Mexico from next month under a codeshare partnership with AeroMexico. Naresh Goyal-promoted airline Jet Airways and Mexican flag carrier AeroMexico had entered into a codeshare agreement in June last year. Codesharing allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers and provide seamless travel to destinations where it has no presence. The codeshare flights, which will be effective from May 1, will be operated between Delhi and Mumbai in India and Mexico City through London's Heathrow Airport, Jet Airways said in a release said today. As part of the arrangement, Jet Airways will put its '9W' code on flights operated by AeroMexico from London to Mexico's capital city. In turn, AeroMexico will put its 'AM' code on the direct flights offered by Jet Airways from London to cities in India. "This is an important agreement for the Jet Airways, as it enables us to offer our guests more connectivity options to Mexico which is gaining more and more traction with the discerning Indian traveler looking for new experiences. We are confident that this relationship will help facilitate demand for not only leisure but also in the fast growing trade and business cooperation areas between both nations," said Gaurang Shetty, whole time director, Jet Airways. Besides, passengers of the two airlines will also enjoy the benefit of earning miles with the Jet Airways loyalty programme, Jet Privilege, and AeroMexico's frequent fliers programme AeroMeClub when they travel on the codeshare flights, as per the release. This agreement will provide guests connectivity options and access to the networks of both the airlines, thereby strengthening connectivity between India and Mexico, the release said, adding the two countries have seen a 15 per cent compounded annual growth rate over the last three years. "The celebration of this codeshare agreement is further proof that AeroMexico continues to work to connect its customers to the most important regions of the world, which is why it was fundamental to sign this agreement for travel to India," said Anko van der Werff, chief revenue officer, AeroMexico. 3:30 pm Market at Close: The market began the week on a good note, but have ended flat now. The Nifty managed to breach 10,600-mark. The Sensex is up 35.19 points at 34450.77, while the Nifty is up 20.70 points at 10584.70. The market breadth was narrow as 1391 shares advanced, against a decline of 1290 shares, while 165 shares are unchanged. IndusInd Bank and Mahindra & Mahindra were the top gainers, while HDFC Bank, Hero MotoCorp, Indiabulls Housing, and Hindalco were the top losers. 3:15 pm Rupee reference rate: The Reserve Bank of India today fixed the reference rate of the rupee at 66.2177 against the US dollar and 81.2690 for the euro. The corresponding rates were 66.0167 and 81.4580, as on friday April 20. The according to an RBI statement, the exchange rates for the pound and the yen against the rupee were 92.8438 and 61.40 per 100 yens, respectively, based on reference rates for the dollar and cross-currency quotes at noon. 2:50 pm Europe Trade: European markets edged lower as investors reacted to fresh corporate earnings, while keeping an eye on geopolitics and oil. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.2 percent lower with different sectors moving in opposite directions. 2:45 pm Market Update: Benchmark indices were off their day's high due to depreciation in the rupee and weak global cues. The sharp depreciation in the rupee for sixth consecutive day pushed technology stocks higher, but kept the market volatile. The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 121.09 points at 34,536.67 and the 50-share NSE Nifty rose 47.80 points to 10,611.80, backed by IT and Pharma stocks. Nifty IT and Pharma indices gained 1.6 percent each whereas ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and metals stocks were under pressure. : The gold mining company said the Ganajur ML application file has been cleared by the Principal Law Secretary, Law Department, Government of Kamataka, positive in nature, on compliance of the file with the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR), provided by the Deputy, Additional and Special Secretaries in the normal course ofprogression ofthe file within the Law Department. The file has been forwarded to the Secretary, Commerce & Industries Department, Government of Kamataka (C & I) for further action with regard to the issuance of the Grant Notification Letter, it added. 2:18 pm Results Date: Cera Sanitaryware said a board of directors of the company will be held May 3 to approve standalone and consolidated audited financial results for the quarter and year ended 31st March 2018, and to recommend dividend, if any. 2:11 pm Gold Slides: Gold fell by Rs 140 to Rs 32,310 per ten gram at the bullion market owing to tepid demand from local jewellers amid a weak global trend. Silver also went down by Rs 150 to Rs 41,350 per kg due to reduced offtake by industrial units and coin makers. Traders said easing demand from local jewellers as well as retailers at domestic spot market fulled the downtrend in gold prices. This was aided by a weak trend in global markets where gold prices slipped to their lowest level in nearly two weeks as the dollar rose on the back of climbing US Treasury yields and as global political concerns eased, reports PTI. Here are the top headlines at 2 pm from Moneycontrol News' Anchal Pathak 2:05 pm Rupee Update: The Indian rupee extended its correction, falling 24 paise to 66.34 against the US dollar. : With the Reserve Bank giving no relaxation to its February 12 framework on resolution of stressed assets, banks are likely to become more cautious and risk-averse to long-term funding, especially to the infrastructure sector, say lenders. On February 12, the central bank had come out with revised framework for resolution of stressed assets. The new set of rules aim at quick reporting of defaults, coming out with resolution plans for defaulting companies and time-bound referrals of defaulting firms to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Owing to certain stringent criterion in the new framework, which includes one-day reporting of defaults, lenders have asked for some leniency but the apex bank has not granted any relaxation to its February 12 circular. "The RBI is very clear that they are not going to give any relaxation (on the February 12 framework). Now, I think banks will become very cautious and risk averse, particularly on the long-term funding in sectors such as power, road and ports," said a senior banker. Bankers said most of the restructuring happens in long term projects in the infrastructure sectors, reports PTI. 1:38 pm Market Update: The market extended gains in afternoon, with the Sensex rising nearly 200 points following further upmove in technology stocks. Infosys extended gains to 3 percent following value buying in TCS, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra. The Nifty IT index was up 2.5 percent followed by Pharma and Realty. 1:31 pm Maithan Alloys to consider Dividend: Maithan Alloys said a meeting of the board of directors of the company will be held on April 30 to approve and take on record the standalone & consolidated financial results of the company for the quarter and year ended on March 31, 2018 and to recommend payment of dividend for the year 2017-18, if any. 1:22 pm Market Outlook: Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, continues to have a conservative view on the market. His one-year forward view on the Nifty is 10,450 which is based on 15 percent earnings growth compared to the streets 20 percent. Here are the top headlines at 1:15 pm from Moneycontrol News' Sakshi Batra 1:12 pm Expansion: Berger Paints informed exchanges that the board of directors has approved installation of an integrated paint plant with water and solvent based decorative, industrial and protective coatings, resin, putty, emulsion and construction chemical manufacturing capabilities at an investment of about Rs 200 crore at Sandila Industrial Area in Uttar Pradesh. Subject to all required consents and approvals, the project is likely to be completed by the end of the financial year 2019-20, it said. 1:01 pm SME IPO: SoftTech Engineers, a software product innovation company, will open its initial public offering (IPO) on EMERGE Platform of National Stock Exchange of India on April 27. The issue will close on May 3. The price band is fixed at Rs 78-80 per share. The offer consists of initial public offer of up to 28,51,200 equity shares of SoftTech Engineers, comprising of a fresh issue of upto 23,71,200 equity shares and an offer for sale of upto 4,80,000 equity shares by Rajasthan Trustee Company Private Limited A/c SME Tech Fund RVCF Trust II. 12:50 pm GG Engineering in focus: GG Engineering informed exchange that it is going to commence the manufacturing of plastic bottle crushing machines known as Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) for empty plastic bottles and aluminium can. Above machines are used to crush PET bottles. After crushing, these bottles will be recycled and used to manufacture various products, such as yarn etc, it said. 12:40 pm M&M launches Diesel Generator: Mahindra Powerol, a business unit of the USD19 billion Mahindra Group, announced the extension of its higher kVA diesel generators (DG) range with the launch of the 400/500/625 kVA DG powered by Perkins 2000 series engines. Designed at its R&D hub at Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai and manufactured at its Chakan plant near Pune, this new range of Generator sets with 12.5 Litre to 18 litre Perkins engine is the latest addition to Mahindra Powerols higher kVA product series, it said. 12:30 pm Drug Approval: Pharma major Lupin has received final approval for its Tetrabenazine tablets, 125 mg and 25 mg from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market a generic version of Valeant Pharmaceuticals North America, LLC's Xenazine tablets. 12:25 pm Market Update: Benchmark indices continued to trade higher in afternoon, with the Sensex rising 146.18 points to 34,561.76 and the 50-share NSE Nifty gaining 55.40 points at 10,619.40. Technology was the leading sector as the Nifty IT index rallied 2 percent followed by Realty, Pharma and PSU Bank indices that gained between 1 percent and 1.8 percent. TCS was the leading contributor to Nifty's gains, up 3 percent and was the first company to hit USD 100 billion in market capitalisation. HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra and IndusInd Bank also gained 3 percent each. Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finance, M&M, Yes Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IOC and HPCL were up 1-2 percent whereas HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, HUL, Grasim Industries, Bharti Infratel and Hindalco were under pressure. The Nifty Midcap outperformed frontliners, rising 0.7 percent on positive market breadth. About 1,325 shares advanced against 1,073 declining shares on the BSE. 12:15 pm Buzzing: KP Energy share price rallied 7 percent after it incorporated project specific special purpose vehicle (SPV) for sharing rights of 1200MW transmission line infrastructure to be constructed under BoP contracts for wind power projects at Kutch, Gujarat. 12:05 pm Results Date: Tamboli Capital said a meeting of the board of directors will be held on May 15 to consider and take on record audited quarterly financial results of the company for the 4th quarter and to consider recommendation of dividend on equity shares for the financial year 2017-18 ended on March 31, 2018. 11:55 am Asia Update: Asian stocks dipped as investors braced for a bevy of earnings from the world's largest corporations, while keeping a wary eye on US bond yields as they approach peaks that have triggered market spasms in the past. Traders were also anxiously awaiting surveys on global manufacturing for April to see if economic softness in the first quarter was just a passing phase linked to poor weather and the Lunar New Year holidays. The first reading from Japan was tentatively upbeat with its PMI firming to 53.3 in April as output and domestic demand picked up. On the geopolitical front, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday the North Korean nuclear crisis was a long way from being resolved, striking a cautious note a day after the North pledged to end its nuclear tests. 11:45 am Bid for Bhushan Steel: The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) asked the lenders of Bhushan Power & Steel, led by PNB, to consider the bid submitted by UK-based Liberty House for the debt-ridden company. Allowing the plea of Liberty House, the tribunal has directed the committee of creditors (CoC) to complete its resolution proceedings by June 23. A two-member NCLT bench, headed by President Justice M M Kumar, said that Liberty House bid cannot be disqualified only on the ground of being submitted after the deadline of the resolution professional (RP). "We hope that CoC takes an appropriate commercial decision as per the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)," said NCLT. 11:35 am Recommendation: Reliance Securities expects Coal India to report good numbers led by price hike, higher e-auction realisation and higher growth in fuel supply agreement (FSA) volumes. Its PAT is expected to increase by 84 percent YoY to Rs 5,000 crore in Q4FY18, it said. It feels improvement in the policy environment and infrastructure spend coupled with manufacturing activities will aid in reviving the demand environment for the power sector thereby higher coal demand Reliance Securities believes that CIL's off-take would continue to improve amid improving e-auction realisation. As the full impact of grade slippage is largely over, we believe FSA realisation should recover hereon. Moreover, linkages auctioning may lead to more profitable e-auction volume. Looking ahead, it expects CILs RoE & RoCE would improve on the back of higher realisation, improvement in margins and optimum utilisation of assets. "We maintain Buy recommendation on the stock with target price of Rs 339, it said. 11:25 am Earnings: Reliance Nippon Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Reliance Capital, said total premium in the fiscal year 2017-18 increased to Rs 4,042 crore; and renewal premium rose to Rs 3,154 crore, a YoY increase of 6 percent. The business made a profit of Rs 1 crore vis-a-vis a loss in FY17. As on March 31, 2018, assets under management stood at Rs. 19,096 crore, a YoY increase of 11 percent. As on March 31, 2018, embedded value was at Rs 3,220 crore, a YoY increase of 6 percent. Here are the top headlines at 11 am from Moneycontrol News' Anchal Pathak Majestic Research Services and Solutions said a meeting of the board of directors of the company is scheduled to be held on April 27 to consider the issuance of equity shares to Sarang Panchal (MD & promoter) on preferential basis. 11:05 am Greenfield Project: Gujarat Ambuja Exports informed exchanges that the commercial operations of first phase of its 1000 MT per day green field Maize processing plant set up at Chalisgaon in Maharashtra has commenced. "This marks the completion of its first phase, comprising of starch and liquid glucose manufacturing facility put up at an estimated cost of Rs 260 crore. With this additional facility, the installed capacity for maize grinding has reached to 3000 MT per day which is the highest capacity in the country," the company said. 10:55 am Acquisition: California Software, on May 2, will consider the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to acquire a majority stake in UAE based Solutions MiddleEast DMCC providing software development and solutions. This acquisition makes Calsoft as global leadership in the space of software development and digital solutions. "Consideration for the acquisition might be in cash or share or combination of both and thereby making SME as Calsoft's subsidiary," the company said. Currently SME operates in over 12 countries including Middle East, Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia regions. SME has consolidated revenue of 25 million USD as on 31 December 2017. 10:48 am Market Update: The market gained strength, with the Sensex rising more than 100 points and the Nifty reclaiming 10,600 levels. TCS is the leading gainer, rising more than 4 percent to become the first company to hit USD 100 billion in market cap after healthy earnings and management commentary. 10:40 am Shilpa Medicare in News: Shilpa Medicare gained more than 2 percent after the company has received EU-GMP certification from Austrian Agency, AGES for its two API manufacturing plants located at Raichur, Karnataka and formulation facility located at Jadcherla, Telangana. Austrian Agency, AGES carried out audit of said API plants between January 16 and January 24, 2018 and formulation facility between January 25 and January 31, 2018. 10:10 am Buzzing: Phoenix Mills gained over a percent after Island Star Mall Developers (ISMDPL), the strategic investment alliance owned by the company and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), acquired a prime land parcel in Hebbal, Bengaluru for a total consideration of Rs 650 crore. The site has a development potential of approximately 1.81 million square feet. 10:05 am Stake Sale: Tata Sons sold over Rs 9000 crore (representing 1.6 percent of paid-up equity) worth of TCS shares in March. After the stake sale, Tata Sons still holds 72 percent stake in TCS. Here are the top headlines at 10 am from Moneycontrol News' Anchal Pathak 9:59 am Rupee Trade: Falling for the sixth consecutive session, the rupee weakened by 12 paise to 66.22 against the US dollar at the interbank foreign exchange market, amid foreign capital outflows. Forex dealers said, sustained demand for the American currency from importers and dollar strength against other currencies overseas, bolstered by rising US bond yields, weighed on the domestic unit. On Friday, The rupee had crashed below the key 66 level to close at a 13-month low of 66.12 against the US currency, hit by a resurgent dollar, firming crude prices and a more hawkish tone of the Reserve Bank. 9:50 am TCS in Focus: TCS continued its run, rising nearly 3 percent and becoming the first company to hit a USD 100 billion in market capitalisation. The IT major has crossed even its competitor Accenture (USD 98 billion) in market cap. 9:35 am USFDA Approval: Unichem Labs rallied 7 percent after the US Food and Drug Administration completed Ghaziabad plant inspection and has not issued any observations. 9:29 am Buzzing: Indiabulls Housing Finance share price gained more than 2 percent after its Q4 consolidated net profit grew by 22.6 percent YoY to Rs 1,030.4 crore, revenue 25.9 percent to Rs 3,689.7 crore and net interest income rose 22.1 percent to Rs 1,661 crore. 9:20 am HDFC Bank in focus: HDFC Bank share price remained flat in trade after its Q4FY18 profit grew by 20.3 percent YoY to Rs 4,799.3 crore and net interest income was up 17.7 percent to Rs 10,657.7 crore; the board of directors recommended a dividend of Rs 13 per equity share of Rs 2 each. 9:15 am Market Check: Benchmark indices were off their opening highs amid global weakness. Investors after digesting HDFC Bank numbers look for more corporate earnings to get further market direction. The 30-share BSE Sensex was down 53.42 points at 34,362.16 and the 50-share NSE Nifty fell 9.10 points to 10,554.90. ICICI Bank, Infosys, Bajaj Finance, SBI, Axis Bank, Adani Ports, Hero Motocorp and Bharti Airtel fell up to 2 percent while TCS, Reliance Industries, L&T, HDFC, Indiabulls Housing, IOC and HPCL were early gainers. Indias most valued firm Tata Consultancy Services touched a market capitalisation of $100 billion today, a first for any Indian company, but the benchmark indices set none of those records in todays trade. The BSE Sensex slipped 200 points from the days high to close 35.19 points higher at 34450.77. The Nifty 50 too couldnt sustain its gains of 56 points and closed only 20.70 points higher at 10584.70. The development also helped TCS to be among top 100 global companies by market cap. Even as the positive sentiment around the Tata company lifted other IT counters, TCS itself closed 0.19 per cent lower at Rs. 3,395.90. HCL Technologies was the top IT gainer among Nifty 50 companies. The Noida-based company closed 1.76 per cent higher at Rs. 1,081. The market breadth was narrow as 1391 shares advanced against a decline of 1290 shares, while 165 shares were unchanged. IndusInd Bank and Mahindra & Mahindra were the top gainers, while HDFC Bank, Hero MotoCorp, Indiabulls Housing, and Hindalco were the top losers. Midcaps managed to put up a good show, gaining over half a per cent, while PSU banks, pharma and IT companies were the top sectoral gainers. Metal stocks witnessed some profit booking during the session. Among stocks, Unichem Labs rallied 7 per cent after the US Food and Drug Administration completed inspection at the companys Ghaziabad plant without issuing any observations. Phoenix Mills gained over a per cent before falling 3 per cent intra-day as Island Star Mall Developers, the strategic investment alliance owned by the company and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, acquired a prime land parcel in Hebbal, Bengaluru for a total consideration of Rs. 650 crores. KP Energy share price rallied 7 per cent after it incorporated a special purpose vehicle to share rights of 1200 MW transmission line infrastructure for wind power projects at Kutch in Gujarat. Deccan Gold Mines hit 20% upper circuit as the miner said its compliance with the lease at Ganajur mine in Karnataka had got a favourable view from the states Principal Law Secretary. The companys application awaits further regulatory clearances. Cholamandalam Finance rose over 9% as the companys asset quality improved in the March quarter. Among the metals, gold prices moved down by 0.24 per cent to Rs 31,524 per ten grams in futures trade as speculators trimmed their positions, taking weak cues from global markets. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, gold for delivery in August fell by Rs 76, or 0.24 percent, to Rs 31,524 per gen grams in business turnover of 4 lots. Likewise, the yellow metal for delivery in June contracts was trading lower by Rs 69, or 0.22 per cent, to Rs 31,363 per ten grams in 223 lots. Meanwhile, European markets began lower as investors took cues from corporate earnings while also keeping an eye on geopolitics and crude oil prices. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.12 per cent lower. Asian stocks ended the day lower as investors watched developments around US bond yields as well as fall in IT stocks. The Nikkei 225 shed 0.33 per cent or 74.20 points to close at 22,088.04. Earnings momentum will be in focus on Tuesday as 21 firms declare their results. The prominent names include Bharti Airtel, DCM Shriram, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, IDFC Bank, Persistent Systems, Tejas Networks and Zensar Technologies. Tunis has re-opened its consulate in Tripoli after three years of closure following the deteriorating security situation as result of rivalry among factions vying for the control of the capital. Work at the consulate resumed Friday after talks between the two parties, the Libyan foreign ministry said. Tunis declined to comment but a diplomatic source confirmed the move in a statement to Reuters. Tunisia shut down its mission in Tripoli in 2015 after some staff members were kidnapped by gunmen. The closure followed similar moves by several other foreign countries, which pulled out because of security degradation. Libya descended into chaos in 2011 following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed revolution. Opposed factions have taken to arms to hold sway on the countrys oil. The return of the Tunisian mission staff follows gradual resumption of diplomatic affaires at few missions including the Italian, Turkish and UN office in Tripoli. Libya has been used as a rear base for the Islamic State fighters who caused havoc, in Tunis and Sousse in 2015 in three terror attacks that killed around 71 people, mostly foreign tourists. Representataive Image The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) today adjourned to May 2 its hearing on the Reliance Infratel petition seeking permission to sell its tower and fibre assets. Counsel appearing in the matter sought the adjournment following which a NCLAT bench headed by Justice S J Mukhopadhaya directed it to list on May 2. On April 18, the tribunal had recalled its previous order which allowed debt-ridden Reliance Communications to proceed with the sale of its tower and fibre assets. The sale of these businesses form an important part of the overall Rs 25,000 crore asset monetisation blueprint of the troubled company. NCLAT had on April 6 partially allowed sale of the businesses, which was challenged by HSBC Daisy Investments (Mauritius) Ltd. The apex court on April 16 stayed the order allowing the sale. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Jaydeb Dey The Nifty ended Friday 0.01 percent lower at 10,564.05. It continues to trade rangebound below the cluster of resistances placed around 10,570-10,600 for the fourth consecutive session. The day long oscillation within a tiny range led to formation of a Doji candle on the daily chart. On the weekly chart, it ended 0.8 percent higher. The higher highs and higher lows pattern continues on the weekly chart, ending with another bullish Marubozu candle, which implies this uptrend is likely to pull ahead of its pivotal resistances placed around 10,630 and 10,700 levels. Hence, a buy-on-dips strategy is to be followed. Ending the last trading session of the April 20 week with a Doji candle implies hesitancy among traders may persist at the start of this week. Hence, buying-on-dips is advised. Bulls may find downside critical supports placed around 10,480 and 10,420 levels very alluring. On the Nifty hourly chart, negative divergence in Relative Strength Index (RSI) is still intact, which may continue building selling pressure on a rise around 10,570 levels. Midway resistance is placed around 10,530 levels. Nifty patterns on multiple timeframes show it ended on an indecisive note on the last day of the April 20 week. Hence, nervousness may persist in the first half of this week. Considering the broader trend, we prefer a buy on dips strategy around critical supports placed around 10,480 and 10,420 levels. On Friday, the Bank Nifty ended 0.73 percent lower at 24,943.85. Its immediate pivotal support is placed around 24,850 levels, followed by 24,550. The upside resistance is placed around 25,000 levels. Based on a thorough technical study, the research firm recommends Wipro, which can deliver up to 5% return in the short-term: Wipro | Rating: Buy| Target: Rs 310 | Stop loss: Rs 288| Return: 5% The stock ended last week above its critical resistance placed around Rs 295 levels. This breakout is backed by rising RSI while the moving average convergence divergence (MACD) histogram recovered above the zero line. +DI DI bullish crossover makes the bull case even stronger. Based on the above mentioned observations, the house recommends Wipro as a buy on dips for the short-term with an upside target of Rs 310 per share. ICICI Bank | Rating: Sell| Target: Rs 273| Stop loss: Rs 291| Return: 4% The stock bounced back from Rs 260 level but failed to breakout from its critical resistance placed at Rs 295 per share. This was followed by a bearish candle on the last trading session of the week. The stock is still trading below its 200 exponential moving average (EMA) on the daily chart paced around Rs 298 levels, which implies the bearish trend is not yet over. MACD histogram on the daily chart has not recovered above the zero line yet, while DI +DI bearish crossover on the daily chart is clearly visible. Based on the above mentioned observations, the firm recommends ICICI Bank as sell on a rise with a short-term downside target of Rs 273 per share. Disclaimer: The author is Technical Analyst at Stewart & Mackertich Wealth Management. The views and ideas expressed above may have been suggested to the clients of Stewart & Mackertich Wealth Management. Investors/traders should consult with their Certified Experts before taking any investment decision. There is a fundamental contradiction between the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and RERA as one tries to give primacy to creditors and other attempts to put consumers before creditors. In fact, both seem to be pitted against each other when it comes to resolving the interest of bankers and homebuyers, according to an Assocham report titled 'RERA as growth impetus: Does the promise hold out on the ground?' While IBC was passed with the intention to smoothen the process of closing the business, RERA has been implemented to regulate and formalise the real estate sector. But, in case of insolvency, the objectives of these two acts are often getting pitted against one another, the report said. What will prevail over other laws - RERA or IBC? Since IBC was legislated in May 2016 after RERA was passed in March 2016, legal experts opined that the Insolvency Act will override RERA in case of a conflict. In some cases, that might undermine the actual objective of consumer security, with which RERA was enacted, the report prepared by Thought Arbitrage Research Institute (TARI) jointly with ASSOCHAM, said. RERA not clear on the issue of insolvent developer RERA is also not very clear on the issue of insolvency of a developer. Common understanding is that state regulator will take up the issue of home buyers in case of bankruptcy of the developer. However, the central legislation does not address this concern in a clear-cut manner. In fact, central RERA does not have anything to say on bankruptcy or insolvency of the developer. Apprehensions about builders taking recourse to insolvency if they are unable to complete projects in time have cropped up in recent times, notes the report. The main concern is that the homebuyer is an unsecured creditor and therefore lower in the settlement priority. But it is also true that since a third party right has been created, whoever takes over the project for completion cannot rescind the right of the buyer. Synchronised approach between RERA and IBC a must In light of the recent legislation of Bankruptcy Act, RERA may not create separate provisions to deal with bankruptcy. Rather, synchronising Bankruptcy Act with RERA may be a better way to tackle this problem. Right of banks is subservient to that of a customer. But under RERA, it may be possible to create a solution by setting a requirement for the developer to provide additional security or collateral, the report said. In the context of the real estate sector and effective implementation of RERA, it is imperative to clearly define homebuyers in the class of creditors. Putting them in the unsecured creditor category takes the control effectively away from RERA to IBC, and that definitely dilutes the objective of RERA. Therefore, a committee of legal experts may be formed, which in consultation with all the stakeholders can recommend a resolution of these possible conflicts between two of the most important legislations of the government, particularly in the context of real estate sector. While IBC allows companies to file for bankruptcy to provide relief to debtors or creditors, RERA looks at providing relief to home buyers and seeks to hold developers or builders responsible if the project is delayed. Home buyers are unsecured creditors and as a result their priority to be compensated comes after those institutional or other creditors who have provided loans to the developer, it notes. Conflicts so far The conflict between IBC and RERA came to the fore in quite a few bankruptcy proceeding in the recent times. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Allahabad had earlier passed an order for insolvency proceedings against Jaypee Infratech at the legal insistence of its financier IDBI. A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in Supreme Court against it by some home buyers and they expressed the fear that being unsecured creditors their money may not be repaid in case of liquidation of the company. Supreme Court initially stayed the insolvency proceedings but subsequently vacated the stay order and appointed an amicus to espouse the cause of the homebuyers and protect their interests during creditor meetings. This case highlights the specific conundrum that these two acts pose. Similar puzzling situations have arisen in other pending cases with NCLT involving real estate companies like Unitech and Amrapali Group projects. In the latest development in the case related to Amrapali Silicon City, the Supreme Court in February 2018 restrained the NCLT appointed resolution professional not to demand additional money from homebuyers stuck in the project. The court also sought a comprehensive plan from the developer about the delivery of over 40,000 units of homes. While passing the order, Supreme Court also said that they were worried only about the home buyers, their money should not be diverted anywhere else. The Court is of the opinion that financial creditors cannot take over homes belonging to the buyers. In other words, Supreme Court upheld the rights of home buyers ahead of the creditors of Amrapali Developers, against which bankruptcy proceedings were started after the complaint of Bank of Baroda at NCLT. Interestingly according to the counsel of the buyers, nearly 90% of the flats in Silicon City project are complete and apparently, 1000 families have already moved in. Whether these considerations have played their role in the court order is an open-ended question, but definitely this case brings out the conflicts of two legislations (IBC and RERA) more than any other in recent times. Bankruptcy procedures were started against Amrapali Developers and resolution professional, under the umbrella of bankruptcy legislation, gave primacy to the creditors needs, but finally the apex court has to step in and secure the homebuyers rights. Diu Smart City has become the first city in India to run on renewable energy during daytime, setting a new benchmark for other cities to become clean and green. The city is offering its residents a subsidy of Rs 10, 000 to Rs 50,000 for installing 1-5KW roof top solar panels and its savings amount to 13,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. Diu had been importing 73 per cent of its power from Gujarat until last year. It has now adopted a two-pronged approach whereby a 9 MW solar park spread over 50 hectares of barren land has been developed and solar panels have been installed on the roof tops on 79 government buildings that generate 1.3 MW annually, says a housing and urban affairs ministry release. Due to low-cost solar energy, power tariffs have been cut in residential category by 10 per cent last year and 15 per cent this year. To improve traffic management in Bengaluru Smart City, a prototype of an intelligent traffic management solution is currently being tested in collaboration with the Electronics City Township Authority (ELCITA). It will provide traffic information that is currently unavailable, and help improve management of commuter traffic. It involves capturing video streams from several cameras and processing them using artificial intelligence so that typical traffic management tasks such as vehicle detection, traffic density estimation and control of traffic lights can be automated for real-time performance, it says. To revitalise urban public spaces and socially activating the area besides generating economic activity, Jaipur Smart City Ltd (JSCL) has planned to develop night bazaar at Chaura Rasta, in the heart of Pink city. The government plans to develop 100 smart cities under the Smart Cities Mission. Under the scheme, each city gets Rs 500 crore as central assistance for implementing projects. It has to be matched by an equal amount by the state. Since the launch of the Mission, Rs 9,939 crore has been released by the government. Against this, 753 projects worth Rs 24,511 crore have been completed or started work on-ground. Further, about 287 projects worth Rs. 14,296 crore are in tendering stage and the works on-ground is expected to start very soon, a ministry release has said. The ministry has so far announced names of 99 smart cities. The 100th slot has been kept on hold for Shillong, capital of Meghalaya. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Domestic steel giant SAIL today said it has inked a pact with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for utilisation of airstrips at its three facilities -- Rourkela, Bokaro and Burnpur -- under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN. "Three steel cities of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) Rourkela, Bokaro and Burnpur belonging to states of Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, respectively, will soon prominently feature on the aviation map of India," the company said in a statement. SAIL and AAI have signed an MoU today on utilisation of airstrips under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) -UDAN, a flagship project of Government of India, it said. The RCS-UDAN scheme, launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, envisages enhancing the regional air connectivity by providing support in terms of infrastructure and other facilities. "Under the MoU, AAI as an implementation agency under RCS-UDAN would be executing the required works before commencement of RCS flights at all these three airports. Eventually AAI will operate and manage airport operations for Burnpur, Rourkela and Bokaro airport, on behalf of SAIL for three years," SAIL said. It said, start of operations at Rourkela, Bokaro and Burnpur airports under the RCS-UDAN would benefit the citizens of these cities through better connectivity and also speed up the developmental activities in the region. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Here are the stocks which are in news today: Cipla: Company's Pithampur plant gets three observations from US FDA HDFC Bank: Q4FY18 profit grew by 20.3 percent YoY to Rs 4,799.3 crore and net interest income was up 17.7 percent to Rs 10,657.7 crore Axis Bank: Board commenced succession process to appoint new MD & CEO Indiabulls Housing Finance: Q4 consolidated net profit grew by 22.6 percent YoY to Rs 1,030.4 crore, revenue 25.9 percent to Rs 3,689.7 crore and net interest income rose 22.1 percent to Rs 1,661 crore. Sasken Tech: Q4FY18 profit increased 27.5 percent to Rs 26 crore, revenue declined 2.4 percent to Rs 128.7 crore. CIMMCO: India Ratings & Research has revised the long-term rating for the company to 'A+' from 'AA-'. Titagarh Wagons: India Ratings & Research has revised the Long-Term Rating for the Company to 'A+' from 'AA-'. Aro Granite Industries: Company approves expansion plan, planning to set up a plant at Jaipur, Rajasthan to enhance its installed capacity by 1,53,000 square meters of granite slabs with an approximate outlay of Rs 55-60 crore. Dilip Buildcon: Company has incorporated three new special purpose vehicles companies for 3 hybrid annuity projects awarded by the National Highways Authority of India valued at Rs 2,948.1 crore. Shiva Cement: Q4FY18 profit at Rs 2.41 cr against loss of Rs 7.34 crore and revenue from operations at Rs 8.91 crore against Rs 4.4 crore YoY. Adani Enterprises: The company along with Prakash Asphaltings and Toll Highways (India) have incorporated a joint venture company Bilaspur Pathrapali Road Private Limited in the ratio of 74:26. Phoenix Mills: Island Star Mall Developers and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a prime land parcel in Hebbal, Bengaluru for a total consideration of Rs 650 crore Himalaya Food International: Company launches distribution hub for North Delhi at Aadarsh Nagar, New Delhi with S N Enterprises as channel partner. Bajaj Healthcare: There was a fire accident in one of the its plant situated at factory Unit II Savali- Karachia Road, Vadodara on April 21; there has been no loss or substantial injury to human life. HEG: India Ratings and Research has upgraded company long-term issuer rating to 'AA' from 'A+' with stable outlook. Unichem: Company says USFDA completed Ghaziabad plant inspection, no observations issued 2| Tata Consultancy Services: Rs 8.26 trillion While investors in Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) stock celebrated the company's feat of achieving a market capitalisation of USD 100 billion, the company found something else to add to its cheer. The Bengaluru-based IT major entered the list of top 100 companies in the world by market capitalisation, according to data from Reuters. Globally, this feat puts TCS in the league of other names such as Accenture, United Technologies, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Lockheed Martin, Nike, Volkswagen AG, Abbott Laboratories, and Sanofi, among others. At its intraday high, TCS managed to clock a market capitalisation of USD 102.84 billion. Also Read: TCS creates history! At $100 billion market cap, its now bigger than Accenture The companies ranked in the top 5 on the list have market capitalisation of between USD 485 billion and USD 840 billion. These are Apple, Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Microsoft and Berkshire Hathway, in that order. Reuters' data also threw up a few more such observations about TCS' market capitalisation. Where does it rank among industry peers? Among technology companies from across the globe, data shows that the Tata Group company is among the top 20 companies in this space. The sector includes heavyweights like Apple, Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, Facebook, Intel, Netflix, Adobe and Cisco, among others. Apple tops the list with market cap of USD 840 billion, followed by Alphabet and Microsoft at USD 747 billion and 731 billion, respectively. How the others stack up Interestingly, there are 11 Indian names in the list of top 500 companies in the world by market cap. While TCS holds the top spot among them, companies like Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, ITC, HUL, HDFC, Maruti Suzuki and Infosys, among others, are also on the list. RIL comes in second, with a market cap of around USD 88-89 billion. Case File TCS on Monday created history when its market cap surpassed the crucial USD 100 billion (Rs 6.60 lakh crore) mark. The company hit the USD 25 billion mark in 2010 and has never looked back since. It quickly crossed the USD 50 billion mark in 2013, followed by the USD 75 billion mark in 2014. The rally in TCS' stock price gained momentum after Indias largest IT exporter recently reported its earnings for the March quarter, which were ahead of analysts' estimates. Experts had foreseen a further upside to the stock based on technical charts as well. "With the above expectation quarterly results, the stock made an all-time high along with accentuated buying activity, and it seems that it can be continued for near future as momentum dynamics has shifted to a new zone and the stock has reached to its unexplored territory...With the ongoing structure on all the time frames, the stock has a more capacity to move ahead up to the level of Rs 3,550-4,018, while downside support comes at Rs 3,100 level," Sumeet Bagadia, Associate Director- Research, Choice Broking had told Moneycontrol. In fact, things are looking up for the IT space as a whole. Edelweiss said that with an acceleration in revenue and the rapid scaling up of digital, double digit earnings growth will soon become a reality. "Moreover, the buyback impact will be substantial and add almost 200-400 bps (average) further markup to earnings growth. We estimate earnings growth to jump almost 3 times over FY18-21, from 3-5 percent in FY16-18, to 13-15 percent, the brokerage said in a report. At 14:50 hrs, Tata Consultancy Services was trading at Rs 3,450.05, up 1.4 percent, on BSE. It touched a 52-week high of Rs 3,557.00 during the session. Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd. A bushel of soybeans are shown on display in the Monsanto research facility in Creve Coeur, Missouri, July 28, 2014. Monsanto engineers designed a chipper to shave a tiny tissue sample off a seed to analyze the seed's genetics. If the sample is positive for desirable genetic traits, the seed is still viable so a breeder can plant it in a field test and use it in the breeding process to create more seeds of its kind. Picture taken July 28, 2014. 20 of 25 Monsanto Stand Alone Picture Package. REUTERS/Tom Gannam (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT FOOD SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AGRICULTURE) - RTR42TJN Angel Commodities' report on Soybean NCDEX May Soybean down close to 2.4 % last week on concern about demand from the feed industry and normal monsoon prediction by IMD which encourage stockists to sell old crops. Moreover, demand from the poultry feed manufacture is expected to slow down due to lower demand during the summer season. Millers are unsure about increase demand for meal exports as the Govt. is taking up the issue with China to remove restrictions on Indian soymeal. As per the Directorate of Soybean Research, output of soybean in the country is likely to increase to 140 lt in 2018 - 19 (Jul - Jun) kharif season compared with 117 lt last year as more area is expected to come under the crop following forecast of normal monsoon while a creage is expected to go up by 10 lakh ha (lh) on year to 115 lh in 2018 19. Soybean futures are expected to trade sideways on mixed fundamentals of higher tariff value for soyoil and improved demand for crushing. However, normal rains in the coming monsoon season may have bearish impact on prices. For all commodities report, click here Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Read More Auto Government of India undertaking EESL today handed over the first batch of 20 electric cars to the Uttarakhand government to mark the launch of e-transport in the state. The fleet of 20 cost effective e-vehicles was received from the Energy Efficient Services Limited (EESL) in the first phase which will reduce pollution levels, Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh said after receiving the key of the first electric car from EESL representatives at the secretariat. Secretary (Power) Radhika Jha said EESL would charge only Rs 38,000 per month including driver's cost from the state government as rent for these vehicles. Only Rs 15 will have to be spent per day on charging each vehicle, she said. Once fully charged, each e-car can cover a distance of 140 kms at a cost of just 28 paise per km, Jha said. It is part of the the Centre's National Electric Mobility Plan under which it wants to bring 60-70 lakh electric vehicles on Indian roads. maoists_soldiers_attack_terrorist_1280x720 Fourteen Naxals were killed today in an encounter with the police in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, a senior official said. He said a team of C-60 commandos, a specialised combat unit of the Gadchiroli police, carried out the operation. "Fourteen Naxals were killed in the encounter. The combing operations are still on," said Inspector General of Police Sharad Shelar. He said the combing operation, which started in the morning, was currently underway at Tadgaon forest in Bhamragad, around 750 kilometres from here. Director General of Police Satish Mathur congratulated the C-60 team which participated in the encounter. "In an operation in Kasanasur jungle area bordering Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, an exchange of fire took place between C-60 commandos and Maoists. During searches, more than 12 Naxals' dead bodies have been recovered from the spot. Further searches are going on at the site," Mathur said. The DGP said there was a possibility that Naxal leaders of "DVC ranks," Sainath and Sinu alias Srikant, were among those killed. "This is the biggest success ever in the Dandakaranya area by any anti-Naxal force. There are no major injuries on our side. The police parties are still in operation. More details are awaited. The count may go up," he said. Security authorities said they are close to imposing restrictions on drones operations in the kingdom after a toy-drone flying over royal palaces in capital Riyadh Saturday triggered security worries. The regulation for the use of remote controlled drones is in its final stages, the interior ministry said Sunday. Civilian-manned drones must acquire police permission before operation in permitted sites, the ministry said. Guards at royal places housing King Salman and Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman Saturday brought down a toy-drone hovering over the royal compounds. The incident also sparked gun shots, which ignited speculation of power takeover, press reports said. Security near the places has been of late beefed up as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman oversees landmark social and economic reforms to prepare for a post-oil era, despite the risk of riling religious hardliners, AFP reports. The kingdom reportedly gunned down two Iran-made drones launched by Yemen Houthi rebels few days ago. One drone targeted the kingdoms oil giant Aramco facilities in the southern part of the kingdom. The Houthi rebels have launched several missiles over the kingdom making one victim last month in Riyadh. Riyadh has been leading an international coalition in Yemen to dislodge the Iran-backed rebels who have managed to drive internationally recognized government of President Mansour Hadi out of capital Sanaa and taken control of vast swathes of the countrys territory. The Union Home Ministry announced on Monday that the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) was revoked in Meghalaya and reduced to eight police stations in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. According to reports, AFSPA was fully withdrawn from all areas of Meghalaya from April 1. Till September 2017, close to 40 per cent of the state was under AFSPA. However, after recent review in consultations with the state government, the Act was removed entirely from the state, a statement from the ministry said. Similarly, AFSPA is now applicable in only eight police stations of Arunachal Pradesh, down from the 16 last year. AFSPA has, however, been extended by six months in three districts of Arunachal Pradesh Tirap, Longding and Changlang which border with Myanmar and specific areas which fall under the eight police stations of seven districts bordering Assam. The three districts have been under AFSPA since January 2016. The decision to remove AFSPA was taken after significant improvement in the security situation of the two states, reports suggested. AFSPA was withdrawn from Tripura in 2015. In the last one year, areas under AFSPA have reduced. The AFSPA gives power to army and central forces deployed in disturbed areas to kill anyone acting against law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and provide cover to forces from prosecution and legal suits without Centres sanction. The AFSPA has been in force in Nagaland, Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir for several decades, and since the early 1990s in Assam. Rights groups in the Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir have been demanding withdrawal of the AFSPA as they claim the law gives "sweeping powers" to the security forces to act against civilians. Manipur's 'Iron Lady' Irom Sharmila, the poster girl for protests against AFPSA, had been on a hunger strike for 16 long years, demanding that the Act be repealed. She began her fast on November 4, 2000, two days after Assam Rifles personnel gunned down 10 people, including teenage students, at Malom near Imphal. She called off the 'unprecendented' satyagraha on August 9, 2016. A 19-year-old Dalit woman, whose house was burnt down during the violence at Bhima-Koregaon in Pune district earlier this year, was found dead, with Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar today claiming it appeared to be a "murder". A senior police officer said that a case of abetment of suicide was registered against nine people, and two of them have been arrested. The body of Pooja Sakat was found in a well near her house in Bhima-Koregaon area yesterday morning. The day before, her family had registered a complaint that she was missing, a police officer had said earlier in the day. Her family alleged that some persons, whom she had named as accused in her statement to the police after her house was torched on January 1, were threatening and pressurising her to withdraw her statement, which drove her to suicide. The police registered a case of abetment of suicide under IPC section 306 and offences under the Scheduled Castes And Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. There were no injury marks on her body, the police officer said. No suicide note was recovered, and further probe was underway, he added. Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Suvez Haq told PTI there was a property dispute between the victim's family and some of the accused persons, and police were probing all angles. A case has been registered against nine people and two of them have been arrested, he said. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, said it seemed to be a case of murder. "The firsthand report that I have got indicates that she was murdered. The autopsy report is awaited. All the people who have been named in the family's complaint should be arrested immediately," he said. The police were reluctant to register the offence initially, he alleged, while rubbishing the theory that the death was related to the property dispute. Dalits visiting the War Memorial at Bhima-Koregaon for commemorating the bicentenary of an 1818 victory of the East India Company over the Peshwa's forces came under attack on January 1 this year. One person was killed and property worth crores of rupees was damaged. Sakat family's house was burnt on January 2, and they are living in a rented house since then. Dalit groups commemorate the 1818 battle as the East India Company's army consisted of Mahars, a Dalit community, who defeated the upper-caste Peshwa's forces. However, some Hindutva organisations had opposed the commemoration this time. Following the incidents of January 1, Ambedkar had given a call for state-wide shut-down on January 3, which too witnessed violence in Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra. LocalBitcoins | This peer-to-peer exchange allows people from different countries to exchange their local currencies to bitcoins. Users post advertisements on the exchange stating their exchange rate and preferred payment method for buying or selling bitcoins. By replying to these advertisements, a trade is opened and escrow protection is automatically activated. Escrow protects both buyer and seller, by keeping the bitcoins safe until the payment is done and the seller releases bitcoins to the buyer. Bitcoins are placed in LocalBitcoins web wallet from where one can pay for their bitcoin purchases directly. However, investors need to be aware of scams as they are dealing directly with other people unlike other stock-like exchanges or centralized bitcoin trading sites. A superintendent of police in Gujarat was today arrested for his alleged role in extorting bitcoins and cash from a builder, making him the fourth person to be held in the case, an official said. Jagdish Patel, the SP of Amreli district, was arrested by the CID-Crime after he was questioned throughout the day at the department's office in Gandhinagar, he said. Patel, who was taken into custody from his residence in Amreli district last night, was brought to Gandhinagar by a team of officials of the CID-Crime, which is probing the case, the police official said. "Amreli SP Jagdish Patel has been arrested by us this evening after his questioning. He was detained by us from Amreli late last night," Deputy Inspector General, CID-Crime, Dipankar Trivedi said. A few days back, a police inspector, two constables, and a suspected middleman were arrested in connection with the case. The arrested inspector from Amreli district, Anant Patel, is accused of extorting bitcoins worth crores of rupees and cash from Surat-based builder Shailesh Bhatt. Besides Anant Patel, nine other policemen and a middleman from Amreli had been made accused in the case. Though Jagdish Patel's name did not figure in the FIR, he was arrested today after his role emerged in the case, a senior officer said. Meanwhile, Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) Shivanand Jha today ordered suspension of Anant Patel, who is in the custody of the CID-Crime. On April 8, the CID-Crime registered a case against Anant Patel and others for allegedly kidnapping Bhatt and extorting bitcoins, a popular crypto-currency, and some cash from him. They were booked under IPC sections related to kidnapping, extortion, illegal detention as well as under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Bhatt, in his complaint, had alleged that he and his associate were kidnapped from near a hotel in Gandhinagar by the accused policemen on February 9. The realtor had claimed that he was taken to a farmhouse near the state capital where Anant Patel beat him up and forced him to digitally transfer 200 bitcoins worth crores of rupees. Bhatt had also alleged that Anant Patel kidnapped him and then extorted money in the form of Bitcoins at the behest of the Amreli SP. Meanwhile, talking to reporters in Gandhinagar today, Bhatt alleged that former BJP MLA, Nalin Kotadia had also played a role in the entire episode and "pressured him to pay the money as demanded by the police". When asked about this allegation, DIG Trivedi did not rule out the possibility of questioning Kotadia, if needed. "We may call Kotadia for questioning if needed," Trivedi told reporters in Gandhinagar. Police had earlier said they were verifying Bhatt's claim of digitally transferring 200 bitcoins to Anant Patel. The exchange rate of one bitcoin is over Rs 5 lakh at present, according to websites which track the prices of crypto-currencies. Bitcoin is a type of digital money that is issued and normally controlled by its developers and used and accepted among the members of the virtual community. The Centre has said it does not recognise bitcoin or any other crypto-currency as legal tender in India. The 17th Lok Sabha elections are imminent and as citizens, it is important for us to cast our vote and elect a government which is widely accepted in the general parlance. In India, to vote for any elections, you need proper documentation such as an election ID and your name on the electoral rolls. Here is how you can check online whether your name is on the voter's list. Numbers provided by the Election Commission of India indicate that women voters in Karnataka has increased from 2.13 crore in the 2013 assembly election to 2.44 crore ahead of next month's polling. However, the number of women candidates fielded by major parties remains low, as per a report in The Economic Times. Only 16 out of 229 Congress candidates, which is less than 7 per cent of the total number, contesting for the assembly elections are women. BJP has declared six names so far and Janata Dal has 4 women out of 126 candidates. Bharti Shetty, who heads the womens wing in BJP, says the party had aimed for 150 names. Given that the number of women voters are very high and we have been raking up issues related to womens safety, the numbers are abysmal. The process of selection of women candidates in the state, as seen over the years, is indicative of how hollow it is; some women are selected more as a 'customary gesture' than as a result of their performance. In the forthcoming elections, widows of two Congress MLAs and daughter of another late Congress MLA have been selected. At least four lawmakers children have been given tickets, including MLA Ramalinga Reddy and Kolar MP KH Muniyappa. Congress women minister Umashree and Mahila Wing head Lakshmi Ravindra Hebbalkar have been retained. BJP is likely to field MP Shobha Karandlaje, along with S Ashwani from Kolar Gold Fields. Ashwani will be replacing her father Y Sampangi, who was accused of corruption. In Karnataka, women have chosen to contest as independent candidates against the states male-dominated politics. In 2013, among the 2,945 candidates, only 175 were women. Congress fielded eight women candidates, BJP had seven and JDS had 12. Sixty-seven women contested as independents but only six won. Election Commission records indicate that while the number of women has increased over the years, the number of winners has gone down remarkably. Ironically, although there aren't enough women contestants, the parties identify women voters constituencies as important for the elections. Amazon to double down on groceries, foray deeper into fresh produce in India US president Donald Trump says 'long way' to go on North Korea crisis Need for Indians and Chinese to learn each other's language: Sushma Swaraj Country may burn, but prime minister Modi only interested in becoming PM again: Rahul Gandhi April 23, 2018 / 08:23 PM IST / 08:23 PM IST Digital era to be large opportunity for TCS: N Chandrasekaran TCS' creating history as the first Indian IT major to hit the coveted USD 100 billion market cap is a result of consistent value creation and is poised to leverage the global digital opportunity, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said on Monday. Riding high on the back of record quarterly profit and a weak rupee, the IT arm of the Tata conglomerate saw its market cap push above the USD 100 billion (Rs 6,80,912.10 crore) mark after its shares climbed as much as 4.6 percent to a record high of Rs 3,557.9. (PTI) April 23, 2018 / 09:30 PM IST That's all for today, readers. Thanks for staying on with our coverage of the day's action. Your enthusiasm encourages us to better our coverage every day. Do come back tomorrow for more news, views and insights. April 23, 2018 / 09:16 PM IST Nirmala Sitharaman arrives in China to attend SCO defence ministers' meeting Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived in China on Monday to attend a preparatory meeting related to upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). During her visit, Sitharaman is likely to meet a number of Chinese leaders. She will attend the SCO defence ministers' meeting on Tuesday. The annual summit of the SCO, in which India is the latest entrant along with Pakistan, will take place in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend it. (PTI) April 23, 2018 / 08:09 PM IST April 23, 2018 / 07:57 PM IST Jet Airways, AeroMexico to operate codeshare flights from May Private carrier Jet Airways on Monday said it will commence flight services between India and Mexicom from next month under a codeshare partnership with AeroMexico. Naresh Goyal-promoted airline Jet Airways and Mexican lag carrier AeroMexico had entered into a codeshare agreement in June in 2017. Codesharing allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers and provide seamless travel to destinations where it has no presence. (PTI) April 23, 2018 / 07:35 PM IST Situation created by Modi govt worse than emergency: Yashwant Sinha Two days after quitting the BJP, former union minister Yashwant Sinha has alleged that the situation during the last four years of the Narendra Modi government was "worse than Emergency". Sinha, who resigned from the BJP and taken 'sanyas' (retirement) from party politics on April 21, has also claimed that the people in the country were feeling insecure due to the actions of the Modi government, which, he said, has "destroyed the temple of democracy". (PTI) April 23, 2018 / 07:12 PM IST Actor Rajpal Yadav gets 6-month jail in loan recovery case Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav was awarded six-month imprisonment by a Delhi court on Monday in seven cheque bounce cases for not repaying a loan worth over Rs eight crore to a businessman. The court, however, did not award imprisonment to his wife, who was also held guilty along with Rajpal for the offence under section 138 (cheque bounce) of the Negotiable Instruments Act (NI Act), considering that she had signed those cheques on being asked by her actor husband. (PTI) April 23, 2018 / 06:26 PM IST NCLT asks Bhushan Steel creditors to consider Liberty House bid The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) today asked the lenders of Bhushan Power & Steel, led by PNB, to consider the bid submitted by UK-based Liberty House for the debt-ridden company. Allowing the plea of Liberty House, the tribunal has directed the committee of creditors (CoC) to complete its resolution proceedings by June 23. April 23, 2018 / 06:24 PM IST April 23, 2018 / 06:24 PM IST RSS defamation case against Rahul: framing of charges deferred A Bhiwandi court today deferred farming of charges in a defamation case against Congress president Rahul Gandhi due to his absence from the court. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Israel to accept the 2015 nuclear deal signed between Iran and world powers as she notes that the deal is imperfect but better than nothing. Speaking to Israeli TV Channel 10 Sunday, the German leader vowed that Germany will however watch very closely to ensure the deal is being implemented. Prime Minister Netanyahu believes that the nuclear deal with Iran does not provide the security Israel desires. We believe its better to have this agreement, even if it is not perfect, than to have no agreement. We will continue to discuss this, but Germany will watch very closely to ensure that this agreement will be fulfilled, Chancellor Merkel was quoted by Associated Press as saying. The historical deal, which curbs Irans nuclear program and allows the Islamic Republic to recover its frozen billions of dollars, is being seriously threatened as President Donald Trump pushes his European allies to reconsider the deal by fixing what he termed disastrous flaws or face US withdrawal. President Trump, a serious opponent to the deal, has voiced desire to pull out of what he called bad deal. The Trump administration could kill the deal mid next month; time to certify the deal again. Israeli Prime Minister has been pushing for the US withdrawal from the deal, which he believes let Iran out of the cage. Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, another champion of the deal are due to meet with Trump this week at the White House in a move to convince the US to comply with the agreement. The German iron woman said European allies disagree with the US on how we can best contain the deal. Iran Saturday said efforts by France and Germany to convince Trump would be futile. Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters that the US is to blame as he accused Washington of failing to implement the deal. The United States has not only failed to implement its side (of the deal), but is even asking for more, said Zarif in New York. Thats a very dangerous message to send to people of Iran but also to the people of the world that you should never come to an agreement with the United States because at the end of the day the operating principle of the United States is whats mine is mine, whats yours is negotiable,' he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Rashtriya Gramin Swaraj Abhiyan in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh on the National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24and also take part in the 'Aadi Mahotsav' event, showcasing heritage of tribals in the region. The Prime Minister will visit Ramnagar, the capital of erstwhile Gond kingdom in the district tomorrow. He will arrive here around 12 noon," Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Manoj Thakur told PTI. The prime minister will arrive at Ramnagar in the district via Jabalpur and address a convention, an official release stated, adding he would take part in the 'Aadi Mahotsav' event, beginning tomorrow. Around 2,000 experts on Panchayati Raj system will participate in the convention, he said. Another release said Modi will launch the Rashtriya Gramin Swaraj Abhiyan at a public meeting and address Panchayati Raj representatives across the country, from Mandla. On this occasion, the prime minister will unveil a road map for overall development of tribals during the next five years and will unveil a plaque to mark the laying of foundation stone of an LPG bottling plant of Indian Oil Corporation at Maneri in Mandla district. He would also launch a local government directory, it said. The prime minister would felicitate the sarpanchs of the villages that have achieved 100 per cent smokeless kitchens, full vaccination under Mission Indradhanush, and 100 per cent electrification under Saubhagya Scheme, it said. Modi will fly back to Delhi from Jabalpur around 3 PM. Ramnagar is situated on the banks of the Narmada river. A number of ancient monuments associated with erstwhile Gond (tribe) rulers are situated in the town, surrounded by thick forest. Elaborate security arrangements are being made for the prime minister's visit, an official said. Former Union minister and Mandla MP Faggan Singh Kulaste said the 'Aadi Mahotsav', a three-day event, is aimed at showcasing the rich heritage and traditions of tribals. Meanwhile, the Aadivasi Mahapanchayat, an outfit working for the rights of tribals, has questioned the rationale behind organising the festival, claiming that earlier announcements for welfare of tribals made in similar events were never implemented. "What is the rationale behind organising this Aadi Mahotsav when announcements made during similar events being organised since the last three years were not yet implemented?" questioned former MLAs Narayan Singh Patta, Bhupendra Barkade and Dr Ashok Marskole at a joint press conference here today. They demanded that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan apologise for "making false promises to tribals in the state". "On the one hand, the Aadi Mahotsav is organised to conserve tribal culture, while on the other hand, the heritage sites situated in Ramnagar were removed from the list of protected monuments," they said. Meanwhile, a memorandum demanding that the prime minister cancel the proposed nuclear power plant at Chutka, was submitted to Mandla district collector today by "Chutka Parmanu Virodhi Sangarsh Samiti". Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Nepal for a two-day state visit on May 11, his third visit to the Himalayan nation in the last four years, according to the Nepalese Foreign Ministry sources. Nepal's cabinet today endorsed the date of Modi's visit, which was proposed by the Indian side, they said. Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli had extended an invitation to his Indian counterpart to visit Nepal during his recently concluded trip to India. This will be Modi's third official visit to Nepal during his tenure. Modi was here last time in 2015, when he had addressed Nepal's Parliament. Preparations have already started by the foreign ministry for the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Modi. A Foreign Ministry source has said that an advanced Indian team has already arrived in Kathmandu to prepare for Modi's visit. He is scheduled to visit the famous Hindu pilgrimage site Janakpur, a city located 135 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu and famous as the birthplace of Sita, the wife of Lord Rama. Modi will also address the people there. However, detail itinerary of the visit is yet to be finalised. Shiv Sena leader Sachin Sawant was shot dead by two unidentified assailants on Sunday evening in Mumbai. According to various media reports, Sawant was a up-shakha pramukh (deputy branch head) for Shiv Sena, and was slated to be promoted to shakha pramukh soon. The incident occurred at around 8pm on Sunday, when Sawant was riding pillion on a motorcycle in Kandivili (East). The Sena leader heard someone call out to him from behind and turned to find two men on another motorcycle pulling over. The two men leaned towards him under the pretext of whispering something in his ear, but shot him in the chest instead. Sawant was rushed to a nearby private hospital immediately but was declared dead on arrival. Media reports said he was shot between four and six times, but the police did not divulge any details. The cops are still waiting on the autopsy, which is scheduled for Monday, and have already begun a manhunt for the assailants. They haven't yet identified the motive behind the murder. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today met her Kyrgyz and Uzbek counterparts and discussed cooperation in a number of key areas including trade and investments. Swaraj, who is here on a four-day visit to take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), yesterday met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and discussed a host of bilateral issues and ways to step-up the pace of high-level interactions to improve the relationship. She met Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan Erlan Abdyldaev on the sidelines of the SCO foreign ministers meeting and discussed cooperation in trade and investment, Information Technology (IT), defence, films, human resource development, culture and other areas, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet. "Connecting with an extended neighbour & a close friend! EAM @SushmaSwaraj & Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev met on sidelines of #SCO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Beijing. Discussed cooperation in trade & investment, IT, defence, films, HRD, culture & other areas," Kumar said. Swaraj also met Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov and exchanged views on enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, pharma, IT, tourism and culture, as well as on the regional situation. Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu on Monday outrightly rejected the impeachment motion moved by the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha last week. In a 10-page order, Naidu has categorically listed the accusations of the Opposition and their corresponding lack of substance that led to his decision. In the order issued by the Office of the Vice President, Naidu said that the accusations on CJI Misra indicate a mere suspicion, a conjecture or an assumption and that those accusations are not buttressed by proof which is beyond reasonable doubt in order to start the proceedings of impeachment. Naidu has expressed his reservations with the usage of phrases may have been involved in a conspiracy; he [Misra] was too likely to fall within the scope of investigation; the Chief Justice of India appears to have antedated an administrative order in the accusations levelled by the Members of Parliament in their impeachment motion. According to the Rajya Sabha Speaker, these allegations are bereft of any material evidence and hence cannot be used to make the case of proved misbehaviour under Article 124(4) of the Indian Constitution. To allay concerns over the allotment of cases by the CJI Misra, Naidu stated that it is the prerogative of the Chief Justice of India to constitute benches and allocate cases to them. Citing a precedent, he has asserted that the Chief Justice of India is indeed the master of the roster and that this is an internal matter to be solved by the Supreme Court itself. The order signed by Naidu said that the five allegations levelled by the Opposition against CJI Misra, are neither tenable nor admissible and have a tendency to undermine the independence of judiciary which is the basic tenet of the Constitution of India. Naidu also went on to rap the Congress-led Opposition for violating the parliamentary customs and conventions by making the allegations against Misra public. According to paragraph 2.2 of the Handbook of Members of Rajya Sabha, the publicity of any notice submitted by a member is prohibited until it is admitted by the Chairman and circulated to the members. In this case, several members of the Opposition addressed a press conference and shared the statement contained in the Notice of Impeachment submitted to Naidu on April 20, 2018. Naidu refused to admit the impeachment motion claiming to prevent the confidence of the common man in the institution of judiciary and the democratic set up of this nation, from being shaken. New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi during a nationwide daylong fast against caste violence, communalism and the non-functioning of Parliament at Rajghat, in New Delhi on Monday. Congress workers are observing a daylong fast in all state and district headquarters to voice their protest against the BJP government and to promote communal harmony. PTI Photo by Kamal Kishore (PTI4_9_2018_000138B) Congress president Rahul Gandhi today accused the Modi government of 'trampling' on institutions like Supreme Court to return to power, drawing a sharp retort from BJP chief Amit Shah who charged the opposition party of "demonising and weakening each institution. Mounting a fresh offensive, Gandhi also accused the ruling party of not allowing Parliament to run and said the "only one interest" Narendra Modi has is in himself and in becoming prime minister again, without being perturbed by deaths of Dalits, atrocities against minorities and rape of women. Launching the Congress' nationwide Save the Constitution' campaign here, Gandhi accused the government of packing institutions with RSS men, including in offices of chief ministers and courts. Supreme Court is being trampled upon, the Parliament has been shut," he said. Soon after his speech, the BJP chief returned fire and said the opposition party's campaign was a farce and actually a "saving dynasty" drive. He also alleged that Congress was out to "demonise and weaken every institution" that seeks to maintain its identity and does not "kowtow to the dynasty". He asserted the one thing from which these institutions needed to be saved was the Congress. Gandhi said the foundation of India's institutions has been its Constitution, written and given to the country by the Congress and B R Ambedkar -- a statement termed by the BJP as an "insult" to the Dalit icon for mentioning his name after the party's. Shah alleged Gandhi was "continuing his family legacy" in humiliating Ambedkar. The Congress leader said his party respected all institutions during its rule and let different voices enter these institutions and also run them. After the BJP-led NDA has come to power, every institution is being filled with the RSS people with one ideology - ideology that runs counter" to the Constitution, he said. And the result is that the institution that protects the weaker people in India, the instruments that protect the weaker people in India, whether it is SC/ST Atrocities Act, are being eroded and weakened, he said. No matter how much effort the BJP puts in, we will not allow them to destroy our institutions; We will not allow them to touch the Constitution, Gandhi added. Countering him, Shah said "everyone knows" the reasons for which the judiciary has "invited the wrath" of Congress and the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. "Our institutions which are an outcome of our Constitution today need to be saved from the onslaught of the Congress Party. The Congress Party has spared no institution and is attacking the EC, Supreme Court, Army for petty political gains," Shah said in a statement. "Those who do not trust the Army, the judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, EVMs and the RBI are now saying democracy is in danger. India has a vibrant democracy and a vibrant Constitution," Shah said. The BJP leader said if there is one political party that has "trampled over the Constitution in letter and spirit, time and again, it is the Congress party", as he cited the example of the then Congress government promulgating Emergency in 1975. "Time changes, the context changes but the means as well as the ends remain the same -- discredit any institution that comes in the way of furthering the rule of the dynasty," the BJP president said. Shah also recalled dismissal of several opposition-ruled state governments by different Congress dispensations at the Centre in the past, including of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi during a nationwide daylong fast against caste violence, communalism and the non-functioning of Parliament at Rajghat, in New Delhi on Monday. Congress workers are observing a daylong fast in all state and district headquarters to voice their protest against the BJP government and to promote communal harmony. PTI Photo by Kamal Kishore (PTI4_9_2018_000138B) A Bhiwandi court today deferred farming of charges in a defamation case against Congress president Rahul Gandhi due to his absence from the court. Bhiwandi Judicial Magistrate A A Shaikh was slated to frame charges, a crucial prosecution step heralding formal trial, in the case filed by an RSS worker. The court, however, adjourned the matter to May 2 after the counsel for Gandhi informed it that his client was not able to appear before it owing to his pressing political engagements. Gandhi's lawyer Narayan Iyer also filed an application seeking a detailed recording of evidence instead of a 'summary trial'. Local RSS worker Rajesh Kunte has filed the criminal defamation case, alleging that Rahul Gandhi accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of killing Mahatma Gandhi, and thus slandered its reputation. Kunte had filed the case against Gandhi over the Congress president's alleged statement at an election rally near Bhiwandi in Thane district of the on March 6, 2014 that "the RSS people had killed (Mahatma) Gandhi." Gandhi's counsel Iyer said he filed an application to the court for recording of detailed evidence in the case and converting the present 'summary trial' into a 'summons trial.' It is a landmark case, therefore, detailed evidence, including the witnesses' testimonies, should be recorded, which doesn't happen during summary proceedings, Iyer said. The court will decide on his application on May 2 and then the charges would be framed, the advocate said. Rahul Gandhi had moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the case earlier. The apex court had in July 2016, said he should not have resorted to "collective denunciation" of an organisation, and would have to face trial if he did not express regret for his remark. Gandhi declined to accept the suggestion and expressed willingness to face the trial. To protect the sanctity of its brand name, Google has trademarked each letter of their company name. They have also bought the most common misspellings of Google, for example, gooogle.com, gogle.com, googlr.com etc. Google will soon launch Chat, an app that would not only take on popular instant messaging services but, if it becomes a success, could put the iconic SMS service in the annals of history. What is Chat? Chat is a carrier-based native messaging app which will replace Android Messages, the default messaging app on Android devices. Users will be able to send not only messages to each other but also uncompressed high-definition images and videos. It will also have features such as read receipts, typing indicators and group texts, among others. Simply put, Chat is just a more relatable name for Rich Communication Services (RCS), a newer standard of messaging or set of features that will replace the two-decade-old SMS service. How does it work? Once launched, Chat services will automatically be enabled on a users Android smartphone. However, it is the carrier that will decide when to do so. Google is said to be in talks with carriers to roll out the services. Messages via Chat will not be charged like an SMS, but it will be charged on the user's data but reports say that carriers will reserve the final say on how to apply the charges. A catch here is that the recipient should have Chat services enabled on his phone. Otherwise, the service will revert back to normal SMS message. This is similar to the iMessage service that is offered to Apple's iOS users. How will it impact users, carriers and other services? Chat services may result in carrier services losing on SMS-based revenues. After full-scale rollout, Chat could simply become the standard for instant messaging. For instance, a WhatsApp user cannot send a message to a user who does not have the app installed on his smartphone. With Chat becoming the standard service, any Android phone may be able to send a message to another phone with the same OS, given both are connected to the internet. Further, if the app does well, Google could also roll out the service on iOS, which could also scale up the app across the mobile ecosystem. Challenges Chat may not function if the user isnt connected to the Internet. This rules out the feature phone market in India, which accounts for a majority of phone sales in India currently. Also, Chat is said not as secure as iMessage, says a report in the Verge, which first broke news about Google's plan with this feature. French President Emmanuel Macron warned against showing any weakness towards Vladimir Putin -- while insisting he wants to work with the Russian strongman -- in remarks broadcast Sunday on the eve of his state visit to Washington. "He's strong and smart. But don't be naive. He's obsessed by interference in our democracies," Putin told Fox News Sunday, ahead of his departure for the United States, where Russia stands accused of meddling in the 2016 presidential election. "I do believe that we should never be weak with President Putin. When you are weak, he uses it," Macron said in the English-language interview. "And it's fine. That's a game, that he made a lot of fake news. He has a very strong propaganda, and he intervenes everywhere... to fragilize our democracies. Because he thinks it's good for his country." "I think he's a very strong man, he's a strong president. He wants a great Russia," added the French leader. "He is extremely tough with minorities and his opponents, with an idea of democracy which is not mine." "I respect him. I know him. I'm lucid. I want to work with him, knowing everything about that," Macron said, who described himself as having a "permanent discussion" with Putin, although they were "disaligned on a lot of things." Relations with Russia will be one of the issues topping the agenda this week as Macron is hosted by President Donald Trump, whose time in office has been clouded by suspicion that his campaign conspired with Russia to tilt the election in his favor, and by his own ambivalent attitude to Moscow. Welcome back to your Extreme Small-Cap Profits email course. Were now on Day 7 of 12. If you missed yesterdays email, we looked at one of the most important factors helping small-caps rocket up 100%, 500%, and even 1,000%. That factor is earnings. If a company says earnings will be 50% higher than last year, herds of investors jump into the stock. They all want to capture some of that growth. In yesterdays email, we saw that happen to GetSwift Ltd [ASX:GSW]. While the company didnt put figures to their upcoming earnings, they signed contracts with 14 new customers. Investors expect earnings could skyrocket in 2018. So they piled in now while they had the chance. The stock ended up climbing 1,100% last year. The whole idea is to jump into small-caps before this even happens. You want to find stocks with the potential to significantly grow earnings in a short timeframe. That way, when earnings do rocket up, usually, so will your shares. Today were going to take a more in-depth look at the businesses behind the shares. Having the ability to read financial statements will do you a world of good as an investor. So lets dive right in. Cash is king Im sure youve heard the expression: cash is king. It essentially means cash flow cash flowing in and out of the business is extremely important. And it should be pretty obvious why. If a business cannot meet their immediate payments, theres a good chance theyll go under, taking your money with them. Lets use IBM, which we looked at in yesterdays email, as an example. Big Blue has a lot of expenses in any given year. They need to pay their employees, rent, interest on debt and any other costs to keep the business alive each month. On top of this, IBM needs to pay for the raw materials and labour to build computer parts. If they want to increase output, theyll need to spend even more cash to do so. All of this adds up in a year. In 2016, such expenses cost IBM around U$67.5 billion. Thankfully, for IBM shareholders, Blue Big makes more than enough in sales to cover expenses. But imagine if they didnt. What would happen if IBM couldnt meet their immediate obligations? The company would probably try to cut costs, to decrease the amount of cash they need to pay within a given year. They might also try to renegotiate terms with their creditors. IBM might even take on more debt to get through what could be a tough trading period. If all else failed, IBM would go under. Theyd file for bankruptcy and pay off their debt with what little they have left. This is why, as an investor, you always need to be thinking about a businesss cash flow position. How long is the runway? For small-cap stocks, cash flow is extremely important. I would argue its even more important for small-cap than it is for Blue Chips like IBM. And thats because they have far fewer options. Unlike IBM, small-caps dont have as much power to renegotiate lending terms. They also usually dont have extremely high share prices, which companies can use as currency to raise capital. The idea for many small-caps is to growand grow fast. But early on, many use existing cash to fund operations. Therefore, it can be useful to know how long this cash will last before the company needs more. I like to call it the runway of a business. As an example, lets take a look at the $140 million technology lighting company, Bluglass Ltd [ASX:BLG]. In 2017, the companys costs far exceeded sales. Bluglass generated $684,855 in sales and racked up more than $3.6 million in expenses, most of which went to employees. If we look at Bluglasss cash flow position, they paid out far more cash than they received. They saw more than $2.5 million in cash go out the door during the 2017 financial year. How did they finance this loss? They issued shares. Instead of debt, which comes along with interest payments, Bluglass issued more than $7.7 million worth of shares to keep operations alive. As of 30 June 2017, Bluglass had $8.5 million in cash on their balance sheet. That means if costs remain the same, Bluglass is looking at a runway of a little over three years. If they cant grow earnings significantly by that point, the company might again have to issue more shares, diluting existing shareholders. With this information, you can make a judgement call on whether Bluglass can grow earnings within that time. Maybe you believe its plenty of time for Bluglass to ink some contracts and aggressive add to their customers base. On the other hand, you might think its not nearly enough time for the industry to adopt Bluglasss LED technology. Stay away from debt funding Bluglass is one of the more typical cases. Many small-caps have expenses far exceeding revenues. To fund operations, they issue shares. While its not ideal to buy a business that might potentially ask for more money, its far better than if the company has too much debt. Early on, businesses dont have reliable streams of cash. Sales might go up 50% one year and 5% the next. Earnings are lumpy. The last thing small businesses need is large interest payments digging into cash reserves. Im not saying you should only invest in debt free small-cap (while it might not be such a bad idea). But be cautious of too much debt early on. Coming up next That wasnt so bad was it? With only a little bit of maths, you should now be able to tell if an Aussie small-cap has legs or not. Add in a bit of common sense, and you now know how to stay out of a whole lot of trouble. That about does it for Day 7. Tomorrow, in Day 8, were going to look at something a bit different. So far weve been focusing on how to buy profit small-cap stocks. The other half of the equation is to sell them. And thats exactly what Im going to talk about tomorrow. See you then. Cheers, Harje Ronngard, Editor, Money Morning Britain said it strongly supports Zimbabwes re-entry to the Commonwealth, but expects the new leader of the southern African nation to deliver free and fair elections in July. The former colonial master has praised President Emmerson Mnangagwa for impressive progress since Robert Mugabe was toppled. President Mnangagwa earlier this year said he wants to return to the Commonwealth, the club of mostly former British colonies, after Mugabe pulled out in 2003. Britain has invited Zimbabwe as an observer to last weeks Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. In a statement released by the UKs Foreign Office, the government said it would strongly support Zimbabwes re-entry if the country is committed to political and economic reform that works for its entire people. The Zimbabwe government must deliver the free and fair elections the people of Zimbabwe deserve and which it has promised, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said. President Mnangagwa has been in power for 150 days and while Zimbabwe has made impressive progress, there is still much to do, Boris Johnson said. Mugabe was ousted from power following 37 years of rule which saw corruption flourish. The 94-year-old gave his first television interview last month since he lost power and said Mnangagwa had betrayed him. The Middle Ages in Europe ranged from the 5th to the 15th century. They were a period of culture, science, travel and increasing social progression. They were not the Dark Ages. In schoolbooks, the Middle Ages are that interlude between Ancient Rome and the Renaissance. Theyre widely considered to be a millennium of history where nothing much important happened, people died a lot and women had no rights. In fact, schoolbooks and Hollywood alike have contributed to a very stereotypical view of the Middle Ages. There are numerous misconceptions surrounding this era, so lets unpack five of the most notorious myths about the Middle Ages. Plague doctor wearing distinctive protective mask Myth 1: The Middle Ages and the Dark Ages are the same thing The term Dark Ages is widely used when referring to the centuries following the collapse of the Roman Empire; the early Middle Ages. This may explain why, when we think of the Middle Ages, images of raging bonfires and the black plague come to our minds. The early Middle Ages were not exactly great . If we want to be historically accurate, the real Dark Ages took place long before the Roman civilization. What historians call the Dark Ages or the Greek Dark Ages occured around the fall of the Mycenaean civilization, between 1200 BC, and 800 BC. The Mycenaean civilization had their own writing system, as well as palaces and ramparts, but it was all lost during this period. Its fair to say that the plague happened quite late, in the 14th century. Yes, the plague was a thing, but it wasnt the only historical event of note in the Middle Ages. They certainly werent a time of nothing but death and darkness. There were countless innovations happening as well. We will come to them in a minute! Ovidius, Metamorphoses Brugge, 1484 Myth 2: Medieval authors ignored classical culture completely Contrary to popular belief, classical culture was actually valued and well-regarded during the Middle Ages. It is true that some texts by ancient authors (such as Homers Iliad and the Odyssey) were lost during this epoch, but the medieval intelligentsia was familiar with authors like Ovid, Virgil, Seneca, and Lucan among others. Of course, not absolutely everyone knew the same Greek and Roman texts. Before the appearance of Universities, manuscripts were kept safe in the cathedrals (remember The Name of the Rose?). Just like today, one particular library could have a larger collection of ancient authors than the others. Hildegard of Bingen visionary, pioneer, polymath Myth 3: Notable medieval women? Impossible! The Middle Ages were 100% misogynist. Now, dont get me wrong. As a woman, I dont think Id enjoy living during the Middle Ages. Life was tough for women at the time, mainly because women were considered the source of all sins (especially lust. Apparently we were tempting men by simply having a body). Prejudice against women was therefore commonplace. However, this does not imply that there were no women with power, independence and energy during the Middle Ages. In fact, there were true women pioneers living in this era and they certainly deserve our recognition. Christine de Pizan, for instance, was the first European woman to make a living as a writer. Through her writing, she challenged stereotypes attributed to women at the time. If you consider yourself a feminist and have not read The Book of the City of Ladies yet, I dont know what youre doing with your life! Special mention must also be made of the 12th century German Christian seeress Hildegard of Bingen. She composed music, invented a constructed language called Lingua Ignota, penned what is arguably the worlds oldest morality play, and is considered to be the founder of scientific natural history in Germany. In addition, women worked (and held positions of power and responsibility) in more trades than one might think. For example, ale was typically often brewed and sold by women (alewifes), in contrast to contemporary gender stereotypes surrounding the brewing and enjoyment of craft ale. 13th century anatomical illustration showing veins in the human body Myth 4: Science came later. There were no important discoveries or inventions during the Middle Ages. This myth is certainly one of the most widespread ones. Who hasnt heard the classic fallacy during the Middle Ages everyone thought the Earth was flat at least once? Along with many other myths, this misconception about the Middle Ages has been perpetuated for generations. When it comes to major scientific breakthroughs we always think of the Renaissance or the Modern Era, but people seldom highlight the importance of the Middle Ages in science and history. Vision Do you use glasses? If so, you have to thank Fra Allessandro della Spina who, in the middle of the 13th century, helped create the modern spectacles. Anatomy The first human dissections also took place during the medieval era, thanks to Mondino de Liuzzi who opened the path for the study of human anatomy. Universities Institutions such as the first-ever university were also a by-product of the Middle Ages, Bologne being the first one in 1088. The journeys of Marco Polo Myth 5: No-one stepped out of the house in the Middle Ages. The great travellers belong to the 16th century. The Canterbury Tales, arguably the most important piece of medieval European literature, is an account of a procession. In fact, it demonstrates that pilgrimages were not unusual during the Middle Ages. Even the most humble folk would venture forth to walk to places such as Santiago de Compostela (Spain), Jerusalem, or to other important sanctuaries. It is also undeniable that the Middle Ages gave birth to great travellers Marco Polo being one of them. Medieval literature is full of vivid descriptions of quests and expeditions, which later influenced authors such as Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. So who said these people never stepped out of their shacks? Perhaps Im on something of a quest myself, but Id love to help raise greater awareness of the positive impacts of the Middle Ages in our culture. Perhaps we can all start having a greater appreciation for everything our medieval predecessors have done for us. Underwriters are busy and spend their days sifting through myriad files, many of which are headache-inducing, but when they stumble across files submitted by mortgage brokers they know are diligent, those files are dealt with expeditiously. According to Ameera Ameerullah, CEO of Canada Mortgage and Financial Group, brokers should know their clients and their files inside and out before submitting them. Have a full package with documentation of the client so that there wont be any conflict of information from the time you submit your application to a lender versus when you get the information from the client. It will help you be transparent, she said. You need income documents up front and recent pay stubs because when client says theyre making $60,000 a year, for example, thats the total number. To see the breakdown, you need the pay stubs. Buzz for Permian Basin Operas had been building up to Friday nights opening ofPuccinis Tosca at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. Orchestra members posted their excitement in rehearsals on social media. Local outlets -- including the Midland Reporter-Telegram -- previewed the show. The buzz was both of excitement and curiosity. Could the PBO -- formerly Midland Opera Theater -- pull off a fully mounted opera for the first time was a big question? When the curtain rose Friday night, that question was answered with a resounding yes. As with many operas, the stage sets the tone and that was assured immediately. Backdrops rose to the stage ceiling and elegant furnishings and costumes quickly told the audience that PBO spared nothing to provide a high-quality show. This was consistent throughout as a major challenge in Tosca is that its set in three specific locations -- a church, Scarpias headquarters and the prison courtyard. They each played a part in adding the drama to the story. The stage can only do its part, but the cast of professionals and locals delivered strongly. As Florian Tosca, soprano Angela Turner Wilson was the heartbeat of the show as her character navigated between the her love for the artist Cavaradossi (tenor Mackenzie Gotcher) and her tortuous captor the government official Scarpia (baritone Andrew Craig Brown). Turner Wilson took command of the stage immediately who began as a playfully jealous lover to a furiously pained one. Gotcher reprised his role having playing Cavaradossi for Wolf Trap Opera and the National Symphonic Orchestra which gave him an ideal handle on the character. He played with a sexy virility that balanced Turner Wilsons jealousy, and like her, his performance became a dangerous and savage one in his torture scenes with Scarpia. As the predatory Scarpia, Andrew Craig Brown was a bit of an enigma. He chose to play the villain without the trappings of a bad guy. He wasnt over the top and maniacal. Instead, he gave him an almost snakelike stealth as he plotted. By all accounts, Scarpia was an evil character, but Brown posited that he could be misunderstood. This added a bit of confusion to the dynamic, because he didnt seem so bad. But as Scarpia and Tosca escalated to their dramatic exchange, the chemistry swelled into an apoplectic boiling point. The leads shone but supernumeraries, cast with local talent, earned their places in the spotlight. As Scarpias servant, Brian Gravelle was unctuous and menacing and Christopher Vaught did a solid to his Sacristan. With short time on stage, Bryan Wilson delivered a heartfelt performance as Angelotti, the escaped prisoner who sets off the series of dramatic events. Producer Ryan Loyds vision was a straightforward original version to debut PBOs first production. Stage director Andrew Nienaber gave the show room to breathe lest it fall into stodgy opera territory. He infused it with humor and vigor that allowed for any audience to find it accessible. Conductor Rolando Salazar was intense in his lead of the orchestra. He and the orchestra never fell behind or got ahead of the action onstage. In the micro moments that seemed to begin, he was on track instantly with the tempo. Tosca was an ideal selection for PBOs first production, but to pull the show together within the confines of a month was a remarkable feat. The one-night-only performance was seamless and dramatic and likely the way Puccini had intended. Permian Playhouse gets sweet with 'Almost, Maine' A series of vignettes make up the romantic comedy "Almost Maine" which opened Friday at the Permian Playhouse. Directed by Carl Beery Moore, the John Cariani play is a look at love in the most remote places. The snippets range from sweet to tenuous and even absurdist. The setting is 9 p.m. Friday night in the cold winter of the northeast, unincorporated town of Almost, Maine. The concept doesn't overly lend to the vignettes, but it brings a sense of cohesion. There is even a sense of existentialism that asks if one person is in the middle of a situation, does anything else matter? The nine scenes centered on couples in the beginning, middle or end of their stories with a cast that surprisingly and refreshingly didn't double any major roles. While chemistry wasn't 100 percent in all scenes, each had enough of a foundation to be convincing. The cast was unfailing but some did take the opportunity to stand out. Samantha Murray opened the Saturday performance with a genuine and sweet bravery as her character declared her love for her friend. Amber Gray rattled off acrobatic and complex lines with a miss as her character attempts to sever ties with her lover. The physicality of Alejandro Quezada, Aaron Callaway and Cody Whitaker was fun and funny in each of their scenes. Joseph Ward brought a strong intensity to his more dramatic vignette. The digital backdrop changed for each which was perhaps the most effective and efficient, but also distracting whether through perspective, transitions or the digital photo itself. Being that each scene describes its location, the addition of it felt slightly peripheral. But it was easy to leave the show with a smile. The show doesn't test the audience, but instead it relished in its preposterous simplicity. IF YOU GO: "Almost, Maine." Closes Sunday. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Permian Playhouse, 310 W. 42nd St., Odessa. $10. permianplayhouse.com. Botswanas new leader has urged DRC President Joseph Kabila not to stand for re-election in the presidential poll expected this year. The election now scheduled for Dec. 23 has been repeatedly delayed. In February, the government of Botswana issued a statement openly blaming the president for Democratic Republic of Congos deteriorating humanitarian and security situation. President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who took office this month, in an interview with Londons International Institute for Strategic Studies said President Kabila has stayed in power longer than the time that was expected. Botswana urges the international community to put pressure on the leadership of DRC to relinquish power and pave the way for the ushering in of a new political dispensation. Kabilas opponents suspect him of seeking a referendum to change Congos constitution to enable him to run for more than two terms. Kabila took power in 2001 after his fathers assassination and had been expected to step down in 2016 after the two terms provided for in the constitution. However, he stayed on citing logistical challenges hampering the organization of elections. He denies he is trying to cling to power but has refused to publicly rule out he would enter the presidential race. ELSAH Join the Historic Elsah Foundation and hear Beth McGlasson tell the remarkable story of, Dr. Silas Hamilton, His Freed Slave, George Washington, and the First Free School in Illinois, Thursday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m., at Farleys Music Hall in Elsah. Dr. Hamilton and his slave, George Washington, whom he freed, founded the Hamilton Primary School in Otterville in 1835. This school was Illinois first free school and the countrys first integrated school. The two men created a trust to fund a school that it shall be open to all classes of people and denominations of Christians. JERSEYVILLE New evidence leading to murder charges in the disappearance and death of an East Alton woman in 2010 surfaced after the suspect was charged in a domestic violence incident and his son was subpoenaed by a Madison County grand jury. Additional charges have been filed against Roger W. Carroll in the death of Bonnie Woodward, and details of the investigation came out during testimony during his preliminary hearing in Jerseyville Monday morning. Carroll was charged April 12 with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealing a homicide in Jersey County, and one count of aggravated kidnapping in Madison County. The Jersey County charges were amended April 20 to include a third first degree murder and aggravated kidnapping charge. He was also charged March 5 with unlawful restraint, a felony, and misdemeanor domestic battery, after allegedly using a stun gun on his wife. On Monday, Carroll pleaded innocent on all charges. Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons said the additional murder charge stems from a murder committed during the course of a felony, the aggravated kidnapping charge, so it needed to be filed in Jersey County. He said the Madison County charge would probably be dropped. Madison County Lead Assistant States Attorney Jennifer Mudge has been named a special prosecutor in the Jersey County cases. During Mondays hearing retired Alton Police Department Capt. Scott Golike, now a special investigator for the Madison County States Attorneys Office, testified for about 40 minutes before Circuit Judge Eric Pistorius found enough evidence to move forward with the case and set a pre-trial hearing for 9 a.m. Thursday, June 14. Before hearing evidence several potential witnesses who were attending the hearing were told to leave the courtroom. Mudge first questioned Golike about the initial investigation into Woodwards disappearance. Woodward was last seen June 25, 2010 near her vehicle in the parking lot of the Eunice Smith Nursing Home, where she had worked for 27 years. Golike noted several times that since then there has been no activity with her cell phone or social media accounts. Part of the initial investigation also centered on the disappearance of Woodwards stepdaughter Heather Woodward, then 17. Later in his testimony, Golike said Nathan confirmed that he (Carroll) used Heather as bait. Bonnie was desperately looking for Heather and he used that to get her to come with him, Golike said. Golike described the relationship between the two as particularly stressful and said Heather had moved out of their home on June 10, 2010, and spent a week with a teacher who was attempting to help her before staying at the Carrolls. She was reported as a runaway on June 17, 2010. She went on a vacation with the Carrolls to Goreville, Illinois, where Monica Carrolls family was. Heather eventually walked into the East Alton Public Library and told them police were looking for her. Golike said that multiple witnesses said they saw Bonnie Woodward near the car talking to a white male described as being in his 40s and several saw her leave with the man. Fingerprints found on Woodwards car were later matched to Carroll, who told investigators he was cutting brush on his property in Jerseyville on that day. Golike said that after to March 2 domestic incident Carroll was found on his property in what Golike said was an attempted suicide. He also said Carrolls wife, Monica Carroll, said he killed for her before. Golike then said Carrolls son, Nathan Carroll, who was 16 at the time of the incident, was subpoenaed and appeared before a Madison County grand jury on March 29. Nathan and his father made an unusual departure from Goreville the morning of June 25, according to Golike, leaving early in the morning. The son testified that on the trip home his father said Bonnie Woodward was a bad person and he was going to kill her, Golike said. The two did a surveillance trip to Woodwards East Alton home and the nursing home, then Roger Carroll dropped Nathan off at home, and got out a 9mm handgun and loaded it. Roger Carroll then shaved, cut his fingernails and left. Nathan testified that he later heard eight or nine gunshots, and saw Woodwards body when he went to see what was going on. According to Golike, Nathan described seeing the lower part of a body wearing tan hospital scrubs similar to Woodwards work clothes. According to Golike, Nathan said his father used a bucket loader to move the body to a pre-prepared pile of brush, then lit the brush on fire. The two tended the fire for approximately eight to 10 days. Golike said based on that testimony they got a search warrant and excavated at the site of the fire, and found a spent 9mm shell casing and a 9mm projectile. Both matched the pistol that Nathan Carroll described his father loading. Golike also said they found what appeared to be teeth in the area, but did not say if they were matched to Woodward. After Mudge finished, defense attorney Scott Snider had a few questions. It was noted that none of the witnesses who saw Bonnie Woodward in the nursing home parking lot were able to pick Carroll out of a photo lineup, or positively identify the car the two allegedly left in. Carroll remains in custody at the Jersey County Jail with no bond. Gibbons said that Nathan Carroll has been given full immunity, in part because he was a juvenile and was dragged into the incident. It was also noted during testimony that both Nathan and Monica Carroll had invoked their Fifth Amendment rights during the initial interviews. Gibbons also noted that Monica Carroll did not have a legal obligation to come forward about the crime. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447. A rebellious, independent 15-year-old boy recently asked to speak with a new Garrison Alternative School staff member. The person he wanted to talk to was Kayla Reno, Garrisons MOSAIC recovery specialist. The boy requested to speak to me specifically because we had formed a therapeutic relationship, and he knows he can come to me when hes in distress, Reno said. MOSAIC stands for Meaningful Opportunities for Success and Achievement through service Integration for Children. It provides a mental health counselor to work with Garrison administrators, staff and students to support the schools therapeutic environment. Reno previously worked for 3 years as the screening, assessment and support services staff member at Memorial Behavioral Health in Jacksonville. I consider the MOSAIC program to be comparable to having a school resource officer for mental health, Garrison Principal Rhonda Massey said. What we were finding was that our two social workers were spending time in crisis management instead of providing direct service to the students. In her role, Reno also provides services such as crisis intervention, parent support, and communication between a variety of agencies. My goal is to advocate for the kids to help meet their needs, and I think they are trusting me to do that for them, Reno said. What I see is that, even though Garrison is in session for nine months, Kayla will be available to support Garrison families year-round with their needs, Massey said. Kayla will provide consistent stability in the lives of Garrison students that they may not have experienced in past summers. Since Renos arrival, the number of calls Garrison staff have made for police assistance and for mental health crisis assessment have declined significantly, Massey said. The MOSAIC program at Garrison is being jointly funded by Four Rivers Special Education District and Memorial Behavioral Health. By implementing the program at Four Rivers, we hope that the initial MOSAIC program at Garrison will encourage other schools that Four Rivers serves to pursue similar therapeutic programs, Four Rivers Director Chris Pennell said. While new to Jacksonville, the MOSAIC program serves 11 schools in Springfield and Lincoln. Garrison is part of the Four Rivers Special Education District that serves 19 school districts in seven west-central Illinois counties. Garrison is a therapeutic day school that serves about 70 students in kindergarten through 12th grades. Greg Olson can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1224, or on Twitter @JCNews_Greg. What do you get a man who has everything? House Speaker Mike Madigans 76th birthday was April 19. He has the Illinois General Assembly, where the House rules ensure nothing moves without his blessing. He has the title of longest-serving state legislative leader in U.S. history. He has a lucrative law practice that specializes in politically connected property tax appeals. He has his daughter in the attorney generals seat. He has the chairmanship of the state Democratic Party, and he is the only legislative leader in the nation to hold such a position. But theres one thing Madigan doesnt have: the humility to know its time to leave. Madigans Democratic peers elected him House speaker in 1983, and hes remained at that post for 33 of the last 35 years. What is his legacy? Lets take a look at state finances. Its not the sexiest measure, but its consistent across time and affects the livelihood of every Illinoisan. Illinois was a AAA-rated state when Madigan first became speaker in January 1983. The Land of Lincoln was among elite company, with Moodys deeming only a dozen states worthy of its highest credit rating. That started to falter just three months into Madigans speakership, when Standard & Poors took the state down a notch to AA-plus, citing poor economic conditions. Fast-forward to 2013, when Illinois earned its lowest credit in history. And now its home to the worst credit rating in the nation, just one notch above junk. Funny enough, the Emerald Isle offers some context regarding Illinois slide under the speaker from Chicagos Southwest Side. For the decade prior to the financial crisis, Ireland enjoyed a AAA credit rating. But then the country entered a full-on depression, received an international bailout and saw its finances go to pot. In 2014, still with an unemployment rate over 12 percent, Moodys pulled Ireland up barely above junk status, rating its bonds at Baa3 with a positive outlook. Thats where Illinois stands today, except Moodys gives us a negative outlook. Its an ugly state of affairs. Unfortunately, assessing Madigans career performance brings about cries in certain crowds of what about-ism. What about Republicans? What about global economic trends? Hes just one man, after all. Its important to note that Republicans had control of the Illinois House for a two-year stretch in the 1990s. In fact, Republicans have held the governors office for the majority of Madigans time as speaker. And as powerful as he is, Madigan doesnt control the bulls and bears of the global economy. Yes, many politicians over the years from both parties were either complicit or active participants in the creation of Illinois financial problems. But blaming everybody is the same as blaming nobody. There has been one man in a position of enormous influence across generations, both in practical governance and party politics. Thats Madigan, and as such he deserves an outsized portion of blame for the state of the state more than any single politician in the last four decades. To say otherwise requires some seriously tortured mental gymnastics. Nevertheless, late Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daleys most prolific protege will soon have cause to celebrate yet again. Madigan will almost certainty enjoy re-election to his post as the Democratic Party chairman when officials convene in Springfield today, making him the longest-serving Democratic Party chairman in Illinois history. The speaker might not be one for parties. But if theres any gift he knows how to appreciate, its power. Austin Berg is a writer for the Illinois Policy Institute. He wrote this column for the Illinois News Network. Berg can be reached at aberg@illinoispolicy.org. Sinohydro deal has turned out to ... Ambassador of Belarus V.Kurdyukov meets the Minister of Agriculture of the Czech Republic On April 23, 2018 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Czech Republic, Valery Kurdyukov, met with the Minister of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, Jiri Milek. During the meeting, the sides discussed promising areas of bilateral cooperation development, including supply of Belarusian fertilizers and agricultural machinery to the Czech Republic, exchange of experience and technologies in veterinary and livestock production, implementation of other joint projects. Special attention was paid to the preparation for the next meetings of Belarusian-Czech working groups on agriculture and forestry, as well as possible participation of the Czech delegation in the International Specialized Exhibition Belagro to be held in Belarus in June 2018. print version Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei meets the Ambassador of Uzbekistan 23-04-2018 On April 23, 2018 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Vladimir Makei, met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Belarus, Nasirdzhan Yusupov, on the occasion of the presentation of the copies of his Credentials. V.Makei noted that Belarus sincerely welcomes the decision of the Uzbek side to open the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Minsk. The parties agreed that this step will contribute to the development of the entire complex of relations between Belarus and Uzbekistan, including in such areas of mutual interest as industry and industrial cooperation, investment cooperation, agriculture, and education. print version The conservative Florida Family Policy Council has announced it is hosting a forum May 5 in Orlando with GOP candidates Adam Putnam and Ron DeSantis and is willing to include Richard Corcoran, if the House speaker makes the long-awaiting announcement by then -- which is not expected. The event will be moderated by Fox News pollster Frank Luntz, who set the criteria for appearing at the forum as any major candidate who has "average poll numbers of at least above 4% on the polls listed at the RealClear Politics list for the Florida GOP Governor race." See: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2018/governor/Florida.html Since there are currently 11 named candidates, FFPC President John Stemberger said in a statement that inviting all of them to the forum was unworkable. It is simply impossible to have a meaningful and extended dialogue with 11 candidates at one event,'' he said. "Additionally, this process of setting objective polling criteria is consistent with IRS Revenue Rulings and recommendations for 501c3 candidate forums. DeSantis, a U.S. congressman from Palm Coast, and Putnam, Florida's agriculture commissioner, have both confirmed they'll be in attendance at the forum, Stemberger said. If Corcoran announces his caniddacy before May 5, he "would be qualified to participate based on the aforementioned criteria,'' the statement said. The Family Policy Council advocates for an end to abortion, opposes gay marriage and advocates for steering state money to private and religious schools. Stemberger was a member of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, appointed by Corcoran. Stone Mill Center Project View Photos Sonora, CA The Tuolumne County Business Council has authored a new myMotherLode.com blog critical of the lawsuit filed against the planned Stone Mill Center project. We reported on April 13 that visiting Judge Frank Dougherty sided against the plaintiff, Citizens For Responsible Growth, whom argued that a full Environmental Impact Report was necessary for the development near the Pedro Wye. Click here to view the earlier story. The new blog by Business Council President Jeff Redoutey applauds the research conducted by Judge Dougherty, thanks the developer, Columbia Union LLC., for its willingness to fight the suit, and details what they feel are the main impacts of delaying the project. You can find the blog here. The Border Patrol agent accused of killing his alleged lover and her infant child appeared in court for the first time Thursday, asking the judge to set a bond and seeking his release for lack of probable cause. Ronald Anthony Burgos-Aviles, 28, has been in custody since April 9, when LPD said they found evidence linking him to the slaying of Grizelda Hernandez, 27, and her son, Dominic Alexander Hernandez, 1. Police charged him with two counts of capital murder. Silverio Martinez, attorney for Burgos-Aviles, filed a pre-indictment writ of habeas corpus last week, asking the court to set a reasonable bond. He cited a lack of probable cause. READ MORE: Border Patrol agent arrested in connection with double homicide in Laredo Burgos-Aviles has never been convicted of a crime before, and therefore, his confinement and restraint are illegal, according to the writ. Martinez filed two additional motions Thursday, an hour before the hearing, asking the court to appoint attorney Eduardo Pena as co-counsel and to close pre-trial hearings to the public. The latter motion states that the "hatred and animosity toward Burgos-Aviles is extremely harsh and prejudicial" due to the high-profile nature of the case. "(Burgos-Aviles) cannot have the public or media poisoning the jury pool by publishing or otherwise disseminating what is said during the hearing," the document states. READ MORE: Obituary of mother, son allegedly killed by BP agent 406th District Court Judge Oscar J. Hale Jr. denied the defense's motion. Webb County District Attorney Isidro "Chilo" Alaniz said the prosecution would present witnesses who would establish probable cause. He asked the court to deny him bond, saying that Burgos-Aviles, who is from Puerto Rico, was a flight risk. Burgos-Aviles is a danger to the community and used his badge as a shield to hide among law enforcement for the heinous killings, Alaniz told the court. "The specialized skills that he used in order to commit the crime point and reveal a very dangerous individual," he said. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Internal Affairs Officer Adriana Escamilla, who is helping conduct the investigation into Burgos-Aviles for the agency, testified that on the day of the homicides, Burgos-Aviles began duty at 6 a.m. He reported finding the bodies at 11:20 a.m. READ ALSO: Dozens gather at vigil to honor slain mother, child Escamilla said the call was the only radio transmission Burgos-Aviles made throughout the five-hour period since he first reported for duty. She said that, especially for someone in a supervisory role like Burgos-Aviles, this was "highly out of the norm." As a supervisory officer, Burgos-Aviles was in charge of five Border Patrol agents. Sensors and cameras had been removed recently near Father Charles McNaboe Park, where the bodies were found, according to Escamilla. She said Burgos-Aviles was aware of this. However, she said she could not recall whether the bodies were found in the sensor-free area or just very close to it. Additionally, while reviewing Burgos-Aviles' record, Escamilla found two incidents of possible misconduct, with one being a vehicle crash involving Burgos-Aviles, she said. Another 2013 incident involved Burgos-Aviles lying about a break-in at his home, according to Escamilla. She said Burgos-Aviles told supervisors that he needed to leave his post to go check on his wife. Since he was stationed at the Laredo North Border Patrol Station, far away from his home, Border Patrol agents were sent to check on his home, Escamilla testified. She said agents did not find evidence of a break-in and that neighbors told them that there was no break-in, but rather a confrontation between Burgos-Aviles' wife and his mistress. Escamilla said the report did not identify the supposed mistress. Burgos-Aviles has been married for over five years, according to his marriage license. The hearing will resume on Monday. Arrest Police said Burgos-Aviles quickly became a primary person of interest in the case after he called 911 at about 11:20 a.m. April 9 to report that he had found a woman's body. When police responded to the scene, they found the body of the boy near her. LPD has not disclosed how Hernandez and her son may have died. After police identified the woman as Hernandez, they said they learned that Burgos-Aviles had been in a romantic relationship with her. LPD later said it found evidence in a marked U.S. Border Patrol unit that is linked to the double homicide. Claudio Trevino Jr., Laredo Police Department chief, said they seized the unit but cannot disclose what investigators found in the vehicle. Border Patrol said it has suspended Burgos-Aviles indefinitely without pay. Investigators said last week they are seeking out-of-town assistance to expedite the case. "We're also waiting for the official report for the autopsies in Corpus Christi ... We hope to get those returns quickly," Trevino said. He added, "This type of case gets to the front of the list. We have a lot of work here. Police work piles up but this case will be expedited." Police encourage the community to call them with information on the case at 795-2800 or Laredo Crime Stoppers at 727-TIPS (8477). Callers may remain anonymous. Joana Santillana may be reached at 956-728-2528 or jsantillana@lmtonline.com. LMT reporter Cesar G. Rodriguez contributed to this report. In June 1990, when U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Mexico President Carlos Salinas de Gortari issued a statement suggesting a new trade agreement, city leaders almost instantly knew they wanted San Antonio to be NAFTA City. Negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement began a year later, and San Antonio Mayor Nelson Wolff began lobbying, mainly with Salinas, to have the trade pact initialed in a ceremony in the Alamo City. The idea of a U.S., Mexico and Canada trade agreement had a large appeal for San Antonio. Instead of being on the sidelines of east-west trade flows, trade would shift to a north-south axis, putting San Antonio geographically in the middle of an expanding stream of commerce. Wolff, in his book Mayor, sensed that a trade agreement ceremony would send a message across the continent that San Antonio was prepared to serve a new role in hemispheric trade. NAFTA would create the largest trading bloc in the world, with a combined economic output of more than $6 trillion and 360 million from the Arctic atop Canada to the tropical jungles of southern Mexico. The proposed treaty would dismantle tariffs and trade barriers over a 15-year period. It would enhance the ability of the Western Hemisphere to compete with the European and Asian trade blocs, Wolff wrote in Mayor. He added, ominously, Besides being bold, it was also controversial. Trade between the United States and Mexico already was growing because of Mexicos twin-plant system known as maquiladoras, which were factories in Mexico making products for foreign companies. No trade agreement was necessary for those to operate. Wolff already was trying to position San Antonio to capitalize on trade opportunities by opening a city trade office in Guadalajara, Mexico, and by promoting an earlier program to attract Mexicans seeking medical care to San Antonio. In February 1992, with NAFTA negotiations underway, Salinas visited the Alamo City for the San Antonio Summit of Latin American leaders. Wolff met privately with Salinas at La Mansion del Rio Hotel. Mr. President, I hope you will support San Antonio as the place to host the initialing of the free trade agreement, Wolff told Salinas, according to Mayor. More Information NAFTA timeline: June 10, 1990: President George H.W. Bush and Mexico President Carlos Salinas de Gortari issue a joint statement endorsing the idea of a comprehensive free trade agreement between the United States and Mexico and direct their trade ministers to begin consulations and preparatory work. Aug. 21, 1990: Salinas writes to Bush proposing that the United States and Mexico negotiate a free trade agreement, a step required by U.S. law. Sept. 25, 1990: Bush writes to the chairmen of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees notifying them of free trade negotiations with Mexico, a step required by U.S. law. In his letter, the president also informs the chairmen that Canada has expressed a desire to participate in the negotiations. Feb. 5, 1991: Bush, Salinas and Canada Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announce their intention to pursue a North American Free Trade Agreement. Feb. 5: 1991: Bush writes to the chairmen of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees of his desire to enter into trilateral negotiations with Mexico and Canada for a North American Free Trade Agreement. March 1, 1991: Bush requests a two-year extension of fast-track authority for enactment of trade agreements. May 23-24, 1991: Both chambers of the U.S. Congress vote to extend fast-track authority for two years. June 12, 1991: Free trade negotiations are formally launched in Toronto, with trilateral meeting of trade ministers. Dec. 14, 1991: Bush and Salinas meet at Camp David and agree on the need for a broad, comprehensive agreement. Feb. 26, 1992: Bush and U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills discuss progress of negotiations with Salinas and Mexican Commerce Secretary Jaime Serra Puche during the San Antonio Summit. July 14, 1992: Bush and Salinas and their trade ministers, Hills and Serra Puche, meet to discuss status of free trade talks and announce the beginning of the final stage of negotiations. Aug. 2-12, 1992: Negotiators, meeting in almost continuous rounds, complete the text of the agreement. Aug. 12, 1992: Bush, Salinas and Mulroney announce the agreement. Sept. 18, 1992: Bush notifies Congress he intends to sign the accord. Oct. 7, 1992: With Bush, Salinas and Mulroney present, trade ministers initial the final draft of the agreement in a San Antonio ceremony. Nov. 17, 1993: The U.S. House of Representatives, in the crucial vote, approves NAFTA with a 234-200 vote. Jan. 1, 1994: NAFTA goes into effect. See More Collapse He smiled, but didnt answer .... Wolff also made sure the Bush White House knew of San Antonios interest in the NAFTA ceremony. Salinas summoned Wolff to Mexico City for a Sept. 23, 1992, meeting. With the 14 months of NAFTA negotiations completed, Wolff reminded Salinas of the citys desire to hold the ceremony. Salinas replied, I will be seeing you soon, and more often than you think. Five days later on Sept. 28, the White House announced San Antonio would be the ceremonys site. The Bush administration had apparently given President Salinas his choice of U.S. cities, and he picked San Antonio, Wolff wrote. Wolff asked City Council member Yolanda Vera to handle the details for the event with nine days to go. The patio of a renovated 19th-century German-English school building, officially the Plaza San Antonio Hotel Conference Center, was chosen with the help of the U.S. host advance team for the ceremony. Wolffs wife, Tracy, also had a hand in planning. Some people wanted it closed with just a few people attending. She pushed the other way, Wolff recalled in a recent interview. Tracy also arranged a tour for Barbara Bush of mental health projects in San Antonio. I took the opportunity to give President Bush a six-page paper that outlined the roles San Antonio and South Texas could play under NAFTA. Our city was a logical site for manufacturing and distribution, located at the nexus of two interstate highways; one running north and south, the other east and west, Wolff wrote in Mayor. Scheduled to attend were Bush, Salinas and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, plus their top trade officials, who would actually initial the 2,000-page trade pact. They were U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills, Mexico Commerce Secretary Jaime Serra Puche and Canadian Trade Minister Michael Wilson. They could initial the negotiated trade pact, but the heads of state could not sign it because their legislative branches had not yet approved it. The heads of state arrived one by one with Wolff present to greet each one. Mulroneys arrival eventually provided Wolffs favorite anecdote for the event. Tracy Wolff already had met Bush and Salinas, but not Mulroney. Mr. Mayor, Mulroney told Wolff when he later introduced Tracy to him, I appreciate the fact that you greeted me at the airport, but why didnt you send your wife? About 200 guests were invited to the ceremony along with the media as the afternoon sunlight dappled the former schools tree-shaded patio. This meeting marks a turning point in the history of our three countries, Bush told the audience after the 3:40 p.m. ceremony start. We are creating the largest, richest and most productive market in the entire world. It was your commitment to opening up and modernizing your countrys economy and to harnessing its huge potential that first inspired this initiative, Mulroney told Salinas. Four years earlier, the United States and Canada had started a trade agreement. The event lasted only 30 minutes. It was covered by swarms of international media, including the White House press corps, recalled Mary Rose Brown, a media coordinator who at the time worked for the Atkins Group. There literally were cameras and newspaper coverage from around the world, Brown said. Controversy wasnt far away. About 150 people from a broad coalition of groups opposed to NAFTA picketed nearby. They warned of lost U.S. jobs and lower wages. San Antonio presented gifts to the visiting dignitaries. The heads of state were given oil landscapes by the Nanette Richardson Fine Art Gallery. The three trade ministers were given oil paintings of San Antonios old missions by artist Jay Hester of Art Inc. Gallery of Fine Art. Bush was running for re-election as president in a race he ultimately would lose to Arkansas Bill Clinton. Although the signing was official presidential business, Bush that evening appeared on the Arneson River Theater stage for CNNs Larry King Live show. At the time of the ceremony, the goal for NAFTAs enactment, with legislative approvals, already was set for Jan. 1, 1994. Some thought the congressional votes would occur later that fall, but the U.S. Congress did not act until the fall of 1993. During much of 1993, the necessary votes in the U.S. House of Representatives did not appear to exist, especially with pro-union Democrats in control of the chamber. Wolff even staged another ceremony at the former school buildings patio to unveil a monument commemorating the Oct. 7, 1992, ceremony. The Clinton White House did not respond to an invitation to send a representative, but former San Antonio Mayor and then U.S. Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros attended. Some of the media dubbed it (the monument) a tombstone for NAFTA, Wolff wrote in Mayor. The momentum changed when a group of Hispanic Caucus congressmen, led by Californias Esteban Torres, shifted their stance in favor of NAFTA after an agreement was reached to add a border development bank to the enabling legislation. On Nov. 16, 1993, Wolff was interviewed in San Antonio by CBS News, which reported on two shows that San Antonio was the Hong Kong to Mexicos China, Wolff wrote. On Nov. 17, 1993, the U.S. House members voted 234 to 200 to enact NAFTA effective Jan. 1, 1994. The following evening, Wolff staged a celebration at the Spanish Governors Palace on the City Hall grounds. Cascarones, egg shells filled with confetti, flew and were crushed with glee. While some people may question NAFTAs true effects, the trade agreement didnt stop the economic growth. Is San Antonio still NAFTA City? We were the most pro-NAFTA city at the time of the NAFTA initialing ceremony and its passage, Wolff said recently. Were still viewed that way. Gas prices in the Alamo City have continued to rise in April as drivers approach the summer driving season. Fuel prices rose 1.3 cents over the past week in San Antonio to an average of $2.40 a gallon. Thats 20.2 cents higher from last year and the most expensive since 2014 when the average price was $3.41 a gallon. The national average increased 3.4 cents a gallon to $2.75, and nationally average prices are up 33.5 cents a gallon comapred to last year. Patrick DeHaan, the head of GasBuddy's petroleum analysis, said gas prices increased in 49 states over the past week while demand has hit record levels. Government data highlighted a new record for gasoline demand was breached last week, and we're not even into the summer driving season yet, DeHaan said. The road head at the pump looks quite ominous if that demand number proves common in the coming weeks. Gasoline demand hit record levels of 9.86 million barrels a day for the week ending April 13 the most ever recorded, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The last time demand approached those levels was in August 2017 when gasoline demand hovered just below 9.8 million barrels a day. DeHaan added that the majority of refinery maintenance to switch to summer blends of gasoline has been completed with the main driver behind prices increasingly linked to higher oil prices. President Donald Trump tweeted Friday that Oil prices are artificially Very High! He blamed the oil cartel OPEC the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries for pumping prices higher. For much of the last year OPEC member states and Russia have been reducing their oil production in an attempt to balance an oversupplied oil market. Prices hit a low of $26 a barrel in February 2016 and have since recovered to the high-$60s a barrel. Rye Druzin is a San Antonio Express-News energy reporter. Read more of his stories here. | rdruzin@express-news.net | @druz_journo CenterPoint Energy plans to buy Indiana utility Vectren Corp. for $6 billion, expanding its electric power and natural gas operations into Indiana and Ohio, it said Monday. The Houston power company's deal to purchase Vectren's outstanding shares for $72 a piece will increase the value of CenterPoint's assets to $29 billion as it operates regulated utilities across eight states and other energy businesses in 40 states. After the acquisition is finalized, the company will have a combined 7 million customers, including CenterPoint's 2.4 million in the Houston area. "We're going to be a bigger, stronger company as a result of coming together," CenterPoint CEO Scott Prochazka said in an interview. "We're both strong companies with good growth profiles and elements where we complement each other." READ ALSO: Cornyn says Trump's OPEC tweet off the mark as oil rises on Mideast tension, not conspiracy CenterPoint, a Fortune 500 company with almost 8,000 employees, will fund the deal by selling $2.5 billion in stock and borrowing $3.5 billion. It will also assume Vectren's $1.8 billion in long-term debt, and expects to increase earnings per share 5 to 7 percent in 2019 and 2020. The transaction, marking CenterPoint's entry into the Indiana and Ohio markets, won't have an impact on ratepayers in Houston or elsewhere, Prochazka said. The executive said he doesn't expect large workforce reductions after the deal closes but said there could be some impact. "You can mitigate those impact if your company is growing," he said. READ ALSO: Mississippi bank to purchase Houston's Icon Bank Vectren has about 5,500 employees and supplies natural gas to 1 million customers in Indiana and Ohio. In Indiana, it has power generation assets serving 145,000 electricity customers across the state, as well as subsidiaries that build and repair underground powerlines and provide contracting services. CenterPoint already has natural gas operations in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi and Oklahoma. Prochazka will lead the combined company in Houston, and its natural gas utilities operations will be headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. CenterPoint expects the deal to close by the first quarter of 2019. Vectren shareholder, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Federal Communication Commission must approve the deal, CenterPoint said. USAA reported record revenue and a rebound in profits in 2017, even though it was the second straight year of historic catastrophe-related insurance losses. The San Antonio insurance, banking and financial services company generated slightly more than $30 billion in revenue last year, the first time it has topped that mark. Revenue increased almost $2.9 billion, or 10.6 percent, over 2016. Its bottom line rose $643 million, or 36 percent, to $2.4 billion last year. RELATED: USAA to move 400 workers to downtown San Antonio this summer USAA paid out almost $2.3 billion on 287,000 members catastrophe claims, including from three Category 4 hurricanes and California wildfires. That was about $100 million more in payouts in 2016, which also broke company records due largely to hailstorm and tornado claims. (Last years payouts were previously reported as $2.4 billion but have since been revised.) The devastating wildfires and hurricanes of 2017 produced unprecedented damage and heartbreaking losses for thousands of members, USAA CEO Stuart Parker said in a letter slated to be released to members in a report today. In addition, USAA said it paid almost $4 million to members who used a new self-service digital payment tool for food-spoilage claims. Overall, USAA paid out nearly $15 billion in total claims last year, up from $14 billion in 2016. The company said non-catastrophe losses rose, in part, because of the industry-wide trend in rising costs for auto parts and repairs and a higher number of homeowner claims. Higher auto claims are related to people driving more. The Federal Highway Administrations website shows vehicle miles traveled in the U.S. has climbed every year since 2011. The figure was 3.2 trillion miles last year, up 1.2 percent from 2016. RELATED: USAA CEO sees big pay boost for 2017 despite record insurance claims USAA said its operations remain solid reflected by increasing premium growth and healthy member retention. The company has about 12.4 million members. It added about 500,000 customers last year, a 4 percent increase. The profit increase led USAA to boost distributions to members. It returned almost $1.6 billion in distributions, dividends, bank rebates and rewards to members, up from $1.4 billion in 2016. USAA offers financial services to members of the military and their families. Its one of San Antonios largest employers with about 19,000 of its total workforce of 33,000 based here. Last year, it hired about 2,400 workers and announced plans for a significant expansion that will include locating or relocating up to 2,000 employees downtown and adding 1,500 net new jobs to the region over the next five years. The company collected $20.1 billion in insurance premiums last year, an almost 10 percent increase from 2016. A strong stock market and healthy commercial real estate markets helped USAA generate more than $3.2 billion in investment income last year, up 32 percent from more than $2.4 billion in the prior year. USAA attributed normal growth in its business, as well as continued investments in its future, with an increase in expenses. READ MORE: Texas Power Broker Donnley from the Bronx to USAA's executive suite The company reported a net worth of $30.6 billion, up from $28.8 billion at the end of 2016. Net worth is the difference between assets and liabilities. USAA said it prevented $3.2 billion in fraud losses last year. USAA, USAA Federal Savings Bank, USAA Real Estate Co. and the USAA Foundation Inc. collectively donated $28 million to support military families and the communities where its offices are located. Employees and retirees also donated $11 million to support nonprofits and volunteered more than 450,000 hours. Patrick Danner is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | pdanner@express-news.net | @AlamoPD Contributed / Griffin Hospital Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St., Derby, and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley invite the community to come to the hospital Mon., April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for National Safe Kids Day. Safe Kids Day is a day to celebrate kids and take action to keep kids safe, said Cathi Kellett, Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition Coordinator in a news release. Many people are surprised to learn that injuries from car crashes, fires, drownings, poisonings, and falls are the top health threats to children in the United States. Throughout the world, an estimated 1 million children die of injuries each year, and nearly all of these tragedies are preventable. STAMFORD Finding a place to sling sausages, poutine or tacos from four wheels has become tricky for vendors this spring, with new locations becoming available in the city as others are taken away. The city on Monday forbid downtown vending by food trucks on Spring Street, where some four trucks had regularly set up camp after being moved off Bedford Street last year. Meanwhile, Lord & Taylor on High Ridge Road this month opened its oversized parking lot to food trucks for the first time, in a play to pick up some lunchtime traffic and make up for downtown troubles. The outdoor food hall, as envisioned by Jack Baker from Lord & Taylor-owner Hudsons Bay company, will be a parking lot attraction with several food trucks serving year-round if all goes well this spring and summer. The company may also expand the concept to other Lord & Taylor stores. I saw these issues with the food trucks downtown and I thought, Why not create a place where theyre welcome? Baker said. Those issues surfaced again this week as the Food Truck Committee, comprised of officials from several city departments, weighed creating downtown zones and heard from vendors and downtown residents who sparred over whether food trucks should be held responsible for their usually drunken late-night patrons. The one thing all agreed on was that groups congregate around the trucks late at night and occasionally urinate, vomit and, according to some defecate on city streets. More Information 'Food Trucks @ Lord & Taylor' Trucks available from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch, and from 4 to 8 p.m. for dinner. For more information, visit @LTFoodTrucks on Instagram. See More Collapse Food trucks cannot be responsible for these acts of filth, advocate Erin Robie said during public comment. Robie and the operators of Julians New York Hotdogs and Poutine King told the committee that the onus for the crowds should be on nearby bars, not food trucks, who they said are being punished. Who is being held responsible for the drunks? asked Krissy Keeler, who runs Julians with husband Dominic Telesco. Us? For selling hot dogs? The committee decided against creating any new zones this week, but plans to tour potential spots, near Latham Park, for example, in coming weeks. After brief discussion, the group forbid vending on Spring Street, citing the incompatibility between rowdy food-truck customers and residents trying to sleep. The city has received some two dozen complaints from Spring Street residents, said Frank Fedeli, who co-chairs the committee. If done right, a zone would be a good compromise, he added. Trucks have been banned since August from vending on Bedford Street between Broad Street and Walton Place because of public-safety concerns. barry.lytton@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2263; @bglytton BRANFORD For 13-year-old Lily Stockwell, music has always been a part of her life, ever since she sang in her elementary school talent show when she was 7. With aspirations of potentially pursuing music as a career, being selected as a finalist for a national music competition just reinforces the impact music has had. When I was little, my parents were always playing music, my dad was always singing, so that kind of got me into it, the Branford resident said. I dont even know how I would go a day without it. Its so influential; all the songs, all the celebrities, all the musicians are so important in my life. I wake up and theres music playing in my house. Its always there. Out of more than 1,000 people, Lily and about 20 other Connecticut residents have been selected to compete in the finals of the Celebration of Music, a national music competition, according to a release. The finalists will perform live Friday, April 27, at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford, where all of the contestants will get an opportunity to perform We Are the World as a group and the winner will perform a solo, according to the Celebration of Music website. Lily said she didnt know much about the competition prior to auditioning and wasnt really expecting much. She sent in a 90-second clip of herself singing and found out a few weeks later she had been selected as a finalist. Lily then sent in another video of herself singing that aired on Connecticut Public Television and a videotaped interview. . I wasnt expecting to get a callback or into the competition because at so many other auditions and so many [other] times the competition is so intense. So Im really glad to have this opportunity and take part in this, she said. Even though Lisa Stockwell, Lilys mother, said she isnt a big crier, it was hard to hold back the emotion when she found out her daughter had been selected as a finalist. Shes really talented. I dont think she quite recognizes how talented she is. When you get into something like that, I think its a big deal, Stockwell said. To me, its amazing that she continues to get better. I know Im a little biased, but shes fun to watch. Despite having performed in front of a large crowd before at the Apollo Theater in New York City twice Lily said its still kind of nerve-wracking to think about performing at the Bushnell. To make sure shes prepared, Lily said she puts in a lot of time and effort. Between constantly practicing and taking voice lessons, she said shell also just watch the performer sing the song to kind of like understand how they do it in their version of it. In her wildest dreams, Lily said Beyonce is in the audience and invites her to go on tour after seeing the Walsh Intermediate Middle School student perform. More realistically, she said she would love to get enough votes to sing a solo. However, even if nothing really big comes out of this, it would be really exciting to go to the Bushnell and perform there and have that experience, she said. Stockwell said she would love to see her daughter get the solo. Even if her daughter doesnt win, Stockwell said she will still be proud of Lily. If it doesnt (happen), it doesnt matter. As we always say, When its your time, itll be your time, Stockwell said. jessica.lerner@hearstmediact.com; @jesslerner on Twitter Nashville, Tenn. A nearly naked gunman, wearing only a green jacket and brandishing an assault rifle, stormed a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville early Sunday, shooting four people to death before a customer rushed him and wrestled the weapon away. Authorities were searching for the 29-year-old suspect, Travis Reinking, who they said drove to the busy restaurant and killed two people in the parking lot before entering and continuing to fire. When he paused either his AR-15 rifle jammed or the clip was empty the customer disarmed him in a scuffle. Four people were also wounded before the gunman fled, throwing off his jacket. Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson said there was no clear motive, though he noted Reinking may have "mental issues." He may still be armed, Anderson told a mid-afternoon news conference, because he was known to have owned a handgun that authorities have not recovered. U.S. Secret Service agents arrested Reinking last July for being in a restricted area near the White House, officials said. Special Agent Todd Hudson said Reinking was detained after refusing to leave the restricted area, saying he wanted to meet President Donald Trump. State police in Illinois, where Reinking lived until last fall, subsequently revoked his state firearms card at the request of the FBI; four guns were then taken from him, including the AR-15 used in Sunday's shooting, authorities said. Sheriff Robert Huston in Tazewell County, Illinois, said deputies allowed Reinking's father to take possession of the guns on the promise that he would "keep the weapons secure and out of the possession of Travis." Huston added that, based on deputies' past encounters with Reinking, "there's certainly evidence that there's some sort of mental health issues involved." While Huston said it was unclear how Reinking reclaimed the guns, Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron said that the father "has now acknowledged giving them back to his son." Phone calls to a number listed for the father, Jeffrey Reinking, went unanswered. Meanwhile, authorities hailed the customer who intervened to stop a further bloodbath, 29-year-old James Shaw Jr., as a hero though the father of a 4-year-old girl demurred and said he was just trying to survive. One hand bandaged, Shaw told reporters he first thought the gunshots fired around 3:25 a.m. were plates falling from a dishwashing station. When he realized what was happening, he took cover behind a door as shots shattered windows. The gun either jammed or needed a new clip, and that's when Shaw said he pounced after making up his mind that "he was going to have to work to kill me." Shaw said he is not a religious man, but "for a tenth of a second, something was with me to run through that door and get the gun from him." They cursed at each other as they scuffled, Shaw said, and he was able to grab the gun and toss it over a counter. The gunman then ran away into the dark of the working- and middle-class Antioch neighborhood of southeast Nashville. Authorities said he shed his jacket nearby and police found two AR-15 magazines loaded with bullets in the pockets. He was seen walking, naked, on a road, officials said, but later was spotted wearing pants but no shirt after apparently returning to his apartment. New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was brimming with his usual ebullience after it was announced last week that he had bought a minority share in a Kentucky Derby qualifier named Gronkowski. "This horse is a winner, and I love a winner," the human Gronkowski said in a statement. "When I heard about the racehorse being named after me, I started watching and got really stoked when he started winning. He's won his last three races and is now headed to the Derby. I'm all in: Welcome to the Gronk Family, Gronkowski the Horse!" But now comes word that Gronkowski, the horse, will not make it to Churchill Downs after all. The colt had "a minor setback," British trainer Jeremy Noseda told RacingPost.com Monday, before the horse's ownership group made a more serious announcement. "We very much regret that Gronkowski will miss the Kentucky Derby after spiking a fever over the weekend and being treated with antibiotics," Phoenix Thoroughbred ownership group announced Monday. "He can't make the long journey to Louisville but is doing well." Gronkowski the horse had won four straight starts to accrue enough qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby and had been scheduled to arrive in Kentucky this upcoming weekend. He had always been a long shot to compete at the Derby; he has never run on dirt, with all of his races coming on turf or all-weather surface. He also has never run longer than a mile, making it questionable whether Gronkowski had the stamina to compete in the 1 1/4-mile Derby. Plus, since the Kentucky Derby points system was introduced in 2013, no horse has won the race with fewer than 100 qualifying points. Gronkowski has only 50. Still, he figured to attract popular money based on his extremely popular namesake and part-owner. Monday's news ended that possibility. "To have a Derby contender with our first group of 3-year-olds was a dream come true, and to have had New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski join us on that journey made it even more exciting," said Tom Ludt, the group's director of international operations, according to the Courier Journal. "But we must put the welfare of the horse first, and we will look forward to the colt recovering quickly and to his future races." Gronkowski the human probably has enough disposable income laying around that he'll be okay if his horse investment doesn't pay off. (He has said he never touches the money he receives from the six-year, $54 million contract he signed in 2012, instead living off his endorsements.) But here's hoping he was aware of the risks involved. "This is a game where money invested should be thought of as disposable income," racehorse expert and consultant Tony Cobitz told CNBC in 2010. "Is it possible to make money? Yes. Is it possible to make a lot of money? Sure. But even the most sophisticated investors don't expect to do it every year." Said Barry Irwin, founder of Team Valor, a Kentucky horse racing stable: "Don't get involved with horse racing unless you love the sport. The chances of losing are 90 percent." Combatant and Instilled Regard moved into the Derby field, according to the Courier Journal, after Quip also dropped out. The American criminal justice system's gradual realization that too many people are in jail needlessly just got a large, visible boost from the city of Philadelphia. The city announced last week that it would close its notorious 91-year-old House of Correction jail because reforms begun two years ago have dropped the city's jail population by 33 percent, without causing any increase in crime or chaos. Defense attorneys are working harder to get defendants released quickly with no bail or low bail, prosecutors typically don't oppose that, and the city's judges are releasing them. Philadelphia police are taking more defendants to treatment rather than jail. More petitions for early parole from longer sentences are being granted. More space is now available in the city's six jails for rehabilitation programs, and less overtime pay is needed for jail guards. There is a strong consensus across the top levels of Philadelphia's justice system that the reforms, made with the help of a $3.5 million grant and guidance from the MacArthur Foundation, are working. "The system didn't work," said Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. "It didn't have outcomes that were acceptable. We had a revolving door. Rather than holistically treating people, we'd just lock them up, they'd do their time and then they'd be right back. It's difficult to take care of your kids, or your parents, if you're not there." Kenney cited two new approaches he thought were particularly successful. One is "early bail review," for people still in jail after five days with bonds of $50,000 or less. Kenney said 84 percent of those reviewed were released within five days, and more than 92 percent had shown up for their subsequent hearings. A second initiative involves police diverting drug-related offenders to treatment clinics, and since December "no one who's been in the program has been rearrested," Kenney said. And Part I crime in Philadelphia - murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft - is down three percent over the past two years, the mayor said. "What you have in Philadelphia," said Laurie M. Garduque, director of justice reform for the MacArthur Foundation, "are shared values with respect to a fair and effective justice system and protecting public safety. And a realization that there are better ways to hold people accountable instead of incarceration. When you start to shrink the footprint of the system, and do it safely, you're in a posture that's more fair and more effective." In July 2015, Philadelphia had 8,082 people in its six jails. The reforms began in 2016, and last Friday, Philadelphia had 5,394 people in its jails, according to the city's Department of Corrections. That's a 33 percent decrease, to a level not seen since the 1990s. The House of Correction, with no sprinkler system and no air conditioning, is down to 199 inmates in its 166 cells, so Kenney announced it would close by 2020. "Reaching the point where we can shutter this facility once and for all," Kenney said at a news conference, "without needing to build a new prison, this is a milestone." The city's chief public defender, Keir Bradford-Grey, said getting the grant from the MacArthur Foundation "brought all of us together to really examine what's going on in our system. We all agreed to work on what's in our purview to say, 'Okay, we can do things differently here.' I don't think it would have happened but for MacArthur. We took a bird's-eye view of, 'Where can we make changes?'" One thing the city's defender system launched was to place lawyers at police district stations to represent clients immediately after an arrest during their first appearance before a bail commissioner. The lawyers are there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Bradford-Grey said, and have handled more than 1,400 cases in the past two years. "Now that we're able to give judges much better information," she said, "they have found it very useful when they make decisions. Usually they have no more information than the current charges and the criminal history." But with more context about the defendant's past, living arrangement and employment, "people are more likely to be released without a cash bond or with more affordable bond amounts." Justice experts have found that mass incarceration - and Philadelphia had the highest per capita incarceration rate among the nation's 10 biggest cities before this project - often imposes unnecessary harm on defendants, and their families, who aren't violent or a threat to flee by costing them their jobs and their ability to hold their own financially. Bail has also been found to disproportionately affect poor and minority defendants, who must sit in jail while defendants who can post higher bonds are released on the same charges. Philadelphia's newly elected district attorney, Larry Krasner, announced in February that his office would no longer ask for cash bail for low-level offenses, which he said made the system "fairer for the poor and for people of color." A longtime defense attorney, Krasner said in a news release, "There is absolutely no reason why someone who will show up for court, is not a flight risk, and is no threat to their neighbors and community, needs to sit in jail for days because they can't post a small amount of bail. It's simply not fair. We don't imprison the poor for poverty. This new cash bail policy will not only save the taxpayers money by allowing low-level defendants to maintain their freedom, but it will begin to level the economic and racial playing field in our courtrooms." Krasner's predecessor, Seth Williams, initially involved the city's prosecutors in the project, and the city's municipal court judges also have endorsed the reforms. Another new initiative that the prosecutors and judges have not opposed is early parole. The public defenders began offering to assist convicts in convincing the court that they should be released before their parole date, and judges have granted close to 60 percent of the requests, officials said. About 24 percent of Philadelphia's jail population is awaiting trial, a drop from 30 percent a year ago. "The people that are no longer in our prison population are all vetted," Kenney said. "They simply could not make bail. We wound up paying $160 a day or so keeping them locked up. Many of the people on our system are in there for something drug-related. We need to get them to the proper treatment or job training, and they can't do that sitting in jail watching TV or walking around in a yard. You can keep track of people through the probation office." The reduced prison population will soon mean reduced prison costs, Philadelphia Prisons Commissioner Blanche Carney said. "It'll begin to impact our overtime costs," Carney said, and eventually the hiring rate for a uniformed staff of more than 2,300 should slow. And the smaller inmate population will improve opportunities for rehabilitative and retraining programs, Carney said. "We were so limited in rehabilitation space," she said. "Now you can expose these inmates to the programs and services intended to bring about cognitive change." Making all these reforms meant bringing in parties who often have different agendas, meaning cops and judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers, and getting their goals aligned. "Often the problem is we don't look at it as systems reform," Garduque said. "We look at it as one decision-maker at a time, and you don't get buy-in from somebody." When everyone buys in and the system begins to respond more thoughtfully, Garduque said, "there's more public confidence and legitimacy, and families and communities are all better off." French President Emmanuel Macron lands in Washington Monday aiming to use his rapport with President Donald Trump to take the edge off the latter's "America First" foreign policy, for Europe at least. As 40-year-old Macron arrives for the first state visit of Trump's presidency, the U.S. leader is threatening to upend the global trading system with tariffs on China, maybe Europe too, and to ditch the Iran nuclear accord, a key plank of western policy for containing military tensions in the Middle East. Macron has been building bridges with Trump for a year. Now he's looking for something in return. "Both of us are probably mavericks," the French president said in a Fox News interview taped in Paris on Friday and broadcast Sunday. "We have a very special relationship." While Macron has had more success than most in getting through to Trump, his record of securing policy concessions is patchy. He pointed to this month's missile strikes against Syria as a victory for French diplomacy, but he failed to keep the U.S. in the Paris climate accord and his aides last week played down expectations that he might persuade Trump to change course on other issues. "This visit will promote the narrative that the two men have a good relationship, but it may not make much of a difference," said Jeremy Shapiro, research director at the European Council on Foreign Relations in London. "A personal relationship is great, but Trump doesn't remember it once you've left the room." On the first night, the two leaders will have dinner with their wives at George Washington's estate in Mount Vernon, Virginia, overlooking the Potomac River. Macron will present his host with an oak tree from a forest where U.S. troops fought to defend France during World War I. Tuesday night will be a state dinner at the White House at which Brigitte Macron may wear a gown by Louis Vuitton, her designer of choice. The rest of the guest list has been closely guarded so far, though LVMH Chairman Bernard Arnault may make the cut as the only French business leader to have shaken Trump's hand. On the final day of his trip Macron will address a joint session of Congress -- in English -- and meet students at George Washington University. "He has been one of the few Europeans who has pulled off the trick of building a close and strong working relationship with President Trump while also not shying away from criticism," said Jeff Rathke, deputy director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington and a former State Department official. "We'll probably see some of that." Macron's chance to turn the bonhomie into policy substance comes during extended talks on Tuesday. French officials say they've been briefed by their White House counterparts that Trump still hasn't decided whether he'll stick with the Iran nuclear deal. The agreement was the signature foreign-policy achievement of Barack Obama's presidency and perhaps the most intense U.S. diplomatic push since the aftermath of World War I. Trump, 71, is a long-time critic of the accord. He wants more action to stop Iran developing its ballistic missile program and expanding its influence in the Middle East -- issues that aren't covered in the current agreement. Macron plans to offer additional commitments from European nations to guarantee that the deal will keep Iran in check. Macron said that he wants to extend the deal, which he described as imperfect, to include ballistic missiles and "regional containment." He said he hopes Trump upholds the agreement because it serves as a hedge against a "North Korean type of situation," of prolonged threats between nuclear powers. "I think the U.S. today has a very strong role to play for peace in different regions of the world, and especially the Mideast," Macron said in his Fox News interview. "The French president will have prepared a few 'fixes' to the Iran deal, climate accord, and trade issues to deliver Trump something he thinks is a win," said Brett Bruen, a former State Department official under Obama and President George W. Bush. "Macron has mastered the art of the deal when it comes to Trump -- forget about the substance, focus on his feelings, furnishing him with flattery and a touch of French flair." Trump's experience sending his forces into combat alongside their French allies this month may strengthen Macron's chances of making progress on other issues, analysts said. France's position as the EU's foremost military power gives Macron an advantage over Chancellor Angela Merkel, who's derided by the Trump administration for Germany's reluctance to join military action, its low defense spending, and its trade surplus with the U.S. Trade will be Macron's other challenge. He was in Berlin last week to coordinate his arguments with Merkel before the German leader visits the White House on Friday. Trump wants the Europeans to ease the barriers to U.S. exporters seeking access to their markets. Macron and Merkel will both argue that unilateral moves on trade policy are destructive, as they try to persuade Trump not to sabotage the World Trade Organization's rules-based trading system. "I hope he will not implement these new tariffs and he will decide for an exemption for the European Union," Macron said on Fox. "You cannot make a trade war with your ally." - - - Bloomberg contributors: Toluse Olorunnipa, Jonathan Tirone and Ben Brody. WEST HAVEN Old-fashioned milk shakes, ice cream sodas, burgers, hot dogs and fries have returned to the area just off the Interstate 95 Sawmill Road exit along with frothy Stewarts root beer floats with the opening of Stewarts All American Grill. Stewarts All American, which also serves breakfasts, ribs, salads and wraps, held a grand opening celebration Monday, three days after its soft opening Friday. The West Haven location Stewarts first full-service restaurant in Connecticut opened in the fully renovated building at 340 Sawmill Road that once was Friendlys and more recently the short-lived A-1 Diner. Its distinctive orange LED exterior lights can be seen from I-95. There also is a Stewarts express location in the Westfield Trumbull Mall, officials said. Stewarts nostalgic motif was tailored for the local market with photographs of West Havens old Savin Rock amusement park, which hang on the walls. This is Stewart All Americans third opening this year and 39th location overall. President Jim LaGanke and Vice President - Franchise Development & Marketing Gerry Pelissier both said the company plans to open additional Connecticut locations over time. Stewarts plans to open 12 to 15 additional restaurants before the end of the year in locations ranging from Edison, New Jersey, to Massachusetts to Staten Island, New York, to south Florida, said LaGanke, who came up from Stewarts Rutherford, New Jersey headquarters for the occasion. LaGanke is part of a new ownership group that bought the company several years ago and has experience in franchising and ambitious growth plans that include taking the company public. He was joined Monday by Stewarts Director of Business Development Bill Rose and Manager of Technological Operations Ben LeFebvre. Local government was represented by Mayor Nancy Rossi, state Reps. Charles Ferraro, R-West Haven, and Dorinda Borer, D-West Haven, city Commissioner of Development Fred A. Messore and City Council members Tracy Morrissey, D-8, and Richard DePalma, R-At Large. Stewarts landlords, Isabel Tartaglia and Lorraine Tartaglia of Tartaglia Commercial Properties in Monroe also attended. LaGanke said Stewarts, which is a separate company from the one that produces the Stewarts root beer and other soft drinks that it serves, has designed the West Haven location which is larger than most to also be Stewarts national franchise training location. The West Haven restaurant, which Stewarts described in a Feb. 28 post on its Facebook page as our flagship restaurant, is 4,300 square feet, compared to a normal size for new Stewarts All American Grill locations of 2,500 to 3,000 square feet, he said. Our main offices are in Rutherford, but there are no good training facilities nearby and its less expensive to put trainees up in hotels in Connecticut than in northern New Jersey, he said. Stewarts is looking to become a part of the West Haven community, LaGanke said. Rossi welcomed Stewarts All American and said she was pleased to see a new business open in West Haven. I think its very exciting news, she said. I think its a great fit for West Haven. Rossi also thanked Stewarts for inviting City Hall employees and their families to eat for free last Wednesday and Thursday as they were getting the staff trained and up-to-speed for Fridays soft opening. Stewarts gives us a great ... community business and, just as importantly, it gives people another reason to get off the highway in West Haven, she said. Stewarts All American features 1/2-pound and 1/3-pound burgers, hot dogs, Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks and a full soda fountain, among other treats. The West Haven location, which is a corporate store, not operated by a franchisee, is a full-service restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. While many of Stewarts existing locations are left over from the car hop drive-ins that the company which has been around since 1924 opened in the 1950s, the newer ones, including the West Haven restaurant, are based on a new design and concept, Pelissier has said. The Sawmill Road location was one that Stewarts strongly wanted to get into in large part because of its visibility from I-95 and the accompanying 100-foot pylon sign that comes with it, which is very visible from both travel directions, he has said. The location is adjacent to the relatively new development that includes a Starbucks, a Chipotle Mexican Grill and an Aspen Dental office on the former site of the American Steakhouse. The Stewarts property was recently purchased by an affiliate of Tartaglia Commercial Properties, owned by the family that used to own the steakhouse. While Stewarts All American Grill is a new concept, Stewarts restaurants have been around since 1924. Thats when Frank Stewart set out to create the worlds creamiest, best tasting root beer, working with a chemist, blending 20 different extracts of roots, herbs, and berries, according to a company history on the Stewarts website. To supplement his teachers salary, Frank opened his first restaurant in Mansfield, Ohio, and over the years, juicy hamburgers, frankfurters, tasty french fries with toppings, local specialties and desserts were added to the menu, it says. The half of the original company that makes and bottles Stewarts soda is still owned by the former owner of the restaurant. The sodas are bottled by Dr. Pepper, LaGanke said. Its been an April to remember for the legal marijuana industry in the United States. First came the news that former marijuana opponent John Boehner, the former Speaker of the House, had joined the board of Acreage Holdings, one of the largest cannabis companies in the United States. Now President Donald Trump has reportedly assured U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado that he will support protection of states that have legalized marijuana from federal interference. But Trump apparently went beyond even that. In January, Attorney General Jeff Sessions decision to rescind the Cole Memo -- an Obama-era Justice Department memo that essentially protected states that have legalized marijuana from federal interference -- caused concern in the cannabis industry that a crackdown could happen. According to Gardner, Trump told him that will not be the case. He then went one step beyond that, saying he plans to support changes at the federal level that will strengthen states rights. Related: Where to Find Funding for a Cannabis Business All this is based on a statement Gardner released on his website, in which he said, I received a commitment from the president that the Department of Justices rescission of the Cole memo will not impact Colorados legal marijuana industry. Furthermore, President Trump has assured me that he will support a federalism-based legislative solution to fix this states rights issue once and for all. The White House later confirmed the accuracy of Gardners statement. Art of the Marijuana Deal Apparently, all of this -- which seemed unlikely just months ago -- happened because of Sessions decision to rescind the memo. In reaction to Sessions action, Gardner has since held up 20 of the Trump Administrations nominations to the Department of Justice. Gardner said he would stop blocking nominees based on these commitments he received from Trump that Colorados marijuana industry is not in jeopardy. While not straightforward, its one of the first signs from the Trump Administration that it wont crack down on legal marijuana states. Sessions position is well known. Up until this month, Trump had remained largely silent on the marijuana. Marc Short, the legislative affairs director for the White House, told the Washington Post the administration was reluctant to reward Gardners maneuvering. But at the same time, we're anxious to get our team at the Department of Justice," Short said. He also went on to say that Trump does respect Colorado's right to decide for themselves how to best approach this issue." That last part is likely what marijuana industry entrepreneurs will most pay attention to. Related: Marijuana Edibles Make the List of Top 10 Food Trends This Year Challenges Ahead Trumps assurances to Gardner, coupled with the Boehner decision, has created yet another buzz in many places about marijuana moving into the mainstream and the challenges it still faces. One good example is from NPR. While making the point that Boehner certainly did well politically in opposing marijuana, the article also notes that his decision to join the Acreage Holdings board signals a shift. His decision comes in time to help people who see cannabis as a promising business opportunity, the article states. However, it also points out that minorities continue to get arrested for marijuana in disproportionate numbers and could get shut out of the legal marijuana industry. To stay up to date on the latest marijuana related news make sure to like dispensaries.com on Facebook Related: Trump Basically Says Obama-Era Marijuana Policies Aren't Going to Change Where to Find Funding for a Cannabis Business Palantir's Data-Mining Software Was Used to Spy on JPMorgan Staff, and Company Terms Are Getting a Rewrite. 3 Things to Know Today. Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved VIRGINIA McCauslands Food Market is getting a facelift and updates this summer with the help of a $50,000 grant from the citys TIF fund. The grocery store on the citys square was awarded the grant to go toward the roughly $95,000 project to upgrade and repair the building. Laurie Finney Beard bought the business in March before moving forward with the renovation project. The building hadnt had any improvements in many years, she said. Well try to upgrade it and make it look better and more modern. We want to make it a viable business and keep people shopping in Virginia. Beard was excited to hear theyd received the grant, she said. Im pleased the grant was approved and well be able to complete some of these projects, she said. Store manager Stephanie Hobrock said the grant will help cover some large projects to upgrade the building and equipment. The building already has been receiving some electrical upgrades. Theyll be installing a new roof and upgrading some equipment, Hobrock said. Were looking at new coolers, freezers, the whole 9 yards, Hobrock said. Hobrock said she is looking at stores that are closing or moving to find quality used coolers and freezers for the store to hold expanding products. We want to have a prettier look to the store, room for better produce and more products, Hobrock said. Were looking at more organic options, more fresh fruits and vegetables, and well make a change in some of the things we carry to meet the needs of the community. While the estimated total for the project is $95,000, they will not know the total cost until all the projects are complete and equipment purchased, Beard said The remaining balance after the grant will be covered by Beard. Itll be owner investment, she said. We want to stay competitive. While a set schedule has not been established, work likely will continue throughout the summer with hopes of wrapping it up in August, Hobrock said. The store, at 101 E. Springfield St. in Virginia, is open from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1233, or on Twitter @JCNews_samantha. It was mid-morning on a warm and cloudy Saturday when Johnathan Lee Hamilton left his family home in Houston in his fathers gray GMC Envoy to grab a bottle of Coke and a cup of Starbucks coffee for his sister Cheyenne. The handsome six-foot, two-inch young man took the familys German shepherd, Shadow, with him for the ride, which was unusual. Perhaps he wanted to have a last goodbye with the dog. He went back home just to leave the pet and deliver the beverages, like a final offering to his family, and gunned his fathers SUV as far as he could away from the city. It was May 2, 2015, three weeks before Johnathans 27th birthday, and the last time his family saw him. The family reported Johnathan, who had just finished a course in welding, as a missing person to the Houston Police Department. He was spotted two days later 134 miles away at a garage parking in Bastrop, near Austin. Angie Hamilton, his mother, said she and her husband begged the local police to detain Johnathan until the family could pick him up for the sake of his safety, as her son was diagnosed with type one diabetes and bipolar disorder. But she said they were told that, since the young man hasnt done anything wrong, they couldnt take him. By the time they arrived, he was gone. *** The family is representative of thousands of others nationwide who face a maze of police and other agencies to find what happened to their loved ones. People have no idea how serious this is, said Houston police Detective. Darrin Buse. To help families like the Hamiltons, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences on Sunday kicked off its fourth annual Missing in Harris County Day. Also participating were families of about a dozen missing people, officers from the Harris County Sheriff Office and HPD and others. LEARN ABOUT THE STORY of a family matched by the Missing in Harris County Day Law enforcement agencies in the Houston area annually receive more than 7,000 missing person reports, of which a majority are runaways, while others may have died, suffer from mental disabilities, are addicted to drugs or who dont want to be found, said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. Last year, his office dealt with roughly 3,000 missing persons' reports. HPD received a higher number of missing person reports last year, 9,500, and its dedicated unit of 11 officers has a close to a 90 percent success rate resolving cases, said Buse. On Sunday, services were offered for free, including guidance to search and introduce information about missing people in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. NamUs, as it is called, has two searchable databases. One is for Missing Persons, which is populated by reports from law enforcement, medical examiners and families with verifiable cases. There are currently over 14,000 open missing cases in the system, of which 1,097 are from Texas. Reported missing person cases are automatically cross-searched against the unidentified deceased persons database in NamUs, containing reports from coroners and law enforcement agencies. Almost 12,000 active but unidentified cases are open in the system, 1,881 of them from Texas. NamUs historically has been able to match about 20 percent of the unidentified remains with missing persons cases. But the critical data introduced in the system that facilitates the pairing is the DNA extracted from both the bodies and families looking for missing loved ones. Taking saliva swabs to extract families DNA is one of the most valuable services offered to attendees for free, said Dr. Sharon Derrick, who started the annual event Deana Hebert provided her saliva sample. She had done so already long ago as her daughter Bianca Lozano was kidnapped by her father in 1995, when the girl was only 18 months old, and presumably taken to Mexico. Derrick, who is in charge of identification at the forensic institute, recommended retaking the mothers DNA. *** One of the main problems matching missing persons with unidentified bodies is a lack of information about the existence of NamUs, not only by families struggling to find their loved ones but also by law enforcement agencies, mainly in small towns and rural areas with limited resources, said Melissa Rangel, a case manager at the Texas Center for the Missing in Houston. GO DEEPER: Immigrant deaths rise sharply along Texas border. Many are never identified. Many cities and counties around the country bury or cremate unidentified remains without collecting DNA samples, according to The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), an agency of the Department of Justice. Rangel said that, additionally, there isnt any federal law making it mandatory to report unidentified remains or adult missing people to NamUs or to the FBIs National Crime Information Center or NCIC, the other primary system collecting this information. A 2016 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office to the Congress found that the fact that the two national databases remain separate systems produces a waste of resources and inefficiencies resulting in a disservice to the public affected by missing loved ones. In the NCIC's, which is only available to authorized law enforcement agencies, more than 650,000 records of missing persons were entered in 2017, of which 88.089 remained active at the end of the year. Conversely, active records of unidentified human remains totaled 8,634 at that time. Some of the records of both database systems overlap, but many other are never entered in NamUs, which is the public database. The Institute of Justice calls the problem "a mass disaster over time." There are as many as 100,000 active missing persons cases in the U.S., on any given day, while more than 40,000 sets of human remains that cannot be identified are held in the evidence rooms of medical examiners throughout the country, or buried or cremated under local public jurisdictions. Where is my son? What happened to my son? said Angie Hamilton last week with a voice tamed by a stream of tears. She said she has called law enforcement agencies and people all around the country looking for Johnathan. No answers. She has followed tips to places from people believing they have seen her son. Its never him. Sometimes Angie Hamilton wonders if Johnathan is one of the thousands of souls that have fallen through the cracks of a system that fails to have a uniform way to deal with the missing people and unidentified human remains. I have a battle going on within myself, between what my mind knows and what my hearts feels, and there are no words for it, she said. On Sunday, Angie Hamilton went to the Harris County event to help other people looking for loved ones and share her story. Its the second time she assisted at the event. Some relatives of missing people go to events like this as a coping mechanism. It comforts to talk with other people that can understand me, said Victor Solis, whose daughter, Maria Solis, was in 2003 was last seen alive by her family after taking a bus to school. She was 16 and two years later her remains were found in the Brazos River in Sugar Land. Comforting people like Solis has become a cause for Angie Hamilton. On Sunday, she said, as part of her activism, she plans to host an informal gathering this Thursday to bring awareness and attention to the cause of the missing. It will be held from 10 to 2 p.m. at the parking lot of the Allendale Shopping Center at 2040 Richey St. Pasadena 77502. Searching for Johnathan has been a daily struggle for his mother. Most of the time, she said: I feel melted into the floor, but I grab whatever is left and try to put myself back together, just trying for a little bit longer. Every day. Over, and over, and over. olivia.tallet@chron.com Twitter: @oliviaptallet A digital pet identification tag offered by the City of San Antonio could someday render obsolete the traditional practice of handing out fliers for missing pets. Animal Care Services has partnered with online company PetHub to offer the digital ID tags that allow anyone with a smart phone to scan the tag and alert an owner that his or her animal has been found. ACS assistant director Shannon Sims said most residents dont have a microchip scanner, but nearly everyone has a smart phone. Its going to allow a citizen to scan the tag and that animal never has to come to the shelter, Sims said. The grand vision is that one day, every animal with a microchip cant be lost and every single animal is walking around with a PetHub tag, so if they do get lost in the community that community can help get that animal back home. Pet owners can create free pet profiles online that include names, ages, breeds, photos and owners contact information. They can also enter other data, such as vaccination records, allergies, medications, any sicknesses the pet may have and the pets primary veterinarian. A free, basic account comes with each tag thats a little bigger than a quarter. Made of aluminum and coated with an epoxy seal, each tag bears the phrase I have a home on the front and a black-and-white QR code on the back, along with a call center phone number. Good Samaritans can call the PetHub call center to talk with a live person about linking a phone call or to get more information. The intent, he said, is for direct connection within the community to get the animal back home sooner, without involving ACS officer, live release staff or the shelter. The basic service is free. PetHub also offers a premium service for $39 per year, which includes instant notification when a pets tag is scanned and the location of where the tag was scanned, among other benefits. Participants can use the coupon code SAXTEN to receive a $10 discount. With each upgraded account, ACS will get a special donation. According to the companys website, a found pet hotline staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In July 2015 a new ordinance required that all cats, dogs and ferrets within city limits have a registered microchip, the primary way to license pets living in San Antonio. ACS offer free microchips at monthly Microchip Mania! clinics and at the ACS shelter. Sims said there is a 75 percent identification rate with the microchip program. The digital ID tag also meets the citys ordinance requirement for a rabies tag. vtdavis@express-news.net A West Texas man accused of tampering with evidence in the disappearance of college student Zuzu Verk pleaded no contest to the charge earlier this month, Brewster County officials said. Chris Estrada was charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence by concealing a human corpse in March 2017, a month after Verk's remains were found in a shallow grave near Alpine in West Texas. Born and raised in the South Side of San Antonio, Amada C. Millie Rosel would help her father distribute food staples during the Depression. Growing up, my mother would tell my sister and I that our grandfather would go out to the neighborhood and pass out sugar, flour and salt after a long day of work, said her daughter Yolanda Rosel. Those were some of her humbling moments growing up she said. Rosel died April 5 from breast cancer. She was 92. A Brackenridge High School graduate, Rosel married Juan A. Rosel in the summer of 1946 after he served two-years in the Army as a medic. After their first child passed away at four months, the couple had two more children, both girls. As a civil service employee at Kelly AFB, Rosel worked in the aircraft records department for 35 years. During her tenure, Rosel met President John F. Kennedy. More Information Amada C. "Millie" Rosel Born: Sept. 21, 1925, San Antonio Died: April 5, 2018, San Antonio Preceded by: Parents Antonio and Francisca Campos; husband Joe A. Rosel; son Joe A. Rosel Jr.; brothers Eliseo and Edward Campos, stepfather, Juan C. Ramirez. Survived by: Daughters Yolanda Rosel and Rose Mary R. Garza; sister Ada C. Rosales, brother John M. Ramirez; three grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; two great-great-granddaughters. Services: Visitation at 6 p.m., rosary at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Porter Loring Chapel, 1101 McCullough Ave.; Mass at 9 a.m. Wednesday, St. James the Apostle Catholic Church, 907 W. Theo Avenue. Burial will follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. See More Collapse She was over the moon when she met President Kennedy, her daughter said. My mother was very active in the voting polls. Rosel and her husband would walk their neighborhood during election time passing out fliers for candidates they were backing and participated in rallies for the Democratic Party. My mother would instill in my sister and I that everybody had to do their part to make things happen and that our vote mattered, her daughter said. She always felt that her vote counted. In the summer of 1997, Rosels husband died from heart disease. After my father passed away, my mother remained very independent and active, her daughter said. She was part of the Ladies Auxiliary, a club that would go to schools to deliver school supplies and Veterans Affairs clinics to pass out magazines. In 2014 when she was 88 years old, Rosel broke her hip, which caused her to stop driving. My mother would pick up her grandchildren from school. She just loved being out and about, her daughter said. When Rosel wasnt doing community work, she loved to travel to Las Vegas with the family and loved playing the slots machines. Her last trip to Vegas was in 2015. A year later she was diagnosed with breast cancer. For the past five years, the family started a tradition on the last Sunday of the month. They would go to church together and eat lunch afterward. My mother always looked forward to the end of the month to see her sisters and grandchildren, her daughter said. jdelvalle@express-news.net A jury here sentenced a 38-year-old woman to five years probation in the hit-and-run death of a pedestrian in 2016. It took the jury a little under three hours Monday to decide punishment for Adriana Sanchez Aviles, who was convicted Thursday of failure to stop and render aid and causing the death of Adina Munoz, 28, as she attempted to cross in the center of the 6800 block of San Pedro Avenue around 5 a.m. Feb. 20, 2016. State District Judge Jefferson Moore, who presided over the case in the 186th state District Court, ordered a drug and alcohol evaluation and will impose conditions of probation before sentencing, which is set for May 31. She faced up to 20 years in prison. Aviles was on her way to work on the dark, rainy morning when she hit Munoz. The incident was captured by a video camera on the rear of a tow truck as it drove by, which showed the victim fly into the air, and the car that hit her kept going. Aviles, who testified in her own defense last week with the assistance of an interpreter, said she knew she hit something, but didn't know it was a person. When she returned to the scene about an hour later, she was arrested. On Monday as the punishment phase began, the jury heard from relatives, who said Aviles, a single mother, was taking care of her elderly parents as well as her children. Before prosecutors Amanda Brown and Jason Todd rested their case Monday, the victim's husband, Edgar Munoz, testified that his wife's loss has been hard for the family, especially their daughter, 10, and his stepsons, 12 and 15. He described his wife as a doting mother. Munoz said he and his wife had problems on and off, and lived apart, but never talked about divorce because they never stopped loving each other. We'd go through stuff but it was like magnets, we came right back to each other, he told the jury. Prosecutors also introduced to the jury several documents that showed previous citations for moving violations, speeding and driving without proof of insurance. Defense attorney Juan R. Gonzalez called the incident an unfortunate tragedy for both families involved, but called it an accident, and asked the panel to sentence her to probation. Aviles therapist, Manuel Cordero, testified that Aviles was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and relives the tragedy every day. In her closing argument, Brown told the jury Aviles never took responsibility for her actions and pointed to phone records that showed Aviles made 21 phone calls after the incident, and that none were to 911. Twenty-one phone calls, and not a single one for help, Brown. Gonzalez told the jury in his closing argument that his client was remorseful, knows she committed a crime and has accepted responsibility. He pointed out that although his client had several traffic violations, she has never been convicted of a felony and urged them to give her community supervision. This type of crime with this type of defendant is not a prison crime. Its a community supervision crime, Gonzalez said. The court can stipulate the conditions and restrictions, and she will follow them. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | ezavala@express-news.net | @elizabeth2863 A Northisde ISD police officer was placed on administrative leave after he was arrested by San Antonio police on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, officials said. Matthew Huizar, 26, was driving along Culebra Road near Selene Drive Thursday around 11:30 p.m. when he struck a median, according to his arrest report. The wreck punctured both the tires on the driver's side of the car. Edgewood ISD police arrested a San Antonio man after he asked a 12-year-old girl for help, then ordered her to stay with him rather than going to school, according to an arrest affidavit. Rickey Shelton, 50, was arrested on suspicion of unlawful restraint a few weeks after the initial incident on April 6, police said. The girl was walking to school when Shelton stopped her and asked to borrow her phone, according to the arrest affidavit. She allowed him to use it. RELATED: SAPD: Woman says she shot knife-wielding man trying to rape her at NE side Motel 6 Shelton then stopped her from leaving and asked her to buy him a drink from the Shell gas station near Acme Road and Enrique Barrera Parkway, according to the affidavit. The girl bought him the drink and tried to leave for school again. Shelton ordered her to stay and offered her $40 not to go to school, according to the affidavit. A witness who became fearful for the child offered the girl a ride to school, police said. The girl, who told police she feared for her life, took the witness' offer. She called her mother on the way to tell her what happened, authorities said. Police obtained the warrant for Shelton's arrest after corroborating the girl's claims through video evidence taken from the corner store, according to the affidavit. Shelton was taken into custody Saturday. A judge set his bail at $5,000. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA If history teaches us anything, it is that parody is the greatest form of imitation. Or it could be an oblique form of ridicule. One of the funniest films to poke fun at the cinematic history of the Alamo is Viva Max! The movie stars Peter Ustinov as the quixotic Mexican general who decides to retake the Alamo in modern-day Texas. The film premiered in December 1969, with slapstick portrayals of Mexican soldiers by Anglo actors and a Texas National Guard led by Jonathan Winters, a hapless part-time brigadier general and furniture store owner. Both sides carry unloaded weapons. Viva Max! is a bloodless Greek comedy poking fun at Texas mythology, with Ustinov (Max) portraying a modern-day Don Quixote, chasing windmills for a long-forgotten cause. Satire is a popular instrument of retribution the powerless use to inflict ridicule on societal elements that practice exclusion. OPINION: 'Vaquero' reflects the culture of South Texas Fiesta Week is upon us and people will be hustling and bustling, preparing to eat, drink, dance and celebrate an occasion that attracts movers and shakers across Texas. But what are the origins of Fiesta? It started as a commemoration of the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto between Sam Houstons Texas army and Santa Anas Mexican army. Remember the Alamo became Remember San Jacinto, where Texas settlers caught Santa Ana by surprise and gained revenge for the massacre at the Alamo. Its original intent can be interpreted as controversial, since its primary purpose was to celebrate a victorious revolution, fueled by the ideology of Manifest Destiny, against a nation now south of the border. Its 1891 inception was racially motivated, as many elite Anglo Texans excluded Mexican-Americans from participating in the festivities, according to Laura Hernandez-Ehrismans book, Inventing the Fiesta City: Heritage and Carnival in San Antonio. MORE: Fiesta's economic, social impact on city is great According to Holly Beachley Brears classic, Inherit the Alamo, the celebration of the Battle of San Jacinto assumed a carnival atmosphere when the original Spring Carnival Association transformed into the Fiesta Association and the event morphed into Fiesta San Jacinto in 1912. In the 1940s, more associations jockeyed for tourist revenue, adding a night parade with the crowning of Miss Fiesta. Because the Mexican-American community wanted inclusion, the Fiesta San Jacinto Commission officially became the Battle of Flowers Parade Commission and finally changed to Fiesta San Antonio, making it more inclusive. RELATED: It's easy been green at Fiesta In 1980, the crowning of El Rey Feo (Ugly King) was instituted by the League of United Latin American Citizens because the Texas Cavaliers, a closed organization, excluded Mexican-Americans when selecting King Antonio, an iconic celebratory figure during Fiesta. The institution of El Rey Feo is another significant turning point in Anglo-Mexican relations. For nearly a century, Mexican-Americans were spectators on the sidelines, observing Anglos portraying Mexicans in costumes and regalia. All this would change through protests by the Chicano movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Parody of King Antonio through El Rey Feo has been lost in recent years because both groups have become homogenized into a single postmodern Alamo narrative its about partying. In the yearly celebration that is Fiesta, the historical master narrative of retribution and conquest has been downgraded because San Antonio continues to thrive as one of Americas unique cities, embracing a multicultural cavalcade of ideas and participants. Viva Fiesta! Viva Maximum party! Alfredo Torres Jr. is a copy editor for CTN: A Journal of Pedagogy and Ideas and an independent historian working at Palo Alto College. In the Southwest, four governors are sending National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. To understand how dangerous this could be, you can listen to politicians or poets. Consider what California Gov. Jerry Brown the only Democrat in that cohort said last week at the National Press Club in Washington. Reluctant to honor President Donald Trumps request for troops but afraid to be seen as weak on immigration, Brown is in quite a pickle. In his remarks to reporters, the governor of the Golden State downplayed his showdown with Trump. The president who seems to enjoy using California as a foil has accused the Democrat of undermining border security. Last week, Brown who claimed that California and the Trump administration are pretty close to an agreement pledged to send as many as 400 National Guard troops to the border, but only on the condition that they not enforce immigration law or build a wall. Trying to stop drug smuggling, human trafficking and guns going to Mexico to the cartels, that sounds to me like fighting crime, he said. Hold on. Brown must think he is being clever, doing Trumps bidding but on his own terms. Yet how are the California National Guard troops supposed to fight crime which isnt their job, by the way without interacting with illegal immigrants? Are troops supposed to arrest the human traffickers but not take into custody the humans being trafficked? Trying to catch some desperate mothers and children, unaccompanied minors coming from Central America? That sounds like something else, Brown said. Agreed. To many Latinos, it sounds like someone is trying to bleach out the brown and make America white again. Lets consult with a band of Mexican poets who have as naturalized U.S. citizens living in San Jose, California, since the 1960s used music to decipher the Mexican diaspora. To unpack the experience of working-class whites in the Rust Belt, you turn to Bruce Springsteen. But to decode what it means to be an undocumented Mexican immigrant living on this side of the line, you need to soak up the wisdom of Los Tigres del Norte a band that has sold more than 30 million records. In their cultural battle hymn, Somos Mas Americanos, an undocumented immigrant stands up to Americans who mistake workers for invaders and assume a war footing. Soy extranjero en mi tierra. Y no vengo a darles guerra. Soy hombre trabajador (Im a stranger in my own land. And I didnt come to make war. Im a working man). America is confused. We take in refugees from war-ravaged Syria albeit a small number of them but we wont even give refugees from war-ravaged Central America an asylum hearing. We make a big show about keeping out illegal immigrants, and the party that is doing much of the chest-thumping the GOP is hooked on contributions from businesses that use illegal immigrant labor. We portray illegal immigrants as dangerous criminals, then we hand them our children and the digits to our home security code so they can make our lives more comfortable. Does this make sense to anyone who isnt binge watching Fox News and following the rants of dimwits in New York and Washington who dont know the border from a burrito? If tough-talking Trump and all the other anti-immigrant bullies are serious about stopping illegal immigration, theyd start locking up employers, and the illegal immigrants they hire will skedaddle. But beware. This isnt as easy as picking on poorly educated noncitizens who dont speak English and cant defend themselves. Employers will fight back. And they know how to strike fear into the hearts of politicians with just six words: Im stopping payment on the check! Americans love to complain about illegal immigration, but theyll never accept responsibility for it. Hire illegal immigrants? Who us? When Trump followed the lead of the last two presidents one Democrat, one Republican and ordered troops to the border, he let U.S. employers off the hook. He also told the world that its time to take up arms because the United States is being invaded. Truth is, a lot of the folks who come looking for work were pretty much invited. ruben@rubennavarrette.com VICE-president Constantino Chiwenga is fast-gaining a reputation as a no-nonsense politician after summarily dismissing 15 000 striking nurses, but analysts have warned his leadership style is not consistent with the so-called new era. Chiwenga took ownership of the decision to fire the nurses on the eve of the countrys independence Day last week claiming the strike was political. However, the move infuriated labour unions and political parties, who described it as a gross violation of the nurses labour rights and the countrys constitution. Giles Mutsekwa, the MDC-T secretary for security, said the controversial decision showed that Chiwenga was struggling to fit into a civilian government after serving years as a soldier. Unfortunately, for Chiwenga, we all went through such kind of experience when we came from the military, the former Home Affairs deputy minister said. Coming from the military, one needs to acclimatise to the civilian world. You must remember that here is a man who was involved in a bush war during the colonial era and later joined the military as a regular soldier. He hasnt taken time to experience what it is to be a civilian. We all went through that, but that situation is detrimental to the country. He needs to be re-oriented, he needs that. Unfortunately, he came out of the barracks and went straight to be the VP. He should have taken time in the terraces and see how things are done. Chiwenga was the Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander when the army toppled former president Robert Mugabe in November last year. He was sworn as VP together with Kembo Mohadi the following month. Chiwenga is also the Defence minister. Mutsekwa said the former army general had made several blunders in the few months he had been in government. He is making terrible decisions which are not good at all for the well-being of the country, Mutsekwa said. If I were in President Emmerson Mnangagwas shoes, I would have summoned Chiwenga and told him that he is a national leader now and not a military commander and he needs to cool down. Dewa Mavhinga, a political analyst, advised Chiwenga to get civilian advisors that will school him on human rights and the rule of law. General Chiwengas move directly from the army to government represents militarisation of Zimbabwes civilian affairs and recent ill-advised and bungled-up decisions like firing striking nurses without due process of law point to an unfortunate military approach to national affairs, Mavhinga said. Nurses have the constitutional right to peacefully demonstrate to demand a living wage and their genuine concerns cannot be dismissed as politically motivated because to do that would be to dabble in partisan politics in the face of a collapsing health sector. Harare-based political activist Patson Dzamara said Chiwenga had exhibited traits of being a dictator. A close look at Chiwenga will reveal that in under four months he has fired senior police officers, he grabbed state land for his woman, he is giving business to his wife and now he has fired striking nurses, he said. These are not only signs of dictatorial tendencies, but apt manifestation of that. When he left the barracks, Chiwenga, a man who has been a soldier almost half of his life, needed rehabilitation and re-orientation into society as an ordinary citizen. His involvement at the highest level of this countrys leadership is unfortunate and costly. In January, Chiwenga was linked to the mass sacking of senior police and intelligence officers. However, the move was reversed a few days later without any explanation. The Standard Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Businessman James Makamba, who ended 12 years of self-imposed exile four months ago, has been exposed for plotting to bring down Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and Cyber Security minister Supa Mandiwanzira through a coordinated media campaign. A leaked audio recording circulating on social media suggests that although Makamba owes his return to Zimbabwe after over a decade in exile to the advent of a new dispensation, he is bitter with President Emmerson Mnangagwa for allegedly failing to assist him regain control of mobile telecommunications firm, Telecel Zimbabwe. He is particularly unhappy because he believes he helped breathe confidence in the new political dispensation by heeding the call by Mnangagwa for exiled businesspersons to return home and help rebuild the country. Makamba is also livid with Mandiwanzira for orchestrating his loss of effective control of mobile cellular operator Telecel Zimbabwe during his 12-year-long absence. Makamba is heard in the damning two-hour audio recording strategising how best to bring down Mandiwanzira and some business leaders, among them banker Ozias Bvute, who is also chairperson of the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe. The recording exposes Makamba attempting to recruit former Star FM current affairs presenter Acie Lumumba, but the blogger rejects his offer of a down-payment of R4 000. In the recording, Makamba attempts to lure Lumumba to discredit and rubbish the government, and says the first target must be Mandiwanzira, who was unavailable for comment amid reports he was busy with constituency work. He then suggests names of seasoned journalists (names withheld) who could effectively undertake the assignment. Makamba was not taking calls from the Daily News yesterday, and did not respond to messages sent on his mobile. Makamba does not hide his disappointment at Mnangagwa for allegedly not assisting him regain control of Telecel Zimbabwe. In the same manner that Mugabe directed Supa to acquire the 60 percent, I strongly believe the President (Mnangagwa) should have gone to Cabinet and said we all know, we were all here when (former) President Mugabe told us that he has instructed the minister to acquire the 60 percent which was paid for in the following manner. We all know Cde Makamba has come back and he was not given the first right of refusal which is common practice in law, therefore, we are offering the opportunity to refund, not to buy, to refund whatever government money was paid to Telecel International so that he can have 60 percent. Its known that Telecel its Makambas company, despite everything that has happened, Makamba is recorded saying. He is heard saying he helped breathe confidence in the new political dispensation by coming back home. In the same manner Supa was directed he should direct him just to reverse and let Makamba have his shares. After all, this was the first person to show confidence to say the president is saying Zimbabweans come back, Zimbabwe is open to business at great risk to him, he further says. The former broadcaster is then heard urging extensive propaganda against Mandiwanzira to ensure he is fired before elections. Makamba suggests to Lumumba which content to push on social media that would effectively discredit the ICT minister and fast track his political downfall. He is also heard bad mouthing Vice President (Retired General) Constantino Chiwenga and his wife Marry Chiwenga. These guys need an expose but in a smart way, Ok, Makamba says. Because there is the general on the other side nepfuti dzake (with his guns) and his wife. Then Makambas associate comes in, suggesting there was an urgent need to start the disinformation campaign adding: Nyoka inorohwa musoro wayo and musorowenyoka iyi ndiSupa (you strike the snake right on the head and in this case the snake is Supa). We need to have Mnangagwa dismissing him. The problem is that he is being protected by Chiwenga but we must just go after him, the recording says. The associate then breathes fire against Mandiwanzira, alleging he facilitated the purchase of shares for the government in Telecel from Russian firm Vimplecom. Makamba also revealed he will lobby some powerful parliamentarians. Names of journalists are then bandied around by Makamba, and he suggested paying an initial $200 to each of the scribes (names withheld) as down payment. He is also recorded suggesting former Zanu PF secretary for the commissariat Saviour Kasukuwere and Chiwenga were related, adding the former Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander allowed Kasukuweres young brother, Danny, to return to Zimbabwe on the basis of the alleged relationship. The General asked why Danny fled the country, Makamba is heard saying. He said he must come back. Makamba has been engaged in mortal combat with his former lawyer Gerald Mlotshwa for control of Telecel. Mlotshwa is also Mnangagwas son-in-law. He is keen to win back his stake in the Empowerment Corporation (EC) which was bought by Mlotshwa. The EC, a group of local investors, owns 40 percent of Telecel. Makamba has been arguing that Mlotshwa abused trust reposed in him as his proxy to buy his shares. Government through its wholly-owned Internet service provider ZARNnet took effective control of the countrys third mobile operator Telecel Zimbabwe in which Telecel International had a 60 percent shareholding. A former Zanu PF central committee member and Member of Parliament, Makamba fled Zimbabwe in 2005 after being charged with illegally moving 3,7 million, $2,1 million and R15 million into offshore accounts on separate occasions. The wealthy businessperson, whose interests include telecommunications, mining, retail, broadcasting and consulting, has also been forced to deny widespread allegations that he was forced into self-imposed exile because he was having an extramarital affair with former first lady, Grace Mugabe, insisting that they were just business partners. He has just won the right to contest primary elections to represent Zanu PF in Mt Darwin South where he is facing 19 other ruling party candidates. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News A potential conflict and possibly a constitutional crisis might emerge if President Emmerson Mnangagwa does not deal with overlapping responsibilities between him and his equally powerful deputy, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, analysts warned this week. This followed last weeks haste decision by the former commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), who led a military campaign that dethroned former president Robert Mugabe, to dismiss an estimated 15 000 nurses for taking part in an industrial action. Chiwenga said he was doing so in his capacity as head of the social services cluster, even though the nurses are employed by the Health Services Board (HSB), which works in concert with the minister of Health and Child Care. His boss, Mnangagwa, has earmarked the health and education sectors as key social improvement targets for his administration along with the business and investment environments. Last week, Mnangagwa subtly reversed the retired generals decision, encouraging all the supposedly fired nurses to reapply, but analysts said that does not explain why the new vice president believed he could act in such a way in the first place. Perhaps more to the point: did he have the go-ahead from Mnangagwa to do so? NKC African Economics analyst, Gary van Staden, asked rhetorically yesterday. Not so long ago, the vice president was linked to another controversial decision when the whole top brass of the Zimbabwe Republic Police was fired while Mnangagwa was on an official visit to Zambia, only for the president to veto the dismissals on his return. Analysts that spoke to the Daily News yesterday said the partitioning of roles between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga who also happens to be the Defence minister was a recipe for disaster as it creates competing powers while engendering rifts between them. Peoples Democratic Party spokesperson Jacob Mafume said if left to persist, this could create a constitutional crisis. The experiment is not going to work in the current format. One of them has to agree he is ceremonial for it to work. In this case, maybe the croc (Mnangagwa) was put in for window dressing and is yet to come to terms with it, said Mafume. Political analyst Vivid Gwede said the new dispensation seems to have two bulls in the same kraal, adding there appears to be a tug-of-war of influence peddling and competing centres of power, hence the confusion. According to Gwede, this is traceable to the way the new government came into power in November last year when the then ZDF commander led a soft military coup that forced Mugabe to resign after 37 years of autocratic rule to pave way for a Mnangagwa presidency. But there is also the glaring tragedy of military-framed politics, where command disturbs and overrules consensus and consultation, said Gwede. But there is nothing new here, those who constitute the new dispensation have not been known for the politics of persuasion and that trend of coercive decision-making might become the default mind-set of government if not challenged and changed soon enough. Social commentator Cont Mhlanga said Chiwengas statement has the effect of portraying him as a default dictator president of Zimbabwe given the background of how the new dispensation came about, where the army under his command openly supported Mnangagwas ascendancy to the post. We may be witnessing a confusion of the centre of power of the new political dispensation between government, the party and the military. A whole vice president who is minister of Defence for that matter making such pronouncements ahead of the HSB, the minister of Health or even the president informs the nation that we are not in a normal political dispensation, said Mhlanga. No one can be certain about where the centre of power is with this new political dispensation.Such blunders must be minimised or better still avoided. The country does not need them. Crisis Coalition spokesperson Thabani Moyo warned Mnangagwa to be mindful of the fact that his ability to defend the Constitution could become compromised by those with soldierly backgrounds who may exert themselves on civilian issues using military approaches. Said Moyo: This is an anathema to democratic existence: By allowing the general (Chiwenga) to go on this tangent, the president has allowed for the wanton violation of the Constitution. He did the same when he fired the whole top brass of the police and now repeating the use of force rather than undertaking constitutional approaches towards addressing national issues. Political analyst Rashweat Mukundu said even though Chiwenga had used his powers as the one in-charge of social service, he did not follow the countrys labour laws. The key factor is, however, whether the labour law and public service employment statutes were followed. If not then the ED (Mnangagwa) government may be tripping itself on its call that it abides by national laws. The firing may be an indication that the militaristic approach of November 2017 is still determining government policy. The VP must not appear on national media firing public service staff but rather the requisite authorities following the laws of the land. The Zimbabwe open for business mantra is undermined by such actions which demonstrate that this government will act arbitrarily when it feels threatened, Mukundu said. Political analyst Macdonald Lewanika said the dismissal of striking nurses besides the clear and present danger it poses to the health of millions, and infractions on the rights of the nurses not just to strike but also to fair remuneration for work tendered, was patently sexist, classist, dictatorial, patronising retrogressive and a poor attempt at dividing health workers in the country. It is sexist as it is a decision that affects women who are the majority of nurses in the country and is a study in contrast to the governments treatment of junior doctors just last month, who figures suggest are mostly male. It is classist and an attack on the working classes as it ill-treats and renders redundant thousands of hardworking nurses who are already hamstrung by poor remuneration and working conditions, said Lewanika. It is dictatorial in that where negotiations could have yielded fruit, where the government could have been empathetic it chose the heavy hand of firing nurses with legitimate concerns. It is patronising as it assumes that the issues raised by striking nurses can be wished away yet even those who come to replace them will have the same concerns as soon as they assume post. It is a clear abuse of power by a vice president who has assumed powers he ordinarily doesnt have and based on a whim and insensitive judgement has placed the health system in jeopardy through impacting quality and availability of nursing services in the health systems continuum of care. But that is to be expected from people who rule without a mandate from the people and who were not selected for their leadership by the people, said Lewanika Stephen Chan, a professor of world politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, said the retired general must learn that he is no longer in the army. Nurses are not easily replaced. He has endangered the nations health because of a lack of skill and patience, Chan told the Daily News. Although the Foreign minister was received open-mindedly in London at the time of the Commonwealth summit, questions were indeed privately raised by several presidents as to whether the general knows how to do his job as a civilian leader. Civilian life requires negotiation, especially with the most valuable members of the work force. Political analyst and civil rights campaigner Gladys Hlatywayo told the Daily News that militarisation was a real threat to democracy in Zimbabwe. The move by the vice president to fire striking nurses is regrettable and a clear indication that those with military background must stay in barracks and not be involved in civilian affairs. The military is run by commands and clearly the Vice President is still in that modus operandi, she said. It would have been desirable for him to re-orient himself with civilian affairs through resigning from the military and having a cooling off period before getting into active politics. In my opinion, the appointment of Chiwenga in the Executive was a mistake, one that will cost the country dearly. She said nurses have a constitutional right to air their concerns through strikes and demonstrations among other strategies and therefore the government must seek to engage them with a view to reach an agreement. It obviously raises questions on whether this is a new dispensation or it is simply authoritarian consolidation, Hlatywayo said. Piers Pigou, senior consultant at the International Crisis Group, said in a context of deep frustration and limited options, it is important that cool heads prevail. An array of concerns must be acknowledged. An essential front line service, nurses are struggling on meagre salaries in a context of rising prices and diminishing purchasing power. Yet, the government is under intense pressure to curb rising expenditure in civil service wages as a core indicator of its commitment to address its budget deficit. Options are limited and there are understandable concerns that further industrial action by other sectors of the civil service will also be met with a clenched fist, Pigou told the Daily News. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News I find it difficult to accept the Zanu-PF notion that if someone has been overwhelmed by ambition and chose his or her own path you suddenly turn villain. You remain the hero of the modern struggle against the hegemony of Zanu-PF rule in our country since your days in the trade union up to the formation of the movement in 1999. We were together on the path to fight for a just society. You still retain my respect and the respect of all those who worked with you on this difficult and arduous journey. Let me reassure you that President Nelson Chamisa does not have any hard feelings against you at all. He neither hates you. He is rather despaired by the path you decided to take. We are all despaired by the path you have taken because we all love you. We know you are one of us and have braved the brutality of this regime. I know that disappointments through the dreams that might not manifest the way we hoped for would end up having people taking decisions through anger. Anger is the greatest weakness of humankind. Its normal because we did not create anger. The creator of anger knows why he created it. I used to be one of those who could be provoked into raging anger at the twinkle of slightest provocation. I think you know it. Along the path of growth as a human being I decided to divorce myself from anger as it can only bear frustrations and arrogant decisions. The moment when I allow ego to reign supreme against logic I have lost it. The consequences of decisions made out of ego tramples against fate and destiny. You agree with me and I think if you are honest about it, Saturdays events at Stanley Square was not an extra ordinary congress as prescribed by Article 6.2.5 of our constitution. It was a gathering of angry people whom we dont how they thought such a gathering could be a solution to the national cause. We once travelled the same path as you know after we all became angry about the Senate decision in 2005. We were not happy about the attempt to overturn the decision of the National Council that voted to fight against Zanu-PF in the newly created Senate then. We allowed anger to reign supreme than let it pass and wait for another day. You know that President Tsvangirai after his Huruyadzo Rally on the midst of rebellion by Renewalists came to my house and asked me to pluck out any anger I had against him and think like a leader and advance the cause of the people of Zimbabwe. This is the day we reconciled and agree to move forward together once more again. Even before his unfortunate demise our great leader Morgan Tsvangirai worked round the clock to reunify the party to its 1999 original. Despite having had differences with Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube you know well he personal approached them and talked the differences out. We are now one happy family back together once more again. On the midst of such joy the actions of yesterday are a huge disappointment to the people of Zimbabwe at large. There are better methods to solve grievances and differences than the path you took yesterday. The path you decided to take yesterday made me return huge respect for Nelson Chamisa. Despite being young he made several attempts to reconcile with you. I know personally that he tried to call you several times on your mobile and you were not picking your phone. I know he made the best effort when he travelled all the way to Bulawayo to come and engage with you. Despite spitting him, he visited you at your Bulawayo residence and asked for your consideration to think big about the bigger picture. We all prayed you would see logic on the attempt to smoke the peace pipe but you spanned it. It is not true that there is tribalism in developments that took place in the party recently. People just chose Chamisa for his appeal only. Nothing more than that. If tribalism truly manifested itself in what was happening I would not have supported it as you know that I am so intolerant and abhor such political disposition. Zimbabweans are tired for continued suffering on the hands of the Zanu-PF regime. They just want to be given a fighting chance against 4 decades of Zanu-PF hegemony and dictatorship. It is my humble request and submission that you take a decision bordering on the interests of the people of Zimbabwe and disband whatever happened at Stanley Square Saturday. Its never too late. I thank you Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News A Jamaican pastor has left the internet in shock after a video of her during a church service went viral. The pastor recently stormed the church in full military regalia before proceeding to shoot at "enemies". The video has since gone viral. According to multiple reports, the pastor decided to appear in church wearing the outfit to demonstrate that Christians are spiritual warriors. She stood in front of the congregation carrying a toy gun while speaking into the microphone. READ ALSO: Funke Akindele should marry a gateman so she can have a child - Prophet reveals She then went flat on her face and began shooting at 'imaginary' enemies while the church members applauded her. Meanwhile, a Lagos based prophet Olagoroye Faleyimu, in a recent interview revealed that famous Nollywood star Funke Akindele-Bello should embark on special prayers before she can ever become a mother in her lifetime. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! On Akindele becoming a mother, the clergyman further revealed that she must marry a gate man or someone who is not popular before that dream can become a reality. Emanuella and Mark Angel: Uncle, Imagine That All Men Have Disappeared on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit.ng The governor of Bayelsa state, Henry Seriake Dickson, said on Sunday, April 22, that the attacks, killings of citizens and destruction of properties across Nigeria by suspected militia and armed herdsmen show the symptoms of a failed state. A statement by the chief press secretary to the governor, Francis Agbo, said Dickson made the comment at a national prayer conference in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa state. According to the governor, Nigeria is seriously bleeding and divided more than ever. READ ALSO: Bukola Saraki visits injured sergeant-at-arms officer New Telegraph reports that the governor urged Nigerians to unite in prayers and resolve to work together to ensure fairness, justice, equity and equal citizenship. In this country, Gods children, human beings irrespective of the God they worship are being slaught*red mercilessly, remorselessly in many parts of the country. Our nation is bleeding, we must unite in prayers and resolve to do what is right and fair. Our nation should be a nation of fairness, justice, equity, equal citizenship and united by common ideals of being the greatest black nation, Dickson reportedly added while calling on the nations leaders to take the responsibility to stop the bloodletting. According to him, this is the time Nigerians have to intensify prayers for the nation to overcome its challenges. We are united by our common shared humanity and nationality, so injustice and unfairness anywhere should be a concern to anyone and everyone in our nation. I join you in praying that the bloodletting, unnecessary killings in our nation under any shape or guise ends in Jesus name. God should intervene so that people will feel the need to do the right thing, be fair and just to one another, he said. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app The statement added that the chairman and convener of Nigeria Prays, General Yakubu Gowon (retd), stressed the importance of prayers, saying this could help to solve Nigerias problems better and faster than military generals and soldiers could do with physical weapons of war. Gowon expressed belief that God would honour the collective prayers and intercession for the nation, while also advising people to shun violence and retaliation. Legit.ng earlier reported that the police in Lokoja on Sunday, April 22, confirmed the death of 10 persons when gunmen invaded Kpanche community in Bassa local government area of Kogi state. The state commissioner of police, Ali Janga, told newsmen that the dead included five residents of the community while five of the armed bandits were killed during a cross fire with security agents. Nigerian youths reply to President Buhari over 'lazy' comment. Legit.ng TV Source: Legit Newspaper - Former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, says the activities of militant groups like Boko Haram and herdsmen are of serious concern to citizens - He says the countrys leaders were having sleepless nights over the acts of brutality and wickedness across the country - Governor Dickson reacts to killings across country Former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, has described as worrisome the widespread security challenges and killings in the country. Gowon, who attended a special prayer summit in Yenagoa, said that he had prayed and hoped at the end of the Nigerian Civil War that the country would not go through that path again. He spoke with journalists shortly after a special church service in Yenagoa on Sunday, April 22, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. READ ALSO: Bukola Saraki visits injured sergeant-at-arms officer Gowon, chairman and convener of Nigeria Prays, said the activities of militant groups, the Boko Haram and the killings perpetrated by the so called Fulani herdsmen were of serious concern to the leaders, elders and indeed, the citizens. He explained that the countrys leaders were having sleepless nights over the acts of brutality and wickedness across the country. Gowon called on Nigerians to give the requisite support to those in leadership positions in the bid to address the emergent security challenges in the country. This is worrisome. When I recall the end of the civil war, I had hoped and prayed that Nigeria would never go through the same experience again. This was what I prayed for and you can see how worrying it is. All these spate of crises: Is it the militants, is it the Boko Haram, is it the so called Fulani herdsmen? All sorts of things that are happening. Mans inhumanity to man, that is happening through out the length and breath of Nigeria. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Sadly, it is worrying to all Nigerians, and this is what all of us who are in leadership positions, your governor, and his assistants as well as all the governors throughout the country. All of us who are leaders are concerned about it, and always aim for whatever we can do to put it under control. But it is not only the leaders that can do it. They need the press and support of the people so that they can deal with the problem together. And this is our prayer, prayer for the everyone in Nigeria and all Nigerians wherever they are. We hope for greater peace than what we have for now, Gowon said. Meanwhile, the governor of Bayelsa state, Henry Seriake Dickson, said on Sunday, April 22, that the attacks, killings of citizens and destruction of properties across Nigeria by suspected militia and armed herdsmen show the symptoms of a failed state. A statement by the chief press secretary to the governor, Francis Agbo, said Dickson made the comment at a national prayer conference in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa state. According to the governor, Nigeria is seriously bleeding and divided more than ever. New Telegraph reports that the governor urged Nigerians to unite in prayers and resolve to work together to ensure fairness, justice, equity and equal citizenship. Nigerian herdsmen vs Nigerian farmers on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Sixteen people have been killed in an attack by some gunmen in two communities in Kogi state - The gunmen were said to have stormed one of the communities in the early hours of Sunday, April 22 - The killing allegedly spread to the second community by noon of the same day Some gunmen have allegedly killed 16 people in Bassa local government of Kogi state on Sunday, April 22. News Agency of Nigeria reports that the gunmen stormed Kpanche community in the early hours of Sunday morning and spread to Mozum community by the afternoon. The traditional ruler of Mozum community, Alhaji Khalid Bukar said two villages - Ozugbe and Biroko - which are under his authority were attacked by the gunmen. He also said that many houses including one belonging to the late Madaki were razed while five people were shot dead. READ ALSO: Commotion as thugs disrupt pro-Buhari rally in Jigawa state Bukar added that one person - who he simply identified as Musa - was still missing from the attack. He noted that the security agents in the area have been briefed on the attack although the damage had already been done before their arrival. Confirming the attack, the Kogi state police command's spokesperson, William Aya, said a total of 15 houses were burnt by the invaders. Aya, an assistant superintendent of police said, six hoodlum who invaded Kpanche community were killed. He said some mobile police officers and soldiers were promptly discharged after a distress call was received from the area. READ ALSO: BREAKING NEWS: Miracle wins BBNaija 2018 He said: "On sighting the security personnel, they opened fire at them, but were vehemently resisted by the fire power of the security personnel where six of the attackers were killed." Aya said the state's commissioner of police, Ali Janga Aya, has ordered a thorough investigation into the unfortunate incidents. He vowed to prosecute anyone linked to the attacks no matter highly placed so as to serve as a deterrent to others," he said. He further enjoined residents to remain calm as the security agencies are determined to ensure adequate security of lives and property in the state. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that some suspected herdsmen attacked a traveller in Benue state on Sunday, April 22. The suspected herdsmen were said to have mounted a road block at the orza and Jootar road along Anyiin-Gbeji road in Logo local government area of Beneu. The gunshot from the herdsmen attracted residents in the area who had ran to the scene only to discover the victim - Mtserikyaa Hiimo - in the pool of his blood. TY Danjuma, Nigerian army and the herdsmen crisis | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - A local government chairman in Taraba state has revealed where some suspeted herdsmen rampaging the state are hiding - Daniel Adi said the herdsmen are camping in a community in Nasarawa state - He also said he has issued warning to various leaders in Taraba over these attacks The chairman of Wukari local government area in Taraba state, Daniel Adi, over the weekend revealed that some suspected 'killer' herdsmen are camping in a community in Nasarwa state. Adi said intelligent information available to him indicates that the herdsmen allegedly attacking communities in Taraba state were camping in Tungwa village in Nasarawa, Leadership reports. Speaking with journalists at the Aku Uka's palace, Adi said his information was collaborated by the commanding officer of the 93 Battalion, Ada Barrack Takum, Lieutenant colonel Ibrahim Gambari. READ ALSO: Just in: Gunmen attack Kogi communities kill 16 people Adi said the commanding officer had told him that the mastermind of Jandeikyula attack where over 32 people were massacred, Usman Abdulhaman, had confessed that they were camping in Tungwa. The commanding officer told me that Abdulhaman Musa, the mastermind of Jandeikyula attack who was arrested by his men in Chinkai had confessed that some of them came from Maiduguri and Bauchi and have converged in Tungwa in Nassarawa State before planning the attack," Adi said. He said he had directed the soldiers deployed to the area to monitor the route of the attackers who are camping in Tungwa in Nassarawa state. READ ALSO: BREAKING NEWS: Miracle wins BBNaija 2018 "They have link in Tungwa through Gishiri Hassan to Chinkai and that is the route they have used in the three attacks they launched at Gbeji and Jandeikyula between February and April 11. In the last attack, I got information that they left Tungwa to Gishiri Hassan in Ibi local government where they planned the bloody attack on Jandeikyula, he said. He added that he has also called the Sarkin Fulani of Wukari, the Ardos and the Wakilis and issued a strong warning that whenever there is an attack anywhere in the local government he will hold them responsible. He alleged that some of the leaders in the area were said to have been harbouring the attackers. READ ALSO: FG plotting to overthrow the leadership of the Senate - Wike I have asked them to release the attackers to go if they are harbouring them as alleged. They should leave us alone, enough is enough. We cannot afford to be losing people on a daily basis to these attacks. Why should you come to graze on peoples land and be killing people and making them refugees in their own land?" he asked. Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that some unknown gunmen had stormed two communities in Kogi state on Sunday, April 22. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! The gunmen were said to have killed 16 people in Bassa local government area of the state while many houses including that of the late Madaki were burnt down. A traditional leader in one of the communities said the attackers stormed the area in the early hours of Sunday, April 22, and the killing spread to other villages by noon. TY Danjuma, Nigerian army and the herdsmen crisis | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - A tribal clash has ensued between Yoruba youths and Hausa residents in Ondo state - The fight reportedly involved some followers of a masquerader in Akure - Several people were allegedly injured during the clash A violent clash reportedly occured between Yoruba and Hausa residents of Sabo area of Akure, Ondo state on Sunday. Several people were reportedly injured in the fight, while houses and motorcycle were set ablaze during the clash. The Punch reports that that a source said the fight started after followers of a masquerader passed through the Old Garage area of Akure where some Hausas sell groceries. The followers were alleged to have attempted to disrupt the business of the Hausa traders which was resisted by the latter, leading to a clash. READ ALSO: Breaking: Senator Melaye arrested at the airport The source said: The crisis started after some followers of the Akure masquerader disturbed the activities of the Hausa, who were selling at the Old Garage area." Soldiers were eventually deployed to the area to restore peace. The state police public relations officer, Femi Joseph, who confirmed the incidents said investigation has started. Joseph said: We learnt that some people who were following a masquerader had issues with some members of the Hausa community. But immediately we drafted our men there, normalcy was returned. We are still looking for the people that caused the crisis. If we arrest them, we will charge them to court. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app Legit.ng earlier reported that a similar violent clash between Hausa youths and Yoruba youths at Gida Panli, Kotomola in Ojota, New Garage, Lagos state led to the death of several persons, while many others allegedly sustain different kinds of injuries. The fight started on Thursday, March 15, after a Hausa youth reportedly beat up his Yoruba counterpart over a misunderstanding. The fight reportedly escalated Friday morning after some area boys stormed the Hausa settlement to avenged the Yoruba youth who was beaten. Offa bank robbery: My husband was killed just a year to his retirement - Legit.ng TV Source: Legit The founder and general overseer of the Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, has berated President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration over the incessant herdsmen killings of innocent Nigerians across the country. Oyedepo, during the church service on Sunday, April 22, reportedly expressed his dissatisfaction with the way the federal government is handling the spate of killings going on in the country. The cleric also condemned the governments inability to provide stable power supply, functioning refineries, and so on. READ ALSO: APC senator attacks Niger state governor, accuses him of mismanaging funds Bishop Oyedepo was quoted to have said: Can I tell you my anger against this government? No feeling for human lives. You cant be destroying the work of my father and I will be happy with you. You know what God said? I am angry with the wicked every day. Talk is cheap! You see where change brought us today since 2015? The changest change! 1 naira will be one dollar. Fuel will be sold at 45 naira. Any responsible government will bring power in 3 months. If you bring the scoresheet out, its 0%. Do you want change? Work it out! You better wake up so you dont suffer the Nigerian kind of change. Theoretical change. 3 refineries working! (They must be) located in space. Defending killers! Gods judgment will hit! If you are happy with what God is angry with, you are ungodly. Those who have made others childless, wifeless, husbandless, so shall they become! Do you pray for Armed Robbers? Evil shall not prevail in Nigeria! PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Legit.ng previously reported that Nigerians have continued to rate the administration of President Buhari since inception. While some rated the president high, many rated him low in a Legit.ng rating poll conducted recently. Moses Chi MacJackson while rating the president said: "Not good yet but far better than GEJ's whole administration. Power's improved (dangling between 4000mw and 6000mw) unlike before now (below 3000mw). Presently, sectors are not shutting down and going on strike as of old. Fuel price has been regulated unlike the unrest of those days. One can only pray they improve." Nigerian youths reply to President Buhari over 'lazy' comment | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng News - The difference between Bsc/HND graduates has been put to an end by the federal government - Winifred Oyo-Ita, the Head of Service of the Federation (HOCSF) on Sunday, April 22 issued a circular containing the presidency's resolve on the age-long disparity - The Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE) urged government at all levels to set up monitoring groups to see that the decision is implemented Beneficiaries of President Muhammadu Buhari's cancellation of the difference between university and polytechnic graduates in the civil service have praised him for his actions. While the disparity had before now restricted polytechnic graduates to certain Salary Grade Level (SGL) in the civil service, it took the intervention of the National Council on Establishment (NCE) to address and solve the issue in their favour, Daily Trust reports. READ ALSO: Several injured as Yoruba, Hausa reportedly clash in Ondo Winifred Oyo-Ita, the Head of Service of the Federation (HOCSF), in a statement dated Monday, March 26, relayed the the decision of the NCE to all concerned and solicited their support for implementation. The circular indicated that NCE approved entry point of SGL 08 for HND holders in the civil service. It also encouraged serving HND officers to fulfil all specified conditions as contained in scheme of service and extant rules for career progression beyond SGL 14. Ahmad Yabagi, the head of the umbrella body of the beneficiaries, the Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE), informed journalists on Sunday, April 22 in Abuja, that the decision has paved the way for career building. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Yabagi said: We are glad that this monster called dichotomy that has been a big threat to the development of technology in Nigeria has been defeated. NATE has therefore resolved to support and partner with the Federal Government in the quest to bequeath entrepreneurial skills to Nigerian youths as a means to turn around the economic fortune of Nigeria. Yabagi, however, advised all government agencies to see that the resolve contained in the circular is implemented throughout the country. Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Dr Ramon Adedoyin, the executive chairman of the Polytechnic, Ile-Ife, had called for the outright scrapping of the Higher National Diploma (HND) programme, and its replacement with a Bachelors degree in Technology, as obtainable in advanced countries. Adedoyin made his comments during a chat with newsmen; against the backdrop of the federal governments recent removal of the dichotomy between the holders of HND and university degrees. The SCOOP: Ademola Adeleke, Osinbajo vs Senate, HND vs Degree Certificate and many more - On Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - The Ekiti PDP special ward congress conducted during the weekend was reportedly marred by violence - Governor Fayose was accused of hijacking the congress - One of the gubernatorial aspirants, Prince Adeyeye, called for cancellation of the election The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) special ward congress to elect delegates to vote at the governorship primary which was conducted in Ekiti state on Saturday, April 21, was marred by violence and malpractices. Vanguard reports that some hoodlums allegedly beat up former Ikere local government chairman, Banji Aluko. Legit.ng gathered that Aluko was accused of working against Ikere Agenda by the thugs who reportedly flogged him with canes and sticks that were loaded inside a mini bus parked opposite the election venue at Odo Oja area of the town. READ ALSO: Breaking: Senator Melaye arrested at Abuja airport The hoodlums accused Aluko of working for another governorship aspirant and former minister of state for works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye. Recall that Governor Ayo Fayose has adopted Kolapo Olusola, his deputy, as his preferred candidate ahead of the July 14 governorship poll. Aluko, who was also accused of conniving with Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN), allegedly tore result sheet from Ogbonjana ward believed to have been manipulated, which angered his attackers. Aluko was subsequently drenched with alcohol as he was forced out of the election venue. The ex-council boss later led a group of youth to the secretariat of the party to register his protest but was also allegedly harassed by party members and those following him were beaten with cudgels. Prince Adeyeye , one of the governorship aspirants, also condemned the exercise. He alleged that the congress was hijacked by Fayoses agents working in collaboration with the electoral panel deployed from the PDP national secretariat. Speaking through the Director of Publicity of Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM), Chief Niyi Ojo, Adeyeye alleged that the election materials were not taken to the wards for the purpose of the election. He said: All over the state, Fayoses men hijacked the process, they didnt take the materials to the wards to allow people vote. This delegates election should be cancelled, the people deployed from Abuja did not go to the wards, they sat somewhere in the party secretariat. It should be cancelled because they are forcing results which do not represent the wishes of party members on them. The other two PDP governorship aspirants are Adeyeye and Senate Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi. However, reports from other wards suggested that the congress was appreciably peaceful across the state. A top management staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who monitored the exercise said disagreements were resolved amicably. The source said:The exercise is largely peaceful, though there were disagreements in some areas, but stakeholders later met and resolved them. So, from our own point of view, the exercise has been largely successful. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app Legit.ng previously reported that four PDP governorship aspirants in Ekiti state warned that the party may lose Ekiti state during the coming governorship election if the incumbent governor, Fayose, is not cautioned by the party leadership. They also called on the national leadership of the party to disqualify Fayose from playing any role in the primary election scheduled for April. They said the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Prince Uche Secondus should disqualify Fayose having adopted his deputy, Olusola, which they said amounted to the imposition on party leaders and members. Governor Fayose warns Nigerian youths ahead of 2019, tells them what to do - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - The solution to upgrading the status of women in Nigeria is the passage of the Gender Equality Bill into law, a former aviation minister has said - Dr Kema Chikwe challenged women in Nigeria to participate in activities aimed at ensuring national development - Also speaking, a former deputy governor of CBN said that family, society and the nation would be better if women had equal opportunities as men Former minister of aviation Dr Kema Chikwe, on Sunday, April 22, urged Nigerian women to pressurise the National Assembly into passing the Gender Equality Bill into law. The former minister said that doing so would go a long way towards the liberation of women. Chikwe, also a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, was speaking at a symposium organised by The Women Internationals (TWI) Circle Forum in Lagos. The theme of the symposium was, What Do Women in Nigeria Lack?. The solution to upgrading the status of women in Nigeria is the passage of the bill. Political and non-political women actors must rise up to ensure the bill is passed. Women are docile. Women have to be strong for us to have a better society. It is not easy; we need individual courage and power to work together to ensure passage of the bill in the National Assembly. Women need to reinforce themselves by organising more conferences in the struggle to liberate Nigerian women. Theres so much lip service about women in Nigerian politics, the national women leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said. READ ALSO: Senator Melaye arrested at Abuja airport Chikwe further urged women to participate in activities aimed at ensuring national development. She advised women to unite in a bid to end gender disparity. According to her, in spite of the advocacy and sensitisation efforts, African women still face a lot of challenges. She said that Nigerian women were still lacking education, good healthcare, love, courage, self-esteem, freedom, individual initiative, and power, among others. She added that women in Nigeria lacked equal opportunities with their male counterparts. Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, former deputy governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), also speaking at the symposium says cultural biases in the society that prevent male political leaders from giving women equal opportunities should be done away with. I think we should end that, so that our society can prosper," Moghalu said. Moghalu, who was a keynote speaker at the event, said that family, society and the nation would be better if women had equal opportunities as men. "It is in our best interest to address the issue of gender equality, the professor said. READ ALSO: Offa robbery: Girlfriends with stolen phones led to arrest of suspects He said women should be given the same consideration as men based on their competence and qualification. Moghalu, who has declared his interest in running for the presidency in 2019, said women are critical to national development. Women should be given equal opportunities like men, I dont agree with 30 per cent for women, he said. He expressed displeasure that only six per cent of the nations parliamentarians are women, describing it as unfortunate. According to him, women in Nigeria should strive to be like those in Rwanda where females made up 56 per cent of those in parliament. Moghalu highlighted some other challenges facing women as education, access to finance, and violence against women, among others. The presidential aspirant, who expressed commitment to gender parity, said he would announce the political party under which he would contest in May. He urged women to challenge laws that suppress them, and to vote out any legislator impeding passage of the Gender Equally Bill before the National Assembly. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app Legit.ng previously reported that a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Moghalu, officially declared to run for the president of Nigeria in the 2019 elections. Moghalu, who announced this on Wednesday, February 28, in a press conference at the Shehu Musa YarAdua Centre, Abuja, said a combination of military rule, oil booms and busts, and successive leadership failures of the political class have robbed the country of what seemed our destiny at independence. Moghalu, 55, was born in Lagos state, southwest of Nigeria. Top 5 reasons Nigerian women are special on Legit.ng TV. Source: Legit - Chief Bode George has demanded for an immediate apology from Olagunsoye Oyinlola - Oyinlola had chided George for statements the latter made concerning OBJs Coalition for Nigeria Movement - George pointed out that Oyinlola is his junior and warned the former governor not to allow him open any can of worms Chief Olabode George, former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded an immediate apology from the former governor of Ogun state, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, over what he described as uncharitable and irritable vituperations against him by the ex governor. He made the comment in reaction to Oyinlolas statement advising him to ask for forgiveness from former President Olusegun Obasanjo. READ ALSO: 2019: Deltans would determine if Ibori dynasty would be terminated - Utomi Legit.ng notes that the former governor had asked George to stop attacking his benefactor, in response to the PDPs chieftain attack of OBJs Coalition for Nigeria Movement which he (George) had reportedly described as a deceit and waste of time. Oyinlola stated: Rather than attack current efforts at rebuilding Nigeria, I will advise Chief Bode George to retrace his steps and queue up in the CNM. I say so because, whatever he is today in politics is a product of Obasanjos magnanimous efforts. In the same vein, I state without any fear of contradiction that if Obasanjo has 10 enemies today in Nigeria, Chief Bode George made eight for him, if not the whole lot. So, I plead with him to go back to Obasanjo and seek forgiveness. I am also interested in that part of his statement where he described the CNM as a waste of time and a deceit by its promoters. I must say that I was surprised that someone of Chief Bode Georges pedigree and training would hastily write off a project carefully planned by seasoned minds. The CNM is a reaction to the inadequacies of the system we have. It is not a waste of time and cannot be a waste of time. It is designed to rescue Nigeria and build a new generation of leaders for our country. However, George responded in a statement released on Sunday, April 22. He said: I read today (Sunday) the untidy, uncharitable and irritable vituperations of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola against my good self. I was rather astonished at the level of uninformed, reckless, misleading verbiage against me. Prince Oyinlola was very junior to me in the military. I am very senior to him in age. It was my humble self and the late Chief S.M. Afolabi who introduced him to our former president and my egbon, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. It was through me and the grace of God Almighty that he was elected governor of Osun State. Oyinlola should not dabble into issues he does not know anything about at all. I have served several generals with 100 per cent loyalty. I have no grudge against our former president. I have a lot of respect for him. I greet him wherever we meet with deep respect and reverence as a well born Yoruba man. Oyinlola, please dont start to open any can of worms that you do not know where it will spill over to. When one is sent a slaves errand, you should behave like a true, well born. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Chief Bode George denied speculation that he had resigned as a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). George was earlier reported to have resigned in his bid to vie for the partys chairmanship position at its convention. He said those spreading the rumour of his resignation were suffering from chronic hopelessness as being a member of the BoT had no effect on his ambition. Obasanjo and Jonathan are good - on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit.ng News - In 2017, Nigerians abroad broke an African record and wired $22 billion back home - In that same year, officially recorded remittances to low and middle-income countries reached $466 billion - The World Bank has called on countries to take steps to simplify the process; including introducing more efficient technology, in order to reduce cost The World Bank has disclosed that Nigerians in diaspora wired $22 billion home in 2017, the fifth largest remittance by immigrants, and an African record, The Cable reports. The global bank stated that the costs of transferring funds also increased as payments from immigrants back to their home countries rebounded to reach a new record in 2017. READ ALSO: OBJ comments: Oyinlola must apologise to me immediately - Bode George Legit.ng gathers that the World Bank pointed out that the increase in remittances was driven by growth in Europe, Russia and the United States. In 2017, officially recorded remittances to low and middle-income countries reached $466 billion, an increase of 8.5 percent over $429 billion in 2016, the bank disclosed. The level of remittances is also expected to increase by about four percent in 2018. The top recipients of these remittances were India with $69 billion, followed by China with $64 billion, the Philippines with $33 billion and Mexico with $31 billion. Nigeria and Egypt followed afterwards. The lead author of the report, Dilip Ratha stated: While remittances are growing, countries, institutions, and development agencies must continue to chip away at high costs of remitting so that families receive more of the money." In order to reduce costs, the bank called on countries to take steps to simplify the process; including introducing more efficient technology. On a region-by-region basis, the biggest growth for 2017 was recorded in Europe and Central Asia; with Sub-Saharan Africa rising by 11 percent. The biggest inflow was seen in East Asia and the Pacific, which took in $130 billion. South Asia took in $117 billion and Latin America recorded remittances of $80 billion. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that an international agency's report said that Nigerians in diaspora remitted $18.97 billion (N5.97 trillion) in 2016. In its report titled "Sending Money Home: Contributing to the SDGs, One Family at a Time", the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) said the money were those sent to Nigeria by migrant workers. The agency said the figure indicated a 5.2% growth in the previous nine years. Which country would you leave Nigeria for? - on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit.ng In yet another the Brexit situation has developed not necessarily to UKs advantage sighting, the Financial Times reported on Saturday that Britain threatens to quit Galileo satellite project, which we strongly urge you to read in full. The short version is the UKs ultimatum looks like an effort to rebrand an inevitable loss as some sort of British success. Expect this to become a heavily-worn playbook. From the pink paper: Britain has threatened to walk out of Europes 10bn Galileo satellite project Greg Clark, business secretary, is also calling for an immediate three-month freeze of the procurement process Bidders are due to put in their best and final offers for the ground control segment of Galileo next week, while a second, bigger tender for back-up satellites, worth hundreds of millions of euros, is expected to be launched within weeks. In a blunt letter dated April 19, also sent to EU industry commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska, Mr Clark said that unless Britain had access to secure parts of the Galileo project it could simply walk away. Since the projects launch in 2003, the UK has funded roughly 12 per cent of Galileos annual budget. The EU has threatened to exclude the UK from Galileos sensitive public regulated service, an encrypted navigation system for government users. It said that sharing sensitive information with a third country Britain would irretrievably compromise the service. Britains armed forces were also keen to access PRS, a rival to the USs GPS which is designed to continue working when all other navigation services are jammed. However, the Brussels move would make that impossible as under EU rules PRS can be accessed only by member states. A senior industry executive said recently to the Financial Times that excluding British companies from secure parts of Galileo would mean that they could no longer bid for the software and ground links that control the 30 orbiting satellites. Airbus manages the ground control system out of Portsmouth. The UK is the incumbent, the source said. If the tendering rules are not changed within weeks then Airbus would be forced to move work out of the UK. The work would go to France because they have the most relevant expertise. One could argue that the security restrictions are Brussels scheming to give EU firms as much commercial advantage as possible, or alternatively, that the UK had decided to leave Galileo when it invoked Article 50 but somehow lost track of that fact. But sometimes the stated reason really is the main issue, or at least an important issue. With the UK in the Five Eyes and the US being second only to the Chinese in not respecting privacy rights, it seemed plausible that many members of the EU27 were leery of the UK having its nose in the EU security tent and were acting on this sentiment now that they can. Some might regard that concern as even more pressing given that a UK outside the EU is almost certain to become more dependent on the US. I ran this theory by our Richard Smith, PlutoniumKun, and Clive. First from Richard: Just one aspect of a much-predicted and horrible trainwreck: this story will just get bigger and bigger thanks to all the other UK touch points with the European aerospace industry, which are innumerable. PlutoniumKun then weighted in: The US has long been doing its best to sabotage the Galilleo system. Its superior to GPS and is out of US control if it wishes to degrade it during a conflict (i.e. to stop an opponent from using it for their own military). Its had all sorts of technical and cost issues, and I seem to recall suggestions that some of the problems, such as failing clocks in the launched satellites were not accidents. And of course it has to be assumed that the UK would co-operate with the CIA with intelligence. I think the EU have tried very hard to keep Gallileo civilian i.e. its very firmly an EU project, not a NATO one, even though it has very obvious military potential. So in that sense excluding the UK makes absolute sense in the context of Brexit. It does though raise lots of potential issues with various Anglo-German and Anglo-French weapons projects. Suspicion of UK intelligence services in Europe goes back a long way, and long predates the Internet. All telephone calls between Ireland and the UK, for example, have been monitored with early word recognition systems since as long back as the 1980s (this emerged by accident in a court case many years ago). You could actually see the interception dishes in Holyhead, Wales (a small station built under the main microwave tower which linked the Irish and UK phone systems before the days of fibre optic cables). And while the Wikileaks revelations that Merkels phone calls were monitored wont have surprised the Germans or French, that doesnt mean they were not angered by it. So I think its probably a reasonable hypothesis that various intelligence agencies in Europe are now taking the opportunity to Europeanize systems. There have obviously been increased moves to protect data from the big 5 internet giants and even talk of creating EU alternatives to WhatsApp, etc. Whether all these are part of a concerted policy or its just lots of different countries and agencies coming to the same conclusion (i.e. Europe must protect itself from US intrusion, and the UK cannot be trusted), can only be speculated I think. And then Clive: Absolutely. Right from the instigation of the European project, the EU acting as bulwark against the US was baked-in. Here, although expressed in cold-war imagery, the message and intent is unmistakable in this 1970s German cartoon: This ran completely contrary to the UKs historic and practically implemented policy of being tightly allied to the US. We werent called the Unsinkable Aircraft Carrier for nothing the UK didnt merely offer diplomatic niceties to the US, they provided on-the-ground resources and support such as the infamous RAF (which is really USAF) Menwith Hill. It is implausible that the US interception of EU communications would have been possible without the presence of such US assets in the UK. The EU tolerated this unhelpfully and often unhealthily close relationship and even, to a limited degree, bought into the largely fictional interpretation that the UK, by having a foot in both camps so to speak would be a bridge between the EU and the US. Such a bridge being necessary because the EU didnt trust the US to allow it to grow into anything which might as the above cartoon inferred be in a position to stand up for its own interests without interference, but yet could hardly not have any engagement with the US at all or be too overt in its resistance to US influence. Post-Brexit, the security landscape will change in a fundamental way. The EU will have to respond to that. It would be remiss of it not to. And for the UK, an all-but unspoken though perfectly clear to those who supported Brexit outcome was that the UK would have to have stronger links to the US in not only trade but also in the things you barter to be allowed preferential trade terms. Which is US bases, US personnel and support for US foreign policy or strategy. This is the same deal I see right in front of my eyes when I visit Japan they get to trade with the US fairly unimpeded and they get US security support, but they have to toe the US party line and they have a huge amount of US military infrastructure sitting (not always happily with the locals) right where the US deems it wants it to be. This point wasnt exactly played up by the Brexit campaign because the US isnt exactly flavour of the month a lot of the time, but it wasnt played down, either. I agree with PlutoniumKun the EU will have to firewall itself off from the UK because the UK will increasingly become a proxy for the US. And the US hasnt itself (yet) really woken up and dealt with the possibility of an EU which is, I think we can safely say, no longer a geopolitical Cinderella but a comic turn, turned serious. When it does so, and it is a when, not an if, there will be a fundamental realignment between the EU and the US. It seems that the EU is already preparing for this eventuality, hence the moves to marginalise if not fully cut itself off from UK security services information sharing. The Commissions moves against what are only thinly disguised arms of the US surveillance state (such as Microsoft and Google) is another case in point. If Clive is right, that a Japan-like relationship with the US is the endgame for the UK, this will make a mockery of the Brexit selling point that that UK would be reclaiming its independence. Weve repeatedly described Japan as a military protectorate of the US and Clive gave some examples of what that means in practice. And do not forget that the US had disproportionate influence over Japanese policy. It tried forcing Japan to open its markets to foreign firms, as well as pushing Japan to participate in the Paris accord, a concerted and successful effort to greatly increase the price of the yen. That did succeed in reducing Japanese exports to the US, but did virtually nothing to increase US exports to Japan, due to many non-tariff trade barriers, including that Japanese greatly preferred Japanese products because they saw them as better quality. However, one place where the US did have its way was forcing rapid deregulation Japanese banks. As weve described longer-form elsewhere, that made Japans bubble and eventual bust much worse than it otherwise would have been. We were in Japan during the 1987 crash, and the Fed told the Bank of Japan to buy Treasuries to stabilize the market. The BoJ dutifully called the so-called city banks like my then employer, Sumitomo Bank, who dutifully complied. To put it bluntly, thats not the behavior of a sovereign country. The US may not pull quite such heavy-handed moves on the UK, but anyone who thinks the US will treat a post-Brexit UK as an equal partner is smoking something very strong. Yves here. This post discusses a key issue: how the US is taking advantage of the young Saudi leader, Mohamed bin Salman. And if anything, the article understates the damage Iran could do after a first strike. Many experts think a prime target would be Saudi Arabias oil infrastructure. Imagine what happens if that goes up in flames. By Khaled Hroub, professor of middle eastern studies at Northwestern University in Qatar. He is also a senior research fellow at the Centre of Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge, where he directed the Cambridge Arab Media Project (CAMP). He is the author of Hamas: Political Thought and Practice (Institute for Palestine Studies, 2000), and Hamas: a Beginners Guide (Pluto Press, 2006), and editor of Political Islam: Context versus Ideology(Saqi Books, 2010) and Religious Broadcasting in the Middle East (2012). His publications in Arabic include Fragility of Ideologyand Might of Politics (2010); In Praise of Revolution (2012); the literary collection Tattoo of Cities (2008); and the poetry collection Enchantress of Poetry (2008). Originally published at openDemocracy Even under one of the most rhetorically aggressive leaderships that it has ever had, the United States maintains a rational approach in dealing with nuclear North Korea. Its plans for a meeting between the two heads of state, reflected in the visit of CIA director mIke Pompeo to Pyongyang, attests to Washingtons intent to scale back confrontation. Yet at the same time President Trumps administration displays a worrying recklessness in stoking a potential confrontation with Iran, playing against and manipulating Saudi fears. North Koreas rocket man, as Trump dubbed Kim Jong-un in his speech at the United Nations in September 2017, is by most measures more dangerous than the Iranian leadership. Without downplaying the perils of Irans ideological drive and expansive regional foreign policy, Tehrans politics are guided by national interest and rational calculations that are not exclusively led by ideology. Why then does the US avoid investing effort and diplomacy to save the already devastated Middle East from yet another threatening war, this time between Saudi Arabia and Israel on the one side and Iran on the other? Instead, Trump is actually paving the way for such a confrontation with his plans to revoke the nuclear agreement that his predecessor Barack Obama managed to conclude with the Iranians. Why should this be? The reasons include the USs interest in maintaining lucrative arms deals with the Gulf states, primarily Saudi Arabia, and many US leaders support for bombing Iran (as demanded by the right-wing Israeli leadership). With regards to the first, Trump has never hidden his intentions to milk the Saudis to the max. In his televised meeting with the Saudi crown prince Mohamed bin Salman (MBS), Trump voiced the hope that in 2018-19 alone the value of arms deals with the Saudis will exceed $700 billion. Continuing to inflame Saudi fears towards Iran is the best guarantee of those current and future deals. Any diplomatic track that might offset such fears would be far less profitable. With regards to the second reason, Saudi Arabia is already implicated in a futile war in Yemen that after more than two years seems far from being resolved. Ironically, that war was named by the Saudis the battle of decisiveness and was planned to last only the few weeks it would take to finish off the Iranian-supported Houthi rebels. Instead, the Saudis are bleeding financially and politically, and facing mounting international criticism as a result of the wars effects: enormous Yemeni casualties, the hunger of millions of civilians, and the spread of disease. If this would-be short campaign has proved beyond Saudi capabilities, why might they consider that a fully-fledged regional war against Iran could ever be winnable? Such a war, even with the help of Israel, would lead to more protracted, costly and bloody confrontations for all involved. The Americans, recognising Saudi military inadequacy even with all the imported weapons, are well aware of this. Yet in their own interest they refrain from frankness with their wealthy ally. Honest advice to the Saudis would be to seek a grand political deal with Iran. This American dishonesty exploits the political impulsiveness of the young and inexperienced Saudi crown prince. MBSs public-relations advisors, themselves mostly Americans, seem to have given him some Politics 101 that look trivial when examined. One of the crown princes fondly repeated lessons is the parallel between the western appeasement of Hitler on the eve of the second world war and the wests non-confrontational approach towards Iran that culminated in the Obama-era nuclear deal. One of the crown princes fondly repeated lessons is the parallel between the western appeasement of Hitler on the eve of the second world war and the wests non-confrontational approach towards Iran that culminated in the Obama-era nuclear deal. This analogy is desperate to make the point that unless an actual confrontational line is adopted against Iran, the region will witness Iranian invasion and expansion into the Middle East. The reference is to the notorious Munich agreement in September 1938, when British and French leaders in effect gave Hitler the right to continue invading Germanys neighbours. Historians differ on the question whether Nazi ambitions could have been stopped without that pact, and thus the course of events leading to war in 1939 halted. In any case, the comparison with todays Iran is naive on many levels. The German grievances that lingered from the Versailles treaty in 1919 that fostered the rise of Hitler are absent with regard to Iran. The aggressive Nazi war strategy was led and popularised by its intent to restore the German lands that, after the empires fall, had been seized and given to neighbouring countries. By contrast, current Iranian aggressive regional policies are driven by nervousness and the regimes lack of solid internal political support. In addition, the genocidal plans that Hitler had in mind and then implemented against the Jews have no equivalent against any other group whatsoever in the mindset of the Iranian leadership. Those who planted this analogy in MBSs mind knew that such a portrayal appeases Israel and cements a shared war discourse between the Saudis and their unlikely Jewish ally. What would a war between a Saudi-Israeli alliance against Iran, backed by the US, look like? It would, in short, mean Armageddon to the entire region. Irans military and supporting groups in surrounding countries would be able to inflict great damage against adversary countries. Iranian missile capabilities would not be entirely destroyed in any massive first strike. Surviving missiles would reach, in addition to Israeli cities, major Gulf cities implicated in such a war, such as Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Manama and even the American military base in Qatar. The vulnerable Gulf cities that have flourished on commerce and extravagant attractions would be soft targets. If part of Saddam Husseins badly weakened capabilities in 1991 remained operational and managed to hit Israeli and Saudi cities, Iranian steadfastness and capability to retaliate are likely to be even more robust. Moreover, the unleashing of Shiamilitias across the region would make ISIS violence look minimal. Hizbollah in Lebanon would most likely engage directly in war against Israel, this time endangering the very existence of Lebanon as a country. Hamas in Gaza could equally be prompted to open another front, endangering the already devastated Gaza strip. Syria and even Iraq would inevitably become embroiled battlefields, causing further calamities. The economies of the Gulf countries would be extremely damaged, the oil supplies drastically hit, and oil prices sent rocketing. How Turkey would behave in northern Syria amid such chaos, and what form of engagement it would pursue, is an open question. If such a war went on for a longer time, which is not unlikely, it is hard either to imagine or project the magnitude and directions of massive waves of refugees and displaced people. A Failure of Diplomacy Another scary dimension to such a war is the position of Russia. Judging by the worsening relations between the west and Russia, it is not far-fetched to predict Russian support of the Iranians, driven by Kremlin hostility to western policies and by the desire to maintain a strong Russian influence in the region. In terms of Israels position and perceptions, Israeli propaganda against Iran portrays Tehrans mullahs as a bunch of fanatics that pose an existential threat to the Jewish state. This is simply hollow and baseless. Rhetoric aside, Irans official declared line towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is to accept what the Palestinians would ultimately accept. A just conclusion of the Palestinian cause would neutralise Irans purported threat. Ignoring Palestine and blindly supporting Israel, as the current American administration does, feeds into Irans belligerent attitudes, as well as radicalises a public environment receptive to what Iran stands for. The Yemeni war should have given the Saudis the harshest of lessons, one repeatedly taught by history: you can decide when to start a war but you cant control when to end it. A war against Iran is a lose-lose deal with unimaginable consequences. If a fraction of the effort and resources that would be consumed in such a war had been invested in diplomacy, a peaceful grand deal with Iran that spread across the region could have been achieved. If the US can talk to North Korea and try to save that region from the dangers and devastation of nuclear war, why shouldnt it do the same in the Middle East? Iraqi military instructors are further developing their skills in maintaining Soviet-era vehicles, with NATO support. On Tuesday (17 April 2018), they successfully completed a training course at the Taji military base, in the outskirts of Baghdad. Twelve trainees have been awarded the title of instructor, following a rigorous and comprehensive training programme conducted by the Polish-led Mobile Training Team over several months. The training focused on the maintenance and repair of BMP-1 and T-72 armoured vehicles. The selected 12 trainers will help to strengthen the maintenance and repair training capability of the Iraqi Security Forces, said Colonel Pawel Piecyk, Commander of the Polish Training Team. This was the first of NATOs training activities in Iraq to reach Phase III of the Alliances train the trainer model. This means that the graduates of the course are fully-qualified instructors who will be assigned to Iraqi military schools to train their fellow soldiers and perform advisory and mentoring functions. By building the skills of the Iraqi Security Forces, NATO will help them provide for their own security in a sustainable fashion. Major General Hassan Hillel Al-Maliki, Director of the Iraqi Ministry of Defences Maintenance Department, highlighted the high value of the NATO training for the Iraqi Security Forces. He noted that to prevent Daesh from re-emerging, we need to continue improving the skills of our soldiers. This training is just one step in our NATO-Iraq cooperation; and we are looking forward to further enhancing our partnership. Ms Beata Peksa, Ambassador of Poland in Iraq further added that the training was mutually beneficial for Polish and Iraqi soldiers as they had an opportunity to learn from each others experiences. The graduation ceremony was attended by representatives from NATO, Poland, the Iraqi Ministry of Defence, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, Slovakia, and the US Embassy in Iraq. Another NATO training course on Soviet-era maintenance training started this past March, led by Slovak and Polish trainers. Phase II of this course will conclude at the end of May 2018. NATO launched training and capacity building efforts for Iraq in 2016, at the request of the Iraqi government. Questioning vaccines ought to be a crime, according to a new bill by California Senator Richard Pan (NaturalHealth365) What on Earth has happened to California? At one time, they were a seat of cutting edge culture and creativity in America. However, these days theyre mostly known for government mismanagement and disastrous legislation including one bill designed to make it a crime for anyone to question vaccines. For example, one of the latest such bills has been put forward by California Senator Richard Pan, the same guy who drafted the infamous 2015 law that mandated vaccinations for schoolchildren (SB277). He is now introducing an Orwellian bill that would minimize the right to free speech under the guise of combating fake news. Right to free speech on issues such as vaccines could be censored The current bill has a goal of censorship at a truly frightening level. It would essentially prohibit criticism of any official story. The bill, titled SB1424 Internet: social media: false information: strategic plan, would target not just social media but any website, blog, video, email message or other online communication. The essence of bill SB1424 is this: Any person operating an Internet site in California would be obligated to develop a strategic plan to verify any news stories shared on the site. The plan must also have measures to mitigate the spread of false information by using fact-checkers to verify the stories and provide outreach to social media users. A fake news warning must be placed on any news story that contains false information. The bill, if it passes, will require agencies of the California government to develop numerous laws for its enforcement, including penalties for so-called speech criminals. Do NOT ignore the health dangers linked to toxic indoor air. These chemicals - the 'off-gassing' of paints, mattresses, carpets and other home/office building materials - increase your risk of nasal congestion, fatigue, poor sleep, skin issues plus many other health issues. Get the BEST indoor air purification system - at the LOWEST price, exclusively for NaturalHealth365 readers. I, personally use this system in my home AND office. Click HERE to order now - before the sale ends. In a nutshell? This bill is a free speech killer. Clearly, this bill is in extreme violation of the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Our Founding Founders said nothing about fact checkers or warning labels attached to speech. So, if anyone wanted to publish and circulate an article about the toxic side effects of vaccines or their dangerous ingredients they may be forced to include warnings about the content or whatever the Thought Police wished the author to do. They may even be forced to remove the content from the internet because it violates the mainstream narrative backed by the pharmaceutical industry which says vaccines are safe and effective. There should be strong protests in California against this draconian bill. If you think it wouldnt be enforced if passed, think again; enforcement agencies could easily target the largest organizations expressing unacceptable viewpoints or political leanings first; they would then gradually work their way to the medium sized and then smaller outlets. The days of free speech appear to be numbered unless with speak out NOW Of course, all of the fact checkers would be from groups that support official positions, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which everyone knows is completely in the back pocket of big pharma, especially vaccine manufacturers. So, We the People must stay vigilant against rogue legislators pushing scary bills like SB1424. Stand up and make sure your voice heard. We must preserve freedom of speech. Sources for this article include: Canadafreepress.com Jonrappoport.com Legislature.ca.gov Senate.ca.gov Sacbee.com Desantis.house.gov (Natural News) If chemical warfare were to be unleashed into the atmosphere, how would we know it was there? Would we only find out after it was too late? University of Central Florida researchers are hoping that their new laser technique could one day be used to alert communities of chemical or biological attacks. Photonics and Optics Professor Konstantin Vodopyanov and his team have found a new way that infrared lasers can be used to detect even very modest amounts of chemicals circulating in the air. This novel technology uses lasers to detect the unique frequencies at which the molecules of every chemical vibrate. Their technique uses spectroscopy along with broadband MIR frequency combs in order to sense the trace molecules. It is so sensitive and precise that it can detect the molecules of chemicals even if they are only present in the tiniest concentrations even amounts as small as one part per billion. This means that hiding toxic chemicals simply wouldnt work; his technique would be able to find them. Vodopyanov said: The frequencies of molecules are very distinct, but they are invariant here, on a different continent, on a different planet, anywhere. It is universal. Think of it as a molecular fingerprint. So when we use the laser we can detect these fingerprints with great precision. Its an exciting development, although Professor Vodopyanov cautions that there is still work to be done to fine-tune the technique. He said that they are working to widen the range of their laser frequencies, and hed eventually like to see the technology become mobile and more affordable so it could be used more readily for different applications. The laser is currently around a square meter in size, but he believes they can make it smaller eventually. This technique is similar to a principle used in medicine to detect the biomarkers for certain health conditions in breath samples, and Vodopyanov says its the rules of physics that make this possible. The findings were published in the journal Nature Photonics. Plenty of potential uses for this groundbreaking technology Not only could this type of technique be used to detect airborne agents in chemical or biological attacks whether its on the battlefield or at home but it could also be used by space explorers to detect traces of life on other planets. It is also something that could have been useful in cases like that of Sergei Skripal, the Russian double agent who was poisoned in the U.K. by the nerve agent Novichok. National security and the military have been looking to use lasers to detect chemical weapons for quite some time, but this technique is a breakthrough in terms of its ability to detect minute amounts of chemical agents quickly and easily. In chemical attacks, early detection is essential to limit their reach and pinpoint their source. If the technology eventually becomes more portable and affordable as hoped, perhaps it could even be something that consumers could use in their homes to ensure the air they breathe every day is free of toxins. For example, those who live near farms could use something like this to detect glyphosate in the air from pesticide spray drift. The ability to detect dangerous chemicals in the air before they can hurt us is incredibly powerful, and this is one technological development that could end up saving countless lives. Sources for this article include: ScienceDaily.com Photonics.com DefenseOne.com Despite facing three felony charges for domestic violence, linebacker Reuben Foster is still a member of the San Francisco 49ers. While Foster won't participate in the team's offseason program, he hasn't been cut. On Monday, 49ers GM John Lynch addressed Foster's future with the team while talking to the media in Santa Clara. "I do have a couple of thoughts in speaking for our organization and speaking for Jed and speaking for Kyle and speaking for the York family. As you all know and as our release indicated, we take the gravity of these charges...it has not been lost on us. We take it extremely seriously. We do feel like patience is the right approach right now, that we are going to learn things through this legal process. But I do want to be clear, abundantly clear, that if these charges are proven true, that if Reuben did indeed hit this young lady, he won't be part of our organization going forward. That's the standard we want on our team, that's the standard we are going to operate under," Lynch said. The debate over how to get relief from skyrocketing rents in California is likely to go before the voters in November. A campaign to lift restrictions on rent control says it now has enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot. Signatures were collected by the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE). The group claims the housing crisis needs to be fixed, and rent control is the answer. Vanessa Bulnes of ACCE has lived in Oakland for more than 30 years and says renters need relief now. "Its heartbreaking," she said. "So many people of color get displaced in the city of Oakland that they helped build, and I've seen that rents are so high, those people can't afford to live here and end up in tent cities." The group will hold a rally outside Oakland City Hall at noon Monday. Rallies also are slated for Sacramento and Los Angeles. Oakland Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan said the new ballot measure would protect hard-working people like teachers and nurses who are being "forced" out of neighborhoods. "California can do better, and we need immediate change to stop this wave of displacement to keep people in their homes," she wrote in a news release. Those fighting against repealing the existing law call the rent control effort short-sighted and say it will actually hurt renters in the long run. "We have a housing crisis in California, and this would throw gasoline on that," said Steve Maviglio of Californians for Responsible Housing. "But this will halt the construction of new housing for the people who need it most." Bulnes argued that building new housing will take a long time, and putting caps on how much rents can go up will give renters faster relief. She said landlords will still be able to capitalize on their investment. One thing both sides can agree on: Rents in California are skyrocketing. An apartment list survey released this month found that Bay Area suburbs have the highest prices for two-bedroom rentals in the nation, with many leasing for more than $5,000 a month. Under California law, single-family home rentals cannot be subject to rent control. The ACCE's measure would ask voters to repeal a decades-old law, known as Costa Hawkins, that makes it illegal for cities to apply rent caps to any properties built after 1995. The law also bars cities from passing rent control ordinances on rented condominiums or single-family homes. The group has collected more than 565,000 signatures, and if nearly 366,000 are verified, the issue will go before the voters in November. Bay City News contributed to this report. A South Bay congressman wants a bill of rights for internet users similar to the one provided to airline passengers. Days after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified on Capitol Hill about the Cambridge Analytica data breach, House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi asked U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat representing most of Silicon Valley, to draft a new bill to outline just what users rights should be. On Sunday, he held a town hall at Independence High School in San Jose, saying he'll be engaging with Silicon Valley tech giants Google, Facebook and Apple for input. "I believe internet users have a right to their own data," Khanna said. Experts say the bill of rights would be a major test for just how much regulation Silicon Valley tech companies would support. According to the events section on his website, Khanna will be holding another town hall on May 2 in Cupertino, where Apple is based. The city of San Francisco is planning a sweep of homeless encampments in the Mission district, NBC Bay Area has learned. The effort spearheaded by Mayor Mark Farrell targeting tent cities in the Mission has been carried out before, but Farrell is reportely taking a stronger stance. The encampments will be cleared out Monday, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle. It will be a joint effort including teams from the citys public works, health and the police departments. Enough is enough, Farrell told the newspaper last week. We have offered services time and time again and gotten many off the street, but there is a resistant population that remains, and their tents have to go. Similar cleanup efforts have been tried before under late Mayor Ed Lee. But the tents and the people often return. While serving as supervisor, Farrell authored a public referendum that was approved: Proposition Q gives city officials the power to confiscate tents if the city can provide housing alternatives. Farrell, as mayor, plans to enforce the rules and create a dedicated team to make sure the tents do not return, the Chronicle reported. The mayor reportedly considers the tents a public safety hazard for the people who are living in them. President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Russia to "get ready" for a missile attack on its ally Syria, suggesting imminent retaliation for last weekend's suspected chemical weapons attack. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis took a more measured tone, saying the U.S. and its military coalition partners were still studying intelligence on the attack. At stake is the potential for confrontation, if not outright conflict, between the U.S. and Russia, former Cold War foes whose relations have deteriorated in recent years over Moscow's intervention in Ukraine, its interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and, most recently, its support for Syrian President Bashar Assad. Russian lawmakers have warned the United States that Moscow would view an airstrike on Syria as a war crime and that it could trigger a direct U.S-Russian military clash. Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launching sites targeted a stark warning of a potential major confrontation. Trump, who has often said a commander in chief should never telegraph his military intentions, apparently did so himself, tweeting that missiles "will be coming" in response to the suspected chemical attack that killed at least 40 people near Damascus. "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria," Trump wrote. "Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" Defense Secretary Mattis, however, indicated that evidence of what happened was still being studied. At a photo-taking session during a Pentagon meeting with his Dutch counterpart, Mattis was asked by a reporter whether he had seen enough evidence to blame the Syrian government. "We're still assessing the intelligence, ourselves and our allies," Mattis said. "We're still working on this." Trump suggested Monday he had little doubt that Syria was to blame, but neither he nor other administration officials have produced hard evidence. This is in contrast to an incident one year ago in which the U.S. government had video and other evidence of certain aspects of an actual attack by Syrian aircraft, which involved the use of sarin gas. Trump responded then by launching dozens of Navy cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield. Asked whether the U.S. military was ready to conduct an attack in Syria if ordered, Mattis replied, "We stand ready to provide military options if they're appropriate, as the president determined." Mattis was to meet with Trump later Wednesday. In the past, Trump has condemned others for forecasting military plans, repeatedly blistering President Barack Obama during the 2016 campaign. During one speech, he said, "We must as a nation be more unpredictable. We are totally predictable. We tell everything." Asked about Trump's tweet about an impending attack on Syria, former Defense Secretary William Cohen, who ran the Pentagon for President Bill Clinton, said on CNN that it "compromises the mission somewhat." Trump did not detail what a strike on Syria would look like, or whether these would be U.S. missiles. U.S. officials have been consulting with France, Britain and other allies on a possible joint military operation, but the timing remained in doubt Wednesday. Trump canceled a foreign trip in order to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Assad. Shortly after his tweeted warning to Russia, Trump took a more conciliatory tone in lamenting that the U.S.-Russia relationship "is worse now than it has ever been." There is no reason for this, he wrote, adding that "Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together." Syria's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that Trump's threats to attack are "reckless" and endanger international peace and security. Trump's administration has sought to show toughness on Russia, with a series of economic and diplomatic actions, including new sanctions last week against government officials and oligarchs. Trump has largely avoided criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin by name, though he singled him out in a tweet over the weekend for supporting Assad. The U.S., France and Britain have been in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week, U.S. officials have said. A joint military operation, possibly with France rather than the U.S. in the lead, could send a message of international unity about enforcing the prohibitions on chemical weapons and counter Syria's political and military support from Russia and Iran. French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday called for a "strong and joint response" to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday. The Syrian government denies responsibility. The French president does not need parliamentary permission to launch a military operation. France is already involved in the U.S.-led coalition created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Multiple IS terror attacks have targeted France, including one last month. Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown announced her candidacy for mayor on Sunday at the Chicago Hilton Hotel. Brown is entering a crowded field of candidates, but says that she will best represent every community in the city. I pledge to work with every community to make every square mile of the city of Chicago world-class, she said. The city of Chicago has a budget of over $8 billion, and over 35,000 employees. I pledge to ensure that every dollar is used to provide fair and equitable services to our citizens. Brown also pledged to find new revenue sources, and pledged to do so without raising taxes. Her entry into the race raised eyebrows, as her office remains under federal investigation over allegations of bribery. Earlier this year federal prosecutors revealed that Brown requested a $10,000 loan from one of her senior-level employees for her husbands business as part of their investigation into the case. Brown has denied any wrongdoing, and has not been charged in connection with the investigation. Even against a field packed with candidates, including former Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy and former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, Brown says that her campaign will be focused on equality of opportunity and equality of role in the political process. I will work towards a Chicago that creates fair and equal opportunities for jobs and business creation, she said. Shootings this weekend in the city of Chicago have claimed the lives of four people and left at least 21 more wounded. The weekends first fatal shooting occurred in the 6600 block of South Evans in a parking lot outside of a club. Three men were shot, including a man in his 20s or 30s who was shot in the body when a man walked up to the group he was standing in and opened fire. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. A 26-year-old man was shot in the left leg and neck, and was taken to Northwestern Hospital in critical condition. A woman was also shot, and she was taken to University of Chicago Hospital with a gunshot wound to her left arm. There is no one in custody in the shooting, according to authorities. Another fatal shooting took place Saturday afternoon in the 200 block of South Lotus in what police believe was a robbery attempt gone bad. A 30-year-old woman sitting inside of a vehicle was shot in the torso and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. A 34-year-old woman, who was putting a toddler inside of the car, was shot in the abdomen, and was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition. The toddler was unharmed and was taken to relatives, police said. No one is in custody in connection with the shooting. On Saturday night, another person was killed in the 9400 block of South Wabash, police said. A 22-year-old man was standing near the front entrance of an apartment building when he was shot in the chest. He was later pronounced dead at the scene. A 17-year-old boy was shot in the left calf, right leg, and right forearm, and was taken in stable condition to Christ Hospital, police said. In the citys most recent fatal shooting early Sunday morning, a 26-year-old man was found lying face-down in the 3300 block of West Hollywood. The man had gunshot wounds to his head and chest, and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Friday: A 25-year-old man was shot in the 1100 block of South Ashland at approximately 5:37 p.m., police said. The man is in stable condition at Stroger, according to police. In the 9700 block of South Brennen at approximately 9:30 p.m., a 19-year-old man was walking when he heard gunshots. He was shot in the left arm, and was taken to Christ Hospital in stable condition, police said. On Friday evening in the 5200 block of South Winchester, a 16-year-old boy was sitting on a porch when a person in a dark colored sedan fired shots. The boy was struck in his left knee, and was taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition. Saturday: In the 2300 block of East 70 th Place at approximately 2:40 p.m., a 17-year-old boy was shot by a person on the sidewalk. He was shot in the leg and was taken to Northwestern Hospital in stable condition. Place at approximately 2:40 p.m., a 17-year-old boy was shot by a person on the sidewalk. He was shot in the leg and was taken to Northwestern Hospital in stable condition. A 27-year-old woman was shot in her right leg while standing in the backyard of a residence in the 600 block of North Hamlin at approximately 4:56 p.m. The woman was shot by a person in a red sedan, and was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition. A 23-year-old man is in critical condition after he was shot in the left leg in the 3500 block of West Polk just after 7:30 p.m. The victim refuses to give police any information on the incident. In the 3400 block of West Flournoy at approximately 9:58 p.m., a 23-year-old man was standing on a sidewalk when he was shot multiple times. He was taken to Rush Hospital in critical condition, according to police. A person in a dark sedan shot a 28-year-old man in the arm at approximately 10:10 p.m. in the 600 block of North Homan. The man, who was riding in another vehicle, was taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition. A 32-year-old man is in critical condition at Stroger after he was shot in the chest and back in the 5000 block of West Augusta at approximately 10:19 p.m. The man was walking on a sidewalk when shots rang out, police said. Sunday: A pair of men were shot in the 3600 block of West Polk at approximately 3:17 p.m. Sunday afternoon. A 19-year-old was shot in the ear and was taken to Mount Sinai in good condition, and another 19-year-old was shot in the buttocks and was taken to the hospital in good condition. In the 6800 block of South Wood, a 41-year-old man was shot in the left leg while standing in an alley at approximately 5:23 p.m. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition, police said. In the 5400 block of West Gladys at approximately 6:53 p.m., two people were shot as they walked down a street and got into a verbal altercation with two other men. A 20-year-old man is in critical condition at Stroger Hospital after being shot in the arm pit, and a 17-year-old boy is in good condition with a gunshot wound to his ankle, police said. Two men were shot while standing in the street in the 4000 block of West 21 st Street, police said. A person in a gray colored SUV fired shots at the victims, striking a 33-year-old man in the knee. He was taken to Mount Sinai in good condition, and a 32-year-old was shot in the back and arm. He was taken to Mount Sinai in serious condition. Street, police said. A person in a gray colored SUV fired shots at the victims, striking a 33-year-old man in the knee. He was taken to Mount Sinai in good condition, and a 32-year-old was shot in the back and arm. He was taken to Mount Sinai in serious condition. Just before 8 p.m., a 37-year-old man was driving in the 1300 block of North Kildare when he was shot in the head, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. His 22-year-old passenger was not injured. No one has been captured in any of these shootings unless otherwise noted. Indiana health officials are advising residents to get vaccinated for hepatitis A if their summer plans include visits to Kentucky or Michigan. The Department of Health says significant outbreaks of the liver-damaging hepatitis A virus have been reported in Kentucky and Michigan. The agency says Kentucky has seen more than 300 cases of the highly contagious viral infection , most of those in the Louisville area. Michigan has had more than 800 cases, including 25 deaths. Indiana typically sees less than 20 hepatitis cases each year, but 77 have been confirmed since January. State Epidemiologist Pam Pontones says getting vaccinated for hepatitis A and thoroughly washing hands when preparing food are "simple, safe and effective ways" to prevent the spread of hepatitis A. One woman was killed, and another injured, in a shooting Saturday afternoon in the Austin neighborhood in what officers believed was an attempted robbery. About 2:50 p.m., a 34-year-old woman was putting a toddler into her vehicle in the 200 block of South Lotus Avenue when someone walked up, tried to rob her and fired shots, Chicago Police said. A 30-year-old woman inside the vehicle was shot in the torso and pronounced dead at the scene, police and the Cook County Medical Examiners Office said. She was identified as Tierra Gonzalez, of the Northwest Side. The 34-year-old was shot in the abdomen and taken to Mount Sinai in critical condition, police said. The toddler wasnt injured and was released to relatives. The shooter fled in a separate vehicle. Mitt Romney was forced Saturday into a Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat in Utah as he looks to restart his political career by replacing long-serving Sen. Orrin Hatch. Romney remains the heavy favorite overall to win the Senate seat in November. But if he had won the votes of a majority of the far-right leaning party delegates at the state GOP convention Saturday, he would have bypassed a primary altogether. Instead, he was edged out by state lawmaker Mike Kennedy, who got 51 percent of the vote to Romney's 49 percent. Voters will decide between the two in a June 26 primary. Romney previously secured his spot on the ballot by gathering signatures. Romney went up against 11 other candidates at the convention, mostly political newcomers who questioned Romney's criticism of President Donald Trump and the depth of his ties to Utah. Kennedy, a doctor and lawyer, got big applause from the crowd as he railed against the national debt, Common Core education standards and former President Barack Obama's health care law. Romney, 71, asked for delegates' votes after spending two months on the campaign trail visiting dairy farms, taking selfies with college students and making stump speeches in small towns. After his failed 2012 presidential campaign, he moved to Utah, where he is also known for his role in the 2002 Winter Olympics and for becoming the first Mormon presidential nominee of a major political party. He's worked to keep the focus on state issues rather than his history of well-documented feuds with Trump, whom he called a "con-man" and a phony during the 2016 race. Trump fired back that Romney "choked like a dog" during his own White House run. But the two men have shown signs of making peace, and Romney has accepted Trump's endorsement. Crews from more than a dozen fire departments were called to the Baltic section of Sprague Monday afternoon after a massive fire broke out at an abandoned mill building on Bushnell Hollow Road and some firefighters are returning Tuesday after the fire rekindled. Officials said the fire broke out at Building 10 of the abandoned Baltic Mills Complex Monday. Sprague First Selectman Cathy Osten said that everyone was safe. The building was slated for demolition and there were two contractors in the building when the fire broke out, she said. Osten said it appears one of the contractors was using a tool that caused sparks, which might have led to the fire. The fire marshal is investigating. Abandoned Baltic Mill Ravaged by Fire Baltic Fire Chief Bob Tardiff said 80 to 100 firefighters responded to battle the blaze. One firefighter was being evaluated for chest pains. No injuries were reported. Building 10, which was what was left from a previous fire in 1999, is destroyed. The fire also spread to some other structures and brush in the area. At one point crews had to contain a four-acre brush fire started by the wind blowing embers all over, Tardiff said. Officials said dry weather and wind hampered firefighting efforts. Fire officials at the scene said crews from 21 departments responded to the fire, including Baltic, Lisbon, Scotland, Canterbury, Jewett City, Franklin, Atwood Hose in Plainfield as well as Occum, Yantic in Norwich and Taftville, which are all in Norwich. Crews from Griswold, Bozrah, East Great Plains, Lebanon, Windham Center, Plainfield, Willimantic and the city of Norwich also responded. The smoke was so heavy it appeared on weather radar. Interesting radar grab from the mill fire in Baltic about an hour ago. The smoke was detected on radar immediately after the sea breeze front blew through. A sudden wind shift with stronger wind. @WeatherJosh #nbcct pic.twitter.com/bc3PpG8p8r Ryan Hanrahan (@ryanhanrahan) April 23, 2018 Roads in the area were closed for hours. Firefighters from Baltic and Lisbon returned to the site later Tuesday morning to wet down the scene after the fire rekindled. A Torrington man was arrested at Bradley International Airport Monday morning after a loaded handgun was found in his carry-on luggage, according to state police. Connecticut State Police said TSA security personnel flagged the carry-on bag for a possible firearm as it was being scanned. TSA said they found a .40 caliber handgun with a bullet in the chamber. They did not name the person who was charged. Connecticut State Police said the 39-year-old, Atlanta-bound passenger, Matthew English, was placed under arrest, accused of a weapons violation and circumventing airport security. The firearm and permit were taken into possession, according to police. Police said English was released on a $5,000 non-surety bond and he's scheduled to appear at Enfield Superior Court on May 10. TSA reminds passengers that they are responsible for the content in the bags brought to the airport checkpoint and those who bring firearms to security checkpoint are referred to law enforcement. The superintendent of the Suffield Water Pollution Control Authority has been placed on administrative leave after he was arrested in Massachusetts, accused in a domestic violence incident. Suffield police said staff from the Ludlow, Massachusetts Police Department contacted them at 7:15 a.m. on Thursday, April 19 for help to find 39-year-old Shane McCannon, of Munson, Massachusetts who is employed as the superintendent of the Suffield Water Pollution Control Authority. Authorities said police in Ludlow were in the process of obtaining an arrest warrant for McCannon in connection with a domestic disturbance earlier in the morning and Suffield Police set up surveillance in the area of the Water Pollution Control Authority, where McCannon was seen leaving in his vehicle around 11:22 a.m. Suffield police maintained mobile surveillance of McCannon until he got to Massachusetts and Springfield, Massachusetts Police stopped him on Sumner Avenue in Springfield, police said. According to Suffield police, the arrest warrant for McCannon is for charges including strangulation/suffocation, assault and battery on a family/household member and larceny of less than $250. McCannon was arraigned on Friday, April 20. During an emergency meeting of the Board of Selectmen and WPCA Thursday night, McCannon was placed on administrative leave, effective immediately, pending further investigation. Several photographs taken behind the scenes at a Dallas Independent School District food service facility show several pallets of food items, stacked high with dozens of cases that represent thousands of dollars of wasted food being thrown in the garbage. But the district says there is minimal food waste and they hope to donate to local nonprofits soon. The photos were submitted to NBC DFW by a food service employee who is concerned about food waste within the largest school district in North Texas. The photographs were taken on multiple dates within the last year, the oldest of which dates back to June 2017. A Dallas ISD spokesperson confirmed that the images are legitimate and that the boxes in the pictures contain various items including frozen chicken and packets of ketchup, and that all of the food pictured had passed its expiration date. A picture taken in June 2017 shows a pallet of 48 boxes of 1,000 count Red Gold ketchup packets 48,000 individual packets in total being thrown away. A customer service representative of the Red Gold company said that the shelf life for their ketchup packets is about 9 months, with 12 months being the longest they would recommend. Multiple other pictures, dating from January and from March of this year, show dozens of boxes of frozen chicken stacked on pallets and discarded either in or beside one of two dumpsters that appear to be full of other food items. One photo shows the date "10/26/2016" written in black marker on a cellophane wrapping that surrounds one pallet of chicken. According to the photographer, that is the date that the chicken was received at the Maria Luna Food & Child Nutrition Services Facility, located at 1515 Al Lipscomb Way. The date that the photograph was taken, showing the discarded chicken in the dumpster, was Jan. 31, 2018. In all, there appear to be at least 50 boxes of chicken in that photograph. Robyn Harris, the Director of News and Information for the Dallas Independent School District, stressed that the district has numerous systems in place that minimize food loss. Any food loss is not preferable, and we continue to work diligently to eliminate these occurrences, Harris said. According to Harris, Dallas ISD spends approximately $55 million on food every year to feed approximately 150,000 students. Year-to-date Dallas ISD has lost less than .0063 percent or $346,500 of all food purchased, Harris said. Representatives for both the Texas Department of Agriculture and the City of Dallas, both of which establish food safety standards that the Dallas ISD must follow, there is no law or ordinance that would have prevented the school district from donating that food to a food bank, for example, prior to its expiration. One North Texas food bank, when reached for comment by NBC DFW, would have been happy to accept that food. It hurts my heart because there are still so many hungry people, said Regina Taylor, Executive Director of Community Food Bank in Fort Worth, when shown the photographs of the discarded food. But I understand. The Community Food Bank, a nonprofit that has been feeding hungry families from all across Dallas-Fort Worth for more than three decades, has an ongoing relationship with Dallas ISD along with several other school districts where they provide the district with food care packages that can be given to food insecure children. Taylor emphasized that, while it is wasteful to discard food that could have been donated had it been identified prior to expiration, it can be difficult for any large organization to handle the logistics of coordinating the transportation of food; frozen food in particular. Theyre doing the best they can, but whats happening in Dallas is happening everywhere. That is part of the job of being in the food business, Taylor said. Trust me the Dallas school district does not want to throw away a pallet of ketchup. To that point, Robyn Harris of Dallas ISD noted that the district has donated and/or shared various foods with more than a dozen North Texas public school districts and are currently working on authorization to allow us to share with the North Texas Food Bank and other area nonprofits. We are working to establish our ability to share foods with community partners/nonprofits so that we can totally eliminate such losses in the future, Harris said. Editor's note: A previous version of this story reported a dollar amount of food disposed of so far this year calculated from a percentage of Dallas ISD's annual budget. NBC 5 has reached out to the district to confirm this number. Please check back later for the update. When it comes to the issue of food insecurity New Orleans and Dallas have a lot in common. Now the two cities could find themselves on the same path to providing access to fresh food for people living in low income communities. Several Dallas city council members recently traveled to New Orleans with officials from the American Heart Association to see how the Fresh Food Retailer's Initiative is increasing access to healthy foods in parts of Orleans Parish designated as food insecure by the USDA. Nearly two years after the city of Dallas offered $3 million to anyone willing to build a grocery store in a food desert city leaders are exploring the potential of creating a similar program. The American Heart Association believes the $3 million could be a significant investment. "People are just looking for quality, fresh, locally sourced, food," said Marc Robert, general manager of Robert's Fresh Market. Robert's opened in January and was established through the FFRI. "People were travelling up to 20 miles to go get fresh produce or fresh meat at that time. It was amazing to me," said Robert, as he stood in front a vividly colorful wall of fresh produce. The FFRI is a $14 public-private partnership evenly split between the city of New Orleans and Hope Credit Union. It encourages supermarket and grocery store development in lowincome, underserved communities of New Orleans by providing financing to open, renovate, or expand stores that sell fresh fruit and vegetables. In New Orleans 20-percent of people are considered food insecure, meaning they live at least a mile from the nearest grocery store or supermarket and lack access to foods needed for a healthy lifestyle. Robert's provides new access to food in the St. Roch and Bywater area, which was deemed a food desert after Hurricane Katrina. In the last three years the program has established or redeveloped four stores, totaling roughly 200,000 square feet of grocery space, and impacted the lives of nearly 83,000 people. During lunch you can usually find customers like Kwency Wells at the salad bar creating an assorted arrangement of fresh vegetables in a to-go container to take back to her nearby office. "A typical lunch day was nothing but fast food, grease, po' boys, stuff like that. Finding a salad was almost impossible," she said. "Now you can come in here anytime of the day and get your salad. "You can still get your fried stuff if you want too, but it was great. It opened up a whole different market." The initiative was created in 2011. The city used $7 in redevelopment funds allocated after Hurricane Katrina. Hope Credit Union provided another $7 million and financing. "We are taking a little bit more of a risk, but we're looking beyond that. We're looking at the impact that it's going to have on the community," said Kathy Saloy, vice president of community and economic development at Hope Enterprise Corporation. "We have provided over 400 jobs. We have leveraged over $44 million dollars and we have seen in other areas where we have grocery stores other businesses are popping up," After the hurricane and a lengthy battle with his insurance company, Robert decided to take advantage of the program's benefits and open his store. But profit margins are tight in the grocery store and Robert said coming up with a financially feasible and stable plan was difficult. "In order to build a store to have all those amenities and employ over 90 part-time and full-time associates it required investing over $7 million dollars into a location. We weren't able to raise that capital on our own without the help of Hope," Robert said. Nearly half-a-million people in Dallas are considered to be food insecure. For several years the city of Dallas has tried to combat growing food insecurity in its southern sector. After announcing $3 million in funding for a store the city's offer was rebuffed by a host of major retailers. "The factors that made it successful here aren't unique, it just takes the investment from the city and the right partnerships to make this happen," said Christopher Walker, senior campaign director for advocacy at the American Heart Association. Walker has been travelling across Texas, having similar conversations with officials in other cities. "This is a problem that is solvable and so we've been trying to take that model to get other states and cities to replicate it," he said. "That $3 million would be an excellent investment from the city of Dallas did the hard part, they have the money on the table. We can take that money and really do something, multiple projects, in areas of the city that really need them." The city's office of economic development is currently crafting a policy related to the $3 million. Walker said he plans to continue to push city leaders to consider modeling their own program after the FFRI. "If New Orleans can do it Dallas can do it," he said. In North Texas, groups catering to women and firearm training are on the rise. North Texas chapters of The Well Armed Woman are growing. The organization is focused on educating, equipping, and empowering women through firearm training. The North Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, and Little Fork chapter have noticed a spike in membership and women interested in the instruction. Chapters in Flower Mound and Rockwall are soon to follow. I think there is an awareness of our own vulnerability and mortality, said Donna Cornell who started the Grand Prairie chapter of Well Armed Woman. She says the class is transformative for women. Ive seen women come in here who are terrified to shoot a gun, but after we train them, its like a light comes on and they think I can do this. Not only can they do it, they are good at it, said Cornell. Women from different professions, both at the height of their careers, to retired grandmothers have joined the group. Once you start focusing on training, that negates the fear and so once you have your emotions under control youre able to come at it with a better frame of mind, said Mindy KayRay who is the North Fort Worth instructor. I wanted to protect my family while my husband was out of town for work. I needed more training, and now I feel grounded." We are not life takers, we are life givers. And there is a desire for us to protect. You here this phrase mama bear and I want to protect my cubs and put myself in the best situation to do that, Cornell said. The women say the training they have received has helped them to avoid potentially dangerous situations through situational awareness. Each of three chapters in Benbrook, Grand Prairie, and North Fort Worth meet one Thursday per month at 6:30 p.m. Benbrook meets on the second Thursday of the month at Shoot Smart Benbrook at 9455 Benbrook Blvd. Grand Prairie meets on the third Thursday of the month at Shoot Smart Grand Prairie at 2440 W. Main St. North Fort Worth meets on the fourth Thursday of the month at Shoot Smart Fort Worth Alliance at 10305 North Freeway. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti does not believe his citys homeless crisis will derail a potential candidacy for president. "I'm the first to admit what we have to do, but whether it is the Olympics, whether it is infrastructure and passing the biggest jobs package in our history, the free community college, the raising of the minimum wage, we have a good story to tell. But we are honest about the challenges that we have whether it is homelessness or traffic, and the steady work we are doing with no help from Washington." Many political consultants believe the sidewalks lined with homeless tents, particularly the concentration in downtown Los Angeles, would be a devastating backdrop to any campaign for national office. But Garcetti says he would welcome the national press to downtown's Skid Row, which the Los Angeles Times recently proclaimed "a national disgrace." "I hope they come to skid row because federal cuts by this administration and in previous years are part of the problem. People ignoring a mental health crisis, people saying that housing isn't our responsibility anymore as it was in the 60s and 70s have only compounded this." Garcetti made the comments on NBC4 LA's "News Conference" program Sunday morning. He said he will decide next year on whether to run for president. The Mayor argued that a record allocation of $420 million in his proposed budget will help cut homelessness in the city. His goal is to reduce the number of encampments by 50 percent within the next five years. But the Mayor acknowledged that if something isn't done on the state level that more homeless will continue to arrive, particularly out of California's prison system. There are estimates that a quarter to a third of those released end up on the street. He and nearly a dozen other mayors around the state recently lobbied for a bill that would allocate $1.5 billion to help stem the tide of homelessness that he believes has resulted from prison reform. The savings of not putting them in jail, of releasing them should be put into anti-addiction programs, should be in job training programs ... I think the state owes us a big check," he said. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday endorsed a proposed ballot initiative that would repeal limits on rent control in housing- starved California. Garcetti and City Councilman Mike Bonin joined several dozen housing advocates, labor leaders, community activists and other officials to endorse the "California Local Rent Control Initiative" during a news conference and rally outside City Hall. The proposal would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Act, which prohibits local communities from setting limits on rent increases for residences either built after 1995, or after a city enacted rent control, which the city of Los Angeles did in 1978. It would cover single-family houses and multi-unit buildings. "I've always believed that those who live closest to a given block or a street know what's best. Local government should have control over their own city," Garcetti said. More than 565,000 signatures reportedly have been collected -- more than enough to place the issue before voters. "This ballot measure will pour gasoline on the fire of California's affordable housing crisis. It will do exactly the opposite of what it promises - - instead of helping Californians, it will result in an affordable housing freeze and higher costs," said Tom Bannon, CEO of the California Apartment Association. AIDS Healthcare Foundation has donated $1.7 million to the initiative - - nearly 99.9 percent of the funds backing the fight to repeal the Costa Hawkins Act, according to state records. On the other side, Californians for Responsible housing has donated about $3.56 million to defeat the initiative, according to state records and Ballotpedia. The Los Angeles news conference mirrored a planned march and demonstration at the state Capitol, as well as a demonstration and news conference in Oakland. Bonin said every day there are people and families being displaced by rising rents in the city. "This is a crisis of epic proportions in Los Angeles, and people come to us, they come the mayor, they come to the members of the council and they sorely wish that we could wave a magic wand and make this stop. We do not have a magic wand, and in so many cases we have a toolbox that is missing an essential tool, and we need this tool back from the state of California," Bonin said. The Costa Hawkins Rental housing Act was passed in 1995 by the state Legislature and signed into law by then-Gov. Pete Wilson. Prior to this law, local governments were allowed to enact rent control, provided that landlords would receive just and reasonable returns on their rental properties. Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth Monday to a healthy baby boy a third child for Kate and Prince William and fifth in line to the British throne. The couple's Kensington Palace office announced news of the birth around lunchtime, about five hours after the 36-year-old duchess and her husband traveled by car from their Kensington Palace home to the private Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in central London. The palace said the baby prince was born at 11:01 a.m. (1001 GMT; 6:01 a.m. EDT) and weighed in at eight pounds, seven ounces (3.8 kilograms). Prince William was in attendance, and the palace said mother and child were both doing well. She left the hospital about seven hours later, stopping at the steps of the hospital to greet the well-wishers with her new child in her arms and William by her side. "The queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news," the palace said in a statement. Mixing tradition and modernity, the news was announced by the palace on Twitter and also proclaimed in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace through a framed notice perched on a golden easel. Tony Appleton, a town crier from southeast England, showed up in full regalia to declare the newborn prince's birth outside the hospital. The words "It's a boy" flashed in lights around the top of London's BT Tower, which can be seen for miles around. More ceremonial celebration is to come, including the pealing of bells at Westminster Abbey and a gun salute in London's Hyde Park. The baby is a younger brother to 4-year-old Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who turns 3 next week. Both were born at the same hospital, as were William and his younger brother, Prince Harry. They came to the hospital later Monday to meet their new baby brother. George wore the navy blue shorts and sweater of his school uniform and ignored the waiting media and well-wishers. Charlotte gave the crowd a wave as the family entered. The infant's name, which has been subject to a flurry of bets, hasn't been announced. Arthur and James are among bookmakers' favorites for the new prince, whose full title will be His Royal Highness, Prince (Name) of Cambridge. Monday is St. George's Day, England's national day, but the baby is unlikely to be given the name since his older brother already has it. The new arrival is Queen Elizabeth II's sixth great-grandchild and bumps Prince Harry to sixth place in the line of succession. The baby is fifth in line, after grandfather Prince Charles, father Prince William and his two siblings. Charlotte is the first royal daughter to stay ahead of a younger brother in the line of succession. Before the rules were changed in 2012, male heirs took precedence. Kensington Palace announced in September that Kate was pregnant with her third child. As in her previous pregnancies, the duchess suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness. Officials announced her previous pregnancies before the traditional 12-week mark because she was too unwell to attend public engagements. This time around, it kept her from taking Prince George to his first day of school. The 36-year-old duchess, formerly Kate Middleton, nevertheless kept up a busy schedule of royal duties during her pregnancy, including a visit with William to Scandinavia. She carried out her last official engagement on March 22 before going on maternity leave. The birth was overseen by a team of doctors including consultant obstetrician Guy Thorpe-Beeston and consultant gynecologist Alan Farthing who were also called in for the births of George and Charlotte as well as the hospital's midwives. Television crews, journalists and royal fans had set up camp outside the hospital for the "royal baby watch" since early April in anticipation of the arrival. John Loughrey, a veteran royal-watcher who has been camped outside the hospital for two weeks, said the baby would be "very good for our country and of course Her Majesty the queen." "I'm so pleased it's St. George's Day," he said before the birth was announced. "St. George himself would be very pleased if the baby's born today." William and Catherine celebrated some other family milestones in the past year. Charlotte began attending nursery school in January. To mark the occasion, the Palace released special photos Catherine took of the princess before her first day at Willcocks Nursery School in London. And George, who turns 5 in July, attended his first day of school in September. On the big day, William walked his son hand-in-hand to the entrance of Thomas's Battersea in London. NBC's Liz Lane and the AP's Jill Lawless contributed to this story. What to Know A team of nine plastic surgeons and two urological surgeons performed the 14-hour surgery last month "When I first woke up, I felt finally more normal," the patient said Four other successful penis transplants have been performed. But those involved only the penis, not extensive surrounding tissue A veteran who was injured in Afghanistan has received the world's first total penis and scrotum transplant, Johns Hopkins Hospital announced Monday. A team of nine plastic surgeons and two urological surgeons performed the 14-hour surgery last month. The penis, scrotum and part of an abdominal wall came from a deceased donor, the hospital said. The patient has recovered from the surgery and is expected to be released this week, officials say. The hospital did not disclose in which branch of the military the patient served. "When I first woke up, I felt finally more normal [with] a level of confidence as well. Confidence like finally Im okay now," said the patient, who asked not to be identified. The hospital said many soldiers injured in blasts from improvised explosive devices come home with debilitating hidden injuries like the loss of their genitals. "We are hopeful that this transplant will help restore near-normal urinary and sexual functions for this young man, said W.P. Andrew Lee, M.D., professor and director of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. A hospital spokeswoman says doctors are hopeful the patient will have near-normal function in six months. The scrotum transplant did not include the donor's testicles, meaning reproduction won't be possible. "We just felt there were too many unanswered ethical questions" with that extra step, said Hopkins' Dr. Damon Cooney. The team that performed the surgery also performed the country's first bilateral arm transplant, in a wounded warrior. Four other successful penis transplants have been performed, two in South Africa, one in China and one in Boston. But those transplants involved only the penis, not extensive surrounding tissue. The Broward Sheriff's Office's largest union is throwing its support behind Sheriff Scott Israel, days after another union announced that the sheriff would face a no-confidence vote. In a letter sent Monday to Israel, the Federation of Public Employees, which represents 2,500 BSO employees, thanked the sheriff "for all you do." "As your largest union, we support you and have confidence in how you are running this large complex agency," the letter read, in part. It was announced last week that a different union, the Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies Association, is conducting a poll of its members about their confidence in Israel. President Jeff Bell said Friday that Israel's handling of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High shooting that killed 14 students and three staff members is a major component of the no-confidence campaign, saying he should not have put the full blame on Deputy Scot Peterson, the school's resource officer. Video shows Peterson remained outside after investigators say former student Nikolas Cruz opened fire Feb. 14 inside the three-story freshman building with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. Israel said shortly after the shooting that Peterson should have rushed into the building to confront and kill Cruz. Peterson retired rather than accept an unpaid suspension. Israel issued a statement Friday saying it is "unfortunate and appalling" that Bell is using the school shooting "as a bargaining tactic to extort a 6.5 percent pay raise" for the union's members. The 3-year-old union represents the office's deputies who hold the rank of sergeant and below, and its contract expires Sept. 30. Shortly after the shooting, Israel faced backlash for his agency's possible mishandling of some of the 18 tipster calls it had received about Cruz, 19. The tips were among a series of what authorities now describe as the clearest missed signals that Cruz, who had a history of disturbing behavior, posed a serious threat. Israel praised himself in a TV interview shortly after the shooting, saying he had shown "amazing leadership" in the tragedy's wake. Bell said contract negotiations played no role in calling the vote and there are other issues besides the shooting. BSO has about 5,300 employees. The Federation of Public Employees said their recent contract passed by a vote of 1,111 to 38. "This is a vote of confidence in how you treat us and how our bargaining unit feels about you," their letter read. What to Know Scott will leave Monday on a trip his office said will be to give assistance and guidance to emergency workers and government officials. The trip comes less than two weeks after Scott announced he will run for U.S. Senate, challenging three-term Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. Florida Republican Governor Rick Scott is making his fifth trip to Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria devastated the island. Scott will leave Monday on a trip his office said will be to give assistance and guidance to emergency management workers and government leaders in the U.S. territory. The trip comes less than two weeks after Scott announced he will run for U.S. Senate, challenging three-term Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. The Puerto Rican vote could be a key in the election. Florida had a large Puerto Rican population before Hurricane Maria, and thousands have relocated to the state since the storm hit the island in September. What to Know The president of Western Connecticut State University said the school would be closed Monday as a precaution to prevent disease spread About 100 students have come down with stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea since Thursday; state officials believe it's norovirus The school is recommending that students go home, if possible, and if they fall ill, stay in their rooms A Connecticut university has shut down for the day after about 100 students fell sick in a "viral-like" outbreak since Thursday, and state health officials believe norovirus is behind the dozens of illnesses. DPHs Epidemiology and Food Protection Programs, along with the State Laboratory, are coordinating with officials at WCSU, the Danbury Health Department and Danbury Hospital to investigate an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness at WCSU that has now been confirmed through laboratory tests to be Norovirus, the Department of Public Health said in a statement Monday. [NATL-DC] These Images of the Abandoned Owings Mills Mall Will Give You Chills Students complained of symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhea. State officials said the illnesses were first reported on Friday afternoon, but some of the ill patients became sick as early as Tuesday, April 17. Health officials say they advised the school to have staff and students frequently wash hands with soap and water and avoid preparing food for others if having gastrointestinal symptoms. Anyone with severe symptoms should immediately seek medical attention. Students who vomit in their dorms should call staff. Western Connecticut State University President John Clark said in an emailed statement late Sunday the school would be closed in response to the outbreak. [NY-Only Images] The 25 Best Jobs in America Revealed in New Report "Although we are aware of a limited number of affected student, based on our discussions with the the Connecticut Department of Health, the Danbury Department of Health, Danbury Hospital and the WCSU Director of Health Services, we have decided this is the best and most conservative course of action to protect our university community from infection and spread of disease," Clark wrote in an emailed statement. Monday's closing will give staff time to consult with state and city health officials to determine what the next steps will be and allow maintenance crews to continue to sanitize all areas of the campus. "While the latest data we have about the disease is encouraging, we want to make doubly sure that the university is safe and secure for all before re-opening," Clark said. 10 Most Expensive NYC Neighborhoods Ranked by Median Sale Price, According to PropertyShark What to Know A toddler was found dead in a roller suitcase on the PATH train tracks in Jersey City nearly two weeks ago; she was fully clothed While a clear cause of death couldn't initially be determined, sources say the girl appeared to have been carefully placed in the suitcase Her father, Travis Plummer, was arrested in Puerto Rico and is awaiting extradition back to New Jersey, authorities say The father of the missing 2-year-old Virginia girl found dead in a suitcase near the PATH tracks in Jersey City almost two weeks ago has been arrested in Puerto Rico, authorities say. It's still not clear how the toddler, identified as Te'Myah Plummer, died but the Hudson County prosecutor's office said Monday they believe she died outside of New Jersey. The child's father, 37-year-old Travis Lamont Plummer, was located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on April 19, according to the prosecutor's office. He's been arrested and is awaiting extradition proceedings back to New Jersey, where he's facing a charge of desecrating human remains. Te'Myah Plummer had not been seen by family in Richmond since last August, NBC affiliate WWBT reported last month, and on March 21, Richmond police sent a news release about the missing child, saying, "We would like to hear from whomever may be caring for Te'Myah Plummer, probably a family member. We need to confirm she is safe." Police believed at the time "they may have relocated to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County, North Carolina area or perhaps Jersey City, New Jersey." Authorities believe the toddler had been dead for several days before her body was found wrapped in a blanket in a suitcase on the tracks underneath the Tonnelle Avenue overpass near Newark Avenue April 11. There were no visible signs of trauma on the girl, who was carefully placed, fully clothed, in the case. The disturbing discovery on the Newark-bound side of the Jersey City-Journal Square station "rattled" even the most veteran homicide detectives, sources said. There were two suitcases where the baby was found -- one dark, one pink. She was found in the pink one. What to Know Police in Brooklyn are investigating after a man claims him was beaten up by an attacker because he is Jewish Menachem Moskowitz suffered a black eye and broken rib after he was beaten by a man on an East 46th Street sidewalk in Crown Heights Another Jewish man was also attacked in the same neighborhood, but it's not clear if it's connected; cops say they are possibly bias crimes Police in Brooklyn say they are investigating a possible bias attack after a Jewish man claims he was ambushed by an attacker who allegedly told the victim he hates Jews. Menachem Moskowitz suffered a black eye and broken rib after he was beaten by a man on a sidealk near Rutland Road and Schenectady Avenue in Crown Heights as he was walking home from a prayer service. Moskowitz said he told the attacker hello, but the greeting apparently set the man off and the suspect began hitting Moskowitz. He was punching me, tried to put me into a hold and tried to choke me, Moskowitz said. Moskowitz added that the attacker told him you deserve to die. I am going to kill you. Surveillance video shows the attacker run up from behind Moskowitz and start hitting up while pushing him up against a white fence. Two good Samaritans were able to pull the attacker away from Moskowitz. Police say another Jewish man was also attacked in the same neighborhood last week, but they havent said if the beatings are connected. They say they are investigating both as possible bias crimes. No arrests have been made. What to Know The MTA unveiled its Bus Action Plan on Monday to improve deteriorating bus service A number of initiatives will tackle speed, reliability and modernization MTA wants to bring back double decker buses, a tap and go fare payment, new all-door boarding procedures, and new routes and schedules New York City bus riders are about to experience what London riders do: the double-decker bus. It's part of the MTA's Bus Action Plan announced on Monday to improve deteriorating service, and MTA President Andy Byford says there will be several initiatives to address issues with speed, reliability and modernization. In addition to double-decker buses, the MTA is looking into a tap and go fare payment, new all-door boarding procedures, as well as new routes and schedules, including more for off peak service. The double-decker pilot program will be tested on express buses from Staten Island. These bus routes known for their X designation in their names, will now be known as SIM routes, or Staten Island-Manhattan Express routes. The city has long been dealing with transit issues, including a bus travel time of about 5.7 mph the slowest travel rate in the nation, according to transit executives. These buses only exceed 2 mph about half the time. Early this year an advocacy group known as the Bus Turnaround Coalition published a report that said that nearly 75 percent of the citys 246 bus routes got failing or barely passing grades because they were painfully slow and unreliable. The group said transit officials need to rethink the city's bus routes and redesign buses and city streets to make service more efficient. Top Tri-State News Photos Byford says if the new bus plan doesn't work, New Yorkers can blame him: "I and my management team will expect to be held accountable." But he also preached patience. While the double-decker is expected to hit Staten Island next month, many of the other changes, including the tap-and-go payment system, are still two years away. Students at an East County elementary school were evacuated Monday after reports of a propane leak that could not be found, firefighters said. A spokesperson for the San Miguel Fire & Rescue (SMFD) said Crest Elementary School, part of the Cajon Valley Union School District, was evacuated before 9:15 a.m. Monday after a natural gas odor was reported towards the front of the school. The students were moved to the school's lower-level field out of an abundance of caution while firefighters searched for the source of the odor, the SMFD said. By about 10:15 a.m., San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) crews called to assist had still not pinpointed where the smell originated from. The SMFD said the students would soon be allowed back into the school. No broken gas line or leak was found. No other information was available. Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available. Rain continues to fall across parts of the D.C. area, but the end is in sight. Storm Team4 says the heaviest rain is over, but we'll see showers on and off for much of the day. The rain is expected to leave the region late Wednesday night. Wednesday temperatures will reach the mid-60s with rain chances increasing during the afternoon and into the evening. Sunshine will return Thursday, when high temperatures are expected to approach 70 degrees. But another storm system making its way toward D.C. might bring light showers Friday. The weekend will likely be dry, with the high temperature Saturday hovering around 70 degrees. The sunshine will likely continue next week, creating high temperatures in the mid-to-upper 80s as the week progresses. Four people are in police custody after a New Hampshire wedding spiraled out of control Sunday morning, ending with gunshots fired and numerous fights between wedding attendees. Concord police, state police and four neighboring police departments all responded to the Bektash Temple at 189 Pembroke Rd. in Concord for a report of shots fired shortly before 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Upon arrival, officers encountered a wedding party of more than 300 people, with numerous fights breaking out. "Patrons reported that shots were being fired in the rear of the building and parking lot between two rival groups," Concord Police Lt. Sean Ford said in a statement. "Officers initially believed there was an active shooter situation unfolding." Dozens of people were initially detained while investigators sorted out the matter. The investigation revealed that a fight had broken out between a group of men from the Columbus, Ohio and Nashville, Tennessee areas and other wedding attendees. Members of the group from Ohio and Tennessee allegedly brandished and discharged firearms in close proximity to numerous people, including children. "There was some ongoing argument between a group of women over social media related to those groups," Merrimack County State Attorney Jackie Smith said. "The four coming out here to this wedding, they were well aware that there would likely be trouble when they got here." That group then attempted to flee in a white Chrysler. As the vehicle left the property, police said the driver, later identified as 22-year-old Salim Hussein of Nashville, was allegedly pointing a pistol out the window. Another vehicle entering the lot saw this and crashed into the Chrysler. The occupants of the Chrysler then fled, and witnesses told police they were firing shots as they ran. Hussein was injured in the collision and police found him hiding in another car in the parking lot. No one was injured by the gunfire. Investigators remained at the scene until late Sunday afternoon. "Why anybody would want to spoil somebody's wedding is beyond me," said Guild "Bushie" Hill from Bektash Temple. "This is a shock." Hussein and Jafar Kahalid Issak, 19, of Columbus, Ohio, were arrested and charged with felony reckless conduct and riot. Both were arraigned Monday afternoon in Merrimack Superior Court. They were held on $10,000. Ali Dahir Hussein, 20, also of Columbus, and 18-year-old Abdi Osman Mohamed of Erie, Pennsylvania, were also arrested on felony riot charges. They have been released and did not appear in court. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Concord police at 603-225-8600 or the Concord Regional Crimeline at 603-226-3100. Western Connecticut State University in Danbury will be closed Monday after approximately 100 students fell sick during a "viral-like outbreak" last week that state health officials have determined to be norovirus. In a release sent out Sunday night, the president of the university said the school will be closed Monday in response to the outbreak. "Although we are aware of a limited number of affected students, based on our discussions with the Connecticut Department of Health, the Danbury Department of Health, Danbury Hospital and the WCSU Director of Health Services, we have decided this is the best and most conservative course of action to protect our university community from infection and spread of disease," WCSU president John Clark wrote in an emailed statement. Monday's closing will give staff time to consult with state and city health officials to determine what the next steps will be and allow maintenance crews to continue to sanitize all areas of the campus. "While the latest data we have about the disease is encouraging, we want to make doubly sure that the university is safe and secure for all before re-opening," Clark said. The school tweeted Friday night that it was investigating a viral-like illness that broke out on both campuses. Students complained of symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhea and the school is encouraging anyone experiencing symptoms to go home if possible and see their doctor or visit an urgent care or a hospital emergency room for treatment and ask to be tested for a possible virus. Students are encouraged to wash their hands before eating or handling food, and to avoid sharing food or drink with others. Any students who vomit in their dormitory should contact Housing or Residence Life staff to help with cleanup. Bucklebury awaits arrival of the fifth in line to the throne THE Duchess of Cambridge is in the early stages of labour with her third child. Kate and Prince William reportedly travelled to St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, this morning. The baby will be fifth in line to the throne and the Queen's sixth great-grandchild. The Duchess took Prince George back to the Middleton's family home in Bucklebury within 48 hours of him being born in 2013. The diagnosis and treatment of multiple myeloma, a cancer affecting plasma cells, traditionally forces patients to suffer through a painful bone biopsy. During that procedure, doctors insert a bone-biopsy needle through an incision to get a bone marrow sample -; or make a larger incision and remove a section of bone via surgery. But the days of using bone biopsies to guide treatment for multiple myeloma and other cancers, such as many types of leukemia, may be numbered. A new University of Kansas research effort featured in the current edition of Integrative Biology has resulted in a low-cost, reliable blood test that uses a small plastic chip about the size of a credit card that can deliver the same diagnostic information as a bone biopsy -; but using a simple blood draw instead. "For the last 10 years, we've been developing a blood-based test for a variety of cancer diseases -; one of them is multiple myeloma," said Steven Soper, Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering at KU and a member of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, who led the research. "We'll be able to eliminate the need for bone-marrow biopsies and allow the clinician to determine the best way to treat the disease using a blood draw. From this test, the clinician will be able to determine the stage of the disease, what type of drug will best treat the disease and monitor for signs of recurrence if the disease goes into remission." Soper, who also serves as director of the Center of BioModular Multi-scale System for Precision Medicine at KU and KU Medical Center, said that previous plastic chips to test for multiple myeloma had shortcomings, such as picking up regular blood cells instead of multiple myeloma cells in the blood. By contrast, the new chip developed at KU vastly improves testing performance and accuracy over previous chips for multiple myeloma. High levels of circulating multiple myeloma cells are linked with more aggressive disease and worse outcomes, so a sensitive test is vital for assessing the state of the disease in a patient and devising the most effective therapy. "We get very few blood cells," Soper said. "Only multiple myeloma cells. So, the ability for us to efficiently detect those cells is very high and thus, diagnose the disease at a more treatable stage." Moreover, other attempts to create chips that test for multiple myeloma have proven to be complicated and expensive to manufacture. "The chip we're using, because it is made from a plastic, can be injection molded, the same method that is used to produce CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray Discs," Soper said. "What's really nice is we can produce these chips for a couple of dollars per chip, which makes it really appropriate for testing in a clinical setting." Soper's co-authors on the paper are Joyce Kamande, Maria Lindell and Peter Voorhees of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Magorzata Witek of KU. The new test for multiple myeloma developed by the team will be brought to market by BioFluidica, a San Diego-based company with a research lab in Lawrence and a clinical testing lab planned for the KU Medical Center very soon. "BioFluidica has been around for about two years now and is making excellent progress in bringing this chip-based technology to market," Soper said. "Patients will soon be benefiting from this technology. We're already doing clinical testing on different diseases using this technology at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City on pediatric patients with acute leukemia. It's the same premise -; we are looking for tumor cells in blood to see signs of disease recurrence, negating the need for a bone biopsy." Indeed, the KU researcher said the new technology developed by his team could have applications across many cancers, making diagnostics easier for patients and clinicians, and helping usher in more tailored therapies that could improve patient outcomes. "We've demonstrated the utility of this technology in a variety of cancer diseases," Soper said. "Here, we're homing in on multiple myeloma, but we've developed tests for two forms of leukemia and for pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer and breast cancer. With our technology, we'll be able to see if patients are developing cancers before they have overt symptoms and help improve survival." Soper noted the technology could be ideal for patients living far from major medical facilities, such as those living in rural regions. "Some of this technology can be really important to areas that don't have high-end cancer screening tools and thus must travel to a major cancer center to be treated," he said. "For instance, this test can be conducted in a doctor's office in a place like Hays, Kansas." For Soper, the work on the microfluidic technology goes beyond academic or entrepreneurial interests -; like so many Americans, his life has been touched by cancer. "This is very important to me," he said. "Just like a lot of people, I've experienced a family member dying of cancer. My dad passed away from colon cancer, and he never had a colonoscopy. A lot of the technology we're developing can minimize the need for these invasive screening technologies like colonoscopies and bone biopsies. This is important for screening but also to assist doctors to provide the correct medication to patients and monitor for recurrence." The researcher envisions a day where screening for a broad array of cancers would be routine and widespread, long before symptoms present themselves in patients. "At some point, you'll just go in for your yearly physical where they'll do a blood draw anyway," he said. "But then they'll screen it for cancer." Delaware's Gene Editing Institute Discovery Could Rapidly Advance Personalized Cancer Care Scientists at Christiana Care Health System's Gene Editing Institute have developed a potentially breakthrough CRISPR gene-editing tool. It could allow researchers to take fragments of DNA extracted from human cells, put them into a test tube, and quickly and precisely engineer multiple changes to the genetic code, according to a new study published today in the CRISPR Journal. Investigators at the Gene Editing Institute, which is part of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute at Christiana Care, said their new "cell-free" CRISPR technology is the first CRISPR tool capable of making multiple edits to DNA samples "in vitro," which means in a test tube or petri dish. The advance could have immediate value as a diagnostic tool, replicating the exact genetic mutations found in the tumors of individual cancer patients. Mutations that cause cancer to spread can differ from patient to patient, and being able to quickly identify the correct mutation affecting an individual patient can allow clinicians to implement a more targeted treatment strategy. "With this new advance, we should be able to work with laboratory cultures and accomplish gene edits in less than a day, significantly reducing the time required for diagnostics compared to other CRISPR tools, and with much greater precision," said Eric Kmiec, Ph.D., director of the Gene Editing Institute and principal author of the study. "This is particularly important for diagnostics linked to cancer care where time is critical." Kmiec also said that while other CRISPR tools are restricted to editing or repairing short segments of DNA code within a single gene, his team's new CRISPR tool could lead to applications that are capable of removing and replacing entire genes. This could be important, he said, for using CRISPR to treat disease. Kmiec noted that while some ailments, like sickle cell anemia and Huntington's disease, involve faulty DNA within a single gene, others, like Alzheimer's and heart disease, appear to involve malfunctions in multiple genes where the best option "is not really gene editing, but gene replacement." CRISPR stands for "clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats." It is a defense mechanism found in bacteria that allows the bacteria to recognize and slice up the DNA of invading viruses. Scientists have learned how to manipulate this mechanism so that it essentially can be programmed to find and remove a specific sequence of DNA code-;which acts like software for controlling genes-;and replace it with a different sequence. This capability has generated unprecedented excitement about developing different CRISPR tools that could produce breakthrough treatments for a wide range of diseases by repairing a damaged gene, modifying it or deleting it entirely. In the study published today, Kmiec and his colleagues-;lead author Brett Sansbury and co-author Amanda Wagner-;describe developing a "cell-free" CRISPR tool that can modify genes contained in something called a DNA plasmid. A plasmid is a type of DNA molecule that can be removed from a cell and maintained and manipulated in a petri dish or test tube. The study notes that a key feature of the new CRISPR tool is that it uses a protein called Cpf1, more recently referred to as Cas12a, to essentially function like scissors for cutting out and inserting a targeted line of genetic code. Most of the CRISPR work underway today employs a different "set of scissors" in the form of an enzyme called Cas9. However, Sansbury said while the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system has proven to be effective at modifying genes that are inside a cell, it performed poorly when her team tried to use it in a "cell-free" environment to quickly engineer complex changes to DNA plasmids. "It could be that there is something within the very complex machinery of a cell that allows the Cas9 enzyme to more easily accomplish deletions and insertions," Sansbury said. "But it performed very poorly in our cell-free extracts." Sansbury noted that when Cas9 cuts DNA, the result can be "blunt ends," while Cpf1 produces "sticky ends." She said that the blunt-ended outcome could impede the ability to process the cut ends, which allows for the removal or "resection" of a section of genetic code and then seamlessly insert and attach new code. Bringing the CRISPR Revolution to Everyday Cancer Care The Gene Editing Institute is now working to use the new CRISPR-Cpf1 breakthrough to provide something akin to CRISPR on a computer chip to a commercial partner involved in cancer diagnostics that is intended to drive personalized cancer care. "The speed at which you see our discovery moving from the bench to the bedside is unprecedented but not unanticipated," said Nicholas Petrelli, M.D., FACS, Bank of America endowed medical director of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute at Christiana Care. "The Gene Editing Institute exists within a community hospital system where we are committed to a patient-first approach to biomedical research. This major advance in CRISPR-assisted gene editing was accomplished with the support from the BIRD Foundation, which wants to see a commercial partner on board from the beginning to ensure that any discoveries will quickly benefit patients." Sansbury and Kmiec said that while their work with their CRISPR-Cpf1tool has confirmed its usefulness for reliably editing DNA samples that are part of a diagnostic test, it is not yet fully developed as a therapeutic tool for directly treating disorders that would involve repairing or removing malfunctioning genes in humans, animals or plants. However, by allowing gene editing to be quickly and precisely accomplished in a test tube or petri dish, they believe their tool is ideal for revealing more about how CRISPR actually modifies the genome, a process that remains largely shrouded in mystery. "When you're working with CRISPR inside a cell, you're kind of working in a black box where you can't really observe the gears of the machinery that are doing these amazing things," Kmiec said. "You can see the results, the edits to the genes, but not necessarily how you got there, which is important for ensuring that CRISPR can be safely used to treat patients." "The Gene Editing Institute's cell-free CRISPR-Cpf1 system is yet another landmark CRISPR-related discovery to emerge from Christiana Care Health System," Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, Christiana Care president and chief executive officer, said. In 2016, scientists at the Gene Editing Institute described in the journal, Scientific Reports, how they combined CRISPR with short strands of synthetic DNA to greatly enhance the precision and reliability of the CRISPR gene editing technique. Called excision and corrective therapy, or EXACT, this new tool acts as both a template and a bandage for repairing a malfunctioning gene. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of the disease accounting for 12 to 18 percent of breast cancers. It is a scary diagnosis, and even though chemotherapy can be effective as standard-of-care, many patients become resistant to treatment. A team at The University of Texas MD Anderson led a study which may explain how resistance evolves over time, and potentially which patients could benefit from chemotherapy. Results from a study led by Nicholas Navin, Ph.D., associate professor of Genetics, were published today in the April 19, 2018 online issue of Cell. Their findings indicate breast cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy may be pre-existing and the cells may even adapt to become resistant when confronted by the chemotherapy itself. To answer how a cell becomes resistant to chemotherapy, one must understand that cancer often begins with a clone a single mutated cell that either can be destroyed by the immune system, or mutated further as subclones, genetic aberrations resulting in an ever-evolving cellular pathway to cancer. "An unresolved question is whether resistance is caused by the selection of rare pre-existing clones or, alternatively, through the acquisition of new genomic aberrations," said Navin. "Our data showed that resistant genotypes, or genes prone to being cancer-resistant, were pre-existing and adaptively selected by the initial treatment known as neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, but also requires further changes in gene expression programs to become fully resistant." Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is the standard of care for many TNBC patients, who lack estrogen and progesterone receptors as well as human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) receptor, making them ineligible for hormone or anti-HER2 therapy. While NAC is effective in some TNBC patients, approximately half will develop chemotherapy resistance, leading to poor overall survival. "A major gap in knowledge is whether chemoresistance arises due to the selection and expansion of pre-existing subclones called adaptive resistance or through new mutations resulting from the chemotherapy, a phenomenon known as acquired resistance," said Navin. "Previous genomic studies in other cancers have shown either adaptive or acquired resistance in different cancer types." Navin's group studied 20 TNBC patients treated with NAC. They looked at genetic changes by deeply sequencing the coding regions of genes across the genome. They sought to understand whether new genetic mutations occurring after chemotherapy erupted spontaneously due to acquired resistance, or whether the mutations already existed at very low levels prior to treatment. "What we found were two distinct classes of clonal dynamics extinction and persistence," said Navin. "In the clonal extinction patients, NAC eliminated the tumor cells, leaving only normal cell types post-treatment. Clonal persistent patients harbored a larger number of residual tumor cells with genotypes and phenotypes that were altered in response to NAC." Using single-cell DNA and RNA sequencing, his team performed a detailed analysis of eight clonal persistent patients, measuring miniscule portions of DNA and RNA and found responses to NAC were pre-existing, thus adaptively selected. However, the expression of resistant genes was acquired by subsequent reprogramming as a result of chemotherapy. "Our data support a model of chemoresistance in which two modes of evolution, adaptive and acquired, were operating to establish chemo-resistant tumor mass," said Navin. "This data has important clinical implications." Navin's group believes pre-existence of chemoresistant genotypes in tumors indicates there may be diagnostic opportunities for detecting chemoresistant clones in TNBC patients prior to receiving NAC. Their findings that TNBC patients fall into clonal extinction or clonal persistent groups may be applicable to patient outcomes or survival. "Lastly, our data raise the possibility of therapeutic strategies to overcome chemoresistance by targeting pathways identified in this study," said Navin. "Future work will need to be performed in a larger group of TNBC patients to fully understand this evolutionary model and gene-related chemoresistance." Each and every day, doctors diagnose patients with various diseases and disorders based on physical examinations, laboratory reports, and/or test results. But, what if the doctor doesn't complete all of the necessary testing? What if the doctor is a general practitioner who doesn't specialize in that particular area of medicine? As a patient, do you trust the initial diagnosis? Furthermore, would you want to ensure all appropriate testing was completed by a doctor properly trained in that specialty? A recent article in Muscle & Nerve "The Usefulness of Electrodiagnostic Studies in the Diagnosis and Management of Neuromuscular Disorders" by Heather Lindstrom, MD, and Nigel L. Ashworth, MB.ChB., MSc, delves into this discussion. The purpose of their study was to "evaluate the usefulness of electrodiagnostic (EDX) studies in terms of the patient's diagnosis and subsequent management, and to identify patient groups where EDX is particularly useful." There are two types of studies used in EDX medicine: nerve conduction studies and needle electromyography (EMG). As this Muscle & Nerve article states, "Electrodiagnostic (EDX) studies are commonly used in the evaluation of patients with neuromuscular disorders and can help confirm the clinical diagnosis, assess localization and severity of disease, and provide information to guide subsequent evaluation and treatment." In order to determine the usefulness of EDX studies, the authors reviewed the records of 1,414 consecutive new patients referred to a single hospital's EDX laboratory during one calendar year (January 1 to December 31, 2015). EDX studies were performed on each patient and their records were analyzed to determine if the EDX studies changed the patient's diagnosis and/or management plan. "In this extensive review, electrodiagnostic studies led to a change in diagnosis in more than half the patients in this study, and led to a change in management plan in more than 60%. In nearly half (46.5%), the studies confirmed the suspected diagnosis," said Zachary Simmons, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Muscle & Nerve. "It's important to note that the results in this study were obtained by properly trained and certified physicians in an accredited laboratory. Specifically, the electrodiagnostic physicians in this study were certified by the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine (ABEM) or the Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiologists (CSCN), and the electrodiagnostic laboratory was accredited by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta." Shirlyn A. Adkins, JD, Executive Director of the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM), says this article is an important read for physicians, particularly those who specialize in neuromuscular and electrodiagnostic medicine, as it can help them educate referral sources about the importance of sending patients in for EDX testing. "Unfortunately, we do hear stories about patients undergoing surgery without ever having an EDX study. Or, we hear that the patient had an EDX study performed on them by an untrained physician or perhaps the patient only received the nerve conduction study portion of the test and never had a needle EMG. This Muscle & Nerve article illustrates the importance of ensuring full EDX testing is completed by a trained professional," noted Adkins. "Ideally, we recommend that patients be referred to physicians certified by ABEM or in an AANEM accredited laboratory." Adkins continued by saying that the AANEM's mission and its members are dedicated to improving the quality of patient care and advancing the science of neuromuscular diseases and electrodiagnostic medicine. "The results of this study are remarkable. It's hard to argue with the data EDX studies changed the diagnosis for more than half the patients and the management plan changed for more than 60%. This goes to show that the work being done every day by the physicians and allied health professional members of the AANEM is having a major impact on patient care," Adkins said. The overall conclusion by Heather Lindstrom, MD, and Nigel L. Ashworth, MB.ChB., MSc, the authors of the study, is that "a medical test that changes the diagnosis or management 50% or more of the time is highly effective." Dr. Simmons agrees. "This is important evidence that electrodiagnostic studies are of value in patient care." You can wear an exoskeleton, but it won't turn you into a superhero. That's the finding of a study in which researchers tested a commercially available exoskeleton-;a mechanical arm attached to a harness-;that's typically worn by workers to help them carry heavy objects hands-free. In the journal Applied Ergonomics, the researchers report that that the device relieved stress on the arms just as it was supposed to-;but it increased stress on the back by more than 50 percent. There are tradeoffs with all exoskeletons on the market today, because they inherently change the way we move, said William Marras, director of The Ohio State University Spine Research Institute and Honda Chair Professor of Integrated Systems Engineering at Ohio State. "The simplest way to describe it is like dancing with a really bad partner," he said. "Someone is tugging and pulling on you in directions you're not expecting, and your body has to compensate for that. And the way you compensate is by recruiting different muscles to perform the task." For the study, 12 volunteers used two different pneumatic tools, a torque wrench and an impact wrench, as they might in industry. They used the wrenches with and without the aid of the exoskeleton. The torque wrench weighed about 10 pounds, while the impact wrench weighed 30 pounds. When participants wore the exoskeleton, the wrenches were supported by the mechanical arm, which transferred the weight to a vest-like harness. The participants then only had to grip the wrench and move it up or forward as they might to tighten bolts in a factory. Over the course of a few hours, researchers measured the forces on the volunteers' back muscles and spine. They found that wearing the exoskeleton increased compressive spinal loads up to nearly 53 percent compared to not wearing it. Stress on different muscles in the torso increased anywhere from 56 percent to 120 percent while wearing it. "This exoskeleton is meant to offload weight from your arms, so for your arms it's great," said Gregory Knapik, senior researcher at the institute. "The problem is, the weight of the tool, the weight of the mechanical arm and the weight of the vest you're wearing-;that all goes to your back. At the end of the day, you're just trading one problem for a potentially even worse problem." The volunteers didn't seem to notice the extra strain on their backs, but they did notice that they were uncomfortable, chiefly because of the stiff metal rods that lined the harness and prevented them from moving normally. "You see people wearing this same exoskeleton all the time-;workers in industry, camera people at sporting events-;so you'd think they'd be more comfortable. But, no," said Knapik. "People hated it for the short time that they wore it. Every single person said they would never wear this if they didn't have to." Given that the study participants had to wear the harness for only part of a day, the researchers expect that the stresses would be higher for someone who had to wear it for an entire work shift, day after day. The manufacturer of this particular exoskeleton is aware that it can cause back fatigue. Like makers of similar products, it recommends that users undergo muscle conditioning to prevent injury while wearing it. Passive exoskeletons, like the one tested in this study, contain braces and springs to help support areas of the body. Active exoskeletons, like those worn by Iron Man or Ripley in the movie Aliens, are just now starting to become a reality. They contain motors that aid movement-;almost, Marras said, "like power steering for the body." He and Knapik will be testing the spinal loads caused by just such a powered exoskeleton this fall. Thought Leaders Prof. Susan Richardson Arthur Sease Williams Professor of Chemistry Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of South Carolina An interview with Professor Susan Richardson, conducted by Stuart Milne, BA Your presentation at Pittcon focussed on GAC for controlling priority unregulated disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water. What are the current challenges associated with unregulated DBPs in drinking water? The US EPA currently regulates only 11 disinfection by-products, DBPs, in drinking water, but we have identified, more than 700. Many scientists, myself included, believe that the human health effects that we see in epidemiologic studies, may be related to some of the more toxic, unregulated DBPs that are not controlled currently through drinking water regulations. Bulgn/Shutterstock.com Why has granular activated carbon (GAC) received renewed interest compared to other methods? We have known about GAC for around 30 years, and there has been a lot of promising research on it, but despite this, in many cases it has not been put in place as many people think that it would be too expensive to switch to GAC. Instead, a number of drinking water treatment plants have switched disinfectants, for example from using chlorine to chloramine, to lower the levels of regulated DBPs. By switching disinfectants in this way, plants that previously struggled to meet regulations can become compliant. However, we have noticed that potentially hazardous DBPs can occur as a result of the switch, including NDMA, nitrosodimethylamine, a very potent carcinogen. So now, the U.S. EPA and the research community are thinking of how to reach a suitable solution by going back to square one and asking the initial question are there ways we can remove the precursor material better to prevent DBP formation, and ultimately lower the level of DBPs? There has been some indication that brominated species may increase in formation when using GAC. What research have you done to investigate the ability of GAC to remove unregulated DBPs? Earlier studies indicated that two regulated brominated trihalomethanes increased with the use of GAC. However, no research had been done beyond that to look at other brominated DBPs, ones that are more toxic than regulated DBPs. That's where we came in - we took about 60 unregulated priority DBPs, developed analytical methods for them, measured them with and without GAC, and with different types of GAC. We also experimented with different disinfectants, with and without prechlorination, and even using chloramination. Were investigating, for the first time, a really broad sweep of DBPs, including the really toxic brominated ones, to understand if GAC will work for them. What analytical techniques have you used to investigate these DBPs? We use gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, GC-MS, and also GC-MS/MS, tandem mass spectrometry. Another tool that we use is a total organic halogen (TOX) analyzer. With the TOX analyzer, we can measure not only the DBPs that we know are in the drinking water, but it also accounts for the chlorinated, brominated, and iodinated material that we dont about and cant measure yet. In general, the brominated and iodinated DBPs are much more toxic than the chlorinated ones, so the total organic halogen analysis gives us an idea of what's there (beyond the things we can measure). And, with the 60 DBPs that we are quantifying, we're able to get a very comprehensive measurement of the DBPs. Ultimately, our aim is to make drinking water safer, and so we want to find out if GAC can do this. Granular Activated Carbon for Water Treatment Play Granular Activated Carbon for Water Treatment from AZoNetwork on Vimeo. What impact does the age of GAC and types of GAC have on filtering DBPs in drinking water? The aging of GAC is much like how we expect the material in our home water filters to age after a while, you need to change it. GAC at a drinking water treatment plant is like having a huge Brita filter. Sites within the filter get filled up with material as it sorbs and removes unwanted materials from your water, to the point where they stop removing DBP precursors as effectively - then it's time to regenerate that GAC. Does GAC offer a long-term solution for reducing levels of unregulated DBPs in drinking water? I would say so, especially as we saw such good results with it. Some of the plants we looked at were reducing the DBP levels by as much as 80% with a young GAC filter. It is worth noting that in some cases however, we did see an increase in some brominated DBPs that were toxic, just like the early work that saw two of the brominated trihalomethanes increase. But overall, when we looked at it across the board, it's still a beneficial route to take in producing safer water. What are the next steps in your research? Although we were able to measure the DBPs and the total organic halogen under all kinds of scenarios in our research, we were limited by our funding in that we were not able to get real toxicology testing instead, we calculated the in vitro cytotoxicity using the measured DBPs that we have, and using the cytotoxicity potencies that we know of from other studies. Therefore, our next steps are to have real toxicity involved in our work, combining the chemistry and comprehensive toxicology. What did you gain from attending Pittcon 2018 and discussing your research? I love sharing my research with others, its good to inform others on the work we are doing. If Im able to educate people with my talk at Pittcon, that GAC is a good way to go, then maybe others will promote that in their utilities and share their new knowledge with people they know in the field. I also attend Pittcon to learn, too. I learned about new analytical techniques, new developments, new findings. It's always exciting to come to conferences and learn new things. That's a big part of it! About Prof. Susan Richardson Susan D. Richardson is the Arthur Sease Williams Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina. Prior to coming to USC in January 2014, she was a Research Chemist for several years at the U.S. EPAs National Exposure Research Laboratory in Athens, GA. For the last several years, Susan has been conducting research in drinking waterspecifically in the study of toxicologically important disinfection by-products (DBPs). Susan is the recipient of the 2008 American Chemical Society Award for Creative Advancements in Environmental Science & Technology, has received an honorary doctorate from Cape Breton University in Canada (2006), was recently recognized as an ACS Fellow (2016), and was recently elected Vice President / President Elect of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (2018). She also serves as an Associate Editor of Environmental Science & Technology and for Water Research and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, and Journal of Environmental Sciences. Susan has published more than 140 journal articles and book chapters and has written many invited biennial reviews for the journal Analytical Chemistryon Emerging Contaminants in Water Analysis and Environmental Mass Spectrometry, She has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Emory University and a B.S. in Chemistry & Mathematics from Georgia College & State University. Research into cancer can provide new insight into how this disease works and how it can be stopped. The Experimental Biology 2018 meeting (EB 2018) will showcase innovative research that could lead to new ways to treat and prevent cancer. Potential treatment for pancreatic cancer Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which makes up 90 percent of all pancreatic cancers, has a 5-year survival rate of less than five percent. The cancer is not only difficult to detect but treatment is often complicated by mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene that make the cancer cells resistant to chemotherapy. Researchers from the Human BioMolecular Research Institute, University of California San Diego and ChemRegen, Inc. developed a new compound that could be useful for treating pancreatic cancer. They previously showed that the compound killed PDAC cells with and without mutant p53 and strongly inhibited tumor growth in an invasive PDAC tumor mouse model. In new work, the researchers showed that the compound works by uniquely targeting two human cell death pathways: programmed cell death, or apoptosis, and the intracellular degradation system known as autophagy. They also showed that the compound's potency comes from its ability to induce crosstalk between PDAC cell death pathways. Jiongjia Cheng will present this research at the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) annual meeting from 12:302:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, in Exhibit Halls A-D (poster C197) (abstract). Insights into chemotherapy-associated pain Patients receiving anti-cancer drugs often experience debilitating pain because of a condition known as chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Scientists don't fully understand why the drugs cause this condition, which currently has no treatment. In a new study, researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio discovered that exposure to vinca alkaloids and taxanes chemotherapy drugs was associated with an immediate pain response activated through the peripheral nerves that detect pain stimuli. Their experiments revealed that the chemotherapy drugs cause overexcitation of sensory neurons by specifically activating the an ion channel (TrpA1) involved in pain perception. The study represents the first demonstration of direct activation of sensory neurons by anti-cancer drugs and supports a role for TrpA1 in the development of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. The findings could lead to new treatments for pain associated with chemotherapy drugs. Nina Boiko will present this research at the American Physiological Society annual meeting from 78:30 p.m. Saturday, April 21, in the Sails Pavilion (poster SH16) (abstract); from 9:4510 a.m. Monday, April 23, in Room 25C; and from 10 a.m.noon Monday, April 23, in the Exhibit Hall (poster A518). Highly potent NSAID inhibits colon cancer Indomethacin is a highly potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that has shown anticancer properties in people and animal models. To find out if this drug inhibits colon cancer, researchers from University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston conducted a study involving unmodified indomethacin and indomethacin modified with phosphatidylcholine to protect against NSAID injury in the gastrointestinal tract. In cultured cancer cells from mice, doses of both indomethacin formulations significantly inhibited colon cancer cell growth in culture, with the phosphatidylcholine formulation showing slightly more potency at the lowest dose tested. Similarly, in mice injected with colon cancer cells, treatment with both forms of indomethacin brought significant reductions in the number of tumors compared to mice receiving no treatment. The researchers conclude that indomethacin and phosphatidylcholine-indomethacin are strong and effective inhibitors of colon cancer cell growth and hold potential for preventing, and possibly treating, colorectal cancer in people. Lenard Lichtenberger will present this research at the ASPET annual meeting from 12:30 p.m.2 p.m. Monday, April 23, in Exhibit Halls A-D (poster C243 701.9) (abstract). Understanding what drives breast cancer growth Cold-inducible RNA binding protein (CIRP) plays an important role in regulating gene expression and how cells respond to stress. To better understand CIRP's role in breast cancer, researchers from the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center are studying a mouse model of breast cancer that expresses CIRP at levels that are higher than normal. The researchers report that the increased levels of CIRP inhibited growth, progression and metastasis of tumors. These anti-cancer effects were associated with changes in immune system signals known as cytokines. Specifically, the mice exhibited decreased levels of cytokines that promote an environment favorable for tumor growth and increased levels of cytokines that create an antitumorigenic environment. The researchers continue to study the mechanisms involved in CIRP's ability to influence signaling between cancer and immune cells so that this information could be used to improve standard therapies and immunotherapeutic approaches for treating breast cancer. Daniel Lujan will present this research at the American Association of Anatomists annual meeting during the Cell Biology Award Hybrid Symposium at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, April 22, in Room 11A (abstract). Review Policy Because this blog is aimed at librarians and patrons of school libraries, I use E ARCs provided by Netgalley and Edelweiss, and physical ARCs if provided by major publishers. All books reviewed should be available in hard cover from vendors like Follett. I do not earn any money from this blog, and any books I receive are donated to my school library or other libraries in my district. All opinions are my own and do not reflect anyone else's. Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany has entered into a partnership with RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ) to pioneer the RayCare oncology information system. The research partnership, which focuses on supporting comprehensive cancer care, will involve the hospital and the affiliated sites Heidelberg Ion Beam Therapy Center (HIT) and Marburg Ion Beam Therapy Center (MIT). Heidelberg University Hospital is a world-leader in clinical practice and advanced research in areas such as carbon ion and helium ion beam therapy and is working to establish the city of Heidelberg as a leading center for research. The innovative RayCare OIS is designed to support comprehensive cancer care. It integrates seamlessly with the RayStation treatment planning system. But thats just the start RayCare will connect all the oncology disciplines, enabling users to fluidly coordinate tasks and ensure optimal use of resources. Over subsequent releases, RayCare will evolve into a machine learning OIS with unique capabilities to coordinate oncology tasks, supporting comprehensive cancer care organized around each patients needs. This goal reflects the fact that many cancer patients receive a combination of treatment types, driving the need for combined workflows for radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery. Professor Jurgen Debus at Heidelburg University Hospital says: We are proud to be integrated into the development process of RayCare. RayCare will improve workflow and quality into radiation oncology significantly. Johan Lof, CEO of RaySearch, says: One of the most vexing problems with spinal cord injuries is that the human body does not rebuild nerves once they have been damaged. Other animals, on the other hand, seem to have no problem repairing broken neurons. A new study takes a comparative approach to pinpoint what happens differently in humans versus other animals to explain why they can successfully regenerate neurons while we instead form scar tissue. By learning from the similarities and differences, researchers hope to find new leads in the treatment of spinal cord injury. "Humans have very limited capacity for regeneration, while other species like salamanders have the remarkable ability to functionally regenerate limbs, heart tissue and even the spinal cord after injury," said lead researcher Karen Echeverri, PhD, assistant professor in the department of genetics, cell biology and development at the University of Minnesota. "We have discovered that despite this difference in response to injury, these animals share many of the same genes with humans. This knowledge could be used to design new therapeutic targets for treating spinal cord injury or other neurodegenerative diseases." Echeverri will present the research at the American Association of Anatomists annual meeting during the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting, held April 21-25 in San Diego. Echeverri and her colleagues study an amphibian known as the axolotl or Mexican salamander. Native to lakes near Mexico City, the axolotl has become endangered in the wild as human activities have encroached on its habitat. Captive-bred axolotls are frequently used in biological research, both to learn from the animal's remarkable ability to regenerate body parts and to help inform conservation efforts. When an axolotl suffers a spinal cord injury, nearby cells called glial cells kick into high gear, proliferating rapidly and repositioning themselves to rebuild the connections between nerves and reconnect the injured spinal cord. By contrast, when a human suffers a spinal cord injury, the glial cells form scar tissue, which blocks nerves from ever reconnecting with each other. Echeverri's team traced the molecular mechanisms at work in each case. They found a particular protein called c-Fos, which affects gene expression, is essential to the processes axolotls use to repair injured nerves. While humans also have c-Fos, in humans the protein functions in concert with other proteins, in the JUN family, that cause cells to undergo reactive gliosis, which leads to scar formation. In axolotls, this molecular circuitry is carefully regulated to direct axolotl glial cells toward a regenerative response instead. "Our approach allows us to identify not just the mechanisms necessary to drive regeneration in salamanders but what is happening differently in humans in reposes to injury," said Echeverri, adding that the work has implications for other types of injury, as well. "In addition to spinal cord regeneration, our work also focuses on other forms of regeneration including scar-free wound healing and limb regeneration." A disability rights group in Texas sent out a survey last month, trying to figure out how many of its members became disabled due to gun violence. The group, ADAPT of Texas, said its an effort to collect data that will help inform Texas lawmakers on how they legislate guns. Bob Kafka is an organizer with ADAPT and said that when gun violence happens, particularly mass shootings, the public tends to have a pretty limited discussion about what happens to the victims. Susan Nelson was one of those victims. About 25 years ago, she was having dinner at a friends house. Her friend had a gun. It was registered and everything, she said of her friends firearm. There was also a young man there that night. Hed been thrown out of his parents house and seemed unstable. He found the gun and confronted both Nelson and her friend, saying he was going to rob and then kill them. Nelson said he then shot her in her left shoulder. I stood up to turn to run and was shot in the back of the head, she said. My friend was as well, and thats the last part I remember from the shooting. My friend died in flight to the hospital, and I woke from a coma two weeks later. She was 29 and had to start her life all over. I was paralyzed, she said. I could barely read and write. My vision was really bad, so I had to spend the next seven months in therapy relearning everything and working really, really hard. Her hard work paid off. Nelson can walk now and is writing again, working as an author and speaker. Her vision is good, but she still lives with various disabilities. It takes me longer to formulate my sentences because my brain doesnt work as fast to make the words come out of my mouth as fast as Id like, she said. This experience hasnt changed Nelsons relationship with guns very much, though. She grew up in southeast Texas surrounded by guns. She said she still thinks people who are responsible should be able to have them. I am not against guns. And I dont know that [for] everyone who gets shot [the ordeal is] going to turn them against guns, she said. This is something Kafka said hes expecting as the survey results come in. He wants to learn how many members are in this category and their thoughts on guns, in order to educate lawmakers and testify on gun legislation. Kafka said he hopes to hear a range of perspectives on guns from the community of people living with disabilities, because its so big. We have people on both sides of the issue, he said. There are probably NRA members in the disability community. He points out that Texas very conservative and very pro-gun governor, Greg Abbott, has used a wheelchair since he was 26 after a tree fell on him while he was jogging after a storm. Kafka said we should hear from people who are disabled due to gun violence because we rarely do. Not only do we not talk about it, its invisible, he said. The media loves to focus on how many people died and then they have the sort of other injured, but Ive never seen where they follow the rehab of somebody. Mass shootings also tend to garner a lot of media attetion, said Noam Ostrander, with the Department of Social Work at DePaul University in Chicago. Ostrander said a lot of people become disabled because of day-to-day gun violence in major cities. For many years, Ostrander worked with gang members on the west side of Chicago who became paralyzed after being shot. The cost of that injury, and that often then becomes a public cost, is astronomical, and I think that would be shocking to a lot of folks, he said. Its also easy to forget, Ostrander said, that among victims of gun violence, about three to five times the number of people who die from it actually survive. This story is part of a partnership that includes KUT, NPR and Kaiser Health News. This story also ran on NPR. This story can be republished for free (details). New York will soon ban cars from its beloved Central Park, the city's mayor announced Friday, citing a commitment to reducing pollution and "prioritizing people over cars." Automobile traffic was already prohibited in the north of Manhattan's iconic green space, which will celebrate its 160th birthday next year. Vehicles could still circulate, however, on three concrete lanes in the south: West Drive, Terrace Drive and Center Drive. The traffic ban on those thruways will go into effect June 27, the day after the city's public schools close for the summer. The measure does not concern, however, four dedicated below-grade roads that cross the park's width and are separated from the rest of the park by walls. "Our parks are for people, not cars. For more than a century, cars have turned parts of the world's most iconic park into a highway," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in announcing the move. "Today we take it back." "We are prioritizing the safety and the health of the millions of parents, children and visitors who flock to Central Park." The mayor's decision follows his January decision to designate the loop drive in Brooklyn's sprawling Prospect Park car-free. "Central Park is one of New York City's most iconic open spaces and is used by millions of New Yorkers and visitors," said Daniel Zarrilli, the city's Senior Director of Climate Policy and Programs. "Making Central Park car-free will ensure that everyone who enjoys the park will enjoy cleaner air and improved safety in support of the City's sustainability and climate goals." Also Watch: Ducati 959 Panigale Review | Cars18 Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge recently inaugurated the Commonwealth Summit and during the inauguration, Prince William spent some time with upcoming Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 motorcycle. The Prince was briefed about the motorcycle by the CEO of Eicher Motors, Siddharth Lal himself. Prince William is well known as a motorcycle enthusiast and recently he visited Triumph Motorcycles UK factory in Hinckley. Prince William viewed a brand new, 6 million paint shop facility and even took to the saddle himself on one of Triumphs newest and most exciting adventure motorcycles, the Tiger 1200. Prince William with Triumph Tiger 1200. (Image: Triumph) Unveiled at the EICMA Motor Show, Milan, the interceptor 650 is powered by the first modern Royal Enfield 650 twin engine. This new platform is a single overhead cam, 8 valve, air/oil-cooled, 648cc parallel twin, producing 47bhp and 52Nm. The engine has a strong low and mid-range performance, retaining the Royal Enfield character of accessible torque through the rev range. Also new to the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, is the six-speed gearbox, especially developed for this motorcycle. The gearbox is augmented by its slip/assist clutch that facilitates easy riding in traffic with a light feel and prevents wheel-hop when downshifting gears also a first for Royal Enfield. Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.(Image: Royal Enfield) With its classic tear-drop shaped fuel-tank, quilted twin-seat and distinctive wide braced handlebars, the Interceptor INT 650 looks every bit the Roadster that it is. The motorcycle is equipped with classic 18 front and rear Pirelli tyres and twin shock absorbers, along with front and rear disc brakes with ABS. The company has not yet made an official statement regarding the launch in India. However, the bike is expected to be launched in India in the coming months. Also Watch: Ducati 959 Panigale Review | Cars18 Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, India's biggest software services exporter, breached the Rs. 3,500 ($52.87) per share mark on Monday for the first time, reaching $100 billion in market capitalisation. Shares of the Mumbai-based company rose as much as 4.4 percent to a record high of 3,553 rupees, extending gains for a third straight session after the company posted its biggest-ever profit last week on new deals in the March quarter. Net profit touched 69.04 billion rupees, beating analysts' average estimate of 67.98 billion rupees, according to Thomson Reuters data. The Nifty IT index hit an all-time high on Monday. New Delhi: A seven-month-old foetus was found near a dustbin in south Delhi's Mehrauli area, police said on Monday. The foetus was found by a sweeper who informed the police on Sunday. The police have registered a case in the matter. They are scanning the CCTV footage to identify who threw the foetus there. New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry on Monday completely removed Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Meghalaya and diluted it in Arunachal Pradesh. "AFSPA was totally withdrawn from all areas of Meghalaya from April 1. In Arunachal, it is down from 16 police stations to eight," the official said. Till September 2017, 40 per cent of Meghalaya was under AFSPA. However, after recent review in consultations with the state government, AFSPA was removed completely from Meghalaya, a MHA statement said. The Act has, however, been extended by another six months in three eastern districts of Arunachal Pradesh - Tirap, Longding and Changlang - which border Myanmar and specific areas under eight police stations of seven other districts bordering Assam. The three districts have been under the AFSPA since January 2016. The MHA said that in the last 4 years, there has been a decline of 63 per cent in insurgency-related incidents in the region, while there have been a reduction of 83 per cent in civilian deaths and 40 per cent in casualties of security forces in 2017. The Act was withdrawn from Tripura in 2015 and in past one year, fewer areas in northeast are under the Act, the official said, adding that the Act was only in place in Meghalaya for a 20-km area along the Assam border) and not in operation in Mizoram. AFSPA gives powers to the Army and central forces deployed in "disturbed areas" to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and provide cover to forces from prosecution and legal suits without the Central government's sanction. It is effective in the whole of Nagaland, Assam, Manipur (excluding seven Assembly constituencies of Imphal). The state governments of Assam and Manipur now have the powers to keep or revoke the Act. Nagpur: A day after eliminating 16 Naxals in Karnasur jungle, the police in Gadchiroli district of eastern Maharashtra killed at least four rebels in a fresh encounter on Monday evening, a top official said. The gun-battle took place in Rajaram Khandla jungle in Jimalgatta area of the district, said Inspector General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sharad Shelar. The elite C-60 commandos of district police were involved in the operation, said another senior police official. Shelar told PTI that the exact number of slain Naxals was being confirmed, but at least four rebels have been eliminated. Shelar also said that police expected to retrieve bodies of many more Naxals from the site of yesterday's encounter, as the combing operation had been made difficult by the heavy rains in the area. As of now, police have found 16 bodies, and identified 11 of them. The encounter took place between the Naxals and a team of police commandos and the CRPF in Kasansur forest in Bhamragad on Sunday morning. Maharashtra Director General of Police, earlier today, attributed the success to accurate and specific intelligence, the low morale of the Naxals and divisions in their ranks. The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has announced the Bihar Board Result 2018 or BSEB Class 12 intermediate results 2018 on June 6 at 4:15 pm, board officials have confirmed. The BSEB Bihar School Examination Board released the Bihar Board Class 12 results 2018 or Bihar Intermediate Results 2018, Bihar Class 12 Intermediate Arts Results 2018, Bihar Class 12 Intermediate Commerce Results 2018 and Bihar Class 12 Intermediate Science Results 2018 on its official website biharboard.ac.in. The Bihar School Examination Board BSEB conducted the Bihar Board Class 10 Matric exams 2018 February 21 to February 28. The Bihar School Examination Board's BSEB Class 12 Intermediate Exam 2018 started from 6th February and concluded on 16th February 2018. The students can also check their Bihar Class 12 Intermediate Board Results 2018, Bihar Class 12 Intermediate Arts Results 2018, Bihar Class 12 Intermediate Commerce Results 2018 and Bihar Class 12 Intermediate Science Results 2018 on this website as well bihar.indiaresults.com or examresults.net, results.gov.in Students need to follow the steps to check Bihar BSEB Class 12 Intermediate Results or BSEB Result 2018: * Log on to the websites biharboard.ac.in * Click on the Bihar Intermediate Class 12 Results 2018, Bihar Board Result 2018, Bihar Board Class 12 Results 2018 * Enter your roll number * The Bihar board Class 12 Intermediate results 2018 will appear * Click on 'Save' to download the result * Students can take a print out for further reference Students also can check their Bihar BSEB Intermediate Class 12 board exam results 2018, BSEB Result 2018 via SMS Check BSEB Intermediate Class 12 Science Result 2018: SMS - BSEB12S/A/C ROLLNUMBER - Send it to 56263 Check BSEB Intermediate Class 12 Commerce Result 2018: SMS - BSEB12S/A/C ROLLNUMBER - Send it to 56263 Check BSEB Intermediate Class 12 Arts Result 2018: SMS - BSEB12S/A/C ROLLNUMBER - Send it to 56263 17,70,42 lakhs students sat for the BSEB Bihar Board Class 10 matric exams and 12,07,986 students appeared for the Bihar BSEB Intermediate Class 12 board exam in 2018. Hyderabad: The special NIA court that acquitted five accused in the 11-year old Mecca Masjid blast case rejected the confessional statement of Hindutva preacher Swami Aseemanand, holding that it was recorded when he was in police custody and that it was not "voluntary". The court also dismissed the prosecution's claim that Aseemanand had confessed to his guilt to two inmates of a prison here, saying the CBI, which initially probed the case had not provided any documentary evidence to prove this. A powerful blast, triggered by remote control, had ripped through the over four centuries-old mosque here during an assembly of devotees on May 18, 2007 when they had gathered for Friday prayers, killing nine people and wounding 58. Special Judge K Ravinder Reddy in his April 16 order said the confessional statement of Aseemanand was "hit by Section 26 of the Indian Evidence Act and the same is not a voluntary one which was recorded during the course of police custody." The Special Public Prosecutor for NIA had submitted that Aseemanand gave the confessional statement in December, 2010 and retracted it four months later. Rejecting the prosecution charge that Aseemanand had confessed his guilt to two inmates - Maqbool Bin Ali alias Chawaish and Shaik Abdul Khaleem in the Chanchalguda prison, the court said there was no record to show that the duo was in the prison at the time when Aseemanand was lodged there. "Except the oral testimony of PW (prosecution witness) 104 and PW 105, there is no other record to show that they have been in Chanchalguda jail" when Aseemanand was lodged there, the court said. The order further said Additional SP of CBI Raja Balaji, one of the investigating officers, "has not collected any documentary evidence and produced before this court" showing that the two wintesses had been in Chanchalguda jail along with Aseemanand. The CBI official did not examine the jail superintendent and record his statement that Khaleem and Chawaish were in the prison when Aseemanad was there, it said. In the order, the NIA Special Judge also observed that working for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) does not make a person communal and anti-social. He made the observation while referring to Devender Gupta, one of the accused, who was an RSS pracharak from Bihar. The court said that the evidence produced by the prosecution did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that Gupta nurtured communal hatred being a pracharak of RSS. "There were no records to show what were the communal hatred speeches of Devender Gupta being delivered at Jamtara (Jharkhand). The oral evidence given by a prosecution witness does not support the charge," he added. "The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is not a proscribed organisation. If any person works in it, it does not give any scope that he is a communal and anti-social," the judge observed. The court had acquitted all the five accused, who faced the trial, holding that the prosecution failed to prove "even a single" allegation against them. Besides Aseemanand and Gupta, other acquited are Lokesh Sharma, Bharat Rateshwar and Rajender Chowdary. There were 10 accused in the case. Two accused -- Sandeep V Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra -- are absconding, while Sunil Joshi was murdered. Investigation is continuing against two others. LIVE NOW auto-refresh LIVE NOW CJI Impeachment Motion LIVE Updates: Will Challenge Venkaiah's 'Illegal' Decision in SC, Says Congress Eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee has said the Congress-led opposition had no chance to succeed in the Supreme Court against Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu's decision rejecting impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. News18.com | April 23, 2018, 18:56 IST New Delhi: The Congress on Monday lashed out at Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for rejecting the impeachment notice filed by seven opposition parties against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and said it would move the Supreme Court to challenge the illegal order that has shattered the confidence of people. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal told reporters that Naidu's order jeopardised the country's legal system and said the government was not keen to see a probe into the case. The order is unprecedented, illegal, ill-advised and hasty," Sibal said, adding that it had been passed without a full-fledged inquiry. "We will certainly move a petition in the Supreme Court to challenge this order," Sibal said. "The Congress leader stressed that never before in India's history had a motion moved by MPs been dismissed at the preliminary stage. The order shattered the confidence of the people and jeopardised the legal system, he added. We will ensure the CJI would have nothing to do with this petition, Sibal said. AICC media-in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala also criticised the decision and said it was a fight between forces "rejecting democracy" and voices "rescuing democracy". Surjewala said within hours of 64 MPs submitting the impeachment notice, Leader of the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley had shown "naked prejudice" by calling it a revenge petition, "virtually dictating the verdict" to the Rajya Sabha chairman. In a tweet, Congress spokesperson and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi said Naidu "expectedly" rejected the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Misra and that too within a day of his return to Delhi. Naidu rejected the unprecedented impeachment notice given by opposition parties led by the Congress against CJI Misra, saying it lacked substantial merit and that the allegations were neither "tenable nor admissible". The motion presented by the MPs indicates a mere suspicion, conjecture or an assumption in the Prasad Education Trust case. The same does not constitute proof beyond a reasonable doubt required to make out a case of proved misbehavior, the order by Naidu read. On Sunday, the Vice-President had cut short his visit to Hyderabad and returned to the national capital to set in motion the process of consultations after an impeachment notice was filed against the CJI. According to sources, Naidu held deliberations with a number of constitutional and legal experts, including Attorney General K K Venugopal. Political Slugfest The rejection of the motion triggered a political slugfest, with the BJP "thanking" Naidu for warding off an "act of blasphemy" towards the Constitution while several opposition parties saying it showed "a certain degree of non-application of mind" as he did not follow laid-down rules. As the Congress hit out Naidu, the BJP jumped to his defence and said the Rajya Sabha Chairman's office is not a post office meant to forward the applications it received but it has to apply its mind judiciously which he did. "We thank him. He did not allow his office to be misused," BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said. She cited Naidu's order in which he referred to use of words like "prime facie" and "may have been" by opposition parties in their charges referring to the CJI to highlight that their allegations indicate a mere suspicion, a conjecture or an assumption against him. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the Congress of running the country through courts based on "half-baked, false and sponsored litigations", alleging that it used the death of judge B H Loya as a political tool to settle scores. The Congress, being defeated by the people repeatedly, can't run the country through corridors of courts based upon half-baked, false and sponsored litigations," he claimed. In Hyderabad, where he was on Sunday re-elected the general secretary of the CPI(M) for a fresh term, Yechury slammed Naidu's decision. "I am sorry to say that about the honourable Vice-President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Naidu), but I think that the methods, that had been very clearly laid down -- both in the constitutional procedures and the rules -- have not been followed," he said. He said the presiding officer of either House, in which the impeachment motion has been moved, does not have the discretion to independently decide about the validity of the motion. The motion needs to be referred to a three-member committee, which normally should include a Supreme Court judge, a high court chief justice and a jurist, he added. Legal Fraternity Divided Eminent jurists like Soli Sorabjee and Fali Nariman and some ex-judges though did not find any fault with Naidus decision. Sorabjee and Nariman were of the view that Congress-led opposition had no chance to succeed as issues raised in the impeachment notice against the CJI were not of "sufficient gravity and rightly rejected" by Naidu. Identical views were expressed by former Supreme Court judge P B Sawant and retired Delhi High Court judge S N Dhingra, who said Naidu must have found that the move was politically motivated and without any proof. However, there was a political divide among lawyers associated with various parties over the Rajya Sabha Chairman's decision to reject the impeachment notice against the CJI, as they termed the move either as "most perfect" or "erroneous" and "astounding". While senior advocate and Congress MP KTS Tulsi criticised the Vice President's decision saying it was a serious matter and corruption could not be allowed to grow in the judiciary, senior lawyer and BJP leader Aman Sinha said the notice was rightly rejected with "sound legal reasoning". Activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who has been leading the campaign against the CJI, said the decision was "unconstitutional" and "political" to protect the CJI. "After dealing with all five charges individually, the Rajya Sabha chairman has come to a conclusion that they hold no legal merit. They are unsustainable and unjustifiable and therefore the notice for impeachment has been rightly rejected by him on very sound legal reasoning and cogent legal grounds," Sinha said and blamed the Congress for trying to "intimidate the judiciary" by moving the notice. "As far as impeachment motion is concerned, it was known that it would be defeated. The only aim of the Congress was to intimidate the judiciary and put the integrity of the Supreme Court under cloud," he said. Bar Council of India chairman, Manan Kumar Mishra, lauded the decision saying it was the "most perfect" decision that has made all "sensitive people" in the country happy. Opposing Mishra's views, Bhushan said, "It is very astounding that the Vice President decided to reject such a serious impeachment motion signed by 64 MPs of Rajya Sabha containing five very serious charges of misbehaviour. "The RS chairman only has to see if the notice was signed by requisite number of people and whether these charges on the face of it amount to misbehaviour or not. He has no business to go into the merits of the charges. That's for the enquiry committee to decide. This has clearly been done at the behest of the government and totally illegal and unconstitutional and malafide and hope it will be challenged by the MPs. It is a political decision to protect the CJI," Bhushan said. Lucknow: The newly elected International President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje reached Ayodhya on Monday morning and visited the disputed site of Ram Janam Bhumi along with visiting Hanumangarhi. On his maiden visit to Ayodhya as the International President of VHP, Kokje claimed that Ram Mandir will be built soon; it was a dream of former VHP leader Ashok Singhal. The Supreme Courts verdict on this issue will be in our favour, just like the High Court gave the order in our favour, claimed Kokje while speaking to media in Ayodhya. We do not represent the Government, rather we represent the Hindu society, said Kokje and also termed Modi Government as a Hindu-Friendly government. The former judge, who also served as governor of Himachal Pradesh, also offered prayers at the Hanumangarhi temple. He was accompanied by VHP Vice President Champat Rai along with a dozen officer bearers of the VHP. Kokje also met saints in Ayodhya along with visiting Karsewakpuram, which is also the workshop run by VHP where stones are being carved for Ram Temple. Before leaving for Ayodhya, while speaking to journalists in Lucknow, VHP International President Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje claimed that Muslims of Ayodhya also want Ram temple to be constructed there. I will be meeting saints from all over the country and will push campaign to build a Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The decision regarding the Ram temple in Supreme Court will come soon and also in our favour. The issue of Ram Mandir can be resolved amicably, but the parties involved in the case are from outside. The Muslims Personal Law Board has nothing to do with the issue, they just incite or scare the parties involved. The Muslims of Ayodhya want a Ram Temple to be built at the disputed site, claimed Kokje. New Delhi: Nearly 3,000 missing children have been traced in four days, thanks to the facial recognition system (FRS) software that the Delhi Police is using on a trial basis to track down such children. The identities of the missing children have been established and efforts are on to help them reunite with their families. The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), in an affidavit to the high court, said that the Delhi Police, on a trial basis, used the FRS on 45,000 children living in different children's homes. Of them, 2,930 children could be recognised between April 6 and April 10. The Delhi Police took help of the software after the Delhi High Court asked it to test run the FRS which can help trace and rescue missing children. Much recently, on April 5, the Delhi High Court expressed displeasure when it was informed by the Delhi Police's special commissioner (crime) that it has obtained its own FRS but it was unable to do a trial run of the application as the WCD ministry has not provided the data. The court had also pulled up the Centre for not sharing the details of missing children with the police despite its orders and warned of initiating contempt action if due seriousness was not shown in the 20-year-old matter. Hours later, a meeting between the ministry and Delhi Police officials took place. The ministry provided data on some seven lakh missing children along with their photographs on the child tracking portal, after which the Delhi Police began the test run of the software. Rakesh Srivastava, secretary to the Women and Child Development Ministry, said in the affidavit: "The Delhi Police shared the outcome of the FRS on April 10 with the WCD ministry. The police said that identities of 2,930 children were established. The ministry has sent the data to the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for further details. The court will be informed after completing further procedures." Bhuwan Ribhu of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, which had given a proposal to give the software to the Delhi Police free of cost, said the NGO will request the court in the next hearing to constitute a national children's tribunal on the lines of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The FRS software stores the facial features of any child and matches them with photographs and database available with the Track Child portal as a result of which the identity of the child is instantly established. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has also advocated the use of such software which can help trace the missing children and reunite them with their families. "If such a type of software helps trace missing children and reunite them with their families, nothing can be better than this," NCPCR member Yashwant Jain said. Noida: A 16-year-old Dalit girl from Meeruts Khakhoda area was gang-raped by two men from a nearby village, but, fearing societal backlash, she stayed silent for five months. The incident took place in December 2017. The teen has gone through an unintended pregnancy, an abortion and immense pressure to keep quiet about the incident. On Saturday, however, the girl and her family received some relief as the two accused, Pawan (21) and Vipin (20) were arrested by Meerut Police. Amit Kumar Anand, acting station officer at Kharkhoda Police Station, said, Five months ago, the two accused found the girl alone in her house and took turns raping her. We have received inputs that they also videographed the act so that they could blackmail her later into staying silent. For months, the girl remained silent but eventually, it became impossible for her to hide the incident from her family. The gang-rape had left the teen pregnant, which the accused later found out. According to the police, Pawan and Vipin then contacted the girl again and forced her to get an abortion. The procedure left the girl weakened and her condition worsened. She started falling sick almost every day. The forced abortion had left her weak and it started to show. Eventually, her parents noticed what was happening to her and they confronted her, said Anand. It was then that the girl revealed the rape, pregnancy and eventual abortion. On April 20, the girls father filed an FIR at Meeruts Kharkhoda police station. Since the accused and the rape survivor belong to separate castes, cops acted swiftly to prevent the situation from becoming more sensitive. But by then, word of a cover-up reached the cops. We heard from some sections that a Khap Panchayat was being held in a village near Kharkhoda. It was learnt that the girls family was being pressured to withdraw the case in return for a large sum of money. We investigated and found no evidence that a Panchayat had been held, but we could ascertain that the family was under some pressure. We assured the girls family that they would not be harmed in any way, the police officer said. Meanwhile, the day the girls father filed the case, police formed teams to search for the accused since they had gone underground. After a massive combing operation throughout Kharkhoda, police managed to arrest both Pawan and Vipin on the intervening night of April 20 and 21. The have been booked under sections 376 (rape) and 313 (forced abortion) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Centre today if it had done any research or scientific assessment before coming out with an ordinance to award death penalty for rape of girls below the age of 12. The high court was dealing with an old PIL that challenged the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2013, in which a penal provision -- minimum of seven years of jail term - for a rape convict was included and the court's discretion to award less than that was taken away. "Did you carry out any study, any scientific assessment that death penalty is a deterrent to rape? Have you thought of the consequences to the victim? How many offenders would allow their victims to survive now that rape and murder have the same punishment," a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the government. The Union Cabinet, two days ago, cleared the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2018, which proposes stringent punishments, ranging from a minimum of 20 years to life term or death, for rape of girls under the age of 12 years. If the victim is less than 16 years and more than 12 years, the ordinance has increased the minimum punishment from 10 years to 20 years and the maximum has been set at imprisonment for the rest of the convict's life. The Centre's decision came in the wake of a nationwide outrage over cases of sexual assault and murder of minors in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and Surat in Gujarat, and the rape of a girl in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. The high court said the government was "not even looking at the root cause" or "educating people" as the offenders are often found to be below the age of 18 years and in majority of the cases, the perpetrator is someone from the family or known to them. It further questioned whether any victims were asked what they want before coming out with the ordinance. The observations came after the bench was informed about the recent ordinance during the hearing of a PIL which seeks to strike down the amendments made in the rape law after the December 16, 2012 gangrape of a 23-year-old women in the national capital. The plea by academician Madhu Purnima Kishwar has claimed that the amendments to the law related to sexual offences is being abused in practice. Under the new ordinance, minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment. President Ram Nath Kovind has approved the ordinance for changes in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Indore: A city model on Sunday took to Twitter to narrate the humiliating experience she had on a busy road in the city while she was riding her scooty. The model and blogger detailed in a Twitter thread the sexual harassment that she went through. This happened today. Two guys tried to pull my skirt while I was on my activa and said, "dikhao Iske niche Kya hai?" I tried to stop them and lost control and met with an accident, said the victim. In another tweet, the girl claimed that all this happened on a busy road, but no one tried to intervene and her molesters fled the spot and she could not even note down registration number of the bike on which the youths came. Adding insult to injury, one of the elderly men who came forward to help the girl even claimed that all this happened just because the girl was wearing a skirt, she said. The model though made it clear that what she wears is her choice. "What I want to wear is my fucking choice. Those guys don't have any right to harass me because WEARING A SKIRT DOESN'T GIVE YOU A RIGHT TO BEHAVE LIKE THAT. An uncle who came to help me after my fall said, "it's because you're wearing a skirt!" I've never been so offended," she wrote on Twitter. The model said the incident left her speechless and numb, but she decided to go live on her Instagram and talk about it. The girl later revisited the area but could not find any CCTV cameras on the spot. The girl, however, did not mention the exact location and time when the incident took place. Meanwhile, support poured in for the girl on social media while several of those reacted on the incident sought stringent action against the culprits. She said she will be filing a police complaint on Monday, the police though are yet to receive any report. I got to know about this through someone, but we havent received any report or any information from any of the police stations in the city, DIG Indore Hari Narayan Chari Mishra told News18. We would definitely act, if any report is filed, said the senior cop. Efforts to contact the model from News18 also did not bear any fruit. New Delhi: Congress leader, senior advocate Kapil Sibal has said that he will not appear in the court of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra till the latter retires. Sibal is leading the charge against Misra, whose removal was sought by the lawyer and 63 other legislators. I will not appear in the Chief Justice's court from tomorrow onwards... till he retires, because that is consistent with the highest standards of my profession, said Sibal to The Indian Express. If he (the CJI) continues (in office) till he retires, and if an inquiry is set up, till he recuses. We believe in maintaining standards," he clarified. On Monday, Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu rejected the impeachment motion against CJI Misra by seven opposition parties. Sources said the motion was rejected on grounds that the charges were not sufficient for impeachment. On Sunday, the Vice-President had cut short his visit to Hyderabad and returned to the national capital to set in motion the process of consultations after an impeachment notice was filed against the CJI. According to sources, Naidu held deliberations with a number of constitutional and legal experts, including Attorney General KK Venugopal. He also spoke to Subhash Kashyap, former secretary general of the Lok Sabha, PK Malhotra, former law secretary, Sanjay Singh, former legislative secretary and senior officials of the Rajya Sabha secretariat. He is also likely to meet former Supreme Court judge Sudarshan Reddy, sources said. They also said that Naidu continued with the discussions till late in the evening and also spoke to K Parasaran, who was the attorney general during the Congress governments led by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and was also a member to the Upper House nominated by the party. The Congress and six other opposition parties on Friday moved a notice for the impeachment of CJI Dipak Misra, accusing him of five counts of "misbehaviour" and "misusing" authority. The opposition parties had met Naidu and handed over the notice for the impeachment with signatures of 64 MPs of the Upper House. The MPs who signed the notice belong to the Congress, the NCP, the CPI (M) and CPI, the SP, the BSP and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). The leaders of these parties earlier met in Parliament and gave the final shape to the notice for impeachment. New Delhi: Naxals have been dealt a big blow in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. At least 16 extremists, including two top divisional commanders and seven women, have been gunned down by the elite C-60 commando force of Gadchiroli. Maharashtra Police have termed the operation as the most successful one by any force in Dandakaranya the liberated zone comprising of Naxal affected districts in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. "This is one of the best operations in the last 38 years since the Naxal problem began," an elated IG Naxal OPs (Maharashtra) told News18. As per Gadchiroli police, the two-day-long operation led to the death of at least two Divisional commanders of CPI(Maoist) Srinivas alias Sinu alias Vijender and Sainath. Srinivas (51), is a resident of Warangal, Telangana and was wanted in 82 cases of murder, abduction and loot. On the other hand, Sainath was a Gattepalli village in Aheri taluka of Gadchiroli and was the local face of the Maoists. He had joined the Maoists in 2004 and was wanted in 75 cases of murder, abduction etc. Both Srinivas and Sainath were members of the Divisional Committee of CPI(Maoist), a top decision-making body of the Naxals. Sources said the two were leading a group of around 60 Naxals from Telangana to Gadchiroli and stopped on the banks of Iravati River in the Tadgaon forest of Bhamragad. Tadgaon is about 750 km from Mumbai and is considered to be a Naxal stronghold. Police believe the Naxals were travelling to extort money from tendu patta dealers. "At this time of the year, Naxal platoons move from Telangana to Gadchiroli for extortion. Tendu patta dealers are mostly their target," a top officer told News18. Preliminary information suggests that the platoon stopped for rest and breakfast. Tadgaon is on the Chattisgarh-Maharashtra border with Indravati River separating Bijapur in Chhattisgarh from Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. Police say they first surrounded the Naxals and warned them to surrender. "We had a specific tip-off about the groups movement in the area. A combing operation was launched on Saturday. On Sunday, between 10 and 11 am, the Naxals started firing and our boys retaliated killing many," IG Anti Naxal ops Sharad Shelar told News18. Sources said two parties of Maharashtra Police's elite anti-Naxal force C-60 were dispatched to Tadgaon. Each party had about 30 highly trained commandos. Firing began from the Naxal side leading to an hour-long gunfight. We have not lost any men. It was a successful operation," SP Gadchiroli Abhinav Deshmukh told News18. The last of the reports said that Police were carrying the Naxals bodies to the nearest Tadgaon Thana. Helicopters had been pressed into service to reinforce the forces on the ground where mobile connectivity is poor and hence information outflow is patchy. Maharashtra police suspects that the number of Naxals killed will go up since at least 60 Naxals were part of the group. "Rains and nightfall forced us to stop looking for more bodies but our operation will resume tomorrow," said SP Abhinav Deshmukh. The operation is being hailed by the police as next only to the one launched by Andhra Pradesh's Greyhounds, who killed 24 Naxals in Odishas Malkangiri in 2016. Union Home Ministry officials, while not getting into the numbers game, conceded that the operation was good. The operation by the Gadchiroli police and its C-60 unit was one of the best in recent times. C-60 is now second only to greyhounds in terms of capability and success," a MHA officer, who was in charge of the Naxal division, said. C-60 was set up as an anti-Naxal force in 1992 by then Gadchiroli SP, KP Raghuvanshi. In recent times, they have had a lot of success in making Gadchiroli Naxal free. This is the third big success for Gadchiroli police in last few weeks. On April 4, the force arrested five Naxals who were allegedly planning to blow up a weekly market in the district. On March 28, five Naxals including two couples surrendered. The interrogation of the arrested and surrendered Naxals provided police with valuable intelligence about Naxal presence and movement in the area. In case you missed it Raping a child under the age of 12 is punishable by death now in India. Following the massive outrage over the gang-rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, the Union Cabinet on Saturday approved the promulgation of an ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age. The Ordinance was approved by President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday. In an unprecedented move, leaders of seven Opposition parties submitted an impeachment motion against CJI Dipak Misra to Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu. Addressing a press conference, Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday said the notice has the signature of 71 MPs, seven of whom have retired since it was signed. The move has come under fire with BJP leaders such as Arun Jaitly accusing Congress of using impeachment as a political tool. Congress suggested on Sunday that the CJI Dipak Misra should defer from performing judicial and administrative work till he was cleared of allegations of misconduct. Follow all the development here. Gujarat High Court acquitted former BJP minister Mayaben Kodnani of all charges in the controversial 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case. The court on Friday set aside an earlier conviction by a special court which had held her guilty of criminal conspiracy and murder, sentencing her to 28 years imprisonment. 97 people, including 36 women and 35 children were killed by a mob on February 28, 2002 at Naroda Patiya one of the most horrific killings in the communal riots that broke out across Gujarat after the Sabarmati Express incident at Godhra. A BJP youth wing leader allegedly admitted to burning down the Rohingya Refugee camp in New Delhi on the intervening night of April 14 and 15. The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) on Thursday wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik seeking appropriate action against BJP youth wing leader Manish Chandela for allegedly admitting in social media to burning down a Rohingya refugee camp here a few days back. Read more here. 28-year-old Swedish musician Avicci was found dead in Oman. Considered often to be one of the pioneers of the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) genre, Aviccis death is currently being investigated by Omani police. The occasion was celebratory, but the mood sombre in Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu sat on a day-long fast on his birthday on April 20, protesting against the 'injustice meted out to Andhra Pradesh. The gloom of being denied 'Special Category Status' to the state was writ large on the stage set protest. Read the full report here. Adding the provision of capital punishment for raping children under 12-years-old of age was added to POSCO with the view of letting it act as a deterrence. However, many argue that capital punishment may not actually be the solution. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has a new voice these days. And it is not that of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, but of his deputy, Manish Sisodia. With Kejriwal increasingly maintaining a low profile, his education minister has taken on the task of voicing the Delhi government's grievances and spearheading the battle against the Centre. Read on to find out more. Actor Ranbir Kapoor said that he believes that the notion of masculinity has to be changed in order to bring about empowerment for women. At least four people died when a nearly nude gunman opened fire at a Waffle House restaurant near Nashville, Tennessee early Sunday. According to the police, the death toll could have been higher if not for fast action by a 29-year-old "hero" who snatched away the shooter's AR-15 assault-type rifle, likely saving many more lives. PM Modi on Sunday warned all elected members and ministers of the BJP to steer clear of making controversial statements to the media and not to give the latter anymore masala. The stern message comes amidst outrage over a spate of child rapes. BJP leaders have not helped matters by making controversial statements and being seen as soft on the accused. Former chief justice and activist Rajinder Singh Sachar passed away in Delhi at the age of 94. He is credited with the Sachar report which brought to fore the socio-economic and educational conditions of the Muslim community in India. Agree or Disagree? To begin with, the choice of Prasoon Joshi as host for PM Modis 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath', held in UK last week, was not a very smart decision. Inappropriate, because he was part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's 2014 campaign, thereby carrying the self-limiting tag of 'in-house' anchor. In the absence of neutrality, events of this nature get restricted to the already converted. Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan started a row after he told media persons to not discuss disgusting matters such as rape upon being asked to comment on the recent incidents in Kathua, Surat and Unnao. In the backdrop of current incidents, is silence really the best form of expressing dissent? Read on to find ou more. On Reel According to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has the highest number of MPs and MLAs facing cases of crime against women. Watch to find out more. https://youtu.be/kzCzXsVjxr0 (Get a fresh dose of the news that matters, delivered directly to your inbox, every morning. The perfect way, to get you started and informed, for the day ahead. Subscribe to News18 Daybreak here.) New Delhi: It was a war of words between lawyers affiliated with different political parties after Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu rejected the impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra. While some said the decision was perfect, some said it was unconstitutional. There was a political divide among the lawyers on Monday, while senior advocate and Congress MP KTS Tulsi criticised the Vice President's decision saying it was a serious matter and corruption could not be allowed to grow in the judiciary, senior lawyer and BJP leader Aman Sinha said the notice was rightly rejected with "sound legal reasoning". Activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who has been leading the campaign against the CJI, said the decision was "unconstitutional" and "political" to protect the CJI. "After dealing with all five charges individually, the Rajya Sabha chairman has come to a conclusion that they hold no legal merit. They are unsustainable and unjustifiable and therefore the notice for impeachment has been rightly rejected by him on very sound legal reasoning and cogent legal grounds," Sinha said and blamed the Congress for trying to "intimidate the judiciary" by moving the notice. "As far as impeachment motion is concerned, it was known that it would be defeated. The only aim of the Congress was to intimidate the judiciary and put the integrity of the Supreme Court under cloud," he said. Bar Council of India chairman, Manan Kumar Mishra, lauded the decision saying it was the "most perfect" decision that has made all "sensitive people" in the country happy. Opposing Mishra's views, Bhushan said, "It is very astounding that the Vice President decided to reject such a serious impeachment motion signed by 64 MPs of Rajya Sabha containing five very serious charges of misbehaviour. "The RS chairman only has to see if the notice was signed by requisite number of people and whether these charges on the face of it amount to misbehaviour or not. He has no business to go into the merits of the charges. That's for the enquiry committee to decide. This has clearly been done at the behest of the government and totally illegal and unconstitutional and malafide and hope it will be challenged by the MPs. It is a political decision to protect the CJI," Bhushan said. Mishra, however, said there could not be any other decision on this issue as only after applying his mind, Naidu took the decision not to advance the motion. "All sensitive people in this country are happy with this decision," he said. On the contrary, Tulsi said Naidu has wrongly decided the motion at the stage where he should have only examined the admissibility. "To apply the requirement of proved misbehaviour at the stage of examining the admissibility of the motion is erroneous and I regret to say that this is a very serious matter. We cannot allow the cancer of corruption to grow in the body of judiciary," he said. On the issue of the powers of the RS chairman, Sinha said Naidu exercised his power and responsibility under section 3 of Judges Inquiry Act, 1968, but Tulsi said under section 3 1(B) of the Act, the chairman only has the power to examine whether the requirements of the minimum numbers of signatories in either of the two Houses is present or not. "Naidu was entitled to adjudicate on admissibility of notice of impeachment under section 3 of Judges Inquiry Act 1968. He has exercised his power and responsibility in pursuance to this section. He has perused all the documents on record before arriving at the decision," Sinha said. Tulsi, on the other hand, said, "under 3 1(B) of the The Judges (Inquiry) Act, the Chairman only has the power to examine as to whether the requirements of minimum numbers of signatories in either of the two houses is present or not. "The wisdom of over 50 members of Parliament is required because they will understand the gravity . If there is an allegation of corruption, in which there maybe evidence that the CJI maybe part of the conspiracy. That has to be examined as per procedure." (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Jessica Lalls sister Sabrina Lall has said that she has no objection to the release of her sisters murderer Siddharth Vashishtha alias Manu Sharma, who is serving a life term. Jessica was shot dead at a party in April 1999. Speaking to News18, Sabrina said that she received a letter from authorities at Tihar Jail that Sharma was up for bail soon. The letter also happened to mention some compensation that she could claim from the victims welfare fund. I responded to that letter saying that I was not interested in the compensation and that I was okay with him being released. I dont want to see him face to face but I also dont care what happens to him. What he does with his life is none of my concern, she said, adding that she had asked the authorities to donate her share of the compensation to those in more need. In the murder case, a Delhi court in 2006 acquitted prime accused Manu Sharma due to lack of evidence. This caused a massive outrage in public, with Sabrina at the forefront, and when the matter was up for appeal, the Delhi HC set aside the exoneration. It sentenced Manu to life term based on the same set of evidence and the top court also upheld the conviction in 2010. Sabrina said that while she doesnt personally track his activities in jail, she had heard that he had a good behavioural record in prison. Its been years of struggle. I have lost half of my family. Holding on to anger is futile for me. I just dont feel anything. Im just numb, she added. Sabrinas mother May Lall died in 2000 and her father Ajit Lall died in 2006, still waiting for a verdict in Jessicas murder. Sabrinas decision comes a week Jessicas death anniversary. New Delhi: In a sensational claim, Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case and witness in the Karti Chidambaram case, on Monday told the Special CBI court that she fears for her life and that somebody in the prison is trying to kill her. This statement from Indrani comes two weeks after she was hospitalised in JJ Hospital for alleged drug overdose. While speculations were doing the rounds that she may have eaten something outside the court premises or may have deliberately overdosed herself, Indrani tells the court that she did not eat anything outside and that she was given food and medicines inside the prison premises by the concerned jail staff and officials. After the day's proceedings in the Sheena Bora trial ended, after getting permission from the judge, Indrani went up to the witness box and said, "I did not meet anybody apart from my lawyers on that day since I was in the court for the trial during the day. I was fasting during the day. I entered the prison from court at around 4:45pm. I broke the fast with a bowl of Dal in the evening in the prison. I felt a bit drowsy and then at around 7 30, I was given a medicine in the evening after which I lost consciousness." She went on to say that similar incident has happened last time when she was hospitalised in October 2015 for an overdose on the same drug. "I won't be able to deal with this again. I'm constantly looking over my shoulder about what is going to happen to me next. I don't know if it was the daal or the medicine but somebody in prison is trying to kill me," she said. She informed the court that she has given her statement to IG prisons and a copy of the statement is with her lawyer which will be submitted to the court. In June 2017, Indrani alleged that she was roughed up by jail officials when inmates protested the death of a 45-year-old woman prisoner Shetye. At the time, Indrani had filed an application before the special CBI court that she was threatened of sexual assault by the jail staff. She told the court that Manjula Shetye, who died in prison, was tortured by the prison's women staffers. She said that she too faced injuries after the police beat up the women prisoners when they resorted to protest. Indrani was allegedly instrumental in leading the protest of the women inmates after Shetye's death. Indrani Mukerjea is currently lodged in Mumbai's Byculla prison. New Delhi: Sunday's encounter between security forces and Naxals, in which bodies of 16 insurgents have been recovered so far, is the biggest single-day setback that the extremists have suffered this year. A similar operation was carried on March 10 at the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border. Sources in the intelligence unit and senior police officers described Sunday's encounter as a massive development. "I believe this is a huge game-changer and will boost the morale of our forces. This will be a big hit for the Naxals. They will now need a lot of time to regroup," said Bastar DIG Sunder Raj. It is not just the loss of manpower, Sunday's encounter comes at an especially opportune time for the forces. This is the time from the third week of April to the last week of May when Maoists make most of their money through the tendu patta (Coromandel ebony or East Indian ebony) business. The illegal harvesting and sale of tendu patta leaves, which are used to make bidis, is the biggest source of funds annually Rs 80 to Rs 100 crore for the Maoists. And Gadchiroli, where the encounter took place on Sunday, is the transit point from where tendu patta leaves are distributed to Telangana, Maharashtra, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. News18 travelled to these forests last year and dug deeper into the business. There are four reasons why Sunday's encounter is a massive blow to the Maoists: Security forces have hit right at the financial foundations of the Maoists. It will be very difficult for the extremists to regroup and take control over their illegal business while the clock is ticking on the month-long window they have to harvest and transport tendu patta. Forces have also afflicted huge damage to the already dwindling manpower in Maoist ranks, where little or no recruitment is happening right now. Most of the operatives responsible for recruiting educated youth in cities have either been caught or have surrendered. Local Adivasis (tribal) are also opposing conscription into extreme left ranks. There are strong rumours of a rift between politburo members of CPI(Maoist) at several levels. In Bastar, the rift is between the Politburo, most of whose members are from Telangana, and local cadres voicing their anger against nepotism. Sunday's encounter is expected to foment this divide further. While Naxals are getting no new recruits, most of the members of Politburo, CPI(Maoist)' top decision-making body, are now over sixty and unwell. Ganapathy, the chief of CPI(Maoist) and one of the most wanted man in India, is unable to move and cannot actively energise or direct ground cadres. But this doesn't necessarily take away from what Maoists have already done or can do. Narendra Modi was the first Prime Minister to visit Bastar's Bijapur district. Security arrangements, the likes of which had never been seen in the area, were put in place much before Modi's address on April 15. However, despite a 10,000-strong security cordon placed 10 days in advance, Maoists managed to kill two DRG soldiers five days before Modi was scheduled to speak and barely a few kilometres from his podium. In the same district, just a month back, the extremists killed nine CRPF soldiers by blowing an IED at a vehicle ferrying security personnel. Three days later, they abducted and killed a contractor and set scores of vehicles on fire. What Naxals have lacked in firepower and direct confrontation, they more than make up for through a meticulous, silent expansion drive. According to sources in the intelligence department, and based on the documents recovered from their hideouts, Naxals are quietly expanding up North towards Balaghat, where they in the 90s used to wield great influence and into newer districts like Dindori and Mandala. The Vistaar Dalam unit of CPI(Maoist), which is meant to expand the red corridor, has been seen in several districts of Jharkhand as well. Documents foreseeing an expansion in these areas were recovered as far back as in 2006. Their presence in the area now shows the level of planning and single-minded execution of their goals. What truly makes the influence of Naxals seem menacing and threatening is the simultaneous movement that has unfolded in areas like Pathhargarhi. News18 had a travelled to these areas, including Madhya Pradesh's Dindori and Mandala, where spontaneous exclusionist, Adivasi-driven movements have broken out in the last four months. In Jharkhand, where Naxals still enjoy a sizeable area of influence, this movement has taken extremely aggressive overtones. In many areas, local Adivasis have boasted of preventing CRPF and local police from visiting Naxal strongholds. Despite having dealt a severe blow to Maoists, security forces won't let themselves be caught off guard. This is the year when the crucial assembly election is due in Chhattisgarh. The actual battle between Maoists, who want to derail elections at any cost, and security forces, who have their most challenging months ahead to prepare for, may have just begun. Lucknow: The residents of Unnao have done a repeat of Kathua by taking out a rally in support of a rape accused. On Monday, hundreds from Bangarmau, Safipur, Bighapur and adjoining areas took out a rally in favour of the rape accused local BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar. The protestors claim that the entire incident is part of a political conspiracy. The participants of the rally held placards which said "Humare vidhayak nirdosh hai (Our legislator is innocent). Both men and women were part of the rally, which was being led by the Nagar Panchayat president Anuj Kumar Dixit. Speaking to News18, Dixit said, "It is a political conspiracy to defame our MLA. He is innocent and being framed in false charges. We demand a neutral and independent enquiry into the matter." The entire incident is similar to the one which took place in Kathua. After the gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl from the Gujjar-Bakarwal community, the police arrested eight individuals including a Hindu priest. A rally was then organised by Hindu Ekta Manch in favour of the accused men. The protestors claimed the accused were unfairly accused and asked for a CBI probe into the matter. Two BJP minister in the Jammu and Kashmir government, Choudhary Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga, were part of the rally. Recently, the UP government pulled back the 'Y' category security cover from rape accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a day after CBI took Unnao rape victim and her mother to Makhi village to recreate the crime scene and probe the murder case of the girls father. The Bangarmau BJP MLA, who was booked by the UP police last week, is presently lodged in jail. Sengar is accused of raping a 17-year-old woman along with his brother and aides in June last year when she was a minor. A year later, when the matter came to light, the survivors father was allegedly beaten to death by Sengars brother while the former was in police custody. Verne Troyer, best known for his role as Mini-Me in the 'Austin Powers' movies, died Saturday. He was 49. While no cause of death was given, a statement on the actor's social media accounts said he had gone through a "recent time of adversity" and alluded to suicide and depression as "serious issues." "Over the years he's struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much," it added. "Depression and Suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, it's never too late to reach out to someone for help." Troyer, who lived in Los Angeles, was taken to hospital early this month for unspecified treatment. The actor spoke about his alcohol addiction during another hospital stay a year ago. One of the world's shortest men at just two feet eight inches (81 centimeters) due to achondroplasia dwarfism, according to reports, Troyer was born in 1969 in Sturgis, Michigan. He first entered show business as a stunt person in Baby's Day Out (1994). "In 1993, I was working for Sprint in customer service, and a friend of mine who was the president of LPA -- Little People of America -- got a phone call from the producers of 'Baby's Day Out,' and they were wondering if there was anyone close to a stand-in size," he recalled in a 2012 interview with Hollywood Chicago. "I guess they searched worldwide and couldn't find anyone. I sent in my picture, and they flew me out to Hollywood to meet with them. Two days later, they offered me the job, and I quit my job at Sprint." Tributes poured in for the small man with an out-sized personality. "Verne was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honor of working with him," Mike Myers, his Austin Powers co-star said in a statement. "It is a sad day, but I hope he is in a better place. He will be greatly missed." Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin said she was "so sad" over the news of Troyer's death. "A lovely smile with a caring and big heart, he helped raise money on behalf of @starkeycares for free hearing aids for deaf and hard of hearing people. RIP," added Matlin, who is deaf. Ludacris posted on Instagram a photograph of himself with Troyer strapped to him in a baby carrier, taken from the rapper's Number One Spot music video. The pair are wearing the same gray costume. "R.I.P. Verne Troyer aka Mini Me. You made it to that #1 Spot Glad we got to make history," Ludacris wrote. In addition to his breakout role as 'Mini-Me' -- a diminutive, hairless clone of villain Dr Evil -- in the first Austin Powers movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Troyer was also known for playing Griphook in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. "Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible," added the post on Troyer's social media accounts. "He inspired people around the world with his drive, determination and attitude." The 22nd CPM Congress that concluded in Hyderabad on Sunday re-elected incumbent Sitaram Yechury as general secretary and adopted the controversial political-tactical line that was voted out in January by the outgoing Central Committee populated by Karat camp hardliners. Though not exactly a Pyrrhic victory, his re-election was not without twists and turns and orchestrated personal attacks during discussion on political-tactical line and organisational report on Saturday and Sunday. While Yechury managed majority in the newly constituted 94-member Central Committee, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to navigate freely in the new 17-member Politburo, which is evenly balanced between the two factions, to implement partys policies and programmes. Some of the Central Committee and Politburo members lobbied hard to get Yechury replaced with former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar as general secretary. Central Committee member from Telengana S Veeraiah, a protege of BV Raghavulu, who is a pro-Karat PB member, proposed Sarkar as party chief in the acrimonious meeting. Three members from Andhra S Punyavathi, wife of BV Raghavulu; CITU all India president K Hemalatha and her son R Arun Kumar also opposed Yechurys re-election. Another delegate, Mamatha, daughter in law of Hemalatha, attacked Yechury for the CPM-Congress alliance in West Bengal two years ago and demanded disciplinary action against him. However, sensing the predominantly pro-Yechury mood among the 800-odd delegates Sarkar backed out from the contest. Some hardliners from Kerala stooped a bit low in mounting a personal attack on Yechury. A former lawmaker from the state, sources said, likened Yechury to Mikhail Gorbachev (former Soviet President who ushered in Perestroika and Glasnost in the undivided country) implying that Yechury is out to harm the party interests. Another comrade, miffed with his push for understanding with the Congress, slammed him as opportunist and even alleged that Yechury was nursing a grudge against the party for denying him another term in the Rajya Sabha. Another branded him as Kautsky, a derogative term for a revisionist who will subordinate party interests to the Congress in the name of fighting the BJPs fascism. However, by Saturday Yechury was able to turn the tables. The sense of the House (800-odd delegates) had changed in favour of his political-tactical line paving way for his re-election as party boss. The Congress adopted a crucial amendment incorporating his proposal calling for understanding with all secular-democratic forces, including the Congress, to form a broad anti-BJP coalition ahead of 2019. Yechury should thank the BJP, in particular Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah, for engendering the rabid anti-BJP mood in the Congress with their actions and pronouncements tilting the balance in favour Yechury line. Many grass-root level comrades felt that the BJP dispensation headed by Modi-Shah duo betrayed fascistic tendencies, as articulated by Yechury last year as against Karats take that the BJP is authoritarian. Widespread unrest among farmers, Dalits and minorities due to religious polarisation buttressed Yechurys assessment of Modi government and many delegates who viewed the BJP and the Congress as the two sides of the same coin began to rethink; from anti-Congressism the mood changed to strident anti-BJPism in the Hyderabad Congress. Though Yechury won two major wars getting his political line adopted by the Congress and getting re-elected as general secretary, he has a third barrier to cross the Politburo. Compared to the outgoing Central Committee and Politburo, in the new bodies Yechurys influence, if not command, has increased. The numerical minority position had earlier enabled Karat camp to bulldoze every decision in the name of majority and the principle democratic centralism constricting Yechurys manoeuvrability. In the new Politburo, his supporters have swelled to 50 per cent compared to the one-third support base he had earlier and in the new Central Committee, he has, sources say, 60 per cent support. However, in case of available Politburo, that often meet to clinch current and controversial issues Yechury support base will come down to 40 per cent and such a scenario could hamper smooth implementation of partys policies and programmes. Sources said Yechury wanted to induct Ashok Dhawale, a popular Kisan leader from Maharashtra, who had successfully organised the farmers march that culminated in Mumbai, into the Politburo but Brinda Karat foiled his attempt. Yechury could still face opposition to his bid to forge electoral understanding with the Congress. On Saturday, addressing the media Brinda Karat is reported to have said any adjustment with the Congress is not permissible. Her comments indicate that the hardliners, miffed at their losing the perception battle, may resort to semantics to dispute the interpretation of the political-tactical line adopted at Hyderabad. (The author is a senior journalist and political commentator. Views are personal.) New Delhi: A group of 50 former IITians have formed a political outfit, Bahujan Azad Party, dominated by members of the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class category. Party members say that they aim to uplift the marginalised community in a manner that no other political party could. All set with a poster which has pictures of B R Ambedkar, Subhas Chandra Bose and A P J Abdul Kalam, among others, the party has already begun a social media campaign. As they await the nod from the Election Commission of India, three of Bahujan Azad Partys members spoke to News18. My name is Naveen Kumar, a B.Tech graduate from IIT Delhi. SCs dont want soap and oil, give them their rights and quota. Through my politics, I will fight for equal distribution of resources. There should be reservation in the government sector, private sector and in higher judiciary according to the number of SCs, STs and OBCs. I will fight for the implementation of Sachar committee report for minorities and for justice (social, economic and political). A lot of work needs to be done for women's ultimate empowerment i.e. financial independence. It is sad but true that politicians who belong to SC/ST communities are nothing but parasites. They are slaves of mainstream parties like BJP and Congress. This is nothing but the result of 1932 Poona Pact. I am committed to Dr BR Ambedkar and Jyotiba Phules mission, we will work for the downtrodden. The BJP and Congress are trying their best to keep Bahujan communities away from quality education and that is why education in government schools is getting worse and private schools fees are sky high. We are not vote banks. The dilution of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 was a Manuwadi move, based on injustice. It has been passed by the Brahamanical judiciary. Brahmanism is all about inequality and this move is even more detrimental than the abolition of reservation in promotion. The BJPs governments attempt to bring an ordinance into the quota in government job promotion is nothing but a crafty move. They can only give soap and oil a shameful act by current UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath to the downtrodden and never give the rights, representation and respect they deserve. My Name is Vikrant Vatsal, a B.Tech in Biochemical Engineering from IIT Delhi, and I demand 60% quota for OBCs. I wanted to be a social reformer. Since childhood, I have faced discrimination in my society. When I was in Class 6, a Brahmin man stopped me from drinking water from a hand pump because I am a Solank. He told me that a lower caste can't drink the water here. I am still haunted by that incident. It is then that I decided to eradicate this Manuwadi system, which is based on inequality and injustice. My father used to sell handkerchiefs on the street, I had to work very hard to make myself strong with education. I was the 10th, 12th Board state topper and went to IIT but radical change comes with politics. I support the Patidar agitation, it is the governments failure that they are not disclosing the caste-based census. I do support representation based on the ratio of population in each and every sector (education/ jobs/ media/ judiciary). I demand 60% reservation for OBCs. Bahujan Azad Party's Poster OBC Politics in UP, Bihar is all about Yadav and Kushwaha. There is polarisation of the Muslim-Dalit equation against BJP. Even if half the OBCs are manipulated against the BJP, I can personally guarantee that the party wont be able to get a single seat in 2019 Lok Sabha polls from UP and Bihar. OBCs are silent about the indirect removal of reservation through privatisation, they are not demanding anything in this government. There is an anti-reservation sentiment among the so-called upper caste people. With the dilution of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, there is a chance of OBCs shifting away from BJP. There is a significant effect of Hindutva propaganda by the RSS/BJP on OBCs. This community is not politically united as compared to SCs, STs and minorities. I think, due to lack of information, many OBCs are opposing reservation in education or government jobs. The general category has influence on them here. OBCs have this false view that only SCs and STs are getting reservation advantage. This confusion gives the present government strength to manipulate reservation at various levels. OBCs feel SCs and STs are their enemies and this works in favour of the upper caste. I found more landless people in OBCs as compared to SCs and STs but they are not angry. They feel at least they are not untouchable. Among SCs, there is zero orientation towards Hindu religion. But OBCs have faith in Hinduism. I find the blind religious inclination of OBCs as the biggest challenge. They forget their actual mainstream problems like representation in the pillars of democracy politics, judiciary, administration and the press. My name is Sampath Kumar Banoth, M.Tech from IIT Kharagpur and PhD from IIT Roorkee. STs are an asset and not liability to the nation. I entered politics to make Bahujan communities an asset of the nation and not a liability. Its been 70 years of independence, still, our citizens are forced to stay in the forest, be manual scavengers, and have no representation or resources. Around 90% of the country still needs a support, a hope and a voice to represent them. I cant promise you that I will be the one but I will try to be. We are here for good politics. Till date, I have never seen a leader raise his/her voice for ST issues. We are vote banks in the political system. I respect those who worked for us but even if someone tries to be with us he is appropriated by other parties. This leads to their extinction. New Delhi: During the winter session of parliament, Congress leaders pressed for an unambiguous apology from the Minister of State for Skill Development Anantkumar Hegde for his widely reported statement that the Constitution needs to be changed from time to time and we have come for that. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan prodded, and government had to budge with its minister expressing regret for the comments. That demagogic rhetoric is a powerful instrument in right wing political mobilisation is a known fact. But then there are some strict no-go areas, especially in the complex caste matrix of India. And BJP leaders - to the detriment of the party - have at times crossed the Rubicon unaware of the political import and ramifications of their utterances. In this regard, the theme of the day-long conclave organised by the Delhi Congress on Monday is well thought out especially in the backdrop of recent Dalit agitations across the country. Save the Constitution has a larger leitmotif that seeks to address security and existential issues of an overwhelming majority of Indias population. It addresses the apprehensions within the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes against any slacking of strong bail provisions in the Prevention of Dalit Atrocities Act. It addresses any fears of reservation provisions in the Constitution being tinkered with. And issues concerning security concerns of the religious minorities. As the government of the day plans to provide statutory shield to Backward Classes reservations soon, the Constitution of India basically is a guarantee to affirmative action, positive discrimination and security concerns to more than 80% of its population. The caste Hindus, derive their stature (political and social), security (economic and personal) from texts - both religious and mythological. From vedas to puranas and epics to smritis. The rights of the deprived and minorities are protected and guaranteed by only one book - the Constitution of India. Any indications that the Constitution of India may be altered evokes sharp and instant response from these communities. Dalit protest against Supreme Court order on Prevention of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act took political leadership by surprise. Especially in the north, west and central India where Dalit mobilisations have been peaceful and political in nature. On this occasion the outrage was evident and explicit. The BJP and the RSS in the last four years have made extensive efforts to reach out to the Dalits. The BJP nominated Ram Nath Kovind in Presidential elections. The RSS has been running a campaign in the hinterland exhorting people towards one well, one cremation ground and one temple for all communities in the village. These measures are either symbolic or reformatory. They do not address the existential issue and security concerns of the vast multitudes of the under-privileged. The BSP has resurrected Dr Ambedkar as a Dalit icon for the constitutional safeguards and political rights that he ensured to the generations after him. Ambedkar statues in UP villages have the Dalit icon holding constitution of India close to his heart with his left hand. It is this sacred book which is close to the heart of the backwards, Dalits, tribals and minorities. And any allusion towards its tinkering is bound to evoke a strong response. New Delhi: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday accused the Congress of running the country through courts based on "half-baked, false and sponsored litigations", alleging that it used the death of judge B H Loya as a political tool to settle scores. His remarks came in the backdrop of Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu rejecting a notice by seven opposition parties led by Congress to impeach Chief Justice of India Dipak Mishra. "The Congress, being defeated by the people repeatedly, can't run the country through corridors of courts based upon half-baked, false and sponsored litigations," he claimed. He said the Congress' use of litigation was "directly proportionate" to the repeated reversals it was facing in elections. "Under the patronage of the Congress, even the death of judge Loya, who died of a heart attack some four years ago, was used as a political tool to settle scores both inside and outside court," the minister alleged. He claimed the "scathing observation" made by the top court "with pain and distress" on how judges of the Maharashtra lower courts, the Bombay High Court and even the Supreme Court "were sought to be presented in an uncomfortable light speaks volumes of efforts to compromise the dignity of the judiciary". Continuing his attack, Prasad said though badly conceived, Aadhaar was the Congress' baby. "We improved it through a legal framework, but they challenged it in the court...one of their leaders is also examining Aadhaar in the Parliamentary panel," he said. He said the Congress would not be allowed to usurp the mandate given to the Narendra Modi-led government by such means. Voters pose outside a polling booth in Karnataka. People were seen standing in queues to cast their votes in the early hours itself, factoring in that the temperature may go up later in the day. Also, it has been raining in different parts of south interior Karnataka for the last couple of days during the evening hours. Senior citizens were seen in good numbers standing in queues at various polling stations to cast their votes early. State BJP chief and party's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa, and Pradesh Congress Committee G Parameshwara were among the first to cast votes in Shikaripura in Shivamogga and Yaggere in Tumakuru respectively. Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda along with wife Chennamma cast their votes at Paduvalahippe in Hassan district. Film actors Ramesh Arvind, Ravichandran, also scion of Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar were among the prominent personalities to cast their votes early today. There are reports about delay in polling due to some technical issues with the electronic voting machines (EVMs) from different parts of the state. Election for the Jayanagara seat in Bengaluru has been countermanded following the death of BJP candidate and sitting MLA BN Vijaykumar. The Election Commission has also deferred the polls for Rajarajeswari Nagar constituency to May 28 after a massive row erupted over a large number of voter ID cards being found in an apartment. Suspecting something fishy, both Congress and BJP have pointed accusing fingers at each other in the matter. "Today people of Karnataka are standing in queues to create history & show the nation the way to liberal, progressive, peaceful & compassionate politics & governance. I thank them for their support & wish them well," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted. Over 2,600 candidates are in the fray-- more than 2400 men and and over 200 women. The total voters including service electors according to the 2018 final rolls are 5,06,90,538, of whom 2,56,75,579 male voters, 2,50,09,904 female and 5,055 transgender voters. Officials said 58,008 polling stations have been set up across the state, of which 12002 have been designated as "critical", with over 3,50,000 polling personnel on duty. Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of polls that will go on till 6 pm. "82,157 people have been deployed for poll duty that includes DSPs, home guards and civil defence, and forest guards and watchers," Karnataka DGP Neelamani N Raju said. This also includes about 7,500 personnel from states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Kerala and Goa, she said, adding, central forces have been deployed. One among the interesting aspects of this election is that four candidates who have served as Chief Minister of Karnataka are in the fray-- Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (Chamundeshwari and Badami), B S Yeddyurappa (Shikaripura), H D Kumaraswamy (Chennapatna and Ramanagara) and Jagadish Shettar (Hubli-Dharwad Central.) New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched a blistering attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that while the country may burn, Dalits may die and women may be raped, the "only one thing" he was interested in was himself and in becoming the Prime Minister again. The twin burning issues of Dalit rights and women's safety were at the centre of Gandhi's speech at the launch of the Congress party's "Save the Constitution" campaign. In a major bid to appeal to Dalits, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that the Dalits of the country were angry with the Prime Minister because he thinks "there was spirituality in cleaning toilets and human excreta". Quoting from the book 'Karm Yogi' authored by PM Modi, Rahul said the PM's attitude towards the Dalits or oppressed shows that he does not understand the issues or pain of Dalits. "Over 2 crore youth are unemployed, and he speaks of spirituality," said Gandhi. Flagging off "Save The Constitution" March, the Congress leader made it clear that it "would not allow the BJP led government to destroy the institutions of the country which were created by the Congress". "Look at Una, MP, atrocities against Dalits are increasing. It is only the Constitution that protects the marginalised, Dalit and women. It was Ambedkar and Congress who made the Constitution and gave it to India. Take any institution, whether it is IIT, IIM, Election Commission, Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha, everything has been given by the Constitution. Now in all our institutions, more and more RSS influenced leaders are being given positions," said Gandhi to a crowd of not only Congress workers but also workers from Zilla and Panchayat levels. He also squarely blamed the ruling government for "destroying the image of the country overseas". "Entire world thought that India's richness lies in its diversity. They thought India's constitution, institutions, Supreme Court had a lot of value and looked up to us. When I was in South Africa, they said India guides them. But this reputation has been destroyed by BJP. Now the talks hover around minor rapes, attack on minority, Dalit atrocities, etc," said the Congress president. Recently, Prime Minister Modi had asked his ministers and leaders to not give "masala" to press and refrain from issuing statements on each and every issue. Gandhi highlighted the call to "gag media" and said that it's only Congress who "would stand for the press even if it went against them." "He has asked his minister to stay quiet. No one should speak and entire country should listen to only his Mann ki baat... the entire country understands our prime minister is interested in only one thing. Modi ji has an interest in only Modi ji. How does Narendra Modi ji become the prime minister (again)? This is the only question whose answers Modi ji wants, Gandhi said. May Dalits die, atrocities are inflicted on minorities, may the country burn, may women be raped, Narendra Modi is interested in only becoming the prime minister (again). He is interested in doing only those things which will make him prime minister (again), he added. The rally also raised fingers at the ruling government's stoic silence on rape cases and that it was only INC which can "help the country get rid of such cases". "Only and Only Congress can solve the problem of rapes on minors and women. Whenever you see such an atrocity in the country anywhere, you will see a Congress worker addressing the crime and problem," said Gandhi who also stated that reason Modi became a PM was that "even when rapes happened, people died, PM was just worried how to become the PM," said Gandhi. He also said BJP Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, slogan has changed to Bachao and Bachao (save) from BJP MLAs. Thiruvananthapuram: For outsiders, the CPI(M) party congress decision to amend a key paragraph in the 90-day-old draft political resolution which had the Central Committee stamp may be the mere omission of a single word. For the party, however, it is a big deviation from its position since its inception 54 years ago. This is the first time that a draft political resolution approved by the CPI(M) Central Committee has been amended. While it clearly marks a vindication for party general secretary Sitaram Yechury, it undoubtedly is a setback for his colleague Prakash Karat, who has backed a doctrinaire approach of maintaining a clear distance from the Congress. The official draft, backed by Karat, had said that the party should unite all secular democratic forces "without having an understanding or electoral alliance with the Congress party". But in the amended document, it is now written that the party can unite secular democratic forces "without having a political alliance with the Congress party", thus keeping the door open for an electoral understanding. The crucial amendment, which opens the doors to an understanding with Congress in the fight against BJP-RSS, can be seen as the victory of political pragmatism in tune with present-day politics. However, history and statistics are not in favour of the CPI(M) with respect to either a direct or indirect understanding with the Congress. A party insider says that in constituencies where the CPI(M) does not field a candidate, Left supporters anyway vote for the Congress since it the lesser evil. "This is evident from the voting patterns in many places such as Delhi, where the CPIM is not strong. This support might have shifted to the AAP in the last elections when supporters had an option other than the Congress. A resolution is not needed for this to happen," says a party insider. The source adds that there has never been quid pro quo from the Congress. Take Bhavnagar as an example, a place in Gujarat where the CPI(M) had a vote share between 30 and 35 percent till 2002. The Congress did not lend any support to the party in fighting the communal forces. In Himachal Pradesh, too, Rakesh Singha won from Theog while fighting on the corruption plank. The same happened in Rajasthan where the party is stronger. If the Congress is ready to support the CPM, its electoral gains will be much higher. But it won't happen due to the anti-Communist stand of the Congress party and its supporters," he added. In Tripura, too, the Congress did not actively work against the BJPs slogan of Chalo Paltai (Let's Change) and ended up with a meagre 1.8 percent vote share, while the CPI(M) lost its bastion to the saffron brigade. Tripura was merely repeating the pattern in West Bengal, where the CPI(M) was down by 10.3 percent votes and ended up with 26 seats in 2016. The Congress recorded 3.2 percent increase in vote share and bagged 44 seats, replacing the Left party as the main opposition. Theoretically, the line followed by the general secretary appears to be perfect. However, the resolution mentioned that outside parliament, we should cooperate with all secular opposition forces for a broad mobilisation of people against communalism a clear pointer to 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, there was a concerted effort to paint those who supported the draft resolution, which endorsed no truck with Congress, as pro-BJP. The target was the CPI(M)s Kerala unit leaders. The Kerala unit is the partys largest in the terms of cadre and equals the number of delegates (175) in West Bengal, where the Left is fast fading. "It is a ridiculous allegation. Look at the Sangh Parivar campaigns targeted at Kannur and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan. The comrades of Kannur are in a constant fight with the Sangh and are losing cadre to bloodshed unlike in any other place," said an observer. WHAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE DISCUSSION Three judgments from the past week the Mecca Masjid blast case, the Judge Loya death case and the 2002 Naroda Patiya riots case may have prompted some delegates to re-think their position on an anti-BJP "understanding". The anti-Yechury line adopted by Kerala delegates, one of whom called the general secretary an opportunist, wasnt deemed befitting to the discussion at hand. "It lacked clarity. They behaved as if they had a whip from the top," said a senior CPI(M) leader. According to sources, it was the timely intervention of Pinarayi Vijayan which calmed frayed nerves. "A situation where the party was heading for a split over a strategy against the enemy was unthinkable," a source said. THE MINORITY VOTES AND 'MINORITY' DRAFT The Kerala unit cannot imagine a situation where it is branded as pro-BJP. According to the party, the support from minority voters in Kerala, amounting to nearly 50 percent share, helped it win the last Assembly elections despite a drop of 7 to 8 percent votes from its Hindu base. New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah on Monday termed Congresss 'Save the Constitution' rally a farce that seeks to perpetuate the rule of dynasty over the rule of democracy. Congresss rally addresses the apprehensions within the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes against any slacking of strong bail provisions in the Prevention of Dalit Atrocities Act. It addresses any fears of reservation provisions in the Constitution being tinkered with. And issues concerning security concerns of the religious minorities. In a stinging criticism of Congress, Amit Shah said how the very people who do not trust army, the judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, EVMs, the RBI are now saying democracy is in danger. Shah said right now impeachment is the buzzword for Congress. He said, The judiciary, which is trusted by 125 crore Indians, has invited the wrath of the Congress and the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty in particular." Last week, Congress with help from six other parties moved the impeachment notice against the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Earlier today, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Nadu rejected the impeachment notice. Shah brought to notice how when the country was fighting corruption, Congress began a "tirade" against the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Shah alleged that the "torchbearer of accountability was not spared just because it brought out uncomfortable truths about the Congress and the dynasty". Shah alleged how Congress has abused provisions in the Constitution and said Article 356 was a prime example. "Congress's commitment, or lack of it, towards our democracy is also seen in the ways the party has used Article 356 since Independence," said Shah. Shah highlighted how Jawahar Lal Nehru found it easy to dismiss the EMS Namboodiripad government in Kerala in 1959 using the said Article. Article 356 deals with the imposition of Presidents rule. But governments in the past have used it to dismiss state governments where the party in power is not the same as that ruling at the Centre. Bringing to notice the imposition of Emergency in the country, Shah said, The night of June 25, 1975 is unforgettable in the annals of history. That time the entire Constitution was hijacked and held hostage to the whims and fancies of one leader." Bengaluru: BJP's Chief ministerial candidate in the state BS Yeddyurappa announced on Monday that his son BY Vijayendra would not contest the Karnataka Assembly elections and would instead work on the campaigns of other candidates. Vijayendra was expected to take on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's son Yatindra from the Varuna seat making it one of the most anticipated contests to watch out for. However, Yeddyurappa's Monday announcement at a meeting organised by the party at Nanjanagudu, near Mysuru, led to large-scale protests by BJP workers, following which police resorted to lathicharge to bring the situation under control. "Vijayendra is not filing nomination today, a common man (party worker) will be fielded and he will be filing the nomination," Yeddyurappa said. "With folded hands I request all of you to support and bless that candidate and make him win," he said. The BJP on Monday released its fourth list of seven candidates for the May 12 elections. With the latest announcement, the BJP has declared its nominees for 220 seats for the polls to the 224-member state Assembly but has withheld the names of its candidates for seats such as Varuna. Battle for Varuna assembly constituency in Mysuru was projected as a fight between the sons of former and current chief ministers. Yeddyurappa later said, "I don't want to discuss the reasons for this. I apologise to the people of Varuna. Vijayendra will now campaign in other parts. Please don't blame RSS or BJP leaders for this." Vijayendra, Yeddyurappa's second son, was projected as the candidate, despite the party not announcing any candidate. He has been campaigning in the constituency for over a fortnight now and had even rented a house there. A tweet from an unofficial Twitter account of Vijayendra said, I wholeheartedly stand by & support party's decision in all circumstances. I urge the party cadre to maintain peace & tranquility which is of foremost importance. I will continue to work towards bringing @BJP4Karnataka to power in the state under the leadership of Shri @BSYBJP! According to party sources, Vijayendra was to file his nomination from Varuna on Monday. As Yeddyurappa left the stage after making the announcement, angry workers got on to the dais and damaged furniture. They even tried to stop Vijayendra and other party leaders' cars to know the reason why he was denied the ticket. Police said they resorted to lathicharge to bring the situation under control. Yeddyurappa's elder son BY Raghavendra is the sitting member of the assembly from Shikaripura in Shivamogga district. Yeddyurappa is contesting the upcoming election from Shikaripura. Facebook has taken the lions share of scrutiny from Congress and the media about data-handling practices that allow savvy marketers and political agents to target specific audiences, but its far from alone. YouTube, Google and Twitter also have giant platforms awash in more videos, posts and pages than any set of human eyes could ever check. Their methods of serving ads against this sea of content may come under the microscope next. Advertising and privacy experts say a backlash is inevitable against a Wild West internet that has escaped scrutiny before. There continues to be a steady barrage of new examples where unsuspecting advertisers had their brands associated with extremist content on major platforms. Also Read: [Watch] OnePlus Has Come Out With The Coolest New 'Rap Trailer' For The OnePlus 6 In the latest discovery, CNN reported that it found more than 300 retail brands, government agencies and technology companies had their ads run on YouTube channels that promoted white nationalists, Nazis, conspiracy theories and North Korean propaganda. Child advocates have also raised alarms about the ease with which smartphone-equipped children are exposed to inappropriate videos and deceptive advertising. I absolutely think that Google is next and long overdue, said Josh Golin, director of the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, which asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Google-owned YouTubes advertising and data collection practices earlier this month. Also Read: Asus Zenfone Max Pro Launch Today at 12 Noon: Here's What is Expected YouTube has repeatedly outlined the ways it attempts to flag and delete hateful, violent, sexually explicit or harmful videos, but its screening efforts have often missed the mark. It also allows advertisers avoid running ads on sensitive content like news or politics that dont violate YouTube guidelines but dont fit with a companys brand. Those methods appear to have failed. YouTube has once again failed to correctly filter channels out of our marketing buys, said a statement Friday from 20th Century Fox Film, which learned that its ads were running on videos posted by a self-described Nazi. YouTube has since deleted the offending channel, but the Hollywood firm says it has unanswered questions about how it happened in the first place. All of our filters were in place in order to ensure that this did not happen, Fox said, adding it has asked for a refund of any money shared with the abhorrent channel. YouTube said Friday that it has made significant changes to how we approach monetization with stricter policies, better controls and greater transparency and said it allows advertisers to exclude certain channels from ads. It also removes ads when its notified of problems running beside content that doesnt comply with its policies. We are committed to working with our advertisers and getting this right. Also Read: Google's 'Chat' Service a Precious Gift to Cybercriminals: Amnesty So far, just one major advertiser Baltimore-based retailer Under Armour had said it had withdrawn its advertising in the wake of the CNN report, though the lull lasted only a few days last week when it was first notified of the problem. After its shoe commercial turned up on a channel known for espousing white nationalist beliefs, Under Armour worked with YouTube to expand its filters to exclude certain topics and keywords. On the other hand, Procter & Gamble, which had kept its ads off of YouTube since March 2017, said it had come back to the platform but drastically pared back the channels it would advertise on to under 10,000. It has worked on its own, with third parties, and with YouTube to create its restrictive list. Thats just a fraction of the some 3 million YouTube channels in the U.S. that accept ads, and is even more stringent than YouTubes Google Preferred lineup that focuses on the top most popular 5 percent of videos. The CNN report was an illustration of exactly why we needed to go above and beyond just what YouTubes plans were and why we needed to take more control of where our ads were showing up, said P&G spokeswoman Tressie Rose. The big problem, experts say, is that advertisers lured by the reach and targeting capability of online platforms can mistakenly expect the same standards for decency on network TV will apply online. In the same way, broadcast TV rules that require transparency about political ad buyers are absent on the web. There have always been regulations regarding appropriate conduct in content, says Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys Inc., a New York customer research firm. Regulating content on the internet is one area that has gotten away from everyone. Also absent from the internet are many of the rules that govern childrens programming on television sets. TV networks, for instance, are allowed to air commercial breaks but cannot use kids characters to advertise products. Such host-selling runs rampant on internet services such as YouTube. Action to remove ads from inappropriate content is mostly reactive because of lack of upfront control of what gets uploaded, and it generally takes the mass threat of boycott to get advertisers to demand changes, according to BrandSimple consultant Allen Adamson. The social media backlash is what youre worried about, he said. At the same time, politicians are having trouble keeping up with the changing landscape, evident by how ill-informed many senators and congresspeople appeared during questioning of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg earlier this month. Were in the early stages of trying to figure out what kind of regulation makes sense here, said Larry Chiagouris, professor of marketing at Pace University in New York. Its going to take quite some time to sort that out. Also Watch: Tech and Auto Show | EP36 | Ford Freestyle, Yamaha YZF-R15 V3.0 & More Facebook's attempt to limit the fallout from a massive data breach hit trouble in Germany on Friday as a privacy watchdog opened a case against the social network and politicians accused its bosses of evasion. The social network has been at the centre of controversy over suspected Russian manipulation of the 2016 U.S. presidential election via its platform, and the leak of personal data of 87 million users to a political consultancy that advised Donald Trump's team. A German data privacy regulator said it was opening a non-compliance procedure against Facebook in relation to the data leak to the consultancy, Cambridge Analytica, that was exposed a month ago. Also Read: [Watch] OnePlus Has Come Out With The Coolest New 'Rap Trailer' For The OnePlus 6 The city-state of Hamburg's Data Protection Commissioner, Johannes Caspar, notified Facebook in writing that he had opened a probe into suspected data abuse. The case could lead to a fine of up to 300,000 euros ($370,000). "First we will seek a statement from Facebook and then hearings will begin," said Caspar's spokesman, Martin Schemm. Such a fine, if imposed, would only be a pinprick for Facebook, which recorded revenues of more than $40 billion last year. But the case marks a warning shot ahead of the introduction of tougher privacy rules across the European Union on May 25 that foresee penalties of up to four percent of worldwide revenues for serious violations. "We remain strongly committed to protecting people's information," a Facebook spokeswoman said in response to news of the probe. "We appreciate any opportunity to answer questions by data protection authorities." Also Read: Asus Zenfone Max Pro Launch Today at 12 Noon: Here's What is Expected CHARM DEFENSIVE Facing a hostile audience, a Facebook executive earlier met German lawmakers and repeated apologies by CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the Cambridge Analytica leak. "What happened with Cambridge Analytica represents a huge violation of trust, and we are deeply sorry," Joel Kaplan, vice president for global public policy, said according to the text of his prepared remarks. Kaplan said Facebook would roll out a new 'view ads' feature, designed to make political advertising more transparent, in time for a regional election being held in the German state of Bavaria in October. Also Read: Google's 'Chat' Service a Precious Gift to Cybercriminals: Amnesty Social media experts say Germany's parliamentary election last September was less affected by the spread of 'fake news' than the U.S. vote, where Trump pulled off a stunning come-from-behind victory. Yet the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was able to capitalise on a wave of discontent with an active campaign on social media, winning seats in parliament for the first time as Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats polled poorly. The Bavarian party closely allied to Merkel's conservatives is seeking re-election in October. Its leading figure in the federal government, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, is taking a hard line on immigration in a bid to squeeze the AfD vote. Lawmakers came away dissatisfied from the closed-door hearing, saying Facebook executives had failed to give clarity on how widespread the illicit harvesting of data using Facebook apps had been. "We just experienced another slice of Facebook's salami tactics," said Thomas Jarzombek, the Christian Democrats' digital policy spokesman. Tabea Roessner of the opposition Greens said the hearing had shown Facebook was still in 'business as usual' mode. "That disrespects those affected," she told the Handelsblatt daily. Also Watch: Tech and Auto Show | EP36 | Ford Freestyle, Yamaha YZF-R15 V3.0 & More Google's decision to launch a new messaging service called "Chat" without end-to-end encryption shows utter contempt for the privacy of Android users and has handed a precious gift to cybercriminals and government spies alike, Amnesty International has said. Communications on the new "Chat" service will not be sent over the Internet but through mobile phone carriers, like SMS text messages, according to reports. In a statement to The Verge this week, a Google spokesperson confirmed that the new service will not use end-to-end encryption and that Google is "pausing investment" in its existing mobile messaging app "Allo" which has an option for end-to-end encryption. Also Read: [Watch] OnePlus Has Come Out With The Coolest New 'Rap Trailer' For The OnePlus 6 "Not only does this shockingly retrograde step leave Google lagging behind its closest competitors -- Apple's iMessage and Facebook's WhatsApp both have end-to-end encryption in place by default -- it is also a step backwards from the company's previous attempts at online messaging," Joe Westby, a technology and human rights researcher at Amnesty International, said on Friday. Amnesty International considers end-to-end encryption a minimum requirement for technology companies to ensure that private information in messaging apps stays private. End-to-end encryption is a way of scrambling digital data so that only the sender and recipient can see it. When it is in place, even the company providing the service is unable to access the content of communications. Also Read: Asus Zenfone Max Pro Launch Today at 12 Noon: Here's What is Expected "Following the revelations by CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden, end-to-end encryption has become recognised as an essential safeguard for protecting people's privacy when using messaging apps. With this new Chat service, Google shows a staggering failure to respect the human rights of its customers," Westby said in a statement. In the wake of the recent Facebook data scandal, Westby said that Google's decision is not only dangerous but also out of step with current attitudes to data privacy. "Google should immediately scrap it in its current form and instead give its customers a product that protects their privacy," Westby suggested. Google is going all in on building the Rich Communication Services (RCS). RCS is a communication protocol between mobile-telephone carriers and between phone and carrier, aiming at replacing SMS messages with a text-message system that is more rich, provide phonebook polling and transmit in-call multimedia. Also Watch: Tech and Auto Show | EP36 | Ford Freestyle, Yamaha YZF-R15 V3.0 & More Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is planning to launch its latest device Mi 6X in China on April 25 with dual rear cameras and Face Unlock feature. There have been multiple reports of Mi 6X to have Snapdragon 626 or Helio P60 or Snapdragon 660 chipset. Now a retail box image posted on Slashleaks has confirmed the Xiaomi Mi 6X will have Snapdragon 660 chipset. The leaks so far suggest that the device will be available in three storage variants, a base model with 4GB RAM and 32GB storage, and a 6GB RAM variant with an option for either 64GB or 128GB storage. Also Read: [Watch] OnePlus Has Come Out With The Coolest New 'Rap Trailer' For The OnePlus 6 Recently, a promotional video surfaced online teasing the Xiaomi Mi 6X. It confirmed that the Mi 6X will feature a dual rear camera setup aligned vertically on the top left corner. The rear side of the phone in the video showed the presence of a fingerprint scanner. The phone is expected to feature a dual lens setup with one 12 megapixel unit and the other 20megapixel module. Both sensors are expected to come with an aperture of f/1.8 to make it a better lowlight camera. As for software, the Mi 6X will most likely run MIUI 9, while the Xiaomi Mi A2 will run Android One, both based on top of Android 8.1 Oreo. Also Read: Twitter Bans Ads From Russia's Kaspersky Lab To recall, Xiaomi is also planning to launch Redmi S2 an entry-level smartphone with dual rear cameras and Face Unlock feature in India and China. Going by the specifications obtained by XDA Developers, Xiaomi Redmi S2 could be a slightly higher-end variant of Redmi Note 5. Expected to be called the Redmi S2, the device will boast of some premium features aimed at the budget segment. The upcoming entry-level Redmi phone will be powered by the same processor as the Redmi Note 5 and the Redmi Note 5 Pro, which is the Snapdragon 625 chipset. The Redmi S2 may come in only one variant with a storage capacity of 16GB only, coupled with either 2GB or 3GB RAM and is expected to house a 3,080mAh battery. The smartphone may either include a 12-megapixel Sony IMX486 or 12-megapixel OmniVision OV12A10 sensor as the primary sensor. While it may include a 5-megapixel Samsung S5K5E8 as the secondary sensor. On the front panel, the Redmi S2 is expected to come packed with a single camera set up with a 5-megapixel. Like many Xiaomi smartphones, this one too will run Android 8.1 Oreo-based MIUI 9 out-of-the-box. Also Watch: Tech and Auto Show | EP36 | Ford Freestyle, Yamaha YZF-R15 V3.0 & More OnePlus has come up with yet another trailer for its upcoming flagship, the OnePlus 6 and this one focusses on the speed that the flagship Android is expected to deliver. The trailer comes as a 'homage to speed' by OnePlus and is titled 'The Speed You Need'. In the 34 seconds video, the protagonist can be seen singing a short rap based on humanity's love for speed and how the thrill of speed has always excited humans. The video is an attempt to portray that the upcoming OnePlus 6 will be fast, thanks to its top-of-the-line specifications. Interestingly, the trailer also displays the 'Amazon' exclusivity of the OnePlus 6. As of now, much has been anticipated about the OnePlus 6, while much has been revealed by the company itself. Earlier, a poster revealing the specifications of the OnePlus 6 had been posted by OnePlus. As per the image, the OnePlus 6 will be carrying an 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Another tipster on Twitter, Roland Quandt, had spotted the listing of the smartphone on a Wi-Fi certification website. The April 2 listing confirmed an Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Qualcomm's latest WCN3990 Wi-Fi modem. Following the history of OnePlus smartphones, the OnePlus 6 is expected to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. Watch: Humanity's fascination with Speed | OnePlus 6 The Speed You Need | Coming Soon In a tweet on last Monday, OnePlus also hinted at the water resistance feature being present on the OnePlus 6. The tweet read, "Don't you just hate it when you have to stop using your phone when it rains? So do we ;)." Attached was a video of falling raindrops. The teaser, however, does not reveal the level of water resistance on the smartphone. It can be safely assumed that the OnePlus 6 will feature an IP67 water resistance, considering that it is the industry norm for Android flagships. Additionally, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau shared the first ever camera samples of the OnePlus 6 through his recent posts on Weibo. The photos clicked at Stanford, California, depict buildings and flower beds and were clicked during the daytime. The post, however, does not reveal any camera specifications of the smartphone. To recall, OnePlus on Thursday announced a partnership with Marvel Studios to celebrate its 10th anniversary with the film "Avengers: Infinity War" which arrives in theatres on April 27. According to media reports, OnePlus is teaming with Disney with a special "Avengers: Infinity War" edition of the forthcoming OnePlus 6. Celebrating its third anniversary in India, OnePlus in December 2017 introduced OnePlus 5T "Star Wars" special edition smartphone in collaboration with a science-fiction film "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" for Rs 38,999. As per as a report on the internet, the OnePlus smartphone will be launched around mid-May in India and will be priced at Rs 39,999, while a report from the past had revealed that the pricing of the OnePlus 6 could start from Rs 34,000 for the 64GB storage model, while the high-end version of the phone with 128GB of internal storage for Rs 39,000. New Delhi: The USAs secret service, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), is pursuing close to 140 projects to increase the role of Artificial Intelligence in surveillance, especially scanning hours and hours of videotapes from various closed circuit and spy cameras. A report published in CNN quotes Dawn Meyerriecks, Deputy Director of CIAs science and Technology Division, as saying that Digital surveillance, including closed-circuit television and wireless infrastructure, in about 30 countries is so good that physical tracking is no longer necessary. In this, US could be following Singapore, which has been using digital surveillance effectively for years. According to Meyerriecks, a small team "took a bunch of unclassified overhead and street view footage" and paired it with machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms to create "a map of cameras in one of the big capitals that we don't have easy access to." This method would also help in counter-surveillance, as the mapping helps field agents to figure out whether they are being surveyed upon and how to evade the camera. As Russia expels American diplomats in retaliation for a similar move by the US government against Moscow. And with American sources, spies in China being killed or abducted, it has become necessary to elude the pervasive digital surveillance, Meyerriecks said. Contrary to what is depicted in Hollywoods spy blockbusters, much of the intelligence work could be very boring. This is the bit which can also be handed over to Artificial Intelligence. Robert Cardillo, head of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, was quoted by Foreign Policy website as saying, A significant chunk of the time, I will send (my employees) to a dark room to look at TV monitors to do essential national security work. But boy is it inefficient. Cardillo calls out for the need to give algorithms the ability to analyse vast amounts of images and video to find patterns, give data about the landscape, and identify unusual objects. This kind of work is critical for assessing national security concerns like foreign missile-silo activity, or even just to check in on any event taking place in the country of interest. But as Quartz puts it, the US government is way behind Silicon Valley in this pursuit. Social media giant Facebook was able to apply machine learning to satellite data last year, analysing buildings likely to contain wireless internet down to a five-meter accuracy. Google has also shown its ability to discern details in satellite imagery for accuracy-critical uses, like defence and aviation. These Silicon Valley companies have flirted with illegal surveillance for years now, but with spies too moving onto AI, the international game of espionage may soon see a game-changing shift. Mexico City: Thieves should have their hands chopped off, a Mexican presidential candidate said in a televised debate on Sunday, provoking disbelief from a moderator and setting off a storm of comments and jokes on Twitter. Jaime Rodriguez, an independent known as "El Bronco," who is trailing in opinion polls, made the proposal during a discussion about corruption in the first televised debate among the five presidential candidates ahead of the July 1 election. "We have to cut off the hands of those who rob. It's that simple," said the 59-year-old, adding that he would ask Congress to pass a law backing his idea. Taken aback, the moderator Azucena Uresti twice asked him if he was speaking literally, before checking again that he really meant what he had said. "That's right. That's right," he replied. Memes based on Rodriguez's comments rapidly spread through Twitter, among them an image of his face superimposed on a picture of what appeared to be an Islamist militant chopping off a man's hand. "El Bronco" was trending ahead of the other candidates on Twitter during the debate. Crime and corruption are top issues in the election campaign, with candidates under pressure to offer a way to end massive public graft and lower the number of murders from historic highs. Rodriguez's comments followed a long discussion about a proposal by election front-runner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to explore a vaguely defined amnesty to end a drug war, in which about 200,000 people have been killed in a decade. The idea is unlikely to gain much support in Congress, but if it were adopted would be a major shift in approach for Mexico, which prohibits the death penalty and torture. "It is not a bad thing, countries that have left corruption behind have done it," said Rodriguez, without giving details. Saudi Arabia and Iran are among a handful of countries in the world that permit amputation as a punishment. It was not immediately clear if the punishment envisaged by Rodriguez would be limited to public officials convicted of graft or apply to criminals generally. Elected in 2015 as Mexico's first independent governor, Rodriguez has taken leave from the job to run for president. He is in fifth place in most opinion polls. Riyadh: Four British pilgrims were killed and 12 others injured in Saudi Arabia when their bus collided with a fuel tanker, officials said. The crash occurred on Saturday near the western Saudi town of Al Khalas while the pilgrims were on their way to the holy city of Mecca. "The royal embassy of Saudi Arabia in London is working with (Britain's) Foreign Office to issue emergency visas immediately to both the relatives of the four pilgrims who died as well as to families of the 12 British pilgrims who were injured," the embassy said in a statement on Sunday. "The injured have been taken to a hospital in Mecca where everything possible is being done to care for them." The Saudi ambassador to Britain Mohammed bin Nawaf also tweeted his "sincere sympathies". The embassy's statement said 17 British pilgrims were aboard the bus. The fatalities included a 70-year-old grandmother from Blackburn, in northern England, and an elderly man, a mother and her grown-up son, all from the neighbouring city of Preston, according to media reports in Britain. Ben Wallace, a lawmaker for the area in the UK parliament, wrote on Twitter: "My thoughts are with the family and friends of those that are reported to have been invlolved in an accident in Saudi Arabia." A local company, Hashim Travel, reportedly organised the tour. Gulfaraz Zaman, its director, told the BBC the accident was "horrendous". "If you see the remains of the bus, there's just the metal frame of it that's left," he said. In a brief statement, a spokesman for the British Foreign Office said: "We are supporting the British families of those who have died and those injured following a serious road traffic accident". A spokesperson for CBHUK (The Council of British Hajjis), a national pilgrim welfare charity, said the British Consulate in Jeddah was providing on-the-ground consular support. Every year, millions of Muslims flock to Mecca and Medina further south, Islam's second holiest site, to carry out the annual hajj pilgrimage or the umra. In January 2017, a two-month old baby was among six British nationals killed in a road accident in Saudi Arabia while they were travelling to Medina, according to British officials. In 2015, around 2,300 worshippers performing hajj were crushed to death in a stampede, in the worst disaster ever to strike the annual pilgrimage. London: Britain's Prince William brought his children, George and Charlotte, to meet their new brother a few hours after his birth at a London hospital on Monday. William's wife Kate gave birth at 1001 GMT. The baby, now fifth in line to the throne, weighed 8 lbs 7oz (3.8 kg). William was present for the birth at St Mary's Hospital in west London where their other two children were also born. "Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well," Kensington Palace said. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, the baby's grandfather, and other members of the royal family and Kate's family have been informed and "are delighted with the news", it added. William later left the hospital to cheers and shouts of congratulations. "I'll be back in a minute," the smiling and waving duke said as he drove off to collect the couple's other two children. Princes Charlotte, 2, later waved as she entered the hospital, drawing cheers from the crowds. Kensington Palace said the name of the new royal would be announced in due course. Bookmakers have made Albert, Arthur, Jack and Fred the favourite names for a boy. The baby is the queen's sixth great-grandchild and is behind his grandfather and heir Prince Charles, father William, and siblings George, 4, and Charlotte in line to the throne. The baby, Prince William and Kate Middleton's third child, will be now fifth in line to Britain's throne. (Photo: Reuters) A 2013 change to the law means that for the first time in British history, a new prince will not supplant his older sister in the order of succession. Previously younger males would take precedence over older female siblings. William's younger brother Harry, who marries U.S. actress Meghan Markle next month, falls to sixth on the list. The official announcement of the birth was made by placing a notice on an easel in the forecourt of the queen's London home, Buckingham Palace, a tradition that has been in place since it became the sovereign's official residence in 1837. "My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy," Prime Minister Theresa May said. "I wish them great happiness for the future." ROYAL PRINCE William and Kate met as students at St Andrews University in Scotland. They wed in a pageant-packed ceremony at Westminster Abbey in April 2011 and are treated as global celebrities. The couple now live at Kensington Palace and last year William gave up his day job as an air ambulance pilot to concentrate full time on royal duties on behalf of his grandmother, having faced some criticism from British newspapers who dubbed him "workshy Wills". He has been determined to play a hands-on role in bringing up his children while also protecting their privacy, an issue close to his heart after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a 1997 Paris car crash as her limousine sped away from pursuing paparazzi. "I think he takes on a lot more engagements than he used to," said royal biographer Claudia Joseph. "But compared to members of the general public who have full-time jobs, he still has some time off to look after the children, to give them their baths, to put them to bed and I think he'll continue to do that," Joseph said. The British royals are rarely out of the media glare, but the baby arrives at a time when the Windsors have particularly been in the limelight. On Saturday William joined the queen and other senior royals, with the exception of Kate, as the monarch celebrated her 92nd birthday at a televised concert. The queen also played a prominent role at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London last week, where it was announced that Charles would succeed her as head of the network of mainly former British colonies. MEDIA SPOTLIGHT While interest in their third child has been more muted than with the birth of their first, large numbers of photographers and broadcasters from around the globe massed outside the hospital, along with some dedicated royal fans. "Weve been coming out doing this for 21 years," said John Loughrey, 63, from south London, who was wearing a Union Jack onesie and hat and holding a baby doll adorned with a crown. He said he had been camped outside the hospital for 15 days. "We were here for George and Charlotte and we'll be there for the royal wedding too," he said, referring to Harry and Markle. However, not everyone in Britain is so enamoured. "The arrival of a new prince or princess highlights the unfairness of the hereditary principle for the millions of children told theyll never be good enough and for the baby whose life has been predetermined," anti-monarchist group Republic said. "The absurd media speculation ignores these serious questions while showing us the kind of intrusion the royal baby can expect for the rest of its life." One consequence of the birth is that some existing members of the royal family are pushed to the periphery, and this has led to calls for the monarchy to be pared down. "One of the problems all members of the royal family have is they start quite close to the throne and gradually as time goes on they go further and further away," royal historian Hugo Vickers said. "It's very easy to talk about a bloated royal family but it's not really fair because the queen has an enormous amount of requests of things to do and her family are there to support her." The birth also gives Kate's own family another cause for celebration after it was reported by British media on Sunday that her sister Pippa, who is married to a wealthy financier, was pregnant with her first child. Islamabad: Pakistan's ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday stepped up his attack on Supreme Court Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, accusing him of imposing the "worst kind of dictatorship" in the country. Sharif, 68, who returned from London on Sunday after seeing his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz, told reporters inside the accountability court here that suo motu actions of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) against the against federal and provincial governments were nothing less than a "judicial martial law". Earlier this month, the apex court, in a landmark judgement, declared him ineligible to hold public office for life, ending the political future of the three-time premier ahead of this year's general elections. Sharif was disqualified to hold the office of the prime minister by the Supreme Court on July 28, 2017 in the Panama Papers case. He was disqualified for not being "honest and righteous" as he failed to declare in 2013 a salary he got from the company of his son in the UAE. In February, the apex court also disqualified Sharif as the head of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). What is prevalent in the country is not democracy, but the worst kind of dictatorship under Saqib Nisar, he said. Sharif's reaction came in response to a series of recent suo motu actions taken by the CJP against federal and provincial governments and his frequent visits to hospitals as part of the apex court's 2018 agenda, focusing on human rights issues, particularly relating to the right to quality education and healthcare. The CJP's actions, however, was being seen as an overstepping of boundaries by the apex court, but Justice Nisar stood by the court's actions, saying such criticism would not deter him from exercising what he considers is his "constitutional right". "What is happening in the country is not less than a 'judicial martial law'," said the former prime minister, adding that the chief justice visited hospitals and set prices of vegetables, but he should also visit those oppressed people whose cases have not been decided for the past 20 years. It is not your job to summon the chief ministers and make the government stand in the line, he said attacking the chief justice. Sharif also attacked the top judge saying he should say and do as he pleased, but he was not allowed to put restrictions on free speech. The former premier also slammed Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan for supporting the Pakistan Peoples' Party in the elections to Senate, held in early last month. Nashville, Tennessee: A nearly nude gunman killed four people at a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee, early on Sunday and then fled after a patron saved lives by wrestling the assault-style rifle from his hands. The suspected shooter, identified as Travis Reinking, 29, fled on foot and was still at large as murder warrants were being issued for him, the Metropolitan Nashville Police said. Reinking, originally from Morton, Illinois, lives near the restaurant, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron told an afternoon news conference. The gunman's vehicle was registered to him and was found at the scene, Aaron said. Reinking is wanted as a person of interest by police after a fatal shooting at a Waffle House restaurant near Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., April 22, 2018. Police speculate that Reinking ran home, grabbed a pair of pants and fled his apartment. A shirtless, shoeless man believed to be him was spotted in the woods nearby, police said. The gunman, who was naked but for a green jacket, first shot and killed two people in the parking lot of the restaurant in Antioch, a section of southeast Nashville, shortly before 3:30 a.m. (0830 GMT). He then entered the restaurant and opened fire, police said, killing one patron and wounding another, who later died. Two other people were in critical condition at a hospital. One diner, James Shaw Jr., 29, who had hidden near the restrooms, dashed out and pulled the rifle from the gunman. His fast actions were credited with saving lives, but Shaw said at the news conference that he was no hero. "I just wanted to live," said Shaw, who added that he had been getting a snack with friends after a fraternity house party. "I figured if I was going to die, he was going to have to work for it. I was completely doing that to save myself." Shaw suffered non-life-threatening wounds including an injured elbow, while other patrons suffered facial wounds from shattered glass. He said he did not pursue the fleeing gunman for fear he had another weapon. As the shooter ran off, he discarded the jacket, which contained additional ammunition, according to police, who cautioned that he was to be considered armed and extremely dangerous. Arrested Last Year Near White House While the AR-15 rifle wrestled from the gunman and another weapon in his apartment were recovered, police said the suspect may have two more guns with him. Authorities said all four weapons - including a hunting rifle and handgun - were seized from Reinking last July after he was arrested by the Secret Service for being in a restricted area near the White House. Officials said Reinking had gone there hoping to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. The weapons were taken from him by authorities at his home in Tazewell County, Illinois, police said, and were later handed over to the suspect's father. Police said he then gave them back to his son. Police said Reinking moved to Nashville last autumn and had been working in construction, but was fired from one job three weeks ago and left another last week after just one day. Officers are going door-to-door in the manhunt and "our efforts will continue until he is apprehended," Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson said. The Antioch neighborhood was the scene of a mass shooting last September. A 25-year-old gunman wearing a mask killed a woman outside the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ and then shot and wounded six worshipers inside during a Sunday service. He later shot and wounded himself in a scuffle with an usher. Calls to end gun violence and toughen restrictions on firearms sales in the United States have increased since the Feb. 14 massacre of 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Florida, sparked a youth-led activist movement. Nashville Mayor David Briley said tragedies like the one on Sunday should not happen. "This is our second mass shooting in 7 months," Briley wrote on Twitter. "We need comprehensive gun reform. If we all come together on this for the greater good, we can take weapons of war off the street." Moscow: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Russia had not yet decided whether it would deliver advanced S-300 missile systems to Syria, but would not make a secret of the matter if it took such a decision, the TASS news agency reported. Russia's daily Kommersant newspaper, citing unnamed military sources, reported earlier on Monday that Russia might start supplying the anti-aircraft missile systems to Syria in the near future. The Kremlin declined to comment. Lavrov said on Friday that Western military strikes on Syria this month had removed any moral obligation Russia had to withhold the missile systems from its ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "We'll have to wait to see what specific decisions the Russian leadership and representatives of Syria will take," TASS cited Lavrov as saying on Monday during a visit to Beijing. "There is probably no secret about this and it can all be announced (if a decision is taken)," added Lavrov. Kommersant said on Monday that experts believed that Israel would react negatively to any decision to supply the missiles and might bomb the area where they would be deployed. A Russian diplomat who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said Israel has asked Moscow not to supply the Syrian military with the S-300s. An Israeli government spokesman declined comment. Seoul/Washington: South Korea halted the propaganda broadcasts it blares across the border at North Korea on Monday ahead of the first inter-Korean summit in a decade, as U.S. President Donald Trump cautioned the nuclear crisis on the peninsula was a long way from being resolved. North and South Korea are in the final stages of preparations for a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-In at the border truce village of Panmunjom on Friday. "We hope this decision will lead both Koreas to stop mutual criticism and propaganda against each other and also contribute in creating peace and a new beginning," the South Korean defence ministry said about the decision to halt the broadcasts. North Korea has its own propaganda loudspeakers at the border, but a defence ministry official said he could not verify whether the North had stopped its broadcasts. In February, the North lowered the volume of its border propaganda after the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in South Korea's Pyeongchang. The propaganda broadcasts were stopped at midnight, the defence ministry said, without specifying whether they would resume after the Kim-Moon summit. It is the first time in more than two years the South Korean broadcasts, which include a mixture of news, South Korean pop music and criticism of the North Korean regime, have been stopped. Broadcasts were halted in mid-2015 only to be restarted in January 2016 following North Korea's fourth nuclear test. Pyongyang has conducted two more nuclear tests since then. Caution The inter-Korean talks and a planned meeting between Kim and Trump in the coming weeks, have raised hopes of an easing in tensions that reached a crescendo last year amid a flurry of North Korean missile tests and its largest nuclear test. On Saturday, North Korea pledged to halt nuclear and missile tests and said it was scrapping its nuclear test site to instead pursue economic growth and peace. After initially welcoming the statement, Trump sounded a more cautious note on Sunday. "We are a long way from conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they wont - only time will tell," Trump said on Twitter. Still, South Korean companies with exposure to North Korea rallied after Pyongyang's weekend announcement. Shares of Good People and Shinwon Corp, which used to operate factories in North Korea's Kaesong industrial region near the Demilitarized Zone, surged 8 percent and 15 percent, respectively. China, North Korea's main ally, also welcomed the North Korean announcement, but editorials in state-run media on Monday were tempered with notes of caution. The China Daily, the official English-languages newspaper of the Chinese government, said the pledges conveyed the message that Kim will sit down for talks as the leader of a legitimate nuclear power. "Negotiations about actual nuclear disarmament will likely prove arduous given such weapons are critical to Pyongyang's sense of security. It will require ironclad security guarantees if it is to relinquish them." The Global Times, a hawkish tabloid newspaper run by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said all parties "should cherish this hard-won state of affairs" and continue to make efforts toward peace and denuclearisation. "Washington should not regard North Korea's halt to nuclear and missile tests as a result of its maximum pressure," the Global Times wrote. "It must be attributed to multiple factors, one of which is that Pyongyang has mastered certain advanced nuclear technologies and successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of more than 10,000 km." 404 We're sorry! The page you were looking for couldn't be found. The first blast took place around 10 a.m. when a suicide bomber blew himself up among a crowd lining up to get access to an election-related registration site in Kabul, killing 52 and injuring 112. (Image: AP) Marvel's What If...? looks more and more like a prequel to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness What If...? increasingly looks vital to MCU continuity and not just a fun cartoon diversion from it Saudi Arabia restricts drone operations following palace incident Riyadh : Saudi Arabia has asked drone enthusiasts to obtain permissions first before letting their devices hit the sky. The decision comes a day after security agencies shot down a recreational drone near the kings palace in Riyadh. Amateur online video showed heavy gunfire in the capitals Khozama district, triggering chances of political unrest in the country. A senior Saudi official confirmed that no one was injured while drone was shot down and the king Salman was not in the palace. A security screening point had noticed the flying of a small unauthorized recreational drone, leading security forces to deal with it according to their orders and instructions, state news agency SPA had said. An Interior Ministry spokesman said a law for the use of drones was in its final stage and called on users to obtain the necessary police clearance to use the devices for particular reasons in permitted locations, state news agency SPA reported. (AP Photo /Larry Neumeister) The Securities & Exchange Commission barred indefinitely a Wilton resident from acting as a broker or other roles in the financial industry, after he pleaded guilty to defrauding investors of more than $20 million while managing a Stamford hedge fund. Wilton resident Steve Simmons was sentenced earlier this month to three years in prison starting in late June, after pleading guilty last October to embezzling money from the Stamford hedge fund Sentinel Growth Fund Management and repaying prior investors with fresh investments, Ponzi-fashion. The ongoing consolidations, expansions and deal-making among hospitals isnt just changing the culture of the health business it may also carry risks to patient safety. A report published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association outlines potential safety pitfalls that can come when hospitals and health systems are bought, sold, merged and expanded. These include increased patient volume, major changes in hospital equipment and infrastructure and the requirement of physicians to adjust to new settings. These concerns seemed valid to Lisa Freeman, executive director of the Connecticut Center for Patient Safety. As we know from past experiences, these expansions usually evolve from a financial motivation and patients are commonly told that they will lead to cost savings that will be passed on to the patient, without degradation of care, Freeman said in an email. They rarely are. The risks and benefits of hospital deal-making have been top-of-mind in Connecticut lately. On March 27, it was revealed that Missouri-based nonprofit health system Ascension Health planned to sell St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport to Hartford HealthCare. The next day, Western Connecticut Health Network which includes Danbury, Norwalk and New Milford hospitals announced it would join forces with Health Quest Systems, a four-hospital group in New York, to form a $2.4 billion medical system. Experts have said this trend is likely the new normal, which makes some of the concerns raised in the JAMA report worrisome. Even more concerning, the potential safety risks of hospital mergers and acquisitions isnt something thats been rigorously analyzed in the state, said Patricia Baker, president and CEO of the Connecticut Health Foundation, which pushes for health care access for all state residents, particularly low-income people. I dont think any of us know whether the hospital deals that have created some of Connecticuts health care change resulted in safety risks, Baker said. We havent studied any of it, really. Safety concerns The JAMA article analyzed patient safety risks at Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and the authors who included prominent surgeon and writer Atul Gawande identified three main issues linked to hospital mergers and acquisitions. The first involves unfamiliar patients. According to the article, after a system expansion, health care institutions may experience significant changes in patient populations, including increases in general volume and inpatients with demographic characteristics or conditions that are new to a facility. For instance, expanding a hospital system could bring an influx of patients who dont speak English and require interpreters, or those from a different income bracket than the system typically handles. This particular issue could be a stumbling block with Hartford HealthCares planned acquisition of St. Vincents, Baker said. Though they are both urban areas, Bridgeports population is going to be different than Hartfords population, she said. How do you incorporate that cultural change? Another potential risk outlined in the JAMA report is that system expansions often involve substantial changes to supplies, equipment, protocols and other aspects of hospital culture. Without planning, such changes can cause significant patient risk, the article explained. The last safety pitfall discussed in the research is the fact that these deals often mean doctors have to travel to unfamiliar settings. According to the article, an industry survey of 82 health care institutions that had undergone network expansion found that 87 percent require physicians to travel to new practice sites. These doctors often receive little orientation on their new surroundings, which can be problematic. More Information Unsafe to grow? Here are some potential risks to health systems expansions 1. New patient populations - Health care institutions may experience significant changes in patient populations, including increases in general volume 2. Unfamiliar infrastructure - Expansions often involve substantial changes to supplies, equipment, forms, protocols and information systems 3. New settings for physicians - An industry survey of 82 health care institutions that have undergone expansions of their networks found that 87 percent require physicians to travel to new practice sites, the most common being specialists, including cardiologists, surgeons, oncologists and obstetricians Source: "The Risks to Patient Safety From Health System Expansions," published in the Journal of the American Medical Association See More Collapse In the absence of guidance, physicians indicated that they have adapted to these new circumstances through trial and error, which can put patients at risk, the report reads. Going forward Freeman said the study is good is far as it goes, and she agrees with many of the possible risks the authors identify. However, she said the analysis is limited in that it appears to have been done without input from patients to find out what is important to them in identifying risks. For her work with patients and her own experiences as a patient Freeman said things like patient communication and work flow arent adequately taken into account when health systems expand. The engineers, architects and IT personnel design and re-design systems, in some cases without working with the employees and patients to understand those things that really impact patients, Freeman said. Without this input in redesign, systems are setting themselves up for problems. The JAMA article offers some ideas for mitigating risks, including a patient safety toolkit, which provides guidance on topics officials at health systems should discuss prior to the launch of a merger or expansion. Meanwhile, at least one local expert said, from her perspective as an academic, Connecticut hospitals and health systems have been conscientious in their transactions, but there is always room for improvement. I think people in Connecticut have been responsible toward quality of care issues in the mergers and acquisitions that have happened here, said Angela Mattie, professor and chair of Quinnipiac Universitys Department of Healthcare Management and Organizational Leadership. However, she said, there are patient safety risks associated with hospital deal-making and, as with all aspects of this process, they need to be carefully considered. This isnt even a conversation about mergers and acquisitions, Mattie said. Its about how do we add value for our patients? Two former state Supreme Court justices worked behind the scenes to help kill Justice Andrew J. McDonalds candidacy for chief justice, Hearst Connecticut Media has learned. From the moment Gov. Dannel P. Malloy nominated McDonald to lead the high court, C. Ian McLachlan, who served on the Supreme Court from 2009 to 2012, provided advice to Republican lawmakers on strategies to take McDonald down. Peter T. Zarella, who served on the high court at the same time as McDonald, also participated in the secret effort to defeat McDonald. Dozens of emails released under Connecticuts open-records law show Republicans were privately asking the former justices about McDonalds legal decisions. Ian McLachlan, 75, was first contacted by his cousin, Republican state Sen. Michael A. McLachlan, of Danbury, on Jan. 8, hours after McDonald who was the governors former Capitol lawyer and Stamford legal counsel was nominated. McDonald has been a member of the Supreme Court since 2013. Surprised by house vote, Ian McLachlan wrote to Senator McLachlan the day after Rep. Livvy Floren, R-Greenwich, sided with House Democrats to narrowly endorse McDonald. Floren is an airhead. State Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford, co-chairman of the legislative Judiciary Committee, called the former justices remarks a new low in the historic defeat of a judiciary candidate. Ian McLachlan also edited criticism of McDonalds nomination prepared for Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, suggesting that references to gay marriage be eliminated. Boughton said Friday he vaguely remembered Ian McLachlan reaching out to him, but that Boughton never issued the statement. By Jan. 11, Senator McLachlan, who served on the Legislatures Judicial Committee, was, on the advice of his cousin, requesting detailed case information from McDonald. Ian McLachlan and Zarella, 68, are now both in senior roles at the Hartford firm McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter. Ian McLachlan did not respond to requests for comment. Zarella said by email Saturday that he had not had any contact with any legislator regarding McDonalds nomination. A nomination withdrawn Three days before McDonalds hearing in the Judiciary Committee, Zarella was forwarded a question that Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano had asked of McDonald on the issue of conflicts and recusals. (McDonald) responds he was only asked (to recuse himself) once, wrote Michael Cronin, the chief legal counsel for Senate Republicans, on Feb. 23. There was no reply from Zarella to Cronin in the 144 pages released to Hearst by the Office of Legislative Management following a request under the states Freedom of Information Act. Zarella, the former chairman of the West Hartford Republican Town Committee, was appointed by Gov. John G. Rowland in January 2001 and served three years with McDonald before retiring at the end of 2016. In 2006, Zarella was nominated to be chief justice by then-Gov. M. Jodi Rell, to replace William J. Sullivan. But Rell withdrew the nomination a month later, after news broke that Sullivan had postponed the release of a controversial decision to possibly help Zarellas candidacy. McDonald was a state senator from Stamford and co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee at the time. Zarella and McDonald were often on conflicting sides of major issues. Zarella opposed same-sex marriage and the 2015 repeal of capital punishment for death row inmates. Exchange between cousins On Jan. 17, McDonald, who would have become the nations first openly gay chief justice, told Senator McLachlan that no communications existed among him, the governor and the governors legal and criminal justice staff over the capital punishment repeal. On Feb. 2, Ian McLachlan suggested the senator double-check the records of the state Office of Policy and Management for any such communications, evidence that could have sunk McDonalds nomination. Two days before the Feb. 27 Judiciary Committee hearing, Ian McLachlan advised Senator McLachlan that in fighting McDonalds record on the death penalty repeal, pushing the narrative about racism might backfire because of Black lives matter. The cousins arranged to meet before the committees hearing, which lasted 13 hours and ended in a tie vote. As late as noon on the morning of the hearing, Ian McLachlan sent talking points to Senator McLachlan on arcane legal arguments, such as the differences in state rules on judicial responsibility. According to the email chains, Zarella was also looped into the effort on Wednesday afternoon, March 7, when Ian McLachlan asked whether McDonald, as Malloys chief legal counsel in 2012, worked on the successful repeal of the death penalty that year. I would be curious to know whether AM in fact lobbied for 12-05, Ian McLachlan wrote to Senator McLachlan, referring to McDonalds initials and that bill by its Public Act number after it was signed into law by Malloy. We certainly assume as counsel that he did. Nearly all the emails were between the McLachlan cousins and the extent to which the ideas contained were shared among other Republicans is not clear. Has vote been achy? Senator McLachlan, a non-attorney, said he has regularly consulted Ian McLachlan during his 10 years in the General Assembly. Zarella attended some of the cousins meetings to discuss the McDonald nomination, the senator said. I know Peter, Ive met him. Ive had lunch with him, Senator McLachlan said Friday. They were trying to shed more light on what an issue is. Its what Im supposed to do and, frankly, its a good thing. Fasano, of North Haven, said Friday he did not find it unusual that McLachlan would seek advice from his cousin. Its the same thing as the judges who used to serve who spoke in favor of Andrew McDonald, Fasano said. People have the right to speak when they leave state service. There is nothing in these emails about sexual behavior, bias, belligerent behavior, or slanderous. McDonald narrowly survived a 75-74 vote in the state House of Representatives on March 12, and was defeated 19-16 in the Senate on March 29, amid Republican claims of judicial activism. Democratic leaders blamed homophobia, dislike of Malloy and threats to judicial independence. On Friday, Malloy called McLachlan and Zarella two cowards who undermined the judicial institution they formerly served by conspiring with Republican lawmakers rather than giving their opinions on McDonald in public testimony. To try to do it any other way is far below the conduct you would expect from someone who served on the Connecticut Supreme Court, Malloy said. Its Trumpian politics infecting Connecticut. Most honorable people would show up at the public hearing and be subject to cross examination. On the afternoon after the House vote, Ian McLachlan wrote to his cousins private email account. Has vote been achy? he asked. Not rock solid but Im continuing to pray, Senator McLachlan responded. China has built seven new military bases on artificial islands in the South China Sea. China will continue to improve and expand its dregger fleet and triple dredging capacity again over the next 15 years. China will spend $2 to 4 billion per year on better ships and on operations to build islands. China has built a 140-meter-long, 28-meter-wide dregger, the Tian Kun Hao, which has described by some local media as Asias most powerful island maker. It is expected to go into service in the summer of 2018. The Paracel Islands are a chain of some 130 tiny features. China will likely building up dozens into islands with airports, missile facilities and ports. The 87 miles of fortifications that made up the Maginot line were completed by the 1935 cost of 7 billion francs ($8 billion in 2015 terms). This was about 60-90% of one year of Frances military budget in the final year of its completion. The Maginot Line only had anti-tank guns and fortifications against soldiers and tanks. China is spending about $5 billion to create and fortify each large man-made island in the South China Sea. This is for five-square-kilometer military bases. The bases often have 1-2 mile long airport runways and ports. These are larger than aircraft carrier runways. This means planes can launch with full loads of fuel and weapons. This allows planes to operate with longer ranges. The four largest military installations in the SCS have extensive facilities for the operation of military aircraft. This includes advanced fighters, but more importantly patrol, electronic-warfare and advanced early-warning aircraft. The ability to use these airfields effectively extends the reach of Chinas A2/AD bubble, enabling the transmission of targeting data to missile launchers at sea and in mainland China. The fighter aircraft themselves serve to make the skies over the SCS even more lethal than they otherwise would be, as well as threaten U.S. ships at a distance with cruise missiles. China can operate the J-20 stealth fighter which has a combat radius of about 1250 miles and firing cruise missiles with 180-600 mile range. The islands are about 200-500 miles from Chinas coast. With 1500 to 2000 mile aircraft and missile ranges, bases on the South China Sea can cover all of southeast asia. China would have overlapping air and missile cover across China and the South China Sea bases. If China completes fifty islands and has military bases for each then this would cost about $250 billion and would be completed in about ten years. Chinas military budget is growing at about 7% per year and would likely be about $650 billion in 2027. By 2022, China should have twenty fortified islands in the South China Sea. This will be up from about 7 to 12 today. China should have over fifty fortified islands by 2030. China will be able to deploy railguns to each of islands and electromagnetic (EMAL) launching for drones and planes. EMALs would save on fuel and increase the range of drones and planes. 200-mile range railguns will also cover the South China Sea * China has deployed a demo railgun * the US thought about a demo railgun in 2015 and 2016 but deferred it for probably 5 years * China has claimed to have made a breakthrough with medium voltage integrated DC power * US Navy presentations indicate that medium voltage DC power distribution is the key to making affordable power for railguns and electromagnetic launchers Medium voltage (about 12000 volt) DC power distribution that is reliable and affordable is the key to having the power for futuristic technology like railguns and electromagnetic launchers. Chinas new type 055 destroyer has 112 megawatts of power. The medium voltage DC distribution of power means that China could power two railguns and still have the engine power to move the ship around. Dozens of man-made islands with railguns and planes will make it impossible for the US to defeat the defenses using conventional forces. The US would have to use nuclear weapons to overcome those defenses. Nextbigfuture expects the US to also master railguns and medium voltage integrated DC power. Case against the value of the island bases The National Interest does not think the South China Sea bases will be sustainable in an actual war. The National interest agrees that the larger bases (Subi, Mischief, Fiery Cross and Woody Island) have infrastructure necessary for the management of military aircraft, including fighters and large patrol craft. These missiles, radars and aircraft extend the lethal reach of Chinas military across the breadth of the South China Sea. Several of the islands serve as bases for SAM systems (including the HQ-9, with a range of 125 miles, and perhaps eventually the Russian S-400) and ground-launched cruise missiles (GLCMs). These missiles serve to make the South China Sea lethal for U.S. ships and aircraft that do not have stealth capabilities, or that do not enjoy a layered air-defense system. The SAM installations, buoyed by networks of radars, can effectively limit the ability of enemy aircraft to enter their lethal zone without significant electronic-warfare assistance. Man-made defensive installations may not survive concerted attack. Missile launchers depend upon an at least somewhat robust logistical network for fuel, power and munitions, which China may not be able to reliably provide during a shooting war. The larger islands have aircraft shelters, it is an open question whether these shelters could long survive a concerted U.S. attack. The islands of the SCS have some military relevance, but are more important as a political claim to waterways and undersea resources. Islands can be overwhelmed but is the willing to commit the forces to do it The US would currently have to hit the islands with about 100-300 planes and maybe a dozen ships. The force would then also trigger Chinas mainland defenses. In ten years with about 30-50 bases, the US would need to hit the islands with about 1000-2000 planes or find new technology and strategy to go around. Massive space-based systems could be deployed via the SpaceX BFR by around 2030. China wants the South China Sea more than the US does China wants the South China Sea more than the US does. The US would not commit the force needed to defeat those bases. China also gains economic resources and geopolitical control and advantages from the islands. The islands will support fishing, tourism and other commerce. The islands help support Chinas claims to deep sea oil, gas and other resources with trillions. The Maginot line did not extend Frances control to new areas or provide economic or territorial gains. The economic and political gains that China is getting from the islands are making up for the costs of building them. The US has military bases all over the World China will start expanding military bases in Africa and other parts of Asia. China is getting a base in Djibouti Africa. China has a non-military port in Greece. China will likely get more military bases in Africa. The U.S. Air Force this week awarded Lockheed Martin Corp. a $928 million contract to develop a prototype hypersonic cruise missile, or the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon. The project is one of two hypersonic weapon prototyping efforts the service is pursuing. US officials have said they fear the US may be lagging behind Russia and China in hypersonics. Russia and China have made hypersonic technologies national programs of record and have made recent advances. The US Air Force has funding for its Air Launched Rapid Response Weapon, known as Arrow. According to the fiscal 2019 budget request, the Air Force is asking for roughly $260 million for the Arrow experiment. The US air force is also working By late 2019, the U.S. Army could field up to three manned and unmanned combat vehicles to help determine the future of heavy army fighting vehicles. The US army effort appears focused and appears inspired by the Russian Armata combat vehicle platform. The Armata is a common platform for tanks, armored vehicles and manned and unmanned systems. The US system will have more lasers and advanced electronics and power generation. The US systems will have proper funding. Russia does not have the funding to buy the Armata in volume. Army officials have laid out the groundwork for developing the Next Generation Combat Vehicle, or NGCV. The NGCV will replace the M-1 Abrams main battle tank and M-2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFV). Both the Abrams and Bradley, while highly successful, were introduced in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Army regularly updates both with the latest technologies, including new ammunition, anti-shaped charge reactive armor, remote-controlled weapons systems, advanced networking and communications, and ballistic shields for the crew. The three vehicles will then be assigned to an operational combat unit around 2021. By 2023, seven manned and 14 unmanned vehicles will repeat the schedule, hopefully winnowing the process down to both manned and unmanned systems ready for mass production. The U.S. Army is making it pretty clear that the manned and unmanned NGCVs will work together on the battlefield. While the manned vehicles will be larger and carry a tank gun or squad of infantry troops, the unmanned vehicle will be considerably smaller, but still carry a considerable punch. The unmanned vehicle could be used as a scouting vehicle, traveling ahead of a mixed armored task force. Once it makes contact with the enemy, the unmanned vehicles could identify their positions, attack them with direct fire, and pass their coordinates to nearby field artillery and air support. This buys the manned component time to form a plan, get into position, and launch an attack on an enemy that has had little time to prepare. The first generation vehicle could even be the proposed M2A5 Bradley, which includes two to five times more protection for crew and infantrymen riding inside, along with a longer hull to increase the number of mounted infantry to eight. What will the Army eventually end up with? NGCV will probably be a tracked, 50 to 60 ton common chassis available in both tank and infantry fighting vehicle flavors. The vehicle will have traditional passive steel, composite, and even depleted uranium armor, complemented with an active protection system to protect it from tank gun rounds, anti-tank missiles, and rocket-propelled grenades. It will be at least as mobile as the M1 Abrams, be transportable by the Air Forces C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter, and generate a large amount of onboard electricity to support lasers, railguns, and possibly some sort of future cloaking device Four Star General Carlton Everhart, head of Air Mobility Commmand (AMC), told Air Force Times he wants to begin exploring this capability on a KC-135 refueling tanker in 2018. He took steps to get a KC-135 to the Air Force Research Laboratory by the summer of 2018 to start testing the concept. The researchers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio will have six months to a year to experiment with the aircraft to see what is possible and what questions would need to be answered, said AMC spokesman Col. Chris Karns. Everhart has also discussed a type of cloaking device that could make it harder for an enemy to detect the large refueling planes on their radars. The Air Force has targeted arming an F-15 fighter jet with a laser by 2021, one of what could become a wider use of directed-energy weapons to protect aerial refueling tankers to military bases. The US Air Force was $58 million short of funding to speed development of a laser weapon for the AC-130 gunship. They want to get a 60-kilowatt laser flying on an AC-130 by 2022. The current plan called for progressive demonstration steps in moving from a four-kilowatt laser to a 30-kilowatt version and would not have an operationally useful 60-kilowatt laser fielded until 2030. Lockheed Martin is being awarded a $150 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for Surface Navy Laser Weapon System Increment 1, High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical-dazzler with a surveillance system. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $943 million. The combat lasers will be 150-kilowatts and could get upgraded to 300 kilowatts for more range and power. 1. Up to three 60 kilowatt combat lasers. Project 3402 in the Navy budget, is known as the Surface Navy Laser Weapon System. SNLWS is an advanced prototype laser weapon in the 60-kilowatt-or-higher class. The Navy recently announced this laser would be installed on the guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke, but the budget provides funding to outfit not just one but three destroyers. The laser can dazzle and destroy drones as well as fast inshore attack craft (FIAC). The 2019 budget allocates $190 million for the SNLWS. The Navy anticipates the first destroyers outfitted with the laser weapon in late of 2020. 2. ODIN, or Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (which formerly carried the bland-sounding moniker Low Power Module). ODIN is a laser designed to blind and disrupt Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) and other platforms that will address urgent operational needs of the Fleet. That wording implies drones are currently being used to watch U.S. ships at sea. Two ODIN units have apparently already been funded, and the 2019 budget provides for three more (installation costs will be covered in the 2020 budget). Each ODIN unit consists of a Beam Director (Telescope, Optics, Fast Steering Mirrors); Lower Power Lasers (2); Sensors (Coarse Track, Fine Track, ISR Imaging); Computer Rack, Network Switches; and an Operator Laptop. The U.S. Navy is spending $44 million in 2019 on the ODIN. 3. Solid State Laser Technology Maturation. Its a much larger 150-kilowatt laser to be mounted on a San Antonio-class ship in 2019. Finally, the Navy mentions the Ruggedized High Energy Laser, or RHEL, a 150-kilowatt laser that will apparently employ different laser architectures that will handle more powerful laser beams eventually. 4. $15 million in funding the Gun Launched Guided Projectile, also known as the Hyper Velocity Projectile Block 0, which will double the range of the current 5-inch conventional ammunition while meeting multi-mission operational requirements for Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW), Anti-Air Warfare (AAW), and Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) missions. Each U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser and destroyer has at least one 5-inch gun. The U.S. Navy is spending $15 million on the GLGP. NEW HAVEN The six Democratic gubernatorial candidates are on board for implementing tolls in the state and backing a casino in Bridgeport, but break that unanimity over approving subpoena power for police civilian review boards. They answered questions Sunday at a forum at the Career High School in New Haven, the city with the largest number of delegates to the nominating convention in May and consistently the biggest Democratic plurality in general elections. They had good things to say about the current state leader, Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, for his infusion of money into the pension system, his justice reforms, his support of gun control and boosting affordable housing, but to a person they said they would present a different style of governing that was more collegial. Not my way or the highway, said Jonathan Harris, the former commissioner of the Consumer Protection Agency, a sentiment the others echoed. Also on stage was Ned Lamont, former Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate; Susan Bysiewicz, former secretary of the state; Sean Connolly, former head of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Guy Smith, a Greenwich businessman and Joe Gamin, mayor of Bridgeport. Getting the economy on track, supporting investment in the states transportation system as well as praising the value of unions were the common themes across the candidates. There were a few rounds where the response was supposed to be yes or no and the candidates passed the microphone to each other like a wonder ball. They all said yes on the casino question, but as Bysiewicz started to bring up the concerns of the Mohegan and Foxwood casinos, she was cut off. Connolly said yes, but, while the rest said yes. The candidates, in a followup related question also posed as a yes or no inquiry were asked if gambling in casinos is a regressive tax on the poor? Harris, Bysiewicz and Connolly said it was, while Ganim, Smith and Lamont said no. The next question about taxes was an easy one for the Democrats. Do you agree that rich hedge fund managers should pay the same tax rate as the rest of us working folks? they were asked. That also brought a unanimous yes. On both the casino and tax questions, the New Haven audience clapped to show its approval. The candidates were also asked if they favored legalizing marijuana and taxing it. This brought a positive response from everyone, although Connolly tried to add a caveat, but he was cut off and told to just give a yes or no answer. The question on civilian review boards was a local one as New Haven is in the middle of a debate on this. Asked to support it, Bysiewicz said I believe so, while Gamin said yes he would. Connolly said I need to know more about it. Harris said yes, while Lamont said he also needed more information. Smith said, I dont think so. The last yes and no inquiry was on energy. They were asked if they supported increasing the proportion of renewable energy sources provided by public utility companies. They all said yes. On increasing energy efficiency, Smith said he would expand solar energy and wind farms. He said Eversource just got a 14 percent tax cut from the Trump administration and a 7 percent tax increase from the state. It is a public company traded on Wall Street ... We are going change that when I governor and they are going to be beholden to you and not to ... some analyst on Wall Street, Smith said. Lamont supported funds to retrofit and weatherize homes to bring down the cost of energy. He said it was outrageous that the state fund for that has been looted for operating expenses. The rest of the candidates agreed on this analysis. The six were asked how they would define adequate funding for public schools to assure an equitable and excellent education, particularly in light of the underfunding of PILOT. These are payments in lieu of taxes to municipalities, such as New Haven, where 52 percent of its grand list is not taxable by state law due to the colleges, hospitals and state property within its borders. Bysiewicz said as governor she would work to fully fund the Educational Cost Sharing grant and would love the state to take over special education funding. We should be fully funding PILOT, she added. She said it was also important to invest in early childhood programs as that is probably our best chance to reduce the achievement gap and make sure all of our students across the state get the best education possible. Connolly said the state now is underfunding the educational system by over $300 million. He said the state has to be more efficient to find the money to fully fund the ECS formula and it should also incentivize the towns to cooperate regionally. Ganim said he disagrees with any judge who says equitable funding is not a constitutional right. I dont like the term poor. We are a rich mosaic of diversity. ... I take offense at that and I take offense at anyone who calls our cities a mess.., he said. Smith took a big-picture view, saying he has proposed a first-time homebuyer credit to get more families to move back to Connecticut to boost property tax revenues. He said the distribution of education funding right now is a mess ... it is not fair and has to be adjusted. Long-term, Smith said, Connecticut has to look at its entire taxing system, particularly the property tax, which is centuries old and not sustainable. Lamont told the crowd: I want to be your education governor. Education is the most important investment we can make as a state. He said he can talk to the business community. If we do not fund K-12 education ... If we do not train people for the next generation of work, we are going to fall behind and continue to fall behind. We have continued to do that for too long and Im not going to let that happen, he said. Lamont said student loans should be forgiven for teachers who go into the most needy schools. Harris said use of the word adequate, just makes me cringe. We need meaningful funding ... We need to trust our teachers more and not teach to the test. He favors fully funding ECS and special education while getting rid of unfunded mandates. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 NEW CANAAN Republican candidates for governor took a page out of their national counterparts playbook when they addressed education for the first time in a debate. The majority of the nine candidates on stage at a public middle school advocated school choice, though they never explicitly used the phrase voucher system. Families who are in low-performing schools should have the opportunity to take that money that they have in the (state) education savings account and go to the school that they choose to go to, said state Rep. Prasad Srinivasan, a Glastonbury physician. Former U.S. Comptroller Dave Walker, of Bridgeport, said hed like to see school districts consolidate duplicated resources to re-allocate funding and offer more school choice. We have to provide more choice, we have to provide more options, Walker said. Not everybody is bound for college, not every college degree is equal. We have tremendous needs in regards to the trades and technical areas ... We need to put that money to better use it to educate our kids and give them more opportunity. The businessmen in the group advocated school choice as well. As a business person, I understand the importance of choice, of markets and of financial incentives, said David Stemerman, a hedge-fund millionaire from Greenwich. Westport businessman Steve Obsitnik said he would use his experience as a CEO to gather a team of education experts to solve the problem. As a CEO, I dont know all the answers, but we bring teams together, he said. We do have choice in this state. Its called moving. The injustice are people who cant afford to move and are stuck in systems that arent getting what they need. Funding is key, school choice is key. Albanian-born Fairfield lawyer Peter Lumaj blamed Democrats and the teachers union for the states achievement gap. The Republicans should have the backbone to go to the cities and point out their failure to turn this around, he said. What that means is you give the kids, the parents, the choice of taking their kids from a failing school to a non-failing school within the district so that their kid can succeed. Does it mean competition? Yes. Does it mean some public schools collapse and close down? Yes. Tim Herbst, the son of public educators in Trumbull where he previously served as first selectman, stayed away from the topic of school choice. You dont close the achievement gap just by focusing on when school starts and when school ends, he said. It takes a community effort. You close that achievement gap working around the clock with parents and teachers and school officials and community leaders. Its about investing in after school programs to keep these kids off the street, its about keeping them engaged. Its to make sure our urban teachers and educators have the resources they need to make sure theyre teaching in a safe environment. Its not just about money, but its also about accountability. Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti said the state should focus on improving parent-student-teacher relationships, how money is allocated to schools and student safety in inner-city schools. He also criticized the State Board of Education for eliminating the industrial arts program across the state. Unless we make the schools safer and the streets in the inner cities safer, were not going to get the results that we want because kids are intimidated on their way to school, Lauretti said. And its a fact. Because when the inner cities are running like the wild west, its a big distraction for kids. Stamford CFO and father of four Mike Handler called for public-private partnerships to develop curriculum and talent pipelines for companies in the state, like Stamford-based NBC Sports. He also said the state should focus more on early childhood education. The truth is we are putting way too much emphasis on the last four years of a students education than we are on the first four years of a students education, Handler said. I cant think of anything thats more sad than sending a five year old to kindergarten thats not ready for kindergarten. kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt NEW HAVEN Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, doesnt believe in waiting to be asked to get involved in accomplishing change. And shes thrilled that young people are not waiting for an invitation to begin organizing either. One of the things Im proudest of actually in the 12 years that Ive been at Planned Parenthood is the now millions of young people who have joined the organization, not only as patients but now as activists and organizers and leaders, she said Sunday during a stop on her book tour for her memoir, Make Trouble. I think the most important thing we can do is just encourage them, fund them, give them leadership opportunities, bring them before Congress and do all the things that we could do to give them the experience and knowledge to frankly get the country out of the rut its in right now. I think theyre the best hope, Richards said. Richards, who appeared at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School, sponsored by R.J. Julia Booksellers, is acting on her beliefs. She will leave Planned Parenthood in June. Twelve years is a good long time and I feel like Ive done a lot of the things I wanted to do, said Richards, 60. Ive been committed to investing in another generation of leaders and so she wants to walk that walk and give a younger person the opportunity to take the organization forward. Even though its hard to leave, its the right thing to do, she said. Its not my legacy but I think its the legacy of this organization that we intentionally invested in the leaders of another generation bringing in this flood of people into this organization, increasing supporters from 3 million to 12 million and a lot of them are young people and a lot of them are patients, which I think is really important. Richards, who spoke to a crowd largely made up of women, was interviewed by Teresa Younger, president of the Ms. Foundation for Women, who has also served as executive director of Connecticuts Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, which has since been eliminated, and as the first woman and the first African American to serve as executive director of the ACLU in Connecticut. Planned Parenthood has come under intense fire from Republicans, who have pledged to eliminate federal funds to the agency because it provides abortion. The organization offers reproductive health care to 200,000 patients a day, according to its annual report. By law, federal money cannot be used to pay for abortions except in extreme circumstances. We are and were a fantastic reproductive health care provider, but we were increasingly not able to provide that care because politics got in the way, Richards said. Richards talked about the major roles U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, who in the book Richards calls one of my favorite members of Congress and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., played in 2010 in ensuring that the Affordable Care Act would pass without a ban on abortions. Richards had served as Pelosis deputy chief of staff but said, Im definitely meant to be on the outside organizing, agitating. During the fight over Obamacare, We had decided we would not support final passage if it included an abortion ban, Richards said. Ultimately, the women and their male supporters prevailed and health care reform passed. Folks just organized across the country, she said. I remember the day President [Barack] Obama called me at the office He was about to announce that all women would have birth control covered in their health insurance plans without co-pays, Richards said. She said it hadnt been that many years since we were fighting just to get pharmacists to fill birth control prescriptions. Now, she said, If I can actually just brag a minute, were at a historic low for teenage pregnancy in this country. She said Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2017 failed because people back home told their stories, organized, stood up. And while House Speaker Paul Ryan had vowed to repeal the law and to ban federal funds for Planned Parenthood, Paul Ryan just announced his retirement and Obamacare is still the law of the land and Planned Parenthood [clinics] are still open across the country. Richards is the daughter of former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, who, giving the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, said of then-Vice President George H.W. Bush, Poor George, he cant help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth. For years, Ann Richards was what we call in Texas a housewife, but once she found the womens movement, there was no holding back and she just went for it, Cecile Richards said. And when Richards worried that she wasnt up to leading Planned Parenthood, her mother said, Cecile, get over yourself. She was just a big believer that for women, this is the only life you have so just do it now. She said of the books title, Make Trouble, that I hope its making good trouble and said, I just think this is a time in our country when we do need to make trouble and not wait for instructions, not wait for someone to tell us what to do but, as we say, if youre not scaring yourself now youre probably not doing enough. And so I hope this book inspires us to do more than were doing and also recognize that theres a lot of joy along the way. After her talk, audience members lined up to have Richards sign their books which they received as part of their $35 admission. Sarah Gantley of Wethersfield, who works at Planned Parenthood in Meriden, said, She just really inspired me to want to do more. Personally, Ive been considering more local politics, figuring out how to make that work. Lydia Post of Newtown said getting more women into political office was important. Men dont know a damn thing about birth control, she said. Dr. Samantha Simpson of New Haven, an obstetrician/gynecologist for Yale New Haven Health, called Richards very inspiring. Hopefully every day I contribute to improving womens health but shes added some extra inspiration to what I do tomorrow. Contact Ed Stannard at edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com or 203-680-9382. In her first public appearance since James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, began his book tour, Hillary Clinton made only a glancing reference to him in a speech on Sunday night and instead focused most of her attacks on President Trump, once again likening him to authoritarians. Mrs. Clinton gave the Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture at PEN Americas World Voices Festival in New York City. She spoke at length about threats to journalists around the world before turning her attention to domestic matters. She criticized Mr. Trump, not so subtly comparing him to authoritarian leaders who had suppressed journalism in their countries. Today, we have a president who seems to reject the role of a free press in our democracy, she said. Although obsessed with his own press coverage, he evaluates it based not on whether it provides knowledge or understanding, but solely on whether the daily coverage helps him and hurts his opponents. After listing more examples of Mr. Trumps attacks on the news media, Mrs. Clinton said, Now given his track record, is it any surprise that, according to the latest round of revelations, he joked about throwing reporters in jail to make them talk? Season 3, Episode 5: Flaw in the Death Star This week on Billions, romance is in the air. Whoda thunk it, right? Sex, sexuality, the rewards and compromises of long-term relationships, even the eroticized thrill of spectacular professional success these themes are never in short supply on this show. But the pangs of infatuation that make your eyes widen, your heart quicken, and (with any luck) your clothes melt away to the tune of Echo and the Bunnymen? Thats unexpected. Even more unexpected? The young lovers involved. The casting of comedian Mike Birbiglia added an uncharacteristically mellow presence to this high-strung, hard-charging show. If you predicted that this addition was a prelude to an affair between Birbiglias Silicon Valley venture philanthropist character, Oscar Langstraat, and Bobby Axelrods handpicked successor, the tightly wound gender-nonbinary genius Taylor Mason, congratulations: Your powers of prognostication outstrip even those of Axe himself. Yet from the moment these two very different visionaries make a nerd-love connection in defense of a supposed Star Wars plot hole, it makes sense, retrospectively, that they would hook up. It just feels right. (Granted, Im slightly biased in that I agree with their reasoning What material could withstand the heat expended from that mammoth sphere? Plus, it was fortified with gun turrets! but only slightly.) Predicated on a trip to San Francisco designed to further the connections between Oscar and Axe Capital, the story line is successful mainly because of how exciting it feels to see Taylor, well, excited by something. Asia Kate Dillons portrayal of this blue-eyed brainiac is rooted in a Spock-like blend of ironclad logic and an outsiders insight into the prevailing culture. To see the flush of a crush on Taylors face, melting that resolve and reserve, is a beautiful thing. The subsequent sex scene between the two characters is sweet, hot and groundbreaking in equal measure. Youd be a fool to ignore any one of those three indissoluble elements. An even odder, and far unhappier, couple dominates the action back in New York. Its a battle of pig versus prig at Axe Cap, as the gleefully macho and amoral Dollar Bill Stearn clashes with the companys compliance officer, Ari Spyros Chuck Rhoadess one-time frenemy at the Securities and Exchange Commission, now working for the full-on enemy over the kind of insider trading he used to be able to get away with as a matter of course. A this firm aint big enough for the both of us battle ensues that sends Wendy in search of a stiff drink not least because she recognizes its similarities with the war between Chuck and Bobby. Whatever the details behind Mr. Sorrells departure, his removal from his powerful perch has set off an intense debate about the future of the advertising business. Mr. Sorrell had come to represent the era of conglomerate-building that followed the boozy, lavish days of Mad Men, but the industry now faces questions about the role of such huge holding companies in a rapidly changing marketing world. WPPs shares have plunged in the past year amid questions about its growth, and the company recently reported its worst annual sales since the financial crisis and cut its forecast for the year. I dont know the facts behind the investigation, said Dave Morgan, the founder and chief executive of Simulmedia, which works with advertisers on targeted television ads. But I suspect that if WPP was on the verge of rekindled growth, Martin would have had the wind at his back and might have fought much harder to stay, and the board probably would have taken much more time to force his hand. WPP is a colossus. It owns more than 100 marketing and communications firms including the likes of J. Walter Thompson and Ogilvy, as well as Y&R and Hill+Knowlton and has roughly 200,000 employees making ads for companies such as Ford Motor and Dell. It is the biggest of five advertising holding companies that control a significant portion of the worlds advertising, marketing and communications firms. The others are Omnicom and the Interpublic Group in the United States, the Publicis Groupe in France and Dentsu in Japan. The emergence and expansion of these companies represented a shift in power from advertisings creative whizzes to financial minds like Mr. Sorrell. The idea, he told The New York Times in 1989, was essentially that the entrepreneurs who had built marketing firms were not suited to manage their money, which is where WPP came in. (The piece, headlined Brits Buy Up The Ad Business, lamented that the United States, which had already lost ground in cars and electronics, no longer even corners the market in hucksterism.) The genesis of WPP was a reaction against the indiscipline of the Mad Men days, said Tom Doctoroff, chief cultural insights officer at Prophet, a consulting company, and the former chief executive of J. Walter Thompson Asia-Pacific. The time was right for that discipline to be imposed, and there was success after success at turning around financially sloppy operations into much more tightly managed ships. Times Insider delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how news, features and opinion come together at The New York Times. MURUTHALAWA, Sri Lanka Every story needs a protagonist. When we came to Sri Lanka to report on the spate of Facebook-linked violence in the developing world, we thought wed found ours in a young Buddhist monk from a small mountain town. But, we would soon learn, that monks story was more morally complicated than wed anticipated and our story on Facebook larger and darker than what wed initially planned. A week earlier, mobs of Sinhalese-speaking Buddhists, the countrys majority group, had risen up, inspired by anti-Muslim misinformation and hate speech on Facebook. They destroyed mosques and Muslim homes in several towns, killing one man. But, here, the monk wed heard about, Nelligala Dhammaratne, had met the mob in the street. Drawing on his religious authority and sway with the community, he admonished its members to disperse. The local mosque was saved. Mr. Dhammaratne was meant to provide a heroic contrast to our storys villains: the extremists whod dominated social media here and in other developing countries, using it to whip people into paranoid rages that sometimes became deadly. We thought we had a story about good guys and bad guys battling for control of the vast information spaces that Facebook opens up in countries like Sri Lanka. That was in line with Facebooks own worldview, that the platform heightens any societys pre-existing tendencies for good and bad. In this view, Facebook has a responsibility to mitigate the bad, but could hardly be blamed for creating it. But Mr. Dhammaratne was not what wed expected. Spending time with him at his mountaintop temple, overlooking rolling green hills, we realized that our understanding of Facebooks role in societies with weak institutions went far beyond magnifying good and bad alike. Yes, hed stopped the mob. But he also recited to us, as unvarnished truth, some of the very anti-Muslim rumors that had spread in viral Facebook memes before the attack. Muslim shop owners put chemicals in bras to sterilize Buddhist women. Muslim doctors sterilized Buddhist patients without their knowledge. Muslims in government were secret extremists. How did he know this? The whole country heard about this on Facebook, he answered. Had he discussed this with his constituents in the run-up to the violence? Of course. We came to understand that Facebooks algorithm-driven newsfeed, by pushing out whatever content drew the most engagement from users, does more than amplify existing prejudices or boost extremists. By pushing out content charged by negative, primal emotions like anger or fear which, studies show, perform best on the algorithm the platform can change how people see the world and relate to one another. In countries with weak institutions but where Facebook use is widespread, that can allow misinformation to run rampant. And in societies with histories of deep social distrust, it can turn deadly. Mr. Dhammaratne, meant to show how societys gatekeepers guard against those forces, turned out to exemplified that even the well-intentioned are overwhelmed by these forces. This would not be a story of heroes and villains, we learned, but of victims on both sides of the violence. Facebook, designed to deliver dopamine hits like a casino slot machine, had inadvertently enlisted everyday Sri Lankans in constructing an alternate reality out of the emotionally charged rumors and us-versus-them hate that performed best on the algorithm. Who were they suddenly plugged into one of the most sophisticated media platforms in history, which presented itself as a portal for news and information to resist? Sinhalese people who had been perfectly fine were getting provoked into action, Mr. Dhammaratne said, referring to emotionally charged Facebook content, which had made it difficult for members of his congregation to distinguish truth from reality. We would see that pattern, of otherwise well-meaning bystanders provoked by online anger and fear, play out in a number of cases we tracked across the developing world. Its the ability of these apps to transmit messages, especially audio and video, so quickly and to such large groups, that is how this wave of violence was created, Mr. Dhammaratne said. He said the government had been right to temporarily block social media; Thats how this got controlled. But Facebook has become too essential for day-to-day life to be shut down, he added. It will have to be regulated or better policed, though he was unsure how. Otherwise, this might happen again. They saw themselves as representatives of the Harlem community. Local political leaders, black activists and revolutionaries, and elders bearing hot food all trekked to Hamilton in support. Their occupation, much more than anything we white students did, was the pivotal act of the Columbia protest, as Raymond M. Brown, a leader of the Student Afro-American Society, aptly termed it in a recent essay. Because of their stand, hundreds and then thousands of students and local residents rallied to the cause, and within two days three more buildings were occupied. Thousands of other people stood vigil outside. We cant abandon the black students in Hamilton Hall! was the universal battlecry. The Columbia administration was terrified of what Harlem might do if the police were called. Administrators waited a week as the occupations and support demonstrations grew, and Columbia became worldwide news. Eventually, the police moved in, arresting the black students without violence. But at the other buildings they indiscriminately and brutally attacked not only the occupiers, but students, professors and even journalists who were outside protesting the police busts. In response most of the student body went out on strike, closing the university for the rest of the semester. The central role played by the Student Afro-American Society has never been acknowledged in accounts of Columbia 68. The story has been about the white kids of the New Left, the S.D.S. and myself, as a singular protest leader. Ray Brown called the medias erasure of the black students role strategic blindness. Ten years ago, about 50 former students who had occupied Hamilton Hall joined with 250 other strike veterans for a 40th reunion at Columbia. Alford J. Dempsey Jr., now a judge in Atlanta, stunned the white people in the audience when he said, The time I spent here just about destroyed me. The only thing worse than the alienation he felt as a black student on the overwhelmingly white campus was watching my wife die of breast cancer. The tears in our eyes attested to how little we had understood the lives of our black classmates. Caesars gifts, however, were not free. They were transactional. When you received from Caesar, you were expected to return gratitude, your gratia, through tributes, tithes, taxes, loyalty and military service. Until you returned appropriate thanks, you were in Caesars debt. If you failed to fulfill your obligation, you were an ingrate, which was a political crime punishable by the seizure of your property, prison, exile or execution. Romes power was built on benefactors and beneficiaries bound by reciprocal obligations of gratitude. It worked, but it was easily corrupted. Lower classes incurred huge debts of gratitude that could never be repaid, functionally enslaving them. Ancient philosophers urged benefactors to eschew corrupted gratia and instead give freely from a desire for the common good. Benevolent gratitude, they insisted, was a virtue. Sadly, it was also rare. Western societies inherited Roman ideas of gratitude. Medieval rulers tried (and failed) to Christianize political gratitude, but Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke and Adam Smith rejected quid pro quo. They argued that reciprocal gratitude was bad for politics, but also believed that benevolent gratitude was necessary for moral democracy. It was a nuanced and difficult position to achieve. The temptations of corrupted gratitude kept creeping back into Western politics. Understanding this helps explain Donald Trump. He has always depicted himself as a benefactor: I alone can fix it. During the primaries, he boasted that he received no outside gifts or contributions, thus debts of gratitude would never control him. He criticized conventional forms of payback, promising to distribute social largess to the right people, rid the system of undeserving beneficiaries and restore upward mobility in a social pyramid. No more corporations, no more politicians. He would be the ultimate benefactor. He would make America great again from the top. This helps explain why the Russia inquiry makes Mr. Trump angry. The suggestion that he benefited from anyone, much less a foreign government, undermines his self-image as unassailable benefactor. He never receives. He gives as he wills, and to whom he chooses. Receivers, like the poor, immigrants, women and persons of color, are considered weaker beings, consigned to the lower ranks of his social pyramid, and who, failing to reciprocate his paternalistic generosity, are chided for a lack of thanks. There is, however, an alternative to the pyramid of gratitude: a table. One of the enduring images of American self-understanding is that of a Thanksgiving table, where people celebrate abundance, serve one another and make sure all are fed. People give with no expectation of return, and joy replaces obligation. This vision of gratitude is truly virtuous, sustains the common good, ensures a circle of equality, and strengthens community. Instead of Mr. Trumps gratitude-as-duty politics, what our country needs is a new vision of an American table of thanks. It may seem unfair to single out South Africa for its corruption. Its not the worst offender in sub-Saharan Africa, and far from the worst in the world India, China and Russia rank far worse on the Transparency International list, and South Africa has functioning democratic institutions and a lively press. But countries should be measured less against the rest of the world than against their own potential and promise, and on that score, the same African National Congress that Nelson Mandela led to a triumphant victory over apartheid a quarter century ago has become gorged on corruption. What is particularly galling, as Norimitsu Onishi and Selam Gebrekidan reported in The Times, is that so many of the millions filched from state coffers were earmarked to lift up the poor left behind by apartheid. While politically connected companies and individuals have grown wealthy, the gap between them and the poor, most of them blacks, has only grown. A recent report by the World Bank and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development found that despite some progress since the end of apartheid, South Africa remains one of the most unequal countries in the world. The potential for change was evident when the A.N.C. finally forced President Jacob Zuma out of office in February. Mr. Zumas nine years in office were a byword for obscene corruption, and he now faces corruption, racketeering, fraud and money laundering charges. His successor, Cyril Ramaphosa, promised in his first state-of-the-nation address that this is the year in which we will turn the tide of corruption in our public institutions. Yet President Ramaphosa is himself a veteran A.N.C. member and made a fortune largely through his ties to the party, and his cabinet includes officials who stand accused of corruption. The Civil War had just concluded and Reconstruction had already begun. But Johnson, the racist that he was, opposed many aspects of Reconstruction. As the Senate website points out: Johnson vetoed legislation that Congress passed to protect the rights of those who had been freed from slavery. This clash culminated in the House of Representatives voting, on Feb. 24, 1868, to impeach the president. Both the House and Senate were controlled by Republicans. But here is the hurdle that the founders built into the process to make it nearly impossible to remove a president: While it only takes a majority of the House to impeach a president, two-thirds of the Senate must vote to convict in order to remove the president. In the Senate, the three articles of impeachment that were voted on all fell short by one vote, and that is because seven Republicans switched sides and voted with the Democrats for acquittal. One of those Republicans, Senator James Grimes of Iowa, explained his actions this way: I cannot agree to destroy the harmonious working of the Constitution for the sake of getting rid of an Unacceptable President. Even a Supreme Court associate justice, David Davis, a Republican who had served as Lincolns campaign manager, reportedly opposed Johnsons impeachment, even though he believed him to have qualities totally unfitting him to be the ruler of a people in the fix we are in and calling him obstinate, self-willed, combative, slow to act and in possession of no executive ability. Johnson was impeached before the advent of modern polling, but that polling did exist when Nixon resigned and Clinton was impeached. It is important to note in Nixons case that the televised Senate Watergate hearings had started and the Saturday Night Massacre occurred in 1973 and yet the percentage of people saying he should be removed from office never rose above the 30s that year, according to Gallup. It wasnt until after the House Judiciary Committee recommended impeachment that a majority of Americans thought he should be removed. Not many playwrights would rhyme Brittany and kitteny, but then not many have cause. David Ives does, and in The Metromaniacs, which opened in a handsome Red Bull production at the Duke on 42nd Street on Sunday, he scours the far recesses of English for its most amusing specimens. In his word-drunk universe, news hooks up with chartreuse, strophes wins trophies and rival gets adjectival. If those pairs let alone the possibly illegal conjugation of comedy and Melpomene sound a bit classical and even foreign, theres a reason. The Metromaniacs is the fourth of Mr. Ivess translations of French comedies from the 17th and 18th centuries, three of which were originally directed by Michael Kahn of the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington. Actually, Mr. Ives calls them translaptations: translations that are also adaptations, and rather aggressive ones at that. Ill take Mr. Ivess word (as he writes in an introduction to the script) that The Metromaniacs is based on an obscure play from 1738 called La Metromanie. The title refers to a poetry craze then sweeping Paris a craze focused on the work of a Breton poet named Malcrais de La Vigne. But Mlle. de La Vigne was neither a woman nor from Brittany. She was a man living in Paris. On this slender thread, the original playwright, Alexis Piron, hung a farce a clef so complicated it apparently spun in circles. But what Mr. Ives calls its Champagne poetry left him hoping to recreate the spell of its language, with only enough plot to keep it aloft. ABU JAMAL, Sudan At Sudans eastern border, Lt. Samih Omar led two patrol cars slowly over the rutted desert, past a cows carcass, before halting on the unmarked 2,000-mile route that thousands of East Africans follow each year in trying to reach the Mediterranean, and then onward to Europe. His patrols along this border with Eritrea are helping Sudan crack down on one of the busiest passages on the European migration trail. Yet Lieutenant Omar is no simple border agent. He works for Sudans feared secret police, whose leaders are accused of war crimes and, more recently, whose officers have been accused of torturing migrants. Indirectly, he is also working for the interests of the European Union. Sometimes, Lieutenant Omar said, I feel this is Europes southern border. Three years ago, when a historic tide of migrants poured into Europe, many leaders there reacted with open arms and high-minded idealism. But with the migration crisis having fueled angry populism and political upheaval across the Continent, the European Union is quietly getting its hands dirty, stanching the human flow, in part, by outsourcing border management to countries with dubious human rights records. ASUNCION, Paraguay Paraguays governing Colorado Party won Sundays presidential election as Mario Abdo Benitez, a conservative former senator, defeated his rival, Efrain Alegre, a former lawmaker from a center-left coalition. Mr. Abdo Benitezs presidential bid evoked memories of Paraguays dictatorship from 1954 to 1989 because his father was the personal secretary of Alfredo Stroessner, the despotic military leader who ruled the small South American nation during those years. The election extended the Colorado Partys dominance in Paraguayan politics and solidified the rightward political shift in South America. Mr. Abdo Benitez belongs to a more conservative wing of the party than the departing president, Horacio Cartes. His election follows transitions of power in Argentina, Brazil and Chile, where conservative or center-right leaders have defeated socialist parties in recent years. 1950: The Korean War begins. Its technically never ended. Heres why. First off, the war itself. It killed about 4 million people. On one side, there was South Korea, allied with U.N. forces led by the Americans. On the other side, there was North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union and China. They fought for three years, until A special building had been erected for the signing of the Korean armistice. This was the signing of a cease-fire, and it did seem to offer some hope. We have stopped the shooting. That means much to the fighting men and their families. And it will allow some of the grievous wounds of Korea to heal. But a cease-fire is not a binding peace treaty. It was all quiet on the Korean front the day after the signing of the armistice. It only ended the fighting. It also set guidelines, like for the exchange of prisoners and where the army should withdraw to. The open ground left between must become the demilitarized zone or DMZ. It also laid the groundwork for a permanent peace treaty. But heres the catch. South Koreas president was against the troops President Syngman Rhee is the man who threw a spanner into the works just as the armistice talks at Panmunjom seemed to have reached finality. and never let his country sign it. He wanted to keep fighting to unify the whole peninsula and punish the North. None of this boded well for the peace conference, which kicked off a year later. Seeking solutions for Far Eastern problems. The free world and Communism are again locked in bitter argument. One of those arguments was over whether foreign allies, like the U.S. and China, could keep troops on the peninsula. And another was how to unify the two countries through elections. Even allies couldnt agree amongst themselves. So the talks went nowhere. Sixty-five years later, theres now talk of hashing out a formal ending to the Korean War. And that could set the stage for a broader peace on the Korean peninsula. In his first statement in 10 months, the Islamic States spokesman on Sunday called for violence against neighboring Arab nations, suggesting that the groups focus was turning closer to home. The remarks were a departure from the last pronouncement issued by the spokesman, Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, which aimed to incite attacks against Europe and North America. It comes as the group is retrenching in its core territory after losing all but 3 percent of the area it once held in Iraq and Syria. In a nearly hourlong audio recording, released inside the groups chat rooms in the messaging app Telegram, the spokesman called on fighters to redirect their ire toward the leaders of Arab nations in the region, whom he described as apostates, a term the group uses to refer to fellow Sunnis who have strayed from its extreme interpretation of the faith. The spokesman said there was no difference between fighting the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran and the Palestinians and their American Crusader allies, or the Russians or the Europeans. He argued that they deserved to be treated even more harshly because these are Arabs and are more fierce and vicious against Islam. Imagine what you could find if you rummaged through the attic of Americas oldest orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, founded in 1842. A Beethoven score, annotated decades apart by Mahler and Toscanini, two Philharmonic music directors who didnt always see eye to eye. A flute part from the 1893 premiere of Dvoraks New World Symphony. A Mahler Grooves bumper sticker that Leonard Bernstein put in his score of Mahlers Sixth. For more than three decades, the Philharmonics rummager-in-chief has been Barbara Haws, its first archivist and historian. She has been a visionary, photographing its collection and making much of it available online as part of a digital archive that now has 1,789 marked scores, more than 13,880 programs and reams of historical board minutes and correspondence. She recently announced that she is retiring to pursue a doctorate at Oxford University, studying Ureli Corelli Hill, the Philharmonics founder whose diary she acquired for the archive. As she prepared to leave, she chose 10 favorite treasures from the archive. Below are her explanations of their significance. NORRISTOWN, Pa. Bill Cosbys defense team rested its case on Monday after presenting additional witnesses whose testimony was intended to suggest that Mr. Cosby could not have sexually assaulted Andrea Constand at his home near here in January 2004, as she has said. The two final witnesses, a woman who worked for Mr. Cosbys agent at what is now called the William Morris Endeavor, and a pilot with expertise about flight records, were introduced to bolster defense arguments that Mr. Cosby was traveling and away from his home near Philadelphia during the month in which Ms. Constand says she was molested. The witnesses pored over itineraries and flight documents and testified to the accuracy of the records typically kept in such circumstances. The records indicated that on many dates during that month Mr. Cosby had traveled to performances in different states and then returned to his house in New York, not to the home outside Philadelphia where Ms. Constand says she was drugged and sexually assaulted. But prosecutors said the records contained errors, were often vague about the destination and hardly comprehensive in detailing Mr. Cosbys whereabouts for the entire month. James Corden looks back at his favorite moments from The Late Late Show. And Pass Over reimagines Waiting for Godot in present-day Chicago. Whats on TV THE LATE LATE SHOW CARPOOL KARAOKE PRIMETIME SPECIAL 10 p.m. on CBS. The host James Corden rounds up another set of stars for his third prime-time special. He performs a musical number inspired by Bruno Mars with the musician and comedian Reggie Watts, while the actors Anna Faris, Allison Janney, Kunal Nayyar and Iain Armitage play along during a bizarre iteration of The Sound of Music. Christina Aguilera gets in the passenger seat for some Carpool Karaoke. NEW ORLEANS: CITY OF STORIES 6 p.m. on National Geographic. New Orleans has a lot more to offer than mouthwatering Po Boys and the tourist favorite Bourbon Street. This new travel series highlights the citys hidden gems as it celebrates its 300th anniversary. Artists, bartenders and historians share the movements and customs that give the Big Easy its charm. LONDON If data is the most valuable currency of the digital economy, at what point does a company have so much that it becomes unfair? Thats a question antitrust experts are increasingly asking themselves as the worlds biggest technology companies harvest more and more information about people and businesses. On Monday, European regulators pushed the idea forward, announcing an investigation into Apples proposed acquisition of the song-identification app Shazam over concerns the iPhone maker would get access to data on competitors like Spotify. Antitrust cases, particularly in the United States, are typically argued over the impact a deal will have on consumers, such as the price of a product or service. Margrethe Vestager, the European Unions top antitrust official, has argued data should become more of a factor. Ms. Vestager has said that with free services, customers pay with their data, and are not always getting a fair deal. This broader interpretation of antitrust law would have important consequences for future acquisitions made by companies such as Amazon, Facebook and Google. Good Monday. Heres what were watching: What might happen to Amazons bottom line if it paid its workers more? Sears shares jumped after ESL called on the Sears to sell the Kenmore brand. Walmart is said to be close to gaining a majority stake in Flipkart. Mike Bloomberg opened his wallet for climate change. Learn more about transshipping, one of President Trumps big trade bugbears. Want this in your inbox each morning? Sign up here. How much would giving a 10 percent raise to employees hit Amazons bottom line? Amazon surprised some last week when it disclosed in a filing that the median compensation of its employees was $28,466. The expectation in some quarters was that Amazon might have had a higher pay number, in part because it is a fast-growing, cutting-edge company. But Amazons revenue is dominated by its retail operations, a business that typically has lower wages. HOUSTON Halliburton, the global oil service company, announced on Monday that it had written off its remaining investment of $312 million in Venezuela, as oil production in the politically polarized and virtually bankrupt country continues to plummet. The move had long been expected because the state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, known as Pdvsa, had for years been falling behind on paying its bills from companies that maintain and operate its oil and gas wells. This is one step further into the collapse of the Venezuelan oil industry, said Francisco J. Monaldi, a Venezuelan energy expert at Rice University, because it means oil service contractors, which are absolutely essential to operations, are slowly giving up on the country. Daily oil production in Venezuela, the country with the worlds largest reserves, has plummeted by 200,000 barrels since late last year, to its lowest level in 30 years. That drop has helped raise global oil prices in recent weeks to more than $70 a barrel, and has pushed gasoline prices in the United States to their highest level for this time of the year in three years. In 2017, the Macks entered into a partnership with the Utah restaurant development company Four Foods Group to standardize their business operations and grow the brand nationally. (Four Foods says it holds a 50.1 percent stake in the chain.) Andrew and Shauna Smith, the groups founders, said they were impressed by the economics of the restaurant. You get so much food for your money, but the food cost is lower than average in the industry, Mr. Smith said. There are also not many Hawaiian restaurants in Utah to compete with Mo Bettahs. The plan is to open six more Utah locations starting this summer, with a branch in Idaho which also has a large Mormon population to follow next year. After that, Mo Bettahs plans to expand to states like Nevada and Missouri, in cities where housing costs are low and incomes are high. Four Foods has gotten Mo Bettahs onto Instagram and Twitter, and expanded its presence on Facebook, which the Mack brothers had all but stopped using once they realized their fellow Mormons provided a much more powerful social platform. Weve got this network of people from all over the world just because of the connectivity of the church, Kimo said. They have become our customers, our business partners, our insurance guys, our graphic design team. It helps that the teriyaki steak inspires devotion, too. This food is the next big thing, said Mr. Vernon. Its going to be better than Chipotle and Panda Express. Follow NYT Food on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice. PORTLAND, Ore. By the time her mother received the doctors email, Yuna Lee was already 2 years old, a child with a frightening medical mystery. Plagued with body-rattling seizures and inconsolable crying, she could not speak, walk or stand. Why is she suffering so much? her mother, Soo-Kyung Lee, anguished. Brain scans, genetic tests and neurological exams yielded no answers. But when an email popped up suggesting that Yuna might have a mutation on a gene called FOXG1, Soo-Kyung froze. I knew, she said, what that gene was. Almost no one else in the world would have had any idea. But Soo-Kyung is a specialist in the genetics of the braina star, said Robert Riddle, a program director in neurogenetics at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. For years, Soo-Kyung, a developmental biologist at Oregon Health and Science University, had worked with the FOX family of genes. I knew how critical FOXG1 is for brain development, she said. She also knew harmful FOXG1 mutations are exceedingly rare and usually not inherited the gene mutates spontaneously during pregnancy. Only about 300 people worldwide are known to have FOXG1 syndrome, a condition designated a separate disorder relatively recently. The odds her own daughter would have it were infinitesimal. BALTIMORE In a 14-hour operation, a young military veteran whose genitals were blown off by a bomb received an extraordinary transplant: a penis, scrotum and portion of the abdominal wall, taken from a deceased organ donor. The surgery, performed last month at Johns Hopkins Hospital, was the most complex and extensive penis transplant to date, and the first performed on a combat veteran maimed by a blast. Two other successful penis transplants have been performed in South Africa in 2014 and at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 2016 but they involved only the organ itself, not the scrotum or surrounding flesh. This latest operation transplanted a single piece of tissue that measured 10 inches by 11 inches and weighed four or five pounds. This is an evolving branch of medicine spurred in large part by the wounds of war particularly the blast injuries from improvised explosive devices, or I.E.D.s. The medical teams in Baltimore and Boston have spent years preparing for the surgery, practicing on cadavers and refining their techniques. Smile! Its not that bad. You forgot your smile. Chances are, youve heard comments like this at one time or another. What do you think about it? Is it helpful advice, made with the goal of helping the non-smiler feel better? Or is it designed to make everyone else more comfortableor neither of these? In the Opinion essay An American Woman Quits Smiling, Lisa Ko writes about her smiling boycott: I decided to stop smiling because I was tired. Tired of the Can I get a smile? and Smile, its not that bad! comments that are a too common part of city life. Tired of things like the Smile! You look tired demand from the T.S.A. agent who recently inspected my bag at the airport. My smiling boycott felt a little risky. Its well known that women are often expected to smile to make others feel more comfortable. This expectation also seems like a big part of being American. ... Smiling when you dont feel like it has been proven to make you feel good by producing actual feelings of happiness. Ive tried it, and it does work, but I dont want to be ordered to smile. If a smile is the appearance of happiness, then to be commanded to smile takes away our right to our own feelings. We must appear happy, even if were not. A man told my friend to smile, for instance, on the day that she found out her father had died. Or maybe theres just something about my neutral expression that comes across as seeming worried or displeased. People have asked if there was something wrong when I was feeling just fine. To compensate, Ive found myself smiling forcefully when socializing with strangers, wanting to assure them that they dont have to worry. That Im O.K. Students: Read the entire essay, then tell us: What do you think of Ms. Kos assertion that the expectation to smile is placed more strongly on women? What about the role being American plays? Do you have any experiences that support or contradict the notion that people in the United States are expected to smile a lot? How do you respond to the findings from studies about why Americans and Canadians may smile more than people in other countries and why people in some other places are suspicious of those who smile a lot? Could being told to smile actually help a person feel better, as Ms. Ko claims a study has determined? What do you think about this version of fake it until you make it? Has it ever worked for you? Ms. Ko ends her essay with an anecdote about smiling at her neighbor while the two of them rode the elevator together in what she calls a moment of sincere connection. Why do you think she includes this anecdote? A lawyer for the buyer did not respond to messages. Even if they had the money to rent a place, it might be hard to find a landlord who would welcome a colony of cats, said Mr. Fass, who had already taken two of the cats to the Danbury house. During the fire, one of them, Plutarch, escaped and remained missing for several weeks, until Ms. Fass found him. Mr. Fass recently completed a three-month hospital stay and is recovering from heart problems. The smoke inhalation from the fire has added a chronic cough to his health concerns. Mr. Fass, a native of Brooklyn who lived for decades in Manhattan, moved to Staten Island 25 years ago, but said he had grown weary of the increasing truck traffic at a warehouse across the street. The Danbury house was an affordable option that allowed Ms. Fass to continue to commute to her paralegal job in Brooklyn. Mr. Fass had been broadcasting his show remotely in recent years from a studio in his house, and planned on doing so from Danbury. In interviews, the Fasses broker and the lawyer handling the purchase of the Danbury house both insisted that the Fasses will be able to move into the house after a renovation covered by the sellers homeowners insurance. But the Fasses said they have no guarantee of this, and with much of the purchase price for the Danbury house in escrow, they are being pressured to close on the property. We know its the right thing to do, and now we really want to push on and make this plan a reality and get people back on the buses, Mr. Byford said at an M.T.A. board meeting in Lower Manhattan. Transit advocates and board members a notoriously difficult group to impress quickly praised the bus plan. Jaqi Cohen, the campaign coordinator for the Straphangers Campaign, an advocacy group, called it one of the biggest wins for our citys 2.5 million daily bus riders in more than half a century. New York Citys buses are the slowest among major cities in the world, with buses in Manhattan moving at just 5.7 miles per hour on average, according to the authority. A modernization plan for the subway, which carries about six million riders each day, will be released in May. The region is also struggling to respond to a broader transit crisis, with frequent problems on commuter railroads and bus lines. On Monday, Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey announced that New Jersey Transit would hire 40 new bus drivers as part of his proposed state budget. For all the discussion on rail, its buses that make the show go in urban centers and urban communities, Mr. Murphy said at a news conference in Newark, with a shiny New Jersey Transit bus parked behind the podium. Mr. Cuomos opposition to the city measure was similarly centered on the fee structure; he said at the time that the bill was deeply flawed because it allowed merchants to keep the 5-cent fee as profit, a giveaway that he said would total $100 million a year. Brad Lander, Democrat of Brooklyn, the councilman who led the citys effort to impose a 5-cent fee, called Mr. Cuomos proposal a transparent political maneuver. I wish I believed the governor was serious about reducing the billions of single-use plastic bags New Yorkers are sending to landfills every year, but this looks like election-year, Earth Day politics, Mr. Lander said. Susan Brockmann, one of hundreds of demonstrators who filled the State Capitol on Monday to rally for stronger environmental protections, said that New York should emulate California. Its time, said Ms. Brockmann, 55, a midwife from Long Island who was dressed in a suit made of 500 plastic bags. We should follow the lead of other progressive communities. Mondays proposal came as a result of a report in January by a task force that Mr. Cuomo convened last year after blocking the city bill. A ban was one of eight options entertained by that report, though it also outlined a number of drawbacks, including the fact that paper bags, an alternative to plastic, cost retailers three to five times as much as single-use plastic bags. Under Mr. Cuomos proposal, a variety of bags would be exempted from the ban, including those that contains raw meat, fish or poultry; bags sold in bulk; those used in bulk packages of fruit and dried goods; those used for deli products; newspaper bags; trash, food storage and garment bags; and takeout food bags. The states Department of Environmental Conservation would also be allowed to exempt certain bags through regulations. A: Philosophically, theres no daylight between us. I think thats one of the reasons I was so interested, after meeting Mayor de Blasio and actually talking to him, because philosophically, were very aligned. But I would say, more than a disagreement, that Ive pushed on some things. One of the things Ive pushed on is our approach on Renewal Schools. Ive been quoted as saying, it was a little fuzzy in terms of what was the theory of action. What were the metrics that were using, and how are we backward mapping to actually provide supports in all of those areas? I also have questioned how robust has our engagement with those communities been. So, more than just the school itself the teachers and the people who work at the schools do parents understand, No. 1, what the problem is or what the challenge is? But have they also understood, what are the consequences? After a number of years, if we dont improve and youre not part of this, you could face a situation where the schools will be truncated or there will be a different configuration, etc. Those are just some of the things in my conversations with the mayor, Ive pushed really hard about. And what Ive been really excited about is, he said: You know, youre the chancellor, you have the expertise in education so now what are you doing to do about it? Q: So what are you going to do about it? A: Theres been a change in leadership around the Renewal Schools approach. I was really heartened to learn within the last 48 hours when I had a really substantive briefing, that a lot of the concerns that I have, theyre already addressing. So they are tightening what our theory of action is around the schools that are part of this Renewal approach. Were doing a deep dive as to what didnt go well in terms of our community engagement. Were already talking about how the organization Im talking about the system, the D.O.E., the whole school system how perhaps we could have been much more effective. Q: Should there have been a Renewal program? Theres concern about whether it stigmatizes schools to call them failing or struggling whatever label you use it scares parents. A: Yeah, but Ill tell you, we dont have to call these schools anything. People in the community are already calling them schools that need improvement. So I think everywhere Ive ever been, you have to pay attention to schools that historically have been underserved, and that are not performing academically where we want them to perform. You have to pay attention to that. Eugene Leff, who reached a record settlement for New York State with a chemical company accused of burying toxic waste at Love Canal, the Niagara Falls neighborhood whose contamination became a symbol of environmental disaster, died on April 12 in Philadelphia. He was 73. His sister, Ilene Leff, said the cause was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. As an assistant state attorney general and New Yorks lead lawyer in the case, Mr. Leff successfully concluded a 14-year lawsuit in which the former owners of a dumpsite at Love Canal agreed in 1994 to pay $98 million and to assume cleanup costs and other expenses that would eventually amount to millions of dollars more. Homeowners said the chemicals appeared to have caused tumors and birth defects after bubbling up into the basements of houses that had been built on the site, a 16-acre former landfill that featured an unfinished 19th-century canal. Balls of caustic residue were observed burning on the ground after rising to the surface. The Love Canal case spurred Congress to create the federal Superfund cleanup program. The New York settlement remains the states largest for a hazardous-waste case. This article is part of the Opinion Today newsletter. You can sign up here to receive the newsletter each weekday. Theres a roiling debate about whether Democrats should move to the political center to win back Trump voters or focus on energizing the partys progressive base. On some issues like abortion, guns and immigration Democrats really do face this difficult choice. The policies that excite progressives alienate many of the white working-class voters who swung the 2016 election to Donald Trump, and vice versa. But there is also one huge area where no such tradeoff exists: economic policy. On economic issues, the politics are really quite simple. The Democratic base and swing voters have remarkably similar preferences. And those preferences are quite progressive. On one issue after another, a majority of Americans want aggressive action to respond to the problems facing the middle class and poor: generous Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security; a higher minimum wage; more financial aid for college; and more federal action to create good-paying jobs. Saudi Arabias government officials, and particularly its powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, often talk about pushing back a dangerous Iranian threat. But the truth is, despite this talk, the foreign policy emanating from Riyadh is driven primarily by domestic politics. Prince Mohammed knows that a fearful enemy is a key to his own strength. The relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran has oscillated between indifference, hostility, rapprochement and tension over the decades. Prince Mohammad appears determined to intensify the rivalry with Iran as he continues to raise Riyadhs concerns over Iranian expansion in the Arab world and beyond. The roots for perpetuating this conflict lie in the domestic context. The crown prince has used the rivalry with Tehran to deflect attention from the complexity of his own domestic uncertainties. The same may be true of Iran. After the Iranian revolution in 1979, the country set out to export its brand of revolutionary Islam. As Iran became an Islamic republic, Sunni Islamists were not only jealous of the triumph of the Shia Islamism but became even more determined to establish their version of the Islamic state. To the Editor: Mayor Bill de Blasios Brooklyn Queens Connector light rail proposal is a visionary project, with some of New York Citys best transportation and urban design minds behind it (news article, April 12). Traveling at grade along the waterfront, the light rail would especially benefit people living and working at a distance from the subways. With level boarding at each stop, seniors and those with disabilities would be well served. The route would interconnect with the mayors citywide ferry network at numerous stops along the waters edge. At a cost one-tenth as much per mile as a new subway, light rail could meet the demand throughout the city for more rail service. Critical to successful functioning of surface transit is providing separate rights of way for buses or light rail. Private cars are our most space-consuming mode. The vision of the light rail needs to be matched by the mayors clear commitment in his call for a just society by allocating street space for light rail. In Midtown Manhattan, a light rail project for 42nd Street has been under study since 1978, taken up in 1999 by the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility, or IRUM, as vision42, a river-to-river, auto-free light rail boulevard. These two projects the Brooklyn Queens Connector and vision42 should be at the forefront of transportation planning for New York City. PARIS On April 23, 2017, Emmanuel Macron stunned the world by leading in the first round of a presidential election that had looked unwinnable by him. He went on to win the second round and carry his movement, En Marche!, to a landslide victory in parliamentary elections. France, the new young president promised, was finally ready to be transformed and would soon be fit for the 21st century. A year after his first victory, the French president is on a state visit to Washington, and is a changed man. He has turned 40 and has toured the world, where he can still bask in appreciation. At home, though, the glory is largely gone. The president, who prides himself on talking the talk and walking the walk, has been pushing reforms at a dizzying pace since he arrived in the Elysee Palace. But his fellow countrymen also like to walk their walk a very different one. True to their reputation, they have taken to the streets to protest and resist changes organized from the top. It has taken a full year for President Macron to meet his moment of truth. Spring is in the air and strikes are back, as are anniversaries. One anniversary in particular is on some peoples minds: May 68, which is widely seen here as a cultural revolution. Those protests started with a student rebellion at the Sorbonne in Paris; soon enough, the clashes spread and the students were joined by workers. Within weeks, a general strike paralyzed France and challenged President Charles de Gaulle. The general never fully recovered. He resigned the following year after losing a referendum. Is French revolutionary fervor back? In 1968, Mr. Macron had not yet been born, but he does know what convergence des luttes means. Literally a convergence of struggles, this slogan epitomized the unity of bourgeois students and the proletariat that made 1968 unique. Fifty years later, some people at the far ends of the French political spectrum still dream of its magic. Indeed, theres no shortage of protest in France this spring, putting Mr. Macrons reformist agenda to the test. It was an English monarch who purportedly said, No news is better than evil news, and thereby launched an enduring (though now somewhat less wordy) maxim. Unless, King James I should have added, its news about his successors. From the time Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, entered the maternity hospital until she and her husband, Prince William, emerged with their newborn boy 12 hours later, the minutiae of the royal birth on Monday dominated the news in Britain and not only there. The arrival of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in Washington was no competition for the suspense in London, broken shortly after 11 a.m. not by the traditional notice in a wooden frame posted by the gates of Buckingham Palace (that came later, carried out by two women in morning coats, black ties and bright red waistcoats) but by a tweet from Kensington Palace that the duchess was safely delivered of a son. Before and after that there was little the inquiring public would not learn. It was breaking news when Prince William brought his other children, little Prince George, still in his school uniform, and Princess Charlotte, who gave an oh-so-precious wave to the crowd, to visit their new brother. The royal obstetrician and royal gynecologist royal was the word of the day were richly profiled. The fact that Lady Gabriella Windsor, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, had been born in the same hospital on the same day, only 37 years earlier, was presented as a remarkable coincidence. Westminster Abbey announced it would ring a full peal of Cambridge Surprise Royal on Tuesday; tabloids noted with disapproval that the Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, took more than three hours to send his greetings to Kate and William. And so it went. That which did remain unknown by days end the babys name and the godparents was endlessly discussed. Bookmakers were putting odds on Arthur, Albert, Frederick, James and Philip; as for sponsors, the speculation was that a third child with few chances of ever ascending the throne would not need a roster of prominent godparents like his siblings. Background reading: Dozens of people died in what rescue workers said was a chemical attack on a suburb of Damascus. After repeated delays, international inspectors are examining the site. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at thedaily@nytimes.com. Tweet me at @mikiebarb. And if youre interested in advertising with The Daily, write to us at thedaily-ads@nytimes.com. How do I listen? If you dont see an audio player on this page or to subscribe to The Daily for free, follow the instructions below. From your mobile device: You can listen and subscribe to The Daily from any podcast player. If youre reading this from an iPhone or other Apple mobile device, tap this link to listen in Apple Podcasts. If youre on an Android device, tap this link to listen in Stitcher or this link to listen in RadioPublic. Or if you prefer another podcast player, you can find The Daily there. (Heres the RSS feed.) From a desktop or laptop: Click the play button above to start the show. Make sure to keep that window open on your browser if youre doing other things, or else the audio will stop. You can always find the latest episode at nytimes.com/thedaily. To do this, ideally one needs to collect members of all the different castes in the colony, from worker to queen, write a detailed description of their appearance, and give the species a Latin name, among other things, said Alice Laciny, a graduate student at the Natural History Museum Vienna who is an author of the new paper. We knew they existed, and we did experiments on them, she said, but it wasnt described as an official species yet. Ms. Laciny is a member of an eclectic group of researchers who are united by their fascination with these insects and who describe in the new paper how C. explodens live and spectacularly die. At 6 a.m., the ants come out of their nest and forage for food until about 6 p.m., the researchers found, although it is not exactly clear yet what they eat. A small squad of workers often stands at the entrances of the colony and touches every ant that comes in or out, apparently monitoring the movements of their sisters. The researchers also introduced a weaver ant, a natural predator of exploding ants, to observe the workers explosive response. SAN FRANCISCO In Europe and the United States, the conventional wisdom is that regulation is needed to force Silicon Valleys digital giants to respect peoples online privacy. But new rules may instead serve to strengthen Facebooks and Googles hegemony and extend their lead on the internet. That could begin playing out next month, when Europe enacts sweeping new regulations that prioritize peoples data privacy. The new laws, which require tech companies to ask for users consent for their data, are likely to hand Google and Facebook an advantage. Thats because wary consumers are more prone to trust recognized names with their information than unfamiliar newcomers. And the laws may deter start-ups that do not have the resources to comply with the rules from competing with the big companies. In recent years, other regulatory attempts at strengthening online privacy rules have also had little effect at chipping away at the power of the largest tech companies, ultimately aiding internet giants rather than hurting them. But in February, when Ms. LaBelle tried to check her food stamps balance, she got a message that access to her information was currently unavailable to the residents of Maine. That interruption, she said, lasted for nearly a month, in which she also lost the timesaving and meal-planning convenience of the app. Propel, Mr. Chen insisted, has tried to explain its business to state governments and to food stamp contractors. The Propel app is a digital skin that works on top of the websites of food stamp contractors, like Conduent. A user taps the app, which is known as FreshEBT, to look up the amount left in the account. On average, users check their balances seven times a month. Conduent, in another twist, has begun competing with the start-up. The business services outsourcer, which has $6 billion in yearly revenue, introduced its own smartphone app last year. Conduents entry, ConnectEBT, has significantly fewer reviews and lower ratings on the Google and Apple app stores than Propels FreshEBT. Conduents app is available in Utah, South Carolina and Oklahoma, and offers only basic information on account balances and purchases. But the company said it was beginning a broader rollout this year, and would provide more features and functions as it gets states approval as a regulated contractor, unlike Propel. Propels predicament is magnified because the food-stamp systems technology, like many government tech services, is outsourced to a relatively small number of companies. Its an oligopoly game, so theres often not much choice, competition or innovation, said Josh Miller, who oversaw the development of digital products in the Obama White House. He added that the volume of data requests from Propel is tiny in internet terms. About two-thirds of smokers will die early from cigarette-based illnesses. Cigarettes are also very addictive. Because of this, it seems reasonable to place warnings on their labels. If a Los Angeles Superior Court judge has his way, California businesses will have to put similar warnings on something else that can be addictive, coffee. His ruling, which is being challenged by coffee producers, is harder to justify in terms of health if it can be justified at all. Californias Proposition 65, enacted in 1986, mandates that businesses with more than 10 employees warn consumers if their products contain one of many chemicals that the state has ruled as carcinogenic. One of these chemicals is acrylamide. Like many other substances, acrylamide causes cancer in rats when they are pumped full of huge doses in ways that dont approximate real life. In humans, the data are far less clear. The American Cancer Society (which does not shrink from saying things cause cancer) reports on its website that there are currently no cancer types for which there is clearly an increased risk related to acrylamide intake. For instance, a Yemeni man resettled in Serbia in 2016 has struggled to learn the local language while complaining that a Guantanamo stigma was wrecking his job and social-life prospects. He was resettled alongside a former detainee from Tajikistan, who has more readily adapted. But both lack legal status, and a Serbian official told one of their lawyers that the government is reviewing whether to deport them this summer, after the two-year travel ban ends. A government spokesman said no decision has been made. Beth Jacob, the Yemenis lawyer, said her client fears repatriation but she could not even find someone in the U.S. government to discuss our concerns with. And Matthew OHara, a lawyer for the other former detainee, said his client would likely be persecuted or tortured in Tajikistan, which revoked his citizenship. My level of concern went through the roof when I saw what happened in Senegal, he said. Senegal took in the two former detainees from Libya in April 2016 as a favor to Mr. Obama by its president, Macky Sall. The two men, Salem Abdul Salem Ghereby and Awad Khalifa, were given apartments in Dakar, with a minder living nearby. When a Times reporter visited the men on April 3, Mr. Ghereby complained that Senegal would not permit his wife and children from Libya to come stay with him. Both wanted larger grocery rations. But there were also signs the resettlement was working. Mr. Khalifa, for example, was warmly greeted by his neighbors and said he was engaged. Senegalese officials have refused to discuss what prompted them to consider deporting the men. Relations between African countries and the United States have generally deteriorated under Mr. Trump, especially since reports surfaced in January that he insulted African nations using a crude term. Ramzi Kassem, a law professor at the City University of New York who is represents Mr. Khalifa, said his client was first told in January he might not be allowed to stay in Senegal. Mr. Kassem emailed the United States Embassy but received no reply. On March 26, the men were told in writing they would be deported. While Mr. Ghereby apparently did not object because at least in Libya he could be reunited with his family, Mr. Khalifa was terrified, telling a Times reporter that he feared he would be killed. Hours after that interview, neighbors said, Senegalese security officials took the men away. WASHINGTON The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in a late pivot on Monday evening, approved the confirmation of Mike Pompeo to be the next secretary of state, after Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, bowed to pressure from President Trump and dropped his opposition. For days, the committee appeared ready to deliver a historic rebuke. Since it began considering nominees in the late 19th century, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has never given a nominee for secretary of state anything but a favorable vote, according to the Senate historian. It has been almost 30 years since any cabinet nominee was reported to the full Senate with an unfavorable recommendation. But minutes before the committee convened, Mr. Paul, an ardent opponent of interventionist foreign policy, declared his support for Mr. Pompeo, the C.I.A. director, to lead the State Department, securing approval from the committee. After calling continuously for weeks for Director Pompeo to support President Trumps belief that the Iraq war was a mistake, and that it is time to leave Afghanistan, today I received confirmation that Director Pompeo agrees with President Trump, Mr. Paul wrote. President Trump believes that Iraq was a mistake, that regime change has destabilized the region and that we must end our involvement with Afghanistan. Having received assurances from President Trump and Director Pompeo that he agrees with the president on these important issues, I have decided to support his nomination. WASHINGTON Hes been photographed kite-surfing with Richard Branson off Necker Island, relaxing on David Geffens yacht in French Polynesia with Bruce Springsteen and Oprah Winfrey, river-rafting with his family in Bali and posing with a celebrity chef in Tuscany. To those who have paid only casual attention to former President Barack Obamas foreign travels since he left the White House in January 2017, it can seem as if Mr. Obama has been on an extended vacation of the kind only the very rich can afford. But the former president has also met quietly with groups of young people in New Zealand, Brazil, Indonesia and Singapore, as well as paying calls on foreign leaders, including Xi Jinping of China, Emmanuel Macron of France, Justin Trudeau of Canada and Malcolm Turnbull of Australia. Now, Mr. Obama is inaugurating his most significant international project as an ex-president, with an announcement on Monday that the Obama Foundation plans to convene 200 young people this July in Johannesburg for five days of meetings, workshops and technical training. WASHINGTON On Monday morning, the Supreme Court heard an argument that touched on the presidents power to fire subordinates. In the afternoon, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, who has been the subject of reports that President Trump wants to fire him, argued before the justices. The morning argument examined how to balance independence against accountability within the executive branch. The specific question for the court was whether in-house judges at the Securities and Exchange Commission had decided cases without constitutional authorization. But several justices acknowledged that their ruling in the case could have broad implications. There are different ways to interfere with decisional independence, Justice Elena Kagan said. One is by docking somebodys pay. One is by having a removal power hang over your head. And another is by being the person who gets to decide who gets the job or not. But Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said responsibility within the executive branch must ultimately belong to the president rather than the administrative bureaucracy, which operates as insulation from the political accountability that the drafters of the Constitution intended. WASHINGTON As the first state dinner of the Trump era approaches, Melania Trump, a first lady of few public words who tends to let visuals do the talking, has repeatedly doled out a short bit of advice to her small East Wing staff: Do not worry. Her instructions came in the midst of haggling over the guest list (no Democrats from Congress were invited), the selection of the cream-and-gold color scheme and decisions on the flowers, including cherry blossoms once gasp chosen by the Obamas. Do not worry was meant as both encouragement and directive. But for aides in this White House, which plans to host President Emmanuel Macron of France for a ceremony of pomp that belies more serious negotiations over the Iran nuclear deal and trade concessions, this may be easier said than done. This year, the state dinner guest list was whittled to around 120 people, down from highs of 350 or so people who attended previous bipartisan and media-filled dinners featuring celebrities and pop icons like Beyonce. (The Washington National Opera will perform this year instead, the White House said.) Typically the leadership of the opposing party is invited to a state dinner, but the Trumps threw out that tradition as they also shunned journalists, who in previous administrations received a handful of invitations not surprising for a president who derides the fake news media. When the man suspected of killing four people at a Waffle House in Nashville on Sunday was arrested last year in Washington, he called himself a sovereign citizen, according to a police report. The suspect, who was identified by the authorities as Travis J. Reinking and taken into custody on Monday, was arrested in July after he insisted on a meeting with President Trump and crossed a security barrier at the White House, the report said. The suspect stated he wanted to speak to the President and said he was a sovereign citizen and has a right to inspect the grounds, the report said. There is an anti-government ideology by that name that is identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Anti-Defamation League as an extremist movement. But it is not known whether Mr. Reinking, 29, had ties to the movement, and investigators have not publicly identified a motive for the mass shooting in which he is accused. An expert on extreme ideologies cautioned against linking Mr. Reinking to the movement without additional evidence, and Don Aaron, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, said Monday that he did not know about the sovereign citizen issue. China, an ally of North Korea for decades, is the main source of tourism to the country. Many Chinese tourists visit North Korea seeking a sense of what China was like before it became one of the worlds largest economies. Day trips across the border are popular, as are visits to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. Even as tensions over the Norths nuclear program have risen over the past year, the flow of tourists from China has continued. In 2012, the most recent year for which data is available, 237,000 Chinese people visited the country. Mr. Kim visited the victims of the crash and expressed bitter sorrow for the accident, KCNA, the North Korean news agency, said Tuesday. His statement was a rare show of regret by a leadership that typically does not call attention to such negative news inside the country. The circumstances of the crash, which occurred in North Hwanghae province, near the border with South Korea, remained unclear on Monday, and there was limited coverage in Chinas state-run news media. An English-language channel affiliated with China Central Television, the state broadcaster, reported on Twitter that the bus had fallen from a bridge. The post was later deleted. Chinese state television broadcast images of an overturned blue bus and what appeared to be medical workers tending to injured passengers. The images, taken at night, showed heavy rain. OTTAWA The past three popes have invested deeply in the forgiveness-begging business, offering official apologies for the churchs sins against Jews during World War II and Indigenous people in Bolivia, among others. But Canadas Roman Catholic bishops said late last month that Pope Francis would not apologize in the foreseeable future for the boarding schools where, for more than a century and a half, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend in an effort to obliterate their cultures and languages. About 70 percent of children went to schools operated by the church. Now, the Canadian House of Commons is poised to consider a motion to ask those bishops to return to Rome to seek a papal apology, fulfilling a specific recommendation for healing the rift between Canada and its Indigenous people by a national Truth and Reconciliation Commission that documented the abuses at the schools. This wasnt the work of a few bad apples, said Charlie Angus, a practicing Catholic and New Democratic Party member of Parliament who introduced the motion, which is supported by the government and likely to pass. The churchs role was enormous. MOSCOW Ten days of demonstrations that escalated throughout Armenia forced the resignation Monday of the man who has led the country for the past decade, creating the latest crisis in a post-Soviet state trying to overcome a legacy of weak democratic rule. The unexpected resignation prompted scenes of jubilation in the capital, Yerevan, and other cities. Tens of thousands of people flocked to the central Republic Square in Yerevan, where all afternoon and into the night they danced, cheered and waved the Armenian flag, a striped tricolor of red, blue and orange. Serzh Sargsyan, president since 2008, reached his legal two-term limit earlier this month. A constitutional referendum in 2015 had transferred most presidential powers to the role of prime minister, however, and the Parliament, dominated by his right-wing Republican Party, swiftly voted him into the post with no other candidate given a chance. I was wrong, Mr. Sargsyan said in a brief resignation statement carried by the official news agency. The street movement is against my tenure. I am fulfilling your demand. If my two sons decide they prefer studying than the fields, I myself will stop in 20 years and this farming story will come to an end, he said. On weekends and during the summer vacations, the population of Driebes swells as former residents return to enjoy traditional village feasts and take a break from city life. Even so, a dozen houses stand in ruins, half awaiting demolition. What this village doesnt have in physical beauty, it compensates for with its great personality and the friendliness of its people, said Maria Teresa Vadillo Sanchez, who works in a town 30 miles away but returns most weekends with her daughters to a family home where her mother now lives alone. Its too early to understand the Roman history that once breathed life into Caraca. But using a drone and ground radar technology, archaeologists have mapped the town that they will unearth, pending more funding. Last summer, 15 people got paid to help with the first excavation, but the archaeologists caution against raising expectations about their project and how it could bring economic sustainability to Driebes. Its great to get local people involved, but excavations are slow and expensive, said Emilio Gamo, one of Caracas archaeologists. So the people should also know that the dynamics of archaeology arent necessarily those of a tourism project. He said it was no coincidence that anticorruption investigators first raided his central bank office and his home a few hours after he declined a request from ABLV bank for a billion euros in liquidity support to help survive a bank run caused by the Treasury Department report. The two things are absolutely connected, he said, claiming that he is the victim of a big plot by dodgy bankers. Latvias finance minister, Dana Reizniece-Ozola, a chess grandmaster well versed in elaborate gambits, derided Mr. Rimsevicss conspiracy theory. I know this is his line of defense, she said. This is a free country so he can say whatever he wants. Yet, she added, He is not a victim. He is a suspect. Also skeptical about Mr. Rimsevicss claims of victimhood is Ainars Latkovskis, the chairman of the Latvian Parliaments Defense, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee. Mr. Latkovskis said his committee had long pushed for tighter controls on banks like ABLV but, speaking in the chamber where the committee has discussed ways to toughen measures against money laundering, he said, we never saw him here in this room. John Christmas, a banker who worked with Latvias now defunct Parex bank, said Mr. Rimsevics had, at times, shown concern about money laundering. He remembers meeting the central bank chief in 2004 and getting an earful about Parex. He started cursing that Parex was a criminal organization, Mr. Christmas said. The banker later left Parex and Latvia to become a vociferous online critic of the countrys banking system. But, he said, Mr. Rimsevics did not respond to a 2005 letter urging the closure of Parex, which collapsed three years later after a bank run. All the recent tumult, accompanied by purported death threats and accusations of Russian meddling, has delivered a sharp blow to Latvias image as a placid and predictable country firmly anchored in the West, a counter-model of post-Soviet development to that offered by Russia. The evidence against Mr. Rimsevics for bribetaking has not been revealed, and the only accuser to come forward so far is Grigory Guselnikov, the Russian owner of Norvik, another Latvian bank focused on nonresident clients. Speaking by telephone from London, where he lives, Mr. Guselnikov said he had been asked to pay 100,000 euros, around $125,000, in bribes a month by an intermediary sent by Mr. Rimsevics. He also accused the central banker of having once worked for the Soviet K.G.B. PARIS Salah Abdeslam, who is believed to be the only surviving member of the group that carried out a series of coordinated attacks in and around Paris in 2015 and then in Brussels five months later, was convicted on Monday and sentenced to 20 years in prison for shooting at the police in the Belgian capital while he was on the run. The Brussels Criminal Court also convicted Sofien Ayari, who was with Mr. Abdeslam at the time of the fusillade and sentenced him to the same 20-year term that prosecutors had sought for both men. Mr. Abdeslam, 28, who has French citizenship, and Mr. Ayari, who is Tunisian, faced trial on charges that included possession of illegal weapons and attempted murder in a terrorist context. The two men were accused of shooting and wounding four Belgian and French police officers who were searching for them in southern Brussels, four months after the attacks in Paris and the northern suburb of St.-Denis that left 130 dead, and days before two deadly attacks in Brussels, one at the main airport and another on a subway train. WASHINGTON President Trump will come under increasing pressure from visiting French and German leaders this week not to scrap the three-year-old nuclear agreement with Iran next month as American and European negotiators make tentative progress toward a new deal to toughen the limits on Tehran. President Emmanuel Macron of France arrived Monday at the White House for the first state visit of Mr. Trumps presidency, intent on using his unusual bond with the American president to try to persuade him to preserve the Iran deal, at least for now. While not as close personally to Mr. Trump, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany will follow on Friday to reinforce the message. The back-to-back visits come weeks before a May 12 deadline set by Mr. Trump to fix the Iran agreement or walk away from it. Under the agreement, sealed in 2015 by President Barack Obama, Iran has curbed its nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling international sanctions. But Mr. Trump and other critics have assailed it because it begins to expire after a decade and does not block Irans missile development or try to stop it from destabilizing the region. In recent weeks, American and European negotiators have made progress toward side agreements that would lay out new standards for Iran to meet or risk the reimposition of sanctions by the West. Negotiators have generally reached a consensus on measures to constrain Irans ballistic missile program, according to people briefed on the talks, but remain divided over how to extend the restrictions of the original agreement due to lapse starting in 2025. But Diana, for once, hadnt set the trend: Princess Anne, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, was the first to use the Lindo Wing to give birth; her son, Peter, was born there in 1977. Her daughter, Zara, followed, in 1981. Excitement about the latest royal birth began when Kensington Palace posted on Twitter at 8.22 a.m. Monday that Catherine, the duchess of Cambridge, had been admitted to the hospital that morning. At 1 p.m. the palace tweeted again: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. Around 2.30 p.m., in accordance with tradition, an official notice was erected on an easel in front of Buckingham Palace. SANA, Yemen An airstrike on a wedding party, carried out by the Saudi-led coalition waging war in Yemen, killed more than 20 people and wounded dozens of others, including the groom, Yemeni officials said Monday. The strike hit an isolated village in northwestern Yemen, where families had gathered to celebrate, late Sunday. After the attack, people posted online what they said were survivors collecting mangled and charred bodies. One widely shared video showed a young boy clinging to the shirt of his dead father, crying, No, no, no. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab countries, with support from Britain and the United States, have been bombing Yemen for more than three years to try to remove an Iranian-aligned rebel group known as the Houthis from the capital, Sana, and to restore the internationally recognized government. The civil war is part of a larger regional power struggle between the Sunni monarchy in Saudi Arabia, and the Shiite rulers of Iran. The conflict has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced millions and caused what United Nations officials have called the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Yemen was the Arab worlds poorest country before the war, and it now suffers from spreading poverty and a large outbreak of cholera. TORONTO The killing began on a busy lunchtime thoroughfare in Toronto on Monday when a white rental Ryder van ran over a pedestrian crossing the street then mounted a sidewalk and began plowing into people indiscriminately. One by one, one by one, said a witness who identified himself as Ali. Holy God, Ive never seen such a sight before. I feel sick. By the end, at least 10 people were dead and 15 were injured, said the authorities. The drivers actions, they said, appeared intentional, but did not seem to have been an act of terrorism. The city is safe, said the Toronto police chief, Mark Saunders. The global wind turbine industry has transformed from a collection of small companies in Denmark to corporations pulling off enormous feats of engineering. Prototype wind turbines whirl at a testing site in Osterild, near the northern end of Denmarks Jutland peninsula. By Rasmus Degnbol OSTERILD, Denmark At the northern end of Denmarks Jutland peninsula, the wind blows so hard that rows of trees grow in one direction, like gnarled flags. The relentless weather over this long strip of farmland, bogs and mud flats and the real-world laboratory it provides has given the country a leading role in transforming wind power into a viable source of clean energy. After energy prices spiked during the 1973 oil crisis, entrepreneurs began building small turbines to sell here. It started out as an interest in providing power for my parents farm, said Henrik Stiesdal, who designed and built early prototypes with a blacksmith partner. The initial windmills made by small operations had quality problems. Blades then just 15 feet in length would break or fall apart. Now, they are giants, made by global players pulling off enormous feats of engineering. Technicians reach the roof of these enormous wind turbines either via an internal elevator or, if the turbine is installed offshore, by helicopters that lower them into the fenced-off area. By Rasmus Degnbol The biggest turbines in Osterild stretch more than 600 feet high. The largest rotor blades can reach 270 feet in length, comparable to the wingspan of an Airbus A380, the worlds largest commercial plane. The price tag: Up to 10 million euros, or more than $12 million. The monstrous scale has helped turn wind into a mainstream form of power. Larger turbines harness more wind, creating more energy. The biggest modern offshore turbines produce nearly 20 times as much power as ones developed three decades ago. The larger the size, the lower the cost of generating energy. In parts of northern Europe, wind is now a major power source. It accounts for 4 percent of overall global energy supply, according to the International Energy Agency. Blades for wind turbines lie outside a factory, waiting to be transported to wind farms. By Rasmus Degnbol From those early Danish innovators, the industry has grown to be dominated by companies like Vestas Wind Systems and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. The heart of the Siemens Gamesa business lies in Brande, a small Jutland town. It was there in the early 1980s that an entrepreneur named Peter Sorensen founded a wind business called Bonus with a couple of workers from his fathers irrigation company. Siemens bought Bonus in 2004, and today, Brande is home to large engineering, training and maintenance hubs. Staff sitting at consoles there can monitor wind farms around the globe. Often, when a problem shuts a turbine down, they can restart it electronically without needing to send a maintenance team. Siemens Gamesa staff can check the performance of turbines around the world, and fix problems remotely, often from their desks in Brande. Carsten Snejbjerg for The New York Times What began as the offshoot of an irrigation company in the Danish town of Brande is now a major industrial enterprise. Carsten Snejbjerg for The New York Times At a cavernous workshop, technicians build custom turbine models and facilities for testing whether components are robust enough to last two decades or more. Inside, the towers are so big that elevators haul engineers up and down. Passengers must wear a climbing harness in case they fail. At a Siemens Gamesa training center, technicians learning how to lower themselves with ropes and harnesses in case elevators inside the turbines fail. Carsten Snejbjerg for The New York Times The rotors are connected to the windmill tower by a nacelle a large enclosure the size of a trailer, with plenty of room inside to walk around. Large enclosures, or nacelles, connect a wind turbine's rotors and house its generator and controls. Carsten Snejbjerg for The New York Times Looming over the top deck outside are the rotors. When they whirl, the whole column sways like a ship at sea. A technician walks inside a prototype wind turbine in Osterild, Denmark. These test models help turbine makers boost performance. Carsten Snejbjerg for The New York Times Making these blades is difficult and labor-intensive. Teams of workers gradually fill a mold with strips of fiberglass interlaced with balsa wood for strength. They then inject resins and other chemicals into the container to form the hardened structure. The huge size of the blades, and the complexity of the process, mean completely automating it does not make economic sense. Around 1,300 people work in the factory, and making a single blade can take about three days. Its a difficult balance for manufacturers to achieve both size and efficiency. The largest blades already weigh around 30 metric tons, and making them longer adds to their weight, fast. Overweight blades might lead to turbines being worn down faster, and would put enormous stress on other components. A group of workers prepare a mold for a wind turbine blade. They fill the mold with fiber glass cloth in a process that loosely resembles making a surfboard. By Rasmus Degnbol Designers are testing tweaks to the shape and size of a blade, experimenting with the changes in wind tunnels or on computers. They have found that gluing various add-ons to the blades can substantially boost performance. One fix a combination of serrated teeth and combs that reduced the sound of the blades was inspired by the wing feathers of owls. Many of the big turbines that are designed at the center will eventually make their way to the open water, where there is more space and the wind is more powerful. Their huge components, difficult to transport on roadways, can be loaded at ports onto special boats, which take them to sprawling wind farms in the sea. The enclosures which connect the blades to the wind turbines tower are readied to be loaded onto ships. By Rasmus Degnbol The first offshore wind farm was built using a barge that had a crane mounted on a truck. Companies today have developed specialized vessels to carry these offshore turbines to their floating platforms. They must contend with a variety of challenges, including the corrosive impact of saltwater. To service wind farms far from the shore, maintenance crews sometimes live on special ships. Its a complicated calculus. In the early years, building an offshore wind farm was fantastically expensive, and governments offered generous subsidies to help the industry develop. But prices have been falling, and government support has melted away, according to Andreas Nauen, the chief executive of Siemens Gamesas offshore wind division. Lower costs, though, have also made wind power more appealing elsewhere. Mr. Nauen is optimistic that new markets for wind power, which was once mostly concentrated in northern Europe, will emerge in Asia and the United States. This is real, he said. 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 Karnataka Elections 2018: BJP releases 4th list of 7 candidates India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released the fourth list of its seven candidates on Monday. The saffron party announced 72 candidates in the first list and 82 candidates in the second list and 59 candidates in the third 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. Earlier, in a surprising political development, BS Yeddyurappa said his son BY Vijayendra will not file nomination papers from Varuna assembly constituency. Yeddyurappa announced this decision while addressing party workers in Nanjanagudu. 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 Wont be humilitated: Will not join BJP, but will quit Congress says Captain Singh As expected says Congress on Priyanka Gandhis arrest in UP On camera: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's scuffle with UP Police on Lakhimpur Kheri's border emerges CJI's impeachment: Congress to challenge Venkaiah Naidu's decision in Supreme Court India oi-Deepika By Deepika Congress said on Monday that it would move the Supreme Court against Venkaiah Naidu's rejection of an impeachment motion against the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Addressing a press conference, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that the party will challenge Naidu's rejection of the impeachment notice in the Supreme Court. He claimed that that the Rajya Sabha chairman's order was "illegal" and passed without a full-fledged enquiry. "We will certainly file a petition (in the Supreme Court) against this and would want the CJI to not take any decision with respect to it, be it the listing or anything else, we'll accept whatever the Supreme Court decides," Sibal said. "Never before in India's history has a motion moved by MPs been dismissed at the preliminary stage," he added, criticising Naidu's rejection of the impeachment motion. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu today rejected the notice given by Opposition parties led by the Congress for the impeachment of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, citing lack of substantial merit in it. The rejection of the notice comes a day after he held the consultations with such experts to determine the maintainability of the motion. Seven Opposition parties led by the Congress had last week moved a notice before him for the impeachment on five grounds of "misbehaviour". This is the first time in independent history that an impeachment notice has been filed against a sitting chief justice. OneIndia News (with PTI inputs) How these PFI/SDPI activists spread the ISIS ideology in Kerala India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Activists of the Popular Front of India and SDPI have come under the scanner of the National Investigation Agency in connection with a case relating to the Islamic State. The NIA has named four persons in the charge sheet - Midlaj, Abdul Razak, Hamsa and Abdul Khayum, all residents of Kerala. The case was originally registered at the Valapattanam police station, district Kannur on October 25, 2017. It was alleged that these members had subscribed to the ideology of the ISIS. They had made an attempt to leave Kerala and join the terror group in Syria. The NIA took over the case from the police on December 16, 2017. NIA investigation revealed that the accused persons Midlaj, Abdul Razak and Hamsa, in pursuance to the criminal conspiracy hatched by them since 2016, along with their associates had attempted to further the objectives of ISIS by physically travelling to Syria. Their intention was to wage a war on behalf of the ISIS against Syria an Asiatic power at peace with Government of India. Midlaj and Abdul Razak were activists of Popular Front of India (PFI)/ Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and had collected funds besides conducting preparations in India during 2016-17, and reached Turkey through Iran, with the intention of crossing over to Syria and joining the ISIS. Midlaj and Abdul Razak (A-2) were intercepted by the Turkish authorities and deported back to India. The investigation has also revealed that Hamsa had propagated the ideology of ISIS and recruited co-accused into the proscribed organization since 2015. Hamsa subsequently conspired with co-accused and prepared to exit India during December 2016 on hijra to Syria. Jessica Lal's sister 'forgives' Manu Sharma, says she has 'no objection' to his release India oi-Vikas By Vikas Jessica Lal's sister Sabrina Lal has "forgiven" Manu Sharma, who had murdered her sister in 1999 at a south Delhi restaurant, and said that she has "no objection to his release". Sabrina Lal has reportedly written a letter to the welfare officer at Delhi's Tihar Jail, where Manu Sharma has spent 12 years. The Delhi High Court had found Sharma guilty in the case in 2006, and sentenced him to life in prison. The verdict was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2010. Sharma had opened fire at Jessica on April 30, 1999, when she refused to serve him a drink at a restaurant in south Delhi. He is the son of former union minister Vinod Sharma. While a trial court had acquitted Sharma, the Delhi High Court sentenced him in 2006. "I am told that in this period he has been doing good work for charity and helping inmates in jail which I feel is a reflection of reform... I would like to state I have no objection to his release, owing to the fact that he has spent 15 years in jail," reports quoted Sabrina's letter as saying. "I don't want to hold on to any more anger or hurt. I feel he has served his sentence. I don't feel there is any need to hanker about the situation," Sabrina Lal told the Times of India. Earlier, Sharma was given "parole" so that he could appear for Bachelor of Law first semester examinations. Sharma was given relief from December 10 to December 15, 2015 and December 20, 2015 to January 1, 2016. Jessica Lal murder case trial: Jessica had been bartending on April 29, 1999 at a Delhi restaurant, Tamarind Court, for a private party hosted by its owner, designer Bina Ramani. Sharma was held guilty of shooting her when she refused him a drink. Jessica Lal was a model in New Delhi who was working as a celebrity barmaid at a crowded socialite party when she was shot dead at around 2 am on 30 April 1999. Dozens of witnesses pointed to Siddharth Vashisht, also known as Manu Sharma, the son of Venod Sharma, a wealthy and influential politician from Haryana, as the murderer. In the ensuing trial, Manu Sharma and a number of others were acquitted on 21 February 2006. [Out on furlough, Jessica Lal murder convict Manu Sharma marries Mumbai girl] Following intense media and public pressure, the prosecution appealed and the Delhi High Court conducted proceedings on a fast track with daily hearings conducted over 25 days. The trial court judgment was overturned, and Manu Sharma was found guilty of having murdered Lal. He was sentenced to life imprisonment on 20 December 2006. 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 Karnataka Elections 2018: Congress sets deadline to Ambareesh India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Former Minister MH Ambareesh has been given a deadline by Congress party to decide on his contest from Mandya assembly constituency. Ambareesh, actor-turned-politician is a prominent Vokkaliga face in the Congress party. Ambareesh has not collected the B-form yet, though his name was announced in the first list. KPCC G Parameshwara, who is in Korategere to file his nomination papers and CM Siddramaiah are likely to meet today afternoon to take a call on Ambareesh's candidature. According to reports, CM Siddramaiah, who is in Davanagere, made a call to Ambareesh, but the latter was not available. However, Ambareesh reportedly said that he did not wish to contest the upcoming assembly elections. He has asked the KPCC chief, Dr. Parameshwar to offer the ticket to his associate, Amaravathi Chandrashekhar. Amaravathi Chandrashekhar has been a close associate of Ambareesh for the last 20 years. The party leadership will take a call on the same by 3 pm. Karnataka elections: 'BJP gets 60 per cent support of the Lingayat community', says survey India oi-Deepika By Deepika Siddaramaiah's move of giving separate religion status to Lingayat was initially seen as a masterstroke. The move was clearly aimed at both dividing the BJP's vote bank and appeasing the Lingayat community, but it is not panning out as expected by Siddaramaiah. Recent opinion polls have found that the Lingayat issue is not determining the vote choice; those favouring separate religion status are favouring BJP even more. According to the ABP survey 60 per cent of the Lingayats to vote for the saffron party despite Siddaramaiah's master stroke. Also, an overwhelming majority says Congress is not going to benefit from raising this issue, directly or indirectly. And this sentiment is cutting across the region. However, 3 in every 5 Lingayats support the idea of getting a separate religion status for their community, it said. As per Times Now survey, the separate religion tag for Lingayats would not benefit the Congress much. The poll predicted that the party would win 21 of the 50 seats in the Mumbai-Karnataka region, where the community is dominant. This is 10 seats less than in 2013 when the party won 31 seats in the region. The BJP, which won 13 seats in the region in 2013, is predicted to get 23 seats. The Lingayat community, which makes up 17% of the state's population and is the largest chunk, traditionally supports the BJP, especially in northern Karnataka. The community has a large presence in central Karnataka, especially in Davanagere, Chitradurga and Shivamogga. The latest move appears to be a bid by Congress to split BJP's Lingayat vote base. The Congress hopes the move will get the support from the Lingayat community. Approximately one-third of Karnataka voters say that this controversy could yield great results for Congress. In fact, Lingayat voters are even more pessimistic on the political fallout than the non-Lingayat voters. Karnataka has so far had nine chief ministers belonging to the Lingayat community. Karnataka elections: Is the BJP planning on fielding weak candidates from these constituencies? India oi-Vicky Nanjappa The Congress has often accused the BJP and JD(S) of being in an understanding with each other in the Karnataka assembly elections. Some leaders have now raised a doubt over this with the BJP not announcing its candidates for the Hassan, Belur and Sakleshpur assembly constituencies. In some circles, it is being said that the decision has not been taken as yet and there is a likelihood that the party may field weak candidates. This is being done to help the JD(S), sources also said. The three aspirants from these constituencies have already hit the campaign trail a year back. However, they are upset that the candidate names have not been announced as yet. Take for instance the case of Preetam Gowda and N Somashekhar who are aspiring to contest from Hassan and Sakleshpur respectively. B S Yeddyurappa had visited these constituencies and assured them tickets, but no call has been taken so far. This has led to speculation that the BJP may be trying to help the JD(S) by fielding weak 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 Karnataka elections: Modi to address 16 rallies in 8 days India oi-Vicky Nanjappa For those who were wondering why they had not seen much of Narendra Modi in the Karnataka assembly election campaign, here is some news for you. The Prime Minister is set to address 16 rallies starting April 29. The star campaigner for the BJP, Modi would address at least 16 rallies in 8 days. The rallies would begin at Kolar. He would also address a rally at Raichur on the same day. The BJP has decided to combine the rallies by Modi and the strategising of the elections by party president Amit Shah. The BJP's national president, Shah has made several visits to the state and has been micro-managing the elections. Modi during his visits would cover every nook and corner of the state. The party says that his rallies have had huge responses even on Sundays. His rallies at Bengaluru and Mysuru have been big hits, the BJP also says. During the Uttar Pradesh elections, Modi had addressed 24 rallies while his highest still remain in Bihar where it was 31. Karnataka has dedicated vote banks and the voting pattern has been more or less the same. The BJP feels that it needs to cut into the Congress vote bank and only Modi is capable of doing so. On an individual note, Modi still remains extremely popular in Karnataka and the BJP would like to bank heavily on that. The BJP realises that a one or two per cent vote swing can decide the fate of the elections. Shah has been pushing the Karnataka BJP to toil at the booth level. The party feels that with more of Modi and Shah's booth level engineering, the BJP could bag that crucial one per cent swing which will help it form the government in Karnataka. 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 Karnataka elections: Why freedom fighter HS Doreswamy thinks Modi wants to destroy India India oi-Maitreyee Bengaluru, April 23: Karnataka's grand old man, HS Doreswamy, is not known for mincing his words and he surely doesn't hold back when it comes to a certain politician who he thinks wants to kill the idea of India. On a scorching afternoon last week, when OneIndia visited Doreswamy's residence in Jayanagar, Bengaluru, he spoke passionately about the upcoming Karnataka elections, why he and his friends started the campaign "Modi versus Karnataka", turning of Indian democracy into "demoncracy", importance of youths to take part in politics and much more. Recuperating from old-age ailments, the freedom fighter, who recently turned 100, mostly stays at home these days. But a steady flow of visitors and friends keep him busy throughout the day. He is also inundated by a series of phone calls (well, he still uses a landline and likes to stay away from smartphones), which he answers himself every time it rings. "Yes, a lot of friends and acquaintances come to my house to discuss politics of Karnataka and India at large. The Karnataka elections are a few weeks away. We have been talking about the need to defeat the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) in the state elections to keep Modi (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) out of power in the next 2019 Lok Sabha elections," Doreswamy told sitting in his sparsely decorated bedroom that has the busts of Mahatma Gandhi and Buddha, two of his biggest inspirations. Since the last few months, a group of civil society organisations have come together to start the campaign "Modi versus Karnataka". As part of the campaign, Doreswamy and others are urging voters to not vote for the BJP in the upcoming state elections. The elections to the 224-member Assembly in Karnataka are scheduled on May 12. The results will be declared on May 15. When asked why he has taken such a firm stand against PM Modi, the centenarian who has earlier taken part in several citizen-initiative movements in Bengaluru, including preventing dumping of garbage at Mandur and ensuring housing facilities for poor, said Modi wants to "destroy the country". "The BJP has a hidden agenda to turn the country into a Hindu rashtra (nation). We have also seen what is happening in the country since 2014. The society has been divided. The economy is in the doldrums. A lot of things are wrong. Modi has a host of bad people in his cabinet. He never takes any action against them," he said. "Our democracy has turned into demoncracy," he added. Talking about the importance of Karnataka elections, Doreswamy said he sees it as a prelude to the 2019 General elections. "If Karnataka defeats Modi, then he won't be able to come to power in 2019." He, however, clarifies that when he speaks against the BJP, it does not mean he sees no vices in the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular). "They have also failed on many fronts and thus out of power. Here we have to choose the best from the worst." Doreswamy and members of civil society groups recently met JD(S) patriarch and former PM HD Deve Gowda and asked him not to support the BJP in case there is a hung Assembly. "We want secular parties to rule Karnataka which is a very progressive state." When asked about the role of Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in the elections, he said that they are being just paraded by the big parties. "The elections are about local issues like lack of water, crisis in agriculture, bad roads and garbage, to name a few. The national leaders have little understanding about the state's problems," Doreswamy said. The veteran freedom fighter, who had gone to jail during the freedom movement, said that small parties like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Swaraj Abhiyan bring hopes for alternative politics. "They need to do their spadework well before plunging into elections. Sure, they have some upright people. They have to be committed to continue being part of politics." He urged the young voters to come out and vote because "future of the country is at stake". In the coming elections, at least 15.42 lakh first-time voters will cast their votes and young voters will play a decisive role in deciding the fate of political parties. "The youngsters in general lack political awareness. They are too busy and caught up with their own personal lives and careers. They all aspire to go, work and settle in foreign shores. That is fine. But if they don't understand that things are in bad shape in their homes (country) all these success stories of NRIs won't fetch us anything." What really hurts Doreswamy is the large-scale presence of poverty and hunger even in an otherwise developed state of the country. "The nation has failed its poor and the deprived. The political parties only work for the rich. The rich are becoming richer and poor poorer. It is a shame and it hurts me a lot," he said with a glum face. Despite resentment everywhere, the centenarian insists that everyone should vote. He, however, has one last advice. "If voters feel that none of the candidates in their respective constituencies are worth voting for then they should opt for NOTA (None of the above). I went for NOTA in the 2013 Assembly elections in Karnataka," he signed off without revealing if he is planning to do so again on May 12. Kathua, Unnao cases: WB transgender community protests, demands justice for rape victims India oi-Oneindia Staff By Oneindia Staff Kolkata, April 23: It has been more than a week now, and the transgender community of West Bengal is in no mood to end its protest marches unless and until the protesters get an assurance from the government that the accused of rape and murder cases get maximum punishment. The protest marches are also being held to highlight the daily mistreatment meted out to the community members in our society. The marginalised transgender community from the state has been staging protests on the streets of Kolkata since April 15 after two of the most appalling rape cases--gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir and rape of a 16-year-old teenager by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh--came to light. Both the cases caught the attention of the nation because of its barbarity and open support for the accused from a section of the ruling BJP. In the recent past, India witnessed several protests demanding justice for rape victims. After its "studied silence" over crimes against women, especially minor girls, the Narendra Modi government approved the ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping girls under 12 years recently. The ordinance has got mixed reactions as many feel that laws hold no meaning if the authorities do not bring cases of rapes to justice. "#WestBengal: Members of transgender community stage protest in Kolkata against #Kathua & #Unnao rape cases and the mistreatment meted out to the members of the community. They have been protesting since April 15," tweeted ANI. #WestBengal: Members of transgender community stage protest in Kolkata against #Kathua & #Unnao rape cases and the mistreatment meted out to the members of the community. They have been protesting since April 15. pic.twitter.com/nn6J1Bj1lZ ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2018 "Every day we hear our small girls being raped and murdered in India. Women and girls feel unsafe. The Kathua and Unnao rape cases are so barbaric and see, the way powerful people are trying to shield the culprits. We are here to register our protest against rising rape cases in India," said a member of the transgender community. "Through our protests, we also want to tell that transgenders too go through sexual assaults on a frequent basis. First, we have been ostracised by society and we also face harassment and abuse on a daily basis. All these need to end to call ourselves a civilised society," she added. In fact, West Bengal is the first state in the country to set up a transgender development board in 2015. However, the board seems to have failed in its primary mission to integrate the community members with the mainstream society. Like in other states, there is no clarity about the estimated numbers of transgender people in West Bengal. If activists say the figures might be as much as 30,000 transgenders in the state, the government has put the numbers at just 700. The members of the community say it is going to be more than a lakh if a proper census is conducted. "When we don't know how many transgenders are there in a state or our country, how could the government schemes reach the people? It is because nobody, not even the government, cares for us, our community members are suffering so much," said a protester in the Kolkata march on Sunday. Motormouth leaders and right-wing extremism may dent BJP's chances in 2019 India oi-Vikas By Vikas Sv Prime Minister Narendra Modi's main pitch is development and he is relentlessly working towards it. His vision is to make use of technology to bring about a change in the lives of common man. The Prime Minister has taken initiatives to solve decades-old problems of corruption, black money and tax evasion by taking bold steps such as demonetisation and GST. Now, how effective these moves have been is something for economists and political experts to decide. The point here is that all the good work of Modi may take a backseat if the BJP's top brass fails to rein in their motormouth leaders who time and again make highly insensitive and communal remarks. BJP must not forget that it was not the 'Hindutva' pitch that fetched them 280 odd seats in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. What made people overwhelmingly vote for them was an amalgamation of several factors, including Modi's charisma, development agenda and also to an extent, weak opposition. Leaders like Sakshi Maharaj, Vinay Katiyar, Giriraj Singh, Sangeet Som and many others have made statements which have seriously dented BJP's image. When Modi says "Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas", it is clear that he wants his government to be seen as a secular one which is committed towards working for all. Recently, BJP UP MLA Surendra Singh said the 2019 Lok Sabha elections would be fought on the lines of "Islam versus Bhagwan" and "Pakistan versus India". A few days later, BJP MLA in Karnataka raked up a controversy with his comment that the upcoming state assembly election is "not about roads and drinking water but about Hindu-Muslim incidents". Another BJP leader Vinay Katiyar keeps making such statements. Earlier this year, Katiyar stirred yet another controversy after he said that Muslims should not stay in India as the 'community divided the country on the basis of the population'. Union Minister Giriraj Singh is another such BJP leader who keeps making headlines for communal remarks. Last year in November, he said, "Muslims living in India are children of Rama and not Babar. Ram temple will definitely be built in India." It is not only the BJP leaders but other right-wing groups, whose actions greatly influence the way people perceive the BJP, have gone haywire since 2014. Some such groups, although may not be linked to the BJP, are indulging in all sorts of needless activities, including Dalits bashing and cow vigilantism, which is not helping the BJP. VHP just cannot keep quiet on the Ram Mandir issue and keeps raking it up again and again. Pravin Togadia even accused the BJP betraying Hindus. Now when opposition parties are frantically holding talks to stitch a strong anti-BJP alliance, Modi and Shah have a lot to worry. They must now work towards building a narrative that goes beyond development agenda. They must now come up with a narrative that must convey to people that BJP is about inclusiveness and its aim is to take all sections of the society along. This has to be done in a new manner, as "Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas" is surely losing its sheen. PM Modi seems to have taken a right step in this direction on Sunday. Modi warned all elected members and ministers of the BJP to steer clear of making controversial statements to the media. The PM's remarks come at a time when statements from party leaders, including ministers, over recent incidents of rape, attacks on members of the Scheduled Castes, and scientific and mythological topics, have fuelled controversies. ['Don't give masala to media': Modi urges BJP lawmakers] "We make mistakes and give masala (fodder) to the media... as if we are great social scientists and experts to analyse issues. The moment you see a camera you start speaking. Don't stand in front of the TV (camera) and start preaching to the country. Let the media do its job," Modi said. His comments, made during an interaction with the party's MPs, MLAs and other representatives through his mobile application, assume significance in the wake of opposition parties' attempts to put up a united front against the saffron party over Dalit issues and also criticism of some BJP leaders for making irresponsible statements. OneIndia News We live in times when what we eat is not personal: Justice Gogoi Going public was the only option says Justice Chelameswar on the famous presser by SCs top 4 Naidu explains why he rejected Impeachment Motion, says it was 'neither desirable nor proper' India oi-Vikas By Vikas Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu, who rejected the impeachment motion against CJI Dipak Misra today (April 23), said that he arrived at the decision after having "detailed consultations" with the constitutional experts. He said that oppositions parties' move of initiating the impeachment motion was "neither desirable nor proper". Naidu on Monday (April 23) rejected the impeachment motion moved by the opposition parties against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misha. The Congress had on Friday (April 20) said that they have moved an impeachment motion against CJI Dipak Misra with the support of 64 MPs of the opposition. Naidu signing the papers of rejection of Impeachment Motion "After having perused annexures to the Motion and having detailed consultations and having studied opinions of constitutional experts I am satisfied that admission of this notice of Impeachment Motion is neither desirable nor proper," Naidu said. Naidu spoke to attorney general KK Venugopal, former attorney general K Parasaran, former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy, former law secretary PK Malhotra, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash Kashyap, and former legislative secretary Sanjay Singh, among others, before taking his call, reported HT. (Image courtesy - ANI/Twitter) Swamy backs RS Chairman's decision BJP leader Subramanian Swamy strongly backed the Vice President's decision and said that "Congress committed suicide" by proposing such a move. "He has decided correctly. He need not have taken two days to make the decision. It should've been considered null and void & thrown out from the beginning. Congress committed suicide by doing this," Subramanian Swamy told the media today. Soli Sorabjee had also spoken against the Impeachment Motion Eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee, who was the attorney general during the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had earlier made a scathing attack on the opposition's decision to go for impeachment of the CJI, saying, "This is the worst that could happen to the independence of the judiciary." CJI Dipak Misra The Congress had earlier said that they may move the Supreme Court if the Upper House chairman did not find merit in the notice for the impeachment. The Congress also attacked the BJP for coming out in "defence" of the CJI and said the ruling party was compromising the position and office of the chief justice as the neutral arbitrator and head of the judiciary and the party was doing great a disservice to the independence of the judicial system. OneIndia had reported that there was a likelihood that the Rajya Sabha chairman, Venkaiah Naidu may reject the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra. The joint press conference of the opposition parties is a clear violation of Parliament customs and conventions. Further, the fact that Justice Misra is retiring in 6 months is also another factor that would be taken into consideration as the impeachment proceedings could not be completed in that time. The joint presser and making the contents of the impeachment notice public is a clear violation of the norms and this could lead to rejection of the notice. According to the handbook for members of the Rajya Sabha, no advance publicity should be given to any notice, which is to be taken up in the House till it is admitted by the Chairman. This assumes importance in the context of the "political overtones" surrounding the first-of-its-kind move against the CJI. On Friday, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal had said that since the day CJI Misra was appointed, questions were raised about the way he dealt with certain cases. "We wish this day had never come in the fabric of our constitutional framework," he added. "When the judges of the Supreme Court themselves believe that the Judiciary's independence is at threat, alluding to the functioning of the office of the CJI, should the nation stand still and do nothing?" Sibal asked. New universal social security plan for poor on cards India oi-Vikas By Vikas In what can be called one of the most ambitious social welfare schemes of the Modi-led government, the Labour Ministry has drafted a plan to provide universal social security coverage for the poorest fifth of the country. The plan, for which Rs 1.2 lakh crore is likely to be set aside, will greatly benefit those employed in the unorganised sector and lack any kind of social security coverage. Close to 90% of India's total workforce is in the unorganised sector and many don't get even the minimum prescribed wage. The proposal is part of a bigger scheme that's being planned for all individuals. This broader programme envisages three categories - the poorest 20%, who will get a government payout; those who subscribe on their own and formal sector workers who will need to set aside a fixed proportion of income toward the scheme said an Economic Times report. The Labour Ministry has reportedly sent the proposal to the Finance Ministry so that the modalities of its funding could be worked out. The scheme will have two tiers. The first of these comprises mandatory pension, insurance (both death and disability) and maternity coverage and the second, optional medical, sickness and unemployment coverage, the ET report said. In the organised sector, the employer deducts Provident Fund at a source which is around 25% of the basic salary. In most companies, along with employee's contribution, the company also contributes to it and together the amount goes into PPF account. Each employee has a PPF account number which does not change when the employee changes his job. The new scheme envisaged by the government is aimed at providing a similar social and financial security to the people working in unorganised sectors. Ready to give up politics, not my profession: H S Chandramouli on Mehul Choksi row India oi-Vicky Nanjappa The Congress put out its final list of candidates for the Karnataka assembly elections. One major change that the Congress made was to the candidate from Madikeri. The party replaced H S Chandramouli with K Chandrakala. After the Congress announced Chandramouli's name, there were questions asked on the social media as to why the party has chosen Chandramouli an advocate who had defended Mehul Choksi. Following the uproar, the party high command decided to make the change. Chandramouli sets the record straight on this and says that he had appeared for Gitanjali and not Choksi in an individual capacity. In the social media, I have been branded as Choksi's lawyer and this cost me my seat. When asked if he is upset with the party, Chandramouli says, "I am not upset with the party. I had given the party a letter to relieve me of my candidature. I do not want any embarrassment for the party. I will continue to work for the party", he also added. On the statements made by Congress media coordinator, Brijesh Kalappa who was denied a ticket from Madikeri, Chandramouli says that what was the need for those statements. He is a Supreme Court lawyer should know that refusal of a brief is against the Advocates' Act. I want to ask Kalappa would be refuse a brief if Choksi or a family member approaches him? Chandramouli also says that he has taken this decision in his stride and would look into the future. "For me my career as an advocate means a lot. I am ready to give up politics, but not my profession", he also says. 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 How the MYD factor in Uttar Pradesh is likely to hurt the BJP Save the Constitution rally: Expose BJP, RSS discriminatory attitude towards Dalits, says Rahul India oi-Oneindia Staff By Oneindia Staff New Delhi, April 23: Hours before the launch of the Congress' massive "Save the Constitution" rally in the national capital on Monday, party president Rahul Gandhi tweeted urging all to take part in the event. In his tweet in Hindi, Rahul outlined why the entire "protest" rally has been hosted. He stated that the rally is to stand with Dalit "brothers and sisters" to protest against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and expose the discriminatory attitude of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) towards the Dalits. SC/ST BJP/RSS #SaveTheConstitution Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 23, 2018 The rally which will be flagged off from Delhi's Talkatora stadium is seen as the Congress' attempt to woo the Dalit voters ahead of the 2019 General Elections and the Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled on May 12 this year. The rally, a campaign, will cover the length and breadth of the country and will end almost a year later on April 14, the birth anniversary of Dalit icon and father of the Indian Constitution BR Ambedkar. "Ever since the RSS-supported BJP came to power at the Centre, the Indian Constitution has been under severe attack, in one form or the other, thereby, denying the marginalised sections of society their constitutional rights," chairman of Congress' Scheduled Castes department Nitin Raut said. "The BJP-RSS combine is set to dismantle the social security available for SCs, STs and other weaker sections. The RSS ideology attacks the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. This would be countered by the Congress Party," he added. Dalits form roughly 17 per cent of the country's electorate. There are 84 parliamentary seats reserved for candidates belonging to the scheduled castes. The BJP had bagged nearly half of the seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, reflecting on its success in politically key states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Earlier in April, Dalits in six states of the country hosted a protest over the Supreme Court's March 20 verdict allegedly diluting stringent provisions mandating immediate arrest under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act. The protest led to the deaths of at least 11 persons, most of whom were Dalits. UP board result 2018, date and time update India oi-Vikas By Vikas The UP board result 2018 will be released in the last week of April. The results once declared will be available on the official website. The results are expected on April 29 at around 12.30 pm. Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) will host class 10, class 12 result related updates. The results published on net are for immediate information to the examinees. These cannot be treated as original mark sheets. Original mark sheets are to be issued by the Board separately, the board has said. Like CBSE model answer copies, UP board will release the answer copies of toppers. "We will be uploading the copies of toppers online so that students can see and follow them during their preparations," the Deputy Chief Minister who also holds education portfolio had said. The results once declared will be available on upresults.nic.in. UP: Woman hit with an iron rod for resisting rape India oi-Vikas By Vikas The Uttar Pradesh police on Monday said that a woman was attacked with an iron rod after she resisted an attempt to rape her. The victim was allegedly attacked by three men at a village in Muzaffarnagar when she was alone at home. The incident took place yesterday (April 22) and a case was registered against the perpetrators, who are at large, they said. The woman was hit with an iron rod after she resisted their bid to rape her. She was alone in the house as her husband had gone out, police said. The matter is being investigated, they said. In another incident in Sujru village, three women were injured after four people attacked them over an old enmity, PTI quoted police as saying. The woman was admitted to a local hospital, they said. One person was arrested and a search launched to apprehend the others, police said. OneIndia News with PTI inputs Impeachment Motion against CJI Dipak Misra rejected India oi-Vikas By Vikas The Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Venkaiah Naidu on Monday (April 23) rejected the impeachment motion moved by the opposition parties against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misha. The Congress had on Friday (April 20) said that they have moved an impeachment motion against CJI Dipak Misra with the support of 64 MPs of the opposition. The Congress leaders, along with the leaders of other opposition parties, had met Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu and told him about their decision. The Congress had earlier said that they may move the Supreme Court if the Upper House chairman did not find merit in the notice for the impeachment. The Congress also attacked the BJP for coming out in "defence" of the CJI and said the ruling party was compromising the position and office of the chief justice as the neutral arbitrator and head of the judiciary and the party was doing great a disservice to the independence of the judicial system. [Opposition parties move impeachment motion against CJI Dipak Misra] OneIndia had reported that there was a likelihood that the Rajya Sabha chairman, Venkaiah Naidu may reject the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra. The joint press conference of the opposition parties is a clear violation of Parliament customs and conventions. Further, the fact that Justice Misra is retiring in 6 months is also another factor that would be taken into consideration as the impeachment proceedings could not be completed in that time. [Congress may move SC if Naidu rejects impeachment notice against CJI] The joint presser and making the contents of the impeachment notice public is a clear violation of the norms and this could lead to rejection of the notice. According to the handbook for members of the Rajya Sabha, no advance publicity should be given to any notice, which is to be taken up in the House till it is admitted by the Chairman. This assumes importance in the context of the "political overtones" surrounding the first-of-its-kind move against the CJI. How is a judge impeached in India? A judge of the Supreme Court can be removed by an order of the President of India. The order can be issued following an address the Parliament which is supported by a special majority of each house- a majority of the total membership of that House and a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that house present and voting. The Impeachment process: First, a removal motion has to be supported by 100 members in case of the Lok Sabha and 50 in the Rajya Sabha. The same is to be given to the Speaker of the House and it can be introduced in any of the two Houses. It is up to the Speaker/Chairman to admit to rejecting the motion. If admitted then a three-member committee is formed to investigate the charges. The Committee will comprise either the Chief Justice of India or Judge of the SC, Chief Justice of a High Court and an eminent jurist. If the Committee finds the judge guilty then the House in which the motion was introduced can take up the matter. Once the House passes the motion with a special majority, an address is presented to the President of India. The President then passes an order to remove the judge. Michael Bloomberg to pay $4.5 million to fulfil US commitment to Paris climate deal International oi-Shubham By Shubham The former mayor of New York City and billionaire Michael Bloomberg on Sunday, April 22, pledged to grant a cheque of $4.5 million to fulfill the United States of America's financial commitment to the Paris Peace Accord. Bloomberg, 76, said on CBS News's 'Face the Nation' that if the government of the US was not doing it, it was others' responsibility to complete the task. Bloomberg said he was able to fulfil the pledge and would send the accord the money that the US had promised. "I'm going to send them a check for the monies that America had promised to the organization as though they got it from the federal government," Bloomberg said. When asked whether he planned to fund the Paris climate agreement's mission in 2019, Bloomberg, one of the top 10 richest persons on this planet, said he hoped US President Donald Trump would change his opinion on the accord by then. Bloomberg took a slight dig at Trump's fickle-mindedness, saying the latter is "known to change his mind". He said Trump should do the same over the climate deal and acknowledge the problem. He said Trump should understand that America is part of the problem as well as the solution and should chip in and help the planet avert a disaster. The Paris climate accord was struck exactly two years ago under the then Barack Obama administration in the US and saw 195 countries committing to reduce carbon emissions to slow down a threatening climate change. However, Trump, who took over in 2017, said he was against the deal as he thought it was putting unfair burdens on the US while allowing countries like China and India to broaden their use of fossil fuels. His administration eventually pulled out of the pact in June 2017. Bloomberg, whose name appeared frequently as a possible candidate to run for the American presidency in the past, has been a strong advocate of the Paris climate deal. Along with California's Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, Bloomberg is leading a coalition of American states, cities, businesses and universities that have pledged to meet the USA's responsibilities under the agreement which renewed the hopes over a united fight against the menace of climate change the world over. Pakistan uses fake Islam is in danger narrative as main theme of its terror indoctrination Why US engaging with Pakistan on Afghanistan is a cause of worry for India CPEC summit kicks off in Karachi; diplomatically cornered Pakistan elated International oi-Shubham By Shubham The Pakistani establishment would feel satisfied over a 'diplomatic feat' on Monday, April 23, as the two-day summit of the much talked about China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) started at Karachi's Bagh-i-Jinnah. The event was being hosted by Dawn Media in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and Development. 'CPEC a new form of cooperation' Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khqan Abbasi, who was present on the occasion as the chief guest, said Islamabad looked upon the CPEC as a bilateral partnership with Beijing and even dubbed the initiative as a "new form of cooperation". "Three years ago CPEC was unheard of - today it is known globally. The BRI initiative of Chinese President Xi is a project for generations," Dawn quoted Abbasi as saying. The prime minister, who replaced the experienced Nawaz Sharif last year after he was disqualified on charges of corruption, also said that Pakistan recently discussed security and connectivity with Afghanistan, its western neighbour with which it has shared a not-so-great rapport over various issues, adding that Kabul too recognised CPEC as an opportunity. Pakistan is struggling with its external affairs as its sour relations with India, Afghanistan and even old ally United States have put Islamabad at a great disadvantage. Abbasi recently visited Afghanistan on the invitation of its president Ashraf Ghani but even though they spoke on various issues including terror, insiders said the trust factor required to jointly resolve problems was missing. In these circumstances, the flagging off of the CPEC project would give Pakistan the much-needed boost. Abbasi said two power projects under the CPEC initiative were completed while the third one was on the verge of completion. Pakistan's Interior and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal backed the current PML-N government and said the country made progress and development under its leadership. He also said the hosting of the big event in Karachi showed that the city, which was known for target killings and extortion even five years ago, was changing. 'Pak will become hub of development' Iqbal also hailed China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) under which the CPEC project is being implemented, as a huge opportunity and hoped that Pakistan would become a "hub of development" with its help. He also termed CPEC as the biggest flagship project of BRI and said Pakistan made regional connectivity a key component to its Vision2025 project. He also thanked China saying it stood by Pakistan when everybody else had written it off. 'CPEC no debt trap' The minister also rubbished allegations that the CPEC was a debt trap for Pakistan and said there was nothing to fear for the country's businesses, the Dawn added. He also called all the reservations against the CPEC as a "propaganda". Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing said on the occasion that China blended socialism and market economy for the benefit of the people. "China wants to see its relationship with Pakistan serve as example for its relations with other states," Dawn quoted Jing as saying. "We look at CPEC as a significant project. I'm proud that after five years of implementation, it [CPEC] has contributed to Pakistan's development," Dawn further cited him as saying. Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump North Korea: Is Donald Trump not convinced about Kims give-up plan? International oi-Shubham By Shubham US President Donald Trump, who on Friday, April 20, said North Korea's decision to suspend its nuclear ambitions was "good news", aired caution on Sunday, April 22, saying that the North Korean nuclear crisis was far from over. "...We are a long way from conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they won't - only time will tell...But the work I am doing now should have been done a long time ago!" Trump tweeted. On Saturday, April 21, North Korea, which is in the middle of diplomatic engagement with South Korea and is gearing up for a meeting between its supreme leader Kim Jong-un and Trump sometime in end May and early June pledged to end its nuclear tests and focus more on economic growth and peace. Kim is also due to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in on April 27, which is also being seen as a major milestone in the relation between two hostile neighbours. The international community heaved a sigh of relief with Kim's announcement as he was unwilling to budge from his position of pursuing nuclear ambitions even a few months ago. Trump, in another tweet on Sunday, also lashed out at a media channel for accusing Washington of conceding more to North Korea than the latter and said North Korea "agreed to denuclearization" even as the US didn't give up anything. But why did Trump air the caution even after Kim making his crucial announcement? According to a Reuters report, Kim did not say anything about his commitment to abandon the nuclear weapons and there were doubts that he would ever part ways with the nuclear weapons Pyongyang has been steadily developing over the decades. North Korea has a history of making U-turns on promises on controlling its nuclear programme and perhaps that has kept the US leadership unconvinced yet. In the past, multilateral talks on North Korea's nuclear programme had collapsed after Pyongyang suddenly refused to cooperate with international observers by not granting them access to its nuclear facilities. Modi to meet Xi in April: Heres a list of all Modi-Xi meetings International oi-Shubham By Shubham In yet another diplomatic opening, India and China announced on Sunday, April 23, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold an informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan city in Hubei province in central-eastern China to improve the two countries' mutual understanding. The announcement was made by Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing after their bilateral talks. Modi and Xinping haven't stopped seeing each other despite the odds The upcoming Modi-Jinping meeting will be seen with optimism by both sides whose relations deteriorated over the Doklam standoff last year. China has also not liked the betterment of India-US ties over the past few years while India has remained unhappy over China's support to Pakistan on various issues. Nevertheless, the frequency of Modi-Jinping talks has ensured that the deterioration of relations between New Delhi and Beijing - two of the most prominent economies in these times - did not spiral out of control. Here is a timeline of Modi's talks with Jinping -- in India and abroad - since he took over as the prime minister in May 2014. It can be mentioned here that Modi had made several visits to China even during his days as the chief minister of Gujarat and always had a high regard for the Chinese people for their discipline and hard work. May 2014: China congratulated Modi after his emphatic win in the Lok Sabha election and vowed to work together. Later that month, China issued a statement after Modi visited Arunachal Pradesh, which the Chinese consider a disputed territory. July 2014: Modi meets Jinping for the first time ever at the BRICS Summit in Fortaleza in Brazil. The two leaders interacted for almost an hour and a half. Xi invited Modi to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing in November that year. September 2014: Modi welcomed Xi Jinping and his spouse Peng Liyuan in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Modi spent time with the Chinese couple, strolling on the banks of the Sabarmati River. China promised investments in India worth $20 billion over the next five years. This meeting happened even as the two neighbours continued with their face-off at the Ladakh border after Chinese soldiers allegedly crossed over into the Indian territory. November 2014: Modi declined to visit China for the APEC summit; government sources cited his overloaded schedule of foreign trips as he was also travelling to Myanmar, Australia and Fiji around that time. Reports, however, also said that Modi did not decline any invite because there was no such invitation at all. They said the Indian PM was invited to attend a pre-Apec meeting. India is not a member of the Apec group. May 2015: Modi visited China for the first time as the prime minister. He reached Xian, the hometown of Xi in Shaanxi province on the latter's invitation, first in what is believed to be a reciprocation of the Chinese president's Ahmedabad visit. Modi and Xi held summit-level talks in this city. Modi later visited Beijing and Shanghai. July 2015: Modi met Xi in Ufa, Russia, ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICs summits. Modi said the regular meetings between him and Xi showed the depth of the relations that India and China shared. June 2016: Modi met Xi on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Tashkent in Uzbekistan. There, Modi raised the issue of India's access to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, urging Xi to consider India's application on its own merit. September 2016: Modi-Xi talks were held on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hangzhou in Zhejiang province in east China. The two leaders met amid differences between the two countries over various issues, including the controversial China- Pakistan Economic Corridor which runs through Pak occupied Kashmir. October 2016: PM Modi met President Xi on the occasion of the BRICS Summit in Goa. Here, Modi raised the issue of Pakistan-backed terror in the wake of the horrific attack on an army camp in Uri in Jammu & Kashmir in September 2016 but China refused to buy India's line to corner Pakistan on the question of terror. June 2017: Modi-Xi meeting was held on the sidelines of SCO meeting in Astana in Kazakhstan amid China's continued resistance to India's NSG membership bid. July 2017: Modi and Xi exchanged pleasantries at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, even as the troops of the two countries locked horns over Doklam at the border. September 2017: Modi made his third trip to China as the prime minister for the ninth BRICS summit held in Xiamen in Fujian province in south-eastern China. The two leaders spoke for over an hour to send the message that both countries were looking to reset their ties in the wake of the Doklam standoff. Pakistan uses fake Islam is in danger narrative as main theme of its terror indoctrination Concerns on terrorist safe havens in Pakistan an honest one: US Why US engaging with Pakistan on Afghanistan is a cause of worry for India How Pakistan used almonds to fund terror and back-stab Indias good-will on LoC trade Protests in Pakistan over Pashtun rights; media remains largely aloof International oi-Shubham By Shubham Thousands of protesters gathered at a rally in Lahore in Pakistan on Sunday, April 23, seeking basic rights for ethnic Pashtun citizens and others. Manzoor Pashteen, a student activist and leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), addressed the protesters demanding an end to extrajudicial killings and other alleged abuse of rights committed by the Pakistani military in the name of fighting the Taliban. He said the Pakistani constitution has laid down the rule that anybody who has committed a crime should be arrested and brought before the courts within 24 hours but in reality, people were being killed extrajudicially. Pashteen, who is a native of South Waziristan tribal district where the Pakistani Taliban have dominated, has led a movement that has spread across Pakistan and held the country's military and government responsible for the alleged excesses committed by the security personnel. The North and South Waziristan areas of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) saw large military operations in 2009 and 2014 after the Pakistani Taliban gained control over zones in the region. "The ethnic group protesters went forward with the demonstration despite the government denied permission to hold it "due to specific threats to the security of organisers of PTM," a statement said, according to a report in Al Jazeera. At least five PTM leaders were also briefly detained, including military critic Ali Wazir on Saturday, April 21, PTM leader Mohsin Dawar informed Al Jazeera. The country's media - print and electronic - did not give much coverage to the protests either despite a big mobilisation. Opinion articles penned on the incidents were removed from news websites recently. Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump Thousands of terrorists might have been airlifted out of Kabul: Trump slams Biden Never in history has withdrawal from war been handled so badly: Trump Trump asks ally Netanyahu if he genuinely sought peace with Palestine International oi-Shubham By Shubham They say Donald Trump doesn't care about who is who. According to an Axios news report published on Sunday, April 22, Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2017 whether he seriously considered making peace with the Palestinians. The report said Trump uttered the discomforting words during a phone call with Netanyahu, leader of one of the USA's closest allies in West Asia over the decades. The report also said that the call occurred just after the media of Israel reported about Netanyahu planning to approve settlement construction projects to please his right-wing constituency, Israel and Palestine saw revival of fire at the Gaza border since March 30 after the Palestinians flagged off massive demonstrations to mark the Land Day - an annual day to protest Israel's seizure of Arab land - leading up to the Nakba Day on May 15, the day after the birth of Israel as an independent nation in 1948. Israel responded with iron fists, allowing its army to open fire at the protesters. Over 30 people have been killed so far while several thousands have been injured. The dead also included a Palestinian journalist. The Axios report said Trump felt Netanyahu was "unnecessarily angering the Palestinians" and cited at least three sources familiar with the call. During the conversation which was otherwise friendly, Trump asked Netanyahu or Bibi as he is known to be whether he genuinely wanted to give peace a chance in the region. The report, however, did not say anything about Netanyahu's reply to Trump's question. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Axios that the American president has "great relationships" with a number of foreign heads but that didn't mean that he couldn't be aggressive when it came to "negotiating what's best for America". White House sources also told Axios that Trump shared an "extremely close and candid relationship" with the Israeli prime minister and praised the latter's "strong efforts to enhance the cause of peace in the face of numerous challenges". Trump has taken a special care about achieving peace between Israel and Palestine and put in place a diplomatic team led by his son-in-law and top aide Jared Kushner and Mideast envoy Jason Greenblatt to strive for the elusive peace in the volatile region. But Trump undid his own efforts somewhat by recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital a few months ago and announced plans to shift the American embassy there. Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was livid with the Trump administration and refused to meet its members and criticised it for its role as an honest mediator. Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump Thousands of terrorists might have been airlifted out of Kabul: Trump slams Biden Never in history has withdrawal from war been handled so badly: Trump US President Trump set to receive 2 high-profile European guests this week International oi-Shubham By Shubham United States President Donald Trump is set to receive two high-profile guests at the White House this week and the course of the international affairs will be influenced considerably by the outcomes of these two events. Trump's first guest will be his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte and their visit will culminate in the first state dinner of the Trump presidency at the White House on Tuesday, April 24. On Friday, April 27, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will set her foot in the US. Macron, who came to power last year, said ahead of his US visit that he shared a strong relation with Trump since he is also a maverick like the latter and stunned the political establishment with their electoral victories. Macron's agenda: Iran & climate deal An Axios news report said that Macron was hoping to convince Trump to work with Europe to fix the nuclear deal on Iran and not shred it next month by reimposing sanctions on the West Asian country. Trump has blasted the deal which was reached at during the Barrack Obama era while Iran has warned that it would come up with expected and unexpected reactions if Washington withdrew from the deal. Trump has set May 12 as the deadline for either improving or scrapping the N-deal. Macron, who joined the US and UK recently to conduct missile attacks on Syria's nuclear facilities as retaliation to dictator Bashar al-Assad's alleged use of chemical weapons against his own people, is also reportedly working hard behind the scenes to convince Trump to take the US back to the negotiating table on the climate change. Trump withdrew his country from the deal last year accusing the deal to be unfair to his country. The Axios report added that people who were close to Trump were not optimistic about Macron's mission. Merkel to visit the US on April 27 Also in connection with the Merkel visit, Axios said Trump's ambassador-to-Germany-in-waiting Ric Grenell was recently spotted at Mar-a-Lago in Florida where Trump met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recently. Grenell was seen speaking to Trump over a substantial period and being introduced around. Trump was reportedly impatient over the delay in confirming Grenell's appointment and said in his close quarters that he wanted to get Grenell in place before Merkel arrived in the US. Merkel is not known to be sharing the best of rapport with Trump. She said on Sunday, April 22, the need to focus on free trade and welcomed an agreement between the European Union and Mexico on a fresh trade agreement in less than a week before visiting the US. Trump has regularly hit out the Mexicans and threatened to scuttle pacts like Nafta and Daca if the neighbours did not stop the illegal immigrants who are allegedly entering the US territory from the South. Russia is also likely to come up in the discussion between Merkel and Trump. Les lunettes de marque ne sont pas ce qui manque dans les commerces. Il y en a de toutes les sortes dont les lunettes de [] 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. It's been all over the news and some big names have endorsed the idea. A basic income that is paid out to each citizen regardless of income, education or employment. The idea in and of itself is very enticing. There are several big advantages to the idea. These include: 1. It is harder to game the system and collect more money than is your due. This is surprisingly common with other handouts. For example, fuel subsidies in many countries are disproportionately collected by the better off. 2. By the same account, there are no extra costs associated with setting up a bureau tasked with monitoring who deserves the handout and who does not. This gobbles up a huge amount of money in most countries. 3. The money is spent by people on what they need -- something that they're generally in the best positions to judge. 4. It will reduce the upheaval that we'll face as the pace of automation continues or even accelerates as people might lose their jobs but still be able to pay for their daily needs. Nonetheless, there are a lot of people who maintain that it amounts to nothing more than a fantasy. That it's as realistic as a world without greed or conflict. So, the big question is, are they right? Is basic income a utopic dream or a possible reality? The first problem that many people quote is that a program like this will be prohibitively expensive. It will swallow up a huge portion of a government's budget. Too much, they maintain, and this will mean that it isn't feasible. This turns out not to be true. The idea of basic income is that it replaces other forms of financial support for citizens -- such as social welfare payments, child benefits, and retirement benefits. And in doing so, they will also dismantle a great deal of the bureaucracy that has been built up to support it. This will free up a huge amount of money, which can then be used to cover the citizens who didn't collect any benefits before the system was changed around. Does that mean it will become financial neutral? Well, obviously that depends on how much you're going to give people and how many other benefits you are going to cut. It could be financially neutral or even end up costing the government less. Or it could end up swelling the budget. But to dismiss the idea as unviable based on its cost is too easy. Another common refrain is that if we start giving people money for nothing, this will undermine their desire to work and will lead to a society of loafers and couch potatoes. The thing is, we already have money that we give to unemployed people in the form of unemployment benefits. And even though these stop when people take a new job (which therefore incentivize people not to seek jobs as they lose out, studies have demonstrated irrevocably that these do not make people lazier. A basic income is even less likely to make people become lazier, as it doesn't stop when you start working again. And then there are those who argue that we already tried something like a basic income. It was called communism and it didn't work. In truth, this is the weakest argument of the lot. Communism didn't fail because it paid people a basic income. Communism failed for two reasons: 1. Centrally planned economies are inefficient. 2. By removing the financial incentive to work they undermined innovation, appropriate assignment of resources and investment in new ventures. Neither of these two problems holds true for a basic income. The market economy isn't suddenly rendered moot and the government isn't taking an active role in investment and goods allocation. Quite the opposite, in fact. Governments will take a step back. They will stop saying who does and doesn't deserve money and they will stop saying how that money should be spent (through food aid and educational aid, for example). This means markets should, in theory, operate more efficiently. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). 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. From Common Dreams Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has now become the top Mideast villain, the man we love to hate. Butcher of Damascus. Gasser of children. Baby Killer of Syria. Tool of Moscow. Cruel despot. Monster. These are all names the western media and politicians routinely heap on Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad. He has now become the top Mideast villain, the man we love to hate. As a veteran Mideast watcher, I find all this hard to swallow. Compared to other brutal Mideast leaders, Assad is pretty weak tea. The US/British propaganda effort to paint Assad in blackest colors is having a difficult time. Mideast leaders who toe the US line and make nice to Israel are invariably called "statesmen" or "president" by the American government and its increasingly tame media. There's good old President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Egypt, the military dictator who crushed that nation's only democracy and imposed an iron-fisted rule. But we will never hear from the US media of Egypt's political murders, disappearances, secret prisons and torture. Or that Egypt has been one of the world's most draconian police states since the era of Anwar Sadat and successor Hosni Mubarak. Saudi rulers are reverently treated by the US media and government in spite of leading the world in executions. Last year, 44 people were publicly beheaded. In some years, around 150 people have been beheaded in Saudi Arabia, often a quarter of them Pakistani guest workers. Having been arrested by the Saudi religious police, I can tell you that the kingdom is a police state with sand dunes and camels. Saudi vassal states Bahrain and the Emirates are better, but not much. Morocco, a key US ally, is notorious for its ghastly prisons and brutal torture. Iraq and Afghanistan, now under US control, are even worse. Israel, the largest recipient of US aid, holds close to 7,000 Palestinian political prisoners, among them 400 children, and is gunning down Palestinian demonstrators on the Gaza border. Syria has always been a repressive police state. I recall watching "spies" being hanged in front of my hotel. Its various police forces are notorious for brutality and torture. In fact, until recently, the US actually sent captive suspects to Syria to be tortured and jailed. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). 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. Reprinted from Common Dreams. Nature cheers us. Animals can be powerful, beautiful, sleek, graceful. A field of wild flowers chanced upon can take our breath away. Wordsworth so moved by 'a host of golden daffodils' put pen to paper, and we are richer for his poem. So it's distressing when scientists confirm our gut feelings about the human footprint on this natural environment. Wild Animals are no longer free to roam. Bordered by encroaching human populations they have been forced into shrinking invisible cages, leading inevitably to shrinking numbers. It is not a rosy prospect, while pollution and mounting plastic waste cause additional disasters. Few people know that March 3 was World Wildlife Day, or this coming Sunday (April 22) is Earth Day -- perhaps Trump sucking up all the media oxygen is responsible. The fact remains, world wildlife is under serious threat, and in ways we can't even imagine -- not forgetting the eventual disaster due to climate change, unless the world wakes up. Not too long ago Science, the voice of AAAS, America's largest science body, published three papers describing the harmful, even devastating, impact of modern human presence. These are encapsulated below, and should be of serious concern to anyone who cares for wildlife and the planet we inhabit. The theme for Earth Day is End Plastic Pollution. If one ever wondered what can happen to a plastic bag discarded carelessly, the following research has a surprising and worrying answer. This Science article looks at plastic waste entering the oceans -- often through catchment areas and into rivers that flow to the ocean. It assesses the influence of such waste on disease in reef-building corals. The authors survey 159 coral reefs in the Asia-Pacific, a region containing 55.5 percent of global reefs and 73 percent of the human population living within 50 km of a coast -- about a quarter billion people. Our plastic bag finally reaches the ocean and microbes hitch a ride on it, living longer and increasing their chances of landing on an unfortunate host: a coral reef. The authors have measured plastic items per 100 square meters. The count can vary from a low of 0.4 in Australia to a high of 25.6 in Indonesia. Size of human population in coastal regions, good management or mismanagement of plastic waste disposal are all factors in the amount of waste entering the water. The study results are striking. The likelihood of disease from the microbes rises from 4 percent in areas free of plastic to a whopping 89 percent average when the corals have such debris. Another major issue is coral structural complexity which, importantly, underpins micro-habitats for reef-reliant organisms. Unfortunately, the study also finds that plastic debris is up to 8 times more likely to affect reefs with greater structural complexity. The resulting lack of habitat can devastate fisheries through a drop in productivity by a factor of three. Thus public awareness here could be a critical factor. Next is a vast global study spanning the four major continents and New Zealand. Authored by 115 scientists, it traces the movement of 57 mammalian species through the GPS-tracking of 803 individuals. It finds a strong negative effect of the human footprint on animal spacial mobility, threatening long-term viability unless the situation changes. The scientists develop a human footprint index (HFI) comprising multiple aspects of human influence: built environment, croplands, pastures, nighttime lights, roads, waterways, railroads, population density, etc. On the animal side, they note and separate the effects of resource availability and body mass on vagility (migration distances) -- larger species travel further as do carnivores. They then compute animal movement as the distance between subsequent GPS locations over nine time scales ranging from one hour to 10 days. At each time scale and for each individual, they calculate the median (middle range) and longest distance movements. These procedures point to the thoroughness of the research. Overall the findings indicate a decline in movement of mammals in high HFI areas ranging on average from one-half to one-third of their movement levels in areas without human presence. For example, the median displacement of carnivores over the 10-day period in high HFI areas was only about half when compared to zero-impact regions. And the long-distance movement over the same period in HFI areas was down to a third, averaging 6.6 km versus 21.5 km. The impact on feeding and breeding then is clearly severe. The authors note the consequences for ecosystem function globally as the effects are critical for wildlife conservation and also in the spread of disease. In the latter aspect, the authors warn that "reduced vagility may go beyond ecosystem functioning to directly affect human well-being." In their understated words, it means the danger of accelerated animal extinction and human epidemics. Most of us tend to assume all bees are good. Apparently not, as a couple of scientists explain. So as we reach for that honey jar ... it all depends on where it came from. That is the contention of the last paper, which assesses the impact of managed honey bees on wild bees and other pollinators. Pointing to the rapid global growth in managed-bee colonies and the attention devoted to them, the authors believe this focus reduces efforts to preserve wild pollinators so necessary for wild plants and flowers. In fact, high densities of such bees worsen the decline of these wild pollinators, and have also been linked to the spread of disease via shared wild flowers. Long term this is a worsening threat to wild plants and flowers, many facing extinction. The authors identify managed honeybees and their honey production and pollination of commercial crops as an agricultural issue, not an ecological one. They advocate restriction of managed-honey beehives in protected-ecological areas to reduce their harmful effects noting that half of all European wild bees are threatened with extinction. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Quicklink Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their quicklinks after publishing them. To see if the quicklink was renamed or re-published, please click here. Progressive Content Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing. To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here. 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. A tremendously dangerous situation in global politics that we have right now, forces experts to analyze not only US-Russia relations but NATO-Russia- relations as well. It is well known that on 1 April 2014, NATO unanimously decided to suspend cooperation with the Russian Federation, in response to the Ukraine crisis. Since then misunderstanding has become even worse. NATO and Russia start to fortify their borders deploying more troop, military equipment and vehicles. Thus the balance of power in the region has been broken. The main indicator of an attempt to show superiority is a number and scale of military exercises conducted by the Alliance in Europe. It should be said that these NATO's moves contradict Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation signed in Paris, France in 1997. It is stated in the document that "the member states of NATO and Russia reaffirm that states parties to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) should maintain only such military capabilities, individually or in conjunction with others, as are commensurate with individual or collective legitimate security needs, taking into account their international obligations, including the CFE Treaty." As far as the Alliance is concerned, since 2014 it has been constantly increasing the number of deployed troops in the Baltic region. NATO has found the good excuse not to break the Vienna Document 2011 on Confidence- and Security-building Measures formally which also imposes restrictions on military activities in Europe. NATO deploys troops in the region on a rotating basis and conducting exercises. But this stratagem cannot lower the tension between the opponents. It is interesting that the scale of NATO manoeuvres near Russia borders (as well as NATO member states involvement) increase from year to year. It is also noteworthy that the hidden aim of the exercises is to insure the ability to move troops quickly closer to the borders of the Russian Federation. To achieve this goal, in fact, NATO is creating in Europe "military Schengen", with the help of which the Alliance hopes to minimize the time for troops deployment. The more so, the improving logistics and transport infrastructure within Europe has become a new priority in NATO. Now the Alliance is working on the transatlantic moving of its troops, as well as on constructing in the Baltic region and Poland stockpiles of weapons, military equipment and ammunition. In addition, eight NATO Force Integration Units have been set up in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia which can coordinate planning, rapid reinforcements and deployment of military contingents if needed. According to the former commander of the U.S. Army Europe, Lieutenant General Frederick Benjamin Hodges, the rapid redeployment of troops during the exercises is one of the most serious challenges to NATO forces. He repeatedly stressed that the movement of the allies is hindered by a number of obstacles -- from infrastructure to bureaucratic, for example, the issuance of documents. It should be noted that NATO is preparing a real provocation -- Anaconda 2018 exercise, which is not even announced. These manoeuvres promise to become the most ambitious since the end of the Cold War. According to a number of military experts, the exercise should become an Alliance's answer for the "Zapad" exercise. In the event, planned for November in Poland and the Baltic states, according to Polish sources, will take part about 100,000 troops, including 20,000 from Poland. Troops from several NATO countries and five partner countries will participate in the drill. 5,000 vehicles, 150 aircraft and helicopters, 45 warships will be used in the exercise. The declared goal of the Anaconda exercise is to strengthen the interaction between the commands of the Polish Armed Forces, NATO member states and partner countries "within the framework of the joint defensive operation in the face of the emergence of hybrid threats." Among them is the use of weapons of mass destruction and attacks in cyberspace. Though it is not a secret that any military exercise is a real combat training of troops. It is worth paying attention to the statement made by Polish Minister of National Defence Mariusz Baszczak, made during the meeting with US Secretary of Defense James Mattis in February, on the possible increasing presence of American troops in Poland. Currently, about 4,000 US military personnel are deployed in Poland, which comprise one armored brigade and separate units of NATO multinational forces. Apparently, under a cover of Anaconda 18 exercise, another US brigade could be deployed in the country. Taking into account this fact as well as the deployment of four NATO multinational battalion-size groups in the Baltic states and Poland and the additional deployment of the US 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, NATO will eventually deploy a whole mechanized division -- hundreds of Abrams main battle tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Paladin self-propelled howitzer. All these steps are taken in defiance of all statements, and not caring about any international treatments. https://balticword.eu/a-new-cover-for-nato-presence-in-europe/ (Article changed on April 24, 2018 at 08:26) 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. From Truthdig By Margaret Flowers and *Kevin Zeese (Image by Takver / CC BY-SA 2.0) Details DMCA On this Earth Day, it is difficult to look at the state of the planet and the current political leadership and see much hope. In "Junk Planet," Robert Burrowes writes a comprehensive description of the degradation of the atmosphere, oceans, waterways, groundwater, and soil as well as the modern pollution of antibiotic waste, genetic engineering, nanowaste, space junk, military waste and nuclear, a description of a planet degraded by pollution impacting our bodies and health as well as the planet's future. Burrowes includes another form of waste, junk information, that denies reality, e.g. climate change, the dangers of extreme energy extraction and food polluted by genetic engineering, pesticides, and depleted soils. This false reporting results in policies that create a risk of ecosystem collapse. Political and economic elites want people to believe these problems do not exist. Those in power seek to protect profits from dirty energy rather than transition to 100 percent clean energy. They seek to protect agribusiness food, pesticides, and genetically modified foods rather than transform food to organic, locally grown foods using regenerative agriculture. They deny the reality of environmental racism rather than correct decades of racism and provide reparations. They seek to put profits ahead of the health and necessities of people as well as ahead of protecting and restoring the planet. Despite this, a growing portion of the public understands these realities and is taking action to challenge the system. People know, for example, as activist Steven Norris writes, that they should be concerned about the impact of carbon infrastructure on their communities and the planet. Recently, David Buckel, a nationally known advocate for gay rights and the environment, died in a self-immolation suicide as a wake-up call to save the planet. He wrote in a note, "Pollution ravages our planet, oozing inhabitability via air, soil, water and weather. Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result -- my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves." The undertow being created by organized resistance is growing, and so is the push back against it. In order for this conflict to be resolved, the conflict must be heightened as is occurring now. People Power Escalates As we write this, tree-sits are growing in West Virginia where people are putting their bodies on the line to prevent the destruction of trees and habitat to build the Mountain Valley pipeline for fracked gas. In Virginia, Red Terry started a tree-sit on Easter weekend to protect her land from destruction. She remains, despite the company with law enforcement support denying her food and water -- something illegal against prisoners or during war. As trees are felled she remains, as do protesters in Pennsylvania, who are also doing tree-sits. Their stubborn courageous should encourage each of us. In Louisiana, a water protector locked herself into a cement-filled barrel placed in the trench of a horizontal directional drill to block construction of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline. Eleanor Goldfield reports this is part of the Battle of the Bayou, a coalition of groups and individuals standing against the destruction of a fragile environment, facing arrest and creating a future together. In Maryland, people blocked construction then escalated to a tractor blockade to prevent the construction of a compressor station that will bring fracked gas from the Mid-Atlantic to the Dominion export terminal in southern Maryland. People who fought the export terminal for years are now joining with neighboring counties fighting gas infrastructure and mounting a campaign against the Maryland Department of the Environment as Governor Hogan pushes $100 million in gas infrastructure. People are taking protests to corporate offices as a busload of Lancaster, PA people did when they brought a 12 foot stretch of pipeline to a meeting room, singing songs and chanting, asking "How does it feel to be invaded?" In Bellevue Washington, protesters constructed a small longhouse blocking the main entrance to the corporate headquarters of an energy company. California's Governor Jerry Brown was protested when he came to speak at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Hundreds of people protested Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania over his pro-fracking policies. More politicians will be held accountable in this election year by angry constituents. The industry recognizes that pipeline protesters are having an impact. Canada is having a hard time moving tar sands and fracked gas because protests are stopping pipeline investment. Oil companies are successfully being pressured to examine the risks to the environment and human rights from their actions. Washington activists defeated the largest oil-train terminal in the nation. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). 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. From Reader Supported News (Image by Photo: Dennis Schroeder-NREL/Flicker) Details DMCA Puerto Rico has made history by becoming -- briefly -- the largest US territory or state to be powered almost entirely by renewable energy. The corporate media has done all it can to black the story out. The rising grassroots movement to totally rebuild Puerto Rico's electric supply system with renewable energy and locally owned micro-grids poses a serious threat to the centralized, fossil-based corporate elite. But two hurricanes and two human-error blackouts have opened the door to systemic change. Here's how: Last September, Hurricane Irma blew through the Caribbean, passing over enough of Puerto Rico to plunge tens of thousands of people into darkness. Many of them are still without power. Then Hurricane Maria shredded the island's electric grid and blacked out its 3.4 million residents virtually in toto. The island had two large wind farms, one of which was severely damaged. The other survived, but had no grid through which to distribute its electricity. Some solar arrays on the island were also severely damaged. But at a farm in Barranquitas owned by Hector Santiago, 244 solar panels kept some 2,500 light bulbs alight to maximize greenhouse plant growth. Much to the derision of his neighbors, Santiago had invested some $300,000 in the solar array. Small gas and kerosene-fired generators kicked back up around the island. But Santiago's solar array may well have been its biggest operating power station. Over the following months, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority tried to restore its rickety poles and wires, plus its network of obsolete gas and oil plants ... and the ancient coal plant that burns ore from Colombia. Along the way, PREPA's director was fired, and Governor Ricardo Antonio "Ricky" Rossello Nevares has campaigned to privatize the utility, a move strongly opposed by democracy activists. On April 8, as PREPA was bringing the island back up to near-total power, restoration workers felled a tree onto live transmission wires, knocking out power to some 850,000 customers. Ten days later, PREPA proudly announced that it had restored power to 95.8 percent of the island's population. Some 62,000 customers were still in the dark. But PREPA was proud that each of the territory's 78 municipalities had at least some power. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). 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. From The Hill As the world remembers former first lady Barbara Bush, who brought grace and dignity to American public life and who was the only woman in American history except for Abigail Adams who was married to one president and a mother to another, we should remember that American politics has not always been a place of warring tribes and political insults. In the 1992 presidential campaign, George Herbert Walker Bush and Barbara Bush battled against William Jefferson Clinton and Hillary Clinton for the highest stakes in American government and world leadership. In those days, America was the leader of the free world, and while politics was not always the noblest profession, there were standards in American civic life and values that transcended the great divides of political partisanship. As Barbara Bush is laid to rest, surrounded by a loving family and grateful nation, many words of affection and respect will be spoken of her. All of those words will be said with sincerity and admiration for who she was, all she did and the American spirit she embodied so gracefully. Barbara Bush was a loving mother, a devoted wife and a wonderful first lady. While George Herbert Walker Bush was the leader of the free world, steering international politics skillfully as the Berlin Wall tumbled down, Barbara Bush was making the world a better place by championing the great cause of literacy, which benefited so many children and adults too. This is not the time or place to comment at length on contemporary political affairs, but it is a good moment to reflect on the friendship and respect that Democrats named Clinton and Republicans named Bush came to feel for each other. In a remarkable television interview, on The David Rubenstein Show on Bloomberg, Rubenstein brought together George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to discuss the friendships that grew between three former presidents representing two political parties and two families. After leaving office, they collaborated with each other on various matters, including helping those who had been ravaged by national disasters. George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton shared the distinction of having been leaders of the nation, and they developed working friendships of mutual respect and worthy collaboration despite their differences of policy, politics and philosophy. When George W. Bush wrote his memoirs, "Decision Points", in 2010, he discussed the bond between Clinton and his father. Clinton offered the book lavish praise, said people of all political viewpoints should read it and often reminisced about his friendship and respect for the 41st president, whose political goodwill and foreign policy expertise he praised and admired. In a wonderful interview on C-SPAN in 2014, Barbara Bush spoke of this friendship, saying: "I love Bill Clinton. Maybe not his politics, but I love Bill Clinton." The former First Lady continued: "My husband, Bill Clinton, and I have become friends, and Bill visits us every summer. We don't agree politically, but we don't talk politics." She spoke of the relationship between Bush 41 and Clinton as a kind of father-son relationship and noted how loving Clinton always was to her husband when they travelled together. From her youth until her last moments on earth, Barbara Bush could be plain spoken and strong willed at times and always radiated a humanity and goodwill that is quintessentially American. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Automotive Acrylic Paints 2018 Global Industry Key Players - PPG , BASF , Axalta , Akzonobel , Sherwin Williams Market Analysis And Forecast To 2025 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3132399-global-automotive-acrylic-paints-market-research-report-2018 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3132399-global-automotive-acrylic-paints-market-research-report-2018 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints MarketThis report studies the global Automotive Acrylic Paints market status and forecast, categorizes the global Automotive Acrylic Paints market size (value & volume) by manufacturers, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top manufacturers in North America, Europe, Japan, China and other regions (India, Southeast Asia, Central & South America, and Middle East & Africa).Request a Sample Report @The major manufacturers covered in this reportPPGBASFAxaltaAkzonobelSherwin WilliamsKansaiSolvayValsparCovestro3MDow ChemicalKCCNippon PaintGeographically, this report studies the top producers and consumers, focuses on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in these key regions, coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanOther Regions (India, Southeast Asia, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa)The regional scope of the study is as follows:North AmericaUnited StatesCanadaMexicoAsia-PacificChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaAustraliaIndonesiaSingaporeRest of Asia-PacificEuropeGermanyFranceUKItalySpainRussiaRest of EuropeCentral & South AmericaBrazilArgentinaRest of South AmericaMiddle East & AfricaSaudi ArabiaTurkeyRest of Middle East & AfricaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoBy Paint typeElectrocoatPrimerBasecoatClearcoatBy Technology typeSolvent borneWaterbornePowder CoatingOn 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, includingPassenger CarLCVHCVThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Automotive Acrylic Paints capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Automotive Acrylic Paints manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future.Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the marketTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketTo strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Automotive Acrylic Paints are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.Key StakeholdersAutomotive Acrylic Paints ManufacturersAutomotive Acrylic Paints Distributors/Traders/WholesalersAutomotive Acrylic Paints Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsAvailable CustomizationsWith the given market data, QYResearch offers customizations according to the company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:Regional and country-level analysis of the Automotive Acrylic Paints market, by end-use.Detailed analysis and profiles of additional market players.Table of Contents-Key Points CoveredGlobal Automotive Acrylic Paints Market Research Report 20181 Automotive Acrylic Paints Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Automotive Acrylic Paints1.2 Automotive Acrylic Paints Segment By Paint type1.2.1 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Production and CAGR (%) Comparison By Paint type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Production Market Share By Paint type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Electrocoat1.2.4 Primer1.2.5 Basecoat1.2.6 Clearcoat1.3 Automotive Acrylic Paints Segment By Technology type1.3.1 Solvent borne1.3.2 Waterborne1.3.3 Powder Coating1.4 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Segment by Application1.4.1 Automotive Acrylic Paints Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.4.2 Passenger Car1.4.3 LCV1.4.4 HCV1.5 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Market by Region (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.5.2 North America Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.6 Global Market Size (Value) of Automotive Acrylic Paints (2013-2025)1.6.1 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.6.2 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)2 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Automotive Acrylic Paints Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers Automotive Acrylic Paints Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Automotive Acrylic Paints Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Automotive Acrylic Paints Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Automotive Acrylic Paints Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, ExpansionContinued.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 Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) Market 2018 - LG Innotek, GE Lighting, Enlux Lighitng, EMTEQ Global Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) Market https://goo.gl/eruaR5 https://goo.gl/kyfn3R www.apexmarketreports.com Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) Market across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) 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 Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) performance both in terms of volume and revenue.The market research report explores the Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) Market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) 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 Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) Market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED). Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) 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 ReportOsram OptoCitizen ElectronicsCreePerkinelmerSeoul SemiconductorLG InnotekGE LightingEnlux LighitngEMTEQProphotonixCooper LightingLumiShoreLtdPhilips Lumileds LightingSamsung ElectronicsLeiso LightingLuminageOthersThe competitive landscape of the global market for Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) Markets production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) Market globally.Inquire Before Buying @The Global Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) Market 2018 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) production volume, data pertaining to demand and Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) 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 Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) 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 - Corrugated Paper Market Analysis by Key Players : Emin Leydier, Europac Group's Packaging Division, Induspac, Interstate Resources, MeadWestvaco, PCA, Sonoco Products, U.S. Corrugated https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2827134-global-corrugated-paper-market-research-report-2018 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/2827134-global-corrugated-paper-market-research-report-2018 In this report, the global Corrugated Paper 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 Corrugated Paper in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaRequest a Sample Report @Global Corrugated Paper market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingMondiGeorgia-PacificInternational PaperRoch-TennSmurfit KappaArchis PackagingBates ContainerBio-PAPPEL SAB de CVCarter Holt HarveyClarasionDS SmithDunapack PackagingEmin LeydierEuropac Group's Packaging DivisionInduspacInterstate ResourcesMeadWestvacoPCASonoco ProductsU.S. CorrugatedOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSingle Corrugated CardboardDouble Corrugated CardboardOn 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, includingFood IndustryBeverage IndustryDaily Chemical ProductFiber IndustryMedicalOtherIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of ContentsGlobal Corrugated Paper Market Research Report 20181 Corrugated Paper Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Corrugated Paper1.2 Corrugated Paper Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Corrugated Paper Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Corrugated Paper Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Single Corrugated Cardboard1.2.4 Double Corrugated Cardboard1.3 Global Corrugated Paper Segment by Application1.3.1 Corrugated Paper Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Food Industry1.3.3 Beverage Industry1.3.4 Daily Chemical Product1.3.5 Fiber Industry1.3.6 Medical1.3.7 Other1.4 Global Corrugated Paper Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Corrugated Paper 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 Corrugated Paper (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Corrugated Paper Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Corrugated Paper Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)2 Global Corrugated Paper Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Corrugated Paper Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Corrugated Paper Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Corrugated Paper Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Corrugated Paper Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Corrugated Paper Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers Corrugated Paper Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Corrugated Paper Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Corrugated Paper Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Corrugated Paper Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Corrugated Paper Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Corrugated Paper Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Corrugated Paper Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Corrugated Paper Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global Corrugated Paper Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 North America Corrugated Paper Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.6 Europe Corrugated Paper Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.7 China Corrugated Paper Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.8 Japan Corrugated Paper Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.9 Southeast Asia Corrugated Paper Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.10 India Corrugated Paper Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)4 Global Corrugated Paper Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)4.1 Global Corrugated Paper Consumption by Region (2013-2018)4.2 North America Corrugated Paper Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Corrugated Paper Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.4 China Corrugated Paper Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.5 Japan Corrugated Paper Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 Southeast Asia Corrugated Paper Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 India Corrugated Paper Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)5 Global Corrugated Paper Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Corrugated Paper Production and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.2 Global Corrugated Paper Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.3 Global Corrugated Paper Price by Type (2013-2018)5.4 Global Corrugated Paper Production Growth by Type (2013-2018)6 Global Corrugated Paper Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Corrugated Paper Consumption and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)6.2 Global Corrugated Paper Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2013-2018)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/CountriesContinuedAccess 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 Investment Analysis of Construction Industry in Indonesia Future Growth and Top Key Player with the Forecast to 2021 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1011 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/construction-industry-investment-analysis-1011 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/1011 Study Objectives of Investment Analysis of Construction Industry in Indonesia To provide detailed analysis of the construction industry along with forecast for the next 5 years of the of the Indonesia Construction Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To provide country-level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country-level analysis of the market for construction industryDownload free sample@Market Synopsis of Investment Analysis of Construction Industry in IndonesiaIndonesia is known as the second most productive and profitable construction market in Asia, where a huge number of construction projects are undergoing in both residential as well as non-residential sectors. For example, one of the head ventures which were started by the property developer named Lippo Karawaci is the Millennium Village and The Global Smart City which is situated on a 70 hectare in Lippon town. The development cost for these projects would be approximately $15 billion. In Indonesia, the construction industry has been growing 8% to 9% annually, due to huge demand for residential properties and growth of the property sector in major cities around the country. The public works investment is a key point in the governments plan to provide water resources, roads and human settlement infrastructure for the long-term development.The investment board in Indonesia is favoring to draw assets into the nation as it dispatches a huge framework program intended to quicken modernization and advanced development. Considering the historical trends, the GDP of the construction industry has grown at a higher rate than overall countrys GDP. From 2003 to 2013, the GDP has grown from 125.3 trillion RP to 907.3 trillion RP, where the industry accounts for around 10% of GDP.Access Full Details@Key Findings As per MFRF analysis, it has been estimated that the majority of the market is dominated by non-residential properties approximately around 56.67% in 2015 as compared to residential construction activities. The total spending in construction industry in Indonesia is accounted to USD Billion in 2015. The annual production growth rate is accounted for during the forecasted period.1. INDONESIA CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AT A GLANCE$ 0.002. INDONESIA ECONOMY: OVERVIEW, FACTS & FIGURES$ 0.002.1. CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FACTS & FIGURES2.2. MARKET SHARE OF THREE TOP CEMENT PRODUCERS2.3. INDONESIAN CEMENT SALES (2011 TO 2016)3. INDONESIA CONSTRUCTION GROWTH, OPPORTUNITY & RISK$ 0.004. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT$ 0.004.1. MARKET SIZE & INCOME4.2. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO5. INVESTMENT ANALYSIS OF INDONESIA CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY$ 0.005.1. THE INVESTMENT NEEDS IN INDONESIA: 2015-2021 FORECAST (IN USD)5.2. FDI INFLOWS IN INDONESIA BY COUNTRIES IN 20145.3. INDONESIA INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES5.4. INDONESIA INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC ISSUES (2016-2021)5.5. INDONESIAS INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING SCHEME5.6. MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE & CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS5.7. OTHER MAJOR PROJECTS6. KEY PLAYERS IN INDONESIA CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY$ 0.007. SWOT ANALYSIS$ 0.008. INDONESIA CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: LOOKING FORWARDIf interested please check for Discount@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 products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.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.ContactMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comThank You. Medical Recruitment Market Poised for Robust CAGR of Over 5.6% Through 2027 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-we-3675 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-we-3675 www.futuremarketinsights.com According to a new research report by Future Market Insights, the Western Europe medical recruitment market was valued at over US$ 16 billion in 2016. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.6% during the period 2017-2027 to reach US$ 29.34 billion in revenues.Increasing prevalence of heart-related diseases, combined with rising research projects related to healthcare across various countries are driving the growth of the market. Germany has the highest population of old-age population, followed by Sweden, France, and Denmark. Providing quality care to this rapidly growing population will be a challenge for the healthcare sector in Western Europe. This will necessitate increased hiring of healthcare professionals.Key Trends Shaping the MarketHealthcare recruiting companies are focusing on recruitment service diversification and expansion across Europe to consolidate their position. For example, in January 2017, TFS Healthcare enhanced its presence in England and Wales by employing dedicated teams for these countries.The Western Europe medical recruitment market is fragmented, and large companies are acquiring smaller players to enhance their presence in suburban centers.Recruiting companies are partnering with universities to gain access to a steady pool of fresh talent.Request to Sample Report -Key Technology Trends: On-boarding Software, Smart Social Recruiting, and Data AnalyticsAccording to Future Market Insights, the use of on-boarding software solution is gaining traction among medical recruiters, owing to its effectiveness and ease of use. On-boarding software solutions eliminate paperwork and speed up the process.Use of smart social recruiting is also growing among medical recruiters in Western Europe. Recruiters are reducing their reliance on applicant tracking systems, and incorporating social recruiting and employee referrals into their operations. Further, use of data analytics software, including Hadoop, Voldermort, and Cassandra is growing among recruiters, as focus on maintaining and managing applicant volumes becomes a priority.By vertical, nursing/healthcare is the most lucrative segment, accounting for nearly 29% revenue share of the market. Paramedical staff is the second largest segment, accounting for 11.4% share of the market.In a bid to provide accurate analysis to readers, Future Market Insights has also segmented the Western Europe medical recruitment market on the basis of candidature. Healthcare professional was the most sought-after candidature profile, whereas pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs was the least lucrative.On the basis of services, the market has been segmented into recruitment services, managed services, homecare services, and specialist care services. Future Market Insights estimates recruitment services segment to be most lucrative, followed by managed services and homecare services.Request Report TOC @The U.K. remains the largest market, accounting for over 36% revenue share. Germany and France are the other leading markets in Western Europe. Norway and Denmark are among the least attractive markets.Leading recruiters in Western Europe medical recruitment market include Medacs Healthcare PLC., Euromotion Medical, CPL Healthcare, ProClinical Recruitment, TFS Healthcare, EGV Recruiting, and CCM Recruitment International Limited.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite : Austria Residential Construction Expected To Grow At High Cagr during Forecast Period 2017 2021 http://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2397548-residential-construction-market-in-austria-market-size-growth-and-forecast-analytics https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/2397548-residential-construction-market-in-austria-market-size-growth-and-forecast-analytics Austria Residential Construction MarketSummaryResidential construction market covers new construction, renovation and demolition of residential buildings such as houses, townhouses, cottages, condominiums, single-unit dwellings, sub-divisions and apartments. This market includes two categories: single-family housing and multi-family housing.The Austrian residential construction category has observed some fluctuations in the review period with a value of EURxxx.xx million (US$xxx.xx million) in 2016 and increased at a rate of x.xx% over 2015. The market recorded a CAGR of x.xx% from 2012 through 2016.Click here for sample report @Scope of the ReportAn overview of the residential construction market in Austria.Historic (2012 through 2016) and forecast (2017 through 2021) construction market output values are provided.A detailed breakdown of the data by construction activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition) is provided at the market level while the values for the segments are provided by cost types (construction materials, construction equipment & construction services).This report covers all the segments of commercial construction market including Residential construction market covers new construction, renovation and demolition of residential buildings such as houses, townhouses, cottages, condominiums, single-unit dwellings, sub-divisions and apartments. This market includes two categories: single-family housing and multi-family housing..Table of Contents1 Introduction1.1 What is this Report About?1.2 Definitions1.3 CAGR Definition and Calculation2 Overall Residential Construction: Market Analysis2.1 Overall Residential Construction Output Value, 2012 - 20162.2 Overall Residential Construction Output Value Forecast, 2017 - 20212.3 Overall Residential Construction Output Value by Cost Type2.3.1 Overall Residential Construction Output Value by Cost Type, 2012 - 20162.3.2 Overall Residential Construction Output Value by Cost Type Forecast, 2017 - 20213 Residential Construction Output: Analysis by Category3.1 New Construction Output Value, 2012 - 20163.2 New Construction Output Value Forecast, 2017 - 20213.3 New Construction Output Value by Cost Type3.3.1 New Construction Output Value by Cost Type, 2012 - 20163.3.2 New Construction Output Value by Cost Type Forecast, 2017 - 20213.4 Repair & Maintenance Output Value, 2012 - 20163.5 Repair & Maintenance Output value Forecast, 2017 - 20213.6 Repair & Maintenance Output Value by Cost Type.ContinuedFor Detailed Reading Please visit @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Organic Cocoa Market to Witness an Outstanding Growth by 2025 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1058 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1058 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ The certified organic cocoa market represents a very small share of the total cocoa market, estimated around 0.5% of total production. However, the demand for organic cocoa products are growing at a very strong pace, the supply side faces a strong challenge to meet the demand of organic cocoa. Since, farmers are paying ample amount for producing organic cocoa, production of organic cocoa is more in least developed countries. Organic cocoa has many nutritional benefits such as more fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and many other minerals. Moreover it also contains antioxidants, which helps to protect skin. Organic cocoa also helps to improve blood flow and lower blood pressure. Demand for organic cocoa products are very high in U.S, U.K and Germany, hence organic cocoa are supplied to developed economies of North America and Western Europe to manufacture organic cocoa products. Currently, Dominican Republic is dominating the organic cocoa market in terms of production that holds around 70 percent of the total market share; Peru, Ecuador and Mexico together hold around 20 percent of the market share in terms of production; rest around 10 percent is held by Bolivia, Ghana, Brazil and others.A sample of this report is available upon request @Organic Cocoa Market Segmentation:On the basis of product type the organic cocoa market is segmented into cocoa powder, cocoa paste, cocoa butter, cocoa beans and others (products containing cocoa). Products containing cocoa holds the highest market share in terms of value followed by cocoa beans and cocoa butter.On the basis of application organic cocoa market is segmented into confectionaries, bakery, functional food, health drinks, home cooking use and others (pharmaceuticals, ointments, and toiletries). Organic cocoa is majorly used in food industry as a main ingredient of chocolate.Geographically, Organic cocoa market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Latin America is dominating worldwide followed by Middle East and Africa (MEA) in terms of organic cocoa production. Majority of organic cocoa is exported to Western Europe followed by North America. U.K and U.S are the largest manufacturing countries of organic cocoa products in the world, since organic chocolate is more popular in U.K, U.S and Germany and consumers from those countries owe a significant inclination towards organic chocolates irrespective of high pricing of organic products.Organic Cocoa Market Dynamics:Chocolate is the main application of organic cocoa which is the main growth driver of organic cocoa market. Also, the organic cocoa market is expected to be largely driven by the health consciousness among consumers. However, lack of proper supply of organic cocoa restrains the global organic cocoa market which also leads to increase in price of organic cocoa. There is a huge opportunity in the North America and Western Europe and Japan. Asia Pacific excluding Japan is an untapped market which is also a potential market for organic cocoa. This is attributed to increasing inclination of consumers towards organic products, rapid urbanisation, strengthening supply chain for organic cocoa and rising health consciousness among consumers.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Organic Cocoa Market Key Player:Some of the leading players are Kraft Foods Inc., Cargill Incorporated, Tradin Organic Agriculture B.V., Ciranda, Blommer Chocolate Company, Artisan Confections Company, PASCHA Company, InterNatural Foods LLC and Wilmor Publishing Corp.About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.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: Global Car Care Products Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1729542 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1729542/global-north-america-europe-and-market-research-reports/toc https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1729542/global-north-america-europe-and-market-research-reports https://www.researchmoz.com/checkout?rep_id=1729542&licType=S http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Global (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) Car Care Products Market 2018 Forecast to 2023 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Car Care Products MarketCar care products are high performance chemicals used to improve shine, gloss, and durability of vehicles. These chemicals also protect and retain the visual appeal of vehicles. There are different types of automotive appearance chemicals available in the market which includes wheel care, tire shine, interior-exterior care, glass cleaner, paint cleaning and protection, paint restoration and many more.Get Sample copy of this Report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Car Care Products 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 covers3MTurtle WaxShenzhen CHIEFGuangzhou BiaobangIllinois Tool WorksGuangzhou BotnyZhongshan DatianBullsoneSpectrum BrandsBluestarSOFT99Shenzhen SUNRISESONAXTetrosylWILLSONLiqui MolyMothersAltroRequest for TOC @Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversCleaning ProductsRepair ProductsProtection ProductsOther ProductsMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoCommercial UseIndividual UseThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Car Care Products market.Chapter 1, to describe Car Care Products Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Car Care Products, with sales, revenue, and price of Car Care Products, 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 Car Care Products, for each region, from 2013 to 2018;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, 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 2013 to 2018;Chapter 12, Car Care Products market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2023;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Car Care Products sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceView Report @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Car Care Products Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Cleaning Products1.2.2 Repair Products1.2.3 Protection Products1.2.4 Other Products1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Commercial Use1.3.2 Individual Use1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 United States Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 3M2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 3M Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 Turtle Wax2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 Turtle Wax Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 Shenzhen CHIEF2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 Shenzhen CHIEF Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 Guangzhou Biaobang2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Type 12.4.2.2 Type 22.4.3 Guangzhou Biaobang Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 Illinois Tool Works2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Type 12.5.2.2 Type 22.5.3 Illinois Tool Works Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.6 Guangzhou Botny2.6.1 Business Overview2.6.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.6.2.1 Type 12.6.2.2 Type 22.6.3 Guangzhou Botny Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.7 Zhongshan Datian2.7.1 Business Overview2.7.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.7.2.1 Type 12.7.2.2 Type 22.7.3 Zhongshan Datian Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.8 Bullsone2.8.1 Business Overview2.8.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.8.2.1 Type 12.8.2.2 Type 22.8.3 Bullsone Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.9 Spectrum Brands2.9.1 Business Overview2.9.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.9.2.1 Type 12.9.2.2 Type 22.9.3 Spectrum Brands Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.10 Bluestar2.10.1 Business Overview2.10.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.10.2.1 Type 12.10.2.2 Type 22.10.3 Bluestar Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.11 SOFT992.11.1 Business Overview2.11.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.11.2.1 Type 12.11.2.2 Type 22.11.3 SOFT99 Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.12 Shenzhen SUNRISE2.12.1 Business Overview2.12.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.12.2.1 Type 12.12.2.2 Type 22.12.3 Shenzhen SUNRISE Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.13 SONAX2.13.1 Business Overview2.13.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.13.2.1 Type 12.13.2.2 Type 22.13.3 SONAX Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.14 Tetrosyl2.14.1 Business Overview2.14.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.14.2.1 Type 12.14.2.2 Type 22.14.3 Tetrosyl Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.15 WILLSON2.15.1 Business Overview2.15.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.15.2.1 Type 12.15.2.2 Type 22.15.3 WILLSON Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.16 Liqui Moly2.16.1 Business Overview2.16.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.16.2.1 Type 12.16.2.2 Type 22.16.3 Liqui Moly Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.17 Mothers2.17.1 Business Overview2.17.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.17.2.1 Type 12.17.2.2 Type 22.17.3 Mothers Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.18 Altro2.18.1 Business Overview2.18.2 Car Care Products Type and Applications2.18.2.1 Type 12.18.2.2 Type 22.18.3 Altro Car Care Products Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)3 Global Car Care Products Market Competition, by Manufacturer3.1 Global Car Care Products Sales and Market Share by Manufacturer (2016-2017)3.2 Global Car Care Products Revenue and Market Share by Manufacturer (2016-2017)3.3 Global Car Care Products Price by Manufacturer (2016-2017)3.4 Market Concentration Rate3.4.1 Top 3 Car Care Products Manufacturer Market Share in 20173.4.2 Top 5 Car Care Products Manufacturer Market Share in 20173.5 Market Competition Trend4 Global Car Care Products Market Analysis by Regions4.1 Global Car Care Products Sales, Revenue and Market Share by Regions4.1.1 Global Car Care Products Sales by Regions (2013-2018)4.1.2 Global Car Care Products Revenue by Regions (2013-2018)4.2 North America Car Care Products Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Car Care Products Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)4.4 Asia-Pacific Car Care Products Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)4.5 South America Car Care Products Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)4.6 Middle East and Africa Car Care Products Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)Buy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Global Conductive Polymers Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1729549 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1729549/global-north-america-europe-and-market-research-reports/toc https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1729549/global-north-america-europe-and-market-research-reports https://www.researchmoz.com/checkout?rep_id=1729549&licType=S http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Global (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) Conductive Polymers Market 2018 Forecast to 2023 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.bizAbout Conductive Polymers MarketConductive polymers have a wide variety of applications in various industries, ranging from production of medicine, healthcare, renewable energy devices, such as photovoltaic cells, to manufacturing of display materials, chip packaging, sensors, plastic transistors, and ultra-capacitors. Conductive polymers are used in a wide range of electrical appliances such as energy devices, electronics, and actuators, and as an alternate to inorganic semiconductor counterpart.?Get Sample copy of this Report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Conductive Polymers 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 covers3MRTP CompanyParker HannifinSumitomo ChemicalPremix OYHeraeus GroupThe Lubrizol CorporationCovestroPolyone CorporationCelaneseRieke Metals Inc.Merck KgaaSabicDOW & DupontKenner Material & SystemWestlake Plastics Co.Request for TOC @Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversElectrically Conducting PolymersThermally Conducting PolymersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoESD & EMI ProtectionAntistatic Packaging & Electrostatic CoatingActuators & SensorsBatteriesCapacitorsOrganic Solar CellsOthersThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Conductive Polymers market.Chapter 1, to describe Conductive Polymers Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Conductive Polymers, with sales, revenue, and price of Conductive Polymers, 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 Conductive Polymers, for each region, from 2013 to 2018;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, 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 2013 to 2018;Chapter 12, Conductive Polymers market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2023;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Conductive Polymers sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceView Report @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Conductive Polymers Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Electrically Conducting Polymers1.2.2 Thermally Conducting Polymers1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 ESD & EMI Protection1.3.2 Antistatic Packaging & Electrostatic Coating1.3.3 Actuators & Sensors1.3.4 Batteries1.3.5 Capacitors1.3.6 Organic Solar Cells1.3.1 Others1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 United States Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 3M2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 3M Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 RTP Company2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 RTP Company Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 Parker Hannifin2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 Parker Hannifin Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 Sumitomo Chemical2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Type 12.4.2.2 Type 22.4.3 Sumitomo Chemical Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 Premix OY2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Type 12.5.2.2 Type 22.5.3 Premix OY Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.6 Heraeus Group2.6.1 Business Overview2.6.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.6.2.1 Type 12.6.2.2 Type 22.6.3 Heraeus Group Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.7 The Lubrizol Corporation2.7.1 Business Overview2.7.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.7.2.1 Type 12.7.2.2 Type 22.7.3 The Lubrizol Corporation Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.8 Covestro2.8.1 Business Overview2.8.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.8.2.1 Type 12.8.2.2 Type 22.8.3 Covestro Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.9 Polyone Corporation2.9.1 Business Overview2.9.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.9.2.1 Type 12.9.2.2 Type 22.9.3 Polyone Corporation Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.10 Celanese2.10.1 Business Overview2.10.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.10.2.1 Type 12.10.2.2 Type 22.10.3 Celanese Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.11 Rieke Metals Inc.2.11.1 Business Overview2.11.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.11.2.1 Type 12.11.2.2 Type 22.11.3 Rieke Metals Inc. Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.12 Merck Kgaa2.12.1 Business Overview2.12.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.12.2.1 Type 12.12.2.2 Type 22.12.3 Merck Kgaa Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.13 Sabic2.13.1 Business Overview2.13.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.13.2.1 Type 12.13.2.2 Type 22.13.3 Sabic Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.14 DOW & Dupont2.14.1 Business Overview2.14.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.14.2.1 Type 12.14.2.2 Type 22.14.3 DOW & Dupont Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.15 Kenner Material & System2.15.1 Business Overview2.15.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.15.2.1 Type 12.15.2.2 Type 22.15.3 Kenner Material & System Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.16 Westlake Plastics Co.2.16.1 Business Overview2.16.2 Conductive Polymers Type and Applications2.16.2.1 Type 12.16.2.2 Type 22.16.3 Westlake Plastics Co. Conductive Polymers Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)3 Global Conductive Polymers Market Competition, by Manufacturer3.1 Global Conductive Polymers Sales and Market Share by Manufacturer (2016-2017)3.2 Global Conductive Polymers Revenue and Market Share by Manufacturer (2016-2017)3.3 Global Conductive Polymers Price by Manufacturer (2016-2017)3.4 Market Concentration Rate3.4.1 Top 3 Conductive Polymers Manufacturer Market Share in 20173.4.2 Top 5 Conductive Polymers Manufacturer Market Share in 20173.5 Market Competition TrendBuy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Global Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Market By players, Regions, Product Type, Consumers Forecast 2017-2023 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1729563 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1729563/global-north-america-europe-and-market-research-reports/toc https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1729563/global-north-america-europe-and-market-research-reports https://www.researchmoz.com/checkout?rep_id=1729563&licType=S http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Global (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Market 2018 Forecast to 2023 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Electric Motorcycles & Scooters MarketElectric two-wheelers, as indicates itself, is electricity-powered two-wheelers. A battery pack and a motor are installed to store and transform the electricity. A user control is usually attached to the handle bar to brake and adjust the speed.Get Sample copy of this Report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Electric Motorcycles & Scooters 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 coversYadeaAIMALvyuanSunraTAILGLimaBYVINZongshen Electric MotorcycleWuyang HondaHONG ER DALvjiaSlaneOpai ElectricSupaqXiaodao EbikeSykeeAucma EVTerra MotorGovecsZEVZero MotorcyclesRequest for TOC @Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversElectric MotorcycleElectric ScooterMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Electric Motorcycles & Scooters market.Chapter 1, to describe Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Electric Motorcycles & Scooters, with sales, revenue, and price of Electric Motorcycles & Scooters, 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 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters, for each region, from 2013 to 2018;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, 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 2013 to 2018;Chapter 12, Electric Motorcycles & Scooters market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2023;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Electric Motorcycles & Scooters sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceView Report @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Electric Motorcycle1.2.2 Electric Scooter1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 United States Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Yadea2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 Yadea Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 AIMA2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 AIMA Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 Lvyuan2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 Lvyuan Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 Sunra2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Type 12.4.2.2 Type 22.4.3 Sunra Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 TAILG2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Type 12.5.2.2 Type 22.5.3 TAILG Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.6 Lima2.6.1 Business Overview2.6.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.6.2.1 Type 12.6.2.2 Type 22.6.3 Lima Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.7 BYVIN2.7.1 Business Overview2.7.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.7.2.1 Type 12.7.2.2 Type 22.7.3 BYVIN Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.8 Zongshen Electric Motorcycle2.8.1 Business Overview2.8.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.8.2.1 Type 12.8.2.2 Type 22.8.3 Zongshen Electric Motorcycle Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.9 Wuyang Honda2.9.1 Business Overview2.9.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.9.2.1 Type 12.9.2.2 Type 22.9.3 Wuyang Honda Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.10 HONG ER DA2.10.1 Business Overview2.10.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.10.2.1 Type 12.10.2.2 Type 22.10.3 HONG ER DA Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.11 Lvjia2.11.1 Business Overview2.11.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.11.2.1 Type 12.11.2.2 Type 22.11.3 Lvjia Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.12 Slane2.12.1 Business Overview2.12.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.12.2.1 Type 12.12.2.2 Type 22.12.3 Slane Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.13 Opai Electric2.13.1 Business Overview2.13.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.13.2.1 Type 12.13.2.2 Type 22.13.3 Opai Electric Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.14 Supaq2.14.1 Business Overview2.14.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.14.2.1 Type 12.14.2.2 Type 22.14.3 Supaq Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.15 Xiaodao Ebike2.15.1 Business Overview2.15.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.15.2.1 Type 12.15.2.2 Type 22.15.3 Xiaodao Ebike Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.16 Sykee2.16.1 Business Overview2.16.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.16.2.1 Type 12.16.2.2 Type 22.16.3 Sykee Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.17 Aucma EV2.17.1 Business Overview2.17.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.17.2.1 Type 12.17.2.2 Type 22.17.3 Aucma EV Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.18 Terra Motor2.18.1 Business Overview2.18.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.18.2.1 Type 12.18.2.2 Type 22.18.3 Terra Motor Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.19 Govecs2.19.1 Business Overview2.19.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.19.2.1 Type 12.19.2.2 Type 22.19.3 Govecs Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.20 ZEV2.20.1 Business Overview2.20.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.20.2.1 Type 12.20.2.2 Type 22.20.3 ZEV Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.21 Zero Motorcycles2.21.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Type and Applications2.21.2.1 Type 12.21.2.2 Type 22.21.3 Zero Motorcycles Electric Motorcycles & Scooters Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)Buy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Global Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Market by Forecast 2018 to 2023 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1729564 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1729564/global-north-america-europe-and-market-research-reports/toc https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1729564/global-north-america-europe-and-market-research-reports https://www.researchmoz.com/checkout?rep_id=1729564&licType=S http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Global (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Market 2018 Forecast to 2023 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives MarketLaminating Adhesives are a range of coatable adhesives used in the manufacture of laminated plastic cards. Different versions are available for screen printing, roller coat and flexible packaging application. In the report, it mainly contains solvent-based, solvent-free and water-based types.Get Sample copy of this Report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives 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 covers3MHenkelH.B. FullerDural IndustriesBond Tech IndustriesSika Automotive GmbHDIC CorporationMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Request for TOC @Market Segment by Type, coversWater BasedSolvent BasedSolvent LessMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoFood PackagingMedical PackagingIndustrial PackagingOtherThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives market.Chapter 1, to describe Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives, with sales, revenue, and price of Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives, 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 Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives, for each region, from 2013 to 2018;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, 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 2013 to 2018;Chapter 12, Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2023;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceView Report @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Water Based1.2.2 Solvent Based1.2.3 Solvent Less1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Food Packaging1.3.2 Medical Packaging1.3.3 Industrial Packaging1.3.4 Other1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 United States Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 3M2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 3M Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 Henkel2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 Henkel Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 H.B. Fuller2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 H.B. Fuller Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 Dural Industries2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Type 12.4.2.2 Type 22.4.3 Dural Industries Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 Bond Tech Industries2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Type 12.5.2.2 Type 22.5.3 Bond Tech Industries Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.6 Sika Automotive GmbH2.6.1 Business Overview2.6.2 Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Type and Applications2.6.2.1 Type 12.6.2.2 Type 22.6.3 Sika Automotive GmbH Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.7 DIC Corporation2.7.1 Business Overview2.7.2 Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Type and Applications2.7.2.1 Type 12.7.2.2 Type 22.7.3 DIC Corporation Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)3 Global Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Market Competition, by Manufacturer3.1 Global Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales and Market Share by Manufacturer (2016-2017)3.2 Global Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Revenue and Market Share by Manufacturer (2016-2017)3.3 Global Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Price by Manufacturer (2016-2017)3.4 Market Concentration Rate3.4.1 Top 3 Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Manufacturer Market Share in 20173.4.2 Top 5 Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Manufacturer Market Share in 20173.5 Market Competition Trend4 Global Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Market Analysis by Regions4.1 Global Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales, Revenue and Market Share by Regions4.1.1 Global Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales by Regions (2013-2018)4.1.2 Global Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Revenue by Regions (2013-2018)4.2 North America Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)4.4 Asia-Pacific Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)4.5 South America Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)4.6 Middle East and Africa Flexible Packaging Laminating Adhesives Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)Buy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Global Traffic Marking Paints Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1729567 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1729567/global-north-america-europe-and-market-research-reports/toc https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1729567/global-north-america-europe-and-market-research-reports https://www.researchmoz.com/checkout?rep_id=1729567&licType=S http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Global (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) Traffic Marking Paints Market 2018 Forecast to 2023 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Traffic Marking Paints Market"Road surface marking is any kind of device or material that is used on a road surface in order to convey official information. They can also be applied in other facilities used by vehicles to mark parking spaces or designate areas for other uses.Traffic Marking Paint is a kind of paint used to paint road mark. Paint, sometimes with additives such as retroreflective glass beads, is generally used to mark travel lanes. It is also used to mark spaces in parking lots or special purpose spaces for disabled parking, loading zones, or time-restricted parking areas. Colors for these applications vary by locality."Get Sample copy of this Report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Traffic Marking Paints 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 coversTATUNippon PaintKICTECZhejiang Brother3MAsian Paints PPGSherwin-WilliamsSwarco AGDAE HWA PAINT MFGHempelEnnis FlintLuteng TuliaoZhejiang YuanguangRainbow BrandNOROO Paint & CoatingsAutomarkRequest for TOC @Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversThermoplastic Marking PaintWaterbased Marking PaintSolvent Based Marking PaintTwo-Component Road Marking PaintOthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoRoads & StreetsParking LotAirportOtherThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Traffic Marking Paints market.Chapter 1, to describe Traffic Marking Paints Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Traffic Marking Paints, with sales, revenue, and price of Traffic Marking Paints, 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 Traffic Marking Paints, for each region, from 2013 to 2018;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, 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 2013 to 2018;Chapter 12, Traffic Marking Paints market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2023;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Traffic Marking Paints sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceView Report @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Traffic Marking Paints Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Thermoplastic Marking Paint1.2.2 Waterbased Marking Paint1.2.3 Solvent Based Marking Paint1.2.4 Two-Component Road Marking Paint1.2.5 Others1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Roads & Streets1.3.2 Parking Lot1.3.3 Airport1.3.4 Other1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 United States Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2013-2023)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 TATU2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 TATU Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 Nippon Paint2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 Nippon Paint Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 KICTEC2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 KICTEC Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 Zhejiang Brother2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Type 12.4.2.2 Type 22.4.3 Zhejiang Brother Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 3M2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Type 12.5.2.2 Type 22.5.3 3M Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.6 Asian Paints PPG2.6.1 Business Overview2.6.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.6.2.1 Type 12.6.2.2 Type 22.6.3 Asian Paints PPG Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.7 Sherwin-Williams2.7.1 Business Overview2.7.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.7.2.1 Type 12.7.2.2 Type 22.7.3 Sherwin-Williams Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.8 Swarco AG2.8.1 Business Overview2.8.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.8.2.1 Type 12.8.2.2 Type 22.8.3 Swarco AG Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.9 DAE HWA PAINT MFG2.9.1 Business Overview2.9.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.9.2.1 Type 12.9.2.2 Type 22.9.3 DAE HWA PAINT MFG Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.10 Hempel2.10.1 Business Overview2.10.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.10.2.1 Type 12.10.2.2 Type 22.10.3 Hempel Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.11 Ennis Flint2.11.1 Business Overview2.11.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.11.2.1 Type 12.11.2.2 Type 22.11.3 Ennis Flint Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.12 Luteng Tuliao2.12.1 Business Overview2.12.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.12.2.1 Type 12.12.2.2 Type 22.12.3 Luteng Tuliao Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.13 Zhejiang Yuanguang2.13.1 Business Overview2.13.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.13.2.1 Type 12.13.2.2 Type 22.13.3 Zhejiang Yuanguang Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.14 Rainbow Brand2.14.1 Business Overview2.14.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.14.2.1 Type 12.14.2.2 Type 22.14.3 Rainbow Brand Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.15 NOROO Paint & Coatings2.15.1 Business Overview2.15.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.15.2.1 Type 12.15.2.2 Type 22.15.3 NOROO Paint & Coatings Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.16 Automark2.16.1 Business Overview2.16.2 Traffic Marking Paints Type and Applications2.16.2.1 Type 12.16.2.2 Type 22.16.3 Automark Traffic Marking Paints Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)3 Global Traffic Marking Paints Market Competition, by Manufacturer3.1 Global Traffic Marking Paints Sales and Market Share by Manufacturer (2016-2017)3.2 Global Traffic Marking Paints Revenue and Market Share by Manufacturer (2016-2017)3.3 Global Traffic Marking Paints Price by Manufacturer (2016-2017)3.4 Market Concentration Rate3.4.1 Top 3 Traffic Marking Paints Manufacturer Market Share in 20173.4.2 Top 5 Traffic Marking Paints Manufacturer Market Share in 20173.5 Market Competition TrendBuy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Contactless Cards Market 2018 by Current & Upcoming Trends https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/721402-insight-report-the-future-of-consumer-payments-contactless-cards-or-nfc-mobile https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/721402-insight-report-the-future-of-consumer-payments-contactless-cards-or-nfc-mobile www.linkedin.com/company/4828928 https://twitter.com/WiseGuyReports https://www.facebook.com/Wiseguyreports-1009007869213183/?fref=ts The report further explores the status of contactless payments globally, and regional differences in adoption. It provides detailed insights on the contactless payment market by region, including Europe, North and South America, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East and Africa.The report also provides detailed insights on key indicators such as global contactless transaction value, contactless card shipment, NFC payments and the number of contactless POS terminals.Get Sample Report @Summary'Insight Report: The Future of Consumer Payments Contactless Cards or NFC Mobile?' provides market analysis, information and insights on contactless payments globally, including: Current and forecast analysis of contactless payment market, including previous and future market growth. Comprehensive analysis of contactless payments through cards and mobile handsets. Insights on the evolution and the level of adoption of contactless payments by region. Comprehensive analysis on the impact of contactless on payment participants, including consumers, merchants, PSPs and card schemes.Outlook Provides a comprehensive analysis of the contactless payment market worldwide. Provides the current value and forecast analysis of the contactless payment market. Covers regional analysis with respect to contactless cards and NFC mobile payments. Assesses the impact of contactless on participants in the payment sector. Analyzes regional differences in the adoption of contactless.Reasons to Buy Gain understanding of the future of consumer payments, including contactless cards or NFC mobile. Gain insights into the evolution of contactless payment. Understand the impact of contactless on payment participants, including PSPs, merchants, schemes and consumers. Understand why some regions are falling behind whereas others are developed. Understand the impact of the EMV migration on contactless payments.Key Highlights Research estimates that US$358 billion in contactless transactions will be made in 2016, through both cards and mobile devices, on 23 million contactless-enabled POS terminals globally. While most contactless payments globally are still card-based, near-field communication (NFC) mobile payments are likely to grow faster than contactless card payments. Australia, Europe and Canada account for the majority of contactless card payments globally, while the US leads in mobile NFC payments. Mass transit systems are one of the largest markets for contactless transactions, and as a result, have played a key role in the promotion and adoption of contactless.Table of Contents1 Definitions and Methodology1.1 Definitions1.2 Methodology2 Executive Summary3 The Evolution of Contactless Payments4 The Impact of Contactless on Payment Participants5 The Status of Contactless Payments: Global Overview6 Regional Differences in Adoption of Contactless6.1 Europe6.1.1 Contactless cards in key countries6.1.2 Regional overview6.1.3 Contactless payments market size and future outlook6.1.4 Key trends and insights6.2 North and South America6.2.1 Regional overview6.2.2 Key trends and insights6.3 Asia-Pacific6.3.1 Regional overview6.3.2 Key trends and insights6.4 The Middle East and Africa6.4.1 Regional overviewContinuedAccess Report @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Ceilings Market to Reap Excessive Revenues by 2021 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3328 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3328 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Ceiling is overhead interior portion within the room which covers the upper portion of the room. Main purpose of ceiling is to achieve the desired height of the roof in the room. Ceilings are frequently decorated with attractive paintings, mosaic tiles and other different designs. Major advantage of decorated ceiling is that it gets protected from damage by fingers and dust. There are certain ceilings which are fire resistance; dropping ceiling is one kind of fire resistance ceiling used in the commercial and residential construction. Various different materials are utilized to construct consumer desired ceiling tiles such as wood, fiberglass, metal and other material.Ceiling is classified according to its construction and appearance. On the bases of construction and appearance global ceiling market can be bifurcated into cathedral ceiling (tall ceiling area similar to those in a church), dropping ceiling, concave or barrel-shaped ceiling (curved or rounded upward) and specialty ceiling (baffles, clouds and stretch ceilings). Specialty ceiling is expected to witness highest growth in the forecasted period. Ceilings are majorly applied by new commercial and residential buildings. Other major applications include non residential buildings, improvement and repairs of constructed buildings. New commercial and residential buildings are expected to bring more market for ceiling in coming future.Request to View Sample of Research Report @North America has the largest market share for ceiling design, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The U.S has the largest market for ceiling globally. Asia Pacific region is expected to witness highest growth in the forecasted period owing to increasing domestic demand from construction industry in the emerging countries such as India.Ceiling products are mostly used in non residential buildings, where the non residential buildings prefer drywall ceilings, ceiling that can offer sound control properties and allowing easy access to ducts and wiring. Increasing demand from nonresidential building is driving the global ceiling market. Additionally, increasing disposable income has allowed the house owners to spend more on attractive ceiling, which is further expected to drive the global ceiling demand.Request for Table of Contents @Customers willingness to spend more on attractive and noise proof ceiling is influencing the manufacturing companies to come out with more of specialty ceiling to attract more customers. Some of the major companies operating in the global ceiling market are Acoustic Solutions Limited, Ceilings Plus Incorporated, Acoustic Ceiling Products LLC, All Noise Control LLC, Empire West Incorporated, Barrisol Normalu SAS, Laqfoil Limited, Halstead International Incorporated, Gordon Incorporated, Norton Industries Incorporated, USG Corporation, Lindner Group and Synergistic Solutions LLCKey points covered in the reportReport segments the market on the basis of types, application, products, technology, etc (as applicable)The report covers geographic segmentationNorth AmericaEuropeAsiaRoWThe report provides the market size and forecast for the different segments and geographies for the period of 2010 to 2020The report provides company profiles of some of the leading companies operating in the marketThe report also provides porters five forces analysis of the 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. 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: Memory Cards Market: Excellent Growth Scope Witnessed in the Global & United States Region Memory Cards Market https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1106155-2018-2025-memory-cards-report-on-global-and-united-states-market https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1106155-2018-2025-memory-cards-report-on-global-and-united-states-market https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1106155 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1106155-2018-2025-memory-cards-report-on-global-and-united-states-market The qualitative research study conducted by HTF MI titled 2018-2025 Memory Cards Report on Global and United States Market, Status and Forecast, by Players, Types and Applications provides primary Data, surveys, Scope of the Product and vendor briefings. The market dynamic forces have been determined after conducting a detailed study of the Global and United States Memory Cards market. The study provides forecasts for Memory Cards investments till 2022.If you are involved in the Memory Cards industry or intend to be, then this study will provide you comprehensive outlook. It offers a consequential analysis of the Memory Cards company, key tactics followed by leading manufactures and trending segments.Get the inside scoop of the Sample report @:The research study is segmented by Types [] as well as Key Applications [Communication Devices, Digital Cameras and Camcorders & Others (PDAs;GPS; Gaming, Music &Video Devices] with historical and projected market share along with the growth rate, revenue figures and gross profit margin in tabular format which makes easy to understand product/service differences, market concentration rate and product distribution for past 5 years.Major geographical regions like United States, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America & Middle East and Africa and leading players such as SanDisk, SAMSUNG, PNY Technologies, Inc., G.SKILL, Kingston Technology Corp., Sony, Insignia, Unirex, Synergy Digital, Transcend, SD Cards, MicroSD Cards, Memory Stick, Compact Flash, MiniSD Cards, XQD & Other involved in this report. The report gives a clear idea about the growth factors, reasons for deterioration of Global and United States Memory Cards in recent years and different opportunities and strategies to expand market.Early buyers will receive 10% customization on reports. Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization according to your requirement.Each player highlighted in the research study contains companies Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors, in-depth business overview, geographic footprint and contact information. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to SWOT Analysis.Buy this research @Reasons to Buy:- What will be the market size in 2022 and at what rate will it grow?- What growth potential do Memory Cards market have?- Procure strategically important competitor information, analysis, and insights to formulate effective R&D strategies.- Recognize emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage.- Classify potential new clients or partners in the target demographic.- Plan mergers and acquisitions meritoriously by identifying key players and its most promising contributions.- New Development and identify prospective partners with the most attractive projects to enhance and expand business potential and scope.- Influential factors that are thriving demand and constraints in the market.To add, value to product and services research report comprises of valuable insights with distinguishable traits that influence consumers behavior and demand. The report offers a measurable and verifiable method made towards analysis of market concentration, new entrants and the technological trends in future.Some of the key questions answered in this report:- Detailed Overview of Global and United States Memory Cards market helps deliver clients and businesses making strategies.- Influential factors that are thriving demand and constraints in the market.- What is the market concentration? Is it fragmented or highly concentrated?- What trends, challenges and barriers will impact the development and sizing of Memory Cards market?- SWOT Analysis of each key player mentioned along with its company profile.- What growth momentum or acceleration market carries during the forecast period?- Which region is going to tap highest market share in future?- What Application/end-user category or Product Type may see incremental growth prospects?- What focused approach and constraints are holding the market tight?Any Query or Specific Requirement? Ask to our Expert @There are 15 Chapters to display the Global and United States Memory Cards marketChapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Memory Cards, Applications of Memory Cards, Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of , Capacity and Commercial Production Rate, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, Export & Import, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes United States, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America & Middle East and Africa, Memory Cards Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Memory Cards Segment Market Analysis (by Application [Communication Devices, Digital Cameras and Camcorders & Others (PDAs;GPS; Gaming, Music &Video Devices]) & Type [] Major Manufacturers Analysis of Memory Cards;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [], Market Trend by Application Communication Devices, Digital Cameras and Camcorders & Others (PDAs;GPS; Gaming, Music &Video Devices;Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Global and United States Memory Cards;Chapter 12, to describe Memory Cards Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Memory Cards sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact us :HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA 08837sales@htfmarketreport.com+1 (206) 317 1218 Financial Risk Management Software Market Size, Status, Trends and Forecast 2023 https://www.researchbeam.com/global-financial-risk-management-software-size-status-and-forecast-2023-market/request-sample https://www.researchbeam.com/global-financial-risk-management-software-size-status-and-forecast-2023-market/purchase-enquiry https://www.researchbeam.com/global-financial-risk-management-software-size-status-and-forecast-2023-market Research Beam has added a report on Global Financial Risk Management Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 2023Financial Risk Management Software Market is provided in the report based on product scope and market status & outlook. The market is segmented on the basis of type, end-users/application, and geography. The report provides information about the production, price, revenue, market share, and growth rate of each type. Geographically, the market has been analyzed across North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and India. The status and prospect through 2013-2023 for each of these regions are listed in the report.Get Sample@The report entails the qualitative and quantitative analysis of current and future market estimations. It also divulges details about the mode of research methodology used for the study. It includes data from primary as well as secondary resources. The report is a useful resource for industry players, new entrants in the marketplace, and investors as it helps them plan their business to gain fruitful and meaningful outcomes. It makes them aware of the production, capacity, revenue, supply, consumption, export, import, the challenges and risks associated with the industry, and much more.Factors that drive the growth of the market are detailed in the study. Key players are profiled in the report and their developments in recent years are mentioned, which helps in understanding the competitive outlook of the Global Financial Risk Management Software MarketGet 15% discount on this report @The Global Financial Risk Management Software Market report has a mention of the industrial chain, sourcing strategy, and downstream buyers. This incorporates the overall industrial chain analysis, upstream raw materials sourcing, raw materials sources of the product major manufacturers in 2015, and downstream buyers.The report also throws light on the marketing strategy used for the study. It includes marketing channel (direct marketing, indirect marketing, and marketing channel development trend) and market positioning (pricing strategy, brand strategy, and target client).The Global Financial Risk Management Software Market report also covers an analysis of the market effect factors. This includes the technology progress/risk (substitutes/threat and technology progress in the related industry), consumer needs/customer preference change, and economic/political environmentalThe key players which provide solutions in the Global Financial Risk Management Software Market IBM Oracle SAP SAS Experian Misys Fiserv Kyriba Active Risk Pegasystems TFG SystemsCheck Full Report With TOC@About Us:Research Beams uniqueness lies in its highly ethical reports at economical rates because we value your relationship and growth more than money. Your growth is our aim. With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency.Contact Us:Global Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United Statesphone+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.com Construction in Saudi Arabia Market 2017 by Current & Upcoming Trends https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1286505-construction-in-saudi-arabia-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2021 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/1286505-construction-in-saudi-arabia-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2021 www.linkedin.com/company/4828928 https://twitter.com/WiseGuyReports https://www.facebook.com/Wiseguyreports-1009007869213183/?fref=ts SynopsisIn real terms, the Saudi Arabian construction industrys output contracted by 1.9% in 2016, following average annual growth of 6.2% during the preceding four years. This decline was mainly due to low oil prices and the countrys high fiscal deficits; both reduced the governments spending power.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Companies mentionedDar Al Arkan Real Estate Development CompanyAbdullah A.M. Al-Khodari Sons Co.Red Sea Housing Services CompanyMohammad Al-Mojil GroupThe Al-Rushaid Group of CompaniesThe countrys construction industry is expected to contract further in real terms in 2017 by 0.2%, before regaining growth momentum. Growth over the forecast period (20172021) is expected to be supported by government focus on developing transport infrastructure, energy and utilities facilities, and affordable housing across the country.Under the National Transformation Program (NTP) 2020 and the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, the government plans to develop sea ports, railway lines, airports and manufacturing facilities, with an aim to reduce the countrys dependency on the oil sector and reduce unemployment.The industrys output value in real terms is expected to record a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.44% over the forecast period, compared to 4.48% during the review period.SummaryConstruction in Saudi Arabia, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021 report provides detailed market analysis, information and insights into the Saudi Arabian construction industry, including: Saudi Arabia construction industry's growth prospects by market, project type and construction activity Analysis of equipment, material and service costs for each project type in Saudi Arabia Critical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, and the risks and opportunities they present to participants in the Saudi Arabian construction industry Profiles of the leading operators in the Saudi Arabian construction industry Data highlights of the largest construction projects in Saudi ArabiaScopeThis report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in Saudi Arabia. It provides: Historical (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2021) valuations of the construction industry in Saudi Arabia using construction output and value-add methods Segmentation by sector (commercial, industrial, infrastructure, energy and utilities, institutional and residential) and by project type Breakdown of values within each project type, by type of activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition) and by type of cost (materials, equipment and services) Analysis of key construction industry issues, including regulation, cost management, funding and pricing Detailed profiles of the leading construction companies in Saudi ArabiaReasons to Buy Identify and evaluate market opportunities using standardized valuation and forecasting methodologies. Assess market growth potential at a micro-level with over 600 time-series data forecasts. Understand the latest industry and market trends. Formulate and validate strategy using critical and actionable insight. Assess business risks, including cost, regulatory and competitive pressures. Evaluate competitive risk and success factors.Key Highlights Saudi Arabia is currently facing a shortage of affordable housing as a result of its growing population and urbanization. According to the Saudi Arabias Housing Ministry, 3.3 million new housing units are required to be built by 2025, in order to address the countrys chronic housing shortage. Consequently, the government is taking help from foreign countries to build residential buildings in the country. In September 2016, the government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government to build 100,000 new homes in Al-Ahsa province. In 2016, the government launched NTP 2020 with an investment of SAR268.0 billion (US$71.5 billion), in order to increase revenue from non-oil sectors and reduce its reliance on oil products. Under this program, it plans to increase the revenue of non-oil sectors from SAR163.5 billion (US$43.6 billion) in 2016 to SAR530.0 billion (US$141.0 billion) by 2020, while increasing non-oil products export value from SAR185.0 billion (US$49.3 billion) to SAR330.0 billion (US$88.0 billion). The government plans to increase the productivity and efficiency of the countrys aviation industry. Accordingly, it is focusing on the expansion of airports under the public-private partnership (PPP) and build, operate and transfer (BOT) models, with an aim to handle 100 million air passengers by 2020. The government is focusing on the development of renewable energy infrastructure with an aim to reduce their dependency on natural oil and gas. Under the National Renewable Energy Program, the government plans to install 54.0GW of new renewable energy power plants across the region, with an investment of SAR408.8 billion (US$109.0 billion) by 2040. The governments commitment to pursuing quality development and increasing expenditure on educational infrastructure is expected to support the institutional construction market over the forecast period. Under the school construction project of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Saudi Arabian government plans to build 44,411 new schools across the country by 2020.Table of Content: Key Points1 Executive Summary2 Industry Outlook2.1 Commercial Construction2.2 Industrial Construction2.3 Infrastructure Construction2.4 Energy and Utilities Construction2.5 Institutional Construction2.6 Residential Construction3 Key Issues and Developments4 Market Data Analysis4.1 Construction Output and Value Add4.1.1 Construction output by project type4.1.2 Construction output by cost type4.1.3 Construction output by activity type4.1.4 Construction value add by project type4.2 Commercial Construction4.2.1 Commercial construction output by project type4.2.2 Commercial construction output by cost type4.2.3 Commercial construction output by activity typeContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Lateral Plating Systems Market Growth to be Fuelled by Advancements in Technology 2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/14359 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/14359 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Lateral plating systems provides an easy and simple approach to fix fractures, degenerative conditions of spinal column, tumors, etc. Lateral plating systems are generally indicated to fix the orthopedic indications of hand, vertebral column, foot and cranium. Lateral plating system has revolutionized the treatment and management fractures and degenerations of critical bones such as elbow and ankle bones. Lateral plating system provide optimal stabilization to the fractured bones and also increases the safety of a spine surgery. Traditional extensive lumbar spinal fusion procedures are associated with significant blood loss, post-operative pain, and extended hospital stay. However, minimally invasive lateral access procedures are safer, more effective and muscle sparing. Lateral approach is now a days used for majority of spine conditions such as degenerative disc disease, spinal instability, osteomyelitis, spondylolisthesis, pseudoarthrosis and trauma. In case of lateral ankle plating system provide ankle fusion while retaining the motion ability.Request Report for Table of Contents @Some of the commercially available lateral plating systems include Lat-Fuse, CAYMAN lateral plate system, SKYHAWK lateral interbody fusion system, Loqteq, Accufit, golden gate, MaxLock Extreme, A.L.P.S proximal tibia plating system, AxSOS, VariAx Clavicle, Anthrex ankle fusion plating system, INITIAL SENTRY, ORTHOLOC 3Di, PERI-LOC VLP etc.The global market for lateral plating systems is expected to be driven by increasing incidence of trauma injuries, growing number of fractures, patient preference to minimally invasive surgical procedures, Increasing incidence of co-morbidities in geriatric population etc. Apart from this, launch of new lateral plating systems such as AccuFit by Precision Spine, Inc., Lateral Plate by Tyber Medical etc., technological advancements in fracture fixation, favorable reimbursement policies etc. are some of the factors fueling the growth of global lateral plating systems market over the forecast period. For instance, A.L.P.S. proximal tibia plates system from Biomet Orthopedics represents the next generation plating for plateau fractures by combining benefits of low profile titanium plates with multi-planar lock technology. However, unawareness towards the lateral plating system approach and high cost of the procedure are few factors expected to hinder the growth of global lateral plating systems market.Various technologies being used in the lateral plating systems are tifix locking technology (K2M, Inc.), Tap-Loc technology (Acumed LLC), LoqTeq (APP Implantate AG), MaxTorque compression screw technology (Tornier, Inc.) etc.Based on end user, the global lateral plating systems market has been segmented into hospitals and orthopedic clinics. Hospitals are expected to contribute highest share in the global lateral plating systems market over the forecast period due to requirement of advanced healthcare infrastructure for conducting delicate spine procedures.On the basis of regional presence, global lateral plating systems market is segmented into five key regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to lead the global market due to increasing number trauma incidences and fractures, while Europe is expected to hold second largest market share in the global market. Market in APAC region is expected to witness significant growth rate over the forecast period owing to expansion activities by key market players in the region.Request a Sample Brochure of the Report @Some of the players operating in global lateral plating systems market are RTI Surgical, Inc., K2M, Inc., Orthofix Holdings, Inc., Tyber Medical LLC, Synthes Inc., Acumed LLC, Precision Spine, Inc., ulrich medical USA, Tornier, Inc., Biomet Orthopedics, Stryker Corporation, Arthrex Inc., Life Spine, Inc., Wright Medical Group N.V., Smith & Nephew, Inc., APP Implantate AG and others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Market Sales, Size, Share, Demand Analysis & Forecast to 2025 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1729978 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-chemical-transfer-pumps-sales-market-report-2018-report.html The market for Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales Market is growing with the expansion of this Industry Sector Worldwide. Market Research Hub (MRH) has added a new report titled Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales Market Size, Trends, Revenue and Future Scenario Forecast Until 2025 which offer details about the current trends and analysis, as well as scope for the near future. This research study also covers information about the production, consumption and market share based on different active regions. Furthermore, an anticipated growth at a double-digit CAGR for the concerned Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales Market sector is highlighted in the report which indicates a prosperous future.Request Free Sample Report:Geographically, this report split global into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Chemical Transfer Pumps for these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Chemical Transfer Pumps market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Chemical Transfer Pumps sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingFill-RiteGPIPiusiGracoIntradin MachineryYuanHeng MachineDAYTONFinish ThompsonOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoAC Transfer PumpDC Transfer PumpHand Transfer PumpOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate for each application, includingChemical IndustryTransportionOther ApplicationsBrowse Full Report with TOC:Table of Content:Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales Market Report 20181 Chemical Transfer Pumps Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Chemical Transfer Pumps1.2 Classification of Chemical Transfer Pumps by Product Category1.2.1 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 AC Transfer Pump1.2.4 DC Transfer Pump1.2.5 Hand Transfer Pump1.3 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Chemical Industry1.3.3 Transportion1.3.4 Other Applications1.4 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Market by Region1.4.1 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 United States Chemical Transfer Pumps Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 China Chemical Transfer Pumps Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 Europe Chemical Transfer Pumps Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Chemical Transfer Pumps Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Chemical Transfer Pumps Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 India Chemical Transfer Pumps Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Chemical Transfer Pumps (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2025)2 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)2.2.2 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)2.3 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps (Volume and Value) by Region2.3.1 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)2.3.2 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps Revenue and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)2.4 Global Chemical Transfer Pumps (Volume) by Application3 United States Chemical Transfer Pumps (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales and Value (2013-2018)3.1.1 United States Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2018)3.1.2 United States Chemical Transfer Pumps Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)3.1.3 United States Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales Price Trend (2013-2018)3.2 United States Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales Volume and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)3.3 United States Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales Volume and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)3.4 United States Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales Volume and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)4 China Chemical Transfer Pumps (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 China Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales and Value (2013-2018)4.1.1 China Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2018)4.1.2 China Chemical Transfer Pumps Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)4.1.3 China Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales Price Trend (2013-2018)4.2 China Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales Volume and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)4.3 China Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales Volume and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)4.4 China Chemical Transfer Pumps Sales Volume and Market Share by Application (2013-2018).. @@ ContinuedAbout Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of machinery market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: - 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email:- press@marketresearchhub.com Oral Vaccines Market Size Estimated to Observe Significant Growth by 2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/14395 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/14395 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com In past few years, there has been tremendous increase in the demand for needle-free vaccines due to obvious choice to more comfortable oral delivery over parenteral administration. Oral vaccines hold potential to take immunization to new level of excellence, due to more adherence to vaccination regime. For highly infectious diseases such as seasonal flu, people prefer oral vaccines to avoid risk of contaminated needles & syringes to health workers, require less qualified health workers and also are less costly than injectable vaccines. The first oral vaccines came into market was Sabin attenuated strains trivalent polio vaccine (tOPV), which witnessed huge success since in terms of immunization and population acceptance in Americas, Europe and Western Pacific, since 1999.Oral polio vaccines stimulate mucosal immunity and thus is more effective in transmission of virus. With the development of oral vaccines global efforts to control contagious diseases, such as cholera and flu, are entering a new level as they offer an opportunity to prevent outbreak among population living in vulnerable areas. Oral vaccines are also preferred for immunization for wildlife population for dreadful diseases such as rabies. Some of the examples of commercial oral vaccines include Vaxchora (cholera), Vivotif, (typhoid), RABORAL V-RG (rabies), Tetramune, Rotateq, Rotashield, (Rotavirus), Dukoral (Cholera, diarrhea), LUIVAC (respiratory infection), Biostim (Klebsiella) and many others.Request Report for Table of Contents @The global market for oral vaccines is primarily driven by increasing prevalence of infectious diseases in developing countries, bioterrorism, resistance to existing vaccines, etc. In addition to this, patient adherence to needle-free vaccine regime, preference to oral vaccines by children and geriatric population, cost effective nature, recent FDA approvals to oral vaccines for diseases such as cholera etc. are some of the factors expected to fuel the growth of global oral vaccines market. However, compromised immunogenicity in children and cost for maintaining a cold chain, inaccessibility in remote areas etc. are some of the factors limiting growth of global oral vaccines market. For instance, maintenance of cold chain for oral vaccines across the globe costs over US$ 300 Mn per year.Development of new delivery system for oral vaccines may result in more efficiency of these products and may result in less failure rate for clinical trials. Development of low cost oral vaccines for new indications not yet covered by existing vaccines presents huge opportunity for researchers in this field as this may increase the uptake of countries with low immunization accessibility. Currently, several oral vaccine products are being evaluated in clinical trials, but they require more extensive human studies to establish the efficacy.Based on product type, the global oral vaccines market has been classified as live attenuated vaccines, killed/inactivated vaccines, recombinant vaccines and others (ribosomal fractions, antigenic preparations). Among all product types, killed/inactivates vaccines segment is expected to take maximum share in the global market due to high adoption for safety and efficacy.Based on end user, the global oral vaccines market has been classified as hospitals, clinics, government vaccination centers, and research institutes. Government vaccination centers are expected to contribute highest market share in the global oral vaccines market due to strong patient pool towards national immunization programs.On the basis of regional presence, global oral vaccines market is segmented into five key regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to lead the global market due to existence of highly planned healthcare reimbursement schemes and power of purchasing expensive vaccines In the U.S. Oral vaccines hold special advantage in developing countries where there is a high incidence of infectious diseases and also simple logistics for oral vaccines are highly effective for mass immunization programs.Request a Sample Brochure of the Report @Some of the players operating in global oral vaccines market are GlaxoSmithKline Plc., PaxVax Corporation, Merial, Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. (a subsidiary of Merck & Co. Inc.), VALNEVA Canada Inc., QUIMICA SUIZA S.A., Immunitor, Inc., Aventis (Sanofi S.A.), Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., Swiss Serum and Vaccine Institute Berne, Bull Bio NCIPD Ltd., Vaxart, Inc., Shantha Biotechnics, Crucell (Janssen Global Services, LLC) and others. Development of oral HIV vaccines is expected to bring a revolutionary change in the infectious disease landscape in some of the African and Latin American countries.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: Contact Center Analytics Software Market Size, Share - Industry Trends, Status and Forecast 2025 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1729821 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1729821/global-contact-center-analytics-software-market-research-reports/toc This report studies the global Contact Center Analytics Software market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity. This research report categorizes the global Contact Center Analytics Software market by companies, region, type and end-use industry.This report focuses on the global top players, coveredCisco Systems, Inc. (US)Genpact Limited (Bermuda)Verint Systems Inc. (US)8X8 Inc. (US)Genesys (US)Oracle Corporation (US)Mitel Networks Corporation (Canada)SAP SE (Germany)NICE Ltd. (Israel)Enghouse Interactive (US)Five9, Inc. (US)CallMiner (US)Servion Global Solutions (India)Get the sample copy of this report @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoSpeech AnalyticsCross-channel AnalyticsPredictive AnalyticsPerformance AnalyticsText AnalyticsMarket segment by Application, Contact Center Analytics Software can be split intoLog ManagementRisk and Compliance ManagementReal-Time Monitoring and ReportingWorkforce ManagementCustomer Experience ManagementThe study objectives of this report are:To study and forecast the market size of Contact Center Analytics Software in global market.To analyze the global key players, SWOT analysis, value and global market share for top players.To define, describe and forecast the market by type, end use and region.To analyze and compare the market status and forecast between China and major regions, namely, United States, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and Rest of World.To analyze the global key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the marketTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketTo strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Contact Center Analytics Software are as follows:History Year: 2013-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2025Request for complete report TOC @For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.Key StakeholdersContact Center Analytics Software ManufacturersContact Center Analytics Software Distributors/Traders/WholesalersContact Center Analytics Software Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsAvailable CustomizationsWith the given market data, QYResearch offers customizations according to the company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:Regional and country-level analysis of the Contact Center Analytics Software market, by end-use.Detailed analysis and profiles of additional market players.Table of ContentsGlobal Contact Center Analytics Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Industry Overview of Contact Center Analytics Software1.1 Contact Center Analytics Software Market Overview1.1.1 Contact Center Analytics Software Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Contact Center Analytics Software Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2013-2018)1.2.1 United States1.2.2 Europe1.2.3 China1.2.4 Japan1.2.5 Southeast Asia1.2.6 India1.3 Contact Center Analytics Software Market by Type1.3.1 Speech Analytics1.3.2 Cross-channel Analytics1.3.3 Predictive Analytics1.3.4 Performance Analytics1.3.5 Text Analytics1.4 Contact Center Analytics Software Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Log Management1.4.2 Risk and Compliance Management1.4.3 Real-Time Monitoring and Reporting1.4.4 Workforce Management1.4.5 Customer Experience Management2 Global Contact Center Analytics Software Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Contact Center Analytics Software 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 Cisco Systems, Inc. (US)3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Contact Center Analytics Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.2 Genpact Limited (Bermuda)3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Contact Center Analytics Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.3 Verint Systems Inc. (US)3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Contact Center Analytics Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.4 8X8 Inc. (US)3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Contact Center Analytics Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.5 Genesys (US)3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Contact Center Analytics Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.6 Oracle Corporation (US)3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Contact Center Analytics Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.7 Mitel Networks Corporation (Canada)3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Contact Center Analytics Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.8 SAP SE (Germany)3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Contact Center Analytics Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.9 NICE Ltd. (Israel)3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Contact Center Analytics Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.10 Enghouse Interactive (US)3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Contact Center Analytics Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.11 Five9, Inc. (US)3.12 CallMiner (US)3.13 Servion Global Solutions (India)4 Global Contact Center Analytics Software Market Size by Type and Application (2013-2018)4.1 Global Contact Center Analytics Software Market Size by Type (2013-2018)4.2 Global Contact Center Analytics Software Market Size by Application (2013-2018)4.3 Potential Application of Contact Center Analytics Software in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Contact Center Analytics Software5 United States Contact Center Analytics Software Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Contact Center Analytics Software Market Size (2013-2018)5.2 United States Contact Center Analytics Software Market Size and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)5.3 United States Contact Center Analytics Software Market Size by Application (2013-2018)MRRbiz supports your business intelligence needs with over 700,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Research Study on Steam Duct Market Highlights Recent Trends and Future Opportunities till 2027 https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=612 https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=612 https://www.factmr.com/checkout/612/S https://www.factmr.com/ As per the current market trends and the promising nature of the global steam duct market, it can be estimated that the future holds positive outcomes. In order to provide a deep insight about the concerned market, Fact.MR would be publishing a resourceful analysis that will enclose knowledge about the regional market size, revenue and opportunity status. Readers will be offered the privilege to decode various facets of the market during the period 2018 to 2027, together with the active access to secondary and primary research methodology. Furthermore, various segments of the market associated to product, application, end-user etc., would also be present in this intelligent research report.Request TOC of this Report-Fact.MR has come up with an insightful research report on global steam duct market that includes analysis on various factors associated with steam ducts and their application areas. In this research study, a systematic analysis on various steam duct market influencers has been included along with incisive insights on the adoption of steam ducts across various regions. Moreover, the adoption of steam ducts in residential, commercial and industrial applications has also been analyzed that will give the reader a thorough understanding regarding the demand and adoption of steam ducts in the coming years.The research report covers analysis and actionable insights on various market facets. Various trends, government regulations, key developments, drivers and opportunities that have a positive impact on the growth of the global steam duct market have been covered. Moreover, analysis on key participants in the global steam duct market, for instance, their product developments, their target markets, their SWOT analysis, their expansion plans, their product portfolio and financials have been covered in this report. Global steam duct market research report includes profiles of Boxer, Raley Brothers, Airetech, Nortec and CORS-AIR, to name a few market participants.Steam ducts are an integral part of steam boilers when it comes to industrial applications. Increasing use of steam ducts to ensure controlled flow of steam in industrial as well as commercial or residential applications has presented potential opportunities for growth of the global steam duct market.Recent Government Regulations to Initiate Code Changes for Steam Duct SystemsGovernments have initiated code changes to ensure efficient air circulation and ventilation systems. With respect to commercial buildings, ASHRAE 90.1 that provides standards for energy efficiency with respect to design of buildings. In 2016, ASHRAE 90.1 standards were upgraded to reflect efficient and new technologies. Upgraded ASHRE 90.1 includes standards for steam duct testing and performance testing. ASHRAE 90.1 codes are adopted by International Green Construction Code (IGCC) and also are followed by International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The amount of duct to be tested and the amount of leakage to be allowed is governed by these codes. With rising trend of green buildings, commercial properties have been using low pressure steam ducts that are energy efficient.In 2017, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA) presented an updated version of standards for HVAC duct construction. Its fourth edition covers several updates that radiate innovations taking place impacting the installation, repair and construction of HVAC duct work. For instance, aerosol duct sealing has been introduced, which is a viable substitute for manual and traditional sealing methods.To know more @ Global Steam Duct Market, visit -Increasing Use of Steam Ducts for Room Ventilation and Heating to Trigger Sales of Steam Ducts for Residential ApplicationsIn cold countries, such as Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Russia, Canada and United States, the use of efficient ventilation systems has been observed. Steam ducts for residential purposes essentially mean the integration of steam ducts with home ventilators, wherein steam passes through the duct. With open vents in homes, this steam is supplied to rooms, making the warm. This assembly offers increased efficiency in home heating applications and is gaining wide acceptance. This is expected to trigger sale of steam ducts at a significant rate in the coming years.Growth in Oil Refining Sector to Offer Steam Ducts a Potential ImpetusAccording to International Energy Agency (IEA), the demand for oil has risen since 2010. The demand for oil, according to IEA is expected to expand at 1.4 mb/d by 2018 end. With this increasing demand for oil, the supply side becomes crucial. Crude oil contains impurities that need to be removed. With increasing crude oil refining processes, the demand for steam ducts is expected to increase at a significant rate in the coming years, as high temperature steam is required to be blown on crude oil to remove impurities. This is expected to aid the growth of the global market.The research report on global steam duct market includes a historical analysis of the global market along with current market data as well as covers future trajectory of the market with respect to application of steam ducts and their adoption in the coming nine years. The base year being 2018, market forecasts are carried out till 2027 reflecting a holistic understanding of the global market that can support the reader in planning future moves.Pre-book Global Steam Duct Market Forecast Report-About Fact.MRFact.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; thats 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: Global Oxyfuel Cutting Machines Market Forecast 2018-2025 Zinser, Koike, SteelTailor, Shanghai Huawei and Other Players Analysis Oxyfuel Cutting Machines Market https://bit.ly/2HMSPsO http://www.qymarketstudy.com/report/global-oxyfuel-cutting-machines-market-3068 A market study "Global Oxyfuel Cutting Machines Market" examines the performance of the Oxyfuel Cutting Machines market 2018. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Oxyfuel Cutting Machines market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Oxyfuel Cutting Machines market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Oxyfuel Cutting Machines Market 2018 report includes Oxyfuel Cutting Machines market Revenue, market Share, Oxyfuel Cutting Machines industry volume, market Trends, Oxyfuel Cutting Machines Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report. It shows manufacturing capacity, Oxyfuel Cutting Machines Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Oxyfuel Cutting Machines Market 2018 :1. Koike2. ESAB3. Shanghai Huawei4. Dalian Honeybee5. ARCBRO6. Bug-O Systems7. Messer Cutting Systems8. Zinser9. SteelTailor10. AKS Cutting Systems11. HGG Group12. Muller Opladen13. Ajan Elektronik14. Peddinghaus Corporation15. ALLtra CorporationOxyfuel Cutting Machines Market : By ApplicationAutomotiveAerospace and DefenseIndustrial MachineryShipbuilding & OffshoreConstructionOthersOxyfuel Cutting Machines Market : By TypeCNCManually-controlledPLC-controlledFirstly, the report covers the top Oxyfuel Cutting Machines manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Oxyfuel Cutting Machines report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Oxyfuel Cutting Machines industry, Oxyfuel Cutting Machines industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Oxyfuel Cutting Machines Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Oxyfuel Cutting Machines 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 Oxyfuel Cutting Machines market revenue worldwide.Finally, Oxyfuel Cutting Machines 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:QYMarketStudy.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We have a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of the technology industry.Contact US:5001 Spring Valley Rd #400,Dallas,TX 75244, USAContact No. +1-214-661-1669Email: sales@qymarketstudy.com Perfusion Bioreactors Market Size to Grow Exponentially during 2017 - 2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/14398 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/14398 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Biopharmaceutical industry is striving to drive the product yield yet reducing the operational cost and perfusion bioreactors offer legacy of cost saving, increase productivity & efficiency of protein production. Unlike traditional fed-batch bioreactors, perfusion bioreactors culture cells for a long period of time and by continuously feeding fresh media to cell culture and remove the used media while keeping the cells in culture. Continuous replacement of culture media keeps the nutrients level high and maintain the optimum conditions for proper cell growth. Use of perfusion bioreactors also eliminates chances of protein degradation due to toxic effects produced by accumulation of cellular waste products in the culture media. Other advantages of perfusion bioreactors over traditional fed-batch reactors is that they are smaller in size and provide easy scalability in case of increased demand.Request Report for Table of Contents @Perfusion bioreactor technology is thus expected to be a dominant single-use bioreactor technology over the forecast period of 20172025. Some of the applications of perfusion bioreactors include manufacturing of hybridoma-based monoclonal antibodies, stem cell culturing, protein production, in vitro cell based drug screening, production of cell based assays, CHO-based biopharmaceutical manufacturing and many other. Perfusion bioreactors require cell retention or filtration devices during the continuous feed and removal of exhausted culture media. Perfusion bioreactors can be used at small scale as well as large scale bioproduction. For instance, Remicade blockbuster antibody preparation by Janssen Biotech, Inc. employs perfusion bioreactor technology for production.Primary factors driving the growth of global perfusion bioreactors market are size advantage, cost-effective, requirement of less capital investment, reduced operating cost, improvement in equipment reliability etc. Several other factors influencing the global market for perfusion bioreactors are increasing budget of biopharmaceutical companies in all areas related to bioprocessing, investment in adoption of new technologies, continuous discovery of numerous cost and performance advantages of perfusion technology, technological advances such as 3Dperfusion technology etc. As per 12th Annual Report and Survey of Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Capacity and Production report, industry demands more innovations in bioreactor technology with single-use bioreactors requiring most needed innovation area. However, the global market for perfusion bioreactors is expected to be deter by apparent lack of innovation in bioprocessing equipment, reliability of cell retention devices when used on industrial plant scale, etc.Based on product type, the global perfusion bioreactors market has been classified as small scale (50 liters to 1,000 liters capacity) perfusion bioreactors and Large Scale (>1,000 liters) perfusion bioreactors. Small scale perfusion bioreactors are more often used by biopharmaceutical companies. However, demand for large scale perfusion bioreactors is increasing with increasing efforts to expand the production capacity by the companies.Based on end user, the global perfusion bioreactors market has been segmented into biopharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies and contract manufacturing organizations. Biopharmaceutical companies are expected to contribute highest share in the global perfusion bioreactors market over the forecast period.On the basis of regional presence, global perfusion bioreactors market is segmented into five key regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to lead the global market due to increasing number of R&D activities by the biopharmaceutical companies in the region, while Europe is expected to hold second largest market share in global market. For instance, as per 12th Annual Report and Survey of Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Capacity and Production report, 51.2% biopharmaceutical companies in the U.S. reported their biopharmaceutical products in R&D phase while 41% of European companies reported their biopharmaceutical products in R&D phase, in 2015.Request a Sample Brochure of the Report @Some of the players operating in global perfusion bioreactors market are Sigma Aldrich Co. LLC (Merck & Co. Inc.), FiberCell Systems Inc., Zellwerk GmbH, Cell Culture Company, ATMI Incorporated, PBS Biotech, Inc., GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Applikon Biotechnology, WAVE Life Sciences 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: Dyslipidemia Therapeutics Market Growth Set to Surge Significantly during 2017 - 2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/14401 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/14401 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Dyslipidemia is one of the metabolic disorder, which is described by unbalanced level and thickness of lipoproteins and triglycerides. The disorder also includes protein deficiency and over production. These disorders can be caused by increase in the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride concentrations, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and a decrease in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration. These condition are mainly associated with cardiovascular or coronary heart disease. The other cause of this disease includes hypothyroidism and genetic predisposition. Rise in triglyceride concentration might also lead to the diabetes mellitus, obesity and hypothyroidism. The treatment of dyslipidemia includes lifestyle modification, exercise & weight reduction, nutrition supplement and drug therapy.Request Report for Table of Contents @The global market for dyslipidemia therapeutics is expected to be driven by the increasing incidence of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease, growing obese population prone to cardiovascular disease due to sedentary lifestyle. Few of the drivers of the market are the growing R&D activities by leading players for the development of novel drugs, increasing diagnosis rate among patient population and increasing awareness in developing economies. Moreover, the increasing research activities on stain and non-stain based therapeutics for cardiovascular and associated disease, preclinical research activities and growing collaboration between research institutes, biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals companies are expected to drive the market during the forecast period. However, the high cost of drug development and pre-clinical activities, high cost of therapeutics to the end users, stringent regulation and lengthy approval process might hamper the market growth to some extent.Global dyslipidemia therapeutics market is experiencing significant growth owing to increased need for high cholesterol management, prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and sedentary lifestyle leading to growing obese population across the globe. Based on product type, the market is segmented into stain and non-stain drugs. Stain drugs are majorly used as primary treatment option for dyslipidemia. Stain drugs are classified as high-intensity, moderate-intensity and low-intensity.Based on distribution channel, the global dyslipidemia therapeutics market has been segmented into hospital pharmacies, drug stores, retail pharmacies, and online pharmacies. Hospital pharmacies distribution channel segment is expected to grow at the higher rate over the forecast period due to increasing purchase of prescription drugs and growing diagnosis rate of dyslipidemia across the globe. Moreover recent development of for the development of cholesterol lowering drugs, ongoing R&D activities in this therapeutics area and presence of research driven players in the market may help grow this market significantly.Geographically dyslipidemia therapeutics market is classified into regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. North America and Europe will remain key markets for dyslipidemia therapeutics market due to high diagnosis and incidence rate of dyslipidemia due to sedentary lifestyle and obese population prone to cardio vascular disease. Moreover, presence of sophisticated healthcare infrastructure, awareness about the disease among population and high purchasing power are few of the factors responsible for the market growth. Asia Pacific is anticipated to register positive growth owing to rising governments initiatives in healthcare sector, improved healthcare infrastructure and increased population in the region.Request a Sample Brochure of the Report @Some of the key players in the dyslipidemia therapeutics market are Novartis AG, Merck & Co., Inc, Pfizer Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca plc, Amgen Inc., to name a few. Companies are now focusing on the development of novel therapeutics. For example, PCSK9 Inhibitors is new therapy used for cholesterol management. In July 2015, FDA approved Alirocumab (Praluent), a PCSK9 Inhibitor, manufactured by Sanofi and evolocumab (Repatha), manufactured by Amgen Inc. in August 2015.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: Healthcare Information System Market Size Share - Industry Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/172838 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/172838/healthcare-information-system-application-based-market-research-reports/toc Healthcare information system is an extensive integrated system which captures, stores, manages and transmits information related to the health of individuals or the activities of organizations that work within the healthcare sector. Globally, increase in aging population is playing a major role in increasing the demand of healthcare information system. Older people have less regenerative abilities and are more prone to disease, syndrome and sickness. As a result, healthcare information system market is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 7.1% during 2013 2019.Some of the key driving factors for the healthcare information system market are aging population, rising healthcare cost, rising government initiatives, rising need for integrated healthcare system and rising investments by healthcare IT players. However, the market faces some restraints such as lack of experienced professionals, high maintenance & service expenses and interoperability issues. North America has the largest healthcare information system market and Asia is the fastest growing healthcare information system market. Some of the fastest growing markets for healthcare information system are China, India, Japan and the U.S. Adoption of wireless and cloud computing is constantly on the rise, which is resulting in reduction in operational costs. For instance, the number of patients who used home health monitoring systems was about 2.8 million in the world in 2012. The growth rate for home health systems is projected to increase to 26.9% in the near future. Similarly, About 5.7 million patients are expected to be monitored with a wireless medical device by 2014.Get the sample copy of this report @Hospital information system is the largest application segment in healthcare information systems market and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 6.9% during 2013 2019. Based on delivery mode, the healthcare information system market can be classified into web based technology, on-premise technology and cloud based technology.In the segment of geographic analysis, the report identifies and analyses market sizes and forecast of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). North America region covers the scenario of the U.S.. Europe region covers the scenario of France, Germany and the U.K.. Asia Pacific region highlights the scenario of India, China and Japan.GE Healthcare is the leading player in the hospital information system market. Other major players of healthcare information system market include Philips Healthcare, McKesson Corporation and others.Request for complete report TOC @MRRbiz supports your business intelligence needs with over 700,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments. We have built a veritable reputation for our commitment to fulfilling our clients' exacting market research solutions. From Fortune 500 companies to SMEs, our clients place their trust in us for reports from verified publishers.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Gonorrhea Testing Market Size to Witness Sustained Growth throughout 2017- 2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/14404 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/14404 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Gonorrhea is one of the very common sexually transmitted disease (STD), which is basically an inflammation on mucous membrane surface caused by microorganism Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The infection can affect both men and women. In women, the infection grows in moist & warmth area of reproductive track including uterus, cervix, and fallopian tube. The infection also grows in mouth, throat, urethra and anus, in both men and women. Most of the times, many men and women does not develop any noticeable symptoms of gonorrhea. Whenever the infected person develop any symptoms, it tends to be similar to the other bacterial infection, which makes it difficult to identify the gonorrhea infection. Few of the mild symptoms of gonorrhea includes discharge from vagina and penis, frequent urine discharge, burning sensation while urinating, and less commonly swollen testicles. The gonorrhea infection can spread through intercourse, and anal or oral sex. In around ninety percent of oral infection, there are no visible infection apart from sore throat, itchiness, which is most common in any other bacterial infection.Request Report for Table of Contents @According to CDC, around 820,000 new cases of gonorrhea are estimated to found in the U.S. each year, and is reported to be the most commonly occurred communicable disease among young population. Among these 820,000 new cases, 70% of population are expected to age between 15 to 24 years. CDC stated, women aged 25 and above are at the higher risk of gonorrhea infection. The risk factors for gonorrhea includes unprotected sex, multiple sex partners, and oral or anal sex with STI infected person. The diagnosis of gonorrhea infection involves several ways, however, the most common method includes fluid sample from infected area i.e. penis, vagina, throat or rectum, with as swab. Sometimes, blood samples are require to diagnose the infection. After sample collection, certain stains are added to the sample and the stain reaction would then diagnose the infection. This method is most commonly adopted as it is quick and easy, however, it might not provide absolute certainty. Other diagnosis method includes cell culture, which includes sample placement in petri dish, and incubate under growth conditions. If gonorrhea infection is present in the given sample, then a colony of gonorrhea bacteria would grow in the petri dish, and the infection can be diagnose.Gonorrhea testing market is expected to witness exponential growth attributed to increasing involvement of multiple sex partners and changing lifestyle would significantly boosted the market for gonorrhea testing. According to CDC, the gonorrhea infection/bacteria are being resistant to strains in patients, thus, it further exaggerates the demand for gonorrhea diagnostic testing. On the other hand, the high cost associated with the gonorrhea diagnostic test is likely to hinder the market growth to some extent. Additionally, reluctant attitude of patients towards the diagnosis and medication couples with the discontinuation of assigned therapies would restrain the market growth.Based on test type, the market is segmented into nucleic acid amplification (NAA), gram stain, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), gonorrhea culture and rapid test. Among these, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is one of the highest adopted test for the detection of gonorrhea. The increasing use of ELISA test is key trend in this market owing to its high efficiency, level of accuracy, and reliability on the performed tests. Moreover, the advancement in the sexually transmitted disease diagnosis plays a vital role in the development of reliable tests for gonorrhea.Based on geography, the market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-pacific and MEA. The market is majorly driven by developed economies owing to the large patient base suffering from gonorrhea, high awareness regarding disease and associated symptoms and high diagnostic rate of sexually transmitted disease. On the other hand, the knowledge of sexually transmitted disease is limited in developing and underdeveloped economies. However, the increasing incidence of STDs and growing government initiatives regarding the awareness of sexually transmitted disease would drive the market growth. In addition, the introduction of government reforms for the improvement of healthcare infrastructure, more focused on the emerging countries is expected to drive the gonorrhea diagnostic market growth over the forecast period.Request a Sample Brochure of the Report @Some of the key participating global players in gonorrhea testing market are Abbott Laboratories, Bayer AG, Merck and Company Inc., Agilent Technologies, Biomerieux, Danaher Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Alere Inc., DiaSorin, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG.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: Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Market Growth to Remain Stable during 2017 - 2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/14407 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/14407 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Histone deacetylase (HDAC) is enzymes, which inhibits histone deacetylase by removing scetyl group from n-acetyl lysine amino acid. Histone deacetylase inhibitors are emerging as potential application in diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of cancer. It is also considered as a treatment option for hematological malignancies and plays important role in epigenetic or non-epigenetic regulation. The histone deacetylase inhibitors accumulates acetylated nuclear histone in tumors and normal tissues. Thus, the inhabitation results in acetylation transcription factors such as GATA-1, p53 and estrogen receptor-alpha. These enzymes are found in fungi, bacteria, animals and plants. There are around 18 human histone deacetylase known, which are classified into four classes based on their structures. Class I HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC3, and HDAC8. Class II includes HDAC4, HDAC5, HDAC7, and HDAC9. Class III includes HDAC6 and HDAC10, whereas Class IV includes HDAC11.Request Report for Table of Contents @The demand for histone deacetylase inhibitors is rapidly increasing owing to growing need for innovative therapies for cancer treatment. Histone deacetylase inhibitors plays vital role in regulation of gene expression via the effects on the chromatin structure. Over the past few years, numerous histone deacetylase inhibitors molecules have undergone clinical trials for different types of cancer. These inhibitors are categorized based on their chemical structure. Among these categories hydroxamic acid-based compounds are the most widely explored class of histone deacetylase inhibitor.Based on application, the market is categorized into oncology, neurology, and other disease. Oncology is expected to be the leading segment owing to the large patient base and increasing need for novel therapies for the treatment of cancer patients. Currently, FDA have approved four products namely, Romidepsin (Istodax), orinostat (Zolinza), Vidaza and Dacogen. However, pharmaceutical companies are now heavily investing into research and development activities and preclinical activities of histone deacetylase inhibitors for different applications.Based on the end user segment, the histone deacetylase inhibitors market is categories into hospitals, oncology clinics and other end users. Oncology clinics end user segment is expected to be the highest revenue generating segment owing to the increasing adoption of novel therapies for cancer treatment and increasing incidence of cancer across the globe. Similarly, growing expenditure on R&D activities by pharmaceutical companies and increasing government funding for such activities is expected to drive the growth for the histone deacetylase inhibitors market during the forecast period.Global histone deacetylase inhibitors market is experiencing significant growth owing to the increase incidence of different types of cancer and growing need for effective cancer diagnosis and therapeutics. Moreover, increasing R&D activities for the cancer treatment and other neurological disorders is one of the prime factor responsible for the market growth. However, unfavorable reimbursement policies and uncertainty issues of HDAC inhibitors might hamper the market growth to some extent.Geographically Histone deacetylase inhibitors market is classified into regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. North America and Europe will remain key markets for Histone deacetylase inhibitors market due to presence of sophisticated healthcare infrastructure, high R&D spending capacity and early adoption of innovative therapeutics. Asia Pacific is anticipated to register positive growth owing to rising governments initiatives in healthcare sector, improved healthcare infrastructure and increasing cancer patients population in the region.Request a Sample Brochure of the Report @Some of the key players in the histone deacetylase inhibitors market are Celgene Corporation, Celleron Therapeutics Ltd, Eisai Co., Ltd., Novartis International AG, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AstraZeneca plc., Merck & Co., Inc. Pfizer Inc. to name a few.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: Pompe Disease Therapeutic Market - Attractive Growth Opportunities 2017 - 2025 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1316 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/toc/1316 Manufacturers are focusing on finding new solutions by expanding their pipeline to cater the demand for pompe disease therapeutics market. For instance, in September, 2017, Avrobio Inc. expanded their products pipeline with gene therapy to treat pompe disease by utilizing a proprietary lysosomal targeting sequence to deliver high levels of enzyme to lysosomes. Furthermore, in October 2017, Amicus Therapeutics received orphan drug designation to ATB200/AT2221 from the U.S. FDA for the treatment of Pompe disease. This novel treatment paradigm consists of ATB200, a unique recombinant human acid alpha-glucosidase (rhGAA) enzyme with optimized carbohydrate structures, particularly mannose-6 phosphate (M6P) to enhance uptake, co-administered with AT2221, a pharmacological chaperone.Key players operating in the pompe disease therapeutic market include Amicus Therapeutics, Inc., Valerion Therapeutics, LLC, Sanofi S.A., Oxyrane, and Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc.Ask for detailed Sample of the Research Report:Increasing prevalence of pompe disease in many economies is expected to have a lucrative opportunities for pharmaceutical manufacturers to come with a tailored solution for diagnosis and treatment of disease. For instance, according to United Pompe Foundation (UPF), 2017, the estimated frequency occurance of Pompe disease may vary among different ethnic groups and nationalities: in Holland: 1 in 40,000 (Adults: 1 in 57,000; Infantile: 1 in 138,000), Southern China and Taiwan: 1 in 50,000 births, African-Americans: 1 in 14,000 births and Caucasian: 1 in 100,000 suffer from pompe disease. Gene therapy and enzyme replacement therapy may be highly effective at reducing clinical manifestations of this rare disease. Currently, there are two commercialized products in enzyme replacement therapy, which are Myozyme for the treatment of infants and children with Pompe disease and Lumizyme for late-onset non-infantile Pompe disease. Furthermore, various pipeline products in phase 3 (NeoGAA GZ402666 (Sanofi), AT-982 (Audentes therapeutics)) and in phase 2 (BMN 701(Biomarin)) clinical trial are also expected to create a meteoric growth in this market during the forecast period. However, the high cost associated with the treatment and long duration of the treatment are the factors restraining growth of the pompe disease therapeutic market. For instance, according to a research paper published by Harvard School, in 2016, Lumizyme accounted for US$ 100,000 per year for children and US$ 300,000 per year for adult treatments.Considering the public health problems, government is taking continuous initiatives in promoting and advancing the development of innovative products for the prevention and diagnosis or treatment of rare diseases or conditions such as Pompe disease. For instance, in 2015, Orphan Product Grants Program funded 18 new grant awards from 92 grant applications and provided funding and support to around 67 ongoing clinical study projects related to rare disease. Furthermore, initiatives from the governments of economies such as Sweden, the Netherlands, and South Korea that focus on approving guidelines for the reimbursement of individuals undergoing enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) are also expected to boost growth of the pompe disease therapeutic market in near future.Pompe disease is an inherited Lysosomal Storage Disorder (LSD) caused by a deficiency of enzyme acid named alpha-glucosidase (GAA). This causes the glycogen to accumulate in different kinds of tissues, primarily into smooth muscles, skeletal muscles and cardiac muscle. It leads to muscle weakness, respiratory problems, and may also affects the liver and heart. Pompe disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive genetic trait. There are three major types of pompe disease, which differ in severity and appear at different age, these types are known as classic infantile-onset, which starts within a few months of birth, non-classic infantile-onset Pompe disease- usually appears by age 1, and late-onset type of Pompe disease that may shows the symptoms later in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. Pompe disease therapeutic market can exhibit immense growth potential due to presence of limited number of manufacturers, which can significantly enhance and expand their business potential and scope in this market.To get holistic SAMPLE with TOC @By Therapy Type: Gene Therapy, Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT), Chaperone-Advanced Replacement Therapy (CHART),. By Administrational Route: Oral, Parenteral,. By Patient Type: Infants, Adults,.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.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154 Aviation Life Rafts Market Poised to Take Off by 2022 https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/sample/53548 https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/discount/53548 Worldwide Market Reports added Latest Research Report titled " EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Aviation Life Rafts Market Report 2017 " to its Large Report database.In this report, the EMEA Aviation Life Rafts market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report split EMEA into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, With sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Aviation Life Rafts for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast) Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux; Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran; Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.Request for Sample Copy of Research Report:EMEA Aviation Life Rafts market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Aviation Life Rafts sales volume (K Units), price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players including EAM WORLDWIDE, Revere Survival, Survival Products, WINSLOW LIFERAFT COMPANY, Zodiac Aerospace, Switlik.On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (K Units), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/Unit), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Large-sized life rafts, Medium-sized life rafts, Small-sized life rafts.On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume (K Units), market share and growth rate of Aviation Life Rafts for each application, including Passenger Jets, Cargo Jets.Request for Discount @Table of ContentsEMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Aviation Life Rafts Market Report 20171 Aviation Life Rafts Overview2 EMEA Aviation Life Rafts Competition by Manufacturers/Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and Application3 Europe Aviation Life Rafts (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Players, Countries, Type and Application4 Middle East Aviation Life Rafts (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Region, Type and Application5 Africa Aviation Life Rafts (Volume, Value and Sales Price) by Players, Countries, Type and Application6 EMEA Aviation Life Rafts Manufacturers/Players Profiles and Sales Data7 Aviation Life Rafts Manufacturing Cost Analysis8 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers9 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders10 Market Effect Factors Analysis11 EMEA Aviation Life Rafts Market Forecast (2017-2022)12 Research Findings and Conclusion13 AppendixList of Tables and FiguresContinue*Any special requirements about this report, please let us know and we can provide custom report.** The Values marked with XX is confidential data. To know more about CAGR figures fill in your information so that our business development executive can get in touch with you.About WMRWorldwide Market Reports is your one-stop repository of detailed and in-depth market research reports compiled by an extensive list of publishers from across the globe. We offer reports across virtually all domains and an exhaustive list of sub-domains under the sun. The in-depth market analysis by some of the most vastly experienced analysts provide our diverse range of clients from across all industries with vital decision making insights to plan and align their market strategies in line with current market trends. Worldwide Market Researchs well-researched inputs that encompass domains ranging from IT to healthcare enable our prized clients to capitalize upon key growth opportunities and shield against credible threats prevalent in the market in the current scenario and those expected in the near future.Contact Us:Mr. ShahWorldwide Market Reports1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154,U.STel: +1 415 871 0703Email: sales@worldwidemarketreports.com Global Washing Appliances Market Expected to Grow at a CAGR 10.7% till 2026 Market Research Reports Search Engine https://www.mrrse.com/sample/4314 https://www.mrrse.com/washing-appliances-market https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/4314 https://www.mrrse.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ A latest research report titled as Global Market Study on Washing Appliances: Top Load Fully Automatic Washing Machine Product Type Segment to Significantly Contribute to Global Market Revenue Growth 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 @Automation and engineering together have made it possible to deliver convenience to individuals in every aspect. Domestic sector is no different, as people are surrounded by objects and appliances that reduce or eliminate physical effort as well as enhance productivity. Automation in household appliances reduce time and improve delivery. Almost all houses have washing appliances. Washing machine is used to clean clothes of all types. Used on a daily basis, this device has gained a lot of traction across the globe and comes with new developments and innovations from a technology standpoint. There are various manufacturers and retailers/distributers that are involved in the washing appliances market. There are different types of washing appliances, such as top load fully automatic washing machine, top load semi-automatic washing machine, front load fully automatic washing machine and dryers. These machines reach the consumers through various sales channels, like direct selling, through retail chains and via E-commerce. Washing appliances are widely used in residential as well as commercial applications.Various factors that shape up the global washing appliances market are analyzed in the report. New trends, developments, drivers and challenges that impact the growth of the market have been scrutinized across key regions in the globe. This extensive research report on washing appliances market at a global level involves historic data, current scenario as well as future market projections for a period of nine years. According to the research report, the global washing appliances market is expected to grow at a high CAGR to reach an estimate of around US$ 60 Bn by the end of the year of assessment (2026) from a value a bit under US$ 24 Bn in 2017.To Know The latest Trends and Insights Prevalent in This Market, Click the link below @Front load fully automatic washing machines to witness high growth in the years to followFront load fully automatic washing machines are those wherein clothes are placed in the machine from the front side. The front load fully automatic washing machines segment in the product type category is expected to grow at the highest pace to register a CAGR of 14.5% throughout the period of forecast to touch a value of around US$ 21.8 Bn by the end of the year of assessment from a valuation of more than US$ 6 Bn in 2017. In 2017, this segment was the second largest with respect to market value, but is expected to gain increasing traction in the coming years and is likely to dominate the global market by the end of the assessment period. The increasing adoption of front load fully automatic washing machines can be attributed to the benefits of the appliance such as reduced effort owing to fully automatic feature, less consumption of energy, optimum use of water as well as detergent. These machines deliver better washing results as compared to other washing machines.Competitor analysisThe research report on global washing appliances market includes a dedicated section that reflects intelligence on various key players participating in the market. Major companies such as Whirlpool Corporation, LG Electronics, Robert Bosch, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., GE Appliance, Electrolux AB, Panasonic, Haier, Siemens Group and Philips are profiled in this research report.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: Sutures Needle Market Share,Trends,Supply,Sales,Key Players,Demand and Forecast 2023 Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028. https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3133537-global-sutures-needle-market-2018-by-manufacturers-countries https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/3133537-global-sutures-needle-market-2018-by-manufacturers-countries WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On Sutures Needle Market Share,Trends,Supply,Sales,Key Players,Demand and Forecast 2023.Description:Sutures Needles are necessary for the placement of sutures in tissues; therefore, they must be designed to carry suture material through tissues with minimal.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comScope of the Report:This report focuses on the Sutures Needle in global market, especially in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, types and applications.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversJohnson & JohnsonCovidien (Medtronic)B.BraunTeleflexHu-FriedyPeters SurgicalShanghai JinhuanAurolabWEIHAI WEGOFSSBKono SeisakushoDemeTechDolphin (Futura Surgicare)Gore MedicalUnik Surgical Sutures MFGMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversCorner NeedleShovel NeedleStraight NeedleRound NeedleOtherMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoHospitalClinicASCsAsk Query @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Sutures Needle market.Chapter 1, to describe Sutures Needle Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Sutures Needle, with sales, revenue, and price of Sutures Needle, 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 Sutures Needle, for each region, from 2013 to 2018;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 2013 to 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. HDAC Inhibitors Market - Trends and Opportunities 2017 - 2025 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1294 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/toc/1294 Regional segmentation of HDAC inhibitors market by Coherent Market Insights, includes North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America is expected to hold a dominant position in the market due to growing incidence of cancer and rising demand for cancer therapeutics in the region. According to American Cancer Society, in 2017, 1,688,780 new cancer cases and 600,920 deaths due to cancer are estimated to occur in the U.S. Better funding for R&D for cancer treatment, and growing demand for efficient treatment with lower costs are other factors driving growth of the market. In 2017, Congress approved the 21st Century Cures Act, sanctioning US$ 1.8 billion in aid for the Cancer Moonshot initiative for 7 years. Europe is expected to foresee tremendous growth during the forecast period (20172025), due to growing presence of well-established healthcare infrastructure, early adoption of innovative therapeutics, and growing R&D spending capacity.Request a sample copy of this report:Major players operating in the HDAC inhibitors market include AbbVie, Celgene, Celldex, Chipscreen, Chroma Therapeutics, GSK, Merck, Novartis, Onxeo, Syndax, and Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. Various pharmaceutical firms are increasingly investing in R&D and preclinical activities of HDACi for different applications. In January 2018, Syndax and Genentech extended their study of the effects of combining PD-L1 and HDAC inhibitors. This new contract permits Genentech to test its Tecentriq with Syndaxs entinostat in a subset of breast cancer patients.In February 2015, Novartis received the U.S. FDA approval for Farydak capsules along with dexamethasone and bortezomib*, for patients suffering from multiple myeloma, who previously received minimum two regimens. FDA approval of few HDAC inhibitors for cancer treatment has created interest in finding new products as potential anti-cancer drugs. Moreover, increasing R&D activities for the treatment of cancer and other neurological disorders is one of the prime factors responsible for growth of the HDAC inhibitors market. Around 350 clinical trials were carried out or under process using HDACi as single therapeutic or along with other targeted agents against different human diseases. However, uncertainty issues about the therapeutic potential of HDAC inhibitors and stringent reimbursement policies is expected to impede growth of the market in near future. For instance, there can be significant delays in gaining reimbursement and coverage for newly approved drugs by FDA or other foreign regulatory authorities.Numerous classes of Histone deacetylase inhibitors, include benzamides such as MS-275, organic hydroxamic acids such as TSA and SAHA, cyclic tetrapeptides such as sulfonamide anilides and trapoxin, and short-chain fatty acids such as valproic acid and butyrates. Increasing number of applications in different therapeutic areas such as neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntingtons and Alzheimers disease, Polycythemia vera, inflammation, and essential Thrombocythemia, Myelofibrosis, is expected to fuel the demand for HDAC inhibitors in the near future.To get holistic SAMPLE with TOC @HDAC inhibitors refers to the class of anti-cancer agents that play a vital role in non-epigenetic or epigenetic regulation, inducing cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and death of cancer cells. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are promising therapeutics, which have already shown potential for oncological applications such as cancer detection, diagnosis, and prognosis. For instance, Vorinostat (Merck & Co. Inc.) is a novel drug used in the management of cutaneous T cell lymphoma during disease progression or relapse or while undergoing treatment. Current candidates are demonstrating successful pre-clinical and clinical trials for various other diseases such as neurological ailments, heart diseases, and HIV infections.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.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154 High Fructose Corn Syrup Market Headed for Growth and Global Expansion by 2020 https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/sample/149140 https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/discount/149140 Worldwide Market Reports added Latest Research Report titled " North America and Europe High Fructose Corn Syrup Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023 " to its Large Report database.This report studies the High Fructose Corn Syrup market, High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a sweetener made from corn, comes in two primary compositionsHFCS-42 and HFCS-55. This means it is composed of either 42 percent or 55 percent fructose, with the remaining sugars being primarily glucose and higher sugars (chains of glucose).Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the High Fructose Corn Syrup in North America and Europe market, especially in United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, countries/Regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers ADM, Cargill, Tate & Lyle, Ingredion Incorporated, Roquette.Request for Sample Copy of Research Report:Market Segment by Countries, covering United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain.Market Segment by Type, covers HFCS-42, HFCS-55, Others.Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into Beverages, Baked Foods, Dairy & Desserts, Others.Request for Discount @Table of Contents1 Market Overview2 Manufacturers Profiles3 North America and Europe High Fructose Corn Syrup Market Competition, by Manufacturer4 North America and Europe High Fructose Corn Syrup Market Analysis by Countries/Regions5 North America and Europe Market Segmentation High Fructose Corn Syrup by Type6 North America and Europe Market Segmentation High Fructose Corn Syrup by Application7 United States High Fructose Corn Syrup Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers8 United Kingdom High Fructose Corn Syrup Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers9 Canada High Fructose Corn Syrup Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers10 Germany High Fructose Corn Syrup Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers11 France High Fructose Corn Syrup Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers12 Italy High Fructose Corn Syrup Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers13 Spain High Fructose Corn Syrup Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers14 High Fructose Corn Syrup Market Forecast (2018-2023)15 High Fructose Corn Syrup Manufacturing Cost Analysis16 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers17 Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and DealersList of Tables and FiguresContinue*Any special requirements about this report, please let us know and we can provide custom report.About WMRWorldwide Market Reports is your one-stop repository of detailed and in-depth market research reports compiled by an extensive list of publishers from across the globe. We offer reports across virtually all domains and an exhaustive list of sub-domains under the sun. The in-depth market analysis by some of the most vastly experienced analysts provide our diverse range of clients from across all industries with vital decision making insights to plan and align their market strategies in line with current market trends. Worldwide Market Researchs well-researched inputs that encompass domains ranging from IT to healthcare enable our prized clients to capitalize upon key growth opportunities and shield against credible threats prevalent in the market in the current scenario and those expected in the near future.Contact Us:Mr. ShahWorldwide Market Reports1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154,U.STel: +1 415 871 0703Email: sales@worldwidemarketreports.com Zika Vaccines Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20172025 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/413 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/413 http://www.coherentchronicle.com/ Zika vaccines are developed for immunization & prevention against diseases caused by Zika virus. This virus belongs to genus Flavivirus and is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The virus can also be transmitted through blood transfusion, sexual contact or from infected pregnant women to the fetus. Diagnosis of this infection is confirmed by detecting viral DNA through PCR. However, only 1 in 4 people with zika infection are prone to develop symptoms. In November 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that zika infection no longer constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) as major cases of zika virus were asymptomatic.In April 2015, a major ongoing outbreak of Zika virus was registered in Brazil, which later affected the population in South and Central America. This outbreak caused mild illness (fever, rashes, joint pains, conjunctivitis, nausea, and muscle pain), though the recent outbreaks showed severe complications such as microcephaly, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and various congenital neurological abnormalities in infants who were born to infected mothers. The link between zika virus and microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome was identified and reported in 2015 in Brazil.Request a sample copy of this report:According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 70 new zika virus infection cases were reported in the U.S. in 2015, which increased to 41,181 cases in 2016. Lack of reporting is a major factor for lower incidence rate in 2015. Increase in awareness can result in more diagnosis and reporting thus generating growth of the global zika vaccines market.Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology found that the extract of San Francisco plant (Codiaeum variegatum) found in Australia, can kill the zika virus. This extract can arrest the virus and stop it from replicating without causing any damage to the host cells.Continuous increase in human clinical trials and rise in number of zika cases will drive the growth of Zika vaccines marketAs of March 2016, 67 companies and research institutions were working on various kinds of R&D projects and clinical trials aided to develop effective vaccines against zika virus. The FDA approved the first human clinical trial for GLS5700 in June 2016, a zika vaccine being developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals. Further in 2017, a grant was approved for phase 2 clinical trials for a DNA vaccine conducted by NIAIDs Vaccine Research Center (VRC).Increasing awareness among the population would aid in controlling the incidence rate of zika infection. The WHO implemented a global framework for creating public awareness through its Zika Strategic Response Framework and Joint Plan in February 2016. This plan outlines all the points to be taken care of at the time of infections. In June 2016, WHO Regional Office for Europe developed a training curriculum to increase awareness by the publication of Zika Risk Assessment for European Region.High investment costs required for R&D and the development of effective zika virus vaccines serves as a restraining factor for the global zika vaccines market.While major of the Zika virus cases occur in tropical regions such as Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela, Colombia and Suriname, there are higher chances of mosquito infections in tropical areas of the U.S. like Texas and Florida. According to Pan American Health Organization, around 1,246 suspected and confirmed cases were reported between epidemiological week (EW) 10 and EW 14 of 2016 in the sub region which involves Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Ecuador.Ask for customization:Competitive LandscapeSome key players operating in the zika vaccines market are Cerus Corporation, Biken Inc, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Bharat Biotech International Pvt. Ltd, GeneOne Life Science, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Immunovaccine Inc., NewLink Genetics Corp. and Sanofi S.A. The companies launched various R&D measures and clinical trials to attain immunogenicity against zika virus. In February 2016, Sanofi S.A launched a vaccine research and development project, with the introduction of Dengvaxia (Dengue vaccine) that will aid the company understand the Zika virus and develop an effective vaccine against it. Likewise, Inovio Pharmaceuticals initiated a clinical study of zika vaccine (GLS-5700) in Puerto Rico in August 2016. This trial may provide a potential push to Inovios vaccine if positive results are reported as there was a rapid progression of zika outbreak in Puerto Rico at that time. This could benefit the trial in assessing true efficacy and safety of the vaccine. Rapid progression in clinical trials and approval would augment the zika vaccines market growth.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.comVisit our news Website: Medical Gas Analyzers Market Set for Rapid Growth and Trend, by 2025 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1213 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/1213 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/medical-gas-analyzers-market-1213 Medical gas analyzers are used in hospital settings to keep a track of various gases that are used in different medical therapies. These medical gases include oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and medical air. Medical gases have therapeutic advantages as it enables easy penetration through natural physiological barriers. Different gases have different therapeutic effects for various disease condition. Medical gases can be administered through inhalation, drinking hydrogen water, and through injections with hydrogen saturated saline.After administration in the system, the concentration of these gases is measured and analyzed so that patients condition is kept stabilized. Medical gas analyzers may be hand operated or automatic and they function on different methods such as optical, infrared, and electrochemical. Components of medical gas analyzers include pressure and flow regulators, pneumatic connexions, charging devices, filters, vaccum systems, and flow meters.Request a sample copy of this report:Advancements in technology in medical gas analyzers and increasing medical procedures are expected to boost the medical gas analyzers market growthAccording to National Center for Health Statistics, 48 million surgical procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2009 and cardiovascular disease surgeries accounted for 7.3 million. The burden of diseases for is increasing rapidly, which is leading to increasing number of medical procedures. This has also fuelled growth of the medical gas analyzers market.Applications of medical gas therapies in critical surgeries such as cerebrovascular and in cardiac strokes is another factor for growth of the market. Oxygen therapy is reported to be very effective and can be used in thermotoxicosis and hyperthermia. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 130,000 people in the U.S. die due to stroke each year and every year 795,000 of the population suffers from strokes indicating the need for medical gases for therapy in turn supporting growth of medical gas analyzers market. Medical gases have been proven effective in treatment of diseases such as cardiovascular, neurobiology, and respiratory inflammation in turn increasing the need for medical gases and analyzers.Factors such as advancements in technology, new product launches, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, strokes, and respiratory diseases are expected to accelerate the medical gas analyzers market growth. New gas delivery techniques such as microbubbles and liposomes are expected to drive market growth.Medical Gas Analyzers Market Taxonomy:The global medical gas analyzers market is segmented on the basis of analyzer type, by technology, end user, and geographyOn the basis of analyzer type, the global medical gas analyzers market is segmented into:Single Gas Analyzer,Multiple Gas Analyzer,.On the basis of technology, the global medical gas analyzers market is segmented into:Optical,Infrared,Electrochemical,.On the basis of end user, global medical gas analyzers market is segmented into:Hospitals,Ambulatory surgical centers,Diagnostic Centers,Research Institutes and Laboratories,Others,.Request Customization:Regional segmentation of the Medical Gas Analyzers market by Coherent Market Insights comprises, North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America market is expected to be dominant over the forecast period due to robust investment in healthcare infrastructure, competitors constantly striving to improve the technology, and healthcare reimbursements. Asia Pacific market is expected to exhibit highest growth rate over the forecast period due to factors such as large customer base, local manufacturers producing low cost devices, increasing air pollution in countries such as Japan, India, and China. Government initiatives such as National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) and reducing stringency of government rules and regulations to set up hospitals in various Southern Indian States are expected to in turn aid in growth of the market.Key CompetitorsCompetitors are focusing on continuous innovations and product launches and this is expected to aid in growth of the market. Gasera launched a new multiple gas analyzer in 2016. Furthermore, the company received US$ 2.74 million from the EU Horizon Framework Programme for development of modern analyzer capable of detecting hidden drugs and toxic substances.Key players operating in the medical gas analyzers market include The Linde Group, Airgas, Praxair, Novair Medical, Matheson Tri-Gas, Air Products and Chemicals Inc., and Fluke Inc.Browse The Complete 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.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154 Cancer Vaccines Market Size, Status Analysis, Growth & Forecast during 2017-2025 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1209 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/toc/1209 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/cancer-vaccines-market-1209 Manufacturers in the cancer vaccines market are focusing on developing new vaccines in order to treat various cancers. Through this, they are expected to gain a competitive edge in the market and increase their market share. For instance, Gilead Science Inc., in 2017, acquired Kite Pharma Inc., which is involved in development of different type of immunotherapy and vaccines. Also, Treos Bio, in 2017, collaborated with Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD), in order to conduct its first-in-human clinical trial for its cancer vaccine for metastatic colorectal cancer.Furthermore, BioNTech developed RNA vaccines for mutations caused due to cancer. RNA vaccine exposes cancer cell to antigen, which is recognized by the immune system. On the other hand, Scancells DNA vaccine forces cancerous cell to express two antigens gp100 and TRP-2 stimulating a strong T cell response.Request to Sample Report @Development of new vaccines for treatment of different cancers is expected to fuel growth of the cancer vaccines market over the forecast periodCancer is the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Major cause of cancer is gene mutation and rarely due to inherited genes. On the basis of the type of cell it initiates to form cancerous with, it is divided into carcinoma, lymphomas, leukaemias, brain tumors, and sarcomas. According to World Health Organization (WHO), 2017, nearly 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer globally and around 70% of deaths from cancer occur in low- and middle-income countries. Moreover, it is projected that for next two decades, 70% of new cases are expected to be diagnosed globally. Advent of cancer vaccines can significantly reduce this numbers and lead a cancer-free life for the global population.In 2017, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Brain Tumor Center at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), was designated a Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) by the National Cancer Institute. The program is expected to support research into prevention, detection, and treatment of cancers and will promote co-operation among scientist in different disciplines, and also help to translate basic research from laboratories to clinical trials more quickly and effectively. Such recognition by national organizations is expected to support research in cancer vaccines.Request Table of Content Of This Report:According to a research from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, in 2017, a high dose flu vaccine can be used to treat people aged between 5464 years with chronic condition such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and cancer. The study is recommended for clinical trials in geriatric population.Also, in 2017, Swiss Biotech, developed VXM01 an attenuated bacterial vaccine modified to express vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2), stimulates cytotoxic (killer) T cells, which will destroy cells in the vasculature feeding tumor and allow greater infiltration of immune cells. This vaccine is expected to be used for treatment in colorectal cancer and glioblastoma.In August 2017, Imugene Limited announced the entry of its anti-cancer vaccine, HER-Vaxx for gastric cancer in 1b/2 clinical study and the phase 2 is expected to start soon.Increasing prevalence and incidence of different cancers is expected to favor growth of the cancer vaccines marketAccording to WHO, in 2015, about 8.8 million people died from cancer. Moreover, tobacco related cancers was responsible for 22% deaths, lung cancer accounted for 1.69 million deaths, liver cancer led to 788,000 deaths. Colorectal, stomach, and breast cancer are estimated to cause 774,000, 754,000, and 571,000 deaths, worldwide. Increasing prevalence is a major driving factor to fuel growth of the cancer vaccines market.Key players in the global cancer vaccines market include, Astrazeneca Plc. (Medimmune, LLC.), Glaxosmithkline Plc., Merck & Co., Inc., Sanofi Pasteur, Aduro BioTech Inc., Sanpower Group, Astellas Pharma Inc., CSL Limited, Pfizer Inc., and Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd.Get More Details About 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.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154 Retractable Needle Safety Syringes Market Trends and Prospects by 2025 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1189 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/retractable-needle-safety-syringes-market-1189 A retractable needle safety syringe is a type of safety syringe that comes along with integrated safety mechanism. It is designed in such a way that protruding needle is withdrawn into the barrel of syringe after the delivery of medication/dose. After medication is expelled, the user has to apply extra pressure to the attached plunger to break the seal and to retract the needle into the syringe. The retractable needles are safe and real-time. These syringes also decrease the waste volume as compared to other syringes. Retractable needles syringes are used in several indications such as diabetes, tuberculosis, and cancer.Major factors driving the growth of global retractable needle safety syringes market are increasing incidences of chronic diseases, rising geriatric population, and growing awareness among the healthcare professionals. According to the American Diabetes Association, in 2015, around 30.3 Americans had diabetes, which is 9.4% of the total U.S population. Moreover, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2015, approximately 8.8 million people suffered from cancer worldwide. Approximately, 70% of the cancer deaths are recorded in low and middle income economies.To get holistic SAMPLE with TOC @According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 16 billion injections are used annually out of which almost 90% are given in curative conditions. The unsafe usage of syringe is observed worldwide especially in emerging economies, which leads to widespread infection amongst healthcare professionals and patients. Unsafe syringe usage can cause hemorrhagic fevers such as Marburg and Ebola viruses, malaria, and others. According to the statistics published by WHO, 2012, unsafe syringe usage leads to 1.3 million early deaths annually, direct medical costs of US$ 535 million and cumulative loss of 26 million years of life.Product innovations and agreements are expected to favor the growth of the global retractable needle safety syringes marketRegional segmentation of global retractable needle safety syringe by Coherent Market Insights comprises of North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and Middle East. For instance, in May 2017, Innovative Neurons LLC, a medical device company announced to commercialize its patented auto retractable multi-needle syringe also known as FAST (fast, accessible, safe and technology). The FAST technology is expected to decrease the 40,000 needle stick injuries, endangering healthcare professional lives, in the U.S per year. It also reduces the time required to inject medication with multiple injections. It is also expected to reduce the cost by 29%, according to the company claims.Moreover, in December 2017, an Australia-based company, Numedico Technologies signed an agreement with Mana Medical Services. According to agreement, the latter will distribute ClickZip Needle Retractable Safety Syringe in New Zealand and Australia. The ClickZip is conventional syringe with additional locking mechanism.The market is oligopolistic in nature with few market players dominating the market. The prominent players in the global retractable needle safety syringes market include Retractable Technologies, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Medtronic plc, Axel Bio Corporation, DMC Medical Limited, Sol-Millennium, Medigard Limited, Smiths Medical Inc., Globe Medical Tech, Inc., and UltiMed, Inc.Complete Report Details @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.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154 Laboratory Equipment Market Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment,2017 2025 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1165 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/toc/1165 Government and private research firms are taking initiatives in the research and development activities in context to diagnose and treat several disease worldwide through innovative technologies like specialty instruments. For instance, in 2016, Cancer Research UK spend US$ 583 million on cancer research to develop new treatment and to optimize existing cancer treatment. The amount spent was US$ 51 million on clinical trials study, US$ 50 million on research into new drugs and US$ 23 million on research to identify possible causes of cancer.Increasing chronic diseases such as chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, and increasing incidence of lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, obesity, atherosclerosis and hereditary disease such as haemophilia, Downs syndrome, cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia are leading to the increasing demand of laboratory equipment to bring innovative technologies in the market. According to World Health Organization (WHO), noncommunicable disease leads to cause 40 million deaths each year, which is equivalent to 70% of all deaths worldwide. Cardiovascular diseases account for most of NCD mortality (17.7 million) annually, followed by cancer (8.8 million), respiratory disease (3.9 million) and diabetes (1.6 million).Request to Sample Report @Laboratory equipment includes important aspects in healthcare, medical and pharmaceutical research study. These equipment are getting smaller and smaller as new technologies are eliminating these equipment like series of pumps and valves which are required to store samples. New technologies includes recent advancements in fluidic components which are capable of integrating multiple laboratory functions into a single chip requiring smaller amounts of samples.Continuous advances in laboratory equipment segment allow to boost the marketFor instance, in March 2017, Echoa San Diego-based companyunveiled the Revolve hybrid microscope, a digital, all-in-one microscope. The innovative microscope integrates the features of upright microscope and an inverted microscope. It is used primarily in clinical laboratories and by cancer and stem cell scientists to capture high resolution images and it also provides cloud storage to allow the remotely maintain, manage and backed up images taken by the microscope. The company received the US$ 7.5 million funding from two capital ventures, moreover the funding helps to increase the production of Revolve hybrid microscope.In October 2017, Beckman Coulter, Inc. introduced next generation, refrigerated, high-speed benchtop centrifuge-Avanti J-15 Series. It allows to improve operational efficiency and saves time by shortening workflows. These technology and product advancements helps to boost the laboratory equipment market in future.To get holistic SAMPLE with TOC @Key players in the laboratory equipment market:Some of the key players in the laboratory equipment market are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Merck KGaA, Beckman Coulter, Inc., Danaher Corporation, Shimadzu Corporation, PerkinElmer, Inc. and Agilent Technologies.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.1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154 Intravenous Solutions Market Set for Rapid Growth and Trend, by 2025 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1134 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/1134 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/intravenous-solutions-market-1134 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.Request Sample Copy of the Report: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.Market TaxonomyThe intravenous solutions market is segmented on the basis of solution type, composition, and end userOn the basis of solution type, the intravenous solutions market is segment into:Crystalloid solutions,Colloid solutions,Free H 2O solutions,Blood products,.On the basis of composition, the intravenous solutions market is segment into:Normal Saline (0.9% Normal Saline (0.9% NaCl),Hypertonic saline (3, 5, & 7.5%),Lactated Ringers,Dextran,D5W (5% dextrose in water),Whole blood,Platelets,Others,.On the basis of end user, the intravenous solutions market is segment into:Hospitals,Clinics,Ambulatory surgery centers,Others,.Request Customization: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 @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.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154 Global Artisanal Ice cream Market 2018 Key Players: Unilever, Nyes Cream, Sandwiches, Van Leeuwen, Nestle, Bi-Rite Creamery. Artisanal Ice cream Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3136548-global-artisanal-ice-cream-market-analysis-by-distribution https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3136548-global-artisanal-ice-cream-market-analysis-by-distribution Artisanal Ice cream Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Artisanal Ice cream Market 2018 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2023reports to its database.Executive SummaryA comprehensive research report created through extensive primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the sizing, growth and forecast of Global Artisanal Ice cream Market. The report has been analyzed by Distribution Channel for the regions (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and ROW) and By Country (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Netherland, China, India, Australia).According to Analytics research report Global Artisanal Ice cream Market: Analysis by Distribution channel, By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2018-2023) By Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, ROW), By Country (U.S., Canada, UK, Italy, France, Netherland, China, India, Australia), the global market value of artisanal ice cream is projected to display a steady growth represented by a CAGR of 7.20% during 2018 2023.The demand of Sugar free & Low fat ice cream have witnessed growth at a noteworthy rate over the past few years and is expected to grow in the forecast period as increasing demand of different fruit flavored ice cream in developing country is increasing along with the rise in disposable income. Amongst the regions, North America accounts for the largest regional share by value in the global artisanal Ice cream market in 2017. Additionally, Asia Pacific will be a growing region in the forecasted period, 2018-2023 as demand of different flavored ice cream is increasing in Asia Pacific region.The report titled Global Artisanal Ice cream Market:Analysis by Distribution channel, By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2018-2023) By Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, ROW), By Country (U.S., Canada, UK, Italy, France, Netherland, China, India, Australia) has covered and analyzed the potential of Global Artisanal Ice cream Market and provides statistics and information on market size, shares and growth factors. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the global artisanal ice cream market. Additionally, the report also highlights market entry strategies for various companies across the globe.Request Sample Report @Scope of the ReportGlobal Artisanal Ice cream Market (Actual Period: 2013-2017, Forecast Period: 2018-2023 Global Artisanal Ice cream Market By value By Distribution Channel On Trade, Off TradeRegional Markets North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World (Actual Period: 2013-2017, Forecast Period: 2018-2023) Artisanal Ice cream Market By value By distribution Channel On Trade, Off TradeCountry Analysis - U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Netherland, China, India, Australia Artisanal Ice cream Market By value & Volume. By Distribution Channel On trade, Off trade.Other Report Highlights Market Dynamics Drivers and Restraints Market Trends Porter's Five Forces Analysis Company Analysis Unilever, Nyes Cream, Sandwiches, Van Leeuwen, Nestle, Bi-Rite Creamery.Customization of the ReportThe report could be customized according to the clients specific research requirements. No additional cost will be required to pay for limited additional research.Table of Content:1. Research Methodology2. Executive Summary3. Strategic Recommendation4. Product overview5. Global Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast6. Global Artisanal Ice cream Market: Segment Analysis (By Distribution Channel)7. North America Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast8. North America Artisanal Ice cream Market: Segment Analysis (By Distribution Channel)9. US Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast10. Canada Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast11. Rest of America Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast12. Europe Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast13. Europe Artisanal Ice cream Market: Segment Analysis (By Distribution Channel)14. UK Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast15. Italy Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast16. France Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast17. Netherland Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast18. Rest of Europe Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast19. APAC Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast20. APAC Artisanal Ice cream Market: Segment Analysis (By Distribution Channel)21. China Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast22. India Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast23. Australia Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast24. Rest of APAC Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast25. ROW Artisanal Ice cream Market: Growth and Forecast26. ROW Artisanal Ice cream Market: Segment Analysis (By Distribution Channel)27. Global Artisanal Ice Cream Market Dynamics28. Porters Five Forces Analysis: Global Artisanal Ice Cream Market29. Company Profiling29.1. Unilever29.2. Nyes Cream29.3. Van Leeuwan29.4. Nestle29.5. Bi- Rite Creamery List of FiguresContinuousFor further information on this report, visit Contact Us:Norah Trentsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +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:WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042 Generic Drugs Market Overview and Regional Outlook Study 2017 - 2025 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1132 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/toc/1132 Global generic drugs market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America held a dominant position in the global generic drugs market in 2016. This is attributed to favorable regulatory policies that are revised and amended to encourage generic drugs business in the region. For instance, Generic Drug User Fee Amendment (GDFUA) was reauthorized in 2017 after its initiation in 2012 by FDA for increasing consumer access to high quality, safe, and affordable drugs. On the other hand, Asia Pacific is expected to show a significant traction in the market over the forecast period. This is attributed to lower manufacturing costs and high skilled workforce in the Asian countries. According to India Brand Equity Foundation, India has the second largest number of U.S. FDA manufacturing plants outside the U.S. that are involved in generic drugs manufacturing. Additionally, the cost of manufacturing is 33% lower in India than that in the U.S., increasing accessibility to generics in these countries.Ask for detailed Sample of the Research Report:New drug launches and market approvals from the U.S. FDA to generic manufacturers are bolstering growth of the generic drugs market. For instance, in December 2017, Zydus Phamaceuticals a subsidiary of Cadila Healthcare received U.S. FDA approval to market Pramipexole Dihydrochloride extended-release tablets for the treatment of Parkinson s disease in the U.S. market. Key players operating in the global generic drugs market are Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Mylan N.V., Novartis International AG, Pfizer, Inc., Allergan Plc, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Fresenius Kabi, Sanofi, Endo International, Lupin Ltd., Abbott Healthcare, AstraZeneca Plc, and Novo Nordisk.Generic drugs refers to medication that have the same active ingredient as that of a branded drugs. These drugs also yield the same therapeutic effect and are prescribed in the same dosing, with the same quality, and same the way of consumption and usage. However, the inactive ingredients of generic drugs can differ as compared to their branded counter parts. These drugs are mainly marketed after a patent expiry of a branded drug and are significantly lower in costs as compared to the patented branded drugs. Generic drugs are of equivalent quality as compared to the branded drugs and are manufactured under the same safety and manufacturing procedures. Various manufacturers submit an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) to the FDA after the completion of period of patent exclusivity.Manufacturers of generic drugs are focusing on development and introduction of various innovative medication and formulation such as biosimilars. According to IMS Health data, generic drugs accounted for over 80% of the prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. in 2013. The number of patents expiring in the near future serves to be a major driver for growth of generic drugs market. For instance, Cetuximab (Erbitux) is an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor that is indicated in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer and head and neck cancer. It is manufactured under the patent by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Eli Lily Company in Europe. The drugs patent expires in 2018 and thus, is expected to provide opportunity for a large number of market players to manufacture its generic version. Furthermore, supportive initiative by FDA to promote development of biosimilars is encouraging manufacturers to focus towards its development. For instance, the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act in the U.S. gr ants 12 months patent exclusivity with higher profit margins to the first manufacturer than the conventional generic manufacturers bringing the drugs in market later. Various other factors contributing to growth of generic drugs market include rampant growth in incidence of chronic diseases. However, shortage of active pharmaceutical ingredients leading to unavailability of generics in the market and increasing FDA pressure on manufacturers regarding manufacturing quality of these drugs are hindering the market growthTo get detailed table of content @The global generic drugs market is segmented on the basis of drug type, therapeutic application, route of administration, and region.On the basis of Drug Type, the global generic drugs market is segmented into: Monoclonal Antibodies, Cytokines, Vaccines, Insulin, Peptide Hormones, Immunoglobulin, Peptide Antibiotics, Blood Factors, Others,.On the basis of Therapeutic Application, the global generic drugs market is segmented into: Oncology, Cardiovascular Diseases, Neurology, Infectious Diseases, Musculoskeletal Diseases, Others,.Based on Route of Administration, the global generic drugs market is segmented into: Oral, Topical, Injectable, Intra-venous, Others,.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.1001 4th Ave,, #3200, Seattle, WA 98154 Automotive Drive Shaft Market : Global Analysis, size, sales and Forecast by 2025 https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124562/Automotive-Drive-Shaft-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124562/Automotive-Drive-Shaft-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124562/Automotive-Drive-Shaft-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com Global Automotive Drive Shaft Market : OverviewAutomotive drive shafts are mechanical component assembled from aluminium, steel, and carbon fibre. It curtails the overall burden of the vehicle with more speed and low fuel expenditure, by conducting power from the engine to the wheels. Growing tendency of four wheeler vehicles with increased aspiration for efficient and comfortable drive pose a huge demand for automotive drive shafts market. Automotive Drive Shaft Market is expected to garner a stable valuation from 2016 to 2024.Aluminum drive shafts are also more equitable and produces more revolving speed. Steel drive shafts are very bulky and requires a lot of horsepower to transmit torque and rotate. It makes the overall weight of the vehicle very heavy, requiring more fuel to run.Global Automotive Drive Shafts Market: SegmentationA very appropriate segmentation is proposed for Automotive Drive Shafts Market. By type. This market is been segmented into hotchkiss drive shafts, flexible drive shafts and torque tube drive shafts.Hotchkiss drive shafts are the most favoured form of shafts used for rear axle suspension and are commonly found in heavy commercial vehicles and cars. Various features are of flexible drive shaft are that they have high endurance and allows non stoping rotation in vehicles at accurate high speed. Torque tube drive shaft are found in heavy commercial vehicles with front engine and rear drive. Torque tube drive shaft types are typically bulky and generates greater up sprung weight on the vehicle.The automotive drive shafts can also be judged based on their position which in turn depends on whether the vehicle is Front Wheel Drive (FWD) or Rear Wheel Drive (RWD).Request For Report Sample:Front Wheel Drive vehicles are more fuel adaptive and light weighted making the vehicle aerodynamic, hence the production use is higher. In recent decade, all the passenger cars and light commercial vehicles are FWD and their drive shafts are implanted likewise. This arrangement also protects the vehicles in case of accidents.Global Automotive Drive Shafts Market: Drivers and RestraintsOur research report also deliberates the demand inducing and demand constrainingaspects. The main drivers have been identified to be the rise in production of vehicles and consideration of drive shafts whose restoration is supported by an efficient after sales services sector. APAC is the largest producer of automotive and is likely to maintain its control over forecast period. In late years the APAC region has endorsedconspicuousachievement in terms of its GDP and development of its automobile and automotive parts industry. India, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand, among other countries in APAC have high growth potential. Use of electric vehicles however, is awaited to curtail the obligtion for drive shafts since they run on battery which are charged by electric power. This hinders the growth of this market.Global Automotive Drive Shafts Market: Research TechniqueOur researchcontributes the future anticipated market growth of automotive drive shafts till 2024 along with a current market statistics. The report also provides comprehensivereasoning of the automotive drive shafts market across various vehicle types, shaft types and position types. Various economic factors predicted to influence the demand and supply of automotive drive shafts across the globe are also displayed in this report. In addition, the report also sheds light on the detailed industry structures, market share of the leading manufacturers and future predictive demand and supply in terms of revenue in order to provide a detailed analysis of the market. Classification on basis of geography of global automotive drive shafts market has been further classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America.Request For Report Discount:Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:Some of the key players operating in the automotive drive shafts market across the globe are Machine service, GKN PLC. (U.K.), American Axle Manufacturing Inc. (U.S.), Dana Incorporated (U.S), XuchangYuangdong (U.S.), Neapco Holdings, LLC. (U.S.) and The Timken Company (U.S.), among others.The global automotive drive shafts market has been segmented as follows:Global Automotive Drive Shafts Market (By Vehicle Type)Passenger CarsHeavy Commercial VehiclesLight Commercial VehiclesGlobal Automotive Drive Shafts Market (By Shaft Type)Hotchkiss Drive ShaftFlexible Drive ShaftTorque Tube Drive ShaftGlobal Automotive Drive Shafts Market (By Position Type)Front Wheel Drive ShaftRear Wheel Drive ShaftReport Analysis:Global Automotive Drive Shafts Market (By Geography)North America - The U.S.,Canada, Mexico; Europe - U.K., Germany, Italy, France, RoE (Rest of Europe); Asia Pacific India, Japan, China, RAPAC (Rest of Asia Pacific); Middle East and Africa (MEA) - U.A.E, South Africa, RMEA (Rest of Middle East and Africa); Latin America (LATAM) Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America (RLATAM).About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:101 Maimuna ApartmentKoliwada Vasai West,Mumbai-401201Phone: (+91) 787-575-8555Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comWebsite: Commercial Roofing Materials Market: Global Analysis, size, sales and Forecast by 2024 https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124563/Commercial-Roofing-Materials-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124563/Commercial-Roofing-Materials-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124563/Commercial-Roofing-Materials-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com Global Commercial Roofing Materials Market: OverviewOur Investigation of the commercial roofing materials market on a global and regional level provides historic data of 2015 along with the forecast for the period from 2016 and 2024 based on revenue (US$ Mn) and Volume (Kilo Tons).The study provides a precise observation of the commercial roofing materials market by segmenting it based on building type and materials type. On the basis of building type, the commercial roofing materials market has been further segmented into low sloped roofing and steep sloped roofing. The commercial roofing materials market has been segregated on the basis of materials type into single ply products, modified bitumen materials, spray polyurethane foam, built-up roofing, metals and others types of commercial roofing materials. Single ply roofing has been further divided into ethylene propylene diene monomer, thermoplastic polyolefin and polyvinyl chloride.Segmentation of region is concluded by basis of individual product and applications to be carried in those regions. We provide current and forecast demand for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle east, Africa and Latin America finally. Further study includes strategies and recent initiatives taken by various competitive key manufacturers in account with commercial roofing materials.Request For Report Sample:Global Commercial Roofing Materials Market: Scope of the StudyA far-reaching study of the market dynamics that is inclusive of market drivers, restraints and opportunities on global as well as regional level is bought by us in report preview. Because of this we get a clear to idea of what are ongoing trends of this market. Research provides forecast of the global market from 2016 to 2024.The report provides the size of the commercial roofing materials market in 2015 and the forecast for the next nine years up to 2024. In terms of both, volume and revenue the size of global commercial roofing materials is provided. The Units in which they are defined are in US$ Mn and Kilo Tons respectively. Market size and forecast for each product and application segment are given in the context of international and regional markets. Figures and facts provided in this report are derived based on demand generated from various applications and types products. Market dynamics prevalent in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific have been taken into consideration for estimating the growth of the global market.Request For Report Discount:Global Commercial Roofing Materials Market (By Building Type)Low Sloped Roofing, Steep Sloped RoofingGlobal Commercial Roofing Materials Market (By Materials Type)Single-Ply Products,Modified Bitumen Materials,Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF),Built-Up Roofing (BUR),Metals,OthersGlobal Commercial Roofing Materials Market (By Geography)North America,U.S.,Canada,Mexico,Europe,U.K.,Germany,Italy,Rest of Europe,AsiaPacific,China,India,Japan,Rest of Asia Pacific,Middle East and Africa,UAE,SouthAfrica,Rest of Middle East and Africa,LatinAmerica,Brazil,Rest of Latin America.Global Commercial Roofing Materials Market: Research TechniquesOur report is characterized by many factors mainly the price for commonly utilized quality of commercial roofing materials in each application and function has been considered.Demand for commercial roofing materials has been derived by analyzing the global and regional requirement for commercial roofing materials in each application for its respective functions. Basically the average selling price of commercial roofing materials products in major nations is considered.We have used the bottom-up approach to estimate the global revenue of commercial roofing materials market, divided geographically.Based on building type and materials type, we have summed up the individual revenues from all the regions to achieve the global revenue for commercial roofing materials. The application split of the market has been assumed using a bottom-up approach for each regional market separately, with the global application segment split being an integration of regional estimates. Companies were considered for the market share analysis based on their product portfolio, revenue, and manufacturing capacity. In the absence of specific data related to the sales of commercial roofing materials of several privately held companies, calculated assumptions have been made in view of the companys product portfolio and regional presence along with the demand for products in its portfolio.Report Analysis:Our report covers a detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and company profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report are GAF, CertainTeed Corporation, TAMKO Building Products, Inc., Firestone Building Products Company, Owens Corning Corporation, Johns Manville Corporation, and IKO Industries Ltd. among others.About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:101 Maimuna ApartmentKoliwada Vasai West,Mumbai-401201Phone: (+91) 787-575-8555Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comWebsite: Hyper Spectral Imaging System Market: Global Analysis, size, sales and Forecast by 2024 https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124564/Hyper-Spectral-Imaging-System-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124564/Hyper-Spectral-Imaging-System-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124564/Hyper-Spectral-Imaging-System-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com Global Hyper Spectral Imaging System Market: SnapshotThe goal of hyperspectral imaging is to obtain the spectrum for each pixel in the image of a scene, with the purpose of finding objects, identifying materials, or detecting processes. Detection and analysis of various life threatening diseases is done by Hyper Spectral Imaging system. Without emergence of X-ray and drilling the gadget can be used for dentistry for knowing and further curing oral medical complicacies. This do not include any kind of pain or harrasement.Hyper spectral imaging system (HSI) have effective applications in various industries. Collection and processing of data is done by electromagnetic spectrum in it.The hyper spectral imaging system assists getting spectrum for every pixel in a particular image or arrarys of images. Further application of hyper spectral imaging system is used to detect SWIR (shortwave infrared) spectrum region for bringing in depth information about the configuration of a medicine which not easy job to get using normal or standard imaging processes. Due to this there is ever demanding need of hyper spectral imaging system in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry.Request For Report Sample:Market Dynamics of our research is included by market drivers, restraints and opportunities . Current trends in geographical market is analysed by market dynamics which are noticeable factors which consequence the growth of the market. Research provides forecast of market from period of 2016-2024.Global Hyper Spectral Imaging System Market: Overall TendenciesIn developed nations this market is driven by high implementation of hyper spectral imaging system in surface vision and non-destructive testing. This system is applicable in field like agriculture, food processing, mineralogy and surveillance. Cost of acquiring these devices is only factor hindering the usage of hyper spectral imaging system. Steps are taken accordingly with technological advancements and by reducing price of hyper spectral imaging systems which will further boost its demand in sectors like agriculture and food processing among others.Global Hyper Spectral Imaging System Market: SegmentationHyper Spectral Imaging System Market (BySystems)PC Based, Outdoor Camera, Airborne, OthersHyper Spectral Imaging System Market (By End Use Industry)Military Surveillance and Homeland Security, Industrial, Medical Diagnostic, Food Processing, Mineralogy, Astronomy, Others.Request For Report Discount:Hyper Spectral Imaging System Market (By Region)North America - U.S, Canada, MexicoEurope - United Kingdom, Germany, The Netherland, Rest of EuropeAsia Pacific China, India, Japan, Oceania, Rest of Asia PacificMiddle East and Africa UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and OthersLatin America Brazil, Argentina and OthersGlobal Hyper Spectral Imaging Systems Market: Key EssentialsSystem wise hyper spectral imaging systems are categorized into PC Base, outdoor camera,airborne and others. By End use industry hyper spectral imaging has been segmented into military surveillance, homeland security, industrial, medical diagnostics, food processing, mineralogy, astronomy and others. Geographically the market is widely divided into North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa and Latin America. The market for hyper spectral imaging systems has been provided in (USD Billion) in terms of revenue as well as the CAGR till 2024.Global Hyper Spectral Imaging Systems Market: Competitive ScenaryOur report extensively covers competitive profiling of key competitors of hyper spectral imaging market globally along with different business strategies endorsed by them respectively. In order to provide a detailed insight into the market dynamics of global hyper spectral imaging system market, the drivers and restraints affecting the industry are included in the study.Furthermore, market attractiveness analysis has also been provided in the report.Report Analysis:Some of the key Companies in the hyper spectral imaging (HSI) systems market are NorskElektroOptikk (Norway), Corning Incorporated (The U.S.) ,Applied Spectral Imaging, Inc. (The U.S.), Specim Spectral Imaging Ltd. (Finland), Resonon Inc. (The U.S.), Telops Inc. (Canada), Surface Optics Corporation (The U.S.), Chemimage Corporation (The U.S.), BaySpec Inc. (The U.S.), Headwall Photonics, Inc. (The U.S.), FLIR Systems (The U.S.), Teledyne Technologies International Corp (The U.S) and Thermo Fisher Scientific (The U.S.) among others respectively.About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:101 Maimuna ApartmentKoliwada Vasai West,Mumbai-401201Phone: (+91) 787-575-8555Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comWebsite: But at the end of those years, in the fall of 1876, Dawson closed that office. Shortly after seeing his last patient in New Castle he started his westward travels for reasons not explained in his biography. On his way to California, Dawson briefly sojourned in Colorado. But soon thereafter he resumed his trip to his ultimate destination, Napa County. It was on his 31st birthday, January 12, 1877, the unmarried Dr. Dawson became an official member of the Upvalley medical community. On that day he opened his private medical office in his new St. Helena home. Both his home and office were located on Oak Street next to the Catholic Church. The final subject of this examination of St. Helenas early medical community is Isaac Tabor. Born in Rhode Island in 1817, he was much older than the previously mentioned local doctors. But, even though Tabor was 64 years old in 1881, he was still confidently and competently practicing medicine. Military Radar Market: Global Analysis, size, sales and Forecast by 2024 https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124565/Military-Radar-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/120124565/Military-Radar-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124565/Military-Radar-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com Global Military Radar Market: SynopsisRadio detection and ranging (RADAR) systems help detect the range, direction, altitude, and speed of an object. Radar system aims to conflict any threat or attack and deter any damages to human and property. For instance, they help solve navigational problems and track devices. Radars help resolve the distance and speed of objects with great precision and accuracy. Other applications of this system is in for several purposes such as search operations, fire control, and bombing or shelling.These radars help operate artillery ammunition. Bombing radars are used to determine the terrain to deploy attacks on a target. Besides these military operations, military radars are employed during national calamities such as an earthquake, tsunami, and floods. Several research and development activities are being conducted to improve efficiency and reduce the size of radars. Lightness in weight, efficiency, and multi-functionality of radars are driving the market globally. Thus, applications of military radars are expected to expand in the near future.Request For Report Sample:Global Military Radar Market: Report DetailsOur market study analyzes the military radar market on international basis and provides estimates in terms of revenue (USD million) of forecast period 2015 to 2024. Market dynamics have been described affecting the industry and analyzes their impact through this forecast period. Moreover, it highlights the significant opportunities for market growth in the next eight years.For better understanding of the military radar market, the study comprises market attractiveness analysis, where radar types are benchmarked based on their market scope, growth rate and market attractiveness. Radars are being increasingly used in the defense industry. This is one of major factor for growth of global military radar market. Ability to detect missiles, planes, or ships with high accuracy is one of the prominent factors driving the global military radar market.Global Military Radar Market: SegmentationGlobal Military Radar Market (By Type)Ground based, Naval, Air borne, Space based.Global Military Radar Market: (By Geography)Request For Report Discount:North America, U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, U.K, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Rest of Europe, Asia Pacific, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, Middle East and Africa (MEA), Israel, South Africa, Latin America, Brazil.The report provides a cross-sectional analysis of by type segment with respect to the above mentioned regions.Global Military Radar Market: Competitive Landscape AnalysisThe report also provides company market share analysis of the various industry participants. Procurement is the main strategy being widely followed by leading market players. In case of an acquisition, the acquirer takes advantage of existing alliance. As a result, both companies are expected to emerge more beneficial and stronger than before.Report Analysis:Key players in the global military radar market have been profiled and their company overview, financial overview, business strategies and recent developments have been covered in the report. Major market participants profiled in this report include: Lockheed Martin Corporation, The Boeing Company, Raytheon Company, BAE System PLC, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Harris Corporation, Saab Sensis Corporation, Terma A/S, ASELSAN A.S., DRS Technologies Inc.About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:101 Maimuna ApartmentKoliwada Vasai West,Mumbai-401201Phone: (+91) 787-575-8555Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comWebsite: Rugged Electronics Market: Global Analysis, size, sales and Forecast by 2025 https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124566/Rugged-Electronics-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124566/Rugged-Electronics-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124566/Rugged-Electronics-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com Global Rugged Electronics Market: ParticularsRugged Electonic devices are specially designed to operate reliably in harsh usage environments and conditions, such as strong vibrations, extreme temperatures and wet or dusty conditions which makes them get used for military and defence field particularly. Also they are used in remote areas and in situations where vibrations and extreme climatic conditions are present. Market for rugged electronics is forseen to experience a consequential hike in the near future globally.Our research analysis report is for rugged electronics is mainly divided into product type, end user, and finally region. If product type is to be considered, the market is segmented as rugged tracking devices, rugged hardware components, rugged industrial computing and hand-held devices, and others such as rugged sensors, security cameras, and rugged drones. Based on the end user criteria, the market is segmented into transportation, healthcare, power, mining and metal, aerospace, adventure sports, TSA, homeland security, defense, and others. Based on geography, the global rugged electronics market is segregated into to Asia Pacific, North America, Middle East and Africa, Europe, and South America.Request For Report Sample:Report copy features overview factors of rugged electronics market including drivers, opportunities, restraints, prime segments, competitive scenario, revenue fluctuations, and many more. All details are covered under extensive and in depth research and examination of all associated market aspects with primary as well as secondary research.. Value estimates have been presented in US$ with forecast period of 2017-2025.Global Rugged Electronics Market: Outstanding Drivers and TrendsDue to its working nature in harsh environments rugged electronics are primarily becoming centre of use in military sector.They assist in having a faithful communication systems in warfare and other combat operations even in critical situation. Another factor purposefully responsible for the hike of rugged electronics is development and innovative steps taken so far in power industry. Hence market players are keen on investing on them which will lead to improve its market position.Global Rugged Electronics Market : SegmentationGlobal Rugged Electronics Market (By Product Type)Rugged Industrial Computing and Hand held Devices, Rugged Tracking Devices, Rugged Hardware Components, Others (Security Cameras, Rugged Drones and Rugged Sensors)Request For Report Discount:Global Rugged Electronics Market (By End User)Mining and Metal, Exploration, Extraction, Power, Generation, Transmission, Distribution, Chemical, Transportation, Public, Private, Healthcare, Defense, Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, Other Govt. Sectors, NASA, Homeland Security, TSA, Aerospace, Adventure Sports, Others(Agriculture Construction, Field Services Forestry and Public Safety)Global Rugged Electronics Market (By Region)North America, U.S., Canada, Rest of North America; Europe, U.K., Germany, FranceRest of Europe; Asia Pacific,India,China, Japan; Australia,Middle East & Africa,UAE,Saudi Arabia,South Africa,Rest of Middle East & Africa,South America,Brazil,Argentina,Rest of South America.Global Rugged Electronics Market: Regional FocusThis market covers the geographical regions such as North America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, South America, and Europe. Among them North America is torch bearer in moving towards top in lineup. After North America, expectations are from Asia pacific regions and Europe to be successful markets respectively.Report Analysis:Global Rugged Electronics Market: Competitive LandscapeThe key market players are listed down on the basis of their market share in the overall global market. Some of the most prominent companies in the market are: Artesyn Embedded Technologies, Chassis Plans LLC, Core Systems, General Dynamics Corporation, and Trenton Systems Inc., amongst others. From an overall perspective, the global rugged electronics market is likely to offer substantial growth opportunities to key players,mainly because of expanding applications of these devices.About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:101 Maimuna ApartmentKoliwada Vasai West,Mumbai-401201Phone: (+91) 787-575-8555Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comWebsite: Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Market: Global Analysis, size, sales and Forecast by 2025 https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124568/Supervisory-Control-and-Data-Acquisition-(SCADA)-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124568/Supervisory-Control-and-Data-Acquisition-(SCADA)-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124568/Supervisory-Control-and-Data-Acquisition-(SCADA)-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com Global Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Market: SnaphotSCADA systems are crucial for industrial organizations since they help to maintain efficiency, process data for smarter decisions, and communicate system issues to help mitigate downtime.Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is a system of software and hardware elements that allows industrial organizations for many purposes.They control industrial processes locally or at remote locations. Secondly they monitor, gather, and process real-time data. Further they directly interact with devices such as sensors, valves, pumps, motors, and more through human-machine interface (HMI) software.Companies are looking forward for more investments for infrastructure development in emerging market which emphasis global SCADA market.In countries like India and China, SCADA system is applied for smart grid techniques since they diminish power transmission and distribution losses. The existing supply and demand gap in the oil and gas sector has increased the need for efficient search and extraction of oil and gas.Request For Report Sample:Another proven factor is in certain influential markets, process automation amongst industry verticals like water and wastewater management and chemicals have also been a bg driving factor of this SCADA market. Our research includes all necessary aspects of global SCADA market with the forecast period from 2016 to 2024.Global Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Market: SegmentationBased on components, the market has been segmented into human machine interface (HMI), programmable logic controller (PLC), SCADA communication systems, remote terminal unit (RTU) among others. By Architecture, the market has been segmented into hardware, software and services.The global supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) market, by end use industry, is segmented into electrical power, water & wastewater, oil & gas, manufacturing, transportation, telecommunication, chemicals, food & beverages, pharmaceuticals and others.By geography, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (MEA) and South America. The market for supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) has been provided in (USD billion) in terms of revenue as well as the CAGR for the forecast period of 2016 to 2024.Request For Report Discount:Global Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Market: Competitive AnalysisThe key players mentioned in report of global SCADA market have been cross checked through five broad geographics regions. The competitive landscape is inclusive of the various business strategies adopted by them and their recent developments in field of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA).The report also provides judgement of different drivers that is jolting the global market, along with the restraints and opportunities that has also been covered under the scope of this report. For each segment (such as components, architecture and end use industry), market dynamics analysis has been provided. All these factors help in determining different trends that has been impacting the overall market growth. Moreover, after taking into consideration all this factors, an extensive analysis of the region wise growth parameters of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) market along with the overall assessment for the forecast period of 2016 - 2024 has been also been provided within this report. Furthermore, the report includes the porters five forces and value chain analysis.Report Analysis:Some of the leading players in the market are ABB Ltd (Switzerland), Honeywell International, Inc. (The U.S.), Emersion Electric Co.(The U.S.), Rockwell Automation, Inc.(The U.S.), Siemens AG (Germany), Omron Corporation (Japan), General Electric (The U.S.), Yokogawa Electric Corporation (Japan), Schneider Electric SE (France) and Afcon Holdings Group (Israel) among others.About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:101 Maimuna ApartmentKoliwada Vasai West,Mumbai-401201Phone: (+91) 787-575-8555Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comWebsite: Industrial Gloves Market : Global Analysis, size, sales and Forecast by 2024 https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124569/Industrial-Gloves-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124569/Industrial-Gloves-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124569/Industrial-Gloves-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com Global Industrial Gloves Market : SynopsisThe rising use of green and recyclable material for making industrial safety globes is an important movement gaining momentous suction in the market since they guarantee worker wellbeing and clean conditions in the work environment. They also give insurance against icy, heat, harm by erosion, scraped area, chemicals and maladies. Manufacturers are more emphasizing on green manufacturing processes, technologies and sustainability. This reduces overall cost of production and consumption of non-productive electricity. Vendors are also concentrating on using raw materials that curtail carbon footprint and have started using materials that are recyclable in nature, which will boost this markets growth over the assessment period.Consumer awareness for well-being and hygiene and workplace accidents are the major factors fuelling the demand for industrial gloves across the globe. These kind of re-usable gloves are found in fields such as construction, manufacturing, and oil and gas among others. Many end-use industries and factories are making it compulsory to adopt protective gloves for inhibit number of hazardous accidents taking place in the workplace.Request For Report Sample:Regulations set by the Occupation Safety and Health Organization (OSHA) is also stressing the use of industrial gloves. Moreover demand for protective gloves is governed by legislations making them manditory. Another factor promoting the global industrial gloves market is Product revolution. Global industrial gloves market includes a sort of small and major players such as 3M, Honeywell, Ansell, DuPont, MSA, and Uvex. To create more new products out of industrial gloves these companies are more focused in broad R&D. In 2013, 3M launched comfort grip gloves for general and winter use, as well as cut-resistent gloves and working gloves. These products are being designed considering the work of contracters and electricians. Additional concept offered by 3M is of concept grip which provides superior protection from cuts and pinctures and other dangerous situations.The global industrial gloves market has been segmented into:Global Industrial Gloves Market (By Product Type)Disposable Gloves, Re-Usable GlovesGlobal Industrial Gloves Market (By Application Type)Pharmaceuticals, Food, Healthcare, Chemicals, Manufacturing, OthersGlobal Industrial Gloves Market (By Material Type)Rubber, Nitrile, Vinyl, Neoprene, Polyethylene, OthersRequest For Report Discount:Global Industrial Gloves Market (By Geography)North America,U.S.,Rest of North America,Europe,Germany,U.K,France,Italy,Rest of Europe,Asia Pacific,India,China,Japan,Rest of APAC,Middle East and Africa,UAE,Saudi Arabia,South Africa,Kenya,Rest of Middle East & Africa,Latin America,Brazil,Rest of Latin America.Global Industrial Gloves Market :Report PurviewResearch study provides competitive profiling of global industrial gloves market across four broad geographic regions. As discussed above with example, various business strategies embraced by the top dominating players and their recent developments as in the field of industrial gloves is present in the report. In order to give a deep insight of global industrial gloves market, the market attractive analysis of the major application areas has been provided too.A full extensive analysis of the market dynamics which covers market drivers, restraints and oppurtunities is included in the purview of the report. Market dynamics are the idiosyncratic factors which affect market growth, thereby helping to understand the ongoing tends of the global market. Therefore the report provides the forecast of the global market for the period from 2016 to 2024, along with offering an inclusive study of the industrial gloves market.Report Analysis:Some of the key competitors in the global Industrial gloves market are 3M Corporation, Honeywell Safety Products, Ansell Ltd., Protective Industrial Products Inc., Semperit A.G. Holding, Semperit A.G. Holding, Towa Corporation, E.I. DuPont De Nemours and Company, MSA Safety, Showa Group, HartalegaSdn. Bhd.About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:101 Maimuna ApartmentKoliwada Vasai West,Mumbai-401201Phone: (+91) 787-575-8555Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comWebsite: Industrial Protective Footwear Market :Global Analysis, size, sales and Forecast by 2020 https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124570/Industrial-Protective-Footwear-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/120124570/Industrial-Protective-Footwear-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124570/Industrial-Protective-Footwear-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com Industrial Protective Footwear Market :Forecast (2014-2020)Industrial Protective Footwear which is also known as safety boot or shoe is vigilantmaterial that helps to protect foot from falling objects, direct compression menace. For example Heavy building materials and construction equipment could pose serious injury to the body, including feet. Hence it is mainly approved by different construction industries. These shoes are mainly covered with steel or other hand shell protection which works as a shield for feet and ankles.Protective shoes comes in many categories such as steal toe, plain toe, gumboots, antiskid safety shoe, chemical industrial safety shoe, heat resistant safety shoe, leather shoe, PVC safety shoe, rubber safety shoe, etc. The report provides a thorough overview of the growth curvedisplayed by the industrial protective footwear market in a global scenario. It includes an in-depth and constant analysis of the factors influencing the demand and supply trends in the market.Request For Report Sample:Overview of Industrial Protective Footwear MarketIn 2013, Global Industrial protective footwear market was valued US$6.3 bn.Further this market is determine to collect US$9.4 bn by the end of 2020 and show a lift of 6.0% CAGR. Global Industrial protective footwear market underpasses safety footwear designed to raise workplace safety in industries. Industries where protective footwear is primarily active is in chemical, construction, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, transportation, food, mining, and manufacturing.A unique system in Industrial protective boots is maintained that they usually have a safety symbol printed on them. This initiative arebought by government regulatory bodies and they reveal the protection& safety level of the footwear. Additionally, these boots are produced in conformity with standards for safety shoes across various countries. For instance, in the U.S., industrial footwear production is carried out in consonance with the standards laid down by the American National Standard for Personal Protection-Protective Footwear (ANSI).Major reason in increase in the number of worker accidents has arrived as the key reason behind widespread approval of industrial protective footwear. Presently, the market witnesses increasing demand from North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. Among these regions, Europe is at top in global market for industrial protective footwear in 2013. After Europe, North America emerged as the second largest market for industrial protective footwear the same year. The growth of the market in Europe is due to the presence of a large number of safety shoe manufacturers in countries such as the U.K, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain respectively.Request For Report Discount:Industrial Protective Footwear Market :Segmentation.Industrial Protective Footwear Market (By Geography)North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Rest of the World.Industrial Protective Footwear Market (By Type)Leather footwear , Waterproof footwear, Rubber footwear, Plastic footwearIndustrial Protective Footwear Market (By application)Construction, Manufacturing , Mining , Oil and Gas , Chemicals , Food , Pharmaceuticals, Transportation.Request Analysis:Active Key Players :To provide a holistic overview of the prevailing competitive landscape of the global industrial protective footwear market, the report also profiles companies such as Rahman Group, Jal Group, Oftenrich Holdings Co. Ltd. (Golden Chang), Saina Corporation Co. Ltd., Honeywell Safety Products, ELTEN GmbH, UVEX Safety Group, COFRA Holding AG, VF Corporation, and Rock Fall Ltd.About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:101 Maimuna ApartmentKoliwada Vasai West,Mumbai-401201Phone: (+91) 787-575-8555Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comWebsite: Optoelectronic Components Market: Global Analysis, size, sales and Forecast by 2023 https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124571/Optoelectronic-Components-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/120124571/Optoelectronic-Components-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124571/Optoelectronic-Components-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com Optoelectronic Components Market: Detailed ReasoningConsumer electronics is one of the biggestgrowing industries in the world today, and also a leading end user of optoelectronic components. The growing use of image sensors, laser diodes, and most importantly LED drivers and ICs is expected to boost the revenues and manufacturing rates of optoelectronic components. Optoelectronic components have the wherewithal to source, identify, distinguish, and control light. The interaction of these components with light makes them optimal to be used in a wide range of applications. These components are primarily used in field of automatic control systems, aerospace and defense, telecommunications, and healthcare among others.Growing application crosswise different industry verticals primarily owing to its low power utilization, accuracy, scalability, and performance is inflaming the demand of optoelectronic components globally. Rising usage of LED Driver and IC, OLED, image sensor, infrared componentsoverall in telecommunication, medical devices and security systems is expected to fuel the growth of optoelectronic components market over the forecast period. Comparatively high price of raw materials, requirement of huge capital investments for developing energy efficient LED displays and niche nature of application of some of the optoelectronic components are major curbing factors for the market. These factors are expected to hinder growth of optoelectronic components market during the forecast period.Request For Report Sample:Accessibility in terms of application of infrared components in consumer electronics and automotive industry is one of the torch bearer factors fueling the growth in adaptation of optoelectronic components across different countries. Growing demand of infrared LEDs in consumer security cameras is one of the major driving factors contributing to the positive growth of this market globally. Each of these cameras contains a number of rings of infrared LEDs, which offer night vision effectiveness. Infrared LEDs are used in handheld devices for identity verification and attestation of monetary transactions. Furthermore, procreation of applications in telecommunication and industrial set ups spurs demand for optoelectronic components at the global level.Optoelectronic Components Market :SegmentationGlobal Optoelectronic Components Market (By Components)LED Driver and IC - General LED,HV LED,OLED,Image Sensor,CMOS Image Sensor, CCD Image Sensor & Others; Infrared Component - Infrared Emitting Diode,Irda Transceiver,Infrared Detector,Optocouplers,4 Pin Optocoupler,6 Pin Optocoupler,High Speed Optocoupler,IGBT Gate Driver, Isolation Amplifier &Others.Laser Diode - Near Infrared,Red Laser Diode,Blue Laser Diode, Green Laser Diode &Others.Request For Report Discount:Global Optoelectronic Components Market (By Geography)North America,U.S.,Rest of the North America,Europe,U.K.,Germany,Italy,France,Rest of Europe,Asia Pacific,China,Japan,India,South Korea,Rest of Asia Pacific,Rest of the World (RoW),Latin America,Middle East and Africa.If Segmentation is considered then, by components, the market can be divided into LED Driver and IC (General LED, HV LED), OLED, Image Sensor (CMOS Image Sensor, CCD Image Sensor, Others), Infrared Component (Infrared Emitting Diode, Irda Transceiver, Infrared Detector), Optocouplers(High Speed Optocoupler, 4 Pin Optocoupler, IGBT Gate Driver, 6 Pin Optocoupler, Isolation Amplifier, Others), Laser Diode (Near Infrared, Red Laser Diode, Blue Laser Diode, Green Laser Diode) and others. Regionally, the optoelectronic components market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). The scope of the report offers an insight into optoelectronic components market in these regions based on revenue (USD billion).Our research report also includes cutthroat profiling of leading companies in the industry and their market position to compensate in critical decision making. The market attractiveness analysis and patent analysis included in the report provide insight into market dynamics, future research scope, industry competition and strategies adopted by market leaders.The report also gaps down and reviews the various factors impacting the market growth, which can be appropriately described as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. These factors help to determine the various existing trends and their impact on the market growth. Overall, taking into consideration the various factors affecting the optoelectronic components market, the report includes a holistic analysis of the global optoelectronic components market, and provides an estimate of growth for the period 2015 to 2023.Report Analysis:Some of the major companies operating in the optoelectronic components market are Nichia Corporation (Japan), Avago Technologies (U.S.),Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.(U.S.), Cree, Inc. (U.S.), EPISTAR Corporation (Taiwan), OSRAM (Germany), Royal Philips Electronics (Netherlands), Renesas Electronics Corporation (Japan), Toshiba Corporation (Japan), ROHM Semiconductor (Japan), Finisar Corporation (U.S.), Sharp Corporation (Japan), NXP Semiconductors N.V. (Netherlands), STMicroelectronics N.V. (Switzerland), Infineon Technologies AG(Germany), Diodes, Incorporated (U.S.), Sony Corporation (Japan), Maxim Integrated Products Inc. (U.S.), Fairchild Semiconductor (U.S.), Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd (South Korea), Panasonic Corporation (Japan), Maxwell Technologies, Inc (U.S.) and Texas Instruments, Inc. (U.S.).About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:101 Maimuna ApartmentKoliwada Vasai West,Mumbai-401201Phone: (+91) 787-575-8555Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comWebsite: Polyglycolic Acid Market : Global Analysis, size, sales and Forecast by 2023 https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/sample/120124572/Polyglycolic-Acid-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/discount/120124572/Polyglycolic-Acid-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com/report/upcomming/120124572/Polyglycolic-Acid-Market https://www.researchreportinsights.com Our report gives analysis and forecasts ofpolyglycolic acid market on the international and regional level. The study provides historic data of 2014 along with forecast between 2015 and 2023 based on volume and revenue. The market in North America and Europe has been forecast in terms of volume (tons) and revenue (US$ Mn). Glycolic acid or hydroxyacetic acid is prepared from the reaction between Chloroacetic acid and sodium hydroxide. Polyglycolic acid or PGA also known as polyglycolide is a polymer composed by polycondensation of glycolic acid. They are mainly used in cosmetic formulations, household and industrial cleaning products and in medical sutures.The study provides a critical view of the polyglycolic acid market by segmenting it based on applications and regional demand. Application segments have been analyzed based on current trends and future potential. Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. These have been further sub-segmented into countries and areas by applicability to the market. The segmentation also includes demand for individual applications in all regions.Further the report includes probable opportunities in the polyglycolic acid market on the global and regional level.Report For Report Sample:Our research have included a detailed value chain analysis to provide aexhaustive view of the polyglycolic acid market. Analysis of Porters Five Forces Model has also been included to help understand the competitive scenery in the market. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein applications have been benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness for future growth.Predilection to adapt to new technologies has been accounted for while estimating demand for polyglycolic acid in individual regions.Prices considered for calculation of revenue are average regional prices obtained through primary quotes from regional suppliers, distributors, and direct selling regional producers based on manufacturer feedback and application requirement.A reactionaryaccess has been adopted in this study to estimate demand for PGA in light of the information available pertaining to Kureha Corporation's scale of operations. Companies were considered for the market share analysis based on their product portfolio, revenue, and manufacturing capacity. The polyglycolic acid market for medical applications is unorganized; few companies manufacture PGA in limited quantities.Our report covers a detailed competitive perspective that includes market share and company profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Kureha PGA, LLC, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Huizhou Foryou Medical Devices Co., Ltd., and Teleflex, Inc. Company profiles include aspects such as company overview, brand overview, financial overview (in terms of financial year), business strategies, and recent/key developments.Report Report Discount:Polyglycolic Acid Market (Segmentation)Polyglycolic Acid Market (By Application)Medical, Packaging, Shale Gas Extraction, Others (Including Agriculture, Civil Engineering Resins, and Filters)Polyglycolic Acid Market (By Geography)North America, U.S., Rest of North America, Europe, Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain,Rest of Europe,Asia Pacific,China,Japan,ASEAN,Rest of APAC,Latin America,Brazil,Rest of LATAM,Middle East & Africa,GCC,South Africa,Rest of MEA.Report Analysis:About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:101 Maimuna ApartmentKoliwada Vasai West,Mumbai-401201Phone: (+91) 787-575-8555Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comWebsite: New Innovations on IT Spending Market by 2021 - Competition, Status, Emerging Trends, Growth Factors, Value Chain and Key Players https://www.itintelligencemarkets.com/request_sample.php?id=1511 https://www.itintelligencemarkets.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=1511 https://www.itintelligencemarkets.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=1511 IT can be defined as an integrated platform, consisting of hardware, software, and services. IT enables the smooth flow of information in an organization by managing IT-related services, software, and solutions and by integrating and streamlining them within the firm. IT is required to develop a secure cyber environment, maintain a uniform flow of information, and increase the revenue generation of an organization over an extended period. It also helps organizations to align their business processes with various technologies and improve overall efficiency.This report gives an in-depth research about the overall state of Global IT Spending market and projects an overview of its growth market. It also gives the crucial elements of the market and across major global regions in detail. Number on primary and secondary research has been carried out in order to collect required data for completing this particular report. Sever industry based analytical techniques has been narrowed down for a better understanding of this market.Get Sample copy of this Report @:Companies Profiled in this report includes, apple, Dell, HP, Samsung Electronics, Accenture, Alphabet, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, SAPThe report covers all the major trends and technologies playing a major role in the market growth over the forecast period. The competition in the global market for Global IT Spending will likely heat up in the next couple of years on the back of entry of a substantial number of solution providers. This statistical surveying report presents an all-inclusive assessment of the worldwide market for Global IT Spending, taking several market verticals, such as the production capacity, product pricing, the dynamics of demand and supply, sales volume, revenue, and the growth rate of this market into consideration.Get 20% Discount on this Report @:The present-day approach of IT Spending market is that the information gathering will ensure a crisp and imaginative method of market analysis to help its customers to soar the improvement of their business. Moreover, the organization's dynamic and noteworthy techniques will secure the newest and freshest updates on organizations and ventures, and besides data and reports of most desired products and services in the market.After studying key companies, the report focuses on the startups contributing towards the growth of the market. Possible mergers and acquisitions among the startups and key organizations are identified by the reports authors in the study. Most companies in the Global IT Spending market are currently engaged in adopting new technologies, strategies, product developments, expansions, and long-term contracts to maintain their dominance in the Global IT Spending market. Moreover, extensive investments are being made in research and development to enable product enhancements and improvements.For More Inquiry @:Furthermore, the report profiles some of the most prominent enterprises in the Global IT Spending market to provide valuable recommendations. The product portfolio of the companies profiled are studied in detail. Besides this, information is obtained from their financial reports and strategies they adopted over the last couple of years.The key opportunity regions in the market and the top trends impacting the development of the Global IT Spending market have been presented through this report. The current growth and development patterns of this market have also been encapsulated in this study. The report also covers the key players and throws light on the strategies being adopted by them for better penetration into the market.Table of ContentsGlobal IT Spending Market Research ReportChapter 1 Global IT Spending 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 AnalysisChapter 12 Global IT Spending Market ForecastAbout IT Intelligence Markets:We at IT Intelligence Markets conduct intensive market research and generate detailed reports about the products and services offered in the IT domain. Our team is devoted to providing custom reports that are taylor-made to suit the customers requirements. We make sure to keep our customers updated with the latest market dynamics as IT industry is undergoing sea change intrinsically & extrinsically by forces such as regulatory fluctuations, rapidly evolving consumer preferences, and newer technologies. Not only do our market research analysts scrutinize market requirements but also track competitors relentlessly for obtaining the most updated scenario of the market.Vijay TannaIt Intelligence MarketsSurvey No-9/4, Flat# 6, Panchshil Park, Ganpati Marg, Nigidi, Pune 411044sales@itintelligencemarkets.comContact No: +91 976-460-7607 Global Educational Robots Market 2018-2022 About Educational RobotsEducational robots are off-the-shelf robots or robotics kits that are programmed or configured by the user. Educational robots are provided with manuals to help the user in designing.Technavios analysts forecast the global educational robots market to grow at a CAGR of 21.16% during the period 2018-2022.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global educational robots market for 2018-2022. To calculate the market size, the report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: Americas APAC EMEATechnavio's report, Global Educational Robots Market 2018-2022, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors fischer group Lego Makeblock Modular Robotics Robotis SoftBank GroupMarket driver Emergence of startups in global educational robots market For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge Potential complications associated with cardiac surgery For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend Emergence of global robot industry players For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2022 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space?You can request one free hour of our analysts time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.Reports And Markets is part of the Algoro Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.Are you mastering your market? Do you know what the market potential is for your product, who the market players are and what the growth forecast is? We offer standard global, regional or country specific market research studies for almost every market you can imagine.The marketing research reports consist of market analysis with statistical and analytical information on the markets, applications, industry analysis, market shares, technology and technology shifts, important players, and the developments in the market.Do you want to know more on a specific company? Our Company Reports collection contains thousands of profiles of major industrial companies. These reports typically contain information like a company overview, business description, company history, major products and services, key facts, SWOT analysis, key employees, subsidiaries, and company locations.On ReportsAndMarkets.com you will find all the globally available market research and company reports from well-respected market research companies, all leaders in their field. Reports And Markets is totally independent and serves its customers by providing the most reliable market research available, as we understand how important this is for you.Office No: 206 Empress Mill SocietyShree Nagar, Nagpur - 440015Maharashtra IndiaPh: +44-020-3286-9338 (UK)+1-214-377-1121 (US)info@reportsandmarkets.com Remarkable Innovations on Cloud Computing Market CAGR of +16% by 2025- Competition, Status, Emerging Trends, Growth Factors, Value Chain and Key Players https://www.researchnreports.com/request_sample.php?id=77154 https://www.researchnreports.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=77154 https://www.researchnreports.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=77154 www.researchnreports.com Cloud Computing is the practice of sharing a network of remote servers which are hosted on the Internet to store, process, and manage data rather than on a local server or a personal computer. It specifically refers to a common storage space through which all the devices in the network can access data simultaneously. The use of Cloud computing technology not only gives cost benefits but also makes applications accessible to all devices in the network at any time and from any location.Global Cloud Computing market to grow at a CAGR of +16% during the period.This market research report gives an in-depth idea about the global Cloud Computing market. It highlights the recent market scenario, growth in the past few years, and opportunities present for manufacturers in the future. In this research for the completion of both primary and secondary details, various methods and tools are used. Also, investments instigated by organizations, government, non-government bodies, and institutions are projected in details for better understanding about the market.Get Sample copy of this Report @:Companies Profiled in this report includes, Amazon Web Services, Akamai Technologies, Cisco Systems, Google Inc., IBM Corp, Hewlett Packet, Dell, Microsoft Corp., VM-Ware, Yahoo Inc.Definitions and specifications are included in the introduction of the report, through its overview. These definitions allow a user to better understand the terminologies used in the rest of the report and consequently gather information at a faster and smoother rate. The overview also provides a list of various end users, which further helps the user understand the global Cloud Computing markets industry chain structure.Get 20% Discount on this Report @:Relating to the latest hierarchy in the global Cloud Computing market, the report outlines some of the crucial players functioning in the market. Discriminating information about the significant players including their business segmentation, product portfolio, revenue, and business overview has been integrated into the report. Latest improvements in the industry have been taken into concern while anticipating the future perspective of the market. The report also exemplifies the various marketing channels prevailing in the global market and conveys information about few of the critical distributors functioning in the market.The report thoroughly analyzes the most crucial details of the Global Cloud Computing Market with the help of an in-depth and professional analysis. Described in a precise manner, the report also presents complete overview of the market based on the factors that are projected to have a considerable and measurable impact on the markets developmental prospects over the forecast period.Enquiry before Buying @:After studying key companies, the report focuses on the startups contributing towards the growth of the market. Possible mergers and acquisitions among the startups and key organizations are identified by the reports authors in the study. Most companies in the Cloud Computing market are currently engaged in adopting new technologies, strategies, product developments, expansions, and long-term contracts to maintain their dominance in the global market. Moreover, extensive investments are being made in research and development to enable product enhancements and improvements. With the advent of new technologies on a regular basis, players are striving hard to incorporate the latest technology to gain a competitive edge above the rest.Table of ContentsGlobal Cloud Computing Market Research ReportChapter 1 Cloud Computing 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 AnalysisChapter 12 Global Cloud Computing Market ForecastAbout Research N Reports:Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Contact:Sunny Denis(Sales Manager),(Research N Reports)10916, Gold Point Dr,Houston, TX, Pin 77064,+1-8886316977,sales@researchnreports.com, The one member of the Napa City Council up for re-election in November has finally confirmed he will seek a fourth term. Peter Mott, who was elected to the council in 2006, announced his candidacy in a news release Friday. He becomes the lone incumbent on a ballot including five challengers for two seats, including the position vacated by former Vice Mayor Juliana Inman elected in the same year as Mott when she retired and moved to Oregon in November. We have gotten a great deal done in the past 12 years resulting in a beautiful, safe, caring community Im proud to have raised my kids in and call home, Mott, who has two college-age daughters, said in his statement. Still, there is so much more to accomplish, (and) my top priority moving forward is to continue my efforts to focus on locals and how to better provide for residents. The three-term council member listed the creation of more local jobs and affordable housing, as well as traffic reduction and park improvements, as among his top priorities should voters grant him another four years in office. MidMichigan Health is building upon its strong history of medical education opportunities with a new program later this year. Beginning July 1, MidMichigan Health will become a regional partner for third- and fourth-year Central Michigan University College of Medicine students. The new collaboration will allow 12 CMU medical students from each class to complete their entire third and fourth years of medical school at MidMichigan Health facilities. Students will receive instruction from experienced teaching physicians and advanced practice providers of MidMichigan Health. "This is an exciting time for us as it as reconfirms our long-standing commitment to medical education," said Lydia Watson, M.D., vice president, chief medical officer, MidMichigan Health. "This new partnership, along with our existing medical education programs, is an important opportunity to develop and train future physicians. This will increase the likelihood that they will return to our communities to practice. We know that this will enhance access for our patients and support the high-quality medical care that we are known for providing." MidMichigan Health first developed its medical education affiliation agreement with the CMU College of Medicine in 2010, during the initial planning of the school. Student presence up until now, has been limited to a relatively small number. MidMichigan Health's elective clerkships currently offer fourth-year CMU medical students an array of clinical rotations at MidMichigan Medical Centers and affiliated clinics in Alma, Clare, Gladwin, Midland and Mount Pleasant. "This new partnership is important to the college, MidMichigan Health and to the region," said Steve Vance, M.D., associate dean, clinical education, CMU College of Medicine. "We are committed to the recruitment of students from Michigan, particularly those from the Great Lakes Bay Region. More than 75 percent of our students are from the state, and a significant portion of those are from Midland, Bay and Saginaw counties. By expanding opportunities for these students to train locally, we are increasing the likelihood that they practice in the region after completing their education." John Blamoun, M.D., has been named the clinical assistant dean for the MidMichigan Medical Center - Midland campus of the CMU College of Medicine. In this role, Blamoun will be responsible for implementation and oversight of the clinical education program for the College of Medicine at MidMichigan Health sites. "I have been committed to patient care and education at MidMichigan and CMU for the past seven years," said Blamoun. "I am deeply committed to these relationships." Blamoun received his medical degree from Cairo University. He is completing his master's degree in health care administration and leadership at Saginaw Valley State University. History of medical education MidMichigan's commitment to medical education includes a four-year Family Medicine Residency Program in conjunction with Michigan State University College of Human Medicine that is based at the medical center in Midland. The Family Medicine Residency Program at MidMichigan Medical Center - Midland is one of the first in the U.S., started in 1969, with more than 200 family medicine physicians who have graduated since its inception with about 40 percent of them practicing in our communities post-graduation. In addition, in collaboration with Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, MidMichigan Medical Center - Gratiot has a three-year program approved for training in allopathic medicine. The MSU/MidMichigan Medical Center - Gratiot Family Medicine Residency Program, is focused on rural, community-based hospital and clinical practice. The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Midland Regional Campus welcomed its first medical students in 2011. Third-and fourth-year medical students currently complete their required and elective clerkships at MidMichigan Health's Medical Centers and many community practices. Currently, the Midland campus has its largest third year class of 14 students. In May 2018, a total of 42 medical students will have graduated. In addition to partnerships with the MSU College of Human Medicine and CMU College of Medicine, MidMichigan also has collaborations with Delta College, Mid Michigan Community College, Saginaw Valley State University, and CMU's College of Health Professions. Sen. Jim Stamas was honored with the Friend of Local Public Health Award from the Michigan Association of Local Public Health in Lansing on Wednesday. Denise Bryan, health officer for District Health Department No. 2 and No. 4, nominated Stamas and presented him with the award in recognition of the senator's work on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in area groundwater. A 66-year-old Midland man died after his vehicle was rear-ended on U.S. 10 near Stark Road on Monday morning, the Midland County Sheriffs Office reports. Jeffrey Long was pronounced dead at the scene of the 7:25 a.m. crash. The crash occurred when the 2015 Chevy Spark that Long was driving in the eastbound lanes was rear ended by a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, driven by Bethany Strong, 25, Sanford. The collision occurred west of Stark Road. Strong suffered minor injuries. Longs passengers his three grandchildren, ages 13, 11 and 9 were hurt. They, along with Strong, were taken to MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland for treatment. The 11-year-old was later airlifted to the University of Michigan Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The childrens names were not released. Everyone in the vehicles were wearing their seatbelts. While there is no evidence to indicate that alcohol or drugs may have been a factor in this crash, we are waiting for toxicology reports for a final determination, the release states. The report will be forwarded to the Midland County Prosecutors Office for review once it has been completed, as is customary in all fatal accidents. Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Midland Police, Midland Fire Department, Michigan State Police, Michigan State Police Third District Accident Reconstruction Team, Lincoln Township Fire Rescue, MidMichigan EMS and Chief Medical Examiner J. Daniel Cline. Sections of the highway from Stark Road to Meridian Road were closed from 7:40 a.m. to 10:59 a.m., according to Midland County Central Dispatch. The crash remains under investigation and any witnesses are asked to contact the Midland County Sheriffs Office Detective Bureau at 989-839-4619. Kurt Vile and his record label, Matador Records, began teasing a 2018 release from Vile Monday on social media. A photo showing a political yard sign with Viles name and the year 2018 has been posted on Viles Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts, with no caption, and has also been shared on Matador Records social media accounts. Viles latest release came last year in the form of his collaborative album with Courtney Barnett, Lotta Sea Lice, which Paste put at #5 on our list of the best 50 albums of 2017. Viles latest solo full-length was 2015s blieve Im goin down, with Hilary Saunders writing in her Paste review of the album, And that is what makes him the lord of the lo-fi loafers. Last month, Vile announced U.S. tour dates with The Violators and he just supported John Prine in Philadelphia earlier this month. Viles upcoming tour kicks off June 13 at the Metropolitan Theatre in Morgantown, W.Va. Then, Vile and his band will continue their 12-city, month-long run that ends at Charlotte, N.C.s The Underground. For select shows, Vile and The Violators will be sharing the stage with the Columbus, Ohio-based band Connections and solo musician Dylan Carson. Check out Viles upcoming tour dates below, and revisit Pastes interview with Vile and Barnett from last year here. Kurt Vile & The Violators Tour Dates: June 13 Morgantown, W.Va. @ Metropolitan Theatre + 14 Lancaster, Pa. @ Tellus 36 + 15 New Haven, Conn. @ College Street Music Hall + 16 Jersey City, N.J. @ White Eagle + 17 Hunter, N.Y. @ Mountain Jam Festival July 10 Charlottesville, Va. @ Jefferson Theatre * 11 Carrboro, N.C. @ Cats Cradle * 12 Asheville, N.C. @ Orange Peel * 13 Louisville, Ky. @ Forecastle Music & Arts Festival 14 Chattanooga, Tenn. @ Signal * 15 Knoxville, Tenn. @ Mill & Mine * 17 Charlotte, N.C. @ The Underground * (+ w/ Connections) (* w/ Dylan Carson) Welcome to Meet a Competitive House Race, a new Paste feature in which we highlightyou guessed ita competitive 2018 House race from somewhere in America. Between now and election day, well hopefully hit them all. You can see a full list of other House races weve profiled at the bottom of this page. Whats the deal with todays district? Where is it? Like anyone criss-crossing the nation, including Jack Kerouac, we have to make a stop in Denver, CO. Colorados 6th district wraps around the eastern suburbs of the Denver metro area, most notably Aurora, though it also covers parts of Littleton, Brighton, Henderson and Centennial. Who the hell lives there? How do they vote? The district, once known as the safest for conservatives in the state outside of Colorado Springs, has shifted toward purple recently. This is mostly due to an increase in the regions Hispanic population, which now sits at 19 percent, and the exodus of more and more rural voters following each subsequent redistricting. The district still has some pockets of heavy conservatism in its southern portion which have done well to keep incumbent Republican Mike Coffman in office for almost a decade, but the district has gone blue in the past three presidential elections, including a nine point victory for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Is Trump going to screw the Republican? Coffmans connection to the NRA seems more likely to derail him, but his voting record stands decidedly pro-Trump despite his initial opposition to the president before the 2016 election. Gimme some more background Prior to the 2016 election, Coffman chose not to endorse Trump, going so far as to run an ad campaign, in both English and Spanish, stating he would stand up to Trump. It was an inflammatory attempt to get ahead of the expected Trump era, but, outside of a few instances, Coffman easily settled back into supporting the conservative status quo following Trumps election, voting with the Trump administration 94 percent of the time. Whats up with the Republican(s)? Republican incumbent Mike Coffman has a long political history at the state and federal level, but nothing has been as impressive as his ability to hold onto his seat in the House as his district shifted around him. He managed the feat by standing as a dependable conservative vote in Congress while breaking with the party on key issues that affected his constituents. While he voted for the repeal of Obamacare and the unpopular tax bill, he broke with his party over DACA, openly called for the firing of Michael Flynn after his connection to Russian officials was revealed, and has been fairly supportive of pro-cannabis legislationa booming business in weed-legal Colorado. This moderate appearance doesnt speak to his actual voting record, and no issue proves that more than the one increasingly defining the campaign within the 6th district: gun control. The topic has gained national attention following the school shooting in Parkland, FL, but the district has its own long history with mass shootings, most notably the Aurora theater shooting in 2012 and the areas close proximity to Columbine High School. Coffman is backed by the NRA, having received $33,700 since 2010the most of any House member in the state. Hes opposed universal background checks on gun sales and supported legislation that would require states to recognize concealed carry permits issued by other states. Coffmans stance has grown unpopular within the district following the renewed pro-gun control efforts, leading to the incumbent being booed during a town hall in February due to his NRA connections. What did he expect? Whats up with the Democrat(s)? Coffman has three Democratic challengers, but only attorney Jason Crow stands as a legitimate contender to turn the district blue. Crow is the candidate responsible for framing the campaign mostly around gun violence, seeing his best route to the hill as one that centers on promoting Coffmans NRA connections in the face of his pro-gun ownership views while pushing for widely-supported gun control legislation. Crow supports his positions while using his history as a hunter and Army veteran to appeal to those who fear attacks on the second amendment. Its a strategy that worked very well for Conor Lamb in a heavily pro-Trump district earlier this year. Crow expressed his sentiments in his first political ad, directly attacking Coffman and recounting how his childrens elementary school is now holding active shooter drills. While the race will ultimately diversify somewhere down the line, Crows strategy is working well ahead of the June 26 primary. Hes gathered endorsements from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Rep. Gabby Giffords gun control advocacy group. What do the polls say? Like many other races, polls arent readily available quite yet, but recent fundraising figures show that Crow is remaining close to Coffman despite not taking any contributions from PACs. Both have topped $1 million in campaign funds, making them the two clear frontrunners. Coffmans previous opponents have been heavily funded, but Crows ability to raise funds while excluding PAC contributions is encouraging constituents within the district. Whats weird about the district? The campaign will focus more on gun control than any other race outside of South Florida. No area has more of a history with the rise of mass shootings in the U.S. than the Denver metro area, and its a wound that is continually reopened with every subsequent mass shooting. While the gun control argument likely will not be the sole focus as the race becomes a one-on-one affair between Coffman and Crow, the districts recent sentiment toward the NRA-backed Coffman could easily color any debate on other issues down the line. Give me a prediction The district is substantially blue, and Crow has the ability to give the Democrats a victory where others havent over the past decade. Unless Crows other policies sour his strong start, Paste believes he will end Coffmans tenure. Past races: California 48th: Dana Rohrbacher, vs. some Democrat, eventually Florida 26th: Carlos Curbelo vs. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell The Iran nuclear deal is up for recertification on May 12, and this weeks edition of Last Week Tonight took its time to highlight why it is an important diplomatic achievement, as well as to profile why President Trump might undercut it. The deal vastly haltered Irans nuclear threat, forbidding them from enriching Uranium beyond amounts vastly lower than what is needed to develop nuclear weapons and subjecting Iranian facilities to constant observation. In exchange, the U.S. and a coalition of other nations released funds held from Iran by sanctions. The deal keeps these measures in place for the next 10 to 15 years, but has been met with heavy criticism from U.S. and Iranian officials for different reasons. Most of that criticism, especially remarks from Trump himself, has been debunked as misleading or untrue, but with the deals recertification scheduled for May 12, Trump now has the ability to back out of the deal. Blowing up the Iran deal could cause ramifications that impact multiple nations on a global scale. The Trump administration has stated that Iran could just wait out the agreement and ramp up its nuclear capacity when the deal expires, though there is little evidence to support that claim currently. If those claims are true, ending the deal now would only allow those fears to come to fruition much sooner than if the deal remained in place. That increase in nuclearization could begin an arms race in the Middle East that could further strain the already-stressed relations between Iran and its neighbors, with Israel being a key target. These concerns seem to hold very little sway with the presidents advisors, most notably new National Security Advisor John Bolton, who has been a vocal opponent of the deal for years. Bolton has also advocated for the invasion of Iran in an effort to topple its Islamic regime, most recently detailed in an address given in Paris last year where he declared, Before 2019, we here will celebrate in Tehran. Trump has established measures he wants in exchange for recertification, but none of them are mutually beneficial to both sides and fall very short of adoption, not only by Iran but also the nations that negotiated the deal alongside the U.S. You should know how poor your arguments foundation is when a pro-Brexit buffoon like Boris Johnson is able to easily swipe away your claims that the deal is unfair. Another key point brought up by Oliver is that while the promoted national image of Iran is one that still lives by the Death to America credo, there is a large population of educated Iranians who oppose the ruling regime and are becoming increasingly more open to western influence in their culture. Oliver outlines these sentiments by highlighting the DIY Iranian skateboarding scene and the rise of knock-off fast food establishments such as ZFC and Pizza Hat. Despite the Trump administrations continued attempts to villainize the nation on a general scale, the dichotomy of its people and their views is far more vast than the message coming from the White House. Despite everything pointing to the deal being good, Trump still has the power to end it in some fashion in a few weeks time. While there is little we as a nation can do to sway his thoughts, Oliver did his part by enlisting the Catheter Cowboy one more time for an ad meant to influence the president that will air during Hannity this week. We already know Trump enjoys watching his fellow Cohen client on a nightly basis. Maybe this week hell actually listen to something other than the congratulatory musings of a man with even less journalistic integrity than we originally thought. Check out Olivers segment below. If enough of us watch, maybe well actually get that Iranian history podcast with James Van Der Beek. The Republican Party simply does not believe in using government to help the common man. They have no problem passing a multi-billion dollar increase in spending for the already bloated Department of Defense, or an unpaid tax cut for the rich that will raise the deficit to $1 trillion by the end of Trumps first term, but the moment a waitress making $30,000 a year wants to take time off to care for her newborn baby, the Republican Party turns into fiscal hawks. Theyd rather she sell her kidneys for baby formula than cut a smidgen of the military budget. You may think Im being hyperbolic, but thats basically the message communicated in this new policy proposed by the GOP, especially when compared to their cavalier attitude towards their deficit-financed tax cuts for the rich. Per CNBC: Some Republicans are considering legislation that would allow people to borrow from their future Social Security benefits to pay for time off from work after they have a baby. A new analysis by The Urban Institute, a policy research group, finds that such a law could risk sending Americans into retirement with less money. This plan seemed too good to be true, and it probably is, said Richard Johnson, director of the program on retirement policy at the Urban Institute. The details of the paid leave proposal are still thin, but it would allow new parents to take an early withdrawal from their Social Security benefits to pay for 12 weeks off from work after theyve had a baby. In exchange, theyd have to agree to defer the collection of Social Security payments later in their life. Just two countries out of 180 analyzed by the United Nations do not offer cash benefits to women when they have a baby: Papua New Guinea and the United States. Thanks to the psychosis of the Republican Party when it comes to social programs, we are the worlds richest country who acts like a poor one. Well, unless we must spend money on programs that benefit our oligarchs (like bombs or tax cuts), then cost is of no concern. But new mothers who need baby formula? They must take retirement money that they have already invested in order to pay for basic needs. There is a lot of confusion surrounding Social Securitypartially thanks to a Republican-led messaging campaign denigrating Americas most successful social insurance programand this has resulted in a minefield of nonsense to navigate around this government benefit. Its not an entitlement, like the Republicans frame it, as 12.4% of every paycheck goes to your social security benefitswith half of that figure paid by you and the other half by your employer. It is an investment, and the reptiles in the GOP want new parents to dip into their retirement funds to pay for benefits that quite literally the rest of the developed world already gives their citizens. One glance at public opinion polls demonstrates the uphill battle the GOP faces (which is likely why none of the backers of this bill had the guts to forcefully put their names behind this, and instead leaked the proposal as something of a trial balloon). Roughly eight in ten Americans support paid leave for mothers following the birth or adoption of a child. About seven in ten support the same program for new fathers. The GOP is trying to do something that many people want, but in true Republican fashion, theyre paying for it in a manner that most people do not agree with. According to Gallup, 51% of Americans would rather raise taxes to ensure Social Securitys long-term future, compared to 37% who want to curb its benefits. There is very little popular will to cut Social Security in order to save Social Security, let alone using it as a piggy-bank to pay for stuff that the government should already cover. The Urban Institute calculated that a parent taking one 12-week paid leave would be forced to delay their Social Security checks by 20 to 25 weeks, reducing their lifetime benefits by three percent. If someone has more than one kid, that figure continues to riseas four 12-week leaves would slash your Social Security benefits by ten percent. The GOP has decided that its more important for new parents to drain their retirement savings to pay for their newborns than to ask the richest among us to share the burden. Not to mention, this isnt the only GOP proposal like this. Tom Garrett (R-VA) introduced a bill that allows for $550 in student loan forgiveness in exchange for delaying Social Security checks by a month. The average student debt burden is $30,100 per borrowermeaning that in order to forgive the entirety of it, a student would have to delay their social security checks by four and a half years. Using the Urban Institutes numbers, that means the average student borrower would forgo over a quarter of their Social Security benefits in return for student debt forgiveness. Time will only tell whether this proposal becomes law. The fact that no one is willing to firmly put their name behind it may be proof of how radioactive the GOP believes their idea is, but that hasnt stopped them from passing unpopular legislation before (just look at the tax cuts they recently passed). This idea was initially proposed by the Independent Womens Foruma conservative think tankand CNBC reports that It has since garnered the attention of at least three Republican senators Joni Ernst of Iowa, Mike Lee of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida. Mike Lees communication director told CNBC, Paid family leave is a vital issue for every young American family. He is currently working with Senators Rubio and Ernst on turning Independent Womens Forums policy idea into actual legislation. If this bill makes it to the floor, make sure to call your Congressmen and let them know that if the Republican Party wants to do something to benefit the populace, theyll have to fund it the way that developed countries do. You wouldnt know it from the way Republicans talk about the budget, but America is a rich nation. We have the largest economy in the world by a factor of nearly two. Our GDP is $19 trillion per yearseven trillion more than Chinas artificially inflated figure coming in at second place. We can pay for programs that benefit the populace, but the GOP has injected this Ayn Randian poisonous dogma into our political debates, and every Very Serious Person asserts that we are on the path to financial ruin thanks to spending on social programs. However, this concern evaporates the moment we enter the world of military equipment. The GOPs new 2018 budget authorized an extra $2.9 billion to buy 20 more F-35s (on top of the 70 the Pentagon asked for). The F-35 is a fighter plane that works better conceptually than in reality, as the Project on Government Oversight found that the 235 planes now in service are only fully mission capable 26% of the time. To put this waste in perspective, the Urban Institute found that a paid leave program would distribute benefits worth nearly $5 billion in 2019. Anyone who says that there is no money in the budget for a program that the rest of civilization has deemed vital to their populace is either a liar or a fool. Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling. Petoskey competes for four quarters with TC West, comes up just short I think this the best and highest use of the land, given our need for housing and the lack of housing downtown, she told planners. While the project leaves open the possibility of hotel rooms at the old theater site on Pearl Streets south shoulder, Paul Kelley and other commissioners left no doubt what direction they preferred. If you come forward with a hotel on that site, Im gonna scream, he facetiously told Alley, the architect. This site needs to be for us; this site needs to be for Napa. Such a local-facing use, Kelley added, could include housing but also could turn toward office space, a commodity also in increasingly short supply in Napa. Zoning the neighborhood for more homes, however, will do little to boost supply unless Napa also loosens its rules on parking supplies, cautioned Commissioner Gordon Huether. He urged the city to relax a requirement that all housing have vehicle spaces on the grounds, a rule he said forces designers to resort to expensive underground parking and steers developers instead toward commercial projects that allow them to pay into Napas parking fund instead. We need all kinds of housing, and I want to see all kinds of housing downtown, he said of the issue. Moscow responded to the resignation of Armenias Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan on April 23 with calm certainty, saying the political turmoil in Yerevan will not affect the relations between the two countries. Sargsyan, who previously served as Armenias president, stepped down as prime minister amid mass protests. Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the State Duma, the lower house of Russias parliament, said that the political changes in Armenia will not affect cooperation between the two nations and that Russia will remain Armenias closest ally. Armenia, a Eurasian country half the size of the U.S. state of West Virginia, is surrounded by Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Armenias alliance with Russia is dictated by a need to survive, Serzh Sargsyan said during his May 2015 visit to Washington, DC to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Armenia is a member of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union which was set up as a counterbalance to the European Union. Moscow sells Armenia gas at domestic Russian prices and provides it with financial aid for various educational and cultural programs. Armenia is in the process of re-engineering its state finance system with support from the Russian Trust Fund. Armenias foreign trade largely relies on Russia. Since 1988, Armenia has been involved in an armed conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict led to a near-total blockade of Armenias borders: its border with Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey have been completely closed, with only its border with Georgia remaining open. Russia has assumed the role of international mediator in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. However, at the same time, Moscow sells weapons to both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on April 23 that Russia is not interfering in Armenia and that the events are absolutely Armenias domestic affair, but declined to comment whether Yerevan consulted with Moscow regarding the current situation. While Peskovs claim of non-interference seems to be true, other developments suggest it is highly unlikely Russia will stand on sidelines if anything in Armenia goes entirely against Moscows interests. This week, the Armenian Defense Ministry announced it is discussing with Moscow the deployment of Russian military police to the permanent Russian military base in Gyumri, a northeastern city near Armenias borders with Turkey. The Armenian Defense Ministry has provided no details about the numbers of Russian military police, saying only that the move is targeted at maintaining discipline at the base. After Sargsyn's resignation, Karen Karapetyan, ex-prime minister and former head of national gas distributing company ArmRosGazprom and later Yerevan mayor, has assumed the office as the acting prime minister. Karapetyan lived in Moscow, where he served as the first vice-president of Gazprombank and the deputy CEO of Russian gas producer Gazproms GAZP.MM Mezhregiongaz unit. Gazprom is Russia's state-controlled energy giant targeted in the U.S. sanctions. Grapevine is promoting made-on-demand DVDs featuring two of the most popular stars of silent westerns: Just Pals (1920) with Buck Jones, and The Calgary Stampede (Herbert Blache, 1925) with Hoot Gibson. Both titles have been available before, so these count as reissues worthy of attention. Although Just Pals has been described as a western in various references, including Wikipedia, it truly isnt one. While set in a town on the border between Wyoming and Nebraska, it belongs to the school of contemporary small-town sentimental melodramas current at the time, and its a downright excellent example. Directed by John Ford (billed as Jack Ford) in his first film for Fox, Just Pals is the kind of silent tale in which simple, even naive emotions are handled with complexity and depth that give the film power. Jones plays Bim, the town bum and general shiftless laughing-stock. His nobility is revealed in gestures that dont usually pay off, such as when as he defends a little boy (Georgie Stone) from a violent railroad bull, as the private security officers were known. Bim and young Bill become fast friends in a town with little or no social services to regulate children without guardians, and their deep instant love for each other as fellow outcasts is one of the storys primary motivations. Nobody thinks it strange that a homeless boy hooks up with the town bum, but tongues wag that the boy ought to go to school, even though nobody suggests taking him in to their home. A parallel plot involves the schoolmarm (Helen Ferguson), who gets into financial trouble over her supposedly respectable boyfriend (William Buckley). They belong to a brew of small-town characters with moral flaws and cross-purposes, including the comical sheriff (Duke R. Lee) and the doctor (Edwin B. Tilton). The town and mob mentality take quite a few hits in a plot that includes a threatening lynch mob before things are squared away. The tone and plot complications are often surprising and unpredictable, with many carefully observed vignettes providing pathos and comedy. The innocent or open-hearted emotions are balanced by a vision of very dark textures: greed, violence, poverty, cruelty, and perhaps worst of all, indifference. This makes a fascinating entry in Fords Americana genre. In short, its a beautiful job, and over in an hour. Our appreciation is aided immeasurably by an excellent print with a new score by David Knudtsen. While collectors may already have this film in the 2007 box Ford at Fox Collection: John Fords Silent Epics, its worth noting that Grapevines print is nicely tinted (as opposed to black and white) and has a different score. Buck Jones shines as Bim. The camera loves him, and his acting is clear and natural. In a way, young Bill is the viewers surrogate, because we too are drawn to Bims charm and want to look out for him. Its not surprising that Jones, a cowboy and stuntman, remained a charismatic western star into the talkies. He died in the infamous Cocoanut Grove fire of 1942 while reportedly trying to save others. While Just Pals has a token scene or two where he rides a horse, its worth repeating that this isnt a western by any stretch. Its exactly the kind of sentimental tale that other movies placed in Southern or New England villages, and its picket-fence railroad town looks exactly like Andy Hardys, if we can imagine Andy Hardy facing a lynch mob. Another major cowboy star of the era was Hoot Gibson, who established himself as a rodeo star in such major events as the Calgary Stampede, the annual Canadian rodeo exhibition that continues to this day. That event is the backdrop for the final act of the 1925 film named after it. Shot entirely in Alberta, the real purpose of this picture is to provide climactic documentary footage of various events in the Stampede as well as to provide a vehicle for Gibson. Virginia Brown Faire and Hoot Gibson in The Calgary Stampede (1925) (poster) As a story, The Calgary Stampede shovels together a passel of conventions already well-worn in its day, and which generally depend upon unreasonable behavior from all concerned. First, theres the plot about how circumstances make our hero, Dan Malloy, appear guilty of killing his girlfriends angry daddy, when in fact it was another fella firing from the veranda. While our hero gets a job under an assumed name, we launch into the plot about betting the ranch on the big race in the Stampede, in this case the Roman race where riders stand on two horses at once. Will Dan expose his true identity while saving the ranch? Will the half-breed French/Indian maiden confess that her polecat boyfriend is the real killer? Will the Canadian Mounties get their man? Oh, mother of mercy! This movie looks like a soft, ragged 16mm print, which doesnt enhance its appeal as a Universal Jewel, one of the studios high-budget prestige pictures. The location filming and the documentary spectacle account for its budget and special status as an attraction, along with the fact that Gibson was second only to Tom Mix as a cowboy star. Unlike Jones, Gibsons appeal is somewhat untraditional, thanks to his smooth baby face and lack of obvious height. He became a star through his physical expertise and ability to radiate goodness. The director is Herbert Blache, who today is most famous as the estranged husband of pioneering woman filmmaker Alice Guy-Blache. They came to America together and eventually parted ways into separate careers. Aside from capturing the action in some sweeping horse chases, he includes a couple of shots where the camera travels ahead of riders for invigorating effect. Even so, this plot and this print dont make any special case for his artistry. As with Just Pals, Knudtsen provides a new organ score. The following clip from Just Pals doesnt reflect Grapevines tinted print but does show Fords eye and Jones charm. Matt Wade, who performs under the name, My Silent Bravery, takes listeners on a trip back in time via his latest cut, 18, which follows his highly successful single, Girl You Think You Know. Though the lyrics reference the 1980s (Patrick Swayze, Bon Jovi) and the video has more than a few nods to that bygone era (Risky Business, anyone?), the track itself is never out of touch with contemporary. The lyrical hook and strong, sentimental tug of wanting to relive a youth that passed too quickly by will appeal to the most hard-hearted of listeners (or viewers). The plot at the core of the video isnt exactly one that would have fit in a John Hughes picture from the era, but it recaptures the loner/outcast in love with the beautiful girl from school trope from the cinema of the era. With nostalgia for those years running high thanks to The Americans, Stranger Things and other series, the video feels as much a product of that time as it is so clearly a product of now. (And, musically, it doesnt hurt that it wouldnt take much to strip the song down to an unplugged rendition.) Wade says, The video was inspired by the neo-80s aesthetic thats popular right now. Our team, consisting of consisting of millennials who were born in the 90s, wanted to tell a universal story that could be felt across different generations. Instead of the bright neon colors typically associated with the 80s. The team opted to go for a more muted and darker palette to evoke the sense of normalcy that you find in the suburbs. Lights from the string lights to the light bouncing off the water in the pool were also essential to creating the look. We wanted it to feel romantic but eerie so we combined techniques that youd typically see in horror or film noir with story beats youd find in a rom-com. Hailing from the Belarusian city Polotsk, atmospheric black metal band Raven Throne releases its sixth album I Miortvym Snicca Zolak on 2 May via the Dutch imprint Non Serviam Records. Drawing upon the same moody terrain as Agalloch, Khors, Drudkh and others, the group dug deep into Slavic culture and history for this new effort, drawing on a number of poems written near the dawn of the last century, adding a haunting and disquieting element to the already dark and primitive metal sounds. The LPs final track, Living Blood of Living Bodies (Zyvoj kryvi zyvyja cielcy), exemplifies the stark, startling turns the music takes throughout the rest of the album. With ferocious lead guitar lines and bare, stone age rhythms, the track builds in un-quiet intensity before giving way (albeit briefly) to a haunting, simple guitar figure. From there, the tune turns on full blast, laying waste to our speakers and our very beings with annihilating black metal ferocity. Speaking about the track, the group offered this: The track turned out to be quite uncharacteristic for us. It contains progressive elements in combination with more traditional metal forms. The mood of music and full of tragic images from Uladzimir Dudzitskis poetry create a complete and harmonious union. If it seemed for a moment that all that could be done in black metal had already been accomplished in the early hours of the 1990s, its time to rethink that and embrace the cold, hard truth that Raven Throne is one a handful of bands capable of leading the music forward to new heights of sonic supremacy. On 26 February 2012, George Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old kid carrying a bag of Skittles, after having been instructed by a police officer on the telephone not to take any action to what Zimmerman had perceived as a trespass into a gated community. Martin was living in the community at the time. Two-and-a-half years later, on 11 October 2014, U.S. Marine Joseph Pemberton allegedly asphyxiated Jennifer Laude, a transgender woman, in a hotel room in the Philippines. For some time, these deaths and the rash of dissatisfying judicial outcomes to follow spurred a conflaguration of social media activity and protests. But as with all hate crime cases, public outrage settled, and the stories of Martin and Laude quieted from breaking news to back page stories, which die slowly amid mercilessly drawn out criminal appeals, civil lawsuits, and partisan deadlock. Jennfer Furst and Julia Willoughby Nasons six-part docuseries Rest in Power:The Trayvon Martin Story, and PJ Ravals film documentary Call Her Ganda, have undertaken the enormous task of resurrecting the stories of Martin and Laude, reinterpreting each death within historic frameworks of the systemic reasons for hate crimes, and why their stories fade without meaningful changes in civil rights laws. Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story The first installment of Rest in Powerairing on the Paramount Network in July is a blistering account of the large scale racist and neoconservative American structures responsible for Martins murder. Sweeping aerials of the Twin Lakes Retreat an immaculate gated community littered with no trespassing signs, which Trayvons mother wryly noted was not particularly friendly to her family are juxtaposed with soundbites of Zimmermans several police phone calls prior to his killing of Martin, where he incessantly complained of black children running around the neighborhood. A photo of Zimmerman carrying a rifle, and another of him posing in front of a Confederate flag, quickly transitions to a press shot of Jeb Bush signing the Florida Stand Your Ground law with Marion Hammerone of the National Rifle Associations most influential lobbyistsstanding by his side. The interplay between Stand Your Ground, red zoning, and the several weeks it took for a finding of probable cause to charge Zimmerman with murder is well-explained, and should evoke some interesting questions on prioritization of socioeconomic considerations over the law during hate crime investigations. A reporter notes that the legal term Stand Your Ground was formerly known as The Castle Doctrine, thereby evoking a parallel to the gated community which Zimmerman sought to protect. A healthy discussion about the controversial new law establishes that a property ownerin Zimmerans case not his home, but a gated community can successfully demonstrate an affirmative defense against murder charges if he can establish his refusal to retreat or abstain from killing a trespasser was based on his reasonably perceived threat of death or grave physical injury. While stand your ground is an affirmative defense requiring trial evidence to be proven, probable cause is a standard of reasonableness justifying an arrest. Yet, in Zimmermans case, the two standards seemed to be reversed, whereas the police struggled to find probable cause in a case where a man admitted to firing a gun at an unarmed teenager, while the stand your ground justification was initially found satisfactory based seemingly on Zimmermans word alone (and a nine question lie-detector test void of any questions involving possible racial prejudice). One of the wonderful cinematic qualities of Rest in Power is that it builds up to this heinous legal anomaly on an emotional level, sifting between pained interviews with Martins parents (shot in close-ups which linger on their tearful eyes), and initial police press statements, which vaguely discuss their inability to find probable cause. A heroic sub-plot emerges within this framework involving the Martin familys civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who begins to strategize a national media campaign to pressure local authorities to charge Zimmerman. Here, the film begins to ferment with rapidly cut images of reports and nationwide protests, capturing justice as a function of a swarming outraged citizenry. Looming behind Crumps successful strategy is the distressing conclusion that had he not been so successful in creating media uproar, its possible that a finding of probable cause as a simple function legal interpretation would not have been found. The episodes big reveal comes near the end, where a second 911 tape from another resident of the community listening to the altercation is played repeatedly. The episodes footage, now slowed to a halt as compared to the episodes fast pace, painstakingly portrays Martins parents listen to the tapes. Through their eyes, difficult questions form of whether the literal meaning of probable cause has any bearing whatsoever when pitted against other retrograde socioeconomic factors that linger in Americas cultural ethos like a seemingly incurable cancer. Notably, these powerful revelations are unearthed in just the first episode of five, thereby auguring Rest in Powers prospects to be in the same sphere as OJ Simpson:Made in America. However, its noteworthy that the docuseries will premiere in a televised format, likely to be broken up by commercials and to be delivered in installments rather than as a single piece of work. I could have sat through the entirety of Rest in Powers four-and-a-half hours, in a pitch dark theater, enduring an eruption of images and sounds over a large screen format that appropriately captures the swarm of racial injustices that blanket plague the entire United States. If political unrest is a key ingredient to revolution, one cant help but wonder if such risible political issues should be consumed piecemeal, and in the comfort of ones own home. Even still, Rest in Power should prove to be one of the best-constructed and important documentaries of 2018. Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story rating: 10 Call Her Ganda Call Her Ganda, which will continue to tour film festivals after its premiere at Tribeca, doesnt have the same explosive sense of urgency as does Rest in Power, instead resigning itself to a languidly told retrospective of Jennifer Laudes homicide, which meshes poignantly with the equally torpid, creaky judicial wheels of the U.S.-Filipino military industrial complex. Call her Ganda utilizes a triangular narrative structure to dissect the two-year aftermath following Laudes homicide. Laudes mother, Julita, presents the perspective of a parent mourning her childs death first in tears, and then through her desire for a maximum criminal sentence against Pemberton for the charge of murder. The most cutting scene with Julita is when she recounts, without a trace of surprise or anger, how a US attorney from Georgetown visited her to offer $90k for her to agree to indemnify the United States of any responsibility for Pembertons crime. In a sense, the meeting was just another day in the life of a country colonized by the United States for more than a hundred years. Pemberton was convicted of homicide as instead of murder, and moreover, received a drastically reduced sentence of six- to ten-years from a Filipino regional court due to mitigating circumstances based partially on Laudes alleged failure to reveal herself as a transgender female. This information is shared about halfway through the film, which creates the challenge of creating narrative stakes for the rest of the film outside of explanations and laments of injustice. Raval handles this task with mixed results. Theres excess coverage of the Laude familys lawyer, Virgie Suarez, who continually opines about the lack of due process under Filipino Law, due to the various procedural interferences from the Visitors Fighting Agreement (VFA). The VFA is presented through historic footage and explanatory interview segments as a US imperialist inspired law which provides the US military with jurisdiction over visiting personnel charged with crimes including a remarkably low one year statute of limitations for legal proceedings in a Filipino court, and US jurisdictional authority to enforce a sentence in a US military compound. Its an ironclad agreement with little hope for exceptions, and the films continued emphasis of this point comes across more as a repetitive textual argument about imperialist history rather than an emotionally charged cinematic treatment of LGBTQ hate crimes. The films most successful narrative is from Buzzfeeds transgender reporter Meredith Talusons reportage of the case, which was instrumental in drawing national attention to the issue of hate crimes against transgender women. When the camera follows Meredith as she investigates Laudes story from both the United States and the Philippines, Call Her Ganda takes on a sense of a personal emotional journey, which flirts with the uneasy revelation that Meredith may be lonelier in her own country than when she is with the Laude family. At home, Meredith watches as her Buzzfeed articles are met with a rash of hate tweets (deftly splattered across the film screen) justifying Laudes homicide, and attacking Meredith as well. Later in the film, when Laude visits Pembertons hometown in Massachusetts, her plangent voiceover addresses succession of shots of cold modular high school structures and secluded suburban homes; she asks if Pemberton was ever taught how to interact with the LBGT community, and if this homogeneous environment can make room to people of different genders. When Laude asks a town resident if he was aware of Joseph Pemberton, she receives her answer. Call Her Gandas greatest accomplishment is revealing the common suffering between Meredith and the Filipino transgender community, all while a US military ship permanently looms, seemingly indifferent to the lack of egalitarian and democratic ideals at its host port, or its country of origin. Call Her Ganda rating: 8 Food editor and chief critic Eating all of the chicken livers just as fast as I can. A kangaroo was stoned to death in a Chinese zoo - apparently for the same reason that a brown bear was once crushed to death by Russian videographers, and a shark in Florida was dragged behind a motorboat like a kite. That is, to gratify a human. The kangaroo - a 12-year-old female whose name is not known - was not hopping enough to amuse spectators at the Fuzhou Zoo in February, The New York Times reported, quoting Chinese media. So someone picked up a rock. Or it might have been a brick or slab of concrete, Agence France-Presse wrote. In any case, it wasn't unusual for visitors to this zoo in southeast China to provoke the animals with projectiles. "Some adults see the kangaroos sleeping and then pick up rocks to throw at them," a zookeeper told the Haixia Metropolis News, as reported by the Times. Employees tried to dissuade the crowd, the worker said, but "after we cleared the display area of rocks, they went to find them elsewhere." By the time zookeepers rescued the kangaroo from the crowd, AFP reported, her foot was nearly severed. Get the SC business stories that matter. Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us - it's free. Chloe Johnson covers the coastal environment and climate change for the Post and Courier. She's always looking for a good excuse to hop on a boat. The St. Helena City Council will hold a special study session to discuss possibly hiring two full-time firefighters at 3 p.m. Thursday, May 3, at the firehouse. According to a staff report, calls for service are increasing sharply and the fire department is struggling with the limited availability of firefighters during daytime hours, when calls are most frequent. Fire Chief John Sorensen is recommending that the city consider migrating to a combination staffing model consisting of two full-time firefighters supported by the existing paid-per-call firefighters, according to the report. The two daytime firefighters would staff the fire station for 10-12 hours per day Monday through Saturday, working opposite shifts. According to the report, the new firefighters would probably improve response times, provide paid-per-call firefighters with a qualified driver during the day, perform weekly equipment checks that are now only performed once a month, be available for walk-in medical aids at the station, and assist with firefighter training, instructional tours for students, and business inspections. The departments budget of $1.08 million which is 8 percent of the citys General Fund budget would increase by about $200,000 a year. In this 2013 file photo, Officer Mark Rosborg of the Charleston Police Department points toward the offices where students at Charleston Day School would go if faced with an armed intruder at the downtown campus. Rosborg was one of 18 police officers on the department's School Security Response Team assigned to patrol the city's 45 public, charter and private elementary schools. File/Staff Charleston to take new look at its signature treescape Joseph Cranney is an investigative reporter in Columbia, with a focus on government corruption and injustices in the criminal legal system. He can be reached securely by Proton mail at jcranney@prontonmail.com or on Signal at 215-285-9083. Five unfinished townhomes at the rear of the Sullivan's Pointe development on Ben Sawyer Boulevard in Mount Pleasant were the focus of a lawsuit, in which a developer subpoenaed residents who had spoken against the development. The suit was settled and five townhomes were demolished. Now, town officials and some residents want legal protections for participating in public affairs. File/Wade Spees/Staff Robert Behre works as an editorial writer with a focus on local government, transportation and the built environment. FILE - In this Sept. 27, 2017 file photo, a resident bails water from a flooded home in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, in Catano, Puerto Rico. The storm caused an estimated $100 billion in damage, killed dozens of people and damaged or destroyed nearly 400,000 homes, according to Puerto Rico's government. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti, File) Columbia/Myrtle Beach Managing Editor Andy Shain runs The Post and Courier's newsrooms based in Columbia and Myrtle Beach. He was editor of Free Times and has been a reporter and editor for newspapers in Charlotte, Columbia and Myrtle Beach. Jamie Lovegrove is a political reporter covering the South Carolina Statehouse, congressional delegation and campaigns. He previously covered Texas politics in Washington for The Dallas Morning News and in Austin for the Texas Tribune. The Guam Medical Association has called for an emergency meeting Wednesday evening to consider draft recommendations to rectify the funding shortage at Guam Memorial Hospital. GMA member Dr. Vince Akimoto told The Guam Daily Post that the current inspection at GMH by a team from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services "is the elephant in the room," but "we're actually more concerned about the operational issues at the hospital," he said. Akimoto said a draft resolution has been drawn up and is now being circulated to GMA members and others in the medical community. The draft calls on the GMA membership to "declare that the Guam Memorial Hospital is in a state of emergency." It suggests a number of immediate funding possibilities, including the possible transfer of "$30 million from the Tourist Attraction Fund ... to GMH to pay for medicines, supplies and the rectification of Joint Commission safety violations." The fund, from hotel tax collections, is the Guam Visitors Bureau's main funding source. Health, safety 'in imminent danger' Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. The draft refers to "the ongoing financial crisis" in the government of Guam which, the draft states, "now threatens the availability of basic medicines and clinical supplies at the Guam Memorial Hospital and puts the health and safety of the people of Guam in imminent danger." It goes on to state that GMH is "struggling to rectify long-standing, widespread safety violations due to a lack of $30 million funding," and "GMH physicians ... may be forced to deviate from the standard of care due to impending shortages of first-line medicines and hospital supplies." Akimoto said if CMS decides that GMH is a threat to the care of Medicare patients, or that GMH doesn't meet national standards, "then they'll just say we're going to suspend our reimbursement to GMH and redirect everybody to (Guam Regional Medical City), which currently meets that standard." "In the past, GMH was the only option," said Akimoto, "they were felt to be untouchable, they couldn't be closed." Not so anymore, he said. The emergency GMA meeting is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, and Dr. Akimoto hopes to hold it in the legislative hearing room. Malakhit Design Bureau in St. Petersburg completed the preliminary design of the Husky-class fifth-generation nuclear submarine, Sudostroenie.info portal quoted Malakhit CEO Vladimir Dorofeyev as saying during celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the bureau. Malakhit Design Bureau in St. Petersburg completed the preliminary design of the Husky-class fifth-generation nuclear submarine, Sudostroenie.info portal quoted Malakhit CEO Vladimir Dorofeyev as saying during celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the bureau. Artist impression of "Husky" project as shown by Malachite (JSC Saint-Petersburg Marine Design Bureau Malachite) during a defense exhibition in 2016. "There is a tradition to mark a jubilee with a labor exploit, and we did it. In March we completed the preliminary design of the prospective nuclear submarine of the Husky class," he said. Besides upgraded technical characteristics, the new project is economically feasible. "Our warships have to become more powerful and cheaper," Dorofeyev said. He previously said the experience accumulated in projects 671, 971 and 885 will be used in the new-generation submarine. Today the designers have to deal with the military component and achieve required characteristics with less labor intensity and costs. Husky-class fifth-generation submarine will be uniform to the maximum and inherit the qualities of multirole SSGN and strategic SSBN. The concept and detail design of the fifth-generation submarine have been developed since 2016. The navy will begin receiving fifth-generation subs in the 2030s. Fifth-generation nuclear submarines are distinguished from predecessors by unified prospective robotized complexes. The shipbuilding program up to 2050 advances new requirements to the design of nuclear submarines and focuses on their universal engagement, effective control and armaments. In particular, combat capabilities will increase due to unified modular platforms of various displacement and the integration into the armaments of prospective robotized complexes. HUSKY: Russia's Next Generation Attack Submarine. Artwork by Hisutton.com Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Korolev congratulated the Malakhit Maritime Design Bureau in St. Petersburg with the 70th anniversary. He noted the immense contribution of the bureau into the design and development of the Russian nuclear submarine fleet, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief for armaments Vice Admiral Viktor Bursuk handed over Korolevs message to Malakhit CEO Vladimir Dorofeyev. Bureau #143 was created on March 31, 1948 by a resolution of the Soviet government and the Communist Party. It had to design high-speed submarines with non-traditional power plants. After a number of transformations and renaming the bureau was called Malakhit. In 70 years it produced over 50 projects by which over 300 submarines were built, including a hundred nuclear-powered ones. In particular, Malakhit designed a series of submarines by the upgraded project 885M and the submarines are at various construction stages. Due to missiles, stealth characteristics and high speed the submarines can engage in strategic non-nuclear deterrence for the first time in the history of the Russian Navy. Copyright 2018 TASS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. SHOOTING VICTIM: Kyle Laman lays down in his living room in Coral Springs, Fla., on April 3. A Parkland shooting victim, Laman has been through three surgeries to repair the damage of a bullet that tore into the top of his ankle and faces two more operations. A Twitter impostor asked for money under his name, leading other Twitter users to notify Kyle's family. John McCall/Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 12:13:01 Atos and Siemens expand their partnership to include delivery of the MindSphere On-premise services Atos and Siemens intend to agree on a strategic partnership for the provision of Siemens MindSphere On-premise. New Siemens MindSphere On-premise will allow customers to deploy digital-driven business applications in a secure, managed On-premise infrastructure. Unique partnership offering a world class digital solution and providing joint support services to ensure the best Siemens MindSphere experience for customers. Paris, Munich April 23, 2018 - Atos, a global leader in digital transformation and Siemens, a global technology powerhouse, today announce their ambition to further accelerate their joint business cooperation in Digital Services and Digital technologies in particular around MindSphere, the Cloud-based, open IoT (Internet of Things) operating system from Siemens. They intend to agree on a preferred partnership for the provision of Siemens MindSphere On-premise managed by Atos. With the MindSphere On-premise solution, which will be available for operational deployment as of September 2018, customers will be able to securely deploy and manage their own MindSphere business-driven applications on site. This expanded partnership leads to a number of essential benefits like data confidentiality, low-latency and data processing in close proximity to technical equipment. As a strategic partner to Siemens, Atos has been one of the first partners to enter the MindSphere ecosystem by developing an approach to Manufacturing IoT exploitation which balances innovation and compliance in equal measure and which delivers quantifiable benefit rapidly and reliably. In particular Atos offers MindSphere customers a structured approach; from quick-start services with first real results to production readiness of MindSphere applications, in order to accelerate the prototyping, validation and deployment of MindSphere applications through automated and predefined use cases. By offering On-premise services, Atos will manage as well all aspects of Cloud infrastructure and delivery, scaling up as business needs change and ensuring performance, security and clarity of reporting at all times. Gilles Grapinet, Atos Senior Executive Vice President adds: "Atos is excited to help its customers take advantage of its Cloud and provide to MindSphere, the open, Cloud-based IoT operating system of Siemens our strategic partner, the ability to transform their digital-driven businesses at global scale, in close proximity to their data location, with a high degree of standardization. It is an important element of the end-to-end digital transformation factory services delivered by Atos". Recently Atos and Siemens announced the reinforcement of their strategic cooperation, with plans to accelerate their joint business until 2020 through an ambitious joint go-to-market plan and the strengthening of their joint innovation and investment program. This program has been increased by 100 million euros, totaling 330 million euros notably to further support the Siemens IoT MindSphere and Atos Codex strategic cooperation as well as the joint preferential go-to-market. *** About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with approximately 100,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of around 13 billion. European number one in Big Data, Cybersecurity, High Performance Computing and Digital Workplace, the Group provides Cloud services, Infrastructure & Data Management, Business & Platform solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting-edge technologies, digital expertise and industry knowledge, Atos supports the digital transformation of its clients across various business sectors: Defense, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Energy & Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications and Transportation. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline. Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index. Press contact: Terence Zakka | terence.zakka@atos.net | +33 1 73 26 40 76 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: ATOS via Globenewswire PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 09:04:02 Bests Market Segment Outlook: Italian Non-Life Sector is Stable A.M. Best Alvise Argenton, +44 20 7397 0293 Senior Financial Analyst alvise.argenton@ambest.com or Yvette Essen, +44 20 7397 0322 Director, Research, Communications and Media Europe, Middle East & Africa yvette.essen@ambest.com or Ghislain Le Cam, CFA, FRM, +44 20 7397 0268 Director, Analytics ghislain.lecam@ambest.com or Edem Kuenyehia, +44 20 7397 0280 Director, Market Development & Communications edem.kuenyehia@ambest.com A.M. Best has a stable outlook on the Italian non-life insurance market. The sector has a good record of technical profitability, which is expected to be maintained in the medium term. A.M. Best estimates that over the period 2012 to 2016 inclusive, its net combined ratio averaged 94%, which compares favourably with that of other European countries. Strong competition is putting pressure on rates for motor business, which represents about half of the markets total premium income, but increased use of telematics is supporting better claims experience and reducing fraud. Prospective performance is anticipated to benefit from insurers increased focus on profitable lines of business outside the motor market, which should contribute to maintain the sectors combined ratio at approximately 95%. A new Bests Briefing, Market Segment Outlook: Italy Non-Life states that whilst the credit fundamentals of Italian non-life insurers appear solid, the market continues to face economic and political headwinds. The banking sectors exposure to non-performing loans, which destabilised Italys financial sector in 2016, sharply decreased in 2017, but remains at an elevated level. In addition, political instability persists. As widely anticipated, general elections held on 4 March 2018 resulted in a hung parliament, with the consequence that the future government is expected to rely on a coalition of different political forces. This is unlikely to provide the political stability and leverage needed to implement the structural reforms hoped for by investors and local businesses. To access a complimentary copy of this report, please visit http://www3.ambest.com/bestweek/purchase.asp?recor. A.M. Best is the worlds oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2018 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005 PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 09:02:02 Chinese Brand Haier Secures Extraordinary Customer Loyalty in France: Three Generations of a Family in Saint-Cyr, Paris Use Haier Refrigerators Haier Group Lou Yaxi, 86 0532 88937947 louyx@haier.com On April 22nd, a post on Facebook which said "Because of a product, I fell in love with a brand. Three generations of my family fell in love with three generations of Haier refrigerators" aroused wide attention and discussion. According to Jason who created the post, his family, headed by his grandfather Andrew, a 75-year-old retired teacher, live in Saint-Cyr town, Paris. His parents are professors at Universite Paris Dauphine, and he has been working for Union Europeenne de CIC after graduating from Harvard University. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005 Three generations of a family in Saint-Cyr, Paris use Haier (Photo: Business Wire) Andrew was the first to use the Haier refrigerator, who chose it for its larger cold storage space. This refrigerator brought Jason many fond memories of childhood, and is still in normal use now. Jason studied the Haier case at Harvard University, which enabled him to better understand the Haier mode and aroused his respect for the brand. After graduation, he bought a Haier full-space fresh-keeping refrigerator for his apartment and was greatly satisfied with its powerful preservation function. Jason's parents are keen on food, and they attach great importance to the preservation of food. When Jason wanted to prepare a special gift for his parents, he considered both the hobby of his parents and the good experience of using the Haier refrigerator, and finally in April this year, he brought the latest Haier T-door refrigerator for his parents. "I have a special feeling and trust in Haier. When choosing refrigerators, Haier is my first choice," Jason said. Haier is growing fast and its products are commonly seen in the French market, so it is not surprising that it is so much embraced by the "three generations" in the Saint Cyr town. According to statistics, Haiers brand awareness in France has reached 39%, and its multi-fridge refrigerators rank first in France with a 47% market share. Although the unit price of Haier refrigerator is 1.6 times the industry average, the online growth rate has reached 4 times the industry average. In future, Haier looks to bring a better life to more people with its products. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005 Chinese brand Haier secures extraordinary customer loyalty in France: three generations of a family in Saint-Cyr, Paris use Haier refrigerators . PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 13:00:25 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for CIBT Education Group Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - CIBT Education Group Inc. (TSX:MBA). has issued a press release with the following headline:CIBT Appoints New DirectorTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on CIBT Education Group Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/CIBT Education Group Inc.Source: CIBT Education Group Inc. (TSX: MBA, OTCQX: MBAIF, ISIN: CA17163Y1025)Date: April 23, 2018Time: 7:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of CIBT Education Group Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 15:18:05 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Cielo Waste Solutions Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. (CSE:CMC). has issued a press release with the following headline:Cielo Receives Draft EPEA PermitTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Cielo Waste Solutions Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Cielo Waste Solutions Corp.Source: Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. (CSE: CMC, FWB: C36, WKN: A1W4AC, ISIN: CA17178G1046)Date: April 23, 2018Time: 9:15 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 14:03:02 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cypress Development Corp. (TSX-V:CYP) (OTCQB:CYDVF) (Frankfurt:C1Z1) ("Cypress" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has commenced trading on the OTCQB Marketplace. Cypress Developments' common shares commenced quotation on the OTCQB Venture Marketplace under the symbol CYDVF, effective at the market open on April 20th, 2018. Cypress's common shares are also quoted on the TSX Venture Exchange and the Frankfurt Exchange. OTC Markets Group Inc., located in New York, N.Y., operates the world's largest electronic interdealer quotation system for broker dealers to trade over 10,000 securities not listed on any other United States stock exchange. North American and international investors can now trade and find news, current financial disclosure, and real-time level 2 quotes for Cypress Development at the OTC website. Dr. Bill Willoughby, Cypress Development's CEO stated: "The OTCQB listing gives our shareholders another avenue for trading, which is particularly useful for those living in the United States. It should also benefit Cypress by broadening our access to capital for our project which is in the US and has the potential to become strategically important to US energy policy." About Cypress Development Corp.: Cypress Development Corp. is a publicly traded exploration company focused on developing the Company's 100%-owned Clayton Valley lithium project in the State of Nevada, U.S.A. Cypress' Dean & Glory Lithium Project is located immediately east of Albemarle's Silver Peak mine, North America's only lithium brine operation. Recent exploration by Cypress has discovered an extensive deposit of lithium-bearing claystone adjacent to the brine field. With mineralization tested by drilling over a seven-kilometer trend, the apparent size of the Dean & Glory deposit makes Clayton Valley a premier target that has the potential to impact the future of lithium production in North America. Cypress Clayton Valley, Nevada Lithium Project location map: https://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/site/assets/files/3548/cyp-clayton-topo-satalite-small.jpg Cypress Development Corp. has approx. 57.6 million shares issued and outstanding. To find out more about Cypress Development Corp. (TSX-V:CYP), visit our website at www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com. CYPRESS DEVELOPMENT CORP. "Dr. Bill Willoughby" WILLIAM WILLOUGHBY, PhD., PE Chief Executive Officer For further information contact myself or: Don Myers Cypress Development Corp. Director, Corporate Communications Telephone: 604-639-3851 Toll Free: 800-567-8181 Facsimile: 604-687-3119 Email: info@cypressdevelopmentcorp.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information. 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: Cypress Development Corp via Globenewswire PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 10:02:04 One-Click Deployment System for Hedge Funds and Mini-Primes MiFID II Compliant Trading for Equities, Futures & Options FlexTrade Launches FlexNOW Execution Management System (EMS) FlexTrade Systems, Inc. James Tolve, 516-304-3601 Cell: 516-395-0549 james.tolve@flextrade.com FlexTrade (@FlexTrade) today announced the official release of FlexNOW, an out-of-the-box, broker neutral EMS to address the needs of hedge funds and mini-primes who require a streamlined, multi-asset trading system at the click of a button. Multi-Asset, MiFID II Compliant Trading -- Designed to handle trading for equities, futures and options, FlexNOW is MiFID II compliant; provides connectivity to leading market data providers; easily integrates with any order management system (OMS) via FIX and API; and comes with its own built-in transaction cost analysis functionality. Easy Installation -- According to Rhyd Lewis, FlexNOW Product Manager at FlexTrade UK, FlexNOWs zero-touch onboarding and installation process gets clients up and running in a matter of minutes. By combining the one-click installation process with secure, online connectivity, we have greatly reduced the on-boarding lead time for customers, said Lewis. Streamlined Trading Workflows -- We developed FlexNOW based on FlexTrade's industry experience and the feedback of our clients and prospects, continued Lewis. Its this user research that helps us provide fresh updates to the platform to keep the trading workflows as effective as possible. Currently available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, FlexNOW already has more than 200 live users with firms such as Albar Capital, PSG Capital and Wesleyan Assurance Society recently joining as new clients. FlexNOWs availability across other regions of the globe will be announced in the coming months. "We chose FlexNOW based on FlexTrade's proven track record in the trading technology space, the easy installation process, and connectivity to our brokers and RMS. Overall, we find FlexNOW to be an easy-to-use EMS that allows us to focus on trading and best execution," said Chris Beton, CTO/CRO at Everett Capital Advisors. "FlexTrade is doing a great job for us," said Michael Perry, COO of Albar Capital. "Their collaborative approach and fast response time means that we regularly see the benefits of our feedback incorporated in a same-day platform update." FlexTrade will be showcasing a live demo of FlexNOW at booth 15 during TradeTech Europe at the Palais des Congres in Paris, April 25-26. To find out more about FlexNOW or to request a demo, please contact us at sales_eu@flextrade.com About FlexTrade Systems, Inc. Founded in 1996, FlexTrade Systems, Inc. is the industry pioneer in broker-neutral algorithmic trading platforms for equities, foreign exchange and listed derivatives. With offices in North America, Europe and Asia, FlexTrade has a worldwide client base spanning more than 200 buy-side and sell-side firms, including many of the largest hedge funds, asset managers, commodity trading advisors, investment banks and institutional brokers. For more information, visit FlexTrade Systems at www.flextrade.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005 FlexTrade Launches FlexNOW an out-of-the-box, broker neutral EMS to address the needs of hedge funds and mini-primes. Will demo at TradeTech Europe. PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 09:09:03 FX Blue Wins Queens Award for Enterprise: International Trade Wigwam PR for FX Blue Vanessa Green Tel: +44 (0)1483 563 562 +44 (0)771 333 2303 vanessa@wigwampr.com FX Blue, a global market leader in FinTech solutions for retail FX and CFD banks, brokers and traders, has been awarded a Queens Award for Enterprise the UKs highest accolade for business success. The award was given to FX Blue for International Trade in recognition of its substantial and sustained year on year growth in overseas sales. Over the last eight years, FX Blue has rapidly expanded its global client base and currently supplies FinTech solutions to banks and brokers in over 20 countries and free trade analytics and software services to retail traders in over 120 countries worldwide. London-headquartered FX Blue has made a material contribution to the global retail FX and CFD trading markets since its inception in 2010. Through its business-to-business division, FX Blue Labs, the firm has developed a range of multi-platform and multi-lingual Software as a Service solutions including innovative apps, widgets and trading technology services. These help banks and brokers to attract, inform, and retain clients by offering them enhanced trading functionality and access to premium data and analytics. Through FX Blue, its retail division, the organisation has developed a free portal giving retail traders access to institutional quality trade analytics and trading related software, enabling them to make better informed decisions. Jonathan Collins, co-founder and partner, comments, It is a huge honour to win this award, to be invited to Buckingham Palace and to receive such a prestigious endorsement for our business achievements. It is a testament to the hard work and commitment of the entire team. Fellow co-founder and partner, John Morris, adds, FX Blue has been profitable since our first year of trading and has grown significantly year on year, with exports now accounting for over 60% of our revenues. We have ambitious growth plans moving forward and will continue to focus on our strengths in product innovation, enabling banks, brokers and retail traders worldwide to access institutional quality tools, data and analytics. Collins and Morris, both with backgrounds in financial services in the City, set up FX Blue after spotting a gap in the market for expertise in retail foreign exchange technologies. Without any external funding, they have grown FX Blue into one of the most successful FinTech companies in the global retail FX sector. The company employs a small team of UK-based specialists and is best known for innovation, flexibility, reliability and excellent customer service. The Queens Awards for outstanding business achievement in the fields of International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development are made annually by HM The Queen. They are only given for the highest levels of excellence demonstrated in each category. Winners of The Queens Awards are invited to attend a special reception at Buckingham Palace. They can also use The Queens Award Emblem in advertising and marketing for a period of five years as a symbol of their quality and success. For further information about FX Blue, visit www.fxbluelabs.com and www.fxblue.com For further information about The Queens Awards, visit www.queensawards.org.uk View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005 London FinTech company FX Blue has been awarded a Queens Award for Enterprise for International Trade #QueensAwards #FinTech PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 14:04:01 TORONTO, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gratomic Inc. ("GRAT" or the "Company") (TSX-V:GRAT) (FRANKFURT:CB81) (WKN:A2JAP3). Gratomic Inc., is pleased to announce that the Company has signed a letter of collaboration ("Agreement") with Perpetuus Carbon Technologies Limited ("Perpetuus") pursuant to which GRAT and Perpetuus will develop and market material enhancing graphite derived graphenes and graphene hybrids for tire elastomers, whilst also exploring options to exploit polymer composites, energy capture and storage applications markets ("Project"). The Agreement contemplates the first Phase of the Project ("Phase 1"), with the other phases to be described in a joint venture agreement to be entered into between GRAT and Perpetuus. Pursuant to the Agreement, and as part of Phase 1, GRAT will purchase, and retain ownership, of three specialised process tooling chambers at an aggregate cost of 300,000 British Pounds. These specialized tooling chambers will be housed in Perpetuus' existing facility in the United Kingdom. In addition to housing the specialized tooling chambers Perpetuus will contribute its Patented Project specific intellectual property, designed perfected and engineered by Perpetuus. In addition Perpetuus will also manage and maintain the specialized tooling chambers. The Agreement contemplates the supply of Graphite from the Aukam Graphite mine in Namibia. GRAT and Perpetuus will share equally all proceeds of sales after deductions of operating costs and Product purchasing costs. Gratomic's Chairman and CO-CEO Sheldon Inwentash stated: I am extremely pleased to announce that the Gratomic Perpetuus agreement completes the first stage of the Gratomic strategic plan to establish the first vertically integrated Graphite to Graphene to mass market product. Ian Walters Director - Perpetuus Carbon Technologies Limited stated: On road trials in the UK it has been duly established that the extra ordinary properties of the Gratomic Aukam Graphite derived graphenes provide enhancing properties for tire elastomer tread formulations. These conclusions are scientifically evidenced and duly recorded by the fact that the graphene enhanced tire tread significantly out performs a comparative size but more expensive premier branded Tire. We can only conclude that the Gratomic Tire due to be launched later this year is well placed to revolutionise the commercial Tire market and establish the first Graphite mine to commercial exploitation "vertical" for graphenes derived from mined graphite. About Gratomic Inc. Gratomic Inc. is an advanced materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products most notably high value graphene based components for a range of mass market products. For more information: visit the website at www.gratomic.ca or contact: Arno Brand, Co-CEO +1 416-561-4095 abrand@gratomic.ca "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." FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.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: Gratomic via Globenewswire Inspired by Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and produced through Emorys Screen Stages collaboration, Fran K. wrestles with what makes a monster. It premieres April 29 on campus. Emory Photo/Video Screen Stages presents the premiere of Fran K. Sunday, April 29, 2 p.m. White Hall, Room 208 Includes a panel discussion, Q&A and reception. Tickets are free, but reservations are requested. Reserve tickets here. Emorys Briarcliff property is one of Atlantas most sought-after locations for film and television production in the citys newest booming industry, so the hustle and bustle of yet another film shoot in late March was not unusual. But this was not your typical Hollywood production. During the universitys spring break, a crew of Emory students, alumni, faculty and staff, alongside local film and television professionals, descended on Briarcliffs ominous-looking Building A to film the sci-fi morality tale Fran K. Working under the production moniker of Screen Stages, the shoot was an unprecedented collaboration between Theater Emory, Emory Colleges Department of Film and Media Studies and the Theater Studies Program. The production was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students to work on a film that was both a learning environment and a fully professional set where expectations were high and the hours long. The purpose of this exciting collaboration was for students, faculty and professionals to engage on an original film project at a high level, says Brent Glenn, artistic director for Theater Emory. This type of interdisciplinary work is invaluable in terms of its ability to reach and impact both members of the Emory community and the greater Atlanta community. Directed by Rob Barracano, professor and director of production in Emorys Department of Film and Media Studies, Fran K. is a short film co-written by Barracano and Frank Rinaldi. It stars Atlanta actors Anissa Matlock and Cuyle Carvin, as well as Michael Ironside, known for his work as a villain in many films including Total Recall and Top Gun. Inspired by Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, and created in part for Emorys university-wide celebration of the 200th anniversary of Shelleys seminal work, Fran K. is a contemporary reimagining that wrestles with questions of ethics in science and what does and does not make a person a monster. The idea to take on such an immense project initially grew out of a class collaboration, says Lisa Paulsen, chair of Theater Studies. We now offer Narrative Filmmaking and Acting for Camera courses at the same time, which allows students to work together for their final course projects as well as in weekly shared labs, she says. It underscores Emorys distinction as a university that is innovative in cross-disciplinary collaboration. Hands-on experience for students On one of the final nights of shooting, the set had all the markings of one of Atlantas many film shoots. The first floor of Building A served as basecamp for production, complete with junk-food laden craft service tables and work spaces covered with computers and call sheets everything necessary for wrangling a crew of more than 50 people. (Building A has been featured on screen before, most notably as the site for the Hawkins National Laboratory in the Netflix hit Stranger Things). Further within the building, Emory students with headsets moved between basecamp and various rooms converted into strikingly realistic sets: a jail, a laboratory, a bedroom. Rob was very clear about it being a learning set, says Emily Diaz 19C, a film and media studies major from Lilburn, Georgia. He would encourage us to ask questions throughout the process. I really appreciated being able to ask the director of photography, Sidarth Kantamneni, questions about the camera and such. Thats something you arent allowed to do on most sets. The 20 students serving as interns merged seamlessly with the professional crew, including five Emory alums. I was very nervous about how our interns would perform on a professional set, which is highly disciplined with long hours and a strict hierarchy, says Barracano. Even in the first hours of the shoot, with walkie-talkies on, in view and out of the path of chaos, our Emory interns were terrific! Some of them were even spontaneously offered more film work by crew members at the end of the shoot. Student interns witnessed the massive organizational effort behind film production, moving from location to location to get all the necessary shots. In addition to the Briarcliff property, Emorys Visual Arts Building (where students helped build a set mimicking a residential hallway) and a local convenience store served as filming locations. Working on Fran K. was the first time I was ever on set behind the camera, says Alisa Yan 21C, a film and media studies major from Rockville, Maryland. It was a great look into what set life is like professionally and really cemented in my mind that I want to work on set as a career outside of class and after college. Seeing collaboration come alive Students were even brought in on the creative process by Barracano and production designer Sara Culpepper, a lecturer in Emorys Theater Studies department and resident scenic artist with Theater Emory. Alivia Burdette 19C, a theater major from Hampstead, Maryland, served as an art department production assistant on set. I was able to be involved with the dressing of sets and flying props in when they were needed during filming, says Burdette. The best part of the experience was being able to have hands-on experience with a real set and then see everyones collaboration come alive on a monitor. Students were also involved in helping shape the script. Im particularly interested in writing and directing, and luckily Rob was very open, says Diaz. He allowed us to give him constructive commentary on the script and would really take our comments into consideration. Also, Michael Ironside is a writer himself and gave me a lot of valuable writing advice that really inspired me to keep working hard. Professional film sets are famous for their grueling schedules and rigorous work environments, a fact that worries Barracano when imagining a future for the young filmmakers he instructs at Emory. This new generation of filmmakers working made me concerned about our industrys culture of long hours, says Barracano. What I have been proud of doing in the past, I actually worried about for the students. The Emory students working on set took the long hours in stride, reveling in the experience. One of my greatest joys on the shoot was seeing how intensely focused and happy our students were, says Barracano. There were a lot of smiles. My favorite moment when working on set was the last day, adds Yan. We had worked from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and had just finished wrapping, breaking down and packing everything into the truck when the sun started rising it was so bittersweet, saying good-bye to everyone and leaving the crew for the last time while the sun rose behind us and the birds started singing. Fran K. was made possible with funding from Theater Emory, Emory Film and Media Studies, and Friends of Film and Media Studies. Michael Ironsides residency was funded with additional support from the Donna and Marvin Schwartz Foundation Artist-in-Residence Program. Screen Stages, a collaboration between Theater Emory and Emorys Film and Media Studies, presents the premiere of Fran K., Sunday, April 29, at 2 p.m. in White Hall 208 on the Emory University campus. The screening is free and open to the public and will be followed by a panel discussion, Q&A and reception. PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 18:06:28 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for GreenBank Capital Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, Ontario (FSCWire) - GreenBank Capital Inc. (CSE:GBC). has issued a press release with the following headline:GreenBank Comments on Minfocus ReleaseTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on GreenBank Capital Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/GreenBank Capital Inc.Source: GreenBank Capital Inc. (CSE: GBC, OTC Pink: GRNBF, FWB: 2TL, WKN: A1W8UJ, ISIN: CA3935762029)Date: April 23, 2018Time: 12:04 PM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of GreenBank Capital Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 13:27:02 HitGen Announces Research Collaboration and License Agreement with Simcere HitGen Ltd. Dr. Jin Li, +86 28 85197385, Ext. 8001 Chairman & CEO Simcere Pharmaceutical Group (Simcere) and HitGen Ltd (HitGen) announced today that they have entered into a license agreement on innovative drug discovery. Based on the multi-year research collaboration agreement previously signed between two parties, HitGen has identified several novel and active small molecule leads by using its leading technology platform. This involved screening vast DNA encoded libraries, containing hundreds of billions of small molecules with drug-like properties synthesized on chemically diverse scaffolds. According to the license agreement, the leads are licensed exclusively to Simcere, who will carry out the subsequent development and commercialization work. HitGen is eligible for milestone payments based on the progress. This collaboration has accelerated early drug development, said Dr. Hua Mu, Chief Scientific Officer and R&D president of Simcere. Leveraging HitGens powerful technology platform, Simceres drug development experience and strong commercial presence in China, we hope to bring better medicines to Chinese patients. We are delighted to partner with such an innovative company like Simcere, said Dr. Jin Li, Chairman & CEO of HitGen Ltd. The R&D strategy of Simcere is to develop first-in-class small molecule drugs and this matches well with the value of our DEL technology platform. We will work closely with Simcere scientists on drug discovery programme to address unmet medical needs. About Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Simcere is a research and development-driven Chinese pharmaceutical company who owns a State Key Lab of Translational Medicine and Innovative Drug Development. Simcere is committed to bringing high quality and more effective therapies to patients by combining in house R&D with partnerships. Simcere focuses its efforts on therapeutic areas of oncology, neurology, inflammation/immunology, cardiovascular and infectious diseases. By leveraging partnering experience with multinational pharmaceutical companies and innovative biotech companies, Simcere continues to advance international medical scientific achievements transformation and create value for partners in China. For more information, please visit www.simcere.com. About HitGen Ltd. HitGen is a biotechnology company with headquarters and main research facilities based in Chengdu, China and with offices in the USA. HitGen has established a platform for small molecule discovery centred around DNA encoded chemical libraries (DELs). HitGens DELs contain more than 150 billion novel, diverse, drug-like small molecule and macrocyclic compounds. These compounds are members of DELs synthesized from many hundreds of distinct chemical scaffolds, designed with tractable chemistry, and yielding proven results for the discovery of small molecule leads against precedented and unprecedented classes of biological targets. HitGen is collaborating with over 40 pharmaceutical, biotech, and chemical companies and research institutes in Asia, North America and Europe to discover and develop approaches for novel medicines and agrochemical solutions. For more information, please visit www.hitgen.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005 Immune inhibitors are associated with haemophilia and inhibitors are antibodies developed in haemophilia patients. Immune Anti-Inhibitor Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 15:22:28 Press Information Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Seattle, WA 98154 Mr. Shah CEO 2067016702 email https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ # 893 Words 1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154CEO2067016702 Immune inhibitors are associated with haemophilia and inhibitors are antibodies developed in haemophilia patients. Haemophilia is a hereditary bleeding disorder, which occurs due to deficiency or absence of clotting factor VIII (haemophilia A) or clotting factor IX (haemophilia B). Although classification is not limited to the type of deficient clotting factor, it can be classified according to amount of clotting factor present as well. For instance, depending on factor VIII levels in patients with haemophilia A, it can be classified as mild haemophilia (5-25% of normal values), moderate haemophilia (1-5% of normal values), and severe haemophiliaImmune system of haemophilia patients produces antibodies called as inhibitors, which acts against the administered therapy. Haemophilia patients are administered either plasma-derived or recombinant replacement blood factor concentrates as medication therapy, which help in blood clotting. However, the inhibitors falsely target replacement factor concentrates as a foreign substance. These antibodies are developed after the patient has been administered with blood factor FVIII concentrate. Inhibitors act after 10 to 20 days of first exposure to factor replacement therapy. Most of these inhibitors remain in the blood for short time and disappear without treatment. However, more persistent inhibitors is a serious adverse event with respect to treatment of Haemophilia A. Commercially available anti-inhibitor coagulant complex includes FEIBA and FEIBA VH Immuno.Request Sample Copy Of This Report: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/1519 Immune Anti-Inhibitor Market DriversAccording to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2016, an estimated 1 in 5 people with haemophilia A and about 3 in 100 people with haemophilia B develop inhibitors (antibodies). Moreover, patients suffering from Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) type 3 are also at a risk of developing inhibitors. According to National Haemophilia Foundation (NHF), haemophilia A occurs in 1 in 5,000 people and is four times as common as haemophilia B, which supports growth of the immune anti-inhibitors market. Ongoing research and development of different therapies for haemophilia with inhibitors are expected to boost growth of the global immune anti-inhibitor market. For instance, Roche is working on monoclonal antibodies for treatment of haemophilia with inhibitors. In June 2017, Roches emicizumab (Hemlibra) showed positive results in Phase III studies in haemophilia A with inhibitors. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved Emicizumab (Hemlibra) once weekly subcutaneous therapy for haemophilia A with inhibitors in September 2017. Emicizumab is a monoclonal antibody designed to facilitate blood clotting process by combining factors IXa and X. Moreover, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is examining the etiology of the haemophilia with inhibitors, which could help in development of novel therapies to boost growth of the immune anti-inhibitor market. Pipeline for haemophilia with inhibitors is also promising as few of the manufacturers are working on novel therapies for the condition. One such organization Catalyst Biosciences has a Factor VIIa marzeptacog alfa (activated) in the clinical trials for haemophilia A or B with inhibitors. Moreover, Bioverativ Inc., a Sanofi S. A.'s subsidiary has FVIIIa mimetic bispecific antibody under studies for haemophilia A with inhibitors. Multiple products are pipeline which are expected to receive approval over the forecast period, this in turn is projected to boost growth of the immune anti-inhibitor market over the forecast period.Immune Anti-Inhibitor Market InsightsGovernment organizations and agencies are engaged in providing support to patients suffering from haemophilia with inhibitors by increasing the awareness of the disease. For instance, the National Haemophilia Foundation (NHF) Inhibitor Education Summits help in spreading awareness and information about the disease condition. Moreover, the Haemophilia Federation of Americas Helping Hands Program offers financial assistance to financially unstable population for attending national and state bleeding disorder educational meetings; travel for necessary medical procedures, surgeries and second opinions; and tutoring or education-related expenses.Researchers are working on analyzing the risks associated with use of replacement factors, as in which replacement factors are more prone to facilitate development of antibodies. For instance, World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH) announced results from study published in journal Blood in 2014, which demonstrated higher incidence of inhibitor development after treatment with Kogenate FS/Bayer/Helixate NexGen replacement factor. The World Federation of Haemophilia has requested the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the European Medicine Agency (EMA) to examine the data. Such studies are expected to reduce the instances of haemophilia with antibodies. Furthermore, therapies such as Immune Tolerance Induction (ITI) which involve continuous treatment with replacement factors till they are no longer considered as foreign bodies by inhibitors are expected to restrain the growth of the market.Key players operating in global immune anti-inhibitor market include Shire Plc, Baxter International, Inc, F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd., Novo Nordisk A/S, and CSL Behring.Request for Table of Contents @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/1519 Immune Anti-Inhibitor Market Taxonomy-The global immune anti-inhibitor market is segmented on the basis of product type, distribution channel, and geography.By Product Type- Recombinant, Plasma-Derived, Others,.By Distribution Channel- Hospital Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies,.By Geography- North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, Africa,.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 our news Website: http://www.coherentchronicle.com PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 14:59:25 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for West African Resources Ltd--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Scarborough, Australia (FSCWire) - West African Resources Ltd (TSX Venture:WAF). has issued a press release with the following headline:M1 South Wide Open at Depth, Deepest Hole Drilled Returns 11m at 10.5 g/t and 6m at 24.4 g/t AuTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on West African Resources Ltd, or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/West African Resources LtdSource: West African Resources Ltd (TSX Venture: WAF, OTC Bulletin Board: WFRSF, WKN: A1CZBT, ISIN: AU000WAF6)Date: April 23, 2018Time: 8:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of West African Resources Ltd and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 16:02:02 New Indication Expands DCB Treatment for Patients with SFA Lesions Up to 360mm DUBLIN - April 23, 2018 - Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) today announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the IN.PACT(TM) Admiral(TM) Drug-Coated Balloon (DCB) to treat long superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions up to 360mm in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Approval was based on clinical data from the complex lesion imaging cohorts of the IN.PACT Global Study, including long lesion, in-stent restenosis, and chronic total occlusion (CTO) groups with lesion lengths >180mm. Across these groups, a total of 227 subjects with mean lesion lengths of 28.7 7.1 cm were analyzed. Data showed a one-year patency rate of 89.1 percent by Kaplan Meier estimate at day 360, and a clinically-driven target revascularization (CD-TLR) rate of 7.1 percent. "Data from the IN.PACT Global Study demonstrate that IN.PACT Admiral DCB is a safe and effective treatment option in real-world patients with lesions beyond 180 mm, frequently comprised of in-stent restenosis and chronic total occlusions," said Daniel Clair, M.D., chair of the Department of Surgery for University of South Carolina (USC) and the Palmetto Health-USC Medical Group. "More specifically, these results show maintenance of strong clinical outcomes, including a high primary patency rate and limited need for reintervention in patients exhibiting these complex, long lesions - among the most prevalent cases we see. The FDA's approval of this expanded indication now offers U.S. physicians a clinically-proven endovascular therapy to address this critical patient need." PAD is a serious, chronic condition that affects more than 200 million people worldwide.1 In PAD, arteries in the legs become narrowed or blocked by plaque. This narrowing of the blood vessel reduces blood flow to the leg, which can result in severe pain and limit physical mobility.2 Complex lesions, including those over 150mm, remain a significant treatment challenge for physicians. "In conversations with physicians, a key clinical challenge raised is the ability to provide a sustainable treatment option for longer length, complex lesions. With this approval, IN.PACT Admiral is now indicated to treat the longest lesions of any commercially-available DCB or peripheral stent in the U.S., providing physicians with additional confidence in using this DCB as part of their treatment algorithm," said Mark Pacyna, vice president and general manager of the Peripheral business, which is part of the Aortic & Peripheral Vascular division at Medtronic. "In partnership with the clinical community, we look forward to continued collaboration as we work to address additional treatment challenges in PAD with this device." About IN.PACT Admiral Drug-Coated Balloon The IN.PACT Admiral drug-coated balloon is a clinically-proven, cost-effective primary endovascular therapy that enables physicians to treat claudication and restenosis for patients with superficial femoral artery (SFA) disease. It was the first DCB to have received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of in-stent restenosis. The DCB's primary mode of action is physical dilatation of the vessel lumen by PTA, and the proven paclitaxel drug, with a unique dose and excipient, is intended to prevent artery narrowing by minimizing scar tissue formation. IN.PACT Admiral received the CE (Conformite Europeene) Mark in March 2009 to treat PAD and was approved by the FDA in December 2014 to treat superficial femoral and popliteal arteries. It has been studied in more than 20 individual clinical trials demonstrating durable safety and clinical benefits. To date, more than 200,000 patients have been treated with IN.PACT Admiral. It is the only DCB to have published three-year data and the first to have presented four-year data from a pivotal randomized trial. In collaboration with leading clinicians, researchers, and scientists worldwide, Medtronic offers the broadest range of innovative medical technology for the interventional and surgical treatment of cardiovascular disease and cardiac arrhythmias. The company strives to offer products and services of the highest quality that deliver clinical and economic value to healthcare consumers and providers around the world. About Medtronic Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world's largest medical technology, services and solutions companies - alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic employs more than 84,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals and patients in approximately 160 countries. The company is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare Further, Together. Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results. -end- 1 Fowkes, F. G., et al. (2013). Lancet 382(9901): 1329-1340. 2 Roberts, D., et al. (2014). Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 84(2): 236-244. 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: Medtronic plc via Globenewswire PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 11:03:01 KINGS LYNN, United Kingdom, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Keith and Paula Boyce are husband and wife franchise owners of their Minuteman Press design, marketing, and printing franchise located at 12 Campbells Business Park in Campbells Meadow, Kings Lynn. Their brand new business location is a state-of-the-art 10,000 sq. ft. facility that enables Keith, Paula, and their team to meet the needs of today's modern business professionals in the UK. Keith says, "In 2017, it became obvious that we needed more space as part of our plan to double the size of the business over the next 3 years. We purchased and fitted out the brand new building and we obtained a BEE Energy Grant to develop an energy-efficient carbon reduction programme. Our hope is that within 5 years we can become totally energy self-sufficient." He adds, "We have now relocated to the new 10,000 sq. ft. building in Campbells Meadow, and we installed a Xerox iGen 5 Press which complements our existing Xerox 1000 and D110 presses. All of this helps us improve work flow and better serve our customers." On that point, Keith explains, "Our sales come from typical Minuteman Press hunting grounds - marketing, Internet marketing, networking, and customer referrals. We've developed a reputation locally for same-day delivery on our complete range of printed products, and 99% of our printed material products are manufactured in house. Building our service and delivery promise is key to our future growth, whilst doing everything we can to remain highly competitive." He continues, "This move along with our upgrades shows that we're investing significantly in greater automation between web, press, and finishing. We are also developing our fulfilment service as one of our key offerings as we grow our e-commerce and direct mail orders, as well as the product range we now supply directly to Amazon." For Minuteman Press in Kings Lynn, other keys to future growth are expanding their promotional products business and maintaining key relationships with business partners that are in place thanks to being part of the Minuteman Press International network of franchisees. Keith says, "We have just negotiated the acquisition of an apparel promotional gift company, which will be absorbed into our Minuteman Press franchise over the next 6 months. This will be our second acquisition on the promotional products side, having purchased a promotional gift company in 2017." He adds, "We will look to further strengthen our relationships with key partners, namely Xerox, Antalis, Duplo, and of course Minuteman Press International, all of whom have played a part in our success story to date. As the need for change accelerates, through web presence, automation, and Innovation, our partners will remain at the heart of what we need to do if we are going to retain our presence in a rapidly changing dynamic market place." Minuteman Press International remains at the forefront of the printing industry as forward-thinking leaders with a tried and proven system, high-level brand recognition, and strong core values. Why Open a Minuteman Press Franchise in the United Kingdom? Kings Lynn is a small historic town in England with a population of 50,000. Keith says, "We opened our center in December 2004 after attending Minuteman Press training school in October. The business is owned by me and my wife Paula. Today, we employ seven people with an eighth staff member being added shortly, and our team is a mixture of graduates and time-served apprentices." Keith Boyce worked in the print industry on the production side. As production director for a commercial lithographic and digital printing company, Keith knew about the industry but did not know how to go about running his own business. "In 2004, I was seeking a new challenge," says Boyce. "Both Paula and I wanted to pursue the challenge of running our own business. We felt that a franchise business would be good for us as we both had little experience with direct selling or marketing." When they made the decision to own a franchise, Keith decided to stick with an industry he was familiar with. He and Paula came across Minuteman Press at a local franchise exhibition. Keith recalls, "The Minuteman Press franchise team gave some compelling reasons to select Minuteman over other UK print franchises. The primary reason for selection was the ability of Minuteman Press to fast track us into a market place that we both knew little about. I understood the manufacturing process, but not the market place dynamics." With Minuteman Press, Keith and Paula were able to find that combination of support and flexibility that they were looking for: "Support was important to us early on but not the key reason. We needed to own a business that we could make our own, that comfort of knowing help was available if we needed it but also a partner that would allow us to make the business what we wanted it to be." "Today," he continues, "99% of the products we sell are made in-house, and the business works hard to maintain the highest level of customer service. We strive for a lead time of less than 24 hours on all jobs and this has been only possible with the support of our key partners. Our workflow is highly automated, and this year we will have introduced complete automation from web to finished product." "Keith and Paula Boyce have built a tremendous presence in Kings Lynn and I congratulate them on their move to their incredible new building in Campbells Meadow," says Mark Jones, UK South area manager for Minuteman Press International. He adds, "They've worked hard, followed the Minuteman Press franchise business model, and have really taken to heart the idea of providing the highest levels of quality and customer service." Getting Involved and Giving Back Aside from helping businesses in Kings Lynn and surrounding areas grow their businesses, from day one Keith Boyce had fully embraced the idea of networking and making a positive impact in the community: "I was advised at Minuteman Press training school that we join networking groups, and so I joined our local Rotary club. In 2016, I became President of Kings Lynn Rotary Club, and during that year we raised over 43,000 for various local and international causes." Advice for Others To Keith Boyce, Minuteman Press may have been the perfect fit because of the high levels of quality and service that the brand is known for worldwide. His advice for other business owners is very much in line with the core values that Minuteman was built upon: "Employ quality staff and then keep them. Then keep everyone focused on delivering quality products backed up by exceptional customer service." Keith and Paula Boyce's Minuteman Press franchise is located at 12 Campbells Business Park, Campbells Meadow, Kings Lynn, PE30 4YR, UK. For more information, call 01553 661103, email kingslynn@minutemanpress.com, or visit their website: www.kl.minutemanpress.com. About Minuteman Press International Minuteman Press International is the number one rated business marketing and printing franchise that offers world class training and unparalleled ongoing local support. Started in 1973 by Roy Titus and his son Bob, Minuteman Press began franchising in 1975 and has grown to nearly 1,000 business service franchise locations worldwide including the U.S., Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Minuteman Press is ranked #1 in category by Entrepreneur 26 times and 15 years in a row, including 2018. Franchise Business Review has awarded Minuteman Press International as a Top Franchise in 2018 and a Top B2B Franchise in 2017 thanks to positive reviews from our owners. At Minuteman Press, We Are The Modern Printing Industry(TM) providing high quality products and services that meet the needs of today's business professionals and go way beyond ink on paper. Today, our centers offer innovative branding solutions and produce custom designs, promotional products, branded apparel, direct mail marketing, large format printing (banners and posters), signs and graphics, and much more. Prior experience is not necessary to own and operate a successful Minuteman Press franchise. To learn about Minuteman Press UK print franchise opportunities and access UK owner testimonials and Minuteman Press franchise reviews, visit http://bit.ly/minuteman-uk or call 0800 756 6332 for more information. Contact: Minuteman Press International UK Print Franchise Opportunities, 0800 756 6332 http://bit.ly/minuteman-uk or Media: Chris Biscuiti, 631-249-1370, ext. 249 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/9c239792-76ee-445c-a326-5fb931c68890. PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 10:04:01 Fashion leads in UK brand love with Nike coming out on top followed by Adidas and Gucci NetBase Report Reveals United Kingdoms Most Loved Brands MSLGROUP Mark McClennan or Maddie Brosler, 781-684-0770 netbase@mslgroup.com NetBase, a global leader in enterprise social analytics, today released its Brand Passion Report 2018: Top Loved United Kingdom Brands. The report leveraged NetBases social analytics technology to examine six key British industries in social media mentions, ranking the most loved brands in Fashion, Technology, Beauty, Automotive, Luxury and Food and Beverage. Understanding consumer preferences is about more than measuring the volume of social content or sentiment, its also about the intensity of passion and feeling behind consumers posts. Fashion companies continue to dominate as the most loved brands in the UK, but what fascinates us is the continued support for the heritage British luxury brands Burberry, Harrods and Ettinger, respectively coming in as the 4, 5 and 6 luxury brands with the term love standing out, said Paige Leidig, chief marketing officer at NetBase. The brands are a good mix of young and mature companies and positive movement can be attributed to brands making strong connections with their customers and launching innovative social campaigns. The Top 10 Most Loved Global Brands Nike (1) Adidas (2) Gucci (3) Sephora (4) Google (5) Apple (6) MAC (7) Louis Vuitton (8) Zara (9) Ford (10) When it comes to brand love there is a big difference between like and love and NetBases advanced technology can measure the strongest emotions shared about brands. Brands that know how their customers feel can cultivate strong relationships to set a foundation for future brand growth. This insight is invaluable as the more passion for the brand, the less the consumer relies on price as the deciding factor. The NetBase Brand Passion Report 2018 is based on brand conversations including over 64 million earned mentions across social networks, review sites, blogs, forums and news sites worldwide. Fashion evokes the most love with three brands in the top 10. Luxury, Beauty and Technology split a three-way tie, each representing two brands in the top 10. Additional Findings from the Report Include: Nikes (1) overall brand love can be attributed in part to their recent commercial presenting their first sports hijab for female Muslim athletes stimulating ample social media engagement for Nike. Image and video posts benefit brand love and engagement, also lifting paid-to-earned media ratios for tech brands. Apples (6) image spend creates a significant lift in engagement in the analysis. Sephora (4) captured an overwhelming 74% of brand love, compared to MAC Cosmetics, in second place with 20% brand love. Among the top six automotive brands, Ford (10) enjoys the highest correlation of brand love to image posts and engagements. Zara (9) has relatively few negative brand love mentions compared to the other fashion brands, a mere 608 negative mentions in a total of 1,137,736 mentions. According to nutrition experts, given the epidemic proportions highly-processed foods have reached in the UK, brand love for confections and snacks runs high, with established brands like Cadbury Chocolates (23), Nutella (24), McVities (31) and Haribo (35). The most popular brands by category are: Fashion Nike (1) and Adidas (2) Technology Google (5) and Apple (6) Beauty Sephora (4) and MAC (7) Automotive Ford (10) and Mercedes-Benz (15) Luxury Gucci (3) and Louis Vuitton (8) Food & Beverage Cadbury (23) and Nutella (24) Methodology The NetBase Brand Passion Report 2018: Top Loved United Kingdom Brands is designed to measure the top loved brands in six key British industries. The report includes over 64 million posts of earned mentions and is based on brand conversations across the social web inclusive of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and millions of other sources during the one-year period from January 2017 through December 2017. Using NetBases patented technology, the report measures the strongest consumer emotions towards a brand. The NetBase Brand Passion Report 2018: Top Loved United Kingdom Brands can be downloaded here. More Details Revealed at NetBase LIVE London May 9-10th Conference More details about the Love List will be revealed at NetBase LIVE London May 9-10th, UK 2018, the most important social analytics event of the year. The two-day conference will feature leading social media experts, analysts and senior industry executives sharing the latest success stories and demonstrating how social analytics is transforming businesses, driving smart business decisions and moving social analytics beyond listening to deliver real business outcomes. NetBase LIVE London will be held at The Brewery, 52 Chiswell Street, London. Two-day conference passes are still available online. To see the full agenda and additional conference details, visit https://www.netbaselive.com/london. About NetBase NetBase is the award-winning social analytics platform that global companies use to run brands, build businesses, and connect with consumers every second. Its platform processes millions of social media posts daily for actionable business insights for marketing, research, customer service, sales, PR, and product innovation. NetBase is a trusted partner to American Airlines, Arbys, Coca-Cola, Ogilvy, T-Mobile, Universal Music Group, Walmart, and YUM! Brands. Learn more at www.netbase.com or @NetBase. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423005 NetBase released its Brand Passion Report 2018 examining six key British industries in social media mentions, ranking the most loved brands in Fashion, Technology, Beauty, Automotive, Luxury and Food and Beverage. PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 22:41:01 TORONTO, April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nitinat Minerals Corp. (the "Company") (TSXV:NZZ) (Frankfurt:04U1) is pleased to announce that the work on its 100% owned Carscallen Property is underway and is going as planned. The Corporation will be providing details on an ongoing basis as the work progresses and details become available. The Corporations is also pleased to announce the initiation of a work program on its 100% owned Jasper Property which is located inland from the western shore of Vancouver Island, B.C., roughly 80 kilometers Northwest of Victoria, lying in the area of Nitinat Creek and Lake and is accessed by logging roads coming in from the North. The Jasper Property consists of the Jas 3 legacy mineral claim and eight unnamed cell mineral claims that together comprise nine contiguous claims that cover 3978 hectares. The Jasper Property is 100% owned and operated by the Company. The Highly Visible mineralized showings on the Jasper claims lie in a rugged forested area accessible by logging roads. The item of significance which set the claim area apart is that, when cuts were being made for the logging roads, significant showings of copper sulfide mineralized rocks occurred. The Company will be proceeding with a work program immediately and has contacted professionals to provide modeling and 3D inversion of the airborne magnetic and electromagnetic data was completed for a portion of the Jasper Property. Also, magnetic inversion established low susceptibility bodies coincident with polymetallic MINFILE occurrences surrounded by narrow, vertical high susceptibility pipes. Electromagnetic inversion established a 2 layer resistivity model - thick high resistivity layer from surface to 300-600 m. depth overlying a thin, sub-horizontal to undulating low resistivity (high conductivity) layer. The deep high conductivity layer could represent a sedimentary, replacement, epithermal or metallic sulphide horizon, and has never been tested by drilling. Two to four deep (750 m.) diamond drill holes are proposed to test the sub-horizontal conductive layer where it is coincident with the area of low magnetic susceptibility and underlies copper-zinc+/-lead-silver-gold soil geochemical anomalies and 14 of 15 known polymetallic mineral occurrences. Also, downhole EM surveys will be included as part of the drilling program. Prior to the drilling program, a property-wide isopach map of the conductive horizon will be generated by a qualified and experienced geophysicist to better interpret the lateral extent, depth and varying thickness of that horizon. "The Corporation is highly pleased with the progress on both properties." Says Herb Brugh, President of the Company. "We are looking forward to getting the work done as quickly as possible and to a great drilling season". The Qualified Person for the Carscallen Property is John A. Gould, B.Sc. University of the Witwatersrand (Geology, Physics and Chemistry) Potchefstroom University of Higher Christian Education: BSc (Hons) (Geology) SACNASP Registration: 400022/10. The Qualified Person for the Jasper Property is Jacques Houle, B.A.Sc., University of Toronto - Geological Engineering - Min. Ex. Option P.Eng. since 1989 Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. Corporation contact: Herb Brugh, President and Director Tel: 416.216.0964 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "anticipated", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Nitinat is subject to significant risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward looking statements contained in this release. Nitinat cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements and Nitinat assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect actual events or new circumstances. Three photos accompanying this announcement are available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/b591cc3a-393e-498e-80e7-d9ced695bd8e http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/ea967a1d-c95c-4265-9482-db5372b826bd http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/671e92b5-bf62-4cdc-82f9-d354ecf1f1a9 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: Nitinat Minerals Corp. via Globenewswire PPMS and SPMS: Epidemiology and Market Forecasts to 2030 reports cover in depth disease insights, epidemiology overview and markets and drug forecasts country wise till 2030 Pharmascroll Research and Consulting Private Limited PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 07:21:51 Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder that happens in the Central nervous system of the body. Multiple Sclerosis involves the brain, optic nerves and the spinal cord and leads to the destruction of the insulation layer, Myelin, which covers the nerve fibers in the CNS.SPMS: Epidemiology and Market Forecasts to 2030SPMS is characterized by a continuous increase in disability and worsening of symptoms with or without the period of relapses and remissions. As per the latest report by Pharmascroll, SPMS- A Detailed Overview, nearly 50% of RRMS patients progress to SPMS in a 10 year time period. In SPMS, the patients might not have relapses at all but the symptoms may not completely go off (plateau) in the remission period.The report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical & forecasted epidemiology of Secondary Progressive MS in the US, EU5, and Japan and the historical & forecasted market size of SPMS drug wise in $ sales and patient numbers at global level and in the US, EU5 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK), Australia and Canada till 2030.Drugs covered:LaquinimodLemtradaMasitinibOcrelizumabTysabriSiponimodZinbrytaMitoxantroneSPMS Epidemiology:As per the report, SPMS is prevalent in around 30% of the MS patients and around 50% of RRMS patients move on to progress to the SPMS stage in a span of around 10 years and around 85% of the patients progress to SPMS stage in the span of 15-20 years. The report provides the overview of SPMS diagnosed prevalent and treated patients in the US, EU5 and Japan markets year wise starting from 2015 till 2024.Market Forecast in $ Sales and Patient numbers:The report forecasts that the SPMS market is projected to reach over $3 Bn by 2022 primarily due to the uptake of key molecules including Siponimod and Ocrevus in SPMS.The report provides sales and patient numbers forecast for the overall SPMS market and drug wise forecasts from 2015 till 2030 at Global level and in the US, EU5, Australia and Canada markets.The report can be checked at https://pharmascroll.com/product/spms-detailed-overview/ PPMS: Epidemiology and Market Forecasts to 2030Primary progressive multiple sclerosis is primarily characterized by progression of disease activity and the disability amongst the patients. As per the latest report by Pharmascroll, PPMS- A Detailed Overview, nearly 10-15% of the multiple sclerosis patients are Primary Progressive MS patients. The Primary Progressive MS patients might have an active or non-active progression of disease.This report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical & forecasted epidemiology of Primary Progressive MS in the US, EU5, and Japan and the historical & forecasted market size of PPMS drug wise in $ sales and patient numbers at global level and in the US, EU5 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK), Australia and Canada till 2030.Drugs covered:LaquinimodOcrelizumabMasitinibLemtradaQizendayIbudilastIdebenonePPMS Epidemiology:As per the report, nearly 10-15% of the Multiple Sclerosis patients are PPMS patients and in the US, around 12-13% of the MS patients are PPMS patients. The report provides the overview of PPMS diagnosed prevalent and treated patients in the US, EU5 and Japan market year wise starting from 2015 till 2024.Market Forecast in $ Sales and Patient numbers:The report forecasts that the PPMS market is projected to reach over $2 Bn by 2024 primarily due to the launch and uptake of key molecules including Ocrevus in PPMS. The report provides sales and patient numbers forecast for the overall PPMS market and drug wise forecasts from 2015 till 2030 at Global level and in the US, EU5, Australia and Canada markets.The report can be checked at https://pharmascroll.com/product/ppms-detailed-overview/ Why Purchase the Reports: Robust Market and Drug forecast available at country level Forecast in terms of both $ sales and Patient Numbers Current and Forecasted Drug treated and Diagnosed Prevalent Patient pool Detailed Drug Attribute analysis on multiple Clinical Parameters Multiple Countries coverage Current Marketed and Pipeline Drugs coverage Detailed Disease Insights coverageTo purchase the reports at a special bundle pack price offer, the interested buyers can write back to the company at enquiry@ pharmascroll.com About Pharmascroll:Pharmascroll is a diligent business consulting and market research firm focused solely towards pharmaceutical markets. The company consults and researches in majorly chronic disease indications prevalent across the globe. The research conducted by Pharmascroll analysts is targeted to provide analytical and logical answers to the key business questions of the pharmaceutical and medical insights teams and to make better informed business decisions with the detailed relevant information available. PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 08:58:02 This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the notes, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Rotterdam, the Netherlands - 23 April 2018 Following the closing of the public offer on Refresco Group N.V. ("Refresco") by Sunshine Investments B.V., the consortium of PAI Partners SAS ("PAI") and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation ("BCI"), Refresco today announces that Sunshine Mid B.V., the entity owning Sunshine Investments B.V. (the "Issuer" and together with its subsidiaries, "we" or the "Group") has launched an offering of 445,000,000 aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2026 (the "Notes"). The net proceeds from the offering, if completed, are expected to be used by the Issuer to repay the bridge facility borrowed in connection with Issuer's acquisition, through its direct subsidiary, Sunshine Investments B.V., of 99.4% of the issued and outstanding shares of Refresco and to pay expenses related to the offering of Notes. The Group, together with its committed sponsors, PAI and BCI, plan to continue to capture organic growth in both the retailer brands and contract manufacturing business, executing the Group's "buy-and-build" strategy and striving for continuous operational excellence. An important step in the buy-and-build strategy was taken with the acquisition of the Cott Traditional Beverage business in January 2018. This acquisition has created the world's largest independent bottler of retailer brands soft drinks by volume and a leading contract manufacturer of soft drinks by volume for A-brands with leadership positions across Europe and North America, providing meaningful diversification to Refresco's customer base. In 2017, on a standalone basis, Refresco's top 10 customers accounted for 58% of its volumes and the Cott Traditional Business's top 10 customers accounted for 66% of its volumes. Together, the company's top 10 customers accounted for 49% of its pro forma volumes in 2017. Refresco is now circa 4.1 times larger than its next largest competitor (excluding pure-play water players) in the markets in which the company operates. Integration of the activities in all countries has started, following receipt of CMA approval in the UK last month. Refresco now anticipates total run-rate synergies of 63 million in the first three years following the consolidation. The Group's Pro Forma Synergies Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2017 was 392.1 million and the Group's forma net indebtedness as of December 31, 2017 was 2,330.9 million. The Notes have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction. The offering of the Notes will be made only in the United States to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act and outside the United States in offshore transactions in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act to persons other than retail investors in the European Economic Area, whereby a retail investor is defined as a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU, as amended; or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive 2002/92/EC, as amended, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended. No approved prospectus within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive is required is connection with the offering of the Notes. About Refresco Group Refresco (Euronext: RFRG) is the world's largest independent bottler of beverages for retailers and A-brands with production in Europe, North America and Mexico. The company has pro forma volumes of circa 11 billion liters. Refresco offers an extensive range of product and packaging combinations from 100% fruit juices to carbonated soft drinks and mineral waters in carton, PET, Aseptic PET, cans and glass. Focused on innovation, Refresco continuously searches for new and alternative ways to improve the quality of its products and packaging combinations in line with consumer and customer demand, environmental responsibilities and market demand. Refresco is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and has more than 9,500 employees. www.refresco.com For more information, please contact Minna Lyijynen +31 (0)10 440 5165 minna.lyijynen@refresco.com Regulatory Notice This announcement may contain inside information of Refresco Group N.V. under Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (16 April 2014). MiFID II professionals/ECPs-only / No PRIIPs KID - Manufacturer target market (MIFID II product governance) is eligible counterparties and professional clients only (all distribution channels). No PRIIPs key information document (KID) has been prepared as not available to retail in EEA. In the United Kingdom, this communication is directed only at (i) persons who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2) of the Order or (iv) persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the "FSMA")) in connection with the issue or sale of any notes may otherwise be lawfully communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). In the United Kingdom, any investment activity to which this communication relates will only be available to, and will only be engaged with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents. Forward-Looking Statements This press release (including its annexes) includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes, "estimates", "anticipates", "expects, "intends", "may", "will" or "should" or, in each case, their negative, or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts and include statements regarding the Group's or its affiliates' intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, the Group's or its affiliates' results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies and the industries in which they operate. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that the Group's or its affiliates' actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industries in which they operate may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. In addition, even if the Group's or its affiliates' results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industries in which they operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. 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: Refresco via Globenewswire PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 15:40:02 DURHAM, N.C., April 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SolarWinds MSP, a global leader in delivering comprehensive, scalable IT service management solutions to IT solution providers and MSPs, today announced its full agenda for its customer conference, Empower MSP, giving customers an opportunity to listen to expert speakers and grow their business and technical knowledge, with access to more than 20 hours of content. The event is being held at the NH Collection Amsterdam Grand Hotel, May 15 - 16. During the two-day conference, four educational tracks will be available for attendees to choose from, encompassing technical, business, and sales and marketing topics. Keynote speakers at Empower MSP include Jonas Kjellberg, one of the co-founders of Skype and former head of internet investments at Kinnevik. Kjellberg will be outlining the process of business creation and discussing how attendees can plan their path to success and transform their business ideas into a high-potential venture. Jamie Bartlett, journalist and author of 'The Dark Net,' will also be speaking at the event on how the Dark Net is going mainstream. Bartlett will be sharing details on his examination of the hidden corners of the internet, including its strange subcultures, and the protagonists that inhabit it-from trolls, Bitcoin miners, political extremists and members of the hacktivist group Anonymous, to drug dealers and computer scientists. Key members of the SolarWinds MSP team will also be in attendance at the event, including executive team members John Pagliuca, Mike Cullen, Greg Lissy, and Tim Brown. "We have combined our UK and European conferences this year and decided to bring our conference to mainland Europe so we can reach even more of our customers to provide face-to-face support, expertise, and answer any questions they may have," said John Pagliuca, general manager, SolarWinds MSP. "For MSPs, it's important to stay on top of the latest trends, so we have expanded our content so everyone can benefit from our educational tracks and keynotes-whether you're a business owner, technician, sales associate, or marketing manager-the team at SolarWinds MSP will make sure all attendees walk away with actionable insights." Click here to register for Empower MSP Amsterdam and view the full agenda. About SolarWinds MSP SolarWinds MSP empowers IT service providers with technologies that fuel their success. Solutions that integrate layered security, collective intelligence, and smart automation-both on-premises and in the cloud, backed by actionable data insights, help IT service providers get the job done easier and faster. SolarWinds MSP helps our customers focus on what matters most-meeting their SLAs and delivering services efficiently and effectively. For more information, visit solarwindsmsp.com The SolarWinds and SolarWinds MSP trademarks are the exclusive property of SolarWinds MSP UK Ltd. or its affiliates and may be registered or pending registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other SolarWinds MSP and SolarWinds trademarks, service marks, and logos may be common law marks or are registered or pending registration. All other trademarks mentioned herein are used for identification purposes only and are trademarks (and may be registered trademarks) of their respective companies. 2018 SolarWinds MSP UK Ltd. All rights reserved. For more information: Karla Walls Karla.walls@solarwinds.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: SolarWinds MSP via Globenewswire PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 15:14:02 SpareBank 1 SMN is presenting the results for 1st quarter 2018 Time: Friday 4th of May 8:00 am CET Place: SpareBank 1 Markets' premises in Olav Vs gate 5, Oslo The presentation will be made by CEO Finn Haugan and CFO Kjell Fordal. This information is subject of the disclosure requirements acc. to 5-12 vphl (Norwegian Securities Trading Act) 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: SpareBank 1 SMN via Globenewswire PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 14:11:02 Statkraft discloses first quarter results 2018 on Thursday 26 April 2018 at 08:00 a.m. CET. Material will be available on Statkraft's website www.statkraft.com and Oslo Stock Exchange's news service www.newsweb.no Live webcast 09:00 a.m. CET: Statkraft presents the results in a live webcast at 09:00 a.m. CET: Statkraft presents the results in a live webcast at www.statkraft.com . The presentation will be held in English. Contact: Arild Ratikainen, Investor Contact, tlf.: +47 971 74 132, e-mail: Arild Ratikainen, Investor Contact, tlf.: +47 971 74 132, e-mail: arild.ratikainen@statkraft.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. 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: Statkraft AS via Globenewswire PR-Inside.com: 2018-04-23 04:03:01 Honorees for Innovation in Business to Be Recognized in Hong Kong on 1 June FAIRFAX, Va., April 22, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Winners in the fifth annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the only awards program to recognize innovation in business throughout the entire Asia-Pacific region, were announced today. The list of Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners is available at http://Asia.StevieAwards.com. The Stevie Awards are considered to be the world's premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement in the workplace over the past 16 years in programs such as The International Business Awards and The American Business Awards. The 2018 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards have recognized organizations in 14 nations including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the U.S.A. and Vietnam. More than 800 nominations about innovative achievements in the 22-nation APAC region were considered by the judges this year. This year's top overall winner, with 14 Gold, 30 Silver and 12 Bronze Stevie Awards is Telkom Indonesia. This is the fourth year in a row in which Telkom Indonesia has led the competition. Close on their heels this year is PT PETROKIMIA GRESIK (Indonesia), with three Gold, 17 Silver and 17 Bronze Stevie wins. Winners of more than two Gold Stevie Awards include Australian Attorney General's Department and Icon Agency, Freelancer.com, Manage Damage, The Female Social Network, HGC Global Communications Limited, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Strategic Public Relations Group Limited, HP Inc. Customer Support APJ, PT Bank Ganesha Tbk., eDENT, Gyeonggido Job Foundation, Korea Electric Power Corporation, KT, Seocho-Gu, MERALCO, Shopping Center Management Corporation and DHL Express Vietnam. Stevie winners will be presented their awards at a gala banquet at the Mira Hotel in Hong Kong on Friday, 1 June. More than 100 executives around the world participated in the judging. About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com. Sponsors and partners of the 2018 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards include PR Newswire Asia and BRComm. Contact: Clara Im Clara@stevieawards.com +82-2-3443-8389 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/feb769e2-799f-497c-b55f-ed23c5cea700 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: The Stevie Awards via Globenewswire Striking senior staff of Addax Petroleum Nigeria on Monday insisted on continuing with their industrial action declared last week, amid no work, no pay threat letters issued by management to key union officials. On Monday, the Addax Petroleum Chapter of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) called out its members nationwide on an indefinite strike action over some unresolved burning issues. The workers said the strike was a culmination of series of failed and inconclusive communications between the workers union and the management of the company over alleged culture of impunity against some of its officials. Some of the issues included alleged unilateral interpretation of the subsisting collective bargaining agreement (CBA) reached between the union and management in August 2014 on issues bordering on activation of non-statutory remunerations to members. Others included alleged selected targeted victimisation of union leaders identified as not working in line with management interest; stagnation of some staff for between 10 to 12 years, and selective and discriminatory promotion of workers. But, rather than dialogue over these grievances, the companys management, on Friday, issued threat letters to hold key officials of the union in an attempt to hold them personally responsible for the outcome of the strike. The general secretary of the association, Gerald Agwu, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that the Chapter Chairman of PENGASSAN, Chris Ogienwonyi Jnr, was served one of the letters in his personal capacity. Mr Agwu said the content of the letter to the PENGASSAN Chairman indicated he would lose his pay for equal number of days he would be found be out of work if he did not call off the strike and return to work. He said similar letters were served to every other top official of the association, including himself, the General Secretary, the Public Relations Officer and others. But, the associations spokesperson said the union has already sent a response to Addax management stating the no work no pay threat letter was completely unacceptable to the workers. He said the workers were determined to sustain the strike action for as long as it would take management to dialogue on the issues raised by the workers. Yes, Addax management issued letters for no work, no pay to out union leaders on Friday, April 20, 2018, Mr Agwu said during an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on telephone on Monday. Letters were given to the officials in their personal capacities for actions taken by the association. This is clearly an attempt to victimise officials and intimidate them as a deterrent to others who would be interested in taking up union responsibilities. But, there is nothing new in the threat. The whole thing is nothing but an attempt to individualise the collective action by PENGASSAN and break the solidarity of the workers. They want to hold the officials personally accountable to the strike action declared by the association during the period. This completely against the tenets and spirit of industrial law, as actions by workers were governed by the rule of collective responsibility. He said the no work, no pay threat to striking workers was not a new line of action management of the company has adopted. Recalling that when it was tested in 2012, Mr Agwu noted it ended with the Federal Ministry of Labour decalring it unacceptable and prevailing on management to immediately withdraw it within 24 hours. Again, when a similar action was enacted in December 2015, Mr Agwu said the then Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and now Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, told Addax management the action was unacceptable. ADVERTISEMENT Meanwhile, a mediatory meeting has been summoned for Abuja on Tuesday by the Federal Ministry of Labour & Productivity where all parties to the crisis would attempt to dialogue on the issues and come to a compromise between the association and management of the company. Labur ministry sources told our reporter, those invited to the meeting included national and chapter officials of PENGASSAN as well as the senior Vice President/Chief Executive of Addax Petroleum, Colin Klappa, who is expected to attend with other top management staff of the company. The companys spokesperson, Dorothy Atake, did not respond to calls to her on Monday seeking her comment for this story. Mrs Atake, who is also the General Manager, External & Government Affairs, did not also respond to a text message sent to her telephone requesting her confirmation of the threat letter issued by Addax management to the workers. ADVERTISEMENT German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, confirmed on Monday that Germany would accept 10,000 refugees from North Africa and Middle East as part of the EU-Turkey relocation programme. Mrs Merkel also stressed the need to continue assisting the crisis-hit countries. On April 19, EU Commissioner for Refugees, Dimitris Avramopoulos, said that Germany would accept over 10,000 migrants and refugees from North Africa and Middle East. Under the current resettlement programme, Germany will accept 10,000 refugees, Mrs Merkel said at a joint briefing with UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi. The chancellor pointed out that Germany took the responsibility to accept this number of refugees under the EU-Turkish refugee deal. Mrs Merkel also noted that one of the key German objectives was to tackle illegal migration. In order to achieve this goal, Berlin will further provide assistance to the crisis-hit regions such as Libya, Syria and the Lake Chad region. In 2015, the EU introduced a relocation quota system in response to the refugee crisis, as hundreds of thousands of migrants began fleeing to Europe from conflicts in their native North Africa and Middle East. In March 2016, the EU and Ankara agreed on a deal, under which Turkey pledged to take back all undocumented migrants, who arrive in the EU through its territory in exchange for Syrian refugees accommodated in Turkey, on a one-for-one basis. The EU vowed to accelerate the Turkish EU accession bid, introduce a visa-free regime, as well as provide financial aid to Turkey to cover the costs of migrant reception. ADVERTISEMENT President Joao Lourenco of Angola on Monday sacked the chief of staff of the armed forces and the head of the foreign intelligence agency, his latest moves against officials tainted by graft allegations or links to his predecessor, Jose-Eduardo Dos-Santos. Lourenco succeeded Dos-Santos last September, pledging to tackle an endemic culture of corruption and bring economic reforms to Angola, Africas second biggest producer of crude oil, which is marred by widespread poverty in spite its oil wealth. Geraldo Nunda, the Head of the Armed Forces before his sacking, was named by prosecutors in March as a suspect in an investigation of a scheme to negotiate a fraudulent international credit line of 50 billion dollars. Andre de Oliveira-Sango, a long-time Dos-Santos loyalist, was made foreign intelligence chief over a decade ago. Their sackings were announced in a presidential decree broadcast on the national public radio station. Neither could be reached for comment. Jose Filomeno Dos-Santos, the son of Angolas ex-president, was charged in March with fraud relating to a 500 million dollars transaction out of an account belonging to the central bank, a clear sign that the former first family has lost its grip on power. (Reuters/NAN) ADVERTISEMENT Britain must permanently return all artefacts from Ethiopia held by the Victoria and Albert Museum and Addis Ababa will not accept them on loan, an Ethiopian government official said. The call comes after the museum, one of Londons most popular tourist attractions, put Ethiopian treasures plundered by British forces on display. Well, it would be exciting if the items held at the V&A could be part of a long-term loan with a cultural institution in Ethiopia, museum director Tristram Hunt said. These items have never been on a long-term loan in Ethiopia. However, as we look to the future I think what were interested in are partnerships around conservation, interpretation, heritage management, and these need to be supported by government assistance. With the support, institutions like the V&A can support sister institutions in Ethiopia. Among the items on display are sacred manuscripts and gold taken from the Battle of Maqdala 150 years ago, when British troops ransacked the fortress of Emperor Tewodros II. The offer of a loan did not go far enough for Ethiopia. What we have asked (for) was the restitution of our heritage, our Maqdala heritage, looted from Maqdala 150 years ago. We presented our request in 2007 and we are waiting for it, minister Hirut Woldemariam said. Ephrem Amare, Ethiopian National Museum director, added: It is clearly known where these treasures came from and whom they belong to. Our main demand has never been to borrow them. Ethiopias demand has always been the restoration of those illegally looted treasures. Not to borrow them. The V&A could not immediately be reached for further comment on Monday. In launching the Maqdala 1868 exhibition of what Hunt called stunning pieces with a complex history this month, he said the display had been organised in consultation with the Ethiopian community in London. As custodians of these Ethiopian treasures, we have a responsibility to celebrate the beauty of their craftsmanship, shine a light on their cultural and religious significance and reflect on their living meaning. Meanwhile, be opened about how they came to Britain, he said in a blog on the museum website. (Reuters/NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, says the Federal Government in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission, will host a sub-regional ministerial meeting on April 26 in Abuja. Mr Dambazau said the ministerial meeting would come up with solutions to the challenges posed by the recurrent conflicts between herders and farmers in the region. He disclosed this in a statement issued by the Director, Press & Public Relations of the Interior Ministry, Hassan Dodo, on Monday in Abuja. He made the announcement ahead of the meeting which would involve the countries in the ECOWAS sub-region. The minister said the meeting would take place on Thursday, April 26 at ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, and would be preceded by Governmental Experts Meeting from April 24 to April 25. He said the meeting was informed by the need to adopt a coordinated regional approach in addressing the escalation of cases of conflicts between herders and farmers. Mr Dambazau said the meeting would also address the attendant killings, disruption of socio-economic activities, and displacement of citizens in almost all the countries in the region. He said each ECOWAS member state would be represented by two delegates comprising the Ministers in charge of Internal Security and Agriculture. According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari will declare the Ministerial Conference open. ADVERTISEMENT The United States would open its Embassy in the City of Jerusalem on May 14, to coincide with Israels Independence Day, spokesperson of the Israeli Embassy to Russia said on Monday. In December, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital and instructed the U.S. State Department to launch the process of moving the U.S. embassy, currently located in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem will take place on May 14 on the Israeli Independence Day, Alex Gandler told Russias Kommersant newspaper. The spokesperson added that Israel was expecting very important guests to be in attendance at the opening ceremony and the celebration of Israeli independence. The U.S. step to move the embassy from Tel Aviv has prompted criticism from a number of states, first and foremost those in the Middle East and Palestine and triggered a wave of protests in the region. (Sputnik/NAN) ADVERTISEMENT Kate Middleton and husband Prince William welcomed their third child, a boy, weighing in at 8lbs, 7oz, at 11.01am, on Monday in London. In a statement, Kensington Palace said: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news. It is understood that William may bring Prince George and Princess Charlotte to see their new brother at St Marys Hospital, Paddington, later in the day. The Royal family are said to be delighted with the news, with the Queen informed of the fifth-in-line to the thrones arrival earlier today. (NAN) WHO raises alarm over stunted growth of African children The World Health Organisation has raised the alarm over stunted growth of about 59 million children in Africa and about 10 million who are overweight. The international health agency also warned that Africas attempts to achieve health for all by 2030 could be threatened unless the continent addresses the twin challenges of under-nutrition and obesity. The WHO Regional Office for Africa called these two issues- the double burden of malnutrition and pressed for action to address the double burden of malnutrition in Africa. Nigeria to secure $300 million loan to finance national malaria strategy As part of efforts to eliminate malaria in Nigeria, the Federal Government will be securing $300 million in new financing from the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and African Development Bank. This commitment was made known during the African Leaders Malaria Alliance on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018. Nigeria will be using the money as part of efforts to tackle malaria, as a national priority list and an additional $18.7 million was also pledged to leverage $37 million from the Global Fund to distribute 15 million mosquito nets and to support the local manufacture of essential malaria commodities. Health Workers Strike: We are unmoved by FGs No Work no Pay threat JOHESU The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) have called a bluff of the federal governments threat to invoke the no work no pay rule rule should the unions persist in continuing with their strike. The strike has crippled health care delivery in parts of the country. The union said it is not intimidated by any form of threat, adding that it will go on with the strike until its demands are met. The government threatened to invoke the rule a day after JOHESU, the association of other health workers apart from medical doctors and dentists, began an indefinite strike over failure Nigeria needs N824 billion to buy vaccines over next 10 years Nigeria needs about $2.7 billion (N824 billion) to buy vaccines over the next 10 years to enable it achieve its target of 84 per cent immunisation coverage by 2028, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has said. polio vaccination exercise [Photo: News Express NG] The Executive Director of NPHCDA, Faisal Shuaib, said the investment will also allow the agency attend to the over 4.3 million unimmunised children in the country as the countrys immunisation coverage currently stands at 33 per cent. Nigeria will require about $2.72billion to procure vaccines and devices from 2018 to 2028. While GAVI will support with $773.2 million, the government and other source, which include Basic Health Fund, loans and marching grants from donor agencies, will provide the balance, Mr Shuaib said. He said out of about $93 million needed for immunisation in 2018, the federal government approved only $33 million. One Nigerian dies of stroke every 2 minutesNeurologist At least one person dies every two minutes from stroke in Nigeria, Njideka Okubadejo, a neurologist said. Okubadejo, at her Inaugural Lecture at the University in Lagos said the estimated stroke mortality rate in Nigeria is between 120 and 240 per 100,000 population. Extrapolated to our current estimated population of approximately 184 million, according to www.population.gov.ng, this translates to about 281,520 deaths annually, she said. Okubadejo said a stroke is a medical emergency in which the flow of blood to a portion of the brain stops suddenly. Brain cells are dependent on oxygen within the blood and without this, start to die after a few minutes, hence the maxim, Time is Brain. ADVERTISEMENT Zimbabwe sacks striking nurses The Zimbabwe government has sacked all striking nurses at public hospitals after they turned down a government offer of 17.1 million U.S. dollars to improve their pay. The government said in a statement that it regarded the industrial action as politically motivated, and that it would immediately employ new nurses and recall those who retired from the service to replace the sacked health personnel. Following the decision by government to accede to the demands made by the striking nurses, government regrets to note that the industrial action in this essential service sector has persisted. Government regards the lack of remorse as politically motivated and thus as going beyond conditions of service and worker welfare. Nigerias Lassa fever cases decline to lowest level in four months NCDC After more than 100 deaths and almost 400 confirmed infections, Nigeria, in April recorded a sharp decline in the spread of Lassa fever. Vector of Lassa fever According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the lowest number of cases in a single week since the beginning of the outbreak was recorded this month. Only five new confirmed cases of Lassa fever were reported in the week that ended on the 15th of April 2018, the NCDC said in its situation report said. This years epidemic is Nigerias largest on record, with confirmed cases in January and February alone exceeding the total number reported in the whole of 2017. Malawi can eradicate HIV, says doctor who discovered AIDS virus Malawi, which has one of the highest rates of the deadly HIV and AIDS infections, is on course to eradicate the virus, Jay Levy, who co-discovered the AIDS virus 35 years ago, has said. Most of the AIDS cases globally are in poorer countries, where access to testing, prevention and treatment is limited. UN AIDS agency (UNAIDS) said no fewer than one million people in Malawi have the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. However, according to official figures, Malawis national HIV and AIDS prevalence dropped to 8.8 per cent in 2016 from 30 per cent in 1985 when the first HIV and AIDS case was registered in Malawi. The Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), on Monday received heart and lungs surgery equipment donated by Project CURE, an NGO based in Denver, United States. Edmund Banwat, JUTHs Chief Medical Director, who received the items, told newsmen that they were worth far more than 300,000 dollars. He said the North-Western University, Chicago in Canada, offered to pay the 20,300 dollars shipment cost to Nigeria. In these days of under-funding, these are innovative ways of bridging that gap, he explained. Mr Banwat, a professor, said that the gesture had fitted into JUTHs strategic development plans of expanding its scope of services. We want to offer crucial services, like heart surgery, but have been incapacitated by the lack of equipment. We have more than 100 children with heart defects that require open or closed surgery to correct. Aside such congenital cases, we also have adults that have developed heart issues. What we have always done is to screen the patients and take them to Abuja where surgeries would be conducted on them by Hospital for Humanity, a U.S.-based NGO. Some patients are also taken to Salaam Hospital, Khartoum, with the Sudanese hospital footing the bill as part of a partnership agreement with JUTH. Now that we have the equipment, we shall carry out the surgeries from here; we already have one trained cardiothoracic surgeon and shall train more, he said. He said that the experts from the U.S.-based Hospital for Humanity, who had always undertaken the surgeries in Abuja, had resolved to hold the first heart surgery in JUTH on May 26. Banwat regretted that many heart patients often die before it was their turn for the surgery, and expressed happiness that the surgeries would now be carried out in JUTH. The CMD promised to intensify the advocacy toward partnering with more international health organisations so as to realise the vision of making JUTH a world class hospital. Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Dr. Njem Josiah Miner, the hospitals cardiothoracic surgeon, said that the arrival of the equipment was a milestone in Nigerias healthcare delivery system. There is no hospital in Nigeria that carries out open heart surgery on regular basis, in spite of the high burden of heart diseases in the country. Some patients that can afford it go abroad for the surgery, but with the equipment here, we can successfully carry out the operations in JUTH so as to save lives at minimum cost. He said that there was enough manpower for the activity, adding that what was required was the enabling environment to work. The heart and lung surgery machine is here; the required consumables are also here. What remains is for us to get down to work immediately, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Among items received were camera and video for all scopes, centrifuge, cold therapy units, endoscopy cart, surgical instrument kits and laparoscopic. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The federal and the Ogun State governments have appealed to members of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) to call off their ongoing strike action in the interest of the public, with an assurance that all their entitlements would be paid. The Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire, and Governor Ibikunle Amosun made the appeal at the ground breaking ceremony of the proposed University of Medicine of the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, sited at Adebayo village, Ajebo road, Abeokuta. Mr Amosun who emphasised the importance of the health sector to the people, urged the unions to consider the plight of the sick and return to work, assuring that government would look into their demands with a view to addressing them. He assured that his administration would continue to invest in the health sector, stressing that health institutions, particularly the primary health care, would be made to functional, with the provision of facilities and good working condition for the workers. Mr Amosun said his administration would support the university project, calling on the indigenes of Adebayo too to support it as it would help in the socio-economic development of the area. In his remark, Mr Ehanire assured that the federal government would restore confidence in the health sector, as health institutions across the country would be positioned to end medical tourism. He thanked Governor Amosun for releasing 170 hectares of land valued at N2.6 billion and other past interventions, urging him not to relent in his support for the project. The Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Adewale Musa-Olomu, applauded the governor for his giant stride in the state, particularly in the health sector. ADVERTISEMENT Dino Melaye, the Kogi senator who was arrested in Abuja early Monday, has been released after a stand-off that lasted about two and a half hours, his spokesperson has told PREMIUM TIMES Yes, he had been released almost an hour ago, Gideon Ayodele told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone shortly after 11:00 a.m. Monday. Mr Melaye, who represents Kogi West Senatorial District, was arrested by the Nigerian Immigration Service at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Monday morning. He said he was on his way to Morocco on an official assignment sponsored by the Nigerian government when he was held by security. The NIS confirmed responsibility for Mr Melayes arrest to PREMIUM TIMES. The arrest, which followed weeks of controversies between the senator and the police, generated widespread reaction Monday morning. While some welcomed it as deserving of a controversial lawmaker like Mr Melaye, others criticised the arrest as an act of executive recklessness. Some of Mr Melayes colleagues at the Senate, like Ben Murray-Bruce, condemned his arrest and called on federal authorities to release him immediately. His arrest was initially linked to the police, who have been on a manhunt for him for several weeks, and had declared the lawmaker wanted for his alleged links to violence in Kogi state. Mr Melaye denied wrongdoing, saying his ordeal was politically-motivated. He was released after the police couldnt pin anything on him, said Mr Ayodele. The immigration officials who thought they were trying to help the police when they initially detained him were also embarrassed that the police couldnt take him into custody. Senator Dino Melaye [Photo credit: Mr. Melayes Instagram handle] The development could further surprise Nigerians who have long been shocked at the polices apparent failure to enforce their own arrest warrant. Mr Melaye was declared wanted over a month ago, but he still has at least two police officers in his security detail. The senator also reportedly met with Kogi police commissioner, the same officer that declared him wanted, at a burial event for a later House of Representatives member from Kogi State two weeks ago. The Interpol told PREMIUM TIMES earlier this month that it had not placed Mr Melaye on its watch list contrary to Nigeria polices claims. A text message and several phone calls to Jimoh Moshood, the spokesperson at Force Headquarters, seeking comments about the airport fiasco had not been returned several hours later. ADVERTISEMENT A combined team of mobile and regular police officers are laying a siege to the Abuja home of Dino Melaye, a senator from Kogi State, his aides have told PREMIUM TIMES. Two aides of the senator who did not want to be named because they have no formal approval to speak on his behalf said the police officers arrived at about 1:40 p.m. at Mr Melayes residence in Maitama District. PREMIUM TIMES visited the property Monday and observed 26 armed officers outside Mr Melayes home. It was unclear whether there were other operatives inside. Police vehicles were parked nearby. The siege came hours after Mr Melaye was detained at the airport and prevented from travelling on an official trip to Morocco. The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) detained Mr Melaye, apparently based on information that he was on the wanted list of the police. But rather than take the senator into custody, the police instead reportedly distanced themselves from the arrest. Mr Melaye was subsequently allowed to walk away by the NIS officials. The siege marked the second attempt to forcibly arrest Mr Melaye by the police. The first came in early March when officers from special anti-robbery squad laid a siege to the FCT High Court in Maitama, where Mr Melaye had been arraigned and granted bail on separate charges hours earlier. It was not immediately clear why the police are now at his home. Justice Sherifat Solebo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court on Monday ordered Justice Mohammed Yunusa, a suspended judge of the Federal High Court, Lagos, to face trial for alleged corruption. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Yunusas defence counsel, Robert Clarke, had on March 9, in a preliminary objection, said the embattled judge had been absolved of the corruption charges by the National Judicial Council (NJC). Citing the case of Federal Republic of Nigeria Vs Nganjiwa, Mr Clarke had said that for Mr Yunusas dismissal to be valid, President Muhammadu Buhari, had to give a recommendation for his suspension. Justic Solebo, in the lengthy two-hour ruling, however, held a contrary view, referring to a Nov. 8, 2016 letter from the NJC to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) suspending the judge, noting that the NJC had already exercised disciplinary action against the embattled judge. I do not think that the defendant is a sitting judge having been suspended, I thereby agree that prosecution cannot be brought until the NJC exercises its disciplinary powers against a judicial officer. Going through Nganjiwas case there is no evidence that the NJC investigated Nganjiwa but in the case against the first defendant (Yunusa) the NJC on its 76th meeting investigated him. What is left to be done? The NJC has done what it is empowered to do, it is my decision that I am not bound by Nganjiwa Vs Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is my conclusion that the first defendant has to defend himself in the information filed by the prosecution. It is my decision that this court has jurisdiction on the charges filed against the first defendant in this case and the notice of preliminary objection is dismissed, Justice Solebo ruled. Reacting, Wahab Shittu, the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, thanked the judge for her decision. I thank My Lord for this ruling, this is an uncommon display of judicial courage. This cannot be called judicial rascality, we commend this ruling, he said. The EFCC arraigned Mr Yunusa, formerly a judge of the Lagos Division of Federal High Court, alongside Esther Agbo, a staff of the law chambers of Rickey Tarfa on Jan. 17. EFCC Operatives Mr Yunusa was arraigned on four counts bordering on attempted perversion of the course of justice and corruption by a public official, while Mrs Agbo was charged with offering gratification to a public official. They, however, denied the charges. According to the EFCC, Mr Yunusa had constant and confidential communications with Tarfa, who was handling three lawsuits marked FHC/L/CS/714/2015, FHC/L/CS/715/2015 and FHC/L/CS/716/2015 before him. It also alleged that Mr Yunusa collected N1.5 million bribe from Mr Tarfa for the purpose of giving favourable rulings and judgments in the cases. The judge is also being accused of receiving N750, 000 from Joseph Nwobike, between March 2015 and September, 2015, to get favourable judgment in some cases. Mrs Agbo, the second defendant who is an employee of Rickey Tarfa and Co., on May 14, 2015 paid the N1.5 million allegedly from Tarfa into Yunusas UBA account no.1005055617. ADVERTISEMENT The offences violated Sections 64(1), (a) and 97(3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. Earlier during Mondays proceedings, Justice Solebo had in the ruling also dismissed the three grounds in a preliminary objection filed by John Odubela (SAN), Agbos defence counsel. On March 9, Mr Odubela had also asked the court to dismiss the charges against Mrs Agbo on three grounds the first is that the amended information was incompetent because it was signed by E. E Iheanacho an EFCC official, instead of the Attorney-General (AG) or an official from the AGs office. The other two grounds are that the National Industrial Court is the court with jurisdiction because the alleged crime was made in the course of Agbos employment and that the case against her is unknown to law. Citing Section 174 of the Constitution, Justice Solebo said, the EFCC does not require a fiat or the consent of the A-G to prosecute as contained in Section 43 of the EFCC Act. General prosecutory power has been delegated by the AG to the EFCC. It is my modest view as presented that the amended charge filed by the applicant is competent and validly signed by E. E Iheanacho and this court is competent to adjudicate same, Solebo said. On the issue of jurisdiction the judge said, it is my modest opinion that for criminal matters exclusive jurisdiction is not conferred on the National Industrial Court according to Section 254(C)(5) of the Constitution. I, therefore, hold that this court has concurrent jurisdiction with the National Industrial Court to hear criminal matters that arise in the course of employment, she said. Justice Solebo had in the ruling noted that the offence in which Mra Agbo was charged under Section 64(1)(a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos was known to law. It is my opinion that the amended information is validly issued, I do not find merit in the objection and same is held in favour of the applicant. Justice Solebo adjourned the case until June 11, June 13 and June 14 for trial. (NAN) Nigerias National Assembly led by Senate President Bukola Saraki and House Speaker Yakubu Dogara paid out N5, 638, 664, 700 to 44 unqualified contractors, PREMIUM TIMES and UDEME can authoritatively report today. The payment was made from the controversial N10billion cash illegally passed to the federal legislature by the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, and Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris. To take possession of the N10billion cash, most of which was spent on exotic cars, the National Assembly submitted a list of 82 contractors which it claimed it was owing and the amount due to each contractor. It was based on that single document that the cash management office at the finance ministry approved the funds. Multiple checks by PREMIUM TIMES however revealed that 44 of the companies to which the contracts were awarded and paid are not on the database of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). Surprisingly, 17 of these 44 companies are not even registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) which makes them ineligible for federal jobs. THE INFAMOUS LIST To be eligible to handle contracts for the Nigerian government, prospective bidders are usually requested to provide evidence of registration on the database of Federal Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers by submitting Interim Registration Report or valid certificate issued by the BPP. In fact, on December 11, 2014, the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, wrote to ministries, departments and agencies informing them of a presidential directive that any Federal contractor, consultants or service provider that is not registered with the National Database of Federal Contractor, Consultants and service provider domiciled at the Bureau of Public Procurement will no longer be allow to do business with the Government. The circular, which was also sent to the clerk of the National Assembly, added, This is to facilitates the maintenance of a National Database of the particulars, classification and categorization of Federal Contractors, consultants and service providers as required by the provision section 5(h) and 6(1) (f) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007. But multiple checks by this medium between April 15 and 23, 2018, show that of the companies the National Assembly awarded contracts to, 44 of them are not on the database of BPP, in what is a clear violation of the procurement law. Companies not on the BPP database include: Mushin Motors, Assamad Procurement and Services Limited, Kaffe International Investment Limited, Quantita Services Nigeria Limited, Dua Creations Limited, Lachoso Engineering Systems Nigeria Limited, Navadee Integrated Nigeria Limited, Starcraft Integrated Limited, Wadatu Global Company Limited, Bimfirst Multiventures Limited, Pimpex Engineering and Construction Company Limited, Three Brothers Concept Nigeria Limited, Braimuh Nigeria Limited, Unified Marketing Limited, H and H Inter-Biz Services, Nsa-Nsa Communication and O.B. Global Intertech Limited. National Assembly Also not on the database are: A.A. Marmaro Nigeria Limited, Nwezei Merchandised Limited, Jaaniyat Inter Concept Limited, Popona Star Nigeria Limited, Yujam Nigeria Limited, D.C. Okika Nigeria, Paki International Motors Limited, Afric Capital Nigeria Limited, Liberty Synergy and General enterprises, Pranav Contracting Nigeria Limited, Dee Ex Associate Limited, Shazamzam Construction Limited, Omatie Global, Bilmos Nigeria Limited, Clario View Nigeria Limited, Esyad Nigeria Limited, Omaiauto Limited and Profile Project Nigeria Limited Others are; Chancellors Court Limited, M/S Atlantic Authos Limited, Bestline Nigeria Limited, Geoafriqcom Sourcing and Services Limited, DCN Nigeria Limited, Emerging Giant, GSES Nigeria Limited, Saramin International Ventures Limited. Apart from not being on the BPP database, 17 of these companies are not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Established in 1990, the CAC regulates the formation and management of companies administering the Company Allied Matters Act, including the regulation and supervision of the formation, incorporation, management and winding up of companies. Companies not on BPP database and not registered with the CAC are: Mushin Motors, Dua Creations, Starcraft Integrated Limited, Wadatu Global Company Limited, Pimpex Engineering and Construction Company Limited, H and H Inter-Biz Services, Nwezei Merchandised Limited, Jaaniyat Inter Concept Limited, and Bilmos Nigeria Limited Others are; Clario View Nigeria Limited, Esyad Nigeria Limited, Omaiauto Limited, Chancellors Court Limited, M/S Atlantic Authos Limited, Geoafriqcom Sourcing and Services Limited and GSES Nigeria Limited. A JAILABLE OFFENCE By allowing unqualified firms to get government jobs, the leadership of the National Assembly (the Senate President, Speaker of the House, Clerk of the National Assembly and other officials) appears to have violated sections of the Public Procurement Act 2004, especially for colluding with the unqualified firms to defraud government Collusion shall be presumed from a set of acts from which it can be assumed that there was an understanding, implicit, formal or informal, overt or covert under which each person involved reasonably expected that the other would adopt a particular course of action which would interfere with the faithful and proper application of the provisions of this Act, Section 9 of the Act said. ADVERTISEMENT If found guilty, the officials are liable to a cumulative punishment of : (a) a term of imprisonment of not less than five calendar years without any option of fine ; and (b) summary dismissal from government services. The affected companies, on conviction, will also be liable to a cumulative penalty of : (a) debarment from all public procurements for a period not less than five calendar years ; and (b) a fine equivalent to 25 per cent of the value of the procurement in issue. Every director of the companies as listed on their records at the Corporate Affairs Commission shall also be liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not less than three calendar years but not exceeding five calendar years without an option of fine, the law said. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY KEEPS MUM PREMIUM TIMES made attempts to get the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, to respond to our findings. But his aides said he was was not available the two times this reporter visited his office on Thursday. He had through an adviser to Mr. Saraki, Yusuph Olaniyonu, given the reporter an appointment for an interview, which he failed to keep. He did not also reply multiply calls and text messages sent to his telephone. Commenting on the development, the Head of Media at the BPP, Segun Imohiesen, said all companies that want to execute federal government projects must be on the agencys database. List of BPP and CAC Any company that wants to do business with the federal government must be registered on our platform, he said. Hamzat Lawal, the chief executive at the advocacy group, Connected Development (CODE), blamed the situation on abuse of power by lawmakers. This shows that there is abuse of power, this is from the top and this shows the kind of leadership we have in Nigeria today where people can leverage on immunity to abuse the position of law, Mr. Lawal said. To them, they will say, we have taken this money, spent it, Nigerians do your worst. Take us to court. He called for immediate probe of the allegations by anti-graft agencies. This is a call to action for anti-corruption agencies. We have the EFCC and ICPC, they shouldnt fold their arms and watch these selfish lawmakers lick us dry. They should rise up and do their job. This is also for citizens to know the kinds of people they elect to public office. If we cant hold people accountable, why should they represent our collective interest? President Buhari has a role to play here, why will his Finance Minster release money that is not appropriated? As the chief financial officer of Nigeria, we are looking forward and we hold him in high esteem. He should probe and if shes found wanton, she should be fired. CSOs should lead a protest on this, they should ensure there is an independent investigation on this. EDITORS NOTE: Kamawalay (Global Nigeria Limited) was wrongly spelt as Kamwalay in the document the National Assembly submitted to the Ministry of Finance. The wrong spelling of the companys name created the impression that it was not listed in BPP and CAC databases. We have since realised that is not the case. It has been removed from the list. ADVERTISEMENT Saudi Arabian authorities are threatening to block Nigerian pilgrims from attending this years Hajj exercise. Nigeria has one of the largest contingents in the annual religious exercise with about 95,000 pilgrims. The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Monday said Saudi Arabia is taking the decision because of reports of Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria. Outbreak of Lassa fever has been reported in a number of states. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 1081 suspected cases and 90 deaths have been reported from 18 states (Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekite, Federal Capital Territory, Gombe, Imo, Kogi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, Rivers, and Taraba) between January 1 through February 25 this year. During the period, 317 cases have been classified as confirmed and eight as probable, including 72 deaths. WHO however, said in a report Sunday that there is a steady decline in Lassa fever cases and deaths from 70 by February 18 to five by April 15. The Guardian on Monday quoted WHO, as saying that From the beginning of the outbreak in January 1, 2018 to the week ending February 18, 2018, the number of weekly reported Lassa fever cases increased from 10 to 70. From late-February to early March, there has been a downward trend in the weekly reported number of Lassa fever cases with less than 20 cases reported each week in March and only five new cases reported in the week ending April 15, 2018. One of the spokespersons of NAHCON, Mousa Ubandawaki, who confirmed the moves by Saudi Arabia, informed PREMIUM TIMES that Nigerian authorities are not taking the threat lightly. There will be an expanded meeting of all officials from the 36 states, the Commission and officials of the Federal Government to discuss the matter tomorrow, Mr Ubandawaki said. The NAHCON official said the meeting will hold at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). ADVERTISEMENT The Federal Government has denied media reports that Ministers who were invited to the US-Nigeria Investment Summit in Washington, DC, on April 19 shunned the forum. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, in a statement issued on Monday, said most of the Ministers who were slated to attend the event were not invited and were not in Washington at the time. Mr Mohammed said no Minister shunned the Summit held at the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington. He also denied that some ministers collected estacodes without attending the forum. He explained that the Ministers of Agriculture; Power Works and Housing and that of Budget and National Planning did not get any invitation from the organisers, even though they were listed among those expected to attend. Mr Mohammed said the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, who was invited, was with the president at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London at the time of the summit. He added that the Minister of Finance, who was in Washington DC at the time, was there purposely to attend the 2018 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The minister explained said though he was invited to the forum, he wrote back to inform the organisers that he would not be able to make the trip due to conflicting schedules. The Emir of Kano, Mohammed Sanusi II, who attended the forum, had in an interview with journalists, criticised the non-participation of Nigerian ministers at the event. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make public its findings on underage voters in various states, particularly Kano and Katsina. The opposition party also asked INEC to stop covering up atrocities allegedly being suppressed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) In a statement it issued on Monday, PDP said its investigation reveals that beyond underage voters, the INEC panel discovered other atrocities, which the APC and agents of the Presidency had been suppressing. Following public outcry that greeted videos and photos of underage voting said to have been shot during the Kano council elections, INEC set up a fact-finding committee to look into the situation. INECs chairman, Mahmood Yakubu who announced the committee said it will investigate the allegation of under-aged voters who voted using the commissions register. The PDP had questioned the scope of the inquest, which excluded Katsina State from the probe, despite alleged vast evidence of underage voters in both Kano and Katsina states and rejected the committee as its members were all INEC members. The chairman of the committee, Abubakar Nahuce, later said its findings had not revealed any evidence of underage voting. Mr Yakubu who recieved the report of the committee promised that INEC would consider and share the details with the public in due course. The PDP also made reference to its allegation that INEC planned to create additional 30,000 illegal polling units to manipulate the 2019 election, which the commission had issued a statement to deny. We are aware that the investigation unearthed a multitude of underage voters, particularly in Kano and Katsina, but that INEC has been instructed by the APC and the Presidency cabal to conceal the atrocity, which they plan to use to rig the 2019 presidential election for President Muhammadu Buhari. We are also aware of the manipulations in INECs computer data centre, which has been handed over to a compromised official known to be related to President Buhari. Only last week, Nigerians were stunned by revelations that INEC under Prof. Yakubu is plotting to create 30,000 illegal polling centres in soft and compromised areas through which they plan to allocate free votes for President Buhari. This is in addition to plots to compromise other voting processes including the card readers to favour the APC. The party urged Nigerians and the international community to note the various attempts by INEC to conceal the underage voters, particularly, in Kano and President Buharis home state, Katsina. When the issue first came to the public domain, the APC issued a staunch defence while INEC blamed Kano state government. The commission had to back down to institute an inquest when confronted with facts showing that it registered the minors. Nigerians may recall that when we challenged the veracity of the preliminary report with documentary evidence, INEC promised to make public its final findings, but has refused to do so since the end of the inquest. We charge Prof. Yakubu to find the strength to resist the pressure by the APC and its Presidency or quit the office, as they will definitely put him on collusion course with Nigerians, who are already anxious about this election and are ready to stiffly resist anything short of credible, free and fair polls. ADVERTISEMENT Victor Uwajeh, Special Investigator, Presidential Panel for Recovery of Public Properties, has assured that Federal Government will recover all properties and funds illegally acquired by Nigerian politicians outside the country. He gave the assurance in a statement on Monday in Abuja, and said the cronies and allies of such politicians would also be brought to book, no matter the jurisdiction. We will trace and return all tax payers funds and ill-gotten properties stolen from the commonwealth of Nigeria, he said. Mr Uwajeh maintained that the war on corruption was a collective one, adding that the co-operation of the judiciary and the National Assembly was critical to achieve a positive result. The war against corruption is a tough one, but we are tested professionals that are immune to blackmail and intimidation. With the cooperation of the judiciary, National Assembly and all Nigerians, we will make Nigeria a better society to live in. He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for waging war against corruption in the country, noting his relentless effort had yielded great success in curbing corruption and impunity in the country. The investigator stated that under Buharis administration, it was no longer business as usual as looting had become unattractive while the rate of acquiring foreign assets had dropped drastically. (NAN) With the recent upturn in the world economy, countries are meeting in New York to harness potentials towards mobilising greater financing for sustainable development. This is contained in a statement issued by the UN Department of Information and e-mailed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday. The meeting is expected to deliberate on the inequalities within countries, lingering economic vulnerabilities and increased carbon emissions that continue to threaten the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The meeting, holding at the Financing for Development Forum at UN Headquarters in New York from April 23 to 26, will be reviewing how resources can be mobilised more effectively and allocated more responsibly to achieve the 17 SDGs. While world economic growth has reached three per cent, the highest growth since 2011 with East and South Asia accounting for nearly half of global growth in 2017, the progress has been unevenly distributed. Per capita GDP declined in West, Central and Southern Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean in 2016 and further setbacks are anticipated in these regions and Western Asia with many countries still suffering from the effects of the commodity price collapse of 2014-2016. Least Developed Countries economies grew by 4.8 per cent, well below the seven per cent target. There are still approximately 800 million people living in poverty, with women, children and other vulnerable populations bearing the brunt, the statement read in part. According to the Department, countries agreed on a plan in July 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to mobilise and deliver the resources, technology and partnerships needed to achieve the SDGs recognised as the blueprint for a better world by 2030. The Addis Ababa Action Agenda includes a set of policy actions with over 100 concrete measures that draw upon all sources of finance, technology, innovation, trade, debt and data to support the SDGs and the Financing for Development Forum is intended to review progress on the Agenda. There are promising examples of reform and gains in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, underpinned by a broad-based recovery in the world economy. But the pace of change is insufficient and significant financial, political and environmental risks threaten to derail progress, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, was quoted as stating in the Foreword of the 2018 Inter-Agency Report on Financing for Development: Progress and Prospects. While the financing needs to achieve the SDGs are large, the resources are available, if public and private investments are better aligned with sustainable development. The Forum will feature addresses by leaders from the major financial institution including the IMF, World Bank, UNCTAD and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. During the Forum, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, will announce the launch of the Joint Fund for the 2030 Agenda which seeks to encourage innovative investments for the SDGs. The Joint Fund developed by the United Nations Development Group has been designed to foster partnerships, innovation and policy coherence at the country level. The guiding compass for the discussions will be the 2018 Financing for Development Report: Progress and Prospects, which offers corrective action on the seven action areas of the Addis Agenda, domestic public resources, domestic and international private business and finance, international development cooperation, international trade as an engine for development, debt sustainability, addressing systemic issues, science, technology, innovation and capacity building and data, monitoring and follow-up. The Report also calls for a shift from short-term to long-term investment, harnessing new technologies to support progress across the SDGs and a strengthened commitment to Official Development Assistance, especially for the most vulnerable countries. ADVERTISEMENT The outcome of the Forum will contribute to the deliberations of the 2018 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which is the central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs. ADVERTISEMENT The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike dabiri Erewa, on Monday described the killing of Clement Nwaogu, another Nigerian in Rustenburg, South Africa as unfortunate. Mrs Dabiri-Erewa, in a statement in Abuja condemned the burning of Mr Nwaogu to death by a mob in the latest xenophobia attack in South Africa. She called on South African authorities to find a lasting solution to the incessant killing of Nigerians in that country. She also urged Nigerians living abroad to obey the laws of countries where they lived, and avoid crime and criminality to avoid unwarranted attacks and killings. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the killing of the Mr Nwaogu comes less than 10 days after another Nigerian, ThankGod Okoro, 30. The presidential aide said Rustenburg, where the incident happened was a particularly hostile and a volatile community. She noted that 14 Nigerians who protested the killing of a fellow citizen in that countrys North West Province some months ago were still in detention. She said though a bailable offence, the judge had been threatened not to release them. Just a few days ago, on April 17, the case came up in court. There was so much tension that even the Nigerian lawyers representing the Nigerians had to be escorted to court by Diplomatic police. The community has vowed to deal with anyone who plays a positive role in getting the accused Nigerians return to Rustenberg, she said. She said the Nigerian mission in Pretoria and the consulate in Johannesburg had done everything possible, in the recent past, to get justice for Nigerians in South Africa. Four South African policemen are currently in court for allegedly killing and maltreating Nigerians with embassy officials constantly present in court for the hearings. This is the first time this will be happening. However, the early warning signals put in place by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interiors of both countries need to be reviewed. ADVERTISEMENT Sulaiman Kazaure, the Director General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), says the increase in corps members monthly allowance would be determined by the new national minimum wage when it takes effect. The official said this on Monday while fielding questions from journalists newsmen shortly after the swearing-in ceremony of the 2018 Batch A corps members at the NYSC orientation camp in Kusalla, Karaye Local Government Area of Kano state. According to him, our efforts to ensure that the monthly allowance of the corps members is increased have yielded a very good result following series of discussion with the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige. Mr Kazaure added that the N18,800 paid to them is grossly inadequate to cater for their needs during the mandatory one year service to the nation. The federal government had set-up a committee to look into the upward review of the minimum wage which he said will also determine the increase of the corps members allowance. We have been assured that when the new minimum wage takes effect, also the corps members allowance will be reviewed upward, Mr Kazaure assured. The NYSC DG also disclosed that 82,000 corps members were deployed nationwide for the 2018 Batch A orientation course across various states except those with security challenges. In his remarks, the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, urged the corps members to shun all acts capable of denting the image of the scheme or which would sour their relationship with the camp officials. You are to be guided by the sense of duty and discipline at all times, that would undoubtedly lead you to succeed in your entire life, Mr Ganduje said. Earlier in his welcome address, the NYSC Coordinator in Kano, Ladan Baba said no fewer than 2,487 corps members were registered in the camp, comprising 1,289 males and 1,198 females. Mr Baba added that the corps members since the beginning of the three-week orientation had been adapting to the various activities in the camp and have behaved well. ADVERTISEMENT The Rivers State high court has barred the Federal Government, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and their agents from further publishing the name of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Uche Secondus on their looters list. The state Chief Judge, A. I . Iyayi- Lamikanra, gave the order in Port Harcourt on Monday when the case against the minister and the federal government brought by Mr Secondus was heard. Mr Seconduss special media assistant, Ike Abonyi, who was in court, said in a statement that although Mr Mohammed or his representatives were not in the Port Harcourt court on Monday, the trial judge, Mr Iyayi- Lamikanra, directed the plaintiffs to serve the defendants the appropriate order of the court. The PDP National Chairman had sued the minister for defamation of character following the release of a looters list which had his name on it. Counsels to Mr Secondus, Emeka Etiaba, leading Emeka Okpoko and Emeka Echezona-Etiaba, had filed a motion seeking to stop the Federal Government, the Minister or their agents from publishing the name of Mr Secondus on their looters list as well as any other publication intended to further defame him. Earlier on April 6, the state Chief Judge had granted that the defendants be served by substituted means all the originating processes together with accompanying processes in Thisday newspaper. The case was adjourned to May 28 for continuation of hearing. ADVERTISEMENT The Federal Government says it has set up a committee to review the technical and financial related aspects of the demands by the striking Joint Health Sector Unions. According to the government, this was part of the decisions reached at a meeting of top officials held on Sunday night aimed at finding ways of ending the ongoing strike. The Director of Press, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Lawrence Ojabo, who disclosed this in a statement said, the high level Federal Government team will continue its meeting on Monday and Tuesday. The government had threatened to invoke the no work no pay on JOHESU, the association of other health workers apart from medical doctors and dentists, a day after it began an indefinite strike over failure of the government to honor the agreement it had with the union last September. If this group of health workers persists on continuing this strike, government will be forced to invoke the provisions of the relevant labour laws, especially Section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment said in a statement Wednesday by its Director of Press, Samuel Olowookere. Calling a bluff of the governments threat to invoke the rule, the union said it was not intimidated adding that it will go on with the strike until its demands are met. The strike which is on its fifth day has crippled health care delivery across federal health institutions across the country. According to the union, state and local government health institutions will join the strike in two weeks if the government fails to accede to demands. Mr Ojoba in the Sunday statement said health facilities across the nation will continue to work unhindered as Government has put adequate security on ground for the protection of citizens. Government continues to reassure members of the public that FG health facilities nationwide shall provide normal services and urges all employees to go about their duties peacefully as adequate security protection shall be ensured, Mr Ojabo said. Meanwhile, JOHESU said it was no longer ready to go back to the negotiation table with the government. There are no more negotiation because the government had already reached an agreement with us and signed it so nothing again to negotiate, the only thing we may look at as agreement is how many months of the arrears are they going to pay because its now four years since 2014 to date. But any other thing is sealed and signed, the National Vice Chairman of JOHESU, Ogbonna Chimela said in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the withdrawal $462 million from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to the United States for the procurement of 12 Super Tucano aircraft, without a prior approval of the National Assembly, This Day newspaper has reported. A new letter by the president to the National Assembly, says the U.S. government had given a payment deadline for the aircraft purchase, hence, the need for the hasty approval and payment. Mr Buhari transmitted the letter to the National Assembly leadership on April 13 and it was received in the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives on April 17. The letter shows that Mr Buhari had already given anticipatory approval for the withdrawal of $496,374,470 (N151 394, 421, 355) from the ECA for the purchase of the aircraft and was only seeking the inclusion of same in the 2018 Appropriation Bill that the National Assembly is currently finalising. The date on the letter indicated that the President had given approval for the withdrawal of the cash and paid before a public announcement of the approval, ThisDay reports. The Offices of the senate president, Bukola Saraki, and the speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, did not respond to requests for comment Monday. According to ThisDay, Mr Buharis letter reads, I wish to draw the attention of the House of Representatives to the ongoing security emergencies in the country. These challenges were discussed with the state governors and subsequently, at the meeting of the National Economic Council on 14th December, 2017, where a resolution was passed, with the Council approving that up to US$1 billion may be released and utilised from the Excess Crude Account to address the situation. Subsequent upon this approval, we are preparing a comprehensive schedule of all the requirements for each of the security services for presentation to the National Assembly for consideration. It would be recalled that, for a number of years, Nigeria had been in discussions with the United States Government for the purchase of Super Tucano Aircraft under a direct Government-to-Government arrangement. Recently, approval was finally granted by the United States Government, but with a deadline within which part payment must be made otherwise, the contract would lapse. In the expectation that the National Assembly would have no objection to the purchase of this highly specialised aircraft, which is critical to national security, I granted anticipatory approval for the release of US$496,374,470.00. This was paid directly to the treasury of the United States Government. National Assembly I am therefore writing, seeking approval of this House for the sum of US$496,374,470.00 (equivalent to N151,394,421,335.00) to be included in the 2018 Appropriation Bill, which the National Assembly is currently finalising. The balance of the requirements for critical operational equipment is still being collated from the different security services and will be presented in the form of a Supplementary Appropriation Bill, in due course. The Honourable Minister of Defence and other appropriate officers will be available to provide further details, as may be required. While thanking the Honourable Members for the usual cooperation, please be assured Mr. Speaker, the assurance of my highest regards. The letter also proved false several claims that Mr President did not give a final approval before the announcement. The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, while speaking with journalists at the end of a security meeting chaired by the president on April 4, announced that Mr Buhari had approved the release of $1 billion to Nigerian Defence authorities for the purchase of security equipment to fight insecurity in the country. Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali. [Photo credit: Guardian Nigeria] Of recent, our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, gave approval for the purchase of more equipment for the military, worth $1 billion, he said. The announcement was greeted by criticism by Nigerians who questioned the federal government for earmarking such huge amount for Boko Haram it claimed has been technically defeated. Few days later, Mr Buharis aide took turns to defend him, saying that the president cannot approve such fund without go ahead from the National Assembly. ADVERTISEMENT First was the Presidents Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, who said the approval is not final as it signifies only a stage approval while the process is still ongoing. Spokesperson to President Muhammadu, Buhari Garba Shehu Also, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the president would soon communicate the National Assembly on the issue. The withdrawal is a breach on the Sections 80 (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution which states that: (3) No moneys shall be withdrawn from any public fund of the Federation, other than the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, unless the issue of those moneys has been authorized by an Act of the National Assembly. (4) No moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly. Last December, the state governors at a meeting of the National Economic Council had given the president the green light to withdraw $1 billion from the ECA to fight the insurgency. To make such withdrawal, this would have required the approval of the National Assembly and the 36 state Houses of Assembly since the funds in the ECA belong to the three tiers of government. The development could also fuel the discord between the executive and legislative arms which have been at loggerheads over some issues since inception. Senate Spokesperson, Sabi Abdullahi, could not be reached for comments as at the time of filing the report. Sabi Abdullahi A senator told PREMIUM TIMES he was not aware of such letter. Im not aware. If any letter is being written to the senate, it will be read on the floor, the lawmaker said. ADVERTISEMENT The University of Maiduguri on Monday said it produced 78 First Class graduates for the 2015/ 2016 and 2016/2017 academic sessions. The Vice Chancellor of the University, Ibrahim Njodi, made the disclosure at a pre-convocation press conference in Maiduguri. Mr Njodi said 17,895 graduates would be conferred with various degrees and certificates during its 23rd combined convocation ceremony scheduled for Saturday, April 28. He explained that 3,527 students were graduands of the Post Graduate School programmes comprising of 56 Ph.D graduates; 570 Masters Degree graduates and 2,901 Post Graduate Diploma graduands. Mr Njodi added that the statistics of the undergraduates showed that 8,643 graduands would be awarded degrees, 7,278 of the number were from the regular programmes, 573 from affiliated colleges and 714 were Distance Learning programmes. He disclosed that 5,725 graduates would receive diploma certificates, adding that 106 and 102 graduates would receive awards for the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 academic sessions, respectively. The vice chancellor disclosed that three lecturers would also be conferred with the title of Emeritus Professor, for their outstanding performance and contributions to the development of the university. We remain committed and resilient to excel in our academic pursuit inspite of the challenges posed by the insurgency. The university continued with its services and achieved significant feat in the past nine years, he said. Mr Njodi disclosed that the university with the support of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), corporate organisations and philanthropists executed viable projects in the school. He explained that the projects were designed to provide an enabling teaching and learning environment, as well as research, to enhance academic excellence. He listed the projects to include Senate Complex Building, Mega House, Veterinary Centre and Instructional Technology Centre. Mr Njodi added that the projects were completed and billed for inauguration as part of activities lined up for the convocation ceremony. According to him, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and a philanthropist, Muhammadu Indimi, pledged to execute various projects in the university. Mr Njodi lauded the Borno State Government, stakeholders, security agencies and members of the public for their support to the University. ADVERTISEMENT The Police in FCT on Monday constituted a six-member taskforce on the abuse of Supernumerary (SPY) number plate and siren by unauthorised persons in the territory. The Inspector General of Police recently directed all holders of SPY number plate and siren to return them to the Force Transport Officer ( FTO) and apply for re-validation. He also said that a Task Force would be formed at the command levels by state commissioners of police to ensure compliance. A statement by the Commands spokesman, Anjuguri Manzah, said that the taskforce headed by Yahaya Gambo would ensure arrest and prosecution of offenders. He said that the taskforce was mandated to also check road users without number plates on their vehicles. The spokesman reiterated the commitment of the command to protect lives and property. While soliciting for the cooperation of members of the public, Mr Manzah advised those with SPY number plates to revalidate them. A bus crash in North Korea has killed 32 Chinese tourists and four North Koreans, the foreign ministry in Beijing said on Monday. Two other Chinese nationals were injured in Sunday's accident south of the capital Pyongyang, ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing. "We are investigating the cause" of the accident, Lu said. The ministry provided few details but China's state broadcaster CGTN earlier tweeted that more than 30 people died when a tour bus fell from a bridge in North Korea. The tweet was later deleted. State broadcaster CCTV broadcast images of a large overturned vehicle with light rain falling on rescue vehicles and doctors attending to a patient. China was informed about the accident on Sunday night, and its embassy personnel in Pyongyang rushed to the scene and are working to manage the situation, the foreign ministry said in a statement earlier. The vast majority of foreign tourists to North Korea are Chinese, with the Cold War-era allies sharing a long land border and operating flights between the two countries. Western visitors to the North once averaged around 5,000 a year, but numbers have been hit recently by a US travel ban - Americans accounted for around 20 percent of the market - and official warnings from other countries. Tens of thousands of Chinese tourists are believed to visit the North every year, with many crossing via train through the Chinese border city of Dandong. For some, North Korea provides a window into what Communist China may have looked like decades ago. Chinese tourism to the North has continued even though Beijing has enforced a slew of United Nations sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme. The accident occurred in North Hwanghae province, the foreign ministry said. The province lies south of the capital and stretches to the border with the South, including the city of Kaesong, an ancient Korean capital with historical sites. More recently, the area hosted a manufacturing complex operated with South Korea. The tour group was travelling by bus from Kaesong to Pyongyang when the accident happened, according to the independent Seoul-based website NK News, which cited an unnamed source. - Bad roads - North Korean roads are largely poor and potholed, and in many areas they are dirt rather than tarmac. Bridges are sometimes out of action, requiring rivers to be forded or vehicles to take detours. But the route from Pyongyang to Kaesong, where the accident reportedly happened, is one of the best in the country. It runs north-south from Sinuiju on the Chinese border to the Demilitarized Zone on the border with the South, but nonetheless has little traffic, like all North Korean highways. Tank traps have been installed along it in many locations towards the frontier - sets of high concrete columns on either side of the road that can easily be blown up to create an obstruction for invading armour. China's foreign ministry said it activated an emergency mechanism Sunday night and is "sparing no efforts" to handle the situation. AFP ADVERTISEMENT A member of the National Assembly, Shehu Sani, has slammed a N5 billion counter-claim in a Kaduna State High Court against Gov. Nasir El-Rufai for alleged libellous broadcast. Mr El-Rufai had in February sued Mr Sani, demanding N500 million for alleged defamatory statement contained in a publication. Mr Sani, who represents Kaduna Central Senatorial District, filed the statement of defence and counter-claim in a Kaduna High Court on April 20. Mr Sani, in his counter claim, is seeking compensation for an alleged libelous broadcast maliciously made against him by the governor during a live broadcast transmitted through a radio station in Kaduna. He also prayed for an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the plaintiff either by himself, agents, aides, privies or through any persons, from repeating the said offensive and libelous broadcast or similar broadcast or publication. The lawmaker further urged the court to make an order directing the governor to tender unreserved apology in writing. Mr Sani said the apology should be broadcast on seven consecutive days on same channel that the governor made the offensive broadcast, and published in conspicuous pages of four national newspapers. He noted that the broadcast against him, which was in Hausa language, had affected his reputation, his political career and pitched his constituents against him. Sometimes in November 2017, the plaintiff, speaking at a live broadcast, transmitted on radio, maliciously, unlawfully and without any justification whatsoever, uttered defamatory statements in Hausa language. The offensive publication has continuously reduced the counter-claimants reputation, his political and social standing and popularity, which had taken years of hard work, excellence, diligence, sincerity, service to the people, forthrightness and courage to build. As a result of the malicious and offensive publication, the counter-claimant has suffered monumental humiliation and embarrassment and his reputation as a respectable Nigerian has been severely bruised and battered. The plaintiff knew and had every reason to know that the said broadcast unfairly and unjustly portrays the counter-claimant as a villain, madman of incurable insanity, among others. By reason of the foregoing, the counter-claimant has suffered humiliation, embarrassment, vilification, denigration, disparagement and agony, all of which are unquantifiable, he stated. Mr Sani averred that the governor made the malicious statement against him at the live broadcast when he was reacting to Senates rejection of 350 million dollar external loan request by the Kaduna State Government. He added that the loan request, which was rejected by the Senate on March 29 through a voice vote, was unanimous. The lawmaker in the statement of defence denied knowing about or authorising the publication being complained of. He prayed the court to dismiss the governors case as being frivolous, reckless, lacking in merit, malafide and baseless altogether.(NAN) ADVERTISEMENT A major crisis between the Hausa community and youth of Akure in the Ondo State capital, has been quelled by the combined efforts of the police, army and the State Security Service, after an initial free for all on Sunday evening. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that some persons sustained varying degrees of injuries while a house and some vehicles were torched at Sabo area of Akure. Trouble reportedly started when some persons suspected to be Hausa attempted to stop a procession of the Egungun masquerades and its traditional worshipers, who were engaged in their annual festival, despite several days of announcements by the adherents that the masquerades would be passing the street. The masquerades reportedly flogged the Hausa men blocking the way, and there was a retaliation, resulting in a bloody fight between the two groups. Although the security had taken control of the area and peace appeared to have returned, perpetrators of the damage are presently on the run. Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that the police commissioner had set up a high-powered committee to investigate the crisis. He said the police had gone after those who perpetrated the mayhem, with a view to arrest them and bring them account for their deeds. By the time the police arrived, those who perpetrated the crisis had already left the scene, Mr Joseph said. So, we have launched a manhunt to ensure that those who perpetrated the trouble are arrested. The Commissioner of Police, Gbenga Adeyanju, has set up a high-powered investigative committee to look into the remove and immediate causes of the crisis. He said the committee had started work and would brief the police commissioner once its work was concluded. Meanwhile, the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akuredolu, and the Deji of Akure, Ogunlade Aladelusi, have appealed for calm, calling on the Hausa and the Yoruba communities to embrace peace. The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Agboola Ajayi, while inspecting the scene of the clash at Sabo-Odojoka, appealed to the leaders of the Hausa community and the Elijoka, Taiwo Afolabi, to urge their people to maintain peace . The Deji of Akure, in the company of his high chiefs, also called for calm, warning the two groups to desist from making further trouble. The spokesperson for the Nigerian Army 32 Artillery Brigade in Akure, Ojo Adenegan, said the army had deployed its officials to the scene on Sunday as part of a collaborative effort to forestall an escalation of the crisis. According to him, there is synergy among all the security agencies in Ondo State, in order to strengthen the security of life and property. For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. IRVING, Texas, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Not afraid to color outside the lines, today 7-Eleven, Inc. representatives will deliver more than 200,000 coloring pages to elementary schools nationwide. To kick off summer, each child's coloring sheet includes a coupon for a free Slurpee at their neighborhood 7-Eleven. Approximately 1,700 representatives from 7-Eleven will personally deliver 170,000 coloring sheets to kindergarten through second graders, as well as 42,500 adult coloring pages with a coffee coupon for school officials, in 88 participating markets. Students are invited to share their masterpieces with 7-Eleven store associates for public display and enjoyment. "Education is a powerful tool that can change our communities and the world," said Chris Tanco, 7-Eleven Chief Operating Officer. "We hope this token of encouragement inspires students to color a life for themselves that is both rich and vibrant. We can't wait to see them leave their mark in their neighborhoods and schools!" 7-Eleven stores play a vital role in healthy, growing communities. The convenience franchise is committed to giving back through programs that directly benefit youth, military and community safety, including Project A-Game, Operation Chill and the company's recent initiative honoring public servants. To learn more about how 7-Eleven is impacting communities, visit the corporate website here. About 7-Eleven, Inc. 7Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience-retailing industry. Based in Irving, Texas, 7Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 66,000 stores in 17 countries, including 11,600 in North America. Known for its iconic brands such as Slurpee, Big Bite and Big Gulp, 7-Eleven has expanded into high-quality salads, side dishes, cut fruit and protein boxes, as well as pizza, chicken wings, cheeseburgers and hot chicken sandwiches. 7-Eleven offers customers industry-leading private brand products under the 7-Select brand including healthy options, decadent treats and everyday favorites, at an outstanding value. Customers also count on 7-Eleven for bill payments, self-service lockers and other convenient services. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com, via the 7Rewards customer loyalty platform on the 7-Eleven mobile app, or on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. SOURCE 7-Eleven, Inc. Related Links http://www.7-eleven.com SEATTLE, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Financial Highlights: Reported net income for the first quarter under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) of $4 million , or $0.03 per diluted share, compared to net income of $93 million , or $0.75 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2017. As the company has recently implemented new accounting standards, including the standards relating to revenue recognition and retirement benefits, 2017 financial information has been adjusted. , or per diluted share, compared to net income of , or per diluted share in the first quarter of 2017. As the company has recently implemented new accounting standards, including the standards relating to revenue recognition and retirement benefits, 2017 financial information has been adjusted. Reported first quarter 2018 adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.14 compared to $0.99 reported in the first quarter of 2017. First quarter adjusted net income excluding special items such as merger-related costs, an employee bonus awarded in connection with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments was $18 million , compared to $124 million in the first quarter of 2017. This quarter's adjusted results compare to the First Call analyst consensus estimate of $0.12 per share. compared to reported in the first quarter of 2017. First quarter adjusted net income excluding special items such as merger-related costs, an employee bonus awarded in connection with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments was , compared to in the first quarter of 2017. This quarter's adjusted results compare to the First Call analyst consensus estimate of per share. Paid a $0.32 per-share quarterly cash dividend in the first quarter, a 7% increase over the dividend paid in the first quarter of 2017. per-share quarterly cash dividend in the first quarter, a 7% increase over the dividend paid in the first quarter of 2017. Repurchased a total of 185,661 shares of common stock for approximately $12 million in the first three months of 2018. in the first three months of 2018. Generated approximately $310 million of operating cash flow and used approximately $235 million for capital expenditures, resulting in approximately $75 million of free cash flow for the first three months of 2018. of operating cash flow and used approximately for capital expenditures, resulting in approximately of free cash flow for the first three months of 2018. Held $1.5 billion in unrestricted cash and marketable securities as of March 31, 2018 . Operational Highlights: Obtained a single operating certificate (SOC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Alaska Airlines and Virgin America, our most significant integration milestone to date. The SOC recognizes Alaska and Virgin America as one airline. and Virgin America as one airline. Reached an agreement in early April 2018 with mainline flight attendants that includes a merger transition plan and a two-year extension from December 2019 to December 2021 . The agreement provides pay increases and paves the way to fully align nearly 5,700 mainline flight attendants under a single agreement. with mainline flight attendants that includes a merger transition plan and a two-year extension from to . The agreement provides pay increases and paves the way to fully align nearly 5,700 mainline flight attendants under a single agreement. Expanded our codeshare partnerships with Japan Airlines, Fiji Airways, Cathay Pacific and Finnair. Began installation of next-generation Gogo satellite-based Wi-Fi in the first quarter of 2018, which will provide guests a faster internet connection across the Boeing and Airbus fleets. Added one Boeing 737-900ER aircraft and two Airbus A321neo aircraft to the mainline operating fleet in the first quarter of 2018. Added one Embraer 175 (E175) regional jet to Horizon Air's fleet in the first quarter of 2018 and added two E175 aircraft operated by SkyWest Airlines. Recognition and Awards: Ranked No. 1 in the "Airline Quality Rating" of performance and quality for the second year in a row a study performed by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University focused on four major areas of airline performance. focused on four major areas of airline performance. Ranked as one of only two U.S. airlines in the Top 20 safest airlines in the world for 2018 by AirlineRatings.com. Ranked the best U.S. airline by Time Inc.'s Money Magazine. Ranked the best airline in America for the second year in a row by The Points Guy. Ranked the No. 2 U.S airline by the Wall Street Journal's "2017 Airline Scorecard." Ranked the second best U.S. airline by Consumer Reports. Awarded 2018 PRWeek Best Promotional Event award for Alaska's Great American Eclipse Flight. Alaska Air Group, Inc., (NYSE: ALK) today reported first quarter 2018 GAAP net income of $4 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, compared to $93 million, or $0.75 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2017. Excluding the impact of certain noted items, the company reported adjusted net income of $18 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, compared to $124 million, or $0.99 per diluted share, in 2017. "Alaska is on an incredible journey. I want to thank our employees for continuing to run a highly reliable operation and for providing genuine and caring service to our guests in the midst of a complex merger," said Brad Tilden, Alaska's CEO. "We're excited to get the biggest integration milestones behind us in the next couple of months and then turn our full focus to running a great airline and realizing the full benefit of our new and expanded platform." The following table reconciles the company's reported GAAP net income and earnings per diluted share (diluted EPS) for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 to adjusted amounts. Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2017 (a) (in millions, except per-share amounts) Dollars Diluted EPS Dollars Diluted EPS GAAP net income and diluted EPS $ 4 $ 0.03 $ 93 $ 0.75 Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments (13) (0.11) 10 0.08 Special itemsemployee tax reform bonus 25 0.20 Special itemsmerger-related costs 6 0.05 39 0.30 Income tax effect (4) (0.03) (18) (0.14) Non-GAAP adjusted net income and diluted EPS $ 18 $ 0.14 $ 124 $ 0.99 (a) Certain historical information has been adjusted to reflect the adoption of new accounting standards. Statistical data, as well as a reconciliation of the reported non-GAAP financial measures, can be found in the accompanying tables. A glossary of financial terms can be found on the last page of this release. A conference call regarding the first quarter results will be simulcast online at 8:30 a.m. Pacific time on April 23, 2018. It can be accessed through the company's website at www.alaskaair.com/investors. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available after the conclusion of the call. References in this news release to "Air Group," "company," "we," "us" and "our" refer to Alaska Air Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise specified. Alaska Airlines, Inc., Horizon Air Industries, Inc., and Virgin America Inc. are referred to as "Alaska," "Horizon," and "Virgin America" respectively, and together as our "airlines." This news release may contain forward-looking statements subject to the safe harbor protection provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual outcomes to be materially different from those indicated by any forward-looking statements. For a comprehensive discussion of potential risk factors, see Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2017, as well as in other documents filed by the Company with the SEC after the date thereof. Some of these risks include general economic conditions, increases in operating costs including fuel, competition, labor costs and relations, our indebtedness, inability to meet cost reduction goals, seasonal fluctuations in our financial results, an aircraft accident, changes in laws and regulations and risks inherent in the achievement of anticipated synergies and the timing thereof in connection with the acquisition of Virgin America. All of the forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the risk factors discussed therein. We operate in a continually changing business environment, and new risk factors emerge from time to time. Management cannot predict such new risk factors, nor can it assess the impact, if any, of such new risk factors on our business or events described in any forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date of this report to conform them to actual results. Over time, our actual results, performance or achievements will likely differ from the anticipated results, performance, or achievements that are expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements, and such differences might be significant and materially adverse. Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional partners, flies 44 million guests a year to more than 115 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners , guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900 destinations worldwide. Learn about Alaska's award-winning service at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK). CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited) Alaska Air Group, Inc. Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions, except per-share amounts) 2018 2017(a) Change Operating Revenues: Passenger revenue 1,685 1,602 5 % Mileage plan other revenue 107 100 7 % Cargo and other 40 38 5 % Total Operating Revenues 1,832 1,740 5 % Operating Expenses: Wages and benefits 536 450 19 % Variable incentive pay 39 31 26 % Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses 409 339 21 % Aircraft maintenance 107 87 23 % Aircraft rent 74 65 14 % Landing fees and other rentals 126 115 10 % Contracted services 81 81 % Selling expenses 78 83 (6) % Depreciation and amortization 94 90 4 % Food and beverage service 50 45 11 % Third-party regional carrier expense 37 27 37 % Other 141 131 8 % Special itemsmerger-related costs 6 39 (85) % Special itemsother 25 NM Total Operating Expenses 1,803 1,583 14 % Operating Income 29 157 (82) % Nonoperating Income (Expense): Interest income 8 7 Interest expense (24) (25) Interest capitalized 5 4 Othernet (12) (1) Total Nonoperating Income (Expense) (23) (15) Income (Loss) Before Income Tax 6 142 Income tax expense 2 49 Net Income (Loss) $ 4 $ 93 Basic Earnings (Loss) Per Share: $ 0.03 $ 0.75 Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Share: $ 0.03 $ 0.75 Shares Used for Computation: Basic 123.155 123.495 Diluted 123.630 124.299 Cash dividend declared per share: $ 0.320 $ 0.300 (b) Certain historical information has been adjusted to reflect the adoption of new accounting standards. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited) Alaska Air Group, Inc. (in millions) March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017(a) Cash and marketable securities $ 1,528 $ 1,621 Total current assets 2,114 2,152 Property and equipmentnet 6,403 6,284 Goodwill 1,943 1,943 Intangible assets 132 133 Other assets 256 234 Total assets 10,848 10,746 Air traffic liability 1,122 806 Current portion of long-term debt 387 307 Other current liabilities 1,483 1,573 Current liabilities 2,992 2,686 Long-term debt 2,062 2,262 Other liabilities and credits 2,355 2,338 Shareholders' equity 3,439 3,460 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 10,848 $ 10,746 Debt-to-capitalization ratio, adjusted for operating leases(b) 53 % 53 % Number of common shares outstanding 123.350 123.061 (a) Certain historical information has been adjusted to reflect the adoption of new accounting standards. (b) Calculated using the present value of remaining aircraft lease payments. OPERATING STATISTICS SUMMARY (unaudited) Alaska Air Group, Inc. Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2017 Change Consolidated Operating Statistics:(a) Revenue passengers (000) 10,489 10,008 4.8% RPMs (000,000) "traffic" 12,403 11,707 5.9% ASMs (000,000) "capacity" 15,480 14,394 7.5% Load factor 80.1% 81.3% (1.2) pts Yield(d) 13.59 13.69 (0.7)% RASM(d) 11.84 12.09 (2.1)% CASMex(b)(d) 8.81 8.38 5.1% Economic fuel cost per gallon(b) $2.14 $1.78 20.2% Fuel gallons (000,000) 197 184 7.1% ASM's per gallon 78.6 78.2 0.5% Average number of full-time equivalent employees (FTE) 21,266 18,682 13.8% Mainline Operating Statistics: Revenue passengers (000) 8,211 7,774 5.6% RPMs (000,000) "traffic" 11,360 10,827 4.9% ASMs (000,000) "capacity" 14,098 13,260 6.3% Load factor 80.6% 81.7% (1.1) pts Yield(d) 12.70 12.70 % RASM(d) 11.20 11.39 (1.7)% CASMex(b)(d) 8.02 7.54 6.4% Economic fuel cost per gallon(b) $2.13 $1.78 19.7% Fuel gallons (000,000) 172 164 4.9% ASM's per gallon 82.0 80.8 1.5% Average number of FTE's 16,013 15,007 6.7% Aircraft utilization 11.2 10.8 3.7% Average aircraft stage length 1,285 1,245 3.2% Operating fleet 224 217 7 a/c Regional Operating Statistics:(c) Revenue passengers (000) 2,278 2,234 2.0% RPMs (000,000) "traffic" 1,043 880 18.5% ASMs (000,000) "capacity" 1,382 1,134 21.9% Load factor 75.5% 77.6% (2.1) pts Yield(d) 23.70 25.36 (6.5)% RASM(d) 18.26 20.14 (9.3)% Operating fleet 83 73 10 a/c (a) Except for FTEs, data includes information related to third-party regional capacity purchase flying arrangements. (b) See a reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure and Note A for a discussion of potential importance of this measure to investors in the accompanying pages. (c) Data presented includes information related to flights operated by Horizon and third-party carriers. (d) Certain historical information has been adjusted to reflect the adoption of new accounting standards. OPERATING SEGMENTS (unaudited) Alaska Air Group, Inc. Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 (in millions) Mainline Regional Horizon Consolidating & Other Air Group Adjusted(a) Special Items(b) Consolidated Operating revenues Passenger revenues 1,442 243 1,685 1,685 CPA revenues 110 (110) Mileage plan other revenue 98 9 107 107 Cargo and other 39 1 40 40 Total operating revenues 1,579 252 111 (110) 1,832 1,832 Operating expenses Operating expenses, excluding fuel 1,131 239 104 (111) 1,363 31 1,394 Economic fuel 367 55 422 (13) 409 Total operating expenses 1,498 294 104 (111) 1,785 18 1,803 Nonoperating income (expense) Interest income 11 (3) 8 8 Interest expense (22) (5) 3 (24) (24) Interest capitalized 4 1 5 5 Other (5) (7) (12) (12) Total Nonoperating income (expense) (12) (7) (4) (23) (23) Income (loss) before income tax $ 69 $ (49) $ 3 $ 1 $ 24 $ (18) $ 6 Three Months Ended March 31, 2017(c) (in millions) Mainline Regional Horizon Consolidating & Other Air Group Adjusted(a) Special Items(b) Consolidated Operating revenues Passenger revenues 1,375 227 1,602 1,602 CPA revenues 97 (97) Mileage plan other revenue 93 7 100 100 Cargo and other 36 1 1 38 38 Total operating revenues 1,504 235 98 (97) 1,740 1,740 Operating expenses Operating expenses, excluding fuel 1,000 200 103 (98) 1,205 39 1,244 Economic fuel 292 37 329 10 339 Total operating expenses 1,292 237 103 (98) 1,534 49 1,583 Nonoperating income (expense) Interest income 7 7 7 Interest expense (23) (2) (25) (25) Interest capitalized 4 4 4 Other (1) (1) (1) Total Nonoperating income (expense) (13) (2) (15) (15) Income (loss) before income tax $ 199 $ (2) $ (7) $ 1 $ 191 $ (49) $ 142 (a) The Air Group Adjusted column represents the financial information that is reviewed by management to assess performance of operations and determine capital allocation and does not include certain charges. See Note A in the accompanying pages for further information. (b) Includes merger-related costs, an employee bonus awarded in connection with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments. (c) Certain historical information has been adjusted to reflect the adoption of new accounting standards. GAAP TO NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (unaudited) Alaska Air Group, Inc. CASM Excluding Fuel and Special Items Reconciliation Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2017(b) Consolidated: CASM 11.65 11.00 Less the following components: Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses 2.64 2.36 Special itemsmerger-related costs and other(a) 0.20 0.26 CASM excluding fuel and special items 8.81 8.38 Mainline: CASM 10.72 10.11 Less the following components: Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses 2.51 2.28 Special itemsmerger-related costs and other(a) 0.19 0.29 CASM excluding fuel and special items 8.02 7.54 (a) Special items includes merger-related costs and an employee bonus awarded in connection with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. (b) Certain historical information has been adjusted to reflect the adoption of new accounting standards. Fuel Reconciliation Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2017 (in millions, except for per-gallon amounts) Dollars Cost/Gallon Dollars Cost/Gallon Raw or "into-plane" fuel cost $ 423 $ 2.15 $ 325 $ 1.76 (Gains) Losses on settled hedges (1) (0.01) 4 0.02 Consolidated economic fuel expense 422 2.14 329 1.78 Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustment (13) (0.07) 10 0.06 GAAP fuel expense $ 409 $ 2.07 $ 339 $ 1.84 Fuel gallons 197 184 Note A: Pursuant to Regulation G, we are providing reconciliations of reported non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable financial measures reported on a GAAP basis. We believe that consideration of these non-GAAP financial measures may be important to investors for the following reasons: By eliminating fuel expense and certain special items (including merger-related costs) from our unit metrics, we believe that we have better visibility into the results of operations and our non-fuel cost-reduction initiatives. Our industry is highly competitive and is characterized by high fixed costs, so even a small reduction in non-fuel operating costs can result in a significant improvement in operating results. In addition, we believe that all domestic carriers are similarly impacted by changes in jet fuel costs over the long run, so it is important for management (and thus investors) to understand the impact of (and trends in) company-specific cost drivers such as labor rates and productivity, airport costs, maintenance costs, etc., which are more controllable by management. Cost per ASM (CASM) excluding fuel and certain special items, such as merger-related costs, is one of the most important measures used by management and by the Air Group Board of Directors in assessing quarterly and annual cost performance. Adjusted income before income tax and CASM excluding fuel (and other items as specified in our plan documents) are important metrics for the employee incentive plan, which covers the majority of Air Group employees. CASM excluding fuel and certain special items is a measure commonly used by industry analysts, and we believe it is the basis by which they compare our airlines to others in the industry. The measure is also the subject of frequent questions from investors. Disclosure of the individual impact of certain noted items provides investors the ability to measure and monitor performance both with and without these special items. We believe that disclosing the impact of certain items, such as merger-related costs and mark-to-market hedging adjustments, is important because it provides information on significant items that are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Industry analysts and investors consistently measure our performance without these items for better comparability between periods and among other airlines. Although we disclose our passenger unit revenues, we do not (nor are we able to) evaluate unit revenues excluding the impact that changes in fuel costs have had on ticket prices. Fuel expense represents a large percentage of our total operating expenses. Fluctuations in fuel prices often drive changes in unit revenues in the mid-to-long term. Although we believe it is useful to evaluate non-fuel unit costs for the reasons noted above, we would caution readers of these financial statements not to place undue reliance on unit costs excluding fuel as a measure or predictor of future profitability because of the significant impact of fuel costs on our business. GLOSSARY OF TERMS Aircraft Utilization - block hours per day; this represents the average number of hours per day our aircraft are in transit Aircraft Stage Length - represents the average miles flown per aircraft departure ASMs - available seat miles, or "capacity"; represents total seats available across the fleet multiplied by the number of miles flown CASM - operating costs per ASM, or "unit cost"; represents all operating expenses including fuel and special items CASMex - operating costs excluding fuel and special items per ASM; this metric is used to help track progress toward reduction of non-fuel operating costs since fuel is largely out of our control Debt-to-capitalization ratio - represents adjusted debt (long-term debt plus the present value of future operating lease payments) divided by total equity plus adjusted debt Diluted Earnings per Share - represents earnings per share (EPS) using fully diluted shares outstanding Diluted Shares - represents the total number of shares that would be outstanding if all possible sources of conversion, such as stock options, were exercised Economic Fuel - best estimate of the cash cost of fuel, net of the impact of our fuel-hedging program Free Cash Flow - total operating cash flow generated less cash paid for capital expenditures Load Factor - RPMs as a percentage of ASMs; represents the number of available seats that were filled with paying passengers Mainline - represents flying Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 family jets and all associated revenues and costs Productivity - number of revenue passengers per full-time equivalent employee RASM - operating revenue per ASMs, or "unit revenue"; operating revenue includes all passenger revenue, freight & mail, Mileage Plan and other ancillary revenue; represents the average total revenue for flying one seat one mile Regional - represents capacity purchased by Alaska from Horizon, SkyWest and PenAir. In this segment, Regional records actual on-board passenger revenue, less costs such as fuel, distribution costs, and payments made to Horizon, SkyWest and PenAir under the respective capacity purchased arrangement (CPAs). Additionally, Regional includes an allocation of corporate overhead such as IT, finance, other administrative costs incurred by Alaska and on behalf of Horizon. RPMs - revenue passenger miles, or "traffic"; represents the number of seats that were filled with paying passengers; one passenger traveling one mile is one RPM Yield - passenger revenue per RPM; represents the average revenue for flying one passenger one mile SOURCE Alaska Air Group, Inc. Related Links http://www.alaskaair.com LYNDHURST, N.J. and CHIASSO, Switzerland, April 23rd, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Amerigen Pharmaceuticals Limited ("Amerigen") and Dipharma S.A. ("Dipharma") today announced that Amerigen's Abbreviated New Drug Application ("ANDA") for Miglustat 100 mg capsules has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This is the first such ANDA to be approved as a generic equivalent to Actelion Pharmaceuticals' Zavesca. The ANDA filing was the result of an exclusive collaboration between Amerigen and Dipharma in developing and commercializing Miglustat 100 mg capsules worldwide. Miglustat active ingredient is supplied to Amerigen by Dipharma who holds two granted U.S. patents, US9079856B2 and US8802155B1, one pertaining to a method of synthesis for miglustat and the other for a crystalline form of the same. Amerigen has the right to enforce these patents in the U.S. whilst Amerigen's affiliates will manufacture the finished product and commercialize it in the U.S., where it has already been launched. Miglustat is a glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with mild to moderate type 1 Gaucher disease for whom enzyme replacement therapy is not a therapeutic option. John Lowry, Amerigen's President and CEO, commented "We are delighted to launch this product following a fruitful collaboration with Dipharma. This is Amerigen's fifth U.S. product launch and the third time we have brought a first generic to market, with important savings for the American healthcare system." Marc-Olivier Geinoz, Chief Executive Officer of Dipharma, expressed his satisfaction regarding the collaboration with Amerigen. "This marks the first approval of a series of products our group has been developing in collaboration with Amerigen for various markets." he said. "Thanks to this approval, chronically ill U.S. patients and payers will have available a high quality, more affordable alternative to current treatment. For our young company it is a great achievement and it marks a significant milestone in our growth strategy." About Amerigen Amerigen Pharmaceuticals is a group of companies engaged in all phases of the generic pharmaceutical business, with operations in the U.S. and China. The group is controlled by Amerigen Pharmaceuticals Limited. The U.S. regulatory and commercial activities within the group are conducted by Amerigen Pharmaceuticals Inc., based in Lyndhurst, NJ. The group's Chinese subsidiary, Suzhou Amerigen Pharmaceutical Company Limited, is located in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. The group has products on the market currently in both the U.S. and China plus an active portfolio of products under development, filed, or intended for filing, as ANDA's with the U.S. FDA and the Chinese CFDA. Amerigen's focus is orally delivered products that are challenging to develop, require specialized technologies or high containment to manufacture, and present complex regulatory and intellectual property obstacles to bring to market. All Amerigen's products are developed and manufactured by the company or its partners around the world to meet the highest quality standards, including the U.S. FDA. About Dipharma Dipharma S.A. is a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company, developing high quality, improved, medicines for rare diseases. Dipharma S.A. is part of a third generation group of family-owned companies that have grown in to a global presence. With a portfolio of generic orphan products for the treatment of Phenylketonuria, Gaucher Disease, Niemann Pick Type C, Hereditary Tyrosinemia Type 1, Urea Cycle Disorders and others, Dipharma SA works every day to provide improved solutions for people affected by inborn metabolic diseases at an affordable cost and with a global reach. AMERIGEN: +1 (732) 993-9821 [email protected] www.amerigenpharma.com DIPHARMA: +41(0)916011700 [email protected] www.dipharma.ch Zavesca is a registered trademark of Actelion Pharmaceuticals. The U.S. FDA approved Zavesca in July 2003. SOURCE Amerigen Pharmaceuticals Kogi senator, Dino Melaye has been arrested by officers from the Nigeria Immigration Service at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport Abuja on his way to Morocco. Senator Melaye arrest on Monday, was as a result of him being declared wanted by the police following an accusations that he supplied arms to some murder suspects, who allegedly implicated him. The senator denied the accusations, describing it as politically motivated. He also refused to report to the Force Headquarters in Kogi for questioning. Melaye, announced his arrest on twitter, writing: "I have just been arrested at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport on my way to Morocco for an official engagement sponsored by the Federal Govt after checking in." A spokesman of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Mr Sunday James, confirmed the arrest of Sen. Dino Melaye, to News Agency of Nigeria, saying that Immigration officials acted "based on instruction". Melaye and Mohammed Audu had been named by two suspects who were arrested, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, on the 19th of January, as sponsors of thuggery in Kogi. BAYPORT, Minn., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- For the seventh consecutive year, Green Builder Media readers ranked Andersen as the greenest brand among window and door manufacturers in North America. The annual Reader's Choice brand survey recognizes the products and brands that green building professionals perceive as the most sustainable, innovative and high performing. Of readers participating in the survey, 23.6 percent named Andersen as the company to offer the greenest window and door products. For the seventh consecutive year, Green Builder Media readers ranked Andersen as the greenest brand among window and door manufacturers in North America. As a result of its longstanding dedication to sustainability, Andersen offers customers the benefits of sustainable, energy-efficient windows and doors at all price points, including 328 product models that are ENERGY STAR certified in at least one climate zone. Andersen Corporation Chairman and CEO Jay Lund (PRNewsfoto/Andersen Corporation) "We take pride in the fact that our products add beauty and style to the spaces where our customers live, work and play, along with the peace of mind that comes with enhanced energy efficiency, durability, comfort and healthy indoor air quality," said Grant Davis, vice president and general manager of Andersen's Residential and Commercial Pro Division. Andersen is committed to producing sustainable products using fewer resources over time and that have less impact on critical natural habitats. The company's strategic approach to driving sustainable improvements across its value chain extends from the forest, to its operations, to the home and into local communities. As a result of its longstanding dedication to sustainability, Andersen offers customers the benefits of sustainable, energy-efficient windows and doors at all price points, including 328 product models that are ENERGY STAR certified in at least one climate zone. Andersen is also a signatory of the Ceres Climate Declaration and is committed to being part of the solution by providing energy efficiency solutions that reduce the carbon impacts of buildings. In addition to developing and promoting sustainable products, Andersen is committed to reducing energy use, water and waste across its operations. The company has an enterprise goal to reduce solid waste, energy and water use by 20 percent per unit of product by 2020, using 2013 as a baseline. "Our vision is to make the world a better place by living up to the promise that everyone benefits from their association with Andersen," said Jay Lund, Andersen chairman and CEO. "Corporate Citizenship environmental stewardship and commitment to our communities is one of our core values and is foundational to this vision." For more information on Green Builder Media's 2018 Reader's Choice awards visit https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/2018-readers-choice-awards. About Andersen Corporation Headquartered in Bayport, Minnesota, Andersen Corporation and its subsidiaries manufacture and market window and door products under the Andersen, Renewal by Andersen, Silver Line, American Craftsman, EMCO, Weiland, MQ and Heritage brands. Andersen was founded in 1903 and employs more than 12,000 people with manufacturing sites in North America and Europe. Andersen is a privately held company. Visit us at andersencorporation.com. "Andersen" and all other marks are trademarks of Andersen Corporation. SOURCE Andersen Corporation Related Links https://www.andersenwindows.com WASHINGTON, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being released by the Notice Provider, Kinsella Media, LLC, about the coordinated lawsuits in In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 2311. There is an update for affected purchasers in these lawsuits about certain vehicle components, as there have been additional Settlements that may affect their rights. Thirty-three Defendants have agreed to new Settlements resolving claims that they fixed the price of certain vehicle components. (The Court previously approved settlements totaling approximately $604 million.) The additional Settlements being presented for Court Approval total approximately $432 million. The lawsuits allege that Defendants fixed the price of certain vehicle components, causing millions of consumers and businesses from around the country to pay more for certain new or leased vehicles and replacement parts. A complete list of included parts is available at the website, www.AutoPartsClass.com. Consumers and businesses may be included in the Classes if, from 1995 to 2018, they: Bought or leased a qualifying new vehicle in the U.S. (not for resale), or Bought a qualifying vehicle replacement part (not for resale) from someone other than the manufacturer of the part. In general, qualifying vehicles include four-wheeled passenger automobiles, cars, light trucks, pickup trucks, crossovers, vans, mini-vans, and sport utility vehicles. Individuals can visit the website, www.AutoPartsClass.com, or call 1-877-940-5043 to determine if they are included in one or more Settlement Classes. The Settlement Funds (after litigation expenses, attorney fees, and other costs) will be used to pay consumers and businesses in the District of Columbia and 30 states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The Settlements also provide non-monetary relief, including cooperation, and an agreement by certain Settling Defendants not to engage in certain anticompetitive conduct for a period of 24 months. Affected consumers and businesses can submit a claim form online or by mail to get a payment. There is no deadline yet to submit a claim. If eligible consumers and businesses already filed a claim, they do not need to submit another claim for the same vehicle (or part) to get a payment. Claim forms are available at the website, www.AutoPartsClass.com, or by calling 1-877-940-5043. At this time, it is unknown how much each individual or entity that submits a valid claim will receive. Payments will be based on the Plan of Allocation that is approved by the Court. Settlement Class Counsel's proposed Plan of Allocation is available for review on the website. Important Information and Dates: Eligible consumers or businesses that want to sue the additional Settling Defendants regarding a particular component part must exclude themselves from Settlement Class(es) that they would otherwise be part of by July 13, 2018 . Eligible consumers or businesses can object to one or more of the additional Settlements, Plan of Allocation, or motion for attorneys' fees by July 13, 2018 . . Eligible consumers or businesses may submit a claim form online or by mail. The Court has scheduled a hearing on August 1, 2018 , to consider whether to approve the Settlements and the Plan of Allocation. Settlement Class Counsel may also request reimbursement of litigation costs and expenses as well as attorneys' fees of up to 25% of the Settlement Funds (after litigation costs and expenses). For more information: Visit: www.AutoPartsClass.com Call: 1-877-940-5043 Write to: Auto Parts Settlements, P.O. Box 10163, Dublin, OH 43017-3163 SOURCE Kinsella Media, LLC Related Links http://www.autopartsclass.com/ ROHNERT PARK, Calif., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent survey from The Student Loan Report juxtaposed two disparate issues facing Americans today: student loans and hacking. The survey asked respondents about their perception of which issue was a bigger threat to the United States. For student loan borrowers, the threat of hacking was not as menacing as that of student loans. Federal student loans borrowers, however, have options that may quell some of their worries. Ameritech Financial, a document preparation company that helps student loan borrowers apply for repayment plans, reminds federal student loan borrowers that they may have more options than they think. "It's clear that student debt is heavy on the minds of people who have to deal with it, but stress and worry are not necessarily inevitable for borrowers," said Tom Knickerbocker, Executive Vice President of Ameritech Financial. "Federal student loan borrowers who have found an optimal repayment setup show that even seemingly unbeatable loans are manageable." The survey showed, however, that respondents in general (a mixed group of student loan borrowers and people without student loans) found student debt to be far less of a perceived threat than the borrowers-only group did. Respondents answered questions about student loans and three types of hacking; international cybersecurity was seen by most respondents as the bigger threat compared to student loans. However, the report notes, almost 17 percent of respondents thought loans were more threatening than international hacking incidents. There are sadly no quick fixes for individual Americans to singlehandedly prevent foreign meddling into American affairs. But when it comes to federal student loans, individual borrowers are more empowered. Repayment programs offered by the Department of Education, for example, can be much more affordable options than the Standard repayment plan, thus making loans less financially burdensome for borrowers. Ameritech Financial helps borrowers apply for these repayment plans and recertify enrollment on a yearly basis if the borrower wishes to remain in the plan. Ameritech Financial is a private company which is focused on helping borrowers maximize their resources to have a better repayment experience. Ameritech Financial is proud to offer effective, concrete support to thousands of clients nationwide. "Student loans can loom as a big threat in the minds of borrowers, which is completely understandable," said Knickerbocker. "But solutions may put those worries to rest. Ameritech Financial can help borrowers get closer to those solutions." 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. Each Ameritech Financial telephone representative 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 NEW YORK, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Google engineers Duran Liu and Cheng Li have announced the launch of Atlas Protocol, a decentralized digital marketing protocol built on the Nebulas public blockchain. Atlas Protocol will be the first application-layer protocol developed on Nebulas, leveraging the open source, public blockchain platform's decentralized ranking algorithm. The project is an early upshot of the xGoogler Blockchain Alliance (GBA), and has already secured partnerships with leading the mobile web browser Dolphin Browser as well as the decentralized gifting protocol Gifto. Technology experts and investors gathered in New York City last week for the launch event of Atlas Protocol -- a decentralized digital marketing protocol that is currently being developed on the Nebulas public blockchain. Duran Liu, founder of Atlas Protocol, introduced his vision for a blockchain-based digital marketing ecosystem at the launch event of the newly announced blockchain startup. By decentralizing the digital advertising ecosystem, Atlas Protocol aims to redress major problems in online marketing, including the security of user data, which is a major societal concern, and the prevalence of digital ad fraud, which cost advertisers an estimated $16 billion in 2017. Controversy around the use of consumer data by private internet companies has reached a boiling point in recent months. In October, Facebook, Google and Twitter were summoned by the US Senate to a hearing about false advertising and micro-targeting on their platforms, and last month the CEOs of these companies were invited to appear for another Congressional hearing about data privacy and disinformation on their social networks. The Facebook CEO accepted the invitation and provided his testimony earlier this month. Unlike the current digital advertising paradigm, Atlas Protocol seeks to give full data ownership to users through a decentralized model. Being implemented on blockchain, the Atlas Protocol network will be fully transparent for users, publishers and advertisers, in contrast to the "black box" set up that characterizes the current industry landscape dominated by digital giants. Cheng Li, CTO of Atlas Protocol, gave an overview of the project's technical architecture, which is the first application layer protocol built on the Nebulas blockchain. As such, Atlas Protocol will leverage the Nebulas Rank (NR) algorithm, which measures the impact of addresses, smart contracts, and decentralized applications (DApps) in the blockchain world, for its decentralized marketing ecosystem. Cheng also described the mechanics of the native Atlas Protocol token and how it circulates to exchange value among advertisers, publishers and end users. Atlas Protocol is one of the first offshoots of the xGoogler Blockchain Alliance (GBA, xgba.io), a newly-created blockchain community for former employees of Google, where both Duran and Cheng worked previously. A meeting point for xGooglers to collaborate within the context of blockchain, GBA is designed to bring together some of the world's most innovative and forward-thinking people to share ideas and build projects in the blockchain space. Meanwhile, Atlas Protocol is already gaining traction with leading mobile internet and blockchain companies. Dolphin browser, a web browser with over 200 million users, is collaborating with Atlas to build the decentralized advertising ecosystem, while the decentralized virtual gifting protocol Gifto, supported by the popular live streaming platform Uplive, is also working with Atlas on user growth and monetization. Key members of Atlas Protocol are: Duran Liu (Founder): Head of Nebulas Labs (labs.nebulas.io), former Senior Software Engineer at Google HQ where he lead multiple machine learning efforts, and former Senior Software Engineer at FreeWheel where he played a pivotal role in initiating the first-generation of mobile video advertising products. Liu (Founder): Head of Nebulas Labs (labs.nebulas.io), former Senior Software Engineer at Google HQ where he lead multiple machine learning efforts, and former Senior Software Engineer at FreeWheel where he played a pivotal role in initiating the first-generation of mobile video advertising products. Cheng Li (Co-founder, CTO): Former Senior Software Engineer at Google NYC where he worked on Google Play quality and helped launched the Play Books audiobook service on Google Assistant, and the former Director of Engineering at FreeWheel NYC, wielding many years of experiences in building advertising systems for the Internet. Haoshuang Ji (Engineering Lead): Former Staff Engineer at video AI and analytics platform Conviva. Worked at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), where he was part of the team of scientists who discovered the Higgs boson (aka God Particle), culminating in a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2013. Rose Ren (Marketing & PR Director): Former Marketing Lead of Bodhi prediction market blockchain project, and former Investment Manager at cryptocurrency fund Continue Capital. For more information on Atlas Protocol, visit https://atlasp.io or https://twitter.com/atlaspio. SOURCE Atlas WELLESLEY, Mass., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Entrepreneur and family business leader Juan Roig has been honored by Babson College with induction into the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs (ADE) as part of Babson Connect: Worldwide in Spain. Roig was awarded at a private ceremony on Thursday, April 19, 2018, in EDEM Business School, Valencia, the institution that also simultaneously hosted The 2018 Babson Collaborative Summit. Entrepreneur and family business leader Juan Roig has been honored by Babson College with induction into the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs (ADE) as part of Babson Connect: Worldwide in Spain. Roig was awarded at a private ceremony on Thursday, April 19, 2018, in EDEM Business School, Valencia, the institution that also simultaneously hosted The 2018 Babson Collaborative Summit. Babson President Kerry Healey, left, presented the honor. Established in 1978, the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs (ADE) is the world's first entrepreneurship hall of fame. Since its inception, the academy has recognized and honored entrepreneurs who have contributed significantly to the development of free enterprise throughout the world. Collectively, the 110 members of the academy have created millions of jobs and improved societies around the world. Other international ADE inductees include Richard Branson, Founder and Chairman of the Virgin Group, Ernesto Bertarelli '89, former CEO and Deputy Chairman of Serono SA, Harry Susilo P'96, PBM Founder and Chairman of the Sekar Group, H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group, Gilberto Trigano, Chairman and CEO of Club Med, Gustavo Cisneros '68, President and CEO of Cisneros, and more. "Babson is proud to induct Juan Roig, an exemplary family business leader, entrepreneur and investor, into the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs," said Babson College President Kerry Healey. "Mr. Roig epitomizes entrepreneurial leadershipguiding and growing a successful enterprise, investing in his employees, and supporting local entrepreneurs and Spanish startups. His wide-ranging impact demonstrates how entrepreneurship can create positive change in the world, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the Babson community." The Babson Collaborative Summit took place on April 18 and 19, in Valencia. EDEM Business School hosted universities and institutions from USA, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, South Korea, Spain, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Peru, and the United Kingdom. The members of the organization engaged in activities in order to achieve depth and breadth in entrepreneurship education. Juan Roig President of Mercadona and Founder of Marina de Empresasan initiative that convenes local entrepreneurial resources under one roof to provide local entrepreneurs with the training, advising, and financing they need to succeed. Juan Roig Alfonso was born on October 8, 1949 in Valencia, where he was named Honorary Citizen in 2014. He is married to Hortensia Herrero, and together they have four children and 10 grandchildren. Roig studied at the University of Valencia, where in 1973, he graduated in economic science and completed the PADE programme in IESE Business School. Furthermore, he was awarded an Honorary Degree by the Valencia Polytechnic University, becoming the first entrepreneur to receive the acknowledgement from this University Community. In 1975, he joined his father's company, Carnicas Roig, which at the time had a butcher and a convenience store division. On October 17, 1981, Juan Roig started managing the company, and in this way, it started operating independently as the Roig Group. This is how the Mercadona project started; at the time, it had eight stores in Valencia and a total surface area of approximately 300 m2, whereas today there are 1,627 supermarkets in Spain and some 84,000 employees. Juan Roig is a university graduate whose real calling is being a "shopkeeper", and who decided to move the company in a totally different direction in 1993, when he led the implementation of the Total Quality Model. Its basic pillar is the satisfaction of the company's five components, namely The Client, known internally as "The Boss", The Employee, The Supplier, Society, and Capital. Roig is Honorary President of the Spanish Commercial Coding Association (AECOC), Vice-President of the Spanish Association of Convenience Stores and Supermarkets (ASEDAS), and Honorary President of the EDEM Business School. Additionally, he operates in close collaboration with the Family Business Institute (IEF), where he has also served as President. On a personal level, he fosters the educational and entrepreneurial project Marina de Empresas (which unites under one roof EDEM Business School, Lanzadera, a Startup Accelerator, and Angels, a seed investor). In Marina de Empresas, students, entrepreneurs and business people alike learn from Juan Roig's wisdom. Furthermore, he sponsors Valencia Basket Club, and presides over the Trinidad Alfonso Foundation, from which he supports sporting patronage initiatives. By way of acknowledgement of his entrepreneurial initiative, he has been awarded the Principe Felipe Award for Corporate Excellence, the Valencia Government's High Distinction, the Jaume I el Conqueridor Grand Cross, and the Gold Medal for Merit in the Workplace. About Babson Connect: Worldwide Launched in 2015 in historic Cartagena, Colombia, Babson Connect: Worldwide is Babson College's premier global business summit that brings together renowned figures in the international business community, as well as Babson alumni, faculty, parents, administrators, and friends, to celebrate the ways in which Entrepreneurial Thought & Action positively transforms businesses, societies, and lives. Babson Connect: Worldwide has since traveled to Dubai, UAE, the international hub of entrepreneurial activity, then Bangkok, Thailand, one of the great economic success stories of Asia, and now Madrid, Spain, a leading European financial and technological center rich with culture and history. About Babson Collaborative The Babson Collaborative is a membership organization that brings together educational institutions seeking to build and grow entrepreneurship education for the betterment of our world. Membership is composed of institutions from around the world, which are committed to developing a global learning community with a belief that greater scale and impact will be achieved by working together. They, like Babson College, believe in educating entrepreneurs of all kinds who think and act to transform opportunity into reality, and create social and economic value everywhere. About Babson College Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds. The top-ranked college for entrepreneurship education, Babson is a dynamic living and learning laboratory where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society. We prepare the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to make a difference in the world, and have an impact on organizations of all sizes and types. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought & Action as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value. SOURCE Babson College Related Links http://www.babson.edu BUCHANAN, Va., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of Botetourt (OTCPK: BORT) announced today its consolidated financial results and performance for fiscal period ended March 31, 2018. For the three months-ended March 31, 2018, Bank of Botetourt reported net income of $1,112,000. Both basic and diluted earnings per share amounted to $0.78 at March 31, 2018. Book value is $25.05 at March 31, 2018 as compared to $23.84 one year prior. G. Lyn Hayth, III, President & CEO stated, "Bank of Botetourt is gratified to post the most profitable quarter in our Bank's 119 year history." The favorable earnings result is primarily attributed to an increase of $392,000 or 12.2% increase in net interest income compared to the year prior. In addition, the Bank was favorably impacted by the Tax Cut and Job Acts which included a reduction in the corporate federal statutory income tax rate from a maximum rate of 35% to a flat rate of 21%. As part of the Bank's mission to provide a return on investment to shareholders, the Board of Directors continued the $0.15 per share quarterly dividend payable on May 18, 2018. At March 31, 2018, total assets amounted to $411,127,000, an increase of 5.8% since year-end 2017 total assets of $388,600,000. Total deposits at March 31, 2018 amounted to $371,835,000, compared to $341,924,000 at December 31, 2017, an increase of 8.8%. Net loans grew 2.8%, to $347,021,000 at March 31, 2018 from $337,666,000 at December 31, 2017. Bank of Botetourt continues to exceed the BASEL III capital requirements. As of March 31, 2018 Bank of Botetourt reported total capital of 12.26% and tier 1 leverage capital of 9.18%. Both common equity tier 1 and tier 1 capital ratios were 11.27%. "Our Bank remains well-capitalized which allows us the ability to pursue some strategic initiatives," stated Hayth. This month Bank of Botetourt's Eagle Rock office celebrates its 25th anniversary. To commemorate the milestone at this location, Bank of Botetourt partnered with Eagle Rock Elementary School for the Virginia Reads One Book Program and a donation to the school's playground. Bank of Botetourt was chartered in 1899 and operates twelve retail offices in Botetourt, Rockbridge, Roanoke, and Franklin counties and the City of Salem, all in Virginia. Bank of Botetourt also operates a mortgage division, Virginia Mountain Mortgage and a financial services division, Botetourt Wealth Management. SOURCE Bank of Botetourt Related Links http://www.bankofbotetourt.com NEW YORK, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Evercore (NYSE: EVR) announced today that Bill Thompson has joined the Firm's Investment Banking business as a Senior Managing Director and co-CEO of its Private Capital Advisory ("PCA") practice, based in San Francisco. Mr. Thompson will expand Evercore's existing real estate advisory capabilities by establishing a global real estate capital raising platform to complement Evercore's rapidly growing private equity and secondary capital advisory practice for financial sponsors and investors. Mr. Thompson will join Nigel Dawn as the second Senior Managing Director in Evercore's PCA Group, Marty Cicco who leads Evercore's real estate investment banking advisory practice and Jarrett Vitulli who leads the real estate advisory business within PCA. Combining a new market leading global capital raising platform with Evercore's market leading real estate advisory business uniquely positions Evercore to provide a full suite of fundraising, capital advisory and strategic advisory services to real estate focused sponsors and their limited partners. Mr. Thompson has over thirty years' experience raising capital for a broad range of real estate funds and ventures. He has served in leadership roles for various firms, including LaSalle Advisors, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette/Credit Suisse and Greenhill & Co., and he has overseen the formation of over 110 real estate partnerships totaling almost $70 billion of capital globally. Mr. Thompson will be the co-CEO of Evercore's PCA business alongside current CEO Nigel Dawn, who established the business in 2013. They will report to Evercore's President and CEO. Mr. Thompson will be joined at Evercore by his long-time Greenhill real estate capital advisory partners and the group will continue to serve their clients in a seamless manner. Evercore already has one of the world's leading capital advisory practices, providing independent advice to clients seeking to raise new or additional funds or to recapitalize or monetize their existing holdings. Evercore was named Secondaries Advisor of the Year in the Americas in Private Equity International's Annual Review for the past two years and was voted Global Placement Agent of the Year in Infrastructure Investor's Annual 2017 Awards. Ralph Schlosstein, Evercore's President and CEO, said, "We are extremely pleased that Bill will be joining our rapidly growing capital advisory franchise, further bolstering our leading real estate advisory business. Bill and his colleagues will add significantly to our real estate capital raising and advisory capabilities and will help us provide powerful and differentiated advisory capabilities to our clients. Additionally, their industry expertise and relationships will benefit our strong real estate strategic advisory practice." John Weinberg, Evercore's Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, said, "Real estate financial sponsors and investors are a core client group for Evercore, who we are serving with an increasingly broad array of services. The addition of Bill and his team further strengthens our capabilities and services for this strategically important client group." Nigel Dawn, co-CEO of Evercore's PCA business, said, "I am very excited to be partnering with Bill to continue growing our real estate capital advisory business and to bring our combined expertise to our clients. Evercore's highly entrepreneurial environment provides a strong platform to continue to expand this business through the addition of experienced fundraising capabilities. With an increasing number of limited partners seeking direct oriented real estate investments and general partners requiring expanded advisory services beyond traditional fundraising, PCA will be well positioned to meet the evolving private real estate market." Bill Thompson, co-CEO of Evercore's PCA business, added, "I'm thrilled to be joining Evercore. The platform allows us to provide real estate sponsors with the complete range of real estate advisory services globally, whether it is developing capital solutions in the form of funds or ventures, advising on mergers and acquisitions, or providing perspective on how best to use the secondary markets to achieve our clients' strategic objectives." About Evercore Evercore (NYSE: EVR) is a premier global independent investment banking advisory firm. We are dedicated to helping our clients achieve superior results through trusted independent and innovative advice on matters of strategic significance to boards of directors, management teams and shareholders, including mergers and acquisitions, strategic shareholder advisory, restructurings, and capital structure. Evercore also assists clients in raising public and private capital and delivers equity research and equity sales and agency trading execution, in addition to providing wealth and investment management services to high net worth and institutional investors. Founded in 1995, the Firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices and affiliate offices in major financial centers in North America, Europe, South America and Asia. For more information, please visit www.evercore.com. Investor Contact: Media Contact: Jamie Easton Dana Gorman Head of Investor Relations, Evercore The Abernathy MacGregor Group, for Evercore +1.212.857.3100 +1.212.371.5999 SOURCE Evercore Related Links http://www.evercore.com NEW YORK, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BNY Mellon, a leader in Investment Services and Investment Management, today announced it has named Hood Qaim-Maqami as head of Client Service Delivery (CSD) Technology and Shared/Corporate Services Technology. Qaim-Maqami will report to Bridget Engle, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, and will be based in New York. Qaim-Maqami will lead shared services technology efforts across the enterprise and oversee the continued investment in technology to transform BNY Mellon's client digital platform and help digitize front-to-back process innovation. BNY Mellon's Client Service Delivery (CSD) division manages investment monitoring, measurement and processing services for our clients. CSD business solutions include securities operations, fund administration, transfer agency, outsourcing, performance measurement and related services. "I look forward to Hood's leadership in driving our automation agenda, which will be central to both innovating and streamlining our technology operational footprint," said Engle. "His work will help foster closer relationships between technology and the business, and will strengthen our resiliency and risk culture." Qaim-Maqami joins BNY Mellon from JP Morgan Chase, where he was Managing Director in Wealth Management. Prior to his role at JPMC, he held senior technology roles at Bank of America, DTCC, Barclay's Investment Bank and Lehman Brothers, where his work spanned technology execution, product development and business strategy, incorporating emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and mobile platforms to help organizations advance their technology sophistication. Qaim-Maqami earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his master's from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or individual investors, BNY Mellon delivers informed investment management and investment services in 35 countries. As of March 31, 2018, BNY Mellon had $33.5 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration, and $1.9 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, hold, manage, service, distribute or restructure investments. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com. Follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon or visit our newsroom at www.bnymellon.com/newsroom for the latest company news. Contact: Frank Pinto Peter Gau BNY Mellon Investment Services BNY Mellon Investment Services [email protected] [email protected] +1 917-309-1065 +1 212-815-2754 SOURCE BNY Mellon Related Links http://www.bnymellon.com "This year, we focused our program on innovation, translation, integration, and commercialization of neuro-technologies to advance therapeutics for our patients" said, Dr. Vicky Yamamoto, Executive Director of SBMT and a member of the Executive Board of BMF and SBMT, and a cancer scientist at the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at USC-Keck School of Medicine. The convention had 400 world-renowned scientists as invited speakers covering latest diagnostics and therapeutics platforms for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ALS, brain cancer, military medicine (PTSD, Traumatic Brain and Spine Injury, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.), gene therapy, neuro-vascular disorders, radiation oncology, NeuroEngineering, stroke, epilepsy, multimodality imaging, and spinal disorders including a practical cadaver lab supported by Globus Medical and Marksman Instrument. UCLA Anderson School of Management faculty, George Abe, Professor and Director of the Strategic Management Research Program at UCLA Anderson School of Management and Tom Oser collaborated with Brain Mapping Foundation Brain Technology and Innovation Park (BTIP) and held series of sessions on Commercialization of Neuro-Technologies. "SBMT has made great impacts in the field scientifically not only through cross pollination of ideas and disciplines but also through enabling scientists to take their innovation to market." Dr. Tom Oser, Visiting Professor of Management of Technology & Innovation at UCLA Anderson School of Management. "SBMT is an unparalleled network of experts, entrepreneurs, non-profit and government segments, that all appear to be intent on accelerating the adoption of neuroscience solutions," he continued. The Brain Technology & Innovation Park (BTIP) is aimed at fostering global partnership amongst biotechnology parks, NASA, US Federal and national labs, industry, academic institutions, non-profit and venture philanthropy organizations in order to rapidly introduce diagnostics and therapeutics for neurological disorders. The BTIP Initiative will be facilitating commercialization of neuro-technologies through necessary funded research and product development phases. Members of the BTIP could additionally participate in our various symposium and workshops at the annual meetings of SBMT in Los Angeles. "BMF is committed to make Los Angeles the capital of the world for brain and neurotechnology in general; we are honored to have such amazing luminaries as our keynotes and honored to award pioneers in the field including Drs. Kandel, Nikias, Federoff and Congressman Ted Lieu", said, Dr. Babak Kateb, Chairman of the Board and CEO of SBMT, President of BMF and Director of Brain Technology and Innovation Park (BTIP). Three screenings of an award-winning documentary on epilepsy, Brainstorm, were aired at the SBMT World Congress, and discussions were held on the topic by leading experts Drs. Warren Boling (LLU) and Dawn Eliashiv (UCLA). The documentary was produced by Ms. Stacia Kalinowski who had documented her own struggle with epilepsy; this documentary was well received by epilepsy patients and their families and caregivers. "SBMT is not only focused on advancing the science in the field but also insuring epilepsy patients access to the latest clinical trials and therapeutics available through our collaborating centers of excellence" Dr. Dawn Eliashiv, a member of the board of SBMT, Professor of Neurology and Co-director of the UCLA Seizure Disorder Center. SBMT's slogan is "breaking boundaries of science, medicine, technology, art, and healthcare policy". This year, the foundation awarded many outstanding individuals including C. L. Max Nikias, USC President with Humanitarian Award for his global contributions to science, technology, art, and policy. "I congratulate Dr. Max Nikias for this great honor, applaud and support amazing work done by the Brain Mapping Foundation including many of their initiatives" said Ming Hsieh, Founder and CEO of Fulgent Genetics, Inc., a member of the USC Board of Trustee and 2013 recipient of the BMF-SBMT Humanitarian award. The 2018 award winners were: USC President Dr. C. L. Max Nikias, recipient of the Humanitarian Award; Dr. Jeremy Richman, recipient of the Beacon of Courage and Dedication Award; Nobel Laureate Dr. Eric Richard Kandel, Former UCI Vice Chancellor Dr. Howard Federoff and Dr. Jonathan Kipnis, recipients of the Pioneer in Medicine Award; US Congressman Ted W. Lieu, recipient of the Pioneer in Healthcare Policy Award; United Neuroscience Co-founder Lou Reese, United Neuroscience Co-Founder Mei Mei Hu, United Neuroscience Co-Founder Dr. Chang Yi Wang and Dr. Bahram Jalali, recipients of the Pioneer in Technology Award; Dr. Warren Boling, recipient of the Golden Axon Leadership Award; and Drs. Dong Song and Wonhye Lee, recipients of the Young Investigator Award. "We continue to grow over the last 15 years and expand the outreach of the foundation beyond helping the wounded soldiers and veterans in order to impact soldiers, veterans and civilians with neurological disorders, spine disorders, and injuries, and they are critical to our mission," said, Dr. Ken Green, Ret. US Navy Commander, Vice President of Brain Mapping Foundation, and a member of the executive board of SBMT. The 2018 event was supported by: Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, NIH, NASA/International Space Station, United Neuroscience, Bedside Viewer, Institute for Nerve Medicine/ Neurography, French Telethon, Eisai Pharmaceutical, Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc, IBM Watson Health, Medtronic Inc, Stryker, Globus Medical, Siemens, AML-Hong Kong, Olympus, Ad-Tech, Ricoh, Marksman, Fulgent Genetics, Neural Analytics and many more biotech and startups. 2019 World Brain and Spine Mapping and Therapeutics will be held at the LA Convention Center along with the world's first World BRAIN EXPO on March 15-17th 2019. "2019 World Congress of Brain Mapping & Therapeutics will also include significant innovation in spine diagnostics and therapeutics" said, Dr. Jeffrey Wang, Co-director of USC Spine Center, Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery and Neurosurgery (Clinical Scholar), and the 16th President of SBMT and a member of the Executive board of SBMT. About SBMT: www.WorldBrainMapping.Org About BMF: www.BrainMappingFoundation.Org Media Contacts: Dr. Ken Green [email protected] 202.577.5105 SOURCE Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics Related Links http://www.worldbrainmapping.org Posted by Mark Williams | April 23, 2018 By Andy Mikonis As a freelance auto journalist and PickupTrucks.com contributor, most weeks I have a test vehicle on loan from an automaker. I recently had a new 2019 Ram 1500 and a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 back-to-back. Though these two half-ton pickup trucks were different model years, they were similar in that they were both four-wheel-drive crew cabs with optional V-8 engines, so I thought they would make for an interesting comparison. In fact, the 2018 was actually "newer" when looking at their build dates and it represents what you can buy today. Their prices (including destination) $47,435 for the Chevy and $49,120 for the Ram were similar despite the trucks being equipped differently (see the chart below). The Chevrolet Silverado was more of an entry-level truck with a blackout appearance package and some towing options, while the Ram 1500 was a well-equipped Big Horn with optional tech gadgets and comfort equipment. My 46-mile fuel-economy mileage loop from central Chicago to the suburbs consisted of approximately 30 miles of urban interstate, 12 miles of 40-55-mph multilane suburban roads with stoplights, 4 miles of city driving and three separate stops with engine shutdowns. Both trucks were topped off at the start and then refueled after the loop at the same pump at the same gas station. The pump was set on the first (slowest) catch and allowed to shut off automatically. The engines were turned off while waiting for the pump. Dry weather conditions persisted on both days, with air temperatures varying by five degrees. Traffic conditions were similar, except for the Ram 1500 seeing about 2 miles of stop-and-go traffic on one interstate segment. Windows were closed and climate control was on auto setting at equivalent temperatures. Even though the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 posted EPA ratings of 1 mpg higher across the board, the Ram 1500 edged it out in real-world testing. Some factors that may have worked in favor of the Ram include its lower weight, its eight-speed transmission, a numerically lower axle ratio and a highway-tread tire. However, it should be noted the Ram 1500 calls for mid-grade fuel with regular being acceptable, while the Chevrolet Silverado takes regular. The Chevrolet registered slightly more distance on its odometer over the drive route. The Silverado's trip computer's average fuel economy was higher than my calculated mpg average; the same was true of the Ram 1500. The Silverado's higher weight seemed to cancel out the higher gross vehicle weight rating number. The Ram 1500, showing a higher GVWR than we've seen before, edged out the Chevrolet on payload. And the Silverado's tire load rating was lower than the Ram 1500's, too. Both vehicles exhibited civilized road manners. The Ram 1500's coil-spring rear suspension was more composed over bumps and winter-damaged pavement; the Silverado's lower-aspect-ratio tires probably didn't help there, either. Both were quiet on smooth roads, but I thought the Chevrolet Silverado had more wind noise through the A- and B-pillars. Overall, I preferred the Ram 1500, mostly based on the options it had. The Silverado struck me as the choice for a business owner who wants a flashy truck that's capable of doing a lot of work. I liked the Ram's interior design better as well, but to be fair, the Ram 1500 has the advantage of next-generation engineering. The fact that the outgoing Chevrolet Silverado 1500 can still be so close in performance is a testament to Chevrolet's engineering expertise and you can save some money. I look forward to doing a similar comparison with the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 at some point in the future. Editor's note: The chart below has been updated to correct the numbers transposed for the payload and manufacturer tire load rating categories. Cars.com photos by Andy Mikonis PETALUMA, Calif., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A company's mission statement isn't just a blurb on the about page of the website. It should be a guiding light for the company as it changes and grows. Every decision should stay true to the mission of the company. Brandon Frere, CEO of Frere Enterprises, encourages companies to write out their mission statement to help remind them of the basic goals driving the company. "Every company starts with an idea that is supposed to help someone," said Frere. "Keeping that goal in mind is important in keeping the business on track. That's why it's important to have a well-established mission statement it can help you remember why you're doing it all in the first place." A good mission statement communicates intention and a framework for those in the company to follow. It should inform company decisions. An effective mission statement will also influence and enforce company culture and values. However, those in the company are not the only ones to get something from the mission statement. Customers can read a mission statement and should understand what they can expect to get from the company. This is the value that the company provides to customers. The content of the mission statement is important and should shine through all forms of communication, including customer interactions and all forms of written communication. "Running a business requires a balance between internal management and public image," said Frere. "Mission statements require that same balance, so having that ready to go can help you focus on what needs to be done." About Brandon Frere is an entrepreneur and businessman who lives in Sonoma County, California. He has designed and created multiple companies to meet the ever-demanding needs of businesses and consumers alike. His company website, www.FrereEnterprises.com, is used as a means to communicate many of the lessons, fundamentals and information he has learned throughout his extensive business and personal endeavors, most recently in advocating on behalf of student loan borrowers nationwide. As experienced during his own student loan repayment, Mr. Frere found out how difficult it can be to work with federally contracted student loan servicers and the repayment programs designed to help borrowers. Through those efforts, he gained an insider's look into the repayment process and the motivations behind the inflating student loan debt bubble. His knowledge of the confusing landscape of student loan repayment became a vital theme in his future endeavors, and he now uses those experiences to help guide others through the daunting process of applying for available federal repayment and loan forgiveness programs. FrereEnterprises.com Related Links Frere Enterprises home page SOURCE Frere Enterprises Related Links http://www.frereenterprises.com WASHINGTON, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being released by the Notice Provider, Kinsella Media, LLC, about the coordinated lawsuits in In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 2311. There is an update for affected purchasers in these lawsuits about certain vehicle components, as there have been additional Settlements that may affect their rights. Thirty-three Defendants have agreed to new Settlements resolving claims that they fixed the price of certain vehicle components. (The Court previously approved settlements totaling approximately $604 million.) The additional Settlements being presented for Court Approval total approximately $432 million. The lawsuits allege that Defendants fixed the price of certain vehicle components, causing millions of consumers and businesses from around the country to pay more for certain new or leased vehicles and replacement parts. A complete list of included parts is available at the website, www.AutoPartsClass.com. Consumers and businesses may be included in the Classes if, from 1995 to 2018, they: Bought or leased a qualifying new vehicle in the U.S. (not for resale), or Bought a qualifying vehicle replacement part (not for resale) from someone other than the manufacturer of the part. In general, qualifying vehicles include four-wheeled passenger automobiles, cars, light trucks, pickup trucks, crossovers, vans, mini-vans, and sport utility vehicles. Individuals can visit the website, www.AutoPartsClass.com, or call 1-877-940-5043 to determine if they are included in one or more Settlement Classes. The Settlement Funds (after litigation expenses, attorney fees, and other costs) will be used to pay consumers and businesses in the District of Columbia and 30 states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The Settlements also provide non-monetary relief, including cooperation, and an agreement by certain Settling Defendants not to engage in certain anticompetitive conduct for a period of 24 months. Affected consumers and businesses can submit a claim form online or by mail to get a payment. There is no deadline yet to submit a claim. If eligible consumers and businesses already filed a claim, they do not need to submit another claim for the same vehicle (or part) to get a payment. Claim forms are available at the website, www.AutoPartsClass.com, or by calling 1-877-940-5043. At this time, it is unknown how much each individual or entity that submits a valid claim will receive. Payments will be based on the Plan of Allocation that is approved by the Court. Settlement Class Counsel's proposed Plan of Allocation is available for review on the website. Important Information and Dates: Eligible consumers or businesses that want to sue the additional Settling Defendants regarding a particular component part must exclude themselves from Settlement Class(es) that they would otherwise be part of by July 13, 2018 . Eligible consumers or businesses can object to one or more of the additional Settlements, Plan of Allocation, or motion for attorneys' fees by July 13, 2018 . . Eligible consumers or businesses may submit a claim form online or by mail. The Court has scheduled a hearing on August 1, 2018 , to consider whether to approve the Settlements and the Plan of Allocation. Settlement Class Counsel may also request reimbursement of litigation costs and expenses as well as attorneys' fees of up to 25% of the Settlement Funds (after litigation costs and expenses). For more information: Visit: www.AutoPartsClass.com Call: 1-877-940-5043 Write to: Auto Parts Settlements, P.O. Box 10163, Dublin, OH 43017-3163 SOURCE Kinsella Media, LLC Related Links http://www.autopartsclass.com LONDON, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Barbados Fertility Centre (BFC), a JCI accredited center of excellence for IVF on the Caribbean island of Barbados, is taking the unusual step of flying in their medical team to host a fertility conference in Miami on May 5th 2018 due to overwhelming demand from Florida based patients. Dr. Juliet Skinner, Medical Director at BFC said, "Infertility affects 6.1 million American couples, which equates to approximately 10% of American couples of childbearing age. Often fertility treatments are not covered by US health insurance plans, so many couples find they have to self-fund treatment. This has led to a sharp increase in the number of patients we are treating from the USA. By holding the conference we hope to meet prospective patients and make them feel more comfortable with the thought of travelling for treatment." BFC has seen an incredible 150% rise in USA patients over the last 4 years, and are predicting that 2018 will see 45% of their patient IVF cycles will be for USA couples. The conference entitled "IVF - Achieving Maximum Success" describes the IVF experience in Barbados, where US couples combine IVF treatment with a relaxing vacation. BFC believes this combination contributes to their outstanding success rates - currently 67% on women under 35, which compares to a national average of only 42% in the USA. Anna Hosford, Clinic Director at BFC added, "We have worked hard to establish our clinic as a leader in the field of reproductive medicine, ensuring our patients receive individualized world-class treatment." Another element that many infertility patients have to consider is cost, and BFC makes an attractive option for couples with a full IVF cycle costing as little as $6000USD, which is considerably lower than IVF treatment in the USA. One Florida patient, who had successful IVF at Barbados Fertility Centre said, "We initially searched outside the US due to the overwhelming cost of IVF. The cost for one treatment in the US was close to my yearly salary, and therefore not affordable. We did not want to give up on our dreams of having children so we started researching IVF abroad when we came across BFC. After seeing the affordability and same success rates as the US, we then scheduled our free consultation with Dr. Skinner. The clinic we went to in the US made us feel like we were just a number and had no real personal connection to our case. Just one conversation with Dr. Skinner proved we were not a number to BFC, we were just regular people in need of some help. Not only was it now affordable, we found a clinic that treated us more like a family member lending support in whatever ways we needed it. Our beautiful son is now 8 months old and our lives are complete." The conference is free to attend and takes place between 9am-12.30pm, on Saturday 5th of May at the James L. Knight Center, Miami. There will be presentations from Dr. Juliet Skinner, Dr. Roberta Corona, Anna Hosford and previous BFC patients from the USA, who made the decision to travel to Barbados for their IVF treatment. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions both within the sessions and during the meet & greet with the medical team. Dr. Corona, IVF Physician at Barbados Fertility Center ended by saying, "We are really excited to be holding this conference in Miami. We are looking forward to meeting the many US patients that feel they are out of options to conceive. Excellent care doesn't need to be out of reach and since we opened in 2002, we have proved to be an excellent alternative for affordable successful treatment." Please go to http://www.MeetBFC.com to register, as places are limited. For more information on the work of Barbados Fertility Centre, please visit http://www.barbadosivf.com. SOURCE Barbados Fertility Centre Related Links http://www.barbadosivf.com BOSTON, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ClinicalStudyDataRequest.com (CSDR), the first-in-class online resource giving researchers access to patient-level clinical trial data from 14 of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies across multiple therapeutic areas, today announced new strategic collaborations with four major non-profit partners: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust. The new consortium partners expand CSDR's ability to deliver upon its promise to help accelerate life-saving discoveries and efficiently translate big data into smart data that generates valuable research results. "Making clinical trial data available to biomedical researchers across all geographies will help improve academic and clinical research activities, the drug development process, and ultimately, enhance patients' health outcomes," said Scott Martin, Chair of the CSDR Steering Committee. "CSDR is pleased to join forces with such outstanding research collaborators who share our vision of safeguarding privacy while enabling transparency around the vast amounts of valuable data borne from clinical trials." Since its founding in 2013 CSDR has demonstrated steady growth both in the number of pharmaceutical partners making their data available to the research community as well as the number of researcher proposals submitted through the organization's one-stop shop for accessing de-identified patient data from the more than 3,500 studies worldwide. With 57 researchers who accessed data through CSDR having already published or pending publication of journal articles on their findings, the organization recently launched a redesign of its website to allow for an improved, more efficient user experience. With the addition of non-profit partners, CSDR is uniquely positioned to not only serve the research community through unparalleled access to patient-level clinical data from the pharmaceutical industry, but also as a resource through which academic-led clinical trial data now can be shared.. "Data is one of the biggest outputs of the research that Wellcome Trust supports, and we support CSDR's goal of ensuring that it is shared in a way that is independent, transparent, and equitable to reduce the barriers of data re-use," said Jennifer O'Callaghan, Clinical Data Sharing Manager with Wellcome Trust. "CSDR addresses the needs of the academics whom we fund by providing them with a single, innovative solution for accessing and analyzing data from multiple trials as a means of saving time and effort altogether maximizing the value of the research that we fund and creating an opportunity to make academic clinical trial data more discoverable, accessible and reusable for optimal impact and value. We strongly encourage our researchers to use CSDR for sharing and accessing trial data." As clinical trial data sharing continues to expand, both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have put into place basic requirements to support clinical trial transparency and data disclosure, but are still calling for improvements around the scope, clarity, consistency, and usability of disclosed data. Through its innovative and functional approach to data sharing and scientific exchange, CSDR is answering that call with an unprecedented mechanism for ensuring privacy of trial subjects in tandem with expedited advancement of scientific discoveries and innovations. About ClinicalStudyDataRequest.com ClinicalStudyDataRequest.com is the industry leader in global clinical trial data transparency. Its multi-Sponsor Request System provides a secure process for Researchers to request access to global clinical trial data through a publicly available website. An Independent Review Panel review data requests received from external researchers. Wellcome Trust provides secretariat support to this panel and oversees the review process. Access to clinical trial data provides opportunities to conduct further research that can help advance medical science and improve patient care. This helps ensure the data provided by research participants are used to maximum effect in the creation of knowledge and understanding. SOURCE ClinicalStudyDataRequest.com Related Links https://www.clinicalstudydatarequest.com "Our goal at Clouse Brown is to continue to deliver the same top-notch representation in all areas of employment law," says Mr. Clouse. "Our team is dedicated to obtaining superior results for our senior executive and corporate clients." Mr. Clouse, Ms. Brown and Ms. Stout are Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. All the attorneys at Clouse Brown focus on labor and employment cases. Clouse Brown provides decades of experience representing senior executives, business owners, physicians and corporations in a variety of complex employment litigation, arbitration and negotiations. "Although our firm name is new, our team isn't," says Ms. Brown. "Keith and I have practiced together since 1999. Our lawyers know the market when it comes to senior executive agreements." The firm's attorneys are regularly called on to negotiate, draft and litigate employment contracts and severance packages for senior-level and C-suite executives. Clouse Brown also provides expertise advising clients on covenants not to compete, severance agreements, equity awards, trade secret disputes, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and protection of intellectual property in the employment context. In addition to federal and state courts, Clouse Brown handles matters before arbitration tribunals, appellate courts and administrative agencies in Texas and throughout the United States. Clouse Brown is a Dallas-based employment law boutique. The firm represents senior executives, business owners, physicians, corporations and others in a variety of complex employment litigation, arbitration and negotiations. Learn more at www.clousebrown.com. For more information, contact Bruce Vincent at 214-763-6226 or [email protected]. SOURCE Clouse Brown PLLC NOVI, Mich., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CPS) will hold a conference call on Wednesday, May 2 at 9 a.m. ET. The Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Edwards and Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Banas will discuss Cooper Standard's first quarter 2018 results, provide a general business update and respond to investor questions. The Company expects to release results for the first quarter 2018 on Tuesday, May 1. The Company's earnings results will also be posted to the Cooper Standard website (http://www.ir.cooperstandard.com) once released. A link to the live webcast of the call (listen only) and presentation materials will be available on Cooper Standard's Investor Relations website at http://www.ir.cooperstandard.com/index.cfm. To participate by phone, callers in the United States and Canada should dial toll-free 800-949-4315 (international callers dial 678-825-8315) and provide the conference ID 95008497 or ask to be connected to the Cooper Standard conference call. Representatives of the investment community will have the opportunity to ask questions after the presentation. Callers should dial in at least five minutes prior to the start of the call. Individuals unable to participate during the call may visit the investors' portion of the Cooper Standard website (http://www.ir.cooperstandard.com) for a replay of the webcast. About Cooper Standard Cooper Standard, headquartered in Novi, Mich., is a leading global supplier of systems and components for the automotive industry. Products include rubber and plastic sealing, fuel and brake lines, fluid transfer hoses and anti-vibration systems. Cooper Standard employs approximately 32,000 people globally and operates in 20 countries around the world. For more information, please visit www.cooperstandard.com. CPS_F Contact for Analysts: Contact for Media: Roger Hendriksen Sharon Wenzl Cooper Standard Cooper Standard (248) 596-6465 (248) 596-6211 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Cooper Standard Related Links http://www.cooperstandard.com 19:07 Raghuram Rajan, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, has been named as one of the possible contenders for the top job at the Bank of England, according to a report by UK-based Financial Times. "Attracting Raghuram Rajan, the highly respected Chicago-based economist and former Reserve Bank of India Governor, would be a coup, as would securing Agustin Carstens, Mexico's central bank chief and the new general manager of the Bank of International Settlements," stated the article on Sunday. It said that UK Chancellor and Exchequer Philip Hammond is starting the process to select the next Governor of the Bank of England to replace Mark Carney in 2019. Hammond, according to the article, said he had already begun looking for candidates in forums such as the International Monetary Fund spring meetings in Washington. "The formal process has not yet started but I, and many other people I am sure, may have cast their eye around various rooms to see if any likely looking candidates hove into view," Hammond said on the sidelines of the meetings. The article said that Hammond's comments showed his willingness to look abroad for Carney's successor and that he was seeking a figure who can make an impact on the global stage as the UK prepares for Brexit. Rajan, who is currently a Professor of Finance with the University of Chicago at the Booth School of Business, was the RBI Governor between September 2013 and September 2016. He was the first non-westerner and the youngest Chief Economist and Director of Research at the IMF. SAN DIEGO, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB) today announced it will host a conference call on Wednesday, May 2 at 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss its second quarter 2018 financial results. The company will file its financial results with the Securities and Exchange Commission and issue a press release shortly after the close of the New York Stock Exchange that same day. The press release, Form 10-Q and presentation materials will be available at the "Investor Relations" section on the company's website: www.cubic.com. Conference Call Information Date: May 2, 2018 Time: 4:45 5:45 p.m. ET Hosts: Bradley Feldmann , Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer; Anshooman Aga, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Dial-In Financial analysts and institutional investors are invited to dial: 877-407-9708 201-689-8259 (international) To avoid a delay in start time, please dial in beginning 4:35 p.m. ET. Webcast A live audio webcast will be available at: https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1188418&tp_key=492633016a. An archive of the webcast will be made available in the News and Events page of Cubic's Investor Relations section at https://www.cubic.com/Investor-Relations/News-and-Events. About Cubic Corporation Cubic is a market-leading, technology provider of integrated solutions that increase situational understanding for transportation, defense C4ISR and training customers worldwide to decrease urban congestion and improve the militaries' effectiveness and operational readiness. Cubic Transportation Systems is a leading integrator of payment and information technology and services to create intelligent travel solutions for transportation authorities and operators. Cubic Mission Solutions provides networked Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities for defense, intelligence, security and commercial missions. Cubic Global Defense is a leading provider of live, virtual, constructive and game-based training solutions for the U.S. and allied forces. For more information about Cubic, please visit the company's website at www.cubic.com or on Twitter @CubicCorp. SOURCE Cubic Corporation Related Links http://www.cubic.com CLEVELAND, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- After launching their premier product, topplr, in January 2018, parent company Data Genomix was awarded Most Promising Startup by the OHTec Best of Tech Awards 2018. With nearly 220 tech innovators and leaders in attendance for the 12th annual event hosted in downtown Cleveland, Data Genomix secured their place in the growing Northeastern Ohio startup scene by demonstrating the power of social targeting solutions. Using big data and machine learning, the cross-functional team of Data Genomix builds marketing technology platforms to bring leading-edge targeting in an easy-to-use, self-serve model. Data Genomix's inaugural product, topplr, launched earlier this year, is geared toward political candidates seeking to deliver targeted messages to voters on social platforms. Topplr significantly exceeded initial projected growth and quickly became the fastest growing voter targeting platform in the country within three short months. "To say I'm proud of our team is an understatement," says Ron Copfer, co-founder of Data Genomix. "The dedication of our employees shows greatly in their ability to come together to build a platform poised to transform how candidates and companies can microtarget a specific audience on social media." In addition to topplr voter targeting, the Data Genomix team is building a self-serve platform tailored to recruitment, focusing initially on physicians, nurses, cosmetologist, CDL drivers, pilots, and more. Recruiters will be able to create digital job postings targeted directly to their candidate list across social media. "The possibilities are endless for Data Genomix. We are just getting started," Copfer states. About Data Genomix Cleveland-based award-winning marketing technology startup Data Genomix brings leading-edge targeting, analytics, and machine learning to industries such as political advertising and online recruiting. About topplr Topplr is a self-serve voter targeting and messaging platform that sparks a truly social campaign today. Using the nerdiest voter targeting imaginable, topplr delivers compelling messages instantly to voters on Facebook and other social networks. Media Contact: Brittany White | VP, Marketing |Data Genomix | [email protected] Related Links Data Genomix Website topplr Website SOURCE Data Genomix Related Links http://www.datagenomix.com OKLAHOMA CITY, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Thursday evening program at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Third Thursdays presented by Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores, will debut May 17 at 5 p.m. The first event, "Third Thursday: My Life/My Movie," features music by Adam and Kizzie, animation experimentation with artist Nicole Emmons-Willis, a special menu at the Museum Cafe, full bar on the Roof Terrace and access to the Museum's galleries. Admission is just $5; food and libations are available at an additional cost. This year, the Museum's Roof Terrace will be open to the public only during Third Thursday events. "The Museum has always been busy on Thursday evenings," said E. Michael Whittington, President and CEO. "We are excited to offer even more reasons to visit with our new Third Thursday series presented by Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores. Throughout the year, Third Thursday will be a fantastic way to visit the Museum and channel your 'inner Michelangelo' while enjoying great food and drinks in a unique atmosphere." "We are excited to support a full year of Third Thursdays," added Jenny Love Meyer, vice president of communications at Love's. "The recent growth and development of our downtown area has been significant and Third Thursdays will continue to build on this momentum. We believe the arts are a vital part of a vibrant downtown and are committed to increasing access for everyone in our community." "My Life/My Movie" is inspired by the special exhibition, "Apichatpong Weerasethakul: The Serenity of Madness." This exhibition presents a survey of rarely seen experimental short films and video installations by the Cannes Film Festival-award winning filmmaker. "Third Thursdays will be the perfect time to stop by the Museum with friends, experience something new, interact with local artists and enjoy the Museum's latest exhibitions," said Tracy Truels, director of learning and engagement. "We are pleased to offer extended hours and reduced admission every Thursday, but our programming is what will make Third Thursdays a special time to be at the Museum." Programming will continue monthly on the third Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. with the next event "Strike a Pose," inspired by "Isabelle de Borchgrave: Fashioning Art from Paper," happening June 21. More information can be found on the Museum's website, www.okcmoa.com. SOURCE Oklahoma City Museum of Art Related Links http://www.okcmoa.com The award recognizes national accomplishment in the field of neurological education. The awardee not only demonstrates leadership and devotion to neurological education, but also someone who has published widely and influenced generations of trainees. "I am humbled to receive this award, as it reflects that my fellows, trainees and students have grown to make important contributions to the field of neurology, and that I got to play a part in their journeys," says Dr. Galetta, who became chair of NYU Langone's Department of Neurology in 2012. "My goal always has been to ensure that we train excellent clinicians, physician-scientists, and, most importantly, future leaders in the field." Dr. Galetta's areas of expertise include neuro-ophthalmology and the diagnosis and treatment of double vision, multiple sclerosis (MS), concussion, and optic nerve disorders. Dr. Galetta has authored more than 300 original, peer-reviewed papers and over 140 editorials, chapters, and other scholarly articles. He serves on the editorial boards of Neurology and the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology. Dr. Galetta's current research includes the study of a non-invasive ocular imaging method called optical coherence tomography (OCT) which may add to how MS and other neurological conditions like traumatic brain injuries are diagnosed, and the study of sideline screening tools for sports-related concussions in youth and collegiate athletes. Dr. Galetta previously led the neurology residency training program at the University of Pennsylvania and, more recently, has helped develop NYU School of Medicine's neurology training program into one of the nation's best. Dr. Galetta and colleagues have also trained over 25 neuro-ophthalmology fellows, many of whom have won national awards for presentations and hold prominent positions across the country. In 1998, Dr. Galetta was awarded the Louis Duhring Outstanding Clinical Specialist Award from the University of Pennsylvania, and in 2004, was honored for his role as an educator by receiving the American Neurological Association's Distinguished Neurology Teacher Award, granted to only one teacher in the U.S. each year. He also is the recipient of the Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award by the Association of American Medical Colleges. In 2008, he received the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award, from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and was named NYU Langone Health's Master Clinician in 2014. "Since joining NYU Langone, Dr. Galetta has brought an unparalleled vision and leadership to our neurology efforts, growing our department into one of the nation's finest," says Robert I. Grossman, MD, the Saul J. Farber Dean and CEO of NYU Langone Health. "Throughout his many successes, Dr. Galetta has been a role model in espousing a philosophy that kindness, humility and perseverance are critical elements to being a best colleague, physician, investigator and educator." The winner of the A.B. Baker award receives a $1,500 cash prize and recognition at the AAN Annual Meeting. The award is funded by an endowment created by matching funds from the A.B. Baker Family trust and Novartis. Dr. Galetta accepts the award in a ceremony on April 23, and on April 25 from 4:45 PM to 5:30 PM, delivers an award presentation at the AAN called, "Top Ten Clinical, Educational, and Leadership Pearls." Media Inquiries: Ryan Jaslow Phone: 212-404-3511 [email protected] About NYU Langone Health: NYU Langone Health is a world-class, patient-centered, integrated academic medical center, known for its excellence in clinical care, research, and education. Included in the 200+ locations throughout the New York area are five inpatient locations: Tisch Hospital, its flagship acute-care facility; Rusk Rehabilitation, ranked as one of the top 10 rehabilitation programs in the country; NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, a dedicated inpatient orthopedic hospital with all musculoskeletal specialties ranked top 10 in the country; Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, a comprehensive pediatric hospital supporting a full array of children's health services; and NYU Langone HospitalBrooklyn, a full-service teaching hospital and level 1 trauma center located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Also part of NYU Langone Health is the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institutedesignated cancer center, and NYU School of Medicine, which since 1841 has trained thousands of physicians and scientists who have helped to shape the course of medical history. For more information, go to nyulangone.org, and interact with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. SOURCE NYU Langone Health Related Links http://nyulangone.org/ HANNOVER, Germany, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- EdgeX Foundry, an open source project building a common interoperability framework to facilitate an ecosystem for Internet of Things (IoT) edge computing, marks its one-year anniversary with a substantial member presence at Hannover Messe and the launch of its first annual Community Awards program. Introduced last April by The Linux Foundation and numerous members, EdgeX Foundry has grown into a highly respected platform that makes it easier to build, deploy, run and scale IIoT solutions given its native interoperability. Attracting small start-up companies to technology giants, the project has seen a 50 percent growth in the last year and has grown its global footprint to almost 80 member companies in 17 countries. Some of these members and their technology will be on display at Hannover Messe in Germany from April 23-27. The EdgeX Foundry booth, Hall 6: B17, will feature interactive demos from Canonical, Dell, IOTech, IoTium, RSA, Software AG and VMware and exclusive keynotes in the booth theatre. A complete schedule of the keynotes and demo information can be found in this blog. EdgeX Community Awards To mark its momentum, EdgeX Foundry launched the first annual EdgeX Foundry Community Awards to honor those individuals who have contributed in leadership and innovative solutions. Community members nominated their peers, and the EdgeX Foundry Governing Board selected two winners for the Innovation Award, which recognizes individuals who have contributed the most innovation solution, and Contribution Award, which highlights leaders who have helped EdgeX Foundry advance momentum this year through working groups, special projects, and/or contributed large amounts of code, bug fixes or documentation. Winners will be announced at Hannover Messe. "We are excited to recognize leaders in our community who have helped EdgeX Foundry become a trailblazer," said Jason Shepherd, Chair of the EdgeX Foundry Governing Board and Dell Technologies IoT CTO. "Member companies both small and large are active in the EdgeX technical community in various ways and are leveraging EdgeX in their product and solutions roadmaps. In fact, we'll see a few prototypes later this year." Building Momentum Ahead of California In February 2018, EdgeX Foundry released the California Preview, giving developers early access to some elements of the California code release that support more efficient microservices and establish a path toward scalability. The California preview features several Go Lang microservices that are drop-in replacements for the Java versions, including core services like Core Data, Metadata and Command. The full California release will be available in Summer 2018 and represents a major step in evolving the EdgeX framework to support the developer requirements for deployment in business-critical IIoT applications. "We are just at the beginning of this IoT journey," said Keith Steele, EdgeX Foundry Chair of the Technical Steering Committee and CEO of IOTech. "EdgeX Foundry continues to hit milestones, and as we work towards the California release in June, the platform will be able to quickly and securely deliver interoperability between components, applications and services across a wide range of IoT use cases." Several project members, including Cavium, Cloud of Things, Dell, IOTech, Mocana, RSA and VMware, have already started to provide commercial solutions based on EdgeX, while others have embedded EdgeX technologies into their product and solution roadmaps. Additionally, the Government of Serbia Innovation Fund has awarded member Mainflux a grant to develop MFX-1, an IoT edge gateway powered by EdgeX platform. For more information about the grant, click here. Ecosystem Expansion EdgeX Foundry has made significant progress in its first year and has reached engagement on a global scale from countries such as the United Kingdom, South Korea, Serbia, Spain, Tunisia, Canada, Israel, Germany and Japan. More than 200 people from member companies join weekly and quarterly face-to-face meetings to align on project goals, develop working groups and identify project maintainers and committers across key functional areas. This month, EdgeX Foundry welcomes the addition of five new members, including Civil Infrastructure Platform (CIP), ETRI, ISSAT Mateur, Samsung SDS and Volterra. "CIP is committed to developing, testing and maintaining an industrial-grade software that lays the foundation needed for essential global civil infrastructure and economic systems for the next few decades," said Urs Gleim, Head of the Central Smart Embedded Systems Group at Siemens and CIP Governing Board Chair. "EdgeX Foundry aligns with our industrial-grade edge software mission and will help us create a reliable and secure stack for smarter cities and stronger civil infrastructure systems of the future." "Since its foundation in 1976, ETRI has made a huge effort to grow the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry in Korea," said Dongsoo LEE, VP of ETRI Honam Research Center. "EdgeX is a promising platform to support real-time data communication among a vast number of IIoT end devices with different communication standards. Time-Sensitive Networking is a key feature for innovative applications in Smart City and Smart Energy and we are delighted to collaborate on this project." "ISSAT Mateur is excited to join EdgeX Foundry and work on integrating a full open source platform to support the growing demand and the diverse traffic patterns coming from smart devices in diverse IoT systems," said Dr. Akram Hakiri, Associate Professor and Senior Research Scientist at ISSAT Mateur. "We at ISSAT Mateur believe that the EdgeX Framework will make it possible to bring the cloud computing micro-services, such as communication, computation, network control and storage, to the network edge at single hop users' edge wireless devices to improve network reliability. This will offer significant progress in meeting the needs of diverse IoT scenarios such as urban mobility (connected cars in smart cities), multimedia content delivery, smart grids and Industry 4.0." "With the explosion of IoT connectivity across all industry sectors, we are seeing a demand for monitoring and operation of the edge as well as optimization and analytics through intelligent edge platform from our customers," said Gyeongil Chae, the Vice President and Head of the Enterprise IoT Business Team for Samsung SDS. "Samsung SDS is excited to collaborate with EdgeX Foundry members, and look forward to working with them in developing standardized framework for IoT edge computing that ensures interoperability and vendor neutrality. In fact, we plan on enhancing the competitiveness of edge computing in industrial IoT by applying the EdgeX framework to our SDS IoT platform, Brightics IoT." "At Volterra, we believe the future of modern applications and autonomous systems require a highly scalable and distributed infrastructure focused on the simple and secure consumption of performance and data driven services," said Marco Rodrigues, Vice President of Products at Volterra. "EdgeX Foundry's charter aligns with Volterra's mission that an open ecosystem is mandatory for driving innovation and interoperability for the edge computing industry to evolve. We're excited to be taking part in the community's evolution." For more information and to learn how to get involved, please visit the following EdgeX Foundry resources: About EdgeX Foundry EdgeX Foundry is an open source project hosted by The Linux Foundation building a common open framework for IoT edge computing and an ecosystem of interoperable components that unifies the marketplace and accelerates the deployment of IoT solutions. Designed to run on any hardware or operating system and with any combination of application environments, EdgeX enables developers to quickly create flexible IoT edge solutions that can easily adapt to changing business needs. To learn more, visit: www.edgexfoundry.org. About The Linux Foundation The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world's top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and industry adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org. Media Contact: Maemalynn Meanor [email protected] SOURCE EdgeX Foundry Related Links http://www.edgexfoundry.org Jensen will have responsibility for Elanco's financial operations. He has a proven track record over the past twenty years in a variety of financial leadership roles. He was most recently CFO for Celanese Corporation, a $6B global chemical company. He also spent 13 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in audit and transaction services. Jensen holds a Master of Accountancy from Brigham Young University. "I am pleased Chris is joining Elanco and the animal health industry at such an exciting and dynamic time," said Jeff Simmons, president, Elanco Animal Health. "His deep expertise in leading financial operations and experience makes Chris a tremendous addition to our leadership team and company." Jensen's more than twenty years of financial experience spans the spectrum. The breadth of his responsibility has included financial planning and analysis, treasury, tax, accounting, financial shared services, audit, and IT. "I am looking forward to joining Elanco, one of the leaders in the growing animal health industry," said Jensen. "I was attracted to Elanco's clear and compelling vision, leadership within the industry and the opportunity to make a positive impact at a company with a long history and strong culture." Jensen starts his new position at Elanco on April 23 at Elanco's Greenfield, Indiana-based headquarters. About Elanco Elanco provides comprehensive products and knowledge services to improve animal health and food-animal production in more than 70 countries around the world. We value innovation, both in scientific research and daily operations, and strive to cultivate a collaborative work environment for more than 6,250 employees worldwide. Together with our customers, we are committed to raising awareness about global food security, and celebrating and supporting the human-animal bond. Founded in 1954, Elanco is a division of Eli Lilly and Company. Our worldwide headquarters and research facilities are located in Greenfield, Indiana. Visit us at Elanco.com and EnoughMovement.com. SOURCE Elanco Related Links http://www.elanco.com LOS ANGELES and CHICAGO, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The founders of Valorem Law Group, Patrick Lamb and Nicole Auerbach, have created a new law firm called ElevateNext that will work alongside law company Elevate to help customers significantly reduce legal spend. ElevateNext will perform all "attorney-required" work for clients using the Valorem model, while all "attorney-not-required" work will be provided by Elevate. The ElevateNext venture is a direct response to a growing trend in the legal market. Many law departments, especially Fortune 500 companies, now turn to law companies like Elevate for all aspects of legal work except those few restricted activities that must be practiced by licensed lawyers. Now, customers will have seamless access to all of Elevate's technology, consulting and services, as well as sophisticated lawyers to handle the restricted legal work of transactions and litigation, provided by ElevateNext. Clients now have an innovative and costeffective onestop shop for all their legal service needs. Both Elevate and Valorem have a history of positive disruption in an industry notoriously resistant to change. Elevate was founded by Liam Brown in 2011 to extend and enable the capabilities and resources of law department and law firm customers. According to the 2017 State of the Industry Survey published by the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC), Elevate is the most-used law company and has been ranked as a top global legal services provider by Chambers & Partners for the past four years in a row. Valorem Law Group was formed by Patrick Lamb and Nicole Auerbach in 2008 and is nationally known for pioneering the use of alternative fee arrangements for sophisticated legal work, as well as its devotion to client service. In 2016, Valorem was named one of the "22 Law Firms Best at Delivering Alternative Fee Arrangements" by BTI Consulting. "The current ethical rules that prohibit non-lawyers from investing in or owning a law firm have created a void in the marketplace when it comes to providing clients with sophisticated legal representation backed by cutting edge technology and legal process management," says Lamb. "Traditional law firms have not filled that growing void, leaving clients to inefficiently use multiple service providers to meet their needs. ElevateNext provides the first real alternative." "Customers regularly ask Elevate to provide integrated practice of law and business of law capabilities," says Brown. "We are excited to partner with Nicole, Pat and the Valorem team to now be able to offer that through ElevateNext." Auerbach adds, "We created Valorem Law Group more than a decade ago because clients told us they needed an alternative to the billable hour model. Now we have created ElevateNext so clients can leverage the strengths of the well-established law company, Elevate, along with its technology, process engineers, technical experts, subject matter experts and consultants, combined with the type of legal representation that is the foundation of the Valorem model. Giving clients access to all this through ElevateNext will provide them savings and efficiencies," she adds. About Elevate: Elevate is a global law company, providing consulting, technology and services to law departments and law firms. The company's team of lawyers, engineers, consultants and business experts extend and enable the resources and capabilities of customers worldwide. Elevate is the most-used law company according to the 2017 State of the Industry Survey published by the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC) and has been ranked as a top global legal services provider by Chambers & Partners for the past four years in a row. It has also been ranked on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list for the past two years in a row, including No. 53 in 2016. Learn more at elevateservices.com About ElevateNext: ElevateNext is an innovative law firm formed by the founders of Valorem Law Group, Patrick Lamb and Nicole Auerbach. Lamb, Auerbach and Valorem are nationally known for having pioneered the move to "alternative fee arrangements" for commercial legal work, their commitment to unwavering client service and their focus on outcomes. In keeping with their practice of regularly re-imagining the delivery of legal services, Lamb and Auerbach partner with the law company, Elevate, to bring their collective vision of the future of law to reality. ElevateNext provides a one-stop shop for clients interested in sophisticated commercial representation using the Valorem model, backed by the cutting-edge technology, consulting and operational support of Elevate. Learn more at elevatenextlaw.com SOURCE Elevate Related Links http://www.elevateservices.com ROCKVILLE, Md., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Emmes Corporation today announced the creation of an internship program in which the company will offer one fellow from Egypt's Children Cancer Hospital an internship to gain training and experience in clinical research. Under the new program, one fellow will be selected each year to travel to Emmes' headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, to work with its clinical research experts. The duration of each internship will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Dr. Anne Lindblad, president and chief executive officer of Emmes, explained that the internship program was a natural extension of the company's recent education efforts in Egypt. Emmes' Dr. Ashraf El Fiky and Dr. Robert Lindblad were keynote speakers at the 53rd Alexandria Congress on Allergy and Immunology in Alexandria, Egypt. The conference, scheduled from February 21 to 23, was attended by leading allergy and immunology specialists from Egyptian universities. Following that conference, El Fiky, Emmes' clinical trials medical officer for drug safety and pharmacovigilance, and Lindblad, vice president and chief medical officer, traveled to Cairo to speak at an event at the Children Cancer Hospital. They spoke about cancer clinical trials at the First Symposium on Clinical Research in Oncology and Good Clinical Practice Guidelines on February 25. The Children Cancer Hospital is the largest pediatric oncology hospital in the Middle East. According to El Fiky, "Our new internship program recognizes the hospital's important role in providing free pediatric oncology services to patients in the region. Its joint fellowship programs with Harvard Medical School, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are great role models. Emmes is truly proud to support the clinical research community in Egypt." Two years ago, Emmes had hosted members of the senior management team from Cairo's Children Cancer Hospital as part of a tour that included the National Institutes of Health and other area biohealth organizations. "We're excited to continue to collaborate with Egypt's medical community and academic institutions and expand our new relationships," said Dr. Anne Lindblad. "We believe our internship program demonstrates this commitment, and we look forward to hosting our first fellow later this year." About Emmes We collaborate with our clients to produce valued, trusted scientific research. Our team members at Emmes are passionate about making a difference in the quality of human health, and we have supported more than a thousand studies across a diverse range of diseases since our formation in 1977. Our research is contributing to a healthier world. For more information, visit the Emmes website at www.emmes.com. SOURCE The Emmes Corporation Related Links www.emmes.com BASEL, Switzerland, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Eurotas Inc., an industry pioneer and a leading consulting company specialized in Trackwise, today announced that it has broadened its customer portfolio with another major global Pharma company, purchasing Eurotas' best seller modules from the WIT product, the OFC, LUC and the ACE. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/679549/Eurotas_WIT_Logo.jpg ) Those modules will enable all Trackwise users and admins to perform and execute daily activities in an enhanced manner than they are able to today. The OFC added the ability to perform instant complicated batch calculation on the form of deviations / Non-Conformity records. The LUC will be used mainly for the upcoming new sites rollouts that are planned in the next months in which large amount of login accounts needs to be created in a short period. Lastly, the ACE will provide instant CS (SDS) generation to enable all validation activities and compare instantly the configuration as part of the IQ execution. Over the last 2 years, since the WIT was released, Eurotas' WIT has had tremendous success as numerous pharmaceutical companies have purchased the WIT as a Trackwise add-on product to enhance their Trackwise with abilities that are not part of today's Trackwise. With this, Eurotas has had strong growth since the initial release till date, specifically with today's announcement on the new purchase by a top pharma company, which will contribute to the WIT implementations strong pipeline for 2018. "We are very pleased with the acceptance of the WIT by the pharma industry and this recent product sale is aligned with our growth strategy for the coming years," said Yoni Halimi, Eurotas' Co-Founder. "We wanted to add value to all companies that choose Trackwise as their quality management system (QMS) software, by offering the WIT with its current 9 modules that are designed to increase the use and the flexibility of Trackwise. We look to enhance Trackwise with our WS based tool, the WIT, which is a simple, fully configurable, state of the art software and most important a validated tool." WIT offers different modules, which allow end-users and admins to conduct better their daily activities that are circulating Trackwise. More information is available at www.use-wit.com. About the OFC OFC provides users with one of the most required functions in TrackWise, the ability to perform instant on form calculations. OFC is a predefined and configurable Web Service that is able to perform advanced math formulas. The module also offers the option to perform calculations according to defined selected selection values and to show the result as per the company's internal calculation logic. More information is available at www.euro-tas.eu/wit/ofc/. About the LUC LUC module provides an automated way to create login accounts in mass numbers, including changes/updates to exiting login accounts with multiple user roles. LUC allows in one-step to create persons and to create login accounts for those persons, taking into considerations all the attributes for those login accounts. More information is available at www.euro-tas.eu/wit/luc/. About the ACE The ACE tool generates in a single click an up to date SDS/CS, with the entire system configuration in Excel format, which allows a quick and instant SDS/CS sign off. Not only that, this document is formatted and aligned in a way that allows administrators to find in a blink of an eye a specific configuration property across several configuration features. The ACE has proved to reduce significantly the validation efforts and increase its quality. More information is available at www.euro-tas.eu/wit/ace/. About Eurotas Eurotas is a consulting company that specializes in providing complete solution to all aspects of EQMS (Enterprise Quality Management Software) implementations and administration as well as on demand services to other EQMS systems. Eurotas is an innovative and fast growing life science consultancy based on experts' knowledge and experience and specializes in the following disciplines: Quality Management (QA), Technical Services, Validation, Compliance, Project Management and Quality Assurance activities. For more information visit euro-tas.eu or email us at [email protected] SOURCE Eurotas What Greek tragedy illuminates about James Comey A UF classics professor draws a parallel between James Comeys new memoir and excerpts from a translation of Creons first speech in Sophocles Antigone written almost 2,500 years ago. James Comey in 2017. AP Photo/Cliff Owen Victoria Pagan, University of Florida Once upon a time, there was a prominent, powerful man in government who cared deeply about integrity and following the rules. He said, You cannot know a man completely, his character, his principles, sense of judgment, not till hes shown his colors Experience, theres the test. Leaders have a sacred obligation to those they rule, he said. As I see it, whoever refuses to adopt the soundest policies but fearing someone, keeps his lips locked tight, hes utterly worthless. The responsibility to act with integrity extended to others in leadership, he believed. He could never stand by silent nor could I ever make that man a friend of mine who menaces our country Such are my standards. You can imagine reading these sentiments in James Comeys new memoir, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, a book that is provoking a spectrum of responses. But these words are actually excerpts from a translation of Creons first speech in Sophocless Antigone, written almost 2,500 years ago. I am a professor of classics who studies the literature of the ancient Mediterranean world. In the wake of the publication of Comeys memoir and under the current president in general I believe there is a case to be made for reading the ancient Greek tragedies: not just because they shed light into some of human natures darker corners, but because the practice may even help us find common ground in our fractured political climate. Creons terrible lesson For some, Comeys book only pours salt in the wounds of the so-called October surprise. Thats when Comey, then the director of the FBI, announced that the investigation of Hillary Clintons emails was reopened. Comey insists that in his position, he had the awesome task of adopting the soundest policies without fear of retribution; for the sake of the country, he could not stand by or keep silent. For others, the memoir provides ample evidence that Trump is morally unfit to be president. Comey is no friend of a president who menaces our country, echoing Creons Such are my standards. Creons tragic story begins after the downfall of King Oedipus, when the rule of Oedipuss city Thebes fell to his two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, who were supposed to hold joint command. Eteocles, however, refused to share the ruling of Thebes with his brother. So Polynices gathered an army of allies and attacked the city in an aggressive act of civil war and fratricide. Both brothers were killed, leaving their uncle, Creon, to inherit the troubled kingship. Creon issued an edict that only Eteocles should receive an honorable burial; the body of the aggressor Polynices should be left to rot. Antigone, sister of both dead men, defied the edict and paid minimal funeral rites to her brother Polynices because she believed that the laws of the gods outweighed all human laws. For her disobedience, Creon, who lived by rigid rules, condemned her to death. He is ultimately convinced to change his mind, but not before Antigone commits suicide along with her fiance Haemon Creons son and Haemons mother Creons wife. Creon learned his lesson too late. Principles above all else In spite of the obvious differences between Creon and Comey, I believe the comparison with Greek tragedy, while not exact, is illuminating. Both men appear to share the same tragic flaw: an unbending adherence to principles. Both men believe they are acting in the best interest of their community. Both men align their words and deeds, and in their actions they reveal their character. And the actions of both men have unintended consequences. Both men can be defended for upholding the rule of law. Both men can be condemned for causing harm to fellow citizens. Of course, we cannot expect Comey to come to any grand realizations like Creon, and Comey has made it clear that he is not going to issue any apologies for adhering to his principles. Rather, reading Greek tragedy equips us with a framework for understanding ourselves a little better. Tragedy sparked shared reflection and katharsis In ancient Athens, the traditions of tragedy began in religious festivals. The theater was from the outset a place where performance, for actors and audience, was entwined with religious worship. Furthermore, the performance of tragedy was a distinctly political aspect of the life of Athenian citizens. Athens in the fifth century was a democracy, inclusive and participatory. The religious festival, including the award of prizes to the top playwright by a jury of 10 citizens chosen by lot, reflected not only the organization of the city but its pride and its intellectual achievement as well. The myths, retold from generation to generation, preserved and created images of universal significance. The myths also distanced the audience from the story being told in terms of space and time, and this distance allowed the playwright to portray topics that were socially uncomfortable, politically contentious, religiously irreverent and culturally radical. Tragedy gave the audience the opportunity to look at itself, to examine its less than noble qualities and, in the process, to come clean about what it means to be human and to be happy. This process is called katharsis, the Greek word for cleansing. Although Sophocless audiences in fifth-century Athens were members of a participatory democracy, they were by no means homogeneous politically. Athens was in the middle of the Peloponnesian War. For 30 years, citizens regularly debated strategies and by the end, gauging from Aristophaness Lysistrata, some were even protesting the war. The tragedies presented ethical conundrums to unravel, with no clear-cut answers: Which is more powerful, fate or free will? Divine law or human law? Persuasion or justice? Justice or expedience? Through the stories on stage, audiences were able to think through some of the most pressing issues of their day, in spite of their political differences. Theres something cathartic, cleansing and even liberating about Comeys memoir. A cynic will view the book as his attempt to whitewash, or at least control, the stories and maybe even clean up his image. But it also seems to be a book that as Greek tragedy did for its audience thousands of years ago appeals to those on either side of the political divide and can free us from crippling partisanship, even if only for 304 pages. Victoria Pagan, Professor of Classics, University of Florida This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. William Hayter, president and CEO, accepted the award from Dr. Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia's Community Colleges, during a recent luncheon ceremony in Richmond. He was accompanied by other members of the bank's leadership team, as well as VHCC President Gene C. Couch Jr., and Laura Pennington, who leads the VHCC Educational Foundation. "It is a privilege to accept this award on behalf of First Bank & Trust Company," stated William H. Hayter, President and CEO. "Virginia Highlands Community College is an important part of our community, and this community has been good to us. Bringing students and the community together is our way of giving back and saying 'thank you.'" The award recognizes First Bank & Trust's long-standing support to VHCC. Over the past decade, the company has provided $150,000 to the College through generous donations and sponsorships of campus events. Additionally, company leaders have provided in-kind support by serving as members on VHCC boards and committee that directly support educational opportunities in the service region. First Bank & Trust was one of more than two dozen individuals, families, and businesses from across the Commonwealth honored for a philanthropic spirit that supports the programs and services of Virginia's Community Colleges. The 13th Annual Award Luncheon was hosted by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE). This year's class of distinguished philanthropy leaders has contributed a combined total of $6 million dollars to community colleges throughout Virginia. Keynote speaker Paul Koonce, executive vice president & president and chief executive officer with the Power Generation Group, Dominion Energy, called the community college system "one of Virginia's greatest inventions." He also borrowed a passage from a 1903 Teddy Roosevelt speech to underscore the invaluable connection between higher education and opportunity. "'Far and away, the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. Our purpose (as donors) is to make sure that prize meaningful work the best prize that life offers, remains within reach of every Virginian.'" About Virginia's Community Colleges: Since 1966, Virginia's Community Colleges have given everyone the opportunity to learn and develop the right skills so lives and communities are strengthened. By making higher education and workforce training available in every part of Virginia, we elevate all of Virginia. Together, Virginia's Community Colleges serve more than 252,000 students each year. For more information, please visit www.vccs.edu. About the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education: Working hand in hand with Virginia's 23 community colleges, the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education seeks to guarantee financial assistance to all students who dream of attending college. The foundation is building an endowment that is already generating interest to provide full scholarships to selected community college students; helping more Virginia foster youth pursue and complete higher education through the Great Expectations program; and leading a partnership to improve rural Virginia's education pipeline through the Rural Virginia Horseshoe Initiative. Learn how the Virginia Foundation for Community College is building the future of Virginia. Visit VFCCE.org. About First Bank & Trust Company: First Bank & Trust Company, one of the top community banks in the United States, is a diversified financial services firm with office locations in southwest Virginia, northeast Tennessee, and New River and Shenandoah Valleys. Financial objectives are addressed by offering free checking products for personal and business accounts, and assessing lending solutions managed by mortgage, agricultural and commercial lending divisions. Comprehensive financial solutions are available through trust and brokerage service representatives. For more information, visit http://www.firstbank.com or contact Nicole Franks [email protected] SOURCE First Bank & Trust Company Related Links https://www.FirstBank.com MONTVALE, N.J., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Common Sense Media has partnered with Eduscape, one of the nation's leading and fastest growing developers and providers of effective learning programs for educators, to hold the first-ever "Digital Citizenship Symposium." The event will be held on May 8th at the SHI Executive Conference Center in Somerset, New Jersey. The Opening Session will be delivered by Merve Lapus, Director of Education Outreach for Common Sense Media. Lapus is responsible for the distribution of Common Sense Education's Premium Membership Offering, collaborating with school networks, state-level organizations, and community leaders to foster a whole-community approach to digital citizenship and digital teaching. He has over 15 years of experience driving education technology adoption to school communities and building educator capacity through professional development. Other presenters will include Erica Hartman, Director of Technology Integration for Morris School District, Michael Tozzoli, CEO of West Bergen Mental Health and district leaders. Presentation topics for the event will include, but not be limited to: Community-Based Digital Citizenship (DC) Student Data Privacy - Best Practices from a NJ School District Social Emotional Learning and DC Digital Footprints - Consequences and Prevention Creating and Enabling Student-Led DC Programs Leading DC - a Superintendent's Model (presented by current NJ District Superintendent) Building a Culture of DC "There is no bigger issue (and opportunity) facing teachers, school administrators, and boards of education today than effectively and proactively navigating the challenges of the digital space with students, parents, and colleagues. This day-long program will provide many answers and strategies; and, stir a great conversation on the best online practices in a global learning environment," said Alex Urrea, Founder and Managing Partner of Eduscape. "We are looking forward to using this special day of learning to advance not just our educators, but our community as well in the best practices of Digital Citizenship," stated Urrea. The event is open to all but is targeted to Superintendents, Associate Superintendents, Directors of Curriculum, Principals, Guidance Teams, PTA and BOE members. For more details visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nj-digital-citizenship-symposium-powered-by-eduscape-tickets-43550514762 ABOUT EDUSCAPE: Eduscape is a social innovation company dedicated to developing and implementing effective learning solutions for all learners. The team is comprised of experienced and passionate educators who have implemented blended, interactive and personalized learning environments in the classroom. They have facilitated workshops for hundreds of thousands of learners empowering them to transform classrooms into engaging, learner-centered environments. The team shares a collective belief that simply learning the tools is not enough to transform learning with technology. School leaders must invest in developing a culture and shifting mindsets towards nurturing classrooms where the teacher becomes an active participant in the learning process and feels comfortable in a new paradigm of instructional design. The Eduscape Team takes a purpose-driven approach to making this a collaborative and seamless experience for every learner. ABOUT COMMON SENSE MEDIA: Common Sense is the leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology. We empower parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids' lives. Media and technology are at the very center of all our lives today -- especially our children's. Kids today spend over 50 hours of screen time every week. The media content they consume and create has a profound impact on their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Learning how to use media and technology wisely is an essential skill for life and learning in the 21st century. But parents, teachers, and policymakers struggle to keep up with the rapidly changing digital world in which our children live and learn. Now more than ever, they need a trusted guide to help them navigate a world where change is the only constant. Common Sense Education provides high-quality digital literacy and citizenship programs to educators and school communities. Together, we work to empower students to harness technology for learning and life. Our free resources include ratings and reviews of digital tools, a comprehensive K12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum, ready-made lesson plans, videos, webinars, and more. Related Images image1.png image2.jpg SOURCE EDUSCAPE AKRON, Ohio, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) today announced it has reached an agreement in principle with two groups of key creditors in the Chapter 11 proceedings of FirstEnergy Solutions (FES), its related entities and FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) on a proposed settlement of all potential claims among FE, FES and the creditor groups. Collectively, the creditors in this agreement represent a majority of the outstanding unsecured and secured debt obligations of FES and its related entities, including the majority of Bruce Mansfield certificate holders. On March 31, 2018, FES, its subsidiaries and FENOC made voluntary Chapter 11 filings under the United States Bankruptcy Code. FirstEnergy and its distribution, transmission, regulated generation and Allegheny Energy Supply (AE Supply) subsidiaries were not part of the filing. This agreement in principle is a significant step toward FES, its related entities, and FENOC ultimately emerging from bankruptcy. The settlement is intended to fully release FirstEnergy and related parties from all claims. It provides FES, its subsidiaries, and FENOC with assistance from FirstEnergy on key business matters during the restructuring process. The agreement also affirms FirstEnergy's previously announced guarantees and assurances of certain FES employee-related obligations, which include unfunded pension obligations and other employee benefits, and provides for the waiver of certain inter-company claims held by FirstEnergy. The agreement is subject to approval by the FirstEnergy and AE Supply boards of directors, the execution of definitive agreements and certain other conditions, and as to participation by FES, its subsidiaries and FENOC approval by their respective boards. It also is subject to the approval of the Bankruptcy Court. The creditor groups also agreed to use their best efforts to have the Official Committee of the Unsecured Creditors, as well as any remaining key creditors, join the settlement by June 15, 2018. The complete terms of the agreement are described in a court filing made today in the FES Chapter 11 proceedings and in a disclosure on Form 8K, which will be available at http://investors.firstenergycorp.com/IRW/Docs. FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at www.firstenergycorp.com. Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 based on information currently available to management. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements include declarations regarding management's intents, beliefs and current expectations. These statements typically contain, but are not limited to, the terms "anticipate," "potential," "expect," "forecast," "target," "will," "intend," "believe," "project," "estimate," "plan" and similar words. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, which may include the following: the ability to successfully execute an exit of commodity-based generation that minimizes cash outflows and associated liabilities, including, without limitation, the losses, guarantees, claims and other obligations of FirstEnergy Corp., together with its consolidated subsidiaries (FirstEnergy) as such relate to the entities previously consolidated into FirstEnergy, including FirstEnergy Solutions Corp.(FES), its subsidiaries and FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC), which have recently filed for bankruptcy protection; the potential for litigation and demands for payment against FirstEnergy by FES and FENOC or certain of their creditors; the risks associated with the bankruptcy cases of FES, its subsidiaries and FENOC, including, but not limited to, third-party motions in the cases that could adversely affect FirstEnergy, its liquidity or results of operations; the ability to experience growth in the Regulated Distribution and Regulated Transmission segments and the effectiveness of our strategy to operate as a fully regulated business; the accomplishment of our regulatory and operational goals in connection with our transmission and distribution investment plans, including, but not limited to, our planned transition to forward-looking formula rates; changes in assumptions regarding economic conditions within our territories, assessment of the reliability of our transmission and distribution system, or the availability of capital or other resources supporting identified transmission and distribution investment opportunities; the ability to accomplish or realize anticipated benefits from strategic and financial goals, including, but not limited to, the ability to grow earnings in our regulated businesses, continue to reduce costs and to successfully execute our financial plans designed to improve our credit metrics and strengthen our balance sheet; the risks and uncertainties associated with litigation, arbitration, mediation and like proceedings; the uncertainties associated with the deactivation of our remaining commodity-based generating units, including the impact on vendor commitments, and as it relates to the reliability of the transmission grid, the timing thereof; costs being higher than anticipated and the success of our policies to control costs; the uncertainty of the timing and amounts of the capital expenditures that may arise in connection with any litigation, including New Source Review litigation, or potential regulatory initiatives or rulemakings; changes in customers' demand for power, including, but not limited to, changes resulting from the implementation of state and federal energy efficiency and peak demand reduction mandates; economic and weather conditions affecting future sales, margins and operations, such as significant weather events, and all associated regulatory events or actions; changes in national and regional economic conditions affecting FirstEnergy and/or our major industrial and commercial customers, and other counterparties with which we do business; the impact of labor disruptions by our unionized workforce; the risks associated with cyber-attacks and other disruptions to our information technology system that may compromise our generation, transmission and/or distribution services and data security breaches of sensitive data, intellectual property and proprietary or personally identifiable information regarding our business, employees, shareholders, customers, suppliers, business partners and other individuals in our data centers and on our networks; the impact of the regulatory process and resulting outcomes on the matters at the federal level and in the various states in which we do business, including, but not limited to, matters related to rates; the impact of the federal regulatory process on Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulated entities and transactions, in particular FERC regulation of PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM) wholesale energy and capacity markets and cost-of-service rates, as well as FERC's compliance and enforcement activity, including compliance and enforcement activity related to North American Electric Reliability Corporation's mandatory reliability standards; the uncertainties of various cost recovery and cost allocation issues resulting from American Transmission Systems, Incorporated's realignment into PJM; the ability to comply with applicable state and federal reliability standards and energy efficiency and peak demand reduction mandates; other legislative and regulatory changes, including the federal administration's required review and potential revision of environmental requirements, including, but not limited to, the effects of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan, Coal Combustion Residuals, Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and Mercury and Air Toxics Standards programs, including our estimated costs of compliance, Clean Water Act (CWA) waste water effluent limitations for power plants, and CWA 316(b) water intake regulation; changing market conditions that could affect the measurement of certain liabilities and the value of assets held in our pension trusts and other trust funds, and cause us and/or our subsidiaries to make additional contributions sooner, or in amounts that are larger, than currently anticipated; the impact of changes to significant accounting policies; the impact of any changes in tax laws or regulations, including the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, adopted December 22, 2017, or adverse tax audit results or rulings; the ability to access the public securities and other capital and credit markets in accordance with our financial plans, the cost of such capital and overall condition of the capital and credit markets affecting us and our subsidiaries; further actions that may be taken by credit rating agencies that could negatively affect us and/or our subsidiaries' access to financing, increase the costs thereof, letters of credit and other financial guarantees, and the impact of these events on the financial condition and liquidity of FirstEnergy Corp. and/or its subsidiaries; issues concerning the stability of domestic and foreign financial institutions and counterparties with which we do business; and the risks and other factors discussed from time to time in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, and other similar factors. Dividends declared from time to time on FirstEnergy Corp.'s common stock, and thereby on FirstEnergy Corp.'s preferred stock, during any period may in the aggregate vary from prior periods due to circumstances considered by FirstEnergy Corp.'s Board of Directors at the time of the actual declarations. A security rating is not a recommendation to buy or hold securities and is subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the assigning rating agency. Each rating should be evaluated independently of any other rating. These forward-looking statements are also qualified by, and should be read together with, the risk factors included in our filings with the SEC. The foregoing review of factors also should not be construed as exhaustive. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors, nor assess the impact of any such factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation to update or revise, except as required by law, any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp. Related Links http://www.firstenergycorp.com WELLESLEY, Mass., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On April 25, Wellesley College will welcome former Vice President Al Gore to campus to speak about one of the most critical issues of our time: the climate crisis. The event begins at 5:30 PM in Alumnae Hall Auditorium. Known across the globe for his lifetime of leadership and public service, including his tireless efforts to slow and stop climate change, Gore is committed to galvanizing the next generation to continue the fight to protect the health of our planet and ensure a sustainable future. As the College's 2018 esteemed Wilson Lecturer, Gore will engage in a wide-ranging, candid conversation with his friend and colleague Sue Wagner, a Wellesley College alumna and trustee, before responding to questions from the audience. Gore and Wagner will discuss what is at stake in this important moment--one in which environmental awareness and movements are gaining traction worldwide, at the same time that climate change deniers and emerging nationalist perspectives are hindering progress. "Women have been important leaders in the movement to achieve sustainability from its inception," said Wellesley College President Paula A. Johnson, "and as the premier women's college, we are honored to welcome Al Gore to campus. Not only is he dedicated to preserving our planet, he is also focused on motivating and empowering young people to make a difference. I know he will inspire the young women at Wellesley to imagine the world they want to live in, and then, in the best Wellesley tradition, work toward effecting the change we need to make that a reality." Gore's visit coincides with Wellesley's Sustainability Year, a campus-wide initiative to cultivate thought leadership on environmental issues, and help Wellesley lead the way for higher education institutions working toward sustainability. Launched in September 2017, the initiative explores--through conversations, lectures, workshops, and coursework--topics such as climate change, renewable resources, and social justice and environmental policy, while promoting meaningful behavioral changes. The College aims to achieve Gold status in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) STARS ratings, which measures the sustainability performance of colleges and universities. Only 14 percent of nearly 900 institutions worldwide have reached Gold status. Press credentials are required. About Al Gore Al Gore is the co-recipient, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for informing the world of the dangers posed by climate change, as well as the author of several best-selling books, including Earth in the Balance, An Inconvenient Truth, The Assault on Reason, Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis, The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change, and, most recently, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. He is the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, and a follow-up film that premiered in July 2017, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. The 45th vice president of the United States, Gore was inaugurated on January 20, 1993, and served eight years in the position. Previously, he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives beginning in 1976 and of the U.S. Senate from 1984 until he became vice president. He currently spends the majority of his time working with the Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit devoted to solving the climate crisis, of which he is the chairman. About the Wilson Lecture The annual Wilson event is the College's premier academic lecture, with a long tradition of bringing internationally prominent leaders, authors, and scholars to campus to speak on critical contemporary issues. The lecture series was endowed by Carolyn A. Wilson, a journalist and war correspondent and a member of Wellesley's class of 1910, to ensure that future generations of Wellesley students would be familiar with the most important public figures and issues of the day. Guest lecturers over the years have included such innovative and influential thinkers as Elie Wiesel, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Toni Morrison, Chinua Achebe, and Paul Farmer. About Wellesley College Since 1875, Wellesley College has been a leader in providing an outstanding liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world. Its 500-acre campus near Boston is home to some 2,400 undergraduate students from 49 states and 58 countries. Chief Communications Officer Elizabeth Gildersleeve; (781) 283-2376; [email protected] Press Contact Chris Hennessy; (781) 283-3201; [email protected] This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM). For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com. SOURCE Wellesley College Related Links http://www.wellesley.edu PANAMA CITY, June 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Expanded Panama Canal is now officially open for business. During today's official inauguration ceremony, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and Panama Canal Administrator and CEO Jorge L. Quijano spoke to a crowd of more than 25,000 jubilant Panamanians, Canal employees, heads of state and dignitaries from around the world, Canal customers, shipping and trade executives, and nearly 1,000 journalists. This is the first expansion of the waterway since its original construction. The first commercial transit of a Neopanamax vessel through the Expanded Panama Canal. "More than 100 years ago, the Panama Canal connected two oceans. Today, we connect the present and the future," said Mr. Quijano speaking to the people of Panama. "It is an honor to announce that what we did it together: providing this great connection to the world. This is the beginning of a new era." "Canal users can be assured that we'll continue to support the Panama Canal Authority and our port operators to provide them a world class service and strengthen our logistics system by creating the necessary incentives and conditions to give added value to our inter-oceanic route," said Panamanian President Varela. The inaugural transit began with the passage of Neopanamax vessel COSCO Shipping Panama through the Agua Clara Locks on the Atlantic side of the country and concluded with its transit through the Cocoli Locks on the Pacific side. The ship is en route to Asia. Considered and analyzed with more than 100 studies, the Expansion will provide greater economies of scale to global commerce. It will introduce new routes, liner services, and segments such as liquefied natural gas (LNG). "We are thrilled that we currently have 170 reservations for Neopanamax ships, commitments of two new liner services to the Expanded Canal, and a reservation for the first LNG vessel, which will transit in late July," Mr. Quijano added. "Our customers care that their supply chain is reliable and that they have a diversity of shipping options. And the Canal has always been reliable; today, we offer the world new shipping options and trade routes." The Expansion Program is the Canal's largest enhancement project. In 2006, more than 75 percent of Panamanians approved the project in a nation-wide referendum, and, in 2007, construction of the $5.25 billion project began. It included the construction of a new set of locks on the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the waterway and the excavation of more than 150 million cubic meters of material, creating a second lane of traffic and doubling the cargo capacity of the waterway. In 2015, the original Canal set a tonnage record, transiting 340.8 million PC/UMS. It will continue to operate, transiting Panamax-sized vessels or smaller. While the Expansion's locks are 70 feet wider and 18 feet deeper than those in the original Canal, they use less water due to water-savings basins that recycle 60 percent of the water used per transit. COSCO Shipping Panama set sail June 11 from the Greek Port of Piraeus carrying 9,472 TEUs and measuring 299.98 meters in length and 48.25 meters in beam. Originally named Andronikos, the vessel was renamed to honor and pay respect to the country of Panama and the Canal. In line with its commitment to customer service, the Panama Canal will continue to provide the world with value for another century and beyond. For live updates, please follow us @thepanamacanal About the Panama Canal Authority The Panama Canal is run by an autonomous agency of the Government of Panama in charge of managing, operating and maintaining the Panama Canal. The operation of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) is based on its organic law and the regulations approved by its Board of Directors. For more information, please refer to the ACP's website: http://www.pancanal.com or follow us on Twitter @thepanamacanal. About the Panama Canal Expansion Program The Expansion Program is the largest enhancement project since the Canal's opening in 1914. Considered and analyzed for a decade with more than 100 studies, the Expansion provides the world's shippers, retailers, manufacturers and consumers with greater shipping options, better maritime service, enhanced logistics and supply-chain reliability. The Expansion included the construction of a new set of locks on the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the waterway and the excavation of more than 150 million cubic meters of material, creating a second lane of traffic and doubling the cargo capacity of the waterway. While the Expanded locks are 70 feet wider and 18 feet deeper than those in the original Canal, they use less water due to water-savings basins that recycle 60 percent of the water used per transit. In line with its commitment to customer service, the Panama Canal will continue to provide the world with value for another century and beyond. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160626/383441 SOURCE Panama Canal Authority Related Links http://www.pancanal.com In connection with the transaction, Patrick Dovigi, Founder and CEO, will maintain his role and leadership of GFL, as well as significant ownership in the Company, while the investors will acquire the interests of current partners including funds managed or associated with HPS Investment Partners, Macquarie Infrastructure Partners III and Hawthorn Equity Partners. GFL is one of the fastest growing North American providers of diversified environmental solutions. It provides services in solid waste management, liquid waste management and infrastructure management. Through its network of more than 140 facilities across Canada and in Michigan, GFL provides cost-effective waste management solutions that encourage greater environmental responsibility. GFL's team of more than 5,000 employees provides local services to more than 2.5 million households under municipal contracts and to more than 60,000 industrial, commercial and institutional customers. Mr. Dovigi, on behalf of GFL, said "today is a very important milestone for the next phase of growth of GFL. From our humble beginnings in 2007 with eight employees to having now grown to a workforce of over 5,000 in both Canada and the United States, the last 10 years have been nothing short of remarkable. The signing of this transaction reflects the hard work and dedication of each and every one of our employees whose tireless efforts make GFL what it is today. Without them, our continued success would not be possible." Mr. Dovigi added, "BC Partners and Ontario Teachers' tick all the boxes for us at GFL. Having founded the company, it was very important to me to find partners that shared the same principles, values and vision, along with having significant capital to fund our ambitious growth plans. I would like to thank HPS Investment Partners, Macquarie Infrastructure Partners and Hawthorn Equity Partners for their support of GFL during the past years." Paolo Notarnicola, Senior Partner, who led the investment said: "BC Partners is excited to be partnering with Patrick and his high quality management team. Our goal is to provide the capital and strategic support necessary for the continuation of their remarkable growth story." Raymond Svider, Managing Partner and co-Chairman of BC Partners, added: "We look forward to a close collaboration with GFL and our partners at Ontario Teachers as an important part of our long-term strategy to grow in the Canadian marketplace." "GFL is an exceptional Canadian success story led by a proven management team. We expect this partnership with GFL and our partners at BC Partners to create significant value for our stakeholders," said Jane Rowe, Senior Managing Director, Private Capital at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan." The transaction is expected to close by June 30, 2018. Scotiabank acted as financial advisor to BC Partners in Canada with Citi in the United States. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. also provided committed financing for the transaction. RBC Capital Markets, CIBC World Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, BMO Capital Markets and Barclays Capital Canada acted as financial advisor to GFL. Stikeman Elliott LLP and Cleary Gottleib Steen &Hamilton LLP are legal advisors to GFL, while Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP provided legal advice to the investors. About BC Partners BC Partners is a leading international investment firm with over 17 billion of assets under management in private equity and private credit. Established in 1986, BC Partners has played an active role in developing the European buy-out market for three decades. Today, BC Partners executives operate across markets as an integrated team through the firm's offices in North America and Europe. Since inception, BC Partners has completed 101 private equity investments in companies with a total enterprise value of 124 billion and is currently investing its tenth private equity fund. For more information, please visit www.bcpartners.com. About Ontario Teachers' The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Ontario Teachers') is Canada's largest single-profession pension plan, with $189.5 billion in net assets at December 31, 2017. It holds a diverse global portfolio of assets, approximately 80% of which is managed in-house, and has earned an average annualized rate of return of 9.9% since the plan's founding in 1990. Ontario Teachers' is an independent organization headquartered in Toronto. Its Asia-Pacific region office is located in Hong Kong and its Europe, Middle East & Africa region office is in London. The defined-benefit plan, which is fully funded, invests and administers the pensions of the province of Ontario's 323,000 active and retired teachers. For more information, visit http://otpp.com and follow us on Twitter @OtppInfo. About GFL GFL, headquartered in Toronto, ON, is a diversified environmental services company providing a comprehensive line of solid waste, infrastructure & soil remediation, and liquid waste management services through its platform of facilities across Canada and in Southeastern Michigan. GFL has a workforce of more than 5,000 employees and provides its broad range of environmental services to more than 60,000 commercial and industrial customers and its solid waste collection services to more than 2.5 million households. Forward-Looking Information This release may contain forward-looking information including but not limited to the proposed recapitalization of GFL by investors including BC Partners, Ontario Teachers' and others. Such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analysis made by GFL in light of its experience and perception of current conditions and expected future developments as well as other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. However, whether actual results, performance or achievements will conform to GFL's expectations and predictions is subject to market conditions and a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from GFL's expectations. SOURCE GFL Environmental Inc. SHANGHAI, April 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.), the world's leading platform for professional learning, announced today that it has relocated and expanded its Shanghai office. GLG is the world's leading platform for on-demand professional learning, connecting thousands of clients to its more than 600,000 subject-matter experts around the world and across fields for short- and long-term learning engagements. GLG's 1,500 employees work from offices in 12 countries. "GLG provides learning opportunities to help top professionals and their organizations achieve their most ambitious goals. Our business in Greater China is growing rapidly, and is a key market for us as a global firm," said GLG Managing Director and Head of Asia-Pacific Evan Auyang. "With this expanded space in Shanghai, in addition to our already recently-expanded offices in Beijing, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong, we are making GLG's world-leading platform for on-demand learning essential to more and more Greater China-based professionals." GLG will occupy the 8th floor of the China Overseas International Centre. The building is located in downtown Shanghai, four blocks south of the Xintiandi area, above the Mandang Road metro station on lines 9 and 13. The new office doubles the capacity of GLG's previous Shanghai location. "Our business in China continues to accelerate, and our new office in Shanghai will facilitate that growth as we continue to add to our team of world-leading client service professionals," said Stephan Bosshart, GLG Managing Director and Head of China. Like many GLG offices around the world, GLG's new Shanghai office features activity-based working, which enhances flexibility by providing different types of private meeting and collaboration spaces, wellness rooms, a pantry, a cafe, standing tables, and phone booths. The company pioneered this approach with its groundbreaking New York headquarters in 2014, designed by Clive Wilkinson, and activity-based working is also featured in its Austin, London, and Hong Kong hubs, as well as other GLG offices worldwide. About GLG / Gerson Lehrman Group GLG is the world's leading platform for on-demand professional learning. Businesses rely on GLG to learn from 600,000+ member-experts; clients look to address complex strategic challenges and make better business decisions within a rigorous compliance framework. Headquartered in New York City, GLG's 1,500+ employees work from offices in 12 countries. Visit www.GLG.it. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE GLG Related Links http://www.GLG.it DUBLIN, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Current Transducer Market by Technology (Open, & Close Loop), Application (Motor Drive, Battery Management, UPS & SMPS, Converter & Inverter), End-User (Industrial, Renewables, Automotive, Residential & Commercial) & Region - Global Forecast to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global current transducer market is estimated at USD 581.1 million in 2018 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.31% to reach USD 683.7 million by 2023. These are highly technical products, and the growth of the current transducer market is mainly attributed to the technological development of transducers. The increasing adoption of renewable resources, electric vehicles, control & monitoring systems, and industrial automation is driving the growth of the market. The major restraint for the current transducer market is the increasing adoption of integrated systems. With regards to the application segment, the converter & inverter segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. The major application of converters & inverters is to convert DC to AC power and vice versa. The adoption of renewable technology is driving the demand for the converter & inverter segment. The Asia Pacific is projected to be the largest market for current transducers during the forecast period. The major driver for the current transducer market is the increasing adoption of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles, control & monitoring systems, and industrial automation. According to REN21, China has the highest renewable power installation across the globe for renewable energy sources in 2016 at 325 gigawatts. China is also the largest market for electric vehicles due to different incentive schemes from the government of China to promote electric vehicles. Japan is leading the industrial automation regime and already looking forward to Industry 5.0. China, Japan, and India are the major economies in the region, the development in these countries are projected to lead the current transducer market in Asia Pacific. Some of the prominent players in the current transducer market include LEM(Switzerland), CR Magnetic (US), NK Technologies (US), Veris Industries (US), and Phoenix Contact (US). Key Topics Covered 1 Introduction 1.1 Objectives of the Study 1.2 Definition 1.3 Market Scope 1.4 Currency 1.5 Stakeholders 2 Research Methodology 2.1 Research Data 2.2 Market Size Estimation 2.3 Market Breakdown & Data Triangulation 2.4 Research Assumption 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Attractive Opportunities in the Current Transducer Market 4.2 Current Transducer Market, By Technology 4.3 Current Transducer Market, By Application 4.4 Current Transducer Market, By End-User 4.5 Asia Pacific Current Transducer Market: Technology & Country 4.6 Current Transducer Market, By Country 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 6 Current Transducer Market, By Technology 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Closed Loop 6.3 Open Loop 7 Current Transducer Market, By Application 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Motor Drive 7.3 Converter & Inverter 7.4 Battery Management 7.5 UPS and SMPS 7.6 Others 8 Current Transducer Market, By End User 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Industrial 8.3 Commercial & Residential 8.4 Renewable Energy 8.5 Transportation & Automotive 8.6 Others 9 Current Transducer Market, By Region 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Asia Pacific 9.3 Europe 9.4 North America 9.5 South America 9.6 Middle East & Africa 10 Competitive Landscape 10.1 Overview 10.2 Market Ranking of Players and Industry Concentration, 2017 10.3 Competitive Scenario 11 Company Profiles 11.1 ABB 11.2 LEM 11.3 CR Magnetic 11.4 Veris Industries 11.5 Siemens 11.6 Hobut 11.7 IME 11.8 Texas Instrument 11.9 Phoenix Contact 11.10 Johnson Controls 11.11 NK Technologies 11.12 American Aerospace Control (CR) 11.13 Topstek For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/73p9vg/global_current?w=5 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com DUBLIN, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Distillers Grains Market by Type (Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles, Dried Distillers' Grains, and Wet Distillers Grains), Source (Corn and Wheat), Livestock (Ruminants, Swine, and Poultry), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The distillers' grains market is estimated to be valued at USD 10.78 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach 14.95 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2018. The market is driven by distillers' grains being used as a favorable alternative to traditional feedstock and growth of the organized livestock sector. Lack of awareness in developing countries, fluctuating prices of grains and Ill-effects of excess consumption are the major restraints for the growth of this market. The DDGS segment is estimated to dominate the market for distillers' grains in 2018. It is also projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Properties such as high protein content, energy, and highly digestible phosphorus content in DDGS are responsible for its growing use as a partial replacement for some more expensive traditional animal feed such as corn and soybean meal. The distillers' grains market, by source, is estimated to be dominated by the corn segment in 2018. The corn segment is mainly driven by the fact that this is the key grain used in ethanol production, resulting in an increasing supply of corn-based distillers' grains, as a by-product. Further, the high availability of phosphorus content in corn-based distillers' grains provides high energy and protein to livestock, and it is an economical alternative to other feed ingredients. The North American market is estimated to be the largest in 2018. The market in North America is majorly driven by the high production and consumption of distillers' grains in the US market. Further growth can be attributed to the growing trade of distillers' grains from the US to Canada and Mexico, due to North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This agreement allows duty-free access to all products promoted by the United States Grains Council (USGC), which include distillers' grains. The Asia Pacific market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2018 to 2023. The increase in demand for animal-based products; growth of the regional population; the rise in disposable incomes; the rise in urbanization, especially in China, India, and Japan; and continuous modernization in the feed industry drive the distillers' grains market in Asia Pacific. The key players in the distillers' grains market adopted mergers & acquisitions as their key growth strategy to increase their market share and profits. Expansions and investments accounted for the second most important form of growth strategy to be adopted by market players. Key Topics Covered 1 Introduction 1.1 Objectives of the Study 1.2 Market Definition 1.3 Study Scope 1.4 Periodization Considered for the Study 1.5 Currency Considered 1.6 Units Considered 1.7 Stakeholders 2 Research Methodology 2.1 Research Data 2.1.1 Secondary Data 2.1.1.1 Key Data From Secondary Sources 2.1.2 Primary Data 2.1.2.1 Key Data From Primary Sources 2.1.2.2 Breakdown of Primaries 2.2 Market Size Estimation 2.3 Data Triangulation 2.4 Research Assumptions & Limitations 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Attractive Opportunities in the Distillers' Grains Market 4.2 Distillers' Grains Market, By Key Country 4.3 Asia Pacific: Distillers' Grains Market, By Type & Key Country 4.4 Distillers' Grains Market, By Source & Region 4.5 Distillers' Grains Market, By Livestock & Region 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Favorable Alternative to Traditional Feedstock 5.2.1.2 Growth of the Organized Livestock Sector 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 Lack of Awareness in Developing Countries 5.2.2.2 Fluctuating Prices of Grains 5.2.2.3 Ill-Effects of Excess Consumption 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Increase in Awareness About Precision Nutrition Techniques 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Incidences of Mycotoxin Contamination in Feed 5.3 Value Chain 5.4 Feed Raw Material Analysis 5.4.1 Total Production of Feed Ingredients and Their Usage in Feed 5.4.1.1 Corn 5.4.1.2 Wheat 5.4.1.3 Barley 5.4.1.4 Sorghum 5.4.1.5 Oats 5.4.1.6 Rye 5.4.1.7 Millet 5.5 Pricing Analysis 6 Distillers' Grains Market, By Type 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Dried Distillers' Grains With Solubles (DDGS) 6.3 Dried Distillers' Grains (DDG) 6.4 Wet Distillers' Grains (WDG) 6.5 Others 7 Distillers' Grains Market, By Source 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Corn 7.3 Wheat 7.4 Others 8 Distillers' Grains Market, By Livestock 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Ruminants 8.3 Swine 8.4 Poultry 8.5 Others 9 Distillers' Grains Market, By Region 9.1 Introduction 9.2.1 US 9.2.2 Canada 9.2.3 Mexico 9.3 Asia Pacific 9.3.1 China 9.3.2 Vietnam 9.3.3 India 9.3.4 Japan 9.3.5 Australia & New Zealand 9.3.6 Rest of Asia Pacific 9.4 Europe 9.4.1 France 9.4.2 Germany 9.4.3 Spain 9.4.4 Netherlands 9.4.5 UK 9.4.6 Hungary 9.4.7 Rest of Europe 9.5 Rest of the World (RoW) 9.5.1 South America 9.5.2 Middle East 9.5.3 Africa 10 Competitive Landscape 10.1 Overview 10.2 Competitive Scenario 10.3 Market Ranking Analysis 10.4 Mergers & Acquisitions 10.5 Expansions & Investments 10.6 Partnerships & Agreements 11 Company Profiles 11.1 ADM 11.2 Valero 11.3 Husky Energy 11.4 Green Plains Inc. 11.5 Bunge Limited 11.6 Pacific Ethanol, Inc. 11.7 Cropenergies AG 11.8 Purina Animal Nutrition (Land O' Lakes) 11.9 Flint Hills Resources 11.10 Poet, LLC 11.11 Didion Milling Inc. 11.12 Greenfield Global For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2tdz44/global_distillers?w=5 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com DUBLIN, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Vapor Recovery Units Market by Application (Processing, Storage, and Transportation), End-use Industry (Oil & Gas (Upstream and Downstream), Landfills), and Region (North America, Europe (UK, Germany), Asia Pacific) - Global Forecast to 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The vapor recovery units market is projected to grow from USD 787.5 Million in 2017 to USD 1,007.2 Million by 2022, at a CAGR of 5% from 2017 to 2022. Rising demand for vapor recovery units owing to stringent regulations with respect to VOC emissions across the end-use industries is expected to drive the vapor recovery units market. The vapor recovery units market has been segmented on the basis of application, end-use industry, and region. On the basis of application, the transportation segment is estimated to lead the vapor recovery units market in 2017, due to rising demand for vapor recovery units from the truck, railcars, and pipelines. Increasing demand for oil & gas products from developing countries such as China and India has also contributed to the growth of the transportation segment in the vapor recovery units market. Based on end-use industry, the oil & gas segment is estimated to lead the vapor recovery units market in 2017, due to the increasing demand for vapor recovery units from downstream process. Rising demand for emission control systems due to stringent regulations over VOC emissions across the value chain of oil & gas industry is expected to fuel the growth of the oil & gas segment. The European region is estimated to lead the vapor recovery units market in 2017. Rising demand from countries such as the UK, Germany, Italy, and Turkey, due to the growing concern over the release of hazardous gases in the atmosphere, particularly from oil & gas, chemicals & petrochemicals, and landfill industries has fueled the demand for vapor recovery units in the region. Asia Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth in the vapor recovery units market during the forecast period. The growth can be attributed to increasing demand for vapor recovery units from the region's oil & gas industry, particularly in China and India. Key Topics Covered 1 Introduction 1.1 Objectives of the Study 1.2 Market Definition 1.3 Market Scope 1.3.1 Years Considered for the Study 1.4 Currency 1.5 Stakeholders 1.6 Limitations 2 Research Methodology 2.1 Research Data 2.1.1 Secondary Data 2.1.1.1 Key Data From Secondary Sources 2.1.2 Primary Data 2.1.2.1 Key Data From Primary Sources 2.1.2.2 Key Industry Insights 2.1.2.3 Breakdown of Primary Interviews 2.2 Market Size Estimation 2.2.1 Top-Down Approach 2.2.2 Bottom-Up Approach 2.3 Data Triangulation 2.4 Assumptions 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Attractive Growth Opportunities in the Vapor Recovery Units Market 4.2 Vapor Recovery Units Market, By Region 4.3 Vapor Recovery Units Market, By Application and End-Use Industry 4.4 Vapor Recovery Units Market, By Country 4.5 Vapor Recovery Units Market, By End-Use Industry and Region 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Stringent Environmental Regulations for VOC Emissions Will Drive the Demand for Vapor Recovery Units 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 High Cost of Installation and Maintenance of Vapor Recovery Units 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Oil Storage Opportunities in the Middle East & Africa Due to Rising Energy Demand 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Improper Handling and Assembly of Vapor Recovery Units Can Lead to Safety and Environmental Issues 5.3 Value Chain Analysis 5.4 Revenue Pocket Matrix 5.5 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.5.1 Bargaining Power of Buyers 5.5.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 5.5.3 Threat of New Entrants 5.5.4 Threat of Substitutes 5.5.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry 5.6 Macroeconomic Indicators 5.6.1 Oil & Gas 5.7 Environmental Regulations 6 Vapor Recovery Units Market, By Application 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Processing 6.3 Storage 6.4 Transportation 7 Vapor Recovery Units Market, By End-Use Industry 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Oil & Gas 7.2.1 Crude Oil 7.2.2 Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) 7.2.3 Vapor Recovery Units Market for Oil & Gas, By Process 7.2.3.1 Upstream 7.2.3.2 Downstream 7.3 Others 7.3.1 Landfill 7.3.2 Chemicals & Petrochemicals 7.3.3 Pharmaceuticals 8 Regional Analysis 8.1 Introduction 8.2 North America 8.2.1 US 8.2.2 Canada 8.2.3 Mexico 8.3 Europe 8.3.1 UK 8.3.2 Germany 8.3.3 Italy 8.3.4 Turkey 8.3.5 Poland 8.3.6 France 8.3.7 Norway 8.3.8 Spain 8.3.9 Netherlands 8.3.10 Rest of Europe 8.4 Asia Pacific 8.4.1 China 8.4.2 India 8.4.3 Japan 8.4.4 Indonesia 8.4.5 Australia 8.4.6 Thailand 8.4.7 Rest of Asia Pacific 8.5 Middle East & Africa 8.5.1 Iran 8.5.2 Saudi Arabia 8.5.3 South Africa 8.5.4 Nigeria 8.5.5 Iraq 8.5.6 Egypt 8.5.7 UAE 8.5.8 Rest of Middle East & Africa 8.6 Latin America 8.6.1 Brazil 8.6.2 Argentina 8.6.3 Venezuela 8.6.4 Colombia 8.6.5 Rest of Latin America 9 Competitive Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Ranking of Key Market Players 9.2.1 Market Ranking Analysis, 2016 9.3 Competitive Scenario 9.3.1 New Product Launches 9.3.2 Acquisitions 9.3.3 Expansions 10 Company Profiles 10.1 Carbovac 10.2 Borsig Membrane Technology 10.3 John Zink Company 10.4 Symex Technologies 10.5 Aereon 10.6 Hy-Bon/EDI 10.7 Cool Sorption 10.8 Voczero 10.9 Zeeco 10.10 Flogistix 10.11 Kappa GI 10.12 Kilburn Engineering 10.13 Other Companies in the Vapor Recovery Units Market 10.13.1 S&S Technical 10.13.2 Platinum Vapor Control 10.13.3 Whirlwind Methane Recovery Systems 10.13.4 Cimarron Energy 10.13.5 OTA Compression 10.13.6 Flotech Performance Systems 10.13.7 PSG 10.13.8 Unimac 10.13.9 Power Service 10.13.10 Prematecnica De Mexico 10.13.11 Petrogas Systems 10.13.12 AQT (Advanced Quality Technologies) 10.13.13 Warner Nicholson Engineering Consultants (WNEC) For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8x7xfq/global_vapor?w=5 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com The drill targets identified in the 2017 surface exploration program and CSMAT are located close to small historical shallow underground workings known as Santos, La Reina, and Arenal. These targets have been defined by positive trench results, representing areas with presence of low resistivity anomalies identified by the CSMAT survey and with evidence of intense hydrothermal alteration-quartz stockwork. Known mineral deposits in the Rosario Mining District shows firm structural control and the Company has recently completed detailed geological and structural mapping over the drill target area identifying major structures and geological controls to the mineralization. Marcio Fonseca, Goldplay's Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are extremely excited to begin drilling on an attractive exploration project located in the vicinity of historical high-grade historical gold-silver Rosario mine. We have an experienced team working full time on site with a track record of discoveries in the Rosario Mining District. We look forward to developing a continuous flow of results with the upcoming drill program." The Qualified Person under the NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects for this news release is Marcio Fonseca, President and CEO of Goldplay, who has reviewed and approved its contents. About Goldplay Exploration Ltd. Goldplay owns an advanced stage exploration portfolio in the Rosario Mining District, Sinaloa, Mexico. Goldplay currently focuses on exploration activities including drilling, resource update at the recently acquired San Marcial Resource Stage Project and the El Habal Project. The San Marcial consists of an attractive near-surface high-grade silver, zinc and lead project with a historical National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") (1) with an immediate opportunity for resource expansion. Resource Grade Contained Metal Category Tonnes Ag (g/t) Zn (%) Pb (%) Ag M(oz) Zn M(lbs) Pb M (lbs) Indicated 3,755,893 149.20 0.67 0.36 18.0 29.9 55.3 Inferred 3,075,403 44.21 0.51 0.29 4.4 19.5 34.7 (1) The historical NI 43-101 resource estimate is based on a cut off of 30 g/tAg for open pit and 80 g/t Ag for underground resource classification completed by Micon International Ltd. for Silvermex on November 5, 2008. The historical resource is based on 4,884 meters of drilling in 30 core drill holes. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to verify and to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources, and the Company is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources. Further work must be carried out to verify all historical information before a resource estimate is possible, and there can be no assurance that when established, that any such resource would be economically recoverable. The existing historical NI 43-101 resource estimation exhibits significant exploration upside as it only comprises 30 drill holes completed up to November 2008. Additional 22 drill holes were completed post-filing of historical NI 43-101, representing an immediate opportunity to update and expand the resources. The historical NI 43-101 covers 600 m of a mineralized trend which is open along strike for an additional 3.5 km, supported by positive surface exploration results. The mineralization is an open down dip as most of the historical drilling was completed only up to 250 m below the surface in the resource estimation area. Historical preliminary metallurgical results from oxide and sulfide samples from San Marcial have indicated column leach tests recoveries in the range of 80% for a 72-hour leach period and preliminary flotation test work in drill core composite samples reporting recoveries in the range of 90%. The mineralization at San Marcial is typical of the low sulphidation, epithermal systems hosted near the contact of the Tertiary, Upper and Lower Volcanic units in the Sierra Madre Occidental Geologic Province. Along the 3.5 km mineralized trend, there are highly altered hydrothermal breccias, conglomerates, and relatively fresh dacite porphyry intrusive. Faulting is an important structural feature related to the silver gold zinc lead copper mineralization, and the intersection of east-west with northwest structures are considered the most prospective areas for exploration at San Marcial. There are two main mineralized zones (upper and lower), located in the center of the mineral concession and both outcropping at surface. Both mineralized zones and associated host rocks exhibit fracture filling and typical hydrothermal textures of epithermal deposits. There is local brecciation hosting mineralized zones. San Marcial exhibits significant exploration upside supported by historical regional exploration programs completed by previous operators with the identification of 14 exploration targets like San Marcial inside the concessions. Some of these exploration targets consist of old shallow pits, caved shafts and historical underground workings in areas with extensive hydrothermal alteration hosted by major regional structures. The El Habal Project is a low sulphidation epithermal exploration-stage project. The El Habal Project is near the historical Au-Ag Rosario Mine ("Rosario Mine"). The Rosario Mine reportedly operated for 250 years. Goldplay's team has over 30 years' experience with senior roles in exploration, financing, and development in the mining industry, including over ten years of extensive exploration experience in the Rosario Mining District, leading to previous successful discoveries. A current NI 43-101 report on The El Habal Project is filed on SEDAR. Goldplay is providing the historical drill data and historical NI 43-101 for informational purposes only. Goldplay has not completed any quality control assurance program to the historical drill data and NI 43-101. Although the Company believes that the work was completed by competent persons to the standards of the day and the Company cautions the reader that the drill results are historical in nature and have yet to be verified by the Company's "Qualified Person" under NI 43-101. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements and information that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Company's current expectations. When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE GOLDPLAY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS. Mr. Marcio Fonseca, P. Geo, President & CEO Goldplay Exploration Ltd. Neither the 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 press release. SOURCE Goldplay Exploration Ltd Mr. Benally 40, is the father to four children and has been married to Mrs. Joyce Arviso Benally for 14 years. They are proud of their Navajo Heritage and they speak fluent Navajo. They are a modern Navajo Family that are looking to the future of the Navajo Nation while respecting and embracing traditional Navajo values and customs. Dineh's campaign will be based upon the urgent issues and needs of the Navajo People. He will not degrade his opponents or himself by digressing to a negative campaign or mudslinging with fake news that has permeated current politics. He thinks people want to know what he stands for and how he can help guide the Nation, not what his opponents did or are doing wrong. He will focus on what can be done, as there are so many urgent needs. While major issues such as Health Care, Housing Shortages, Education and Infrastructure repairs are so obvious, the funding for improvements in these areas is not. That is why Dineh is endorsing the emerging legal Hemp Industry as one of the ways to help fund all these major shortcomings. He believes that legal Hemp and its many uses and profit centers can help lead the way to improving the lives of the Navajo People. As he said recently "Hemp will help our People be Healthy and Prosper again." As the President of the Navajo Nation Farm Board, Dineh has met with Government and Industry professionals and concluded that the legal Hemp Industry can be a major employer and income provider to the Navajo Nation as evidenced in Colorado, Kentucky, California and 19 States and Countries such as New Zealand, Canada, Australia, China and 26 other countries. The Navajo Nation adopted legal hemp laws in 2002 but never pursued its benefits. "We have the land, we have the water and we have the people needed to become a major force in the legal Hemp Industry and compete on a National and International Scale," he recently stated. "We have health problems, addiction problems and other problems that hemp products, medicines and foods can help," he added. There seems to be no other Candidate for a major election for President of any nation or country that has ever specifically called on the Legal Hemp Industry as part of their campaign to help to improve the lives of their people. This is a World Event. Dineh Benally for President Campaign "Let's Grow Together" If you would like more information about this topic, please call Amy Stillwater at 505-718-1891, or Email:[email protected] See: www.Dineh-Benally-for-Navajo-Nation-President.com SOURCE Dineh Benally 4 President Related Links https://www.dineh-benally-for-navajo-nation-presid LUXEMBOURG, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- International Automotive Components Group S.A. ("IAC"), a global automotive and mobility leader in lightweight and new-material interior solutions, is pleased to announce the closure of its new financing transaction through the issuance of $215 million of Second Lien Notes due April 2023 to funds managed by Gamut Capital Management, L.P. ("Gamut"). The proceeds along with cash on hand were used to redeem IAC's $300 million 9.125 percent Senior Secured Notes due June 1, 2018. With this transaction Gamut also acquired a minority equity interest in the company. The financing strengthens IAC's balance sheet and provides the financial flexibility to pursue IAC's investment strategy to upgrade its asset base and undertake customer projects. Perella Weinberg Partners LP served as financial advisor to IAC and Jones Day served as its legal counsel. Jefferies Group, LLC served as financial advisor to Gamut and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP served as its legal counsel. About IAC Group Headquartered in Luxembourg, International Automotive Components (IAC) is a leading global supplier of automotive components and systems, including instrument panels, console systems, door panels, headliners and overhead systems to automakers around the world. The company's 2017 sales were an estimated $4.4 billion. IAC Group operates more than 50 manufacturing facilities in 16 countries. The company has more than 60 total locations in 19 countries, including 19 design, technical and commercial centers, and employs more than 22,000 people globally. For more information, visit www.iacgroup.com. About Gamut Capital Management Gamut Capital Management, L.P. is a New York-based private investment firm managing $1 billion in assets focused on the middle market. Gamut was founded in 2015 by Stan Parker and Jordan Zaken who have over 35 years of combined private equity investing experience across a wide range of industries, in a broad spectrum of traditional and non-traditional private equity structures, and throughout economic cycles. Gamut's senior deal professionals have executed investments in over 30 companies in North America and Europe. To learn more, please visit www.gamutcapital.com. About WL Ross & Co. LLC WL Ross & Co. LLC is a private equity firm specializing in middle market, restructurings, buyouts, turnarounds and special situations. The firm is wholly owned by Invesco and part of its Invesco Private Capital Division. SOURCE IAC Group Related Links http://www.iacgroup.com Japan's Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera has revealed that another batch of activity logs from Japan's Self-Defense Force mission in Iraq years ago has been found. Onodera ordered ministry and SDF officials to search for daily logs and similar records related to Japan's past missions overseas. The order came after the ministry admitted earlier this month that it had discovered activity logs from the Iraq mission, which it had previously said no longer existed. SDF personnel are supposed to operate only in non-combat zones. However, the unearthed logs, which cover 435 days of the mission, reveal dangerous aspects of their activities. On Monday, Onodera announced that the latest search dug up 43,000 records related to 21 past missions, including those conducted in Iraq, South Sudan, Cambodia and East Timor. Among the newly discovered records are 34 days' worth of logs detailing the SDF's daily activities in Iraq. Ministry officials say part of the latest discovery was made on the same external hard disk drive on which similar records were found in March of last year. Report Finds DJI Systems Keep Customer Data Private SHENZHEN, China, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DJI, the world's leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, Monday released the results of an independent report scrutinizing DJI's data practices that concludes DJI drone users have control over how their data is collected, stored and transmitted. The report analyzed drones and software independently obtained in the United States late last year, and confirmed DJI did not access photos, videos or flight logs generated by the drones unless drone operators voluntarily chose to share them. "This is the first time DJI has allowed outsiders to examine its proprietary computer code, and the result is the first independent verification of what we have said all along: DJI provides robust tools to help our customers keep their data private," said Michael Perry, DJI Managing Director, North America. "This comprehensive report clearly debunks unsubstantiated rumors about our products and assures our customers that they can continue flying DJI drones with confidence." The report by San Francisco-based Kivu Consulting, Inc., was based on a first-of-its-kind detailed examination of DJI drones, mobile apps and servers as well as the data streams they transmit and receive. Kivu's engineers comprehensively examined the code repositories for DJI's mobile apps and tested whether DJI's drones could transmit sensitive user data without connecting to the DJI app. DJI had no input into Kivu's findings or conclusions. "Kivu's analysis of the drones and the flight control system (drone, hardware controller, GO 4 mobile app) concluded that users have control over the types of data DJI drones collect, store, and transmit," wrote Douglas Brush, Kivu's Director, Cyber Security Investigations, in a summary available for download here. "For some types of data, such as media files and flight logs, the drone user must affirmatively initiate transmission to any remote server," Brush wrote. "For other types, such as initial location checks or diagnostic data, the user may prevent transmission by deactivating settings in the GO 4 application and/or disabling the Internet connection." Kivu independently bought DJI drones as well as iOS and Android devices in the United States, and downloaded the DJI GO 4 mobile apps. Kivu set up systems to capture all data transmitted through iOS and Android devices running DJI GO 4, and reviewed source code, application data, server addresses, and data generated during operation. In recent months, reports have emerged claiming DJI drones can transmit sensitive user data without the user's knowledge or consent. None of those claims have been supported by evidence beyond speculation. Kivu's report affirmatively shows DJI enables the protection of personal data, and claims to the contrary are demonstrably false. DJI continues to emphasize its efforts to resolve concerns about data security, and to assure customers they can continue to rely on DJI products as the most stable, reliable and innovative drone platform. About DJI DJI is a global leader in developing and manufacturing civilian drones and aerial imaging technology for personal and professional use. DJI was founded and is run by people with a passion for remote-controlled helicopters and experts in flight-control technology and camera stabilization. The company is dedicated to making aerial photography and filmmaking equipment and platforms more accessible, reliable and easier to use for creators and innovators around the world. DJI's global operations currently span across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and its revolutionary products and solutions have been chosen by customers in over 100 countries for applications in filmmaking, construction, inspection, emergency response, agriculture, conservation and many other industries. For more information, visit our: Website: www.dji.com Online Store: store.dji.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/DJI Instagram: www.instagram.com/DJIGlobal Twitter: www.twitter.com/DJIGlobal LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/dji Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/DJI SOURCE DJI PHILADELPHIA, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrated Ventures, Inc. (OTCQB: INTV), ("Company"), the technology holdings company with focus on cryptocurrency mining, equipment manufacturing and blockchain development is pleased to provide shareholders and investors with this corporate update, covering Q2/2017 and Q3/2018. The Company 's financial and operational milestones are highlighted below: INTV has retired all convertible debt and has engaged an independent financial advisory consultant to analyze and provide an final evaluation report regarding the elimination of the related derivative liabilities INTV has closed an equity based and non-dilutive $160,000 funding round, by issuing Restricted Preferred Stock funding round, by issuing Restricted Preferred Stock INTV has closed an equity based and non-dilutive $750,000 funding round, by issuing Restricted Preferred Stock and Warrants funding round, by issuing Restricted Preferred Stock and Warrants INTV has launched and funded the development of LoanFunder INTV has completed a purchase of assets consisting of 150 mining rigs (valued at $225,000 ) and $175,000 in cash from Digimine, LLC, by issuing Restricted Preferred Stock, in non-dilutive, equity based transaction ) and in cash from Digimine, LLC, by issuing Restricted Preferred Stock, in non-dilutive, equity based transaction INTV has accumulated 650 mining rigs, including a recent purchase order of 140 Antminers Steve Rubakh, CEO of Integrated Ventures, Inc, comments: "We are very proud of our Q3 financial accomplishments, which are scheduled to be publicly disclosed by May 15, 2018. The Company finished Q3/2018 with estimated 8.9 million shares issued and 7.4 million shares in trading float. The Preliminary and Unaudited Results for Q3/2018 point to a strong Balance Sheet with (1) zero convertible debt, (2) 384% increase in assets from $296,280 (a/o 06/30/ 2017) to $1,138,927 ($1,538,927 including the most recent asset purchase, a/o 04/23/2018), (3) a solid cash position of $151,951 and finally (4) 42% gross margins (for Q2/Q3, a/o 3/31/2018). Please note that financial data provided is unaudited and subject to the final review by the auditors. As of 04/23/2018, INTV had 175 mining rigs that are connected and generating revenues. We expect to finish build outs of Paul St, PA (2,500 sq ft) and Boundary Rd, NJ (5,900 sq ft) locations in next 30 days and plan to connect remaining 475 mining rigs, by early June of 2018." About Integrated Ventures, Inc.: A technology holdings company with focus on acquiring, launching and operating companies in the cryptocurrency sector ("BitcoLab"), mainly in digital currency mining, equipment manufacturing, sales of branded mining rigs ("Nemesis") and blockchain software development ("LoanFunder"). For more details, please visit www.integratedventuresinc.com. ***About Cryptocurrency Investments & Risks*** Integrated Ventures urges all current and potential investors to visit: (1) SEC website: https://www.sec.gov/news/public-statement/statement-clayton-2017-12-11, (2) NASAA website: http://www.nasaa.org/44073/nasaa-reminds-investors-approach-cryptocurrencies-initial-coin-offerings-cryptocurrency-related-investment-products-caution/ and (3) FINRA website: https://www.finra.org/investors/highlights/dont-fall-cryptocurrency-related-stock-scams to understand the risks involved in cryptocurrency investing. Safe Harbor Statement: The information posted in this release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by use of the words "may," "will," "should," "plans," "explores," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, and various other factors beyond the company's control. SOURCE Integrated Ventures, Inc Related Links http://www.integratedventuresinc.com BIELEFELD, Germany, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- itelligence at the HANNOVER MESSE 2018 in Hall 7, Stand E14, and as an SAP partner in Hall 7, Stand A02 The theme of itelligence AG's presence at this year's HANNOVER MESSE is "user experience innovations you can touch." In Hall 7, E14, and at the SAP stand A02, itelligence presents the new voice control in customer service using the example of natural language processing with Alexa. Some of the new features on display at the itelligence booth include augmented reality with the iPad, Microsoft HoloLens, and full vertical integration of the shop floor into production processes. Other highlights of the show in Hannover include Industry 4.0 examples of innovative SAP applications powered by the SAP Leonardo digital innovation system. "User experience - innovation you can touch" at HANNOVER MESSE The sheer volume of information and the speed at which change happens means that companies must have experienced consultants as intermediaries between business knowledge and process knowledge, as well as powerful solution and IT architectures. This is the only way to quickly implement innovations in the master plan necessary for digitalization. At HANNOVER MESSE, itelligence provides an overview of product and consulting solutions for customer service and the shop floor, including logistics as well as the associated user experience, directly in the relevant scenarios. Norbert Rotter, CEO of itelligence AG, said: "The new digital value-added services are changing entire value chains. And precisely for this purpose, it is important to take advantage of consultants experienced in SAP solutions, such as those at itelligence, who are familiar with the effects of these innovations on the process chain - ranging from the smart product right up to preventative maintenance." Digitalization with itelligence in Hall 7/E14 Showcase 1: Experience Innovation It must be possible to experience innovations and to implement them. In this context, itelligence demonstrates modern forms of the user experience based on the example of customer service processes. In the augmented reality (AR) scenario with the iPad, a plant or machine is clearly identified using AR and machine learning (ML) while also providing specific process data in real time. Using HoloLens as an example in the augmented reality variant with voice control, itelligence shows how customer service technicians on a maintenance assignment can work on disassembling a component while simultaneously viewing the relevant information on their data glasses. Another digital assistance system presented by itelligence is natural language processing with Alexa. When working n a plant, service technicians can control a device using only voice commands and can simultaneously request information from the IT system without using their hands. Hans Rauwolf, Head of IoT, Industry 4.0, Innovation & Portfolio, itelligence AG: "There is more than one way to optimize business processes and support new business models by implementing innovative solutions and technologies from the IoT and Industry 4.0. In many cases, innovations consist of new combinations of familiar elements and methods. This also applies, of course, to the incorporation of production plants into company networks and to the opportunities that arise from opening up new communication paths. The challenge is always to make effective use of this data." Showcase 2: Production and Logistics Scenario Modern tools facilitate the collection and evaluation of data at almost every step of the value chain. At HANNOVER MESSE, itelligence demonstrates a scenario that networks and extends familiar and proven solutions with new components. In the best tradition of lean production concepts, itelligence avoids data waste and presents a learning and adaptive solution architecture. Entire solution systems must be integrated into the digitalization of production. In addition to SAP solutions such as SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence (SAP MII), SAP ERP and SAP Plant Connectivity, at its booth in Hannover, itelligence presents KEPWARE from Inray interacting with the control hardware of the Siemens S7 series. itelligence AG, SAP platinum partner, in Hall 7, Stand A02, adjacent to the SAP stand Highly innovative forms of collaboration in SAP Asset Intelligence Network At the SAP partner stand, the focus is on efficient service and maintenance processes and on the tracking of processes and objects. Here, on the basis of SAP Asset Intelligence Network, itelligence demonstrates a highly innovative form of collaboration between manufacturers, service providers and plant operators. The "digital twin" is the foundation for digitalized processes, and this is mapped using SAP Leonardo IoT Foundation. Integration of the demo machine with sensors into SAP Leonardo IoT Foundation, as well as the provision of the process data in the digital twin, are carried out via the IoT application management service offered by SAP. The showcase is extended with augmented-reality examples, business analytics and a machine learning scenario. Digitalization through SAP Global Track and Trace A key component of digitalization is tracking of processes and objects. In this context, itelligence demonstrates at the SAP partner stand how companies can shape and optimize their logistics processes based on the SAP Global Track and Trace solution and on the use of the latest technological developments. SAP platinum partner itelligence at HANNOVER MESSE 2018 Hall 7, Stand E14 Partner of SAP: Hall 7, Stand A02 itelligence AG About itelligence itelligence is a leading international consulting company that employs more than 7,000 highly qualified people in 25 countries. itelligence is an SAP Hybris Gold Partner; SAP global services partner; an SAP-certified supplier of cloud, hosting and application management services; and an SAP platinum partner. The company realizes multifaceted projects worldwide in the SAP software environment. The company's comprehensive services related to SAP offerings range from strategy consulting, license sales and industry solutions developed in-house to application-management and hosting services - all of which contributed to total sales in 2017 of approximately EUR 872.2 million. The renowned German business magazine "brand eins" rated itelligence one of Germany's best management consultancy firms. - Cross reference: Picture is available at AP Images (http://apmultimedianewsroom.com/multimedia-newsroom/partners/news-aktuell ) - International Media Silvia Dicke Head of Corporate Public Relations itelligence AG Konigsbreede 1 33605 Bielefeld phone: +49-521-91448-107 fax: +49-521-91445-100 e-mail: [email protected] www.itelligencegroup.com SOURCE itelligence AG NEW YORK, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BCM One, a leading technology integrator, announced today that John Cunningham, Founder & Co-CEO of BCM One, has been honored with the 2018 Circle of Excellence Award by Channel Partners magazine, a resource for indirect sales channels offering IT and telecom systems and services. Circle of Excellence winners were honored during an awards ceremony on April 19 at the Spring 2018 Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas. These winners will be featured throughout the rest of 2018 on a special Channel Partners Immersion Center. BCM One "Circle of Excellence honors executives for their commitment to the channel in a time of profound and rapid change," said Lorna Garey, editor in chief of Channel Partners and Channel Futures. "As partners change their business models to meet customer demand for IT to be digital and 'as a service,' these leaders are advocating within their companies. They're making sure key suppliers stay on pace with what partners need to succeed." John Cunningham, Founder and Co-CEO of BCM One is the executive lead for the channel at BCM One. BCM One's channel strategy is built on the fundamentals of integrity and loyalty coupled with Cunningham's innovative leadership style. An active industry professional, Cunningham serves on various advisory boards including Verizon, CenturyLink, Mitel, Spectrum, Lightower, West, Internap and the BoB Conference. Cunningham is a two-time finalist for Cloud Partner's "Telecom Executive of the Year Award" and was listed as the #9 Technology Disruptor on CRN's Top 100 Executives. "I'm honored to receive this award which is a symbol of how important the channel is to the tech ecosystem," stated Cunningham. "We at BCM One look forward to contributing to our client's, and the channel's, continued success." Channel Partners editors selected our 2018 Circle of Excellence winners based on our ongoing coverage of these leaders and their organizations, with a focus on unwavering dedication to the channel community. For more information about BCM One, visit www.bcmone.com. About BCM One BCM One provides a single source for truly integrated technology solutions that help advance a company's business objectives. Through strategic partnerships with over 50 leading technology suppliers fused with our own managed solutions, BCM One is a technology integrator and advocate for businesses. We develop the best-customized solution per client. BCM One offers Intelligent Network connecting your business to the world, Intelligent Workplace infusing collaboration across your business and Intelligent Cloud optimizing cloud solutions for business transformation. Our Mission: To provide a World Class Experience with EVERY Human Interaction. To learn more about BCM One, visit www.bcmone.com. About Informa Informa is one of the world's leading knowledge providers. We create and deliver highly specialized information through publishing, events, training, market intelligence and expertise, providing valuable knowledge to individuals, businesses and organizations worldwide including the emerging markets of India, China and South Africa. For Media Inquiries: Paula Como Kauth Office: 212.906.7255 [email protected] SOURCE BCM One Related Links http://www.bcmone.com NEW YORK, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- LabFinder.com, the convenient online platform that links patients, physicians and diagnostic centers, has teamed up with ELLKAY, the healthcare data plumbing company. The simple, easy to use, patient facing portal allows patients to schedule, access and share their results across multiple providers, while creating a secure ecosystem for physicians and centers to ensure they maximize compliance, keep patients in network and provide an even higher level of care. Now, with the addition of the ELLKAY relationship, LabFinder.com is even easier for doctors' offices to integrate, regardless of the current electronic health record system being used. With over 45,000 practices connected through the ELLKAY system, and over 600 electronic medical record and practice management system vendors already working with ELLKAY, LabFinder.com subscribers will now also have the benefit of instant access to patient demographics and insurance information. "At ELLKAY, we are proud to be a nationwide leader in healthcare connectivity. For 15 years, we have provided our partners with solutions that help them increase revenue, streamline workflows and ultimately improve patient care," said Kamal Patel, Co-founder and CIO of ELLKAY. "As we see the transition to patient-centric care, transparent healthcare is becoming the standard. Innovative companies like LabFinder.com are leading the way in directly engaging patients with their healthcare team and we are excited to be an accelerator to that process." LabFinder.com allows doctors and diagnostic centers to engage directly with patients and one-another, as well as build relationships focused on patient-centered care. By supporting physicians with digital ordering and tracking, online booking, results delivery and even the option to join LabFinder.com's own new prior-authorization program, this allows the online platform to boost subscribing centers by attracting new patients, while reducing no-shows and scaling day-to-day testing with secure online access, HIPAA compliant document storage and sharing for all test results. "We are thrilled to be working with a world-class organization like ELLKAY to bring LabFinder.com into more and more medical practices, making it even easier for physicians to order diagnostic tests for their patients," says Dr. Robert Segal, Co-Founder of LabFinder.com and top Manhattan cardiologist. "We are looking forward to continuing to work with our partners at ELLKAY to expand our presence in the Tri-State area and eventually across the United States." With a growing community of over 325,000 registered patients and over 2,000 referring doctors, LabFinder.com is working to modernize health care by uniting patients, doctors, labs and radiology centers. The mission of LabFinder.com is to make patient health a priority by creating convenience when finding the right lab or radiology center, reducing out-of-network costs, providing access to test results, and encouraging patients to take a more educated, active role in their own health care. For additional information, please visit www.labfinder.com. About LabFinder.com: LabFinder.com is a consumer facing platform that seamlessly integrates communication between patients, doctors and diagnostic centers in a secure portal - from orders to results. The LabFinder.com team is passionate about improving the patient, doctor and lab relationship, reducing patient expenses and providing better patient care through patient empowerment and giving patients more control over their results. About ELLKAY: ELLKAY is a recognized healthcare connectivity leader, providing solutions and services nationwide. With 15 years of industry experience, ELLKAY empowers diagnostic laboratories, EMR/PMS companies, ACO and HIE companies, hospitals, and other healthcare organizations with cutting-edge technologies and solutions. With over 45,000 practices connected, ELLKAY's system capability arsenal has grown to over 600+ EMR/PMS systems across 900+ versions. http://www.ellkay.com/ SOURCE LabFinder.com Related Links http://www.labfinder.com SAN ANTONIO, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruising Kitchens, a global leader in the custom mobile business fabrication industry will be providing a sneak peek of their brand new 61,000 sq. ft. facility located at 2100 Mannix Drive, San Antonio, TX during a ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for Friday, May 18th, 2018 at 3:00pm. Architect Render of Entry The new state-of-the art facility will bring a Hollywood feel to the Cruising Kitchens experience including an interactive lobby, large viewing windows, and a showroom to feature some of their iconic builds like Khaled's Kitchen, their most recent creation built for two global brand leaders, Weight Watchers & DJ Khaled. "We're doing big things in San Antonio," said Marcos Resendez, Vice President, "the size of the shop is a perfect analogy for our commitment to the community and to the brands we support. Our new facility allows us to continue to provide brands and entrepreneurs a pathway to mobility and ownership, while also pushing the boundaries for mobile business." The ribbon cutting will be open to the public with tours being given directly following the ceremony. Follow Cruising Kitchens on social media for more updates on what's to come in 2018. Cruising Kitchens, LLC. located in San Antonio, TX, is the leading designer and manufacturer of custom mobile businesses. Cruising Kitchens is known for their top of the line quality, durability, unique designs, and expert craftsmanship. Their work has been featured on the Discovery Channel's "Blue Collar Backers", Fox Network's "Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back" and Mike Rowe's "Returning the Favor." For additional company information and to view completed builds, visit http://www.cruisingkitchens.com. Media Contact: Joshua Davies 1-888-414-1680 [email protected] Related Files Cruising Kitchens Media Kit.pdf Related Links Facebook Instagram Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI4YjCwMUws SOURCE Cruising Kitchens In returning to LCCC as the keynote speaker, Brown will be coming full circle as LCCC President Marcia J. Ballinger, Ph.D., confers his Associate of Arts degree to him. Although highly accomplished academically, Brown transferred from LCCC before earning his Associate Degree, later earning both a Bachelor's of Science from The Ohio State University (1981) and a Master's of Business Administration from George Washington University (1987). While at LCCC, Brown was a leader on campus and served as a Student Senator. "We are extremely honored that Michael Brown will be returning to his first alma mater LCCC where he discovered his pathway to his future," Ballinger said. "Michael's journey that began at LCCC has been extraordinary. He is an inspiration to all of us at LCCC and the nation's community colleges." A first-generation college graduate, Michael is proud of his time at LCCC and grateful for the role the college and his education has played in every aspect of his life. "Education is critical to success," said Brown. "As an alumnus of LCCC, I am delighted to have the opportunity to share such a special occasion with these students and their families." Brown joined Barrick Gold Corporation in 1994 as Vice President of U.S. Public Affairs and rose to become President of Barrick USA in 2016. Barrick is the world's largest gold mining company with operations in 12 nations. In the USA, the company has 4,000 employees at mines and projects in Nevada, Montana and Alaska. Brown served eight years in the administration of President Ronald Reagan at the U.S. Treasury, and prior to that three years on the staff of the Ohio House of Representatives. During his time at Treasury he led the effort to create the American Eagle Gold Bullion Coin, the world's leading gold investment coin. U.S. Senator Harry Reid later appointed Brown to serve on the U.S. Mint's Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Now living in Henderson, Nevada, Brown is a board member of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, Public Education Foundation, Nevada Mining Association, Three Square Food Bank, the Nevada Ballet Theatre, Opportunity Village, and the Council for a Better Nevada. A true advocate for positive change in the community, he founded the Nevada Corporate Giving Council, which is dedicated to improving the practice of corporate philanthropy in Nevada. In 2014, Brown served on the Nevada Legislature's Interim Study Committee on Community Colleges. In 2015, he received the Civitas Laurel award from the Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow. In 2016, the Latin Chamber of Commerce recognized him as a Senor of Distinction. In 2017, he was a recognized as an Education Hero by the Public Education Foundation of Clark County. Brown serves on the board and executive committee of the National Mining Association and is a past Chairman of the Nevada Mining Association. He is also passionate about the sport of rowing, and has served in various leadership capacities with the Capital Rowing Club and helped to establish the Lake Las Vegas Rowing Club. He is a noted booster of the U.S. Olympic Women's Rowing Team and a Steward of the San Diego Crew Classic. LCCC's commencement celebration will be held in the College's Ewing Activities Center and the largest number of graduates ever more than 1,600 will be earning certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor's and master's degrees through LCCC and the University Partnership. SOURCE Lorain County Community College KELOWNA, BC, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Marapharm Ventures Inc. (CSE: MDM) (OTCQX: MRPHF) (FSE: 2M0) ("Marapharm" or the "Company") updates shareholders on the final steps to opening its first cultivation and production operations in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first inspection of our new facilities is scheduled for April 26th, 2018, with The State of Nevada. The Company successfully passed these same inspections on May 30th, 2017. At that time, the Company was granted three recreational licenses, two for cultivation and one for processing, towards our ultimate flag ship "build-out" at this site of 294,120 square feet. Development progress has allowed us to begin scheduling the final, mandatory State of Nevada, NV Energy, the City of North Las Vegas Police Department, and Department of Agricultural inspections for final occupancy permits, giving us the much anticipated "green light" to begin cultivation. We are working with each authority to advance inspections to the earliest dates possible. The Company will increase communication during this significant and momentous time by posting images and reporting news to keep our shareholders and the public included in this landmark event. https://marapharm.com/las-vegas/ "Corporate leadership, local and state government officials and our teams of engineers, contractors, consultants and labourers have diligently worked together to embrace challenges in this quickly evolving cannabis space - ultimately we have built a firm foundation for the future development of this Company". Linda Sampson, CEO ABOUT MARAPHARM VENTURES INC. www.marapharm.com Marapharm is a publicly traded company investing in the medical and recreational cannabis space, since 2014. Marapharm has rapidly expanded to include having cultivation, production and dispensary locations in the key North American states of Washington, Nevada, and California, and are seeking expansion opportunities worldwide. SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook: facebook.com/marapharm Twitter: twitter.com/marapharm Web Program: marapharm.tv STOCK EXCHANGES: Marapharm trades in Canada, ticker symbol MDM on the CSE, in the United States, ticker symbol MRPHF on the OTCQX, and in Europe, ticker symbol 2M0 on the FSE. Marapharm also trades on other recognized platforms in Europe including Stuttgart, Tradegate, L & S, Quotnx, Dusseldorf, Munich, and Berlin. Neither the CSE, the FSE nor the OTCQX has approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the CSE, the FSE nor the OTCQX accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. MARIJUANA INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT: Canadian listings (CSE) will remain in good standing as long as they provide the disclosure that is rightly required by regulators and complying with applicable licensing requirements and the regulatory framework enacted by the applicable state in which they operate. Marapharm owns marijuana licenses in California and Nevada. Marijuana is legal in each state however marijuana remains illegal under US federal law and the approach to enforcement of US federal law against marijuana is subject to change. Shareholders and investors need to be aware that adverse enforcement actions could affect their investments and that Marapharm's ability to access private and public capital could be affected and or could not be available to support continuing operations. Marapharm's business is conducted in a manner consistent with state law and is in compliance with licensing requirements. Copies of licenses are posted on Marapharm's website. Marapharm has internal compliance procedures in place and has compliance focused attorneys engaged in jurisdictions to monitor changes in laws for compliance with US federal and state law on an ongoing basis. These law firms inform any necessary changes to our policies and procedures for compliance in Canada and the US. FORWARD - LOOKING STATEMENTS: Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", 'may", "will", "project", "should", 'believe", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward- looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward- looking statements are based on reasonable assumption but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and the forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. SOURCE Marapharm Ventures Inc. Related Links www.marapharm.com TUCSON, Ariz., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Martin L. Dresner, M.D., FACS, is recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Pinnacle Lifetime Member in the field of Healthcare. Located in Tucson, Arizona and catering to over 171,000 veterans across multiple counties in Southern Arizona and one county in Western New Mexico, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System is a 277-bed hospital, administering primary care and sub-specialty health services for eligible veterans. Dr. Dresner, now retired, was the Program Director of the Department of Urology at Southern Arizona VA Health Care System. Having amassed over fifty years of experience, Dr. Dresner attained extensive expertise in all aspects of urology including program management. Board Certified in Urology through the American Board of Urology, Dr. Dresner has served Southern Arizona VA Health for 22 years. Prior to establishing his private practice, Dr. Dresner retired from the U.S. Army in 1994 with the rank of Colonel. Awarded a Presidential Citation by the American Urological Association, in addition to his clinical work, Dr. Dresner is an adjunct medical professor. As a Vietnam veteran, Dr. Dresner was the recipient of the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star as well as U.S. Airborne and Special Forces Airborne wings. The 2014 recipient of the Henry M. and M. Paige Laughlin Lifetime Educator Award by Ursinus College, Dr. Dresner is venerated for his outstanding service. In an effort to further enhance his professional development, Dr. Dresner is an elite member and esteemed Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and member of the American Urological Association, the American Association of Clinical Urologists, the Society of Government Services Urologists and the American College of Surgeons. Past President of the Western Section of the American Urological Association, Dr. Dresner currently serves as Historian and Parliamentarian of the SGSU. Early in his career, Dr. Dresner attained his Medical degree from Jefferson Medical College, following completion of his Bachelor's degree from Ursinus College. Upon joining the staff at Memorial Hospital for his internship, Dr. Dresner then completed his residency in General Surgery at Martin Army Community Hospital. Additionally, Dr. Dresner concluded a second residency in Urology at Letterman Army Medical Center and an additional fellowship in Pediatric Urology at Children's Memorial Hospital. When not working, Dr. Dresner enjoys spending time with his four grandchildren and listening to Jazz music. Dr. Dresner dedicates this recognition to his parents, Marianne and Lawrence S. Dresner, who always supported his career. For more information, please visit www.tucson.va.gov. Contact: Katherine Green , 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com Developed in partnership with Muzzy Lane Software, the simulations and scenarios provide opportunities for students to apply their learning in experiential situations that mimic "real-life" work scenarios. They are embedded in the digital course materials students access via the powerful McGraw-Hill Connect digital learning platform. McGraw-Hill's solutions give educators the flexibility to teach their course their way, while providing students with affordable, engaging products designed to help them meet learning outcomes. For example, in an Economics course, students take on the role of an advisor to the Federal Reserve chair as they try to navigate a financial crisis. Using real economic data visualizations, the student must indicate the appropriate course of policy action and then see how their decisions would impact the economy over several months if put into effect. Ian Skurnik, an instructor at the University of Utah, who tested a simulation for a marketing course, notes, "I was really impressed by the overall complexity of the [simulation]. It does exactly what you'd want from a simulation for students in marketing, which is to reinforce a sense of how interrelated many marketing decisions are, and how complicated the marketing picture can get. The fact that you could change so many variables, from product design to promotional spend, was great." The simulations from Muzzy Lane were built based on the findings of a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded research study into the benefits and effectiveness of simulated learning principles. They give students the ability to apply knowledge, start to develop real-world skills as they practice communicating, decision-making and critical thinking in scenarios that simulate real experiences and allow students to practice solving more complex problems. "Adding these simulations to our courses in Connect gives students a chance to practice crucial skills needed in their future careers and apply things they've learned in situations that resemble real life all in a safe, low-stakes environment," said Scott Virkler, Chief Product Officer for Higher Education at McGraw-Hill Education. "This is another example of how technology is transforming and improving the learning experience for students and helping produce better outcomes for them." McGraw-Hill Education's work with Muzzy Lane will continue over the next several years as more simulations are added to Connect. "Working with McGraw-Hill Education, we've developed the capability to create simulations at scale," said Dave McCool, CEO of Muzzy Lane. "We're committed to helping students build confidence applying what they've learned, and to providing instructors with richer, more nuanced student data." About McGraw-Hill Education McGraw-Hill Education is a learning science company that delivers personalized learning experiences that help students, parents, educators and professionals drive results. McGraw-Hill Education has offices across North America, India, China, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions available in more than 60 languages. Visit us at mheducation.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter. About Muzzy Lane Muzzy Lane delivers game-based learning solutions designed to help students practice skills and improve performance in real world situations. The Muzzy Lane Author platform provides easy-to-use authoring tools that allow subject matter experts to create activities for their online courses. Activities created with Author are mobile first, meet WCAG 2.0 AA accessibility requirements, and integrate into all popular Learning Management Systems. Contact: Tyler Reed McGraw-Hill Education (646) 766-2951 [email protected] Conall Ryan Muzzy Lane (978) 361-7148 [email protected] SOURCE McGraw-Hill Education Related Links http://www.mheducation.com (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/680565/MedAccred_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/680566/Plastics_Extrusion.jpg ) This newest opportunity, Plastics Extrusion, comprises audit criteria which covers Tubing/Profile, Sheet, Film, Blown Film, Over-Jacketing, Co-Extrusion and Ram Extrusion. The audit criteria are developed by leaders in the medical device industry who are part of the MedAccred program and are focused on improving product quality and patient safety. Sunlite Plastics of Germantown, Wisconsin USA has become the first manufacturing facility in the world to achieve MedAccred Plastics Extrusion Accreditation, with a Scope of Accreditation covering Tubing/Profile Extrusion. Following the MedAccred audit, technical experts from leading medical device companies reviewed the audit findings and corrective actions before voting on granting each MedAccred Accreditation. Other companies are now looking to gain Accreditation to the new MedAccred Plastics Extrusion audit criteria. Joe Pinto, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Performance Review Institute, the not-for-profit organization that administers MedAccred on behalf of the medical devices industry, comments: "I am very proud that PRI is able to support the growth of MedAccred and enable the medical device industry to strengthen the supply chain through this Accreditation. Credit must be given to the pioneers, like Sunlite Plastics, who step up to this rigorous evaluation of their systems, processes and industry best practices to achieve their MedAccred Accreditation from industry." About MedAccred MedAccred is an industry managed supply chain oversight program that reduces risk to patient safety, assures quality products and compliance with requirements as they apply to critical processes used in the production of medical devices. The program is administered by the not-for-profit Performance Review Institute. PRI is a global provider of customer-focused solutions designed to improve process and product quality by adding value, reducing total cost and promoting collaboration among stakeholders in industries where safety and quality are shared goals. PRI works closely with industry to understand their emerging needs and offers customized solutions in response. Learn more at http://p-r-i.org/medaccred/ or contact PRI at [email protected] Contacts: Joanna Kennedy, [email protected], 011 44 870 350 5011 SOURCE Performance Review Institute DALLAS, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- J.Hilburn, the leader in custom-made menswear, announces the appointment of Andy Janowski to chief executive officer (CEO) effective today, as the company continues to evolve its brand and positions itself for continued growth. Janowski most recently served as executive chairman of the J.Hilburn board of directors. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the apparel industry, including as former CEO of Smythson where he grew the brand by 50 percent during his tenure. Janowski previously also held executive roles at Burberry and Gap, Inc. "The extraordinary success of J.Hilburn over the past 11 years clearly established the brand as the leader in custom-made men's clothing," says Janowski. "As men's tastes evolve, J.Hilburn is now well positioned to expand on its luxury customer experience and meet the changing style needs." The transition marks an important milestone as the industry moves from traditional business attire to address the increasing demand for casual sophistication in menswear. "As an initial investor, Battery Ventures believed early on in the power of the J.Hilburn model," said Michael Brown, Battery Ventures General Partner and J.Hilburn Board Director. "With Andy's appointment and the current leadership team, we could not be more confident with that investment and the future of the company." J.Hilburn is led by an expansive network of nearly 2,000 expert Stylists across all 50 states and features a mix of online and retail sales. "As we continue to innovate our high-touch men's shopping experience, our Stylists will remain the core of our DNA," said Janowski. "This is the right brand at the right time. We are going to do nothing but grow." The announcement follows the departure of J.Hilburn Co-founder and CEO, Veeral Rathod, who resigned to pursue other opportunities. The company and board of directors would like to take this opportunity to thank Veeral for his dedication to the brand over the last 11 years and wish him the best in the future. For more information on J.Hilburn visit: https://www.jhilburn.com/. About J.Hilburn J.Hilburn is the leading custom-made menswear brand with luxury fabrics sourced directly from the most storied Italian mills in the world. These exceptional fabrics are crafted into individual, personalized garments for each client's fit and styling specifications. J.Hilburn's custom-made garments are offered through a trusted network of personal Stylists who offer personal fittings and styling sessions at a client's convenience. J.Hilburn proudly delivers an unmatched apparel experience for men rooted in the core belief that every man deserves access to quality, service and value in his expression of personal style. SOURCE J.Hilburn Related Links http://www.jhilburn.com "Including China, we have received seven crucial patents for our foundational CRISPR technology, which defines an exciting new path for medical research and treatments for some of the toughest medical conditions, including cancer, hereditary and rare diseases," said Udit Batra, CEO, MilliporeSigma. "We are actively licensing our integration patents for therapeutic use, basic science research and agricultural biotechnology." MilliporeSigma, which has a 13-year history in the genome-editing field, has related patent filings for its insertion CRISPR method in the U.S., Brazil, India and Japan. The company already has had similar key patents granted in Australia, Canada, Europe, Israel, Singapore and South Korea. This forthcoming patent in China covers chromosomal integration, or cutting of the chromosomal sequence of eukaryotic cells (such as mammalian and plant cells) and insertion of an external or donor DNA sequence into those cells using CRISPR. Scientists can replace a disease-associated mutation with a beneficial or functional sequence a method important for creating disease models and gene therapy. Additionally, the method can be used to insert transgenes that label endogenous proteins for visual tracking within cells. CRISPR genome-editing technology, which allows the precise modification of chromosomes in living cells, is advancing treatment options for a variety of medical conditions. CRISPR applications are far-ranging from identifying genes associated with cancer and rare diseases to reversing mutations that cause blindness. As a company that has been highly involved in genome-editing innovation, MilliporeSigma recognizes that genome-editing has resulted in major positive advancements in biological research and medicine. At the same time, the growing potential of gene-editing technologies has opened scientific, legal and societal concerns. As both a user and supplier of gene-editing technology, MilliporeSigma supports research with genome editing under careful consideration of ethical and legal standards. MilliporeSigma's parent company, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has established a Bioethics Advisory Panel to provide guidance for research in which its businesses are involved, including research on or using genome editing, and has defined a clear operational position taking into account scientific and societal issues while not blocking any promising therapeutic approaches for use in research and applications. MilliporeSigma has made significant contributions to the genome-editing field. It was the first company to offer custom biomolecules for genome editing globally (TargeTron RNA-guided group II introns and CompoZr zinc finger nucleases), driving adoption of these techniques by researchers all over the world. MilliporeSigma was also the first company to manufacture arrayed CRISPR libraries covering the entire human genome, accelerating cures for diseases by allowing scientists to explore more questions about root causes. For more information on the company's work in the genome-editing field, visit https://www.emdgroup.com/en/stories/350-anniversary-its-all-in-the-genes.html and http://ar.emdgroup.com/2017/magazine/new-ways-of-identifying-disease. All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany news releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the EMD Group website. In case you are a resident of the U.S. or Canada please go to www.emdgroup.com/subscribe to register again for your online subscription of this service as our newly introduced geo-targeting requires new links in the email. You may later change your selection or discontinue this service. About the Life Science Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany The Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada, has 20,000 employees and 60 manufacturing sites worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 300,000 products enabling scientific discovery. Udit Batra is the global chief executive officer of MilliporeSigma. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany completed its $17 billion acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich in November 2015, creating a leader in the $125 billion global life science industry. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in healthcare, life science and performance materials. The company has five businesses Biopharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, Allergopharma, Life Science and Performance Materials and generated sales of 15.3 billion in 2017. Almost 53,000 employees work in 66 countries to improve the quality of life for patients, to foster the success of customers and to help meet global challenges. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company since 1668, the company has stood for innovation, business success and responsible entrepreneurship. Holding an approximately 70 percent interest, the founding family remains the majority owner of the company to this day. The company holds the global rights to the name and the trademark "Merck" internationally except for the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials. SOURCE MilliporeSigma Just minutes in the operating room can make a significant difference in the care of the patient, beginning as early as room setup. 1 As many surgical teams are familiar with traditional flat tables, upgrading to a customizable table leads to a change in workflow that ultimately benefits the entire surgical process. When surgical teams are guided through the setup process, they are able to spend less time preparing for a procedure, allowing them to treat patients more efficiently. Believing this efficiency is central to clinical satisfaction and patient outcomes, Mizuho OSI is committed to improving the education of clinical teams through its latest setup guides. The Company offers this support to customers at no additional charge, greatly improving the ease of use of its solutions. Each guide includes visual references, standard component installation instructions, table features, procedure setup instructions, storage and components, and optional accessories for the device. Together with its full portfolio of surgical solutions, Mizuho OSI is supporting care teams through continued innovation in the OR. Currently, these startup guides are available for the following solutions: Hana Orthopedic Surgery Table Orthopedic Surgery Table ProAxis Spinal Surgery Table Spinal Surgery Table Modular Table System Orthopedic Trauma Top Trios Surgical Table System coming soon "Research has shown the importance of patient positioning during complex orthopedic and spinal procedures, and we're always looking for ways to empower clinical teams to transform this research into practice," said Anthony Zannis, marketing director at Mizuho OSI. "Our apps and setup guides help educate clinical teams on the multitude of ways Mizuho OSI tables can improve the surgical experience. Complementing our smart OR solutions, these tools allow hospitals to take full advantage of our partnership and provide the best care possible to their patients." The mobile applications are available to Apple and Android users, with web-based setup guides available on Mizuho OSI's website. About Mizuho OSI Mizuho OSI is a U.S. based company and the leader in the markets for specialty surgery and patient positioning. The company's portfolio includes specialty surgical tables for procedure-specific approaches that improves patient outcomes in spine and orthopedic surgeries, a range of general surgical tables, and consumable surgical patient care products. Mizuho OSI products are sold direct in the U.S. and Germany, and by the Mizuho Corporation in Japan. Both companies sell their products and solutions worldwide through authorized international distributors. Mizuho OSI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mizuho Corporation located in Tokyo, Japan, a leading surgical table manufacturer in Asia. The Mizuho Group also includes Trilux Medical, a subsidiary of Mizuho OSI. Trilux Medical is a provider and manufacturer of surgical lights, surgical pendants, operating room patient integration, video management systems, and turn-key operating room solutions. Trilux Medical products and solutions are sold direct in Germany and worldwide through authorized international distributors. More information is available at www.mizuhosi.com 1 Virginia Mason Institute, "Surgery Setup: Making a Difference for People, Safety and Costs." Accessed Jan. 16, 2018 from: https://www.virginiamasoninstitute.org/2016/10/surgery-setup-making-a-difference-for-people-safety-and-costs/ SOURCE Mizuho OSI Related Links http://www.mizuhosi.com SHANGHAI, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The 4th Beijing International Music & Life Show, co-organized by China Music Instrument Association (CMIA) and Shanghai Intex Exhibition Co., Ltd, is expected to be held in the China International Exhibition Centre, Beijing, from July 6th to 8th this year. In response to the solid music and culture market in Beijing and its growing consumer demand for spiritual and cultural life among the medium to high income community, Beijing International Music & Life Show, with music at the core, is establishing four themed halls according to three main lines: "creating music, listening to music, and appreciating music." The four exhibition halls, Tech Trends, Love Learning, Eastern Essence, and Western World, create varied music and life scenes and explore the crossover and integration mode, aiming to provide the musical industry the most advanced trends, timely customer feedback, the sharing of crossover resources, and new opportunities for product development, by creating different music and life scenes. Looking back to the exposition last year, more than 300 brands were presented on site, covering a space of 27,000 m2, and attracting 54,819 visits. This year, the exposition is expected to expand to 30,000 m2, and to attract 65,000 visits. Many brands have already confirmed their willingness to participate in the exposition, including those who have been part of the exhibition for the last 3 years. The National Music Education Conference Love Learning Hall Music education, relying on the unique and complex system of the music industry, requires practitioners to equip good professional skills and business sense. In order to make the most of high-quality education resources, it is high time to activate the education consciousness among the public and create an atmosphere for music education across the country. The National Music Education Conference, highlighting the exposition this year, will be held at the same time. It is led by the National Music Education Service Alliance, in collaboration with the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) and the Confederation of European Music Industries (CAFIM). More than 3,000 music education practitioners from both home and abroad are expected to attend the conference. The conference aims to create "an elegant life, a beautiful China," attempting to popularize musical instrument learning and music appreciation. Well-known educationists and musicians, like Prof. Haihong Zhou and Mr. Hai Yu, will then present the teaching method of musical instruments, sharing the charm of music; international specialists and scholars will bring in the advanced ideas and trends of music education from the United States and European countries. Based on the keynote speech, more themed speeches will be addressed, and a series of roundtable forums will be led by the speakers. Meanwhile, the organizer has also called for workshops from the public to show the fruit of music education practices both in and outside the national education system. Moreover, the evening concert will become a platform for the invited guests and the audience to enjoy music together, which also creates an opportunity for them to discuss hot issues in music theory, creation and education. The Love Learning Hall was created for the first exposition, which focused on music and art education. This year, the cooperation with professional music academies, including the Chinese Conservatory of Music, Central Conservatory of Music, and Beijing Contemporary Music School, has been furthered. Teachers and students from these academies are invited to the performances, seminars, and competitions, which ensures the professional level of the exposition. Break the traditional expo mode, create a lifestyle experience space This exposition has selected the leading enterprises in the musical instrument industry and gathered the well-designed and creative lifestyle products to present in the four halls. It turns out that the musical instrument brands and the lifestyle product brands have attracted each other's potential customers, and the increasing interaction between them has redefined their potential market and helps optimize their product design. It has also provided inspiration for the industry leaders to create crossover businesses opportunities and for music lovers to personalize their lifestyle. The speeches and forum, breaking out the traditional teaching mode, have invited crossover artists to reveal the close relationship between music and life, which will be well received by the audiences. Apart from that, conferences and training programs for traders will also be held as part of the National Music Education Conference. This year in the special exhibition area, in addition to the Guitar Culture Area, an Earphone Experience Zone, a Hifi Sound Space, and a Smart Music World will be established to show the musical products and derivatives in life scenes. As for the performances, along with the Music & Life National Children's Band Competition, the National Drummers' Contest and the Original Electronic Dance Music Competition will also be held. Musical academies and bands have been invited to join the show, spreading the charm of music. Pop music kingdom, stage for electronic music and fashion trends Tech Trends Hall 1A Brief: The exhibition focuses on electronic musical instruments and also presents advanced sound equipment, trending clothes and accessories. It provides a creation space for pop musicians, and several stages for performances, cooperating with Guitar China. Events: Guitar Culture Area, Earphone Experience Zone, Smart Music World Target audience: pop music fans Exhibiters: CME, Cherub Technology, Fishman, FOCAL, Guangzhou Digital Music Element company, Han Flag musical instruments, JBL, Parsons Music Limited, YAMAHA, etc. Music enlightenment, parenting and art enjoyment Love Learning Hall 2A Brief: Centered on music education, this hall presents various music education methods and smart musical instruments, encouraging the interactive learning mode between parents and children and providing linkage to teenage arts education. Events: Joy Land, including a performance stage and puzzle game area. Target audiences: children aged 4-14 and medium-income family Exhibiters: CASIO, Chenyu Guzheng, Elomemo, HAILUN Piano, KHS, Lesi, Linggu, MEDELI, People's Music Publishing House, RDEC, SCHURTER, Wenle, etc. Chinese traditional music, the elegance of Chinese classical aesthetics Eastern Essence Hall 2 Brief: Based on Chinese musical instruments, this hall integrates the traditional lifestyle, presenting the traditional tea culture, flower art and classic clothes, creating a Chinese-featured traditional space. Activities: Oriental Cultural Space, gathering scholars' intelligent minds Target audiences: traditional culture lovers Exhibitors: Dunhuang, Huicui Leping, Huqiu musical Instruments, Jun Tian Fang, LIANYU Xuetang, Jiu Ding, Sheng Jiang, The Ocean of Music, Xuan Yin Tang, Wu Xian Tang, Wu Yun Tang, etc. Western style, a romantic and graceful art field Western World Hall 3 Brief: This hall exhibits western musical instruments including pianos, violins, wind instruments, and also classical vinyl and modern Hifi equipment, bringing classical music and jazz music into a modern western life scene. Activities: Art Salon, Hifi Sound Space Target Audiences: Medium to high income community with refined tastes Exhibitors: CHAPPELL, Denon, Marantz, PLEYEL, Questyle Audio, Vibra, etc. In the event of any change to the above, final notice takes precedence. For specific matters, please contact the organizers. To get more information please visit our website www.musiclifeshow.com , or follow us on WeChat: musiclifeshow. We are expecting to see you in China International Exhibition Center from July 6th -8th, 2018. Media Contact: Ms. Xiaoyu Zhang Tel: 021-62956881 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Shanghai Intex Exhibition Co Ltd. Related Links http://www.musiclifeshow.com SAN FRANCISCO and SACRAMENTO, Calif. and ATLANTA, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bay Area artists and brand Tallboi Ent. just signed with 1017 Brick Squad Mafia, which is the 1017 Records imprint overseen by OG Mack Drama and represented by BOBConsulting Group. Tallboi Ent., the artist is a sound engineer and in charge of all of the Tallboi Ent. brand. He has collaborated most with known Bay Area top artists. He was brought to the attention of 1017 by the new in house publicist Megan Cousino. "We looked over the artist as a favor," said Mack Drama. "We were really impressed. Most artists and brands we encounter need lots of work. Tallboi Ent. is different. You can see they are all rising stars! Tallboi Ent. just needed the right people to help them along the way! Glad they put their trust in us!" Mack Drama finished. Together, now it's possible to really factor in the Bay Area, which has long been considered the one region that can give Atlanta a run for its money! So Quality Control and Future Brands watch out! We're here. Tallboi Ent. is the One! We are going full tilt! Stay tuned! http://www.bsm1017.com About BOBConsulting Group BOBCONSULTING Group is the business arm of Top Star Media Company. Responsible for all business aspects of record label divisions of 1017 MDR BSM and Mafia Gang Nation. Public relations, communications, tours, and accounting to name a few. The consulting business as well includes start ups, artist development and business reviews, along with Top Star Hip Hop the radio, print and film divisions. It's truly a global conglomerate! Media Contact: Karen Hilton 714-406-0296 [email protected] Photos: https://www.prlog.org/12702177 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE BOBConsulting Group TOKYO, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NTT Resonant Inc. will display cloud-based testing service "Remote TestKit" (*1) at the STAREAST Software Testing Conference (to be held in Orlando, Florida on April 29 - May 4), a software-testing solutions exhibition, as an official sponsor on May 2 and 3. At its booth, NTT Resonant will showcase test quality improvement for smartphone apps and mobile websites as well as improved efficiency via automated testing that can be achieved with Remote TestKit. Exhibition Information STAREAST is an event for software testing and QA professionals. NTT Resonant will have a booth on May 2 and 3. It will introduce various support functions of Remote TestKit helpful for developers of smartphone apps and mobile websites, such as the automated test function that allows testing of app functionality on multiple devices, and the local devise functionality (*2) announced in 2018. 1. Location: Hyatt Regency Orlando, 9801 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819 2. Time: May 2, 2018 (Wed.) 10:30 am - 2:00 pm, 3:30 pm - 6:30 pm May 3, 2018 (Thu.) 10:30 am - 3:00 pm STAREAST Information: https://stareast.techwell.com/ Notes (*1) Remote TestKit (https://appkitbox.com/en/testkit/) Remote TestKit is a mobile device cloud service offering access to hundreds of real devices to maximize your efficiency and to minimize your expenses. Now developers and testers can access all the latest and oldest popular devices at their fingertips. Remote TestKit offers seamless connection to your existing manual and automated testing tools. NTT Resonant offers flexible plans with Public SaaS, Enterprise On-Premise, and Hosted solutions to fit your requirements. Remote TestKit is developed and supported by NTT Resonant, a subsidiary of NTT - the world leader in telecommunication and mobile technologies. (*2) Local Device Functionality (https://pr.goo.ne.jp/other/2017/22491/?lang=en) This function allows use of Remote TestKit on local Android devices by connecting to PC with USB. SOURCE NTT Resonant Inc. MIAMI, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pan Am International Flight Academy continues to enhance their aviation training offering by announcing that their B737-400 with Heads Up Display is Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) ready. This simulator is FAA part-60 UPRT certified and located in our Miami facility. Pan Am's strategy for UPRT compliance is to be certified Fleetwide by March 2019. Currently, the aviation training center offers over 100 different training options on over 20 different aircraft fleet types. Last year 2017, over 5,000 pilots and aviation professionals trained at our facilities and we expect an increase to that number this year. "Pan Am's priority is to provide the highest quality training in the aviation industry," said Mark Johnson, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Pan Am International Academy. UPRT featured elements include: Full stall (EET) (Extended envelope training) Enhanced icing effects UPRT scenarios and training tools Gusting crosswinds Bounced landing "Pan Am International flight academy offers comprehensive programs to meet training objectives and understands the need to maintain the highest training standards while keeping costs under control. That is why we are confident that at Pan Am International Flight Academy, we can provide solid, cost effective UPRT and evidence-based training," added Johnson. Pan Am International Flight Academy has decades of experience and operations and firmly believes there is no better tribute to the Pan Am legacy than to train and deliver the next generation of the worlds Aviation Professionals. About Pan Am International Flight Academy Pan Am International Flight Academy, headquartered in Miami, FL, has its origins in Pan American World Airways as its original training division, and operates under one of the most recognized brands in the world. The company has facilities located in Florida, Las Vegas and affiliations in Japan and Thailand where we provide flight simulation and training on nearly all major aircraft types by having access to over 50 full flight simulators. With over 200 professional training programs such as flight attendant, mechanic, and Air Traffic Control, Pan Am International Flight Academy has its own Career Pilot Academy in Kissimmee, Florida, where we are dedicating to training the next generation of pilots. SOURCE Pan Am International Flight Academy MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Every day, in kitchens near and far, men and women of all ages are experimenting with recipes of their own. Whether it's a favorite breakfast item, lunch, dinner or dessert specialty, there's no doubt that hundreds, if not thousands of mouthwatering, original concoctions are yet to be discovered and introduced. Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, the leading family dining chain celebrating its 60th Diamond Anniversary this year, is searching for that hidden gem, and asking consumers to bring something new to the table and submit an original recipe that if chosen, will be featured as a limited time offering on its menu. Entering is simple like Perkins on Facebook and submit a menu item through the contest link. Passionate about good food and satisfying the cravings of its guests, Perkins Restaurant & Bakery wants to know what's cooking in kitchens across the United States! Perkins' Vice President of Food Innovation and Culinary, Thomas Yun explains that from 4/23/18 5/6/18, he and his food innovation team will be judging each Facebook submission based on a set of criteria including originality, taste, and ease of preparation. Yun adds, "Very importantly, we'll also be looking for the recipe's fit with the Perkins brand something that complements and enhances our menu offerings." Ten finalists will be selected and announced on Perkins' Facebook page and from 5/28/18 through 6/10/18 visitors will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite entry. The grand prize winner will be announced on June 11, 2018 -- they will receive a $1,000 gift card and their recipe will be placed on a future menu. Perkins' six-decade longevity has in large part been attributed to the brand's ability to evolve to the ever-changing taste preferences of the consumer. "Running this contest is yet another way that we are keeping our finger on the pulse of what consumers have to say," comments Perkins' Vice President of Marketing, James Pritchard. In tandem with its 60th Anniversary celebration, Perkins recently rolled out a new menu, representing a year's worth of taste testing and consumer research. Perkins & Marie Callender's Chief Marketing Officer, Wade Breaux comments, "Our goal is to continually meet and exceed our guests' expectations. Perkins' new menu includes a modern rework of old classics, integrates on-trend flavor profiles, and represents quality, innovation, and value all hallmarks of the Perkins brand." The Perkins 60th Anniversary Recipe Contest is another way the restaurant chain is keeping it fresh and as always, giving customers a seat at the table. About Perkins Restaurant & Bakery: Since it was founded in 1958 as a single pancake house in Ohio, Perkins today has nearly 400 restaurants in 32 states and Canada. Committed to delivering 100% satisfaction through service excellence and positive dining experiences, the brand recently launched a "Kindness Served Daily" campaign to celebrate its 60th year and its company-wide culture of kindness. SOURCE Perkins Restaurant & Bakery Related Links http://www.perkinsrestaurants.com FRANKFURT, Germany, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Plug and Play, the largest global innovation platform, and TechQuartier, the one-stop startup hub in the heart of Frankfurt, Germany, announce Aareal Bank, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, DZ Bank and NETS Group as the first five corporate partners to join their fintech program based out of Frankfurt. The partnership, known as "Fintech Europe," will act as a home away from home for some of the most disruptive and innovative startups in the banking industry as they pilot their solutions with leading financial institutions. The goal of Fintech Europe is to have 10-15 banks and financial service providers as partners in Frankfurt. These first five founding partners will dictate the focus of the program based on their current use cases, with Plug and Play championing a selection of highly rated startups sourced via their global network. Plug and Play will work hand in hand with the partners' various business units to expedite the engagement process and encourage fruitful collaboration. "Frankfurt is a major financial capital and on track to also become a global fintech hub. We are very proud to be launching our first fintech open innovation platform for Europe, and we invite our partners from across the continent to join us as we build a fintech platform that is relevant not just to Europe, but the world," says Saeed Amidi, CEO and Founder of Plug and Play. The program is set to kick off on May 29th, 2018 and the first batch of startups will join in June. TechQuartier will provide complimentary desk space along with mentorship from their premier network of executives, investors and entrepreneurs. If you are a financial institution looking to work with an international scope of technologies, or a startup enabling the advancement of the financial sector, get in touch today. Please contact Amir Karimpour or Fernando Zornig to learn more: [email protected] / [email protected] About Plug and Play Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 20 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 6,000 startups and 220 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 700 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $7 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, PayPal, SoundHound, and Zoosk. For more information, visit www.pnptc.com. About TechQuartier TechQuartier (TQ) is the central platform for the start-up community in the Frankfurt Metropolitan Region. Since December 2016, TQ has been offering over 3,200 square meters of flexible working space for start-ups, scale-ups as well as for innovation and digital teams of established companies. With numerous events, tailor-made offers for talents, start-ups and established companies, TQ offers an ideal environment for the development of new technologies, services and business models. TechQuartier enriches the vibrant start-up ecosystem in Frankfurt Rhine Main with its unique community of more than 80 startups and 30 corporate partners and academic institutions, including Aareal Bank, Allen & Overy, Atos/equenswordline, Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Borse, DZ BANK Group, EY, Goethe-University, Helaba, ING-DiBa, KPMG, PwC, Sparda-Bank, Hesse, TU Darmstadt and WIBank. The TechQuartier has also been designated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as one of Germany's "FinTech-Hub". For more information, please visit www.techquartier.com. SOURCE Plug and Play Related Links http://www.pnptc.com In tune with the new consumer values of meaning and purpose, Powerful deepens its meaning beyond high-protein products with inspirational quotes. The Powerful People campaign, features several profiles of everyday heroes from all walks of life who have meaningfully contributed to their communities and society at large. All these Powerful People leverage a mind-body connection to empower others. "We launched Powerful, to fill the market void of great tasting, high-protein products made with natural ingredients that consumers with active lifestyles were seeking," Says Carlos Ramirez, Powerful CEO and founder. "Now we add inspiration to get active and become a better version of your already-strong self." For Ramirez, who leads a multimillion dollar business with triple digits year-on-year growth, branding is personal. "Powerful People inspire us, me, to push ourselves and give our best to society." Although he is reluctant to admit it, Ramirez himself might embody a Powerful People. He came from his native Venezuela to transform his physical and mental strength into tough entrepreneurial spirit and devoted love for his wife and two boys. "We are proud of him as a business leader, as an immigrant...that's Powerful," said Alejo Chouela, one of the company's angel investors. The Powerful People includes videos, bios and content from bullied overweight teens turned onto elite athletes, non-profit leaders such as Crossfit Garfield PD and Miami is Kind, and immigrants who paved unconventional roads to meaningful lives. Check their stories at https://powerful.co/ SOURCE Powerful Foods Related Links http://powerful.co NEWARK, N.J., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) today announced a $1.875 billion settlement with the Staff of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU), the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel and other parties to continue the accelerated replacement of aging gas pipes, supporting a safe, clean and reliable gas system well into the future. The settlement agreement is pending approval by the BPU. In a filing with the BPU in July 2017, PSE&G sought approval to continue to accelerate the replacement of the cast iron and unprotected steel gas mains throughout its service territory. The settlement will enable the utility to replace 875 miles of gas mains and make other improvements to its gas system over the five-year period. "By year end, we expect to have replaced hundreds of miles of aging gas pipes under the first phase of our Gas System Modernization Program," said David Daly, PSE&G president and COO. "This agreement means we can continue the next phase of this important work, which will result in improved safety and reliability of gas service and reduced methane emissions. It will also ensure we have the critical infrastructure needed to grow New Jersey's economy for years to come. "Together with our contractors, we have demonstrated we can manage a larger-scale, longer-duration program safely and cost-effectively," Daly added. "We thank all of the parties involved for their thoughtful participation and review in this matter." In addition to PSE&G, the BPU staff and NJ Rate Counsel, parties supporting the settlement include: the Environmental Defense Fund, Local Union 94 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 855 of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry, the Engineers Labor-Employment Cooperative, New Jersey Laborers Employers Cooperation and Education Trust, Ferreira Construction, and Creamer-Sanzari Joint Venture. In 2017, the BPU approved new rules that support longer-term infrastructure programs of up to five years. This agreement culminates nearly nine months of formal discovery, review and discussions, including public hearings before the BPU. The mains and service lines will be replaced with strong, durable plastic piping, which is much less likely to have leaks and release methane gas. The new elevated pressure systems also enable the installation of excess flow valves that automatically shut off gas flow if a service line is damaged, and better support the use of high-efficiency appliances. The five-year program is also expected to create about 3,200 sustained jobs. Since 2009, residential gas heating bills are down about 50 percent because of the lower cost of natural gas supply. Continued low gas prices make this the ideal time to accelerate this work. Under the settlement, PSE&G's return on equity on the investment will be determined as part of the utility's base distribution rate review currently under way. The average annual bill impact for a typical residential customer is expected to be less than a 2 percent increase, or about $17, per year over the five-year program. PSE&G has just under 4,000 miles of cast-iron gas pipes, which is more than any other utility in the nation. At this new pace, the utility can replace its cast-iron and unprotected steel pipes with modern ones in 25 years. Pipes installed before 1960 are the most leak-prone. They make up 25 percent of PSE&G's network, yet account for 65 percent of leaks, excluding third-party damages. The five-year pipe replacement program would reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 30,000 vehicles off the road. Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey's oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state's population. PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system reliability. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE: PEG), a diversified energy company. Visit PSEG at: www.pseg.com PSEG on Facebook PSEG on Twitter PSEG on LinkedIn PSEG blog, Energize! Forward-Looking Statements The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Such statements are based on management's beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to management. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in any forward-looking statements made by us herein are discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and available on its website: http://investor.pseg.com. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and we cannot assure you that the results or developments anticipated by management will be realized or even if realized, will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, us or our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements in making any investment decision. Forward-looking statements made in this press release apply only as of the date hereof. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements from time to time, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even in light of new information or future events, unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws. From time to time, PSEG, PSE&G and PSEG Power release important information via postings on their corporate website at http://investor.pseg.com. Investors and other interested parties are encouraged to visit the corporate website to review new postings. The "Email Alerts" link at http://investor.pseg.com may be used to enroll to receive automatic email alerts and/or Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds regarding new postings. SOURCE Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G) Related Links https://www.pseg.com As a buyers' and renters' want ads, RuListing.com is capturing attention across the U.S., Australia and Canada. Its new, disruptive real estate technology helps buyers and renters contact owners without agents across the globe. Historically, only 10-13% of homes, are bought and sold privately in the U.S. This low percentage represents an opportunity to provide people with better private residential real estate technology to support selling houses for sale by owner (FSBO). "Mapping is central to RuListing, as buyers plot where and what they're looking for with their profile. Homeowners can search their neighborhood, view profiles and send private messages for free," says Founder and CEO Susan Joynt. With record low inventory of houses for sale in Q4 of 2017, prospective buyers suffer with few housing options within their sought-after neighborhoods. As the solution, people are taking matters into their own hands using RuListing in hopes of talking to homeowners privately before listing on the open market. RuListing poses a disruptive threat to the $9B that agents and brokers spend annually in the U.S. in online real estate advertising. RuListing offers open access to a ready-supply of buyers and renters, such that advertising is no longer a necessity. This makes the established real estate industry nervous as the foundation of their monetization platform comes from agents spending future commission dollars on advertising their houses for sale. Zillow depends on the 1.9M agents across the U.S. spending approximately $5000/month to advertise their properties for sale. With homeowners finding buyers and renters on their own, agents have relief from the burdensome marketing expense to attract new leads - savings that can be passed along to homeowners in the commission fees charged to sell a home. "Connecting buyers and sellers together privately is the first step," says Susan, "as I believe consumers will still choose to hire agents to assist with the sale and close of a property." What an agent's role and fee structure will be, without the advertising and marketing expense, remains to be determined. Simon Baker, Chairman Mitula and Property Portal Watch, in Chasing Secondary Transactions, has been insightfully encouraging the real estate industry to venture into alternative monetization platforms beyond the primary transaction and the saturated advertising model. Agents looking to expand their role, as a full-service home provider, into financial and insurance services for example, could prove to be highly lucrative for agents in the future. SOURCE RuListing REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Oracle announced that O'STIN has deployed Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting, Oracle Retail Planning & Optimization and Veltio APX Supply Chain Planning to create a product replenishment program that proactively anticipates customer demand. With the Oracle Retail and Veltio integration O'STIN sought to improve the effectiveness of inventory fulfillment across 700 stores throughout Russia to better meet customer demand while protecting profitability. Veltio, an Oracle Partner Network Platinum Partner, drove the implementation resulting in a more accurate planning process that can anticipate consumer demand. "Disparate silos of customer information, store and product performance prevent retailers from having accurate inventory forecasts," said Chris James, Vice President, Oracle Retail. "Without this holistic perspective brands risk significant decreased margins by having to continually discount inventory to make room for new seasonal merchandise." Prior to the upgrade, O'STIN merchants personally managed a 90,000 line product matrix that included the store, style and color. O'STIN management would manually calculate stock levels for each SKU at every store for the previous four weeks, magnifying a scalability problem as the brand operated at the speed of fast fashion. "The most effective stock level decisions are based on product performance and stock position. The combined Oracle Retail Planning & Optimization complemented by Veltio APX empowers our planning team to better forecast consumer demand and increase their productivity through automation and exception-based reporting. Now we can rely on data science to predict and automate replenishment based on future sales forecasts," said Prosvirnin Nikolay, Head of Allocation and Replenishment teams, O'STIN. "By tuning the high-level replenishment parameters, we optimized inventory to hold the right amount of safety stock to meet consumer expectations and manage the end of season inventory," said Grechin Sergey, Assortment and Planning Director, O'STIN. "In 18 months, we have rolled out the solution to all stores in Russia, Belorussia and Kazakhstan with Veltio." "With the ability to directly integrate with Oracle solutions like Oracle Retail Assortment Planning and Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting in a single deployment, Veltio provides clients like O'STIN with an easy-to-use tool that offers increased automation to help predict product lifecycles, size and store split, and initial allocation quantities to feed the supply chain," said Costas Malamas, Managing Partner, Veltio. Implementation Benefits: Oracle Retail's Planning and Optimization suite empowers planning teams to combine disparate data sources, including performance, market, and vendor, and leverage retail science to drive intelligent and localized assortments without the increased overhead of full-time data scientists. Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting allows retailers to centralize demand forecasts for their omnichannel enterprise from operations and vendor collaboration to planning and optimization to marketing and insights accurately and efficiently. Veltio APX Supply Chain Planning is a set of Oracle Retail Predictive Application Server components developed that provide advanced allocation, replenishment and execution functionality. Exclusive to Veltio, this cutting-edge retail science can allocate stock to stores using simple or complex packs while optimizing ROI. Veltio APX calculates order quantities at multiple tiers of the supply chain and can create purchase orders at all tiers to be executed by downstream systems. About O'STIN O'STIN is European fashion apparel brand, offering products for women, men and kids. O'STIN operates more than 700 stores in Eastern Europe, Russia and Asia. O'STIN is a vertically integrated business that controls the whole value chain across product design production and retail sales. This allows us to assure high product quality at reasonable prices and to keep a direct communication with our customers. For more information about O'STIN, please visit ostin.com. About Oracle Retail: Oracle provides retailers with a complete, open, and integrated suite of best-of-breed business applications, cloud services, and hardware that are engineered to work together and empower commerce. Leading fashion, grocery, and specialty retailers use Oracle solutions to anticipate market changes, simplify operations and inspire authentic brand interactions. For more information, visit our website at www.oracle.com/retail. About Oracle The Oracle Cloud delivers hundreds of SaaS applications and enterprise-class PaaS and IaaS services to customers in more than 195 countries and territories while processing 55 billion transactions a day. For more information about Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), please visit us at oracle.com. Trademarks Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. SOURCE Oracle Related Links http://www.oracle.com HANNOVER, Germany, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today introduced the release of SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud, a new solution to help companies optimize performance, elevate production quality and efficiency, and ensure worker safety. Drawing on SAP's expertise in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), predictive analytics and supply networks, the solution enables manufacturers to deploy Industry 4.0 technologies in the cloud. The announcement was made at Hannover Messe 2018, being held April 2327 in Hannover, Germany. The new cloud solution extends and complements the digital manufacturing portfolio of on-premise solutions from SAP and is available in different bundles to serve manufacturers of varying sizes in both discrete and process industries and roles within their respective organizations. SAP customers can choose from the SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud solution for execution, which provides all solutions in the manufacturing cloud portfolio, or the SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud solution for insights, which focuses on performance management and predictive quality. "Manufacturers in the era of Industry 4.0 require solutions that are intelligent, networked and predictive," said Bernd Leukert, Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE, Products & Innovation. "Our manufacturing cloud solutions help customers take advantage of the Industrial Internet of Things by connecting equipment, people and operations across the extended digital supply chain and tightly integrating manufacturing with business operations." SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud includes the following: SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud for execution: Industry 4.0-enabled shop floor solution features "lot size one" and paperless production capabilities. It integrates business systems with the shop floor, allowing for complete component and material-level visibility for single and global installations. Industry 4.0-enabled shop floor solution features "lot size one" and paperless production capabilities. It integrates business systems with the shop floor, allowing for complete component and material-level visibility for single and global installations. SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud for insights: Centralized, data-driven performance management enables key stakeholders to achieve best-in-class manufacturing performance and operations. Centralized, data-driven performance management enables key stakeholders to achieve best-in-class manufacturing performance and operations. Predictive quality: This helps manufacturers gain valuable insights to conform to specifications across processes and streamline quality management. It also allows manufacturers to apply predictive algorithms that can reduce losses from defects, deficiencies or variations, and recommend corrective actions. This helps manufacturers gain valuable insights to conform to specifications across processes and streamline quality management. It also allows manufacturers to apply predictive algorithms that can reduce losses from defects, deficiencies or variations, and recommend corrective actions. Manufacturing network: The network provides a cloud-based collaborative platform integrated with SAP Ariba solutions connecting customers with manufacturing service providers, such as suppliers of 3D and computer numerical control (CNC) printing services, material providers, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and technical certification companies. (See companion SAP Ariba solution announcement here.) Also at Hannover Messe 2018, SAP announced SAP Connected Worker Safety, a solution designed to reduce risks, costs and protect employees. Information from wearables and other sensor-enabled equipment can help companies react immediately to a hazardous situation or incident while proactively managing worker fatigue and other hazard inducers. Real-time information allows monitoring of compliance at all times against regulatory and other parameters. For more information, see the related story. Availability of the solutions is expected by the end of Q2 2018. More information on digital manufacturing solutions from SAP is available here. For more SAP news, visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews. About SAP As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 378,000 business and public sector customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com. Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. 2018 SAP SE. All rights reserved. SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx#trademark for additional trademark information and notices. For customers interested in learning more about SAP products: Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24 United States Only: +1 (800) 872-1727 For more information, press only: Kathrin Eiermann, SAP, +49 6227 767029, [email protected], CET Jim Dever, SAP, +1 (610) 661-2161, [email protected], EDT SAP News Center press room, [email protected] SOURCE SAP SE Related Links http://www.sap.com CINCINNATI, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP) has appointed Danyelle S.T. Wright to the newly created role of vice president, employment and labor law, and chief diversity officer. In this role, Wright will lead Scripps' enterprise-wide diversity and inclusion strategies. She will work closely with human resources leadership to bring these strategies to life and will provide guidance to the company's senior management on labor practices. Wright will continue to serve as the employment attorney for the company, a role she has held for three years. Danyelle S.T. Wright "Scripps was built on a foundation of inclusion with the goal for all people to have access to news and information with agency and a voice," said Adam Symson, Scripps' president and chief executive officer. "Diversity and inclusion are certainly core to our mission today, not only in the information we provide, but with respect to the people who work for us. Danyelle will lead our continued efforts to ensure our employee base reflects the diverse communities we serve." "In partnership with Scripps employees, I'm looking forward to bringing my expertise and experience to thoughtfully address and deepen our commitment to diversity and inclusion strategies across our businesses," said Wright. "This work will further enrich our company culture and help us better serve the communities in which we live, work and play." Before joining Scripps in 2015, Wright served as partner with a Dayton, Ohio-based law firm. She received her bachelor's degree in government and Africana studies from Cornell University and her doctorate in law from The Ohio State University. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Wright is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., The Links, Inc. and Jack & Jill of America. She is a member of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber's Leadership Cincinnati Class 41 and WE Lead Class 11 and is a member of the Women's Committee of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation. About Scripps The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP) serves audiences and businesses through a growing portfolio of local and national media brands. With 33 television stations, Scripps is one of the nation's largest independent TV station owners. Scripps runs an expanding collection of national journalism and content businesses, including Newsy, the next-generation national news network; podcast industry leader Midroll Media; and fast-growing national broadcast networks Bounce, Grit, Escape and Laff. Scripps produces original programming including "Pickler & Ben," runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, "Give light and the people will find their own way." SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company Related Links http://www.scripps.com FORT LEE, New Jersey, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Siklu Inc., the global market leader in mmWave wireless solutions, announced today that Grupo Pinsa, a leading company in America tuna industry and headquartered in Mexico, has deployed Siklu mmWave radios providing wireless connectivity throughout the group's campuses. The radios were deployed to transmit real time information between multiple buildings as well as over the Pacific Ocean to carry automation, voice, data and video from cameras for various security and quality assurance purposes. This network required close to zero downtime while delivering gigabits per second of capacity with minimum latency. Arsnet, an information and communications technology (ICTs) integration company, specialized in wireless ecosystem mobility solutions, was increasingly challenged to provide Grupo Pinsa with a 700 Mbps to 1000Mbps connectivity in these areas at an acceptable cost and in a short amount of time. The 5GHz band in use was already saturated with high interference, making the backbone links unstable. In addition, speeds needed to be fiber-like, making it difficult to expand throughput to their campuses reliably with no interference, requirements that effectively ruled out using 5GHz equipment. With limited fiber availability, Arsnet turned to Siklu's master distributer Alliance to provide design of the mmWave wireless solution. This approach avoided expensive leased lined or complex fiber deployments throughout the city in poles or underground. The challenge presented was to install a main link between different plants of the group in the cities of Mazatlan and Guaymas. A combination of unlicensed 60, 70-80Ghz multigigabit radios are currently covering 13 production lines, storages facilities with capacity for 21,000 tons of material and product warehouses with a capacity to handle 2 million boxes. The network connects satellite buildings to their main site in a 2-3km per link point-to-point topology. The biggest design challenge was to find a location inside the factory to be able to maintain high availability even in harsh rain conditions and over the water. Radical weather changes in the coastal area presented a challenge which Siklu's links withstood for over three years, two Hurricanes and numerous tropical storms without a single drop in service. The links were designed to provide 99.995% availability, leveraging narrow beams in the uncongested mmWave spectrum, and providing immunity to 5Ghz Wi-Fi signals within campuses area. Arsnet were able to deploy Siklu's high capacity links extremely fast using the EtherHaul 600TX and 1200FX. "The EtherHaul was an easy upgrade for Pinsa's existing Sub-6GHz links, enabling them to immediately benefit from Siklu's field proven reliable mmWave wireless technology," said Oscar Hernadez, CTO of Arsnet. "Deploying wireless fiber with Siklu was the same in terms of speed and availability as deploying fiber only with faster installation times and much lower cost," stated Luis Rizo Parra, COO/CTO/Architecture & Infrastructure IT & Operations at Grupo Pinsa. "We are very pleased with the performance of Siklu's solutions. We began in 2015 and plan on expending that technology to more plants outside our campuses where connectivity will be required in the future." "Siklu is pleased to be selected as the wireless fiber partner of Grupo Pinsa. With Alliance we are expanding our reach throughout CALA," said Eyal Assa, Siklu's CEO. "With over 100 cities worldwide and more than 62,000 units successfully deployed, Siklu's industry-leading EtherHaul links are now available as part of the most comprehensive end-to-end mmWave portfolio. From planning to deployment including point-to-point and point-to-multipoint solutions of up to 10Gbps, we offer Grupo Pinsa the products and tools they can rely on in the future." Siklu's End-to-End mmWave wireless solutions will be showcased at Expo Seguridad, City Mexico, April 24-26, booths: Axis #1815, Syscom #2715, Alliance #1511. About Siklu Siklu delivers multi-gigabit wireless fiber connectivity in urban, suburban and rural areas. Operating in the mmWave bands, Siklu's wireless solutions are used by leading service providers and system integrators to provide 5G Gigabit Wireless Access services. In addition, Siklu solutions are ideal for Smart City projects requiring extra capacity such as video security, WiFi backhaul and municipal network connectivity all over one network. Thousands of carrier-grade systems are delivering interference-free performance worldwide. Easily installed on street-fixtures or rooftops, these radios have been proven to be the ideal solution for networks requiring fast and simple deployment of secure, wireless fiber. http://www.siklu.com. Press Contacts Shiri Butnaru Marketing Manager, Siklu [email protected] Dave Sumi VP Marketing, Siklu [email protected] SOURCE Siklu FAIR LAWN, N.J., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SK Life Science, Inc., a subsidiary of SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., an innovative biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and bringing to market treatments for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today presents efficacy, safety and tolerability data from a study of its investigational antiepileptic drug, cenobamate (YKP3089), at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting (AAN) in Los Angeles (April 21-27). Gregory Krauss, M.D., professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University and a principal investigator in the cenobamate clinical study, will present data from this study at today's platform presentation. "The results with cenobamate demonstrated a decrease in overall median seizure frequencies compared to placebo at all doses studied," Dr. Krauss said. "Additionally, those treated with 200mg and 400mg of cenobamate had a greater than 50 percent reduction in seizures (55 to 91 percent) for the various focal seizure types. Overall, the most common adverse events were somnolence and dizziness." The presentation will take place during the Epilepsy/Clinical Neurophysiology (EEG) session (S19) at 4:18 p.m. Abstracts can be viewed on the AAN meeting website. Later in the week, three posters will provide additional information about cenobamate including its mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic profile and effect on photoparoxysmal response in epilepsy photosensitive patients. The posters will be presented during Poster Session P5 on April 26, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Poster #278: Mechanism of Action of Cenobamate: Preferential Inhibition of the Persistent Sodium Current Dr. Michiko Nakamura Poster #279: Cenobamate (YKP3089) in Photosensitive Patients: Proof of Principle Dr. Dorothee Kasteleijn-Nolst Trenite Poster #280: Pharmacokinetics of Cenobamate (YKP3089): Results from Single and Multiple Oral Rising-Dose Studies in Healthy Subjects Dr. Laurent Vernillet "SK life science is committed to exploring advances for people living with CNS disorders whose clinical needs are not met, focusing first in epilepsy. The studies presented during AAN speak to SK life science's focus on meeting developmental, clinical milestones for the investigational epilepsy treatment cenobamate," said Marc Kamin, M.D., chief medical officer at SK life science. About SK life science SK Life Science, Inc., is a subsidiary of SK Biopharmaceuticals, Co., Ltd., focused on developing and bringing treatments for disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) to market. Both are a part of the global conglomerate SK Group, the second largest company in Korea. SK life science is growing quickly in the U.S., with headquarters in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. SK life science has a pipeline of six products in development for the treatment of CNS disorders including epilepsy, sleep disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, among others. The company's lead product is cenobamate, an investigational compound that is being studied as a potential treatment option for patients with epilepsy. For more information, visit SK life science's website at www.SKLifeScienceInc.com. About SK biopharmaceuticals SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. is a part of the global conglomerate SK Group, the second largest company in Korea. SK biopharmaceuticals (global headquarters) is responsible for the development of innovative next-generation drugs within SK Group. For more information, visit SK biopharmaceuticals' website at www.skbp.com. Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE SK Life Science, Inc. Related Links http://www.sklifescienceinc.com LOS ANGELES, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- sonnen, the global market leader in intelligent residential energy storage, announced today that Ani Backa, former attorney and government affairs manager for Xcel Energy, has joined sonnen as U.S. Director of Regulatory Strategy and Utility Initiatives. Ani's responsibilities at sonnen will include working directly with regulatory bodies and utilities across the country to promote the implementation and expansion of the sonnenCommunity model and help drive innovative electricity services that connect clean, decentralized energy. In this role, she will foster strategic partnerships with developers and stakeholders committed to the deployment of residential battery storage and sonnenCommunity projects across the U.S. and in other key regions around the world. "As an outspoken champion of the transition to clean energy, Ani shares sonnen's mission of delivering clean and reliable energy for all, specifically by promoting the benefits of distributed energy storage resources and VPP innovations," said Blake Richetta, Senior Vice President and leader of the Company's U.S. presence. "With an impressive career as a lawyer in the energy field and as a significant player in the utility space at Xcel Energy, Ani will be a key asset in promoting energy storage regulation. This will support the success of sonnen's partnerships in implementing VPP technology for sonnenCommunity projects, such as the Mandalay Homes Jasper Community. Under her leadership and continued work with local regulatory and utility partners, we will further sonnen's foothold as the premier energy storage provider in the United States." With deep knowledge of micro and macro energy market trends and breakthrough technological platforms, this new role combines Ani's extensive experience in energy with sonnen's worldwide leadership in home energy management. Her experience in the regulatory space will support sonnen's efforts in working with utilities as the company continues to successfully deploy VPP initiatives, and bolster existing grid infrastructure to create more clean, resilient and reliable energy communities throughout the U.S. To this end, sonnen will demonstrate to its partners a continued commitment to end-users at all stages of the process with unparalleled customer support. "I am thrilled to join sonnen at such an exciting and transformative time in the residential energy storage market," said Ani Backa, U.S. Director of Regulatory Strategy and Utility Initiatives at sonnen. "Grid modernization is the key to a sustainable energy future for citizens around the world. sonnen's continued innovation and commitment to grid integration will play a pivotal role in helping utilities increase the flexibility of their existing grid infrastructure, while better managing distributed renewable resources. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Europe, Australia and South America to drive sonnen's growth through strategic partnerships with energy and utility providers, with the overarching goal of advancing the customer experience." About sonnen At sonnen, we believe clean, affordable, and reliable energy for all is one of the greatest challenges of our time. sonnen is a proven global leader in intelligent energy management solutions that provide greater energy control for residential customers through increased solar self-consumption, reduced peak energy usage and reliable backup power during outages contributing to a cleaner and more reliable energy future. sonnen has won several awards for its energy innovations, including the 2018 Fast Company Most Innovative Companies in Energy, 2017 Zayed Future Energy Prize, MIT's Technology Review's 50 Smartest Companies in 2016, Global Cleantech 100 for 2015-2017, Greentech Media's 2016 Grid Edge Award for innovation, and Cleantech's 2015 Company of the Year Award in both Israel and Europe. SOURCE sonnen WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, VADM, MD, MPH, will give the keynote address at the March of Dimes Prematurity Prevention Summit to be held May 21-22 in Arlington, Virginia. National thought leaders in maternal and child health, including 300 members of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign Collaborative, parents, and community groups, will convene at this meeting to advance policy and practice, mobilize community leadership, share emerging ideas and best practices, and energize stakeholders to achieve equity and reduce the U.S. preterm birth rate. To register online for the meeting, or for more information, visit the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign Collaborative at www.marchofdimes.org/collaborative or www.cvent.com/d/ztqtd8. Follow the group on Twitter at handle @marchofdimes and hashtag #prematuritycollab. Among the other distinguished speakers at the meeting will be Wanda D Barfield, RADM, MD, MPH, FAAP, Assistant Surgeon General, US Public Health Service Director, Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a co-chair of the Collaborative Steering Committee; Paula Braveman, MD, MPH, Professor of Family and Community Medicine and Director of the Center on Social Disparities in Health at the University of California, San Francisco; and Stacey D. Stewart, MBA, president of March of Dimes. Premature birth (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) and its complications are the largest contributor to the death of babies in the United States. Babies who survive an early birth often have lifelong health problems such as cerebral palsy, vision and hearing loss, and intellectual disabilities. Even babies born just a few weeks early have a greater risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), feeding difficulties, temperature instability (hypothermia), jaundice, and delayed brain development. The rate of preterm birth in the U.S. increased for the second year in a row in 2016, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Across the country, mothers of color are 20 percent more likely to give birth prematurely and their children face a 40 percent higher infant death rate. On May 22, attendees will participate in work groups in the five critical strategies that are now being pursued by the Prematurity Campaign Collaborative: promoting health equity; improving clinical and public health practice; expanding research and translating findings to new forms of prevention and treatment; developing effective messaging to raise awareness about the urgent problem of prematurity; and identifying and advancing public policies to improve maternal health equity. About March of Dimes March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies. We support research, lead programs and provide education and advocacy so that every family can have the best possible start. Building on a successful 80-year legacy of impact and innovation, we stand up for every mom and every baby. Visit marchofdimes.org or nacersano.org for more information. Visit shareyourstory.org for comfort and support. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. SOURCE March of Dimes Related Links http://www.marchofdimes.org Ningbo, Zhejiang and Nottingham, UK plan to jointly cultivate hundreds of general practitioners (GPs), local media reported. An exchange program, initiated in September 2017 by the University of Nottingham, University of Nottingham Ningbo Campus (UNNC) and Ningbo First Hospital, may improve China's medical care by identifying weaknesses in the Chinese GP training system and drawing on the successes experienced by the UK. The program has recently entered into an approval process. The UK has the world's best training system for GPs, while Nottingham is one of the top three training centers in the country. The University of Nottingham plays an active role in medical education and training in the East Midlands, giving it plenty of experience in this sector. Over the past half year, Ningbo First Hospital has sent two practitioners to Nottingham to learn from the UK's GP system. In addition, a team from UNNC thoroughly investigated the overall state of Ningbo's medical service centers at all levels, as well as the challenges they face, and obtained first-hand materials and data. Based on these data, a feasible training plan in accordance with China's development trajectory was formulated. "The hospital and the university are now discussing a long-term training system," said Ying Jun, a project manager from UNNC's Research and Business Department. The two parties hope to help Ningbo become an influential GP training center in the Yangtze River Delta region by introducing a team of British professionals, according to Ying. Huang Kai, a GP from Ningbo First Hospital said, "This exchange program is of great significance to both countries, enabling young practitioners to learn from each other and deepen their understanding of the GP systems in China and the UK." "The exchange program is just the beginning of GP cooperation between Ningbo and Nottingham," said Ruan Liemin, president of Ningbo First Hospital. She hoped that in the future, the program could reach out to more young GPs from both counties. NEW YORK and MUMBAI, India, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, has been positioned in the 'Winner's Circle' in HfS Research's "Enterprise Artificial Intelligence(AI) services 2018 Blueprint"1. "Automation that leverages Artificial Intelligence is at the heart of the digital transformation that enterprises are going through to adapt to the imperatives of the Business 4.0 world," said P.R Krishnan, EVP & Head, Enterprise Intelligent Automation, TCS. "Our positioning in this report is the recognition of continuous focus on innovation and investments in building differentiated offerings that transform operations." TCS has pioneered the Machine First Delivery Model that leverages automation, robotics and artificial intelligence to help enterprises achieve their business outcomes faster, with reduced risk. The core principle of this model is to pair humans with, and not versus, machines. It uses the ability of machines to solve complex problems faster, better and handle large volumes and breadth of coverage, while humans provide inputs for machines to learn to solve complex problems better. The resultant machine intelligence delivers multi-fold productivity improvements and elevates customer experience to newer highs. TCS works closely with enterprises to help them move up the automation maturity curve in a controlled, predictable and planned manner. It has a broad portfolio of strategic automation consulting offerings covering cognitive, AI, application transformation, agile and DevOps technologies, roadmap creation, and IT risk assessment. TCS' enterprise wide intelligent automation framework covers Application Services Automation, Intelligent Process Automation and Intelligent IT Operations. Intelligent Process Automation: Business value chain automation for business process cognitive and AI based business solutions. Application Services Automation: DevOps tool chain, application lifecycle automation, test automation, and intelligent assurance. Intelligent IT Operations: Monitoring tools, command center (application & infrastructure), runbook automation, service desk automation, and workplace and EUC automation. TCS has strong partnerships with leading providers of Robotic Process Automation as well as cognitive automation tools. In addition, TCS' cognitive automation product, ignio, which uses contextual awareness to autonomously diagnose and fix issues in enterprise IT operations, has seen significant market success in the last three years since it was launched. "By setting up and formalizing its Enterprise Intelligent Automation business unit, TCS is starting to galvanize the AI efforts as well as driving a much more holistic automation strategy beyond the early focus on proprietary IP. The effectiveness of those efforts can be seen in a broad set of AI use cases demonstrating an increasing maturity. Many of those deployments focus on industrialization and ease of use which is reflected by clients referencing the ability to scale. Testing cognitive capabilities are a crucial lever to advance and scale projects thus helping clients to progress toward the notion of the OneOffice," said Tom Reuner, Managing Partner, Business Operations Strategy and M&A Advisory, HfS Research. "TCS' cognitive offerings have been designed to drive end-to-end digital transformation with next-generation cognitive automation and AI-based solutions. Our machine-first approach, strength in industrialization, world class intellectual property and partnerships with leading third party providers of AI tools and platforms have made us the preferred partner for enterprises deploying intelligent automation in the new Business 4.0 world," added PR Krishnan. About Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS) Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that partners with many of the world's largest businesses in their transformation journeys. TCS offers a consulting-led, Cognitive powered, integrated portfolio of IT, Business & Technology Services, and engineering. This is delivered through its unique Location Independent Agile delivery model, recognized as a benchmark of excellence in software development. A part of the Tata group, India's largest multinational business group, TCS has over 394,000 of the world's best-trained consultants in 46 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $ 19.09 billion for year ended March 31, 2018 and is listed on the BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) and the NSE (National Stock Exchange) in India. For more information, visit us at www.tcs.com . To stay up-to-date on TCS news in North America, follow @TCS_NA. For TCS global news, follow @TCS_News. 1 HfS Research Blueprint Report : Enterprise Artificial Intelligence(AI) services 2018 published in March 2018 by Tom Reuner SOURCE Tata Consultancy Services Related Links http://www.tcs.com SUSSEX, Wis., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Angelus Corporation is attending the AEEC General Session April 23-26 in Dallas, Texas. The General Session is held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel and The Angelus Corporation will be hosting a casino themed hospitality suite in Majestic 4 for AEEC attendees. The annual Airlines Electronic Engineering Committee (AEEC) General Session brings industry professionals from around the world to discuss the newest technical developments in aircraft electronics. Four symposiums will be held to discuss major industry issues, including big data and aircraft connectivity. New ARINC standards and supplements are voted upon during the General Session and next year's work program and schedule are initiated. A deep understanding of ARINC standards is critical because its characteristics, specifications and reports define systems, protocols and interfaces for international air transport and business aircraft. "AEEC is a great way for CertifyNation's engineers to stay current with standards we use every day in our STC engineering designs," says Jerome Miastkowski, Director of Engineering for the CertifyNation business unit. The Angelus Corporation will be hosting a hospitality suite in Majestic 4 for AEEC attendees. The casino themed suite will feature craps and roulette table games, refreshments, and the opportunity to win one of three Amazon Echo devices. The suite will be open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings for AEEC attendees to enjoy and visit with members of The Angelus Corporation. About The Angelus Corporation The Angelus Corporation is a global product and services provider for aerospace and defense industry solutions. The Angelus Corporation divisions include PIC Wire & Cable, specializing in aircraft cable, connectors and cable assemblies for over 45 years, and CertifyNation, offering engineering, certification, and kitting solutions, with decades of experience in the commercial aviation industry. Together, these divisions advance The Angelus Corporation's mission to make its customers' jobs easier. For more information, visit www.TheAngelusCorp.com. SOURCE The Angelus Corporation Related Links http://www.theangeluscorp.com/ FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- THE Rose Competition 2018, under the auspices of the American Fine Wine Competition held its judging in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on April 10, 2018. Eight esteemed wine judges gave out numerous awards. Sill Family Vineyards' 2016 tres Rose de Chardonnay garnered the GOLD medal award for its unique 98% Sonoma Coast Chardonnay blended with Napa's Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon ($65) crafting their extraordinary Rose. Congratulations go out to an excellent new player on the Rose scene. The American Fine Wine Competition Winemaker Igor Sill of Sill Family Vineyards THE Rose Competition 2018, received a total of 173 entries. "Rose is very possibly the most difficult wine to craft," said Winemaker Igor Sill of Sill Family Vineyards. "But when crafted properly it outshines and outsells all other wines. I love Rose for its crisp brilliance, fruity aromas, smoothness and the wonderful mouth feel it leaves behind. For years I've contemplated producing a superior California Rose born of my Provence and South of France memories. A Rose that's rich, elegant, silky smooth and an extraordinarily different Rose. Essentially, introducing an ultra-premium Rose for serious Rose lovers while making a real difference in the industry. "One of the most alluring elements of our tres Rose de Chardonnay is its ability to offer the very best of both wine worlds with the refreshing qualities of an exceptional Burgundian Chardonnay along with the richness, complexity, and depth of Bordeaux-styled Cabernet Sauvignon. Our resulting tres Rose de Chardonnay is a first in the wine industry. What distinguishes our tres Rose de Chardonnay from all others is the grape varietals used and the French white oak barrel aging." The aging of tres Rose de Chardonnay is done in white French oak barrels, a critical step in the production of truly great wines. These barrels serve to enhance and preserve the characteristics of the grape variety, the terroir, and the wine's flavor. The aromas are rich fresh floral with flavors of pear, watermelon, guava, cherries and the slightest nuance of spice in a silky, creamy mouthfeel texture across the palate. "It's that beautifully fitted black dress of Rose wines that seduces with alluring bouquets of cherry blossoms before drifting memorably into the late evening. This wine is everything you'd ever expect in an ultra-premium Rose. We may make many compromises in life, but never with our wines," said Winemaker, Igor Sill. Bob Ecker is a Napa Valley based wine writer, photographer and recurrent wine judge who founded The Rose Competition in 2013, the very first competition of all Rose wines in the US. In 2018, Ecker partnered with Shari Gherman, President of the prestigious American Fine Wine Competition & Gala, which recently celebrated its 11th year. Together, they successfully brought THE Rose Competition 2018, to the East Coast of America. Expertly run by President of The American Fine Wine Competition, Shari Gherman has been bringing recognition to the best wines produced in America for the past ten years. This "invitation-only" judging accepts up to 850 of the finest wines produced in the country to participate. American Fine Wine has become one of the most influential and recognized wine events in the country. Sill Family Vineyards is a family-owned and operated Napa winery and vineyards dedicated to crafting exceptional, ultra-premium, limited production wines. As a Court of Master Sommelier, Winemaker Igor Sill became passionate about Bordeaux wines after being introduced to Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour, Chateau Haut-Brion and Chateau Lafite Rothschild in the late 1970s by H. Lyman Emerson, a renaissance gentleman and noted fine wine collector. Sill Family handcrafts award-winning, world class Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Chardonnay and Napa/Sonoma Rose wines. Some wines are worth remembering, a rare few are unforgettable. Available at www.sillfamilyvineyards.com Media Contact: Jessica Sill, Director Communications Sill Family Vineyards 415 272-4808 707 963-5300 SOURCE Sill Family Vineyards Related Links http://www.sillfamilyvineyards.com In addition to providing enterprise support for these open-source projects, TIBCO is also releasing TIBCO Messaging - Apache Kafka Distribution, providing integration between other TIBCO Messaging components and Apache Kafka. TIBCO Messaging customers can now bridge Apache Kafka applications to their existing investments in TIBCO FTL , TIBCO eFTL , and TIBCO Enterprise Message Service technologies. This bridge adds web and mobile messaging, integration, and other mainstream platform capabilities to Apache Kafka. Architects and developers can now use Apache Kafka and MQTT as part of a broader messaging solution that includes enterprise capabilities and first-class support. "Our announcement of support for Apache Kafka and Eclipse Mosquitto as first-class citizens is an important next step in the continued evolution of TIBCO Messaging and our efforts in open source, including Jaspersoft, Project Flogo, and Project Mashling," said Matt Quinn, chief operating officer, TIBCO. "By adopting popular open-source projects, we are supporting the evolving needs of our customers, while also sharing our messaging experience with the broader OSS community." "With the addition of Apache Kafka and an MQTT broker to the TIBCO Messaging platform, architects and developers can now select a single offering that provides the broadest spectrum of capabilities, ranging from high-volume batch processing, to ultra-low-latency distribution, to streaming and IoT messaging," said Denny Page, chief engineer and senior vice president, TIBCO. "Furthermore, this offering now includes enterprise-class support for mission-critical applications, enabling customers to reliably leverage Apache Kafka, Eclipse Mosquitto, and other TIBCO Messaging components with the assurance of worldwide, 24x7 support." TIBCO Messaging, including Apache Kafka and Eclipse Mosquitto, enables developers to support a wide variety of use cases, such as: Applications that leverage data from the billions of device endpoints, including data streams from low power IoT devices and gateways; Compelling experiences with anytime, anywhere messaging across multiple channels, including web, mobile, and IoT devices; Event-driven architectures with loosely coupled microservices that rely on an ultra low-latency messaging infrastructure; and Real-time data integration across the widest variety of data sources. TIBCO Messaging is available for free as a community edition, allowing for production use up to 100 instances. Commercial subscription starts at $750 per instance per year, which includes enterprise support and use of all TIBCO Messaging technologies. Support for Apache Kafka, Eclipse Mosquitto, and TIBCO Messaging - Apache Kafka Distribution is expected to be generally available in May 2018. This announcement further reinforces TIBCO's commitment to adopting open-source software, not just in terms of launching open-source projects, such as Project Flogo, but also providing enterprise support for existing projects, helping businesses to adopt open-source technology with ease, and strengthening the community around these projects. To learn more about TIBCO Messaging and TIBCO's support for Apache Kafka and Eclipse Mosquitto, register for our May 10, 2018 webinar: www.tibco.com/events/whats-new-messaging You can read our blog post on this announcement at www.tibco.com/blog/2018/04/23/tibco-announces-support-for-apache-kafka-and-mqtt-via-eclipse-mosquito or learn more about TIBCO Messaging by visiting www.tibco.com/products/tibco-messaging. About TIBCO TIBCO fuels digital business by enabling better decisions and faster, smarter actions through the TIBCO Connected Intelligence Cloud. From APIs and systems to devices and people, we interconnect everything, capture data in real time wherever it is, and augment the intelligence of your business through analytical insights. Thousands of customers around the globe rely on us to build compelling experiences, energize operations, and propel innovation. Learn how TIBCO makes digital smarter at www.tibco.com. TIBCO, the TIBCO logo, TIBCO FTL, TIBCO eFTL, TIBCO Enterprise Message Service, Jaspersoft, Flogo, and Mashling are trademarks or registered trademarks of TIBCO Software Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Apache and Kafka are trademarks of The Apache Software Foundation. Eclipse is a registered trademark of the Eclipse Foundation, Inc. in the United States, other countries, or both. All other product and company names and marks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners and are mentioned for identification. Media Contact: Lindsey Ashjian Torres TIBCO Software Inc. (650) 846-8862 [email protected] SOURCE TIBCO Software Inc. Related Links http://www.tibco.com BRENTWOOD, Tenn., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Townsend Treatment Centers, one of Louisiana's largest providers of addiction treatment, was awarded the Gold Seal of Approval for Behavioral Health Care Accreditation by The Joint Commission. The Gold Seal of Approval is an internationally recognized symbol for healthcare quality. Receiving this distinction means that Townsend has demonstrated their compliance with performance standards and commitment to provide safe and effective care. Townsend's unique method is unlike programs anywhere and is exclusive to the Louisiana treatment centers. Townsend's proprietary evaluation and computerized neurocognitive tests enable physicians to diagnose which biology of addiction the patient has and fully monitor their progress of medical treatment. This unique method achieves remission of symptoms to gain control over the illness. "The Joint Commission accreditation provides behavioral health care organizations with the processes needed to improve in a variety of areas related to the care of individuals and their families," said Julia Finken, RN, BSN, MBA, CSSBB, CPHQ, executive director, Behavioral Health Care Accreditation Program, The Joint Commission. "We commend Townsend for its efforts." "Receiving The Joint Commission accreditation gives assurance to our patients and their families that they can trust that they will only receive the highest level of clinical care at any of our facilities," said Natashia Cheatham, CEO of Townsend. "For more than 10 years, Townsend has been a trusted name in south Louisiana, and receiving this honor is further proof that we are wholly committed to revolutionizing the treatment of addiction." To learn more about Townsend's proprietary treatment curriculum, visit townsendla.com/hope. About Townsend Townsend is part of American Addiction Centers (NYSE: AAC), a leading provider of inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment services. We treat clients who are struggling with drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and co-occurring mental/behavioral health issues. We currently operate substance abuse treatment facilities located throughout the United States. These facilities are focused on delivering effective clinical care and treatment solutions. For more information, please find us at AmericanAddictionCenters.org or follow us on Twitter @AAC_Tweet. Media Contact: Joy Sutton (615) 587-7728 [email protected] SOURCE Townsend Treatment Centers Factory Kit leverages Tulip's award-winning Manufacturing App Platform, which brings the power of Industrial IoT and advanced analytics to the front-line engineer and the associate on the shop floor. Manufacturing Apps integrate human, sensor, and machine data, allowing engineers to gain actionable insights, implement process changes, and continuously improve their operations. Factory Kit provides access to Tulip's cloud-based Manufacturing App Platform as well as sample apps and analytics ready to use out of the box. The Kit includes the building blocks engineers need to get started with Manufacturing Apps, including a Tulip I/O Gateway that lets them connect their devices to the apps they build and the Tulip Light Kit for driving Pick-to-Light (PTL) processes. Also bundled with the kit are an array of IoT sensors and devices including a break beam sensor, environmental sensors, barcode scanner, foot pedal and tower light. Factory Kit lets engineers go from prototype to production in a few hours, on their own, without needing to know how to code. The time-to-value for the Kit is unprecedented in the industry. "On my own, I was able to create apps that really drive process improvements and help increase efficiencies without needing a support team of IT. It can be done intuitively through the software itself," said Drew Pope, Senior Process Engineer at Nautique Boat Company, an early adopter of Tulip. The Tulip Factory Kit gives manufacturers the chance to push bottom-up digital transformation initiatives and empower their engineersthe people closest to their operationswith the tools they need to digitize their processes. Factory Kit is now available for purchase at tulip.co with shipping to the USA, Canada, and the European Union. Tulip will be demonstrating the Factory Kit at the Hannover Messe exhibition in the United States Pavilion booth F46/3, Hall 6 and at the AWS pavilion in Hall 6. About Tulip: Tulip is the leader in self-serve manufacturing apps, empowering people on the shop floor to drive the digital transformation of their operations. Using the Tulip platform, shop floor engineers can turn their workflows into instrumented, data collecting, digital processes, without having to know how to code or do any complex system integrations. The Tulip platform allows them to integrate human and machine data, to achieve their business goals. The company was started out of the MIT Media Lab in 2013 and has several Fortune 500 customers across nine countries. Tulip has won numerous awards, including Gartner Cool Vendor, IDC Innovator and Frost and Sullivan Entrepreneurial Company of the Year. The company is based in Somerville, MA, and counts NEA, Pitango, Founder Collective and others as investors. For additional information, visit https://tulip.co/factory-kit Media Contact: Saul Lustgarten [email protected] SOURCE Tulip Michelle Deutchman will join the center from the Anti-Defamation League, where she serves as national campus counsel. In this role, she provides guidance to ADL's 24 regional offices on matters related to speech on college campuses. She assumes her new role on May 29 and will report to University of California, Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman, who as co-chair of the center's advisory board provides administrative oversight of the center. "Michelle has extraordinary experience addressing issues of free expression and campus climate and has worked extensively with campus constituencies to improve the national debate," said Gillman, a nationally recognized constitutional and free speech scholar. "Her passion and expertise make her a perfect fit for this important role." The selection of an executive director marks a critical next step in the development of the center, which was launched by UC President Janet Napolitano last October, with Gillman and Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, as co-chairs of an advisory board of noted elected officials, journalists, academics and corporate leaders. As executive director, Deutchman will be responsible for planning and executing center activities, including advancing its fellows program, establishing national conferences, and serving as a liaison to UCI, the UC Office of the President and sister UC campuses, as well as other universities and organizations engaged in shaping national discourse about free speech. She will be based in the UCDC Center in Washington, D.C., and at UCI. "The National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement is developing into a vital resource advancing research, education and advocacy in these areas so key to American democracy, and Michelle will provide the leadership essential to its future success," said Napolitano. A free speech scholar and advocate Since joining ADL in 2003, Deutchman has honed her focus on campus free speech subjects, providing guidance on issues related to free expression, which include policies and best practices for responding to all forms of protected speech. She has collaborated with state and national colleagues to educate and assist campus leaders in addressing the challenges of increased polarization among incoming freshman classes and of a political climate in which hateful rhetoric and incivility have become normalized. Deutchman also takes her expertise into the classroom, where she teaches about on-campus free speech, cyberbullying and the law, religion in schools, and responding to hate crimes. She's led courses at state universities, school districts, county and state agencies, and numerous police and sheriff's offices. Since 2014, Deutchman has served as a lecturer at the UCLA School of Law. "I am excited by the prospect of leveraging my energy and expertise to advance the dialogue around free speech and civic engagement," she said. "It will be a privilege to help further establish the center and to grow its influence as a vital resource on the national stage." A Los Angeles native, Deutchman earned a bachelor's degree in political science at UC Berkeley and a law degree at the University of Southern California. She was in private practice before being hired at ADL. "I have known Michelle since she was my student at the USC law school, and we have often worked together on free speech issues over the years," said Chemerinsky, who with Gillman is the author of Free Speech on Campus. "We could not have a better executive director to help create a preeminent center on free speech and civic engagement on campuses." Advancing research, education and advocacy The University of California birthplace of the Free Speech Movement launched the National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement to support and advance research, education and advocacy on these challenging issues. In February, the center announced its first 10 fellows. These scholars, students and analysts from across the country are spending a year researching timely, vital First Amendment topics. Their work will include developing tools, analyzing data and deriving lessons from history. Each will reside for a week at one of the 10 UC campuses to engage with students, faculty, administrators and community members. In addition, the center named three new board members National Public Radio White House correspondent Tamara Keith, Twitter general counsel Vijaya Gadde and UC Regent Emeritus Harvey Brody joining former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, former U.S. Secretary of Education and CEO of The Education Trust John King, Facebook strategic communications director Anne Kornblut, UCLA law student Avi Oved, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, University of Chicago Law School professor Geoffrey R. Stone and Washington Post columnist George Will. A national conference will be held later this year to allow the fellows to share their research and create an opportunity for elected officials, university leaders and others to come together to explore new approaches to engaging and educating students about the critical role of the First Amendment in American democracy. About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu. Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists. Contact: Tom Vasich 949-824-6455 [email protected] SOURCE University of California, Irvine Related Links http://www.uci.edu/ WASHINGTON, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Upskill, the leader in enterprise software for augmented reality (AR) devices, has been honored as one of five Hermes Award finalists during the Opening Ceremony of Hannover Messe, the world's largest industrial trade show that attracts more than 5,000 exhibitors and 200,000 attendees. The only U.S.-based company shortlisted, Upskill was recognized in front of thousands of its peers for outstanding innovation in developing and delivering the next-generation of its flagship Skylight AR platform. In its 15th year, the Hermes Award is one of the world's most prestigious industrial technology prizes, recognizing solutions that are showcased at Hannover Messe (Deutsche Messe) for the first time. Finalists were selected from a pool of nominations by an independent jury under the chairmanship of Dr. Wolfgang Wahlster, who heads the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). Released in the fall of 2017, Upskill's newest version of Skylight is designed to enable faster and broader adoption of AR in the enterprise. It offers more out-of-the-box features that lower the complexity of building, supporting and scaling AR at the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) in the market. Brian Ballard, Upskill's CEO and co-founder, said, "It is a true honor to be a finalist among other innovative, global technology companies at Hannover Messe. This recognition is a testament to Upskill's commitment to accelerate wider enterprise AR adoption by putting the power into the hands of our customers to create, test and deploy new AR solutions, our next-gen Skylight is proving to be a critical factor in enabling a more connected, productive industrial workforce." The next-gen Skylight's most notable enhancements include Skylight Application Builder, Skylight Connect, Skylight Software Development Kit (SDK) and Skylight Live, which provides best-in-class "see what I see" remote, HD video collaboration capabilities. Together, these enhancements allow customers to build new AR use cases on a common platform, and quickly deliver real value while keeping deployment and maintenance cost to a minimum. Today, Skylight users report an average performance improvement of 32 percent, with efficiency and quality as the two key metrics. Dr. Jochen Kockler, chairman of Deutsche Messe's Managing Board and head of the award's independent jury, commented, "The nominated entries reflect the trend towards self-learning and autonomous systems that leverage the full power of artificial intelligence and smart sensor technology. It's solutions like that that are driving the second wave of digitization. At the same time, all five entries have remained faithful to a human-centric approach to development by employing cognitive or physical support systems, such as AR glasses and exoskeletons." Upskill's recognition as a Hermes Award finalist builds on last month's momentum the company closed its latest funding round, raising $17.2 million from return investors Boeing HorizonX, GE Ventures and New Enterprise Associates (NEA), and new investors Accenture and Cisco Investments, among others. Accenture, with whom Upskill formed a strategic partner alliance, is also a key Hannover Messe exhibitor. As a preferred systems integrator in Upskill's partner program, Accenture will be one of several Upskill partners that will showcase Skylight in their Hannover Messe booth. To see the new Skylight in action for the first time at Hannover Messe, visit Upskill in Hall 6, Stand F46/4 in the USA Digital Factory Joint Pavilion. As a Hermes Award finalist, Upskill and Skylight will also be exclusively showcased at the TechTransfer Gateway2Innovation display in Hall 2, Stand C02 on April 23. About Upskill Upskill is the market leader in enterprise software for augmented reality devices in industrial settings. Trusted by the some of the world's most well-known companies, such as GE and The Boeing Company, both also investors, and many others, our technology enhances the capabilities of hands-on workers to measurably and immediately improve business operations from the factory to the warehouse to the jobsite. With our industrial platform, Skylight, workers can be connected to the information they need to do their jobs with greater efficiency and fewer errors, enabling businesses to become more agile and competitive. To learn more, visit upskill.io. SOURCE Upskill Related Links http://upskill.io SAN DIEGO, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareholder rights law firm Johnson & Fistel, LLP has launched an investigation into whether the board members of Vectren Corporation (NYSE: VVC) ("Vectren") breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the proposed sale of the Company to CenterPoint Energy ("CenterPoint"). Vectren provides energy delivery services to residential, commercial, and industrial and other contract customers. On April 23, 2018, Vectren announced it had signed a definitive merger agreement with CenterPoint. Under the terms of the definitive merger agreement, Vectren shareholders will receive $72 in cash for each share held. The investigation concerns whether Vectren's board failed to satisfy its duties to the Company shareholders, including whether the board adequately pursued alternatives to the acquisition and whether the board obtained the best price possible for the Company's shares of common stock. Nationally recognized Johnson Fistel is investigating whether the proposed deal represents adequate consideration, especially given that one Wall Street analyst has a $75 price target on the stock. If you are a shareholder of Vectren and believe the proposed buyout price is too low or you're interested in learning more about the investigation or your legal rights and remedies, please contact lead analyst Jim Baker ( [email protected] ) at 619-814-4471. If emailing, please include a phone number. About Johnson Fistel, LLP: Johnson Fistel, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York and Georgia. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.johnsonfistel.com . Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Contact: Johnson Fistel, LLP Jim Baker, 619-814-4471 [email protected] SOURCE Johnson Fistel, LLP Related Links http://www.johnsonfistel.com WASHINGTON, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- South Carolina business owners who rebounded after losing their entire inventory after a massive flood, Houston bakery owners who quickly reopened despite the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, a Texas mayor who navigated the town's recovery after Hurricane Harvey, and a volunteer who organized the debris removal of a Georgia town hit by three massive storms, have been named winners of the 2018 Phoenix Award by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The awards will be presented by SBA Administrator Linda McMahon on April 29, during the National Small Business Week kickoff event at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. Since 1998, the SBA has presented Phoenix Awards to business owners, public officials and volunteers who displayed selflessness, ingenuity and tenacity in the aftermath of a disaster, while contributing to the rebuilding of their communities. Michael Marsha, Owner, and Ginger Marsha, Head Designer, Buyer & Sales Manager of Forest Lake Drapery and Upholstery Fabric Center, Inc., in Columbia, South Carolina, will receive the 2018 Phoenix Award for Outstanding Small Business Disaster Recovery. Forest Lake was ground zero for a monster storm in October 2015 that dumped 18 inches of rain on the area within 24 hours. After the flood, Michael and Ginger Marsha returned to their businessa retail fabric store serving South Carolina and cities in North Carolina and Georgia since 1964and surveyed the widespread destruction. The force of the flood blew a 20-foot hole in the back of the building. Bolts of expensive fabric were washed downstream, the building was nearly destroyed, and the store's entire inventory, valued at $1 million, was ruined. Michael and Ginger were smart about rebuilding. They secured a temporary space to store fabrics and samples. Since the store's second floor escaped damage, they used that space to run the business. The couple used the company's cash reserves to keep their seven employees on the payroll. The couple received an SBA disaster loan for $735,000, which they used to rebuild the property, replace inventory, and install storm shields to protect the property from future floods. The following year, Forest Lake Fabrics saw back-to-back months of record sales. Janice Goldsmith Jucker, President, and Robert Brian Jucker, Vice President of Three Brothers Bakery, Inc., in Houston, Texas, will receive the 2018 Phoenix Award for Outstanding Small Business Disaster Recovery. Three Brothers Bakery, Inc., opened May 8, 1949four years to the day after brothers Sigmund, his twin Sol, and younger brother Max were liberated from a Nazi concentration camp. Over the years the business has survived four floods, a fire, and two hurricanes. Hurricane Harvey hit the Houston area on August 25 as Janice Jucker, who manages the marketing and business end of Three Brothers Bakery, and her husband Bobby Jucker, son of co-founder Sigmund and an award-winning pastry chef, were preparing to fill orders for their clients' Rosh Hashanah celebrations. The baking area and store were inundated with five feet of water as Hurricane Harvey dumped more than 30 inches of rain within four days. Loss of inventory, equipment and down time cost the company $1 million. The Juckers and their team worked around the clock, scrubbing the equipment they were able to salvage. The SBA disaster loan for $873,000 allowed them to purchase new equipment and supplies, and hire extra employees to help during the holiday season. Three Brothers Bakery reopened just 17 days after the storm, and six weeks later, they were able to return to normal operations. Charles Bujan, Mayor of Port Aransas, Texas, will receive the 2018 Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery by a Public Official. On August 24, 2017, Mayor Charles Bujan took a calculated risk and ordered the evacuation of 4,059 Port Aransas citizens as Hurricane Harvey bore down on the island. The mayor hunkered down at a command center in Corpus Christi. Within two days, Hurricane Harvey had become a deadly Category 4 storm packing 130 mph winds. Mayor Bujan returned after the storm had passed to find 95 percent of the businesses were damaged, and most of the island's homes were critically damaged or destroyed. He immediately arranged for teams of bulldozers to remove water-logged debris that littered the city's only road into or out of town. He posted his personal cell phone number on the city's website, making the needs of the disaster survivors a priority. The Mayor also arranged for the disaster recovery centers to operate out of the city's Community Center. Mayor Bujan was a tireless advocate, testifying before state legislators and doing countless media interviews to make sure Port Aransas was not forgotten. Daily, he visited businesses to check on their rebuilding progress. The recovery of Port Aransas, particularly the city's tourism infrastructure, continues. Mayor Bujan's unbreakable spirit and his deep regard for the citizens of Port Aransas have become the solid foundation of the town's renewal. Tom Gieryic of Albany, Georgia will receive the 2018 Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery by a Volunteer. Two deadly tornadoes in January 2017occurring within 20 days of each othertore off roofs and destroyed property, leaving widespread debris in the streets of Albany, Georgia. The force of the winds, with speeds ranging from 85 to 150 mph, left a vast path of downed trees. Auto repair shop owner Tom Gieryic knew that Albany residents would attempt the dangerous task of removing massive tree trunks and other debris on their own, using chainsaws that weren't up to the job. He devised a plan to maximize the cleanup efforts with an emphasis on safety and speed. Tom called his business suppliers, which included NAPA Auto Parts and Snap-On-Tools. He told them about the need for industrial strength chainsaws and safety equipment. Some suppliers donated equipment. At one point, 70 volunteers worked on debris removal with Tom, and the team became known as the "Albany Chain Gang." As local media covered the story, donations arrived, allowing Tom to buy and rent more chainsaws, safety glasses, and debris removal trucks. To raise more funds, the team created a symbol of hope from the debris wooden crosses of various sizes carved from tree stumps. Within days, sales totaled more than $10,000. The Albany Chain Gang's work continued through October 2017, when they removed debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Each year since 1963, the President has issued a proclamation calling for the celebration of National Small Business Week. This year National Small Business Week will be recognized April 29 May 5, with events planned in Washington, D.C., Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina. For more information on the national events, visit www.sba.gov/nsbw. About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start and grow their businesses. It delivers services to people through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. Contact: Carol Chastang, [email protected] (202) 205-6987 Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Blogs & Instagram Release Number: 18-28 SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration Related Links http://www.sba.gov In 2017, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation declaring April 23 as "Barbara Rose Johns Day," throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. The resolution, first introduced by former Virginia State Senator and current U.S. Representative Tom Garnett, and championed by Virginia State Senator Mark Peake, was created to commend the significant impact Ms. Johns had on race relations and education in Virginia and nationwide. The Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County was the only school integration case initiated by a student strike. "Today we feel privileged to honor Ms. Barbara Rose Johns, a Virginia pioneer in the national Student Civil Rights Movement. Ms. Johns' courageous actions helped make quality education accessible for millions of students across the United States," said Kathy Spangler, Executive Director of the American Evolution. "American Evolution's goal is to share untold stories about Virginia trailblazers, like Ms. Johns, in order tell a more authentic and inclusive narrative of Virginia and American history. We hope that Ms. John's story inspires Americans young and old to become active and involved citizens." This May, American Evolution will launch the Virginia History Trails, a digital curated tour guide that will take you to important places in Virginia history, including landmarks, monuments and places where historic milestones occurred. The stop at Virginia Civil Rights Memorial on Richmond's Capitol Square features a monument that recognizes Barbara Rose Johns, her fellow students from Robert Russa Moton High School and their parents, and community leaders and attorneys who risked everything in the struggle to gain full and equal rights for all. The Robert Russa Moton Museum in Farmville, VA is also a stop featured on the Virginia History Trails. The 2019 Commemoration, American Evolution recently created a video with Virginia Tourism Corporation featuring Barbara Rose Johns' story. You can find a link to the video here. The 2019 Commemoration, American Evolution commemorates the 400th anniversary of several pivotal events that took place in 1619 Virginia, which have had an enduring impact on Virginia and America's history. These 1619 events set the state and the nation on a course towards the ideals of democracy, diversity and opportunity and include the arrival of the first recorded Africans to English North America, the First Representative Legislative Assembly in the New World, the recruitment of English women in significant numbers to the Virginia colony, the launch of free enterprise in the Commonwealth, and the first official English Thanksgiving in North America. About the 2019 Commemoration The 2019 Commemoration, American Evolution, highlights events that occurred in Virginia in 1619 that continue to influence America today. Featured programs, events and legacy projects will position Virginia as a leader in education, tourism and economic development. American Evolution commemorates the ongoing journey toward the key ideals of democracy, diversity and opportunity. Dominion Resources is an American Evolution Founding Partner and Altria Group and TowneBank are Virginia Colony Partners. SOURCE American Evolution "Pioneering innovations in design, fuel efficiency, driver productivity and safety have defined Volvo Trucks throughout our 90-year history," said Magnus Koeck, Volvo Trucks North America vice president, marketing and brand management. "We're proud of our heritage and celebrate 35 years of aerodynamic design. With the Integral Sleeper model we truly introduced a new standard and all manufacturers quickly followed suit, a trend we continue to see today with automated manual transmissions, greater integration of connectivity services to help maximize uptime, and right-sizing of engines for improved fuel efficiency and weight savings." Introducing Aerodynamic Design to North America The Integral Sleeper was the first modern conventional model to unite the cab and sleeper compartments for improved aerodynamics with seamless body-in-white construction that also allowed easy pass-through from the driving environment to the living space. The redefined truck design further defied industry-wide design conventions of the time, introducing a hood that was six inches narrower and six inches lower at the front than at the cowl, to help reduce wind resistance. Integral Sleeper aerodynamics were further boosted through a full-height roof fairing, cab side extenders, chassis fairings and trim tabs that helped air flow smoothly from the tractor to the trailer. "Over the past year we've introduced the new Volvo VNR regional haul, Volvo VNL long-haul, and Volvo VNL heavy-haul tractors under the theme "The Shape of Trucks to Come," which also would have been very appropriate during the 1983 introduction of the Integral Sleeper, a model that inspired a design revolution for conventional model trucks," said Koeck. "Each of our on-highway models, the new VNR, VNL, and VNX, bring efficiency through their streamlined shapes. Even regional haul and heavy-haul trucks spend time at highway speeds when aerodynamics become increasingly important." Setting the Safety Standard To complement its legendary cabs, made with high strength steel, Volvo, inventors of the three-point safety belt, became the first Class 8 truck brand in North America to designate a steering wheel-mounted driver's side airbag as standard equipment. As active safety technologies mature Volvo has maintained a leadership role, introducing Volvo Enhanced Stability Technology (VEST), an enhanced stability system, as standard equipment for its on-highway lineup in 2007. "Volvo aspires to zero crashes and zero injuries, helping protect drivers and all road users," said Johan Agebrand, director of product marketing for Volvo Trucks North America. "Our global Zero Accident Vision is about helping improve safety, and mitigating these events also presents a tremendous cost savings to truck owners." Once again ahead of the market, Volvo's July 2017 introduction of the new VNL model also brought Volvo Active Driver Assist featuring Bendix Wingman Fusion as a standard offering, making Volvo Trucks the first heavy-duty truck OEM to offer the active safety system as standard equipment, a designation also applied to the new Volvo VNR series. The system is also integrated with VEST to help drivers avoid rollover, jackknife, and loss-of-control situations on dry, wet, snow- and ice-covered roadways. The Shift to Automated Manual Transmissions Like the conventional model design change sparked by the Integral Sleeper, Volvo also ushered in a shift in transmission preference in North America. First to market in North America with a proprietary automated manual transmission (AMT), Volvo paved the way for AMTs to receive wide acceptance. In just over a decade since its North American introduction the Volvo I-Shift is now spec'd in more than 90 percent of all trucks built for the market and is standard across the Volvo VNR, VNL, VNX, VHD and VAH product range. "While we still offer manual transmissions, it's increasingly difficult to justify their use, even for the most demanding jobs," said John Moore, Volvo Trucks North America product marketing manager powertrain. "We truly have an I-Shift for every application, whether it's regional, long-haul, or even heavy loads with our 14-speed I-Shift with Crawler Gears supporting gross weights up to 225,000 lbs. Regardless of the application, the I-Shift consistently performs at its best, whether it is two hours or ten hours into a job." Factory-Installed Connectivity and Beyond An industry innovator in factory-installed connectivity, Volvo Trucks today includes its connectivity hardware as standard equipment across its entire North American product range. The connectivity hardware provides access to Remote Diagnostics, which provides proactive diagnostics and monitoring of critical engine, transmission and aftertreatment trouble codes. Volvo also uses the standard onboard connectivity hardware in partnership with best-in-class fleet management providers. Volvo's standard, factory-installed hardware allows customers to perform software and parameter updates over-the-air with Remote Programming, which helps improve uptime and vehicle efficiency, while reducing downtime costs. "We're in an exciting period when it comes to truck technology, and the speed of change is only accelerating," said Agebrand. "It's easy to get caught up in the technology revolution, but we must keep in mind the industry's journey and the transformative designs and innovations that will continue to sculpt the shape of trucks to come." Volvo Trucks provides complete transport solutions for professional and demanding customers, offering a full range of medium to heavy duty trucks. Customer support is secured via a global network of 2,100 dealers and workshops in more than 130 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 16 countries across the globe. In 2017, more than 112,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. The Group also provides solutions for financing and service. Volvo's work is based on the core values of quality, safety and environmental care. For further information, please contact Brandon Borgna, Volvo Trucks, phone 336-823-2687, email [email protected] www.volvotrucks.us www.volvotrucks.ca SOURCE Volvo Trucks North America Related Links https://www.volvotrucks.us HOUSTON, April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- VRBex Inc., a company founded by financial-services professionals in the U.S. that intends to operate a cryptocurrency exchange and security-token trading platform, has announced the launch of the company and an initial security token offering (ISTO) today for potential investors. The announcement was made by VRBex CEO, Gene Grant. Grant and COO David Powell believe that token holders represent an interested and motivated group of future customers who are looking for robust and secure cryptocurrency and security token exchange platforms built to withstand the rigors of the highly regulated financial-services marketplace. As such, VRBex is led and operated by professionals accustomed to working within the highly regulated environment of the traditional financial market. VRBex's company founders sought to design VRBex to be a safe, trusted, and robust financial services company for the exchange, storage, trading, and payments associated with cryptocurrencies, and, in a parallel effort, similar services related to security tokens. The VRBex business platform will initially provide a mechanism for the two-way exchange of US$ for select cryptocurrencies (such as Bitcoin, Ether, and Bitcoin Cash), and will then seek to expand the list of convertible assets; a platform for the trading of security tokens; and digital VRBex wallets for customers to hold their balances in fiat currencies, cryptocurrencies and security tokens, in each case, once proper licensing, custody regulations and other requirements are complied with. "Once the cryptocurrency market value exceeded $750 billion it represented the emergence of a new financial asset class," Grant said. "This is a powerful and clear confirmation that cryptocurrencies are viable. The seven-person VRBex management team brings more than 200 years' combined experience working in highly regulated environments. Building financial services business, and adapting to ongoing regulatory and compliance changes, have been key components of our professional careers." "VRBex is purpose-built to help investors navigate the fast-moving world of cryptocurrencies and security tokens, and we welcome sound regulatory oversight because it brings confidence to the market," Powell added. "As more mainstream customers enter this marketplace, the importance of investor protections and financial security will increase. The sheer scale of the market cries out for the protections and lessons learned from our many years of experience in the traditional financial markets." About 135,000,000 VRBex security tokens will be made available for purchase with Bitcoin, Ether, USD or Euros. Interested investors that satisfy the applicable suitability standards are invited to register for the token pre-sale at VRBex.io. VRBex seeks to be fully compliant with the laws and regulations of the U.S. and with any additional jurisdictions in which it transacts future business. Customers who pre-register on the VRBex.com website will receive 30 days of commission-free trading activity on the VRBex cryptocurrency platform when it is made available. The commission-free period commences after completion of customer registration, and the offer expires 90 days after the formal launch of the VRBex exchange. The offering of the VRBex Tokens (the "Offering") has two separate sale periods: VRBex Tokens will be offered to selected investors in a pre-sale offering (the " Pre-Sale ") that commences April 23, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. ( ET ) and ends on the earlier of: (1) 7:00 a.m. ( ET ) on June 18, 2018 ; and (2) the time and date on which the Pre-Sale is closed or otherwise terminated by VRBex, in each case, unless otherwise extended by VRBex in its sole discretion. ") that commences at 8:00 a.m. ( ) and ends on the earlier of: (1) 7:00 a.m. ( ) on ; and (2) the time and date on which the Pre-Sale is closed or otherwise terminated by VRBex, in each case, unless otherwise extended by VRBex in its sole discretion. Following the Pre-Sale, VRBex Tokens will be offered in an offering (the "Main Sale") that is expected to commence on June 18, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. ( ET ) and end on the Closing Date. "Closing Date" means the earlier of: (1) 8:00 p.m. ( ET ) on July 23, 2018 ; and (2) the time and date on which the Main Sale is closed or otherwise terminated by VRBex in its sole discretion; provided however, that if the Board of Directors (as defined below) elects to extend the Offering pursuant to the terms of this Memorandum, then "Closing Date" will mean the date on which the Board of Directors determines to terminate the Offering. The VRBex team has extensive experience implementing complex regulatory and operational risk-remediation programs for top global banks. VRBex specializes in managing the rigors and challenges found in the highly regulated environment of the traditional financial sector. Grant has held senior executive and consulting roles for various global banks and investment firms, including Deutsche Bank, Barclays Capital, Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, UBS, Standard Chartered Bank, ANZ bank, and PIMCO. He was most recently a managing director at BBVA. Powell has more than 30 years' experience in financial services and has participated in multiple business line startups, including the merger and integration of acquired financial institutions. One of his most recent roles was as executive committee member of BBVA Compass Bank and co-head of the U.S. Corporate & Investment Bank Division. The VRBex executive leadership team includes the following members: F. Stephen Helmholz , Operations Manager. A former co-founder and Director of Operations of a startup company listed on the AIM division of the London Stock Exchange, Helmholz has spent 37 years working within financial services and banking. He has held positions involving derivatives technology and risk and trading operation software at global firms including Deutsche Bank, JPM Chase Bank, Citigroup London, Standard Chartered Bank SG, and ANZ. , Operations Manager. A former co-founder and Director of Operations of a startup company listed on the AIM division of the London Stock Exchange, Helmholz has spent 37 years working within financial services and banking. He has held positions involving derivatives technology and risk and trading operation software at global firms including Deutsche Bank, JPM Chase Bank, Citigroup London, Standard Chartered Bank SG, and ANZ. Stephen Redler , Finance and Operations. Redler has worked in risk, valuations, technology and regulatory roles at top investment banks including Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Citibank, Nomura, BBVA and Standard Chartered. , Finance and Operations. Redler has worked in risk, valuations, technology and regulatory roles at top investment banks including Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Citibank, Nomura, BBVA and Standard Chartered. Earl Powell , Security and Talent Management. A 30-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency, Powell most recently served as Deputy Director of Office of Mission Integration in the Directorate of Support, where he delivered multi-disciplinary services supporting global mission requirements. His experience includes IT, supply chain, financial and human resource support. He also acted in various capacities as the lead representative of the intelligence community to other U.S. Government agencies for issues concerning global security programs. , Security and Talent Management. A 30-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency, Powell most recently served as Deputy Director of Office of Mission Integration in the Directorate of Support, where he delivered multi-disciplinary services supporting global mission requirements. His experience includes IT, supply chain, financial and human resource support. He also acted in various capacities as the lead representative of the intelligence community to other U.S. Government agencies for issues concerning global security programs. Hal Hoodwin , Marketing and Customer Relations. Hoodwin's background includes positions as a residential mortgage branch manager, seminar instructor, and real-estate investor, which honed skills in CRM and customer communication technology platforms. About VRBex Established in 2018 and based in Houston TX, VRBex intends to establish a cryptocurrency exchange and security-token trading platform that seeks to be compliant with U.S. financial regulations. It plans to offer a robust, transparent and secure platform for exchange of US$ for select cryptocurrencies; a platform for the trading of security tokens; and digital VRBex wallets. Read more at VRBex.com. Contact Jay Kolbe [email protected] T: +1 646 934 6924 | M: +1 646 499 1059 Disclaimer: This press release is not intended to be an offer to sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy, any security or other financial instrument or to invest in the tokens issued by VRBex ("VRBex Tokens"). The offering of VRBex Tokens has not been registered, qualified, or approved under any securities, futures, financial instruments, capital markets, or exchange control legislation, regulation, or ordinance of any jurisdiction. In all jurisdictions, any offer to sell or solicitation to buy VRBex Tokens, when made, will be directed solely to qualified institutional investors, qualified professional investors, and those other sophisticated persons to whom offers and solicitation may be made without any licensing, registration, qualification, or approval under applicable law. Before you decide to invest in VRBex Tokens, you should carefully read the VRBex offering documents and consult with your own advisors. An investment in VRBex Tokens is speculative and involves risks, which you should understand prior to making an investment. The private placements of VRBex Tokens have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or any state securities laws, and the VRBex Tokens are being offered pursuant to an exemption from registration provided by Rule 506(c) of Regulation D under the Securities Act and in reliance on similar exemptions under applicable state laws. An investment in VRBex is suitable only for sophisticated, well-informed investors, and investors will be required to represent that they are accredited investors as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation under the Securities Act. SOURCE VRBex Inc. Related Links https://vrbex.com LAS VEGAS and SIMI VALLEY, Calif., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Two months after being acquired by leading global customer experience provider, TELUS International, the newly-branded Xavient Digital - powered by TELUS International has announced plans to hire 250 employees in Los Angeles, San Diego, and across the United States' Northeast Coast with a focus on the Greater Philadelphia region in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The company plans to complete the recruiting and hiring process by the end of this summer. "With global spending on digital transformation predicted to increase by 42 percent from 2017 through the end of 2019 to reach $1.7 trillion, it's imperative that we continue to thoughtfully recruit top IT talent who can support the end-to-end digital evolution of our clients' business models to enable differentiated customer experiences," said Jeffrey Puritt, President and CEO, TELUS International. "Driven by the heightening expectations of today's consumers, our team's ever-growing expertise in Next-Gen technologies is helping the companies we partner with gain a significant competitive edge by fundamentally changing how they interact with their customers to create more intuitive and hyper-personalized brand experiences." To meet this growing demand for customer experience architecture, TELUS International and Xavient Digital are specifically targeting the expansion of their talent pool in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered digital transformation services, User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX) design, Open Source Platform services, Cloud services, Over-The-Top (OTT) solutions, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data services, DevOps and Data Science solutions. Working with career centers at Temple University, Villanova University and Drexel University to connect with highly-skilled students and alumni, the company plans to quickly scale Next-Gen technology innovation teams in the Northeast corridor as part of an overall growth strategy to better serve existing and prospective US-based clients. "We are seeking tech-enthusiasts who have a passion for ideation and innovation, and who want to be a part of our growth story and exciting journey," said Rajeev Tandon, CEO, Xavient Digital - powered by TELUS International. "Looking ahead, we intend to further expand our recruitment within and beyond the state of California and the Northeast region of the US, broadening our scope across the country and around the world as part of our ongoing commitment to partnering with our valued clients and creating meaningful long-term career opportunities in the US tech sector and the regions where we operate." "In today's flourishing digital economy, overall hiring in the Next-Gen technology space will continue to increase exponentially over the months and years ahead," added Saif Ahmad, President and Chief Operating Officer, Xavient Digital - powered by TELUS International. "With an industry-leading employee turnover rate as low as eight percent, Xavient Digital is a highly-regarded employer known for our professional growth environment. Our employees have unparalleled opportunities to amplify their careers through in-house training and development programs, and to gain valuable hands-on experience working on leading edge client projects." TELUS International was recently named an Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces in North America, recognizing the company's commitment to excellence and innovation in employee engagement. Xavient Digital has been recognized globally over the years for their innovative IT work, most recently receiving a Gold Award for their Business Intelligence and Analytics software at the prestigious 2017 World IT Awards. About TELUS International TELUS International focuses on human connection and innovation to deliver exceptional customer service and Next-Gen IT consulting that wow clients and delight their customers. More than 30,000 employees around the world, from locations across North and Central America, Europe and Asia, enable over 200 million customer interactions annually via voice, email, chat and social media, across fast-growing tech, financial services and fintech, gaming, travel and hospitality, and healthcare industries. TELUS International enables customer service delivery innovation through spirited teamwork, agile thinking, and a caring culture that puts customers first. The company serves clients in over 35 languages. TELUS holds a 65% interest in TELUS International with Baring Private Equity Asia holding the remaining 35%. Learn more at: telusinternational.com. About Xavient Digital - powered by TELUS International Formerly Xavient Information Systems Inc., Xavient Digital - powered by TELUS International is a US-based provider of digital IT solutions and software services. The company leverages its global footprint to deploy the best talent, time to market and cost optimization benefits for its customers. Xavient Digital's core competencies are in digital transformation stacks and full lifecycle IT services across telecom, media, Banking Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), and consumer technology verticals. Headquartered in Simi Valley, California, the company has sites throughout the United States in Englewood, Colorado; Atlanta, Georgia; Bellevue, Washington; Herndon, Virginia; Exton, Pennsylvania; and Tempe, Arizona. Learn more at: xavient.com For more information, please contact: Xavient Digital - powered by TELUS International Marie Bernadeau (404) 460-8578 [email protected] SOURCE TELUS International Related Links http://telusinternational.com Skanska has sold an office building Laboratoriet 5 in Solna to Atlasmuren Fastigheter AB for about c. 19.3m (SEK200m). The transaction will be recorded by Skanska Commercial Development Nordic in the second quarter 2018. The transfer of the property is scheduled for May 2018. [] The site represents a new era for the Kinnears Ropeworks factory. The site is centrally positioned between the Victoria University, Western Hospital and Highpoint Shopping Centre. The sit is being repurposed into a residential and mixed-use precinct of up to 1,450 dwellings. Built in 1908, the former Kinnears Ropeworks will require econservation works to be undertaken and R&F Property Australia has told River and Yarraville Ward councillors it is committed to honouring the factorys industrial past. It is R&F Property Australias first development in Victoria after purchasing the site in August 2016. Its experienced development team have been working with Heritage Victoria over the past 18 months to design and deliver an exciting new precinct which carefully balances the sites State Heritage listing. R&F Property Australia vice president Thomas Chiu said the project will create a lively community. Live City will set the tone for Footscrays newest precinct with conservation of three heritage buildings, approximately 1,450 apartments, specialty retail, commercial offices and public spaces to bring this vibrant new community to life, he said. The development comes with a vision to create a sustainable hub that integrates seamlessly with the surrounding local neighbourhood, along with increased housing and amenity for Melbournes inner- west. We want to create lively communities that have good transport connections, shops, cafes and access to employment and education facilities, Mr Chiu said. Development will be staged over the next 6-8 years, to incorporate six precincts with a project total end value estimated at $750 million. The first stage of Live City is located on the sites western edge between Ballarat Road and Kinnears Street and will feature 208 residential apartments within three buildings. Heights will vary between eight and eighteen storeys and will comprise a mix of retail, residential and carparking facilities on the ground level. R&F Property Australia is part of R&F Properties, a global Property Development Group. Its offices in Melbourne and Brisbane, R&F Property Australia works closely with all levels of government, industry partners, local contractors and communities to create high-quality, high-demand mixed-use, residential, commercial, and urban development projects. For more information click here. Moe, a suburb in Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland region of Victoria, ranks among the cheapest locations in Australia, according to Investar. Investar suggests the suburb's median unit price sits on $60,000. It is followed by Queensland's Woree and Tasmania locality, Queenstown. A Moe single bedroom unit current on the market is priced at $60,000 (pictured top). Located in the centre of the town, the 45/48 Haigh Street unit comes with one bedroom, laminate kitchen with electric cooking, and combined bathroom and laundry. It is marketed as being close to schools, shops and transports. Another two bedroom unit has been recently sold for $118,500 by Graeme Yalden from Stockdale & Leggo Moe (pictured below). Located within an easy walking distance from town centre, the 4/25 May Street home comes two bedrooms, one bathroom and one parking space. Additional features include quality blinds, drapes and floor coverings, and R/C split system. EXPERT OBSERVER Sydney councils are requiring an excessive number of specialist reports to submit a development application (DA) for a simple house. The Urban Taskforce has undertaken a review of the number of reports required by Sydney councils for the lodgement of a DA for a simple house and we have found an amazing number of reports required. Bayside Council requires 27 reports, Liverpool City Council requires 26 and Willoughby requires 23 reports just for a simple house. If a residential flat building is proposed the DA requirements escalate with the Northern Beaches Council requiring 49 reports. Each council issues a check list that lists the growing number of detailed reports required. Clearly this is getting out of control. Recent NSW Government initiatives to increase the number of projects that are assessed under Complying Development rules are excellent moves to a simpler planning system that have been announced by NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts. The Greenfield Housing Code and the Missing Middle Code bye-pass most of the excessive number of reports required for Merit Assessed projects and this system should be expanded to larger scale projects. Reports now required by Sydney councils for lodging a residential DA include Access Report, Acid Sulfate Soils Report, Air Quality Report, Asbestos Management Plan, Construction Noise and Vibration Management Plan, Contamination Assessment, Crime Risk assessment Report, Flora and Fora Assessment, Hazardous Materials Survey, Heritage Impact Statement, Noise Impact Analysis, Reflectivity Report, Security Management Plan, Tree Management Plan, Water Cycle Management Plan and many others. Despite the introduction of the Greenfield Housing Code the NSW Government still sets requirements for multiple reports for merit assessment for a house that does not fit the code rules in the Box Hill Growth Centre Precincts Development Control Plan that will be assessed by the Hills Shire Council requiring or may require 23 reports for a simple dwelling house DA. The reports include a Construction Noise and Vibration Management Plan, Contamination Assessment, Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan, Statement of Environmental Effects, Shadow Diagrams and possibly a Heritage Impact Statement, Noise Impact Analysis, Preliminary Engineering Drainage Plans. Liverpool City Council require for a single dwelling house a Statement of Environmental Effects, Waste Management Plan, Sediment Control Plan and potentially a Traffic Report, Arborist Report, Archaeological Assessment, Salinity Management Response and Odour Assessment. Canterbury Bankstown require a Neighbour Notification Plan for a DA for a single house. Willoughby City Council require for all DAs an Arborist Report, Acoustic Report, Archaeological Assessment Report, Demolition Report, Erosion/ Sediment Control Plan, Shadow Diagrams, Site and Context Analysis, Traffic and Parking Assessment and a Waste Management Plan. The Urban Taskforce research found that there were 81 separate reports required for a residential DA across all of the Sydney councils and this did not include a number of other reports required for non- residential DAs. Clearly a number of these reports are necessary to assess the Development Application for a single house but over recent years the number of specialist reports seems to have grown dramatically. Each of these reports costs the applicant a significant amount of money which just increases the cost of housing in Sydney. It looks like council planners are very risk adverse and want expert reports on multiple areas that they can use to justify their decisions. The Urban Taskforce believes the requirements for a simple house DA have got out of control and that the NSW Government needs to review this by applying similar approaches to those contained in the complying codes. A whole industry of consultants has grown up around the requirement for expert reports and no doubt this group will encourage the need for even more reports. A balance is required in terms of a Report Impact Statement on Housing Costs to ensure the assessment process has not become too complex. See below the schedule of reports required by 21 Sydney councils and the list of the 81 reports required for a residential DA in Sydney. Click here to enlarge. Chris Johnson is chief executive officer of property development industry group Urban Taskforce and can be contacted here. ASIC has obtained orders from the Federal Court to wind up an illegal investment scheme known as the VKK Investments Unit Trust (VKK scheme), as well as the trustee and operator of that scheme, Gem Management Group Pty Ltd (Gem). The principal asset of the VKK scheme is land located at 64 Hutton Road, Keysborough in Victoria (below). Around 125 investors invested a total of approximately $22 million into the VKK scheme, which Gem operated since May 2010 on the expectation that the land at Hutton Road would be re-zoned, which has not occurred. ASIC's investigation identified that: the VKK scheme is a managed investment scheme which has not been registered, as required under the Corporations Act; and Gem, which does not hold an Australian financial services licence, had also breached the Act by operating an unregistered managed investment scheme. A number of investors in the VKK scheme were represented in the proceedings brought by ASIC and made submissions in support of ASICs application to wind up the VKK scheme and Gem. Robert Woods and Salvatore Algeri of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu have been appointed as joint liquidators of Gem and joint liquidators and trustees of the VKK scheme. The liquidators will have management of the VKK scheme and the land at Hutton Road. ASIC Deputy Chair Peter Kell said, "Today the Federal Court took action to wind up an unlawful managed investment scheme and its operator. The ruling is a warning to those involved in unlawful schemes, including those that involve land banking, that ASIC will move to protect investors and have these unlawful schemes wound up." "Land banking schemes have been a particular focus of ASIC. ASIC reminds investors considering investing in land banking schemes they are often unregulated and that investors have little protection if something goes wrong", Mr Kell said. The millionaire property developer Ronald Medich has been found guilty of the September 2009 murder of businessman Michael McGurk, who was killed by a single gunshot outside his Cremorne home on Sydney's lower north shore. The SMH crime reporter Kate McClymont wrote this morning Medich, who recently turned 70, was likely to die in jail. The Crown alleged Medich, who was embroiled in legal disputes with Mr McGurk, conscripted then friend and associate ex-boxer Lucky Gattellari to carry out a hit. Medich complained that his former business partner was "costly" and "ruining his life" before he ordered his execution, the second trial in the Sydney court was told. At the time Medich owned a Point Piper harbourfront house sold for $37 million in 2014. His wife Odetta left for Europe. The David Katon-designed house replaced the house bought from the restaurateur Wolfie Pizem in 2003 for $15.1 million. Judgement was handed down at 11.07am this morning. Medich had pleaded not guilty to murdering McGurk, who was shot in the head at close range outside his Cremorne home in 2009. In the hours before Michael McGurk was murdered, property developer Ron Medich had an emotional phone conversation with a police officer in which he expressed his distress that firebombing charges against his former business partner had been dropped. By late October 2010 five men had been arrested and several charges laid. By April 2013 four of them had been jailed in connection with the murder of McGurk. One was the Bosnian immigrant Senad Kaminic who acted as a debt collector and driver for Gattellari. Kaminic was jailed after pleading guilty to accessory after the fact to murder. Kaminic recalled overhearing Medich refer to Mr McGurk as "piece of shit" and a "motherf***er". "Money was always in question," Kaminic said of the tension between Medich and McGurk. Kaminic testified to hearing Gattellari, after a private conversation with Medich, refer to Medich's intention to "go all the way". "What was your understanding of what Mr Gattellari had said to you about him wanting to 'go all the way'?" prosecutor Sharon Harris asked. "To kill McGurk," Kaminic replied. "That he's costly for him and that he's ruining his life." The SMH had noted that one of McGurk's first jobs for Medich was being dispatched to Hawaii by Medich to threaten Paul Mathieson, the founder of Amazing Loans, with whom Medich had had a falling out over his investment in the pay-day lending company. He was also given the job of recovering Medichs loan to Adam and Sally-Anne Tilley, who had borrowed money from Medich to buy Medichs earlier redundant Point Piper home. McClymont poignantly wrote today the cycle of Medichs business failures meant that whoever became his new best friend was asked to recoup Medichs investments from the previous soured deal, "usually by way of menace." BDO never provided "any satisfactory explanation" as to why they did not adopt a "common-sense approach" on the issue of the return of $5 million in art and antiques caught in the Mossgreen administration, the Federal Court of Appeal has noted. The now published judgement that admonished BDO came after BDO was thrawted in its attempt to impose a hefty fee on clients of the collapsed auction house, as they sought to recoup the $1 million in expenses undertaken without reference to the courts. The initial judgement by Federal Court judge Nye Perram ruled the BDO administrators were "intermeddling" in other people's goods in circumstances "where they had not been invited to do so, were not performing their statuatory functions and had not been appointed receivers." The BDO appeal indicated that shortly after the appointment of the administrators to Mossgreen, BDO started to receive requests for the return of consigned items. But instead of seeking directions at that point from the Federal Court about how the employees could be put to work using their specialist knowledge to deal with those requests and return the items to which Mossgreen made no claim, the administrators instead took alternate steps. These included pursuing a costly stocktake of all consigned items irrespective of their value and whether they had been abandoned. BDO also sought a deed of arrangement or outright sale. "There seems to be no reason why such requests for returns could not have been dealt with even while those other options were pursued by the administrators," the Federal Court of Appeal noted in today's published judgment. While not agreeing to the entirety of Justice Perram's ruling, the judgement, signed off by the Honourable Chief Justice Allsop and Justices Banks-Smith and Colvin, reiterated the error in BDO's administration. "A different course would have been to allow consignors to immediately make claims. "Directions could have been sought as to the process to be followed. "It may have involved the presentation by owners of statutory declarations, receipts, references to catalogues, descriptions of the items claimed (many of which, due to the nature of Mossgreens business, were unique in character and were amenable to ready description by identifying features) and release of items in accordance with usual processes followed by Mossgreen employees. "Other steps could be taken to deal with items that were identified as having little value or had not been the subject of any claim for an extended period. "These steps, if presented to the court, could have been approved by way of directions or as part of a supervised process by which the administrators were appointed as receivers to the goods and many items could have been promptly released at much less cost," the judges ruled. "No satisfactory explanation was provided as to why such a common-sense approach was not followed, or why it was not possible or not desirable or practicable," the judges noted. The judges noted detailed affidavits provided by BDO administrator James White provided "no evidence" that he turned his mind to the extent to which the stocktake was needed in order to return most items to their owners (as distinct from providing the administrators with a complete list of all of the items held). "There is no evidence of any thought process by which he considered the significance of the extent to which the items held were legacy items of little value, the extent to which the stocktake was necessary in order to deal with claims by owners, the extent to which the costs involved were proportional to the value of goods involved, and the likely cost to individual owners if the stocktake was undertaken." "It is one thing to investigate the inventory management systems. "It is a different thing to consider how most efficiently to return the property of third parties to them. "The administrators were dealing with property to which the company had no claim," the judges adding the question was not whether Mossgreen had good inventory management systems but whether its existing systems could be used to promptly and cost-effectively return the consigned items to their owners." The judges noted given that the BDO administrators sought directions after the event, in effect to approve the course that they have already undertaken, so then they must be able to demonstrate that they were justified in what they did. It was initially estimated that Mossgreen held in excess of 10,000 items on consignment, held across three premises in Victoria, their High Street, Armidale premises, a site in NSW on Queen Street, Woollahra and a third party warehouse in Clayton, Victoria. The goods were classified into the following categories: 1. Items sold at auction prior to our appointment and not yet collected by purchasers; 2. Unsold items of recent auctions held on consignment on behalf of vendors; 3. Items held on consignment for future auctions; 4. Items abandoned by purchasers and vendors; 5. Items stored at the Companys warehouse awaiting collection by vendors; and 6. Artwork consigned to the Company to hang in the gallery. The stocktake identified that Mossgreen retained 6,935 lots (or 4,663 lots excluding stamps and coins) on behalf of in excess of 800 consignors (or in excess 600 consignors excluding stamps and coins). After including abandoned items, and allowing for the prospect that owners of such items were unlikely to make claims, the judges noted it could be seen that the extent of claims by individual owners to the return of individual items was not as overwhelming a task as BDO advised. The total cost of the stocktaking exercise was $1,048,072. It comprised the following: wages of $240,747 as of the companys 36 employees, after 19 were terminated in January 2018, the remainder were kept on. An amount of $180,075 had been included for rent. An amount of $54,000 was included for insurance and $45,849 was included for security. There was $122,605 allocated for the costs of engaging the Tiger stocktake company to undertake a complete stocktake of all consigned goods. Some $72,500 had been included for legal costs for obtaining advice as to consignor Tasks and seeking directions from the court. Fes for the administrators were put at $126,551 and disbursements of $11,033 to 31 January 2018. Actual administrators costs from 1 February 2018 to 16 March 2018 have been $200,715. All of the above were based on estimates to 31 March 2018. James White noted that the ongoing cost of following the process that the administrators have adopted is $109,532 per week. The judges noted that "to put the above estimates in context, Mr White says that he has estimated that Mossgreen held Consignor Property (being all of the property listed after the stocktake) in excess of $5 million in value. "So, the steps that have been taken by the administrators have resulted in costs, which if charged to consignors, will substantially deplete the value of property to which the administrators lay no claim to at all." Tye judges considered that there was potentially an entitlement to an equitable lien with respect to work properly done and expenses properly incurred that benefit a consignor by securing and protecting their property that is deposited at the companys premises until it is returned under an efficient process proportional to the nature of the goods in question. "Whether equity would grant such lien and its extent may depend upon the value of the statutory lien and the particular circumstances of the administratorsconduct. "We do not consider the administrators established a right to a lie as claimed and accordingly the grounds are dismissed "The administrators have not demonstrated that they are entitled to a lien covering the type of costs and in the amount that they have asserted in their dealings with owners of the consigned items. "There may be a lien in some amount that might arise in the circumstances of this case. "However, the Court is now faced with an application for directions blessing conduct of a kind that is not justified on the basis of the nature and extent of the lien advanced to support the judicial directions sought. "Further, by reason of the conduct of the administrators in not seeking directions at an early stage when consideration might be given to all options, including issues of proportionality, the extent of any actual difficulties in dealing with the consigned items that might be redressed by the stocktake, the possibility of an appointment as receiver to the goods to implement a plan approved by the Court and an assessment of the likely costs before they are incurred, the Court is not now in a position to make that determination on the evidence presented to support the present application. "Owners have been held out of their consigned items for a considerable period and we question whether the administrators would be justified in delaying further the release of consigned items while there is some form of retrospective assessment of the amount of a lien that may be required to be paid as a condition of release of property to the owners." The appeal should be dismissed, the judges ruled, with further aspects of the administration yet to be decided. DB Studdy SC with RM Foreman, briefed by King & Wood Mallesons represented BDO. Dr O Bigos, briefed by Piper Alderman, represented the aggrieved Mossgreen clients who have yet to be advised just when they will be able to retrieve what is rightfully theirs. The names of the creditors are a who's who from across Australia, ranging from passionate collectors, socialites, low key business tycoons to deceased estates. Melbourne veteran caterer Peter Rowland was caught amid the clients, with around $166,000 owed to the catering company. 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. Susan Merrill Squier coedits Penn State University Presss Graphic Medicine series, which uses comics to address a broad spectrum of medical concerns. She says shes used to some skepticism about the initiative: One neurosurgeon, for instance, told her, I fail to see whats funny about illness. But as Squier, professor emerita at Penn State, is quick to clarify, Theres a lot more going on here than the Sunday funnies. The series, which launched in 2015 with Graphic Medicine Manifesto, grew out of a collaboration among scholars invested in the narrative medicine movement, which incorporates storytelling techniques into health care. They recognized the immediacy of comics for telling human stories, Squier says, and proposed the line to unite people working in literature and history and in health humanities programs. Ten titles have been published to date, many of them memoirs, including Peter Dunlap-Shohls My Degeneration: A Journey Though Parkinsons (2015) and Taking Turns: Stories from HIV/AIDS Care Unit 371 (2017), the reflections of nurse and comics creator M.K. Czerwiec, who is also a founding editor of the series. PWs review describes the latter book as heart-wrenching, adding that Czerwiec wrings hope from the honesty of her simple, cheerful cartooning style. The series also includes a prose collection, The Walking Med: Zombies and the Medical Image, which analyzes comics with medical themes and whose blood-streaked cover belies the scholarly work within. The books have gained credibility with the establishment, Squier says. Its been fascinating to watch a culturally disparaged form turn hot as academics realize that these are great teaching tools. Harvard Medical School librarian Matthew Noe, for one, has cotaught graphic medicine in a one-week intensive for third-year medical students. We read the comics, we talked about how they could help them connect to their patients, and then they created their own comics. Beyond library and academic channels, Graphic Medicine titles have found a niche in bookshops with strong comics sections. Karen Allman, a bookseller at Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, is among those who hand-sell the series. The store has a strong medical and health market, she says. Were right by three hospital systems, and their staff comes in and shops, sometimes in their uniforms. The books are typically shelved with other nonfiction comics in the Graphica section, but Taking Turns, for instance, was cross-displayed on the shelf that promotes books on queer issues. Allman says that while the primary readership consists of graphic novel fans, even customers who arent necessarily looking for comics have been receptive. Since the breakout of the prose title The Emperor of All Maladies, shes seen readers asking for more like it, no matter the format. When customers want a book about what nurses do, Ill pull out Taking Turns along with prose memoirs. Forthcoming series releases include the anthology Graphic Reproduction (May), which looks at conception, birth, and reproductive rights, and features contributions by cartoonists including Alison Bechdel (Fun Home) and Carol Tyler (Soldiers Heart). Fall brings Escaping Wars and Waves: Encounters with Syrian Refugees by Olivier Kugler, a communication officer for MSF/Doctors Without Borders, and 2019s plans include Life Support by Judith Margolis, a graphic work on family caretaking written in the form of a Jewish prayer book. Return to the main feature. Stephen Asma, a philosophy professor at Columbia College in Chicago, was a childhood Catholic altar boy who grew up to become a cultural Buddhist and religion-skewering writer for Skeptic magazine. Now, at 51, he's finds himself agnostic about God, but is asserting Why We Need Religion in his new book due out from Oxford in June. (This conversation has been edited for length and clarity) You write in Why We Need Religion that the irrationality of religion does not render it unacceptable or valueless. Will your unbelieving friends think youve lost your mind? Maybe! But there are a number of people like me who are skeptical about the belief claims of religions yet nonetheless respect it. They havent had the voice for what they are thinking. I say religion is actually very good therapy for our emotional lives. It resonates. There are levels of suffering that art and science cant do much with and religion is very good at. People think of religion as a system of beliefs but it is fundamentally an emotional management system, one that science and any other kind of cultural technology cannot offer. Are we all including you -- inherently religious but some of us dont name it and claim it? Yes. We are mammals. Our brains evolved to seek help. Sometimes there is no help to be found with other human beings so your brain and emotions reach out to the universe. Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson dont need to tell a grieving mother that the religion that gives her solace and the strength to get up and keep going is all fictive. We evolved things such as prayer to manage our spontaneous yearning to survive and flourish. Im not embarrassed and I dont think it is intellectually cowardly. Religiosity is in human nature. I dont kneel down and pray as I did in my childhood. But I allow myself to have spontaneous conversations with the universe. Can you talk about the dark side to your portrait of religion as an adaptive behavioral mechanism? Religion gets more tribal when a population feels it is under siege. Theres more demonizing. Dehumanizing the enemy is part of the brains adaptive job. And it has to be managed. I write about Westboro Baptist Church [which rages against gays]. It makes Christianity look horrifying but they are only 50 people lost among millions of U.S. Christians. I look at ISIS and Wahhabism in Islam [the most politically and religiously extreme expression of the faith]. But I point out that extremism is still small in most Muslim societies. Extremism is bad and must be faced but it does not undo all the positive things religions offer. There is a tendency among liberals to say all tribalism is bad. But that misses the profound benefits of tribalism, a notion of our people. Having a preferential network is how you get things gone, how we often times get through life. Is this a sort of intellectual apologetics for religion? I dont want people to dismiss the book as saying faith is better than we thought it was or religion is more rational than we thought. What I am saying is that the brain has different operating systems and the rational part it is fairly new. Religion speaks to the oldest part of the brain and it has a therapeutic mission to manage our emotional life. How one feels is as vital to survival as how one thinks. The 15th Calvin College Festival of Faith & Writing, which took place in Grand Rapids, Mich. from April 12-14, attracted 1,951 attendees plus speakers, publishers, and literary agents and served as a place to discover new books, meet with authors, and hear from a wide range of voices. According to festival director Lisa Ann Cockrel, this years discussion panels and main speakers were a way to mix it up at the biennial event that started in 1990. We wanted to think carefully and be intentional about diversifying attendees, and be intentional about having people of color on our roster, Cockrel told PW. Were continuing to work on being a place where youll hear voices you wouldnt hear in our algorithm-driven world. Despite inclement weather, which caused schedule changes and flight cancellations, this years Festival of Faith & Writing offered nearly 200 eventsconcerts, yoga sessions, and panels such as The Risks on Writing on Raceand the Obligation to Continue, Sentiment without Sentimentality: Women Writers Who Wont Stay in Their (Inspirational) Lane, Writing Honestly about Race (When Your Audience Is Primarily White), and Still Evangelical in the Age of #MeToo? There were 58 featured speakers, 138 panelists, and 47 exhibitors from 13 countries and 46 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Speakers included bestselling author Jen Hatmaker, poets Oliver de la Paz and Padraig O Tuama, Episcopal priest Fleming Rutledge, novelist Edwidge Danticat, environmental activist Bill McKibben, and more. I commend the committee for inviting a wide range of speakers, trusting the attendees to be grown up enough to listen to diverse points of view and think for themselves, Hatmaker wrote on Instagram following the festival. I love when faith spaces dont homogenize their lineup. Larger publishers were in attendance, using the festival as a place to meet with authors and aspiring writers. For Ethan McCarthy, assistant editor at InterVarsity Press (IVP), the event is open wide to a diversity of ideas and perspectives, many within Christianity and sometimes outside Christianity, he told PW. Im planting seeds via relationships, which may or may not grow into books. Annette Bourland, senior v-p and group publisher at HarperCollins Christian Publishing/Zondervan, praised the eclectic crowd of writers ranging from novice to international bestsellers at the conference. Representing HarperCollins BLINK imprint, author Kwame Alexander (Rebound, Apr.) opened the festival as a keynote speaker. His speech was titled Saying Yes to the Writerly Life and focused on his writing journey. Smaller publishers also benefited from the festival. First time exhibitor Herald Press, which publishes books in the Anabaptist tradition, found a ready audience, according to Valerie Weaver-Zercher, acquisitions editor. There is great visibility for a small house at the festival, in terms of potential authors and people in general buying books, said Weaver-Zercher. Literary agents like Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Management used the event to meet both potential and current clients. There are deep conversations about important things here, [such as race and womens issues], said Gardner. Im learning about the kinds of conversations that I may want to amplify in the publishing world. The next Calvin College Festival of Faith & Writing is scheduled for April 16-18, 2020. The annual business-growth incubator for independent TV production companies, Indielab, has announced the participants for its 2018 programme set up to offer up-and-coming production companies a tailored consultation process. The scheme is said to be crafted to provide cross-sector support, with each indie collaborating in a group setting with specialist training from 50-plus industry leaders. If relevant, participating companies are then put forward to pitch to hand-picked, industry-specific investors.Indielab was set up with the mission of promoting diversity and strengthening the representation of the countrys nations and regions within the UK independent sector. This third edition of growth programme is said to fulfil diversity remit with increased industry support.To that end, the BBC is providing support for companies either from the Nations and English Regions or with diverse leadership and Sony Pictures Television is also supporting BAME participants. They join Channel 4, which expanded its commitment to the scheme this year, investing specifically from its Growth Fund , and Nations and Regions, and Creative Diversity departments.The 2018 cohort is described as a balanced mix of scripted, non-scripted, female- and BAME-owned, London- and regional-based companies. Participants were selected via an application process, in which Indielab works closely with UK commissioners to identify production companies that demonstrate creative excellence. The selected participants are: Big Mountain Productions, Bingo Productions, Brown Bob Productions, Bryncoed Productions, Bullion Productions, Folk Films, Gobstopper Television, Greenacre Films, Hello Dolly, Middlechild Productions, Plug-in Media, Silverfish Films, Summer Films (formerly Locomotive Film), Swan Films, Synchronicity Films and Ten66 Television.Commenting on this years line-up, Indielab founder Victoria Powell said: We are delighted to open a third Indielab programme this year, supporting the growth of the UK Indie sector and our incredible talent. During this years selection process, we intensified our focus on diversity in all its forms. We are of course incredibly grateful to our funders and sponsors for their help in achieving this. A suicide bomber struck a voter registration office in Kabul earlier today. More than 50 people were killed, including women and children, while over 100 others were injured in the bombing, according to the Afghan government. The Islamic State quickly claimed responsibility for the attack, identifying the bomber as Qari Umar al-Peshawari, a nom de guerre that implies he was from Peshawar, Pakistan. The so-called caliphate identified the victims as Rafidi Mushrikin, or Shiite polytheists. This is intended to portray the operation as sectarian in nature, as the Sunni jihadist group frequently targets Shiite civilians in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The Islamic State has also consistently denounced democracy in its literature and statements, thereby making voting locations a target for the groups martyrs. The bombing continues a bloody trend in the Afghan capital this year. Earlier this month, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that civilian casualties caused by Anti-Government Elements had increased by six percent during the first three months of 2018 as compared to the same period in 2017. UNAMA found that there were 1,500 civilian casualties (511 deaths and 989 injured) from Jan. to Mar. 2018, and two-thirds of these were attributed to the Taliban, the Islamic States Khorasan province (Wilayah Khorasan, or ISIS-K), and affiliated jihadists. While the Talibans violence accounts for most of the civilian casualties caused by Anti-Government Elements, the Islamic States Khorasan arm also contributed to the rising total. The Islamic States jihadists regularly slaughter Shiite civilians in Kabul and elsewhere inside Afghanistan. According to UNAMA, direct attacks against the [Shiite] population caused 154 civilian casualties (49 deaths and 105 injured) during the first three months of 2018 and nearly all of these were attributed to suicide and complex attacks claimed by the Islamic States Khorasan province. Indeed, UNAMA reported that suicide and complex attacks are now the leading cause of civilian casualties in Afghanistan. And such operations have been especially lethal this year. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadis loyalists have hit locations inside Kabul more than once this year. Their targets in the Afghan capital have included a military academy and a shrine frequented by Shiite worshippers. The Islamic State also regularly claims responsibility for small-scale attacks against Shiites in neighboring Pakistan. Also earlier today, for example, the groups Amaq News Agency stated that the Sunni jihadists had assassinated three Shiites during an ambush on the outskirts of Quetta. Citing Pakistani police officials, the Associated Press (AP) reported that two people were killed and a third wounded in the drive-by shooting. A Pakistani police chief told the AP that both men were local officials in Shiite community organizations and the terrorists fled on motorcycles. Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal. This article appeared originally at FDD's Long War Journal. The recent international blockbuster, Black Panther provided an image of African women as the warriors, technology chiefs, and moral compasses of Wakanda, a fictional Afro-futuristic nation. This portrayal of women is not only borne of African history, including the Amazons of Dahomey, a group of female fighters in Benin in the 17th century, but also the rising tide of women in African governments, militaries, and civil society in West Africa and the Sahel. A conference on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), run in conjunction with Africa Commands (AFRICOM) Operation Flintlock held in Niamey, Niger, between April 14-15, provided an opportunity for security forces, civil society, and government officials from the United States, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad and a host of other African countries and partner nations, to reflect on the central role that women play in promoting stability throughout the region. As a result of the tragic loss of four American soldiers during an advise and assist mission in October 2017, much of the media coverage of the U.S.s role in Niger and the Sahel more generally has focused on the ongoing investigation into the conditions under which these soldiers were killed. While this is obviously an important investigation, this story does not represent the totality of the U.S.s role in the region. Through security partnerships in the region, the United States is successfully building a robust community of women, peace, and security practitioners. A burgeoning body of research suggests that the status of women within a country is the best predictor of that countrys likelihood of going to war, suggesting that integrating the WPS agenda into the Flintlock exercise and regional partnerships is crucial for the success of counter-terrorism operations in the region. The WPS conference was an opportunity for these practitioners to share their lessons learned about the integral role that women play in advancing peace, through a variety of social roles, not just as mothers and peacemakers, but also as civil society leaders, police officers, and members of the armed services. At this conference, Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA) provided a forum where women voiced concerns and enabled them to create plans for implementing change. The presentations at the conference, and the conversations during a tabletop exercise on disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR), and even in the casual conversations over coffee, that integrating women into security considerations was not an effort to be politically correct, but rather a necessary aspect of operating as efficiently as possible. The conferences participants, the majority of which were women from African countries, shared rich stories about the challenges they face in their countries and more importantly, collaborated as a team to propose structural changes that they were eager to work with the United States and other security partners to advance. Including (1) strengthening civil society as a means of amplifying womens voices and (2) improving resilience in their communities by changing gender norms. At the heart of these reforms is the simple idea that we must take womens issues, opinions, and security seriously. Civil Society as an Integral Tool to Advance Womens Rights Time and again, participants emphasized the importance of civil society as one of the most effective ways of amplifying womens voices, advancing their rights, and articulating their agenda. USAIDs Office of Transition Initiatives provided data to collaborate womens anecdotes, noting that women in Diffa a region long marginalized economically and socially, and more recently destabilized by incursions by Boko Haram were more likely to trust NGOs than their male counterparts were and that they frequently expressed greater trust in local NGOs than traditional leaders. As an intermediary institution between the people and the polity, civil society is crucial for fostering an environment that is more inclusive and more stable. Furthermore, participants suggested that civil society is an important factor for preventing violent extremism, by providing community members with a sense of belonging, community, and agency. Strengthening civil society, like U.S. efforts to build partner capacity, is integral to long-term strategic objectives in the region. Developing working relationships between military organizations and civil society organizations (CSO) can be mutually beneficial, helping the military understand the human terrain they are operating in, while ensuring that CSOs priorities and concerns are understood, respected, and implemented. Developing these human networks of partners provides a critical context and understanding in times of crisis and ultimately, building community resilience prevents the spread of extremism. Such relationships should be considered as part of the endeavor to win hearts and minds; furthermore, the objective of strengthening civil society fits into the whole of government approach to preventing and ending conflict, through engagement by the State Department, military, and USAID. Norm Change Integrating women into security infrastructure requires navigating communities away from norms that portray women as inherently non-violent, innocent, and ill-suited to participate in the sorts of activities and conversations that the security community engages in. Several female participants from African partner militaries noted that they had encountered armed female combatants, and nearly every nation represented noted that women had played integral, non-combat roles in the organizations threatening regional stability. Effectively countering these armed groups, then, requires engaging with the roles that women play supporting them -- and dispensing with norms that suggest that female participation is anomalous. One female lieutenant colonel from Niger proposed a campaign to educate mothers on the equal treatment of boys and girls as a way of eradicating restrictive gender norms; she observed that in the home theres a pervasive belief that girls should help cook and clean while boys are left alone to play. This sort of socialization is where gender norms begin and would thus be an effective place to target to undermine these norms. Some participants noted that restrictive gender norms are also associated with undesirable and potentially destabilizing outcomes, such as early marriage and fewer years of schooling for girls. At the heart of the discussions about the role of gender norms in conflict is the simple observation that people matter most in contested environments. Integrating gender norms into our understanding of the context in which the military is operating, and programming can serve both to improve operational efficacy, as well as prevent the outbreak of conflict. One of the presentations, given by a co-author of this piece, discussed how gender norms portraying women and girls as inherently innocent and non-violent contributed to the appeal of female suicide bombers for Boko Haram, which has now deployed more than 300 women and girls in such attacks. Understanding the prevailing gender norms of a community helps identify peoples motivations; eradicating the blinders that gender norms can exert on the militarys assessment of group membership and operations will improve our operations against armed groups. Conclusion During the closing remarks of the ceremony, one male participant from an African partner military expressed his appreciation for the tools that the conference had provided him to combat armed groups without firing a single bullet. While much attention has been paid to kinetic operations in the region, partnerships with Sahelian and West African countries are also helping to advance non-violent strategies to counter armed groups and prevent conflict from erupting. Engaging women in security planning and operations in the real world - not just in Wakanda - will contribute to more effective operations and regional stability. Arnel David is a civil affairs officer and army strategist. He is the chief of staff for the Army Future Studies Group and is a co-author of Military Strategy in the 21st Century: People, Connectivity, and Competition (forthcoming). Hilary Matfess is a Ph.D. candidate at Yale University. She is the author of Women and the War on Boko Haram: Wives, Weapons, Witnesses (2017). Follow her on Twitter @HilaryMatfess. The views and opinions in this article do not officially represent the DoD or any other government organization. On Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee pressed hard on top administration officials to justify U.S. support for the Saudi war effort in Yemen, where hunger and cholera cause tremendous suffering. Senators certainly should be asking these tough questions, yet their narrow focus resulted in a missed opportunity to ask equally important questions about the opaque U.S. mission to fight terrorism in Yemen, which the Trump administration has conducted with growing intensity. At Tuesdays hearing, the senators questions focused intently on Americas ability to improve Saudi Arabias conduct of the war and advance a political resolution to the conflict. In that regard, the administrations witnesses sought to demonstrate how American support encourages responsible behavior by the Saudi-led coalition that is battling Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. On an operational level, the Saudi-led coalition has implemented several procedures, consistent with American best practices, to reduce civilian casualties. For example, the Saudis have put in place a No Strike List, tightened their rules of engagement, and replaced cluster munitions with more precise alternatives, according to the Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert Karem. On the diplomatic side, American support ensures that the Saudis do not pursue alternative security partnerships, which may not entail any pressure to reduce civilian casualties or move towards a political solution, as noted by Ambassador David Satterfield, the acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. Important as these issues are, the counterterrorism (CT) mission remains the primary U.S. line of effort in Yemen, where both Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State maintain a strong presence. American troops are directly engaged in disrupting AQAP and the Islamic State, whereas the U.S. military provides only limited non-combat support to the Saudi-led effort to defeat the Houthis. Under the Trump administration, the United States has expanded the scale and scope of its CT mission, yet the Department of Defense has become increasingly vague about its Yemen operations and their effectiveness. America has been conducting strikes in Yemen since the earliest days of the War on Terror. In 2002, the United States conducted its first strike in the country, targeting an Al Qaeda leader involved in the USS Cole bombing. In 2009, the campaign began in earnest, with strikes targeting Al Qaeda across the country. Last year, the air campaign expanded to include the Islamic State. But after nearly a decade of continuous strikes, Salafi-jihadi terrorist groups still maintain safe havens and plot attacks. Al Qaedas branch in Yemen is directly involved in the groups global ambitions, routinely producing propaganda calling for attacks against the West. In late 2017, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) assessed that the Islamic States Yemen presence had doubled in size over the last year and that it uses the country as a hub to direct attacks against America and its allies. Although senators at the hearing showed strong interest in tracking the outcomes of Saudi strikes in the country, they paid scant attention to the results of our own air campaign, which has expanded dramatically under the Trump administration. In 2017, the United States launched 131 counterterrorism strikes in Yemen, more than the previous four years combined. The United States also launched its first strikes against the Islamic State in the country. So far in 2018, American forces have conducted 25 strikes, a slightly slower tempo than last year but still on track to outpace any other year in the decade-long air campaign. Despite these increases, the Department of Defense has become progressively more vague about Americas counterterrorism role in Yemen. Starting in 2017, CENTCOM ceased issuing press releases on the majority of American strikes in Yemen. When questioned, the command will provide the approximate number of strikes, but will not divulge further details on targets, locations, or casualties. My attempts to obtain this information through a Freedom of Information Act request have not yet been successful. Although the long-standing CT campaign is a distinct line of effort from the Saudi-led offensive against the Houthis, the two conflicts are inextricably linked. The Islamic State and Al Qaeda thrive in the power vacuum that Iran perpetuates in Yemen and vice-versa. Salafi-jihadist terrorist groups and Iran will continue to pose an outsize threat until a political resolution to the conflict is reached. The Yemeni war produces complex, interlinked threats that undermine American and regional security. But scrutinizing only one aspect of the conflict does little to enhance Americas role. Congress must push for greater transparency on the strikes America conducts, not just the ones it enables. Alexandra N. Gutowski is a senior military affairs analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy. Follow her on Twitter @angutowski. Turning points are events that, had they gone another way, could have led to a significantly different future. For example, had Abraham Lincoln not been assassinated, the history of post-Civil Donald Trump often appears to be a president in rebellion against his office. A president, we have come to expect, hastens to the scene of a natural disaster to comfort the afflicted. After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, President Trump arrived tardily and behaved unseriously, tossing rolls of paper towels at storm-battered residents as if he were trying to drain three-point shots. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea announced that it will suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of its summits with Seoul and Washington, but stopped short of suggesting it has any intention of giving up its hard-won nuclear arsenal. The announcement, which sets the table for further negotiations when the summits begin, was made by leader Kim Jong Un at a meeting of the North Korean ruling partys Central Committee on Friday. It was reported by the Norths state-run media early Saturday. Kim justified the suspension to his party by saying the situation around North Korea has been rapidly changing in favor of the Korean revolution since he announced last year that his country had completed its nuclear forces. He said North Korea has reached the level where it no longer needs underground testing or test-launching of ICBMs, and added that it would close its nuclear testing facility at Punggye-ri, which was already believed to have been rendered unusable due to tunnel collapses after the Norths test of its most powerful bomb to date last year. The announcement is Kims opening gambit to set the tone for summit talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, set for next Friday, and U.S. President Donald Trump, expected in late May or early June. Trump almost immediately responded with a tweet, saying, This is very good news for North Korea and the World and big progress! He added that hes looking forward to his summit with Kim. South Koreas presidential office also welcomed North Koreas announcement as meaningful progress toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Presidential official Yoon Young-chan said in a statement that the Norths decision brightens the prospects for successful talks between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered a more guarded reaction. What is crucial here ... is how this development is going to lead to the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of nuclear arms, weapons of mass destruction and missiles, he said. And I will keep a close eye on that. Pyongyang residents, who have been largely kept in the dark about Kims plans to meet Trump, gathered at subway stations, where newspapers are posted for the public, or around large screens in city plazas to see the reports. One resident, 34-year-old Son Kum Chol, said he read the news in the ruling partys newspaper. North Koreans are extremely cautious when speaking to the media, but Son told The Associated Press that the news made him feel the future road will be brighter and prosperous. Some analysts believe Kim feels he is entering the summit negotiations from a position of strength and is hoping to achieve tacit recognition that his country is now a nuclear power. They believe he wants to engage in talks and make some concessions around the edges that would convince Washington and other countries to ease sanctions on his struggling economy. In his speech at the party meeting, Kim praised his nuclear policy as a miraculous victory achieved in just five years. A resolution passed after his speech also stressed that the country had successfully achieved its goals of obtaining a viable nuclear force and suggested it intends to keep that force. Using the acronym for North Koreas official name, it said the North would never use nuclear weapons nor transfer nuclear weapons or nuclear technology under any circumstances unless there are nuclear threats and nuclear provocation against the DPRK. This was a smart move by Kim, Vipin Narang, an associate political science professor and nuclear proliferation expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in an email. Although it largely formalizes previous pledges on the moratoria from last November and March, it still leaves a lot of wiggle room for circumventing the pledges in the future, and nothing in there is irreversible. And nothing in there mentions denuclearization, of any variety. Narang noted that North Korea has already conducted as many nuclear tests as Pakistan and India six and may indeed not need to conduct any more underground testing. Tossing out another nugget that could be used at the summits, Kim stressed at the party meeting his desire to shift the national focus to improving the countrys economy, which has been hit hard by international sanctions and the maximum pressure strategy pushed by Trump. The announcement ends what had been an ominous silence from Pyongyang regarding the stunning diplomatic moves Kim has been making since the beginning of this year, including his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping last month. It also gives the best idea yet of what Kim intends to bring with him in his summits with Moon and Trump. Seoul says Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the peninsula. Some important items were also left off the Norths resolution such as midrange missile or space rocket launches suggesting either that the North isnt willing to go that far or that it wants to wait and see how much it can gain by further concessions once actual talks begin. ___ Talmadge, the APs Pyongyang bureau chief, reported from Tokyo. WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (AP) Mitt Romney was forced into a Republican primary in his bid for U.S. Senate in Utah after losing a nomination battle Saturday at the states far-right-leaning GOP convention. Romney remains the heavy favorite overall to replace long-serving Sen. Orrin Hatch in November and said he was ready to keep campaigning hard. If he had won the party delegate vote at the convention, he would have bypassed a primary altogether. Instead, he was edged out by state lawmaker Mike Kennedy, who got 51 percent of the vote to Romneys 49 percent. GOP voters will decide between the two in a June 26 primary. Romney previously secured his spot on the primary ballot by gathering 28,000 voter signatures but said Saturday that choice was partly to blame for his loss. Gathering signatures to make the ballot is unpopular among many conservative delegates in the state who say it dilutes their ability to choose a candidate. The issue prompted hours of debate, shouting and booing at the convention. Romney, 71, went up against 11 other candidates at the convention, including one dressed as Abraham Lincoln, complete with vest and bow tie. Some candidates questioned Romneys past criticism of President Donald Trump. Romney pushed back against critics who said hes an interloper in Utah politics by referring to his role in staging the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah. Some people Ive spoken with have said this is a David vs. Goliath race, but theyre wrong, Romney said in his speech. Im not Goliath. Washington, D.C., is Goliath. Kennedy, a doctor and lawyer, framed himself as an underdog taking on the Romney machine. At one point, he pitched in to sweep up tiny paper American flags that had been shot from a confetti cannon hours before. Delegate Matt Murdoch, 28, said he voted for Kennedy because hes a family doctor serving many of his neighbors in Alpine, south of Salt Lake City. Stay-at-home mother Michelle Cluff said she liked Romneys experience and believes he is ready to get to work as a senator. Romney was governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. While in office he signed legislation that greatly expanded access to health care through state-level subsidies and individual mandates to purchase insurance, much like Obamacare. Romney asked for delegates votes after spending two months on the campaign trail visiting dairy farms, taking selfies with college students and making stump speeches in small towns. After his failed 2012 presidential campaign, he moved to Utah, where he gained popularity after running as the first Mormon presidential nominee of a major political party. Hes worked to keep the focus on state issues rather than his history of well-documented feuds with Trump, whom he called a con-man and a phony during the 2016 race. Trump fired back that Romney choked like a dog during his own White House run. The two men have shown signs of making peace, and Romney has accepted Trumps endorsement for Senate. But Romney said Saturday he hasnt decided whether hell endorse the presidents 2020 re-election bid. The news reports have all focused on the FBIs second-in-command leaking information to the Wall Street Journal or authorizing subordinates to do so -- and then lying to investigators about it. This is big news, provided that account is borne out by a subsequent criminal indictment and successful prosecution. The news will be even bigger if Andrew McCabe pursues a scorched-earth policy against his FBI superior, James Comey, who started the investigation of his deputy. Even a prosecutor fresh out of law school ought to be able to flip McCabe, who is facing serious jail time and thinks he has been betrayed. Such men are dangerous. McCabes testimony is the best way to learn why the FBI and Department of Justice seemingly mishandled everything related to Hillary Clinton and how the intelligence agencies routinely funneled classified material on Donald Trump to friendly news agencies. If there was a high-level conspiracy to obstruct justice in the Clinton investigation or to use the so-called Deep State to smear Trump, McCabe would know a lot about it. He could also respond to the stunning allegation recently leveled by Rep. Devin Nunes, the California Republican who chairs the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. On Sunday, Nunes told Fox News anchorwoman Maria Bartiromo, We now know that there was no official intelligence that was used to start this investigation of Trumps aides. Nunes has read the classified materials, and he is making a deeply troubling allegation: An official investigation was mounted against an American presidential campaign with no official information to support it. If so, then U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement agencies were weaponized for partisan purposes. McCabe would know about that, too, or know if it is untrue. So would Peter Strzok, number two in the FBIs counterintelligence section, and his paramour, Lisa Page. They may be talking to investigators already. That would be the most plausible explanation for why they havent been fired. As long as they are still on the government payroll, they are available to Inspector General Michael Horowitz and his team of investigators. There are also credible reports that Strzoks boss, Bill Priestap, is now a cooperating witness. His name is rarely heard in public, but he would have a goldmine of information. Although the public focus has been on McCabes reported deceptions, one of his presumably truthful comments about the Department of Justice may be even more significant. He said flatly that during the last months of the Obama administration, high-ranking Justice Department officials tried to kill the FBIs on-going investigation into the Clinton Foundation. It happened in a phone call from DOJs third-highest official. Although unidentified in the report, the reference apparently is to Matthew Axelrod, whose title at the time was principal associate deputy attorney general. Heres what the inspector general report says: McCabe told the OIG that on August 12, 2016, he received a telephone call from Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General regarding the FBIs handling of the Clinton Foundation. McCabe said that the PADAG expressed concerns about FBI agents taking overt steps in the Clinton Foundation investigation during the presidential campaign. According to McCabe, he pushed back, asking are you telling me that I need to shut down a validly predicated investigation? McCabe told us that the conversation was very dramatic and he never had a similar confrontation like [that] call with a high-level Department official in his entire FBI career. The 35-page report goes on to say that, by leaking that conversation, McCabe was trying to make himself look good by making senior department leadership, specifically the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General, look bad, Well, yeah. The same logic should apply to the misappropriated, classified memos James Comey leaked through his friend at Columbia Law School. Comey has said they were meant to force the appointment of a special counsel. Those leaks do make senior law-enforcement leaders look bad. Actually, they make them look politically corrupt. The Horowitz report does not dispute that the DOJ call to McCabe took place or that it was meant to quash a legitimate FBI investigation of the Clinton Foundation. If that is confirmed, it is a perversion of the Justice Department and its core function of unbiased application of the law. We need to know if McCabe is telling the truth about direct political pressure to help the Clintons. If he is, we need to know who told the DOJ official to make that call. That explanation needs to be under oath before a grand jury, since it smells a lot like obstruction of justice and may involve his bosses. All of them are high-level political appointees. According to a Wall Street Journal article, McCabe says he stood straight and tall and reiterated past instructions to FBI agents that they were to keep pursuing the work within the authority they had. But thats based on McCabes self-serving leak. The FBI agents under his command say he was more like a supine munchkin, carrying out the wishes of Loretta Lynchs people. FBI agents investigating the Clinton Foundation were given a much starker instruction on the case: Stand down, according to the Journal report. When agents questioned why they werent allowed to take more aggressive steps, they said they were told the order had come from the deputy director -- Mr. McCabe. Again, that looks like possible obstruction of justice, done for explicitly partisan-political reasons. Somebodys lying here, and maybe more than one person. All these players are, or were, high-ranking officials at the FBI and DOJ. All of them ought to explain themselves before a grand jury. Since those proceedings are secret and indictments take time, we need public reports, and soon, from Horowitzs office about these allegations. Was there a political attempt by the Department of Justice to protect the Clinton Foundation from an FBI investigation? Was Loretta Lynch herself involved? Was the White House or were the Clintons? Or did McCabe do all this on his own to protect the Clintons? The OIG report does not dispute the statement, made in the Journal article, that the DOJ official was very pissed off, according to one person close to Mr. McCabe, and pressed him to explain why the FBI was still chasing a matter the Department [of Justice] considered dormant. As you may have guessed, that person close to Mr. McCabe stared at him every morning when he shaved. Unfortunately, it looks as though a lot of top officials at the FBI and DOJ were shaving the law, violating our basic constitutional promise that the rules must be applied fairly to everyone. That must include the powerful. Equal treatment must include the men and women who lead the agencies we entrust to collect sensitive information, keep it secret, and enforce the law. They are not exempt, like the kings courtiers or the dictators oligarchs. There is spreading evidence that, in the final year of the Obama administration, our countrys top law-enforcement and intelligence officials failed in that most basic responsibility. We need to know if they did, and we need to know who put them up to it. Speaker Paul Ryan may want to spend more time with his family, but he also knows that theres nothing for him to do in Washington. Maybe youd settle for seeing your children on the weekend if there was a real shot at enacting big conservative reforms. But theres no point making such sacrifices if all there is to do is keep the government open with legislative duct tape. Ryan has accepted the reality that for ideological conservatives, this is it. They wont get much more from Donald Trump beyond the tax reform bill and the appointment of some judges. Conservatives should ask themselves: Whats the point of being associated with a president who is stuck around 40 percent approval, facing multiple investigations into his inner circle and unable to deliver any more policy wins? Prospects are particularly grim for conservatives on the legislative front, and the deregulation and judicial fronts arent looking so hot either. The legislative situation is plainly bereft of activity. Trump has few proposals of which to speak, and what he does have, he doesnt push. Nothing of significance has a chance of clearing the Senates 60-vote threshold, and Republicans cant use the budget reconciliation process to prevent a filibuster until they can pass another budget resolution, which isnt on tap for this year. The only item of import that Congress may address for the remainder of 2018 is keeping the government open past the end of the fiscal year on September 30. (Note that I used the word may.) By 2019, Democrats may well hold the House, putting the final nail in the Republican legislative coffin. Cant the Trump administration still roll back Barack Obamas liberal regulations? Theoretically. But regulatory reform is always harder than it looks, and its even harder when your administration is full of incompetents. As Georgetown law professor Lisa Heinzerling recently explained in the Washington Post, federal courts have already blocked several of Trumps deregulation efforts because of elementary legal mistakes by his team. Moreover, Politicos Michael Grunwald busted the myth of EPA Administrators Scott Pruitt effectiveness, noting that he has yet to create new regulations that would outlast his tenure or Trumps, or to rescind any of the regulations Obama created, in large part because his orders havent passed judicial muster. But isnt Trump remaking the federal judiciary with conservative appointees? That project is getting bogged down too. Trump had a stronger than usual first year of judicial confirmations, thanks to Senate Democrats junking the judicial filibuster in 2013, and to Senate Republicans keeping vacant seats open in Obamas final two years in office. Now, conservative activists are complaining that Trump, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, arent keeping up the pace. Theres a backlog of more than 30 nominees who have cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee but dont have floor votes scheduled because bipartisan Senate procedural agreements allow for long delays between votes. More than 40 nominees are pending before committee. Plus, there are 80 vacant judicial seats for which nobody has been nominated by the White House. Perhaps with enough time, the backlog can be cleared, especially if Senate Republicans enact a rule change to shorten the amount of the floor time needed before taking votes. But as it stands, Trump has seated 31 lower court judges over his first 15 months in office, an average of 2.1 per month. Thats actually about the same as Obamas monthly rate of 2.0 for his first 20 months in office, and behind Obamas two-term average of 3.4. (Obama also notched two Supreme Court justices in his first two years versus Trumps one so far.) If Democrats manage to take the Senate in November, Trump surely wont catch up. On the basis of strict, short-term utilitarian logic, conservatives made the right call in sticking with Trump in 2016. After all, if Hillary Clinton had won the presidency, conservatives wouldnt have gotten any judges or any tax reform. But, as Donald Trump knows all too well, marriages need not be for eternity, especially shotgun nuptials such as this one. If conservatives have extracted about all they can from Trump, why keep lugging around his considerable baggage? Why allow Trumps persona to define the Republican Party and the conservative movement? There are a few signs conservatives are beginning to back away. Evangelical leaders are warning of an enthusiasm gap after Congress failed to defund Planned Parenthood in the recent omnibus spending bill, and Ann Coulter accused Trump of total betrayal since the bill lacked money for a border wall. CNN found that several Republican members of Congress are holding off from endorsing Trump for re-election. With Trumps approval still sky-high among Republican rank-and-file voters who seem to care more about waging culture war in the media than notching policy victories GOP officeholders and conservative leaders cant easily throw Trump overboard, and probably wont try. But with every day of inaction on the issues they care about, movement conservatives have to wonder if their marriage with Trump is akin to one in which they only stay together for the kids. Despite President Donald Trumps resistance to climate control measures, Connecticut and nine other regional states are reaping huge economic rewards from cutting carbon emissions. A new report on the nations first Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative shows participating states realized $1.4 billion in economic value between 2015 and 2017, and the RGGI created more than 14,500 new jobs. Connecticut gained $78.3 million in proceeds, including $41.7 million for energy efficiency projects, $25.4 million for renewable energy investments and $7 million for the states General Fund, a report by the Analysis Group concluded. For years, many on the right, including many in the Trump Administration, have peddled a false choice between protecting our environment for future generations and growing our economy, said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. As this report proves, promoting clean energy both benefits the environment and creates good jobs, Malloy said. We must commit to ensuring RGGI remains strong now and in the future. Nearly a decade ago, Connecticut and nine other states Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont formed the RGGI and set carbon reduction goals. The compact allows energy producers to bid against each other for the right to emit carbon and the proceeds help pay for renewable energy projects that reduce emissions. RGGI was not designed to be an economic development program, said Susan Tierney, a senior advisor with Analysis Group. It was designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions, which it is doing successfully, Tierney said. The data continue to show that cutting carbon emissions can be a positive for the economy. Tighter emissions standards The report noted that, despite tightening emissions standards, the economic benefits continued, including employment growth and reduced costs for electricity consumers. During this period, the emissions cap for power plants in the region was lowered, and the prices power generators had to pay for emissions rose, said report co-author Paul Hibbard, a principal with Analysis Group. Some observers had wondered whether tightening emissions targets would choke off the modest but consistent stream of economic benefits the region has seen since RGGI went into effect in 2009, Hibbard said. But that didnt happen. Economic benefits and job creation continued at magnitudes similar to what weve seen in previous study periods, Hibbard said. Leah Lopez Schmalz, chief program officer for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, said the RGGI is one of the best deals for Connecticut. We know clean energy is the future, and this report proves it once again, Schmalz said Well-paying, impossible-to-outsource jobs like solar panel installer, HVAC tech and insulation expert are being generated by the efficiency and renewable energy programs that RGGI supports. Schmalz added, Its good for public health, too another report last year found that pollution reduction from RGGI has prevented over 8,000 asthma attacks and 40,000 lost days of work around the region. Although New Jersey was a founding member of the RGGI, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, pulled out of the pact. The states new governor, Democrat Philip Murphy, a Democrat, rejoined the compact in January. bcummings@ctpost.com The mother of detained rights activist Huang Qi has called on the ruling Chinese Communist Party to fully investigate the case of her son, who has been held for more than a year on "spying" charges with repeated delays and inadequate medical treatment. Pu Wenqing submitted an application to the branch office of the central government inspection team in the southwestern province of Sichuan on Monday, she told RFA, amid growing concerns over Huang's rapidly deteriorating health in a police-run detention center. "I am so very worried about him, especially about his health, because he has edema, very severely in his lower extremities," Pu said. "His creatinine levels are high, which, along with the swelling in the lower extremities, indicates severe renal failure." "The medical treatment available in the detention center is very limited," Pu said. "I am afraid that he will die in there." Pu said repeated applications for Huang's release on bail or medical parole have been ignored or turned down by the authorities. "I was received at the central inspection team, and they even took my documents," she said. "They told me that they would take all of them, but that the case wasn't within their remit, and that it would be passed on to the relevant departments. they told me to stay in touch by phone." She added: "I gave them a general introduction to Huang Qi's case, telling them ... that the so-called secret documents [he is supposed to have leaked] had no official letterhead, no official stamp and weren't marked 'Top Secret'." "I also demanded that Huang Qi be allowed to go home immediately, so as to seek medical treatment," Pu said. 'State secrets' Huang, 55, who founded the Tianwang rights website, was formally arrested by the state prosecution office in Sichuan's provincial capital, Chengdu, in December 2016 on charges of "illegally supplying state secrets overseas." He has been held in the police-run Mianyang Detention Center for more than a year, sparking fears that he may be subjected to torture or mistreatment as police try to elicit a confession from him. The case is currently pending at the Mianyang Intermediate Peoples Court, but there has been no sign of progress towards a trial. Huang's defense attorney Liu Zhengqing, who visited his client at the beginning of this month, confirmed Pu's reports that Huang is suffering from edema, particularly in his lower legs. Fellow defense lawyer Li Jinglin said there is no basis whatsoever for the charges against Huang, which he said were "ridiculous." But he said he holds out scant hope for Huang's release. "The entire justice system is like this, so I think they will likely send him to jail," Li said. "If they let him out now, it would have to be because they have decided he is innocent. If they have indicted him, it means they will sentence him." Li said the authorities have refused to give out any details of the case against Huang to his lawyers. "They just ignore you; it's all behind closed doors," he said. "It's hard to get any of our questions answered." Deaths of political prisoners Activists say the ruling Chinese Communist Party appears in recent years to be deliberately accelerating the deaths of political prisoners. Nobel peace laureate and political prisoner Liu Xiaobo died last July, just weeks after being diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer, and repeated requests from his family to seek medical treatment overseas were ignored. And human rights activist Cao Shunli died in police detention on March 14, 2014, after repeated requests for her release to seek medical treatment. Cao was detained on Sept. 14, 2013, as she was boarding a flight to Geneva, where she was to attend a session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, where she hoped to participate in drafting Chinas human rights action plans and reports for its U.N. human rights reviews. Huang has already served a sentence of three years in prison from November 2011 after launching an investigation into shoddy school construction blamed for thousands of deaths during a massive 2008 earthquake. Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Authorities in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu have issued a statement from human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng, who was formally arrested last week on subversion charges, in which he fires his defense team, amid strong suspicions that he is acting under duress. Yu, who is being held incommunicado by authorities in Jiangsu's Xuzhou city, was formally arrested for "incitement to subvert state power" and "obstruction of officials in the course of their duty." "After careful consideration, I hereby dismiss the two defense lawyers hired by [my wife], Chang Boyang and Xie Yang," a handwritten statement shown to Yu's wife Xu Yan on reads. "I will in future be hiring my own defense lawyers, and request that my wife Xu Yan not hire any more lawyers for me," it said. Xu said she was allowed to speak briefly with Yu by video chat on . "I asked him whether they had told him when he could come home, but Yu Wensheng didn't say," Xu said. "He was pretty quiet on the question of his statement, too, but towards the end, when we'd been chatting awhile, Yu Wensheng repeated two or three times that he had totally lost his freedom and was incapable of doing anything." Xu said Yu had warned in a video recording and statement in that if he ever "lost his freedom" and fired his own lawyers, it should be assumed that he was acting under duress, or had been tortured. "If I lose my freedom, and if I sign any kind of statement, confession or guarantee in the absence of a lawyer, then none of the words in such documents can be taken to represent my true intentions," the recorded video statement said. "This statement was signed by Yu Wensheng on , 2015." Xu said Yu was likely alluding to that statement by the repeating the words "loss of freedom." "There is no way that I am going to accept that Yu Wensheng fired his lawyers of his own free will," she told RFA. Defense attorney Chang Boyang said the firing of the defense team fits a pattern employed by the authorities in the cases of a number of rights lawyers detained in a nationwide crackdown since . "It's still the same pattern," Chang said. "It's likely that Yu Wensheng has made some concessions, given his current situation ... so we don't recognize this statement they have put out; as far as we are concerned, it has no effect." Highly dubious statement Chang said he and Xie would continue to do their best to represent Yu's interests. "We are of the opinion that his actions don't constitute a crime," Chang said. "We will continue to do our jobs as his defense team." Xie agreed, saying the statement was highly dubious. "We expressed our doubts about the statement formally at the time, and we demanded a meeting with the authorities bringing the case, and with Yu Wensheng," he said. "They refused, in a very harsh and fierce manner." "We will be applying to the Xuzhou municipal police department very soon for a meeting with Yu Wensheng, so as to confirm whether or not he really meant what was in the statement," Xie said. Earlier this month, Xu Yan was herself detained and questioned by state security police in Xuzhou city suspicion of "incitement to subvert state power" for more than seven hours. Yu has been held for more than two months without access to a defense attorney, and has been identified by London based rights group Amnesty International as being "at risk of torture" while he remains in incommunicado detention. He was snatched away from his son by large numbers of police in a car park near his home and placed under criminal detention on Jan. 19, on suspicion of obstructing public servants in the course of their duties," and was later transferred from Beijing to Jiangsu's Xuzhou city with the addition of the more serious charge of incitement to subvert state power. China's embattled legal profession has been targeted with more than 300 detentions, summons, travel bans, and restrictions imposed on rights lawyers, activists and law firm staff since . Rights lawyers who accept politically sensitive cases, or who are publicly outspoken on behalf of vulnerable groups, have also been prevented from practicing law because their business licenses are being revoked during a newly instituted annual review process. Lawyers who try to defend clients held on suspicion of crimes ostensibly linked to state security concerns are also denied permission to meet with their clients, or are replaced by government appointed lawyers amid threats and pressure on the people who hired them. Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Ng Yik-tung and Lam Kwok-lap for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Myanmar Police Captain Moe Yan Naing (C) leaves court during the trial of two detained Reuters journalists in Yangon, April 20, 2018. Myanmars National Human Rights Commission said on Monday that it has asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to protect the rights of a detained police officer who testified on Friday that another police official had ordered the entrapment of two Reuters reporters investigating a military crackdown in Rakhine state. Police Captain Moe Yan Naing, who was serving in the the paramilitary 8th Security Police Battalion outside Yangon, told the city's Northern District Court on Friday that Police Brigadier General Tin Ko Ko ordered officers to set up reporters Thet Oo Maung, also known as Wa Lone, and Kyaw Soe Oo. Police arrested the pair on Dec. 12 on the outskirts of Yangon after they had dinner with two police officers who gave them classified documents about the crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine state. They were detained by the Home Affairs Ministry for violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act and formally charged on Jan. 10 with obtaining state secrets. They face up to 14 years in prison. The day after Moe Yan Naings sworn testimony, authorities ordered his wife and three children to move out of a police housing complex. At a press conference in Mandalay following the eviction, the officers wife asked the countrys top leaders for justice for her husband and for protection for the family, which is now staying with Moe Yan Naings father in Khin Oo township in Sagaing region. They [top-level police] are treating my husband unfairly and unjustly, Moe Yan Naings wife Tu Tu said. What my husband said at court was true, she said. Everybody in the 8th Security Police Battalion knows what he said is true, but they wont say anything if they are asked because they are afraid. In the meantime, Moe Yan Naing, one of two officers arrested on Dec. 12 for alleged involvement in the case, is being detained at the 8th Security Police Battalion, police spokesman Colonel Myo Thu Soe told RFA on Sunday. Since his arrest, Moe Yan Maing has been prevented from seeing his relatives. He faces charges for allegedly violating the British colonial-era Official Secrets Act and the Police Disciplinary Act. As a witness for the prosecution, Moe Yan Naing told the court on Friday that Tin Ko Ko, who was in charge of the internal investigation, ordered Police Lance Corporal Naing Lin to set up a meeting with Wa Lone and give him documents from the battalion. Moe Yan Naing said he himself met Wa Lone once on Nov. 23 at a teahouse to discuss police operations in Rakhine, but he was not among the officers when the two reporters were arrested. He also said he had never met with Kyaw Soe Oo. Yu Lwin Aung, a member of Myanmar's Human Rights Commission, talks to reporters at the commission's office in Yangon, April 23, 2018. Credit: RFA 'We can't interfere' Myanmar's independent human rights panel, consisting of 11 retired bureaucrats and academics, has taken up the issue of protecting Moe Yan Naing as a whistleblower. According to the law, we cant interfere in a court case, but we have been thinking about how to help Police Captain Moe Yan Naing, said Yu Lwin Aung, a member of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission. Based on a letter the commission received from Myanmars Committee for the Protection of Journalists on Monday morning, the commission prepared a statement to submit to the Ministry of Home Affairs, saying that it is following the case, he said. Though we cant interfere in the court case, nobody should be deprived of his or her human rights, such as the right to see family members and a lawyer, the right not to be subjected to torture, and the right not to lose ones health care, Yu Lwin Aung said. The commission will provide assistance to Moe Yan Naing to ensure that he is not deprived of his rights, he said. We requested that the ministry protect the basic human rights of Police Captain Moe Yan Naing and his family members, he said. It is possible that the ministry will pay a good deal of attention to it and work on it. Ye Htut, Myanmar's former information minister, noted the difference in the information from when the two reporters were arrested in December and the information that recently came out. It is time for the government and the Ministry of Home Affairs to consider very carefully about how to handle this case, he said. The grounds for the reporters arrests have been doubtful since the beginning, and that doubt is growing stronger now because of the police captains testimony, he said. The Myanmar Police Forces action to evict Police Captain Moe Yan Naings family is something that can cause people to lose their trust in the government and in the Home Affairs Ministry as well as harm the images of the government and the Myanmar Police Force. They cant hide it Legal and media professionals, who have said from the beginning of the trial that Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were set up by police, suggested that the case now be dropped. Attorney Kyi Myint told RFAs Myanmar Service that officials no longer can cover up the entrapment. They cant hide it anymore, he said. There are many implications in the country regarding this case after Police Captain Moe Yan Naings testimony. It will be the same in the international community. In my opinion, [military] authorities should withdraw this case as soon as possible. If not, their situation will get worse. Attorney Thein Than Oo pointed out that Win Htein, a former lawmaker and spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party, said the arrests of the two reporters constituted entrapment. And everybody learned what he said was correct after Police Captain Moe Yan Naings testimony, he said. In our country, we dont get justice for any case in which the Ministry of Home Affairs files as a plaintiff. We have to wait and see whether this case receives justice or not. At the time of their arrest, the two reporters were working on a story about the brutal murders of 10 Rohingya civilians from Inn Din, and the news agency later produced a gripping account of the killings by soldiers and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist neighbors. Myanmars military commander-in-chiefs office announced in April that seven officers and soldiers of other ranks involved in the killing of the 10 Rohingya had been sentenced to 10 years in prison following an investigation of the incident. In the meantime, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo remain in detention in Yangons Insein Prison until their next court hearing on Wednesday. Reported by Htet Arkar, Kyaw Zaw Win, Thinn Thiri, and Khin Khin Ei for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. KABUL -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says a deadly suicide bombing outside a voter registration center in the capital, Kabul, will not "weaken" the country's "democratic process." The bombing on April 22 in Dashte Barchi, a heavily Shi'ite-populated area in western Kabul, killed at least 57 people and wounded 119 others, although officials said the death toll could rise. The Islamic State (IS) extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack through its Amaq news agency. The Sunni group has frequently targeted Afghanistans Shi'ite minority, which its views as "apostates." Ghani condemned the attack but said it "cannot divert us from our aims or weaken this national democratic process." The government has set up more than 7,000 centers across the country to handle some 10 million voter registrations for upcoming elections. Election officials have acknowledged that security is a major concern as the Taliban and other militant groups control large swaths of the country, and some officials have speculated that elections could be delayed if there are major disruptions to the registration process. Several attacks on registration centers have already been reported since the process began on April 14 ahead of long-delayed parliamentary elections scheduled for October. That vote is due to be followed by a presidential election in 2019. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said a bomber on foot targeted a crowd that had gathered to pick up national identification cards. The blast killed at least 31 people and the dead and injured included many women and at least eight children, Public Health Ministry spokesman Wahidullah Majruh told RFE/RL. "There were women, children. Everyone had come to get their identity cards," bystander Bashir Ahmad told Reuters. The explosion left a blood-stained street littered with damaged cars, shattered glass, and rubble. U.S. Acting Secretary of State John J. Sullivan said in a statement on April 22 that he "strongly" condemned the attack and extended the U.S. governments "deepest condolences to the families of the victims who have suffered an immeasurable loss." "This senseless violence targeting innocent civilians exercising their fundamental democratic rights exposes the savagery and inhumanity of terrorists," he said. UN chief Antonio Guterres also condemned the attack, saying those responsible for planning it must be brought to justice. "They must not be allowed to succeed in deterring Afghan citizens from carrying out their constitutional right to take part in forthcoming elections," he said in a statement. Tadamichi Yamamoto, who heads the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said the attack "appears to be part of a wholly unacceptable effort by extremists to deter Afghan citizens from carrying out their constitutional right to take part in elections." Bilal Sidiqi, a spokesperson for Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission, told RFE/RL that "attacking civilians at a public place is as barbaric, criminal, inhuman, and illegal as it can get." Adding to the confusion on April 22, a NATO military convoy in the capital accidentally struck and injured a child, triggering protests that were quickly dispersed by police. NATO said the child had been taken to the hospital and was in a stable condition. With reporting by Radio Free Afghanistan, AP, AFP, Reuters, and dpa Two near-simultaneous Taliban attacks in Afghanistan's western Badghis province have killed at least 14 troops and police officers, Afghan officials say. Deputy provincial police chief Ghulam Sarwar Haidari said a large number of insurgents attacked Afghan Army troops in the Ab Kamari district, killing nine soldiers in that attack on April 23. At the same time, another attack by insurgents on police in the Qadis district killed five police officers, Haidari said. Sharafuddin Majidi, a spokesman for the provincial governor, confirmed the death toll. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far. Haidari blamed the Taliban who have stepped up their attacks on Afghan security forces across Badghis. On April 22, an Islamic State suicide bomber attacked a voter registration center in the capital, Kabul, killing 57 people. Based on reporting by AP and tolonews.com Armenian Prime Minister and ex-President Serzh Sarkisian shocked the country with a surprise resignation on April 23, in the face of ongoing protests against his continued role atop politics in that Caucasus nation. His abrupt departure, after a decade as president and a mere seven days as prime minister, caught many observers off guard. Sarkisian's statement announcing his resignation was brief and seemingly represented a complete capitulation to domestic critics, and perhaps raises as many questions as it answers for Armenia, which spent two decades after the breakup of the Soviet Union on a westward path before more recently developing closer trade and political ties to Russia. Here is Sarkisian's official resignation statement, annotated with some of what we know so far: Dear Countrymen, I am appealing to all citizens of the Republic of Armenia In a country of 3 million, Yerevan's street protests attracted only tens of thousands of people. But the numbers were climbing. But 8 million members of the Armenian diaspora were following events closely, and had joined protests remotely in some cases. The elderly and my dearest youth, Political veterans were leading these protests, but students and other young people in the capital had turned out in force. Men and women, I am addressing those who stood on the streets day and night with Reject Serzh calls and those who were reaching their offices with difficulty and carrying out their duties without complaining, Sarkisian ruled as president for a decade (2008-18), dominating political life and orchestrating recent reforms that transferred key powers to the prime minister before leaving the presidency in the care of a hand-picked successor and riding party loyalty into the PM's post on April 17. Street protests first flared up on April 13, ahead of Sarkisian's appointment as PM, with demonstrators vowing to block streets and key buildings in the capital with all-day marches that began modestly but gained momentum when Sarkisian was confirmed as PM. I am addressing those who were following the live broadcast for days, and those who were ensuring public order for day and night, RFE/RL and others were live-streaming the protests from the start, but Armenian state media initially gave the demonstrations considerably less coverage. Remarkably, police on April 20 essentially abandoned the streets of downtown Yerevan to the protesters. They returned to arrest dozens over the weekend. I am addressing our courageous soldiers and officers who are standing at the border, I am addressing my brothers in arms, While security forces appeared to be carrying out orders, the appearance of around 200 soldiers marching with protesters on April 23 marked a remarkable development and appeared to signal government vulnerability. The anti-Sarkisian troops were reportedly part of a contingent of military peacekeepers. Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian had accused regional arch foe Azerbaijan of taking advantage of Armenia's "internal political developments," even suggesting Baku had "amassed manpower, artillery, and military equipment" near the countries' disputed border. The two countries are still technically at war over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. I am addressing my fellow party members , all political forces , and politicians, A veteran Republican Party colleague of Sarkisian's, Armen Ashotian, quickly hailed his resignation as "a step of a statesman and a sign of political courage." But it is unclear whether Sarkisian's political allies had threatened to withdraw their support before the resignation. During his decade as president with a friendly or even pliant legislature, Sarkisian had clipped the wings of would-be rivals and was aided by his critics' inability to present a unified opposition front. I am addressing you for the last time as leader of the country. It is an abrupt exit after a decade in power. Sarkisian appears to be vowing to remain outside any transitional process. Nikol Pashinian was right. I got it wrong. The situation has several possible solutions , but I will not take any of them . That is not my way. I am leaving office of the countrys leader, of prime minister. Whatever reasons he might have for seemingly anointing 42-year-old lawmaker Pashinian, it is a stunning about-face to be hailing a rival whom he had walked out on a day earlier with the admonition that Pashinian's "7 or 8 percent of the vote" gave him "no right to speak on behalf of the people." Whether Sarkisian is referring to taking up the prime minister's post or specifically his government's tactics for countering the public protests, which included hundreds of arrests, this looks like an acknowledgement that his characterization of the dissenters as a mere "7 or 8 percent" was flawed. Armenian protests have petered out or been met with violence in the past. Sarkisian's predecessor as president, Robert Kocharian, ordered the forceful dispersal of protesters in 2008, when 10 people died and hundreds more were injured. The ruling Republican Party's parliament speaker, Vahram Baghdasarian, reacted to Sarkisian's exit by calling it a "smart, wise step that offered a chance to avoid dangerous consequences." The street movement is against my tenure. I am fulfilling your demand. Peace, harmony, and wisdom for our country. YEREVAN -- The resignation of Armenia's longtime ruler Serzh Sarkisian in the face of widespread street protests has triggered an outpouring of celebration across the country. "Dear proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia, you have won!" protest leader Nikol Pashinian told a cheering crowd of thousands gathered on Republic Square on April 23. He said there were no foreign countries involved in the protest movement and called it a "purely Armenian velvet revolution." Sarkisian, who last week was elected to the newly powerful post of prime minister after ruling for 10 years as president, in a dramatic turn of events earlier in the day had announced his resignation after previously rejecting demands that he step down. In a pointed and direct statement to the country on April 23, he said he was acquiescing to calls from Pashinian and the demonstrators the opposition lawmaker had led for 11 days and leaving office. "The movement of the street is against my tenure. I am fulfilling your demand," Sarkisian said in a statement on the prime minister's website. "Nikol Pashinian was right. I was wrong," he said, adding a suggestion that he did not want to resort to force to stay in office. "In the current situation there are several solutions, but I won't choose any of them," he said. "It's not my style. I am quitting the country's leadership and the post of prime minister of Armenia." WATCH: Armenians dance on the street at the news of Sarkisian's resignation The government named former Prime Minister Karen Karapetian, an ally of Sarkisian, as acting prime minister. Under Armenia's constitution, political factions in parliament now have seven days to put forward the name of a new prime minister. In his address on Republic Square, Pashinian said that the "revolution" must not stop with Sarkisian's resignation, but continue to "final victory." Pashinian said he planned to discuss a "peaceful transfer of power" with Karapetian on April 25, adding that snap parliamentary elections should be held "within a reasonable time frame." "I hope that the leaders of [Sarkisian's] Republican Party will unequivocally and unconditionally recognize the victory of the people's velvet, nonviolent revolution," he said. Pashinian also said that all the demonstrators who were detained or arrested during the protest movement must be released by the end of the day. Late on April 23, the Health Ministry said one demonstrator, a 36-year-old man, died of heart failure after a celebratory rally in Yerevan, AFP reported. Sarkisian was elected prime minister by parliament on April 17, eight days after his two-term presidency ended. His handpicked successor, Armen Sarkisian -- who is not related, was sworn in as president on April 9 after being elected by parliament. But under constitutional changes that Serzh Sarkisian pushed through in 2015, the prime minister is now more powerful than the president, who is more of a figurehead. Sarkisian had previously said he would not seek to become prime minster, and protesters were upset for his violation of that pledge, claiming the shift threatened to make the 63-year-old leader for life. The announcement came just hours after Pashinian and two other opposition lawmakers were released from police custody, a day after they were detained for their role in protests that had at times crippled the capital's streets and major roads leading to other cities. Protesters had also rallied in Gyumri and Vanadzor, the second- and third-largest cities in the country that borders Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Iran. The protests, which started mainly among younger Armenians, had been gaining in size and intensity. About 200 men wearing army uniforms linked arms had joined in the march on April 23, a sign of the increasing pressure Sarkisian faced. PHOTO GALLERY: Armenians dance in the streets The peaceful protests had roiled the former Soviet republic of about 3 million, a Russian ally in a volatile region plagued by the persistent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. The demonstrations were a relatively rare example of civil protest effecting major political change in the former Soviet Union. The spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry voiced solidarity with Armenia following Sarkisian's resignation. "A people that has the ability to maintain respect for one another and not divide even in the most difficult moments in its history -- despite categorical differences -- is a mighty people," Maria Zakharova wrote on Facebook. "Armenia, Russia is always with you," she added. In a statement, European Union foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherinis spokeswoman, Maja Kocijancic, said that a national dialogue involving all political stakeholders in Armenia was "crucial" to resolve the current situation quickly and peacefully. The president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Thomas Kent, called the attacks against three RFE/RL journalists during mass rallies in Yerevan over the weekend "unacceptable" and called for swift and appropriate measures to ensure the perpetrators are held accountable. "The fact that police have been among the perpetrators, or have abetted them, is especially disturbing," Kent said in a statement. On April 22, the U.S. Embassy to Armenia expressed concern over "reports of violence against journalists and demonstrators," and called for accountability for those responsible. Fears were building that the peaceful protests might turn violent, especially with police authorities arresting scores daily and issuing warnings that they would not tolerate unlawful rallies. Local news agency Armenpress quoted Georgy Kutoian, the director of the country's National Security Service, as saying on April 23 that the events "are already a serious challenge to our statehood." WATCH: Security forces detain protest leader Pashinian Sarkisian's shock move comes a day before Armenians hold annual ceremonies to honor the victims of mass killings in 1915 in Ottoman Turkey, which Armenia and some other countries consider genocide. Sarkisian and Pashinian tried to hold talks a day earlier, but they ended quickly with the prime minister accusing his opponents of "blackmail" and walking out after about three minutes. Pashinian accused Sarkisian of losing touch with reality and he urged his supporters to turn out in larger numbers for peaceful civil-disobedience protests across the country. He said that he told the president he would only negotiate with the government "the terms of Serzh Sarkisian's resignation and a peaceful transition of power." He also said that as long as the protests were peaceful, the police should not break them up. Before walking out, Sarkisian said that Pashinian's political alliance had "only six or seven percent of the vote" in parliamentary elections, and that he should not to speak on behalf of the people or issue ultimatums to the government. WATCH: Sarkisian walks out of meeting with Pashinian Critics say Sarkisian has brought Armenia too close to Moscow and President Vladimir Putin, with whom he has a close relationship. Armenia is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), two regional groupings that observers say Russia is using to try to maintain influence in the region and keep members from forging closer ties with the West. Putin also switched between the positions of president and prime minister to remain in power, becoming head of government in 2008 when he faced a limit of two straight terms, and then returning to the presidency in 2012. Another regional leader, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also changed positions, becoming head of state after years as prime minister. Erdogan also beefed up the powers of the presidency to tighten his grip on power. With reporting by Amos Chapple, AFP, AP, Reuters, and Interfax A day after the detention of protest leader Nikol Pashinian, thousands of antigovernment demonstrators have once again been taking to the streets of Yerevan, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian. Today marks the 11th day of mass rallies against Sarkisian's shift to the newly powerful prime minister's post, which put him back at the country's helm less than two weeks after his 10-year stint as president ended. RFE/RL's Armenian Service is live-streaming the protests, which you can follow here: The noise created by thousands of women banging pots and pans together in the Armenian capital late on April 22 could have been described as a cacophony. But for Yerevan city councilor Zara Batoian, the clatter that heralded Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian's resignation the next day was music to her ears. It was Batoian's idea to get people to create 15 minutes of noisy din starting at 11 p.m. as part of the mass antigovernment protests that erupted over the idea that Sarkisian would be prime minister just after serving two terms as president. Batoian, who heads a disability-rights group in Armenia called Disability Info, says she heard the sound of "inclusiveness." "I thought it would be a good idea to connect all the people who were not on the streets but wanted to participate in the protests," Batoian told RFE/RL on April 23, just hours before Sarkisian's surprise resignation. "I have a disability and I use a wheelchair," Batoian explained. "I know a lot of people who wanted to take part in the protests who were sitting at home, not by choice but because they couldn't go out. They also needed a way to be involved." For some, disabilities were preventing them from taking to the streets, she said. For others, it was Armenia's patriarchal society: "Many mothers and wives are expected to stay at home. They are not as free as men to go out for protests." 'Last Call' For Serzh Unlike other protest actions in Yerevan, Batoian's idea was not supported by a social media campaign. Instead, Maria Karapetian, a member of the Reject Serzh opposition initiative, announced the plan during an April 22 rally in Yerevan's Republic Square at 7 p.m. -- just four hours before the noise began. "Women, we need you to reinforce the peaceful nature of the protests," Karapetian told the rally. "We have been discussing the tools of peaceful disobedience today and Zara Batoian has suggested this tactic. Tonight, when we get home, everybody take your pots and pans out of your windows and ring Serzh Sarkisian's 'last call' at 11 p.m. -- for 15 minutes only, because we have to sleep peacefully after that." Batoian said the action was dubbed a "last call" protest in reference to Armenian students' tradition of celebrating the final school bell on their last day at university. She said that after more than a decade in power as president, it was time for Sarkisian to step down and let Armenia's next generation of politicians take over. "I think this kind of protest is the most inclusive action in Armenia," Batoian said, noting that she had seen YouTube videos of demonstrators in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal banging pots and pans during street marches. "It is a very new kind of protest for Armenia," Batoian said. "I couldn't imagine that so many people would join in from the first day." "Just before 11 o'clock, I could hear only voices from the streets outside," she said. "I didn't think a lot of people would join us. But when I came outside with my mother to take part in that action, there were so many people joining it. It was amazing." Armenian women had vowed to continue their kitchenware rally every night until Sarkisian announced his resignation. They didn't have to: Less than 20 hours after the inaugural "last call" demonstration, Sarkisian's website announced that he was stepping down from power. The demonstrators have defied a police warning following the arrest of protest leader Nikol Pashinian, the protest leader. The unrest was sparked by former President Serzh Sarkisian becoming prime minister -- after changing the constitution to transfer key powers from his old post to his new one. (Photos by RFE/RL's Amos Chapple) Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinian rejoined protesters in the streets of Yerevan on April 23 after he was released from custody following one day of detention. Pashinian has been leading the wave of protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian. A 10-month investigation by the Council of Europe has alleged that several members of the organizations parliamentary assembly broke ethics regulations and conducted activity of a "corruptive nature" in connection with Azerbaijan. The 219-page review released on April 22 claimed that Azerbaijan exerted undue influence in the assembly to minimize criticism of its elections and of alleged rights abuses. "In their activities concerning Azerbaijan, several members and former members of [the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe] had acted contrary to the PACE ethical standards," the report said. "The investigation body established that there was a strong suspicion that certain current and former members of PACE had engaged in activity of a corruptive nature," it added. 'Caviar Diplomacy' Critics have raised questions about PACE's weak response to alleged ballot-box stuffing and human rights violations in oil-rich Azerbaijan. PACE set up the probe in 2017 to investigate charges that former and current members had voted to soften criticism of Baku's authoritarian government in exchange for gifts of cash, caviar, carpets, and stays in luxury hotels in Baku -- a policy dubbed by critics as "caviar diplomacy." The investigation was conducted by retired judges from Britain, France, and Sweden. The judges said there were also substantial grounds to believe that a former Italian member and two former Azerbaijani members engaged in "activities of a corruptive nature." They said five former members of the assembly breached its code of conduct by carrying out lobbying activities on behalf of Azerbaijan after their term of office expired. Ten other members breached its code of conduct while serving on committees dealing with Azerbaijan or taking part in missions to monitor the country's elections. 'Torture', 'Inhuman' Treatment' The Council of Europe, created in 1949, is separate from the European Union and promotes human rights and the rule of law. The parliamentary assembly (PACE) consists of delegates from national parliaments in its 47 member states. In October 2017, PACE expressed concerns over Azerbaijan's "unprecedented crackdown on human rights" as well as checks and balances, and the functioning of justice in the country. PACE cited cases of "torture and inhuman or degrading treatment during arrest, in police custody, and in prisons, and the lack of effective investigations, violations of the right to a fair trial, and violations of the right to freedom of expression, association, and assembly." The head of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, Samad Seyidov, rejected the resolutions and denounced a "campaign of hatred against Azerbaijan" aimed at creating a "cleavage" between Baku and the Council of Europe. PACE is scheduled to begin its spring session in the French city of Strasbourg on April 23 and is slated to discuss the latest report. With reporting by AFP, dpa, and The Guardian A Belgian court has sentenced Salah Abdeslam, the main suspect in coordinated November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, to 20 years in prison after convicting him of the attempted terrorist murder of police officers during a shootout in Brussels in 2016. The verdict and sentencing on April 23 were not directly related to the attacks that killed 130 people in Paris. Abdeslam, 28, and his alleged accomplice, Sofien Ayari, a 24-year-old Tunisian, were tried on suspicion of shooting at Belgian and French police who raided a suspected hideout in a Brussels borough on March 15, 2016. Abdeslam was finally arrested on March 18, 2016, close to his family home in the poor Brussels area of Molenbeek. Ayari also received a 20-year term for attempted terrorist murder. Neither Abdeslam, who is being held in jail in France pending a separate trial over the 2015 Paris attacks, nor Ayari was in court in Brussels for the verdict. It is unclear when Abdeslam will face trial over the Paris attacks. Prosecutors say he is the lone survivor of an Islamic State (IS) suicide squad that carried out the bomb-and-gun attacks on November 13, 2015. Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP A senior U.S. official has told reporters that foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations remain determined to oppose Russias efforts to "destabilize" nations around the world. "There was a G7 unity on opposing Russia's malign behavior," said the State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity on April 22, the first day of the G7 foreign ministers' two-day meeting in Toronto. Nevertheless, the official said there remains an openness to talk to Russia over various important issues while still holding Moscow accountable for its destabilizing efforts around the globe. Reuters earlier quoted sources as saying the meeting's final statement would maintain an uncompromising line with Moscow, which the G7 has condemned for its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and for its backing of separatists in eastern Ukraine. "The language will be tough because of what the Russians have done until now," one source said. "But it can also be interpreted as leaving the door open." "We are saying to them, 'If you want to be treated as a great power, then work with us'," the source added. Reuters quoted a senior official from one G7 nation as saying the foreign ministers were concerned about what they viewed as a pattern of Russian misbehavior over the past several years. The G7 has also blamed Russia for a nerve-agent attack on a former Russian double agent and his daughter last month in Britain. Russia has denied involvement. Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin told his G7 counterparts that Russia was using his country as a test ground for its information war against Western democracy. "Fundamentally, Ukraine is perceived by many, and also by Russia, as a sort of test range for testing Russian nonconventional warfare -- hybrid war," Klimkin said while urging the West to take a stronger stand in resisting Kremlin efforts. Canada's top diplomat, Chrystia Freeland, had invited the representative from Ukraine -- which is not a G7 member -- to speak with the group's ministers. Freeland had pointed to Russian President Vladimir Putin as playing a major role in disrupting global affairs. She said G7 members had "reaffirmed our unity in support of Ukraine and a rules-based international order where state sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by all." The G7 ministers also discussed the 2015 nuclear deal between six world powers and Iran and efforts to seek a supplemental agreement that would satisfy U.S. President Donald Trumps demand to "fix" what he sees as flaws in the deal, the senior State Department official said. "We've been negotiating with the Europeans," a senior US official, accompanying Acting Secretary of State John Sullivan, told reporters. "We've made a great deal of progress, but we're not there yet." The G7 consists of the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan. With reporting by The Toronto Star, Reuters, AFP, and AP Iran has banned the use of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies by its banks and financial institutions. "The use of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in all the country's monetary and financial centers was banned," an April 23 statement by the central bank said. It said the decision had been made in December by the government's money-laundering committee and it was now being put into effect. The ban was necessary since "all cryptocurrencies have the capacity to be turned into a means for money-laundering and financing terrorism and in general can be turned into a means for transferring criminals' money," it added. Many Iranian individuals consider cryptocurrencies an alternative to overcoming difficulties related to international sanctions and the country's ailing financial institutions. With reporting by AFP and Reuters Disagreements over the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers are expected to be an important part of French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the United States this week. Macron arrived in Washington on April 23 for the three-day trip as U.S. President Donald Trump has set a May 12 deadline to either improve or scrap the deal providing Iran with relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its atomic program. The other powers in the deal -- Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia -- have urged Washington to remain in the pact, saying it is the best way to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. In an interview broadcast on April 23, Macron said there was no "Plan B" for keeping a lid on Tehran's nuclear ambitions. "Let's present this framework because it's better than the sort of North Korean-type situation," Macron told Fox News. He also said that that he wanted to "complete" the nuclear accord by addressing Iran's ballistic-missile program -- a key Trump demand -- and working to contain Iran's influence in the region. The U.S. president has said that Iran is violating the "spirit" of the nuclear agreement -- which was negotiated under his predecessor, Barack Obama -- by continuing to test ballistic missiles, sponsoring militant violence in the region, and by supporting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Trump has called on European powers to "fix" what he says are the "terrible flaws" of the deal, and demanded that new restrictions to be imposed on Tehran's nuclear and missile programs. Addressing a nonproliferation conference in Geneva, U.S. Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation Christopher Ford said on April 23 that the Iranian nuclear program remained "dangerously close to rapid weaponization." Iran has for years illegally and secretly sought to develop nuclear weapons, suspended its weaponization work only when confronted by the potentially direst of consequences without ever coming clean about its illicit endeavors," he added. Tehran has always claimed that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. It has also said it would stick to the accord as long as the other parties respected it. Ahead of Macron's visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on April 23 called on European leaders to "encourage President Trump not just to stay in the nuclear deal, but more importantly to begin implementing his part of the bargain in good faith." "President Macron is correct in saying there's no 'Plan B'," he also wrote on Twitter. "It's either all or nothing." Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations in Toronto, Canada, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on April 23 that Chancellor Angela Merkel will also urge Trump to stay in the Iran nuclear deal when she travels to Washington later this week. "We believe it is extremely important to uphold this agreement. Were it to fail or the U.S. to drop out, we would not have anything comparable to it and we fear that the situation would significantly deteriorate with everything that goes with it," the minister said. Also speaking to reporters in Toronto, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said there was "a strong view around the table that we need to make the case" for the nuclear deal. "We accept that Iranian behavior has been disruptive in the region, we accept the U.S. president has some valid points that need to be addressed but we believe they are capable of being addressed" inside the agreement, he said. In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said on April 23 that there was "no alternative" to the nuclear deal with Iran and that the agreement should be "honored by all parties." And during a visit to Beijing, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that he and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, agreed to "obstruct attempts to sabotage" the nuclear accord with Iran. Macron also wants to persuade Trump to exempt European states from metal tariffs that are part of the U.S. president's plan to reduce the country's trade deficit. Last month, Trump imposed tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on imported aluminum, but granted the EU a temporary exemption until May 1. Macron and Trump are also expected to discuss Syria, less than two weeks after the United States, France, and Britain launched air strikes in Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical-weapons attack that killed dozens in the town of Douma, near Damascus. Speaking on Fox News, the French president called on his U.S. counterpart not to pull troops out of Syria after the final defeat of the extremist group Islamic State, saying that would "leave the floor" to Iran and the Syrian president. Macron's visit is the first time Trump has hosted a state visit since he took power in January 2017. On April 23, the two are to share a private dinner at Mount Vernon in Virginia, the home of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Working meetings will be held on April 24 before a state dinner is held at the White House. Macron will address Congress the following day. With reporting by Reuters, AP, TASS, Interfax, and AFP Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic has launched an appeal of his 40-year prison sentence before a United Nations court and demanded a retrial, claiming that his original trial was a "flawed process" that "led to an unjust result." Addressing the start of a two-day appeal hearing by the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) in The Hague, Karadzic on April 23 called on the UN judges to overturn his conviction for atrocities committed during Bosnia-Herzegovina's 1992-95 war. The 72-year-old Karadzic told the five-judge panel that Serbian forces acted only in self-defense during the conflict, which ended with more than 100,000 people dead and some 2.2 million others forced to leave their homes. "There is so much evidence that our strategy was not offensive. Our strategy was defensive in all of Bosnia," he asserted. Karadzic and his legal team argued that prosecutors and trial judges committed a number of legal and procedural errors during his seven-year trial. Prosecutor Katrina Gustafson charged that "every one of [Karadzic's] grounds of appeal suffer from basic flaws," and that he "failed to show any unfairness." The prosecution is also appealing, asking the judges to increase Karadzic's sentence to life imprisonment. A verdict is expected by the end of the year. Karadzic was convicted in March 2016 of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, including the Srebrenica massacre in 1995, and sentenced to 40 years behind bars. The massacre of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys near Srebrenica is considered the worst mass killing on European soil since World War II. Karadzic was sentenced by the judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which officially closed in December. The MICT is handling outstanding UN war crimes cases for the Balkans and Rwanda. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and Balkan Insight Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow has not yet made a decision on whether to deliver advanced S-300 missile systems to Syria. "We'll have to wait to see what specific decisions the Russian leadership and representatives of Syria will take," Lavrov said on April 23 during a visit to Beijing. Lavrov had said in remarks published on April 20 that after U.S.-led air strikes on Syria this month, Russia no longer had a "moral obligation" to withhold the delivery of the missile systems to President Bashar al-Assad's government. He said that Russia had refrained from providing its Syrian ally with the systems in the past at the behest of Western countries. The United States and Israel are among the countries that had asked Moscow not to deliver such missiles. In the wake of those comments, the Russian daily Kommersant reported earlier on April 23 that Moscow might start supplying the air-defense missile systems to Syria in the near future. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman declined to comment on the Kommersant report, which cited unnamed military sources. Lavrov suggested that Russia is likely to announce it is sending S-300s if it decides to do so, saying there was probably "no secret" about the matter. The United States, Britain, and France fired more than 100 missiles at Syrian facilities on April 14 in response to what Western officials say was an April 7 chemical attack that killed dozens of civilians in the town of Douma, outside Damascus. Russia, which has given Assad's government crucial support throughout the seven-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, denies that a chemical attack took place in Douma despite substantial evidence. The World Health Organization has said 43 people who died in Douma that day suffered "symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals." The United States has accused Russia and Syria of trying to "sanitize" the site while delaying access by experts from the global chemical-weapons watchdog. With reporting by Reuters and TASS Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov is visiting Tashkent, part of a surge in diplomatic activity in Central Asia since the death of longtime Uzbek leader Islam Karimov in 2016. Berdymukhammedov began a two-day visit to the Uzbek capital on April 23. He and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev discussed economic, political, and cultural ties between the neighboring countries as well as regional and international affairs, Mirziyoev's office said. Sources close to the Turkmen government told RFE/RL that THE construction of the planned Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural-gas pipeline was on the agenda for talks during the visit. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the issue publicly. Economically struggling Turkmenistan hopes the pipeline will be built after years of discussion, proving revenues for the natural gas it produces. Berdymukhammedov last visited Uzbekistan in September 2016 for the funeral of Karimov, who ruled Uzbekistan with iron fist for more than a quarter century and was often at odds with other Central Asian leaders. Mirziyoev has said improving ties with Uzbekistan's neighbors is a major priority. He traveled to Turkmenistan in March 2017, in his first official visit abroad as president. The Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized countries has decided to create a working group to address what British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called Russia's "malign behavior." Johnson said on April 23 that the group would look at "Russian malign behavior in all its manifestations, whether it's cyberwar, whether it's disinformation, assassination attempts, whatever it happens to be, and collectively try and call it out." He spoke to reporters in Toronto, Canada, where the G7 foreign ministers wrapped up a two-day meeting that also included talks on the Iran nuclear deal with world powers, the seven-year conflict in Syria, and the nuclear standoff with North Korea. Along with Britain and Canada, the G7 also includes the United States, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan. Tensions between Moscow and the West have increased in recent years over Russia's aggression in Ukraine, its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and its alleged attempts to meddle in elections in Western countries. More recently, London blamed Moscow for the poisoning of a former Russian double agent and his daughter in Britain last month -- a charge that Russia denies. "We all share deep concerns about what we agree is unacceptable behavior including the despicable nerve agent attack in the U.K.," Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told a closing news conference. Freeland also said the G7 countries were "united" in their resolve to work together to respond to "this continued flaunting of international laws," adding that the working group would help democracies from being undermined. "Russia is so unbelievably clever at kind of sowing doubt and confusion and spreading all this fake news and trying to muddy the waters," Johnson said. "We think there's a role for the G7 in just trying to provide some clarity." On Syria, acting U.S. Secretary of State John Sullivan said that "Russia must be a constructive partner in Syria or will be held accountable." German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters that there would be "no political solution in Syria without Russia" and that Moscow "has to contribute its share to such a solution." The G7 ministers met in Toronto less than two weeks after the United States, France, and Britain launched air strikes in Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical-weapons attack that killed dozens in the town of Douma, near Damascus. With reporting by Reuters and AP Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has said that there is no alternative to the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and that the agreement should be observed by all those who signed it. "Russia unwaveringly calls for keeping the so-called Iran deal viable. We believe that it has no alternative and should be honored by all parties," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on April 23. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Iran signed with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany, put curbs on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. U.S. President Donald Trump has given the European signatories a May 12 deadline to fix what he calls the "terrible flaws" in the deal, threatening to effectively pull Washington out by refusing to extend waivers on U.S. sanctions if they do not do so. Peskov also said that Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron, who starts a U.S. visit on April 23 and will meet with Trump, agreed during a phone call that the deal should remain in force. Macron has been vocally backing the agreement, saying on Fox News on April 22 that it would be better to protect the Iran deal instead of getting rid of it. The Kremlin said that Putin had no immediate plans to discuss the JCPOA with Trump. "To my knowledge, no contacts are being planned on the level of the president for now," Peskov said. Based on reporting by Reuters, TASS, and Interfax ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- French President Emmanuel Macron is arriving Monday in Washington for the first state visit of a foreign leader since President Donald Trump took office. For the 40-year-old Frenchman, the three-day trip is an opportunity to demonstrate the strong relationship between France and the United States, but also to discuss the topics on which the two allies diverge. Strong, deep, old and solid, Nicholas Dungan, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a professor at Paris-based institute Sciences Po, said, describing the relationship between the United States and its oldest ally. This U.S. invitation is perceived by the Elysee Palace the French White House -- as an opportunity to celebrate 250 years of friendship between our two countries. Macron and Trump displayed their warm ties during last years Bastille Day celebrations in Paris. They are getting along, senior research fellow Marie-Cecile Naves of the French institute of International and Strategic Relations said, especially if you compare to Trumps relationship with other foreign leaders. The French and U.S. presidents recently proved their capacity to act together by striking the chemical facilities of the Assad regime in Syria during a military operation alongside the United Kingdom. There are also topics of disagreement, most notably the Iran nuclear deal, the Paris Climate Accord and trade. Such issues will be discussed during the visit, according to the Elysee Palace. Trump is due to decide in the coming weeks whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear agreement. What kind of progress France makes on this issue during the state visit remains to be seen. We will develop our arguments and try to convince, but we do not expect to make diplomatic breakthroughs, the Elysee Palace said. The French delegation is being cautious on the Iran agreement, senior research fellow Naves said, but Emmanuel Macron still hopes to persuade Trump to remain in the deal; it would be a big diplomatic victory for the French president. The state visit will also be an opportunity for Macron to introduce himself to the U.S. people. He will address -- in English -- a joint session of Congress Wednesday. He will send a message of friendship, respect and affection toward the American nation, the Elysee Palace said. Macron will host a town hall with George Washington University students the same day, allowing him to reach a younger U.S. audience. Emmanuel Macron has characteristics that are more classically American than French, the Atlantic Councils Dungan said. He is professional, rigorous and understands the value of work. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. A man in Tatarstan who complained that regional tax authorities and a bank did not provide services in the Tatar language has been charged with inciting ethnic hatred. Andrei Sheptitsky of the Investigative Committee's Tatarstan branch told RFE/RL on April 23 that the charge against Almaz Imamov stemmed from his social-media posts. Imamov said that in his posts, written in 2017-18, he criticized the federal authorities for "discrimination of the Tatar language and culture in Tatarstan," but never intended "to incite hatred." In late March, prosecutors in the city of Nizhnekamsk rejected a complaint by Imamov, who claimed that his rights were being violated because he was unable to receive services in his native language, Tatar, which is an official language in Tatarstan. The prosecutor's office said at the time that although both Russian and Tatar are official languages in the region, state bodies are not obliged to have their websites in Tatar. "If citizens do not [understand] Russian, they have a right to [communicate with] official bodies in Tatar," it said. But Imamov says his complaint was about general services provided by Sberbank and the tax authorities, and was not related any special case. In recent months, the language issue has been a subject of controversy in Russia's so-called "ethnic" regions, where indigenous, non-Russian ethnic groups are well represented. President Vladimir Putin said in July that children in these regions must not be forced to learn languages that are not their mother tongues, and ordered prosecutors to determine whether that was taking place. That led to abolishing mandatory indigenous-language classes in the regions. The move caused an outcry in Tatarstan and other regions where local languages have official status alongside Russian. U.S. authorities have demanded a nearly eight-year prison sentence for a Kazakh-born computer hacker, asserting that a harsh term would send a message to Russia's main intelligence agency about hacking and espionage. Federal prosecutors made the arguments in court filings in San Francisco ahead of the next hearing for Karim Baratov, who is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24. The U.S. prosecution against Baratov has yielded glimpses into how Russian intelligence agencies -- the Federal Security Service (FSB), first and foremost -- may use computer hackers in the theft of passwords, e-mails, and espionage. Baratov, who was born in Kazakhstan and was living in Canada at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to charges that he helped hack into Yahoo, affecting hundreds of millions of accounts in what has turned into the largest data breach in history. As part of his plea deal, Baratov agreed to cooperate with U.S. prosecutors in their investigation of the Yahoo hack. Two officers from the FSB have also been charged, along with another Russian hacker on the FBI's most wanted list. In the filings in San Francisco's U.S. federal court, prosecutors argued that Baratov had agreed to hack into Yahoo's servers sometime between January 2014 and December 2016 as part of a conspiracy overseen by FSB officers. Baratov, for his part, said he did not know the identities of the people who hired him to hack. One of the two FSB officers identified in court papers is Dmitry Dokuchayev, who worked in the FSB's Center for Information Security, the agency's lead cyberunit. In December 2016, four months before the U.S. indictments were released, Dokuchayev and his superior, Sergei Mikhailov, were arrested in Moscow and charged with treason along with a researcher for the private computer company Kaspersky Lab. The head of the Center for Information Security -- a senior veteran FSB officer -- was later reportedly forced into retirement. The timing of the arrests, along with the seriousness of the charges, has fueled intense speculation among cyberresearchers and experts on Russian intelligence agencies. The FSB, along with Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, have both been blamed for hacking campaigns that targeted U.S. political operatives, including the Democratic National Committee. In their San Francisco court filings, prosecutors asserted that a long prison sentence for Baratov would serve as a message to the FSB. "The fact that Defendant Baratov was hired and agreed to hack webmail accounts for an officer of the Russian FSB...underscores the need for a significant and strong message of deterrence," they wrote. "For cybercriminals like the defendant, there must be a significant sentence of imprisonment that accounts for hacking in such a prolific and indifferent manner that one is hired as a proxy for the Russian FSB," U.S. authorities said. Since the arrest in Moscow, little has been made public about the progress of the treason case against Dokuchayev, Mikhailov, and the others that have been charged. Defense lawyers involved in the case have also complained about a lack of information. But leaks to Russian newspapers have pointed to the possibility that the FSB officers were being targeted due to earlier cooperation with U.S. and other intelligence and law enforcement agencies in pursuing Russian hackers. Earlier this month, the Russian newspaper RBC quoted an unnamed security source as saying that Dokuchayev and another man, Georgy Fomchenkov, had entered a partial guilty plea to "passing evidence to foreign security services in an informal manner." Mikhailov, the newspaper said, was maintaining his innocence, as was Kaspersky Lab researcher Ruslan Stoyanov. With reporting by RBC North Korean leader Kim Jong-un explained that further tests were unnecessary because Pyongyangs nuclear capabilities had been verified.North Korea prepares for historic talks with South Korea and the US. Mr Kim is due to meet before his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in next week for the first inter-Korean summit in over a decad. This is very good news for North Korea and the World big progress! Look forward to our Summit. Mr Trump tweeted after the announcement. On Thursday, the US leader said there was a bright path available to North Korea when it achieves denuclearisation. China also welcomed the move, saying it would help ameliorate the situation on the peninsula. Mr Kim reportedly pledged to concentrate all efforts on developing a socialist economy during Fridays meeting. Possibly his personal invitation to Mr Trump to hold talks with him- as well as the commitment to freeze further nuclear tests is a real diplomatic masterstroke. By dangling before the US once again denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and moratorium on nuclear and missile tests, Kim seeks to weaken sanctions, pre-empt US military pre-emption, and condition the world into accepting North Korea as a legitimate nuclear state, says Prof Lee Sung-yoon from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. As the ageing Maruti Suzuki Gypsy is being phased out from the Indian Army fleet, Tata Safari Storme is slated to take its place. Tata Safari Storme Indian Army Edition was showcased at 2018 Def Expo held in Chennai where it was seen in army camouflage colors. Tata Safari Storme in Army matte green camouflage colors sported the GS800 label which stands for General Service 800, a specification for new lightweight personnel carriers that should have a payload of 800 kgs. Tata Safari Storme GS800, as seen at 2018 DefExpo is positioned on a shorter wheelbase. It gets a single cab design with its soft top flatbed at the rear for carrying personnel or Army equipment. All chrome accents on its exterior have been done away with so as to avoid reflection. There is also an antenna on the bonnet and rear end receives a large hook for towing of other vehicles. There is also a jerry can holder at the rear. Tata Safari Storme GS800 comes in with a strengthened chassis and suspension system. It also gets a better braking system to tackle added weight while the body is strong enough to withstand bomb blasts and small artillery. Engine specifications on the GS800 include the same 2.2 liter turbocharged diesel engine offering 154 bhp power and 400 Nm torque. The engine is mated to a 6 speed manual gearbox. It is a 44 drive system which is standard for all army vehicles so as to take on rough terrain. This 44 transfer case is from Borg Warner with shift on the fly function allowing the driver to toggle between 2 and 4 wheel drive modes via a rotary knob on the dashboard. Microbiologists have identified a component of a genetic switch, which they call a potential "Achilles' heel," for a type of bacteria often associated with wounded warriors. The switch makes it possible for Acinetobacter baumannii to change between a virulent, hardy form and an avirulent form that is better at surviving at lower temperatures outside a host. Defining the switch could map out targets for new antibiotics. The results are scheduled for publication in Nature Microbiology on April 23. Acinetobacter baumannii is sometimes called "Iraqibacter," because of its presence in soft tissue infections experienced by soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. However, it is an important pathogen is hospitals worldwide. In 2017, the World Health Organization named multidrug-resistant A. baumannii as one of its top three threats. Notoriously difficult to fight with disinfectants or detergents as well as antibiotics, A. baumannii is most commonly seen in ventilator-associated pneumonia or central-line-associated blood stream infections. Phil Rather, PhD, and colleagues from Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center found that A. baumannii bacteria rapidly changed between virulent forms and non-virulent forms. However, a "trick" of keeping the bacteria at a low density can prevent them from switching back and forth, Rather says. Colonies of the virulent form are opaque, compared with the translucent colonies of the non-virulent form; seen by electron microscopy, the virulent bacteria produce a thicker outer capsule. The opaque form is more resistant to hydrogen peroxide, disinfectants commonly used in hospitals and host defense molecules produced by the immune system. advertisement The researchers discovered that the translucent form of A. baumanii had a regulatory gene called ABUW_1645 turned on, while the opaque form had it turned off. Forcing bacteria to turn this gene on all the time disabled the switch: the bacteria were now stuck in the translucent, avirulent form. They were then more vulnerable to host defense molecules and disinfectants. "This switch could be an Achilles' heel for Acinetobacter," Rather says. "It could be the key for small molecules that could lock it in the avirulent state." ABUW_1645 looks like it encodes a DNA-binding protein, similar to another known to respond to the antibiotic tetracycline. It's not known whether ABUW_1645 has a "trigger" (ligand), but more investigation could show whether it is a potential drug target, Rather says. In hospitalized human patients with A. baumannii infections, the opaque form of the bacteria dominated, but a translucent form could be selected out in culture, which had ABUW_1645 turned on. The less virulent form of bacteria seems to be better at coalescing into biofilms at room temperature and at importing nutrients from the environment. Warmer temperatures found in a host turn off ABUW_1645 and activated switching to the virulent form. advertisement "We plan to investigate this switch in more samples from human infections," Rather says. In the paper, the authors note that human infections seem to select for cells that are best-suited for hospital persistence. This may account for the growing difficulty eradicating the bacteria as well as high virulence. Acinetobacter baumannii has been considered "nosocomial," meaning acquired in a healthcare setting. But community-acquired infections have been rising, they write. Collaborating with the lab of David Weiss, PhD, the researchers showed that the virulence-disabled bacteria could be used as a live attenuated vaccine in mice, protecting them against later infection by the virulent form. There are other components to the virulence switch, Rather says. Disabling ABUW_1645, as opposed to putting it in overdrive, does not impair the ability of the bacteria to switch forms. "That's our next step -- to go upstream," he says. "We are now studying other mutants that affect the switch." At the turn of the twentieth century, two independent marine scientists -- JR Henderson in 1888, and A Alcock in 1899, described two unusual blanket-hermit crabs from the Indo-West Pacific. Unlike other hermit crabs, these extraordinary crustaceans do not search for empty shells to settle in for protection. Instead, they have developed a symbiotic relationship with sea anemones to cover their soft bellies. To do this, the crabs use highly specialized chelipeds to pull back and forth the anemone's tissue to cover their soft bodies and heads whenever necessary -- much like hiding under a blanket. Among the numerous specimens collected during the famous HMS Challenger Expedition in 1874, there were two hermit crab specimens obtained from the Philippines. They amazed Henderson with their unusual physical characters, including an abdomen bent on itself rather than spirally curved, and the lack of any trace of either a shell or other kind of protective structure for their body. As a result, in 1888, JR Henderson established a brand new genus and new species for it as Paguropsis typicus. The ending of the species name was subsequently grammatically corrected to Paguropsis typica. A decade later, unaware of the previous discovery, A Alcock stumbled upon hundreds of hermit crab specimens off southern India, which exhibited quite spectacular behaviour. Having observed their symbiotic relations with sea anemones, the researcher also formally described in 1899 a new species and a new genus for his specimens. However, shortly thereafter and upon learning of JR Henderson's earlier work, A Alcock concluded that his hermit crab specimens and those of JR Henderson must be one and the same species, so the two scientific names were officially synonymized in 1901 in a publication with his colleague AF McArdle, with JR Henderson's name taking precedence as required by the principle of priority set forth in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. advertisement Now, 130 years later, an international team of scientists, led by invertebrate zoologist Dr Rafael Lemaitre of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, USA, not only found that A Alcock's Indian specimens were indeed a separate species, leading to the resurrection of its name as Paguropsis andersoni, but that blanket-hermit crabs are not as rare as previously thought. In their recent publication in the open access journal ZooKeys, the biologists described a total of five new species and a new genus of closely related blanket-hermit crabs. Furthermore, they expect that other species are to be discovered, since there are many vast marine shelf areas and deep-sea habitats spread across the Indo-West Pacific yet to be sampled. To develop their exceptional symbiosis with sea anemones, the blanket-hermit crabs have obviously needed just as extraordinary evolutionary adaptations. Perhaps the most remarkable of these are their specialized chelate fourth legs that allow for the crustaceans to effectively grab and stretch the thin-walled body of the anemones to cover themselves. For five of the species, the scientists report and unusual grasping shape for this cheliped that is reminiscent of bear claws, while in the other two the shape resembles ice-block tongs. Unfortunately, the identity of the sea anemone species involved in the symbiotic relationship with any of the studied blanket-hermit crabs is currently uncertain, and their biology remains unknown. So far, the genus described by JR Henderson as Paguropsis, contains five species distributed in the subtropical and tropical Indo-West Pacific, and living at depths ranging from 30 to 1125 m. These include the two species discovered in the 19th century, and three new species, one of which, Paguropsis gigas, is the largest known blanket-hermit crab that reaches a body size of 15 cm when fully stretched (a large size by hermit crab standards). For two of the newly discovered hermit crabs, the new genus Paguropsina is erected to reflect the numerous similarities between the two species and their Paguropsis relatives. The Latin suffix -ina refers to the comparatively smaller size of the two species. Both blanket-hermit species of Paguropsina are found in the subtropical and tropical western Pacific at depth between 52 and 849 m. "Here there is no shell to play the part of 'Sir Pandarus of Troy,' but the sea-anemone settles upon the hinder part of the young hermit-crab's tail, and the two animals grow up together, in such a way that the spreading zoophytes form a blanket which the hermit can either draw completely forwards over its head or throw half-back, as it pleases," Alcock once eloquently described his marine discovery. A machine learning method called "deep learning," which has been widely used in face recognition and other image- and speech-recognition applications, has shown promise in helping astronomers analyze images of galaxies and understand how they form and evolve. In a new study, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal and available online, researchers used computer simulations of galaxy formation to train a deep learning algorithm, which then proved surprisingly good at analyzing images of galaxies from the Hubble Space Telescope. The researchers used output from the simulations to generate mock images of simulated galaxies as they would look in observations by the Hubble Space Telescope. The mock images were used to train the deep learning system to recognize three key phases of galaxy evolution previously identified in the simulations. The researchers then gave the system a large set of actual Hubble images to classify. The results showed a remarkable level of consistency in the neural network's classifications of simulated and real galaxies. "We were not expecting it to be all that successful. I'm amazed at how powerful this is," said coauthor Joel Primack, professor emeritus of physics and a member of the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP) at UC Santa Cruz. "We know the simulations have limitations, so we don't want to make too strong a claim. But we don't think this is just a lucky fluke." Galaxies are complex phenomena, changing their appearance as they evolve over billions of years, and images of galaxies can provide only snapshots in time. Astronomers can look deeper into the universe and thereby "back in time" to see earlier galaxies (because of the time it takes light to travel cosmic distances), but following the evolution of an individual galaxy over time is only possible in simulations. Comparing simulated galaxies to observed galaxies can reveal important details of the actual galaxies and their likely histories. advertisement In the new study, the researchers were particularly interested in a phenomenon seen in the simulations early in the evolution of gas-rich galaxies, when big flows of gas into the center of a galaxy fuel formation of a small, dense, star-forming region called a "blue nugget." (Young, hot stars emit short "blue" wavelengths of light, so blue indicates a galaxy with active star formation, whereas older, cooler stars emit more "red" light.) In both simulated and observational data, the computer program found that the "blue nugget" phase only occurs in galaxies with masses within a certain range. This is followed by quenching of star formation in the central region, leading to a compact "red nugget" phase. The consistency of the mass range was an exciting finding, because it suggests the deep learning algorithm is identifying on its own a pattern that results from a key physical process happening in real galaxies. "It may be that in a certain size range, galaxies have just the right mass for this physical process to occur," said coauthor David Koo, professor emeritus of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz. The researchers used state-of-the-art galaxy simulations (the VELA simulations) developed by Primack and an international team of collaborators, including Daniel Ceverino (University of Heidelberg), who ran the simulations, and Avishai Dekel (Hebrew University), who led analysis and interpretation of them and developed new physical concepts based on them. All such simulations are limited, however, in their ability to capture the complex physics of galaxy formation. In particular, the simulations used in this study did not include feedback from active galactic nuclei (injection of energy from radiation as gas is accreted by a central supermassive black hole). Many astronomers consider this process to be an important factor regulating star formation in galaxies. Nevertheless, observations of distant, young galaxies appear to show evidence of the phenomenon leading to the blue nugget phase seen in the simulations. advertisement For the observational data, the team used images of galaxies obtained through the CANDELS project (Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey), the largest project in the history of the Hubble Space Telescope. First author Marc Huertas-Company, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory and Paris Diderot University, had already done pioneering work applying deep learning methods to galaxy classifications using publicly available CANDELS data. Koo, a CANDELS co-investigator, invited Huertas-Company to visit UC Santa Cruz to continue this work. Google has provided support for their work on deep learning in astronomy through gifts of research funds to Koo and Primack, allowing Huertas-Company to spend the past two summers in Santa Cruz, with plans for another visit in the summer of 2018. "This project was just one of several ideas we had," Koo said. "We wanted to pick a process that theorists can define clearly based on the simulations, and that has something to do with how a galaxy looks, then have the deep learning algorithm look for it in the observations. We're just beginning to explore this new way of doing research. It's a new way of melding theory and observations." For years, Primack has been working closely with Koo and other astronomers at UC Santa Cruz to compare his team's simulations of galaxy formation and evolution with the CANDELS observations. "The VELA simulations have had a lot of success in terms of helping us understand the CANDELS observations," Primack said. "Nobody has perfect simulations, though. As we continue this work, we will keep developing better simulations." According to Koo, deep learning has the potential to reveal aspects of the observational data that humans can't see. The downside is that the algorithm is like a "black box," so it is hard to know what features in the data the machine is using to make its classifications. Network interrogation techniques can identify which pixels in an image contributed most to the classification, however, and the researchers tested one such method on their network. "Deep learning looks for patterns, and the machine can see patterns that are so complex that we humans don't see them," Koo said. "We want to do a lot more testing of this approach, but in this proof-of-concept study, the machine seemed to successfully find in the data the different stages of galaxy evolution identified in the simulations." In the future, he said, astronomers will have much more observational data to analyze as a result of large survey projects and new telescopes such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope. Deep learning and other machine learning methods could be powerful tools for making sense of these massive datasets. "This is the beginning of a very exciting time for using advanced artificial intelligence in astronomy," Koo said. When endangered killer whales swim through the sheltered waters of Puget Sound, they leave behind traces of "environmental DNA" that researchers can detect as much as two hours later, a new study has found. The findings, published today in the journal Frontiers, are surprising and significant. They not only provide a new non-invasive way to study whales, they may help scientists locate cetacean species that are known but have rarely been detected -- including certain beaked whales. "If we can replicate this in the open ocean, it will be a game-changing advance," said Scott Baker, associate director of the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University and lead author on the study. "It's been well-established that you can follow a whale and capture some of its fecal plume before it dissipates. But this is completely different." "We were able to capture DNA in the water two hours after the whales had passed through, thanks to advances in genomic technology." Baker said that in addition to the obvious bodily functions of whales, the environmental DNA is probably shed from the spout or 'blow' and from skin. "Whales slough a lot of skin," he said. To test their methodology, the researchers traveled to the San Juan Islands -- a site known as a regular seasonal habitat of the endangered 'southern resident' community of killer whales. They collected water samples from 200 meters behind whales on 25 separate encounters then remained in place -- drifting with the tides -- after the killer whales moved on. They were able to capture environmental DNA in 68 percent of those encounters and it persisted up to two hours in some encounters. "On a couple of occasions, we drifted up to five kilometers, so there was a lot of water movement -- and we still got eDNA," Baker said. The ability to extract DNA from the water has several implications, the researchers note. It provides a new tool to complement acoustic and visual surveys to identify whale species and habitat. It may provide information about the origin of the whales -- the southern resident community of orcas in Puget Sound, for example, has a distinct DNA barcode from other populations. And it could help researchers locate rare or "cryptic" species of whales. "If this method works in the open ocean, which we still have to test, it will be a powerful tool," Baker said. "There are 23 species of beaked whale and some of them have never been seen alive. They have only been identified through skeletal remains. And four of those species were identified in the last decade, so there may be more out there." The researchers say that environmental DNA is probably too fragmented to provide information about the health, sex identification or individual identification of the whales -- at least, for now. "Technology is improving rapidly, so it may be a matter of time," Baker said. "And, of course, expense -- especially for research in the open ocean." Warmer springs create a "mismatch" where hungry chicks hatch too late to feast on abundant caterpillars, new research shows. With continued spring warming expected due to climate change, scientists say hatching of forest birds will be "increasingly mismatched" with peaks in caterpillar numbers. The researchers, from the RSPB and the universities of Exeter and Edinburgh, used data collected across the UK -- largely by citizen scientists -- to study spring emergence of oak tree leaves and caterpillars, and timing of nesting by three bird species: blue tits, great tits and pied flycatchers. They also tested a theory that some bird species in southern Britain may suffer most due to a greater mismatch effect -- but they found no evidence of this. "Forests have a short peak in caterpillar abundance, and some forest birds time their breeding so this coincides with the time when their chicks are hungriest," said Dr Malcolm Burgess, of the University of Exeter and the RSPB. "With spring coming earlier due to climate change, leaves and caterpillars emerge earlier and birds need to breed earlier to avoid being mismatched. advertisement "We found that the earlier the spring, the less able birds are to do this. "The biggest mismatch was among pied flycatchers -- as migratory birds, they are not in the UK in winter and therefore are much less able to respond to earlier spring weather." The study presents the first assessment of whether the mismatch effect is greater in southern Britain than the north. It has been suggested that northern bird populations may be "buffered" from the effects of climate change in this way. Dr Ally Phillimore, from the University of Edinburgh, said: "We found no evidence of north-south variation in caterpillar-bird mismatch for any of the bird species. Therefore, population declines of insectivorous birds in southern Britain do not appear to be caused by greater mismatch in the south than the north." Dr Karl Evans, from the University of Sheffield's Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, said "Our work suggests that as springs warm in the future less food is likely to be available for the chicks of insectivorous woodland birds unless evolution changes their timing of breeding." First leafing dates of oak trees were collected by citizen scientists coordinated by the Woodland Trust via Nature's Calendar, caterpillar abundance was monitored by collecting frass (droppings) beneath oak trees, and the timing of egg laying by blue tits, great tits and pied flycatchers were recorded by the British Trust for Ornithology's long-running Nest Record Scheme. The research team also included the universities of Durham, Glasgow, Oxford, Stirling and Cardiff. The paper, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, is entitled: "Tritrophic phenological match-mismatch in space and time." Teens who admit to texting while driving may be convinced to reduce risky cellphone use behind the wheel when presented with financial incentives such as auto-insurance apps that monitor driving behavior, according to a new survey conducted by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). However, while more than 90 percent of teens surveyed said they were willing to give up sending or reading text messages, almost half indicated that they would want to retain some control over phone functions such as music and navigation. Results of the survey are published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention. "More than half of teens in the United States admit to texting while driving, and this has become a significant public health issue leading to preventable deaths and disabling injuries," said study lead author Kit Delgado, MD, an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at Penn. "Our study suggests a promising strategy to curb this epidemic would include enabling a phone setting or third party app with automatic responses to incoming texts, but with navigation and music functions accessible, combined with financial incentives to sustain use." For example, Delgado suggests this could be accomplished by enabling the 'Do Not Disturb While Driving' setting on an iPhone to automatically turn on while the car is in motion and enrolling in an auto insurance program that offers financial incentives for using apps to track driving behavior, which have begun to emerge in the past year. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for American teens, and as cellphone use has become ubiquitous over the past two decades, texting while driving has become a significant factor in these accidents. Today, drivers 15- to 19-years-old are more likely than any other age group to die in crashes caused by cellphone-related distractions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recommended a "Driver Mode" on smartphones -- similar to the existing "Airplane Mode" -- to limit use while driving. Since last year, the operating system for iPhones, iOS, has had a "Do Not Disturb While Driving" mode that locks the phone screen, blocks incoming texts and sends automatic text responses, and limits incoming phone calls. But, the settings are optional. To better understand the barriers to widespread teen adoption of cellphone-limiting strategies, he and his colleagues decided to ask some teens. "Apps and settings aimed at reducing cellphone distraction while driving can only be effective from a population health standpoint if they are widely adopted," Delgado said. advertisement The researchers contacted the parents of adolescents who had previously been seen across the CHOP Care Network, and invited them to sign up their 16- and 17-year olds for a survey. The investigators ultimately received survey responses from 153 teens who met the study criteria, which included texting while driving in the past month and driving their own car. The vast majority of the teens indicated that they were "willing" or "somewhat willing" to give up reading emails (99 percent), social media apps (99 percent), sending texts (96 percent), reading texts (91 percent), and making or receiving non-hands-free calls (94 and 91 percent, respectively) while driving. Far fewer of them were willing or somewhat willing to give up music apps (55 percent) or navigation apps (40 percent). About half of the teens in the sample reported "high frequency" texting while driving -- defined as more than six days per month. These teens showed markedly less willingness to give up cellphone uses while driving. For example, 73 percent indicated they were unwilling to give up navigation apps compared with just 44 percent of the overall sample. The researchers asked the survey participants to consider several possible factors or strategies that could discourage them from texting while driving, such as an annual insurance premium discount, or a cash reward for every week in which they don't text and drive. Most of the teens indicated that financial incentives would be "very effective," but many (54 percent) also indicated that automatic phone locking while driving would work. All in all, the findings suggest that teens might widely and voluntarily adopt a "Driver Mode" app or phone setting that automatically blocks or limits text and call functions while allowing navigation and music functions, especially if combined with a financial incentive. "One scalable way to provide a financial incentive would be to offer teens auto insurance discounts, based on actual driving performance and phone use as measured by in-vehicle devices or smartphone apps, which are becoming more common and hold tremendous promise with the shift to usage-based insurance (UBI)," Delgado said. "These programs adjust insurance premiums and provide financial incentives based on directly observed driving behaviors. Our research team is currently conducting studies aimed at figuring out how to design UBI programs to sustainably reduce handheld cellphone use while driving." It's estimated that there are 16 million UBI subscribers currently in the U.S., which will increase to 60 million by 2023. Furthermore, Delgado says the industry is shifting from in-vehicle devices to smartphone apps that can now directly measure cellphone use while driving. When asked why they wouldn't want to use cellphone apps that monitor driving behavior, the survey participants cited an aversion to letting parents monitor their behavior -- which they believed such apps would facilitate -- as their top reason. A modest financial incentive may be enough to outweigh such concerns, Delgado said, though he noted that "we need a better understanding of how to design interventions that optimally balance parental engagement and acceptance by teens." Julian Schnabel paced back and forth across the Legion of Honors stone courtyard on a recent afternoon, giving pointers and volleying rapid-fire questions to the dozen or so crew members maneuvering cranes and scissor lifts to finish installing the artists monumental indoor-outdoor exhibition, Julian Schnabel: Symbols of Actual Life. Its Schnabels first show in San Francisco in 30 years (since a Centre Pompidou survey traveled to SFMOMA in 1988). Wearing a fraying navy blazer and his signature sky-blue-tinted glasses, Schnabel, 66, stepped into the neoclassical colonnade for a side view of Rodins Thinker in relation to his own 17-foot-high plaster sculptures Helen of Troy and Balzac, which has a tough-to-position tree branch sprouting from its head. Bronze versions of the sculptures on display were last shown, Schnabel said, on top of the Alps in 1989 in a famous, and famously extravagant, open-air exhibition in St. Moritz, Switzerland (where his son Vito now runs an eponymous contemporary-art gallery). That show marked the end of a decade of moneyed art-world excess during which Schnabel achieved (with fellow neo-Expressionists Jean-Michel Basquiat, Eric Fischl and David Salle) astronomical success with collectors, as well as a controversial reputation for his outsize ego. Mason Trinca / Special to The Chronicle He has divided critics from the start, yet through all the highs and lows, Schnabel never stopped painting, throwing big ideas (about time, and about abstractions push-pull with figuration) at ever bigger and less conventional canvases. I made (Balzac) in 1982, and I made these paintings last summer outside in Montauk (N.Y.). Its crazy how well the shapes all relate now, he said, looking at the six immense abstract paintings lining the Court of Honor. Their surfaces are repurposed Mexican tarpaulins that once covered a fruit stand in Troncones, Mexico, where Schnabel, who has been surfing since he was a teenager in Texas, has a house. But I keep wondering if we should swap these two. What do you think? How hard would that be? Schnabel asked the foreman, suddenly fixated on whether three colossal purple paintings, 24-by-24-foot fields of color, interrupted by whimsical white gestures in gesso, were sequenced to maximize their visual appeal from every angle. Schnabel took his iPhone out of his pocket to FaceTime actor Gary Oldman (who played Schnabel in his 1996 film Basquiat). Hes a really good friend, I want him to see it, Schnabel said, swiveling his phones camera lens back and forth from his face to his art and back again while talking. A few minutes later, Schnabel called his girlfriend, Swedish interior designer Louise Kugelberg, for another opinion. Louise and I do everything together, he said, including working on his much-anticipated fifth feature film, At Eternitys Gate, a van Gogh drama starring Willem Dafoe, with Oscar Isaac as Paul Gauguin. The Review Julian Schnabel's fashionable Legion debut Mason Trinca / Special to The Chronicle She put the Avid (film-editing software) on her computer, so we can work wherever we go. We were just editing the movie on the airplane. Done with his calls, Schnabel said, Maybe the paintings actually are perfect right now. Maybe thats the problem. You know what? Its a win-win for me. If I win, I win. And if I lose, I win. It was a fitting moment of restless inquiry giving way to frank bravado from a man who has been lauded and questioned in equal measure over a bold 40-year career dating to his groundbreaking first show of broken-plate paintings with Mary Boone in New York in 1979. In recent years, Schnabel has received near unanimous praise as a filmmaker. He received an Oscar nomination for his 2007 movie The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, about a paralyzed editor of French Elle. Its a lot easier for people to talk about movies. We all have the vocabulary, Schnabel said, but when you stand in front of one of these paintings, what do you want to say about it? Most people dont know. They dont understand what it is to be an artist. Ive always seen Julian as an extraordinary painter, one of the leading and most challenging artists of his time, said Max Hollein, director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. He spoke the day after the announcement of his selection as the Metropolitan Museums new director. Mason Trinca / Special to The Chronicle Its one of those great moments when the good guy actually gets the prize, which almost never happens, said Schnabel, who has known Hollein for more than 20 years. In 2016, Hollein invited Schnabel to visit the Legion to discuss a potential exhibition, with the goal of increasing the Legions contemporary-art profile (like last years Sarah Lucas show) and giving people here in San Francisco the chance to take a deeper look at Julians work and see for themselves whether it corresponds with their preconceived ideas. Many people have strong opinions about Julians work, fixed notions based on a vague idea of his larger-than-life personality or his role in the 80s, and yet many of them havent seen the work, maybe just some reproductions, Hollein said. Because his work is so much about scale, proportion, the architectural space it inhabits, maybe even more than with some other artists, it must be experienced (in person). His paintings are not a window to another world, but instead an environment that embraces you. Inside the Legion, eight large-scale paintings dating to 1990 are on view in the Spreckels Gallery and Shorenstein Court: Two triangular paintings from Schnabels Jane Birkin series, painted on Egyptian felucca sails, and his flamboyant Goat paintings, begun as a posthumous tribute to artist Mike Kelley. The three 13-foot-wide canvases feature a surreal taxidermy goat from Schnabels studio, with a stuffed rabbit on its head (I dont know why. Somebody put it there and I liked it, he said). The image is superimposed over reproduced 19th century Dufour wallpaper he bought at Sothebys and then painted over in Venetian Red and white. And then I washed it with a hose. Schnabel recently had a major retrospective at the Aspen Art Museum and has upcoming shows at Pace Gallery in London and the Musee dOrsay in Paris. Numerous recent articles have referred to the San Francisco exhibition as part of a Schnabel renaissance. I dont see it that way, said Hollein. The media said the same thing when we did his Frankfurt show (a 2004 retrospective at Schirn Kunsthalle). But, Julian has never gone away. Hes been successful all along. I dont read anything thats written about me, positive or negative. You cant be too concerned with those things, said Schnabel, sounding older and mellower than he was a decade ago when he tore into Morley Safer on 60 Minutes for bringing up a particularly dismissive critic. I never thought Id do anything else but make art, said Schnabel. Ive never stopped doing what I do. Jessica Zack is a freelance writer who frequently covers film, art and books for The San Francisco Chronicle. Twitter: @jwzack Julian Schnabel: Symbols of Actual Life: April 19-Aug. 5. Legion of Honor, Lincoln Park, 100 34th Ave., SF. (415) 750-3600. www.famsf.org. When LeeAnne Walters noticed a rash on her 3-year-old twins in 2014, she did what most moms would and booked a doctors appointment. The hospital said the boys must have scabies a highly contagious itchy mite infestation. Then Walters eyelashes started falling out, and she and her children lost whole clumps of hair when they showered. That December, the water from their kitchen sink turned brown. For Walters efforts in the years since including exhaustive citizen research that helped expose the water crisis in Flint, Mich. she will be among those who will receive the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize on Monday night at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. The honor is conferred on those deemed grassroots environmental heroes. But before becoming an environmental champion that winter, Walters was a concerned parent who made a call to her city officials in Flint, asking them to come out to test her water. It wasnt until February 2015 that someone actually did. The result: Her waters lead levels exceeded 100 parts per billion. Anything above 15, and the federal government recommends taking action. For months, in the face of stonewalling and false reassurances from state and local officials, Walters embarked on a campaign to collect and test water samples from across the community. She ultimately got more than 800 samples with a 90 percent response rate from households. The results showed the water in 133 homes had levels more than twice the level considered hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency. One of Walters sons was diagnosed with lead poisoning. Through the activism of Walters and others, Flint became a national flash point on such issues as environmental racism and social justice. The state of Michigan says Flint water is now safe to use, though residents and activists dispute that. Walters, who now lives in Virginia, still travels back to Flint for two weeks each month to help residents test their water quality. The Goldman prize was established in 1989 by San Francisco philanthropist couple Richard and Rhoda Goldman, now deceased. This years other award winners are: Khanh Nguy Thi of Vietnam, who worked with the government to stop the expansion of coal-fired power plants and create a plan to develop renewable energy. She is credited with helping Vietnam chart a path toward sustainable energy independence. Claire Nouvian of France, who won a legal battle and public awareness campaign against a supermarket chain that had relied on deep-sea bottom trawling for catching fish, which razes entire marine ecosystems. Her work helped lead to a ban on the practice across the European Union. 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. Francia Marquez of Colombia, whose activism helped end illegal gold mining in her hometown, whose water was being polluted with toxic chemicals from a multinational company. She led protests and a 10-day march spanning more than 200 miles to Colombias capital to spur the government to act. Makoma Lekalakala and Liz McDaid of South Africa, who together exposed a secret deal between South Africa and Russia that would have dramatically increased their countrys nuclear power production. The deal was valued at more than $70 billion. Along with their activism and advocacy on the issue, they won a case at the nations high court, showing that the agreement was unlawful. Manny Calonzo of the Philippines, who studied the lead content of paints across the country. His work helped persuade the government to ban lead paint and create strict standards for paint used in schools. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov Goldman Environmental Prize winners California Highway Patrol / A sedan overturned and came to rest on its roof in the bushes off of Highway 24 in Walnut Creek early Monday, authorities said, resulting in traffic delays. The vehicle landed on its roof just before 6 a.m. near the Mount Diablo Boulevard on-ramp, according to the California Highway Patrol. Carl Hall stopped in at his independent bookstore, Christophers on Potrero Hill, and was surprised to discover that the new James Comey book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership, was selling like coldcakes. Hall, a loyal customer, was moved to buy a copy. Store owner Tee Minot said people have been asking about the book, but not buying it, in contrast to the demand for Michael Wolffs Fire and Fury. I think people wanted the gossip of Fire and Fury, she said. I almost think there was too much of a media blitz for this book. All the juicy parts have already been excerpted or talked about on TV or in interviews. ... Probably some of the things Comey is talking about are incredibly on target. But we all know them already. I checked a few places around town. In two days, Green Apple had sold 11 copies, a healthy number but nothing like Fire and Fury, which sold out of the first order in hours, said used book manager E.H. Mann. We literally had a wait list. Mann said that the response of Donald Trump himself may have spurred sales of the Wolff book. I think the White House came out stronger against the Fire and Fury book, and further in advance. They literally just started out after the Comey book less than a week ago. In Laurel Village, closest perhaps to the neighborhoods that might include the largest (although small in S.F.) proportion of Trump supporters, manager Ingrid Nystrom also said the Comey book is doing well, but sales do not compare to those of Fire and Fury. The first hour we had Michael Wolffs book, we sold as many as weve sold (of the Comey book) for the last three days. Why? Weve been hearing the Comey story for a while. Theres a gossipy-ness about the Michael Wolff book that makes it doubly horrifying and fun to read. With the Comey book, readers think, I am going to have that with a cup of coffee, she said. With the Wolff book, theyre going to have it with a cocktail. Civic benefactor is such a dry term; how about San Francisco cheerleader? Native daughter Ellen Newman threw what she called a friendship party last week, and pals board members, fundraisers, donors, spirit leaders, fellow San Francisco team members with whom shed shared her love of the city gathered to toast her and attend a performance of her beloved Beach Blanket Babylon (which ended with its traditional big hat decorated with greetings to the hostess). This was not a birthday party, it was said, but noting that shed been at every opening day and every spring training for the last 60 years, the Giants Larry Baer presented her with a jersey with a significant number on the back. And San Francisco Symphony maestro Michael Tilson Thomas sang his tribute to the tune of Hey, Look Me Over (Our Ellen Newman/ Shes superhuman ...). Thomas said the next morning that when he and Joshua Robison arrived in San Francisco, Newman had swept them up, giving them a grand tour of the city, sharing its best views and sparkling places that were her favorites. There are big thoughts and big purposes in her mind, he said, but the way shes accomplished things is with a spontaneous joie de vivre. You cant learn that. Education, health care, homelessness, housing, immigration, the environment: The issues are familiar, as sprawling as the state of California. Over heaping platters of chicken and halibut at lunch on April 16, a team from CALmatters editor and CEO David Lesher, opinion columnist Dan Walters and political reporter Laurel Rosenhall addressed the Monday Group, which convenes to hear speakers. Lesher cited stats: 23 percent of Californians live in poverty, and 60 percent of the kids in public school qualify as poor. Walters talked about the effect of a two-step vote, primary before final, on the results; and Rosenhall tackled the role of special interest groups, the splits for instance, between pro-labor and pro-business Democrats. The state of the state, as Jerry Brown prepares to step down: uncertain, and disquieting. P.S.: Not afraid to count, Gar Smith received his copy of the June ballot and discovered 27 candidates for governor and 32 for senator. Most interesting-sounding name in the governors race: Thomas Jefferson Cares. Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @leahgarchik Public Eavesdropping If you keep cradling that ketchup bottle like a baby doll, you will definitely be sorry if the lid flips open. Among the tremendous lineup of thrillers at the Stanford Theatre this spring (including Psycho, The Innocents, and Diabolique), one towers above all the rest: The Night of the Hunter (1955). If you have not seen or heard of this Southern Gothic fairy-tale horror, cancel all appointments and make plans to see it at either of its 7:30 p.m. showings on Wednesday, April 25, or Thursday, April 26 (in its natural 35mm habitat). The Night of the Hunter is a chilling and gorgeous masterwork, a cozy piece of terror that everyone should know and fear. There are at least four masters of suspense at work here: director Charles Laughton (his only credited directed movie), novelist Davis Grubb (writing in the unsentimental Southern Gothic tradition of Flannery OConnor and William Faulkner), the insanely prolific writer James Agee, and actor Robert Mitchum in one of American cinemas most terrifying yet sexiest star roles. Unfortunately, the film they ended up making was so unique, so weird, that the studio (United Artists) didnt know how to promote it. How would you sell a romantic, religious riff on a Grimms fairy tale in the guise of a crime thriller? So in 1955, Hunter failed with critics and audiences. Agee died of a heart attack at age 45 before he could see the final work. And a disheartened Laughton never directed another film before he died in 1962. Time, however, has confirmed its rightful place in the canon of film greats. Grubbs novel (1953) is set in the 30s during the Great Depression and tracks two cute Southern kids, John and Pearl, and their attempts to escape the clutches of Harry Preacher Powell (Mitchum), a serial killer who preys on vulnerable widows. Preacher Powell is he even a preacher? has busted out of prison, in search of the $10,000 that his cellmate (Peter Graves) has hidden on his family farm. Only the cellmates son, John, knows where the loot is stashed. Preacher insinuates himself into the cozy Southern community, seducing the citizens (including the kids mother, played by Shelley Winters) with his smooth Elmer Gantry patter. As Pauline Kael wrote, he is a Pied Piper in reverse, fooling the adults, whose eyes have been dulled to hokum, but not the kids, whose eyes are not jaded, who are innocent and therefore more alert. Eventually, John and Pearls fright-filled odyssey takes them along the Ohio River. They find shelter with a lonely old woman (silent-screen legend Lillian Gish) who runs a makeshift home for orphans, wild girls and boys of the road. Grubbs novel was so funky and weird, it posed a challenge to Hollywood: Try turning this into a movie. Lucky for Grubb and lucky for us, the job got done, thanks to Laughton and Agee, who knew how to translate Grubbs world into the language of cinema. Laughton was attracted to the sheer perversity of the scenario; in interviews, he said he wanted to make a nightmarish sort of Mother Goose story. Agee grew up in east Tennessee and was intimately aware of the terrain mapped out by Grubb, a West Virginia man. Agee also was a film critic, as well versed in cinema as he was in the Bible. Together with cinematographer Stanley Cortez (who shot Orson Welles The Magnificent Ambersons and Sam Fullers Shock Corridor!), they came up with ultra-eerie black-and-white images that flow like lines of verse coated with mercury and molasses. The closest blood cousin to Hunter is not really classic film noir, but rather David Lynchs surreal horror classic Eraserhead (1977), both films in which the black-and-white worlds created look like extensions of our most perverse nightmares. All the films terror traces back to Mitchum, in the role he was born to play. His booming swing-low voice (Preachers chief weapon) makes every space he invades a pulpit or a church concert. But the voice breaks down during several key points to reveal his true nature: a wretched beast crawled out from the muck of the Ohio River. We hear fleeting glimpses of the beast when Mitchum screeches like a banshee in the river when John and Pearl escape aboard a boat (a scene of breathtaking beauty), or when he manically whoops after being wounded by Gish and her shotgun. Once youve heard his guttural cries, youll never forget them. Mitchums performance has become legendary in the annals of movie acting. His famous Left Hand, Right Hand sermon was so riveting that Spike Lee transposed it nearly word for word to a scene in Do the Right Thing (1989). Lees point was not to quote or deconstruct in a hip postmodern vein (like Quentin Tarantino), but to highlight the complex struggle of morality suggested by Preachers sermon. The thesis of love always fights the antithesis of hate, but there is never a synthesis that joins the two. They are doomed to fight forever. This struggle results in endings for both films that cannot be pigeonholed to a happy ending/sad ending binary. With Hunter, Laughton ends on a deceptively upbeat note. Its Christmastime, Gish and the orphans have conquered evil, and she recites a classic Sunday school lesson: Lord save little children. The wind blows and the rains are cold. Yet they abide. And they endure. But these visuals are offset by the soundtrack, where Preachers theme a series of sinister horn notes returns in full blast. The sound clues us in: Preachers spirit will always be there, malignant, waiting. Though children endure today, they cannot endure forever. Carlos Valladares is a Bay Area freelance writer. Email: cvalladares0896@gmail.com Twitter: @cvalladares0896 Letterboxd: cvall96 The Night of the Hunter in 35mm: 7:30 p.m. Wed.-Thurs., April 25-26. Plays on a double bill with Ted Tetzlaffs The Window (1949). $5-$7. The Stanford Theatre, 221 University Ave., Palo Alto. (650) 324-3700. www.stanfordtheatre.org. SACRAMENTO California prison inmates are offered training in automotive repair, cosmetology, construction and other fields as part of their rehabilitation. Then, when they get out, state licensing boards often bar them from those professions because of their convictions. Some Democratic lawmakers want to change that, saying that if California is truly interested in rehabilitating inmates, it needs to make it possible for them to get jobs. Everyone deserves a chance to make a living, Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, said Monday. We cant just say we want to rehabilitate people and then block them from the jobs they desperately need to turn their lives around. Chiu said California has made strides in removing barriers for ex-convicts, citing a ban on asking job applicants about their criminal history. Letting them into professions that require state licenses is the next step, he said. Nearly 30 percent of jobs in California, encompassing almost 1,800 occupations, require some kind of license or certificate to practice. Those are granted by state oversight boards or agencies. Chiu said too many people with minor offenses are being turned away. Jael Myrick of the East Bay Community Law Center said the group has helped people whose license applications were rejected simply because they had been arrested, without ever being convicted. He pointed to data from the National Employment Law Project showing that after six years without a new conviction, a person is only marginally more likely to commit a new crime. So continuing to hold people back for crimes that are six, seven, eight, 10, 20 years old does not actually make sense, Myrick said. Chiu, Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena (Los Angeles County), and Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes, D-Grand Terrace (San Bernardino County), announced three bills Monday that would bar licensing boards from using convictions for nonviolent offenses that are more than five years old to deny an application. The bills, which target different licensing boards, would still allow for denials based on violent offenses or in cases where the conviction was related to the profession for which an applicant is applying. Chius bill, AB2138, would create the new requirements in the Department of Consumer Affairs, which oversees licensing agencies for professions including auto repair, nursing and construction. The bill is opposed by the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association of California and several other groups. They argue that the State Contractors Licensing Board, which oversees their industries licensing, has a strong record of approving applications. Only 314 applications have been denied because of criminal convictions since 2005 out of the 176,668 received, the contractors association said. The board has been judicious in how they have denied application, said Deborah Maus, the contractors associations executive vice president. 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. AB3039 by Holden would apply to the Department of Social Services, which licenses home care aides and certifies people who want to operate child care centers and residential care facilities for the elderly. The California Child Care Resources and Referral Network said in a letter opposing Holdens bill that the Department of Social Services should be able to look at past convictions, no matter how long ago, particularly in an industry where a childs well-being is at stake. AB2293 by Reyes would allow former inmates who completed the California Conservation Camp program to be eligible for firefighting and emergency medical technician licenses. Reyes said that when fires ravaged the state last year, thousands of inmates in the conservation program were on the front lines risking their lives. Once their sentences are complete, however, its nearly impossible for these individuals to gain employment as professional firefighters, she said. The Emergency Medical Services Administrators Association of California and the Emergency Medical Directors Association of California oppose the bill, arguing that it puts the public at risk. Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez We are two moms and a dad trying to raise kids in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Every day we see the effect this is having on families at all income levels at our childrens school and how devastating it is to our most low-income families. Last month, one of us saw a mother scolding her two kids not to run in the playground after school. When we asked why, she shared that she didnt want them to get dirty because they are living in their car and cant bathe or easily wash clothes. It was heartbreaking to hear. One of us knows a mom of three who stayed in an abusive relationship because she felt she had nowhere else to go she and her kids lived with him. At one point, her third-grader started to kick the walls of his classroom. It pains us to think of the trauma that this child was going through. And one of us was told by a teacher that an 11-year-old sixth-grader recently told her, I dont do homework, because I dont have a home, leaving the teacher in tears because she cant meet this childs needs. These are the stories of classmates of our children at Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Community School. To get a spot in one of the citys family shelters, we are told our families in need have to go through an intensive eligibility process and the average wait is 111 days. Families often call in daily waiting endlessly on hold and hoping a spot opens up. There are not enough family shelter beds in the city to serve the large and growing population of unstably housed children. There are 2,000 across the San Francisco Unified School District, more than 60 of whom attend our school. We see how this crisis in housing leads to stressed out, exhausted students. And when our childrens classmates are this vulnerable, their emotions spill over to the rest of the class, affecting the learning environment for all of the students, including our children. This is why we are so proud that our principal, Richard Zapien, is proposing a new Stay Over Program, and inviting up to 20 Buena Vista Horace Mann kids and their immediate families at a time into our school to spend the night. One hundred percent of the teachers at the school support this proposal. The Stay Over Program would be funded by the citys Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing an entirely different budget and source of funds than the school district. This program would operate from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. in the school gym and would be run by a nonprofit agency through a contract with the city, with staff and security on site at all hours, and hot meals, laundry and custodians provided. Some question whether it is the role of a public school to provide housing for families in crisis. In a city as wealthy as San Francisco, it should not be. But we cannot wait years for the city to house all our families in need and, in the meantime, watch our students suffer. As parents, we fully support taking action now to provide a temporary safe place for our students and their families to sleep while they seek stable, permanent housing. Our families are facing a crisis weve never seen on this scale. Housing costs are way out of sync with family incomes. Our childrens schoolmates need a place to sleep and we have that space available. What kind of community school would we be if we didnt reach out a hand to our kids? As parents at Buena Vista Horace Mann, we want to work together with our entire school community to support providing safe and stable housing for all our children so that they are able to come to school every day as engaged, joyful and successful learners. This is who we are. Irma Nunez, Efrain Barrera and Annie Jupiter-Jones are Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Community School parents. Nunez is a former president of the Parents and Teachers Association; Barrera is president of the School Site Council. In the end, those dazzling blown-up photographs of company members hanging in the lobby of the War Memorial Opera House told the story: The San Francisco Ballets Unbound: A Festival of New Works is as much about the artists who animate these 12 world premieres as it is about the artists who spin the choreography from their creative centers. Of course, if we judge the six premieres unveiled during the festival on Programs A and B, Friday and Saturday, April 20 and 21, one thing is certain. It is these choreographers, only one of them also a dancing member of the company, who will reveal layers of talent within the ranks and give them the scope to achieve distinction. I write this, recalling Lonnie Weeks dizzying solo (all descents, spins and rises) in the climax of Christopher Wheeldons cleverly titled, 14-dancer Bound To, which seemed the audience hit of Fridays opening night. The English choreographer risks sentimentality in this attack on smartphones and the other electronic paraphernalia with which we both communicate and estrange ourselves from each other, to the point of suicide. This may be one of Wheeldons most personal dances. Throughout the eight sections (pop music by Keaton Henson), the sea of cell phone lights only stresses the darkness around them. Illumination derives from Jean-Marc Puissants busy scrim, and his projections on the stage wall. The choreography (a duet for Dores Andre and Benjamin Freemantle and a solo for Angelo Greco) seems hectic until four women meet and embrace like figures out of a Virginia Woolf novel, followed by a passionate four-man consort. Then, Yuan Yuan Tan in ballet slippers (Wheeldon has banned pointe shoes) is peremptorily divested of her phone, succumbing to Carlo Di Lannos considerable charms. David Briskin conducted. We will probably see Bound To again. And a happy fate appears ordained for Justin Pecks Hurry Up, Were Dreaming, a cleverly and congenially constructed romp that evokes a summer of love on a bare, dramatically lit stage (by James F. Ingalls), set to a recording by the pop band M83. Fresh from his Broadway Carousel triumph, Peck moves his dancers like a master architect (I love the unwrapping jelly-roll effect). Yet, the three duets (for Andre/Wei Wang, Sarah Van Patten/Luke Ingram, Gabriela Gonzalez/Ulrik Birkkjaer) miss a distinctive tone, even from Van Patten, the companys mistress of the ineffable. In contrast, theres no denying the tonal implications in the push-and-pull style of Tiit Helimets and the grand Sofiane Sylve, who open and close The Collective Agreement, the first piece for the Ballet commissioned from local icon Alonzo King. A beautiful original score by Jason Moran underlines the choreographers emotionally charged manipulation of the extremities and his constant testing of balances. Solomon Golding and feisty James Sofranko stood out from the corps, which trades too heavily in unison. Narrative came to the festival Saturday with Cathy Marstons Snowblind, a distillation of Edith Whartons 1911 novel, Ethan Frome, that gripped from first moment to last. No move seems uncharacterized in this tale of an ordinary farmer trapped between ailing wife Zeena and the alluring servant Mattie, all of it transpiring in a wintry American village. Marston, a British choreographer who should be better known in this country, evokes a hermetic world by using her 13-member corps as a snowstorm (all undulating arms) and then as censorious townspeople; and she employs deft physical strokes to vivify her three principals. The casting was simply impeccable. As Ethan, Birkkjaer doesnt walk across the stage; he trudges with a world-weariness that you can almost feel. Van Pattens needy wife, all rigid to the touch, is the latest of this exceptional artists triumphs. Mathilde Froustey delivers Mattie with the requisite sensuality. The finale, with the trio locked in eternal conflict, stays with you. For music, Marston chose orchestrations of Amy Beach and Arthur Foote, American composers of the period, plus a bit of Arvo Part, here conducted by Martin West. Patrick Kinmonths multilevel set presented its share of sight-line problems. Audience members hankering for pure classicism could feast on David Dawsons Anima Animus, set to plaintive string music by Ezio Bosso. The Jungian title suggests that some steps are for men, while others are for women. Dawson jumbles them in this extravaganza of swirling bodies flying through a shadowy landscape. Sylve, Di Lanno and Maria Kochetkova relished their stellar assignment. Shortening the piece by 10 minutes wouldnt hurt. Unbound offered its first misfire in Myles Thatchers Otherness, which jumbles genders, clothed in blue and pink, until they all stop fighting, strip down to chartreuse and jettison their dark glasses. The dancing was hectic here: The metrical complexities of John Adams Absolute Jest are treacherous for dancers at the best of times. Thatcher can do a lot better than playing identity politics. Allan Ulrich is The San Francisco Chronicles dance correspondent. San Francisco Ballets Unbound: A Festival of New Works: Program A: Dances by Alonzo King, Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck. Through May 6. Program B: Dances by Myles Thatcher, Cathy Marston, David Dawson. Through May 4. $28-$248. War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness, San Francisco. (415) 865-2000. www.sfballet.org Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom has raised more money than anyone else in the race for governor, and on Monday the Democrat started spending a chunk of the $19 million he has in the bank by launching a seven-figure TV ad campaign that stresses his leadership on issues like same-sex marriage and gun control. The 30-second spot, titled First, will air statewide. It touts Newsom as being the first big-city mayor to support same-sex marriage as San Francisco mayor, he opened City Hall to lesbian and gay weddings in 2004 and his advocacy of a 2016 state ballot measure that required background checks for ammunition buyers. It also points to the creation of San Franciscos universal health care program, Healthy San Francisco, on Newsoms watch in 2007. San Francisco mayoral candidate Angela Alioto has until noon on Wednesday to reapply for the citys public financing program, which could pour up to $975,000 into her campaign coffers. The citys Ethics Commission has decided to reconsider Aliotos application, reversing its decision this month to deny her public funds. The commissions executive director, LeeAnn Pelham, had deemed Alioto ineligible for the program, citing the candidates failure to prove she had received $50,000 in small contributions by the March 27 deadline. Her campaign submitted its first request on time, but it was denied on April 5 because commission staff could verify only $27,432 in qualified contributions. One hundred sixty-nine donors had not submitted proof of residency, 44 used what appeared to be business addresses, and 140 lacked employment information. Seventeen contributions had other miscellaneous problems. The campaign tried again on April 6, but got a rejection letter on April 11, saying that only $39,275 of the donations qualified for public funds. Alioto was furious. I thought it was outrageous, she said Monday. She appealed the decision, and the commission unanimously ruled in her favor on Friday. Commissioners Daina Chiu, Quentin Kopp and Yvonne Lee noted that Alioto could have included donations received on March 27 as part of her funding application, but that the committee had not been aware of those parameters. Alioto said she was given an incorrect cutoff date of March 26. Newly appointed Commissioner Kevin Ryan recused himself from the vote because he had donated to the campaign. He said his donation was among those being contested. Despite her small win on Friday, Alioto said she doesnt feel vindicated. Im a San Franciscan, and I just want this to work, she said. Well hand it back in on Wednesday, were very confident that we met all the rules and regulations. Pelham will review the forms again once Aliotos campaign submits them, and decide sometime before May 2 whether they meet the criteria. The three other candidates Supervisors London Breed and Jane Kim, and veteran Democratic politician Mark Leno all qualified for the citys public financing program. It grants matching funds on a 2-to-1 ratio for nonincumbents who show they have raised $50,000 from at least 500 city residents, in amounts of between $10 and $100. Candidates must agree to a $1,475,000 expenditure cap when they accept the money. Kim defended Alioto in a letter to the commission. While former Supervisor Alioto and I are competitors in this election for mayor, I strongly support her ability to participate in the citys public finance matching fund program and the right of contributors to have their donations matched, Kim wrote. Rachel Swan Email: cityinsider@sfchronicle.com, rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfcityinsider @rachelswan State Assemblyman Rocky Chavez, one of the leading GOP candidates to replace retiring Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista (San Diego County), is being accused of the ultimate sin for conservative Republicans: supporting former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger may be Californias only GOP governor in the past 20 years and, with former Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, one of the two Republicans to hold statewide office in that time. But that doesnt count for much with the GOP right. When Chavez, R-Oceanside (San Diego County), joined Schwarzenegger this month for the first meeting of New Way California, a GOP group promoting a more pragmatic, centrist policy approach for the traditionally conservative party, that was too much for some Republicans. Conservative commentator Steve Frank slammed Chavez for backing Gov. Jerry Browns cap-and-trade system of taxing polluters to pay for projects that cut carbon emissions, and accused him of joining with Schwarzenegger to destroy whats left of the Republican Party in California. Since Chavez and Schwarzenegger are doing the work of the Democrat Party while claiming to be Republicans ... if elected to Congress will Chavez register as a Democrat? Frank asked. Thats a pretty tough hit for a retired Marine colonel whose campaign website calls for repealing the state gas tax increase, cutting regulations on business, increasing government efficiency and getting tougher on crime all priorities for conservative Republicans. Its even more remarkable considering that a poll earlier this month showed Chavez has moved into the lead in the race to hold a seat national Republican leaders desperately need to keep to retain control of the House. But the race in the 49th Congressional District, which includes part of both Orange and San Diego counties, already is a political free-for-all, with a passel of well-heeled Democrats and a bunch of GOP office holders. On the GOP side alone, Chavez is joined by Diane Harkey, a former assemblywoman now on the state Board of Equalization; San Diego County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar; and Brian Maryott, a San Juan Capistrano councilman, each seeking to be one of the two contenders who will advance to the November election. John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth Dressed in a squirrel costume and armed with the cheeky slogan #ImWithFur, UC Berkeley sophomore Stephen Boyle launched his campaign for student senate as a joke. But this month, hundreds of his peers elected Boyle whose political alter ego is Furry Boi to office, seemingly asking, #WhyNut? When the fall semester starts, Boyle will serve a one-year term as one of 20 elected student senators on the Associated Students of the University of California, or ASUC, which represents UC Berkeley students in forming campus policies. Boyles victory is riling some. Instead of electing qualified students who had real, tangible ideas improving (U.C. Police Department) relations, boosting housing, bolstering sexual violence or mental health awareness many of you thought it might be a funny joke to have a man dressed up in a squirrel costume with no real platforms represent you at the administrative table, said an editorial in the Daily Californian student newspaper. ALSO UC Berkeley students elect a squirrel to the ASUC Senate But Boyle says even though his campaign began as a meme with a tongue-in-cheek platform that included creating a squirrel dormitory and fostering safe spaces for squirrels and students alike he does have serious ideas on how to improve campus life for students. Boyle, who is 19 and is studying electrical engineering and computer science, wants to increase access to therapy and other resources for students with mental and physical disabilities. He also wants to implement a program at university dining halls aimed at reducing food waste. The whole meme strategy was to grab attention, Boyle, who initially created a Facebook page for Furry Boi in response to the deluge of campaign-related plugs for other candidates, said Sunday. I always secretly wanted to get involved in ASUC, and I thought this was a way into it. Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho Rattlesnake season has begun with a vengeance in Marin County. A hiker on Mount Tamalpais was bitten multiple times on Sunday, according to the California Highway Patrol. Marin County Fire Department responded to the 79-year-old hiker at 2:15 p.m. He was quickly transported by helicopter by CHP's Golden Gate Division Air Operations and taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. CHP reported Sunday night that the patient is in stable condition. GALLERY: The wildlife of Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County With warm weather returning to the Bay Area, CHP warned hikers on Facebook to watch out for rattlers. MORE: Rattlesnake season is back. Here's how to spot them The snakes are particularly active in warm months and seek out hot spots on rocks and dirt trails. They can be difficult to spot as their brown coloring blends in with the environment. Motorized scooters have become the tech buses of 2018 only far easier to throw in anger. Introduced to San Francisco seemingly overnight by several startups last month, the scooters are being called a solution to car-clogged streets or dangerous illegal eyesores. Critics of the app-powered scooters are mainly upset at the way riders are weaving around pedestrians and parking in the middle of sidewalks, in front of buildings or even left on Muni. The words flagrant disregard were used by SF Public Works, which has impounded dozens of scooters recently. Many people have taken to social media to complain about the scooters or post photos of the worst offenders, with one local group promoting the hashtag #scootersbehavingbadly. And others are responding to those photos with their own shots of cars hogging crosswalks or piles of street trash they say are more deserving of outrage. Despite a cease-and-desist letter from City Attorney Dennis Herrera ordering the likes of Lime, Bird, and Spin to stop doing business until they got their customers to wear helmets and park properly, the scooters are still being used. The scooter wars may be resolved, as the tech buses were, with regulation. On Tuesday the Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance requiring a permit to park scooters on sidewalks. And for its part, Lime is now requiring riders to post a photo of where they park. Take a spin through our gallery above for examples of scooter parking complaints, plus some defiant responses. Months from now, we may look at all this as a quaint reminder of the wild, wild days of unregulated scooters. For now, perhaps both sides can agree with what Supervisor Aaron Peskin said: Im quite amazed at the brouhaha. It may not be London, but San Francisco's network of outdoor surveillance cameras is maturing and likely to grow even bigger. What started out as a pilot program with six privately-owned cameras around Union Square has morphed into a highly coordinated surveillance network of 350 cameras that share footage with police. The Union Square Business Improvement District launched the outdoor security camera program in 2012 and has since raised more than $3 million in grant money that has outfitted about 40 property owners with cameras, according to Karin Flood, executive director of the organization. Flood said midway through 2017 the organization had more than 500 police requests for camera footage that resulted in approximately 200 arrests in the Union Square and Tenderloin areas. "The police have really come to rely on us for that footage," she said. "We have a network of cameras, so you can really piece an incident together better and tell the whole story it's not just an individual shot." The Union Square group, which spans 27 blocks, works with the vendor Applied Video Solutions and dedicates staff who manage the camera program and coordinate with SFPD. Flood said the group has sub-granted $350,000 to both the Central Market and the Tenderloin community benefit organizations to better cover the Tenderloin neighborhood. The San Francisco Police Dept. doesn't keep data on how many cases are affected by privately owned security cameras, according to Sgt. Michael Andraychak, but video provided by private parties routinely proves valuable by capturing images of suspects or crimes as they occur. "I can tell you that I see several crime alerts every day that include either still photos or video links," Andraychak said. "Surveillance cameras are becoming more and more common in San Francisco and in our daily lives." From a privacy standpoint, a network of ubiquitous outdoor security cameras may seem dystopian to some, but District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim who oversees the Tenderloin neighborhood says a fair balance has been struck. "While I'm very mindful of privacy concerns, especially in today's tech-filled world, residents deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods," Kim said. "My understanding is that camera footage in the Tenderloin has been limited to specific incidents and have actually led to arrests in multiple homicides." Flood said the shared footage is designed for aiding police with serious crimes, not "quality of life" issues. Fisherman's Wharf is another neighborhood where this surveillance partnership could likely expand, especially around heavily trafficked areas like the intersection of Taylor and Jefferson streets, said Troy Campbell, executive director of the Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District. "It's something we are considering at this time," he said. "Right not we are trying to find out what the cost is going to be." The financial incentive for business owners around Union Square is clear: the owner only has to pay for 10 percent of the security camera costs and grant money covers the rest. But for Fisherman's Wharf merchants, Campbell said these cost-sharing details still need to be hashed out. Nevertheless, he says there is a growing demand among business owners to contribute to solving crimes in their own neighborhoods using modern technology. "There are a lot of cameras now, but they are not facing the street, so you are not going to see what car they got into," he said. "A lot of cameras are older and are not the high definition ones that can pick up more detail. A black and white pixilated picture can create reasonable doubt." It was another terrible day for Facebook, and the company had dispatched Campbell Brown, its head of news partnerships, to do some damage control. In mid-March, Brown took the stage at a conference in New York about the future of the media industry. In front of a roomful of editors and advertising executives, she immediately faced a question about Facebooks latest scandal: The company had sent a letter to the Guardian threatening a lawsuit if the newspaper published a massive report on political consulting firm Cambridge Analyticas improper harvesting of the data of millions of the social networks users. If it were me, I would have probably not threatened to sue the Guardian, Brown said, with a Southern lilt in her voice and the easy charm of a onetime broadcast anchor. Probably not our wisest move. Some in the audience shot surprised glances at one another. That Brown was so willing to buck Facebooks tightly controlled messaging and do it in the middle of a news cycle that kept getting worse made some wonder if she had gone rogue. Is she on her way out there? Emily Bell, a professor at Columbia Journalism School who had been onstage with Brown, wondered later. She is one of the few people from Facebook who will voice what sounds like disappointment. Brown, 49, wasnt out at Facebook. Yet she has long had to grapple with questions about whether she really has influence at the social network. Since joining the Menlo Park company in 2017 to repair its frayed relationship with the news media, many have considered the former CNN and NBC anchor as little more than window dressing. Others see her as a more insidious figure a telegenic personality with close ties to conservative figures who can offer Facebooks outreach the veneer of journalistic credibility. To them, she is an ambassador from a dictatorship, willing to deliver bad news with a smile and some canapes. No matter their view of her, almost all question what influence she has at a company where the chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, has viewed news both making it and displaying it as a headache. But a year and a half into her tenure, Brown, who became a school-choice activist with close ties to conservative politics after her TV career, is emerging as a fiery negotiator for her vision of Facebook as a publishing platform, according to interviews with more than 30 people who work with or regularly interact with her. This month, the Hollywood Reporter named Brown one of this years 35 most powerful New York media figures. Facebook, with its reach of more than 2.2 billion users, already holds enormous power over the news that people consume. But now it is making its first venture into licensed news content. Facebook has set aside a $90 million budget to have partners develop original news programming, and Brown is pitching publishers on making Facebook-specific news shows featuring mainstream anchors, according to two people involved in or briefed on the matter, who asked not to be identified because the details were confidential. Once those shows get started, Brown wants to use Facebooks existing Watch product a service introduced in 2017 as a premium product with more curation that has nonetheless been flooded with far-right conspiracy programming like Palestinians Pay $400 Million Pensions for Terrorist Families to be a breaking news destination. The result would be something akin to an online competitor to cable news. Brown is also pushing paywalls for publishers on the social network, another first for a company that has long avoided circulating any content that users would have to pay for. This is us changing our relationship with publishers and emphasizing something that Facebook has never done before; its having a point of view, Brown said in February at a tech and media conference where she discussed how Facebook planned to de-emphasize low-quality news and could even begin paying some publishers. Whether all these changes last or even get implemented are open questions. Facebook has started down the road of editorial control before, only to change course. The company laid off a group of editors in 2016 after a controversy over its Trending Topics items and replaced them with an algorithm that automatically surfaces the top news of the day. And with recent changes that have lowered the visibility of hard news in Facebooks news feed, frustration within the media industry is mounting. Rupert Murdoch, News Corp.s executive chairman, has called for publishers to band together to force Facebook to pay for news content. Brown declined to speak on the record, but some Facebook colleagues spoke about how she has navigated the relationships with the news media and inside the company, even as the social networks own rapport with journalism remains uneasy. Campbell leads a critical piece of our business, said Dan Rose, Facebooks vice president for partnerships. Shes been incredibly effective, and shes just getting started. At NBC, Brown became a political campaign reporter, covering George W. Bushs run for the presidency in 2000. She smoked cigarettes and threw parties. With her best friend and fellow reporter Anne Kornblut, she started Chick Chat, a social group for female White House correspondents that drew political guests as well as charges of elitism from those it excluded. In mid-2016, Facebook was grappling with criticism that its Trending Topics team of editors was choosing to feature left-leaning content and leaving out right-leaning posts. A few months later, the term fake news would crash into the lexicon after the election. Kornblut, who had left the Washington Post to go work at Facebook with Sheryl Sandberg, the companys chief operating officer, called Brown in to help rebuild news relationships and ease tensions with an agitated media world. Browns hiring was announced in January 2017. Many in the news business were immediately skeptical about what Brown might do. If you wanted to deeply understand American journalists, having a TV personality is not really the first place you would go, said Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of the American Press Institute, a nonprofit that supports news media with research and training. At Facebook, Brown became part of an informal cadre on the companys business side known as the FOSSes, or Friends of Sheryl Sandberg. But close association with a powerful figure within the company does not assure her of success. While Brown has helped Facebook mount its charm offensives at industry events, her efforts to remake its relationships with publishers have meant cutting back her visibility to the broader public. There was a time you couldnt turn on a TV and not see Campbell Brown, said Ben Winkler, chief investment officer for OMD, a global media agency. Since she went to Facebook, Campbell Brown is where? The answer was, it turns out, close to home. Editors talk about Facebook as an authoritarian regime or perhaps an ideological cult, and they call Brown its emissary to the city. She takes those ambassadorial duties seriously. Shes a regular figure in the New York media scrum, such as a recent Pulitzer reception at the media hot spot Michaels. She also hosts frequent media and Facebook mixers at her modern, airy Tribeca apartment. The gatherings are the first outreach Facebook has made to the New York media world a world that is increasingly beholden to the companys power. But Browns biggest project is developing a news apparatus within Facebooks premium video section, called Watch. She is negotiating with BuzzFeed, Vox, CNN, Fox News and others to partner on creating about a half-dozen Facebook-exclusive shows, which will launch in May and June. Building off these shows, Brown plans to create a curated breaking news destination and envisions a cohesive daily Facebook newscast using partner content highlights paid for by Facebook, made by media partners and edited by a growing editorial team, according to a person familiar with her thinking. Discussing Facebooks reluctance to put paywalls in and engage with publishers transparently, Brown said at the February media and tech conference that it had taken too long for the social network to come around to a workable news strategy. Im having a hard time with patience right now, she said. And I know publishers are too. Nellie Bowles is a New York Times writer. Alexander Kogan, the academic hired by Cambridge Analytica to harvest information from tens of millions of Facebook profiles, defended his role in the data collection Sunday, saying he was up-front about how the information would be used and that he never heard a word of objection from Facebook. Yet Kogan, 28, a psychology professor who has found himself cast as the villain by both Cambridge Analytica and Facebook, expressed regret for his role in the data mining, which took place in 2014. Back then, we thought it was fine. Right now my opinion has really been changed, he said. I think that the core idea we had that everybody knows, and nobody cares was wrong, Kogan added. For that, I am sincerely sorry. Since the full scope of Cambridge Analyticas data collection was revealed last month by the New York Times, both Facebook and Cambridge, a political data firm, have been under intense scrutiny and eager to shift the blame to Kogan. They have said that he misled them about how the information was being collected and what it was being used for. Facebook has even banned Kogan from the social network and deleted his profile. But in his first extensive interview since the report in the Times, Kogan insisted that he was up-front about the Facebook app used to harvest the data, and that no one seemed to care. The belief in Silicon Valley and certainly our belief at that point was that the general public must be aware that their data is being sold and shared and used to advertise to them, Kogan said in an interview with 60 Minutes Sunday. Founded by Stephen Bannon and Robert Mercer, a wealthy Republican donor, Cambridge Analytica rose to prominence for its work with Donald Trumps campaign in the 2016 presidential election. The company claimed it had developed analytical tools that could identify the personalities of U.S. voters and influence their behavior and that Facebook data had been used to help create psychographic modeling techniques. The techniques have been widely questioned by academics and other political data firms, and Cambridge Analytica has since insisted that the Facebook data was not used in its work in the 2016 campaign. Kogan was hired on a contract by Cambridge Analytica in June 2014 the same month the company was founded and harvested the data throughout the summer by asking Facebook users to take a lengthy personality questionnaire. The questionnaire was not actually on Facebook. It was hosted by a company called Qualtrics, which provided a platform for online surveys. Respondents were asked to authorize access to their Facebook profiles, and when they did, an app built by Kogan performed its sole function: harvesting the data of users and their Facebook friends. Their names, birth dates and location data, as well as lists of every Facebook page they had ever liked, were downloaded without their knowledge or express consent. Facebook has said that those who took the quiz were told that their data would be used only for academic purposes, claiming that it and its users were misled by Cambridge Analytica and Kogan. Cambridge Analytica has said it was told that Kogans app complied with Facebooks own rules. But the Times reported last month that the fine print accompanying Kogans questionnaire told Facebook users that their data could be used for commercial purposes. That was an outright violation of Facebooks rules at the time, but the company did nothing to stop Kogans app from collecting the data. This is the frustrating bit, where Facebook clearly has never cared. I mean, its never enforced this agreement, Kogan told 60 Minutes. I had a terms of service that was up there for a year and a half that said I could transfer and sell the data, he continued, adding: Never heard a word. Until April 2015, Facebook allowed app developers to collect some private information from the profiles of users who downloaded apps, and from those of their friends. Facebook has said it allowed this kind of data collection to help developers improve the in-app experience for users. Facebook even worked with Kogan. In November 2015, it brought him in as a consultant to explain the technique he had used for Cambridge Analytica, which focused on how the Facebook pages that users had liked could reveal aspects of their personalities. At the time, I thought we were doing everything that was correct, Kogan told 60 Minutes. If I had any inkling that what I was going to do was going to destroy my relationship with Facebook, I would never have done it, he said. Matthew Rosenberg is a New York Times writer. A man was arrested Monday morning after threatening people with a machete and assaulting police officers in Oakland, authorities said. Dispatchers received a call from a concerned citizen about a man armed with a machete getting into an argument with another person near the intersection of 20th Avenue and East 12th Street, the Oakland Police Department tweeted just before noon. A woman was arrested after allegedly shooting her husband to death in Union City, authorities said Monday. Officers were investigating the homicide just after 8 a.m. in the area of Feldspar Court after reports of a shooting inside a home, according to the Union City Police Department. A man was found with gunshot wounds and pronounced dead at the scene. His cohabitant, a woman believed to be his wife, was arrested for his death. Dispatchers received a 911 call about 10:15 p.m. Sunday from the wife that she just shot her husband, according to the police dispatch. The gun was reportedly still in the room with the husband. Shes saying she doesnt know what happened, the dispatcher said. She says hes been treating her really bad all week. Shes not sure where she shot him. Shes saying she shot him 16 to 18 times, the dispatcher added. The dispatcher then told the woman to come outside of the house where police were waiting. Both the victim and suspect were not identified pending notification of next of kin. Authorities advised residents to avoid the Feldspar Court area as detectives investigate the scene. No other information on the slaying was immediately available. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani Moroccos foreign minister Nasser Bourita told his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok that freedom of speech and protest in Al Hoceima is a domestic issue and should not be part of any diplomatic agenda between the two countries. Blok, who paid a visit to Rabat last week, had made in a joint press conference with Bourita remarks about freedom of expression in the Rif and the judicial proceedings of those arrested in the wake of the events that shook Al Hoceima. This is a purely Moroccan issue stressed Bourita. Morocco has no lessons to receive and no talks to have with foreign parties on this issue, he said. Moroccan structures, laws and institutions guarantee to all citizens the freedom of speech and protest, he added. The Rif events is a domestic issue that should not be part of any diplomatic agenda, Bourita went on to say. The case of Said Chaou, a Moroccan-Dutch drug dealer and former MP wanted by Morocco, is another issue of controversy between the two countries. Morocco demands his extradition but the Dutch government has not responded yet. Morocco has always upheld its commitment in terms of extraditions on Dutch requests, he said, noting that Morocco expects the same from the Netherlands and expects a positive response. Dear Abby: I finally made the decision to further my education with a masters degree. I have one more required undergraduate credit to complete. My husband and I are excited that I finally made the decision and am following through. The problem is my mother-in-law. She has told everyone I have been accepted into the masters program at a prestigious school one I am hoping to get into. We recently threw a surprise party for her mother, and everyone was congratulating me. I was embarrassed and had to correct them, saying that was my hope, but I havent yet applied. I have asked her to please stop, but it continues. I know shes excited and proud of me, but now Im incredibly nervous that if I dont get in Ill look like a failure. Nervous in the East Dear Nervous: If you tell her shes only increasing the pressure on you, she may pipe down, but dont count on it. Because you cant control what comes out of her mouth, you have to either gain admission to that masters program or, if you dont, then you have to level with the people who prematurely congratulate you and explain that your MIL jumped the gun and acceptance wasnt a sure thing. The only thing you shouldnt do is allow yourself to be embarrassed about it. Dear Abby: A recent death in my family has affected me greatly. Her love for others was boundless; her enthusiasm for life unparalleled. When my spirits were down, she greeted me with love every day and was a positive influence. Im speaking about my Labradoodle, Molly. I was lucky enough to have her in my life for nine years. My problem is, people dont get it. Molly was family. I loved her, she died, and Im heartbroken. Im being told to get over it she was just a dog. What I dont get is that they cant seem to grasp that I have experienced a great loss. Am I being silly? I feel like I have lost a child. Grieving in New Mexico Dear Grieving: You are not being silly. Please accept my sympathy for the loss of your precious Molly. Unless someone has experienced what you have, it can be difficult to empathize. Because you are grieving, I hope you will reach out to Mollys veterinarian and ask if he or she knows about a support group you can join to help you through this difficult period. Being able to discuss all of your feelings with people who have suffered the same loss can be healing. ANAHEIM Dont look now, but center fielder Steven Duggars batting average at Triple-A Sacramento is up to .298 after his typical slow start. Fellow outfielder Austin Slaters start has been anything but slow. His .349 batting average is among the best in the Pacific Coast League. The front office and manager Bruce Bochy monitor their Triple-A players. As they showed with Mac Williamson, they are not shy about dipping into the minors for offensive help, which they have needed. Williamson was an easy call. He has big-league experience and his power numbers and spring-training performance were hard to ignore, and Hunter Pence was lost at the plate and has a thumb injury. The next opening might be tougher to create. None of their outfielders beside Williamson has minor-league options. The Giants would risk losing Gorkys Hernandez or Gregor Blanco through waivers, and they hate to let go of player inventory unless they have no choice. Though Slaters numbers are gaudier in addition to the batting average, he has nine extra-base hits in 43 at-bats Duggars road to the big leagues might be easier. The Giants view him as their future center fielder and Austin Jackson (.208, one extra-base hit) has struggled. The Giants signed Jackson for two years to move around the outfield and platoon with Duggar if the rookie won a job. Williamson provided scouting reports on both outfielders. On Slater: Every game when I was down there, he put together great at-bats. He was swinging at good pitches and working the whole field. He really looked locked in. On Duggar: I felt like the numbers didnt speak the whole truth of him. He was having long at-bats eight, nine pitches but he just wasnt finding the barrel at the end of his at-bats. If you look at the percentage of quality at-bats, its only a matter of time. Briefly: Johnny Cuetos 0.35 is the lowest ERA for a Giants pitcher after four starts since Ray Sadeckis 0.25 in 1968, the Year of the Pitcher. ... Brandon Crawford singled in the eighth inning to snap his hitless streak at 19 at-bats. Joe Panik was 1-for-19 before his three-hit day. Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Gwyneth Paltrow zipped to San Francisco amidst a week of engagement celebrations. The actress and entrepreneur celebrated her engagement to her TV producer fiance, Brad Falchuck, at a star-studded event hosted by Ryan Murphy in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 14. Just four days later, the Goop goddess jetted north to San Francisco to attend the premiere of new musical "Head Over Heels" at the Curran Theatre. Paltrow is a producer of the Broadway-bound production, set to the soundtrack of the Go-Go's. Original members of the 1980s rock group also attended the Wednesday night premiere, and posed with an always put-together Paltrow. The starlet dressed down in a shiny, striped jumpsuit and fresh-faced makeup. Read San Francisco Chronicle theater critic Lily Janiak's review of "Head Over Heels" here. It appears Paltrow stuck around San Francisco after the performance. On Sunday, she posted a photo of bites from her meal at Che Fico, an upscale Italian-style restaurant that recently opened on Divisadero Street in Hayes Valley. READ ALSO: Che Fico makes its Divisadero debut Paltrow dined on pizza, pasta, burrata and suppli, a restaurant representative told SFGATE. "Extraordinary meal," Paltrow wrote. She tagged Che Fico chef and co-owner David Nayfeld, who previously made a name for himself in the kitchens of Los Angeles. Nayfeld runs the hip Italian joint with chef Angela Pinkerton and partner Matt Brewer. Paltrow isn't the only celebrity to sing the praises of Che Fico on social media. Broadcast journalist Anderson Cooper tweeted a photo of his pineapple-topped pie from the restaurant a few weeks ago, as Eater SF first reported. He shouted out his pal Jonathan Tucker, a Che Fico investor and actor. Paltrow didn't linger too much longer. By Sunday, she was back in Los Angeles for a bridal shower attended by the likes of Nicole Richie, Cameron Diaz and Rachel Zoe. While Paltrow and her fiance have yet to announce a date, reports suggest the couple will tie the knot in the Hamptons later this year. Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf. NASHVILLE, Tenn. The gunman suspected of killing four people in a late-night shooting at a Waffle House restaurant was arrested near his apartment Monday after hiding from police for more than a day, authorities said. Police and federal agents had mounted a massive manhunt for 29-year-old Travis Reinking after the Sunday morning attacks, in which a gunman clad only in a jacket used an assault rifle to attack the crowded restaurant before being disarmed by a patron. Workers told officers Monday that a person matching Reinkings description walked into the woods near a construction site, said Lt. Carlos Lara. A detective spotted Reinking and handcuffed him, Lara said. Reinking carried a black backpack with a semi-automatic weapon and .45-caliber ammunition, Lara said. Detectives cut the backpack off him. Police spokesman Don Aaron said Reinking requested a lawyer and was taken to a hospital before he would be booked on four counts of criminal homicide. Its not clear why Reinking attacked shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday, though he may have mental issues, police Chief Steve Anderson said earlier. Police said Reinking opened fire in the restaurant parking lot before storming the restaurant, which had about 20 people inside. Four people three of them black and one Latino were killed and four others injured before a customer, James Shaw Jr., wrestled the weapon away and Reinking, who is white, ran out, police said. Police said Reinking stole a BMW days before the attack. The car was quickly recovered, but authorities did not immediately link the theft to Reinking. Meanwhile, authorities in Illinois shared past reports suggesting multiple red flags about a disturbed young man with paranoid delusions. It is not clear why Reinking moved recently from Morton, Ill. In May 2016, Reinking told deputies from Tazewell County, Ill., that music superstar Taylor Swift was stalking him and hacking his phone, and that his family was also involved. Reinking agreed to go to a local hospital for an evaluation after repeatedly resisting the request, the sheriffs report said. Another sheriffs report said Reinking barged into a community pool in Tremont, Ill., last June, and jumped into the water wearing a pink womans coat over his underwear. Investigators believed he had an AR-15 rifle in his car trunk, but it was never displayed. No charges were filed. Last July, Reinking was arrested by the U.S. Secret Service after he entered a restricted area near the White House and refused to leave, saying he wanted to meet President Trump. Reinking was not armed, but at the FBIs request, Illinois police revoked his state firearms card and seized four guns from him, authorities said. The AR-15 used in the shootings was among those seized. In August, Reinking told police he wanted to file a report about 20 to 30 people tapping into his computer and phone and people barking like dogs outside his residence, according to a report. Theres certainly evidence that theres some sort of mental health issues involved, Tazewell County Sheriff Robert Huston said. But he said deputies returned the guns to Reinkings father on the promise he would keep the weapons secure and out of the possession of Travis. Reinkings father has now acknowledged giving them back to his son, Aaron said. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives special Agent Marcus Watson said Monday that action is potentially a violation of federal law. Phone calls to a number listed for the father, Jeffrey Reinking, went unanswered. The victims fatally shot in the parking lot have been identified as Taurean Sanderlin, 29; Joe Perez, 20; DeEbony Groves, 21; and Akilah Dasilva, 23. Sheila Burke is an Associated Press writer. 1 Macron visit: With Iran and a list of other tough issues awaiting them, President Trump and Frances Emmanuel Macron were starting off the French presidents three-day visit with an anything-but-ordinary double date Monday with their wives at George Washingtons house. The presidents and their spouses were getting together for a private dinner at Mount Vernon, one night before the two leaders sit down for talks on matters including security, trade and the Iran nuclear deal. The private dinner kicks off a pageantry-filled visit to Washington for Macron, the honored guest at Tuesdays first state dinner of the Trump administration. 2 Bush hospitalized: Former President George H.W. Bush, 93, has been hospitalized in Houston with an infection, just after attending the funeral of his wife, Barbara, a family spokesman said Monday. Jim McGrath said Bush was responding to treatments and appears to be recovering. Bush was admitted on Sunday after the infection spread to his blood. Barbara Bush was laid to rest Saturday in a ceremony attended by her husband and former presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush. WASHINGTON Americans overwhelmingly believe teachers dont make enough money, and half say they would support paying higher taxes to give educators a raise. The findings of the new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research come amid recent teacher strikes and other protests over low pay, tough classroom conditions and the amount of money allocated to public schools in several Republican-led states. Tens of thousands of Arizona teachers voted last week to strike after rejecting an offer of a 20 percent raise, because it didnt include a vow from state lawmakers not to further cut taxes before providing more money for the states schools. To educate children and barely get a living is obnoxious, said Elaine Penman, a company manager in Tucson, who added she and others went outside to cheer on protesting teachers who marched by. Shes among the 50 percent of Americas who say they would pay a higher tax bill if it meant more money for teachers. Im a parent, and I benefit directly from what teachers do, said Penman, who has two children in public schools and one in a charter school. In 2016-17, the average salary for a public school teacher was $58,950, down slightly from the previous year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Overall, 78 percent of Americans said thats not enough. Just 15 percent think teachers are paid the right amount, while 6 percent think theyre paid too much. In a 2010 AP-Stanford poll, 57 percent of Americans said they thought teachers are paid too little. The poll found that parents and those without children are about equally likely to think teachers are paid too little. Its a sentiment that crosses party lines, too. Nearly 9 in 10 Democrats, 78 percent of independents and 66 percent of Republicans think teacher salaries are too low. Slightly more than half of Americans 52 percent also approve of teachers leaving the classroom to strike in their search for higher pay, while 25 percent disapprove. The recent run of teacher protests began in March in West Virginia, where teachers won a raise after going on strike. The strategy soon spread to Oklahoma, Kentucky, Colorado and Arizona, where educators joined together online and have held increasingly frequent protests during the past six weeks. Half of Americans would be willing to shoulder the cost of paying teachers more and providing more money to schools via higher taxes, with only 26 percent opposed. But while 69 percent of Democrats say yes to higher taxes for schools, only 38 percent of Republicans and 30 percent of independents say the same. Stephen White, a high school teacher in Marysville (Yuba County), said raising taxes is probably the only way to pay for teacher raises. Look at states that cut taxes and some districts had to go to four-day school weeks. The AP-NORC poll of 1,140 adults had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Carole Feldman and Emily Swanson are Associated Press writers. Government Spokesperson, Mustapha El Khalfi took part at a meeting in Washington Press Club during which he debunked a set of allegations continuously used by separatists in their Algerian-funded propaganda. The meeting, organized part of the International Media Forum 3, sponsored by the Moroccan-American Network, was held in a context marked by toughening of rhetoric by Morocco in reaction to Polisarios repetitive incursions into the demilitarized area in the northeast of the Sahara territory. Polisarios plots to move its military structures to Bir Lahlou, east of the Moroccan-built security wall, were seen by Morocco as a casus belli and a desperate attempt by the Algerian-backed separatists to acquire the attributes of a state. Morocco threatened to intervene militarily if the UN mission, MINURSO, fails to thwart the Polisario from changing the status of the area, which should remain an area of limited military restrictions under the military agreement number 1 signed with the MINURSO. In this regards, El Khalfi told international journalists that the Polisario alleges that the area east of the berm is a liberated territory and that the security wall is a separation wall. He said these appellations denote blatant separatist propaganda as Morocco was the party handing the area to the MINURSO for ceasefire monitoring purposes, adding that the security wall was built for defense purposes against the guerrilla attacks that the Polisario used to perpetrate against Moroccan troops and civilians before retreating to their rear-base in Tindouf (south western Algeria). Morocco built the berm and left an area to the east to be able to pursue Polisario militiamen without entering Algerian territory, an event, which could spark direct confrontation with Algeria. El Khalfi recalled that the highest turnouts in Moroccan elections were registered in the southern provinces (the Sahara) where locals elect their representatives freely as was attested by international observers in 2016 general elections. Therefore, he said, it is unfair to say that the Polisario is the representative of the Saharan population. He drew attention to the authoritarian nature of the Polisario entity where the Sahrawis held in the separatists-run camps in Algeria are deprived of the right to vote. The responsibility of Algeria in perpetuating the conflict was also highlighted as the Algerian regime has been arming and backing financially and diplomatically the separatist group. The Moroccan American Network (MAN), a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening economic ties between Morocco and the United States, was set up in 2012 thanks to the dedication and commitment of Moe Elhajjam, a self-made Moroccan-American businessman who has been settled in the USA for over 30 years and who is the CEO of Av Actions company. WASHINGTON The Supreme Court has so far had little to say about Donald Trumps time as president, even as the nation has moved from one Trump controversy to another. Thats about to change. The justices first deep dive into a Trump administration policy comes in a dispute over the third and latest version of the administrations ban on travel from some countries with majority Muslim populations. Opponents of the policy and some lower courts have labeled it a Muslim ban, harking back to Trumps campaign call to keep Muslims from entering the country. The high-stakes arguments at the high court on Wednesday could offer some indication about how a court that runs on respect for traditions and precedent will deal with a president who regularly breaks with convention. Apart from the campaign statements, Trumps presidential tweets about the travel ban and last falls retweets of inflammatory videos that stoked anti-Islam sentiment all could feature in the courts discussion of the travel bans legality. The court could get to the right outcome without getting into the question of his tweets. But I think the president set it up so that its virtually impossible to ignore him when hes shouting from the rooftops about what his purpose was in the three versions of the ban, said Cecillia Wang, the American Civil Liberties Unions deputy legal director. Solicitor General Noel Francisco, who will argue the administrations case, said in a court filing that the ban is well within the presidents authority and is not based on prejudice against Islam. In a sign of heightened public interest, the court is taking the rare step of making an audio recording of the proceedings available just hours after the arguments end. One key issue will be how the court evaluates administration actions. Neil Eggleston, President Barack Obamas last White House counsel, suggested in an online forum last week that Trump does not merit the same measure of latitude that courts usually give presidents, especially in the areas of national security and immigration. The court will have to wrestle with how much to defer to a President who has created this record of chaos and animus, Eggleston and co-author Amanda Elbogen wrote on the Just Security website. But Josh Blackman, a professor at the South Texas College of Law in Houston, cautioned that the court would be breaking new ground if it were to treat Trump differently from other presidents. The policy under review at the court applies to travelers from five countries with overwhelmingly Muslim populations Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. It also affects two non-Muslim countries: blocking travelers from North Korea and some Venezuelan government officials and their families. A sixth majority Muslim country, Chad, was removed from the list this month after improving its identity-management and information sharing practices, Trump said in a proclamation. Francisco said the Chad decision shows that the restrictions are premised only on national security concerns. He also said the State Department has cleared more than 430 visa applicants from the affected countries for waivers that would allow them to enter the U.S. But the challengers argue that the administration cannot ask the court to ignore all that has happened. Trumps first travel ban was issued just a week after he took office in January 2017, and was aimed at seven countries. It triggered chaos and protests across the U.S. as travelers were stopped from boarding international flights and detained at airports for hours. Trump tweaked the order after the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco refused to reinstate the ban. The next version, announced in March 2017, dropped Iraq from the list of covered countries and made it clear the 90-day ban covering Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen didnt apply to those travelers who already had visas. It also eliminated language that would give priority to religious minorities. Critics said the changes didnt erase the bans legal problems. The Ninth Circuit and the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., agreed with the bans opponents. The Fourth Circuit said the ban drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination. The Ninth Circuit ruled that Trump violated immigration law. The third version is indefinite, unlike the other two, and the administration said it is the product of a thorough review of how other countries screen their own citizens and share information with the U.S. It fared no better than its predecessors in the lower courts, but the Supreme Court said in an unsigned order in December that it could take full effect while the legal dispute continues. Mark Sherman is an Associated Press writer. WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images A rather rebellious 12-year-old boy in Australia who says he "wanted to go on an adventure" did just that, following a fight with his mother about traveling to Bali. The boy, from Sydney, disobeyed his mother, and stole her credit card to book a flight on a particular airline that allows children aged 12 to fly unaccompanied. After finding he only needed his passport in addition to his student ID to travel, he tricked his grandmother into handing it over, according to the Guardian. Keith Raniere has courted the rich and famous for years through his leadership of NXIVM, the secretive Colonie, N.Y.-based "executive success program" that critics have described as a cult. Now, he has everyone's attention. NXIVM made news worldwide after Raniere was arrested on March 25 on multiple federal counts of sex trafficking and forced labor. On Friday, Raniere and actress Allison Mack both were indicted by a federal grand jury in Brooklyn. Raniere, the group's founder who is referred to within NXIVM as "Vanguard" was arrested at a $10,000-a-week villa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where he fled last November as the federal investigation took shape. Video of that arrest is shown below. The U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York is leading the grand jury investigation of Raniere and NXIVM. Numerous people involved with NXIVM have been subpoenaed to testify in Brooklyn. The faces of NXIVM have changed through the years. People on various rungs of the ladder of celebrity have been in the inner circle and have been courted for its success courses. And as some of his followers are expected to rally around him, others are distancing themselves. The following profiles are culled from news reports in the Times Union published over the past six years, including the February 2012 Times Union Special Report, "The Secrets of NXIVM." ALLISON MACK Mack, 35, is an actress who is widely known for her role in the television series "Smallville," which ran from 2001 to 2011 on the WB and the CW. Prior to her indictment, she was listed in the federal criminal complaint against Raniere as his unidentified co-conspirator. She is allegedly part of an internal group within NXIVM known as DOS or "Dominus Obsequious Sororium," which means "Master Over the Slave Women." The women in the group, according to the federal complaint, were lured into the club by other female NXIVM members, including Mack, and were required to provide "collateral" in order to join. Women were branded with a symbol that includes the initials of Raniere and Mack, one of those branded told the Times Union. Mack is shown in the video of Raniere's arrest, footage provided by Buffalo-based journalist Frank Parlato, the publisher and editor in chief of Artvoice and a former publicist for NXIVM. EMILIANO SALINAS A NXIVM leader and venture capitalist, Emiliano Salinas is the son of former Mexican President Carlos Salinas. His connections to NXIVM are detailed in the 2015 Times Union report "NXIVM hacked billionaire's emails with Hillary Clinton, world leaders." Officials for the Mexican branch of NXIVM's Executive Success Programs, which Salinas heads, recently said their operations may be turned over to another corporation. NANCY SALZMAN Raniere met Nancy Salzman in the late 1990s after the collapse of his earlier business, Consumers' Buyline Inc. He said he chose Salzman to become president of NXIVM in 1998 after searching for seven years and interviewing hundreds of people to be the person to duplicate and teach his model. With Raniere going by the title "Vanguard," she is known as "Prefect." In the hours preceding Raniere's court appearance in Texas on March 27, FBI agents spent several hours combing through Salzman's residence That FBI raid signaled a wider criminal investigation of NXIVM likely including its finances. THE BRONFMAN SISTERS Clare and Sara Bronfman are heiresses of the family that controls the Seagram Co. business empire. They have homes in the Capital Region and used tens of millions of dollars to underwrite Raniere's activities and help the group purchase about a dozen buildings and homes in the region. They helped arrange for the Dalai Lama to speak in Albany at a 2009 event that drew Raniere to the stage. The Times Union reported on March 25 that New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office was conducting a separate investigation of a nonprofit foundation associated with NXIVM that allegedly sponsored brain-activity and other human behavioral studies without any apparent oversight, according to court records. That investigation has been suspended due to the federal criminal investigation, officials said. The nonprofit Ethical Science Foundation was formed in 2007 by Clare Bronfman, who owns a horse farm in Delanson and is listed in public records as the trustee of and donor to the foundation. A state Supreme Court justice recently signed an order directing Bronfman and Dr. Brandon B. Porter, who is involved with NXIVM and conducted the human studies, to turn over all documentation associated with the research. Read more in a 2012 report "'The girls' back NXIVM with millions." SARAH EDMONDSON Actress Sarah Edmondson of Vancouver, in a state complaint, said at least 20 women associated with NXIVM were lured into DOS, the "secret" club within the organization that required them to consent to being branded in their pubic area. Edmondson and another woman also involved with NXIVM separately told the Times Union that they were brought into the club and subsequently branded. Edmondson listed two other women in her complaint that she said were branded with her that night. Edmondson, who was associated with NXIVM for 12 years, left the organization in June of 2017 after she learned the brand that she received contained the initials of Mack and Raniere. The osteopath who performed the branding on many of the women, Dr. Danielle Roberts, also works for NXIVM. Roberts worked at St. Peter's Hospital from 2012 to 2015 through an employment agency. Read more: "Women scarred by study, branding" ROGER STONE AND MORE The for-profit corporation NXIVM is based on a self-improvement curriculum called "Rational Inquiry." Other high-profile names including Republican campaign strategist and self-described political "dirty trickster" Roger Stone, former State Majority Leader Joe Bruno, former state Health Commissioner Antonia Novello, and writer-producer Mark Vicente have taken NXIVM's executive success courses or were found to have ties to the organization, according to Times Union reporting. Read more about the powerful people who have attended NXIVM seminars in the 2012 story "NXIVM courts rich, powerful and influential." KRISTIN KREUK Another "Smallville" actress, Kristin Kreuk, wrote on Twitter on March 29 that she took an "intensive" NXIVM session when she was 23 and left the program about five years ago. "The accusations that I was in the 'inner circle' or recruited women as 'sex slaves' are blatantly false," she wrote. "During my time, I never experienced any illegal or nefarious activity. I am horrified and disgusted by what has come out about DOS." The US State Department has slammed the continued human rights violations in Algeria wherein security forces routinely detained individuals who participated in prohibited strikes or protests. Overuse of pretrial detention remained a problem in this North African country, said the US annual Human Rights Report. Although the law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention, authorities sometimes used vaguely worded provisions, such as inciting an unarmed gathering and insulting a government body, to arrest and detain individuals considered to be disturbing public order or criticizing the government, explained the document. Amnesty International and other human rights organizations criticized the law prohibiting unauthorized gatherings and called for its amendment to require only notification as opposed to application for authorization, stressed the US Department report, noting that Algerian police arrested protesters throughout the year for violating the law against unregistered public gatherings. According to the US document, Algerian authorities held two leaders of the unregistered Ahmadi Muslim community in pretrial detention from February until May 2017 on charges related to their unauthorized religious activities. Throughout the year, police arrested approximately 26 members of the Ahmadi community. The US Human rights report also recalled the arrest in 2015 of Nacer Eddine Hadjadj, former mayor of Beriane municipality and member of the Rally for Culture and Democracy party, for intercommunal violence in Ghardaia. The man was convicted to three years in prison, reportedly on charges of possession of firearms and holding an armed assembly. The report also said that Algerian authorities use antiterrorism laws and restrictive laws on freedom of expression and public assembly to detain political activists and outspoken critics of the government. In 2016, a Tamanrasset court convicted Committee for the Defense of the Rights of Unemployed Workers activist Abdelali Ghellam to a year in prison following his 2015 arrest on charges of taking part in an unauthorized gathering and obstructing traffic. Regarding the situation of freedom of expression in Algeria, the document said the freedom of speech and press is restricted, citing in this regard the Algerian government harassment of some critics; arbitrary enforcement of vaguely worded laws; informal pressure on publishers, editors, advertisers, and journalists; and control of a significant proportion of the countrys advertising money and printing capabilities. Some media figures say Algerian authorities used its control over most printing houses and large amounts of public sector advertising preferentially, and that the lack of clear regulations over these practices permitted it to exert undue influence on press outlets. The aftermath of the attack on Monday. Photo: Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images A van struck several pedestrians in two locations in Toronto on Monday, leaving ten people dead and at least 15 injured. Authorities arrested Alek Minassian, a 25-year-old Toronto resident. The suspects motive is unclear, but Canadas public safety minister Ralph Goodale said that it did not appear to be related to political terrorism. The events that happened on the street behind us are horrendous, he said, but they do not appear to be connected in any way to national security based on the information at this time. Alek Minassian. Photo: LinkedIn An alleged Facebook post by Minassian indicated that he was part of the incel, or involuntary celibate online community, and admired Elliot Rodger, who killed six people in California in 2014. Rodger posted a video manifesto in which he detailed his rejection by women, and vowed to take revenge on society. A Facebook employee confirmed to me on background that the Alek Minassian Facebook post referencing 4chan and "The Incel Rebellion" is real: pic.twitter.com/gdydMBOE0l Jane Lytvynenko (@JaneLytv) April 24, 2018 Chads and Stacys refer to presumably average, sexually active people. Minassian was charged with ten counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder, appearing briefly in court Tuesday morning. After hitting one person on a busy street, the driver jumped the curb at Mel Lastman Square, north of downtown, and plowed through a crowd of people around 1:30 p.m., leaving a trail of destruction almost a mile long. He then fled the scene and was later arrested after a confrontation with police. In a video of his arrest, Minassian points what looks like a gun at police and pleads with them to Kill me and Shoot me in the head. After multiple pedestrians plowed down on Toronto sidewalk, driver gets out holding what appears to be a gun. Police arrest him. No shots fired. pic.twitter.com/xWHeylS1d8 Michel Boyer (@BoyerMichel) April 23, 2018 Witnesses described a scene of carnage and devastation. One by one, one by one, one witness told the New York Times. Holy God, Ive never seen such a sight before. I feel sick. Bodies are now being covered (in orange) pic.twitter.com/EZRIqunKak Noah Suh (@Noahsnotebook) April 23, 2018 I saw one old man go flying in the air, another witness told the Toronto Star. People were screaming, Oh my god. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau expressed his condolences on Twitter. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the terrible incident at Yonge and Finch in Toronto. Thank you to the first responders working at the scene we're monitoring the situation closely. Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 23, 2018 On Tuesday morning, President Trump said, I also want to express our deepest sympathies to the Canadian people following the horrendous tragedy in Toronto that claimed so many innocent lives. Welcome to Bernie TV. For a brief moment in late October 2016, when Hillary Clinton was surfing on a six-point national lead over Donald Trump and James Comey had yet to dive-bomb the presidential race, the talk of the political class was a set of curious reports suggesting that after losing embarrassingly, Trump could soon pursue his own TV network. The chatter grew loud enough that, just two weeks before Election Day, the candidate had to start publicly fending off rumors about his aspirations of a media venture, for fear that his supporters would lose interest in him just as early voting was getting underway. No, I have no interest in Trump TV I hear it all over the place, I hear it, he announced to one Cincinnati radio host, clearly reveling in the speculation but straining to get the attention back to the election at hand. I have a tremendous fan base, I mean, we have a tremendous base, we have the most incredible people. But I just dont have any interest in that. Denials aside, it made some kind of sense. Here was a screw-the-system, longtime student and manipulator of the press whod just upended one massive institution (a political party) turning his attention to another that hed spent years rhetorically ripping to shreds (the mass media), just as everyone finally after all these decades knew, and would never forget, his name. The calculation still works. But Donald Trump isnt the 2016 candidate whos got a mini-media empire with a dedicated following all figured out. Its Bernie Sanders. The Vermont senator, whos been comparing corporate television programming to drugs and accusing it of creating a nation of morons since at least 1979 and musing to friends about creating an alternative news outlet for at least as long has spent the last year and a half building something close to a small network out of his office in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill. He understands, but resents, the comparison to the man whos described the news media as the enemy of the people. His take is different, and he has his own plans. [Am I concerned] that people might see me and Trump saying the same thing? Yes, I am, Sanders conceded, leaning back in a leather chair in a conference room in his office on a recent Tuesday, as footage of Mark Zuckerbergs testimony one building over played on TVs throughout his office. Wearing his standard uniform long tie, jacket in need of a few swipes with a lint roller he launched into the critique now familiar to anyone whos watched one of his rallies. My point of view is a very, very different one. My point of view is the corporate media, by definition, is owned by large multinational corporations: their bottom line is to make as much money as they can. They are part of the Establishment. There are issues, there are conflicts of interest in terms of fossil fuel advertising how they have been very, very weak, in terms of climate change. Needless to say, the content he produces is not sponsored by advertisers. Sanders hosts an interview show (The Bernie Sanders Show) that he started streaming over Facebook Live on a semi-regular basis after his staff got the idea in February of 2017 to film the senator chatting with the activist Rev. Dr. William Barber. After they posted that simple clip and it earned hundreds of thousands of views with no promotion, they experimented with more seriously producing Sanderss conversation days later with Bill Nye. The chat with the Science Guy ended up with 4.5 million views. Sensing an opportunity, the next day Sanderss aides turned down multiple network TV requests and took his response to Trumps first address to Congress directly to his Facebook page. Things escalated. Audio recordings of his conversations, repackaged as a podcast, have since occasionally reached near the top of iTunes list of popular programs. Sanderss press staff three aides, including Armand Aviram, a former producer at NowThis News, and three paid interns published 550 original short, policy-focused videos on Facebook and Twitter in 2017 alone. And, this year, he has begun experimenting with streaming town-hall-style programs on Facebook. Each of those live events has outdrawn CNN on the night it aired. The idea that we can do a town meeting which would get a significantly larger viewing audience than CNN at that time is something I would not have dreamed of in a million years, a few years ago, Sanders says. The result is a growing venue for Sanderss legions of backers, and other curious progressives, to take in tightly curated lefty takes on policy news one that, increasingly, competes directly with more traditional news outlets for eyeballs. Theres little room for minute-by-minute analysis of White House drama or Robert Muellers probe and no panels full of opining strategists but also little room for dissent. The scale is unmatched by any other politician, inviting obvious questions about whether Sanders plans to pivot it into a massive primary campaign-mobilization machine come 2020. But the mainstream media criticism implicit in the venture also invites obvious comparisons if equally stark contrasts to the man crying Fake news at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. Bernie TV (thats my shorthand: theres no one name for the enterprise) is online only, and there are no plans to move it elsewhere, cable or otherwise. Theres no profit scheme its produced using Senate resources and theres no plan to expand it beyond social media. But the programming represents by far the most advanced evolutionary stage of Sanderss longtime goal of finding new ways to get around the traditional media and spread his political revolution directly. Kenneth Pennington, a former Senate staffer who later became the presidential campaigns digital director, recalled Sanderss refrain from long before he ramped up the current operation: What we are doing is what the news media should be doing. Our goal is to create the biggest network possible for distributing information about public policy. Sanderss splashiest offerings are the spare 30-minute interviews with figures like Nye, Al Gore, and Bill de Blasio conducted in a small Senate studio. But the bulk of his programming are the short, tightly produced, and highly shareable videos that cover everything from Trump administration greed and lessons to learn from Canadas health-care scheme to explainers from his staff (John Bolton Should Scare Everyone, says his foreign policy adviser in one recent offering) and real peoples straight-to-camera testimonials about their experiences with health care or tax systems. Only around one-quarter of the videos feature Sanders himself, though each is branded with his name. Its been a goal of politicians to get around the press and reach voters directly for as long as the nonpartisan news media and elections have co-existed. Barack Obamas White House, for one, regularly came under fire for producing slick videos rather than taking questions. Those efforts have intensified as the technology has improved. The Democratic National Committee now has a Facebook Live show and multiple senators have their own podcasts. Its an attractive model: by more tightly controlling their output, they can avoid challenges from tough questioners altogether. They can also get around the embarrassing slip-ups that sometimes come from being too comfortable with friendly anchors. (Sanders experienced this in 2016 when his 2012 suggestion to a supportive radio host that Obama get a primary challenge resurfaced.) Trump, meanwhile, has mused that running his Twitter account is better than trying to play the press game. Its like owning my own newspaper, he said in 2016. I have, like, 16, 17 million people. Thats like owning the New York Times. (He rarely does interviews or press conferences now, and has over 50 million followers.) Sanders is after something bigger, and hes getting there, in eye-popping fashion. In its first year, Bernie TVs viewership soared: His office says his 2017 videos were viewed over 800 million times, led by a clip described as Heres what happened when a Republican senator challenged a Canadian doctor on their single-payer health care system, which has been watched 32 million times. Two videos from Trumps inauguration and the next days Womens March each got around 15 million views. Then, when Sanders first televised a town hall on his Medicare for All proposal this January, 1.1 million saw it live, and another 1.6 million tuned in the next morning, a plurality of them men between the ages of 25 and 34, according to his staff. When he hosted a similar event about inequality with Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and Michael Moore in March, 1.7 million watched live, and 2.5 million saw it the next day. This has never happened before. But most of it emerged without Sanderss fellow senators paying attention; he rarely coordinates with his colleagues. Thats caused some grumbling among senior Senate staffers who would be happy to see their bosses join Sanders on air, and among others who are nervous that hes stealthily building a huge operation ahead of a 2020 run. Sanders himself is open about the central role his media operation would play if he chose to run again (even his closest aides say he hasnt yet decided). Already, potential opponents are closely studying his programming. I would think that any serious political person would be thinking about this, he said, opening his eyes wide to look around his office, a bit bewildered. Why would you not? Ultimately, anybody that chooses to run in 2020 will be seeking to build their own audience and production capabilities, predicted Brian Fallon, Clintons press secretary in 2016. The communications arms of national campaigns will be more like production studios and less devoted to the ability to spin reporters. If you buy Sanderss formulation of What Went Wrong, those campaigns may not have much of a choice if they want to get their message out somehow. His theory of 2016 holds that the corporate medias inability to focus on long-term issues is a big part of how Trump won in the first place. Because people turn on the television, and theyre working longer hours for lower wages, they dont have health care, their kids cant afford to go to college, and theyre watching TV: Hey! What about me? You know, I dont care that Trump fired somebody else today, what about my life or my kids lives? So what we do, is we look at media in a different sense, we try to figure out what are the issues that impact ordinary people, and how can we provide information to them? And that, he says, glancing toward his producers in the next room over, where they work in front of large screens, waiting for Sanders to rush through and ask for updates, is basically what these guys do. Those guys work amounts to what Sanders has been tilting at for decades, however improbable. The technology just finally made it a bit more possible. *** Even before he became a national figure, Sanders made his outsized aspirations explicit to his early Senate staff. Prior to running for president, he would regularly pull aside a small group of aides and muse aloud about creating a news agency that focused solely on policy telling them that he considered his office to be a competitor to the New York Times. He considered his media operation so central to his broader mission of educating and galvanizing the public that during 2013s government shutdown he changed Penningtons official designation from non-essential so that Pennington could return from a mandatory furlough to the work of churning out independent content. By then, Sanderss team was uploading everything he said in public to YouTube, often with little editing, and it tried circumventing traditional press by posting his materials to Reddit, too. Soon, Pennington was issuing regular formal reports to Sanders and other senior staffers that compared the engagement on Sanderss Facebook page not only to other congressional offices, but to the Times, as well. Sanders had been building to that ambition since day one of his political career. When, in 1984, it came time for him to run for a second term, Burlingtons rookie mayor Sanders gathered his close aides and allies, and told them hed announce his reelection campaign in a new way: with a small imitation newspaper hed print himself. Hed made no secret of his disgust with the mainstream press (five years earlier, hed referred to the advertising industrys use of Hitlerian principles in conjunction with TV in a Vanguard Press column), and he was telling friends he was looking for ways to create his own alternative. He soon went multi-platform: He launched a Sunday radio show (The Mayor Speaks) and a cable access television show (Bernie Sanders Speaks With the Community), which he would use to interview locals or experts on a relevant topic, to recite poetry, or to rove around Burlington. The seeds of todays production are visible: In October 1987 almost exactly 30 years before his interview with Canadian doctor Danielle Martin racked up over 30 million Facebook views Sanders conducted another long interview with a doctor about the Canadian health-care system. Then, when he got to Washington as a congressman, he regularly produced another program (Eye on Vermont) with his aide Jeff Weaver 20 years later his presidential campaign manager that he recorded and sent back to constituents. The presidential campaign poured gasoline on these long-flickering flames. Sanderss behind-the-scenes frustration with the mainstream press and desire to create a parallel way to reach millions of people mounted as the race intensified, turning by 2016 into open anger about the Bernie blackout a perceived lack of coverage of his campaign and its crowds in the national press, even if local reporters took notice when he touched down in their city. (To Clintons side, this claim was laughable: He may not have been getting much press, but little of the coverage he was getting at the time was negative.) His team started livestreaming rallies, which racked up more and more views as he challenged Clinton more directly. The race earned him prime media roles. Hes now a frequent participant in networks town hall style events and Senate Democrats most prominent face on Sunday news shows. But after the campaign, his dissatisfaction with his coverage boiled over: The final chapter of his post-2016 book is called Corporate Media and the Threat to Our Democracy. Since then, hes sparred with reporters who cover political process, or issues including federal investigators scrutiny of his wife. He recently called a local reporter a gossip columnist for refusing to commit to not ask about it a favored insult since the 1980s toward writers he doesnt like. So within the friendly confines of his own office, Sanders constantly asks aides for updates on his video and tweet viewership numbers to make sure hes playing a prominent enough role in the national conversation, say current and former staffers. Even while walking me the roughly ten feet across the producers workspace to get to his conference room, he stopped to ask a headphone-wearing Aviram for an update on his latest project. Most comms staffers work to get their boss in the news. We were working to beat the news media at their own game, Pennington explains. Now the office is hyperfocused on that. Even more so than when I worked there. Bernie Sanders isnt going to pass a lot of legislation under a Trump presidency. But he can be useful by spreading the message online. Thats the logic. As with everything Sanders does in the Trump age, the question his allies and enemies are now considering is what it all means if he runs for president again. Sanders would be 79 on Inauguration Day 2021, but hes held rallies across the country since his last run, and hes convened his top advisers to discuss what such a campaign would look like. His newfound ability to reach masses of voters directly doesnt explicitly play into his electoral considerations, Weaver told me. But it looms large: The political teams major project since that race has been to maximize Sanderss ability to drive his movement forward directly, whether its through his videos or Our Revolution, the post-campaign political group it started. Gene McCarthy walked away, he just went back to writing poetry. Howard Dean may have tried to do something, I dunno. But it was nothing like this, marveled Bill Press, the liberal radio host who hosted the first planning sessions for Sanderss 2016 campaign in his Washington townhouse in 2014. To Sanders and his closest allies, its obvious that his method of connecting directly with his supporters should soon become the national norm. Thats still not enough for the senator. Hes still acting incredulous that more people dont see whats happening before their eyes. I would have thought that the fact that a Senate office put on a 90-minute town meeting that, we didnt quite get to where MSNBC was we were a few hundred thousand behind them, we were behind Fox but a pretty solid performance, I wouldve thought somebody would say, Mmm, thats pretty interesting, Sanders told me, standing and spreading his arms wide at the head of his long conference room table, as if he were back behind a campaign lectern. What are the implications of that? Sanders stopped, and briefly smiled, evidently pleased to be tying a neat bow on the topic, complete with one last elbow. The very fact that his latest town hall had such a huge audience hadnt gotten enough attention, he griped. Shock of all shocks, the corporate media wasnt all that interested in the issue. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) Four people suffered life-threatening injuries in separate attacks in San Francisco over the weekend, police said today. The first of the four cases was reported around 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the area of Evans Avenue and Phelps Street in the Bayview District, where a 24-year-old woman got into an argument with another woman who then stabbed her, according to police. The suspect, described as a woman in her 20s, then fled in a vehicle and remains at large. Later on Saturday, around 7:55 p.m., a 26-year-old man was walking in the area of Pine and Leidesdorff streets in the Financial District when three suspects approached him, pushed him to the ground and stole his wallet and phone, police said. The suspects, described as being in their early 20s, fled and have not been arrested. Shortly before 12:10 a.m. Sunday, a 48-year-old man was walking in the area of Market and Seventh streets when a group of people approached him and two men assaulted him, police said. The victim said the suspects stole his wallet and fled. They have not been arrested and police have not released detailed descriptions of them. The last of the four attacks with life-threatening injuries was reported around 10:20 a.m. Sunday in the area of Eddy and Cyril Magnin streets. A 66-year-old man was approached by a 38-year-old woman who began kicking him, causing him to lose consciousness, police said. The victim was taken to a hospital while the suspect, whose name was not immediately available, was arrested. Police did not provide a possible motive for the attack. Anyone with information about any of the cases is encouraged to call the San Francisco police tip line at (415) 575-4444. ### SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) An Indonesian monkey named Naruto can't sue for the copyright to a series of selfie photographs it took seven years ago in a rainforest reserve, a federal appeals court ruled in San Francisco today. A panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the federal Therefore, Naruto...lacks statutory standing to sue under the Copyright Act." Naruto is a crested macaque living in a reserve on the Indonesian island of Sulawi. In 2011, the monkey took a series of self-portraits with a camera set up by British nature photographer David Slater. Slater published the photos in a book in 2014. The following year, an animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, sued on Naruto's behalf for the rights to the photos. PETA claimed Naruto, who had seen tourists taking photos, showed creative authorship by taking the selfies with "purposeful and voluntary" actions. The appeals court upheld a decision in U.S. District Judge William Orrick of San Francisco said in 2016 that Naturo lacked the right to sue under the Copyright Act. PETA then appealed, but after reaching a settlement with Slater in 2017, asked the appeals court to dismiss the case. The appeals court declined to do so. Under the settlement, Slater will donate 25 percent of his revenue from selling the photos to charities dedicated to protecting the welfare or habitat of Naruto and other crested macaques in Indonesia. While saying that the copyright law didn't give the monkey a right to sue, the appeals court said that under current doctrine, animals do have a general constitutional right to have lawsuits filed on their behalf. That doctrine was set by the same appeals court in a 2004 decision concerning whales affected by the Navy's underwater sonar. But the panel said it believes a larger panel or the U.S. Supreme Court should reconsider that doctrine. The panel also said that even if the U.S Constitution allows a general right for animals to sue, they can't sue in a specific case unless the particular law at issue authorizes such lawsuits. ### SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A hiker was bitten multiple times by a rattlesnake while visiting Mt. Tamalpais on Sunday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol. The CHP said its H-30 helicopter responded to the scene around 2:15 p.m. on Sunday. The Marin County Fire Department then arrived on the scene and found the hiker with multiple rattlesnake bites. The CHP helicopter took the hiker to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek and the patient was in stable condition as of 5 p.m. Sunday, according to the CHP. Law enforcement officials said to be careful while hiking on trails in warm weather, as snakes are more prevalent. ### PETALUMA (BCN) A Petaluma man was arrested after he allegedly burglarized a business and fought police officers this morning. Officers said they received multiple reports of a man "loitering" near a closed business at 10:34 a.m. in the 700 block of Baywood Drive. Witnesses told police that the man was behaving oddly and appeared to be under the influence of drugs. The owner of the business arrived to the scene and told police that the front door of the business was open and loud music was playing inside. They told police that the suspect was likely still inside. Police later identified the man as Justin Vandaveer, 36, and confirmed that the business had been burglarized. They said Vandaveer was seen in surveillance footage entering the business through a third floor balcony. Vandaveer actively resisted arrest and fought officers when they tried to detain him, according to police. Police searched him and said they located many items stolen from the business. Vandaveer was arrested for burglary, resisting arrest, possessing stolen property and vandalism. He was already on probation for resisting arrest, police said, and he was booked in Sonoma County Jail. ### A 36-year-old Santa Cruz man died in a shooting on Friday in the Watsonville area and the suspect was arrested the same day, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff's deputies and Watsonville police responded to the shooting at 11:38 a.m. Friday on state Highway 129 and Industrial Road on the edge of Watsonville's city limits. A woman was arrested for allegedly killing her husband at a home in Union City on Sunday night, according to police. Officers responded at about 10:15 p.m. to the 4300 block of Feldspar Court, where they found a 57-year-old man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene and his name has not been released. Police found two other people at the home, including the man's wife, who was taken into custody for the homicide. Her name was also not immediately released. The homicide remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Fonseca at (510) 675-5283. Tips can also be sent anonymously to (510) 675-5207 or at tips@unioncity.org. A man who died in a shooting that injured five other people in San Francisco's Bayview District on Friday night has been identified by the city's medical examiner's office as 20-year-old Darius Thomas. The shooting was reported around 11 p.m. in the area of Third Street and Quesada Avenue. Thomas, a San Francisco resident, died in the shooting. Police did not immediately release information on the extent of the other victims' injuries. No arrests or suspect information have been announced by police. Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the San Francisco police tip line at (415) 575-4444. The Solano County coroner's office has identified a Vallejo man who died in a collision on Interstate Highway 780 Friday night as 23-year-old Jahquese Lewis. Lewis was driving a Honda on westbound Highway 780 just east of Glen Cove Road around 11:15 p.m. when he collided with a big-rig as he tried to pass it, California Highway Patrol Officer David Harvey said. Lewis' Honda stopped in the center divider and the big-rig pulled to the shoulder of the highway, Harvey said. Lewis was struck by another vehicle after he helped a passenger out of the Honda and that vehicle left the scene, Harvey said. Lewis was pronounced dead at 11:25 p.m., according to the coroner's office. The Honda passenger suffered major injuries and was taken to Sutter Solano Medical Center in Vallejo, Harvey said. A woman who died in a car crash on Sunday afternoon has been identified by the Contra Costa County coroner's office as Betty James, a 93-year-old woman from Clayton. The crash happened on James Donlon Boulevard near Silverado Drive around 3:05 p.m., according to police. Officers said a Buick Regal sedan that was traveling on Silverado Drive pulled out onto James Donlon Boulevard and was hit by a Ford F-150 pickup truck. The force of the crash pushed the Buick into another vehicle, according to police. James had to be extricated from the car and died in a hospital on Sunday, police said. The occupants of the other cars were not seriously injured and stayed at the scene until officers and emergency workers arrived, according to police. Alcohol or drugs don't seem to be factors in the collision, police said. The Contra Costa County coroner's office has identified a man who was shot and killed in Richmond on Thursday night. Joseph Alexander II, 21, was from El Sobrante. Officers responded to the parking lot of the Stop & Shop convenience store at 800 Carlson Blvd. on a ShotSpotter gunshot detection system alert, Richmond police said. Officers found Alexander suffering from gunshot wounds. Police initially said he was from Pittsburg, but the coroner's office clarified that he was from El Sobrante. A second man, an Oakland resident, was also struck by the gunfire. Police said he was taken to a hospital and later released. The suspect in the shooting walked down Carlson Boulevard, stopped near the convenience store and started shooting at the two men, according to police. Police said the suspect ran north on Carlson Boulevard immediately after the shooting. Police are not yet releasing any information about the suspect or the possible motive for the murder, according to police Lt. Felix Tan. Eight people required medical attention after a gas leak reported in San Francisco's Polk Gulch neighborhood this morning, fire officials said. PG&E received reports of the gas leak at about 10:20 a.m. in the 1000 block of Polk Street at Post Street. Workers stopped the natural gas flow at 10:48 a.m. and are currently making necessary repairs. The gas leak began when a third-party contractor hit a 2-inch gas main, according to PG&E. San Francisco fire officials said eight people in the area complained of medical issues related to the leak, but said none of the issues are life-threatening. San Francisco Municipal Railway buses and traffic are being rerouted around the area via Van Ness Avenue and Hyde Street. Fire department officials said at 11:30 a.m. that they plan to lift the evacuation order soon. There is currently no update about how many people have been evacuated. An Indonesian monkey named Naruto can't sue for the copyright to a series of selfie photographs it took seven years ago in a rainforest reserve, a federal appeals court ruled in San Francisco today. A panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the federal Therefore, Naruto...lacks statutory standing to sue under the Copyright Act." Naruto is a crested macaque living in a reserve on the Indonesian island of Sulawi. In 2011, the monkey took a series of self-portraits with a camera set up by British nature photographer David Slater. Slater published the photos in a book in 2014. The following year, an animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, sued on Naruto's behalf for the rights to the photos. PETA claimed Naruto, who had seen tourists taking photos, showed creative authorship by taking the selfies with "purposeful and voluntary" actions. The appeals court upheld a decision in U.S. District Judge William Orrick of San Francisco said in 2016 that Naturo lacked the right to sue under the Copyright Act. PETA then appealed, but after reaching a settlement with Slater in 2017, asked the appeals court to dismiss the case. The appeals court declined to do so. Under the settlement, Slater will donate 25 percent of his revenue from selling the photos to charities dedicated to protecting the welfare or habitat of Naruto and other crested macaques in Indonesia. While saying that the copyright law didn't give the monkey a right to sue, the appeals court said that under current doctrine, animals do have a general constitutional right to have lawsuits filed on their behalf. That doctrine was set by the same appeals court in a 2004 decision concerning whales affected by the Navy's underwater sonar. But the panel said it believes a larger panel or the U.S. Supreme Court should reconsider that doctrine. The panel also said that even if the U.S Constitution allows a general right for animals to sue, they can't sue in a specific case unless the particular law at issue authorizes such lawsuits. There were no reported injuries after a school bus crashed this morning in unincorporated Santa Cruz County near Corralitos, according to the California Highway Patrol. CHP officials wrote on Twitter at 8:28 a.m. that Casserly Road at Wheelock Road was closed because of the crash, but that all children who were aboard the bus were safely escorted off. No further information was immediately available. Petaluma police arrested a woman on suspicion of committing a second DUI and child endangerment offense Sunday afternoon, a police officer said. Police were informed around 4:50 p.m. of a green Subaru with a child in the back seat swerving into oncoming lanes of Lakeville Highway as it entered city limits, Cpl. Ryan Suhrke said. Police contacted the owner of the vehicle, Collette Burum, 30, at her home in the 1700 block of Putnam Way in Petaluma. Burum appeared intoxicated and she admitted driving with her 6-year-old child in the car, Suhrke said. Burum's blood-alcohol content was four times the legal limit and she was arrested on suspicion of DUI and child endangerment. She is on probation for a prior DUI and child endangerment case and she was booked into Sonoma County Jail under $75,000 bail. Burum is scheduled to be in Sonoma County Superior Court on Tuesday morning. Two juvenile males were arrested Sunday on suspicion of burglarizing a home in Livermore, according to police. Police said a resident called police when they noticed the two San Jose juveniles, whose names won't be released due to their age, running from a home on Pearl Drive carrying pillowcases before getting into a vehicle and leaving the area. According to police, officers searching for the vehicle found it at the driveway of a residence on Obsidian Way. Police said an officer allegedly saw the suspects attempting to force the side garage door open and both ran when they saw the officer. Officers eventually captured the juveniles and booked them into Juvenile Hall on suspicion of burglary, attempted burglary and auto theft. Police credited the Livermore resident who spotted the suspects for calling in the tip, saying the suspects wouldn't have been caught without their help. ### Former FBI Director James Comey will speak at the Curran in San Francisco this evening at a sold-out engagement highlighting his book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership." The book details the events of Comey's service as director of the FBI from 2013 to 2017. Among other things, Comey oversaw the FBI's investigation of a controversy involving then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's email usage. He was dismissed by President Donald Trump in 2017. Comey's speaking event begins at 7 p.m. at the Curran, 445 Geary St., and is sold out. The entire power grid for parts of two South Bay cities was shut down Sunday morning to attempt to save the lives of two people trapped in a car after a traffic collision in Atherton with live electrical wires on the hood, fire officials said Sunday. A car crashed in front of 240 Camino Al Lago around 3:30 a.m., toppling a power pole and slamming into a tree, according to Menlo Park Fire Protection District Chief Harold Schapelhouman. The vehicle was pinned against the tree with two people trapped inside as wires from a transformer on the power pole sparked and arced on the car's hood, Schapelhouman said. Firefighters labored to get the occupants, two men in their 20s, out of the blue Lexus four-door sedan, but the sparking power lines hampered their efforts. The men were conscious and able to talk to the firefighters, Schapelhouman said. The firefighters called Pacific Gas and Electric, but learned it would take 45 minutes for workers to arrive, and the lives of the two men hung in the balance, according to Schapelhouman. With time of the essence, PG&E shut down the local power grid to portions of Atherton and West Menlo Park in order to de-energize the live electrical wires on the car's hood, Schapelhouman said. The grid shut down around 4:10 a.m., and the crew used the Jaws of Life to cut apart the vehicle and rescue the two men. Both men were taken to Stanford Trauma Center after being treated for their injuries by firefighter-paramedics around 4:35 a.m. Sheriff's deputies arrested a man who led them on a chase reaching up to 110 mph in Napa on Saturday, according to the California Highway Patrol. A CHP airplane was landing at Napa airport at about 11:30 p.m. when the crew saw a Napa County sheriff's deputy chasing a vehicle on northbound state Highway 29 at North Kelley Road. Instead of landing, the airplane began following the vehicle chase. The suspect made a u-turn near Oak Knoll Avenue and began driving southbound on the highway through Napa. The driver lost control of the vehicle at Butler Bridge and struck a center divider, according to the CHP. The driver then left the vehicle and fled on foot before jumping over the edge of the bridge and falling nearly 10 feet. The man then crossed below the bridge and ran down the hillside north of the bridge, according to the CHP. Napa County sheriff's deputies were right behind him and they took him into custody, according to the CHP. A Petaluma man was arrested after he allegedly burglarized a business and fought police officers Sunday morning, according to Petaluma police. Officers said they received multiple reports of a man "loitering" near a closed business at 10:34 a.m. in the 700 block of Baywood Drive. Witnesses told police that the man was behaving oddly and appeared to be under the influence of drugs. The owner of the business arrived to the scene and told police that the front door of the business was open and loud music was playing inside. They told police that the suspect was likely still inside. Police later identified the suspect as Justin Vandaveer, 36, and confirmed that the business had been burglarized. They said Vandaveer was seen in surveillance footage entering the business through a third-floor balcony. Vandaveer actively resisted arrest and fought officers when they tried to detain him, according to police. Police searched him and said they located many items stolen from the business. Vandaveer was arrested on suspicion of burglary, resisting arrest, possessing stolen property and vandalism. He was already on probation for resisting arrest, police said, and has been booked into the Sonoma County Jail. Emeryville police are asking for the public's help after a shooting in the area of 45th Street and Adeline Street on Saturday night. Police said callers reported hearing gunshots, followed by hearing multiple cars speed away. Officers who arrived on the scene found numerous shell casings but no victims and two parked cars with damage from gunfire, police said. According to police, at least one of the suspects was driving a silver Honda. Anyone with more information on the case is asked to call Emeryville police at (510) 596-3700. Union City police reopened all lanes of traffic on Mission Boulevard Sunday evening after a driver and their passenger died in a crash that afternoon. Police began receiving 911 calls about the crash at Mission Boulevard and Lafayette Avenue at 3:03 p.m. Officers arrived on scene and found two people in a silver Mercedes sedan suffering major injuries after a collision with a tow truck. The passenger in the Mercedes was pronounced dead on the scene and the driver died at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley after succumbing to their injuries, police said. The names of the victims are not being released as of Sunday evening because the Alameda County coroner's bureau is in the process of notifying family members. Police said the driver of the tow truck is cooperating with the investigation. All lanes of traffic on Mission Boulevard between Lexington Avenue and Tamarack Drive were closed for about four hours and reopened at 7:20 p.m. Sunday. Oakland community organizers and politicians will gather on the steps of Frank H. Ogawa plaza this afternoon to demand a repeal of the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. The rally will take place at noon and community members will announce the submission of signatures to place the Affordable Housing Act on the statewide November ballot. The ballot measure would repeal the 1995 Costa-Hawkins Act, which prohibits rent control on units built after 1995, exempts single-family homes and condos and allows landlords to raise rents to market value between tenants. Oakland Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan said the new ballot measure would protect hard-working people like teachers and nurses who are being "forced" out of neighborhoods. "California can do better, and we need immediate change to stop this wave of displacement to keep people in their homes," she wrote in a news release. There will also be a noon rally at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, and a morning rally at Los Angeles City Hall. A Silver Alert has been issued early this morning for a missing 75-year-old female last seen in Citrus Heights on Sunday, according to the California Highway Patrol. The CHP said Terry Polvado was last see around 12:15 p.m. Sunday in Citrus Heights. According to CHP Officer Damian Cistaro, Polvado suffers from a medical condition. Polvado may be driving a 1998 Gold Mercedes-Benz C230 with a California license place number of 4YWB677. The CHP describes her as a white woman with blonde hair, blue eyes and weighs around 118 pounds. Anyone who sees her is asked to call 911. No further information was immediately available. ### OAKLAND (BCN) An Alameda County prosecutor told jurors today that a 53-year-old man should be convicted of sexually assaulting two sisters, starting when one of them was only 12. In his opening statement in the trial of Jaime Rivera of Oakland, prosecutor Tim Wellman said Rivera is a family friend of the two sisters and abused the older sister between 2007 and 2013, when she was between 12 and 17. But Wellman said the older sister, who is now 23, didn't report the alleged sexual abuse until last June, when Rivera allegedly sexually assaulted the younger sister, who was 19 at the time. Wellman said the older sister believed that when Rivera allegedly sexually assaulted the younger sister at his house in Oakland last June, he "had broken his promise to her not to do anything to her younger sister." The prosecutor said the older sister then "finally revealed the secret she had kept for many years," which he said was that Rivera had molested her at residences in San Francisco and Oakland dating back to 2007. Wellman said that although the two sisters are the only charged victims in the case, a third alleged victim will also be allowed to testify about an incident in which Rivera allegedly assaulted her to allow the prosecution to present evidence of Rivera's alleged propensity to commit sex crimes. But defense attorney Stefan Schweitzer said Rivera "is an innocent man" and told jurors that there are doubts about the sisters' credibility. Schweitzer said if Rivera really had sexually assaulted the older sister over a lengthy period, she would have warned her younger sister about him when the younger sister moved in with him last year but he said there's no evidence the older sister made such a warning. Schweitzer said Rivera told the younger sister that in order to live with him she would have to get a job and go to school but she didn't do so and instead frequently went out on the town, stayed out late and sometimes had her boyfriend stay with her. The defense attorney said Rivera "was not fond" of the younger sister's boyfriend because he has a felony drug conviction and Rivera got into a fight with him on the night Rivera is accused of assaulting her. Schweitzer said the alleged assault of the younger sister "did not happen." Rivera, who's being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin in lieu of $10 million bail, is charged with rape, attempted rape, sexual penetration by a foreign object, continuous sexual abuse, performing lewd acts on a child and oral copulation of a person under the age of 18. ### 272-6280 Defense attorney Stefan Schweitzer (510) 272-6600 Photo: Michael Runkel/Getty Images Brilliant sunsets, pristine beaches, and hand-woven hammocks swaying in the breeze are what Caribbean-vacation daydreams are made of. Although the Caribbean is definitely all of these things, its also much more. From sampling farm-to-table cuisine in Jamaica to immersing yourself in the architecture of St. Thomas, here are a few ways to delve into local culture in five popular Caribbean destinations. Book a Royal Caribbean cruise and consider visiting them all in one go. Curacao: Music, Food, and Markets Photo: Patricia Hamilton/Getty Images This small island, just 40 miles north of Venezuela and officially part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is a melting pot of cultures which is particularly evident within its thriving food and music scenes. The sounds of traditional Curacaoan music, rooted in African influence, can be heard while strolling through the capital of Willemstad: Street musicians are common around town. To dig deeper into the eclectic music culture, explore the local artisan markets such as Plaza Jo-Jo Correa or the monthly handicraft market Marshe di Artesania at Gallery Alma Blou. Keep an eye out for traditional instruments like the bastel (cow horn), chapi (hoe and metal rod), and karko (conch shell horn). Speaking of markets, the Old Market in Punda is a popular hangout for visitors and locals alike and an ideal place to grab a bite to eat. Also make your way to Plaza Bieu, a rustic market that hosts a variety of vendors known for local specialties: Check out Ms. Yvonnes or Zus to sample dishes like homemade polenta, fish and rice, and okra soup. A few other must-try dishes include cashew cake (bolo di kashupete) or pastechis, aka deep-fried dough stuffed with fillings like cheese, beef, chicken, or cod. St. Kitts: Nature Galore Photo: Sean Pavone/Getty Images St. Kitts, an island in the West Indies and part of the nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, is home to natural wonders like rainforested mountains and black-sand beaches. When you visit, make sure to pack your hiking boots to experience the dormant Mount Liamuiga volcano. This excursion is doable in a day with or without a guide. From 3,800 feet, youll enjoy unparalleled views of the cloud-cloaked craters rim while learning about the local ecosystems of this unique landscape. Monkey Hill, a small town situated in the southeast of the island, is also home to several great hiking options especially if you remind yourself to look up. Its estimated that thousands of free-roaming vervet monkeys call St. Kitts home. These primate residents can be elusive, but a good guide will know how to locate the animals by keeping an eye out for telltale signs. Jamaica: Farm-to-Table Scene Photo: Stush In The Bush Jamaican cuisine is as diverse as it is flavorful and it has a whole lot more to offer than just jerk chicken. A slew of sustainability-focused dining experiences have cropped up in recent years, lending visitors a novel perspective on Jamaicas storied food culture. One of these dining experiences is Stush in the Bush, a combination organic farm and restaurant nestled on a 15-acre plot in the lush Jamaican hills. Stush in the Bush features a prix-fixe menu of seasonally inspired, reimagined Jamaican fare. All dishes are vegetarian, though seafood courses can be prepared upon request. A tour of the property comes with the price of the meal, so build in enough time for it. Or, take the farm-to-table concept up a notch with a bean-to-cup experience at Old Tavern Coffee Estate in Jamaicas Blue Mountains National Park. Some organized tours include a hike around the estate while you learn about the sustainable coffee-production process. Roatan: Coral Reefs and Fresh Eats Photo: John Anderson/Getty Images This island situated off the coast of Honduras is a true divers paradise. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is the second largest reef system in the world, and central to Roatans culture, both culinary and otherwise. So, put on your wetsuit and take an intro to free-diving course to get an up-close-and-personal look. Alternatively, take a spearfishing class to learn how to safely and sustainably harvest lionfish, an invasive species thats been wreaking havoc on the ecosystem in recent years. Lionfish also happens to delicious. In fact, it has become a staple on many local menus, and is best-served fried, grilled, or in stews. Some restaurants will even let you bring your catch to the chef for a fresh-caught, fresh-cooked meal. Continue your culinary journey by venturing to the aptly named Hole in the Wall restaurant for a dose of local comfort food, like fried conch fritters and lobster nachos. For an authentic meal a little closer to the action of town, try the street baleadas a traditional Honduran dish made of thick flour tortillas folded in half and stuffed with a variety of fillings like refried beans, avocado, and queso fresco. St. Thomas: Diverse Beaches and Architecture Photo: Steve Heap/Getty Images If your Caribbean daydreams are firmly planted in the sand, youre in luck: St. Thomas has some of the most stunning and diverse beaches youll find anywhere. Magens Bay Beach, for example, is a world-renowned destination where the active set can partake in kayaking, snorkeling, paddleboarding, and even hiking its close to trails. Coki Point Beach, with its crystal-clear waters, is another absolute gem, and only a 20-minute drive from the capital city of Charlotte Amalie. Speaking of Charlotte Amalie, when you visit (which you should), take the time to check out its architectural masterpieces, which feature traces of the islands Danish influences. (St. Thomas was a Danish territory until 1917.) Traditional buildings with yellow bricks and red roofs can be spotted throughout town, too a nod to the the islands West Indian roots. Dont miss Fort Christian, the oldest standing structure in the Virgin Islands. Climb the famous 99 steps,which date back to the 18th century the bricks were once used as ballast on Danish merchant ships that once frequented the harbor. You also might consider signing up for a walking tour with a local guide to learn about the architecture on Main Street. A Caribbean vacation can be so much more than simply sun-seeking; this itinerary practically guarantees an authentic, local experience in this stunning part of the world. Im a progressive now! Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images Cynthia Nixon has pushed Governor Andrew Cuomo so far out of his comfort zone that hes now proposing new laws for which he has previously expressed little enthusiasm. On Monday, Cuomo decided that he wants to ban all plastic bags in New York state. Just last year, Cuomo personally killed a New York City proposal to add a five-cent fee for every plastic bag just one day before it was supposed to go into effect. At the time, Cuomo cited the onerousness of the tax on poor people as a reason for his decision, though embarrassing Mayor Bill de Blasio may have been justification enough. The governor then promised to form a task force to study the plastic-bag issue, which is usually a recipe for doing nothing. And yet The blight of plastic bags takes a devastating toll on our streets, our water and our natural resources, and we need to take action to protect our environment, Cuomo said in a statement on Monday. He added, As the old proverb goes: We did not inherit the earth, we are merely borrowing it from our children, and with this action we are helping to leave a stronger, cleaner and greener New York for all. But Cuomos new proposal does not mean that the bags, a scourge of New York City streets, will actually be eliminated anytime soon. The governor is calling for a legislative solution, and the New York State Senate, which is controlled by Republicans in large part because of the governor, is unlikely to pass anything. So the governors environmental clarion call will likely end up being more of a grand gesture than anything. Since Nixon officially jumped into the New York primary race last month, Cuomo has suddenly veered to his left, in an unsubtle appeal to win over alienated progressives. Among other things, he has vowed to unite a group of renegade state Democrats though that initiative faces considerable skepticism announced that prison parolees will now be allowed to vote, and taken a sudden interest in New York City public housing. Just how far will he go next time to ape his new rivals policy positions? NEW: Cuomo now a strawberry blonde, "oh no reason" said the governor when asked what prompted the change https://t.co/V8eEf0FRYo Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) April 23, 2018 In a statement to Daily Intelligencer, Cuomo spokesperson Abbey Fashouer responded:The governors long record of progressive accomplishment is irrefutable. Any claims otherwise should be seen for what they are: baseless election-year rhetoric. Tell me, Utah, why dont you love me, when I make me so darn easy to love? Photo: Kim Raff/Bloomberg via Getty Images Months before 84-year-old Utah senator Orrin Hatch announced his retirement, polls showed Mitt Romney easily winning the race to replace him. When Romney received Hatchs blessing to enter the contest, and quickly secured an endorsement from President Trump, he had every reason to think that hed sail to victory. But thats not how things work for Willard Mitt Romney. Romney was narrowly defeated at Saturdays Republican state convention, receiving 49 percent of the vote to state Representative Mike Kennedys 51 percent. That means hell have to face a primary race, like some pleb who wasnt governor of Massachusetts and the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, with a car elevator to boot. While this is a setback, Romney is still very likely to win the Senate race in November. Hed already qualified for the June 26 primary ballot by collecting more than 28,000 signatures which Romney pointed to as the reason for his second-place finish. As the Salt Lake Tribune reports, for the past few years Utah conservatives have been fighting to overturn the law that allows signature gathering, since it weakens the power of the state convention. I know there were many people who were not enthusiastic about someone gathering signatures, Romney said, adding that pursuing the nomination through both signatures and the convention was right for me. Im glad I did it that way. Convention delegates tend to be more conservative than the general Utah Republican electorate, and Romney would not be the first candidate to lose there but win the primary. In 2016 current Utah governor Gary Herbert lost at the convention and went on to easily win reelection. But the oddities of Utah state politics may not be the only reason that Romney fell short. Kennedy and the ten other candidates Romney faced at the convention questioned the depth of his ties to Utah, and his shifting stance on Trump. While Romney was one of the most prominent Never Trumpers during the 2016 election, he then publicly auditioned to be Trumps secretary of State. Though he occasionally criticized Trump during his first year in office, in recent months hes toned down his remarks in an attempt to win over conservative Utahns. Kennedy promised to support President Trump if sent to Washington, but also portrayed himself as an underdog against the Romney machine. (Aside from having far less name recognition, Kennedy has $257,000 on hand to Romneys $1.1 million.) Kennedy made a David and Goliath comparison, telling delegates hes their stone, ready to be flung at the foes of liberty who seek to oppress us. Romney offered a characteristically awkward retort, correcting Kennedy on his Biblical metaphor and claiming hes the one wholl take on the status quo in D.C. First, none of us is David. David was anointed of God. And secondly, Im not Goliath. Washington, D.C., is the Goliath, he said. This primary battle might be a long two months. I dont report, you cant decide. Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images Last Monday a judge forced Michael Cohen, President Trumps longtime fixer and attorney-sort-of-at-law, to reveal that Sean Hannity is his client. Naturally, the mainstream media was quick to denounce the Fox News host for routinely railing against the federal investigation of Cohen, without ever disclosing the nature of their relationship. Later on Twitter and his Fox News show, Hannity set the record straight for his fans. Did Cohen ever represent him in a legal matter? No. Did he provide legal advice? Sure, they had occasional brief conversations about legal questions, which exclusively, almost, focused on real estate. And Hannity didnt pay him? Correct, he never paid Michael Cohen for legal fees. But they both think this fell under attorney-client privilege? Yes, Hannity assumed those conversations were confidential. Because? Hannity might have handed him ten bucks [and said,] I definitely want your attorney-client privilege on this. So he did pay him? Well, thats really none of our business. Thats essentially Fox News stance as well. After declining to comment on the matter for nearly a full day, the network released a statement explaining that they just dont care. Maybe thats because they have more detail on the Hannity-Cohen relationship, and agree it was minor. Or perhaps they agree with Hannitys claim that hes a talk-show host, not a journalist, and is thus exempt from any code of journalism ethics. They did not elaborate: While Fox News was unaware of Sean Hannitys informal relationship with Michael Cohen and was surprised by the announcement in court yesterday, we have reviewed the matter and spoken to Sean and he continues to have our full support. But what if another outlet, lets say the The Guardian, did some digging and discovered that the real estate investments Hannity referred to were actually a secret, multimillion-dollar property empire? Hannitys chosen investment strategy is confirmed by thousands of pages of public records reviewed by the Guardian, which detail a real estate portfolio of remarkable scale that has not previously been reported. The records link Hannity to a group of shell companies that spent at least $90m on more than 870 homes in seven states over the past decade. The properties range from luxurious mansions to rentals for low-income families. Hannity is the hidden owner behind some of the shell companies and his attorney did not dispute that he owns all of them. What if he bashed President Obama on-air for a situation he was benefitting from financially? Dozens of the properties were bought at a discount in 2013, after banks foreclosed on their previous owners for defaulting on mortgages. Before and after then, Hannity sharply criticised Barack Obama for the US foreclosure rate. In January 2016, Hannity said there were millions more Americans suffering under this president partly because of foreclosures. Imagine if Hannitys most valuable holdings were two Georgia apartment complexes that he bought in 2014 for $22.4 million, with help from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Georgia purchases were funded with mortgages for $17.9m that Hannity obtained with help from Hud, which insured the loans under a program created as part of the National Housing Act. The loans, first guaranteed under the Obama administration, were recently increased by $5m with renewed support from Carsons department. And Hannity failed to note this link when he interviewed Carson on his programs, even as he praised his privatization push. I know youve done a good job, Hannity told Carson. Hannity complained during the discussion that home ownership in the US was at a 51-year low a false claim he has made several times on air and criticised the state of public housing. I like the idea of them owning the place, Hannity said of people who receive housing assistance. Well, thats the real ideal, said Carson. And Carson is now in a position to help Hannity financially. Late last month, Hannitys mortgages were replaced with loans for $22.9m that were rewritten with Carsons Hud and a new bank. There was no indication that Carson was personally involved in the process. Carson does, however, have the authority to allow Hannity from 2019 to convert the rental complexes into condominiums for sale, which could be lucrative for the television host. That would be pretty wild, but its probably not the kind of thing that would interest Fox News or its viewers. Being a top political commentator (whos not a journalist) and leading Trump adviser (who doesnt work in the White House) is nice work if you can get it. Also, real estate seems pretty lucrative. UPDATE: Sean Hannity responded with this statement: YEREVAN, Armenia Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigned unexpectedly Monday to quell massive antigovernment protests over what critics feared was his effort to seize power for life. Residents of the capital, Yerevan, poured onto the streets to celebrate his stunning departure. People hugged and kissed, and motorists honked their horns. Protest leader Nikol Pashinian was right. I was wrong, Sargsyan, who previously served as president, said in a surprise announcement on his website. The movement on the streets is against my rule. Im complying with their demands. The move plunges the country into uncertainty after 10 days of protests against Sargsyans appointment as prime minister. The appointment was part of a transition to a new governmental system that reduces the powers of the presidency and bolsters those of the premier. Critics saw that as an attempt by 63-year-old Sargsyan, who served as president from 2008 until term limits forced him out in March, to stay in power indefinitely. It echoes similar tenure-lengthening maneuvers by Russian President Vladimir Putin Armenias closest ally. Leaders of other former Soviet republics from Belarus to Central Asia also have engineered themselves lifetime jobs. Pashinian, the protest leader, said Monday evening the opposition will be pushing for a snap parliamentary election. Pashinian had been arrested Sunday after he met the prime minister for talks. Sargsyan abruptly ended the meeting when Pashinian refused to discuss anything besides the prime ministers resignation. The protest leader was released Monday. The streets of Yerevan have turned into masses of human anger since protesters began rallying on April 13, blocking government buildings and facing off with police. The Armenian government quickly named former Prime Minister Karen Karapetian as acting premier. A Sargsyan ally, Karapetian also served as mayor of Yerevan. Alexander Iskanderian, director of the Caucasus Institute in Yerevan, said the protests drove Sargsyan into a corner: The protests in the past couple of days have swelled to a point that you either had to use violence or find another way out, Iskanderian said. Russian officials and state television have been cautious in commenting on the unrest in Armenia. In the past, Moscow decried antigovernment rallies in neighboring post-Soviet nations as example of hostile Western interference. Avet Demourian is an Associated Press writer. Cape Town and Table Mountain in South Africa. Photo: Eric Nathan/Getty Images/Gallo Images Most Cape Town fans will wax rhapsodic about its natural splendor. As they rightly should: Within its city limits youll find some of the worlds most beautiful beaches nudging their way toward the slopes of the dramatic flat-topped mesa that sits at its heart, resulting in staggering vistas that less blessed cities could scarcely dream of. This is the kind of place where man-made skyscrapers cant hold a candle to the true star of the citys skyline, Table Mountain, one of the worlds New7Wonders of Nature; its where the sounds of traffic can easily be muffled by the crashing of the waves. Related Stories Introducing the Urbanist Yes, there are mountains you must climb and beaches you must bask upon, but the beauty of the Mother City, as its fondly known, is not merely skin deep. The singular energy comes from its denizens, who are taking inspiration from their surroundings and reshaping the citys post-apartheid narrative. Cape Towns artists are finally getting their due, with the buzzed-about opening of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa late last year refocusing the attention of global art luminaries to the tip of the continent. The restaurant scene is exploding, with local chefs returning home after stints in Michelin-pedigreed kitchens across the globe to bring innovative culinary concepts to their hometown. Whether its dining or art, fashion or wine, creativity is the theme at the moment in Cape Town and there are countless places the citys creative spirit manifests itself. This past year, that spirit has prevailed even during a severe water crisis of a magnitude thats unprecedented anywhere on the planet: Residents have banded together to implement new methods and campaigns to avoid the worst-case scenarios. And so far, it seems to be working. This week, the Urbanist is taking you to Cape Town, with the people who know it best as your guides: 24 of the ultimate Mother City insiders, who shared their best tips on galleries, markets, wine farms, coffee shops, hikes, rooftop bars, and more. Cape Towns looks might be what entice you to make the long flight (15 hours to Johannesburg, plus another two to Cape Town), but its everything else that will make you want to stick around. Your Everything Guide to Cape Town Where the Locals Would Stay in Cape Town If They Werent Local What Travelers Should Know About Cape Towns Water Crisis How to Shop Like a Local in Cape Town Where Cape Towns Hottest Chefs Eat Out The Best Markets in Cape Town, According to Locals A Top Sommeliers Lowdown on the Western Cape Winelands Your Perfect Saturday Night Or Thursday in Cape Town Art, Art Everywhere: The Gallery Hoppers Guide to Cape Town Penguin Beaches and Other Ways to Escape Cape Town 10 Souvenirs You Should Buy in Cape Town What to Read, Watch, and Download Before Visiting Cape Town TORONTO A rented van plowed down a crowded Toronto sidewalk Monday, killing 10 people and injuring 15 before the driver fled and was quickly arrested in a confrontation with police, Canadian authorities said. Witnesses said the driver was moving fast and appeared to be acting deliberately, but police officials would not comment on the cause or any possible motive. Speaking at a news conference Monday night, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders raised the initial death toll of nine to 10, saying another victim had died at a hospital. He said 15 others were hospitalized. Saunders identified the man detained after the incident as Alek Minassian, 25, a resident of the Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill. He said the suspect had not been known to police previously. Asked if there was any evidence of a connection to international terrorism, the chief said only, Based on what we have, theres nothing that has it to compromise the national security at this time. But a senior national government official said earlier that authorities had not turned over the investigation to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a sign that investigators believed it unlikely terrorism was the motive. The official agreed to reveal that information only if not quoted by name. Authorities released few details in the case, saying the investigation was still under way, with witnesses being interviewed and surveillance video being examined. I can assure the public all our available resources have been brought in to investigate this tragic situation, Toronto Police Services Deputy Chief Peter Yuen said earlier. The incident occurred as Cabinet ministers from the major industrial countries were gathered in Canada to discuss a range of international issues in the run-up to the G7 meeting near Quebec City in June. Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale called the incident a horrific attack and said the G7 foreign ministers extended their condolences. The driver was heading south on busy Yonge Street around 1:30 p.m. and the streets were crowded with people enjoying an unseasonably warm day when the van jumped onto the sidewalk. Ali Shaker, who was driving near the van at the time, told Canadian broadcast outlet CP24 that the driver appeared to be moving deliberately through the crowd at more than 30 mph. He just went on the sidewalk, a distraught Shaker said. He just started hitting everybody, man. He hit every single person on the sidewalk. Anybody in his way he would hit. Witness Peter Kang told CTV News that the driver did not seem to make any effort to stop. Ian Austen and Liam Stack are New York Times writers. LONDON The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth Monday morning to a new prince who is fifth in line to the British throne and she was home by suppertime. The duchess and husband Prince William drove to St. Marys Hospital in London early in the morning, and Kates 8-pound, 7-ounce boy was born at 11:01 a.m., with royal officials announcing the birth about two hours later. There followed a smoothly choreographed operation perfected after the births of the couples two other children. In late afternoon, elder siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte were brought to meet their baby brother. Around 6 p.m. and wearing a vibrant red dress, Kate emerged alongside her husband, holding the tiny royal highness, wrapped in a white lace shawl. After posing for dozens of photographers and camera crews outside the hospitals private Lindo Wing, they headed home, with the baby nestled securely in a car seat. Television news helicopters followed the royal Range Rover as it made the mile journey to the familys Kensington Palace residence. William declared the couple very delighted with the new addition to the family. The royal palace said the queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news. Prime Minister Theresa May offered warmest congratulations. News of the royal birth came with a mix of tradition and modernity typical of Britains media-savvy royal family. It was announced on Twitter and also proclaimed in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace with a framed notice perched on a golden easel. Tony Appleton, a town crier from southeast England, showed up in full regalia to declare the newborn princes birth outside the hospital. The words Its a boy flashed in lights around the top of Londons BT Tower, which can be seen for miles around. More ceremonial celebration will come Tuesday, including the pealing of bells at Westminster Abbey and a gun salute in Londons Hyde Park. The baby is a younger brother to 4-year-old Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who turns 3 next week. Both were born at the same hospital, as were William and his younger brother, Prince Harry. The infants name, which has been subject to a flurry of bets, is likely to be announced in the next few days. Arthur and James are among bookmakers favorites for the new prince, whose full title will be His Royal Highness, Prince (Name) of Cambridge. Youll find out soon enough, William said when asked about the babys name. The new arrival is Queen Elizabeth IIs sixth great-grandchild and bumps Prince Harry to sixth place in the line of succession. The baby is fifth in line, after grandfather Prince Charles, father Prince William and his two siblings. Charlotte is the first royal daughter to stay ahead of a younger brother in the line of succession. Before the rules were changed in 2012, male heirs took precedence. Kensington Palace announced in September that Kate was pregnant with her third child. As in her previous pregnancies, the duchess suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness. Jill Lawless and Sylvia Hui are Associated Press writers. 1 Paraguay election: The son of a former dictators top aide won the presidential election in Paraguay on Sunday, helped by a booming economy under his party. Mario Abdo Benitez of the governing Colorado Party had 46.5 percent of the vote, with 96 percent of polling stations reporting, electoral officials said. Efrain Alegre, a lawyer who represented the Authentic Radical Liberal Party, finished second with 42.7 percent of the ballots. The new president begins a five-year term Aug. 15. Abdo, a marketing expert, campaigned on a promise to continue the business-friendly policies of outgoing President Horacio Cartes, and he played down any fears of a return to the heavy-handed policies of dictator Alfredo Stroessner, who ruled from 1954 to 1989. Abdos father was Stroessners private secretary. 2 Russia censorship: Russias communications watchdog agency said Sunday that it is adding some Google IP addresses to the state register of banned sites, as a dispute over a banned messaging app intensifies. Russia has ordered the popular Telegram messaging app to shut down because it wont share its encryption key with intelligence agencies. Watchdog Roskomnadzor then blocked 18 networks that are used by Amazon and Google and host sites it believes Telegram is using to circumvent the ban. That move blocked access to millions of sites, including many Russian businesses. On Sunday, Roskomnadzor raised the stakes by announcing it had added an unspecified number of Google IP address used by Telegram to the register of banned sites. SANAA, Yemen An air strike by the Saudi-led coalition hit a wedding party in northern Yemen, killing at least 20 people, health officials said Monday, as harrowing images emerged on social media of the deadly bombing. Khaled al-Nadhri, the top health official in the northern province of Hajja, said most of the dead were women and children who were gathered in one of the tents set up for the wedding party in the Bani Qayis district. He said the bride was among the dead. A Saudi-led coalition has been battling Iran-allied Shiite rebels known as Houthis since 2015 in a stalemated war that has killed more than 10,000 people. Later Monday, the rebels said the official considered the head of state for the territories under their control was killed in a coalition air strike. The rebels Supreme Political Council said Saleh al-Samad was killed in the coastal Hodeida province last Thursday. We consider the so-called forces of aggression, especially America and Saudi Arabia, responsible for killing of Samad and all the consequences of this crime, said Abdul-Malek al-Houthi, leader of the rebels. He said Samad was killed on a road with six companions after meeting with local officials. Mahdi al-Mashat, a former fighter who until now directed al-Houthis office, was elected as a successor. After the wedding strike, which took place late Sunday, the groom and 45 of the wounded were brought to the al-Jomhouri hospital, said the facilitys manager, Mohammed al-Sawmali. Health authorities called on people to donate blood. Footage that emerged from the scene of the air strike shows scattered body parts and a young boy in a green shirt hugging a mans lifeless body, screaming and crying. It was the third deadly air strike in Yemen since the weekend. A strike on Sunday night hit a house elsewhere in Hajja, killing a family of five, according to al-Nadhri. On Saturday, at least 20 civilians were killed when coalition fighter jets bombed a bus carrying commuters in western Yemen, near the city of Taiz, which has been locked in fighting for three years. The Saudi-led coalition has declined to comment on the strikes. Ahmed Al-Haj is an Associated Press writer. BEIRUT Syrian government forces moved to cut off Islamic State militants in southern Damascus from nearby rebel-held suburbs Monday in an attempt to force the extremists to surrender or evacuate the district, state media reported. The area in southern Damascus is the last part of the capital not controlled by President Bashar Assads troops. Other insurgents in the area, including an al-Qaeda-linked group, have said they would relocate to rebel-held regions in northern Syria. State-run al-Ikhbariya TV said the government hopes to isolate Islamic State in the Hajar al-Aswad neighborhood. The station showed thick, gray smoke billowing from the area as government forces pounded it with artillery and air strikes. Damascus residents said the sound of explosions echoed across the capital. The report said Islamic State snipers targeted journalists covering the fighting, without saying whether anyone was hurt. Hundreds of militants are holed up in Hajar al-Aswad and Yarmouk, a Palestinian refugee camp that resembles a built-up residential neighborhood. Rebels from other factions hold the nearby suburbs of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem. Islamic State agreed to give up its last pocket of Damascus on Friday but has yet to begin surrendering to government forces and relocating to rebel-held areas elsewhere in the country. The offensive in southern Damascus coincides with preparations by rebels to evacuate towns in the Qalamoun region, east of the capital, following an agreement that allows them to relocate to opposition-held areas in northern Syria. It marks the latest rebel capitulation, after the sprawling eastern Ghouta region returned to government control earlier this month. The recapture by government forces of areas in southern Damascus and the Qalamoun region would give Assad control of the entire area around Damascus and the countrys center, extending all the way up to Homs, for the first time in years. Islamic State said in a statement that the government had launched 400 air strikes on Hajar al-Aswad and Yarmouk, destroying large parts of the neighborhoods. It claimed to have killed more than three dozen government forces, but there was no independent confirmation, and the extremist group often exaggerates such figures. French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that France is committed to pushing for more dialogue among Syrias warring parties. The phone call with Putin came Monday, just hours before Macrons state visit to the United States. It was the first call between the two leaders since French, British and U.S. air strikes on April 14 in retaliation for an alleged gas attack by state forces. Macron said he wants to work with Russia to initiate a credible political process and intensify humanitarian aid to civilian populations, according to the French presidencys statement. Macron will travel to Russia on May 24-25. Russia is a key ally of Assad. Bassem Mroue is an Associated Press writer. BRUSSELS A Belgian court on Monday found 2015 Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam and an accomplice guilty of attempted murder over shots fired at police as they sought to avoid arrest in Brussels. The court handed both Abdeslam, Europes most wanted fugitive at the time, and Sofiane Ayari the maximum 20-year sentence. It said the terror character was clearly established in the March 2016 shooting, four months after the Paris attacks that killed 130 people. Abdeslam was close to being arrested in a hideout when he and Ayari fled while another man sprayed gunfire at police and was killed. Three officers were wounded. His lawyer Sven Mary said it remains to be seen whether Abdeslam will seek to appeal his sentence. He has 30 days to decide. Mary insisted it is unclear whether Abdeslam himself had fired shots at officers trying to break into the hideout. If there is doubt, he should have been let go, its that simple, Mary said. Abdeslam attended the opening day of the trial in February but has refused to cooperate since. He is being held in a French prison. Ayari was also absent. It is unclear when Abdeslam will face trial over the Paris attacks but it is expected to take several years. The conclusion of the case at Brussels ornate palace of justice took place amid tight security. As all our demands have been met we can be satisfied, said Maryse Alie, a lawyer for the police. The judgment says that firing at policemen on duty is a very serious crime. Ayari is a Tunisian who fought with the Islamic State group for a year before heading to Europe. Three days after the shooting spree, Abdeslam was captured in Brussels. Four days after that, extremists struck in the Belgian capital, killing 32 people in bomb attacks at the airport and on the subway system. Page Content This is the third in a series of articles about exceptions to the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage rule. This article discusses wages for tipped workers. Read the first article here and the second article here. T he Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) allows employers to pay workers who customarily receive tips less than the standard minimum wage as long as certain conditions are metbut the rule's applicability has been diminished by state laws that set higher minimum wages or ban subminimum wages altogether. Under federal law, employers can take a tip credit by paying tipped workers, such as servers and bartenders, as low as $2.13 an hour if those workers earn at least the standard minimum wage of $7.25 an hour once their tips are added in. [SHRM members-only toolkit: Complying with U.S. Wage and Hour Laws and Wage Payment Laws] "The tip-credit wage recognizes that there are categories of employees who make a significant part of their income through tips received from customers," said Liz Washko, an attorney with Ogletree Deakins in Nashville. Restaurants and other business with tipped employees often operate on thin profit margins, and paying tip-credit wages enables many of these businesses to stay in operation and turn a profit, she noted. But employers must check the applicable state laws before taking a tip credit, said Libby Henninger, an attorney with Littler in Washington, D.C. Some states don't allow a tip credit to be taken at all: Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. This means employers must pay servers in Alaska, for example, at least $9.84 an hour (the state's minimum wage). Several other states permit a tip credit but require that workers be paid a higher cash wage than what is required under federal law. For example, in Arizona, employers must pay tipped workers at least $7.50 an hour, and workers must earn at least $10.50 an hour (the state's minimum wage) when tips are included. If a tip credit is taken in states with a higher minimum wage, employers must ensure that employees are receiving sufficient tips to meet both federal and state minimum wage requirements, Henninger noted. "Where the state law provides more generous protections for employees than federal law, the state law prevails," Washko said. "So state law differences on this issue can pose a challenge for employers who operate in multiple jurisdictions." Background Until 1966, tipped workers were subject to the same minimum-wage obligations under the FLSA as all other employees. "The policy of paying tipped workers a subminimum wage was first enacted in 1966 with the idea that expected income from tips can be converted into a tip credit against minimum-wage obligations for employers," Henninger said. Until 1996, the tipped wage rate was set at 50 percent of the standard minimum wage. In 1996, however, with significant pressure from President Bill Clinton, Congress agreed to increase the federal minimum wage with the condition that the tipped-employee minimum wage would freeze at $2.13 an hour, noted Tae Kim, an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg in Los Angeles. Under the FLSA, employers may pay this wage to workers who customarily receive more than $30 per month in tips. Before taking advantage of the tip credit, however, employers must tell affected workers: The dollar amount the employer is paying tipped employees. The additional amount claimed by the employer as a tip credit. That the tip credit the employer is claiming can't exceed the actual amount of tips an employee receives. That employees will retain all tips unless there is a valid tip pool that is limited to employees who customarily and regularly receive tips. Tip Pooling If employers take advantage of the FLSA's tip credit and pay less than the standard minimum wage to tipped workers, employers can't require workers to share gratuities with back-of-the-house employees, such as cooks and dishwashers. Furthermore, employers must: Notify tipped workers of any required tip pool contribution amount. Take a tip credit only for an amount equal to the tips each tipped employee actually receives. Not retain any tips for any other purpose. In 2011, during President Barack Obama's administration, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a rule prohibiting employers from including back-of-the-house workers in tip pools, even if employers pay the full minimum wage. But that rule has recently been changed. In December 2017, President Donald Trump's administration issued a proposed rule to rescind the Obama DOL's position and make it clear that employers may include back-of-the-house workers in tip pools if they pay the full minimum wagebut the proposal controversially left it open for employers to keep tips. Shortly thereafter, Congress amended the FLSA to say that all tips must go to workers, and a DOL field bulletin clarified that the amendment nullifies the 2011 regulations and that employers who don't take the tip credit may include back-of-the-house workers in tip pools. Despite the new FLSA rule, some states statutorily prohibit tip sharing with nontipped employees, so such a practice will still be prohibited, Henninger noted. What's Next? "I don't see changes in the immediate future to the FLSA's tipped minimum wages given the enormous resistance to any increase in tipped-employee minimum wages and a strong lobby," Kim said. "Immediate changes are more likely to happen on the state level." At the end of 2017, for example, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that he was considering a proposal to eliminate the tip credit. Additionally, there has been a lot of discussion within the restaurant industry about eliminating tipping altogetherand thus, the tip creditfor front-of-the-house employees, Washko noted. "Several well-known restaurants have done this on an experimental basis, with mixed results." Page Content A provision in the Massachusetts criminal justice reform law signed by Gov. Charlie Baker amends the state's restrictions on the questions employers may ask a job applicant regarding the applicant's criminal history during the hiring process. The new restrictions include an adjusted limitation on asking about misdemeanor convictions and a bar on asking about sealed or expunged criminal records. The new restrictions go into effect on Oct. 13, six months after April 13, the date Baker signed the measure. In 2010, Massachusetts became the second state in the nation (Hawaii was the first) to ban both public and private employers from requesting criminal record information on initial job applications. The Massachusetts "ban-the-box" provision was part of legislation enacted to reform the state's criminal offender record information system. Current Law Under Massachusetts law, employers are prohibited from asking for information about an applicant's criminal history on an "initial written employment application" (this is referred to as the ban-the-box provision). After the initial written employment application, Massachusetts employers are still restricted on the types of criminal history questions they may ask applicants. Massachusetts employers may not ask for information about the following types of criminal history: An arrest, detention or disposition regarding any violation of law in which no conviction resulted. A first offense for any of the following misdemeanors: drunkenness, simple assault, speeding, minor traffic violations, affray or disturbance of the peace. Any conviction of a misdemeanor where the date of conviction or the completion of any period of incarceration resulting therefrom occurred five or more years prior to the date of the application, unless such person has been convicted of any offense within the preceding five-year period. Because these restrictions on criminal history questions are so specific, many employers use special, custom forms that describe these restrictions when asking permissible criminal history questions at a later date in the application process. New Law The new law changes the restrictions in two important ways. First, the law adjusts the timeframes related to when an employer may seek information on a misdemeanor conviction. The new law states that employers may not ask for information about misdemeanor convictions (or incarcerations resulting therefrom) that occurred three or more years prior to the date of the employment application, unless the person has been convicted of any offense within the preceding three years. This has been reduced from the preceding five-year period. Second, the law prohibits employers from asking applicants for information about a criminal record that has been sealed or expunged. Employer Tips Following the latest amendments, Massachusetts employers that ask questions regarding criminal history after the initial written employment application as part of their hiring practices and procedures should plan to adjust these questions, if necessary, and ensure key employees in the hiring process are educated about the new limitations. Brian E. Lewis is an attorney with Jackson Lewis in Boston, Susan M. Corcoran is an attorney with Jackson Lewis in White Plains, N.Y., and Richard I. Greenberg is an attorney with Jackson Lewis in New York City. Jackson Lewis. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission. The colorful life in Malaysia attracts millions of tourists each year. Kuala Lumpur, the capital of this mesmerizing country, is a city full of life a combination of various cultures, types of food that anyone would like to try, a rich history. Without being organized, visiting Kuala Lumpur can get tiring and transform from a potentially pleasurable experience into something youll hate. In crowded locations like Malaysia, sticking to your plans is an absolute must. A checklist of all the activities you want to try could help a lot once you get there. Before your departure, check if you own all the legal documents you need and if you meet the healthcare requirements to travel to Malaysia. Read on for a detailed picture of traveling one weekend to Kuala Lumpur. Visa and other documents Getting your Malaysia e visa is the first step you have to take once you decide to visit Kuala Lumpur. Without a visa, you wont be able to enter the country and your holiday is going to be ruined. Make sure that you deal with legal issues early before your departure. You never know what problems you can encounter. Luckily, you can apply for a visa online. Have your valid passport and ID with you at all times. These documents can save you a lot of trouble when traveling a long distance, so dont forget to check if everything is in order. Pay attention to your flight tickets as well, especially the ones for your return. You might not find other flights if you lose or forget your tickets at home. Getting organized is a must. Healthcare Traveling to Malaysia means you have to take some healthcare precautions. Even though Kuala Lumpur is not as exotic as other countries and youll see a lot of development there, changing the environment so suddenly might cause you to get sick. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry. Visiting your doctor before leaving and getting a few shots done can save you a lot of trouble afterward. Most diseases in Malaysia are mosquito-borne, so protect your skin from being bitten. Invest in anti-mosquito sprays and creams and try to cover as much skin as you can with your clothes. Get a Typhoid vaccination and in case you want to be extra cautious get a Tetanus vaccination as well. Activities As for activities, a weekend is enough to visit Kuala Lumpur and get the best out of it. The secret to doing that is properly organize your time and stick with the plan you make from the very beginning. Kuala Lumpur has a few popular tourist attractions that you cannot miss: the famous Petronas Twin Towers, the National Museum, the Mosques and the Sultan Abdul Samad architectural wonder. The national palace called Istana Negara is an imposing building. If youre an art and history lover, visit the KL city galleries. If youd like to explore the culture of Hindu people, visit the Batu caves or opt for a day tour in Melaka. Read More News: PUMA steps on board as 'Sportswear Partner' for the TCS World 10K Mukesh Ambani, 2 other Indians in Fortune Greatest Leaders 2018 A group of organisations are collecting particulars of small-scale farmers around the country with the aim of designing products that make them bankable and boost production. At a conference at Fairway hotel organised by Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), United Nations Capital Development Fund, and Laboremus Uganda Ltd, speakers said data could actually be the turning point to bridge the funding gap for the smallholder farmers. Well-analysed data pertaining to smallholder farming and spending practices can be used to solve the finance gulf problems that they face today. Robert Kintu, the managing director of MobiPay Agrosystems, said some commercial banks had approached them for data on farmers, underscoring the significance of such information. Gabrielle Rosenau, a manager at Ibero Uganda Limited, said quality data was what institutions were looking for, which means organisations must ensure their data is reliable. Most financial institutions regard agriculture as a high-risk venture and hardly extend funding solutions to them but with more information at their hands, it is assumed this might change. There is more access to smartphones in the countryside and more farmers are putting their savings on mobile money than ever before. Such data can help funders make decisions on whether to fund farmers or not. But also, farmers can be helped to access information on crops, weather and soil to boost their production amidst climate change challenges. Last year, global agricultural research organisation CGIAR, formerly known as Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, said it was joining forces with tech giants including IBM and Amazon to analyse vast amounts of agricultural data and advise farmers on the best production methods for them. Smallholder farmers produce the bulk of food in developing countries and are the most vulnerable to changes in climate, according to the UN agency Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Meanwhile, CGAP also launched a platform called smallholder families data hub to provide information for institutions interested in developing financial products for small households. CGAP says it has up to 300,000 of such families data with it. amwesigwa@observer.ug To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. 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! Trying to head off the calls for a royal commission, the government had already imposed a raft of new, onerous and potentially threatening obligations and liabilities on the banks as well as a hefty tax surcharge. The banks themselves have committed to a plethora of self-regulatory measures. Most of the issues have been responded to by ASIC or (to try to head off a royal commission) the banks themselves. Most of the issues (leaving aside AMP's 20 lies to ASIC and its interference in an ''independent'' report) were self-reported by the institutions to ASIC. Most have resulted in enforceable undertakings that involve significant, court-enforceable, changes to systems and policies, ''donations'' to ASIC's fund for promoting financial literacy, restitution to affected customers and generous payments for ASIC's costs. It is, however, those ''deals'' between the institutions and their regulator that created the foundations for the wave of revulsion the commission's hearing have generated. They buried the dirty detail and absolved the institutions and their executives of accountability, even when the smaller fry were banned or prosecuted. At one level ASIC's use of enforceable undertakings is quite defensible. Taking legal action against a major bank or an AMP is horrendously costly and ultimately quite risky given the resources and access to top-end representation that the institutions have. Loading It's a winner-takes-all approach to enforcement and ASIC's record in court - indeed the records of government agencies more generally when faced with deep-pocketed defendants - suggests its odds of success aren't strong. Moreover, most of the issues subjected to undertakings in recent years stem from misconduct by employees within the lower levels of the institutions, whether financial advisers or fixed income traders. ASIC can and does deal with individuals by banning them or taking them to court. Its approach to institutions appears to be focused on ensuring their compliance and risk-management systems are improved; that they put in place systems and processes designed to avoid a recurrence of the misconduct. The undertakings ''volunteered'' by the institutions involve issues often beyond the scope of court proceedings and can impose obligations for structural change within an organisation that a court wouldn't be able to order. The use of undertakings generates quicker and cheap outcomes for ASIC and, perhaps, the affected customers, than a protracted litigation process, with subsequent appeals, might produce. It also encourages self-reporting of breaches of the law or licence conditions. The downside, however, is that both the institutions and their regulators see the solution to widespread and egregious misconduct as a deal. For every breach the institutions volunteer there is a commercial negotiation and outcome. The big banks and insurers don't really care about the financial outcomes from the undertakings. With the possible exception of the Austrac litigation (now in mediation), where CBA has provided $375 million against potential penalties, none of the costs associated with an undertaking are material to a large financial institution. CBA was offended that Austrac didn't give it prior warning of its litigation because the banks and other financial institutions have come to see the enforceable undertakings regime as the option of first resort and primary mechanism for resolving issues with their regulators. There are those who argue that the institutions have ''captured'' their regulators and have ''gamed'' ASIC via the undertakings process. Austrac has alleged CBA failed to inform authorities about suspect cash deposits at its ATMs. Credit:James Elsby That overlooks the fact that ASIC itself asked lawmakers for the ability to enter undertakings nearly 20 years ago, that the process is as convenient for it as it is for the institutions and that the alternatives won't necessarily produce better outcomes. It is possible that the substantially increased fines for companies and individuals and harsher jail terms might shift ASIC's risk-reward equations when it weighs up the use of an undertaking against the option of litigation. One suspects, however, that litigation will remain the option of last resort, to be exercised rarely and only when the benefit to the public and system are clearly worthwhile and very substantial and the risks not excessive. The undertakings might be more of a deterrent, and more of a catalyst for external pressures on institutions, if their public disclosures contained more information about the misconduct involved. Had we all known about the widespread and conscious charging of fees where no advice were provided or about the extent of the breaches of the responsible lending regime, for instance, there would have been significant pressure on the organisations to change their policies and punish or ditch the responsible executives. There are no simple responses to the issues emerging from the royal commission's hearings but among the ingredients of the response the commission and ultimately the government make to the public disgorging of the dirty little secrets held by ASIC and those it regulates ought to be a commitment to much greater transparency. Ironically, both the Austrac litigation and the bank bill swap rate litigation launched by ASIC might provide something of a template. A three-year dispute over pay and conditions for 80,000 Coles workers across the country has been finally settled with the Fair Work Commission's approval of a contentious new agreement with unions. Commission deputy president Val Gostencnik on Monday approved the new agreement which the supermarket giant fast-tracked late last year as part of a settlement of a massive underpayment case against it. Coles workers voted to accept the new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement in February. The Fair Work Commission has approved a new pay agreement for Coles workers Credit:Glenn Campbell The national secretary of the Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) Gerard Dwyer welcomed the commission's approval of the new agreement saying it would deliver pay rises for workers and improve penalty rates. This is an excellent outcome," he said. With wage growth at historic lows across Australia, were pleased this new agreement has been approved and will deliver a July increase to Coles workers and pay rises for all over the life of the agreement. Digital behemoths Facebook and Google have defended their role in the publishing landscape as "helping" traditional media companies in a competitive online environment, as Australia's wide-reaching probe into the impacts of the digital giants continues. Google's 13-page submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry, released on Monday, said it sends news websites "billions of visits" in traffic for "free", and helps publications monetise audiences through its technology and tools. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the government would be open to Google, if the company decided to leave Sydney. Credit:AP Providing "help" to media companies is in the search engine's best interest, the submission claims, as quality content is "complementary" to finding the best information. Facebook's 56-page submission, with an accompanying 23-page commissioned report from Queensland University of Technology, put emphasis on the competition social media platforms face as "barriers to entry for online services are low" and says many companies can collect data, including newspapers. Money might not buy love, but it can buy better health. And, to live as long as possible, the world's wealthy are willing to pay up. Over the past few decades, the average person's lifespan has risen almost everywhere in the world. In China, the US and most of Eastern Europe, the average life expectancy at birth has reached the late 70s, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD. People in Western Europe and Japan, meanwhile, can expect to live into their early 80s. With increased knowledge and focus on health, living to 100 is not as outlandish as it once seemed. Credit:AP Most rich people, however, are counting on living even longer-a lot longer, as in two decades more than average. In a new UBS Financial Services survey, 53 per cent of wealthy investors said they expected to live to 100. Hitting triple digits won't be easy, but it's not as outlandish as it used to be. The average Japanese woman now has a life expectancy of 87, OECD data show, compared with 81 years for men. And many studies have shown that the wealthy have a built-in longevity advantage. There is often a misconception among new business owners that they are taxed on the money they withdraw from their business. For nearly every business entity structure this is not the case, the only exception is when a business is operated through a company. Paying for dry cleaning is an issue. Credit:Stocksy When a business is operated through a company, and cash is withdrawn by the shareholder owners, this can result in the withdrawals being classed as income of either fully franked or unfranked dividends. For the other business structures, including sole traders, partnerships of individuals, family discretionary trusts, and unit trusts, the owners of the business are taxed on their share of the net profit made by the business. Q. I work for a designer business that is run by a sole trader. The owner will not withdraw money from her business account as for some reason she believes she is heavily taxed each time she withdraws money. She frequently travels overseas and I have asked for an amount of cash to pay for work expenses such as her dry cleaning, taxi etc. She instead reimburses me for these expenses which sometimes leaves me out of pocket for some time and can create cash flow problems for me. Can she do this and is she correct about being taxed on money she withdraws? The recently-concluded Public Relations Association of Uganda (Prau) excellence awards ceremony brought together different entities from the private and public sectors, and the not-for-profit agencies in Uganda. Hosted on April 6 at the Kampala Sheraton hotel, the aim is to celebrate achievements and innovations made by organisations in the public relations and communications aspects. The ICPAU team Now in its seventh edition, last years Africa Congress of Accountants (ACOA) was recognised for its outstanding organisation and won the Best Event Award. ACOA is a biennial flagship event of the Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA) hosted by its member bodies. The event was hosted by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) from May 2- 5, 2017 at Speke Resort Munyonyo. This award is given to an organisation that hosted a big and successful event. The adjudication criteria involved how research, planning, execution and evaluation of the event were implemented as well as the level of publicity attracted before, during and after the event. The Congress was attended by 1,119 delegates from 60 Professional Accountancy Organisations (PAOs) and 41 countries across Africa, Europe, America, Asia, New Zealand and Australia. ACOAs success was based on its ability to attract financial support from government, domestic and foreign partners; large number of participants from all continents; ability to attract high profile speakers, globally; provision of authentic and verifiable information; global publicity of the event through PAFA, professional accountancy organisations, IFAC, websites, social media and news media; live broadcast of the opening ceremony, hence reaching out to a wider audience; and trending on social media. Brisbane creative writing academic Emily O'Grady receives $20,000, and a publishing deal with Allen & Unwin for her first book, The Yellow House, out today, about a 10-year-old girl and her brothers whose lives are overshadowed by the crimes of their serial killer relative. A debut novel inspired by the great-nephew of notorious serial killer Ivan Milat who killed as proof that he was as bad as his relative has won the Vogel's Literary Award , Australia's richest literary prize for an undiscovered manuscript. ''I had this idea eight years ago and started writing bits and pieces but it was probably 2015 that I started this version, and wrote a draft in a year, and have been doing various edits for three or four years,'' O Grady said. ''I've always been obsessed by serial crime and murder and true crime. When I was younger I would watch television and film about that sort of thing. On Sunday mornings I could get the paper and read through it to read those stories of extremes in human behaviour. It wasn't until I was an adult in 2010 there was a high-profile story where Matt Milat, Ivan Milat's nephew murdered his friend in the Belanglo State Forest in the place where Ivan Milat carried out the backpacker murders. ''In the court afterwards there this quote where he says something along the lines, "You know me, you know my family, you know the name Milat, you know what we do, I just did what they do.'' I found that fascinating and I was obsessed with that case. I never considered the stigma and the guilt and the shame that would occur for the descendants of the perpetrators. ''They are not considered victim ever but I think it is an interesting story to explore how having a violent and abject figure in your family can really have long-lasting effects. The trauma can sort of linger and trickle down to victims that aren't usually considered the normal victims in these stories.'' Some editions of Q&A - much like every addition to the British royal family - are blessed by the nature of their birth. On Monday night, this was clear when a man named Duncan Storrar returned to the Q&A stage - just a day after his previous Q&A foil, Kelly ODwyer, was in the news after a political interview that registered a scale of catastrophe not seen since John Hewson failed to identify the GST-friendly ingredients of a birthday cake in 1993. ODwyers spectacular Sunday television outing on Insiders is now known as the Barrie, Barrie, Barrie Balls-Up, or alternatively the Well, Barrie, What Were You Thinking Balls-Up or the Look, Barrie, They Told Me To Say This Balls-Up. It was, to the delight of ODwyer aficionados, the ministers most publicised train wreck since her Q&A appearance in the first week of the 2016 election campaign, when she celebrated the governments subsidising of a $6000 cafe toaster - and encountered Duncan Storrar on the other side of her enthusiasm. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack is right about one thing we need more training for doctors in the bush. What he isnt right about is the stage at which this need exists. We need more rural generalist and speciality training, but not more medical students. Every single location proposed by Charles Sturt and LaTrobe universities for the Murray Darling Medical School already trains medical students, and in several cases hosts students from more than one university. Country towns don't need more medical students. Credit:Erin Jonasson As a product of the combined Melbourne-Monash Rural Clinical School in Bendigo, I can attest that the quality of education provided is excellent, and government-funded education infrastructure is already in place. I am surprised that Nationals MP Andrew Gee is not aware of the students studying in his electorate - from the University of Sydney studying in Orange, or from Western Sydney University in Bathurst. To waste $50 million creating a new medical school and duplicating or replacing these facilities would represent economic folly. Meghan Markle hasn't said if she will wear a tiara at her upcoming royal wedding, but if she does she'll be able to choose from one of the world's most remarkable jewellery collections. That's because Queen Elizabeth II, the grandmother of her husband-to-be Prince Harry, has hundreds of tiaras squirreled away in locked vaults, and royal tradition holds that the queen will let Markle borrow one of these sparkly heirlooms. Meghan Markle will likely wear a tiara from the Queen's collection for her wedding, according to royal custom. Credit:PA There's no shortage of diamonds in the queen's collection, to say nothing of rubies, sapphires and emeralds. One tiara is designed so that its emeralds can be replaced by pearls depending on the rest of the outfit, of course. The bride's actual choice probably won't be known until May 19 when she walks down the aisle of St. George's Chapel to marry Harry and officially join the royal family. But some of London's most exclusive jewellers are devoutly hoping she won't turn her back on tiaras in favor of a more egalitarian look. It's a turnaround time most new mothers could not (and would not want to) achieve. Loading Just hours after the birth of each of her (now) three children, the Duchess of Cambridge has fronted up to a post-partum red carpet of sorts, ready to greet the press gathered outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. And, sure enough, after giving birth to her third child a boy on Monday, there she was. With her makeup done and her hair blow-dried, the Duchess waved to the cameras as her husband, Prince William, joked about having "thrice the worry". Look. You'll probably ignore the advice to order in moderation at Peter Jo's new mod-Korean joint Restaurant Shik. It happens. What are you supposed to do, when after months of menus of roast chickens, heirloom tomato salads, hanger steaks and carpaccio there's suddenly gelatinous terrine made of pig's ear that might be the key to the fountain of youth; sticky beef intercostals for wrapping in fragrant herbs and green tomato pickles; when there's salt-and-miso cured perilla leaves (Korea's answer to shiso) for filling with warm rice to make sorta dolmades and daikon turned tingly and floral from raspberry wine vinegar and sancho pepper? Don't fight it. Order the lot, and ask questions later. Later, as you survey the wreckage of your pork and kimchi pancakes, the multi-coloured banchan, probably the remnants of a hotpot-like bonito stew, one of those questions is likely to be "how much do I need to factor in dessert?" Here's the great news (unless you're a massive bingsu fan): Restaurant Shik doesn't serve dessert. At all. Order the lot: While the room is minimal, excess is acceptable at Restaurant Shik. Jo, a self-taught cook you might better recognise as the sommelier from Belles and Etta, isn't that into Korean sweets so he's ditched them. And (teeth suck!) until he's confident in delicious alternatives to making his pickles with fish bits, there won't be a lot here that vegetarians can get around. Here's why that's a good thing. Shik is one of the most personal and idiosyncratic restaurants Melbourne has turned out in a long time. We need mavericks like this. It calls to mind when Victor Liong dropped Lee Ho Fook or Thi Le gave us Anchovy. That's not a long bow. All three grew up as Sydney kids to immigrant parents and have created venues shaped equally by the flavours from their home tables, and careers in contemporary Australian restaurants. On social media, Brendan Leigh Baker lived a life most his age could only dream about. He owned a cafe on the Kingston Foreshore, where the coffee had earned the praise of Canberra's chief minister on Facebook. He boasted about buying a big block of land in Taylor, and his intentions to build on it a six bedroom house. He had a flashy Mercedes, and took spontaneous overseas holidays. Brendan Baker was one of five arrested over alleged drug trafficking at the weekend. Credit:Facebook/Brendan Baker Business was allegedly so good, the 26-year-old bought a money counting machine off eBay to help process all the cash he was earning. But police allege he funded his lifestyle dealing drugs. Meeting Mozart. Written by Simon Tedeschi, Eva Di Cesare and Tim McGarry. Directed by Eva Di Cesare. Canberra Theatre Centre and CDP Kids. For children three and older. Saturday, April 28 at 10am and 11.30am. canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 62752700. Meeting Mozart: Simon Tedeschi as Mozart. Credit:Daniel Boud Pianist Simon Tedeschi will don a wig and 18th-century-style clothes to play one of the greatest composers of all time. He's taking on the persona of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Meeting Mozart, which comes to the Canberra Theatre on Saturday. "It's classical music for kids - specifically an introduction to Mozart," says Tedeschi, who will be joined on stage by Michelle Doake as Mozart's wife Constanze and five string instruments to showcase some of the works of the composer in an accessible way by focusing on what the pianist calls "the joy of Mozart". Naomi Taylor feels like she's won every lottery possible. Her two-year-old son William was diagnosed with the cruel, degenerative disease type two spinal muscular atrophy in June last year. Naomi Taylor and Ben McLennan with their son William McLennan, 2. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos He has since lost the ability to walk and crawl and, without treatment, would eventually lose the ability to breath, swallow and talk. The only effective treatment, Nusinersen (brand name Spinraza), has been millions of dollars out of reach as it is not listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Rewarding for historians when they finally piece together what happened to individuals who served during wartime and whose fate had, for whatever reason, remained unknown. But what, then, if there are no relatives to whom the true story can be told? For good reason author and military historian Lynette Silver is known as ''the history detective''. Her books include Sandakan: A Conspiracy of Silence and Deadly Secrets: The Singapore Raids. Her research some 20 years ago uncovered what really happened to two young brothers, John and Edward Skinner, from Mount Mackenzie near Tenterfield. Their parents went to their graves knowing only that their sons had been taken prisoner of war by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore in February, 1942. John (left) and Edward Skinner who will be remembered at a Borneo Anzac Day service. Fact is in 1945 Edward took his own life after escaping from an enforced march of enfeebled POWs from the Sandakan prison camp. Another escapee, Owen Campbell, who had stayed with Edward who was suffering from dysentery, buried his body in a shallow grave. The current teenage pregnancy rate in Omoro district stands at 28 per cent per annum, which towers high above the national average of 25 per cent. This 28 per cent teenage pregnancy rate is very scaring to us because. Omoro district also has higher rates than other districts in the northern Uganda which stand at 27 per cent, the District Chairman Peter Douglas Okello acknowledges during an interview. A teenage mother The leading causes of death and disability among Ugandan female adolescents aged 15 to 19 years are pregnancy complications, unsafe abortions, and childbirth. Despite these statistics, our understanding of how girls perceive adolescent pregnancy is limited, according to Global Qualitative Nursing Research report published in August, 2017. Okello said in their 2015-2017 survey focusing on retention and school dropout rate of girls in Northern Uganda, Omoro district reported the highest number of teenage pregnancies. This was blamed on high illiteracy levels, war, poverty, cultural norms and beliefs. The major factors that lead to 28 per cent teenage pregnancy is the two decades of war in northern Uganda, which led to child-headed families in our community, who are not able to provide for themselves, Okllo said. The only option that the girls think of, is to get married at a very early stage to get money. High levels of poverty in northern Uganda were confirmed by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics in its annual report last year. In northern Uganda, they look at girls as source of wealth. Parents force them into marriage to get cows and money. Then girls end up with teenage pregnancies and many die in labour, Okello said. He said the district has now launched a campaign to promote girl child education to mitigate the high dropout rate of girls. They are also promoting school hygiene because some girls drop out of school when they start having menstruation periods. We are also demystifying the cultural belief about girl child education. To achieve this we work closely with cultural, religious and education institutions, Okello said. Jotham Musinguzi, the Director General National Population Council (NPC) said they are going to make sure that girls remain in schools. He was speaking on April 5 at Sheraton hotel in Kampala during the launch of the 2018 World Population Day slated to be marked in Omoro district on July 11. Musinguzi said Omoro was chosen as a venue because its a new district with the highest number of teenage pregnancies. They want to deal with the problem by creating awareness, he said. We also want the head of state to go there and see what is happening on the ground and give support to them, he said. The theme for this years celebrations is Leaving Nobody Behind; Improving Service Delivery and Accountability. Musinguzi said, NPC working together with UNFPA and other key stakeholders, is in the final stages of developing a roadmap to guide the country on how to harness the demographic dividend Uganda enjoys. We need to accelerate a fertility decline and make strategic investments in education, health, job creation and governance, he said. Musinguzi said, although the countrys current population is 40 million, the total fertility rate has come down to 5.4 per cent. Previously, it had stood at around seven children per woman. There is some change in the population. Contraceptives Prevalence Rate (CPR) is also going up and its about 35 per cent. The couples using contraceptives have increased due to awareness. Maternal and child mortality has also gone down due to improved health services, he said. Musinguzi said the most challenging issue is Ugandas age structure where we have more dependents; many children compared to adults in the working population and this will increase poverty. We need to change the age structure, have more working people than dependents. Once we do that, government will create more jobs, better education and Uganda benefit from its growing population, Musinguzi said. UNFPA Country Representative Alain Sibenaler said, they are also going to support Omoro district by delivering services on youth and family planning counseling. Pychosocial support to survivors of genderbased violence. zurah@observer.ug Unf---ingbelievable! Medich was overheard complaining to Gattellari as he arrived at his customary table at Tuscany, the open-air restaurant in Leichhardt where he dined daily. Medich was visibly upset. As he was trying to get into the car park his pass wouldnt work and a Herald journalist took the opportunity to stick his head in Medichs car window. The reporter asked if he had anything to do with McGurks murder. I didnt do it. Now, f--- off! Medich said. Loading Do you know who did it? the journalist asked. "How would I know? Christ almighty! You people are low life," Medich replied. "You've upset me, you've upset my wife. Now, f--- off!" It was the day after the murder and Gattellari later gave evidence that at that lunch he had said to Medich: "It's done. Are you happy? Medich replied crankily: Its taken long enough. Death threats and Molotov cocktails Four days after the murder, I received a death threat at my house warning me to stop pursuing the McGurk murder. At the time of the murder, a colleague and I had been investigating a fire-bombing in the most expensive street in the nation: Wolseley Road, Point Piper. McGurk had been retained by Medich to recoup money he claimed Medich claimed he was owed by Sydney businessman Adam Tilley, who had borrowed money from Medich to buy a home Medich had owned before he upgraded to an even grander one in the same street. When that didnt work McGurk took it upon himself to escalate the pressure on Tilley whose house McGurk fire-bombed. A fortnight before the fire-bombing McGurk sent a letter of demand to Tilley threatening to sell the house from under him unless they paid what they owed. On November 26, 2008, six days after the fire-bombing at Tilleys home, another house was extensively damaged when six Molotov cocktails were hurled at the Beaconsfield home of valuer Stuart Rowan. Loading Earlier that day Rowan had taken out an AVO against McGurk who had assaulted Rowans employee and had been threatening Rowan with violence for refusing to do an inflated valuation of a property McGurk had bought near Bathurst. Several weeks later there was another Molotov cocktail thrown, this time at the Mosman residence of commercial real estate agent Justin Brown, who was in a business dispute with McGurk. Ron Medich arrives at court last week. Credit:Brook Mitchell The last Molotov cocktail bore all the hallmarks of the earlier incidents same accelerant, same construction. Although Brown refused to co-operate with police, they were now seriously worried about McGurk. Four days after the incident at Browns house, on January 19, 2009, McGurk was arrested and charged. After a night in the clink, Medich put up $100,000 bail to secure his release. Pair's bitter falling out But within weeks the pair had seriously fallen out over soured business deals and Medich withdrew his bail offer. On August 20, 2009, a fortnight before he was murdered, the DPP inexplicably dropped the fire-bombing charges against McGurk. Medich was incensed. Only hours before McGurk was murdered, an agitated Medich complained bitterly to the police officer who had carriage of the fire-bombing investigation. "The bastard's at the Chop House restaurant celebrating as we speak," Medich said. At the time of his death McGurk had been trying to use the tape recording to extort $8 million from Medich. Widow Kimberley McGurk speaks outside of court on Monday. Credit:AAP Within days of the murder, controversial former politician Graham Richardson revealed that McGurk had been trying to blackmail Medich by claiming the recording contained evidence of corrupt politicians approving land deals. At the time of the murder, Richardson, who was a paid lobbyist for Medich and his brother Roy, was lobbying to get the Medichs land at Badgerys Creek rezoned. Richardson himself had listened to a snippet of McGurks tape on behalf of Medich. The Independent Commission Against Corruption later heard that Richardson had listened to less than 20 seconds of the tape before reporting back to Medich that there was nothing worth worrying about. Bribes and 'big-noting' On the tape Medich was heard boasting he had bribed the head of the NSW Planning Department. He is also heard saying that Labor would only be in power for another two years, so it was important that his developments be "rammed" through. However, then ICAC commissioner David Ipp accepted Medichs claims that it was nothing more than reckless big-noting on his behalf. It later emerged that Medich had been involved in a lot more than big-noting. In 2013, former unions boss John Robertson admitted that in 2006, McGurk, who was working with Medich to try to buy the Currawong site from Unions NSW, offered him a $3 million bribe. Robertson failed to report the bribe offer. In July 2009, two months before McGurks murder, Medich joined then NSW cabinet minister Ian Macdonald for dinner at Tuscany restaurant. That night Medich offered Macdonald the services of a Chinese prostitute named "Tiffanie" in the hope of securing government contracts for Medich and Gattellaris struggling electrical business. A later corruption inquiry recommended that the DPP consider criminal charges against both Medich and Macdonald over the Tiffanie matter. The man who sent a bullet to Barnaby Joyce believed he was a key player in the New England byelection and was intent on saving the nation and making Mr Joyce see reason, a psychiatrist report shows. Neville Newman and his wife Susan leave Armidale Local Court with solicitor Thomas Payne in February. Credit:Laurie Bullock In February, Neville Newman, 74, pleaded guilty to one count of using a carriage service to harass and another of intimidation with the intent to cause physical harm. In Armidale Local Court on Monday, he received a one-year suspended jail term for both charges, to run concurrently, and was fined $4000, $2000 for each charge. His barrister David Randle said the psychiatrist reported Newman believed in a deluded manner to have had the capacity to be a key player in the byelection. A red-faced Ron Medich gave a small, sharp shake of his head after Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Bellew convicted him of murdering his business associate Michael McGurk and intimidating McGurk's widow. Millionaire property developer Ron Medich is escorted into a NSW Corrective Services van at the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney on Monday. Credit:AAP The property developer's face had, in the common court reporting parlance, betrayed little emotion as the foreman of the 11-man jury said a firm guilty in response to the charges read out in the historic King Street court complex in Sydney. But as the 70-year-old sat down in the dock as a convicted killer, he hunched forward slightly with his hands on his thighs. The Oppositions attempt to force the state government to release confidential internal reports about what was known about Sydneys troubled $2.1 billion light rail line has failed. An appeal panel of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) has found an overriding public interest against the release of four documents about construction of the light rail line from Circular Quay to Randwick and Kensington in the city' south east. Sydney's light rail project has become a bigger political headache for the Berejiklian government in recent weeks. Credit:Janie Barrett Three of those documents were marked Cabinet in confidence and related to a health check of the project in October 2016, forming drafts of a report that was finalised a month later. The decision comes after Transport for NSW appealed an order made by NCAT last October for it to release the four documents about the light rail project under the Government Information (Public Access) Act to Labor upper house leader Adam Searle within 28 days. Verne Troyer 1969 - 2018 Verne Troyer, who has died aged 49, was the diminutive actor best known for playing Mini-Me in the second and third Austin Powers spy spoof films directed by Jay Roach. Mini-Me first appeared as an eighth-sized clone of Dr Evil (played by Mike Myers) in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999). Mike Myers, right, and Verne Troyer star in a scene "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me." Credit:AP The character spoke few words, but was the subject of several gratuitous visual gags including being flushed down a lavatory and into space. Forensic police examine the Commodore in Geelong on Sunday. Credit:Channel 7 The man charged with killing a Geelong father and leaving his body in the back of a car for up to a week can be revealed as the runaway key witness in a cold-case murder trial. Nick Munn, 41, from North Shore, had been summonsed in January to give evidence at the high-profile murder trial of Karl Hague, who was found guilty on Monday of the stabbing murder of 16-year-old Ricky Balcombe in central Geelong, 23 years ago. But Mr Munn vanished and never appeared to give evidence at the Supreme Court trial, leaving prosecutors and defence lawyers in the lurch. Art from the heart: the mural the people of Devenish, in northern Victoria funded on its old silos depicts two service women, 100 years apart: a WWI nurse and a modern day army medic. Credit:p1xels During World War I, the small town of Devenish and district had a population of around 300, but 50 of its citizens - one in six - signed up to serve. Seven diggers died and never came home. The wars impact still resonates today. Many people in the wheat farming community, near Benalla in northern Victoria, have family ties to those 50 who served. Farmer Kevin Mitchell said locals were keen to mark the centenary of the end of the war, but also to bring visitors to the town and make it a bit more vibrant. Matt Goland, 38, and Bita Zaeim, 32, after their wedding in Bali. Each afternoon, Matt Goland would catch the train to Blackburn and wait outside the office of his wife Bita Zaeim so they could drive home together. The newlyweds were in their car, driving home after a night out with friends in the city on Saturday, when their Holden Commodore was hit by a stolen $170,000 Lexus 4WD, allegedly travelling at "horrendous speeds". The Lexus hit the passenger side of the car, killing Mr Goland. Ms Zaeim, who was driving, died some hours later at The Alfred hospital. Eric Victorsen, 19, was allegedly behind the wheel of the Lexus when it crashed. He and his young passenger - a 15-year-old girl who cannot be named - allegedly ran from the scene. They were arrested at a home in Belgrave about 12 hours later. The Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) will on April 27 test the rehabilitated Port Bell to Kampala Railway Station line with a cargo train as part of ongoing plans to open new transport corridors. The URC senior marine officer Charles Ruzigye has said that the government has already invested about Shs 1 billion in rehabilitating the line from Port Bell to Kampala that has been inactive since the year 2007. We have replaced the rails and sleepers and we plan to have a trial run for a cargo train from Port Bell in Luzira to Kampala on April 27th this year, Ruzigye told journalists this week. The project which is part of the Central Corridor intends to improve movement of cargo to and from the port of Dar es Salaam through Mwanza port in Tanzania. Ruzigye said the trial is aimed at checking the strength of the line that will connect Port Bell to Mwanza, thus transporting cargo from Kampala to Mwanza and ultimately to the Dar es Salaam port. He said at a media briefing organised by the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (CCTFA) media coordination office in Kampala that since 2007, Uganda has had no transport activity on Lake Victoria. Lake transport took a hit after the 2005 accident in which the MV Kabalega sunk. In the early hours of May 8, 2005, two marine vessels, MV Kaawa and MV Kabalega collided on Lake Victoria while transporting goods to and from Tanzania. MV Kabalega capsized two hours after the collusion while MV Kaawa was rescued by marine forces. The vessel sunk about 150 feet between Kuye Islands in Mazinga Sub-county and Bukasa in Kyamuswa Sub-county. He said a commission of inquiry was set up and it recommended that both MV Kaawa be rehabilitated in 2012 and issued with new certificate of worthiness. However, this was interrupted by the privatisation of the railway network when the contract was awarded to Rift Valley Railways (RVR). So in July last year the two governments of Tanzania and Uganda signed a Memorandum of Understanding on joint ministerial cooperation and improvement of ports, inland waterways and railway transport in order to increase transit trade. The memorandum was signed at Dar Port by the Tanzanias Minister for Works, Transport and Communications Prof. Makame Mbarawa and Uganda State Minister for Transport Aggrey Bagiire. The agreement is establishes the re-opening of multi-modal transport through the use of trains and wagon ferry services. The Central Corridor that starts from Dar es Salaam port in Tanzania to the hinterland includes routes in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As we plan to open the Central Corridor starting from Kampala, the Tanzania government has already provided MV Umoja while Uganda already has got MV Kaawa, Ruzigye said. Each marine vessel can carry 880 tonnes of cargo per trip and is capable of making eleven voyages in one month. He said that the ferries that carry 44-20ft containers take only 17 hours from Mwanza to Port Bell. Government is also looking for between $4 - $5 million to rehabilitate MV Pamba that has been docked at Port Bell since the year 2005, he explained. To activate the memorandum, Tanzania has already started operations of a block train from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza, he said adding that the only thing holding back connection to Kampala has been the Port Bell line. He explained that URC, Tanzania Ports Authority, Tanzania Railways Corporation, and the Marine Services Limited of Tanzania have come up with affordable tariffs as an incentive to the traders. Port Bell used to handle 600,000 tonnes of cargo but this had dropped to about 10,000 tonnes. This is expected to improve as infrastructure in the central Corridor is re-ordered including the opening of the one stop border post at Mutukula. Tanzania Port Authority (TPA) Director General Eng. Deusdedit Kakoko said container rates for the Ugandan traders will also be reduced. Those who will start using the route from Port Bell to Dar port will benefit from the reduced rates during in May. The revised rates will be $60-$70 per tonne for containers from Uganda transported through Port Bell in Luzira via Mwanza to Dar Port, while containers from Dar Port via Mwanza to Kampala will be paying $75, Kakoko revealed. For his part, Dukundane said in a report released recently that the road network in Tanzania has steadily gotten better. A quality road network is operational through the corridor between Dar es Salaam and Kampala and is now extensively used to move cargo with a cargo delivery time of four days to Kampala, while the weighbridges between Mutukula and Dar es Salaam have been reduced to only three from eight, he said. Stratospheric rates rises are the exception, not the rule, ACT Treasury says, with new modelling showing thousands of Canberra households even saw a decrease in their bill. Controversial changes to the way rates are calculated for apartments, units, townhouses and dual occupancies have attracted the ire of thousands of owner-occupiers and landlords - including a former territory treasurer - and even prompted an ACT Legislative Assembly inquiry. More than 41,000 apartment and unit owners have seen their rates bill rise. Credit:Graham Tidy But new figures from Treasury show while more than 41,000 properties experienced an increase to rates because of the change in methodology, nearly 4300 saw no change or even saw their rates fall. Fifty-seven properties recorded a rates decrease of between 10 and 15 per cent, 1169 saw falls of between 5 and 10 per cent while 3064 had their bill either remain the same, or decrease by up to 5 per cent. Australia's chief scientist Alan Finkel says the national system for university entry should be simplified or even abolished entirely because it is "completely obscure" and lacks transparency. The controversial call prompted the head of the NSW committee on HSC scaling to concede it was impossible for the system to be simple and transparent as well as being equitable. Dr Finkel said the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank "might be fantastic" as a university selection tool but was "very, very poor" in helping students choose their year 12 subjects. Critical of the ATAR: Chief Scientist Alan Finkel. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The disagreement arises from concern the ATAR motivates students to pick HSC or VCE subjects based on how well their scores will "scale", or convert, into their final ranking. The prospect of the Turnbull government's company tax cuts passing Parliament is becoming increasingly remote as key crossbench senators outline conflicting demands in return for their support. Independent senator Tim Storer, who holds the power to kill off the $35.6 billion bill along with fellow crossbencher Derryn Hinch, reaffirmed his opposition during a rare interview on Tuesday. Senator Storer wants broader tax reform and has expressed concern about the impact of the tax cuts on government revenue, suggesting the money could be put to better use. "I am still of the same mind," he told ABC radio. He also rejected a push from Senator Hinch to amend the legislation to deny Australia's banks the reduction given a series of damning revelations out of the financial services royal commission. The Turnbull government has extended its admission that it waited too long to call a banking royal commission, amid an escalating political row over the damage to customers from repeated scandals. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann acknowledged the community benefit that would have come from an earlier decision to launch the inquiry, as Labor stepped up its claim the Coalition had protected the banks for too long. With the effectiveness of Australia's corporate regulators being questioned, AMP chief Craig Meller out of a job and other executives under pressure from the revelations at the inquiry, the government is under growing political pressure for denying the need for the royal commission for so long. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made a crucial admission that he would have incurred less political grief if he had launched the inquiry sooner, but avoided any acknowledgement that this was a policy blunder. Embassies and international organisations, most aid groups and foreign contractors have banned their employees from shopping there, depriving Chicken Street of that precious commodity customers who bargain poorly and pay dearly. Herat Carpets is one of the street's most successful rug merchants, but April 13 was the last day in Afghanistan for the owner, Wahid Abdullah. He is moving his main business to Istanbul. "Security" was his one-word explanation. From the outside, Herat Carpets looks like a tiny, hole-in-the-wall place, but deep in the back is a carpet-lined staircase, leading to a carpet-walled corridor, leading to a series of windowless rooms piled with stacks nearly to the ceiling of Afghan handmade rugs of every description. Loading Abdullah serves his customers green tea on an antique coffee table (old maple inlaid with hammered metals of several types), loaded with trays of pistachios, Afghan sweets, native raisins (long and plump) and local almonds (narrow and pointy). Then he lays out carpets, pointing out the abrash on one the colour shift where a hand weaver had to dye a new batch of yarn or the rare shade of yellow given by dye from the weld flower on another, or the hard-to-find imperfection on a third. Only God can be perfect, he said, so each Afghan rug has a mistake woven into the pattern. Abdullah does not sell customers, he seduces them. On Friday evenings, after work hours, he used to invite over a group of friends to share a bottle of wine in his colourful inner sanctum upstairs. "The way some men might talk about beautiful women, we would discuss the beauty of carpets," he said. Take the universal mystery of the badamcha design, Abdullah said. Known in the West as paisley, it is a motif found in rugs throughout the world. He excitedly pointed out a rug whose pattern had paisleys curled inside larger paisleys: "Pregnant paisley!" Those days are over. Some of his friends left, as he is now doing; others are prevented from venturing out by security concerns. "We are all missing each other and those times," he said. In some ways, Chicken Street hasn't changed. The range of merchandise remains eclectic, and sometimes disturbing. Snow leopard pelt? Hajji Abdul Razzaq showed off one in a padlocked storeroom under his shop, Kabul Leather only $US500. Wolf? $US200. "No problem with customs," he insisted. He also had for sale a stuffed cheetah, which he claimed had come from Kandahar (Afghanistan, not Africa), an unlikely extension of its known range. Yes, problem with customs. Stuffed cheetahs for sale in the basement of Haji Abdul Razzaq's store, Kabul Leather, on Chicken Street in Kabul. Credit:New York Times Outside, the mouthwatering smell of kebabs grilling over charcoal in long metal trays on the pavement wafts along the street, although nowadays it mingles, probably more than ever, with the odour of raw waste running down open sewers. When Chicken Street had its greatest boom, in the years right after the US-led invasion in 2001, enterprising developers tore down many of the little two-story shops with their corrugated metal awnings and replaced them with multistoried emporiums, homes to dozens of shops each. But they didn't build new sewers. "The newly rich came, and destroyed Chicken Street," Abdullah said. That was not what drove Abdullah to pull up stakes for Turkey. "In the end, children make the decision," he said. He worried constantly about his own being snatched on the way home from school. "It wasn't even the bombs so much. Worse than that was the fear of kidnapping." Shukrullah Ahmadi, a jeweller, learned the hard way about that. Noorullah Ahmadi prays at his shop, Handy Crafts Jewelers Store, on Chicken Street in Kabul. Credit:New York Times He and his brother Noorullah had just bought an expansive new building on Chicken Street for half a million dollars, complete with a secret covered passageway in the back, leading to a rug and antique furniture shop down the street, which they also owned. This way they could run both shops, popping up in whichever one had patrons. Kidnappers abducted Noorullah Ahmadi at gunpoint, then sent Shukrullah Ahmadi a video of his brother being tortured; they cut off Noorullah's ear. Shukrullah sold his family's home to raise the ransom money. When he met the kidnappers to hand it over, they were in police uniforms, their faces unmasked. Shukrullah Ahmadi is still in business, but more heavily armed, he said, and unlike many of the Chicken Street merchants, he is not worried about the decline in customers. He still serves foreigners, often by visiting them in their embassies and offices. He has many Afghan regulars as well, for stones ranging from black diamonds to star sapphires, Afghan emeralds (poor quality but cheap), jade and tourmaline. "I'm happy about my business, but worried about security," he said. A rescue worker leaves the site where a garment factory building collapsed near Dhaka, Bangladesh. Credit:AP Five years ago on Tuesday, the eight-story Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh came crashing down, burying factory workers inside. In the weeks that followed, the scale of the disaster became clear 1134 workers, mainly young women, were dead and over 2000 others injured. Rana Plaza is often described as the garment industrys worst industrial accident, but the industry practices that led to it were far from accidental. Western brands, including many from Australia, flocked to Bangladesh because of its rock-bottom prices. Low prices reinforced low wages and discouraged investment in factory safety. Since the terrible event of April 24, 2013, many fashion retailers have taken steps to improve safety and working conditions in their supply chains. Many brands, including household Australian names like K-mart and Cotton On, have signed up to a union-led inspection and remediation initiative in Bangladesh that has achieved real improvements in factory safety. Tallinn: It turns out Australias first pop-up embassy is not in a shipping container and none of its diplomats are hipsters on fold-up bicycles. Pop-up ambassador Kerin Ayyalaraju has heard the jokes. But she says theres a serious side to the idea of pop-up diplomacy: doing more with less, boosting Australias global presence without the need for a major real estate play. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop beamed in to Australia's pop-up embassy in Estonia. Credit:Nick Miller As of this month Ayyalaraju is officially Australias ambassador to Estonia, the small Baltic country thats emerged from the Soviet shadow to become a nimble and notable player in the cyber world. It has for several years hosted Locked Shields, the worlds biggest live fire cyber war exercise which this week Australia is joining as an official observer, and as of next year intends to have a full team in the thick of it. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Israel's justice minister has vowed to help Ethiopia's Jews migrate to Israel soon, as some threaten a hunger strike. Ethiopia's Falashmuras are believed to be descendants of one of the Ten Lost Tribes of ancient Israel. Thousands of Falashmuras moved to Israel following the creation of a Law of Return in 1975. Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked receives traditional clothes from members of Ethiopia's Jewish community on Sunday. Credit:AP About 140,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel today, mainly in the Amhara and Tigray provinces. They are a small minority in a country of over 8 million. Their assimilation hasn't been smooth, however, with many arriving without suitable education and then falling into unemployment and poverty. Those who remained complain of being separated from family members for decades. Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Article body Auburn Universitys only Medal of Honor recipient will be featured in a new documentary premiering at Pebble Hill on Thursday, April 26. The following week, Ret. U.S. Marine Major Gen. James Livingston will be in Virginia and Washington, D.C. for a 50th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Dai Do. For his actions in Vietnam on May 2, 1968, Livingston received the Medal of Honor. The 78-year-old, one of 71 Medal of Honor recipients still alive today, recalled the series of events 50 years ago as "tough but still memorable." "Most of all I remember the exceptional skills and performance of the great young marines and sailors." The documentary, "The USO An Army of Volunteers," examines the history of the United Services Organization, or USO, and features Livingston, who graduated from Auburn in 1962 with a degree in civil engineering and a commission in the U.S. Marine Corps. The Georgia native would spend the next 33 years in the corps, including two tours of duty in Vietnam. The Veterans Resource Center, Department of Political Science and the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities are hosting the free event at 6:30 p.m., with historian and filmmaker John Provan. Provan traveled throughout the country to interview USO volunteers and veterans such as Livingston. Livingston said he considered the USO to be "big morale boosters" and a key component for soldiers in a combat theatre, as it "brought a little bit of home to the area where we were deployed." U.S. Army Capt. Ron Plunkett, who volunteers as Livingstons chief of staff, agreed with the generals assessment. Plunkett spent 13 months in Korea, where the USO introduced him and others to the educational program, Up with People. He also spent a year in Vietnam, where he saw the Hollywood icon probably most commonly associated with entertaining the troops through the USO Bob Hope. Plunkett said the USO also provided help to soldiers with airport aid stations and canteens in various cities. The Auburn University Chapel, 139 S. College St., served as a USO canteen from 1942-45. Since it was built in 1850 as a Presbyterian church, the chapel has had many uses, including a Civil War hospital, civic center, classroom, theater and Young Womens Christian Association, or YWCA. The USO was formed in 1941 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to unite five volunteer service organizations, including the Salvation Army, YWCA and Young Mens Christian Association or YMCA, under one organization dedicated to lifting the morale of men and women in uniform and their families. Through the years, YMCA and YWCA buildings were often temporarily converted to serve as canteens for service members. Provan found that between 1942 and 1947, the YMCA ran many USO clubs that were visited by 460 million soldiers. "The USO underscores the concept of patriotism, a word that most Americans understand, believe in and support especially when American servicemen and women are fighting a war," he said. "The act of volunteering is an example of the individual sacrificing for the greater good or the war effort. Livingston was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during his first tour in Vietnam, specifically on May 2, 1968. He was a 28-year-old marine captain, commanding officer of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, in the Vietnam village of Dai Do. According to the Medal of Honor citation, the enemy had seized the village the night before, isolating a marine company from the rest of the battalion. Livingston maneuvered his men to assault positions across 500 meters of open rice paddy while under intense enemy fire. Twice wounded by grenade fragments, Livingston refused medical treatment and led his men in the destruction of over 100 mutually supporting bunkers, driving the remaining enemy from their positions and relieving the pressure on the stranded marine company. As the two companies consolidated and evacuated casualties, a third company passed through, launching an assault on the adjacent village of Dinh To. Their movement was halted by an enemy counterattack until Livingston maneuvered his company forward, joined forces with the heavily engaged marines and stopped the counterattack. Wounded a third time and unable to walk, Livingston remained in the dangerously exposed area, deploying his men to more acceptable positions and supervising the evacuation of casualties. He was evacuated only after he was assured of the safety of his men. The Medal of Honor has been bestowed on 3,500 individuals since 1863. Sanaa, Yemen: An airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition hit a wedding party in northern Yemen, killing at least 20 people including the bride, health officials said on Monday, as harrowing images emerged on social media of the deadly bombing, the third to hit Yemeni civilians since the weekend. Khaled al-Nadhri, the top health official in the northern province of Hajja, told the Associated Press that most of the dead were women and children who were gathered in one of the tents set up for the wedding party in the Bani Qayis district. He said the bride was also among the dead. Newly recruited Shiite fighters, known as Houthis, mobilise to fight pro-government forces, in Sanaa, Yemen in 2017. Credit:AP A Saudi-led coalition has been battling Iran-allied Shiite rebels known as Houthis since 2015 in a stalemated war that has killed more than 10,000 people. Later on Monday, the rebels said the official considered the head of state for the territories under their control was killed in a coalition airstrike. The rebels' Supreme Political Council said Saleh al-Samad was killed in the coastal Hodeida province on Thursday. First Cobalt Initiates Study on Refinery Restart Requirements Posted by Publisher Internet First Cobalt Corp. (TSX-V: FCC, ASX: FCC, OTCQB: FTSSF) (the ?Company? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db8vIJ5fkO8&t=1s) today announces it has initiated a study of the First Cobalt Refinery, located in the Canadian Cobalt Camp, intended to help the Company estimate the capital requirements for a future restart and expansion of the Refinery. Highlights First Cobalt is 100% owner of the Refinery, which is the only fully permitted cobalt refinery in North America capable of producing battery materials Study will estimate the capital required to restart the Refinery in its current configuration and under an expansion scenario within the existing footprint Study will provide operating cost estimates for both the current configuration and an expansion scenario Refinery could treat third-party material for a North American supply of cobalt sulfate to the electric vehicle market Trent Mell, President & Chief Executive Officer, commented: ?The First Cobalt Refinery is a unique and strategic asset that is fully permitted to process North American feedstock. As we move forward with proposed acquisition of US Cobalt and ongoing studies of early cash flow opportunities in the Cobalt Camp from historic muckpile material, this Refinery study will drive us closer to our goal of being a vertically integrated North American cobalt company.? First Cobalt has initiated a study of the First Cobalt Refinery to estimate the capital requirements to restart the facility in its current configuration and under an expansion scenario. The expansion scenario study will estimate the additional capital requirements and increase in throughput of an expanded facility within the current building footprint. Operating cost estimates will be provided for both scenarios. The First Cobalt Refinery is a hydrometallurgical cobalt-silver-nickel refinery located approximately five kilometres east of Cobalt, Ontario. The facility was commissioned in 1996 with a nominal throughput of twelve tonnes per day. A second autoclave was later added to the pressure oxidation circuit to double the throughput to 24 tonnes per day but the second autoclave was never fully commissioned. The current footprint includes an empty feed warehouse that once housed a mill. The facility is located on a 40-acre property that can be expanded to 120 acres with two settling ponds and an autoclave pond (Image 1). The flowsheet and timeline for a potential restart of the Refinery has become a focus following the recently announced friendly merger with US Cobalt Inc. (TSX-V: USCO, OTCQB: USCFF) (see press release, March 14, 2018). US Cobalt?s primary asset is the Iron Creek cobalt project in Idaho, which has a historic mineral resource estimate (non-compliant with NI 43-101) of 1.3 million tons grading 0.59% cobalt and 0.3% copper. A 10,700 metre drill program was recently completed at Iron Creek to confirm this historic estimate and a current mineral resource estimate is expected during 2018. US Cobalt?s securityholders will vote on the proposed transaction on May 17, 2018. A 2012 report prepared for a previous owner by Hatch estimated the replacement value of the First Cobalt Refinery at US$78 million, excluding the capital invested in power lines and earthworks related to the tailings facility and roads. The facility is fully permitted for processing feed containing elevated concentrations of arsenic, such as those from the Cobalt Camp, the Idaho Cobalt Belt and elsewhere in North America. The Company believes that permitting a similar facility in North America today could take a significant investment of time. The ability of the Refinery to process materials containing elevated arsenic and produce cobalt battery materials could de-risk not only First Cobalt projects, but also other North American cobalt projects. The Refinery contains three circuits: a pressure oxidation circuit, a solvent extraction circuit and a Merrill Crowe circuit. Feed containing arsenic is first treated in the pressure oxidation circuit where arsenic is combined with iron to create a stable iron arsenate called scorodite. The Refinery permits allow scorodite to be disposed of in its autoclave pond. The Company has engaged Primero Group, an Australian engineering firm with an office in Montreal, Quebec, to conduct the desktop study review. Primero?s expertise spans several disciplines within the resources industry and includes infrastructure development and mineral processing, as well as hydrocarbon storage and gas compression facilities. Results of the Refinery study are expected in the second quarter. Qualified and Competent Person Statement Peter Campbell, P.Eng., is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 who has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. Mr. Campbell is also a Competent Person (as defined in the JORC Code, 2012 edition) who is a practicing member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario (being a ?Recognised Professional Organisation? for the purposes of the ASX Listing Rules). Mr. Campbell is employed on a full-time basis as Vice President, Business Development for First Cobalt. He has sufficient experience that is relevant to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code. About First Cobalt First Cobalt aims to create the largest pure-play cobalt exploration and development company in the world. The Company controls over 10,000 hectares of prospective land covering over 50 historic mines as well as mineral processing facilities in the Cobalt Camp in Ontario, Canada. The First Cobalt Refinery is the only permitted facility in North America capable of producing cobalt battery materials. First Cobalt seeks to build shareholder value through new discovery, mineral processing and growth opportunities, with a focus on North America. On behalf of First Cobalt Corp. Trent Mell President & Chief Executive Officer For more information visit www.firstcobalt.com or contact: Heather Smiles Investor Relations info@firstcobalt.com +1.416.900.3891 In Europe: Swiss Resource Capital AG Jochen Staiger info@resource-capital.ch www.resource-capital.ch Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, ?forward-looking statements?) within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as ?plans?, ?expects\-\-, ?estimates?, ?intends?, ?anticipates?, ?believes? or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results ?may?, ?could?, ?would?, ?might?, ?occur? or ?be achieved?. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance and opportunities to differ materially from those implied by such forward-looking statements. In particular, forward-looking information included in this news release includes, without limitation, the anticipated closing date of the Transaction, the receipt of final court approval and other regulatory approvals. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements are set forth in the management discussion and analysis and other disclosures of risk factors for each of First Cobalt and US Cobalt, filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although First Cobalt and US Cobalt believe that the information and assumptions used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed times frames or at all. Except where required by applicable law, First Cobalt and US Cobalt disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Historic Estimates US Cobalt considers the cobalt and copper tonnage and grade estimates above as historical estimates. The historical estimates do not use categories that conform to current CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves as outlined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (?NI 43-101?) and have not been redefined to conform to current CIM Definition Standards. They were prepared in the 1980s prior to the adoption and implementation of NI 43-101. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources and US Cobalt is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources. More work, including, but not limited to, drilling, will be required to conform the estimates to current CIM Definition Standards. Investors are cautioned that the historical estimates do not mean or imply that economic deposits exist on the Iron Creek property. US Cobalt has not undertaken any independent investigation of the historical estimates nor has it independently analyzed the results of the previous exploration work in order to verify the accuracy of the information. US Cobalt believes that the historical estimates are relevant to continuing exploration on the Iron Creek property. Maple Gold defines new Nika Gold Zone with initial drill results from gap area between Porphyry, Douay West and NW zones Posted by Publisher Internet Maple Gold Mines Ltd. (?Maple Gold? or the ?Company?) (TSX-V: MGM, OTCQB: MGMLF; Frankfurt: M3G https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAVYQyJyw7k ) is pleased to provide an update on the ongoing winter drilling campaign. The program has ramped up with eight (8) diamond core drill rigs now actively testing all target areas (Resource Area, NE Syenite and NW Syenite targets). One of the Company?s high-priority targets is the area between the Porphyry, Douay West and NW zones, now referred to as the ?Nika Zone?, which has a lower drill-hole density and strong potential for new discoveries and extensions of existing resource zones. The Company has received results from four (4) drill-holes in this area, with highlights below: DO-18-217: 104m of 0.44 g/t Au from 284m, including 17m of 1.08 g/t Au from 309m (additional assays pending); DO-18-218: 2m of 0.86 g/t Au from 409.8m, collared 133m SE of DO-18-217 (additional assays pending) Furthermore, historic hole DO-12-105 (2012) was collared 265m WSW of DO-18-218 and bottomed in mineralization at 467.6m (estimated vertical depth of 320m), returning 21.1 g/t Au and remaining open. The DO-18-217, DO-18-218 and DO-12-105 intercepts may form part of the same two mineralized zones (see Figure 1 below). Maple Gold?s VP, Exploration, Fred Speidel, stated: ?One of our objectives with the current drilling campaign is to take steps toward connecting the existing resource zones and extending known mineralization beyond the current limits of the block model that was used in the 2018 Micon estimate. The initial results in this ?Gap? area are indicative of the discovery of a new gold zone there, and one we believe has strong potential to make a positive impact on future resource estimations at Douay. We look forward to results from the additional 5 drill-holes with assays still pending from this priority target area, and we are confident that similar new zones will be defined elsewhere within the resource area.? In addition to the assays still pending from drill-holes DO-18-217 and DO-18-218, Maple Gold has completed a further 5 drill-holes in this area for which assays are pending, and that have the potential to continue expanding the Nika Zone. A total of 47 drill-holes have now been completed or are ongoing property-wide, of an originally planned total of approximately 65 holes. The Company has only received assay results for ten (10) complete drill-holes to-date and will continue to provide updates as sufficient assay results are received for each target area. More than 8,600 samples have now been submitted to ALS Laboratories, and with drilling expected to continue into early May, the Company anticipates drill results throughout April, May and June 2018. Qualified Person The scientific and technical data contained in this press release was reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Fred Speidel, M. Sc, P. Geo., Vice-President Exploration, of Maple Gold.?Mr. Speidel is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.?Mr. Speidel has verified the data related to the exploration information disclosed in this news release through his direct participation in the work. Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) Maple Gold implements strict Quality Assurance (?QA?) and Quality Control (?QC?) protocols at Douay covering the planning and placing of drill holes in the field; drilling and retrieving the NQ-sized drill core; drill-hole surveying; core transport to the Douay Camp; core logging by qualified personnel; sampling and bagging of core for analysis; transport of core from site to the analytical laboratory; sample preparation for assaying; and analysis, recording and final statistical vetting of results. For a complete description of protocols, please visit the Company?s QA/QC page on the website at: http://maplegoldmines.com/index.php/en/projects/qa-qc-qp-statement About Maple Gold Maple Gold is a well-funded gold exploration company focused on advancing a district-scale gold project in one of the world?s premier mining jurisdictions. The Company?s 370 km? Douay Gold Project is located along the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone within the prolific Abitibi Greenstone Belt in northern Quebec, Canada. The Project has an established gold resource that remains open in multiple directions, with excellent infrastructure and several large scale operating mines within this prolific mining district. Maple Gold has a significant drill campaign under way to expand on the known Resource Areas and test new discovery targets within the Company?s 55 km of strike along the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone. For more information please visit www.maplegoldmines.com. ON BEHALF OF MAPLE GOLD MINES LTD. ?Matthew Hornor? 1. Matthew Hornor, President & CEO For Further Information Please Contact: Mr. Joness Lang VP, Corporate Development Office: +1 416.306.8124 Email: jlang@maplegoldmines.com In Europe: Swiss Resource Capital AG Jochen Staiger info@resource-capital.ch www.resource-capital.ch NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains ?forward-looking information\ and ?forward-looking statements? (collectively referred to as ?forward-looking statements?) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation in Canada, including statements about the prospective? mineral potential of the Nika zone, the potential for significant mineralization from other drilling in the referenced drill program and the completion of the drill program. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, uncertainties and management?s best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company?s expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding timing and completion of the private placement. When used herein, words such as ?anticipate?, ?will?, ?intend? and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on certain estimates, expectations, analysis and opinions that management believed reasonable at the time they were made or in certain cases, on third party expert opinions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, and uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual events, results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future events, results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Maple Gold Mines Ltd.?s filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company?s website at www.maplegoldmines.com. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Scott Altman (left) and Thomas Jones pose with the plaques that will represent them within in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Scott Altman and Thomas Jones are no strangers to seeing their names included among the stars. The two NASA veterans became the 96th and 97th space explorers to enter the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame during a public induction ceremony on Saturday (April 21) under the space shuttle Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 15 of their fellow astronauts joined NASA and center officials in& welcoming Altman and Jones into the Hall. "Today we're here to honor two space explorers who have flown a combination of eight space missions, one as a pilot and commander, one as a scientist and spacewalker," said John Zarella, a space news correspondent and the emcee for the ceremony. "One is named in movie credits, one has an asteroid name for him." ['Heroes & Legends' Astronaut Attraction to Include Videos Shared by Public] Before becoming an astronaut, Navy Capt. Scott "Scooter" Altman stood in for Tom Cruise in the 1986 film "Top Gun," flying the F-14 jet aerobatic flight sequences. Jones also served as a military pilot, flying bombers for the U.S. Air Force, before becoming a planetary scientist and a management engineer in the CIA's office of development and engineering. The main belt asteroid 1082 TomJones is named in his honor. But soaring among Hollywood stars and space rocks pales in comparison to their latest honor, they both said. "I will take both honors, but this is definitely a higher one," Jones told collectSPACE shortly after he was inducted into the Hall. "To be part of this group, my heroes growing up, it is really indescribably gratifying and rewarding." "The movie was fun, but it is not an honor like this at all," said Altman. "This is on a whole different plane." Astronauts Curt Brown (left) and Story Musgrave (right) welcome Thomas Jones into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on April 21, 2018. (Image credit: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex) Jones and Altman were nominated for induction by a panel of prior astronaut inductees, retired NASA flight controllers and managers, journalists and historians organized by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. The honor pays tribute to the achievements they made in space and the work they have done since departing the astronaut corps to continue to advance space exploration. Selected with NASA's 13th and 15th classes of astronauts in 1990 and 1995, respectively, Jones and Altman flew on four space shuttle missions each. Altman logged 51 days and 12 hours in Earth orbit, while Jones spent a day and a half more, circling the planet for 53 days. As a space shuttle pilot and then commander, Altman flew missions aboard orbiters Columbia and Atlantis. Altman made his first spaceflight as the pilot of STS-90 in 1998, a mission dubbed "Neurolab" due to its focus on the effects of microgravity on the function of the human brain and nervous system. Two years later, he piloted STS-106, which was dedicated to preparing the International Space Station for the arrival of its first resident crew. Altman's third and fourth flights were as the commander of the final two missions tasked with repairing and upgrading the Hubble Space Telescope. On STS-109 in 2002 and on STS-125 in 2009, Altman flew the shuttle to a rendezvous with the orbiting observatory, where his crew spacewalked to service the Hubble. "I am proudest of the two Hubble missions I commanded," Altman told collectSPACE. "The adversity we overcame, especially on the final mission where every day I thought I was going to be the commander of the crew that killed the Hubble. And somehow we worked through it and ended up getting every single task that was possible for us to do on that mission performed, putting Hubble at the peak of its capability for its entire life when we deployed at the end of the mission." Following his return to Earth, Altman served as the chief of the exploration branch of NASA's Astronaut Office during the selection of the Orion spacecraft as the agency's next generation crew vehicle. He left NASA in 2010 and is now the senior vice president for civil programs for all of ASRC Federal's NASA and NOAA programs, including assembly of Orion capsules for upcoming exploration missions. Jones' four shuttle flights were as a mission specialist on board Atlantis, Columbia and Endeavour. Jones' first two launches were separated by less than six months. On STS-59 and STS-68 in April and September of 1994, Jones and his crewmates operated the Space Radar Laboratory, studying Earth's environment. Jones' third space mission, STS-80, was the longest in the shuttle program's 30-year history. During the 17 days and 16 hours that he was in orbit, Jones helped to deploy and recover science satellites, but his two planned spacewalks were canceled due to a jammed airlock hatch. Scott Altman accepts his induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on April 21, 2018. (Image credit: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex) Jones ultimately succeeded in walking in space on a trio of extravehicular activities (EVAs) during the STS-98 mission in 2001. He helped to install the U.S. Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station, including his overcoming a critical ammonia leak. In total, Jones logged 19 hours and 48 minutes working in the vacuum of space. "I have done things that other people have done, so I don't think there is any one thing that I can point to that says, 'Tom Jones was a groundbreaker' in this or that direction," he said. "But I think what I was able to do consistently was to be a good team member for my crewmates and I tried to work well with people across programs." Since departing NASA in 2001, Jones has authored more than 200 technical and popular articles, as well as penned five books about space and aviation. Jones is now a senior research scientist with the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition and the chairman of the Association of Space Explorers' near-Earth object committee, supporting international efforts to detect and deflect rogue asteroids. Both Jones and Altman said that they hope their presence in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame can help inspire a new generation of space explorers. "I hope that they can take a connection away from it that 'hey, here is somebody who came from a relatively humble background who somehow persevered. If he can do those things, then I can do it,'" said Altman. "Building the space station, for me, was a chance to prove what we could do and have for the last 17 years people living off Earth," said Jones. "I hope that young kids will go away from this thinking, 'you know, I too can be part of this future because there are people up there right now. If they can be up there, then I have a chance to do that and make new discoveries.'" The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame was founded in 1990 at the suggestion of the original Mercury astronauts. It is now a featured part of Heroes & Legends, a public attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Watch highlight video clips from the 2018 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony at collectSPACE. Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2018 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved. It's official: NASA has a new leader. Vice President Mike Pence swore in Jim Bridenstineas the 13th NASA administrator today (April 23) during a ceremony at the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C. The event included a video chat with three NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). "It is a great privilege for me to be here today, to be able to usher in on behalf of the president of the United States what we believe is a new chapter of renewed American leadership in space with the swearing in of the newest administrator of NASA, Jim Bridenstine," Pence said. [Presidential Visions for Space Exploration: From Ike to Trump] Vice President Mike Pence swears in new NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine on April 23, 2018, at the agencys headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Image credit: Joel Kowsky/NASA) Bridenstine, after putting his hand on the Bible and pledging to faithfully discharge the duties of his new office, took to the podium himself. "NASA represents what is best about the United States of America: We lead, we discover, we pioneer, and we inspire," he said. "I look forward to our journey together. Thank you so much." Then, it was time to chat with the three NASA astronauts aboard the orbiting lab Scott Tingle, Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold. The trio congratulated Bridenstine from their perch 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth and welcomed him to the NASA family. Bridenstine, 42, takes office after an unprecedentedly long and contentious confirmation battle. President Donald Trump nominated the Oklahoma congressman in September 2017, but Bridenstine couldn't get enough votes in the U.S. Senate for confirmation and languished in purgatory for more than seven months. Those opposed to Bridenstine's nomination cited his past statements about climate change and LGBT issues, along with his lack of a technical background and his status as a politician. Indeed, no elected official had ever served as NASA administrator before. Vice President Mike Pence and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine talk with NASA astronauts Andrew Feustel, Scott Tingle and Ricky Arnold on the International Space Station shortly after Bridenstine was sworn in as NASA's new administrator on April 23, 2018 at the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Image credit: Joel Kowsky/NASA) Bridenstine was finally confirmed last Thursday (April 19), when the Senate approved his nomination 50-49 on a strict party-line basis. All 50 Republicans voted yes, whereas the 47 Democrats and two independents voted no. (Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is dealing with health problems and did not vote.) Bridenstine takes over from Robert Lightfoot, who had served as NASA acting administrator since President Trump assumed power in January 2017 and is set to retire from the space agency on April 30. Lightfoot's 15-month stint was by far the longest ever served by an acting (as opposed to officially confirmed) NASA chief. He has also served as executive director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium. Bridenstine holds a B.A. from Rice University in Texas, where he completed a triple major in business administration, economics and psychology; he also has an MBA from Cornell University in New York. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. Bir Lehlou, 21 April 2018 - President of the Republic, Secretary General of the POLISARIO Front, Brahim Ghali, has sent a congratulatory message to President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Dr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, on the occasion of the 54th anniversary of the founding of the United Republic of Tanzania. The 54th Anniversary of the historical union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar, establishing the United Republic of Tanzania, is a propitious occasion to convey to your Excellency and to the brotherly people of Tanzania my warmest congratulations and most sincere wishes for more prosperity and success on behalf of the Saharawi people, the Government of the Saharawi Republic and on my own behalf, said the President of the Republic. I take this happy opportunity to renew to your Excellency our strong resolve to further consolidate the bonds of solidarity, friendship and cooperation already existing between our two peoples and nations and to reiterate our profound gratitude and appreciation for the solidarity and support Tanzania has constantly extended to our people in their legitimate struggle of liberation, added the President of the Republic in his message to President of the United Republic of Tanzania. (SPS) 062/SPS/TRA The Ohio River -- on it, in it, over it, beside it. No politics. Rick Bowmer / Associated Press Billionaire Ed Lampert is offering to buy the Kenmore brand from Sears whose board he chairs, via Lamperts hedge fund ESL Investments which Lampert moved to Miami in 2012 from Greenwich. In addition to Kenmore, ESL would acquire the spare parts and home improvement businesses of Sears, after efforts by the company to sell those operations to other buyers. NEW YORK The first of two men charged with the brutal slaying of a 26-year-old Stamford man will go to trial this fall. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice James Burke severed the cases against murder suspects James Rackover, 26, of New York, and Lawrence Dilione, 29, of Jersey City, N.J., Monday afternoon, each of whom is charged with murder, hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence and concealment of a corpse in the Nov. 13, 2016 killing of Westhill High School graduate, Joseph Comunale. Police say a drug-fueled argument over cigarettes and cocaine led to the beating, strangling, stabbing and dismemberment of Comunale, whose body was found partially burned and buried in a shallow grave in Oceanport, N.J. Rackover will be the first to go to trial beginning Sept. 24, after which a trial date will be set for Dilione. A third defendant, Max Gemma, 30, of Oceanport, who is charged with hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence for allegedly misleading police during their investigation, is expected to go to trial last. Burke also issued a series of rulings in response to myriad suppression motions that were filed last month. The motions sought to suppress certain allegedly incriminating statements Rackover and Dilione made to New York Police Department detectives in the hours after Comunales death. Most notable was Diliones statement revealing the location of Comunales body. The defense attorneys argued both their clients had retained lawyers early in the investigation, but that police continued to pressure the suspects for answers. The prosecution contended Diliones statements in particular were admissible because law enforcement officers would have eventually found Comunales body on their own. Additionally, the prosecution argued that at the time they were questioning the suspects, police were trying to find a missing person - making the situation an emergency - therefore detectives were allowed to keep pushing for answers. Justice Burke said hed allow certain statements in at trial, and specified that Diliones recounting of where he and Rackover allegedly dumped Comunales body would be allowed. The judge then promptly sealed his written decision, barring attorneys from discussing its content and preventing media access to the document. Rackovers attorney, Maurice Sercarz, said after two years in jail, he and his client are eager to go to trial. As long as everything is filed in a timely manner, we will definitely be ready in five months, he said. When asked if there has been any discussion about working out a deal with the District Attorneys Office, Sercarz said None whatsoever. Though the Comunale family will likely never know relief or comfort having lost a loved one in such a brutal way, the familys attorney Robert Abrams said it is positive to see the case might be one step closer to resolution. We continue to be extremely grateful for the dedicated and competent work of the New York City Police Department and the District Attorneys Office in ensuring that the individuals who are responsible for Joeys horrific murder are held accountable for their evil acts. kat.russell @stamfordadvocate.com E n route to a friends wedding in Italy the week before last, I found myself at Bari airport. It was a bittersweet moment. Mingled with the pre-party excitement was a lurking discomfort because Bari airport and I have history. Last time I was there, in 2016, I was experiencing the onset of a rare neurological illness that saw my immune system attack my nervous system, interfering with its ability to carry signals. My arms became floppy, useless things while my hands felt encased in mittens. I recall standing in Arrivals, trying to drink from a water bottle by propping my elbows on my chest and arching my back. The illness hadnt yet spread to my legs. Still, travelling was hell: the fumbling at security, passengers impatience as my boyfriend lugged cases up steps, the humiliation of falling over on buses (I couldnt grip the railings). My symptoms were new, which made everything harder (I didnt even alert the airline novice error). Subsequently, I grew accustomed to negotiating planes and buses and Tubes. But it never got easy. The BBCs Frank Gardners recent spat with Heathrow over his lost wheelchair highlighted the challenges for disabled passengers flying but even the commute is an obstacle course. Just 27 per cent of the Tube network has step-free access (200 million is being spent to make it 40 per cent by 2020). Getting around can mean circuitous routes to avoid impossible exits, teeth gritted as commuters rush past (then rant on Twitter about slow walkers). Vast Tube gaps, carriages that sit a foot higher than platforms, cramped buses with limited space for wheelchairs theyre everywhere. Im lucky. I eventually recovered. This time at Bari I carried my own case. My illness merely gave me a five-month insight into life as one of Londons 1.2 million disabled. But that was enough to know that they put up with far, far too much. Shrimps on the barbie? No chance Nothing says April heatwave like panic-buying a barbecue on a Friday, so my evening spent lugging a box of black metal home from Argos had a certain inevitability about it. Only when I ripped off the packaging did I realise several hours assembly was needed. Why bother? Our annual return to prehistoric cooking perplexes me. Being half-South African, admitting you dislike barbecues is sacrilege (my family cooks its Christmas turkey on the Weber) but surely Im not alone? We did eventually get the damn thing up and lit, though not until the following night. Just as we did, the rain began. How to throw a party fit for the Queen Was it the sight of Sting and Shaggy shirt untucked, aviators on performing their song Dont Make Me Wait? Or the bit when Craig David sang about making love by Wednesday, and on Thursday and Friday and Saturday as the audience politely looked on? Or the part where Prince Charles turned to the Queen and called her mummy only for her to roll her eyes at him? Craig David performed at Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the Queen's 92nd birthday / Getty Images No, the strangest moment of Saturdays very strange Royal Albert Hall concert in honour of Her Majestys 92nd birthday was surely the sight of Ed Balls, Frank Skinner and Harry Hill strumming George Formbys When Im Cleaning Windows while the sovereign nodded along (or didnt its quite hard to tell). If you havent seen it, YouTube it, if only for the cheering thought of Prince Harry trying to explain the spectacle to Meghan (so that guy on the left used to be the shadow chancellor, then he went on Strictly, which is a bit like Dancing With The Stars.). Welcome to the UK, Meghan. Make mine an ice-cold chardonnay No one drinks white wine any more. Whats wrong with it? I love white wine! So opines harried mother Stephanie in Diana Evanss new novel Ordinary People. O n July 17, 1869, in the Mayfair building that is now home to the Sketch restaurant, the 22-year-old wife of a Brighton MP stood up to speak at a public meeting in London calling for the enfranchisement of women. It was the first time Millicent Garrett Fawcett had delivered a speech on the subject. But, from her Suffolk childhood to her old age in Bloomsbury, there was rarely a moment when she could not be found advocating for equality and fairness. For decade after decade, in the face of often fierce opposition, she travelled the country and the world, campaigning not just for the vote but on a whole range of issues. As a teenager, she collected names for the first-ever pro-Suffrage petition even though she was too young to sign it herself. She was a tireless advocate for equal access to education, even helping to found a Cambridge college. She fought for the rights of sex workers, campaigned to protect children from exploitation and abuse and reported to Parliament on the treatment of civilians in the Boer War. Both here in London and around the world, Dame Millicent, as she became, refused to remain silent in the face of injustice and it is right and proper that tomorrow she will become the first woman to be commemorated with a statue in Parliament Square. Theresa May / Getty Images Gillian Wearings beautiful sculpture gives Dame Millicent a long-overdue and permanent place in the heart of London a city that, almost a century after her death, is in many ways a living testament to her lifes work. From the heads of the Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade to the artistic director of the English National Ballet and the London chair of the Arts Council, this is a city in which women are no strangers to the top. Last years general election saw a record number of women returned to Parliament, including nearly half of all London MPs. And although our capital city hasnt yet had a female mayor, almost a third of Londons borough councils are currently led by women a figure thats roughly twice the national average. Yet for all that progress, there is still a long way to go. Women make up half the electorate, yet are still vastly outnumbered by men at every level of political life, from local councils up. In the City, just seven of the FTSE-100 companies are led by a female CEO. Across the country women are still routinely paid less than men and are frequently forced to deal with discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Together, these facts form a stark reminder that the struggle for equality did not end when the first women won the vote a century ago. It did not end when universal suffrage was achieved a decade later, when the Sex Discrimination Act was passed, or when our first female Prime Minister entered Downing Street. Rather, it is a struggle that continues to this day. And its one in which we all have a role to play. For my part, Im proud of the changes the Government has secured over the past eight years, including measures to encourage more women into the workplace through help with childcare and introducing shared parental leave. Earlier this year, we became one of the first governments in the world to make big companies reveal the difference between what they pay men and women a powerful tool that will help to identify and close gender pay gaps. In 2012 I set up the Womens Business Council, which provides research on womens position in the economy and advises on how to improve it and support women trying to get on. And, first as Home Secretary and now as Prime Minister, I have personally put tackling domestic violence firmly on the agenda. I introduced laws criminalising coercive control, created domestic violence protection orders, and started a disclosure scheme that allows people to ask police whether their partner has a history of abuse offences. ''The struggle for justice for women continues to this day. And its one in which we all have a role to play'' Our new Domestic Abuse Bill will build on this. Among other measures, it will create a statutory definition of domestic abuse that, for the first time, includes economic abuse alongside other non-physical abuse. The Bill will also create a domestic abuse commissioner to act as a national champion for victims, and allow the authorities to take quicker, more effective action to protect victims. All these changes make a real difference to peoples daily lives. But if we are to ensure our democracy and our places of work are the best that they can be, we need to ensure they are filled with people from different backgrounds and communities, as well as both men and women. After all, as Dame Millicent herself wrote: Justice and freedom for women are things worth securing not only for their own sakes but for civilisation itself. In the late 1920s, Dame Millicent led efforts to restore the statue of Elizabeth I that stands outside Fleet Streets church of St Dunstan-in-the-West. Commemorating a figure who showed the world that a weak, feeble woman could be just as strong a leader as any man, it is thought to be the oldest public statue in London. From tomorrow, the capitals newest statue will pay tribute to an equally remarkable individual. A woman who spent her entire adult life fighting for the ideal that politics, public life, indeed our whole society can only really work if there is place for everybody, if each of us no matter who we are or where were from is treated fairly and equitably. Amazon.com Inc expects groceries and household products to account for over half of its business in India in the next five years, as it moves to broaden offerings in the segment and foray into areas such as fresh produce. Amit Agarwal, the India head of Amazon, said in an interview on Friday that groceries and goods such as creams, soaps and cleaning products, were already the largest product category on Amazon in terms of number of units sold in India. "I would not speculate on when we would launch AmazonFresh but, absolutely, if you ask me the next five years of vision - from your avocados to your potatoes, and your meat to your ice cream - we'll deliver everything to you in two hours," he said. AmazonFresh, which launched more than a decade ago in the US market, is the company's flagship fresh grocery delivery service. In India, Amazon currently offers some groceries via a service named Pantry. It has also tied up with local vendors in four cities for Amazon Now, which promises two-hour deliveries. "Probably in the next five years groceries and consumables would be more than half of our business," he told Reuters. Agarwal said Amazon had already started experimenting with a few fresh groceries in India, already home to its largest active customer base outside of the United States. India's e-commerce market is tipped to grow to $200 billion in a decade, according to Morgan Stanley, as cheap mobile data makes online shopping increasingly accessible. And Amazon, which already has over 100 million registered users in India, is looking to cash-in on the opportunity. "We want to get the next hundred million customers shopping with us," said Agarwal, adding that Amazon plans to woo new clients with product exchange and staggered payment offerings. HUGE OPPORTUNITY With almost 500 million Indians using the Internet in 2018, India, Asia's No 3 economy, is a huge e-commerce battleground. Retail giant Walmart is inching closer to (read here) buying a controlling stake into home-grown e-commerce player Flipkart, which is already backed by big name investors like SoftBank, Tencent and Microsoft. "I feel extremely excited that e-commerce is attracting so much funding," Agarwal said. "Otherwise, we'd have been wrong in going about it in such as big way." Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos told shareholders in a letter last week that Amazon India is the fastest growing marketplace in the country. He said Amazon added more members to its Prime loyalty programme in India in its first year, than any previous geography in Amazon's history. Still profitability in India is years away for Amazon, admits Agarwal, as logistics, payments and other infrastructure needed to address the long-term opportunity are still being built. He said the $5 billion Bezos had committed (read here) to investing in India was just a signal of intent, and the company was ready to invest significantly more to achieve its goals. "Our ambition is so big it would be futile for us to think about anything other than to ensure we keep investing to bring the next 100 million customers online," Agarwal said. A lthough we absolutely welcome a ban on straws, stirrers and cotton buds, the Marine Conservation Society is concerned this is a basic action aimed at low-hanging fruit. Many outlets have already stopped providing straws, many manufacturers are producing cotton buds with cardboard sticks and a number of fast food chains only provide wooden stirrers. Thats all been done without Government action, just pressure from the public and organisations like ourselves. What is really needed, right now, is a whole raft of long-term measures, the only way we will be able to tackle, at source, the current plastic pollution crisis facing our oceans. Those must include actions like levies on other avoidable single-use plastic items, a bottle deposit return scheme (one that includes all materials and sizes and is coherent across the UK) and fundamental changes to the way we produce and consume plastics. The Government must work towards a system in which 1) we reduce the amount of plastic in circulation 2) we reuse the plastic produced and 3) we recycle it, with the long term goal of all new plastic being made from recycled materials and is recyclable. Consultations are welcome democratic tools, but action can no longer be postponed if we really are to stop the plastic tide. Sandy Luk CEO, Marine Conservation Society EDITOR'S REPLY Dear Sandy Youre right that huge progress has already been made in reducing the use of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds. Youre also right this has come about through the campaigns of organisations like yours and newspapers like ours, raising public awareness and changing behaviour. Government action wasnt required to get this far, but it can now act as a back-stop to voluntary action and bring the remaining retailers who have refused to change into line. Thats why we welcomed Michael Goves recent announcement of a ban on these plastic products. As you say, there is still much more to do to reduce plastic use. Your letter suggests the onus is on the Government to do that. But surely the lesson of recent progress is that the public and business community can be mobilised to act long before the state has to step in? We should be encouraging supermarkets and drinks manufacturers to be starting plastic bottle deposit schemes and the like right now. George Osborne, Editor EU nationals here also face hostility THe Windrush scandal is disgraceful but its hardly a surprise. We know the Government has been deliberately making life difficult for migrants for years. After Brexit, 3.7 million EU nationals living in the UK also look set to be exposed to Theresa Mays hostile environment. Used as negotiating bargaining chips, left in the dark on their rights and freedoms, EU nationals here already know how it feels treated as second-class citizens in the country they call home. After March 29 next year, this is only going to get worse. The Government must remember we in the European Parliament have a say on the final Brexit agreement and will not hesitate to vote against any deal that threatens to significantly reduce citizens rights. Jean Lambert, MEP for London, Green Party We dont need all these tower blocks I disagree with your editorial [Londons looking up April 19] . You now endorse a virtual free-for- all for developers and your article [Londons soaring skyline April 18] talked of 500 towers of more than 20 storeys. This is madness. Without sensible zoning the skyline of west London will be wrecked, as Nine Elms and most of the riverside has been already. Paris achieves high density with an average of six storeys and the use of mansion blocks. We do not need tall towers. Unlike share prices, once they go up, they never come down. London is in peril. The Evening Standard (and the Mayor Sadiq Khan) should defend it, and not be cheerleaders for the property industry. In this respect we compare unfavourably with Copenhagen or Paris. Sam Dunkley Risk makes letting more expensive In response to Susannah Butters article [Dear landlady, Im in it for the long run, so can I please have a fair rent? April 18], I am a landlord and I made a decision to buy a flat as an investment six years ago. My intention is to give the flat to my son when he is older. This plan involved much deliberation, planning and sacrifice, but I considered it worth it. I continue to put in a huge amount of effort with the management of my investment. I entirely agree that many things can be improved in housing in England: stamp duty, supply, exorbitant estate agents fees and rogue landlords. However, the simple fact remains that renting is relatively expensive because another party is shouldering much of the effort, risk and sacrifice that comes with property ownership. S Shrestha Lords vote was anti-democratic I write further to your editorial [Lords are right to vote for a customs union April 8], in which you predicted that the House of Lords would vote against the Governments plans to leave the EU customs union. Whether one supported Remain or Leave, within a mature and modern democracy such as the UK it is unacceptable for laws to be made by unelected peers who owe their positions either to accident of birth or political appointment, and whom the electorate has no power to remove. Kensington Palace announced the news in a statement saying: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son 11.01 hours adding that the newborn weighed a healthy 8lb 70z. Throughout the afternoon large crowds gathered outside St Marys Hospital in London in order to get a first glimpse of the new addition, who is yet to be named. After much anticipation, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as well as the new prince, who is fifth in line to the throne, made their first appearance as they stepped out of the Lindo Wing. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their newborn son / PA Wire/PA Images People. Fashion. Power. Delivered weekly. Email Sign up Sign up I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice {{message}} {{permutiveUid}} {{message}} Less than seven hours after giving birth, Kate emerged looking radiant wearing a loose fitting Jenny Packham red dress with a lace detail peter pan collar. The midi dress looked to be in homage to Diana, as the late Princess wore a very similar number when she gave birth to Prince Harry. The Princess of Wales leaving the hospital carrying her new baby, Prince Harry. / PA Archive/PA Images Plus, this wouldn't be the first time the Duchess has left the Lindo Wing resembling Diana. Or, indeed, the first time the Duchess of Cambridge has worn Jenny Packham for her post-birth appearances. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leave the Lindo Wing with their newborn son, Prince George of Cambridge. / PA Archive/PA Images After giving birth to Prince George, she left the hospital in a loose fitting Jenny Packham shift dress with retro pale blue polka dot print. The same print Diana wore when she gave birth to her first son, Prince William. Kate also wore a yellow printed Jenny Packham dress after she gave birth to Princess Charlotte in 2015. The Prince and Princess of Wales on the steps of the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital with their baby son, William (PA Archive/PA Images) / PA Earlier in the afternoon, Princess Charlotte and Prince George also joined their parents at the hospital to meet their new baby sibling. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge arrives with Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the Lindo Wing (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) / Getty Images On Monday afternoon it was announced that The Duchess of Cambridge had welcomed her third child. The 36-year-old gave birth to a baby boy, weighing 8lb 70z at 11.01am. Although we are yet to get a glimpse of Kate or the newborn baby, we are expecting the family to make an appearance very soon because her stylist, Natasha Archer, was spotted leaving the Lindo Wing just after 10am this morning. Having worked for the royal family since 2007, here's a little insight into Kate's right-hand woman. How did she become Kate Middleton's stylist? The Duchess of Cambridge's PA and Stylist Natasha Archer arrives in Canada / Getty Images The 30-year-old never planned to have a career in styling. After graduating with a Hispanic Studies degree from King's College in London, she started work at the Royal Household as Will and Kate's PA in 2007. People. Fashion. Power. Delivered weekly. Email Sign up Sign up I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice {{message}} {{permutiveUid}} {{message}} But, in 2014 she was given a promotion to become Kate's style advisor and now is responsible for putting together all of her designer looks and accompanying the family on royal tours. Archer's presence on international tours is also sure to come in handy, as she also gained A levels in English, Art, Spanish and Italian from private boarding school Uppingham School in Leicestershire. She's married to a Getty photographer Archer tied the knot in 2017 to Chris Jackson, who fittingly is a Getty Image royal photographer. The pair married in a French chateau near Bordeaux, her long sleeved lace gown holding a few similarities to Kate's royal white dress. The Duchess of Cambridge - style file 1 /165 The Duchess of Cambridge - style file Click through to see Kate's style evolution... Getty Images June 23, 2005 Kate and Prince William on the day of their graduation ceremony at St Andrew's University Getty Images August 6, 2005 At the Gatcombe Park Festival of British Eventing Getty Images May 6, 2006 Leaving Laura Parker Bowles wedding to Harry Lopes Getty Images December 15, 2006 At Sandhurst to see William take part in the Sovereign's Parade at The Royal Military Academy in Camberley AFP/Getty Images March 13, 2007 At the Cheltenham Race Festival AFP/Getty Images April 11, 2008 Wearing a Reiss coat at William's graduation ceremony at RAF Cranwell air base in Lincolnshire AFP/Getty Images November 16, 2010 Wearing Issa posing for photographs in the State Apartments of St James Palace after announcing their engagement Getty Images February 25, 2011 Visiting the University of St Andrews Getty Images April 29, 2011 Wearing Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen at the West Door of Westminster Abbey for her wedding to Prince William AFP/Getty Images April 29, 2011 Evening celebrations after her wedding to Prince William AFP/Getty Images June 9, 2011 Wearing a Jenny Packham dress at the 10th Annual Absolute Return for Kids (ARK) Gala Dinner AFP/Getty Images June 25, 2011 Wearing Alexander McQueen to present medals to members of the Irish Guards at the Victoria Barracks Getty Images July 1, 2011 Wearing an Issa dress at the Evening National Canada Day Celebrations in Ottawa Getty Images July 7, 2011 Wearing a Jenny Packham dress at Calgary Airport Getty Images July 9, 2011 Wearing an Alexander McQueen gown with Jimmy Choo heels at the BAFTA "Brits to Watch" event held at the Belasco Theatre Getty Images October 26, 2011 At an event in support of the 'In Kind Direct' charity at Clarence House Getty Images November 10, 2011 Wearing a bespoke Jenny Packham gown at a reception in aid of the National Memorial Arboretum Appeal at St James's Palace Getty Images March 15, 2012 Playing hockey with British hockey team members at the Riverside Arena during a visit to the Olympic Park AFP/Getty Images April 25, 2012 Wearing Matthew Williamson at the UK Premiere of 'African Cats' AFP/Getty Images June 17, 2012 Wearing Zara jeans, a Burberry shirt, Really Wild waistcoat and Le Chameau boots at an 'Expanding Horizons' Primary School camp Getty Images September 13, 2012 Wearing Alexander McQueen at an official dinner hosted by Malaysia's Head of State Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah of Kedah Getty Images September 14, 2012 Visiting Assyakirin Mosque Getty Images September 16, 2012 In Honiara on the Solomon Islands AFP/Getty Images September 18, 2012 At a 'fatale', a singing and dancing event AFP/Getty Images May 22, 2013 Wearing Emilia Wickstead at a garden party at Buckingham Palace AFP/Getty Images July 23, 2013 Wearing Jenny Packham while departing The Lindo Wing with their newborn son, George Getty Images September 12, 2013 Wearing Jenny Packham at the inaugural Tusk Conservation Awards at The Royal Society AFP/Getty Images October 23, 2013 Wearing Alexander McQueen while holding her son Prince George of Cambridge following his Christening at Chapel Royal in St James's Palace AFP/Getty Images April 16, 2014 Wearing Roksanda Ilincic at Sydney Airport Getty Images April 20, 2014 Wearing Alexander McQueen while leaving St Andrew's Cathedral following a Easter Sunday Service Getty Images June 15, 2014 With Prince George at the Royal Charity Polo during the Maserati Jerudong Trophy at Cirencester Park Polo Club Getty Images October 21, 2014 Wearing Jenny Packham at the Natural History Museum after she attended the Wildlife Photographer of The Year 2014 Awards Ceremony Getty Images March 11, 2015 Wearing Hobbs at the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery Getty Images May 2, 2015 Wearing Jenny Packham to step out with new-born daughter Charlotte outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital AFP/Getty Images October 26, 2015 Wearing a Jenny Packham gown at the Royal Film Performance of "Spectre" Getty Images March 3, 2016 During a short private skiing break in the French Alps Getty Images March 11, 2016 Visiting the mentoring programme of the XLP project Getty Images April 10, 2016 Playing cricket during the royal visit to India and Bhutan Getty Images April 14, 2016 With Bhutan's Queen Jetsun Pema at the Tashicho Dzong in Thimphu AFP/Getty Images April 15, 2016 Posing next to a prayer wheel on the trek up to Tiger's Nest Getty Images May 20, 2016 Wearing Alexander McQueen as she arrives at Land Rover BAR Getty Images July 6, 2016 Wearing a Barbara Casasola dress to announce the Victoria and Albert Museum as the winner of the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2016 prize Getty Images August 24, 2016 Wearing LK Bennett to visit the Youthscape centre in Luton Getty Images September 2, 2016 Wearing Gap trousers on the Island of St Martin's in the Scilly Isles Getty Images September 25, 2016 Wearing Alexander McQueen to greet members of the public after arriving by sea plane at the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre Getty Images September 27, 2016 Wearing Preen by Thornton Bregazzi for a reception at Government House in Canada Getty Images September 27, 2016 Wearing Dolce & Gabbana to visit Kelowna University during the Royal Tour of Canada Getty Images November 3, 2016 Wearing Self-Portrait at the UK Premiere of "A Street Cat Named Bob" Getty Images December 8, 2016 At an evening reception for members of the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace Getty Images December 25, 2016 Attending a Christmas Day service at St Mark's Church in Englefield AFP/Getty Images January 11, 2017 Visiting a Child Bereavement UK Centre in Stratford Getty Images February 5, 2017 Competing against The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry during the Team Heads Together at a London Marathon Training Day at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Getty Images February 6, 2017 Attening the Place2Be Big Assembly With Heads Together for Children's Mental Health Week at Mitchell Brook Primary School Getty Images March 17, 2017 Attending a meeting with French President Francois Hollande at the Elysee Palace Getty Images March 17, 2017 Attending a dinner at the British Embassy in Paris as part of their official visit to the French capital Getty Images March 18, 2017 Playing rugby at the Trocadero during an official two-day visit to Paris Getty Images March 28, 2017 Wearing a Temperley gown to the Portrait Gala at the National Portrait Gallery Getty Images April 4, 2017 Wearing Marchesa at the opening night of "42nd Street" at Theatre Royal Getty Images April 4, 2017 Attending the Service of Hope at Westminster Abbey Getty Images April 16, 2017 Attending the Easter Day service at St George's Chapel in Windsor in bespoke Catherine Walker Getty Images May 3, 2017 Feeding a lamb as she visits Author Michael Morpurgo's Farms for City Children in Arlingham, Gloucestershire Getty Images May 11, 2017 Wearing an Emilia Wickstead coat on a visit to Luxembourg Getty Images May 22, 2017 Arriving at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show wearing Rochas Getty Images June 17, 2017 Wearing Alexander McQueen with Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour Getty Images June 17, 2017 Wearing Dolce & Gabanna in the Parade Ring as she attends Royal Ascot 2017 at Ascot Racecourse Getty Images July 17, 2017 Wearing Alexander McQueen in Poland Getty Images July 19, 2017 Visiting the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin with Prince William Getty Images July 19, 2017 Wearing Alexander McQueen at The Queen's Birthday Party at the British Ambassadorial Residence in Berlin Getty Images July 20, 2017 Wearing Hugo Boss Breton top to compete with Prince William as they cox rowing boats in a friendly race on the Neckar River in Germany Getty Images July 20, 2017 Wearing Jenny Packham in Germany Getty Images July 20, 2017 Wearing Markus Lupfer in Berlin Getty Images July 21, 2017 Wearing Emilia Wickstead to visit the Maritime Museum in Hamburg Getty Images August 30, 2017 Wearing Prada to visit The Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Getty Images October 10, 2017 Wearing Temperley to attend a reception on World Mental Health Day at Buckingham Palace Getty Images October 16, 2017 Wearing Orla Kiely at an event at Paddington train station AFP/Getty Images October 18, 2017 Wearing a Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini blazer at London's West Ham football stadium PA October 31, 2017 Looking sporty at the Lawn Tennis Association in London Getty Images November 7, 2017 Wearing Diane von Furstenburg to attend a charity dinner at the Orangery at Kensington Palace AFP/Getty Images November 8, 2017 Wearing a Goat burgundy dress for the annual Place2Be School Leaders Forum in London AFP/Getty Images November 11, 2017 In a Catherine Walker & Co coat dress at the Royal Festival of Remembrance Getty Images November 28, 2017 In a Kate Spade dress at The Foundling Museum, London Getty Images December 6, 2017 Wearing a Goat dress in Manchester Getty Images December 12, 2017 Attending the 'Magic Mums' Christmas Party in Seraphine coat dress Getty Images December 14, 2017 Attending the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service at St Paul's Cathedral Getty Images December 25, 2017 Attending the Christmas Day Church service in Miu Miu Getty Images January 30, 2018 Attending a dinner in Sweden wearing Erdem Getty Images January 31, 2018 At the Fotografiska Gallery wearing Erdem Getty Images February 1, 2018 At the Royal Palace in Oslo wearing Alexander McQueen AFP/Getty Images April 23, 2018 At the Lindo Wing wearing Jenny Packham Getty Images May 19,2018 At Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's royal wedding wearing Alexander McQueen Getty Images June 9, 2018 At Trooping The Colour in Alexander McQueen Getty Images July 9, 2018 At Prince Loui's christening wearing Alexander McQueen AFP/Getty Images July 14, 2019 At Wimbledon with Duchess of Sussex wearing Jenny Packham Getty Images July 15, 2018 At Wimbledon wearing Dolce & Gabbana AFP/Getty Images October 10, 2018 At the V&A wearing Erdem Getty Images October 12, 2018 At the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank wearing Alexander McQueen Getty Images October 23, 2018 At a state banquet wearing Alexander McQueen AFP/Getty Images November 11, 2018 Attending a service to mark the centenary of the Armistic wearing Catherine Walker AFP/Getty Images November 11, 2018 At Remembrance Sunday wearing Alexander McQueen Getty Images November 21, 2018 At UCL London wearing Paule Ka AFP/Getty Images November 28, 2018 At Leicester City Football wearing Catherine Walker Getty Images December 4, 2018 At a Christmas Party at Kensington Palace wearing Brora cardi and Emilia Wickstead skirt Getty Images December 4, 2018 At a reception for members of the Diplomatic Corps wearing Jenny Packham Getty Images December 5, 2018 At RAF Akrotiri wearing a Smythe blazer Getty Images December 11, 2018 Visiting Evelina London Children's Hospital wearing L K Bennett Getty Images December 25, 2018 At the Christmas Day service wearing Catherine Walker AFP/Getty Images January 15, 2019 The Duchess of Cambridge steps out in a Dubarry jacket, Zara jeans and Chloe suede boots Getty Images January 16, 2019 In Oscar de la Renta for a visit to The Royal Opera House Costume Department Getty Images January 29, 2019 Wearing Alexander McQueen in Dundee Getty Images January 29, 2019 Wearing Alexander McQueen in Dundee Getty Images January 29, 2019 Wearing Alexander McQueen in Dundee Getty Images February 5, 2019 In an Eponine London dress and L.K Bennett boots Getty Images February 10, 2019 Wearing Alexander McQueen Getty Images February 13, 2019 Wearing bespoke Dolce & Gabbana Getty Images February 13, 2019 In glorious Gucci Getty Images February 27, 2019 In red Carolina Herrera and L.K. Bennett boots Getty Images February 27, 2019 In a Barbour puffer jacket Getty Images February 27, 2019 Wearing New Balance trainers and a Ralph Lauren sweater Getty Images February 27, 2019 Wearing Missoni Getty Images February 28, 2019 In Mulberry coat, dark blue court heels by Rupert Sanderson and a Jimmy Choo clutch bag Getty Images February 28, 2019 In Jenny Packham Getty Images February 29, 2019 In a khaki Barbour jacket, a red J.Crew jumper and her trusty brown Chloe boots Getty Images March 5, 2019 In a bespoke dress by her own private dress maker Getty Images March 6, 2019 Wearing a Sportmax coat, a Michael Kors dress with a bag by Manu Atelier and earrings from Kiki McDonough Getty Images March 11, 2019 Recycling a Catherine Walker coat and a Lock & Co. hat Getty Images March 12, 2019 Wearing a Gucci blouse and Jigsaw wide-leg trousers Getty Images March 12, 2019 Wearing bespoke Alexander McQueen Getty Images March 17, 2019 Opting for green McQueen Getty Images March 19, 2019 Wearing a Catherine Walker coat Getty Images April 21, 2019 Wearing Alexander McQueen Getty Images April 25, 2019 In a Catherine Walker coat and a matching Rosie Olivia hat Getty Images May 1, 2019 Wearing Emilia Wickstead Getty Images May 7, 2019 In L.K Bennett trousers and a nautical jumper Getty Images May 8, 2019 In a Lorenzo Serafini blazer and black skinny jeans Getty Images May 8, 2019 Wearing a TROY London jacket and Penelope Chilvers boots Getty Images May 14, 2019 In Alessandra Rich Getty Images May 20, 2019 In floral Erdem Getty Images May 20, 2019 Wearing a broderie anglaise M.i.h blouse with brown culottes and white Superga sneakers Getty Images May 21, 2019 In an Alexander McQueen coat, a matching Juliette Botterill hat and delicate pearl earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana Getty Images June 3, 2019 In bespoke Alexander McQueen for the State Banquet Getty Images June 8, 2019 Wearing Alexander McQueen for Trooping the Colour Getty Images June 12, 2019 Wearing an off-the-shoulder Barbara Casasola dress Getty Images June 18, 2019 In Elie Saab Getty Images June 25, 2019 In Ridley London and Castaner espadrille wedges Getty Images July 1, 2019 In a Sandro dress and Accessorize earrings Getty Images July 2, 2019 Wearing a Suzannah dress and a belt and bag by Alexander McQueen Getty Images July 13, 2019 In bespoke Dolce & Gabbana and a bag by the same brand Getty Images July 14, 2019 In an Emilia Wickstead dress and Aldo shoes Getty Images September 5, 2019 Wearing Michael Kors for Princess Charlotte's first day at school Getty Images September 10, 2019 Wearing Emilia Wickstead Getty Images September 19, 2019 Wearing an Equipment blouse Getty Images September 26, 2019 Recycling her favourite Alexander McQueen coat for the fourth time Getty Images October 2, 2019 Wearing a dress from the collaboration of two lesser-known London-based brands, ARoss Girl and Soler Getty Images October 9, 2019 In Jigsaw culottes Getty Images October 14, 2019 In a custom two-piece by Catherine Walker Getty Images October 15, 2019 Getty Images October 15, 2019 Wearing a green tunic by Catherine Walker, trousers by Maheen Khan, a scarf by Satringi, and Zeen earrings Getty Images October 15, 2019 Wearing Jenny Packham Getty Images October 17, 2019 Wearing bespoke Maheen Khan Getty Images October 18, 2019 Wearing a traditional shalwar kameez - a traditional outfit of a long tunic and trousers - by Gul Ahmed Getty Images October 23, 2019 Wearing L.K Bennett PA November 18, 2019 Wearing Alexander McQueen Getty Images November 30, 2019 Wearing Alessandra Rich PA December 11, 2019 Wearing Alexander McQueen and Princess Diana's earrings Getty Images A quick scroll through her husband's Instagram account and it's clear that he's been there for all the big royal moments, from Prince Harry's engagement to Prince George's first day of school. She's styled Kate's Lindo Wing looks Duchess of Cambridge, depart The Lindo Wing with their newborn son / Getty Images This won't be the first postpartum look Archer has had to plan. In 2013, after the birth of Prince George, she became one of the first non-royals to enter to Lindo Wing, presumably to give Kate this pale blue polka dot dress by Jenny Packham. F rom passionate kisses to figures lost in thought, Auguste Rodin's sculptures are some of the most famous in the world. The French artist defied his critics to pursue the human figure in a more expressive, less idealised and more realistic way than was typical of his contemporaries, and his work went on to inspire the beginnings of modernist sculpture. You may know The Thinker, you may know The Kiss, but do you know the secrets behind them? As the British Museum opens a new exhibition of Rodins work this week, here's your chance swot up on the things you may not have known about one of the worlds most influential sculptors. Rodin had pretty bad eyesight Rodin in his Museum of Antiquities at Meudon on the outskirts of Paris, about 1910. Photo: Albert Harlingue / Musee Rodin Auguste Rodin changed the way sculpture looked in the late nineteenth century making it even more surprising that he did so whilst not being able to see particularly well. As a child, Rodin struggled at school due to poor long distance eyesight. The problem plagued him throughout his life, and he was even asked to leave the French army due to his near-sightedness. These setbacks were, however, what drew Rodin into his artistic career. Having swerved maths and literacy for drawing in his school years, his rejection from the army forced him to continue pursuing his art rather than taking on national service. He was obsessed with the British Museum The Parthenon gallery in the British Museum, about 1890. / The Trustees of the British Museum The British Museum, an institution best known for showing artefacts harking back thousands of years, might sound like an odd venue for an exhibition of work by a turn-of-the-century sculptor. Auguste Rodin, however, would have been thrilled, as he was a great fan of the museum. The Frenchman first visited the London museum in 1881, where his first meeting with the headless, limbless ancient Greek sculptures of the Parthenon had a profound effect on his work. He would visit numerous times from then on, fascinated by the museums world class collection. He didnt actually carve his marble sculptures Auguste Rodin (18401917) Pallas (Athena) with the Parthenon, 1896 Marble and plaster. / Musee Rodin When you think of Rodin, your first thought may be of the effervescent pale figures locked in embrace in his work The Kiss. But while many of his most famous works are made from marble, Rodin himself rarely touched the stuff. The sculptor preferred using the tactile process of working with clay to model his subjects. He would then pass his clay model on to his assistants, who would recreate and often enlarge them, either by casting them in bronze or carving them from marble. The Thinker started out as part of a door frame The bronze sculpture 'The Thinker' (Le Penseur) by Auguste Rodin (1840 - 1917) pictured in front of the Hotel Biron housing the Musee Rodin in Paris / AFP/Getty Images The Thinker is best known as a monumental, larger-than-life figure, but the origins of the Rodins best known work were actually a little more humble. The iconic, hunched male nude started life as the centre piece of a doorway Rodin was commissioned to make for the Directorate of Fine Arts. Known as The Gates of Hell, the doorway depicts scenes from Dantes Inferno. The Thinker as we know him was initially The Poet, a model of Dante that was positioned above the centre, looking down on those who walked through the fiery gates. The couple in The Kiss dont actually kiss Auguste Rodin (18401917), The Kiss, large version, after 1898, Plaster, cast from first marble version, of 188898 / Musee Rodin The Kiss is actually a bit of a misnomer. This sculpture by Rodin also started life as part of The Gates of Hell, and depicts another scene from Dantes Inferno. In the epic poem, Francesca da Rimini falls for Paolo Malatesta, the younger brother of her husband Giovanni. The sculpture captures the moment Francesca and Paolo succumb to their feelings for one another and go to kiss before Giovanni discovers them and kills them both. If you look at the sculpture from above, you can see that their lips never quite get to touch. Rodin and the art of ancient Greece, supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, runs from April 26 - July 29 2018. For more information visit britishmuseum.org T he worlds fastest and longest inner-city zipline has returned to London. Zip Now London arrived on the Southbank on May 22 and will entertain the citys thrill-seekers until early September. The 225-metre zip wire sees participants reach speeds of more than 30mph as they take in views of the Palace of Westminster and the London Eye. The journey begin 35 metres above the ground in Archbishops Park, with adrenaline junkies experiencing a moment of free-fall with a mega drop at the end of the run. Participants also have the chance to set off and enjoy the ride at the same time as their friends and family, with three wires set up for simultaneous rides. Exclusive offers and competitions weekly Email Sign up Sign up I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice {{message}} {{permutiveUid}} {{message}} Zip Now London Founder Barry Shaverin said: Its great to give people another chance to experience London from a different perspective and do something a little bit adventurous in the summer. Prices for Zip Now London are priced between 16.50 for kids and up to 25.00 for adults. They can be purchased here. A t 8:20am this morning Kensington Palace announced that the Duchess of Cambridge was in the "early stages of labour" and had travelled to the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington to give birth. The third child for the Duchess and her husband, the Duke of Cambridge, as with their elder children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the couple are believed to have kept the sex of their baby a surprise until birth. As one might expect, royal births are quite unlike any other. There are strict protocols attached to labour and how the birth is announced. This is what is happens next... The Duchess is under the care of consultant obstetrician Guy Thorpe-Beeston Surgeon-gynaecologist to the Royal household, Guy Thorpe-Beeston, is believed to be caring for the Duchess during labour, supported by consultant gynaecologist Alan Farthing and a team of skilled midwives. It was Thorpe-Beeston who delivered Princess Charlotte in 2015; Prince George was delivered by Sir Marcus Setchell, who has recently retired as surgeon gynaecologist to the Queen. Entirely a private matter, what happens within the delivery room is highly confidential and will never be made public. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Family Album - In pictures 1 /53 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Family Album - In pictures Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, (2R) and Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, (L) and their three children Prince Louis of Cambridge (2L), Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (C) and Prince George of Cambridge (R) posing for a photograph at Anmer Hall in Norfolk in the Autumn of 2018 Matt Porteous via AFP/Getty Images Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, in Norfolk, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, in Norfolk, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Their Royal Highnesses Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011 in London, England Getty Images Prince George's first birthday AFP/Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, in a photograph taken late October 2015 at Kensington Palace in London. PA Prince William and Kate Middleton pose for photographs in the State Apartments of St James Palace on November 16, 2010 in London, England. After much speculation, Clarence House today announced the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton Getty Images TRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge smile following their marriage at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London, England Getty Images Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge drive from Buckingham Palace in a decorated sports car on April 29, 2011 in London, England Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leaving the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London, with their newborn son Prince George of Cambridge on July 23rd, 2013 Jeremy Selwyn Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they sit with their son Prince George in the garden of the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, Berkshire surrounded by Tilly the retriever (a Middleton family pet), and Lupo the cocker spaniel, the couple's only dog in their first five years of marriage PA Prince George, at Chapel Royal in St James's Palace, ahead of the christening of the then three month-old Prince by the Archbishop of Canterbury PA Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge reacts as their son Prince George of Cambridge bites a small present that was given to him at the enclosure of an Australian animal called a Bilby, which has been named after the young Prince, during a visit to Sydney's Taronga Zoo on April 20, 2014 in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Prince George sits for his official Christmas picture in a courtyard at Kensington Palace in late November of 2014 in London, England HRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge depart the Lindo Wing with their newborn daughter at St Mary's Hospital on May 2, 2015 in London, England John Stillwell/PA Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge depart the Lindo Wing with their newborn daughter at St Mary's Hospital on May 2, 2015 in London, England Getty Images Prince George looking at his sister Princess Charlotte as she was pushed to church by the Duchess of Cambridge in a vintage 1950s Millson pram once used by the Queen Elizabeth II for her children, during Princess Charlotte's christening at St Mary Magdalene in Sandringham, Norfolk PA Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The photograph was taken by the Duchess in mid-May at Anmer Hall in Norfolk HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is pushed in her silver cross pram as she leaves the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate after her Christening on July 5, 2015 in King's Lynn, England Getty Images Prince George gives his little sister Princess Charlotte a kiss HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Catherine Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George attend the Gigaset Charity Polo Match with Prince George of Cambridge at Beaufort Polo Club on June 14, 2015 in Tetbury, England Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge arrive at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate for the Christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge on July 5, 2015 in King's Lynn, England Getty Images Prince George on his first day at the Westacre Montessori nursery school near Sandringham HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Prince George of Cambridge looks at his sister Princess Charlotte of Cambridge in her pram as he leaves the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate for the Christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, with their children, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, enjoy a short private skiing break on March 3, 2016 in the French Alps, France Getty Images Princess Charlotte of Cambridge plays with a teddy as she is seen at Anmer Hall HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge holds her daughter Princess Charlotte and strokes her son, Prince George's head as they stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past of aircrafts by the Royal Air Force, in London on June 11, 2016. AFP/Getty Images The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duchess of Cambridge holding Princess Charlotte, Prince George and The Duke of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2017 PA A family picture at Pippa Middleton's wedding. Getty Images The Duchess of Cambridge with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte at a children's party for Military families at Government House in Victoria during the Royal Tour of Canada PA Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte leave from Victoria Harbour to board a sea-plane on the final day of their Royal Tour of Canada on October 1, 2016 in Victoria, Canada Getty Images William, The Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte visit Canada Mark Large/Daily Mail Prince William, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at a children's party at Government House in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Reuters Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, his wife Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at Tegel airport in Berlin, Germany, July 19, 2017 Reuters The Duchess of Cambridge speaks to Princess Charlotte and Prince George after the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark's Church Getty Images Prince George (centre) stands with other page boys and flower girls following the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews, as they leave St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire PA Prince George who celebrates his fourth birthday Getty Images Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge depart from Hamburg airport on the last day of their official visit to Poland and Germany on July 21, 2017 in Hamburg, Germany Getty Images Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (L) and Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge aka Kate Middleton show their newly-born son, their third child, Britain's Prince Louis of Cambridge to the media outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital AFP/Getty Images Prince William, Duke of Cambridge carries his newly-born son, Britain's Prince Louis of Cambridge from the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images Prince William arrives at Lindo wing at St Mary's Hospital with Prince George and Princess Charlotte to meet new baby brother. Jeremy Selwyn Prince William, Duke of Cambridge arrives with Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the Lindo Wing where Kate had just given birth to Prince Louis in London Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle PA Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Britain's Prince George of Cambridge hold hands with their father, Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, as Britain's Prince Louis of Cambridge is carried by Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on their arrival for his christening service at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, London on July 9, 2018 AFP/Getty Images Princess Charlotte playing as her father, the Duke of Cambridge, takes part in the Maserati Royal Charity Polo Trophy at the Beaufort Polo Club, Downfarm House, Westonbirt, Tetbury PA Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Princess Beatrice, Lady Louise Windsor, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Savannah Phillips, Prince George of Cambridge and Isla Phillips watch the flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour on June 9, 2018 in London Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after attending the St Patrick's Day parade at Cavalry Barracks in Hounslow, where they presented shamrock to officers and guardsmen of 1st Battalion the Irish Guards PA The Duchess of Cambridge (L) smiles as she and Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge arrrive for the Easter Mattins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle AFP/Getty Images Prince Louis pictured in the garden of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Norfolk home earlier this month HRH The Duchess of Cambridge An emerged photo of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's 2019 Christmas card PA Royal visit to The Palladium PA Prince Louis, photographed by his mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, at Kensington Palace PA Media The Queen must be informed first Once the new baby has arrived, The Queen must be informed before the news is made public. At the birth of his first child, Prince George, Prince William is believed to have told his grandmother the good news via an encrypted telephone. Once The Queen and close members of the Duke and Duchess' families have been informed, a public announcement will be made. It was formerly tradition for a bulletin to be hurried over to Buckingham Palace and displayed on an easel outside. However, for the birth of George, the Duke and Duchess opted for a more modern approach and made the announcement via Twitter. This time, a statement is expected to be released to the media via email and a tweet will simultaneously be published by Kensington Palace's Twitter handle. The Duchess of Cambridge - pregnancy style file 1 /50 The Duchess of Cambridge - pregnancy style file Scroll through the see the Duchess's best maternity looks... April 1, 2018 The Queen followed by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge exit after the Easter Mattins Service at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on 1 April 2018 in Windsor Getty Images April 1, 2018 The Duchess of Cambridge leaves after the Easter Mattins Service at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on 1 April 2018 in Windsor, England Getty Images March 22, 2018 The Duchess on her final engagement before maternity leave at the Copperbox Arena Getty Images March 21, 2018 Visiting the Royal Society of Medicine AFP/Getty Images March 17, 2018 At the St. Patrick's Day Parade AFP/Getty Images March 12, 2018 Attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey Getty Images March 7, 2018 The Duchess opens the new headquarters of children's mental health charity Place2Be PA Wire/PA Images March 6, 2018 Visiting Pegasus Primary School in Oxford Getty Images February 28, 2018 The Duchess visits the National Portrait Gallery in a Orla Kiely dress AFP/Getty Images February 28, 2018 Kate joins Meghan Markle at the first annual Royal Foundation Forum Getty Images February 27, 2018 Kate stepped out to visit the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Getty Images February 21, 2018 The Duchess of Cambridge during a visit to Sunderland PA Wire/PA Images February 20, 2018 The Duchess arrived at The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange Reception in an Erdem dress Getty Images February 20, 2018 The pregnant royal was also joined by Sophie, The Countess of Wessex at Buckingham Palace Getty Images February 18, 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the BAFTAs red carpet Chris Jackson/Getty Images February 7, 2018 Duchess Of Cambridge arrives to open the Action On Addiction Community Treatment Centre wearing a Goat coat Getty Images February 1, 2018 The Duchess being escorted into dinner by King Harald during her visit to Sweden and Norway with Prince Getty Images February 1, 2018 Visiting the Royal Palace in Norway Chris Jackson/Getty Images January 31, 2018 Visiting the Karolinska Institute in Sweden Getty Images January 30, 2018 Kate attends a Bandy hockey match during a Royal visit to Sweden Getty Images January 24, 2018 During a visit to the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute Getty Images January 23, 2018 At Roe Green Junior School Getty Images January 17, 2018 At Mittal Children's Medical Centre PA January 16, 2018 At Coventry Cathedral EPA January 10, 2018 At Reach Academy Getty Images December 25, 2017 At the Christmas Day Church service Getty Images December 12, 2017 At the 'Magic Mums' community Christmas party Getty Images December 6, 2017 At Media City Getty Images November 14, 2017 At Hornsey Road Children's Centre PA November 11, 2017 At the annual Royal Festival of Remembrance while pregnant with her third child Getty Images November 8, 2017 At the annual Place2Be School Leaders Forum while pregnant with her third child AFP/Getty Images November 7, 2017 At the Gala Dinner for The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families while pregnant with her third child AFP/Getty Images October 31, 2017 Playing tennis with children at the Lawn Tennis Association while pregnant with her third child Getty Images October 18, 2017 At West Ham's London Stadium for the graduation ceremony for more than 150 Coach Core apprentices while pregnant with her third child PA October 16, 2017 Wearing Orla Kiely at Paddington Station while pregnant with her third child Jonathan Brady/PA October 10, 2017 Duchess of Cambridge attends a reception at Buckingham Palace for Mental Health Day while pregnant with her third child AFP/Getty Images March 27, 2015 At the XLP Mobile recording Studio while pregnant with Princess Charlotte Getty Images March 13, 2015 At St Paul's Cathedral while pregnant with Princess Charlotte AFP/Getty Images February 12, 2015 At the home of Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) in Portsmouth Old Town while pregnant with Princess Charlotte Getty Images March 11, 2015 Wearing Hobbs at the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery while pregnant with Princess Charlotte Getty Images January 19, 2015 At Kensington Aldridge Academy while pregnant with Princess Charlotte Getty Images June 15, 2013 On the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the annual Trooping the Colour Ceremony while pregnant with Prince George Getty Images April 29, 2013 At Naomi House Children's Hospice while pregnant with Prince George Rex Features May 22, 2013 Wearing Emilia Wickstead at a garden party at Buckingham Palace while pregnant with Prince George Getty Images April 24, 2013 At an evening reception to celebrate the work of The Art Room charity at The National Portrait Gallery while pregnant with Prince George Getty Images April 23, 2013 At The Willows Primary School, Wythenshawe to launch a new school counseling program while pregnant with Prince George Getty Images April 21, 2013 At the National Review of Queen's Scouts at Windsor Castle while pregnant with Prince George Getty Images March 19, 2013 At the Child Bereavement centre in Saunderton while pregnant with Prince George AFP/Getty Images March 17, 2013 At a St Patrick's Day parade while pregnant with Prince George Getty Images A town crier makes the announcement Although not Royal protocol, a town crier is expected to announce the birth outside St. Mary's Hospital. This tradition dates back to Medieval times when most members of the public were unable to read the official proclamation. "Independent town crier" Tony Appleton announced Prince George and Princess Charlotte's arrivals, and the 81-year-old is believed to be on standby to cry out "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez" (meaning "hear ye") for the birth of the Cambridge's third child as well. A gun salute will take place Following the birth of all Royal babies, it is customary for a 62-gun salute to take place at the Tower of London. The Duke and Duchess will introduce their new child outside the hospital Whilst it is not known when exactly the Duke and Duchess will present their new baby to the world's media, it was just hours following the births of both Prince George and Princess Charlotte that the couple appeared on the steps of St. Mary's hospital cradling their newborn. B ritain does not want the two Beatles henchmen of Jihadi John returned to the UK to face trial, the Standard reveals today. The preferred option emerging from the Government is for them to be sent to America. However, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee El-sheikh could still face justice in Syria, where they are being held, if extraditing them to the US proves problematic. Talks were held in Washington over the weekend that are understood to have included the fate of the two captured members of the Beatles gang whose beheading videos horrified the world. Many of their victims were American. The first victim was US photojournalist James Foley, 40, in 2014. His mother Diane has called for life sentences for Kotey, 34, from Shepherds Bush, and El-sheikh, 29, from White City, after a trial in the US. If the two are sent to America, then Britain will push for them to be held in the mainstream prison system rather than Guantanamo Bay. The UK would also oppose the death penalty for the men, who are believed to have been stripped of their British passports. Legal experts say it could be harder to convict them in the UK given that it is more difficult to use intelligence in British than American courts. One minister said: It is important they get a fair trial but there is no desire to see them brought back to Britain. It could turn into a circus if they came here. Another Whitehall source added: Bringing those people back would be fraught with risk and would create a security nightmare. Trying to haul them through the British courts would be an open recruiting day for Islamic State. Another minister said: We would oppose them being sent to Guantanamo Bay which would be exploited by extremist elements. Extradition work could start as early as May or June and Kotey and El-sheikh could be sent to the US during the summer, though some people would see this as a softer option than a trial in Syria. The second minister said: The best solution might be for them to be tried in the [Syria] region for crimes they are accused of having committed there and held in a local jail if convicted. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson previously suggested British jihadis should be barred from the UK and hunted and killed. He said: I do not believe that any terrorist, whether they come from this country or any other, should ever be allowed back into this country. The men are understood to have been detained in January by US-allied Kurdish militia fighters targeting the remaining pockets of IS extremists near the river Euphrates on the Iraq-Syria border. Recently, they have sparked disgust with a series of interviews in which they have shown little remorse for their alleged appalling acts of cruelty. Kotey described the execution of hostages as regrettable. A Scottish comedian who shared a film of a pet dog giving Nazi salutes as he said "Sieg Heil" has been fined 800 for hate crime. Vlogger Mark Meechan, 30, of Coatbridge in Lanarkshire, taught his girlfriend's pet pug to react to the phrase, which he repeated 23 times in a "grossly offensive" video seen by the court. The video also showed the dog "watching" a TV recording of Adolf Hitler speaking at the 1936 Olympics, during which he asked the dog, "Do you want to gas the Jews?" The clip was watched more than three million times on YouTube. Meechan was arrested after sharing the footage in April 2016. The comedian shared the video online / Youtube/Count Dankula Meecham, who uses the name Count Dankula onine, said the film had been taken out of context. He told Airdrie Sheriff Court that he made the video to annoy his girlfriend Suzanne Kelly, 29, and denied any wrongdoing. Speaking after being convicted last month, he said: "There has been a huge miscarriage of justice. "I think it is a very, very dark day in terms of freedom of speech and freedom of expression. "One of the primary things that must be considered in cases like this is context and intent and today context and intent were completely disregarded. "For the system to disregard such things means that your actions no longer matter - they decide what your context and intent is. "For any comedians making jokes in Britain, I'd be very, very worried about your future because - the context and intent - apparently they don't matter anymore." Meechan was convicted of committing a crime under the Communications Act which was aggravated by religious prejudice. A police officer raped a 16-year-old student twice while they were on a date, a court has heard. PC Adam Provan, of the Metropolitan Police, forced himself on her during a "hellish date", once when they went for a walk in the woods and also on a bench in a children's play area in the summer of 2010, London's Wood Green Crown Court was told. Knowing that her father had been told they had gone to the cinema after the first alleged rape, Provan took her to a fast-food drive-through outlet in Romford, Essex, where he bought milkshakes and looked up film plots on his mobile phone, the court heard. Prosecutor Anthony Metzer QC said this was "essentially rehearsing a story which could be sold back" to her father as they were supposed to have watched a film. Provan, 38, of Kirtling in Newmarket, Suffolk, denies two counts of rape between July 31 to September 1 2010. The jury were told they met after being introduced by a mutual friend in late summer 2010 and kept in touch before deciding to go on a date. Mr Metzer told the jury that the teenager, who had just taken her GCSE exams, feels Provan "groomed her for several days, exchanging messages and photographs". The teenager asked Provan to meet her father before the date and he went to her house. It turned out her father already knew Provan, via general acquaintances, and was "reassured" as he knew Provan was a serving police officer. He also figured out that Provan was around 31 years old rather than the 22 years of age, as he had told her. The jury was told Provan drove for 15-20 minutes to some woods and a tree trunk where the first rape is alleged to have happened. Mr Metzer said that Provan asked for a kiss and she briefly kissed him. He told the jury that Provan touched her breasts and pulled out a condom, before adding: "He asked her if they should 'do it', meaning to have sex, she said no. "He kept asking and she stepped away. "But this refusal wasn't sufficient for Mr Provan to desist. "He continued saying they should 'do it' and telling her to take her trousers down. "She continued to refuse but he did not give up." He pulled his trousers down and pinned her to the tree where she "froze with fear", Mr Metzer said. After the first alleged rape the teenager tried to escape from the woods and left her bag in his car. She was "effectively Mr Provan's prisoner", according to Mr Metzer. Provan later took her for another walk, while she was "still traumatised" and from the first alleged incident, the court was told. Mr Metzer said: "They went to a children's play area where he played in the swings while she remained passive from her fresh trauma." He then took her to a bench on a hill and insisted on another sex act, it was claimed. The complainant felt "too guilty" to report the alleged incidents to police but eventually told several people including her stepmother. In his police interview after being arrested in June 2016, Provan said he took the teenager for a walk "so as not to be impolite, but nothing occurred of a sexual nature". He also denied kissing her. After being charged, he told the officers: "I have never ever hurt anybody of a sexual nature in my life." The woman broke down in tears several times as she gave evidence from behind a screen. She recalled telling Provan no "about four times" in relation to the first alleged incident and "three or four times" regarding the second. She described Provan as just "a two out of 10" on a scale of attractiveness and said she was not interested. Mr Metzer asked her, again on a scale from one to 10, about how clear she had been about not wanting sexual contact with Provan in both alleged instances. She replied: "10." Asked why she kissed him at the tree trunk, the woman said: "I did not think much of a peck on the lips." She described feeling "empty and numb" after the first alleged incident and just wanting to go home. The hearing was adjourned until Tuesday at 10am. T he family of a model student who was murdered by "cowards metres from his home in east London have blamed those responsible for tackling knife crime for his death. Police said the teenager was stabbed multiple times and later died at the scene of the attack on a leafy residential street in Forest Gate. In a statement released by the Met, Mr Sidhoms grieving family asked: How many more have to die this way before everyone cares? Police and Forensic Staff close to the crime scene in Forest Gate / Nigel Howard They described the teenager as a model son, model student [and] a dedicated West Ham fan who was studying to be a lawyer to bring fair play and justice to those who needed it. "He never had a chance to do any of that because he was stabbed in the back by cowards in the dark. They added: "We've somehow ended up in a society where our brightest hopes are taken before they've even started. Crime scene: a forensics officer investigates the killing of an 18-year-old, named as Sami Sidhom, in Chestnut Avenue, Forest Gate today. Friends called him an A-star pupil ( SWNS) / SWNS "It is shameful that a single knife is allowed on the street. There isn't a single fathomable reason why this is still tolerated, unchecked and unstopped. Those who are responsible for enforcing the banning of knives in our streets are also responsible for his death. Forest Gate stabbing Teenager who wanted to be a lawyer stabbed outside his home They also thanked everyone who came to the aid Mr Sidhom and comforted him in his final hour. Detectives investigating the murder are due to return to the scene of the crime in an appeal for witnesses to come forward. A police officer stands at a cordon in Chestnut Avenue in Forest Gate (PA) / Stefan Rousseau/PA Police said they were called to Chestnut Avenue where the teen lived with his grandmother and father at around 10.50pm on April 16 April. Officers attended the location along with the London Ambulance Service and paramedics from London's Air Ambulance. Mr Sidhom was pronounced dead less than 40 minutes later and it was determined that he had been attacked and stabbed multiple times by a number of suspects outside his home. A floral tribute left on Chestnut Avenue where Sami lived (PA) / Stefan Rousseau/PA Police have issued an appeal for witnesses who may have seen a car fleeing the scene after the attack. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Wrigley said the investigation is ongoing and while the motive for this horrific attack still remains unclear, we are making progress. "Someone once said evil triumphs when good people do nothing, the victims family added. "Nothing will bring Sami back, but we want his killers brought to justice. It's up to all of us to ensure that justice and life should be given and never taken." Though the Supreme Court is still hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar Act, the Reserve Bank of India updated its master circular on know-your-customer (KYC) norms on Friday making Aadhaar and PAN cards mandatory for bank accounts, new as well as existing ones. The timing of the exercise is questionable since the apex bank significantly added that "The revised Master Direction is in accordance with the changes carried out in the PML [Prevention of Money-Laundering] Rules..and is subject to the final judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court.." in the guidelines uploaded last Friday. Or perhaps it is confident about the Supreme Court's verdict. In any case, here's what you can expect with immediate effect: For opening new bank accounts Regulated entities (REs), as part of customer due diligence (CDD) while establishing an account-based relationship, will have to obtain Aadhaar number "from those eligible for it" along with the Permanent Account Number (PAN). If an individual does not have an Aadhaar card, "proof of application of enrolment for Aadhaar shall be obtained wherein the enrolment is not older than 6 months and in case PAN is not submitted, certified copy of an OVD [officially valid document] containing details of identity and address and one recent photograph shall be obtained," said the master direction. Residents of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Meghalaya, who are not yet in the Aadhaar net, need to furnish OVD, which includes passport, driving licence and Voter Identity Card, among others. The guidelines add that should the Aadhaar number or PAN submitted by the customer not match the current address, documents like utility bills or municipal tax receipts will suffice as proof of address. But the catch is that "the customer shall submit Aadhaar or OVD updated with current address within a period of three months of submitting the above documents". Significantly, the updated guidelines make it clear that "In case the customer eligible to be enrolled for Aadhaar and obtain a Permanent Account Number" does not furnish the same "within a period of six months from the date of the commencement of the account based relationship", the account will "cease to be operational" till the time the above details are submitted. In the case of loan accounts, this will mean only credits will be allowed till Aadhaar and PAN details are furnished by the customers. Several banks now promise "super quick" new bank accounts using Aadhaar OTP E-KYC authentication. But the apex bank's new guidelines take a hard stand on them. To begin with biometric based e-KYC authentication has to be completed for all such accounts within one year, else they will be closed immediately. Moreover, the aggregate balance of all accounts that are opened in a "non-face-to-face" mode is now capped at Rs 1 lakh. In case the balance exceeds that threshold, it will cease to be operational till CDD is completed post haste. No Aadhaar and no PAN card? If you neither have an Aadhaar card (or an enrolment number) nor a PAN card, all you get to open is a "small account" in select bank branches - either at Core Banking Solution (CBS) linked branches or in a branch where it is possible to manually monitor and ensure that foreign remittances are not credited to the account. For the record, in a small account the aggregate of all credits in a financial year is capped at Rs 1 lakh while the aggregate of all withdrawals and transfers in a month is capped at Rs 10,000. In fact, the account balance at any point of time cannot exceed Rs 50,000. Such an account can "remain operational initially for a period of twelve months, which can be extended for a further period of twelve months, provided the account holder applies and furnishes evidence of having applied for any of the OVDs during the first year. Aadhaar/enrolment number, however, enters the picture should there be any suspicion of money laundering or financing of terrorism activities or other high risk scenarios. Feeling like the victimised aam aadmi already? Well, if it makes you feel better, the "don't-you-know-who-I-am" brigade has not been spared either. The new guidelines carry an entire sub-section focussed on accounts of Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), like heads of states/governments, senior politicians, senior government/judicial/military officers, senior executives of state-owned corporations, important political party officials, et al. Apart from making it mandatory to take the decision to open an account for PEPs at a senior level, the guidelines specify that "all such accounts are subjected to enhanced monitoring on an on-going basis". For existing bank accounts Barring residents of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Meghalaya, all existing banking customers have to "submit the Aadhaar number and Permanent Account Number/ form 60 by such date as may be notified by the Central Government". Failure to do so will lead to the account being frozen till the details are furnished but the REs will have to serve at least two notices for compliance before taking this stand. Furthermore, periodic updation of records shall be carried out at least once in every two years for high-risk customers, once in every eight years for medium-risk customers and once a decade for low-risk customers. In case identification information available with Aadhaar does not contain current address - or if a person is not eligible for Aadhaar - an OVD containing identity and current address will be required. RBI says no to cross-selling The RBI's KYC circular clearly states that the information collected from customers for the purpose of opening of account shall be treated as confidential and cannot be used for cross selling or for any other purpose "without the express permission of the customer". Senior bankers told The Business Standard that they were still trying to assess the changes and that there were some gaps in the interpretation and implementation of the revised rules. The Indian Banks' Association (IBA) is likely to convene a meeting to finalise issues that would be taken up with the RBI. A teenager has been stabbed during a street fight outside a busy station in south London. Police descended on Woolwich Arsenal station after reports of a fight there at about 7pm on Monday. An 18-year-old man was found with a stab wound and taken to a south London hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, police said. Social media was flooded with posts as the busy DLR station was cordoned off. Witnesses reported seeing the London Air Ambulance attempting to land but flying away. One described the victim was looking like a "school kid". Another witness, David Wong, tweeted: "Bunch of teenagers in school uniform arguing outside #woolwich station and news that one of them got stabbed. Saw may people recording them as they where making quite a scene. Enough evidence Im sure @metpoliceuk". Ewen MacIntosh added: "Bad scenes at Woolwich. Lots of police, roads cordoned off, ambulance helicopter just departed." And another Twitter user said: "Something has just happened in Woolwich right by the station. A section has been cordoned off. Please let it not be another life lost so stupidly..." Scotland Yard said there had been no arrests. T he father of an eight-year-old girl with a deadly brain tumour today described her as brave and inspirational as she passed two years since diagnosis. Scott Lau said Kaleigh had made a remarkable recovery after fears she was at risk of dying in January following her return from pioneering treatment in Mexico. Kaleigh, from Woodford Green, was diagnosed in April 2016 with a rare DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma) tumour after experiencing double vision. Last April she became the first European child to receive the treatment, intra-arterial chemotherapy infusion and immunotherapy, at the clinic in Monterrey. Kaleigh Lau confounded doctors by surviving her brain tumour after treatment in Mexico / family collect Normally children live on average just nine months after diagnosis. Kaleigh has undergone 14 treatments in Mexico during nine visits to the country. She is due to return next month. Her case was mentioned in Parliament on Thursday by the Laus MP, Wes Streeting, during a debate on securing better treatments for cancer. Kaleigh Lau with mum Yang He called for the NHS to offer financial support to families such as Kaleighs who seek pioneering treatment abroad. He said: We do not yet know whether this experimental treatment will be successful, but we know one thing for sure: if Kaleigh had stayed in the UK, she would not be with us today. "If ministers cannot fund treatment, let us at least look at funding the flights, accommodation and all the additional costs that families face. Kaleigh Lau with mum Yang Kaleighs parents have spent 250,000 taking her abroad in a bid to save her life after being told the spread of the tumour meant there were no options left on the NHS. Each trip costs about 15,000. Mr Lau and his wife Yang have received help from the Bradley Lowery Foundation but continue to appeal for public donations. Mr Lau said Kaleighs tumour remained about 2cm but had become less active since the treatment, which involves injecting the chemotherapy directly into the brain via a catheter in the groin. A new statue honouring womens suffrage campaigner Millicent Fawcett will be a constant reminder of the battle for gender equality, according to Theresa May. Writing in Monday's Evening Standard, the Prime Minister hailed the new work, to be unveiled in Parliament Square tomorrow, as a beautiful sculpture but said it should be an inspiration to keep up the fight. The best way to honour Dame Millicents legacy is for all of us to continue the fight she led so many years ago, wrote Mrs May. I hope that the statue being unveiled tomorrow, standing in the heart of our capital and our democracy, will provide a constant reminder of the need to do so. 30 vintage photos of Suffragettes in London - in pictures 1 /30 30 vintage photos of Suffragettes in London - in pictures 21st June 1908: One of the seven processions to the 'Monster Meeting' in Hyde Park, led by suffragettes, holding a banner referring to Prime Minister Herbert Asquith Getty Images Circa 1911: British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst (1858 - 1928) Getty Images 16th November 1912: Suffragettes in Finchley after they have walked from Edinburgh to London to deliver a petition to the prime minister Getty Images 23rd November 1907: The Women's Freedom League demonstrate against 'Man-Made Laws', UK Getty Images English suffragette Estelle Sylvia Pankhurst (1882 - 1960) stands on a platform to paint the front of the Women's Social Defence League premises in Bow Road, East London, 11th October 1912 Getty Images 25th April 1906: Tess Billington carries a banner enscribed with the suffragette slogan 'Votes For Women' during a demonstration in the Ladies Gallery in the House of Commons, London Getty Images Mrs Baines addresses a mass rally of suffragettes at Trafalgar Square, London Getty Images Circa 1900: Male and female members of the women's suffrage movement on a protest march through London Getty Images 1908: British suffragette Lady Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence, (1868 - 1954), addressing a crowd from the base of Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square, London Getty Images 21st December 1908: The English suffragettes Emmeline Pankhurst (1858 - 1928), and her daughter Christabel Harriette (1880 - 1958), founders of the Women's Social and Political Union in 1903, after leaving Bow Street in London, where they were imprisoned Getty Images Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst, founder of the Women's Social and Political Union and a major force in the Suffragette movement, being arrested as she tried to present a petition at Buckingham Palace PA Archive/PA Images Circa 1910: A crowd in Hyde Park at a suffragette meeting Getty Images 13th June 1908: Suffragettes who are students at Royal Holloway College march to the Albert Hall for a protest meeting Getty Images Circa 1910: A suffragette procession through London Getty Images 19th June 1911: Emmeline Pankhurst (front left) leads a suffragette parade through London, with the protesters all dressed in white. Accompanying them is a mounted policeman Getty Images 19th June 1911: A Suffragette demonstration taking place in Cockspur Street, near Trafalgar Square, London Getty Images 1913: The first women suffragettes arrested in London Getty Images 14th June 1913: Crowds watch the cortege of English suffragette Emily Davison, killed by King's horse at the Derby, passing Eros at Piccadilly Circus Getty Images 1st May 1913: The start of the suffragettes Summer Festival at the Empress Rooms in Kensington Getty Images 14th June 1913: A memorial procession for the suffragette, Emily Davison, passing through Shaftesbury Avenue, London Getty Images Suffragettes, wearing black armbands, in the funeral procession of English suffragette Emily Davison (1872 - 1913) Getty Images Suffragettes help the cause by carrying umbrellas with the slogan 'No Vote, no Tax' in London's Hyde Park Getty Images Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst (second right) with her daughter Christabel (r) and other suffragette leaders at a meeting at Clements Inn PA Archive/PA Images Suffragette Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence's release from Holloway Prison PA Archive/PA Images Suffragette Miss Pankhurst addressing the crowd in Trafalgar Square, London, during a rally PA Archive/PA Images Emmeline Pankhurst leaving jail in 1912 after she was held on a conspiracy charge PA Archive/PA Images Suffragettes at a mass meeting in the Royal Albert Hall PA Archive/PA Images A Suffragette being arrested by police officers PA Archive/PA Images A protest meeting by the WSPU outside the Queen's Hall in central London PA Archive/PA Images Suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst in a Polling Booth in 1910 PA Archive/PA Images The statue will be the first monument of a woman to stand in the central London location overlooked by the Palace of Westminster. The installation, by Turner prize winner Gillian Wearing, will also feature 52 photographic etchings on tiles around the statue depicting 59 key women and a few men who were central in the push for womens suffrage. Mrs May said that while women now filled some of Londons top jobs, just seven of the FTSE 100 companies are led by women chief executive officers while across the country women are still routinely paid less than men. S enior Conservatives in Cabinet and on the backbenches are drawing up a customs union in all but name in a bid to force an end to a major split over Brexit policy. The move emerged as Downing Street rushed to deny reports that it was threatening to turn a Commons vote on the issue into a form of confidence vote that would end Theresa Mays leadership or even topple the Government if she lost. The Evening Standard has learned that a confidential group of ministers and former ministers are designing proposals that could be accepted by both sides as a fair compromise. It could involve the UK accepting most of the rules in future but being free to negotiate trade deals in industrial sectors and with countries that are not covered by EU agreements. The disclosure comes ahead of a series of dramatic Commons votes that are likely to show Mrs May does not have a big enough majority to steamroll a hard Brexit through Parliament. On Thursday some 10 Conservatives including former ministers Nicky Morgan and Anna Soubry will vote alongside Labour on a motion instructing the Government to take all necessary steps to participate after exit day in a customs union. A binding amendment to a trade Bill next month is seen as a more critical showdown that would tie the Prime Ministers hands to a form of customs union if she loses. A No 10 source denied that Mrs May was looking for a compromise saying the only options being studied were the two plans set out by the Government last year; one is for a frictionless border and the other is for a partnership in which the UK would collect levies on goods heading for the EU market. These are the only models we are looking at, said the source. Dismissing a BBC report that a confidence vote was being considered, the source said: Everybody needs to calm the f*** down. But a senior minister said he believed Mrs May was moving towards a compromise with the rebels. We are most likely to end up with a customs union in all but name which would be backed by a good majority of the House of Commons, he said. A minister who supports Mrs May said soft Brexiters led by former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke had signalled their own willingness to compromise if a deal is found. Ken Clarke has used language that suggests he is not hidebound to a customs union arrangement if the benefits can be obtained by another means, said the minister. Among the group that is drafting a potential compromise is Dominic Grieve, the former Attorney General. A source said: There are discussions taking place with colleagues inside and outside of Government. Sadiq Khan: Local elections are last chance to stop hard, chaotic Brexit A ll members of the Windrush generation and their children are to be offered full British citizenship without delay, it was being announced today. A sweeping package of compensation and new citizenship rights were being rushed out by Home Secretary Amber Rudd. A Commons statement by the minister was hoped to end the furore, with measures that insiders said it would be big and far-reaching. The package will include a fast-track procedure for people who came to Britain from Commonwealth countries from the late 1940s to the 1970s to take out citizenship and be entitled to a UK passport. Their children will have the same right and the usual fees for applications which run to more than 1,200 will be waived. A generous compensation package will also be extended to those who suffered by being prevented from returning to the UK, or by the threat of deportation or by being denied rights such as free NHS health care. What is the Windrush generation It follows disgust at the disclosure that elderly people who were given a lifelong right to be UK residents in 1973 found themselves barred from returning after visiting the places in which they were brought up. Ms Rudd wants to rip up red tape that prevented many Windrush generation families from proving that they had lived in the UK for decades, including a requirement to provide four documents proving residence for every year in the UK. This requirement was dubbed impossible for many long-term residents who had not stored documents. Sources say the detail of the package will come later, including eligibility for compensation and how payments will be calculated. A slew of cases have emerged in recent days since the Prime Minister apologised for the situation. Trevor Johnson and his brother Desmond, who arrived as boys from Jamaica in 1971, said their lives were ruined. Trevor faced threats of deportation, while his brother was barred from returning after he went to Jamaica for his fathers funeral in 2001. Windrush generation arrive in Britain 1 /14 Windrush generation arrive in Britain Some of the pioneering Windrush generation arrive at Tilbury Docks, from Jamaica Getty Images The journey to the UK cost 28 Getty Images They arrived on June 22, 1948 Getty Images The ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' arriving at Tilbury Docks from Jamaica, with 482 Jamaicans on board, emigrating to Britain SSPL via Getty Images The group were the first of the Windrush generation to emigrate to Britain Getty Images Arrivals scrutinise a map of the London Underground Getty Images The Windrush generation helped to rebuild post-war Britain Getty Images Members of the 55 Independent Squadron wait to board the Empire Windrush at Southampton, to fight in the Korean War Getty Images A black man walks past graffiti stating 'Powell For PM', referring to Enoch Powell who caused controversy with his outspoken attitude to black immigration and racial integration Getty Images Three Jamaicans (left to right) John Hazel, a 21-year-old boxer, Harold Wilmot, 32, and John Richards, a 22-year-old carpenter, arriving at Tilbury Docks Getty Images Nearly 1000 West Indian immigrants arrive in three boats trains at Waterloo Station. Many brought with them packing cases containing treasured possessions, 15th October 1961 Mirrorpix/Getty Images West Indian immigrants arriving in the United Kingdom, 19th May 1962 Mirrorpix/Getty Images Nearly 1000 West Indian immigrants arrive in three boats trains at Waterloo Station. Many brought with them packing cases containing treasured possessions, 15th October 1961 Mirrorpix/Getty Images 27th May 1956: Immigrants to Britain from the West Indies queuing up on arrival at Southampton holding documents Getty Images A government whip acknowledged the treatment of some Commonwealth citizens was unacceptable. But Mike Freer, MP for Finchley and Golders Green, came under fire after claiming the problems had nothing to do with the immigration reforms implemented by Theresa May when she was home secretary. In an email to a constituent, Mr Freer said the issues were wholly separate and unconnected and accused the Opposition of opportunism and hypocrisy over the scandal. T erminally ill toddler Alfie Evans has been granted Italian citizenship as his family continues to fight against the withdrawal of his life support. The 23-month-old was granted citizenship by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday. Parents Tom Evans and Kate James, both in their early 20s and from Liverpool, hope to take their son to a hospital in Rome for treatment. The couple have already lost fights in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and ECHR. Tom Evans kisses the hand of the Pope / Facebook Speaking outside Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, Mr Evans said: "I'm stood here now and Alfie is still here. "Why? Because I'm still fighting for him, I'm still fighting and so is Alfie. "I have been in touch with the Ambassador of Italy. "My son belongs to Italy. I love Alfie and I love Kate, I will not give up." Alfie Evans protesters try to storm hospital 23/04/2018 1 /6 Alfie Evans protesters try to storm hospital 23/04/2018 Police block protesters from the entrance to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool PA Police block protesters from the entrance to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool PA Protesters gather outside Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool PA Police block protesters from the entrance to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool PA Police block the entrance to Alder Hey Children's Hospital PA Police block protesters from the entrance to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool PA Pavel Stroilov from the Christian Legal Centre, which is representing the family, said: "Italy has just granted citizenship to Alfie and the Italian ambassador has urgently contacted the court with a request for the Italian government to be allowed to intervene in the case and seek the return of their citizen Alfie Evans to Italy." A source close to the Evans family claimed Mr Justice Hayden, who originally ordered life-support be withdrawn, would hold an urgent telephone conference with Italian legal representatives on Monday evening to discuss Alfie's plight. Parents Tom Evans and Kate James / PA Earlier on Monday, supporters of the family attempted to storm Alder Hey Children's Hospital after European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judges refused to intervene in the case. They had broken away from a larger group of about 200 protesters, some who earlier blocked the road outside the children's hospital. As they ran towards the main doors a squad of police officers scrambled to block their way, forming a line to repel the intruders. Alfie Evans: The story so far After a tense stand-off the crowd re-joined other protesters further from the hospital. Police remained outside the entrances to the children's hospital throughout the day. In February, Mr Justice Hayden ruled that doctors at Alder Hey could stop treating Alfie against the wishes of his parents following hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London and Liverpool. Specialists at Alder Hey said life support treatment should stop and Mr Justice Hayden said he accepted medical evidence which showed that further treatment was futile. He said flying Alfie to a foreign hospital would be wrong and pointless. Court of Appeal judges upheld his decisions. Supreme Court justices and ECHR judges refused to intervene. The couple argued Alfie was being wrongly "detained" at Alder Hey and made a habeas corpus application, which was dismissed by Mr Justice Hayden. Appeal judges upheld Mr Justice Hayden's decision and on Friday Supreme Court justices said they would not intervene. Judges have approved plans for withdrawing treatment and bringing Alfie's life to an end. A murderer who ate part of his victims body and then died in prison felt he had "ruined his life through drug addiction" an inquest heard today. Stefano Brizzi died aged 50 in Belmarsh prison on February 5 last year, a hearing at Southwark Coroners' Court heard today. Two months earlier he had been jailed for life with a minimum term of 24 years for the murder of PC Gordon Semple, who served in the Metropolitan police for 30 years. The murder took place at the Italian's Southwark flat on April 1 2016. Coroner Dr Julian Morris today told a jury they would be asked to consider Brizzi's psychological state and the way he was monitored in prison before his death. Victim: Gordon Semple / Metropolitan Police Dr Rachel Daly, a consultant forensic psychiatrist who saw him at Belmarsh said: "He said he was born in Florence the youngest of three children. He had found family life difficult. He was estranged (from his family) because he was a homosexual and HIV positive. He had lost his job with Morgan Stanley due to the severity of his drug addiction. He had a good insight he said his life had been ruined by his drug addiction after coming to London. There was no evidence he was depressed or psychotic." Psychiatrist Rachel Daly said he blamed crystal method addiction for him landing in prison as a category A murderer. She said: "He saw it as addiction to crystal meth that was the big issue for him coming into the prison system." Stefano Brizzi is said to have "ruined his life through drug addiction" / Facebook The document listed his addiction to a string of drugs including crystal meth. As he was not considered a "vulnerable prisoner" he would be able to use prison facilities including the gym and chapel, the prison Belmarsh governor Stuart Lawson told the inquest. Asked if Mr Brizzi had reported he had been bullied or felt vulnerable on entering prison the governor told the jury. "No he didn't". HMP Belmarsh governor Stuart Lawson told the court the prison regularly assessed prisoners' mental and physical health. He said Brizzi, like other prisoners, had been been interviewed on his arrival in prison. He said: "In his interview he said he did not feel vulnerable." The Italian had two degrees, in philosophy and language, and had worked as a web designer until 2014 when he left his job because of ill health, the court heard. Dr Andrew Harris, a senior coroner, said at a pre-inquest hearing Brizzi was found to have made a noose before he died and a note had been discovered indicating he was thinking about death. The full inquest before a jury today seeks to determine the management of information found in his cell indicating he was thinking about death. Brizzi, who was addicted to methamphetamine, was convicted of strangling the officer to death after luring him to his London flat for sex and drugs. After the murder, he dismembered the body and, inspired by a scene in the TV series Breaking Bad, dissolved it in acid in a bath. Dr Matthew Cook, who interviewed Stefano Brizzi after a ligature had been found in his cell before his sentencing said the killer told him that he had taken his first drug, cannabis, aged 40 and then had descended into crystal meth addiction. He told an inquest that despite the ligature being found in his cell Brizzi convinced him he was not seriously considering taking his own life. He said: "I did not consider him suicidal." On his life before the crime he said: "He told me he got into a group of men who were all HIV positive and used crystal meth." A national day of commemoration for murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence will take place every year, the Prime Minister has announced. Stephen Lawrence Day, which will happen every April 22, was announced by Theresa May at a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of Stephen's death. Mrs May was among a number of national figures, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Jeremy Corbyn and Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, who joined Stephen's parents Doreen and Neville at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in central London. The 18-year-old student was fatally stabbed in a racially motivated attack in Eltham, south east London, on April 22 1993. Prince Harry was among those speaking at the memorial / AFP/Getty Images The murder was a watershed moment in modern race relations in the UK after the subsequent Macpherson Report concluded the police made mistakes and were guilty of institutional racism. Harry and Ms Markle met Stephen's mother, now a peer sitting in the Lords, and brother Stuart before the service. The prince brought a message of support on behalf of the Prince of Wales, who in 2000 gave the annual Stephen Lawrence Memorial Lecture which began with a tribute to the Lawrence family. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend Stephen Lawrence Memorial 1 /18 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend Stephen Lawrence Memorial Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at a memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are greeted by Doreen Lawrence, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are seen attending a memorial service to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence and to celebrate his life and legacy Splash News Meghan Markle arrives EPA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are seen attending a memorial service to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence and to celebrate his life and legacy Splash News Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are seen attending a memorial service to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence and to celebrate his life and legacy PA Meghan Markle arrives AP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the 25th Anniversary Memorial Service to celebrate the life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence at St Martin-in-the-Fields PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the 25th Anniversary Memorial Service to celebrate the life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence at St Martin-in-the-Fields Getty Images Prime Minister Theresa May poses for photographs with Doreen and Stuart Lawrence, the mother and brother of Stephen Lawrence, as she arrives to attend a Memorial Service to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London AP Prime Minister Theresa May is greeted by Doreen and Stuart Lawrence, the mother and brother of Stephen Lawrence, as she arrives to attend a Memorial Service to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London AP Prince Harry speaking during the memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence PA Sadiq Khan arrives Splash News Baroness Lawrence speaking during a memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence PA Sir Lenny Henry speaking during a memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence PA A memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence PA Stuart Lawrence speaking during a memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London PA Jeremy Corbyn speaks PA During Monday's service Mrs May gave a scripture reading and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn read an extract from Nelson Mandela's Long Walk To Freedom. Mrs May added: "For the past 25 years, Doreen and Neville have fought heroically to ensure that their son's life and death will never be forgotten. "Their dignity, their courage and their sheer determination are an inspiration to us all. Mrs May said the day would be used to 'support young people' / AP "We are privileged to be here today at this special final anniversary service to commemorate Stephen. "But it is right that Stephen's name and legacy lives on. In the run-up to this service, I have spoken with Baroness Lawrence about how best to achieve this. "And so, today, with Baroness Lawrence's blessing, I can announce that the Government will work with the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust to establish a national, annual commemoration of Stephen's life and legacy, to take place on 22 April each year: Stephen Lawrence Day. Meghan Markle greets Baroness Lawrence / AP "We will use this day to encourage and support young people in achieving their dreams, and to reflect on Stephen's life, death and the positive change he has inspired." Harry told the congregation: "My father is very sorry not to be able to make it here so I am going to read some remarks on his behalf. "'It hardly seems possible that 25 years have passed since Stephen Lawrence was so cruelly taken from his family. "'I remember vividly the profound shock that I felt at his senseless murder, a feeling shared by so many people across this country and beyond. A timeline of Stephen Lawrence's murder and the ensuing events "'I remember, too, just how deeply moved I was by the determination of Stephen's family to build something positive from the tragedy they endured and to ensure that Stephen's story did not end with despair, but continued with hope. "'A quarter of a century later, we can only imagine the man who Stephen would have become, and just how his extraordinary potential might have been fulfilled."' Harry added that the teenager's family had honoured him with everything they had done in his name and the changes they have brought about. Baroness Lawrence said: "I'd like to thank the Prime Minister for her announcement today that the Government will work with the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust to establish a Stephen Lawrence Day to take place every year on 22 April. "I feel honoured she has recognised the changes that have been made in Stephen's name and the changes that are still needed. "This 25th anniversary is a moment for the country to come together to remember Stephen and, going forward, 22 April will provide that focal point every year. "Stephen was denied his voice but the Stephen Lawrence Day will be an opportunity for young people to use their voices and should be embedded in our education and wider system regardless of the government of the day. "I look forward to working with the Government to deliver the first day on April 22 2019." Two of the group of up to six thugs who attacked Stephen and his friend Duwayne Brooks, simply because they were black, have been convicted of murder. David Norris and Gary Dobson are serving life sentences. Mr Lawrence, 76, announced last week he had made the decision "to forgive his son's killers". Scotland Yard has admitted it has no new lines of inquiry in the investigation into Stephen's murder. The force said that unless detectives receive new information the investigation is "unlikely to progress further". P rince Harry and Meghan Markle were today attending a memorial service to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence and to celebrate his life and legacy. Harry and Meghan were due to speak to Stephens mother Baroness Lawrence and her son Stuart at the entrance of St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, ahead of the service. Harry will read a message of support on behalf of Prince Charles at the service. Stephen was murdered by a gang of racists in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22, 1993. His murder was a watershed moment in modern race relations in the UK, after the subsequent Macpherson Report into the case concluded the police were guilty of institutional racism. Victim: Stephen Lawrence / The Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon OBE At the memorial service, Sir Lenny Henry was set to interview three young beneficiaries of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, which last year supported over 2,000 young people through training, mentoring, bursaries and other activities. Stephens father Neville Lawrence, 76, announced last week he had made the decision to forgive his sons killers. He said: The fact that I had to lose my first child has been devastating. I cant begin to explain the pain and the anguish me and my family have suffered over the past 25 years. A timeline of Stephen Lawrence's murder and the ensuing events Scotland Yard has admitted it has no new lines of inquiry in the investigation into Stephens murder. Two of the group of up to six thugs who attacked the teenager and his friend Duwayne Brooks, simply because they were black, have been convicted of murder. P rince Harry and Meghan Markle joined the family of Stephen Lawrence at a memorial marking 25 years since the teenager's murder. The couple spoke to Stephens mother Baroness Lawrence and her son Stuart at the entrance of St Martin-in-the-Fields Church in Trafalgar Square. The prince is expected to read a message of support on behalf of Prince Charles at the service. Theresa May was also in attendance. Stephen's murder in 1993 exposed institutional racism within the Metropolitan Police and led to a change in the law allowing suspects to be tried twice for the same crime. Mrs May stood with Doreen Lawrence ahead of the service (Reuters) / REUTERS The 18-year-old student was stabbed to death at a bus stop in southeast London in an unprovoked attack by a gang of white youths shouting racist abuse. Five men were arrested in the following months, but charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. Two of the men were later convicted of murder in 2012. The case became a catalyst for change after exposing deep-rooted failings in the Met's forces, dominated by senior white officers in an increasingly multiracial society. Stephen Lawrence: Police say they have run out of leads in the murder investigation A 1999 report by senior judge William Macpherson said the murder had exposed "institutional racism" in the force and also accused officers of incompetence and a failure of leadership. At the memorial service, Sir Lenny Henry was set to interview three young beneficiaries of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, which last year supported over 2,000 young people through training, mentoring, bursaries and other activities. Stephen Lawrence's father Neville marks 25 years since his son was killed Stephens father Neville Lawrence, 76, announced last week he had made the decision to forgive his sons killers. He said: The fact that I had to lose my first child has been devastating. I cant begin to explain the pain and the anguish me and my family have suffered over the past 25 years. Scotland Yard has admitted it has no new lines of inquiry in the investigation into Stephens murder. Two of the group of up to six thugs who attacked the teenager and his friend Duwayne Brooks, simply because they were black, have been convicted of murder. David Norris, 41, and Gary Dobson, 42, are both serving life sentences. Three other men who have consistently been accused of the killing but never convicted are Jamie Acourt, 41, from Bexley, his brother Neil Acourt, 42, who uses his mothers maiden name Stuart, and Luke Knight, 41, both from Eltham. RSS affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), India's largest trade union, has opposed several of the key clauses proposed by the Narendra Modi government in its draft labour code on social security. It condemned the move to handover the assets of Employee State Insurance (ESI) and Provident Fund (PF) and six other central and state welfare schemes to the state governments. The trade union opposed contract labour, integration of ESIC and EPFO and cautioned against opening up Indian social security sector to foreign private players. The "Draft Labour Code on Social Security 2018"proposes to amalgamate, simplify and rationalise 15 existing labour laws related to social security to form an umbrella social security cover that touches over 50 crore workers in the unorganised sector. The Narendra Modi government has recently stepped up efforts to give concrete shape to the umbrella social security cover, meant to benefit 50 crore workers in the unorganised sector. Saji Narayanan C.K, president BMS, said it is highly disappointing that such an ambitious, historic and revolutionary legislation has been contaminated with ill-motivated, casual and highly objectionable provisions that will defeat the purpose of the code and adversely affect the beneficiary workers. First of all, BMS believes that the code is not comprehensive. "It does not attempt to universalise benefits or bring comprehensive and uniform social security coverage, so that every worker is benefitted by all the social security benefits," Narayanan said. This, according to him, will result in non-uniformity in serving benefits across the country. BMS complains that the draw code reduces the role of trade unions in the unified structure. It strongly demands that the labour representatives should have a predominant role in the apex Social Security Council, thereby giving it a tripartite character as mandated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). While the current proposal is to have labour welfare under four administrative ministries - rural, urban, finance and labour - BMS wanted it to come under one single department or ministry. It alleged that the government is trying to disrupt the well functioning ESI and EPFO systems by transferring the assets of such schemes to the state governments. "This is wrong. It is not feasible to allot funds directly to state governments. Further, the experience of state running ESI facilities and centre giving funds has proved to be a failure. Many state governments are poorly managing social security and welfare schemes like ESI and central welfare schemes. Diversion of funds by many state governments to meet its other immediate expenses is commonly seen, which result in the depletion of the corpus," Narayanan pointed out. BMS also pointed to the proposal that allows state governments to designate intermediate agency - Fund manager agency, Point of presence Agency, Service delivery Agency, Benefit disbursement Agency or Recordkeeping Agency - and said that the intention of the whole exercise will be tainted by bringing private and foreign insurance and other companies into the social security sector. "Professionalize government agencies but do not privatise or outsource the work. The law should not be one to canvass business for private and foreign insurance and other companies. Moreover, outsourcing the work of the social security organisations to private corporates by paying high charges from the hard earned money of workers is new and highly objectionable," Narayanan said. Contract labour is another area of concern for BMS. They opposed the provision for employment under "Fixed Term", saying that it only encourages the contractual employment. A 12-year-old stole his parents' credit card and flew to Bali for a holiday after a family tiff. The boy made the audacious move after his mother told him he could not go to the Indonesian island from Australia. He tricked his grandmother into giving him his passport and managed to book himself onto a flight after researching airlines which allowed 12-year-olds to fly unaccompanied. The boy, given the pseudonym 'Drew' in media reports, hopped on a train to Sydney Airport before boarding a flight to Denpasar. He was reported missing on March 8 - but police did not track him down until nine days later. He had been staying at the All Seasons hotel, where he told staff he was waiting for his sister to return. In the meantime, his parents had travelled to Bali, and were eventually relocated with their son on March 17, Australian Federal Police said. The boy explained to website 'A Current Affair' that authorities only checked his website to prove he was at least 12. He said: "They just asked for my student ID and passport to prove that I'm over 12 and that I'm in secondary school." The Australian Federal Police said: "The AFP will work with partner agencies to review the circumstances of this matter and current operating procedures, to ensure this type of incident does not occur again." F our Britons on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia have been killed in a horror crash when their tour bus collided with a gas tanker truck. Raj Begum Hussain, 70, a mother of six and grandmother of 13 from Blackburn, was among the dead, according to the BBC. The four were among British pilgrims on a bus travelling from Mecca to Medina, said Hashim Travel, a British company specialising in pilgrimage tours. Apart from Mrs Hussain, the dead are thought to include an elderly man and a mother and her adult son. There were 18 people on the bus in total and all were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Britain's Foreign Office called the collision, which took place on Saturday near the town of Al Khalas in west Saudi Arabia, a "serious road traffic accident." It said in a statement it was working to assist families of the people killed and injured but gave no further details. Officials say the British visitors were on an Umrah pilgrimage, a smaller version of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. It has some similar rituals to the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which adult Muslims are asked to undertake at least once in their lifetime, but they are shorter. T hree jihadi brides who abandoned their German homeland to live under Islamic State in Syria are begging to be allowed to return home. The women, identified only as Ayse, 32, Linda, 33, and Nadine, 29, say they were mistreated in Germany so went to the Middle East to forge new lives. I was badly treated in Germany because I wore niqab, said Linda in an interview with the Bild newspaper in northern Syria. I wanted to live my faith in peace with my family. Linda, from Munich, converted from Christianity to Islam as a teenager and married a Turk. She went on: My husband and I were attacked on the streets because of our faith. We were afraid our children would be taken from us. A sister then recommended that we go to Islamic State. One of her four children was born in the Syrian city of Raqqa. Linda said she formed her views about life under Islamic State from looking at beautiful videos of the city. There was a lot of talk about friendship and family. I thought: Here I will have no more pressure. Nadine, radicalised as a teenager, said: I had coffee poured over my head because I wore the scarf. I was beaten, my things were destroyed. I just wanted to go away and live alone. If we had been treated better in Germany, 90 per cent of women would have certainly renounced the journey to Isis. She said her father read newspaper reports to her of IS atrocities but claims she told him: No, thats not true, because that is not Islam. She too cared for her four children in Raqqa. The families have been held by Kurdish forces since the fall of Raqqa. Nadine said: I just want to go back to Germany, even though I can understand that Germans are afraid of returnees. T he body of a Scottish man who went missing on a stag weekend in Hamburg has been found, according to a charity helping his family. Liam Colgan, 29, from Inverness, vanished during his brother Eamonn's stag celebrations in the German city in the early hours of February 10. His body was recovered from the River Elbe in the city on Monday, a statement from The Lucie Blackman Trust said. The charity, which helps the families of those missing abroad, said: "The Lucie Blackman Trust is saddened to confirm that a body found in the River Elbe, Hamburg, is that of Liam Colgan, missing after attending his brother's stag weekend in the German city. "Whilst formal identification is yet to be carried out, Mr Colgan's driving licence was in the pocket of the jacket, and the clothes were those he was wearing the night he disappeared. "The trust asks that Mr Colgan's family be given space and privacy to grieve at this difficult time." Chief executive Matthew Searle said: "An astonishing amount of support has been apparent in this case -the search for Liam has been joined by thousands of people, both German and British, and we would like to thank all of them for their support. "Our thoughts are of course with Liam's family and friends today." T he only surviving suspect from the Islamic State attack on Paris in which 130 innocent people died was jailed for 20 years today for trying to kill policemen in a shootout in Brussels. Salah Abdeslam, 28, and his Tunisian co-accused Sofien Ayari, 24, were convicted of attempted terrorist murder, while Abdeslam was on the run after the 2015 bloodbath in France. Ayari was also sentenced to 20 years. The pair, who were tried in Belgium in their absence, shot at eight police officers who cornered them in March 2016, four months after Abdeslam went on the run following the Paris attack. Prosecutor Kathleen Grosjean described how the policemen sent to arrest the pair walked into a warzone, with three officers wounded. She called for 20 years jail for each defendant, including at least 13 in a high security prison. Abdeslam, a self-confessed jihadi with a French passport, had told a previous hearing: Im not afraid of you, I put my trust in Allah. He is in solitary confinement in a high-security cell in France where he is awaiting another trial in connection with the Paris attack. Among the nine attackers involved was Abdeslams brother, Brahim Abdeslam, 31, who blew himself up inside a packed restaurant. S outh Korea has stopped blasting propaganda across its border with North Korea through loudspeakers for the first time in two years. The broadcasts, which blare pop music and criticism of the Norths dynastic rule across the heavily armed border, came to a halt on Sunday night, the South Korean defence ministry said. Seoul claimed that turning them off would help set the tone for Fridays talks. They have been running on and off since the Korean War in a bid to urge North Korean soldiers to doubt what they are told by their leaders. South Korean soldiers operate the loudspeakers at a studio near the border between South Korea and North Korea on January 8, 2016 in Yeoncheon, South Korea. (Photo by Korea Pool-Donga Daily via Getty Images) / Getty Images It is unclear if Pyongyang, which uses loudspeakers to broadcast praise for its leader, Kim Kong-un, as well as patriotic music, would do the same. We hope this decision will lead both Koreas to stop mutual criticism and propaganda against each other and also contribute in creating peace and a new beginning, defence ministry spokesman Choi Hoi-hyun said in a statement. He added that the move aimed to ease the military tension between the two Koreas and develop a peaceful summit atmosphere. A South Korean soldier takes down a battery of propaganda loudspeakers on the border with North Korea in Paju on 16 June 2004 in Paju, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) / Getty Images North Korea announced it was suspending nuclear tests and closing an atomic test site at the weekend. The surprise announcement came as the country prepares for historic talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday at the truce village of Panmunjom. It marks the first inter-Korean summit in over a decade. The countries are expected to discuss replacing the armistice that ended the Korean war in 1953 with a treaty that brings a formal end to hostilities. T en people were killed and another 15 were injured after a van ploughed into pedestrians in the Canadian city of Toronto. Local police chief Mark Saunders said the incident "definitely looked deliberate, but added that the motive was not known at this stage. A man was arrested following a tense stand-off with police officers shortly after the crash which unfolded at about 1.30pm local time (5.30pm BST). Moment Toronto van attack suspect is arrested The suspect has been named by officials as 25-year-old Alek Minassian from Richmond Hill, Ontario. Bystander footage appeared to show the suspected driver, who claimed to have a gun, pointing an object at officers. Police could be heard shouting get down. Emergency services respond to the incident / Getty Images In the video, which had been circulated widely on social media, the man could be heard shouting kill me while pointing an object at police officers. An officer replied: no, get down. When the suspect said: "I have a gun in my pocket," the officer responded: "I don't care. Get down." Toronto van incident - in pictures 1 /15 Toronto van incident - in pictures Police are seen near a damaged van after a vehicle mounted a pavement crashing into pedestrians in Toronto AP Emergency services close Yonge Street in Toronto after the van mounted a sidewalk AP A rented van sits on a sidewalk about a mile from where several pedestrians were killed EPA Toronto police talk to a woman in the aftermath of the crash Rex Features Police investigate at the scene EPA A couple look down the road after an incident where a van struck multiple people at a major intersection in north Toronto Reuters A police officer speaks with a witness Reuters The road was closed off following the horrifying incident Getty Images Emergency services closed Yonge Street while police investigated AP A Toronto police officer patrols along Yonge Street EPA The front end damage of the van AFP/Getty Images People react to an incident where a van struck multiple people at a major intersection in Toronto's northern suburbs, in Ontario, Canada Reuters Police work the scene on Yonge Street at near Finch Avenue Getty Images People light candles at a makeshift memorial to the victims after a van mounted a sidewalk crashing into pedestrians in Toronto AP The front end damage of the van sits on a sidewalk about a mile from where several pedestrians were injured EPA The man was then detained. No shots were fired, according to reports. Emergency services close Yonge Street in Toronto after a van mounted a sidewalk crashing into a crowd / AP Toronto police confirmed that 10 people were dead following the incident, and that another 15 were injured. Witnesses described seeing the van mounting the pavement before crashing into pedestrians. One told CNN: He was just hitting people one by one, going down, it was a nightmare It was a gruesome scene." He added: He [the driver] just went on the sidewalk, he just started hitting everybody. Witness Phil Zullo told Canadian Press he saw police arresting a man who had been driving a rental truck and saw people "strewn all over the road". "It must have seen about five, six people being resuscitated by bystanders and by ambulance drivers," he added. "It was awful. Brutal." A police spokesman told Canada's Global News broadcaster: "Reports were that a white van mounted the curb, drove down the sidewalk at southbound Yonge, south of Finch, and struck eight to 10 people possibly, the numbers aren't confirmed yet." A rented van sits on a pavement about a mile from where several pedestrians were injured in northern Toronto / EPA The incident happened as cabinet ministers from the G7 countries were gathered in the Canadian city to discuss a range of international issues in the run-up to the G7 meeting near Quebec City in June. Pictures apparently taken at the scene appeared to show a number of bodies in orange bags on the pavement. Justin Trudeau, Canada's Prime Minister, said: "Obviously we're just learning of the situation in Toronto. "Our hearts go out to anyone affected. We're obviously going to have more to learn and more to say in the coming hours." Toronto Police Services Deputy Chief Peter Yuen had earlier said police were still interviewing witnesses and examining surveillance video of the incident as part of what he called a "complex" investigation. "I can assure the public all our available resources have been brought in to investigate this tragic situation," he said. P olice have arrested a suspect after a naked gunman opened fire in a Tennessee waffle house, killing four. Three others were injured when alleged shooter Travis Reinking, 29, who is said to have walked into the Nashville diner wearing only a green jacked, opened fire. He is believed to have been in hiding in a wooded area nearby the restaurant and his apartment. One of the injured died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said hospital spokeswoman Jennifer Wetzel. Two others still at the hospital are in critical but stable condition, she said. Four people were killed after a gunman opened fire at a Waffle House restaurant on Sunday / AP It was not immediately known where the fourth person was being treated. Police told CNN the man shed his jacket before fleeing on foot. A shirtless man wearing pants who was believed to be Reinking was spotted in woods near the restaurant, police said. Metro Davidson County Police inspect the scene near Nashville / REUTERS Reinking was previously arrested by agents with the US Secret Service back in July after he crossed a restricted area near the White House, officials said. He was detained after refusing to leave, saying he wanted to meet President Donald Trump. n May 2016, deputies from Tazewell County, Illinois, were called to a CVS parking lot. Reinking told officers that Taylor Swift was stalking him and hacking his phone, and that his family was also involved, according to a report released Sunday. A Tazewell County Sheriff's deputy talks with a man in the home of Reinking's extended family / AP Reinking is also said to have told police in Tazewell County, Illinois, in August that he wanted to file a report about 20 to 30 people tapping into his computer and phone. He agreed to go to a local hospital for an evaluation after repeatedly resisting the request, a report said. The victims fatally shot in the car park have been identified as Taurean Sanderlin, 29, of Goodlettsville, and Joe Perez, 20, of Nashville. Nude gunman opens fire at waffle house in Nashville Mr Sanderlin was an employee at the restaurant. Mr Perez's mother posted a picture of her son on Facebook and asked for prayers, saying it was the hardest day of her life. "Me, my husband and sons are broken right now with this loss," Trisha Perez said in the post. "Our lives are shattered." Reinking then went inside the restaurant and opened fire, police said. James Shaw wrestled the gun from the man who opened fire / AP Also wounded was James Shaw Jr., a 29-year-old restaurant patron, whom police said suffered minor wounds from wrestling the gun away Reinking. Mr Shaw, who is a Nashville native who works as a wireless technician for AT&T, said he was no hero - despite being hailed as one by Nashville Mayor David Briley. He said he saw pounced on the suspect after making up his mind that "he was going to have to work to kill me." A woman is facing a 357 ($500) fine from the US customs agency discovering a free apple she had been given mid-flight in her bag. Crystal Tadlock told US news station KDVR-TV flight attendants passed out the apples and she placed one in her carry-on to save for her flight from Minneapolis to Denver. Upon landing, however, her bag was randomly searched by customs officials. Ms Tadlock says the agent asked her if her trip to France was expensive and when she said yes he told her it was "about to get more expensive", telling her she would be charged $500 for the snack. She said: "He had asked me if my trip to France was expensive and I said, 'Yeah.' I didn't really get why he was asking that question, and then he said 'It's about to get a lot more expensive after I charge you $500'. "It's really unfortunate someone has to go through that and be treated like a criminal over a piece of fruit." As a result of the row, Ms Tadlock also claims she has been told she will "be searched on every flight for the rest of her life" in and out of the US. A Delta Air Lines spokesperson said: "We encourage our customers to follow US Customs and Border Protection protocols. "The apple in question was part of an in-flight meal meant to be consumed on the aircraft." B eing a parent is tough, theres no doubt about it. Some people are lucky enough to nail it all with intuition, confidence and grit. However, most of us need a little bit of expert advice. This can be from friends, family, the Internet and of course via books and the experts who write them. However, too much advice can be a bad thing and you can get into a complete pickle navigating all the conflicting opinions. To make things easier, weve rounded up a brilliant selection of books on parenting from poetry about motherhood to detailed plans about strict routines in the hope that there is something for every parent. Your Baby Week By Week by Simone Cave and Dr Caroline Fertleman Full disclosure, this book didnt leave our side for the first six months of motherhood. It was a constant source of comfort. Babies change rapidly in the first six months of their life. Each week something new happens or develops and this is the backbone of Week by Week, with each chapter focusing on seven days of your babys life: how much milk and sleep they need as well as milestones such as smiling and important dates like immunisations. When youre a new parent, your mind feels fried and slow which is why the layout of this book especially appealed to me. The chapters include handy subheadings which signpost tired minds and clearly mark specific information, such as When To See A Doctor and Whats Happening To Mum. When the book ends, you might feel sad not to have your constant companion, but we saw it as a sign that I was over the toughest part. 9.68 | Amazon | Buy it now 10 Things Girls Need Most by Steve Biddulph We loved this book. Sure, there is some slightly flowery, new-age language that is probably best overlooked such as an instruction to get into the river of love. But psychologist Biddulph does have a strong, clear core message, and that is to slow down, connect with each other and nature in a bid to help our daughters grow up strong and free. And there is plenty of thought-provoking stuff within his 10 Things that make a whole lot of sense. As a mother of a little girl, Im often worried about the future: how to bomb-proof her against sexism and to ensure she is brave and independent. The take home from this book is essentially that we need to allow little girls to be little girls. Biddulph warns against placing any emphasis on looks or the suggestion that girls should always be neat and tidy. He advocates that girls should be in touch with nature and connect with their wild side. He also writes convincingly of how important fathers are in a unique way for girls. If a father treats his daughter with respect this is what she will expect from a future partner and is less vulnerable to substandard treatment. Biddulph also addresses boundaries, sexuality, feminism and the importance of helping your daughter find what makes her spark. An essential handbook for parents of girls. 8.78 | Amazon | Buy it now The New Contented Little Baby by Gina Ford Vermilion She is the marmite of the parenting world loathed by some mothers who find her rigid approach to routine hard to swallow but bowed to by others who claim that former maternity nurse Gina Fords methods have allowed them to regain control over their lives. I am personally in the latter camp, hence the inclusion of this bestselling book which is, in part, how I managed to get my daughter to sleep so well. The truth is, Fords techniques work. This book takes a look at more than sleeping though. Ford begins with a comprehensive chapter on pre-birth preparation and then lays out pages upon pages of detailed timetables for when babies of different ages should take milk and sleep. Ford argues that when a baby has a strict routine it is more contented and less anxious. Ford is adamant she doesnt encourage just leaving a baby to cry itself to sleep, instead advising controlled crying. All I can say is, it very much worked for me. 9.35 | Amazon | Buy it now French Parents Dont Give In: 100 Parenting Tips From Paris by Pamela Druckerman When Pamela Druckerman, an American journalist, lived in Paris with her young children, she was struck by the easy, calm authority French parents seemed to have over their children. This book contains 100 parenting tips spread across chapters encompassing pregnancy, sleep and patience. Some are really short, funny missives Papa: Dont stand at the business end - while others, such as just say non are really pertinent points about boundaries and rules. Having devoured all 100, part of you will wish you could turn back time and live in an apartment in Montmarte surrounded by the scent of freshly baked baguette. 6.99 | Amazon | Buy it now The Teenage Brain by Dr Frances E. Jensen If, like us, the idea of raising teenagers makes you want to run for the hills or the nearest pub, then The Teenage Brain is probably essential reading for you. Written by a neurologist this book draws on extensive clinical research into brain function and turns the findings into practical advice for parents and teenagers. This is a thick and weighty tome and is full of graphs and diagrams. It is dense with information, so youll need to really immerse yourself this isnt a dip-in-dip-out situation. However, Jensen offsets all of the science with funny anecdotes about her own experiences as a mother of two teenage boys. With chapters including Pot and Mental Illness theres a certain sense of foreboding, but as with most things being prepared is half the battle. 11.99 | Amazon | Buy it now Truly Happy Baby by Holly Willoughby Were usually really sceptical about celebs writing books but Holly Willoughbys was recommended to me by a someone who said its like being with a friend. And it really is. Her voice is as warm and companiable as it is on TV and, having had three children of her own, she really knows her stuff. The book is essentially a collection of all of the tips and bits of advice Willoughby has picked up along the way. From a recipe for cookies that are said to promote lactation in new mothers to how to best bath your new born, this is a great book for first-time parents. 11.55 | Amazon | Buy it now Keep Calm: The New Mums Manual by Dr Ellie Cannon Vermilion Another excellent, practical manual for first time parents, Keep Calm is written by a family GP and mother of two. From the very first line, you can see where Dr Ellie Cannon wants to put the emphasis: This book is not about babies. Its about YOU We found it a really empowering read simply because it reminds readers time and time again that they are in charge, they know whats best for their baby no matter what other people think and say. This was especially poignant in a section on feeding notoriously fraught with worry and judgement - where Dr Cannon writes simply your baby, your business. This is a no-nonsense, straight-talking manual for women who want confidence for both themselves and their babies. 9.44 | Amazon | Buy it now Nobody Told Me by Hollie McNish This is less A how to book and much more a powerful show of solidarity and strength for anyone who has experienced the complexities of becoming a mother. Hollie Mcnish started a diary of poems and thoughts when she found out she was pregnant - at Glastonbury Festival of all places. Here, her words have been published - but many of the works remain incomplete and-unedited. Most were written on her babys bedroom floor. McNish wrote when she was dog tired, deliriously happy and gripped by anxiety. But within her diaries she hits on important issues - the big stuff - love and sex and the little things that help new mums get by like cinema trips and the promise of work. The poem Whats My Name Again? Where McNish rails against mothers being known as So-and-sos mum struck a real chord with me. A really remarkable book. 9 | Amazon | Buy it now Five Deep Breaths: The Power Of Mindful Parenting by Dr Genevieve Von Lob As parents, weve all felt like theres a multitude of conflicting advice out there on how to raise children and I have certainly felt judged for some of the decisions I have made as a mother. In Five Deep Breaths, Clinical Psychologist Von Lob tackles all of those outside influences and opinions and urges parents to give themselves a break and offers simple, practical tips on how to raise confident children based on principles of mindfulness and neuroscience. She calls for calm and shows you how to get there. Inside there are stories and testimonials from patients who have followed Von Lobs methods with much success. This is a must-read for any parent who feels stressed out and living in an environment often rife with tension and anxiety. She also tackles the teenage years with a particularly touching section on how to deal with rejection. 12.18 | Amazon | Buy It Now How To Grow A Baby: Journal Clemmie Hooper Shes the midwife who became an Instagram sensation following the runaway success of her parenting manual, How To Grow A Baby And Push It Out. And now Clemmie Hooper has launched a journal for expectant and new mothers to fill in on a week-by-week basis. The blank spaces where you can fill in everything from details about where you were when you found out you were pregnant to your entire birth story, are of course interspersed with advice, tips and reassurance from Hooper. This is a really smart, lovely thing I wouldnt expect any less from the ultra-stylish Hooper ideal as a present for an expectant friend, or for yourself! 11.99 | Amazon | Buy it now Verdict New York-based Auction house Sotheby's is holding its first live auction in India at the end of this year. For decades, Sotheby's has been doing previews for its overseas auctions in Delhi and Mumbai. The increasing response from South Asians is prompting Sotheby's to take India seriously. In a conversation with Business Today, Gaurav Bhatia, managing director of Sotheby's India, speaks on the preparation for the maiden auction in Mumbai. BT: How long have you been planning for the first India auction? Gaurav Bhatia: Indians have been participating in Sotheby's auctions. Sotheby's is one of the oldest auction houses in the world. It's listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The first formal record of an Indian client is back in 1930s, when an Indian maharaja bought a diamond necklace for his queen from Sotheby's in London. Since then, we have seen an increasing participation of South Asian clients at Sotheby's auction. We have two primary auctions of South Asian modern and contemporary art, which feature Tyeb Mehta, F.N. Souza, Vasudeo Gaitonde, S.H. Raza, M.F. Husain, and Atul Dodiya. We have an auction in the Spring in New York during Asia Week, which we just had, where we sold Tilottama by Raja Ravi Varma. Then, we have an auction in October in London. So when these two auctions happen overseas, we bring the highlights to India. Every time the New York auction happens, we bring the highlights to Delhi, where we showcase all the highlights of the work that's going under the hammer. If there are 100 paintings that are being auctioned, we bring about 40 to India. It's a preview. We have private collectors, who attend. It's 2-3 days affair. We have been doing this for many years. About 200-300 people attend, who are mix of clients and potential clients. We replicate this in Mumbai for the London sale. We call these travelling exhibits for the main auction because the main auction doesn't happen in India. Over the past five years, we have seen that number of bidders from India have doubled. They spent in excess of $250 million in last five years. We are seeing young demographic coming in. These Indian clients are transacting across categories, not just South Asian modern and contemporary art but also transacting in categories like Old Masters, Impressionist, Continental Furniture and jewellery. In 2016, Sotheby's opened its office in India in Mumbai. We have launched Boundless Mumbai, which is the name of the sale. It's going to happen in December. It's not just going to be art but other categories - photography, design, and furniture. We are bringing one of the most iconic works of Tyeb Mehta. It's an unseen work. It's the first time it has ever come to the market. This is the most important series called Mahishasura. Tyeb painted this in 1993 for a private collector. We think this is the most important painting Tyeb ever created. It's metaphoric work where Durga is killing Mahishasura. It was painted at a time when Mumbai was at the peak of its riots in 1992. Tyeb felt threatened, and as a Muslim painter living in Mumbai, he escaped to Santiniketan and found peace there. Just at the time he got a call from a private collector who commissioned him to make a painting for him. This is the painting he created. It's angst of an artist. This work is estimated at over Rs 20 crore. BT: Why this private collector chose to give it to you for auction? Bhatia: I happened to be at the right place at the right time. I was over at the house of my father's friend for a drink. He invited me over last year. He has an incredible collection of art. He was showing me his private collection. I found this painting on the first floor in the private area. I didn't know the full story at the time, and that's when he told me about the Santiniketan, Durga and why Tyeb painted it. He was not a seller. As I was leaving, I asked him to give me Durga. Three days later, I got a call from him. He asked me what I am going to do with it. I explained him that I am going to put it in the inaugural auction, and I feel it's an important work and we can get him fantastic price. He comes from a privileged background; he doesn't need money. It was just a moment when he also felt for it. BT: Do you think for inaugural auction you need paintings like this for the auction to work? Bhatia: Absolutely! The whole spirit of our auction house is to give you access to rare things that have never been seen before. The process of sourcing is very critical. We are not an art gallery. We give you story, provenance, sense of quality, sense of rarity that cannot be found anywhere else. It's important to have works like this in terms of rarity. To me, the younger collector in India is very critical, to be able to engage with him or her, and therefore we are going to include price points that are affordable. I hope to start my pricing at Rs 1 lakh and go up to Rs 30 crore. BT: You will just have Indian work at the auction? Bhatia: It's going to be a mix. The spirit is, obviously, South Asian work. Some of it maybe international creators who are inspired by India. The whole auction is going to show sophistication of India. The sourcing will be largely done in India. We have a global team of specialists, who are involved in sourcing for our sale. We are not a primary market [broker]. We are not here to promote art. We don't source from artists. There has to be an existing demand already in the market for an artist. BT: How many pieces of art will be up for auction? Bhatia: We don't know the exact number. It's about the quality; not the quantity. But we haven't defined it yet. I would say 60-100. BT: What kind of commissions you make on auction sales? Bhatia: Typically, when we sell a painting, buyer pays a buyer's premium. From the buyer, we take 25 per cent commission. For the seller, because we have to market the work, we also get commission, which usually varies depending on the value of the work. The buyer pays 12 per cent GST [goods and services tax] on the value of painting, and 18 per cent on the buyer's premium [that is 25 per cent]. In other regions like US and Europe, the taxation is 6-8 per cent which encourages people [to bid more]. BT: What kind of people do you expect will be participating in the auction? Bhatia: The target is becoming younger and younger, and I think it's to do with digital exposure. We had our first online sale for South Asian art - F.N. Souza's work - that happened in March last year. We have seen the number of Indians bidding online increased nine times over the past five years. Also, there has been 60 per cent increase in the value that Indian clients have spent online in the past five years. People are very comfortable buying online. BT: Who can participate in the auction? Bhatia: Anybody can participate. All we need is a registration ID and some form of financial backing. P iers Morgan was slammed on Twitter after he posted a sarcastic tweet in the wake of the arrival of the royal baby. The Good Morning Britain host appeared to play down the news on Twitter much to the annoyance of his followers. He tweeted: Woman with 2 children goes into labour. IM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!! His Twitter followers were unimpressed with his tweet, with many telling him to show respect to the Royal family. One tweeted: Not just any woman Piers!! Please show a little respect for our Royals. A new Prince or Princess is always exciting!! Another wrote: Im guessing youre on about the new Royal baby!! Why the need for unnecessary sarcasm!! A third posted: Ever given birth Piers? Then shut the f*** up. Kensington Palace this morning confirmed in a statement that Kate had gone into labour. It said: The Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted to St. Marys Hospital and is in the early stages of labour. The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St. Marys Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge. Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to baby boy Holly Willoughby was more than excited about the news and turned to a psychic banana to confirm whether the child will be a Prince or Princess after the Royal couple decided to refrain from finding out the gender. Explaining the special fruit to co-host Phillip Schofield on This Morning she said: It is important to ask the banana the most important question of the day: is she going to have a boy or a girl? The Royal Family: Baby Album - In pictures 1 /37 The Royal Family: Baby Album - In pictures 2019 Prince Louis pictured in the garden of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Norfolk home IN 2019 HRH The Duchess of Cambridge 2018 Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge with their children Prince George, right, Princess Charlotte, center, and Prince Louis at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, east England, which is to be used as their 2018 Christmas card Matt Porteous/Kensington Palace via AP 2015 Prince George and Princess Charlotte HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Princess Charlotte plants a kiss on her newborn baby brother Prince Louis in this adorable snap taken by their mother HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Newborn Prince Louis during his first days at home at Kensington Palace HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Prince Louis Reuters The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hold newborn baby Prince Louis outside the Lindo Wing PA 2015 The Duchess of Cambridge carries Princess Charlotte as they arrive at the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Sandringham PA 2015 The Duchess and Duke of Cambridge with their newborn daughter Princess Charlotte PA 2015 The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge depart the Lindo Wing with their newborn daughter at St Mary's Hospital Getty Images 2014 Zara Phillips walks with her daughter Mia Grace during day three of the St James's Place Wealth Management Barbury International Horse Trials in Wiltshire PA 2013 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their son Prince George arrive at Chapel Royal in St James's Palace for his christening PA 2013 The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge pose for a photograph with their son, Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, surrounded by Lupo, the couple's cocker spaniel and Tilly the retriever (a Middleton family pet) in the garden of the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, Berkshire Michael Middleton/WPA Pool/Getty Images 2013 The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge depart the Lindo Wing with their newborn son at St Mary's Hospital Jeremy Selwyn 2013 Prince William holds his new born son Prince George as they leave the Lindo Wing of St Mary's in 2013 PA 2011 Autumn Phillips with her daughter Savannah at the Gatcombe Park Festival of British Eventing PA 2007 The Earl and Countess of Wessex leaves Frimley Park Hospital with her newborn baby boy PA 1991 The Duchess of York, with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, arriving at Corpach, near Fort William, where they boarded the Royal barge, to join 'Britannia' PA 1988 One of the first official photographs of the Duke and Duchess of York at Balmoral with their two-week-old daughter, the Royal Highness the Princess Beatrice of York, taken by the Duke himself PA 1984 Princess Diana with Prince Harry in 1984 PA 1984 The Prince and Princess of Wales following the birth of their second son, Prince Harry PA 1982 The Prince and Princess of Wales leaving the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital with Prince William in 1982 PA 1977 The Queen with Princess Anne and her 37 day old son Peter Phillips at Buckingham Palace following his christening PA 1990 The Duke of York watches as the Duchess of York kisses their baby Princess Eugenie Victoria Helena following her christening at Sandringham Church. They are joined by two of Princess Eugenie's cousins, Zara Phillips (bottom left) and Prince Harry PA 1983 The Prince and Princess of Wales with Prince William in the sitting room at Kensington Palace, London PA 1982 A portrait of Zara and Peter Phillips, children of Princess Anne and her husband, Captain Mark Phillips PA 1964 Prince Edward, fourth child of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, grips the finger of his brother, four year old Prince Andrew, as the Queen bends over the baby's crib in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace PA 1960 Making a happy group on the lawns at Balmoral, are the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and their three children Princess Anne, Prince Charles and baby Prince Andrew, on his father's knees PA 1960 The Queen holding Prince Andrew during an outing in the grounds at Balmoral, Scotland PA 1960 The Queen, accompanied by Princess Anne, pushes the pram of her younger son, Prince Andrew, during a walk in the grounds at Balmoral. PA 1950 Princess Elizabeth with her baby daughter, Princess Anne, after the christening at Buckingham Palac PA 1949 Prince Charles on the lap of his parents the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen at Windlesham Moor PA 1949 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh hold their first child Prince Charles, aged 6 months PA Princess Elizabeth takes a ride in her pram PA 1948 Members of the public read a Royal Birth Bulletin at Buckingham Palace. It stated "H.H.H. The Princess Elizabeth has had a good night and is making satisfactory progress. The infant Prince continues to do well." PA 1926 The Duke and Duchess of York with their baby daughter Princess Elizabeth PA If its a dot its a no if its a Y its a yes. Is she going to have a boy? Willoughby then sliced off the end of the fruit to reveal a Y. Excited with her findings she said: Its a yes I said that. Its a boy! C anadian singer Shania Twain has said sorry for claiming she would have voted for Donald Trump if she was American. The singer, best known for her 1997 song That Don't Impress Me Much, wrote on Twitter: "I would like to apologise to anybody I have offended in a recent interview with the Guardian relating to the American President. "The question caught me off guard. As a Canadian, I regret answering this unexpected question without giving my response more context." In the Guardian interview she spoke mostly about recovering from vocal cord paralysis and her split from her music producer husband Robert "Mutt" Lange. However towards the end of the article she is also quoted saying: "I would have voted for [Trump] because, even though he was offensive, he seemed honest." She added: "I would have voted for a feeling that it was transparent. And politics has a reputation of not being that, right?" After the comments sparked outrage, Ms Twain posted a series of tweets explaining that her quotes were not in line with her personal beliefs. She wrote: "I am passionately against discrimination of any kind and hope its clear from the choices I have made, and the people I stand with, that I do not hold any common moral beliefs with the current President. "I was trying to explain, in response to a question about the election, that my limited understanding was that the President talked to a portion of America like an accessible person they could relate to, as he was NOT a politician. "My answer was awkward, but certainly should not be taken as representative of my values nor does it mean I endorse him. "I make music to bring people together. My path will always be one of inclusivity, as my history shows." Donald Trump has drawn fire for policies and comments that critics have branded divisive. His controversial "Muslim ban", which bars visitors travelling to the US from six mainly Muslim countries, and proposals to build a wall on the Mexican border have angered human rights groups. In January tens of thousands of people joined women's rights marches to mark a year since the embattled president's inauguration and protest against his comment that he could "grab [women] by the pussy". President Donald Trump's first year in office - in pictures 1 /40 President Donald Trump's first year in office - in pictures U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington Reuters 20 January 2017 President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump are greeted by President Barack Obama and his wife first lady Michelle Obama, upon arriving at the White House in Washington, DC. before being sworn in as the nation's 45th president during an inaugural ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Getty Images 20 January 2017 President Barack Obama greets President Elect Donald Trump on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Getty Images 20 January 2017 Attendees line the Mall as they watch ceremonies to swear in Donald Trump on Inauguration Day in Washington, DC Getty Images 20 January 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump sings to the song "My Way" while dancing with first lady Melania Trump during the inaugural Liberty Ball at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC Getty Images 21 January 2017 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer makes a statement to members of the media at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC. This was Spicer's first press conference as Press Secretary where he spoke about the media's reporting on the inauguration's crowd size Getty Images 22 January 2017 US President Donald Trump congratulates Senior Counselor to the President Stephen Bannon during the swearing-in of senior staff in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC AFP 22 January 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with James Comey, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), during an Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington, DC Getty Images 27 January 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May with U.S. President Donald Trump walk along The Colonnade at The White House Getty Images 09 February 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House February 9, 2017 in Washington, DC. Prior to signing the three executive orders, Trump participated in the swearing in ceremony for new Attorney General Jeff Sessions (R) along with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (L) and Sessions's wife Mary (2nd R) Getty Images 19 February 2017 Muslim women protest against US President Donald Trump on in Chicago, Illinois AFP/Getty Images 27 February 2017 Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway checks her phone after taking a photo as U.S. President Donald Trump and leaders of historically black universities and colleges pose for a group photo in the Oval Office of the White House before a meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence in Washington, DC AFP/Getty Images 17 March 2017 Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ivanka Trump talk before a meeting with US President Donald Trump and business leaders in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC AFP/Getty Images 23 March 2017 U.S. President Donald J. Trump gets in the driver's seat of an 18-wheeler while meeting with truck drivers and trucking CEOs on the South Portico prior to their meeting to discuss health care at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 23 March 2017. The House of Representatives has yet to vote on the Republican-crafted American Health Care Act, that would replace the Affordable Care Act, as it remained unclear whether Republicans had enough votes to overcome opposition from Democrats and those within their own party. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO EPA 17 April 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks from the Truman Balcony with first lady Melania Trump and their son Barron Trump during the 139th Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images 04 May 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump (C) speaks while flanked by House Republicans after they passed legislation aimed at repealing and replacing ObamaCare, during an event in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC. The House bill would still need to pass the Senate before being signed into law Getty Images 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray in Jerusalem's Old City AFP/Getty Images 24 May 2017 Pope Francis walks along with US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump during a private audience at the Vatican AFP/Getty Images 26 May 2017 European Council President Donald Tusk, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. President Donald Trump, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker pose for the group photo at the G7 Taormina summit on the island of Sicily on May 26, 2017 in Taormina, Italy. Leaders of the G7 group of nations, which includes the Unted States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy, as well as the European Union, are meeting at Taormina from May 26-27 Getty Images 7 July 2017 US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, AFP/Getty Images 25 July 2017 Incoming White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci talks with reporters during 'Regional Media Day' at the White House July 25, 2017 in Washington, DC. Conservative media outlets were invited to set up temporary studios on the north side of the West Wing so to interview White House officials and members of President Donald Trump's cabinet Getty Images 28 July 2017 Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) leaves the the Senate chamber at the U.S. Capitol after voting on the GOP 'Skinny Repeal' health care bill on July 28, 2017 in Washington, DC. Three Senate Republicans voted no to block a stripped-down, or 'Skinny Repeal,' version of Obamacare reform Getty Images 22 August 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump looks up toward the Solar Eclipse while joined by his wife first lady Melania Trump on the Truman Balcony at the White House on August 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Millions of people have flocked to areas of the U.S. that are in the "path of totality" in order to experience a total solar eclipse Getty Images 22 August 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during a rally at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. An earlier statement by the president that he was considering a pardon for Joe Arpaio,, the former sheriff of Maricopa County who was convicted of criminal contempt of court for defying a court order in a case involving racial profiling, has angered Latinos and immigrant rights advocates Getty Images 15 September 2017 11-year-old Frank "FX" Giaccio (L) gets a pat on the back from U.S. President Donald Trump (C) while mowing the grass in the Rose Garden of the White House September 15, 2017 in Washington, DC. Giaccio, from Falls Church, Virginia, who runs a business called FX Mowing, wrote a letter to Trump expressing admiration for Trump's business background and offered to mow the White House grass Getty Images 03 October 2017 President Donald Trump waves as he arrives at the Muniz Air National Guard Base for a visit after Hurricane Maria hit the island in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The President has been criticized by some that say the governments response has been inadequate Getty Images 11 October 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pose for photographs after Trudeau's arrival at the White House in Washington, DC. The United States, Canada and Mexico engaged in renegotiating the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement Getty Images 23 October 2017 Seven of U.S. President Donald Trump's eight border wall prototypes are shown near completion along U.S.- Mexico border near San Diego, California Reuters 30 October 2017 Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort gets into his car after leaving federal court, October 30, 2017 in Washington, DC. Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. election Getty Images 06 November 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump pours fish food out as Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks on while they were feeding carps before their working lunch at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Japan Reuters 09 November 2017 China's President Xi Jinping (L) and US President Donald Trump review Chinese honour guards during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing AFP/Getty Images 21 November 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, their son Barron, National Turkey Federation Chairman Carl Wittenburg and his family and members of the Draper County, Minnesota, 4-H chapater pose for photographs after Trump pardoned, Drumstick, the National Thanksgiving Turkey in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC. Following the presidential pardon, the 40-pound White Holland breed which was raised by Wittenburg in Minnesota, will then reside at his new home, 'Gobbler's Rest,' at Virginia Tech Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images 30 November 2017 President Donald Trump and the first lady Melania Trump attend the 95th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting held by the National Park Service at the White House Ellipse in Washington, D.C. The Beach Boys, Wynonna, The Texas Tenors, Craig Campbell were among the artists who provided the entertainment Getty Images 01 December 2017 Michael Flynn, former national security advisor to President Donald Trump, leaves following his plea hearing at the Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, DC. Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged Flynn with one count of making a false statement to the FBI Getty Images 06 December 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump signs a proclaimation that the U.S. government will formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel after signing the document in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House December 6, 2017 in Washington, DC. In keeping with a campaign promise, Trump said the United States will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem sometime in the next few years. No other country has its embassy in Jerusalem Getty Images 14 December 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump cuts a symbolic piece of red tape during an event at the White House promoting the administration's efforts to decrease federal regulations in Washington, DC. The administration has vowed to remove two regulations for every single regulation added in an effort to reduce the amount of bureaucratic "red tape" Getty Images 18 December 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump pauses during a speech at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC. The president was expected to outline a new strategy for U.S. foreign policy through the release of the periodic National Security Strategy, a document that aims to outline major national security concerns and the administration's plans to deal with them Getty Images 20 December 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by Republican lawmakers, celebrates Congress passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on the South Lawn of the White House on December 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. The tax bill is the first major legislative victory for the GOP-controlled Congress and Trump since he took office almost one year ago Getty Images 22 December 2017 A Palestinian protester throws a stone during clashes with Israeli forces near the Huwara checkpoint south of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as protests continue in the region amid anger over US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as its capital AFP/Getty Images 12 January 2018 US President Donald Trump shakes hands with White House Physician Rear Admiral Dr. Ronny Jackson, following his annual physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland AFP/Getty Images The Democratic Party has also sued Russia, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks over accusations they worked together to disrupt the 2016 US presidential election. The political party has alleged that Trump officials including his son and son-in-law conspired with the Russian government to undermine the campaign of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Court papers in Manhattan, filed on Friday, revealed accusations that Russias military spy agency worked with Mr Trump's team to hack Democratic computers. T alia Grant has become the first autistic actress to land a mainstream soap opera role on British television after being cast in Hollyoaks. Grant will play autistic teen Brooke Hathaway in the Channel 4 drama. She will make her debut in June as the new foster daughter of the Osbornes, studying at Hollyoaks High with the other teens in the village. The young actress is hoping her role will represent something that people may be unaware of. Grant who identifies as having high-functioning autism said: I am so excited to be joining Hollyoaks. I have met some of the cast and being on set was fun and everyone was super-nice and made me feel welcome. For a long while there has been no representation on screen of autistic women especially autistic women of colour so I am really looking forward to developing the character of Brooke and representing something that perhaps people are unaware of. Executive producer Bryan Kirkwood teased Grants character Brooke, adding that they worked with Grant to write her personality. He said: She will bring a new different voice into the show and we are very excited about her arrival into the Osbornes where she will bring a secret from the past. Brooke is a strong, independent character who has a solid handle on what it means to be a teenage girl with autism and we have worked with Talia on developing her character. Show bosses worked with The National Autistic Society and Access All Areas for the role which saw over 150 people apply. Grant, daughter of Fame Academy star Carrie Grant and husband David, recently appeared on Lorraine alongside her mum to discuss her condition during Autism Awareness Week. The United States and Canada began negotiations to modernize the Columbia River Treaty regime in May 2018. The Columbia Rivers drainage basin is roughly the size of Texas and includes parts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, and British Columbia. The Treatys hydropower operations and management of flood risk provide substantial benefits to millions of people on both sides of the border. The Treaty also has facilitated additional benefits such as supporting irrigation, municipal water use, industrial use, navigation, and recreation. Treaty-related agreements also allow for flow augmentation for ecosystem benefits. History and Background Signed in 1961, the Columbia River Treaty calls for two entities to be designated to implement arrangements under the Treaty a U.S. Entity and a Canadian Entity. The U.S. Entity, designated by the President , consists of the Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration (chair) and the Northwestern Division Engineer (member) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers . The Canadian Entity, appointed by the Canadian Federal Cabinet, is the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (B.C. Hydro ). The year 2024 is a significant date for the Treaty, as the current flood risk management provisions change to a less-defined approach. In addition, it is the earliest date at which the Treaty can be terminated, provided that either Canada or the United States provides ten years written notice. The U.S. Entity forwarded its recommendation concerning the future of the Columbia River Treaty with Canada to the U.S. Department of State on December 13, 2013. Known as the Regional Recommendation, the U.S. Entity developed this recommendation in collaboration and consultation with the region through an extensive, multi-year Columbia River Treaty Review. The constructive involvement of the regions states, federally recognized tribes, and hundreds of stakeholders helped the U.S. Entity reach this important milestone. With the conclusion of the Regional Recommendation process, the U.S. government conducted a review concerning the post-2024 future of the Treaty. (See also the cover letter sent to the U.S. Department of State regarding the Regional Recommendation.) Pressing Forward The U.S. Department of State is now leading the effort to negotiate with Canada to modernize the Treaty regime. Our key objectives include continued, careful management of flood risk; ensuring a reliable and economical power supply; and improving the ecosystem in a modernized Treaty regime. As part of this effort, the U.S. Department of State will hold public town halls to provide updates on the modernization process. Our discussions with Canada are focused on water flowing across the border, namely from the Canadian Treaty projectsKeenleyside (also known as Arrow), Duncan and Mica damsand from Libby Dam in the United States. These projects together are collectively known as the Treaty Projects. Public Inquiries Should you wish to submit feedback on the Treaty modernization effort and receive announcements regarding upcoming town halls, please send us an email at ColumbiaRiverTreaty@state.gov. Press Inquiries For requests for interviews or on-the-record comments, please email WHAPress@state.gov. Remarks and Background Material 09/06/18 Chief Negotiator Jill Smails Remarks at the 2nd Columbia River Treaty Town Hall 09/06/18 The Columbia River Treaty: Past, Present, and Future [2 MB] Press Releases 06/30/2020 Conclusion of the Tenth Round of the Columbia River Treaty Negotiations 03/21/2020 Conclusion of the Ninth Round of the Columbia River Treaty Negotiations 11/22/2019 Town Hall to Discuss Modernization of the Columbia River Treaty Regime 11/13/2019 Postponement of the Ninth Round of Negotiations to Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime 9/12/2019 Conclusion of the Eighth Round of Negotiations to Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime 07/03/19 Town Hall To Discuss Modernization of the Columbia River Treaty Regime 06/24/19 Conclusion of the Seventh Round of Negotiations to Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime 04/12/19 Conclusion of the Sixth Round of Negotiations To Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime 03/01/19 Conclusion of the Fifth Round of Negotiations To Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime 02/27/19 Town Hall To Discuss Modernization of the Columbia River Treaty Regime 12/14/18 Conclusion of the Fourth Round of Negotiations To Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime 10/19/18 Conclusion of the Third Round of Negotiations To Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime 08/17/18 Conclusion of the Second Round of Negotiations To Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime 07/18/18 Town Hall To Discuss Modernization of the Columbia River Treaty Regime 05/30/18 On the Opening of Negotiations To Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime 05/22/18 Launching Negotiations to Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime 04/23/18 Acting Assistant Secretary Palmieri To Deliver Keynote Speech at the Lake Roosevelt Forum 04/10/18 Town Hall on Modernizing the Columbia River Treaty Regime 12/07/17 Modernizing the Columbia River Treaty Regime Countries & Areas Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe Loading the player... Amazon to focus on fresh produce in India Amazon.com Inc expects groceries and household products to account for over half of its business in India in the next five years. It's trying to foray into areas such as fresh produce. Amit Agarwal, the India head of Amazon, has said that groceries and goods such as creams, soaps and cleaning products, were already the largest product category on Amazon in terms of number of units sold in India. AmazonFresh, which launched more than a decade ago in the U.S. market, is the company's flagship fresh grocery delivery service. In India, Amazon currently offers some groceries via a service named Pantry. It has also tied up with local vendors in four cities for Amazon Now, which promises two-hour deliveries. President promulgates Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance President Ram Nath Kovind last night promulgated Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance that will allow the government to confiscate properties and assets of loan defaulters who flee the country. The president promulgated the Ordinance within hours of it being cleared by the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ordinance seeks to confiscate properties of economic offenders like diamond merchant Nirav Modi, who have left the country to avoid facing criminal prosecution. India's pace of growth to accelerate in 2018-19, says RBI governor Urjit Patel Asserting that the Indian economy turned in a resilient performance in 2017-18, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel has said the country's growth is expected to accelerate next fiscal. Patel was addressing the International Monetary Finance Committee. Global demand has been improving, which should encourage exports and boost fresh investments, Patel said, adding that on the whole, real GDP growth was expected to expand at 7.4 per cent in 2018-19, with risks evenly balanced. Petrol price surges to 55-month high, diesel at all-time high Petrol price surged to a 55-month high yet again on Sunday to touch Rs 74.40 a litre in the national capital, while diesel price soared to a new all-time high of Rs 65.65, just three days after prices of both the fuels touched record levels. State-owned oil firms said in a notification on Sunday that petrol and diesel rates have been hiked by 19 paise per litre each in Delhi due to rising international oil prices, renewing calls for the government to cut excise tax rates on the fuels. ICICI's internal probe had cleared Chanda Kochhar's name ICICI Bank chairman MK Sharma conducted a secret, internal inquiry two years ago that found no fault on the part of CEO Chanda Kochhar over loans to the Videocon group after a shareholder complaint, said people with knowledge of the matter, as reported by the Economic Times. The findings were endorsed by leading law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM). Most board members were unaware of this investigation until the issue resurfaced recently. Sharma conducted the enquiry after whistle-blower Arvind Gupta alleged that Chanda Kochhar, who was on the credit committee, influenced the Rs 3,250-crore loan to Videocon. TCS first Indian IT company with 100 billion dollar market value TCS market capitalisation or market value hit $100 billion today, making it the first Indian company to achieve the mark. TCS shares moved nearly 4 per cent higher today, extending their Friday's surge. Shares of TCS had surged by nearly 7 per cent on Friday, making investors richer by over Rs.40,000 crore in a day. Defence Minister Mihai Fifor laid a wreath on Monday at the Memorial to the Heroes fallen in operation theatres and in Romania in the Bucharest Youth Park. Wreaths were also laid by representatives of the accredited Military Attaches Association in Romania and of the "Holy Great Martyr George, the Victory-Bearer" Foundation. A memorial service was performed by the military priests with the Land Forces at the ceremony in the Bucharest Youth Park. The Day of Romania's Land Forces, whose patron saint is the Holy Great Martyr George, the Victory-Bearer, is celebrated every year on April 23. On this occasion, all garrisons in the country and in theatres of operations organize various manifestations. AGERPRES At the center of the controversy over an alleged chemical attack in the Damascus suburb of Duma on April 7 are the White Helmets, a self-described rescue operation about whom an Oscar-winning documentary was made. Reporter and author Max Blumenthal has tracked the role of the White Helmets in the Syrian conflict. He reported that the White Helmets were created in Turkey by James Le Mesurier, a former British MI5 agent. The group has received at least $55 million from the British Foreign Office and $23 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development as well as millions from the Kingdom of Qatar, which has backed a variety of extremist groups in Syria including Al Qaeda. Blumenthal writes, When Defense Secretary James Mattis cited social media in place of scientific evidence of a chemical attack in Duma, he was referring to video shot by members of the White Helmets. Similarly, when State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert sought to explain why the US bombed Syria before inspectors from the OPCW could produce a report from the ground, she claimed, We have our own intelligence. With little else to offer, she was likely referring to social media material published by members of the White Helmets. The reference to social media as evidence in the most serious decision a leader can maketo engage in an act of waris part of a disturbing trend. Then Secretary of State John Kerry pointed to social media as evidence of the Syrian governments guilt in a 2013 chemical attack in the same Damascus suburb. But as Robert Parry, the late founder and editor of this site, pointed out in numerous reports, Syrian government guilt was far from a sure thing. Rather than wait for the arrival of a team of experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to assess whether chemicals had even used in this latest incident, Trump gave the order to bomb. Gas! The possible role of the White Helmets in the latest alleged chemical attack was first revealed by veteran Middle East reporter Robert Fisk, writing for The Independent. In The Search for Truth in the Rubble of Douma-And One Doctors Doubts Over the Chemical Attacks, Fisk reported that he tracked down 58-year-old Syrian doctor Assim Rahaibani. A White Helmet (Photo: whitehelmets.org) The doctor told Fisk that he learned from fellow physicians who were on duty at the clinic the night of the attack. Rahaibani said patients were brought in by jihadi gunmen of Jaish el-Islam [the Army of Islam] in Duma and that the patients appeared to be overcome not by gas but by oxygen starvation in the rubbish-filled tunnels and basements in which they lived, on a night of wind and heavy shelling that stirred up a dust storm. Rahaibani told Fisk, I was with my family in the basement of my home three hundred metres from here on the night but all the doctors know what happened. There was a lot of shelling [by government forces] and aircraft were always over Duma at night but on this night, there was wind and huge dust clouds began to come into the basements and cellars where people lived. People began to arrive here suffering from hypoxia, oxygen loss. Rahaibani continued: Then someone at the door, a White Helmet, shouted Gas!, and a panic began. People started throwing water over each other. Yes, the video was filmed here, it is genuine, but what you see are people suffering from hypoxia not gas poisoning. Fisk writes that, There are the many people I talked to amid the ruins of the town who said they had never believed in gas stories which were usually put about, they claimed, by the armed Islamist groups. These particular jihadis survived under a blizzard of shellfire by living in others peoples homes and in vast, wide tunnels with underground roads carved through the living rock by prisoners with pick-axes on three levels beneath the town. I walked through three of them yesterday, vast corridors of living rock which still contained Russian yes, Russian rockets and burned-out cars. Significantly, Fisk reported that locals told him that White Helmets left with jihadists bused out of Duma in a deal made with the Syrian government and Russia, which provided security for the transfer. Other Reports Other reporters have corroborated what Fisk found. Reporter Pearson Sharp of One America News, a conservative Christian TV network and supporter of President Trump, interviewed doctors and witnesses at the clinic. They also said there was no chemical attack and that strangers came into the clinic and shouted Gas! and filmed the reaction. RTs Arabic service also tracked down an 11-year old boy filmed in the attack, and found him in completely good health and able to answer questions of the RT reporter. He told her he was with his mother when they were urged to enter the clinic. We were outside, the boy said, and they told all of us to go into the hospital. I was immediately taken upstairs, and they started pouring water on me. consortiumnews.com On 16 April 2018, the internationally respected analyst of Middle-Eastern affairs, Abdel Bari Atwan, headlined about Trumps increasingly overt plan to break Syria up and to establish permanent US control over the parts it wants, Attempting the Unachievable. He stated that The coming few months are likely to prove very difficult for the Americans, and very costly, not just in Syria but also in Iraq. He closed: Who will cover the costs of this American move? There are no prizes for guessing the answer: it has already been spelled out. The only country that his article mentioned was Israel: It would not be surprising if Israel and the various lobbies that support were behind this American strategic volte-face. For Israel is in a state of panic. The US already donates $3.8 billion per year to Israels military, in order for Israel to purchase US-made weapons. However, Atwan argues that the costs of this invasion-occupation of Syria are likely to run into the trillions of dollars. The Gross Domestic Product of Israel is only $318.7 billion as of 2016. So, America now already donates a bit more than 1% to that amount, and Atwans thesis is that Israel will now become instead a net donor to Americas international corporations (funding some of the Pentagon, which then will pay that money to Americas weapons-firms), in order to avoid adding the enormous costs of this increasing invasion-occupation of Syria, onto Americas taxpayers, fighting forces, etc. I do not consider this enormous reversal of Israel from recipient to donor to be likely. Far likelier, in my view, is Saudi Arabia, to finance the invasion. The GDP of Saudi Arabia is $646.4 billion as of 2016, more than twice Israels and the Saud family, who own that country, are accustomed to paying for the services they buy, not having them donated (unless by their fellow fundamentalist Sunnis, to spread the faith). Furthermore, the royal family, the Sauds, are extremely close to Americas leading oil families, who also donate heavily to Republican politicians. Ever since at least 2012, the Sauds have been the US Governments main partner in the long campaign to overthrow and replace Syrias President Bashar al-Assad, by a Sharia-law, fundamentalist-Sunni, regime, which will do what the Sauds want. Americas oil companies and pipeline companies, and military contractors such as Lockheed Martin, profit from Americas invasion-occupation of Syria, but US President Donald Trump isnt doing it only with their welfare in mind; he has an international campaign to press Americas allies to foot a larger percentage of the cost to US taxpayers for Americas military. He wants Americas allies to pay much more, in order for them to be able to enjoy the privileges of staying in Americas alliance against Russia, China, and other countries whose economies threaten to continue growing faster than Americas. US aristocrats fear that such challengers could replace them as the global hegemon or Empire, the uber-aristocracy. Empire is expensive, and the general public pay for it, but Trump wants foreign taxpayers to pay a bigger share of these costs in order to relieve part of the burden on US taxpayers. His famous comment about the invasion-occupation of Iraq, We should have taken the oil, is now being put into practice by him in Syria. However, that money goes only to corporations, not to the US Treasury. Which allies could finance escalated war against Syria? On 24 September 2017, the Wall Street Journal bannered, "US-Backed Forces Seize Syrian Gas Plant From Islamic State, and reported: US-backed forces said Sunday they were advancing through eastern Syria after seizing a gas plant there from Islamic State, striking a blow to the terror groups dwindling finances, which rely heavily on its control of Syrias oil and gas fields. The plant, one of the most important in the country, is capable of producing nearly 450 tons of gas a day." Trump wants the profits from that to go to American companies, not to Syrian ones. Thats the type of arrangement Trump has been favoring when he says We should have taken the oil. Syria is allied with Russia, and with Iran, The US is allied with Saudi Arabia and Israel, which are the two countries that call Iran an existential threat and which have been urging a US invasion to overthrow Assad. The Sauds and their allied fundamentalist Sunni Arab royal families are considering to finance an American-led invasion of Syria. Turkeys newspaper Yeni Safak headlined on 15 June 2017, "Partitioning 2.5M barrels of Syrias oil, and reported: A meeting was held on June 10 for the future of Syrian oil on the premise of the intelligence of Saudi Arabia and the US in Syrias northeastern city of Qamishli, which borders with Turkey. One of the US officers who visited terrorist organizations in the Sinjar-Karachok region after Turkeys anti-terror operation in northern Syria and spokesman for the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh, Colonel John Dorrian, attended the meeting. Representatives from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, as well as some tribal leaders from Syria and senior Democratic Union Party (PYD) members attended the meeting. The delegation gathered for the purpose of determining a common strategy for the future of Syrian oil, and decided to act jointly after Daesh. Former President of the National Coalition of the Syrian Opposition and Revolutionary Forces, Ahmed Carba, determined the tribal and group representatives from Syria, and Mohammed Dahlan determined which foreign representatives would attend the meeting. Representatives agreed on a pipeline route. Radical decisions were made regarding the extraction, processing and marketing of the underground wealth of the Haseke, Raqqah and Deir ez Zor regions, which hold 95 percent of Syrian oil and natural gas potential. Thats taking the oil. There could be lots of it. This article also reported that, Syria produced 34,828,000 barrels of crude oil in the first quarter of 2011 and reached 387,000 barrels per day during the same period and that, there are 2.5 billion barrels of oil reserves in Syria. On 16 April 2018, Whitney Webb at Mint Press bannered "How the US Occupied the 30% of Syria Containing Most of its Oil, Water and Gas, and reported that, Though the US currently has between 2,000 to 4,000 troops stationed in Syria, it announced the training of a 30,000-person-strong border force composed of US-allied Kurds and Arabs in the area, which would be used to prevent northeastern Syria from coming under the control of Syrias legitimate government. She noted, regarding the area in Syrias northeast, where US-armed, Saudi-funded, Syrian Kurds are in control: those resources particularly water and the flow of the Euphrates gives the US a key advantage it could use to destabilize Syria. For example, the US could easily cut off water and electricity to government-held parts of Syria by shutting down or diverting power and water from dams in order to place pressure on the Syrian government and Syrian civilians. Though such actions target civilians and constitute a war crime, the US has used such tactics in Syria before. She says: Given the alliance between Syria and Iran, as well as their mutual defense accord, the occupation is necessary in order to weaken both nations and a key precursor to Trump administration plans to isolate and wage war against Iran. That type of plan could be worth a lot to Israel, but Yeni Safak headlined on 18 April 2018, US to build Arab force in NE Syria as part of new ploy: The US is seeking to amass an Arab force in northeastern Syria comprised of funding and troops from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. This report said: The Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said that the kingdom is willing to send troops to Syria in a press conference on Tuesday. The minister noted that discussions on sending troops to Syria were underway. With regards to what is going on now, there are discussions regarding what kind of force needs to remain in eastern Syria and where that force would come from. And those discussions are ongoing, said al-Jubeir. He stressed that troop deployment in Syria will be done within the framework of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition and also suggested Saudi Arabia would provide financial support to the US. How likely is it that Israel would be funding this huge escalation in The Wests invasion-occupation of Syria an escalation in which fundamentalist-Sunni armies would then be serving Israeli masters? Though Arab royals might find it acceptable, their soldiers would not. The Sauds are the worlds wealthiest family, and they can and do use the state that they own, Saudi Arabia, as their investment asset, which they aim to maximize. This war will be a great investment for them, and for their allies, in US, UK, Israel, and elsewhere. Israel cant take the lead in such a matter. But the Sauds and their friends could. Funding by the Sauds would be the likeliest way. On 21 May 2017, I headlined "US $350 Billion Arms-Sale to Sauds Cements US-Jihadist Alliance and reported that the day before, US President Donald Trump and the Saud family inked an all-time record-high $350 billion ten-year arms-deal that not only will cement-in the Saud familys position as the worlds largest foreign purchasers of US-produced weaponry, but will make the Saud family, and Americas ruling families, become, in effect, one aristocracy over both nations, because neither side will be able to violate the will of the other. As the years roll on, their mutual dependency will deepen, each and every year. That turned out to be true and not only regarding Americas carrying the Sauds water (doing their bidding) in both Yemen and Syria, but in other ways as well. Now the Sauds will pitch in to pay tens of thousands of troops in order to dominate over Iran and Shiites, whom the Sauds hate (and have hated since 1744). On 21 March 2018, CNBC bannered Trump wants Saudi Arabia to buy more American-made weapons. Here are the ones the Saudis want, and reported what Trump had just negotiated with Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud, which was a step-up in that $350 billion sale, to $400 billion. So: Trump is working on the Sauds in order to get them to take over some of the leadership here with American weapons. Its a business-partnership. On 16 April 2018, which was the same day that Atwan suggested Israel would take the lead here, the Wall Street Journal bannered US Seeks Arab Force and Funding for Syria: Under plan, troops would replace American military contingent after ISIS defeat and help secure countrys north; proposal faces challenges, and reported that: The Trump administration is seeking to assemble an Arab force to replace the US military contingent in Syria and help stabilize the northeastern part of the country after the defeat of Islamic State, US officials said. John Bolton, President Donald Trumps new national security adviser, recently called Abbas Kamel, Egypts acting intelligence chief, to see if Cairo would contribute to the effort, officials said. The initiative comes as the administration has asked Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to contribute billions of dollars to help restore northern Syria. It wants Arab nations to send troops as well, officials said. Israel will participate in this invasion-occupation, but the Sauds will lead it with US-made weapons. And taxpayers everywhere will lose from it, because invasions just get added to the federal debt. The invading nation goes into debt, which that nations public will pay. The invaded nation gets its wealth extracted and sold by the invading aristocracy. Its happened for thousands of years. President Trump has praised Ukraine many times. According to him, things there are coming along pretty well. Those two countries are cultivating nothing less than a lasting strategic partnership, built on common security interests and shared principles. The United States emphasizes the fact that it places great significance on the success of Ukraines transition to a modern democratic state. Washington is backing Ukraines bid for NATO membership. It supports Kiev militarily, including by supplying weapons and providing training. Indeed, the two countries officials never forget to mention that they are close friends and partners. A man is known by the company he keeps. On April 20, the State Department published its annual report on human rights practices. The document mentions alleged human rights violations by Ukraines government security forces (SBU). That list includes torture, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearances, among other crimes, all of which seem to have become somewhat routine occurrences in Ukraine. Media outlets are under pressure, facing censorship. Websites are routinely blocked. The perpetrators of violence against journalists are never brought to justice. The human rights violations in Ukraine have been in the crosshairs of international organizations since 2014. It makes one wonder what took the State Department so long to include them in its annual report. Perhaps it is hard for them to admit that gross human rights violations are routinely occurring in an allied country. But there was no way to hide from the truth, as the United Nations and international human rights organizations have been sounding the alarm. The UN human rights commissioners report that was released in March tells dire stories about human rights abuses, violations of fundamental freedoms, and crimes that have been committed in Ukraine. The Ukrainian government has backtracked on its human rights pledges, claims the World Report 2018 published by Human Rights Watch, adding that The authorities are carrying out some deeply undemocratic practices and proposing new laws that that undermine Ukrainians fundamental freedoms. No one has been brought to justice for torturing detainees or other war-related abuses. The latest annual report issued by Amnesty International echoes these complaints. There was a good reason the entire country erupted in public protests in February. The people want President Poroshenko to go. Discontent is growing. And its no wonder. Widespread corruption has taken root in that country, literally killing its economy. Ukraine is the image of a kleptocracy. Its an open secret that those in power have made a mockery of the economic and financial assistance provided by the West. Ukraine was ranked 130th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2017. The country topped the 2017 fraud survey conducted at the direction of Ernst & Young. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker believes that corruption is undermining all the efforts to rebuild Ukraine in line with European Union standards. Ukraine, along with Moldova, tops the list of the poorest European nations. The countrys politicians are increasingly embracing extremist rhetoric. Far-right views are popular in the ranks of the military. When he presented the State Departments report, Acting Secretary of State John Sullivan said, Promoting human rights and the idea that every person has inherent dignity is a core element of this administrations foreign policy. Sounds great but is the US putting its money where its mouth is? With all the universally recognized problems mentioned above, Ukraine remains a darling of the US. With American help, the discussion of NATO membership has been revived. Last month the nation was granted an official status in the bloc, as an aspirant country. The US media have reported about the widespread corruption throughout the Ukrainian military, but nobody seems to care. The sale of Javelin anti-tank systems has been approved by the State Department. Hundreds of US, British, Canadian, and Lithuanian military instructors are training Ukrainian military personnel at the Yavorov firing range. The US Navy operates a facility in Ochakov and its ships routinely drop anchor in Ukrainian ports. US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations, Kurt Volker, is openly biased, blaming Russia for every ill while never saying anything critical about Kiev. For instance, he ignores the obvious fact that Ukraine has failed to comply with its obligations under the Minsk-2 accords. A blind eye is turned to all these facts. The reason is obvious Ukraine is a bastard but its our bastard. It is firmly in the anti-Russia camp and ready to dance to the US tune, whatever the issue. It allows foreign forces on its territory. Last month, it joined a new anti-Russia, pro-NATO alliance comprising three former Soviet republics that are always ready to bow to American pressure. Thats enough to earn forgiveness for such minor matters as human rights violations. One could hardly find a better illustration of the fact that democracy and freedom are far from the focal point of US foreign policy. The truth is, Washington does not care about such things. Americas duplicity on Ukraine is an obvious confirmation of the fact that hypocrisy and double standards, camouflaged by harangues about democratic values, prevail in its foreign policy. The recent State Department report removes any lingering doubts about this. Asus has launched the Zenfone Max Pro M1 at an event in New Delhi. The new device has been placed directly in competition with industry's favourite Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro. On paper, the Asus Zenfone Max Pro is similar to the Redmi Note 5 Pro. However, the company claims that it has added more features to make 'relevant innovation'. The company has priced the Zenfone Max Pro at Rs 10,999 for the 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM, the 4GB RAM, 64GB RAM variant is priced at Rs 12,999. Asus will also launch a new variant soon with 6GB RAM and 64GB ROM which will be priced at Rs 14,999. The top variant will also come with an upgraded 16megapixel primary camera. The device will be exclusively available online via Flipkart on May 3, 2018. There are various partner offers on the device which includes pre-paid and post-paid plans for the Vodafone users. The telecom company is giving up to offers up to Rs 3200 with the purchase of the device. Flipkart is also offering an extra Rs 1000 exchange price with the device. Flipkart is offering its newly launched Care protection plan (worth Rs 999) for the Zenfone Max Pro at Rs 49. Coming to official specifications of the device, the Asus Zenfone Max Pro is powered by a Snapdragon 636 chipset which made a debut with the Redmi Note 5 Pro. However, Asus claims better performance in terms of boot up time and app opening when compared to the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The display is 5.99inch Full View unit which has a FullHD resolution covered in 2.5D curved glass. Asus has also managed to completely incorporate the dual-lens setup in the rear panel which keeps it stable on flat surfaces. The next big thing Asus revealed with the Zenfone Max Pro is the use of an almost stock Android software. Asus decided to let go of its heavier UI to make the phone snappier. With the new Asus smartphone, the user will get Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. Coming to the next important aspect, camera. The Asus Zenfone Max Pro camera is dual lens setup with one 13megapixel unit with an aperture of f/2.2 and the second is a 5megapixel unit to implement bokeh effect. The front camera houses an 8megapixel unit with an aperture of f/2.0 and an 85.5 degree wide angle lens. The bokeh mode can also be accessed via the front camera on the Zenfone Max Pro. Flipkart claimed that most feature phone users did not shift to smartphones due to their petty battery life. With the new smartphone, Asus claims to have taken battery into account. The battery is a mammoth 5,000mAh battery. Another sore point Asus claims it has addressed is the use of a dedicated MicroSD card slot along with two SIM slots. The company made direct comparisons with Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro that come with Hybrid SIM slots. Asus is also giving away a passive sound amplifier called Max Box free with the purchase of the device. Internally the device comes with NXP Smart Amplifier with a 5-magnet speaker. Flipkart and Asus turned official partners last week. Now, the company is launching the first smartphone of this series. Asus will be starting with a mid-range smartphone to compete in the crowded segment with giants like Redmi series and Motorola's G series. On paper, the Zenfone Max Pro goes head to head with the Redmi series. However, this might be the first time they have managed to undercut Xiaomi's pricing despite offering similar specifications. Coupled with impressive offers, the Redmi Note series has everything to worry about with the new Zenfone Max Pro in the race. The tangled web of deceit: The Pentagon calls out a perfect mission all 105 missiles struck target; Mission Accomplished, announces the Commander-in-Chief. Chemical warehouses and research centres destroyed: yet no chemicals have been released into the Syrian atmosphere, in the destructive aftermath of the raid. Britain insists that it has suffered a deadly nerve agent attack by Russia, but its two victims seem to be recovering nicely from a normally invariably fatal attack. The tares in the Syria narrative are opening. There will be political repercussions. But what, and where? Governments are having to lie brazenly, to hold tight the two chemical weapons narratives, and to hide the disarray resulting from internal discord. It is clear that Trump was not accurately informed by his staff. Did he believe the chemical weapons narratives were unquestionably true? Was he aware of the potential flaws to these stories, before launching a possibly illegal act, and without bothering about evidence? How is it, that he was taken by surprise to learn that the US had expelled 60 Russian diplomats, when he thought it would only be a matching exercise to the European actions: i.e. about four or five persons? How is it Nikki Haley announces more sanctions on Russia and has Trump yelling at his own television that she is wrong? It is reported that Trump may have been told by General Kelly that ghastly images were emerging on TV of dead children with foam at the mouth. Trump, from what we know of his character, likely would have reacted instinctively and with visceral anger. It is reported that his first instinct was to react against the Syrian government forcefully. But the Russians (General Gerasimov) had already warned the Pentagon (General Dunford) one month earlier of their having received intelligence of a false flag chemical weapon claim being prepared in East Gouta. Why would the jihadists want that? Why Because a major attack was being planned on Damascus by the 30,000 odd militants gathered at Gouta, with some 4,000 insurgents massing separately, in the south, as reinforcements. The Russians warned Damascus of the danger. At this point, the Syrian forces were heavily engaged in Idlib province; and had quickly to about-turn, and stage a lightning invasion of Gouta, whose very speed took the insurgents by surprise; and who consequently were quickly overwhelmed. The chemical weapon claim was a blatant attempt to rally overseas support for the Ghouta insurgents, and to keep alive the failing prospect of an attack on Damascus that would bring a paradigm change to Syria (for which the insurgents, and certain supporting states, apparently hoped). The consequence was war within the US Administration: Colonel Pat Lang, a senior and highly respected, former US Defense Intelligence Officer, writes: I am told that the old neocon crew argued as hard as possible for a disabling massive air and missile campaign intended to destroy the Syrian governments ability to fight the mostly jihadi rebels. John Bolton, General (ret.) Jack Keane and many other neocons argued strongly for this campaign as a way to reverse the outcome of the civil war. James Mattis managed to obtain President Trumps approval for a much more limited and largely symbolic strike but Trump was clearly inclined to the neocon side of the argument. [But] what will happen next time? But then comes the discrepancy between the Pentagons original claim of eight targets having been selected for attack in Syria; the 105 missiles launched; and Trumps subsequent assertion of mission accomplished in total contrast with the very different Russian version of events. In the latter, eight targets were indeed selected by the US, and missiles were fired at the eight. But only four targets were hit. 4 missiles targeted the Damascus International Airport; 12 missiles: the Al-Dumayr airdrome. All missiles were shot down. 18 missiles targeted the Blai airdrome: All the missiles shot down. 12 missiles targeted the Shayrat air base: All missiles shot down. The air bases were not affected by the strikes. 5 out of 9 missiles were shot down targeting the unoccupied Mazzeh airdrome. 13 out of 16 missiles were shot down targeting the Homs airdrome. There was no major damage. In total, 30 missiles targeted research facilities near Barzah and Jaramana. 7 were shot down. What happened, and why such western incredulity that their operation was not somehow perfect? Well, the Russian statistics tell the tale: Pantzir S: 23 hits with 25 engagements; Buk-M2: 24 of 29 and the old Soviet era, S200 well, 0 hits, with 8 launched missiles. Simply, the Pantzir and Buk M2 are new in Syria, whereas the earlier air defence systems, are old Soviet era systems. The Pantzir and the Buk are effective. Thats all. The Pentagon, to cover the discrepancy of missile losses, suggests that it sent no less than 76 cruise missiles against the non-hardened, non-defended Barzeh research center. This was a small two story building complex, which recently been declared free of chemical weapons, and weapon research, by the OPCW. In other words, enough missiles to flatten a city (34 tons of warhead explosives) were directed at this small two story conventional building, the Pentagon states. This is not credible (see here for an expert analysis) This will not be the first time of facts being fitted around the narrative: Former head of the British Navy, Lord West, recalls: When I was chief of [UK] Defence Intelligence, I had huge pressure put on me politically, to try and say that our bombing campaign in Bosnia was achieving all sorts of things which it wasnt. I was put under huge pressure, so I know the things that can happen with intelligence. But why again the deceit? Have his aides told Trump that it was not exactly a perfect mission accomplished? Perhaps not. Have aides told Trump, have aides told Mrs May, have aides told Macron of the possibility that the childrens deaths in Douma may well have resulted from asphyxia and not chemicals? Were they warned by their aides that they were at risk of repeating the error of the Iraq war (wrong intelligence), but compounded on this occasion, by the complete lack of any prior investigation, of any real evidence, or UN resolution? It may not ignite immediately, but the fuse of subsequent scandal has been lit. It may take some politicians down with it (Mrs May first perhaps). How to account for it? Colonel Pat Lang suggests that as in Iraq, the neocons have again their foot firmly in the door of policy-making, and [just as they] drove the United States in the direction of invasion of Iraq and the destruction of the apparatus of the Iraqi state, [they are doing the same in respect to Syria]. They did this through manipulation of the collective mental image Americans had of Iraq and the supposed menace posed by Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Not all the people who participated in this process were neocon in their allegiance, but there were enough of them in the Bush Administration to dominate the process: Such people, then and now, fervently believe in the Manifest Destiny of the United States as mankinds best hope of a utopian future and concomitantly in the responsibility of the United States to lead mankind toward that future. Neocons believe that inside every Iraqi, Filipino or Syrian there is an American waiting to be freed from the bonds of tradition, local culture and general backwardness. For people with this mindset the explanation for the continuance of old ways lies in the oppressive and exploitative nature of rulers who block the progress that is needed. The solution for the imperialists and neocons is simple. Local rulers must be removed as the principal obstacle to popular emulation of Western and especially American culture and political forms. Todays geo-politics is presented in Americas recent Defense Strategy papers, as simply being one of the re-emergence of great power rivalry and competition: America as the upholder of a homogenous, rules-based global order with China and Russia, as the revisionist powers, threatening the smooth running of that order. It is true (insofar as it goes), that an axis of China, Russia and Iran are working in concert, to reassert the principle of cultural and political difference and heterodoxy, within the global sphere. But is great power-competition sufficient explanation for the crisis that we are living today? The present crisis over Syria has very little to do with chemical weapons (except to satisfy the European and American love of virtue signalling). Trump may, or may not, believe the story. But that is not very relevant either way. This new chemical weapons claim in the long line of such claims, reaching back to the Kuwaiti fraud of babies being thrown out of their incubators by Iraqi soldiers has always had one objective: to provide a pretext for a full court, military something or other (i.e. local rulers being removed as the principal obstacle to popular emulation of Western and especially American culture and political forms, in Pat Langs formulation). Professor John Gray, writing in his book, Black Mass, notes that the world in which we find ourselves is littered with the debris of utopian projects which, though they were framed in secular terms that denied the truth of religion, were in fact vehicles for religious myth. The Jacobin revolutionaries launched the Terror as a violent retribution to elite repression framed in Rousseaus Enlightenment humanism as violence justified by the violence of elite repression; the Trotskyite Bolsheviks murdered millions in the name of reforming humanity through Scientific Empiricism; the Nazis did similar, in the name of pursuing Scientific (Darwinian) Racism. All these utopian projects, Gray asserts, represent visions of apocalyptic beliefs in an End Time, when the evils of the world would pass away in a world-shaking, massacre of the corrupt, and from which only the Elect would be spared. The Jacobins and the Trotskyites may have detested traditional religion, but their conviction that there can be a sudden break in history, after which the flaws of human society would be forever abolished through human will and technology, rather than by act of God essentially represents the inversion into secular form, of the Jewish apocalyptic tradition for which Jesus was a protagonist (believing that the world was destined for imminent destruction, so that a new, and perfect one, could come into being), Gray relates. What has this to do with Syria? Well, quite a lot: firstly, the parallel of Jacobite impulses of a terror unleashed against the then French repressive state system; and what is being threatened for Syria, against the tyrant Assad, are plain enough. But also, the contemporary western meta-narrative of a world converging on a single type of government and economic system universal democracy and liberal market prosperity for all An End to History is nothing other, Gray argues, than the most recent version of the Jewish apocalyptic tradition as implanted into Christianity (and influenced by later Manicheanism). In other words, the secular military regime change projects of modern times are no more than a mutant version of the violence that was justified originally, by apocalyptic visions of End Time but which now, are justified by the utopian vision of an End to History lying with Americas universal project of a humanity converging on a coda of values embedded in an American-led, global order. And the nature of our crisis? Just as the world did not End nor Redemption occur for the early Christians, so too History did not End nor is Utopia arriving as has been expected by Americas elites. And now, it is for the latter to manage the crisis of our disillusion. (Historically, the failure of Gods will was attributed to it being resisted by the power of evil, which was personified as Satan and see here, for an example of Satans modern personification as Putin, being distributed widely in British schools). How else to explain why Lord West in his BBC interview provides an entirely coherent accounting of why President Assad might not be responsible for any chemical attack in Douma, but nonetheless feels obliged to demonise Assad and Russia: President Assad is nasty, unpleasant, loathsome, horrible and the Russians "lie as a matter of policy". He did not explicitly say it, but the implication was that deceit and lying is in the nature of the Russian, as loathsomeness is in the nature of Assad. In short, Assad and Russia stand for todays secular utopianists as the mythical Satanic that apocalyptic End Time is supposed to bring to its blood- soaked end. Ismail Shamir has reported the (understandable) Russian bafflement at the unrelenting western hostility toward Russia: Now, with the US Navy in place, with the support of England and France, the countdown to a confrontation has apparently started. The Russians are grimly preparing for the battle, whether a local one or the global one, and they expect it to begin any moment. The road to this High Noon had led through the Scripal Affair, the diplomats expulsion and the Syrian battle for Eastern Ghouta, with an important side show provided by Israeli shenanigans. The diplomats expulsion flabbergasted the Russians. For days they went around scratching their heads and looking for an answer: what do they want from us? What is the bottom line? Too many events that make little sense separately. Why did the US administration expel 60 Russian diplomats? Do they want to cut off diplomatic relations, or is it a first step to an attempt to remove Russia from the Security Council, or to cancel its veto rights? Does it mean the US has given up on diplomacy? (The answer its war didnt come to their minds at that time) Let us hope and pray we shall survive the forthcoming cataclysm. Friday 13 April didn't lead to cataclysm (it easily might have, but for General Mattis). This is how things are now: a chance agglomeration of people and circumstance, may lead one way or in another quite different, direction. This is not to do with reason, but the differing natures of men, and their emotions. The attack on Syria is not some 'bump in the road', easily passed, and after which, we may sigh, and slump back to business as usual. The trauma generated by secular western utopianism (European Enlightenment) being in dissolution is not something to be passed through quite so easily. 'Otherness' other cultures are coalescing and taking us to different outcomes, albeit still in their latency. We should expect more 'bumps in the road'. We should expect surprise. The next 'bumps might well be more dangerous. The West's trauma of its dissolution will not be short or without its violence, particularly as the shock of finding that 'technology' is not somehow inherent to western culture, but that the 'other' can do it as well, or even better, strikes at the very core of the western 'myth' of its own exceptionalism. Analyzing the weapons and tactics used to defeat ISIL in Syria and Iraq one surprising development emerged; the pervasive use of Predator and Reaper UAVs for finding targets, and dealing with the most difficult ones. Over 80 percent of all airstrikes depended on UAV surveillance, as well as nearly all the danger close strikes. These attacks, usually with laser guided missiles, are very close (often 20 meters or less) to friendly troops. These became more common and dependable (to not injure friendly troops) because of another innovation (ROVER) which is rarely mentioned in media reports. ROVER is a portable (now hand held) video terminal that allows air controllers and local commanders to view what the UAV (or even an aircraft equipped with a targeting pod) can see in real time. The basic benefit of ROVER is that it allows troops to view real-time video from a UAV or aircraft overhead. Aircraft with targeting pods (like Litening and Sniper) or surveillance gear (like AC-130 gunships) are much more effective when the guys on the ground have a ROVER unit that can receive that video feed and share it with the airmen above. This kind of real-time, "common picture" capability makes air power much more effective and reduces friendly fire incidents. U.S. Special Forces troops and infantry unit commanders use ROVER to obtain a larger view (than their low flying Raven UAVs can provide) of the surrounding area. These ROVER devices use a built in antenna to get the video from overhead UAVs or aircraft. The original ROVER system, as well as the current one, was developed and sent to the troops in record time. So don't let anyone tell you this sort of thing can't happen. However, except in wartime, such rapid technology development usually quite rare. ROVER came to be in 2002, when a Special Forces soldier, just back from Afghanistan, walked into the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base and asked the technical people why his guys could not have a device that would allow them to watch the video being generated by a Predator, AC-130, or other aircraft overhead. In particular, the soldiers wanted the capability of the AC-130 getting video from a Predator that had spotted something the AC-130 was being sent to destroy. Since it was the Special Forces troops on the ground who were running, and fighting, the ground battle, it would help them a lot if they could see the real time video from Predators and combat aircraft. At that time the video was being viewed by people in the aircraft or the UAV operators (who were back in the United States, running things via a satellite link). The ground troops had to ask the air force what could be seen on the video and there was usually a delay in getting that information. It would be much better for all concerned if the ground troops could see that video in real time. The air force geeks went to work and in two weeks had a ROVER prototype that Special Forces personnel could take back to Afghanistan. ROVER 1 was not terribly portable but the Special Forces could haul it around in a hummer and see what any Predators overhead were seeing. As expected this proved very useful. A few months later, ROVER 2 appeared which allowed troops to view UAV vids on a laptop computer. By late 2004, ROVER 3, a 5.5 kg (12 pounds) unit built to be carried in a backpack, was put into service. In the next five years ROVER got smaller, lighter and more capable. The smallest version was called Tactical ROVER, a 440 gram (one pound) hand held device that uses a variety of display devices (like helmet monocle, laptop, PC or tablet). Tactical ROVER was popular with the Special Forces, who often sneaked into hostile territory on foot and need to minimize their weight load. The original ROVER gear was initially operated, mostly, by air force ground controllers. By 2012 there were some 4,000 ROVER units out there, this allowed platoon leaders and company commanders access, as well as Special Forces teams and some army or marine ground patrols. Since then the number of ROVERs has more than doubled as it was found useful to provide them to friendly forces (Kurds in Syria and Iraq as well as Iraqi commanders in general). This proliferation of ROVER terminals allowed more expert advice from experienced commanders, especially those who had been operating in an area (like an ISIL held neighborhood in Mosul or Raqqa) for a while and knew how the ISIL personnel were operating. ISIL documents and prisoners revealed that the Islamic terrorists had deduced that there were no really effective countermeasures to the Reapers/Predators and how they were used. The Islamic terrorists knew little about ROVER although they heard that Iraqi commanders could see the UAV video. What they didnt realize was that many of these ROVER terminals had touch sensitive screens enabling the user to mark exactly where the target was, especially one that was concealed as best ISIL could manage. The ground troops had come to trust the skill of the UAV operators (communicating via satellite from a base in Nevada) to regularly hit small targets. This often meant having a Hellfire missile go down an alley and hit a specific window on one side of the alley. The ground troops didnt care if the guy firing the missile was in an aircraft overhead or back in the United States. If the UAV operators successfully carried out these danger close shots on a regular basis they were trusted and called on repeatedly. Fighting in Mosul and Raqqa meant coming up against one successful ISIL tactics, using a lot of tunnels or holes blasted through basement walls that enabled ISIL fighters to appear unexpectedly near (and often behind) friendly troops. In situations like that successful danger close missile strikes were essential for the troops to prevail. ISIL survivors confirmed that many ISIL fighters were also surprised by this ability. That was because so few survived these danger close missile attacks and after the Mosul and Raqqa battles were over few of the surviving (and captured) ISIL defenders knew that sort of thing was possible. To the ISIL fighters, it seemed like some kind of magic how their fellow fighters died so quickly once in contact with Iraqi or Kurdish troops and that caused a number of the ISIL men to desert or surrender. It was difficult for ISIL defenders to surrender because these danger close would arrive so quickly after ISIL had made contact with the advancing troops. The speed with which these Hellfire attacks were called for and delivered was not only a surprise but usually fatal. But sl0wly survivors got back to report why well concealed ISIL defensive positions were so quickly spotted and destroyed. Ground troops in Mosul and Raqqa considered the surveillance and precision airstrikes of the UAVs a decisive factor in the conquest of these two cities as well as a number of other urban areas. The commanders on the ground knew it wasnt magic but rather instant access to information and the ability to quickly act on it. This included calling in larger weapons (GPS/laser guided bombs) that were the primary weapon of larger aircraft. The Predator sometimes carried a 500 pound (227 kg) guided bomb but were most useful firing Hellfire laser guided missiles. Manned aircraft and their smart bombs were preferred in open country because the enemy could be spotted farther away. But in city fighting the Reaper and laser guided missiles was the primary weapon. Smart bombs were often called in when ISIL was fighting from a particular building that could be taken down with one or more bombs. But the most dangerous fighting was against an individual or small groups of ISIL gunmen suddenly appearing. Another vital service of Reaper and Hellfires was spotting and destroying rapidly approaching suicide car bombers. Gunfire was often insufficient to stop these vehicles, which often had armor attached to protect the driver. There was no protection from a Hellfire missile aimed at the engine. By late 2016 it was widely known what the Reaper (Predator was being retired) could do in terms of surveillance, sharing that real-time video with front line commanders and acting quickly with laser guided missiles to deal with even danger close situations. It was a secret weapon that most ISIL defenders didnt find out about until it was too late. The advance into the ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) heartland in eastern Syria is on hold because the Kurdish forces are concentrating on another offensive in the north. There the effort is to clear ISIL forces from the Turkish border and the town of Manbij has run into problems. Manbij is 60 kilometers southwest of the Kurdish border town of Kobane, where ISIL suffered a costly defeat in trying the place in 2014. The Turkish border areas is important to ISIL because it gives them access to smuggling routes that bring in people and supplies and allow people and revenue producing goods out. Since 2014 there has been increasing efforts to block ISIL from access to Turkey and the Manbij sector is one of the few key border areas ISIL still has access to. The Manbij operation was carried out by a combined force of local Arab rebels and Kurds from adjacent areas (closer to Kobane). The Kurds also had U.S. Special Forces troops with them to advise and provide air support. The offensive began in late May and it was believed it would take about a month. But in late June ISIL managed to gather enough forces to halt the advance. This sets up ISIL for the kind of pounding they got when they tried to take Kobane from the Kurds. The air support made the difference at Kobane and ISIL lost thousands of fighters and had to retreat. ISIL thinks they now have tactics that can minimize the impact of air attacks but that has only helped a little. Its easier to kill ISIL gunmen when they are massed for an attack and the defender has air support. Taking Manbij may require a few weeks more but once ISIL has been driven from the Turkish border area around Manbij most of the Kurdish-Arab forces will be shifted to the Raqqa operation. Capturing Raqqa is being done in cooperation with the Syrian military. ISIL drove Assad forces from Raqqa by September 2014. But now with Russian and Iran backed Assad forces are moving towards Raqqa city from the west. The advance was halted in June because the U.S. backed Kurdish and Arab rebels halted there advance from the north. When the Kurds reinforce and resume their Raqqa attack force the joint advance will resume near the end of July or sometime in August. The Kurds have been raiding into Raqqa province since late 2015 and often hit targets on the outskirts of Raqqa city. The 2016 offensive involves over 10,000 government and rebel fighters accompanied by artillery and supported by coalition (mainly American) air power for the Kurds and Russian for the Syrian government forces. The Big Picture Sealing (as much as possible) the Syrian, Iraqi and Jordanian borders weakens ISIL but Raqqa province is the ISIL heartland and the key to control of eastern Syria. East of Raqqa province is Hasakeh province, which borders Turkey and Iraq and is now mostly controlled by Kurdish rebels. South of Hasakeh is Deir Zor province, which only borders Iraq and is still largely ISIL controlled. All three of these eastern provinces are largely desert and thinly populated. Most people live near the Turkish and Iraqi borders, which have rivers and more rainfall. The Kurds have always lived mostly in the northeast, near the Turkish and Iraq borders. ISIL cannot afford to lose Raqqa and thats one reason Raqqa is under attack. ISIL is also fighting to take Aleppo while trying to defend much of Anbar province (in western Iraq) and Mosul (in northwest Iraq). ISIL is on the defensive and that is bad for their image and survival. Meanwhile al Nusra is taking advantage of all the attention ISIL is getting to launch attacks against Assad forces in areas where the Assads are vulnerable. This is mainly in the northwest, around Aleppo and near Latakia province, which is where the Syrian ports are. Latakia is a major center of government support because it is largely Alawites and where the Assad clan comes from. In nearby central Syria (Hama province) Syrian soldiers (assisted by Hezbollah and local Alawite militias) continue fighting al Nusra forces, which constantly threaten government gains made in Hama since late 2015 (after the arrival of Russian forces). Americans Accused of Switching Sides The Americans have admitted communication and cooperation with the Russians but insist that these daily communications are only to prevent inadvertent clashes (especially from the air) between the two forces advancing on Raqqa city. Meanwhile Turkey accuses Russia, Iran and the United States of forming a secret alliance to defeat the Syrian rebellion and do a lot of other evil stuff. Many Arabs believe the same thing and believe it is all part of a Western effort to destroy Islam. The cooperation required to take Raqqa does not mean that Russia, Iran and NATO are allies in the fight against ISIL. But a growing number of people in the Middle East think so. Even NATO allies accuse the Americans of becoming decidedly pro-Iranian since 2008. This is particularly disturbing to the Persian Gulf Arabs, who have long depended on the United States for protection from growing Iranian aggression. Even many American diplomats complain of a shift towards the Iranian and Russian view of the Syrian situation. Since 2015 Russia has been pushing the idea that the only realistic way to end the Syrian civil war and destroy ISIL is to include the Assads in the effort. Russia and Iran also point out that the Gulf Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia, is where al Qaeda and ISIL came from. The Saudis have always promoted the brand of militant Islam al Qaeda and ISIL build on. The fact that al Qaeda and ISIL now want the Saudi monarchy destroyed is not relevant because eventually most Sunni Islamic terrorist groups eventually conclude that all Moslem governments are unworthy and must be destroyed. The Iranians dont deny they support Islamic terrorism (Hezbollah being a prime example) but that they dont create Islamic terrorists that mutate into uncontrollable monsters that attack everyone. This interpretation of the situation is anathema to the Saudis who consider it just another example of evil Iranian cleverness. But in Syria many of the rebels are willing to work with the hated Shia (including the Assads) in order to destroy a common enemy. After that the civil war can continue as before. Russia points out that ISIL is simply a more extreme version of al Qaeda and once ISIL is gone al Qaeda (in the form of the largely Syrian al Nusra) will still be a powerful force in Syria. The Russians propose partitioning Syria, including an Assad controlled portion in western Syria. Russia insists this is the most realistic way to end the slaughter. Of course most of the attacks on civilians in Syria have been carried out by the Assad forces. As far back as 2012 it was noted that the attacks on civilians by government artillery, air power and death squads were increasing. The death squads were going into neighborhoods and killing or arresting military age men and killing families found to be harboring rebels or weapons. Despite that most other countries are reluctant to openly intervene in Syria without UN approval and this was long blocked by Russia and China. Some NATO countries talked about just going in, but without Turkish support (and military bases), this would be extremely difficult to do. The Turks are still reluctant to send in ground troops and only recently agreed to fully participate in providing air support against ISIL. Since 2011 nearly two-thirds of the dead have been civilians largely because of a deliberate government policy of attacking pro-rebel civilians to force them out of the country (or at least the combat zone). This has worked because now over half of all Syrians have been forced to flee their homes to escape the fighting, especially the government air and artillery attacks on civilians. Thus the Assads have been responsible for nearly 80 percent of the civilian deaths. Most of the rebel civilians are Sunni Arabs, who comprise over 70 percent of the population. The Assads would like to all Sunni Arabs who oppose them to leave the country or be killed. Russia and Iran are fine with this as both nations have used similar strategies in the past. As the ancient Romans used to put it; create a desert and call it peace. But this is the 21st century and most of the world no longer accepts those solutions. But none of those who oppose the Assad approach are willing to send in ground forces. The Iranian Threat While Russia is willing to work with the Americans in Syria the Iranians are not. Same goes for Iraq or anywhere else. Iran has its own plans. Iran has expanded its mercenary force of Afghan, Iraqi and other Shia volunteers it has recruited, trained, armed and paid for. The largest and most effective Shia paramilitary force is from Lebanon, where Iran has supported the Hezbollah militia since the 1980s. Thus only about half the Syrian government force advancing into Raqqa province is from the Syrian Army. The rest are largely controlled by Iran while air support and logistics is controlled by Russia. But in most of Assad controlled territory (about 20 percent of Syria) the forces are Syrian (military, police or local militia). But in anticipation of a major effort to take Raqqa from ISIL Iran has ordered hundreds of advisors and trainers to move from Iraq (where they were assisting Iranian supported militias in western Iraq) to Syria. Apparently Iran expects ISIL to be gone from western Iraq soon and from Mosul by the end of the year. ISIL is expected to concentrate in eastern Syria for a last stand and Iran wants to get some credit for that finale. The Saudi efforts to portray Syria as one of several (Yemen, Lebanon, Afghanistan) areas where Iran is quietly getting away with murder have not worked. Iran and its Arab neighbors accept the fact that Iran has, for thousands of years, been more successful at Information War as well as physical combat. What terrifies the Arabs is that Iran is winning the worldwide effort to sell their version of reality; that Arabs are murderous thugs and Iran is the calming influence the Middle East needs. Arab fears that Iran is serious about taking over (one way or another) all of the Arabian Peninsula are largely dismissed by the rest of the world even though Iran media often mentions it, especially the part about Iran replacing the Saudi monarchy as the guardians the most holy shrines of Islam in Mecca and Medina. Perception is reality in the Persian Gulf and the Arab rulers (and Sunni Arab majority) are terrified. At the same time Iran is right about one thing; the Sunni Arabs, especially Saudi Arabia, continue to support many Sunni Islamic terrorist groups. This does not include ISIL or al Qaeda, two of the most outspoken foes of the Saudi monarchy. Many of the Islamic terror groups the Saudis support or encourage are currently murdering Shia Moslems for being heretics. Most of Iran is Shia so you see how this sort of thing adds to the animosities and gives it all a blood feud vibe. Iranian military advisors are very active and visible in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. At the same time Iran has a bit of a crisis in Lebanon where over a million Syrians refugees live. Nearly all these Syrians are Sunni and that changes the demographics of Lebanon where, before 2011, about a quarter of the population was Sunni. Since all those Syrian refugees appeared the number of Sunnis has doubled and suddenly Sunnis are 40 percent of the population. The growing number of suicide bombing and other terrorist attacks in Lebanon are being committed by Sunni Islamic terrorists, many of them from refugee camps in Lebanon. This is Irans problem because Iran created and supports the Shia Lebanese militia Hezbollah, which exists to protect the Shia Lebanese. With the arrival of all those Syrian refugees the Shia are now outnumbered by Sunni and Hezbollah is expected to do something about it. But expelling the Syrian refugees is not an easy option and if it is attempted Hezbollah would be involved, and so would Iran. July 2, 2016: Turkey announced that it had identified the three Islamic terrorists who had used explosive vests and gunfire to kill 44 people and wound over 200 on June 28th with an attack on the busiest airport (outside Istanbul) in Turkey. The attackers were killed but Turkish intelligence was able to quickly identify them as known Islamic radicals from Russia and Central Asia. The three were known to be with ISIL in Raqqa and thats where the Istanbul attack was apparently planned and where the three attackers travelled from, with the help of ISIL members and supporters already in Turkey. Turkey has been intercepting a growing number of ISIL efforts to get trained terrorists into Turkey. The immediate response was to arrest dozens of known or suspected ISIL supporters and seek confirmation of the ISIL connection. ISIL has not taken credit for the attack, but they often do that in an effort to create the illusion that the Islamic terrorism threat is larger than it actually is. As a result of this attack Turkey is more inclined to send in ground troops to deal with ISIL in Syria. Turkish artillery and air strikes have killed hundreds of ISIL men this year, in retaliation for mortar and machine-gun attacks by ISIL forces near the Turkish border as well as suicide bombings. Turkey had long tolerated Islamic terrorists travelling to Syria via Turkish territory as long as this was to fight the Assad forces. The Turks and the Assads have never got along well and since a pro-Islam president was elected in 2000 Turkey has been trying to support efforts by Moslems to defend Islam against heretics (like the Shia Iranians, Syrians and Lebanese), Israel and the West. But this has backfired and now Turkey is trying to mend relations with Israel, Russia and the West. At the same time, Turkey still considers the Assads a greater threat than ISIL or Kurdish separatists. In Lebanon Hezbollah reported that they had found and attacked an ISIL base near the Syrian border and killed a known ISIL leader (for ISIL forces in western Syria). Since late 2015 the Lebanese border has been a lot more hostile for Islamic terrorist groups. That was especially true after Hezbollah said it would keep the border sealed, at least as far as ISIL (and any other Syrian rebels intent on doing damage inside Lebanon) were concerned. These new border problems not only interfere with the flow of new ISIL recruits but also blocks a lot of smuggled equipment and weapons. This stuff can still be gotten across but now it takes longer and costs more. Plus you have to deal with more shipments being seized by the border guards who will not let it go for a bribe. Its not the end of the world for ISIL but life is getting more difficult and victory more elusive. Despite these difficulties ISIL has remained on the border as have some other rebel groups, mainly because the smugglers can still get through. July 1, 2016: In the south, outside Damascus, a Syrian Air Force aircraft went down, apparently due to equipment failure and the pilot parachuted to safety near Jayrud, a town defended by rebels that has had a truce with the government forces since 2014. But that truce allows other rebels to move through the area and it was some Islamic terrorist rebels who got to the pilot first and soon executed him and put pictures up on the Internet. This was bad news for Jayrud because town leaders had already told the government that they could get the pilot back unharmed. In retaliation the government shelled Jayrud for the first time in two years, killing at least 40 people, mostly civilians. It has long been feared that the years of Islamic terrorist violence in the south would lead to ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) establishing a presence in southern Thailand. That has long been feared because of some ISIL activity in neighboring Malaysia and major outbreaks in the Philippines and Burma. So far there has been no ISIL activity in Thailand and the outbreaks in nearby nations have been put down. Malaysia had reported that one of the known ISIL members that were being south in Malaysia was a Thai Moslem who apparently hoped to establish an ISIL operation in Thailand. So far, nothing has happened in Malaysia or Thailand except individuals reported as trying to get something going but not actually doing so. Generals Versus Reality The military government has now put off elections until 2019 and is seeking to find more ways to change the political system to maintain political power for the military and the monarchy no matter who is elected. An anti-coup demonstration in late March seems to provide a reason to further delay elections. Meanwhile, the generals have to deal with more immediate economic problems. Although GDP growth is expected to hit 4.1 percent in 2018 the economy still seems is stuck with GDP growth between 3.6 and 4 percent. Elections are expected by 2019, which may be just in time for the generals. Paying attention to what people want wins elections, not just ordering people to do what some generals and their cronies think is best. Eventually, the coup must end or face the risk of a nationwide insurrection. As with past coups, there will be elections and the generals want to ensure that a vindictive elected government doesnt get power and seek revenge. The most obvious potential error the generals made was changing the constitution to give the military more power permanently. The other damaging policy was depending on China (for weapons and investment) despite the knowledge that such an approach drives away traditional (Western) business partners. The continuing decline in their ratings indicate a failure to deal with these problems. Another obstacle is the fact that most Thais prefer to maintain the alliance with the United States rather than do more business with China. It was the American connection that made Thailand a popular (and profitable) place for Western (especially American) firms to set up Asian manufacturing operations since the 1960s. Thailand became one of the most prosperous nations in the region with per-capita GDP increasing tenfold from 1960 to 2016. Thais expect this to continue but instead Thai GDP growth has fallen behind all of the neighbors since the 2014 coup. The army realized the economic problems could not be ignored. Unemployment is still low but income was declining as are opportunities for getting better jobs. As far as the economy goes everyone else in the region is doing better and the military cannot hide that or explain it away. Most Thais remember that in all the post-World War II coups (1951, 1957, 1958, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1991 and 2006) the economy improved after the army took over. So the army suffers when it fails here. Accepting major investments from China did not help as much impact as hoped. Worse, the increased presence of the Chinese was not welcome. Many Thais fear greater Chinese influence in the economy will hurt Thailand in the long run. The American government has now accepted that the military government may be around for a while and has changed its foreign policy to maintain the long-term links the two countries have while continuing to pressure the generals to allow elections and democracy. Even the Thai generals have come to realize that getting too close to China is not beneficial for Thailand, or the military, in the long run. Peace Talk Safe Zones The government and separatists have agreed on the first safety zone. It will be the Cho Airong district in Narathiwat province and is expected to be operational by May. The separatists believe that district is quiet enough so that there wont be a confrontation between the peace negotiators and hardcore Islamic terrorists or separatists. This agreement comes after nearly five years of peace talks, which have largely been held in Malaysia between Thailand and southern separatists willing to negotiate. Since 2017 there have been efforts to find one or more districts in one of the three southern provinces where the safety zone concept could be tried out. This would serve as a pilot test to settle disagreements over the safety zone concept. Until now lack of unity among the separatist groups made it difficult to get agreement on any peace deal details. The basic idea is that security in the south would be supervised by representatives from separatists and the government and when this worked (neither side attacked) the safety zone would be expanded until it included all three southern provinces that were majority Moslem. The government could then expand economic development and infrastructure projects. Islamic terrorism and radicalism is no longer as much of an issue as it used to be. That particular cause is generally seen as counterproductive and lacks much local support. A lot of the negotiations are an effort to create some trust. For example, the BRN (Barisan Revolusi Nasional) the oldest (founded in 1960) separatist group in the south, as well as one of the largest, had long rejected the safety zone proposal. The main objection was the government refused to allow foreign observers to monitor any peace agreement. BRN considers the Thai government an occupying force but the government refuses to accept that label. These attitudes are the main reason why it has been so difficult to get peace talks going at all, much less make any progress. The government openly blames disagreements among the southern separatist organizations for the difficulties in achieving a negotiated settlement. April 20, 2018: While Chinese political influence is not popular in Thailand, online services are another matter. The Chinese Alibaba Group has signed deals which allows it to operate in Thailand. Alibaba has been one of the most successful Internet based businesses in China, mainly because it has provided the same services developed and delivered in the United States by eBay, Amazon and other online firms. Alibaba succeeded in China because its managers understood how to do business in a country run by often corrupt officials of a communist police state. Currently, Thailand has a similar situation and the military government is allowing Alibaba in because they understand this Chinese firm will stay out of politics and just deliver the goods (and any data the Thai generals need to stay in power). April 19, 2018: Police have released Awae Wae-Eya, a Thai man wanted by Malaysia for questioning about pro-ISIL activities. Police recently arrested the Thai suspect in the south, where they were also looking for three other Malaysian men wanted by Malaysia for pro-ISIL activities. Thai police did a background check on Awae and questioned him extensively. Police concluded that Awae had discussed and supported ISIL on the Internet but was not connected with any actual ISIL operatives. For that reason, they did not extradite Awae to Malaysia, where he is wanted for questioning, not any specific crime. Thai police believe Awae and his Malaysian associates were seeking to raise money for themselves while pretending to do it for ISIL activities. The four had not gotten that far yet because the Malaysian police detected their activities and decided to be on the safe side and issue arrest warrants for the four self-described ISIL fans so the four could be questioned. April 16, 2018: In the south (Pattani province) six gunmen ambushed a police vehicle that was carrying policemen who had been providing security for a school. Two policemen were killed. This attack was believed part of an effort by local Islamic terrorists to intimidate the police and local security volunteers, especially those that are Moslem. April 11, 2018: In the south (Pattani province) a police patrol encountered three men who, when approached, opened fire and tried to flee. One man got away on a motorbike but the other two died after a gun battle. These two were identified as known members of RKK (Runda Kumpulan Kecil) a known separatist group. One of the dead men was a RKK leaders. April 9, 2018: In the south border guards checking cargoes of trucks headed for Malaysia found 125 kg (275 pounds) of methamphetamine from Burma and headed for Malaysia. This seizure was worth about $4 million when sold to users. Called "yaba" ("crazy drug") locally, most of it is smuggled out via Thailand. The truck driver was paid a thousand dollars to deliver the hidden cargo to someone in Malaysia. April 8, 2018: In the south (Pattani province) local Islamic terrorists ambushed and killed a popular local defense volunteer. April 5, 2018: In the south (Narathiwat province) a policeman was ambushed and killed by local Islamic terrorists. April 4, 2018: The air force announced that the first four (of 12) South Korean T-50 jet trainers it had ordered had entered service. Another eight were ordered in July 2017 for $33 million each. This followed a 2015 order for four at about $28 million each. The T-50 can also operate as a ground attack aircraft. The first four aircraft were delivered on schedule in early January. The first order included an option to buy twenty more. The T-50 is used for advanced training of pilots for the Jas-39 and F-16 fighters used by the air force. April 3, 2018: In the south, an army investigation has found massive fraud in some schools, with much of the stolen money going to Islamic terrorist and separatist groups. In Pattani province alone some $22 million was stolen in the last year. Corruption in the south is quite common but it was a shock to see the extent of it in some schools. Most parents in the south support a good education for their children and it was complaints from some parents that triggered the army investigation. Some of the schools hardest hit by the theft were also used as hiding places for weapons and bomb making materials. Some of the worst corruption was in religious schools, where traditional subjects (math and such) are often skipped and replaced with religious subjects. March 28, 2018: In the south border guards checking cargoes of trucks headed for Malaysia found 700 kg (1,540 pounds) of methamphetamine. The drugs were hidden under hundreds of melons and were worth about $22 million when sold to users. Malaysia has found that most of the methamphetamine coming in from Thailand is shipped to other nations in the region, but some of the meth stays in Malaysia where it is becoming a problem. TICKERS: MOL; MOLOF Source: Clive Maund for Streetwise Reports (4/23/18) With the price of oil continuing to rise, technical analyst Clive Maund charts a company that he believes is in position to benefit. Molori Energy Inc. (MOL:TSX.V; MOLOF:OTCQB) retreated a little further than we expected when we bought it back early in March at C$0.28, as it dropped back to a low at C$0.25, but, as they say, nothing is broken, and now, with it at the same price we bought it at then, it continues to be rated a strong buy here, and it looks even more attractive as oil is continuing to advance, which is believed to be due to the increasing shortfall resulting from Venezuela becoming defunct. On the 3-year chart is continues to look like a large Cup & Handle base is completing in Molori, with the further dip of recent weeks making the lower boundary of the Handle of the pattern more horizontal. As we can see there is strong support down to about C$0.23, and a number of factors make it highly unlikely that this support will failon the contrary it should turn up and advance from here. On the 6-month chart we can see the various reasons why Molori should advance from here. The first reason (not on this chart) is sector strengththe XOI oil index made new highs last week. The second is that it is oversold relative to its moving averages. The third is that its momentum trend (MACD) has turned higher, but by far the biggest reason is the bullish volume pattern that has driven the Accumulation line to new highs despite the price dropping so far this year. This is an indication that most of the volume by far is to the upside, which is bullish. It is worth referring back to the March article to view the 12-year chart and see the very bullish looking Cup & Handle base forming at a low level in the context of prior price action, which saw it trading at much higher levels. Molori Energy website. Molori Energy Inc MOL.V, MOLOF on OTC, closed at C$0.28, $0.22 on 20th April 2018. 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. Want to read more Energy Report articles like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you'll learn when new articles have been published. To see a list of recent articles and interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Streetwise Interviews page. 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: Molori Energy. 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 Molori Energy. 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 Molori Energy, a company mentioned in this article. Charts 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 stock market 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. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said multibillion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor project will not only contribute to the development of Pakistan but also to the entire region. He was addressing a Seminar titled the CPEC Summit organized jointly by the Ministry of Planning and Development and a private media outlet in Karachi today. Prime Minister said Afghanistan also realizes the benefits of CPEC for the region. It will provide the most efficient trade route to Afghanistan, western China and the Central Asian States through rail and road networks. He said besides highways, motorway projects and energy projects, the up gradation of main line of Pakistan Railways is also part of the CPEC. He said special economic zones to be built under the CPEC will provide opportunities to investors across the world to build their businesses and take advantage of the project. The cost of living in New Zealand is the cause of a new wave of poverty, say senior officers from The Salvation Army. Last year, The Salvation Army saw 336 new families every week, raising alarm and putting strain on the ability to keep up with demand. Rents, petrol prices and basic food costs continue to rise, with those with the most pressing needs worst affected, says head of welfare services Major Pam Waugh. "Its fast becoming a national crisis." In the past calendar year, 60 per cent of families requesting help with basics from the Army were new to the organisation - an average of 336 families every week. "These are people who have never before used our services, and part of the 120,000 New Zealanders we already help every year," says Pam. Compounding this, one in five New Zealand children live in poverty and half of them-about 100,000 children-live in severe poverty, meaning they lack the basics required to grow up safe, healthy and happy. Pam says there are misconceptions about people living in poverty in this country - that they are all on benefits, have large families and are often solo parents - but the stats disprove this misunderstanding. "In 40 per cent of families in poverty in New Zealand, at least one person is in full time employment." Pam says poverty in New Zealand is often behind closed doors, which makes it not always easy to see. "We havent seen this level of need since the recession. We are not a third world nation, but we have the highest levels of homelessness in the OECD. "The trouble is were not always confronted with this poverty. Families may not look hungry, but 40 per cent of Kiwi families skip meals or cut back on food, because they cant afford enough for the week. The Salvation Army is asking New Zealanders to join it in helping to end poverty for these families by supporting its annual Red Shield Appeal starting next week. "We see these people, we hear their stories and we help them to make meaningful change. Giving to the Red Shield Appeal is a way to directly help these families thrive," Major Waugh says. To support The Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal: - Visit www.salvationarmy.org.nz - Give to a Salvation Army street collector between 30 April - 6 May If you're trying to record and watch free broadcast TV channels on all your streaming devices, you have two paths to choose from: Power-users might want to cobble together their own solution using disparate tuners, recording devices, and media server software. But for almost everyone else, there's Tablo. Tablo is a DVR box that streams over-the-air TV to other devices both inside and outside the house. You set it up wherever antenna reception is best--perhaps near a window or in the attic--then connect it to your Wi-Fi network to stream the video onto TVs, phones, tablets, and PCs. The latest Tablo Dual Lite DVR, from Ottawa-based Nuvyyo, is the best version yet. It's similar to the Tablo Dual that launched last year, but with a few differences: The Lite version has no internal storage, it offers superior 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity, and it's much cheaper at $140, versus $220 for the Tablo Dual. (With portable hard drives costing less than $70 these days, the Dual Lite lets you have more storage than the 64GB Dual for less money.) Although Tablo's video and audio quality remains inferior to some roll-your-own solutions, its low price and ease of use makes it the best over-the-air DVR for most people. Plug (and plug) and play Here's how you set up a Tablo DVR: Plug in a hard drive and antenna, connect it to a power outlet, optionally hook it up to your router with an ethernet cable, and then follow the guided setup through Tablo's mobile apps or website. After a few minutes of scanning for channels and downloading guide data, you're ready to watch and record over-the-air channels. As its name suggests, the Dual Lite has two tuners, so you can watch or record up to two channels at once. Jared Newman/TechHive With the Tablo Dual Lite, you supply your own antenna and hard drive. Wired ethernet is optional. The setup is refreshingly simple compared to other whole-home DVR solutions such as Plex and Emby. You don't have to rig up a separate media server device, choose between various tuner brands, or follow multiple installation procedures from different companies. That means there are fewer potential points of failure along the way. Mentioned in this article Plex DVR Learn more on Plex Still, Tablo does not plug directly into your television. Instead, it streams video over Wi-Fi to the Tablo app on other devices. This app is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Android TV devices, Xbox One consoles, LG and Samsung smart TVs, iOS, Android, and the web. There's also an add-on for the popular Kodi media center software. The benefit to this approach is that you can have all your streaming apps and over-the-air TV on a single input, though the setup is a bit more complicated compared to a DVR with direct TV output, such as Tivo's Roamio OTA. Jared Newman/TechHive To use Tablo, you must download the app on streaming devices such as Roku, Fire TV, or Nvidia Shield TV (pictured). Tablo doesn't require a subscription for DVR service, but it becomes a lot more useful with one. The service fee ($5 per month, $50 per year, or $150 for life) covers 14 days of TV guide data with cover art, series-based recordings, various ways to filter the guide, and out-of-home streaming. The free service only supports manual time-based recordings and offers one day of guide data. Jared Newman/TechHive Unless you subscribe to TV guide data, manual recordings are your only option. All told, you'll spend about $400 for the Tablo DVR, a hard drive, lifetime service, and a streaming TV device to watch on. That's cheaper than any roll-your-own solution, and comparable to TiVo's Roamio OTA DVR, which only works with a single television. One more note: If you'd rather not buy an external hard drive, the Tablo Dual Lite will offer a cloud-based DVR service with up to 40GB of storage. Tablo hasn't said how much this service will eventually cost, and it's currently just a beta feature, so we're not considering it as part of this review. This feature, however, did initially interfere with recordings on my hard drive, rendering them unplayable. Tablo had to fix the problem with a firmware update. Same Tablo experience On the software side, the Tablo Dual is identical to Nuvyyo's other networked DVRs. There's a grid-based channel guide for live TV, plus menus for browsing by genre, channel, or program type. A scheduling menu lets you view all upcoming recordings, and if you've created a conflict, Tablo will show an alert and provide a conflict resolution menu. Jared Newman/TechHive There it is, the good old reliable grid guide. For recordings, Tablo has added some more options since we reviewed the Tablo Dual last year. You can now keep a limited number of recent episodes and automatically remove older ones, restrict recordings to a single channel, and add start and stop buffer times (up to 10 minutes before the scheduled start time, and up to three hours after the end time). As before, Tablo can also automatically delete recordings when storage space fills up, and you can flag specific shows to protect them from deletion. The only other recording option Tablo lacks is HD-only recording. Jared Newman/TechHive Tablo recently added some advanced recording options, such as the ability to discard older episodes and add recording buffer times. On the playback side, Tablo is still missing some fancier features that have shown up on other DVR solutions. There's no background video playback, so you must stop watching TV any time you want to flip through the program guide. And while Plex, Channels DVR, and TiVo all offer some form of ad skipping, with Tablo you still have to scrub through each commercial break manually. You might also notice some inconsistencies in the experience depending on your choice of streaming device. On Roku, for instance, there's no search option, and you can't use Roku players to stream outside the house. On Apple TV, the only way to find upcoming programs is through the grid guide, so you'll probably want a phone or computer to set up your recordings. What power users will miss A few months ago, Tablo fixed one of its biggest sticking points by cutting down load times for live TV channels. I've yet to wait more than 10 seconds to load a live channel, and it's usually closer to six seconds across all the devices I tested. That's down from 15 seconds or more in my previous experiences with Tablo devices. Still, some performance setbacks remain, and they might be enough to drive power users away. As with Tablo's other networked tuners, the Dual Live can only play interlaced channels at 30 frames per second. If a station broadcasts at 480i or 1080i, playback won't look as smooth compared to direct antenna input. Tablo is capable of 60-frames-per-second video on 720p channels, though you'll need to visit the settings menu and select the highest playback quality setting to enable this. Speaking of which, video streams are capped at 10Mbps, so you'll never get the full quality that broadcast TV offers, and Tablo doesn't support 5.1-channel surround sound either. This is mainly because Tablo converts all video to a format called HTTP Live Streaming, rather than supplying native MPEG-2 video to devices that support the format. To achieve full broadcast quality, you'll either need to roll your own DVR (using Plex, Channels, HDHomeRun, Emby, or Tablo's Engine software), buy a TiVo, or look to other solutions that pass antenna input directly to your television (such as Tablo's Engine software for the Nvidia Shield TV streaming box). As with other Tablo devices, the the Dual Lite also won't let you combine multiple units into a single DVR. Tablo does offer a quad-tuner model for watching and recording up to four channels at once, but if you want to expand beyond that, you must manage each Tablo DVR separately, each with its own schedule and recording list. Jared Newman/TechHive Scheduling conflicts will arise if you try to record more than two programs at once. At least Tablo helps you weed them out. Tablo is wagering that most people won't care about those things--at least not enough to jump through the hoops that its competitors require. I'm inclined to agree. For most people who want to record over-the-air channels and watch them on lots of different devices, the Tablo Dual Lite is the simplest solution at a low price. Aleksandr Kogan, the Cambridge University academic who developed the thisisyourdigitallife personality app at the center of the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal, has denied claims that hes a Russian spy. Kogans app asked those who took the quiz for permission to harvest their data but made no such request to the 50 million Facebook friends who didnt know about the application or give consent, yet still had their personal info sucked up and given over to Cambridge Analyticas parent company, SCL Elections. It was then used to back Brexit and Trumps presidential campaign. Last month, The Guardian reported Kogan, who was born in Moldova in the former Soviet Union, was briefly an associate professor at St Petersburg University, where he took grants from the Russian government to fund research into social media. The Russia links have led some to assume that Kogan is a spy for the country. Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie also talked about a Russia connection in interviews, something Kogan called Russophobic and deeply irresponsible. I think they strongly insinuated that Im a Russian spy based on no evidence whatsoever, he told Buzzfeed. There have been conspiracy theorists that are convinced that I am the missing link between Russia and Trump. Kogan also pointed out that his psychology work at St Petersburg had nothing to do with Cambridge Analytica, and that he and his family emigrated to the US from Moscow, where his father was stationed in the Russian army, when he was seven because of anti-Semitic death threats. Kogan also used the interview to reveal that he has closer ties with Facebook than reports suggested. He worked as a paid consultant to the site for a week in November 2015, and has worked on at least 10 papers with Pete Fleming, who is now head of research at Facebook-owned Instagram. He failed to disclose that what he was really after was access to their friends and that he was doing the survey for Cambridge Analytica which used the material to influence people on how to vote. (2/2) #60Minutes pic.twitter.com/lkVaiENxTd 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 22, 2018 Kogan told CBSs 60 Minutes that he was sincerely sorry for assuming people knew their data was being harvested but didnt care about the mining. Back then, we thought it was fine. Right now, my opinion has really been changed, he said. If I had any inkling that I was going to cause people to be upset, I wouldve never done it. Broadcom and Qualcomm might not be the only companies to have a merger squashed due to anti-competitive fears from government officials. This time around, the EU is reportedly looking into Apple's recent acquisition of music identification platform Shazam. To be clear, this investigation hasn't come completely out of the blue. According to The Verge, it has been at least a couple months in the making. The situation started when several European countries, including Austria and Iceland, asked the European Commission to look into Apple's merger to determine whether or not it fully complied with the EU's existing competition laws. "On the basis of the elements submitted by Austria and the countries joining the referral request, and without prejudice to the outcome of its full investigation, the Commission considers that the transaction may have a significant adverse effect on competition in the European Economic Area," a European Commission statement released in February reads. It seems the request has finally been granted - the EU has officially opened an "in-depth investigation" into Apple's acquisition of Shazam. "The way people listen to music has changed significantly in recent years, with more and more Europeans using music streaming services," said Commissioner Margrethe Vestager in a statement on Monday. "Our investigation aims to ensure that music fans will continue to enjoy attractive music streaming offers and won't face less choice as a result of this proposed merger." It's worth noting that the Commission's fears don't stem from the belief that Shazam is an actual competitor to Apple Music. Indeed, the Commission claims they don't consider Shazam a "key entry point" for music streaming services. Rather, the Commission is primarily worried that Apple might "obtain access to commercially sensitive data" about their competitors' customer base through Shazam. The Commission fears that Apple may later use that information to target those customers and convince them to switch to Apple's proprietary music streaming platform, Apple Music. Chile's President Sebastian Pinera, Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso, and Dominican Republic's President Luis Abinader are the active top politician implicated in the leak. | Read More Analysts have dismissed reports French oil and gas giant Total and Quadrant Energy will make a rival bid for Santos to compete with Harbour Energy's $13.5 billion takeover offer. Reports emerged on Monday that Macquarie Capital will lead a bid by Total and West Australian energy company Quadrant Energy, however, analysts dismissed News Corp's report of a rival bid, saying a lot of companies would be running their ruler over Santos. Reports Santos may be under the microscope for a bid from Total and Quadrant Energy are possible but not probable. Credit:Robert Garvey "Ive not heard anything to suggest this company, or any other, is going to make a new offer for Santos," an oil and gas source familiar with the companies told Fairfax Media. Fat Prophets analyst David Lennox said while a Total and Quadrant Energy joint venture could make a tilt for Santos, it was unlikely. Jacob Collier's response to Quincy Jones's offer to produce his first album was certainly novel: "Can we just be friends?" This was a London kid, whose ingenious reimagining of such songs as Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely? had gone viral on YouTube, knocking back the producer of all those Michael Jackson hits, and the man whose management company can turn bedroom stars into real ones. The exuberant Collier was hugely flattered by Jones's offer, but, despite his youth (then 19, now 23), he had worked by himself for so long that he was wary of outsourcing any control over his music. Jacob Collier, the boy who knocked back Quincy Jones. "It was just a matter of Quincy's got his world and I've got mine, and I want to make sure that mine is safe," he explains on the telephone. He did, however, let Jones book his debut gig nothing less than opening for Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea at the 2015 Montreux Jazz Festival. "It was absolutely crazy," says Collier, "because I'd never really done a show before. It was a 30-minute set, and I had nothing other than the idea that I wanted to do something on my own. When it comes to women, engagement is more likely to be effective by tapping into a socially responsible call to action. For my money, if there were a local fund, either inside or out of superannuation, that allowed me to invest in the advancement of women, be that through the companies that had the most gender diverse boards or balance of women in senior leadership, then most likely Id be buying. Some of my friends detest the idea of a female-focused fund, and thankfully they have more than enough products to choose from. But even they recognise that if such a fund boosted engagement among women obtaining advice or in building wealth, then this could be a good thing. Many people want to see their money do good in the world. Providers of ethical investing products insist that women are more likely than men to opt for products, particularly funds, that are designed around socially responsible or positive impact factors. Of course, its not just women that are interested in socially responsible female-focused financial products, its men, retirees and young people as well. Many people want to see their money do good in the world, they want to know that post the global financial crisis (GFC) exactly where their money is going and what impact it is having. The challenge for the finance sector is to employ more women into the influencing ranks of funds management and financial advice, and also to reorient from the typical customer of old to a customer with a new view of the world. In recent years, a range of financial products have emerged in the Australian market from those applying a gender lens to those that prioritise gender diversity. Weve also seen insurance and superannuation funds target women with added advice and education services for women. Numerous financial services behemoths, including Australian Super have flexed their shareholder voting muscles to pressure companies on gender diversity, particularly on boards. But to date, we havent seen any Australian funds tap into that rising empowerment theme that in 2017 saw women become increasingly more vocal on matters of equality. Loading The #MeToo campaigns now extend beyond sexual harassment and violence, into an empowerment movement thats spreading across all sectors, including finance. Such movements create opportunity for fund managers and product designers to offer socially responsible impact investments to investors. Were seeing this in the US, which arguably has much deeper and more liquid financial markets. State Street Global Advisors is one of the worlds leading asset managers and it has strategically positioned itself as both a gender diversity activist and a major go-to financial services firm for women. Last year, its Fearless Girl statue claimed headlines for starring down Wall Streets famous Raging Bull. State Street's fearless girl statue on Wall St. Credit:AP The stunt helped draw attention to its Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) SHE, which is one of the few funds with a socially responsible female thematic. SHE, now two years old, is designed to invest in companies that employ women in high-level leadership roles. SHE underperformed the benchmark Morningstar Large Blend Index in 2017 with a total return of 19.68 per cent compared to 20.44 per cent. Companies ranking in the top 10 per cent in each sector are included in the portfolio, so long as each firm has at least one woman on its board or as chief executive. Another fund focused on women is the Pax Ellevate Global Womens Leadership Fund (PXWEX), now part of Impax Asset Management. In 2017 the fund outperformed the benchmark MSCI World (Net) Index with a 22.78 per cent total return compared to 22.40 per cent. This fund invests in the highest-rated companies in the world for advancing women through gender diversity on their boards and in executive management. In both performance calculations outperformance is likely to be reduced by fees. The women-focused investment company founded by Wall Street veteran Sallie Krawcheck, Ellevest, also includes both the SHE Index and PaxEllevate in the mix of investment options offered to customers. Ellevest is focused on bridging the gender pay gap and recently launched the Ellevest Impact Portfolios, with five new funds that have an investment theme of advancing women globally. The new portfolios are in addition to its existing ETF Portfolios. Sallie Krawcheck, co-founder and chief executive officer of Ellevest Financial. Credit:Bloomberg Unfortunately, Ellevest currently serves the investing needs of US clients only. So whats holding Australia back? Performance, cost or demand? Its likely to be a bit of everything. One of the closest options to SHE is the BetaShares Australian Ethical ETF (FAIR) fund, which invests only in companies that have at least one female board director. FAIR has outperformed the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 over the past three years with a 7.9 per cent total return versus 3.8 per cent. I asked BetaShares if it would consider going a step further and develop an ETF that features companies where there are at least two women on boards, or perhaps 30 per cent women in leadership and board positions. BetaShares isnt ruling out such a move but says it all depends on whether applying such a screen results in a portfolio that is robust and also whether there exists sufficient demand in the marketplace for such a product from a wide variety of investors. I also asked AustralianSuper if it would consider offering a similar product, but it said it has no plans to do so. The step might not be a difficult one to make given the increasing number of Australian companies improving their gender diversity policies. Currently most of the companies in the ASX top 20, have over 30 per cent women in board positions, according to the Financy Womens Index for the December quarter. The latest gender diversity report by the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) also shows that of the ASX top 200, there are 74 companies, which have reached or exceeded a key 30 per cent target. A milestone the AICD is pressing listed companies to meet by the end of this year. Theres no question that we have an evolving industry, which appears to be moving in the right direction on gender diversity. But we are missing an opportunity to engage with a wave of potential female investors, especially those who want to invest in women for the social good it can create. The owner of a Civic IGA says he was never approached by authorities about concerns he was "flogging cheap alcohol" at the Canberra Multicultural Festival, despite revelations on Monday that police flagged his stall with the government. Javid Osman, who owns the East Row IGA, told Fairfax Media he was "blindsided" on Monday after reports emerged that the ACT government went against police advice by giving him a liquor licence for 2018, even as community groups were banned from selling alcohol at the same event. The decision to drop the number of stalls selling alcohol was made by event organisers following consultation about last year's event. Credit:Graham Tidy A blanket ban on alcohol permits for community clubs saw licences at this year's festival fall from 65 to 21. Local groups slammed the decision, claiming it cut them off from vital fundraising revenue in favour of businesses. While authorities said at the time the restrictions came off the back of police recommendations, correspondence obtained by the ABC revealed ACT Policing did not call directly for such a measure, instead raising concerns that the East Row IGA, a commercial vendor, had sold cheap alcohol at the 2017 event. Capital Brewing Co's latest brew is a collaborative effort, with a hefty dose of rock'n'roll. The Canberra brewers have teamed up with UK rockers Royal Blood for limited release beer Royal Brew Blood Orange New England IPA. The Royal Brew Blood Orange New England IPA at Capital Brewing Co. The band is coming to town this weekend for music festival Groovin The Moo at University of Canberra on April 29, when they will get to taste the creation themselves. The juicy beer is crammed full of blood orange juice, with hints of passionfruit and pineapple. The collab came out of a friendship between Capital's director Rich Coombes and Royal Blood's Mike Kerr. Capital is again selling their beers at this year's Groovin The Moo, and when Royal Blood were announced on the lineup, Rich got in touch with Mike to see if they were keen to collaborate on a beer. Capital's head brewer Wade Hurley bounced around ideas and beer styles with the band, then he brewed it up just in time for the music festival's arrival. "Its not every day you get to work with some of your favourite musicians said Hurley. Royal Blood's Ben Thatcher and Mike Kerr. "We had the bands latest album How Did We Get So Dark absolutely cranking as we mashed in the brew. We cant wait to share a few pints with the lads when they land in the country next week." A Canberra company is looking for about 30 drivers to take part in a world-first trial of semi-autonomous vehicles. Seeing Machines on Monday launched phase one of its CanDrive program, which focuses on the behaviour of drivers behind the wheel of automated vehicles, and how they react when they need to re-take control. Seeing Machines project manager Nico Riquelme behind the wheel of a semi-automated Tesla equipped with driver monitoring technology. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong Seeing Machines chief executive Ken Kroeger said while companies around the world were testing driverless cars, they were all focused on the vehicle's performance. But he said Seeing Machines, which is listed on the London stock exchange but headquartered in Canberra, was the only one looking at human performance, using face-tracking technology to test drivers' reactions. A tram passes through a foggy street in Kew early on Monday morning. Credit:Eddie Jim A heavy fog over Melbourne Airport that disrupted flights and triggered delays of up to two hours for passengers travelling to and from major metropolitan airports has lifted and flights have once again resumed. On Monday, Qantas, Virgin, Jetstar and Tiger flights were cancelled and listed as being delayed throughout the morning as fog wrecked havoc and airlines cautiously cancelled and delayed domestic flights because of poor visibility. A holidaymaker has been treated for a suspected venomous blue-ringed octopus sting in Queensland. RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service airlifted the man, 21, from Lady Musgrave Island on Sunday afternoon to Rockhampton Hospital. A blue-ringed octopus. Credit:Paul Jeffers The man was a passenger on a charter fishing boat when he was stung. He was discharged on Monday morning. Assistant Commissioner Tess Walsh Credit:Rob Gunstone A Victoria Police assistant commissioner appointed to head of crime after disgraced former anti-corruption chief Brett Guerin resigned from the organisation has herself been the subject of a bullying investigation. Mr Guerin, the former head of Victoria Police's ethical standards body, quit in Feburay after being linked to racist YouTube comments and making inappropriate remarks about former colleagues. Victoria Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton announced on Monday that Assistant Commissioner Tess Walsh, who has led the forces western region for the past three years, has been selected as the new head of crime command. While her rank of assistant commissioner remains the same, Ms Walsh's new role takes in high-profile police areas such as armed offenders squad, the anti-bikie Echo taskforce, homicide squad and the fraud and extortion investigative unit. One of the teenagers charged over a hit-and-run crash that killed a married couple posted footage from inside the stolen Lexus on social media, before the crash occurred. The footage offers a chilling glimpse of the joyride around suburban Melbourne that the pair allegedly took before they smashed. The footage, believed to have been posted by the 15-year-old to her Instagram account on Friday, was allegedly shot from inside the stolen $170,000 four-wheel-drive, which police believe was involved in the crash that killed Matt Goland and Bita Zaeim. Matt Goland, 38, and Bita Zaeim, 32, after their wedding in Bali. As RnB music blares from speakers inside the car, a short video taken from the front passenger seat sways and shows a dark interior with a large display monitor blaring blurred white text. Unintended consequences are a persistent pitfall in politics and public policy. Higher tax rates, for example, can trigger tax avoidance, leading to lower public revenue. Prohibition of illicit substances spurs crime and increases preventable harm. An investigation by The Ages Farrah Tomazin has highlighted a catastrophically perverse case. Government attempts to promote and extend vocational training have undermined vocational training, destroying students trust and the credibility of even decent providers, saddling young people with ridiculous debts, enriching rorters and costing taxpayers billions of dollars. Epic fail. Despite pernicious wrongdoing, not a single criminal charge has been laid. Unscrupulous training outfits conned students. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has investigated 15 providers since 2012, the year the Gillard government expanded the program without sufficient safeguards, and has extracted three settlements thus far, including $44million from a firm called Careers Australia. More than a year on from the federal Coalition government replacing the lax VET FEE-HELP scheme with a stricter system called VET Student Loans, The Age has reported that the implosion of vocational training has cost taxpayers $7.5 billion, much of which is loans the Education Department admits it will never recover. Tallinn: Australia will join the worlds biggest live fire cyber-war exercise, a week after Australia, the US and UK issued an extraordinary warning that Russian state-sponsored hackers were targeting key public and private infrastructure in Western countries. The annual exercise, known as Locked Shields, takes place this week in Tallinn, Estonia, and tests the ability of government teams from countries across the world to withstand a full-scale cyber attack. Last year the hostile state in the Locked Shields exercise was dubbed Crimsonia literally a red menace. This years Locked Shields will simulate a hostile co-ordinated cyber-attack against a major civilian internet service provider and military airbase. The US and UK believe Russia has been working to develop the capability to launch such a strike since at least 2015. Last year the hostile state in the Locked Shields exercise was dubbed Crimsonia literally a red menace though organisers said it would not be politically correct to say it was modelled on Russia, and other countries could have the same capability and intent. Former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush in 2004. Credit:PAUL SANCYA Former First Lady Barbara Bush, matriarch of the Bush political dynasty, died last week at the age of 92. In the days since her passing, there has been an outpouring of remembrances about her life, all tinged with a nostalgia for a better time in America. Even among people who didnt support the Bush presidency (the first or the second), there was a shared sense that something important had been lost. George and Barbara Bush are indeed reminders of a kinder, gentler Republican Party that has been eclipsed by the rise of the Trump. But the elder Bushes are also a reminder of how the GOP got to the state it is in today, not only because they show how more moderate politicians capitulated to conservatives, but also because they remind us of how stultified and insular the political establishment had become. The Bushes had a reputation for both public service and personal kindness. Barbara Bush earned her encomia for her work on literacy and her compassion, in an era that offered very little, towards gay Americans dying in the AIDS epidemic. She won a reputation as both warm and blunt, able to put a person at ease but also able to cut through any hint of artifice or flattery with a sharp (and often witty) rebuke. Lima: A Canadian man was lynched in the Peruvian Amazon after residents of a remote village accused him of killing an 81-year-old shaman a day earlier, a spokesman for the attorney general's office said on Sunday. Olivia Arevalo, a traditional medicine woman or healer of the Shipibo-Conibo tribe, was shot twice and died on Thursday near her home in the Amazonian region of Ucayali, said Ricardo Palma Jimenez, the head of a group of prosecutors in Ucayali. Some villagers had blamed Arevalo's murder on Sebastian Paul Woodroffe, a 41-year-old Canadian citizen who lived in the region and who was believed to have been one of her clients, said Jimenez. Police found Woodroffe's body buried about 1 km from Arevalo's home on Saturday, after a mobile phone video recording of the Friday lynching was shared on social media, said Jimenez. I hope you didn't read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Published by Scholastic to look like the eighth installment in J.K. Rowling's megahit series of fantasy novels about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the book undoubtedly produces its fair share of gasps and tears when read alone. But Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play. It is meant to be seen and heard in the theater. Broadway audiences can now experience Rowling's special brand of shock and awe with 1,600 other Potter fans in the Lyric Theatre, where the two-part drama is now making its North American debut. It is not only the most magical show on Broadway, but the best day I've spent in the theater in a long time. Some of that comes from my preexisting relationship with the material: Like millions of readers, I bonded with Harry, Ron, and Hermione through seven books as they fought the resurgent forces of Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard seeking to cleanse the magical world of those with "impure blood." I was with them, even as the adults charged with maintaining order routinely disappointed. Rowling's books (authored between 1997 and 2007) feel incredibly prescient today, as authoritarian nativism becomes increasingly popular in the West, blindsiding a hapless liberal establishment. But as so many Broadway carrions prove, nostalgia is not enough: You have to offer something fresh, as Cursed Child marvelously does. Noma Dumezweni, Susan Heyward, Paul Thornley, Olivia Bond, Ben Wheelwright, Jamie Parker, Poppy Miller, and Sam Clemmett star in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. ( Manuel Harlan) This new play by Jack Thorne (based on an original story by Rowling, Thorne, and director John Tiffany) picks up where the epilogue of the seventh book left off: All grown up, Harry (Jamie Parker) has three children with Ginny Potter, nee Weasley (Poppy Miller). Minister of Magic Hermione Granger (Noma Dumezweni) is married to Ron Weasley (Paul Thornley). They send their daughter, Rose (Susan Heyward), off to Hogwarts with Harry and Ginny's middle son, Albus (Sam Clemmett). "I'm a Granger-Weasley, you're a Potter," Rose tells Albus, luxuriating in her hyphenation. "Everyone will want to be friends with us." But Albus makes an unlikely best friend on the Hogwarts Express: Scorpius Malfoy (Anthony Boyle), son of Harry's old nemesis, Draco (Alex Price). As the years at Hogwarts pass, Albus and Harry's relationship becomes strained, with Albus struggling to live up to his name and questioning his father's legacy. He convinces Scorpius to help him correct one of Harry's historic errors by using a time-turner to go back and save Cedric Diggory (Benjamin Wheelwright), the star student who tragically died during the Triwizard Tournament of Harry's fourth year. Of course, anyone who has seen a Back to the Future movie knows this plan is bound to run into problems. Sam Clemmett plays Albus, and Anthony Boyle plays Scorpius in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. ( Matthew Murphy) Thorne condenses a heap of exposition, breezing through Albus's first three years at Hogwarts in under 20 minutes. Tiffany stages these fat-free scenes with precision and clarity, creating a vibrant, dynamic world. Christine Jones's cavernous set, which resembles a train station, reinforces this transience. As gorgeous light (by Neil Austin) streams in from a high window, members of the ensemble shuffle across the stage, their robes billowing through Steven Hoggett's lively choreography. Luggage forms a large part of the scenery as a rotating stage keeps everything moving. Tiffany brings an experimental director's resourcefulness to the biggest budget currently on Broadway, resulting in a play that feels lavish, but never wasteful. Tiffany also exploits cutting-edge stagecraft to maximum effect: While Frozen has one jaw-dropping costume change, Harry Potter has one every few scenes thanks to Katrina Lindsay's detailed and transformable costumes. Finn Ross and Ash Woodward have designed some of the most realistic-looking, head-spinning projections ever deployed onstage. Illusion designer Jamie Harrison holds us in sustained wonder as we constantly ask ourselves, How did they do that? The cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child performs Steven Hoggett's choreography. ( Matthew Murphy) Convincing performances from the 40-person cast sell the magic and earn our emotional investment. This is especially true of Clemmett and Boyle, whose geek bromance becomes as precious as any of the preexisting relationships. We delight at seeing how the original characters have grown into adulthood: Dumezweni delivers a commanding Hermione, Miller an assertive Ginny. Parker and Price's portrayals of uneasy dads Harry and Draco feel completely authentic. Everyone in the cast excels at making the massive Lyric Theatre feel intimate, drawing us into the play's quieter scenes. Despite all their technical wizardry, Thorne and Tiffany succeed by emphasizing character, relationships, and moral complexity all things theater does well. In no small part due to this groundbreaking production, The Cursed Child solidifies my belief that J.K. Rowling is our greatest living storyteller. With the novels, she created a story that young readers can grow up with, as Harry and his friends confront increasingly adult problems. The Cursed Child expands that legacy to a new generation (like Harry, many of the original readers of now have children of their own). Far from being pure escapism, The Cursed Child has astute things to say about institutional complacency, elite arrogance, and the repercussions of humiliation all forces driving our world today. Both relevant and timeless, Harry Potter is the epic of our time and it is thrilling that the theater is a part of that. You don't need to be a professor of divination to know that this show is going to be a big hit. Tony Award winner Chita Rivera and Tony Award-winning composer and producer Andrew Lloyd Webber will receive the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre at this year's ceremony, to be held June 10 at Radio City Music Hall. "The cultural impact that Chita and Andrew have had on the international theatre community and on theatre education, has been immeasurable," said Heather Hitchens, president & CEO of the American Theatre Wing, and Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League. "They are groundbreakers, they are inspirations and we are truly honored to recognize these two incredible legends with the Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement." Rivera's Broadway career began when she joined the cast of the original Guys and Dolls as a dancer. She has been nominated for 10 Tony Awards and won Lead Actress in a Musical in 1984 for The Rink and in 1993 for Kiss of the Spider Woman. Other Broadway credits include West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, and Nine. She was last seen on Broadway in 2015 in Kander and Ebb's The Visit. Lloyd Webber made his Broadway debut in 1971 with Jesus Christ Superstar (recently revived on national television by NBC with John Legend as Jesus). Among his Broadway credits are musical theater mainstays such as Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cats, and Sunset Boulevard. He is currently represented on Broadway by School of Rock and his long-running The Phantom of the Opera. Lloyd Webber is the winner of six additional Tony Awards. Judiciary is doing the best job: Bilawal Bhutto MULTAN: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says nobody can stop judges from taking notices over issues as they have suo motu powers. They can take notice of any issue from the prices of electricity to sugar; however, they should also do their job as over 1.8m cases are pending before the courts and the people have to wait for decades with the hope of getting justice. If you want to do our job, do it but please do your own job as well. If you dont do it who will do it? he asked. He was talking to the media after paying his condolences to the family of Wajahat Hussain Gilani, the brother-in-law of former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, and caretaker of Musa Pak Shaheed shrine. Dwelling on the subject of judiciary, Bilawal said he had very high hopes with the chief justice regarding provision of justice according to the law. Judiciary is doing the best job. Panama case that was difficult is being pursued. Dont provide an excuse to anyone to criticise you. You had said that the case would be decided within six months. Do focus on it, he suggested to the CJ and added that in democracy every institution worked within its domain. I cannot stop anyone but can only suggest that if the judges will speak through press conferences and speeches, it will provide others with an opportunity of criticism, he made his point clear and added that a judge should speak through his judgment. Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto could not get justice till today. Ten years have passed since the martyrdom of my mother and till date I could not get justice, he said. Criticising Nawaz Sharif, he pointed out that former PM who was now raising slogans of give respect to vote had attended assembly hardly for six times when he became prime minister for third time. There will be no respect for a person, his parliament and government who did not hold cabinet meetings, neither did legislation nor resolved the issues of the masses, he said. Continuing his diatribe against the former chief of the PML-N, he said Mr Sharif had always acted on dictations. Even now, he is trying to strike a deal while requesting for dictations. Where was the respect of the vote when he was taking dictations from Zia and hatching conspiracies against Benazir Bhutto? He hatched conspiracies not only against Benazir Bhtto but also against Junejo, the Chaudhrys (Shujaat and Pervaiz) and his own people. Even now the two Sharifs are fighting against each other. Mr Bilawal said that when the PPP government had tried to amend the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws due to their flaws and weaknesses, it was the PML-N that had opposed it. On the issue of south Punjab province, the PPP chief said his party had got the separate province bill approved from the Senate where it was in majority; however, the PML-N blocked its way in the National Assembly. He said his party would engage the leadership of Janoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaz and political parties for the creation of new province. However, bemoaning that the PML-N would not let the new province created now. Talking about the matter of electricity shortage, Bilawal informed the media the Sindh government was working on the issue for the last 10 years although power generation was a federal subject. He said 1,300 reverse osmosis (RO) plants had been installed in Sindh at a cost of Rs11bn. The people now sitting in the PML-N with the help of the MQM had privatised the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC). Now, they are not providing the gas to the company for power generation, he said. He said on the one hand, the federal government was not providing electricity to Karachi while on other hand it was involved in overbilling. There is electricity loadshedding of 18 hours not only in Karachi but also in other parts of the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and south Punjab, he said. Talking about the interim government, the PPP chairman hoped that both the prime minister and the leader of the opposition would agree on the matter. He said democracy in Pakistan was weak but it had prevailed during the last one decade which had never happened before. Our government carried out a peaceful power of transfer from one civilian government to another. Hopefully, after a free, fair and impartial election, the power will be transferred to another civilian government once again. It will be a big step for democracy in Pakistan. The PPP chief warned that some people were against the transfer of power from a civilian government to another. Kate Middleton, Prince William and the new baby. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Congratulations to us all! In an important event that affects each of us personally, Kate Middleton gave birth to her third child with Prince William, a baby boy, on Monday morning at the extremely wild Lindo Wing of St. Marys Hospital in London. This is such exciting news for us and also for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges two older children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, but mostly for us. Although the baby boys full name has rudely not yet been revealed to us, his closest friends and family, we have still been blessed with a ton of other tidbits about the newest British prince that can tide us over for now. Here, a few things to know about the new royal baby. This is a big baby (by royal standards). We say this purely as a fact and not at all in a body-shaming way, but apparently, this baby is biiiiiggggg. Weighing 8 lbs and 7 oz, the Daily Mail notes that the new royal baby was the heaviest at birth of any royal child in the past 100 years. In contrast, Princess Charlotte weighed 8 lbs 3 oz when she was born and Prince George was 8 lbs 6 oz. congrats on your historically large son madame https://t.co/domQl40fNO Caity Weaver (@caityweaver) April 23, 2018 It was a quick birth. Kate Middleton was only in the hospital in labor for five hours. Five! And on top of that, she was planning on having an unmedicated birth. His birth marks an important moment in British royal history. Not only is the babys birth important because 1) its a new human in the world, 2) its a new prince, and 3) we feel like we personally gave birth to it, but the arrival is also significant because of its impact on Princess Charlottes place in line to the throne. Before Prince Georges birth in 2013, British law dictated that any older sister in the royal family would have to move back a place in line to the throne if a younger brother is born. However, under the Succession of the Crown Act of 2013, that law was changed. So, for the first time in royal history, the birth of Princess Charlottes new little brother has no direct impact on her position. Shes still fourth in line to the throne, and the baby is now fifth in line (sorry, Prince Harry). Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive with Prince William for the birth. Photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images We already know the babys royal title. We may not know this babys name yet, but we surely already know his royal title: His Royal Highness Prince [insert name here, please tell us the name, we need the name thanks] of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. See, George is actually HRH Prince George Alexander Louis of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Charlotte is HRH Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. So the new baby is just going to follow that same pattern, though his birth certificate will likely read of Cambridge instead (given that his parents are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge). The birth certificate for His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge has been signed pic.twitter.com/yv5gGl2OrJ Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) August 2, 2013 The babys mom Kate Middleton will still attend Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys wedding. Despite the fact that Kate Middleton gave birth on Monday, April 23, the Duchess is still planning on attending Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys royal wedding on Saturday, May 19 which is less than four weeks after she physically pushed a human being out of her body. We have already heard that Meghan and Harry have (graciously) told Kate that she can take it easy during the wedding, but still, thats a short turnaround to have to attend a public event after labor. We have no reason to believe the new baby will be attending the nuptials, though. Kate Middleton and Prince William after the birth of Prince George. Photo: Samir Hussein/Getty Images Kate Middleton and the baby headed home on Monday evening. Shortly after the respective births of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton was photographed (looking amazing) as she left the Lindo Wing to recuperate from labor at home. The same thing happened this time around. Mere hours after giving birth, Kate Middleton and Prince William were photographed leaving the hospital with their new baby boy. She wore heels and a red Jenny Packham dress. Lets once again stress that she literally pushed a human out of her that very same day, and still looked absolutely picture perfect. Welcome to the family. pic.twitter.com/nKSd5kh5bZ Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2018 This post has been updated. Colombia Hoy Para nunca olvidar Paginas vistas en total 'Parasite' painted on a statue of Queen, Elizabeth in Kent, England Sin palabras La UE le apunta a la paz Cada vez mas solo Precio del Brent To get the BRENT oil price, please enable Javascript. Precio del WTI To get the oil price, please enable Javascript. Dolar USA Vs Euro Precio del Oro To get the gold price, please enable Javascript. LULA y su Pueblo Bye Bye Homenaje al genial Quino Fueron ellos Una imagen que resume Tan bajo ha caido que se deja tocar el trasero? Porky y el Nene (archiconocido narcotraficante) Ladrones al poder Asi mira el perrito a su amo Crazy Clamor popular La nueva inquisicion Bolivia Chile Hoy Eso es todo amigos! Piensalo! Pinerachet No More Trump Adios Macri, hasta nunca La Marioneta se desinfla Asi o mas cinico Almugre Mexico en 1794 Mas arrastrado imposible Hasta cuando! La pura verdad Solidaridad con Palestina Serie Capitalismo Espejismos de la clase trabajadora Asi es! Comerciantes o delincuentes No pasaran! Asi es la vida USA HOY 01/01/1959 La avaricia no tiene limites AYUDA HUMANITARIA? Chile Hoy Asi son las cosas Mapa Electoral de Venezuela Patagonia argentina? Un aniversario mas del mayor genocidio de la Humanidad Retrato del franquismo en Espana Visca Catalunya! El Chulo de Madrid Cuando la policia se roba la democracia Una imagen dice mas que mil palabras La purita verdad Asi gobierna la maldita burguesia Mi pobre clase media Como Chavez nadie Comparte La Colmena via twitter Twittear Programa de la MUD Asi o mas clarito Por que Trump no ataco Corea del Norte? Hace 15 anos Por que la OEA no se pronuncio? Una verguenza nacional La luz que nos guia La Union Europea Premio Nobel de la Paz? Feudalismo ayer y hoy Obama, el mentiroso Curiosa coincidencia Un mundo de cerdos No es extrano? La Marioneta Los ricos protestan, los pobres celebran MARICORI Y OBAMA Cuantas muertes este ano? 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Por culpa de Chavez Cerveza Polar Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar Translate 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! 19 Years Later, New Yorkers Remember Historic April 25 Appeal in China FLUSHING, New YorkNearly 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners from the New York area gathered on April 22, to mark the 19th anniversary of a day thats both sad and also a testament to great determination. On April 25, 1999, an estimated 10,000 followers of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa) gathered in Beijing to appeal for the restoration of a safe, legal environment to practice their faith. That day, the sidewalks near the Chinese Communist Party leadership compound were filled with polite, peaceful meditators wondering why their friends were starting to be arrested. Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Three months after the April 25 appeal, then leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Jiang Zemin, launched a large-scale persecution of Falun Gong that continues until today. Now, nearly 20 years later, the sidewalks of New York were filled with pedestrians who stopped to watch and record the whirlwind of colors from a marching military band, the meticulously designed floats, bustling dragon dance troupes, and cheerful ladies playing Chinese waist drums. The persecution remains arguably the most severe human rights issue in China today. Each year, the parade in New York, and others like it around the world, raise awareness about the brutal persecution and at the same time offer a dash of beauty and traditional culture that seem to have been lost in modern times. One Who Was There in 1999 That fateful day in April 1999 still remains in the mind of Zhaohe You, now 65. We just stood there peacefully the whole time. We wanted people to know that the practitioners they arrested in Tianjin are innocent people, said You, then a professor at the China University of Political Science and Law. We wanted the society to learn about the truth and what kind of people we are. The policemen standing before us were nervous at first, but then relaxed after a while seeing how peaceful we were, added Yous wife Lurai Wang, who was with her husband at the time. Both Human Rights Watch and the U.S. State Department have cited sources suggesting that at least half of the inmates in forced labor camps across China were Falun Gong practitioners. The forced labor camp system was officially disbanded in 2014, but observers have noted that the camps have continued operating under different names. Former Canadian cabinet minister David Kilgour has noted that former detainees whom he and international human rights lawyer David Matas have interviewed outside China consistently indicated that Falun Gong were both the largest group in the camps and were singled out for systematic torture and abuse. Studies by Kilgour and Matas and by investigative journalist Ethan Gutmann of forced organ harvesting in China report that large numbers of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience have been killed since 2000 to supply a lucrative trade in human organs. Former U.S. first lady Barbara Bush listens to her son, President George W. Bush, as he speaks at an event on social security reform in Orlando, Florida, March 18, 2005. (Reuters/Jason Reed JIR/HB) Barbara Bush Remembered for Her Dignity and Wit at Houston Funeral Some 1,500 mourners gathered to pay their final respects on Saturday, April 21, to Barbara Bush. The former First Lady, who died on Tuesday, April 17, at the age of 92, was remembered for her dignity and devotion both to her family and public service. Her son Jeb Bush, former Florida governor and 2016 presidential candidate, delivered the eulogy. She called her style a benevolent dictatorship, but honestly, it wasnt all that benevolent, Jeb said. Bush was the matriarch of one of the countrys most prominent political dynasties. She was the wife of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush and the mother of George W. Bush. She was celebrated as an inspiration, for her strong sense of decency and honor. She was a point of light. In 1989 when many Americans lived in ignorance of HIV AIDS, Ms. Bush went to a home for infected infants and hugged the children there as well as an adult male patient. The images sent a powerful message one of compassion, of love and of acceptance, historian John Meacham said. Dignitaries from around the world attended Bushs funeral at St. Martins Episcopal Church in Houston where she and her husband were members for decades. Seated in the front row were former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, along with Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama. First Lady Melania Trump was also at the service, attending on behalf of the First Family. The White House said in a statement early in the week that President Trump would not be attending the funeral to avoid disruptions due to added security, and out of respect for the Bush Family, reported the BBC. The president watched the service from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, reported USA Today. Heading to the Southern White House to watch the Funeral Service of Barbara Bush. First Lady Melania has arrived in Houston to pay our respects. Will be a beautiful day! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018 President Trump tweeted, Today, my thoughts and prayers are with the entire Bush family. He said a remembrance display has been set up in front of Barbaras portrait inside the White House. Today, my thoughts and prayers are with the entire Bush family. In memory of First Lady Barbara Bush, there is a remembrance display located at her portrait in the Center Hall of the @WhiteHouse. pic.twitter.com/AuJ3RLZyax Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018 It isnt unusual for a sitting president to be absent at a former first ladys funeral. Former President Barack Obama did not attend Nancy Reagans funeral in 2016 or Betty Fords in 2011, while Bill Clinton did not attend the funeral of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, reported USA Today. Barbara Bush was laid to rest at the Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University, buried next to her daughter Robin who died as a 3-year-old child from leukemia. Additional reporting by NTD Reporter Janita Kan Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni waves from a car during the celebration marking the 64th anniversary of the country's independence from France, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Nov. 9, 2017. (Reuters/Samrang Pring) Cambodia King Urges Senate Dominated by Ruling Party to Protect Rights PHNOM PENHCambodias King Norodom Sihamoni on Monday urged senators to protect justice and human rights as the upper house of the countrys parliament met for the first time since the ruling party swept a controversial election in February. Prime Minister Hun Sens Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) won every seat up for grabs in the Feb. 25 election after many opposition supporters were stripped of the right to vote late last year. Rights groups and opposition leaders called the vote a sham and undemocratic, while Western governments have suspended aid and some imposed sanctions, including travel curbs, on senior CPP members. The Senate has to guarantee to protect justice and human rights in order to improve happiness in our society, the king said in a speech on Monday congratulating the newly-elected lawmakers. He reminded them of the Senates duty to protect basic constitutional rights and democracy, as well as the freedom and interests of all people. CPP spokesman Sok Eysan did not reply to a Reuters request for comment. The CPP won 58 of the 62 Senate seats, which include two members each appointed by the king and the National Assembly. The four appointees are members of the royalist Funcinpec party of Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who was once Hun Sens main rival but is now aligned with the prime minister. Last November, the Supreme Court dissolved the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) at the governments request. After the CNRPs dissolution more than 5,000 opposition councillors and lawmakers were stripped of their voting rights, the CNRP said, paving the way for the CPPs landslide victory. The formation of this new Senate is just a part of the destruction of democracy in Cambodia, with the country painfully returning to a one-party system, Sam Rainsy, the former CNRP opposition leader who lives in exile in France after he stepped down, said in a email to Reuters. The CNRP was banned after Sam Rainsys successor, Kem Sokha, was arrested and accused of plotting to overthrow the government with help from the United States, accusations rejected by Washington and Kem Sokha, who is in prison. The United States, which has spent more than $1 billion to support Cambodia, said after the Senate election it would curb military support and other aid programs due to recent setbacks in the countrys democracy. The European Union has threatened Cambodia with economic sanctions and put a preferential trade agreement under review. Hun Sen has said he will not tolerate any foreign criticism of Cambodias domestic politics and has said his actions aim to protect national security. Recommended Video: Lanterns Light up Taiwan Sky For First Full Moon in Lunar New Year China Says Many Chinese Casualties in North Korea Bus Crash Chinese tourists have been involved in a major bus accident in North Korea that caused a large number of casualties, Chinas state media and the government said on Monday, without giving a precise break-up. Chinese visitors account for about 80 percent of all foreign tourists to North Korea, says a South Korean think-tank, the Korea Maritime Institute, which estimates that tourism generates about $44 million each year in revenue for the isolated country. Chinese diplomats have rushed to the scene of Sundays accident in North Hwanghae province, the foreign ministry said. In a Twitter message earlier on Monday, Chinese state televisions English-language channel said a tour bus had fallen off a bridge, killing more than 30 people, but later deleted the message. State televisions main Chinese-language news channel later showed images of a crashed blue bus with its wheels in the air, in footage taken in pouring rain in the dark. It showed at least one person being treated in hospital, but also gave no details of casualties. The North Hwanghae province that borders South Korea is home to Kaesong, an ancient Korean capital thronged by tourists. North Korea is a popular, if offbeat, tourist destination for Chinese, especially those from the countrys northeast. China said more than 237,000 Chinese visited in 2012, but stopped publishing the figures in 2013. China is North Koreas most important economic and diplomatic backer, despite Beijings anger at Pyongyangs repeated nuclear and missile tests and support for strong U.S.-led sanctions against North Korea. North and South Korea are in the final stages of preparations for a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-In at the border truce village of Panmunjom on Friday. Reporting by Ben Blanchard Recommended Video: How Doctors in China Turn into Murderers French President Emmanuel Macron attends a ceremony to pay tribute to Xavier Jugele one year after the French police officer was killed during a shooting incident, on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris, France, April 20, 2018. (Reuters/Benoit Tessier/Pool) Frances Macron Says He Has No Plan B for Iran Nuclear Deal WASHINGTONFrench President Emmanuel Macron said in a Fox News Sunday interview that he has no plan B for the Iran nuclear deal and that the United States should stay in the agreement as long as there is no better option. Macron also said the United States, France and other allies will have a very important role to play in rebuilding Syria after the war is over. He warned that Iran, which has been Syrian President Bashar al-Assads most supportive ally, will overrun Syria if the countries exit too quickly. By Yasmeen Abutaleb Recommended video: Media Tries to Implicate Trump in Syria Chemical Attack President-elect Donald Trump and Kanye West stand together in the lobby at Trump Tower in New York City on Dec. 13, 2016. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Kanye West Joins Black Trump Supporter in Condemning Self-Victimization Rapper Kanye West expressed support for a conservative black Trump supporter on April 21. I love the way Candace Owens thinks, West wrote on Twitter. Owens is a writer, producer, and commentator. She is the communications director for Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit. West supported President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential race. I believe the black community can do it without hand-outs. I believe the Democrats have strapped us to our past to prevent us from our futures. And I wont stop fighting until all black Americans see that. Im not far right Im free. Candace Owens, communications director, Turning Point USA, in a tweet Left-wing media were quick to report on Wests tweet while labeling Owens as a far-right media personality. Owens fired back a tweet to clarify her position. Far right? Allow me to clarify: I believe the black community can do it without hand-outs. I believe the Democrats have strapped us to our past to prevent us from our futures. And I wont stop fighting until all black Americans see that, she wrote on April 21. Im not far rightIm free. Wake up with me tomorrow, folks! Ill be on @foxandfriends at 8:20amET discussing Hollywoods continued attacks on our amazing @PressSec. Tweet me during the show. Xx#FoxNews pic.twitter.com/X1LZJgLDIU Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) March 19, 2018 Wests support for Owenss worldview caused a stir on social media. Scott Adams, the conservative creator of the Dilbert cartoons, live-streamed his response to the tweet, saying that Wests message will help show the rappers fans the way to a new golden age. He did something you could rarely see, Adams said. Kanye, in seven words, unlocked a mental prison. Kanye, in seven words, unlocked a mental prison. Scott Adams, cartoonist, Dilbert West posted nine tweets on April 23 with clips from Adamss video. Owens has criticized the Black Lives Matter movement. She summarized her view of the group recently when a group of Black Lives Matter hecklers interrupted her event at University of CaliforniaLos Angeles. Theres an ideological civil war happening: black people that are focused on their past and shouting about slavery, and black people that are focused on their futures, Owens said to applause from the audience. I can guarantee you, what youre seeing is victim mentality versus victor mentality. Black Lives Matter protesters showed up to my @UCLA event to protest. Here is a video clip of me smacking them down with the truth; theyre a bunch of whiny toddlers, pretending to be oppressed for attention. pic.twitter.com/riBA0A3J1I Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) April 20, 2018 Victim mentality is not cool. I dont know why people like being oppressed, she said, gesturing to the hecklers. Youre not living through anything right now. Youre overly privileged Americans. West mirrored some of Owenss thought in several tweets. Self victimization is a disease, he wrote in a tweet on April 22. There was a time when slavery was the trend and apparently that time is still upon us, he wrote in another message. But now its a mentality. Left-wing commentators attacked both Owens and West for their tweets. When asked about the attacks on Fox News on April 22, Owens said that the backlash is a common left-wing tactic. I think its pretty typical of the left. The truth is that the left wants to strap black people with this idea that they are victims, Owens said. They do not want black people to focus on their future. They want black people to focus on their past. Recommended Video: President Donald Trumps Weekly Address, April 13, 2018 Falun Gong practitioners on a float at the parade in Flushing, Queens to commemorate the April 25, 1999 peaceful appeals, held on April 22, 2018. (Larry Dai/The Epoch Times) New York Falun Gong Practitioners Commemorate Anniversary of Peaceful Protest in China Nineteen years ago, on April 25, more than 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners gathered in Beijing for one purpose: to ask authorities to uphold their constitutional right to freedom of belief. Little did they know that their peaceful appeal would become a peaceful protest that continues nearly two decades later, in all parts of the world. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual meditation practice rooted in the moral principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Introduced in China in 1992, its benefits to physical and mental health spread through word of mouth, and by 1999, there were as many as 100 million practicing it, according to several Western media outlets quoting Chinese officials. But then-Chinese Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin, believing that Falun Gongs popularity would undermine the Partys authority and his own power, was determined to eradicate the practice from China. Days prior to the largest public appeal in Beijing since the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, an article was published in a magazine in nearby Tianjin City containing defamatory comments about Falun Gong. When practitioners in Tianjin appealed to local authorities to retract the article, they were arrested and beaten. The Tianjin authorities told practitioners that the issue could only be resolved by the central authorities. Word spread quickly among practitioners. On April 25, adherents from across the country arrived at the Central Appeals Office in Beijing, an agency that hears public complaints. That day, several Falun Gong practitioners met with then-premier Zhu Rongji and negotiated for the release of the Tianjin practitioners. Those who had gathered just steps away from Zhongnanhai, the Communist Partys leadership compound, left quietly upon hearing the good news, making sure to clean up any debris or garbage on the ground around them. They did not know that in a few months time, on July 20, Jiang would initiate a nationwide persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, mobilizing the states security apparatus to arrest and detain adherents. More than 4,000 are confirmed to have died as a result of torture and abuse while in custody, although the real number is believed to be much higher, due to the difficulty of getting information out of China, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center, the groups press office. In addition, large numbers of practitioners have been killed for their organs, used in Chinas organ transplantation industry, according to independent researchers. Raising Awareness Since 1999, millions of Falun Gong practitioners around the world have raised awareness with citizens and governments about the violent suppression of Falun Gong in China. Zhao Yufeng was one of several Falun Gong adherents who took part in the historic April 25 appeal. She has since made her way to the United States. On April 22, she and hundreds of practitioners from the New York and New Jersey area convened in Flushing, Queens, for a parade and rally to commemorate the April 25 event. In the evening, Falun Gong adherents participated in a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese consulate to remember those who lost their lives to defend their freedom of belief. Zhao, a Beijing resident at the time, recalled that when she got off the bus and walked toward the appeals office, there were already lines and lines of Falun Gong adherents standing on Fuyou Street, quietly standing or sitting on the ground while reading the main book of Falun Gong teachings, Zhuan Falun. Those gathered made sure to leave room for pedestrian traffic and a special pathway for the blind. It was a very peaceful atmosphere, Zhao said. Our thoughts were simple and pure. We just wanted to tell the government that they had been mistaken, that Falun Gong practitioners were good people who would not commit bad deeds. Zhao began practicing Falun Gong in May 1996; soon after, chronic illnesses she had such as hepatitis C and arthritis disappeared. She also was no longer easily angered. Zhao said she felt appealing was the right thing to do, to defend the practice that changed her into a better person. The [state] propaganda on TV was all wrong, she said. I thought, maybe the government misunderstood [what the practice was about]. Since the persecution in 1999, Zhao was harassed by police and forced into detention centers and brainwashing centers meant to psychologically coerce Falun Gong practitioners into giving up their faith. At Sundays rally, Zhao felt a mix of emotions. Scenes from that fateful day resurfaced in her memories. Inside China, Falun Gong practitioners are risking their lives to tell the truth [about the persecution], Zhao said. Here in America, she could practice freely and tell others about Falun Gong freely. It was a completely different reality. I lived in a constant state of terror. The police could come anytime and harass me, ask questions, ask me to sign a letter promising I would give up the practice. The psychological pressure was enormous, she said. She hopes more people will come to know about the persecution in China and help end it. It has been far too long, she said. Community leaders such as New York State Senator Tony Avella and Queens district leader Martha Vasquez also attended the Flushing rally to lend their support for Falun Gongs nearly two decades of protests against the persecution in China. Li Taiping (pseudonym), a human rights lawyer who has helped defend Falun Gong practitioners in China, also attended Sundays parade. He was overjoyed at being able to witness so many practitioners openly expressing their beliefs. This would be unimaginable in China, he said. I hope that one day, this scene can take place in the mainland. Lin Dan contributed to this report. Recommended Video: Why is Falun Gong persecuted? Representative from California Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, speaks to the press about the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on March 24, 2017. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images) No Official Intel Existed to Justify FBI Russia-Collusion Probe, Lawmaker Says The FBI started investigating the Trump campaigns alleged collusion with Russia without any official intelligence to justify it, according to House intelligence committee chairman Devin Nunes. Nunes said on Sunday that his committee has reviewed electronic communications that passed through the Five Eyes intelligence agencies to the U.S. government and found nothing that could be used to start an investigation. The Five Eyes is an intelligence-sharing agreement between the United States, Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. We now know that there was no official intelligence that was used to start this investigation, Nunes told Fox News. According to the official narrative, the FBI started investigating allegations that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia based on intelligence that Trump campaign associate George Papadopoulos met with a professor in London who had Russian ties. The professor, Joseph Mifsud, told Papadopoulos that the Russians had thousands of Clinton-related emails. The content of that meeting somehow made it to the FBI; the House intelligence committee is trying to determine how that happened. Nunes pointed out that the committee already knows that longtime Clinton associates Cody Shearer and Sydney Blumenthal funneled a collection of notes written by Shearer to the State Department. Someone in the State Department then shared these notes with former British spy Christopher Steele, who, in turn, handed them to the FBI, according to CNN. The House intelligence committee is now investigating the State Department, where Nunes said there were major irregularities. This is really important to us because the counterintelligence investigation uses the tools of our intelligence services that are not supposed to be used on American citizens. Devin Nunes, chairman, House intelligence committee The investigation of Papadopoulos enabled the FBI to eventually use counterintelligence surveillance tools to spy on the Trump campaign during the 2016 election. This is really important to us because the counterintelligence investigation uses the tools of our intelligence services that are not supposed to be used on American citizens, Nunes said. Weve long wanted to know, Well, what intelligence did you have that actually led to this investigation?' The FBI applied for a FISA warrant to spy on Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page. A House intelligence committee memo published in February revealed that both the FBI and the Department of Justice (DOJ) intentionally withheld from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that much of the evidence presented in the application was based on the so-called Trump dossier. The dossier, produced by Fusion GPS and paid for by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC), relies almost exclusively on Russian sources. During a June 2017 testimony, former FBI Director James Comey said under oath that the dossier was both salacious and unverified. The intentional misleading of the FISA court, knowingly presenting it with false information to justify a FISA warrant on a political campaign, could lead to criminal prosecution of those involved. A FISA warrant allowed the FBI to use extensive spying powers, including communications obtained by spy agencies such as the National Security Agency, to spy on an American citizen. Through the so-called two-hop rule, it could also spy on those who were in contact with the original targetand in the case of Page, it allowed them to potentially spy on a large number of members of the Trump campaign. The lead agent on the FBI counterintelligence investigation, Peter Strzok, was demoted and fired from the team of special counsel Robert Mueller after nearly 10,000 text messages sent between him and FBI lawyer Lisa Page revealed a strong bias against Trump and toward Clinton. Strzok oversaw the FBIs investigation into Clintons use of a private email server to send classified information while serving as secretary of state. He was also part of the FBI team that worked on the exoneration statement for Clinton before the investigation into her case had even concluded. Jasper Fakkert contributed to this report.